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Volume XCIV No. 3 October 9, 2003
By NAOMI SOSNER
In a school such asStuyvesant, where almosteverything is done online, it isonly natural that students usetheir Internet access for fun aswell as schoolwork.Downloading is a daily activityfor some. But recent lawsuitsfrom the music industry maychange the downloadinghabits of students.
“I’ve been downloadingmusic for a couple of yearsnow, since Napster,” juniorJosh Lee said. “But I’ve startedto worry about doing it andgetting sued.”
Last year, the RecordingIndustry Association ofAmerica (RIAA) announced itwas going to begin suing indi-vidual users who store andshare music files on their com-puters. This September, theRIAA backed up the threat byannouncing 261 suits againstmusic sharers throughout thecountry—many of whom areteenagers.
Many students said thatwhile they themselves aren’tconcerned about feeling therepercussions of these law-suits, their parents are of a dif-ferent mind.
“A while ago, I came homefrom school, and sitting on mydesk was an article my dad leftfor me from The New YorkTimes,” said sophomoreElizabeth London. “It wasabout the 12-year-old girl whogot sued for the file-sharing.”
The story of BriannaLaHara, a New York City stu-dent who was sued for filesharing, is being viewed asproof of the dangers of down-loading music.
“I canceled all my musicfolders when I heard abouther,” said freshman MichelleLee. “I felt like, ‘It could havebeen me.’”
“As soon as my parentsheard about the 12 year old girlthey made me cancel Kazaa,”said sophomore Emily Melloer.“She lives in the same neigh-borhood as me, and they start-ed panicking.”
Some students said thatthe moral questions regardingfile sharing pose a problem forthem.
“No, it hasn’t really affect-ed me,” said junior Josie Pratt.“And anyway, I’m not surewhether downloading is right,ethically.”
One of the music indus-try’s main reasons for trying tostop file-sharing programs, likeKazaa and Morpheus, isbecause of lost revenue in vari-ous parts of the music indus-try. According to the RIAA,people would rather download
The Spectator “The pulseof the
studentbody.”
To The Stuyvesant Community
The Stuyvesant High School Newspaperspectator.stuy.edu
DOWNLOADING
GOES DOWN
continued on page 2
Students Dealwith the
DownloadingDilemma
By SHANNON BLANEY
This October, studentstaking the Specialized HighSchools Exam will have to putmore thought into their schoolpreference rankings than pastclasses did. According toAssistant Principal of PupilPersonnel Services EleanorArchie, a new student selectionprocess was created last year.
“In the old system whenyou took the exam your scoreswere arranged from highest tolowest,” Archie said.“Stuyvesant would then godown the list and select thosestudents whose scores met thecut off, until they met the setquota for the number of seatsthat could be offered thatyear.”
Students who didn’t makethe Stuyvesant cutoff but didmake the Bronx Science orBrooklyn Tech cutoff however,were allowed to attend thoseschools even if it wasn’t theirfirst choice. That has nowchanged.
“In the new system, the
New Sci-HiStudent
SelectionProcess
continued on page 2
The Stuy Pep Squad cheers for the Peglegs, who lost for the first time this season in theirhomecoming game against Long Island City High School. The game was played at theBrooklyn Technical High School football field. See page 12 for homecoming coverage.
High Spirits Despite Defeat at Homecoming
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Edward Wong, shown here at his desk in the program office,was appointed the new AP of Technology. See page 5.
Wong Appointed AP of Tech
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By DANIELLE FERNANDES
Where can you find poodleskirts, flappers, and zoot suitsall in one building and all at thesame time?
After the Stuyvesant Struton October 19, Stuyvesant willhost several activities celebrat-ing its 100th birthday. One ofthese activities will be to repre-sent one decade on each floor ofthe building for every decadeStuyvesant has been in exis-tence. A boy and a girl will rep-resent each decade on eachfloor by dressing up “in clothesof that decade,” said StuyvesantTheater Community (STC) cos-tume co-director Lena Sands.The costume crew was providedwith $250 to buy materials forthe costumes. Said sophomorecostume crew member ElisaOrr, “[I’m] excited that [we] cos-tume crewers get to wear ourown costumes for once.”
There will also be a timelineset up in the building to com-memorate each importantevent that has taken place atStuyvesant since 1904. The
timeline, which is available onthe Stuyvesant Centennial Website (www.stuy100.org), markssignificant occasions inStuyvesant history, such aswhen the football team becamecity champions in 1922 andwhen girls were first admitted toStuyvesant in 1969.
According to building coor-dinator Renee Levine, the hostsof the events inside the buildingwill be current principal StanleyTeitel and principal emeritusJinx Cozzi-Perullo.
Other school organizationssuch as ARISTA and the Big Sibswill also participate. They willbe positioned throughout thebuilding so that they can helpelderly alumni and “watch outfor them,” said Levine.
According to Levine, thecentennial events are “partiallya fundraiser to try and raisemoney for the school.” Thestore will be selling commemo-rative items, such as teddybears, centennial calendars, andT-shirts. Levine also said that a
Ready, Set, Strut!
By JIN-JI KIMwith additional reporting by
EUGENE THEODORE
There are over 200 student-operated organizations inStuyvesant that ask the StudentUnion for funding each year,and the SU is expected to coverany new club or publicationthat meets the membershiprequirements set by the SU.Hence maintaining the SUbudget is quite a task.
“It is not like we get majorfunding from school or any-place,” said SU Chief FinancialOfficer, Eleanora Srugo. “Wehost numerous events through-out the school year, such asdances and SING!. From stu-dents’ cooperation, we are able
to obtain our budget.”According to Srugo, the SU
will begin distributing “StuyAdvantage Cards” that will allowmembers to get discounts andgive-aways on school apparel.This is one of many new meth-ods the SU will adopt to increaseits funding capabilities.
Funding for the various stu-dent organizations is the maindrain on the SU budget. As theSU’s Web site supplement states:“If in need of SU funding, onemust submit a detailed break-down of the fiscal needs with a‘Request for Funding’ form to theCFO and present your ideas to aBudget Committee.” The meet-ing procedure, as stated by arti-cle three, section two of the SUConstitution, states that if nine
out of sixteen members of thecommittee attend the biweeklymeeting, the proposal will bevoted on. If the money is allocat-ed, it will be transferred to a sep-arate account made by the SU forthat particular organization.
In face of the current 6%budget cut for all public schoolsin New York City (a total of one-half-million dollars forStuyvesant), the SchoolLeadership Team (SLT) has cutthe funding for various schoolorganizations such as ModelUN. The SU is hoping to avoiddoing the same by implement-ing the use of these advantagecards, but according to Sguro,
SU Budget Rings Up Change
continued on page 2
continued on page 5
Look inside for more information on the
Stuyvesant Strut!
By YITIAN LIU
One of Stuyvesant’s mostvalued indulgences has recentlybecome more available to thestudent community. Food, sec-ond only to sleep for Stuy stu-dents, is now offered for free inthe school cafeteria.
As a result of Department ofEducation Chancellor JoelKlein’s new plan for better per-formance in class, breakfast isnow served in the cafeteria everymorning for free. “We want toget children ready in the morn-ing,” said Stuy school cafeteriamanager Maureen Nevins.
Sophomore Xiaotian Chenrecently began to reap the bene-fits of the new breakfast pro-
gram. He and many of hisfriends meet each morning toeat meals that Chen claims theywould have otherwise hurriedlygulped down on the subway orskipped completely. “Since I getto school a few minutes beforemy first class anyway, why notget a free breakfast?” said Chen.
Junior Christine Tadashares the same sentiments.While Tada doesn’t think thatbreakfast is improving her per-formance in school, she doesthink it is a good time to voiceher frustrations. “I’m still failingmy tests, but at least we stillhave these interesting breakfasttalks where I can vent out myanger,” said Tada.
All this free food has already
attracted much attention. Manyregular breakfast eaters can’trecall ever seeing such long linesin the cafeteria. After standing inline for a long time, seniorSimeng Sun suggested creatingmultiple lines for serving break-fast. Some students were noteven able to get breakfast in timefor their first-period classes.
Said junior Wendy Lui, “Thelines are so long now! I wasalmost late for first period whenthe line was practically out thedoor and the lunch ladies weretaking their sweet time asking,‘What do you want?’ I wantedthem to just dish out the food!”
However, junior Martha deJesus did not mind that freebreakfast now draws more stu-dents to the cafeteria in themornings than before. “I likefood, I like money, so of course Ilove free breakfast,” she said.
Although many studentswelcome the advent of a freemeal in the morning, many dis-approve of the consequent raiseof full price lunches from $1.00to $1.50.
Freshman Jake Learythought that the price hike wasunfair, especially because of thecafeteria’s current shortcom-ings. Said Leary, “I think theyshould stock up the sodamachines and let you take morethan three ketchup packets.”
Freshman RomeoAlexander, however, did notmind the price hike as much.
“The food here is betterthan in my middle school, andthere’s a greater variety. Somaybe it’s worth it,” he said.
Despite both complimentsand complaints about the newbreakfast program, Nevins said,“We want the line to go all theway through the doors!” Sheencourages students tell theirfriends about it. Perhaps evenstudents like sophomoreAnnalisa Ingegno, who earnestlybelieve in popular cafeteriamyths involving rats and roach-es, may be convinced to changetheir views.
The cafeteria now offers free breakfast to Stuy students everymorning. With the arrival of the free breakfast comes a raise inthe cost of full price lunch from $1 to $1.50.
Page 2 The Spectator • October 9, 2003
Free Breakfast: A Mixed Blessing
than spend close to $20 on a CD, which result-ed in lowered profits.
Not all of Stuy has been caught up on thedownloading dilemma. Senior JonathanLehman said, “It hasn’t affected me in any way.Actually, I’m still stuck on cassettes.”
Downloading Goes Down: Students Deal with the Downloading Dilemma
continued from page 1
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By LONGYIN LI
“Mr. Lee’s classes are flaw-less and enjoyable,” said sopho-more Seong Jin Kim on Jae Lee’sKorean class, “He doesn’t give alot of lectures and promotesclass participation and groupactivities.” However, these class-es may be a thing of the past.According to Principal StanleyTeitel, Lee may be forced toleave due to new Department ofEducation regulations.
According to Lee, state regu-lations require that all teachershave an teaching licence in theirfleld. Currently, he is not licensedfor teaching his Korean classesbut is pursuing a license inEnglish as a Second Language(ESL) Korean. When Lee com-pletes his current coursework hewill be fully qualified.Meanwhile, he is asking the stateto consider his case, as his depar-
ture would likely result in the endof Korean courses at Stuy.
“If I have to leave, I willcome back to teach when I getmy ESL license,” said Lee, “but Iwill continue to pursue theKorean license.”
So far, the search for a sub-stitute has been unsuccessfulbecause it is a part-time job.There are only two Korean class-es at Stuy. Lee was willing toaccept the job because he alsoteaches Korean at NYU.
“I would like to keep Mr.Lee here,” said Teitel, “but hecan’t continue [to teach unli-cenced] indefinitely.”
Reflecting on his time atStuy, Lee said, “Teaching atStuyvesant has been a wonder-ful experience. I’ve learned a lotfrom the students. It’s interest-ing teaching kids that can speakKorean and were brought up inKorean families but were never
properly taught the language inschool.”
Many Korean students andtheir parents are fighting to keepthe class alive.
According to junior MikeSeo, whose mother is in theKorean Parents Association,parents and students havedevused a plan to try to keep theclass in Stuy.
“My mom got a phone callfrom a mother who organizesthe Korean Parents’ Associationand said each child should e-mail Teitel to keep Mr. Lee, orfind another licensed teacher,”Seo said.
Many Korean students, likeKim, don’t want to see Lee leave.
“As a Korean I think Ishould know how to speak,write, and read the language flu-ently. And if the class disap-pears, I won’t have the opportu-nity to learn Korean anymore.”
Fate of Korean Classes Undecided
selection process is driven byyour first choice,” says Archie.“When the specialized highschools select the students theywant to offer seats to, they arestill presented with a list ofscores from highest to lowest.When we go in and look at thefirst names on the list, wewould normally offer that per-son a seat. Now, if the first per-son’s first choice was BrooklynTech, that’s where he goes; wedon’t even look at him.”
Stuyvesant then proceedsdown the list of scores, pickingout however many people itneeds to reach its seat quota.
“After Stuvesant has had itspick, Bronx will go in and Bronxwill start from the top [of thelist] and look for anyone whowanted Bronx first,” saidArchie, “and it proceeds as suchfor each of the six specializedhigh schools.”
According to Archie, aschool may go down the list andnot find enough students to fillall the seats for that year. If thishappens the school gets to godown the list a second time toselect any students who putthat school as their secondchoice, and who had notalready been selected by anoth-er school. Hopefully,” saidArchie, “the kids will be pickedup by one of the six schools.”
Regarding the necessity ofthe new process, PrincipalStanley Teitel comments, “Inthe past, students were allowedto move between the [special-ized high schools] based ontheir scores. As a result,Stuyvesant has wound up with
more students, some years,than it should have.” Accordingto Teitel, the new systemaddresses that problem.
Freshman Elise Combier-Kapel, does not agree with thenew process. She did concedethat at least prospective stu-dents had open houses beforethe exam this year, allowingthem to have a better idea ofwhich school they prefer.
Students who had siblingsgearing up to take the SSHATwere dismayed at the change ofprocedure. Many criticize thechange, adding that it has notbeen widely publicized.
“Are you serious? I don’tthink kids know that,” juniorShams Billah said.
“I really wanted my brotherwho’s in eighth grade to gohere, but now I don’t know if hecan get in,” Billah said.
Archie also pointed outthat there are now three morespecialized high schools (HS ofAmerican Studies at LehmanCollege, Queens HS for theSciences at York College, andHS for Mathematics, Scienceand Engineering at CityCollege) for students to choosefrom, thus increasing theirchances of getting into a spe-cialized high school.
This year kids can select upto twelve schools that are notspecialized, meaning that stu-dents have a better chance ofgetting into non-specializedhigh schools than students ofprevious years.
“I think,” said Archie, “thatthe biggest thing [prospectivestudents] have to know is ‘whatis my first choice?’ and theyhave to be realistic.”
continued from page 1
New Sci-Hi Student SelectionProcess
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Stuyvesant’s Korean teacher, Jae Lee.
the SU didn’t lose any moneydirectly from the cuts anyway.“Since we’re not funded by theadministration, our budgetitself isn’t directly affected,” she
said. However those that pro-vide it may not be as willing todivulge money.
New programs like theadvange cards will help weatherthis storm.
SU Budget Reportcontinued from page 1
The Spectator • October 9, 2003 Page 3
The Spectator • October 9, 2003Page 4
Cartoons
Page 5The Spectator • October 9, 2003
silent auction with donateditems may also take place.
The Stuyvesant Strutwon’t only be a great way toexercise, but it will also be yourbest bet for some interactivehistory lessons.
Ready,Set, Strut!
continued from page 1
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Senior Allie Kaufman models the cos-tume she will wear for the Strut onOctober 19.
Seniors Sophia Mokotoff and Mike Litwack encourage people to “takeaction!”at the club/pub fair on Thursday, October 2.
Stuy’s Annual Club/Pub Fair
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By REESE DAVIDSON
Programming Chairperson Edward Wong hasbeen appointed Interim Acting Assistant Principal ofTechnology, replacing Stephen Kramer who retired in2002.
According to Principal Stanley Teitel, Wong willcontinue doing what he has done for the past year,which is being responsible for Stuy’s computer net-work and programming office. “His responsibilitieswere the responsibilities of an Assistant Principal,”said Teitel. “Nowhe has the title aswell.”
Wong, a Stuyalum, startedteaching math atStuy six years ago.He then moved onto assistant pro-gramming chair-person and hasbeen program-ming chairpersonsince fall 2000. “Inever had anyintention of being AP,” said Wong. “It’s a weird turn ofevents for me to be in this position.”
Odessa Holmes, a secretary in the programmingoffice, said, “He’s a good boss and deserved to be AP.He’s a hard worker.”
She also believes that Mr. Wong is “like a robot.He has a magnet that will always come back to theprogramming office.”
Senior Owen Li feels that Wong’s promotion islong overdue. “Mr. Wong is a great guy. He hasassumed so many responsibilities this past year. Theonly shame is that he doesn’t teach classes anymore,”said Li.
Junior Isaac Maddow-Zimet agrees. “I’m such a ditz, I always forget my program card
and can’t go out to lunch,” he said. “But whenever Ido, Mr. Wong is always there for me.”
New AP Appointed: Wong to Head Technology
“He’s like a robot. He hasa magnet that will alwaysmake him come back to
the programming office.” —Odessa Holmes,
programming office secretary
The Spectator • October 9, 2003
Editorials and OpinionsPage 6
E D I T O R I N C H I E F
Jenny Lin*
M A N A G I N G E D I T O R
Emily Cooperman*
N E W S
Theresa Langschultz*Josh Ross
F E A T U R E S
Carly GlazerAudrey Uong
O P I N I O N S
Sarah OuthwaiteAlex Tilitz*
A R T S & E N T E R T A I N M E N T
Jane SussmanYvette Wojciechowski
P H O T O G R A P H Y
Naomi Gordon*Hunter Pedersen
Anna Wiener
S P O R T S
Evan MeyersonJacob Smith
L A Y O U T
Cynthia KooJeremy Wooster
A R T
Barry JinNicole Singer
C O P Y
Sal Bonaccorso*In Ho Lee
B U S I N E S S M A N A G E R S
Jennifer HsuSam Yoo
S P E C T A T O R O N L I N E
Christopher Pak
F A C U L T Y A D V I S O R
Hugh Francis
Please address all letters to:345 Chambers StreetNew York, NY 10282(212) 312-4800 ext. 2601
[email protected] reserve the right to edit letters
for clarity and length.spectator.stuy.edu
©2003 The SpectatorAll rights reserved by the creators.
* Managing Board Members
The Stuyvesant HighSchool Newspaper
“The pulseof the
studentbody”
The Spectator
By ANNA WIENER
A year ago at this time, ourfavorite Stuyvesant messageboards—the hallways—told thestory of an ideological conflictover what is called Spirit Week.“‘Women Belong in the Kitchen’That’s dated, right?” and “Toobad Stuyvesant’s own SpiritWeek had to turn back time andunravel [the women’s rightsmovement]” are two notableexcerpts.
Spirit Week precedes thePegleg’s football homecomingweekend. Wearing school colorsand Pegleg jerseys, the footballplayers each pair up with a foot-ball trainer or a cheerleader.Then for a week, the pairexchanges gifts to bolster teamspirit. Usually, the cheerleaderor trainer bakes for her footballplayer, while the player buys hiscounterpart flowers.
Last year, several friendsand I hung up signs criticizingthe traditions of Spirit Week.The exchanges of flowers forhomemade cake and cookiesbetween the varsity footballteam and the cheerleadingsquad seemed antiquated andinsulting to some onlookers. Itappeared heavily laden withgender stereotypes and commu-
nicated extremely dated socialnorms.
The signs were intended tovocalize a perspective shared bymany who were made uncom-fortable by the Spirit Week tradi-tions. Judging by the controver-sy that flared as a result, thesigns did their job in raisingawareness of the situation.
This October, Spirit Weekwas relatively low-key andunmarked by strife. And yet few,if any, things have changed.
So why the silence this year?I believe repeating the sig-
nage would have been redun-dant, inflammatory, and gratu-itous. To the majority of theschool, the message had alreadybeen communicated and hope-fully absorbed.
Last year, the signs weretaken as a personal affront bymembers of the cheerleading
squad and football team. Manywere deeply insulted. But theintent was not to attack theseindividuals. Rather, the implica-tions of their actions were underfire.
Although most members ofthe squad were aware of lastyear’s debate, it didn’t seem tohave much of an effect on thisyear’s events. While one mem-ber of the varsity team did tellme that he and his cheerleaderwere taking turns baking foreach other, this can hardly beconsidered a direct conse-quence. It is difficult to discernwhether or not it made an activeimpact on the way Spirit Weekwas run this year, althoughexternally it appears not to have.
It should not be overlookedthat this same football playeradded that in the case of moreprotests, preparations had beenmade in advance—including abevy of “anti-feminist” jokes.
It’s disappointing that thewhole ordeal has been oversim-plified and shrugged off as anaggressive and extremist “femi-nist” attack. Maybe by next yearthe wounds will have healed,and the message can be takenseriously.
Spirit Week Silence(Why I Have Not Spoken Out)
By JEREMY WOOSTER
As a freshman takingphysics, I always felt out of theloop. I received scrutiny frommy freshmen peers and fromstrangers in the junior class. Iwas one of “Teitel’s Tots,” asthey liked to call us.
I carried my physics text-book with a sense of insecurity,but I thought that the uneasi-ness had ended when I becamea sophomore. Now I am a juniorand I find myself undergoingthe same scrutiny I felt twoyears ago.
At least once a day, a fellowjunior approaches me with aquestion like, “Did you do thelab yet?” or, “Who do you havefor physics?” I offer the simplereminder that I took physics inmy freshman year.
The worst part of all,though, is the waste of a periodevery other day. I have B gymwith a physics class—when theyare not in gym, they sit on theeighth floor in their physicsclassrooms, and I find myselfwasting a whole useless period.
There is a variety of classesoffered in Stuyvesant and differ-ent courses meet differentrequirements. Despite all ofthese classes, though, there areno solutions to my problem.
My solution would be aselection of half-credit classesoffered for any one who wantsto take them, but geared specifi-cally towards those who want tofill an every-other-day slot oronly want to go to a class everyother day.
These “half-classes” wouldbe offered on both A days and Bdays and thus the impact on theteachers would be the same asany other class.
Students who wish to learndifferent subjects might chooseto take two half-classes givingthem a full credit and two inter-esting new topics in a term.
Another option would befor the school to extend a fullcredit class that normally onlylasts one term into a yearlongclass that only meets everyother day.
Due to recent budgetchanges, the number of classeshas been cut and there are nowmore people in each classroom.If Stuy put half-classes intoplace, there would be people inclasses for less time but theywould still meet the require-ments. For instance, the sciencedepartment requires a year’sworth of science electives. Ifstudents spread that number ofcredits over more time, therewould be less strain on each sci-ence class.
Half-credit classes are notjust a means of giving freshmenphysics junkies a leg-up in theprogramming department.Despite complications withbudgeting and schedulingteachers, the long-term resultswould benefit many teachersand students alike. And ofcourse, I would not have towaste a period every other daywishing that I could be one ofthe juniors sitting in physicsclass.
The Every-Other-Day Blues
JuniorRamblingsC O R R E C T I O N S
• The names of the current and past members of DoubleNegative, featured in the last issue, are as follows: TimCrowe, Daniel Ferrantino, Josh Paolucci, Steve Stein,Emanuel Bierman, and Cody Pruitt.• Mugwump did not perform at last year’s BandShowcase, as stated in the Double Negative article.• “No Exit” was a Renegade Theater production, not anSTC production.
Until this year, prospective studentscould choose Stuyvesant as their number oneschool with impunity. Now, such a choicecould be seen as foolhardy. Because ofchanges in the specialized high schooladmissions process, students must exercisediscretion when ranking schools on theadmissions test.
Under the new system, which is part ofthe Children First reforms, students have amuch lower chance of getting into their“backup” schools. For example, if an eighthgrader were to put Stuyvesant as their firstchoice and fail to make the cut, they wouldnot automatically be accepted by one of theother five schools. Students who ranked aschool as their first choice would hold priori-ty over other applicants, even if the latter hadhigher test scores. By the same token, if a stu-dent were to put Bronx Science as their firstchoice and score high enough to get intoStuyvesant, they would be forced to go toBronx Science or another, non-specializedschool.
This system isn’t fair for the students andit isn’t fair for the schools. It forces studentsto judge their own ability before they haveeven taken the test. It’s no longer objectivebecause self-confident kids will have a leg upon meeker ones who perform just as well onthe actual exam. Suddenly, the exam hasbecome not only a test of intellect but of egoas well.
This isn’t fair to the school either,because it loses the diversity that it drawsfrom the mix of kids with a variety of person-alities. Consider this scenario: a Stuyvesantcomprised entirely of students who bet theirhigh school educations on a Stuy acceptance.Many current students did not expect to beadmitted to this school when they appliedseveral years ago. If they were to apply today,their doubt would cancel their acceptance.Afraid of not making Stuyvesant and beingexcluded from other schools by virtue of hav-
ing put Stuy first, they would probably selecta more attainable first choice.
The emphasis on rankings also putsStuyvesant in a strange position. For the firsttime since the specialized high schoolsadopted the SHSAT (Standardized HighSchool Admissions Test), Stuyvesant’s notensured the cream of the crop, and viceversa.
In addition, the new importance placedin the rankings will surely bolster the alreadybloated test prep business. Obtaining a highscore on the SHSAT will become an evengreater priority for parents and students, asthe chances of acceptance to one’s secondchoice school are decreased. Essentially, thetest becomes a one-shot deal; if you are notaccepted to the school you predicted, youmay not be accepted anywhere.
With applicants straining harder thanever for top-notch grades, test prep courseswill be looked upon as even more essentialfor acceptance. It seems strange that theDepartment of Education would make deci-sions with such consequences after movingthe test date from December to October lastyear to soften the impact of such test prepcourses.
Even more strange, the DOE hardly both-ers to justify its self. In fact, this year’sSpecialized High Schools Student Handbookbarely mentions the changes in acceptanceprocedures. It’s unclear how prospective stu-dents are supposed to know that anythinghas changed. This is unacceptable.
The DOE’s attempt to reform the admis-sions process is sloppy at best. The new sys-tem is not clear, it is not consistent and it isnot being properly explained to those whomit greatly affects. Parents and students aliketake this test very seriously, and this new sys-tem, with all of its uncertainty and confusion,disrespects the effort they put into succeed-ing, and the impact acceptance could haveon their lives.
Change in Admission Process Unfair
The Spectator • October 9, 2003
Opinions Page 7
How many trees must besacrificed to establish a naïveoptimism regarding the collegeapplication process? If mail-boxes could talk, mine wouldhave an answer to that ques-tion. For the past year and ahalf, all sorts of colleges haveflooded it with multiple mail-ings and pounds of paper. Inlate spring, applications beganto arrive. The process had offi-cially begun.
I did not anticipate thestart of this year. Summervacation sustained a certainlevel of apathy towards it. Theperils of being an optimisticsenior include the notion thatadvanced preparation for thecollege application processduring junior year would beenough to get through it easilywhen it finally came.Unfortunately, the tedium ofthe process is now upon me.
Senior year is all aboutmaking impressions. Withinthe first two weeks, photogra-phers forced us into artificialpositions in order to immortal-ize us in the glossy pages of theyearbook. Two days ago, Ireceived my yearbook photoproofs in the mail, along withthe regular college clutter. Itturns out The Indicator willfeature me being devoured byan oversized graduation gownthat flatters my new shoulderimplants.
This is not a particularlydesirable impression.
By graduation, many of ushope to have left some indeli-
ble mark on the school. I amproud to say I have left mymark on Stuyvesant HighSchool. A friend of mine toldme that she recently men-tioned my name at a congrega-tion, and when someone askedwho I was, another studentanswered, “Oh, I know her. Shealways wears two shirts.”Layered clothing is my crown-ing achievement, although Iam not particularly proud tosay that this is how futureStuyvesant goers will remem-ber me.
But the impression ofgreatest consequence comesbetween these events; it is theimpression I will make on anadmissions committee. Afterthree years of academic rigor, Ihave earned the right to beconsidered for a spot at aninstitution of higher learning—if only I could get past the firstpage of the application.
I hyperbolize applicationprocess isn’t that trying. Fillingout pages of standardized testscores and arbitrary numbersto help colleges surmise myintelligence is not difficult. Theessays are where I meet mydoom: Armed with the pro-crastinator’s creed and a badcase of writer’s block, I makemy attempt to avoid the osten-tation associated with theseimpressions.
I am busy with the firstwave of applications, but thepossibility of going through asecond wave certainly exists.These are the worst of times:Sleep deprivation is the norm,and there’s no end in sight.Hopefully, the impressions Imake within the comingmonths will be stronger thanthose I have made in otheraspects of my Stuyvesantcareer, and this process willend so that the remainder ofmy senior year will highlightthe best of times.
–Gabriela Magda
By SHINIAN YE
Even though their parentsand the media have told themthat it is the most importantmeal of the day, many studentsdon’t bother to eat breakfast.Now, the Department ofEducation (DOE), in accordancewith the Children First reforms,is telling us the same thing(albeit a bit more subtly) byoffering free breakfast to whoev-er wants it.
According to the DOE’s Web
site (http://www.nycenet.edu),the Children First reforms willfocus on raising all school stan-dards. The bulk of these reformsare aimed at bringing New YorkCity public schools up to thestandards set in the No ChildLeft Behind Act and will beaffecting everything from sodamachines to teaching practices.Many schools will be adoptingunified teaching methods formath and other subjects, and theDOE will be reorganizing theirmanagement structure.
Many of these changes willonly be affecting “failingschools,” so the new breakfastpolicy may be the most dramaticchange at Stuyvesant.
Student response to the newpolicy is mixed. SophomoreBoris Grinshpun said, “I havefourth period lunch and justdon’t need [the free breakfast].”
Not every student is so apa-thetic. “How can you not likesomething if it’s free?” askedsophomore Seong Jin Kim. Onebenefit of free breakfast is that
you won’t have to dig throughyour pockets for spare changeanymore. But having it doled outfor free has created other prob-lems.
New concerns among stu-dents include longer lines forbreakfast. Also, it wasn’t uncom-mon for people to buy twobreakfasts. In fact, studentsoften paid 35 cents just to get anextra juice. Now the new policylimits students to one breakfast.
However, free breakfast inpublic schools isn’t the only
change. Also part of the DOE’sChildren First reforms is a rise inthe school lunch prices. SinceSeptember 22, you couldn’t finda dollar menu at Stuyvesant. TheDOE has raised the price of fulllunch by 50 cents, bringing it upto the national average.
The raise in lunch prices hascaused much aggravation. “Inever liked school lunch, butnow I hate it even more with the50-cent raise,” said sophomoreAndy Ye.
Though the DOE may seemvery philanthropic in offeringfree breakfast to students, manywill not benefit from it.According to junior KennethChen, “The policy change was abad decision. It only benefits thefew people that come to schoolearly for breakfast. Everyone elsehas to pay more for the samelunches.” However, free break-fast does benefit everybody bymotivating students to eatbreakfast.
Though students might notlike free breakfast, it is good forthem. If you consider that thelast raise in full price schoollunch for New York City highschools was eleven years ago,the policies do not seem bad. Asmothers say, “What’s good foryou doesn’t always taste good.”
By DEAN JAMES
One hundred years ofStuyvesant history have comeand gone. This year is the cen-tennial year of our school, mark-ing a century of education. Inlight of this, it’s interesting thatStuyvesant gave its first officialopen house to prospective stu-dents just three weeks ago.Previously, our school couldonly be visited and viewed afteracceptance was confirmed.
On September 23 and 24,however, we finally opened ourdoors. Why the long wait, andprevious resistance? AssistantPrincipal of Pupil ServicesEleanor Archie said that in thepast, the administrationbelieved that the open househeld in March for the studentswho passed the entrance examwas sufficient. However, recentsuggestions that an earlier openhouse would provide incentivefor prospective students to takethe Specialized High SchoolsAptitude Test (SHSAT) andselect Stuyvesant as their firstchoice led to the new policy.
However, some studentssuspected this might have beenin vain. Big Sib Vicki Slavinabelieved that the Open Houseprobably would not convinceanyone to take the exam whowouldn’t have done so anyway.
“They’re probably just using thisas a way to see the school,” shesaid.
The actual Open Houseturned out to be something of adisappointment. There weren’tmany visitors on the day that Iattended, September 23. Tinyeighth graders straggled in oneafter another with their parents,greeted by cheering Big Sibswho handed them brochures.The newcomers then milledabout, searching for an official-looking person. Failing to findsuch figures of authority, severalasked me the way to the theater.Others turned to the Big Sibs forhelp.
The potential applicantswere treated to a video in thetheater. They were also offered atour of the building with high-lights such as the senior bar andthe library.
Most of the people whoattended the open house hadpreviously received recommen-dations for Stuyvesant fromtrusted sources.
“My cousin told me thatStuyvesant was really good. Thepeople [here] are nice,” saideighth grader Chloe Markewihe.
But those who did not havesuch reliable sources of infor-mation might have benefitedhad the open house been trulyopen. Getting a true sense ofStuyvesant was somewhat diffi-cult.
A typical Big Sib tour wentsomewhere along these lines:“On the right, you can see theSenior Bar, where the seniorshang out. Walking along is thestudent store, which is locked,and the pool balcony...which islocked. Going upstairs, we cansee the labs, which are locked,and the science classrooms withstadium-style seating, which arelocked as well.”
Potential applicants whowanted to look at our Olympic-sized pool, our departmentallaboratories, or even the gymshad to settle for a peek throughthe window. The brochurehanded to the visitors as theywalked in boasted of more than156 student organizations, yetonly two had any real represen-tation during the day.
If the majority of the stu-dent body was vacated beforethe Open House, and the bulk offacilities off-limits, then whatexactly were future applicantstouring on September 23 and24? Was the sight of a well-shined hallway and a surrepti-tious peep at the pool deck real-ly supposed to give eighthgraders a sense of the school?
The purpose of an openhouse is to sway prospectivestudents’ opinions: convincingthem that your school is superi-or to their other options, andgiving them a sense of whattheir high school experiencecould potentially be.
Is Stuyvesant so secure inits superiority that our openhouses don’t include thesegoals? Or are we simply so newto the business of advertisingthat we are at a loss of how totruly impress?
Stuyvesant Opens Its Doors...Some of Them, At Least
The Open Houseprobably would not
convince anyoneto take the exam
who wouldn’t havedone so anyway.
Free Breakfast Comes at a Price
Potential applicantswho wanted to look
at our Olympic-sizedpool...or even thegyms had to settlefor a peek through
the window.
Page 8 The Spectator • October 9, 2003
Arts & Entertainment
By DON JOHN
What Stuy kid hasn’t pulledan all-nighter? Whether it’s for amath test, English paper, or theoccasional marathon homeworksession, we’ve all done it. Butwhy go at it alone when there areenough hard-hitting, fist clench-ing, head-splitting, songs outthere. So stress out, make amess, and let these songs helpyou cope while you burn themidnight oil.
I. 9 P.M.–11 P.M.“Well, this shouldn’t
take too long”
Linkin Park – “One Step Closer”
So it begins. You have threecups of coffee lined up and yourwork laid out. And while agita-tion hasn’t set in yet, give it time;it will. And when it does haveLinkin Park there to help youvent. While this rap-metal groupmay come off as boy-ban-desque, they have enough hair-raising wailing to silence anycritic. Although its only the firstfew hours of the night a littlehard dose of Linkin will pointyou in the right direction. You’llbe the one wailing and pullingyour hair later on.
Lyrics that’ll run through yourhead during the night: “CauseI’m one step closer to the edgeand I’m about to break”
II. 11 P.M.–1 A.M. “What?! Oh THAT test!”
Staind – “For You”
While the intensity is build-ing, try to rev up more nerveswith Staind. Their hard-hittingchorus should be enough tokeep your drowsy eyes fromclosing and your mind awayfrom the lure of your bed.Realize that you can’t give upthat quickly because you’re stillin the beginning of this, but fretnot—you can baby-step yourway through this.
Warning: If indeed you find youhave a test the next day, an all-nighter may not be the best plan
III. 1 A.M.–3 A.M. “Six cups of coffee
and counting”
Arch Enemy – “Enemy Within”
By now you’ve probablyoverestimated your ability to fin-ish whatever it is your doing andrealized that sleep has beenbumped down a few notches onyour “to do” list. Jolt your mindby doing some serious headbanging with Arch Enemy’s“Enemy Within.” The eeriepiano intro sounds like some-thing out of The Exorcist and thepulsing drum beats and guitarwailing will give you the sameenergy as those six cups of coffeeyou just drank. It’s suggestedthat you take a break after thissong so you can orient yourselfagain.
Tip: Don’t listen to this withoutsomething to throw, break, shat-ter, whatever.
IV. 3 A.M–5A.M.“[Insert expletive here]”
System of a Down – “Sugar”
Simply put, this is insanityin a song. And since you’re inthe final stretch of the night,insanity never sounded so good.The song starts off loud andvicious and gives you time tobreathe later on. System of aDown’s ability to bottle up rageand spit it out as beautifully as itdoes is nothing short of amaz-ing. If by the end of this songyou are not revitalized withsome natural high, chances areyou’ve passed out already.
Something to keep by your side:Chocolate to ease you and yourhunger pains.
V. 5 A.M. “Here Comes the Sun”
Pixies – “Where is My Mind?”
It’s a bad sign when youstart to see rays of light onhomework you started last night.By now you’re probably deliri-ous and in dire need of sleep.Luckily the Pixies have shelledout a song that’s as ethereal asyou feel. With a soothing rhythmand melodious lead, this songwill help put you back in placeafter a 36-hour day. The song,with its sedative undertone is agreat way to end the night (orstart the day, whichever one youprefer). And now lay back, closeyour eyes, and listen: You stillhave a about an hour beforeschool starts.
If you have time: Try and answerthe song’s title question.
Top 5 Songs for an All-Nighter
By COURTNEY CHIN and ANNEKA MARCHAN
Does your class scheduletire you out? Are you under thestress of looming projects andtests? If so, you may be a candi-date for several activities thathave proven themselves to beunique experiences while livingup to their promise of relievingtension and soothing your sens-es.
The first of these activities isgetting an unusual aqua mas-sage available at the South StreetSeaport. This recent inventionallows a person to experiencethe calming and soothing sensa-tion of a water massage withoutgetting wet or undressed. Theappearance of the machine canbest be described as a crossbetween a tanning bed and anautomatic carwash. The top halfof the machine contains a sealedarea that collects the water as itis fired out of multiple jets hang-ing from a track that runs thelength of the machine. As thejets pulse back and forth at alter-nating speeds, the water hits avinyl surface covering the bot-tom of the lid, thus forming abarrier between your body andthe water released from the jets.The jets fire the water in a rhyth-mic pattern that promises torelieve tension, stress, and anymuscular or back discomfortyou may have.
The aqua massage has beena popular attraction at the South
Street Seaport, judging from thelong lines to use it. With its fluo-rescent turquoise gray color, it isquite an eye-catching exhibit onthe second floor concourse ofthe Pier 17 building. Besidesdeviating from the ordinary, theprice for this unique, hip experi-ence is under $25. A “quickie”massage lasts for 5 minutes andcosts $9; a “relaxer” massagelasts for 7 minutes and costs $12;a “therapeutic” massage lasts for10 minutes and costs $16; andan “ultimate” massage lasts for15 minutes and costs $22. Itshould be noted that a 10-minute aqua massage at maxi-mum pressure is reportedlyequal to receiving a 30-minutemanual massage at a spa. Notbad for the time-crunchedStuyvesant student.
For those of you who dodesire a genuine spa experience,the Yuya Nail Salon may be anattractive choice. After a longweek of school, most girlsdeserve to pamper themselvesas a reward for getting throughmassive piles of homework.Even though you don’t have themoney to go to a luxury spa orthe patience to wait on a longline, you’re not out of luck.
The Yuya Nail Salon, locat-ed at the corner of GreenwichStreet and Reade Street, is agood choice for all your nailneeds. They do everything fromFrench manicures to buffingpedicures, as well as massagesand body waxing. And even
though the clean, sleek appear-ance of Yuya’s may look expen-sive, it’s affordable to the aver-age high school student.
“I heard about this placefrom my sister so I decided to gothere and see what it was like. Amanicure there is $8. The peoplethere were so polite, and theygive great hand massages,” saysfreshman Shanna Deen.
“One day after fencing prac-tice, I was feeling sore and Iwanted a massage. I went toYuya’s and they gave me thegreatest chair massage. Theycharge by the minute, so a fiveminute chair massage was only$5, a price worth paying for thewonderful feeling I had after-ward,” said junior Grace Fried.
If you’re not the type toenjoy sedentary relaxation, andneed some exercise to de-stress,the Chelsea Piers rock climbingwalls can fulfill your desire for atherapeutic workout. Located intwo of the sports complexes atChelsea Piers (the Chelsea PiersSports Complex at Pier 60 on17th Street and the Field Houseat the 23rd Street entrance), thevarious climbing walls providean excellent way to be distractedfrom daily hassles. The climbingwalls in the Sports Complexhave a reputation for being thelargest and most challengingwalls in the Northeast. Thereare two adjacent walls measur-ing 10 feet high and 73 feet longand 46 feet high by 100 feet longboth complete with changing
climbing surfaces and 100 differ-ent routes.
In total, the Sports Complexcontains more than 10,000square feet of three-dimensionalclimbing space. The walls areopen on Mondays from noon to10:30 P.M., Tuesdays andThursdays from 5 P.M. to 10:30P.M., Wednesdays and Fridaysfrom 7 P.M. to 10:30 P.M., andSaturdays and Sundays from 9P.M. to 8:30 P.M..
For people wanting to learnclimbing techniques or furtherdevelop confidence in theirclimbing abilities, the climbingwalls located in the Field Houseare less challenging and lessexpensive (only $15 for a day ofclimbing, instead of the $26 forprivate lessons) and more man-ageable than the ones in theSports Complex. At 30 feet anddesignated wall sections forclimbers of different skill levels,the Field House wall caters tochildren, teens, and adult begin-ners. All equipment is providedand classes are available forbeginners to people withadvanced abilities. For addi-tional information about rockclimbing at Chelsea Piers, call(212) 336-6500.
Whether you experience theAqua Massage, get pampered atthe Yuya Nail Salon, or challengeyourself on one of the ChelseaPiers climbing walls, one thing isfor sure: You’ve found the per-fect study mate.
Chillin’ Out for the Burnt Out
Death of an Angel IIBirth of a Man
(Everything Falls Apart)
By Barry Jin
Everything Falls ApartThe last flicker of light swallowed by the darkShadows emerge from deep within my soulI close my eyes and everything grows cold
And suddenly I cease to fly; I cease to soarFalling timelessly into the twilight blackA star shimmers in the distanceIt calls to me and I listen
Tales of my life flash before my eyesThe sorrow, the tears, and the infinite criesDeep pangs strike and linger in my heartVirgin flesh covered in scars
And suddenly I cease to see; I cease to hearDancing flames engulf my wholeI quiver and scream; convulse in anguish.Only silence remains
Man is nothing but the shadow of an angelThe fall from above and the rise from belowIt is when everything falls apartThat the life of man truly begins to star
Auditions for “Twelve Angry Men”October 9, Room 335
~~~Audition Master Class:
Guest Speaker Michael Biagi,
Musical Conductor. October 9, 3:30-4:30,
Theater ~~~
“Kiss Me Kate” Interviews:Chorus, Prop, andPublicity Director
October 10~~~
“Kiss Me Kate” Auditions: Cast
October 14,15,16
Cast Audition Guidelines:– No a cappella auditions.We will have a pianist. – No song from the show allowed – Song must consist of thefirst verse of chorus andusing the second ending – No monologues – Sideswill be given during call-backs only– Sign-up is first come,first serve. An informationsheet must be filled out.Bring a picture to attach tothe sheet or be willing tohave a Polaroid taken.
StuyvesantTheater
Dates
By MAREK MERY
On Friday, October 3, Stuystudents were welcomed into atransformed library. The decorfor the most part remained thesame, but with the beginning ofthis year’s Open Mic, the librarybecame a cozy haven for Stuy’saspiring writers and eager lis-teners.
Senior Jonah Rowen, whowas a participant, said “[TheOpen Mic] is a great way for lotsof different people to just cometogether and share theirthoughts and visions and expe-riences and work, because I’msure a lot of Stuy kids write ontheir own, and they don’t reallyhave too many outlets like thisto share.”
The Open Mic is one ofStuy’s literary events, where anystudent or teacher is free to
share his or her writing andthoughts. It began shortly afterninth period, the organizers,seniors Ilya Nikhamin and OlgaKamensky, calling the smallgroup of people to order.
The first reader after tenthperiod, Binh Huynh, shared anemotional poem, in which acharacter becomes obsessedwith a girl in his class. The poemtold a story about the feeling ofhope and desperate want. Thereader was nervous, but hisinteresting poetry captivated theattention of the audience.
The room soon filled withapproximately 40 students andteachers, and a renewed excite-ment stirred the audience. Theaudience got a taste of creativewriting, and among the mostexciting was Douglas Yetman’sprologue to the first of his seriesof novels. The prologue, read in
an appropriately adventurousand curious tone, is set inAtlantis, where a king is about toface a life-altering situation atthe end of touring through whatis described as a maze. Yetman’sfantasy-based writing was awhimsical and very impressivepiece for the audience.
Students were not the onlyones sharing their work. Anoticeable presence at OpenMic was English teacher AnnieThoms. She read LucyO’Clifton’s piece “Homage toMy Hips,” then followed withher own version, a very sweetand short poem describing herappreciation of her knuckles,entitled, “Homage to myKnuckles.”
Many scheduled readersdidn’t show up, and the turnoutwas smaller than expected. OlgaKamensky, one of the two orga-
nizers of the event, said, “Ithought it was a good start tothe year, but hope to see futureOpen Mics attended by morepeople.”
Even with the smallercrowd, the event was a successto those who attended. SeniorGreg Hill-Reis commented,“Open Mic is one of my favoritethings about Stuy. I think it’sjust a great opportunity to listento other people and be heardyourself.”
The Open Mic was poorlyadvertised around school, andmany students heard of it onlyfrom teachers and others closelyinvolved. With the excitementauthors elicited with their poet-ry and stories, later Open Micswill hopefully attract largercrowds from Stuy.
Page 9
Arts & EntertainmentThe Spectator • October 9, 2003
By PERRI OSATTIN and MAREK MERY
In a frantic two-week tick-et giveaway, a lucky 100,000East Coasters won free ticketsto see the Dave MatthewsBand (DMB) rock CentralPark’s Great Lawn onSeptember 24.
The DMB performed aspart of America Online’sfundraiser for New York Citypublic schools. The DMB andAOL teamed with Departmentof Education executiveCaroline Kennedy Schlossbergto raise an expected $2 millionfor the Fund for PublicSchools.
Gates to the concertopened at 3 P.M., and less thanhalf an hour later lines on theeast and west sides of CentralPark spanned 11 blocks each.The show scheduled to beginat 6:30 P.M. began promptly at8 P.M., with an exhibition ofnew work from the new DaveMatthews solo album SomeDevil. The show’s eclecticbeginning quickly got theaudience into the groove ofthings after keeping themwaiting for so long.
The phenomenal acous-tics paired with the radiantspectrum of lighting illuminat-ing Central Park’s foliage cre-ated a vibrant atmosphereunder the starry night sky.Most impressive, though, wasthe music. The DMB rockedon stage for one and a halfhours before Matthews beganto play his best-known hits.His music brought the masseson the Great Lawn to sing andsway with the beat. “’AntsMarching’ is the best songever. Everyone just rockedthe hell out of it. It was amaz-ing,” said sophomore KavithaDavidson.
Matthews thoroughlythrilled the audience with hisfantastic acoustic version ofBob Dylan’s “All Along theWatch Tower.” Dave’s rendi-tion was completely differentfrom Jimi Hendrix’s, who orig-inally played the popular songin the 1960s. Matthews’s ver-sion did not do the originaljustice and the recreation waspointless, especially when theband has so much fresh, inno-vative material, like the well-known “Crash Into Me.” Thissong, mellower than others,was received particularly wellby the audience because of itssoothing, subtle instrumenta-tion.
The two and a half hoursthat the DMB performed onstage in Central Park put every-one into a carefree, live-in-the-moment-for-the-music men-tality. September 24 will defi-nitely be a page in our modernmusic scrapbook, especiallywith the event’s raising of $2million. AOL pledged $1 mil-lion and the concert organizerscommitted another $1 million,according to CNN. With a fan-tastic concert and great cause,New York City and all publicschools should send a bigthanks to the sponsors of theevent, and of course, DaveMatthews Band.
DMBin NYC
By CAROLYN HAN
The Museum of ModernArt (MoMA) is known for itsfunky and imaginative exhibitsthat display modern master-pieces. And the recentlyopened exhibits featured at theMOMA are no exception. Themost notable exhibit is Projects80: The Tourist, which is a two-part exhibit from the artist LeeMingwei, and features the workof an anonymous StuyvesantHigh School alumna.
Projects 80: The Tourist isa 40-minute slideshow thatincludes pictures of TriBeCaand Stuyvesant taken by theartist. Lee poses as a touristand is led by five native NewYorkers around the city andtakes photographs of theirneighborhoods. Lee and histour guides probe into everypart of New York, especiallyethnic areas, including theenclaves in the Lower East Sideand Bensonhurst. The photosthey take include bodegas, cityparks, and fire hydrants.Accompanying the collectionsof photographs is a runningtape of the interviews with theNew Yorkers.
The most compellinginterview and photo collectionwas of an anonymousStuyvesant alumna who tookpictures of Battery Park andTriBeCa Bridge. All the whileshe describes what it was likeattending Stuyvesant. She saysat one point, “It was greatgoing to the first day of schoolevery year…and seeing allthose freshmen ascend thestaircase to the Bridge.” It’srefreshing to see images of CeciCela and of the Alice on theWall mural flash on the screenwhile hearing an old Stuy stu-dent talk about her high schoolexperiences and knowing thatcome Monday morning, it’ll belike walking into the exhibit.
So take a break from theusual Saturday hangouts at themovies or the mall, and enjoyan aesthetically quenching sipof what the MOMA has to offer.This new exhibit is particularlyworth stopping by.
Stuy GoesModern
By ALEX MENGLIDE
On Friday, September 19,Stuyvesant took part in the 25thannual New York is BookCountry Festival. Each year thisliterary celebration ventures outto promote the joys of readingand writing to New Yorkers(mainly students) and to sup-port the city’s public libraries.The five-day festival closes witha street fair held on Fifth Avenueand is attended by more than250,000 book lovers fromaround the world. This year,Stuyvesant welcomed ColetteBrooks, the author of In the City:Random Acts of Awareness, tospeak in the library.
Due to lack of publicity forthe event, Brooks’s audienceconsisted almost solely ofjuniors from Annie Thoms’ shortstories class who have beenreading excerpts from In the Citysince the beginning of school.With a microphone and podiumset up in the back of the library,Brooks spoke adamantly abouther book and the experiencesthat inspired it; experiencesalmost all Stuyvesant studentscan relate to.
In the City is written in a rel-
atively new genre, creative non-fiction, which Brooks defined ashaving the same emotional andliterary power as fiction, whileremaining based on fact. Whileboth the book and its genre arerelatively unknown to theStuyvesant community, the sto-ries captured within the book hitclose to home. The city Brookswrites about is never revealed,but anyone can realize that it isNew York.
Junior Marina Braverman, astudent in Ms. Thoms’s class,said, “In the book she mentionsprominent landmarks and nevernames them, but I always knewexactly what she was writingabout because of the way shedescribes them.”
Not only did Brooks observerecognizable places, but she alsowrote about familiar people. Infact, one of the excerpts Brooksread was about her observationof a Stuyvesant teacher during asubway ride. She peered over hisshoulder as he wrote commentssuch as “relevance?” and “the-sis?” with his red pen all over thepaper. The teacher gave thedraft a D-, and Brooks expressedhow she was taken aback. “TheSubway Experience,” with all the
eavesdropping and observationthat goes with it, was one of themany “random acts of aware-ness” Brooks spoke about.
Brooks’s visit culminated ina question-answer session. Mostquestions were asked in refer-ence to In the City, but otherswere much more personal andwere directed towards Brooks’life and occupation. Sheanswered everyone’s inquiriesand offered plenty of advice.When she asked if any aspiringwriters were present, nobodyraised his hand. However, sheshared some words of motiva-tion, just in case: “Absolutely gofor it.”
Brooks’ visit left a positiveimpact on the audience mem-bers.
Junior Vasilios Stergiousaid, “It was interesting becauseshe wasn’t just reading, but shewas pausing and explaining.”
Junior Dennis Papadimasagreed, and said, “It was a veryperceptive look into the world.”
The event was also reward-ing for Brooks. “I was veryhappy to get assigned toStuyvesant,” she said, “I couldtell the people were listeningand it really thrilled me.”
In the City in the Library
Open Mic Opens Its Doors
Nao
mi G
ord
on
/ T
he
Spec
tato
r
Author Colette Brooks addresses students in the library on September 19.
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SportsThe Spectator • October 9, 2003 Page 11
ments, including the AmherstInvitational, an all-high schoolcompetition containing the bestteams from across the country.The team placed fourth in thiscompetition last season.
The team, despite their lackof recogni-tion and theabsence ofprofessionali n c e n t i v e ,r e m a i n scommittedand goal-o r i e n t e d .They prac-tice inF l u s h i n g ,Queens, though many of theteam’s members come from theother boroughs and have totravel excessively in order toparticipate.
Despite their success, theteam has managed to fly underthe radar within the school. Li
explained, “There is a team youmay not have heard about, butwe do everything that an idealteam does. And the teammatesare all friends off the field.”Team member and senior AnneLiu added, “The StuyvesantSticky Fingers are by the far thetightest knit team I’ve ever been
apart of.” This year’s
national tourna-ment will takeplace in Oregon,and though theteam will haveenough creden-tials to merit abid, they are con-cerned aboutfund-raising and
ask for support in sponsoringthe trip.
For anyone unfamiliar withthe sport but eager to learn thebasic rules and technique, theultimate team holds open prac-tices on Thursdays and invitesanyone to join them.
Girls’ Ultimate: Hidden Treasurecontinued from page 12
By WILLIAM AIBINDER
Along with a realignment ofteams in the PSAL Manhattan IIDivision, Stuyvesant’s co-edbowling team, the Peglegs, faceda change of players on their ownteam for the 2003 season.
This year’s squad consistsof no seniors and has only sixreturning players, having lostseveral valuable members to thetrack team for the fall season.Even with these setbacks, CoachLarry Barth still has a great dealof confidence in the leadershiphe has on the team, as well ashis core players, juniors NathanRichards, Roger Quiles andBenjamin Creed.
These three juniors havebeen and will continue to be thenucleus of the Peglegs. Last sea-son, the trio were key starters inthe team’s run into the playoffs,a run which ended in a firstround match with the BrooklynTech Wolverines.
After the September 29 sea-son opener against High Schoolof Humanities, Barth expressed
high hopes for the team butknows that with this “youthmovement, we have to be per-fect and improve our scores inevery match.”
The Peglegs are comprisedof an A and B team, which arematched with other schools’ Aand B teams. The A team thisyear will be made up of theCreed, Quiles, Richards, and lastyear’s rookie sensation, sopho-more Andrew Cho. Cho aver-aged a score of 152.93 during the
regular season, including a yearhigh 209 at the end of the 2002season.
The B team’s spots are cur-rently up for grabs, according to
Barth. “The only position defi-nitely set is that of KathrynBlakely,” he said. Blakely is areturning sophomore with anaverage score of 116.25. It is inBarth’s hands and best judg-ments to fill the rest of the threeremaining spots with his sixrookie bowlers.
Hopefully easing this pro-cess should be the promisingfreshman George Zisiadis. Barthreferred to Zisiadis as a bowlerwith great talent who has thepotential for a sensational sea-son. Helping him along are theupperclassmen that Barth saysare doing much “for the benefitof the team. They help eachother and their teammates and,most importantly, the rookies.”
While having to deal with aswell of new players, the Stuybowling team still carries a posi-tive morale into the 2003 season.The squad has set lofty goals foritself, hoping to win everymatch, win the division, andfinally break the curse of theirrecent post season failures andcharge through the city playoffs.
Stuy Bowling Turns to Youth for Answer
the season. “The veterans allhave nicknames, such as ‘god’and ‘the stripper,’ and teamspirit is through the roof,” saidFried. The team expects itsexperience—more than half ofthe team are returningfencers—and spirit to lift themin the direction of a successfulregular season.
Stuy’s first match this sea-
son was against the BeaconSchool on October 3. Last year,the team routed Beacon bothtimes the two schools met, win-ning 9-3 and 11-1. Aside fromHunter, there is “relatively littlecompetition from Manhattanteams,” said Jendoubi.
Hopefully, the team willfind some good competition inthe playoffs, where they expectBronx Science will be waitingfor them once again.
Power points is a system thePSAL uses in order to determinepostseason eligibility. Morepoints are given when a win isagainst a team with a winningrecord than a win against a teamwith a losing record. Stuyvesanthas accumulated 121 powerpoints so far, fifth in their divi-
sion. “Had we won today andkept going, we would have easilymade the playoffs,” Hudsonsaid.
This game also hurt thePeglegs physically. Junior,linebacker and fullback JordanMirrer and senior and tackleLevon McMullen were injured inthe game. “The injuries hurt usbut we are lucky to be deep [in
the lineup]. We overcame theinjuries to do well,” said Hahn.Senior running back andlinebacker Theodore Hernandezwas unable to play in the gameat all due to a previous injury.
Despite these setbacks, thePeglegs are still optimistic.“Next week is a new week,” saidHahn.
Peglegs Stumble Against LICcontinued from page 12
Fencing Team Lunges into Season
continued from page 12
touchdown for LIC, and afterthat the Peglegs kept the gameeven with their highly regard-ed opponents.
The offense, whichfocused mainly on the runninggame, featured Herman, andthe offensive line continuouslycreated good running lanes forhim to plow through. Against aphysically superior team, thePeglegs opted for a ball controloffense to keep their defenseoff the field. And with theexception of a couple ofuntimely interceptions, juniorand quarterback BrianNewman captained theoffense admirably.
The environment at thegame was actually pretty excit-ing. Well over 100 Stuy faithfulattended the game, and class-
mates, teachers, and parentscheered on the Peglegs untilthe (bitter) end. Cheering aftera good play and filled withanxiety with the team’s backsagainst the wall, the atmo-sphere was perfect for anyperson with school spirit.
So after finally attending afootball game my senior year, Ilook back and realize I proba-bly should have gone to cheeron the team in past years. Iknow that the level of playwasn’t as high, or the chancesof making the playoffs weren’tas great, but the environmentis great and it is important tocheer on my classmates. Afterwatching our undersized teamcome that close to pulling outa victory on a hook-and-lad-der play, you can be sure tosee me at future Pegleg games,even after I graduate.
Peglegs Impress This Senior
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The Stuyvesant fencing team competed in the first meet of the season at the BeaconSchool on October 3.
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The Peglegs are optomistic about the rest of the season, despite their defeat at Saturday’s homecoming game.
Stuyvesant Open School Week
On October 20, 21, and 22 (Monday through Wednesday, from8 A.M. to 2 P.M.), the school will welcome parents to sit in on
classes while they are bring held. If your child is uncomfort-able having you visit his or her class, you can visit another
class your child is not in.
Have any questions about open school week?
Please call: Cathy Yu, 718-591-6435
Linda Yung, 718-235-1452
Page 12October 9, 2003Spectator
S P O R T S
By JACOB SMITH
“Considering that we spendmost of our practices lunging ateach other with swords, it’samazing how close we all are,”said junior and fencer GraceFried. The Stuyvesant fencingteam is hoping those things—teamwork and sharp weapons—will lift them to a second con-secutive city final.
The team went 7-1 in theregular season last year, losingonly to Hunter High School, and4-2 in the postseason, withBronx High School of Sciencedefeating them in the city final.Stuy’s other postseason losscame at the hands of BronxScience as well.
“We definitely want anoth-er shot at Bronx Science,” said
Coach Larissa Gonzalez.“Someone’s got to get that titleback from them.” According tojunior and fencer DavidFerguson, Gonzalez is both“devoted” and “quirky” whiletrying to teach her players howto fight well with their foils.
In addition to Gonzalez,seniors and captains EthanFrisch, Haitham Jendoubi, PerryLee, and Jonathan Wai will leadthe team. Both Lee and Waihave been on the team for threeyears, and according toGonzalez, the team has “a coreof two-season vets who’ve beenworking fairly steadily over thepast year.”
The team’s attitude is alsooptimistic while heading into
Fencing Team Lunges into Season
By GEN KAZAMA
It was first-and-goal at theLong Island City 10-yard line forthe Peglegs, Stuy’s varsity foot-ball team. With 45 seconds lefton the clock, the score was 12-6in Long Island City’s favor. ThePeglegs had already burnedtheir timeouts and were there-fore in a hurry-up, no huddleoffense. A touchdown would tiethe game. The ball was snappedfrom the Peglegs’ center, seniorJimmy Wang, to junior andquarterback Brian Newman. Hetook two steps back and lookedfor someone to throw to.
“I called an audible at theline for a deep pass, and I washit right when I was about tothrow,” said Newman. As aresult, he fumbled the ball andLIC recovered. Pegleg playersand supporters argued thatNewman’s throwing hand wasgoing forward to throw, andtherefore it was an incompletepass rather than a fumble.However, the referee ruled it afumble and Stuyvesant lost thegame, their undefeated record,and a good chance at the play-offs.
However, the Peglegs had afew chances throughout thegame to tie the score. In the sec-ond to last drive, the Peglegshad a first down at the LIC 15-
ayard line with three minutesleft on the clock but could notcash in. On first down, Newmanfumbled the snap (which herecovered), on second down thePeglegs tried to run the ball butwere pinned in the backfield,and on third down, the ball wasthrown to junior Sam Brookfieldin the end zone. He and the LICdefender, Malcolm McLaughlin,both had the ball when theywere in the air but when theycame down, Brookfield’s handswere empty and McLaughlinhad the ball. “A big factor is thefact that we did not capitalize onopportunities,” said senior andco-captain Ricky Hudson.
“Turnovers, fumbles at thesnap—these mistakes cost usthe game. We let the refs decidethe game for us,” said Newman.
However, the offense didwell throughout the game.When they finally had posses-sion of the ball in the first quar-ter, they were able to score on arushing touchdown by juniorSimon Lee. In the fourth quar-ter, when the Peglegs needed toscore, the offense kept thechains moving and dug intotheir bag of plays. On one play,named the Hook-and-Ladder,Newman threw to junior AlexZedlovich, who then lateralledto senior and running backElliot Herman, the team’s cap-
tain for the game, for a hugegain.
During the first half, the LICrunning game chewed up thePegleg defense. The Peglegoffense did not even touch theball until nine minutes into thefirst quarter. LIC’s primary rush-er, Laiquan Dubose, had 82 ofLIC’s 210 rushing yards.However, in the second half, thePeglegs were able to halt LIC’sruns. “We were having troublecontaining the run but we wentover it at halftime and we hadsome success,” said Coach MattHahn. This success was evidentin the fourth quarter when thePeglegs desperately needed theball to score. The defense buck-led down and was able to force apunt after four plays.
LIC also shot itself in thefoot many times by giving upnumerous penalties in key situa-tions. LIC scored a touchdownin the first quarter but it wascalled back due to a facemaskpenalty, and LIC had an offsidepenalty when the Peglegs werefirst and goal.
The loss also hurt thePeglegs’ playoff eligibility. “Thiswas a big game for us since wewould have gotten a lot of powerpoints if we had won,” saidHahn. “We were both undefeat-ed so it gave the winning side alot of points.”
Peglegs Stumble Against LIC in Homecoming
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“Turnovers, fumbles at the snap—these mistakes cost us the game. We let the refs decide the game for us,” said Brian Newman, junior
and Pegleg quarterback.
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Senior Ethan Frisch fences at the team’s meet last week against the Beacon School..
continued on page 11
By JACOB SMITH
As a senior and a self-pro-claimed football fanatic, Iattended my first Stuyvesantfootball game on Saturday,October 4 at homecoming.After hearing stories for threeyears about how our teamwould get blown out I neverexactly yearned to see themplay. I figured, how well coulda bunch of future doctors andchemists run a screen pass onthird-and-long? However,despite the fact that thePeglegs lost 12-6, I was thor-oughly impressed.
A member of the varsitybasketball team, I know that itis always nice to have yourschool behind you. Fans pack-ing the bleachers and rootingyou on make you play evenharder, make you want to wineven more. But my sophomoreyear, the football team went 2-6, and last year was shut outthree consecutive games enroute to a 1-7 season.
This year it has been a dif-ferent story. The team headedinto their homecoming match-up with Long Island City HighSchool, undefeated after blow-ing out their first four oppo-nents. In volleyball gym theday before the game, myteacher, Phil Fisher, imploredeveryone to go see what wasfinally a winning Pegleg team,a team that could executeplays and had a good chanceat the playoffs.
So I went to see what allthe fuss was about and howgood our team actually was.And our Peglegs showed mesomething. They showed methe ability and guts to run ahook-and-ladder late in thefourth quarter trailing by atouchdown. They showed methat after getting dominated atthe line of scrimmage by LIC’soversized offensive line in thefirst half, they could make thenecessary adjustments andslow down their opponent’srunning game when it count-ed.
Not only was this group ofprospective Ivy Leaguers ableto execute plays, they showeda lot of heart in the process.Whether it was senior and run-ning back Elliot Herman con-tinuing his forward progressafter getting hit by a defensivelineman, or senior, linebackerand co-captain Justin Rosestopping an LIC back after giv-ing up a large gain on the pre-vious play, this Pegleg teamplayed with a lot of fight.
Unable to stop the run forthe majority of the game, thePeglegs defense stepped upwhen it really needed to. Itforced the LIC team to punt ontwo straight possessions in thefourth quarter when it neededthe ball back. A recovered fum-ble in the first quarter was nul-lified when the refereereversed his call, leading to a
Peglegs Impress This Senior,Despite Loss
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By JON LEHMAN
The Stuyvesant girls’ ulti-mate team, the Sticky Fingers,has been one of the school’smost successful squads inrecent years, but it has toiled inanonymity because the sport isnot officially sanctioned by thePSAL. Although they have beenforced to seek challenges out-side of the comfortable confinesof a league, they have consis-tently advanced to nationaltournaments and have proventheir worth against both collegeand professional competition.
The Sticky Fingers haveadvanced to the national levelsix out of the last seven years,and with a strong squad linedup for this year, hope to repeattheir success. The team featuresnine seniors, including its four
handlers, the most active play-ers on the field: Diana Li, TeresaLi, Cleo Yang, and Jenny Chan.With so much experience and“tournaments which have fourto six games in one day, we havea different set of starters forevery other game,” said co-cap-tain Diana Li.
The team’s coach is byWoody Kal, a volunteer andStuyvesant alumnus who hasworked with the team for threeyears. His players are generousin their praise for Kal, who,despite his tendency to put theplayers through difficult prac-tices, was labeled “the mostdedicated and caring coach I’veever met” by Diana Li.
On their plans for the sea-son, Diana Li explained, “Ourteam plays all year long so thefall season is dedicated to teach-
ing new members. We play sev-eral scrimmages and try to buildup a good record so we can beconsidered for JuniorNationals.”
This past weekend, theteam soundly defeated NYU inProspect Park, 15-4. The teamrecently journeyed to a sectionalcompetition where they testedtheir mettle against universityteams from the metropolitanarea. In an impressive showing,they defeated the team fromWesleyan and lost by only onepoint to a team from Yale. Eventhough they qualified for region-als, they declined, rather thanhave to play against professionalteams in the next stage of play.
The spring season alsoholds in store a bevy of tourna-
Girls’ Ultimate: Hidden Treasure
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