Ed. 66 - Promises

editors-in-chief news

The Specter of Fascism

The increasing rise and influence of the European far right Andrew Shim

M

ost Germans today would likely cringe at the mention of the

gone far enough to announce that burqas are not welcome in France,

Third Reich; the regime has left the nation with an overwhelming

as the French people “cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a

inheritance of guilt and regret. Nevertheless, half a century after this

screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity.”

atrocious era, the Federal Republic of Germany once again is witness-

In Britain, where the majority of Muslim immigrants come from

ing vestiges of the Nazi legacy. Yet this is not a phenomenon solely

Pakistan and Bangladesh, the state has witnessed various acts of ter-

limited to Germany; most of Europe is inadvertently moving towards

rorism over the past few years from Muslims born and raised in the UK.

the extremism of the far right.

This has resulted in further alienation between the British and Muslim

In the United Kingdom, the British National Party boasts a

communities that have eventually given birth to extremists like Griffin,

quickly rising membership after years of neglect. It is led by the enig-

who has been indicted in several hate crimes in the past against Jews

matic Nick Griffin, the Holocaust denying, Islam-hating, militant white

and Muslims.

supremacist who states his intention is to restore the “overwhelmingly

Hitherto the bastion of the European far-right politics has al-

white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to

ways been France, where the popular National Front Party was even the

1948.” Yet not all European far-right partisans are as blatant and straight-

runner-up in the 2002 elections. Nevertheless, support for the far-right

forward as the BNP. In the Netherlands for example, the PVV (Party

has dwindled in recent years, especially as President Sarkozy has taken

for Freedom) has attempted to project themselves as a non-extremist

up hard-line measures in cutting down Muslim immigration.

national conservative party seeking to crack down upon immigration

In Germany, where the residue of extremism still haunts its

from Muslim countries such as Turkey and Morocco. The party’s chairman,

inhabitants, the Nazi party and any of its associations are banned by

Geert Wilders, promises to ban the Koran and to assimilate the Muslim

law. Yet this has not stopped the rise of the National Democratic Party

population in the Netherlands to become “more Dutch.”

(NDP) which has outright stated that the election of Barack Obama

Some analysts propose that the foremost reason for this rise in

was the consequence of “the American alliance of Jews and Negroes”.

right-wing extremism is undoubtedly economic. With the high influx of

Especially after September 11, many young Germans have turned to

Muslim immigrants principally from Turkey and Morocco, many Europeans

the NDP fearing an attack from what they believe is a growing Turkish

are feeling increasingly threatened economically. The reality is that

Islamic fundamentalist threat.

many workers from the Middle East are seeking a better life in Europe,

What is most disturbing, however, is not the existence of these

where there are various job opportunities in manual labor. These are

various manifestations of racial hatred, but the fact that many are

the people who would rather work the 3D (Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous)

actually gaining a foothold onto a platform of power. In the European

jobs in Europe than back home in Turkey or Morocco where the same job

parliamentary elections this year, the BNP won two seats, the National

would pay a much smaller income. Figures demonstrate that the Muslim

Front three, the PVV four, as well as others in various other European

population in the European Union, which has the highest fertility rate,

states. European extremists have gained significant attention in Austria,

number over 16 million, and journalist Esther Pan speculates that by

Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Finland, Greece, Germany, Hungary,

2050, through the combination of immigration (both legal and illegal)

Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the UK.

and high birthrates, a fifth of Europe’s population will be Muslim.

And now with the power to influence legislation, their road to power

Nevertheless, there is an underlying social predicament as

seems plausible. It is worth noting that the Nazis themselves had gained

well. Even in the Netherlands, where liberalism and tolerance is hum-

less than 3% of the vote in the German Reichstag in the 1928 elections.

drum, the rise in crime rates in the Muslim population has rendered the

By 1932, with the Great Depression sweeping the Weimar Republic, this

local Dutch residents wary and apprehensive. The murder of populist

had grown to 37%. By the following year, Germany was a single-party

politician Pim Fortuyn and movie director Theo Van Gogh in Islam-re-

totalitarian regime.

lated cases still resonate within the minds of the populace. The Muslims

Of course, all this is not to say that opposition does not exist.

themselves claim that they feel discriminated against, arguing that the

Social liberalism still prevails in the continent of socialist benefits. These

Dutch government purposefully dispossesses the Muslim population.

extremist parties are still a tiny minority, overshadowed by mainstream

Moreover the debate over Muslim dress codes incites huge

moderate liberals and conservatives all across the continent. Yet as disil-

controversy. Many devout Muslims wish to preserve their religious and

lusionment and insecurity grow in proportion to the weakening economy,

cultural heritage by wearing traditional clothing, especially concerning

the far right is bound to gain momentum, attracting popularity especially

women. Yet numerous Europeans fear that allowing such clothing not

from the cynical youth, to whose eyes extremism seems to be a better

only degrades women but also encourages further estrangement between

alternative to the liberal-minded governments set in place after the

the European and Muslim communities. France’s President Sarkozy has

ideological struggle of World War II.

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editors-in-chief

Low Expectations

The secret behind the happiest nation in the world Martin Shores

H

uman happiness has been the subject of controversy both in philosophy and research for what seems an eternity.

No one can decide the route to take or how to take it. Even defining happiness is a torturous act. Even more peculiar are what studies say in regards to the subject. For example: when it comes to happiness, Denmark is a superpower. According to the Eurobarometer survey, more than two-thirds of Danes report being “very satisfied with their lives,” making Denmark the happiest nation in the world. This isn’t anything new either; Denmark has boasted this title thirty years running.

Surprisingly, their happiness isn’t due of the climate, their culture, or even the fact that the Danes tend to be married, healthy and active. Then what makes Denmark happier than everyone else?

Simply put, the Danish naturally keep very low expectations about pretty much everything. Their perception of reality isn’t any different; they just expect less out of life. Ergo, they are more content. James W. Vaupel, a demographer who has investigated Danish bliss, paraphrases Hamlet: “Year after year they are pleasantly surprised to find out that not everything is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Not even the news of their happiness do they expect to last, despite the fact that every year for the past three decades a new study has confirmed the same thing. “We’re the happiest lige nu,” read Danish newspaper headlines. Lige nu is a Danish expression which literally which means “for now.”

For the mathematicians, happiness can be described with a simple formula: happiness equals reality minus expectations. So the answer to the age old question of how to be happier has two possibilities: make reality better or lower expectations. The Danish do the latter automatically, but most people choose the former. After all, it’s better to strive for perfection than to slack off. That’s the rationale, anyway.

Other demographic groups are also affected by their expectations. University of Chicago sociologist Yang Yang

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shows in a study that people become happier as they grow older. Understandably, their expectations in regards to their lives lower, and their level of acceptance increases. Perhaps more surprisingly so, Wharton School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers show in their study that women were happier in 1970’s, despite their numerous advances in the workplace. Perhaps because their expectations increased as a result of these advances, their level of happiness has lowered, despite the world as a whole being a much better place for women. Women’s Rights movements have created such high expectations that society hasn’t been able to keep up with them; thus, there are still disappointments concerning equal pay, for example. This also explains why in times of economic recession, people appear marginally happier. This is because they expect less out of the economy, less out of their lives and aren’t as disappointed as usual.

And yet, the greatest danger of low expectations is the blogspot.com philosophical Hedonic treadmill, which is the tendency to increase our expectations as we meet them. Once previous degrees of excellence have been achieved, no matter how high they may be, people will aim even higher, further complicating the pursuit of happiness. For students, this means that an A- is no longer good enough, so they shoot even higher. For technophiles, it means buying the next best thing whenever it becomes available.

So ultimately should we strive for anything less than the best? Should we stop striving for excellence as students?

As people? Are we all victims of our own hopefulness? No. What we should avoid is the aforementioned Hedonic treadmill. Achievements don’t lose any of their value because they have been done before. That A is as good a grade as it ever was. The Danes have it right in the sense that they live in the present; they find happiness in what they have. They just do it with low expectations.

point of news view

To Change the Subject…

The same old promises

Isabella Freyre

I

promise I will devote myself to school and spend less time partying next year. I promise I will work out. I promise I will refrain from gossiping.

We are no strangers to promises. Each of us has gained hope by uttering empty promises, leaning on mere faith and depending on a distant murky future. Each of us has gained confidence by pronouncing a distinct promise. And each of us has failed to keep a promise that we once firmly proclaimed.

Synonyms for promises are “oaths and vows”. These words appeal strongly to our sese of commitment.

Scouts proudly state oaths to affirm their responsibility to their duties. But what is the conventional meaning of a promise? Promises enable us to heave burdens from our conscience, to act without guilt, to “wash our hands.”

Thus, a promise of future exercise is the simple excuse to bite into a juicy Big Mac. A promise of chocolate withdrawal in exchange for good scores on a test enables a free spirit relieved from study and results poised on chance. And so we live our days in the carefree bliss made available to us by promises.

We promise we will not lie (it is only an issue if you are caught, right?), we promise we will not hit our siblings (except for the occasional tug on the hair), we promise we will study more next quarter (this one is almost over, there is no sense in trying now), and so on.

We make promises in vain, crossing our fingers in acknowledgement of falsity. Who remembers that promises were once noble and solid, were once heavily fulfilled? Machado de Assis alludes to the power of such a phenomenon in his novel Dom Casmurro.

Dona Glória shapes her son’s life around a promise that she made upon his birth, which dictates her initial determination in urging him to become a priest. Such a powerful dedication is lost today. Even the promises we passionately conform to during wedding ceremonies are shattered as the initial fervor dwindles. A promise to love someone until “death do us part” becomes an extensive agony, an unnecessary burden. After all, a lifetime is truly of long duration, isn’t it?

Now let’s take a moment and examine the end of the year. The prospect of a new start. Realizing that the objectives we had designated in the last year were not accomplished, we delve in the challenge of becoming better people. There’s nothing like a new year to encourage us to do what was not previously done, (even though we had lots of time to achieve everything). During these fresh periods, new diets are initiated (or at least proposed) and difficult trip itineraries and plans for unique courses are established.

These always come in the beginning of the year, when ambitions are ripe. But as time skips past, we forget our conviction and our promises. Initiatives are engulfed by routine and soon another year has rolled by as so many others have already: without a defined plan, without strategies, without the crucial obstacles that give us our strength. We continue idly.

And ultimately, we find ourselves once again weighing the pros and cons of the past year and proposing new changes once again. It is true that the beginning of the year is great for the simple invigorating energy it awards us. After all, expectations drive us to believe that fantasticfiction.co.uk change will occur, and by trusting this, we improve our perspective.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery proclaimed, “If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” Hope is a mighty force. But alone, it cannot move the world. And that is the problem.

Next year will be an interesting period for promises in Brazil as the elections loom ahead. How many promises for progress will we hear from politicians (as we must agree that they surpass all of us in unfulfilled promises)? And how can we be certain of concrete plans as opposed to illusions when we vote? How can we ever possibly be certain and escape from the vicious cycle of the same old promises?

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point of view

To Complete the Puzzle

Integrating our knowledge and harmonizing with others Sae Bom Choi

I

’m about to hit the ball. I find the right position, calculate the right velocity, and aim at the right direction. I adequately incorporate all these factors; then, pong! With a clear but aggressive sound, I make a perfect stroke.

Behind the athletes’ instinctive reactions, there are their brains, making quick calculations. In the field of sports, people who manage to harmonize their technique, physical strength and mental strength, earn their wins. Yet, athletes are not the only ones who need to balance and integrate diverse qualities.

At school, students often complain about studying subjects they think they are irrelevant to them. Why do we learn calculus even though we do not want to have a career in mathematics? Why do we take Brazilian History and Culture when some of the foreign students aren’t aware of their own national history? However, nothing is irrelevant. Every area of study has mutual connections, but we hardly realize them because of our strong preferences. An attachment to one particular area make us numb to realize scientific qualities in arts and artistic qualities in sciences. We rarely realize that we grasp the idea of spaces in mathematics to paint or draw things, or we use artistic images as a way of thinking in the scientific field.

In the book Sparks of Genius, Robert Root Bernstein argues that incorporation of arts and sciences can finally inspire creativity. The author, “This book is about the creative thinking in all fields that occurs pre-verbally, before logic or linguistics comes into play, manifesting itself through emotions, intuitions, images, and bodily feelings. Regardless of the infinitely diverse details of the products of the creative ‘translation’, such as paintings, poems, theories, formulas, and so on, the ‘process’ by which it is achieved is universal!” It is important for scientists to become “excellent artists and musicians’’ in order to experience physical sensations and use mental imaging in scientific thinking. Moreover, artists and musicians should be capable of scientific understanding such as rhythm in the musical field to be able to create great art.

Hence, our knowledge is like a piece of art: we appreciate its value more when we view it from a distance.

When we recognize connections within different fields, we

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can finally complete our knowledge. At Graded, IB Diploma students learn how to link our ways of thinking and how to integrate the ideas from different areas of studies in Theory of Knowledge class. To us, using emotion, empathy, logic and arts as ways of thinking is not a novel idea.

Harmonization and integration also allow us to experience how individuals comprise a bigger picture, the community.

Graded has put great value on the sense of community and emphasizes strong ties between faculty and the students. To improve our bonds, we had a discussion through Community Read which shed light on our differences, class differences in particular. What should have been clarified through the discussion is that harmonious life is not a vague idea. If we acknowledge our differences and respect the identity of the individual we can finally negotiate our ideas and incorporate them. Since life at Graded offers us various experiences with cultural differences, we are well situated to learn this harmonization.

During FALA workshop, a question was given to the teachers: “Would you like thumbs.dreamstime.com to be in your class?” This is empathetic thinking, which is crucial to us to live within a community. To embrace our differences, our effort to understand the other’s perspective should be ceaseless. For instance, in our society where people rely on myriad responsibilities and promises, we could ask ourselves, “Would I like to trust myself?” Differences in argument do not necessarily require cumbersome persuasion; the merit of analogy lies in the fact that we must reconcile ideas and investigate better solutions.

Here we are, another year at Graded or to some, a new start at Graded. We learn subjects that sometimes seem irrelevant to us and experience some dilemmas that originate from our differences. What we should remember during our school life is that we are here as pieces of a gigantic puzzle, that includes our knowledge and the community. We shape unique selves and at the same time, harmonically fit in the community. The question, however, is not who completes the puzzle; what matters is, how we complete the puzzle.

point of view

When You Come to Think of It...

A reflection of Graded after the Community Read

Amanda Rudzit

I

was amazed at the amount of controversy that one of this year’s Community Read articles, “The Disadvantages of an Elite Education” by William Deresiewicz, generated within our community. Community Read Committee, if your goal was to create conflict, well, you got it.

Right from the start, the title of the article caught my attention. Everyone is always talking about the obvious advantages of an elite education: the excellent group of teachers and staff, the students always hungry for more knowledge, the wide variety of extracurricular activities, how it provides young adults with a well-rounded base to face the real world.

This definition could pretty much summarize a lot of what

Nicole Fergie

Graded is, or what I had always perceived it to be. This is probably why a great part of Deresiewicz’s writing felt like a personal insult to me—instead of reading the name “Yale”, I felt like he was talking about our own school.

It is true, Graded does have its own share of problems.

But so does any institution, whether it has political, religious or educational ends. Some Graded students might be competitive, and I do agree that many times we are not prepared for failure, we are not able to accept that it is impossible to be great at everything we do. But this does not necessarily reflect a bad side of us—maybe it is because we are determined to apply ourselves and do the best we can that we are so desolate when we fail. I believe this is definitely better than settling for mediocrity and not running the risk of being disappointed.

Another issue that came up in my discussion group

during Community Read Day was what type of intelligence Graded values. I couldn’t help but ask myself why we only need 1.5 Art credits to graduate from high school while 4 credits for English are required. Why can’t a student who is exceptionally adept at painting have the freedom to take more Art classes than English ones? Could this be a waste of his or her calling?

However, there are so many points in Deresiewicz’s article that could never be applied to Graded. He states, for example, that “my education taught me to believe that people who didn’t go to an Ivy League or equivalent school weren’t worth talking to, regardless of their class.” He argues that just because he isn’t able to carry out a simple conversation with his plumber, elite schools are at fault for alienating their students from the ordinary. It didn’t occur to him that maybe the reason he can’t carry out such conversations is because he never put himself out of his comfort zone and noticed the different realities around him.

I can say from my experience at Graded that this is not the case with our school. The wide range of community service groups provide opportunities for students to see far beyond their privileged worlds. In a recent community service trip to Ilha do Cardoso, it struck me how much Graded teaches us beyond the walls of our classrooms. As a part of our new five-year plan, Graded students literally form a team with a representative from the fisherman community there to brainstorm and later execute ways to improve their way of life. The very nature of this relationship illustrates how prepared many Graded students are to interact with people from all different backgrounds and social classes.

Another aspect that I strongly disagree with is the author’s argument that elite schools don’t help students ask the big questions or teach them how to think critically. The very fact that students protested with anger the ideas posed in this article proves how we are trained not to accept information as it is given to us without questioning its veracity. Instead of debating the little questions that compose the whole article, many of the students I talked to went straight to considering the big topics, like Deresiewicz’s apparent hypocrisy and the purpose of the school in giving the article for us to read.

Even though this article was somewhat useful for opening our eyes to the faults of an elite education, it also demonstrates how little Graded fits the “elite” definition.

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point of view

The Words of Promise

Why we should keep dreaming and creating Melissa de la Paz

A

s time passes and generations continue making advances in technology, it seems that our language and the way we communicate with others has actually gotten worse. When was the last time you said, “Thank you so much, you’re awesome, I love you,” or any other variation using the word “love” without really thinking about it? It’s Disney and chick flicks”that sell these ideas, but who buys into their million dollar corporations? I think I have an idea of who does.

Before writing this article a friend of mine showed me an excerpt from 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 which is often read at weddings: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not selfseeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

We all have people in our lives that we love unconditionally, but the ability and/or willingness to recognize and express it to the people who truly matter is fading.

There have been countless times where I’ve left the house to go to school in the morning and I forget to say goodbye to my father and, more importantly, I love you. We should make a point of saying “I love you” at least once every day to those who would more than willingly return the feeling with unconditional acceptance of ourselves. It seems that today, love is associated with emotions rather than the strong roots of honesty and commitment that it grew from, as well as ideas of promise, faith, and affection. What do I really know about love anyway? I know love is universal and that each of us can decide to use it or not. Words—and actions—hurt and heal. I’m a firm believer, though, that love (in a relationship) should not be given lightheartedly, like candy. It is normal to say, however, that we love another person’s hair or shoes when

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we are simply admiring them; “love” of or for something has nothing to do with “I love you.”

Giving love without a need is meaningless, but no one ever said it was selfish to crave the love of a friend. The meaning of the word “love” may vary with each person’s interpretation, but the word should hold such deep meaning that its weight does not allow it to be given to those whose character is doubted. If the giver knows (either consciously or subconsciously) that the receiver of her love isn’t capable of trust, or lacks the ability to return the feeling with heart, what is the real point of saying it in the first place? It is part of our human nature to be loving, therefore, we are capable of loving more than one.

However, love requires a lot of patience, and is anyone really capable of being patient with every person they blurt out their love to?

Consider the situation when someone tells the other, “Oh my gosh, I love you,” because he or she did a small or huge favor for them. The instant this is said, there is a moment of friendliness and care between the two people. There is a small connection between Melissa de la Paz them; their connection is not love, but for that second they are experiencing some level of affection. Maybe saying “I love you” to relative strangers creates the potential for friendships. Still, there must be more efficient ways to make someone else feel good other than saying that. Are we really losing the ability to express ourselves?

In the Spanish language, for example, it takes more words and phrases to generate the meaning of love or affection to another person. There is no straightforward “I love you”; instead there are many ways to say it. The English language is limited to that single phrase, yet this makes these words much more significant because their meaning is all packed into one.

In Disney movies, love conquers all. In the real world, it takes a little more than a phrase to convey the true meaning.

point of view

Promises in the Dark Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

Danielle Bryant

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ew classes, new books, new supplies, new chances. A new year full of promise. Every student arrives on the first day of school wishing she were back at home sleeping. So why are we here? It is because in our society , the acquisition of knowledge is a promise of success.

In "The Disadvantages of an Elite Education," William Deresiewicz states that an education should create minds, not careers.

Somewhere along the way, however, this idea seems to have been lost. The most important thing today, seems not to be the notion of education for education’s sake, but instead education as a means to an end, namely, potential earning power. People today do not study to learn, they study to pass tests. Students do not attend the best colleges and universities simply so they can be educated in the ways of the world; they attend so that they may embark on a lucrative career. Being high school students, I think we can all greatly relate to the pressure we sometimes feel from our parents, our teachers and even our peers. When I was younger, and just starting school, I used to ask why I had to go, and I would always receive a similar answer: "So you can get a job." "So you can go to college." "So you can be smart." But how does society truly define what "smart" is?

Knowledge is based on grades, on passing tests, on excelling in school. This however, is simply the face value of education, not the real and true value of learning. We learn because we have to in order to succeed. The true value of education has decreased greatly throughout the centuries of the world.

Today, education is considered to be a gateway to power and prestige.

The Greek philosopher Plato considered knowledge to be the greatest gift one could receive and that we should treat it accordingly. In his essay, “The Allegory of the Cave,”

he presents the analogy of people trapped and chained inside a cave, without the ability to move or turn their heads. In the cave there is also a fire, and a place where puppeteers perform, but the chained people are able to see neither the fire nor the puppeteers, they only see the shadows of the puppets, which they believe to be real. Plato then describes one of the men being set free from his bounds and finding his way up to the surface, to the real world we know.

At first he is blinded and greatly pained by the light and was unable to see, but as he grows more accustomed to the light, he is able to first see shadows, then reflections, then the world itself.

This represents the idea of learning and obtaining knowledge.

Without knowledge, farm1.static.flickr.com we are all in the dark, knowing only the shadows of truth. When we do learn new material, however, it might be painful to us, new concepts and ideas that change our old way of thinking, ideas that we cannot immediately accept. Just like the cavemen in the story, we do learn to adjust and allow ourselves to be enlightened.

Once we are enlightened, we must also remember not to take our gift for granted. Plato states that the knowledgeable must remember those still trapped in darkness and pity them. Most importantly, we must have enough courage to venture back into the darkness in an attempt to free those still bound.

Although once we go back into the darkness, we will not be able to see and the shadows we once believed to be real will be nothing more than shadows, we must persevere. True knowledge is not defined by a university degree nor a job title, but by how you use and share the gift by enlightening with others.

So please, I implore you, come out of the dark, join the enlightened, appreciate knowledge. Don’t think of school simply as a stepping stone between the present and a future career. True knowledge can only come from a passion, a desire to learn, not a need to succeed.

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news

The May 2009 IB Exam Results According to the data there is no need to panic Victoria Steinbruch

M

y dearest fellow members of the high school, it is to you that I dedicate this article. As a freshman the idea of the IB was so far away that I pretended it didn’t exist. I went on with my mundane troubles such as not being able to memorize my very complicated schedule and the immature agonies of sharing halls with the “big kids.” Once I became a sophomore I entered a semi-lost phase where I was no longer one of the newbies and yet I had no major worries such as the daunting IB curriculum, college applications or the overall responsibilities that the upperclassmen hold. Last year everything was new again, I felt on top of the world and was amazed at the prospect of having such a special education. I was discovering a new reality, filled with its own language of “higher level,” “weighted classes” and “CAS.” I was a full IB student. At that time the prospect of having to sit the scary exams was so far away that I could ignore it, just as I had been doing since freshmen year. However, this year as I began my last chapter of Graded, things have changed.

On my first day of history class Mr. Aickin greeted us with his traditional “Welcome back, welcome to your favorite class on this glorious and lovely Tuesday morning,” but this time, he incorporated a previously unheard of, “Ladies and gentlemen, you will be sitting an exam in less than a year.” At this moment, I kind of panicked.

What had been looming in the future for so long stood right in front of me. My IB exams were happening in less than a year, and I was so scared. Being an overachiever I wasn’t happy until my tenth grade counselor told me that I had one of the most challenging schedules. As a junior I had four higher levels, two A1s, I was doubling up in science, while being a candidate for three diplomas. I only realized that she was right once I was faced with an endless pile of homework, more tests than I could handle, and no time to relax.

However, junior year passed and I survived it. Now, my new menace, the enemy that I have to prepare myself to face is the seven exams that I will take in the end of this, my last school year at Graded. I have therefore complied some facts, some opinions and a little bit of hope that I believe will soothe you, just as it has soothed me.

According to the recent exam results of May 2009: • Only one of Graded’s 33 candidates for the IB diploma did not attain it.

• The average grade obtained at the school by all candidates was a 5.14 out of 7.

• The highest diploma points awarded to a candidate was a 40

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out of a maximum of 45.

• The average points obtained by candidates who passed the diploma was 32.

• Graded students scored higher than the world-wide average grades in English A1 Hl, Portuguese A1 HL, Spanish A1 HL, Swedish A1 HL, Port B HL, Spanish A2 HL, Spanish B HL, Spanish B SL, Econ SL, Bio HL, Bio SL, Math HL, Film HL, Theatre HL, and Visual Arts Option A HL. • The weakest subject for Graded students was Physics SL, where the range remained between fives and twos.

• The only subjects where there weren’t awarded any sixes or sevens was Portuguese A1 HL, Spanish A1 HL, French B SL, and Physics SL. • Sixteen 7s (the maximum grade) were awarded: ▪ 1 English A1 HL ▪ 1 French B HL ▪ 3 Spanish B HL ▪ 1 Spanish B SL ▪ 2 Econ SL ▪ 3 BSS SL ▪ 3 HL Hist ▪ 1 HL Math thestudentroom.co.uk ▪ 1 HL Film I asked some of my IB diploma classmates which was their biggest fear in terms of exams and the unanimous response was SL Physics. Even self-proclaimed prodigy Arlindo Carvalho Pinto did not hesitate in expressing his fear of this exam. When asked which exam the seniors feel more confident about, the most popular answer was HL History. Cheerleader Vivi Martins commented that “Mr. Aickin prepares us for the IB exams for he always has it in mind. Most of our tests are in the format of the IB, this makes us more aware of what we will encounter and consequently makes us more relaxed.” This prediction is confirmed by 2009 alumna Charlotte Dupasquier who said that “Physics was undoubtedly the hardest exam, while the ones that I did best on were Math SL and History HL.” By submerging myself in the analysis of these results I was amazed at the performance of our school. The averages obtained here were almost always higher than the global averages, with some exceptions. Furthermore, I realized that most Graded students who do in fact take the IB exams don’t actually need them for university, considering that most of our graduates go off to North American colleges. In July, by the time that these results are available, college decisions have already been made.

This therefore reveals a great deal about the students at Graded, who seem committed to strive for excellence in any given situation, not simply where this behavior is “required.”

news

The Recent Split Between Left and Right Brazil’s next opportunity

Felipe Fagundes

B

razil has been going through a wonderful period considering it was one of the last countries to enter the recession and seems to be one of the first to be recovering from it. Brazil has also become an important nation in many aspects considering its pivotal role in the Doha rounds, global warming discussions, and the G-20 summit. However, in order to assert itself as a world power, Brazil will need to first show its capabilities by solving the most recent problem in Latin America.

Since Mr. Chavez came to power, Latin America begun a gradual process of polarization. One side supports the socialism proposed by Chavez, as has been the case with both Ecuador and Nicaragua; the other pledges allegiance to the United States. Currently most countries in Latin America end up supporting one of the two sides. However, Brazil notably seems to side with both.

One of the latest developments in the continent has been the possibility of Colombia allowing the U.S. to build another military base.

The official justification by both countries has been that it will make combating FARC more efficient, considering that Ecuador recently shut down an American base in the country.

The leftist governments in Latin America have already started to express their mistrust on the plan, claiming that the U.S. simply wants war to erupt in the continent, which has been at peace for decades. Bolivia’s president Evo Morales has claimed that the FARC is simply “the best tool" the US has to deploy more soldiers in the region. Mr. Chavez also expressed his concerns claiming that, “we’re talking about the Yankees, the most aggressive nation in human history.” In an attempt to sell the idea to South American leaders, Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe recently traveled around the continent talking to leaders. The last country on his itinerary was Brazil.

At the moment Brazil seems to be the only country that can negotiate with both sides, due to the popularity of Brazil’s president. Since coming into office, Lula has made allies on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum.

Recently at the G-20 summit Obama said, “He’s my man,” while

Fidel Castro called him “our brother Lula,” as quoted in The Economist. During a two hour closed door meeting, President Uribe attempted to explain to Lula the situation in Columbia.

At the end it seems that Mr. Uribe was successful, considering that shortly afterwards Brazil changed its stance to: “We need to respect Colombia’s sovereignty.”

Now Brazil needs to convince other nations that Colombia has no intentions of starting a war in the continent.

Even Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s president, who is usually neutral, expressed concerns over the new American bases.

Therefore, it seems that now more than ever Brazil needs to step up and intervene before the tensions continue to escalate.

For example, Colombia and Ecuador have had diplomatic relations cut since an incident a few years ago when Colombia violated Ecuadorian airspace to kill a FARC leader. Also, Colombia recently found Venezuelan weapons in FARC camps, pointing out a potential link between the dvorak.org guerillas and Mr. Chavez. These events add to the build up of diplomatic tension between the two countries.

In order to solve the situation in Latin America, Brazil will probably have to get tougher while negotiating with other countries. If Brazil does not take a side, the situation will probably continue to get worse. The hope of countries like the USA is that Lula will be able to convince Mr. Chavez to stop working with FARC. Considering that oil prices have drastically fallen in past year, Mr. Chavez has been quieter, but he is still causing trouble in the region. The real hope by many, as The Economist points out, is that Lula will be able to sell the idea of democracy to Mr. Chavez. It should be done because only in a democracy can a poor operator rise up and eventually become one of the most popular leaders in the world.

After many years Brazil has achieved a moment of international standing. Therefore, Lula now needs to attempt to solve the crisis in Latin America as a way of showing to the world that Brazil is ready to be a world player.

the talon • 9

news

An Update on Central America What has been going on in this region of the world?

Eduardo Estrada

P

anama: Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli recently signed a new free-trade agreement with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper which exempts 90% of imported Canadian goods from taxes. Canada currently exports approximately $118 million worth of goods to Panama and seeks to strengthen economic ties with other Central and South American countries.

Additionally, the Panamanian government is now conducting a massive construction project to expand the Panama Canal to improve world trade. Due to its magnitude, the project was outsourced to various local and international companies.

Costa Rica: Oscar Arias, Costa Rica’s incumbent president since 2006 who was also in office from 1986-1990 and is a Nobel Peace Prize winner - gave Manuel Zelaya asylum immediately after the Nicaraguan coup. Arias has since put his peacekeeping and diplomatic skills to work by serving as a negotiator between Zelaya and Micheletti (the Honduran president who assumed power after the coup). On a side note, Mr. Arias recently recovered from the swine flu (the H1N1 virus).

Nicaragua: An already politically and socially polarized country, the recent coup in nearby Honduras has merely emphasized Nicaragua’s internal divisions. Leftist, “Sandinista”, leaders such as President Daniel Ortega and his followers denounce the coup and all who support it, whereas the more conservative politicians and their supporters support the coup and view it as a justified consequence to Zelaya’s unconstitutional actions.

Both groups are using the coup as an excuse to push their own agendas with Ortega going as far as to claim that it would not be strange if the new Honduran government sent troops to the Nicaraguan border. Ortega’s claim intentionally diverts attention from the national crisis which is, ironically, what Mr. Ortega seeks to achieve through this statement.

Honduras: After 16 years of relative stability, in Honduras, the president Manuel Zelaya was taken out of power by way of a military coup, putting the President of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, in power after Congress officially supported the coup by voting Zelaya out (read more about this in the Talon’s Political Profile). While Zelaya continues to negotiate his return to Tegucigalpa, the coup has naturally created a lot of unrest and instability in Honduras. The military has now, as stated by Amnesty International and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, taken to the using force against those who oppose the coup, while Micheletti’s government claims that this is merely retaliation for violent actions taken by the opposition. On an international level the de facto government’s legitimacy is questioned, as all the governments of the Western Hemisphere support Zelaya as the constitutional president of Honduras. A resolution to this crisis does not seem to be close at hand, with Zelaya’s failed attempts at returning and the de

10 • the talon

facto government’s conviction to remain in power.

Guatemala: A few months ago a posthumous video of a well known and highly respected Guatemalan lawyer was released on YouTube and a number of local news sites. The video, which has created enormous controversy, starts off with a blatant accusation: “Good afternoon, my name is Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano and, unfortunately, if you are watching this that means I am dead and I was murdered by President Alvaro Colom aided by his secretary of state, Gustavo Alejos, and Gregorio Valdez [a businessman who funded Colom’s presidential campaign].”

Rosenberg then claims that the reason for his assassination was his affiliation and firm defense of his client, Khalil Musa, and his daughter Marjorie Musa, who were also assassinated by the same group of people that killed him. The dead lawyer claimed to have documented proof to back his statements. Intertwined with this disturbing finger pointing and explanations, Rosenberg calls Guatemalans to take action against the corrupt government, a call that Guatemala’s elite and upper middle class took to heart in unprecedented protests. These protests met by other protesters who supported the president, but their convictions were called into question when several protesters stated that they showed up for the free food that had been promised to them by the government. Regardless, the uprisings against the government were merely a trend that died out quickly (to be replaced by the swine flu furor) and achieved absolutely no political reform. To add to this telenovela, the government has recently discovered a great number of text messages that point to the fact that Mr. Rosenberg was having an affair with Ms. Musa. Nonetheless, Rosenberg’s arguments and accusations do not seem that farfetched. The problem is the power vacuum that a coup would create may cause more harm than good.

El Salvador: Mauricio Funes recently assumed the presidential office, preceded by Antonio Saca. This change effectively makes Central America a predominantly leftist region, a fact that will likely have an impact in the future of the region. El Salvador has started feeling the impact and suffering the consequences of the drug war, which has been increasingly affecting Central American countries as the American efforts in Mexico cause drug cartels to seek new territories.

Instability? Yes. Turmoil? Yes. Violence? Yes. Inequality?

Yes. And this was merely a glimpse into the intricate world of Central American politics, whose countries always rank amongst the most corrupt in the world and the poorest in the hemisphere.

Is there hope? Maybe, but it will take time, perseverance, unified action, and a change in the attitudes of the economically and socially affluent elites whose privileged positions give them the responsibility to stand up for those who are less fortunate.

news

Promises of a Reform Foretold Conflict and tensions rise in the US health-care debate Danielle Aguilar

I

t is a well known fact that presidential candidates make several promises along the campaign trail. President Barack Obama is no exception: he promised change across the board, in his plans for education, immigration, the war in Iraq, and the environment. However, one issue on which President Obama has been trying to implement change that has caused the public controversy in the last few months: the United States health-care system.

President Obama’s plan for health care reform has been discussed and, at times, furiously debated. However, many people are unaware of the benefits that the President believes this new system will reap. Some of these said benefits include the belief that with this new health-care system, long-term growth of health-care costs for businesses and the government will be reduced and will also prevent families from taking on large amounts of debt rooted in medical bills. Obama’s plan will also guarantee better doctors and medicine while investing in the prevention of illnesses and maintaining overall wellness. Some of the other benefits described by President Obama are higher levels of patient safety and a higher caliber of quality health-care coverage at a price said to be affordable for all Americans. This plan will also continue to cover patients if they lose their jobs, and it will offer coverage to people who are traditionally turned away because of a pre-existing medical condition.

Many people speculate that the average American spends more on health care than on housing or food. With that said, it seems that the economic benefits of this plan are equally as important as the social ones. In 2007 the United States spent about $7,421 per person, or $2.2 trillion, on health care. This is approximately double the amount spent by other developed nations. If the cost of health care continues to grow at this exponential rate, it is estimated by the Congressional Budget Office that by the year 2025 one out of every four dollars of the United States economy will be put into the health-care system. As mentioned above, President Obama believes that his vision for reform will dramatically ease the financial burden on the United States government,

businesses, American families, and the economy as a whole.

Although President Obama has done his best to convince the people of the United States that his plan for health care reform is the best option at the moment, there are still many groups of people who firmly disagree with the plan and to a certain extent are afraid of what may come of it. Many people are afraid that the proposed plan will ultimately lead to socialized medicine. Others fear that it will lead to rationed care and limited resources or even forced euthanasia for those patients who are elderly and too costly to sustain.

The health-care plan has received even less support from religious groups, especially Christian groups. This is largely because many of these people believe that the plan will lead to government-funded abortion. Yet, no matter what religious beliefs people have, many seem to fear one thing above all. There are numerous people who believe that under this system of care it will take longer to receive medical attention. So while gibbleguts.com this health care plan ensures that all patients will be seen, many fear that there will be such a long waiting list that if their condition is serious, they will either have to wait several months until it has progressed or they will die first. This whole different type of fear comes from people opposed to President Obama’s health-care plan.

Countless people incorrectly believe that this new system will allow the existence of so called “death panels” in which a board of doctors will meet with an elderly patient to decide his or her fate.

In order to counteract these views and what to some say are misrepresentations, the White House has made a series of statements to try to set the record straight and make citizensto see what they consider to be a step in the positive direction. On August 11 President Obama spoke out: “What is truly scary, what is truly risky, is to do nothing.” Whether or not that is true depends on one’s point of view on the state of health-care in the United States. Like every story, this one has many sides, which have valuable points on how to undermine the other. All we can do is to wait and see whose promises hold true.

the talon • 11

news

The New Students Get to know who’s new around here FRESHMEN

SOPHMORES Name/Nickname? Rigel Cruz Coming from? Miami Who would you most like to be?

James Bond Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Zackary Bird (Zack) Coming from? China Who would you most like to be? Joey (FRIENDS) Single or Taken? Single Name/Nickname? Katherine Aliano (Kat) Coming from? St. Francis Who would you most like to be?

Buttercup (Powerpuff Girls) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Claudia Joo Coming from? Nossa Senhora do Morumbi Who would you most like to be?

Phoebe (FRIENDS) Single or Taken? Single Name/Nickname? Gabriella Woo (Gaby) Coming from? Slovakia Who would you most like to be?

Willy Wonka (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) Single or Taken? Single Name/Nickname? Hayley Davies Coming from? Singapore Who would you most like to be?

Phoebe (FRIENDS) Single or Taken? Single

12 • the talon

Eduardo Estrada and Felipe Fagundes Name/Nickname? Claire Salmon Coming from? St Francis Who would you most like to be? Ariel (The Little Mermaid) Single or Taken? No comment

Name/Nickname? Leticia Figueiredo Coming From? France Who would you most like to be? Lola (Run Lola Run) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Fernanda Martinez Who would you most like to be? Puss in Boots (Shrek 2) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Joao Neves Coming From? Colegio Marco Polo Who would you most like to be?

Rocky Balboa (Rocky) Single or Taken? Single Name/Nickname? Alvaro Tranjan Coming From? St. Nicholas Who would you most like to be?

Chandler (FRIENDS) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Patrick Bird Coming From? Beijing Who would you most like to be? Joey (FRIENDS) Single or Taken? Single

news Name/Nickname? Gabi Wolfrid Coming from? Miami Who would you most like to be?

Rachel (FRIENDS) Single or Taken? “Who knows…”

Name/Nickname? Jordan Archer Coming from? Costa Rica Who would you most like to be?

Wolverine (X-Men) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Joshua Archer Coming from? Costa Rica Who would you most like to be?

The Joker (The Dark Knight) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Sang Woo Hong (Sam) Coming from? St Francis Who would you most like to be?

Daniel Henney Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Mariano Andres Torre Gomez Where from? Argentina Coming from? England Fun fact? Sister Laura was a Talon Editor-in-Chief (2006-07)

Name/Nickname? Victor Mecozzi Coming from? Miami Who would you most like to be?

Tony Montana (Scarface) Single or Taken? Single

JUNIORS Name/Nickname? Sami Isman Coming from? Singapore Who would you most like to be?

Frances “Baby” Houseman (Dirty Dancing) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Bellatrix Cruz Coming from? Miami Who would you most like to be?

Allie Hamilton (The Notebook) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Nathalie Dattelkremer Coming from? Buenos Aires Who would you most like to be?

Jane Smith (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) Single or Taken? Single

This is where a picture of Diana would go, if we had one.

Sorry, Diana!

Name/Nickname? Diana Kim Coming from? Panama Who would you most like to be?

Ariel (The Little Mermaid) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Francisca Gomez Ortega Coming from? Mexico Who would you most like to be?

Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) Single or Taken? Taken (Long distance) Name/Nickname? Purivan Sivaganam Coming from? Australia Who would you most like to be?

Superman Single or Taken? Single

the talon • 13

news SENIORS Name/Nickname? Danna Aliano Coming from? St. Francis (Sao Paulo) Who would you most like to be?

Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Cassio Domingues Coming from? Chapel Who would you most like to be?

Benjamin Button (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Single or Taken? Taken

Name/Nickname? Karelle Fonteneau Coming from? Connecticut Who would you most like to be? Dr. Gregory House (House) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Julia Waddington Coming from? London Who would you most like to be?

Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Isabella Coelho Coming from? Switzerland Who would you most like to be?

Dipsy (Teletubbies) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Min Jeong Woo (MJ) Coming from? Slovakia Who would you most like to be?

Jerry (Tom & Jerry) Single or Taken? Single

14 • the talon

Name/Nickname? Priscila Gouvea (Pringles) Coming from? Los Angeles Who would you most like to be?

Superman Single or Taken? Single Name/Nickname? Fabiana Jorge (Fa) Coming from? Switzerland Who would you most like to be?

King Julian (Madagascar) Single or Taken? Taken

Name/Nickname? John Kotheimer Coming from? London Who would you most like to be?

Leonidas (300) Single or Taken? Single

Name/Nickname? Santos Moreno Kiernan (Santos) Coming from? Panama Who would you most like to be?

Captain Nathan Algren (The Last Samurai) Single or Taken? Not taken

Name/Nickname? Ping-Chieh Ke (for nickname ask Mr. Bair and Mr. Lewis) Coming from? Taiwan Who would you most like to be?

Still thinking...

Single or Taken? Single

Want to know more?

ASK!

news

New Teachers Name? Valdemar Klassen Coming from? Curitiba If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? My father What can students do to get on your good side? Be fun, participate, laugh at my silly jokes, do homework, say hi to me in the halls.

Name? Amy Hunt Nicknames? In Rio her students called her Msunti Coming From? Barcelona, Spain If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Emily Dickinson What can students do to get on your good side? They can like myths and archetypes or admire the state of Minnesota.

Name? Sandra Stoneman Nicknames?

Stonewoman, Stoney Coming From? Mexico City If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? President Obama What can students do to get on your good side? Chocolate!

Name? Brenda Petersen Nicknames: Bee Coming from? Baltimore, Maryland If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? President Obama What can students do to get on your good side? Be curious.

Name? Karin Gunn Nicknames? None really Coming from? Gainesville, Florida If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Michel Gondry (a French animator/film maker) What can students do to get on your good side? They can be honest, be themselves, try hard, be respectful, and bring a treat once in a while.

Name? Peter Klam Subject? English Coming from? Graded’s Middle School Personal note? [Is] “devastatingly handsome”

Name? Kauê dos Santos Subject? Brazilian Studies Studied? Architecture and geography Enjoys? Traveling, handball, and swimming

Name? Jay Livingston Nickname? Livi Coming from? Japan If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

Newton or Galileo How to get on your good side?: Leave large wards of cash in an anonymous envelope around the classroom.

the talon • 15

news

Name? Ana Paula Cortez Subject? Portuguese as a Foreign Language Experience? Has been working with language for 15 years Enjoys? Music, cinema and arts, especially painting

Name? Mariana Rozentzvaig Subject? Algebra I Studied? Zoology Enjoys? Nutrition, cooking, and swimming

The Talking Game: On Swine Flu Opinions regarding a hot topic in the news po·lem·ic (noun)

1. A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine.

2. A person engaged in or inclined to controversy, argument, or refutation.

“O que está acontecendo no Brasil é uma paranóia absurda que nem no Chile, onde teve mais casos, fizeram. Nem os Estados Unidos que é o país mais paranóico do mundo fizeram isso. Acho que estão tentando desviar o foco de outras coisas mais importantes, tipo a recente crise que tivemos no Senado. FORA SARNEY!” —Dinho Carvalho Pinto, Grade 12 “Everything is under control, no need to panic.”

—Mr. Barry Dequanne, principal “No need to panic, we have everything under control.”

—David Kern, StuCo President, Grade 12 “Swine flu é muito frescura. Todas essas medidas de precaução não servem para nada. A comida fica exposta, então se alguém pegar, todos ficamos em perigo.”

—Thales Martins, Grade 9 “People are too paranoid.”

—Andrew Shim, Grade 12

16 • the talon

"As I often see some students sneezing on the keyboards in the Writing Center, I'm highly in favor of sanitizing-gel-usage."

—Ms. Mary Pfeiffer, English teacher “I’m not worried considering I don’t care.”

—Alex Costilhes, Grade 11 “I’m not going to get it. It’s not in my schedule."

—Thomaz Paes, Grade 10 "I just want my water fountains back and the juniors off my senior lawn. If this means they all get swine flu in the process, so be it."

—Martin Shores, Grade 12 "I think the whole panic is kind of stupid."

—Melissa Fiszner, Grade 11 "The best thing to do would be to get one person with the swine flu and lock them in the auditorium with the rest of the school. That way everybody gets it, goes home for two weeks, and becomes immune to it."

— Mr. Antonio Amaral, Biology teacher "By the end of all of this, everybody is going to be addicted to hand sanitzer."

—Sofia Cavallin, Grade 11

features news

Will You Divorce Me? Marriage loses its sacred role

Karen Hime

M

right of every individual. Men, and especially women, want arriage is supposed to be “a social contract between two to pursue their own careers more enthusiastically, something individuals that unites their lives legally, economically treating their significant other’s needs with less importance and emotionally.” A marriage usually begins on a happy note, than the past. This causes more conflicts between couples. in which both people have fallen in love and feel blessed In addition to these new perspectives, daily because they have found a partner for life. It is a classic fairy problemshave pushed the divorce rate up. People are becoming tale, One that unfortunately also has the potential to end more exposed to stressful in disaster. Many couples environments such as a experience negative struggling economy and changes in their marriages Age at marriage of those who divorce in the US job deamnds, and the after several years, or Age Women Men stress and pressure are even several months. Their Under 20 years old 27.6% 11.7% invading everyday married blissful, early married lives 20 to 24 years old 36.6% 38.8% lives. Such stressful are replaced by arguments 25 to 29 years old 16.4% 22.3% situations create a strain and fights. In the end, they on the couple, making it feel that the situation has 30 to 34 years old 8.5% 11.6% easy for the individuals to become unbearable, and 35 to 39 years old 5.1% 6.5% act irrationally, creating they decide to get a divorce.

Divorce statistics in the US heated arguments.

The divorce rate Another reason First Marriage 45% to 50% marriages end in divorce has increased significantly that causes the increase in over the years. Today Second Marriage 60% to 67% marriages end in divorce divorce rates is increased we do not view marriage Third Marriage 70% to 73% marriages end in divorce temptation.

Porn is with the same sacredness easily accessible these and respect as we once days. Moreover, fasions did, and people take divorcestatistics.org are more seductive, a wedding vows much more considerable change from the past. Now people show more lightly. Traditional culture, in which husband and wife skin and curves in order to look sexy. It is not surprising to live together until death do they part, no longer applies. find that many people are taken in by these temptations.

What has gone wrong with contemporarygenerations?

Perhaps the biggest reason for the rising divorce Why do they consider divorce so easily? Have the rate is the simplifying of the process of divorce. Billboards traditional promises of marriage been made obsolete? and ads are everywhere, showing lawyers who can help Older generations can be considered more successful people get a divorce. In fact, some of these ads encourage when it comes marriage. Most of our great-grandparentsmarried people to get a divorce for a better life. Although the only once and stayed together through good and bad times. process once took years in many places, a divorce can Of course they also faced problems in their married lives, now be settled in a matter of weeks. It is even possible to but they usually worked hand in hand with their spouses to say that these ads give the impression that marriage is an solve those problems. It would be an awful generalization to outdated concept and that divorce is a product to consume. say that all couples were happy, but most couple stuck with When considering all of the causes and conflicts of each other until their deaths. Now, however, the situation marriage, today divorce is generally viewed as common. has completely changed: the divorce rate has neared fifty People no longer stop to contemplate whether their marriage percent. To make matters worse, this trend is still increasing. is going to fulfill the “happily ever after” tenet; instead they There are several reasons for this situation. The allow divorce as an escape route. The statistics indicate a most obvious is that the world has changed; this is not the future of increasing numbers of divorce as husbands and wives same world that our grandparents lived in. Nowadays, people continue to decide to live more and more independently. are taught to be independent. People feel freedom is the

the talon • 17

features

Attention All Freshmen We are not afraid to chicken dance

Stephanie Chao

T

hree years ago, I stood in the freshmen hallway confused, yet confident. From being at the top of the social ladder in middle school. But this came into direct conflict with the new position I held. I was standing in a dark, unfamiliar hallway, and I lived blissfully unaware of what it meant to be at the bottom of the hierarchy. Although as a senior I am still going through changes in academic and social aspects of my life, ninth grade marked a year of discovery.

Now I paint a completely different picture as I stand center stage, entering my final year at Graded. As I re-trace my steps through high school, I remember the laughter and tears, the hour-long Flex blocks and In Loco trips, the new and old friends. As I try to pinpoint how each element of my high school career has helped me mature, I come to draw a parallel between my changes and PGC. As a freshman, I avidly participated in the PGC program, but did not realize the effects it would have upon me and the lifelong friendships it would produce.

I first learned about the program when a group of crazy seniors chicken-danced down the auditorium to the beat of Crazy Frog. It was definitely a weird moment, however it drew me in to participate and go on the PGC Retreat.

On the bus ride there, I had in mind three days of fun and bonding with my class, as well as a small group of seniors.

Simple as that. Little did I know the retreat would have such a positive effect upon me. In one weekend, I bonded with my leaders and group of about ten other freshmen. I left the retreat fully aware of how different the experience had been to how I had previously pictured it. A sense of understanding came upon me as I realized that the benefits of going to the retreat and enjoying PGC would extend far beyond that weekend.

As the year carried on I met with my group during Flex blocks to do check-ins, engage in all sorts of different activities and eat. When ninth grade drew near the end,

18 • the talon

I was absolutely sure I wanted to apply to become a PGC leader when I became a senior. I saw my leaders not only as role models, but also as my older siblings. Throughout the year I had nurtured such a special bond with them, and I knew I would love to have that experience again.

I spent all of sophomore year longing for more PGC, as well as the desire to apply and become a leader. Completely removed from the PGC program, I realized what a difference it had made in my life, but I also began to recognize that being a leader would not just be about creating a bond with the freshmen. I saw that the leaders themselves formed a closely-knit group and that they too experienced an entirely new adventure.

The time then came for me to go through the application process. I knew that it would be a competitive. Anxious, after over a month of waiting for the results, I held my letter with the similar confidence and confusion I felt goStephanie Chao ing into high school.

I opened the envelope. The excitement built up. Confirmation. The words “has chosen you” smiled at me.

All vacation I spent preparing for the PGC Leader Retreat that would happen a week before the beginning of school. I had absolutely no idea what it would be like, but once again I left the retreat ready to tackle the obstacles of a new year, my senior year. Now I am confident (without any confusion) that the PGC 2009-2010 group has a lot to offer and to learn from the freshmen class, which is why I urge all of you freshmen to open your minds, and hearts, and join us. The success of PGC depends on the willingness of each member to try new things. If you want to have fun, you will have fun. If you want to make new friends, you will make new friends. The benefits are directly related to personal input. Take the risk. Help us define what PGC is all about.

features

I Promise

...to show promise

Julia Greenwald

I

promise I’ll do well on my physics test. I promise I’ll be

Promising Athletes” spread on Sports Illustrated, or the “Top

on the alpha honor roll. I promise I’ll come back from Big

50 Most Promising Young Lawyers” list in Time Magazine. We

8 with a gold medal. I promise I’ll make it into AMIS this

are promising to be promising.

year. I promise I won’t get suspended. I promise I won’t fail biology.

The only problem is, we don’t know if we’ll show promise in five, ten, or twenty years. There is no way to

We all make promises like these to our parents, but

control our future or plan for it. Therefore this isn’t a prom-

what do they really mean? A promise is “a declaration that

ise we can keep; the future isn’t promising, it is a mystery

one will do or refrain from doing something specified.” But

and all our promises are empty.

what we don’t tend to see is that “promise” has another

I’ll admit to these empty promises. I have promised

definition: “a ground for expectation of success, improve-

to be promising, to reach the bar my parents set for me,

ment, or excellence.”

which seems to go

In other words, you

up higher and high-

can make a prom-

er each day. Still,

ise, or you can show

the more promises

promise.

I make, the farther

The future is

away I get from my

promising, and so-

goal. The more I

ciety and school are

think about the fu-

preparing us for it.

ture, the more in-

Students are being

comprehensible it

prepared for jobs

becomes.

that don’t exist, and

Essentially

to find solutions for

there is only one

problems that have

solution to this

not yet arisen. Col-

problem—to stop

leges have become

making promises. A

extremely competi-

photo.naver.com promise is nothing

more then an idea,

tive and expect nothing less then excellence from their applicants. A diploma

and scientists cannot prove that somebody shows promise,

from an elite university makes finding a job easier, plus

while somebody else does not. If anything, we should find

it will get you a couple of “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” here and

promise in ourselves, whether that be success, happiness or

there. All around us are expectations of promise, waiting

even failure. Promise is a journey, not a promise.

This may be difficult to explain to our parents, our

to be fulfilled.

Yet, do we promise these things? Or are we just

teachers or those top universities, but it is a choice we all

aware that we must be promising? Our parents put pressure

make. Do we want to live up to our promise? I promise I’ll

on us because they believe we show promise. School pushes

do well on my physics test. I promise I’ll be on the alpha

and tests us to help us find our “promise.” But never do we

honor roll. I promise I’ll come back from Big 8 with a gold

wake up and say “I better do well on this test today, because

medal. I promise I’ll make it into AMIS this year. I promise I

I promised that I would one day be successful.”

won’t get suspended. I promise I won’t fail biology. Although

So actually, we’re not exactly promising to be on

we all are different, at the end of the day, we all promise

the honor role. We are living up to the expectations cre-

the same thing—to show promise, whether it’s possible, or

ated for us, the goals we are meant to reach, the places we

not.

are meant to go. We imagine making it to the “Top 10 Most

the talon • 19

features

Pinky Promises

Those words we no longer keep Olivia Dupasquier

F

rom the early years of my childhood there are certain memories I will never forget. Although the names and faces of some old friends have already faded away, and the rules of a playground game have been forgotten, a simple act is forever engraved in my mind. Still today I can picture it perfectly, two little girls in the corner of the playground whispering and giggling into each others’ ears, cheeks red with embarrassment about what they are sharing. I remember myself often being in this situation, only one thing could be done to ensure my trust. So I would curl four of my fingers into a fist, and reach out with the fifth to utter those timeless words: “Pinky promise you won’t tell?”

As children, we believed in the power and magic of the promises we both made and received from our friends.

The linking of our pinkies as we shared our deepest, darkest secrets was the official seal that a secret was safe forever. Never did we doubt the promise that was made and never did we forget the enchantment of that bond. Although it is for this reason that children are viewed as naïve, perhaps it is we who are no longer children have corrupted the idea of a promise. Before, a promise had meaning and now the mere word is tossed around all the time, no longer with any significance. Now it seems that when a promise is made it is easily broken, forgotten, or in the case of marriage, reconsidered. It is the easiest thing to make a promise, yet it seems many have forgotten the value of fulfilling it. The importance it once used to have no longer exists, except perhaps in the minds of those young children you can still link pinkies.

Today, the world is constructed of empty promises.

Marriage vows are now taken with the knowledge that you have the ability to break them through divorce; politicians promise what they can never fulfill, only making their stack of votes to grow higher and higher; and countless documents and contracts have to be drawn up in order to guarantee that people will keep their word. There was a time when a

20 • the talon

simple handshake was enough to seal the deal, where people respected their promises and strived to complete them, without the need for so many papers and lawyers. These days people sue others for anything, especially those who have not carried out contracts or promises they made to others.

A spoken oath is no longer accepted without proper signatures, even in the case of marriage, proving further how a verbal promise can no longer be trusted. The basic idea of marriage has changed, where people get married quickly and irrationally, knowing that it does not necessarily have to mean forever, knowing that the option of divorce always lingering in the background. Furthermore, the foundation of every political campaign is the promises made to citizens.

More often than not, these promises are forgotten as soon as victors have the position that they wanted, and those who had bestowed their trust in them are left feeling duped and disappointed. It would not be incorrect to assume that the reason so many countries nowadays suffer from governments is because their politicians have abandoned their initial promises and instead, relished the flywithmeproduction.com power they now have.

So perhaps as children we had it right. A simple pinky promise was enough to know that someone was counting on you to carry out the silent vow. We did not make promises we could not keep and that was why we could trust those who gave us their word because, back then, it actually meant something. Now the word “promise” is overused and essentially meaningless. We promise everything, even what we know we cannot keep. I for one could not ever remember the number of promises I have made throughout my life, much less the ones that I have kept. Because, as Friedrich Nietzche once said, “One must have a good memory to be able to keep the promises that one makes.”

features

Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater?

The reasons behind infidelity

Andrea Estrada

L

ying is a given when it comes to human beings. We are all guilty whether we like it or not. But there is a particular form of lying—cheating—that not everyone is guilty of. I have never been in a relationship, so I cannot report from experience, but I’m sure we can agree that cheating is something that occurs quite commonly in couples of all ages.

The other day I was gossiping with a friend, and we found ourselves questioning whether someone who cheats once is bound to be a cheater forever. Although we want to say “yes”, it’s not such an easy question. Most of us have the image that people who cheat are usually those who have a reputation for it: “players,” “jerks,” or “whores.” But that is not entirely true.

Let’s start with the fact that cheating is common.

According to a survey conducted by Tom W. Smith at the University of Chicago, of 10,000 people surveyed over two decades, 22% of married men and 15% of married women had cheated on their spouse at least once. These numbers may not be so impressive, but they indicate that infidelity is common, even if it isn’t happening in the majority of relationships.

Now, adult relationships—especially marriages—don’t faithfully reflect teen ones, but they can suggest that if such are their percentages, teen ones are probably much higher.

It would be wrong to generalize that those 22% of men and 15% of women who were unfaithful are “players,” just like it would be wrong to say that all teens who cheat are “players.”

Studies have shown that there are actually several reasons that would lead one to cheat. But first, I decided to ask around and find out what the thoughts of Graded students are on being unfaithful.

• “I am totally against cheating. Like, if you really love a person, you wouldn’t cheat. But I’m not so sure with the once a cheater, always a cheater, because a person can change.”

• “I think cheating is a product of an unhealthy relationship at most times. If you’re committed to someone, it’s because you like them and want to be with them. If there’s a point where you feel attraction for anyone else, I don’t think you should be committed to the person any longer. It’s a matter of honesty. However, someone who’s cheated once isn’t necessarily a cheater forever, it all depends on how much you like the person and how much you trust them.”

• “I think once someone knows they can get away with it, they won’t ever stop.”

• “I think it depends on the person. But I don’t think the person is always a cheater if you cheat once. I do think it is wrong

21 • the talon

to cheat, but maybe the person was having a terrible day or something bad happened to him or her and the only way to feel better was by being with someone, so he or she ended up cheating on someone.”

• “Everyone makes mistakes and that doesn’t mean that they will repeat them, even though they screwed up.”

• “I think it’s wrong, but I don’t think that the saying ‘once a cheater, always a cheater’ applies to everyone. If there is a person who cheated only one time, there must be a reason behind that, which is different from someone who does it all the time. You should always consider the situation that the person is in.”

Most of the students think that someone who cheats once isn’t necessarily always a cheater, which is correct: there are four main reasons behind unfaithfulness, and not all lead to the conclusion that a cheater is bound to be one forever.

There is the one reason most commonly heard of, which occurs when an average player who hooks-up with someone different every weekend, gets into a more serious relationship and realizes he or she can’t commit. For him or her, physical attraction and the thrill of being with someone different are more important than commitment. This person thinks with the body and not the heart.

However, cheating also occurs as a means of ending the relationship. The relationship isn’t working, but instead of facing problems, someone decides to cheat in order to have a more concrete reason for a break-up.

Similar to that, sometimes a person cheats to call attention to other needs. The cheater feels like his or her partner no longer acknowledges them in the same way and escaping into the arms of another is a way to feel loved, possibly making the boyfriend or girlfriend jealous, and to bring out problems that need to be discussed.

Lastly, there is cheating that occurs when a person is simply equally attracted to and emotionally connected to more than one person. They can’t commit to only one partner, allowing for affairs to continue. Because the person is comfortable with multiple partners and feels loved by all, the cheater never puts an end to the other relationships.

Still, cheating is wrong; it breaks a promise of commitment. But cheating once doesn’t necessarily make a person guilty forever. There are those who do it repeatedly, but there are those who do it for a specific and occasionally valid reason.

As in any situation, one must consider the motives before judging actions.

the talon • 21

features

Promises, Dionne and Me

The coming together of a theme, a song and a memory Ms. Cecilia Porto

M

aybe it wasn’t just me. Other people of my generation may have also remembered Dionne Warwick’s famous song when they saw the Talon’s flyer with this month’s theme advertised in the school’s corridor, asking for contributions.

Songs (like smells), usually take me on voyages back in time, and this one made me feel as if I were a teenager again, overwhelmed by the intense beauty of Warwick’s song. I have forgotten most promises that I made, but I remember how strong this word sounded in my ears: promises, promises. I forgot the promises that some boy I once loved never kept, but not the sweet pain I always felt when Dionne sang this song, as if only she could understand my teenage loneliness and sadness. I still don’t know much about promises or what drives us to make them. I still don’t understand the urge we feel to make promises to others and to ourselves, especially in the beginning of a new year; this feeling that promises can reveal (or guarantee) is the sincerity of our good intentions. But I can say now, through Dionne, that “things that I promised to myself fell apart, but I found my heart.”

Promises, Promises composed and written by Burt Bacharach

Promises, promises I’m all through with promises, promises now I don’t know how I got the nerve to walk out If I shout, remember I feel free Now I can look at myself and be proud I’m laughing out loud Oh, promises, promises This is where those promises, promises end I don’t pretend that what was wrong can be right Every night I sleep now, no more lies Things that I promised myself fell apart But I found my heart Oh, promises, their kind of promises can just destroy a life Oh, promises, those kind of promises take all the joy from life Oh, promises, promises, my kind of promises Can lead to joy and hope and love Yes, love!

Every night I sleep now, no more lies Things that I promised myself fell apart But I found my heart Oh, promises, their kind of promises can just destroy a life Oh, promises, those kind of promises take all the joy from life Oh, promises, promises, my kind of promises Can lead to joy and hope and love Yes, love!

imeen.com

22 • the talon

features

Two cartoons on this month’s theme

by Nina Kim

the talon • 23

entertainment

Children of Conflict

The Promises Project: young lives in Israel & Palestine Cássia Di Roberto

T

housands make promises every day. Promises to them-

The movie, Promises, distributed in 2001, follows the

selves, their loved ones, teachers, and many others. What

lives of seven children, Israeli and Palestinian, who live only

if you made a promise to humanity? To help keep peace,

twenty minutes apart, yet reside in completely different and

to even promote it. What if you could make a promise to a

separate worlds. The documentary explores the boundaries

large group of people, to an audience? A promise for hope,

of society, and tells the story of children crossing barriers

and for a better future. Directors Justine Shapiro, and B.Z.

to meet their neighbors.

did that when they decided to be a part of the change they wanted to see.

Every day we hear of battles in the MIddle East, of bombs and terrorists. Yet it is not every day that we get to

While working for a PBS documentary series, Global

see what the children have to say about it, and the impact

Trekker, Justine Shapiro went to shoot in Israel and the

and influence these events have had on their lives. During

West Bank. Over there, she was immediately drawn towards

the course of the film, viewers travel through both worlds

the children in those areas, and their conflict with their

and through the eyes of these children. We see their coun-

neighbors. While listening to them argue and express their

tries’ future, and the true root of the conflict.

emotions with such strong

The differing opinions the

words and passion, she

children have of each other,

thought about her own

and of their religions as-

Israeli cousins and the

tounds the audience. Talking

Palestinian children she

to the kids who live in the

had met. Upon discover-

Palestinian refugee camps,

ing that her friend B.Z.

the inherited hate that they

had a common interest

have towards those who

in this drama and conflict

drove them away from their

in the Middle East, they

land is clearly depicted in

decided to create The

their voices and expres-

Promises film project.

sions. Living in such a small,

This project is a “non-

insecure place, they share

profit organization committed to furthering the Middle-East peace process by using the power of film to educate audiences about the importance of supporting peace efforts.” With this documentary in mind, the project vows to modify people’s interpretations about the conflicts.

with the audience their promisesproject.org passion for their respective

religions, and their distaste towards others. When speaking to an Israeli boy, the directors ask whether he has ever tried to speak to a Palestinian boy. The boy merely looks around, perhaps even trying to see if his parents are within earshot, and quietly answers,

B.Z. grew up in Israel, just outside of Jerusalem. When

“Why would I have to?” The separate reality they are liv-

the Palestinian uprising occured and the Intifada broke out,

ing, filled with hate and disgust for others is demonstrated

he began to be moved by the ways which the Middle-East

in this film so vividly that shocks the audience. It is proof

conflict affected the lives of Palestinians and Israeli chil-

that we truly have no idea the depth oand complexity of

dren. He then began creating an idea of a documentary film

the conflict.

that would look beyond universal news headlines, and into the children’s hearts and minds. In 1995, B.Z. began meeting children in the Middle East with Shapiro, children who would in turn become the main characters of their film.

24 • the talon

Imagine living in a world, where neighbors are enemies, and children are split by religion. Welcome to the Middle East. Where conflict, problems, children, and faith are real, and questioned every day by young children.

entertainment

Film Guide to Promises

Quicker browsing through the video store shelves Luiza Justus

W

hile observing fellow humans peruse movie-filled shelves

insurance is to remarry. However, it needs to be someone

for a long period of time it dawned on me that they might

he trusts, for if something happens to him, his life insurance

need some help. It is probably the same with everyone; we

money and his children need to be in good hands. He then

decide to go to Blockbuster (or an equivalent) and rent movies

decides to marry his firefighter best friend Chuck (Sandler).

because we have nothing better to do, but most of the time

With the fraud squad checking up on their every move, Chuck

we have no idea what we want to rent or watch. We simply

and Larry need to pretend, with all their hearts, that their

expect our desired film to materialize on the first shelf we look

marriage is legitimate. They even have to lie to their lawyer,

at as we walk into the motion picture library. While doing this

Alex (Biel), the woman that Chuck begins to fall in love with.

we have absolutely no clue what we want to watch, we simply

The promise these two straight Brooklyn firefighters make

know that we want to watch something, anything. However, as

to each other will push them to the furthest extent of their

indecisive as we are, while at the rental place we get extremely

relationship, and prove the true potential of real friendship.

picky. Not a war movie (too heavy), not a horror (too scary),

Comical circumstances and awkward situations await you in

not a romantic comedy (too happy), not a drama (too sad). This

this light 2007 comedy.

indecisiveness most often leads to crankiness, and we end up getting a movie we have watched a million times just because it is right there and there is nothing better to rent.

40 Days and 40 Nights Released in 2002, 40 Days and 40 Nights is a comedy starring Josh Hartnett, a young man who makes a promise

This film guide suggests a few movies for you when you find

that changes his life. After an ugly breakup, Matt (Hartnett)

yourself in that situation. Staying within the lines of the Talon

vows to abstain from any sexual relations during the 40 days

theme of the month, Promises.

of Lent. This promise entails that he is not allowed to kiss or express any type physical affection to anyone during this time.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

It starts out well, but then he meets the girl of his dreams and

Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Jessica Biel star in

is unable to express his love for her. Due to his situation, he

this hilarious comedy about two firefighters that encounter a

is forced to learn how

bit of an obstacle. Larry Valentine (James) has two kids and

to connect with her

a deceased wife, and the only way for him to keep his life

on a spiritual level only, which changes both his relationship with her and his own personality. However, this promise starts to get complicated when his friends—and even strangers—start to bet against his success.

movietrimmer.com

sidereel.com

the talon • 25

entertainment

Discovered on Orkut A promising new way to find stars

Marina Oliveira

W

hat if you opened your Orkut or Facebook today and

asked my mother if I could give her number to the production

found a message from the casting production company

company, so they could talk. From then on, everything worked

of a national movie inviting you to audition, when you have

out.” Though the auditions were over and 600 girls had tried

never even dreamed of acting? Would you believe it? This is

out, the right girl for the part had not been found and Laura

the story of fourteen year old São Paulo native Laura Neiva,

was called to O2 for an interview and two days of an actors’

star of the movie À Deriva, by director Heitor Dhalia.

workshop. “When she finally came to the production company,

Set in the early 1980s, the movie is centered on a

I laid eyes on her and could not look at any other girl,” says

middle-class Brazilian family spending a summer at the beach

director Heitor Dhalia, best known for 2006’s O cheiro do ralo.

in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro. Filipa, a fourteen-year-old girl, is

(The Smell of the Gutter)

the protagonist of the story. Her mother is Clarice, a teacher

Social networking websites such as MySpace, Orkut,

played by Debora Bloch, and her father Mathias, played by

Facebook, and Twitter are often used to find people: child-

French actor Vincent Cassel. She has a loving relationship with

hood friends, old work colleagues, relatives. With time,

both her parents and her two younger siblings, Fernanda and

we’ve found more and more uses for this technology. Now,

Antônio, and together, they

after a wave of bands and singers

constitute a seemingly perfect

being discovered by record labels

family.

through websites such as MySpace, It is through the eyes

this can be considered an innova-

of Filipa that viewers experi-

tion in the use of the Internet as a

ence the life-changing summer

resource to discover new stars. In

during which she discovers her

just a few clicks, casting produc-

family isn’t as flawless as they

tions can search through millions

seem, and her world rapidly

of individuals and narrow them

falls apart. She is forced to deal

down by gender, city, and interests,

with her mother’s worsening

among various other categories.

alcoholism and her father’s af-

Not only that, they can search

fair with an American woman,

through photographs of people in

while struggling with her own

different situations, meaning they

issues of identity as she grows

oglobo.globo.com know not only what you look like,

from a child to a young woman.

but what you do, and in turn, what kind of person you are. In

In order to find the right girl for the role of Filipa, the

short, in a few minutes producers can find many more potential

film’s production company, O2 Filmes, searched unsuccessfully

candidates, all according to their selective criteria, and know

through shopping malls, schools, and other teen hang-outs for

much more about any given one than if they were to search

new faces. They then resorted to a quicker and easier method:

the streets. This method also saves them a lot of hard work,

searching through the social networking website Orkut. This

since it can be used anytime, anywhere. It’s easier. It’s faster.

is how they came across Laura Neiva. Laura, who had never

It’s promising.

acted before, received a note from the film’s production on

Today, if you opened your Facebook wall and found a

her profile inviting her to a casting call, but ignored it. When

post from a supposed casting production for a national movie

another one was left the next day, she turned down the offer.

inviting you to audition, you would probably not believe it.

They did not give up. Two months later, she was contacted yet

I know I wouldn’t. But in just a few years, you could look at

again, this time through MSN, which they had gotten from a

your wall and find the same message not surprising at all. It

friend of hers. “My mother was afraid, she though it might be

could be perfectly plausible.

a scam,” says Laura. This time, she decided to give it a try. “I

26 • the talon

entertainment

Trivialities

Amusing trivia for monotonous occasions. We promise!

Luiza Justus • The word “democracy” is banned in online chat rooms in China.

• February of 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

• About 18 acres of pizza are eaten in the United States every day.

• The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

• The world’s longest game of Monopoly lasted more than 660 hours.

• Cat’s urine glows under a black light.

• Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.

• The Earth experiences around 50,000 earthquakes each year.

• In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world’s nuclear weapons combined.

• The longest one syllable word in the English language is “screeched.”

• Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour.

• Every minute in the United States six people turn 17.

• Termites eat wood twice as fast when listening to heavy metal music.

• Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most stolen from public libraries.

• If you have three quarters, four dimes and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount in coins without having change for a dollar.

• In the great fire of London in 1666, half of London was burnt out but only 6 people were injured.

• If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.

• You can’t kill yourself by holding your breath.

• The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

All facts found at funnyjunksite.com and randomfunfacts.com

• About 1/3 of American adults are at least 20% above their recommended weight.

• One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million gallons of fresh water.

• Elephants are the only animals that can’t jump.

• STEWARDESSES is the longest word that can properly be typed with only the left hand.

• About 17% of humans are left-handed.

• There are over 58 million dogs in the US. • The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.

• Shakespeare invented the words “assassination” and “bump.”

• The word “lethologica” describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.

• TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only one row of the keyboard.

• Cats have over 100 vocal sounds while dogs only have about 10.

godbitesman.com

the talon • 27

sports

The £80m Man

Insane transfer fees and their effect Christopher Thomas

£

80 million pounds. Not a joke, not a typo. £80 million.

That’s how much Real Madrid paid for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The ludicrous sum of money aside, it is intriguing how, in sports, employees are assigned a certain value. It is almost as if they are paid slaves because, in a sense, they are owned by the club that buys them. I have a certain difficulty understanding the concept of people as objects that are assigned a monetary worth.

This system does beg the question of how wearing a price tag makes the actual player feel.

In life we often judge ourselves by how much we make, but this adds a new look into the equation. What must it be like to be a player who is assigned the value of £10 million playing alongside the £30 or £80m player? Since the price of a player tends to be public news, each one knows how much the other is “worth.” This must be rather disturbing to those who might not be as expensive, but might have made just as much of a contribution to the team.

Who decides how much one is worth anyway? It’s all related to market forces and how important a certain club feels a player will be to the team. It’s a completely subjective thing and not quite reflective of how much they should be worth. Especially when we consider that defensive players will never fetch the same prices as a striker or midfield general, one can see that this system is flawed. I’d argue that nobody is worth anywhere near £80m, in fact, not even £50m, but that is up to each club.

The side effect of this massive spending for individuals is that it hikes up the price for every other player. Someone who might have been worth £12m might now be worth £24m, just because the subjective nature of prices and the massive spending of other clubs influence the prices of other players, as their clubs look to squeeze money out of prospective buyers. This can lead to players being priced out of moves to

28 • the talon

other football clubs as the inflation of the market prevents smaller clubs with fewer resources from buying their intended targets.

All this because of one man, and one buy. It could be said that Real’s entire summer madness did indeed actually showcase the effect of this on the game. Because of their approximately £60m acquisition of Kaká and their £80m acquisition of Christiano Ronaldo, their other buys were far more expensive then they perhaps should have been, such as Karim Benzema, a promising young French player, who was bought for £30m even though the general consensus is that he was worth around £20m.

Almost 300 million pounds were spent in Real Madrid’s recent Florentino Perez-led summer spree. The acquisition of so many attack-minded players has of course fueled speculation that a large contingent of the players who were already there will be forced out by the new boys. This of course ties in with the original point that players are devalued in the face of futbol4everyone.com new arrivals. All the contributions of players such as Huntelaar and Robben can and will be ignored should they be transfered on, simply because new players who are not necessarily better (but certainly more hyped up) have been bought.

Ultimately, it is up to each individual club to determine how much it wants to pay up for a player, however valuable they deem him. It’s their money, after all (or at least in most cases), and in the end they can choose how to spend it as they see fit. It is unfortunate, however, how the massive spending of one club can shift the balance of power even further away from smaller clubs who cannot compete in the market after an inflation of such magnitude occurs, and one can only hope that the prices of players will stabilise in the near future.

sports

In It to Win It

Relying on performance-enhancing drugs Yana Ahlden

W

hen we play a sport, we’re mostly in it to win it. Many vation for athletes to grab the pills. It no longer matters to people say it’s a passion and they just love running or many athletes whether injecting themselves with testosterone pitching or jumping, but let’s face it: something all athletes is fair, but how much money the next medal will transfer to dream of, is to win that one race, that one game, that one the bank account in the Cayman Islands. The once pure ethic competition, that one tournament. Because once they do, of participation has been replaced by one of greed and glory. they will be able to proudly step onto the top stair of the And if everyone in the team dopes and it seems as if races can podium and receive that long desired gold medal while the only be won, and money only earned, and success only gained, whole world watches and cheers. That’s when they finally feel by self-medicating, that’s what happens. what only a true winner can feel. For Many renowned athletic careers are that special feeling, many athletes are disappear. One of the most famous cases even prepared to ruin their bodies and concerning an elite athlete and doping, is reputations. the one of U.S. sprinter Marion Jones. She Instead of training harder than was sentenced to six months of prison on anyone else to reach their goal, some January 11th, 2008, seven years after she aspiring heroes decide to cheat. The last used a designer steroid. She denied decision to enhance their performance having ever used performance enhancing using steroids can make or break their drugs, but in the end she pleaded guilty career. It all depends on whether they of lying to government investigators about get caught or not. her use of steroids during the Sydney OlThere are many different ympics. She was forced to return the five steroids out there with many differmedals she won during those Olympics and ent functions. Some increase the size can no longer take credit for the results of muscles in the body; body builders back to Sept. 1, 2000. Marion Jones was media.gamerevolution.com often use these.Others are used by archa superb athlete, but she cheated and got ers, who want to slow down their breath, because the motion caught. of breathing moves their body, limiting their chances of hitting The same happened to Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, the bull’s eye. Then there is simple blood doping. By injecting who had to forfeit his gold medal and world record for the themselves with their own blood before races, athletes are 100-meter-dash from 1988. After testing positive for steroids, able to transport more oxygen faster to their cells, enhancing Ben Johnson, a brilliant and talented athlete, was banned from their performance. competition for life.

The often-asked question of why is answered by Lance Athletes are not the only ones involved in doping cases.

Williams, an investigative reporter with the San Francisco Their coaches are too, and sometimes they also get caught.

Chronicle. He says, “Athletes have a huge incentive to dope.

Trevor Graham is one of those coaches. After Justin Gatlin, one There are tremendous benefits to using the drugs, and there is of Graham’s sprinters, tested positive for testosterone and a only a small chance that you will get caught . . . If you make half-dozen other athletes whom Graham coached received drug the team, you’ll be a millionaire; if you don’t, you’ll probably suspensions, the United States Olympic Committee banned go back to driving a delivery truck.”

Graham from its training sites and centers. But he was not Sadly, Williams is right. Since the performance of an banned for life, unlike many athletes, who will never be able athlete decides how far the athlete will go in the future, this to run a race and hear the cheers ever again. athlete might choose the illegal way to earn her living. And But then again, once people belong to the elite world who wouldn’t prefer a million-dollar mansion, a Nike contract, of Olympic athletes, they’re in it to win it. Sometimes they and popularity to an old, rusty pizza delivery truck that earns win and sometimes they lose. Sometimes they win big and her just enough for what she needs? Money is the main motibreak records. And sometimes they lose big and get caught.

the talon • 29

sports

Muhamed Konjic

A lenda produzida na guerra dos Bálcãs Fernando Lima

Q

uerido leitor, vamos até Sarajevo, a capital e maior cidade da (atual) Bósnia-Hezergovina. Está frio. Chove. Não chove só água, chove fogo, chove entulho e chovem, também, escombros de corpos humanos. De repente, leitor, quando você se arrisca a sair de seu esconderijo, vê um rapaz robusto correndo, olhando para o chão. Sua corrida é ritmada e, seguindo seu olhar, lá vai uma bola rolando até você. O rapaz te pede a bola. Você a joga, rasteira, rolando calma no asfalto molhado.

O rapaz a domina, joga-a para o alto e arremata com um belo voleio que trinca o para-brisa de um automóvel ali estacionado.

Ele dribla carros incendiados por bombas, barricadas, crateras, dribla qualquer obstáculo em seu caminho para o estrelato.

Em meio ao entulho, você o perde de vista.

O rapaz é o astro mais influente da história do futebol bósnio, Muhamed Konjic, jogador do FK Sloboda, da cidade de Tuzla. Um zagueiro promissor, que teve a carreira abalada por uma guerra cruel, orquestrada pelos insanos Radovan Karadzic e Ratko Mladic. Konjic, como a maioria dos bósnios, tem na sua origem o sangue turco e a religião islâmica.

Mas a guerra acaba no acordo de Dayton, mediado por Richard Holbrook e negociado com Alija Izetbegovic, Franjo Tudman e o infame Slobodan Milosevic, o homem por trás de Karadzic. Para celebrar o fim dos conflitos, nove dias depois, numa demonstração de que as perspectivas do pós-guerra podiam ser animadoras, entram em campo as seleções da Bósnia e da Albânia. A Bósnia, com Meho Kodro, recém-saído do Barcelona, Elvir Bolic, que havia escapado da concentração do time sub-17 da Iugoslávia em Paris... e o grande Mo Konjic como capitão.

Quem o viu jogar nesse dia e durante sua carreira, afirma que viu poucos zagueiros tratarem a bola como ele. A finesse, a batida, a matada, Konjic era um craque completo.

Na sua passagem pelo NK Zagreb, time de Robert Prosinecki, o atacante que liderava o melhor sub-20 de todos os tempos da Iugoslávia, o zagueiro fez história no recém- criado campeonato croata, em 1996. Jogando cinquenta e cinco partidas e marcando meia dezena de gols, Konjic acertou sua transferência para o FC Zurich. Em um ano na Suíça, ele fez trinta e seis partidas, que lhe renderam nova mudança, agora para o AS Mônaco, clube que revelou Ludovic Giuly e Patrice Evra ao futebol mundial. Em dois anos marcados por lesões, Muhamed Konjic jogou trinta e três partidas e marcou dois gols. Ele estava em campo quando o Mônaco eliminou, em pleno Old Trafford, o poderoso Manchester United de Roy Keane e Teddy Sheringham.

Essa boa temporada lhe rendeu, em 1999, a mais cara

30 • the talon

transferência de sua carreira: o Coventry City, time britânico em franca ascensão naquela época, gastou dois milhões de libras para contar com seus serviços. Em cinco anos de contrato e várias lesões, algumas seriíssimas, ele jogou cento e trinta partidas e marcou quatro gols. Por culpa dos machucados e de seus cerca de trinta e cinco anos, idade “avançada” para um boleiro, a carreira do grande Mo entra em declínio. Por mais dois anos, no Derby County, ele ainda tentou, ao longo de dezesseis jogos, reviver seus dias de glória. Sem se firmar num time de segunda divisão, entretanto, Muhamed Konjic decidiu dar um ponto final na carreira do (possivelmente) melhor jogador bósnio de todos os tempos.

Na foto, reparem: a firmeza de seu rosto, que se exprime também no indicador da mão esquerda, em riste, como se orientasse a bola rumo ao alvo – algum companheiro de time ou o gol...

norskefans.com

sports

Promise of Talent

What makes a potentially great player?

Ho Jun Yang

W

hen is it that an athlete is or isn’t promising? Magic Johnson pops into my head: what makes him “magic?”

What makes him such a promising player?

Earvin Johnson, Jr., born in Lansing, Michigan, on August 14th, 1959. He stands 6 feet 9 inches, weighed 255 pounds during his playing days and is considered one of the most amazing basketball players of all times. He started his basketball career in 1979 and played until 1991, when he retired suddenly after announcing that he had the HIV virus. Johnson returned in 1992 to play the All-Star Game, but due to the protests of fellow players, he retired for another four years. He returned for the last time in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the last time. He was nicknamed “Magic” for his spectacular plays, especially his brilliant passes.

Johnson won many honors throughout his career. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2002), an NBA champion (1980, ‘82, ‘85, ‘87, ‘88), an NBA Finals MVP (1980, ‘82, ‘87), an NBA MVP (1987, ‘89, ‘90), a nine-time All-NBA First Team (198391), an All-NBA Second Team member(1982), a 12-time All-Star, an All-Star MVP (1990, ‘92), winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1992), an Olympic gold medalist (1992), and named one One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). He was also rated as the greatest point guard of all time by ESPN in 2007. Not only was he a revolutionary player, he was also the tallest point guard in league history. Johnson has received many honors and titles, all of which he deserves fully.

Now, having retired from a career as a basketball player, he focuses on his wife of eighteen years, Cookie, and his children Andre, Earvin and Elisa and grandchild, Andre’s daughter, Gabriella. His accomplishments, excluding basketball-related ones, include “Business holdings that have reached $1 billion in a real estate fund and $550 million in an equity fund, more than 100 Starbucks franchises, a baker’s dozen of

24 Hour Fitness centers, thousands of students sent to college through the United Negro College Fund and his own foundation’s Taylor Michaels scholarships.”

Even though his career is over, Johnson was a player who fulfilled and even went beyond his promise. What made him such a great player and successfulperson? I believe that everything Johnson accomplished was due to his pure love of sport and competition. Above all else, above the money, success and fame, his love for playing basketball was what made him so amazing. With a body that big how could a man do so many things with the ball?

As a child, growing up in Lansing, Michigan, Johnson had two hobbies, singing on street corners with his friends and playing basketball. “Junior,” or “June Bug” as his neighbors called him, was practicing on the court by 7:30 a.m.

To the USA Weekend Johnson said, “I practiced all day, I dribbled to the store with my right hand and back with my left. Then I slept with my basketball.”

Johnson had already attained the nickname “Magic” at the age of 15. In Everett High School, he was given the nickname by a sports writer who had seen the anathan.wordpress.com teenager make 36 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. (Ironically, his Christian mother thought that the nickname was blasphemous). Later on, as a senior, Johnson led the team to a 27-1 record and the state title, averaging 28.8 points and 16.8 rebounds. In college, he continued his success, leading his team, the Michigan State Spartans to a 25-5 record and the Big Ten Conference title. He was named as an All-American as a sophomore and helped his team win the national title in 1979. Having accomplished much on the college level, Johnson passed up his last two seasons and entered the 1979 NBA Draft. The Lakers took Johnson as a first pick.

His passion for basketball had started long before his career and continued longer than his career. This was what allowed Johnson to fulfill his promise and this was what made him Magic.

the talon • 31

news

sports

Promise Fulfilled

A sports prodigy who swam his way to success Isabella Zevallos

M

ichael Phelps is, unquestionably, a worldwide phenomenon. He is the athlete that really gave new meaning to aquatic sports, and especially to swimming. Although many child sports prodigies are inclined to succeed in the sports arena, only a tiny percentage succeed anywhere near Phelps’ level. Phelps has become internationally famous, especially after the Beijing Olympics of 2008. Yet, this talent and dedication to the sport came long before any competition, with a long trajectory of effort and a real aptitude for the sport.

Measuring 6’4’’ and weighing 195 lbs., Phelps has swum his way to success.

Michael Fred Phelps was born on June 30 th of 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the youngest of three children, son of a teacher and a wellrounded athlete and state trooper. Both of Phelps’ sisters swam, and even at a very early age he would watch them do so, before he was able to swim himself.

Hillary, one of his sisters, had great promise, but she gave up in swimming while she was young. Whitney, the oldest of the siblings, stuck with the sport for a longer period and tried out for the U.S. Olympic team at the age of 15, but because of her herniated disks, her career came to an end.

Michael was introduced to swimming lessons at the age of 7, but was hesitant at the beginning, refusing to put his head under the water. Because of this, the trainers allowed him to float on his back rather than really swim, which made the backstroke the first stroke he mastered.

Phelps encountered focusing problems in school and was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder); however, he spent hours at the pool, fully concentrated.

Phelps decided to take on a swimming career in 1996, at the age of 11, when he saw Tom Malchow and Tom Dolan compete at the Summer Games in Atlanta. At that moment, Phelps decided he wanted to become a champion as well.

He started his career at Loyola High School, but soon moved to North Baltimore Aquatic Club where he met his coach Bob Bowman, who instantly recognized his rare talent. Throughout high school he tried out for various sports, but his training regime in swimming just kept getting harder and harder.

32 • the talon

In 1999, Phelps was accepted into the U.S. National B Team. At the age of 14, he broke the 200-meter butterfly record of the 20-year-old age group. At the age of 15, Phelps earned a spot in the 2000 Olympics of Sydney, Australia, making himself the youngest U.S. swimmer in the Olympics in 68 years. In the spring 2001, Phelps made a huge leap in his career: he broke the 200-meter butterfly record at the age of 15, making himself the youngest male swimmer in history to set a world record. In 2001 in Japan, during the Pan Pacific Championships, Phelps won his first international medal. Before turning 17, Phelps broke another world world records, and on the year he graduated, he broke another five.

In the 2004 Olympics, Phelps had become a superstar. Yet, when he earned a spot in the 4 X 100 medley relay, he gave it to his teammate Ian Cocker (who he had beaten) because it would be his last chance to earn a gold medal. The Americans won, and despite Phelps not having swum, he earned a gold medal anyways. Phelps won in total six gold medals and two bronze ones, tying with Aleksandr Dityatin (Soviet gymnast) for having won the most medals at one Olympic Games. At the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Phelps earned seven gold medals, but was not able to win telegraph.co.uk the eigth because his same teammate, Ian Cocker disqualified the American team for leaving too early.

In total, the Americans won 20 medals, the same as the team in the World Championships in Germany in 1978. In the 2008 Olympics of Beijing, Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, of which seven were World records and one an Olympic record.

Despite all his great achievements, Phelps had problems in the beginning of 2009 when tabloids photographed him smoking marijuana with a water pipe. Although he apologized publicly, he lost a sponsorship deal and the USA Swimming team suspended him for three months without funding.

Although his future in the London Olympics of 2012 is not quite certain because of these recent events, Phelps has certainly left a mark on the Olympics, the world, and in swimming. His promise in swimming, at least up to now, has been fulfilled.