The WarriorNiskayuna High School November 9, 2007 Volume 34, Issue 8

a student-run publication since 1974, now weekly

Inside this issue...

Sophomore show features many talents

Monday’s lockdown insecure, page 4

Rebirth of the Rubik’s Cube,page 6

Soccer sectional surge,page 8

Language clubs host Halloween party

by AnAghA TolpAdi

news

Last Friday, November 2, the sopho-more class held a talent show in the audi-torium in order to raise money. The show included seven acts ranging from dancers and singers to guitar players and stand-up-comedy. Admission to the show was $5.00 dollars, but $3.00 dollars if one brought a paper towel roll. The paper towels were do-nated to the Animal Protective Foundation. The opening act to the event was stand-up comedy. “Luckily we had James Ly-ons who did some stand up comedy...that went really well...It was funny,” comment-ed sophomore Julia Ziac, treasurer of the sophomore class. Freshman Ashley Belcas-tro followed Lyons with a singing act. The show continued with, in subsequent order, junior dancers Michelle Yi and Laura Voth, sophomore singer Luke Anapolis, and fresh-man Amy Yao who played piano and sang. Sophomore Nicole O’Bomsawin and ju-nior Nicole Parvis, known as the Della Don-nas, starred in the next event and sang a song to which they wrote the lyrics. The

grand finale of the night was junior Stefan Dosch, who sang two songs. After the show, a contest was held in which each separate act was brought onto the stage. The audi-ence was instructed to clap for each act that they enjoyed. Whichever act got the most applause would win the talent show. Do-sch, Anapolis and the Della Donnas came in first, second and third, respectively. A great deal of effort was put into this event. “We worked as fast as we could dur-ing homeroom every day. Because of the shortened homerooms, we had to do a lot of work outside of school. We made let-ters and posters and flyers,” remarked Ju-lia Ziac. There were also two audition days and a rehearsal before the main event. “It was good. It was nice to have a bunch of different acts. Next year, we’re hoping to have more variety, like classical instru-ment playing,” stated sophomore Catherine Ziac, President of the sophomore class. As for the turnout, Julia Ziac stated, “Many more people came than we expected, and even some parents came, which was great.” “It ran pretty smoothly. Some people devi-

ated from what they said they would do, but it all worked out. There were also some prob-lems with the CD player, but they were solved very quickly,” said Julia Ziac. Catherine Ziac echoed Julia Ziac’s feelings about the lack of problems. “There were a few issues with mi-crophones. We didn’t have enough. It was a bit choppy, but everything worked itself out.” The sophomore class has a great deal of ideas that they would like to put into action for their plans for the rest of this year and subsequent years in the future. “We’re most likely planning to do another talent show for next year,” said Julia Ziac. “Also, we’re doing a March Madness Month. Basically, us and other classes will be doing fund raisers every week in March.” In addition to these plans, “We hope to have a ‘Mr. Niskayuna,’ which is like a male beauty pageant. We’re also go-ing to have a pizza and wings night. We’ll be getting free pizza and wings from many different places. People will be able to get a slice and wings from every place and vote on which is the best. It’ll be a lot fun for ev-eryone,” said Catherine Ziac. “I’d just like to say that all the acts did really well and that we’re looking forward to next year’s show.”

by VAnessA lobo

news

Students usually use the day before Halloween to prepare their costumes or plans for the following day. However, this year, approximately 70 students came together in the Old Caf-eteria on Tuesday, October 30 for an early Halloween celebra-tion organized by the language clubs. The Foreign Language Halloween Party is an annual event that has been thrown for Niskayuna High School stu-dents for the past ten years. The party lasted from three to four p.m. Attendees were pro-

vided with food and entertain-ment. Each of the four language clubs organized a game for the event, and from the enthusias-tic reactions of students, it was easy to see that they were a suc-cess. The French club planned a three-legged race, whereas the Latin club did a mummy wrap activity with toilet paper. One of the most amusing spectacles though was the Spanish club’s “doughnut on a string competi-tion.” In this contest, two stu-dents attempted to eat a dough-nut hanging from a string with-out using their hands. Finally, the German club created the

Gummy Bear Toss, which in-volved kids throwing beanbags into the mouth of a cardboard bear to win gummy bear candies. Aside from the various games, participating students passed their time eating delicious food and socializing. The four lan-guage clubs pitched in to buy pizza and also arranged for cook-ies, drinks and other snacks to be brought in. “I think ev-eryone really likes to partake in activities, converse and eat,” French club advisor and French teacher Amy Martin stated. Most students, though, came to the party excited to meet the

French exchange students who had arrived on Friday, October 26 and were now experiencing Halloween for the first time. In

continued on page three

[French]

2 November 9, 2007 The WarriorNews

Bellino wins concerto competition

Model UN celebrates UN day

Warrior Photo/ Vanessa LoboTRUMPET SKILLS: Niskayuna student Anthony Bellino placed first in the Lois Loyman Concerto Competition. This competition features members of the Empire State Youth Orchestra and features musicians from across the state.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to high school sci-

ence teacher Megan Hughes and

her husband, Brian,on the birth of their son,

Colin William Hughes,born on

October 28, 2007,weighing in at eight

pounds.

by helen willis news

Wednesday, October 24 was United Nations Day. Here at Niskayuna High School, the cel-ebration of this event was led by the school’s Model United Nations club. To help support UNICEF,

the club sold T-shirts. United Nations Day recognizes

the day that the United Nations (UN) was founded, on October 24, 1945. In 1971, the UN decided to declare United Nations Day to be a holiday. United Nations Day is celebrated at the UN headquarters in New York, in addition to in cit-ies, towns and schools all around the world. The UN was created after World War II to help prevent conflicts like the two World Wars from breaking out across the globe again.

To bring the celebration of United Nations Day to Niskayuna High School, the Model UN club sold T-shirts to benefit UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. The club decided to post-pone the sale to October 31, when the shirts were sold during lunch mods outside the Old Cafeteria. UNICEF works to bring services such as health care and education to the almost half of the world’s children that live in poverty.

Senior Zachary Goldstein, the president of Niskayuna High School’s Model UN club said,

“We’re really excited to be helping them.” The T-shirts cost $12. Students who wish to buy a T-shirt can still purchase them from club adviser and history teacher Rosemary Hirota-Morris.

In addition to selling the T-shirts, the Model UN students pro-vided information about United Nations Day and UNICEF. They also handed out “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” boxes. “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” is a program that asks people to collect money for UNICEF in addition to collect-ing candy on Halloween.

The Model UN club does much more than just recognize United Nations Day. Every year, they send delegations to Model United Nations conferences that simulate the actual United Nations. Last year, they attended the Secondary School’s Model United Nations Symposium in Montreal, Que-bec, Canada and the Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition, which is held at Columbia University in New York City. These conferences bring together Model United Nations

by AbhinAV Adi

news

As a middle school student, Anthony Bellino placed second in the country in a trumpet competition. Now, as a high school sophomore, Bellino has continued to improve. He recently won the prestigious statewide “Lois Lyman Concerto Competition.”

The Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) holds the Lois Lyman concerto competition every year. Entrants are required to be a part of the youth orchestra.

The competition is well known in the Nisk-ayuna High School orchestra. In order to par-ticipate in the competition, one must receive the permission of the conductor. Seventeen people tried out this year, three of whom were from Niskayuna. The competition is unique in that it is not separated according to the different musical instruments; rather, it is judged on a holistic basis where music from varying instruments is judged together. For instance, Bellino’s trumpet music could be judged against other musicians’ piano music. Bellino won the competition and will perform as a soloist in the Troy Saving Bank music

hall on November 11. His accomplishments have received attention; he once appeared on a local television news station.

Bellino enjoys the prospect of playing with an orchestra for a large audience, stating, “I appreciate the experience [of performing] with an orchestra. Most people don’t get to play with an entire orchestra throughout their lives. It is an amazing experience.” He describes playing in front of a lot of people as “very nerve wracking, but cool at the same time because of the people that I got to play for.”

Bellino’s favorite instrument is the trumpet because he likes its pure sound and how it feels to play. He practices between two and a half to three hours per day after school. He plays in ESYO, the school jazz band, and orchestra during the day. He is reputed to be able to nail solid solos. His second fa-vorite instrument is the piano with which he composed a mini song in fifth grade. In the future, Bellino plans to major in music in college and play the trumpet in a well-known orchestra.

Warrior Photo/ Chris NelsonSHIRTS FOR A CAUSE: The high school’s Model UN club sold t-shirts during United Nations day, October 24, to benefit the Unted Nation-sChildren’s Fund UNICEF.

students from across the world. For example, the conference in Montreal brought 1000 students together from countries around the globe.

3November 9, 2007The Warrior News

French experience Halloweencontinued From page one

[Language]France, Halloween is rarely cel-ebrated. Therefore, the French were looking forward to see-ing the various activities and events set up for Halloween. “It was good and very funny. In France, we never do this,” ex-change student Clara Blanchet expressed. After actively tak-

ing part in the Halloween ac-tivities at the party, many of the exchange students went on to wear costumes to school or trick-or-treat the next day. Host families were happy to give these students from abroad a taste of the unique Halloween traditions in Amer-ica. In return, the exchange students created a compilation

of popular French songs and played this CD at the party to share some of their culture. “I thought it [the party] was a great success and the French loved it because of the novelty of it,” Martin commented. She went on to say that the ex-change students will certainly return to France with many fond memories of their stay in

Niskayuna and all the differ-ent things they were able to experience. The German, French, Latin and Spanish clubs have been working to put this event to-gether for the past month. This year’s party was espe-cially successful because the exchange students were able to attend.

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 edito-rial board, consisting of the Opinion section and the Editor-in-

Chief.

The op-ed pages are a forum for students’ opinions and ideas.

The WarriorNiskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY, 12309

http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warrior

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.

4 November 9, 2007 The WarriorOpinion

Editor-in-Chief:Elizabeth HeldManaging Editor:Christopher NelsonNews:Vanessa Lobo, EditorJulie Slotnick, EditorSteven Tang, EditorDiane Kim, Asst. Casey Mullaney, Asst.Helen Willis, Asst.

Opinion:Kaela Bamberger, EditorSam Grondahl, EditorJenna Lohre, Asst.

Sports:Aaron Staudinger, EditorJoeseph Schwendler, EditorRachele Marra, EditorMatt Grifferty, Asst.

Entertainment:Lauren Niedbalec, EditorSohail Syed, EditorCaitlyn Norling, Asst.Magazine:R.J. Kosineski, EditorSarah Barry, EditorKatie Nottke, EditorJacob Finkle, Asst.John Qiao, Asst.Stefan Dosch, Asst.

Additional Staff:Jonathan Warczak, Copy EditorJoanne Qiao, Copy EditorBrian Vedder, Business ManagerChris Rivadeneira, Advertising ManagerRoshal Patel, Web ManagerJoanne Qiao, Distribution ManagerAdvisers:James EdgarRussell McDowell

Do lockdown drills prepare us?by sAm grondAhl

opinion

This Monday, students experienced the annual Lockdown drill in dark corners of their second block classrooms. The lights were dimmed, the doors locked and the blinds pulled; yet there was never a real feeling of safety. Sure, the administrators who made a cursory attempt to open the locked doors were unable to find their way in, but is this really an appropriate test of our school’s readiness to react in the event of an emergency? I think not.

Students are told to sit on the ground, to keep quiet and to stay away from doors and windows in the event that high school principal John Rickert’s voice comes over the public address system to announce, “this is not a drill.” Alas, Monday’s adventure was no more than a mandatory drill, and so our preparedness was never really put to the test. Rather, it served as a time for quiet conversation and a brief respite from class, and rather than stirring fear, evoked memo-ries of drills from years past, the image of students hiding under desks in preparation for nuclear war coming to mind. And what is the difference, really? I am quite sure that in the event of an “attack” (which I presume this drill is preparing for), the attacker would not turn around and leave the school in disbelief that he had come in on the exact day that every student in the school was out on a field trip, their cars still in the parking lot. In fact, closing doors and keeping quiet seems to serve no purpose other than to provide relief for a migraine sufferer.

To be fair, what I just framed as an ab-solute truth has a few exceptions. For one, I suppose that the lockdown served to ease the fears of worried parents, who have no doubt seen what has happened in past years, most memorably at Columbine and Virginia Tech, and think “if it happened to them, it can happen to us.” In fact, this functions as an independent justification for execut-

ing the drill year after year, for parents are the ones who vote for policy makers in the educational sphere ranging from school board members to the President of the United States of America.

The drill, then, operates under the invisible threat of an attack, that is, we think there might be a potential security issue, and we find it necessary to take preventative action. In a sense, we create, even sensationalize the issue. More than that, we create the feeling of safety and security. So here we are, feeling safe but at the same time sub-ject to an imminent attack, imminent only because we make it so. This creates a two-tiered problem: if we never have to put our practice into functional use, it would likely

do very little good; at the same time, if there never is an issue, the practice serves only to create the possibility of harm, brutalizing our school, in a sense, and creating the in-visible threat of attack – both omnipresent and all-powerful.

There is still not a resolution to the fun-damental question, “should we continue with our drills?” Fire drills, I concede, have pragmatic value, for getting out of a burning building efficiently, especially with current state of our high school, is certainly an im-portant skill. At the same time, it does not serve any purpose to sit in the corner of a dark classroom for 15 minutes annually, and we should therefore put an end to this practice, at least for the time being.

Warrior Photo / Chris Nelson

5November 9, 2007The Warrior Opinion

Drowning in the sea of schoolwork by mAnu berduc

opinion

The following principle, “school comes first” is applied by teach-ers to students all across the nation. This dire concept follows sad, teary-eyed children through the doors of school buildings everyday. Any human being who does any extra-curricular activities must fight with these forces of evil during the school year like I do almost every day. Most of us give up and give in to this fact, knowing that without a mere letter “A” on this sheet we refer to as a “report card”, we may not make it into the col-leges and universities we want to go to, and as a result may not pursue the careers we dream of. Why should the printing of ink, in a specified way, by electrical currents, determine my future? It shouldn’t, but it does. I should be

able to go to my football game, my cross country meet, my theatrical performance or my ballet lesson without having to worry about books and papers waiting for me in the depths of my backpack, in my room, ready to bite me when my hand reaches in, deprive me of sleep and eventually drown me in sorrow. It is quite the horrible feeling when you are coming back from an away game, sitting on the bus, talking to a friend, when suddenly “ouch!” , that homework-realization pain strikes that specific part of the brain that causes much emo-tional/mental/spiritual pain to the receiver. Homework is one of the worst creations in history. We think of our home as a place to eat, rest, watch television, hang out with friends and do many other indulgent things. But ever since some dude long ago decided

to invent the concept of schools, our home has been a domain of eating, resting and working. When one sits at a desk trying to write an essay and has difficulty digging ideas out of their minds, it is the equivalent of being in a prison cell trying to figure out a way to escape. Some human beings who believe that their intellect is quite superior to the average homosapien and take super duper advanced classes, may think that this article is nothing but a bunch of “blabber-poopstook. ” However, a human with common sense would most likely agree with this and support my cause. Oh no! I didn’t do any homework for this quarter, and now I can not play soccer and hang out with my buddies until my grades go up. This is unfair,

this is not just! America, we are being deprived of “freedom” and should put an end to this horrible school system! But wait, if there is no school, no organized means of education, then where would we learn the basics of mathematics? Where would we learn how to read? Master basic arithmetic skills? Where would we converse daily with our chums? Maybe, in the end, we should just put up with these 13 years of aggravation and realize that we have learned much more here in school than we would’ve sitting at home playing Guitar Hero. We have gained a great deal of knowledge and have acquired many valuable life skills. Now ask yourself, is school actually worth it or not? If you answered yes, you are correct my little skeptical friend!

Letter to the EditorsThanks from the French teachers

In the name of the French students and their families, we wish to thank the students of NHS who have done their best to welcome the French and make them feel at home. We also wish to thank the teachers who have worked hard to organize this exchange on this side of the Atlantic, in particular Mrs. Ainslie and Mrs. Martin.

We also wish to thank the teachers who welcomed us in their classes, especially Mr. Warren and Mr. Sharkey. Those were unique experiences…

We are convinced that school exchanges, however hard they are to organize, are essential to make young people meet and talk and learn about their differences, so that they can become more respect-ful and understanding. We are convinced they are one way to promote peace and love in this world that badly needs it. Also by learning or improving a foreign language, one gets to know foreign coun-tries better.

We are looking forward to having the Americans in April in Albertville.

Bon courage et a bientot.

by Viviane Strzoda Serge Stracchi

Cell phones: why?by KAelA bAmberger

opinion

You’re walking down D-hall, minding your own business. Suddenly, a sensation eminates from your jean pocket. From the number of vibrations you know it’s a text message. You stealthily flip out your phone and press the accept button. Hammy fingers dart in to snatch the illegal com-munication device. An angry face tells you you’re not supposed to have cell phones in school and informs you to collect your three hundred dollar treasure in the of-fice that night with your parents as companions.

Sure, class use is an obvious reason for cellular prohibition, but what if it’s an emergency? You’re in lunch when you sud-denly realize you forgot your gym clothes, or perhaps you’ve found that you’ve forgotten to turn off your hair curler, which is cur-rently burning up your wooden dresser. Instead of taking the risk of causing a fire disaster in your

house, you frantically search for your cellular device and call home. It’s a simple, ‘Mom! Turn off my hair curler. It’s on my wooden dresser!”

Now where is the harm in this? Some may argue that taking time out of your struggle to get to your F-hall class and to use the phone in the office is the correct thing to do. But rather than risk the wrath of the hall monitors and a possible loss of limb in the trek to the office, why not pull out your cell phone and use it for what you bought it for? But no, even in between classes or at lunch, cell phones are strictly prohibited, even if they’re not being used, just dangling innocently from the victims hand.

Why is this rule so mercilessly applied? It’s especially debatable when students are not in class and being used in an emergency. Strict teachers and cell phones are hall monitors should rethink their regime on the subject.

6 November 9, 2007 The WarriorEntertainment

The rebirth of the Rubik’s Cubeby JAcK liAng

enTerTAinmenT

There seems to be an epidemic in our school, no it’s not the staph infection; it’s a rapidly-spreading puzzle game, the Rubik’s Cube. I saw this freshman walking towards me in the hallway, fondling his cube, and I thought to myself, “What a nerd.” Then I get on the bus and I see my neighbor, George Jiao, just sitting there with a Rubik’s Cube in his hand. I sat beside him watching him as he solved it again and again. It looked so easy. I asked him for a turn and he gener-ously handed it to me. I had not made any progress on the cube in ten minutes. It was not only embarrassing, but frustrating. But those 10 minutes on the bus were enough to get me addicted. I didn’t get the logic behind this devilish puzzle. So I took a break from some other games and decided to figure out how the Rubik’s cube works.

The Rubik’s Cube was invented by the Hun-garian architect Erno Rubik in 1974. It was a big hit in the 1980s; everyone had to have a Rubik’s Cube. One million units were sold from 1980 to 1982. It won numerous “Game of the Year” awards. I still didn’t understand

why it was intriguing. It has 3 x 3 blocks on each of the six sides, and each side can be twisted to form a new side. You can calcu-late that the Rubik’s cube has… (8! × 3) × (12! × 2)/2 = 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 combinations! How the heck is anyone sup-posed to solve a puzzle that has 43 quintillion combinations.

Now knowing what I have gotten into, I decided to learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. When any teenage wants to learn something, the best place to go to is Wiki-pedia or YouTube. Subsequently there my journey began. I learned that you can take it apart and put it back the right way, but this isn’t really solving it. To solve a cube it does not take mathematical skills and a big brain; there is a method for solving the cube every time. The only skills you need are good memory and a fair amount of patience. The process is easy, but long. The general idea is to complete one face, then the first layer, second layer and the opposite face and the third face at the same time. While it looks complicated, it’s very easy. It took me about four days to learn how to solve the cube every time. In the end, it is not a

puzzle just repeating a known process. The next step is to improve your time. The fastest solve on record is only nine seconds. My per-sonal best is three minutes and 45 seconds, but I have seen other cubers solve it in just under a minute.

The Rubik’s cube might seem intimidating, but it is actually very easy to learn and easy to solve. But what’s the point in that? What is the point of solving a puzzle when all you do is remember the process and execute the process the same every time to solve the cube? Basically the Rubik’s Cube is a test of memory than a test of brain function. I asked Jiao what he found so appealing about the Rubik’s Cube he said, “It is just so addictive, you always try to beat your best time. The satisfactory feeling that you get when you do solve it, nothing can beat that feeling.”

So I guess the Rubik’s cube is not just solving a difficult looking puzzle, but it’s improving your skills at something you do, and finding the satisfaction in it. While it is a simple game once you learn the process, it doesn’t mean that it’s not fun. The fun lasts for a long time, ending only when the carpal tunnel syndrome sets in.

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7November 9, 2007The Warrior Sports

Hurray for a great soccer season!compiled by sporTs sTAff

sporTs

With the fall season slowly

changing before our eyes into

the cold miserable winter, the

fall sports season is just begin-

ning to heat up. Yes that means

sectional play is just beginning

and there are many sports teams

from Niskayuna who have been

very successful, and as a result,

are going to go deep into the

playoffs.

The boy’s soccer is one team

we should not forget. The War-

riors started their Sectional

postseason with an easy win

against Amsterdam in the first

round by a score of 3-1. Senior

Tyler Ganfuss scored two goals

and Luke Citriniti had four saves

to move Niskayuna into the next

round. The Warriors then had to

overcome a big obstacle in the

next round against Guilderland,

the number two seed in the

tournament. With the score still

tied at 0-0 after the first half.

The onslaught of scoring began

in beginning of the second half.

Jake Johnson lead the way for

the Warriors when he and fellow

senior Seth Bergren each scored

a goal in the second half of the

game against the Dutchmen to

tie the game 2-2 at the end of

regulation. Playing a man down

the majority of the second half

and all four overtimes because

Ganfuss received a red card early

in the game, meaning he cannot

reenter the game. Although all

the odds were stacked against

them, the Warriors finally had an

opening in the fourth and final

five-minute overtime. Johnson

then found a hole with 1:20 left

in the fourth overtime and put

the ball past the goalie to lead

the Warriors in the Sectional

semifinals even though they were

a man down for a good part of the

game. Then the Warriors cruised

by Albany in the Sectional

semifinals 1-0. Although the

Warriors were without Ganfuss,

the Warriors found a way to get

through against Albany with a

late goal by Bergren to lead the

team into the finals.

The girl’s varsity team has had

the best run in Sectionals this

year. The girls started the playoff

run with an easy win against

Catholic Central by a score of

6-0. The Warriors then had to

play the Ballston Spa Scotties in

which Niskayuna wanted some

retaliation against this team

because they stole a game from

this team earlier in the season.

And did the Warriors get some

payback by soundly controlling

game from start to finish, and the

Warriors won the game 1-0.

Then the Warriors had to play

Bethlehem in the Sectional semi-

finals. The Warriors had played

against the team twice before

in the regular season, unfortu-

nately both of them resulting in

losses. (1-0 in double overtime

and 2-0 respectively). Before the

game, the Warriors were playing

a very strong team. Bethlehem

was ranked first in the state

and 8th in the entire country.

But although this game looked

like it was already over before it

began, the Warriors did not fear

this team at all. After an hour

and a half long delay at the be-

ginning of the game, Bethlehem

started the game with a bang

where Bethlehem had a corner

kick to give them an early 1-0

lead. Although they were down,

the Warriors did not give up.

Junior Whitney Frary started the

rally by booting a free kick from

thirty-yards out to tie the game

in the first half. But the scoring

did not end their as the Whitney

again hit an outstanding ball

towards the goal and Senior

Patty Horan headed the ball into

the back of the goal to take the

lead 2-1. The cocky Bethlehem

team was losing for the first time

during the entire season and

the Eagles were getting frus-

trated and scared. At halftime

the Warriors stated “ Don’t Let

Up!!! We Got This Game.” And

the Warriors did exactly that by

coming out of the half physical

and giving the Eagles all they

could handle. But the Eagles’

firepower couldn’t be stopped

and Bethlehem scored on a

free kick to tie the game. Sure

it was a little demoralizing for

the team to lose the lead but the

Warriors bounced back and kept

on the offensively. The Warriors

made sure that Bethlehem did

not have a chance to score and

Niskayuna kept on trying after

four overtimes which consisted

of thirty additional minutes of

playing time. After that extended

period of time, the score was

still scoreless and the game had

to go to the most exciting part

of the game, the penalty kicks.

Bethlehem started the penalty

kicks with three straight goals.

But girls were not afraid, and

Kara Sullivan, Patty Horan and

Mary Corey drove the ball past

the goalie to tie it 3-3. After a

missed kick by both teams, the

team then Laura Plis scored the

next goal to tie the game at 4-4

again. The game finally came

down to the 8th kicker where Se-

nior Alicia D’Allesandro had the

opportunity to win the game for

the Warriors. All she was feeling

was that“ Was feeling like it was

my last kick of my high school

soccer career.” She was feeling

slightly nervous, but as soon

as the she kicked the ball into

the lower left corner of the goal,

the Warriors had performed the

miracle of all miracles by defeat-

ing Goliath and shocking the

soccer nation and playing one

of the best games in Niskayuna

school history.

Sure the Sectional playoffs

is still continuing and we wish

the best of luck for each teams

and that they continue to play

their best...

Girls’ Varsity SoccerSemifinal Game

In BriefBethlehem was ranked 8th in the nation, 1st in the state.(17-0) Played 1-0 double overtime and 2-0 in regulation.

First Half:Started an 1.5 hours 1-0

Corner kick by Bethlehem in the beginning five minutes. Very cocky, physical game but let them played through. There were incidents with the goalie. Whitney Frary free kick 30 yard kick bounced past goalie into the side netting. Another free kick same spot by frary which was headed by Patty. “Best first half ever played.” First time they were losing all year. Great save by Marie.

Second Half:“No let ups.” Bethlehem was

getting frustrated. Scoring on a free kick Bethlehem tied up the game. Laura Plis receives a card.

Overtimes: Four overtimes Two tens two fives. Where it was a stone locked.

PK: 5 scorers first time then individual. Bethlehem kicks first. Kara, Patty strikes a lightning, Mary, Dana (missed) Whitney. Sudden death, Marie saved one but then goalie saved hers. Bethlehem makes it 5-4 Laura had to score which she came through in the clutch. Then Marie makes a sick save to make it 5-5, then Alicia hits through the lower left of the goal to provide the win. Slightly nervous “ Was feeling like it was my last kick of my high school soccer career.” The seniors real-ized that this could possible be the end of their season if they didn’t remain focus. The game lasted three hours and it wasn’t until midnight until the game was over.

Play Shen on Wednesday at BroadAlbin Perth. Barone and company will try to end this great season. There are trying to fulfill their goal of state finals like she did her fresh year.

Volume 10, Issue 3 November 9, 2007Silver

Sarah Barry R.J. KosineskiKatie NottkeAsst. Editors:Stefan DoschJacob FinkleJohn Qiao

Editors:

Know Your Classes!

The Warrior Magazine

Social Commentary on our four diverse classes

8 November 9, 2007 The WarriorSports

by KeVin KurTzner

sporTs

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rd Boys’ Volleyball

10/31 @ Burnt Hills L 0-3

Girls Volleyball10/30 vs. Albany W 3-111/01 @ Ballston Spa W 3-0

Boys’ Soccer10/29 @ Guilderland W 3-211/1 @ Albany W 1-0

Field Hockey10/31 vs. Bethlehem W 1-011/4 @ Saratoga L 0-4

Girls’ Soccer10/30 @ Ballston Spa W 1-011/3 @ Bethlehem W 3-2

by KATie dArTT

news

There were a lot of happy

people at the girl’s swim-

ming and diving sectionals,

particularly from the Nisky

section on deck. The meet

took place last Thursday

through Saturday, and Ni-

sky went straight to the top

in six of the twelve events,

and took second in two.

The meet kicked of f

Thursday with the Prelimi-

nary rounds, and diving on

Friday. Thursday, seven of

the twelve Nisky swimmers

were ready to head back for

finals on Saturday. Friday

was also a good day for

Nisky, with freshmen diver

Megan McDevitt making it

to semifinals and set to dive as an alternate

in Saturday’s finals. Although Nisky’s other

diver, Freshmen Clare Griffith, did not

make sectionals, her scores gained many

much needed points at duel meets and

came very close to the sectional qualifying

score several times.

Saturday’s finals began with a wild start,

with the tradition of the teams dressed

in silly costumes, cheering and parading

around the pool. Nisky showed its spirit by

chanting “We Will Rock You” on deck. When

all the crazy chanting, cheering, and yelling

ended it was time to start the meet.

The finals, the most exciting part of the

weekend was just getting started. Nisky’s

medley relay of senior Julia Henze and

juniors Kerry Archer, Rachele Marra and

Lauren Cardinal gave the meet a good start,

placing sixth overall. The 200 Freestyle

was taken by freshman Emily Whitaker,

getting Nisky its first win of the meet and

qualifying for New York State Champion-

ships with a time of 1:58:37. Whitaker also

came in second in the 100 Freestyle with

a time of 55:80.The duo of senior/Captain

Karoline Hart and junior McKenna Murphy

took first and second in the 50 Freestyle.

Hart beat her preliminary time, going

25:09, and Murphy came in close second

with 25:16. Both girls qualified for States,

Hart for a second time. Hart also qualified

for states in the 100 Breaststroke for the

second time with a time of 1:08:20 and

taking first overall. Hart later was named

the meet MVP. Murphy blew away com-

petition in the 100 Butterfly, qualifying

for states and winning the event with a

time of 1:00:33. The 200 Free relay led by

Whitaker, Archer, Hart, and Murphy also

placed first overall with a time of 1:42:40

and will be heading to States also. Marra

placed 5th in the 500 Freestyle with a time

of 5:36:84, and Cardinal finished 13th

overall with a time of 6:05:80. The 400

freestyle relay of Whitaker, Marra, Murphy,

and Hart took first with a time of 3:44:89,

just two seconds short of states.

The team took 3rd overall, with 273

points. Nisky finished behind Burnt Hills,

with 388 points, who edged out Queens-

bury with 387 points. Though the team is

exceptionally small, with only 14 people,

and struggling a bit at duel meets against

teams who often had over 30 people, Nisky

finished with a record of 3-7 and came out

close to the top at sectionals. Also with 4

going off to states, the Niskayuna swim

team has nothing to be ashamed of as far

as performance at sectionals. These girls

worked together and individually to get

to states and to get the team into the top

three at sectionals, and really dominated

the meet.

Girls swim strong at sectionals

Warrior photo/Karoline Hart

CHEER LOUD: The girl’s swim team does a team cheer prior to their races at last week’s sectionals. The team had an extremley successful run. Captain Karoline Heart was named meet MVP. Hart, juniors McKenna Murphy and Kerry Archer, and freshman Emily Whittaker all qualified for States.

Volume 10, Issue 3 November 9, 2007Silver

Sarah Barry R.J. KosineskiKatie NottkeAsst. Editors:Stefan DoschJacob FinkleJohn Qiao

Editors:

Know Your Classes!

The Warrior Magazine

Social Commentary on our four diverse classes

The Warrior Magazine November 9, 2007Silver

O h m y G o s h , i t ’ s t h e f r o s h !Dearest Readers, High School classes

and their corresponding grades can be as diverse as anything in the world can be. We have algorithm memorizers in the oh-so-hated 9th grade, over-looked forgotten students in the 10th grade, over-worked and underpaid people in the 11th grade, and a hopefully united 12th grade that is the last of a dying breed.

A word of advice to you all, just try to get along. High School is a time, and Warrior Magazine knows better than any, of great change and a lot of evil. We have witnessed the atrocit ies that fel low classmates can cause. To all the bullies out there: stop being such jerks or you’ll probably get hit by a bus or drive your car off a cliff like in an Adam Sandler movie and to all of you who get picked on: Watch “Revenge of the Nerds” this weekend and remember, the losers in high school are always the most successful ones at the reunions.

So in the words of a great man named Barney Dinosaur, “I love you, You love me, We’re a happy family.”

Sincerely, The Editors

The class of 2011 has recently entered the construction-rid-dled doors of Niskayuna High School, coming from home school and Iroquois and V.A. and goodness knows where else, but when you stick us all together in a sweaty and odorous freshman clump, you will begin to see that we are definitely one of the oddest classes to have ever set foot into the social jungle we call our high school. We have one child that memorizes algorithms and can do a Rubik's cube in thirty seconds flat. We have another that can "riff like nobody's business" (- Sam Fisher, who said this about a certain freshman class member). We have children on JV vol-leyball, and varsity soccer, we have one child who is trying out for America's Got Talent, we have children that came in second at Head of the Fish (huge crew regatta at Saratoga), we have chil-dren who made it into Studio Singers and Bel Canto and Concert Chorale in their first year of high school. Pretty impressive, but I'm sure the countless other people who wrote articles about their class could say the same thing. (Well, maybe not about the Rubik's cube kid.) Three freshmen were questioned about their view of their class. "We think so much of ourselves," said Zack Sanzo. "We really need

to get a life," said Monika Bushko. "Nobody gets along, and we're really mean to each other," said Demi Pierotti. These views are similar, but are still tremendously nega-tive. Why so many negative feelings towards the people you've (mostly) grown up with? You've transitional from awkward childhood to adolescence to young adults and you still essentially hate the people you share a gradu-ating year with? One would normally believe the pure opposite. The thing is, none of us know any more than rumors about people that are not in our friend circle. Middle school's tightly knit cliques have not yet broken apart and smoothed out into one big freshman blob, and tempers are running high. The crowded hallways where you can barely see your own feet are stressful enough as it is, not to mention freezing when you walk through the "tunnel". But I am really getting off on a tangent. F r o s h i e s , froshies, froshies. Commonly known as the scum of the school. Many a freshman has complained that the teachers "repeatedly refuse to help freshman", and that we are "believed to be simply too stupid to be helped." Every freshman class hopes to give a new light to the word "fresh-man" (which is too commonly associated with the terms "fresh meat" and "child-I-can-

easily-abuse"), but that is not achievable, as everyone in their sane minds know. What we can do, however, is leave a mark on Nisky High, and that is what every freshman seems to be striving to do, whether subconsciously or not. To all you upperclassmen (especially sophomores, who are especially savage towards the freshman, having been treated like the scum of the earth only last year) do not treat us like we are something on the bottom of your shoe. Sooner or later, the child you call "loser" or "nerd" may well be the person you call "boss", or the person that you gaze avidly at on VH1 one morning. Us froshies are some pretty cool kids, and if you feel like tripping us in the hallways or shoving us face-down in trash cans or steal-ing our French fries one by one…understand that you are just showing us what we will be doing one day to our future freshman. After all, that's the way of life. By next year, we will be making the new freshmen's lives a living hell as well. Or a living heaven, depending on who we are, what we are, and how we choose to act around the small newcomers in this labyrinth that we spend eight hours of every day in.

by Amy YaoMagazine

Warrior Magazine says: “Freshmen, don’t worry, be happy. Put a smile on your face... make the world a better place. L-O-V-E.”

The Warrior Magazine November 9, 2007Silver

T h e l o n e l y s o p h o m o r e s

by Katie Nottke Magazine

Each year of high school has its shtick. You remember freshman year for the novelty of the whole thing; wandering around a new place, doe-eyed and naïve, with only the friendly seniors to help you around, or the less friendly seniors to lead you astray. Sophomore year is the first time you really feel at home in what basically is your home, considering the amount of time you realize you spend in the school building. Junior year is notoriously hard, but it all pays off when you get to prom, the dance everyone says is a stupid tradition, but goes all-out for anyway. Finally, senior year, king of the hill, top of the heap, so close to second semester that you can almost taste it – but you can’t quite yet. No matter that senior year may turn out to be the single most

them on. We’re ticked off that this inconvenient construction has inter-fered with our high school careers. And we’re still considered underclass-men, although we feel much more experienced than the lowly freshmen we once were. All of our trials and tribulations aside, this school year is also proving to be pretty enjoyable. Regardless of the lack of recognition we get because of it, sophomore year is the most comfortable year of high school. We know our way around the school, and the ins and outs of the business. We still don’t have the need to go college visiting or anything of the sort. And we certainly don’t have to take as many tests as the juniors. But as I’ve already proved, this does not mean us sophomores are not working just as hard as everyone else.

by Alicia AragosaMagazine

Amidst a school full of incoming fresh-men, struggling juniors and graduating seniors, there is a class that is often over-looked and forgotten: the sophomores. What is the dire need for the recogni-tion of the sophomore class, one might ask, why the urge for acknowledgment? I’ll tell you why: because we deserve it. Do we not wake up at a disgusting time to get to school every morning like the other classes? Do we not toil over hours of homework like everyone else? Is the construction on campus any less annoying to us? No, fellow classmates, the answer is no. In fact, sophomore year is no walk in the park. It is harder than freshman year; now knowing that honors classes aren’t so bad, we’ve piled a bunch of

difficult and stressful year of high school, despite the common misconception that junior year is a terror, it has its multitude of positives. As members of the graduating class, we understand that we only have from now until June of 2008 to really be with the people we’ve known since the age of five, when we first stepped into the AM or PM class of whichever kindergarten we attended. I, for one, feel that the stresses of college visits and applications and knowing which is your reach school and your safety has brought all of us closer together. The unity of our class is apparent, as anyone can talk to anyone, because they share a common bond of seniority over the rest of the school. Finally, it’s our turn to lead the freshman to their next class, to reminisce about how things were before the Tunnel, to joke that our yearbook

will be T-Roads instead of Crossroads. Another source of unity for the senior class lies in the off-grounds pass. Of course there will always be those who mock the idea that off-grounds privileges should lie only with seniors, but for those who waited their turn to legally leave during the school day, well-earned freedom in the form of a shiny plastic card. Why, just a few weeks ago, I made some new friends while using my off-grounds pass. I, myself, have yet to get my license, and so look for anyone else with a car to rescue me from the monotony of an entire day inside the school building. And so, I ended up just going for a ride in the car of a mere acquaintance who I can now call a friend. And let’s not forget the senior parking lot. I know it’s annoying for the juniors that can drive to have to find somewhere to park

elsewhere, but for us, it’s a haven. With the parking lot recently declared to be off grounds, it truly is the senior parking lot, as only we seniors can gain access to the parking lot with the use of an off-grounds pass. So, forget those schools with a senior lounge or whatever, because look-out NHS, the senior parking lot is the most happenin’ spot since Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood! So, seniors, I ask you this. Take your college search and applications seriously, but also take the time to enjoy the company of those around you. Get to know that kid that you just realized is in your grade. Take a stroll through the parking lot, smell the gravel, and see the sites of the bizarre mix of beat up station wagons and BMWs that fill the parking lot. Enjoy senior year, even if it isn’t quite second semester. We’ll make it there – together.

The class of 2010 are the sophomores this year, but the freshmen will have their turn and the upperclassmen al-ready have. Is it so much to ask for a little acknowledgment for us, the sophomores, someone you all have been or will soon be?

T h e l a s t o f a d y i n g b r e e d

The Warrior Maga- November 9, 2007Silver

Class Commentary By Your Peers“I think that we are a united body, more so then the other grades, because we have a premeditated idea that we are less liked as a whole for being Freshmen. And I think that this idea we have gives us a sympathy and unity toward each other.”-Matt Williams9th Grade

“I think that the class of ‘09 is like the best class ever. I feel like we all know each other and are all one big group of friends.”-Dom Izzo11th Grade

“My class is full of materialistic show-offs and kids who are really cool. Only the kids who are really cool are too afraid to express themselves because of all the superficial tools. If you’re criticizing what I have said, then you are one of them.”-Aaron Staudinger12th Grade

“I think our class used to be made of very separate and distinct groups, but as our senior year begins we are really pulling together as a class.”-Caitlyn Norling12th Grade

“We’re just pretty awesome. No one does emo like we do.”-Julie Slotnick10th Grade

We’re your typical sophomores; fashionable, dramatic and full of potential. Holding some of the best musical and artistic talent in the school. The class of 2010 is destined to make a change!”-Kaela Bamberger10th Grade

“The Juniors are starting to learn how to have fun, we’ve been putting lobsters in toilets and living the good life. We’re all gonna need to buckle down soon but I think we won’t stress as much due to our positive outlook.”-Matt Barnes11th Grade

Has Anyone Seen My Article? by Stefan Dosch

Magazine

This is the space where us

juniors were ‘sposed to write

an article, except we were

too “busy” to do it. Maybe

next week you’ll hear from

us, but until then just know

that we’re overworked and

complaining...Thank you.

-Class of ‘09