Seeds of Conviction: The Daniel Traficonte Story

NICK TSAKMAKLIS '08

Many have exclaimed that Dan Traficonte is the last of a dying breed. They have compared him to “a…embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food.”[1] One expert said that Dan’s life was the “most…example of society.” The Beaver Country Day School community has witnessed the extraordinary transformation of a man wanting to leave his mark on the world. To understand why he has been compared with something bearing such beautiful creation, one must first understand his history.

“[The seed] is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant.”[2] Immediately after his emergence into the bustling city of Watertown, his parents commented that “And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought; and enterprises of great pith and moment, with this regard, their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action.”[3] They were, of course, referring to his older brother, the pride of Watertown High. Dan grew up in the shadow of his brother in the Watertown public school for the first thirteen years of his life until arriving at BCDS. Here, he prospered as a two sport athlete, student, and socialite. When asked, Daniel commented that his proudest achievements in high school included, “The fate of nations is intimately bound up with their powers of reproduction. All nations and all empires first felt decadence gnawing at them when their birth rate fell off.”[4]

Though Daniel has tasted the sweet nectar of life on multiple occasions, all good things must reach their conclusion. As Earnest Hemingway put it “For seeds that are going to be planted for gardens, the use of running water is best but frequent changes of water are effective too. Normally 12 to 24 hours of soaking is sufficient, longer soaking especially in stagnant water that is not changed can result in oxygen starvation and seed death.”[5] Enjoy the ride, Daniel, for just as Rome fell in 476 AD, one day your ticket will be called to the front of the deli register.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed
[3] Conversation overheard by Jesse Traficonte
[4] Benito Mussolini
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed
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February Horoscopes

SAM PACKARD '08

Aquarius (January 20–February 18): Stay away from Tacquerias, they will be your downfall. Tuesdays will be your favorite day, but for unexpected reasons.

Pisces (February 19–March 20): Listen to the wind, it knows all. But don’t listen to those jerk clouds.

Aries (March 21–April 19): Try something new, stay in old habits. They have gotten you this far, don’t abandon them now.

Taurus (April 20–May 20): Go to the Safari zone. Catch your phonetic namesake.

Gemini (May 21–June 21): Don’t let the news fool you. Eat as much E-Coli infested spinach as you can. You’re a Gemini. You’re Strong.

Cancer (June 22–July 22): You will discover new music; look out for funk rock.

Leo (July 23–August 22): OBEY MY DOG.

Virgo (August 23–September 22): I bet what happened was they discovered fire and invented the wheel. Then they burned the wheel that night.

Libra (September 23–October 22): Visit a new neighborhood. Get all the dirt you can on that neighborhood. Start a turf war between your neighborhood and this new neighborhood.

Scorpio (October 23–November 21): This is a good month to go out and get some intellectual stimulation. Get curious.

Sagittarius (November 22–December 21): Eat Halloween themed items. Candy Corn, Oreos with orange frosting, etc. etc.

Capricorn (December 22–January 19): Get Heelys. NOW.
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Crossword #1: Faculty Wordplay

DAN TRAFICONTE '08

Download as a PDF!

Note: all clues ending with a question mark pertain to theme. Click image at right to enlarge.

Across

1 Gator and Lemon, e.g.
5 Soccer star Mia
9 Land of Uz resident
12 Type of cheese abbrev.
13 A courteous gesture?
14 Exploit
15 College’s cash?
17 Cunning
18 Fairy’s merchandise
19 Outside (prefix)
21 Beaver’s league
23 Extremely dry
24 Provide support
27 To fall in Madrid
29 Wander aimlessly
32 Will Smith’s alias?
35 Self-proclaimed 133-year-old
36 El ____, Texas
37 Moses’ number
38 Regretful exclamation
40 Einstein’s variables
42 Famous Utah ski area
43 A heavenly instrument
47 Goldberger or Goldfarb
48 1849 phenomenon?
52 More in Spain
53 Ticklish muppet
54 Mac’s movie program
55 NE institution, home of the wildcats
56 Ends Howie Mandel’s show
57 Drinks in moderation

Down

1 A loyal companion
2 “There will be Blood” costar Paul
3 Therefore in Latin
4 Struck down
5 Cheese’s counterpart
6 Lincoln, e.g.
7 Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian ___”
8 Silencer
9 Impatient ad slogan
10 Scandinavian capital
11 Ottoman Empire official
16 What particular one
20 Electrician’s abbreviation
22 Sami people
23 Come into being
24 Toward the tail
25 Intense anger
26 Destroy completely
28 Period of time
30 Koko, e.g.
31 Steinbeck’s Of Mice and ___
33 Chimney product
34 Wanderer
39 Alerted with obsolete gadget
41 Walken or Columbus (for short)
42 American economist Greenspan
44 German luxury car
45 Reply to an invitation
46 Highest degrees
47 Exotic bird
49 Shout of triumph in Barcelona
50 Actress Thurman
51 Overused internet expression
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ln(bcds): Math Challenge #1

ROB MACDONALD (fac.)

Editor’s note: we are proud to be the latest host to continue the math department challenge tradition, now in our new column, ln(bcds). Please email your responses to Rob MacDonald.

Middle School

Stacy is thinking of a three-digit prime number, and she says that if she multiplies all three of its digits together, she gets a prime number. She says that if she adds all three of its digits together, she also gets a prime number.

How many guesses would you need to figure out what Stacy's number is? Explain your answer.

Upper School

Fill in the blanks and explain your answer:
1, 10
0, 9
__, 60
11, __
15, 70
13, 66
17, 96

Hint: A little bit of searching on the web might make a big difference.

Again, please email your response to Mr. MacDonald. You may use the comments for discussion, but please don’t ruin the fun and give away the answers to everyone!

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Welcome to the new challenge, trivia, fun and games section!

Welcome to the new challenge, trivia, fun and games section! No newspaper is complete without a bit of fun, as thus far we've been sort of lacking in that respect. But today we are launching a new section dedicated to just that. Coming soon: trivia, crosswords, horoscopes, comics, and much more. We're starting with a continuation of the Math Department math challenge tradition, oh-so-wittily called ln(bcds).

It's very much a work in progress, so it's pretty dull right now, but we thought it was important to launch this now, and give it time to grow. And it's an opportunity for you, the readers, to once again shape the direction of the newspaper. What do you want to see here?
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Decision '08: John Sidney McCain III

TAYLOR HAIGLER '08

Bio
John was born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1936. John followed in his father and grandfather?s footsteps, attending the United States Naval Academy. He did poorly, graduating in the bottom of his class, but he became a naval aviator and served in the Vietnam War flying attack aircrafts. In 1967, on his 23rd bombing mission in North Vietnam, his plane was shot down over Hanoi. He was held prisoner and tortured in North Vietnam for five and a half years. He does not know how he survived the brutality but knows that ?this was the time he fell in love with his country.? McCain retired from the Navy in 1981, moved to Arizona and soon entered politics.

John is known for his temper and for attacking others? integrities, but now tries to remind himself the importance of respecting one?s opponent. John was a candidate in the 2000 presidential election, but was defeated by George W. Bush for the Republican nomination. Last year, his campaign suffered a near collapse due to financial issues and his support for comprehensive immigration reform, but in late 2007 he staged a comeback and as of January 2008 he is once again a leader in the race. Currently, John is an Arizona Senator and a member of several organizations including Hispanic Youth Foundation and Council on Foreign Relations.

Primary/Caucus Results
Iowa: 13.1% (4th Place)
New Hampshire: 37.1% (1st place)
Michigan: 29.7% (2nd place)
Nevada: 13% (2nd place)
South Carolina: 33% (1st place)

Political Views
Health Care: ?Americans deserve leadership for real reform that provides greater access to high-quality health care and ends spiraling costs?I believe the best way expand access and controls costs, without hurting the quality of our health care, is to harness competition to offer more affordable insurance options for as many Americans as possible, and to leverage innovation -- such as low-cost health clinics in retail stores for example -- and cost-effectiveness of our nation's firms to put an end to existing rigid, unfriendly bureaucracies.?

Iraq: ?Today, Americans are fighting bravely in battles that are as dangerous, difficult and consequential as the great battles of our armed forces' storied past. In Iraq, I know the war has not gone well, and the American people have grown tired of it. I, too, have been made sick at heart by the many mistakes made by civilian and military commanders and the terrible price we have paid for them. I want our troops home too, but I want our troops to return home with honor and in victory. We cannot react to past mistakes by embracing calls to begin troop withdrawals or to revive our previous failed strategy of a partial troop pullback that will be an even greater mistake, a mistake of colossal historical proportions, which will seriously weaken American security.?

Energy: ?I believe we must act now to increase our energy security, but the strategy I propose won't be another grab bag of handouts to this or that industry and a full employment act for lobbyists. Energy efficiency by using improved technology and practicing sensible habits in our homes, businesses and automobiles is a big part of the answer, and is something we can achieve right now. I want to improve and make permanent the research and development tax credit. I want to spend less money on government bureaucracies, and, where the private sector isn't moving out of regulatory fear, to form the partnerships necessary to build demonstration models of promising new technologies such as advanced nuclear power plants, coal gasification, carbon capture and storage, and renewable power so we can efficiently use our most abundant resources.?

Illegal Immigration: ?As president, I will secure the border. I will restore the trust Americans should have in the basic competency of their government. A secure border is an essential element of our national security. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our ports and other points of entry. We can further strengthen our border security if we pursue policies that recognize the importance of building strong allies in Mexico and Latin America who reject the siren call of authoritarians like Hugo Chavez, support freedom and democracy, and seek strong domestic economies with abundant economic opportunities for their citizens.?

Gay Marriage: ?While, as a federalist, I recognize the right of the states to regulate the institution of marriage and to pass civil union laws, I strongly believe in the current law that declares that no other state should be legally bound to recognize same sex marriages or unions that might be legal in other places. But while the citizens of each state should decide this question, I personally oppose civil unions that for all intents and purposes confer the same status as traditional marriage. I am not against people entering into contracts or exchanging powers of attorney, a right that most states already afford to all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.?

Sources:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/
iTunes Podcast: ABC News Presidential Candidate Profiles
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Decision ?08: Hillary Rodham Clinton

TAYLOR HAIGLER '08

Many Beaver students will soon have their first opportunity to vote, but some may not know much about their choices. Over the next few weeks, we will profile the major candidates, starting with Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Bio
Hillary was born in 1947 in a middle-class, white suburb: Park Ridge, Illinois. She had an ordinary childhood, enjoying sports, slumber parties with her girlfriends and watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. Yet, what does differentiate her from most women of her time is her parents? belief in equality. Her parents treated Hillary no differently than her brothers and told she could do anything she set her mind too. It wasn?t until Hillary wrote to NASA asking how she can prepare herself to one day become an astronaut that she realized how unequal society is: she was informed that a woman could not become an astronaut. Her household was conservative and when she left home to go to school at Wellesley College in the late 1960?s, she realized that it would be a difficult adjustment. Hillary went through a radical political transformation in her new liberal surrounding. After earning her B.A., Hillary went on to study law at Yale University, where she met and fell in love with former President Bill Clinton. After school Hillary worked as an attorney at Rose Law Firm, as a member of the faculty at the University of Arkansas Law School, was a board member of companies like Wal-Mart and Arkansas Children?s Hospital, was the First Lady of Arkansas in 1979 to 1981 and 1983-1993, the First Lady of the United Sates from 1993-2001 and is currently serving her second term as New York Senator.

Primary/Caucus Results
Iowa: 29% (3rd place)
New Hampshire: 39% (1st place)
Michigan: 55% (1st place)*
Nevada: 51% (1st place)

*Note: Michigan previously lost its delegates to the national convention, and Obama and Edwards withdrew their names from the ballot.

Political Views
Health Care: ?When I am President, enacting legislation to provide guaranteed quality, affordable health care will be my top domestic priority. My plan will lower health care costs by modernizing the system, focusing on preventive care, coordinating and streamlining care for chronically ill patients, and getting rid of the hidden cost of providing care to the uninsured. Under my plan, working families will get a tax credit to help pay for their premiums, insurance companies won't be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and people won't lose coverage if they switch or lose their jobs.?

Iraq: ?When I am President, I will end the war in Iraq. I will convene a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, my Secretary of Defense, and my National Security Council to draw up a viable plan to bring our troops home starting within the first 60 days of my administration. When I am President, I will withdraw our forces from the sectarian fighting. There will be no American soldiers refereeing a civil war. No more combat patrols in Baghdad.?

Energy: ?I have three big goals: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, the level necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming; to cut foreign oil imports by two-thirds from projected levels by 2030; and to transform our carbon-based economy into an efficient green economy, creating at least five million jobs from clean energy over the next decade.?

Gay Marriage: ?I believe gay and lesbian couples should have the same rights and responsibilities as all Americans, and I believe that civil unions are the best way to achieve this goal.?

Poverty: ?When I am President, I will make new investments to reduce poverty and increase opportunity for low-income Americans. To support our children in their earliest years in life, I will invest $10 billion for universal Pre-K. I will invest in mentoring and internship programs to help at-risk middle-school students stay on track for college and job success. I will provide job-training opportunities for young people who have fallen off-track in high-growth industries like renewable energy, health care, construction, and financial services.?

Sources:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/
iTunes Podcast: ABC News Presidential Candidate Profiles

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