Intimidation Leads Prep School Football Team to a Victory

By Timothy Vallely
New Rochelle, N.Y.

Intimidation Leads Prep School Football Team to a Victory

The Lawrence Academy football team prepared to rack up their second victory against St. Georges in as many years. But to Lawrence Academy’s surprise, they wouldn’t even have to play the game to get the division win.

St. George’s school has withdrawn from Friday’s game against the defending Independent School League Champions, Lawrence Academy due to health concerns. Lawrence Academy has been on top of the ISL for the second year in a row winning games easily and by large margins. The Spartans defeated St. George’s 48-15 last year and went undefeated blowing out every team that they faced. For the 2010 season, the Spartans have been ordered by school officials to keep the scoring down.

“I met with out headmaster and the decision was made not to play them,” said Athletic director and Head football coach at St. George’s. “As for the reasons why, you can draw your own conclusions.”

The vague statement by coach Mackay definitely turned heads around the ISL. Lawrence Academy is being looked at under a microscope by not only the entire league, but also within the program. The powerhouse football team is being criticized for allegedly running up scores and being too physical while doing so. Lawrence Academy’s Athletic Director Kathy Noble commented on allegations and criticism saying, “Our goal is to promote sportsmanship and that’s something everyone here wants.”

Another major factor that contributes to Lawrence Academy’s success and other teams complaining is the size of the players. The Spartans have three starting linemen who weight 300 pounds or more. Numerous coaches throughout the league have questioned the size and talent of the Lawrence Academy players.

“This is strictly a safety issue, said St. George’s headmaster Eric Peterson. “We are trying to keep our kids reasonably safe in a game that can be terribly exciting but has risks.”

Lawrence Academy will be credited with the victory but it’s unsure as to how the St. George’s record will be affected. Spartans coach Mike Taylor commented on the issue saying, “We’re disappointed because kids want to play. This is a St. George’s decision, not our decision.” The Spartans have come off back-to-back victories beating Thayer Academy 43-8 and Nobles & Greenough 38-7. Lawrence Academy will host Belmont Hill at home on November 5^th. It will be interesting to see if teams will take on the powerful Spartans or if they will back down because of safety issues.

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School Link

The 2010 Midterm Elections: The Year of Controversies and Crazies

By Michael O'Connor
New Rochelle, NY - The 2010 midterm elections will finally take place tomorrow, and a look back at the eventful campaign season yields a multitude of candidates who were controversial, gaffe-prone, and wacky.
In Delaware, Tea Party-backed Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell surprisingly won the nomination and from then on caused a stir with her controversial statements and beliefs. Old videos from Bill Maher’s HBO show “Politically Incorrect” revealed that O’Donnell dabbled in witchcraft and doesn’t believe in masturbation or evolution.
In her debate against Democratic candidate Chris Coons, O’Donnell questioned and didn’t seem to understand that the principle of separation of church and state could be found in the First Amendment.

The New York gubernatorial race was host to a diverse group of people who normally would not have a place in politics. Kristin Davis, the madam of the prostitution ring that Eliot Spitzer was a client of, tried to run under the Libertarian party but did not garner the nomination. Jimmy McMillan ran under “The Rent is 2 Damn High” party. He did not receive much attention his party’s name is basically his own platform, until the televised debate caused his campaign to go viral.



Like O’Donnell, Republican and Tea-Party backed gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino has provided controversy after controversy since garnering his nomination. He sent out a racially insensitive and sexually explicit e-mail to friends that was leaked to the press. He threatened a reporter, was discovered to have a mistress and an illegitimate daughter, and repeatedly spoke out against homosexuality and gay marriage, even criticizing opponent Andrew Cuomo for bringing his children to a gay pride parade.
One of the closest and most closely watched Senate races is in Nevada. There, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid is fighting to keep his seat against opponent Sharon Angle. She has drawn criticism for her strict stance on illegal immigration, with some going so far as to say she is racist. She did not help matters when she spoke to the Hispanic club of a high school she was visiting and told them “I don’t know that all of you are Latino. Some of you look a little more Asian to me. I don’t know.”
The democratic gubernatorial candidate in Rhode Island, Frank Caprio, told President Obama that he could take his endorsement “and shove it” after he learned that Obama declined to endorse him. Rich Iott, a Tea Party candidate running for election in Ohio’s 9th congressional district, was discovered to be a WWII reenactment enthusiast who enjoyed dressing up in Nazi garb.
No one knows exactly why this campaign season has yielded more gaffes and controversies than ever before, but some sources point to the high level of anger and the inexperience of Tea Party candidates.
With the high stakes of the campaign and the residual anger about issues like unemployment and health care, some candidates simply may not be able to speak their minds in a healthy and professional manner. And some Tea Party candidates are unaccustomed to the pressure of political campaigns, so they are less polished and rougher around the edges.
It remains to be seen what affect these gaffes and controversies will have on the elections, but there will plenty of analysis in the days to come once results are in.
Expand your knowledge:
Gaffes and Gotchas

New York Times Political Center

Costly 3-D movies may not be able to stand the test of time

By Phil Vecchione
New Rochelle, NY-3-D movies produce mixed reactions as the pros and cons are weighed. The evolution of 3-D movies has allowed viewers to be dazzled by vivid digital imagery, but has made their wallets an empty abyss.

The costs of 3-D movies may out weigh the benefits that these movies provide. The standard cost for a 3-D movie comes at a $4 premium, meaning you add $4 to any movies' general admission price.

At New Rochelle's local theater, Regal New Roc City 18 & IMAX, a 3-D movie ticket for an adult is $15.50; $12.50 for children. This summer a family of five would have spent $68.50 on "Toy Story 3" in Disney Digital 3-D.

Director Jon Favreau, who is the brain behind the anticipated film "Cowboys and Aliens," refused to use 3-D technology to film his movies. "So coming next year, 2-D, 'Cowboy and Aliens.' Take the money you save and see it twice," said Favreau on ABCNews.com.

Cost for theatres to invest in new 3-D projection are also high. Many of the independently owned theatres are debating if the investment is worth it.

The cost for a theatre to entirely digital is roughly $75,000, the price will increased by $30,000 with a full 3-D conversion. The conversion requires, 3-D lens for the digital projectors, the viewing glasses and silver screens.

Most independent theatres do not have the funding to install such pricey equipment, therefore they are being beaten out by national movie theatres. Some independent theatres like Visulite, in Staunton, Va., have benefited from full digital and 3-D conversion. The entire process cost theatre owner Adam Greenbuam $150,000. The switch improved Greenbaum's annual Spring season profit by 400 percent bringing in $72,000.

"I knew that in the near term it was the right thing to do for me personally, I didn't want to wait," said Greenbaum to WashingtonPost.com. "We have been in this position where every April we go off this cliff."

Mark O'Meara the owner of University Malls Theatre in Fairfax, said he would not invest well over $100,000 on digital and 3-D conversions.

3-D movies have trended before, their previous failures leave many questions in the minds' of investors. Spending such a high amount of money on this technology may be costly in the long run.

The first 3-D movie released in the U.S. was titled "The Power of Love," which was released back on September 27, 1922. 3-D movies have been around for a long period of time but have not had lasting power.

3-D boomed in the 1950s, but became obsolete for a long period of time due to cost inefficiency. Theatre goers did not want to pay for 3-D glasses, which eventually doubled in price due to double prints. Movies had to be printed twice for the right eye and left eye due to the lack of focus in early 3-D screens.

3-D movies once again reestablished popularity in the 1980s, but they never really gained solid ground. The history of 3-D movies is a timeline riddled with peeks and valleys and inconsistency.

Dropping the Knowledge

History of 3-D Movies

3-D movie Trend

ABC News

The blood that saves lives by Krista Knoblauch

New Rochelle, NY

Cord Blood, could it be the thing that one day saves your life? It is the strongest defense against diseases and moving toward recovery according to preganancy.net. The benefits of it are that it rebuilds cells in damaged areas, and given that it is the donor’s blood, there are zero harmful effects or risks to using it.

Cord Blood is the blood that is left over in the umbilical cord. It is usually thrown out, but it contains stem cells that have the power to rebuild damaged cells and cure diseases. The stem cells can be used without harming the baby or person using them.

Thanks to a new cord blood kit, people can save their babies blood in a quick, cheap and easy fashion. Dr. Kurtsberg is the Chief investigator for this kit. She is a professor at Duke University where the studies are being done and where the kit was invented. The cord blood kit is the most valuable investment you can make in your child’s life.

Many people want to save their cord blood, but cannot afford to. What they can do now is donate it to a public facility that anyone can use. When they get sick they will have access to cord blood in return. The only negative of this process is that there is no guarantee that there will be a blood type match when you go to get it. Moreover you will not be getting your own blood sample back.

Its most recent test was done on children with Cerebral Palsy. Of all the patients tested majority of them made a full recovery. There is still more work to be done with the investigating and documenting of the results. So far the blood transplants with cord blood have cured diseases like Leukemias, Lymphomas and Other Blood Cancers.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to cord blood kits, because it is relatively new. Some of the most important to know are not true is that it is not being used in the medical field yet. This is false, it is being used and patients are having great success. Also that it is too expensive. There are payment plans families can go on for only forty-one dollars a month for 48 months. While this may seem like a lot it is the best investment you can make in your child’s life.


The kit is easy to use and will help restore a product, that up until now was used as medical waste. If a person is of a minority their samples are even more vital. “We simply need more. Cord blood cells are increasingly seen as a valuable resource, and we are seeing a pressing need for more cord blood donation, especially among Asian and African-American mothers and those with mixed ethnic backgrounds” says Dr. Kurtzberg of Duke University.

Expand your knowledge:

Cord Blood Official website

Duke Health.

Charlie Goes off the Deep End...... Again

New Rochelle, New York- The runaway train that is Charlie Sheen, only appears to be becoming more and more out of control, with cause for concern that any minute he could de-rail. A friend of Charlie Sheen, who claims to have known the actor, and highest paid U.S TV star over the past twenty years, said he "thinks that the actor is in serious trouble."
People close to Sheen have come foward, expressing their concerns for the actor. A source according to RadarOnline.com said " It's been a non-stop party for of drugs and hookers since Charlie got home. His handlers have no idea how to stop him. He is completley out of control. No one can get through to him." However, there is one person who feels that they can help out Charlie through this timoltuous time in his life. His father, Martin Sheen, who has gone through many of the same problems himself. Martin, therefore has staged an intervention to get his son into rehab. Martin who is a former alcoholic told the New York Post: "You have to seperate him from that environment, from the people that he's around."
All of this cause for concern stems from an incident earlier in the week when security was called to his New York City suite, where he became enraged after he could not find his $170,000 dollar watch or his wallet to pay porn star Christina Walsh her escort fee. Sheen reportedly became so enraged that he trashed the room looking for it. The post also reported " When one of his assistants opened the door, their was Charlie standing their naked with cocaine all over his face! He was dillusional and just completley lost. Totally out of it."
Charlie Sheen was released from the hospital Tuesday morning, after which, his people called the episode "an allergic reaction to medication." His manager has since released a statement that Charlie was doing fine and is happy to be back to work on the set of Two and a Half Men. We'll see what else is to come of this, whether or not Charlie Sheen will listen to his fathers advice and return to rehab.



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More on Charlie

A New Breed of Artists?

New Rochelle, N.Y- Technology has changed how artists around the world approach and perceive art. The animation industry is one field that has been greatly affected.

With the development of graphic design programs like Photoshop and ZBrush, artists are now dependent on technology than ever before. The idea of using pencil and paper is no longer a requirement.

Arden Chan, a lead design artist at Blue Sky Studios in Greenwich, Connecticut relies on Photoshop in creating the environment of each movie that he is assigned. Currently working on the upcoming film, Rio, he relies heavily on the program to complete his artwork. “Photoshop is very special because it allows me to change things easily. When I worked for Disney Animation, it was more traditional-based. We did not use Photoshop at all. There, we were required to have stronger draftsmanship qualities,” says Chan. Since Photoshop was used infrequently, artists needed to be experienced in hand-drawn animation and rely less on the help of technology.

Much like how Photoshop revolutionized painting and drawing, ZBrush has the same impact on sculpting. It allows artists to sculpt in virtual space which allows you to modify it easily and quickly. Sculpting clay figures may take weeks to complete, but with ZBrush, the process can now be done within days. Chan, who had conversations with Michael Defeo, a sculptor for more than 11 years, enjoys the old-fashioned way of sculpting but recognizes the advantages the program has to offer. Defeo said that sculpting can be a tedious process where changes would be very difficult and time consuming, but ZBrush can make quicker changes.

Some artists feel that the magic of completing a work of art has disappeared. Rob Cardone, a layout supervisor for Blue Sky says that “Having used Photoshop for several years, there have been added innovations each year, making the art design process even easier to complete. With the push of a button, unique images can be manipulated and the magical feeling of designing a scene, drawing or painting is gone.” Kevin Proctor, a former Disney Animator adds that the new technology “makes designing art more user-friendly and more approachable to people who do not have artistic talent. It has its pros and cons.”

Whether the public enjoys the charm and allure of hand-drawn art, or the sophisticated, beautiful render of CG art (computer generated), both styles of have their own unique appeal. Tomorrow, technology may bring something else to our eyes.

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Behind the Scenes at Blue Sky Studios

Trailer of Rio

Introduction to ZBrush