I found this interesting. Generally speaking, Apple’s products appeal to my generation immensely and are always an instant success. Or are they…? I did some research and discovered a thread on Mac Rumors, a popular Apple discussion blog which has many passionate Apple users, dating back to October 23, 2001; the release date of the original iPod. As I scrolled down through pages and pages of posts and comments, I was frankly stunned. These were the zealots; the fanboys! And yet I was reading past dozens of posts such as this particularly irate rant: “I still can’t believe this! All this hype for something so ridiculous! Who cares about an MP3 player? I want something new! I want them to think differently! Why oh why would they do this?! It’s so wrong! It’s so stupid!” And of course the ever present price complaints: “OH NO! Just checked Apple Store – they want $399.00 for this thing…Ouch!!!”

This was a revelation to me; Apple products AREN’T always treated as gifts from the gods, apparently. Which made me wonder; will the iPad be the flop? Apple has had flops before; it spent almost 10 years from ‘89 to ‘98 developing the “Newton”, a touch screen device, similar in size to the iPad, which was supposed to revolutionize mobile computing with its handwriting recognition software. However, Apple cut the project shortly after the initial release due to the vast number of bugs, and their doubt that a strong market existed for the product.

So what, if anything, sets the iPad above the Newton? Is there a market for this device, which on the surface seems to be just an “oversized iPod”? Well, Apple thinks so. Steve Jobs claims that  “the iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.” His company has built a line  of applications to accompany the device. It includes an advanced calendar application, contact management, of course the iPod music player, as well as the other standard applications for an iPod or iPhone.

Apple has also announced that they will open a new online book store and include a book reader application (you guessed it; iBooks) on the iPad. This gives the device capabilities similar to those of the Kindle and other book readers on the market. They have re-built Pages, Keynote, and Numbers to function intuitively on the touchscreen. These applications are Apple’s line of word processing, powerpoint, and spreadsheet editors, and their presence on the iPad truly does set it above the iPhone and iPod Touch. Their decision to include 3G wireless internet on selected models also gives the device extended usages. Additionally, they have decided to not require customers to have a contract with AT&T to use the 3G internet service. This means that customers can pay a fixed month to month rate; $15 a month for 250MB of data, or $29.99 a month for unlimited data, making it more attractive to customers who already have another carrier, or who don’t want to pay the high monthly costs that are associated with the iPhone.

So what market could the device have? Well I have already discovered one unexpected potential customer; my mother! She took one look at it and said “Now I could use that!” She explained how as a mother of five she needs something that lets her stay connected on the go; “When I am out and about, or waiting for you guys to finish piano lessons or gymnastics, I need to be able to stay connected. If I could check my email and browse the web on the go, I wouldn’t have to sit and go through email when I got home.” She says it looks to be just about the right size to fit in her purse, and Apple has already announced a leather case that seems to be targeted in that direction.

Personally I would probably not buy the device, as I already have an iPod touch and my MacBook; I feel pretty well connected at home and on the go. And as a high school student, I don’t see much use for the device. I cant imagine it being practical to type out a paper on the touch screen, and it really is too big to use as an iPod. However, during a recent speech to students, Dr. Bushman  mentioned the possibility of buying a device similar to the iPad for students to use as a book reader for the 48 books. I find this possibility intriguing, and I wonder how students would respond. (Hint hint, comment below).

Ultimately, I think that we will just have to wait and see. It is easy to nay-say and join the crowd of pessimists, but I wouldn’t want to be one of the the people to say “Ohhh it will just fail” too early. Apple does have a track history of success, and I am fairly confident that they will find a market niche, starting with my mom. I eagerly await the release of the device (April 3), and can’t wait to go into a store and get my hands on one. Maybe I will be posting a product review sometime soon. But until then, I will keep my mouth shut and give Apple a chance to work their magic.

-Shaun Lichti

One tale about the Chinese New Year is about a monster named Nian (or Year).  Legend described it as a monster that came on the day of the Chinese New Year and threatened the lives of everyone.  In order to solve this problem, the Chinese lit numerous fire crackers to scare away this horrific monster, only for him to return the next year.  This is the anecdote about the traditions of lighting fire crackers and fire works on Chinese New Year.

Another factor of the Chinese New Year is food.  Each dish during the dinner is symbolic of something.  For example, dumplings symbolize unity of the family, fish represent prosperity, tangerines and oranges embody the idea of happiness and wealth, and noodles stand for long life.

There are also many familial traditions on Chinese New Year.  Many families clean their houses with dust pans (washing away old, bad luck), visit their ancestors’ graves, and the children would receive “lucky money (Yuan, the Chinese currency) in red-envelopes, representing future wealth and prosperity.  It’s also forbidden to have brooms and dust pans in the house after the cleaning process, as these would keep the bad luck in.

When people think of the Chinese New Year, they think of the color red, and for good reason.  The color red is the most treasured color in the Chinese culture. It symbolizes many things, such as joy and luck.  It’s traditional of a Chinese family to have Dui Liang (double written messages) with New Year’s greetings and hang them on their doors.  The Chinese characters on the Dui Liang are normally written in beautiful Chinese calligraphy.  One specific character is extremely popular during the Chinese New Year and it is Fu (blessing), and Chinese normally like to tape that word upside down on their door.  The reason is that the word for “upside down” sounds the same as the word “come”.  Therefore, when the Chinese tape this character upside down, it means blessing comes.

One of the most prominent traditions is the correlation of the Chinese New Year and the Chinese Zodiac.  This year, it is the year of the tiger.  The tradition goes that the child born within the year will have the animal of the year assigned to them, giving them certain traits.  For example, children born this year are supposed to be unpredictable, colorful, powerful, passionate, daring, impulsive, vigorous, sincere, affectionate, and generous, and can be quick-tempered, moody, and impatient.

Overall, Chinese New Year reflects the profound culture of the Chinese people.  This holiday was not invented in a day, but it was collaborated with four thousand years of traditions and celebrations.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Gong-she-fa-tsai)

Happy New Year!

-Amy Zhang

Pictured here is Matt Harikian, a fun loving sophomore with a wicked jump serve.

-Ruth Wong

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3D has come a long way.  No more “Ooh-look-out-there’s-a-rock-coming-at-you!”. Now, 3D is all about creating depth, immersing you in the universe of the film. Avatar is obviously the best example of this.  Sure, other movies, mostly family movies like A Christmas Carol and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, have used 3D, but they have received no more than slight kudos for doing so.  Avatar didn’t focus on telling a story, but rather how the story was told.  Cameron used 3D as a tool to put the audience on Pandora.  Of course, the next question is, “Will future movies be able to use 3D in the same manner?”  Not all movies are epics in some remote world that can only be accessed by the magic of the silver screen.  Of course, a reboot of The Matrix Trilogy, Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings (upcoming Hobbit movie possibly?) in 3D would be nothing short of awesome.  Films like these are just too few and far between to merit spending big bucks on this new technology.

Gone are the days of blue and red paper glasses.  Enter “active shutter” glasses.  What?  OK, active shutter glasses work something like this: “a transmitter integrated into the display sends timing signals to advanced 3D shutter glasses, which synchronize with the display’s refresh rate to create two, independent high-definition images for each eye.”  In English, the glasses work as a sort of enhancer, almost like two mini-HDTV screens, making for a cleaner 3D experience.  However, this brings up another problem.  The RealD glasses in the movie theaters weigh very little and aren’t too noticeable unless they somehow get in the way of your popcorn eating.  From what I have heard of those who used active shutter glasses, they are much heavier, definitely noticeable, and oftentimes distracting. Plus, do you really want to invite a bunch of friends over, start up a 3D Blu-Ray, and hand out weird-looking glasses that cost upwards of $20 apiece?  No thanks.

I’ve seen Avatar in 3D twice now – once on a regular screen and once in IMAX.  While IMAX was undoubtedly better, the technology was nevertheless impressive. I don’t think consumers are ready to spend loads of money on a technology that is not only scarcely supported, but will cost cheaper in the future. Will 3D someday become the next high definition?  It’s possible, but not now, anyway. Perhaps in a couple years or ten.

-Burke Rea

To put it simply, chopsticks are better. They are far more convenient in every shape way and form. A single pair of chopsticks can perform the functions of many different western utensils. They can be used as a spoon, fork, and even as a knife, provided that you know how to. When used instead of a fork, it works much more efficiently; you can pick up more, when picking up meat you don’t release the delicious juices, and if you’re a picky eater, you can pick out all of the foods that you like. Using it instead of a spoon, you can simply drink the soup out of the bowl by using the chopsticks like a funnel. You can also use chopsticks to cut soft meat, just like a knife. So you see, chopsticks serve the same functions as Western utensils, except all in one neat little package.

That neat little package also comes with a wonderful self-image. Using chopsticks gives the impression to others that you are appreciative of other cultures, open-minded, and also very dexterous. It takes some practice and skill to eat with chopsticks, making it an impressive feat if you are able to. Chopsticks also have a bright aura about them. They were invented almost 2500 years ago. And being made of wood, they have a natural, earthly feel to them. Forks, on the other hand, are metallic and shaped like pitchforks, both giving a corrupt, hellish, manmade cloud about them.

If all of the positives of using chopsticks are not enough to deter you from using Western cutlery, then hopefully the negatives of using metallic utensils will suffice, such as the destruction of the environment due to the use and production of forks, spoons, and knives.

Plastic is one of the most environmentally destructive man-made materials on the planet. It takes thousands of years to decompose, and both the manufacturing and recycling processes of plastic billow deadly toxins into the air. In one year, approximately one hundred and eighty five million, eight hundred and seventy four thousand six hundred and eighty one pounds of plastic are used to make disposable forks, spoons, and knives in America alone. That’s fifteen million pounds a month, two hundred and ninety seven pounds in a week, eight hundred and sixteen pounds in a day; and its about to get worse. Because the plastic takes over seven hundred years to decompose, those pounds really begin to add up. If the production of plastic forks, spoons, and knives continue at this same rate, we will be buried under a mountain of nearly 2 billion pounds of plastic in a matter of 10 years. Granted, the production of chopsticks requires cutting down trees and bamboo plants, but that is only a minor problem compared to the plastic utensils. The wood from chopsticks is easily decomposed, and bamboo chopsticks are durable enough to last hundreds of uses.

Taking plastic utensils out of consideration, Western eating-tools are still harmful to the environment. If you’ve ever been to an expensive American restaurant, I’m sure you’ve received a plethora of utensils: two to four forks, a knife, and two spoons. On the other hand, Asian restaurants will commonly only offer one pair of chopsticks for the entire meal. The amount of water, energy, and manpower needed to wash an American restaurant’s dishes are at least twice the amount as an Asian restaurant!

These steel forks, spoons, and knives have even more harmful affects on the environment. The steel smelting plants and utensil manufacturing plants needed to make them both cough up innumerable amounts of toxins into the air, polluting the atmosphere heavily, causing untold amounts of permanent damage to all life forms on earth. Clearly, Western Utensils are harmful to the planet in almost every way, shape and form.

So when you get to the end of that line at Panda Express, choose the environmentally friendly, convenient, better option: chopsticks.

-Byron Walker

This is the first time UHS has won the county competition, despite retaining the National Small School Championship title for three straight years.  It was a glorious occasion, which brought the whole school together in celebration.  Coach Sean Canfield was even reduced to tears of joy, a truly rare sight.

The team took home an amazing total of 47 medals: 21 Gold, 15 Silver, and 11 Bronze. In addition, the 9 team members won a total of $6,500 in scholarships. Amongst all of the accolades, the most notable individual accomplishments are as follows:

Tiffany Cao–$300, 7th Honors
Carolynn Jimenez–$300, 6th Scholastic
Taylor Barry–$300, 5th Varsity
Richard Schneider–$300, 4th Scholastic
Wyatt Stevens–$30, 4th Varsity
Nathan Matteson–$500, 1st Scholastic
Jared Rorabaugh–$500, 1st Varsity
Albert Chang–$1,500, Deans Award, 2nd Top Scorer in the County
Eric Hendey–$2,500, Deans Award, 1st Top Scorer in the County

The University High Academic Decathlon Team would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the amazing and fanatical UHS fans.  Not only do we have the best Academic Decathlon team in the Valley, but hands down,the best and most loyal student body. Congratulations to one and all.

-Eric Hendey

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Another issue that the govt. is battling is child trafficking. While, there are people who genuinely want to adopt orphans with good intensions, there are also those who participate in child sex trafficking and illegal adoption. The most recent case with child trafficking involves ten U.S. missionaries who claim to have been helping 33 children out of misery. They have been charged of child trafficking and this incident has prompted the Haitian government to require every child leaving the country to have personal approval by the prime minister. They are hoping that people won’t take advantage of vulnerable children who have lost parents and in some cases, entire families. In order to accomplish this task, the Government is in need financial aid.

The government has received aid from all over the world and the American monetary value for the financial help has totaled to about 1.7 billion American dollars, but for a nation that had 80% of its populace living under the poverty line before the earthquake, with the damage that the quake has caused, this money will not be sufficient. For this reason, there are several organizations that are dedicated to collecting money from common citizens around the world to donate to Haiti. The quickest and easiest way that you can personally donate to Haitians is to put any spare change in the boxes/tin cans, provided by the UHS Leo Club. These boxes are located in most UHS classrooms, but if for some reason, you are not able to find any classroom to donate money in, you may visit the American Red Cross website (www.redcross.org/en/donatemoney), which is ultimately where the Leo Club funds are going.

-Shalini Kolluru