October 2008

The

runswick Chronicle

All The News That Fits We Print

What’s Inside

Headlines

October 2008

McCainScandal

McCain Scandal Jake Matthews (Page 1,17) Michael Bechloss @ Wick JP Bowgen (Page 1,5) Midnight Run Innocent Tswamuno (Page 1,4)

Brunswick Sports

Obit: Yankee Stadium Alex Jonokuchi (Page 7) NHL Season Preview Dan Cassidy (Page 8) Fantasy Sports Charlie Gerdts (Page 9) Homecoming Sports Wrap-Up Chris Baldock (Page 9) Yankees Mets Season Wrap-Up Matthew Cassoli (Page 10) Usain Bolt Ryan Hagerbrant (Page 11)

Student Editorials

VP Debate Impressions Gates Torrey (Page 12) Ageism: New Segregation Will Seaton (Page 13) CT Congressional Race David Blumenthal (Page 14) UN Peace Day Gus Ruchman (Page 15) Pro-McCain Blog Tommy Chronert (Page 16) Economic Crisis Mike Marx (Page 18) Last Bank Standing Final Four Scott Matthews (Page 19) Sarah Palin:Plain and Simple Gates Torrey (Page 20)

Michael Bechloss Speaks at Brunswick

By JP Bowgen ‘11 Staff Writer s years go on and classes graduate, Brunswick has been graced by the presence of many notable individuals. When the class of 2005 graduated, they left us a legacy of many happy memories as well as a gift that will benefit the school for many years to come, and the 2008-2009 school year was no exception to that gift.

Each school year Brunswick welcomes a notable speaker as its “class of 2005” honoree. This year, 2008, Brunswick was See “Bechloss” Page 5

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Around Brunswick

Movie Review Pat Doyle (Page 2) Alumni Impressed @ Homecoming Scott Matthews (Page 3,5) Pete Francis to Play @ Wick Sam Waters (Page 4) Artist of the Month Will Seaton (Page 6)

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By Jake Matthews ‘12 Staff Writer ohn McCain: A hero who served in Vietnam, a visionary who can lead America through thick and thin, and… a crook?

In 1989, John McCain was one of five senators who

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were accused and investigated for improperly aiding Charles Keating, when Keating’s company, Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, was about to be regulated by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB). Keating had given See “Keating” Page 17

Students Moved By Midnight Run

By Innocent Tswamuno ‘10 Special Contributor n Friday evening, a group of Brunswick students took off for New York City on a midnight run. Our mission: to distribute clothes and food to homeless people who are bracing up for the winter season. I didn’t know that this experience that started off so casually would so deeply move my heart and give me an introductory insight on poverty in America.

We left the school in our minivan and Mr. Martin (our NASCAR driver) had us in New York in no time; as

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soon as we arrived, our crew of 10 students and 3 teachers frantically started distributing items to the needy. I was touched so much with how the people appreciated our help and also how much they loved talking to us. At one point a homeless guy gave us his jacket to give away because he knew that there was someone out there with a fate worse than his. This display of love amazed me, and even now I am thinking about it. He taught me that even when you have so little do not be greedy because

there is someone who does not even have that much.

We moved around the streets of New York stopping at church doorsteps and also subway stations. I still have a vivid recollection of two good men whom we came across during this run. The first one was an old man who decided to sing for us beautiful opera songs. We were all moved and I also ended up singing for him. I almost cried and I believe my companions had the same feeling as well, because I felt so bad knowing See “Midnight Run” Page 4

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

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Around Brunswick

Movie Review: Eagle Eye

By Pat Doyle ‘09 Staff Writer ame a movie starring Shia LeBeouf that is chock full of explosions, special effects out the whazoo, and a script that seems to have the attention span of a thirteen-year old hopped up on Red Bull. If you guessed Transformers, then I’m sorry, you’re wrong. Well, not really, but it’s not the movie I was thinking about. Oh, and it’s not I, Robot either. Or Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Or Constantine.

You know what? Guessing game over: The answer is Eagle Eye. It’s not so much that I didn’t like the movie. But then, as a critic, I’m not supposed to like the movie. And critically, the movie does fall short of expectations. And to your

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average movie-watcher, the film is extremely entertaining in parts. The movie thinks of itself as being an action-dramapolitical-commentary-feel-good film, though, and the resulting combination is a confusing and shallow one. The plot moves on at a fast pace, yet far too fast for the rest of the film. Political commentary is tacked on for no apparent reason other than to make the film appear deep; cars explode on the side of the road because the team had a little extra budget; and tears are shed to make everyone in the audience feel bad. Once again, it’s a fun movie, but it’s certainly not a triumph of “cinema” since it holds little intrinsic artistic worth. OK, it is indeed kicking-radical to see a Porsche go rocketing off a conveniently placed ramp and slide through

The runswick Chronicle

The Brunswick Student’s News Source

Editors-in-Chief Scott Matthews ‘09 Will Seaton ‘09 Managing Editor Daniel Cassidy ‘09

Arts Editor

Turner Smith ‘09

Political Editor

Thomas Cassidy ‘09

Photography Editor

Graphics Editor

Preston Han ‘09

Connor Fitzpatrick ‘09

News Editor Gates Torrey ‘09 Staff Writers and Photographers

Chris Baldock ‘10 David Blumenthal ‘10 JP Bowgen ‘10 Andrew Camel ‘12 Matthew Cassoli ‘12 Thomas Chronert ‘09 Spencer Dahl ‘11 Pat Doyle ‘09

Bowen Dunnan ‘10 Brendan Gilbert ‘10 Ryan Hagerbrant ‘11 Joe Hull ‘10 Alex Jonokuchi ‘10 Conor Kenny ‘09 Taggie Martin ‘09 Michael Marx ‘10 Jake Matthews ‘12 Nikhil Menezes ‘11

Tim O’Leary ‘09 Kyle Radler ‘09 Gus Ruchman ‘10 Oliver Sall ‘10 Matthew Savitt ‘12 Hank Schless ‘10 Sam Waters ‘11 Jack Williams ‘12

Faculty Advisor Dr. Brian Freeman a hail of gunfire and oil slicks before ramming against a wall.

But the suspension-of-disbelief necessary to actually believe that LeBeouf can subsequently just climb out of the wreckage is astronomical, and more than a couple of times I caught myself laughing at the absurdity of it.

Some viewers may not find the film humorous at all, and others will find it downright offensive. The movie quite liberally integrates patriotism and terrorism into the plot, which feels out of place for a dumb action movie. Such somber issues have their place within artistic field, but Eagle Eye is not that venue.

Eagle Eye marks a significant point for Shia LeBeouf. Unlike in his past films,

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Sports Editor

Charlie Gerdts ‘09

he is not playing a “scrappy kid next door” character. Instead, Mr. LeBeouf evolves into his new role as a scruffy, poor, yet resourceful young man. After playing in a film like this, it will be hard for LeBeouf to recapture the teenage essence he carried with him in Transformers and Disturbia.

Although it was inevitable, Eagle Eye marks LeBeouf’s departure from being type-cast, and his entry into the wide-world of acting, and perhaps his opening to many more roles. Whether LeBeouf can deliver in roles other than a teenager is sure to be an interesting question. And Eagle Eye is worth seeing just to watch this great young man’s departure from his type-cast role; just don’t expect anything particularly engaging.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Around Brunswick

Wick Alums Impressed by Homecoming

By Scott Matthews ‘09 Co-Editor-In-Chief he 2008 Homecoming weekend was so much more than just a few games and events. This year, Brunswick was proud to unveil the new Baker Performing Arts Center to its alumni along with the usual festivities that surround the much-anticipated weekend.

After a shaky start Friday night when the bonfire was cancelled due to rain, the outlook for the games on Saturday looked grim. Headmaster Tom Philip went as far as saying in Upper School morning meeting that “it’s raining so it must be homecoming.” However, luckily the meteorologists’ predictions were wrong and the rain stayed light for the most part all throughout the weekend.

The games and race went on as planned, and the Brunswick teams enjoyed great success winning the cross country race and varsity football games and tying the soccer game 1-1. The turnout of alumni was above expected numbers and of course the Bear Fair was in full swing with lots of prizes and food.

This particular homecoming was particularly special for those in the classes of 1958, 63, 68, 73, 78, 83, 88, 93, 98, and 03 as it was their reunion year.

Recently I had the change to catch up with several alumni to talk about changes to Brunswick in recent years.

First I had the privilege of talking to Mr. Peter von Keyserling and Mr. Jerry Andersen, the class captains

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representing the class of 1958 for their 50th reunion. When asked about the changes to the

and that the competitiveness was very similar. Mr. von Keyserling said that back in

school since their graduation, Mr. von Keyserling said, “Well this is of course didn’t even exist in dreams, it’s an amazing facility.” Mr. Andersen added, “And our playing fields were a

the day he remembered Rye as being the big rival. This is impressive especially since Brunswick was so small at the time (only 30 or so to a class).

I also had the

little less sophisticated… just grass… with a lot of bare spots.

So that was different but it didn’t make much difference because every school that we went to was the same way.” The gentlemen said that the sports were relatively of the same quality

chance to speak to Mr. Bill Durkin, winner of the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award, former Brunswick student. Mr. Durkin is being honored for his commitment to his community, family and alma mater. He started Brunswick in 10th grade,

and has been a devoted alumni ever since by serving as a class agent, reunion agent, president of the Alumni Association, and is currently serving his 12th year on the Board of Trustees. For the 2008-2008 year, Mr. Durkin was named vice-chairman and will serve as Board Chair for the 2009-2010 school year.

Through his dedication and spirit, Bill Durkin has been attributed to helping guide Brunswick into the 21st century.

When I asked him about the changes since his graduation in the 1970’s he said, “All the changes have been physical, the campuses have changed obviously. When I went to school, the entire school was on Maher Avenue including the Pre-K. I had a class of 35, and today the classes have about 80 students and the Faculty was a fraction of the size now.

But what is more important is what hasn’t changed, and it’s still the same school spirit, the same relationships between the faculty and the students, and there was the same commitment that the school has to instilling character in the boys, and that’s the nicest thing to see that hasn’t changed and, at the end of the day, that’s more important than all of the buildings that we can build.” I also got the chance to ask him about his ‘Wick days. When asked about his favorite teacher, Mr Durkin replied, “I had a few: Gene Comiskey was the head of the English department, because of him I became an English major in college. Dave Murray was

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Around Brunswick

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Pete Francis to Play at Wick

By Sam Waters ‘11 Staff Writer hether it’s playing in front of a soldout Madison Square Garden or headlining a concert with 110,000 fans, Pete Francis Heimbold has seen it all. Many people know Pete, a former Brunswick student, as a member of the band Dispatch.

The band is arguably the most successful independent music act in history, having sold more than 600,000 albums worldwide. However, others know him as a successful singer/songwriter in his own right, as Pete has a dynamic rock and roll sound that is uniquely his own. In his music a poetic tension intertwined with vivid imagery is created.

His music consistently suggests different meaning, and if sometimes the songs are merely weightless abstractions, sometimes they tell the story of an experience. However,

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regardless of their context, Pete’s songs keep listeners and fans coming back for more.

For 2008, Pete has

well as at noteworthy venues such as the Highline Ballroom in New York City, the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, and the

been touring with his newly formed Pete Francis Band, playing at notable music festivals such as Mountain Jam, Langerado, and Wakarusa, as

9:30 Club in Washington D.C. What’s more? Pete will be playing a show at Brunswick’s Baker Theater on Friday, November 14th. The

“Midnight Run” Cont.

Continued from Front Page that there was nothing more I could do for him. He had found a family in the midst of his gloom but sadly the family was on a plane on the runway, the other guy (Joe) confided in us. He explained all the challenges he faces and how his heart longs to find a home. This experience to me was an eye opener. It helped me to get to know something new about the US. Back in Zimbabwe (and in most of Africa) the media instills an image of a perfect America, a land without lack. My experience �

on the midnight run was very different. Even though

backyard. Fortunately enough, a little goodwill towards the poor goes a long way.

America has helped foreign nations in fighting poverty, it still has issues in its own

Our efforts on Friday surely made a great difference in many needy people’s lives.

concert is being organized and produced by the Live Music Club, a student-run group formed with the goal of providing teenagers with entertainment on weekend nights in addition to promoting the arts at Brunswick. The show will be open to Brunswick and Greenwich Academy students only, and tickets will be twenty-five dollars. The show will begin at 6:30 pm. Various student- artists and musicians from the Brunswick community will open for Pete the night of the show, and Pete himself will play a full concert setlist. The success of the event depends on the student body’s response; in addition, a good turnout will ensure future concerts at Baker.

It isn’t every day students get the chance to see an internationally known band member play a few feet from their faces; make sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity.

I would like to thank all the guys who participated on behalf of Mr. Lyapin, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Hannigan.

Guys, you devoted your time on Friday to serve others.

To me you are champions, great men of valor.

What we did on Friday in the eyes of some may seem ordinary, but for some we fought a battle and we conquered. May that disposition of love and courage you exercised cling onto you forever, for with what we are doing we are raising the Brunswick School flag on high. Let us all nurture this and incorporate it into our daily habits. Let’s help all those in need around us.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Around Brunswick

“Bechloss” Cont.

Continued from Front Page privileged to have Michael Beschloss grace the stage.

Mr. Beschloss is both an award-winning historian and the author of eight books, including The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941-1945. This book was an immediate national bestseller, and the New York Times Book Review called it “vigorously written,” and said that the book was “history as its spoken at the time, and there is not a dull page.” He’s been called “The nations leading presidential historian” by Newsweek, and he is a frequent contributor to The News Hour with Jim Leher.

As an alumni of Eaglebrook, Andover, Williams College, and

Harvard, Mr. Beschloss is well aware of the life that Brunswick boys and

Greenwich Academy girls experience. He knows that our students will go on to attend prestigious colleges, and appreciated during his visit that the audience of students and faculty know their stuff. Following a very deserved introduction from

“Homecoming” Cont.

Continued from Front Page

a physics teacher and a coach.

Rodney Dashanold was my hockey coach. Jacques Bouffier was my French teacher, it was his beginning here, and George Boynton was my soccer coach and art teacher. Finally, Joe Kosalka was my baseball coach.

So those were the best back then.” Regarding Brunswick athletics, Mr. Durkin said, “Well, Wick athletics were very different. Our rival was King for football, and we played all the local schools and it was a great rivalry. We only had to drive �

about a half hour to play every school in our league, and all the games were tight. The Football team played down on Everett Field, the soccer team played behind Maher Avenue Campus, and it was a very competitive league.” Finally, I got to ask Mr. Durkin “How has Brunswick stayed important to you after you graduated?” He replied, “I had a close relationship with the headmaster when I was here and my dad was the chairman of the Board of Trustees, so we had a very close relationship with the school, and when

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the audience. Anecdotes about past presidents and the experiences they had outside of the Whitehouse enabled him to add a human side to the more serious presentation.

His personal views and knowledge of the upcoming election gave the students and faculty an idea of what they could expect from current candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. After his address, Beschloss was once again thanked with applause, and he then encouraged students to ask questions; this enabled everyone to hear Mr. Beschloss © Preston Han personal take on the presidential historian, he not political situation we hear surprisingly included a medley so much about on television of colorful stories about past and radio. In his closing presidents (including Harry thoughts, Mr. Beschloss S Truman and Dwight D. left us with a sense of the Eisenhower) to illustrate potential that many of us will his points, and Beschloss experience as we go forth into was able to captivate our lives beyond Brunswick.

Mr. Booth, Mr. Beschloss was welcomed with a warm round of applause by the Brunswick School audience. As a leading

I got out of grad school and came back here, I got involved with the Alumni organization and just stayed involved over time and eventually got on the Board of Trustees and sent my children here. Two of them have graduated so I’ve just always been connected with it; I had a lot of great friends that were here and I’ve stayed in touch with them.

Finally, I was able to quickly catch up with class of 1948 member Pete Karlsson who is celebrating his 60th reunion. I was able to ask him for his thoughts on the dramatic changes to Brunswick

since then. He said, “It has changed ten-fold— more than ten-fold.” Regarding the sports, Mr Karlsson said that it was competitive in his day, but he wasn’t able to say if it was any better or worse since then.

On interesting point that he made was that the big rival in his time was Edgeuit School in Greenwich (where Eagle Hill School is now) along with St. Lukes and King.

Overall the Brunswick Community is proud of another successful homecoming weekend and thanks all of the alumni for returning to our state of the art campus.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Around Brunswick

Artist of the Month:

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ShadowAct: Meela Dudley

By Will Seaton ‘09 Co-Editor-In-Chief ith our new theater ready for performances, it is now time to focus on the talent that we hope will be filling the space. In our school, we have talented musicians in the Blue Notes, the Mahertians, and our Improv groups. Yet there is one young woman who has taken her musical talent to the next level, expanding beyond the school and taking the huge leap into the real world of music. Micaela Dudley, a senior at Greenwich Academy, has jumped into a singing career, and with her band Shadow Act promises to move deep into the musical scene.

Meela has been singing her entire life, starting out in musical theater and choir groups at a younger age. Surprisingly enough, she’d never had formal training of any kind until she was signed with her band. Now she’s been attending the Berklee College of Music during the summers in order to fine-tune her voice.

As she says, her music career is really “one of the most spontaneous things I’ve ever done.”

She loves singing simply for the thrill of performing. While she started out with a bit of stage fright, she now loves being in front of a crowd. As

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well as having a beautiful voice, Micaela plays the guitar, piano, and even the harp. All of these skills help

style is a of jazz and with a little hardcore, and

combination funk/fusion, bit of latin, indie thrown

her get up on stage where she just might whip out her guitar at spontaneous moments of her show.

Micaela joined up with Shadow Act, a band formed in 2002 by Tyler LeVander. Other members

in for good measure. Amity Review describes them as a band that has “mastered the smooth transition. Their creative and refreshing genre mixes never de-tracks [and] only adds interest to their hooky melodies!”

of the band include Ian Cathcart, Doug Bogan, and Ricky Mitarotanda. Their

The band was recently signed with Sling Slang Records, a major

professional step for the group. Right now they are finishing up an album entitled “The Tension; The Release” that will be released this coming January 2009. The band is trying to spread their message through their MySpace page, through Facebook, T-shirts they have designed, demos and of course, by “playing shows and playing them well.”

Meela doesn’t have a typical ‘rockstar’ life but she loves her chance to sing. She writes all the lyrics to the bands songs and creates the melody and harmony line. Her favorite song is “Who You’ve Become,” a song about a guy who said he had changed, but was the same mess he had always been. The song was a way for Meela to cast the guy off once and for all by saying a final goodbye.

Micaela’s music is expanding, and with Sling Slang Records’ supports, we hope she now will have more opportunity to share her music with the world. If you wish to listen to her band or to her solo tracks, check out MySpace at www.myspace.com/ shadowact or w w w. m y s p a c e . c o m / meelasings. Meela’s music is a great example of what a person can do if she follows her passion, and we at the Chronicle wish her luck as she continues to pursue her goal.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Brunswick Sports

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Obituary: Yankee Stadium

By Alex Jonokuchi ‘10 Staff Writer Yankee Stadium (1923-2008) n the afternoon of April 18, 1923, Babe Ruth celebrated Yankee Stadium’s grand opening by swatting the 198th home-run of his illustrious career. The shot, the first ever at the new ballpark, would propel the Yankees to a 4-1 victory against the rival Red Sox, the team that had sold Ruth to them for $125,000 just four years earlier. The Great Bambino and his herculean popularity were largely credited with creating the necessity for the Yankees to find a new home, after his team began outdrawing the Giants at the Polo Grounds. This autumn, 85 years later, the city of New York and the entire baseball world are mourning the loss of “The House that Ruth Built,” the iconic landmark that has acquired a status among the annals of baseball as legendary as the Babe himself.

The ballpark in the Bronx has seen plenty of everything, including 26 World Series Championship teams, cementing its reputation for October drama and evolving into a venue in which the improbable has become all but commonplace.

The stadium has withstood the worst of times and the best of times, a steady presence in a world of change, becoming as much a part of the city of New York as the subways than run beneath it. If the walls could talk, one wonders what stories it would tell, having witnessed it all: Ruth’s inspiring heroics, Gehrig’s emotional farewell, DiMaggio’s historic streak, Larsen’s perfect night, Mantle’s colossal shot, Maris’s record-breaker, Reggie’s October magic, Boone’s legendary blast. The diamond in

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the Bronx has beheld post-season after post-season, extensive renovations of the mid-70s, the turmoil of the “Bronx Zoo,” the fall of the World Trade Center, and periods of dynastic glory followed by (shorter) periods of tempestuous mediocrity. But the question is: Will the fabled, mystical aura follow the Yankees of a new era into its new home?

Will the ghost of the Bambino haunt the walls of the new stadium across the street? Perhaps only time will tell, but there is one thing that is certain: Yankee Stadium’s hard-earned legacy

the last year the Yankees won the World Series, beating the Mets 4 games to 1. 1974-5 was the period during which the ballpark underwent major renovations and the Bombers played their home games at Shea. 1946 is the first year in which a night game was hosted at the Stadium. 1923 marks the opening of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the first ballpark called a “stadium.” 1271 career hits at Yankee Stadium is a record that will forever be held by Derek Jeter. 630 feet is supposedly the distance Mickey Mantle’s homerun would have

will live eternally in baseball lore.

Here is a look at Yankee Stadium by the numbers: $1.3 billion is the approximate cost of the new Yankee Stadium, the Bombers’ home in 2009.

151,959,005 fans passed through the turnstiles of The Cathedral in its storied history. 4,298,543 fans attended Yankees home games in 2008, setting a new AL record.

57,545 is the stadium’s seating capacity, soon to be lowered to 51,000 at the new ballpark. 54,610 lucky fans were able to witness the Final Game at the Stadium.

4,133-2,430 is the Yankees’ alltime win-loss record in The House that Ruth Built. 2008 marks the closing of the stadium and an end of an 85-year era. 2000 is

traveled had it not hit the top of the right field façade in a game against the Tigers in 1953, making it the longest in stadium history, and perhaps one of the longest home-run balls in the history of the game. 266 career home-runs at Yankee Stadium is a ballpark record, held by Mickey Mantle.

100 World Series games were played in the Bronx over the years, building its reputation for classic battles, dramatic moments and postseason mystique. 89 is the number of wins the Yankees were able to manage in The Cathedral’s final year, only the second time since 1995 they have failed to reach the 90 win plateau. 85 years have passed since The Stadium opened in 1923. 61 homeruns hit

by Roger Maris in 1961 passing the Babe for the single-season record. 56 consecutive games is longest hitting streak by any major leaguer in history, accomplished in 1941 by joltin’ Joe DiMaggio.

51 is the number worn by Bernie Williams, who received a hero’s welcome home during the pregame ceremony before the Final Game, his first stadium appearance since 2006. 26 is the number of championships the Yankees have won at the Stadium, out of a record 37 hosted. 24 skippers have managed in the Bronx, including the likes of Miller Huggins (first), Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, Billy Martin, Joe Torre, and Joe Girardi (last). 21 is the number worn by Paul O’Neil, The Warrior of the championship squads of the 90s, who received a thunderous ovation on Sunday. 7-3 was the score of the last game ever played here, as Andy Pettitte got the win and Mariano Rivera got the save against the Baltimore Orioles. 4-1 was the score of the first game ever played here, played April 18, 1923. The Yankees beat the Red Sox off a homerun by The Babe, the first ever at the Stadium. 3 is the uniform number of the great Bambino.

In 2008, Julia Ruth Stevens, 92, Babe Ruth’s daughter, threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the last game ever to be played at her father’s “house.” 3 perfect games were thrown at the ballpark, the first by Don Larsen (1956 World Series), the next by David Wells (1998) and the last by David Cone (1999). 2 is the uniform number worn by current captain of the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter, who saluted the fans on September 21st, 2008 as the Yankees bid their beloved stadium farewell.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Brunswick Sports

NHL Season Preview

By Dan Cassidy ‘09 Managing Editor s winter approaches, so does what appears to be another amazing season of NHL hockey.

This season will be full of excitement and will include another “Winter Classic” in which the Detroit Redwings will meet the Chicago Blackhawks on Wrigley Field on New Years Day (this is only the third regular-season outdoor NHL hockey game).

The season kicks off in Prague, Czech Republic on October 4th where Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers will face off against Vincent Lecalvalier and the Tampa Bay Lighting. Three short hours later, Dany Heatley and the Ottawa Senators will battle Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sweden.

The first NHL game in North America will begin October 9th when the defending Champion Detroit Redwings play against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Players to watch include several young guns.

First, Steve Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning): Drafted 1st overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2008 NHL draft, Stamkos has great hands and a fast release. He led his team (Sarnia Sting OHL) in points last year. In addition, there is Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. As a rookie last season, Kane led his team with 72 points. As one of the youngest captains ever, he will look to lead his team to the playoffs. And there is Nicolas Backstrom of theWashington

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Capitals. Backstrom is a good player that can finish. He had 69 points last season and was second in points of all rookies in the league. He will be an impact player in the league this year.

And of course there are the veterans to watch. First up is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. One can debate who is the very best

then there’s the duo of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Redwings. These line-mates had a combined 189 points last season on their road to winning the Stanley Cup. As two older players, they have the experience but also the skill needed to be impact players. Their leadership and excellent play could very

player in the NHL, but there is no doubt that Sidney Crosby is one of the best. He skates well, has great hands, a hard shot, and has “Gretzky-like” hockey sense. Assuming he stays healthy, Sidney Crosby will be a leading point scorer in the league. And there’s Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. This Russian hockey player really knows how to play. Fresh off his new 15year-contract, Ovechkin had a remarkable year, scoring 112 points. He will also be a leading point scorer this year. And

well lead to a repeat capture of the Stanley Cup this year.

And then there are the goalies to watch. First, let’s consider Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.

Brodeur was last years Vezina Trophy winner (given to the most outstanding goalie in the NHL). He has experience, and although he is getting older he is still a difference maker.

He makes the big saves when his team needs him. He was second in wins in the league, and finished with a .92 savepercentage. He will once again

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be a major factor in the Devils success this season. And there’s Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. This Swedish phenomenon is the backbone of the Rangers. In a short career in the NHL, so far he has opened a lot of eyes and deserves a lot of respect. Similar to Brodeur, Lundqvist’s play this year will heavily influence the success of the New York Rangers. Finally let’s consider Chris Osgood of the Detroit Redwings. Osgood has one of the best teams in the NHL playing in front of him every night. He led his team to the Stanley Cup Championship after winning the job from Dominik Hasek.

He is a hard worker and a solid goalie. If he plays well this year, it will be hard stopping the Redwings from repeating the championship run.

My predictions: I think that the Redwings will once again win the Stanley Cup and beat the Montreal Canadians in the finals. The eight teams from the West Division that will make the playoffs will include: Detroit, San Jose, Calgary, Anaheim, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, and Edmonton. The eight teams from the East Division that will make the playoffs will be: New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Philadelphia, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Washington, and Buffalo As the Season approaches, there is a lot of speculation on how things will pan out. While all of my predictions may not end up being correct, one thing is for sure, this is going to be a great season for the NHL.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Brunswick Sports

Fantasy Sports: A Fan’s Dream Come True

By Charlie Gerdts ‘09 Sports Editor he appeal of fantasy sports still remains unknown to some. They may say, “It’s not real, why would you waste your time?” Nonetheless, people consistently sign up for fantasy leagues and pick their squads in online drafts. Some play fantasy football for money, some play to relax. Although Carson Palmer will not be on Randy Moss’s team in real life, it is possible in your very own fantasy league. No matter the reason, more and more people are signing up to compete in the virtual world of sports.

Fantasy Leagues are usually divided into two separate sections: Public and Private.

Public leagues are usually the

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most popular and on some websites cost money to join.

Custom leagues are created by one person who usually will then invite a group of friends.

Leagues often create a feeling of dominance and bragging rights.

In fact, Yahoo has integrated this in their set up by adding a “League Blast” box. With this box users are welcome to “talk trash” about other teams or players.

Call this mean spirited, but it has become a part of the game.

Fantasy Football requires dedication to stats, injury updates, and general football knowledge. This use of “knowledge” is often a great appeal. The fantasy genius is the one who knows who to start which week and who to bench.

This skill is at the centerpiece

of any good fantasy player’s strategy. Much of this knowledge goes into the online draft. Many “players” sit through long rounds of mind numbing decisions. Do I take Brandon Marshall this early even though he has a suspension?

Do I go with the alwaysreliable Marvin Harrison?

The true appeal to fantasy sports comes from knowing you made the right choice. A feeling of self-assurance that a player knows something about sports is very gratifying.

This year, like most, has a few surprise fantasy allstars. Players like Eddie Royal of the Denver Broncos and Michael Turner have stepped up to have much better years so far than anticipated. Turner has over four hundred yards and

five touchdowns heading into Sunday’s match up with Green Bay. More impressive, he has accumulated these stats in just four games. Turner came to the Falcons after playing behind LaDainian Tomlinson for the last two years. Eddie Royal is just one example of rookies making huge impacts in the NFL this year. Running backs Matt Forte and Chris Johnson have both had huge starts to the season.

After the first month here is my All-Fantasy Football Team: QB: Jay Cutler WR: Brandon Marshall WR: Greg Jennings WR: Larry Fitzgerald RB: Michael Turner RB: Adrian Peterson TE: Jason Witten K: Josh Scobee DEF: Tennessee

Homecoming Sports Wrap-Up

By Chris Baldock ‘10 Staff Writer ain, rain, and more rain.

That was the weather forecast for Homecoming Weekend, resulting in preparations for yet another wet homecoming for Brunswick alumni. To the relief of all, much of the rain held off, and huge crowds showed up to support Brunswick. The soccer team played Gunnery to a 1-1 tie on the slick turf of Cosby Field; the Bruins controlled the game but were unable to come away with the victory. Brunswick went to halftime down 1-0 but was able to equalize the score when Jordan Granum split the defenders and put a goal in midway through 2nd half. It was a game of missed chances for the Bruins, who dominated for the entire 90 minutes. “They had three shots and we had over twenty, but we were just unlucky that we couldn’t

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capitalize on those chances and come out with a win,” said co-captain Øivind Lorentzen.

Brunswickcross-country came away with a comfortable

in a time of 17:09 while Brian DeAngelo and Andrew Grasso finished 3rd and 4th respectively.

Overall, the Bruins finished with eight runners in the top ten. “The

21-40 victory against Martin Luther High School. Sophomore Ryan Hagerbrant won the race

© Dan Burns sloppy track and the obstacle course would have made for an interesting race against the NYC

Parochial School champions, but our depth was the difference,” said Coach Steve Polikoff. “MLHS was dealing with a few illnesses and injuries, and therefore had a tough run, while we enjoyed the opportunity to run on campus for the first time this season.”

The football team put together a strong effort and earned a 20-12 win over KingswoodOxford. Led by the strong running of senior co-captain Kevin Royal and a strong defensive effort, the Bruins showed the large crowd at Cosby Field the potential for this team. Said Coach Sean Brennan, “I think we will look back on the second half of KingswoodOxford game as the point when we started to play as a team. On both sides of the ball, the guys played with a sense of urgency and grit. I hope we can retain that enthusiasm as we head into next week against King.”

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Brunswick Sports

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Yankees and Mets: Seasons Spoiled by Failure

By Matthew Cassoli ‘12 Staff Writer unday, September 28, 1: 45: The New York Mets take the field against the Florida Marlins in a situation both players and fans identify as almost eerily similar to last year’s do-or-die last game.

After a little more than half an hour of rain delay, the first pitch is thrown by Marlin’s pitcher Scott Olsen. By the end of the sixth inning, the score is tied but the Mets are unable to hold on when the Marlins go on to score two more runs in the eighth inning to hand the Mets a loss. With the Brewers winning over the Chicago Cubs, the Mets’ fate is sealed.

For the second year in a row, the New York Mets will miss the post-season by just one game.

This season, the Mets were 89-73 and finished three games behind the Phillies in the National League East.

Another important milestone this season was the firing of former manager Willie Randolph. After much talk and criticism about the professionalism with which the Mets handled the firing of Randolph, he was replaced with interim manager Jerry Manuel. Many players hope to see Manuel back next season though. “He should be back, because he’s a great man,” said Carlos Beltran. “He did everything possible to make us earn a spot in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, we are the ones that go out there and decide what happens. But we feel that he did his part.” Other players,

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including David Wright, also praised Manuel, saying that “Jerry is one of the best baseball minds in the game.”

Clearly, this loss stops short of what Mets

season appearance since 2006, but the most apparent is probably improving the bullpen. The bullpen lost 28 games this season (fourth place in the national league), and had

fans imagined when they wanted to say goodbye to their beloved Shea Stadium.

But some were able to look on the bright side, especially during the goodbye ceremony.

After the game, the Mets held a final farewell ceremony in

an ERA of 4.25; according to met.com, it was able to save less than 60% of games it appeared in. To make things worse, next year perhaps their most important player in the bullpen, Billy Wagner, will not be able to play until September

order to acknowledge all the players who played at Shea and the memorable moments.

Hopefully, the Mets can start a new era under a new manager when the move into Citi Field takes place next year.

Next year, the Mets have many things to improve to help assure their first post-

if he is going to be able to play at all, due to elbow surgery.

On a lighter note, owner Jeff Wilpon commented on how the Mets were able to achieve a lot this year: “Look at who our second baseman was,” he said talking about how the Mets were able to have a good season despite

some injuries. It is to be hoped that his optimism, combined with a new stadium, will be able to lead the Mets to the post-season next year.

Compared to their cross-town rivals, the Mets actually probably had an easier year than the Yankees.

This year, the Tampa Bay Rays (formerly the “Devil Rays,” but now just “Rays”) actually finished first in the division and are now going to the playoffs for the first time in eleven seasons. So, it is perhaps understandable why the Yankees couldn’t do as well as usual and not make it to he postseason. The relatively easy wins they could get off the Rays were simply not there this season. For the Mets, however, there were not too many significant changes.

In saying goodbye to their respective stadiums, the Yankees clearly made a bigger deal about building a new one than the Mets did. The Yankees had an electronic countdown in center field, and would have a special guest pull a lever in the middle of the fifth inning (when the game was official) and the number displayed on the board would go down. The Mets, however, put a smaller board with paper numbers on it (only one was visible at a time, when 10 was ripped off, 9 was revealed). Also, because the Yankees were knocked out of the postseason before the Mets, they had many of their fans focusing on the goodbyes instead of going to the postseason.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Brunswick Sports

Page 11

Usain Bolt: Leading the Pack

By Ryan Hagerbrant ‘11 Staff Writer n August 16, 2008, the 9th day of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the world’s attention centered on a relatively unknown 21-year old sprinter.

Calmly and confidently, the 6’5”, 198-pound, Usain Bolt strolled to the starting blocks of the 100-meter men’s finals.

Facing a field of world-class and more experienced sprinters, including fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell, Bolt should have been worried. The gun sounded, and the sprinters sprung off the blocks, the finish in sight.

Behind early in the race, Bolt quickly and powerfully made up ground on the other sprinters, using his freakishly long stride to his advantage. Beginning to break away from Powell, Bolt, glancing to the left and then to the right, knew the race was his.

Thumping his chest and high stepping for the crowd, as any exuberant teenager would, Bolt commenced his celebration just 15 meters from the finish line. As Bolt glided past the finish, the commentators and the 95,000 in attendance at the “Bird’s Nest” stopped their yelling and screaming, instead resorting to silence and then awe as the teenager’s time flew onto the screen in the stadium: 9.69. 9.69, a new world record! In just under 10 seconds, the world of track & field had found their hero.

This moment could’ve been the end of Usain Bolt in the international spotlight. He could’ve returned to Jamaica and found fame and glory in his hometown of Trelawny, or possibly retired or competed in

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a few unknown races as most regular track & field athletes do.

But, Usain Bolt is anything but ordinary. Just four days later, on August 20, 2008, a day before his birthday, lightning struck again as Bolt won the 200-meter men’s final in a world record time of 19.30, breaking the famed sprinter Michael Johnson’s 12-year record of 19.32 and

Olympic records, and, perhaps most importantly, international fame and recognition.

Along with his superhuman feats came questions.

How fast can a human being actually run? According to a model crafted a few years ago by leading statisticians, the fastest a human being can run in the 100meter race is 9.44 seconds, yet

beginning a debate whether he was the “world’s fastest man” in the process. Yet, it didn’t even end there. On August 21, 2008, Bolt, along with four other Jamaican sprinters, led the team to a gold medal and world record in the 4x100 meter men’s final. When the 2008 Beijing Olympics ended on August 24, Bolt’s impact on the Games and the sport of track & field became historic. He had compiled three gold medals, three world and

this model also predicted that the world would not see a 9.69 run until 2030. Therefore, “the limits will be largely set by the rules of the IOC,” Hutchinson, a biomechanist who studies how animals move, said “It’s kind of an arms race with the regulators of the sport and the people trying to push the technology to the limits. At some point here there must be a détente where technology can’t push us any further and the rules will restrict

it.” So, why is Usain Bolt so fast? What gives him the edge over his competitors? Elite sprinters are unique. Unlike the normal human being who possesses an equal amount of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, world-class sprinters usually are physiologically made up of 70% fast twitch and 30% slow twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitch muscle fibers are quick contracting, easily fatigued muscle tissue that generates large amounts of power that allows the sprinters you see on television to obtain superhuman speeds. What separates Usain Bolt from the rest of his competitors are his long legs.

At 6’5”, his stride length is an astonishing 1 ft. longer than other sprinters, allowing him to cover 100 meters in 41 steps, instead of the 47 steps his competitors need to cover the same distance. While his unique height makes him slower out of the starting blocks, “he’s still able to turn his legs over fast enough with high power,” says Ed Coyle at the University of Texas’s Human Performance Laboratory. “He overcomes his average start and just doesn’t slow down, as others do, in the last 30 to 40 meters. He’s able to relax and coordinate his longer legs.” He is, simply put, a “freak of nature.”

What does the future hold for Mr. Usain Bolt? Whether it’s racing the always cocky Terrell Owens (Owens getting a 20 meter head start, of course), trying out for NFL scouts who see in him the next great wide receiver, or just doing what he does best—running ridiculously fast—the future seems bright for this budding superstar.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

VP Candidates Square off in Debate

By Gates Torrey ‘09 News Editor hat does it even mean to win a debate?

Presidential politics has been reduced to sound bites. At this point politics is all but void of reason. Elections are decided by rumors of Muslim faith instead of Iraq war policy.

They are decided by reports of a candidate’s extravagant real-estate investments, rather than sound economic policy. It is easy to play the blame game here: is it the media’s fault?

Is America stupider than it used to be? Whatever the answer, the resulting political climate is divisive, irrational, and dangerously partisan. In this climate the fool is king.

John McCain is a seasoned veteran when it comes to divisive politics, and ultimately he has taken ownership of that role in this election.

As an avid Obama supporter, I watched the debate uneasily. McCain was taking cheap shot after cheap shot at the Senator from Illinois. I wanted Obama to hit back hard.

Much of the time he seemed unable to distill his points into short, concise, sentences.

Obama articulated his platform with a halting delivery, punctuated frequently by “ums” and significant pauses.

My dissatisfaction with Obama’s performance was not mollified by a poll on drudgereport.com.

It showed more that than 70% of respondents believed that

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McCain had won. The poll appeared on Drudge’s web log just a moment after the end of the debate. I realize the

trust. When people feel they can no longer trust banks, or the stock market, they withdraw their money and the market

problems with such a poll: It is subject to response bias, and its respondents may not be an accurate representation of the population. But I assumed, since McCain had won the poll by such a large margin, that there must be some validity to the poll. I was wrong. Nearly every national poll since the debate

recedes. Similarly, Americans, having taken stock of the failures of the past eight years, feel they can no longer trust the Republicans—and hence McCain. McCain’s greatest asset was his experience. He was a known quantity, and therefore people trusted him.

Trust is a particularly valuable

has shown a “win” for Obama.

That leaves two important questions: Why did Obama come out on top? And why was the Drudge poll so wrong?

The economy runs on

asset with undecided voters, but now it is gone. Americans are hungry for a candidate who can act and speak in a presidential manner.

Senator Obama has become that candidate.

People who read the

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Drudge Report are not undecided voters. So, in watching this debate, they were serving as critics, not consumers. Just as I foolishly did, they judged the debate by the accepted criteria: who created the best sound bites, who attacked his opponent most strongly, and who ended up appealing to America’s populist leanings. The political climate has experienced a sudden shift, however, and these criteria no longer hold true. The target market, undecided voters, is no longer content with politics as usual.

This was the first of three presidential debates, and also probably the weakest in terms of its effect on the election.

Jim Lehrer did a terrible job. He did very little to moderate the flow of discussion, and even less to challenge the candidates.

Barack Obama’s performance ended up by allowing him to avoid accusations of elitism, and he probably will have the upper hand going into the second debate. John McCain was able to keep his temper in check, and he was better than many expected he would be on his feet. I am hoping for a more informative and intriguing performance from the candidates next time around.

Despite my criticism, I ultimately was encouraged by the debate. The American people clearly did not fall for the specious and fallacious misinformation upon which McCain has based his candidacy—I have regained my faith in my country.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Page 13

Ageism Our Modern Segregation

By Will Seaton ‘09 Co-Editor-In-Chief uring history, the world has seen segregation in the American South, in Nazi Germany, against the Middle East, and all around the world. But now we as students are seeing segregation directed against us based on a number that supposedly signifies everything: our age.

Ageism is stereotyping and prejudice against an individual or a group of people because of their age.

Robert N. Butler introduced the term in 1969, but up until now it has largely been used to refer to prejudice against older people. I would like to shift this view to include the people who are on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Young people have for years been judged by their age. “Kids can’t do something until they are this old,” no matter how mature they may be in temperament.

Society has assumed that maturity travels in perfect cohesion with advancing age.

Once someone hits the age of sixteen, they are considered mature enough to drive. At eighteen they supposedly know the importance of their vote and can also fight for their country. At twenty-one they are understood to have the maturity to deal with alcohol.

Since the government cannot afford to do extensive case studies on every individual, these age-based laws have been a practical way of generalizing the ability of people to handle life’s growing problems. However,

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social expectations have now become intertwined with this way of viewing maturity.

From a young age, kids are becoming more and more regulated by their parents and the other adults in their lives because parents do not view them as being mature.

Technology has been appearing that allows parents to monitor their children in all aspects of their lives.

“NetNanny,” a common website-tracking program,

are now so involved in their children’s lives that it is as though they are living multiple lives at once. Not only must they take care of themselves, but by taking on the regulation of their child’s life they must also plan out his or her every action. A child no longer has any power to make his own decisions or learn from his mistakes; he cannot explore his own desires or develop as an individual identity separate from his parents,

allows parents to see everything their child is doing online. “Guardian Angel Technology,” a GPS locator in a person’s cell phone, allows worried parents to track a child’s exact location at any given moment. Parents can even get email notifications of their children’s grades in case they do not trust them to tell the truth about their grades.

This kind of monitoring helps neither parent nor child. The parents

since everything he does is being monitored, followed, regulated, and controlled.

As those who are now children grow up, this attitude will only serve to damage the quality of human life. As we become more accustomed to being monitored from an early age, we shall grow up to become more accepting of intrusion in our adult lives.

We may give our approval to governmental oversight of our lives. since that is all we know;

we’ll end up granting our government powers it should never have. We won’t be able to make decisions on our own.

We will be so accustomed to having our paths chosen for us that, when faced with important decisions, we may become frozen by inaction when we don’t have someone guiding us.

The truth is, we must be careful about making sure that we grow up knowing how to handle our own problems.

We must confront the challenges we face, because, even in our school society, students are not always taken seriously. Ask any GA senior and she will tell you that GA’s handling of the prom left the seniors in the dark throughout the process; furthermore, they were left with the feeling of having the decision dropped in their laps afterwards.

The administration simply told them the decision was final, and then justified their position when the girls protested. While many of the girls think that changing the date is not such a bad idea, the way they were treated and given the news has left many of them bitter about their relationship with their school.

While it is easy to rely on the vast amount of experience our parents have, make sure you do things on your own as well. Freedom of choice is one of the greatest things we have in this society, and you must exercise yours.

Make mistakes and learn from them; challenge your own ideas, and you will become a better person because of it.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Congressional Election Heating Up

By David Blumenthal ‘10 Staff Writer s another November approaches, select Connecticut politicians find themselves and their election yet again under the lens of national media attention. In 2006, it was Senator Lieberman vs. Lamont. This time, it will be Congressman Shays vs. Himes.

The race for Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District will certainly be a close one, perhaps even closer than Shays’s matchups in recent years. After his last two victories for reelection over Diane Farrell, the closest of which was a victory by just 7,000 votes, Shays finds himself in a “neardeath” matchup once again.

There are a number of reasons why Shays is not just any-old Republican Congressman. His district was one of 8 that in 2004 chose to re-elect its congressman but also chose John Kerry in the race for president. He also seems to be the last in a dying breed of politician formerly known as a “Rockefeller Republican.” An eponym first linked to legendary New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, the “Rockefeller Republicans” championed socially liberal, fiscally conservative policies: a small government, low taxes, and more moderate views on issues such as the death penalty, gun control, and abortion rights.

Though they once were the bastion of the Republican Party, this is the case no more. With the rise of the neo-conservatism, Shays finds himself increasingly at odds with his own party.

The early entry of Jim Himes into the race for Congress

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has strongly challenged Chris Shays’s position.

Himes’s political background has been spent as the leader of the Greenwich Democratic T o w n Committee since 2004.

A Harvard Graduate, a Rhodes Scholar, a former banker for Goldman Sachs, and a former head of a nonprofit agency dedicated to fighting urban poverty, he is by far the most impressive candidate Shays has faced in recent years.

After dispatching his primary opponent, Lee Whitnum, with 87% of the vote, Himes gained momentum, although his overwhelming victory may well have been due to W h i t n u m ’s questionable credibility as a candidate.

Given Himes’s limited experience in Wa s h i n g t o n politics, what incentives does he offer potential voters as a replacement for Shays? Himes argues that despite Shays’s reputation as a “maverick” with (as one of his ads called it) “the hopefulness of Obama,” Shays has voted with President Bush

89% of the time on what are considered “close votes,” where the margin is less than 1/3 of the members of Congress. Himes also makes the claim that his own diverse background of success makes up for any lack of political experience.

H i m e s ’s argument is that while Shays has bipartisan positions on certain issues, on the most important issues – the economy, the war in Iraq, and privatizing social security – he seems to be unwilling break with the Bush Administration and the GOP party establishment.

Shays has come under fire for his support of the war in Iraq (he has made 21 trips there), and his staunch support for every warfunding bill.

It is this issue that the Democrats hope will tip the scales for Himes, as Shays has refused to back down from his original support of the war, voting against a timetable for withdrawal 5 times after saying back in 2006 during his fight against Democrat Diane Farrell

that a timetable for withdrawal was “undoubtedly necessary.”

In Shays’s defense, he has bucked his party on a number of occasions. In 1998, he objected to the views of the majority of his party, voting against the impeachment of then President Clinton. Many political observers agreed at the time that such a vote against the views of his party probably cost Shays some key leadership positions heading into the Republicandominated 108th Congress. Such a decision, as it was certainly not in accord with the party base, took some ‘chutzpah.’

Congressman Shays has gone beyond a simple vote against the party establishment back in 1998. He has earned a “100% pro-choice” rating from the National Abortion Rights Action League for his staunch support of a woman’s right to choose.

He is one of the leaders in Congress for stem cell research.

Shays supported environment action and cleaner air standards before such measures were considered laudable.

Whatever the positions of the candidates on the issues and records of past service, the result of the 4th Congressional race will probably be shaped by the national presidential election. The Obama-McCain contest will likely determine the magnitude of voter turnout, as well as who actually votes and their views of local and national politics. The strong crosscurrents of the national election could well be what determine whether the last remaining Republican congressman from New England survives yet another election.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Page 15

UN and Students Partner For Peace

By Gus Ruchman ‘10 Staff Writer n Friday, September 19, a bell resounded in a New York City crowd, its vibrant tones announcing a new hope.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon was ringing the Peace Bell at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to officially open the Annual Student Observance of International Day of Peace.

The International Day of Peace, established in 1981 by the UN, this year coincided with the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On the 19th, several hundred middle and high school students, including representatives from various organizations dedicated to international coexistence, gathered at the UN, where they were joined by four designated Messengers of Peace—anthropologist Jane Goodall, actor Michael Douglas, writer and activist Elie Wiesel, and violinist Midori Goto—as well as the secretary-general, U nder-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyotaka Akasaka, and President of the UN General Assembly Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann.

In his address to the students, President Brockmann advised, “The only enduring way to overcome the logic of violence and its manifestations is to work with fervor to disable the tools used to wage war

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and replace the logic of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ with the logic of ‘we’ and ours.’ It means coming

encouraging people around the planet to send text messages for peace to be presented when

into full consciousness of our connectedness with the lives of others, as well as with our planet and its resources.”

the 63rd General Assembly convened on September 23.

Noted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “I use electronic

In keeping with the aim of appealing to the youth, the UN created a TXT 4 PEACE campaign,

communications all the time, but honestly—this is a little embarrassing—I have zero friends online. But you—

collectively—can reach tens of thousands of people in an instant. You can mobilize way beyond your clique, beyond your community, even beyond the borders of your own country. That is the power you have and I count on it—your power to make this world different when you become leaders, and even before.”

Continuing with the combined themes of peace, youth, and communication, the student assembly interacted via video-stream with teenage delegations at United Nations missions in Afghanistan, Liberia, and Sudan.

The contingents from each of these countries made presentations and went on to participate, along with the students at the UN Headquarters, in a questionand-answer session with the Messengers of Peace. The addition of the youth from war-torn regions of the world injected a more serious tenor, as well as more difficult questions, into the joyful and idealistic mood of the day.

In an era of conflict and violence, the intention of the conference was clear, as eloquently expressed by Secretary-General Ban Kimoon when he said, “You may not be in positions of power—yet—but you have a very powerful weapon: your voice. By speaking out, by raising awareness, by mobilizing around the issues that you feel passionate about you can make a major difference in our world.”

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Without Security We Can Not Have Liberty

By Tommy Chronert Staff Writer s everyone who knows me is sure to realize, the blog Scott Matthews wrote about McCain suspending his campaign angers me. (Check it out, under the “WickBlog” section of the chronicle website). I could go on and on talking about why I believe McCain is great and Obama is awful, but I will make this short.

First, I have a question.

How is McCain’s return to the Senate going to insert politics into a debate which already most certainly is very political with many people from each party?

I have four points to make: 1. Senator McCain’s job is to be a senator, not to run for the office of president.

By returning to the Senate to engage in this debate (which happens to be very important), he is only fulfilling his duty as a

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Senator. This is not un-patriotic.

Senator McCain is risking his own campaign to go perform his duty, which is much more patriotic then him ignoring the debate and not taking part.

2 .

It is implied that Senator McCain is harming the country by “...stopping the flow of public debate...”.

Besides what I said above about him fulfilling his duty by going back to Washington, he might learn a little bit by being present in a congressional debate, hearing lots of different views. Senator Obama and Senator McCain

could both attend the debates and then have their presidential debate at a later time. The American public should be able to be patient and wait. If not, then there is something wrong.

3 .

Please do not criticize Senator M c C a i n ’s attendance of the U.S. N a v a l Academy.

Yes, he may have been close to last in his class, but so what!?

Even getting that far at one of the most difficult colleges in the nation makes him more intelligent than the majority of the people in this country. The mental and physical challenges

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that Senator McCain had to overcome even to get through his fourth class (plebe) summer at the Naval Academy are greater than most Americans will ever have to face. The honor and devotion to his country that the Naval Academy instilled in Senator McCain, as well as the academic and military skills he acquired there certainly make him more qualified than Senator Obama in my opinion.

4. Senator McCain is not “...screwing up America.”

He’s doing his job. Also, in the past, he has sacrificed a great amount by earning a commission as a US Naval Officer in order to defend freedom for all of us. He continues to help protect us all by supporting national defense/ homeland security today.

Without security, we cannot have liberty.

This article was written as a blog for the Brunswick Chronicle Online.

e-mails to the editor here chronicle@brunswickschool.org

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The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Keating “Cont.”

Continued From Front Page

McCain and the four other senators huge sums of money for their past elections for the Senate, and now Keating was calling on the five senators to stop the federal investigation and impending regulation of his company. Keating’s five senators met with the FHLBB regulators multiple times on Keating’s behalf, and before long the regulators backed off.

(McCain met with the regulators twice.) Lincoln Savings and Loan Association nevertheless soon had to be bailed out by the government for 124.6 billion, and the taxpayer had to pay the price, resulting in the budget deficits of the early 1990s. On November 17, 1989, the Senate Ethics Committee began an investigation on the five senators; this investigation lasted 22 months and resulted in 23 days of hearings that involved all five senators. In 1990, the committee ruled that three of the senators were to be punished “severely,” but McCain and one other senator were only “rebuked” by congress for showing “poor judgment.” After the investigations and hearings were completed, McCain said, “I was judged eventually, after three years, of using, quote, poor judgment, and I agree with that assessment.”

McCain called the scandal his political “asterisk,” although his opponents never managed to end his political career with the scandal.

When explaining his involvement in the Keating Five scandal, McCain said that Mr. Keating was a constituent �

of his being from Arizona, and had every right to ask his senator for help. McCain stated that he personally “… didn’t want any special favors from [Lincoln Savings]. I only wanted them to be fairly treated.” McCain did say, however, that he was “…troubled by the appearance of the meetings.” Looking

back on the scandal years later, McCain said that he “…was in a hell of a mess.”

In his own defense, after Senator McCain attended the regulators’ meetings, he did not do anything to interfere with the investigation and regulation of Lincoln Savings.

Robert Bennet, the independent counsel to the ethics committee, said that “Moreover, there is substantial evidence that, as a result of Senator McCain’s refusal to do certain things, he had a fallout with Mr. Keating.”

Bennet later recommended that McCain and one other senator

in the scandal be dropped from further investigation.

Although John McCain did not interfere with the Keating Five Scandal, he did attend the meetings, and this truly symbolizes the kind of influence in Washington that money and power unfortunately can buy. The Keating Five Scandal has become a sad testimony about the sort of corruption engaged in by

politicians and it is angering American people even today.

Until recently, Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has stayed understandably quiet over the Keating Five Scandal, not wanting to make his presidential race a muddied, negative one.

However, on October 6, the Obama Campaign was forced to send out an e-mail discussing McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five Scandal due to the economic problems facing America, and due to John McCain’s desperate

Page 17 mudslinging. Obama also felt that if McCain wanted an ethics and character fight in their last month before the election as John McCain has repeatedly called for, then it was fair game to bring up McCain’s questionable and unethical past. In their e-mail, the Obama Campaign sadly explained how due to America’s current economic crisis, they felt that it was necessary to uncover John McCain’s role in the Keating Five Scandal as what happened back then is so similar to what is occurring now. The Obama Campaign also created a short documentary on the Keating Five Scandal and created a website: keatingeconomics.com to help people better understand the crisis.

However, “that one” as John McCain referred to him was not to be unsullied during his race, for during the Second Presidential Debate, although Obama had numerous opportunities to attack McCain over his past, Obama took the high rode and made every effort to keep this year’s Presidential Race about the issues and not about the old, mud-slinging politics of the past. This is what America needs right now, an honest politician. Barack Obama has avoided bringing this McCain Scandal into the election to try to protect John McCain’s legacy out of respect and moral values even while John McCain and Sarah Palin say that Obama has been, “… palling around with terrorists”.

Obama’s unquestionable integrity is what America needs right now, not more of the same mudslinging politics of John McCain.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Page 18

The Global Economic Crisis

By Mike Marx ‘10 Staff Writer he past months have witnessed a series of events that seemed almost unimaginable when 2008 began. First in March Bear Stearns ceased to exist when it was bought by JP Morgan the day before it would have gone bankrupt. As shocking as that occurrence was, it paled by comparison to the stunning events that have transpired over the last six weeks. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which hold a majority of all mortgages in the U.S., had to be taken over by the federal government.

Next, Lehman Brothers – a Wall Street powerhouse in existence for 150 years – filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Days later, Merrill Lynch had to sell itself to Bank of America to avoid the fate of Lehman.

AIG, the largest insurance company in the country, was subsequently bailed out by the United States Government with an $80 billion loan package literally hours before it would have gone under. Just a week ago, this nation’s largest savings and loan institution— Washington Mutual—was taken over by JP Morgan under the direction of the Treasury Department in a transaction that protected depositor money but left the shareholders wiped out. Finally, last week the U.S. Congress finally passed a bitterly controversial $700 billion rescue package for the banking system after being warned by Fed Chief Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Paulson, Warren Buffett, and President Bush that a failure to do so might result in a calamity for the U.S. economy.

How, one might ask, did such horrific things happen to our great business institutions?

The reasons are complicated,

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but they go back to a very large bet that mortgage lenders and Wall Street made on the U.S. housing market beginning six years ago. During this period of time, mortgage loans were made to millions of Americans who were buying homes or refinancing existing homes.

Lenders sought more and more profit wanted to lend increasing amounts of mortgage money to less financially secure

homeowners failed on their monthly mortgage payments.

It all worked beautifully until it didn’t. Suddenly, a couple of years ago, housing prices began to decline. At the same time, increasing numbers of homeowners were unable to keep up with their monthly payments – particularly the types of adjustable mortgages that had very low “teaser rates” which increased substantially in the second or third year of the

borrowers, and Americans chose to purchase larger and more opulent homes with borrowed money stretched beyond their means; the result was that lending standards steadily deteriorated. More mortgage money was being borrowed than was prudent given the market value of the houses and income level of the borrowing homeowners.

But many lending institutions remained unconcerned because the houses – which were the collateral for the loans – were appreciating year after year by 10 or 20%. The bankers assumed that they could always take back the houses by foreclosure and resell them, thereby saving themselves from loss if the

loan. Meanwhile, over the years large Wall Street institutions had become involved in a very big way by packaging together hundreds of thousands of these mortgages and trading them as “mortgage-backed securities” to commercial banks, insurance companies, and other institutions.

As home prices fell across the country at an accelerating pace while at the same time adjustable loan interest rates rose, mortgage defaults (i.e., failures to pay) and home foreclosures grew alarmingly.

Billions of dollars of mortgagebacked securities owned by financial institutions began plummeting in value as a result.

Accounting rules required the banks, brokerages, and other

institutions to take losses on these securities, valuing them based on a market value that declined further and further every week that passed. Such losses had a seriously negative effect on such companies’ balance sheets, indicating to the rest of the business world that their financial strength was weakening.

Major financial institutions engage in transactions with customers and other institutions where payment for a deal or a trade is made days—and sometimes weeks—after the transaction takes place. Thus, they deal with the world on the basis of trust, in the sense that money loaned or owing from one to the other is based on the belief that it is certain to be paid back.

As the balance sheets of certain firms showed a seriously weakening financial condition, some financial companies, customers, and investors began taking their business away from these firms. This created a very negative “vicious circle,” causing weakened banks and brokerages (including Lehman) to become increasingly weaker and—with other negative events taking place—ultimately to go down in a toxic spiral.

In accordance with the economic realities of the last five decades, events taking place in the United States have spilled over into Europe and the rest of the world.

Even as we may hope that the American economy will begin to slowly climb out of this crisis, European and other overseas banks are just starting to feel the impact. Although the eye of the storm has seemingly come and gone, the world economy can only hope that we learn from this debacle and that a economic tragedy of this magnitude never happens again.

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Page 19

Before the Economy Melts down

By Scott Matthews Co-Editor-In-Chief

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mid the current economic turmoil that our country faces, the following was sent to me by a friend. While I do not know where this bracket originated, it appears to me that March Madness came early this year.

The following bracket is a interesting way to look at the many mergers, bankruptcies, and current gyrations on Wall Street. Here is a brief summary of what this bracket represents… Goldman Sachs & Berkshire Hathaway: Billionaire Warren Buffet’s company Berkshire Hathaway has invested over $5 billion into the New York City investment bank, purchasing a sizable stake in the stock at preferred prices. Citigroup & Wachovia: Wachovia, the �

southern commercial bank, has gone belly-up and is being stripped down and may be purchased piece by piece by the New York conglomerate Citigroup after a federal judge blocked Wells Fargo. The case is on hold. Countrywide & Bank of America: As Countrywide collapsed, Bank of America came in and bought it at a ‘subprime’ price. Merrill Lynch & Bank of America: Merrill was one of the first large investment banks affected. It quickly merged with Bank of America.

The US Federal Reserve & AIG: The Fed bailed out American International Group for over $85 billion dollars this past month. Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac: They were bailed out by the government,

too, don’t get me started…

The Bailout Fund & Congress: $700 billion got struck down by the House, passed by the Senate, then passed by the House with pork sweeteners (sounds as disgusting as it was). The $700 billion is now being run by a 35 year old who suddenly became one of the most important people in America with the largest candy jar ever. Barack Obama & John McCain: One of them will lead come January; I hope its Obama. Washington Mutual, PNC Mortgage, JP Morgan-Chase, Bear Stearns: This one gets complicated…

WaMu merged with PNC, then was bought by banking giant JP Morgan Chase in round two.

Before this however, JP Morgan Chase

also bought out the failed Bear Stearns. The Queen of England & Northern Rock: The British treasury bought out British bank Northern Rock in order to keep it from failure. It’s an international March Madness all of the sudden! HBOS & Lloyds: Lloyds is still negotiating to take over HBOS. Morgan Stanley & Mitsubishi: The Japanese banking giant will purchase 20% of the New York investment bank. Lehman Brothers & Barclays: the Fed passed on Lehman, letting it fail; it was soon bought up by the Scottish bank Barclays.

In the end, there is still more to come… Fill out your picks, who will be the last financial giant standing?

Point spreads not allowed…

The Brunswick Chronicle October 2008

Student Editorials

Sarah Palin: Plain and Simple

By Gates Torrey News Editor think a “pit bull with lipstick” is a perfect analogy for Sarah Palin.

She is the McCain campaign’s attack dog, she has the I.Q. of a semi-domesticated canine, and if she were not a woman, McCain would not have chosen her. She stumbled through that debate with all of the eloquence and grace of the now famous Miss South Carolina 2007 (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww).

She should be embarrassed.

The more troubling point here, though, is the less obvious one: Can you imagine someone named “Sam” Palin who happens to be male, inarticulate, and the inexperienced new Governor of Alaska running for VicePresident? Sarah Palin is a political tool, not a qualified candidate for national office.

One can argue about the policy points expressed, but as far as political gains made in the Vice-Presidential debate go, there was one clear winner: Joe Biden. Sarah Palin’s shiny veneer has all but disappeared. According to a recent CBS News/ The New York Times poll, a month ago Sarah Palin had a 47% approval rating and a 19% disapproval rating among women. Now only 34% of women approve, while 33% disapprove.

Meanwhile, Obama has made significant gains in national, and swing state polling. McCain has really been backed into a

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corner. He has pulled out of Michigan, and is planning a month long onslaught of

count on the U.S. to do the right thing—once it has exhausted all other

negative campaigning. It seems that the high road has been closed for repairs.

I am not sure the campaign can get more negative. Between vicious character attacks and misleading advertisements, the tone of this campaign has become antithetical to the “new politics” preached by both parties. The tragic victim here is rationality.

Logic and gutter politics are mutually incompatible.

Have we learned nothing from the hyperpartisan failure of the past eight years?

Winston Churchill once said, “you can always

alternatives.” After eight years of George Bush, America is exhausted. Americans are fed up with the Republicans and their so-called “conservative” ideology. That is why the economic crisis has played so strongly to Obama’s hand. That is why both campaigns are grasping at the message of change.

Although this battle for change may seem abstract and trivial considering all of the serious problems we face, it is an argument central to our Democracy.

Accountability is the cornerstone of Republicanism.

The fact is that McCain platform is in too

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many respects connected to the failed policies of the past eight years. This is further reinforced by Palin’s performance in the October 2nd debate. Specifically, it was her answer to a question concerning Cheney’s interpretation of the VicePresidency that was so unsettling. Palin said she agreed with Cheney about the proper role of the V.P., and is apparently for the further expansion of the Vice-Presidential role.

Dick Cheney’s arguably unconstitutional expansion of his role in government is in direct conflict with the concept of accountability.

Frankly, it is un-American.

Our great electoral apparatus is being put to the test. It is a dangerous time in America. We are bruised and battered as a nation. We are also at a crossroads where the greatest danger is inaction.

Down one road we have more failed policies, more suffocating and negative partisanship, and a general disregard for the constitution.

Down the other road we have a truly revolutionary, albeit flawed, political figure. We have a man who is respected and respectful. We have a man who is capable and forward thinking. This is one decision we cannot afford to mishandle. If McCain wins in November, Americans will have failed to hold their leaders accountable. If McCain wins in November, Democracy will have failed.