The Warrior
a student-run publication since 1974
Niskayuna High School
April 20, 2016
Volume 42, Issue 12
Students’ art featured at museum
By Kate Russo
News
Nine Niskayuna High School
students, includng freshmen
Hannah Bachert, Anne Hildreth,
Cecelia Cain, Jenna Gort, Jenna
Ho, Caroline Jasiewicz, ChaeEun Lim, and Erin Yap, along with
junior Kyle Fletcher, were selected
to have their printmaking pieces
be displayed at the Four Freedom
exhibit at the Normal Rockwell
museum.
When President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt delivered his
Four Freedoms speech in the
beginning of 1941, the United
States was on the brink of entering a war that would change
the course of history forever. To
Roosevelt, freedom represented
the freedom of speech and expression, religion, and the freedom
from fear. A famous artist named
Norman Rockwell used the president’s speech as inspiration and
painted what he believed the four
freedoms represented in America.
Seventy five years later, the
Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts set out
to find out how teenagers believe
perceive freedom. Participants
were asked to create an art piece
to submit to the museum for the
exhibit, which was titled Reimagining the Four Freedoms.
The students selected are each
in art teacher Melissa Leach’s
Studio in Art class, in which they
were assigned to create multiple
printmaking pieces based on
Photo Credit / Hannah Bachert
CLASSICAL CRAFT: Freshman Hannah Bachert created this artwork to depict the freedom of music.
what they understood freedom
to be. Leach then submitted
each student’s best print to the
museum.
Bachert’s piece portrayed the
freedom to listen to music, reflecting her love of music. Bachert
blended her love for the musical
arts into this project by depicting
a treble clef breaking through bars
to demonstrate freedom. Bachert
is a member of the crew team and
wants to go to college for rowing,
but also plans to study the arts.
She utilized her background of
singing, acting, photography, and
several different art styles for inspiration in her piece. She credits
senior Beca Piascik as her mentor
and role model in photography.
Bachert also says that living
in Australia influenced her art-
work. “At school in Australia, I
participated in the art club and
painted a mural in a local mall.
My artwork in the Rockwell museum is actually the first artwork
I’ve completely created by myself.”
After seeing her artwork on
display in the Norman Rockwell
Museum, Bachert explained it
was an unbelievable experience.
“I can’t believe that I’m a part of
this. People think that I’m good
enough to be up there next to
Norman Rockwell”
Fellow artists Hildreth utilized
the freedom to love in her artwork,
particularly love in the LGBT
community. Hildreth created
this piece because she felt a lack
of artists that depict and raise
awareness to the LGBT community. “There isn’t enough artwork
that represent the LGBT community, so I thought I would create
something that would do so.”
She also credits the Niskayuna
Wild Turkey swim team because
of the loving and cooperative atmosphere that is always present
while the team is together.
Hildreth spends her free time
drawing on paper and online, and
completing puzzles. She feels that
having her art on display in the
“Reimagining the Four Freedoms”
is a fantastic start to her art career
which she plans to pursue in the
future. One figure she looks up
to is artist Georgia O’Keefe, who
broke barriers by becoming one of
the first successful female artists.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
[ROCKWELL]
Inside this issue...
Reality TV is
unhealthy,
page 4
The real reason
why Zayn left
One Direction,
page 6
Warrior Project’s
Athlete of the
Month: Matt Toy,
page 8
2
News
April 20, 2016
The Warrior
Clean water club brings awareness
By Mia Burns
news
The Clean Water Club is one of
the newest clubs in Niskayuna
High School. The group was started around The Water Project: an
organization that provides access
to clean, safe, and reliable water
to communities across Africa.
Its programs are run through an
online fundraising site, through
which people can donate individually or through campaign
teams. The proceeds collected go
towards building wells for clean
drinking water in various African
countries. The donations through
this project change lives. According to the Clean Water project
website “Clean, safe drinking
water is scarce. Today, nearly 1
billion people in the developing
world don’t have access to it. Yet,
we take it for granted, we waste
it, and we even pay too much to
drink it from little plastic bottles.”
Niskayuna’s Clean Water
Club was recently started by
co-founders Alex Merrill, Mia
Burns, and Grace Stewart. The
three students hold the positions
of president and vice presidents
respectively, and are joined by
Emma Boehmer, Gina Downey,
and Ellen Bostwick, who were
named Treasurer, Secretary, and
Events Coordinator respectively.
Finally, Niskayuna High School
physics teacher Kara LaPietro is
the club’s advisor.
When asked about what inspired the students to start the
club, Merrill says, “I was inspired
by the organization called The
Water Project, and after learning
more about it, I felt it was my duty
to give back in any way I could.
Our goal as a club is to help spread
awareness about how deprived
so many people are of access to
clean water, and especially create
a change in the community.” The
goal of the club is bring awareness
to this issue in this community,
and to do anything that they can
individually, and as a club to aid
the cause.”
Already, the club has held two
bake sales, and plans to hold
more in the future. The club is
also preparing for a big event in
the spring which will be a movie
night at the high school for the
town’s elementary school students. The members’ mission is
to bring awareness and unite the
younger generations, as well as to
help raise money for the cause.
They are hoping to get enough
donations from the upcoming
event to make their first donation
to The Water Project.
Increasing the number of students involved with the club’s
SA
TUDENT
RT
OF THE WEEK
by Rosa Mesbahi
cause will educate them and help
raise awareness of issues not
only in the United States, but all
over the world. More information
about the event will be announced
soon, and the members are always
welcoming of volunteers who are
willing to help out! The club hopes
that future events will bring the
community together, while generating money for an important
cause. The event will serve to get
the word out about the new club
and get more students involved
in the club by attracting new
members.
The club hopes to bring awareness to students about the lack
of clean water available. If you
want to get involved, join Clean
Water Club by talking to one of
the officers!
Photo Credit / Mia Burns
BAKINGFOR A CAUSE: The clean water club hosted numerous bake sales
in order to raise money for the Water Project.
The Warrior
April 20, 2016
Gamers face controversy
By Gurseerat KinGra
news
During the past few years,
electronic sports, better known as
eSports, have gained popularity at
an astonishing rate. Games like
League of Legends, Dota 2, and
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
continually rake in millions of
players, and are even broadcasted
by international tournaments
that offer multi-million dollar
prize pools. However, in Niskayuna, there is a lesser known game
on the rise: Head Soccer. Formally
known as Sports Head Football
Championship, Head Soccer was
created in 2011 by MouseBreaker,
a developing team that has also
created games such as Sports
Head Basketball. In early 2015,
several students in Niskayuna
High School started playing the
game, organizing simple six-man
tournaments held in the computer lab. Since then, the sport
has grown a tremendous amount
and attracted over 30 participants
to regular tournaments.
Head Soccer is a two-player
game in which each competitor
tries to score seven goals against
the opposing player. Despite its
simple cartoon graphics and
simple five-key-controls, the game
has drawn much popularity due
to the intense competition and
detailed strategy involved. This
April, Head Soccer is undergoing an ambitious tournament:
a 32-person double elimination
event, organized by seniors
Osama Minhas and Goose Kingra.
The tournament has led to the
creation of an inclusive Facebook
group and has also inspired playful commentary by the participants. Senior Jeffrey Kemp says,
“Goose is definitely the player to
beat. There’s no doubt about that.
But I still think I can take him
out.” Fellow competitor senior
Liam McGrinder had a different
opinion: “Goose isn’t even that
good. He always brings up how he
has won every tournament, but I
fail to see how that translates to
this tournament. Goose is gonna
go down.”
While many students are excited by the game, the tournament
has faced controversy from people
outside the tournament. One of
the most noticeable tensions is
seen between the players and the
faculty, specifically the librarians
and the IT department. Often
times, games of Head Soccer draw
large crowds in the library, and
the librarians see it as a distraction to both the staff and to the
other students. This has resulted
in students being regularly kicked
out of the library. They are, however, okay with it when games
are kept to small, quiet groups.
One of the library’s supervisors
said, “If one person wants to play
a game, that’s one thing but, if
[many people] crowd around the
work spaces, that’s not okay.”
The IT department also sees a
problem with the game, but for
a different reason. One faculty
member has stated that the issue with the game is the amount
of bandwidth it takes up, which
negatively affects the experience
of other students who are looking to do schoolwork. In addition,
there are many strict regulations
enforced by the district regarding
bandwidth, making the problem
more serious. This issue was
resolved, however, when Kingra
downloaded the game onto the
school computers in order for
students to play without taking
up bandwidth.
Despite the tensions, the students’ general feeling surrounding
the tournament is one of excitement and passion. Many find
the game as an escape from the
mounting pressures that their
classes provide. Junior Gabe Antonikowski says, “Head Soccer is
a safe haven for me, a place where
I am free from stress and judgement. Even though I may not be
skilled, I can still have fun while
watching the game.” Despite the
problems that the league had to
face, students are very optimistic
about this tournament. Many
members dub Niskayuna as the
“Head Soccer Mecca” of the world.
“You’d spend a lifetime trying to
find another place with as much
fresh talent,” Kingra says.
activist for women’s education
and rights, she was inspired to
advocate for fair education and
equal rights for women both in
her artwork and in the future.
Similar to fellow freshman
Bachert, Cain felt it was a surreal
moment seeing her artwork on
display. “I never saw myself as
an artist before,” she explains.
“Instead, I saw it as just a hobby.”
Cain previously had numerous
works she created on display
in the art hall, but never had
her artwork been featured so
prominently.
All artists whose artwork was
featured agree that the process
of printmaking is quite a difficult
one, as there are several steps
to the process and mistake can
frequently occur. In addition,
some of the paint they used could
stain the block and improperly
shade the colors that they used.
However, printmaking does have a
huge benefit, which is that several
prints in different colors can be
made all from the same picture.
The block that is used in the process is made out of linoleum and
is carved out with special tools to
News
3
Niskayuna High School
My School Color Run
Date and Location
May 13, 2016
Rosendale-Iroquois Campus
Events
Check in Time 4:00 pm
Start Time 5:00 pm
Course
This color walk/run features a 5k and a 1.7-mile kids
run. During the race, participatns are doused with color at
various color stations ending
with one final color celebration
at the finish line.
Registration
Visit Niskayunacolorun.
eventbrite.com to register and
donate online! Please make
a $25 check payable to NHS
Class of 2018 and hand them
in to the English Resource
Center by April 22.
The registration fee includes
walk/run registration, individual color packet, race bib,
adn a My School Color Run
T-shirt!
Please contact the Class
of 2018 advisers, Mrs. Weidman and Mrs. Richard for any
questions!
Rockwell museum displays freedom
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
[ROCKWELL]
Freshman Cecilia Cain based
her project on the freedom of
education. Cain’s piece features
graduation caps and a profile of
a face to demonstrate how girls
in other countries are unable to
attend school. “Women don’t have
the right to earn an education
in other countries, but they do
here in America,” Cain explains.
After doing a report on Malala
Yousafzai, a prominent Pakistani
make the design. Usually, the
more complex the design is, the
harder it is to carve.
The Reimagining the Four Freedoms exhibit at the Norman Rockwell museum will end on April
3, when the students will take
their artwork home to be framed
for display. Each of the students
will continue to create artwork
both in and out of art class, but
none will be as special as their
prints featured at the Rockwell
museum. Each of the students
are thankful for the museum for
displaying their artwork.
4
Opinion
The Warrior
April 20, 2016
Reality
By Mackenzie Denofio
opinion
Reality TV. We have all watched
it at one point. This genre of TV
is becoming a staple point of
our pop culture. But have we
really thought of how shows
like this affect us? How it
helps (or harms) us into growing into the people we will be?
For starters, let’s get it clear
that reality TV is rarely reality.
Most of the drama that happens
TV
on shows such as Keeping Up with
the Kardashians and the Real
Housewives series is prompted by
producers on the TV show to get
better ratings. Recently, Lifetime
even aired a new TV show called
UnReal, which is supposed to
show audiences the manipulation
involved in a show such as The
Bachelor (or, as UnReal calls it,
Everlasting). The actions of the
real people that we see in the show
may not even be how they are in
Political cartoon
By Veronica liu
is
harmful
real life. Someone who is nice
can be portrayed as the trouble
maker on one of these shows.
But how does seeing something like this affect us? Or
for that matter, our society?
The value of appearance is
a huge theme in most of these
shows and it has carried on to influencing some adolescents in the
past few years, with many young
women believing that their value
is based on their appearance.
Now, there
are countless
TV shows in
which this
appears, Next
Top Model and
shows such as
Botched being
some of them.
And many
regular viewers of reality
TV idolize the
endless partying of the people on these
shows and
believe that
that is just
a part of life,
believing that
it is also just
a part of life
for there to be
extreme gossip and drama
in their everyday worlds.
In fact, such
an amount
as portrayed
by
real-
ity TV is extremely unhealthy.
In a poll done by Girl Scouts,
73% of girls said that they thought
that reality TV made fighting in a
relationship looks like a normal
part of relationships and 70%
said that it made people think
it is okay to treat others badly.
Reality television more often than
not shows extremely unhealthy
relationship that many young
kids see and might think are okay.
In these shows, “characters” that
the future leaders of our world
are watching are presented as
vain, possessive, gossipy people.
Just look at Kim Kardashian.
She did nothing to earn the
fame she has, and yet everyone worships her. And the
whole family in general can be
toxic to each other. Do we really
want kids to become like that?
The current state of reality
television has affected our society, and all the young, influential
people in it, in an extremely
negative way. Now, sure, there
are many shows that could be
considered under the reality TV
genre, such as Property Brothers
or something of that sort, that
aren’t extremely bad. But shows
such as Dance Moms or Keeping
Up with The Kardashians have
made all the new generations
value vanity over virtue. Reality
TV overall has become a sort of
stain on pop culture. And while
it could use its power to teach
lessons to everyone, and some
shows have, it usually does not
and only encourages a society
full of vain, obsessed with themselves and their own problems.
EDITORIAL POLICIES
The Warrior
Volume XLII, Issue VII
Niskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY, 12309
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warrior
Editor-in-Chief:
Min Gon Kim
Rose Parisi
News (Pages 1-3):
Jeffrey Kemp, Editor
Devin Massari, Editor
Michael Zhou Editor
Suzie Davis, Asst.
Opinion (Pages 4-5):
Sports (Pages 7-8):
Elizabeth Chillrud, Asst.
Emil Friedman, Editor Amerlia Kokernak, Editor Elisa Abraham, Asst.
John Hess, Editor
Deirdre Schutzman, Editor
M.J. Lee, Asst.
Entertainment (Page 6):
Priyanka Vijay, Editor
Zoe Lochte, Editor
Olivia Hilt, Asst.
Magazine (Pages 9-12):
Laura Labate, Editor
Kimber King, Editor
Natalia Romonzo, Editor
Additional Staff:
Zy Ruiz, Copy Editor
Veronica Liu, Graphics Editor
Zach Handelman, TV Studio
Liason
Adviser: James Edgar
Letters to the editor are welcome from all members of the school
community, and can be delivered toWarrior staff or sent via
email to: [email protected]. 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.
DISTRIBUTION PROCESS
1,500 issues printed and distributed to student body and faculty
bi-weekly by Niskayuna High School Print Shop
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
April 20, 2016
Opinion
5
Stop cutting us out of democracy
By John hess
opinion
Throughout the 2016 election cycle, it has been hard to
go through even one school
day without hearing someone
mention Donald Trump’s plans,
Bernie Sanders’ socialism, or
other political policies that the
students take an interest in.
Twitter feeds across the country
have blown up, and friendships
have been broken in fights over
political beliefs. High schoolers
are reading up on and learning
about the issues in preparation for the upcoming election.
However many students share a
similar problem, no matter how
much they know about the issues,
they cannot vote in the election
because they are too young. It
is agreed that this upcoming
Presidential election is one of the
most important in decades, and
its effects will be felt for years
to come by the next generation
of Americans. For this reason,
among many others, Congress
should lower the voting age to 16
In 1971, Congress passed the
26th amendment, guaranteeing
the right to vote to any U.S. citizen
at or above the age of 18. This
change was due to the fact that
18 year olds were making the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam for their
country yet were not allowed to
vote to elect the leaders that would
decide to send them off to war or
not. The 26th amendment broke
down this double standard, and
another amendment is needed for
a similar purpose. In the current
legal system, 16 year olds can be
tried and sentenced as adults in
court, however they cannot vote.
In these cases, the courts have
to abide by mandatory minimum sentencing laws which can
carry penalties up to 20 years.
Many opponents of an amendment lowering the voting age argue that minors are too young to
make the adult decision of voting
for the next leaders of America,
They counter the proposition
saying that immature voters
making decisions that could
greatly impact the nation is too
risky. However, if a minor is old
enough to be tried as an adult in
court, should they not also have
the right to vote? The idea that
a minor is mature enough to be
sentenced as an adult, but is too
naive to make an informed voting
decision is an injustice. How can
we tell our teenagers that they
are old enough to go to jail for 20
years on a mandatory minimum
sentence, but not old enough to
vote for someone who is supposed to improve the country for
us, the generation of the future?
Furthermore, the whole idea that
young voters are uninformed
and do not deserve the right to
vote is founded on flimsy logic.
A simple lack of knowledge is
not enough to bar a 16 year old
from voting, for many adult voters lack that same knowledge.
When speaking to adults about
this issue I have heard the same
35%
right to vote we would potentially
be raising the intelligence of the
voting population, giving us better
elected officials. Additionally, in
speaking with Niskayuna High
School students, I have personally
met at least 10 who have said that
their parents “did not care about
politics” and several who told me
that “they will vote for whoever I
tell them to.” We still give a vote
to those who do not care about
politics, so why not give the vote to
another group of people who do?
Another argument commonly
used is the idea that parents
would influence, and even force
their child to vote for a particular
candidate, tainting our voting system. This argument was used to
bar women from voting as the opponents of the 19th amendment
pressed that fathers and husbands would do the same to their
wives. This argument is inherently
AmericAn Adults could not nAme even
just one brAnch of the government. WhAt
quAlifies these unknoWing Adults to vote?
of
point over and over again. “I
know many kids who just aren’t
smart enough to vote,” to which I
counter “I know many adults who
I don’t trust to vote,” and statistics
back up my case. A 2014 study
by the Annenberg Public Policy
Center found that only 36% of
American adults could name all
three branches of the government, and 35% of American
adults could not name even just
ONE branch of the government.
What qualifies these unknowing
adults to vote? Just their age.
Students in high school go
through classes which teach them
this and more about government,
economics, and politics, and have
to pass exams on these subjects.
This means that high school
students may even be MORE
qualified than some adults to vote.
The votes of the highly educated
matter the same as the votes of
the uneducated, so by giving students, a population that has just
been educated about politics, the
prejudiced, and it is offensive to
say that 16 year olds cannot think
for themselves when they clearly
can. The truth of the matter is that
our viewpoints are shaped from
life experiences, so it is correct to
say that families and husbands
will affect voting decisions, but so
will wives, friends, and even the
media. If we were deny one the
right to vote because they may be
influenced by outside sources, no
one would be permitted to vote.
In the technology age, 16 year
old have the means to learn
about the issues of the election
and decide where they stand on
them. They have the resources
to learn about which candidate
or party they side with. Most
importantly, 16 year olds have
the time to go out and vote as
their commitments are limited
to school and extracurricular
activities, making 16 arguably
the best age to begin voting. In
contrast, the age of 18 may be
the worst age to begin voting at.
18 year olds are focused on acclimating themselves to the college
environment, and in many cases
have to fill out absentee ballots to
vote, which often are not sent in
on time or at all. If one starts to
vote at 16, they can establish a
habit of voting, so when they go
off the college or into the working
world, they feel an obligation, if
not a duty to vote. If we lower
the voting age we can increase
the participation of all, not just
those under 16 in our voting cycle.
16 and 17 year olds deserve
to have a say in their future, the
future of the United States of
America. Two years can be a very
long time in politics. For example,
by the time the next President
finished his or her term, those
who are 16 and 17 will be well over
the legal voting age, and will be
eligible to be drafted into service.
Should they not have the right to
make an informed decision on
which candidates they trust the
most on foreign policy? In a few
years we will be going off to college, so is it not justified that we
should get to vote for the person
we think is the most qualified to
make college more affordable?
We are inheriting the earth, so
why can we not vote for an environmentally conscious candidate
to help save what we will have to
live on? The largest age group in
poverty in the United States in
children, yet there is not group to
lobby for those under the age of
18. We have no NAACP, AARP or
unions to represent us. The least
that Congress can do is extend
the constitutional right of voting
to us. 16 year olds are educated,
eager, and qualified to vote just
as much as any American adult,
therefore, it is time to take action
on children suffrage and grant any
citizen over 16 the right to vote.
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
April 20, 2016
The Warrior
A closer look into “Mind of Mine”
By Cheshta Prasad
entertainment
Former One Direction member,
Zayn Malik, released his new album called Mind of Mine on March
25, 2016. This happens to be the
same day Zayn left the band in
2015. Coincidence? Maybe not.
Zayn’s growing popularity over
the past year stimulated a lot of
excitement and hype amongst his
fans about his solo career. With
recent interviews, Zayn claims
that “this is quite a personal
album.” He describes his life in
the band and how it has been
the most incredible five years of
his life, but it still has not right
for him. He says the music One
Direction does not reflect his style
of music because he grew up with
different influences than the other
members of the band. He states
in his “Fader Cover” video that he
grew up listening to mostly rap
and R&B around his family, as
well as some Bollywood. In the
band, he was not permitted by
the industry to add his own style
to the music, as it would repel
the teen fanbase. This led him to
Photo credit / Youtube.com
leave the band on March 25, 2015.
The other members, however,
respected his decision to leave.
They knew it was necessary for
Zayn to relax and not be hindered
by the music industry. For Zayn,
this is a step forward in his life.
He can now express his feelings,
which have dramatically changed.
While in the band, he was seen as
a typical, innocent teenage boy.
However, after leaving the band,
he has been more open about
how he does drugs and smokes
cigarettes. His dangerous habits
were not publicized because the
industry would not allow Zayn’s
image to be detrimental to their
teen fan base. This would ruin the
image of the group as a whole, this
was a key reason why he left One
Direction. It was at first a shock
to his fan base, but over this year,
fans have been accepting of Zayn’s
decisions and reputation. He has
gained more popularity and fans
are even calling 2016, “Z016.”
Zayn has also made great
progress in his new album. His
first single called “Pillowtalk”
was released in January and
was a success. He released three
other singles in February and
March, which were also successful. Zayn’s new songs also gives
him a chance to showcase his
incredible voice. In One Direction, Zayn would be the one to
always hit the high notes, but
now with a solo career, and he
can really highlight this talent
throughout his entire album.
His songs are also much slower
and reflect his personal life. The
lyrics explain his feelings about
relationships he has been in with
girlfriends and the other members
of the band. Fans seem to enjoy
this album, as they get a sense
of Zayn’s perspective throughout his time in One Direction.
Léon is destined to climb the charts
By mitChell Famulare
entertainment
Swedish Singer -Songwriter,
Léon, has taken the pop music
scene by storm. With artistic
vibes similar to Tove Lo, Léon
takes a more indie road than
that of her competitors. Her
first public release, TreasureEP, received much acclaim from
critics as well as pop artist, Katy
Perry. Léon’s first single “Tired
of Talking” received 9.7 million
plays on Spotify, an astonishing mark for a debut single.
Léon’s Treasure serves
as a stunning preview for what is
to come this summer when she releases her first full length album.
The first track “Treasure” showcases the singer’s pure vocals as
well as experimental synths and
edits. The bold opening track sets
up the rest of 4-track EP. “Tired
of Talking,” the singer’s most
well known song, catches the
listener’s attention with its initial
isolated vocals in the chorus.
The semi-upbeat breakup song
has been sampled in plenty of
soundcloud tracks so this song
would definitely be hard to miss.
“Nobody Cares” channels Tove
Lo’s innocent voice, but ultimately
switches directions when the incredibly catchy chorus kicks in.
The production of each song on
the EP has been crafted to perfection. The synths, the voice edits,
and experimental beats as well as
her unique voice make Léon one
of a kind. Her twitter currently
only fosters a little over 1,000
fans, so hop on the Léon train.
Photo credit / Rapgenius.com
The Warrior
April 20, 2016
Sports
7
Olympic year brings excitement
By ElEna SanchEz
SportS
Once every four years the world
is graced with the talent of gifted
athletes from around the globe
who come together to represent
their countries with pride. The
Summer Olympics occurs every
four years, and is met with people
gathered around their television
sets to observe the sheer athleticism of some of the Olympians
and become motivated to go to the
gym once in awhile themselves.
The 2016 Summer Olympic
Games is being hosted in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. This year is truly
groundbreaking because this is
the first time Brazil, or any South
American country, has hosted
an Olympic games. Hopefully
this year’s Olympic Game will
leave behind a legacy, just as so
many others have in the past.
One such legacy is the “Miracle
on Ice”. The “Miracle on Ice” may
be the most recognizable Olympic event in the United States.
The U.S. team was made up of
amature and collegiate players,
and was set to face the Soviet
Union team, which had won the
four previous gold metals. With
the underdog U.S. team facing
the renowned and heavily favored Soviet Union team, there
was little hope for a U.S. gold in
hockey at the 1980 Lake Placid
Olympic Games. Even with the
odds stacked against them, the
U.S team managed a power play
early in the third quarter that
allowed them to score the tying
goal. The crowd went wild and
the amature players of the U.S
team were gaining hope and momentum, which was a dangerous
combination for their opponent.
It was only a few shifts later that
Mike Eruzione scored and put
the U.S. in the lead 4-3. This
moment continues to live in the
memory of everyone who watched
it occur and its legacy is timeless.
This year the 2016 Rio Olympics could be the location where
previous legacies are challenged
and new ones are made. There
are few people around today who
would not recognize the name
Michael Phelps. Many consider
him to be the best swimmer in
the world. He has set Olympic
records in swimming and has won
22 Olympic medals, 18 of them
being gold. Well, this year there is
a potential contender to beat the
Olympic record maker in the 100
meter butterfly. His name is Tom
Shields. Tom Shields currently
holds the American record in the
50-meter butterfly, the 100-meter butterfly, and the 200-meter
butterfly. Tom Shields has the
potential to beat a 22 time Olympic medalist at the 2016 Summer
Olympics and, in turn, he has
the potential to begin a legacy.
Tom Shields is not the only up
and comer to look out for. Gymnastics could see an extremely
talented addition to their team.
It has always been a popular
sport in the Olympic Games.
Simone Biles is on a hot streak
with 3 straight world all around
titles, 3 U.S. national titles, and
10 world gold medals. She is
considered to be one of the best
in the sport today. People are
comparing her talent to the likes
of Gabby Douglas, and she is has
what it takes to win gold in Rio.
The 2016 Summer Olympics
in Rio offers newcomers and
seasoned athletes alike an opportunity to make their dreams
a reality. These athletes put in
an extraordinary amount of work
and effort to reach the Olympics.
They put their blood, sweat,
and tears into every moment of
practice, and when the games
finally arrive, these extraordinary
athletes will put their skill to the
ultimate test. Each athlete gets
an opportunity to show what
their hours of determination
has yielded. Each athlete gets
an opportunity to accomplish
their dreams, each athlete has
an opportunity to create a legacy.
Girls lacrosse is better than ever
By zoE handlEman
SportS
Niskayuna Girls Varsity Lacrosse is back–bigger, better,
faster, and stronger than ever.
In the beginning of the season,
the team didn’t know what to
expect as they felt nervous about
the loss of their five talented seniors, as well as the pressure to
defend the section championship
they had worked hard to achieve
last year. To add to the pressure, many underclassmen had
joined the team, including three
freshmen and four sophomores,
for their first year on the varsity
team. At first, the situation made
it seem like there would be no
way for the team to pull off a
season comparable to last year’s.
However, with three back
to back wins, the team is currently undefeated, disproving
all doubts. After recently beating
Guilderland High School’s team,
the Class A section champions,
with a score of 15-14, the team
proved just how strong they are.
Even though the team is young
and many of the players are new,
everyone feels a part of the group.
“Coming on to this well known
varsity team was actually super
intimidating,” said Jane Reffelt,
a freshman and first year varsity
player. “There were big shoes to
fill… but all of the seniors and upperclassmen have been very supportive, and they help the underclassmen improve their game.”
Through sleepovers, pasta parties, sprinting through agilities
in the preseason, and following
the “early is on time, on time is
late” policy of Coach Jason Bach,
the team has bonded. “Our team
has so much chemistry, it feels
like we’ve been playing together
for years,” said Marisa Divietro,
a senior varsity player. “The underclassmen didn’t miss a step
when coming on to the new team.”
With these excellent early
results, great things should be
expected from the Nisky Warriors.
Photo Credit / Zoe Handleman
Gilrs’ Lacrosse: A huddle around Head coach Jason Bach before a game.
Sports
Baseball ready to rock
By Conor Graham
SportS
After a long, yet strangely warm, offseason, the Varsity Baseball Team is set to go
for their first game on April 6. The team finished the last of their preseason scrimmages
on Saturday, capping off a five game series
against Scotia and Schenectady, and are
hoping the cold weather departs as quickly
as it came. Only a small number of seniors
make up this year’s club, but that is not diminishing any confidence. “We’ve got a lot of
great young guys who are filled with a bunch
of talent,” said senior pitcher Zach Percy.
Without the presence of the seniors, many
youthful talent has come up from the lower
programs, such as sophomores Ben Funyak, and Alec Ritzenthaler. “Being one of the
younger [players] doesn’t matter. [The teammates] make you want to leave everything
out on the field every day,” said Funyak,
who is presently injured with back issues
but hopes to be back within a few weeks.
Leading this year are captains Matt Toy
and Zach Kerr. “I think it’s important that
we’re a family both on and off the diamond.
As far as our strengths, we have a very young
team with a lot of talent, and if we can match
our ambition with our ability we can make a
deep run into sectionals, and very possibly
win,” said Kerr, who is likely to be a strong
force off the mound this year. “We have a
lot of guys who worked hard this offseason
and have gained confidence throughout our
scrimmages. I think pitching will be one of
our strengths this year, having so many different guys to choose from,” remarks Toy,
who will be catching on this year’s staff.
Heading this year’s pitching staff will be
junior Nick Insognia, who is coming off of
a strong final outing last season pitching in
the Sectional play in a game against Albany,
and has shown much promise in preseason
play. The rest of the starting rotation is yet
to be decided, but other pitchers include
junior Jake Phillips, Sophomore Alec Ritzenthaler, and senior Zach Kerr, among others.
Of course, much of last year’s attention has
left along with graduate Garrett Whitley, who
is now playing professionally for the Tampa
Bay Rays organization. However, less cameras
may allow for more time spent focusing on the
team’s goals which have been set at no less
than a Sectional title. Conor Graham being a
returning player, thinks that if the team can
hone this year’s youthful talent, it may develop
into a successful team for years to come. Under
Coaches Furey, Black and Bianchi, the team is
provided with an opportunity to take the baseball program further than it has gone before.
Athlete of the Month
By natalie metzGer
SportS
For the month of March, The Warrior Project has selected Matt Toy to be Athlete of the
Month. Toy is a junior on the Niskayuna Boys
Baseball Team. He is the catcher and a hard
worker on and off the field. Not only is Toy
the team’s starting catcher, but he has also
been named junior captain of the baseball
team by his teammates. He has great leadership skills and is a great teammate. Coach
John Furey stated that Toy has worked hard
in the offseason to prepare for this season by
becoming faster and stronger; his improved
physical attributes show on the field. Being a
leader on the team, he works hard and gives
great support to his teammates. Toy is a great
athlete and also a great student and role model
in the community. He is taking many advanced courses and manages his time between
baseball and school to get great grades. He is
involved in clubs such as The Warrior Project,
is the president of the Nisky Friends Club,
The Warrior
April 20, 2016
and is also in charge of volunteer activities for
SAFE. Toy understands the hard work it takes
to be a great athlete, student, and role model
for the community, and is up to the challenge
everyday. He has the health and focus to be
a great athlete and student. Congrats to Matt
Toy, and good luck to you in your future.
Girls Lacrosse
4/21 @ Saratoga Springs
4/27 @ Shenendehowa
5/03 v. Averil Park
5/05 @ Burnt HillsBallston Lake
Schedule and Scores
8
Boys Lacrosse
4/21 v. Saratoga Springs
4/23 v. Columbia
4/27 v. Shenendehowa
4/29 v. Troy
5/03 @ Averil Park
5/05 @ Burnt HillsBallston Lake
Baseball
4/22 @ Ballston Spa
4/25 v. Averill Park High
School
4/27 @ Burnt HillsBallston Lake
4/29 v. Guilderland High
School
5/02 @ Bethlehem High
School
Boys Tennis
4/22 @ Ballston Spa
4/25 v. Averill Park
4/27 @ Burnt HillsBallston Lake
4/29 v. Guilderland
Softball
4/22 @ Ballston Spa
4/25 v. Averill Park
2/27 @ Burnt HillsBallston Lake
Girls Outdoor Track
4/20 @ Saratoga Springs
Photo Credit / Natalie Metzger
The Warrior Projects’s Athlete of the Month:
Matt Toy successfully catches the ball.
Silver
The Warrior Magazine
Volume 42, Issue 12 April 20, 2016
National Poetry Month!
Editors:
Laura Labate
Natalia Romanzo
Asst. Editors:
Elisa Abraham
Elisabeth Chillrud
Photo Credit/Elisabeth Chillrud
Silver
April 20, 2016
The Warrior Magazine
Musings
on
asexuality
By Catie LeCours
Magazine
No. 1
Grant me anything you can
To reassure me that I did not manufacture
The darkness shading my eyes,
The mystery to which so many subscribe.
For where in God’s book is it written
The despicable history in false advertising?
Dear Readers,
April is National
Poetry Month! We
hope you enjoy
these student
written poems.
Have a wonderful
April!
Love,
The Editors
How I detest the assumptions
Which force me to carelessly, daily, to question my identity.
Show me where, in God’s book
is the justification for erasure written.
No. 2
And to the matyrs of our silent cause,
The departed souls
Torn from us by their own insecurity,
I say:
I blame those who told you you were broken.
And to all those suffering invisibility,
Those who wonder
If acceptance is worth the struggle,
I say:
I stand with those who tell you you are beautiful.
Asexuality is the lack of
sexual attraction to anyone. It is a complex sexual
orientation and is on a
spectrum. Although once
it was considered a disease, that is completely
false and outdated.
If you want more information, go to asexuality.org
Warrior Photo Credit / Elisabeth Chillrud
Silver
The Warrior Magazine
April 20, 2016
No. 3
“In what universe are asexuals queer?”
This one.
“Why should there be an A in the acronym anyway?”
Why? I’ll tell you why.
Because every morning I wake up
And I face the world with my hands in my pockets
I am ashamed.
They tell me I should be ashamed
They tell me I am broken.
And I collect the scattered shards of my identity
And I pore over the puzzle pieces for hours.
And I comtemplate the enigma late into the night
And I finally realize the time
And I paste the fragments back together with the balm of camaraderie
I use the glue that is LGBTQA to recreate the slightly chipped whole.
Yet day after day, they tear it apart
Until one day there are no pieces left
And I sift the dust through my fingers
And still they say incessantly:
“The A is for ally.”
And I ask silently:
In what universe are allies queer?
I
came
By Saga Stranden
from
forever
Magazine
I came from forever,
that vast void you shout at.
I came from the stars that you’ll never touch.
I once was the magic that you dreamed of being.
I once was the sunlight touching your skin.
Now I am here,
no longer a concept.
Now I am
What you want me to be.
Silver
Spring
April 20, 2016
The Warrior Magazine
is
here
to
stay
By Sanya Mittal
Magazine
It is already April, nearly May.
Spring is here, and the flowers bloom.
As the Earth rotates,
we will wake earlier and sleep later.
Gardeners will plant their seeds for the summer,
and we will wait for the strawberries to grow.
What little snow there was has melted away.
It was a kind winter, a warm and gentle one,
nothing like the storms that we have seen before.
It will be a kind spring, one where all the plants and people grow.
I find that we are all a little worried, about exams and projects, about college and
the future; it is reassuring to know that we will all turn out okay.
We are busy people;
we balance many things at once,
but we must learn to stop and admire the roses
and to look up at the sky every now and then.
There are a hundred billion stars in this galaxy alone,
and there are a hundred billion galaxies in the universe that we know;
if we were to stare up and try to count them for a bit,
I’m sure we would be amazed at the infinite.
Spring is here;
you know this because the mornings smell like rain and soil,
and the afternoons are full of warmth and sun.
Spring is here;
we are growing still,
just like the flowers and trees and bumblebees.
The earth grows warm and life goes on.
Spring is here.
Photo Credit/Elisa Abraham