Ed. 81 Serendipity

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 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 2011-2012

The Secret Revealed

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Andrea Estrada & Artur Renault LAYOUT EDITOR: Isabella Zevallos NEWS: Yana Ahlden (Editor), Courtney Villeneuve (Assistant Editor), Daniel Almeida, Mendel Schwarz FEATURES: Ho Jun Yang (Editor), Adam Hunt Fertig (Assistant Editor), Mariana Lepecki, Lucas Zuccolo ENTERTAINMENT: Julia Wu (Editor), Ines Gil (Assistant Editor), Kevin Bengtsson, Yasmin Della Nina SPORTS: Kyle Bissell (Editor), Kevin Wolfson (Assistant Editor), Andrea Ferreira, Rafa Rocha COLUMNISTS: Maria Alas, Carol Di Roberto, Julia Abreu BLOGGERS: Camille Saliba & Paty Kim COVER: Dani Reis PHOTOGRAPHER: Nicole Vladimirschi ▪ ▪ ▪ TEACHER ADVISORS: Josh Berg and Mary Pfeiffer PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE CONSULTANT: Maggie Moraes ▪ ▪ ▪ E-mail: talon@graded.br Blog: http://tal-on-line.blogspot.com

Would you take advice from this woman? Well, many of you did.

In a number of past editions of The Talon, there was a column called Second Opinion, an advice column written by “Anonymous HS Teacher.” Anonymous no more! Please join us in wishing Ms. Baratta and Natalia well in their new lives in Qatar.

About the Cover

Write with Us!

For this cover I used a slot machine to represent serendipity, showing its element of luck. Around the slot machine there are many serendipitous items that were invented by accident and changed the world in many ways. The inventions are the Slinky, chocolate chip cookies, Play-Doh, inkjet cartridges, corn flakes and the pacemaker.

—Dani Reis

Glorious days of leisure lie within reach. Enjoy them, as we will.

When classes resume in August, we will be working on our next edition, which has the theme of Metamorphosis. You don’t have to write about poor Gregor Samsa; you could write about change in any degree or form. Articles about any topic, not just on that theme must be submitted to talon@graded.br by Monday, 8 August, 16:00. Length should be 800 words with an image (attach the JPEG); 900 words without.

We be green: Since August 2007, The Talon has been printed on recycled paper. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

editors-in-chief

editors-in-chief

Senior Serendipity?

An Undying Relationship

A traditional declaration to mark the start of the best senior year ever

My camera and me

Artur Renault

I

t’s May 2011, and even as my homework, Extended Essay, CAS, activities, standardized tests, and—perhaps—social life stress me out ever more, only one thought echoes through my mind: “Dude, I’m a rising senior.” This statement, in my mind, makes as much sense as “2+2=5” or “Rebecca Black sings well.” I can’t be a senior yet, that’s impossible. I still remember the days when I got angry with seniors (and other students older than myself) for calling me a “freshie” and denying me the basic rights of a Graded student. Heck, I even remember when I used to marvel at how tall and old the sixth graders looked. To think that I am about to reach double the grade level of those “giants” leaves me gobsmacked.

But it also leaves me extremely excited.

The class of 2012 will finally have its day of glory.

I can’t wait to paint the senior table, hang out on the senior lawn, claim the senior privilege, and act like we are the coolest grade in the high school (which, by definition, we will be). We will be, at once, the most arrogant and annoying people at Graded, and—hopefully—the role models whom everyone admires and is jealous of. From senior sunrise to graduation, our lives in the Graded hallways will be a party.

We must not forget, though, what life will be like in our classrooms and at our desks. Our coursework will be harder; we will have internal assessments, more challenging topics, and more homework, on top of the activities and social lives that already keep us busy. And the fact that we’re seniors will only make us have to fulfill these responsibilities more often and better. That is, at least, if we want to get into college.

Ah, college; we have to worry about that too. We have to furiously flip through brochures and attend information sessions. These things will fill us with excitement and amazement about the wonderful institutions we are learning about, only to crush our hopes by reminding us of acceptance rates and the admissions process. That’s another thing we have to add to the stress list: college applications. Dozens of essays will pile our desks, whether we dream of attending

2 • the talon

Harvard, UM or Community College of Western Montana. Even those who plan on attending Brazilian colleges have to start studying for the vestibular, perhaps the most stressful test in the world.

It is not hard to see why seniors give lowerclassmen such a hard time. They’re a perfect outlet for the combination of the confidence and stress accumulated in senior year.

It is the law of the land, and it is cyclical. Step 1: the seniors mistreat younger students; Step 2: the younger students exact revenge on those younger than them; Step 3: those students exact revenge on their lowerclassmen. Rinse and repeat forever. Everyone, then, gets an equal share of oppressing and being oppressed. It never ends, and everybody is happy—at least for a while.

The class of 2012, I warn the rest of the high school, will be no different. Most of us will be the classic seniors who act like Carla Alves they own Graded. I guarantee, though, that we will still be the interesting class that everyone already knows we are. I promise the water guns we’ll use to scare people off the senior lawn won’t be too powerful or painful. The ferrets we’ll put in your lockers during senior prank will only have mild cases of rabies.

Seriously though, here is a note to the class of 2012.

Have we gotten this far by a mere stroke of serendipity? I don’t think so. I don’t think that it was luck that got every one of us through fifteen years of school. I look at our class and I see potential (as my fellow Editor-in-Chief already stated in the previous edition). From the genius with a GPA over 100% to the guy who’s failing 10 out of 8 classes, all of us have value.

We’re all wonderful, friendly individuals who join up to make a great grade. Let’s keep it up. Let’s be awesome. Let’s have a final year at Graded that will make everyone remember us.

Let’s be kind to the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Let’s form an integrated community, so that everyone at Graded feels welcome. So that we have one big group of students, instead of four separate grades. Let’s be stellar students. And most of all, let’s have fun. Then, we’ll prove to everyone that they really did save the best class for last.

Andrea Estrada

P

eople say serendipity is rare. There are only a lucky few that make great discoveries when not looking for them.

It’s not every day that the x-ray is discovered by accident.

It’s not every day that someone discovers a new species when strolling in the forest. Our knowledge seems to be static; our paradigms seem relatively fixed. But our paradigms are actually the one dynamic aspect of our planet. It is through all these serendipitous anomalies that knowledge evolves—through them we go from believing the Earth is flat to understanding it is actually a sphere.

And yet, when do we, mere individuals among almost 7 billion others, ever make these groundbreaking discoveries?

Chances are we never will.

Some might, but most of us will not, and that’s okay with me. It’s okay with me because I’m comforted by knowing I can find serendipity everywhere, everyday. I may be one insignificant individual in 7 billion, but with a camera in my hands I’ll never cease to find, by chance, what others never see.

One snap. That’s all it takes. Cheesy, I know, but it really is all it takes. Photography has allowed us to document those rare moments of unique realization. Whether we’re searching for them or not, just looking through the lens allows us to see the world before us with new eyes. A wrapper by the side of the road is no longer insignificant. The bum on the corner of your street is no longer insignificant. The rainy day that used to make you feel down is no longer a burden.

And the sun—morning, noon, or afternoon sunlight—it simply ceases to pass unnoticed. You learn to find an opportunity in every moment. I could not ask for more than the ability to see a potential picture in all the world’s perfections and imperfections; photography has become my undying ode to serendipity.

Photography is full of moments. The moment you recognize the opportunity, the moment you twist the lens to zoom in and focus, the moment you snap the shutter. The moment the picture appears in the small viewfinder or the moment of doubt when you know it’s imprinted on the film but you cannot see it. The moment you download it into your computer and play around with contrast until you find the perfect balance, or the moment after reeling the film in a dark room with scissors and patience, after shaking a little black container for what seems like hours, after finally taking that reel out to find your

pictures developed perfectly. It is the moment when you go through all your choices, selecting which one you like best.

The moment when you slide the negative into the enlarger and see it projected in front of you, large and crisp, ready to be printed. The moment when your paper is submerged in developer and after 30 seconds black and grey outlines fade into view—you do not know what they are but it does not matter because they are beautiful in their abstractness—until finally another 30 seconds pass and the outlines are no longer faint and abstract. They are your image, clear and tangible. Every moment counts and builds anticipation for the next.

I do not know when or how exactly I came about discovering my passion for photography. I just remember that at age 11 I already felt a connection to it, a craving to be the photographer in family trips. It was not a desire to photograph people posing, though—I wanted to capture candid moments, I wanted to experiment, and I did.

Looking back on many pictures I took when I was younger, some disappoint me, but some continue to amaze me. Without ever learning about the rule-of-thirds or what good lighting was, I had a natural eye for composition and light.

When we got a better camera, a Sony DSC-H5, it became my new toy every opportunity I got. I was in love with its zoom and its resolution. I guess my parents’ and friends’ encouragement pushed me to take photo classes at school, and ever since I became familiar with film SLR cameras, I’ve been bound to photography. Understanding the process of developing and printing images in a darkroom has made me intimate with the whole concept of photography. It is no longer a single digital snap I value—it is the chemicals and the light measurements that go into every single shot.

Last June my birthday present was a digital SLR, a Canon Rebel XSi, and it has sincerely become my most treasured possession. My camera holds everything I value; I live off of memories and opportunities, and with a camera I have those within my reach at all times.

There may be those fortunate few who discover electricity, who realize gravity exists when playing with a falling object, who change our paradigms. But those fortunate few, unlessthey can carry moments with them, are no more fortunate than my camera and I.

And yet, when do we, mere individuals among almost 7 billion others, ever make these groundbreaking discoveries?

Chances are we never will.

the talon • 3

point of view

point of view

Out with the Old, In with the New

The Moodie Foodie

What it means to be a rising senior of the class of 2012

The sunny side of splurging Maria Alas

I

was sitting in the Biology room after finishing the data collection for a lab about catalase when a friend of mine walked in to disturb my peace permanently. I’m fully aware that those were not his intentions but his mind had been boggled and must’ve felt the need to share the I-just-jumped-off-a-cliff feeling. Do I sound too dramatic? Maybe to those who haven’t realized—not yet at least—what I sadly realized that Wednesday afternoon. My friend sat across from me and simply said, “College applications are happening.” Suddenly, catalase was the least of my problems.

I’ve had college applications on my mind since I first set foot on my dream school last September, but always from a comfortable distance. Of course I was, and still am, passionate about that perfect campus and just-right academic curriculum, but I always felt as though I had more time. In just about five seconds, that comfortable distance was erased by my friend’s words. I sat there thinking about what this meant in my life and, let me tell you, the comforting part comes last. It was not until my last thought of the night, the one right before falling asleep, that college parties came up. This was ironic because when I used to think about college that was always my first thought. But no, not anymore.

For those of you who are still thinking about college parties after I explicitly described the bloodcurdling feeling of realizing we’re really in this, I would stop reading—but if you’re brave, I’m sorry I was the one that introduced you to the reality of our following year together.

Senior year: ah yes, what we’ve all been looking forward to since 8:10 a.m. on August 3rd, 2010 (or longer for those who are more desperate to graduate). Well, it’s right around the corner and it feels so good. The full IBers will agree with me when I say that the world truly seemed golden for a total of 24 hours after we handed in our beautifully presented Extended Essays. That is, until we realized we would soon have to produce our best-ever piece of writing for our college application essays. And of course, the supplements. So as our junior year nears its end, we’ve begun to see that our last few months at Graded won’t be all about senior privileges, the promised senior lounge and daily celebrations just because we’re seniors.

It’s a scary thought, even for those staying in Brazil, to think of the immense decisions that’ll have to be made next year; through our hallway, talk of our future has sprung up and in some way it is affecting everyone. Fear will be accompanying us these next few months but—I say this with conviction—so will determination.

As a part of the Graded community for seven years, I have grown with many of you and every day the desire to succeed is visible in our class. It doesn’t matter how different each one of our goals may be, what matters is how firmly we have stood by our aspirations. There is a memory that almost seems too perfect to embody the determination of the class of 2012: one Friday afternoon in the 5th grade, the desk of the giggly Sophia Wang was kicked (supposedly) by a substitute teacher, and suddenly by recess every single fifth grader was trying to do something about it. We were small and fired up but we achieved something on that day—of course, it helped that we had future lawyers amongst us. Our will to achieve has been brewing inside each of us for a very long time and it is evident that our goals can be reached. Upcoming years hold our aspirations and, for the sake of class pride, I will name a few of our future professions: journalists, lawyers, Wall Street bankers, painters, politicians, businessmen/women, soccer players, beer-tasters, rappers, historians, dictators, Ke$ha interpreters, singers, actors/actresses, writers, bankers, contemporary poets, Quantum physicists, professional fist-pumpers, and chefs. We’ve got the list of careers covered from A to Z and it’s frightening knowing the decisions we make in our senior year will place us on our respective paths. But we have to remain determined and aware that aside from the fear, this will be one of the best years of our lives. Talk of Senior Trip 2.0 (because one isn’t enough for us), the menu of senior breakfast and the balada preceding it, senior churrascos and senior prank have begun. Senior year is happening; that is so much more comforting than “college applications are happening,” so why don’t we leave it with the former? That way we will head into next year with a little less fear and a little more confidence—along with a celebratory spirit.

...beer-tasters, rappers, historians, dictators, Ke$ha interpreters, singers, actors/actresses, writers, bankers, temporary poets, Quantum physicists, professional fist-pumpers, chefs etc.

We’ve got the list of careers covered from A to Z.

4 • the talon

Carolina di Roberto

L

ately, I’ve decided to go around São Paulo looking for cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes. I genuinely love them; so creamy, buttery, and fattening. They’re delicious. So I’ve looked around Jardins, Morumbi, Vila Madalena—every possible place that could have them. And guess what?

They do! Many new bakeries have opened just for these beautiful little concoctions.

I’ve been to around six or seven bakeries by now, and they’re all different from each other. I don’t remember the names of most of them, but that’s just because I chose not to remember them. Reason being, they don’t taste at all like American cupcakes, the way cupcakes should. Okay, they’re not awful. These Brazilian cupcakes are tasty and creamy, but they’re just not the same. Sure, I can taste the calories running down my throat and into my “tire factory” as our loving Amaral calls it, but I can’t taste the moistness that I should. You know what I mean. In the States you go into Magnolia Bakery or Crumbs, for example, order a hummingbird cupcake with cream cheese frosting, bite into it, and it feels like air. It’s as if you’ve bitten into a whole new world of buttery goodness.

You regret eating it because of the fat, cholesterol, calories, and well, everything else that comes along with it, but at the same time you don’t. But when I bite into my banana/caramel/ walnut or whatever cupcake here in São Paulo, after around

You should bite into that cupcake, blondie, lemon tart or whatever makes you cringe with delight, without feeling remorse.

20 minutes I regret every little moment of my splurge. I study for hours and hours daily, and when I bite into something so fattening, I want to be able to celebrate it.

Okay, maybe I’m being a tad bit harsh here. Let me slow down and explain myself. I am a foodie. I love food. I understand that most people love food too, but food simply makes me who I am. If I didn’t love food, I wouldn’t be able to call myself Carolina Di Roberto. If you spend as little as five minutes with me, you can already tell how important food and cooking is to me. But my heart goes straight to baking. I bake everything from profiteroles to cookies to, most importantly, cupcakes. Cupcakes are like my best friends. I watch Cupcake Wars religiously, just to keep up with new trends. I’ve seen

wordpress.com

hundreds of interviews with the creator of cupcakes, Sprinkles owner Candace Nelson, hoping that someday I’ll be just like her. I collect cupcake cookbooks, and I actually read them too. I am cuckoo for cupcakes. I’ve been to various cupcake shops all over the U.S. just so that I could feel what it would be like to own my very own store. I’m guessing you’ve gotten my point by now. I hope you’ve realized now why I’m so boisterous and critical about the art of making cupcakes. It is an art, and anyone that says otherwise is sadly mistaken. It takes true knowledge and talent to be able to make an ideal cake and ideal frosting. Otherwise, your customers will end up like me. Unsatisfied.

It’s not supposed to be that way, boys and girls. It should never be! You should bite into that cupcake, blondie, lemon tart or whatever makes you cringe with delight, without feeling remorse. You should only feel satisfaction, and that’s that. You’ve studied for what feels like forever, to skip through that phase of torture. My advice, to you, Mr./Ms. “I study, because there’s no such thing as not studying” is to wait it out. Don’t go out to the closest São Paulo cupcake shop just yet because, from my experience, you’ll regret it. I say either wait for your trip to the States, go to the padaria for brigadeiros, or make a cupcake yourself. Chances are those three options will, without a doubt, feel better than the cupcake you just bought around the corner. You won’t have that horrible aftertaste on your conscience. Trust me, I would know.

the talon • 5

point of view

point of view

My Will to Graded

It’s Right in Front of You

A final testament to the life and times of a senior

The quite obvious revelations

Danielle Bryant

A

s a senior of the class of 2011, this is my last will and testament, Graded School, São Paulo, Brazil. I revoke all former wills and dispositions and I declare this to be my last.

1. I appoint all future seniors of Graded School, São Paulo, Brazil to be the executors of all senior privileges and leadership positions. If these trustees are unable or unwilling to act, I appoint all underclassmen.

2. Subject to the payment of any debts, expenses and overdue library books owed by my estate, I give everything I have left behind to all future stressed IB seniors.

3. It is my wish that all future senior EICs should be the Guardians of the Writing Center and honor the Talon until they graduate.

Over the course of my two and a half years at Graded, I have had a plethora of experiences that I couldn’t have had at any other school, or in any other place. Graded has given me so much: new friends, new skills, new classes, new sports and a new language. However, in a proper and loving relationship, there is both giving and receiving. While Graded has given me so much, I can’t help but feel that there are things that I have given to Graded. Long after graduation is over, I know I will still feel as if parts of me were left behind, in the Writing Center, on the field, on the senior lawn, at the snack bar and in the hallways.

First and foremost, I have given every single ounce of my free time to Graded activities and extracurriculars. Every Saturday of my senior year has been spent at Graded teaching FALA and working Graded events and I have spent close to 100 hours sitting in the Writing Center for the Talon, after and before school hours, begging InDesign to work with me. I feel as though I’m losing another home, my Graded home, this year as I move back to the States.

Secondly, I have given Graded countless sleepless

6 • the talon

nights. Before I became a senior, I had never pulled an allnighter, however, during this year, I became known for them.

People often begged me to go to bed, at least by 2 a.m. but I would rarely heed their pleas. Tell-tale signs of my late nights were always the bags under my eyes and my trusty army of coffee mugs.

I have also given Graded three and a half gallons of tears, be they from crying during the terribly sad Spanish movies Leticia makes us watch, from the joy of finally doing well on a math test, from having stress breakdowns in the middle of the hallway, or from laughing until I’m doubled over, my sides achJulia Greenwald ing, with my friends.

I also leave behind over a hundred reais worth of “study food”. Moccachinos, pão de queijos, Pepsis, and the wonderful chocolate croissants will always be my go-to stress foods.

There isn’t a memory of free block that I have that doesn’t include food one way or the other.

The Graded field will be left with my sweat and toil from a semester of softball practice. Batting practice, plyos, running laps, attempting to pitch and trying desperately to be as talented as some of the underclassmen on the team are things I’ll recall when looking at the spot where home base once stood.

Lastly, I leave Graded with my heart. I love Graded and the people here like no other place I’ve lived. I have told countless teachers and students—anyone who will listen—that I’m not leaving. I vowed to sleep on the Writing Center couch next year and hang out in the PGC room during the day. However, the sad reality is that I am leaving. I will graduate from Graded and I will move on to university and life beyond. Regardless of where I may be physically, I know that my pieces of my heart will always reside here at Graded: in the Writing Center, on the field, in the PGC room, in the hallways and on the senior lawn. Thank you to everyone who has made my Graded experience possible. Words don’t describe how I will miss you.

Julia Abreu

H

ave you ever failed to notice the people around you?

Well, there are always those who will argue that love

Sometimes we don’t realize what is under our noses, as

happens at first sight or who will stick to the argument that if

cliché as that sounds. You might have experienced the ser-

you don’t run after love, you might as well die alone. First of

endipitous feeling of desperately searching for that special

all, what are the odds that you’ll fall in love with someone just

someone, when you are suddenly enlightened by one who has

by staring into their mesmerizing eyes? Fairytales make that

been a part of your life ever since you can remember. What

happen, but again, reality sets in. Second of all, dying alone may

if your soulmate is a person

result from spending your days

standing in the popcorn line

longing for the wrong person

right behind you, or a friend

and for the wrong reasons. So

you haven’t seen in a while,

who is right about this delicate

or even that one school peer

yet so blinding and pleasurable

who you never really got to

feeling? It is like a scientific

know well? Can’t we say love

experiment, where you look

is many times found this way?

for the desired outcome, and

Let us analyze this

you run trials and spend innu-

cliché. Hollywood, despite

merable hours trying to figure

distorting a sense of reality

out what you did wrong. Then

and repeating the same plot-

you finally comprehend that

lines, depicts fairly well the

there’s nothing wrong; you just

idea of finding love by acci-

weren’t looking at the right

dent. Take the recent movie

evidence in the first place.

Just Go With It, starring

Truth is, numerous

Adam Sandler and Jennifer

people ignorantly set their

Aniston. She is divorced and

minds to look for and wish

only has time to take care of

123rf.com for what they know is nearly

her children, he is single yet

impossible to acquire. Why? For

lies about having a wife. They work together, and when he asks

the simple, adventurous fact that the outcome of what they’re

her to pretend to be his ex-wife to impress a woman he likes,

in search of is often surprising and thrilling. Deep inside every

they realize they are made for each other. Not only do these

search, whether for love or any other sort of fulfillment in

love stories happen in Hollywood, they happen repeatedly in

one’s life, is the hope that the findings will be even better than

Brazilian novelas, where the main character usually looks for

imagined. Many people seek something more in their lives to

his or her true love and then suddenly finds it in a best friend

be certain that what they already have in front of them is in

or even the shy neighbor. Still not convinced that people’s af-

fact the best option. I suppose Hollywood, the cheesy novelas,

fections happen by chance?

and even Shakespeare depict our real standards incredibly

William Shakespeare might just be the answer to all

well. If we dig deep enough into our own thoughts, we’ll soon

emotional challenges. When reading his work we get a sense

discover that the human race in general is also driven by the

of his beliefs about serendipity. Dissecting one of the themes

whole serendipitous love cliché. Some may not agree that the

behind his play Twelfth Night, we notice that the suffering

person standing at the popcorn line, or the forgotten school

Duke Orsino—who wastes his days longing for Olivia—suddenly

peer, or even the friend who hasn’t been around has a chance

becomes conscious that he really adores Viola. Is Shakespeare

of being “the one.” However, if this concept is out there, then

trying to ridicule the stupidity and ignorance of the human race,

love can be positively revealed in this fateful fashion.

or is he simply trying to open our eyes to the truth behind love?

the talon • 7

news

news

He’s Dead; Now What?

Buried Alive

The possible aftermath of Osama Bin Laden’s death

The unfortunate tales of too many miners Yana Ahlden

I

t has been all over the news: Osama bin Laden was killed in what was called “a surgical raid” by U.S. forces on May 2.

Bin Laden was buried at sea, which inhibits the creation of a gravesite that could turn into a worshipping site for bin Laden’s followers. The details regarding his burial are unclear, although it is said that Bin Laden was buried “in accordance with Muslim tradition.” According to several different sources, the raid happened between midnight and 1:30 a.m. local time, which translates into around 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. GMT on Sunday. This allowed President Obama to share the surprising news with the public in a rare address from the East Room in the White House Sunday night.

The address will be remembered for years, maybe even generations, to come, especially the moment when Obama proclaimed: “And on nights like this one, we can say to families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaeda’s terror: justice has been done.” In this he expressed the feeling of the many Americans that stormed the streets shortly after, and even during, his address to celebrate what they believed to be the end of the war against terrorism. The death of Osama bin Laden has given the United States a sense of closure; there’s no doubt about it.

However, it should be noted that neither the war against terrorism nor the war against Al Qaeda is over. In a sense, a new point in the war has been reached in which the stakes are higher than ever and the motivation to do damage is soaring. Al Qaeda now has something else to fight for: revenge.

They must avenge the man they now consider a martyr. Consider their point of view for a moment. The seemingly invincible champion of their beliefs is now dead. He died for the cause.

He cannot die in vain. Thus, the statement released by Al Qaeda says: “We stress that the blood of the holy warrior sheik, Osama bin Laden, God bless him, is precious to us and to all Muslims and will not go in vain. We will remain, God willing, a curse chasing the Americans and their agents, following them outside and inside their countries... Soon, God willing, their happiness will turn to sadness, their blood will be mingled with their tears.” These men are serious and they are angry. Although on one hand this raid and the resulting death can seem as a

warning for every other terrorist group, Al Qaeda is willing to take the risk. They always have been.

Al Qaeda is not the only terrorist group that has threatened retaliation in the aftermath of Bin Laden’s death. The Taliban has, too. And so, this one raid could affect the policy and the success of the American mission in Afghanistan. A question that has been repeatedly asked regards the intelligence of the Pakistani government. Both governments claim that the Pakistani government had nothing to do with the raid and was kept in the dark regarding the operation. This has serious implications for American-Pakistani relations. If the Pakistani government actually did not know about the raid, then the entering of the four helicopters and 25 U.S. Navy SEALS into Pakistani territory could be considered a serious violation of Pakistan’s national sovereignty. In most cases, this is considered a formal declaration of war. However, Pakistani intelligence officers claim that US did inform them that a raid regarding a “high value target” was occurring. But only once the United States’ helicopter had entered Pakistan’s air space.

The secrecy regarding the raid could lead Pakistan to question how much the United States really is its ally in the fight against terrorism. The U.S. stands to lose one of its most important allies in the region if they do not handle this situation with care, specifically because many Pakistanis sympathize with Al Qaeda’s cause and support the Taliban. If the US were to split from Pakistan over the situation, experts agree that the United States does not stand a chance in the region.

Opinions differ widely regarding the death of Bin Laden, but in the United States, the general conception is that this was the right thing to do. Because of this, not surprisingly, President Obama’s ratings have risen. This could be the event that wins Obama the 2012 election. There are a lot of ifs and buts that surround the mystery that is the death of Osama Bin Laden. But one thing, and only one, is for certain. This man and his death have changed our lives forever.

The death of Osama bin Laden has given the United States a sense of closure; there’s no doubt about it.

8 • the talon

Sources used in this article: www.bbc.co.uk; edition.cnn.com; www.washingtonpost.com; www.cfr.org

Courtney Villeneuve

W

hat makes diamonds and gold so valuable? Yes, they are beautiful. And yes, traditionally, they have been seen as signs of wealth. But why the weighty price tag? The answer lies in how these precious materials were obtained. Gold and diamonds, along with many other valuable resources, such as coal and copper, can only be obtained by venturing deep into the surface of the earth. These operations are anything but flawless, and recent news has shown the dangers that miners face in both developing and developed countries around the world.

By now, the story of the 33 Chilean miners rescued after 69 harrowing days underground at the San Jose Mine has become famous. After a gold and copper mine in the Atacama region of northern Chile collapsed on August 5, 2010, the miners worked together using all of their wits and resources to keep each other alive and healthy during the ordeal. Finally, in mid-October, a daring rescue mission was carried out and all of the miners were safely brought back to the surface. Their tale is amazing—a tale of optimism, teamwork, perseverance, and courage. The men have since traveled all over the world to cheering crowds and smiling officials, receiving awards and accolades.

But these miners were not the only ones at risk. Less than a month later, on November 8, 2010, two men were killed and another injured at a different gold and copper mine in Chile when old detonators exploded prematurely.

The stories of trapped miners continue. On October 20, 2010, the last two miners trapped underground in an Ecuadorian gold mine were found dead after a cave-in earlier the previous week. It was believed that the men had access to water and air, even after the tunnel collapsed. The sad truth was the opposite—unlike the Chilean miners, these men will never reunite with their families or see the sunshine again.

These mining disasters are not limited to South America. On 18 November 2010, 29 miners and contractors were trapped after an explosion cut off escape routes at the Pike River mine in New Zealand. The rescuers were forced to wait while carbon monoxide tests were done on the air inside the mine to determine if it was safe for them to enter. While

at the time comparisons were drawn between the New Zealand mine and the Chilean incident, the similarities stopped at the fact that miners were trapped. The structure and quality of the mines were very different. And while the Chilean men were safely rescued, all 29 miners perished in New Zealand after another blast on November 24.

And it does not stop there. December 14, 2010: five miners killed in a Chinese coal mine. March 20, 2011: at least ten miners killed in a Pakistan coal mine. May 8, 2011: fourteen dead workers recovered from a Mexican coal mine. The list of heartbreak goes on, spanning back years.

Miners risk their lives every day to provide for their families and feed the world’s appetite for coal, gold, copper, and other resources.

These dangers are nothing new. Since the human race realized that it wanted and needed things so difficult to obtain, there have been popularmechanics.com mining accidents. Over the years, safety improvements have been made and legislation passed, but no mine is perfect and no government is perfect in its inspection and regulation of the industry. Too frequently, greed or a lack of funds for proper equipment undermine the desire to protect workers and their families.

After the disaster in Chile, President Sebastian Piñera acknowledged that laws and practices needed to change to ensure safety in the future for the benefit of everyone involved in the mining industry. He said that while “we cannot guarantee that another accident will never occur in the future” changes will be made. Chilean mines now are required to be compatible with international standards of safety and practice.

As citizens of a global community, we should care about where our gold, silver, copper, coal, and other natural resources come from. Positive changes are being made in the world of mining, but only time will tell if the efforts are enough to save lives in the future.

Source used in this article: www.cnn.com

the talon • 9

news

news

Webby Awards

200 Top Universities

The celebration that became the cyberspace Oscars

Where are the Brazilian universities?

Daniel Almeida

I

t’s that time of the year again. A time of enjoyment, a time for chuckles, a time to look back and thank the people who have made our world a better place. Do you know what I am referring to? No? It is time for the only trophy-bestowing ceremony with a Best Weird Category, an event of epic proportions: The Webby Awards.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Webby Awards, they are honors annually presented to websites, people, groups, and companies by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet within categories such as websites, interactive advertising, online film and video and mobile media. The Webby Awards are well known for pitching many established media organizations against tech startups, blogs and big-name brands. Two winners are carefully selected in each category—one by members of the IADAS, such as Martha Stewart, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Arianna Huffington—and one by the public who cast their votes via the Webby People’s Voice voting.

Now in their 15th year, The Webby Awards are some of the oldest and best-known Internet-oriented honors and have been associated with the phrase “The Oscars of the Internet.” They have honored the best (or, as some argue, the worst) of the Internet in various categories. These awards are for people who, by serendipity, were stumbled upon, and now get to be rewarded for what they did.

Last April, the IADAS announced the “best of the web” nominees. Winners were announced May 3 and an awards ceremony—which will feature its famous five-word acceptance speeches—will be on June 13. Some classics include winners like Al Gore (Please don’t recount this vote), the crew behind the The Beatles: Rock Band website (“A Webby! Yeah, yeah, yeah!”), and comedian Zach Galifinakis (“How am I on time?

S---!”).

Not yet interested? Well don’t give up! There are more! This year, the list of nominees included names such as Justin Bieber, Angry Birds, and the Old Spice guy. Other honorees reflected the rise in mobile devices, including tablet computers such as the iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, and Motorola’s Xoom. And for those hard-core handheld gamers, do not despair; the ultra-popular “pig-killing” birds took home the trophy for Best Mobile Game, despite the honorable mention Fruit Ninja. Angry Birds is truly a game that has taken off (pun semi-intended) in the past few months, being the best-selling iOS app of all time; it truly deserved this win.

The award ceremony also brings a list of celebrities nominated for their work on the Web. Zach Galifinakis

10 • the talon

is among those. He is becoming a Webby regular, earning both the People’s Voice award and the Webby award for his hilarious web-show Between Two Ferns. And for those who thought that the tween heartthrob Justin Bieber would miss out on this event, think again. Bieber was nominated for his irreverent spoof “Takeover” on the comedy site Funny or Die. Bieber’s Web power was strong as an online army of loyal fans voted him guaranteeing his win for the “Takeover” spoof.

This year the popular category of Best Viral Video was well represented with notable nominees such as “Bed Intruder” and OK Go’s “This Too Shall Pass” video, which featured an elaborate Rube Goldberg Machine. Other celebrated runners-up for Best Viral Video were the web series Rated Awesome and Old Spice’s Live-Response Campaign. The people have spoken and the People’s Voice award for the Best Viral Video went to Next New Networks’ “The Bed Intruder Song,” while Rated Awesome, also by Next New Networks, got the Webby Award.

In the Interactive Advertising Viral category, the famous “Mad Men Yourself” went head-to-head with the Old Spice Response Campaign. It was truly a battle of giants. However what got the Old Spice Campaign, a personal favorite, nominated for various awards is how their fast-paced commercials appeal both comically and visually to a mass audience, using the Internet as their outlet. This is a campaign that adapted its marketing techniques to how the Internet masses function: entertaining video equals more views. Old Spice was able to cleverly advertise their products in a revolutionary way, and for that they get to take home the award for their category.

The Webby Awards are also a spectacular way of awarding websites that spread awareness on serious issues that the human race is currently facing. Websites are awarded in their campaigns against ignorance, world hunger, and violence. A great example is the award-winning Conservation International, which was recognized for its attempts to spread awareness on conserving the environment. The Webby Awards are truly a celebration of hardworking people and companies who, through their efforts, campaigns, and actions, have made our Internet a much better and more amusing place. So on June 13th, turn on your television, sit back and tune in for what will be an incredible event.

Sources used in this article: edition.cnn.com; news-briefs. ew.com; www.wired.com; www.guardian.co.uk

Mendel Schwarz

A

s soon as Times Higher Education published its updated version of the world’s top 200 universities, Brazilian scholars turned their eyes to the list in the hope of recognizing a familiar national university. They found themselves dumbstruck and faced with overwhelming disappointment. As in previous years, Brazilian institutions of higher education weren’t able to make it onto the list.

The severe gap in schooling brought forward to us through this research seems to be a constant issue in every country situated within the South American continent. None of the Latin countries have any universities cited in the document. Of the nations that make up BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) Brazil is the single country with dynamic economic development that hasn’t had its name honored on the list. Russia and India have one institution each (Lomonosov State University of Moscow, and India Institute of Science respectively) while China has three colleges in the top 50 of the world (Tsinghua University, Peking University, and University of Hong Kong).

The institutions considered the five preeminent universities of the list haven’t suffered much of a change from the previous years. Harvard University still peaks list as the world’s number one university acquiring the maximum number of points (100). This American standard of establishment is followed closely by MIT (Massachusetts Institution of Technology), Cambridge University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Oxford University, in that order.

The results presented to the Brazilian population only demonstrate the precarious situation of the country’s education system. In 2007, USP (Universidade de São Paulo) was considered the world’s 87th finest university, but apparently has since deteriorated to such a point that its name hasn’t recently been seen in the list of the 200 top universities. Being a public institution, this may suggest that despite economic gains, Brazil’s government has undervalued the education of their youth in favor of different objectives. The results have already shown up. Economic growth has been such that our nation now faces an almost exclusive problem: there aren’t enough qualified employees in today’s job market to continue Brazil’s financial rise.

Not only is this significant to Brazilian industry, but it also shatters the hope of the nation’s students of acquiring a competitive education in their country. The prestige acquired by students who earn their diploma abroad is such that companies are financing their staff’s education in countries such as the U.S or England. The devaluation of our academic facilities has been mirrored in the treatment of Brazil’s teachers. Public educators receive salaries beneath average and have to resort to part time jobs in order to make a living. It isn’t uncommon to see infuriated instructors marching through the streets in a sign of protest. These protests are continuously ignored by the governors of the country who position themselves aloof of this catastrophe.

But politicians aren’t the dotecome.blogspot.com only ones to blame. Private corporations, differently from what occurs in the U.S., don’t offer any type of incentives to the universities. In foreign countries these companies finance research and the income is converted into libraries, building, and financial incentives to the teachers such as financing new courses for them. Another American tradition that doesn’t seem to exist in Brazil is the connection established in between student and school. In other countries it is common to see ex-students graciously offering annual or monthly donations to the learning institutions they once were a part of.

All in all, the Brazilian nation is facing a time of peril with such inadequate educational infrastructure. Our governors have to understand that in order for a country to progress it requires its people. Only with the close aid of the population will a country grow economically and socially. For the moment, the nation’s inhabitants have been left behind. The blame, of course, has to include not only the politicians, but our private companies and public companies should also extend a hand and offer more resources for educational development. The resources issued by the government for this purpose are essentially enough to build a nation, but the country suffers from corruption. Brazil is gaining power, and with power it gains more responsibility. Are we up for the job?

Sources used in this article: www.estadao.com.br; www.profcardy.com

the talon • 11

entertainment

entertainment

We. the Referees of Music

Shakespeare Turns Japanese

Is the media in charge of your tastes?

Literary classics are being adapted into mangas...really?

Julia Wu

C

lear your mind of impetuous thoughts and worries for a while. If you had the opportunity, at this very instant, to play one song for yourself, which one would it be? Why the preference? We put our money where our mouth is when we bet that this song serves a purpose, be it to soothe, enthuse, or remind you of something. For that reason, music isn’t limited to an array of notes, beats and chords. There’s quite a lot more to it. Moments can be converted into songs, and so can sentiments. This is why words just can’t always describe the connotation of a particular song—all it takes to comprehend a song’s meaning is to savor its content. With this in mind, let’s relate to the hits that are frequenting the radio and topping the charts today. How many of them have unique, symbolic lyrics and irreplaceable tunes that match the essence of music? Now, think about the artists that are the most successful at the moment, and how similar their works are. Have we rendered the mainstream music industry into one massive category?

I was making my own playlist of what we call “house music” the other day, when my four-yearold brother snook up beside me with a square object in his petite, chubby hands. He proceeded to tell me that it was mine, and I almost tossed the worn-out, soiled object in the trash before it dawned on me that it was an iPod I owned two years ago. Plenty layers of dust and scratches had accumulated on its surface. But since it is a serendipity to find something that possesses content from the “times of yore,” I immediately connected the device to my computer, eager to discover the memories. The iPod’s screen had already ceased to display content, but on my computer was a catalog of folders. (I used to save numerous photos, homework and diary entries on my music player.) Just by glancing through the information, I managed to unearth a part of me that had been left behind. Nevertheless, the written content wasn’t half as fascinating as the musical.

All the iPod harbored was 95 songs—some classic, some cheesy, some worth dancing to, and others from movies. Regardless of the genre, I had only included the music I was beyond doubt in love with—not just the most popular.

The instant I hit the Play button on the computer, those songs conveyed reminiscences, one after the other. Several

14• the talon

even took me some time to recall, but as soon as I did, the tunes sewed a recollection of my former self. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What came as a surprise, though, is that the musicians that used to sing out my earnest thoughts out are no longer doing so nowadays. In just two years, they went from “People got me questioning, where is the love?” to “I wanna, I wanna rock that now, go, oh, oh, oh,” What’s more, the overwhelming majority of songs that are dominating the market now are akin to those on my iPod—they all have “funky beats,” and references to money, alcohol and sex. Although I am by no means arguing that this type of music shouldn’t exist, the only songs that become popular are those, and their music videos are the ones that have half a billion views on YouTube.

We might step right in line with these music trends, although we aren’t necessarily fans of such music. Our iPods, then, pile up with songs that “everyone” is listening to, without showing regard to our own preferences. transparentproductions.org Who wouldn’t feel mortified if their iPod were set to play publicly and out of the blue, “My Heart Will Go On” comes to blow the speakers up?

Then again, what is the difference between “My Heart Will Go On” and the music that “kicks butt” within our circle?

Who has the right to judge that one is superior or inferior to the other? Yet, if musicians want to obtain instant success, they must produce what everyone wants—it doesn’t matter whether the lyrics make sense, and it is also not a problem if their voices are auto-tuned.

We are all evaluators of music, because we are its audience and market. It is undeniable that superb music incites emotions. You are the one who decides whether your songs satisfy you, so do not limit your items to the picks of the media and everyone else. As long as your music reflects your identity and experiences, it is pleasant and real. Just be bold and use any storage area available to build a melodic collection of your experiences and insights. Years from now, they will help you recall the path you took to get where you are, and who you used to be—and you shall not only thank the musicians, but more notably, your unique self.

Kevin Shimba Bengtsson

M

anga Shakespeare is a series of critically acclaimed books featuring cutting-edge manga illustrations with the abridged original text from Shakespeare. Manga is a visual medium originating from Japan, used for popular communication and education, increasingly popular in the West.”

Wait. What? No, this isn’t some twisted and, not to mention, belated April Fool’s joke, it is but a creation from the minds of SelfMadeHero, a London-based graphic novel and manga publisher, whose main purpose and intent is to bastardize well-known (or perhaps not even so) works of literature including, but not limited to: Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote as well as an extensive repertoire of Shakespeare’s most acclaimed plays. These literary classics are then morphed to suit the style of a graphic novel as well as to appease those coming from a more contemporary demographic (i.e. us teenagers, a new breed of lazy people).

To many, this is a catalyst for a call of rampant joy: “YES! No more need to read the gibberish that one ancient dude with that dumb name, Shakespeare, I think it was, put out! I can just read this shorter and, admittedly, ‘awesomer’ version of Hamlet and still ace my test! It has cool little cartoons too!”

Although a quasi-valid point, there’s still the one question that plagues my mind when confronted with something of this nature: How much of the original is left in the new adulteration?

Does the Elizabethan language remain? Even if it does, what about the slight nuances in his writing? Iambic pentameter?

These are all things that I assume are lost at the price of creating a more entertaining visual experience for the readers.

However, my assumptions could be completely erroneous and, for all I know, these manga-adaptations of classic works may be extremely faithful to the originals.

If they are indeed truthful to the authors’ intentions and do not toy around with either content or original meaning, then this would be a valid medium of portraying timeless classics after all. This is made even more (or less, depending on one’s skepticism) plausible because, according to the Manga Shakespeare website, the series is edited by “a leading Shakespeare scholar and an educational editor.” Perhaps on their own, the adaptations would not even ride the coattails of the mastery that the originals provided, but when read together, the two could provide not only a more memorable (and clear) understanding of the at times confusing and complex intricacies of works. For those who can’t stand the seemingly superfluous

detail behind their writing, looking at well-drawn, Japanesestyled cartoons could make the whole experience a bit more inviting and engaging. The only problem with this is that these adaptations are set in a modern context and could thus spark confusion for those unable to distinguish the discrepancies between the two.

Conversely, although quite possibly unchanged in terms of events, speeches, soliloquies, and so on, the fact that the entire context (i.e. location, time period) in which the stories take place could also prove to be a hindrance in content actually helping those to understand the tales in both educational and literary terms. Otherwise, these variations are but another form of adapting literary works, much like movies are (Harry Potter craze springs to mind).

SelfMadeHero – An up-and-coming publisher with an innovative idea. Flawed? Maybe. What is certain is that they not only have a pretentious name, but are also ludicrously propagating Japanese versions of famous literary works; ludicrous because they are a British company. I’ve yet to read one of their adaptations. But I’m certain that when I do, it will be something of note. Not sure if that is meant in a negative or positive connotation, but it will certainly be something to brag about: “Guess what I did that you didn’t? I read some curiously odd manga versions of Shakespeare over the weekend!” “Oh really? I don’t really care.”

Yeah… maybe not.

If publishers like SelfMadeHero continue creating works like these, they could possibly perpetuate a new form of appreciating a single work. If that indeed did happen, we could possibly see less complaining here at Graded in terms of the difficulties in reading classics with challenging language and, instead, see more students appreciating these works which are unequivocally extremely underrated at this school. In the meanwhile, I’ll just sit here waiting for my Harry Potter 21-inone pack: the seven books, their respective movies as well as their manga adaptations.

Sources used in this article: en.wikipedia.org; www.mangashakespeare.com; www.selfmadehero.com/about.php

the talon • 13

entertainment

entertainment

“Superstition Ain’t the Way” But you might want to watch your back anyway Ines Gil

T

here are many superstitions out there, yet heeding them is up to each person. But I’m not only talking about walking under a ladder or past a black cat. I’m talking about beliefs like how much misfortune dropping an umbrella can bring. Yes, an umbrella.

Graded has some superstitions of its own, like how walking under the bell next to the buses will keep you from graduating. But some are more superstitious than others. Sophomore Giulia Song claims, “I don’t believe in superstitions, but I rather not take any chances.”

Again, you can choose whether or not to believe in this, but here is some advice for you non-believers who might consider joining the superstitious. Whether or not you have heard of the following, your eyes could open to a new world of bizarre and startling superstitions.

1. A bird in the house is a sign of death.

You should think twice about having a pet bird; those things can be deadly. Already have one? My advice to you: good luck.

2. A loaf of bread should never be turned upside down after a slice has been cut off of it.

No longer will you look at your breakfast the same way. Say goodbye to slices and hello to chunks of bread.

3. Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.

Brooms cannot, CANNOT be used in more than one house. All the evil spirits, demons, or unbearable things like dust particles from past houses shall infiltrate your new house.

4. An acorn at the windowsill will keep the light out.

Or you can get a curtain. Whatever floats your boat.

14 • the talon

5. If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.

I wonder, does it make a difference if you pull off a leaf? What if a whole tree just falls on you? Will you just never get sick?

6. To dream of a lizard means you have a secret enemy.

If your secret enemy hates you enough to send lizards into your dreams, I would be worried. shotinthedarkmysteries.com

7. Evil spirits can’t harm you if you are inside a circle.

ALL HAIL THE HULA-HOOP INDUSTRY!

13. If you stick your hands in your pockets while walking past a graveyard, it will protect your parents.You might look a little odd, but your parents will appreciate it.

14. If a white butterfly circles around you, you will die.

Oh, don’t worry. There are definitely enough butterflies to circle every living organism.

15. Evil spirits lay on your head, so never put your hat on your bed.

So would a beheading be a favor towards someone then?

I suggest that you watch your back, because there are

many more superstitions out there than you might think. They are everywhere around you, although you might not notice.

Superstition can be found in different cultures and countries all over the world, and in many ways and forms, whether positive or negative. So, like the great Stevie Wonder once said, and repeated many times after, “When you believe in things that you don’t understand, then you suffer—Superstition ain’t the way.” Whether it is that you are too afraid to walk under that bell near the bus stop or you dread Friday the thirteenth, it is all in your own hands. Knock on wood!

Sources used in this article: akorra.com; www.weirdworm.com; itthing.com; listverse.com; www.sing365.com

Graded’s Ups and Downs The final weeks...

Adam Hunt Fertig

8. A knife placed under the bed during childbirth will ease the pain of labor.

Walking to the bathroom barefooted during the middle of the night doesn’t sound so wise now, does it?

9. If three people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first.

‘Tis proof that friends that come in threes are horrific. May the less fortunate go in the middle for majority’s good.

10. A salty soup means the cook is in love.

Found your best excuse, bad cooks?

Even with IB vacation homework, spirits soar as the end of school nears

A power vacuum is created as graduation leaves the senior lawn in dispute.

Even hit TV show “Glee” features Rebecca Black’s “Friday”. How much longer can this go on?

11. The number of X’s on your right hand is the number of children you will have.

Found many? Well, rejoice for a second, and start planning those college funds.

12. If the palm on your right hand itches, you will soon be getting money, and if the palm on your left hand itches, you will be soon paying money.

If both hands itch, then go to a doctor. I would get that checked…

the talon • 15

entertainment

entertainment

Trivialities

Overheard at Graded

Your monthly serendipity

Is it the stress or simply pure weirdness?

Julia Wu

W • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

hen tickled, rats laugh.

The lifespan of a taste bud is 10 days.

Women have a better sense of smell than men.

Although born on April 21, the Queen of England’s birthday is celebrated in June.

Queen Elizabeth II has a rubber duck in her private bath with an inflatable crown.

When glass breaks, the cracks move at speeds of up to 3,000 miles per hour.

Japan is the largest exporter of frog’s legs.

On average, the tallest people are Dutch.

No president of the United States was the only child of his parents.

At his death, bin Laden had five women and fathered over 20 children.

Sharks, like other fish, have their reproductive organs in their chests.

Ralph Lauren’s original name is Ralph Lifshitz.

Prince Charles and Prince William never travel on the same airplane.

Chewing gum while cutting onions can help a person from crying.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has killed 513 people in films.

King Kong was Adolf Hitler’s favorite movie.

Food can only be tasted if it is mixed with saliva.

Former American president George W. Bush was once a cheerleader.

In Chinese, the KFC slogan “finger lickin’ good” comes out as “eat your fingers off.”

During his lifetime, artist Vincent Van Gogh only sold one of his paintings.

Mount Everest has 3G coverage.

The chance of making two holes-in-one in a round of golf is one in 67 million.

There are three golf balls sitting on the moon.

A jiffy is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

Hence the saying, “I will be there in a jiffy.”

In Haiti, only 1 out of every 200 people own a car.

During a typical human life span, the human heart will beat approximately 2.5 billion times.

80% of all pictures on the Internet are of naked women.

The world’s tallest man reached 8 feet 11 inches (180 cm) at age 21.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their

16 • the talon

• • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • •

hair.

The higher the income, the more likely an American man is to cheat on his wife.

The city of Las Vegas has the most hotel rooms in the world.

Former Presidents Bush and Saddam Hussein had their shoes made by the same Italian shoemaker.

In India, people are legally allowed to marry a dog.

The chances of you dying on the way to get your lottery tickets is greater than your chances of winning.

Cherophobia is a fear of fun.

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

If your skin is laid flat, it will cover an area of 18 square feet.

California has issued at least 6 driver’s licenses to people named Jesus Christ.

The sloth moves so slowly that green algae can grow undisturbed on its fur.

6% of men propose over the telephone.

There are 23 doctors in the U.S. called Dr. Doctor, and one called Dr. Surgeon.

91% of us lie regularly.

Nicole Kidman has a morbid fear of butterflies.

53% of women will not leave the house without makeup.

45.2% of people pee in the shower.

There are no penguins in the North Pole.

At room temperature, the average air molecule travels at the speed of a rifle bullet.

Currently, 70% of U.S. businesses do NOT have a website.

You can’t create a folder called “con” in Microsoft Windows. Until 1893, lynching was legal in the United States.

In ancient Japan, public contests were held to see who could fart the loudest and longest.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team his sophomore year.

Ducks will only lay eggs early in the morning.

Napoleon constructed his battle plans in a sandbox.

Sources used in this article: nicefacts.com; funfactz.com; learnsomethingeveryday.co.uk; amusingfacts.com

Isabella Zevallos

D

ear Girls Above Me is a popular blog (www.deargirlsaboveme.com) that features regular posts by a man who,

whenever he hears any of the various interesting comments made by the two girls that live above him, creates theoreti-

Freshman hallway: Student A: “That’s weird. It says here he didn’t get a scholarship.”

Student B: “That’s because he’s in the financial aid pro-

cal letters to them and posts these on his blog. With a rather

gram.”

sarcastic tone and a clever sense of humor that adds a comical

I hope they shall understand this by the time they start ap-

feel to all of his posts, Charlie McDowell—the author of the

plying to colleges.

website—has thousands of followers that “retweet” his posts and visit his blog regularly. Such sense of humor is shown right as a person accesses the site: there is a tag-line that describes

Someone’s Facebook wall post to a friend: “A moccasin is a tree, right?”

the blog that says, “Two annoying girls moved into the apart-

Yes, yes… and a stiletto is a rare type of poisonous plant that

ment above me. I’m forced to hear every dumb thing they

grows to the north of Cambodia.

say. These are my letters to them.” In his actual theoretical letters, Charlie quotes the girls and makes a humorous comic after the quotes.

In attempt to translate this same idea to The Talon,

History class discussion: “But the problem wasn’t Lenin, the problem was the famine. Bread doesn’t grow in the winter.”

Melanie Vladmirschi created the Overheard at Graded regular

Sorry to break it to you, but bread doesn’t grow in the spring,

article that imitates the basic concept of Dear Girls Above

summer...or fall either.

Me because, after all, Graded is indeed quite full of…well… interesting, funny, and sometimes even rather stupid com-

Note: If you enjoyed this page, help The Talon gather quotes

ments floating around in our hallways. To carry on the legacy,

such as these to make this article a tradition of the magazine.

Overheard at Graded is back again. Please keep in mind that

Just eavesdrop and pay attention to funny moments or things

these comments are not supposed to be, in any way, offensive

you hear others say in the hallways or classrooms. Just e-mail

or demeaning for any person, and posts are kept anonymous;

us your Overheard at Graded moments to talon@graded.br,

as Melanie stated, “it is written in the spirit of fun, with the

with the e-mail titled, “Overheard at Graded.”

acknowledgment that we all make mistakes”.

Conversation in the junior hallway.

Student: “Where are the new kids from?”

Teacher: “They’re from everywhere and nowhere.”

Student: “So, from Texas?”

Texans tell me that they would appreciate it if Graded started offering some hard-core Geography classes.

In the English Department office: “Fidel Castro and Jon Krakauer don’t have the same vision.”

Just because one was a socialist revolutionary and the other an American writer who tends to write about the outdoors and mountain-climbing? Come on, their visions can’t be that different.

deargirlsaboveme.com

the talon • 17

viva voice

viva voice

Discombobulate ...and the world spins madly on Yasmin Della Nina

L

ook at me!” he yelled, “Look!”

There was no response from her. It was as if he wasn’t even there. Her eyes were vague, empty. Lifeless.

“Kate? Kate! Look at me, goddammit! Please! What’s the matter with you?”

No answer.

She walked into the kitchen, passing right by him, yet seeming like she didn’t even notice his presence, sobbing.

“Kate, tell me why you’re crying.”

She wouldn’t answer.

Ignoring him, she helped herself to a cup of water with trembling hands, then drank the whole thing in one breath.

Her cell phone started to ring in her pocket, but she didn’t answer.

“Aren’t you gonna get that?” he asked, trying to reach for her, but she moved right when he did, walking back into the living room and stared out the window.

He couldn’t understand what she was doing. In fact, he couldn’t really remember what had happened… Really, what could’ve happened for her to be like that? Immediately, millions of terrible scenarios ran through his mind; she cheated on him, she lost the baby, someone died, she doesn’t want to be with him anymore, he did something wrong, he— Suddenly, she dropped the cup on the floor, the glass splattering into a million pieces, interrupting his reverie. She turned around, facing him. At first he thought she’d finally decided to look at him, but she was looking past his body, towards their bedroom. She walked right his way, and he jumped to the side right before she knocked straight into him, zooming to their room, her bare feet bleeding after having stepped all over the glass. Her blood stained the carpets as he followed her, afraid of what was happening.

“Kate, your feet are bleeding. Tell me what’s happening. You’re scaring me.”

18 • the talon

She continued, deliberately ignoring him, and grabbed a box in their closet. A picture box. She grabbed the first picture she found—of the two of them in Italy—and shoved it in her pocket. Then she pushed the box out of her way and onto the floor, all the pictures spreading onto the blood-stained carpet.

Her cell phone started ringing once again, and with an exasperated sigh, she nervously flashed it out of her pocket and threw it out the window.

“What’s the matter with you?! Why in the world would you do that?!” He looked down the seven floors of the building, and there, on the ground below, her cell phone, like the water glass, was now fragments, just lying there.

He looked down at his feet, desperately thinking of something to do about this, but came up with nothing. He stared at the pictures on the floor, and there was something strange, an odd emptiness about them. He couldn’t put his finger on it though.

She then ran to the living room and grabbed the car keys, clutching them hard as she stared Yasmin Della Nina into the mirror. He followed her again, and placed his hand on her shoulder. She shivered from the touch, closed her eyes and walked away, unlocking the front door and looking around before leaving, still barefoot and bleeding.

The elevator doors closed before he could get to her.

He couldn’t understand what was happening.

He ran down the stairs as quickly as he possibly could, almost falling down as he did, and reached the garage just in time to rush out the closing gate, her car speeding and screeching away.

“Kate!” he called, “Kate, come back!”

He ran after her, like never before.

“Stop her!” he yelled to people on the streets, but they ignored him as well. What was this?! A conspiracy?!

He realized she was heading to the bridge.

No. Please, not what he was thinking…

Somehow, he managed to force his legs to move faster, and he felt almost like they would dislodge themselves from the rest of his body—he wouldn’t mind, if it meant they’d reach her in time. Yet he was still so far away from her. It was as if he were underwater, desperately trying to reach the surface but unable to move quickly enough, almost like a dream. He needed air.

He needed to save her.

But it was too late. He cried her name one last time before seeing her car fly off the bridge and burst into the water, onlookers around him screaming as well. He fell on his knees, his face buried in his hands.

Kate was gone.

He opened his eyes slowly, looking back to where she’d fallen, and in the midst of the chaos of screaming people and the wild noise of the twinkling sirens, someone, a woman, stood there. Watching… Just watching. She walked away, her black jacket wound tightly around her, its hood pulled over her head, covering her face.

He didn’t move when she walked toward him. As she reached him, his entire body shivered, and everything around him went cold. Except for the woman—she was warm.

She stopped next to him, gasping. She pulled her hood down, revealing the most beautiful face he’d ever seen. She deliberated before reaching to touch him, his cheek, and gasped again, as if the feeling was odd to her.

She began crying again and hugged him.

He was so shocked to see her that for a moment he had no response. But then the puzzle pieces finally fell into place, and he understood.

As they hugged in the middle of the street, her bleeding feet staining the solid, grey ground. He ignored the car that came speeding, unaware of their presence.

The car flew right through them, like a knife cutting into smoke.

And they were together.

Accidents in our World A poem about serendipity

Tessa Peixoto Serendipity Is the act of walking into a wardrobe and finding another world, The love within it is like no other Troubled by a heartless frost.

Serendipity Is like greeting a stranger that later inspires your smile, The joy thrills your every muscle Though at times it will be lost.

Such events cause worlds to cooperate, Such events cause people to believe, Yet we still witness the wrong Watching the evil in their eyes Watch us.

the talon • 19

features

features

Being Lucky for Dummies

Stumblers Unite!

A fresh start in your new fortunate life

A brief look into an informational phenomenon Ho Jun Yang

E

very culture in the world has its superstitions. You may or may not be an ardent believer of such claims that don’t necessarily have scientific backing, but you’ve probably heard some people talk about them. After all, even if you don’t mean to hear about it, superstitions are embedded in culture and referenced in popular entertainment. How many times have movies used black cats, broken mirrors, or owls to represent bad luck? And who hasn’t heard of Friday the thirtenth?

There are countless others that aren’t as prevalent in Western cultures, which have become so dominant that some people will even unconsciously try to avoid the “unlucky number” and try to walk away from black cats. However, this doesn’t mean that superstitions only indicate bad luck. There are just as many good-luck superstitions, if not more. How many times have you gone looking for a four-leaf clover as a child, or did you have a lucky horseshoe or a rabbit’s foot or any type of object that you thought made you lucky? Athletes often consider lucky charms necessary. All these superstitions are, after all, a way to try and enhance luck. What people try to do with superstitions is to find some sort of way to control fortune.

People end up attributing a lot of the outcome of events in their lives to luck. This makes people constantly wish that they were luckier. That’s why people go look for four-leaf clovers, or use that special pair of socks during the big championship match. Former American television and radio host Larry King even once said, “Those who have succeeded at anything and don’t mention luck are kidding themselves.” So how would you like to get lucky?

Richard Wiseman, Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire did a study in the 1990s to examine luck. After gathering people that felt both lucky and unlucky, he interviewed them, monitoring their lives over years. Ultimately, he concluded from his research that people’s thoughts and behaviors are responsible for most of what people consider to be their fortune. In one of his experiments, he gave both the “lucky” and “unlucky” people a newspaper and asked them to look through it and count the number of photographs inside. Halfway into the newspaper, Professor Wiseman had placed a large message that said, “Tell experimenter you have seen this and win 250 pounds.” This message took up half of the page and was written in big font letters. Although the message had been inserted secretly, it

20 • the talon

wasn’t inconspicuous at all. At the end of the experiment it seemed that unlucky people tended to miss the messages while the lucky people tended to notice them. He interpreted his findings by saying that “Unlucky people are generally tenser than lucky people, and this anxiety disrupts their ability to notice the unexpected.” The unlucky person can be understood as the type of person that goes to parties seeking geniussquared.com to find their perfect partner and ends up missing the opportunity to make new friends. They are the type of people that skim through newspapers to find specific types of job advertisements and miss the opportunities for other types of jobs.

In general, Wiseman observed that lucky people were more relaxed and open, therefore willing to see what is there instead of what they’re looking for. He then eventually summarized lucky people’s “luck-bringing-attitude” into four principles: they are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities; they listen to their intuition, which in turn led to lucky choices; they created self-fulfilling prophesies by having positive expectations, and they adopted a sort of endurance to bad luck transforming their “bad luck into good.” Using these results, Wiseman further expanded his research by asking a group of volunteers to spend a month of their lives by carrying out what he calls, “exercises designed to help them think and behave like a lucky person.” Basically, these exercises encouraged the people to live their lives according to those four principles.

This further research revealed that out of the volunteers, 80% of the people were happier and considered themselves to have become luckier. This test had both lucky and unlucky people and—at least in their minds—the unlucky people had become unluckier while the lucky people had become luckier. So he argued that for someone to be lucky they should follow these tips: listen to your gut instincts; be open to new experiences, breaking your normal routine; spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well; visualize yourself being lucky (bbc.co.uk). Ultimately, luck is a subjective emotion, and you control whether you are a lucky or unlucky person in life. So the next time you make a shot in a basketball game or just wander the streets, think to yourself: “I am the luckiest person alive.” Who knows what opportunities you might encounter?

Adam Hunt Fertig

A

comparison of lyrics from the 70s until now; an actual 1890 vampire-hunting kit; a Helen Keller simulator (a black screen); psychedelic-fish wallpaper, a homemade chai tea latte recipe; an article about the nature of existence; how to turn water into marbles; a strange interactive music program; pictures of space from NASA; a giraffe in a skyscraper; an introduction to cubism; a description of Holi, the Hindu celebration of colors; a video of a kitten riding a turtle; contemporary pieces by a Japanese sculptor; what to do if you make first contact with aliens; how to write a research essay in 6.5 minutes; an online archive of jazz music; a design concept for a portable printer; a Photoshopped picture of Radiohead; and how to make a no-glue CD case.

This is what I got from 20 Stumbles, a mere slice of the potential of StumbleUpon. For those of you who don’t know, StumbleUpon is a website that sends users on a wild ride through the Internet. After a quick and free registration, with the click of a button (Stumble!) the site begins sending visitors to websites according to some of the interests that they input.

As they click “like” or “dislike” on sites, it begins fine-tuning what people want to see until every Stumble is worthwhile.

Also, everyone’s Stumble settings are different, making it a custom-made search tool. Looking over my mom’s shoulder I see articles about the science of emotion, Buddha, and tons of TED talks; she must have checked the boxes for Alternative Culture, Writing, Education, or Hinduism, for example. Then, if someone really likes something, they can post links to Facebook or Twitter, letting their friends know what they’ve found. Since I started using it sporadically three months ago, I’ve built up 117 interests, from communism to classical music, space exploration to satire, and 150 “favorites,” or bookmarked pages. I know several people who have passed the 500 milestone. One “top stumbler” has around 309,000 favorites.

For some, the initial concept may seem timeconsuming, unproductive and outright boring, but those people haven’t tried it or don’t yet understand the genius

behind the idea. For example, if someone’s busy, they can set their interests to the topic of a project, and it becomes a valid and effective search engine. If they’re not busy, it generates endless tidbits of stuff to do or look at. But besides being a random site generator, through StumbleUpon people can actually learn something (gasp!). With every click of that button Stumblers discover a new, interesting, possibly valuable, possibly enlightening, and, who knows, possibly life-changing, piece of information. Outside of Stumbling, how often do you do that? For example, a little while ago I found a collection of political and philosophical publications, so I “favorited” it. A little while later I came back to that, looked at some of the descriptions, and ended up reading the entire Communist Manifesto (that’s a whole different story, but suffice it to say it really rocked my world). The same thing happened after reading an article about a real-life hobbit home www.androidandme.com someone built, which led me on an odyssey of links resulting to me making an account on an eco-architecture forum. Through my “cult films” interest, I found a site which led me to download a bunch of incredibly cool and idiotic movies.

Granted, StumbleUpon’s claim to help the world “discover the best of the web” is accurate to some extent. The video of the kitten riding a turtle mentioned above probably won’t help anyone very much with anything they’re looking for. But who cares? It’s cute. And web surfers would get the same mingled, yet slightly less fascinating, results with any other search engine.

Serendipity, the topic of this Talon issue, is essentially the accidental discovery of “good” things. Nothing better epitomizes that than StumbleUpon. Endless, contemporary, programmed serendipity still counts, right? I admit, it’s not for everyone, and not everything one finds is a gem. There are, absolutely, kinks in the programming that aren’t quite worked out yet. The question is, isn’t flawed serendipity better than none at all? I mean, we’re going to Stumble in life no matter what. At least with StumbleUpon, there’s a chance we’re stumbling in the right direction or at least an entertaining one.

the talon • 21

features

features

The Miracles of Accident and Chance

Omnia Gratias

Ever wish everything would go exactly as planned? Think again...

Give thanks for everything

Lucas Zuccolo

S

erendipity is “making fortunate and unexpected discoveries by accident” (American Heritage Dictionary). Translation: it’s like when you ace a test you forgot to study for, or when you pull off a 1337 move by accident, or when you uncover that book you thought you’d lost while scouring your locker for the ruler you know you have in there somewhere. It’s when you unintentionally discover something good.

Apart from being gratifying, these gold nuggets of occasion can also be very useful, most notably when related to scientific discoveries and inventions. Here is a list from Wikipedia of some of the most interesting serendipitous discoveries of the scientific realm, ranging from the most famous to the most obscure innovations, with some oddities about them sprinkled in between.

Penicillin Amongst the most widely known of such discoveries is penicillin, one of the first and most effective antibiotics, discovered by Scottish scientist Alexander Flemming. While a brilliant researcher, Flemming was also known for his untidiness; upon leaving to spend a holiday with his family, he employed a high-tech method to safely store his cultures of staphylococci, a bacteria he was studying. He stacked them all on a bench in the corner of his laboratory. When he returned, he noticed that one of the petri dishes had been contaminated, and the fungi that were growing there seemed to have killed off the bacteria.

Further research of this led to the discovery of penicillin, which Flemming dubbed “mold juice” until bestowing a more suitable name. Flemming said, “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer, but I suppose that was exactly what I did.”

Microwave Ovens Percy LeBaron Spencer was an American engineer who worked mainly with magnetrons, which had been a relatively new invention. These magnetrons generate the microwave radio signals critical to the function of radars. He was tinkering with an operational magnetron when he realized that the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. After experimenting with popcorn and tweaking the settings, he eventually came up with the microwave oven, a staple appliance in any modern-day kitchen.

Slinky The ever-popular Slinky was created by naval engineer Richard Thompson James who was attempting to create a sus-

22 • the talon

pension system to keep sensitive instruments on ships safe even in rough seas. James accidentally dropped a tension spring he was working with, and the way it “stepped” from one surface to another, eventually settling upright on the floor, inspired him to create the toy. The Slinky has been used in classrooms as a teaching tool, during wartime as a radio antenna, and even at NASA, to conduct experiments. Not to mention, it’s incredibly fun to play with. Over 300 million Slinkies have been sold, and it is the official state toy of Pennsylvania.

Silly Putty Another unexpected hit toy was Silly Putty, the result of U.S. government-funded research into the creation of synthetic replacements for rubber, an important component of much military apparel when its supply was greatly diminished due to Japan’s southeast Asian expansion during World War II. Credit for its invention is disputed between Earl Warrick and James Wright, who both claimed to have discovered it first.

Though an interesting material with several unique properties, the putty did not have the necessary characteristics to replace rubber, and so was left alone for a while. Near the end of the war, Wright sent samples to several scientists around the globe in hopes of finding some practical use for it; none was found, but the putty eventually found its way into the hands of Peter Hodgson, who popularized it as a toy, which later spread to practically the entire world. Several other uses were subsequently found for it and slightly different variations of it, including being used in cleaning to gather dirt and being used as a drumhead resonance dampener. It has even been taken to the Moon, courtesy of the crew of the Apollo 8, who used it for its adhesive properties to secure their tools in zero gravity.

Honorable Mention Here are some other examples of things serendipitously invented or discovered that deserve being mentioned: Post-it notes, inkjet printers, Corn Flakes and Wheat Flakes, gelignite (an explosive), chocolate chip cookies,safety glass, Xrays, gravity, LSD, polyethylene, Teflon, Superglue, cellophane, Aspartame, matches.

Isn’t it impressive what people achieve accidentally?

Imagine sitting through that bad cold without any antibiotics, or watching movies at home without microwavable popcorn or taking a physics course where you don’t get to play with a Slinky. So next time things don’t go exactly as you planned, remember, it’s better than living with no surprises.

Gini Chi

I

open my secret storage box and spot a brand-new candy cane, one that had managed to elude my candy cane craze. At my favorite bookstore I realize that I am the lucky reader to buy the last copy of my long-sought-after novel. I spin and jump as I discover that a music CD I had ordered without any thought happens to be one of the fifty limited deluxe edition. These are some examples of serendipity that I used to dream about.

But as of now this is not true. I do not wish for serendipity anymore because I am already enjoying it. In truth, everything I treasure resulted from serendipity.

I have never truly appreciated what I have; musing through them as I write my last Talon article, I realize that life itself is serendipity.

First, my family.

Although my family life has not been a perfectly smooth, I cannot imagine myself picking a fight with my best friend’s brother or chatting with someone else’s parents. Second, my friends. Speaking about my friends, I have never befriended someone on purpose. It was by pure accident or coincidence that I got to know my friends. But my life would have been tremendously incomplete without any of them. Third, my homeland. Korea is not a perfect nation, but to me it has always been a country of an overly intense education, absurdly high-priced ice creams, and terribly busy crowds.

But I am proud of the fact that I was born in the land of kimchi (traditional Korean dish) and K-pop (Korean pop, for the win).

Fourth, my engagement to TVXQ, one of the most celebrated music groups of Korea. Yes, I feel infinitesimally sheepish about admitting this, but I am just another typically crazy fan girl (giggles). Fifth, my discovery of Christopher Nolan. When I first saw The Dark Knight, I couldn’t even feel my jaw slack throughout the 152 minutes of running time. After watching Memento my mind was saturated with scenes from that film for days. When Inception hit the world, I was infected by Nolanism, which is what I call the inexplicable affinity for this mindbender in disguise as a film director. When I first heard that The Dark Knight Rises was scheduled for release in July 2012, I made the sign of the holy cross across my chest and gathered my hands in prayer, as a faithful follower of Nolan. Sixth, my four years as a Graded student. Even though I do not believe in God, I often gaze at the heaven and give thanks to some omnipotent being for allowing me to learn and grow within the arms of

this school. Seventh, Brazil. I can still remember myself as a nine-year-old whining about the lethally scorching sunshine of Manaus and cursing the chairman of Samsung for sending my father into the middle of the Amazon rainforest. But now I can’t imagine myself not having grown up in Brazil. As I previously mentioned, I became friends with unforgettable people and grew as a member of the Graded community. This South American country is now my second home, and I am proud of being able to say so. Eighth, my passion for writing and science.

Even at this very moment as I let my fingers dance across my laptop, I shudder at the thought of me pursuing some other subject or hobby (no offense to non-scientists or nonwriters). Ninth, my identity. I am not the best type of person anyone would want to hang out with. I am not hot, cute, feminine, or sociable. I prefer to lie across my bed with a thick book in my hand and a headphone over my head with no one else in my room, while other girls at my age hang out during weekends for movies and shopping.

But I have never felt envious of people for being different. This is my character, and I want to be true to myself.

Finally, every single day is serendipity. Whenever I have huge IB assessments or important tests that immediately follow the dreadful long-term projects, I automatically complain that my day cannot possibly get any worse. But when I regain my composure as I prepare to call off the day, lying in bed, I muse through my choices I realize that, yes, my day could have gotten worse. I remind myself of the day, about five years ago, when I definitely had the worst night of my life after an ordinary school day (I won’t go into details of what happened that night, for the privacy of others involved). What if that same night repeated itself after I returned home with loads of homework — that even thinking about wears me out? And the recent earthquakes in Japan had carved into my head that any or all days can turn out to be a disaster. Could the victims of the tragedy in Japan have guessed that their towns and lives were about to be devastated? What if what happened to them happened to us?

Every day is serendipity. Some of what I have may be the result of my own decision, but in origin, everything I encounter is purely accidental, serendipitous. I am grateful of what I have, and will always remember this.

In truth, everything I treasure resulted from serendipity. I have never truly appreciated what I have; musing through them as I write my last Talon article, I realize that life itself is serendipity.

the talon • 23

features

features

Practice for 10,000 Hours

What Will I Win in Return?

Apparently that’s all it takes to achieve perfection

Studies prove that rewards are not the best incentives Yana Ahlden

F

irst of all, I don’t believe in good fortune, serendipity, fate, is clumsy; its basic rules seem arbitrary and complicated.” This or whatever you want to call it. To me, there is no greater statement is true for most Western children, but Asian children power out there guiding us to a predetermined destiny. Even do not face this complication. Why? Because the way their though I admit that it’s comforting to imagine that there is language expresses math just makes more sense. This may be someone or something out there that takes care of us, I’m the cause for the enjoyment that many Asians find in math.

It’s easy to them and so it’s fun. And not convinced. Maybe that’s why I bought into because it’s fun, they work harder, are Malcolm Gladwell’s theory so easily. In his book more willing to do their work, maybe Outliers, Gladwell proposes the theory that even take more math classes. anyone has the potential to become successful The more we practice something the at anything, under one condition. They have to better we are at it. That’s why we practice that activity for 10,000 hours. After practice our sport before we play a 10,000 they would have not reached perfection, game or run through our lines before but they would be what we call outliers, natural the opening night of our play. And if talents, geniuses, and so on. something doesn’t go well, we just In his book, Gladwell investigates say, “It’s not my thing” or “I’m just several different scenarios of people whom not good at it.” But is that really all society might consider successful. In the case there is to it? Could it be that if we of athletes, he found a shocking revelation: practice more, we would become betmost successful athletes were born in the first ter? Could it be that if we work harder, months of their respective year. By that I mean things become easier? I’m tempted January-March, and some in April. Very few sucto say no, because I dislike math and cessful athletes were born after those months. doubt that I could ever enjoy it. But Gladwell offers the following explanation. ProI have to admit that there are units spective professional athletes are discovered at in Math class that I have enjoyed and a young age. At this age, children are put into units I have disliked in History, one groups according to age and when scouts look for prospective players, they are automatically pacejmiller.files.wordpress.com of my favorite subjects. And if I look at the units I enjoyed, I see that my drawn to the stronger, faster, and bigger ones.

These players are generally older than their peers because they grades increased, while during the units I disliked my grades have had more time to grow, eat, and develop. After they have decreased.

So, is there such a thing as talent? Or luck? Or serendipbeen chosen, these older kids are placed into teams that have more intense practices, better coaches, and more games. This ity? Or does success just come down to hard work, dedication, allows them to further develop their skills, while leaving their and your birthday? That’s what I believe. Sure, you can argue that maybe there is an element of fate and that some people peers behind.

However, Gladwell did not only investigate athletes, have a natural inclination for some things rather than others, but he also looked at students. At Graded we find several but that won’t change the fact that someone who has played stereotypes concerning what kind of people are good at what soccer on a team three times a week since he was six is going kind of classes. The most famous: Asians and Math. So, why are to play better than someone who’s been playing for a week.

Asians good at math? Gladwell found an answer. It begins with That’s just the way it is. And maybe, someone’s body type just the way numbers are said: “For numbers above twenty, we allows them to run faster or someone’s voice is able to hit those westerners put the ‘decade’ first and the unit number second: high notes. But without practice you can’t get anywhere. So if twenty-one, twenty-two. For the teens, though, we do it the I were you, I would stop complaining about the amazing player other way around.” In Asian languages, according to Gladwell, on your team or that math wiz in your class (we all have one) this is different and more logical. Fourteen is ten then four and and make it your goal to surpass them. I’m willing to bet that thirty-five is three then five. But that’s not all. Gladwell argues they have worked much harder on whatever you’re jealous of that “math doesn’t seem to make sense; its linguistic structure than you have. So get your 10,000 hours. Be successful.

24 • the talon

Paty Kim

T

here will be a prize.” All eyes widened slightly and all of the students in class straightened up in their chairs.

Obviously, they had ignored my previous pleas to pay close attention because I was pretty sure the only word they heard was “prize.” The fact they were so absorbed in my quiz at the end of the presentation made me wonder if they would have shown such attentiveness if I hadn’t mentioned the candies I had brought. The truth is that if I did a second presentation without a reward, the majority wouldn’t even bother to look at me. Handing out prizes was, to me, the most efficient way to keep my audience captivated.

But studies have shown that intrinsic interest in a task – the sense that the task is worth doing for its own sake – goes on a downward spiral when someone is rewarded for doing it. Psychologists have, for example, observed that young children who are rewarded for drawing are more likely to not enjoy the task as much as the kids who are doing it because they cherish participating in that activity. Teenagers who are given a word game and offered a prize at the end, are more likely to learn less than the ones who finished the game without the intention of winning something in return.

These prizes can come in all different shapes and sizes: from Academy Awards for professionals in the film industry to a child’s reward. At school these rewards are known as grades.

Grades can serve as guides and motivation.

As a school of impeccable reputation and a place of opportunities, Graded offers the best of education to students.

With such high standards, many do their best to maintain high grades and participate in as many extracurricular activities as their tight schedules allow, all in the hope of getting into a top university. But would all these hard-working students at our school give their best if they weren’t rewarded with good grades? Let’s say all the educational groups in the world decided to put an end to the grading system and just let the students learn from their own incentives. It is surprising but the reality is that more than half of the students wouldn’t have the high GPA’s or the long list of extracurricular activities they have today.

Graded history teacher Ms. Petersen, was asked if she thought that the students would attend classes and turn in assignments if there wasn’t a grading system. She thought that some people would, but there would also be a good amount of who wouldn’t. Students certainly agreed. Ten Graded high school students from different grade levels and genders were asked if they would still do their work if this school simply stopped giving them grades for the work that was turned in. Answers varied radically and only two students affirmed that they would still work hard inside the school environment. The remaining eight students made it clear that they would not give their best – if they came to school at all. A tenth grade student who was asked the question said that “if the school just stopped giving us grades, there wouldn’t be a reason to work so hard.” A junior student affirmed, “I would still come to school because I believe I am responsible for my own education.”

Amongst various responses it blogspot.com is evident that the majority of the students here at Graded would not be as diligent as they are today if the school stopped motivating them with grades. This showcases how dysfunctional the student’s motives for coming to school are becoming. Many students study and turn in assignments only encouraged by the chance of earning a good mark. In fact, if these students truly valued their learning, would there still be cheating on our school grounds? Teachers constantly remind students that they should strive for their own learning, not only for an A+. But studies prove that people’s actions are corrupted by rewards and therefore in this case students disregard the objective of learning.

What we need here is a Graded without grades. Without a grading system, each student would be able to grow encouraged by his or her own motivations and not because the teachers give them grades. Ideally, in each classroom everyone would be able to rejoice in the opportunity they have to learn and better absorb what is taught. Wouldn’t that be simply perfect?

But as we get back to reality, we know that just cutting out the grading system is merely a dream.

Sources used in this article: gnu.org

the talon • 25

sports

sports

The Changing of the Guard

Speaking Sign Language

NBA evolution

To what extent do baseball signs actually change the game?

Kyle Bissell

T

his NBA post-season is one that will be remembered for years to come. Not only did the 8th seed Grizzlies upset the 1st seed Spurs, but the Los Angeles Lakers, last year’s NBA champions, were swept by the Dallas Mavericks and sent packing early. To add to this drama, last year’s Eastern Conference champions the Boston Celtics were sent home early by the Miami Heat.

Is this the official changing of the guard? Do these old teams that have dominated over the past ten years not have what it takes anymore? Only time will tell.

Now it is official — there will be a new champion this year in the NBA. After three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, and two championships, the Los Angeles Lakers have been sent home early.

This is what many are considering the end of an era. Kobe Bryant promises that the Lakers will be back in “championship form” by next year but many are still skeptical, some even suggesting a remake of the team’s roster and identity. Magic Johnson, the ex-Laker star, believes that his old team has to give up either Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum. This would be a start considering how badly they played in this series, Gasol in particular.

What makes this transition even harder is that Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson is reportedly not going to be coaching next year, meaning that on top of remaking their roster they must find a new coach. According to the players, the logical replacement would be Brian Shaw who has been the assistant coach for the Lakers for the past two championship runs, but there are others who may step in. There have been reports of TV analyst Jeff Van Gundy, Houston’s ex-coach Rick Adelman, and Mike Dunleavy all being considered for the job. To add to the Lakers anxiety, there have been nonstop talks over the Orlando Magic’s star Dwight Howard taking his talents to Long

26 • the talon

Beach in the summer of his 2012 free agency. This has got to be an exciting (and nail-biting) moment for Laker fans. Either way the Lakers will undergo a very busy summer and only time will tell if Kobe’s promise holds true.

On the other side of the country, last year’s Eastern Conference champs (who were five minutes from being NBA Finals champs) have also been sent home early. The Boston Celtics experienced their earliest playoff exit in the Kevin Garnett / Ray Allen era. After Rajon Rondo’s late game heroics during Game 3 in which he played with a dislocated elbow, he was not able to play at a high level in Games 4 and 5, thus hastening end of the Celtics season. Although it may look like it, the Celtics roster is not too old for another championship run. With the talents of Rajon Rondo and some younger bench players that can take minutes, pardonmybias.com the Cs can be back to championship form after their own busy offseason. To add to this newfound hope just after it was lost, head coach Doc Rivers has signed an extension for five more years with the Celtics. This means he will coach Boston after the Big Three era is over.

Of course, another championship will not be easy with the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls now in power as well in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics will face their own challenges with their cap space. They may have some flexibility if Jermaine O’Neal, after an injury-filled season, decides to retire. Shaquille O’Neal might be at this same point as well.

At this moment they need young, talented players for a cheap price – a challenge in this league when you take into account that such players will probably not give up a higher salary for a championship at this point in their careers. Either way, it would not be surprising if we haven’t seen the last of this veteran team.

Kevin Wolfson

T

he fat guy standing near first base is not itching almost every part of his body because he has lice. Yes, that is what it looks like, but this man is actually speaking to other team members on the field. Whether it comes from players, coaches, or even the water boy, baseball signs are the main method of secret communication in this sport.

Baseball signs are visual movements of the body that serve as encrypted messages. Instead of screaming to the runner on first base, “STEAL SECOND NOW!” the coach might slap his stomach, touch both ears, and end with a pluck of his nose, giving the same previously mentioned message to the players in an indirect”manner.

These signs serve as hidden messages so that players and coaches can communicate knowing that the opposing team won’t have a clue about what they’re saying.

There are three main groups of baseball signs that every professional team should have. The first visual conversation begins with the pitcher and the catcher, where the latter tells the former what kind of pitch would fool the batter, at what velocity, in which direction, and so on. The second group belongs to the batter and the coach, where they ‘talk’ about what direction the batter should hit the ball, if he should try to walk, if he should try and hit a home run. The last group is between the base runner and the coach. As previously stated, they discuss if a steal is in order, or if the runner should watch out for a pick. Every team has their own different set of signs; they are essential for tactical plays.

The signs are something that only the players and coaches know, and are unique to each team. As disturbing as it sounds, even scratching their genital areas are signs for ome teams. Most amateur teams stick with simple hand and finger movements that can be spotted from a long distance, but major leaguers are a different story. Various major league teams can send a whole sentence just by twitching an eyelid. A completely different sentence could be said if the person twitched their eyelid and blinked right after. The higher the level of baseball being played the higher the complexity of these messages, and decrypting them might be one of the hardest challenges opposing teams face when playing a smart tactical team.

Many argue that this form of communication really doesn’t change the game that much. This point is actually

valid: naturally one would assume that any major league player, receiving a multi-million dollar salary, would know what to do in almost every situation of the game. Yet baseball is the sport of details. Every little detail counts, as it can make or break a game. This is where the coach comes in — his job is to observe the game from a bird’s eye perspective and spot the opportunities to improve and to beat the other team. How many details can a runner on third base really pick up when the game is tied at the bottom of the ninth inning? The coach is the one guy who picks up these details, analyzes them, and presents the best available action to the runner.

Sometimes the coach’s decision is right, sometimes it isn’t, but it’s those little messages that can make or break a game. For example, Ty Cobb was one of the most influential base stealers of all time. This man stole 892 bases during his career, holding the record for career home steals, with 54. This means that he scored over 50 runs for his team just hubimg.com because the coach gave him the sign to steal home, allowing them to achieve victory in many games because of a simple sign. Because of these stats, he entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 and those little signs may have had something to do with it. Cobb and his coach had a unique method of signaling these steals, and 892 steals occurred because the other team couldn’t decipher the message in time.

Their encrypted language had to be top secret, or else it was useless. This is just one of many examples of how mere signs changed the career of a man and the history of many teams, and the uniqueness of these signs allowed them to do so.

But really, how unique are these signs? Every major league team its their own signs, that stands as a fact. Yet there exists some universal signs in baseball that are not so crucial to the game as stealing a base, for example. When a pitcher is warming up in the bullpen and he raises his cap, this means that he’s ready to play, and not only do both teams understand this sign, but fans know that too. So, are the other signs really unique? How does a coach know that the other team isn’t deciphering what he’s trying to say with these signs? He doesn’t.

There is no way to tell; sometimes teams must create new signs every week so that they don’t get deciphered. And that’s one more reason to love this game.

the talon • 27

sports

sports

Perfect Penalty

No Stars, No Problem

Top tips for penalty kicks

The Denver Nugget’s success with no superstars Andrea Ferreira

P

enalty kicks are unusual in the game of soccer, so uncommon that only three FIFA world cup champions have ever been decided by them: the Brazilian men in 1994, the U.S. women in 1999, and most recently, the Italian men in the 2006 final.

A penalty shootout is a thrilling yet cruel way to end a match, and puts not only a player’s technique but also her willpower to the test. Below are the top tips for successfully scoring or saving one of these shots.

Never look at the goalkeeper. According to a scientific study, to kick the perfect” penalty nervous players should always abide by this tip. This might seem like strange advice, but the reasoning behind it can be found in psychology. According to sports psychologist Greg Wood, people are more likely in any nerve-wrecking situation to focus on “threatening stimuli” rather than the job they must perform. Basically this means shooters become their worst enemy by focusing on the goalie rather than the spot they aim to place the ball, and thus doing this their new target becomes the goalkeeper.

On the flip side, some keepers will purposely use this advice to their advantage, performing distracting behavior to get an already nervous shooter even more nervous. Studies have proven that these movements actually are more successful, causing the player to shoot toward the center or better yet, shank the ball out of bounds. One example of this is the 1984 European Cup final, when goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelear feigned “spaghetti legs” (wobbling legs as if in fear) causing the opposing kicker to skyrocket the ball into the stands. This tactic not only got him famous, but also was used again by other goalkeepers, producing similar favorable results.

Stay relaxed and visualize. This advice is related to “never look at the goalkeeper” but is key in mastering the mental aspect of the penalty kick. By relaxing and focusing only on the shot, you are blocking out the main distracters (goalie and crowd) that only serve to make you more panicky. One thing you can do to relax is smile before you go to kick the ball, which will subconsciously increase your confidence while also psyching out the goalie. Along with this, by picturing not only the spot you intend to place the ball but also yourself scoring, you’re filling your mind with positive thoughts.

As for where to place the ball on a kick, most coaches recommend the spot where you are most comfortable, and where you know from experience that you can score from.

28 • the talon

A favorite method of coaches from all levels is to tell players to aim toward the upper and lower corners of the net. A good counterexample of this is the Panenka penalty of 1976, so famous that the shot, which was shot softly to the middle at mid-upper height, was named after him. Still, this tactic should be reserved for those that have the experience as well as confidence to execute the gusty move.

You can also perfect your penalty shot, by practicing where you will place the ball. A coach’s tip is to practice shooting and perfecting all key areas, as well as experimenting with all different styles of kicks, which will increase your options when the big day arrives.

For goalkeepers, the job is a hundred times more difficult, because statistically speaking there are so many possibilities as to where and how the kicker will strike the ball.

World-renowned England goalkeeper, Ben Foster, offered his tips on saving a penalty kick: Analyze the opponent. As the player is moving toward the spot, it is crucial to look at where he looks on the net, and the direction of his body, as well as how he physically places the ball on the spot, all clues to where the ball is going. Also, any prior knowledge of shooter, for example if he’s famous for a certain type of kick or placement, also serves as an indicator.

Fill the goal. Do anything to make it seem like you are covering the goal, and try to look as intimidating as possible: “stand big, stretch your arms, and move around a bit.”

Make a choice and go. A penalty is only twelve yards away, and a well struck one can move as fast as 60-80 mph, so you have fractions of a second to get to spot, making it crucial that you move your feet and dive in. Go with your instincts, but never commit while a player is approaching the ball, because then you’ve given yourself away and the ball will end up in the opposite corner.

Penalty kicks, though one of the most thrilling aspects of the game of soccer, are also one of the most terrifying things for the shooter and the goalkeeper.

Sources used in this article: www.fifa.com; www.gelfmagazine. com; www.independent.co.uk; www.goalden.com; www.news. bbc.co.uk

Rafael Rocha

I

t has long been said that in a league like the NBA, star power comes before everything and a team without it cannot be considered in the running for a shot at the championship. Unfortunately (or fortunately for that matter), the Denver Nuggets had to trade Carmelo Anthony, their four-time NBA all-star drafted from Syracuse, to the New York Knicks. This was to avoid ending up like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who let their star player Lebron James’ contract expire, thus losing him in the offseason and feeling regret for not having traded during the season. Many of the critics and so-called “experts” of the NBA said that the Denver Nuggets were done and would soon fade into mediocrity after losing Anthony. The Knicks were supposed to become title contenders with their duo of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Despite both teams ending their seasons in a disappointing manner in the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks finished the regular season with an unimpressive 14-13 record since their trade and the Nuggets finished strongly with an 18-7 record, one of the best in the league since the trade became official.

What is most surprising about the Denver Nuggets is that they didn’t receive any players with “star” reputation.

What they did get, though, was a solid group of young players in Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov, all 26 years of age or less. The key to the Nuggets’ consistency at the end of the regular season was the cohesiveness that the new group formed. ESPN interviewed many Nuggets fans in Denver after Carmelo became a Knick and few thought that the trade would reap any immediate benefits for them. Surprisingly, it has, and the previously uncontested opinion that an NBA team needs star power to be successful is now in question.

As for the Knicks, they have been far from what the media and general public expected from them. In theory, the star power that Stoudemire and Anthony bring to the ball club should have replaced the lack of bench production in the Knicks roster, but astoundingly, it has not. Instead, people are now questioning if New York even made the right decision in giving up a solid group of young players for one lone star.

The idea that stars matter more than anything in the

NBA can be justified by the past success of teams with two or more stars on their roster: the run-n’-gun Lakers of the 80’s with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Boston with Larry Bird and Robert Parrish, Chicago with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and the 2000-02 Lakers with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. To a certain extent, it is true; stars have mostly dominated the league and rarely are teams found without an individual who stands out over the others. However, there are certain examples in the NBA’s history that show teams may have to revisit their notions of teambuilding. The 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons stand out as the most obvious case, as there were some very good players like Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace, but none of them stood out as a superstar. As a matter of fact, the Pistons had five players who averaged approximately 10 points or blogspot.com more per game in those playoffs.

Their biggest scorer, Rip Hamilton, averaged just 21.5 points per game in that campaign and he wasn’t the team leader in any other statistical categories other than scoring. Although the 2004 Pistons may be an almost exclusive case, their management built the team with the rare philosophy that no superstars were needed for a team to win a championship. Fast-forward seven more years and many have forgotten the concept of a successful team with no superstars, as San Antonio, Miami, Boston and Los Angeles, teams responsible for all titles in the last six years, have all had their share of star power.

Hence, the Denver Nuggets’ triumphs this season wee considered surprising to many people due to their lack of stars. After forgetting about the 2004 Detroit Pistons, NBA fans have once again been reminded of their approach by the resurgence of the Denver Nuggets after the Carmelo Anthony trade. So even though the idea that star power equals winning in the NBA is almost dogma, examples of successful teams like the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets, to a certain extent, might be changing the face of the league and how executives approach teambuilding.

Sources used in this article: www.nba.com; www.basketballreference.com

the talon • 29

sports

sports

Gradedipity

The Packed-full Adventure of Big 4

Can serendipity be used to describe Graded’s success in Big 4?

Experience of a lifetime

Mariana Lepecki

I

n this last Big 4 tournament, which took place in the Nosso Recanto camp from the 12th to the 16th of April, the Graded athletes arrived home with big smiles on their faces and many medals around their necks. With two gold medals from the girls softball and futsal teams and three silver medals for boy’s softball, futsal and girls volleyball teams, Graded sustained its victorious tradition. Some believe that our school is simply very lucky. But is that true? Or is there more to it than just plain serendipity? What does this exotic concept really have to do with Graded’s success?

Serendipity. This word is commonly known to dictionaries as “good fortune that comes easily and by accident,” but this modern definition tends to hide its real meaning.

The term derived from the name Serendib, which was what Sri Lanka was called in ancient times. In 1754, Sir Horace Walpole created the word when he came across the famous Persian tale of The Three Princes of Serendib. The story narrates the lives of three kings of Serendib that became very wise and generous leaders in one of the most auspicious times of that land. They ruled over three ancient cities of the island: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya. During their apprentice years, they were thoroughly prepared by their parents, who gave them the best education that could be offered at that time (which included traveling to distant lands and learning different languages). Their teachers included the smartest men of Persia, Arabia and India.

Inspired by the prosperity of the kings, Walpole coined the term “serendipity” due to the fact that the leaders “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.” Yes, maybe luck did have something to do with it, but it wasn’t the main reason for their success.

The princes had been training for their entire lives to become good kings, and it was because of this preparation and determination that they were able to seize and recognize opportunities that led to triumphant leadership.

Since the beginning of the second semester, both coaches and students worked intensively side-by-side to prepare for one of the biggest tournaments of the year. This not only included the great commitment of the athletes (who practiced four days a week) but also the spirit and perseverance of all of the teams. After almost four months of sore muscles and sweat, the time had finally come. The army of students marched and

30 • the talon

filled the buses, and thelonger the students waited for the busses to load, the greater was the excitement in the atmosphere of the parking lot.

As all the schools arrived in NR, the Graded athletes quickly got themselves settled and started getting ready for the games. There were two matches in the first night, boys futsal and girls volleyball, which both Graded teams won. By the next day, almost all of the Eagle teams came out victorious from their first games.

Now this is where the original definition of serendipity comes in. Like the three kings, all of the Graded athletes had been preparing for the competition for a long time, and that was the main reason for their victories. It was because they were focused and well trained, that they were able to seize the opportunities that could be considered luck in order to win their games. Yet as the tournament continued, it started to become more and more clear that the Eagles had a secret weapon that also proved to be a factor to their successes.

As most Graded students know, every athlete is expected to watch every game that the school plays, in order to cheer for their friends and fellow Eagles. Most Big 4 rookies, like myself, didn’t really understand why it mattered if we watched a game or not, but as we all stood in the crowd screaming our heads off, we had no doubt that our presence made a difference. Just like a big family, the Graded athletes would stand and cheer as one, leaving the other schools completely outnumbered and intimidated by the red and white sea that cheered until their lungs gave out. With hearts thumping fast and sweat running down our foreheads, the Eagles would encourage their teams to make it through all the penalty shots, loaded bases with two outs, and tie breakers, making sure that no matter the outcome of the match, the teams would leave the courts/fields with their heads held high.

This combination of hard training, good coaching, and amazing support from the whole school results in the definition of a brand new word: Gradedipity. This is the reason why Graded has always left the competitions triumphant, and why it always will.

Sources used in this article: www.scenicsrilanka.com

Camille Saliba

I

n the midst of many cheers, tears, cries, and laughs, I discovered a whole new and richer meaning to family, unity, Graded, and devotion. These few yet very intense days at Big 4 were more than just Graded’s best athletes going to a camp to compete with four other schools for a golden medal. For me it even changed my views on several things in my life. First of all, spending almost an entire week with a whole group of people that I normally don’t have a daily contact with, or maybe don’t even speak to, was already quite an experience. Not to brag about Graded or anything, but it really does have amazing people with so much knowledge and so much to share, that already the reunion with them was in itself quite an event.

Being a total newbie to Big 4, and the fact that I am a cheerleader, might make my experience of the whole thing different than for others, but I sincerely hope that it wasn’t, for what I learned in those short few days are to be carried out for life.

The devotion that all athletes had for their sport, their team, and their school, was incredible to see and to feel, because by the end I felt like Graded was part of me. Big 4 isn’t only about sports, it’s about bringing everyone together in a way that school alone would never be able to do. It’s meeting the people that you see everyday at school in a whole different way, living with them in a whole different place, and from that, learning so much. Everyone was far, far away from school, and its homework, classes, and essays, yet no one had ever been more united because of Graded. Cheering wasn’t only for their teams anymore; it was for school, for friends, for Graded. In the finals, I could hardly hear my voice from all the cheering and yelling around me, and at that moment, I felt like telling the world I was from Graded, and I couldn’t be prouder. The school came together as one, and we were all part of something bigger, something more than just students gathered at a camp.

This bond created a family.

In the emotional roller coaster that this week was, more than cheering and celebrating victory, the pain of loss was the biggest lesson. It was amazing to see how the athletes dealt with losing and winning differently. Obviously, we cannot be first at everything but some people have an extremely hard time dealing with such. Losing is always hard to deal with, and at a finals, away from first or second place by only a few points, it can become completely nerve racking.

One the athletes stuck out to me, because his behavior showed one of the many ways that people can deal with loss. He not only didn’t accept losing, but he completely isolated himself from the school spirit. While others stood up to cheer Graded’s famous Frankenstein cheer, he simply stayed in his seat looking out to the far distance, as if what was going on had absolutely nr.com.br nothing to do with him.

From the same team however, another athlete dealt with the situation quite differently. He not only accepted the loss, but spent the rest of the time supporting the other teams by cheering for them the whole way through.

In one very emotional and exciting game, the Graded athletes lost by so little that their cries of despair in the end of the game were astonishing. So many hours of dedication put into the sport, long two-hour practices every single day, that it obviously should come in the end with a recompense.

From this intense yet extraordinarily gratifying week that Big Four has been, I can say that I’ve learned a bit more than Tchoo Tchoo train, Eagle Fans, and Battlecry lyrics, and the fact that my voice can reach a certain yelling level that I’ve never known possible. It has taught me many of life’s important lessons. Hoping for many future Bigs 4s, I sit here ruminating on the amazing week this has been, and anxiously wait the next of one.

the talon • 31

sports

Stumbling Upon the Most Extreme Sports The facts and faces of Bossaball and Extreme Zorbing Isabella Zevallos

I

t is incontestable that the world is filled with extreme, wacky, madcap sports that can range from wife carrying to kicking one another’s shins in attempt to win a gold medal, to even Chess Boxing and Cheese Rolling. But the fact is that it takes time – and at times even sheer luck – to run into these rather amazing sports in your lifetime. With this in mind, what better to talk about than Bossaball and Extreme Zorbing – two of the weirdest sports in the world that I have recently stumbled upon?

Extreme Zorbing For a start, just imagine a gigantic, over-sized, translucent hamster exercise ball rolling down a hill. Guess what? That is the essence of Extreme Zorbing. Well, fine, the enormous ball (called the “zorb,” to be more specific) is not, after all, a lifesize hamster ball, but rather a relatively complex construction of two plastic balls one inside the other to cushion the impact as the person who is tied to the ball is – for the lack of a better way to say it – rolled downhill at full speed. Interestingly enough, some people fill the ball with water so that the person inside gets drenched. Others prefer to “zorb” along with one or two other people, making the sport a tad more dangerous, fun, and exciting at the same time.

The aim is to get to the finish line — usually the bottom of the hill — before the other “zorbers” do. Yet, there are quite a number of different tracks that vary in shape, size, and thrill-intensity across the world: in New Zealand, for example, there are tracks that make you slide or roll up, down, sideways, backwards, straight, in a zigzag form, upside down, or even inside out. There is no clear definition as to where the sport originated, but New Zealand, England, and Australia have rather big Zorbing events and are some of the biggest “zorb” manufacturers on the globe.

Bossaball Bossaball is an extreme sport originally from Belgium that is also practiced in Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Kuwait, amongst other places. The sport is a rather interesting mixture of multiple sports into one, which includes a few traces of volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, and even capoeira mashed up

32 • the talon

to form Bossaball. The name “Bossaball” in itself is also a mixture: it joins “ball” and “Bossa nova” (a Brazilian music style).

Interestingly enough, the referees are called samba referees in reference to the name of the sport; they are also known to “provide the soundtrack with drums, turntables and microphone.”

Bossaball is played on a rather different type of a court: an inflatable volleyball court. And no, it doesn’t stop there – the court consists of a net in the middle to divide a team’s side of the court from the other, blogspot.com and a set of trampolines right in front of each side of the net in order for the attackers to jump high before they spike the ball.

The rules are rather simple and do indeed resemble volleyball quite a lot: the teams consist of three to five players (preferably five in order to make it all more exciting) who attempt to kick or hit the ball with any body part so that it reaches the other side of the net in order to fall onto the opponent’s court. If the ball hits one’s court, the opposing team scores; if the ball hits the opponent’s trampoline, the team is awarded a total of three points; if the ball hits the court anywhere else, then the team is only awarded a single point. Yet, in order to legally get the ball over the net in the first place, the team has to hit the ball up to eight times (much like in volleyball where a total of three hits is the limit before a point is awarded to the opponent) and the person to last touch the ball before it hits the net has to be the attacker (who stays on top of the trampoline area). The game ends when a team reaches a total of twenty-five points.

As you can see, Bossaball and Extreme Zorbing are close to matching the core definition of “extreme sports” and “complete madness” at the same time. Nonetheless, it is not like the world could really live without them to brighten everyone’s day and to assure regular individuals that there are a tad more sane some sportsmen out there, right?

Sources used in this article: www.extremesportscafe.com; www.cracked.com; www.businessinsider.com