Oblivion Crossword – July 8 – 14, 2008

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Down 1. Famous American Poet or Former Knicks Coach 2. —-stone or —-paper 5. A Synonym for God 7. Midwestern Capital or NYC Avenue 8. —board or —chain 9. Texas Rangers Hitter; American Founder Killed in Duel 10. A Faraway Ocean 11. Capital of Egypt 13. Former GOP Candidate Who Was Against Iraqi War 15. Greek God of War 16. sea—- or home—-

Across 1. Type of Car; Zodiac Sign 3. Stock Market Term for Bad Times 4. Nevada Neighbor 6. Roman Governor For Christ’s Death 11. President or Ohio City 12. Vegas Couldn’t Have Predicted This Biblical Underdog’s Victory 14. Zodiac Sign That You Don’t Want to Have 17. Planet or Roman God

A Website that Never Sleeps

The title might be a bit of a stretch, but I am excited to announce our intent to keep the website up and running all summer. We should have new material on the website on a weekly basis if not more frequently than that.

Below is a preview of what to expect in these next few weeks on the website:

A few news articles, a few pieces on politics, a few pieces on sports, a few crossword puzzles, and if we’re lucky, maybe one last article from our star humor columnist Lexie Singer.

So keep checking the website, and I hope you all have wonderful summers.

Thanks,

Jonah

Friends in the News

This year, our school community faced a crucial decision. Friends Seminary was going to add a non-Western language to the curriculum, either Arabic or Chinese. The only question was over which language Friends would choose. Students discussed the decision in advisory meetings, and the debate quickly became a big one. There were strong arguments for both languages. China is one of the most important countries in the world, and its importance figures to grow as its economy continues to expand, thus making Chinese an attractive choice. On the other hand, Arabic is spoken all over the Middle East, and could prove critical to American diplomacy as well as economic efforts. In the end, the school’s decision was Arabic, although the decision wasn’t announced to the public until June. Yet, while the choice was simply a school one, the story has already made waves beyond the Friends community. Two articles have recently covered the school’s decision to put Arabic into the curriculum.

The first article appeared on emediaworld.com on June 20, 2008. The URL is as follows:

http://www.emediaworld.com/press_release/release_detail.php?id=82103

The second article was published in The New York Times on June 20, 2008. The URL of the web version of the article is as follows:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/nyregion/20bigcity.html?ref=education

Just a Thought

By Jonah Rosenblum

And now begins a new series of articles, which will be entitled “Just a Thought,” where I will throw a thought out there about politics, and hope it doesn’t fall too hard.

In his most recent speech before AIPAC, Senator and Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama told the crowd that the bond between Israel and the United States is and must remain “unbreakable.” Never mind that this completely violates George Washington’s warning about making tight political connections with other nations, since we abandoned that principle long ago. My question is what does it mean to have an “unbreakable bond”?

Today, I am calling on our presidential candidates, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, to actually address what it means to be allied with Israel. Every election cycle, the presidential candidates assert their support for Israel over and over again, in an attempt to win over the Jewish vote. Yet, this election, as fanciful as this may be, I’d like to see them do more than just pay lip service to Israel. This year, I’d like to see them explain what they believe is actually in Israel’s best interest. I’d like to see them talk about Hamas, the settlements, and Annapolis. In other words, I’d like to see them focus on the actual issues.

And I would like them to bear in mind that being Israel’s best friend might be more complex than simply standing by and saying yes to everything Israel chooses to do.

A Sad Goodbye to Tim Russert

By Jonah Rosenblum

Today, while working on another episode of his show “Meet the Press”, Tim Russert died of an apparent heart attack. He was only 58. Russert was most known for his role hosting “Meet the Press,” but he was on television many other times as well to offer political commentary, and was also frequently called upon to moderate presidential debates. Russert was the first broadcaster ever inducted into the Gridiron Club, which had previously been restricted to print journalists. This year, Time magazine named him one of the world’s 100 most influential people.

As an aspiring journalist myself, I always admired the way Russert handled himself on set. He was intelligent, well-spoken, and conveyed what I will always believe was a genuine enthusiasm about politics to his audience. I was always impressed by the way he handled himself during interviews and debates. As Yahoo News puts it, Russert “pointedly but politely questioned hundreds of the powerful and influential.” He was a great journalist, one who questioned politicians on the issues, keeping the discussions both civil and focused. He certainly will go down as one of my favorite journalists and will always serve as a personal role model. Journalists, viewers, and admirers from around the world, myself included, will miss him deeply.

Thanks!

The Oblivion would like to thank everyone for such a tremendous year. We couldn’t have done it without you all. Enjoy your summer and remember to check the site every now and then for news updates!!!

A South Dakota Loss, A Montana Win, And The Face of a Party

According to CNN, Barack Obama has enough delegates, and is now the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. The fight is pretty much over, and the Illinois Senator has won the first battle. Now comes the war.

But first a look back. It truly is fitting that Barack Obama’s last victory came in the state of Montana, since it’s states like Montana that have catapulted Obama to the nomination. Yes, African-American support was crucial to the campaign, but equally critical was the support of the mostly-white Rocky Mountain states. In fact, he dominated throughout the Northwest. Obama won Colorado (67% – 32% by caucus), Montana (57 – 41 by primary), Idaho (79 – 17 by caucus), Wyoming (61 – 38 by caucus), Utah (57 – 39 by primary), North Dakota (61 – 37 by caucus), Washington (68 – 31 by caucus), and Oregon (59 – 41 by primary). Most of these states have small African-American populations. He did well in the Great Plains states too. And the Midwest.

But it was states like Montana that allowed Obama to escape the notion that he was simply “the black candidate.” And how interesting that one of the first states to give women the right to vote is the one that helped push Obama to the presidential nomination. (PS: More exit poll analysis to come. This is just the beginning of the “political party.” Oh boy, horrible joke. My apologies to all of you.)

A little advice though for the Senator from Illinois who continues to struggle among older voters. Perhaps it is time that he spend a little more time talking about things like Social Security. And perhaps he ought to clarify his opinions on Israel, to comfort some of the Jewish voters. And perhaps speak to women’s issues, to appeal to those women who might be frustrated by Clinton’s loss and who might be tempted to attribute her loss to sexism.

And meanwhile, the future. It’s time to start talking vice presidential candidates. I’d be tempted to consider Jim Webb, the senator from Virginia who has both military experience and executive experience. Definitely, Obama ought to pick someone from the Rust Belt, the South, or somewhere else that will give Obama credibility with those voters whom he offended earlier with his “bitterness” comments. In other words, don’t make John Kerry your vice presidential candidate. Maybe Ted Strickland of Ohio. Pick one of these new Democrats, who are fresh yet experienced, who can carry the banner of change yet walk with the air of competence and experience.

There’s more to come, but for now I wish you all a good night. Go America!

And Now We Turn the Microphone Over to You

Tonight is a big night in American politics. According to CNN, Illinois Senator Barack Obama has won the Democratic nomination, and is now the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. It is an incredible moment in what has been a meteoric rise to the forefront of American politics for Mr. Obama. Meanwhile, it is also the end to a remarkable candidacy by the ever-resilient Hillary Clinton. The New York senator appealed to people all over this great nation, and brought some excellent ideas into the campaign. And so, tonight represents a triumph for one great candidate, and the defeat (although, she hasn’t conceded yet) of another.

The Oblivion will have plenty more to say about tonight’s news, but first we want to give you guys a chance to respond, and share your thoughts. Thoughts about tonight? About possible VP candidates? About Hillary’s campaign? Feel free to share.

The Oblivion’s Back Page Poll

The Oblivion needs poll responses for it’s back page poll! If you would like to appear in the final end-of-the-year poll, e-mail Diane Grayson on FirstClass.

Friends Runs All Over ACIS

By Jonah Rosenblum (Reporting Done by Max Wilner and Zannie Furman)

On Thursday afternoon, the Friends Seminary track team dominated their championship meet. Racing against Dwight, Berkeley Carroll, Packer, Saint Ann’s, Brooklyn Friends, and UNIS, Friends Seminary’s boys came in second and the girls came in first. The girls’ win was particularly impressive given that Friends brought only six girls to the meet.

Friends was boosted by a slew of impressive individual performances. On the girls side, sophomore phenom Emma Vasta-Kuby won first place in the 100m and 200m race. On the boys side, Wilner won the 100m, and Tyler McCully won the 400m (he ran it in an incredible 51:45). These were just a few of the remarkable individual performances from the Thursday meet.

Next up for the track team is states, which will take place this coming week. But, first we offer our congratulations to coaches Warren Salandy, Pam Boehm, and the entire track team!