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Page 4 December 2007NEWSNews Review: What’s Going on in the World?By Aly D’AmatoWith the holidays among us it iseasy to lose track of what is going on in theworld. Two stories of interest are therecent surgery success in India and theriots taking place in France.Bangalore, IndiaTwo-year old Lakshmi Tatma hassurvived a successful surgery which hasseparated her from her undeveloped twin.The Indian girl was born as a conjoinedtwin, however, the twin did not fully developand Lakshmi was living with eightlimbs—four arms and four legs.It was necessary to have the proceduredone in order to allow the child toLakshmi before and after the surgery.lead a relatively normal life and survivebeyond expectancy, even though she wasCohen andMike Dunn,whose familytradition isbeing a part ofHaddam’steam, responddaily to all callsmade to 911.ThiscompletelyBy Alexandra PorterAmongst H-K’s finest students,two play a double role as seniors and heroes.Danvoluntary organizationtrains young adults to know fire safety andEMT procedures like the back of theirhands.Every Monday all volunteershonored in the area as a reincarnation of amulti-limbed Hindu goddess of wealth.The surgery, led by Dr. SharanPatil, was assisted by a group of over 30other doctors who operated around thepelvis area. They began on Nov. 6 and itlasted for 27 hours. Their efforts were asuccess and although she is still in recovery,Lakshmi is doing very well.gather at the fire department for drilltraining and meetings which prepares themfor everyday accidents.Both seniors remember a call foran accident on Route 9 in May of 2007.“A school bus from a local townhad blown a tire and had four completeflip rotations,” said Mike Dunn.Once they both arrived at thescene they helped escort twenty lacrosseplayers to the hospital.“It’s not a job, it’s a way of life,”Mike Dunn continued.With all that the two young mengive to the community, the school givesback to them by allowing them to leaveschool early to help at accident scenes.“They serve as a valuable assetto our school and community,” said AssistantPrincipal Priscilla Luoma.Recently, fellow student Joe VanHuysen had an allergic reaction during aFranceAfter colliding with a police caron their motorbike, the deaths of twoteenagers in the Paris suburb of Villiers-le-Bel have sparked violent youth riots targetingthe police force because they allegedlydid not assist the teens, Moushin andLarami, after the accident.On Monday evening, Nov. 26, theteenagers’ motorbike was involved in aviolent accident with the police car whichwas traveling lower than 30 miles per hour.According to the NY Times, witnessesof the incident said that the policemenprevented the youths from gettingassistance and then left the scene and thevictims.Certain lower-class areas such asthese have had particularly higher tensionsbetween the youths and the police force inrecent years which has contributed to severalviolent riots, namely the 2005 riotsacross France which began after the electrocutionof two teens who were reportedlyfleeing from police when they encounteredthe lines.In a mere two days, over 70buildings and cars were burned, in additionto over 80 police officers receiving injuries,many of them serious. The youths haveYouths riot and tear gas flows in the streets.used stones, glass, fireworks, and petrolbombs among other weaponry in theirdestruction while the riot police officersresponded with tear gas, paint guns, andrubber bullets.Police stations in the town ofVilliers-le-Bel and in nearby Arnouvillewere burned and pillaged, two petrol stationswere set ablaze, and the local railwaystation damaged.Students Among H-K’s Unsung Heroesfootball practice.Mike Dunn responded to the callalmost immediately to assist Van Huysenby placing him in an ambulance.“I was thankful and impressed onhow quickly they responded. It’s a differentstory when you’re the one in dangerrather than seeing it happen to someoneelse,” said Van Huysen.Tasks performed by the Haddamfire department include firefighting,hazardous material response, ALS emergencyMedical Service, Vehicle Rescue(extrication), and search/rescue.Haddam’s fire departmentproudly protects 7,300 people living in anarea of 46.4 square miles.In the upcoming year Haddam’sfire department plan on having faster responsesand focusing on being numberone.