February 15, 2013 - Niskayuna Central Schools

The Warrior
a student-run publication since 1974, now weekly
Niskayuna High School
February 15, 2013
Volume 39, Issue 17
Seniors relax with slop week
Joe Nuqui
But at the end of first semester,
all of that is over!
Now, most of us are just waiting. And with a mere twenty weeks
left in our high school careers,
there is no better way to kick
off the final stretch than with a
Slop Week; a standing Niskayuna
tradition that has existed as long
as we can remember. We have
worked hard for the past three
and a half years, now all we want
is a nice, relaxing transition from
high school into college.
As pressure to achieve good
grades and make the best impression to colleges is lifted, there is
some level of slacking. Some will
openly admit it and others will
show it in their school
work. But even if you
say, “I will still be working
hard!” it is just a matter
of time until senioritis
kicks in. But enough
about that, this is just
the beginning.
The kickoff to senior
slop week started with
Slipper Day, Mon., Jan.
28. Words can’t describe
how it felt to be in slippers
all day. Yes, it was a little
“slippery” here and there,
but it was a lot of fun
seeing the creative slippers students wore, from
Pooh Bear to sharks and
everything in between.
Warrior Photo / Katherine Quinn
Tues., Jan. 29, was
SENIORS KICK BACK AND RELAX: Seniors
Reshmi Kurup and Christina Battiste take a
blanket/snuggie day.
moment to pose in their snuggly pajamas.
This day was extremely
by
News
The start of the second semester marks the halfway point of
the school year for all students,
teachers, faculty, and staff. Maybe your gym or lunch switched
around or you added a semester
long class, but typically, students
encounter no drastic changes to
their schedule.
However, the start of the second semester means so much
more to the senior class. We have
completed everything from SATs,
ACTs, subject tests, college visits,
interviews, and applications. Unless you have experienced it, you
have no idea how stressful it is.
Warrior Photo / Katherine Quinn
LOUNGING IN THE LIBRARY: Seniors Sunny Guo and Jaci Camuglia enjoy
the second semester freedoms by participating in the long tradition of Senior
Slop week. They cozy up in the library as they celebrate Blanket day.
difficult because when you have
a class you want to fall asleep
in, having a blanket does not
help your struggle to stay awake.
But it was nice because blankets
make for a cozier experience in
those certain classrooms where
you swear it’s colder in than the
outdoors.
Wednesday, January 30, was
robe, boxers, and sweatpants day.
This one is a classic. Just to see
your fellow classmates in nothing
but a robe, boxers, and slippers
with high socks was hilarious. I’m
sure this one wasn’t as warm but
nonetheless enjoyable.
Thurs., Jan. 31, was pajama
day, a fairly self explanatory idea.
But props to the kids who wore
“onesies,” or “footie” pajamas.
Finally, Fri., Feb. 1, was the traditional sleep over in Crossroads.
If you walked by Crossroads at all
that morning, you would see a
mass of the senior class gathered
on the floor with their pillows,
blankets, sleeping bags, pajamas,
and even coffee and doughnuts.
So when you saw students in
pajamas all week with blankets,
pillows, and slippers, you now
know why. It is just a fun week
for the seniors to have and maybe
for you underclassmen to look
forward to.
All we can hope is that the
senior class had a fun week and
a nice introduction to the second
semester of our senior year. Best
of luck in your college search and
let’s live out this year!
Inside this issue...
How to cure the
world of hipsters,
page 5
Passion Pit: a
night to
remember
page 6
Boys’ swimming
preps for
Sectionals,
page 7
2
News
The Warrior
February 15, 2013
The New Hampshire Institute of Art High School Drawing Exhibition
will be on display from 2/22/13 to 3/16/13 at the NHIA in Manchester N.H.
This juried exhibition is open to all high school students in the Northeast. A reception and awards ceremony will be held
3/16/13 at the NHIA. Students with work in the show are eligible for tuition scholarships to the BFA degree program and
Pre-College Summer Program. Students are also invited to tour the college and have their portfolios reviewed.
Congratulations to NHS Art Students:
Alicia Bernson, Sanjukta Dutta, Seth Farkas, Shain Goldman, Chenchun Guo, Veronica Liu, and Nick Paquin
Relay supports cancer research
by
Michael Corcaran
News
For those of you who don’t
know, the Relay For Life of Niskayuna is already well underway.
This year the event will take place
on June 14 at 7 p.m. until June 15
at 7 a.m. out on the high school
track. This date is one week later
than last year and does not conflict with the Senior Gala.
The Relay For Life is an American Cancer Society-sponsored
event that is based on the idea
that cancer never sleeps and is
always on the attack. To counter
that, people need to take precautions and help fight back. For
one night, Relay participants do
not sleep for twelve hours, representing the pushing through
to overcome life obstacles such
as cancer. Through events held
all around the world. Relay for
Life has raised over $4 billion for
cancer research and treatment.
Last year, Niskayuna’s Relay
raised over $37,000. This is a
great total for a first year event
but it is estimated that this year’s
event will do much better. The goal
for this year is $60,000. Last year
328 participants signed up online,
and organizers would like to see
that number hit at least 500 this
year. The goals set are high, but
if the high school and the community can come together, they
are achievable.
Last year, the committee was
unsure of many things. We did
not know how many of the people
that signed up would actually
come. We didn’t know if people
besides the ones that signed up
would come. We did not know how
many Luminaria bags (paper bags
illuminated by candles to honor
and remember cancer patients),
we were going to have for the ceremony. We did not know if people
were going to like the event, and
we did not know if people would
even want us to do it again. However, the number of participants
that signed up online exceeded
our expectations, yielding more
than enough Luminaria bags to
line the track, and I believe everyone had a great time. The event,
in short, was a success.
It was harder last year to get
everything started because we
needed to form a committee,
and get the town’s and school’s
approval first. Planning did not
actually begin until around late
January/early February, which
is considered a near-panic starting point for most events. Now,
thanks to already having a successful event behind us, we were
able to get started right around
the same time that school began.
The committee wants to make
this event bigger and better than
last year’s. This year we are going to have an Olympic theme,
encouraging each team that signs
up to make a flag to represent
their “nation.” On the evening of
June 14, after our first ceremonial
lap around the track to honor
cancer survivors, we will have
another ceremonial lap for all our
teams to show off their spirit and
creative designs they came up
with. In addition to this, we will
have organized events throughout
the night that will contribute to
points, and the team with the most
points come the morning hours
will win a well-deserved prize.
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to sign up online
by logging on to the Relay for
Life website and searching for
the Niskayuna chapter. We also
held a Team Captain Meeting on
Feb. 11 for all captains that have
already signed up or others that
were looking to become captains.
Be sure to look and listen for more
updates on the event.
S Word of the Week
AT
antediluvian: out-dated; antiquated; old
Find it every week and save your copies for
a chance to win a
t-shirt at the end of the year!
The Warrior
Blood
Kira Nathan
Moran
by
and
Mary Kate
News
On Tues., Jan. 29, NICS joined
forces with the American Red
Cross to host their annual blood
drive at the high school. The blood
drive was held in Blatnick Gym
from 8:00 am to 1:45 p.m. and
was a huge success. Thanks to the
support and participation of the
student body, faculty and staff,
the Red Cross was able to collect
numerous donations that will be
used to help save lives throughout
the Capital Region.
The American Red Cross is
a great organization with permanent locations as well as a
traveling team that goes to high
schools and businesses to run
blood drives. The American Red
Cross works with more than
50,000 blood drive sponsors each
year to hold more than 200,000
blood drives.
Each day, numerous blood
drives are run in the efforts to supply enough blood to hospitals for
emergency rooms and surgeries.
In fact, every two seconds someone in the United States needs
blood. Red Cross collections total
more than 44,000 blood donations per day, and approximately
5 million per year. Since blood
February 15, 2013
drive
cannot be made, new donors are
needed for donations every year.
Without the Red Cross and the
contributions of citizens all over
the country, many people would
not receive blood necessary to
save their lives, and that is why
it is crucial for eligible donors to
participate.
While it may be a scary or difficult decision to donate blood, it is
very important. Your one donation
of a pint of blood can help save
up to three lives, whether it be a
newborn baby, a cancer patient,
or someone going through surgery. If you have donated before,
you can donate every 56 days for
red blood cells or every 112 days
for a double red cell donation.
The entire process takes about
an hour and fifteen minutes,
though the donation itself only
takes ten to fifteen minutes. Before donating, you go through a
miniature physical to check your
heart rate, iron level, as well as a
history of places you’ve traveled
to ensure you and your blood are
in the best shape to be donating.
After donating, you sit for ten minutes for some snacks and juice
before you go on with your day.
Most people barely feel any effect
from donating blood, though it is
advised to not do any vigorous
saves
News
3
lives
Warrior Photo / Katherine Quinn
CLOSE YOUR EYES, BREATHE, AND MAKE A FIST: Senior Helen Dwyer
recovers after getting her blood drwan. Giving blood is an easy, yet rewarding way to help others. The blood drive coincided with Senior Slop Week,
hence the blanket.
exercise for the rest of the day.
Also, it is recommended that you
drink a lot of water, eat iron-rich
foods, and get plenty of sleep the
day before you donate. While the
process may seem intimidating,
the workers and volunteers are
very comforting and help you
through the process, so don’t be
afraid to donate!
If you missed the first blood
drive of the year, the American
Red Cross will be returning to
high school later this year. If you
want to donate, stay tuned for the
date of the next one. For those of
you who have not donated before,
you are welcome to come to the
NICS homeroom for the height
and weight requirements. Both
NICS and Red Cross would like
to thank all of those who participated in the blood drive and
we hope to see both old and new
donors return for the next one in
the spring!
Congratulations to Niskayuna’s 2013 National Merit
Scholar Finalists:
James Chalermkraivuth
Swati Mehrotra
Elizabeth Parizh
Bridget Schreiner
Alison Xu
You have made your high school proud!
4
Opinion
The Warrior
February 25, 2013
Why bother leaving the house?
by
Joseph Parisi
Opinion
As we progress further into
the twenty-first century, information is becoming increasingly
more accessible--a trend that
will define our generation. This
revolution in learning and entertainment is largely due to the
innovations in computer technology and high speed Internet.
The Internet is often glorified
as a resourceful medium that
provides an infinite amount of
information in a short amount
of time. For this reason, it is
Political Cartoon
by Veronica Liu
often said to advance people’s
understanding of the world; but
providing information about the
world is not nearly the same as
experiencing it.
For many people, especially
teenagers, the Internet can be a
tremendous distraction. The constant availability of information
comes at the cost of a continuous
source for entertainment and
enjoyment. It is easy for teens
to waste countless hours plodding through YouTube videos
or accessing entire databases
of memes and gifs. The Internet
has in large
part become a
gigantic time
waster as much
it has become a
enormous time
saver.
Real life values and lessons
are learned
through worldly experiences,
not through
simple infor mation and
facts. Many
times, I have
encountered
someone who
knows a small
amount about
a topic because
they read a fact
or two about
it online, yet
know very little
about the inner workings
of the subject.
The Internet is
excellent at providing a quick,
shallow take on a topic but not a
deep understanding of the matter. Experiences involving love,
learning, hardship, and true
enjoyment are found in reality
and cannot be simply acquired
through Internet sources.
Also, it is important to remember the two-dimensionality of the
Internet. We praise and commend
computer companies for producing higher resolution displays
and making the social media and
the web more realistic, while we
should be praising reality itself!
In the near future, Google will
even be releasing augmented
reality glasses. This means that
what we are progressing towards
in technology is a changed or
improved reality.
But, the best sources of entertainment, enjoyment, information, and life experience are
right outside our doors. They are
in the air we breathe, the earth
we stand on, the stars we gaze
up at, the people we meet, the
things we do, and the time we
spend together. So why waste
time on the Internet when all of
our desires are achievable in th
real world?
The world is an open playground and it calls for all people
to participate and share in. It is
time for us to close our laptops,
shut off our smart phones, and
be okay with not knowing every
little thing. It is time to look up
at the stars for more than just a
second or two and think deeply
about how we spend our time on
this planet, since that is what
really counts and matters in life.
The Warrior
Niskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY, 12309
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warrior
Editor-in-Chief:
Eunu Song
Olivia Jaquith
Opinion:
Alison Xu, Editor
Joe Parisi, Editor
Miles Tepper, Editor
Sports:
Christopher Herman, Editor
Aniket Tolpadi, Editor
Michael Sise, Editor
Sara Bobok, Asst
Suman Padhi, Asst
News:
Entertainment:
Magazine:
Olivia Cox, Editor
Sophie Kemp, Editor
Alisha Desai, Editor
Anna Lochte, Editor
Swati Mehrotra, Editor
Katherine Quinn, Editor Cynthia Zhao, Asst
Sanjukta Dutta, Editor
Alex Whisenhunt, Asst
Stephanie Acquario, Asst
Advisers: James Edgar
Russell McDowell Sarah Beitch, Asst
Additional Staff:
Junia George, Copy Editor
Emerson Wells, Copy Editor
Elizabeth Patt, Copy Editor
Lex Alston, Graphics Editor
Olivia Hess, Distribution Manager
Fast Opinions!
“Too
the
much time on
Internet...”
“I think it is less about the
time you spend on the Internet and more about what
you are doing on it. The real
impacts of it are on attention
span, ability to analyze, and
the ability to concentrate for
longer periods of time.”
- David Bloom, history
teacher
“The world is turning into
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit
451; people are increasingly
absorbed and captivated by
media.”
- Ben Burke, junior
“When I walk into homeroom almost everybody has
their cellphones out scrolling
through webpages. Why?
What could you possibly be
looking at in 15 minutes?”
- Jason DeRocco, math
teacher
“It doesn’t matter how much
time you spend on the internet rather what matters is
what you use it for.”
- Darius Irani, sophomore
EDITORIAL POLICIES
Letters to the editor are welcome from all members of the school
community, and can be delivered toWarrior staff or sent via
email to: thewarrioropinion@gmail.com. The Warrior reserves
the right to edit letters for grammar, length, and content.
Signed opinion articles express the opinions of their creators.
Unsigned editorials represent the consensus of the paper’s editorial board, consisting of the Opinion section and the Editor-inChief.
The op-ed pages are a forum for students’ opinions and ideas.
For a one-year subscription to The Warrior, please send a check for $25.00 to: The Warrior, c/o Niskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309.
The Warrior
Surviving
Miles Tepper
Opinion
This country typically mirrors
a young child, in that it goes
through phases of interest and
disinterest. We’ve seen the flapper era of 20’s, the hippie era of
the 60’s, the disco era of the 70’s,
the grunge of the 90’s. All of those
eras had their own culture, their
own style, and their own annoying
quirks. And as good as some of
those eras were, they had to end
before they began their descent.
And now, we’ve begun the 2010’s
with our newest era: The era of
the hipster. Am I the only one
that thinks this one has already
jumped the shark?
But don’t judge me yet. I don’t
hate all hipsters. I could be easily
considered a semi-hipster myself,
with the way I dress and the music
I listen to. I have nothing against
the “Hipster” archetype, the indie
music-listening, skinny jeanswearing, past-embracing bearded
idol of the Hipster movement. But
I definitely think that the trend
has been beaten to
death. And it didn’t
take that long.
The Hipster movement has many
sects in addition to
the already typecast
figure. The faux
folk crowd, clad in
suspenders, rocking a banjo, and
humming “Ho Hey”
work here as one of
the many subspecies of the Hipster.
They embrace past
trends as opposed
to modern trends,
examine life in a different way than “normal” people,
and probably don’t wash that
much. We’ve also got the urban
hipster, wearing suits two sizes to
small, blocky glasses that make
you look dumb and smart at the
same time, and wear pants so
short it looks like you’re preparing
for a Antediluvian flood. With just
these three existences, the Hipster
has spread its influence over the
continental United States with
by
May 8, 2009
the
urban Hipsters on either coast,
and the folky Hipster filling in
spaces in between. It was as if an
occult hand reached down from
the heavens and said, “Let there
be skinny jeans.”
Let’s look at the Grammys on
Sunday. This is probably the most
hipster awards ceremony yet.
Almost every sect of Hipster was
represented in what can only be
assumed was a ceremony fixed by
Zooey Deschanel, the unelected
leader of this asinine movement.
Album of the year went to Mumford & Sons, the banjo-playing,
head-shaking, intense faux folk
kings. We also saw a Best New
Artist nomination for Mumford
wannabe The Lumineers, of the
aforementioned “Ho Hey” fame.
Best New Artist went to the new
dictators of the urban, quasi-alt,
androgynous hipster movement,
Fun. , who also took home Song
of the Year for their genre neutral, tenor heavy anthem “We Are
Young”. Which really does sum up
It was as if an
occult hand
reached down
from the heav-
ens and said,
“Let
there be skinny
jeans.”
this movement, as hipsters tend
not to be learned old souls, and
more tend to be inane youngins
who have no idea how hard life
will hit them. Again, not trying
to generalize. Most kids I know
who identify with the Hipster
movement are great. But as the
saying goes, “A few bad apples
will ruin the bunch.”
But there’s more to Hipsterism
than music. Simply listening to
hipster
obscure music doesn’t make one a
hipster. Most of the music on my
iPod is relatively obscure, but that
doesn’t automatically register me
for a laminated Hipster license
stating my name, age, and jean
tightness. However, if
you’re someone who
listens to obscure
music, and then drives
the point into the
ground by bragging
about how obscure
your music is and how
unique and random
you are, then you are
one of the bad apples
of the Hipster movement. However, as an
anti-hipster, I see the
Grammys as a small
victory against the
Hipster. The plethora
of awards laden upon
the Hipster throne creates a rather glaring
paradox against it. When your
music absolutely blows up and
wins a ton of awards, is it still
obscure? Even though people enjoy it, which spreads the Hipster
plague like smallpox mixed with
ebola, the win means that hipsters either need to change their
doctrine, or change themselves.
And with the growing popularity
of Hipster propaganda hounds
like Matt & Kim and Passion Pit,
there isn’t much time before their
music has defied the physical laws
of the Hipsterverse by becoming
popular. True hipsters will shift
to bands like ∆ and Margot and
the Nuclear So and So’s, but it will
greatly deplete the hipster arsenal
to lose their mainstream-ly out of
the mainstream army.
The point is, losing the obscurity of their music has taken music
out of the equation, hurting them
in ways they may not be able to
recover from. And the clothes have
basically lost their individuality
as well, with skinny jeans and
beanie hats in New York City becoming as abundant as handlebar
mustaches and fisticuffs were in
the fashionable early days of the
same sprawling metropolis. So
the Hipster paradox remains: If
Opinion
5
era
your religion is based off of a small
number of people following it, is
it the same when you become the
majority? Their nonconformity
has transformed into conformity,
their obscurity has transformed
The Hipster
is quietly killing
itself from the
inside, and it is
our responsi-
bility to help it
on its way.
into understanding. The Hipster
is quietly killing itself from the
inside, and it is our responsibility
to help it on its way.
Again, one hipster is not the
same as a Hipster. If you have an
explosive, alternative personality,
go ahead and flaunt it. But for
those of you who want to cure
yourself of Hipsteritis, I’ve got the
antidote. All you have to do is act
a little more mainstream. At least,
the mainstream that existed when
all the “Alternative” section on
your iPod had was Fall Out Boy
and the audiobook of Harry Potter. Listen to your Elliott Smith,
but listen to dubstep too. Wear
skinny jeans, but try out khakis
as well. Wear a tie for an actual
reason, not just to be annoying.
I guarantee it; with a little help,
Hipster will go from a plague to
pet peeve.
ALL OPINIONS expressed on
the op-ed pages represent the individual viewpoints of their authors.
The content does not necessarily
represent the views of The Warrior, the high school, the school
district, or the Board of Education.
6
Entertainment
February 15, 2013
The Warrior
Passion Pit and Matt & Kim rock Troy
Kelsey McDermott
Entertainment
Passion Pit, a Boston-based
electronic pop band, played a
packed venue at the RPI Houston
Field House in Troy on Mon., Feb.
11. They are currently in the U.S.
leg of their global tour, joined by
rising act Matt & Kim.
Matt & Kim, an indie duo from
Brooklyn, kicked off the show with
punchy beats and hooks, thanks
to drummer Kim Schifino and vocalist/keyboardist Matt Johnson.
Schifino and Johnson played
several songs including their
hits “Daylight” and “Block After
Block.” Throughout the set, Johnson’s strong, unique voice was
able to carry out over the loud
drums and crowd. Schifino could
be seen standing on her drum seat
or jumping around the stage. She
even sat on the crowd as people in
the audience held her up.
Matt & Kim was much more
energetic than at 2012’s Pearl
Palooza in Albany, making for a
fun opener. The band even had
the crowd help out in their take
on the dance to “Harlem Shake,”
a song by Brooklyn-based electronic producer Baauer. “Harlem
by
Photo Credit / Kelsey McDermott
‘CARRIED AWAY’ BY THE MUSIC: Passion Pit’s lead singer Michael Angelakos, on the far right, sings to the audience at the RPI Field House on Feb.
11, amid bubbles and lanterns.
Shake” has recently inspired a
number of YouTube videos that
use the song for an awkward,
crazy dancing sequence. Matt &
Kim filmed this dancing with RPI’s
packed house, and the video is
reaching viral status.
After Matt & Kim, Passion Pit
took the stage. Excitement and
chaos quickly escalated, to the
point where the crowd surges were
so strong that part of the crowd
was knocked down completely.
Lead singer Michael Angelakos
even showed some concern,
advising the crowd to tone down
the pushing and shoving. Crowd
surfers were also everywhere.
Passion Pit actually came to
Clifton Park’s Northern Lights
(now known as Upstate Concert Hall) last April, before the
sophomore album “Gossamer”
was released. However, with
Monday’s concert, months after
“Gossamer”’s release, the audience was very familiar with every
song that was performed, like
“Carried Away” from “Gossamer.”
The use of lanterns and dreamy
pink and purple lighting onstage
evoked a feeling like that of the
cover artwork of “Gossamer,” truly
immersing fans in the full Passion
Pit experience. In the middle of the
set, there were even bubbles that
descended upon the pit.
Upbeat crowdpleasers such as
“Gossamer”’s “Take A Walk” had
everyone jumping, but slower
songs such as “Constant Conversations” even worked well within
the chaotic atmosphere with their
catchy lyrics and Angelakos’ high
yet disarming voice.
For an encore, Passion Pit
returned to the stage to play
“Sleepyhead,” the 2008 debut
single from the EP “Chunk Of
Change” that first propelled the
band to the spotlight. Such a
choice for an encore was really
perfect, given that the band did
not play too many of their older,
more well-known songs such as
“Swimming In The Flood” or “Better Things.”
After all the screaming along
to Matt & Kim’s and Passion Pit’s
songs, people flocked to the Field
House’s water fountains. Their
refreshing, crisp, ice-cold water
really hit the spot, bringing to a
close a Monday night well spent.
Try hibachi for dinner and a show
by
Hannah Hamilton
Entertainment
Looking for something new and fun to do
for your next big date? Tired of the same old
dinner and a movie? If so, consider Hiro’s
Japanese Steak House on State Street in
Schenectady. Hiro’s is the perfect venue for
a romantic rendezvous with your special
someone, or even a fun group date.
Hibachi is a traditional form of Japanese
cuisine in which the chef prepares food on
the stove in front of you. Diners sit around
the grill enjoying delicious appetizers while
the cook puts on a show. The chef is full of
tricks and jokes, making hibachi great for kids
as well. Hibachi restaurants are a favorite of
my family, and it seems that no matter where
we go, the chefs particularly enjoy entertaining younger children. It is tough to beat the
atmosphere of a hibachi restaurant. Service
is always phenomenal and I have never had a
bad experience with other diners or my meal.
One thing that prevents many from going
to hibachi grills is the fact that different parties are often seated around the same table.
You may very well be dining with complete
strangers. However, I have found that this
system works out well: other patrons are
usually willing to exchange greetings and then
respect your privacy. In fact, one of my more
memorable experiences was when I was at a
hibachi restaurant in Albany. My cousin and
I were next to a larger party who ordered a
large sushi tray. Our fellow diners were very
friendly and insisted that we share their appetizer with them. So don’t be dissuaded; even
if you’re a little bit of an introvert, other diners
are always considerate of your personal space.
Of course, the most important part of any
restaurant is the food. Hiro’s is delicious and
serves huge portions, so you will never go home
unsatisfied. My favorite meal is the Hibachi
Seafood (which comes with lobster, shrimp,
and other fruits de mer), but there are many
other options for a hot dinner, including a
vegetarian option. Hiro’s even offers combo
meals if you can’t make up your mind.
If you have gone to a hibachi grill before,
then take my advice. Never limit yourself to
the tried and true. I have found that whenever
I order something new, I end up loving it. Try
to vary your dining experience with different
soups, tempura and sushi. You haven’t lived
until you’ve tried tempura fried ice cream,
which might sound a little strange at first,
but then again, so do many foreign foods.
Hiro’s is a great place to introduce yourself
to Japanese cuisine this winter.
The only downside to eating at Hiro’s (or
any hibachi grill) is that it can be a little
pricey, but patrons definitely receive their
money’s worth. Hibachi is like dinner and a
show, all wrapped up into one delicious and
exotic package.
Your Weekly Entertainment Fix
Movies: Safe Haven, Beautiful Creatures, Snitch
Music: Darwin Deez, LL Cool J, Bullet
For My Valentine, Major Lazer
Books: Mind Games by Kiersten White,
Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson
Video Games: Omerta: City of Gangsters, The Croods: Prehistoric Party!
The Warrior
Splashing
by
James Chalermkraivuth
Sports
As February break approaches
and most students prepare for a
relaxing week away from school,
the boys varsity swimming and
diving team is intensely preparing for Sectionals. The upcoming
competition promises to be an
intense conclusion to a highly
contested season that pitted
Nisky against Section II rivals
Shenendehowa and Shaker. On
the heels of a 7-2 dual meet season, the team looks to continue its
success at sectionals. Niskayuna
lost both dual meets against Shen
and Shaker this year, but the
boys team has not failed to bring
home a plaque since the arrival
of third-year coach Steve Hall.
Needless to say, expectations are
high entering the climax of the
swimming season.
“At sectionals, the season record doesn’t matter and there is no
reason we can’t beat our rivals,”
said Hall. “Our team has been
very successful at sectionals in
years past, and I have no doubt
this year’s team will be just as
successful.”
The boys team has a hard act
to follow, as the girls team won
sectionals this past fall, bringing
home a title for the second time in
three years. Coach Hall has been
very successful in implementing
new techniques and training
methods over the course of his
three years coaching the team;
February 15, 2013
to
Sports
7
Sectionals
Photo Credit / Niskayuna Varsity Swimming and Diving
FAREWELL TOUR: Niskayuna’s boys varsity seniors smile for the cameras. They will surely be missed next year.
his hard work and dedication
to improving the team has been
rewarded with a combined five
plaques from the boys and girls
teams. Coach Hall looks to add
another plaque for the team in
what may be the most successful
inaugural stretch for a swimming
coach in Section II.
2013 will mark the final sectional championship for the
team’s seniors: Shain Goldman,
Dylan Karlok, Evan Melby, James
Chalermkraivuth, and Orion
Whitney. This group has been
instrumental in turning Niskayuna’s team from ninth-best in
the section to a perennial championship contender. Dubbed
“the super-freshmen” in their
first year, this group added both
Warrior Photo / Aniket Tolpadi
HAULING: Niskayuna’s swimmers use their standard practice workout to
condition themselves for Sectionals.
depth and talent to the team,
which was unique for a freshman
class. Melby became particularly
well-known for his ability to beat
established veterans on other
teams as a freshman.
This team’s greatest strength
is its depth and variety; it has
no large weaknesses like other
teams. Karlok and Whitney,
along with juniors Jack Duesterdick and Andrew Stewart, form
a formidable corps of sprinters.
Goldman, along with junior Emerson Wells (last year’s 500-yard
freestyle champion), sophomore
Aidan Strayer, and freshman
Trevor Matuszyk, constitute up
the team’s distance swimmers.
Chalermkraivuth and Melby,
in addition to sophomore Clark
Davis and freshman Ben Cazer,
are part of Niskayuna’s dynasty of
breaststrokers, which produced
three top-eight finishers at last
year’s Sectionals. Melby, Whitney, Wells, and Karlok form the
team’s 400-yard freestyle relay
and look to win it for the third
year in a row. Adding to this
depth are divers Raffi Moroukian
and Jack Newton, who have been
consistently diving well at meets
and at practice.
Sectionals will be held on
Feb. 14-16 at Shenendehowa
High School. Come support the
boys team and watch some fast
swims and high-flying dives! In
their most important meet of the
season, the team can use all the
support they can get.
Photo Credit / James Chalermkraivuth
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO: Swimmers from Niskayuna and other
schools launch off of the starting blocks in a race during a meet.
Sports
February 15, 2013
Track comes to a close
by
Jack McGill
Sports
For indoor track athletes, the postseason
has been a whirlwind. Following the Yale
Invitational, runners, jumpers, throwers,
and vaulters went through two weeks of hard
practice in preparation for Suburbans and
Sectionals.
After Yale, most of the younger athletes
reached the end of their seasons and the team
became a smaller core of varsity competitors.
Each athlete exhibited the desire to work during practice, which became clear in the results
shown on the track. Everyone who remained
earned their spot on the team through hard
work and dedication.
Over the next two weeks, coaches Jason
DeRocco and Michael Peters worked the
distance runners and sprinters harder than
they had the entire season. The distance team
alternated long runs with speed workouts on
the track and hill workouts, while the sprinters were put through lots of hills and repeats.
Last week, the entire team went to Union
College so the pole vaulters, shot putters,
long jumpers, and hurdlers could work on
their events while the sprinters and distance
runners worked on the track. The team even
met on weekends for captains’ practices, for
which the focus was getting out and getting
miles in before Suburbans.
On Feb. 4, Suburbans came around, and
the boys and girls teams were both ready for
action. Notable performances on the boys
side include junior Jordan Ivery’s fifth place
finish in the 55 meter dash and senior Greg
Thomas’ sixth place in the 1000 meter. On
the girls side, team captain Alison Xu came
in third in the long jump. Co-captains senior
Felicia Sciortino and junior Emily DeWald
came in second and fourth in the 1000 meter,
and senior Anka Parzych placed third in the
600 meter.
The Tuesday following Suburbans was a
captains practice, and the captains gave the
team a “games” day because of all the hard
work the team had been putting in. For the
“games” day, the team played a few variations
of tag followed by a boys - against - girls relay
race (in which the girls cheated to win).
After the “games” day, the team got right
back to work preparing for Sectionals, which
took place on Sun., Feb. 10. The boys had
strong individual performances from team se-
nior captain Dom Brion in the 600 and Thomas
in the 1000, and those two also brought home
a second place finish in the 4x800 relay with
seniors Joseph Nuqui and Chris Downing.
The boys 4x2 and 4x4 also placed.
When asked about the team’s performance,
Thomas said, “Considering the absence of
Chris [Lemelin] and Derrick [Smith], the team
did very well at Sectionals. Our finish wasn’t
as good as last year’s, but when you’re missing two of your top sprinters and dealing with
other injuries, you can only expect so much.
However, all the younger guys stepped up
to fill the cracks and were critical in scoring
points for us today.”
The girls team achieved second place overall,
losing to powerhouse Holy Names while beating out rival Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake. Like
the boys, the girls 4x200 and 4x800 teams
came in second place, setting the tone for the
rest of the night. Senior Olivia Jaquith and
DeWald came in first and second respectively
in the 300, and DeWald also managed fourth
in the 1000. The 600 was also a big event, with
senior team captain Mary Kate Moran getting
second and Parzych getting fourth. Perhaps
the best individual performance of the night
was from Sciortino, who placed third in the
1500, second in the 3000, and also ran a leg
of the 4x800 relay. Although it was mainly
upperclassmen scoring points, the freshmen
and middle schoolers ran strong, showing the
rest of Section II that the Niskayuna girls are
built for the future.
When asked about the running prowess
of the team’s younger members, Moran answered, “I was really impressed this entire
season at how well the middle schoolers and
freshmen have done. Each race they go out
and prove that it doesn’t matter how old you
are, if you can run you can run. Our sectionals
team consisted of many younger class men
that helped bring our girls team to a second
place finish. Without them there is no way
we could have placed that well.“
From here, the top runners on the team
will move on to State Qualifiers, States,
and Nationals, where they will compete for
themselves rather than as a team. While they
progress further into their postseason, the
rest of the team will reflect on a successful
season and quickly begin preparing for the
upcoming outdoor season.
Don’t forget to recycle this issue when you finish reading it!
The Warrior
Schedule and Scores
8
Girls Basketball
2/5 vs. Burnt Hills
Won 43-26
Hockey
1/29 @ Guilderland/
Mohon
Won 11-1
Boys Basketball
2/5 vs. Burnt Hills
Lost 62-56
Boys Swimming
1/15 vs. Shaker
Lost 99-87