The WarriorNiskayuna High School March 21, 2014 Volume 40, Issue 11

a student-run publication since 1974

Inside this issue...Parade of Lights does not impress,page 6

Lax season be-gins,page 7

The future of journalism,page 5

Pulitzer Prize winner presents by AnnA Lochte, Joe PArisi, And KAtherine Quinn

news

Niskayuna High School graduate and Pulit-zer Prize winner Gilbert King returned to his alma mater on Monday, March 3 to discuss his book, awards, and writing process with current students.The presentation took place during second block in the auditorium where students from all different grades gathered to hear King speak. English department di-rector Eva Jones introduced King as well as several school board members and King’s old English teacher who had come to hear the presentation. During the presentation, King elaborated on the facts stated in his book by adding his own personal opinions on the matters. He also had a slideshow of additional photos that were not in the book.

King’s book, “The Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys,

and the Dawn of a New America,” recounts the complicated story of 1948 Groveland trial involving four young African-American men accused of raping a white woman and their defending lawyer Thurgood Marshall. The case was ridden with corruption of local governments and law enforcement and is evidence of the often violent attempts made by Southern states to resist racial equality.

The book follows Thurgood Marshall’s ini-tial development as a lawyer for the NAACP. Marshall would later describe the Groveland Case as transformative. in his early career, and he would go on to win Brown vs the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas and become the first African American Supreme Court Judge. The story of the Groveland Boys is as integral to understanding who Thurgood Marshall was as a person, as it is to under-standing the KKK ruled racist enterprises of the deep south during the mid-twentieth century. History buffs and fiction readers alike can truly appreciate “The Devil in the Grove” as an intimate account of the plight of the human spirit against painstaking, and often horrific, odds.

The book took King about four and a half years to complete due to the amount of re-search King had to complete in order to write the actual text. King visited various areas throughout the state of Florida to see the places he was writing about. He also tracked down several people involved with the actual trial; including Norma Padgett, the woman responsible for accusing the Grovelad boys, and the sheriff who killed the them. However, Paget declined an interview, stating, “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

King was also able to access informa-tion through the Freedom of Information Act”which allowed him to see basic court records and interviews with the boys and

other whitnesses. Much of what he saw was originally supposed to be off the record, meaning that the information given was not supposed to be recorded. It took King almost a year to actually gain access to the files; he called the department that files the acts every day to see where his case stood. Though, King claims that he is not a confrontational person and that “history is great because most people are dead.”

King first learned that he had won the Pulitzer Prize while golfing in Florida. He received a text message from a friend stating “Dude, Pulitzer,” along with a link to an article announcing the prize winners for the year.

Warrior Photo/Anna LochteHISTORY AS A STORY: King discusses his book in an interesting manner.

Warrior Photo/Anna LochteA TEACHER AND HIS STUDENT: King reunites with his high school English teacher, T.A. Subra-manian.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2[GILBERT]

2 The WarriorNews March 21, 2014

SAT

Word of the Week

parity: equality

Find it every week and save your copies for a chance to win a t-shirt at the end of the year!

Gilbert King returns homecommittee and winners from years past. King also received an official certificate. Through the publicity and acclaim associated with the award, King has been offered various book deals, invited to speak and give presentations at high schools and colleges, and has even been offered a movie deal through Lionsgate. The movie is currently in its early stages of pro-duction and King is a consultant on the film.

King graduated from the high school in 1980. During his time at the high school, King played baseball, basketball, was the manager for the football team. His early aspirations as a writer were revealed as he wrote numer-ous articles for the school’s newspaper, The Warrior. He stated that he did not do well in high school and even had to repeat English

class several times; however, he does believe that books and baseball helped to keep him focused.

After high school, King attended University of Southern Florida for four years. However, he was two math credits short and did not graduate. King currently resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters. Coin-cidentally, King lives on the same street that on which Harper Lee, noted author of ”To Kill A Mockingbird” lived.

Before becoming an author, King worked as a stand-up comic and a ghost writer for celebrities who could not write their own memoirs. He advises that everyone should learn how to write a good letter and learn how to communicate well; networking is key.

joke and continued to play his golf game. Throughout the game, he continued receiv-ing text messages and phone calls requesting interviews and congratulating him on his award. When King returned home to New York, he was invited to a lunch at Columbia University where he met with the Pulitzer Prize

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

[PULITZER]

Warrior Photo/Anna LochtePROFESSIONAL ADVICE: Senior Joe Parisi speaks with King about a future in writing.

Warrior Photo/Anna LochteMEMORY LANE: King is presented with a Nisky t-shirt and copies of the Warrior he wrote in.

Warrior Photo/Anna LochteWRITERS UNITE: English teacher James Edgar poses with King.

3March 21, 2014The Warrior News

Snowball dance impresses attendeesby irene KuLbidA

news

Many people in the high school think there are only two major dances during the school year, Homecoming and Prom, but that is because they are unfamiliar with some of the other opportuni-ties they have. For example, the Snowball dance (always hosted by the freshman class) is a great way for you and your friends to go out and let loose on a Friday night strategically planned to be between both Homecoming and Prom. In what’s been an excep-tionally cold and long winter, the Snowball was a welcome diver-sion this year.

This year the Snowball was held on March 7th, from 7 to 10 and had three main DJ’s from this year’s senior class: Jordan Rutherford, Suman Padhi and Bel Mesbahi, who had the gym rocking the whole night. Padhi said that his favorite part of DJing is “educating people about dance

music other than what’s on ra-dio.” He also added the he enjoyed “watching people dance together who may not normally hang out with one another.”

The number of people on the dance floor varied throughout the night, but there were points when the masses surpassed more than 100 people. While some people worry over whether or not they will like the music at these dances, there is no reason to! The DJ’s played a variety of music genres and everyone there was able to find at least a couple of songs they really liked. EDM, the classics, some recent pop songs and more were all on the playlist.

One preconceived notion about Snowball are that it is a dance put on by freshman, for freshman — it’s not. While the money raised does go to help fund the class of 2017’s future events, like prom, there were students from every grade represented, all dancing to-gether on the “dance floor” (a.k.a.

half of Blatnick gym). There aren’t many dances where you will see freshman and seniors dancing right next to one another (it’s a rarity at prom, and homecoming is too crowded usually with up-perclassmen) and that is what makes Snowball so special.

While seniors don’t have any more chances to attend Snow-

ball, hopefully underclassmen will realize that Snowball isn’t a “lame freshman dance” but a way to have a good time with friends. Freshman Shreema Chandrasek-ar said that she “really enjoyed being able to spend time with classmates and just hang out,” and many more students feel the same way.

Irene Kulbida / Warrior PhotoTicket booth: Assistant principals Mark Treanor and Marna Meltzer sold tickets at the pool entrance to Snowball dance, sponsored by the freshman class.

Jazz professional visits high schoolby temitoPe oshinowo

news

Saxophonist Jim Snidero came to visit students in the High School Jazz Ensemble, High School Stage Band and Middle School Jazz Band on Friday March 14 to discuss jazz techniques with the students. In the course of one hour, students gained tips on how to effectively use their practice time, improve their improvisation skills (making up a solo while performing), and add embellishments (such as dynamics) while they are playing jazz music.

Snidero is a jazz alto saxophonist who has performed with many prominent bands, including Franks Sinatra’s band and the Mingus Big Band. Other than playing here in the United States, Snidero has had the opportunity to perform in Europe, Australia, and tour in Japan with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra.

Snidero has also created numerous of his own recordings and has written the Jazz Conception Series. This series includes books and tutorial CDs for all jazz instruments. The Jazz Conception Company app, which is avail-able on the App Store, was recently created to supplement these books. This app—along

with the books and CDs—provide video les-sons; play along tracks, and tests which are meant to enhance a jazz student’s virtuosity. Many of Snidero’s works have also been used

by jazz educators and students participating in Jazz NYSSMA.

When talking to the jazz students, Snidero stressed the importance of practicing an instrument, particularly with a metronome. He also demonstrated how learning scales and other basic patterns is fundamental to becoming a good improviser: scales help to build tension and other patterns help your solo

sound more flowing.s Snidero then played a scale in different styles, showing examples of ways to strengthen an improvisation.

In the end however, Snidero always came back to emphasizing the significance of know-ing one’s instrument. “When improvising, it is crucial to know what notes you’re going to play. Most people aren’t born with perfect pitch—that’s a skill which comes from hearing and knowing your instrument. The more you play, the better your pitch will become. This way, you’ll sound great when you improv.”

Overall, the students enjoyed Jim Snidero’s presentation. At the end of the presentation, students were able to try out high quality instruments, including an alto saxophone, trumpet, or trombone provided by John Keal music. Snidero’s books were also available to look at. Many were impressed by the instru-ments’ and books’ high caliber and were grate-ful to the Music Department for giving them the opportunity to hear from Mr.Snidero. As usual, Niskayuna’s music guests never fail to disappoint and students always benefit from learning from these musicians.

To learn more about Jim Snidero and his Jazz Conception Company, visit www.jazz-improvisation.com.

Elizabeth Patt / Warrior PhotoJazz professional: Jim Snidero, a renowned jazz saxophonist, has written several books that are used by teachers and for NYSSMA solos.

From across the aisle: political debate“Casino Gambling...”

4 The WarriorOpinion March 21, 2014

now used to pay for the increased need for police.

Casinos bring short term gains and long term troubles. While guests may come with big dreams of winning, the vast majority lose. Casinos tend to attract an elderly and lower middle class clientele – people who are generally not in a position to lose a large portion of their income. Casinos prey on these people, offering them deals on hotels and food to entice them. They build the facilities so that there are no windows and no clocks. People start playing and then start losing. To regain the money, they play more. In gam-bling, it is the House that wins and the community that suffers.

by michAeL sise

rePubLicAn

“Upstate economies are dy-ing,” said Assemblyman Keith Wright, who co-chairs the state Democratic Party. Wright spoke at the business council of New York State hoping to gain sup-port for the building of casinos in New York. Casinos would stimulate the economy and cre-ate an estimated 10,000 new jobs around the State. It would also bring people into commu-nities increasing tourism and spending at restaurants and stores. The building of casinos would increase gross domestic product as developers and con-structions companies buy the materials necessary and employ people to build the casinos.

State revenue would increase from taxing the casinos and the increase in spending from hotels and restaurants around the ca-sinos. According to the Casino Amendment that passed by a large margin in November, the tax revenue generated from the casinos will go directly to New York Public Schools. An esti-mated 93 million dollars will be generated and given to New York City schools and 84 million will be given to suburban schools. In recent times with the demand-ing new regulations on teachers and students money is definitely something our schools need.

I understand that some people think the building of casinos will increase gambling habits in the state. However, I disagree with this notion. The state already has seven casinos and several racinos located around the state. There are already numerous op-portunities for people to gamble in the State. The building of new casinos will employ thousands and raise the value of local businesses and homes. It can-not be argued that the casinos will expand New York State’s economy and during tough times

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 edito-rial board, consisting of the Opinion section and the Editor-in-

Chief.

The op-ed pages are a forum for students’ opinions and ideas.

The WarriorNiskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY, 12309

http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warrior

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.

Editor-in-Chief:Katherine QuinnMiles Tepper

News:Anna Lochte, EditorElizabeth Patt, EditorEmerson Wells, EditorSamantha Burgess, Asst

Opinion:Stephanie Acquario, EditorJoe Parisi, EditorSara Bobok, AsstEntertainment:Sophie Kemp, EditorCindy Zhao, Asst

Adviser: James Edgar

Sports:Suman Padhi, EditorAniket Tolpadi, EditorAaron Gordon, AsstMagazine:Alisha Desai, EditorSanjukta Dutta, EditorJames Azzaretti, Asst

Additional Staff:Irene Kulbida, Copy EditorMatt Mizbani, Copy EditorLex Alston, Graphics EditorVeronica Liu, Graphics EditorOlivia Hess, Distribution Manager

by Jesse dArsinos

democrAt

During the past election cycle, New York State voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding casino gambling. Approval of the legislation will bring seven full-scale casinos to various regions throughout the state.

The amendment, which was supported by Governor Andrew Cuomo, passed with 57% of the vote. There are currently five casinos in NYS run by Indian tribes and nine “racinos,” which are facilities housing large slot machines, located near race-tracks. Many communities are organizing to bring the casinos to their areas. They expect that the facilities will bring in business which will contribute to needed tax revenue. The casinos will provide jobs, which will then contribute to housing being built, businesses supporting the new population, and the economy booming.

On the surface, this seems like an admirable idea. Jobs, money, tax revenue! But when we look closer at the issue we find that there is something more sinister going on. Casinos tend to make the people who build them rich. They do little for the people in the surrounding community. The social costs to the town can be staggering. With casinos come many problems. The rate of crime rises. Alcoholism and drug addiction grows. Prostitu-tion becomes evident. Gambling problems escalate. Taxes are

FAshION

by oLiviA hess

coLumn

March marks the beginning of spring, and many stores have already released their spring fashion lines. My personal fa-vorites so far are J. Crew, Old Navy and Vinyard Vines.

For their spring line, J. Crew seemed to focus less on prints. Yet, the print trend will not be making an exit anytime soon, as many of J. Crew’s shirts contain floral prints. The classic but-ton down is also returning, in all kinds of fabrics and styles. Gingham, linen and chambray are all great choices, especially in spring colors like pink, mint and light blue.

Old Navy released a surpris-ingly young and vibrant spring line this year. They brought back the embroidered shorts from last year, and stock maxi dresses and skirts which have recently become a spring/summer staple. Old Navy released maxi skirts in bright pink, as well as navy and white striped.

Vineyard Vines added a few new items to their standard preppy staples. A neon baseball cap is now available in pink, yellow or green, as well as a peplum top. They have cute nautical-themed skirts and dresses, numerous seersucker pieces and patchwork belts and headbands.

As the seasons change,it comes time for a spring clean-ing.Clean out last years spring and summer collections, and enhance your wardrobe with

ALL OPINIONS expressed on the op-ed pages represent the indi-vidual viewpoints of their authors. The content does not necessarily represent the views of The War-rior, the high school, the school district, or the Board of Education.

5March 21, 2014The Warrior Opinion

T h e f u t u r e o f j o u r n a l i s mby sumAn PAdhi

oPinion

Public awareness is imperative to the success of a democracy. An educated electorate can increase the efficiency of government by a tenfold, and at a time when parti-sanship has left government in an ideologically induced stalemate, public awareness is more neces-sary than ever. Unfortunately, due to the growing ease of access to cheap entertainment (thanks, Internet) at the expense of news in today’s media, the gap in public knowledge of political issues and news is widening. It has never been easier to garner a holistic understanding of the issues that plague the United States and the rest of the world (also, due to the Internet); yet, public opinion is skewed away from political awareness and more towards entertainment.

I recently read two excellent essays discussing the gradual death of print media as the primary source for news: Paul Starr’s “Goodbye to the Age of Newspapers (Hello to a New Era of Corruption)” and James Fal-lows’ “How to Save the News.” The juxtaposition of the two articles highlight the two most

mainstream views as to the pros and cons of the internet gaining ground on newspapers, and even TV as the primary source for in-formation gathering.

P a u l Starr dis-c u s s e s the conse-q u e n c e s of what he sees as the unfortunate movement of populari-ty from print media, such as newspa-pers, to the internet and the plethora of sources, biased or neutral, en-tertaining or informative, that it offers. Central to his argument are the points that with the shift away from print news comes a drain on motivation for good journalism. Paul says, “the fi-nancial wherewithal to invest in trained reporters and editors and to assign them to beats and long projects, and a well-established system of professional norms that

has been a source of conscien-tious motivation and restraint in the reporting of the news.”

This, however, is not entirely true; several prominent newspa-

pers are mov-ing online in reaction to this trend, and upon fur-ther develop-ment, these sources can be entirely sustainable while main-taining the same degree of quality as was seen in the peak of the newspa-per’s popu-larity. With

the help of an array of search engines, news is more accessible and diverse than ever before, and with their continued sup-port, news is inevitably heading towards another golden age that will see the masses more educated than earlier.

Fallows discusses the miscon-ceptions surrounding Google’s destruction of print news. It would

be ignorant to make the argu-ment that Google has not played a significant role in the demise of print news, but it would be just as much so to argue that Google is the ultimate culprit in causing the American electorate to be less educated and thus less able to carry out their civil duties.

Google has not only played a crucial role in the shaping of news on the Internet, but it has also made the news on the internet less of what critics criticize inter-net news for: due to Google’s ef-ficiency, it offers readers sources that are, in net sum, unbiased and objective. The diversity of sources readers are presented with, as well as Google’s attempts to minimize the negative impacts of advertis-ing while optimizing the profits that could help sustain the news sources, makes it an invaluable player in the development of an educated American populace de-spite the unavoidable shift away from print newspapers.

The issue with the Internet growing to the level that it has is not that which Starr Paul at-tempts to highlight with a decline in the quality of news. The issue lies is that the news is not some-thing people choose to read or fol-low. There was a time before cable television when news hour in the evening mandated any television spectator to gather at least a basic grasp of what was happening in the world. With cable TV, however, and even more relevantly with Netflix and internet streaming, it is incredibly convenient to cir-cumvent the news if one chooses to do so.

The problem we are facing is a paradox of incredible magnitude: it is the very liberty that we are given that leads us to be a bad electorate. Our civic duties are taking a significant back seat to our entertainment-oriented pri-orities. At a time when we can be the most educated, effective and enthusiastic electorate in history, we are choosing to avoid any con-tact with what is relevant to us and opting to engage in mindless

POLITICAL CARTOONBy JOsEPh PARIsI

Warrior Photo: James Azzaretti

6 March 21, 2014 The WarriorEntertainment

Parade of Lights is generic funby eLeni GorLA

entertAinment

Parade of Lights is a Los Ange-les based quartet, who recently released their first single “We’re the Kids” and will release their EP “Golden” on March 25th. They released their first EP “Born to Live, Born to Love” in 2012. They have toured throughout Califor-nia, Utah, and Nevada.

Parade of Lights refers to its sound as “dirty alt-electro meets shoegaze rock,” and has been inspired by the likes of My Bloody Valentine. Their songs “Golden,” and “We’re the Kids” are catchy and fun dance songs with good rhythm, but have more of a pop, Fly 92.3 sound than the alterna-tive one they claim to have. The band seems like a simpler, com-mercialized version of MGMT. While they have a subtle techno sound, they resemble more pop groups than techno ones. This may be because their songs in-volve many more vocals than most

techno groups, also making them less similar to the distortion 2nd pedal heavy shoegaze rock bands they have been inspired by.

With their light sound and re-petitive lyrics, it’s difficult to really connect to the music on a deeper level. For example, in their song

“Golden,” the lyrics “everybody get golden” are repeated for most of the song. In “We’re the Kids,” the lyrics “we’re the kids now” are frequently repeated. Repeti-tion allows the vocals of a song to become integrated with the instrumentals-which is often

Visual effects artists seek recognitionby seAn PArK

entertAinment

Try to remember the last movie you’ve seen. Now try to imagine that movie without any of its visual effects. Even if you listed movies like “The Wolf of Wall Street” that aren’t as effects heavy as movies such as “Gravity,” a little CGI is used to polish most major blockbusters these days. In fact, the top 15 grossing films of 2013 used visual effects (VFX) in some shape or form. Even if you think that the contemporary use CGI is ruining live stunt work, animatronics, or costumes, without VFX companies movies would not be the amazing pieces of entertain-ment they are today.

However, if these VFX companies are so integral to filmmaking today why are they going bankrupt left and right? In February of last year, Rhythm and Hues, the VFX com-pany that did work for the Life of Pi (which won an academy award for its visual effects 2012) declared bankruptcy.

The unfortunate truth is that these visual effect studios are actually having a hard time to make a profit off of extremely successful movies that make millions of dollars. In a good year some VFX studios make a measly 5% profit, but most of the time they are barely

breaking even or even losing money on the job. This in turn has had a very negative effect on VFX workers working in these companies.

One of the main reasons behind the VFX crisis is the tax subsidiaries do not allow for fair competition between these companies. For example, if a company in California gives a price for their work for a movie, a differ-ent company in the UK could bid the same set price while offering a certain percentage of tax rebate for their work. The problem is that the VFX company does not see any of this money, instead the big studios do. In the end, the movie studios would get 30% of their VFX paid for (which they could have easily paid for themselves), and the company in California would ultimately not be able to compete in the market.

This major issue coupled up with studios outsourcing easier jobs to China or India, placing VFX companies in open offices in subsidized locals to take advantage of tax breaks, and asking studios to rush their work with lower wages has lead led to a very hostile environment for VFX workers.

Ultimately, these artist usually have to work overtime to meet the demands of the large studios, and with no proper union they are afraid to speak up to the only 5-6 clients

they have (Paramount, Universal, Fox, 20th Century, and so on) because their company would then be blacklisted from work.

Fortunately, for the last few years VFX art-ists have grouped together to protest against their working policies, and industry leaders have stepped up to make solutions to help resolve the issue of fairly paying visual ef-fects artists. Ideas such as making the VFX studios partners with the projects they are working on would help make these studios gain a status of a financier, which would in return let them get a share of the profits. What’s most important though is that films of the future need these artists to thrive, and even though progress may seem slow to make amends for the unstable nature of the VFX industry, these artists maintain a passion for their trade.

beneficial as it can give the song more of a spiritual and entrancing sound. For example, Radiohead’s use of repetition make their songs almost hypnotizing. In Parade of Lights’ case, however, the non-vocal sound is not as intriguing, and therefore the integration of voice and instrumentals may leave the listener bored. This sound may be good for a superficial setting, such as a nightclub or a party, but is not particularly appealing in a laid- back environment.

Parade of Lights is about to em-bark on its first nationwide tour along with Brooklyn alternative rock band X ambassadors. The tour will feature several northeast and New England stops.

Overall Parade of Lights pro-vides some fun, upbeat music that could very easily become a summer dance anthem. The real issue with the band is their overall lack of originality that they so desperately want to cultivate.

Your Weekly Entertainment Fix

Movies: Divergent, Muppets Most Wanted

Music: Skrillex, The War on Drugs, Fos-ter the People, Enrique Iglesias

Books: The Returned by Jason Mott, NYPD Net 2 by James Patterson, The King by J.R. Ward

gomoxie.orgWE’RE THE KIDS: LA band Parade of Lights Poses. Their music has been featured on several well regarded alternative music stations and in Olympic promotions.

7March 21, 2014The Warrior Sports

A personal take on boy’s hoops by JAcK mcGiLL And conor mcdonouGh

sPorts

It is a rare occurrence for an athlete to make it to the national level of her sport. The amount of training and dedication necessary to reach what is surely the pinnacle of her sport’s success truly indicates an individual with one in a million athletic prowess. That is why having not one, but two athletes reach the New Balance Indoor Track and Field National Championships is a remarkable ac-complishment; this is the second consecutive year that both freshmen Lexi Sciortino and Erica Wasserbach have reached this contest, making the feat even more impressive.

The two have been trading race wins and PRs throughout the indoor season, and were integral parts of the girl’s second place finish at Sectionals. The pair combined to score 17 of the team’s 84 points at Sectionals, and both earned patches in the 1500 meter run with finishes of 2nd (Wasserbach) and 3rd (Sciortino). At the state qualifier meet, it was Sciortino who took the upper hand, coming in 4th to Wasserbach’s 6th, and missing out of the state qualifying spot by one place. The two are very talented, as evidenced by their standings amongst their peers in the state. At the freshman level, Lexi and Erica are ranked 16th and 17th in the 1500 meter, and after their strong showings at Nationals, are ranked 8th and 9th in the state for the event over 1600 meters.

New Balance Nationals took place at the Armory in New York City this past Sunday. In the first of two sections of the Freshman mile, Wasserbach and Sciortino finished in 4th and 6th, with times of 5:15.30 and 5:16.71, respectively; both set Niskayuna

freshmen records during the race--Sciortino went through the 1500 mark ahead of Was-serbach in a time of

4:54.54, and Wasserbach’s final time set the school mile record. Fortunately, fellow runners Jack McGill and Conor McDonough had the opportunity to interview to this dynamic duo after their outstanding run Sunday:

How did you two get mentally ready for such a big race? Any routines or habits?

Erica Wasserbach: I just told myself that we’ve been there before and we know how the track feels and how the other girls run.

Lexi Sciortino: I knew I would have one my good friends/teammate out there with me which calmed me down.

EW: We have our warm up routine and leg drills that we do before each race, and we tried to make the race feel like any other race.

LS: Another thing that calmed me down was having my coaches and members of my family cheering me on and being proud of me no matter how I did.

Who was there to support you?LS: My mom came, along with my sister

[Niskayuna grad and current BU runner] Felicia [Sciortino] and stepsister.

EW: My parents and boyfriend came to watch.

What were you thinking about the mo-ment before the gun went off?

EW: I was just trying to boost my confidence and telling myself that I needed to run my race and not really worry about the other girls around me.

LS: I was just focused on beating the clock

I guess... and being happy with my race when I crossed the finish line.

Lexi, you went out very aggressively, what prompted this?

LS: I thought it would be easier to get out in front early so I wouldn’t have to work as hard to get up there near the end.

And Erica, why did you decide to move when you did? Did you have a plan going into the race?

EW: Not really [laughs]. I usually sit for a while and then go.

That seemed to work to perfection. What about you, Lexi?

LS: Coach [DeRocco] told us that we were just as good if not better than all the other girls in the race, and that we shouldn’t run scared.

You both ran extremely well, how did you feel after the race?

LS: I felt awful. I couldn’t walk. (Further analysis of race video confirms that Sciortino could not, in fact, walk, as she collapsed immediately upon crossing the finish line).

EW: Pretty good, but my throat hurt a ton. But that’s just a perk of indoor.

Now that indoor’s over, are you looking forward to outdoor? What goals do you have? What is your focus going to be?

EW: I’m extremely yoked for outdoor. I’m trying out pole vault, but my main focus will be PR’ing in the 1500. It’s going to be a good season.

LS: I’m excited to give steeplechase a shot for the first time. I’m hoping to break 4:50 in

Photo Credit / Jack McGillTHE VENUE: The Armory that hosted the Indoor Nationals Track meet.

Photo Credit / Jack McGillTHE MARK OF GREATNESS: Backpacks to com-memorate their geat achievement.

The WarriorSports8

Don’t forget to recycle this issue when you finish reading it!z

by chris brown

sPorts

It is that time of year again. The ice has not thawed quite yet, but the boy’s lacrosse team has already taken to the blacktop at Iroquois Middle School. It has been more than nine months since the team was edged by a 10-9 margin by Garden City in the final seconds of the state semifinals to complete a 21-1 season; with a fervent resilience, the Silver Warriors look to return to their winning ways this spring.

The attack features a trio of veterans with a combined 10 years of varsity experience. Cap-tain’s Mike D’Amario (committed to Virginia), and Reed Avveduti (Sacred Heart), along with se-nior Sam Kaplan (Gettysburg) will look to bring a high octane burst to an already talented of-fense that will try to better the 17 goals per game average of last year. The midfielders will feature another senior captain in Ryan Lawson (Quinnipiac), as well as juniors Aiden O’Brien (North Carolina), John Prend-

ergast (Duke), Sam Assini, and freshman standout Lou Quinn (Syracuse). Sophomore Dylan Pantalone (Siena), while currently sidelined with a wrist injury, will be the go-to man at the faceoff center. Clarkson bound senior co-captain Jon Tiberio will lead the defense, while junior Nick Testa will be the blockade in goal.

The team reached new heights last year—at one point ranking second nationally—and while duplicating the campaign will not be easy, they look to build on their achievements. After sectional scrimmages with both Shenendehowa and Colonie on Saturday, the Warriors will travel to the annual Somers’ Red/Gray scrimmage. This will be a real Litmus test for the boys, as some of the Northeast’s elite teams will travel to Somers to test their mettle against one another. An-other measuring stick will come in the following week, March 29th when the team hosts a scrimmage against Connecticut power house New Canaan. Notable regular sea-son games include trips to Darien

High hopes for boy’s lacrosse

Photo Credit / Chris BrownWORK HARD: Niskayuna boy’s lacrosse players wait on the Iroquois black-top on a snowy afternoon early into their Spring season.

March 21, 2014

(CT), ranked 22nd in the Nike/US Lacrosse poll, and Duxbury (MA). The team will host Shenendehowa on senior night, May 13th.

The Silver Warriors were ranked 23rd in the Nike US Lacrosse

preseason national poll, and while these national rankings serve as a nice bonus, the team still has only one ultimate goal in mind, to win the last game of this season, and we have no doubt that we can.

Photo Credit / Chris BrownRED ZONE: The Niskyuna Red Zone cheers the Slver Warriors on as they continue to dominate yet another opponent in the regular season.

Editors:Alisha DesaiSanjukta DuttaAsst. Editor:James Azzaretti

Volume 40, Issue 11 March 21, 2014SilverThe Warrior Magazine

Has Spring Sprung?

The Warrior Magazine March 21, 2014Silver

by Sanjukta DuttaMagazine

The weather outside is frightful, when it re-ally should be delightful.

Spring is supposed to be the most beautiful time of the year, and yet here we are, facing month-old chunks of frozen snow and freezing temperatures.

I guess Punxsutawney’s predictions came true dur-ing these bone-chilling past few weeks. After one of the worst winters I’ve ever lived through (or best, if you count the many snow days it led to), I have to say I am done. I’m more ready than ever to welcome sunny days and fields full of daisies.

As a senior this year, spring time brings a very different kind of expectation than in the past.

L a s t y ea r, at this time, I would have been perfectly con-tent staying huddled by the fire with a cup of cocoa rather than facing SAT after SAT with a couple APs, ACTs, and Regents tests in the mix.

Spring had meant one thing: the impending doom that results from a lifetime’s worth of pressure thrown onto the shoulders of a sixteen-year-old child. To all of you juniors who feel this exact same thing right now, there is light at the end of tunnel, I promise.

Spring as a senior. A senior in spring time. It has such a nice ring to it. First and

S p r i n g a s a s e n i o rforemost, there comes the satisfaction of finally, finally, knowing with some degree of certainty, where you’ll spend the next four years of your life. After years of working for good grades, doing this thing and that thing because it’ll “be good for college,” and spending months slav-ing over applications, this is the ultimate reprieve.

For some, this can lead to a full-on attack of the senioritis epidemic. And for others,

it’s a chance to take off the blinders, loosen up their workload, and spend time do-ing more of what they enjoy.

College decisions can often also have the magical abil-ity to conjure up forgotten neighbors, nosy parents, and distant relatives. Suddenly, every one of your parent’s coworkers is just dying to learn more about your fascinating life, and where you’re headed next year.

Your aunt’s best friend’s neighbor will feel entitled to share her opinion on which of your top-choice schools

has the cutest professors. And on your next visit to the

dentist, you’ll find yourself trapped under the fluorescent lights, unable to say a word, as your hygienist spends the next hour raving about her own “wild college days.” But these minor annoyances are nothing compared to the tin-gling excitement of the pos-

sibilities of the year ahead.But until this snow melts,

I can only dream in wait of the upcoming few months, and all they entail. The revival of spring sports and outdoor ac-tivities. Floral prints and girly spring dresses.

Sunny days at the park avoid-ing man-eating geese. An end to AP testing. Senior Skip Day. Senior Gala. Graduation. I’m getting ahead of myself now.

There is noth-ing I want more than an end to this miserable

in-between weather. As much as I can appreciate the fun things winter has to offer: skiing, building snowmans, and frolicking in the snow, one can only battle the ef-fects of cabin fever for so long. It has been too cold for too long and I am ready to see flowers and green grass!

And so I make my last appeal to all of you who continue praying for snow days and snowstorms.

I beg you, p lease, stop this snow, stop this snow, stop this snow.

Dear Readers,

We thought it would be funny if we based our theme on the common question “Has Spring Sprung Yet?” We are all so sick of winter and honestly all we want to do is lay on the grass and get our tan on! We hope this week’s issue gets you in the mood for Spring and hopefully melts the snow away. Pray for better weather, please!

Love,The Editors

Photo Credit / Alicia Bernson

The Warrior Magazine March 21, 2014Silver

T i r e d o f w a i t i n gby Natalie Puccio

MagazineAs the weeks go by and the month of

April gets nearer, spring fever is spread-ing. In almost every conversation the words “I can’t wait for spring” can be heard. Everyone is ready for the snow to be gone, especially now that daylight savings has started. As the days begin to get longer, everyone is more than ready to put the dreary, cold winter behind them and enjoy sunny warm spring days.

This time of year the temperatures are continuously switching back and forth from cold temperatures to a comfortable early spring tempera-ture. With every day that is not bit-terly cold there is hope that winter is finally over and that spring has come,

but unfortunately the warm days are always followed by another cold win-ter day disappointing everyone when they wake up and check the weather.

Not even the potential promise of no school can make anybody want snow this time of year. Students were hoping that there wouldn’t be a snow day last Thursday simply because they didn’t want any more snow.

Even though winter allows people to participate in fun activities such as skiing and snowboarding by this time of the year everyone is ready to put away their skis and snowboards and bring out their lacrosse sticks, tennis racquets, and baseball bats. Another reason why everyone has spring fever is that they want to be able to walk

outside without bundling up in heavy coats, sweaters, and boots. While Uggs and other boots are super cute and styl-ish, puffy coats are not and everyone is ready for short sleeve shirts and shorts.

The seniors and juniors in are es-pecially excited for spring because the seniors are enjoying wrapping up their last year of high school with a mix of excitement and nostalgia, and the juniors are preparing for prom.

Along with the seniors being excited about finishing up high school the entire school is excited for spring because that means that there are only two months of school left before a month of simply testing and few classes. Another reason why high school stu-dents are excited for spring is that spring break is right around the corner.

Anybody who has friends in college

are hearing stories from them about the fun places that they’ve gone to on spring break and it makes everyone else more anxious for our upcoming spring break. As with any season spring brings its own unique qualities, events and holidays that excite people for spring and invoke suspense. These in-clude seeing birds flying around again, hearing birds chirping in the morning, Easter, Mother’s Day, the local Tulip Festival, Niska-Day, and Memorial Day.

Not only does spring bring holidays, April break, warm weather, and other opportunities for other sports, but it also brings new pastel colors and an excuse to go shopping. The spring colors for this year include different shades of blue, yellow, light greens,

purples, and pinks. Every spring, many make the excuse that they need to go shopping because they need new clothes for spring, and as people flock to the malls to buy their new clothes I’m sure that they will see these colors of clothing displayed in shop windows.

Along with light colored clothing being in style this time of year, light colored nail polish is also sure to be seen in the coming weeks. Spring fashion is by far the most fun to dress up in and see in fashion magazines.

Although all of the snow days were nice and conveniently placed this year, now I really just want to lay in the sun and finally get tan! This winter has dragged on for too long and I honestly can’t take it anymore!

Warrior Photo Credit / Alisha DesaiWarrior Photo Credit / Alisha Desai

Warrior Photo Credit / Alisha Desai

Warrior Photo Credit / Alisha Desai

The Warrior Magazine March 21, 2014Silver

A h a r s h w i n t e r r e a l i t yby James Azaretti

Magazine This winter was a rough

one, and it seems like it’s not ending anytime soon. As I’m writing this in the middle of March it is currently 20 degrees outside. The only solace for many of us is to rush into the Library which for some reason keeps the temperature and humidity of an armpit in Florida. But that aside, this winter has been horrible for many of us high schoolers. Licensed juniors who park in front of LT’s everyday know the frigid trek from LT’s to the high school. As freezing juniors try to cut through the senior lot to reduce the time spent in the cold they have to make it through the unofficial pathway from the sidewalk to the parking lot. This cold, un-forgiving pathway is plagued with sheets of ice, rough

terrain, and unnaturally high winds. It’s not uncommon to see the combination of wind and ice win as juniors fall on the unforgiving path, losing their backpacks and dignity.

But this perilous journey is only one of the few hardships this winter has brought upon us. We’ve all had to deal with numb ears and wear-ing winter jackets in class. How did anyone get through a mod of Health and Fitness if they couldn’t go outside and “run” on the track?

Surely we will all remember this winter as inexplicably and unusually cold. But that’s actually not the case. Surprising as it may be this winter wasn’t nearly as cold as we would like to think. This is probably odd to hear because for month now we have been hearing about the cold on a national level. It was the coldest winter since 2010

but it was not, as abc news falsely reported, the coldest winter in 100 years. There have actually been colder winters, locally and nation-ally, within the past twenty years. The actual statistic is that this winter in the 34th coldest on record. It was not not warm by any means, but it wasn’t all that cold either. In fact, not a single record was set for lowest tempera-ture anywhere in America.

So why, if this winter wasn’t all that cold in reality, did it feel so cold? Well for starters, winters have been warming significantly for the past century and particularly since the 1970’s. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which is in charge of record-ing climatic data, over the past 50 years our winters in the north east have warmed 2-5 degrees Fahrenheit. So

what has been happening is that since winters have been becoming warmer and warmer every year, largely due to greenhouse emis-sions, this winter was com-paratively cold, but was not unprecedented. To phrase it differently, the temperatures we just had are what we should be getting every year.

What was unusual, how-ever, was the snowfall. The snow we got in the north east was well above average and nationally set the record for 10th largest seasonal snow cover. This can be attributed to the increase in severe storms that has been happen-ing in the past few years. The real question now is whether this weather is going to be the new normal, and the trend of warm winters has come to an end or if it was only a fluke and temperatures will continue to increase.

S p r i n g W o r d S e a r c h !