Wednesday, October 10 Volume 7
Visit us at www.stuystandard.org
Are Those New
Locks Really Safe?
Although the new locks are bigger and heavier, they still have flaws in their design.
by Kenneth Lam,
staff writer
This year’s new locker policy has brought
much comfort to the school administration, as
they now know who is in what locker. But the
new standardized locker system has brought up
much resentment and a Facebook group called
“Don’t Pay for Lockers at Stuy”
Although the SU was ambivalent, minutes
from the School Leadership Team meeting of May
1, 2007 state that “[student representatives] have
agreed to support Teitel’s proposal of having stu-
dents purchase lockers in the beginning of the
year. In return, Mr. Teitel has agreed to work with
the student body on other school issues such as the
ability of students leaving the building during free
periods.” This apparent communication gap has
left some students feeling victimized by the ad-
ministration, but the added peace of mind of hav-
ing a heavy-duty padlock on the locker appeals to
others.
However, the keyhole in the back of each
lock may disturb that peace of mind. Each year,
Issue 2
according to Teitel, approximately 300 locks are
clipped off of lockers in order to empty their con-
tents and prepare for the next year of students.
With this system, a master key can unlock all of
the locks and remove the contents, or inspect
them, at any time. Teitel asserts that the two mas-
ter keys are “in the school,” and safe and secure.
However, The Standard has recently learned
from an unidentified source that the keyhole in the
back is a security compromise, and that weak-
nesses in the front and back of the lock present
“inherent flaws [in the design].” In a little over a
minute, the source was able to pick open a similar
lock with two pieces of metal, in effect “creating
[his] own copy of the master key” with approxi-
mately a week’s training. The source also pro-
vided an algorithm for determining the combina-
tion of the lock given based on their uniform com-
bination pattern and master key
This raises new questions about the locks’
security. The locks are bigger and heavier, but
uniform, potentially putting students at risk.
Your School,
Your World —
Your News
Stuywatch:
Kids First, Yet
Taking a Break
by Rammiya Nallainathan, staff writer, and
Jennifer Schlesinger, editor in chief
Although Stuyvesant High School has only
been in session for a little over a month, contro-
versy has been widespread. With the institution of
new policies, such as the locker policy and the
use of the ID scanners at lunch time, students
began to fear for their rights. To help the students,
Stuywatch (www.stuywatch.com), a student-run
online organization, was created by two anony-
mous people who go by the names of Hiro and
Chase. The start of Stuywatch was accompanied
by many brightly -colored posters around school.
Many students became members of the website
and its Facebook group. The site was unexpect-
edly closed on October 3, with a message that
Hiro and Chase were taking a break. The website
has since re-opened, but seemingly contains no
changes, except for a post with a policy for re-
moving posts and members. The website is a fo-
rum where students and teachers could post com-
ments on the latest things happening in school.
Although many students thought Stuywatch was
against the administration, the founders dis-
agreed. In posts before the site’s closure, they
clarified their mission: “We’re not anti-
administration, we’re pro-student.” They also
responded to concerns by stating that instead of
working against the administration, they plan on
working with it and the Student Union (SU). SU
vice president James Kim said he liked the idea of
Stuywatch. “It's doing a pretty good job of relay-
ing information to the student body. One goal of
STUYWATCH
continues on page 4
In this Issue
Voices of Protest as Iranian Presi-
dent Speaks at Columbia
News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4
Should We Listen?
Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8
2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2 NEWS

EDITORIAL
A FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS
“When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force. When
it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered.”
The quote, taken from 1930’s journalist Emma Thompson, refers to
the Nazi occupation of Germany during World War II. Stuyvesant stu-
dents don’t nearly suffer to the same extent. The student apathy, however,
is comparable. That is why we support the ideals of Stuywatch.
The gradual weakening of Student Union power, combined with their
inability to communicate what’s going on to the student body, has re-
The Executive Board sulted in the administration being able to propose whatever it so pleases.
One must only be reminded of two years ago, when scanning out for
JENNIFER SCHLESINGER EDITOR IN CHIEF lunch was proposed and then stopped shortly after due to student com-
plaint. The student body doesn’t have nearly that power now.
ERIC MAYO MANAGING EDITOR
DIANE CHEN DIRECTOR OF FINANCE The ideals of Stuywatch are admirable. The student body needs a
ANGEL WONG DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
place where information can be gathered about what’s going on in their
community. Students who still care about what happens now have a place
SANGHEE CHUNG LAYOUT EDITOR
to organize. However, there is still much work to be done.
DANNY ZHU COPY CHIEF
JIMMY ZHANG NEWS EDITOR Every student must realize that comparing the administration to op-
pressive administrations in history is ill-informed. No one is sending stu-
HESHAM SALEH NEWS EDITOR dents to concentration camps, as Adolph Hitler did. No student is being
TIM CHANG NEWS EDITOR clubbed by a police officer like recent protests in Myanmar.
PRISCILLA MELO OPINIONS EDITOR
Stuywatch will run into problems, like its misinformed counter site
EMMA RABINOVICH ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Watchstuy, which is run by a bunch of seniors who do not care what hap-
RICHARD MAI SPORTS EDITOR pens to student rights. Students should disregard Watchstuy as nothing
JOSEPH KRUTOV SCIENCE EDITOR more than a satire by some very bored seniors.
OMAR AHMAD SCIENCE EDITOR What concerns the board the most is the new lockers. The reason why
HANFORD CHIU BUSINESS EDITOR the keyhole was added is still a mystery. It does not provide extra protec-
AMNA AHMAD LITERARY EDITOR tion, and it is against what the Student Union agreed upon back in June.
ROBERT STEVENSON ASSITANT LITERARY EDITOR In fact, the locks have now been shown to reduce student safety by mak-
JESSE ZHANG WEBMASTER ing them pickable in less than thirty seconds. Was the keyhole added to
KIRIL GOUROV ASSISTANT WEBMASTER allow the administration to search our lockers undetected? Perhaps, but
ELISSA TAM DIRECTOR OF PHOTOJOURNALISM it’s certain that the keyhole makes the lockers less safe.
MEGAN BRESLIN FACULTY ADVISOR The time has come for the student body of Stuyvesant to stand up for
DANIEL EGERS (‘03) FOUNDER the few privileges which they have. If the Student Union continues to fail
ERNEST BASKIN (‘04) EDITOR EMERITUS to provide direction to the student body, then Stuywatch should take the
lead to organize the students. These are the three issues which students
can change.
Publication First, if students need to scan in and scan out when they leave the
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD is a non-profit publication produced by building, there is no reason why students can not go out during free peri-
the students of Stuyvesant High School. ods. The website of the scanner’s manufacturer states that you can scan in
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD distributes 2,000 free copies on a bi- and out unlimited times as opposed to the one time it currently does. If
weekly basis to the students and faculty of Stuyvesant High School the reason is for our safety, why can we then go out during lunch? These
and throughout the adjoining neighborhoods of TriBeCa and Battery
questions have not been adequately answered by the administration.
Park City.
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD welcomes letters from its readers. For a Second, students should not be penalized from returning to lunch dur-
letter to be reproduced in print, a name and method of contact must ing passing, whether the scanner marks them late or not. Students can
be provided. indeed make it to class before the late bell. At the senior assembly, stu-
THE STUYVESANT STANDARD reserves the right to edit any published dents were told that this would only be a problem if there was “chronic
material. The viewpoints of contributors do not necessarily reflect lateness”. Can lateness be chronic in only two short weeks?
the views of the Standard staff The student body and the Student Union must not rest until they fix
Copyright ©2007 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD these problems.
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Find us on the web at www.stuystandard.org
NEWS
Voices of Protest as Iranian
President Speaks at Columbia
by Tim Chang,
news editor
On September 24, Hundreds
of Columbia students and other
activists took to Columbia
University’s Morningside Heights
campus to protest Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his
speech. Ahmadinejad visited New
York from September 23 to 26,
and went to the United Nations on
the 24th to address the general
assembly.
Out of the 400 seats in the
Lerner Hall auditorium where
Ahmadinejad spoke, every single
one was filled, and tickets for the
event sold out within the first 90
minutes of online registration.
Outside of the auditorium,
Quick Information
Ahmadinejad recently imprisoned
33 women for protesting govern-
ment policies.
“They have cr.eated a myth today
that they call the massacre of the
Jews and they consider it a princi-
ple above God, religions and the
prophets” (Ahmadinejad to the
Washington Post, Dec. 15, 2005).
The US State Department cites Iran
as the most active state sponsor of
terrorism.
Thousands of Iranians have been
arbitrarily arrested for dressing or
behaving “differently,” according
to Human Rights Watch.
Photos by TSS/ Tim Chang and TSS/ Bennett Hong
October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 3
THE STANDARD NEWS
however, the mobs of protesters does have the right to be heard. solidarity on campus for his cause.
were not limited by space, and the Ryan Kasden, the president of Different messages were
rally afterwards brought many “ E ve r yo n e A l l i e d a g a i n s t delivered at the rally, all for the
hundreds of people out to voice Homophobia,” a Columbia student same cause. Many demonstrators
their opinions. group, draws a fine line between were alarmed at the idea of a
One of the most vocal groups letting Ahmadinejad speak and United States-led invasion of Iran,
at the protest was Columbia supporting him. It is important to and tried to highlight the fact that
University’s chapter of Hillel, an “engage in discussion as opposed many Iranian people are in support
organization for Jewish students. to silencing the opponent,” as of the United States. However, “no
Whether it was through posting Kasden puts it. He feels that a one is against the Iranian people,
provocative signs, creating speech he delivered at the rally only against Ahmadinejad,” stated
matching T-shirts or handing out addressed two points: outrage at Yevgeniy, a member of Hillel,
flyers, the organization did the government and solidarity with “Intellectuals are scared and
everything it could to “highlight the Iranian people. In a nation intimidated against expressing
the abuses of minority persecution where two teenage boys were their views against the
and the oppression of ideas,” recently hanged for the crime of government.” Overall, the
according to Ari Gontownik, a homosexuality, and where the demonstration was aimed at
Hillel activist. “He [Ahmadinejad] president denies the existence of bringing many student groups
denies freedom to his people to homosexuals in Iran, Kasden together to voice their opinions
live, he doesn’t have the freedom reminds us that homophobia is not and listen to each other. Hopefully,
to speak here today,” he asserted. only an Iranian phenomenon, and Ahmadinejad listened too.
Marco Bolano, a strong the rally today helped gain
denouncer of the Iranian president,
was found on campus carrying a
“Hitler Lives” poster. He claims
that Ahmadinejad is no different
from Hitler, “a dictator, plain and
simple.” Ahmadinejad’s denial of
the Holocaust, which he told the
Washington Post was “a myth
today that they call the massacre of
the Jews,” is, as Bolano put it,
“despicable, and disrespectful to
the entire Jewish community.”
Considering all of this, Bolano is
vehemently against Ahmadinejad’s
coming to speak and believes that
he does not have the right to speak
at Columbia.
However, some believe that he
Of all Iranian students, 62% are
women.
Iran has the second largest Jewish
population after Israel.
Iran was one of the first countries
to publicly condemn the 9/11 at-
tacks, and held candlelight vigils
that same night.
Iran has an 82% literacy rate.
4 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Meet this Teacher: Ms. McMahon
by Jimmy Zhang,
news editor
All teachers make it a mission
their to enlighten the lives of
students, but few succeed like Kelly
McMahon does. McMahon,
originally from Michigan, attended
the University of Michigan’s
business school. She then worked as
a business consultant for several
years. Later, she decided to become
a teacher and attended Teachers
College at Columbia University. She
has lived in New York for eight
.years, and says that she loves it
At Stuyvesant, McMahon en-
joys working in the English depart-
TSS/ Elissa Tam
ment, particularly because she sees a
“collegial” environment where eve-
ryone works together. “English
teachers help each other out often,”
McMahon says.
In the past, McMahon worked
as an SSR writer for three years and
a teacher representative on the
School Leadership Team for four
years. Although writing SSRs for
140 students was a difficult task,
McMahon enjoyed it because it al-
lowed her to meet students in a new
way. She particularly liked learning
about Stuyvesant and the many
amazing things its students are capa-
ble of.
McMahon has a self-described
“disciplined” nature. “To balance a
SENIOR PAJAMA DAY
October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2
Meet this Teacher: Ms. McMahon
Fast Facts
Classes taught: AP English: British Literature - Society and Self, Freshman Composition,
Sophomore Writing Seminar
Favorite color: Navy Blue
Favorite TV show: CSI
large workload, you have to like
doing things you have to do,” she
remarks.
When asked what her favorite
part of Stuyvesant was, McMahon
Photo Credits:
Vicky Chu
Maggie Huang
Tiffany Tsai
Zodiac sign: Libra
Favorite food: Cake (no hesitation)
Favorite book: “too hard to answer”
didn’t even need time to think: she
promptly replied, “Students.” She
considers the Stuyvesant community
a “tremendously amazing [group of]
talented people.” McMahon espe-
NEWS
cially likes the genuine, thoroughly
considered responses from her stu-
dents. Her favorite class discussions
revolve around connections made
from the world of the story to the
world of the reader. For her, the best
responses involve a reaction or re-
sponse that is an answer for the stu-
dents themselves.
As an English teacher, McMa-
hon feels that literature is especially
important to any person. “Everyone
can find something important [in
reading],” she said. She continued to
comment on how a single text can
have different effects on different
people. She likes how literature al-
lows a person to broaden his or her
experiences.
Outside of Stuyvesant, McMa-
hon’s main pastime is rugby. She has
been playing for twelve years, and
has, without a doubt, a love and tal-
ent for the sport. Last year, she
played for the United States team in
the 2006 Rugby World Cup. Cur-
rently, she plays for New York’s
team. As she puts it, rugby is the
“ultimate team sport [because it]
brings together all kinds of people
who love passionate intense sports.”
Of all the words to describe
Stuyvesant, McMahon chose
“powerful.” She feels that Stuyve-
sant is a place where wishes to real-
ize power and potential come true.
STUYWATCH
continued from page 4
glad someone is helping out.”
However, he also did mention that
he hopes this does not get out of
hand and get carried away. This is
a strong concern because of the
number of members. One junior
said, “It’s amazing to see the num-
ber of people on this site. Over 700
and still counting!”
While some students familiar-
ized themselves with Stuywatch,
there were many that took little
interest or knew nothing about it.
About two out of every five people
asked for comments had not heard
about Stuywatch. As Jane, a junior,
put it, “I have no idea what this is.
I only see the posters around but it
doesn’t motivate me to actually go
on the site and see what it is.” An-
other student said, “As a student, I
don’t really feel like the admini-
stration has oppressive policies. So
I don’t really know where I stand
on the necessity and effectiveness
of Stuywatch. It all seems very
mysterious to me.”
Students must wait to see if
any major changes will be made to
Stuywatch.
 SPECIAL October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 5

SPECIAL $30 A WEEK

by Jennifer Schlesinger, editor in chief
Rachel Ray may have 40 dollars a day, but I only had 30 dollars a week. Well, 30 dollars for a week’s worth of lunches. Not much for going to
school in pricey downtown Manhattan, but I figured I would see how it went. During my time as a Stuyvesant student, I have rarely eaten in the school
cafeteria, preferring the wide selection offered by the restaurants and cafés near school. As a vegetarian, I have found dismal the cafeteria’s selections of
greasy pizza and cold French fries. I will always vividly remember going into the school cafeteria during freshman year and asking what was vegetarian,
only to be told turkey. Despite going out so much, I never counted how much I spent on a lunch a week.
Source: http://ceci-celapatisserie.com/flash/index01.html

On Tuesday, I headed to Samurai Sam, 165 Chambers Street, for

what was to be the most expensive meal of the week. I ordered a tofu
teriyaki bowl with brown rice and a bottle of water. The food took
much longer than expected to be ready, making it hard to finish it and
On Monday, I went to Terry’s, located at 41 River Terrace Apt. 410, be- get back to school on time. The portion of food was large and the
cause I wanted a sandwich to eat in the park. The line inside was long, but sauce was tasty. It cost $7.50, leaving $18.70 for the next three days.
it moved quickly. I got an egg on a roll sandwich and a bottle of water. The
sandwich was good; the roll was nice and soft. However, there was more
roll than egg. The total cost was $3.80, leaving me $26.20 for the rest of
the week.

I wanted a smaller meal on Wednesday,

so I went to Ceci-Cela Patisserie, 166
Chambers Street. I ordered a brie
sandwich. As they do not sell bottles of
water, my lunch drink staple, I bought a
bottle at the vending machine in school.
The bread for the sandwich was crispy,
tasty, French bread. There was a good
amount of cheese, but not too much. The
cost was $4.00 total, leaving $14.70 for
Thursday and Friday.

For Friday, I decided to hike to the Amish Market at 53 Park Place,

a tough thing to do and still get back to school on time. The line to
pay for food was long. I got a portion of precut, prepackaged water-
I went for pizza at Portobello’s Pizzeria, 83 Murray Street, on Thursday.
melon, an olive focaccia, and a bottle of water. The watermelon was
Despite a large number of students, the line moved quickly. The owner was
juicy and fresh. The bread, a favorite of mine, had many olives. The
very welcoming to students. I ordered a slice of pizza and a small soda. The
cost was $3.95, leaving me with a surprising $7 for the week.
pizza was slightly greasy, but the crust was crispy. The cost was $3.75,
leaving $10.95, more than I expected.
Unless noted otherwise, pictures by TSS/Elissa Tam

St. John’s Near Tragedy Hits Close to Home

by Hesham Saleh,
news editor
On Wednesday, September 26,
a student from St. John’s Univer-
sity (SJU), located in Queens, car-
ried a .5 caliber rifle into school.
This event comes amongst at at-
mosphere of similar events, includ-
ing the incedent at Virginia Tech.
The student, identified as
Omesh Hiraman, is a freshman at
SJU. On the 26, he walked into
school with a black sweatshirt and
a mask that resembled George
Bush covering his face. In his
backpack, he had a black garbage
bag partially covering the loaded
gun. As he walked through the
school, many students looked at
him strangely, but none realized he
was carrying a gun.
According to Newsday, at that
time, an off-duty NYPD cadet,
Christopher Benson, was in school.
He was on the phone with his girl-
friend as Hiraman passed by him.
He got off the phone and began
following Hiraman. He related that
Hiraman turned the corner and was
stopped by security guards. Ben-
son and other security officers
pinned Hiraman against the wall
and took the gun from him.
Hiraman, according to his
father, had been on medications
due to back surgery, which may would affect the security issues at
have caused this type of behavior. Stuyvesant, she said, “We have a
For many, this event emphasizes th lot of security as it is.”
ease with which a student can The chances of such a dreadful
walk into school with a gun, event occurring in Stuyvesant are
loaded or not. unlikely, but not impossible. The
While this event made many student body must work together
Stuyvesant students uneasy, some to ensure that such events do not
do not have any concerns. Junior happen. This can only be achieved
Nicole Pavia said that she did not by being alert at all times. As, the
think such an event could happen MTA’s favorite slogan goes, “If
at Stuyvesant because of the differ- you see something, say some-
ences between the two schools. thing.”
“St. John’s [University] is totally
different than Stuy,” Pavia said.
“It’s a pretty big campus, and peo-
ple can go in and out.” When
asked if she believed the incident
6 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
THE STANDARD OPINIONS
by David Mannes,
Should We Listen?
staff writer
On Monday, September 24,
Iranian President Ahmadinejad
gave a speech at Columbia Univer-
sity in New York City. Ahmadine-
jad has officially stated that he
wants to drive Israel into the sea,
that he doesn’t believe the Holo-
caust was a genocide perpetrated
against the Jewish people, and that
the nuclear program he is develop-
ing is meant solely for peaceful
purposes. Regardless of how one
thinks we should handle the conflict
with Iran, everyone should be able
to agree that the Holocaust took
place.
On November 2 of last year,
Iran successfully tested the Shehab-
3, a missile that can be equipped
with a nuclear warhead, and is ca-
pable of reaching Israel and pene-
trating its missile defense systems.
Like his horrifying and controver-
sial speeches, events such as this
missile testing are Ahmadinejad’s
Stuy Voice: A Unanimous Bias
by Amna Ahmad,
columnist
It is often implied by the me-
dia through polls and individual
pleas of dissent that the majority of
Americans would rather Bush be
the head cheerleader at the local
school's football games than the
first in command of the world
power we call home. Yet despite
our views of Bush’s actions and
ideals we would expect him to be
welcomed with respect in other
nations and treated as any other
diplomat of internationally recog-
nized status. His position as presi-
dent demands such respect, yet
recent events have led me to be-
lieve that the treatment we expect
of our leaders from foreign nations
is not at all what we display to-
ward other leaders who choose to
visit our country.
This double standard in the
American political outlook was
exemplified by the protests against
the arrival of Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak
at a forum at Columbia University
on Monday, September 24. The
Iranian president was bombarded
with questions that implied a cer-
October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2
way of testing the waters, of seeing
how far he can go before the inter-
national community takes action.
These speeches are just another
method Ahmadinejad is using to
test the leniency of the international
community.
It is important to understand
that refusing to let Ahmadinejad
give a public speech in the United
States does not violate the principle
of freedom of speech. There are,
and have always been, limitations
to freedom of speech, meant to
keep America and its citizens from
harm, such as “you can’t scream
fire in a crowded theater,” and “you
can’t legitimize the dangerous and
immoral views of an oppressive
dictator by allowing him to speak at
your schools.” Allowing Ahmadi-
nejad to speak at Columbia tells the
world that we are willing to try to
understand Ahmadinejad’s point of
view, and reminds Ahmadinejad,
yet again, that the international
community will not oppose him.
In short, there is simply no
need whatsoever to hear Ahmadine-
tain superiority of the U.S. over
Iran. Students paraded like rebels
in the streets, but just as they were
actively voicing their views on the
arrival of the speaker, Ahmadine-
jad was desperately trying to reach
out to the American people on
matters that seemed to concern
him.
I understand why people may
think Ahmadinejad isn’t the most
respectable person in the world,
but I am nothing short of certain
that if our president were to ven-
ture across the globe to Iran, he
would never be faced with such
disrespect.
People would argue that
Ahmadinejad’s reputation suffered
most from claims that the nation
was planning to use nuclear energy
in the form of collective military
offense, but who gives ― or de-
nies ― a country the right to en-
gage in certain activities? In a
recent poll of the Stuyvesant com-
munity, 25 percent of students
believed that the United States
deserves the privilege of working
with nuclear energy, and 25 per-
cent believed that Israel should be
granted the same right. A mere 9
percent of students believed that
Iran should be allowed to develop
jad speak about his opinions. Even
if, say, Ahmadinejad were a
staunch supporter of women’s
rights (which he clearly is not), it
would not matter. When the ruler
of a nation declares that he wants to
obliterate another nation, and that
he is developing his country’s nu-
clear capabilities, then that ruler’s
On September 24, 2007, Columbia University invited Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad to speak on campus. This invitation was criticized by many.
a nuclear energy program. Just
what makes Iran any less qualified
to develop nuclear energy than the
U.S. and Israel? The last time I
checked, Iran wasn’t at war with
Iraq, and was not at all responsible
for the devastating consequences
of the atomic bomb decades be-
fore. It is simply preposterous to
me that more students would allow
two nations with arguably the most
ruthless military histories against
civilians to enrich nuclear energy
and not Iran, a nation that currently
poses no threat to us.
Nevertheless, I am against the
enrichment of nuclear energy as a
whole; I do believe that the United
States and other nations should not
possess the right to dictate what
another country is allowed to do.
I’m also not exactly Ahmadine-
jad’s biggest fan either, yet I do
recognize that he invited the presi-
dent to Iran for a private confer-
ence to open discussion between
the two nations a few months ago
― a proposal neither accepted nor
rejected by President Bush. Ac-
cordingly, 70 percent of students
argued that the U.S. handles the
situation of a supposed threat to
sovereignty better than Iran, while
until this point in time, Iran seems
OPINIONS
other opinions simply cease to mat-
ter.
Obviously, there are many
opinions on what to do about Iran,
but, hopefully, every American can
at least agree that Ahmadinejad is
dangerous, and, to put it bluntly,
evil.
Source: Ahmaddinejad.nytimes.jpg
to have used words rather than war
to propose solutions in the Middle
East, whether or not the U.S.
seems to agree with them.
And so it seems that America
under Bush is engaged in a never-
ending staring contest with Iran
under Ahmadinejad, each side ea-
gerly awaiting the moment at
which the other will finally blink.
I’m just hoping Iran doesn’t take
the first move on the offensive,
because if it does, we could expect
Ahmadinejad’s head to be hanging
by a rope just as the all-too-
unfortunate Saddam’s was. Of
course this entire argument falls
under the umbrella of evidence
that the U.S. has for years under-
stood other nations to be below it,
establishing a certain hierarchy on
the world stage, to be observed by
all those wishing to engage in po-
litical matters with the United
States. It is a certain unanimous
bias unspoken yet understood by
not only the governments of the
international world, but also the
population of high school and uni-
versity students, that furthers the
American divide from other coun-
tries such as Iran.
SCIENCE October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 7

THE STANDARD SCIENCE

Sci in Stuy: Are Space Programs Really
Worth Their Cost?
by Omar Ahmad,
science editor
With a budget of $16.5 billion
per year, as of 2006, NASA is ex-
pected to be using its funds for
research beneficial to the United
States government and Americans
alike. But how valuable is the in-
formation gathered by the coun-
try’s top aeronautical researchers
and astronauts, and where could
these immense finances be used
more appropriately? To find the
answer to this question I brought it
to the halls of Stuyvesant High
School.
Sophomores Kasun Navara-
than and Jack Li are supporters of
NASA budget cuts. Kasun stated
that “[the U.S. government] should
focus more on global issues, such
as world hunger, as opposed to
relatively ineffective space re-
search.” Li concurred, stating.
“yes, we should deal with prob-
lems on Earth before we go else-
where.”
World hunger is definitely not
the only problem that our world
must cope with today. Our coun-
try’s debt to others is a whopping
$9 trillion, with an increase of
about $1.35 billion per day. Our
country is in no position to be con-
ducting idle exploration, with
16,000 children dying every day of
malnourishment: one child every
five seconds.
NASA’s 2005 mission state-
ment clearly states that “NASA
conducts its work… to improve
our ability to explore and [receive]
that which will have practical ap-
plications on Earth and be reaping
the benefits of Earth and space
exploration for society.” Though
most discoveries made by NASA
have been proposed with a lack of
sufficient background data, or are
still being questioned, there have
been instances where previously
unknown information was found
and applied to our outlook on the
aeronautic sciences. Sophomore
Betsy Soukup agreed that “the
programs could give us valuable
insight on how other planets, and
consequently our own, might have
been formed.” Among the Stuyve-
sant community, it was unanimous
that the constantly increasing
yearly budget of NASA is super-
fluous in a world where almost
one-sixth of the population lives
beneath the poverty level and the
number of the impoverished in-
creases yearly.
So if the U.S. were to reduce
the amount of funding supplied to
relatively unproductive agencies,
remembering that as a country we
still remain in severe deficit, we
would be able save countless lives
and make better use of the finances
set before us.
NASA’s gamble with its large
funds may pay off and we may
learn invaluable information, but
then again, is the return worth the
cost?

THE STANDARD BUSINESS

Letter from the Business Halo 3, Microsoft’s
Editor Marketing Success
To all the loyal readers of the business section, by Hanford Chiu, scope, but is all the hype really
business editor justified? Schools and workplaces
I will be revamping the business section by shifting our focus away from the reported a decline in attendance on
distant world of business, corporations, and economics to the very relevant In a scene reminiscent of its release date. Children and
world of technological innovations. I will also be adding new columns to midnights spent outside a Barnes adults alike are taking holidays and
reflect this change and changing article topics and content to further tailor to and Noble before the sale of skipping work just to play this
the needs of the Stuyvesant community. A new column is the Game of the another new Harry Potter book or game. But just how much of this is
Month column, where a reviewer will thoroughly playtest a relatively new outside a Best Buy before the due to game quality as opposed to
game on the market and then review it. We will strive to write about the best release of a next-generation the power of marketing? Sure,
or most interesting games in order to bring attention to a game you may have console, thousands of hard-core Halo 3 is the latest in a series of
never heard of but might be interested in. This new column will include the and casual gamers alike lined up excellent first-person shooters with
detailed ups and downs of the game, technical data about the game, and sepa- before video game stores across fun gameplay, a compelling plot,
rate ratings for aspects such as graphics, presentation, gameplay, value, and America. Waiting from as early as next-gen graphics and plenty of
overall quality. Since a good portion of the student population enjoys video Sunday, September 23, people decent features, including a multi-
gaming and probably owns a platform for games, this column would be an massed up in mobs in front of player mode on Xbox Live, but
invaluable resource for students who want to know where to look for a good stores in anticipation of being the there have been other games of
time. first to get a copy of Halo 3 for the similar caliber and quality that
Another new column that might appear is the TechTalk column, for which a Xbox 360 on its official release haven’t received such a reception.
writer would gather information about a new innovation in technology, such date, Tuesday, September 25. With This is where the power of
as the latest phone or gadget, and write an informative piece about it. The over 1 million copies pre-ordered, marketing decisions comes in.
column would include the specifications of a product, how it has changed the over 4 million copies in retail Microsoft’s efforts in marketing
market, what’s new or important about it, and, if the writer owns the product, stores, and over 75 percent of that Halo 3 have shifted away from
a review of it. The column might also include alternatives to the product. The stock expected to sell in as little as the hardcore gamers toward the
focus of this column would be on items that might be helpful in the student’s a day, Microsoft is sitting on what mainstream, appealing to more
daily life or otherwise useful. could be the most profitable people and broader tastes. For
Other columns might be created, but that all depends on feedback from you, gaming franchise in video gaming starters, Microsoft’s decision to
the readers. Voice your expectations and desires for the business section at history. Indeed, its opening only release Halo 3 on the Xbox
www.stuystandard.org. Create your own account and post on the forums earnings of over $170 million 360 platform is already a reach at
what else you would like to see from the business section of the Stuyvesant make it the biggest opening-day
Standard. seller ever.
Hanford Chiu, HALO 3
Halo 3’s release is epic in
business editor continues on page 8
8 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
HALO 3
continued from page 7
casual gamers. Xbox 360 is
arguably the most popular next-
gen system on the market, with
the PS3 often cited as too
expensive and the Wii as too
radical. Furthermore, the PC
gamers’ market is notoriously a
niche market, with even basic PC
systems costing more than an
Xbox 360. Games ported to the
PC platform must often undergo
extensive redevelopment from a
console version. PC gamers have
already given harsh criticism over
Halo 2’s PC port, citing old last-
gen quality graphics and its
Xbox-centric design. Microsoft
would have been taking a risk in
selling this Xbox 360-centric
game to the PC market and
getting poor sales and reviews.
Other marketing techniques
Microsoft has used are extensive
advertising through trailers distrib-
uted over television and the Inter-
THE STANDARD ENTERTAINMENT
The Kingdom
by Emma Rabinovich,
entertainment editor
In terms of politically
charged material, the U.S.’s pres-
ence in the Middle East is at top
of the list. “The Kingdom,” how-
ever, does not really address any
controversy, but rather takes a
very American formula for
movie-making and gives it a new,
air-conditioned-less backdrop.
“The Kingdom” opens with
two horrific suicide terrorist at-
tacks in an American neighbor-
The Kingdom provides a blend of suspense and heroics while addressing the prob-
lems of our nation today.
October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2
net. The marketing team deliber-
ately used cinematic techniques as
opposed to emphasizing the
game’s engine, gameplay or fea-
tures in order to project a rich
storyline to a mass audience. Fur-
thermore, they used live action to
further tell a tale rather than say
anything about the game’s quality.
For example, one commercial is
entirely a live action scene involv-
ing a fictional character from the
game’s universe telling a story
(which was completely fabricated
at the time because even the mar-
keting department did not know
the plot of Halo 3) while standing In its first 24 hours, Halo 3 holds the record for the biggest opening day in enter-
tainment history, making $170 million dollars.
over a huge diorama of a generic
battle scene, with real figurines of
the universe’s characters. game appeared on the Halo 3
Another innovative forums and Circuit City
advertising technique is effective advertisements, enticing people to
product placement. Master Chief, follow hidden clues to websites
the main character of Halo 3, that are incorporated into the game
appeared everywhere from cups universe and appear to be made by
and wrappers at Burger King to game characters, in order to hype
NASCAR to Mountain Dew. the plot to people who managed to
Furthermore, an alternate reality find it. All in all, marketing is an
Big Shots Premieres
hood in Saudi Arabia. The film by Emma Rabinovich,
stars Jamie Foxx as Ronald entertainment editor
Fleury, the main badass FBI agent
of a group of four ready to go Premiering as the first real
down to Saudi Arabia to find who male-centered show on ABC, “Big
is responsible for the attacks Shots” wasn’t only every bit as
while enjoying the unwelcoming good as its lead in, Grey’s Anat-
glances of the officially America- omy, it was better. At last, a show
friendly local authorities. without the annoying, all-knowing,
Obviously, trouble ensues soul-searching voiceover! Dylan
when the terrorists responsible try McDermott and Alias’s Michael
Vartan are the main eye candy in
to kill them in the middle of a
this attraction and together they
pack more punch than McDreamy
THE KINGDOM or McSteamy.
continues on page 10 Vartan stars as James Walker,
a nice guy whose wife was sleep-
ing with his boss before the boss
Source: http://www.courant.com/media/photo/2007-09/32847616.jpg
mysteriously died at a cocktail
party. Dermott plays a powerful
executive, Duncan Collinsworth,
who is caught with his pants down,
getting sexual favors from a trans-
sexual hooker, something that
probably won’t go over very well
with the stockholders.
The other two actors filling
out this ensemble drama are Chris-
topher Titus, who plays Brody
Johns, and Joshua Molina, who
plays Karl Mixworthy. Brody
Johns acts merely as the comic
relief for most of the episode,
while Karl Mixworthy seems to
have forgotten that cheating on
your wife makes you the bad guy.
The show has some of the
same bonding and “guys, what do I
BUSINESS
Source: halo3.newsday.com.jpg
important technique in many
industries, how it is done can
dramatically affect the number of
buyers from the hardcore to the
casual, and Microsoft’s coupling
of a top-notch game with an epic
marketing campaign has truly
earned it its hype and huge
earnings.
do?” dialogue that’s characteristic
of ABC’s female-friendly televi-
sion ensemble comedies (like
Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate
Housewives) but fortunately there
are fewer tear-stained moments
and absolutely no hugging. Admit-
tedly there’s some brooding, but if
I found out that my wife was
sleeping with an older, less attrac-
tive version of me, I would frown a
lot too.
While the show is mainly
about the men, the women are also
pretty significant. My favorite:
Katie Graham (Nia Long), a high-
powered executive whose chemis-
try with Walker adds more ambi-
guity as to what will happen next
in his crumbling marriage, al-
though judging by the pilot, recon-
ciliation is already out of the ques-
tion. Meanwhile, Wendy Moniz
plays Stacey Walker (James’s
wife) so discreetly you have no
trouble believing that James never
suspected a thing.
It’s hard to tell if the pilot was
just a lucky fluke or if this series
will only keep getting better but
right now, I just can’t wait till next
Thursday night, when we find out
what Duncan plans to do about the
reporter who wants to publish an
article about his costly sexual
exploits or how James will deal
with his wife’s infidelity. “Big
Shots” is on ABC, Thursdays at 10
p.m.
PUZZLES October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 9
THE KINGDOM mactic, but no such luck. The
continued from page 8 movie consistently plays it so safe

crowded highway as they’re go-

ing 150 mph. This scene is so
vivid and heart-pounding that for
a second it seems like the Ameri-
cans might actually be in danger.
And they are, as one is carried off
to a scary looking building in “a
bad neighborhood” to be executed
on camera. Luckily, America’s
wrongs are so numerous that by
the time the executioner is done
reading off the list and is ready to
decapitate one of the FBI agents,
the goods guys have gunned
down the fifty or so well-armed
terrorist guards and burst in a sec-
ond before the knife is to slice his
head off.
You’d think that this scene
would be exciting or at least cli-
that you don’t question the
agents’ safety for more than a Finished with the
second, and therein lies the prob-
lem. Why travel so far and make Crossword?
so much fuss only to display that
Americans are once again un-
touchable although thoroughly
Check Your Answers!
disliked?
The Kingdom is perfectly
timed and well directed (courtesy Only at www.stuystandard.org
of Peter Berg), and the acting is
superb. For an adventure movie, it
is the perfect blend of suspense Visit our website for additional
and heroics, but for a movie that
aims to address a real problem features, such as a student forum!
facing the nation today, it does
little to actually make you uncom-
fortable, something absolutely
essential for a film like this.

THE STANDARD PUZZLES

Crossword Puzzle #2 by Jeffrey Liaw,
puzzle columnist

1 9 10 2 25 28 14 15

19 20

3 4 8 12

7 13

26 5 18

11 17

6 16 23

24

27 20 29

21

22

ACROSS 17. The Dog Star DOWN 15. Container for 3 oz. of Liquor
18. A metallic compound 16. To Excite
1. To be Unpredictably changing 1. A Choux Pastry
19. An easy one: Angela's ____ 20. To be morally degraded
3. Anarchist 2. Yielding
21. A Shallow Drum 23. Eye disease affecting the cor-
5. Member of the Decembrist re- 4. Wildflowers
22. A type of Giant nea
volt 8. To be Unrefined
26. Reminiscent of the past 24. 100 eyed giant
6. _______ gun 9. A rapid series of short loud
27. A Feast 25. Greek Letter
7. Bitter sounds
28 A Conspiracy 30. A phenomenon that responds
11. Site of a 2006 FIFA World 10. A Salad
29. A Silk-like fabric to sound
Cup Stadium 12. Ankle/Heel Bone
13. Robert Jordan's poison 14. A Layered Structure
10 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2 LITERARY

THE STANDARD LITERARY

One Man’s Trash by Amna Ahmad,
literary editor

Jared’s First Kiss Halo Suit

by Robert Stevenson,
assistant literary editor by Jesse Zhang, webmaster

Website Prize Code: 1246685292

Enter at www.stuystandard.org to be entered in our raffle by Jeffrey Liaw,
Only open to current Stuyvesant High School students who are not and who have not puzzle columnist
been members of The Stuyvesant Standard. Special Raffle to be held for staff members.

A blind man walked into a café and ordered a coffee. He com-

Riddle: plained that the cup was not hot enough and requested a fresh
brewed cup. When it arrived, he complained that it was the same
cup. How could this be true if there were no cracks or markings
The Java Glitch on the cup and the cup came back hot?
SPORTS October 10, 2007—VOL. 7, No. 2 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD 11
THE SPORTS BEAT major championship not held in

Sudoku by Jeffrey Liaw,

puzzle columnist
continued from page 12

missed a game ever since he was

named a starter in 2001. Yet, I am
2 4 better than all the other coaches. If
I hint that Tom Brady can’t play
this week, then the opposing coach
7 5 6 might game plan for career backup
Matt Cassel, who never has started
a professional or collegiate came.
Teams will spend their entire week
6 1 9 trying to find non-existant footage
of Cassel playing and then BAM!
We sneak Brady on them. I won-
8 2 1 der which gray sweatshirt I should
wear this week…”
The Statement: “I was quite nerv-
3 2 8 ous, a lot of pressure, and I knew
that I had to make some shots”
The Culprit: Novak Djokovic, after
4 9 5 losing to Roger Federer in the fi-
nals of the 2007 US Open
Translation: “Had to make shots? I
also needed super speed, a six-foot
7 4 2 vertical, and a wingspan the size of
Texas. Roger Federer doesn’t lose.
He just takes those minor tourna-
1 3 9 ments likely. Like when I beat him
in Montreal a few weeks before the
Open? That was warmup Roger.
6 7 Roger doesn’t lose when it mat-
ters... in fact, the last time he lost a
France was when I was sixteen.
This is what he’s suppose to do,
isn’t it?”
The Statement: "I just made too
many mental mistakes, put myself
in too many difficult positions…"
The Culprit: Rory Sabbatini, after
losing a one stroke lead to Tiger
Woods at th WBC-Bridgestone
Invitational, several months after
calling Woods “beatable”
Translation: “Woops, my bad Mr.
Woods. I totally forgot that you
pretty much own the entire world
of golf. For example, though you
played in only the minimum 16
events, you still managed to double
everyone’s earnings. That doesn’t
even include all the money you
make from Buick, Nike, you new
Gatorade deal, or your own video
game. So please, Mr. Woods, have
mercy on me, as well as every
other golfer on tour.”
The Statement: “I love being a
Yankee”
The Culprit: Alex Rodriguez, third
basemen, New York Yankees
The Translation: “I love the Yan-
kees money.”

PEGLEGS
continued from page 12

pumped. Attendance was a lot

higher compared to the first home
game, it would around 150. Mr.
Teitel and Ms. Singer were in atten-
dance, wearing their customized
jerseys. The crowd was a lot more
into the game also, as the crowd
noise was significantly higher. The
first score of the game was a safety
by the Peglegs, and the fans ex-
ploded, even though it was only two
points. The next score was also a
safety, giving Stuy, a 4-0, which is
very rare. AES responded with a
huge rushing touchdown by Shamar
Wright, the best running back in the
division, who didn’t generate much
more offense besides that. The de-
fense shut down AES after that,
with two interceptions by Goldin,
and a huge sack by Matt Baumel.
The offense started scoring touch-
downs by the run, as two plays got
stopped at the 1 yard line. Senior
quarterback/wide receiver was the
offensive hero of the second half,
catching two balls on two separate
occasions to get the team to the goal
line. On the first, Dmitry
Timmerman, also the backup QB,
ran a one yard sneak for a touch-
down. On the second, Timmerman
lined up as a wide receiver and sen-
ior quarterback Shafi Alam hit
Timmerman for his second touch-
down of the game. The game ended
30-8. It was exciting, the team per-
After two tough losses to start the season against the top two teams in the division, the Peglegs have won back to back games
formed great, and a win in the next against Adlai Stevenson and Alfred E. Smith.
game against Staten Island Tech
could put the Peglegs into the top 5
in the division.
The new look Peglegs look to
continue the recent success.
 12 THE STUYVESANT STANDARD
Peglegs Pillage Their
Way to Victory
TSS/ Zakhar Shtulberg
by Zakhar Shtulberg ,
staff writer
After two tough losses to start the season
against the top two teams in the division, the Pe-
glegs have won back-to-back games against Adlai
Stevenson and Alfred E. Smith. The win over
Adlai Stevenson was a huge day for Nick Goldin,
who scored every single point for Stuy (a receiv-
ing touchdown, a punt return touchdown, and
both extra points). The reason for the win was
probably the success of the offensive line, as
Quarterback Shafi Alam was not sacked once.
The defense played remarkably; they recorded 3
sacks, 4 tackles for a loss, and 4 interceptions.
This win brought Stuy to 1-2 and set them up for
a big homecoming.
The first few hours of homecoming was a
match up between the J.V. Peglegs and the junior
varsity of A.E.S. The game had a sloppy start,
with Alfred E. Smith starting its first drive with
October 10, 2007—VOL. 6, No.
two false start penalties and then a turnover,
which resulted in a short touchdown pass to
sophomore Nick Berg to take an early 8-0 lead.
Both teams offenses were ineffective throughout
the entire game, as no drive crossed into oppo-
nent territory until the Peglegs very late in the
first half. That drive was capped off by a 20 yard
touchdown run from freshman Michael Bucaoto,
and the Peglegs lead 14-0.
The second half was filled with more bad
snaps and shoddy offense. The game was sealed
with a late interception from sophomore Robert
Hess. The win was the JV Peglegs first of the
year, and the points scored by the Peglegs were
their first of the season. [insert notes here].
The more anticipated varsity match started
just as the rain ended. This brought the cheer-
leaders back on the field and got the crowd
PEGLEGS
continues on page 11
SPORTS
Lost in
Translation
Anyone with constant media presence is forced
into a conundrum. Should I say what’s on my
mind, or provide a really cryptic statement so
that we have to figure it out? If you ever won-
dered what your favorite athlete was thinking,
look no further, for I have figured out a way to
translate athlete’s nonsense into sensible Eng-
lish.
The Statement: "We don't know what's going to
happen down the pipe but we have to take care
of ourself first."
The Culprit: Willie Randolph, manager of the
New York Mets
Translation: “I had an idea of what was going
to happen down the pipe. We were going to win
the division. Then, our pitching staff started to
pitch like… well, the way it should have all
along. Guillermo Mota needs his steroids, Billy
Wagner needs to step up, and Orlando Hernan-
dez needs to stop getting hurt at the end of the
season. Sure we might make the playoffs, but
what accomplishment is that in the National
League, where sub .500 teams were still in con-
tention two weeks ago.”
The Statement: “Probable: Tom Brady
(shoulder)”
The Culprit: New England Patriots (probably
Bill Bellicheck, coach of the New England Pa-
triots)
Translation: “Let’s see. Tom Brady hasn’t
THE SPORTS BEAT
continues on page 11