November Issue 2010 Volume VI Number 2 The Voice of Ridgefield High School

HOMECOMING SECTION!

The Love of Three Oranges

Premieres

Cultural Festival

When Does Hazing Go

Too Far?

The Tiger’s Roar is the student magazine of Ridgefield High School700 North Salem RoadRidgefield, CT 06877

EmailRHSTigersRoar@ridgefield.org/

Websitehttp://www.ridgefield.org/teachers/home.php?id=590

Co-Editors: Alexis Ehrlich and Rebecca Lantner

Features EditorCatherine Bradley

News Editor

Alison Schonberg

Senior PhotographerKendall O’Connell

Opinion EditorKimberlee Arnett

Sports EditorsJack Yuen

Cassie Tiberio

Adversting ManagerLaura Cutolo

Advisor: Mr. Tom Mattausch

In This Issue 2 The Tiger’s Roar November 2010 Issue

DistributionKevin Berger

Contents The Tiger’s Roar News November 2010 Issue 3

Theater Group Presents Love of Three OrangesThe RHS Theater Department introduced its first production

of the school year, The Love of Three Oranges, on Nov. 4. The show, staged by Ms. Sherry Cox, is full of humor, suspense, and demanding performances. It centers about a Prince Tartaglia, played by Ethan Heft, ’11, who is cursed by the evil witch, Fata Morgana, played by Nicole Morris, ’11. The curse forces Tarta-glia to fall in love with three oranges. The Prince must journey across his kingdom, accompanied by jester and sidekick Truf-faldino, played by Tom Fusco, ’13, to find the infamous three oranges.

Performers engaged in the play participated in daily rehears-als, forfeiting free time for the arduous task of putting on a production. Ethan Heft participated in an RHS play for the first time. “I am enjoying the play very much so far. We have a great cast. Everyone’s fun and talented, and we all really love just getting together, having fun, and putting on a great show.”

Jamie Bradley, ’11, is also participating in the fall comedy. She says, “The play is classic humor. I love the cast, and I love Ms. Cox’s creative thinking.”

Melody Curran, ‘12, has been an active participant in the theater department since her freshman year. “I think [this year’s play] is going to appeal to all audiences, and everyone will get a big kick out of it.”

Hayleigh Rapp, ‘14, who is making her debut on the RHS stage, is thoroughly enjoying her first year in the play. She encourages underclassmen to overcome their stage-fright for an ultimately rewarding experience. “It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be, and it is not scary at all.”

Ms. Cox, the director of the fall comedy, has taught English and Acting at RHS for 14 years. Prior to working at RHS, she was an actress. Ms. Cox brings her skills and knowledge of the theater to every production. When asked about her choice of The Love of Three Oranges Ms. Cox replied, “Every year I at-

By Jacob Litt tempt to direct a different style of production than the previous few years. I believe it is important for the students’ growth as well as my own.”

When Ms. Cox was asked about the challenges of staging this particular play, she replied, “The major challenge has been the delayed opportunity to utilize the stage. The set consists of multiple platforms at different heights. Although we taped the outline of the platforms in our rehearsal space, it has been chal-lenging for the students to adjust to the actual stage and set. We

have only been in the auditorium for a week, but we are very excited about the new floor. Other challenges include working with a commedia style play that relies on stock characters as opposed to realistic characters.”

Members of the theater department unanimously agree that The Love of Three Oranges combines different realms of comedy—from slapstick humor to subtle puns—to create an overall hilarious production. The play involves humorous antics for teenagers and adults, including double-entendres and satire, as well as physical comedy for younger children.

The play opened at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4, with additional showings on Nov. 5, 6, 12, and 13 in the Anne S. Richardson Auditorium at Rigefield High School.

Ethan Heft, ‘11, and Thomas Fusco, ‘13, rehearsing for The Love of Three Oranges.

Max Falkenberg, ‘12, practicing his lines Photos by Maeve McMahon

The Love of Three OrangesCultural FestivalOpen Mic NightPura VidaMystery Teacher of the MonthBoys and Girls ClubCrosswordMovie ReviewSpecial Section: Homecoming 2010HazingSportsStudent of the Month

345678910111820 22

On the Cover: Cheerleaders perform routine at Homecom-ing pep rally.

Photo by Alexis Ehrlich

622 Main St.PH 203 438-8465 FX 203 438-7732

www.tonyscornerdeli.com

DELIVERY AVAILABLE

4 The Tiger’s Roar News November 2010 Issue The Tiger’s Roar News November 2010 Issue 5

RHS Company and Artists Perform atCultural Festival

By Maeve McMahon Actors, artists, musicians, dancers,

and patrons of the arts gathered in Bal-lard Park on Oct. 2 to share their talents with the local community.

This year’s first annual Cultural Festival was hosted by the Ridgefield Arts Council. Free of charge, the public was welcomed into the park to enjoy parkside performances. Musicians performed a variety of genres, includ-ing classical, rock, and a capella music. Also, artwork and local performing arts organizations dotted the paths of Ballard.

“Everyone had a smile on his face,” said Peter Schonning, ’11. “It was a great event.”

Organizations represented included the Ridgefield Music and Arts Center, the Enchanted Garden, the Ridgefield Theater Barn, Weir Farm, the Ridge-field Symphony Orchestra, and the RHS visual and performing arts club, the Company.

Not only did the Company contribute to running the event, but also participat-ed in many of the day’s performances. After months of planning, members of the club were anxious and enthusiastic as they awaited their performance slot. When the announcement of the Com-

pany’s performance echoed through the park, a large group of spectators crowded around the stage, eager to see the young actors.

Nick Burns, ’13, and Nicole Morris, ’11, took the stage to perform an original skit by Melody Curran, ’12. The skit was about an unhappy teenage girl, frustrated by her lack of communication with a college-bound boyfriend.

Following the theme of teen relation-ships, Sam Gravitte, ’13, and Mallory Feldman, ’12, belted out the heartbreak-ing duet, “Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind” from the Broadway musical, “Spring Awakening.”

The Company’s performance ended with an original piece by Ellie Gravitte, ’13, entitled, “High School Lunch.” The skit was set at a high school lunch table, where teenage girls interpreted every-thing at face-value.

Nick Burns and fellow Company members Patrick Barton, ’13, and Maeve McMahon, ’12, documented the event with both video and digital cameras.

Melody Curran summed up the feel-

Rory Mazur, ‘12, singing and playing the acousitc guitar for audiences at Ballard Park.Mallory Feldman, ‘12, performing a duet.

Students Exhibit Talent at Open Mic Night

By Catherine BradleyDozens of students filed into Martin

Hall at Jesse Lee Church on Friday, Oct. 22, to listen to the diverse sounds of student performers at RMAC’s Third Annual Open Mic Night. For just $5 those in attendance enjoyed musical acts highlighting students’ talents. Perform-ers from RHS included Sophia Stoop, ‘11, Melody Curran, ‘12, Anashya Srini-vasan, ‘11, Olivia Koterska, ‘13, Nick Acquadro, ‘12, and Rory Mazur, ‘12.

RMAC, formally known as the Ridgefield Music and Arts Center, is an organization devoted to recognizing the artistic talents of teenagers within the Ridgefield community.

ings of the whole group. “Performing in a new venue with a new audience was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed work-ing with the [Ridgefield] Arts Council and the Company to create such a memorable day.”

The Company plans to host two full length performances at RHS this year. The theatrical group, as described in

their mission statement, “is comprised of students interested in working on a creative team of writers, directors, actors, film-makers, musicians, sound design-ers, and dancers. Its focus is to encourage collaboration on original films, plays, and other performance related works.”

The Company meets every Monday on the stage directly after school until 3:30

p.m. Any questions can be asked on the club’s Facebook fan page, or sent to the club leaders at rhscompanyclub@aol.com.

Photos by Maeve McMahon

Will Biglin, ‘12, and Nick Acquadro, ‘12, performing original numbers at Open Mic Night.

Photo Courtesy of Allie Perlman

Sam Gravitte, ‘13, singing in the Company. Patrick Barton, ‘13, films performances at the Cultural Festival.Brian Sullivan, ‘12, singing and playing guitar during the Cultural Festival.

6 The Tiger’s Roar News November 2010 Issue The Tiger’s Roar Features November 2010 Issue 7

Mystery Teacher of the Month

This month's mystery teacher towers over most students--and most of the faculty as well. He is an avid Red Sox fan and has been teaching for 27 years. Who is he? Read the following Q&A. If you still don’t know, see the answer at the end of this article.

The Tiger’s Roar: What is your favorite high school memory?

Teacher: My favorite high school memory was playing sports, particularly basketball and baseball. I also enjoyed graduation because I received a big Lions Club scholarship.

TR: Who was your favorite teacher?Teacher: All of my math teachers

were my favorite teachers because they were all very good and had a big influ-ence on me.

TR: Who was your least favorite

teacher?Teacher: My English teacher, who

thought I was a dumb jock, which wasn’t the case.

TR: What was your first car? Teacher: My first car was a 1966

Buick station wagon that I used when I worked painting houses. I bought it for $600 with my own money.

TR: Who inspired you to teach?Teacher: I always wanted to be a

teacher. I came from a family of teach-ers. My mother was a math teacher, my father was a teacher and my grandfather was a teacher.

TR: What is your favorite polygon? Teacher: A triangle.TR: If you had a superpower, what

would it be?Teacher: Invisibility.

Answer: Mr. Raymond Bielizna, Math

“World of Meh” says... Movie Quote Friday...not just for freshmen

Mystery teacher’s favorite baseball teamPhoto courtesy of http://www.frontrowking.com

Cartoon by Emmeline Kaser

By Caroline Nazworth

Pura Vida Aids Less-fortunate Children

By Samantha HolmesFrom the coast of Africa to South Eastern Asia, children are

continually abused and placed in harm’s way. Helping those orphaned, abandoned, and sex-trafficked children is an over-whelming task, but RHS students are determined to combat the issue.

Pura Vida, a new organization at RHS, will provide aid and organize projects for mistreated children. The club is a non profit organization founded by New Canaan resident, Ms. Sharon Knechtle, to help children around the world in ter-rible circumstances. Through Pura Vida, RHS students will be given the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children worldwide. Participants in the club will raise aware-ness through fundraisers, and the money raised will be used to purchase toiletries and household necessities for underprivi-leged children.

Students interested in participating are encouraged to visit the website, www.puravidaforchildren.org, or contact the staff advisor, Mr. Matthew Bearse. Students may also contact the RHS student founder, Kalia Krichko, ’14, at kaliack@comcast.net.

8 The Tiger’s Roar Features November 2010 Issue The Tiger’s Roar Features November 2010 Issue 9

Future Leaders Developed at Boys and Girls Club

come up with several new games. "You have to make sure everyone's

engaged," says Allie Hughes, '12, who worked as a junior staffer and L.I.T. volunteer for three years before becom-ing a paid counselor. "Sometimes you have to be creative."

While the L.I.T. schedule may sound exhausting, especially when you con-sider that there are about 200 campers in attendance each day, those involved in the program would not trade the experience for anything.

"Being on Junior Staff and L.I.T. has given me confidence," Allie remarked. "I now participate more in my classes and feel like I can take charge of any situation."

"Working with so many kids helps you learn how to deal with different personalities. Some are more difficult than others, but it's important to learn to deal with them all," added Emily Kenney, '12, who also has volunteered in Junior Staff and L.I.T. for three years and is now a lifeguard and swim teacher at the club's pool.

In addition to developing character-istics such as patience and confidence, the Junior Staff and L.I.T. programs help participants prepare for life after high school.

"For 45 minutes each morning, we run a job prep program for our L.I.T.s," explained program coordinator Kristin Goncalves. "They learn practical skills, such as how to make a job resume." By incorporating lessons such as those, Ms. Goncalves noted that the programs adhere to the club's three "pillars": aca-demic success, career preparation, and community service.

"We aim to develop character and leadership here," said Ms. Goncalves.

Mission accomplished? "Getting the kids to listen to you is

challenging, but it ultimately helps you take charge," responded Allie, which sounds like a resounding yes.

elementary school kids who come to the club after school. Additionally, the 15 junior staffers tutor many of the kids with their homework, set up whatever activities require advance preparation, and clean up long after the kids return home.

When the school year is over, T.J. and many of his fellow junior staffers focus their energies on the club's Lead-ers in Training program. Similar to Junior Staff, Leaders in Training, or L.I.T., is an eight-week program that runs throughout the course of the club's summer camp. The 30 current L.I.T. volunteers are expected to commit to a minimum of four weeks and work for at least 30 hours each week. L.I.T. volunteers not only run activities and assist with set-up and clean-up like junior staffers do, but they meet before camp begins to plan activities as well as

There are certain skills that take years to be acquired, learned through numerous experiences. The Boys and Girls Club of Ridgefield recognizes this, and through programs such as Junior Staff and Leaders in Training, they hope to teach high school students across town lessons of patience, creativity, confidence, and bribery.

Bribery?"Well, you have to learn how to

handle little kids quickly. Bribing them always helps," explains T.J. Hughes, '13.

The art of bribing ever-energetic youngsters isn't the only thing T.J. has learned since he became a member of the club's Junior Staff two years ago. Helping out after school for 15 hours a week, T.J. often runs games for the

By Catherine Bradley

Kristin Jumper, ‘11, a Leader in Training volunteer, assists a camper during lunchtime.

It’s Puzzle Time!

Back to the ‘90s CrosswordBy Kimberlee Arnett

ACROSS8 Disney Pixar movie that released its third sequel during the summer. 13 Movie about a lion based in Africa 16 Top song in the 90's by Nirvana. 17 Movie where there is a park with many dinosaurs.

DOWN1 Trading card game based on a Japanese anime story. 2 Little dolls with different color hair. 3 Mechanical toy bird that can talk. 4 Movie that is based under the sea. 5 Christmas movie where a boy is acci-dentally left alone at his house 6 Movie where Robin Williams is dressed up as an old lady. 7 All-boys band that sang "I Want It That Way". 9 Children's show about aliens named Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po. 10 Nickelodeon cartoon about talking babies and their adventures. 11 A comedy show on Nickelodeon hosted by Amanda Bynes

12 Democratic President who hails from Arkansas14 First handheld gaming device. 15 Song by the Goo Goo Dolls released in 1998.

10 The Tiger’s Roar Features November 2010 Issue HomecomingThe Tiger’s Roar November 2010 Issue 11

Cinema Critic:

Life As We Know ItBy Dani Blum

Critic Says:Life as We Know It is not nearly as excruciating as the vast majority of romantic comedies, but it just barely grazes that distinction. The movie is straight out predictable, with the only thing close enough to being a plot twist stated explicitly in the trailers. Even a toddler could understand the “radical” changes in the two main characters’ lives.

And toddlers seem to be the target audience for this movie. In addition to a sugary plot where everything magically works out, the movie is poorly interwoven with random glances of the characters raising Sophie, the baby girl orphaned by the main characters’ best friends. While watching a cherub-faced, diaper-clad infant is fun and all, these clips seem to be an at-tempt to escape from the travesty that is the plot of the movie.

We begin with flashes of the main character Holly (played by Katherine Heigl) putting on makeup. Holly then proceeds to go on a train-wreck date with someone her friends set her up with named Messer (Josh Duhamel). They have, of course, ab-solutely nothing in common. She’s a high-strung bakery owner, while he’s a carefree sports director. Boy, what an original concept.

To be fair, the death of Holly and Messer’s two best friends does shake things up a little. The actors do a somewhat realistic job of showing grief and shock, especially when orphaned So-phie is thrust upon them. But once the original tears have past, it’s right back to rainbows and sunshine. Holly and Messer find cheery ways to balance their careers, love lives and the baby, by finding solutions so idiotic that the only thing to laugh at is the impertinence of the director. Honestly, how dumb does Hollywood think we are?

Holly and Messer gradually ease their way into falling in love. Apparently, there is something intensely bonding about raising a child together. Who would have guessed? However, Heigl and Duhamel do have some chemistry on-screen togeth-er, obviously the result of mass-producing hundreds of these neatly packaged, poorly written romantic comedies. Then, when Messer is offered the opportunity to advance his career, he and Holly have a dramatic fight that takes up all of the fifty-second quota the characters have for showing real emotion.

At this point, the audience is probably supposed to be awe-stricken and teary-eyed. Not a chance. If anything, we get bored watching flashes of Holly and Messer miles apart, when really all we’re waiting for is the conclusion. That’s when those cute glances at Sophie come into play. She’s all that keeps you from walking out of the theater.

By the time the movie ends, the audience has figured out that the title is misleading. This is not life as we know it. This is cookie-cutter garbage sprinkled with sugar. The stereotyped characters, the lack of emotion, the painfully predictable script all add up to 158 minutes that are very simply better spent elsewhere.

We want your love...Homecoming 2010

Special Section!

Spirit Week

Pep Rally

Bad RomanceDance

HomecomingGame

12 The Tiger’s Roar Homecoming Noveember 2010 Issue HomecomingThe Tiger’s Roar November 2010 Issue 13

Spirit Week 2010We’ve got spirit! Yes, we do. We’ve got spirit, how about

YOU?!

At left: Stacia Smart,’12, Alexis Ehrlich, ‘12, and Allie Schiffer, ‘12

Below: Molly Welch, ‘11, Lauren Guer-ra, ‘11, Mary Jane Boscia,’11, Jaime Falco, ‘11, Christy Marchand,’11, and Leah Pettrucelli, ‘11.

At left: Brenna Courtney ‘12, Rebecca Stoogenke, ‘12, Emily DeStefanis, ‘12, and Andrew McKeever ‘12

Photos by: Alexis Ehrlich, Magda Salamon, Nicole O’Shea, Lexi Lynch, Maeve McMahon, Catherine Bradley, Kimberlee Arnett, and Lindsay Clouse.

Ruby Isaac, ‘14.

Mia Johnson, ‘13, and S.J. Guillaume, ‘13.

14 The Tiger’s Roar Homecoming November 2010 Issue HomecomingThe Tiger’s Roar November 2010 Issue 15

PEP

RALLY !

At the Pep Rally, which took place at Tiger Hol-low, sophomores won the spirit fundraiser. Ju-niors won second place, whereas the seniors won thrid place, and freshman won fourth place. Every-one left fired up for the night’s football game.

Above: Lawrence Owczarzak, ‘14, Mary Owczarzak, ‘11, Mack-enzie Watson, ‘12, Emily Rayfield, ‘11, and Madeleine Wolf, ‘11, support RHS.

Bianca Holzthum, ‘13; Katy Finegan, ‘13; Kristen McKeenan, ‘14; Courtney Her-rington, ‘14; Sarah Heinzman, ‘14.

Sophs Win!

Above: Cassie Tiberio, ‘11, Connor Shaw, ‘11, and Kiara Mau-ro, ‘11, from Tiger’s Den coordinate the pep rally.

Above: Abigail Forsberg, ‘12, and Janey Van De Weghe, ‘12. show their tiger spirit. Below: The band plays in the pep rally.

16 The Tiger’s Roar Homecoming November 2010 Issue Homecoming The Tiger’s Roar November 2010 Issue 17

GAme Time!

Bad Romance Dance

The Tigers soundly defeated the Harding Presidents, 41-6, dur-ing the Homecoming game at Tiger Hollow.

To conclude Spirit Week, the home-coming dance was held in the RHS gymnasium. Themed “Lady Gaga’s Bad Ro-mance”, students enjoyed dancing with their friends to end a memo-rable and enjoy-able week. Above: Emily Kenney, ‘12, and Catherine Adams, ‘12. At left: Alexis Ehrlich, ‘12, Melody Curran, ‘12, Katey Loughran, ‘12, and Ryan Angi, ‘12.

Above: Bryan Jimenez, ‘13, rushes past a Harding defender.Above right: Kelly Aaronson, ‘12, Mallory Feldman, ‘12, and Maggie Corry, ‘12, cheer on the team. At right: Johnny O’Connell, ‘11, charges downfield.

18 The Tiger’s Roar Opinion November 2010 Issue The Tiger’s Roar

Hazing has repeatedly been an issue for colleges, high schools, and sports teams. The act of hazing is stated in the RHS Handbook as “any activity that endangers the mental or physical health or safety for the purposes of initiation.” I do not advocate the endangerment of anyone’s health or safety. The behavior described in the handbook is abusive bullying that is purposefully cruel and should not be tolerated. Thankfully, this harmful and dangerous form of hazing is foreign to Ridgefield High School’s student body.

To Ridgefield High School students, hazing is when underclassmen get dressed up in their respective colors. This is not forced or required for initia-tion and presents no evidence of being detrimental to students’ health.

Hewitt Coleman, ‘14, believes that hazing is harmless if it is limited to choosing the outfit of an underclassman. As an upperclassman, I would never force an underclassman to endanger his or her health or safety. Hazing at Ridgefield High School is as harmless as picking out your friend’s outfit. If it is consen-sual, then what right does the RHS administration have to punish those involved? It is in this difference that the ad-ministrators and the students have a miscommunication. I believe that if the hazing is consensual and not detrimen-tal to the student’s health or safety, then it should not be punished.

Class Color Day is a fun time dur-ing Spirit Week that promotes friendly competition among the classes. Unfortu-nately, Class Color Day is also the time for hazing.

Why is hazing a problem? When asked about hazing, the majority of up-perclassmen seemed to have no problem with it, as long as no one gets hurt. But that is where the problem lies: people do get hurt.

Mr. Scott Wallace, advisor of the student government, made this clear. “Every year,” Mr. Wallace said, “there are high school and college students who die from hazing. This can be a very seri-ous issue. It is against the law to haze, and against the school policy.”

Hazing, however, is not only physi-cally dangerous to those being hazed; it can also be emotionally damaging to students.

“We have to protect kids with a safe place to come and learn without being humiliated,” continued Mr. Wallace.

Spirit Week is about having fun and showing your school spirit. It shouldn’t be filled with the dreaded possibility of being hazed, especially seeing how

dangerous hazing can be. Acoordingly, in effort to

move away from hazing, the student government presented some new ideas for Class Color Day this year, like designing creative, school-appropriate class t-shirts.

This is a move in the right direction. We need to start taking the focus off of hazing to make Spirit Week safer and more fun.

“It’s Just Choosing Your

Friend’s Outfit”

By Eleanor Coleman

What Students Think...

Or

?

Hazing: Where Should We Draw the Line?

By Kimberlee ArnettEvery year, students look forward to one week

in October: Homecoming Spirit Week. This year, spirit days included Jersey Day, Tie-dye Day, and Tiger Pride Day. However, there is one day of Spirit Week during which issues always arise: Class Color Day.

During this day, members of each class show off their school spirit by wearing the color of their respective classes. However, when upper-classmen begin to haze underclassmen, Class Color Day is taken to a whole new level. Gener-ally, hazing is defined as subjecting someone to harassment or ridicule. However, is having one’s

underclass sibling or friend dress in an upper-classman’s class color really harassment? This is fun for the upperclassmen, but the underclassmen who are “dressed up” have mixed opinions.

Hazing itself is illegal in Connecticut, and it is not taken lightly by RHS administrators. But, some underclassmen actually enjoy the attention they might receive from their upperclass friends. In these cases, is it harassment? Where should we draw the line? As the old saying goes, it is “all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.”

On the opposite page, there are two perspec-tives on this issue. You be the judge.

Cartoon by Stephanie Liddi

“We Don’t Need

Hazing to Have Fun”

By Eric Boehringer

Opinion November 2010 Issue 19

20 The Tiger’s Roar Sports November 2010 Issue

Girls’ SoccerThe girls’ hard work in pre-season

paid off through October as their senior night approached too quickly this year. The 2011 seniors looked forward not only to being honored by their team mates, coaches and parents but also to the first place standing they have helped their team achieve in the FCIACs. Com-ing into their senior night, the girls faced St. Joseph with hopeful minds. Unfortu-nately, they were defeated 3-1. FCIAC conference for Tigers Girls’ Soccer began Saturday, Oct. 30.

Girls’ Field Hockey As the season drew to a close, another

upset occurred on senior night for girls’ varsity field hockey. Already coming off tough losses to Staples and Stamford, RHS girls ended their senior night in a tie with Norwalk 0-0, upon entering their final game of the season scheduled for Oct. 27 versus Newtown. Seniors Mary Jane Boscia, Marissa Bodner, Carlye Richter, Hannah Kirsch, Lauren Guerra and Jen-nifer James were honored for their last season with RHS field hockey.

Girls’ Volleyball Senior celebrations continued

throughout the last week of October with a win over Bassick, 3-0. Leading up to the victorious senior night, the Tigers defeated Staples and Brien McMahon to bring confidence when approaching senior night. However, the Tigers also faced a loss against Danbury, 3-2, but did not let that stop the optimism for Senior Night. Being honored were seniors Morgan Hewett, Chelsea Jones, Alexis Grevers, Katie Powers, Liz O’Connell, Teresa Giovannoli and Michaela Giovan-noli.

Girls’ Cross CountryGirls’ cross country also finished the

season with an FCIAC standing this fall. The girls finished in third place after a tiebreaker for second to Darien. However, the team is still excited over the place-ment. This was an exciting final season for seniors Jenna McClane, who had a seventh-place overall time finish for the 4,000-meter; Terra Briody, who was tenth overall; Briana Corso who finished 46th, and Isabella Corso finishing 27th overall time. The girls headed to the Class-LL state championships Halloween weekend.

Girls’ Swimming In the two victories in a row for RHS

Girls’ Swim over Norwalk/McMahon and Fairfield Ludlowe, it seemed like a true team effort with impressive first-place finishes from seniors Taylor Byerly (50-yard freestyle), Sidney Pahmer (100 backstroke) and Taylor Meegan (diving). Other senior mentions go to Elizabeth Abercrombie (200 medley relay) and Patricia Kulik (200 free-style relay).

Sports Wrap UpGirls Grab Victories

SupportTiger’s Den!

Buy a Paw Print Lollipop at the

Home GameNov. 12

Just $3!Sold at

the top of Tiger Hollow

By Jack YuenFootball

The football team is looking strong. The Tigers were 5-1 after thumping Harding, 41-6, during Homecoming and blanking Norwalk, 17-0, the following week. But, a disappointing loss to Mac-Mahon, 21-12, has dampened their hopes for a berth in the state tourament.

At the end of October, they were in 10th place in the rankings, and only the top eight teams get into the tournament. They would need to win their last three games of the season—against Trum-bull and Wilton at home, and Danbury away—in order to make the state tourna-ment. It is a close race, but Ridgefield is still in the running.

The Tigers have gotten much produc-tion from their captains so far this year. Tommy Jordan, ’11, has been excellent on both sides of the line, causing many problems for the opposition. Teams have to change up their defense and offense in order to compensate for Jordan, and it allows our team to perform better.

Griffin McCarty, ’11, also has been doing well this year. His leadership and experience has been key for the Tigers. Steve Gherardi and Chris O’Dea, both ’11, have also been prime targets for Mc-Carty,’11. O’Dea also has been having a great year as the team’s kicker. In the big

win over Harding on homecoming night, O’Dea kicked a school record 50 yard field goal.

Boys’ SoccerThe boys’ soccer team has had a suc-

cessful year so far, with their record stand-ing at 9-6-1. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost in the FCIAC quarterfinals to Fairfield Warde. However, they still have the state tournament left, and they are looking to get farther in that playoff. Their season has been up and down, but overall they have been playing well and are competitive.

Captain Andrew Carlson, ’11, has been key in the Tigers success, and he has been dependable and always gives a great ef-fort. Similarly, Captains Matt Shannon, Dan Hager, and Andy Suslavich, all ’11, have also been leading the team through-out the year.

Joey Devivo, ’13, has been another important contributor for the Tigers by providing much of the scoring. Sam Woodger, ’11, who moved to Ridgefield from Bombay, India, has also been a great addition to the team and brings experience to the field.

As they look ahead to the state

tournament, the boys’ soccer team looks to bounce back from a tough overtime loss to Warde in the FCIACs and go deep into the tournament.

Boys’ Cross CountryThe Boys Cross Country team has

been solid this year, posting a 9-8 regular season record. They recently placed sixth in the FCIAC cross country champion-ships in New Canaan. Captain Mike Ravert, ’11, was Ridgefield’s top finisher in that tournament by finishing in 20th place.

Their top runners were Ravert,’11, Blake Liebling, ’12, McCall Keller, ’12, and Kevin Ford, ’12. They have been consistently running well for the Tigers, and have kept Ridgefield competitive. Other key runners include Jamie Dowl-ing, ’11, Geoff Stewart, ’11, and Joe Qualey, ’11.

Sports Wrap UpBoys Looking Strong

Dillon O’Brien, ‘11, snaps the ball to Griffin McCarty, ‘11, dur-ing game against Stamford.

Photo Courtesy of Dillon O’Brien

The Tiger’s Roar Sports November 2010 Issue 21

By Cassie Tiberio

Most high school students think they know what it’s like to balance a busy schedule. But, imagine what it would be like juggling two to five hours of strenuous sports practice every day on top of school, friends, and leisure time. Welcome to the world of Maria Maydan, ‘11.

Sacrifice“Rowing is a real sacrifice to almost

every aspect of my life, “ says the RHS senior, who began rowing as a freshman after trying almost every other sport. “I was kind of bored, so I decided to try something different.” Since then, Maria has practiced rowing before and after school, with races on virtually every weekend. “I don’t even know how I’ve managed to keep my grades up, or how I can get up the morning after a race.”

Crew is perhaps the most physically-exhausting sport in the country. Ac-cording to the US Rowing Association, rowing is a full-body workout that encompasses all of the body’s muscle groups. A typical 2,000 meter race takes the same toll as back-to-back games of basketball. However, the sacrifice has done nothing to shake Maria’s resolve.

Best Feeling“It is all worth it, because I enjoy it so

much... I really enjoy being on the water at a high speed... the best feeling in the world is winning a tough race—realizing that all of the hard work that took weeks, months, and sometimes years is finally paying off.”

If anyone knows about work paying off, it’s Maria. In early January 2010,

she “got serious” with her training. In three months time, Maria progressed at an unbelievable rate—going from being an unheard of rower to a feared competitor at nearly every race. Just last fall, she trav-eled to Cincinnati, Ohio, for the US Row-ing Youth National Championships’ Grand Finale. There, Maria became the fourth women’s single rower in the nation.

“My success after that was completely unreal,” Maria says, “I could not even imagine getting to that point.”

More Than a SportHowever, crew is much more than a

sport for Maria. “Rowing has taught me so many things

that I’ve been able to translate into my life.” For example, her determination on the water has allowed her to bring that same level of audacity to the classroom, along with the firm belief that hard work will pay off. “When I’m racing and something goes wrong, like the weather or I have a problem with my boat, I have learned to be patient, not to overreact, and stay calm so I don’t lose my focus.”

Future PlansMaria’s focus has gotten her this far,

and will no doubt take her even farther. She has plans for college crew, and to con-tinue rowing for the rest of her life.

“I want to reach my limits and get as far as I can with the skills I have and if that means competing internationally, then cool, and if it just means rowing for fun, then fine... I know it will always make me happy.”

For now, Maria’s life and success will carry on as it always has: one stroke at a time.

Student of the Month

Taking Life One Stroke at a TimeBy Dani Blum

Maria Maydan, ‘11, spends much of her time on the water. But, the hard work pays off. Last spring she placed fourth in the Youth Nationals.

Photo Courtesy of Maria Maydan

22 The Tiger’s Roar Sports November 2010 Issue The Tiger’s Roar November 2010 23Advertisement

FREE SODA With a Burger Purchase!!

One coupon per customer per order. Not combineable.

Offer expires 01/02/11.

24 The Tiger’s Roar Advertisement November 2010 Issue