Tribute:

Inside Today’s Issue: Ms. Evans and Ms. Bulgaris

- pages 6 & 7

Monday, May 19, 2008 Volume 7 Issue 10 Proud Members of the

Visit us at www.stuystandard.org National Scholastic Press Association

Tribeca Film Festival Arrives at Stuy

The Tribeca Spotlight on War
Child
by Robert Colbourn
entertainment editor
For seven years now, the
month of May has brought about
one of the greatest movie
premiere events in the country:
the Tribeca Film Festival. As
New Yorkers, we feel especially
blessed because we are able to
actually attend and be in the
same vicinity as our favorite
Hollywood personalities.
Normally, one would say that
the excitement should be placed
on the movies themselves and
not the people who happen to
star in them. However, in the
case of the documentary “War
Child,” we should be excited
about the star, Emmanuel Jal,
and should listen to his inspiring
.story
Jal was a child soldier in
Southern Sudan during the
eighties. The southern Sudanese
people were rebelling against
the tyrannical government in the
North, and wanted to attain an
independent Southern Sudan. Jal
was on his way to Ethiopia to
achieve an education when he
willingly joined the southern
Sudanese army at the age of
seven. For five years he learned
how to use an AK-47 to kill his
enemies, he sang songs about
war, and he faced trials that
threatened his very survival.
Now, he is an up-and-coming
rap star singing about his quest
for peace in Sudan and Darfur.
The heart-wrenching story
of a child forced into the strug-
gle of his people is an important
element in the film, but it is not
the main subject. This is a docu-
mentary about the quest for
peace, which is depicted not
only in Jal’s touching words, but
also through his music, which is
played throughout. Footage of
Jal speaking to everyone from
the United Nations down to
schoolchildren in Sudan shows
firsthand that Jal’s single goal is
peace. Storywise, this is a touch-
ing documentary and one that
can truly further the cause of
peace.
What this film has in story,
however, it lacks in technical
achievement. Although not
much is to be expected from a
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
continues on page 10

The Tribeca Film Festival, held in lower Manhattan, attracted numerous guests to its various
Photo Credit: Elissa Tam booths and demonstrations.
2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10 NEWS

EDITORIAL
A Campaign to
Change
Campaigning
In time for the spring campaign season, the Board of Elec-
The Executive Board tions (BOE) gave a new list of rules to those interested in run-
ning for Student Union (SU) President and Vice President, as
JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR IN CHIEF well as Junior and Senior Caucus.
ERIC MAYO MANAGING EDITOR The new rules are an upgrade from previous sets of rules given to cam-
paigners. These rules clearly spell out what constitutes “internet campaign-
DIANE CHEN DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
ing”, and the punishments for breaking these rules. Unlike the freshman
ANGEL WONG DIRECTOR OF FINANCE election in the fall, candidates will have no excuse not to be aware of these
SANGHEE CHUNG LAYOUT EDITOR rules. Furthermore, the BOE has attempted to force candidates if they
DANNY ZHU COPY CHIEF choose to run against next year to defend how well they’ve accomplished
TIM CHANG NEWS EDITOR their platform.
The new rules don’t go far enough. The BOE’s goal should be to get as
HESHAM SALEH NEWS EDITOR many people involved in selecting student government offices. In Issue 6,
RAMMIYA NALLAINATHAN NEWS EDITOR 43 percent of students responded that they have no interest in what the SU
AMNA AHMAD OPINIONS EDITOR does. Only 24 percent voted in last year’s presidential election. Only one
EMMA RABINOVICH ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR out of the ten elected officers were identified by the majority of students
ROBERT COLBOURN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR surveyed. These numbers are simply unacceptable. The Board of Elections
must do more than just getting people to vote during history class.
RICHARD MAI SPORTS EDITOR The best way to open the election up so that everyone can make an
OMAR AHMAD SCIENCE EDITOR informed choice is through the use of internet campaigning. A good num-
HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR ber of Stuyvesant students have Facebook accounts. Allowing campaigns to
ROBERT STEVENSON LITERARY EDITOR create groups to promote their platform would spread awareness to the
Stuyvesant community. The concern of negative campaigning would easily
JESSE ZHANG WEBMASTER
be eliminated by disabling wall posts as other controversial groups do. If a
KIRIL GOURUV ASSISTANT WEBMASTER candidate wanted to take the time to create a website to promote their plat-
ELISSA TAM DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM form, they should have the complete freedom to do so providing it is in
MEGAN BRESLIN FACULTY ADVISOR good taste. The internet should be embraces, and candidates should not be
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER disqualified for asking their friends to vote for them through Facebook.
Arguing that internet campaigning turns the election into a popularity
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS contest is ironic. The less people that vote, the more likely the person who
can get the most friends to the ballot box wins. The more people involved,
Publication the more the candidates must address the issues that affect the student
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a non-profit publication produced by body.
the students of Stuyvesant High School. The Stuyvesant student body deserves the most possible information in
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi- order to make their election decisions. The BOE must take steps to prevent
weekly basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School this information from being held back. ◙
and throughout the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery
Park City.
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 NEWS
Sean Bell Case Stirs Up Controversy
by Nada Elmansy
staff writer
Approximately a year and a
half ago, on November 25, 2006,
a 23-year-old African American
man, Sean Bell, was killed on the
day before his wedding by 50
bullets fired by police officers.
This police shooting shocked the
entire city and on March 26, 2007
the detectives who had fired at
Bell were indicted.
There has recently been an
uproar, however, after all the offi-
cers were acquitted by Queens
Justice Arthur J. Cooperman on
April 26. He decided to disregard
testimony from Bell’s witnesses
because they often changed their
stories on the stand. He also stated
that he feels the detectives’ ac-
tions were justified, in that Bell
and his friends were drunk on the
night of the accident and police
suspected that they had a gun.
Iraq Death Toll Reaches a
New High
by Nada Elmansy
staff writer
The war in Iraq has been go-
ing on for years now and as the
days progress, the deaths increase.
April 2008 was Iraq’s deadliest
Photo Credit: Elissa Tam
The World Health Organization and the Iraqi government concluded that about 151,000
Iraqis died from violence in the three years after the United States invaded.
May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10
THE STANDARD NEWS
After the judge’s acquittals,
the court was quiet, apart from
public outrage. Reverend Al
Sharpton called for protests
against this injustice. Sharpton
spoke out about the injustice tied
with this specific case, and that he
believes that the cops should be
punished for their crime.
This case seems to not be a
racial issue, considering that two
of the three charged cops were
African American. However,
many protesters believe that this
brings up the question of how
much our lives are of value to the
justice system.
From the opinion of a Stuy-
vesant student, the police were
wrong no matter how you look at
it. Freshman Justin Chan believes
that the police “stole Bell’s right
to life with each of the 50 shots
they fired. They stole his right to
a family and a marriage.” Chan
also believes that Judge Cooper-
month since last August.
Both Iraqi civilians and
American soldiers have had a
difficult month and suffered a
high number of deaths throughout
the month of April. The excessive
fighting in Baghdad’s Sadr City
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
A memorial for Sean Bell at the place of the shooting.
man was wrong about his decision
and that “the consequences of
taking a life should echo forever.”
The Sean Bell case brought
outrage in New York City and
caused people to question the jus-
tice system and whether the deci-
led to the highest death tolls in
Iraq since August for civilians and
since September for American
soldiers. The fighting at Sadr has
also reversed what appeared to be
a decreasing trend in the number
of deaths in Iraq. Iraq’s Health
Ministry stated that there were
968 civilian deaths. Just one hos-
pital in Sadr City reports receiv-
ing 421 Iraqi bodies and treating
2,400 wounded Iraqis.
The deaths of American
forces have reached a high as
well, with more than 100 soldiers
killed last month alone. April was
also the first month in which each
branch of the army suffered
deaths. Sixty-seven soldiers, 50
marines, 5 sailors, 1 airman, and 1
Coast Guardsman were killed.
These numbers have helped
the American forces realize the
change in this war. Pfc. Richard
Gonzalez senses the difference in
Iraq since his first deployment.
According to the WASHINGTON
POST, Gonzalez said, “It makes
me feel depressed to be in Iraq
right now. It’s a whole lot differ-
ent than last time.” Although the
3
Source: http://flickr.com/photos/44719229@N00/349118400
sions taken in similar cases are
fair. New Yorkers’ uproar should
also emphasize the need for cops
to be tried for their crimes in the
same manner that anyone else
would be. ◙
tolls in Iraq are not as high as the
death tolls recorded in 2003, the
violence is worsening.
As high school students, we
may not be affected by this di-
rectly. However, this saddening
news causes students to think
about the world around them.
Freshman Victoria Povolotsky
feels that the whole world should
take action against this ongoing
violence. “I think this war has
gone too far and something needs
to be done about it.” Povolotsky
believes that if the situation in
Iraq continues, “the death tolls
will keep rising for Iraqi civilians
and American soldiers.”
In a speech on April 10,
President Bush stated that “this
war is difficult but it is not end-
less.” He ended his speech by
reminding soldiers that the day
will come when they return home
with pride. However, with the
ongoing violence and increasing
death tolls, this return seems non-
existent. ◙
4 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10 OPINIONS

THE STANDARD OPINIONS

Stuy Voice
Oral History: An Opportunity to Obliterate
the Ignorance
by Amna Ahmad opinions editor

On April 30, I found myself in a bit of an unfamiliar position. People were asking me
for my autograph. I was at the book launch for “This Is Where I Need to Be: Oral Histories
of Muslim Youth in NYC,” a book published by Columbia University’s Student Press Initia-
tive (SPI) at the culmination of over five months of weekend workshops directed and coordi-
nated by Columbia University Teachers College professor Dr. Louis Cristillo. Working with
him were Nisrin Elamin, Anne Hawley, and Amina Tawasil, graduate students who men-
tored a handful of high school students with the vision of producing a completed anthology
of oral histories of Muslim youth. My brother and I were privileged enough to be among that
group of students.
Erick Gordon, the director of the SPI, asked me before the book launch began, “So, is
The Standard going to cover this?” I said “Of course.”
But, before I begin to describe the details of this publication, this ground-breaking, his-
tory-making document, I believe it is necessary for me to first address the question of how
familiar the average high school student is with the genre of oral history. In a recent poll of
the Stuyvesant community, 71 percent of students reported knowing what an oral history
was, whereas 81 percent reported never having read an oral history. This result is disappoint-
ing, yet expected, as it is no surprise that typical Stuyvesant High School students would
prefer rereading the Harry Potter series to making themselves more aware of the world
around them by exploring the subgenres of nonfiction. When asked why she did not bother Omar Ahmad, Professor Dr. Louis Cristillo, and Amna Ahmad at the book
reading this newspaper, one student responded: “I don’t really care what’s going on outside launch for This is Where I Need to Be.
of Stuy. I just want to hear school news because the other stuff might be important to other
people, but it just doesn’t affect me.” From a combination of survey data gathered over the
past two years and a number of experiences with students like the one above, it is far too
tempting to simply settle on the deduction that students are apathetic individuals, indifferent
to the experiences of others, and therefore unlikely to appreciate oral history.
Still, the lack of interest in others may not entirely be the fault of the youth itself. Per-
haps such students were never quite moved to read oral history, because they were under the
impression that others would probably not read their oral history if granted the opportunity,
that they would not be listened to in the same respect that they would be listening to others
through oral history. I anticipate that this project will help to obliterate that such misconcep-
tions, that certain understanding that only Nobel Peace Prize winners, and government offi-
cials should demand the right to offer their own voices to be shared with the world. “This is
Where I Need to Be” contains 23 oral histories of ordinary students (including Danielle Le-
benson and Mubashir Billah of Stuyvesant High School), students who, one could argue,
have done little else but act as themselves in the course of their short lives. They are
“ordinary,” and yet their names stand in as the titles of chapters, and their words have been
immortalized in print, on the smooth beige pages of a paperback book
From this book, this book that was made possible as a result of the whole-hearted and
collective effort of Dr. Cristillo, and his team (Nisrin Elamin, Anne Hawley, and Amina
Tawasil), and Erick Gordon and his family of contributors (Kerry Mckibbin and Jim Fenner)
in addition to the work of the oral historians that worked so very arduously to produce this
text, and finally, the interviewees who gave us a group of voices to record, I hope that the
reader will take a walk in the shoes of another person. I hope that the reader will humble
himself, take a breath, and finally understand the sheer profundity of the spoken word. I
hope that the typical high school student will come to realize precisely why it is to their own
advantage to step outside of themselves, and exploit the potential of oral history to dissuade
themselves from looking at the world through one lens, as though the human were a cow, or
a goat, damned with tunnel vision and born to be ignorant. ◙

Survey: Have You Ever Read An Oral History?

19%

81% Yes

No

The first edition of This is Where I Need to Be was released on April 30th. In-
formation about purchasing the book is available on www.publishspi.org.
OPINIONS May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 5

Neglecting the Humanities

by Marina Tawfik

Source: Elissa Tam

mandated to take four years of
staff writer history.
By only mandating that stu-
Stuyvesant High School has dents take three years of math,
always been considered a math, Stuyvesant allows the students
science, and technology high who love math to take a math
school. Stuyvesant students are elective that they are interested in
expected to excel in math and during their senior year. Likewise,
science, and are therefore offered by only mandating three core
a wide variety of electives and classes of science, and simply
advanced classes in these sub- setting the fourth year require-
jects. With all this intense focus ment as a science elective, stu-
on the sciences and math, one dents are encouraged to explore
cannot help but wonder: Has the many options available to
Stuyvesant been neglecting the them in the sciences.
humanities? For English and history the
At Stuyvesant, students are system is arguably less conven-
offered a wide variety of courses ient. Students wishing to pursue
in math and science. Aside from English electives can only take
the mandated math classes, stu- the one selective they choose each
dents can choose to take some of year, and since most students con- Although Stuyvesant is primarily known for its strength in areas such as math and science,
the ten elective math courses or sider this to be an elective, they the school has also developed a very strong humanities curriculum．
any of the three AP math courses. do not choose to take any more
Science electives are also in abun- English classes. With regards to must take, something similar to year.
dance. There are twenty biology history, students already have four what is done with the sciences Giving students options
electives, four environmental sci- years of history required of them, should be put into action. Perhaps makes them think more about
ence courses, five chemistry elec- so many may consider taking an- mandating three years of core what they are really interested in.
tives, twelve physics electives, other history course unnecessary. history and one year of history It can be a great way to get
and seven AP science courses In order to set a fair standard electives would motivate students students on the early path of
offered. for all of the subjects offered at to think about what courses in figuring out what they will want
This does not even include Stuyvesant, a few changes to the history they would like to pursue, to do in the years that follow.
computer science. Stuyvesant required curriculum must be and therefore broaden their inter- However, by focusing most of the
students are required to take one made. First of all, the history re- ests in the subject. Similarly, Eng- options students are given on
term of computer science, unlike quirements should be made more lish classes should be selectives math and science, students are
students at most other public high general. Instead of having four throughout all four years of high almost forced to neglect the
schools. They can then go on to years of core classes that students school, not only junior and senior equally important humanities. ◙
take AP computer science, which
is often followed by one of the
four advanced computer science
electives.
When looking at options
available for students who prefer
humanities to the sciences, I am
deeply disappointed. Freshmen
and sophomores are offered few
options for their English classes,
as sophomores are only able to
choose between Classical Litera-
ture and European Literature. No
English electives can be taken in
these years, which can be disap-
pointing to the student who loves
reading and writing, but is pre-
vented from pursing those areas
of study any further than what is
offered by the mandated Stuyve-
sant curriculum. As juniors and
seniors, students do receive a
choice of which English class
they wish to take, but they cannot
easily fit other additional English
classes into their schedule as elec-
tives.
History seems to be in a bet-
ter situation, but one not drasti-
cally different from that of Eng-
lish. Although there are fifteen
history electives for students to
choose from, students do not tend
to take them unless they have a
strong passion for history, which
is because students are already
6 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10 TRIBUTE

TRIBUTE TO
This is a reprint of an article from the June 13, 2006 issue to commemorate Ms. Bulgaris.

Meet this Teacher:

by Tim Chang
columnist
While many teachers can be
nice or friendly, few teachers are
described as being “as sweet as a
grandmother” as one student de-
scribes Ms. Bulgaris. Born
in Kaunas, Lithuania, Bulgaris
came to the United States in 1949,
and grew up in Detroit, Michigan.
She graduated third in her high
school class, and later came to
Fordham University, where she
got an M.S. degree in organic
chemistry. Bulgaris got her cred-
its for a PhD, but never finished
her research, which concerned the
study of certain inert yet carcino-
genic organic compounds. She
did not think it was interesting
and she soon decided to become a
teacher.
With the knowledge and ex-
pertise of a PhD student, but with-
out a degree in education, Bul-
garis started out teaching at two
private schools for a combined
five years. After she got her de-
gree in education, she, along with
the coercion of her colleagues,
decided to go into the more stable
New York City public school
Ms. Bulgaris
Quick Profile:
Name: Dalia Regina Bulgaris
Place of Birth: Kaunas, Lithuania
Favorite Food: Spicy Food, especially Indian, Chinese, and Mexican
Favorite Color: Blue
system. Bulgaris started teaching
at Brooklyn Tech as a substitute,
until she was approved as a full-
time teacher. In 1979, she was
Subjects Taught: Chemistry
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
transferred to Bryant High School
in Queens. One year later, she
came to Stuyvesant, where she
has been teaching since.
Bulgaris is extremely pas-
sionate as a teacher, and truly
enjoys what she does. “I organize
material in the simplest possible
manner,” she says. Chemistry
lessons are easy to understand that
way, and her students agree.
“Instead of dumping all the mate-
rial on us at the same time like
some teachers might she takes it
step by step,” says Celeste Ho,
sophomore, one of her former
students. Bulgaris is currently at
the age where she can retire, in
fact, several of her friends at her
age have already done so. How-
ever, Bulgaris loves teaching kids
so much, she cannot give up
teaching just yet.
Bulgaris loves going to the
performing arts when she is not
grading tests or homework. She
especially enjoys opera, ballet and
even some plays in the city. She
also attends some of the various
productions that the Stuyvesant
community puts on. When asked
how the professional concerts and
shows compare to the shows at
Stuyvesant, she said “They’re of a
very high quality for the high
school level… Some of the musi-
cians are extremely talented.”◙

Dear Ms. Bulgaris,

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
By Hui Ting Jiang
I have never met anyone as sweet as you. Always
willing to do anything to help a student do better, you always
She walks in the room
made sure that your students really understood chemistry.
Quiet and reserved
Though I have to admit that chemistry is one of my least fa-
Like a movie actress
vorite sciences, you really made the class enjoyable. You
With poise and grace
were eager to teach the subject even to those that were not so
eager to learn. And even when they acted out, you would rep-
She carries today's lesson
rimand them but never raise your voice. With your kindness
In her black and white marble notebook
and your patience, you have truly stood out to me as one of
And waits for order in the room
the best that Stuyvesant has to offer. Though I regret that I
Like an honorable judge
never really took the chance to say it- thank you, Ms. Bul-
garis for everything you have given me and the Stuyvesant
She walks up to the chalkboard
community.
With her long skirt swishing
To commence the day
Sincerely,
As any other, yet again.
James Kim
TRIBUTE May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 7

MS. EVANS AND MS. BULGARIS

The Stuyvesant Standard would like to remember the
teachings of Ms. Evans and Ms. Bulgaris.
In Remembrance of Ms. Evans
By Zeeshan Tambra
Dear Ms. Evans,
I pulled my ID card out of my pocket and headed to-
wards the correct classroom. I looked up at the number,
337. I had reached my destination, English 3 Classical Lit- I still remember your English class- third period in
erature. I slinked into a seat at the back of the room. I room 327. It was there that I came across the works of one of
looked over to the teacher. "So this is Ms. Evans," I though my, now, favorite authors- Oscar Wilde. I realized, through-
to my self. She looked like a nice old lady. I thought she out the year, that I never really got to thank you for all the
would be one of those teachers who would just be a pain in hard work you put into for our class. Though my class wasn't
the neck though. the best behaved, we all learned so much not only through
After the first few days we received a copy of Mythol- literature but also through your patience and kindness. Ms.
ogy, by Edith Hamilton. I was slightly intrigued having Evans, you have been such a blessing not only to me as an
some knowledge about the subject, but being the lazy, un- English teacher but also to Stuyvesant High School as a role
caring student I was, I ignored my urge to read it the first model who epitomized goodwill and benevolence. Thank you
time. But then the next day in class when the discussion be- for all that you have done for us and God bless you.
gan, I became amazed at the level of debate and conversa-
tion that she was leading. It was refreshing to see a teacher
interact with the students on the same level. And she was Yours truly,
also very courteous questioning the students' views and James Kim
making them elaborate on their opinions.
I began to read the book and soon became involved in
the class discussions. I realized then that this would be one
of my favorite classes here ate Stuy. From then on I would
get to class early and enthusiastically participating. The
journals we also did changed from a chore to something I
enjoyed doing.
Her warm greetings and pleasant good byes Dear Ms. Evans, Dear Mrs. Evans,
made school bearable. I will always remember her class as
being one of the most enjoyable experiences. I would have
You were truly one You were the most
wished that future students had a chance to also have her as
of the most passionate patient and understanding
a teacher. Rest in Peace Ms. Evans.
teachers I ever knew. I en- person I know. You knew
joyed every minute of your how to make someone feel
class because of that, from better and more confident
Remembering Ms. Bulgaris the crossword puzzles we about themselves. Other
By Jennifer Schlesinger did at the beginning of class than that, you certainly
everyday to the journal en- knew how to teach. You
Ms. Bulgaris was a teacher who for whom teaching was tries we did every Friday always had interesting dis-
not just a job, it was a commitment. She taught me chemistry afternoon. A teacher can cussions in class about
when I was a sophomore. When I did not comprehend a sub- always teach what he or she Greek myths and you knew
ject, she took the time to answer my questions and meet me needs to, but it always takes how to lead a person to lead
after school. Ms. Bulgaris was very observant. When my that extra effort to make a person to insightful obser-
class participation began to drecrease, she asked me what was each class special. Thank vations about those myths.
wrong. In her class, I was able to truly grasp chemistry. She you so much for being there Your presence will always
taught at a slower pace to make sure her student compre- for us not only as a teacher, be missed in Stuyvesant,
hended the subject. I remember how many chemistry prob- but as a great friend. We and in my life. Thanks for
lems she put on the board until everyone fully grasped the will always remember you. being such a great teacher.
concept. In lab, she explained concepts instead of having us
learn them from our lab books. Walking into Ms. Bulgaris’s
class each day I knew there was someone in the school who Sincerely, Love,
cared for me. Rammiya Nallainathan Angel Li
Ms. Bulgaris will be truly missed, yet in memory will live
on in the students she taught and the lives she touched.
 8 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
THE STANDARD SCIENCE
Got Water...Bottles?
by Alexander Van Tuyn
staff writer
In a high school classroom,
it is apparent that many students
either choose to bring or to buy
water bottles and drink them
throughout the day. However,
what these students may not real-
ize is that in recent findings, an
unsafe chemical has been discov-
ered in the world of bottled water.
This chemical is bisphenol A
(BPA), and it is being used in
food cans, microwavable food
packages, toys, milk container
linings, water pipes, and dental
sealants. It is also being used in
plastic bottles. This chemical is
harmful even when exposure is
minimal. Just a few parts per tril-
lion can be harmful, and humans
are usually exposed to 10 to 100
times this amount.
After extensive testing on
rodents, scientists have discov-
ered that bisphenol A can cause a
host of medical problems, includ-
ing early onset of puberty, obe-
sity, diabetes, hyperactivity breast
cancer, impaired immune func-
tion, sperm defects, prostate can-
cer and disease, and weakened
The Life of an Escalator
by Alexandros Kaliontzakis
staff writer
An essential part of the Stuy-
vesant High School experience,
and a crucial mode of transporta-
tion for the Stuyvesant student:
the not-always-trustworthy esca-
lator.
The very first escalator-like
machine was patented on March
Source: http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2003-08/9098048.jpg
The first functional escalator was designed by Jesse Reno and con-
sisted of an inclined conveyer belt.
May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10
reproductive development
Even with the effects of BPA be-
ing so apparent, the government
and retailers have been slow to
react. Toys “R” Us will phase out
bottles and other “baby feeding
products” containing BPA by the
end of the year, and Wal-Mart
will begin early next year. This
interest coincidentally revealed
itself after Canada proposed a ban
on hormone-like chemicals in
baby bottles. However, some are
skeptical as to the effects of BPA
on humans. Rick Locker, an attor-
ney for the Juvenile Products
Manufacturers Association, noted
that the Food and Drug Admini-
stration has not found that BPA
poses a risk to children and nei-
ther have agencies in Europe or
Japan.
If you are alarmed by the
results, however, there are things
you can do to keep the chemical
out of your water. 1) You can
drink from glass bottles or plastic
bottles that do not have a number
7 recycling code. It is mainly the
number 7 plastics that contain
BPA. 2) Don’t heat a liquid in its
plastic bottle, because this causes
more BPA to leach into the liquid.
9, 1859 by Nathan Ames of Sau-
gus, Massachusetts. Ames called
it the revolving stair, and its de-
sign was far ahead of its time.
Sadly, it was never put into pro-
duction of any sort due to Nathan
Ames’s death only one after he
filed his patent.
The first functional version of
the escalator was patented in 1892
by Jesse W. Reno. It consisted of
an inclined conveyor belt com-
posed of grooved
wooden slats with
rubber cleats. It
was powered by an
electrical engine,
and moved at a
speed of 1.5 miles
per hour. In 1895,
it was used as an
amusement park
ride at the Old Pier
on Coney Island. It
was considered a
novelty ride by the
75,000 people who
rode it during its
SCIENCE
Source: http://blogs.nbcuni.com/greenisuniversal/images/water-bottles-istock3690968.jpg
Plastic bottles, while widely used, may pose a health threat due to bisphenol.
3) Don’t reuse the same plastic consumers, it is still of great sig-
bottle over and over again; the nificance to the future of product
washing process releases more distribution. Even though research
BPA. 4) Try to drink from more on this chemical has begun par-
recently bought bottles, because ticularly recently, the findings are
the longer the bottle sits the more alarming. At least there are easy
BPA will leach into the liquid. 5) steps to avoid it. As one blogger,
Buy bottles that are BPA-free; wrote “We’ve all been exposed
BornFree, Medela, and Adiri bot- through our lives more and more,
tles are now marketed as BPA- but the least we can do is give our
free. children a chance to live without
Although BPA might not be this problem that we have brought
the most apparent threat facing upon ourselves.” ◙
Source: http://bp3.blogger.com/_bKXlng-gpg0/R2jUT2C6yMI/AAAAAAAAB3E/oE7Tqk1Ei1U/s1600-h/escalator.jpg
two week-exhibition. By 1898,
Harrods in London installed a
Reno “inclined elevator,” com-
plete with a porter at the top to
serve brandy to the passengers
who felt faint after riding it. For
other inhabitants of London, it
was possible, for the fare of a
single penny, to ride a similar
escalator in the Crystal Palace at
Sydenham. The invention was
even celebrated with a song — W.
P. Dempsey’s “Up the Sliding
Stairs.”
The escalator, as understood
in the modern era, is a modifica-
tion of the original design by
Charles Seeberger. Seeberger, The first escalator in Coney Island.
along with the Otis Elevator Com-
pany, produced the first commer- however, Otis Escalator Company
cial escalator in 1899 in a factory bought the patent rights from See-
in Yonkers, New York. The word beger, and, in 1911, bought the
“escalator” was derived from the patent rights from Reno as well.
Latin “scala,” meaning “stairs.” Since then, Otis has dominated
The newly-modified escalator was the escalator and elevator produc-
first used at the 1900 Paris Expo- tion businesses.
sition Universelle in France. Since 1900, the escalator has
In 1902, Jesse Reno founded grown in innovation and design to
the Reno Electric Stairways and be used all over the world as a
Conveyors Company. In 1910, mode of transportation. ◙
ENTERTAINMENT May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 9

THE STANDARD ENTERTAINMENT

The Forbidden Kingdom: Review
by Muhammad Tambra

Source: http://www.kungfucinema.com/images/forbidden-kingdom-5.jpg
staff writer

This April the kung fu thriller

was ”The Forbidden Kingdom“
released in the United States. The
age-of-movie portrays a coming
story as seen in many books and
other movies. The protagonist
begins his journey as the typical
wimpy kid” but, through his“
travels, he gains enough skill to
defeat a great evil
The movie begins with a
great visual effect of the Monkey
King (from Chinese mythology)
easily outwitting soldiers on top
of a mountain range. The film’s
main character, Jason (Michael
Angarno), then wakes from this
dream in his room, which is cov-
ered in kung fu movie posters. He
then heads to Chinatown to go
pick up more kung fu movies and
ends up being peer-pressured into
robbing the elderly video store
owner with whom he is friends.
The bullies injure the old man and
Jason ends up running away in
fear with a staff the old man told
The Forbidden Kingdom is a kung-fu thriller starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. While the fighting scenes are admirable, the plot is relatively
him about earlier. As he gets to undeveloped..
the roof he realizes he is clearly
outnumbered and outmatched.
“Luckily” for him he suddenly membered for the ages. The epic The basic story is also very pre- spectacular special effects;
falls over the edge of the roof and fight at the end between the he- dictable and you never experience however, the main plot is not
ends up in ancient China. roes and the Jade Warlord, the a shocking plot twist. It does, nearly as interesting. I would still
The main draw to the movie antagonist of the movie, is visu- however, put humor into an other- recommend watching this. The
is that Jackie Chan and Jet Li are ally thrilling and quite worth see- wise stale dialogue. The chemis- splendidly choreographed fight
associated with it. However, this ing. try between the characters is un- sequences and some side stories
is not to be taken as the movie’s However, apart from the fan- deniable as seen through the rela- make up for it. It’s recommended
only selling point. It very much tastic fight scenes, there is little tionship between Jackie Chan and that you go check it out or buy the
revolves around the protagonist else that is desirable. The story is Michael Angarno. DVD if you can’t go. ◙
Jason maturing into an able a basic training-while-traveling Overall, the film had huge
fighter and person. However the plot. The subplots also are not entertainment value. It was an
fight between the two stars is explored enough and most of the enjoyable movie to watch with its
mesmerizing and one to be re- characters remain undeveloped. brilliant fight scenes and

The Stuyvesant Standard would like to

congratulate
Amna Ahmad and Hesham Saleh
on becoming Editor in Chief
and
Managing Editor
10 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10 LITERARY
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
continued from page 1

documentary’s sound effects,

“War Child” was especially
lacking in this department. I’m
not sure if these will be fixed or
not, but it seemed like someone
literally fell asleep on the sound
mixing board and added a bunch
of odd sound effects. Sure, one
could say that this was just be-
ing creative, but it really seems
accidental when they cover up
dialogue and disrupt mood.
This film in the end does
deserve to be commended, and
so far it already has been.
Throughout the festival,
audiences were voting on who
would win the Cadillac Award,
and the winner is “War Child.”
The director, C. Karim Chrobog,
will receive $25,000, the art
award “Peripheral Drift
Illusion,” and another one-of-a-
kind trophy. Hopefully, this will Tribeca Film
inspire more people to see this
amazing portrait of the most
important war of all — the war
Festival Photos
for peace. ◙
By Elissa Tam

THE STANDARD LITERARY

Senior-Reality
by Robert Stevenson
literary editor
SPORTS
NBA PLAYOFFS
continued from page 12
but the ball simply bounced their
way. There is nothing you can
physically do to counteract luck,
that’s just how it goes. The Rap-
tors lost a lot of close games and
now they will watch the rest of
the playoffs from home. How-
ever, they can improve them-
selves by acquiring a veteran
leader to complement their young
studs such as Chris Bosh. As good
as Bosh is, he is not a leader. Ei-
ther he needs to step up or they
have to acquire someone who
will.
Philadelphia 76ers — The Sixers
had an incredible run during the
first round, giving the Detroit
Pistons a hard run for their
money. But in the end the Pistons
were the Pistons, and they did
what they do best: win. This per-
formance against an elite team
should encourage the Sixers to try
even harder next year. They have
to come out with the mentality
that they are an elite team, be-
cause, quite frankly, there is no
better way for them to improve
themselves. In order for them to
play at their highest potential,
they have to believe that they are
a great team.
Atlanta Hawks — The most over-
achieving team that this playoff
has seen yet. Forcing the Boston
Celtics to seven games is nothing
short of extraordinary. The Hawks
played their hearts out but they
came up short. People say that
they did the best that they could
do, but I disagree. At the end of
the day, no one remembers the
losers, no matter how they lost.
The Hawks simply need time to
grow; they have the talent and the
leadership, they just need time.
And I would suggest more play-
ing time for A.C. Law. If he can
have a good season, the Hawks
could be rigorous contenders.
Western Conference
Houston Rockets — Tracy
McGrady can’t catch a break in
the first round. But the truth is, his
team’s failure in the first round is
not all his fault. He played well,
but once again he came up short.
The Utah Jazz are no easy team to
THE SPORTS BEAT
continued from page 12
.be the first
The next test for the new look
Knicks is Donnie Walsh resisting
the urge to trade David Lee. Lee
is probably the one current Knick
who could find a role on the re-
maining playoff teams. He’s a
great rebounder, and hustles in
May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10
John Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks drunks against the Boston Celtics.
beat; they play with tenacity and
unrivaled intensity. Year in and
year out, injuries have plagued the
Rockets and have prevented them
from ever achieving the type of
success that they should be ex-
periencing. Their main concern
should be keeping their players
healthy or developing a deeper
bench. I think it would be nothing
short of stupidity if the Rockets
went into next year without hav-
ing made a move. They can’t just
simply expect their players to not
get hurt; they have to build a more
adaptable team. And T-Mac needs
to keep his composure; lots of
athletes do stupid things when
they don’t get results on the court.
He needs to dig down and find
more patience.
Denver Nuggets — The Nuggets
have become the laughing stock
of the NBA, being the only team
to get swept and losing by double
figures in almost every game.
Despite having two of the top four
scorers in the league and one of
the greatest offensive teams in
history, they have failed to win a
single playoff game. Why? Just
ask any analyst or any fan or any-
one who knows the slightest bit of
basketball. Defense wins champi-
every game no matter what the
score. Of course, that makes him
the most tradable commodity.
Donnie Walsh must resist every
temptation to include David Lee
in a deal for some past-his-prime
former all-star (see O’Neal, Jer-
maine) who might help the team
once or twice. David Lee is the
type of glue guy that D’Antoni
needs.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
onships, and the Nuggets simply
don’t play any. They need to step
it up on the defensive end or they
will never get anywhere. And one
player in particular really has to
change himself to get this team to
win. That player is Allen Iverson.
He has to make the commitment
on the defensive end; no one else
means more to the team than he
does. He brings leadership, ath-
leticism, and points, but what the
Nuggets need him to do more
than any of those things is play
defense. The immediate future of
this organization is in his hands;
the choice is his.
Dallas Mavericks — Avery John-
son must be sitting at home think-
ing to himself, “Where did I go
wrong?” The former coach of the
Mavericks was immediately fired
after the New Orleans Hornets
eliminated his team from the play-
offs. In reality, much of what hap-
pened in that series was not his
fault, but someone had to pay the
price. It has been a tough year for
the Mavericks, but they have very
little to worry about. They lost to
a very hot team and they should
focus all their efforts onto next
season. They are very talented
and very balanced; they just need
The Knicks reformation will
be complete in 2010. That’s when
the King, Lebron James, is eligi-
ble for free agency again. Every
effort must be made to make the
marquee player the star for the
Knicks. Yes, he’s best friends
with Jay-Z, the part owner of the
New Jersey Nets, who will be on
their way to Brooklyn at that
point. However, the move to
11
Source: http://www.nba.com/gallery/080426_1.html
time to build team chemistry.
They have three to four all-stars
on their team; they just have to
put it all together.
Phoenix Suns — The Spurs have
done it again. They have broken
the hearts of the Phoenix Suns.
After going down 3-0 in the series
the Suns knew that all was lost. It
is absolutely amazing how clutch
the Spurs are; such luck should be
illegal. It seems as if any player
on their team could take a three-
pointer at the end of the game
with his team down by two and it
would go in. The Phoenix Suns
did not deserve to lose, but they
did. No one saw this coming; peo-
ple expected a competitive series
but all they got was four competi-
tive games that resulted in a Spurs
win each time. The Suns were the
better team, they had everything,
but they still lost. That, my
friends, is what you call bad luck.
How can the Suns improve? I
suggest they pray every night be-
fore they go to bed that they get
some luck too, because other than
that there is nothing else they can
do. They are the best team in that
conference, and when you can’t
win when you are the best, is
there anything that you can really
do? ◙
Brooklyn isn’t scheduled until
2011. Do you think Lebron would
want to play for one minute in
New Jersey? Throw in the rumor
that his shoe deal doubles when
he’s playing in a major market,
and Lebron James will be leading
the New York Knicks to the 2011
NBA Championship. I hope. ◙
 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
NBA Playoff Busts
Source: http://www.nba.com/gallery/080428_6.html
Allen Iverson and the Denver Nuggets.
by Ankit Singh
staff writer
The field of 16 has quickly been reduced to
eight over the course of the first round and what a
first round it has been. Although there were no
upsets and only one series went to seven games,
there was plenty of drama and spectacular play.
Hearts were broken, championship aspirations
died, and some the best players in the league were
sent home. The NBA commercials do not lie:
there can only be one.
Now let’s take a look as to why certain teams
lost in the first round and what they could do to
improve themselves in the off-season:
Eastern Conference
Washington Wizards — It’s not easy beating
King James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, espe-
May 19, 2008—VOL. 7, No. 10
cially if you are the Washington Wizards. The
Wizards went into this series with hopes and aspi-
rations of revenge and victory — things they have
not tasted for many years. The reason that they
can never get what they want on the court is be-
cause they talk too much off it. Their problem is
not poor play but poor leadership and lack of self-
discipline. They have to be able to maintain their
composure and their focus throughout the season
before they can win anything. And another piece
of advice: don’t cross paths with the King, at least
not in the first round.
Toronto Raptors — Truth be told, the Toronto
Raptors did not deserve to lose as quickly as they
did. The Orlando Magic are not that much better
NBA PLAYOFFS
continues on page 11
SPORTS
A New
Hope
How long does it take to ruin the marquee
franchise in professional basketball? 1579 days.
It’s in that stretch of time that Isiah Thomas
took a franchise that was over the salary cap
and had a massive amount of dead weight and
transformed that into a roster filled with an
overpriced hodgepodge of awful defenders and
mediocre shooters.
You could probably write a book about the
bad trades (Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry), bad
signings (Jerome James, Jared Jeffries), and
bad events (sexual harassment lawsuits,
Stephon Marbury going AWOL) that have hap-
pened, but there might be hope for the Knicks.
The first part of the massive rebuilding
plan must come next week at the NBA Draft
lottery. The Knicks currently are fifth most
likely to be chosen for the top spot. NBA Com-
missioner David Stern must once again rig the
lottery like conspiracy theorists say he did 23
years ago. That time, the Knicks selected fran-
chise center Patrick Ewing out of the Univer-
sity of Georgetown. This time, the Knicks will
take freshman point guard Derrick Rose out of
Memphis. The key to new coach Mike D’An-
toni’s offense is a Steve-Nash-type point guard.
Stephon Marbury resembles Steve Nash as
much as I resemble Hulk Hogan. Rose would
be the floor general for the Knicks for years to
come.
The next part of the plan involves trading
Zach Randolph to the highest Eddy Curry and
bidder. Donnie Walsh shouldn’t care if the only
offer is a stick of used bubblegum, because
that’s all the two of them are worth. The other
critical component to a D’Antoni offense is
running. The next time Eddy Curry hustles will
THE SPORTS BEAT
continues on page 11