CARLETTE S the THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WEST LAFAYETTE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL JANUARY 29, 2010 VOLUME 67, ISSUE 6 NEWS 1 OPINIONS 3 FEATURES 5 A&E 8 SPORTS 10 STUDENT LIFE 12 As soon as students entered the building Monday two weeks ago, there was absolutely no way to avoid it. Even the kids who hadn’t received their daily dose of caffeine couldn’t help but notice the spells taped to the front of their lockers. It was official: Hogwarts hysteria had hit West Side. For the basketball homecoming spirit week, the spirit committee, led by chairpersons and juniors Marlene Lorenz and Clare Drummond, had decided on a Harry Potter theme. They festooned the school with Hogwarts décor—streamers hanging from the ceiling, spells on the lockers, and posters of famous Potter references such as the “Fat Lady” and the “Marauder’s Map.” The week started off with Malfoy Monday, on which students dressed up as the “evil” characters from the Harry Potter series. Throughout the school, one could find Death-Eaters walking between classes and Lord Voldemort occasionally chatting in the locker-bay. Though the students who dressed up looked great, they were few and far between. Harry Potter fever caught on quickly, however, and on Hogwarts Teacher Tuesday, wizard hats flooded the school. The spirit committee had also divided the school into the Hogwarts houses and had prepared a challenge each day after Monday. Each grade was assigned a house: freshmen were from Hufflepuff, sophomores from Ravenclaw, juniors from Slytherin, and seniors from Gryffindor. On Watson Weasley Wednesday, the school dressed up as the “benevolent” characters in the series. The selection of characters to choose from was much greater than the previous two days, and as such, a much greater variety of wizards and witches were roaming the halls. The day’s challenge was the “Horcrux Hunt”—a scavenger hunt for “horcruxes,” like “Hufflepuff’s cup” and “Tom Riddle’s diary,” hidden around the school. Student participation went above and beyond expectations on House Colors Thursday. It had a huge turnout, and even though the directive was only to wear the colors of one’s house, many donned full Hogwarts student regalia. “Student participation this week has been higher than the other [spirit] weeks,” said Mr. Warner, “They seem more into it.” “Quidditch” was Thursday’s class competition, and participants ran around with broomsticks between their legs, throwing balls through hoops and searching for the “snitch.” Unfortunately, without magic, the role of the snitch was delegated to junior Zach Tudor and senior Julian Jimenez Corredor, who ran around the school in its stead. The seniors won yet again, catching the snitch (Julian) in the final match against the juniors. While the participation in West Side Wizards Friday was slightly lower than it had been for Thursday, most students were still enthusiastic. The hardcore Harry Potter fans and school spirit followers wore their hats, but the rest of the school was content to wait until the pep session to go crazy. The last challenge was the “Tri- Wizard Tournament,” in which competitors attempted to retrieve a Barbie Doll at the bottom of the school’s pool, mirroring a challenge that some of the characters in the fourth book faced: rescuing their friends from the bottom of a lake. The seniors pulled off another victory in their fourth and final win, with senior Victor Gutwein bringing his Barbie back first. “Julian [Jimenez Corredor] did a good job of keeping everyone else back while I got my Barbie,” Victor said. Needless to say, Harry Potter homecoming was magical indeed. Forty Points for Gryffindor: a Very Harry Homecoming BY ZACH BURCHILL [email protected]ON THE WAY TO CHARMS CLASS: Sophomore Lauren Connell poses in her wizardly are. Photo by Shriya Manian ENTHUSIASTIC MUGGLE : Sophomore Beau Westbrook dresses as Ginny Weasley. Photo by Shriya Manian The true story behind West Side’s only yarmulke-wearing senior on page 12. Check Out What’s Inside: Lady Gaga’s triumphant return to Elliott Hall draws quite a crowd. Read more on page 9. Devils hand the Rensselaer Bomb- ers a loss on page 10.
Transcript
CARLETTEStheTHE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WEST LAFAYETTE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
JANUARY 29, 2010VOLUME 67, ISSUE 6
NEWS 1
OPINIONS 3
FEATURES 5
A&E 8
SPORTS 10
STUDENT LIFE 12 As soon as students entered the
building Monday two weeks ago, there was absolutely no way to avoid it. Even the kids who hadn’t received their daily dose of caffeine couldn’t help but notice the spells taped to the front of their lockers. It was offi cial: Hogwarts hysteria had hit West Side.
For the basketball homecoming spirit week, the spirit committee, led by chairpersons and juniors Marlene Lorenz and Clare Drummond, had decided on a Harry Potter theme. They festooned the school with Hogwarts décor—streamers hanging from the ceiling, spells on the lockers, and posters of famous Potter references such as the “Fat Lady” and the “Marauder’s Map.”
The week started off with Malfoy Monday, on which students dressed up as the “evil” characters from the Harry Potter series. Throughout the school, one could fi nd Death-Eaters walking between classes and Lord Voldemort occasionally chatting in the locker-bay. Though the students
who dressed up looked great, they were few and far between.
Harry Potter fever caught on quickly, however, and on Hogwarts Teacher Tuesday, wizard hats fl ooded the school. The spirit committee had also divided the school into the Hogwarts houses and had prepared a challenge each day after Monday. Each grade was assigned a house: freshmen were from Huffl epuff, sophomores from Ravenclaw, juniors from Slytherin, and seniors from Gryffi ndor.
On Watson Weasley Wednesday, the school dressed up as the “benevolent” characters in the series. The selection of characters to choose from was much greater than the previous two days, and as such, a much greater variety of wizards and witches were roaming the halls. The day’s challenge was the “Horcrux Hunt”—a scavenger hunt for “horcruxes,” like “Huffl epuff’s cup” and “Tom Riddle’s diary,” hidden around the school.
Student participation went above and beyond expectations on House Colors Thursday. It had a huge turnout, and even though the directive was only to wear the colors of one’s house, many donned full Hogwarts student regalia. “Student participation this week has been higher than the other [spirit] weeks,” said Mr. Warner, “They seem more into it.”
“Quidditch” was Thursday’s class competition, and participants ran around with broomsticks between their legs, throwing balls through hoops and searching for the “snitch.” Unfortunately, without magic, the role of the snitch was delegated to junior Zach Tudor and senior Julian Jimenez Corredor, who ran around the school in its stead. The seniors won yet again, catching the snitch (Julian) in the fi nal match against the juniors.
While the participation in West Side Wizards Friday was slightly lower than it had been for Thursday,
most students were still enthusiastic. The hardcore Harry Potter fans andschool spirit followers wore theirhats, but the rest of the school wascontent to wait until the pep sessionto go crazy.
The last challenge was the “Tri-Wizard Tournament,” in whichcompetitors attempted to retrievea Barbie Doll at the bottom of theschool’s pool, mirroring a challengethat some of the characters in thefourth book faced: rescuing theirfriends from the bottom of a lake.
The seniors pulled off anothervictory in their fourth and fi nal win, with senior Victor Gutwein bringing his Barbie back fi rst. “Julian [Jimenez Corredor] did a good job of keeping everyone else back while I got my Barbie,” Victor said. Needless tosay, Harry Potter homecoming was magical indeed.
Forty Points for Gryffindor: a Very Harry HomecomingBY ZACH [email protected]
ON THE WAY TO CHARMS CLASS: Sophomore Lauren Connell poses in her wizardly atti re. Photo by Shriya Manian
ENTHUSIASTIC MUGGLE : Sophomore Beau Westbrook dresses as Ginny Weasley. Photo by Shriya Manian
The true story behind West Side’s only yarmulke-wearing senior on
page 12.
Check Out What’s Inside:
Lady Gaga’s triumphant return to Elliott Hall draws quite a crowd. Read more on page 9.
Devils hand the Rensselaer Bomb-ers a loss on page 10.
NEWS JANUARY 29, 2010PAGE 2
Students Sacrifice Their Time and Blood
The Student Council’s Blood Drive on Tuesday, January 19th saw increased participation from previous years, with 47 successful donations out of 54 attempts. However, not everyone could donate blood. Donors had to be 16 years or older, and 16-year-old donors had to have a signed permission slip in order to donate. Donors also had to weigh more than 110 pounds, and students that had travelled to certain countries were ineligible to donate. Statistics show that only 37% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood. There were many changes to the blood drive this year. Due to the state’s decision to eliminate half days, the blood drive had to be held during school this year, which brought up some confl icts with teachers regarding students who missed class. “I think we’ll treat it more as a fi eld trip next year,” said Mrs. Harmon.
Studies have shown that the number of transfusions increases by 9% every year, but that only 5% of eligible donors actually donate blood. The blood drives held by companies, schools, places of worship and civic organizations supply about half of all yearly blood donations.
A lack of a personal request was the most frequently reported reason among young people who had no donation record, and that is what the Student Council was aiming to change. The blood drive “352 Transfusions in 505 Days” in honor of
Mrs. Harmon’s daughter Caroline, who received that many transfusions. The Student Council hopes to get enough blood donations to equal that amount.
The Indiana Blood Center has a competition among high schools to see which school can donate the most blood and donates money to the winning schools. Although it is too late to run the second blood drive required to enter the contest this year, Mrs. Harmon hopes that West Side will be able to enter and win in future years.
For the fi rst time ever, the 2010 ski trip included members from all three foreign language clubs atWest Lafayette High School. Monsieur Olhaut organized the group’s trip to Perfect NorthSlopes in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, while Herr Studt, Madame Burcham, Profe Berry, and Senora Espinoza also came along to supervise. Although it was a tedious six hour bus ride there and back, students and teachers alike claimed it was well worth it. Herr Studt pointed out that since the tripfell on the three day weekend due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day “the slopes weren’t crowded.” And even though the weather wasn’t ideal for skiing, sophomore Carissa Pekny added “the slopes were good, a little bit warm, but fun because it wasn’t slush.” The trip cost $40 per student. Individualpayment would have been $45 for admission and an extra $25 for rental equipment. Due to Lawrenceburg’s proximity to Cincinnati, Ohio the long hours on the slopes were capped off with delicious, though pricey, pizza.
The West Side Boiler Invasion, West LafayetteHigh School’s FIRST Robotics team, hosted adodge-ball tournament for school-age players on January 24. This tournament was hosted in orderto raise money fro the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research. Junior Mark Krutulis, a memberof the Westside Robotics team, who participated and helped plan the event, said, “There was a lot of excitement and everyone enjoyed themselves. A big part of robotics is helping the advancement of science and research, and we felt that by raising money for the Center for Cancer Research, we were doing our part in helping because many of thescientists doing research used to be a member of Robotics.” Fourteen teams took part. “TrenchcoatMafi a,” the team consisting of West Lafayette HighSchool seniors Andrew Peckney, Andy Huber,Taylor Smith, Jordan Walker, Jason Bennet, and Andrew Bowers, won. Overall, this event raised a grand total of $400 dollars. Senior and tournament planner Kira Krutulis, said, “It went really well; we hope to make it an annual event.”
Mission: The Scarlette strives to create a publication that is informative, entertain-ing, accurate, and professional. The mission of the Scarlette is to accurately, truthfully, and professionally report on events and issues that are of interest to the student body, entertain readers, and serve as a valuable archive of the happenings of the school.
The Scarlette Editorial Policy Scarlette provides a limited forum for reader expression. Letters to the editor must be received seven days prior to publication date in the box pro-vided in the offi ce. Letters should be 250 words or less. Longer submissions may be considered as a guest column. All are subject to editing for content and length. Personal attacks and unfair attacks on businesses or unsigned letters will not be published. The editorial represents the views of majority of the staff. Views printed do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of the faculty, staff, or administration of the WLCSC.
Editors-in-ChiefShalu MittalMargaret Duvall
OPINIONSJANUARY 29, 2010 PAGE 3
Seriously SpeakingMihai Avram
teen drivers and that students should fi nd alternate means of transportation—for example, the bus. However, that’s often no better. On Thursday, January 21, we were givena two hour delay on account of snow and ice.More students than usual did, in fact, choose to ride the bus. Unfortunately, one of the articulated buses got stuck at a corner, making some students almost an hour late to class.
Clearly either we should have been given more time off, or the US should develop a functional public transport system (one that,for example, wouldn’t send vehicles which canbarely turn under normal conditions onto ice-coated roads). Then there are the facts that large numbers of students have commitments before or after school, and that there are already barely enough buses to satisfy demand.
Everyone remembers the few occasions on which school was cancelled and the predicted dangerous weather didn’t show up. It’s easy to denounce these apparent overreactions, but the school must act on the best informationavailable at the time and err on the side ofcaution. The safety of students and staff mustbe the highest priority.
the apocalypse. This social function aside, the current policy for school cancellations fails to meet our needs.
The argument for the reluctance to give delays or days off is that we can’t afford to lose time, due to both academic demands and state requirements. This is a valid concern—even students sometimes dread cancellations, as we know it just leads to more work and stress in the scramble to catch up. However, given the predictability of the problem, we can take preventative action to reconcile safety with our academic goals. The school calendar
could be adjusted to create more leeway; for example, the school year could start a few days earlier. The confl ict between the school calendar and meteorological realities arises every year, and the administration can change its policies more easily than Indiana’s climate can.
One might respond that all the danger comes from inexperienced, incautious
Like our test scores, off-campus lunch, parking woes, and eminently quotable teachers, our school corporation’s draconian snow day policy seems an essential part of West Side life. Whether loved or loathed, our unique qualities give us a sense of unity and identity, or at least provide reliable topics of conversation when no one can summon up an original thought.
Every January and February comes the reassuringly predictable ritual of moaning that we can’t get out of school for anything less than
Staff Editorial: In Indiana Weather, School Delays are a Necessity
WEATHER NIGHTMARE: Severe road conditi ons lead to chaos and danger. Graphic by Gayatri Narayanan
OPINIONS JANUARY 29, 2010PAGE 4
2010, just a number? I, for one, think not. While 2010 may, in fact, be a number, in spirit it represents so much more. Our generation, though born in the ‘90s, has its roots in the double zeros; the turning of the millennium is probably one of your fi rst memories.
So look at the last ten years, basically the conglomeration of your conscious years, and ask yourself, have you accomplished all that you thought you might? Have you plumbed the deepest recesses of your inner soul? The chances are slim. But now we stand at the edge of a never-ending vista.
With the advent of a new decade, we can look back and regard our mistakes more clearly. They say hindsight is twenty-twenty, and now, with this most recent decade behind us, the
Sadly, in order for us to fully look back and review this decade, it would have to be fi nished fi rst. That’s right: according to the Gregorian calendar - the one that we use - the fi rst decade of the third millennium is not over. (Note that the year 2001 actually marked the beginning of the third millennium.) The decade ends during the split second between December 31st, 2010 and January 1st, 2011. The fi rst year in our calendar was year one, and the last year of this original decade was year ten. We didn’t start off with a year “zero,” no matter what the ignorant masses think.
Even less heartening, the dawn of this new, falsely “supposed” decade heralds no optimism. Nothing fundamentally “changed” in the world when the ball dropped in Times Square. Honestly, the only difference between December 31st, 2009 and January 1st, 2010 is perhaps a “1” in the tens place on our calendars. Time plods on in
Point/Counterpoint: Optimism in 2010
Twitter: a free social networking site that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. According to Twitter CEO Evan Williams, “[Twitter] tells people what they care about as it is happening in the world.” However, Twitter is not a relevant source of information, nor is it particularly useful in any way whatsoever.
While Twitter offers a convenient method of communication between people and allows them to keep in touch with their busy
friends, it can become too intimate of a venue.
Many people post status updates about their inane everyday activities, which can become an annoyance.
Is it really necessary to tell the whole world that one “had some totally awesome coffee at breakfast but now needs to pee really badly” or that one “enjoys dancing around one’s room in their underwear to terrible ‘80s music?” Even celebrities have joined the bandwagon, also posting mundane updates about their lives.
A study done by a San Antonio research group, Pear Analytics, analyzed 2,000 tweets over a two week period and separated them into several different categories. According to the study, 40.55 % of the tweets analyzed
were categorized as “pointless babble” and only 3.60 % of the tweets were categorized as “news”.
Twitter is not being used to promote new and relevant information; it is being used to promote Americas’ self-absorbed culture. Twitter has given a false sense of assurance to people who believe that everything they say has some sort of importance in the world, when in reality, not many people care about what they have to say.
In short, Twitter is not relevant, useful, or needed. It’s time to take a step back and realize that some things are best left unsaid, or realize that the world does not revolve around every single one of us. It’s time to get rid of Twitter.
errors we made become obvious. Humanity is given another chance to get things right.
Yes, you say, a new year, but isn’t it really just another day? Nothing really changed at 12:00:01 1/1/2010. And maybe nothing did change, maybe it’s all the same. The wonderful thing is, humanity was given the opportunity to change; that in our construction of labels and references, we have afforded ourselves the potential to be inspired.
The last ten years have been hard, there’s no denying, and who knows how history will look upon the decade of our youth. The only thing any one of us can know is our own mind, and whether or not we allow the optimism inherent to new beginnings to pervade our individual souls and manifest itself in a better today and a brighter tomorrow.
exactly the same way it always has; the superfi cial labels we stamp on it have no real meaning.
This notion that January 1st represents the start of a “new year” is another weak point in any optimistic calendrian argument. This date has no real connectionto any natural or astrological phenomenon. In fact, many believe that the day was fi rst institutedas “New Year’s Day” because of a glitch in the early Roman electoral system. In 153 BC, the two annual consuls entered into offi ce on January 1st instead of the usual March 15th date. For some reason, this change was made permanent. Adding to the senselessness is the true modernity of this dogmatism. England and its colonies made January 1st the start of the new year in 1752; that’s less than 260 years ago!
In summary: the only optimism involved with this recent New Year’s Eve should have been the chance to get rid of that old Norman Rockwell calendar.
Math and science deparments are not the only ones in need of assistants. Thomas Porter uses his creativity to help Mrs. Yoder in the art classes. Another Scar-lette member Mollie Westbrook assists Mr. Conaway with band.Teacher assistants can help with homework and questions be-cause they usually have already taken the class. TAs get to meet new people and be a role model for younger students. It is an ex-cellent opportunity to get a relax-ing break in a packed schedule.
TAs do not receive high school credit, but “being a TA does pro-vide a great experience,” says se-nior Henry Zhao, who is a TA for English teacher Mr. Junco. The teachers enjoy the help from past students. “They know their way around the class and it is helpful to have them,” says Von Werder. Being a TA is interesting and brings variety to your schedule; also a great opportunity for a teacher to get to know you for a better letter of recommenda-tion. So if you ever get bored of study hall, sign up to be a teacher assistant and give back to your school.
You’ve all seen us, sitting in the back of the classroom or cleaning up the chemistry lab. No, we are not slackers nor troublemakers. We are the teacher assistants, also known as TAs. Everyday students, usually seniors, who either want to fi ll up their schedule or get bored in ordinary study hall, decide to help out in their favorite class or with their favorite teacher.
I, Zarina Madan, got involved and am a TA for the calculus teacher Mrs. Gates, making keys for worksheets and typing up AP problems. Depending on the teacher and the class, one might have a lot of time for homework or no time at all. Senior Anita Wong is an assistant for Mr. Von Werder during his second hour AP chemistry class. Spending most of her time in the lab area, she sets up demonstrations and helps the class during labs. One of our own Scarlette members, Yi Yang, also is a TA for Von Werder for AP chemistry during fourth hour. “She would help us out with Logger Pro when we didn’t know how to do it, and when we didn’t know answers, we would ask her
get too cliché here. The best thing to do, and the best bang for your buck, is to write her a poem, sing her a song or somehow express your freakin’ undying love for her.Like the Ancient Greek goddess of victory said, “Just Do It.”
Maybe you don’t have a her.Then this is the big day to take the plunge into the icy, dangerous, hypothermia-inducing waters of a relationship. Now that metaphor may make relationships sound not so fun after all, but the bright side is that after a few minutes of hypothermia, your body gets numb, and you get this warm, fuzzy feeling inside… right before you die.
If you fi nd yourself still desiring to enter a relationship, don’t screw things up, especially on Valentine’s Day. Sincerity is what a girl wants, and it doesn’t come in the form of a cheap, Scooby-Doo themed card with a fun-sized bag of SweetTart hearts taped to the outside. Maybe a family-sized bag, but play it safe with a hand-made or computer-designed card with a simple poem (fl owers and chocolates are again, optional. You don’t want to waste too much money on a girl that will probably reject you anyway). Don’t let all this information confuse you- let me just leave you with one often-repeated, word of advice: Be yourself. Unless, of course, yourself includes strong Doritos-scented breath and nine days worth of B.O. Then, maybe a better word of advice would come from Mr. Thomas, the Guiding Counselour, “Personal hygiene is very important!”
Although analogies have been eliminated from the SAT, they are still very applicable in explaining social situations to inadequate, ignorant men. So, let’s try one that isn’t too hard: Super Bowl Sunday is to men as Valentine’s Day is to _____. If you don’t know the answer, it is more than likely that it is missing not only in the blank, but in your life as well. By understanding this important relationship, you, yes, even you, Andrew Liao, can fi nd the answer that has been evading you for all these years.
Now, the analogy above was only supposed to underline the importance that Valentine’s Day has to the ladies out there. It does not mean that, because you don’t want to spend time with her on Super Bowl Sunday, and you would rather “hang with the guys,” the same thing applies on Valentine’s Day. On this day, shewants to be with you, and that “you” does not include eleven other guys in the smelly basement of Sam’s house with an HD TV. The wise thing to do is to say goodbye to your buddies and focus on her for one day.
Think typical romantic date here. Dinner is a must, but going to Fazoli’s to take advantage of the free breadsticks does not count as “fi ne Italian dining.” Yes, you will have to drop a few Jacksons, but it’s not as if you’re spending this much every day (and he wasn’t that good of a president anyway). Throw in the obligatory fl owers, maybe some chocolates or candies, but don’t
GIFTS: You can go with the standard fl owers and chocolates, but something from the heart is always a plus. Graphic by Lindsay Grimley
FEATURES JANUARY 29, 2010PAGE 6 FEATURESJANUARY 29, 2010 PAGE 7
TSC - Harrison
LSC - Jeff
WLSC - West Side
The quarter-end frenzy seems to affect even the most organized of teachers. The upside: the next week, they’re too exhausted from all that grading to assign more homework.
Mid-November, homework levels stabilize, allowing Thanksgiving to be all about the turkey, and not about trigonometry.
What!? We haven’t covered everything we were supposed to? Oh, fi ve tests the week before fi nals? And three the week of? No big deal.
100% likelihood
Ahhh, the fi rst weeks of school. Too bad we’re too busy mourning the loss of summer to enjoy this homeworkless time.
Oops. The free-wheelin’ times of summer are hard to get over, and your grades most likely refl ect that.
You’re getting there! You’re starting to get the hang of what your teachers expect... and how much you can get away with.
By this time, you’re a pro. And what else are you going to do in the -10 degree weather?
Yeah... that’s what happens when you’re counting down the days ‘til the end of school and spending your free time outdoors in the blossoming April weather. By the time fi nals roll around, you’re already on vacation.
In a state where years of mathematics are required for a high school diploma, West Side students often fi nd themselves fed up with all the graphing and calculating. Countless “distance vs. time” graphs fi ll our folders and our heads as we question whether or not
this information will ever be of use. Not to insult the authors of our fi ne math textbooks, but what’s missing is relatibility. I present to you an example of how math can be fun... or, at least, slightly amusing. It must be noted, however, that all data presented here is non-scien-tifi c and is meant for entertainment purposes only.
Life at West Side: A Graphical Representation
1st Hour
Snow Days
Homework AssignedThroughout the Semester Time Spent on
Homework
Average Grades by 9 Weeks
Student Morale
High SchoolThings That Suck
state-mandates a two-hour delay
A&E JANUARY 29, 2010PAGE 8
West Lafayette Winter Lovin’
It’s that time of the year again, with good old Indiana weather at its best. It’s too cold to do many outdoor activities and movie night is getting really old. What’s someone with limited funds living in the 5.5 square mile town of West Lafayette to do? Well, having experienced many a night frying my brain trying to think of things to do when a simple board game night just wouldn’t suffi ce, I came up with a couple of suggestions. Keep in mind, some activities for your entertainment cost money, as there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you’re that outdoorsy person
who feels uneasy trapped indoors and insists on spending time outside in the 10 degree weather, then you might enjoy going ice skating. The Riverside Skating Center is located next to Tapawingo Park on the Levee. Though there is a fee, just $10 will probably cover for your skating experience and some hot chocolate too. If you’re feeling stingy but still want to feel the exuberance of frost bite, you can always head down to the nearest hill and go sledding—given that there’s snow, of course. Sledding hot spots are at Happy Hollow (the school or the park) and Slater Hill. Even if you don’t have a sled, a trash can lid will do, too. Maybe you’re the kind of person who enjoys it more in the warm. Did
you know that there are a couple of local museums to browse in? Me neither, but they exist. If you’re feeling artsy, you should stop by the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette downtown. There’s also a museum closer to home, the Dauch Alumni Center, where one can learn all about the history and fi ner details of our very own Purdue University. Have the museums and art galleries given you inspiration to create some of your own art? Well there are places for that too. In fact, you can even express yourself in the comfort of your own home. Do you have a favorite song that is just begging for an amateur music video? Maybe said favorite song already has a video, but you think it could be better. Well, I have an activity just for you critics. You can make
your own music video! Afterwards, upload it to Youtube so we can rate it fi ve stars and/or laugh at your expense. Another thing you can do to get those creative juices running is to buy beads from Vons, located on the Purdue campus, and make some jewelry. If you’d prefer a more upscale experience, maybe painting some pottery would interest you. There’s All Fired Up located on the Landing for your convenience. I do hope some of the activities on this list caught your interest, or at least inspired some ideas of your own. In any case, I wish you the best of luck on your quest for fun in the bitter West Lafayette winter.
For many people who enjoy the 3-D thrill, the rush that often follows images leaping off of theater screens and into the real world, it may come as a welcome surprise that the very technology that brought “Avatar” and other movies like it to life will soon be available on a much smaller scale. Samsung announced at their recent CES press conference that they will be mass-producing 3D TV panels, catering to both LED and LCD TVs. These high defi nition panels will come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 40” to 46” and 55” while supporting True 240Hz technology and 3D Active Glasses. According to recent reports, it works by broadcasting two images, one for the right eye and one for the left eye, which alternate quickly on the TV. Shutters on the
3-D glasses then swap the viewer’s vision from right eye to left eye at the same rate: 120 hertz, or 240 hertz for the images together. The TV connects with the glasses through a sensor that’s placed between the lenses on the glasses, making the images appear three-dimensional. Yet, skeptics are concerned that a few glaring fl aws will stand in the way of truly enjoying the 3-D spectacle. For one, aside from the headaches and nausea, the logistics of how many 3-D glasses to buy and how to keep track of them are left unresolved. Although there are those taking the initiative to create “auto-stereoscopic” 3-D TV that requires no glasses, no one has created a feasible alternative, and nearly none of the attempts are available commercially. Another potentially detrimental factor is the huge investment that such a transition requires from
the television industry. More 3-D content has to be created, which means new and expensive cameras and an entirely new cable infrastructure in order to deliver full HD 3-D content. Even if this sits well with the networks, there are concerns that 3-D broadcasts,
which require twice the data, will take up an unworkable amount of television bandwidth. Yet, for better or for worse, 3-D TV is set to be the next phenomenon in the television industry, and is scheduled to hit the shelves later this year.
FUTURISTIC COUCH POTATOES: Technological advancements promise to make TV shows pop out. Graphic by Mi Yun.
SPORTS JANUARY 29, 2010PAGE 10West Side Gets Off the Schneid
Red Devils Pull Away From Rensselaer, End 3 Game Losing Streak
Three-game losing streaks usu-ally don’t last a month. After falling to Attica on De-cember 19, the last game of 2009, the Red Devil boys’ basketball team had to wait three weeks for a chance to taste victory again. Two more losses that weekend extend-ed the drought to four weeks. By the time West Side’s Homecom-ing game against Rensselaer on Friday, January 15 came around, the Red Devils were starved for a win. “The fi rst couple losses were tough,” explained senior fl oor gen-eral Daniel Wodicka. For Wod-icka and the other members of the team who conquered the Indiana football world, losing is somewhat of a foreign concept. However, the game is different on the hardwood than on the gridiron, and, as Wod-
icka observed, “It’s very tough to win all 21 regular-season basket-ball games.” After three quarters of a David Wood-style defensive struggle, the Scarlet and Gray pulled away in the fourth on the way to a 51-36 win over the Bombers in Bill Ber-berian Gymnasium. Junior George
Zhang scored a game-high 17 points on 5 of 12 shooting, including four from beyond the arc. Senior Jordan Leturgez added 15 points, and se-nior big man Zach Wa-ters added seven and a team-high fi ve boards. West Side looked to be at a disadvantage after giving up three quick 3-point plays to Ben Davisson, the Bombers’ Mack Truck of a center. Down 16-
12 after the fi rst, the Red Devils rebounded and went up 1 at the half. After falling behind 30-29 late in the third, the boys took off on a 14-0 run over the next six minutes, book-ended by 3s from Zhang. The run put the game out of reach for the visitors, and RDP was triumphant once more.
“It feels good to fi nally get a winand get back above .500,” saidZhang. “We’re confi dent we canbuild on this win and take larger steps.” “We haven’t had many winless stretches like this,” added Coach David Wood. “It’s always good to win, but it felt really good to feel like we played with so much en-ergy.” In addition to West Side’shomecoming win, the Red Devils took down Seeger 56-42 at home the next night. Last weekend, the boys went barnstorming, going 1-1 on road trips to Twin Lakes and North Montgomery. The Dev-ils are on the road again tonight as they challenge Delphi and are back at home tomorrow to takeon Frankfort in a rematch of last season’s thrilling Sectional 20 championship game.
DEFENSE, DEVILS, DEFENSE! Daniel Wodicka att empts to block a pass made by Rensselaer. Photo by Connie Yang
Two Saturdays ago the Colts advanced to AFC championships after halting the Ravens 20-3. Fans were relieved and naysayers surprised—this being the fi rst playoff the Colts won since their Super Bowl XLI victory. Launching off this momentum, the Colts this past Sunday crushed the New York Jets 30-17 at fateful Lucas Oil stadium. With the full company in gear, the Colts sought revenge against the Jets who in December ended
their 14-0 record. “History has shown, the Colts don’t do very well off-season when they sit out their starters late season,” one Colts fan had lamented. However, the team recovered by attending every practice the week before Divisionals. The Colts beat the Ravens through the air and with superb defense. Against the Jets, this formula overcame a gloomy second quarter. With two minutes remaining in the game, things were favorably decisive. Upon the interception by Kelvin Hayden, there was collective head bob by
the team. The second half comeback evidences that the Colts can reverse not just one game, but
the post-season. The team has pushed past controversy and criticism to earn access to Super Bowl turf they played on three years ago. As Miami awaits, the Colts must stay sharp. States Colts enthusiast Mr. Mullis, “They must be about to run the ball. If they can do that, I’ll feel a lot better.” Reggie Wayne dodged Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis, once called the NFL’s most aggressive cornerback. Against the Saints on February 7, he must keep at it.
FANS REJOICE: The Colts are on the rise again.
SPORTSJANUARY 29, 2010 PAGE 11
Anita Wong Swims Like A Rock Star
Anita Wong has been swimming for seven years and is now one of the three captains of the girls’ swim team. Though she was surprised to be this issue’s featured athlete, she has many aspects which deserve praise.
Anita swims a formidable number of events regularly during competitions: fl y in the 200 meter relay, the 100 fl y, the 200 individual medley (IM), the 200 free relay, and sometimes the 100 back. It’s no wonder that she’s a team captain. Anita works hard and is very skilled and motivated. Although practice is mostly work, she says “I talk to [fellow swimmers] and it’s always a laugh.”
She is also dedicated and motivated. Swim coach Mr. Wachs noted that she has the best attendance at practices. Coach Wachs also said
that Anita gets better every time and that she participates in every event except diving, though he believes she could.
Imagine your typical jock. He’s probably a buff guy who walks with a swagger, hangs his arms over some girl’s locker between classes, and drives off with his buddies during lunch, worrying more about fi nding a parking space when he gets back than passing the test next hour. Of course, whatever shortcoming he has in the classroom are easily overshadowed by his feats on the fi eld.
Junior wrestler Kyle Patton is different. At fi rst glance, he seems just like an athlete should be. During lunch break, Kyle leans his back against the lockers and props his feet enjoying the company of his friends. But, unlike others, eh has homework assignments spread out
on his lap. Kyle knows time is tight when trying to juggling two sports and a tough course load; he says he could maximize his time by doing homework during lunch.
Eric Palmieri, one of his lunch buddies, quickly identifi ed Kyle’s intelligence as his stand-out feature. Unsurprisingly, Kyle rattled off pressure-cooker classes such as Physics Honors and Biology AP when asked about his academic schedule.
Kyle has been a wrestler since third grade. He started competing in seventh grade with the school team. Daily practices take a lot of effort. Motivation soon becomes an integral part of training. “But it’s fun,” Kyle explained.
Rick Roseman, ninth-year West Lafayette Wrestling Coach, is impressed by Kyle’s performance.
“As for work ethics,” Roseman said “no one works harder than him on the team. Wrestlers can be mean, but Kyle is the nicest guy on the team.” The respect is mutual. Kyle spoke fondly of Coach Roseman, saying “our coach invests in each one of us.”
A star athlete cannot rise without fi rst experiencing setback. Kyle said he had struggled with “take down,” a wrestling technique, for a while, but with work, “eventually it just started to click.” In addition, he cited his
IN HER ELEMENT: Anita Wong slices through the water. Photo by Hana Park
“Wrestlers can be mean, but Kyle is the nicest guy
on the team.”parents as his biggest support.
On or off the mat, Kyle proves to be a diligent young man with strongambitions. “He’s always mentally focused, and knows what are goalsare,” said Palmieri. “He’s a great leader; kids defi nitely look up to him,” Roseman added.
The West Side Wrestling team competes for sectional title this Saturday.
Coach Wachs says, “She is helpful. She individually works with new swimmers on their technique.” Junior Johanna Rittmeier agrees, “She’s one of the best [swimmers] and she’s
really supportive and nice.” Johanna later adds that as a team captain,Anita knows what she wants and is able to organize the team, but doesn’tdo it in an overbearing way.
The swim team is preparing for meets like the intense Hoosier Conference that took place on the23rd. There was an air of excitement as the audience cheered and as teammates jumped and ran along thepool deck, wildly brandishing their arms and hands to urge the swimmers to “pick it up!” In the end, both boys and girls teams won fi rst place. Anita placed second out of fi fteen in the 100 fl y, eighth out of seventeen in the 100 back.
Unfortunately, she does not plan to continue swimming next year in college. Regardless, Anita Wong will be known for her dedication, motivation, and leadership: qualities of a rock star swimmer.
STUDENT LIFE JANUARY 29, 2010PAGE 12
Seriously Speaking: What would you call this last decade and why?
Featured Senior: Akiva Sanders, King of Sarcasm
You might know Akiva as the quirky kid in front of the classroom, always making funny remarks heavy on the sarcasm. His sharp sense of humor and his levity makes him fun to be around.
As his friend senior Andrew Burchill says, “Aki-va is on of those interesting people who always goes against conventional thinking, even if it’s just to make the conversation more interesting. We spend our time together playing cards and doing debate things. Knowing the kind of person Akiva is, he probably looks up to some obscure, 16th cen-tury Wallonian Nationalist.” Going against conventional thinking is truly
Akiva’s thing. For example, when asked his daily routine, Akiva came up with this:
12:00 a.m.: wake up12:30 a.m.: watch 300 to get pumped3:30 a.m.: put on an Obama suit3:35 a.m.: give press conference4:00 a.m.: hit on Hilary Clinton4:05 a.m.: cry for the Democrats’ future4:10 a.m.: fl y to Tehran6:00 a.m.: “Israel / America is Satan” conference7:00 a.m.: check out secret underground mobile in-visible fl ying nuclear facility8:00 a.m.: go to school3:30 p.m.: record new talk show on FOX6:00 p.m.: cry for Republicans’ future6:05 p.m.: kill demons with bare hands9:00 p.m.: watch 300 to wind down
His absurdity is part of his charm. He aspires to fi nd the ark of the covenant and the kingdomof crystal skulls when he is older. His favorite fi lm, The Princess Bride, is a satire, as are the majorityof his favorite books. Literature is one of Akiva’s strong points; as friend Henry Zhao puts it, “Akiva is pretty awesome at reading. His comments help me write my papers. Basically, there’s Spark Notes, and then there’s Akiva. Also, on a completely un-related note, he taught me that ‘yamica’ is actually spelled ‘yarmulke,’ so yeah.”
If you don’t know Akiva Sanders, be sure to get to know him before this year is up. His wit and sar-casm could brighten anyone’s day.
ROADKILL: Akiva poses as the classic damsel in distress. Photo by Andrew Burchill.
RUMINATION: Akiva ponders the questi ons of life over a bowl of cereal. Photo by Andrew Burchill.
FUN GUY: Akiva embraces his wild side. Photo by Andrew Burchill.
“The Paul Yoon decade.”
- Paul Yoon, freshman
“Decade of Arsenal, because it’s the best soccer club on earth.”
- Walker Fiederlein, sopho-more
“Kobe, because he thought us all how to ball till’ we fall.”
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