The WarriorNiskayuna High School September 16, 2005 Volume 32, Issue 1

Inside this issue...

a student-run publication since 1974, now weekly

Foreign students arrive in Niskayuna

Meet the new faces around Niskayuna High School with staff and faculty profiles, page 2

Niskayuna Girls Varsity Soccer team succeed in Oneonta tourn-ment, page 7

Warrior photo / Juliette PriceOUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS: Hailing from France, New Zealand, Mexico, and Germany from left to right, these AFS students will be attending the high school this school year.

BY JULIA SCHNELL

NEWS

As the days begin to grow shorter, the air cooler, and the homework more plentiful, new faces are appearing around Niskayuna High School. Some new students arrive from across the country, while others arrive from across the globe.

Every year, Niskayuna High School hosts three to four foreign exchange students through a program called Ameri-can Field Service (AFS) International. Each stu-dent spends the year with a Niskayuna family and attends school as an American student. After graduation, the students return to their homes. El len Clarkson, 17, comes to Niskayuna from Hamilton, New Zealand. Contrary to the beliefs of some students, New Zealand is not a part of Australia, nor can it be found it near Finland and Russia; it is its own separate country southeast of Australia.

“I previously lived in Hawaii when I was younger, which initiated my choice to go to the states,” Clarkson said. Since moving in with the Audi family, Clark-son has seen her first squirrel, raccoon, and hamster. She enjoys filmmaking and photography, and recently toured Europe as part of a national filmmaking competi-tion. According to Clarkson, classes like

Photography are not offered in New Zea-land; thus, she is enthusiastic about tak-ing these electives during the school year. Cordula Oberhäuser, 16, also remarked that in her town of Kevelaer, Germany, art courses like Jewelry and Metalworking are not available. Spanish will also be a new

subject for Oberhäuser this year. Since her arrival, Oberhäuser has joined crew and has only recently recovered from the resulting blisters. In Germany, she plays badminton and also enjoys the ballet and opera. Oberhäuser will be living with the Laos family.

Gabriel Molina, 18, hails form Mexico. Like Ellen, Molina has been to the United

States before. He went on a vacation four years ago to San Antonio, Texas. Sports are very important to Molina. He plays basketball, baseball, and soccer. Molina has already been studying English for six years and also loves history. The Halaykos will be his host family.

Claire Rameaux, 17, is staying with the Millspaugh family. Ra-meaux has joined the tennis team. She also loves skiing, sailing and soccer, and has already travelled to seven other countries, including Tunisia. Pri-or to her arrival to the United States, Rame-aux had never tasted peanut butter, but now she is a very big fan. Her father built a boat to sail around the world, but their family has not taken t h e t r i p y e t . All four students re-marked that in the United States, every-thing is much bigger than they had expect-

ed. Everyday things such as shopping and transportation were different to the new students. “Here you go to the store and find five-liter shampoo bottles,” remarked Oberhâuser. “We don’t have any highways in our city,” added Clarkson.

The students anticipate a wonderful year at Niskayuna High School, and hope to make many new friends and memories.

Dr. X takes on the College Board, page 4

2 September 16, 2005 The WarriorNews

New teachers bring expertise to NHS

Jennifer Gleckel, ScienceClasses: Earth Science,ChemistryCollege Attended: SUNY Plattsburgh, Sage Grad SchoolMotto: SmileFavorite Movie: The GooniesFavorite thing about teaching: Working with students and having fun at the same timeFavorite T.V. Show: FriendsHobbies: Hiking, ReadingFavorite Artist: Frank SinatraFavorite Ice Cream: Anything ChocolateFavorite author: Jennifer Weiner or Alice Sobel

Alejandro Victoria, ScienceClasses: Physics, Science Research SeminarCollege Attended: SUNY Albany, Hartwick College, City College CUNYMotto: “Hasta la victoria siempre” -Che GuevaraFavorite thing about teaching: Having stu-dents find out they really like physicsFavorite restaurant: El MariachiGoals: To continue having funFavorite movie: Vampire Hunter DPets: Two cats, Tommy and CharlotteHometown: New Rochelle, NY

Brian Mooney, MusicClasses: MIDI 1 & 2, Music Theory, Chamber StringsCollege Attended: SUNY Potsdam, San Fransisco ConservatoryMotto: Pax et bonumFavorite thing about teaching: Playing great music while teachingFavorite band: JellyfishGoals: Learn ChineseFavorite Movie: Blade RunnerHobbies: Watching moviesFavorite T.V. show: FarscapeFavorite Ice Cream: Cookies and Cream

Amy Rivenburgh, Social StudiesClasses: Global History, AISCollege Attended: SUNY Geneseo, Columbia UniversityFavorite Movie: ShrekFavorite T.V. Show: Desperate HousewivesFavorite Book: The Feminine MystiqueFavorite Band: Dave Matthews BandGoal: To have a successful year teachingFavorite restaurant: ApplebeesHometown: Rochester, NYFavorite childhood memory: Going sledding in my backyard

Casey Bardin, Physical EducationClasses: High School P.E. Favorite Ice cream: Strawberry Motto: Winners never quit, and quitters never winHometown: Corinth, NYGoals: Increase community involvement in Phys. Ed. and become Varsity Head CoachHobbies: CoachingFavorite Team: Oakland Athletics

Ramona Quirion, Special EducationClasses: Resource RoomCollege Attended: SUNY Binghamton, University of Maine FarmingtonMotto: I can only control myselfGoals: To learn new things, acquire skills and put them to usePets: Harley; a cocker spanielFavorite childhood memory: Fishing in MaineFavorite Book: How Full Is Your Bucket? by Rath and CliftonHometown: Skowhegan, Maine

Maureen Trefethen, HealthClasses: HealthCollege Attended: Russell Sage CollegeFavorite Movie: JawsMotto: Just do it because life is not a dress rehearsalHobbies: Golf, Tennis, TravelingFavorite childhood memory: Going on vacation

to New Hampshire every year in summer

Favorite Band: Bruce Springsteen and E Street BandFavorite thing about teaching: The students

Shana Keith, MathematicsClasses: Math 1R, Math 2RCollege Attended: Union CollegeFavorite Movie: How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days Hobbies: Playing volleyballPets: fishFavorite T.V. Show: Law and OrderFavorite Book: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk KiddFavorite restaurant: Cornell’sFavorite Ice Cream: VanillaFavorite Band: Dave Matthews Band

Stephen Eichfeld, Social StudiesClasses: United States History, Economics, AISCollege Attended: Union Col-lege, Union UniversityFavorite thing about teaching: Seeing stu-dents grow and progress over the yearHobbies: Crew, Rugby, TravelingFavorite Band: U2Favorite Ice Cream: Mint Chocolate ChipGoal: To get students interested in the sub-jects I teachFavorite Book: Farwell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Jonathan Walter, ScienceClasses: ChemistryCollege Attended: Union Col-lege, SUNY Cortland, University at AlbanyMotto: Make a difference.Goals: Help an excellent Science Department be even betterPets: One dog and six fishFavorite Book: Lord of the RingsFavorite Ice Cream: Muddy SneakersHobbies: Hiking, SportsFamily: 5th grade daughter, 1st grade son

This year, Niskayuna High School welcomes eleven new teachers. Each teacher brings a fresh new point of view to each department. The new staff mixed with the old staff creates a brand new type of learning environment for Niskyauna’s students.

Ten of the eleven new teachers are featured here.

Compiled by Juliette Price

Attention Seniors!

Senior photos will be accept-ed through September.

No later!

Make appointments ASAP.

Crossroads recommends Carlyn Studios, but you may use other studios. Drop off in F201 if picture was not taken

at Carlyn Studios.

Remember to put your name on it.

3September 16, 2005The Warrior News

BY EVAN BALLAN

NEWS

After receiving what may have well been their third or fourth copy of the the Niskayuna High School Code of Conduct in the mail, few students likely sat down to read it. The booklet outlines the rules and expectations of the school and the consequences for deviation. A key change, however, was instated this year, and it could affect students who participate in sports and extracurricular activities.

Changing this year is the school’s detention policy, which now neces-sitates that all detentions received for cuts from a class are served after school. This new policy is an effort to help cut down on those students who skip class.

“The message we’re trying to send,” explained high school Principal John

Detention policy revisedRickert, “is that going to class is impor-tant.” After school detentions could be of more consequence to students serving them, as they would to miss any after school activities or sports practices they would otherwise par-ticipate in. Rickert noted, however, that a student is allowed to go to a practice or club after detention if he or she is all caught up with as-signed detentions. This new policy has already gone into effect, and the administration waits to see if the change is effective.

Also, there are more time during which detentions can be served. A detention not assigned for a cut can still be served in the morning; how-ever, now it can also be served if a student has a free period during the day, an attempt to cut down on the number of students attending deten-

Baby Announcement!

Congratulations to Shelley and David Nye on the birth of their daughter, Lillie Emma. Lillie was born on Monday, August 1, 2005, weighing eight pounds, ten ounces. The Warrior con-gratulates Mrs. Baldwin-Nye and her family and wishes them

all the best of luck.

Latin program wins excellence awardBY LAURA ISABELLA

NEWS

While countless Latin students were busy sleeping the summer away, the Classical Association of the Empire State (CAES) was awarding Niskayuna High School’s Latin program on August 24.

CAES is a non-profit professional organiza-tion which awards teachers and programs of Ancient Latin and Greek for their dedication and achievement. The organization awarded NHS’s Latin program with the 2005 June U. Stillwell Found-ers Award for the Outstanding Latin Program in the New York State.

Linda Emaneul, a scholarship and award chairperson for CAES noted in a letter sent to the foreign language department, “We consider the pro-gram a model of high standards and achievement.”

NHS’s Latin teachers were also recognized by CAES. “Your teachers, Ms. Meghan Miller and Mr. Thomas Caffrey, exemplify the best qualities of educators in the Classics and their fine portfolio presents an impressive and very

challenging program which reaches many students and encourages them to excel.”

Only one school per year is rewarded with this prestigious reward. Caffrey believes that the reason we the Latin program was honored with this award for the first time is “because we offer such a wide variety – we bring it alive.”

A highlight of Niskayuna’s Latin program is that students have the opportunity to go

to Italy and further enhance their Latin education.

Students such as sopho-more Kate Hayden also agree that Niskayuna High has a good Latin program. “We’re so lucky. I adore Latin. It’s a won-derful class.”

Students like Hayden can enjoy the High Schools five levels of re-gents, honors, and advanced placement Latin courses. Over the past year the Latin program has been

experiencing a boom of interest with two hundred twenty-nine students enrolled in the Latin program. Many students feel that Latin is a great way to boost SAT scores, enrich their academics,

or just enjoy an alternative experience to learning.

Junior Kristina Koch not only enjoys the program but also her teacher. “I really enjoy Latin, but I enjoy Caffrey a lot more.” However, it is not just the teachers who make this possible. According to Caffrey, “I feel very honored to receive this award. The students also play a big part in making the program successful.” When asked on his thoughts on Latin being a “dead language,” Caffrey responded with a laugh. “It’s not dead in here!” CAES will formally present the award at the Annual Institute in Saratoga Springs on October 21.

Warrior photo / Juliette Price

Warrior photo / Juliette PriceSALVE: Thomas Cafferey recently was rec-ognized mby CAES for excellence in Latin

GRADING ALREADY: Meghan “Magistra” Miller, who was re-cently recognized by CAES, grades papers in the language office

tion after school. Students electing to serve a detention during the school day will do so in a designated room of the Main Office, formerly the office of assistant principal Tom Nicholson, which is cur-rently monitored by campus supervisor Shelly Phillips. Rickert estimates that the room could accommodate up to ten students during any given mod.

The administration hopes that these new policies and changes will help overall in the cutting down on the number of students com-mitting detention-worthy acts, and that classroom attendance will be taken more seriously.

EDITORIAL POLICIES

Letters to editor are welcome from all members of the school community, and can be delivered to Warrior staff or sent via

email to: thewarrioropinion@gmail.com. The Warrior reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, length, and content.

Signed opinion articles express the opinions of their creators. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus of the paper’s edito-rial board, consisting of the Opinion section and the Editors-in-

Chief.

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

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

http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warriorEditors-in-Chief:Julia NapolitanoJeremy WolosNews:Evan Ballan, EditorIan Davis, EditorJuliette Price, EditorKaterina Gross, Asst.Laura Isabella, Asst.Joanne Qiao, Asst.

Opinion:Leanne Merrill, EditorJosh Xiong, EditorLeo Brown, Asst.Steph Kaylor, Asst.Entertainment:Sarita Upadhyay, EditorTim Vo, EditorAdam Evans, Asst.

Sports:Caitlin Horgan, EditorGavin Labate, EditorJoyce Dadekian, Asst.Josh Kovler, Asst.Magazine:Jean Qiao, EditorAlex Rivadeneira, EditorLyndsi Holmes, Asst.Emily Payton, Asst.Rachel Naparstek, Asst.

Additional Staff:Eric Zhou, Copy EditorSteve Chao, Distribution ManagerChris Nelson, Graphics ManagerErik Donhowe, Business ManagerMichael LaJeunesse, Web ManagerAdvisors:James EdgarRussell McDowell

For a one-year subscription to The Warrior, please send a check for $25.00 to: The Warrior Attn: Subscriptions, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309.

4 September 16, 2005 The WarriorOpinion

BY STEPHANIE COGEN

OPINION

Let me start by bidding a hearty hello to the class of 2009. Welcome to the big bad world of high school; this is your first lesson.

Respect. What is it, why even bother, and most importantly, how will it help make your next four years easier on you? According to our good friends Merriam and Webster, “respect” means “a high or special regard”. Considering the crazy things you sometimes get out of a dictionary, I would say that is rational as far as definitions go. Unfortunately for us, disrespect is sort of an epidemic at our school. People run wild with reckless aban-don. Fortunately for us, however, disrespect is one disease that can be cured.

Now, some of you may be reading this and thinking “What IS this? I am a genius! I go to Niskayuna High School, have a 4.0 GPA, and did exceptionally well on my SATs! Why bother telling us all this?” I am telling you all this because I believe that while we of Niskayuna may know what respect IS, we do not practice it. Countless times I have

BY JOSHUA XIONG

OPINION

It’s pretty much ingrained in the American culture that mo-nopolies, in any industry, are unfavorable. The world of stan-dardized tests is no exception. I’m sure most people are aware that the most frequently used standardized test by colleges in their admissions process, the SAT, is administered and owned by one company: College Board. While the ACT, which is owned by another company, acts as an alternative, it is far less prevalent in the admissions world. Thus, we can say that unfortunately,

walked down the halls and heard the most offensive things being thrown around with a “who cares?” attitude. I am an easy-going person, so when I am offended, you know you have gone too far. Yelling at people for being disrespectful gets tiring after awhile, and it is undoubtedly tough to come up with so many creative yet offensive statements. I vote that we all start respecting others for who they are and what they believe in, and leave it at that.

And now we come to the age-old argument about free speech. Undoubtedly some of you out there feel as if I’m limiting that right, yes? I bet you’re thinking, “Well if THEY can say what THEY want, why can’t I?” Simple. Common courtesy. Some people are express ideas that may or may not offend other people. Others, however, say things with the express purpose of offending someone. This is what we should avoid at all costs. There’s a differ-ence. Trust me.

Practicing respect is all the rage, didn’t you know? All you have to do is follow three simple rules, and you’re golden. Isn’t this our

lucky day: these three rules can be broken down into three commonplace phrases that you probably already know. Number one a.k.a. the golden rule is “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” If you do not want other people to bring you down, then do not bring them down. Number two: always remember “to each his own.” If what other people like or do is different from what you like or do, so what? Who cares? It’s their life, not yours. The glorious third rule is “live and let live.” Quite similar to “to each his own,” actually.

Finally, and most importantly to you fresh-men, how can practicing respect make your high school experience a warm and jolly one? This is probably the easiest question I have yet asked. By not saying offensive things, you will avoid making enemies; people will think you are super cool; and hey, who knows what things you will discover by respecting your peers?

And so I pose this to you, people of Nis-kayuna. Be respectful; it’s what all the cool kids are doing.

Student demands respect from peers

College Board is a monopoly of the pre-college standardized test world. In some ways, this monopoly is justifiable. The entire point of the standardized test system is so that colleges will be able to extract data from a commonly used assessment. If there were multiple companies administering differently format-ted tests, colleges would not be able to compare the “aptitude” of applicants, and would have to subdivide them into groups based on the test each student took. In short, a tedious and un-

organized system would evolve. The necessity of the College

Board’s monopoly has been clear for quite some time. How-ever, in recent years, many test

takers have noticed a w o r r y i n g

behavior: College Board’s abuse of its monopoly rights. The in-ordinate fees that the company charges per test and the no-re-fund policy it has adopted are just two examples of the present situation in which the costs of this single monopoly far outweigh the benefits. I recently signed up for two SAT II tests online, only to

find the credit card bill amount to 34 dollars.

The company politely notified me of the reasons. First, there was a basic registration fee of eighteen dollars. Then, it charged me eight dollars per test.

I, a supposed consumer, was being coerced to take these tests by the college admis-sions policies. Moreover, the assumptionthat the “customer is alwaysright” does not apply to the College Board. If it does, the College Board only has one customer in mind: the colleges.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5, [EXPENSE]

SAT monopoly not welcome

DR. X PRESCRIBES

5September 16, 2005The Warrior Opinion

BY LEANNE MERRILL

OPINION

Math book? Check. Spanish dictionary? Check. Clothes for crew practice? Check. Vocal music? Check.

Then the reality hits me- there is no way in the world that I will be able to do all of this. It’s the morning of Wednesday, September 7, and I’ve prematurely halted my social life for the next nine months. What is the everday high school student to do?

It’s taken me three years and quite a few fights to keep my eyes open in first block classes to figure out the answer. People will tell you to “prioritize”– a vague command that seems impossible when faced with the dire choice of giving up an activity that you love and cherish and have done since you’re three. Conversely, for the perfection-ists among us, it is not an option to sacrifice quality of work for quantity of activities. We have a voracious desire to succeed, fueled in part by our unhealthily stressed, workaholic culture. Feeding this craving can often prove futile and mentally fatal.

But rather than push and strive towards goals, expending enormous efforts only to metaphorically spin our own tires, we can learn to be efficient without being tense and stressed all of the time.

There are a few keys to being a successful student/athlete/musician/club member/whatever else you want to do or be in high school. One of the easiest to understand but hardest to put into practice is the separation of activities. That means that when you’re doing

math homework, you’re not also folding enve-lopes for German Club. It may seem impossible to get everything done without multi-tasking, but concentrating on one task at a time makes it go much more quickly, thus cutting down on the overall time. The multi-tasking principle also applies to work and non-work combinations. It’s

incredibly tough to write a paper while talking online, or read a social studies chapter while watching TV. You will think more clearly if your mind is totally concentrated on what you’re do-

ing at the present moment.Another helpful strategy in dealing with im-

mense amounts of homework or practicing is the work/rest philosophy. You will be able to concentrate better, work more efficiently, and be less stressed out if you take breaks in your work. You can set aside a certain schedule for

yourself or devote a percentage of your time to leisurely activities. If you have a mara-thon homework night ahead, promise your self that you will spend 10 minutes every hour doing something that isn’t homework. When you go back to your work, you will be refreshed, and the work itself will go by more quickly, again cutting down on the overall time used.

Finally and most importantly, people need to learn to take stuff a little less personally. As you progress through high school, it gets easier and easier to think that your life boils down to an acceptance or rejection letter from a college. This is not the case. No one can ever encapsulate their own personality into 500 words and list of courses and activities on a miniscule college application. High school students are people, too, despite what a lot of college admissions offices may think. Similarly, if you’re doing something just so it will look good on a college application, you’re probably not going to gain much from it. Remember, it’s not what you do, but how you

do it. If you are passionate and focused about something, you will become a better person by participating. Also, if you truly love what you do, the work will start to feel less like work.

Warrior art/Leanne Merrill

Students need to balance life forces

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4, [SAT]

For example, the student is not allowed to cancel registrations he or she has completed with a full refund. Obviously, the company feels that the time and effort it takes to simply delete one registration from its database is worth, well, keeping your money. Basically, you aren’t even paying for the tests themselves but for the pivalege of entering some data into a registry.

The only way to peacefully eliminate this growing menace of a monopoly is to have the govern-ment nationalize the company. Assuming our federal government values the educational futures of citizens, we should expect it to attack the company for violation of anti-trust law and then offer

The SAT menace must be changeda total buy-out of the company. Once the government has done so, the SAT tests should be kept in their original formats. However, the fundamental testing policies should be changed. No fees should be charged for any test adminis-tered, AP or SAT. Cancelation of tests should be done so without any complications. One may ar-gue that by taking the SAT out of private hands we are enlarging bureaucracy and not holding the test accountable to consumer de-mands in a free market. However, we need not forget that the pres-ent system isn’t at all responsive to individual consumers because parents and students have no other alternative. They can’t switch to any other widely accepted test, not even the ACT, to punish Col-

lege Board for charging inordinate fees or for complicating various processes. A market in which de-mand is inelastic is certainly not free. On the other hand, a govern-ment administered testing process would be far more accountable to consumers because we do, after all, live in a democracy. Given that parents consider the college admissions process such a high priority for their children, it would not be implausible for parents to form lobbying groups or write en masse to government officials in order to affect change in the case that the government administered SAT system required reform. In such situations, the government would most likely address the issue in a reasonable amount of time, given that the reform process

probably wouldn’t be too hard to undertake.

Since its advent in the world of merit-based assessment, the SAT has produced an enormous amount of clarity on the evaluation process. It has helped to destroy forces of privilege in higher education by making sure students from all kinds of schools are subject to one commonly recognized assessment. Now is the time for our government to take this test as seriously as pos-sible and no longer let it be subject to notions of profit.

ALL OPINIONS expressed on the op-ed pages represent the individual viewpoints of their authors. The content does not necessarily represent the views of The Warrior, the high school, the school district, or the Board of Education.

6 September 16, 2005 The WarriorEntertainment

BY SARITA UPADHYAY

ENTERTAINMENT

WARNING: SPOILERS IN-CLUDED.

For many NHS students, reading J.K Row-ling’s Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the sixth book in the Harry Potter series, was one of the highlights of summer. Through the suspense and excitement of Harry’s sixth (and it seems final) year at Hogwarts, avid readers learned about The Dark Lord’s history, how Voldemort can potentially be defeated, and what the word “snog” means.

Half-Blood Prince has left the greatest cliffhanger of any previous Harry Pot-ter. We know now that Voldemort is not completely immortal. We also know that there’s only one book left for all the remain-ing action. In addi-tion, Harry’s safety-net, Dumbledore, was just blasted to the ground by none other than Severus Snape, who used the fatal Avada Kedavra spell. Where will that leave Harry? In accordance with the anticipa-tion for book number seven, I’m going to offer my predictions of what will happen and my interpretation of what did happen.

SNAPE: The title of Harry and the Half Blood Prince

refers to Snape, so it’s not a coincidence that he plays a vital role. It’s always been hard to

Image courtesy amazon.com

GRIPES ABOUT SNAPE: The omi-nous Severus Snape, has always been a mystery to Harry Potter fans. Fans should discover his true colors in book seven.

Image courtesy home.arcor.de

BY ADAM EVANS

ENTERTAINMENT RATING(out of 5): QQQQMany have called Craven “the

master of terror,” widely known for the gruesome A Nightmare on Elm Street series and the 1996 classic Scream. While his newest film Red Eye is more of a suspense than a horror film, Craven does not disap-point. Rather, he proves that he can expand his talent to other genres while still crafting an exciting, high quality film.

Red Eye stars Rachel McAdams as Lisa Reisert, a woman on a red eye flight that finds herself seated next to the mysterious Jack Rippner. From its humble begin-

determine where Snape stands on the dark-o-meter. Is he “Dumbledore’s man, through and through” as Harry claims to be? Or is he really an evil Death Eater just waiting to kick Harry’s butt? Although Harry has never trusted Snape, Dumbledore always has. So many readers opted to believe the omnipotent Dumb-ledore. That is, however, until Snape killed Dumbledore, s e e m i n g l y proving him wrong. So it appears that Harry was right all

along! Or was he? Bad Snape!!!Snape has always been cruel and

unkind. He’s the head of Slytherin House, coincidently the same house Voldemort was in back in the day. Harry has never trusted him. He was a Death Eater at some point. He loves dark arts and his potions textbook proves him to be quite intelligent. And…oh yeah, he killed Dumbledore.

Good Snape???Snape might have been forced to kill

Dumbledore because of the Unbreak-able Vow he took at the beginning of book six to complete Malfoy’s “task,”

which ended up being Dumbledore’s murder. An unexplained fight between Dumbledore and Snape (page 405) could also prove Dumb-ledore’s murder as no accident. Right before Dumbledore’s death, is Dumbledore begging Snape not to kill or to kill him? Dumbledore has always trusted Snape. In previous situ-ations, Snape has saved Harry’s life.

nings, the film becomes extremely suspenseful, as Jack essentially holds Lisa hostage aboard the flight. Once the plane lands, the intensity doubles: Lisa embarks on a race against time to stop Jack’s terrible plot, putting me on the edge of my seat for the final 30 minutes of the movie. The characters were engag-ing too: it was almost as if I could personally feel Lisa’s terror, feeling my blood run cold every time I saw Jack’s face.

The combination of McAdams’ immense talent and Craven’s in-credible directing skill has made Red Eye one of the most success-ful movies of the summer. It’s a must see.

BY TIM VO ENTERTAINMENT

RATING (out of 5): Common wisdom says that

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was something of a failure. Critics and audiences compared Johnny Depp’s performance as Willy Wonka to Michael Jackson. Fans of the original movie walked away disappointed.

In general, though,most people going to see the movie just to see it tended to like it. Granted, the plot deviated from the upbeat tone set by the original movie, but surely there would have been equal numbers of naysayers faulting Tim Burton for following too closely to

the original. Additionally, it was more faithful to the book; the entire first forty-five minutes of the movie played out closely to Roald Dahl’s original novel. The original movie left out a lot of the book’s early development of Wonka as a larger-than-life figure. For instance: how Wonka constructed a choclate palace for an Indian prince.

Charlie and the Chocolate Fac-tory was more of a Burton movie than a remake of a classic. Some would find fault in this, and there certainly are enough reasons. But resting on its own merits, this movie didn’t fail to entertain, and I’d definitely recommend at least renting it once it comes out.

I believe Snape has not been on the dark side, and had to murder Dumbledore in order to keep his cover. The information Snape can offer Harry about the Horcruxes could prob-ably be very valuable. If Dumbledore had to choose between his life and Snape’s cover, he would have ordered Snape to commit the

murder. THE LOCKET: When Harry and

Dumbledore venture off to find Slytherin’s lock-et, the potential third

Horcrux, they only find a note from R.A.B. Those who have a copy of Harry and the Order of the Phoenix nearby should search for the scene where Harry and co. find a mysterious locket that they cannot open. Could it be?

HARRY AS A HORCRUX?:There are some who believe that Harry could

potentially be Horcrux number seven. When Voldemort tried to kill him, he could have transferred some of his soul, in which case Harry would have to die in order for Voldemort to be killed. Or maybe Harry transferred it back when Voldemort used Harry’s blood in book four. I don’t personally believe this one, but I also can’t rule it out completely.

AUNT PETUNIA: Something has always been up with that

lady. Though she’s anti-wizard, she very well could be a witch herself or acquire some sort of ability to perform magic. Hey, maybe Dudley is a wizard! Wahoo!

So believe what you may, and we’ll see what really happens when book seven does come out (hopefully that will be before 2015). Meanwhile, have fun with predictions of your own.

Sixth Potter a full-blooded success

Summer flicks prove to satisfy

7September 16, 2005The Warrior Sports

Girls start strong, win tournamentBY CAITLIN HORGAN

SPORTS

After a winning season last year, the Girls Varsity Soccer team is looking to advance deep into Section-als. So far, their record stands at 2-0 for league play and 4-0 overall, and they hope for a good Sectional run lead by Coach Bryce Colby.

Scrimmages have proved the Silver Warriors can get the job done against competition. The squad played a pre-season game against Columbia on their home turf, delivering the first of many wins. Following the Blue Devils, the team played four twenty-five minute scrimmages at Burnt Hills. They tied Burnt Hills and Ballston Spa 1-1 and won against Holy Names and Lansingburg.

Proving to be a dominating force, the Silver War-riors won their first Suburban Council game against Averill Park 6-1 on September 7. Freshman Whitney Frary and junior Brooke Knowlton scored two goals

each, while seniors Liz Landry and Becca Skudder added one apiece with help from junior captain Kayla Rutherford who also had a goal. Two days later, the team proved to be victorious again against Colonie, winning 2-0 with goals coming from sophomore Marie Mutryn and Alicia D’Alessandro.

On September 10, the Warriors headed northwest to Oneonta to take on Washingtonville. The squad was focused in the first half, and the team played hard in the second to get the job done. They proved to have nimble feet and explosive moves. After 80 minutes of solid play, the match concluded with a score of 3-1 in favor of the Warriors. The Oneonta Hall of Fame Tournament proceeded for the second day when Niskayuna played Vestal, winning 5-1. Frary, Knowlton, Rutherford and D’Alessandro continued with their goal scoring campaigns, each adding one to their tally. Senior Chelsea Ross also scored her first of the season. The squad returned

home from the tournament with a championship trophy. Brittany Fearnside, senior captain, and Kayla Rutherford, junior captain, led the team during the tournament.

“We won the Hall of Fame Tournament 5-1 and we all get along as a team,” Rutherford stated. She continued by saying, “We’re going to win Section-als if we play [the rest of the season] as well as we have been.”

The girls play Burnt Hills on September 14. Coach Colby described the match up saying, “Burnt Hills is a tough team to play. They play very hard [and are a] physical team.”

All members of the squad are stepping forward and are putting fourth the effort to make this 2005 season successful. With their next home game against the skilled Eagles of Bethlehem on September 22, the Warriors will have to play their best to remain undefeated at home.

CHAMPIONS: The girls soccer team poses on the balcony of the National Soccer Hall of Fame with their newly acquired trophy.Warrior photo/ Rebecca Skudder

Football team .500 with Albany winBY JOSH KOVLER

SPORTS

One week after suffering a disappointing home loss to the LaSalle Cadets (2-0), the Silver Warriors traveled to Albany last Friday with the hopes of defeat-ing the hard-hitting Falcons.

A little shaky at first, the Sil-ver Warriors, led by head coach John Furey, found themselves down 10-0 going into the second quarter. However, refusing to go down without a fight, senior quarterback, Brian Grastorf connected with Ryan Leach for a 15-yard touchdown pass and a successful point after field goal-attempt pulled the team within three points. Later in the same quarter Grastorf threw a second touchdown pass, this time to Dan Halayko, for 18 yards, giv-ing the Silver Warriors the lead for the first time in the game.

Following the difficult first

quarter, the Silver Warrior defense was nothing less than stellar. They made an impres-sive goal line stand to keep the Falcon’s out of the end zone and did not allow the Falcons to score for the final three quarters. One final touchdown pass from Grastorf to junior Nick DiSarro in the third quarter nailed the coffin shut. The 29-yard pass gave the Silver Warriors a 21-10 lead. The Silver Warriors handed the Falcons their second loss of the season with that being the final score.

Commenting on the game Grastorf reported the Silver War-riors “struggled at first, but then settled down and the defense played awesome.”

The impressive victory should give the Silver Warriors the confidence necessary to put up a good fight at Columbia (0-2) this Friday as they hope to re-

peat their performance against the Blue Devils. The team has high hopes for itself and aspires to win sectionals. “If we stay

healthy, we should win the rest of our games” Grastorf said, revealing his expectations for the team.

SET, HIKE!: The offensive lines goes face to face with LaSalle’s front four. The Warriors fell, losing 41-21.

Warrior photo/ Chris Nelson

8 September 16, 2005 The WarriorSports

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Wanted : Loya l Suppo r t e r sBY JOYCE DADEKIAN

SPORTS

As the fall season gets underway, so do a variety of sports. Boys and girls can be seen practicing on the soccer fields, kicking arch-ing balls towards the goals. Girls participating in tennis duke it out on the courts, while girls involved in field hockey take it to the turf. Volleyball and football teams train in hopes to beat competing rivals in games while the cross-country, swimming and crew teams hope to edge out their opponents in a race. Cheerleaders practice flawlessly executing a routine, while golfers aim for a hole-in-one. These ten fall sports bring forth a sense of unity, talent, and pride to the Niskayuna community that wouldn’t be as strong without their existence.

A dynamic that greatly improves the mo-tivation and determination of the athletes, however, is fan support. Nothing forces a runner to take their running up to the next notch in the last mile of a 3.1 mile cross-country race like hearing “go Nisky!” from the sidelines. Nothing causes a team more pride then walking out onto a field and see-ing students and friends clad in red and gray along the sidelines. Junior Field Hockey player Mia Valletta elaborates, “I get pumped and exhilarated. It gets me motivated to push myself.” Nothing brings on a sense of accom-plishment like performing a perfect routine and having friends there to witness it, patting you on the back when you finish.

Yet I’ll be perfectly honest with you; I don’t understand the judging or scoring of many sports. Yet, I love the feeling of being pumped up cheering for a game with three minutes on the clock and a tied score. I love watching my friend kick in the winning goal or beat their old personal best in a race. I love screaming as one among the masses “yea Nisky!” as a friend makes a flawless

serve. These are not athletes on television who you don’t know. These are the friends who helped you through a problem, who sit next to you in your Algebra II class, and who support you when you need it. You know these people and how much they commit to the arduous task of maintaining decent or even exceptional grades while practicing and competing six days a week.

Get a group of your friends together to go see a football game or to encourage your friend to dive their way to a top score. You may surprise yourself with how exciting the sport really is. Make a sign to hold up during the meet or combine forces with other friends to decorate their locker before a big game (I know I wouldn’t object to people putting candy in my locker). I have fun following sports and contributing to a friends success.

We do, and should, take pride in dominat-ing “The Rez” during the hockey season. Let’s expand that to include all sports. Let’s get a reputation among other schools for having great enthusiasm for all sports, whether it’s freshman, JV or Varsity. Kelsey Maiuccoro, a junior varsity tennis player, says, “We need more fan support. We love seeing a big crowd! It gets us to play hard.” Let yourself go in the excitement and contagious electricity of the crowd and scream your teams way to victory! Fill the stands of the soccer and field hockey fields and football stadium! Watch the Niskayuna volleyball and golf teams hit their way to a win and see the cheerleaders attempt breath-taking tosses! Attend the cross-country, swimming, and crew meets so your fellow classmates can see you strewn across the course! Senior Josh Gordon of the cross-country team agrees support helps say-ing, “Cheering helps me kick it in. The fan support helps us have a splendid season.”

For those who remain skeptical, just try it once. I’m sure there’s a night where you

wonder what you can do, bit-ing your nails out of boredom. Watch that nail biting habit change to one fueled by ner-vousness as the football team charges up the field in the fourth quarter. It’s a fun and worthwhile way to spend an afternoon or night.

You can check out The Warrior or log on to www.niskayunaschools.org to find the dates of the next home games. Lets fill the stands! As the familiar pre-game or meet chant states, “It’s a great day to be a Warrior!”

SEATS TO FILL: A very small crowd watches the Varsity Volleyball game in Blatnick Gym. With space for over a hundred people, there is nothing preventing the gym from holding a hoppin’ crowd during the next match.

Warrior photo/ Chris Nelson

Footballvs. LaSalle 21-41 Lvs. Albany 21-10 W

Girls Soccervs. Averill Park 7-1 Wvs. Colonie 2-0 W

Boys Soccervs. Averill Park 12-1 Wvs. Columbia 2-0 W

Boys Volleyballvs. Mohonasen Wv s . S a r a t o g a Wv s . S h a k e r Wvs . Beth lehem Lv s . S c o t i a W

Girls Volleyballvs. Ballston Spa Lv s . Co lumb i a L

Field Hockey vs. Columbia 2-0 Wvs. Saratoga 2-3 L

Golfv s . S a r a t o g a Lvs. Shenendehowa Lvs. Burnt Hills Wv s . C . B . A L

Girls Tennisvs. Saratoga 3-6 Lvs. Burnt Hills 4-5 Lvs. Ballston Spa 9-0 W