Ed. 72 - Senior

editors in chief.

Confessions of a Talon Editor-in-Chief A testy love letter

Martin Shores

I

wrote this article once before. In it, I ranted about how angry you all made me; the readers and the writers for ignoring me.

Edition after edition I would pour hours and a little of myself into each article, each magazine. In return, for every two editions or so, one person would approach me and say they liked my article. I would see the same mistakes I worked hard to correct in a previous article, resurface a week later. My answer to that was to attack every little mistake, to attack the writers and assault the readers.

What started out as a plea for attention became a violent tirade. It was crude, it was cruel. Sarcasm became plain malevolence. In my one moment of unbridled spite, I tried to somehow reflect some of my hurt back onto those I held responsible. It wasn’t until I stopped and read through my work that I remembered what I said to a friend of mine, about leaving the school a better place than when I had come in. Call it the crisis of the graduate if you will. Of the dying man. Of he who feels like he’s leaving and leaving nothing in return. I couldn’t have this article be my last.

Before I move on, let me please explain why I’m being melodramatic. Over the last two years, I have grown very attached to the Talon, even more so as Editor-in-Chief. I cannot exactly explain why. It has a lot to do with my attachment to my writing and a little with a personal debt. I mentioned this before, that so much of who I am goes into my articles, and I stand by this idea. When I look back on my senior year, I’ll reread my old articles. The infamous senior lawn article and my misplaced notion of superiority, my article comparing college applications to parenthood, and all the others—these above all else reflect who I was when I wrote them. I can also credit my success in getting into college to the Talon. I’m not an exceptional student by any stretch of the word. I’m not the star athlete of a varsity sport, not the Mother Teresa of Graded’s community service. All I have is this little magazine.

The connections some made playing alongside teammates, the experiences they had at Big 8, of being a part of something much larger and more important than themselves, yet feeling like they were responsible for its success and being much better for it, I got a taste of that from working on the Talon.

And yet, although I’ve grown disproportionately fond

of the Talon, all I got in return was a junior hallway filled with people who hold me in contempt and more dislike than I ever wanted. It hurt to see students flip instantly to the Trivialities and never flip back. To see the first pages always skipped over, the first pages where most of my toil resided, left me bitter.

It hurt to see my work ignored. Even my senior lawn article, perhaps one of the most controversial pieces ever published in the Talon, was actually read by very few. Most just saw what it was about and jumped to conclusions. Admittedly, they probably got the gist, but they never heard what I had to say.

Of course, now I recognize that I was wrong, but that’s beyond the point. Perhaps the highlight of my “career” was the publication of the April 1 Talonzinho. Nothing I had ever written was so well received.

So instead of a violent tirade and an appeal to guilt, I choose instead a sentimental plea that people please give my articles a chance. Those I would have insulted deserve more than that. Ironically, this plea will fall on deaf ears, for this message doesn’t apply to those who actually read enough of the Talon. The same mind that was responsible for much of the Talonzinho was also behind at least eight other articles which are now archived in the Upper School Library. If you ask me, they’re pretty good. I’m proud of them, at least, and they stand as my legacy to this school. Perhaps this is ultimately what it comes down to: not wanting to be forgotten. Graduation means the end of an era. It means that every day, there’s another thing I’ll never do again. The last half-day. The last taco day. The last Talon edition. And despite my excitement to move on, I’ll be sad to see myself leave this place and this magazine.

On this note, I end my final article as one of the Talon’s Editors-in-Chief. No sarcasm this time. No word games. None of my usual trademark writing flair. This is my goodbye to you all. To the few readers, I thank you for your support. Despite my feelings when I wrote the first article, your sparse words of encouragement made everything worth it. To the teachers, I thank you for what you’ve taught me in class and wherever else. To the writers, I thank you. You have been truly exceptional. No amount of stupid mistakes can change that. I have been truly honored to haven been able to work with you.

No sarcasm this time. No word games.

None of my usual trademark writing flair. This is my goodbye to you all.

the talon • 1

editors in chief

The Right to Lampoon

A modest memento on the value of satire

Andrew Shim

T

hrough the recent blatant censoring of the 201st episode of South Park, Comedy Central and its parent company Viacom have given the terrorists exactly what they have wanted: the suppression of free speech. For those out there who may not be aware, South Park is an animated sitcom, the brainchild of screenwriters Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which has thus far managed to lampoon every major controversy and notable figure.

Their 200th episode, introduced the character of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, depicted to have superpowers of being unable to be “made fun of.” Almost immediately a website called RevolutionMuslim.com posted a threat to the creators, referring to the case of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh as precedence, a man who was murdered after creating a film criticizing the suppression of women in Islamic society.

Authorities have decided to take no risks whatsoever, and placed multiple censors by bleeping out every pronounciation of “Mohammed” and his image in the episode. Especially after the Danish cartoon controversy, Comedy Central has concluded such a threat could have grave ramifications for the company and the safety of the creators. Yet is not the first time the prophet’s image has been blasphemed by South Park: the founder of Islam was depicted on the sitcom before in the episode “Super Best Friends,” three months before 9/11, with no major implications.

However Parker and Stone’s ruthless parodies are not specifically directed against a single community or belief; rather they range from parodying everything from Barbara Streisand to Japanese whale hunting, leaving none protected from their paths of ruthless comedic relief. To many who are incapable of comprehending its caustic message, South Park is loathed as program of distasteful cartoon violence and libelous disparagement of modern values. Yet the creators have only taken it upon themselves to express the views people are afraid of articulating, lampooning the hypersensitivity of Muslim radicals or any extremists, or depraved celebrities and politicians, whether they are Islamic terrorists, Democrats, Tiger Woods, Barbara Streisand or hippies.

South Park is certainly not unique in its field of communication. Satire has accompanied art throughout history, and as long as there was expression, parodies followed. Its role has been fundamental in illustrating the extent of how ludicrous human society truly is, mercilessly pointing out our hypocrisies, lifestyles and false values in the face of the heavy obligations and realities that plague society as a whole.

Since antiquity, the prevalence of satire has been seen in the works of several Greek poets and playwrights such as Aristophanes or Menippus. In the early eighteenth century Jonathan Swift revolted reader by publishing his satirical essay “A Modest Proposal,” suggesting that infants should be consumed as a form of sustenance for the wealthy to alleviate the burden of children

2 • the talon

for the lower classes of Ireland. The revolting logic of Swift’s arguments is nonetheless rational, highlighting the brutalities of proto-capitalist and mercantilist thought of identifying humans as merely commodities.

Geroge Orwell’s 1984 famously portrays an atrocious dystopia functioning on the basis of censorship and brainwashing, while Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 also incorporates “doublethink” as individuals are marginalized against a systematic bureaucracy.

Another familiar example is Machado de Assis’s Dom Casmurro, revered as one of the author’s most important works and a hallmark in Brazilian literature. It too is not kind in depicting the fallacious lifestyles of the Brazilian aristocracy and its racist, classicist as well as sexist mentality.

In modern times, comedian Stephen Colbert lampoons the conservative mindset by donning the persona of a self-righteous, smug commentator reminiscent of prominent American political pundits such as Bill O’Reilly (which Colbert affectionately calls Papa Bear) and Rush Limbaugh. His ridiculous wit has garnered the attention and admiration of a new generation of thinkers, or “potheads” as his character might call them. Colbert rarely breaks character, which he himself sees as fundamental in conveying and preserving the humorous aspects of his satire, which thrusts him upon an entirely different level of political comedy than that of his colleagues like Bill Maher, who more often than not comes out as a whiny liberal jerk rather than a social commentator.

Recent speculation has risen up on the Internet suspecting that the censorship of episode 201 deliberately done by the creators. If that is the case, South Park has reached the most sublime level of satire: one of metalinguistic proportions which few other social critics can match. Theirs is the voice that represents implicit resistance, for without satire, apathy prevails. The controversy over South Park might be esoteric, yet it tells us the absurdity of the vulnerability of society in attempting to express opinions in areas which are sensitive, such as religion.

Why should art and media cower to Islamic radicalism?

Why should figures like France’s Houellebecq or Holland’s Van Gogh be scrutinized or assassinated for questioning Islamic repression? As pointed out by Ross Douthat, a columnist for the New York Times, contemporary popular culture is able to conceive and produce films like “Kick-Ass” or “The Hangover,” which highlight the pinnacle of social and ethical decadence challenging fundamental moral values that people hold dear, yet is unable to repel such marginal radicalism from a few wannabe terrorists on the web.

Let us remember that if satire is repressed and mouths shut, we risk receding into a society unbridled with silence, shallowness, censorship—the three wise monkeys of the contemporary era.

faculty advisors

A Talon Farewelcome Goodbye seniors; hello new staff

Ms. Mary Pfeiffer and Mr. Josh Berg

S

o the Senior edition is already here, which for us is always bittersweet. Though we get to meet and greet a fresh-faced incoming staff, we also have to say goodbye those grizzled veterans, the seniors.

This year we had 11 seniors on staff, five of whom--Sae Bom Choi, Felipe Fagundes, Nicole Fergie, Hannah Kim, and Nina Kim—were new to The Talon. (And only one of whom—Felipe—is actually grizzled.) The other six have been with us for at least two years; they are Cassia Di Roberto, Isabella Freyre, Karen Hime, Andrew Shim, Martin Shores, and Vicky Steinbruch.

To the seniors: while you struggled at times to balance deadlines with other commitments, in the end you helped produce the most consistently strong series of Talons since the magazine was founded. In doing so, you helped the magazine reach its goal, which is to always get better.

Sae Bom, we honor your reliability; Felipe, your nose for news; Nicole, your eye for lively candids; Hannah, your kind demeanor; Nina, your thoughtful artistry; Cassia, your feistiness; Isabella, your writer’s voice; Karen, your knack for the unusual angle; Andrew, your keen intelligence; Martin, your wicked sense of humor; and Vicky, your ability to pull things out at the last minute. May you all have wonderful experiences at university next year, and sign up for your respective student newspapers.

caricatures of some of the senior staff by Nina Kim

• • • • • To the new staff: you have big shoes to fill, but we’re confident you can fill them. The Talon is good, but it can get better, and it now falls to you to make it so. We welcome you, the Talon staff of 2010-11:

Columnists: Edu Estrada & Melanie Vladimirschi General Reporters: Gini Chi, Lupi Gontijo, Julia Wu Blogger: Luisa Alcântara Cover Artist: Elaine Chyung

Editors-in-Chief: Danielle Aguilar & Danielle Bryant Layout Editor: Naty Arenas News Team: Chris Thomas (Editor), Laura Deckers (Assistant Editor), Artur Renault (Reporter) Features Team: Andrea Estrada (Editor), Ho Jun Yang (Assistant Editor), Melissa Fiszner (Reporter) Entertainment Team: Luiza Justus (Editor), Olivia Dupasquier (Assistant Editor), Ashton Kim (Reporter) Sports Team: Isabella Zevallos (Editor), Yana Ahlden (Assistant Editor), Fernando Lima (Reporter)

Photo Editor: Julia Greenwald Artist/Cartoonist: Leo Porto To the Graded community: Thank you for your steady support. The new staff has already expressed a desire to integrate the magazine even more closely with the school community in the future, and we value any suggestions you might have to that end. As ever, please send your ideas, articles or photos to talon@graded.br.

the talon • 3

point of view

To Complete the Puzzle

A notification letter for those about to graduate Sae Bom Choi

D

you for your acceptance to college.

ear ___________,

Appreciate what you have acquired. You have met many Congratulations! We are pleased to offer you a place

students and teachers who have supported you, both in and

in the Class of _______. You will view this offer of admissions

out of the classes. From those who helped solve a problem in

as special recognition of your accomplishments during the past

the math homework one minute before the class, to those who

four years and as a vote of confidence in your potential for

share hugs for your acceptances to college, they all are parts

success.

of you. Also, from those who made your high school years parOR

ticularly hard with homework, to those who made your school

We are sorry to disappoint you for your accomplish-

life fun and exciting, they all in comprise your achievements.

ments are impressive. We reviewed your application, and due

Moreover, you have dealt with subjects that were cumbersome

to the large number of highly qualified applicants to the Class

and have enjoyed subjects that fueled your passion. From pain-

of _______, we regret that we are unable to offer you admis-

ful to wonderful memories of studying, you have gained tools

sion at this time.

that will continue to develop your abilities both consciously and unconsciously.

Despite your acceptances, you may feel disappointed

Look at these various pieces of your puzzle. Under the

that some colleges that could not offer you places. You will

name of Graded, you have absorbed diversity through classes

question the reason for not being admitted. You will review

and events, composed by the myriad of people’s opinions and

your high school life, and compare yourself to those who have

backgrounds. You speak more than two languages and have

been admitted. You might think there was something you forgot

participated in many activities that do not simply make your

to put in your applications, extracurricular activities that you

resume look splendid but gave you much meaningful experi-

could have done, or you will dwell on disappointing grades

ences. Your puzzle is conspicuously unique, that no other school,

followed by lack of effort and a lot of procrastination, points

including other international schools, would have provided you

you could have earned on the SATs or the charm you could have

with the same memories.

shown during the interview. It is possible that you will obsess

Remember those pieces that you lost and still miss.

over other students’ achievements in your school and in some

However, do not look for them as a relief for the present. Recall

ways you now may feel life is unfair. You will also assume that

those achievements that you could have earned and those that

other factors could have changed your acceptance such as

you should have devoted more time to. Search for those pieces

the increasing applicant pools, which many newspapers have

further, even after graduating from high school and college.

featured with horrifying statistics.

Here you are, graduating from Graded. You have

These letters do not reflect a lack of confidence in

learned things that sometimes seem irrelevant and have expe-

your ability to achieve success in college plans and life. People

rienced dilemmas that arise from a diverse community. How-

around you might try to make you feel better. It is possible that

ever, you are pieces of a gigantic human puzzle that includes

nothing can make you feel better, even all the sweets and junk

your knowledge and the community, while you omplete your

food out there.

individual puzzle, not completed at the end of senior year.

Now stop and look back on the first semester of your

The Deans of Admission (and this columnist) wish you

senior year, the time when you gathered up all your experi-

the best of luck in completing your puzzles. Thank you for your

ences during high school years. You were excited to present

interest in this column.

your accomplishments, realizing how much you contributed to school and how much you have grown. What you should have

Sincerely,

learned and what you must reflect on is how much the school

Sae Bom Choi

and the community have enriched you and prepared you for

Sae Bom Choi

your journey throughout your entire life, not just preparing

Student of Escola Graduada, Class of 2010

4 • the talon

point of view

If You Come to Think of It...

The ups and downs of senior year

Amanda Rudzit

B

eing a senior. Just the word carries weight. It is when things seem to come to an end, pieces fall into place and pepole start feeling rewarded for accomplishments, whether in the form of a “yes” from a dream college or just the liberating feeling that results from throwing that cap high in the air on graduation day. For a so-called “Graded lifer,” nostalgia hits with full strength and those seniors probably find themselves reminiscing about all the moments over the years, good and bad, experienced in these hallways. Even if not a lifer, feel close to classmates, with an often unspoken but shared understanding that the final days are here, and the limitted time really needs to be cherished.

Even though the common notion of the “high school hierarchy” dictates that being a senior means leading “the good life,” many members of today’s Class of 2010 can attest that senior year is not only that. There are certainly some negative aspects about it, too, like any other year in high school. According to Sae Bom Choi, the college application process was definitely one of the most stressful phases in her entire academic journey. The month of December for seniors is the worse according to her because “you still have to care about your grades,” but are too busy with college apps to focus well. Bel Guarita on the other hand believes that the hardest part is not waiting for answers from universities but rather deciding between the schools accepted you. Many seniors agree that having to face the IB exams is the most dreadful part, but that ironically it is also a relief to finally wrap up the two-year courses. Andrew Shim refutes the idea that junior year is the worse, arguing that this year for him has been the most demanding in terms of academic work but that second semester is “definitely more chill.”

On a less academic level, Freddy Cavallin stresses the realization that high school is finally coming to an end and that being able to count the months he has left with friends is terrible. Luiza Calabrese thinks that writing the senior will is just

too hard of a task, while Stephanie Chao believes that preparing to leave home is the worse part. She adds, “Senior year can be summed up in polar opposites: even with the intensity of it all, it is the time when everything culminates in your life thus far, so it is amazing.”

Julia Takoaka

It is true that many seniors describe this last year as simply “bittersweet.” Even though there are hard steps to face, seniors do still have many reasons to be thrilled with their status in the high school. They can walk around the campus dressed in all sorts of creative get-ups and we understand it as a show of senior spirit. Then there are their privileges, including exclusive access to the senior lawn, front row seats in the auditorium and cutting cafeteria and snack-bar lines. Seniors also relish “getting back” at Graded with a prank, a day reserved so they can do (almost) whatever they wish and not end up in Mr. Bair’s office and in suspension. Above all, many simply give up on assignments that require too much effort, blaming “senioritis.”

With all the rollercoaster of emotions and experiences that go with senior year, it is definitely an exciting phase, one all high school students look forward to, whether it is because they can finally go to university and become independent after it ends, or just because it is a great time to look back and reflect on all that was done in the past. It is a different experience for each individual and thus something hard to define, but all I know is that now, as a second-semester junior, there is nothing that could arrive fast enough.

the talon • 5

point of view

Now that I Come to Think of It Reflection of two seniors as graduation edges closer Isabella Freyre and Felipe Fagundes

A

sense of finality lingers in the air. The last strained weeks of classes, the dreaded IB exams, and then graduation.

The phantom of our graduation, of our last Flex assembly, or our last lecture, hovers precipitously over us. Yet it pokes its head around at this time of year, as students combat senioritis to endure through the month of May. It marks the return of our most repressed thought of all—that of leaving Graded.

Leaving includes more than tearful farewells, best wishes, and mortarboards being thrown into the air. Leaving includes having an idea, however vague, of what you want to do with your life. People are always asking us what we plan to do in the future, to which we are supposed to have some witty response. As children, adults laugh at our wacky desires to become a ballerina, a soccer player, even a penguin. But as we climb the high school hierarchy, we begin to form abstract outlines of our lives. When we reach second semester of senior year we are expected to figure out how we want to spend our future Time passes inconspicuously, not bothering our distracted brains. Hours pass quickly as we make our way from the Student Center to A21, from the auditorium to our halls.

Being a senior in high school is awesome. Seniors get to sit in the front row of the auditorium, enjoying the flex productions. Seniors follow the steady countdown posted on the bulletin board in the middle of the hall, full of anticipation.

Seniors have their own special trip, mutual understanding to be absent for an entire day of school. Seniors also become the prospect of proudly calling themselves Graded alumni in just a few weeks.

And so, we approach the end. Seriously, for real, finally done. We faced eight A.M. classes in baggy sweatpants, still barely awake from all-nighters. We made it through those unnecessary pop quizzes and those extensive essays.

We gained knowledge and partied together. I bet even our teachers are heaving a sigh of relief.

And so the doubts and dreams Victoria Steinbruch creep in. Will that brainy kid whom we all admired become a notable scientist? Will we still laugh about the silly jokes? Will we still remember everything we learned in school and apply it to our individual successes?

One thing is sure: the Graded experience has been ours.

• • • • •

Leaving includes having an idea, however vague, of what you want to do with your life.

s I was visiting colleges in the United States, I had the opportunity one day to chat with people during lunch. As the conversation progressed a girl and I realized that we had friends in common even though we had never met before. It happened that she had traveled to El Salvador in her sophomore year and met many of my classmates. Instantly, our bond formed and soon we were no longer talking about HACIA but rather our favorite sports and music. Yet, this was not an isolated event for sure considering my good friendship with Cassia also started from

We move about mechanically, heading towards a tempting goal while becoming jaded spectators of our lives. But it is the end of things that really lets us access time and enjoy every single moment. That is why the end is bittersweet.

6 • the talon

A

point of view

talking about our common friends in Uruguay. faced high school as more of a preparation rather than the real As I approach graduation I realize that I was not able deal. to develop the same types of bonds as some of my friends who As I count the days before graduation I also realize that have been at Graded their whole school lives. Nevertheless, it was in high school that I had the opportunity of swimming in as an international student there I a tournament, representing Japan was at Dulles International Airport in the MUN Security Council, to eat From the particular experience I have realwaiting for my connection, bumplunch with friends every day, and ized that my school years were responsible ing into a friend I had not seen in decide not wake up in the morning for preparing me to learn about life. years. At this brief encounter I was despite consequences. High school not able to share my feelings with was a place where I was able to him as I would with a close friend, fulfill many different roles, and able to eat with a friend at an airport thousands of miles away I was given room to experiment with “life” without major from home. Moving around makes us better at not only pack- consequences. I could develop my dreams in the hope that my ing, but also at building a vast network of friends in seemingly classmates and I will soon be changing the world. every corner of the planet.

The path I went to get here was different, yet a few Inside the classroom I learned trigonometry, about days from now, we in the Class of 2010 and I will be going into the Cold War, and how to analyze poems, yet, I don’t think I the real world together. Though it will not be that event that will remember most of that a few years from now. The con- will suddenly change us. For it was during my high school years scious pain of starting a physics packet in the wee hours of that I went through the metamorphosis from a curious child to the night after a weekend, or to start summer annotations that of an inquisitive student in the hope of one day becoming the night before schools starts-those experiences will leave a scholar. me with the lesson of time management. In college I will still pull an all-nighter before the due date for a senior thesis; yet, I feel I will be better at managing my time and setting my priorities. From these particular experience I have realized that my school years were responsible for preparing me to learn about life. Even as I struggled to learn the countless rules for a Portuguese grammar test, preparing to rationally think about life, not just to know how to write properly. Unfortunately, that is something that I was able to only appreciate at the end. If I could have had the chance of changing anyVictoria Steinbruch thing it would have been to

the talon • 7

point of view

An Education My college essay

Victoria Steinbruch

E

xhausted middle-aged bankers, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists sipped their stale coffees. They were arguing over the best way to tackle the counter-offer that had just been presented by their opponent. My father, tired, jet-lagged and eager to reach a consensus sat at the head of the long, unfamiliar office table. At age eight, I found myself wearing a delicate pink dress in a room filled with suits.

By the time I entered third grade I was used to accompanying my father on all his business trips. They began as he started feeling reluctant about leaving my young mother with four small children as he traveled the world for meetings and deals.

Sometimes he was met with much hesitation from CEOs and politicians who felt that the matters they discussed were too “important” for the ears of a small, female child.

His insistence on bringing me along, however, granted me the opportunity to prematurely enter a world that I at first believed wasn’t at all suited for little girls. The chairs were too big, the hours too late, the colors too dull and the meals had no ketchup.

Even though the adults around me spoke my language, their dialogue was made up of acronyms and financial jargon that was simply incomprehensible. I tuned out, drawing horses and stars all over the “Annual Financial Reports” that companies love gloating about. I hated feeling like an outsider, like I didn’t belong. At some point, between my tenth and twelfth birthday, my aggravation reached its limit; I demanded that I would only travel with him if he started explaining what was going on.

It was around this time that during a meeting, whenever I started doodling my trademark stars, my father would slyly pass me a note defining EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) or explaining the importance of having “synergy.” He would keep me interested by quizzing me after every meeting. He would ask, “What was the most important thing that the CFO said?” or “Why would this press release be beneficial to the company?” I paid as much attention as possible in order to try to impress him later. Slowly, horses and stars metamorphosed into ideas, notes and opinions to share with my father.

This transformation didn’t limit itself to the four walls of conference rooms. Once I started making an effort to comprehend what was happening around me, I acquired the tools

8 • the talon

to break the barriers that had once separated me from the others in the room. I realized that the more I grew accustomed to not only being surrounded but also relating and conversing with people several decades older than me, the more relaxed I was around people my own age.

Most importantly, my ability to overcome this frustration helped to drain away most of my teenage insecurities and shyness.

This new influx of confidence influenced my development as a high schooler, for I became fearless. I wasn’t scared of raising my hand, of being the first to answer questions or of having controversial opinions. I wasn’t scared of trying out for the varsity soccer team as a freshman, of being a leader of the cheerleading squad as a sophomore, or of applying to be an editor of our prestigious student-run magazine as a senior.

As I never stopped traveling with my father, my recurrent absences once I entered Vicky Steinbruch high school became a sore point with many of my teachers. They claimed that by missing school I was inadvertently harming my academic development. Consequently, I felt that I had to choose between being a good student and continuing to accompany my dad.

It was a struggle to find my identity amongst this infusion of realities; did I want to be the prodigy business child or just a regular high school kid? After much thought I understood that my development as a person greatly depended on my continual embracing of these two worlds. I realized that the way I act during classroom debates and MUN conferences is almost a direct mimicry of the unpretentious yet assertive style that I have always seen in my father. At the same time, most of the discussions that I have had with him originate from the theories of capitalism and globalization that I have learned in my History and International Relations classes.

I will always be my father’s daughter, and this is one of the things I am most proud of. By always taking me with him, even when I didn’t understand a word, my father stimulated me to always challenge myself. He gave me a key to a world that despite my young age, I grew to comprehend. And now, rather than being divided, these two worlds live within me.

As I take my future into my own hands I intend to create the blueprints for the next step, one where my dad will be proud of being his daughter’s father.

point of view

Não apenas festas do Grand Monde Desabafando o final do senior year

Arlindo Carvalho Pinto

A

Graded não é perfeita. Se fosse, não perderíamos tempo com anotações descabidas e testagem processual, ao invés de nos prepararmos para os exames de IB. Ou melhor, não teríamos testagem processual. Se fosse perfeita, não teríamos um projeto de história de utilidade discutível, que parece criado apenas para preencher o vazio de três semanas sem matéria.

Puro busywork, como o povo prefere chamar. E lá vamos nós, depois, tentar revisar todo o conteúdo sobre Stalin em UM dia.

Se fosse perfeita, não ouviríamos “pitis” ridículos quando alguns poucos alunos, dentre os mais de 300 do High School, chegam atrasados para o Flex. Talvez nem tivéssemos Flex.

Subjuntivo. Um tempo verbal de fato interessante.

Permite-nos imaginar, criar hipóteses e mundos diferentes.

Um tempo verbal que não representa a realidade. Esta é bem diferente. Existem juniors desorientados, achando que podem dominar o senior lawn enquanto os seniors, ao invés de aparecerem na escola, passeiam alegremente pela praia. Existem projetos inúteis e uma burocracia irritante. Os tais “pitis” estão lá, no mínimo uma vez por semana. Há uma hipocrisia absurda.

Falam sempre que temos que dormir e, no entanto, a quantidade de lições é ridícula. Parece que entre “estudar”, “dormir” e “ter uma vida”, temos que escolher entre dois, para depois escutarmos que estamos com estresse exagerado e que devemos descansar mais. A Graded, de fato, não é perfeita. E nem deve tentar ser.

Levando isso em consideração, devemos exaltar o que realmente faz a diferença na escola. Escutei, antes de vir para cá, em dezembro de 2006, que “lá só tem playboy metido e paty ridícula”, “malandros de condomínio” e afins. Talvez meus amigos só não quisessem que eu saísse do Porto. Falaram e repetiram que a Graded era uma bolha e que eu acabaria num hospício. Cheguei a ficar com um pouco de medo, confesso, mas, passados três anos e meio, olho para trás e vejo o quão errado estavam. Negar a existência de um ou outro espécime dessas categorias é impossível, mas são raras exceções. A Graded não seria nada sem as pessoas. Elas é que fazem a escola que eu adoro ser o que é. Não fosse a diversidade de pessoas, culturas, estilos e hábitos, seria apenas mais uma escola qualquer. Fiz amigos de todos os tipos e cresci exponencialmente com isso e por causa disso.

Aulas, notas, resultados. Muito se fala sobre o lado acadêmico da escola. “Ela põe algumas pessoas em Ivy Leagues, vários acabam entrando em boas instituições americanas e eventuais perdidos acabam indo para qualquer coisa nos EUA mesmo.

Enche a FAAP, mas precisa de cursinho para a FGV.” Todos já escutaram esse tipo de comentário. Vivemos num mundo em que valorizamos resultados e enfocamos em estereótipos. Estatísticas são geralmente colocadas à frente de um desenvolvimento real. Será que tudo é sobre estudar feito um psicopata e ter o

maior GPA da história? Eu decididamente não prefiro estudar 18 horas por dia, decorar todas as fórmulas de física e milhares de elementos químicos para entrar no ITA. Prefiro sair com meus amigos. Shaken, not stirred. Ou algumas Stellas. O que importa é o desenvolvimento de uma capacidade crítica. Desenvolvimento intelectual, não uma robotização. E isso a Graded faz excepcionalmente bem.

San José, março de 2010. Alunos de toda a América reunidos para debater assuntos relacionados ao futuro do continente. Escolas que têm aulas especialmente para preparar para a conferência do HACIA Democracy. E alunos da Graded, que tem reuniões semanais e sem tanto compromisso, brilhando.

Conseqüência de sua capacidade de fala, raciocínio, olhar crítico e improviso. A você, Underclassman, não espere fazer Graded e entrar de primeira em medicina na USP ou engenharia mecatrônica na Poli. Isso não vai acontecer. Espere estar pronto para saber debater, argumentar, entender o mundo ao seu redor e ter uma maior consciência social e pessoal. Os tais perdidos que meus amigos tanto mencionavam, afinal, não são tão alienados assim.

Boa parte do sucesso da Graded, nesse campo, deve-se a atividades não relacionadas com as aulas. As atividades extracurriculares são o que puxam os alunos. Ajudam-nos a entender outras áreas não relacionadas com o lado acadêmico, a abrir as mentes para outras perspectivas e são experiências que pouquíssimas pessoas podem ter. HACIA, por exemplo, me levou a aprender muito sobre relações internacionais e diplomacia, mas também me fez melhorar minhas habilidades de fala, improviso, debate, raciocínio, olhar crítico e, por que não, enrolação pura e convincente. Todas de utilidade crucial, seja para resolver problemas pessoais ou ganhar pontos valiosos numa prova de BrSS sem saber nada da matéria. Agora comparemos isso com um projeto no último bimestre sobre um tópico que não vai cair no IB e que pouco vai acrescentar na minha vida, mas me matando de trabalho? Acho que a aula oficial perde. Propostas de redação vagas e sem sentido nenhum? “Acompanhar o desenvolvimento da escrita do aluno ao longo do colegial”. Hm, sei. Prefiro organizar um projeto comunitário eficiente, que possa realmente fazer a diferença para alguém. Ou estudar Fernando Pessoa e sua heteronímia brilhante, para ficar na mesma área.

No final, olhamos para trás para ver o saldo. O que importa não são as faculdades que entrei. O que importa é o quanto cresci. Fiz amizades para a vida toda. Desenvolvi habilidades que não desenvolveria em nenhum outro lugar. Abri minha mente, tive contato com outras culturas e experiências que nunca havia imaginado. Aula de relações internacionais no colegial? Fotografia? Fazer um anuário? No Brasil, só aqui mesmo.

Por mais que tenhamos que aturar algumas bobagens, valeu a pena. Demais. Agora só falta estourar o champagne.

the talon • 9

news

What Happened During Your Senior Year Fifty years from now you may remember...

Eduardo Estrada

C

onsider this your graduation gift. No heartfelt good-byes, no teary dedications or lyrical verse in praise of your class.

No. A list, covering what I (with the help of Time Magazine) deem to be the biggest or most important events, people, and news during your senior year, in the hope that one day fifty years from today, when you are old and grey (or maybe not… who knows what medical advances will do for the preservation of youth?), you will revisit this list and remember what was going on in the world when you were a senior at Graded. From Gaga to Obama, I hope I have left nothing out. Enjoy.

News Barack Obama assumed the US presidency on January 20, 2009 (when you were a junior), facing the worst economic recession the world has seen since the last century, two wars and the tattered image of the US that the Bush administration left him. It is no surprise that the president disappointed many of his supporters who saw him as a messiah or an owner of a magic wand. Nonetheless, during your senior year (his first year and a half) progress has been nclrights.files.wordpress.com/obama.jpg made: the US’s image abroad has improved. Although still in shambles, the economy is starting to recover (or at least it hit rock bottom and so the only place to go is up) as unemployment has dropped slightly and consumption increased. The most significant legislation in years, healthcare reform, was passed by the Obama administration on March 21, 2010, providing universal healthcare to all Americans. Additionally, in 2009 the president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

The Nobel Committee attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons (Time Magazine).

The H1N1 virus, also known by its colloquial name

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“Swine Flu,” originated in Southern Mexico and spread throughout the world killing thousands of people and throwing the media into a frenzy of speculation and exaggeration. Similar to the common flu, swine flu is the sensationalism of the media easily treatable when caught at an early stage.

As China’s economic growth continues to outdo that of the rest of the world, speculation increases as to if and when China will surpass the US as the dominant world power and the effect of this change (and other economic powers such as India and Brazil) on power relations in the international community.

Iran’s uranium enrichment program has grabbed the attention of the international community since it has reiterated that nuclear armament is not the purpose of the program, refusing to conform to the UN’s standards. Iran’s outspoken and hyscience.com/archives extremist president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (who has called for the destruction of the state of Israel) heightens the international fears of a nuclear Iran. The problem worsens due to the lack of consensus in the UN Security Council with some countries such as China, Russia and Brazil refusing to sanction Iran. Additionally, Iran has increased its presence in Latin America becoming one of Brazil’s and Venezuela’s most important trade partners.

On January 12, 2010 an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck the Haitian capital, Port Au Prince with some reports putting the death toll as high as 200,000 in a country with a visionradio.org.uk precarious infrastructure, and

news which is ranked as the poorest in the Western hemisphere.

Over two billion dollars have been raised in Haiti relief efforts by governments, international organizations and NGOs to start rebuilding the country. Shortly after the tragedy in Haiti, an earthquake off the coast of Chile (magnitude 8.8) killed approximately 800 people.

After 16 years of “stability” in Central America, Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was taken out of power by way of a military coup which put the president of congress, Roberto Micheletti, in power after congress officially supported the coup by voting Zelaya out. While Zelaya continued to negotiate his return to Tegucigalpa, the coup naturally created a lot of unrest and instability in Honduras and the region as a whole.

Entertainment/People Perhaps the biggest pop culture phenomenon since Madonna, Lady Gaga has topped all the charts, is already reaching icon status, and her career is only beginning. If the catchy songs, bizarre hairstyle and outfit choices, and sexually suggestive dances don’t do it for you, the woman (or is she?) deserves credit for her infallible ability to get people talking about her. Her obsession with fame is evident followthefashion.wordpress.com not only through her behavior but also through the names of her albums (The Fame and The Fame Monster) and, yet, she is able to cleverly flip the roles around putting the spotlight on the media itself with songs such as “Paparazzi.”

The king is dead. On June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson was reported dead after suffering cardiac arrest. The death was attributed to a combination of prescription drugs for which Jackson’s personal physician was found guilty. The world grieved the King of Pop’s death and close to a billion people watched his memorial service on TV. Sales of his records skyrocketed in the days and weeks after his death. bittenandbound.com

The up and coming 19 year old country star Taylor Swift (attributed with revitalizing the genre by making it appealing to a younger audience) received the award for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the first country singer ever to be praised with that award. As she was halfway through her acceptance speech, however, rapper Kanye West decided that it was a good idea to jump on the stage, take the microphone disneydreaming.com out of Taylor’s hands and say the now immortalized line, “Yo, Taylor. I’m really happy for you… I’mma let you finish… but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!”

For the first time in over half a century ten movies were nominated for the academy award. Avatar, directed by James Cameron, is the highest grossing film ever and has likely changed the way movies will be made in the future due to its effective use of the 3-D technique. However, Avatar did not win the Best Picture Oscar which ended up going to Kathryn Bigelow’s (Cameron’s ex-wife) relatively low budget The Hurt Locker. Also worthy of mention were Pixar Studio’s Up (only the second animated film to be nominated for Best Picture), Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, An Education, Up In The Air, and District 9, among others.

In 2010 the FIFA world cup will be held in South Africa, making it the first African nation to host the most televised sports event in the world. Italy is the defending champion and as always, Brazil is one of the favorites along with Spain, England and the Netherlands. The next World Cup (2014) will be bluecadvertising.wordpress.com hosted by Brazil.

the talon • 11

news

Captain of a Sinking Ship The United States economy

Danielle Aguilar

S

ince the decline of the United States economy and that of the world in general, unemployment has been almost consistently on the rise. Needless to say, this has put manyfamilies in very difficult circumstances where they can no longer make ends meet. While the United States has made an effort to try and improve this situation, there is some doubt as to how effective this has been. Since the beginning of the recession, approximately 8.4 million people have been laid off from their jobs.

In March of 2010, the United States economy managed to create a total of about 162,000 jobs. This helped keep the unemployment rate in the United States at a steady 9.7%,which it has been at for a while now. While it may not sound as if this is a good thing considering that the jobs that were created did nothing to lower the unemployment rate, in times like this it is necessary to maintain a positive outlook. Although the unemployment rate did not lower and show any clear improvement, at the very least it did not increase and make the situation worse. With that said, this was not the outcome that had been predicted by American economists. They had predicted the creation of 200,000 new jobs in March, which wwould have had a more noticeable positive impact on the unemployment situation.

Naturally, in this situation, people look for hope in their leaders and expect them to find a way to solve these problems. A lot of pressure has been put on President Obama and his administration since his election to find a way to solve these problems in the United States and restore its citizens to a more stable reality. Commenting on the March job situation, President Obama said, “We are beginning to turn the corner.

Today’s job numbers, while welcome, leave us with a lot more work to do.” As he inspires hope and faith in people, President Obama succeeds in making it seem that all Americans have a part that they can play in getting the economy back on track.

While this is an important quality, what is truly important is what the president plans on doing to mend this broken situation.

As part of his plan to see through the restoration of the American economy, President Obama has created many policies that he believes will help. The White House website (www. whitehouse.gov) says, “President Obama’s central focus is on stimulating economic recovery and helping America emerge a stronger and more prosperous nation…As we look toward the future, we must confront the many dimensions of this crisis

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seeingredaz.wordpress.com

while laying the foundation for a new era of responsibility and transparency.” For example, as some might already know, last year President Obama put into action a plan comprised of 15 billion dollars to boost small businesses in an attempt to stimulate the economy from that end of the spectrum.

The other central focus and way to stimulate the economy has been to try and create as many jobs as possible.

This is being done predominantly to invest in areas such as health care, education, and energy, that is, areas that are expected to grow and develop in the years to come. It is believed by the Obama administration that creating jobs in these areas will not only help to boost the economy, but that it will complement the plans made for development in these areas such as sustainability and health care reform.

Another of President Obama’s major concerns in this economy is to try and keep Americans in their homes, meaning to lower the number of families who lose their homes because of foreclosures. This is being done through the Making Home Affordable Refinancing program which strives to make refinancing more affordable for up to five million Americans.

President Obama’s basic goal in all of this is to make a more stable economic environment for the future. Some might criticize the job he is doing while others sympathize and believe he is doing the best he can. After all, no matter what the one’s opinion of President Obama is, it is pretty reasonable to say that he got himself elected the captain of a sinking ship. Whether or not he can save it will be surely made known in the coming months and years as his first term continues to unfold.

features.

Outgrowing My Bed A college essay

Karen Hime

I

had outgrown my bed. I used to sleep with my toes curled up like snails in the ice-cold winter or with them dangling like socks seeking the wind during a breezy summer. The bed was small, pink and had only one cover. No longer did my flowery covers stretch from head to toe and shelter me from the dangers in the night. I had to make a choice between leaving my unprotected shoulders and neck exposed or leaving my feet and calves to the monster under my bed. Mr. Tee would lay beside me with his golf club, watching the night, scared that without the help of my flowery covers it would be unable to protect me as I was deep in sleep.

But for a long time it did not bother me. I liked to know that my old and safe bed was the one I was returning to every single night. It was familiar. I went to school every day pretending I was such a rough and tough pre-teen but returned scarred by the unfriendly acts of young girls as they went through emotional days. My pink bed was always there to comfort me. I would cry to it, I would yell to it and sometimes even punch it, but it would always take me in. The flowers would wrap around me, and as my feet stuck out it would not matter. It was the place I could go to be comforted whenever my parents gave me a hard time or when my brother had bothered me. I had changed schools and moved houses, and yet my bed accompanied me through both, securing my transition. My mother urged me to leave it behind since I was old enough (only 14) to have a larger and less childish bed. However, I firmly refused her insistence.

It was not until that one night.

I lay quietly on my bed; this night with my shoulders out since the night before my feet had almost caught a frost-bite, thinking. It was different, because in those recent days, I had not found myself thinking of the gorgeous boy in my English class, or that mean teacher who had graded me unfairly, but rather about something new. I was thinking about what was it really like after death. If I go to heaven, will I still have my five senses? Will I have more than five? Questions I had never really pondered about began filling in my head and squeezing, what seemed unimportant anymore, to the sides. What if I don’t go either to heaven or to hell? Do I just live in my body? Or am I reborn as something else? And these were not the only ones that appeared. I began understanding that to question was important, and that I had to form opinions based on myself, not on others. I had become inquisitive of my surroundings, questioning what I used to take for granted.

That night I was unable to sleep. I began to think about

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myself, and how I had come to this realization and what had finally changed. As I wiggled my toes from inside my covers to out, I noticed that they were not longer the toes that wanted to sink themselves deep into the playground’s sandbox, but rather, toes that wanted to wear high heels and go to important HACIA debates solving problems of the world. My fingers seem to agree, as I searched for clay under fingernails and saw only calloused fingers, exhausted from taking extensive notes during an important lecture on how the United States’ domestic interests in 1948 became catalyst in the Arab-Israeli Crisis. It was only then that I noticed I had indeed changed; it was not only my fingers and toes. My shins now needed care, from the bruises I had acquired at my last soccer championship as I got fouled over and over again, as did my knees from sliding down to the corner of the field after I was able to score the last penalty guaranteeing our victory.

My ears had become sharp from listening to ten kids at the same time during Graded Basketball Cares, as they all wanted to play different positions with different friends on different teams. My speaking had become loud and forceful, as I had finally learnt to enunciate to a public, as small as 2 or as big as 300, making sure I got my point across. And my eyes had become rapid, as they quickly scanned through texts and books searching for key words and phrases, to summarize and conclude main ideas through documents and papers. It was all revolutionary. I no longer was a frightened and shy little girl; I was ready to explore the world, no matter how scary it looked.

For my next birthday I asked for a new bed.

It was queen size. Larger and more spacious. It had white sheets and white covers, with two pillows instead of one. I had found the right time and moment to switch. Now as I lay in bed, I purposefully choose to keep my feet out, drying in the hot summer air, as I know no monster in the closet will get me. My thoughts now run from a sequences and series question, on whether I should have integrated the logarithm or used the ratio test on it, to the different applications of Plato’s Cave in my life, and how to escape it. It now feels safe to leave my pink bed.

Although, now, Mr. Tee still sleeps with me every night, holding his golf club tightly for my protection, I can now safely assure him that there is no more need for it. I have left monsters and ogres with the flowers, and now rest on my white sheets, where I am free and unafraid to think and challenge thoughts and people to find answers on my own.

the talon • 13

features

Freshies, Be Glad Juniors and seniors, be jealous Andrea Estrada

Y

es, you read correctly, “Goodbye Sophomore Project.” No more ridiculous and exhaustive amounts of research about topics you’re not even interested in. No more being forced to work in a group you dislike for an entire semester, trying to reach a consensus on what to write an extended report on and how to go about doing so. No more whining about sophomore project to your parents or scaring freshmen about the pain they will face once they’re in your shoes.

Why? Because Mr. Dequanne had the genius to bring along the new Sophomore Project, the Leadership Seminar. The question is: what is the Leadership Seminar? Sophomores, you tell me. Really, the Leadership Seminar is anything you want it to be. It is an opportunity to become a more well-rounded student and person, to reflect on your accomplishments, and to share your growth with others.

At first the whole idea was very vague, and it both pleased and confused most sophomores. The project, however, has gradually been shaped into a unique experience for every single tenth grade student. Currently, the Leadership Seminar consists of a Google webpage on Aerie Sites where all students have their own page and freedom to edit it. They can write on it, attach pictures, videos, documents,and so on. Also, they have the opportunity to access and comment on every other student’s page.

So, the Leadership Seminar is like a second Facebook account? No. The purpose of this online network is for each student to have a personalized page in which they reflect on activities done with the rest of the class, such as the “Lost at Sea” teambuilding activity, or any other aspect of their life. Of course, to you it may still sound extremely vague and pointless to have a page where you reflect about anything in your life, but there is nothing pointless about the project. I will attempt to give an overview of the range of possibilities vested within the Leadership Seminar.

First, students are encouraged to set goals for themselves and work towards achieving them. What kinds of goals, you may ask? Any. The spectrum ranges from reducing tardies to becoming a more open-minded person, from not losing pencils to striving to follow Roger Federer’s footsteps into a successful tennis career. Big or small, every goal is important and has a degree of significance in this project. Secondly, students are encouraged to get involved in school or outside of school activities. These can be community services, sports, music classes, art classes, book clubs, anything. The idea is to encourage students to explore different opportunities and experiences offered at Graded and outside of Graded that can help their

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personal development. Lastly, and probably most importantly, students are requested to reflect on all these activities, goals, or experiences they’ve faced. Part of the reflection is sharing with the rest of the class what has been accomplished. An artist may post pictures of his paintings, a musician the song shecomposed or played well, someone who started a community service project may post a reflection on it and an update on its progress, a writer may post his poem, short story, or article, an athlete a video or merely a story recalling those moments of victory or loss. The reflection is open to endless means of display, but it is essentially the most important part of the project.

Another part of the reflection consists of interacting with other people’s projects. By that I mean visiting other students’ pages and being aware of what their challenges and reflections are. Students are encouraged to comment on each other’s experiences and show support, agreement or disagreement, or simply provide their thoughts on the matter. Through that interaction, through that recognition of someone else’s development, it becomes easier to understand, recognize, and be motivated to grow as well. The Leadership Seminar becomes a means of communication and bonding between sophomores, in which they get to know themselves and their classmates better.

While some students were already involved in many things prior to the creation of the project and therefore the seminar is a more reflection-oriented one, others take it as an opportunity to begin to get involved. Ultimately, the Leadership Seminar is everything but a competition. The point isn’t to boast in your own success and be proud that while others are only in one community service, you are in six. The point is to challenge yourself to go beyond your usual efforts and explore new things particular to your situation.

For now, the project continues to be a bit vague, as it may sound to those unfamiliar with it. The only organized structure within it so far is a rubric being developed by a group of teachers that have helped Mr. Dequanne in creating the new project. Truthfully, I expect in the future it will continue to be somewhat vague the way it is now. Like PGC, one cannot define the Leadership Seminar; it is up to the individual to shape it into a personal experience.

Hopefully, we will be able to declare at the end of this semester that the Leadership Seminar was a success. So please sophomores, take advantage of the opportunity at hand and be thankful we aren’t being subjected to painful research. Make the best of it.

features

Say Cheese!

Enjoying your last school photo to the fullest Julia Greenwald

S

enior year is an important time in any student’s life for are the days of those tiny, generic yearbook pictures. Those multiple reasons. There are college applications, IB exams, are for the underclassmen. You are a senior now and only the senior wills, free study halls, senior prank, senior trip, and best will do. Our goal is to give you just what you deserve, various other events and/or happenings that take place during the best. We understand how important your senior yearbook this time. One event that seniors either love, hate or are not photo is. That is why we compiled a list of the finest senior portrait photographers in the even aware of, are school photos. country… We will not settle Current seniors know this, for the cookie cutter photos and juniors, you may or may not, that some other photographers but once you become a senior, you take… You will see someone start having those ‘last’ moments. with style, someone with class, Last first day of school, last last someone trendy. For when day of school, last spirit week, it came to choosing a senior last exam, last Flex, last Big 8, portrait photographer in you last Big 4… and the list could go went with the very best.” on forever. Yet, has anyone ever Convincing? Maybe, maybe considered that it is also your A lake? Really? not. However it does allow one last school photo? Not only is it http://www.highschoolseniorphotographers.com/ reflect on school photos here at your last school photo, but it is the school photo you will show your kids, and your grandkids, and Graded.

The school photos taken here at Graded are (no offense) very so on.

I’ll be completely honest—this last school photo generic. Nonetheless there are still people who dread school mentality is one that I acquired from U.S. culture. Most of photos and skip them on purpose, or spend unnecessary my friends in the U.S. are already freaking out about their amounts of time checking themselves out in front those school photos: What should I wear? Do colors matter? What “mirrors” that are actually windows. A while back, the biggest about hair? Makeup? The point is the photo has to be good, perk of being a freshman was getting your own headshot into and to be honest, they usually are. Not only do the students the yearbook, not some class picture where your head is the themselves look top-notch, but the photographers are also size of a jellybean. Yet now, even that right of high school hired to make magic happen. One of my friend’s high school passage is gone – everyone gets a headshot.

Most of us are okay with this, but had the seniors all wear formal attire. Another’s school hires a professional ‘senior’ photographer. I even have a friend whose there are a few of us who wish to take our school allows students to take their own professional photos senior head shoot a step further. I’ll never forget Bonnie Jeon’s photo when I was an and send them in.

Needless to say, curiosity and, to a certain extent, eight grader; she was not smiling, but eating shock consumed me. I knew that senior photos were a sandwich. Needless to say, some people important in the U.S., but I was not aware of the extent will see this as silly or stupid, but I see it as Bernard Moss students and schools go to, to ensure that this right of senior inspiring.

Personally, I believe a school photo is a school photo. passage is not only achieved, but done so exceptionally. I decided to investigate, and found not one, but many ads for There is no need to hire a professional photographer and add photographers, ideas and companies all dedicated to senior a wind machine for your photo, however, why not appreciate and take advantage of our last one? Seniors, old and new, school photos.

One ad that particularly stuck me pitched the make your school photo special for you. If that means smiling, following: “It’s your senior year; you’ve made it at last. The smile; if it means wearing a bow tie, wear a bow tie; if it high school is yours to rule and this year everything will be means eating a sandwich, eat a sandwich! Just don’t let your perfect. Everything, including your senior pictures. Yes, gone last school photo pass you by.

the talon • 15

features

Seniors at Last Well, on June 11 anyway

Olivia Dupasquier

U

nsure of what to write for the last edition of the year, and arguably the most important one, I searched desperately in past yearbooks in the hopes that I might find some inspiration in the aging pages. As I did, a bittersweet feeling overcame me as I recalled years and years of memories that have accumulated as I have gotten older.

What I remembered most distinctly was a thought that I had each year as I flipped to the seniors’ section at the back of the thick book. I was reminded of how intimidated I used to be by how big the seniors looked, so different from me; they could have belonged to another planet it seemed. I never saw them, never so much as encountered them, these giant people with boobs and facial hair, who I thought resembled my parents more than my classmates and me.

Even as I ascended a grade level each year, as I approached high school, finally reaching the 9th grade, and even saw my older sister as a senior, the idea was still a little distant.

It was approaching, almost within my reach, but never near enough to grasp it or even acknowledge it. Yet now, before I have even had time to accept it, much less embrace it, it is here, or almost here—my senior and final year at Graded after 11 years.

I let the idea sink in for a while, tossed it around in my head as I thought of myself next year, when it will finally be my turn to be a senior. I envisioned getting into college and having my friends write all over me; as well as shaving the heads of my male classmates, and filling in Martin Shores’ shoes in kicking the underclassmen off the senior lawn. I wrote a draft of my senior will in my head knowing, however, that until I actually have to write it, a lot will have changed. Mostly, I thought of myself graduating, how surreal that possibility still is. As the

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years go by, the idea of being the eldest in the school, being the lucky (or unlucky) ones who get to leave at the end of the year and start a new life, well, it becomes greater, and at the same time scarier. There will no longer be anyone for my class to look up to, the older ones that serve as an example of what one should or should not do—we will be the examples.

The truth is that the moment has come in which I need to decide what I want in life, ponder about who I want to be in the future. Nothing, absolutely nothing, has prepared me for this. Though I have been to the college fairs, as Bernard Moss well as the presentations during FLEX on colleges and have had my initial meetings with the college counselor, it never actually occurred to me that the time to decide was fast approaching; but it is.

Now the paranoia that I will never get into a college has finally sunk in—yes, I believe I am officially a senior.

Now I laugh out loud at the idea that next year, when the class of 2011’s yearbook comes out, elementary kids in some part of the school will be looking at our senior wills, wondering at how big we are. After all, how can I accept that my friends, the ones who still have the immature sense of humor of fourth graders, will be thought of as grownups? However, that is what we are, or will be forced to be, grown up and ready to face a new round of challenges outside of a haven that we have always had. As this senior class leaves, taking with it some of my closest friends and my envy, I cannot help but wonder at how the end always signifies a new beginning. The beginning of a new year with a new group of students, the beginning of my most exciting year in school, or in the present seniors’ case, the beginning of a life outside the four, figuratively speaking, walls of Graded (yes, it exists).

features

A reflection of BRAMUN 2010 Taking risks, laughing, and (not) following parliamentary procedure Yana Ahlden

T

he delegate yields the floor to the United States.” My attention immediately returned to the committee session I was in as I heard my country’s name and the motion associated with it by the delegate of the U.K. I had zoned out, and now I would have to continue whatever she had been talking about, without sounding stupid and out of place, even though I had no clue what her last sentences had been.

Representing the United States in the United Nations is never an easy task, since reputation always precedes you and you are expected to the fill the shoes of the delegates that came before you. However that wasn’t the only reason I was extremely nervous as I boarded the bus at 7 A.M. on St. Patrick’s Day, about to undertake a nine hours trip to Angra dos Reis, to my second Brazil Model United Nations (BRAMUN).

My worries included forgetting all the research concerning the U.S. during the past months, stuttering in front of the committee, and not being able to answer questions about my resolution. But these worries flew out of the window as I spent an entertaining bus ride talking and wondering with my fellow Human Rights Delegates. Once we finally arrived at the hotel, our excitement was dampened by the weather that met our eyes. It was raining, and it was supposed to rain the rest of the week.

However, our disappointment did not last. Emotions were soon running high as we prepared ourselves for the Opening Ceremony, during which Ambassador Ulrich Haynes Jr. spoke about his experience at the United Nations. Although I was interested in his speech I could not stop thinking about the next day when opening speeches would be made and resolutions drafted and debated.

Waking up on Thursday, I was greeted by a pale-blue sky and sunshine, something that brightened my mood instantly.

After breakfast and locking my roommate and myself out of our room, it looked like nothing could go wrong. The Human Rights Committee turned out to have an incredible sense of humor.

The delegate from Russia gave an example of how similes can be found in even the business of international relations, when he said, “This resolution is like Paris Hilton. From far away its looks absolutely stunning, but when you come up close, it’s just plain idiotic.”

He, however, was not the only one who could pass as a stand-up comedian. Some delegates were even on the verge of being expelled from the sessions.

All this didn’t matter to me—I was more preoccupied with defending my resolution. I requested and read the operative clauses in my speech, highlighted why the U.S. might think this resolution could solve the issue of Criminal Accountability of UN Officers on Missions, and allowed delegates to ask two questions concerning the resolution. I then yielded the floor back to the chair, and sat down, thinking that my part had been done.

I realized my mistake, when the United Kingdom yielded the floor to me, forcing me to speak.

As I walked up to the podium, and past her, I shot her an angry glare and whispered, “What do I have to talk about?” She smiled apologetically and answered, “I have no clue what reforms we’re making.”

Following parliaSandra Stoneman mentary procedures, I told the committee that Clause 8 gave specific reforms that would solve the problem. Feeling empowered, I told the chair, “The delegate is open to any and all points of information.” Question after question was hurled at me, some attacking, others attempting to perfect the resolution. I held my poise, and answered all questions to the best of my ability. Once there were no more questions on the floor I sat down and waited for the blow of a delegation getting up to speak against my resolution. It didn’t come. Instead, the committee moved, thanks to a motion made by Russia, directly to voting procedure, and the resolution passed nearly unanimously.

At the end of the delegation, superlatives and funny notes were read aloud, and a personal connection between everyone became clear. This is why we go to MUN: to become a part of something we will always remember and something that will always be remembered by everyone. Emotion aside, MUN is not a gathering of nerds; it’s a conference of people who care about the world they live in and want to change it to the best of their ability. Most of them, at least. Then there are those who make a sign that on the front reads, “Don’t know what to do?” and on the back says, “Just nuke it.” Or those who vote the United States the sexiest male delegation in the General Assembly...

the talon • 17

features

In 25 Years...

Our predictions for the who and the what for the Class 2010 Talon Senior Staff Adriana Almeida: Got lost so many times, no one knows where she is anymore. On that note, neither does she. Adriana has been missing so long she has been declared legally dead and is sorely missed by her peers. Deco finally admitted that he couldn’t live his life without her, so he spent years searching for her. He found her whale-watching with Greenpeace. They are now happily married.

Ana Alas: Now resides in her homeland of El Salvador as the most celebrated “Latin Mama” ever. She daily makes enough guacamole to satisfy an entire village but it only serves her husband and their children. Bianca still frequently visits her.

Andrea Ko: Is still carded at baladas because, yes, she is still that short; all the experimental surgeries in the world were complete failures. On the flipside, she makes millions with her photo exhibitions from a “lower” point-of-view.

Andrew Shim: United North and South Korea under the strong hand of a conservative using the slogan “eu vou matar todos vocês.” No one in Korea (either one) ever understood him. He still wears the same vest every day, which has become the national symbol and primary export of Korea.

Anna Maia: Was the first person to receive a bionic knee, which was supposed to never break. Unsurprisingly, she managed to break anyways. She is still a proud leader of the Official Senioritis Movement, spreading her mantra to high school students around the world.

Arlindo Carvalho Pinto: Graduated from Wharton with top honors and many enemies. He used his business skills to organize the un-organizable: Gaviões da Fiel. He found his soul-mate in his own reflection which he considers his alter-ego “Fudi.”

He named his business Fudi & Dinho as the ultimate testimony to his own vanity.

Bianca DiVia Ioschpe: is still the owner of a remarkable “treasure.” Millions every year go in pilgrimage in search of what they believe is El Dorado. She is hiding out in Ana’s garage, and has taught Ana’s children the Class of 2010 motto, which no one ever used.

Bruno Ham: Started his own bar, now a favorite of Graded students. It is known for its quality picanha and Jurupinga. He

18 • the talon

bought the company that makes Jurupinga and exports it all around the world.

Cami Malvido: Is back together with Beto. Again. They still use Graded’s hallways as their favorite make-out place, but every now and then do photoshoots in exotic locations.

Carlos Miranda Zurrilla: Is now coaching Barcelona, putting Antoine Crettex as his center forward in every game. Whenever his players score he call be seen yelling from the top of his lungs, “Jééééééésssss!” However, after remembering Mr. Bair’s indoctrination on sportsmanship, he apologizes to the losing team with his trademark, “Sorriiii, sorriiii.”

Chloe Pires: Won the Nobel Peace Prize for no other achievement other than just being herself. She sold a million rap records that are remixes of classical poems with Daniel Lins’ beat boxing in the background. Her posse is comprised of Graded’s past and present varsity girls’ soccer team and Bree’s three little Bairs (including the original one).

Daniel Lins da Silva: Is still in his usual haze. Writes frequently for local newspapers and never gets his articles handed in on time. Despite his age, he frequently parties with Kheirallah’s 11 year-old clients. He continues to piss off his superiors with his incessant side conversations.

David Kern and Cassia Di Roberto: Have been dubbed a single entity by all authorities. Their PDA still disturbs people, and yes, she still pops his pimples.

Deborah Lee: Has become São Paulo’s top socialite and is often photographed at the best parties with the country’s hottest pop artists. Deborah is still Gabi Song’s best friend and designs make-up that matches her friend’s fashion lines.

Deco Krongold: The “Menino Prodigio” is playing for Corinthians, replacing Ronaldo as the team’s fattest star due to years of attempting to beat his mother at beer pong. His abs finally lost their long war against his now prominent beer belly.

Enrique Calvo: Is still fighting with Mr. Aickin over which particular incident sparked the Russo-Japanese War prior World War I. He redrew the map of the Middle East as he saw fit and now

features gives Geography lectures to whoever will listen. His trademark remains a superfluous “Umm…” in every sentence.

Erik Bengtsson: Is now the proud owner of Arsenal. He is Carlos’ opponent for they have disputed many UEFA finals, although he remains mostly silent during every match. He married a Korean woman and designs video games in his spare time when not talking to Daniel Lins.

Fabiana Jorge: lives in Switzerland with her 237 cats. She opened a clothing store for cats which quickly blossomed into an international Internet phenomenon known as Cats R Us. She breeds cats for a living, often making weird combinations from two different parents, but to her they look adorable.

Fabio Razuk: A late bloomer, he replaced Rogerio Ceni as São Paulo’s goalie and idol despite showing no skill in his younger years. He is still in awe of his achievements, crying every time he makes a save. His tears have become his trademark and source of public ridicule, just like they were in high school. He still refuses to fly in a plane.

Felipe Kheirallah: Is now the proud owner of Heaven which has become an international chain of night clubs. His main clientele still hasn’t hit puberty. He still wears his senior hoodie every Monday because he is too tired to pick out his clothes.

Felipe Fagundes: After failing to transfer to Columbias Fu Foundation program, he became a zealous believer of Hari Krishna’s teachings, spending his time sitting bald and naked meditating on a lawn under the Californian sun. He abandoned the capitalistic world and resolved to subsistence farming alongside his buddhist girlfriend, kuplappakala.

Fernanda Bitar: Still obsesses over her being chosen Prom Queen, although after rumors of a fraudulent election she quoted Stalin by saying, “It’s not the people who vote that count; it’s the people that count the votes.” Needless to say, Andrew, Victor, Enrique and Renato fell in love. She does not, in fact, own the Americas as she thought she would in high school.

Freddy Cavallin: Has hair so large it was declared a bird sanctuary by the American Birding Association. Freddy accomplished his dream and finally holds the world’s record for both highest paid sports doctor and having the largest male buttocks.

Sympathizing with all of the other large rear ends in the world, he designed special pants to accommodate those with extra “junk in the trunk.”

Gabi Song: Has started her own daring fashion line known as “Lady Gabi Jr.”, after the now deceased Lady Gaga. She has a bitter rivalry with Ju Lee, who completely disagrees with her use of bright colors. They book their fashion shows on the same day to force their audiences to choose between them.

German Kim: Actually did go to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Out of everyone, Mr. Bair was the most surprised to see who his successor turned out to be.

Hana Farahat: She graduated top of her class in college, married the love of her life, Barcelona’s center forward, and has become a semi-successful housewife. Her eldest daughter is named Hana Mohammed Aziz Al-Fahid Mohammed Tariq Mohammed Tariq Mohammed Ali Fazan Hassan Mohammed Farahat Crettex. The only ones who follow her dictatorial rule are her dogs; the kids are rebels.

Hannah Kim: Successfully organized an international BBM conference on the civil rights of maids in Latin America.

Moreover, thanks to her widespread Blackberry communication, she acquired many sponsors who donated money to her project, and to save the environment.

Hayden Tomsett: Returned to New Zealand after high school.

Having woken up one day in the middle of the Australian outback with no recollection of the prior night, he capitalized on his amazing voyage back to civilization and officially became the new Crocodile Dundee. His catchphrase is “Sensational!”

Hea Sun Kim: Has become an international singing sensation and signed a lifelong contract with Colgate to be its official poster girl.

Helena Altenfelder: Now an environmental lawyer doing her very best to represent the unrepresentable: trees. She often ties herself to trees all over the Amazon. This has proven completely useless, since she is still so skinny that the loggers just cut around her.

Hiromi Shimakita: Has been selected as Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” for her “Righteous and Honest Life Movement.” Recently in her biographical documentary, her high school friends confessed that her strong morality and teacher-like nature kept them out of trouble. After her stardom from Time magazine, an AMIS official put her old AMIS CD on auction to save their organization from financial problems.

the talon • 19

features Ho Dong Chyung: Globalized Graded Basketball Cares, which teaches the sport to millions of underprivileged children around the world. He is publicly held responsible for the US’s basketball team no longer being considered the “dream team.” That title belongs to the team from Ghana.

Hunter Wilson: After spending eight years at BYU-Hawaii, he finally moved back to Utah where he directed the movie adaptation of “Big Love.” He married a woman named Gatherer and had five boys: Fisher, Wrestler, Dancer, Boxer, and Bob. Hyun Lee: Launched a globally successful art exhibition of 125 portraits of a once-famous Korean star, Doo June Yoon. Shocked

by Hyun’s obsession, Doo June fainted. Due to Doo June’s severe breathing difficulty, Hyun decided not to give him a Brazilian national football team’s uniform, which she bought for him 25 years before.

Isa Freyre: Majored in International Relations and Comparative Literature, deciding to save the world, one novel at a time. She is married to Barcelona’s coach and has adopted one child from each continent. They are very polite, constantly apologizing with their father’s trademark “sorriii.”

Isadora Lima: Is still famous for her incredibly well developed costumes, which she personally designs for an enormous profit, although she can’t handle her own accounting. She still considers herself an expert on morality.

Istvan Zolcsak: Owns a very successful club named “Deplay” in Miami and regularly drives around in his famous jeeps. Richard and Bruno visit frequently and get special discounts on any purchases of Jurupinga. His last name is still awesome.

Jackson Robar: Became a baseball player and part-time artist. His athletic career is much more successful than his other one, to the point which most of his income goes to keeping his artistry afloat. He owns a car of his own design, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t run. It still looks cool, though.

Jacques Besborodco: Living in a kibbutz and performing “Barbara Anne” nightly to crowds of screaming Jews. He won a Grammy for his performance, but after trying to expand his repertoire to include one more song, he failed miserably and has been dubbed a one-hit wonder. He still goes to Corinthians games.

Jae Ho Han: Bored with his job as a UN diplomat, Jae Ho

20 • the talon

returned to his roots in break-dancing and claimed victory for Korea in the Red Bull BC One international championships. He uses his fame to launch a hair gel trademark. He survived a near-death experience after getting in a fight with a Denver Bronco. He now lives in South Park, Colorado, and owns the local City Wok. Jessica Rush: Exports her line of do-it-yourself baking products worldwide, finally putting Betty Crocker on the backburner. Her recipes have been perfected over years of testing them on her ten children and her husband. She is expecting twins.

João Pedro Falcão: Still isn’t aware that he graduated. Although he now officially lives in Rio, he still stops by the math department every now and then to give lame excuses as to why he missed class.

John Kotheimer: Is still obsessing over the Knowledge Bowl question he insists he got right 25 years ago. Feeling he was unjustly pied, John, as a senator in the US congress, is now attempting to ban the classic dessert from the country. He was almost impeached after likening the President to a device used to clean the body cavity.

Julia Takaoka: Has become a professional photographer and has taken the wedding photos for all her friends and family.

Sitcoms hire her to be in the audiences of their shows for her trademark easy laugh. It is also considered a plus that she actually finds everything funny.

Julia Lee: Owns her own fashion line comprised entirely of black and other dark colors. She sends a yearly supply of clothing to Bel’s many offspring in an attempt to educate them on what is proper attire. She is still in contact with Dezem.

Karen Hime: Is doing her doctorate at Princeton in calculus and quantum physics. She still cries after every test, enraged by every question she didn’t know. She has pulled so many all nighters her body has stopped needing sleep.

Lucca Burstin: Is still every girl’s best friend and shoulder to cry on. He married a dwarf called Boris, apparently also a woman’s name, and started a NGO called “Short People are Still People” who advocate the rights of vertically challenged Jews and Japanese.

Luiz Secco: Has taken his bipolarity to the point in which he has actually created two distinct personalities: Luiz and Pituco.

features Each one is married to a different woman, although neither one knows the other exists. Despite his little problem, he has become very rich after winning “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” twice in a row, one as each person.

Luiza Calabrese: Has become a director of teen chick flicks.

While completely destroyed by critics, teenage girls swoon over her clichéd story lines and Edward Cullen-inspired protagonists.

She sold out when none of her Indie films were considered for Sundance.

Maria Izabel Guarita: Started her own New Wave Hippie school for her fifteen children. She can be seen in her yard playing with her domesticated pig and other common farm animals, all of which she named after Glee characters. She hasn’t stopped believing.

Martin Shores: Upset that after completing his bachelor, master and doctorate degrees at Duke University he had to leave, he became the most active member of the alumni association.

As Luiza was trying to break into the film industry, she invited Martin to be star of her first chick flick. An immediate success, Martin now splits his time between regular visits to Durham for no apparent reason, and his role on Fox’s newest hit show as Prince Charming.

Matt Reinhart: Having chosen to remain at Penn State indefinitely, Matt manages to have a particularly active Greek life, water ski the Chesapeake on weekends, and run his orthodontic practice from his dorm. He is rumored to have been cast in the upcoming Johnny Bravo movie.

Michel Liu: Slept through college, grad school, his first and only day on the job, and the biggest earthquake in recorded history. Doctors named a new medical condition after him, and following this discovery, he tracked down all his teachers and explained to them that he couldn’t be blamed for sleeping in their classes.

Nicole Ignacio de Jesus: After being excommunicated by the Church for claiming to be Jesus, Nicole decided to pursue her film career where she won 18 Oscars, one of them for Avatar 15. She also opened a business, CrackCrocs, with Paula and Fe. After making billions, the illegal substance in the product was found and all of them went to prison, yet they managed to run away and are living in their castle in Jordan.

Nicole Fergie: After two decades of studying medicine, decided to leave it all behind on a whim. She had two baby girls who

at the ages of 5 had already guaranteed spots on the JV soccer team. She is known in her neighborhood as the #1 soccer mom.

Nina Kim: Gained international fame for being the lead writer and storyboard artist in 9 out of 10 of Korea’s most famous anime shows. Most of her stories are based around things that happened at Graded.

Paula Mendes: After her failed business CrackCrocs, Paula decided to create a new country, MendsBits, with her friend Fernanda. With their new TOTAL language, they managed to create a Utopian society with their first native Andre Pilli becoming the symbol of the country, along with the Bolinhos de Arroz. Nicole visists frequently.

Paula Celoria: Lives on a secluded farm in Argentina with her husband and five sons. The farm houses more horses than any single location in the world and refuses to sell them because Paula believes no one will love them as much as her. She can be seen every once in a while at the salsa club she opened in Buenos Aires, dancing the night away.

Pedro Anchieta: Converted to Judaism after meeting the love of his life, an Orthodox Jewish woman named Bracha. Ironically, she is David’s much younger cousin. Every Saturday he plays the acoustic triangle for his synagogue band. He made millions with his debut jazz album, “I kissed a Jew and I liked it.”

Peter Merkel: The proud father of ginger Asian babies. He works for Chao Co under the employ of his wife, for whom he regularly fetches coffee. He is training his kids for their rightful places on the Varsity basketball teams.

Ping Ke: Found the love of her life, Pong. She can be seen reciting poetry for money on the streets of Bangkok. Little does anyone know she is a spy for the Taiwanese government.

Priscila Gouvea: Managing a chain of semi-successful hotels themed around SpongeBob, in all of which there are permanent reservations for her 40 relatives. She is currently residing in her Disneyworld hotel suite with her eight blonde and blue eyed children.

Rafa Peviani: Not satisfied with her time at Graded, she comes back to teach, inspiring a new generation of procrastinators, skippers and students who openly flirt with teachers. She is the subject of many of her students’ dreams.

the talon • 21

features Renato Morales: Discovered that Fe was really in love with him and all this time she was just playing hard to get. After dismissing her, he got such an ego boost that he signed up to be “The Bachelor.” He didn’t win.

Thomas Gentil: Is still sending chain BBMs to all his contacts which usually read “Oi gata, tava pensando em voce hoje.” His recipients now number in the tens of thousands. His messages still ignite catfights in the bathrooms of Kheirallah’s baladas.

Richard Joo: Regularly toured with 50 Cent (now 75 Cent) as his private doctor until deciding that, although the music was awesome, his talents were needed elsewhere. He moved to sub-Saharan Africa in search of the cure for AIDS. He’s on the verge of a breakthrough, or at least that’s what he’s been telling the investors.

Thomas Trimbo: Has become an adult film star. Ironically, he films most of his scenes when he is in deep sleep. He is married to Gabi Song and they have named their first child Sakerinha after the drink.

Ro Jafet: Lost her voice but only after a very successful 23 years on Broadway. She has moved to Disney with her soonto-be (this time she promises he will be) boyfriend from Tatuí.

She provides the voice of the welcome parade in the Magic Kingdom theme parks.

Rodney Montenegro: Got his own show on Comedy Central called “That’s What He Said.” As the one to launch Bianca’s treasure to fame, he is the only one who knows where to find it.

Sae Bom Choi: Graduated summa cum laude from Wellesley (or was it Chicago?) and pursued a very lucrative career in journalism in which she focuses on issues of global importance.

She exposes political scandals and crimes against human rights before her competitors. Every now and then she writes exclusive pieces for the Talon.

Santos Moreno Kiernan: Had a hard time in college because he answered every question on his exams with philosophical questions. He is still looking for the answers, but spends his time playing and coaching the Argentinean National Rugby team.

Soo Lee: Has been listed in Guinness World Record for ten years as “the fastest non-mechanical math calculator.” Despite numerous attempts at usurpation, including one from Graded’s Knowledge Bowl team and the MIT chess club, she still holds her title.

Stefano Salomone: Moved to India in order to marry the leather jacket he loved so much. He still believes that someday he’ll develop superpowers. He sometimes plays golf during the weekends with his buddy Tiger Woods, whom he met in rehab.

Stephanie Chao: Is raising new little Chinese overachievers with ginger hair. Some call it a miracle of genetics, although everyone knows the real reason. She has donated so much money to charities that they have asked her to stop.

22 • the talon

Vicente Casas Vazquez: Came out of the closet (finally) and no one was surprised. He is now the prima ballerina at The Cuban Royal Ballet. As a side job he makes weekly contributions to the Ali G. show. He wrote and performed in an opera called “Vazap.”

Vicky Steinbruch: After graduating from Barnard (although no one knows how since she only attended 1/4 of her classes), Vicky majored in Biology, the only class she never missed throughout her four years. She sometimes freelances for the Graded senior spirit committee, which includes no one but herself and serves no other purpose other than intense Facebook stalking. And although it has been years, she still strives to regain her glory days of when she was Miss Pop 2006.

Victor Maertens: Created a new form of socialism, which he tried to institute in Holland. Everyone thought it was another one of his bad jokes because it performed just as well. Despite its complete failure, it gained fanatical followers, like all forms of socialism.

Vince Tasso: Vince quickly rose to the top his class at MSU and decided to transfer to the U of M. He began to see that the Wolverines were, in fact, better than the Spartans, and realized that his entire life up to that point had been a lie. He hasn’t spoken to his family in years.

Vivi Martins: After graduating, Vivi finally confessed her love for Mr. Bentley. Needless to say, she was shot down. She coped with endless sessions of McDonald’s and was forced to check herself into a detox facility to rid herself of the damages inflicted from the countless Big Macs. She is now a world-famous socialite and lives full-time in Ibiza.

William Richardson: Is expecting his next batch of twins, Awesome and Possum, despite being a single father. He is singlehandedly responsible for the spread of the Mormon religion in Djibouti. He cannot say the name of the country without a naughty chuckle.

features

F

irst word has drop cap Font is Trebuchet MS size 9.5 Line spacing is 13-14 pt Title must sit on line. Line is located on 7p7 “Y” Photograph has stroke line of 1 pt and text wrap of 2-5pts When you place an article you need to make sure it~s in this font and read through and make sure that all bolds and italics are correct.

Citation is Trebuchet MS 8pt Italic

Cartoon by Nina Kim the talon • 23

features

A Farewell

My short essay for Williams College David Kern

I

n that old house where my mother grew up, I watch my

that moment is so important to me. I want to see them happy

grandparents stare blankly at the T.V. screen. As I look out

again, willing to live. Every day is like they’re giving up a little

the framed window, the setting changes. I’m back to the night

bit more, letting go a little bit more, as though they’re not

of my bar-mitzvah, the lights shining brightly while my grand-

strong enough to keep going. It saddens me to have to watch

father whispers something into my grandmother’s ear.

them grab on to thin strings of hope, unable to do anything to

I have never seen them as happy as they were back

help them.

then. Their sicknesses were set aside; only that moment mat-

My grandfather is dying slowly, suffering on frail

tered. The night was beautiful. They laughed and ate and

boney legs. He coughs, fifty years of smoking behind him. His

talked and looked lovingly at me. Their willingness to stay

face reddens as he holds on to the last bits of breath in him.

alive shone through their smiles. It seemed that they’d stay

Sitting next to him, my eyes widen and I hold back tears. Sit-

frozen in that moment of glee forever, their sadness tucked

ting next to him, I can do nothing to save him. Sitting next to

away. I have never seen them smile like that again.

him, I want to see his eyes shining as bright as the lights in my

Every time I visit my grandparents, I tell jokes and laughable stories in an attempt to entertain them. That’s why

bar-mitzvah. The red eyes stare back at me and cry for help.

I look down; tears fall on the floor.

What’s Happening in São Paulo Exhibitions to see in the city

A

Marina Oliveira

ndy Warhol at MuBE: The

Andy Warhol at Pinacoteca de São

first exhibit on American

Paulo: The second exhibit on Andy

pop artist Andy Warhol in São

Warhol in town started March 20th

Paulo, Ciclo de Filmes de Andy

at the Pinacoteca. Andy Warhol,

Warhol, began in March at

Mr. América has São Paulo as its

MuBE, the Museu Brasileiro de

last stop, after being through cities

Esculturas. Apart from being

such as Buenos Aires and Bogotá.

an artist, Warhol also directed

The exhibit is comprised of around

a few short pictures, some of

170 pieces by the artist, including

which will be showing at MuBE

paintings, drawings, photos and

alongside documentaries and

films, mostly from the 1960’s. Fa-

films made about Warhol.

mous works such as the one with

These include Vinyl and Chelsea Girls, by Andy Warhol,

Marilyn Monroe, from 1967, and saopaulo.sp.gov.br

Campbell’s Soup, from 1968, and

Mao Tse Tung, from 1972, are part

and Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol, by Jean Michel Vecchiet. There will be

of the show. Pinacoteca de São Paulo - Largo General Osório,

two showings every Saturday. MuBE - Rua Alemanha, 221 - Jd.

66 – Luz, (11) 3335-4990

Europa, (11) 2594-2601

24 • the talon

entertainment.

So You’ve Made a Choice...

Advice and myths for the college-bound

Cassia Di Roberto

D

ear Prospective College Students, Congratulations, you made it through most of your high school career. All you need now is that last push through May exams. Now that you have chosen where you will live and learn for the next four years, here are a few tips for and myths about college.

1. Get in touch with your college roommate: Unless you are one of the lucky few who scores a single dorm it’s pretty much inevitable you will have a roommate soon. So why not break the ice? Early communication can prevent many conflicts. “There are so many items students want to bring to school—mini-refrigerators, microwaves, TVs—and absolutely no reason to bring two of each,” points out Dr. Roger Sorochty, vice president for enrollment and student services at the University of Tulsa.

2. Stock up on a few necessary items.

Quarters (for laundry…yes, you will be cleaning your own clothes), and ear plugs (your roomie might be a “noisy” sleeper).

but don’t have to think, it can be a great stress relief.” Keep active by playing an intramural, or working out, it can even help combat that dreaded “Freshman 15” pounds.

7. Have someone teach you how to do laundry.

This is what you escape living at home. By learning how to do it before, you could avoid the fate of several college students who wash clothes at wrong temperature, and then have to stretch shrunken clothing. Most of us know to separate whites from colors, but beyond that, laundry does require attention.

What other skills should you learn before college? Cooking, car maintenance, and computer operation.

8. Rethink the myths you might have about university life: #1 College is much harder than high school.

Harder isn’t really the word; it’s more like “different.” This is the first time in your life where parents aren’t breathing down your neck, forcing you to do homework or waking you up for school. The difficult part is learning how to handle this newfound freedom, and to deal with the responsibilities that larger class sizes, more free time, and many distractions bring.

3. Try to obtain a US Social Security number if you don’t have one.

In the collegiate world this number may become your lifeline.

Checking for grades, registering for classes, and dealing with financial stuff, you will need the nine-digit number.

#2 All freshmen gain 15 pounds.

Actualy, no. A lot of people’s schedules allow them to finally have time to work out or join the gym. College also will give more opportunities to be involved, such as in intramural sports.

4. Spend quality time with family and high school friends before leaving.

Laurie Margrave, junior at the University of Notre Dame says, “You take it for granted and don’t realize how much you will miss them before you leave for school.” She quickly adds ,“Suddenly you’re gone and can’t get them back.”

#3 Roomate compatibility forms really work.

Um, no. There have been many cases like Max Geitner, a junor at Boulder who was paired up with a non-studying, alcoholic party animal, after mentioning that he only partied sometimes, and made school work a priority. So in short, be prepared to make compromises with the people you will be living with.

5. Figure out your health coverage.

This may seem boring, but it’s a very serious topic. Without health insurance, a simple broken leg could cost up to $5,000 in surgery. Fortunately colleges offer student health insurance plans. Sign up for one, or else you might be spending years paying for simple “accidents.”

#4 Finals week is hell.

Not necessarily. Academically savvy students will study hard throughout the semester. Remember, too, that by finals week grades are pretty much set. Some things to look forward to are the exnteded recreation center hours, and more sleeping time.

6. Start a regular exercise plan.

University of Nebraska student Nick Nyffeler says, “In college, you’re doing about 10 to 15 things a day and if you don’t have that one hour to yourself, where you are helping your body,

#5 College isn’t the real world.

Says who? College students learn to balance more freedom with academic responsibility, while practicing money and time management. These are all huge life skills.

the talon • 25

entertainment

The Head or the Heart?

A short story of a senior’s decision Luiza Justus

E

milie walked into my room with a determination I had never seen before. She was not smiling; a rather putrid expression took up her face, and she marched towards me with a face that told me I had done something wrong. I must admit that I didn’t really want to hear it, but her ferocity was such that I wouldn’t be able to get away.

“Eric,” she breathed heavily. “Did you send this?”

I stared for a while at the paper she was holding.

Angry tears streaked her face.

Her hands were shaking. I could tell she was torn again; the decision had been made a few months ago, and she was starting to adapt to the path she had chosen, but now it was as if I had created an obstacle.

“I’m sorry, Emilie. I couldn’t let you do it. I couldn’t let you give up your future for… him.”

I said, but I could not look into her eyes. I knew the decision was hers. It was not my place to make it for her. I simply could not watch my little sister throw away her future like that.

I needed to show her that she could do better.

“But I love him, Eric. And that is something YOU will never understand. Just because Shannon didn’t want you doesn’t mean I don’t have the right to be happy with Todd!”

She stormed off into her room and shut the door behind her.

I walked slowly towards the door, contemplating what I was going to say next. I was sure that I had done the right thing. It had been my job to raise my sister since I was eighteen and she was only fourteen. After our parents’ deaths, I did my best to manage our household. I never screwed up so I would lose custody of her. I had done the job well for four years and I was not about to stop now.

“Emilie!” I screamed, knocking on her door. “You can still be with Todd, you know. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

She refused to answer. I went to bed.

26 • the talon

When my alarm went off the next day, Emilie was already awake. She was drinking coffee at the kitchen counter.

Her make-up was smudged all over her face from crying, and her short, light hair was all over the place.

“Now that you sent it,” she managed to say so quietly that I had to come closer in order to hear her. “I can’t not go.”

I was quiet for a little while.

I looked at her torn face. She was completely in love with Todd. They had been together for three years, and if she moved halfway across the country she could not visit often because. Our budget could not handle the cost of cross-country flights. She and Todd would have no choice but to break up or handle seeing each other only once a year.

“Emilie, you have to understand,” I said to her. “If I didn’t send it we would never coachiyabo.com know if you got in or not, then we’d live the rest of our lives not knowing. I don’t know if you could live like that but I sure couldn’t. I’m sorry. The decision is still yours, I would never force you to go.”

For three days she stayed home. I didn’t force her to go to school. For most teenagers, this decision is one they are eager to make. But Emilie would need to choose between her head and her heart. Her brain was telling her to step into the bright future that a gifted girl deserved to have, but her heart was telling her not to give up the love of her life.

That was when Emilie, my little sister, made the toughest decision in her life. She chose love, and Stanford remained a lost dream. She chose against the adventure, against the thrill of a new place with new people. She backed down from having the future she was so qualified to have. I imagined that, her senior year and the rest of her life would, from that day on; be uneventful.

entertainment

Trivialities To make you procrastinate and feed your senioritis Luiza Justus

T • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

he average tastebud lives only 10 days before it dies and is replaced by a new one.

By the age of 60, most people have lost 50% of their taste buds.

Approximately 70,000 people in the U.S. are both blind and deaf.

Turkeys can reproduce without having sex.

New York’s Central Park is nearly twice the size of the entire country of Monaco.

Early Romans used porcupine quills as toothpicks.

The cicada, an insect found in Africa, spends 17 years of its life sleeping. It is awake for only two weeks during which it mates and then dies.

The powder on chewing gum is finely-ground marble.

Women’s hearts beat faster than men’s.

Pierce Brosnan once worked in a circus as a fire-eater.

A blue whale’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.

Renée Zellweger ate 20 doughnuts a day to play Bridget Jones.

Staying awake for two weeks can kill you.

A fly can react to something in thirty thousandths of a second.

One single drop of blood contains 250 million blood cells.

The pupil dilates 45% when looking at something pleasant.

Some ribbon worms eat themselves if they can’t find food.

The longest boxing fight lasted 110 rounds.

It takes 595 oranges to charge an iPhone.

Paris Hilton has size 11 feet (That’s 43 in Brazilian size).

Kidneys take four minutes to clean all the blood in your body.

Louis Braille was fifteen years old and blind when he invented Braille.

All of the Earth’s continents are wider at the north than in the south—and nobody knows why.

Ninety-nine percent of pumpkins sold in the United States are for the sole purpose of decoration.

The U.S. Government will not allow portraits of living persons to appear on stamps.

Only 1% of bacteria causes disease in humans.

It takes up to four hours to hard boil an ostrich egg.

Black bears are not always black. They can be brown, cinnamon, yellow, and sometimes white.

When a giraffe’s baby is born it falls from a height of six feet, normally without being hurt.

Armadillos can get leprosy.

You lose 100,000 brain cells a day.

Adult feet produce ¼ of a cup of sweat per day.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Baboons were once trained by Egyptians to wait on tables.

The most expensive cow was 1.3 million US dollars.

Men are more likely to get struck by lightning than women.

A newborn kangaroo is small enough to fit in a teaspoon.

High heels were originally made for men.

One blowfish contains enough poison to kill thirty people.

The creators of Adidas and Puma are brothers.

If you eat too many carrots, it is possible for your skin to turn orange.

There is enough fat in the human body to make 7 bars of soap.

Buzz Aldrin left a copy of Playboy on the moon.

Termites work 24 hours per day, and they do not sleep.

40% of all indigestion remedies sold in the world are bought

by Americans.

35,000 people in the U.S. will die from the flu annually.

A man once sued his doctor because he survived his cancer longer than the doctor predicted.

A person will burn 7 percent more calories if they walk on hard dirt compared to pavement.

About half of all Americans are on a diet on any given day.

Children are more allergic to cockroaches than they are to cats.

• Clinophobia is the fear of beds.

• Crushed cockroaches can be applied to a stinging wound to help relieve the pain.

• Dating back to the 1600’s, thermometers were filled with brandy instead of mercury.

• During menstruation, the sensitivity of a woman’s middle finger is reduced.

• Every hour one billion cells in the body must be replaced.

• Fingernails grow faster on the hand you favor.

• Human teeth are almost as hard as rocks.

• Even Antarctica has an area code. It’s 672.

• The warmest temperature ever recorded on Antarctica was 3 degrees Fahrenheit. (-16 degrees Celsius) The Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific Ocean.

• The state of Florida is bigger than England.

• Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch procejt at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosnt mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter.

Sources: www.funfactz.com www.learnsomethingneweveryday.co.uk

the talon • 27

entertainment

A Second Opinion Answering the impossible Anonymous HS Teacher Dear Second Opinion, My good friends like each other and they (without knowing) put me in the middle of it. Now one of them is hurt, and they’re both talking to me about it. What can I do?

In the Middle Dear In the Middle, It seems you have two choices—your first option is to use your middle ground to your advantage by listening to both sides of the story and offering ways to help your good friends talk between themselves and resolve these hurt feelings. Your second option is to come clean and tell them you are stuck in the middle of their squabble and you want out—you care about them both very much but don’t want to appear as if you’re taking sides.

Just a Second Opinion

Dear Second Opinion, Last night, I spilled hot soup all over my boyfriend’s grandmother. I think she hates me. What now?

Granny Burner Dear Granny Burner, Did you spill the soup on purpose? If the answer is no, as I assume it is, then granny needs to get over it and be a bit more forgiving. If she can’t do this then perhaps the soup is her reason to dislike you—maybe she loves her grandchild so much that the thought of his or her attentions being focused on another is too much to bear. It could be a case of jealous. Find comfort that the incident was unfortunate, as well as an accident, and try not to lose too much sleep over it.

Just a Second Opinion

Dear Second Opinion, I no longer do sports because the season ended, and I can’t sleep. What do you recommend so I can blow off some steam?

Sports Dear Sports, Perhaps what you need is another physical outlet—can you find a substitute for your need to be active? Maybe it’s not a sport per se but the importance of releasing those endorphins. Maybe speak with one of the P.E. or health teachers and learn a bit more about your body’s natural response to being physical and ways you can combat your insomnia.

Just a Second Opinion

Dear Second Opinion, Why are Graded sudents so pretentious?

Dear Second Opinion, A friend recently began giving me the silent treatment and I don’t know why. What should I do?

Confuzzled Dear Confuzzled, You have only one choice—ASK. It seems to be that you run the potential of driving yourself crazy trying to figure this out on your own. Since it is IMPOSSIBLE to know the mind of another person, you don’t have any other option for this one—simply phrase your inquire the same way you phrased it here: “You are my friend and I feel like you’re giving me the silent treatment.

Can you tell me what I did so I can try to make things better?”

Just a Second Opinion

28 • the talon

Anonymous Dear Anonymous, My first response is to be careful of grouping the entire student body as pretentious. Second, perhaps ask yourself why others’ higher opinions of themselves might be bothering you so? Maybe you’re feeling less worthy than your peers right now, and if this might be the case, it seems that you need an attitude adjustment. You, and everyone else on this campus, are EQUAL. Yes, maybe some families have more money than other families; maybe some students have more talent than other students; maybe some subjects come easier to other butthis doesn’t make any single person on this campus any better than the next. I might also add that it isn’t really your problem if some students are pretentious—people who think they are better could be suffering from an internal conflict maybe. They are not feeling worthy so they act arrogant to compensate.

Just a Second Opinion Dear Second Opinion, Procrastination has become part of my daily life. What can I do to change this?

The Procrastinator Dear Procrastinator, The topic of procrastination has come up almost every month in my column. See past issues of The Talon for suggestions.

Just a Second Opinion

entertainment Dear Second Opinion, Why are people so selfish?

Anonymous Dear Anonymous, People can be very selfish. This is a fact. While I can’t speak on behalf of why any one person is selfish, I find myself behaving selfishly when I am feeling invisible, unimportant, unworthy.

My defensiveness kicks in, and I protect my ego by taking from others without much thought. Of course I recognize the behavior soon thereafter, but sometimes it’s a tad too late and all I can do is to find a way to make up for my selfish actions by behaving the opposite—acting unselfish by putting other peoples’ needs first.

Just a Second Opinion Dear Second Opinion, t I am having a really hard time deciding whether I should go to university in Brazil of the U.S. What should I do?

Undecided t I’m a sophomore and don’t really worry too much about what college I want to attend or what I want to study.

Should I worry?

Not College Obsessed Dear Undecided and Not College Obsessed, Perhaps compose a list of pros and cons for studying either in Brazil or the United States. Think about where you want to be in four years and which country will bring you closer to that goal. If this is an issue that determines your coursework during your time here at Graded then I’d suggest you take the path that would allow you entrance into a university, whether it be here or there. This gives you more options later. But remember, regardless of your choices now, nothing is written in stone, and if you make one decision today but decide something different tomorrow, you can make those adjustments when the time comes.

Just a Second Opinion Dear Second Opinion, My boyfriend is older than I am, and when we talk about personal things I rarely feel comfortable. Why do I find myself being so awkward? Is there anything I can do?

Young and Innocent Dear Young and Innocent, I’m not sure what personal things you mean, but your dating someone who is older, and I’m assuming out of high school, means he is not be experiencing the same things you are right

now. This is part of the challenge of dating an older person.

Perhaps your thoughts are focused on high school life while his have moved beyond these four years. You can either embrace those differences or date someone your own age. A few years difference is not such a big deal if you’re both in your twenties or thirties and so on but a few years difference is a huge gap if you’re in high school . The experiences shared by teenagers are special but trying to ask someone who is no longer a teenager to embrace those experiences might be a challenge similar to your trying to understand the experiences of someone who is not in high school. Quite simply you haven’t arrived at his crossroads so it will be more challenging for you to make those connections.

Just a Second Opinion Dear Second Opinion, I like a girl who I’ve seen but never met. She doesn’t live in Sao Paulo. What should I do?

Faraway Admirer Dear Faraway Admirer, Do you have a way to contact this girl? If yes, then send her a note stating your feelings. See how she reacts and you’ll know how to proceed if she does, in fact, admire you in return.

Just a Second Opinion Dear Second Opinion, I feel very uncomfortable with any life-changing decisions I have made, I feeling overcome by what can only be described as regret. How can I deal with this?

Overcome Dear Overcome, I try to live my life one way: I carefully consider decisions I will make and ask myself will I be unhappy or regretful, with this choice tomorrow—or pleased that I took the risk regardless of the outcome. While the following example is NOT life changing it might help you to avoid regret, or in other words, secondguessing yourself. Let’s say a young man sees a young lady and finds himself drawn to her. He wants to say something, ask her out, anything that might bring the two of them together. But he stands in silence and does nothing. So when the next morning comes he second guesses himself, regrets his decision to do nothing because what he receives in return IS nothing. Why did he not walk across the room and simply introduce himself? Is it the fear or rejection? SO WHAT? Isn’t the courage to do something better than the feeling of remorse or regret? You decide.

Just a Second Opinion

the talon • 29

entertainment

Andy Warhol

A twentieth-century icon

Marina Oliveira

I

f you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am.

There’s nothing behind it. —Andy Warhol.

São Paulo was invaded in April by the art and life of American pop artist Andy Warhol, with two exhibits in town featuring the artist. The first, at the Museu Brasileiro de Escultura (MuBE), shows two films every Saturday, both on and by the artist himself. The other, at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, is an international exhibit that arrives in São Paulo after stopping in museums such as Malba (Museu de Arte Latino Americano de Buenos Aires), and the Museo de Arte del Banco de la República, in Bogotá, Colombia. Around 170 original works by Warhol are on display, including paintings, drawings, photographs and movies. Both shows aim to familiarize the public with Warhol’s creations and how he revolutionized art as it as, but they also make known the multifaceted and unusual person behind the works that have become icons of the twentieth century. As Warhol himself defined it, he was his art.

From his childhood as a sickly, outcast boy in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to his last days in a New York hospital as a world-famous artist, Andrew Warhol lived a life of innovation and controversy. He began his career as an artist by enrolling at the School of Fine Arts of the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburg as a pictorial design major. After graduation, he moved to New York City and worked as an illustrator for magazines such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and The New Yorker, and did advertisements and window displays for retail stores. In the 1950’s, he received various commendations for his work and had his first individual show, Fifteen Drawings Based on the Writings of Truman Capote.

From then, Warhol’s fame rose.

The 1960’s are perhaps his most well-known years. It was during this time that Warhol created many of the works of art that remain icons today, many created through the method of silk-screening. Taking images from popular culture and isolating them in his art, most had as subjects dollar bills,

30 • the talon

celebrities and brand-name products. This established him as a Pop artist, along with artists like Roy Lichtenstein.

However, his art was seen as quite controversial.

Warhol was openly criticized for promoting consumerism and embracing market culture with his works of Coca-Cola and the iconic Campbell’s soup can. He also seemed to be adding to celebrity reverence and the Hollywood so present in the United States by painting portraits of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Brigitte Bardot, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor. First-lady Jacqueline Kennedy and boxer Muhammed Ali were also portrayed by Warhol, as well as Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung. Warhol didn’t seem to mind the accusations that he was creating empty images of popular culture. “I love Los Angeles,” he said.

“I love Hollywood. They’re beautiful.

Everybody’s plastic, but I love plastic.

I want to be plastic.”

This was one of the many statements

by Warhol that presenting his views on life and his definition of art. More than travelnauta.com an artist, Warhol was someone who gave his opinions on many subjects, opinions that were controversial and unique. He is the creator of the well-known and continuously repeated expression, “15 minutes of fame,” with his line, “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” On creating art: “An artist is someone who produces things that people don’t need to have but that he—for some reason—thinks it would be a good idea to give them.”

At the end of the 1960’s, Warhol barely survived an attempted assassination by a woman’s rights activist outside his New York City studio, the Factory. He went on to write various books, direct several films, design cover art for the Rolling Stones’s albums, and create two television series, one of them for MTV. It was in 1987 at the age of 58 that he died in New York after gall-bladder surgery. His fame was reflected in the number of people who attended his funeral: over 2,000.

One of the most influential and controversial artists of the twentieth century, with some paintings selling for 100 million dollars, Andy Warhol has become an icon of pop culture. About this notion of legacy, he once said, “Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.”

entertainment

The Crossword

Easing exam stress with a distilled IB exam review Andrew Shim

ACROSS

DOWN

1 The production of ATP using the energy of sunlight

2 Labor politician who replaced Churchill

6 Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases or lines

3 Began with Port Arthur, ended with Portsmouth 4

9

�sec x tan xdx

5 _______ water columns: generates wave energy

10 A type of development requiring integration of economic, environmental and social components at all levels without destroying resources held in trust for future generations

7 Color vision that takes place at normal light level, provided by cone cells.

11 Especialista em doenças dos olhos, ouvidos, nariz e garganta

13 Called the architect of the Cold War, this man is famous for having transmitted a lengthy telegram to Washington detailing Soviet belligerence.

12 Resulted in the Rome-Berlin Axis

8 Change in direction of a wave due to a change in speed

14 Pause in a poetic line, usually denoted by punctuation such as a semicolon or comma 15 Amount of energy that is released when a nucleus is assembled from its component nucleons 16 These antibodies consume bacteria with antigen molecules in their membranes.

the talon • 31

sports

Justice for the 96

The football match from which some fans never returned Christopher Thomas

A

pril 15 marked the twenty-first anniversary of one of the most cataclysmic events in footballing—and perhaps sporting—history. Certainly, the events of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster shaped the way football in England has progressed over the last two decades, and instituted many reforms in stadia all across the country.

The account of a Liverpool fan present at the stadium during the time of the disaster, tells about how police disorganisation contributed to the catastrophe. Having previously been to the stadium, he and his friends normally took to going into the side pens to avoid the crowded middle section. However, as they attempted to do so, a policeman stopped them, and directed them to the middle pen. This immediately struck him as odd, seeing as in previous years fans were invited to proceed through any of the main gates. As they proceeded, it became clear there was no way back as the bodies piled in to the central pen. It came to the point that people could no longer lift their hands up from their sides, there was so little space.

Then the trouble started. Many found themselves unable to breathe, as waves upon waves of people entered the central pen, forcing those up front onto the metal gratings of the pen and constricting everyone else. People were clearly in trouble, and trying to scramble over the fence to get to the safety of the pitch, but the police simply threw them back in, thinking that they were the problem. Several began to black out, including this fan in question, as the difficulty to breathe became so severe.

Fans then began climbing over the fences and spilled out onto the pitch to start helping the wounded and unconscious, dragging them onto the grass and other safe areas. Regaining some more lucidity on the halfway line, this fan noticed a boy being given CPR a few yards away, to the encouragement of the Nottingham Forest fans. But he died in front of him, and the rest of the crowd.

At this point, fans used advertising boards and hoardings as stretchers for the wounded. People were in tears over bodies. As this fan spoke to a policeman and asked about his friends, he was led through the players’ tunnel to a large hallway and instructed to look for them—amongst the corpses. Back on the pitch, large amounts of detritus could be seen in the stands where all the people used to be, and a metal barrier within it was tilted 90 degrees to the floor. Whoever had stood behind it must have been flattened.

Ninety-five people died on that day, with another losing his

32 • the talon

life due to injuries, taking the total to 96. Insensitive as always, The Sun, at the orders of chief editor Kelvin MacKenzie, printed a story labelled “The Truth,” blaming fans for the disaster and accusing them of hindering attempts to rescue victims. Causing massive outrage, it led to The Sun being completely boycotted in Liverpool, and many newsstands today still refuse to stock the tabloid.

The Taylor Report, an inquiry into the situation to determine the cause and best remedy for the solution, determined that the reason for failure was lack of police coordination and control, as revealed by the account of the fan in this article.

Not opening the side pens to the stand was deemed as the upload.wikimedia.org fatal miscalculation which overcrowded the pens and sent those people to their doom.

Acting on a recommendation by the Taylor inquiry, the British Government determined that from that point onwards, all stadia in the top two tiers of English football would need seating.

While the Taylor Report did not state that standing was intrinsically unsafe, the government decided all-seater stadia would be the requirement, and to this day, stadia in England lack fences in front of fans and standing zones; many other changes have been made to stadium items such as turnstiles, sale of food and alcohol, ticket prices, and so on.

Because of this, contrary to the 1980’s, where anyone with five pounds could buy a ticket on matchday, the events at Hillsborough have hiked up ticket prices at top clubs to at least £40, ranging all the way to £100. Whilst this has improved stadium safety, it has also priced out many true supporters of clubs, bringing in the more affluent who might not be as passionate about the club. It has also severely reduced the stadium capacities, as seats take up more space. Highbury, before its destruction, could house as many as 73,000 fans; after seating was installed, its capacity was reduced to a mere 45,000. The lack of any standing zones whatsoever has led to a decrease in fan noise, and the excitement is reduced.

Overall, while the Hillsborough disaster did result in necessary changes being made, it was an avoidable catastrophe that could have been prevented by police. Its consequences are grave, but in the future, hopefully we shall see at least some standing sections introduced back into English stadia, as it would benefit all involved.

sports

Leaving Legends Behind Sen10rs shaping minds, plays, and teams

Yana Alden

O

n a team, everyone matters. No matter what sport one plays, each member has a role, a part to play, and without that person the team would feel empty and incomplete.

Like anything else in life, there is a natural cycle to teams and their members, especially in high school. At the end of each school year, the seniors prepare themselves for a life away from everything they’ve ever known and say good-bye to those who shared high school memories with them. They not only prepare themselves, they also prepare those around them, and most importantly they prepare their teammates who will have to go on without them next season.

This preparation is subtle, as practice and games still go on, and are just as enduring and satisfying as always. As usual, it’s the seniors pushing themselves and their younger teammates to the limit and further, yelling out encouragements, while sprinting suicides or complimenting beautiful plays during scrimmages.

When playing beside seniors, no one wants to do worse than her best. No one wants to mess up in front of them, the legends produced from years of Tradition, Pride, Drive, Unity, and Commitment. Playing side by side, they bring out the best in younger members and in each other, not only in athletic terms, but also in personal terms. Senior teammates shape the way we appreciate and see the sport we play. They know things, and have no problem passing on their knowledge about plays or techniques, always giving tips about movement on the field or on where to aim to make the goal or basket from a specific angle. It is not rare to see a senior team members calming down a freshman or sophomore before a game, even if the seniors are nervous themselves.

It is hard to truly capture what seniors mean to the program and to the teams just from the view of one person.

Different teams require different roles and different influences.

One team is unlike any other, however the way Graded seniors comport themselves doesn’t change. This is what Alex Felsberg had to say about the seniors on the teams he has been a part of:

“The seniors are examples to all other members of any team.

They serve as our leaders and a symbol of our successes. They truly encompass what every team is about and why we compete so much in sports. The best thing I have received from seniors, besides IB/college advice, is the habit they have of disseminating such a positive culture that has been established in Graded Athletics.”

The worst part of returning to school for most Graded Athletes in August is the disappointment of realizing that this special group of people, leaders, and role models is not there and has been replaced by another group of people who now must Karin Gunn live up to the legends left behind. In response to the question of how seniors, specifically this year’s seniors have shaped the program Mr. Bair, our Athletic Director, said, “In my five years as Graded Athletic Director, I have learned that our program in only as good as our seniors. I have been very fortunate to watch our current group learn from the earlier classes and this year do their part to teach and model the Graded way to their younger teammates. It has been my great pleasure to work with the Class of 2010 and I thank them for what they have done for Graded Athletics.”

The class of 2010 has shaped the way younger athletes think about Graded Athletics and the way they will disseminate the culture in the future a great deal. They have risen to the challenge left for them by past classes in terms of spirit, determination, and passion, but most importantly, every one of them has lived up the challenge of being a Graded athlete.

They have shown how to abide by Tradition. They have carried themselves with Pride, regardless of the outcome of their game. They have had the drive to push themselves beyond their limit. They have cheered relentlessly in Unity. Most importantly, throughout their years here, they have demonstrated an immense amount of Commitment not only to their team and to their sport, but also to the program and the improvement of its culture. Juniors, you have big shoes to fill, but you’ll leave even bigger ones behind.

the talon • 33

sports

Grandparents at the Olympics Senior citizens in sports competitions

Isabella Zevallos

S

eniors. In their athletic careers, once students finally reach their final year of school, the word “senior” naturally becomes a synonym for “commitment,” “skills,” “strength,” and “role model,”.

Okay, so let’s say that all of these virtues are true for most of the seniors in high school. How about seniors outside of school? No, not the college seniors, I mean the senior citizens.

The first thing that probably comes to your mind when trying to relate 90-year-old grandmas and grandpas to sports is something along the lines of “No way,” “There are knitting competitions?” or even a simple “Right, right. So how was your weekend anyway?”

In reality, such thoughts are understandable . Yet, upon coming across certain data and learning about certain organizations, I have seen that maybe senior citizens are capable of something in sports. No, I’m not joking. I am seriously not joking.

It is a misconception that when one comes of advanced age, one cannot do anything anymore. Many assume every elder has slow movements and lack of elasticity, when in reality there are many people over 65 across the globe that prove the opposite. Yes, they run and jog and jump hurdles and play tennis and swim. They are the Superman-style of grandparents. Okay, maybe not so much, but they still go against the stereotype of sitting in a couch waiting for their grandchildren to come home for a visit alongside their cat Snuffles.

These amazingly healthy people who live in the “golden years” of their lives now have associations and tournaments to put their fitness into use. Believe it or not, there are more senior Olympics and big events held than regular Winter and Summer Olympics for the young people of our society.

The Senior Olympics, which are mainly organized by the National Senior Games Association (NSGA), hosts games every two years for those of age fifty and up. Competitors come from all over the United States and Canada to compete in this event that has been going on for over twenty years, since the year of 1987. Sure, the events are a tad different from the actual Olympics such as the ones held in Beijing in 2008, and they clearly don’t have the same spotlight that the hard-core legit Olympics do, but there are still a great variety of events to pick from when signing up. There is golf (the full eighteen-

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hole match), pickleball (a racquet sport which is a combination of tennis, badminton, table-tennis, and ping-pong), shooting (much like the traditional Olympics), triathlon (for the iron-like upper age group), racquetball (similar to squash but with no obstacle), tennis (in doubles or solos), men’s softball (no women’s softball is available yet), fencing (yes, the one where you poke your fellow opponent with a long, sharp flickr.com sword), swimming (solo and relay), track and field (such as short-distanced races and hurdles), 5 km and 10 km races (for those who are older but apparently fitter than myself), cycling, billiards, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, ballroom dancing (for those who are athletic but also artistic), horseshoe pitching (more tiring than you might think), and finally bowling.

What is interesting though, is to compare the different results of the Olympic and Senior Olympic Records. For example, in women’s 100m race, the American Florence Joyner holds an astounding record of 10.62 seconds. Yet, the senior Edyth Mendika (age 70 when breaking the record) holds the record 18.9 seconds. One can see how different but relatively impressive each of their results is.

There are also other organizations that kindly host events such as these for those aged 50+, 65+, or even 70+. The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) and the Fifty-Plus Fitness Association (FPFA) both recognize the value of these wonderful athletes, helping host events such as the Huntsman World Senior Games, the Winter National Senior Games, the Senior Olympics, and the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, amongst others.

So it is truly gratifying to know that maybe our grandparents are not all that old and slow, but rather somewhat athletic in their own way. It is amazing how healthy and youthful the older set is becoming. No need to doubt that Mr. Bob across the street, the one who lives with his wife in that cozy home of theirs waiting for their family to gather at the end of the year to celebrate Christmas, could possibly have some secretly hidden power inside him. Perhaps he is made of steel and can run those long, harsh 10 km races at once, even at the age of 83. Seriously, these seniors are probably more fit than maybe you and I. Seriously.

sports

The History of Soccer You play it, but do you know it?

Ho Jun Yang

D

id you know that nowadays there are thousands and thou- it was only a small influence in shaping contemporary soccer. sands of sports? Of course, a lot of people debate whether The form we’re most familiar with comes from England and some sports can be really considered “sports,” but including Scotland.

This forefather of contemporary soccer was a hit all those marginal ones there are over 8,000 sports. Out of all these sportss, one of the oldest sports in existence today is from the 8th century to 19th centuries and was at first, a much soccer. Although it was different then, it’s can be dated back disorganized, violent, unstructured game with no set number of to Ancient China. Today, it’s the most popular sport with bil- players. Often, the “teams” were villages in heated competilions of active fans worldwide. The FIFA World Cup is one of tions, with the field being anywhere from the village squares through streets to across fields. As for rules the top three most popular sporting events in this game, kicking was allowed, just like over the world, along with Formula One and everything else. Ironically, the size and the Summer Olympics. A lot of you probably weight of the balls made players kick other play this sport with your friends, but do you players as an offensive technique instead of know the history behind it? the ball. Interestingly, this sport was only The earliest form of soccer, backed able to produce a standardized soccer ball by scientific evidence, can be dated back size in 1863, when the first soccer rules had to the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C. in China. been established.

Perhaps even before the Chinese, some form This “mob football” was so violent of soccer existed. The fact that people love that in 1314, the Lord Mayor of London playing with a ball with their feet has been forbid soccer, and breaking that law would true for thousands of years. Interestingly history-of-soccer.com/Somme_Football.jpg lead to imprisonment. In addition, in 1424, enough, it didn’t start out as the sport you King James I together with the Parliament think of today. It was actually recorded in a military manual from the Han Dynasty, among some other decreed, that “No man play at the Fute-ball.” Time after physical exercises and was called the “Tsu’Chu.” The purpose time, football was consistently banned, but that didn’t stop of this “game” was to kick a leather ball filled with feathers its arduous followers from continuing it. Eventually, in public and hair into an opening, or a goal, of about 30–40 cm in width schools, the game finally started developing from the brutish sport it used to be. 1863 was the climactic year. At Cambridge into a small net tied onto bamboo canes.

Even back in this time, the players jostled one around University, uniform standards and set rules started developand had to endure the “attacks” from other “players.” About ing, with everybody chipping in with their thoughts about the 500–600 years later, another form of this game, Kemari, was game. No big surprise, but the players didn’t enjoy the cuts developed in Japan and people still play this today. This game and bruises from the game, and rules concerning “foul-play” was more of a ceremonial sport, requiring certain types of finally came into the game.

On October 26th, 1863, eleven London clubs and specific skills, but not as competitive as the Chinese version.

Actually, this might sound very familiar to some of you soccer- schools sent representatives to the Freemasons’ Tavern in lovers. In Kemari, the players passed the ball to each other order to define clear rules everybody could follow to play the in a relatively small “court,” or designated area, and kept it game. Thus, the Football Association was born. Eight years after its birth, TFA already had 50 member clubs and in that from touching the floor.

Now we fly to the West, where the Greeks had their same year, the first soccer competition took place, the FA Cup. “episkyros.” Unfortunately, not much knowledge of it remains The first ever international match was between England and today, but the Roman game “Harpastum” was a game that was Scotland in 1872 and slowly, due to British influence, soccer played with a small ball with two teams competing on a field started spreading to all parts of the world. Football associations with boundary lines and a center line. The “goal” of this game started forming all around the world until it all culminated in was to kick the ball over the opponent’s boundary lines and in- FIFA, founded in Paris in May 1904. The first World Cup was in volved passing it to one another with the main tactic of trickery. 1930 and since then FIFA has been steadily growing. Currently, This game was popular for another 700–800 years. However, FIFA is composed of 204 member associations, about 305,000 even though the Romans carried it over to England with them, clubs and more than 1,548,000 teams.

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sports

Obedecer ou Sacrificar?

Atletas jovens nos esportes coletivos

Fernando Lima

O

bedecer é melhor do que sacrificar? Eu penso que sim. Stamkos do Tampa Bay Lightning, já marcou mais 45 gols. Com Durante a carreira de um atleta profissional de esportes um contrato de valor razoavelmente alto para um novato, coletivos, a pressa para atingir o profissionalismo é muito gran- Stamkos vem surpreendendo todos com seu toque de Mídas na de. Hoje em dia, a pressão sobre jovens atletas nas categorias temporada medíocre que vem sido a do Lightning. Guillaume Latendresse saiu de Montreal no de base de todos os esportes é começo da atual temporada para tamanha que grandes corporações jogar em Minnesota. Com sua como a Red Bull estão investindo produção de pontos liderando o muito dinheiro em times da tertime que vai por pouco fora do ceira divisão paulista. O quê essas mata-mata, ele certamente vem empresas esperam com isso? Esperespondido as expectativas das ram ter o controle total do clube e arquibancadas. Porém, de acordo vender atletas para fora do Brasil, com o goleiro lendário, Patrick ou para times profissionais na Roy, que, até dezembro mantia esperança (ou probabilidade) de o recorde de mais vitórias, disse obter um lucro expressivo. que se Latendresse tivesse passaNos círculo esportivo, do mais um ano nas categorias de isso é tratado com prejudicial ao base, ele teria o potencial para atleta e ao esporte. Críticos dizem ser melhor jogador da história. que a razão pela qual a qualidade Dion Phaneuf, defensor do do futebol brasileiro tem diminuToronto Maple Leafs, marcou em ído é porque nossos atletas vão sua primeira temporada, 20006, embora antes de completar sua 25 gols pelo seu ex-time, o Calformação ou então são promovigary Flames. Esta temporada, dos para o profissionalismo antes o time arrisca a ficar fora do de completar sua formação. Odeio mata-mata pela primeira vez em dizer aos meus colegas internacioquase uma década, e, por isso, nais, mas, isto não é só problema ele foi mandado até os Maple nosso, e do nosso esporte.

Recentemente, a demanhttp://inthepen.files.wordpress.com/ Leafs. Sidney Crosby, o menino de ouro canadense, subiu com 19 da por atletas mais novos e mais habilidosos tem aumentado significantemente em esportes de anos para o time profissional do Pittsburgh Penguins. Além de gelo. O esporte coletivo mais conhecido no gelo é o hóquei. Com conquistar o título do campeonato em sua temporada como mais dinheiro sendo injetado nos cofres da NHL, os melhores novato, ele levou o selecionado canadense até a medalha de jogadores, ano após anos, saem de centros como a Escandinávia, ouro em Vancouver, neste ano.

Através destes quatro casos, vemos um aumento no Rússia e República Tcheca com a finalidade de conseguir connúmero de jovens entrando na NHL. Para os que o conhecem, tratos altos e salários maiores ainda. Para competir com esses talentos, promessas como os canadenses Tyler Seguin e Taylor o hóquei é um dos esportes mais brutais disputados por seres Hall estão dando tudo de si para ver quem consegue o melhor humanos. Não seria caso de se banir a entrada de jogadores contrato para a temporada 2010-2011. Este fenômeno do hóquei em fase de crescimento para que lesões recorrentes como não é tão recente assim. Vemos casos como o de Steve Stamkos, concussões, fraturas de punho e etc. não afetassem o desenGuillaume Latendresse, Sidney Crosby e de Dion Phaneuf que volvimento físico destes jovens?

Fica a dúvida. exemplificam exatamente isso.

Na sua primeira temporada profissional, o central Steve

36 • the talon