Niskayuna High School

Since 1974,Now Weekly

December 3, 2004 Volume 31, Issue 11

The annual Area All State Music Festival was held on Fri-day and Saturday, November 19 and 20 respectively, at Saratoga High School.

Students were selected to par-ticipate based on their NYSSMA solo scores from the festival last May and June.

Niskayuna was well repre-sented in this event, sending 35 students to the Band, Orchestra, Chorus, and Jazz Band. The large number of musicians admitted from Niskayuna showed the con-tinuing presence of Niskayuna’s strong music program in the Capital Region. In the Orchestra, students from Niskayuna High School dominated the string sec-tion of the orchestra. Niskayuna students occupied three chairs in the fi rst violin section, as well as principal chairs in the second violin, cello, and bass sections. These seat appointments were the results of auditions conducted on the fi rst day of the festival.

Students from Niskayuna re-fl ected positively on their Area All State experience. “It gave

Eric ZhouNEWS

students a good opportunity to play with a group of kids they’d not normally play with,” remarked Junior violinist Tim Vo. “I felt that Area All State gave us a ter-rifi c opportunity to perform with other talented musicians from the area. As a result of the festival, I felt that I grew tremendously as a musician,” said violinist, Sopho-more Leo Brown.

The end of the festival was marked by a concert featuring all the groups. The students were rewarded for their hard work with a sellout crowd. The concert began with the Area All State Jazz Band led by Vincent DiMartino. The Jazz Band, played selections such as “Hoe-Down” by Oliver Nelson, “Mambone” by Bob Mintzer, and “Dauphin Dance” by Herbie Han-cock. Vincent DiMartino is one of America’s leading trumpet per-formers, often performing as a cor-net soloist for the New Columbian Brass Band. As a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, DiMar-tino has worked as lead trumpet Lionel Hampton Band, the Chuck Mangione Band, and the Clark

(continued on page 3, STUDENT)

by Laura IsabellaNEWS

Niskayuna High School vocal groups Concert Chorale, Bel Canto Voices, and Studio Singers sang at the WMHT public broadcasting studio on Friday, November 18. The students were taped for WMHT’s seasonal program, Music For the Holidays. WMHT selected ten choirs from around the Capital District to perform in a series of fi ve 30-minute television programs featuring winter seasonal music. Among the chosen groups were the Capital District Youth Chorale, the St. Pius X School Choir, the Shenendehowa High School West Choir, the Shaker Junior High Choir, the Southgate Elementary School Select Choir, the Co-bleskill-Richmondville High School Choir,

the University of Albany Chamber Singers, the Amsterdam High School Choir, and the Broadalbin-Perth High School Choir.

This is not the fi rst time Niskayuna has been recognized in the region for choral excellence. Last year, Concert Chorale trav-eled to Washington, D.C. for one of the North American Music Festivals and it has received high honors in the past from NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) adjudi-cations. Bel Canto Voices, Niskayuna’s small madrigal choir, also went on the Washington, D.C. trip. Earlier this year, the group sang at the New York State School Association’s annual convention in Buffalo. Also, Studio Singers, Concert Chorale, and Bel Canto have sung all over the Capital District.

Taping for all three groups took approxi-

mately three hours. The fi rst group, Concert Chorale, Niskayuna’s core select choir, taped the soothing “Shepard’s Farewell”, and the bumpy and lighthearted “Donkey Carol”, which featured junior Jeremy Wolos on the oboe obligato. The group concluded their set with the fast-paced Chanukah song, “Light the Legend.” Towards the end of Concert Chorale’s taping, a few students became exhausted, but Stephen Honeybill, the WMHT senior producer, graciously gave the singers juice and cookies to revive them. As they say, the show must go on.

The taping continued with Bel Canto Voices. Seniors Alec Wilson and Jesse Conti, sophomore Emma Ladouceur, and

(continued on page 3, SCHOOL)

WMHT program features Nisky voices

Niskayuna represented at area festival

MELLOW CELLOS: Cellos wait anxiously in the orchestra room to be played. Members of the orchestra played at the Area All State Festival two weeks ago.

Warrior photo / Juliette Price

2 News December 3, 2004 The Warrior2

NEWS BRIEFSThere will be a ski/snowboard trip to Okemo on Sunday, December 12. The 50 dollar fee is due to Mr. Wetzel by December 3.

STAND will be collecting per-sonal toiletries for the YMCA Domestic Violence Shelter. Items may be dropped off in D204 or A203.

Field hockey players who ordered DVDs may now pick them up in the Athletic Offi ce.

Come support German Club and celebrate Nikolaustag today! Se-cret Santa bags are for sale during all lunch mods at both cafeterias for two and fi ve dollars.

Students may now sign up for the Les Miserables stage crew outside the choir room in E-hall.

Faculty and Staff: Discount theater tickets are now available for Bombay Dreams.

Venture crew an adventurous groupby Ben Hayashi

NEWS

Crew 31, a small Venture Crew chapter in Niskayuna chartered by the Niskayuna Reformed Church, has been active during the past year. This group is part of the program known as Venture Scouting, a section of the non-profit organization Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Venture Crew is similar to the Boy Scouts, but unlike that organization, it is coed and oriented toward high school and college students. In this program, teenagers learn leadership and team-work skills and do activities of the crew’s choice. Most Venture Crews pusue ac-tivities such as rock and ice climbing, skiing, snowboard-ing, scuba diving, sailing, hiking, mountain biking, whi tewater sports , and other such high-adventure pursuits.

“We’re just a great group of people going out [and] hav-

ing fun. Venture Crew gives us the ability to do things we wouldn’t normally be able to do and allows us to do it in

a great atmosphere,” said Crew secretary and Niska-yuna junior Matt Conlon.

Some of the activities Crew

31 has done so far include hikes, sai l ing, and rock climbing. For this year, the crew has planned activities

such as Adirondack high-peaks hiking, winter camp-ing, skiing, snowboarding, and whitewater canoeing.

With all of these pastimes, the crew will be quite active. One of the largest upcoming events will be whitewater canoeing. This trip will be held next July, and will be a week long excursion away from civilization down the Allagash River in Maine. “It’ll be a great year with all of these activities we have planned, and hopefully, with more people joining the crew, we’ll be able to do even more great trips next year,” said Conlon.

Venture Crew usual ly meets once every month at the Niskayuna Reformed Church, and is now running smoothly. It has been very successful at attracting stu-dents from the high school, and the chapter ’s staff is composed entirely of Niska-yuna students. Venture Crew has also created a unique chance for high school stu-dents to meet new people and to try their hand at different adventurous activities.

Photo courtesy Ben Hayashi

HELLO DOWN THERE: Junior Ben Hayashi, a Venture Crew 31 member, looks down while rock climbing during a crew outing.

3NewsDecember 3, 2004The Warrior

WORD OF THE WEEK

Quintessence: Medieval alchemists sought a fi fth, celestial elementthat would, along with earth, air, fi re, and water, account for all earthly and heavenly

substance. Aristotle postulated this ethereal essence and named it aither, a term with the same con-notation as Englishʼs ether, which originally meant “a substance hy-

pothesized by the ancients asfi lling all space beyond the sphere of the moon, and making up the

stars and planets,” ethereal being ethereal being etherealan obvious derivative.

The Greeks also referred to aither simply as “pempte ousia,” or “fi fth essence.” This was translated ver-

batim into medieval Latin as quinta essentia. It was not until the 16th

century that the word quintessencedeveloped its metaphorical sense of “the most perfect embodiment and

characteristic manifestation.”

S o u r c e s c o n s u l t e d : D i c t i o n a r y o f Wo r d O r i g i n s b y J o h n Ay t o a n dWebsterʼs New World Collegiate Dictionary,

Fourth Edition.

A fi nal stage for this year s̓ Underground Artist Exhibit

Student musicians attend All State festival(continued from page 1, NISKAYUNA)

Terry Band. He has also been featured in numerous recordings of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Jazz Ensemble was followed by the Area All State Mixed Cho-rus, led by Granville Oldham Jr.. This large ensemble performed “Now, Shout!” by Gerald Kemner, “Ballad of the Green Broom” by Benjamin Britten, “Things That Never Die” by Lee Dengler, and “Hold On!” by Moses Hogan. Oldham is currently enrolled at the University of Southern California and is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Music. He also conducts the Cathedral Choir at the Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles. The Area All State Band performed next, under the leadership of Dr. Alan Woy. The band performed selections from Sousa, Erickson, and Del Borgo. Woy, before retiring last year, was a professor at the Crane School of Music. He has been very active in clarinet workshops, preforms as a soloist, and is a guest conductor throughout New York State. The concert concluded with the Area All State Orchestra, under the leadership of James M. Robinowitz. Robinowitz is a graduate of the Crane School of Music. He led the Arlington Touring Orchestra on many international summer trips to places such as Thailand, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia, China, Germany, Romania, and Austria. The orchestra’s program included “Raiders March” from Indiana Jones, “American Salute” by Morton Gould, and “Cuban Overture” by George Gershwin.

(continued from page 1, WHMT)junior Claire Ligon were the soloists for Bel’s performance of “Riu, Riu Chiu.” Bel Canto also sang the seasonal “Lo, How a Rose ere Blooming.” Next, Studio Singers, the jazz group, sang “Carol of the Bells (Ukranian Christmas Carol)” and “The First Noel,” with junior Laura Simpson and senior Andrew Harding as soloists.

Take after take, each group sang until the songs were perfect. “I was exhausted by the time we got on the bus. Still, I had a good time,” said Ladouceur. Junior Andrea Corrow agreed, “My feet really hurt, but I’m happy that nothing too disas-trous happened at the taping.”

“The floor manager at the studio could not believe these groups were high school kids. I’m not surprised by that comment,” said choral director Paula Brinkman. For the most part, the singers found the performance to be a success. According to freshman James Parella, “[The taping] was phenomenal. The only thing that bothered me were the hot blinding lights.” Brinkman added warmly that she was very proud of her singers’ performance and behavior.

The five 30-minute programs are planned to air on December 13-17 from 7:30-8:00 p.m., December 19 from 4:30-7 p.m., December 20-24 from 5:30-6:00 p.m., and December 25 from 7:30-10:00 a.m. Specific times for Niskayuna performances will be announced at a later date.

Warrior photo / Lesley Yemi Adewunmi

Juniors Dave Adikes and Tim Colose (far left and far right, respectively), along with Albany Underground Artist Tommy Watkins (center) prepare the art gallery for Tuesdayʼs reception honoring the Albany Underground Artist exhibit whihc will continue through December 13. The fi nal feature, seen here in the making, is a collaboration of students and the local artists whose works were featured in the show these past several weeks. Both are interested in feedback from the student body; visit the art gallery today or Monday and look for a follow-up in next weekʼs Warrior.

School voice groups sing at local broadcast

444 OpinionOpinionOpinion

The Warrior

The Warrior is published each Friday the high school has classes (33 times a year).

For a one-year subscription, send a check for $25 payable to Niskayuna High School to The Warrior, Attn: Subscriptions, 1626 Balltown Rd., Niskayuna, NY 12309.

Niskayuna High School1626 Balltown RoadNiskayuna, NY 12309

(518) 382-2511, Ext. 351http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warrior/

T H E S T A F F

December 3, 2004 The Warrior

EDITORIAL POLICIES

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are wel-come from all members of the school community. The Warrior reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and length.

SIGNED OPINION ARTICLES AND CARTOONS express the opinions of their creators.

UNSIGNED EDITORIALS represent the consensus of the paper’s edito-rial board, which may not refl ect the majority of the students’ views.

THE OP-ED PAGES are a forum for students’ opinions and ideas.

Can’t Kerry the election

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Alice Lee, Alec WilsonNEWS EDITORS: Jesse Conti, Julia Napolitano,

Joshua XiongASST. NEWS: Lesley Yemi Adewunmi, Ian

Davis, Eric ZhouOPINION EDITORS: Evan Ballan, Jeremy WolosASST. OPINION: Stephanie KaylorENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Sarita UpadhyayASST. ENTERTAINMENT: Steve ChaoSPORTS EDITORS: Anthony Guzman, Andrew MarshallASST. SPORTS: Caitlin Horgan, Gavin LabateCONSULTING EDITOR: Juliette PriceHEAD MAGAZINE EDITOR: Kathryn FantauzziMAGAZINE EDITORS: Katerina Gross, Alex RivadeneiraCOPY EDITOR: Abby AlgerGRAPHICS COORDINATOR: Laura SimpsonGRAPHICS EDITOR: Juliette PriceDISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Ian DavisBUSINESS MANAGER: Erik DonhoweWEB SITE MANAGER: Scott BrainardADVISORS: James Edgar, Russell McDowell

Evan considers the holidays

by Dan MacPhersonOPINION

Even after we Americans fairly decided through our legal electoral process that George W. Bush was to remain our presi-dent, it seems that some people are still not confi dent of his qualifi cations as a leader. President Bush is not only better qualifi ed to be president, but he is a better man than Senator John Kerry could ever hope to be. I believe that during the months of the campaign, Kerry knew he couldn’t win. When defeat was imminent, he conceded, ending the race and letting down his sup-porters and his political party.

In the 2004 election, Republicans scored a major victory across the board. They were able to secure a second term in the executive branch, and gained more seats in Congress. It seems clear that the Democratic Party is in a sorry state. Bush received many more votes this election than in 2000; this indicates that many people have more faith in him now than before.

Since January 2001, Bush has added 2.2 million jobs to the United States’ economy. Since then, he has liberated two severely

oppressed nations. He has orchestrated the capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and killed his two sons, both of whom were extremely dangerous to the people of Iraq. Bush has offered the most money that a president ever has to help an African nation in time of war. Additionally, on our own soil, he has strengthened the way our mili-tary operates, creating new programs and incentives for citizens to join the service, effectively avoiding a draft. He has given tax cuts to hard working Americans. Bush is not perfect, but he is defi nitely a man of conviction, and deserves a lot more respect than insincere liberals owe him. How can you show any respect towards someone who jumps on the Kerry bandwagon after he wins the primaries, simply because he isn’t a Republican?

Kerry isn’t the worst senator to preside in Congress, but he certainly isn’t more worthy of running for president than anyone else. He has led a career full of inconsistencies, and if people are going to criticize Bush so persistently, then maybe they should

(continued on page 5,BUSH’S)

by Evan BallanOPINION COLUMN

The issue of The Warrioryou’re holding right now is a very special one. On the surface, it may seem like any other issue of the fi ne student publica-tion of Niskayuna High School, but you know what they say about judging a student pub-lication by its cover (don’t). This is, you see, the fi rst issue of The Warrior published after Thanksgiving 2004, which means that the holiday season is now on the forefront of everyone’s mind. Certainly you might not publicly admit it, but I know you’re secretly counting the days until the holiday break begins (21), and are probably spending your afternoon buying me countless holiday gifts, whistling holiday music as you walk down the street, and constantly monitoring

the window during classes for the slightest indication of snowfall. In fact, I’ll bet that when you read that, you put this magnificent article down for a moment and glanced at the win-dow to check for wintry precipitation. Yes, the 2004 holiday season has finally commenced.

The fi rst real part of the holiday season is the day after Thanksgiving, also known ominously as Black Friday. On Thanksgiving night I debated what my activities should entail for the following day. Should I awake in the wee hours of the morning to go stand in long lines and spend money? Or, should I stay in bed and sleep? For me, Black Friday didn’t stand a fi ghting chance. While millions around the country

woke up at ungodly hours to go catch some excellent deals at their local shop-ping centers, I remained in the comfort of my own bed, taking advantage of the dearth of school and snagging as many Zs as I could in a vain at-tempt to compensate for those that would surely

be missed in the school-fi lled weeks to come. I certainly hope that my pass-ing on Black Friday

doesn’t make me a Scrooge of sorts, but this aspect of the holidays simply isn’t particularly appealing.

Another integral part to the holiday season is mu-sic. Now, when speaking of holiday music, one is gener-ally referring to Christmas music. Simply put, there’s somewhat of a paucity of tunes pertaining to other holidays, versus an abun-dance about Christmas.

(continued on page 5,EVAN)

FOR EVAN’S SAKE!

5OpinionDecember 3, 2004The Warrior

(continued from page 4,EVAN)

There are also, of course, a number of generic holiday songs that are devoid of association with any particular holiday. It’s hard to avoid holiday music. One local radio station, 98.3, has even decided to abandon its typical musi-cal ways, and for the holiday months play constant holiday music. I don’t think that there are many, if any, good holiday songs that have been written in the past few years. Some renderings of older tunes are good, but most of the all-new ones tend to be not-so-good. Case in point, I trust I’m not the only one who would take pleasure in tying together the laces of “Christmas Shoes,” swinging them around my head and jettisoning them through the air from the edge of a very high cliff. Of course, not all older songs are exempt from being awful. Listening to the radio the other day, a Christmas song I thought I knew happened to be cause for a double take. “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” is a holiday standard, sung and listened to throughout the ages. Surely in my life, I’d heard it hundreds of times, but never quite real-ized the... bizarre nature of its lyrics. It became evident to me that this song once associated with happiness and sharing was in fact about rowdy houseguests who extort their poor hosts for a highly unusual food request. “Bring us a fi ggy pudding,” they demand, adding that they “won’t leave until we get some.” They then go on to wish their hosts a “Merry Christmas” and a “Happy New Year.” What the heck a fi ggy pudding is, and why a Christmas song would be written about such a bizarre topic are two

mysteries that I assume will remain unsolved. Perhaps some Christmas songs are better left instrumental. Then there are the songs that should simply be banished from ever being played, vocalized or otherwise. Like that one about the donkey. Do not get me started on the donkey.

In addition to musical entertainment, the holiday season is a time when Hollywood at-tempts to lure young children into its theater to spend money for viewing some fi ne, or not-so-fi ne, holiday movies. This year’s lineup was

surprisingly lacking; there were only two real holiday movies that hit the major market: The Polar Express and Christmas with the Kranks. I haven’t seen either one, nor do I particularly have any desire to. I think that the best holiday movie is Christmas Vacation. I think It’s A Wonderful Life is a good movie, but it is seri-ously overplayed. I think there should be an annual limit on how many times that movie

can be aired. And those are my opinions on holiday movies.

There’s a food product associated with the holiday season, and that is the candy cane. I have a love/hate relationship with candy canes. I think that the red and white ones are the only real candy canes, and I think that they taste exquisite, but I think that their shape makes consumption extremely inconvenient. Often the “cane” part breaks off, leaving you with shattered fragments and a frighteningly pointy-ended candy stick of

sorts. Bumping into a person holding one of these former canes would be appropriately fi led under “Bad Ideas.” I think that a good scene in an Indiana Jones movie would be having a trap of sorts in which there are a bunch of jagged candy cane edges sticking out of a ceiling that is slowly lowering, and Indiana has to eat them quickly before they crush him. Preserving a partially eaten candy cane is also an unnecessarily diffi cult task, as anyone who has attempted this feat well knows. Something has to be done to improve this clearly fl awed design.

I like the holiday season. I really do. Yes, this column was used (abused?) to host the few humbugs I do have, but other than that, the holidays are a fun

time. So throw a Yule log into the fi replace and start a nice winter fi re. Go pop “Christmas Shoes”into your stereo. Turn on the television; regardless of the channel, It’s A Wonderful Life is sure to be on. Sit down on the couch. No, bet-ter yet, lie down. Make yourself comfortable. Most importantly, don’t forget to chow down on some fantastically fi ggy pudding.

Happy Holidays!

Evan continues to contemplate the holidays

(continued from page 4, CAN’T)

fi rst examine some of Kerry’s inadequacies. He has had a 76 percent rate of absence for vot-ing during his 28 years in the Senate. It has been proved that he met with North Vietnamese leaders during the Vietnam War while he was a commissioned of-fi cer of our naval forces. He con-versed with the enemy during a time of war in which the United States was fi ghting to stop the

North Vietnamese from turn-ing South Vietnam communist. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as Kerry refused to release his military records, and has been known for lying when it comes to what they contain.

The biggest problem facing Kerry, however, is his inability to decide on issues. He was admittedly on both sides of the Persian Gulf War. That’s amaz-ing; he can be on both sides, and when one side loses, he just

declares he was on the other side the whole time. I commend the way he decides whether or not the war was a good idea.

So I encourage all the liber-als to not just automatically agree with all the other people who take a fi rm stance against Bush. Don’t be a crowd pleaser that is completely uninformed politically and feels that their friends would for some reason think less of them for liking the wrong candidate. So realize that

it’s okay to like Bush and to make it known. It’s also okay to dislike John Kerry. This is New York, but that doesn’t mean you have to go with the Democratic candidate. It’s your job to make the right decision and to give your support to the right people and to the right wing of politics. Support President Bush and Vice President Cheney in their second term and do the right thing, not just for yourself but for the good of America.

Bush’s victory due to superior leadership

Warrior art / Laura Simpson

December 3, 2004666 EntertainmentEntertainmentEntertainment The WarriorThe WarriorThe Warrior

ENTERTAINMENT

Chosen carefully from the best and the brightest, TheWarrior has assembled an undercover investigation team consisting of three Niskayuna High School students. The team travels throughout the school and the Capital Region, secretly evaluating, reviewing and rating assorted locales. Be on the lookout: you never know when or where they’ll strike! The following is a transcript of a conversation that members of the team had after eating at a local café at Mohawk Commons, Panera Bread, which serves a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads, bread, and sweets.

Their names have been coded to protect their identities.

Agent X: Hello, boys and girls!

Agent Z: So, what did you think of Panera last weekend?

X: Well, I noticed one of their neon lights was mal-functioning, and when I eat out, I expect a high level of light functioning. Did you see that?

Agent Y: I did, X, and I was Agent Y: I did, X, and I was both shocked and appalled. But both shocked and appalled. But let me tell you what was even let me tell you what was even worse–the buzzers that go off worse–the buzzers that go off when your food is ready. In when your food is ready. In fact, I was so shocked from the fact, I was so shocked from the buzzer that my beverage had an buzzer that my beverage had an unfortunate accident.

X: Oh no! That was quite embarrassing.

Y: Oh yes! It was- and it was Y: Oh yes! It was- and it was clearly the buzzer’s fault.clearly the buzzer’s fault.

X: For those of you who weren’t there, that is to say, all of you, the buzzing of the buzzer caused poor Y

to spill his or her water all over the fl oor. I discovered the buzzers are intended as coasters.

Z: Wouldn’t the drink spill?X: I mean, you have your

drink on top of them, right? Because that’s what you do with a coaster. The buzzer goes off. BAM!

Z: It’s more of an earthquake simulator!

X: El drinko fl ies up three feet in the air, comes down on your head; you’re all sticky because it was soda.

Y: Well, despite these bro-Y: Well, despite these bro-ken lights and dysfunctional ken lights and dysfunctional coaster-buzzers, I was very coaster-buzzers, I was very pleased with my French onion pleased with my French onion soup in a bread bowl.soup in a bread bowl.

Z: Well, I ordered chicken noodle soup in a bread bowl, which I defi nitely recommend. But, when I went to pick up my order, I was informed that the bread bowls were gone.

Y: Agent Z was forced to Y: Agent Z was forced to create a makeshift bread bowl

out of a loaf of bread.Z: Yes, I was. It wasn’t as good

as the real thing, considering it was a foot long.

X: It was a bit leaky, if I recall, although I thought my French onion soup in a bread bowl was quite excellent.

Z: Well, what did you guys think of the general atmosphere of Panera?

X: I’d have to say slightly hazardous; let’s say a guy’s walking around with a loaf of French bread. You tap him on the shoulder, he spins around, WHUMP– knocks you unconscious.

Z: Those things could be used to rob a bank! Well, I liked the bright cheery atmosphere. The fi re added a cozy feel.

Y: The place defi nitely has a warm feeling and has a defi nite bread theme. As for food, I’d rec-ommend the Italian mix sand-wich, the French onion soup, and the three cheese bread.

ZY X

FOOD

COST

ATMOSPHERE

4.5

3

4

2

4 3

4

2

3

Ratings out of 5

by Jeremy WolosENTERTAINMENT

Creative punk band Green Day’s lat-est album, American Idiot, was released this past September. I’ll be the fi rst to admit that this isn’t exactly a timely review. I fi rst heard of this production sometime over the summer, and didn’t expect much. I love earlier Green Day albums, like Dookie (1994) and Nimrod(1997), but with a title so tangled in political agenda, I feared that AmericanIdiot would be for Green Day what Hail to the Thief (2003) was for Radiohead: to the Thief (2003) was for Radiohead: to the Thiefa collection of comparatively mediocre songs too obviously geared for increas-ing the band’s self-importance through clichéd political rhetoric.

Recently, however, I heard something that surprised me when I stumbled across a review of American Idiot. From this, I learned that Green Day had sculpted American Idiot into a rock opera, in the spirit of The Who’s Tommy (1969) and Quadrophenia (1973), and, moreover, they had done so with some degree of success. I was astonished, and rushed out to purchase the world’s fi rst stab at a punk-rock opera (this was a particularly

XYZ Affair: students rate restaurants

American Idiot a giant leap for punk rocksignifi cant purchase for me; it was my fi rst album purchase since a recent onslaught of spyware forced me to end my four-year illegal-downloading binge).

At fi rst, I was still not impressed. The relatively easy-to-understand symbolic storyline made Tommy such an amazing album; listeners know and understand the lives and motivations of a few important characters. In American Idiot there are a few recurring characters with names like Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy, and a girl called Whatsername, but there isn’t much of a plot line. The songs are merely connected by the cohesive idea that a natural human desire for control is suppressed by the media, chain retailers, and a rigid system of suburban ideology. For something to truly be an “opera,” I would say that the order of songs on the album would have to matter a little more than it does on American Idiot.

As I lay on my bed, disappointed by the lack of discernable storyline, I sud-denly realized that the band playing on the album didn’t sound like Green Day. Where was the noisy, youthful innocence of Dookie? The irreverence of Nimrod?

I listened more closely and realized that

not only was the band experimenting with entirely new sounds and genres, but that the results were successful. In the song “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” it was apparent for the fi rst time in the band’s history that lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong can actually sing quite impressively. This was reinforced later by the almost ballad-like “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” which was without question the fi rst heart-wrench-ing punk song I’ve ever heard.

For those not looking for anything new and emotional in their Green Day experience, songs like “St. Jimmy” and “Letterbomb” sound similar enough to the band’s earlier works, but even these songs contain lyrics with some genuine philosophical insight. Despite the fact that American Idiot is certainly not the “punk-Quadrophenia” that some confused marketing executive at Warner Bros. tried to pass it off as, it shows several faces of Green Day that I didn’t know existed. American Idiot proves that Green Day is versatile; on a larger scale, this album is solid evidence that punk rock can be more than pseudo-musicians trying to pass off enraged shouting as art.

7SportsDecember 3, 2004 The Warrior

Top fi ve: College basketball 2004-2005by Jim Benoit, Jeff Howe, and James Sherrill

SPORTS

Finally, it’s time for real basketball. The college season has begun. Fans will be sport-ing their universities’ colors rather than a black eye from Ron Artest. With this in mind, here is some food for thought: our season-opening top five teams, as well as our picks for the All-American Team:

#1 Kansas: Led by preseason All-American Wayne Simien, the Jayhawks hope to improve upon their Elite Eight appear-ance of last year. Simien and fellow seniors Aaron Miles and Keith Langford make up an in-side-outside combination that is both talented and experienced. Simien, the leading scorer and rebounder, gives the Jayhawks a solid inside presence, and Langford and sophomore J.R. Giddens provide athleticism from the outside. Opposing teams will fi nd this balance tough to match. If the Jayhawks can avoid the early tournament exit, “Rock, Choke, Jayhawk,” that has plagued them in the past, they defi nitely have the talent to bring the champion-ship back to Lawrence.

#2 Wake Forest: I have one name for you, Chris Paul. This sophomore point guard is argu-ably the top player going into the 2004-2005 season. His presence on the court alone is something that cannot be matched by any other single player. Under his leadership, this squad returns four other starters in Justin Gray, Jamaal Levy, Eric Wil-liams, and Vyntas Danelius, in what should be an excit-ing season. While this squad doesn’t appear to possess the pure talent of a North Carolina or a Kansas, they do have the team chemistry required to win championships. If Wake For-est can play tougher and more consistent defense, there’s no telling how far they will go.

#3 Georgia Tech: Last year’s National Runner-Up returns most of its roster to form a largely senior-oriented

team. This experience will help the team compete for the ACC championship, perennially the top conference in the country. Guards BJ Elder and Jarret Jack form a strong backcourt, while 7’2” center Luke Schen-scher is a formidable presence inside for the Yellow Jackets. If the Ramblin’ Wreck can stay healthy, look for another Final Four run this season.

#4 Syracuse: The Orange return three starters from their

National Championship team two years ago, including pre-season First Team All-American Hakim Warrick. The high-fl ying Warrick is accompanied by Ju-nior guard Gerry McNamara. G-Mac rounds out the one-two punch for the ‘Cuse by providing one of the best three-point shots in the country. The Oranges’ success, however, rests on the shoulders of role players such as Josh Pace and suspended point

guard Billy Edelin. If Edelin returns to the team early (Free Billy!), a second championship trophy in three years may be making its way to Upstate New York in March.

#5 North Carolina: The Tar Heels return what could be the best talent in the country. Their big three, consisting of Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, and Sean May, has grown up; they have established themselves as legitimate All-American can-

didates. Don’t be fooled by the early season loss to Santa Clara: the Heels were missing point guard Felton due to suspension. Before this season, Head Coach Roy Williams had previously lost two opening games. In both these seasons, his team went on to make a trip to the Final Four. If North Carolina’s talent can gel, Williams may just go three for three.

All-American Team: Ha-

kim Warrick (SYRACUSE): As Syracuse’s only legitimate inside threat (sorry, Craig), Warrick returns for his senior year after posting 19.8 points per game last season. Known for his dunking ability, Warrick has developed an inside game that brings terror to opposing teams’ frontcourts. Look for him to put up big numbers once again in his senior campaign.

Julius Hodge (NC STATE): North Carolina State’s versatile senior returns to the Wolfpack after averaging 18.2 points per game last year. The hopes of his team rest upon his lanky 190-pound frame; NC State will need him in order to succeed in the ultracompetitive ACC.

Raymond Felton (NORTH CAROLINA): North Carolina’s point guard is probably the most gifted ball handler in the country. Going along with his pinpoint passing ability (an ACC-leading 7.1 assists per game) and his blazing speed, there’s not much that this star doesn’t have to offer to any team. The only weakness in his game thus far is his ability to shoot off the dribble. If Felton can make his shooting game more consis-tent, he may have a Player of the Year award in his future.

Wayne Simien (KANSAS): Averaging 17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds last year, Simien is a multitalented senior who looks to be the nation’s most dominant inside force. The player is an aggressive rebounder who easily turns offensive rebounds into points. He is also a solid defender who will come up with the oc-casional blocked shot. Expect Simien to be a dominant player for the Jayhawks this year.

Chris Paul (WAKE FOR-EST):Despite being a sopho-more, Paul is one of the elite guards in the nation. In his freshman year, he averaged 14 points and 6 assists, while guiding the Demon Deacons to the Sweet Sixteen. A year older, he looks to combine his speed off the dribble, passing, and shooting abilities into an All-American package.

SUPER SIMIEN: Wayne Simien looks to lead Kansas throughout the season and into the Big Dance.

Photo courtesy SI.com

8SportsDecember 3, 2004 The Warrior

Girls indoor track looks to defend title

RUNNING STRONG: Freshman Alicia D’Alessandro and Sophomore Carly Stalmer run the high school’s halls in a recent practice.

by Kevin FullerSPORTS

The Niskayuna girls in-door track team is expected to be a competitor for the Class B Section 2 t it le , coming off last year ’s cham-pionship run. Head coach Jason DeRocco is leading the team for the third year along with assistant coach Michael Peters. Although the team is relatively young and has lost key athletes including graduates Caitlin McTague, Sarah Miller, and Robin Bankert, the addition of several new athletes and the experience of several returning veterans make the team one of the most com-petitive in the section. “We did lose some great athletes to graduation,” commented DeRocco, but he added, “I think that the girls indoor t rack t eam has a good chance at repeating the

Sectional championship.”The girls are looking for-

ward to a great season and are training hard, enduring the cold weather to avoid the hard, grueling floors of the school’s hallways. The team has some of the best athletes in the section—and in the state for that matter. “Our greatest strengths are the sprints and jumps, especially with the addi-tion of Brooke Knowlton and Alicia D’Alessandro, as well as the return of Ash-lee Atwell, Julia Stori and Jillian Gold,” said senior Katie Sheehan. But the girls have other weapons that will help them win the sec-tion title, especially in the field events. Returning pole vaulters Atwell and Gold will be favorites to place at Sectionals. In the triple jump and the long jump, Sheehan and Stori are expected to be

two of the best competitors in the section.

“The team is very young and there will undoubtedly be talent that rises through-out the season , ” added DeRocco.

Last year ’s Sectional meet was a very close finish, but the girls are training hard to increase the gap between first and second place. Al-though the team lost some of their best runners to graduation, it should have no trouble filling in the spots of last year ’s seniors. Sheehan commented, “We’ve suffered a pretty hard loss in the distance and mid-distance events after the graduation of last year ’s seniors , but I think we have the depth to fill those gaps.” DeRocco says, “Julie Boardman-Brann, Kelsey and Kendra Lamb, Sarah McTague, Rebecca Skudder, Jessica Sokolow, and Chel-sea Stone will be the hub of the distance events.”

Warrior photo / Gavin Labate

As the first meet gets close, the girls are getting more and more excited to show the section that they have what it takes to repeat as Sectional champs. Gold agreed, saying, “The team is full of hardworking, tal-ented athletes, and we’re all excited to defend our Sectional title.”

“We’ve all been working extremely hard in practice so far, and we’re excited for our upcoming meet,” added fresh-man Alicia D’Alessandro.

The team’s first meet is scheduled for December 12 and Sectionals is sched-uled for February 20. This year ’s roster is still fairly young, being led by return-ing seniors Sheehan, Lindsey Rosecrans, and Ellen Sise, along with seniors Sokolow, Meagan Detrani, and Anjali Nirmalan, who are new to indoor track. The team is looking forward to a great season as well as others in the future.

COACH’S ADVICE: Coach Jason DeRocco encourages his team in a recent practice. DeRocco is optimistic about the season ahead, confi dent that his team has the ability to be repeat champions.

Warrior photo / Stephanie Kaylor