Did you know that car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the U.S.? According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in 2008, about eleven teens were killed in car crashes everyday. The Department of Transportation claims that a horrifying six thousand deaths were caused by inattentive drivers that same year.

“That’s a horrifying statistic when you consider that accidents caused by drivers using cell phones, texting, or taking their eyes off the road are entirely preventable,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood when announcing Focus Driven, an advocacy group for victims of cell phone related motor vehicle accidents.

We’re all taught from a very young age to wear our seatbelts and not drive while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. But perhaps the most dangerous distraction while driving is something as common as a cell phone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 1.6 million teens drive while reading or typing messages.

Texting has become one of the fastest and easiest forms of communication. Even adults and parents have picked up the habit. As fast and easy as it is to type out a text, it’s just as easy to end a life.

“Using a cell phone while driving is a common thing many people do. They don’t realize how dangerous it really is. It’s one thing to pick up the phone while your driving, but when you text you are physically taking your eyes off the road,” said police officer Johnny Pena of the 76th Precinct.

According to a 2009 survey by the Allstate Foundation, 49 percent of teens consider cell phones to be distracting, and think it is the number one distraction when behind the wheel. Yet, 82 percent of teens still admit to using cell phones while driving.

“I have voice to text recognition on my phone. I can just talk into my wireless headset, and a text will be sent to whomever I say in my phonebook,” said senior Corinne Mueller.

Many people are under the misconception that hands-free cell phones are safer than head-held cell phones. However, according to the University of Utah, hands-free phones are just as dangerous because conversations with others delay reaction times.

According to Allstate, cell phones are the most common distractions for drivers. But multitasking drivers have to pay the consequences for their actions. New York is one of six states that ban all hand-held cell phone use while driving, and also one of 19 states that recently put a ban on texting for all drivers.

“Under the new law, drivers can no longer read or send text or picture messages on their handheld device or laptop while their car is in motion. Lawbreakers face fines up to $150,” said William J. Smith, Communications Director at the District Attorney’s Office of the Richmond County.

Mr. Smith also said that in New York, anti-texting fines can only be imposed as a second offense. That means only if the driver appears to be breaking another law, he/she can receive a summons for texting. These summonses, which are issued by the NYPD, are processed by the DMV.

But the price of the lives that are put in danger when a driver is behind the wheel intexticated shouldn’t be compared to a mere fine.

If we admit to using phones while driving, and we know how dangerous it is, then why do we still put ourselves at risk? It’s not just about drunk driving anymore. There are so many distractions that can endanger not only your life, but the lives around you.

KeeptheDrive.com is a great resource to learn more about texting while driving, and how to be a great driver. It provides real stories and solutions to drive safely. So when you take the wheel, hold on to it. Put your phones down, avoid a crash, and save a life!

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Parking is a challenge on the Jerome Parker Campus. Although there is a parking lot, and students are allowed to drive, it is difficult to find a parking space because of the surrounding neighborhood and the simple fact that there are four schools on one campus, all competing for a small number of spots.

Although, according to the school office, some people in the community may be outraged that there is tons of traffic and no parking during school hours and during after school events, they are not the only ones who seem to have difficulty finding parking.

“Parking around here is horrendous. In order to get a decent spot, you have to be here by at least 6 a.m. But it works both ways. If people didn’t take up two spots when parking, they would give others a parking spot. Our school has a full staff, but what about McCown High School and Marsh Avenue Expeditionary Learning School. They don’t have a full staff in their schools yet. I’d hate to see what parking is going to look like when all four schools on our campus have full staff and a full student body,” said para professional, Jessica Carucci.

Although it is easy to blame this conflict on the incompetent person who took up two spots, the real question is, why wasn’t the parking lot made big enough to accommodate the staff in each school, freeing up street spaces for student drivers.

Moreover, idling delivery trucks, and parents who wait for their students to enter the building, block access to spots in front and do not allow passing traffic to steadily move.

Our school may be small, but there are a high number of student drivers. Out of eighty senior students, about thirteen drive to school on a daily basis. That’s thirteen student cars in one grade, and the number of drivers will increase in January when more students graduate from driver’s education.

So many students drive because transportation on the Island, as compared to other boroughs, is very poor. Busses are slow due to traffic-clogged streets, and many arrive later than the posted schedule. In other boroughs students have a variety of public transit choices, often including more than one subway.

Also, the nearby spots are unavailable because parking is only for community residents.

Our principal Aimee Horowitz says she understands the concern about parking and has been working with Community Board 2 in hopes of expanding our parking lot to gain additional parking, hopefully reducing all the weekday morning chaos.

All in all, be courteous when parking your car and leave room for others. Respect the homes and property of others, our school, and most importantly be safe driving !

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Boston Area Coalition of Reason has been putting advertisements for atheism on subway stations in New York City.

“I want to let atheists and humanists everywhere know they are not alone. That there are indeed groups out there that feel the same way. I hope to let people know that there are communities that they can become apart of.” said Spokesperson, David Niose.

This company has also put ads on Boston subway stations and the first place to have atheist ad’s on a public transportation was in Washington D.C. The Boston Coalition even went as far as Britain to advertise their idea.

“I had no idea people could do such a thing. How are we suppose to raise our kids in a healthy Christian environment when everywhere they go they have ad’s and signs telling them different?” said New York subway traveler, Mona Danziger.

A survey was conducted outside of one of the many New York City subway stations. Out of 500 people, 287 chose ‘ other/atheist ‘ choice as their religion over Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhist.

“I can’t believe that people can just put advertisements on subways, when priests and other ministers preach and work hard to keep people believing in our Lord,” said frequent church member and subway rider, Lisa Smiths.

What has most people raising a concern is that Christmas is right around the corner and these posters distract from the purpose of the holiday practicing one’s religion. “Christmas is a secular holiday, and people who don’t believe in God can still have a holiday spirit,” said Niose.

Most people today, think that if you don’t believe in a “god” that you are not a good person, but the Boston Area Coalition is trying to show that people who don’t believe in God are no different than people who do believe in God.

“The New York subway station has over a million people riding it every day and was probably the best choice for the Boston Area Coalition to put their ads on subway cars,” said, accountant and subway rider, Anthony Daversa.

Today many people believe that they need God to be happy and without “him” you would never overcome the obstacles in your way.

“I have written a book to let people know you don’t need God to be happy,” said Coordinator of Boston Coalition, Greg M. Epstan. They feel everyone is equal no matter what their religion is.

No matter what religion a person is, we are all equal and should be proud of the path we follow.

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“In the Philippines it’s normal to have storms and floods, but when the second flood hit, it caused a lot of damage,” said Alfredo Salmos a native of the Philippines.

According to reliefweb.int tropical storm Ketsana hit on September 23. It affected about 4,320,699 people across the Philippines. Also about 216,941 people were moved to evacuation centers, mostly located in Manila.

Typhoon Parma was the second typhoon within a week that hit the Philippines. Parma made the conditions caused by Ketsana even more unbearable for the locals. The dirty water of floods brought many diseases. According to reliefweb.net, the official death toll stands currently at 311. Among these deaths 238 were caused by landslides.

These storms were two of the worse the Philippines seen in recent years. Parma hit hard because it added to the immense damage already caused by Ketsana.

Parma also hit Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where evacuated people took refuge.

“Even the capital was underwater from the flood,  which is bad because the people don’t have anything to depend on,” said junior Clarisse Concepcion who has family in the Philippines.

Evacuation centers were already shaky and semi-flooded, but Parma made it much worse. Many of these centers were destroyed, leaving more locals homeless, adding to the severity of the problem.

According to nytimes.com, the damages are costing the government 2 billion dollars. A substantial amount of this money counts towards crop and land damage, as well as infrastructure destruction. Other costs that the government has to fund are job losses and transportation.

The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is urging the U.N. and other countries to donate money and give aid to the Filipino people. The U.N said they will give at least 44 million dollars worth of aid, which as been pledged by the international community.

Students here also feel for those in the Philippines.

“I feel bad. I would like to help them and donate money,” said junior Raven Fakoya.

Many people originally evacuated to the capital Manila for safety. Now they can’t even depend on their largest city for help.

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At 6:05 p.m., a rush of people shoving and pushing poured onto the orange boat with blue bold lettering on the side reading “Staten Island Ferry”. On a cloudy day, light breezy winds seemed ready to rain. As people rushed to find a seat, the captain announced that the ferry would begin to move.

When the path cleared and every metal seat on the ferry was occupied. Many people waited patiently at the food vendor or on line for the bathrooms.

A young women in her early twenties ordered a pretzel from the food vendor, quickly paid  the cashier and made her way outside. There she sat down to enjoy the ocean and quietly eat.

She seemed not to mind the breezy air, as a light rain fell.

She looked up to the ocean and sighed quietly. After staring into space for a couple of minutes, she scribbled her thoughts onto a piece of paper. She then rearranged her books and stuffed the remains  of the pretzel into her purse, muttering to herself. She took out her phone to check for any messages.

Samantha Meyer, or Sam, is 21 years old and was returning on the ferry from her job at R.H. Tugs on Richmond Terrace. Waitressing at R.H. Tugs was pleasant, and today was her last day, since she started college and needed time for studies.

Her phone rang, and she excused herself to take the call. “Yea mom, I’m returning from work and going to my dorm. I’ll meet up with you. Bye! Moms…..always worrying about you and where you are. You know how it feels right? Even after you go to college, and probably are married they’ll always worry, she said.

When the captain announced that the Ferry would be docking soon, feet shuffled and bodies moved. Little children, paired up with their parents and friends, formed in groups to push and shove to exit  the ferry. During the thirty minute ride from Manhattan to Staten Island the grey sky had transformed into the night sky, and the light rain stopped.

People   pushed  and shoved as they exited  in a rush  to get to  their  destination.

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Thanks to our state’s government and its bailout plan, MTA fairs will only increase twenty-five cents, but the prices are expected to rise soon anways.

Subway and bus fares are expected to increase from $2.00 to $2.50 in Staten Island, and even $3 for several Long Island modes of transportation. Express bus fares and weekly and monthly Metro card prices are also expected to increase, from $5 to $6.25, $25 to $31, $81 to $103 respectively.

The budget plan changes are arranged to begin in May and extend until the debt is resolved. And these higher costs aren’t accompanied with better service. The MTA is actually cutting service, reducing the number of trains, buses, subway lines, and bus routes previously available.

Besides MTA customers who will have to cope with higher fares, MTA employees might also suffer, as approximately a thousand layoffs will be made, mainly a reduction in the number of customer service agents, station cleaners, and other similar positions.

“I’m a bit worried because someone from my family works as a bus driver. Even though he is not expected to lose his job, he knows people who will lose their jobs. Besides, who knows what the cuts will do to his pay and his working hours,” said junior Paul O’Hara.

So why exactly is the MTA raising prices?

“The short answer is that the MTA is required by law to maintain a balanced budget, and our income is decreasing and our uncontrollable expenses are increasing, even though we are reducing our controllable expenses aggressively,” said MTA Deputy Press Secretary Aaron Donovan. According to Mr. Donovan, the fares that public transportation users pay only account for half of the operating cost of the MTA.

Moreover, the MTA didn’t receive enough tax revenues, known as ‘dedicated taxes’ from New York State. These taxes make up a significant amount of the MTA’s costs.

“In an economic boom, they [the dedicated taxes] meet our needs. In an economic downturn, like the one we are experiencing now, they can drop unpredictably. And so far this year, they are down by more than 50% versus last year,” said Donovan.

Early this year, the MTA only received about $97 million in the Real Estate Transactions significantly lower than what was expected even in the receding economy. Surprisingly, the MTA received approximately $307 million in dedicated taxes that arrive from the forementioned real estate transactions last year.

How are these changes going to affect students?

“I usually don’t pay for the buses or subways I use. The student metro-card gets me most places I need to go. And since the student card is still going to be free, I don’t mind too much. If fifty cents is going to rid the MTA of its debt, I’m fine with that,” said junior Connor Chatterton.

Unlike Chatterton, other travelers are not as optimistic.

“I will be using public transportation to travel to college next year, and I won’t have the school Metrocard. That will cost about thirty dollars a week. That’s crazy,” said senior Melissa Coughlin.

A positive attitude towards the rising prices may be a wise idea. The recession is ultimately going to impact every aspect of life, and public

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Several months ago, again, it was proposed that Staten Island secede from New York City. I vehemently disagree with this idea. It makes absolutely no sense once you examine the numbers. Staten Island should simply stay with NYC. Doing otherwise is detrimental to both the citizens and Staten Island as a whole.
How would secession affect Staten Island economically? Well, Staten Island gets nearly $200 million more in services from the city than it gives the city in revenue.
Many argue that Staten Island is taken for granted by the city, but giving us an extra $200 million is not taking us for granted. In fact, with all the complaining and moping around that Staten Islanders do about their lot in life, Staten Island seems to be taking the city for granted.
Why loose free money? Independence would mean huge tax increases and service reductions.
Also, New York City has the best tap water in the world. If we secede, there is the possibility that Staten Island would then have to pay to use the city’s water supply. No one wants to pay higher taxes when the payment can be avoided by simply not seceding. This is but one example of the many services that Staten Island would lose if they leave.
What about the MTA, that quasi-governmental agency? We may have bad public transportation service now, but we run the risk of having none at all if we secede.
Moreover, the relationship between the Island and City Hall is continuing to improve. Mayors Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg have improved this relationship, and daily more attention is being brought to Staten Island. We are no longer the “Forgotten Borough.” The Island’s position at the table is getting better with every passing day. The Island shouldn’t secede now that we are finally gaining power.
Furthermore, we would lose our sense of identity and historical continuity. Staten Island has been a part of New York City for as long as anyone can remember. Our identity is inextricably caught up with that of the City. There is no separating the two.
There is absolutely no reason to secede. This idea is ridiculous, and a rather silly way to spend our time and energy. There are a thousand other problems on the island that we should be focusing on. Running away from our parent city like a rebellious child is not one of them.

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Enrolling in a CUNY or SUNY might be great opportunity because these colleges offer a challenging, rigorous education at an affordable price compared to other public and private colleges.

Moreover, since they are located all over New York, distance from home should not be an issue.

Additionally, the 63 SUNY colleges, for example Stony Brook, and Geneseo Honors College, offer a wide range of programs from performing arts, engineering, medicine, criminal justice, technology, and more.

Similarly, the 23 NYC wide CUNY Colleges also provide varying courses mainly in the medical, criminal justice, law, engineering, and the humanities.

“I applied to Hunter College because of their wonderful biotechnology department, and I also applied to John Jay College for their forensic science department,” said senior Melissa Coughlin.

The Macaulay Honors program, offered at seven CUNY colleges, is perhaps the most prestigious program available among colleges nationwide.

This program offers a select few students at each CUNY a full scholarship, a free dorm, a laptop, opportunities to study abroad, along with a rigorous curriculum and an advisory program that ensures students get the best classes and professors.

“Baruch University and Hunter College are probably the best CUNY Colleges. I was lucky to be accepted into Hunter with a scholarship and, combined with some financial aid, I will only have to pay about $2,000 for my tuition each year,” said senior Gerald Lara.

“I applied to Binghamton, Stony Brook, and SUNY Buffalo because those have the best major choices in which I am interested, and they provide close to an ivy-like education at a lower price, thanks to financial aid,” said senior Marco Muniz.

Despite the ranks that the aforementioned popular and most favored colleges receive, students enrolled in the other CUNY or SUNY colleges obtain a reasonably inexpensive, excellent education college education as well.

The CUNY website shows that average annual tuition costs last year for their colleges were approximately $4,250, and average total costs including housing, books, supplies, meals, transportation and miscellaneous charges was $10,322 for residents of New York.

Similarly, SUNY average tuition costs were $5,580 last year, with average total costs of $12,210.

These costs are substantially lower than private college costs, which averaged $33,390 last year. Some private schools are as high as $50,000 per year.

Affordable tuition and living costs, along with a varying list of classes and career choices make both CUNY and SUNY colleges the best choices in town.

“What makes Brockport unique is that the school has a great way of making school your “home away from home. They’ve got great athletics, which was a prime factor in my decision, based on me being an athlete all my life. But also, they have so many clubs, and so many social events that help you get to know your peers,” said SUNY Brockport senior Vanessa DiNoto.

High school students, juniors especially, should check out and be familiar with both the CUNY and SUNY colleges that can fit their interests. This way, when the application process arrives, there’s no hesitation.

“High school students should definitely know what each college has to offer. Also, they should research the financial aid and scholarship opportunities,” said Coughlin.

Collegeboard.com is a good tool to use to learn about everything from tuition costs, majors that are offered, and sports teams.

Besides Collegeboard.com, Cuny.edu or Suny.edu are excellent research tools. In addition to tuition costs and admission requirements, application deadlines are also posted.

According to the State University of New York’s website, “While there is no formal application deadline for freshman applicants, we recommend you apply by December 1 to maximize your chances for financial aid, campus housing and consideration for your major of choice. Please note, some colleges have specific application deadline dates for certain programs of study.”

In addition, many colleges offer Early Decision or Early Action programs to fall freshmen. Applicants to an Early Decision program should apply by November 1st. Applicants to an Early Action program should apply by November 15th.

CUNY schools generally have the same policy, however, rolling admission at many CUNY’s allows students to apply anytimg. Still it is recommended that applicants apply early, as seats fill up fast.

The deadline for the Macaulay Honors Program at the CUNY schools is December 15; Early Action for the honors program November 1st. The deadline for regular admission for all CUNY schools is March 15.

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