Volume 4 Issue 1:

�ȐсȽȨɜȨɄȽɕ

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E-mail questions, comments, and submissions to laguardiamag@gmail.

Editors in Chief Rachel BergerMari Kroin

JournalistsIsabelle AmentRachel BergerDaria BerstellCarla BorderiesKailee BreauxLauren “ElleCee” Marie CuretClaire EliasSophia FeistVanessa GrasingLizzy HibbardJade JohnsonYasmin KellyMari KroinChui Yu LauAlessandra RaoAlyssa RoseteElla SanandajiElijah SevierNicole WongSophia WilanskyAnnabel WillisFranchette “RJ” Zamudio

Creative Writing Contributors Anonymous Isabelle AmentHarley BoscoYasmin KellyAlessandra RaoElla Sanandaji

Art Contributors Isabelle AmentEmily Chin Esther ForkJade Johnson Clara LuAnnabel Willis

Copy Editing Rachel BergerHarley BoscoYasmin KellyMari Kroin

Layout Team Lizzy HibbardYasmin KellyJade JohnsonClara LuMargo JosephsonAlessandra RaoAlyssa RoseteSophia Wilansky

Club Advisor Dr. Lasky

Many Thanks to Ms. Bruno, Mr. Dorogusker, Dr. Lasky, Ms. Lombardi, Mr. Sokoloff, and

Dr. Stricklin.

9ROXPH���,VVXH�����'HÀQLWLRQVCONTENTS

LETTERS4 From the Editors

LOCAL6 66th Street Barnes and Noble Closing7 Street Art by Mari Kroin9 New Yorkers Question Street Sign Change 10 The Ground Zero Mosque

FEATURES14 Subway Stories: Young Love 17 Horoscopes22 Things My Parents Did 27 Freshman Perspectives46 Where I Live: The Flatiron District

STUDENT LIFE15 Myopia26 Hairspray: Interview with John Walsh28 A LaGuardia Halloween

POLITICS12 The New Left/The New Right

FOOD40 Amy’s Bread 40 Billy’s Bakery41 DUB Pie Shop

FASHION24 Featured Fashion: Coco Chanel25 Quoting Fashion: You Are What You Wear

TECH18 3D TVs: Are They Worth It? 18 History of Computers19 Facebook: Connection or Depression? 20 Is Rate My Teachers Cyberbullying?

PERFORMANCE23 Senior Jazz and Symphonic Band: Some Things Need No Words31 Review: The Scottsboro Boys

MOVIE30 Review: Breakfast at Tiffany’s34 Review: The September Issue35 Review: Paper Moon

TV32 Review: My So-Called Life33 Review: Freaks and Geeks35 Review: Seinfeld

BOOK36 Review: Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City37 Review: The Hunger Games38 Review: It’s Kind Of A Funny Story

POETRY5 Untitled by Y. Kelly5 New York City Mosaic by A. Rao 5 Winter by H. Bosco17 Sagittarius by A. Rao39 To The People I Used To Know39 Dreamer Disabled by E. Sanandaji42 The Blue Rose and the Telegram by A. Rao42 I Can Make Lenses. But Wings? by E. San andajiFICTION43 The Future Is Bright (Part One) by I. Ament

COMICS48 Memento Mori by E. Chin

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Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School

of Music & Art and Performing Arts

100 Amsterdam Avenue

New York, NY 10023

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NEW YORK CITY MOSAIC

A collage of myriads of faces Of every color, shape, and structure Flowing down the veins Of a never ending subway Millions of restless feet In every direction, every rhythm With passing time, creating lines Each, their own path On that lovely city map There is not a color Missing from the palette From the brightest yellow taxi To the darkest subway shadow And every single building Has a spot in the mosaic A piece of perfect artwork The mosaic I call home

- Alessandra Rao

UNTITLED I used to know that I was an airplaneXQWLO�,�VDZ�WKH�UHDO�RQHV�FRXOG�Á\��

They told me I was sweet as pieso I let a crust form on my skinand added grains of sugarto make myself sweeter.I got so sweetno one wanted to sink their teeth into me.

I made myself into a typewriterbut the inkwell exploded inside me, ÁRRGLQJ�P\�PHWDO�LQWHVWLQHVZLWK�VOLP\��FKLOO\�ÁXLG�

I grew up under the parental care of treesuntil they talked back no moreand then I became a girl.

I was a black-and-white cat and a famous detective,a scholar of ancient, dusty books,a tiny crack in a new york City sidewalk.

But now I am becoming a woman,and I want those trees to call my name again.

- Yasmin Kelly

WINTER

I can feel winter in the airI like winter, if not simply becauseit reminds you how precious thewarmth is - Harley Bosco

With the new school year came a fresh start to LaG Mag. Last year’s Senior members had gone off to college, leav-ing two intimidated but determined Juniors in their stead. While we were aware of the treacherous road to publication that stood before us, we knew we could pull it off. With the help of our amazing and creative new staff, a few late nights, and a pinch of necessary nagging, this new issue found its way to you.

Over the course of three months, we pushed our writers and contributors to ask themselves four probing questions: What LV� LW�WKDW�GHÀQHV�XV"��+RZ�KDV�VRFLHW\�UHGHÀQHG�LWVHOI�ZLWKLQ�RXU�lifetimes? What can we gain from the past? And where will we go from here? Each member was able to provide unique insight on each of these questions, applying them to topics ranging from local news to social media.

� +RZ�DUH� /D*XDUGLDQV� GHÀQHG"�:H�RIWHQ�GHÀQH�RXU-selves by our majors, but LaG Mag is the work of multi-talented VWXGHQWV�DFURVV�DOO�VL[�VWXGLRV���7KHUH�DUH�LQÀQLWH�NLQGV�RI�FUHDWLYH�expression--poetry, prose, design, even well-crafted journalism--many of which blur the lines between studios as well as between arts and academics. Whether they spend their days in the dance studio, theatre, or before a canvas or computer, creative thinkers will always offer unique and compelling perspectives on society. The tremendous diversity of thought and vision in the fol-lowing pages is testament that in the end, the greatest strength RI�/D*XDUGLD�DUWLVWV�LV�WKDW�ZH�FDQQRW�EH�QDUURZO\�GHÀQHG�

Best Wishes,

Rachel Berger & Mari Kroin Editors in Chief

P.S. Happy Holidays!

From the EditorsVolume 4, Issue 1 �ȐсȽȨɜȨɄȽɕ

The view from layout meetings in room 729

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It’s inevitable. This upcoming January, LaGuardians and Upper West Side natives will be greeted with the closing of the 66th Street Barnes & 1REOH�ERRNVWRUH��� ,�ÀUVW�KHDUG�the news from my brother, who sounded as shocked as I was. I was in total disbelief. Usually, store closings are not so devastating, but really? Barnes & Noble? The bookstore I practically grew up in and still frequent today? It may seem pretty mundane--a bookstore going out of business due to rent hikes. In no time, another retail store will take its place. However, it is also heartbreaking, especially for Upper West Siders like myself, to see this fantastic bookstore suddenly disappear. Barnes & Noble is closing down for typical reasons: the increase in rent, poor business, and an unaffordable extension of the lease. Established on October 20, 1995, the 15-year-old bookstore will close its doors and eventually be replaced with the huge retail clothing store, Century 21. While the closing of Barnes & Noble won’t mean the end of literacy for all the Upper West Siders, it does highlight the effects of

electronic alternatives to bookstores, like E-books and online shopping. What avid reader would want to lug around multiple novels when they can hold a thousand in their hand-held Nook? What customer would want to walk to a bookstore instead of enjoying the convenience of Amazon.com? Of course, these statements don’t apply to all people. Plenty of people--myself included--still enjoy turning pages manually and purchasing a novel in person instead of having it delivered. The closing of Barnes & Noble literally parallels the closing of Tower Records. Located right across the

street from the bookstore, the megastore of CDs and DVDs met its end when iPods, and mp3s in general, turned CDs into mere table coasters. It’s apparent that these technological advances are rapidly changing the business industry for both the better and the worse. Now you may ask, why do I care if Barnes & Noble is closing? How will this affect me? Well, it most likely won’t affect you if you haven’t had any appreciation for the bookstore or any sentimental attachment to it. Most LaGuardians enjoy Barnes & Noble for its close proximity to the school. It’s convenient for students who need to purchase books for educational purposes. It provides entertainment to RWKHUV�ZKR�IUHTXHQW�WKH�ÀFWLRQ�or graphic novel section. Not only that, but Barnes & Noble has a wide variety of paper crafts and art supplies to fuel creative needs. It even holds a cafe on the upper section of the building for those who need to relax after a tiring day at work or school. Not just LaGuard-ians are affected by the

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Okay, so I don’t know the name of this person, but I do know his or her work. This mystery man or woman has been leaving LEGO people parts all over the downtown C and E station at 23rd street. He or she seems to favor replacing the heads of billboard celebrities and poster salesmen with those of LEGO people. It is not clear what the artist’s goal is, but it seems to have something to do with the commercialism that dominates our everyday lives. Whatever the case, if you happen to be at the 23rd street C and E stop, keep an eye our for happy (or not so happy) LEGO heads.

By Mari Kroin

Photos by Mari Kroin

66th Street Barnes & Noble Closing

close, but also those who consider the 66th Street Barne & Noble their local bookstore. I practically grew up in Barnes & Noble. As a kid, I remember immersing myself in the numerous picture books in the children’s section. It was there that I ZDV�ÀUVW�LQWURGXFHG�WR�FODVVLF�children’s authors such as Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and R.L Stein, who served as inspiration to the creative side of my developing mind.

Barnes & Noble also fueled many of my ambitions. When ,�ZDV� MXVW�D�JLUO� LQ� ÀUVW�JUDGH��I used to be so passionate about astronomy that I’d sit in some obscure corner of the bookstore, reading various facts about outer space for hours. As time passed, my interest shifted to paleontology. I’d dig XS� ZKDWHYHU� ,� FRXOG� ÀQG�about the subject, from dinosaur bones to the various prehistoric eras. Whatever my capricious interests were, Barnes & Noble would have the right books to satiate those needs. I’m sure that many can empathize with me. Though the 66th street Barnes & Noble may not

be your local bookstore, you probably understand the feeling of having much admiration for a certain place that has made a profound impact on you, such as a having much admiration for a certain place that has made a profound impact on you, such as a childhood playground or a neighborhood that you’ve long moved away from. I will sorely miss Barnes & Noble when it closes. Border’s bookstore in Columbus Circle can never replace the fond childhood memories, nor will it ever compare to how much Barnes & Noble means to me.

By Alyssa Rosete

Lego Man

STREET ART

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Photos and Articles by Mari Kroin Shepard Fairey has left his distinct brand of street art on NYC for years. Almost everyone is familiar with his “Obey” Andre the Giant propaganda stencils; and if anyone has missed out, check the bottom of lamp posts in Chelsea and Soho or log onto www.obeygiant.com. Unfortunately, with the fast pace of the city his obey giants are scuffed around and taken for granted; but lucky for us city rats, he recently stenciled an image about six feet tall around 30th and 7th. The piece features two 50’s era men and none other than a card of Andre the Giant. While there is no solid proof this image is from Fairey himself, considering he has many imposters, it does seem to follow the style of some of his past works featuring Nixon and a man resembling Ronald Regan. Unfortunately, as of March, the art haters of the city have painted over the masterpiece leaving a thick layer of gray paint in its place.

Courtesy of nydailynews.com

New Yorkers Question Street Sign Change

By Jade Johnson

This September, the Federal Highway Administration announced a project to replace the lettering of all the street signs in New York City from all upper case to partially lowercase. For example, a sign reading “SPRING ST” will be replaced with one reading “Spring St.” The material of the signs will also be changed to one that LV� OHVV� UHÁHFWLYH�� �0DQ\�VLJQV�throughout the city have already been replaced, but it is going to take a long time to replace all of the signs in DOO�ÀYH�ERURXJKV���7KH�SURMHFW�LV�VHW�WR�EH�ÀQLVKHG�LQ������ The explanation

is that these new and improved signs are easier to read. For many drivers, it takes some time to read signs, especially with glare from the sun. This can be extremely dangerous for pedestrians crossing streets. The lower case lettering and the new material of the signs of the signs are meant to prevent such accidents.

The project as a whole is estimated to cost $27.6 million. This may sound like a great deal of money, but the Department of Transportation claims that they are given even larger DPRXQWV� RI� PRQH\� WR� À[�transportation problems each year. The plan is merely a small dent in the budget. The next question: is this truly a good idea? 96% of LaGuardia students

asked replied, “no.” No one replied, “yes.” Clearly, a dislike of the project is common among LaGuardia students. The taxes that everyone pays go directly into plans like this. This is certainly disturbing considering that almost everyone disagrees with the plan. However, good things may come from the plan as well. Many jobs are created from tedious tasks like this, especially tasks lasting as long as this one. There are so many people who have recently lost their jobs, and this project is an opportunity to bring that number down. The whole design may sound like a ridiculous waste of time and money, but it is more than black and white.

Shepard Fairey

Jan Vormann

STREET ART

Jan Vormann, 26, along with a crew ranging from 3-40 years of age, have WUDYHOHG�DOO�RYHU�WKH�ZRUOG�ÀOOLQJ�in broken bricks and stones with /(*2� SLHFHV�� � +H� KDV� ÀQDOO\�reached New York! While small, KLV� /(*2� ÀOOHUV� KDYH� DGGHG�some much needed touch-ups to broken buildings scattered all over the city. Jan’s drive behind WKHVH�FRORUIXO� ÀOOHUV� LV� WR� VLPSO\�“support Mayor Bloomberg in his everyday-struggle to make this city even more amazing!” He proves that it’s the little things that can make the biggest impact. It’s hard to say whether his LEGOs have

survived the city’s fast-paced environment but as of February his work has been seen across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden at 32nd Street and 7th, West 42nd Street RXWVLGH� RI� %U\DQW� 3DUN�� (DVW� ��WK�Street and 5th Avenue outside of Central Park, 524 Hudson Street, and West 21st Street and 10th Avenue at the General Theological Seminary.Courtesy of nydailynews.com

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It’s not surprising just how intense people have been getting over the construction of an Islamic community center, called Park51. Americans have not forgotten the tragedy of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center one bit, and the idea of a place near Ground Zero devoted to the Muslim community and worship wounds the families left bereft by the attack. Opponents claim that erecting the “mosque” is tantamount to building a monument to Hitler near Auschwitz. This implies that Muslims themselves are both the enemy and the reason

The arguments against the alleged “Ground Zero mosque” mainly revolve around two points: the “mosque” is a place of worship for the people who bombed our city on Septem-ber 11, 2001, and the “mosque” is located at Ground Zero. Both these conceptions are false. The “Ground Zero mosque,” as it has been dubbed by the media, isn’t at Ground Zero, but two blocks away, and isn’t even a mosque--it’s actually a public IslamicCommunity Center. Some

The Ground Zero MosqueThree LaGuardia students weigh in on the controversy.

If I went around the city and asked people if they knew what Park51 was, or anything about the Cordoba House, chances are I’d receive blank looks. If I asked the same people if they knew about the “Ground Zero mosque,” their answers would be (presumably) knowledgeable and charged with strong opinions. The fact that Park51 and the so-called “Ground Zero mosque” are one and the same project says a lot about how the media is negatively portraying the religious and cultural center, and how Americans are choosing to see this project. Among various other epithets, the cultural center has been called a “victory mosque” and a “swift kick in the teeth” to the memory of those who died in 9/11 (New York Post). It has been compared to a Nazi organization building, a center outside the Holocaust museum, and condemned by protesters as an Islamist victory over America. Even people who claim to recognize the right of the owners of Park51 in building a cultural center

add that it should not be built LQ� WKDW� VSHFLÀF� DUHD�� 6DUDK�Palin tweeted, “We all know they have a right to do it, but should they?” I’m confused. Is everyone choosing to ignore the fact that the “Ground Zero mosque” will not just be a place of worship, but also the Cordoba House, a community center focused on learning about and tolerating other religions? Or that the center is not going to be built on top of Ground Zero, but two blocks away? Or that the imam of the mosque, Feisal Abdul Rauf, has stated repeatedly that he and his congregation are in no way supportive of radical, extremist beliefs, and has even promised to be transparent about the sources of funding for the project? Do Americans really not know these things? There remains Sarah Palin’s argument in her twitter feed, and with it the underlying current of prejudice and paranoia directed towards Muslim Americans across the country. I dare anyone to explain to me how building a mosque made up of peace-loving, American citizens near

the site of the Twin Towers is offensive to the memories of those who died on 9/11, without coming to the conclusion thatIslam is the symbol for everything anti-American. I dare them to claim that Park51 is “insensitive” to the memory of 9/11 without making a blanket statement about all mosques and all Muslims: that they harbor anti-American feelings. Muslim Americans have as equal a share in the grief we all still harbor in the wake of 2001, because they too are Americans. The mosque they go to and the religion they adhere to does not by default make them un-American or separate from American joys and anguishes such as September 11th. It’s terrible that we hear the word “mosque” and automatically think of suicide ERPEHUV�DQG� ÁDJ�EXUQLQJ� LQ�WKH� ÀUVW� SODFH�� � ,Q� WKH�PLQGV�of many Americans, Islam itself has come to symbolize the “enemy,” the evil of 9/11 and terrorism. If Americans did not associate Islam the religion with terrorism, no one would be upset that a cultural center that includes a mosque is to be built near Ground Zero. I will go so far as to say that there is no MXVWLÀFDWLRQ� IRU� IHHOLQJ� XSVHW�about the proximity of a mosque to the site of the Twin Towers. It is the wrong place to be directing one’s anger. A mosque is merely a house of Islamic worship, just another religion among the thousands that exist in the world. It is not any more hateful than any other religion in the world; there just happens to be a minority of hateful people who identify themselves as Muslim, and those people will GHÀQLWHO\� QRW� EH� DW� 3DUN���� - Yasmin Kelly

An anti-anti protest responds to the “Mosque” uproar

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for the deaths on September 11th, a sweeping and bigoted accusation. We cannot ask Muslim Americans to give up their right to building a community center, even if it is near to Ground Zero. The only reason it should not be built is to prevent such controversy DQG� LQÁDPLQJ� SHRSOH� ZKR�feel such empathy for the loss of their fellow Americans. Because Ground Zero has been turned into a case of national pride, people may be less inclined to get the information straight. Many neglect the fact that the plan is not for a mosque, - Vanessa Grasing

but for a community center, and that it is not directly on Ground Zero, but a few blocks off. The plan provides WKH� RSSRUWXQLW\� WR� LQÁDPH�residual prejudice towards Muslims from September 11th. It is disheartening that such a response would occur to say the least, but that is the reality of the situation. Now that the community center is under the eye of the nation, though, there is nothing to stop people from formulating their own opinions, regardless of how much they know about it.

believe that the community center could be a meet-ing and recruitment point for potential Islamic terror-ists. However, the commu-nity center is for “moder-ates,” not Islamic extremists. What many people do not realize about Islam is that it is not a violent religion. Then why did Muslims hijack three SODQHV� DQG� Á\� WZR� RI� WKHP�into downtown New York, one might ask? They didn’t--

extremist groups did. Islamic extremist organizations are to Islam as the KKK is to Chris-tianity. When one thinks of &KULVWLDQLW\��RQH·V�ÀUVW�WKRXJKW�aren’t the KKK, so why are extremists the only thing we see when it comes to Islam? If we oppress the efforts of moderates to make their culture and religion more accessible to us, we will continue to live in fear and in the shadow of 9/11. - Daria Berstell

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Pen & Ink drawing by Jade Johnson

� 7KH�PRVW�WHOOLQJ�VRXUFH�RI�LQIRUPDWLRQ�RQ�WKH�7HD�3DUW\�LV�GHÀQLWHO\�QRW�WKHLU�signup website. After scanning the homepage and watching the embedded YouTube video, it’s still hard to tell what exactly the Tea Party is, as they so often say, “fed up” with. Members of the movement, which began in 2009 as a response to healthcare reform and government bailouts, liken themselves to the founding fathers of our country in that they stand up against “subjugation” and oppressive taxes. They name the United States Constitution as the basis of their political beliefs. The Tea Party says that president Obama and his administration are leading the country

towards socialism. They also believe that terrorism is a huge threat to the future of the nation. They support lowering taxes and lessening the reach

of the federal government, which they claim is a dire problem. The long-term impact of this group has yet to be seen, but with a rising

number of supporters, it seems the Tea Party will make sure their voices are heard.

The New Right/ The New LeftMidterm Election Report by Sophia Wilansky

The Republicans ZRQ� VLJQLÀFDQW� YLFWRULHV�this November 2nd, gain-LQJ���6HQDWH�VHDWV�DQG����House seats. This is due to the large Republican voter turnout, bolstered by the Tea Party. The Demo-crats failed to garner the same enthusiasm, as many people who voted for President Obama in ����� FKRVH� QRW� WR� FRPH�to the polls this year. The revitalized conservatives have, among other things, removed three Iowa State Supreme Court Justices who support gay mar-riage. Ballot initiatives, in which voters are directly DVNHG� DERXW� VSHFLÀF� LV-sues, are often very indica-tive of popular sentiment. Arizonans voted to ban DIÀUPDWLYH� DFWLRQ� DQG��along with Oklahomans and Missourians, rejected mandatory participation in a federal healthcare system. Although the Tea Party helped in the House elections, some people have suggested that the group hindered the Sen-ate elections. Tea Party Senate candidates Shar-ron Angle in Nevada, Ken Buck in Colorado, and Christine O’Donnell in Del-aware beat establishment Republicans in the prima-ry but lost in the general election. Many voters, for example, were turned off by O’Donnell’s archaic views on sex or her admis-sion that she once “dab-bled in witchcraft.” More respected Republican candidates would most likely have had a bet-ter chance at defeating Democratic opponents.

While Tea Par ty politicians can be extreme—or just plain weird—the group is, at its heart, a movement concerned with the san-econcept of downsizing the government. Tea Par-tiers are more concerned with economic issues than social issues, putting an emphasis on taxes, jobs, and the budget. Accord-ing to a CBS News poll, WKRXJK�� IRUW\�ÀYH�SHUFHQW�of the Tea Party’s constitu-ency believes that its main goal is to reduce the role of the federal govern-ment. Ninety-two percent are afraid that President Obama is moving the country toward socialism. Liberals are in-deed leaning more and more towards socialism, which is not necessarily a bad thing. They support extension of social equali-ty, increased regulation of the economy, and protec-tion of the environment. California’s Proposition 23, which would remove re-strictions on carbon emis-sions, failed by a large margin this November. En-vironmental reforms, then, have not been set back by the election. Liberals also support the central-ization of health care and want to end tax cuts for the rich. While leftist re-forms would promote equality, some Americans fear that freedom would be the price. Others are VLPSO\� GLVVDWLVÀHG� ZLWK�the Democrats who have been in power. Many of those who had high ex-pectations for President Obama found themselves

disappointed by the reali-ty of his administration. His handling of healthcare re-form, for example, turned off a number of Ameri-cans. Some people were upset that he did not push though a public option; others did not like the idea of centralized healthcare LQ� WKH� ÀUVW� SODFH�� ,Q� RXU�deeply divided Congress, LW�FDQ�EH�GLIÀFXOW�WR�HIIHFW�any real change. As the people’s trust of the ma-jority party falls, their sup-port of the minority party increases. This is why the minority often experiences a revival during a midterm election. The Republicans now control the House of Representatives, while Democrats have tenu-ously clung on to a Senate majority. With the increase in Republicans, President Obama’s agenda will be VORZHG�VLJQLÀFDQWO\���0LWFK�McConnell, Republican minority leader in the Sen-ate, has stated that his top priority is to prevent the President’s reelection. Still, the Democrats will persist. When people become tired of the Republicans, they may well put the Democrats back in control. The cycle will continue. In this political climate, it is hard to tell what will be a mere fad and what will be a lasting trend. Will the nascent Tea Party fade away or persist? Are the people taking a real turn towards conservatism, or will they change their minds again two years from now? It’s up to our generation to decide.

So… What is the Tea Party?

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with their family. Mothers and fathers work all day tomake ends meet, unable to raise their children into adults. Myopia comes in allshapes and forms, but it’s time for a change of point of view. You ask: whyshould I get involved in knowing my faith in this world? Why does it matterwhat I believe? Is there is God or a higher power? Is there a meaning to life? What you believe, and what you hold to be true, affects how you leadyour life. Everyone is a theologian and has a reli-gion. The God or the higherpower in our lives is some-one or something that we all live for. That thing,person, or creator, or object is what we look onto for full satisfaction, pleasure, and “completion.” You have probably heard girlfriends or boyfriends say something along the lines of “She/he completes me. She/he is the one.” It may seem silly in retrospect, but many people place their full hap-piness, feelings, and satis-

Young Love����������� �3

by Franchette “RJ” Zamudio

Myopiaby Chui Yu Lau

fore she went back to to each other’s hands as if the world depended on it. Both of them seemed like they would never let go. As it all sunk into my head, I realized that these two babies, innocent as they were, put everyone in that crowded car to shame. I looked behind me, where an old woman was standing in front of all those people. No one cared to offer her a seat. How infants show more understanding for one another than adults do! Do people learn such complex things as they get older only to forget the simplest, most obvious—not even man-ners—but what should have EHHQ� FRPPRQ� UHÁH[HV"��One time, I saw a woman crying in her seat. No one held her hand. No one asked her if she was alright. Everyone just stared. Nigel’s action proves that a human being does not need much experience or years in this world to grasp the idea that all a crying individual needs is someone to hold on to. “Well, look at that...” the baby girl’s mother said. Both moth-ers watched two complete strangers holding on to each other, a love of some sort peeking through these very young hearts.

the baby girl’s hair and tried to pull it unsuccessfully. The baby girl woke up. Slow tears fell from her little blue eyes. The typical, unbear-DEOH� ´EDE\� VFUHDPVµ� ÀOOHG�the subway car. The baby boy’s mom looked at the woman apologetically as she pulled her son away. “No…. bad Nigel,” she said. Nigel stared at the crying baby girl for a few moments, a clueless boy ob-serving something unknown. He reached for her again, this time not for her hair, but for her tiny hand. I won-dered what was in this baby boy’s mind. By holding on to her, was he trying to apolo-gize or comfort her? Could it be that this mere human being, who may not have HYHQ�XWWHUHG�KLV� ÀUVW�ZRUGV��was able to understand the reason for the baby girl’s tears? Then again, he loved pulling his mother’s hair and did not hold her hand when she scolded him. What was it that made him hold on to this baby girl? The baby girl stopped crying. The two babies stared at each other for about ten seconds be-head, I realized that these

There’s one thing I am highly fascinated with—babies. I love babies. I’m not sure if it’s their cute-ness that makes my heart soften, or the fact that I al-ways wanted a baby sister or brother. Whatever the reason, a few weeks ago, when I got on the crowded F Train at Rockefeller Center after a long day of strolling and saw a mother on one of the blue seats of the car wearing a front-facing baby carrier while her little angel, a baby boy, was busy pulling her hair, I knew that stand-ing for the next whole hour was going to be worth it. As if that wasn’t such a precious image al-ready, another woman barged in hurriedly with a stroller, just as the quick doors closed. A baby girl was peacefully sleeping in the stroller. The second woman leaned back on one of the doors with her stroller right in front of her, beside the moth-er and the baby boy. After a few minutes, the mother released the baby boy from the baby carrier and set him on her lap. The boy trained his eyes on the girl’s thin, strawberry blond hair. It was easy to predict what would hap-pen next. He grasped at

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You go to school. You go to all your class-es on time (hopefully).You sit in each class through-out the day. You go home or to an afterschoolactivity. This is the daily routine of many students and teachers alike. Arewe missing something in this cyclic and imprisoning routine? Is there somethinggreater that deserves our attention and our time? I’m not talking about thetypes of shoes that you want to buy for your birthday or the homework that youhave to complete be-fore the week ends. I’m talking about somethingcontroversial and some-thing that stretches beyond what we can see. It’s whathappens after death. Many people, my-self included, have a case of myopia. These peopleare nearsighted; they can only see what is in front of them. Students focus onthe projects that they must complete rather than spending quality time build- ing a lifelong relationship

faction into a single person. This is why break ups are soGLIÀFXOW� DQG� SDLQIXO�� � <RX�could live your life for the current love of your life, but would those warm gushy feelings in the stomach last 5 years down the road? Don’t get me wrong, but there is nothing wrong with dating. There is also nothing wrong with loving to spend, use, and save money. But don’t make it your full satisfaction, because one day that mon-ey or even that boy/girlfriendcan be swept away. Seek and pursue what is forever in this life. We came into the world with nothing, and therefore we cannot take anything with us. Look with your eyes to see beyond the daily rou-tine of going to school and coming home. If this column brings you to volunteer at a soup kitchen or attend a re-ligious or spiritual place, you have come closer to living a life that leaves a legacyon earth, even after death.

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Icons by Jade Johnson

Pisces (Feb 19-March 20)7RGD\�LV�\RXU�PRQWK�WR�DFTXLUH�D�ÀVK��3UHIHUDEO\�D�OLYH�one. The forecast for your star is cloudy and uncer-WDLQ�� DQG� ÀOOHG� ZLWK� XQOXFN\� RPHQV�� $� ÀVK� LV� WKH� YHU\�thing you need to counterbalance all that unfortuitous GUXGJH��$FTXLULQJ�D�ÀVK��WKH�DQLPDO�RI�\RXU�]RGLDF��ZLOO�reinforce the essence of you, making your spirit stron-JHU�LQ�WKH�IDFH�RI�WKH�IDWHV��VR�WKH�PRUH�ÀVK�WKH�EHWWHU�

by Kailee Breaux, Jade Johnson, and Ella Sanandaji I am swallowed by the dreamthe dream of Sagittarius$�YDFDQW�ÀHOG�LOOXPLQDWHG�E\�FRQVWHOODWLRQVvivid in the night

He stands alone, my archer mateaiming an arrow in the shape of a spadeall alone, in the wildernessan open meadow of grass

My heart defying its semi-broken shell,Sagittarius shifts the arrow to mearcher mate, how could you betray me?an absent correlation within the constellations

without a word to break the silencehe breaks his grip and suddenly, so suddenlythat arrow dwindles into stardustour livid eyes connect

without a word to break the silencehe breaks his grip and suddenly, so suddenlythat arrow dwindles into stardustour livid eyes connect

the force can never let me runI’d rather feel the arrow plunge into my heartthan watch it turn to stardustSagittarius in silhouette against an augmented moon

Archer stands valiant and unbrokenarrows gripped in the sinister palmWhat an encounter, my stellar matestrike me with your arrow of spade

with a poisonous kiss I cascade to the grounddown to the phases of the elementsSagittarius, come to me, strike meso that I can never feel again.

- Alessandra Rao

SAGITTARIUSHoroscopes

Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22)Virgos are kind and caring. These at-tributes earn you a great deal of trust, but you really need to stop being such a push-over! If you for once do not let a distaste-ful classmate push you out of the way on the escalators, you will earn a great deal of respect and you will be remembered for many graduating classes.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)Build an emotional barrier; prepare your-self for artistic rejection. Don’t forget, everyone goes through it, especially at LaGuardia. Instead of sulking, learn from this experience; it will help you later in life.

Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)You do not like your life to be complicated, but right now all of your hard classes and team practices are making it GLIÀFXOW� WR�PDLQWDLQ�EDODQFH�� � <RXU� WHDFKHUV�DUHQ·W�FDOO-ing in sick any time soon and the homework will keep piling. The solution? Incorporate practice for your sport in your classes and derive studying methods from sports!

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)Try something new; discover a new talent – working in the midst of all this art will pre-pare you for new artistic discoveries. These discoveries will change your perspective

Scorpio (Oct 23- Nov 21)You will meet your true love while waiting in line for your guidance counselor. Unfortunately, someone with the same counselor already has eyes on your VRXO� PDWH�� � %HLQJ� WKH� ÀJKWHU� WKDW� \RX� DUH�� SUHWHQG�that you have the same counselor, too! Start some small talk about that schedule change you’ve been wanting and make your way to romance from there.

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21)An unexpected school break will impact your attitude greatly, and will give you time to heal from internal wounds and WR� UHVROYH� LQQHU� GLIÀFXOWLHV�� (YHU\WKLQJ�ZLOO�seem less demanding, helping you to fo-cus on the more important things in life.

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)Be careful this month. Danger is on the the horizon. The stars are not in your favor. In fact, one could even say that the stars are surrounding your star, crouched for an attack. Of course, given the jovial nature characteristic to your zodiac, you probably won’t believe me. Too bad.

Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 22)'RQ·W�Á\�WRR�IDU�DZD\�WRR�IDVW��\RX·OO�OHDYH�\RXU�ÁRFN�EHKLQG��7UXH�IULHQGVKLS�LV�VRPH-thing that cannot be acquired immediately. Use your keen character judgment to help \RX�ÀQG�WKH�IULHQGV�WKDW�ZLOO�ODVW�D�OLIHWLPH�

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)Your even and calculating nature might lead you to cut out some creative possibilities. Remember this little piece of advice: Don’t be a square. Seriously. You don’t want to end up stuck with the single expression Kristen Stewart has in all of her movies. I mean, You don’t want to turn into a robot or something. Now, as you’re getting all huffy and indignant about that last comment, you might want to join the meditation club to help even out those mood swings.

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)<RX�ZLOO�ÀQDOO\�FRQYLQFH�\RXU�GUDPD�WHDFK-er’s agent to represent you in your quest to become the spokesperson for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Watch out for any Capri-corn managers who might not like you very PXFK���-XVW�UHPHPEHU�WR�ÁDS�WKRVH�ZLQJV�and be proud of who you are at auditions!

Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 18)Something unexpected will happen to you. Soon. It could be anything. But it will be unex-SHFWHG�� � 5HPHPEHU� WKDW� \RX� KHDUG� LW� KHUH� ÀUVW�

18 19

�� ,W�DOO�VWDUWHG�GXULQJ�::,,�ZLWK�D�QHHG�IRU�IDVWHU�PDWKHPDWLFDO�FRPSXWLQJ���,Q�������WKH�ÀUVW�UHDO�FRPSXWHU�was built. Using the binary system instead of the base-10 system, this computer could remember up to 72 digits at

a time. Almost all it did, though, was calculate. In 1951, a new computer was invented, this one using internal, amendable programming instead of physical wires that had to be moved. In 1957, a new computer language

ZDV�LQYHQWHG��RQH�WKDW�PHDQW�WKDW�FRPSXWHUV�ZRXOG�EH�SURJUDPPHG�PRUH�HDVLO\���,Q�������WKH�ÀUVW�‘microcomputer’ was invented. This was a computer that was what we now call about average size for

a desktop computer, considered miniscule then. E-mail was also invented around this time as a form of near-instant communication between all people connected on a network. In 1976, a small company FDOOHG�$SSOH�&RPSXWHUV�,QF��ZDV�LQYHQWHG��FKDQJLQJ�WKH�LQGXVWU\�IRUHYHU���7KH�$SSOH���ZDV�WKH�ÀUVW�

computer with a keyboard. All that it needed was to be plugged in to a monitor. The Apple 2, FRPLQJ�WKH�QH[W�\HDU��ZDV�WKH�ÀUVW�PDVV�SURGXFHG�FRPSXWHU���,Q������0LFURVRIW�:LQGRZV�RSHUDWLQJ�V\VWHP�ZDV�LQYHQWHG��DQG�LQ�������WKH�ÀUVW�SRUWDEOH�FRPSXWHU�ZDV�LQYHQWHG���&RPSXWHUV�KDYH�evolved from basic computing devices to the complex machinery we have today, going from XQNQRZQ��YDJXH�VFL�À�GHYLFHV�WR�DQ�LWHP�IRXQG�LQ�DOPRVW�HYHU\�KRXVHKROG�

Facebook: Connection or Depression?

by Franchette “RJ Zamudio

As I started meeting new people DW�/D*XDUGLD��WKH�ÀUVW�TXHVWLRQV�,�UHFHLYHG�were “What’s your name again?”, “Your major?” and “Are you on Facebook?” This social network, as it claims, has truly made it easier to connect and share with the people around us, sometimes even with people we are absolutely not fond of (that’s what the amazing “block button” is for). However, like everything in our society, Facebook has its dark sides. These include verbal misunderstandings between friends, loss of friends, and the ever so controversial issue -- cyberbullying. With new technology comes new ways of approaching situations such as bullying. These are cases in which even the trusty block button can be of little or no use at all. Yes, the bullying has quelled over the years, but the scar remains. That offensive wall post has already been posted and read; whether it was deleted afterwards or not, it was there. It is ironic that people nowadays add or accept the people who bully them, knowing that nothing pleasant can result. If that’s not the case, and one’s friends suddenly malign things on one’s wall, then that proves to be even more depressing.

“You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies,” claims the trailer for the recent movie The

Social Network. Who can really have even just 500 real friends all at once in the real world? It is impossible. If some people do have more than 500 friends on Facebook, I can with much hubris say that that number includes relatives, people from school who they don’t really talk to, and mutual friends they don’t entirely know. I too am guilty, for I have on occasion accepted people who I am not completely familiar with. Speaking of friends, I have witnessed a confrontation amongst friends over some guy who they both claimed on Facebook to be “in a relationship with” at the same time. Not only did Facebook help them connect and share, it also opened their eyes to the reality that this guy was a total cheater. Unfortunately, friends can be removed from your so-called “Friends List” with just one click. It is interesting to consider that Facebook might have been created this way on purpose. Unlike real life, on the site people come into and out of your life in a matter of seconds. Despite its negative features, Facebook remains the number one social network in the world we live in today.

The History of Computers by Sophia Feist

Courtesy of samsung.com

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3D televisions are some of the new high tech gadgets on the market today. But when contemplating whether to spend some extra cash on the TV, just for that IMAX effect, you have to ask: Is it worth it? People want to watch VRFFHU�EDOOV�DQG�PHWHRULWHV�Á\LQJ�DW�them as they watch television. That’s why so many companies concluded that they should sell a product such as this. But if you think about it, are there many TV shows that have any items that move towards the viewer now, without the 3D effect? I suspect that television may change in the future, EXW� ZLOO� QHZVFDVWHUV� Á\� RXW� DW� WKH�viewer if you buy the 3D television? The purpose of this television is to make people feel as though they are in the movie theater, even if the people are just watching a television show at home. The viewers might even feel as though they are saving money -- but are they? The televisions come in a range of sizes, however, when compared to a regular television, they are

around one thousand dollars more! Compared to the price of actually going to the movies, it would take buyers around 15 years to actually begin saving money! Sure, it’s a cool gadget, but RQFH�WKH�WKULOO�RI�Á\LQJ�EDQDQDV�ZHDUV�off I presume buyers will get depressed because of their empty pockets. RATING: 2/5 Stars

Review by Isabelle Ament

Courtesy of gev.com

20 21

by Lizzy Hibbard

Is Rate My Teachers Cyberbullying?

by Yasmin Kelly

In the good old days, when computers were large enough to ÀOO� KXJH� URRPV�DQG� WKH�idea of an “internet” was non-existent, stu-dents would pick their ÀJKWV�RQ�WKH�SOD\JURXQG���There were face-to face showdowns, screaming PDWFKHV�� ÀVWÀJKWV�� � 8Q-fortunately for us, we live in the 21st century, where at our leisure, from the comfort of our chairs, we can hurl ven-omous words at each other until one of us is broken. “Bullying” is not a big enough word for what goes on in the pecking order of K-12; this new form of harass-ment, shaped by the way the anonymity of the internet makes hu-man beings behave, merits a name of its own: cyberbullying. In recent years, cyberbul-lying has become a chi-mera and an epidemic, brought to our attention by tragic stories of teen and pre-teen suicide. It has come to mean something viler than your average, day-to day insults, but our perception of it retains one thing similar to the days of old-fashioned bullying. We see it as KDUDVVPHQW� LQÁLFWHG� RQ�students, by students. We hardly ever con-sider adults who are out of school as potential targets for cyberbul-lying—but are they? Several stu dents and teach-ers at LaGuardia say yes. Consider rate-myteachers.com, a website cre- ated as a forum for students

tales: they checked their ratings once, were GLVVDWLVÀHG�ZLWK�WKH�ODFN�of constructive criticism or shocked by some of the more mean-spirited comments, and re-solved to focus solely on what they do in the classroom. “I didn’t sign XS�WR�EH�D�SXEOLF�ÀJXUH�when I started to teach,” one English teacher said as we sat down to talk. “It’s like teachers are thinking to themselves, ‘Watch what you say, for it might get typed up and printed for the world to see...’” Things the teachers say or do are picked apart; their personality traits andmannerisms are made fun of, even if they re-ally are working hard for their students. He’s seen teachers who have watered down their performance in the classroom because of places like Rate My Teachers. A teacher who is afraid to say in-teresting things can only be one thing: boring. In that sense, Rate My Teachers may be a new, different form of cyberbullying, more passive and yield-ing less dramatic results than among minors. Whether this website can be raised to the cal-iber of notoriety already achieved among teen-age circles on Face-book and Formspring, at the end of the day it’s more of a place for students to unwind and express opinions than a site to be taken serious-ly in judging teachers on their performance.

you have to check,” one Junior told me. “Teach-ers don’t have to look at their ratings... rate-myteachers.com is just talking behind people’s backs. It’s not bullying, it’s something else.” In-deed, it doesn’t seem that many teacher do check their ratings. Out RI� ��� WHDFKHUV� DVNHG��only four said they checked their ratings on the website. Several teachers I approached had not even known about ratemyteachers.com prior to my men-tion of it. One of my best teachers looked stunned and dubious when she found out that she had ratings on a website. “Oh God, I’m scared now,” she joked, but she looked slightly troubled all the same. I ended up wish-ing I hadn’t told her. “ [ R a t e -myteachers] is useless,” said Ms. Kingham, a Social Studies teacher. “It’s just griping—a pop-

ularity contest.” She added that she’s given out anonymous sur-veys at the end of the school year to her stu-dents, which always yield more constructive results; this is most likely because there are spe-FLÀF�TXHVWLRQV�WR�DQVZHU�instead of an open box inviting general com-mentary. Ms. Kingham and several of her col-leagues told me similar

and parents to rate their teachers in middle school and high school. Drama majors Justin Jones and Rachel Wein-er Berger both felt the website was a bad idea. “Any type of negative, purposely hurtful com-ment [online] is cyber-bullying,” said Jones. Is Rate My Teachers a website that’s primarily an outlet for cyberbullying? And is the online harassment really abuse in the same sense that cruel com-ments on chat rooms, Facebook and Form-spring are? Rate My 7HDFKHUV� KDV� ÀOWHUV� DQG�will eventually delete anything obscene, but some of the commen-tary students write for teachers can be re-ally vicious. There was a particular comment saying that one teacher “should be put out of her misery.” Yet most stu-dents agree that call-ing RMT “cyberbullying” is a stretch. In a poll of ���VWXGHQWV�����VDLG�WKDW�Rate My Teachers was not cyberbullying—the idea seemed absurd to most. After all, teachers are adults and, in theo-ry, secure enough to let verbal abuse roll off their backs. Math teacher Ms. Reich agreed. “The balance of power be-tween teachers and students is so heavily [skewed] in the teach-er’s favor--so it’s OK that students have a forum where they can express their opinions.” “It’s not like Facebook, where you have an actual account

Rating how much one likes or dislikes people on the internet seems like a slam dunk for cyberbullies. Opinions vary, however, when it is teachers who are be-ing rated. The site clearly denies in the FAQ sec-tion that its purpose is just a way to “get even with teachers” by stat-ing that about 60% of the feedback is positive. However, that still means that 40% of the feedback is negative, and 60% is not a passing score. One must remember that the people being rated are not just teachers but that they are also people who care what others think of them. An average La-Guardia teacher teaches over a hundred students a day, and knowing their “score” can actually negatively affect how they teach. S c r o l l i n g through the site, the easi-est way to see the vary-ing scores are the icons on the left hand side. Sunglasses on a smiling icon are the best; a blue icon with a frown is the worst. Most students view the site as a good refer-ence for personal use. It seems to be most helpful to freshman who want to know as much about a new school as possible. Without complicated scoring systems, being able to quickly see how much people like the teachers can give a new student a feeling of be-ing a little more oriented. It can also be a great reference for a great reference for stu-dents who might not im-mediately click with a

teacher. Students can come into class with a better understanding of the teacher. The best use for this site is most likely when one needs use for this site is most likely when one needs to choose one’s classes. Trying to pick between teachers would make this site a helpful resource. Rate-myteachers.com has even established a stu-dent from each school to act as a moderator for their school. The moder-ator corrects the spelling of the teachers’ names, adds more teachers to the database, and reviews and edits the comments. One can only hope that the mod-erator is not biased. Ratemyteach-ers.com does not allow comments to say any-thing about a teacher that does not directly link to their teaching abili-ties. All the comments are checked before they are allowed to go on the wall. If anything too of-fensive is posted about their appearance or per-sonal life, it will be delet-ed. It is clear that the site is made with the best in-tentions of trying to keep the ratings accurate and about academics. One freshman made the distinction that talking about a teacher’s character is cyberbully-ing, but critiquing their teaching style is more like a movie review than it is bullying. Though a very good point, there is room for doubt. The separation of a teacher’s personal and professional lives is often taken for granted. The only problem is that

because teaching is so interactive and improvi-sational, a teacher can-not always keep that line from getting blurred. Therefore, by critiquing a teacher, one is also par-tially critiquing the per-son as well. One may ques-tion how a report card is different than a score on ratemyteachers.com. Both score people, and can lead to unhappiness or joy depending upon their results. The biggest difference between the two is communication. A student can talk to a teacher about a report card, and can even go for tutoring. In contrast, a teacher on the site gets their score through only a few votes from a scattered group of ran-dom people based on a few categories. Another prob-lem is that fact that there is nothing to stop people who have never met a teacher from voting on them. This could mean a teacher’s rating is based entirely on people that have never even attend-ed their class. Perhaps the most hurtful part of the site is the simple icon and number. An icon and a number is not enough to rate a person. It is degrading to see a number and cartoon-like face as the sole factors describing someone. A SHUVRQ� FDQQRW� ÀW� LQWR�VXFK� FRQÀQLQJ� FDWHJR-ries. That is why a site like ratemyteacers.com can become offensive, and therefore constitutes cyber-bullying.

A teacher who is afraid to say interest-ing things can only be

one thing: boring.

22 23

by Yasmin Kelly

Some Things Need no Words

When my dad was a senior in high school in Bainbridge, Georgia, he used to work at Cox Funeral Home afterschool and on weekends. At the time, it had never occurred to him that working around dead bodies wasn’t a normal job for a teenager. In fact, he was kind of proud that he wasn’t ÁLSSLQJ� EXUJHUV� RU� PRZLQJ�lawns like some of his friends. One Saturday, his boss asked him to drive to Panama City, Florida, to pick up a body from another funeral home and transport it back to Bainbridge. He said yes, but was a little freaked out about driving two hours alone to pick up a dead person. So he proceeded to desperately beg and bribe almost everyone he knew to come with him -- including his dad, who refused outright, all the while insisting he wasn’t scared, just way too busy to drive down to the beach for a body. After some quick talking, he convinced his best friend, Brian “Tunk” Bullock, to come along with him on the drive. He accomplished this by promising Tunk lots of free food and beverages. The thing that made this outing so hard to sell was that they’d be making the trip in the family’s not-so-cool station wagon, as the funeral home’s fancy black hearse was in the shop with transmission problems. Not having a hearse was a hardship, especially if your passenger wasn’t totally comfortable seeing a dead body laying in the back of the car. So my dad conveniently

Once Tunk settled into the front seat with my dad, they started back to Bainbridge. During the whole ride, Tunk was pressed against the dash, expressing his eternal hatred for my father, who was straining to see where he was going in the gloomy darkness. My dad turned toward Tunk telling him to relax, and right when he looked back he saw the yellow light in front of him turn to red. He slammed on the brakes and the car slid to a halt on the wet road. The stretcher in the back, however, kept right on rolling, striking the back of their seats and landing two very dead feet right on the dash board. Both of them were screaming like schoolgirls then my dad punched on the gas, reversing the body into the back of the station wagon, and sped through the red light. Right then, one of the back tires hit a deep pothole that sent the old, beat-up wagon to bouncing. During all the jostling, the dead body let out one more long, deep moan. My dad looked over at Tunk, who was now sitting in the fetal position, pressed tightly against the passenger door. It took a lot of doing, but he managed not to laugh at the weirdness of the situation. About an hour later, Tunk and my dad rolled into Bainbridge at last. As far as my father knows, Tunk still hasn’t completely forgiven him.

forgot to mention that detail. My dad and Tunk left for Panama City right after lunch, and had the bad luck to drive straight into one of those infamous afternoon rainstorms that brew over the Gulf of Mexico, then heads inland to drench everything in its path. Mile after mile, Tunk kept asking my dad about the ride back and what kind of hearse they’d be switching over to for the ride home. It took awhile, but eventually he realized that there was no hearse. And that the dead guy would be riding in the back seat. He was not happy. � :KHQ� WKH\� ÀQDOO\�arrived at the funeral home in Florida, my dad dashed through the downpour toward the back entrance of the morgue, where he was met by a guy who appeared to be even younger than him. It didn’t take long for them both to realize that neither of ‘em knew what they were doing—or what to do next. Finally, after staring at each other dumbly, the boy and my dad heaved the lifeless body onto a stretcher. The man gave out a slow, low moan, as air escaped from his lungs. Thankfully Tunk didn’t hear it. After they were done loading the stretcher into the car, my dad had to convince Tunk, who stood six feet tall and weighted 200 pounds, to get in. After a few expletive-ÀOOHG�WLUDGHV��7XQN�UHOXFWDQWO\�agreed that the only way he was getting home was with my dad, especially since it was already dark and raining cats and dogs.

so effortlessly high over the wild rhythm in “Clarinade for Benny Goodman” that I felt if I did not get up and dance, I would suffocate from sheer excitement. (Fortunately for the rest of the audience, I did not act upon this sudden urge.) Watching the Jazz band over the years, I’ve come to believe the genre is about pure, sublime joy, because to watch these students perform is to see people in heaven. The bass player could not keep the grin off his face during his solo: I enjoyed watching him as much as I loved the incredible way he made his instrument’s voice rumble and bounce around. As the night went on, the players began to borrow the magic of their enthusiasm off of each other, which is so something so delightful to watch that I cannot put it into words. In “Life’s Incredible,” each time the big band came in with the theme as the soloists were improvising, they suddenly found the rights words to say. It was like they were searching for the right words before—then they heard that theme, and the words came. I listened DV�PXVLF� MXVW�ÁRZHG�RXW�IURP�WKHLU� ÀQJHUV�� HIIRUWOHVV� DV�H[KDOLQJ�RU�FRQÀGLQJ� WR�\RXU�closest friend. What really delighted me most was the dialogue the trumpeter had with the saxophonist in the ÀUVW� VRQJ�� ´5KRGD� 0DS�µ� ,�could follow the thread of their back-and-forth chatter, jubilant and brimming with life, and understand it better than I understand English. I’ve always yearned to know what it’s like to be bilingual. This must be it.

by Annabel Willis

Things My Parents Did Symphonic Band. Senior Jazz. Johann Sebastian Bach. Louis Armstrong. It doesn’t seem like these things have much in common. Certainly, the most famous trumpet player in the world gets more applause than the ����\HDU�ROG�FRPSRVHU�RI���th century music, whose work many now regard as mildewy and in need of dusting. Whether or not the juxtaposition of these two very different genres seems appropriate, they coexisted on November 5th, the date RI� /D*XDUGLD·V� ÀUVW� FRQFHUW�for the school year. And yes, the audience clapped much more enthusiastically for the Jazz Band than they did for Symphonic. But for the people in the audience that don’t text, take pictures with cameras that snap loudly, or twist open noisy candy wrappers as if they’re in a movie theater, music is music, whatever the style may be. That night, I was reminded by both Jazz and Symphonic Band that music is the best language in the world, for it needs no translation, and that sometimes instruments speak it in a way this vocal major admits is too deep for the human voice to fathom. I hear people saying music is a language so often that the phrase often loses its PHDQLQJ���7KH�YHU\�ÀUVW�QXPEHU�of the concert, a quintet for woodwinds composed by a LaGuardia alum, reminded me to appreciate that saying once more. Each person played their instrument like it was their voice. If you closed \RXU�H\HV��\RX�FRXOG�KHDU�ÀYH�distinct characters having a private conversation, polite and courteous yet tinged with an unspoken sadness. The bassoon would come

in, say its two cents worth, ÁXWWHULQJ� OLNH� D� VPDOO� JXVW� RI�wind, and the others would continue timidly, dancing around their neighbors’ lines. Then there were the silences: the quiet, muted gaps in the music, the loopholes in the dialogue. Where one voice was on the verge of speaking and the other, just paused. In them, there was somehow a feeling of loss, as if all the woodwinds were secretly mourning the absence of a most important person. Though in the end what made the instruments come to life were the talented performers, each voice was like a living, breathing, speaking human, if one could just forget that the mellow, warm alto was a clarinet, the husky, scratchy-voiced traveler the bassoon, the starchy, woody woman with splinters in her voice the oboe... � ,Q� ´5HÁHFWLRQV�µ�,� OLWHUDOO\� KHDUG� WKH� ÁXWHV�whisper. I could hear the breaths each player took more clearly than in a chorus of people. It was as if the instruments themselves were breathing. I will not deny that I am partial to Jazz, but that quintet was one of my favorite pieces in the entire concert. If ever there was a style of music where instruments are people, Jazz is it, and the Senior Jazz band understands this that intuitively. I heard a trumpet and a saxophone take turns laughing at each other in “Rhoda Map”; heard that same trumpet stand up, snickering with mirth, and tell us a knock-your-socks-off tall tale, bold as the brass it is, raucous and saucy, in “A Portrait of Louis Armstrong.” The clarinet sang

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Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was ERUQ�RQ�$XJXVW���WK�������LQ�)UDQFH���+HU�father abandoned her in an orphanage, and she grew up in poverty. She RSHQHG� KHU� ÀUVW� VKRS� LQ� ������ DQG� VKH�revolutionized fashion. At that time, women were expected to wear tight FRUVHWV��IXOO�VNLUWV��DQG�DSSHDU�FRQÀGHQW�and majestic at all times. Fashion was supposed to be about appearance and grandeur. Chanel hated that women dressed to impress men. She changed fashion so that women could feel and look beautiful without constant pain. She made trousers and pants for women, which was a huge change from women’s fashion at the time. She also worked with jersey, which was almost unheard of in fashion. Chanel handbags, perfume, suits, and hats were an immediate success in France. Karl Lagerfeld, who took over Chanel, has modernized many techniques and styles. He changed his collections so that the skirts are shorter and the details more prominent, but has still managed to keep the allure and class of Coco Chanel’s irreplaceable and timeless ideas. When Chanel died on January 10, 1971, her sense of style did not die ZLWK�KHU�� LW�VWLOO� LQÁXHQFHV�IDVKLRQ�WRGD\�

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Featured Fashion: Coco Chanelby Carla Borderies

Coco Chanel claimed to be born in Auvergne, which makes me connect to her not only in our interests, but also our birthplace. I wasn’t born in Auvergne, but it is one of the most important places to my family and I as our grandparents and great-grandparents have spent years and endless vacations in the French countryside. I spend all my summers there, and it is a beautiful and inspiring place. Like Ms. Chanel, I believe that women should dress to make themselves feel beautiful, not just to impress the people around them. Even today, women around the world are inspired by Coco Chanel’s strength, and are willing to learn from Chanel’s great discoveries. Students at LaGuardia can relate to her because each and every person has their own style and no one is afraid to express their thoughts through their sense of style. LaGuardians know that they don’t have to dress like everyone else in order to be accepted. As Chanel said, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different,” and most importantly -- “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.”

“Fashion fades, only

style remains the same.”

“Style is the best way to say who you are with-out having to speak.” -Rachel Zoe

Quoting Fashion You Are What You Wear

Column By Elijah Sevier

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� 6HOI�GHÀQLWLRQ� LV�boundless. Whether we use style as a means of LGHQWLÀFDWLRQ�� � RU� VLPSO\� WR�escape from the perpetual question of who we are, our style dictates how society sees us. More importantly, it dictates how we see our-selves. Some who dress in fashion are aching for attention; they have a desperate desire to be noticed. Others are veiled underneath their clothing because they are afraid of standing out, or have a greater fear of realizing their own potential. Some dress to conform to what-ever standards they feel they must meet, suffering under the terrible longing to be accepted. Some

The purpose of WKHVH� FODVVLÀFDWLRQV� LV� QRW��WR�WUDS�XV�LQ�GHÀQHG�JURXSV�with no chance of social mobility, but to provide a broad view of how life. As we grow as individuals, our style changes dramatically. Most of us will never reach the same heights of perfec-tion as legendary fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn or Kate Moss. However, just like anything else, in fashion we learn valuable lessons through thick and thin. When we are faced with college interviews or career opportunities we will be ready to present ourselves in a manner that, as Rachel Zoe implies, will tell part of our story be-fore we have said a word.

may unfortunately, at their loss, feel that the manner in which they dress has little importance or effect on the events in their lives, and therefore create un-fortunate and undeniably regrettable clothing choic-es. Some simply are not blessed with the adequate skill necessary to properly execute an acceptable ensemble, and purely do not have the willpower or desire to improve, or will never acquire the vital les-sons of wisdom from those who preach fashion as God’s word. The remain-der, who possess the com-plete package of an alto-gether polished look, poise, FODVV��DQG�FRQÀGHQFH��DUH�a rare delicacy among high school students.

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My dream had come true, the thing I’d longed for for so many years. I wanted to feel like I was good enough, and was sure that LaGuardia would make that happen. So why wasn’t I happy? That giddy little seventh grader in me had gone away. The Fame movie came out on my birthday. It had to be fate, right? That I would get in! Fate that I would reach VXFFHVV�� � 2U� VR� ,� WKRXJKW�� � ,� ZDV� ÀQDOO\�faced with the reality of LaGuardia life. After about a week, I began to feel it. I felt the dreaded thing that all artists eventually have to go through: rejection. I knew that this would happen someday, being shot down to the point that you couldn’t breathe. I just chose not to face the reality. There was new competition and expectancies thrust upon me. I hung in there for a while, pushing on. Eventually I recognized a constant internal need to feel or be better than everyone else. I craved the talent that my peers possessed. I wanted to hold the originality and pure happiness that so many students seemed to have. I felt that I could not knock down my internal obstacles. I hated feeling this way. I hated the feeling of just wanting to give up. The pressure of a life in the arts is hard, yet I knew it was what I wanted. Facing the reality of the situation made me want to stop. For a while, I didn’t want to make art. My passion just didn’t seem as great anymore. I had never experienced so much jealousy, desire, or misery. But LaGuardia has made it clear that challenges are a mandatory component of life, whether I like it or not. In the art world, even friends have to compete against each other. We all want the same things, and there are so few spots in the world for the people that want them. When opportunity comes, the people who you rely on emotionally can end up hurting you creatively. Sometimes it seems like this pressure is the only important thing in the world. Sometimes being surrounded by so much talent and individuality makes me feel like I am just not good enough, even when I know deep down inside that I am part of it too.

When you come from a two ÁRRU� VFKRRO�� FRQWDLQLQJ� RQH� �WK� JUDGH�class, with class sizes ranging from 7 VWXGHQWV� WR� ���� DQG� QR� KDOO� SDVVHV��coming to LaGuardia is a culture shock! I came from a small middle school in Glendale, Queens called St. Johns Lutheran. Coming to LaGuardia was both a miracle and the happiest moment of my life. Originally, I didn’t think that LaGuardia ZRXOG� EH� VR� GLIÀFXOW�� � ,� QHYHU� NQHZ� WKDW�going to your guidance counselor would be considered cutting if you went during a class. In fact, I never really had free periods or guidance counselors so it was all a complete shock to me. I also didn’t know that if you were going to run random jobs in school during your lunch period you needed a hall pass. When I got sent WR� WKH� 'HDQ·V� 2IÀFH� IRU� QRW� KDYLQJ� D�hall pass, I was in such shock that I broke down crying, explaining to the dean that my school never had hall passes you were just allowed to walk out the door. They said I had “culture shock”. Everything is so different now. LaGuardia is the biggest school I have ever attended. I never went to a school dance before and I have honestly never seen such cultural diversity or talent in any other school. It’s such an honor to even be a part of this community. 7KH� ZRUN� LV� GLIÀFXOW�� HVSHFLDOO\� JHRPHWU\�and chemistry, but I guess in this school, like in any other school, you have to learn to apply yourself. I use to watch movies and television shows like Mean Girls and Glee believing that high school was just like that, but LaGuardia is so much better. Everyone is so nice and accepting. LaGuardia is my dream school and the one school that I’ve wanted to attend ever since the age of four. Getting into this school showed me that dreams do come true and when you try hard enough you can achieve anything. To me, LaGuardia is the opportunity of a lifetime, one I was able to catch.

By Lauren “ElleCee” Marie Curet

Welcome to the Land

of Opportunities

by Kailee Breaux

Time to Face Reality

Freshman Perspectives John Walsh is a talented Junior

participating in LaGuardia’s annual

school musical, Hairspray. This vocal

major can not only sing, but is gifted in

almost all aspects of performance art.

+H�SOD\V�WKH�QHZVFDVWHU�RIÀFHU�DQG�LV�the understudy for Corny Collins. LaG

Mag was able to catch up with John

over the phone to talk about rehearsal

times, future goals, and stage fright.

Hairspray runs from December 9th to

12th and from the 16th to the 19th.

Kailee Breaux: What made you want to participate in “Hairspray”? John Walsh: I love being on stage. Well, I love musicals. This is a big opportunity for me. (Laughs) KB: How has your major affected your decision to audition? JW: In vocal we don’t get to perform on stage, like a musical. We get a lot of choral work. KB: So you can act too? JW: Yes. KB: How did you get into acting? JW: Outside of school, I can say that. I did a lot of community theatre. KB: Are you planning on pursuing theatre as a career? JW: Um, I hope so. I would like to eventually, one day. KB: How many musicals, plays, or performances have you been in? JW: More than you can count. (Laughs) KB: Do you get stage fright? JW: Not really. But I do get a little nervous. KB: How much time do you spend rehearsing? JW: For Hairspray? Almost every day. Except Sunday. (Laughs) KB:��'LG�\RX�VHH�WKH�RULJLQDO������PRYLH�Hairspray? JW: I haven’t, but I have yet to see it. But it’s in my room. KB: Have you seen the new one? JW: But I’ve seen the new one, yes. KB: How did the movie differ from LaGuardia’s Hairspray? JW: Well the movie’s different from the stage production, because songs have been cut. The story line’s a little… the story line’s the same. But the way it happens is different. Do you see what I’m saying?

KB: Yeah. If you could’ve chosen a different role, what would you have picked? JW: If I could’ve chosen a different role… I would’ve loved to be Edna. KB: Edna, why? JW: Um… because it’s kind of a character role, and I can really play around a little. KB: I can’t wait until the performance. Are you excited? JW: I’m very excited. It’s almost one month away. Coming up.

INTERVIEW

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RVW� ZRXOG� GHÀQH�Halloween as a day for vampires and demons to lurk the streets, frighten people with tales of Headless Horsemen. But when Halloween reaches

LaGuardia, it does a full 360 degree turnaround—making it a show like no other. You know its Halloween here, at the Fame School, when you see life-sized headphones roaming the halls. No you’re not hallucinating—a human Rubix Cube is, in fact, right beside you. This is one of the most exciting days of a LaGuardian school year. When creativity, talent, and a passion for the arts are thrown into the concoction, you, my friend, are in for one heck of an experience.

COSTUME OF THE YEAR 2010 The apex of the day is the Halloween Parade, held in the Little Flower Theater, hosted by Dr. Stricklin (dressed as Dr. Evil, from the hit movie Austin Powers) and Ms. York (dressed as Mini Me, Dr. Evil’s assistant). Last year, “Taylor Swift and Kanye West” took home the title of “Costume of the Year.” This year, the same title was passed on to Raquel Barroso, a senior vocal major who deftly created a costume which she entitled “Dave & Buster’s Arcade Claw Machine.” Barroso says: “I made it from boxes and toys. The hardest part was cutting the boxes and getting into the subway!” Her costume was GHYLVHG�VR�WKDW�KHU�KHDG�ÀW�LQWR�WKH�´JODVVµ�of the machine, surrounded by stuffed animals, a claw, and a device to insert your dollars. Speaking of dollars…a generous $100 from LaGuardia was probably more than she expected. Cheers to Raquel!

HalloweenAn Inside View of the 2010 LaGuardia Halloween

by Alessandra Rao

Raquel Barroso in her prize winning costume: Dave & Buster’s Arcade Claw Machine. According to Barroso, she made it in three hours the night before!

Left to Right: John Walsh as

“Snooki”, Ben Antar as “Skinny Mr.

Sperber”, Janis Crespo and Ashley

Thomas as “iPod Headphones”.

Courtesy of Zoe Adams

I made it from boxes and toys. The

hardest part was cutting the boxes

and getting into the subway!

-Raquel Barroso

CATEGORY WINNERS

The winner of “Audi-ence Choice” was John Walsh, who’s cos-tume was the infamous Snooki of MTV’s The Jersey Shore. The ju-nior vocal major--who was dressed in a mini skirt, oversized slippers, jet black “poof” hair, and skin caked with a lovely shade of “guido orange” bronzer—was bound to receive roaring cheers from the audience. The jar of pickles (Snooki’s fa-vorite) and the classic red cup were a great accessory to the cos-tume.

Honorable Mentions Quite a number of cos-tumes sparked many reactions, but unfor-tunately, there were not enough prizes to name them winners. As cheesy as it may sound, we are all win-ners here, at LaGuar-dia Arts. Among the in-credible, hand-made

costumes was the “Angler Fish.” Made from scratch, a talent-ed junior put together newspaper, candles, and a functioning light bulb to imitate the strik-ing and unique look of the deep sea creature that lives in total dark-ness. “Bubble Tea” was certainly popular, as one might infer from the sight of crowds gathered around her to take photos. The drink, which derived IURP� $VLD�� LV� GHÀQLWHO\�one that is well known among LaGuardians for its palatable taste. The costume was made of a cylindrical plastic structure that ÀW�DURXQG�WKH�ERG\��$W�the bottom were small black balloons, repre-senting tapioca. The human Rubix Cube, which was also hand made, won much ac-colades from the audi-ence as well. The audi-ence was certainly

titillated by the pres-ence of Bill Cosby on the stage of the Little Flower Theater; Xavier did a great imperson-ation of the famous television star. Other notable costumes were: “Justin Bieber and Usher,” “The Guy Phone,” “The Common App,” “Siamese Twin,” “The Double Rain-bow,” “Avatar,” “Dora the Explorer” and an “Oompa Loompa.” DJ the DJ provided musi-cal entertainment for his fellow peers. La-Guardia is all about the show—last year, Single Ladies (Luther Cherry and Joey Feiger) was a big hit. This year, “Telephone”, along with Snooki’s signature ÀVW� SXPS�� UHFHLYHG�many accolades. Congratu la-tions to all who contrib-uted to the spirit of the LaGuardia Halloween.

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Courtesy of Zoe Adams

Dancing penguins on LaGuar-dia’s Little Flower Theater stage.

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photo courtesy of gothamist.com

Breakfast At Tiffany’sReview by Carla Borderies

Breakfast at

Tiffany’s is one of the simplest, greatest movies of all time. Audrey Hepburn is the perfect actress, illustrating how effortlessly classy a person can be without even realizing it. Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is a woman leading a simple life in New York City. The movie starts with her walking carelessly on the street, drinking a coffee and eating her breakfast while admiring the grandeur and delicacy of the Fifth Avenue shops. She cares for nothing in the

We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don’t even belong to each other.” She is like a child; this is a major reason I felt a connection with Audrey Hepburn’s character when I was younger. Her immature, childish way of dealing with things immediately made me adore her personality. Her hopes and dreams inspired our generation and made us think that maybe we could have breakfast at Tiffany’s too.

world, feeling she can speak and act in the way that she pleases. The only thing she truly relates to is her cat named “Cat”, who she lives ZLWK�DQG�FRQVWDQWO\�LGHQWLÀHV�herself with. Later on she meets Paul Varjak (George Peppard), who moves into her building. She is very open with him, and often FRQÀGHV� LQ�KLP�� �6KH�VHHPV�to have odd relationships with everyone, and never truly has any attachments or friendships. In Breakfast

at Tiffany’s she says, “I’m like cat here, a no-name slob.

A simple set. A stack of chairs piled on top of each other. Then the house lights lower and the stage lights rise. A troop of actors, all men, pile onto the stage in a ÁXUU\�RI�DFWLYLW\���7KH\�UHDUUDQJH�WKHLU�seats into a semi circle and take their places. A single woman comes and sits on the single chair waiting for a bus it seems. The sounds signal the bus’ arrival and the play begins.

This was the wonderfully simple beginning of the new musical, The Scottsboro Boys. A powerful musical, written by the songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, famous for such musicals as Chicago, Cabaret, and Curtains; and book by David Thompson, best known for the book of the revival of Chicago. Following the trial of a group of young African American teenagers accused of raping two white women on a freight train to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1931, the story is in the form of a minstrel show. The audience sat on the edge of their seats the entire time, waiting to see if the boys would be served justice.

The music is beautiful and simple. The entire cast has gorgeous voices. Perfectly suited to

their talents, the simple harmonies bring out the story and express the angst and sorrow felt. What also made the play extremely interesting was the reversal of roles of stereotypical white and black characters. In minstrel shows, white men painted their faces black and portrayed African Americans in a way that was extremely degrading. This show, with an all African American cast, save one, had African Americans portraying white people. They would portray the white characters in a silly or outrageous way, similar to the absurdist humor of the comedy team Monty Python. Although a piece of history, the masterful storytelling makes one wish that these events were untrue. This musical is good for teens learning about this turbulent time in American history as well as adults. For adults, it is a reminder of the racism that still exists in the country. Though stylistically suiting the time period, it is still a classical Broadway musical. While the story may not be suitable for younger children, the story of justice makes it accessible to most. This is a musical that will grab the hearts of American audiences.

The Scottsboro BoysReview by Nicole Wong

Courtesy of http://www.eurweb.com

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he has one of the largest storylines in the VKRZ�� � +H� GUHVVHV� ÁDPER\DQWO\�� EXW� LV� QRW�GHÀQHG�E\�WKDW���+H�LV�D�VHQVLEOH��UHDVRQDEOH�person, defying many stereotypes of gay communities at the time. He develops just as much as the main character does. The show is centered on a teenager, but was aimed at all audiences as the parents had important storylines of their own. Many people thought, however, that the show was meant for teenagers only. Unfortunately, at the time there was no market for shows directed at teenagers. That is why the show was cancelled as an infant. Had the show been produced ten or so years later, it would have been very successful. The show was most remarkable for the fact that it was the most accurate depiction of teenage life created by an adult, and that will always be missed.

Have you ever wanted to change the way people look at you? Have you ever felt like you just do not belong? Have you ever found some one else’s parents so much more appealing than your own? If you answered yes, congratulations! You just connected with a show called My So- Called Life. This show was light years ahead of many other television shows when it began in 1994. It fell as devastatingly as an empire when it was cancelled in 1995.� 7KH�VKRZ�FHQWHUV�RQ�D�ÀIWHHQ��\HDU�old girl named Angela. The way people perceive her as a person starts to get to her. She is tired of following silly societal rituals like having a yearbook. She makes new friends, dyes her hair red, and starts to think introspectively about the act of eating in front of other people. Initially, Angela’s development is not easy. Her parents become strangers, her old best friend becomes her enemy, and she gets in trouble at school for protesting literary censorship. Eventually, she wins the heart of her crush, the infamous Jordan Catalano, but when she realizes that he is putting to much pressure on her, she tosses him. She regains the friendship of her former best friend while attempting to maintain friendships with her new friends; the loose cannon Rayanne Graff and the caring but somewhat lost Rickie Vazquez. Even Angela and her parents begin to understand each other more by the end of the short series. Angela’s development is very understandable. There is no perfect, happy ending -- the last episode ends in a problematic cliff- hanger. The plot line, the script, and the relationships between the characters are as close to those seen in real life as it gets. Even if you cannot relate to the main character, you’re bound to relate to one of the other characters. The show displayed a great deal of diversity within the characters and the storylines. There were no nerds, no jocks, and no prom queens. Each person in the show was a person, not a title. This is what makes the show so relatable. The experiences in the show are shared in all teenagers, regardless of time period, race, class, or any other difference. My So- Called Life was bold and beyond its time. Rickie was one of the ÀUVW� RSHQO\� JD\� FKDUDFWHUV� RQ� SULPHWLPH�television. He is not just a side character;

My So- Called Life: As close to perfect as it gets

Review by Jade Johnson

The 12 Episode Wonder:

Freaks and Geeks was the Best

Cancelled Show in TV History

Review by Annabel Willis

On September 25, 1999, television viewers were treated to that rare gift – a hilarious, true-to-life show that manages to get everything right. Freaks and Geeks follows two groups of friends (the “freaks” and “geeks” of the title) as they deal with life at McKinley +LJK� 6FKRRO� LQ� WKH� ����V�� � 7KH� VKRZ��which aired of NBC from 1999 to 2000, started each week blasting Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” as each cast member awkwardly posed for his or her school SLFWXUH�� � $OWKRXJK� ��� HSLVRGHV� ZHUH�ÀOPHG�� RQO\� ��� KLW� WKH� DLUZDYHV� EHIRUH�the network crazily pulled the plug of the two-time Emmy winning show. Though its life on the small screen proved short-lived, Freaks and Geeks has had a tremendous impact on popular culture. Among other things, it introduced talented young actors like James Franco and Seth Rogen to the world. Through its two main characters, tomboy Lindsay Weir (a “freak”) and her shy, socially awkward younger brother Sam (a “geek”), Freaks

and Geeks shows both sides of the high school coin. The plot deals with everything concerning high school life; from keg parties that don’t turn out as planned to one student begging another to take his algebra test. And it shines a light on high school’s invisible social class system, illustrating how being in or out can affect how people gauge their worth.

The show starts out as Lindsay, a former straight-A student and “mathlete,” begins to explore what it might be like to not always be the “good” girl who gets everything right. She starts to hang out with a bunch of slacker burnouts who are treated like outcasts by many of the other kids at school. She knows her parents and her guidance counselor think her friends are going nowhere, but she’s her own person and doesn’t let other people’s opinions affect whom she hangs out with. Even though Lindsay’s her own person, like just about everyone in high school, she questions her friendships from time to time. Episode after episode, we see what it takes for the characters to move up the social ladder – or, in some instances, how ÁHHWLQJ�DQG�ÀFNOH�SRSXODULW\�FDQ�EH���,Q�fact, Freaks and Geeks re-creates high VFKRRO� OLIH�VR�ÁDZOHVVO\�WKDW�WHHQV�PLJKW�wonder if someone has been trailing them in the halls taking notes. In one show, Lindsay gets a fake ID, and her brother Sam has the hots for a cute exchange student. As in real life, stoners DQG�QHUGV�DOLNH�ÀQG�WKHPVHOYHV�GHDOLQJ�with everything from drugs and sex to bullying and the need to feel accepted. While I’m barely halfway through my high school career, it’s easy to understand the struggles the characters face. The series makes it clear that feeling lonely and wanting to ÀW�LQ�DUH�XQLYHUVDO�FRQFHUQV���,W·V�D�UHOLHI��especially if you’ve ever imagined you were the only one in the halls of your high school who felt more than a little bit out of place. I’ve often wondered if Freaks

and Geeks would have been able to sustain its streak of genius, or if it would have slowly lost its sparkle, like so many other shows on television. All I know is that the show, which ended with Lindsey driving off to follow the Grateful Dead, keeps you thinking. And for most of us still caught in the haze of high school, that’s a very good thing.

“The dance is tomor-row. She's a cheer-leader, you've seen Star Wars 27 times. You do the math.”

-Neal Schweiber, Freaks and Geeks

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The September Issue

Anna Wintour. Courtesy of cutecarry.com

Review by Elijah Sevier

The September Issue is a documentary that investi-gates the entire process that goes into publishing an issue of Vogue Magazine. The PRYLH�LV�IUDPHG�DV�D�ÁHHWLQJ�glimpse into the brutal world of fashion; but the greatest brutality is the knowledge that this harsh environment actually exists, and is prob-ably even worse away from the forgiving presence of cameras. The movie revolves around Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue, a heart-

control. Anna Wintour holds within her grasp the fate of up-and-coming potentials as well as famous designers, the seasonal fate of models and photographers, and the items and looks that Ameri-can Vogue readers long to make their own. In the cut-throat world of the fashion industry, it’s impossibly hard to make it to Anna Wintour-status, and watching the movie leaves one feeling sorry for aspiring designers, whose ideas are often tossed aside and insulted by the top dogs calling the shots. However, the documentary fails to include the real vic-tims, such as anorexic mod-els, the animals inhumanely slaughtered for their fur, and the maltreated factory work-ers, each laboring to please fashion’s sharp eye in fear of its sharper sting. Although the mov-ie offers a brief glimpse into a competitive and ruthless business, it still shows the fash-ion industry through the eyes of those who are already on top. The ultimate message is that in order to live such a life or work under such pressure, one must have the nerve to survive the intense barrage of criticism and come out of it strong as steel.

less fashion dictator who veils herself in expensive furs, large sunglasses, and signa-ture bangs straightened to perfection. When Stefano Pilati, the creative director for Yves Saint Laurent, presents Anna Wintour with his latest collection, she simply says “that’s pretty,” with an air of cold detachment that dis-misses him instantly. Their ex-change provides the insight that however successful and talented one may be, there will always be someone with greater stature and ultimate

With the ephemeral line-up of tele-vision shows that have been strewn across our TV guides for decades, it seems unlikely WKDW�D� VLQJOH� VKRZ�KDV� WKH�SRZHU� WR�GHÀQH�a generation. Yet every blue moon an idea emerges, forever changing the way people ZDWFK�WHOHYLVLRQ���2Q�-XO\��WK�������DW�����SP�such a show was aired. It premiered as “The Seinfeld Chronicles” but has come to sim-ply go by the name “Seinfeld.” The widely praised “show about nothing” struck the heartstrings of viewers who could somehow connect with the troubles and dilemmas faced by the overzealous cast. In the show’s history of random yet relevant storylines, hundreds of pop culture staples were estab-lished. A generation was marked by quotes such as “sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason” and witty charac-ters, based off of real New York City eccen-trics, such as the “Soup Nazi.” Despite end-LQJ�LQ�������WKH�VKRZ�KDV�FRQWLQXHG�WR�VWULNH�the funny bones of diehard fanatics and ÀUVW�WLPH�YLHZHUV�WKURXJK�QXPHURXV�UHUXQV�RQ�dozens of channels around the world. While ´6HLQIHOGµ� GHÀQHG� FRPHG\� LQ� WKH� ����V�� LW�has greatly resounded with audiences in the 21st century. Parents who once sat down to watch new episodes are now sharing the classic, yet absurd, series with their children. Furthermore, the show has left a deep impact on the standards of light-hearted sitcoms as seen through the likes of newer shows such as “Two and a Half Men” and “Community.” It is clear that the reign of “nothing” lives on.

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Photo courtesy of www.guardian.co.uk

In 1973 Paramount Pictures re-OHDVHG�RQH�RI�WKH�PRVW�LQÁXHQWLDO�PRYLHV�LQ�ÀOP�KLVWRU\��´3DSHU�0RRQ�µ� �7KH�KHDUW-breaking yet uplifting tale of a con man, Moses Pray, and a young girl named Ad-die, who is seemingly dropped upon his doorstep, has captured the attention of eager audiences for decades. Tatum O’Neil, who so maturely plays Addie, Mo-ses’ unsuspecting partner in crime, is the clear highlight of the black-and-white comedy drama. Despite being merely WHQ�GXULQJ�WKH�ÀOP·V�SURGXFWLRQ��VKH�VXF-cessfully portrays her complicated char-DFWHU�ZLWK� WKH�FRQÀGHQFH�RI�D�YHWHUDQ��weaving peeps of pure emotion into Addie’s hard exterior. After viewing the movie it comes as no surprise that Tatum’s convincing portrayal of the young girl earned her an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1974, making her the youngest recipient of the coveted award. Despite being set during the Great De-SUHVVLRQ�� WZHQW\�ÀUVW� FHQWXU\� DXGLHQFHV�still revel at the script’s timeless storyline. 6LQFH� WKH� ÀOP·V� VXFFHVVIXO� UHOHDVH� LQ� WKH�seventies, critics around the world have given their two cents to the classic. Whether in praise or disappointment, it is clear most are left with a lasting impres-sion and continue to digest the compel-OLQJ�DQG�XQLYHUVDO�QDWXUH�RI�WKH�ÀOP�� �������������

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Reviews by Mari Kroin

Paper Moon

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� � ���� �3� �� ������������� ������ ������ ����Review by Sophia Feist

$QDQND�LV�D�ERRNZRUP�ZKR�ÀQGV�KHU�OLIH�FRPSOHWHO\�ERULQJ�XQWLO�a hole opens up in Washington Square Park, across from where she lives, and her uneventful life is thrown into turmoil. Ananka meets Kiki Strike, an odd and mysterious girl who introduces her to the people who will become her friends: Oona Wong, a talented forger, Deedee Morlock, an ingenious chemist, Luz Lopez, an accomplished mechanic, and Betty Bent, a master of disguise. The six girls form The Irregulars, a group dedicated to exploring the mysteries of the Shadow City, a 150-year-old city under New York created for thieves and scoundrels, as well as keeping it in good hands.

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow

City by Kirsten Miller is a gripping modern urban fantasy. It drew me in and didn’t let me back RXW�� HYHQ� RQFH� ,� KDG� ÀQLVKHG�both the book and its sequel, Kiki

Strike and the Empress’s Tomb. I had to go around downtown Manhattan and explore all of the places mentioned in the book. Throughout the book, sections approximately a page or two long detailing how to successfully follow someone, how to disguise yourself, and much more. Kirsten Miller certainly brings an old-fashioned charm to modern Manhattan while telling an entangling and enchanting tale that, while fantastical, relates to the lives of many teenage girls. Miller’s female leads deal with WKH� IHHOLQJ� RI� QRW� ÀWWLQJ� LQ� HYHQ�as they experience the joys of friendship and adventure. The book is truly a literal masterpiece.

photo courtesy of kikistrike.com

photo courtesy of checkitbro.com

Katniss, along with her best IULHQG�� GHÀHV� WKH� ODZ�� LQ� RUGHU� WR� IHHG� KHU�community. Using her archery skills, it seems she can accomplish almost anything once provoked. The idea of Katniss as a female warrior speaks to many female readers, encouraging them to take a stand against injustices and obstacles in life. This book isn’t a comedy, no. It’s an action-packed thriller with a lot of meaning behind every symbol that comes up. The overall story plot continues to intrigue me, HYHQ� DIWHU� UHDGLQJ� DQG� ÀQLVKLQJ� WKH� VHULHV���Maybe it’s the mysterious cliffhangers at the end of each book that put me on edge even now, or maybe, as stated before, it’s how Katniss makes me think of myself. Katniss is a brave, strong-hearted character. 7KURXJKRXW�WKH�ZDU�VKH�LV�ÀJKWLQJ��VKH�DOZD\V�thinks of protecting her family and friends from the war’s impact. As presently, aren’t we all trying to keep our families from falling apart from war? And if we could, wouldn’t you stop it? This book keeps the reader interested. Just as you think there may be a dead chapter under your nose, and you start to yawn…. BAM! It hits you, either a realization or a plot twist, or maybe even a bow and arrow comes your way. If a book could be described as a 3D book, this would be it. The action seems life-like in the sense that at any moment, the reader would be wise to expect something to reach RXW� WR� WKHP��RU�Á\� WKHLU�ZD\�� �6LWXDWLRQV�DUH�described so well that it seems if you were to close your eyes, you would be there.

Waiting for book after book to go on sale was an agonizing experience, because every book is a cliffhanger. I believe this wait is a factor to what made me so addicted to these wonderful books. The intensity rose, DQG�DV�,�ÀQDOO\�ODLG�P\�KDQGV�RQ�WKH�QH[W�ERRN�in the series, I would literally sit down and just have a reading frenzy. Afterwards, I felt as if I had consumed enough knowledge about the situation for a while, maybe that could sustain me until the next book. But besides the anticipation of the next book, the action and the intriguing story plot is what kept be reading, and why I couldn’t stop. Suzanne Collins writes to beautifully that the words are intoxicating, and the story is so clearly laid out.

The Hunger Games is a must read, especially now that the series has ended, and there will no longer have to be a dramatic 5 month long pause between each book!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the kind of book you just can’t OHW� JR� RI�� 7KH� ÀUVW� ERRN� RI� +XQJHU� *DPHV�trilogy, it introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic North America, in the country of Panem. In Panem, a powerful government called the Capitol holds power. The book is named after the Hunger Games, an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl from each district of Panem to ÀJKW�WR�WKH�GHDWK���7KH�+XQJHU�*DPHV�H[LVW�to demonstrate not even children are above the Capitol’s power! However, Katniss feels VKH�QHHGV�WR�ÀJKW�IRU�WKH�KXPDQ�ULJKWV�RI�DOO�the districts in Panem. This book displays a grim future for human kind but also hope in the form of a young woman. Katniss, like D� VPDOO� ÁDPH�� IRU� DOO� ZH� NQRZ�� FDQ� LJQLWH�Panem.

This book clearly portrays the effect of war on teens and families and a person’s ability to change family roles in order to survive. The war raging throughout the series can be easily related to America’s current situation. The United States has been in a seven-year war with Iraq, and has now moved in to Afghanistan. Many current high school students have grown up constantly hearing about this ongoing war. Therefore, the author is trying to show how teens and pre-teens of our generation feel about war in general, through the main character of the story, Katniss. Katniss feels that the capitol is mistreating the people of Panem, and wants WR�ÀJKW�IRU�KHU�IDPLO\�DQG�IULHQGV·�WUHDWPHQW��but throughout the story, she constantly asks herself if she is doing the right thing. The war LQ� WKH� ERRN� DOVR� KDSSHQV� WR� UHÁHFW� XSRQ�many other “wars” in our society, like racism, VH[LVP�� ÀQDQFLDO� LVVXHV�� � ,Q� WKH�ERRN��.DWQLVV�and her community are often faced with starvation, and hunting for one’s own food is virtually illegal.

Review by Isabelle Ament

38 39

It’s Kind of a Funny Story Review by Claire Elias

� In the young adult novel It’s Kind

of a Funny Story, author Ned Vizzini intro-duces readers to Craig Gilner, a 15-year old Brooklyn teenager who attends Execu-tive Pre-Professional High School, a presti-gious school that Craig worked obsessively to get in to. Stressed out by the competi-tive work environment, Craig collapses un-der the overload of academic pressure, forming many bad habits including smok-ing marijuana, refusing to eat, depression, and soon, having suicidal thoughts. After visiting a series of psychiatrists and failing to take his prescribed antidepressants, Craig submits to his suicidal thoughts and dials the number of a suicide hotline. This eventually leads to Craig admitting him-self into the psychiatric ward at Argenon Hospital. There he encounters many inter-esting characters and goes through unex-pected experiences that change his view on life.

The language used in It’s Kind

of a Funny Story expresses the unique blend of comedy and drama experi-enced in Craig’s life while living in the psychiatric ward. Vizzini makes power-IXO�XVH�RI� WKH�ÀUVW�SHUVRQ�SRLQW�RI� YLHZ��displaying Craig’s thought processes and inner thinking to an extreme, yet drawing, level. Vizzini also pays careful attention to detail; both Craig and the people he meets clearly have problems and issues of their own, and the reader will be drawn to learn about the back-grounds of these characters. The psy-chiatric hospital seems to be a world of its own, and Craig learns something new about it every day. It’s Kind of a Funny

Story is a captivating page turner that allows/lets readers connect to the char-acters as it deals with the topic of teen-agers dealing with high school, and the topics of suicide, motivation, and more. In addition, a movie adapta-tion of the book was released on Oc-WREHU��WK��������'LUHFWHG�E\�5\DQ�)OHFN�and Anna Boden, the movie stars Keir Gilchrist as Craig, along with Emma 5REHUWV� DQG� =DFK� *DOLÀDQDNLV�� WZR� RI�the other patients living in the psychiat-ric ward with Craig. Personally, I haven’t gotten the chance to see this movie yet, but overall, it is recommended by most people. From the trailers, the movie seems to be clean-cut, funny, and cap-tures the melancholic essence of the book version.

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DREAMER DISABLED

Seven days I learned to live aboutSeven daysI closed my eyesAnd woke upWalked upUp a stageA lifeA skyA hundredth pageWill open up2SHQ�XS�WR�ÀQGIt is all thereWhat I saw Behind the lidsTo liveIs it to dream?How does one live without a dream?Lived seven days without oneJust oneNot to dreamFor just one dayAnd laughedWhen the time cameTo wake again

- Ella Sanandaji

TO THE PEOPLE I USED TO KNOW I wish they could see me now. I want them to see how I’ve changed, and how I’ve grown.I need them to see that I’m not the same loser they shunned,When they thought they knew me.

It’s not that I want to be friends with them,I never did, really,But I need them to look at me and think,Wow.That loser we shunned isn’t so bad after all.And I need them to see me, really see me,And regret that, in the end,They never did get the chance to know me. - Anonymous

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Amy’s Bread Review by Mari Kroin

A longtime favorite of Chelsea Market visitors and NY1 employees, Amy’s Bread does not fail to impress the senses. The minute you step into this low-key bakery you are immediately aware of the love and devotion that goes into making everything from breads to cookies. Through a glass wall visitors are able to see the baking process that occurs from sun up to sun down in Amy’s kitchen. It becomes apparent that each worker is distinctive in their habits DQG� VSHFLDOL]HV� LQ� GLIIHUHQW� ÀHOGV� RI� EDNLQJ�� � +DYLQJ�said this, it is not uncommon to see a crowd of curious on-lookers peering in. Amy’s bread not only sells their goods in-store but also sends various varieties of bread and pastries to other shops and restaurants all over the city. As of right now there are three permanent locations in Manhattan located on Ninth between 46th and 47th in Hells Kitchen, within Chelsea Market, and at 250 Bleecker Street in the Village. First-timers should GHÀQLWHO\�FRQVLGHU�JHWWLQJ�WKH�EURZQLHV�

Billy’s BakeryBy Mari Kroin

Walking into this small bakery is like walking into grandma’s kitchen; that is if your grandma is the Betty Croker type. Upon opening the beaten door you get a whiff of hot baking cupcakes, and warm fresh ones piled on massive baking pans. While small, this bakery is not hard to miss considering the large group of people that usually cultivates inside or sit outside on the provided mint-colored benches. Billy’s is hands-down the best pace to go to for custom and readymade cupcakes. Considering their size, the cupcakes seem pricy, starting at around $2.75 a SLHFH��EXW�WKH\�DUH�PRVW�GHÀQLWHO\�ZRUWK�LQYHVWLQJ�LQ���<RX�VRRQ�FRPH�WR�ÀQG�WKDW�everything mingles together to create the ultimate cupcake experience. Billy’s has two stores located in Manhattan at �����th avenue in Chelsea and 75 Franklin Street in Tribeca.

Bakeries That Can’t Be Missed

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Down Under Bakery: The Pie Shop Review by Rachel Berger

The DUB Pie Shop does not sell apple pie--at least, not exclusively. The Australian “specialty bakery” moved into a narrow corner shop in Windsor Terrace two years ago, one of many trendy, Park Slope-esque businesses new to the area. You may be charmed by the homey chalkboard menu, miniature local art gal-lery, and obligatory water dish for dog-walkers outside, but you can’t judge this establishment until you’ve had their pies. There are Chicken and Vegetable pies; Chilli Cheese pies; Shepard’s pies; even Bacon, Egg and Cheese breakfast pies. For customers who’ve been put off meat pies by the movie Sweeny Todd, DUB offers several popular vegetarian options; Spinach and Feta Cheese and, surpris-LQJO\��9HJHWDULDQ�&XUU\�� �$OO�SLHV�DUH�RIIHUHG�KRW�� LQ�ERWK�ÀOOLQJ������SRUWLRQV�DQG�adorable $1.50 tarts. For dessert, there are cheap fruit tarts and personal key lime pies. If you’re feeling curious, you can peruse the Australian novelties arrayed at the counter; DUB Pies is a proud purveyor of the beloved British/Australian condi-ment Marmite* and chocolate-and-coconut-cake Lamingtons, which they claim are the best to be found in the United States. To taste them yourself, take the F train to 15th Street Station in Brooklyn and walk over to 211 Prospect Park West, or order online at www.dubpies.com.

*Marmite is a savory spread made of yeast extract. British and Australian people’s obsession with Marmite may perhaps be likened to some Americans’ infatuation with Nutella, but the mania is much more widespread and extreme. Because Marmite is supposed to be nutritious, there is nothing to stop Marmite lovers from spreading it on everything.

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THE BLUE ROSE AND THE TELEGRAM I sit alone before an antique deskStaring into a white stained scene of snowThe ticking clock aligns with the beating of my heartAnd I think of you. Beside me is a lonely rose of blue, not redMy heart is heavy with truth made of leadWhen words cannot express the core emotionI write a pretty little telegram.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-I’ll be damned if there’s a chance you’ll understandBut at least my telegram gets throughThis rose, it reminds me of what should be true,�ZULWH�ZLWK�D�SDVVLRQDWH�EXUQLQJ�ÀUHThe snow is melting, time is passingBut I’ve never seen a pretty blue petal fall So I speak my language of dots and dashes$EVWUDFW�OLNH�WKH�ÀJPHQWV�RI�P\�LPDJLQDWLRQDots and dashes better send the messageThan words that could ever mean anything to me or you6R�,�ÀOO�P\�KHDUW�ZLWK�D�PHPRU\�RI�EHHSVChemical messages that could never come trueThis is my telegram to you - Alessandra Rao

I CAN MAKE LENSES. BUT WINGS?

“Do you know what you want to be yet?”Somehow, aviators come to mindThe glasses or the actual people?When I think of the styleWhen I think of the name that is givenTo see it in photographs and mirrorsI am just left hungryFor moreFor more than a plastic thingTo wearTo crush knocked downFunny, ,�QHYHU�NQHZ�,�ZDQWHG�WR�Á\���

AviatorAviators alwaysWith some extra lensesTo see fartherZoom inZoom outSomehow to seeWhat the world isFor the smallFor the grand

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YetAt the same time,�ZDQW�WR�Á\Doctor, ProfessorDoctorateThat is what I would beIf I could stayLooking on the groundIf these aviatorsDid not keep blocking my mindWith their clouds

So a rebelWith high technology lensesRunning with themA far as I knowThey were never inventedBut I feel somehowThey weresince the glitches keep comingBut even through the broken lensI can see aviators

- Ella Sanandaji

I wake up to a bright light. I have no idea where I am until it suddenly dawns on me… I’m home. The automatic shades go up for everyone at 7 am on weekdays. At this same time, the con-stant beeping of cars begins. Gosh, how I love the weekend... un-fortunately, it’s still days away. Normally I would charge to my window and scream at the traf-ÀF� WR� TXLHW� GRZQ�� EXW�today I just don’t want to get out of bed. My name is Elise. Well, at least, I gave myself that name. My real name is E.14, but it seems so impersonal. No one can tell who you are from a number. I want to be different--I want people to hear my name, Elise, and think of me as some graceful, beautiful per-son, you know? My eyes begin to focus IURP� WKH� EOXU� WKDW� ÀOPV�your eyes when you wake up. I look out my window at the massive sky. Sometimes, when I’m in school learning about history, I wonder what the sky would re-ally look like if it were still blue. Currently, It’s a greenish-black, but scientists suspect it will change colors every few years until there is no sky, and we see space from our homes. I read how there used

to be stars in the sky, but now it’s just empty. Mars has moved closer to Earth, and the moon even closer. Though it’s pretty hard to see outside, I can detect the silhouettes of the bustling cars, speeding through alleyways and up the sides of build-ings. Every few minutes I hear the fast woosh from a car going over my window. At around 7:10, the talking begins. It’s like hearing voices in-

The Future is BrightPart One by Isabelle Ament

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walls’ white visage is the constant, heart-like pulse of machin-ery and wires churning with voltage. I choose to examine my wrist-band, punching a few numbers on it to make some adjustments in my morning routine. I wait in bed a few more moments, star-ing at the wristband that literally controls my life. Finally, the door opens and I am greet-ed by my SERVE.N.T. With a few beeps, he hovers over to me and waits for a command. I simply nod, and he picks me up. Gravity’s a thing of the past after the whole atmosphere combusted into itself, so you can’t just walk around on your legs. G r a s p e d tightly by my waist, I am taken to the din-ning room. I am then set on my designated family seat, which has a kind of magnetic at-traction to me, and I stick there like glue. SERVE.N.T. waits there for a couple more minutes. I don’t re-ally want to talk, but I enjoy his presence--it makes me feel more human, if you know what I mean. He then starts to beep again, an-ticipating a com-mand, I presume. “Television.”

It’s a sterile white room, with no hint

of germs. But behind the walls’

white visage is the constant, heart-like pulse of machinery and wires churning

with voltage.side your head, trying to tell you something all at the same time! If I listen carefully--and I seldom do--I can make out useless conversations like “Mom, where’d you put my cat?” I actually hear that line a lot. I guess it’s a mom and cat thing. As the talk-ing gets louder, I turn my attention back to my own little world; my room. It’s a sterile white room, with no hint of germs. But behind the

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It takes a few minutes for the transi-tion to complete, and the news comes up on my place mat. “Apparently, those robo-citizens will have a tougher time than they thought, J.I.M.,” says the female anchor. “Ha, yes. I believe so, D.A.R.L.E.N.E.,” the male anchor says in a monotone voice. Hilarious. This news channel is so interest-ing…. No, but really, I have no idea what is going on. I stick to my own imagination most of the time. It’s more comforting. “Oh, hold on there, D.A.R.L.E.N.E., I am getting a report from N.I.C.K.,” the male anchor states. “We are now going live to N.I.C.K.” “How exciting!” D.A.R.L.E.N.E. says. Though I stare emo-tionless at the screen, SERVE.N.T. seems to be eager with anticipa-tion. What could be so good that he would show emotion? I turn my head to stare at him, but he seems to know what I’m think-ing, and he quickly jerks back and turns to-wards the kitchen. Ha, loser--how it must feel to be intimidated by a 16 year old wimp. “N.I.C.K. here! And I have some wild news! It seems that someone has broken into the software da-tabases of 10 out of 17 networks around the globe! I am talk-ing now with one of

the P.R.O.TECH.T.O.R.S. of the ThinkBright Net-work! Sir, would you mind giving us the scoop? What in hell happened?” The robot seems a little shy and simply stares into the camera for a brief moment. Then, he talks, while still staring into the camera lens. “The software was breached. We have full protection, though. Not to wor-ry….” There is a slight pause, and he quickly adds, “Oh, there’s vir-tual protection! Im-possible… It-It’s like a-a… wall… You can’t get past a wall.” You can tell this guy has no idea what he’s talking about. “Of course,” N.I.C.K. adds after a few seconds. “Unless the people explode the wall. Or--or dig under it, or even climb over it!” Though N.I.C.K.’s eyebrows seem to slowly grow taller on his face, it seems to be getting into this “game” of guessing how to get past a wall. There is a mo-ment of silence while the two robots stare at each other, waiting for some sort of com-fort from anyone. This makes me feel safe, personally. Then P.R.O.TECH.T.O.R adds in, “No! I didn’t mean a wall, I meant…A cage. A trap! A con-crete box, surrounded b y … L A N D M I N E S ! ” The P.R.O.TECH.T.O.R.

tries to erase his previ-ous statement. It is obvious that this guy has no idea how bad the situation is. In fact, I’m starting to pity him. He seems pretty scared. This kind of stuff always hap-pens: masterminds try-LQJ�WR�LQÀOWUDWH�7KH�6\V-tem, trying to send out viruses or something. Not a biggie. What’s to fear? I stop listening to the television and call to SERVE.N.T. “Where are my cakes, Bot?” I can tell that I startled him. I hear the sound of metal clank-ing together, and falling silverware. I start swish-ing my hands through the television screen, distorting the faces as my hand almost reaches them. I love that wave-like effect my hand makes. I start to circulate N.I.C.K.’s face, and the pixels, as well as N.I.C.K.’s face begin to swirl around, following my hand. SERVE.N.T. comes into the dinning room with a steaming plate of cakes. I love cakes. Thanks to the Food Act of 3021, food no longer has texture, and this sometimes leaves me disgruntled. However, the taste has been en-hanced, and it tastes so good! I’ll describe it to you, to make you jealous: there’s a layer of what tastes like chocolate… oops, that came out wrong... chocolate, and then ZDIHUV��DSSOH�FKLSV��ÀVK�liver, and a few pieces

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of carrots on the top. Trust me, it’s delicious. After deliver-ing my breakfast, SERVE.N.T. moves to-wards my room, and I return my attention to the screen. N.I.C.K. is still arguing with the P.R.O.TECH.T.O.R. about his protection. It’s pret-ty funny when you see URER�FLWL]HQV� ÀJKWLQJ���Some of them are still working on switching between emotions, so it looks like they’re smiling when they’re scream-ing and cursing. A red light goes off in the background of the show, and both robots turn their heads.

bot button. No one comes. Not again! Holding on to the railing of my bed, I strug-gle to climb out of my covers. It takes a lot of strength, but I manage to release myself from them. There I am, hang-ing on to a bed railing, ÁRDWLQJ� XSVLGH�GRZQ��with no where to go. I suddenly let go, without thinking, and hit the ceiling. I then start to shimmy and drag myself out of my room to the dining room. The television is off once again, but there’s no SERVE.N.T.... I look out the window and see that there’s nothing mov-ing outside. The street is normally bustling with life. The classics: hover-ing cars with those cool glowing lights all over the backs. The newer models even have small IRUFH� ÀHOGV� WR� SURWHFW�the bumpers from be-ing smashed and the other car being burned to ashes. There are normally a lot of people too; well, it is New York City. But I guess the robo-citizens made up a lot of the population, and now they’re all gone. No electronics on the street or in my house. Whoev-er got into the software really got in…. The silence. It’s kind of nice. No more beeps. I don’t mind the silence. It’s the lack of company I am scared of.

“Hello?” I lift my arm and swish it through where the screen should be. Nothing. They must have turned off all the electronics to stop the virus. Great. I’m stuck to WKH�FKDLU� XQWLO� WKH\� ÀQ-ish their business. I look down at my wristband again and punch a few buttons. Nothing. Why do I even try? I look around me. Silence. Then the televi-sion goes on, but it’s all static. I press the SERVE.N.T. button and look around. Suddenly he appears in the door-way. “Take me out of this chair! I’m done! No more!” I yell.6(59(�1�7��ÁRDWV�RYHU�WR�me quickly and picks me up from the chair. I dangle there for a bit, ÁH[LQJ� P\� WRHV�� � ,� DVN�him about the televi-VLRQ�� � $W� ÀUVW�� WKHUH� LV�no response, then his face turns frantic and he looks over to see if the screen is on. He EHJLQV� WR� ORRN�WHUULÀHG��DQG� KH� TXLFNO\� ÁRDWV�towards my bedroom. He places me in my bed, without turning on the magnet, so that the only thing hold-ing me down are the heavy covers (which are pretty darn heavy, I’ll tell ya). Then he runs into the other room and never returns. Several hours later I wake up again. Every-thing must have been a dream. I look at my wristband and click the

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� ,W·V� RIÀFLDO�� WKH� VRIW-ware’s been reached. They both look terri-ÀHG�� � ,� VWDUW� HDWLQJ�P\�cakes… this is getting intriguing. Suddenly, the light goes off, and I hear the long, fading sigh-like sound of tech-nology shutting down. “What was that?” I yell. This is a waste of my time. I call SERVE.N.T. to come and turn off the television. But he doesn’t come. I turn back to the television WR� ÀQG� WKDW� LW� WRR� KDV�gone off. I look down at my wristband to call SERVE.N.T. again. It’s off too.

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pic 3: Union Square Winter Fair Courtesy of dibarirealty.net

Courtesy of dibarirealty.net

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--Sophia Feist

Walking down Park Avenue between Union Square and Madison Square Park, one sees beautiful buildings galore. Historic residential and commercial locations are found on almost every block. This truly is a neighborhood where you can imagine life one hundred years ago. Many of the buildings have stone facades embellished with curlicues and twists of high detail. On Broadway between 17th� DQG� ��th streets, there is a whole row of 19th-century style buildings, beautiful to behold and reminiscent of the history of the city. 7KH\�DUH�QR�PRUH�WKDQ�IRXU�RU�ÀYH�VWRULHV�WDOO�DQG�DUH�PDGH�RI�brick, with doors and windows only one person wide and the buildings themselves no wider than two cars lined up bumper-to-bumper. At the corner of 17th street there is a building, now housing a Petco store, which used to be a factory for Andy Warhol’s designs and creations. Madison Square Park has an annual fall fair, and Union Square has a winter one. Every year, dozens of people from elementary school-aged to elderly come and shop for sweets, warm drinks, and gifts for the holiday season. Selling everything from animal-shaped hats to small hand puppets and yarn dolls, there’s always something there that you want for yourself or others. Warm aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, baking pastries, and chocolate envelop you as you browse the selections of handmade toys, scented candles and soaps, and more. Irving Plaza, now called ‘the Fillmore’ is a famous concert hall located on a street also named Irving Plaza but changing to Lexington Avenue once past 20th street. Many famous people have performed there. A couple of years ago, my family and I saw Ringo from the Beatles perform there. The Flatiron Building gives my neighborhood, The Flatiron District, its name. This century-old building is famous for its triangular shape which occurred because it was built at an intersection of the diagonal Broadway with straight 5th avenue, has been around for over a century. It is a landmark RI�1HZ�<RUN�DQG�RQH�RI�WKH�GHÀQLQJ�SDUWV�RI�ZKHUH�,�OLYH�

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by Emily Chin Memento Mori

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ART BY ESTHER FORK