Daniel Pecoraro

Accomplishments and Extracurriculars:

6/14/2005: Won WaMu Junior PA Announcer for the Cyclones at the branch of Washington Mutual, in announcing competition based on enthusiasm, clarity, &c. Æ6/26/2005: Was Guest Public Address Announcer for 3rd inning for the against the Aberdeen IronBirds

6/24/2005-9/30/2005: Mets Kids Correspondent, Radio Disney-WQEW (1560 AM): Won post in broadcasting contest 6/05 based on enthusiasm, clarity, &c, at Green Acres Mall, Valley Stream, NY; wrote my own Mets game summaries and scripts and gave weekly Friday 30-second correspondences to the station (15 instances). References: Jennifer “Jazzy Jen” Zeppola, (former?) station manager, WQEW 1560 AM; Barbara McHugh, Manager, Marketing, Æ9/18/2005: As part of Mets Kids Correspondent position, performed New York Mets starting lineups (and recorded starting lineups for Braves, not displayed due to last-minute lineup change) at Shea .

9/2005, 7/2006: Was Guest Public Address Announcer at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, Troy, NY, for Tri-City ValleyCats against the Brooklyn Cyclones, at the behest of Assistant General Manager Vic Christopher (who heard me as a Junior PA announcer in 2003). Reference: Vic Christopher, Assistant General Manager, Tri-City ValleyCats. 4/30/2006: All-Around Third Place and Hitting Champion, Local Competition, MLB Pitch, Hit, and Run sponsored by Pepsi, KeySpan Park.

7/5/2006-8/24/2006: Volunteered at Rosedale Branch, Borough Public Library (50 hrs). References: Benedicia Ebba, Assistant Librarian; Ms. Hawthorne, Children’s Librarian

7/23/2006: Finalist, Junior Metscaster Competition: Made Top 10 in Regional competition, a play-by-play of a previous Mets game judged on enthusiasm, clarity, &c, judged by Mets employees, dignitaries from the Mets and The Sports Authority, &c, at Westbury, NY Sports Authority store; participated in Finals competition at , but did not win. Was accredited member of the press for that day’s game against the Astros.

Fall 2006-Spring 2006: Editorial Board Member, The Phoenix (school literary magazine); left of my own volition, yet remained an important part, selling tickets to poetry readings References: Robert Babstock, former Phoenix advisor.

Fall 2006-Spring 2008: Member, Debate Team; left of my own volition References: Susan Getting, Debate Team coach

Fall 2006, Fall 2007-Fall 2008: Member, Junior Statesmen of America/Junior Statesmen Association Daniel Pecoraro

ÆFall 2007: Member of Board to Resurrect Junior Statesmen of America ÆFall 2008: President, Junior Statesmen Association References: Linda Steinmann, former JSA advisor

Fall 2006-Present: Member, Students for the Preservation of the Earth (SPE) ÆSpring 2006, Fall 2007, Spring 2007, Spring 2009: Participated in semiannual It’s My Park! Day with members of SPE at Cunningham Park, Bayside, NY ÆSpring 2006-Spring 2009: Vice President, Students for the Preservation of the Earth References: Maureen Lonergan, SPE Advisor 2/27/2007-Present: Granted Honor Student Membership at , Queens, NY, due to exemplary grades in reading and math.

Spring 2007: Participant, Patriot Group 5K Remembrance Walk: Walked in honor of firefighters lost on 9/11/01 and in support of their families.

Spring 2007: Poem published in Creative Communication’s Celebrate! Poets Speak Out- A Celebration of Young Poets-Spring 2007.

4/10/2007-Present: Volunteer, Louis Armstrong House Museum: Perform tours, house upkeep and business work at Corona (House) location; perform archival work, including cataloguing and cleaning of archival materials, and business work at Queens College (Archives) location (Over 500 hours). References: Michael Cogswell, Director; Deslyn Downes Dyer, Assistant Director, Baltsar Beckeld, Museum Manager

4/20/2007: Officially honored as a Queens Library volunteer (could not attend ceremony)

5/11/2007-4/2009: Founder, Head Writer, Editor-in-Chief, and Otherwise Grand Poobah of the political blog, Notepad (http://www.thenotepadshow.blogspot.com): I launched this blog in order to vent about the Bush administration and discuss how the government ought to fix the problems facing the nation, with a neo-Populist slant, and it turned into a minor source of news for a few dozen members of my school. Wrote 55 posts, along with 8 Notepad-related “Notes” on Facebook.

6/23/2007-7/14/2008: Co-correspondent, SportsPhan.com (http://www.sportsphan.com): Wrote 11 articles with my father, David S. Pecoraro, on the of the League, chronicling the final game of the 2007 season, the eight home games of the 2008 season, the Dragons’ Divisional Round game against the Soul in Philadelphia, and the follow-up to the aforementioned playoff game regarding the investigation on the ending of the game. Was an accredited member of the media for those occasions, for the final instance. References: Mike Basak, Vice President, Operations, Sportsphan.com; Steve Buscemi, correspondent, SportsPhan.com; Stacy Troiano, former Director, Media Relations, New York Dragons and current Director, Media Relations, ; Greg Wiley, former Director, Communications, Philadelphia Soul. Daniel Pecoraro

11/2007: Inducted into National Honor Society (Arista). 1/2008: Inducted into the Service Honor Society (Archon).

Spring 2008: Member, Student Senate: elected by majority of AP World History class as senator with the goal of informing students on matters of the Student Union.

Spring 2008: Ran for election for Public Relations post, Student Union, lost primary election.

Spring 2008: Poem published in Creative Communication’s A Celebration of Poets- Spring 2008.

4/2008: I earned a Green Ribbon for the Beginning Attic Greek level of the ACL/NJCL National Greek Exam.

4/19/2008: Notepad reaches the second round of credential applications for the General DemConvention Blogger Pool for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Denver, CO. Didn’t make it.

7/2008: Received result of a 5 out of 5 on the AP World History exam; I also received a 740 on the SAT Subject Test in World History, and a 690 on the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry.

Fall 2008-Present: Founder and President, Trivia and Knowledge Club. References: Marianthe Colakis, Trivia and Knowledge Club advisor

10/2008-11/2008: Member, Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change: Made two appearances for phone banking at the Queens headquarters of the United Federation of Teachers in Rego Park NY, on behalf of the UFT, calling Belle Harbor, NY, and the state of Florida; also called the states of Colorado, Virginia, and North Carolina via canvasses on BarackObama.com.

10/2008, 1/2009-Present: Member, writing staff, The Classic (school newspaper): Was part of reporting on two articles in October 2008 issue due to exemplary performance in writing articles in Journalism class, was accepted onto the Classic in January. To date, have written 13 articles (7 for the News staff and 5 for the Sports staff, including one sports op-ed and a co-authored piece). References: Ilsa Cowen and Caroline Cross, Classic co-advisors

11/18/2008: Re-inducted into National Honor Society (Arista).

11/26/2008: Participant, THHS Turkey Trot (1.5 mile race to celebrate the impending Thanksgiving holiday-finished with a time of 13:06). Daniel Pecoraro

1/21/2009: Blog for the mental_floss magazine publishes my quiz “Name the ‘Five-Timers’ in 3 minutes” as part of their daily “Lunchtime Quizzes.” Won the prize of a free T-Shirt.

3/13/2009: Inducted into the Math Honor Society (Mu Alpha Theta).

3/17/2009: Re-inducted into the Service Honor Society (Archon).

4/2009: I earned a Green Ribbon for the Intermediate Attic Greek level of the ACL/NJCL National Greek Exam.

4/28/2009: Inducted into the New York State Science Honor Society.

5/2009-Present: Contributor, UFLAccess.com (http://www.uflaccess.com): Wrote, at present, three articles for the website chronicling the New York Sentinels of the United Football League. References: Billy Kirk, writer, UFLAccess.com; Nation Hahn, Head Writer, UFLAccess.com

5/20/09: Earned the Queens College Presidential Award for Excellence, in recognition for outstanding achievement by a high school junior; one award given to a junior in each school in Queens County.

6/21/2009: Ran in the Brooklyn Cyclones’ Take Your Base 5K Run to Strike Out Cancer. After raising $50 from family members for the American Cancer Society, I ran with a time of 23:46 (19th in a field of 54 runners).

6/25/2009: Tried out for a position as a Ballperson at the US Tennis Open.

6/2009-7/2009: Received my score of 2140 (Reading 720, Math 740, Writing 680) on the SAT Reasoning Test; I also received a 5 out of 5 on the AP History Exam.

9/2009: Named a 2009-10 National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar.

Fall 2009-Present: Member, The MALContents (Music, Art, and Literature Club). References: Rafal Olechowski, MALContents advisor. Vol. 25, Issue 1: October 2008 Campaigns hold press conferences in journalism electives by Pearl Bhatnagar, Sarah Mahmood, Daniel Pecoraro, Tracey Wang, and Esther Whang After donning her “Sarah Palin glasses,” as she called them, senior Barbara Cvenic became Republican vice presidential candidate and namesake of the glasses, Sarah Palin, at her first press conference of the election simulation. Barbara, along with other seniors playing candidates, their spouses, and campaign managers, held several press conferences with Ilsa Cowen’s two journalism classes, on September 22-26, and answered questions both as themselves and in the roles they were playing. During the first half of the press conference, in which students spoke as themselves, many Republican Party members said that their own views do not match those of the candidates they are representing. “There are actually about three Republicans in the Republican campaign,” said Raoul Valencia, who plays Todd Palin. Ryan Urquidi, who plays John McCain, stated, “I’m about as liberal as you can get….It’s hard to say things you disagree with, but you come away with a greater understanding.” When Barbara was asked what issues she disagreed with Palin on, she said, “Everything!” The students representing the Democratic Party seemed to find their candidates’ views more congenial. Brian Gamble, who plays Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, stated, “It’s a thrill having someone you’re in sync with so that you can put forth their views.” Damian Charles, who plays Barack Obama, also expressed his enthusiasm about the candidate he is simulating. Students can only play political figures and spouses of their own gender. “I was thrilled from the very beginning. I originally wanted to be Obama, but there are rules against that, so I’ll settle for being his wife,” said senior Katherina (Kat) Balram, who is playing Michelle Obama. As the seniors transform into their political figures, they anticipate some difficulties. Barbara said what would be most difficult about the simulation, would be “going past party lines…breaking through the liberal barrier facing us.” She urged people not to vote based on policies and political stances in the election simulation, but rather on the effort and effectiveness of the students playing the roles. The election simulation was about “how people present themselves,” she said. Cecilia Ehresman, who plays Senator McCain’s wife Cindy McCain, described a different difficulty in playing her role. She said, “After actually becoming a spouse, I knew how hard it was. If your spouse doesn’t know something, you need to…save your spouse; if anything…you are kind of their safety net.” This election, as Cecilia said, is a lot about being a “safety net” for someone, or working together as a team and relying on peers for support. Although the candidates are most in the public eye, all seniors have a significant part in the simulation and in its success. For instance, some are speech writers, political analysts, and cameramen. Damian, who plays Barack Obama, said, “I’m just the face of it, but it’s a big team effort.” On the other hand, Fior Fabian, Republican campaign manager, said, “We’re behind the scenes, but they [the candidates] have to put themselves out there. They need the charisma because that’s what gets people elected.” The election simulation has encouraged some seniors to pursue a career in politics. “I had actually been considering politics for a while before the Simulation started, but this has just helped get me a lot more interested in it. I think that the Simulation is a great avenue through which you can experience first-hand what politics is like and what it really means to be involved in it,” said Heriselda Begaj, who plays Jill Biden. About half way through the press conferences, the seniors switched from their own persona to play their respective roles. Kat, as Michelle Obama, said that McCain “needed to energize his campaign,” and thus “[he] stole our motif of change.” Ryan, as McCain, asserted that “change is a symbol. Change is something any presidential candidate should be bringing forth.” Barbara, as Palin, added, “We can actually bring change.” A concern largely voiced throughout the press conferences was the state of the economy. As McCain and Palin, Ryan and Barbara support removing wasteful spending and not allowing CEO’s to gain money from the current economic crisis. “We don’t want CEO’s running off with seven-figure bonuses,” said Ryan, as McCain. However, the idea of a ‘trickle-down’ policy of giving tax breaks to the upper class, as McCain supports, is something Damian, as Obama, does not agree with. “Money never trickles down. Never,” he said. Instead of a ‘trickle-down’ policy, Damian, as Obama, and Brian, as Biden, want to pump money into the economy through the middle class. “We’re planning on raising taxes on the wealthy…while we’ll give the middle class tax breaks,” said Brian, as Biden. Regarding the war in Iraq, Damian, as Obama, supports bringing troops home within 16 months, something Ryan, as McCain, does not support. However, Damian, playing Obama, said that he will protect the borders and not leave haphazardly. “You have to secure it, you have to go there, and 16 months time is enough - I hope,” said Damian, as Obama. “I think about six billion dollars goes into the war effort,” Daniel Lehrman, as campaign manager, said. “We can put that money into Iraq to make it a better place.” Ryan, as McCain, on the other hand, believes that the United States army must stay in Iraq until it becomes stable, regardless of the cost. “We made a commitment,” he said, and walking away would be “hypocritical,” and “un-American.” He continued, “Above money, you have to think of priority.” Although as McCain and Obama, Ryan and Damian disagreed with each other on everything from the economy to the war in Iraq, they both model their campaign after that of Cody Alongi, who played John Edwards in last year’s election simulation. “Cody knew his views inside and out. He was always on radio shows. He was always putting himself out there,” said Damian. “That’s where I set my bar, Cody.” The seniors were looking forward to conducting the election simulation for a long time. “We’ve been excited ever since freshman year since we found out we’re going to do the presidential election,” Kat said. “Its going to be one of the best election simulations we’ve seen in a very long time.” Additional reporting was contributed by Allison Bennet and Rebecca Siedel.

New principal Bonamo addresses journalism classes by Caroline Egan, Daniel Pecoraro and Rebecca Seidel It could have been just another mundane interview, but the Band 9 Journalism class’s press conference with Kenneth Bonamo, the new principal, on October 10 exploded into a rapid back- and-forth that addressed everything from his plans for the school to recent court decisions and politics. On October 14, he once again took center stage in the Band 8 Journalism class, and again responding to a surge of questions, Mr. Bonamo reflected on his first month as principal. In Band 9, Mr. Bonamo, dressed in a light pink tie and a dark gray suit, stood in the middle of the classroom awaiting questions. A slight buzz filled the room, as the student reporters, switched on their computers, and pulled out their previously prepared questions. Once Mr. Bonamo began answering questions, the room’s atmosphere became, as sophomore Jasmine Multani later described it, “electric and compelling.” “It was amazing to hear what he had to say,” Jasmine said, “It really turned out to be a lot of fun.” When Mr. Bonamo arrived for the first day of school on September 2, he said, he was quite nervous – “probably just about as much as the freshmen.” He continued, “There can be something that goes wrong, and if something turns wrong at the end of the day, it’s my fault.” Luckily for Mr. Bonamo, nothing went wrong, and for this, Mr. Bonamo credits the assistant principals. “So far the students have exceeded my expectations…, and I say that as someone who was a student, a teacher, and an administrator at a school with very selective admissions [Staten Island Technical],” he said. “This is the nicest group of students that I have seen….The level of intellect and the level of education has certainly exceeded what I had thought, and the teachers have inspired me in some cases by their of teaching and their skills and their desire to be innovative, and quite frankly, in their receptivity to new ideas, especially from someone from the outside. I’m coming in as the new guy.” To gain the respect of the faculty and student body, he stated the most important thing is “listening to teachers and students, [and] incorporating their advice and expertise into the plans that they make.” He is receptive to ideas for change, but, he said, “the challenge is to change in a way that’s faithful to the Humanities mission” of the school. Humanities, he said, “is a beautiful uniting theme.” Mr. Bonamo wishes to continue many of the traditions established by Thomas Cunningham, his predecessor, and Malcolm Largmann, the founding principal. Mr. Bonamo said he has been “playing phone tag with Dr. Largmann.” He explained, “I want to learn from him what his vision was. I think a Humanities view in all courses is important - it forces students to reflect on what they are learning.” Two of Mr. Bonamo’s specific goals are reinforcing interdisciplinary connections between all subjects and further embracing technology. “Probably one of [my] goals is…to get a SMART board in every room, so that it is easier for a teacher to use them,” he said. Pointing out an example of how technology could enhance a Humanities subject, he said, “When I taught Advanced Placement Government and Politics, I would always turn to the Editorial section of , but wouldn’t it be better if I had a class of AP Government with 34 computers?... I said to myself, ‘Self, it’s what you’ve got to do!’” Asked about preparing Harrisites for college, Mr. Bonamo replied, “We have a responsibility to make sure our students are ready for college.” On the other hand, he asserted that school shouldn’t be a “college-prep factory.” He intends to provide as many courses as possible, without making everything mandatory. “It’s a matter of asking students to specialize, so they’re not trying to do everything and stress themselves out,” he explained. According to Mr. Bonamo, the key to programming classes is creating a balance between AP courses and electives. He is looking into creating an AP Art History course, as well as increasing the sizes of AP United States History and Government classes. “I’m not saying that AP is the answer to everything,” he said. Still, he believes that the courses are worthwhile. Providing AP courses in the coming years is going to be a strain. The city’s budget cuts are going to take a further toll on schools. “I’m sorry to tell you it’s not going to be hypothetical,” Mr. Bonamo said, responding to a reporter’s question about how he would handle further budget cuts. Principals have already been told that the Department of Education will get a 2.5% funding cut in 2009, and a 5% cut in 2010, and the cuts may be much worse. In order to deal with this, the principal must decide what to take away from the school’s budget. He stated, “We need to take a hard look and say, ‘What are we going to do?’” He said this could lead to a reduction in courses “if it gets bad enough.” The focus of both press conferences eventually shifted from Mr. Bonamo’s plans for the school to his take on certain political events. One of the first issues to come up was Mayor Bloomberg’s controversial run for a third term in office. Mr. Bonamo brought up both sides of the argument which now surround term limits. “Some people,” he explained, “say they force change and limit corruption. We don’t know. It’s somewhat undemocratic. In essence, the voters of 1988 are telling us what we can do today.” He explained how the term limit for mayor was established by a referendum in 1988 after Mayor Koch spent three terms in office. “I see it from both sides,” he said. “There are people who are weary from repeated organization. There are people revitalized from them.” Then a reporter asked Mr. Bonamo about the No Child Left Behind Act. “The motivation behind the…act is honorable,” Mr. Bonamo said. “Every child is entitled to a quality education regardless of ethnic or economic background, but there is an assumption in the No Child Left Behind Act that every child has the same capacity for the same type of work and that isn’t right…We should give every child the opportunity to excel, but sometimes I feel we are forcing them. I think the answer is somewhere in the middle. I don’t think we have found it yet.” The next issue to enter the discussion was a recent announcement by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein that teachers are prohibited from wearing political campaign buttons in the classroom. “I support, obviously, the First Amendment rights of all citizens, but I wonder if a teacher should be wearing political buttons in the classroom,” he said. “Would that not suppress discussion?” He pointed out that “the case law is mixed,” and added, “It [the issue] will probably make its way to an interesting court case.” The press conferences continued until they were interrupted by the music signaling the end of class. As the ninth band students scrambled to pack their bags, Mr. Bonamo said, flashing a smile, “Smooth jazz, courtesy of Kenneth Bonamo.” Vol. 25, Issue 3: February 2009 Current Events Forum focuses on children in Uganda by Daniel Pecoraro Ochoro Otunnu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of uNight, an organization that aids children of northern Africa, spoke at the first Current Events Forum. The event, held January 16 during lunch bands, was organized by junior Sarah Mahmood and focused on the difficulties of these children and the importance of taking care of Africa. Mr. Otunnu was born in Uganda, and said he “lived a very privileged life.” However, that changed during the rule of dictator Idi Amin. Mr. Otunnu’s parents fled to Kenya when he was 10 in fear of getting killed by the regime. Left alone with his siblings, he worked as a fisherman until he could pay for their passage into Kenya. There, he lived in a refugee camp where he was able to get schooling, thanks to United Nations Refugee Services. With this education, he was able to attend Dartmouth College, Oxford University, and Columbia Law School. However, children in northern Uganda currently are subject to very different experiences, Mr. Ottunu said. To avoid forced impressment into the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel force organized almost a quarter-century ago, children have to flee their towns and villages and go to the city by nightfall. They then return in the day to their homes and schools. According to the uNight website, over 40,000 of the “night commuters” do this daily. If they are abducted, they are forced to kill their loved ones; according to uNight, over 25,000 children have been put into the LRA. For the last two decades, they have been overlooked by the world community, leading to their name the “Invisible Children.” Ugandans have also been forced to live in refugee camps that have neither running water nor electricity, with several families to a small hut. “The structure of society has been destroyed because of the settlement camps,” said Mr. Otunnu. The lack of education and job training has led to 95% unemployment and the dependency of northern Ugandans on international aid. According to uNight, 1,000 people die each week in the camps, with three times the rate of violent death in Iraq, according to Oxfam. “The suffering and pain of the children in Uganda is unimaginable. It still hasn’t fully sunk in yet that six-year-old children are being forced to kill their own families. It still hasn’t fully sunk in yet that mothers regularly commit suicide because they are unable to protect their children,” said Sarah. “We all get upset when we learn about crimes against humanity in our history classes. We all empathize with the victims, despise the perpetrators, and wonder why most people did nothing to stop it. For all our passionate feelings, we are no better than those people if we silently watch the evils in our day go on.” According to Mr. Otunnu, aiding the people of Africa should not only be from a humanitarian perspective, but also from an economic and global one, as many resources come from Africa. For example, Mr. Otunnu stated that 80% of minerals used in cell phones are mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Africa will be the gateway to the 21st Century,” said Mr. Otunnu. “I’m very grateful to all of the teachers who brought their classes down,” said Sarah. “I was very worried that Mr. Otunnu would end up speaking to five people in each band. Thanks to the teachers, this didn’t happen.” She continued, “I’m also very grateful to each and every person who paid attention, asked questions, and showed interest. It made me very happy that we have people who care.” Many students who attended were inspired to help. “I had never heard anything about the trouble and hardship of the children in Uganda before. Now that I know, I plan to make people aware about what is going on,” said junior Jeannette Raymond. “It is not only people [in] Darfur and Sierra Leone suffering. Hopefully there are petitions and other societies that need volunteers because I would truly want to get involved with the effort.” Sophomore Georgiana Irina noted, “So many people are in need of help or protection.” Some students, however, were not as affected by the forum. “I have to admit, I was a little disappointed in some of the students in sixth band. Some of them were carrying on conversations and sleeping while Mr. Otunnu was speaking about children being forced to kill their own family,” said Sarah. “Not only did I think it was extremely disrespectful to treat a guest of ours like that; I was also surprised that people could find this tragedy boring or not worth their time.”

Winter Carnival raises money for clubs, sports teams by Daniel Pecoraro The annual Winter Carnival on January 26 featured both food and games to help raise money for clubs and teams. According to Coordinator of Student Activities (COSA) Adam Stonehill, despite lower attendance, the Carnival earned a total of $1718, comparable to previous years. Many booths presented interactive games and events. “I liked the Club of Women [booth]....I think the idea of feeding the starving model did well. I thought that Salaam [a club that focuses on Muslim issues] did well with the henna [tattoos],” said senior Diana Buchhalter. Other booths included those of the Boys’ and Girls’ Volleyball teams, who held their now- classic ping-pong toss to win a goldfish, as well as that of the Girls’ Handball team, who held a handball toss to win a hamster named Suzy. Mr. Stonehill noted that the volleyball team collected 706 tickets, topping the earnings of all other booths. The Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) Club and the Trivia and Knowledge Club made their debut at the Winter Carnival this year. The DDR Club allowed Carnival goers to play the game on which it was founded. “I thought the DDR Club was pretty cool. It was very original. It was like an arcade,” said sophomore Steven Frommer. The Trivia and Knowledge Club had a roving booth, as they presented an adaptation of the Discovery Channel game show, Cash Cab. “I liked the Cash Cab [booth]. It showed a lot of hard work and was fun – until I lost,” said junior Cynthia Perez. Clubs also served food at the Carnival. The literary magazine The Phoenix made smoothies; the senior class made smoothies and sold pizza, Free the Children sold ice-cream sundaes, and Students Against Animal Cruelty set up a chocolate fountain. Several factors contributed to this year’s lower attendance. Social studies teacher Maureen Lonergan pointed to the senior trip, which took place during the preceding weekend, and the celebration of Lunar New Year, which began that day, as possible reasons. “I think we had good booths, but I think we had fewer people as well,” said Mr. Stonehill. “Normally, Winter Carnival is so packed you could barely breathe, but this year you could move,” said junior Yena Purmasir. “I thought it was very good. It wasn’t as crowded,” said Ms. Lonergan. “I think there were a great variety of things: games of skill, games of chance, the video games. In past years, there was too much of one thing.” Freshman Sarah Chowdhury said, “It wasn’t as fun as I expected.” Steven said, “If they charged one or two tickets less, you could have done a few more things, experienced a few more clubs.”

Lady Hawks bounce ahead of Van Buren by Daniel Pecoraro The Girls’ Varsity team defeated Martin Van Buren High School, 56-45, in the final home game of the year on February 3. The Lady Hawks held the Lady VeeBees to just five points in the fourth quarter, while scoring 31 points in the second half. The win brings their record up to 10-5 with three games left to play. After being behind 13 to 12 at the end of the first quarter, the Hawks went on an 8-2 run with 4:55 remaining in the second quarter to take a 20-15 lead. The VeeBees responded with an 11-0 run, capped by a buzzer-beater from half-court by senior Lauren Williams, to retain a 26-25 lead. However, this didn’t matter to the Hawks, said sophomore guard/forward Caroline Egan. “We beat them [Martin Van Buren High School] earlier in the season, so we knew we could beat them and would beat them,” she said. Caroline, who had two points with an assist and two rebounds, left with a knee injury with 5:49 in the third quarter and did not return. Townsend Harris surged out of the gate in the second half, going on a 7-2 run with 2:37 remaining in the third quarter, leading 43-40 at the end of the third, and never looked back, going on another scoring spree, this time an 8-3 run with 3:29 left in the fourth quarter. Along with being solid on offense, in the second half, the Hawks defense held the VeeBees to only 5 points in the fourth quarter. Caroline credits the win to the seniors. “It was the last home game of their Townsend Harris career. They certainly had an adrenaline rush,” she said. The seniors, guards Angelica Young, Cecilia Ehresman, Julia Fusfeld and Stephanie Yim, along with guard/forward Francesca Bartalini, combined for 24 of the 56 points of the afternoon. Junior guard Allison Donovan led the Hawks with 15 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds, while Van Buren sophomore Toni Gooden led all players with 21 points, 13 assists and 8 boards. Vol. 25, Issue 4: March 2009 Rahman, Wanees present projects on television by Daniel Pecoraro Juniors Aziz Rahman and Abanoub (Bobby) Wanees appeared on WNBC-TV’s Sunday Today in New York on March 1. They discussed their experiments for the preliminary round of the Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF) at , in which they made the finals. According to Bobby, they were selected to appear “due to the relevance of [their] project with the world today as well as its simplicity.” Preparation for the segment, which aired at around 8:30 on Sunday morning, began the Saturday before. “We...[went] to City College to train with one of the directors at 7:30 in the morning. The [NYCSEF] director, Jeannette Kim, coached us on what to say and how to speak in fluent, simple terms on TV,” Aziz said. By 7:00 the next morning, Aziz and Bobby were at WNBC’s “Content Center” at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. “They positioned us to the right of the news desk and set up our boards beside us,” said Bobby. “They first did a teaser, where they took a short shot of us to show what was coming up after the commercials. Then..., the anchor talked to Jeannette Kim....She talked a bit about NYCSEF,....asked each of us questions about our projects, giving slightly less time to Aziz and me as the segment had run out.” Aziz said the two were a bit nervous as they presented their project. “I’m sure it was noticeable on TV,” he said. Bobby, however, said he was fairly calm. “Being in front of the camera wasn’t as nerve- wracking as I expected it to be. It sort of came naturally to me,” he said. According to their experiment abstract, Bobby and Aziz’s experiment dealt with “determin[ing] whether conversion of dry algae into bio-fuel using solar energy focused by a Fresnel lens [a lens that “comprises small prisms arranged to redirect light into a unified beam”] was a viable possibility.” They found that their specific species of dry algae could convert light from a Fresnel lens into biofuels, specifically charcoal and tar. The goal of the experiment was to “reduce the energy cost of producing biofuel by utilizing solar energy, reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while eliminating an ecological threat that blooming algae presents.” Aziz and Bobby did not complete their project alone, having the help of the Science Department. “I can’t possibly put into words how helpful and influential the whole Science Department has been,” said Bobby. “Any success I have achieved, am achieving, or will achieve will somehow work its way back to the THHS Science Department.” Aziz agreed. “The teachers at THHS have influenced me tremendously. I can’t show enough gratitude towards [physics teacher Philip] Jones for helping with the NYCSEF project. [Science teacher Katherine] Cooper and [Assistant Principal of Science and Technology Susan] Brustein would also have to be mentioned for putting up with my idiotic-ness [sic] and spending numerous hours helping in any way possible - and motivating us, of course.” According to Ms. Cooper, “Mr. Jones provided the idea, the resources and the guidance they needed to complete their project.” After the finals on April 25 at the American Museum of Natural History, the next step for the winners will be the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), to be held in Reno, Nevada in May. According to the NYCSEF website, “approximately 20 students” will receive berths to ISEF from the finals.

Mu Alpha Theta honors math achievers by Daniel Pecoraro Mu Alpha Theta, the mathematics honor society, welcomed 109 junior and senior inductees in an informal ceremony in the cafeteria on March 13. Although usually held on March 14, Pi Day – named for the mathematical ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle, which is 3.14 – fell on Saturday this year. “Pi Day is an important date in the mathematics world. It’s nice to celebrate two things [Pi Day and Mu Alpha Theta] in one day,” said Ms. Liu. After a brief welcome by Ellen Fee, who is Assistant Principal of Mathematics, Physical Education, and Organization as well as Mu Alpha Theta’s advisor, the program began with an adaptation of the game show Family Feud with the juniors competing against the seniors. Questions focused on math and Harris life, such as “Top Reasons to Procrastinate on a Math Collateral.” The juniors defeated the seniors by a score of 350 to 225, earning the right to eat the meal of pizza and fruit pie first. After the distribution of certificates came the traditional raffle. Prizes included graphing calculators and elevator passes. The Chuck Jones cartoon The Dot and the Line was also supposed to be shown, but the projector did not work. Junior and first-year inductee Janelle Viera said, “I thought the ceremony went really well.” Mathematics teacher Aleeza Widman enjoyed the informal setting. “There are so many formal gatherings, so it’s nice to celebrate something that’s more relaxed,” she said. Mu Alpha Theta inductees have at least a 93 average in math, a 90 average overall, and have completed Math B.

Hawks begin outdoor season by Daniel Pecoraro The Boys’ Varsity Track team opened up the outdoor season at Randall’s Island on March 21. The fast track at boded well for the Hawks, who had several members place highly in their events. Junior Daniel Baamonde placed highest among the Hawks in competition. He ranked fifth in the discus throw with a distance of 95 feet, and placed 11th in the varsity shot put with a distance of 37 feet, 1.75 inches. Senior David Vaughan reached sixth place in the varsity 400 meter dash with a time of 52.71 seconds, as well as eighth place in the varsity javelin throw with a distance of 82 feet, 1 inch. Freshman Alex Back had the highest placement of any freshman on the team, achieving 16th place in the freshman 200 meter dash with a time of 28 seconds.

Vol. 25, Issue 6: May 2009 Career Day guests are ‘interesting’ by Daniel Pecoraro Parents, alumni and other guests spoke at Career Day on March 16. The event included three sessions with the speakers, who represented such professions as lawyers, professors, politicians, and writers. They discussed the paths they took to their careers and the benefits of their fields. “Students should have the option of finding out about careers that they might have some interest in, but may not know a lot about,” said private practice lawyer Barry Seidel. “I enjoyed speaking to an interested audience.” He added jokingly, “In two of my three classes, the students asked a lot of questions. In one of the three, they didn’t, so I flunked them.” Many alumni returned to discuss both their careers and how their high school education influenced them. English and Publishing Study teacher Melissa Tortorro said, “It’s like you’ve crossed a threshold. After going to [Harris], college is a breeze.” Freelance writer and editor Eileen Gunn also spoke positively of her education at Harris, adding that the school “turns you to look at things in ways that aren’t obvious.” Computer science professor Stewart Weiss said that as a parent, he has been influenced by Harris because he now understands the point of view of a student, something he does not get to see as well as a professor. Many presenters also gave advice to students. “The decisions you’re making now are not necessarily the decisions that will affect the rest of your lives. Things are subject to change,” said Dr. Weiss, who had begun working in architecture and building design before shifting gears to become a tenured professor at Hunter College. Helen Gaudette, professor and Academic Director of College Preparatory Programs at Queens College, told students to accept whatever opportunities they could get. “My policy has been for years now to say ‘yes’ to opportunities,” she said. Art director and publisher Lisa Donovan said that students should be forthright. “If you feel strongly about something, you may be able to convince them,” she said. Additional reporting by Indira Abiskaroon and Rebecca Seidel

Lady Hawks win final fencing match; make city playoffs by Daniel Pecoraro The Girls’ Varsity Fencing Team thrashed the Queens High School of Teaching Tigers 8.25 to 0.75 on May 4, in the Hawk’s final match before the city playoffs. The win brings the Hawks into a tie for first with Francis Lewis High School. The team’s 7-1 record was their best finish since the 2007 season, when they earned an 8-0 record and the city championships. In Game A, seniors Rupinder Garcha and Margaret Ngo shut out the Tigers 4-0, allowing only one touch from Tigers sophomore Alexandra Monteiro. The Tigers’ only win came from sophomore Francesca Mackay in Game B, but senior Shelby Hecht and junior Meng Zhu held the day with a 2.25-0.75 victory. Juniors Irene Yenko, Amanda Liew, Jenny Zhang and Michele Yu finished off the victory with a 2-0 shutout in Game C. Irene Yenko led all juniors with a 12-2 record and 64 total touches. Hecht led the team this season with a 15-1 record and 78 total touches, having not lost in a match since April 1, when the Hawks defeated Francis Lewis by a score of 6.5 to 2.5. “I’ve been on the team for four years” said Hecht. “I feel as though I’m improving each year and am going to miss the team so much.” Vol. 25, Issue 7: June 2009 Veni, Vidi, Vici: Latin Club victorious at Certamen contest by Daniel Pecoraro The Latin Club, coached by Latin teacher Jonathan Owens, won first and second place in the New York City Latin Certamen held at High School of Science on May 20. Seniors Julia Fusfeld, Lily Hsu, Peter Michelli, and Reena Sam took home first place in the Profectus (advanced) division, and the team of juniors Sujata Gupta and Cynthia Perez along with sophomores Murari Aidasani and Betty Chu left the tournament with second place in the Incipiens (beginner) division in the Certamen, a quiz bowl on Latin and Roman mythology, history and culture, against schools such as Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School and the Brooklyn School of Latin. “The Townsend Harris Certamen team is without doubt the best Certamen team in the city. We have won everything there is to win - multiple times,” said junior Keegan Valbuena, who also competed in the Incipiens division. “This legacy of greatness provides more pressure than confidence for the teams; this is especially evident in the sophomores.” The victories at Bronx Science came after the Latin Club swept all three levels of the Certamen held at Harris in February. “Each school holds a competition with different rules and different types of questions, so we never really know what to expect. But since we were facing many of the same teams as the [Harris] Certamen, we were pretty certain that our chances of doing well were high,” said Sujata. Sophomore Deborah Yu, who competed in her first Certamen and had attended the Harris Certamen, said she “knew what I was expecting, because it wasn’t my first time being there.” “[The Club members] definitely felt good,” said Mr. Owens. “The difference is that each school was able to put in multiple teams.…we were the favorites; we always are.” The team members each chose a field, such as culture or language, to focus their preparation on. “The kids do almost all the work. They figure out who is good at grammar, who’s good at mythology, who’s good at history,” said Mr. Owens. “We quiz them, [Latin teacher Marianthe] Colakis and I, but they pretty much [prepare] on their own.” Mr. Owens has high hopes for next year. “I expect that we will do well,” he said. “We’re losing our group of seniors, who were in it from the beginning, and we’re sad to see them go, [but] the new students are equally well-prepared.” “This year was a good year because Latin Club grew immensely,” said Sujata. “Next year, I hope that [Harris] will continue to end up on top, which I am sure it will. I hope that many new members will join Latin Club so that we may have strong competitors.” “Next year it will be our goal to sweep every competition we enter,” said Keegan. “We hope to sweep the Townsend Harris Certamen, the Stony Brook Certamen, and the Bronx Science Certamen for a total of 8 first place trophies. We have never won 8 first place trophies, but this is a goal I would like to accomplish before I graduate.” Junior Maria Stamatelatos put it more defiantly: “We’re going to win every single level!”

Commentary: Make new accessible to all by Daniel Pecoraro Going to a ballgame can be great fun - that is, if you can afford it. With the opening of new ballparks in the Bronx, Flushing, and in East Rutherford, there is much pomp and fanfare, along with a price tag that pushes many fans, especially young fans, out. According to the Mets website, the cheapest ticket at brand-new , in the Promenade Reserved for a ‘value game’, is $11. However, these tickets are for midweek games in April or September against such lowly teams as the Nationals - exactly the games no one would want to see (or, for young fans, could see). Want to catch the (current record as of April 17: 14-22), mid-week in July? It will set you back at least $19. And the (currently last in the NL West) in August? It will take $23 to get you in to see this barnburner. Mind you, these are for seats that have, according to Mets fan blog Loge 13, limited- view where one “cannot see plays into the left field corner and anything about 20 feet off the left- field foul line.” Add on the price of getting there (at least $4 round-trip on the 7 train and rising) and food, and you have spent $25 at the least. is quite similar in the ticket pricing. An obstructed view seat in the bleachers (where, along with not being able to see either the or the opposite field, you risk life and limb if you are a fan of the opposing team) will set you back $14. For the Grandstand Level from the baselines to the outfield, the price is $22 ($23 day-of-game). Additionally, with fewer seats come fewer available tickets; thus, many Harrisites may not even get the chance to get these high-priced tickets. At the new Meadowlands Stadium (set to open in 2010), the highway robbery has already begun. According to The New York Times, the Giants, who maintain the fourth-highest ticket prices in the NFL at $88.02, will charge ‘personal seat licenses’ (PSL’s) of $1,000 to $20,000 in order to simply purchase season tickets; the Jets, similarly, will charge PSL’s between $500 and $150,000. In other words, if Harrisites want to see Eli Manning or Mark Sanchez in action, they will have to do so in front of the nearest television. Something must be done about these practices of over-charging the fans. In an age where luxury skyboxes replace cries from fans in the grandstands, it is crucial that the teams better their relationship with the fans. Vol. 26, Issue 1: September 2009 Steinmann serves as Senior Advisor by Daniel Pecoraro Social studies teacher Linda Steinmann has just started her first year as senior advisor. She replaced history teacher Charlene Levi, who held the position for the past three years.

“I have been most fortunate in following Ms. Levi in the job,” said Dr. Steinmann. “She has given me all kinds of information and even the files she had on her computer. She’s a great friend and colleague.”

Dr. Steinmann is now responsible for all senior activities, including the Senior Mixer, the annual senior ski trip, and prom. She also advises the Senior Council, which plans these events.

“The transition has been smooth for the most part,” she said. “I have a terrific Senior Council that has some excellent ideas and a great work ethic.”

One part of the transition that has been rocky, however, is the new Chancellor’s Regulation A-812 that prohibits sale of unhealthy items in school stores and vending machines during the school day. The new rules ban the sale of bagels, which in past years has helped fund the yearbook.

To combat this loss of income, Dr. Steinmann said that she and the Senior Council are “looking at new strategies, including other fundraisers that are not food- related, and selling the candy boxes outside of the school premises.” Additional reporting by Allison Bennett and Pearl Bhatnagar

Soccer players forced to adjust to controversial season change by Daniel Pecoraro & Arthur Tarley Because of a new schedule that has them playing in the fall rather than the spring, the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team was forced to forfeit its first two matches to William C. Bryant and Newtown High Schools before drawing with City High School, 1-1, on September 15.

The forfeits were due to players not returning in time for practice, which started in August. “Since the season changed, the girls did not have plans to return in time,” explained Athletic Director Wanda Nix.

As a further consequence of the season change, the Hawks plunged into the game against the Long Island City Bulldogs without the amount of preparedness they wanted, but still maintained intense focus and energy.

The game got off to a rough start for the Hawks as the Bulldogs scored early on. The Hawks rebounded quickly with forward Kamilah Lamhaouar, sophomore, scoring a goal with a shot narrowly tucked in between the left post and the keeper’s reach.

The second half was fiercely contested, with neither side able to manufacture a goal. Both teams pushed the other to its limits, but defense prevailed in the end. The game may have remained deadlocked at the final whistle, but it was a team-building victory for the Hawks.

“They haven’t been together long, but passing at times was very, very good. They played much better in the second half and they had a chance to steal the game away,” said coach Vaselios Sioukas.

Recruiting has been tough for the Hawks this year. With the season starting in concert with the school year, little time has been available to bring underclassmen to the team. “We can’t recruit players, because by the time they get their eight practices in, it’s already October,” said midfielder Demetra Panagiotopoulos, junior. “I don’t even know how coach [Sioukas] got the [freshman] players he did,” said Eleni Gizas, senior.

The change in season occurred because of the New York Civil Liberties Union’s (NYCLU’s) threats of a lawsuit on behalf of students from Beacon High School and the Bronx High School of Science.

The NYCLU believes a spring soccer season for girls violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Since much of the college recruiting for sports occurs in the fall, the traditional season for the Boys’ Soccer team, the NYCLU contended that a spring season for the girls denies them an equal opportunity to be seen by recruiters.

The out-of-court settlement with the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), concluded last January, that switched the girls’ season to the fall was met with much negativity on the part of many girls’ teams and their coaches. Members of the Girls’ Soccer team and coach Sioukas attended a protest on City Hall in May.

Ms. Nix said that with boys and girls sharing the fall season, the teams will need to compete with each other for access to the fields, whereas in the spring, the fields “lay idle.”

“I really wish they would return it [girls’ soccer] to the spring,” she said. “Right now, it doesn’t look that way.”

DRAGONS BEAT BRIGADE 50-47 WITH END ZONE BY LEVY BROWN BY DAVID S. PECORARO & DANIEL S. PECORARO, MARCH 9, 2008

It’s not often that defense wins an arena football game. But Dragon’s rookie DB (and last year’s Defensive Player of the Year) Levy Brown recovered from a slip and intercepted veteran Brigade QB John Fitzgerald’s floater to former Dragon Mike Horacek in the end zone as time expired to preserve an exciting, hard-fought 50-47 win at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum before 10,542 screaming Dragons faithful.

Brown’s interception capped his Defensive Player of the Game effort in which he picked Fitzgerald off twice, made six solo tackles and had one tackle assist. But the defense was a team effort with six stops. DB John Walker picked up a game changing third quarter fumble and rumbled two yards to the end zone to give the Dragons their first lead since late in the first quarter. The defense forced the Brigade into two unsuccessful field goal attempts by soon-to-be-former kicker Peter K. Martinez (including one wide left from extra point range on 4th & goal from the Dragons 3 after the Brigade was held to one yard from a 1st & goal from the 4). Martinez also missed THREE extra points–two clanged the left iron and one wide right).

The Dragons kicking game also suffered when rookie and Hofstra alum Chris Onorato had one field goal blocked and also clanged his PAT attempt off the left upright after fourth reception, a two yard game winner with 21.6 seconds left– a miss that gave the Brigade an opportunity to tie the game if they could kick a field goal to end regulation. But "The Foot" had success when he brought the Dragons within 3 with a 41 yard field goal as the first half expired.

Dragons QB filled in for future Hall of Famer Aaron Garcia (sprained knee) and threw for 233 yards and six , but nearly gave the game away with two, first half . It really was a tale of two Rohan Daveys. In the first half, Davey had only two touchdowns. Passes were dangerously under-thrown. Passes were dangerously over-thrown. Passes that should have had zip had float. In the second half, Davey threw for four touchdowns to three different receivers, including the game- winning touchdown, thrown after limping back to the huddle.

Willis, filling in for injured all-time great (also a sprained knee), caught six passes for 59 yards, good enough for Offensive Player of the game honors. Ironman of the Game Chris Anthony caught a TD pass to give the Dragons a short-lived 44-39 lead and one tackle at Jack .

Dragons DB Billy “The Kid” Parker covered former teammate Mike Horacek like a glove for most of the game, but Fitzgerald’s pass whizzed through Parker’s hands and into Horacek’s to give the Brigade their final lead (after a two-point conversion pass to Charles Frederick), 48-45 at the one-minute warning. Horacek, who holds Dragons records for receiving touchdowns, total yards, total points and most seasons with 100- plus points, was held to only four catches for 46 yards after catching seven passes for 149 yards and three TD's in the Brigade’s Week 1 loss to the .

Hopefully, Garcia and Swayne will return next week. After the game, we spoke to Garcia and he felt confident that his knee had healed. That being said, Davey, although being absolutely awful in the first half, showed by the end of the game that he can be a dependable backup. With backups in Davey. , and the injured , and a defense that performs such as the squad on Sunday did, the Dragons may be a surprise team this 2008 season.

The Dragons now return to the road for a battle against their I-95 rivals, the Philadelphia Soul, followed by a trip to play the in the desert. They will then return to the to renew a divisional rivalry against the (who swept the Dragons last year in two games by a combined (127-20 score) on Sunday, March 30. DRAGONS DEFENSE BURNS RAMPAGE WITH FIRST HALF SHUTOUT, 63-34

BY DAVID S. PECORARO, DANIEL S. PECORARO, & SAMUEL J. PECORARO

"They were awesome!!"

Yes, Sam, the New York Dragons defense was awesome. They shut down a Grand Rapids team that scored 92 points in Kansas City against the Brigade and 84 points against the Avengers. Shut them down for the entire first half and led 35-0. Shut them down until 8:16 remained in the third quarter, after they had scored the game's first 49 points. Shut them down with an incredible EIGHT STOPS - 4 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, and twice on downs (including stopping three runs from the one yard line). Shut the Rampage down in their tracks for a 63-34 victory before 8,211 Dragons fans at the Nassau Coliseum on April 5.

ADT Defensive player of game John Walker picked off three passes, including a 15-yard TD return. DE Henry Taylor built upon his efforts in last week's two-point loss to Dallas with a fumble recovery. DB Levy Brown continued building upon his af2 Defensive Player of the Year efforts with his fifth interception of the year.

On offense, 14-year veteran Aaron Garcia celebrated his poster night as Offensive Player of the Game, passing 26-of-42 for 311 yards, seven touchdown passes (to four different receivers), and one touchdown run (at age 37 and after suffering a sprained knee in the Week 1 loss at ). Ironman of game Chris Anthony caught 10 passes for 92 yards and four TD's from Garcia as WR as well as forcing a fumble as Jack LB.

Next up the Dragons conclude their three game homestand with a division match-up vs. the Columbus Destoyers next Sunday at 3 pm on AFL Trading Card Giveaway Day. DRAGONS KICK ONE AWAY TO , 72-67 BY DAVID S. PECORARO & DANIEL S. PECORARO

You have the with three seconds left on your 13 yard line and trailing by three. You have one of the greatest arms in QB Aaron Garcia and another future AFL Hall-of-Famer in WR Kevin Swayne to catch the Hail Mary. You also have kicker Steve Azar, who you picked off of waivers to replace the injured Chris Onorato. Azar, wearing a very unlucky #13. Azar - who soon may be looking for other employment - missed two extra points, clanging one off the right upright and one off the right net - and missed the nets wide on two kick-offs. You can try to win the game with a 35-yard TD pass (or a defensive penalty). Or you can be Head Coach Weylan Harding and go for an impossible 51-yard field goal just to get into .

As a seven-year old in back of us said, “Are you crazy?”

When a seven-year old can out-coach an AFL veteran like Harding, you are in trouble deep. And the all-too-predictable blocked attempt through the Dragons endzone for a game ending safety ended the Dragons five-game winning streak, as the held on for a 72-67 comeback victory before 8,654 very disappointed Dragons faithful at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.

But Harding was out-coached by Force coach too. With Georgia trailing 49- 54, Force K Carlos Martinez pulled off a predictable on-sides kick, which Georgia converted for a touchdown to take the lead 55-54. Harding refused to try to return the favor when the Dragons scored to take short-lived leads of 60–55 (on a one yard TD catch by Jason Willis with 4:44 left) and 67-62 (on a Swayne 10 yard TD catch with 52.9 seconds left). Even if the on-sides kick fails on the TD with less than a minute left, the Dragons would have received the ball with more than the 8.7 seconds left that remained after Tiger Jones hauled in a 28-yard TD pass to give Georgia the lead at 70-67.

Earlier in the game, Swayne hauled in six yard pass with 4:44 left in the 2nd half from Garcia for Aaron’s 850th TD pass in his illustrious career. Later on, with only 8.2 seconds left in the third quarter, Chris Anthony’s 31 yd reception from Garcia made Aaron the fourth QB to pass for over 40,000 yards. Swayne’s TD catch with under a minute in the game made him the 18th player to achieve 8000 yards receiving.

The Dragons missed DB Levy Brown, allowing a team to score over 50 points for the first time in six games. Levy, last year’s af2 Defensive Player of the year, was leading all rookies with five interceptions, was dinged up last week’s win at L.A., although he practiced this week.

But even more costly was the yeomen’s work of the Force offensive line. There were no sacks by the Dragons, in spite of DL Henry Taylor leading the league with 8.5 sacks, and Farouk Adelekan leading all rookies with three. In total, there were two tackles for a loss (on pitches to Jones and Damien Groce) by the Dragons, none of which by the line. There were six offsides penalties on the Dragons defensive line, to go along with an illegal formation penalty on Taylor. And there were no legal hits on Greisen. All of this allowed Greisen enough time to drop back, read the Sunday Journal-Constitution, and make nine touchdown passes for 402 yards.

The Dragons loss drops them into 7th place, just in back of the Force for the 6th and final National Conference playoff spot with 5 games remaining - 2 at home and 3 on the road.

The Dragons now play 2 straight on the road, visiting Columbus and Colorado, before returning home on June 7 for a vital conference match-up vs. the VooDoo. The first 5000 fans get to welcome summer with a free Dragons Beach Towel. DRAGONS COMEBACK, HANG ON BY FINGERNAILS TO DEFEAT VOODOO 58-51 BY DAVID S. PECORARO & DANIEL S. PECORARO

JUNE 7 - A second half led by stout defense, two Aaron Garcia-to-Kevin Swayne TD passes, and two direct snap TD runs by WR Keron Henry, including the game winner from three yards with 2:15 left gave the Dragons (8-6) a vital 58-51 win over the New Orleans VooDoo (8-6) before 9, 922 beach towel-waving, fire-breathing Dragons fans at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, L.I.

The game opened with a swarming VooDoo defensive pass rush. The Dragons had a hard enough time playing the New Orleans eight-yard line, but could not beat the five men in stripes. First, on their first drive, with 4th-and-four from the Dragon 21, Dragon WR Jason Willis was clearly tripped, but the zebras, led by referee Tom McCabe, swallowed their whistles and kept their flags in their pockets rather than calling an obvious pass . This defensive stop had the Dragons chasing New Orleans for most of the game. Then, on first VooDoo possession, after a short incomplete pass by QB to WR James Jordan, Dragons DB Monty Montgomery, not seeing the dropped ball, was called on what can charitably be described as a ticky-tack “personal foul” for 10 yards. Rather than facing 3rd and 10, New Orleans had a first down which led to a James Jordan five yard TD reception for a lead New Orleans that they would hold until midway through the third quarter. Wimprine went 19 for 41, 207 yards, and six TD’s.

For the second time in two weeks Dragons coach placed his faith in back-up kicker Steve Azar, and for the second week in a row Azar blasted a long field goal through the uprights – last week from 51 in Denver against the , and from 48 yards this week near the end of the first quarter. Fair is fair – we got on the coach and the kicker for crucial misses against Georgia three weeks ago, and now they both have earned kudos.

The Dragons tried to play catch-up for the rest of the first half, but even a 22-yard TD pass from Garcia to Swayne with 4:25 left in the half ended up costing New York two points when Steve Azar’s PAT was blocked by Voo Doo DL Michale Spicer, then returned by DB Lin-J Shell. The clock was the Dragons ally at the end of the half when the VooDoo could not answer FB Ricky Hall’s 9 yd TD reception with only 14.9 seconds left. Jonathan Ruffin’s field goal attempt from 45 yards missed wide left, and the half expired with the Dragons down 37-30.

New Orleans opened the second half with a seven-point lead and the ball. Now was the time for the Dragons defense to step up, and step up they did. On 4th and five from the Voo Doo 24, Wimprine’s pass was picked off at the five-yard line by DB Billy “The Kid” Parker (his eighth this season) and returned 22 yards. WR Keron Henry’s second direct snap run for two yards with 8:28 left in the 3rd quarter tied the game for the first time since midway through the first quarter. This was the second straight game that the Dragons employed Henry taking the snap and big (6ft 2in, 275 lb) DL Farouk Adelekan in motion leading the way inside the five rather than have Garcia try to squeeze a pass into the tight space of the eight yard AFL endzone.

With the score tied at 44 in the fourth quarter, the Dragons defense stood tall again. On 3rd and 10, Wimprine was sacked for loss of 14 yards by Adelekan. Ruffin’s field goal attempt on 4th down from 40 yards went wide left. The Dragons converted with 8:36 left on the strength of a Garcia-to-Swayne TD pass from seven yards.

That was Swayne’s 99th catch of the year. His next catch next Saturday in Dallas will be his 100th reception of the season, which will make him the third Dragon receiver to have 100 catches this season (Chris Anthony’s catch on Garcia’s first completion of the game early in the 1st quarter gave him his 100, while WR Jason Willis entered the game with 106 catches). Anthony’s 2nd quarter catch for eight yards and Swayne’s 15-yard reception later in the same drive allowed them to join Willis at the 1,000 yards plateau. Given the Garcia’s history for explosive passing, it is surprising that this is the first time in franchise history that the team will have three receivers with 1,000 receiving yards and 100 receptions. Garcia’s (31-of-41 for 335 yards and five touchdowns) 11-yard pass on the team’s first drive of the 3rd quarter gave him 3,000 passing yards in the season, the seventh time in his Hall-of-Fame career.

New Orleans tied the game at 51 with 5:17 left when FB James Lynch caught a 10 yard Wimprine pass off the nets. He controlled and landed just outside the endzone, but was given credit for the circus TD catch anyway because he first made contact with the ball just over the goal line.

After Henry’s third TD run gave the Dragons the lead, it was once again up to the defense to keep the game from overtime. On 4th and 10 from the Dragons 12, Wimprine’s pass to WR Sale’ Key fell incomplete. With only 2 Voo Doo time outs and 58 seconds left the game appeared done. But the Dragons offense decided to get frisky, and Garcia fumbled the ball away on the snap with less than six seconds left. The crowd held their collective breaths as Wimprine’s Hail Mary pass off the nets was knocked to the turf as the clock expired. Now we could breathe.

The Dragons win moves them up from the 6th and last spot (tie-breaker on head-to-head points with the 8-6 ) all the way to 4th (ahead of the Voo Doo based on this head–to head win). The Voo Doo next week travel to Orlando to face the Predators before coming home to face the . The Gladiators travel to Philadelphia next week before finishing the regular season at home against the . Orlando (8-7), who fell out of a playoff spot by ½ game with their loss this week to Tampa Bay, finish with a week 17 bye.

The Dragons go on the road to “Big D” to play the conference leading Desperados, looking to avenge a 33-31 loss at NY on March 30, then return home from Dallas for a battle v. I-95 rival Philadelphia Soul on June 22 at 3 p.m. It will be Fan Appreciation Day, and fans will receive a Dragons Team Photo. Giveaways on past Dragon Fan Appreciation Days have included presentations of jerseys off the player’s backs (I won one in 2003 from #66, Marcus “Snowball” Owen, a gentle giant off the field and one of the nicest guys you can ever find). DRAGONS MAKE PLAYOFFS IN SPITE OF 59-30 LOSS TO SOUL BY DAVID S. PECORARO & DANIEL S. PECORARO

Four words – Thank you, Grand Rapids.

The moment the Rampage finished the upset and buried the VooDoo at “The Graveyard” in New Orleans last night, the Dragons knew that their playoff ticket had been punched (rendering the free towels waiting on every seat that said “Win and They’re In” moot). A win versus the division-leading Soul would give them a home playoff game versus the Cleveland Gladiators. But the only thing they won was soon-to-be Hall of Fame reliever ’s coin toss before falling 59-30 before 9,718 fans (including four solid sections of rabid bus-riding Soul fanatics) at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

It hardly could have been worse. Future AFL Hall of Fame QB Aaron Garcia left after an unpenalized blow to his head in the second quarter (Thankfully he seemed fine after the game, signing autographs for the fans as he chatted lucidly). Team leading WR Jason Willis was carted off in the third quarter with what appeared to be a broken right leg (although the team has reported that it was only a strain). Backup QB Juston Wood appeared to forget that he returned from the Soul to NY when he threw two TD passes – to the Soul defensive backs – in his first real action of the season since he displaced former Dragon backup QB Rohan Davey (but give Wood credit – he never gave up pursuit of either Rod Davis or Eddie Moten as they rumbled toward the Dragons endzone).

Before the season’s first kick-off the Dragons were predicted by ESPN to go 3-13 (the worst predicted record in the league), despite having a solid corps of receivers and one of the best in Garcia, to go along with a rejuvenated defensive line, anchored by “Grave Digger” Henry Taylor and Farouk Adelekan. But thanks to tie-breaking victories vs. both New Orleans and Tampa Bay, our 8-8 record (after a 1-4 start) means that the new season will begin next Friday on ESPN at 7:30 in “Big D” vs. the Dallas Desperados, giving the Dragons another chance to prove The Worldwide Leader in Sports wrong again.

Dragons WR Chris Anthony caught three passes for 46 yards in what the rumor mill says may be his final home game. Chris, (a nominee last year for the Al Lucas Hero Award) an Ironman and a gentleman, had his best pro season while attending Hunter College pre- med part-time. If he decides to make his medical studies a full-time venture, the Dragons may find a jack linebacker who can cover the expanded box as well (possible), a receiver that could catch as many clutch passes in traffic (doubtful), but they will never find a nicer guy than the Iowa State alum.

Garcia had only five completions in eight attempts for 71 yards and one TD before his afternoon ended early. Willis caught eight passes for 91 yards and had the only Dragons TD reception before his (apparent) season-ending injury. He finished the regular season with 136 receptions, taking the team season record from Dragons All-Time Great Kevin Swayne, who held the record at 131. Swayne finished the game with four catches for 42 yards. In relief Wood completed 16 passes in 28 tries and threw three interceptions (one of which sailed through Swayne’s hands), and ran one in from four yards in the 3rd quarter. DB John Walker’s nine yard interception return with 52.8 seconds left was NY’s defensive bright spot. Rookie DB Levy Brown had eight solo tackles before being thrown out of the game on a ticky-tack foul on the game’s next to last play.

While Dragon’s coach Weylan Harding showed sense by not rushing Garcia back into a lost cause, the same cannot be said for Soul coach Bret Munsey. Given the hard feelings between the clubs during pre-season scrimmages, Garcia’s injury, as well as the near-riot caused earlier this year when Dragon DT injured on a called late hit (Garcia had his ribs injured that same game without a flag on the Soul defense), anyone with an ounce of sense would have pulled QB Matt D’Orazio with a 42-10 halftime lead. But Munsey waited until D’Orazio tweaked his knee with 6:34 left in the 3rd quarter before sending in 3rd string QB . D’Orazio, who hobbled off, will need the Soul’s division winner bye week to get back to full force.

The Philadelphia defense was stifling, with three interceptions, one fumble recovery, and a stop on downs. Dragons K Steve Azar was also forced into two field goal attempts, hitting one from 27 yards out while missing wide right from 30 yards.

Given the emotions going in, Referee Bill LeMonnier and his crew generally did a good job keeping the players in check and deserve kudos too.

It’s been a great year working together covering the Dragons for SportsPhan. We hope to continue reporting to you on all the fire breathing fun of Dragons Arena Football in 2009.

The Dragons now hope that three times is the charm vs. Dallas after losing at home 33-31 in Week 5 (the low water mark of 1-4 before winning 5 straight) and in Dallas last week by a 51-49 score. Perhaps Dallas can lose for the third straight season in their first round. After all, the 12 teams in the playoffs all start out the hunt with the same record and the same goal – a win at Arena Bowl XXII in New Orleans. A Review of the Review of Dragons-Soul Playoff Game By David S. Pecoraro & Daniel S. Pecoraro

The Arena Football League for the first time in anybody’s memory publicly addressed the results of a single play.

On July 8 the league concluded their review of the alleged touchdown by Larry Brackins that ended the thrilling July 6 playoff game between the New York Dragons and the Philadelphia Soul, ruling that the Soul won 49-48.

In their release the league stated that: “(i) the Referee was correct in upholding the ruling on the field because he found that instant replay was inconclusive; (ii) that timing was handled properly; (iii) that the Soul should have attempted a conversion following its touchdown; and (iv) that new procedures regarding game administration for all remaining playoff games will be implemented immediately. The Dragons did not file an official protest with the League Office.”

This led us to a few pertinent questions. Fortunately, Chris McCloskey, Executive Vice President of Communications for the Arena Football League, was kind enough to take some time to provide answers.

First, it was not clear from the release as to who actually reviewed the tape, or if there even was a review of the tape by anybody besides Referee Bill Athan. Mr. McCloskey stated that a group of individuals that included Commissioner David Baker did review the tape.

Second, the report stated “After reviewing four angles, Referee Bill Athan determined that the replays did not provide the indisputable visual evidence necessary to reverse the call, and, therefore, upheld the ruling on the field and pronounced the game over.” Unfortunately, the league only provided 2 angles on the website - views that have indicated conclusively to most AFL fans who have posted on Arenafan.com that Brackins’ knee was clearly downed by contact prior to the ball crossing the plane of the end zone. Mr. McCloskey did not know if the angles could be provided. When asked if the referee was provided with a split screen that could have combined angles to allow for the better depth perception that Athan apparently needed, Mr. McCloskey stated that while he did not accept the premise, that there was no split screen provided.

The league did reach a conclusion concerning the lack of a conversion attempt, which violated section 3.24 of the AFL Rulebook. The release stated “The extra point conversion attempt, in short, should have been played...The pandemonium of both teams and many fans on the field during replay...may have contributed [to this error] but it is not an excuse for the mistake.” As to the question of sanctions against the referee for this failure, Mr. McCloskey responded that officials are graded on all of their calls, including this one, and that officials who receive high grades get the best playoff assignments while those who grade poorly may eventually be terminated by the league.

The league also addressed the concerns of many fans that even if one accepts for a moment that Brackins scored (although the video clearly shows to most arena fans that his left knee hit the turf at 1.7 seconds) the ball crossed the plane of the goal line with at least 1.2 seconds left. The report stated “The clock does not stop when a player action occurs (e.g. knee being down or ball crossing the plane of the end zone), but rather when an official makes a signal in response to that action which indicates to the clock operator that the clock should stop. ...On the field, [the Referee’s] evaluation (as well as that of the who is responsible for keeping time) was that the horn blew as the Back Judge and Line Judge made their signals. He checked with the other officials, and they concurred in that belief that there was no time left on the clock.” When questioned as to where in the rulebook it actually states this, Mr. McCloskey stated that certain procedures are not written in the rulebook. He also was not sure if the issue of time remaining on the clock was reviewed, even though under the rules of instant replay, game administration, including timekeeping is within the realm of the reviewer. After reviewing the replay one can clearly see the official coming into the frame with his hands-raised to signal a touchdown with at least 0.3 seconds on the clock. Mr. McCloskey, when presented with this fact, stated that the ESPN time is not the official time. A request to both ESPN and Mr. McCloskey for a video with the scoreboard time burned in has been submitted.

Another concern was the anarchy on the field at the conclusion of the game. In the report the league stated “There were issues with, among other things, fans and team owners being on the field, inappropriate PA announcements, and players and coaches from both teams crowding and attempting to influence the officials during the review process...[AFL staff will immediately] create guidelines and a protocol for administration of such situations, which was put in place for last night’s Gladiators-Force game, and which will be officially set forth for application before [this] weekend’s conference championship games. That protocol will include, among other things...that security ensures that the field is cleared of all but players and officials, and that the teams are relegated to their respective bench areas, before the review is undertaken and before any announcement is made.” As to the question of whether Soul Team President will be prohibited in the future from coming onto the field level to berate officials as he has done all season, Mr. McCloskey responded that the league is grateful for his passion. As to the question of whether the Soul public address announcer or other Soul staff be penalized for creating a hazardous environment and for minimally attempting to gain a home field advantage in violation of the rules, Mr. McCloskey responded that while the announcements were not appropriate, the referee was oblivious to all that surrounded him while he was reviewing the play.

Putting aside the tin foil hat for a moment, while the league took a seemingly unprecedented review, and Mr. McCloskey showed great patience in answering these questions, the jury of public opinion (including these authors, who have held Dragons season tickets since 2003), has concluded after viewing all available evidence that the Dragons should have won the game 48-43 because Brackins’ knee was: (i) clearly AND CONCLUSIVELY downed by contact (1.6 seconds left) (ii)BEFORE the plane was broken by the ball (1.2 seconds left) (iii)and the official erroneously signaled touchdown (0.3 seconds left).

The only question is to where outside the end zone he was downed – somewhere between 2 yards and 6 inches out – a question that would be moot since the Soul did not have anybody calling time to stop the clock before the official signaled, nor could they have reacted in time with 0.3 seconds left to stop the clock. In fact, it is unclear whether Brackens even had control of the ball at the moment the ball broke the plane or if he fumbled the ball into the Dragons’ hands for a touchback. It is also clear from the available evidence that even if one accepts the ruling of a touchdown, the referee and the league came to an improper conclusion that time expired.

The referee and the league apparently came to their erroneous conclusions because they looked at this as a 3-D problem (length, width, & height), while this was a 4-D problem (length, width, height, and time). By looking at the additional component there is no other mathematically defensible conclusion possible, no matter whom you were rooting for. Unfortunately none of this will change who plays for the conference title Saturday.

But there are vital questions that remain unanswered. Will the fans accept this as a fair conclusion and “move on” as the league has done, or will they decide that they cannot continue to put down their hard earned dollars when they do not accept the legitimacy of the process? Initial responses seem to indicate that some fans have become so disillusioned that they will not come back. Additionally, many sports fans tuning into this sport for the first time who found the first 59 minutes and 52.9 seconds to be riveting and compelling action were turned off by what they saw as an incompetent and/or unjust ending.

However, there are developments in New York that may affect this. On July 9 it was announced The New York Dragons will be purchased by a New York-based investment group. The Dragons website stated “The purchasing group plans to invest in the franchise and to enhance the experience for fans and to broaden the franchise's appeal across the New York metropolitan area.” "We are deeply committed to this franchise. Our goal is to build a successful franchise and a winning tradition," stated Steven Silva, the Long Island native who serves as the managing member of the investment group. Reactions to New York City Press Conference By Daniel Pecoraro

Going over names of possible owners of the UFL New York/Hartford team hours before the press conference at 2:45 today in seemed to be a Who’s Who of Greater New York sports futility. , owner of the (twice-collapsing) New York Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones; , owner of the (cellar-dweller) New York Islanders and former owner of the New York Dragons; and-dare I say-James Dolan, who needs no introduction with regard to his futility, and , who not only brought down the but an entire sports league.

And as I cringingly went to the nearest computer at around 3:15 to find the news, I discovered that the owner of New York/Hartford is...Wall Street private equity investor William H. Mayer!?

‘Twas certainly surprising to find that Mayer, founder of Park Avenue Equity and member of too many Boards of Directors and Executive Committees to count, was to be the founding owner of a sports franchise, most notably because a great deal of UFL fans did not know the man existed. But while he does not seem to have clout football world, he certainly seems to have clout in the financial world.

This is especially what startup teams in a startup league with million-to-one odds need: people, such as Mayer and UFL head honcho Paul Pelosi, who can tap into great deals of capital. This brings connections with sponsors, which leads to better players, coaches, and staff. Let’s be frank-it is not defense that wins championships, it is money.

Among the announcement of Mayer as owner of the New York/Hartford franchise, which is all but confirmed to play at Citi Field in Flushing and Rentschler Field in Hartford (as reported in and the Hartford Courant, respectively, in March) beginning in October; the re-introduction of former Jets and Chargers Ted Cottrell as Head Coach of the franchise, and the announcements, according to Andrew Kossak of Pro Football Examiner; that uniforms have been completed and that stadia for the four teams-which include in , AT&T Park in San Francisco, and the in Orlando-will be announced in the coming weeks, the energy regarding the league is palpable. Although much is yet to be announced-the New York team does not even have an offensive coordinator, let alone a roster, equipment, or a confirmed stadium or stadia-with a head coach in Cottrell eagerly awaiting the season and an owner in Mayer willing to bring money into the organization, leads to only one conclusion:

It’s going to be one heck of a season. Response to the Rule Changes Made by the UFL By Daniel Pecoraro

The UFL has made it a point to say that they are not a "gimmick league." That they weren't going to become the next , "Action Point," 2-half overtime and all. Nor were they to become the next XFL, with the "halo rule" and "opening scramble," soon to cause the first XFL injury just before the first XFL game. The UFL stood to their word last Wednesday, when they made six important rule changes.

Excuse me. "Game enhancements." (Honestly, can a euphemism ever be made where you don't chuckle about it?)

In all seriousness, the UFL's "enhancements" – elimination of the "tuck rule," the head- scratcher that caused the infamous decision in the 2002 NFL playoff game between and Oakland; the guarantee that each team will receive a possession in overtime, a la the Arena Football League; that "tasteful individual or group celebrations" be allowed in the end zone and on the bench; streamlining the fumble rules so that a fumble that goes in and out of the end zone returns the ball to the spot of the fumble; the use of a special Replay Official rather than the referee in making replay decisions, much like in hockey; and allowing the quarterback to "legally ground the football if inside or outside the pocket area while under duress" – should be praised as level-headed, moderate alterations to get rid of parts of the NFL that fans dislike.

Instead of going for rules that were more exotic – such as having a receiver or receivers in forward motion, like in and the AFL, or a 4-point drop kick field goal - or even outlandish - such as the 4-point "long field goal" experiment from NFL Europe – the UFL went with the obvious rules that had to be changed; namely, rules that don't make sense, such as the end zone fumble rules and the tuck rule; rules that are unfair, like having the overtime period more often than not decided by a coin toss and having a referee be potentially swayed by a home crowd when making a replay decision; and rules that simply take the fun out of the game, like the ban on celebrations, save for the "Mile High Salute" and the "Lambeau Leap."

However, this writer fears that the final rule change, that to allow the QB to "legally ground the football if inside or outside the pocket area while under duress" will lead to even more scratching of heads than the tuck rule. While in the best interest of quarterback safety – the rule was enacted by Competition Committee head "in an effort to protect the quarterback, who is defenseless when he is in the throwing position, from injury" – this rule may cause confusion among fans, players, and coaches alike. It is inevitable that the rule may lead to demands for intentional grounding penalties that will fall on deaf ears. This writer also fears that, with a potentially middle-of-the-road talent pool, that QB protection will be a commodity hard to come by, leading to low scoring games. It would be terrible to see a league fall due to lack of fan support due to low scoring games, something that may be a factor with this one rule. Remember the Titans By Daniel Pecoraro

Although it is yet to be confirmed, it looks as though the UFL New York team will be playing at not one, nor two, but three venues for their 2009 campaign. The idea, to some, for the team to play at Rentschler Field in Hartford, Shuart Stadium at on Long Island, and a third stadium, possibly Citi Field in Flushing, seems to be a fantastic one - it provides for a diverse fan-base and provides for a chance at deciding a permanent venue for the team.

However, there is a definite need to "pick a side!"

We've seen this in New York before. When the New York Titans of the National League launched in 2007, they chose to split their season at both and Nassau Coliseum. It seemed to be a great idea then, too - after one season, they'd decide where to play full-time, they would receive a better of fans, they would get both the prestige of playing at MSG and the ability to play in the hotbed of lacrosse, Long Island...you get the idea.

But this is also the reason why the New York Titans are, by 2010, to become the Orlando Titans, according to the Inside Lacrosse run blog NLLinsider.com. Almost like a three year old, they went from one place to another and didn't stop. After splitting the Garden and Coliseum in 2007, they played at MSG and Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena in 2008, and finally MSG and Newark's in their final New York campaign. Instead of a diverse fan-base, they had whatever was left of their fans confused and angered when they changed sites. Instead of deciding at the end of their inaugural year, they ended up continuing the experiment.

Splitting a season to three stadia is an even worse idea. Fans gain the impression that it is nothing more than a barnstorming team, and not truly theirs – negating the possibility of any fan-base, let alone a diverse group of fans. Worse yet, media gain the impression that it is a traveling team, leading to derision of both the team and the league. The UFL should not turn the entire New York franchise into a gimmick. They must "pick a side" – and soon.

Townsend Harris H.S. Unites To Fight Bloomberg's Cuts

BY DAVID S. PECORARO AND DANIEL PECORARO

Townsend Harris H.S. has, for the past 25 years, been a school of illustrious academic skill and work ethic. Their 2007-08 Progress Report score was an A. The Quality Review performed in March 2009 found the school to be "well developed" and cited the rich curriculum as an asset to the school and its students in differentiating instruction: "Students flourish within a rigorous and extensive curricular menu"; "Students thrive within the rich, stimulating and extensive curriculum…". Townsend Harris ranked number 71 on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best high schools because of the number of Advanced Placement courses offered to students. Intel named Townsend Harris a 2008 School of Distinction for its science program, which has a strong research program and requires all students to take three Regents exams in science. In addition, Science Assistant Principal Susan Brustein was honored as Science Educator of the Year.

Harris students also have succeeded in the field of athletics, having won the Girls Swimming City Championship three years in a row during a string of 23 years as Queens Swimming Champions, the 2007 Girls Indoor Track championship and two infallible fencing teams. Further, their academic extracurricular activities have more than held their own in competition. Harris' Latin Club has taken at least second place in all of their Certamina since its inception four years ago. Their Science Olympiad squad has taken first place in the New York City region twice in a row, winning the prestigious Spirit Award at the West Point Divisional this year (after aiding another team whose bus had broken down—a testament to their moral timbre, as well as their mental strength). Townsend Harris and its award winning newspaper, literary magazine, and yearbook have won the title of First Amendment School on six different occasions. Clubs such as Arista, Archon, Free the Children, Key Club and Students for the Preservation of the Earth have helped their community by organizing walks, park cleanups, and in the case of the last named, single-handedly developing a school-wide recycling program. These clubs, along with others such as Educate to Elevate, Seekers and the Trivia and Knowledge Club, have been able to enrich the learning of their almost 1,200 student body. But this cannot continue to happen at Harris if the school is to face Mayor Mike Bloomberg's Draconian budget cuts of over half a million dollars for the 2009-10 school year. This is on top of last year's cuts, which caused Harris to cut per- session spending for after-school activities by 47 percent, money for equipment and supplies by 50 percent and administrative personnel costs by 18 percent.

If the budget cuts are neither reverted nor lessened to a more manageable level before the June 18 budget deadline, extracurricular activities— clubs, and events—will be ended; many, if not all, electives cancelled (including all- important Advanced Placement classes, which are necessary for college admissions in this day and age). With this budget cut, Harris students' education will be stifled and the accolades they have received for the school, which has been heralded by the New York City Department of Education as a shining beacon of public education, will not be repeated. Restoring the $563,000 will enable us to maintain the highest quality education for the young people of New York City that has been provided at Harris for almost 25 years.

Parent Sheila Murray, a veteran New York City educator, is justifiably concerned. "I see a very competitive college pool out there. The class of 2010 at Townsend Harris is worthy of enrichment and elective course equal to those offered to this year's graduating class. Budget cuts will affect not only course offerings, but also activities, clubs and team sports, which are also important in the college application process."

Her son, John Murray, a junior, added, "A budget cut would impact extracurricular and afterschool activities. That would be unfair to students."

David S. Pecoraro is Townsend Harris H.S. at Queens College PTA president- elect.

Daniel Pecoraro, Townsend Harris H.S. at Queens College Class of 2010, is Harris H.S. Trivia & Knowledge Club founder and president.

Name SNL’s ‘Five-Timers Club’ in 3 Minutes by Jason English - January 21, 2009 - 11:30 AM

Today’s quiz comes from reader Daniel Pecoraro. Twelve people have hosted Saturday Night Live five or more times (we’re not counting musical guests). How many can you name in 3 minutes?

Take the Quiz: Name the Five-Timers Club

Got a great idea for a ‘name x in y minutes’ quiz? Go to this post and leave a comment. You could win a free back issue of mental_floss magazine, plus a few minutes of low-level Internet fame.