The WarriorNiskayuna High School March 13, 2009 Volume 35, Issue 21

a student-run publication since 1974, now weekly

Inside this issue...

Estudiantes regresan de Tulancingo

‘You’re fired’ on Celebrity Apprentice,page 6

Louis Serafini breaks records page 8

Photo courtesy / Terry Spinelli HOLA AMIGOS: Above, students pose with their host brothers and sisters in front of the pyramids in Mexico.

named Tenochtitlan. It was a city created by the Aztecs on an island of the Lake Texcoco. Tenochtitlan was conquered by Hernan Cortes in the 16 cen-tury and it was later converted

by Archith MurAli

News

On Friday, Feb. 13, a group of students from the high school set out on an exciting trip to Mexico. The group consisted of freshman Samantha Potter, sophomores Sadie Firstencel, Caleigh O’Brien, Kiran Correa, Michael Henze and Katie Cascino, juniors Jacqueline Andriakos, Taylor Carlson, Terry Spinelli, Allison Dermont, Jac-queline Moore, Spencer Lee and Chelsea Trant and senior Claire Smith. They were accompanied by high school Spanish teacher Lainie Christou and middle school Spanish teacher Shana Malkis.

The students flew out of Albany to Washington, D.C. Unfortunate-ly, the students had to endure a six hour layover. In Mexico, the students stayed in the city of Tulancingo. Tulancingo is the second largest city in the Mexican state of Hidalgo and it is located to the southeast of Mexico City.

Each student and teacher stayed with a host family in Tulancingo. This allowed ample opportunity for the students to become close to their hosts brothers and sisters. On Sunday, Feb. 15, everyone went to see the famous pyramids in Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan is a world renowned architectural site, which contains

into Mexico City. In Mexico City, the students visited the Museum of Anthropology and saw a the Ballet Folkolorico.

Apart from visiting famous historical sites like the pyramids at Teotihuacan, the students also had the chance to experi-ence Mexican school life. For seven days, the students from

some of the largest pyramidal structures that were built in pre-Colombian America. Some of the students also visited a famous historical site a few minutes from Tulancingo, called Huapalcalco,

which also houses some impres-sive architectural ruins.

On Feb. 20, the students went to Mexico City. Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and the largest metropolitan area in the west-ern hemisphere. Additionally, it is also the third largest city in the world in terms of popula-tion. Mexico City was originally

Niskayuna attended school with their hosts. Students had the op-portunity to experience education in Mexico.

“I was lucky enough to find someone to lend me a violin so I could perform in the school orchestra, exclaimed Spinelli, who plays Symphony Orchestra here at the high school. I really enjoyed listening to the conductor speak Spanish at the rehearsals and seeing whether I could figure out what he was saying about the music. I felt the same sort of camaraderie and enthusiasm in that orchestra as I’ve felt in our high school orchestra and in ESYO [Empire State Youth Or-chestra]. It was such a wonderful experience!”

Life in Mexico was a lot of fun, but some students experienced some illnesses. There were no ill-nesses requiring hospitalization, but there were a few stomach and digestive issues because of the different food and altitude.

All in all, the students had a wonderful experience in Mexico and were sad to return to Albany on Feb. 25. “I would recommend the trip to any Spanish student who wants to gain confidence in their speaking abilities while get-ting to know the welcoming, kind people of Tulancingo,” concluded Spinelli.

Students defend ICC,page 6

2 March 13, 2009 The WarriorNews

Muslim club hosts first speakerby KhAlAfAllA OsMAN

News

On Thursday March 5, the Mus-lim Student Association hosted its first event after school in which the Muslim speaker Sophia Chaudry spoke to the student on the basics of Islam. Freshman Khalafalla Osman a member of MSA, and also former student of Chaudry, helped to organize the even along with co-presidents of MSA seniors Sara Baig and Hina Tai and junior Ambereen Baig.

The MSA is devoted to bringing Muslims and non-Muslims to-gether to help clear up misconcep-tions and bring Islamic awareness to Niskayuna high school. MSA is still a new organization at the high school that is trying to become an official club but in the mean time they are trying to plan events such as speakers to come talk to students at the high school.

Sophia Chaudry is a teacher at An Nur Islamic School in Schenectady and is also a certified speaker of the Islamic Speakers Bureau. The Islamic Speakers Bureau hold training workshops to help train Muslim members to be able to speak about Islam. The purpose of the Islamic Speakers

Bureau is to educate pub-lic and private institutions and to create a mutual respect between members of different faiths. Mem-bers of the organization go through vigorous training, testing and professional development. The speak-ers discuss different top-ics in Islam in front of large crowds such as on basic Islamic teachings, mis-conceptions about Islam in the media, and many other topics. Sophia Ch-uadry has spoken at many places such as hospitals, churches, high schools, law enforcement agen-cies, and many different organizations and colleges such as Hudson Valley Community College. The Islamic Speakers Bureau uses scholarly developed, time-tested presentations.

Sophia Chaudry discussed many of the basic Islamic teach-ings in her extensive Power Point such as the five pillars of Islam and the six pillars of faith, as well as the common links be-tween Christianity and Judaism.

She stressed the point that to understand Islam you have to distinguish between culture and religion. Not all traditions prac-ticed by Muslims are dictated by the religion. She helped clear up many of the misconceptions people receive from the media by explaining how the Muslims seen on TV do not represent the religion as a whole. She also gave

Warrior Photo / Hina Tai ISLAM MEANS PEACE: Chaudry, a speaker from the Islamic Speakers Bureau, dis-cusses the basics of Islam last Thursday after school.

Warrior Photo / Hina Tai THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER: Chaudry describes the Islamic prayer as her former student Osman helps her demon-state for the audience. Osman bows his head to the ground in what is called “sudjood” and recites the verses of the Ouran as is done daily by Muslims around the world.

a demonstration of how Muslims perform their daily prayers by giving a brief summary of how to prepare for the prayer with a spiritual cleansing called “wadu” and what is recited during their prayer. Many of the students got a chance to ask her some questions at the end of the presentation, which covered a variety of topics such as the theory of evolution and science in context with the Quran and the different sects in Islam and how they relate to the message of Islam today.

“Islam is a religion of peace,” Sophia Chaudry said, “The Arabic root salaam means peace and Islam means to submit to God in a peaceful manner.”

Freshman Waqqas Tai said, “She did a great job in laying out Islam and giving a quick overview. It was a little disappointing on the small outcome of student who attended but she was definitely worth listening to and hopefully the MSA will be able to get her to come back for a larger audience.”

The speaker spoke very well and the event flowed very smoothly. The Muslim Student Association is always looking for new and enthusiastic members to join. Meetings take place after school every Thursday in room F304 and refreshments are always provided.

3March 13, 2009The Warrior News

by cArissA VAzANNA

News

The much anticipated Fac-ulty versus Physical Education basketball game tipped off last Friday, March 6. This game was a big event in the school; the week before the big game you could hear students in the hallways ar-guing passionately about which team would win. “Faculty has Bach and Mattice but I’ve heard Bellinger has quite the three point shot!” commented junior class president Julia Kosiniski.

The Faculty vs. Phys Ed. Bas-ketball game has become a tradi-tion at NHS. “You can tell that the teachers really look forward to it each year and so do the students for that matter,” said senior class secretary Cristina Vazzana. The game is organized and put on in a joint effort by both the junior and senior classes.

This year, the profits went to help fund-raise for the junior class prom and the classes also donated to the Donna M. Crandall Foundation for cystic fibrosis. The charity is family-run and uses the money it raises to ben-efit families at Albany Medical Hospital facing Cystic Fribrosis. The funds are used to cheer up the patients by making packs that include snacks, entertainment,

giftcards and money for everyday tasks, like gascards and grocery money. Overall, the organization helps make the lives of those affected by Cystic Fibrosis more bearable.

On the day of the school show-down, the gym was packed with students ready to cheer for their favorite teachers and watch a good game of basketball. In the spirit of b-ball, the Faculty team was filled with players that were reminiscent of the days of Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing and even “Sir Charles” Barkley. These star players representing the Faculty were John Rickert, Mark Treanor, Rebecca Gleason, Christopher Delano, Jason Bach, Bryan Mat-tice, Kelly Quist, Kevin Delaney, Joe Parisi, Stephen Eichfeld, Robert Massie, Chris Bianchi, John Sharkey and last but not least, Thomas Caffery.

As stellar a line-up that may seem, the Faculty team did not go unmatched. The roster for team Physical Education consisted of Larry Gillooley, Matt Flynn, John Furey, Sarah Neely, Blake Bellinger, Benjamin Smith, Chris Shaw, Crystal Hammond, Peter Reyes and Darryl Bray.

With tip off time at 7 o’ clock, students began to walk in while their teachers were just finishing

warm ups. The Faculty stood tall in gray, while the phys ed. department sported a proud red. After a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, sung by Senior class treasurer John Qiao and Junior Alex Colborn, the game was soon underway. With early shots made by Bryan Mattice and Coach Bellinger the score was close, but not for long.

P.E. stepped up their game, with an impressive three point shot made by Mark Treanor. The P.E. department was not going to let this game get away from them.

By the end of the game P.E. was leading by twenty points. With a final score of 74 to 55,

the P.E. department won. When asked about the game, Coach Flynn said “It was a lot of fun, good to see support from the students. Got to love the three peat!”

Although his team did not win, Mr. Bach agreed saying, “The so-cial studies department did real well out there. I really enjoyed playing and it gives us something to work for next year.” All in all, the game is always a great expe-rience for both the teachers and the students.

Only one week until Band-Aidby lAureN NiedbAlec

News

Next Friday, March 20, Band-Aid will be held in the New Cafeteria at 7:30pm. The cost to witness this rocking spectacular will be only five dollars at the door.

Band-Aid is an annual event in the high school, showcasing the best student bands in the high school, and is sponsored by

ACTIONS (Association of Christian Teens in Our Niskayuna Schools). Last year, six bands graced the high school with their musical talent.

The atmosphere of Band-Aid is like that of a true rock concert; the room is lit by strobe lights and the students form a happy, cheer-ing crowd. The bands prepare to go onstage in the teachers lounge.

The money ACTIONS raises is then donated to Compassion International, a Christian-run organization that helps children around the world escape from poverty. Every year they usually raise around 400 dollars.

Band-Aid is always a favorite event at the high school, and also helps out a good cause. What could be better than that? Experience the musical sensation next Friday.

Faculty and Phys Ed face off

CONGRATULATIONS! IT’S A BOY!Elliot Carlton Lester, son of English teacher Tom Lester and his wife Monica,

was born on March 9. The bouncing baby boy weighed seven pounds, three ounces. Congratulations!

Photo Credit / Brice MourlutAT THE FOUL LINE: Teams Faculty and Phys. Ed. face off during the game.

For a play-by-play of the game, see page seven

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 March 13, 2009 The WarriorOpinion

Editor-in-Chief:Daniel ClaridgeJulie Slotnick

News:Lauren Niedbalec, EditorAnagha Tolpadi, EditorHina Tai, Editor

Opinion:Sam Dharia, EditorKaela Bamberger, Editor

Lucas Lobe, EditorNick Farina, Asst Editor

Entertainment:Craig Dudek, EditorChris Murphy, EditorMarcelle Tuttle, Editor

Sports:Kevin Kurtzner, EditorRachele Marra, EditorCorey Guilmette, Editor

Magazine:Sarah Barry, EditorDinesh Kommareddy, EditorDan Stone, EditorRoshal Patel, Asst.

Additional Staff:Archith Murali, Copy EditorKelvin Lin, Asst. Copy EditorBrian Vedder, Business ManagerChris Rivadeneira, Advertising ManagerAmy Yao, Web ManagerNina Santiago, Distribution ManagerEmily Bartell, Graphics EditorAdvisors: James Edgar Russell McDowell

Two students defend the ICCby erwiN liN

OpiNiON

The United States is a country that stands for protecting human rights, most importantly, the right to life. Because its people believe in this, the U.S ought to help out more in Darfur by helping promote peace, which would then save more lives. By helping the people in western Sudan, the U.S will not only be protecting their rights to property, education and security but will also be protecting the most important right of all: the right to life.

After the intervention in Iraq, prisoner abuse, and looking away when genocide occurred in Rwan-da, U.S credibility throughout the world has sunk. If the U.S wishes to restore its standard among nations as one that supports the protection of human rights, they should help out in Darfur. Since the U.S is a democratic country which believes in peace, not helping Darfur would contradict American ideals. For this reason it

is only logical that the U.S should help. As it is, helping achieve peace and the prevention of more geno-cide in Darfur would surely restore the credibility of the U.S.

Another reason to help out is that the U.S has an obligation to prevent genocide since it has accepted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. By preventing more genocide the U.S will fulfill the terms of the contract that it agreed to.

Many would argue that the U.S lacks the legitimacy to interfere in Darfur and take action. The U.S could justify its actions by joining the International Criminal Court since the ICC has the power to intervene in places where crimes against humanity are taking place. By promoting peace in Darfur, the U.S will not only be enhancing their status worldwide, but they will also be helping the people in Darfur and choosing the course of action which is morally right.

Colleges stop social mobilityby sAM dhAriA

OpiNiON

Though few will argue that the college ad-missions process is a pure meritocracy, its practice of legacy based admissions is unfair and downright un-American. It prevents social mobility and maintains economic dominance of the rich.

Legacy admissions basically give students of alumni preference for acceptance to a given university, even though their application may not have been adequate. What this does is send the message that you will succeed not based on your abilities, but instead, on your

parents’ accomplishments. It stops those that may deserve attending a college from doing so and instead judges applicants based on their social standing, since many lower class students do not have parents that attended prestigious universities. Rather than college being an op-portunity to move on up, it becomes a tool to let those who are high up stay there.

Some argue that legacies are more likely to donate money which gives schools the resources to give to less fortunate students. However, this does not justify the unfair placement of those who do not deserve it into high rank-ing universities. Furthermore, if we were to

adopt such an attitude, why not add parents income to the application, like an SAT score. Lastly, many people who make something of themselves will give back to those who provided them with opportunities, which means that colleges should try just admitting people based on their merits to see if it may actually bring in more money.

Legacy goes against everything our country stands for. We take pride in a government that was not based on “divine right”, but rather, those who the people think they are the most qualified. Our society should reflect these values as well.

by sOhAib syed

OpiNiON

For far too long have countries ignored the consequences of total judicial control. Countries such as Rwanda are given total sovereignty and in return, harm their own people. Germany, given absolute sovereignty, once com-mitted acts of violence towards the civilian population. Back when WWII finally ended with the end of Nuremberg Trials, the United Na-tion General Assembly realized the need to establish an international criminal court. This court would prosecute crimes against human-ity which are defined as “inhumane acts committed against any civil-ian population whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated.” While many countries have submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of an international court (prominently ICC), US has not. The U.S. ought to submit to the jurisdiction of an international court because it is necessary.

First of all, the U.S. is a very pow-erful country, easily able to exert its jurisdiction over other countries. If it were to become corrupt, then it would begin to do as it pleases. No one expected Germany to become a country warped by Nazi ideology. John R. Bolton argues against the ICC saying, “Specifically, the ICC is an organization whose precepts go against fundamental American notions of sovereignty, checks and balances, and national independence.” In order to retain balance, some sovereignty must be given up. Lynn Bickley claims that “One of the earliest and loud-est voices in favor of creating a permanent international court was that of the United States.” It is now hypocritical for the U.S. to back out. Its objective is to bring justice where countries fail to abide by international laws, common laws which every nation is bounded by. We need to realize that a country such as the U.S. is still capable of becoming corrupt and therefore ought to submit to the ICC.

5March 13, 2009The Warrior Opinion

by ANAghA tOlpAdi

OpiNiON

I believe in laughter.I believe in the words in the

song from Mary Poppins, “I love to laugh, long and loud and clear. I love to laugh. It’s getting worse every year. The more I laugh, the more I fill with glee, and the more the glee, the more I’m a merrier me.” (Dyke) People do not realize the amount of truth in the words hidden inside a silly children’s song.

I began forming my belief at a very young age. I had been spending the summer in India. Something—probably something rather unimportant as I do not have any recollection of the specifics—had happened earlier

that had upset me. I came and sat down at the table for lunch with a huge frown on my face. My uncle, known in our family for his sense of humor and his laughter, looked over at me and questioned me as to the cause of the frown. After I murmured something incoherent, my uncle looked at me sternly, almost wistfully, and said, “You know, it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown.” Then, as if to prove his point, he looked at me with a huge grin on his face.

Soon after, I realized his words held a great deal of truth One cannot classify a life marked by a frown and unhappiness as a life. Many people seem to think that as we grow older, we tend to laugh less. It should not be so. We should laugh more because

we have and know of so much more to laugh about.

A laugh is contagious. I cannot count the number of times that I found myself in a situation where one person’s laughter resulted in laughter from each and every person nearby. Nobody could later tell you the exact causes of the laughter, and they will find themselves unable to accurately re-own the experience. All they truly know is the happiness they felt. They know that something had really made them laugh, and every time they think of it, they will chuckle. That kind of feeling makes life worth living.

People underestimate how small of a thing can cause a laugh and how a little giggle can make up for a life’s worth of dis-

Laughter: my natural Tylenol

A n i g h t o f n o n s e n s eby sArAh djebli

OpiNiON

Prom is the shorthand version of Prom-enade: a formal ball held for a school class toward the end of the academic year. In other words, the centerpiece of Junior year.

During the 1920’s and 30’s, prom was a social gathering of the elite debutantes, accompanied by most desired gentlemen. This special night would be the introduction of young ladies into the social scene, on the hope of attracting a beau. It was a night filled with socializing, sipping tea with friends and waltzing across the dance floor, many females enjoyed the modest extravagance of it.

Now, however, in the year of 2009, Prom is an absolute stranger, an intruder in the years of the past. Where ever shall we begin with the follies of said night? First let’s sum it up in three words: Expensive. Obscene. Nonsense. From the overload of stress of finding a date five months before, to the emptiness of your bank account on all ac-count of a one night dress.

Girls especially are the ones to suffer through this event. Finding an extravagant, lavish, off the charts evening gown seems to be a difficult task, second only to the dilemma of finding a suitable guy for ac-companiment.

Many a girl has been known to sit on her bed, engulfed by oodles of snot filled tissues and containers of chocolate ice cream, all be-cause of the rejection by her crush or the pros-

pect of not having a man to take her. Nowadays of course, it is socially ac-ceptable for a girl to ask a guy out or take charge of a relationship. This poses a problem for shy girls who are too embar-rassed or modest to ask their crush to take them to prom, while taking off the mostly nonexistent stress from the guy’s. In other words, girls are destined to many sadful tears, while guys enjoy a good laugh.

Now that we have that covered, we can move on to the next ludicrously absurd point. Girls spend way too much on their dress and image for prom. That’s the simple, straightforward reality. The essence of prom is overrated and incredibly hyped-up. The only clear resem-blance it has to the promenade of the 20’s is the idea of the elite: If you don’t look like a million dollars, you ain’t getting any.

Girls spend anywhere from $400-800 on simply an evening gown. This total doesn’t even take into account the money spent on new extravagant hairdos (the actual haircut + the coloring and highlights + the hairdo) the stilettos, the mani and pedi, and the profes-sionally done make-up. The grand total can

be any where from $900-1200. Oh and don’t forget the cost of the ticket and the limo ride. Now that we have broken down the cost of one night, perhaps you will be able to see the absurdity of Prom.

From the overpriced dress to the broken heart, Prom has left a stain on our social scene. Perhaps with this reality check in mind, the nonsense entangling prom will be diminished and we can go back to the modesty of long ago.

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.

appointments, letdowns, stress and tragedies. Imagine the last time everything seemed wrong. Someone you love passed away. You just failed a test, you have a migraine, and you have not slept for more than a few hours all week. Yet, wasn’t that last comment your friend made amusing? For a few seconds, didn’t you forget about everything else? That is the power of a laugh.

Laughter is like a natural Tylenol—nature’s way of helping us deal with whatever pain and hardship comes our way and making everything seem better for a little while. Laughter is an inner strength and source of life. As the saying goes laughter is a remedy, is the best medicine, and approach to life. In this, I believe.

6 March 13, 2009 The WarriorEntertainment

Learn to love the‘Apprentice’crAig dudeK

eNtertAiNMeNt

Okay, so we all know Sunday night is when we all convince ourselves to start that dreaded essay we’ve been putting off all weekend and that 9:00-11:00 timeslot is when it all begins. If you’re like me, however, you try to be more reasonable by starting your homework at eight o’clock. Why you may ask? Well NBC’s hit reality show ‘The Apprentice” is back for its eighth season, and its second with celebrities! Gasp! Famous people!

The first six seasons of ‘The Apprentice’ focused on sixteen experienced business workers competing in tasks that capture all the major points of business. From making commercials to holding charity events and even a lemonade stand here and there. Con-testants have been forced to think outside the box to establish themselves in the cut-throat world of business. In the end, Trump was faced with a very tough decision in that he had to choose one of these talented business men, (or business women in seasons three and six) but the one that was chosen was rewarded with the opportunity of a life time: working for Donald himself.

The contestants are split into two separate corporations at the start of the competition in which they would compete each week and each team must elect a project manager. The wining team is either the team that makes the

most profit or the team that a chief executive from a company which the event partners with thinks performed the best. While the winning team enjoys a nice relaxing reward for winning, the losing team must undergo an intense boardroom session where, after arguing, three members are brought back. One of these three are be fired. The show ran like this for the past six seasons and the

final winner (the only one not to be fired) gets this prestigious job.

However, this season and the last have included an extra twist. Instead of searching through millions of applicants and choosing sixteen to actually appear on the show, the show’s producers opted to pick celebrities to appear on the show. Some say it was due to the show’s loss in popularity, (I disagree),

but whatever the reason was, the show is now back on top and better than ever. The celebrities add an extra element to the show. These are figures whom we have mostly grown to love and admire because they have accomplished so much. The cast this season includes athletes such as Dennis Rodman, basketball, Herschel Walker, football, and Natalie Gulbis, golf, along with other stars such as Joan Rivers, Brian McKnight and Tom Green. Obviously, these figures lead financially blessed lives so the proceeds made from all the events goes to the char-ity of the winning project manager. Major donations have been made to help veteran organizations, cancer research and many organizations dealing with children’s issues. After the show, the contestants all return to their normal lives and go about their every-day business, but with a few lessons Donald installed in them.

So what exactly is it that makes this show worth giving up that precious two hour timeslot on a Sunday night? Well, if you’re like me then you’ll have great respect for Donald Trump. We’ve learned about Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller in history and how they built business empires out of capital-ism. Donald Trump is the modern example. His real estate empire defines the New York skyline, and his business-savvy skills are something we can all aspire to. As with all reality shows, ‘Celebrity Apprentice” allows us to take a break from our lives, but this show does it in a way that makes it more pleasur-able and not as much of a guilty pleasure. A lot of reality shows are truly unrealistic, but if you ask me none of the tasks given on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ implausible. It’s fun to think about each task, decide what you would do if you were on the show and then yell at the television as the teams ignore you’re wonderful advice.

So don’t be one of those kids who waits until 9:00 to start your homework on a Sunday night! Be one of those nerds who finishes before 9:00 or one of those cool kids who don’t start until eleven! ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ is worth so much more than two hours a week of our precious time. If you’re still not convinced think about it this way: watching the show gets it higher ratings which makes it more likely to come back for a third season, which means more charities will receive large donations because of the show. What does this mean? By watching the show you are indirectly donating to char-ity! So after watching it this Sunday night make sure you give yourself a high five, you good Samaritan you.

www.nbc.com

BALD SPOT: You know you are a celebrity when your comb over is famous.

Editor’s Box - do you watch watchmEn?chris Murphy

Last weekend, both comic book fans and voyeurs flocked to theatres to see “Watchmen”, and neither group left disappointed: The comic book fans were happy to see that the comic magnum opus “Watchmen” had seen a faithful film adaptation and those who had come to watch men saw a lot of shimmery blue full-frontals.

I’m going to say this right here: I loved “Watchmen.” It was both a fantastic deconstruc-tion of the superhero structure and a novel superhero tale. It was visually and thematically unique, and we need more movies like it.

My point of writing is this: I believe “Watchman” was slightly racist, homophobic and cruel to people with deformities. This seems to be a theme consistent with director Zack Snyder’s cinematic visions, as his past work “300” shows. Unless I’m mistaken, the only African-Americans featured in “Watchmen” were these: A stereotypical prisoner character whose weak attempt to kill off the (Caucasian) hero Rorschach quickly leads to his scalding demise and a therapist whose small role ends with him begging for the (Caucasian) hero Rorschach to spare his life. Combined, these two receive perhaps six or seven minutes of screen time in the 162 minute long film. The only homosexual character is killed off in the opening credits and is later said to have fallen “victim to her own lifestyle”. The only midget character is a crime lord who is finally slaughtered by Rorschach, although compared to the usual punch-bag punch-line roles midgets usually receive in films, this might be a step forward.

So I ask you, Warrior readers, what do you think? For those who have seen Watchmen, (which we will have a full review of next week), do you feel the same way? Or do you think that I’m off my overly sensitive rocker? Well, write back! If you agree, disagree, or want to call me out on a mistake, send us an e-mail at thewarriorentertainment@gmail.com” Please, friends, let your voice be heard, because otherwise I have to write more next week.

7March 13, 2009The Warrior Sports

Phys Ed wins for third straight yearby KeViN whitAKer

spOrts

Last Friday, the senior and junior classes hosted the third annual faculty vs phys ed bas-ketball game.

The contest, quickly becoming one of the most-anticipated Nis-kayuna High School traditions, featured teachers of various sub-jects and administrators squaring off against their counterparts from the phys ed department. The faculty team, after suffering close losses each of the last two years, hoped that the third time would be the charm, but the experienced phys ed squad had other ideas.

From the opening tip, the hundreds of students and fans in attendance were thrilled by the fast-paced action on the court. Both sides opened the game with some tremendous offensive play that would have made Allen Iverson proud.

Freshman basketball coach Blake Bellinger was hot right from the start, scoring an early basket to give the phys ed team an early lead, but in a preview of things to come, Bryan Mattice answered with a jump shot. Bell-inger and Benjamin Smith each hit three-pointers for the phys ed squad, but two fan favorites from the administration got on the board early, Principal John

Rickert scored in the post and assistant principal Mark Treanor hit a three to make the score 8-7 (all in the first two minutes and twenty seconds of the game).

The phys ed team held the lead for the rest of the half, but the faculty squad kept things inter-esting. Sarah Neely scored off a backdoor cut to give her team an eight-point lead, but Mattice scored seven points in the next two minutes to make the score 19-16, where it would stay for a while. Despite going against a squad full of imposing phys ed teachers, Mattice was the best player on the court; he had 14 of the faculty team’s 29 points in the first half.

After one of Thomas Caffrey’s free throws cut the margin to two, the phys ed team went on a 13-3 run that extended their lead to double digits. The faculty’s lone bucket in that span came on an NBA-range three by Treanor.

The key to the run was the tough defense played by the phys ed teachers; they forced turnovers that led to points in transition for Smith and trainer Chris Shaw allowing Matt Flynn to score two baskets during that stretch. The phys ed defense was one of the sto-ries of the night, as they frustrated the faculty offense for most of the game. Players such as esteemed volleyball coach Darryl Bray and

Niskayuna phys ed legend John Furey were largely responsible for the effort. Although neither scored in the game, they focused on doing the little things that don’t show up in the box score to ensure that their team would prevail.

But despite being down by 12 points, the tenacious teachers would not quit. Two more baskets by Mattice helped cut the lead to single digits. Then, a tough drive by Chris DeLano made it a five-point game with two minutes left in the first half. However, Bellinger responded with two big threes for the phys ed teachers; he was voted the game’s MVP for his 13 points in the ultimately decisive first half. The teachers led 42-29 at halftime.

At halftime, it was time for the students to get in on the action; 15 of Niskayuna’s best athletes and hoopsters were randomly chosen to participate in a game of knockout. The field was quickly narrowed down to two as senior Josh Powers and freshman Josh Callahan went one-on-one in a knockout showdown for the ages. After dozens of shots by both contestants, Powers was the one to finally prevail, when his last attempt from behind the three-point line swished through the net as Callahan could do nothing but watch.

Coming out of the half, everyone wondered if the phys ed teachers

might become complacent and let the faculty come back. The answer was a resounding no, as they led by double digits for the entire final period. Mattice remained on fire for the faculty, but Neely and athletic director Larry Gillooley each hit three-pointers to help the phys ed team build its lead.

The biggest story of the second half, however, was the emergence of Crystal Hammond for the phys ed squad. Hammond was relatively quiet in the first period, but exploded for 14 points in the final thirteen minutes to help her team put the game away. She scored five consecutive points midway through the half, earn-ing an old-fashioned three-point play and followed by a layup in transition. Robert Massie, also very effective in the second half, hit a big three-pointer for the faculty and then got a huge block on the other end. Moments later, Gillooley found Shaw with a nice pass for an easy basket to push the phys ed lead to 24, their larg-est lead of the game.

The faculty just didn’t quite have enough to keep up with the powerful phys ed team. Rickert, affectionately dubbed “Shaq” by announcer Mike Leece for his strong play in the post, imitated the superstar in a less desirable

BENCHED: Prinicpal John Rickert and assitant principal Mark Treanor take a breather during the first half of the Faculty-Phys Ed basketball game.

Warrior Photo/Brice Mourlet

Warrior Photo/Brice MourletFREE THROW: Social Studies teacher and basketball standout Bryan Mat-tice attempts a free throw. Mattice had a game-high 23 points despite shoot-ing only 2-for-7 from the free throw line.

continued on page eight, [FacuLtY]

8 March 13, 2009 The WarriorSports

N i s k y A l l s t a r : L ou i s S e r a f i n i

Don’t forget to recycle this issue when you finish reading it!

by KeViN KurtzNer

spOrts

All student-athletes work tire-lessly throughout high school to better themselves both academi-cally and athletically. Senior year is the pinnacle of many careers; it’s an athlete’s last chance to represent their school and them-selves before possibly going on to compete at the collegiate level.

Senior Louis Serafini has taken full advantage of his senior year here at Niskayuna, posting both personal and school records, gar-nering attention from numerous top schools.

Serafini is a three-season run-ner at the high school, a “trackie” if you will. He has been involved in running since middle school, joining the cross-country team in seventh grade. He added the indoor track team to his list in ninth grade and as a sophomore made the final transition to track-ie-status by running outdoor track. Serafini usually took time off from running in the spring to play baseball. This switch came after a very successful indoor season and his first varsity cross-country season earlier that year. “I was really enjoying running on the track team. It wasn’t easy to give up baseball, but in the end I’m happy with my decision,”

said Serafini. Louis faced many obstacles during this year’s cross-country season, the greatest of which was being diagnosed with mono. Because of this, he missed many regular season races. In a feat illustrating his dedication, he managed to recover in time to lead the team to a seventh place finish at Sectionals.

Serafini is now coming off the greatest season of his ca-reer. Coming into the season he owned the school records in the 1600 meter run (4:23:60) and the 3000 meter run (8:57:35). Looking to build upon these ac-complishments, Louis trained harder than ever and tacked three more records onto his list: the 800 meter run (1:54:96), 3200 meter run (9:37:32) and the 1 mile run (4:21:90). Throughout the season, he attended count-less prestigious meets, including the Dartmouth Relays, the Yale Invitational and the Brown Invi-tational, in which he earned first place in the mile run.

Just this past weekend he competed in the State meet at Cornell, where he placed fourth in the 1000 meter run. Serafini will cap off this memorable season on the weekend of March 14, when he will compete in the mile run at the Nike Indoor Nationals in

continued From page seven [phYs]

Boston, MA.Serafini’s perfor-

mances not only push him to per-form better, but also enthuse his team-mates. As fellow se-nior Michelle Moller stated, “Louis is an inspirational run-ner. He is always encouraging to ev-eryone in practices and it’s an amazing experience to watch him compete. He is a great friend, ath-lete, and leader.”

As for the rest of the season, Serafini hopes to carry his success inside to the outdoor track. “I really want to end my high school running career on a high note and to achieve some personal goals,” he commented. Among those goals is to break the school record in the 800 meter run, a mark set back in the year of his birth, 1991. He is also aim-ing for a personal record of 4:10 in the mile run.

Serafini will most likely attend Boston College next year. Once

there he will compete all three seasons for the Eagles while si-multaneously pursuing a degree in biology or chemistry.

Congratulations to Louis for his amazing career here at Ni-skayuna and we all wish him the best of luck during both the remainder of this year and next year as well!

F a c u l t y b - b a l l g a m e e x c i t e s way when he airballed a free throw with ten minutes left, a moment symbolic of the faculty’s struggles. They never gave up, and managed to put together a run to close the score somewhat—Mattice and Massie hit back-to-back threes, and DeLano found Chris Bianchi with a nice dish for an easy finish (the only shot Bianchi made all night) – but

in the end it was too little, too late. Flynn hit a layup in the final seconds to make the final score 73-55.

The lasting memory of the night, despite the loss, will be Mattice’s performance, which will go down as one of the best in Faculty vs Phys Ed history. The faculty member dropped 23 points, including three treys, and couldn’t be stopped even when the opponents knew it was coming; the only way to slow him down was to

foul him (Mattice was 2-for-7 from the line). Massie was next in line with ten points for the faculty. But four players from the phys ed squad ended up in double figures; Hammond led the team with 17 points, while Bellinger finished with 15, and Flynn and Shaw added 12 and 10, respectively. And the phys ed squad made it a threepeat, giving us another full year to wonder if the faculty will be able to eventually break the curse.

Photo Credit/prettysporty.com

PACK LEADER: Senior Louis Serafini runs with all his might during a recent race.