OUR MISSION
SUBMISSIONS
Published monthly, The Talon strives to be an innovative student magazine that is entertaining, intellectually provocative, and visually engaging. We are conscious of the responsibility of writing and publishing, and we seek to create a dynamic magazine that is worthy of its readers. We show respect for our readers by exposing them to a variety of perspectives. Ultimately, The Talon seeks to bring Graded to the world and bring the world to Graded.
The Talon wants to hear from you! We encourage submissions and ideas for articles and themes from all members of the Graded community. We publish in English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers and not necessarily of The Talon. For this reason, we do not accept anonymous submissions. Send submissions, ideas, and themes to: talon@graded.br
TALON STAFF 2010-2011
About the Cover
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Danielle Aguilar & Danielle Bryant LAYOUT EDITOR: Naty Arenas NEWS TEAM: Chris Thomas (Editor), Laura Deckers (Assistant Editor), Artur Renault (Reporter) FEATURES TEAM: Andrea Estrada (Editor), Ho Jun Yang (Assistant Editor), Melissa Fiszner (Reporter) ENTERTAINMENT TEAM: Luiza Justus (Editor), Olivia Dupasquier (Assistant Editor), Ashton Kim (Reporter)
For the theme Renaissance, I used the Vitruvian Man, which was Da Vinci’s invention, as a base of my cover, and as a background I used some Renaissance art to emphasize the era’s burst of intellect and creativity. The dark colors and the shadows portray the mystical element prevalent at the time; the layers of faded images display discretion of the artists and scholars as they tried to defy the church in secrecy. Karen’s enthusiasm and smile serve to stand as someone from this period in history who breaks free of the gloom. —Elaine Chyung
Part of Our Whole Because Julia Greenwald and Olivia Dupasquier were missing from our whole-staff photoshoot, we wanted to make sure you knew they were part of us.
SPORTS TEAM: Isabella Zevallos (Editor), Yana Ahlden (Assistant Editor), Fernando Lima (Reporter) COLUMNISTS: Edu Estrada & Melanie Vladimirschi GENERAL REPORTERS: Gini Chi, Lupi Gontijo, Julia Wu BLOGGERS & ARTISTS: Luisa Alcântara and Leo Porto COVER ARTIST: Elaine Chyung PHOTO EDITOR: Julia Greenwald TEACHER ADVISORS: Josh Berg and Mary Pfeiffer PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE CONSULTANT: Maggie Moraes ▪ ▪ ▪ E-mail: talon@graded.br Blog: http://tal-on-line.blogspot.com
Got a Passion? When we return from our long, and much-longed-for holiday, we will be working on our next edition, which has the theme of Passion. What are some of your passions? What is something you love to do so much that you lose track of time when you are doing it? What about your passion makes it so important to you? Is there something you used to be passionate about but aren’t anymore? Are you inspired by a particular person who is passionate about something? How do we even find our passions? Articles about any topic, not just the theme (750 words with an image, graph, or cartoon; 900 without) must be submitted to talon@graded.br by Monday, 9 August, 16:00.
We be green: Since August 2007, The Talon as been printed on recycled paper. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
editors-in-chief
Introducing TalonLine Graded’s first official student blog
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his year, as a new addition to the Talon, we have decided to create a blog meant to be a more constant outreach to the Graded community. With Leo and Luisa as our very own bloggers, TalonLine has for the past few weeks been providing its audience with a dynamic, light-hearted form of entertainment and outlook on everything from Graded to music to movies and more. As Leo and Luisa have said “Our main objective here at TalonLine is to bring the student body a daily assortment of quick information, either pertaining directly to Graded School matters or not. We aim to provide fast paced, entertaining, and sometimes even important news.” With features such as music videos, weekly top fives, and Facebook statuses of the day, TalonLine does just that. It is a creative balance between a reflection of our magazine publication and a way of reaching the student body that is more interactive and is certainly constantly changing. With all of the work that is being put into this project that will hopefully mark the beginning of a Talon renaissance, we want to know what you as the audience want to hear and read about. How can you do this? Comment on the blog posts. We want feedback from you that will hopefully be conducive to some interesting conversation on the site. So check it out at: tal-on-line.blogspot.com
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editors-in-chief
The Patchwork Profile The renaissance ofour multinational lives Danielle Aguilar
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enaissance, is a “renewal of life, vigor, interest or a rebirth” and for most people this is what it means. It is experimentation and art and social change. It is practically a form of social revolution. For me, on the other hand, it takes on an entirely new definition. In my mind the connections go something like this: Renaissance = Marriott brand = my father’s job = the reason why I have no nationality. In case my train of thought alone did not make it clear, for my entire life my father has worked for Marriott and in recent years, for the Renaissance brand. This led to my feeling I do not have any particular nationality. Some kids are army brats and move from place to place because of their parent’s interest in national security, country, and patriotism. I move from place to place because of my parent’s interest in hotels, hospitality, and the “spirit to serve.” The best explanation of how this affects me is that I move every two years with almost no exceptions. In the 16-year span known as my life, I have lived in five countries and one island territory, eleven places, and ten schools. Needless to say, this has made it very difficult for me to identify with one specific culture or nationality. I am technically a citizen of three countries: the United States, Uruguay, and Italy. Besides the conflict of being from three different continents, there is the basic problem that I cannot particularly relate to anyone from any of these three countries. When in the United States, I do not get that warm, patriotic feeling on the Fourth of July thinking of how the founding fathers led the revolution because I am realistic enough to know that having two parents that are first-generation Americans confirms that those men certainly were not my founding fathers. While I am legally from Uruguay, I have spent the majority of my life in other Latin American countries so that pretty much rules out any common experiences I could possibly have with my fellow citizens. Lastly, Italy; I don’t speak Italian nor have I ever lived there. Need I say more? Of course, I am not naïve enough to believe that my
situation is entirely unique. I know that there are many other people, especially here at Graded, who are in the same boat. Granted, it’s a pretty small boat. In our legal homelands, we are often considered a strange breed. We go home, or at least to what our parents call home, and on the outside we look just like everyone else. Then we start talking, and people realize that we are different. Then, at least in my experience, comes the pity: the acquaintances and members of extended family expressing their lament over the fact that Julia Greenwald you have not grown up with a “normal” life: “Oh that must be so hard on you.” “Well, at least you get to come here for college. Then things will get back to normal for you.” At first you brush it off, summing it up to the well intentioned yet ignorant commentary of someone who just doesn’t understand how you choose to live. Yet, in my case, after 16 years of listening to it, at this point it has gotten pretty old and is now just a smidge beyond irritating. What they do not understand is that we are the lucky ones. Sure, we are confused about our nationalities and cultures but it is only because we have been exposed to so much at such a young age that we have a plethora of options. We are human chameleons, able to adapt to new places and things with relative ease. At this point in our lives, the “damage” has been done. It is no longer reversible. We will never be able to go back to being just an “average” person who has never had these experiences. Things are not, of course, always easy and - not to be overly dramatic - but I can think of some people, myself included, who have experienced the occasional identity crisis over this cultural confusion. In this case, somehow, the question succeeds in being the answer. Who are we? Each one of us is our own little cultural blend that fits together but never entirely makes sense. We will always be different but what is so wrong about different? We thrive by living in our constantly changing environment. This lifestyle is our renaissance: let’s embrace it.
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editors-in-chief
A Talon Renaissance The age of Danielle(s) Danielle Aguilar and Danielle Bryant
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wenty Questions for the Editors-in-Chief:
Why did you want the EIC position? Danielle Aguilar: I have wanted the EIC position longer than I have been at a school with a written publication like the Talon. I liked the idea of leading a group of people in putting together a publication that would be read by the whole school. I also thought it would be a great experience. Danielle Bryant: I applied for the EIC position because I have always been interested in writing and being on the publication staff of a magazine/newspaper. I was on the staff last year and throughout the year I began to feel more and more involved in the publication and the production, and I wanted that same experience, in a grander way. What strengths and talents will your fellow EIC bring to the table? D.A.: Besides the fact that Danielle is a great writer, she is very outgoing and good at communicating with people. D.B.: I think Danielle is a fantastic writer, and I know she loves journalism and this type of writing. She cares about Talon and has wanted this position for longer than I’ve known her. What are your other interests or activites beyond Talon? D.A.: Besides writing for the Talon, I often write several things that go unpublished. I also participate in FALA and GEE and run outside of school. D.B.: I used to figure skate. Currently, I am on the softball team, and I’m a part of FALA and Habitat for Humanity as well as theatre productions. Next year I’ll be doing PGC too! If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? D.A.: Pasta. D.B.: Pez. Cherry-flavored pez. No question about it. If your life were a movie, who would play you? D.A.: Probably a previously unknown actress making her
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Julia Greenwald
debut. D.B.: Meg Ryan, 25 years ago or Zooey Deschanel. What’s the most played song on your ipod? D.A.: “Why Don’t You and I,” Santana D.B.: “Footloose,” Kenny Loggins If your life had a soundtrack, what would be on it? D.A.: Shuffle on my iPod. D.B.: Anything Beatles, 60s and 70s rock, mellow jazz and probably a bunch of bad songs from the 80s to dance to! Guitar Hero or Rockband? D.A.: Embarrassingly enough, I have never played either. D.B.: Beatles Rockband! What’s your favorite movie quote? D.A.: “Just keep swimming,” Dory, Finding Nemo D.B.: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it,” Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off What was your favorite article in the Talon this year? D.A.: Martin’s article about the senior lawn (because of the controversy). D.B.: Julia’s article on sibling rivalries. I empathize so much!
editors-in-chief Where can you see the other in 20 years? D.A.: I see Danielle in a high:powered career climbing her way to the top (perhaps living in Canada?). D.B.: Danielle is going to be in line for the Editor:in:Chief of the New York Times. She’ll be living in New York happily married with kids who she’ll train to run cross:country marathons.
What’s the last book you read? D.A. : I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb D.B. : Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt How many hours a day do you spend on Facebook? D.A. : Probably less than one. D.B. : Haha, an embarrassingly large number.
Danielle Aguilar
Mac or PC? D.A.: PC D.B.: Definitely Macs. My Mac is my life. If you were a Disney or cartoon character which one would you be? D.A.: Velma from Scooby Doo. D.B.: Marvin the Martian from Looney Tunes. What would you tell people who are interested in writing or the happenings at Graded? D.A.: Get involved the best that you can. I would suggest either submitting articles to the Talon or simply writing for yourself. The only way you will improve is through practice. D.B.: Write for the Talon! Send in articles or send in suggestions of what we can write about. We want to hear from you! Any pets? D.A.: A bulldog named Lola and a yellow lab named Maggie. D.B.: A bulldog named Lila, and a big slobbery boxer called Blue. (The parallel in names and dogs in just a coincidence….we swear.)
What’s the meaning of life? D.A.: Find happiness? D.B.: Whatever you want it to be. I’ll let you know when I’ve figured mine out.
What’s your biggest pet peeve? D.A. : Lack of commitment. D.B. : So many! Ink ballpoint pens, when people walk funny, the sound of scraping the lint off the dryer sheet, people who start sentences with “And”, Crocs, people who when asked what their favorite book is say “I don’t read”, people who only like one type of music and ironically, people who are late. If you had a year to do anything you wanted, what would you do? D.A.: I would travel the world visiting unconventional places that are sort of off the beaten track. Besides travelling, I would work as Danielle Bryant a free-lance writer. I don’t think that I would like to have any set plans. I would just live each day at a time. D.B.: If I had all the options in the world, I would travel to space and spend a year in space as an astronaut. Or, I would spend a year on Broadway, despite the fact that I have no singing ability whatsoever. If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would you choose? D.A.: Lance Armstrong, Queen Noor, and Jeanette Walls D.B. Mark Twain, John Lennon, Amelia Earhart If you were to be bribed, what would you be bribed with? D.A.: Book store gift cards D.B.: Chocolate or the promise of someone building me an ice rink in Sao Paulo. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about the Editors! Let’s have a great year!
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news
End of Violation or Freedom? Anti-Bullying Law:The new law Julia Wu
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ullying might sound like a rare incident at Graded, but including harassment over the internet or telephone and physiit’s a dime a dozen in countless North American schools. cal aggression. School staffs are to undergo training in order In Massachusetts, an anti-bullying law has just passed legisla- to establish an anti-bullying curriculum as well as a bullying intervention system. On the other tion, with the purpose of preventing hand, Martha Walz, a sponsor for the further tragedies that relate to the anti-bullying bill wishes to preserve one that took place just a while ago the civil liberties of students. Aware - Phoebe Prince’s suicide. Phoebe was that this project will tremendously a 15 year old Irish girl who took her affect school traditions, she strives own life after facing exceptionally to establish healthier school comatrocious harassments at South Hadley munities and preserve freedom of High School, in Massachusetts. A while speech at the same time. Challenging after Phoebe’s decease, nine students cases contradict Walz’s view - The were charged in this case due to the Pennsylvanian district lost the right continuous protest that these bullies, to suspend a teenage boy from school who allegedly committed statutory after he created a fake Myspage page rape, violation of civil rights, bodily for his principal, calling him a “big injury, criminal harassment and stalksteroid freak” and a “big whore”, ing, were not receiving punishment. simply because the court ruled that As a new freshman in high school, the page was protected under free Phoebe’s life turned intolerable while speech. As these conflicts surge, being called “Irish slut” and “whore” http://rainworks22.homestead the anti-bullying law faces hardships on social network websites including Facebook and Formspring. As bullying victimized Phoebe, a such as the possibility of confronting freedom of speech and variety of staff and faculty members witnessed the maltreat- liberty of expression. But what even some authorities fail to ment yet did nothing to control the chaos. Even her parents understand is, violation of image and sentiment goes way knew name-calling was going on, but laughed it off by claiming beyond “freedom of speech” – if everyone adheres to the fact that’s just what children do. Objects were constantly thrown at that this principal-slandering student shouldn’t be charged, Phoebe, the books she carried were knocked off, and threaten- for it is absolutely customary to offend, then everybody would ing text messages repeatedly haunted her cell phone. A gang of openly accept slander and bully (which is, again, a major issue girls harassed and threatened her in the library, and shoved a regarding public and private learning institutions). Thus the crucial way to avoid violation of expression and can of Red Bull at her on the way home. A few moments later, as she arrived home, Phoebe hung herself in a stairwell. Her emotion is by ameliorating the education these students re12-year old sister found her body. This abomination, however, ceive. To many, the anti-bullying law may possibly seem like remained continuous. Bullies still posted nasty comments such the ultimate bully blocker. But it takes more than just believas “accomplished” on the deceased girl’s Facebook memorial ing that a law somewhere can annihilate all victims of social page, while none of them felt a single tinge of remorse. Ac- harassment. As the law itself states, schools possess the duty cording to the district attorney, Elizabeth Scheibel, Phoebe to create a liaison with students and launch stronger and more grasped the school’s attention while she dated a popular supportive communities to combat pestering. According to senior football player during her very first weeks at school. specialists, the fact that these juvenile, callow boys and girls Is it OK to slander a fellow student? Although many say believe that they have the right to violate personal space and NO, there are controversies after the anti-bullying law passed image demonstrate that they contain psychological issues. Once legislation. The bill defines crime as those committed on education begins to reform itself in the direction of justice and Phoebe, and is now considered an imperative subject involv- relief, a series of merits will replace the torture that circulates ing schools. It is expected for schools to investigate bullying, intensively among students.
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news
StuCo: A Fresh Start An interview with President Samuel and Vice-President Artur Julia Greenwald
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he only thing we have to fear, is fear itself. —Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. —John F. Kennedy There are incalculable resources in the human spirit, once it has been set free. —Hubert H. Humphrey What do all these men have in common? They were all leaders of the United States, and had the overwhelming responsibility to help lead a country. Being StuCo president and vice-president may not be as overwhelming as leading a country; however, there is still a large amount of planning, responsibility and pressure put upon every StuCo member, especially the brave souls who take on challenge of the top jobs. After various campaigns, speeches and a very close election, we would like to congratulate Samuel Lee and Artur Renault for being elected president and Vice-President for StuCo 2010-2011! Curious to learn more about their ideas and plans for StuCo next year? Then read more of our exclusive interview with both Samuca and Artur. *** Congratulations Samuel and Artur for being elected StuCo President and Vice-President! As cliché as this question is, let me ask, how does it feel? Samuel Lee: I want to first thank each of the candidates - David Molina, Christopher Thomas, and Graeme Jager—for running a hard fought, clean campaign. I thank all those who have stood by me with words of encouragement and unconditional support. I finally want to thank and congratulate the entire student body; you are the true winners, you have communicated that we do indeed want changes at Graded. I want to assure you that I will do everything in my power to fulfill my campaign promises. I fully intend to walk the talk. However, I cannot do this alone. Please continue to provide support as we strive to make Graded a better place for all of us. Although I always had confidence in my camArtur Renault paign, I am very hon-
ored and humbled by your votes. I sincerely thank you again for giving me an opportunity to prove that you have indeed voted well. I am very happy and thrilled to have been elected StuCo President. It is also gratifying to know that many students are supporting my cause; but at the same time, I feel that I have a huge responsibility and commitment to fulfill. Artur Renault: Thanks! It feels great, I had doubts about whether or not I’d be elected; all the candidates ran great campaigns. But it feels amazing to know that the student body trusts me as their vice-president. It’s a whole lot of responsibility, but I’m sure I’ll do a good job with it. What is your opinion about the campaign and election process? Any differences you would like to see? SL: This is a funny question for me because last year, I ran a huge campaign with banners, posters, pins, and other visuals. However, we were limited this year on what we could do with our campaign. First of all, I would like to clarify that I worked very hard and saved money last year to finance my campaign. That meant skipping meals, staying home on weekends, and working overtime to earn money. Although I believe in a fair campaign, I don’t think I should have been criticized for using my own hard-earned money to spend what I belive in. My parents did not provide any financial support – to spend on what I believe in. Having said that, this year’s campaign and election process worked out perfectly: my original idea was to have a similarly big campaign like last year’s, but the new rules forced me to focus more on my projects and campaign strategy. Consequently, I believe the new restrictions worked really well; however, if I have to suggest any changes, I would suggest a longer speech time (increase from 2 to 5 minutes) and hosting a debate over some issues. AR: The election this year was a tough one, as you may know. The race was nearly tied, so they let the people who were at Little 8 vote to decide it. It was extremely nerve-racking. But I found it a good initiative that they limited the amount of posters and such, because then the voters could focus on which candidate would be the best StuCo member, not which had the best campaign. I don’t really see modifications that really could be made. Perhaps a debate between candidates? That could be helpful. What do you intend to bring to StuCo that is different? SL: I will encourage the collaboration of various school organizations to better meet goals and complete objectives. StuCo will work hand-in-hand with all clubs, such as GEE, Habitat, Go Green, Graded Basketball Cares, Orphanage, Caritas, El-
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news derly Home, PAWS, etc. I intend to try my best to fulfill goals and objectives to make Graded a better school for students. AR: One of the main points in my campaign was making StuCo more democratic. Hopefully we’ll be able to let non-StuCo watch our meetings and present their ideas. The reps themselves will have more responsibilities and pressure on them, which will hopefully make them more committed and active. I actually got this inspiration from the Talon, where anyone can participate but members are “forced” to. With this, StuCo will have loads of ideas while still making sure they’re all put into practice. How would you like to make Graded better? SL: My presidential campaign was based on how I can make Graded better. I have already started working on implementing my plans such as installing a Graded radio station, senior lounge, senior lawn grass, and improving the Student Center AR: We are making many plans, as you might know from our campaign. Right now, although that is still a project for this year’s StuCo, I’m working on getting new chairs and desks for the high school. We will probably have those by early next semester. We’re also working on a student lounge, which you already have heard about from Ale. We will also create a student radio station, maybe not for actual programs, but for announcements and music. Loads of other ideas are in planning, and you’ll probably hear about them soon. How do you feel about last year’s StuCo? How will you improve this year’s StuCo? SL: I feel that even though it was good, more could and should have been done. I’m not trying to criticize any person or group; I feel everyone should take part of the blame including myself. People did not feel that improvements were made. Aside from implementing projects, StuCo will utilize web 2.0 tools such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook to communicate and collaborate with students while streamlining communication through the Talon and a radio station to further enhance StuCoto-student interactions. AR: I was part of last year’s StuCo, and I thought it was good in many ways. We planned great StuCo obamicon.com flexes and fundraisers,
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but our work for improving the school went largely unadvertised. Because of this, people have been under the illusion that we did nothing. Another problem was that members were not very committed, so projects were often forgotten. I plan on solving that problem with the process I mentioned before. Any past Presidents, Vice-Presidents or Senators who in spired or influenced you? Julia Greenwald SL: Fabio Berger, a former president, revolutionized StuCo and left a legacy. He implemented StuCo Flex and installed TVs in the Student Center. He inspired me because he was able to get seemingly difficult objectives completed. AR: I believe my greatest inspiration is Fabio Berger, who was president two years ago. During his presidency, StuCo Flex was invented, TVs were put up, the cafeteria got new cups, and numerous other things, all in one year. All of this was well planned and well advertised, so people hardly ever criticized StuCo. Being a StuCo member I find it amazing that so much was done in one year, and the impact of that administration has still not worn off. I hope our StuCo will be able to return to do that much and return to that status. What makes you special and different? SL: I don’t think I’m in any way special or different than other students at Graded. But I’m part of a special and unique group of students at Graded and I’m excited and looking forward to be working with all of you in the upcoming year. AR: I chose to join StuCo for a simple reason: I love this school and I want to help it as much as it has helped me. Sophomores are probably sick of hearing this by now since I use it in every speech I deliver, but I’ve been at this school for fourteen years. All this time has made me very attached, and I think that there is no better motivation for a StuCo member to help Graded. Another thing I find different in me is that the promises I make are not hard-to-accomplish promises to make Graded perfect and make me look good, but redesigns of StuCo to allow every Graded student to help the school in their own way. My belief is that the student body united can do much more than I can do alone as a vice-president, and that is how I want to change this school.
point of view
Don’t Take the Hit A humanitarian, social, and moral argument for drug abstinence Eduardo Estrada
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his is not another long explanation of all of the negative side-effects of drugs, or another attempt at scaring you away from illicit substances by relating the saddest stories of people ending up institutionalized or dead due to drug consumption. You are all well-educated people and, if you consume drugs, are perfectly aware of the fact that they cause severe damage to both your body and mind. And quite frankly, if you are making the choice regardless of the fact that you know better, I couldn’t care less about your health. I, however, do care about the bloody and destructive path that a bag of weed or a few grams of coke must take to get to you. Like any story, let’s start at the beginning. The drug production and trade industry is a multi-billion dollar black market business that defies international boundaries and affects virtually every facet of society. For the most part illegal drugs are derived from plants, such as the cannabis and coca plants, which are then processed to become substances, like marijuana and cocaine, that are sold and consumed (some exceptions to this are drugs that are purely chemical such as ecstasy and amphetamines although these often have organically derived drugs mixed into them). The aforementioned plants are grown in developing or underdeveloped countries where corrupt governments and poor law enforcement allow drug production to thrive. Perfect examples of this are the countries Mexico and Colombia, the world’s largest producers of marijuana and cocaine, respectively, where the cultivation of narcotic plants is both the cause and the effect of deep-seated social problems. Citizens of a country with widespread unemployment and an inferior public education system, rural farmers living in the highlands of Colombia must find a way to make ends meet. Coffee and potato cultivation are good options but the financial benefits of these crops pale in comparison to those of the coca plant which happens to have optimal growing conditions in Colombia’s Andean Mountains. These farmers therefore resort to the cultivation of a plant with negative side effects and uses they are often unaware of. Due to the high demand for cocaine in the US, Europe and the affluent portions of Latin-American society, they are given a very wide margin of profit. Yet, this is the best case scenario for these farmers because, more often than not, they are either forced into coca production or
forced to continue it. The cartels responsible for this do not discriminate based on gender or age and hence force child labor and separate mothers from their children. Moreover, attempts at desertion or escape are violently, if not lethally, dealt with and these families live in fear, not only of their “employers” but also of law enforcement agencies and officials. Situations similar to this occur in many other countries all over the world. In Mexico, the circumstances are very similar to those in Colombia but with the cultivation of cannabis and the production of marijuana. However, Mexico also provides a good case study for another facet of the problem: distribution. The bloody war that is currently going on in Mexico is not only due to the production of marijuana and opiates but also, and more importantly, to the traffic of drugs going into the US through Mexico (approximately 90% of the drugs produced in South and Central America enter the US through Mexico). As with the cultivation of narcotic plants, drug trafficking and drug dealing are often the work of people in very poor living conditions resorting to these activities as a way of making a living and then being caught in the vicious cycle of violence and danger that this entails. In many cases, drug trafficking/ dealing is forced labor and goes hand in hand with the trafficking of weapons, people and clandestine prostitution rings. As with almost everything related to the world of drug commerce, death is an everyday occurrence and one of the most common forms of justice. The immense profits that cartels and drug lords receive from drug trafficking are used to fund terrorist organizations, such as the FARC in Colombia, the Zetas in Mexico and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan (among numerous others), which threaten the security of the countries in which they operate and the security and stability of the world. So the next time you are offered a joint or a line, think about how it got to you. Think of the fact that the demand leads to the supply. Think of the exploited 12 year-old whose father was killed by a cartel and who is now forced to grow cannabis. Think of the woman who was raped and then threatened into transporting cocaine in her stomach. Think of Al Qaeda’s next bomb and all the lives it will take. Think of the pain, the suffering, the death. Still wanna take that hit?
I couldn’t care less about your health. I, however, do care about the bloody and destructive path that a bag of weed must take to get to you.
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point of view
Fruit Generation Once again, the Renaissance is here Melanie Vladimirschi
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o my 72-year-old grandmother, a blackberry is a plump, very dark purple berry with an earthy, wine-like taste. An apple is a palm-sized round, red fruit, like the ones we feverishly fight for at 11:05 a.m. breaks. Yet, the definition of these words has changed vastly over the past years. Today, as I hear the word “blackberry,” I instantly think of my cell phone, and I know I am not the only one. By simply taking a walk down the A-wing or hanging around the Student Center, anyone is able to notice the frantic race of typing thumbs that defines our generation. Seeing as I own a Blackberry myself, I am in no position to be criticizing this trend. Although one can argue that the phones actually decrease the quality of verbal communication among people, I take the stand of simply accepting them as an invigoration of the 21st century. In the Western world, there have been over ten age groups created since the Lost Generation, which defines Europeans who fought in World War I. All these classifications, including the Silent Generation and the Baby Boom Generation, have had their positive and negative impacts on their respective societies. They do share, however, one commonality: the ability to revolutionize humanity. The end of each generation allows for regeneration, identifying a new period of time. Technological advances, such as iMacs, iPods, and iPads, characterize the era we live in. Instead of shunning these products and treating them as endorsers of anti-intellectualism, it is more fruitful to recognize their importance. Most people agree that technology allows for more efficient work, extremely useful resources and better access to information, just to list a few. Although disadvantages such as anti-social effects should still be taken into account, the freshness of the Blackberry and of Apple has overwhelmed contemporary life. Within the last decade, there has been a significant boom of the Internet on a widespread scale. Twenty years ago, there was no access to the technological wonderland our culture depends on today. When we were young children, we were as removed from it as our parents, or even our grandparents were. But technology grew up with us, and we journeyed side by side. from the most basic to the most intricate types. Thus,
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we have learned to adapt with greater facility to the dramatic, yet progressive changes thrust upon the world. It is harder for those unaccustomed to computers or other electronic devices in general to be able to use them with proficiency. Older generations have difficulty coping with these changes since they are so new and seem to require a wide range of technical skills. Ironically, this is fortunately not the case; most devices are actually constructed to smooth the process of managing life. Nevertheless, my grandfather, for example, is so afraid of doing something wrong when he is on the Internet, that he refuses to trust technology to technabob.com send his e-mails. He always has to double-check his messages and ask my cousins or me if they were really delivered. By trusting and accepting the mind-blowing, elaborate equipment, one can see how advantageous it really is. Just one Blackberry phone or one Apple computer can easily connect people many thousands of miles apart in a matter of seconds. Furthermore, multimedia for teaching purposes is particularly successful in engaging and interacting the classroom. The Internet also allows innovative wonders such as people getting their college degrees when they are living in different countries and are never able see any of their professors. While I believe it is critical for people of all ages to enjoy the benefits of technology, it’s important to use it in healthy amounts. There is a great discrepancy between allowing oneself to become a slave to the machine and using it for assistance. When we find that we spend most of our time online, either “stalking” people on Facebook or playing online games, maybe it is time to step back and set certain limits for our own sake. Even so, our generation can identify with the concept of a Renaissance, since we have grown up exposed to changes that shape who we are. The technologies have already been invented, and the system is quickly developing. Soon, there will be creations we have never dreamed of, which further exemplifies the present resurgence. The choice is up to you: do you deny or accept the technological future?
point of view
Rebirth of Communities “We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.” Melissa Fiszner
P
hilosophers over the years have struggled to discover the true essence of human nature. Are we selfish and only focused on preserving our own lives? Do we seek guidance and leadership? Or are we good-hearted beings who only become corrupted when incorporated into society? Regardless of the theory that one chooses to believe in, I’ve perceived that in times of chaos, humans leave all their egotistic qualities behind and join together to strive for recovery. Humans seem to have an emotional trait which allows them to feel the despair, fear, and suffering that others are experiencing. It appears to me that we are in a constant struggle to help others, not because it makes us feel like better people, but because we carry this sense of responsibility. We work in groups; we depend on each other. Soon after the earthquake dismantled Haiti, coin drives emerged, organizations began collecting supplies, hearts appeared on MSN nicknames, and songs were composed. If you trace back historical moments of catastrophe, you will perceive this same trend. It is a trend of working together to overcome obstacles, a sense of intuitive support, and the human ability of striving to secure the rebirth of a needed community. Every year, we see people pause for a moment of silence on September 11. We see cardboard boxes collecting old clothes every winter and schools organizing orphanage visits and language lessons. We see businessmen taking time off from their vacations to build houses and organizations designing untold numbers of fundraisers to provide scholarships. Candles are lit. Monuments are built. Images of solidarity convey the idea that, together, we can make it through. We do this because our emotions allow us to react to other people’s emotions. No matter how big or small our actions are, in the end, they provide hope to the community in need. The dance academy where I take lessons has a project entitled “Adopt a Dancer.” The aim is to collect donations in order to continue providing scholarships to orphans and Paraisopolis residents. The purpose is to present an opportunity to people who lack one, so that they can have a chance to excel in areas they never thought possible. They are given the chance to find new talents; to pursue fulfilling futures. For them, it’s like having a second chance in life, as if dance somehow res-
cued them from a harsh reality. This feeling of salvation may also be identified in all the community services that we have at school. Every year we hear the same phrases during Flex when students return from Ilha do Cardoso and Habitat for Humanity trips: “it was so rewarding” and “they gave something back to us.” These feelings of reciprocity, of getting things in return, come from fighting together. It’s not about helping needed communities because we have things to offer; it’s about helping needed communities because they are a part of humanity. It’s about learning to grow side by side. Why was New Orleans able to recover from the disaster left by Hurricane Katrina? Because people were willingly aiding victims. There were fundraisers, volunteers rebuilding houses, religious demonstrations, restoration projects, and financial support. Perhaps most important was the psychological aid that was Melissa Fiszner provided; the cards that were sent to victims allowed them to know that people were aware of the situation, giving them motivation to keep fighting for revival and bringing them hope. What amazes me even more is that even those who are incapable of going to the site of the misfortune find a way to help. The Invisible Children Night Commute held in 2008 took place on the school campus, incredibly far from African child victims. Yet although we didn’t have a direct link, many of us chose to give up our weekend and spend it in school spreading awareness that would eventually reach the children in need. A similar situation occurred with the most recent Operation Hibernation Hope for Haiti. Whenever a natural disaster breaks apart a community, whenever multitudes of people become endangered or suffer losses, or whenever we come across individuals who are deprived of resources, we automatically feel the need to help. In some cases, restoration happens fairly quickly, but there are also cases in which communities take years to revive. Just a couple of months ago a child who was lost in the Southeast Asian tsunami was reunited with his parents. Sometimes, rebirth takes us years. But independent of how long it takes to reconstruct society, human nature has shown us that in times of crisis help will be provided, it is part of our core. As Hugh Grant once said, “love actually is all around”.
the talon • 11
point of view
Mondays The inevitable regret of living on autopilot Luiza Justus
M
ost days are uneventful. A Monday is just a Monday, the five days in a week are unremarkable, and we push ourselves for Friday hoping that it will bring a shred of bliss we were unable to find during the weekdays. This is a critique. Is this really the way we want to live our lives? Some of you might stare at this article in disdain and think, I’m living my life to the fullest. Think back to your previous week. How many things did you do that you will remember for the rest of your life? I’m at fault, too. This is not a confirmed statistic, not another “triviality,” but I can estimate that about 99% of people are not living the lives they wish they were living. Look ten years into your future. Do you imagine yourself with a monotonous job, doing the same thing everyday and having to answer to a halfwit boss who gloats about his or her larger paycheck? Or do you imagine yourself living your biggest dreams with an amazing life that makes you as happy as can be? Again, probably 99% of teenagers who read this would say that they imagine themselves living the second option (or at least claim to strive for that). Well, newsflash: the only person who can control what happens in your future is you. If you settle for an okay life, that is what you will get. My father once told me, “The only binding commitment you have in life is with happiness. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” I try to live by these words. If I am ever in a situation that makes me unhappy, I change it immediately. There is never “nothing you can do about it.” Nobody who has free will is obliged to endure in a situation that is consuming them inside and hindering their chance to be happy. If a job or a relationship makes you feel stuck or tied to a situation you do not wish to be in, take the power you were given and change it. Living on autopilot is not fulfilling, and most of us simply need to push our “on” buttons. Change your own life. A very unique character spoke to me once. He spoke to me through the lens of a camera, or the screen of my television, but his voice rings in my ears every time I think of settling for something that is not what I want. If you remember Tyler Durden from Fight Club, you most probably think he is insane and should not be listened to. Actually, he is a too extreme version of what
12 • the talon
we could be. Sure, he started a fight club and a project to create chaos, but only so rebirth could come after. “Only after disaster can we be resurrected,” he said. However, what truly marked his actions and words for me was what he did to a convenience store clerk in the movie. Of course it was extreme, but his actions pass on a vital message. He points a gun to the man’s head and affirms he will kill him, and asks the man questions about his aspirations. Tyler asks what the man studied in college and what he wanted to be. The clerk nervously answers that he wanted to become a veterinarian but decided against it because the schooling process was too long. Tyler then points the gun closer to the man’s head and says: “I’m keeping your license. I know where you live. I’m going to check on you. If you aren’t back in school and on your way to being a veterinarian in six weeks, you will be dead. Get the Julia Greenwald hell out of here.” He drastically changes the man’s life and forces him to live a life worth living. I am not advocating changing your life in such a drastic way. I am advising you not to let your life pass you by. Don’t wake up one day and look back and think of what you should have done. I am sure you would like someday to look back on your life and remember how amazing it was. We all, as humans, make mistakes; but these mistakes should be used for our own benefit, as small pieces of advice we give ourselves as we continue our paths. So don’t let a Monday be just a Monday. Don’t live only for the weekend. Taking risks is necessary to live a fulfilled life. You will never be this age again, this part of your life will never come back, and you cannot relive anything. Think of little things that make you happy, whatever they might be, and do them. Do them at least once a day. You will find yourself happier by the end of the week. For those who are completely unhappy, reconstruct your lives. No one else can do it for you. Think of it as your own personal Renaissance. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change their own lives… are the ones who do.
point of view
Self-Reflection A daily opportunity for renewal Lupi Gontijo
F
rom le français, we know renaissance means rebirth. The Renaissance was a period where the arts were given a different approach; hence a transformation was brought forth. Trés bien. However “renaissance” is a dead topic when analyzed literally. Nothing is reborn; everything changes and, in some cases, eventually dies. This is the natural way of life. Instead of physical renewal, addressing this word in a more spiritual way may be much more interesting. In the business world, a metaphor is often used to encourage senior citizens, called the Eagle Theory. When it reaches half-life, burdened with time’s spells, flies to a nearby cave or cliff, primed to begin its process of renewal. By now its feathers, talons, and beak aren’t as close to being as menacing as they used to be. Without questioning its attitude the eagle rips off each of its talons and feathers, and finishes the process by scraping the beak against the cave wall or cliff rocks until it is no more. An extremely painful process, that leaves us with avian with a repulsive image and depleted defenses. But here comes time’s spell, sprouting from the bird new razor-like talons, polished feathers, and an illustrious beak. Our eagle is… ripped. As we approach older years, a gloom haunts us. Well, maybe not for us adolescents, but we are well aware of our parents’ complaints, which are generally replied by us with “But you’re only fifty! You have double the time you lived… to live!” This Eagle Theory should pertain not only to the aged but to everyone. We may not be able to grow a new arm or leg, but we are able to grow a “new” brain. We do so by reflecting. Reflection is key to a successful transformation. How can an eagle have the motivation to get itself torn apart while we are not willing to sacrifice one simple thing, time? We don’t get literally repulsive by reflecting like that old eagle. We don’t get our defenses compromised. Are we that ignorant? No. This is something we all do; it is impossible to live only in the present, although that is a philosophy of some people. We care about our lives and our futures, and we think about possible actions that we should take to avoid negative experiences in the past in order to reach a certain pleasurable future. This is true, but without knowing our weaknesses in the present, we can’t do much to change the future, can we? And to know yourself you have to exclude everything except yourself.
Sure, carpe diem, seize the day. I don’t have time to reflect on our lives, you say. “I already enhance my intellect by reading or playing poker on Facebook.” That is a lie. We confound “intellectual” practices with such inner rehabilitation. Intellectual practices only improve our potential for mental reaction time. We choose not to reflect because of the way society has taught us that staying idle is a waste of time. Graded itself has taught us this. When we finish our homework (our main goal for the night), we do what we firstly enjoy since it is human nature and then finally when/if we get bored, we decide to undertake “productive” things, such as reading The New Yorker, studying for the SAT, or examining a Dan Brown novel. Of course, this is only a generalization, and we can do this only if we have free time from our (expected) dedicated academic lives. And so self-reflection is ignored, but not completely: we may ponder our lives on our way to school or before going to bed. But this is not enough. Just as our sleep evolves into deeper cycles (REM), this form of meditation should take more than just ten minutes. As time goes by, we tend to think about life as a whole, not the simple occurrences from yesterday or last week. Instead of thinking, “That night was awesome,” we start thinking “It was good, but should I really have spent 700+ reais that night?” or, even better, “How will my reputation and relationships change when people know I spent all this money in one night?” This is just an example. I’m not saying I do this all the time; this of course is not my aim in this text. Graded’s lifestyle practically makes it impossible for us to focus on multiple features of our lives. I’m saying that my view of our world right now would have been more profound if I had done this self-therapy more times. But knowing this is already a form of change. This idea of reflection to enhance our own worlds may seem too individual and maybe selfish, but if everyone does a little of this, great ideas should arise more frequently. And this is what tyrants such as Hitler and Caesar disapproves of, with burning of books and “panem et circenses,” bread and games. As Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 teaches us, with the inability to read and therefore reach personal conclusions more easily, and with affordable entertainment through technology to even distract us more, we become robots of the government. The culture of our society perishes, and the arts become only a pawn in the brainwashing game.
the talon • 13
point of view
Pondering the Rising Freshmen Should eighth graders be allowed to vote? Danielle Aguilar
I
n the wake of the Student Council election for president and vice-president for the upcoming school year, people began speculating early in the game as to who would win each position. Although the results were still not in, students were preparing to either hear that the candidate they were supporting lost or celebrate in their victory. While it is a little exaggerated to say students to get lost in the political fervor that is Student Council elections, it is an important institution and therefore the effects of these elections will certainly affect the high school in the next year and potentially in the years to come. It is because of the gravity of these elections that some have begun to question something that has previously been a normal occurrence in StuCo elections: Should eighth graders be allowed to vote? Since the expectation is that the rising StuCo should make some sort of lasting impression on Graded’s high school, there exists the belief that this burden is too great to be trusted with students that are not even part of the high school yet. However, there also exists the belief that the right to vote in a high school election should be reserved for anyone who will be impacted by the outcome of the election, including eighth graders. The belief that eighth graders should continue to be granted the right to vote is supported by arguments of both fairness and reason. Let us assume for a moment that StuCo is not a student-run organization but instead a government attempting to run a country. It would be considered controversial if a certain sector of the constituency were not allowed to vote for the government that would later govern them. Considering that StuCo acts as a bridge of communication between the students and the administration, this same logic can apply. Since we are electing our peers to represent us in the context of decision making and communicating our needs, we would not be fairly represented if the candidate chosen did not represent all of us. Following the line of this argument, it is essential for eighth graders to be represented because as rising freshmen, they have the longest time left at Graded and therefore, any lasting effects of policies made under this new cabinet will be felt by them for the rest of their years in high school. However, playing devil’s advocate for this argument, and going back to
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the example of the country, every country has a certain age that has to be met in order to qualify for the right to vote. Should eighth grade be that age group that is on the brink of being affected by such an election but does not yet qualify for the right to participate in it? The argument for the opposing viewpoint is basically that eighth graders should not be allowed to vote since they have not had the same exposure to the candidates, StuCo, and high school in general. How can they be trusted to make the right choice when for the most part, all they know about the candidates is what they have heard being said in a two-minute speech (and even that does not necessarily account for weeding out the strongest candidates)? From those who have expressed this Leonardo Porto opinion, it seems that the largest concern is imprudence. Many members of the high school fear that eighth graders will be easily swayed by the words of candidates who are not necessarily the best choices for StuCo. Whether this seemingly poor judgement is necessarily intentional or is just based on the fact that they generally do not know as many upperclassmen probably depends on a caseby-case basis. It would not be shocking to see an overwhelming majority of eighth graders vote for a candidate who was not necessarily the most popular amongst the high school students. One thing to take into account is that this difference in opinion is not necessarily a product of so-called imprudence as it could just as easily be caused by a simple difference in perspective. In an attempt to avoid repeating the Martin-Shoresand-the-senior-lawn-debacle, I will refrain from expressing my own opinion in this piece. I think that both sides present valid arguments but knowing that the rules of the StuCo election may never change makes this argumentation rather futile. The StuCo advisors will most likely never make it so that eighth graders cannot vote, and eighth graders will never want to surrender their right to vote. Perhaps the only thing worth arguing about is why does this all matter so much in the first place? While StuCo and its members will certainly have an important effect right now, will we really even remember this election ten years from now? I would like to think so, but I guess that all depends on what is accomplished in the year to come.
features
When All Else Fails “In a world of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted.”
I
n all honesty, some of us do not care at all for the world of politics or for the economy. We care when the situation is crucial, or when all we see and hear are Obama or McCain campaign advertisements, leaving us no choice but to be aware of the matter. However, deep down, we sometimes truly wish our lives would be free of such concerns. There is not much in these matters that moves us, there is not much in them we can trust either. Perhaps you may perceive us as ignorant and selfish for our lack of interest. The way I see it, though, we simply make an effort to value a whole other side of society’s spectrum. We are drawn by beauty. Beauty? Yes, beauty and everything it encompasses. No, this does not make us superficial. As the writer Elizabeth Gilbert says, “To devote yourself to the creation and enjoyment of beauty, then, can be a serious business—not always necessarily a means of escaping reality, but sometimes a means of holding on to the real when everything else is flaking away into… rhetoric and plot.” As I read this quote in Gilbert’s novel Eat Pray Love, I immediately identified with it, and it reassured me that there is no harm in holding onto that beautiful, abstract, and artistic side of life. What the author means by such beauty is everything that makes up a culture, or in other words, everything that is art. Her novel is a reflection and re-telling of her year-long journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia seeking inner peace and self-understanding after a very busy and frantic life in New York City. Gilbert sets out to examine her own nature by exploring the pleasure of eating, the devotion of praying, and the spiritual balance of loving. While she’s in Italy, where most of her time is dedicated to eating and learning Italian, she begins to question whether she should feel guilty for indulging in such pleasures when a busy and disastrous world that she is oblivious to is still running its course outside her idyllic bubble. In her reflection she refers back to an Italian author, Luigi Barzini, who in his work The Italians attemptes to answer the following question: Why is it that Italians, having produced the greatest artistic, political, and scientific minds, have never
Andrea Estrada become a major world power? He suggests that, given the local corruption and foreign exploitation in the country throughout history, people had naturally concluded that nothing could be trusted. Nothing, with the exception of what could be experienced through one’s own senses. That is, art. As a result, Italy ends up being one of the countries with the most valued cooks, singers, ballerinas, artists, conductors, actors, films, writers, and so on. While Italians may tolerate bad politicians or bureaucrats, they never tolerate bad art. Ultimately, Gilbert concludes that she has no reason to feel guilt. Of course, one cannot spend an entire lifetime unaware of the crumbling world that surrounds us, but it is okay to constantly, not occasionally, stop and enjoy beauty. The Italians have proved to lead fulfilling lives by taking pride in that which they do well. Julia Greenwald Why should you not live with the satisfaction and pride of whatever art it is you claim credit for? After all, we are witnessing an artistic renaissance every day. Creativity is reborn with every new creation, every new painting, every new recipe, and every new book. The fact is that these creations are more real than any politician or economic fraud that we hear about. Unlike a politician, art is something we can experience firsthand, and there is nothing more real than a good plate of spaghetti, the feel of paint on a brush, or the click of a camera freezing a moment in time. When all else fails and, unfortunately, all else does tend to fail, let us simply resort to beauty. In the 21st century it is hard to know what to believe, what to trust, what to follow. We are easily deceived by governments, religions, people distant and close to us. So, what else can we count on in such an unfair and unpredictable society other than art? Art cannot fail because it is not defined. It is only beauty, and beauty never lets us down. Like Gilbert says, “In a world of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. Only artistic excellence is incorruptible. Pleasure cannot be bargained down. And sometimes the meal is the only currency that is real.”
the talon • 15
features
A Secret Art Well, not really. The beauty of sharing secrets with the world. Laura Deckers
I
f you were to visit 13345 Copper Ridge Road in Germantown, Maryland, you would find the house of average Joe, small business owner and family man Frank Warren. The house would probably appear like any other residence typical of its neighborhood: home to a standard middle-class family, with no suggestions of any exceptional activity that might be occurring inside. But if you were to peek inside Frank Warren’s mailbox, you would quickly realize the size of your misconception. In 2004, Warren singlehandedly began a community art project in which he invited people to share a secret with him, anonymously written on a 4x6 inch postcard. The postcards were meant to be homemade and include a secret that the sender had never shared before. The mere 3,000 postcards Frank distributed to get the project going are almost laughable in retrospect. Today, 3,000 postcards can easily amount to the number of secrets delivered to his home over the course of a month, a week and especially around holiday season a day. Six years later the project is stronger than ever: various PostSecret books have been printed, websites set up, and Twitter pages tweet away at upcoming conferences and events dedicated to the project that are always met with a large turnout. And this is just a consequence of the American version’s massive success. Amongst many other countries, Brazil has started its own version, PostSecret Brasil, giving multilingual speakers from the Graded community more opportunities to widen their secret horizon with even more confessions, as well as relate to others’ postcards that pertain to their culture or political standing of their country. More often than not however, the secrets reveal the frustrations, fears, or concealed habits of an individual. Most postcards are not deeply revealing, and they can be humorous like, “I waste office supplies because I hate my boss,” or “I paid an F student 50 dollars to write my valedictorian speech. And it was better than mine could ever have been,” to “I never liked your poetry.” I confess that many times I have been compelled to send in a secret, but never have, and I think this is true for most of those who read them—therein lies the universality and beauty of this simple project. This is actually the very point
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Frank, a self-titled “artist by accident,” uses to explain the PostSecret sensation. What is amazing about this project is that, like any good movie or record, it is often enjoyable yet meaningful, and the spectator can take away from his experience as much as of the heartfelt sincerity as the artist put into it—and what can be more sincere than a kept secret? Further, what can make for greater art than the unpretentiousness and anonymity that come from such a genuine place (next door, perhaps) where secrets lie? Thus, I would not be surprised if a large number of my friends and teachers have heard of PostSecret or even made a submission. Graded students, despite being likely to have therapists at their disposal (but no time to see them), supportive teachers or parents, and the feeling of safety within a community PostSecret Archive that is constantly reassuring itself of its unity and solidarity, would still have plenty of reasons to visit the website. Since I can only speak for my school (but am positive this is not restricted to our community), if you take into consideration the number of BBM conversations engaging students throughout every minute of the day, and the never-ending Facebook status updates that are in themselves small confessions of a stressful day or references to newly discovered interests or funny observations, aren’t we all constantly living by the PostSecret philosophy of sharing a little bit of ourselves with the world? And though this seems like an indication that we are living openly, aren’t we really just further separating between what is public and what is private with our exaggerated and trivial revelations about our day, intensifying the burden of the things we dare not share with one another? If so, we need a venting method more than ever. I may be making a rather broad generalization for saying so, but if there is one general assessment I can make about us, it is that we all have secrets. Those of us who think we don’t are in denial, which may be the best-kept secret of all. As Frank put it, “There are two kinds of secrets: those we keep from others and those we keep from ourselves.” And as PostSecret proves, they are often wonderful sources of art and entertainment.
features
In With the New 2011 Seniors Natalia Arenas
T
he first thing that crosses my mind when I think of the next year is: “I’m so ready to be a senior.” But why? What’s so great about being a senior? It means dealing with college applications and the stress they bring, it means saying goodbye to everything we’ve known until now, it means leaving the comfort of the infamous “Graded Bubble” and being one step closer to entering the grown-up world of responsibilities. However, we have great expectations for it. We hope our high school lives culminate in our senior year; that it will be fun, that all of our hard work will be worth it, that we will have no regrets. We expect it to mean something, although we’re not quite sure what. In an attempt to figure this all out, I asked several rising seniors their thoughts on three different questions. 1. What are you most looking forward to as a senior? t Being able to actually have senioritis, instead of this “junioritis” we all seem to have that is not justified and only makes our lives harder. But on a more serious note, personally, PGC, and overall, the chance to, as a class, be leaders and role models to the rest of the high school. —Julia Greenwald t [I am] most looking forward to finishing the year and college. Also, just being a senior must be great. I am also really looking forward to PGC. —Alex Felsberg t SENIOR LAWN! That tree is life...actually applying to college would be a good change...and writing on my friends when they get accepted. —Melissa De La Paz t I’m looking forward to GRADUATING (even though I’m not even a senior yet). Also, I want to make the best out of my senior year by strengthening the friendships I’ve had through my Graded years and kindling new ones. — Melanie Vladimirschi t Not invoking senior privilege to get away with dumb things and getting into college and allowing senioritis to take over. —Eduardo Estrada t Having less hard classes next year (no more Economy or Calculus), senior lawn and, I’m going to copy Julia on this one: senioritis. —Sami Isman t I am looking forward to senior trip and having the yearbook be dedicated to us. —Melissa Fiszner 2. What’s one thing you want to accomplish as a senior? t My #1 is getting into college—it would be nice. Also I just want to enjoy my year and have NO regrets! Do all the things I’ve either been too afraid or shy to do and just have fun. —Julia Greenwald t I want to leave a mark on this school. Whatever that
may be, and whoever that may be with, I want to know for sure that attending this school has been as significant as these past 13 years at Graded have been to me. — Melanie Vladimirschi
Julia Greenwald
Finally, the question that inspires seniors and will define the 2011 year for the underclassmen: Will you let the juniors sit on your senior lawn? t No way. —Matheus Santiago t Nope, no juniors. —Alex Felsberg t As a general rule, no because we weren’t allowed to do so. —Sami Isman t For the sake of tradition, I will say no. —Melanie Vladimirschi t Unfortunately no, I will not let juniors sit on our senior lawn. I will take full advantage of it. —Melissa Fiszner t Only the ones I like. That serves as both a threat and an initiative to bribe me with baked goods. —Julia Greenwald t I think I would let them. If they’re not bothering us and there are no seniors without a seat...However, if they suddenly all start sitting and even the seniors can’t enjoy their lawn then that’s not right. —Melissa De La Paz t So long as there is enough space for the seniors who want to use it I don’t see a problem. The senior lawn is a public space as far as I am concerned—seniors merely get precedence over others. —Eduardo Estrada Out of the eight people I asked, half said no; they will not tolerate any non-seniors on the much-awaited senior lawn. Two said that they would be okay with juniors sitting on it, as long as seniors get privilege over them. One is open to bribes. Paula Martinez, a departing junior says, “Hey, it ain’t my lawn. They can set up a mailbox and welcome mat there for all I care.” Given these answers, it is difficult to know what to expect from this ambitious, senioritis-prone, protective group of people. Still, one thing is for sure: it will be legendary.
the talon • 17
news
Senior College Acceptances 2010 Congratulations and best wishes to our graduating seniors
Compiled by Ms. Phylis Clemensen and Ms. Carmen Souza
An asterisk denotes a merit-based scholarship, ED = Early Decision, and EA = Early Action. Alas, Ana
DePauw University Michigan State University Northeastern University Suffolk University University of Miami
Almeida, Adriana
Brasil
Altenfelder, Helena
Brasil
Anchieta, Pedro
Brasil
Bengtsson, Erik
City University London Kingston University Queen’s University University College London University of British Columbia Queen Mary, University of London University of Waterloo
Fagundes, Felipe
Claremont McKenna College University of Miami* University of Michigan University of Southern California Wesleyan University
Farahat, Hana
Barnard College Brandeis University Brown University Duke University Vassar College Wesleyan University Yale University
Fergie, Nicole
American University* Boston University Goucher College* Michigan State University* Scripps College Tulane University
Besborodco, Jacques Barry University Bitar, Fernanda
Babson College Barnard College City University London European Business School University of Miami Wellesley College
Freyre, Isabella
Babson College* George Washington University* Georgetown University New York University Tufts University Wesleyan University
Burstin, Lucca
Brasil
Gentil, Thomas
University of Tampa
Calabrese, Luiza
New York University (ED) Emerson College
Gouvea, Priscila
Calvo, Enrique
Brandeis University New College of Florida* Ohio State University* (Honors) Trinity College
Carvalho Pinto, Arlindo
FGV Rio* FGV São Paulo University of Pennsylvania (ED)
Cornell University Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne Glion Institute of Higher Education Les Roches Bluches-Swiss Hotel Management New York University University of Colorado at Boulder University of Miami
Guarita, Maria Izabel
Casas, Vicente
Lynn University Suffolk University University of Tampa
Cavallin, Federico
Michigan State University (Lyman Briggs) Oakland University
Clark University* Davidson College Earlham College Goucher College Oberlin College University of Virginia
Ham, Bruno
Boston University Drexel University University of Miami Worcester Polytechnic Institute University of Rochester
Han, Jae Ho
Dickinson College University of Denver*
Hime, Karen
Babson College Boston College Boston University* (Honors Program) Columbia University Emory University Wellesley College
Celoria, Paula
Brasil
Chao, Stephanie
Duke University (ED)
Choi, Sae Bom
University of California: Berkeley University of Michigan University of Chicago University of Notre Dame Wellesley College
Chyung, Ho Dong
Rice University University of California: Berkeley
Cassia Di Roberto
Bard College University of Miami
Falcao, Joao Pedro
Brasil
18 • the talon
Ignacio de Jesus, Nicole Brasil
news Ioschpe, Bianca
Jafet, Roberta
Adelphi University Clarkson University DePauw University Northeastern University Simmons University Suffolk University University of Buffalo University of the Pacific University of Miami (Frost School of Music)
Joo, Richard
Boston College
Jorge, Fabiana
American University of Paris Eckerd College Florida Institute of Technology Northeastern University Old Dominion University Rollins College Suffolk University University of Colorado at Boulder University of Miami University of Rhode Island University of San Francisco
Lins, Daniel
Queen’s University University of British Columbia University of Toronto University of Ottawa
Liu, Michel
George Washington University Goucher College University of Rochester
Maia, Ana
Clark University
Malvido, Camila
Universidad de Navarra (Spain)
Martins, Vitoria
Emerson College Boston University Suffolk University
Mendes Caldeira, Paula
Brasil
Merkel, Peter
Boston College Boston University
Miranda, Carlos
Emerson College Northeastern University
Montenegro, Rodney
University of Tampa
Morales, Renato
University of British Columbia University of Tampa
Ke, Ping-Chieh
Taiwan
Moreno, Santos
Argentina
Kern, David
To be determined
Peviani, Rafaella
Brasil
Kheirallah, Felipe
Brasil
Pires, Chloe
Kim, German
Brasil
Kim, Hannah
Northeastern University Pepperdine University St. Lawrence University Syracuse University University of Denver University of Miami University of Virginia Villanova University
Brandeis University Emerson College Syracuse University University of Miami
Razuk, Fabio
Brasil
Reinhart, Matthew
Florida Gulf Coast University Penn State University St. Mary’s College of Maryland University of Cincinnati West Chester University
Richardson, William
Brigham Young University
Robar, Jackson
College for Creative Studies* Savannah College of Art and Design Wayne State University
Rush, Jessica
Brigham Young University (UT, ID, and HI)
Salomone, Stefano
Brasil
Secco, Luiz Eduardo
Babson College Bentley University Boston University Northeastern University University of Miami
Shim, Andrew
Duke University
Shimakita, Hiromi
Japan
Shores, Martin
Duke University (ED)
Song, Gabriela
Brasil
Kim, Hea Sun
Kim, Nina
Bryn Mawr College (ED) Michigan State University* Penn State University Purdue University Stony Brook University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign California College of the Arts* Emily Carr University of Art & Design Pratt Institute* School of Art Institute of Chicago*
Ko, Andrea
Parsons the New School for Design
Kotheimer, John
Brown University College of William and Mary Cornell University Georgetown University University of Chicago University of Pittsburgh* University of Rochester
Krongold, André
Brasil
Steinbruch, Victoria
Barnard College (ED)
Lee, Deborah
Brasil
Takaoka, Julia
Brasil
Lee, Hyun
Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design (ED)
Tomsett, Hayden
Australia
Lee, Julia
Brasil
Wilson, Hunter
Brigham Young University (UT & ID)
Lee, Soo Kyung
Korea
Zolcsak, Istvan
Lima, Isadora
Brasil
Maertens, Victor
Jacobs University*
Barry University FAAP Johnson & Wales University
the talon • 19
entertainment
Trivialities
The renaissance of useless information Luiza Justus
A • • • • • •
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Russian man who wore a beard during the time of Peter the Great had to pay a special tax. Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors. The Bible doesn’t say the forbidden fruit was an apple. 1 in 70 people eat their own snot. The record flight time of a chicken is 13 seconds. Chocolate is good for the teeth. For Snow White, Walt Disney received one full-size Oscar and seven mini-sized ones. A group of crows is called a murder. Men who part their hair on the right tend to live longer than those who part their hair on the left. An average banana has more calories than a Kit-Kat. A python can swallow a pig whole. An average laptop is around 15,000 times more powerful than the computer used to land on the moon. Rabbits can’t vomit. The lyre bird can mimic any sound it hears. Superman is the most portrayed superhero on TV. C3PO is the first character to speak in Star Wars. From a complete stop, a human is capable of outrunning a Formula One racecar for about 30 feet. Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents. The earth is .02 degrees hotter during a full moon. You mostly breathe from only one nostril at a time. Dragonflies have six legs but cannot walk. The glue on Israeli stamps is certified kosher. Virginia Woolf wrote all her books standing. For people that are lactose intolerant, chocolate aids in helping milk digest easier. In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes. The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to seven. Elephants are the only animals that can’t jump.
20 • the talon
• • •
• • • • • • • •
India has a Bill of Rights for cows. Pollen never deteriorates. It is one of the few natural substances that lasts indefinitely. 23% of all photocopier failures worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts. • Almost all varieties of breakfast cereals have grass in them. • Musician Sheryl Crow’s two front teeth are fake. • The oldest pig in the world lived to the age of 68. • More boys than girls are born during the day; more girls are born at night. • Nearly 30% of female lottery winners hide their winning ticket in their bras. • In Athens, Greece, a driver’s license can be taken away by law if the driver is deemed either unclean or poorly dressed. • When Britney Spears books into hotels she uses the name ‘Allota Warmheart’ so that nobody will recognize her. • Eagles mate while airborne. • The U.S. military’s dried food npltech.wordpress.com rations can be re-hydrated with urine. If a surgeon in ancient Egypt lost a patient while performing an operation, his hands were cut off. Pain travels through your body at 350 feet per second. Any modern jet is capable of breaking the sound barrier. Beavers can swim half a mile underwater on one gulp of air. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew marijuana on their plantations. You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people in the world. The average city dog lives three years longer than the average country dog. The average office worker spends 50 minutes a day looking for lost files and other items.
Sources: www.funfactz.com and www.learnsomethingneweveryday.co.uk
entertainment
The Hollywood Trend And the Oscar goes to... politics
Ashton Kim
I
t was a memorable moment for movie lovers all over the world last March as The Hurt Locker, a depiction of the lives of an explosive disposal unit in Iraq, was awarded Best Picture, stumping Avatar, the 2.8 billion dollar grossing megablockbuster set on another world. Based on the tradition of the Oscars, this is no surprise; In a battle between a real war and a war on another planet, the former was bound to win. The problem, however, lies deeper, as the best picture showed us one thing: the Oscars are returning to politics. Needless to say, every alert movie lover understands how Hollywood has a deep connection to the politics of the US government. It has gained the reputation of portraying the leading role of the US in the world, often showing itself as biased and judgmental in the most unlikely films. Alongside this, movies nominated and often winning Oscars are those that portray the dark shadows and downsides of society. In these films, money corrupts people, life is harsh, and success is achieved after endless difficulties. Violence and danger are also imminent, and failure is also very likely. This is what the US government has attempted to portray to the people, and many films pepetuate this fear policy that was pushed by the Bush Administration after 9/11. In the majority of these films, there is a clear dichotomy of good and evil, and in the end, only extreme measures can solve the problem, much like the Bush Administration policies. At an international level, Oscarwinning films attempt to show an understanding of the world, while portraying the casualties and sometimes the justifications of war. There have been exceptions at the Oscars, such as 2007’s Juno, but that was among other films such as No Country for Old Men or There Will be Blood, and Atonement, which all showed the grim reality of life. Likewise the year before, Little Miss Sunshine was nominated alongside The Departed, a grim portrayal of life and betrayal among gangsters and police, Babel, the story of war casualties, and the Pacific war movie, Letters from Iwo Jima. Gladly, the nominations for this year were nothing less than a statement from the Oscars proving a change. The ten nominations included Precious, The Blind Side, Up, Inglorious Basterds, and the famous Avatar. All of these films deviated from the norm, showing positive values that range from hope
within the most dreadful situation to the fictional assassination of Hitler. Dark movies such as the Apartheid-themed District 9 were of course, present, but there was no longer the unequal balance of past years. In truth, the fact that the panel had even considered a piece like Avatar is a great leap away from past trends. Avatar is a visual and commercially successful masterpiece, but many would argue that it lacks the basic elements to be even considered in the ranks of Best Picture, regarding its storyline or even the ideas that create the basis of the plot. Despite being nominated and anticipated by many, its peaceful message and call against development, were bound to be set aside by the Oscars. James Cameron even placed the character of Colonel Quaritch, the hardball, aggressive chief of security on Pandora, to act and talk like Bush and Rumsfeld, thus criticizing the past administration. The Hurt Locker, the winner, is an amazing film that has successfully shown a subtle storyline,and character development, along with commercial elements. However, it has the ABCs of Academy Award politics. Yes, it portrays the dark side of war through death and destruction, and even to some extent criticzes the military itself. However, it reveals the tough nature of the US military activities in Iraq. Reducing spoilers to a minimum, the story illustrates various soldiers, especially the protagonist, push forward ignoring protocol and such action is more honored than criticized in the film’s point of view. Pro-war, racist, aggressive, and showing ubiquitous violence—these elements clearly were appropriate for the 2010 Oscars and by extension for the American government. Some may say that arguing this view of the Oscars is meaningless and paranoid. However, the trend of nominees and award winners supports the idea that a certain pattern has been set into the Oscars. In recent years there have been significant changes, where revolutionary films that go against the norm have been recognized by the Oscars. Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911 and Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth are the clearest of such examples. Still, the public is warned: we are prone to being manipulated by such choices at the Oscars. For the Oscars to truly have the reputation as the world’s most prestigious award, votes must examine their choices.
The trend of nominees and award winners supports the idea that a certain pattern has been set into the Oscars.
the talon • 21
entertainment
Movie Remakes Unfortunate renaissances Gini (Min Kyung) Chi
H
arry Potter, Twilight, Freaky Friday, The Haunting. All of these movies are adaptaions of pre-existing films. Usually, remake movies are received in two sharply contrasting ways. The viewers either really love it or purely hate it. According to the complaints made by those around me, remakes are not received well due to three main reasons. First, the actors performed poorly or were inappropriate for their characters. Second, the events were unconvincing in terms of reality or connected rather awkwardly. Third, the storyline of the remake was drastically different from that of the original work. I want to protest against the last reason. I believe remake movies are supposed to feature characters of the original work but follow the story of its own. If it remains faithful to the original piece, then it is not a remake—it is translation of the original work by a newer generation, and no one would really want to watch a preexisting work adapted exactly as it had been. If that is what you want, you should read the book or watch the film on which the remake is based. Some people reading this article might now have a befuddled expression. Although I hope that nobody would, some people might even decide to turn away from this piece immediately. But why can’t we learn to appreciate the remakes for their variations? Take, for example, the movie Catwoman, featuring Halle Berry. I thought that this movie was an outrageous failure. The events were very unlikely and absurd, and what I especially did not like about it was that most of the actors did not seem to be appropriate at all for the characters they portrayed. Some people complain that the director of this film changed the original story of Catwoman as Tim Burton had established in Batman Returns. As I previously mentioned, that is what remake movies are about. Although they are based on the pre-existing written or screen works, they are now separate pieces of work. Isn’t portraying the characters from the originals enough? Again, why do you have to expect them to be as similar as they can be to their predecessors? Take another example of a remade film. The movie
22 • the talon
Blood and Chocolate is based on the novel by Annette Curtis Klause, which is about a beautiful teenage werewolf falling in love with a human boy but eventually choosing another werewolf as her mate. For those who still grumble that the movie Twilight is dreadfully different from the novel, they need to watch this film and stop complaining. The only similarity this movie has with the original novel is the name of the characters. Yes, names only, not even characters themselves. I will not go into detail of how drastically its plot is different from that of the book, since they are so dissimilar that I would need an extra page. This movie, just like Catwoman, was a failure. Not only were the events linked awkwardly, but the character development and relationships were unclear. The way werewolves were portrayed in the film in particular cdn2.ioffer.com was unacceptable (plain-looking, normal-sized wolves that change through gorgeous spiritual levitations), considering the fact that Blood and Chocolate was created by the producers of Underworld. I watched this film on YouTube. And some of the comments about this film were not nice at all. Surely, almost all of such comments criticized this movie for being so different from the book. Very few of them talked about the characters being played awkwardly or the improper way the werewolves are presented. Again, so what? This is a remake, viewers should not expect it to follow the exact storyline from the book. Holding such expectation is hoping for the remakes to be replicas of original works, just with different images.Remakes should not be similar to the original books or films, and people should not expect them to be. They are remakes, but they are individual works. Original novels and films are always there if viewers seek the exact story. Yes, disgruntled viewers can complain about the awkward, improperly cast actors. Of course they can complain about events that are not well connected. But about the faithfulness of remakes to original works? Not a chance.
entertainment
Broadcast Yourself The digital renaissance caused by YouTube Artur Renault
L
et’s say you were trying to make a film fifty years ago. First you would have to find a camera. You would not have a cell phone, a camcorder, or a digital camera, as none of those had been invented yet. You would have to buy a costly and impractical professional video camera and, learn how to operate it. After filming, you would also have to manually develop the film. If you wanted to edit it, you would have to physically cut the film and reattach it at the desired point. If you wanted to show the movie to the world you would have to show it to producers and hope somebody would like it enough to invest in it. This whole process could take months, even years. To make the same film today, you can just film it with your phone, edit it with iMovie, and upload it to YouTube. Suddenly, your project is visible to millions of users. It could be done in a day, and, assuming that you already owned the cell phone, it was completely free. In its five years, YouTube has caused an extremely rapid expansion of the reach of people’s voices. Never in history has it been so easy for a person to show their thoughts and art to the world, and never have people been so exposed to different art and culture. This ease in accessibility has enabled a huge increase in the amount of cultural material. It may be said that most videos on YouTube are of babies making noises or pets being funny, and that is far from many people’s definition of “art.” But I am referring to the members of YouTube who use their channels as the medium to show their talent. The number of talented filmmakers, musicians, and other artists we have access to has been increasing exponentially. In the past, people were hindered by laziness, lack of resources, or little confidence in sharing art with the world. Nowadays, art is so easy to share and there are so many people doing it that people are no longer limited in expressing themselves. Imagine if all the talented individuals among the 40 million YouTube registered users had lived in a different age? Their creations would never have been shown to the world, and
we would have lost a number of laughs, smiles, and our lives might have been just a little bit duller. And these videos aren’t necessarily hobbies anymore. Lately, the biggest YouTube stars have even made it their full-time jobs. Not only is YouTube a way for newbies to show their talent to the world, it is also a way for established performers to expand their markets and increase their profits. Some argue that YouTube is a way for people to illegally have access to videos without paying. Ironically, making content available online for free can be beneficial for artists. For example, legendary comedy troupe Monty Python made some of their videos available in their official channel. Only days after the videos were put up, their DVD sales on Amazon had increased by 16,000%. (That is a comma, not a decimal). Clearly, YouTube can be an introduction to new paid ibtimes.com/data/blogs entertainment, as opposed to a substitute for it. The main reason why YouTube videos are so accessible and practical is because they are so short. Most videos on the website are less than five minutes long. They are long enough to entertain us, but short enough not to bore us. Even if we do wish to spend more than that time watching the videos, we have the option of clicking on the related videos and spending quite a bit of time being distracted by the bite-sized videos. The shortness of the videos is also practical because if we wanted to watch just a tidbit of a movie or TV show, we could do so easily on YouTube, without having to skip the other parts, as would be necessary on a DVD. Where will YouTube go from here? Internet phenomena tend to get banal very quickly. Will YouTube just keep making the videos higher definition? Or will they come up with something new, a more efficient, technological, and powerful way for people to express their creativity online? YouTube has already taken a huge leap in allowing people to share ideas easily. What they are doing next is still a mystery; even the creators probably have no idea. But we can always seek answers in the garden of creativity that is the YouTube community.
the talon • 23
entertainment
The Future of Cellphones iPhone? Blackberry? You still use those? Ho Jun Yang
I
f we could go back a few hundred years and tell someone that we could talk to people all over the world, they would either think we were a god or insane. However, nowadays, cell phones are so common even kindergarteners carry them around. They make communication so much easier. Dial a few numbers and, voilá, you could be talking to your next-door neighbor or even someone on the other side of the world. But cell phones aren’t only limited to that, they take pictures, record videos and connect to WiFi to access the internet. Cell phones become more versatile with each new product, developing from a communication tool to some seemingly omnipotent tool that Inspector Gadget might carry around. These amazing gadgets originated from radio technology, the two-way radios in police cars. The first cell phone was used by the Swedish police in 1946, by connecting a handheld phone to the telephone network. They could only make about six phone calls before the battery died, so it was a good idea for them to think about what calls they made. As technology developed, cell phones evolved with astonishing speed. They came a long way from the first generation (80s –90s), to the second generation (90s–2000s) and finally to what we have now, the amazing third generation with all its crazy applications and whatnot. So, these multipurpose machines we hold have reached their limits, right? No. Have you seen those James Bond movies in which he pulls out his watch and with the laser-cutter that “nobody” expected him to have, he makes his grand escape? We don’t have those yet, but we are getting surprisingly close. As the demand for cell phones with more and more functions increases, developers are getting pretty imaginative. Out of all the improvements that are all theoretically occurring, the top three finalists are all things you have seen in a movie: 1. Despite the numerous and sometimes pointless applications, we are all still waiting for the day our iPhones can display holographic 3D messages. We are not the only ones. In Japan, there are phones that are capable of 3D displays, or at least an illusion of a 3D image. However, it is mostly just a trick because not a lot of applications can make use of it, and it’s not practical for anything that involves a lot of text. Still, companies are trying hard to produce prototypes that emphasize the 3D display. For example the India-based Infosys
says their phones would have a 3D image projection using “a projector with a laser source and micro-holographic optical lenses.” They claimed that they would have a version of it available by 2010, so they better start pulling all-nighters. Imagine the day when practical jokes involve 3D ghosts and a terrified kid. Not bad. 2. We’ve got to give credit to cell-phone companies if we see the clunky models that Dr. Evil uses in an Austin Powers movie. However, what we have isn’t enough, like always. And what do we have? We get futuristic flexible phones like the Nokia 888 which can bend, be wrapped around your wrist, and probably be snapped when your friend tries to see how much he can bend it. That seems sweet, the Morph concept goes further. The idea is to make it elastic so it can stretch out to make a call or touch its keyboard. Unfortunately, the details for these ideas are, at best, in the nascent stages, but they give us an idea of where future phones are heading. 3. What do we do when we’re taking a hike in the mountains and suddenly a snake bites us? We take out our handy-dandy cell phones and run a quick self-diagnosis to check if it was poisonous or not, rather than driving all the way to the hospital. Surprisingly, there are already tons of medical applications that can do that. Many are generally intended for research, but there are practical ones that monitor blood pressure, take basic eye exams and analyze symptoms to tell us what we could be suffering from. In Japan they even have prototype phones from companies like Nokia and NTT that can monitor heart rate, calculate body fat, and even test stress level. In addition, users can send all this data to a hospital so that a doctor can analyze it. I bet that pretty soon we’ll end up seeing an iDoctor built in to our iPhones, although I’m pretty sure that will not please real doctors. It’s really amazing what technology is capable of these days because cell phones aren’t just cell phones anymore. Some hotels even use the phones as keys to rooms, and some companies store personal data on phones. It would have a bank account, ID, home number and be a key as well. In Japan (big surprise), they already have little cards that are all-inone payments for public transportation. Now this advance in technology makes me wonder if, when I grow up, my kids will be saying “Ugh. My dad got me a stupid Blackberry phone. It’s so old.”
As the demand for cell phones with more and more functions increases, developers are getting pretty imaginative.
24 • the talon
entertainment
A Second Opinion Answering the impossible Anonymous HS Teacher Dear Second Opinion, My favorite TV show has just finished its first season, and I can’t stand to wait for the other one! What shall I do? Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Study? Read? Write a letter to a friend? Just a Second Opinion
Dear Second Opinion, I like someone none of my friends like. I care about my friend’s opinions, but they don’t know the person enough to judge them. They don’t agree. What can I do? Misunderstood Dear Misunderstood, Is this someone a romantic interest? If so, love or lust tends to cloud the vision. If none of your friends likes this person maybe there is something not to like and therefore a need to be cautious. If this someone is not a romantic interest, then be true to your own feelings and be a friend to this person. Maybe you bring out the best in this person, so enjoy but remember to respect your friends’ opinions as well. Just a Second Opinion
Dear Second Opinion, My parents are dead set on my studying business in college but I want to study literature. How do I get them to accept my choice? Shakespeare-in-the-making Dear Shakespeare-in-the-making, I’m not sure it’s possible to get your parents to accept your choice—it may be too soon for that. Embrace your course of study, and I predict that the joy you will take away from studying literature will be enough for your parents to accept your choice at some point in the future. Give them time. Do what makes you happy; after all, you’re the one reading the books, writing the papers, and living your life. Just a Second Opinion
Dear Second Opinion, My dad and I don’t always see eye to eye. I think it might be because we’re really similar. Sometimes he’s just too impatient, and he thinks the same about me. What should I do to have a better relationship with my dad? Daddy’s Little Girl
Dear Daddy’s Little Girl, You are very wise to already have figured out that those with similar personalities tend to end up in conflict. Perhaps this quality of being too impatient bugs you so because it’s a trait you’d like to change in yourself, and when you see this in your dad he reflects this image of yourself onto you. Before you know it, the conversation has moved far from its origin, and you both end up abandoning the topic in exchange for criticism, however constructive they might be. That you have a high level of awareness and want to have a better relationship with your father are hopeful signs that things will improve. Just a Second Opinion
Dear Second Opinion, My dilemma is about cutting my hair. Some people say I should cut (including my parents and my girlfriend, who wants to see it just for curiosity but loves my hair). Some say don’t. I feel like I will look uglier, and I am afraid to do it. It would also destroy the thrill of cutting my hair when I get into college. Should I cut it? Hairbrained Dear Hairbrained, Of course, you should cut it; hair grows back. Be daring, do something different, take a risk, grab those scissors, chop it all off. Just a Second Opinion
Dear Second Opinion, My best friend just broke up with her boyfriend. I felt bad for my friend, but I was also friends with her boyfriend. After a week or so, her ex-boyfriend asked me to go out with him, and I want to say yes. I feel horrible going out with my best friend’s ex-boyfriend. What should I do? Ex-boyfriend Taker Dear Ex-boyfriend Taker, Best friends don’t allow a guy to come between a friendship. As for being a “friend” with the ex-boyfriend, I wonder if you’vee really been more than friends. I would prepare for possible repercussions to spill from this—if this guy is worth risking your friendship for, then enjoy the ride, but be sure you’re being honest with yourself and truly understand that you are possibly tossing aside a valuable friendship. Also, if he can get over Girlfriend #1 this fast, don’t be surprised if he later casts you to the side without flinching. Just a Second Opinion
the talon • 25
entertainment
Graded Student Code All students must abide by these articles at all times Sofia Cavallin
E
veryone’s life is governed by an internal code of conduct,” according to Barney Stinson from the hit TV show How I Met Your Mother. Some call it procrastination. Others call it common sense. But Graded Students in the know call this the survival guide to Escola Graduada.
Article 9: A Graded Student will always blame it on the traffic. Article 10: If a Graded Student goes to sleep before 9:00 p.m. or after 3:00 a.m. they will post it on their Facebook status.
Article 1: A Graded Student never admits to not doing homework...alone. Article 2: A Graded Student never has enough printing credits. Article 3: If a Graded Student discovers another Graded Student has forgotten to sign of out his Novell login, the student will sign out for him/her, but only after printing out his whole extended essay...twice. *Note: If the Graded student has not had the privilege of writing an Extended Essay, he;she shall print out an equally long document (i.e. The Graded Handbook). Article 3:10pm: Duh. Article 4: When there is a substitute, a Graded Student will always ask to go to the snack bar. Article 5: A Graded Student will never miss taco day. Article 6: If there is a day when a Graded Student doesn’t have any homework, he/she must put it on his/her Facebook Status. Article 7: A Graded Student will always have more homework than his/her friends. Article 8: During World Cup season, first and foremost, a Graded Student will trade figurinhas. Julia Greenwald
26 • the talon
facebook.com
Article 11: A Graded Student will pull at least one all-nighter in his/her time at Graded, then must brag about it. Note: If he/she has not, then he/she will claim to, or else risk being ostracized by peers. Article 12: A Graded Student will always say hello to Edu by his name. Note: A Graded Student will also sing him “Happy Birthday” every year. Article 13: A Graded Student always has more homework than his/her siblings. Article 14: If a Graded student falls asleep during class he/ she shall seek no revenge for the pranks done to him/her. Article 15: A Graded Student will always complain about not getting enough sleep, but will still go out every weekend. Article 16: A Graded Student doesn’t let another Graded Student take 5 HLs. Article 17: A Graded Student will always
Natalia Arenas
entertainment write one random word or phrase in his/her annotations. Article 18: A Graded Student will always rub half-days in his/ her teacher’s faces. Article 19: A Graded student doesn’t leave another Graded Student alone on MSN. Article 20: A Graded Student will have lunch conversations interrupted by Bruce at least once in his/her Graded lifetime. Article 21: A Graded Student is never willingly on time for Flex. Article 22: When in doubt, a Graded Student always Googles it. Note: If Google doesn’t work, go to Wikipedia...but cite something else! Article 23: A Graded Student will always find more meaning in a literary text than the author intended.
Article 26: A Graded Student will always enhance the difficulty of any class when describing it to another Graded Student. Article 27: A Graded Student knows Bair went to Fletcher’s School of Law & Diplomacy. Article 28: A Graded Student will always blame his/her teacher when explaining bad grades to their parents.
Julia Greenwald
Article 29: A Graded Student will always read the Trivialities first in The Talon. Article 30: A Graded student will always put Facebook over all other academic priorities. Article 31: When in doubt, a Graded Student will always clap. Note: This is applicable everywhere: assemblies, presentations, classes, etc. Article 32: A Graded Student will never ask Ney how old he is. Article 33: A Graded Student will always convince him/herself that whatever activity he/she is using to procrastinate is more important than homework. Note: This code.
Julia Greenwald
Article 34: A Graded Student’s teacher is always a harsher grader than the one of his/her peers.
Article 24: Even if a Graded Student has no interest in sports, a Graded Student will always make fun of Amaral when São Paulo loses.
Article 35: If a Graded Student has a free block, he/she will always rub it in his/her friends faces. Example: “Get out of my way, I’m late to my free block!” — Eduardo Estrada
Article 25: A Graded Student will always stop whatever he/ she is doing if there is no line at the Snack Bar.
Article 36: A Graded Student will not begin any long term projects on the day that they are assigned.
the talon • 27
sports
From Archery to Fencing The evolution of sports from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and beyond Isabella Zevallos
H
umans have always been involved in some kind of physically demanding activity, whether it was hunting for food, or swimming in the backyard pool. Gradually, the idea of sports and competitions became into existence and there is a clear difference between eras in terms of the sports practiced at the time. In the transition from the Middle Ages into the Renaissance period, for example, the transformation in the variety of sports practiced was significant. I know you might be asking, “Who really cares about what sports were played in the Middle Ages or even the Renaissance period?” But many of the sports you know and take for granted today, such as basketball, volleyball, handball, and even rowing, were created and extensively practiced during the years after the Middle Ages. I can assure you that I’m not joking. Michael Jordan was not the actual founder of basketball, but rather someone in the Renaissance who came up with a version of it, as unbelievable as that may seem. Ultimately, though, the Middle Ages didn’t make much of a mark on the sports world itself. Sure it had its most practiced sports, but they were much less organized than the classic, antique sports that preceded it. The Middle Ages still had extremely interesting sports such as folk football, archery, and jousting, amongst others. According to Encyclopedia Brittanica, folk football was a peasant-played “wild no-holds-barred unbounded game that pitt married men against bachelors or one village against the other.” The game was so violent that later on in the 19th century, Sir Thomas Elyot, amongst other “Renaissance humanists,” condemned the sport, saying it hindered rather than benefited the players. Archery, on the other hand, was a gentlemanly bourgeoisie sport. Its events, were scheduled months before they happened, and towns played against towns to test the participants’ skills, aim, and precision. The event was so important that there were even patron saints for the sport, whose symbols would be used in an initial march before the competition was held. After that, a great feast was held to celebrate the event in.
28 • the talon
Jousting was also quite common as a sport in the Middle Ages. It involved the art of balancing oneself on a horse whilst holding an extremely long and heavy lance. The opponents (two participants played at one time) would then gallop quickly towards each other, trying to knock their opponent off the horse by hitting him with the heavy lance, as well as trying to avoid being hit by the opponent’s weapon. The sport was so dangerous that even a royal, Henry II of France, was killed in one of the Great Tournaments. Many other sporting events were practiced during the Middle Ages. Since there were many fairs and seasonal festivals, there “were occasions for men to lift stones or sacks of grain and for women to run smock races”(they didn’t run in a smock, but ran for it). However, women couldn’t participate in other sports events at the time because, well, they were women and it was the Middle etc.usf.edu/clipart Ages. All right, enough said about the Middle Ages. The Renaissance, the period of “rebirth,” was a much more prosperous period in sports and should be rightfully recognized. The Renaissance and the period after it created many of the sports that we still play today, and most sports widely practiced then are still practiced in modern times. The art of poking each other with swords may seem a bit outdated nowadays, but the sport of fencing is still widely practiced in many countries, and is even an Olympic sport. During the Renaissance, the art of fencing was polished into a regulated sport, where rules and criteria were established. The early forms of bowling and tennis also came around the Renaissance period, where people played with balls made of animal bladder, cloth ,and wood. Card games also became very popular during the time. Following the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution gave rise to many of the most famous sports of today. Rules and specifications developed, as the sports also became new products for the market. During the 18th century, stick fighting and bullbaiting were still very common, but they ended up giving way to the new sport, cricket, and horse racing. The 18th century also provided us with the famous sport of boxing, but it was in the 19th century that rowing and rugby football arrived.
sports
Simply Playing Basketball What’s behind the Blue Devils’ success Yana Ahlden
H
ands-down, Duke was not either the most talented or experienced team that graced the courts of this year’s Final Four. Yet, the Blue Devils were just as, if not even more tough, physical, and defensive-minded as their opponents, the Butler Bulldogs. The key to their win was not their time on the court or how well they could dribble with their eyes closed, but their attitude. The Blue Devils focused on team-defense, half-court defense, and made stops when it mattered most. They also had a few secret weapons, which then raised the bar of the game too high for the Bulldogs to surmount. First up to be recognized: senior Brian Zoubek, 7’1” tall. Zoubek was the man responsible for the final play, responsible for the final score. A Butler player’s throw rebounded, and Zoubek caught the ball and was fouled. He made the first shot, but missed the second, perhaps on purpose, since Butler was out of timeouts. Butler player Hayward tried to catch the rebound and failed to do so. Then, the buzzer sounded. Game over. Duke’s associate head coach Chris Collins had said that the blue Devils would not even be in the Final Four had it not been for Zoubek, whose presence caused any Butler player great and difficulty when trying to score during Monday’s game. This effort from Zoubek, along Julia Greenwald with his teammates, made Duke the winner in the end. “I didn’t think we’d have to work that hard,’’ Zoubek said after the game. “It’s the hardest we’ve had to work to get a win. Butler did a great job, played great defense on us. I don’t think our seniors could have predicted this, anywhere near this kind of success through our career, just based on how our freshman year went. I mean, it just proves that if you keep with it, you keep your head down, keep working at it, good things will come.”
Another player that made a huge difference in Duke’s favor was Kyle Singler. According to Andy Katz, a senior editor for Espn.com, “The Blue Devils weren’t going to win the title if they didn’t defend and get scoring from Singler.” Even though Singler started off the season as Leonardo Porto an All-America candidate, there were times during the season when it seemed that this top scorer had lost his way on the journey to becoming a leader in the team. Yet, once he did take ownership of this role, Singler became a force, now a much more offensive-minded player who hunted for his shots and opportunities to prove himself. The fact that Singler was the Most Outstanding Player for the Final Four, due to averaging of 20 points and nine rebounds (the first MOP to average 20 and nine since Connecticut’s Emeka Okafor in 2004), should be proof that this player has huge potential and an even bigger determination. “I don’t know what it is,’’ Singler said, “I just think I try to enjoy everything with the guys and not worry about anything else. I just played basketball. I was putting pressure on myself trying to perform. But it was coming from a good spot because I wanted to win. I found that really wasn’t the recipe. And then everything just fell into place.” Singler even expressed his surprise at Hayward’s final shot not going in, saying that it looked great from where he was. Sure, two players can make some great plays and pull off miracle shots, but two players don’t make a team—at least not in basketball. Five players on the court at a time, plus the people on the bench, together make a team. All together, they win. All together, they lose. And they all depend on each other. And this year’s Blue Devils exemplified this: a team full of respect, determination, and passion. As their head coach Mike Krzyzewsk put it, “This team didn’t take stuff from you, this team filled you up. I’ll miss it. I hope I have a team like this again. I really do. It was as good a group as I ever had. They’re a great team with really good talent, not off-the-chart talent, but really good talent that played great defense and rebounded. I feel so good to be a part of their moment.’’ Singler and Zoubek didn’t win the game. They just played some great basketball along with a group of young men who combined had only one dream: to win. And that’s why Duke won against Butler. They played basketball, and they played it well.
the talon • 29
sports
Making History with a Hockey Stick Predicting a superstar’s future Fernando Lima his summer, history will be made
T
round. Already exhausted not only
not only in the FIFA World cup but
because of a spectacular second
also in the NHL. After a fourteen-year
half of the season, but also due to
career, Swedish defenseman Nicklas
the many Olympians on the team,
Lidstrom has a longer vacation and,
including Lidstrom, they fell be-
for the first time, will contemplate
hind three games in a seven-game
the possibility of retirement.
series. In game four, Johan “The
The future Hall-of-Famer is
Mule” Franzen scored four goals to
one of the most able blue-liners since
give them an extra breath, but in
Bobby Orr to skate the arenas of the
game five, “Jumbo” Joe Thornton
NHL. A six-time winner of the Norris
and the Sharks ended the chance
Trophy as best defenseman, Lidstrom
of a fifth title for Nicklas Lidstrom.
has already won four Stanley Cups,
Having the season cut short,
Olympic and World Championship
Lidstrom is now on vacation with
gold medals, and the Conn Smythe
his family. General Manager Ken
Trophy for being the best player in
Holland jokingly said, “The day
the playoffs. It is easy to see how es-
Nick Lidstrom retires is the day I
sential it is for the Detroit Red Wings
step down as General Manager.”
and for the NHL to keep Lidstrom
The importance of Lidstrom is
playing and producing points.
greater than that of showman Pavel
After being dubbed the team
Datsyuk and of the scoring-machine
of the decade, the Detroit Red Wings
Henrik Zetterberg. Since the GM
this year had a season not up to their
plans on meeting with all the play-
standards. Lidstrom turned 40 this year, and finally fell into a natural
ers by July 1 to discuss contracts, photobucket.com
point production, posting 49 points in the regular season. Averaging less than a point per game, his age has clearly caught up to him, leading to a merely satisfactory season from him and, in turn, the whole team.
Lidstrom has about one month and a half to make up his mind about
whether or not he retires. During my years of avidly following the NHL, no defenseman has made an impact similar to Nicklas Lidstrom. People
After winning the four Stanley Cups, Detroit fell into
may bring up Scott Niedermayer of the Anaheim Ducks, or even
a trap built by themselves. After achieving domination in the
Chris Pronger of the Philadelphia Flyers—these two Norris Tro-
decade, the Red Wings had to juggle talent to stay within
phy winners, like Lidstrom, are contributing enormously. Yet,
the salary cap. With under performing, Patrick Eaves, Valteri
for the amateur hockey commentator that I am, no blue-liner
Filppula, and Andreas Lilja, the team’s fall was somewhat pre-
is greater that Nicklas Lidstrom. No player in the NHL has his
dictable. Yet, scraping forces from the darkest pits, the Red
ability to read offenses and pick them apart with superb skat-
Wings, after not reaching playoff position for the majority of
ing. Few blue-liners play clean hockey like he does. If you take
the season, ended in the fifth spot of the Western Conference.
this and the fact that he holds (just) eight league records into
Such a recovery resulted in a tired team. In the first
consideration, you will realize why it will be hard for his team
round of the playoffs, the Red Wings only beat the Phoenix
and the league to let him go.
Coyotes in the seventh game of the series. Since the Coyotes
My prediction? He stays. He stays and history will be
were the fourth seed, this meant that they had to face the
made. One way or another, he will certainly be inducted into
conference champions, the San Jose Sharks, in the second
the NHL Hall of Fame.
30 • the talon
sports
Totaalvoetbal Art, grace, movement, and space Christopher Thomas
S
imple football is the most beautiful. But playing simple
team employing a man marking system would be completely
football is the hardest thing.” These are the words of Jo-
confused and drawn out of position. If Bobby Moore attempted
hann Cruijff, perhaps the most famous exponent of one of the
to mark Cruijff, for example, and Cruijff decided to roam all
most famous styles of playing, Total Football (totaalvoetbal).
the way over to the left wing into space under this man-marking
The concept, invented by Rinus Michels, also known as “The
system, Moore would be drawn to Cruijff, leaving a gap to be
General,” emphasizes movement, quickness of thought, ver-
exploited by a teammate running into space. Many managers,
satility, and space. Rather than employ a rigid tactical system
such as Brian Clough, Arsene Wenger, Cruijff himself, and Pep
such as Catenaccio—an ultra-
Guardiola, encourage
defensive strategy that fo-
movement as a means
cuses on nothing other than
of creating opportuni-
impeding the opposition
ties and confusing the
from scoring—total football
opposition. Movement,
places utmost importance
with drive and pur-
on fluidity of team structure
pose, is the tool with
and the maintenance of the
which to create space,
team shape by having play-
the most important
ers fill in for a position when
thing in Total Football.
the original man moves away
Space is the most
from his. The result of this
important thing for
is a devastating attacking
the Total Footballer.
force that is flexible enough
Space is what allows
to deal with even the most
photobucket.com
the whole system to
click. Ajax defender Barry
stubborn of defenses, as well as a solid method of defending from the front, using hassling
Hulshoff spoke of how space was important: “We discussed
and pressing tactics to win the ball back before the opposition
space the whole time. Johan Cruyff always talked about where
can trouble the defense.
people should run and where they should stand, and when they
Despite what many believe, Total Football was not
should not move.” Thus, the movement was all designed to cre-
some free-for-all mess of a system. You would not find Johann
ate or exploit space. “It was about making space, coming into
Cruijff in the center of defense, nor would you see Ruud Krol as
space, and organizing space-like architecture on the football
a striker. However, it did encourage shifting of positions. Many
pitch.” Hulshoff went on to state. Clearly, both at Ajax and
things we find common today, such as overlapping fullbacks
the Netherlands, the concept of Total Football worked based
(think Roberto Carlos bombing down the left) were perfected
on the idea of space, using it in any way possible to gain an
by this Dutch team. What they did was to encourage shifts of
advantage.
positions along the “vertical lines” so that a central defender
Notice both diagrams used in this article. In the first,
might come out and occupy the space of a central midfielder,
a concept of Total Football is utilized by the Hungarian team
much like a fullback would run into a winger’s space. Cruijff
to confuse the English traditional man-to-man marking system.
might have dropped back deeper into the central midfield posi-
This resulted in a decisive victory for the Mighty Magyars. In the
tion in order to gain more space to work with and run at the
second, we see the 1974 Ajax team formation lined up against
defense.
manager Karl Rappan’s “Swiss Bolt,” the formation that became
One of the many advantages of Total Football, and one
the basis for the Catenaccio system. Imagine movement lines in
that applies till this day, is its ability to destroy a man-marking
the second diagram which bring the wide midfielders outside,
system. By encouraging lots of movement and interchange, a
then inside. Such movement could weave between the flank
the talon • 31
sports defenders of the Swiss Bolt and allow for them to pass to the forward, or have the forward relay a ball to them. The Total Footballer finds all the exploitable gaps in the opposing team’s system and aims to exploit them. Total Football’s most defining moment perhaps came in the Ajax defeat of Internazionale by a score of 2-0. Pitted up against one of the best defenses in the world, Ajax had to defeat Inter to gain the prized European Cup and thus achieve back-to-back victories in the prestigious tournament. Dispatching them so, newspapers around Europe claimed it to be the “Death of Catenaccio” and a new era for Total Football. But how did Total Football manage to unlock the most miserly defense in the world, one that employed a complex system of marking to ensure it came under no danger of conceding? Simple. Due to Catenaccio’s style of al-
photobucket.com
lowing the opposition to tire itself out with the ball,
or play a pass through them to a winger. The wingers, both at
Ajax were allowed to dominate possession and pass it around
Barça and Arsenal, are encouraged to cut inside and run into the
the Inter team, making use of their movement and what they
space between the fullbacks and center backs, as well as allow
were taught about space. Inter could not score because Total
their fullbacks to bomb forward and receive a pass in order that
Football’s defensive tactic of pressuring the opponents off the
they may cross. All in all, these two similar systems of football,
ball or into making mistakes regained possession for the Dutch
emphasizing quick but thoughtful and intelligent movements,
side. Catenaccio had been outdone in every way by the artful-
and the ability to change the tempo of the game at will, prove
ness of Total Football.
devastating when it clicks. Witness Barcelona’s crushing 6-2 vic-
But what of Total Football today? In the last decade,
tory over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu last season, where the
two teams can be said to have achieved the closest modern
quick thinking of the Barcelona players steamrolled the confused
interpretation of Total Football to date: Barcelona and Arsenal.
Real Madrid defense. Arsenal’s system bore its best results under
Both systems use the 4-3-3 formation (a modification of the
the 4-4-2 in the 2003-04 campaign, which saw them go an entire
1-3-3-3 formation utilized by the original total football teams)
season undefeated, a feat that had not been accomplished in
although in the earlier parts of the decade the Arsenal team
over 100 years.
employed an unorthodox 4-4-2. At Barcelona, with Messi play-
Despite the successes of Total Football, there is a reason
ing the role of Cruijff, Pep Guardiola has instilled a system
not every team is doing it. The amount of movement required
whereby pack-like defending and pressure from the front wins
in both attack and defense means that the players must have
back possession for Barça, while the central midfield talent of
high amounts of stamina to cope with the constant shifting of
Xavi and Iniesta distribute the ball amongst the front three,
positions. Players must be very technically gifted and aware of
who frequently interchange positions to make use of different
positions in order to execute the attacks and feel comfortable
abilities of the players, as well as confuse their markers.
in multiple positions, as well as have the willingness to defend
At Arsenal in the earlier parts of the decade, Vieira
as a unit from every portion of the pitch. If not executed prop-
and Gilberto played as the link men between the front four of
erly, this style can be prone to leaking goals, as it is important
Pirès, Bergkamp, Henry and Ljungberg, winning the ball back
to defend compactly as a disciplined and organized unit.
with their tireless efforts and intelligent play before allowing
The results of successful application of Total Football
the four previously mentioned to make use of their devastating
are stunning. There is no tactic that compares in terms of both
speed and passing ability to cut through teams. Recently, under
entertainment and results if the players are good enough and
the adopted 4-3-3, Robin van Persie plays as a false nine, or
the system organized enough. If anything has managed to turn
the front man of an attacking 3 who drops deeper into space
this humble sport into something of an art form that can be ap-
close to the central midfielders in order to run at defenses
preciated by all, then Total Football must get the credit.
32 • the talon