Ed. 95 - Food

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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 2012-2013

About the Cover

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Julia Wu & Kyle Bissell LAYOUT EDITOR: Nicole Vladimirschi COLUMNISTS: Ines Gil, Lucas Zuccolo, Kat Aliano, Luiza Gundim, Giovanna Regis, Fernão Mesquita NEWS: Andrea Ferreira (Editor), Annie Groth (Assistant Editor), Daniel Almeida FEATURES: Adam Fertig (Editor), Mariana Lepecki (Assistant Editor), Julia Abreu, Clara Bezerra, Rê Sayão ENTERTAINMENT: Yasmin Della Nina (Editor), Kevin Shimba Bengsston (Assistant Editor), Mendel Schwarz, Felipe Marques, Larissa Chern SPORTS: Kevin Wolfson (Editor), Rafa Rocha (Assistant Editor) BLOGGERS: Paty Kim, Mariana Bender, Victor Lee COVER ARTIST: Kevin Shimba Bengtsson PHOTOGRAPHER: Karen Kandelman ▪ ▪ ▪ TEACHER ADVISORS: Josh Berg & Mary Pfeiffer PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE CONSULTANT: Maggie Moraes ▪ ▪ ▪ E-mail: talon@graded.br

For this edition, I took obvious inspiration from different fast food chains to convey my negative outlook on unhealthy eating and the temptation of going for fast food. Though my original intention was to simply imply a relationship with McDonald’s through the color scheme, I ended up going all out at the end with Ronald McDonald and friends leading you away from the healthy foods (yuck!) to the deliciousness of the burger. Funnily enough, there were actually even more Ronalds before this final version, but I guess even the Talon can’t handle too much of our beloved clown.

— Kevin Shimba Bengtsson

Apology We regret to inform our readers that in our last edition, Survival, the article titled “Xi Jinping: Reformer or Conservative?” was plagiarized. The author came forward, and has apologized profusely for his error in judgment. As editors-inchief, we apologize to the community on behalf of the entire magazine staff. The author’s statement about the incident can be found on the following page.

— Julia Wu and Kyle Bissell

Calling All Seniors We particularly invite Grade 12 students to contribute to the next edition: The Senior Edition. Your piece could be, for example, a personal essay such as a college essay or a reminiscence of memorable moment or influential person in your times at Graded. Keep in mind that the audience for the articles is beyond your class or group of friends. With this in mind, note that we do not accept personal messages to selected groups (e.g. a goodbye to your sports team). Articles are due this Monday, 8 April, to talon@graded.br; they should be between 700 words (with an image or graphic) to 900 words (just text).

Staff Application Are you considered applying to join The Talon staff? See pages 35-36 for this year’s application, due on April 17. Any rising Grade 10, 11, and 12 students are welcome to apply.

A green magazine, five years and counting! Since August 2007, The Talon has been printed on recycled paper.

An Apology Daniel Almeida

T

here are times in everyone’s life where we are tempted.

This temptation may come in many forms, perhaps drugs, perhaps cheating. When we succumb to temptation, it has the potential to damage our integrity.

I write here today to apologize. I want to come forward on an issue that has weighed heavily on my conscience for the past month, to express sincerest my regret.

In the previous edition I failed to do the job that is expected of me by making a decision that deeply embarrasses me. I failed to do my job not only as a Talon editor, but a Talon writer as well, with one stupid decision. The article I submitted last edition, “China’s Xi Jinping: Reformer or Conservative?” does not reflect my own opinions or writing. It was originally published in a Wall Street Journal blog post.

A few weeks ago I was tempted. I was tempted because of the inordinate amount of work I had, and when forced to make a decision I made the wrong one. At the time I was swamped with a multitude of tests and papers, and as Sunday night drew to a close, I felt I couldn’t get it all done.

In retrospect, I was tempted with three choices: I could have written a bad article, I could have not submitted anything at all, or I could have taken something from another publication.

As a good student, the notion of not doing something well or not turning something in is so alien to me that I never even considered it. Beyond that, the Talon is an activity I volunteered my time and effort for, and an activity in which I sought a leadership position. I felt compelled to turn something in, as not turning it in would hurt my standing on the staff.

Not turning work in implies laziness, lack of commitment, and, ultimately, failure. Failure is something that, as students, we all fear. Why? No one wants to fail, as failure is a sign of weakness. In the environment that we live in, weakness is the last thing that anyone would want to share. Maybe this is because of the pressure students feel from school, parents and themselves to be the best. We strive to be high achievers because the other option is too embarrassing, and so we find ourselves committed to excel in every class, test or essay.

Tasks and deadlines. For all of my short life I’ve been taught that whenever I’m given a task, I must complete it within a certain deadline. We become good at tasks and deadlines. We learn to embrace this system and we take pride in becoming so good at it. When we are able to consistently turn work in and do well on it, we build up a standard that we

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become scared of failing to uphold. But I forgot that there is another element to this equation that is more important than the other two. Almost anyone can complete a task given a certain deadline, but what makes the task unique is how one does it. This how reflects a person’s skill, originality, vision, but most importantly, his integrity. In this last article, I failed to show any skill, originality, vision or integrity, and for that for that I am deeply sorry.

I love the opportunity I have to write articles for Talon readers, and understand that I have committed a mistake that is considered the cardinal sin of journalism. This is why I came forward on my own to admit my mistake. Writing is a journey marked by hard work, research and commitment. To lift someone else’s words is to steal the hard work and commitment that they devoted to their piece. Plagiarism is not just about copyright infringement for me. While copyright infringement is defined as a violation of the rights of a copyright holder, plagiarism is concerned with the improper use of another writer’s diligence and dedication.

Plagiarism is, first and foremost, an ethical issue. For me, plagiarism is equated with stealing. It is immoral because it violates principles of intellectual integrity and the trust of those who know me. I’ve been taught since I was a toddler that the proper way to live can be found in truth, diligence, hard work, trust and honesty. I take these principles to heart.

Although it has been difficult to confess my transgression, I ultimately feel relieved that my colleagues and readers now have the truth.

For all the damage that this might have caused, I think this experience will make me a better person. I truly believe that being honest is sometimes one of the hardest things anyone can do; the truth may hurt and embarrass, but it can also free us.

Thus, in all sincerity, I apologize to the Talon readers I misled, to the Talon staff who I let down, and to the writer of the article, Yiyi Lu. For the remainder of this year, I will step down from my position as News editor and leave it in the very capable hands of Andrea Ferreira, who I know will do justice to the job. Finally, while there truly is no excuse for my mistake, I hope you will give me a chance to earn back your trust.

editors-in-chief

Explosive Kim What we know about the young man in charge of North Korea Julia Wu

O

n February 12, two days prior to what many of us celebrated as Valentine’s Day, the small yet pugnacious Republic of North Korea launched its third nuclear test since 2006. Following international criticism, the United Nations Security Council unanimously implemented tighter sanctions on the country in early March. In the words of Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, the sanctions directed at North Korea’s developing nuclear program “will bite, and bite hard.”

In response to this decision, North Korea’s foreign ministry stated that the U.S. seems to be prompting a nuclear war, and that North Korea “will exercise the right to a preemptive nuclear attack to destroy the strongholds of the aggressors and to defend the supreme interests of the country.” The claim, reported by the Korean Central News Agency, was accompanied

by Pyongyang’s vow to cancel its non-aggression pact with South Korea, the armistice that drew an end to the Korean War in 1953.

As military drills reportedly happen along the border between North and South Korea, the world beholds the rising tension in Asia’s volatile corner. It is worth noting that behind North Korea’s seemingly outrageous public statement and bellicose military behavior sits a young ruler who just recently inherited an immense extent of power from his father. Let’s have a glimpse at North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un. Keep in mind, though, that the depth of available information on the man is limited.

Kim Jong Un, born in 1983 or early 1984, became his father Kim Jong-il’s successor when the former died in December 2011. Kim was immediately appointed the head of the party, state and army, and came to hold the highest military rank in the country. Interestingly, it wasn’t part of the plan to have Kim take over his father’s position, for he had two older brothers. It is said that his eldest brother Kim Jongnam’s deportation from Japan in 2001 and his middle brother Jong-chol’s “unmanliness” increased Kim’s odds of becoming his father’s successor.

Like his brothers, Kim was educated in Switzerland but evaded Western influence. He is said to have returned home whenever possible, and been absent countless times.

According to sources from the International School of Bern, where he was placed among classmates a year or two younger

due to his inability to speak German, Kim was absent 75 days in his first year, and 105 days in his second. Registered under the pseudonym Un Pak, Kim failed his science course with a 3.5 out of 6, and barely passed mathematics, social studies and German. Kim’s best grade was in music class—a 5 out of 6. His classmates revealed that he was unremarkable, shy, and awkward around girls. But he became a different person on the basketball court. According to Nikola Kovacevic, Kim’s classmate from the Swiss school he attended, Kim was fierce, competitive and explosive while playing.

According to the Japanese Kenji Fujimoto, who authored a book titled I was Kim Jong-il’s Chef, Kim was his father’s favorite son. His mother, Ko Yong-hui, who liked to call him “Morning Star King,” was known to be Kim Jong-il’s favorite wife. Some sources claim that one of the reasons why Kim became North Korea’s supreme leader was because he physically resembled North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung.

There has even been speculation that the young ruler had plastic surgery to look more like the founder. The cult of personality that nurtures the Kim family has now turned to worship Kim Jong cnn.com Un, as poetry and music have been composed to praise the young man.

Kim’s first public speech was made at the 100th anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birthday on April 15, where he supported the country’s utmost emphasis on military prowess and vowed that his nation would no longer be threatened: “Superiority in military technology is no longer monopolized by imperialists. We have to make every effort to reinforce the people’s armed forces.”

Last year, Kim was seen accompanied by a pleasantlooking young woman at public ceremonies, in addition to a visit to an amusement park’s opening. She has been identified as Ms. Ri Sol-ju, and according to state media, the two are married. Remarkably, Kim Jong Un, the man in command of the belligerent Asian country standing in international limelight, actually earned bad grades in school, was shy, and has a pretty, young wife. So perhaps dictators are actually human like you and me, and the next aspiring supreme leader is quietly biding his time somewhere in the halls of Graded.

Sources: cnn.com, telegraph.co.uk, bbc.co.uk, english.chosun. com

the talon • 3

editors-in-chief

Inside the Jazz Festival Knowledge, suffering, art, competition and more Kyle Bissell

W

e live in a time where people complain that rock ‘n’ roll—true rock ‘n’ roll like Led Zeppelin, the Doors, and the Beatles—has been neglected, even forgotten in mainstream music: “Rock ’n’ roll is dead.” Although I share this sentiment, I also appreciate that this is just how time works. From, to some extent, generation to generation, new musical styles become prominent in our everyday lives and they replace the old ones.

This year’s Graded Jazz Festival gave me a more significant appreciation of this phenomenon.

For those who did not participate in the event but saw the assembly performances the jazz clinicians put on, you must have understood to some extent that what you were seeing was special. In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success he repeatedly asserts that for one to become an expert in a field, he or she must practice the task for about 10,000 hours.

I guarantee that most, if not all, of those musicians you saw on stage that Thursday are well past that figure. They are all experts at their respective instruments.

As a participant in the festival, this fact hit home much harder. After every jam session or master class (classes separated by each instrument with each clinician), students would sit in awe as the musicians hit notes at extremes previously believed impossible, played with such purity in their sound that it inspred us to re-dedicate our efforts toward our own instruments.

This was my fifth time participating and as it was my last one, I absorbed the experience more thoughtfully. When the clinicians taught us improvisation theory, I was somewhat stupefied upon understanding that behind all of those solos were the simple scales that we warmed up with every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school. I had always attributed musicianship with God-given-talent, and to a large extent, talent plays a role in music. However, I also realized that I was not giving nearly enough credit to the work behind it. The

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professionals explained that they had memorized, practiced, practiced and practiced to the point that the scales became natural—muscle memory for every note. The practice and those scales were the skeleton for the musical body. Pure talent alone cannot take someone to their level. Perhaps this is a lesson we could apply to other aspects of our lives.

In my grandfather’s office in Schenectady, New York there is a shelf full of old jazz vinyl—some records he bought himself and some he inherited. I always found it entertaining to listen to his oldest ones, where percussion consisted of a vast assortment of instruments; an evolutionary step before the drum set became a staple. Perhaps the jazz golden age is no longer upon us, but these visting musicians represent a more recent part of the history told by my grandfathers’ records. Each of them is a prominent figure in the current American and Brazilian jazz scene. It’s good Lika Kishino to know that, although we probably won’t be seeing jazz on Billboard Hot 100 list any time soon, the genre is in good hands.

If you ever have the urge to delve into contemporary jazz, search these musician’s names on YouTube or iTunes. I promise you will not be disappointed: Paul Contos, saxophone Vince Lateano, drums Peck Allmond, trumpet Robynn Amy, trombone Djalma Lima, guitar Bruno Migotto, bass Edson Sant’anna, piano It, must be noted, of course, that without the hard work of Mr. Stange, Lika Kishino, and the PTA mothers this event would not have been at all possible. Thank you guys! Student Yasmin Della Nina had this to say: “This year’s Jazz Festival was, as always, a great success and a wonderful experience. Being able to learn with such experienced musicians is always a gift.”

point of view

Last of Us The end and beginning Lucas Zuccolo

I

am alone.

As I stand atop the nondescript pile of rubble that I once recognized, that I once felt safe in, I take a moment to look around. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself. I need to take in as much as I can, because I know that the next time I come back, there will be even less to see. If I come back.

The once jagged and cluttered skyline has been all but cleared, with the remains of only an odd few buildings poking up. The horizon, once obscured from anywhere as low as this, is perfectly visible. As I look further and further out, the ground merges into a blurry gray-brown and green blanket laid over a bumpy surface, as if covering up the mysteries below the surface. To the west, the sky is crimson with streaks of gold and blue, getting darker as the sun progresses lower and lower.

To the east, the first stars are already visible. The uniform sky is broken up by the occasional dark blotches. While the clouds are sparse as of yet, I know a storm is fast approaching; on my way here, I’d seen the imposing clouds out in the distance, a great marble cathedral composed of stolid walls of white and gray, with soaring arches and massive pillars under a massive and dark roof. The imposing structure was lit alternately by flashes of lightning and the brief fires they caused, soon extinguished by the pouring downfall, only to sprout up again in a few seconds. Though I’d taken care to stay far away, the searing winds traveled out to great lengths, buffeting me with unrestrained force, trying to rip me from the ground. Even now, I can hear the distant rumbling, a constant pressuring reminder that my time here must be brief.

The vegetation has been surprisingly quick to reclaim the land. Then again, perhaps “quick” is not the right word.

How long has it been? Years? Decades? Centuries? Time has long since blended together into a constant struggle for survival.

I take a deep breath in an attempt to refocus. I’m not here for sightseeing; I know better than anyone else that in this world, hesitation and indecisiveness are as deadly as the freezing cold and ravenous beasts that roam the night. I carefully begin making my way down from my vantage point; the irregular blocks of metal and concrete are the shattered remains of the walls that once protected me, but now represent little more than treacherous footing. The slightest misstep can lead to a broken ankle or wrist, which I know would be fatal.

The stone-gray rubble is broken up here and there by other debris. Most of the furniture was made of wood and other similar materials, and has long since eroded and rotted away; the more resistant materials have already been scavenged. I step around what I assume to have been a pillar, slide down

a slab of roof which is nearly vertical, all the while careful to avoid the rough, jagged edges, which could easily rip my garments and myself. Shards of glass and concrete are just as dangerous. I once again count myself lucky to have scavenged these hide boots.

The sheer amount of destruction and devastation was dismaying at first—colossal structures and awesome constructions reduced to little more than dust and memories, and the latter gradually fading. But I had long numbed myself to it; nothing I thought or did would change it. Besides, most places weren’t as bad. The farmhouse I was currently holed up in was mostly intact; though the pipes had long run dry and rusted, and the frayed wires had long stopped sparking for lack of power, the structure still protected from the elements... and more sinister things. I had managed to work out how to harvest some of the edible plants from the surrounding area, so it even provided a meager supply of food. Not much, since I was virtually clueless regarding foraging, but supplemented by what little I’d brought, it sufficed.

Some smaller cities even seemed relatively untouched.

The last one I’d passed through, tucked away off the main road, out of sight, had remain mostly out of harm and surprisingly unchanged. While evidently a ghost town, it was almost as if the residents just weren’t there at the moment. Tables half-set, bicycles lying on the now-overgrown lawns, books lying face down on desks. One building even had a flickering light come on when I flipped the switch, the first time I had been through it. Like everyone had just decided to get up and leave.

If only.

I’d packed lightly for this journey; it had been around three months now. My “mission,” if you could call it that, was too insignificant to waste our supplies and equipment on.

The gear especially; the suit was needed elsewhere. Not to mention that chances of me coming back weren’t particularly favorable. They’d argued insistently for me to stay, abandon this pointless endeavor, and help out where I was needed. I said I would—when I returned. I had to go one last time. Remember what we—what I—had lost. What I was fighting for. What I once was. Why I was.

I’m nearing the bottom. From there, the road is relatively clear, and the walk out of the ruins shouldn’t take me more than an hour. By then it will be darkest night, but shelter isn’t too far off. Besides, I’ve made it this far. I’ve seen worse.

Much worse.

And it’s only the beginning.

the talon • 5

point of view

One Step Forward

Advances in LGBT and equal rights and all that still has to be done Kat Aliano

I

f you know me, then you know that there are two things in my life that I love doing. The first is talking about equal rights, and the second is eating cake (I’m not even kidding). Now since this is the food issue I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share with you my passion for cake and combine it with my passion for equality. I have to thank my friends for making this even a coherent possibility because they were the ones who seamlessly joined the two.

A few days after my birthday, to my surprise—quite literally—my friends were sweet enough to throw me a party.

Tacos were eaten and guacamole was devoured, but when the guest of honor arrived everything else fell to the wayside. I’ll have you know that I, the birthday girl, was not the guest of honor. The cake was.

Everyone immediately crowded around a table after the complimentary “Happy Birthday” song was recited, eagerly eyeing the cake.

As the waitress cut into it I saw a peak of lavender followed by bright blue, then green and orange and pink and finally red. The cake had six colorful layers and together they made up a rainbow flag. Everyone loved the novelty of it—myself included—and the procedure of Instagramming and Facebooking pictures of the rainbow cake naturally followed.

I’m not going to lie and say that as I ate my cake I pondered on LGBT rights; the truth is although we all commented on the rainbow aspect of it, everyone in attendance quickly gobbled it down and went back to talking about whatever mundane topic was consuming us that week. But with recent news, I can’t help but comment now on how things have progressed in the past few weeks.

First of all, the Queen of England signed a legislation that condemned “all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds.”

It has been widely acknowledged that “other grounds” represents her subtle support of LGBT rights. This is the first time that any British monarch signed legislation that offered rights to the LGBT community.

What’s most interesting about this is that in a statement, British Prime Minister David Cameron used his conservative values to justify gay rights and the only sitting Republican US enator Rob Portman also spoke up in favor of gay marriage after his son came out. Like Cameron, he used his conserva-

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tive beliefs to justify his new standing. Not to mention, of course, President Obama mentioning Stonewall and being the first American president to use the word “gay” in his Inauguration speech back in January. There seems to be a wave of acceptance spreading through the Western nations, or at least through their decision-making capitals. Even on a smaller scale, Aaron Jackson, leader of the non-profit group Planting Peace bought the house facing the Westboro Baptist Church and painted it all in rainbow colors in protest. Along with the media portraying more and more gay characters positively with storylines that depict their normalcy, these new moves towards acceptance seem to be percolating to the younger generation.

It would be incredibly naïve of me to say that everything is moving along wonderfully. In actuality, there is still prejudice and hate surrounding the LGBT community. And going beyond that to gender equality, where there is still hate directed at women. Many times it feels like we’re taking one wordpress.com step forward and two steps back.

In one week the Queen of England signs historical legislation and only a few days later media outlets show sympathy for the male rapists of a sixteenyear-old girl. And that is only in Western countries. But what I think sets this year apart from past ones is that now we have the benefit of technology to fight back, and there are a large number of people speaking up. Essays upon essays are being written about things that have happened, people are questioning authorities, and new advances are being made through legislation, like the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. It’s painful that these advances still take time to actually benefit and protect the people they affect.

There is still a startlingly large number of people who think rape can be justified, just like there is a startlingly large number of people who still believe in the immorality of homosexuality.

We have to take into consideration how vastly behind in equal rights other nations are. But a part of me wants to believe that those numbers are going down. The thing is, we can’t sit around and wait for them to go down. People have to be willing to use their voices to defend their rights and the rights of others.

There are still big advances that need to be taken.

But just think: there was a day when “other grounds” weren’t even allowed or accepted.

point of view

Comfort Food of a Typical Senior College rejections, individual greatness, and why everything will be okay Ines GIl

B

y the time this edition comes out, most seniors will have received their college replies, filled with acceptances and rejections, from safety and dream schools. As April 1 rolls around, the senior class is stressed, feeling pressure to decide where they will want to start their new lives in September.

Right now I’m feeling anxious and frustrated—I just want to know where I am in and where I wasn’t accepted. In one month I will start making decisions that affect which path I will be taking in my life, and there is no way of knowing what that will be until I know where it will be.

When I start thinking of this, either I stop and distract myself and go on living my life, or I enter a vicious cycle full of worry and eventually doubt the meaning of life. It all begins with the thought of college and not knowing what I want, maybe a little crying here and there, then the thought of not wanting to leave Graded and my friends.

Maybe add some crying into this part as well. Then it takes a turn into, “Hey, I’m sick of school! I want to graduate, but just take all my friends with me!” After that comes the depression of missing my friends and family. Add some crying in here too. Add thinking about life and what it all means, considering “What is happiness?” then multiply by the amount of chocolate I eat and the equation for this stressful experience is set.

Whether your equation is the same, whether you are dramatic about it like I am or not, every senior has to make the choice. Every senior will have to go through the joy and relief of getting into college, but also the feeling of rejection and disappointment of not being accepted. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, full of ups and downs and twirls and the occasional nausea, but eventually it ends.

Yes, it ends.

April 1 has come. September will come. Making these decisions will happen, no matter whether we want them to or not. A lot of times things don’t go as planned or sometimes come out exactly how we expected. But what I have learned,

or tried to do, is accept that it is how it is. Our lives will be full of that joy of acceptance or pain of rejection, and we have to accept that as how it is. With that acceptance is how we will be at peace, and as seniors, all that we want right now in this stressful time of IB written tasks, impending IB exams, and teenage drama is peace.

I look at my senior class and all of our individuality, all of the energy, all of the friendships and times shared together, and I can’t imagine any college rejecting any of these great people simply because they are just so great. But that’s the thing, it’s not the college you go to or the labels you have, it’s your personality and feeding your own greatness that takes you places. I really believe that truly great people do truly great things, everything from getting a Nobel Peace Prize to just getting a good grade on a test.

It’s feeding that greatness, and I promise everything will be ok.

Forget about the acceptances and rejections, and just Giulia Song think that everything will be fine.

In the end every person will be on his or her path to greatness, in whatever way that greatness comes. If you act in the way that you deserve that greatness, you will get it.

So before this gets entirely too cheesy, let me just say that this month will bring more breakdowns, more stress from IB and grades, but also more good times with friends and family. We have the right to these breakdows, but at the same time we also have the right to have those happy moments and the right to make those memories.

Last month may have been a big, fat, looming question mark, but April 1 has come. All of us will go on our own paths, but because of the people that we are and the way we carry ourselves, we will go in the path that we are meant take.

Everything will be okay, everything will come to an end which will then lead to other beginnings. All of this is an ending to a beginning, the beginning of our adult life. And on that note, I better go stock up on chocolate. Bring it on April and May: I’m as ready as I will ever be.

the talon • 7

ponto de vista

“What Comes After Dust?”

The story of a dead seed Victor Lee

A

seed. A simple, delicate, fragile seed. That is all it takes for a mulberry tree to blossom. The moment the seed touches the warm lips of the earth, life rises from the radiant hull bathed by the jubilant glance of the sun. The seed, then, is forgotten. The seed is destroyed. The seed is abandoned. And it dies alone, under the cold arms of the soil, as the shining fruit is devoured by jovial birds and cherished by exhausted farmers. The seed is cold. The fruit is fresh. The seed is dead. The fruit is life. The seed is cracked. The fruit is superb. In the fraction of second, what once gave life now holds nothing but a broken heart. What once was life is now nothing but a dead poem lost in an old book. The seed, then, disappears forever in the bowels of decomposers, which slice their broken bones into shallow grief.

This is how I have been feeling for the last five weeks. As a seed that gives life and becomes death. If I had a heart, I would love. If I had tears, I would cry.

If I had the sun, I would smile. It seems that I feel no more hunger. Hunger for food, hunger for culture. I lost myself in the middle of this turmoil of feelings and my deepest desires vanished. My hunger for meeting new cultures, talking to different people, learning new languages. My hunger for embracing new horizons, taking risks, flying. My hunger for that carrot cake that only my mom knows how to make is gone. Everything turned into ashes, dust, and sandstorm. I’ve been challenging myself, evaluating my goals, and building new paths, but for what? Every day when I wake up, I do not have yesterday’s time anymore. I miss those warm evenings that I watched Peter Pan with my little brother. Everything now is so...wild. Where are my brothers and sisters? Where are those people who would do anything to reach the top of the world? I see fauns trying to be better than each other. Where is our humanity? What comes after getting accepted to an Ivy League school, or being ranked in one of Forbes’s countless lists? When can we truly be

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free, feed our deepest desires, and follow a yellow brick road?

As Mr. Greene would passionately question, “What comes after dust, child?” In my world, more dust comes after dust. It announces the arrival of a blistering tornado that will make my blood boil and my heart drum. It announces destruction, death, the coming of a cold afternoon. But it also announces the arrival of a new day, of a new beginning. It gives me strength to start something new. To get an old, dusty book, open the page of that dead poem, plant a new seed, and grow a new tree. Imagine yourself on top of a huge building.

I struggle. Do I jump? As I feel the wind cracking up my hopes, I remember her smile, her voice, her scent. As the black-andwhite concrete gets closer, her emerald-green eyes show me the color of the world. As troubled horns become louder and terrigeekpeeks.com fied murmur climb higher like bells announcing a funeral on Sunday afternoons, her serene laugh engages me in her delicate fingers.

I did not jump. I give a step back and run towards her and give her the warmest hug a man can give, and I kiss her softly, as if nothing in the world mattered. I grab my totem. Its smooth weight and subtle texture give me another perspective.

I’ve lost it. My hunger is gone. I’ve quenched my thirst. I’ve satisfied my needs. Where do I go now? What do I do? I can’t seem to form desires or find reason in the ocean’s breeze.

What would you do if you found a pair of socks that no longer fit your enormous feet? What would you do if your father’s shirt was too big on you and you realized that you would never become a man as big as he was? What, then? What would you do? What would you do?

Source: geekpeeks.com

ponto de vista

Perfeição Uma crônica sobre expectativas Fernão Mesquita

U

ma mulher tem que ter alguma coisa além da beleza.

Qualquer coisa feliz. Qualquer coisa que ri. Qualquer coisa que sente saudade” – Vinícius de Moraes, em “Soneto da Mulher Ideal” Sinto as pequenas gotículas de suor lentamente deslizarem pelas têmporas. Um suor gelado. Um suor de culpa. Um aviso. Um ultimato.

Vacilo. Penso em desistir. Penso em correr dali, em focar, mas não corro, não foco. Foco! Eu tenho que focar. As mãos bobeiam; trêmulas, hesitam, titubeiam. Estão suadas também. Não sabem ao certo o que fazer, por onde começar.

Imploram por um sinal maior, de uma entidade superior, mas o cérebro está tão nulo quanto os membros. E perdem o rumo.

Eu perco o rumo.

Tudo para. Tudo se resume a esse instante em que os braços esticados, estirados, rígidos e apreensivos esperam por algum comando do sistema nervoso que, no presente momento, encontra-se em pane. Tudo se resume ao objeto, ao elemento malévolo que me observa. Que clama por mim. Nenhum olhar ligeiro, passa despercebido. Um pequeno deslize e aquela hipnose contínua infecta meus sentidos, o aroma invade as narinas derrubando as barricadas psicológicas, fazendo com que eu me renda à tentação que cada vez mais alto chama por mim. Sinto um ímpeto. Vou estender a mão. É só estender a mão e o calvário acaba.

Mas é possível ouvir outra voz, de dentro de mim, martelando minha consciência. Esta mais baixinha, mas estridente, potente e aumentando a cada milésimo que passa. Quase um zumbido de mutuca presa no ouvido. Irritante. Sufocante.

Asfixiante: “Então é isso? É isso que você quer pra você, filha?

Ser a gorda recalcada, ignorada por todos, sem chance de ter qualquer sucesso na vida? Escrachada pela sociedade. É isso que você quer pra você? É com isso que você se contenta? É com isso? É pra isso que eu te criei igual a uma princesinha?

Pra você jogar tudo isso pro alto na primeira oportunidade?”

Lembro-me dos artistas em que me espelho, dos outdoors, das revistas, das curvas perfeitas, da barriguinha sarada, da pele lisinha, quase uma seda, dos olhos marcantes, delineados por cílios enormes, dos cabelos ondulados, macios, reluzentes. Eu quero isso para mim. Eu quero ser assim. Eu quero ser perfeita.

Mas não tem jeito. A tentação vence a razão. O chei-

ro, o desejo de três dias de jejum impede-me de me conter.

Lentamente, tremulamente, estendo o braço na direção do objeto. Agarro-o com tamanha voracidade que ele se despedaça em minhas mãos. Cheiro. É o cheiro da liberdade, do prazer incondicional do qual sou privada constantemente. O fruto proibido, delicioso. Como. Ingiro. Digiro. Estou em êxtase. Em plenitude. O estresse se esvai como o gás liberado ao se abrir uma latinha de refrigerante. Uma liberação quase tangível.

Saboreio ao máximo os diferentes sabores mesclados num só recipiente, posso senti-los afetando cada papila gustativa. Por alguns segundos, tudo parece ter solução, tudo é perfeição.

* * * “Gorda”. É a voz de novo. Sabia que meu estado de sublimação não poderia durar muito. Percebo o enorme erro que cometi.

Toda aquela exaltação, toda aquela felicidade iria direto para a cintura, para os glúteos, para a coxa, para o quadril, para a barriga. Assim eu nunca serei aceita, nunca serei amada, nunca serei perfeita.

“Nojenta”.

Vacilo novamente. Estaco. O suor frio começa escorrer. Ah, o suor, meu eterno algoz, sempre se encarregando de mostrar minha penitência. E dessa vez não é diferente.

Vejo a garota ridicularizada na escola, vejo os diversos gritos de “gorda, baleia, saco de areia”, vejo as risadas histéricas, vejo o número na balança e, principalmente, vejo o olhar de decepção, de verdadeiro desapontamento, no rosto de mamãe.

“Fraca.”

Corro, sem ter para onde fugir. Encontro o banheiro, me tranco lá dentro.

“Fracasso! Decepção!” É preciso fugir. É preciso escapar. É preciso encontrar a perfeição.

“Feia!”

Sinto um ímpeto. Vou estender a mão. É só estender a mão e o calvário acaba. Enfio o dedo pela goela; com o vômito todos os problemas se esvaem. E, por alguns segundos, tudo é perfeição.

the talon • 9

news

Breaking Tradition

Four students journey to stop segregation Andre Ferreira

T

he month of May is an exciting time for high school seniors.

As their time at high school comes to close many exciting events await them before graduation. One of the most notable is prom. In the United States prom, depending on the high school, is made to be one of the biggest events of a student’s high school experience. Although prom may not be taken that seriously in other parts, it does provide students with an opportunity to enjoy one of their last nights, surrounded by all of the friends that that they have spent the last four years with, in formal attire.

But what if all of your friends couldn’t be there? This is the dilemma facing the students of Wilcox County High School in Rochelle, Georgia, as they have held segregated proms (one for white students and one for black students) since 1978. In the 1970s, after laws ordered the desegregating of schools, Wilcox County School stopped sponsoring the traditional bash (or any dance for that matter) so the burden of these events fell entirely onto the parents of attending students. For this reason, these segregated proms have been able to slide through the cracks of American legislature for years. The dances are private events organized and funded outside of the school, so there is nothing the school or the law can do. In the same way the law cannot force children to invite all of the students of their class to their personal birthday parties, the law has no jurisdiction over these private events, no matter how frustrating this is for students.

This frustration has led four female students to look for a change, as they hope to hold Wilcox County’s first integrated prom dance in May. The students who are the forerunners in turning this idea into a reality, Stephanie Sinnot, Mareshia Rucker, Quanesha Wallace, and Keela Bloodworth, say they have done everything together since a young age and are basically sisters, cannot imagine not being able to go to prom together. One of the friends, Quanesha Wallace, took part in Wilcox County’s first integrated homecoming court last fall, and despite being voted the homecoming queen by classmates, was not allowed to attend the other homecoming party, which is part of why she has advocated for change. Wallace told local reporter Tom George that “hearing from other students that [she couldn’t go] saddened [her] heart a little.”

Thus the quest for an integrated prom began. Their integrated prom will be open to any of the high school’s 400 students, and they have sold 50 tickets already and counting.

They have gained the support of the school system, which has

subsequently requested that all activities involving the school be open to all students, though at least for now Wilcox will be having three proms (the integrated ones and the two segregated ones). The school has been exploring the possibility of holding the 2014 prom, though the school cannot fund the dance this year. To cover the costs for the “Masquerade in Paris” themed bash, the girls have been hard at work selling chicken dinners and starting a Facebook page, which has received worldwide support. The burst of news covering the issue has served to raise more money as well.

Unfortunately for the girls, not everyone in their small community has been so supportive. To advertise the selling of the tickets, they taped posters they had designed all over school, but fellow classmates have been ripping them down. Contrary to what outsiders to the Wilcox community may think, the issue with an integrated prom is less about any racial conflict, and more about the issue of breaking tradition. A response that Wallace states she frequently gets from the skeptics is that “[prom] is a traditional thing, something [they] need to stick with.” Most of the residents in grew up in the community so they—parents and students—have only ever experienced segregated proms.

To appease these people, the girls have come up with a new idea: to create new traditions. Their new proposal for prom includes some ideas they hope will catch on as tradition for the upcoming years. Instead of just having the traditional vote for prom king and queen, which they say will still happen, guests will also have the option of voting cutest couple, best smile, and best dressed (male and female, respectively), amongst a number of other superlatives. They will honor a deceased classmate. They will also start a unity toast, where attendees will join together and toast to the year and each other.

No matter the turn out of the event, if four classmates or four hundred go, the girls (and others who have joined the committee) have already taken giant steps in paving the way for equality in Wilcox. The friends have already decided to aid the following classes in this cause by leaving behind any profits they raise from the dance, in a tradition they hope will continue, and they have raised awareness for an inequality issue that many others were not even aware existed.

Sources used: usatoday.com, cnn.com, dailymail.co.uk

the talon • 13

news

A Tourist in Rio de Janeiro, 2014 How prepared is the city of Rio for the World Cup?

Annie Groth

W

ith the 2014 Soccer World Cup fast approaching, the city of Rio de Janeiro is struggling to conclude the final details needed for a successful event. Seemingly poor infrastructure, waves of violent crimes, and corrupt politicians all make the list of troubles Rio has been trying to deal with so far. With just over a year left until tourists all over the world come ready to see the marvelous city, how prepared is Rio for the tourists?

One of the main concerns Brazil has always had with all its cities, not just Rio, is lack of adequate infrastructure.

One of the first concerns raised was whether airports will be ready to fly in an estimated half a million tourists. The airport of Galeão, in Rio, already has the capacity for 17.4 million passengers annually, but the government wants to expand that number to 44 million by 2014. Together with the Infraero (Brazilian Company of Airport Infrastructure), the government wants to invest not only in capacity but also in quality of its facilities. Two new, modernized terminals are expected to be in full use by September of 2013, which will alleviate Rio’s concern of transport of tourists.

Another aspect to consider is whether the city itself is able to host millions of tourists at once. According to a research done by Embratur (Brazilian Company of Tourism) comparing Rio, other Brazilian cities, and ones from around the world, Rio is the third most expensive city when it comes to lodging.

This means it is cheaper to stay a couple of nights in Paris or London than in Rio. The expectation is that prices will rise 18 per cent because of the Cup. Comparatively, other host cities’ lodging will rise much more with an adjusted value of 79% higher in Brasilia and 60.7% in Belo Horizonte. The reason Rio’s prices do not rise more is precisely because they are already high, to which President Dilma Roussef responded by launching a project which hopes to create 109 new hotel installations in each host city, though these will be constructed to help take in the large number of tourists but not to reduce the prices of accommodations.

After arriving in Rio and finding a place to stay, tourists will then have to worry about the safety in the city. Surrounded by shantytowns (favelas), Rio can be an extremely dangerous city because of the violence, which stems from the traffic of illegal drugs in these areas. News of one American tourist who was kidnapped and raped and another one who was robbed in the back of a minivan in March serve as a couple striking examples. However, according to Exame Magazine, assumptions that Rio is one the top ten most violent cities in Brazil

14 • the talon

are false. The magazine also states that for every homicide in Rio (the state) that receives national news coverage, only one in every ten homicides in another state (that is not Rio or Sao Paulo) receives coverage as well. This means that if 2 people die in Rio and 20 die in another state, national media will cover that 2 people died in each state, which makes Rio appear more crime ridden then in actuality. In addition, there has been better specialized training of the police in the city.

On April 7th, police and firemen simulated a terrorist attack in Rio’s metro station. During the training exercise there was a fictitious negotiation with kidnappers, caring of wounded hostages, and even a simulation of an attack using chemical weapons. Regarding crime, Rio is definitely making advances in preparation for the Cup. Finally, though more of a concern for Brazilians and not tourists, many raise the question of “where is the money for the World Cup really going?” Brazil has a long history when it comes to corrupt politicians, as was highlighted in the case of the famous Mensalão, in which 25 of 37 accused politicians were convicted in some degree of laundering public money.

In regards to the World Cup, Brazil’s former Sports Minister Orlando Silva and five other top cabinet members resigned in October of 2011 following allegations that they had embezzled money from public funds. That same year, Ricardo Teixeira, chairman of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) and 2014 World Cup organizing committee resigned. His official reason for stepping down was health related, which indeed he suffers from. Nevertheless, Teixeira’s name is not one associated with clean politics. In 2001, he was accused of 13 crimes raging from money laundering to tax evasion by the Brazilian Congress. Of course, all these people raise a concern to whether or not corruption will keep Brazil from hosting a better World Cup than they are actually capable of.

Though Rio has many problems to face before the World Cup, it is in no doubt the city is working towards solutions.

Better airport facilities are being made, new lodging options are under construction, police are receiving more training, and corrupt politicians have been stepping down to help make Rio a better city. Details, right?

Sources: cnn.com, g1.globo.com, veja.abril.com.br, brasil.gov. br, oglobo.globo.com, exame.abril.com.br

news

Tantrums, Miscalculation and War Why Kim’s actions won’t likely lead to War Daniel Almeida

R

emember that weird little kid in Kindergarten who sat at the corner and always seemed to be doing something shady without actually bother anyone else? Everyone knew he was up to something, but as long as he kept to himself, no one paid attention. However, the moment that little kid started acting up with others, then its time-out, kid.

Lately the world’s nightmare scenario seems to revolve around the possibility of War breaking out in the Korean peninsula. This is of no surprise; with all recent reports of escalating tensions that–seemingly at any moment–might lead to war, the public should be concerned. The Republic of Korea lies at the heart of the world’s third largest zone of economic activity and the possibility of war would result in the tragic loss of human life. Add in the potential involvement of Nuclear Arms and the recent escalations of the North Korean Regime become quite scary.

However, experts seem to believe that the probability of a second Korean War occurring is minimal. Even amidst North Korea’s escalating rhetoric--including long-range rocket launch tests, an underground nuclear bomb test in February, repeated threats of launching pre-emptive nuclear strikes, and most recently the nullification of the 1950-53 Armistice that effectively ended the Korean War--the possibility of War remains minimal.

Now, the angry rhetoric of North Korea’s young, hotheaded, leader, Kim Jong Un has undoubtedly set a new bar for seemingly uncalculated belligerence. However, most tend to forget that for all of Kim’s inexperience, he is aided and advised by a council of experienced Generals, Advisors and Analysts. This council would prefer to avoid war with South Korea and the United States.

The North, to an extent, acknowledges the power of the combined forces of the United States and South Korea, as well as the destruction that would take place should war break out. North Korea’s dictatorship may be many things, but they are not suicidal. For what its worth, the Kims have been able to preserve their regime for over 60 years, despite the impoverished state, which seems to point to a certain measure of calculation and resilience on their part.

Thus, let us assume that Pyongyang sees U.S. involvement in the defense of South Korea as an obstacle to War. This means that the only way that North Korea is able to appear strong for their citizens is through carrying out calculated provocations. North Korea’s rationale is that if they can ratchet up high tensions and then simply back off a little, then it can

persuade their rivals into returning to Peace talks and concessionary aid, as seen in the past. It’s against North Korea’s best interest to start a war with its southern neighbor, and the country’s preferred plan of action simply benefits the Kim Regime.

What would happen, however, if there were a miscalculation on Kim’s part on how far he could go? It is possible that the DPRK might push the South Koreans or the United States too far, and the tit-for-tat response that characterized all past occurrences of miscalculations could follow suit.

Kim Jong Un, fearing that inaction on his part would be mistaken for weakness, would escalate in turn, sparking a cycle of escalating moves that could turn into a war that neither side expected. The risk of this eventuality is higher given Kim’s recent rhetoric that seeks to mask the true weakness of this nation in comparison to their southern rival. The North Korean regime seems bound to uphold its pride amid the recent US-ROK military exercise, which could lead to an incident that would put pressure on both sides to retaliate.

Granted, war would mean complete destruction for North Korea, which understands that its chances of defeating the combined forces of the US and ROK are minimal, but, as the proverb goes, “a man who has lost everything is capable of anything.” While Seoul could possibly face nuclear or chemical weapons attacks, Washington stands to face a destabilized major ally and increased tensions with North Korea’s neighbor and “big-brother” China.

Thus, it is no surprise that the all three nations prefer the deterrence of war over a high-risk, high-casualty, and destabilizing conflict. Therefore, recent reports by Washington that downplay the seriousness of any North Korean action fall in line with their vision of peace in the Korean Peninsula. The importance of finding a balance between demonstrating resolution to the South Korean citizens while restraining a belligerent DPRK is as significant as ever.

Odds are there will not be conflict in the next couple of weeks. Washington, Seoul and Pyongyang all understand the risks of war and are all experienced at playing this game. For all of Kim Jong Un’s tantrums, he will continue to be that shady kid in Kindergarten, ultimately held back from acting up by the stern gaze of his more experienced play-mates.

the talon • 15

features

And Another Thing: Old People What are they really up to?

Adam Hunt Fertig

O

lder people are wiser. That’s just the way it goes, and it makes so much sense it’s hard to imagine anything different. The idea’s definitely been around for a while, since multiple passages of the Bible remind us that we must listen to the advice from older generations. Nowadays, children are told to respect their elders. Even several offices are limited to the older and more experienced: the average age of a US senator is 61, and 65 for a Pope. Again, this seems only logical.

People who have been around for longer have seen more of the world, are more experienced, and have gained more wisdom. But there are other perspectives on this that suggest otherwise, and particularly in contemporary terms it’s worth questioning how wise our seniors are.

The more common view of wise old men is one supported by history. Even before the Bible, the Mesopotamians believed in the mythical sage Adapa, known for his wisdom.

This idea was built on in Ancient Greece, where the Oddysey includes an elderly character named Mentor who helps Odysseus. In Rome, the term senex was used to describe wise elders. This term was adopted by Jung when talking about psychology. Through the Middle Ages, wizards were always old and wise. The list goes on and on, spanning both time and space (think bearded kung fu master). Stereotypically, archetypally and historically, the elderly have occupied a revered place in society.

As Plato says in Symposium, sages possess wisdom, and therefore no longer need to seek it. That’s why he says that both gods and sages do not practice philosophy, because they already are wise. He claims that the other group of people that do not practice philosophy are the senseless, because they think they are wise. This second idea brings me to the other view of the elderly: as idiotic and overconfident.

While harsh, this view has been presented in many works of literature. The most well-known example would be Polonius from Hamlet. Although he’s the King’s advisor and believes himself to be an intellectual, he’s depicted as a longwinded old fool, easily outsmarted by Hamlet. Speaking verbosely and redundantly, he’s an almost comically pathetic part of the play. This type of character comes up so often that he has a name in Ancient Greek theater and Commedia dell’arte: senex iratus. He’s like the senex, except he’s not actually wise, just boastful. A senex iratus is wealthy and in good social standing, but greedy and foolish. Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, for instance, is a modern example - frail, stingy and unwise. The word “senile,” in fact, comes from the same root as senex, with this meaning in mind.

16 • the talon

This negative perception of the elderly is a more recent notion, though, and it’s particularly prevalent in modern society. Yes, there are social positions that are traditionally occupied by older people. According to newsmax. com, senators are actually getting older on average. But the elderly used to be the main decision-makers in a community, while now they’re often just sent off to retirement homes.

The same usurpation of the old is happening in the economic world. Seniority in companies used to be hugely important, but at modern startups with looser hierarchies, experience in the field means less and less. We owe that to how fast jobs and the way we do them is changing. Companies have to adapt faster in the digital age, and senior citizens are being rendered obsolete.

Sure, it makes sense that this loss of respect for older people is happening. Who needs to actually live life experiences when you can Google them in a fraction of the time? That doesn’t make it any less sad, though. The problems with this so-called generation gap are the subject of much debate. Just look at some of the films and books made about old people unsatisfied with their place in society. Robot and Frank, Stand Up Guys, Gran Torino, Ran, King Lear, Disgrace, Red, The Bucket List... there’s no shortage of stories of the elderly adapting to the place society has left for them. Back in 1926, the poet William Butler Yeats bemoaned this shift in his poem “Sailing to Byzantium.” “That is no country for old men,” he begins. He narrates how he leaves that country where he is not wanted and sails to Byzantium, where he meets with its sages. Sixty years old when he wrote this, Yeats wanted to return to the mindset of the Greeks or the Romans.

Setting aside the implications of it, though, the question still remains: does wisdom come with age? Logic would suggest that the longer you’re around, the more you know. But it’s not enough to know a lot. When it comes to having relevant, concise, helpful ideas in a rapidly changing world, I’m not so sure. Many of the proverbs and life lessons I learned from my grandparents are still rules that I abide by.

Then again, Polonius has an arsenal of maxims that aren’t all that helpful. As long as wisdom doesn’t disappear from the world completely, I’m cool with that. If old people dancing isn’t indicative of wisdom, I don’t know what is.

Sources: poets.org, collinsdictionary.com, britannica. com, libberate.com, terrapsych.com, biblegateway.com, poetryintranslation.com, etymonline.com, newsmax.com, investopedia.com, imdb.com

features

Science Has It...

To sleep or not to sleep?

Mariana Lepecki

T

o sleep or not to sleep? That is the question Graded High School students have been grappling with for years. With the never-ending workloads coupled with a wide range of activities, it’s amazing that any Graded student actually has any time for sleep. But that’s the thing—most of us don’t.

Whether we are staying up late trying to finish homework assignments and projects, or attempting to study for upcoming tests, most of us are hardly resting for enough hours per day.

Seniors, with their college applications to complete, GPAs to maintain and IB exams to study for, are definitely not. But are these sleepless nights really worth it?

The Sleep Stages Before diving into the effects of sleep deprivation, we must understand the multiple stages of sleep. While we rest, our brains undergo multiple natural cycles of activity that can be divided into two states: rapid eye movement sleep (REM) and nonrapid eye movement sleep (NREM).

Typically, an average human begins his sleep cycle with a period of NREM consisting of 4 stages that last from 5 to 15 minutes. In Stage 1, our brain activity decreases as we transition from wakefulness to sleep. During this time, we can be awakened quite easily, however, if we do wake up, we may not feel as if we had slept at all. As time goes by, we transition into Stage 2.

Though it is still considered a period of “light sleep,” in Stage 2 our body prepares to enter deep sleep, decreasing our heart rates and body temperature. Stages 3 and 4 represent the deep sleep stages and are usually referred to as slow-wave or delta sleep. Unlike Stage1, we cannot be awakened as easily during this period, for this is the time when our bodies repair and regenerate tissue, build bones and muscle and strengthen their immune system.

After we undergo stage 4 sleep, we move into REM sleep. This phase usually occurs 90 minutes after we have fallen asleep. Like NREM, its first stage is 10-15 minutes long.

However, the following stages are much longer, with the last one lasting up to one hour. Moreover, as can be observed with polysomnograms (sleep sensors), our brainwave patterns become much more active during this time, having a similar pattern as when we are awake. This in turn increases our heart and respiration rates, causing our eyes to look rapidly

in different directions. Furthermore, due to the increase in brain activity, this is time when we dream most intensely.

Interestingly enough, though, while our brains are heavily engaged in activity the rest of our body becomes “paralyzed” due to muscular immobility, which is why doctors sometimes call REM sleep “paradoxical.” Once the brain concludes the period of REM sleep, it transitions back to NREM sleep, meaning that the entire sleep cycle is repeated once more.

Sleep Deprivation Though lack of sleep may be common at Graded, we should do our best to avoid it, for it can have serious health consequences such as depression, decreased immune response, fatigue and increased pain. It can also hinder our ability to learn and remember new material. Studies conducted by the University of Harvard have shown that REM sleep plays a vital role in the acquisition of declarative memory, the knowledge of factbased information (such as the capital of a country). In one study, students observed the sleep patterns of individuals participating in intensive language courses and found that most spent more time in REM sleep. Researchers also found that REM sleep helps with our procedural memory (our ability to remember how to do something thestudenthustle.com like solving a math problem). Yet other studies have shown that sleep deprivation decreases our ability to retain new information, since it can diminish our attention span as well as prevent our overworked neurons from properly coordinating information.

Therefore, if we only sleep for a only a handful of hours per day, we may not be providing our bodies with enough time to properly conclude even one cycle of REM sleep, meaning that our ability to remember and apply the knowledge that we learned on previous days can decrease.

In conclusion, though it may seem like an impossible task given the hectic schedule of the average Graded student, we must strive to reserve at least 7 hours of our night to sleep.

Of course there are days where our work loads are bigger, but overall, frequent sleep cycles of 6 or less hours can greatly impact our ability to learn, process and use information. So the next you are cramming for a test, just remember that a good night’s sleep is just as important as studying.

Sources: healthysleep.med.harvard.edu, webmd.com

the talon • 17

features

Should I Stay or Should I Go The implications of indecision Julia Abreu

A

s junior year disappears in front of me, so does my certainty of whether I will go to college in the United States or Brazil.

It’s strange because I thought that as I approached senior year my mind would be set, but it seems as if the more I search, the less I formulate a clear goal for my next four years outside of Graded. Part of that confusion is because all I seem to hear from family members, or friends’ parents, or even people I barely know is the same question: So, where do you want to study and what? I understand that they’re just curious, but it drives me insane. Trying to make such an important decision is not at all simple, and as I consider my options, all I know for sure is that I want to be content with the college I choose to attend.

Initially I wondered if I would ever wish to study abroad if I continued to live in Brazil. Then, when I moved to Florida, I wondered if I would ever go back to Brazil for college. However, I came back to Brazil sooner than I thought I would, and now, studying in an international school, I’ve become utterly confused. The Class of 2014 is a large group of students, and many of them are Brazilian, so some of my friends will stay in Brazil for college. When I first came to Graded I thought I had decided on going back to the US for college, but the more I think about it, the more I think I’d like to stay.. After all, my family resides here, and it would be a bit scary to live so far from home, without the homemade food or a parental shoulder to cry on. Then there are the grandparents, who I consider an important part of my life. I know they won’t be around for much longer, and being far away would prevent me from visiting them for an evening snack, or simply talking over the phone with them. Brazil is my home country and my safe haven—but would I be taking advantage of all my opportunities, or simply be postponing my independence? I find it ironic that people around me have always considered me to be sure of my decisions, because thinking about going to college would suggest the complete opposite.

Halfway through last semester I went up to my par-

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ents and told them I was thinking of just staying here in Brazil, thinking that there would be no big commotion over the matter. They were a bit incredulous, and something they told me was “We did not enroll you at Graded for you to choose to stay in Brazil. That’s a bit unreasonable given all that you’ve chosen to do at this school, including the full IB.” They have a point, because, let’s face it, Graded is not by any means a cheap school, and all that I have stressed over here would just be washed down the drain, because no other factors besides academics are considered by Brazilian colleges . Then I thought it would just be better to go to the United States for college.

The issue now, though, is narrowing down my options and finding the best schools for me, because I am not even sure what I’d like to major in. At first, I thought that the only good schools were those with prestigious names and traditional standards, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.

As I looked more into other options, I found amazing schools that fit my profile that aren’t as world-renowned, quicmeme.com but equally impressive. I now have found many great options, with differentiated course studies and study abroad programs, which are my top priorities for college.

Looking back at why this process is so difficult I realized that I was stuck in the realm of those famous schools and was forgetting to look into other options for myself. Although I am closer to making more focused decisions as to the colleges I wish to apply to, there are still many aspects I have yet to consider before the start of senior year. I enrolled in a college prep course at Tufts for summer break, and I am hoping to get more insight on the schools that would fit me best. In the end, my biggest goal is to live up to my potential and take risks, because that will make me not only more fulfilled in life, but happier with my future. After all, no one should be forced to do things they are not comfortable with, but they should carefully consider all their options before jumping to conclusions and making hasty decisions.

features

Presidential Cook-Off An overview of White House executive chef Clara Bezerra

I

n five minutes we’re going to serve 200 people. This is not the time to fail.”—Cristeta Comerford, current White House executive chef Besides culinary talent, being an executive chef in the White House requires the ability to work under immense pressure and a limited time frame, while preparing largescale meals for world leaders and renowned celebrities. First Families appoint chefs based on their culinary tastes, and allow little room for failure. Below is an account of White House executive chefs and their styles, ranging from the 1961 Kennedy Administration to the current Obama Administration.

The Kennedy Administration: French Extravagance Born on June 29, 1924, in a village located in the western French region of Vendée, René Verdon began his cooking career at the age of 13 as an apprentice at a hotel in Nance. When he reached adulthood, he began working in several prestigious restaurants in France and, to pursue his career, moved to the United States, becoming a chef at a hotel frequented by the Kennedys. When Jacqueline Kennedy wanted a new head of kitchen staff, Roger Fessaguet, a chef at a restaurant in Manhattan called “La Caravelle,” recommended Verdon to her, and in 1961 he was hired as the White House executive chef. His time in the role broke the White House’s reputation of serving plain, flavorless food, and introduced the glamour of French cuisine not only to the First Family, but also to the American public. He grew vegetables on the White House roof and served extravagant dishes that prompted the publication of the first volume of Julia Child’s classic French cook book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Verdon withdrew from his post in 1965, during President’s Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, when White House kitchen spending was cut and he was instructed to make simple dishes.

The Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan Administrations: Unaltered Discretion Swiss chef Henry Haller succeeded Verdon in 1966, and became the longest-serving White House executive chef, holding his post for 21 years and serving during five presidential administrations.

In 1970, during the Nixon Administration, he announced he was “unavailable to the press,” and did not release any inside stories regarding the First Family’s eating habits. All of Haller’s co-workers describe him as unshakably calm and collected.

Bess Abell, social secretary for President Johnson, released a statement about Haller’s personality: “nothing seems to faze Henry, even the King of Saudi Arabia who arrived with his own food in five briefcases and his own food taster.” He resigned

in 1987, after conducting 250 state dinners, and in October of that same year published a book called The White House Family Cookbook. Even after resigning, Haller maintained his reserved behavior, telling the press his new book would have “interesting anecdotes, but no inside stories—no way.”.

The Clinton and Bush Administrations: Revival of American Cuisine Walter Scheib, born in Oakland, California and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, is known for his traditionally American style of cooking. He was hired by Hillary Clinton and served as White House executive chef from 1994 to 2005. While serving noteworthy guests such as Nelson Mandela, Lady Diana Spencer and Tony Blair, Scheib maintained the firm belief that “America is rich in amazing produce… using just a few excellent ingredients, anyone can make a perfect meal with very little formal training.” After being dismissed from his post by Mrs. Clinton, Scheib founded “The American Chef,” a corporation through which he hosts events to speak about his experience as White House executive chef and to offer educational sessions on high-profile cooking.

The Bush and Obama Administrations: Multi-Cultural Dishes Cristeta Comerford was born in Manila, Philippines in 1962, but moved to Chicago in 1983, beginning her career in the food industry by working in hotel restaurants. In 1995, while working at a bistro in Washington, Walter Scheib recruited her to be his assistant chef during the Clinton Administration. In 2005, Laura Bush appointed her White House executive chef, and Comerford became the first woman, and first member of an ethnic minority, to hold that post. When organizing state dinners, the executive chef arranges the best ingredients available on her table, and works to create new connections between them in order to make a revolutionary meal. Most of the creative processes behind outlining how events should be carried out, however, take place in Comerford’s 10-year-old Volvo, where she enhances her recipes and constructs the final outcome. Michelle Obama reappointed her as executive chef in 2008 and Comerford is currently in the post. Her ability to intertwine rich, foreign spices and American ingredients in order to produce groundbreaking results is today a reflection of the multi-cultural background of the United States.

Sources: foodnetwork.com; whitehouse.gov; nytimes.com; walterscheib.com; georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov; theamericanchef.com.

the talon • 19

features

Food For Thought Soon enough we’ll have the power of telepathy Renata Sayão

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s I write this article, millions of synapses are firing in my brain. As you read this article, millions will spark in your brain. The most complex organ in your body works day and night, making links between different neurons, thinking, learning, feeling… . The brain is responsible for everything you do, from breathing to calculating the natural logarithm of x2 or contemplating the symbolism of a chair in that passage you read in literature class. In the last two decades, the field of neuroscience has boomed. New important discoveries are being published constantly and are getting the attention they deserve.

The relatively new field seeks to understand what makes us human, why we react in certain ways, what happens at a cellular level under different circumstances. One of these discoveries, published this last month, was led by a Brazilian scientist named Miguel Nicolelis. Working with his team at Duke University, Nicolelis has created a method of communication that, although still in its early stages, can be considered a milestone in neuroscientific research.

Humans have always longed for superpowers, including the power to send messages from one mind to another. We still do not have the power of telepathy. However, some laboratory rats now do. What the researchers did was fairly simple for such a revolutionary idea: they connected a rat’s motor cortex (the area of the brain responsible for movements) to an internet cable which was wired to transfer information to another rat’s brain thousands of miles away, in Natal, Brazil. The two rats shared sensory information unconsciously with each other and then had to work together, through their minds, to complete simple tasks for rewards such as a drink of water. “The communication between the rats was two-way,” says Ian Sample, a correspondent for The Guardian. He explained that if the rat receiving the brain imaging information did not respond to it, his partner would be left parched.

So what now? Nicolelis reported that his team is now working on ways to link several animals’ brains– not just mice but monkeys and creatures with more developed senses of self– at once to solve more complex tasks. This seemingly simple

20 • the talon

experiment has brought up various other questions about the capabilities of the mind. The scientists leading these experiments say they are aiming to construct an organic computer, built around the idea of a “brain-net” that could link distinct minds together. The applications for humans are endless. For starters, Nicolelis is doing research to develop prosthetic limbs connected to and controlled by the brain. His goal is to create a prosthetic leg to be used by a paraplegic in the opening ceremony of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, allowing the person to kick the first ball into a goal by controlling the machine with his mind. Considering the effort and results that are being demonstrated, Nicolelis and his team are off to a great start. Paraplegic people would not, then, remain dependent on those around them to move around and perform watchdocumentary.tv daily tasks. It would definitely improve their quality of life and help them take more integrated places in society.

But this makes me wonder whether at some point, we will not be completely mentally independent. Imagine the technology that will be at our disposal in the future. I’m throwing around food for thought, but what if, in the future, learning does not take place by exchanging ideas verbally, but instead by exchanging brain waves? Imagine receiving memos in your brain, just knowing what you have to do and storing it in your mental agenda. Imagine waking up one day and understanding, finally, the solution to that problem your teacher already knows how to work out simply because she sent her brain waves out to yours. It sounds far-fetched, but in a world in which technology is evolving at such a fast pace, it seems that anything can happen. So, for all you readers, I encourage you to read on about the newest neurological discoveries. Who knows, it might trigger an idea that can get you a Nobel Prize for your contributions to the neurological field, or at least a National Book Award for your science-fiction book about telepathic humans.

Source: theguardian.com

features

Você tem fome de quê A arte de comer Victor Lee

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ebida é água! Comida é pasto! Você tem sede de quê? Você tem fome de quê? A gente não quer só comida, a gente quer comida, diversão e arte. A gente não quer só comida, a gente quer ter saída para qualquer parte...” (“Comida”, letra do grupo Titãs) Todos nós adoramos comer. Uns dizem que o seu hobby é comer. Outros afirmam que a melhor coisa do mundo é comer. Outros até trabalham com o ato de comer. Ou melhor, degustar. Mas afinal, todos nós temos prazer ao comer aquele escondidinho de carne feito pela vovó ou aquele bolo de cenoura com calda de chocolate que só sua mãe sabe fazer... É impossível negar. Comer é um prazer unânime que todos nós compartilhamos.

Não precisa nem estar com fome. No momento que seus olhos veem aquele docinho em cima da mesa, a fome bate. A fome é irresistível. Isso me faz lembrar da música de Lenine: “aquilo que faz perder o ar e a razão e arrepia o pelo da nuca.

Aquilo reage em cadeia, incendeia o corpo inteiro, faísca, risca, trisca, arrodeia, dispara o rito certeiro. Avassalador, chega sem avisar, toma de assalto, atropela...”

Opa, acho que ele estava se referindo àquilo que dá no coração e não àquilo que dá no estômago...

Muitos subestimam a arte de comer. Muitos pensam que tudo que o sujeito precisa fazer é chegar à mesa com uma barriga pronta para armazenar comida, dentes para dilacerar a carne e uma língua para sentir os sabores extensos de cada fruta exótica. Mas o sujeito que assim pensa, assim se engana.

Comer vai além disso. Envolve a capacidade do indivíduo de sentir explosões de sabores De qualquer forma, a fome é um estado que todos os seres heterótrofos passam. Temos três possíveis fomes. A de necessidade, a de desejo e a de vontade. Tudo que precisamos para saciar nossa fome é um pão. Mas, como a própria Bíblia diz: “Nem só de pão o homem viverá” (Dt 8, 3). Precisamos de cultura, de felicidade, de prazer. O que nos diferencia de uma onça com sede por carne ou um panda com fome por bambus é que a nossa fome vai além da comida. A fome é um dos fatores que mais mata seres humanos no mundo, mas é aquilo que nos mantém vivos, nos mantém fortes, nos mantém

esperançosos por tudo que queremos. Se você só tem fome de comida, você está morto há muito tempo. Levante-se, explore o mundo, viva, coma.

Triste é ter de ver pessoas caindo nas armadilhas da gula e morrendo presos às suas correntes de baixa autoestima.

Mais triste ainda é ver pessoas que matam a sede com um copo d’água. Não fique só catando comida entre os detritos, sem examinar ou cheirar, engolindo com voracidade. Na incerteza, tenha fome de acertar. Na tristeza, tenha fome de sorrir.

Na escuridão, tenha fome de sonhar. Anseie por mais. Você pode ter tudo o que você quiser na sua mesa, nunca se contente com comida, apenas. Comida acaba rápido demais, não é infinito.

Conto aqui a história de um rapaz que não via mais as cores das penas de um exuberante pavão. Não sentia mais o cheiro de feijão preto sendo fervido na panela da cozinha. Não ouvia mais a melodia que a chuva fazia ao beijar as árvores inocentes. Ele tinha fome de música, fome de filmes. Ele tinha fome de conhecer o mundo, experimentar novas culturas, falar novos idiomas. Ele tinha fome de inovar o planeta, escrever um blogspot.com livro, voar. Mas ele comeu. Comeu, ficou satisfeito e foi dormir. Nunca mais acordou.

Por isso, nunca desista de ver o seu futuro, sentir o seu passado, viver o seu presente. O tempo talvez não coopere, nem mesmo o ferro do céu, mas você sabe que lá na frente, além do que você pode ver ou sentir, um campo de batatas de aguarda. Não desista de ir mais longe, não desista de querer ter mais, ouvir mais, sentir mais, ver mais, aprender mais.

Não desista de viver, de pular, de voar, de crescer. Não desista de você mesmo. Você é o resultado de mundo inovador, novo, revolucionário. Você nasceu para brilhar nas passarelas de diamante, conhecer novos mundos, explorar novos horizontes.

Não suba a construção como se fosse máquina, não erga no patamar quatro paredes sólidas. Suba montanhas, atravessa campos de lírios e construa um legado que vala ouro.

E você? Tem fome de quê?

Fonte: textosquefalampormim.blogspot.com

the talon • 21

features

BRAMUN 2013 Impressions

What Graded delegates and chairs think of diplomacy at the beach Talon Staff

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lara Bezerra, delegate of France on the Security Council Representing France in the Security Council in this year’s BRAMUN was definitely an amazing experience. From Sudan declaring war on the UK to the delegate of Vietnam asking the delegate of China if she could understand English, my last BRAMUN conference as a delegate could not have been any more interesting. It was an honor to be part of a committee where two resolutions on controversial issues were passed unanimously.

I am thankful for being part of such a hard-working group of delegates, and look forward to my first experience as a chair in next year’s conference.

Karen Kandelman, delegate of the UK on the Historical Security Council BRAMUN was incredible! I learned a lot since I got to develop my skills in public speaking and negotiation. At first, I could talk to people one-on-one about my opinions, yet I could not talk in a larger group if I did not have everything written down word for word. By the end of the conference, I could stand up and improvise my speech, which was an enormous leap for me.

Stephanie Prufer and I worked in conjunction with the delegates in the Historical Security Council to pass three resolutions. At the closing ceremony, an Honorable Mention award was granted to my delegation. I would do it all again.

Mariana Bender, delegate of the UK on the Human Rights Council (HRC) BRAMUN was truly a great experience since I had the opportunity to reunite with my friends from PASB while having fun debating. It was my second time at BRAMUN, and it was amazing to see how much it has grown. It was my first time at the HRC, and the level of debate was high. I ended up enjoying my committee very much, not only because I got to fake a British accent, but also because I took risks and improved my public speaking skills. The highlight, though, was definitely getting into a heated debate with the Holy See on the topic of abortion. When I was not in committee, I got to enjoy Bahia, which is totally awesome!

Luiza Gundim, chair of the Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) MUN has been a very important part of my life since I joined it, back in eighth grade. I have to admit BRAMUN 2013 was the acme of my MUN experience. Álvaro and I accepted the challenge to chair the Economic and Social Council, one of the largest committees in the conference, by ourselves, without a third chair. Though it was a very demanding task in the beginning, we were able to handle everything very well, and I dare say we succeeded. From helping new delegates adjust to the

22 • the talon

MUN environment to passing a resolution unanimously, chairing the ECOSOC was an indescribable pleasure for me. Since I will be taking on more responsibilities next year as the secretary general for BRAMUN 2014, I will sure miss the incredible experience of chairing a committee like ECOSOC. Adam Fertig, chair of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Chairing the ICJ was a lot of fun because it doesn’t work like normal MUN, but like a courtroom, with cross-examinations and verdicts. I think this made debate a lot more exciting, and everyone in my committee was very energetic and well-prepared.

A delegate threatened to murder me at one point, but other than that, it was a really enjoyable experience. For our crisis debate, we needed a guest speaker, so I briefly represented Iranian president Ahmadinejad. I’m not sure I was qualified for the job, but I delivered a short speech and answered some questions to get debate rolling. While I decided not to apply for a leadership position again this year, I’ll probably be heading back to BRAMUN 2014 as a delegate so I can get bullied by the Graded chairs.

Daniel Almeida, delegate of the UK on the Political Committee My favorite moment in BRAMUN started out with a bang: Representing the UK, my partner and I were enthralled in the debate over the Falkland Islands. As the next resolution started to be presented, we found ourselves furiously scribbling down notes on what to attack in the resolution regarding the sovereignty of the Islands. As the French delegation read their clauses, things took a turn to the unexpected. See, the French delegation’s proposal was perhaps the “fairest” one that had been presented: to blow up the Islands. Ultimately, the subsequent debate and retorts that followed such a suggestion marked a highlight for me.

Julia Wu, vice-chair of the Political Committee The bulk of my job as a Chair at BRAMUN was done prior to the conference—I joined the diverse and brilliant leadership team in brainstorming, drafting study guides, and preparing the delegates for the big event. At the conference, instead of conducting research, pondering solutions and delivering speeches, I managed the flow of discussion, making decisions and demanding order. For the first time, I was not the focus, but the facilitator. Yet, I still had an opportunity to embrace my passion for international relations by mentoring the delegates about the topics being debated, and reminding them about our role as policymakers. I could also relate personally to one of the topics debated, regarding Internet and media censorship in China. Motion to extend debate time!

features

Crossword Puzzle Foods from around the world Features Team

Across 4. German gummy bears 5. Thick Japanese noodles 6. Fried, meaty, wheaty and Arabic 9. Spongy Ethiopian bread 10. The starchy icon of British gastronomy (3 Words) 12. Layered dessert from Italy 13. Flat bread that serves a religious role in Jewish cuisine 14. Dough wrapped in a leaf, typical of Mexico 16. Chickpea dip 17. A funny-sounding word for fried Viennese meat

Down 1. A “superfood” in the USA, and a popular purple treat in Brazil 2. Sheep innards wrapped in sheep stomach; widely considered gross 3. Gelatinous, strong-smelling fish dish from Norway 7. Ukrainian beet soup 8. “How much Indian bread do you want?” “______, thanks.”

10. The food that goes best with human liver and a nice Chianti (2 Words) 11. Shaved, grilled meat, often placed in pita 14. It’s not kung fu, it’s _______! And it’s good for you.

15. The reason the Greeks are so happy (kids can’t have this)

the talon • 23

entertainment

Vices and Virtues The secret of the broken ones, a story Yasmin Della Nina

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he darkness overwhelmed me. My head throbbed, fear consuming my ability to reason as hunger took over whatever strength I had left. But still I kept on running. I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that they were after me, and I had to get away.

I risked a look at them, but there was nothing to see.

Only pitch black darkness. I knew they were after me, though.

Their wicked whispers were everywhere, closing in. I could feel my ears pulsing in excruciating pain as I tried to understand what they were saying.

Who were they? What did they want from me? What had I done?

I ran and ran, but they were restless and were catching up quickly. I felt ice cold hands trying to take hold of me, cold and strong. Were they even hands? Keep running, keep running, I said to myself.

There were so many of them, and just one of me. I was pathetic. My legs, shaking so violently they were almost a blur, were beginning to give in. My eyelids drooped with exhaustion. And still I kept on running.

I felt things scratching my arms and legs, but I couldn’t see what they were.

I tried to remember how in the world I had gotten there. The harder I tried, the less I could recall. Suddenly, one of them had my leg.

I fell onto the hard, cold ground, face down, and I soon felt blood oozing down my face as I had cut my forehead.

I turned around to try to see what they were. But again I saw nothing. There was only pain. Horrible pain as more and more of them were upon me, scratching, biting, cutting, hitting.

I kicked and pushed and yelled, and when it seemed like I wouldn’t make it, I heard a sickening crack and felt something collapse lifelessly to the floor next to me. That seemed to stop them for a second. That second was what allowed me to escape.

Again I ran, and this time, with more fear and

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determination than before. I knew I was hurt and bleeding, and the pain was unbearable, but those things, whatever they were, still wanted me.

Their whispers echoed loudly in my head, and for a second I thought maybe I was insane. I could feel blood blinding my eyes and trickling down my neck. Sobbing like a madman, I kept on running. I felt small, helpless, alone. I gasped for air but still my body weakened with every step I took.

Suddenly I hit a wall. Uttering an exasperated cry, I desperately tried to find a way over it, under it, around it. I banged my body against it to see if I could miraculously bring it down. But it was no use.

Hot tears pouring from eyes, I waited in the darkness. I waited for the whispers to come closer, to get louder and louder.

And then, there they were. Again those things started hitting, scratching, biting me, but I c oul dn ’ t se e deviantart.com them. I couldn’t move.

All my strength had been drained out of me in the most cruel way I could have ever imagined and in that moment, I swear, all I wanted was to die. Finally, unconsciousness started to take over, and I let my eyes close with one last sigh.

I woke up to find myself in a bathroom, my nose itching and cold. I could see my reflection in the broken mirror that lay on the floor, like a ghost fallen to pieces. I stared at my hand in awe, noticing how beautiful that sweet, white powder looked, turned pink as it penetrated my veins through my wounded hand that still gripped the cutting glass, as if holding on to life itself, ironically. I was even more mesmerized when I realized my whole body had become a masterpiece, an explosion of the most extraordinary ruby red. I tried to get up, but the effort sent my head spiraling through a rush that made the world turn black again. I didn’t want to go back to that terrible place, so I forced my eyes open. I wanted to stay in that beautiful world of color. I needed to stay. Smiling, I heard footsteps coming my way, and then, my mother found me, followed by my father and my brother. I wondered why they looked so terrified…

entertainment

Music is Food

A valid proof on the edibility of the songs we consume Kevin Bengtsson

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t was not long ago that I was having an enlightening conversation with another member of the Talon staff in which, at some point, the discussion turned to the idea that music was a lot like food. “How so?” he asked. “How is it not?” I responded.

The evidence in favor of my argument is strong and will now be brought to the table. The evidence against it? Well, there is none. Music is food, period.

Let’s start with the basics: how do we describe music?

This is where the original argument for this article was conceived. I was trying to give a rough description of a song I was listening to and, being an instrumental track, I had to resort to talking about how it sounded rather than the message it conveyed.

My attempt started along the lines of “...and so the song begins with this delicious synth bass—” before being oh-so kindly interrupted by my friend, “Haha, a delicious bass?

What?!” Yes, I thought everyone knew that synthesizers are delicious.

As I began to ponder this, I realized that almost every single aspect of music can be described using adjectives usually attributed to food and food only.

“That melody is sweet like a Tootsie Roll,” “What’s that spicy salsa song called?” or even “Woah, what a disgusting/ nasty bassline.” Maybe I’m just crazy, but all of these seem like apt descriptions of music. They give you at least an idea of what the song sounds like, don’t they? And they don’t sound out of place either; if I said that baseball was a “sour sport,” that wouldn’t really work, but descriptions like that work for music. The obvious conclusion, then, is that music must be food.

Not convinced? Let’s take a look at love songs. Love songs are food for the heart. We enjoy them much like we enjoy food, and we can sometimes even take them for granted. Fortunately, love songs are all over the place, and we can listen to them whenever we want. At Graded, food is readily available, and we can purchase it whenever we want at the snack bar.

Love songs come in all shapes and sizes too and guess what?

Food comes in all shapes in sizes as well. It is only when we haven’t listened to a love song in a really long time that we

realize how essential they are to our survival; they are to our hearts what food is to our metabolism. Food tastes best when we’re dying of hunger. A romantic tune is the best when we’re dying of lovesickness.

Delving further into this completely valid analogy, a song’s composition is nothing more, nothing less than a musical recipe. Five ounces of guitar are added to two teaspoons of piano; a cup of a groovy drumbeat is then added to the mix and topped off with a sprinkle of a great vocal melody to create a tasty tune—see what I did there?

Let’s cut out all this abstract nonsense and get to real, technical musical terms. Did you know that there’s an entire genre of music named after a delicacy? It’s called Bubblegum Pop, and before you go thinking it’s just some obscure and esoteric outlier in the huge universe we call music, I will warn you that it’s much more present in our lives than you would think. If you have ever heard a song by Carly Rae Jepsen, you have come across this hipsterjew.com genre. It’s quirky, child-like and colorful pop music that appeals (mostly) to the younger female demographic.

Finally, we get to the last factor that will determine music’s validity as food: edibility. Can music be eaten? Some— most, probably—will argue that in no circumstance can music be eaten, but let’s just take a look at this: music and experiencing music is a form of knowledge and acquiring knowledge. If we can devour knowledge, then we can, by the transitive property, devour music. Ergo, music is food. I rest my case.

The article you have just read is riddled with an abundance of fallacies that would make any ToK teacher within a radius of ten thousand kilometers cringe. I dedicate this one to all of you. That said, I remain convinced that music is nothing but sonic food. I don’t know about the rest you, but I’m going to go back to feasting on the scrumptious buffet that is my iTunes library.

the talon • 25

entertainment

Dinner is Served A recipe for surviving the IB Larissa Chern

A

s IB exams are only a month away, I cannot help but reflect on my IB trajectory. Two years of stress, loads of homework, tests, Extended Essays, projects, CAS journals, oral exams...

Just thinking about everything I have had to face this past year and a half overwhelms me. And now this hardship seems to be coming to an end—unfortunately, not a smooth one. Going over two years’ worth of class material seems like the greatest challenge for seniors right now. That, on top of coping with the tremendous anxiety of waiting for college decisions. So, in an attempt to pass on what my peers and I have learned from this experience, here is a very simple recipe for surviving the IB at Graded: Ingredients: • 2 cups of perseverance: I know watching How I Met your Mother, listening to music, and going on Facebook seem a lot more appealing than getting to that math homework.

Actually, pretty much everything seems to be more appealing, even staring at a blank wall. But trust me, pretending you do not have any work to do will not make your assignments miraculously disappear. It will just make things worse. Think about it this way: your teachers will not stop assigning work, regardless if you do it or not. And that is the way it is going to be for every class you are taking. If you do not do anything, then your work pile will just keep increasing. So just get down to work to prevent things from accumulating, and eventually to prevent you from crashing.

In order words: Do not procrastinate. t

t

t

1 tablespoon of planning: If you know there is something big coming up in the next few days, be it an IB assignment or personal event, plan accordingly. For instance, if you know that next week you have an essay due on the same day as your best friend’s birthday, finish the essay beforehand.

That way you will be able to enjoy your friend’s big day instead of having to rush home to finish your work or pulling an all-nighter and looking like a zombie the next day.

1.5 cups of sleep: This is a big one. According to the Sleep Foundation, teens should get at least 8.5 hours of sleep a night. Sleep-deprivation intensifies stress levels, thus making the week a lot tougher on you. School is already stressful as it is; let us not make it even worse.

3 teaspoons of saying “no”: Most Graded students are overachievers, and this is probably a skill most of us will not master until we are married, with multiple children, jug-

26 • the talon

gling our careers with personal responsibilities, and feeling like everything might just collapse any second. Learn how to balance your schedule. IB courses are already demanding, so do not get involved in 12 extracurricular activities.

We are merely human, after all. It is highly unlikely that someone will be able to perform at his or her best in everything while involved in a ridiculous number of activities on top of their academics. Prioritize quality over quantity.

This will make your life so much easier. t

1 pound of acceptance: There is this “failure-phobia” that seems to be spreading through campus. Do not fall for it.

Accept that you will not always reach perfection. And that is absolutely fine. Again, we are just humans. It is not the end of the world if you fail a test. Rather than running to the bathroom to sob in a stall by yourself, lift your head up, and think of this experience as an opportunity for growth, and always keep in mind Winston Churchill’s wise words: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

t

2 slices of organization: Take notes in class and keep your work organized in a way that works for you. Remember that sooner than you think, you will have to go through all this material to review for your IB exams, so make this easier on yourself by having everything in hand.

t

4 cups of balance: Doing well in school does not mean you have to isolate yourself from society. Have fun with your friends, party, hang out with your family. There is more to life than high school, and you definitely deserve to have fun. Even if you have a lot of work to get to, find some time to refresh your mind. Trust me, this will also help you perform better in your studies. Cramming information and pushing yourself to the limit does not work. You. Will. Crash.

t

12 ounces of confidence: You will get your high school diploma. You will go to college. You will make something out of your life. Stop freaking out. Take a deep breath.

Directions: Mix all the ingredients together in a large pot and stir with a lot of patience. Do not worry if you find some lumps in the mix; you will have time to get this recipe right.

Sources: Sleep Foundation, Facebook

entertainment

What’s Up With These Trends?

Trying to uncover the mystery behind popular music scenes Mendel Schwarz

T

he 50’s had Elvis, the 60’s had the Beatles, the 70’s had punk-rock and metal, the 80’s had glam, the 90’s had grunge and so on. What is up with these trends? Why do they come and go? These questions are perhaps impossible to answer briefly and worthy of an exploration in an Extended Essay. But there must be something behind the success of certain genres and musicians at certain times. While I have no easy answers, I’ll pretend to reach a conclusion by taking a quick view at each of the responsible parties for such popular music genres.

Jay-Z stated in an interview to VH1 that whenever something gets “unreal” it disappears in the mainstream world. He used Glam Metal as an example, claiming that makeup came in and metal came out. By taking his words into consideration, one will detect a formidable amount of truth. A crude form of punk called grunge replaced glam. Techno and house took on a more aggressive and heavy form called dubstep. It seems that people are always trying to turn it up a notch.

The Ramones, for example, precursors of punk-rock, were responsible for turning things up a notch in the mid 70’s.

They started as an extremely bad cover band of the Beatles, as they themselves have proclaimed. They then decided to base their music on their musical limitations and came up with something original, unseen and, using Jay-Z’s words, “real.”

The example repeats itself again and again but taking something to another extreme isn’t always what makes a song “real” or popular. Where did indie rock come from? How did we go from Britney Spears to Foster the People and Arctic Monkeys? These bands noticed something was missing in the music market, which was overthrown by hip-hop and pop during the twentieth century: rock n’roll was missing. The public craved this kind of music and they gave it to them. They worked off of the Beatles’ formula (like every other band born after the 70’s) and tweaked it to fit our modern lives.

The intentionality of these bands to reach stardom is discussable. Every band wants to sell (that is a given), but Kurt Cobain never meant to get as big as he did—after all, that is the reason behind him pulling the trigger with his pinkie toe.

Indie bands want to make music that fits their taste and the public’s. This goes back to the originality and truthfulness in songwriting Jay-Z mentioned. Whenever a formula for success is

identified, like we see today with auto-tune and electro beats, for instance, the popularity of that form of music declines.

Why? Because it gets repetitious, tedious.

Dubstep is an example that shattered this paradigm.

It has the repetitive elements of pop music and elaborates on the ideas of metal with the ludicrous, heavy drops and their contents. And therefore, there is nothing too original about it, right? Wrong. Who thought about joining together the greatest opposites in the music spectrum?

Skrillex captivated the adolescents hungry for poignant melodies and those in need for an upbeat, heavy, noisy thrill. If you step into one of his concerts you will find everyone from longhaired metal heads to the stereotypical, average teen. There are moshpits. There are dancing circles.

There is singing. There is screaming.

Dubstep has all the attractions and is here to stay.

Like most movements in the oifm.oi.com.br past, Dubstep has a pioneer: Skrillex.

Grunge had Nirvana and metal has the Big 4. These guys stand for the whole movement. People worldwide consider grunge to have died together with Kurt Cobain and as many people contest that claim. I believe grunge is still active as seen with the South African band, Seether, for example. A style of music never dies; it just loses visibility within the mainstream world. Justin Bieber and One Direction didn’t disappear. But they will, just like Rebecca Black did, because they follow a formula and aren’t anywhere as original as Knife Party or Skrillex, Arctic Monkeys or Foster the People, Nirvana or Pearl Jam, Metallica or Slayer.

In conclusion, we might say that we have identified a formula for mainstream success. One has to be original in order to conquer a space. Whenever someone copies what has already been around, he may be successful at first but will eventually disappear because the art world craves new ideas.

It will never conform to the old, which doesn’t mean that the old will die and cease to exist. As we’ve seen, musicians build up on the works of the past and use that to innovate. Skrillex didn’t create his own sound. Logic Pro did. He built on what was already there. A period in time doesn’t create a mainstream success but the history of music, the construction of it, and the influence of other musicians make mainstream success. They don’t get there on their own.

the talon • 27

entertainment

Save the Earth by Eating?

Food initiative of the future Karen Kandelmen

T

LC (the Travel and Living Channel) is to food aficiona- but in San Francisco the organization is tolerated since it is dos as Mecca is to Muslims. The channel has programs to such a liberal city, famous for leading the hippy movement in make your mouth drool, with one exception: Bizarre Foods, the 1960s.

Then the show included a segment on an unfamiliar featuring Andrew Zimmern. Bizarre Foods is pleasantly narrated by the main man, Zimmern, a guy who eats anything agricultural venture in the US which is breeding insects to sell and everything. He travels around the world, meets his local as a main protein source. The woman in charge of the operaexperts who guide him around and give him unprecedented tion grows termites and grasshoppers, and invents traditional challenges. Zimmern’s motto is “If it looks good, eat it.” His American meals with them. For example, she cooked fritters with mushrooms and termites saying visit to China in particular highlightthat it “tasted like shrimp.” They had ed unusual ingredients (that is, from an entire dinner table covered with a Westerner’s perspective), such as regular recipes adapted by her to intermites, organs, exotic animals, and corporate bugs. so on. Even though these seem to be At the end, Zimmern joined a the customary items consumed in the chef of a pop-up restaurant that only show, a recent episode talked about served food that had local ingredients the innovative enterprises popular in in them. In this case, local meant stopSan Francisco, initiatives to improve ping on the freeway and picking some people’s lives and the planet’s envilicorice plants, going to San Francisco ronment.

Bay and pulling out some seaweed from Zimmern showed the audithe rocks near the Golden Gate Bridge. ence an alternative part of San FranThen, with those natural, hand-picked cisco, a city known for its culinary elements, the chef brought them back hotspots. He showed the audience to the kitchen and concocted a fusion restaurants that are changing the of Asian and French cuisines. The resdefinition of “cooking,” like molecutaurant’s concept is improvisational larly modified ingredients and pork ice cream, but those examples were jacketupload.macmillanusa.com and easy going, and since the restaurant caters to an avant-garde audience, nothing compared to the sustainable projects. For instance, the organization Food Not Bombs is invitations to join the communal dinner go out an hour before a global movement that dumpster-dives for ingredients and it starts, but a line starts to form immediately. The seating cooks for homeless people. Zimmern was repulsed by their in- arrangements require guests to sit side by side with complete trepid attitude when opening the dumpsters, finding fruit and strangers at a table around 30 meters long. This forces them vegetables that were thrown away while still somewhat fresh to engage in conversation with one another. At his dinner, and uneaten. After a while, Zimmern got used to the idea and Zimmern shared his opinion on how creative and significant helped two members of the organization by gathering banan- was the purpose of the restaurant. The work of the chef demas, strawberries, lettuce and other healthful products that onstrates the revolutionary drive that individuals need for the had been thrown out. Later, all the participants of the NGO future of the planet and its people.

All of these incredible San Francisco businesses mark placed their collected food in a pile, with some donations for extra ingredients and planned the meal they would prepare. a new era in the development of sustainable behavior, which When they were done, they took their spring green salad, our generation must continue to expand in order to ensure tomato vegetable soup and banana bread to the streets and that humans and fellow species survive. Generation Y and Z, served people in need. If given a bowl of their soup, for exam- and others to come, must be proactive and motivated to conple, you could not discern the difference between a $30 bowl tinue these sort of beneficial undertakings. We cannot sit on from a fine restaurant and the “free” soup made with previ- our couches, watch TV and let our world be destroyed by us. ously rejected ingredients. Feeding people inthis way is not Instead, we must actively fight against the deterioration of widely embraced, and organizations such as Food Not Bombs Earth. Let’s start by cooking up some imaginative ideas. are sought after by the police in Florida and other locations,

28 • the talon

entertainment

In Defense of Superficiality Musical beauty > everything else MC Otani

I

f I had to choose the one thing that I love most in this world, I’d probably say music. Music is magical. It brings people together, produces feelings and emotions you never knew existed, and is one of the most accessible forms of art.

Sharing and finding new songs is something we all love to do, and with such a menu of genres to choose from, it is impossible not to find something you love. But here comes a dilemma.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine messaged me “Pianists” by Saint Saëns (from Carnival of the Animals), a song that is basically composed of two pianos playing scales up and down throughout.

Honestly, it did not impress me at all. Yes, Carnival of the Animals is a masterpiece; Saint Saëns was an amazing composer; and the song did have a different approach towards the piano, but it simply did not sound good. It sounded awful.

When I asked my friend as of why he loved it so much, all he could speak about were the scales in the song. He mentioned the words “strange, different, unexpected,” but said nothing describing how pretty or enjoyable it was. In other words, he had chosen this song because he thought it was “different,” not because it had actually done his ears some good.

Then...why? Should one only take complexity and meaning in consideration to decide what music one fancies? It is not uncommon to see people (much like this friend of mine) saying, “Oh, [insert 1960’s rock band name here] is so many times better than [insert 00’s electronic musician name here] because real instruments and actual skill are involved, not to mention the fact that [1960’s rock band name]’s lyrics actually mean something.” But is that truly what one should assess when deciding what music they prefer? In the musical realm, what matters most? Skill? Sophistication? Lyrics? Meaning?

The purpose of music lies in the creation of aesthetic beauty, just like any other form of art. And, yes, that is what

music should be about. Music is supposed to sound good.

Period. Prioritizing lyrics, sophistication or skill over sound appeal thus defeats its entire purpose. If it’s simple, intricate, deep, shallow, easy, or extremely difficult to play and arrange does not matter as much as the job it does in pleasing your ears.

What is the use of listening to Lana Del Rey’s wisdom on the brevity of life if to me, the song “Born to Die” sounds like a doped cat on steroids wailing to the beat of a cowbell? If deep lyrics are what you are seeking for, go read a poem. Music relies on beautiful sounds. So let us be superficial! Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place” has the lyrics fit for an OCD, illiterate schizophrenic and is heavily produced, but the song (sound-wise) is breathtaking. Arctic Monkey’s “505” is based on only two very simple chords, but I get a strong urge to turn off the lights and weep in a dark corner every time I listen to it. Lily Allen’s “Smile” is probably the poppiest, most commercially driven song you can ever hope to stumble blogspot.com upon, but its ska theme makes it something delicious to listen to. Why not? Beauty in form of sound is enough to bring richness and power to a song; beauty itself generates thousands of emotions and reactions.

From an artistic perspective, yes, the pleasing of the senses is the answer. In this case, the outer beauty is more important than the inner. Skill, meaning and craftsmanship do come into play, but they are not what should truly matter to the listener. If you actually do believe “Pianists” is a stunning piece and if you truly enjoy it, go on, keep listening, but if you’re going to decide that you only love classical and classic rock because they are the only genres that require any real skill, I suggest you reevaluate your statement. You are missing out on the entire purpose of music.

the talon • 29

entertainment

Talon Tunes Your way of knowing what other students are listening to Kevin Shimba Bengtsson

F

eel like you’re bored of your iTunes library? Do you need recommendations for new songs? Look no further; the Talon staff has got you covered. Our picks below should keep you entertained until the next edition of Talon Tunes!

“Fair Play,” Van Morrison Kyle Bissell Off his masterful album, Veedon Fleece, Fair Play is the first track. A great way to open a great album—it really shows off his vocal abilities.

“We’ll Meet Again,” Vera Lynn Adam Hunt Fertig This is an old wartime song about soldiers coming home. Although Lynn’s British, it’s definitely in the spirit of “‘merica, the greatest nation on Earth.” It’s also the ending to Dr. Strangelove, so it is a good bit of fun.

“Dustland Fairytale,” The Killers Maria Clara Bezerra I like this song because it reminds me that the destruction of morality within society is nearer than a highly improbable apocalypse. It is a call for change worth listening to.

“What is Love,” Haddaway Daniel Almeida Feeling nostalgic? Want a song that reminds you of the early 90s groove? Renowned Eurodance artist Haddaway’s “What is Love” is a critically acclaimed tune that is bound to brighten your day and change your perspective on everything.

“Barbara Ann,” Beach Boys Mariana Bender I dedicate this song to my fellow PGC leaders. Nope, I’ve never been a fan of the Beach Boys. However, due to a certain retreat, this song has been popping up in my mind, and now it’s stuck in yours too!

“Big Jet Plane,” Angus and Julia Stone Karen Kandelman Great for chilling on your bed and taking a break from work.

It is relaxing and since it says that it will “take you on a ride on a big jet plane,” it feels like you are going to fly away and leave your problems behind. If you feel down and want to get away, listen to this.

“Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies,” Biffy Clyro Mendel Schwarz This admittedly heavy song has one of the best melodies in contemporary rock and an absolutely catchy chorus. This is complemented by the beautiful, simple guitar work all along and a kick-butt vocal harmony.

“Bad Day,” Darwin Deez Kevin Shimba Bengtsson Lyrics like “if you drop your keys I hope there’s a sewer somewhere very nearby” and “every day ought to be a bad day for you” make this the perfect to sing to someone you’re angry at!

“Easy,” Porter Robinson and Mat Zo Kevin Wolfson Hands down one of the best shows at Lolla. This will make you feel real good.

“Think of Me,” Andrew Lloyd Webber Luiza Gundim This song has a beautiful melody, and the contrast between the male and female voices in the duet is amazing.

30 • the talon

“Mexican Americans,” Cheech and Chong Victor Lee A catchy song put in our heads by her majesty, the Bio Queen, or just Gaby. It’s a funny little song to sing along with your mates who don’t like to get up early in the morning but have to. If you want your days to get better, give it a listen—and sing out loud.

“Boxing Day,” Blink-182 Yasmin Della Nina Unlike most Blink songs, this one is very sweet and, surprisingly, serious. It is my favorite from their album, Dogs Eating Dogs. For those who love this band, it’s definitely worth listening to. For those who don’t, this is a little different than what they usually come up with, so give it a go.

Now head to Talonline to listen to these songs in the form of a Youtube playlist.

entertainment

Talon Toon Fine dining Felipe Marques

Monthly Updates This month’s ups and downs Adam Hunt Fertig Easter was a needed break from schoolwork. And here’s nothing like the death and rebirth of Jesus to feel refreshed and optimistic again.

With college acceptances—and college rejections—coming in, emotions are mixed among Graded’s seniors.

Tensions are mounting between the United States and North Korea, which makes me very disappointed in Kim Jong Un, the world’s most adorable dictator.

the talon • 31

entertainment

Rewind Theater Student opinions on movies they have watched Kevin Shimba Bengtsson

M

ovies are cool. Students are cool. Students writing about movies are cooler. Here are a couple of thoughts on movies two fellow Graded students have recently watched.

Killing Them Softly (Mendel Schwarz) How is the economic recession of 2008 parallel to a crisis in one of New Orleans’ ganster mobs? Watch this and you will know. Killing Them Softly is, without a doubt, a fiction for the brainy. 4/5.

Oz: The Great and Powerful (Fernão Mesquita) Oz is a very surprising movie in that it manages to innovate while still retaining the charm and wonder of the 1939 original. The story, a mix of the musical Wicked with some of director Sam Raimi’s own ideas and L. Frank Baum’s novels, is exciting and whimsical, albeit a bit inconsistent in terms of pacing. The CGIheavy visuals are beautiful and the 3-D works for this kind of movie. The directing is fresh but still consistent with Raimi’s style. The cast is pretty consistent throughout, with particularly good performances by James Franco and Rachel Weisz and a very uneven one by Mila Kunis. Overall, a surprisingly good movie, although one should keep in mind that this is family entertainment: if you’re looking for something more thought-provoking, go watch the Oscar-nominated movies that are probably still in theaters, like The Sessions or Silver Linings Playbook. 3.5/5.

A story so unbelievable it must be true (Adam Hunt Fertig) This is the tagline for Bernie, a 2011 black comedy film, and the movie definitely lives up to that claim. Based on the true story of Bernard Tiede, a well-liked funeral director in Texas who murdered a wealthy widow, the film’s premise is bizarre and a little grisly. And with Jack Black cast as the lead, you’d think the movie was destined for failure. On the contrary,

32 • the talon

Black delivers one of the best performances of his career in this superbly-made picture of southern life. The movie is filmed almost like a documentary, with residents (played by actors) of Carthage, Texas voicing their opinions on Tiede and the crime. These varying opinions leave it up to the viewer to decide whether or not Bernie was wrong in what he did, making it a wonderfully provocative piece of cinema. The movie isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, and in fact often seems like a thriller or a drama. But at the end of the day, when you see Jack Black belting out funeral hymns, you can’t help but smile. 4.5/5.

The Campaign (Pablo Arenas) The Campaign is a film in which Will Ferrell is the governor of a small town in the United States, running unopposed for five consecutive campaigns before Zach Galifianakis’ character comes along. They’re both idiots, which makes this film highly comedic.

As a satire of American politics, the film is also extremely engaging. Never dailyfreepress.com has a pair of actors like these two worked so well at creating such a fantastic mockery in a motion picture. Memorable line: “We don’t want to live in rainbow land.” 4/5.

Seven Psychopaths (Kevin Shimba Bengtsson) Martin McDonagh returns with another film, a dark comedy pulled off with sledgehammer force. The movie’s ridiculously meta, but it works, and Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken in particular deliver hilariously psychopathic performances.

To be honest, any movie where Woody Harrelson has a Shih Tzu is my kind of movie. McDonagh began as a playwright, so the script’s predictably witty. Overall, while it’s a bit chaotic at times, it’s a great movie. 4.5/5

sports

Recently @ Graded Sports Updates from the court to the field

Kevin Wolfson oach Enrico fulfills childhood dream: Girls Varsity Vol-

C

a spaceship if they so desired. By 4 p.m. the gray mass had

leyball coach, Mr. Enrico Pasquini, tells the Talon all about

launched its attack, and the rain descended upon the empty

his glorious achievement. “All the girls know that my life goal

field. Softball players, men and women alike, didn’t mind it

is to be a lifeguard. Ever since I was a young man I’ve worn

at all. They went out and practiced hard, sliding in the mud,

my lifeguard t-shirt every single day of my life in hopes that

kicking up puddles of water as they made fantastic plays. They

the Coast Guard will find me and recruit me. I’ve worn it for a

gave their hearts out and worked until their bodies dropped.

very long time, and because of it people think I’m a Swiss tour

During this practice the rain decided to throw another wildcard

guide or something. Yet my dream has finally come true and

at the athletes and lightning began to strike the Graded roof-

I’m ecstatic!” Enrico told

tops. The softball play-

the Talon that he signed

ers continued to play

up for swimming lessons

bravely yet something

at a pool nearby and has

unique occurred. Futsal

finally become certi-

coach Ney Vieira decided

fied as an Official São

to cancel his practice

Paulo Lifeguard. He also

because of the lightning:

has called dibs on being

“I know we’re covered

the lifeguard whenever

by the roof. I know we

Graded builds a pool!

don’t even get wet with the rain. But it was just

Coaches from other

so scary!” The futsal

schools marvel at Soft-

players went home and

ball Boys coach-less

didn’t practice, and the

team: Chapel’s Varsity

softball players contin-

Boys Softball coach told Victoria Vergara

the Talon staff that he

ued to play courageously.

Cheerleaders attend

was impressed, commenting, “I cannot believe that the Graded boys are playing so well

softball game; umpire expels them: Due to a remarkable

without a coach. Graded has always been our rival team and for

decision the Graded cheerleaders attended the most recent

some reason we cannot seem to beat them this year. Graded’s

home game of Varsity Softball versus PACA. When the Graded

hitting is just so good!” This was said after Mr. Cross, a new

girls went up to bat the cheerleaders screamed and cheered

member of the Softball team, picked up a uniform and joined

on the Eagles, celebrating their amazing hits, and cheered

the Eagles as the cleanup hitter against Chapel. The softball

them up when some girls made mistakes. Everyone loved the

boys refused to tell The Talon their secret recipe for success

cheerleaders’ participation during the softball game. Except

in this awe-inspiring recent turn of events.

for the umpires. They were so upset that the usually quiet

Futsal practice cancelled due to lightning: It was an ordinary Tuesday. The sun shone throughout the day, and there was rampant smiles exchanged between students and teachers, and after a long day of hard work the athletes were ready to begin their practices. But, as we know too well, the clouds began to emerge from nowhere around 3 p.m., and slowly made their way into Graded airspace. Around 3:30 p.m. Graded was surrounded by overwhelming gray clouds—enough to take down

33 • the talon

and staid game was turning into such a party that they had to put an end to it. They stopped the pitcher in the middle of a pitch, and with a single wave of their hands they expressed their message: The cheerleaders had to go. All those present booed the umps: the fans, the coaches, and even the players.

Yet the umpires didn’t care. Silence is what they wanted, and that’s what they got.

sports

The Art of Tailgating

Delving into an American sports tradition Rafael Rocha

T

here are many parking lots in the world. Most of them are transient places. You come to park your car, and you return to leave with your car. There are, however, a few select parking lots, particularly in the United States, which are home to some of the biggest pre-game sports parties around: the so-called “Tailgate Parties.” If you are unfamiliar with tailgating, then you are probably also unfamiliar with the game of American football, because few things go hand-inhand in American culture as do these two.

Tailgating occurs mostly in college and professional football, although there are even some high schools where the practice has caught on. Tailgating has even become a common practice for baseball games, even if it’s renowned for being mostly before football games. It is basically what one would call “an urban picnic.” People generally arrive very early, or several hours prior to the start of a game, to a stadium’s parking lot to park their cars.

The name for the activity derives from the fact that traditionally these cars are equipped with tailgates, which is the hinged flap at the back of the car that can be open and closed. Going back to the picnic part, traditionally the foods are excessively artery-clogging, deep-fried madness.

Corn dogs, pizza, Oreo cookies, and even ice cream balls can be deep fried at a tailgate party. Aside from the frying, some of the other more traditional foods can differ by location, but the most common include chili, pork chops, potato salad, chicken wings, quesadillas, and dips. And let’s not forget barbecued steaks and hamburgers. In other words, a vegetarian tailgate is probably an oxymoron. Truthfully, it is a carnivore’s ultimate delight.

As mentioned before, tailgating varies from location to location and can become quite competitive. At some points, it becomes bigger than the game itself. Fans are not afraid to express their love for their teams by showing off team spirit, including painting their faces and body with their team’s colors. The cars, again a fundamental part of this weekly ritual,

34 • the talon

can serve to be shown off as objects of decoration with magnets, bumper stickers, and huge tarps. Some of the more competitive and over-the-top tailgaters even try to take a piece of their living room to the tailgate. Everything from chairs, tables, mats, and even widescreen TVs can be spotted at a tailgate party. Some even bring tents with them for shade or protection from rain or snow. Beer is also an important part of the pre-game tradition, as the alcohol is used and sometimes abused by fans to keep themselves warm during fall and winter, which is when the football season occurs, as well as for other reasons which I probably shouldn’t mention here.

It should be to noted that some stadiums are stricter in regards to the consumption of alcohol, so in those stadiums fans have to find other ways to keep themselves warm and tailgaitingstop.com entertained. For the latter, there are plenty of options at these tailgate parties. Many fans take footballs with them to throw to each other. Others prefer to play games like cornhole, where players compete by taking turns throwing cornhole bags at an elevated platform with a hole in it.

Other games traditionally played include the “ladder toss” and bocce.

In an episode of the Simpsons that I recall having watched a while ago, Homer becomes so enamored with the tailgate party that he forgets there is even a game to be played. This is a reflection of how much tailgating means in the sport of American football and American culture. Of course, most people are not like Homer and do know that the purpose for these festivities is to get revved up for the big game, but why not enjoy the party while it’s going on? So next time it’s a Sunday afternoon before a football game, you know the drill: it’s tailgate time.

Sources: askmen.com, wikipedia, gamedaygames.com

The Talon

2013-2014 Staff Application

C ut a l on g th is l in e , n e a tl y.

I

t is time to select the dedicated, intelligent, and creative group of students to lead The Talon through its thirteenth year. Interested in joining the staff of sophomores, juniors, and seniors? Are you curious? Do you like to write? Can you keep deadlines? Read and complete this application carefully, giving all elements to either Mr. Berg or Ms. Pfeiffer on or before Wednesday, April 17, 16:00. (You will be evaluated in part by how well you follow these directions and meet our deadline.) In addition to this application form, you must write one article (750-900 words) for possible publication in Edition 97 (the June edition, our last of the year) for any of the magazine’s sections, preferably the section in which you are most interested. If you are only interested in a non-writing position, send submissions of your art/photography instead of an article. The theme for Edition 97 is Press Start. (See the back for more details, and follow them closely.)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask one of the current Editors-in-Chief (Julia or Kyle) or the advisors.

Key qualities of a successful candidate? A polished writer with original ideas who can meet deadlines. Please also note that there are 17 juniors already on the staff, so we won’t be able to add many new seniors.

Family Name

First Name Circle your current grade level:

9

10

11

Who is your current English Teacher?

What positions would you like to apply for? All staff members are required to submit to the magazine each month.

All Talon positions require the ability to meet deadlines, but some require more than that: the four section editors— News, Features, Entertainment, and Sports—are in charge of a team of fellow students; effective and demonstrated leadership, communication, initiative, and editing skills are essential for those positions. Rank your three top choices from 1 to 3, with 1 being the position you would most like. _____ Editor-in-Chief (the big boss: organized, wise, collaborative, involved, and skilled at verbal and written communication; besides running meetings and keeping watch over the other editors, the EIC writes an opening piece each month, and is in charge of the POV section; this job requires coming to school one Sunday a month for Final Editing Day) _____ Layout Editor (the format god, who works to design a clear, consistent, engaging layout in Adobe inDesign; the Layout Editor also must come to school one Sunday a month for Final Editing Day) _____ News Editor _____ Assistant News Editor _____ Features Editor _____ Assistant Features Editor _____ Entertainment Editor _____ Assistant Entertainment Editor _____ Sports Editor C ut a l on g th is l in e , n e a tl y.

_____ Assistant Sports Editor _____ Photo Editor (puts together the inside back cover each month; has skills in both photography and page design; called on by section editors to take pictures for articles) _____ Columnist (an experienced junior or senior, who contributes a monthly piece in the POV section, such as an opinion piece, a chronica, or a personal experience tied to the monthly theme) _____ Blogger (an editor of Talonline, who makes brief but regular online posts of text and photos) _____ Cover Artist (the face of the magazine, who, with guidance from the EIC, creates and produces the front and back covers, along with the monthly poster advertising the theme) _____ Reporter (you must indicate your preference in order by placing 1, 2, 3, 4 in front of the section name: ( ) News, (

) Features, (

) Entertainment, (

) Sports.

List your planned academic schedule for next year, the classes and IB level, if applicable: 1. ________________________________________

Current staff members or contributors: List your articles that were published this school year.

Edition 89: Animal Vegetable Mineral

3. ________________________________________

Edition 90: Why So Serious?

4. ________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________

Edition 91: Girls versus Boys

6. ________________________________________ 7. ________________________________________

Edition 92: Tall Tales and Fish Stories

8. ________________________________________ Not including The Talon, list in order of priority and time commitment the extracurricular activities in which you plan to participate next year: 1. ________________________________________

Edition 93: End of the World

C ut a l on g th is l in e , n e a tl y.

2. ________________________________________

Edition 94: Survival

2. ________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________

Edition 95: Food

4. ________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________

Edition 96: Senior

Please answer the following questions on a separate document, attach to this application form, and ALSO email it to The Talon (talon@graded.br).

1. What could you contribute to the Talon? Explain your experience, interests, and skills by giving specific examples that demononstrate them.

2. If you are a current staff member, explain why you would be good at the particular positions to which you are applying.

In addition to this form and the above responses, you are also required to submit a well-written 750-900 word article as part of your application, preferably for the section for which you are applying. Besides your name, please include a title and subtitle to the article, and its word count, and attach one JPEG photograph or image that would accompany the piece—remember to cite the source of any borrowed material whether ideas or images. In addition to attaching the paper copy to this appplication form, send these elements electronically, as attachments, to talon@graded.br by 16:00, Wednesday, 17 April. In the body of the email, make it clear 1) who you are and 2) what three positions you are applying to. (Note that if you are applying to a photographic or artistic position, submit to the Talon advisors a portfolio of your work that you think best demonstrates your skills.)

Name Signature E-mail (write this neatly, please)

Date Telephone

C ut a l on g th is l in e , n e a tl y.

3. If appointed to a position, what specific ideas do you have to enhance the magazine and its role in the Graded community?