The BHSEC Community Events club is hosting a Halloween-themed movie week from Monday October 26th to Thursday October 29th at 3:30 in room 411. We will be showing:

• Monday-Beetlejuice
• Tuesday- The Addam’s Family: two or three  shows from the television series.
• Wednesday- An Alfred Hitchcock movie
• Thursday- Coraline

On Friday October 30th, come to school in costume for a Ghoul Pageant in the auditorium at 3:50. Tickets cost $1.50 before and $2 at the door. The fiercest, most creative ghoul will win a prize!

Action Alert:
New York State Caves to Gas Extraction Industry

New York City Council Public Hearing
Committee on Environmental Protection
Friday, October 23, 2009
10:00 a.m.
Committee Room – City Hall

The natural gas extraction industry has left a devastating trail of water, air & soil contamination wherever they have operated – Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana and more recently in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Now it is about to happen in New York, including the Catskill-Delaware Watershed that provides drinking water to over 9 million people in the NYC area.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to give the green light to the gas industry to begin drilling in New York State. On September 30, 2009, the DEC released the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS). This document, as written, would lead to tens of thousands of gas wells drilled throughout New York. (Reuters: NY state weighs natgas drilling in Marcellus shale, October 1, 2009):
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0129722520091001<http://ethreemail.com/e3ds/mail_link.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FmarketsNews%2FidUSN0129722520091001&i=0&d=X45VW3Y1-W251-4VZ0-YXVY-YU8U86896473&e=kpowell@bhsec.bard.edu>

Be Heard, NYC!

To voice your concerns, please come to the October 23rd hearing at City Hall. The City Council Committee on Environmental Protection will take up the issue of the DSEIS and consider a resolution to ban gas drilling in the City’s invaluable watershed.
The evidence of the hazards continues to mount and is hitting closer to home. Drilling waste water appears to be the culprit in a fish kill that wiped aquatic life for a 35 mile stretch of Dunkard Creek along the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Drilling water may be cause of fish kill http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09287/1005306-113.stm<http://ethreemail.com/e3ds/mail_link.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.post-gazette.com%2Fpg%2F09287%2F1005306-113.stm&i=1&d=X45VW3Y1-W251-4VZ0-YXVY-YU8U86896473&e=kpowell@bhsec.bard.edu>, October 1, 2009)

CHINA AT 60: A NEW SUPERSTATE?

Sunday, November 1, 2009, 4:45 to 7pm

(Dinner is included)

The People’s Republic of China is 60 years old.

Will it become the next world leader?

Over the last 60 years, the People’s Republic of China has become a global economic and political powerhouse. China is on an economic path second only to the United States, and has become the principle challenger to the United States for world leadership. What lies ahead for this growing nation?

• What is China’s future path, both politically and economically?
• Will China be the next world leader?
• Is China’s position on Taiwan & Tibet affecting their social and political standing with Western nations?
• Should the United States have a closer relationship with China? What are the benefits? Are there disadvantages?
• Is an economic relationship necessary between the United States and China in order to create a positive political relationship?

Engage in a discussion about these critical questions with Ralph Buultjens, an expert in International Politics and Global History. He is a frequent commentator on the world media and a professor at NYU, and Cambridge University, UK. He has led seminars and lectures on college campuses and at the UN, and is a frequent participant in study groups and task forces at the Council on Foreign Relations. Professor Buultjens is a frequent lecturer at the 92nd Street Y’s series on World Politics.

Students who attend will receive a certificate of completion from the 92nd Street Y Teen Center.

For more information, contact:

Jose Ortiz, Jr. (JOEY), Director, Teen Center & NOAR After School Program

Phone: 212.415.5624, Fax: 212.415.5637, JOrtiz@92Y.org

The Spitzer Institute, supported by an endowment from Anne and Bernard Spitzer, encourages high school students to think critically about contemporary issues and to understand the importance of taking an active role in shaping a democratic society. The Spitzer Institute addresses topics in the forefront of our national and international dialogue.

Dear BHSEC Community,
Hope the school year is off to a great start for everyone!  ECO, BHSEC’s Environmental club, invites you to participate in a monumental event: the October 24th, 2009 International Day of Climate Action.
More than 150 countries around the world are joining www.350.org to demand climate leadership and powerful legislation that will bring our planet’s carbon levels down to 350 parts per million. Al Gore, the Chairman of the IPCC, and other important global warming experts are convinced that a healthy planet requires a carbon level of no more than 350 parts per million.
The BHSEC Community itself has a chance to become part of this growing movement: we invite you to participate in the Greenpeace March for Climate Leadership across the Brooklyn Bridge on October 24th!

When: Saturday October 24th, 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM  (rain or shine)

Where: At the Manhattan entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge.  We will meet in the open plaza area on Centre Street across from the entrance to the Bridge––between City Hall (4,5,6) and Chambers St.-Brooklyn Bridge (J, M, Z) Stations.  BHSEC organizers will carry BHSEC signs, and all marchers will be wearing red Stop Global Warming shirts (and upon arrival, you get one too).

What: We’ll march across the Brooklyn Bridge, from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and take a group photo on the bridge.
(Note: Optionally, you can go to Times Square afterward, to join Greenpeace and 350’s press conference.)

Ready to March?
1. More information & sign up at:  http://members.greenpeace.org/event/view/3482/
2. On the website, please invite your families and friends to join us!
2.  If you are a high school student, we welcome you to join our “NYC High Schools Unite for Oct. 24th Day of Action” facebook event.  Please e-mail inkyfingers19@verizon.net if you’d like to be invited to the event.

Unable to Attend?
1.  If you prefer to attend an event closer to you, there are many events listed at www.350.org.
2.  If you have a twitter account, we welcome you to participate in “350 Twitter Hour.”  Between 12 PM – 1 PM, please send the following message to President Obama: USA MUST formally adopt the 350ppm CO2 target at Copenhagen 09 – the ONLY WAY to prevent runaway climate change NO EXCUSES!

Teens, being the next generation of leaders, have a special place in the YMCA.  It is our goal to ensure that every teen who is looking for leadership and career development opportunities has an opportunity to do so. Therefore, as we head in to the upcoming year, the CHINATOWN YMCA is opening our doors further by offering new program opportunities for teens that will focus on career development and leadership.

Global Teens
Teens have the opportunity to participate in an international exchange experience with the YMCAs in other countries. A moderate fee is charged for this exciting 3-week experience. In past years, teens have visited Mexico, Thailand and Venezuela.

Teens Take the City
This exciting program teaches teens the essentials of democracy and the civic process, encouraging them to become active and involved citizens. Fee: Free

TEEN FITNESS ORIENTATION AND CERTIFICATION
Older youth, 12-17 years of age, must successfully complete this one day program in order to use the Health & Wellness Center.  This program includes practical training performed by a certified trainer.  Appointment required.  Free for members. Learn the benefits of strength training, proper safety techniques, etiquette, and learn to develop an exercise plan. Bring a good attitude, work out clothes and a ton of initiative!  Register at the Membership desk.

Teen Strength Training (12 – 17 years old)
In small group training sessions, a YMCA trainer will guide teens through a series of strength training workouts.  This class is designed to expose participants to a safe and effective way to weight train.

Leaders Club (12 – 17 years old)
A community service program that has been developing young people in the YMCA for over 140 years, this program encourages young people to think about their beliefs and values, enhance their planning skills while offering social opportunities to develop into mature focused young adults.  Program offers training in business skills and career development plus  volunteer opportunities, special events planning and annual leadership rallies.

Teen Center (12 – 17 years old)
Teen Center is free, a high-quality program exclusive for young people ages 11-17.  Our goal is to provide a safe and enriching environment for our participants.  Teen Center will be a positive avenue for all teens in the Lower East Side and Chinatown.  Please contact Val Duval, Sports Director, for additional informations.