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The Warrior
a student-run publication since 1974, now weekly
January 7, 2011
Niskayuna High School
Volume 37, Issue 14
Bel Canto carols during the holidays
by
Caroline Codd
News
Spirits are high, temperatures
are freezing, and there’s at least
a little bit of snow on the ground.
‘Tis the season for love, joy, and
caroling: walking up and down
streets, knocking on doors in the
hopes of somebody answering
to listen to the sweet, beautiful
sounds of a group trying to remember the words to every single
Christmas carol ever known.
Such was the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 18, for the volunteer
members of Bel Canto Voices.
But this was no ordinary group
of carolers; this was a group of
well-dressed, authentic Victorian
carolers. After a lovely brunch
provided by the Wilkersons, the
students met at the high school
around noon to receive and don
their Victorian costumes, handmade by no other than Lauren Fox.
The costumes consisted of
foot-length skirts, blouses, capes,
and muffs for the ladies and
dress-pants, dress-shirts, capes,
scarves, vests, and top hats for the
gentlemen. After all were dressed
and pictures had been taken,
the group set out on the town.
The four quartets that actually
consisted of up to six members
made their way with either choral director, Christina Pizzino or
music department head, Matthew
Cremisio around Old Niskayuna
singing from house to house.
The costumes were a hit, as most
doors were answered by an “Oh,
look at this!” or an appreciative laugh. Before arriving at a
soon as the door was opened.
This worked sometimes, and
other times, it didn’t. But the
audience never seemed to care,
Photo Credit// Jennifer Wilkerson
CAROLING FOR CASH: Bel Canto Singers enjoy caroling through old Niskayuna on Saturday, Dec. 18.
house each member of a group
had to find his or her pitch and
agree on a tempo before they
assembled to begin singing as
just as long as they were being
serenated. After a clap and a
smile, money was collected from
whoever was willing to give so
as to raise money for the Niskayuna Friends of Music, hence the
event title “Caroling for Cash”.
Eventually the caroling route
led to Union Street where all of
Bel Canto met up to perform a
concert in front of Northeastern
Fine Jewelers. Parents, friends
and other bystanders gathered as
Bel performed classic Christmas
carols such as “Silent Night”, “Up
on the Housetop”, and “Jingle
Bells” as well as other Christmas
pieces including “Carol of the
Bells” and an arrangement of
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies”.
The audience was great. Many
of them sang along to the tunes
they knew, others snapped pictures or walked up to donate. After
all was sung and done, water, hot
chocolate, and cookies were available while the students were congratulated for their performance
and costumes. On the way back
to the high school, stories and experiences of the day were shared.
Overall, the day was deemed
a great success, with over 600
dollars raised and 200 donated
by Northeastern Fine Jewelers
and the choir pleased by a day
that actually turned out to be a
ton of fun. So when the holiday
season comes around again,
open your door for the carolers. It
might be someone you know and
can mock, or it might be a group
of decent sounding singers who
really enjoy what they’re doing.
Inside this issue...
Library is too
controlling,
page 4
Black Swan
performs well in
theaters,
page 6
Boys indoor track
runs toward success,
page 7
2
News
Congress
by
The Warrior
January 7, 2011
Emily O’Brien
News
On Dec. 17, Congress passed a
tax deal that had been the center
of intense political debate from
both sides of the isle. Pushed forward by President Barack Obama,
the bill is being called by many
political commentators the first
major political move made by the
President since his inauguration.
In order to be passed by both
the House of Representatives
and the Senate, supporters
had to lobby on both sides of
the aisle, making it the first
partially bipartisan deal since
recent elections gave the House
majority back to the Republicans.
The bill provides $801 billion
dollars in tax cuts as well as
$57 billion dollars of extended
unemployment insurance according to the New York Times
report. The bill is intended to
prevent tax increase that would
have started this year when the
tax rates put in place by the
Bush administration were set to
expire, as well as help the still
struggling economy, but opinions
vary on how effective this new act
would be on long term issues.
In short, the bill extends all tax
rates put in place during the Bush
administration, preventing an increase and a one-year payroll tax
cut for most American workers.
Critics of the deal find fault in
passes
the short-term aspect of the bill,
as it does not address any type of
permanent plan to end the current
deficit. Also, while going through
the many political steps of getting
the bill through the houses, policy
makers are accused of continuing
a pattern of lowering taxes while
increasing government spending,
threatening long term stability.
Although it passed, the intense
debates led to bitter accusations
from party leaders, for example
House speaker Nancy Pelosi
accused Republicans of forcing
Democrats into agreements they
were not satisfied with, saying they
wanted to “pay a king’s ransom in
order to help the middle class.”
MoveOn.org cites insufficent
laws and inadequate reforms
among the deal’s biggest issues along with hidden agendas
found in parts of the bill, often
countering the intention of that
part. For example, advocates of
the bill claim that their work
will help millions of unemployed, however such support
will only temporarily help those
who are already recieving aid.
Also, the deal although presented to the public as a job
creating document, it is projected to lower the unemployment
rate very slightly, arguably not
enough to be worth the expense.
After weeks of debates and resolutions from both sides, neither
tax
deal
In Brief:
* $801 billion in tax cuts
* $57 billion in extended unemployment insurance
* Extends all Bush era tax rates
for two years
* One year payroll tax cut for
most American workers
Democrats nor Republicans are
completely satisfied with the deal.
Many Republicans wanted more
certainty in the proposal, and assurance that their efforts would be
for good, while Democrats hadto
make numerous changes to the
bill before it was passed. However,
it is important to acknowledge
that bipartisanship is something
crucial to find more effective and
long lasting solutions in political policy and has been lacking
in recent political decisions.
In addition, many involved in
the deal agree that something
has to change, and long-term actions need to be taken to pull the
economy back into order. Among
some to be debated solutions are
proposals to clean up the current tax code and reduce rates
while better organizing spending.
Bargaining has temporarily
subsided and the issue is predicted to resume debate at the
height of the 2012 presidential
elections, setting it up to be
one of the key campaign platforms for potential candidates.
The Warrior would like to congratulate
all those who participated in the
holiday concert. As usual, it was a
fantastic performance and a wonderful
beginning to the winter vacation.
The Warrior
January 7, 2011
News
3
Times Square celebrates the New Year
by
Alisha Desai
Feature
The traditional ten second
countdown marked the start to
the new year, 2011. People from
all over the world tuned in to
watch the Times Square ball drop.
This crazy worldwide phenomenon is one event that everyone
looks forward to, and they believe
it is a great way to start off the year.
The streets of New York City were
filled with thousands of people all
waiting to celebrate the New Year.
The New Year’s celebration
was started in 1904 and the
tradition has carried on since.
From 1904 till now, people have
been filling in all of Times Square
and enjoying a fabulous performance by the latest musical
artists. Many changes have been
made since then, allowing each
year’s show to get even better.
Modifications, like better fireworks and sturdier spheres, have
helped improve the overall celebration. Even the confetti tradtionally shot out over the audience
NHS
by
has undergone some changes,
being developed to easily dissolve,
making cleanup easier and more
eco friendly. The geodesic sphere
is made of Waterford Crystal every
year. This year the coordinators
of the New Year’s celebration focused on the “Let there be love”
pattern and added different colors
to the ball to make it very appealing. Weighing 11,875 pounds
with a 12 foot in diameter, the
sphere was sturdy and reliable.
The 2688 triangles of the ball
were adorned with 32,256 LED
lights, which allowed people
far back in the Times Square
area to still see it drop at midnight. This 7.34 million dollar ball was lowered at 11:59
from the pole and, in unity,
people from all over the world
counted down to the new year.
On Dec. 31, around one in the
afternoon many gathered in the
Times Square area. From one
to midnight people were trying
to pack into Times Square and
ensure that they had a memo-
works
Sarah Miner
News
With the holiday season passing, many
different places are in need of help, and
seeing as it’s the season of giving, many
people take the time to give back. Organizations work to gather goods for those in
needs during the cold season, they try to
find people willing to reach out and offer
a little to those less fortunate than them.
National Honors Society, a group represented by many Niskayuna seniors, works
with many community service groups as a way
of giving back. For the holiday season they
worked with Bethesda House, an interfaith
ministry that helps the homeless, disabled,
and economically disadvantaged. Bethesda
also works to educate the community on the
needs of their neighbors, something that can’t
be fathomed by Niskayuna students. They
also work to celebrate diversity throughout
the community. They opened in March of
1992 and were merely a drop-in center for the
rable New Year’s. Camping out
in the cold was the best way to
see the promising show up close.
The earlier you came, the better
chance there was to be closer
to the stage and the performers
throughout the festivities. Even
so, many New Yorkers didn’t arrive
until right at the strike of twelve.
However, they could still enjoy
a live experience. People from
all over the world come to New
York around this time to see this
spectacular event. Hotels such
as the Renaissance and the Marriott had great views of the ball
drop. Restaurants like 2 Times
Square were filled with spectators.
The party was only starting
after the remarkable ball drop.
Performers Taio Cruz, Pati Smith,
Bruno Mars, and Rev Run all put
on a great show after midnight.
Along with that, TV stations
such as ABC, NBC, FOX and
MTV had performances done by
other artists. ABC had its annual
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’
Eve with performers like Fergie,
with
homeless; they have now widened and become
a housing program. The word “Bethesda” is
an Aramaic word meaning “House of Mercy”,
which is exactly what they work for, creating
a place in which people may retreat in times
of need. They link themselves with many
other organizations and they offer grants,
money, and scholarships, to those who need it.
Bethesda House runs seasonal reach-out
programs year round. They are currently
working towards their winter and holiday
assistance programs, which began in September. They are requesting coats, fleeces,
and hygiene kits. They hosted a holiday party
for their guests and were in need of supplies for the over 250 families that attended.
National Honors Society is a national organization, which picks out high school students
who show excellent academic achievement and
give them the opportunity to join and work
with them. A key part of the program is the
community service the students must partake
in. Event coordinators choose members to
Drake, Jason Derulo, and Train.
This show was hosted by the very
famous Ryan Seacrest. FOX had
performance by Mariah Carey,
David Archuleta and the Plain
White T’s. MTV’s New Year’s
Eve Bash came up with the idea
of dropping Snooki from the
ball, just not in Times Square.
Performances by Flo-Rida and
Bobby Moynihan made for a great
show. The live show at Times
Square wasn’t the only New Year’s
celebration for many people.
This time of year is when
everyone comes together with
family and friends to celebrate
years past and years to come.
New resolutions are crafted,
calendars are switched and new
memories are created. In unity,
billions of people from all over the
world count down and anticipate
the coming of the New Year. All
the celebrations and festivities
around this time bring great joy
to many people. Now, as 2011 is
here, the Warrior would like to
wish everyone a Happy New Year!
Bethesda
work for specific causes. The current one
throughout the high school was their drive
for Bethesda house. Science classrooms collected hygiene products for the weeks leading
up to the holidays. Each teacher had a box
and the goal was to collect more than any
other students. Sherra Johnson, one of the
chemistry teachers, was the winner, and with
this, her classes enjoyed snacks throughout the day as a reward for their efforts.
Many different organizations are in need,
especially during the holiday seasons, and
volunteers are always welcome. Bethesda
House needs helpers year round as do many
other places. It’s important for people to remember to give to others in the holiday season.
There are several organizations working to
help others in the Capital Region. To contact
Bethesda house you can use the number (518)
374-7873. They are located at 834 State Street
in Schenectady. This drive was a success and
Niskayuna students should remember to give
back when they can and help where they can.
4
Opinion
The Warrior
January 7, 2011
Give peace a chance in the library
by
Kevin Bibicoff
Opinion
I see the strangest thing happening to the library. I see it crumbling beneath its monstrous windows, the books tumbling to the
floor from the vibrations caused
by the voices of a few magnified
to that of thousands. I
see the peace being torn
to shreds by the ongoing war of supremacy
created by the students,
amplified by the librarians, and the resulting
suffering placed upon the
shoulders of the innocent
bystanders that dare to
walk the library’s wartorn paths. The original
cause for this conflict is
unknown but the result
is sadly obvious; the library has become a battle
zone between students
and librarians. Out are
the days of peace and
quiet, and in are those
of deplorable contention.
I am sick and tired of it.
It has become impossible
to do any work in the
library without earplugs
to block out the yelling of
students and an invisibility cloak to hide from
the hawk-like eyes of librarians
on patrol to futilely try to keep the
peace. For those of you reading
this, you are, most likely, split
into three groups: an innocent
bystander who feels the same
way I do, a student who thinks
I’m full of it and is betraying
“the team,” or a teacher/librar-
ian who thinks I’m an insolent
child just like the rest of them.
All of that is ridiculous and so
is this situation. So I am here
to try and talk some sense into
your ironclad stubborn minds.
Students: it is a library. It is
a place to study, read, or work
but having eight or more, especially eleven(it happens, I’ve seen
it), is crazy; there’s no need for
that many people. If you want to
socialize in the library, fine, just
keep it down. If you want to yell or
converse in large numbers there
are two cafeterias to choose from.
continued on page
5
[ALLEVIATE]
Warrior Art: J.Edgar, J. Kasman
on a project quietly. While it is
fine to talk at a normal speaking
voice, it is not necessary to yell
and scream. There is almost no
need for more than four people
at a table because that is the
normal group size. However, a
couple more is understandable,
It is WRONG to annoy, insult,
prank, or yell at the librarians.
They are staff members, they
do work in school, and they
deserve the same respect that
you give to all of your teachers.
Librarians: we students are
individuals, not a single body.
The Warrior
Niskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY, 12309
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warrior
Editor-in-Chief:
Jason Xu
Maggie Jordan
Opinion:
Jason Kasman, Editor
Daniel Zhao, Editor
Tim Rice, Editor
News:
Entertainment:
Emily O’Brien,
Bhavya Narala, Editor
Chief Editor
Jacob Stewart, Asst
Sarah Miner, Editor
Grace Strong, Editor
Jackson Montrym, Asst
While I understand that by the
end of the day you are exhausted
and fed up with insolent behavior
from students, we are not all the
same. We do not all talk back to
you, we do not all yell at you, we
do not all go to the library to fool
around. We do not all place people
around the library with
noise makers just to
mess with you. You
cannot tell us to do
something with the attitude that you’ve told us
to do it dozens of times
before, because for the
most part, you haven’t
as we are not all the
same. Yes, some of us
are horrible little brats
with sadistic qualities
that make us want to
torture you to no end,
but most of us are not.
Sports:
Michael Held, Editor
George Jiao, Editor
Christopher Herman, Asst
Magazine:
Inga Bagepalli, Editor
Shikha Dharia, Editor
Advisers: James Edgar
Russell McDowell
Additional Staff:
Gabriel Holodak, Copy Editor
Alison Xu, Copy Editor
Maura Griffith, Photo Editor
Sohaib Syed, Graphics Editor
Kaitlin Hungershafer,
Business Manager
Bridget LeMon,
Distribution Manager
Rachel Bickauskas,
Distribution Manager
ALL OPINIONS expressed on
the op-ed pages represent the individual viewpoints of their authors.
The content does not necessarily
represent the views of The Warrior, the high school, the school
district, or the Board of Education.
EDITORIAL POLICIES
Letters to the editor are welcome from all members of the school
community, and can be delivered toWarrior staff or sent via
email to: thewarrioropinion@gmail.com. The Warrior reserves
the right to edit letters for grammar, length, and content.
Signed opinion articles express the opinions of their creators.
Unsigned editorials represent the consensus of the paper’s editorial board, consisting of the Opinion section and the Editor-inChief.
The op-ed pages are a forum for
For a one-year subscription to The Warrior, please send a check for $25.00 to: The Warrior, c/o Niskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309.
The Warrior
Opinion
January 7, 2011
5
Mental health awareness is needed
by
Maggie Jordan
forced to continue to hide his or
her pain as a source of embarrassment, because no one is willing to
openly talk about mental illness.
Untreated depression is the
leading cause of teen suicide.
During the 2008-09 school year,
there were three suicides within
the Schenectady school district.
Thankfully, such a tragedy has
not occurred in recent years in
Niskayuna, and it should not
take one for us to realize what
we are doing wrong. We should
not wait until it is too late to try
to amend the way we teach our
students about mental health,
because in doing so, we may be
able to avoid a tragedy altogether.
Depression is a mood disorder
that affects numerous areas of
the brain. The altered activity
can be seen in functional MRI
scans, which highlight chemical imbalances between healthy
and unhealthy brains. The most
prevalent theory on the causes
of depression is the monoamine
hypothesis, which is based on
the success of antidepressants
that increase synaptic levels of
the neurotransmitters serotonin,
norepinephrine, and dopamine.
While a definitive connection
has yet to be proven, the results
that such medications have
produced speak for themselves.
Finding the right medication and
dose can be a daunting process,
as individuals react in very different ways. However, once the
right combination has been
found, it can mean the differ-
Opinion
Recently in my health class, we
discussed depression in conjunction with teen suicide prevention.
One student denied the existence
of mental illnesses, stating that
depression is not a true affliction,
but simply laziness and a call
for attention. A heated debate
ensued, and the facts were not
set straight, nor was the student
fully corrected. There is a difference between having an opinion
and being factually correct, and
in this case, the two were not immediately differentiated. A school
should be a safe environment
meant to educate, and the profusion of such beliefs trivializes the
struggles of thousands of people
around the world. Schools need
to teach the facts about mental
illness so that social stigmas
are not allowed to continue
and ignorance can be defeated.
According to teendepression.
org, approximately 5% of all teens
are suffering from major depression at any given time, with an astounding 20% experiencing a depressive episode before reaching
adulthood. The school has a population of around 1500 students;
therefore, statistically, 75 students are afflicted, and yet there
is shockingly little awareness.
Imagine a young student who
fears he or she may be struggling
with depression. School could be
the perfect place to gather more
information and gain a supportive
network. Instead, the student is
ence between normal function- whatsoever, and this needs to be
ing and complete debilitation.
accommodated as well. In order
Yet, such scientific advance- to fit the needs of both groups,
ments are not discussed in school. it would be more effective to
From middle school forward,
utilize outside experts when
learning about mental health is discussing mental illness, thus
often little more than watching a ensuring proper moderation.
movie with bad actors pretendPresently, there is much awareing to be depressed. Those with ness about the evils of sexism,
a personal connection to mental racism, and homophobia, but
illness are left frustrated, and
very little about the stigmas surthose who are ignorant remain so. rounding mental illness, which
Following the episode in my
are equally real and painful. For
health class, I spoke to my teach- example, using the word “gay” in
er. She told me that at least one
a derogatory fashion is likely to
student in each of her classes this
generate some well-deserved proyear had denied the existence of test in the high school. However,
mental
walking through
illness; I
the hallways, it
learning about
was left
is common to
mental health
speech- hear people apless. It is often little more than
ply “bipolar” as
is disan insult, as in,
watching a movie with bad
grace“My teacher kept
ful that actors pretending to
freaking out on
such ig- us. She’s so bibe depressed.
norance
polar.” She may
can be considered socially ac- be irritable, moody, unpredictceptable, but if it is that common,
able, even mercurial — but
it speaks to a need to include
chances are, she is not bipolar.
more of the scientific facts about
Spreading understanding of
mental illness in the curriculum.
mental illness is necessary in
Since mental health can be order to decrease the influence
a very sensitive topic, it should of stigmas, help those who are
either be taught well or not at all.
struggling, and prevent future
Statistically, at least one person tragedies. This change needs
in any given class will have had
to take place within schools, so
previous personal experience with that when our generation rises
a mental illness, be it firsthand
to the forefront, it can bring with
or through a loved one. On the
it greater acceptance for all perother hand, apparently some sons. It’s time to change the way
students will have absolutely no we teach mental health issues,
understanding of mental illness
and it’s time to start talking.
“
”
Alleviate media center conflicts
continued from page
4
[GIVE PEACE]
You need to also understand that with a
library like the one we have there, will be talking. It seems to be the way it’s set up. If there
wasn’t going to be talking, there wouldn’t be
tables. As for drinks, there isn’t really anything
wrong with them as long as they are not near
the books or computers. Our library is, for the
most part, a study commons area and people
do get thirsty when they study. If we are allowed to drink in class or in the Crossroads
study area we should be allowed to drink in the
library at the tables or in the individual study
area. Food is understandably banned from the
library; it’s messy and makes a lot of trash.
Also I’d like to say that warnings are
nice. Tell us not to drink near books, or
to put the cap back on the bottles, or
to be quieter. It is very rude to just tell
someone to not do something with the at-
titude of wanting to pull our heads off.
Lastly, barring people from entering the
library because it’s at “capacity” is ridiculous,
especially when capacity is around 150-200.
If you are afraid that the people who are going
in will be rowdy, control those who are in the
library already. Sometimes people do want to
go to the library just to study or get a book.
I realize a lot of people may hate me or
think I’m full of it, but it had to be said.
Let’s bring order and peace back to the
library. Let us all be friends once again.
6
Entertainment
January 7, 2011
The Warrior
Ghost Town is a break from Twilight
by
Stephanie Acquario
Entertainment
Crappy little romance novels
are always great for a lovedeprived teenage girl wishing for
a fantasy. The ultimate, though,
is when a book series comes out
with the three absolutely necessary qualities needed to make
a phenomenal story: vampires,
romance, and action. AWESOME. One of the Morganville
Vampires books out there is
Ghost Town by Rachel Caine.
A basic overview of the storyline: a genius freak named Claire
Danvers, comes to Morganville
to go to college at 16. She gets
seriously harrased and decides
to move out of her dorm and
find place to rent. She finds it,
but it’s nothing like she expects.
Michael, Eve, and Shane are
the three roomates she finds,
along with the existence of Vampires (who, of course, run the
entire town of Morganville) and
a few other crazy things. To sum
it up, her life gets too complicated, really fast. Also, Michael
is dating Eve, and, if you haven’t
figured it out yet, Claire ends up
dating Shane. Shocker, right?
In this particular book, the
town of Morganville has been
having some issues with a computerized system they usually
use to make people forget all
about Vampires when they leave
Morganville, and some other
cool gadgety things like portals
between houses and whatnot.
Claire and her crazy vampire
boss, Myrnin, thought they had
it all figured out, but they were
wrong.The machine had gone so
haywire that instead of wiping the
memories of the people who left
Morganville, the people residing
in Morganville had their memories wiped. People start thinking
they’re three years younger, and
begin living in the past. Eve and
Michael think they’re still in high
school, college students don’t
understand why they aren’t still
at home, and some people forget
their relatives are dead. Worst of
all, Vampires start to loose their
memories, and completely go
berserk, thinking they can eat
every human in sight. Not good.
Gradually everyone in Morganville lives like they used to,
but some people are not affected.
Claire, for instance, and Shane.
So, while everybody around them
is creepily living in the past, these
two adorable love birds are still
completely absorbed in each other...until Shane loses his memory.
Uh oh. Then, Claire gathers up
her usual gang: Eve, Michael, and
Shane (who barely know who she
is) and a few others, like Shane’s
vampire dad, Frank Collins,
on an epic adventure to reach
the machine, shut it down and
save Morganville. After fighting
through booby traps and a half
crazed Myrnin living in his past,
they finally reach the machine
and kill it, accidentally killing
Frank in the process. The moment
everyone gains their memory
back, he lies on the floor, dead.
Ghost Town ends with Frank
Collins’s brain fueling the machine to keep Morganville complete. So ends the ninth edition
of a quality vampire/romance/
action book, that keeps all us
teenage girls out there hungry for
more. Look out for the next one!
http://bloodybookaholic.blogspot
NEW VAMPIRES ARE HERE: Tired
of Bella Swan? Well, worry no more.
The newest addition to this different
vampire series is now available.
Black Swan: a tw isted tale
by
Miles Tepper
Entertainment
When I went to the movie theater to see
Darren Aronofsky’s (Requiem for a Dream,
The Wrestler) new psychological thriller, Black
Swan, I was expecting to watch a mystery
movie with some ballet in it. It’s not really my
kind of movie, but the trailer looked cool, so I
wanted to see it. It was indeed a ballet mystery,
but it was so much more than that, as well.
Starring Natalie Portman as Nina, the
main character, Mila Kunis as Lily, another
dancer, Vincent Cassell as the director of
the dance troupe, and Barbara Hershey,as
Nina’s mother, it follows a ballerina who
gets the lead role in a production of Swan
Lake, who ends up losing her grip on reality
while striving to achieve perfection in her
role. Portman is very good as Nina, the lead
ballerina, but perhaps not as good as Kunis, who shines as Lily, Nina’s rival, friend,
back-up, and girlfriend all at the same time.
The movie is strange and impossible to
follow for essentially the entire time, with
portions being unidentifiable between reality and hallucinations, of which there are
surprisingly many. From Portman and Kunis’
hyped-up makeout scene to a scene in which
Winona Ryder’s character, as an aging ballerina purportedly stabs herself in the face and
neck with a large nail file, both Nina and the
viewer begin to lose their respective grip on
toes and peeling skin, along with scenes in
Portman and Hershey’s tiny, cramped NYC
apartment, and a scene where Portman and
Kunis dance in a crowded nightclub that is
basically the definition of fire hazard. These
scenes make the movie just that much more
unbearable, and yet at the same time, it is
that much harder to tear your eyes away
from the screen. This is definitely not a
movie for everyone though, as the sexuality and violence is a bit much for someone
who is too sensitized. The movie is rated R.
Your Entertainment Fix
http://www.behindthehype.com/movie-reviews
GIRLS NIGHT OUT: Lily and Nina (Kunis and
Portman, respectively) share some drinks and
food before going out for an unforgettable night.
what is fiction and what is not. Aronofsky has
a history of grossness and claustrophobia in
his shots, with countless shots with cracking
For the week of 1/7 until 1/13
Movies: Country Strong, Season of the
Witch
Video Games: Venetica, DC Universe
Online, Spellforce 2
DVD Releases: The Social Network,
Dances With Wolves, Piranha, Alpha and
Omega, Greek: Season 3
Books: Steve McQueen: Portrait of an
American Rebel, Superman: Nightwing and
Flamebird
The Warrior
January 7, 2010
Sports
7
Girls dribble through season
by
Christopher Herman
Sports
Since winter sports have
started, the girls varsity basketball team has been training hard for its season. Practices are always intense as the
girls prepare for their big year.
Starters for the 2010-2011
season include seniors Mary
Sise, Alyssa Treanor, Ashley
McCaughan, Schuyler Archambault, and junior Kayla Treanor.
Captains this year are Sise and
Treanor. This year, the girls are
really focusing on their defense to
win games. The girls know that
their team is smaller than most of
the teams in the Suburban Council, so they must play every game
to the best of their ability. Their
defense is actually the strongest
part of the game, with defensive
rebounds out of the 3-2 zone
and out of man to man are great.
Sise said, “Our team works so
well together. Every player contributes both on and off the court.
The team this year really meshes
well together and it definitely
shows in games. A lot of teams
are discrediting us this season
because we graduated so many
seniors last year. This works to
our advantage. We get a chance
to come out and surprise teams.
I expect that we’ll go far into Sectionals because we want to go far.
That’s the best part about this
team: if we want something, we’re
going to go out there and get it.”
Alyssa Treanor added, “I think
Boys
by
Jack McGill
Sports
The Niskayuna boys indoor
track team is right in the middle
of the season, with itsthird league
meet having finished last Saturday. The team is preparing for
its fourth meet at RPI as well as
the Dartmouth relays on Jan. 7
and 8. Practices are taking place
at the high school on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays, and at
Union College on Tuesdays and
Thursday. On Dec. 12, the boys
Photo Credit / Mary Sise
TEAM SPIRIT: The girls basketball team makes silly gestures and poses for a picture before an important game.
that it’s important to know that
we don’t really have ‘key players’
this year. Every girl knows each
other’s strengths and weaknesses, which makes us a threat
to any team. We are flying under
the radar so far but I think in
the future this team will pull
off some big upsets. We have
said this many times, but most
games this year will be very close,
so we have so far had to teach
ourselves how to handle intense
game situations. This is a great
group of hardworking girls and,
with the coaches’ help, we should
be great around Sectionals time.”
The goal for the girls this season
is to go above .500 and make it
past the first round of Sectionals. The girls are confident that
they can achieve this goal with
the pace they are going right
now. Their greatest strength
is that most of the players met
through basketball, and have
known each other for a long time.
Knowing teammates is definitely
a key factor in succeeding in
games. Best of luck to the girls
varsity basketball team on the
rest of their season and their
Sectionals games in the future!
had their second league meet
at Hudson Valley Community
College. The team finished fifth
out of eleven teams. Points were
scored by senior Eric Eoff, who
finished first in the boys’ 600
meter run with a time of 1:34.4,
as well as junior Dylan Reilly,
who placed fifth in the 600 with
a time of 1:39.7. Sophomore
Dominick Brion placed fifth in
the 1000 meter, with a time of
2:59.8. Junior Jamey Wagner had
a fourth place finish in the 1600
meter, with a time of 5:08.2. In
the boys sprint medley relay, the
team came in fifth, with a team
made up of senior Ethan D’Souza,
junior Ken Omiya, sophomore
Greg Thomas, and freshman
Chris Lemelin. The distance
medley relay team, made up of
senior Marshall Pagano, Eoff, and
D’Souza, along with junior Niall
Williams, finished second. Pagano
missed first by 1.3 seconds to a
strong Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons team. On the field side of
events, Wagner tied for third in the
high jump with a height of 5 feet,
3 inches. Junior Harrison Yoder
finished sixth in the pole vault
with a height of 8 feet, 6 inches.
Finally junior Dahne Duffy placed
fifth in the triple jump with a
distance of 35 feet, 3 inches.
run
toward
success
continued on page
[RUNNING]
8
Sports
Running
January 7, 2010
fever
7
Jamison Nye finished third and fourth in
the 300 meter run, with times of 40.6 and
40.8, respectively. Omiya finished first in his
The most recent meet, on Dec. 29, also first 600 meter run of the year, with a time of
1:36.5. In the 1600 meter, Eoff finished third
took place at Hudson Valley. The boys placed
with a personal record time of 5:10.9. Finally,
third behind Scotia-Glenville and Mohonasen,
in the 3200 meter run, Williams finished secand barely missed second place by a mere
ond with a time of 10:38.2 and
Brion finished sixth with a time
of 11:21.2. In the 4x200 meter
relay, the Niskayuna team,
made up of junior Chris Roberts and freshmen Eric Reyes,
Andy Casey, and Patrick Trant,
finished sixth. In the 4x800, the
Niskayuna team, made up of
juniors Anthony Coppola, Brion,
sophomore Joseph Nuqui, and
freshman Jack McGill, finished
fifth. In the field events, Hanna
tied for third in the high jump
with a height of 5 feet, 6 inches.
Roberts and Yoder shared third
in the pole vault with heights
of 8 feet. In the long jump, Eoff
placed fourth and junior Michael Bruns placed sixth with
distances of 17 feet, 1 inch and
16 feet, 6 inches, respectively.
In the triple jump, junior Ken
Omiya placed fourth with a
distance of 34 feet, 7.5 inches.
The upcoming Dartmouth
Relays will be held at Dartmouth
College in Hanover, New Hampshire on Jan. 7 and 8. Niskayuna
has sixteen boys set to attend
the meet, which has teams and
runners from schools throughout the Northeast. These sixteen
are Pagano, Eoff, Matt Williams,
D’Souza, Bruns, Niall Williams,
Photo Credit / Mark Thomas
Duffy, Hanna, Michael Hoole,
WATCHFUL: Sophomore Greg Thomas looks back for his teamNye, Omiya, Reilly, Wagner,
mate as he begins his run.
Thomas and Brion and Lemelin.
Good luck to the team
on Wednesday and on Jan. 7 and 8 at
three points. Junior Steven Hanna finished
the Dartmouth relays! Also best of luck
fifth in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of
to the boys on the rest of their season!
9.2 seconds. Juniors Michael Bruns and
continued from page
[BOYS]
Don’t forget to recycle this issue when you finish reading it!
The Warrior
Schedule and Scores
8
Girls Basketball
12/29 @ Indian River
Won 39-28
Next Game:
1/7 @ Mohonasen
Boys Hockey
12/21 @ Guilderland/
Mohonasen
Won 4-1
Next Game:
1/8 vs. Shenendehowa
Boys Swimming
12/22 vs. Ballston
Spa
Won 108-76
Next Game:
1/7 @ MohonasenSchalmont
Silver
The Warrior Magazine
Volume 37, Issue 14 January 7, 2011
Hogwarts: the most
magical place on Earth
Editors:
Inga Bagepalli
Shikha Dharia
Silver
Dear Readers,
If you do not
like Harry Potter, sorry for
this issue of the
magazine. If you
do like Harry
Potter and wish
you went to
Hogwarts, we
hope you enjoy
these articles.
And, yes, senior
Samantha Potter is Harry’s
cousin.
Love,
The Editors
Cover Art / Maura Griffith
The Warrior Magazine
January 7, 2011
Hogwarts vs. Niskayuna
by Samantha Potter
Magazine
As many students of the
class of 2011 are hearing from
the colleges to which they
applied, we all know that the
driving force of choosing the
right school results from a
comparison of the candidate
schools. In conducting a comparison of colleges, a student
must determine what he or
she values most in a school—a
curriculum involving potions
classes, a campus with a mysterious sinister forest that
serves as a home to friendly,
but territorial centaurs?
Or a school with Greek life
dominating social life, and
with beer cans strewn across
the lawns of the numerous
fraternities and sororities?
One can use the same
method of comparison in analyzing our current school to
that of the renowned School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
When comparing Niskayuna
to Hogwarts, it’s obvious that
Niskayuna does not share the
same alluring, magical qualities. Of course, there are
things I love about Niskayuna.
However, I think it’s safe to
say the majority of students
would prefer to attend a
school in which they spend
78 minutes learning to make
a feather levitate or protect
themselves from dementors,
rather than learning how to
balance chemistry equations
that make you reach for Advil.
While standing in the middle of Crossroads and looking
up at the ceiling, it would be
mesmerizing to see the numerous staircases (continuing
up tens of levels), constantly
changing their destination,
as the staircases in Hogwarts tend to do. Instead,
we Niskayunans see the sole
staircase that becomes im-
possible to navigate during
passing time, usually littered
with empty Snapple bottles.
Instead of getting in trouble
as an underclassman for going
off grounds to buy a sad excuse for a meal at McDonald’s,
why not get in trouble for
sneaking off to visit Hagrid’s
can send a text while hiding
their cell phone under their
jacket on their desk, uncomfortably angling their phone
in their lap to avoid seeming suspicious, or quickly in
the hallway before getting
scolded by a passing teacher, but it takes the magic
out of communication.
Writing on parchment
paper and sending a message to a friend by using
your owl as the middleman
would not only ensure a
feeling of accomplishment,
but also of the magic of
raising an owl so skilled
with directions, like a living GPS. Until your owl gets
killed by a Death Eater or
someone of the like, that is.
The resulting situation would make the usage of a cell phone more
Warrior Art/Sohaib Syed
reliable and less emohut and watch dangerous tional, since a cell phone
fire-breathing dragon babies can’t be “killed,” per se.
hatch out of their shells?
While standing in the lunch
Running into a brick wall line today, remember that
in order to reach platform you could be sitting at a
9¾ and board the train for long table with your friends
Hogwarts would be a whole from your house, (“You’re
lot more exhilarating than from Slytherin? Yikes…you
taking the bus to school at can’t sit here...”) with mas6:30 am or getting a ride to sive amounts of food magischool from friends or par- cally appearing as a result
ents. I guess the only upside of the house elves. Rather
to being transported to Nis- than sitting in Niskayuna’s
kayuna High School would be crowded cafeteria, with food
that you wouldn’t have your smeared on the tables, you
friends’ frogs getting lost and could be sitting in Hogwarts’
crawling all over you, nor dining hall, with candles
would you have owls flapping floating above your head
and flying around the train’s to illuminate the room.
cabin (though the care of
Unfortunately, we’re all
Hedwig and the other fellow muggles. Thus, until we miowls isn’t explicitly shown or raculously become of wizard
explained in the Harry Potter descent, Hogwarts will only
books and movies, I’m sure be a dream to us. We muggle
it can’t be a thrilling task.) students will have to settle
Consider the novelty of with lying by changing our
sending messages via owl, Facebook “Education Info”
rather than through electron- to read “Hogwarts School of
ic devices. Sure, everyone Witchcraft and Wizardry ’11.”
Silver
January 7, 2011
The Warrior Magazine
The spirit of Harry Potter
by Kerry Levielle
Magazine
“Happiness can be found,
even in the darkest of times,
if one only remembers to
turn on the light”—Albus
Dumbledore, “Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”
On June 30th, 1997, Harry
Potter and the Philosopher’s
Stone, renamed the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United
States, was published. This
day was an imperative event
not only in pop culture, but
also in the world of literature.
The Harry Potter series
is remarkable for the vast
impact it has had on all ages.
Nobody could have foreseen
this reaction. The series sold
over four hundred million
copies all around the world,
was translated into sixty seven languages, and set records
for the fastest selling books.
I remember when I got my
first Harry Potter book. It was
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”; my Aunt
gave to me as a Christmas
present. I bolted over to the
couch and read for the rest
of the night, being the book
worm that I am. I was seven
years old when I entered the
world of Harry Potter and
now I am sixteen. I am still
just as captivated as I was
when I first read the book.
There is something about
how J.K. Rowling has set the
scene of Hogwarts, created
characters as complex as
Albus Dumbledore or Lord
Voldemort, and created a
world where fictional and
mythical creatures such as
centaurs and goblins are real
and normal as cats and dogs.
For fourteen years, the
world of Harry Potter has
become a real, tangible
world. In Orlando, Florida
the Harry Potter Wizarding
World was created. This is
a place where people can
buy wands, go to Zonkos,
see the Hogwarts Express
train, and explore rooms in
the actual Hogwarts Castle.
If you were to go to the premiere of one of the movies,
you would see fans dressed
up in Potter attire with scars
painted on foreheads and
wands in hands. The Potter
hype has come across all of
us at one point of another.
The story of or Harry Potter has touched the lives
of many. It doesn’t matter
if you are huge fan of the
series or you just watch
the movies. In some way
or another, Harry Potter
becomes a part of your life.
In 2008, “Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows” came
out, ending the book series.
In 2011, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows Part 2 will
come out in theaters, marking the end of the film series.
It is sad to think that the
series is ending, that Harry
Potter is over. “Honestly, it
will probably be one of the
most depressing days of my
life. There’s going to be nothing more to wait for,” says
junior Caroline Codd. I can
completely relate because
Harry Potter has surrounded
my entire childhood too. To
know that it will be ending
shortly is truly saddening.
However, in some people’s
eyes, the Harry Potter leg-
end won’t ever truly fade
away. To some, the series
won’t ever really be gone
because we’ve all grown
up with Harry Potter. “Even
though I’m not a huge fan,
I know the dedicated fans
will always have Harry Potter in their hearts,” said
senior Megan McCambley.
As I’ve grown, I know that
Harry Potter has grown with
me, that what was going on
in his world would somehow
correspond with mine. Obviously, I can’t pull out a wand
and yell Stupefy and defeat
“Death Eaters” with ease.
But, I can relate to losing
loved ones and going through
struggles with friends,
and I know I’m not alone.
Harry Potter has been
with me since childhood,
and I know that goes for
a lot of people. Harry
Potter will always be remembered as a worldwide
pop culture phenomena,
with fantastic books, and
spectacular films, but it
will also be remembered as
something so much more.
Happy New Year, Hogwarts
by Cassandra Coppola
Magazine
Ah, it’s finally here. Now, it is time
to start fresh! We all have our New
Year’s resolutions, but what about
those notable Hogwarts students?
What should their New Year goals be?
Harry Potter: For his New Year’s
resolution he should stop being so
whiny. His constant complaining is a
total turn off. Yes, you are the Chosen
One and the Dark Lord is after you.
Honestly, though? You need to relax.
Also, he should get some plastic
surgery on that scar. All it does is piss
him off anyways. Not only does it look
ridiculous, but also it hurts him every
time old Voldy is near. It is just a nuisance that can be removed by a skilled
wizard healer. Maybe Professor Sprout
has some plants that can cover that up.
Ron Weasley: Dye your hair. Get a tan.
Snatch a soul and you are all set, kid.
Hermione Granger: This year, Hermione should get wild. The girl is always
studying or trying to escape death. Somebody needs to show her a good time.
There must be clubs somewhere near
Hogwarts. Why else would they not be allowed in the Forbidden Forest? The Ministry of Magic is hiding all the fun there.
Hagrid: It is true that Hagrid seems
strong because of his stature. Imagine
if he hit the gym? His goal should be to
get jacked. Think of how many babes
he would get! Also, I believe a haircut
is in order. Like every character in “Inception,” he should try the comb over.
It would make him look quite dashing.
Voldemort: HE DOESN’T EVEN GO
HERE. You have nothing to do with Hogwarts anymore. You also need some work
done, man. Really, your nose? You look
like a shark. Not cute. And I guess maybe
you should stop trying to kill everybody.
Those changes would be awesome,
but I guess we all know what happens
in the end. Well, except for those of
you who did not read the series. You
people get to wait a year to find out
what happens. On a serious note, it
is time for some changes. Leave the
past behind and look to the future. We
do not need magic to reach our goals,
just some willpower. Let’s make this
year the best year ever! Considering
we all going to die next year anyways.
Silver
January 7, 2011
The Warrior Magazine
Make your own decisions...
by Jenna Corcoran
Magazine
There are so many out there
who love the world of Harry
Potter. There are numerous
people who would gladly
trade in our world to join the
magical community. It's quite
an understandable leap, because wizards have moving
pictures, wands, fantasical
creatures, and more. The
allure to this fantasy world
is palpable. What normal,
media-exposed eleven-yearold isn't waiting for his or her
Hogwarts acceptance letter?
Most have now become
fond of Harry Potter and his
world. All seven of the books
are out and seven of the eight
movies have been released.
Familiar are we with Hermione's "Hogwarts, A History"
and Ron's chess skills which
What
may even beat those of Deepak. Unfortunately, we'll never
get to see the showdown. We
know the names of each and
every one of the hundreds
of characters, and the diehards even know a number
of spells. This world has enamoured fans and captured
their hearts, but does anyone
dare to push it’s boundaries?
J.K. Rowling is done, kiddos. Her part in this is over.
She has done incredible work
creating from nothing this
alternate fantasy world,
but can you push it further?
Strange classes are already
offered by Hogwarts, could
you throw another onto the
list? There's already Arithmancy, Potions, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Charms,
and the ever famous Defense
Dgainst the Dark arts Class.
To be honest, that list is
abridged and already is more
diverse and interesting than
the average high school
class list. Is there anything
else that could be added?
Or what about pre-school
shopping on Diagon Alley?
Not a single respectable soul
could attend the prestigious
Hogwarts without first being
selected by an Ollivander’s
wand or making a purchase at
Madame Malkin's Robe Shop.
Not to mention getting textbooks from Flourish & Blotts,
or the much-needed trip to
Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes
to buy supplies to get you
through the year. Could you
throw another store onto
the alley? Fred and George
dreamt up a mighty fine
idea, and their store started with smashing success!
While beloved by millions
of Harry Potter fans around
the world, common places
such as Hogwarts and Diagon
Alley can be made into much
more with some imagination. Just for fun, think of
new ideas to expand the
world of Harry Potter in your
mind. And should you be an
absolute Harry Potter purist,
bring the wizarding world into
ours. When you go on college
tours look for buildings that
have architecture similar
to that of Hogwarts. Take a
gardening class, pretend it's
herbology, and bring a pair
of earmuffs. With the end
of the books past and the
end of the movies approaching, don't let the boundaries
of the world of HP settle
too. Continue to expand!
do you think about HP?
Junior Andrew Steenburgh said, “Hermione is bangin’. Harry is a badass. Ron is
ginger, therefore awesome. Why would
they just kill one twin! Too many people
died. I cried.”
Sophomore Alex Whisenhut said, “I think
they are a clever story but I hate the
way J.K. Rowling writes, and I can’t
stand to read it.”
Senior Ethan D’Souza said, “The movie?
They totally stole that plot from a book
I read this one time...”
Junior Caroline Codd said that
Harry Potter “is the best thing
since sliced bread.”
Freshman Alisha Desai said, “Whether
you’re a Harry Potter fanatic or not,
ALL the Harry Potter movies are a
MUST see.”
Senior Chetna Prasad
exclaimed, “I LOVE RON
WEASLEY!!!”
Junior Sam Mills said, “I’m obsessed. Still waiting for my acceptance letter from Hogwarts.”