Photo by Matia Whiting and Julia Mount

THE SAT: WHAT IT TELLS US ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR

NATION’S VALUES

By Jacob Schwartz

Edited by Ahaana Singh

For high school students around the nation, and especially those at Newton South, junior

year brings with it a flurry of college applications, visits, and the all-important SAT. But - at

least at South - due largely to the intensely competitive academic culture among its students,

most of us get to know and dread these letters years before we know what they stand for. Its

supposed importance and power are drilled into our heads, but just what do these tests assess?

According to the College Board (which brings in a surplus of approx. fifty-five million

dollars per year)1, the SAT “tests [students’] knowledge of… subjects that are taught every day

in high school classrooms.” But does the test really evaluate what it claims to? And if so, how

well does performance in these areas – as gauged by three hours of standardized testing –

really measure a student’s potential for success in higher education? To answer this first

question we must take a look at the composition and content of the test. It consists of three

sections: reading comprehension, mathematics, and writing skills. One cannot help but notice

the complete absence of history, science, and foreign language – subjects of great importance

in most American high schools’ curricula – from the SAT. While “subject tests” (a.k.a. SAT2’s)

that assess these areas are offered, they are not required for application into all schools, and

are, in my own observation, regarded with little importance.

We must also question the SAT’s effectiveness at evaluating students even within this

narrower-than-ideal area. According to the College Board’s own data, students from families in

the top financial bracket (family income greater than $200,000/year)^2 score around 120 points

higher per 800-point section than those in the lowest bracket (less than $20,000/year). And if

you visit www.collegeboard.org right now, you’ll see options to create a personalized study guide

and to purchase trademarked study materials (at a sizeable price). These materials focus mainly

on strategy for taking tests in the SAT format, not on the actual material itself. Should colleges

really be so fixated on who has studied hardest the great art of taking one very specific format

of standardized test? Or should it be a student’s potential for broad academic growth, as

manifest much more clearly in his or her grades and references, that gets the most attention?

This brings us to the final, and perhaps the most troubling, of all the test’s flaws. Its

creators call it an assessment of “college readiness”. In my mind, this indicates an erroneous

view of a college’s purpose. In my view, a college should take students in and, through their own

curricula, mold them into better, more educated individuals. While there is, of course, a certain

set of “baseline” skills that a student needs to succeed in college, a students grades and

references do a far sounder job in illustrating his or her work ethic and determination. I think we

can all agree it is these qualities, not vocabulary and knowledge of obsolete grammatical

technicalities, which allow a student to make the most of a college education.

Nearly all respected colleges in the United States use some form of SAT-style

standardized test in the admissions process. This is highly unlikely to change any time soon. It

is important, however, that these institutions realize the shortcomings of these tests; the

uneven playing field that influences scores, the fact that a student’s experience with the tests

themselves may play as significant a role in his or her score as that student’s knowledge of the

material, and perhaps most importantly, the issue of a college’s mission. As a society, we need

to step back and reevaluate how we view education. Should we continue to entrust the most

valuable opportunities exclusively to those students who have had the greatest educational

opportunities thus far, at the expense of those who our educational system has already failed?

Or will we find a way to make room for those with unrecognized potential? Should we choose the

latter, we will need to take a good, long look at whether or not our obsession with the SAT is

compatible with such a dream.

What’s Actually on the Big ScreenBy Sam Sharon

Edited by Anna Garik

An exciting new movie hit theaters this past December, and has already made roughly $90

million in ticket sales. American Hustle, starring Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper, tells the story of a

con artist who gets convicted and must work with the FBI to catch other corrupt individuals. The story

is told from the point of view of Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), the con artist, and his girlfriend,

Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams). Ultimately, they arrest seven US congressmen for accepting bribery, but

the end to the movie *SPOILER ALERT* is that Irving and his girlfriend end up conning the FBI out

of $2 million worth of taxpayer money. Irving leads the FBI after Mafia overlord Victor Tellegio

(Robert De Niro), and has the FBI wire $2 million to Tellegio in order to entrap him. Little does the FBI

know that Tellegio is actually Irving’s accomplice, pretending to be Tellegio. His accomplice then holds

the money for ransom in exchange for immunity for Irving and his girlfriend, as well as a decreased

sentence for New Jersey mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner). Carmine is one of the political figures

caught for accepting bribery, but he befriends Irving during the process, which helps get him a

decreased sentence. I must admit, this movie was amazing. The plot as well as the proved to be so

intriguing, my eyes were glued to the screen, and I was stuck on the edge of my seat for 138 minutes.

What few people realize, however, is that this fast-­paced, intricate movie is based on a true

story. In the late 1970’s and early ‘80’s, the FBI led a sting operation named Abscam, planned and

conducted by convicted con artist Melvin Weinberg. The operation was initially intended to focus

trafficking stolen property, but lead to the entrapment of government officials on account of public

corruption. They created a fictitious sheikh named Karim Abdul Rahman, and videotaped him bribing

six members of the House of Representatives, one US Senator, and numerous other state officials, in

exchange for political asylum and help in transferring money out of his country.

American Hustle is said to be more of a fictionalization of Abscam, rather than an adaptation of

it, and here’s why. First, in the movie, Carmine is shown as a selfless mayor, who only gets involved to

create jobs for New Jersey. In reality, he was known for involvement in crime, and even offered the

fake sheikh involvement in illegal industries including drug smuggling and money counterfeiting. Second,

Evelyn Knight, Melvin Weinberg’s real mistress, was not involved in Abscam whatsoever. Third,

character Richie DiMaso, representing real-­life FBI agent Tony Amoroso, who runs Abscam with the

conman, did not have such a frontal role in the operation. Rather, he was just one of the many officers

working behind the scenes.

What interests me most about this movie, however, is that it manages to make protagonists out

of all the wrong people. Carmine Polito is made out to be a man of the people in this movie, and

director David O. Russell makes his arrest the saddest scene of this movie. In reality, however New

Jersey Mayor Angelo Errichetti, though he was known to be a man of the people, was also known to

be very corrupt and immoral. Also, Irving Rosenfeld is made out to be the leading protagonist. Russell

makes the movie’s “happy ending” Irving conning the FBI out of $2 million of taxpayer money. Don’t

you see anything wrong with that? Character Richie DiMaso is made to be a hero when he goes against

his boss to keep the operation going. He gets praised by his head supervisor, and I’m sure most of the

audience as well, for violently assaulting his boss. And yet, we don’t feel nearly as bad as we should

when he gets fired at the end of the movie, and receives no credit for the operation.

But here’s the scary part: David O. Russell effectively just rewrote history, and for that we

applaud him. To the innocent moviegoer, American Hustle, and therefore Abscam, is about the big

shot con artist who gets arrested by the big, bad FBI, but then manages to get the girl and successfully

con the FBI as his ultimate revenge. Blockbusters like these have the power to completely change the

past, and those who aren’t knowledgeable about the subject will take it as if it were real truth. So go to

the movies, watch American Hustle, but take it with a grain of salt.

Tourism?By Carly Meisel

Edited by Kathy Zhu

“iUn dólar! iUn dólar! iUn dólar!”

Barreling through the dense, bumpy Dominican

countryside, a girl no more than four years

struggles to keep up with the safari truck full of

tourists.

“iPor favor! iUn dólar!” she shrieks. Eventually

she yields, and I watch her little chest heave as

she turns back toward home, having been

ignored by twenty well-­off vacationers.

The startling difference between life in and outside the resort walls strikes me immediately. Inside the

resort, vacationers are greeted by palm trees, blue skies, crashing waves, soft sand, and Dominican men in

sombreros offering to carry luggage, and buffet after buffet after buffet.

It’s easy to get lost in it, to think that this is what the country is truly like. But if you open your eyes -­

something vacationers often choose not to do -­ you’ll notice that the moment you step outside the resort

gates, an entirely differently world is there to greet you.

The four-­year-­old running after our safari truck was the first of dozens of young children to beg for

money. The tour guide instructed our group not to

give even “un dólar,” as the whole neighborhood

could join in the begging, and it could become

dangerous.

As my family and I traveled in this vehicle and

enjoyed the gorgeous country, my experience

was tainted with overwhelming guilt. I wondered

why we have the right to traipse through the

streets and call it touring, while it is, in reality,

gawking at the poverty that these real people live in.

The importance of a global outlook hit home after this experience. It’s easy to travel to a different country,

check into the hotel, and see what you want to see-­but that isn’t authentic. This translates to our studies.

How often do we learn about a country by looking at its government, its important figures and events?

That doesn’t even scratch the surface of what a country is really like.

I’m not sure there’s a way to teach culture, or that it’s possible to understand the depth of poverty in

which entire counties live without seeing it with your own eyes. Being aware of our ignorance and having

a desire to remedy it -­ whether it be by traveling outside of the standard tourist attractions and hotels or by

researching a country in a more palpable way, such as by photographs or videos -­ is the necessary step to

understanding cultures outside of the U.S.

True ServiceBy Anna Mason

Edited by Amara Regehr

Whether it’s in the news or in a commercial, many of us feel a guilty tug when we see and hear

about how other parts of the world are suffering. Many organizations use commercials in order to

persuade viewers to help with their cause. Many people’s first instinct is to try to help, but how we help

is the key. The easiest thing to do is give money to whatever organization it may be. But in “donation,”

there lies an irony. As Americans, we are huge consumers, yet we rarely think about the consequences

of our expenditure. We are the ones that buy the diamond rings from companies that take advantage of

their workers;; we are the ones that use gas and oil from companies that destroy land to tap into

deposits. We are the ones, with the four Apple products, made by the aging mother who spends

18-­hour days in a factory filled with gas, slowly getting lung cancer. So that donation is the absolute

least that you can do if you are trying to give. When choosing to make this donation, we don’t only think

about the recipients, we think about how it would make us feel better about ourselves. These

organizations tell you about how your money will save a life, change a life, improve a life. But after

calling that 1-­800 number repeating across the screen, you have no connection to your money or how it

is spent. Your ten dollars a month might be pointless to a family since you have never laid eyes on them,

or have never even heard of the country they live in. All you are doing there is making yourself feel

better. There lies the difference between pity and compassion. When you act on pity, the result is to

make yourself feel better. You feel guilty sitting on your comfy couch, seeing the unpleasant images on

TV, so you donate some money to relieve this guilt.

The next best thing you can do is go on a “Service Learning” trip. On the trip, groups of teens

travel abroad and join a community for a week. The trip’s goal may be to build a school, help teach the

kids English, or help with their education. These teens feel like they are doing a service, they think that

the community needs what they are supplying. In reality, the community, even if they do need a new

school facility, they may not have the staff, or the money to hire more faculty to run the new school.

These teens are able to travel and see a different part of the world, and help that community, but they

have not truly done a service. They have attempted to, but one or two weeks is not enough to

profoundly help a community. To even begin to help, you must become part of the community, to see

what aspect truly needs focus. Although these teens are attempting to change communities for the better,

two weeks simply isn’t enough of a commitment.

To do a true service to a community, you must have compassion, not pity. Before anything else,

you must learn about their lives. By educating yourself about their world, you have learned how it

functions outside of yourself. And if you do it well, they have also learned about you. Only after you

know how the community works, can you give them something that they really need.

The world depends on people coming together and recognizing the responsibilities they have for

themselves and each other. Through good deeds born from the knowledge of a community, we can

expand into a greater global community.

*Want to travel abroad and truly help a community? Look on

http://learningservice.info for more information.

Humans of GlobalBy Julia Hurwit and Margaret Beebe-­Center

Edited by Nikki Caminestsky

Isabel Tenreiro -­ a global student who moved from El Paso, Texas to Newton

“Can you tell us about your experiences moving to a completely different environment?”

“I went through a huge culture shock because I was used to living in a mostly Mexican populatedcommunity. I only knew two Jewish people. Also, even though it sounds like it wouldn’t make a bigdifference, the lack of constant sunshine was really hard to get used to.”

“What are some differences you noticed in the people and culture here in Newton comparedto El Paso?”

“Well, I felt that people here were more reserved and not as inviting as they are in Texas. And the slangI was used to was Mexican slang like ‘que padre’, which means something along the lines of ‘that’sawesome’, or ‘no te creas’, which is like saying ‘just kidding.’ ”

“What do you think are the benefits of each city?”

“I think El Paso was a great place to grow up;; everyone is friendly and there’s a lot of unique Mexicanculture. Newton, however, is much better for opportunity. People here have a better chance to succeedin life, whereas in El Paso, hardly anybody left.”

“In which place would you prefer to live?”

“Since all my family lives in New England and I’ve gotten used to life here, I like it better in Newton.But if you asked me three years ago, I undoubtedly would’ve said Texas.”

STAMPED TO KIBBUTZ GINOSSAR MAILBOX 346 ISRAEL

APRIL 6, 2006 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Dear Tal,

Man it’s hard. It’s April and there is a snowstorm going on outside

my window and I’m just counting down the days until I see you again.

Last summer? Definitely one of the best summers we have spent

together. My family is fine and school is fine as well. Yes, we did

just get a hedgehog and yes, Savta* is coming here April break and

I’m so so psyched! You know what would be better though? If you snuck

in her suitcase and came along with her. Anyways it’s crunch time

here and I have to spend practically my whole life studying for the

SATs. I want to join the army and be in the same station as you but

Ima** wants me to go to school first. Don’t worry, our plans to rent

an apartment in Tel Aviv are still happening, though. Right on

Frishman beach, right? That’s what we talked about. Anyways, what has

been going on with you? I heard there’s some tension between Israel

and Lebanon but nothing major. I hope it’ll be over by July 15

because that’s when I’m coming!! (We JUST booked the tickets). O.k. I

should go eat dinner now. Tal I miss you so much but don’t worry we

will talk soon!!!

Love love love,

Shiri

P.s. I hope you’re not still mad at me (I said I was sorry!) Please

respond soon.

STAMPED TO KIBBUTZ GINOSSAR MAILBOX 346 ISRAEL

JUNE 6, 2006 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Dear Tal,

Haha ok I know that letters don’t take this long to deliver so I

don’t know what the hell is going on. Are you ignoring me?? I know

you’re there because I asked Adi and she said she saw you the other

day. I didn’t do anything, did I? Maybe my letter got lost in the

mail. Yeah, that’s it. Sorry for freaking out. Guess what?! I am

coming in one month and nine days eek! I have prepared an itinerary

for us which includes skinny dipping off Yotam’s dock in the middle

of the night, sneaking into the pool (we said we’d do that,

remember?) and taking the bus to Tel Aviv (to look at our future

apartment)! How is it over there? You’re pretty close to Lebanon and

I am pretty worried because now Lebanon is making threats and Jesus

Tal I don’t know what to do because you aren’t answering me and I

don’t know if its on purpose or you didn’t get the letter or I don’t

know I just don’t fucking know. Tal -­ please respond soon.

Love,

Shiri

STAMPED TO KIBBUTZ GINOSSAR MAILBOX 346 ISRAEL

JULY 14, 2006 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Dear Tal,

I’m going tomorrow. I’m going to Israel. I finished everything, Tal.

I finished my SATs and my finals and my subject tests. And I am sorry

Tal, sorry for flipping out at you because I didn’t know. I did not

know. Tal, I am going to Israel but I am not going to see you because

instead of meeting me at the airport like you always do you’ll be

wrapped in a white sheet under the ground with a stupid slab of

concrete over your head saying some stupid corny message about how

you were too young. Too young, Tal. We could have skinny dipped off

of Yotam’s dock and snuck into the pool and gotten our apartment

together. OUR apartment, Tal! But you had to go shopping on a

Wednesday afternoon in Tiberias and you had to go into the scheckel

store and you had to go down aisle seven. Jesus Tal. Its 3 A.M. and I

am lonely. I don’t know what it will be like to not spend every

waking moment with my best friend over the summer and I don’t know

what its like to be “that girl whose best friend died” but I do know

one thing: we will see each other again.

I love you forever,

Shiri

*Grandmother

**Mother

Edited by Katherine Dorfman

Inside JokesBy Ben Sisson

Edited by Brianna McIsaac

We all want to be a part of something;; we all want have a group of friends. We all want to have a

place where we can be ourselves and relate to others. For many, Global is the manifestation of this desire.

The only problem with this desire is that it is naturally splintering: we desire to have varying groups,

communities split up. However, this splitting up is not negative, and Global is a group within a group,

anyway. A friend of a friend is still a friend and we can still relate to the other subgroups, and this

separation takes pressure off of us by allowing people to form and join the groups to which we relate.

Each group has its own sense of humor. From this sense of humor, inside jokes develop. Humor connects

us together as humans and inside jokes allow us to protect ourselves and our connections from the outside

world. Because an inside joke is by nature inside, we can be sensitive and open without being exposed or

damaged. Without a medium as pliable and lighthearted as humor and joking, our person-­to-­person

connection would either harden and break when we faced difficult times, or dissolve whilst we were not

paying attention. Although an inside joke is temporary by nature, the feelings they give us, and the

connections they allow us to form last much longer. If we are dedicated enough, relationships can last

forever. Sharing jokes allows us to share our feelings, and when we are suffering, they help us to help

ourselves. Joking lets us open up to another person or a group of people. Our humor may not be constantly

kind and we might hurt ourselves by hurting others for a laugh;; but joking lets us be sincere without being

too serious. When we tease someone else, we wait for them to tease us back eagerly: there is a positive

back and forth dynamic. When we burn or insult someone else, we let out negative feelings, and although

in some cases negativity breeds negativity, both sides vent out their feelings;; the relationships that were

meant to last are only strengthened. No one should stay in a negative relationship, but the strongest

positive ones are forged by fire. After all, humor is a joke. We need each other. We need friends and

people to relate to. When we share an inside joke as a community, we form a bubble that allows us to

relate to each other. It isn’t hard to join though, because all you need to do to become part of the bubble is

to relate to it. That’s why its called a relationship, and really, everyone wants to have more good friends.

The Art of HennaBy Claire McElduff

Edited by Corey Friedman

We’ve all been to weddings before…but did any include a Henna ceremony? If you ask Sam

Sharon, one certainly has. Sam’s family, like many other Moroccans, begins a wedding celebration with a

Henna ceremony, in which the bride and groom receive matching Henna tattoos on the palms of their

hands. This celebration is a very elaborate, important, and unique Moroccan tradition.

Henna is made from crushed leaves of a Henna plant. The crushed leaves are then mixed with

water, creating a paste that is painted on to the skin and stays on for about two weeks. Henna was first

used about 6,000 years ago, and became most popular in Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and

Southern Asia. While it originated as a hair dye, Henna is now mostly used for body art.

Henna brings with it many symbolic attributes for the bride and groom in this special ceremony.

First, it represents the bride’s transition from a girl to a woman, and her new separation from her family.

The ceremony itself also celebrates her independence, and is a special time for all of them to spend time

together before she begins her new life with her husband. Some Moroccan Jews believe that the Henna

plant had powers of protection and blessedness, and such a ceremony is a way to pass these wishes on to

the bride and groom. Henna designs can also symbolize health, wealth, and fertility. Most importantly, the

holding of a Henna ceremony honors the family’s Moroccan heritage.

The ceremony itself typically happens sometime during the week leading up to the wedding. The

ceremonies are rather complex, with the goal being to make them as authentic as possible. Everyone

comes dressed in traditional Moroccan clothes. Traditional food is served, and the venue is decorated

beautifully. Whether you’re Moroccan or not, attending a Henna ceremony is an excellent way to

experience a taste of Moroccan culture.

Usually when we hear about a natural disaster our first impulse is to donate money or create

some sort of fundraiser. This is definitely a good start, but the problem is that after a few

weeks people start to forget and get caught up in other news. What victims of natural

disasters really need is sustainable help. How many of us still donate money or really pay

attention to regrowth in New Orleans after Katrina or Haiti after the earthquake? We need to

look past our initial shock that die away too soon and remember that recovery from this

magnitude of damage is ongoing. This is currently happening with Hurricane Haiyan, which hit

Micronesia, Southern China, Vietnam, and the Philippines in early November. To help those

continuing to suffer, Mr. Thompson’s B Block Sustainability class is selling T-­‐shirts for $10 and

donating the profits to relief aid. If you’re interested in buying one, contact Anna Garik, anyone

else you know in this class, or go to Mr. Thompson’s room during J Block (2309).

It would be a really great way to help out!

P.S. Joel is buying one so you should too

gggg

Front and back cover pictures by Matia Whiting and Julia Mount.Formatting by Corey Friedman.