November 2010 Newtown High School Volume XIV Issue II

Cha-Ching! Savings at Newtown High School

Changes in the Election

Process at NHSEmily DuttWeb Editor

Sarah EichlerStaff Writer

This partnership between Newtown High School and Newtown Savings Bank is designed to develop the personal financial skills of students. Students are able to do normal banking, just as they would be able to do at a regular branch. Whether it’s depositing, withdrawing, or simply opening a new account, it can be accomplished at the Newtown Savings Bank mobile teller station. “The program

promotes personal financial management,” Peg Ragaini, of the career center said. Banking hours are Fridays from 11am to 1pm. These times are during lunch waves, which make it convenient for students to have access to the bank. The high school also provides internships for the students with Newtown Savings Bank. During the internship, the student completes hours while at

The class officer election process at Newtown High

School is one that students seldom understand. Every year, students sign up for positions like president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, and then each grade votes for their favorite candidate in homeroom, but never realize where their votes go after that. The current election process starts with nomination forms that are put in the office and are available for about a week. Students can nominate themselves or someone else. Each candidate record short speeches, and then during homeroom, a DVD is shown of the speeches. Students in homeroom receive ballots, and vote for the best candidate. Often the students don’t know the class advisors- who help to guide the elected representatives throughout the year. Mr. Edwards and Miss Repay are the senior advisors; Mrs. Cacioppo and Mrs. Ward are the junior advisors; Mrs. Blake and Mrs. Swann are the sophomore advisors; Mrs. Lombardo and Mr. O’Connell are the freshmen advisors. This is Mr. Edwards’ second year as a senior class advisor. Edwards, being an AP Government teacher and history buff, knows a lot about the entire process. To work more closely with students throughout their time at NHS, Edwards explained that next year the advisors will move to different grades, thus enabling advisors to move with their respective classes. The best aspect of being an advisor for Edwards is to connect with more students in NHS. “I get to be directly involved and work with more students than just the ones in my classes,” he said. In previous years, the candidates who win become representatives and work

closely with the class advisors to plan events for their class. However, last year, Edwards and Repay thought there was no reason to limit the input that the candidates who were not chosen wanted to have in the school community. They decided to have an Executive Council for the senior class, which consisted of about twelve students, so that the ideas for school government matters and class events were not limited to four students. One benefit is that with the council, students can decide if they’d rather work behind the scenes and do things like making prom invitations and helping with paperwork, or if they want to be in the public eye, like being the ones to sell the invitations, or giving a speech at graduation. The best part about this new method is that it is completely based on the students’ ideas. “We’re more coaches than teachers,” Edwards said. “We want to help the students make the right decisions, and give students as much input as possible for what their senior year can be.” In addition to ensuring that the students have a great year, this process is helping the school’s reputation in general. “Last year with the class of 2010, we had the highest number of people ever at prom and the senior dinner dance, which comes directly from the council,” Edwards said. Another advantage to having this council is that other grades have expressed interest in adopting the model and want to utilize it for their grade’s decisions and events. Currently, the grades are preparing for their Thanksgiving food drive, which helps to benefit the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury. Weekly, the Executive Councils are working to guarantee that NHS students are having the best time they possibly can. With the new changes and faces that are surfacing, it leaves opportunities open for any NHS students who want to get involved.

DANI VILLA

INSIDETHEHAWKEYEBest Buddies Club Spirit Week Highlights Senior Night Traditions Taylor Swift’s Rise to FameOakview Closed

Kaitlyn ConnollyNews Editor

Throughout school classrooms the phones are ringing.

And for many students it is no surprise that the AP Office is on the other line calling about another attendance violation. This year AP is stiffening its attendance policies because school officials have made it a point to enforce the Board of Education’s policy. The Board of Education’s attendance policy, like that of surrounding schools, is mandated by the state of Connecticut. The state says that each school has to take accountability for its students because parents/guardians are not present during the school day.

NHS Principal Charles Dumais said, “The school is responsible for more than 1700 students every day and having some accountability for attendance issues is necessary.” Not only does NHS argue that the stricter policy allows the school to keep track of its students, but the policy also helps students avoid the consequences of missing a class. When a student misses a class they not only miss the work, but also the interaction and exchange of ideas with their peers and teacher of that day’s class. A documented absence is when a student is not in one or more classes, due to a prior engagement such as a college visit or doctor’s appointment.

Enforcing the Existing Attendance Policy For an absence to be considered documented, students are to have a note signed from wherever they were during the hours of school they missed. If a student was at a college visit they are to have an admissions officer sign a note, and if they had an appointment with a doctor they need a slip signed from the doctor’s office. Assistance Principal Jason Hiruo claims that this policy is not to create an inconvenience. It is a way to put responsibility on the students and their parents to plan ahead and ensure that students are being honest about their whereabouts. If a student does not have signed documentation AP will follow through to

Newtown Savings Bank and Newtown High School

have an interesting partnership. NHS has the privilege of having a mobile teller station. Like a miniature bank, this local program offers exceptional services. The affiliation was first started about a year after banking investments courses were offered at NHS.

NEWS PAGE 2 FEATURE PAGE 5 ARTS & LEISURE PAGE 12 SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 17 OPINION PAGE 19

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Problems with Parking at Oakview

2 News

HAWKEYESTAFF10-11

The Hawkeye is produced by the journalism classes under the direction of Mr. Marc Kenney. Editorial and advertising offices are located at Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook,

CT, 06482.

Letters to the editor that do not reflect the opinions of the staff may be dropped off in the main office in the The Hawkeye Mailbox. All letters must

be signed.

Editor-in-ChiefDanielle Villa ‘11

Managing EditorsAbbey Doski ‘12

Hannah Maret ‘12

News EditorKaitlyn Connolly ‘11

Feature EditorsEmily Ashbolt ‘12Megan Duero ‘12Rachel Musco ‘12

Arts & Leisure Editors

Anna Hodge ‘12Aidan Sherman ‘11

Sports EditorRJ Roman ‘11

Layout EditorKatelyn Dandrea ‘12

Web EditorsEmily Dutt ‘11Matt Jensen ‘11

Cat Sherman ‘11Justin Villamil ‘11

Staff WritersHannah Barrett ‘12

Kate Bartel ‘13Kelley Baylis ‘13

Courtney Campbell ‘13Rebecca Dutsar ‘13Sarah Eichler ‘13Megan Evans ‘13

Kiely Kuligowski ‘13Sally Martinelli ‘13Emily Morrell ‘13

Jennifer Radatovich ‘12Nicole Small ’13

Masthead Design and Illustration by Lilly

Rodriguez, ‘11

Taking the big yellow school bus is no longer an option for

many juniors and seniors at the high school. For most of those students who already have their licenses none want to arrive to school on the bus. Driving is the preferred type of transportation. All students at NHS know that parking is very difficult. For a while, juniors would have to come to school early as 6:30 AM to fight for a space. Currently at Newtown High School, there are exactly 300 seniors who have paid the 85 dollars for a parking permit, along with 240 staff members who park their cars everyday. This large number of drivers and cars creates the lack of space, not to mention the ongoing construction. Juniors who are lucky enough to drive, are not so lucky. Many needed to park at Oakview Road. On October 29, 2010, Newtown Parks and Recreation Department Supervisor informed NHS that Oakview will be fenced off and as a result students would not be able to park there. The supervisor went on to say that any student who parked there would receive a ticket and

kelley baylisStaff Writer

Although students and staff may notice the exterior walls

of the gym or the newly-paved staff parking lot, there is only one question on their minds: when will the Newtown High School expansion open?

The answer to this question has changed several times over the past month. The artificial turf field was going to open on October 15. But on October 13, NHS administration announced that its opening would be delayed to November 5. A few days later, the administration canceled its prior announcement that the new building would open to students on November 3.

Both of these

announcements were understandably met with frustration by students, staff, and parents. But it would be wrong to focus solely on the delays of the project. Plenty of work has been done on the expansion, bringing it slowly but surely closer to completion, according to NHS Principal Charles Dumais.

Dumais stated that the new track and field at Blue and Gold Stadium is nearing completion, although it will not be ready now until November 10.

The last part of that project is installing the top layer of the track, and a special request by the school caused part of the delay of its installation.

“The normal color of track [surface] is red,” explained

Dumais. “But we can’t have a red track—we’re rivals with Masuk. So we had to wait for the blue dye surface.”

Morganti Construction workers began applying the blue track layer on October 29. Once they are complete and the site is cleaned, NHS can use the new field.

In the meantime, sports teams have moved their scheduled home games from Blue and Gold Stadium to other venues. Soccer and Field Hockey held their senior nights at Treadwell Park, while the marching band held its home show at Danbury High School. And Homecoming did not take place at home, but rather at Pomperaug High School in Southbury.

In fact, there is only one home game left this fall for Blue and Gold. On November 24, the day before Thanksgiving, varsity football will play rival Masuk at the first varsity game on artificial turf at NHS. The new expansion, which was originally slated to open on September 1 and then November 3, will now tentatively open on December 1.

While the flooring and ceiling tiles have now been installed, several fire code issues (namely the need for additional fire sprinklers) caused the delayed opening of the new building.

In the weeks before the

ConstruCtive CritiCismformal opening of the building, NHS administration and staff will move into the new building and help familiarize students with the addition. Meanwhile, Morganti is “making very good progress” in the new gym, according to Dumais. The new team locker rooms are finished, as are the walls and the ceiling to the new main gym.

After the flooring and bleachers are installed in the main gym and equipment moved into the new fitness center, the gym, pool and locker rooms will be open for athlete and physical education class use. And according to Dumais, this will all open right after Thanksgiving, just in time for the start of the winter sports season.

If the track, gym, and expansion all open on time, the NHS community will get to enjoy the new facilities in spite of all of the interruptions they have caused.

Dumais understands that many parents and community members are “frustrated” over the move of home games and senior nights away from NHS. But he takes pride in the response of NHS students and staff to the confusion and delays surrounding the expansion.

“The students are handling [the changes] very well,” said Dumais. “They’re resilient.”

Matt JensenWeb Editor

clarify where the student was. Aside from monitoring

when students aren’t in class the school is cracking down on the way they deal with students who do not attend class.

If a student does cut a class for the first time, the teacher can contact the parents and give the student a detention. If the student continues to cut class and was warned, administration will intervene.

Some students feel that cutting class is not a big deal.

Senior Kasturi Mitra said, “On a day when you know nothing is going to happen in class, it’s not really a big deal.”

But the administration wants students to see that skipping class is not only bad for the student who skips class, but also the entire student body. Each year the school needs to report its number of cuts to the state. Not only can the state see these figures, but colleges can also look at the numbers of cuts in order to evaluate what type of school Newtown High School is. If the school has a large amount of cuts, it can influence whether or not a college wants to accept students who attend the school.

Hiruo said that the school’s consequence for cutting class is a small piece of the overall problem.

“The most important part is that the school figures

Enforcing the Existing Attendance Policy

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Windows are now in place on the new gymnasium MATT JENSEN

out why a student cuts class and takes the appropriate measures to prevent it,” said Hiruo.

For example, if a student cuts class because they are struggling with the unit of study, the school will find a tutor. Or if a student is afraid to talk to their teacher and decides to cut class as a result, the school will find a way to open the dialogue between the student and their teacher. Cutting homeroom is comparable to cutting a class. A student will receive a detention if they make a pattern of cutting homeroom. Hiruo argues that homeroom is very important because soon the various classes will receive important information pertaining to them.

Freshmen homerooms will begin to see information about classes for next year. Sophomores will receive information on CAPT testing and juniors and seniors will receive information on colleges. There is no denying that the stricter attendance policy is yielding positive results. “I’ve seen my students’ cuts cut in half,” said Hiruo. A letter is being mailed out by the PTA with further information about the attendance policy. The Board of Education is also looking for ways to refine the attemdence policy within its next few meetings.

their vehicle would be towed. Amy Mangold, Director of Newtown Parks and Recreation explained how Oakview is owned and maintain by the Parks and Rec. of Newtown. “We were asked by the school administration not to allow students to park at Oakview for safety and security reasons. Therefore, we are following their request when we post no parking,” Mangold said. NHS administration put information on the blog on October 22, 2010 about the parking. It explains that students were never encouraged to park over at Oakview. Charles Dumais, Principal of NHS, explained that “The high school does not ‘own’ or supervise the lot at the field on Oakview. It is owned by the town and supervised by Parks and Recreation.” With all of the construction going on with Newtown High School, this is just one of the many problems that Newtown residents and students have to face. Even though this situation may be very frustrating, in this case, patience for parking is essential. The student population will just have to wait and see how everything will turn out; hopefully, it will be for the better.

Town enforces a no parking policy at Oakview

The first couple of months at Newtown High School mark

an eruption of school spirit. From fevered fans at the homecoming football game, to blinding neon outfits during spirit week, students and staff come together to support the school.

The enthusiasm does not stop there. Monday, November 1 marked the date of the Homecoming dance sponsored by NHS Student Government, which took place from 7-10:30 PM at the Crown Plaza in Southbury.

In comparison to last year’s Harvest Ball, the dance was earlier in the school year in order to coordinate with spirit week. Student Government Co-President KellyAnne Brophy explained that the Monday “was a very convenient day near spirit week and homecoming.” The dance did not occur during the weekend since there was no school on Tuesday because of Election Day.

November 2010 3

Hawk SquawkYour source for what's up at NHS

Homecoming Happenings

“I think it’s great,” Saladin said. “No one leaves for the weekend.”

Holding the event on a Monday night also represented a financial opportunity.

“We were able to negotiate a good price with Crowne Plaza, which brought down our net cost,” Saladin explained.

Overall, about 300 students attended the dance, which the largest crowd that Student Government has seen, but Saladin said that it was what he expected. He explained that 2005-07 was the “Golden Age” of dances when attendance generally fell between 500 and 600 students.

Student Government Co-President Matt Genovese said, “I was hoping for a lot more, but this just gives us an idea of what works and what doesn’t so next time we should have a better turnout.”

Students who attended the dance were pleased but still had recommendations for improvement.

“It was fun,” junior Katie Shirley said. “But it needed better music.”

Attendees also approved of the location in comparison to other dances.

“It was better than the Amber Room,” junior Abby Blakeman said.

Saladin explained that Student Government is always making changes in the hopes of drawing in a larger crowd. The process involves a significant amount of trial and error.

“We have tried offering food, which almost doubles the prices, to get more students to attend, and we didn’t see any difference in ticket sales,” Saladin said.

He explained that in the past, Student Government has also tried manipulating ticket prices to attract more students, but that also proved unsuccessful.

“We are searching for the right formula, but with the student body constantly changing, it’s a moving target that’s hard to hit,” Saladin said.

Regardless of any advertising struggles, Student Government still raised about $3,000 from the Homecoming dance.

“In comparison to other dances, this was one of the best in terms of the profit we made,” Genovese said.

Genovese explained that Student Government will give a portion of this profit to the American Heart Association. The remaining money will be sent to the Student Government account, which is returned to the school community through donations to NHS clubs and teams.

Kathy Davey, a Health and Physical Education teacher at

Newtown High School, received a 2010 Upstander Award from the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury (WCGD) at the Annual Walk Against Domestic Violence on Sunday October 3rd. An Upstander Award recognizes leadership and persistence in individuals, something that Davey was honored to receive. “It really is a reflection on the entire department,” she said. “The Women’s Center has done an excellent job at keeping the kids interested while getting the message across.” Representatives from the WCGD have actively participated in Newtown High School’s PE/Health program for the past seven years. Davey explained that visits are presented to the junior classes, and then expanded on in a visit senior year. “It’s wonderful that the visits have been incorporated into the curriculum,” Davey said. She feels that it is important for students to use outside resources to gain knowledge about sexual assaults and “red flags”, a technique used by WCGD to help teenagers understand the dangers of sex. However, students are not only learning from the

NHS Teacher Receives Award

Women’s Center visits, they are also enjoying them. “It peaks their interest to learn about the laws that are discussed. It’s a real-life connection that pertains to them so students begin to pay attention more,” Davey said. Davey was given the award in recognition of her dedication to establishing and strengthening the relationship between NHS and the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury. Sophomore Elaine Feola stressed the fact that Davey truly is one of a kind. “Mrs. Davey was definitely my favorite gym teacher,” Feola said. “She’s always so optimistic and makes PE a more enjoyable class for everyone. I love her!”

It appears to be a unanimous decision among the students and faculty that Davey is one of those exceptional teachers people will never forget. Cheryl Orrico, an English teacher and former student at NHS, said, “I was never a fan of PE class until I had Mrs. Davey. Her passion for the subject and the students was evident since the first day of class.” The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury must have seen these characteristics in Davey when they decided award her with an Upstander. “[My job] really is the best of both worlds,” Davey said. “I’m able to work with kids and support teachers at the same time.”

Kate BartelStaff Writer

The Hawkeye continues to celebrate Flannel Fridays. So pick your favorite shade of plaid and

your best lumberjack hat, and join us!

Tuesday, November 16 through Thursday, November 18 are Half Days for parent-teacher

conferences. Don’t forget to sign up!

Wednesday, November 24 will be a half day.Thursday the 25th and Friday the 26th will be

closed for the Thanksgiving Recess. Gobble gobble!

Another Workshop Wednesday will be held for seniors in room B150/B152! Hurry in to apply as

applications are due by December 2.

Davey at the Annual Walk Against Domestic ViolenceDUMAIS.US

Spotted:Monday, November 8 saw the first snow fall of the

season. Start bundling up!

Just two weeks left until the opening of NHS Drama Club’s On the Razzle! Come see one of

the shows on November 19, 20, and 21. Break a leg!

Looking for a way to win big? Win up to $1000 and a $5000 scholarship by

making an ad for Pace University to emphasize the dangers of texting while driving!

Congrats to our very own Newtown band for visiting Annapolis this weekend during the 2010

Championships and winning 11th place!

It has been estimated that the completion of the Newtown Skate Park is just two weeks away!

Get rolling!

Students showing off their moves at the Homecoming DanceLAUREN CODY

Hannah MaretManaging Editor

News 4

The Principal’s Advisory Council is seeing some big

changes in its second year.Many previous members

of its staff left or graduated at the end of 2010, meaning that new faces needed to be brought to the group to fill the gaps.

The Council holds five teachers, four students, two parents, and the president of the Parent Teacher Student Association; out of this number, five people could not continue to hold their assigned positions for various reasons.

The PAC greatly values varying perspectives, and filling these positions was not an endeavor taken lightly.

NHS English teacher and Council Member David Kimball resigned over the summer, prompting a search for a replacement teacher for the board.

The council held an election with five possible candidates and the winner was Special Education teacher Katherine Matz, who joins Chairman Eugene Hall, Vice-Chairman Bret Nichols and fellow council members Thomas Swetts and Chris Canfield.

“She definitely brings a different viewpoint to the table,” said Hall of Matz. “The fact that she comes from the Special Ed department gives us a totally new perspective. She sees things those of us in general education might not.”

Along with these new additions to the Council, the PTSA, which is closely tied to the PCA, had it’s president, Sarah Beier, resign last year. The current President of the PTSA,

Carla Kron, filled Beier’s empty spot. Parent member Tracey Tenney also resigned, leaving a post that was filled by parent/lawyer Ellen Aho after being interviewed by Principal Charles Dumais, Hall and Kron.

On top of all this, previous student representatives Sarah Ferris and Andrew Nichols graduated, creating two spots open to the study body.

To fill these vacancies, Hall and Nichols interviewed over twenty teacher-nominated students. The selected teens,

junior Hannah Maret and sophomore Patrick Milano, bring “a unique and mature perspective” to the group, claims Hall, joining senior representatives Josh Engler and Mara Scallon.

“We have had one meeting so far and they were very vocal,” said Scallon of the new student members.

“They contributed some good ideas, and I think that Mr. Hall and Mr. Nichols made good choices in picking them.”

Hall agrees, saying that both students are “valuable additions.”

Both new students bring a specific interest to the PAC that may not have been as well represented before- for Milano, it’s the band, Maret, The Hawkeye.

“They look at issues from all sides- we know that they are willing to speak their minds,” Hall stated.

The new members have proved to work very well together.

“The council is so nice and open to new suggestions,” Milano said. “I think it is always a good idea to get a fresh, new perspective on the school, so new people are beneficial to the council.”

While all these changes might take some adjusting to, the PAC has not hesitated to leap into its next challenge.

“Right now, we are working on the academic honesty policy, making it easier to enforce and understand.” explained student representative Scallon.

“We are also discussing teacher evaluations, maybe having students at the end of each course write a brief paragraph about what they liked and didn’t like to help them teach better.”

Nichols is hopeful about what the newcomers will bring in the upcoming year.

“We’ve had one meeting so far this year with our new members and are pleased with their energy, commitment and dedication,” he said.

“We just want to come together to make the school a better place.”

The school community is encouraged to suggest items for the Council. If you have an issue that you feel would be appropriate for them to consider, please contact Chairman Eugene Hall at halle@newtown.k12.ct.us.

New Faces, Same Ideals for Principal’s Advisory Council Emily AshboltFeature Editor

Chartwell’s Dining Services has made changes to the

cafeteria here at Newtown High School. Chartwell’s has altered the meals, the prices, and the payment methods to benefit the health of NHS and to decrease waiting time. Chartwell’s is striving to be healthier this year, and has adjusted their menu to accompany a better lifestyle for all. As many have noticed, fries have been removed as a

Chartwell’s Charters Better Options for the Lunch TableKatelyn DandreaLayout Editor

Tucked away in the back of the main entrance lies an

enterprise that many students don’t get a chance to truly appreciate. A diamond in the rough located in our school, known as The Market Place. Selling virtually anything from sandals, sweatshirts or even that piece of poster board that you need at the last minuet. Mrs. Jolene Swann, a Business Education teacher NHS, took over the responsibility of running the school store two years ago. Needing help, she turned to the students to manage and run the store during their free periods. The main goal of the store was to give students a chance to purchase supplies, clothing and

The School Store: A Diamond in the Nest RJ RomanSports Editor

other school related merchandise. This year, DECA, the student run business club, along with Ms. Swann are trying to amp up the store environment with new ideas and selling techniques. Surveying students on what they would like to see being sold in the store and how the store could be more accessible was the main focus.

“The store now sells items such as different color sweatpants and sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts and project supplies,” Swann said.

Being a student run enterprise no profit is made off of any sale. Every sale that is made goes back into restocking and improving the store.

Along with the changes inside the store the hours of the store are changing as well.

In the next few weeks

Swann hopes to have the store operating during every period of the school day and during school sponsored events.

“Parents would always ask me, how they could buy NHS apparel? Now that we are open during all school sponsored events the NHS community gets to shop in the store as well,” said Swann.

Talking to a group of students about the school store they all seemed very interested in checking out what it had to offer.

Ms. Swann is always looking for people to help out and run the store, as well as suggestions to improve the store.

If you are interested in earning community service hours along with work experience go see Ms. Swann in the Business Ed. Department located next to lecture hall.

side for an entrée. Fries are now only available in Outtakes for an additional price. In replace of the french fries, Chartwell’s is now offering more fruits and vegetables in place of unhealthy fries. These fruits and vegetables are locally grown. “I don’t like how the fries were taken away, yet the price of a meal increased. But I’ve adjusted and have been grabbing fruits and salad,” freshman Jordan Trager said. Soups are now made everyday along with homemade

desserts. These soups range from Chicken Noodle to Pea and are always a fresh and healthy choice. Also, bacon and pepperoni have been removed from sandwiches. Although they were popular favorites among wraps, bacon and pepperoni have no nutritional value for students. “I’m upset that I can’t order my favorite wrap that has bacon in it, but at least it’s forcing me to make healthier choices,” said junior Alyse Brautigam. NHS is not the only school that is adjusting to these changes. All of Newtown Public

Schools have taken steps to encourage a healthier diet.

“The goal of the changes is to teach students better health and encourage them to eat complete meals with protein, dairy, grain, and fruits and vegetables,” a Chartwell’s chef said. Along with these changes, the lunch price has increased. Although students complain, it has a reason. With economic times, food prices have increased. Also, locally grown foods have increased prices. Another change in the

cafeteria is the mandatory use of ID cards. This is an effort to decrease the wait time of lines in the cafeteria. “It’s annoying that I have to bring my card to lunch now because sometimes it’s hard to remember after not having to use it for two years. However, I’m glad it’s speeding up lines,” junior Cortney Beckett said. Overall, the Chartwell’s and Newtown schools are tryingn to help students, staff, and the community as a whole by offering a more convenient and healthier lunch experience.

Cha-Ching!

The Market Place looks innocuous from the outside, but holds great value to many.RJ ROMAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the mobile teller station while it is open and when the student has no class during the day. The thirty hours necessary to be completed are finished on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays, at a Newtown Savings Bank branch. The internship also includes one day of career shadowing. This will help the student to see what the banking business is all about and what an average

day in banking includes. This year there are three students enrolled in the internship program. Senior Matt Hodge is one of these interns. “I wanted to do the internship,” Hodge said, “because I want to learn more about the world of finance.” This is an increase because Newtown Savings Bank has hired three students in the past three years. “It is important for high school students to prepare to transition into being independent

and learn how to manage their finances,” Ragaini said. In addition, the partnership brings in speakers. They speak to business classes several times throughout the year. Barbara Tucker, the teller, can easily be contacted in regards to any questions or concerns regarding banking at the mobile teller station here at the High School or banking in general. She can be reached at (203) 426-4440 or by email at btucker@nsbonline.com.

Students Learn the Value of Finances

November 5

The Tutoring Center, established at Newtown High

School in 1986, is a place where students can go to receive help in any of the classes taught at NHS. This program is run by three teachers who work full time in the tutoring center, dedicating their days to helping students achieve their full learning potential. Newtown is the only town in the state with a program like this that is as advanced as it is. The tutoring center was a pilot program when it began, and has grown from its beginning to the success it is today. Originally a place only available to students that

preformed poorly on state exams, the tutoring center has grown into a program that helps everyone. The program started to make these transitions about ten years ago and has grown since then. One of the three staff members, Mrs. Linda Van Tassel, explained why this program is so important to the students. She stated that the program allows students to get help in any subject they need so that they do not fall behind in their class. “We help everyone; every subject and every student,” Van Tassel said. This job is one that all three members enjoy greatly because of the students that they get the privilege of working with. “Every time a student walks in the door we have a new

plan,” Van Tassel stated. “We become so close with the students. They are so happy when they finally understand something and we are happy for them.” The Tutoring Center was formerly known as the Reading Math Center, but Van Tassel wanted the program to appeal to as many students as possible. She thought that by changing the name to a more general description, students would be more apt to go there for help. There are many benefits to the tutoring center that students may not have been previously aware of. The Tutoring Center is available all day, including during the lunch period, and allows food. Students can eat their lunch and work with a tutor simultaneously. Also, students can receive help for

a class during their free if a teacher is unavailable for any reason. Many students are grateful for the tutoring center. Juniors Sara Hetzer and Ishaar Gupta were both pleased with their experiences with the program. “They are really nice and very helpful,” Hetzer said. “The tutoring center actually worked.” Gupta commented. “I got better grades after I went there.” However, many students are not as fortunate. They either did not know about the tutoring center, have not yet bothered to stop by, or do not want to give it a try. These students are clearly missing out. Junior Gabe Ruiz has never gone to the Tutoring Center. “When I came to school

this year I really had no idea what the tutoring center was about.” Because of students like Ruiz, the tutoring center knows that they still have some work to do. Promoting their program is a big goal for their future. Also important to the staff at the tutoring center is that with the increase in the number of students attending the tutoring center, the location also increases as well. The staff is hoping for more computers, a larger work space, and even more teacher volunteers to help with the amount of students. Nevertheless, Mrs. Van Tassel was able to explain why she loves coming to work every day. “I am doing this because I love the kids and I love the challenge. If I did not there is no way I could be here right now.”

Abbey DoskiManaging Editor

Tutoring Center: Tutoring Your Way To the Top

Best Buddies is a program that pairs students

with intellectual and developmental disabilities with other high school students to create one-to-one everlasting friendships.

“I believe in the mission of Best Buddies,” said Jill Gonski, the advisor of Best Buddies.

Best Buddies has been installed at Newtown High School since 2003, and has been successful in recruiting new members each year.

To join Best Buddies, a student sends an application to the executive board and they are matched with the person the board feels is most suitable. Senior Abby Keough, the president of Best Buddies says she was inspired to join, because she grew up being friends with kids

who had intellectual disabilities and knew they deserved to have as many opportunities as everyone else. “I love being president because I feel I am able to show all the members that I care about all of them, rather than just my one buddy. I also love knowing that I am playing a key part in enhancing the lives of both buddy and pier buddy.” Keough Junior Ali Monaco, the Vice President of Best Buddies, joined as a freshman because she was interested in getting involved in a club, and found Best Buddies as she was looking through the NHS club booklet. “I thought it would be a good way to make friends with some students I would have never talked to before,” Monaco said. The junior thoroughly enjoys her position in Best Buddies. “It is an honor to

Best Buddies are Best BudsJen RadatovichStaff Writer

be the Vice President of Best Buddies especially since I am working with such a great president and I am able to be more involved in the club,” Monaco said. Some of the activities Best Buddies participates in are bowling, seasonal parties, movies, and hayrides.

Mrs. Gonski says the club “promotes diversity” and “encourages the acceptance of others.”

Best Buddies allows people to meet others who may not have met under different circumstances. “I joined Best Buddies so I could connect with someone who I wouldn’t normally connect with,” said Maria Dutsar. Best Buddies meets every other Thursday in the Child Development room from 2:00 to 2:45, anyone is welcome to come on by and meet new friends!

 

 

The Newtown High School community was told last year

that the new addition would be ready by the first day of school. But when they came back, they were greeted with something much different. 

In September, the opening of the expansion was delayed to November 2. But this was also delayed in October because of “potentially unresolved code issues (primarily the possible necessity of additional sprinklers in the Main Lobby),” as quoted from the NHS Blog. 

The NHS community is trying to remain optimistic during this time of uncertainty.  Teachers expressed their opinions about not being able to move for the second time in a positive light.

“Although it is disappointing that the move into the new addition is being delayed for a second time, we have to remain positive and make the most of the current situation,” NHS math teacher Leah Clark stated.

Clark, like many other teachers is keeping an upbeat attitude. “We  all have to be flexible,” she said.      

Still, teachers must deal with the inconvenience of packing and then unpacking. 

“My desk is surrounded by boxes ready to move to the new space and now I would have to further unpack since the school year is progressing,” NHS foreign language teacher Laura

Reactions to Retractions

Battisti said. This year she is teaching

some of her classes and study halls in room B141, in back of the library.

The NHS staff believes flexibility is key, and that is what everyone is trying to accomplish.  NHS Principal Charles Dumais is keeping the faculty informed as much as possible.

“[Dumais] has kept the faculty and the community constantly informed on the progress of the construction, and this helped in understanding what was going on,” Battisti said. “We all felt part of the process.”

It is important for the entire faculty to be kept informed.  One way Dumais keeps NHS informed is through the NHS Blog. Teachers and students received word through the blog that the move into the new addition is now scheduled for December 1.

M e a n w h i l e , NHS physical education teachers are anxiously waiting to see when the new gym will open. Once winter hits, they won’t have a place to take their classes for physical activities.  But the gymnasium is going to be open by Thanksgiving, according

to Dumais.“Construction projects

do not usually go as planned since unforeseen circumstances often arise,” Clark said.

All that the students and teachers can do now is sit tight until they get the word on December 1 to move into the new addition.

Nicole SmallStaff Writer

”“Although it is disappointing

that the move into the new addition is being delayed for a second time, we have to remain positive and make the most of the current situation.

- Leah Clark

BESTBUDDIES.ORG

6 Feature

With the winter season drawing near, it is no

surprise that Newtown High School’s Ski Club is becoming a popular extracurricular among the student body. Even though many freshmen are becoming busy with extracurricular activities, they are still excited to join the club. However, upperclassmen argue that the club lacks successful advertising and does not peak their interest. Skiing and snowboarding are common activities to see on a student’s weekend agenda in New England. This shared interest makes Ski Club a hit among NHS students. “I’m thinking about joining Ski Club because it would be cool to meet new people,” freshman Maddie Fletcher said. “I really like to ski and think the club would be a lot of fun!” Many returning members of Ski Club agree that the trips are definitely worthwhile. “I loved going to Mount Southington last year,” sophomore Stephanie Roman said. Melanie Rotante, a sophomore at NHS, participates for another reason; she simply enjoys hitting the slopes. “I go on the ski trips to snowboard. It gives me such an adrenaline rush,” she said. Whatever the reason for participation, NHS Ski Club is more popular than ever. Though it attracts plenty of the freshman class, it would give the impression that everyone in school is aware of Ski Club, but many students at NHS have not even heard of the club. “I receive the emails on Ski Club through Naviance,” sophomore Colby Chilson said. “But I don’t think that it’s really promoted enough in school.”

Inclined To Ski Kate BartelStaff Writer

Adolescents have adapted to life in a world where writing

on someone’s wall doesn’t mean destroying their home’s interior, where a video of a “senile talking cat” can get more than two million views, and where a click of a mouse can launch a wave of viral backlash. This world follows teens on their computers, phones, and even video game systems. The age of social networking has revolutionized teenagers’ way of interacting, viewing the world, and even doing their homework. A poll of 100 Newtown High School students found that 93 percent used some type of social networking tool, whether it be Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter. Those who completed the survey said they used the popular site, Facebook, to socialize, share pictures, and even use in terms of

projects and homework. “If I don’t have my group

members’ [phone] numbers, I can easily message or inbox them to talk about a project,” a student said who completed the anonymous survey.

Even as recently as ten years ago, a high school student would not have been able to solve their homework problems as easily as today.

Back then, students were limited to the telephone for communication with peers. However, teenagers today facing this predicament would brush that “problem” off their very shoulders and simply contact their fellow classmates through their social networking devices.

For example, an NHS student polled said that Facebook allows them to get homework assignments they “forgot to write down in their planners” and that the social network allows them to communicate with classmates about the stresses of current workloads in certain classes. “Every once in awhile, I’ll set my status to talk about my homework or projects I just remembered are due the next day,” said the anonymous student.

Along with the advantage of communicating with group members and getting homework assignments from classmates, social networking also has negative qualities. 40 percent of NHS students surveyed said their social networking devices are extremely distracting. In addition, the same

percentile spends five to eight hours on sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter weekly. Junior John Corsi said sites such as Facebook are distracting because there’s “so much to do.” He adds that it can be hard to log off “because there always seems to be something else to see.” In addition to Facebook, there are other social networking devices changing the world of a teenager. Twitter, a website which allows its users to send and read other users’ 140 character messages, has also become a device used by many members of society in general.

Sophomore Grace Winans uses Twitter because she claims it allows her to “follow”

some of her favorite musicians and actors. “Twitter allows me to see what they’re doing now,” Winans said. “It’s basically like constantly updating your Facebook status.”

Twenty years ago, teenagers didn’t have ways such as this to really come in contact with their favorite artist or actor. These connections are almost taken for granted now. Jeremy Goulder, a 2006 NHS graduate who now deals greatly with social networking for his job at the advertising firm, Euro RSCG, discussed the advantages and disadvantages of social networking and the Internet. “Social networks can have both positive and negative consequences,” Goulder said. “On the plus side [teens] will develop skills to help prepare them for the future of work. But at the same time they need to be aware of what they are putting online. I think you will see ‘netiquette’ embedded into schools’ curriculum at a very early age.” Social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter have entirely remodeled how teens share homework woes, projects plans and social interactions in general. These innovations in the Internet are benefiting being a teenager in ways that are proving to be revolutionary; whether it be for future jobs or for that student who forgot about their U.S. History project the night before it is due.

Everyone disagrees. Everyone fights. Arguing is inherently

part of human nature and has been for millions of years. But it seems that the largest percentage of arguments is between parents and teenage students- and the million dollar question here is why?

Over 60 percent of

across the world have become progressively harder, and the U.S is struggling to keep up. Our country is falling far behind in the educational race. Most countries are now in school for at least 200 days a year, which is substantially more than the requirement for American schools.

A recent study done by Lawrence Stedman, a professor at Queensland University of Technology, has shown that schools with 200 school days or more produce better test scores as opposed to schools with the traditional 180 days.

Because of this, educators are now being pushed to challenge students harder than ever.

Students are finding it more difficult to perform at their best during school, simply because it is so demanding.

Parents have been struggling to help their children stay on track.

“It’s hard because they don’t teach things the way they used

to,” said parent Caroline Arneth. “I can’t help my daughter with her homework as much as I’d like to.” When students start to falter, grades start to fall, and the arguments begin. “I love my mom, but it always seems like she’s angry at me for something. It gets really annoying,” said sophomore Emily Brisson.

Being the parent of a teenager can be like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree- practically impossible. But, with persistence, maybe it can be done.

“All I can do is try to be patient,” said local mother Patti Winters. “It isn‘t always easy, but that’s parenting.”

Teenagers get enough stress at school, so home should be a place where they can release this pressure and relax.

But many students aren’t getting that reprieve- as soon as they step through the front door, it’s a whole new battlefield. Students at NHS know how to combat stress, though. There are several resources

available for students to let off steam and learn how to manage pressure. For example, there is a document on the Guidance page that is easily accessible through the school website. It lists eight simple ways to alleviate stress.

“Sometimes just talking about it helps,” Lisa Kapitan, a guidance counselor here at the school said. Students are welcome to stop in the Guidance office anytime, even if it is just to talk.

Being a teenager is one of the toughest jobs in the world, and everyone has to figure out a way to make it through.

Somehow we all make it, and it is almost always with the help of parents. As much as it makes people cringe, everyone does need a hand sometimes, and it helps to be on speaking terms with parents.

Being a student is a full time job, and so is being a parent. It has yet to be discovered exactly how to mesh the two and muddle through those seven painful years of being a teen.

Walking on Eggshells: A Look at Parent Student RelationshipsKiely KuligowsKiStaff Writer

Revolutionizing the Age of AdolescentsAnna HodgeArts & Leisure Editor

BLOGSPOT.COM

JOHNPAULJONESARENA.COM

SHAREALOGO.COM

Other students will agree that teens need a visual flyer or morning announcement on the loudspeaker to peak their interest in clubs and other activities. Sophomore Rachel Karnoff stresses the fact that advertisement is key. “The reason I’m involved in so many clubs and after-school activities is because I saw flyers promoting them at the beginning of the year,” Karnoff said. Junior Marian Blawie agreed. “There are a lot of clubs that we have at school that I didn’t even know existed my freshman year.” Blawie and Karnoff continued to discuss that many freshmen are actually afraid to join certain clubs because they do not have the essential information or criteria for it. “I know that last year, when I was a freshman, I wasn’t sure about joining a lot of clubs because they seemed either limited to upperclassmen or like it was too When I was a freshman, I wasn’t sure about joining a lot of clubs because they seemed either limited to upperclassmen or like it was too late to join,” Karnoff said. “If they posted on the blog or put out flyers with more information, I probably would’ve been more involved in stuff for my freshman year.” The ads may be minimal, but it does not stop many freshmen from joining the club and attending trips. Although, according to much of the sophomore class, it would have helped to see ads for the club last year, when they were freshmen. Take a trip to guidance and check out a 2010-2011 Clubs & Activities booklet or stop by the psychology offices to visit Thomas Brant, Ski Club’s advisor. Students could be missing out on some valuable information that is right in front of their eyes.

students recently polled in a UConn study said that they had argued with their parents at least twice in the past month. More than half of these arguments were over school related issues.

Students spend roughly 180 days in school each year- that’s 4,320 hours of learning, 259,200 minutes spent building relationships, 15,552,000 seconds of time spent in a building that breeds stressors galore.

More and more schools

November 2010 7

Communication is essential to the survival of mankind.

Since the earliest forms of life, man has been communicating with one another. The newest form of communication is the computer. Like it or not, for better or worse, the computer is already the wave of today. Look around, they’re all over. Even the NHS library has added four to its collection, including one with access to the Internet. Surfing the net has become the new craze among, well, everybody. This non-discriminatory device allows people to travel around the globe, looking and talking about things they’re interested in. With the advent of programs like America Online, Prodigy and Compuserve [Internet providers that charged users by the hour or month for usage], all your desires are at the touch of a button. America Online alone has an estimated $3.5 million. Have we gone too far? When the first color televisions were introduced, people began to stop going to the movies. Now that everyone can get the world at their computer, will we become a sheltered society? The industry most affected by this new wave

of technology is the print media. For many people, the television is a way to get the most important stories of the day quickly. For those that require a more in depth reflection on the day’s events, there is no substitute for the daily paper. Now that all the news anyone could handle is right there on the screen, the paper will become a thing of the past. It is cheaper ($10 a month and about $2 to $3 every hour past five) and more convenient to merely click a mouse button than walk even up to the top of the driveway to pick up the paper. Another piece of society severely hurt by this new media is the regional long distance companies like SNET (Southern New England Telephone) [Newtown’s former telephone company before AT&T]. It is estimated that over 500,000 PC users log on for hours of free calls through the Internet. Net phones, or “Internet telephony” as it is referred to, is made of a combination of networks that make up a user’s Internet connection rather than the telecommunication’s network provided by the long distance company. [Companies such as Vonage and VoIP.com still provide Internet telephone service today, although it has not reached the level of popularity this editorial predicted today.] This adds up to

Editor’s Note: Eight years before Facebook was launched and 10 years before Web 2.0 rose to prominence online, American society was just beginning to realize the social and

economic impacts of the Internet. In April 1996, when Newtown High School had only four computers, Smoke Signals (the Hawkeye’s predecessor) printed an editorial predicting that

the Internet would create a sheltered society and devastate the news-media industry. And 14 years later, with 500 million Facebook users and many newspapers eliminating their print

editions, the Smoke Signals’ predictions have come true.

Jeff MapenEditor-in-Chief, 1996

major losses of revenue by the local telephone company. ACTA (America’s Carriers Telecommunication Association) represents 130 of these regional long distance companies, which has filed a petition with the FCC. The agency wants them to ban “Internet telephony.” The FCC does not currently regulate any part of Internet communications. [Congress passed regulations on the industry in 2004.] ACTA is therefore upset because they feel these companies are competing unfairly because they are not subject to the same laws. (April 15, 1996, U.S. News and World Report) Whatever happened to the days of going out and actually meeting people in person, or talking to someone on a phone instead of through a PC? Those who say looks aren’t important must be having a field day with the internet and a program called “chat” [an early forerunner of IM]. It is a way to meet people without having physical appearance be any sort of factor. I fear that we will become a sheltered society. When people start hiding behind the screen of their computer they show that they have no self-esteem. There are obvious benefits to having certain things run on the Internet, but let’s all be sure not to get carried away.

From the Archives of The Hawkeye: Internet’s benefits will cause harm

For most high school students, a letter or percentage for

each class represents individual progress. Usually, each grade is the cumulative average of a series of assignments given to all members of a class. But what justifies this evaluation system if all students learn differently? Newtown High School English Department Chairperson Jeanetta Miller sought an answer to this question. Over the summer, she drafted a proposal for implementing a standards-based system of assessment for which she received the 2010 Conference on English Education’s (CEE) James Moffett Award.

In order to apply for the award, teachers were required to create a project that reflects the values promoted by James Moffett.

Moffett communicated the idea of language arts education based on the progress of the student through his books and lectures. After hearing him speak at a conference in California in 1991, Miller was inspired. She bought a copy of his handbook, Student-Centered Language Arts, K-12, upon arriving back home.

“This book continues to be a major inspiration for me and many other teachers,” Miller said.

She found out about the award while perusing an online education newsletter. Unfortunately, the application deadline had already passed, so Miller decided to remind herself to apply the following year. However, when she returned to the link later on, she discovered that the deadline had been pushed back.

“I took that as a sign that I should apply,” Miller said.

However, her decision to participate was not based only on this fortunate encounter. Miller saw the James Moffett Award contest as an opportunity to apply new teaching ideas.

Since the beginning of her career as an educator in 1985, Miller has made many changes to

her teaching methods.“My teaching has

evolved gradually as I gained more experience, and it has also changed quickly and deliberately in response to workshops, reading, and feedback from my students,” Miller said. “When I found out about the contest, it seemed to me that it would provide an interesting challenge to put some of my ideas about teaching into action.”

And so, she began the process of constructing a proposal that corresponded with Moffett’s ideas and also included a timeline and method of evaluation. The designing and planning took 60 hours of dedication over the summer.

“My project is focused on a standards-based system of assessment that, so far, does not take any more time than the traditional approach to grades it replaces,” Miller explained.

In her proposal, she described the risk of averaging a variety of scores associated with a class.

“Our longstanding practice at the secondary level of deriving final grades from the average of a motley mix of class activities, compliance regarding homework completion and timeliness, formative assessments, and major cumulative evaluations holds students hostage,” Miller said.

Instead, by measuring progress towards a series of standards, she suggested that the opportunity for improvement would be available to teachers, as well as students.

Later in the summer, Miller was rewarded for her proposal when she received the congratulatory email.

“I had to read the email twice to be sure it wasn’t a rejection notice,” Miller said. “It was thrilling and a little scary because winning the award meant that I was actually going to have to put my ideas in practice.”

In support of the proposed research, Miller and co-winner Gretchen S. Bernabei of San Antonio, Texas received a

Miller Receives Prestigious James Moffett Award

$500 grant from the CEE. Miller will formally receive the award on Friday, November 19 at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla. She will also present the results of her research at the 2011 NCTE Annual Convention in Chicago. At the conclusion of the first marking period, Miller is in the process of conducting ten-minute evaluation conferences with her students. These individual meetings provide an opportunity to determine the progress of each student based on the initial self-evaluation they made at the beginning of the school year.

“I’m getting to know my students better; we are setting authentic, individual goals for MP 2,” Miller said. “And there have been some important conversations that might not have occurred without the occasion provided by the conference.” So far, Miller is pleased with the results.

“I think it’s going well,” she said.

The next step in her project will be to present an interim report to the CEE in February and then share the results of her research with her colleagues after three marking periods. She will also write an article for an NCTE journal.

Hannah MaretManaging Editor

Newtown High School is receiving a new mural just in time for Veteran’s Day. NHS Junior Sean Decker and local artist David Merrill are painting the names of Connecticut soldiers who died in Afghanistan and Iraq on a wall outside

room B266.

English Department Head Jeanetta Miller received the James Moffett award for her work in a new grading system.

MATT JENSEN

MATT JENSEN

8 Feature

Every student wants to live their dream, whether it is

becoming a sports star, getting perfect grades, or being the lead of the school play. Some students are going the extra mile by participating in after school activities, but in some cases these extracurriculars can affect their time for schoolwork. The Regional Center for the Arts (RCA), an extracurricular magnet school located in Trumbull, focuses on acting, dance, music, and musical theater. In order to participate in this program a student must fill out an application from RCA’s school website. Signatures from parent, student, and guidance councilor are required to assure that this extracurricular is going to be part of the student’s school day.

Finally, the student must go to a mandatory placement audition that consists of singing, reading a scene, or playing music. This is to decide what level and what classes the student will take.

Newtown High School students Sarah Hasselberger, Alex Aug, and Alyssa Kneski are attending the school in order to pursue their dreams in the performing arts.

With the help of RCA they hope to be able to pursue a career in theater or get a leg up in auditions for community theater shows and musicals. There, they take classes like Scene Study, Theater Production, Drama History, Shakespeare, Musical Theater Dance, and Introduction to Musical Theater. Aug, a junior at NHS, said, “RCA is a fun, accepting environment where you can do what you love with others like you.”

A Dream Come True? Although RCA sounds like fun and games, the girls insist that it is hard work as well. They go to RCA after school every day but Friday, when the school is not open, and miss the last period of class at NHS, which causes missed assignments that need to be made up. Hasselberger, a sophomore at NHS, said, “It is hard missing my last class of the day because you need to be there. However, the teachers are very understanding and helpful with getting my work done.” An average day for these girls consists of going to school, leaving at 1PM to go to RCA, getting home at 5PM or going to another after school activity, and doing homework for both RCA and NHS. In order to stay on top of things the girls need to ask their teachers what they missed and make up tests and quizzes. They can do this in the morning,

Courtney CampbellStaff Writer

Featured PlaylistMr. Matthew Childs

Matthew Childs has been teaching physical education at NHS for eight years and coached the boys swim team for seven years. He explained that his favorite part about coaching was watching the looks on the swimmers’

faces when they would swim faster than they ever thought they could. Childs did not know that he wanted to be a physical education teacher until he was a junior in college at the University of Maryland. He had considered

other professions such as physical therapy.

1. Pride–U2“The song gives out a great message since it is about civil rights.”

2. EvenFlow–PearlJam“This song in particular reminds me of high school.”

3. BorntoRun–BruceSpringsteen“Bruce is an American icon and I have seen him in concert about 10 times.”

4. WalkthisWay(Collaboration)–AerosmithandRunDMC“This song was the first time for rap and rock to ever go together.”

5. GodOnlyKnows–BeachBoys“This song is great to listen to and has a great beat.”

Brain Power to Make a DifferenceCat ShermanWeb Editor

during free periods, or after school on Fridays. Right now the girls agree that their load is not as hard as it could be. “Balancing my school work is not hard yet, but as the year progresses I feel that it will,” said Kneski, a junior at NHS. Aug added, “I need to use my time wisely; luckily I have a lot of free periods.” It is no surprise that stress plays a huge part in the girls’ lives. They are constantly active, completing school work or participating in personal activities, causing them to hardly have any free time on weekdays. In order to deal with stress, the girls go to their friends for support or take time to themselves to calm down. However, all of the girls agree that the stress from the program is worth it. “All of the pros outweigh the cons,” said Hasselberger.

CES.K12.CT.US

Students at RCA participate in many preformances.

On the heels of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, everyone

is exposed to the impact cancer has on society. While the majority shows their support, a select few are going the extra mile to find a cure. Newtown High School graduate Dr. Conor Evans re-ceived a grant from the National Institute of Health for $1.5 mil-lion dollars over a period of five years to essentially improve the lives of those suffering with metastatic cancer. It’s amazing to think that a NHS graduate is do-ing so much with his life 12

years after graduating in 1998. But Evan’s success all started at our very own high school. In high school, his fa-vorite classes were chemistry and physics. He was especially inspired by his physics teacher, Donald Lamberty. He would break the lesson into two parts: the fundamentals of the lesson, then how it can be applied to the real world. The real world experi-ence connected to what one can use physics for and how it can help others. Evans’ major goal dur-ing his research is to be able to understand, treat, and prevent therapeutically resistant metastat-ic cancer. He wants to find a way to create new drugs and thera-

peutic methods that can beat the deadly cancer. Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread of from its original site. When cancer cells spread, they implant them-selves in other organs of the body and grow. These new tumors are known as metastatic tumors. Un-fortunately, many metastatic tu-mors become treatment resistant. Evans uses ovarian can-cer as an example of metastatic cancer. Ovarian cancer is a silent cancer that slowly builds up in women’s abdomen, often causing their stomachs to bloat. Women think they are gaining weight and don’t consult a doctor until it’s too late to treat. While most of the numerous metastatic tumors

are possible to remove, often some is left behind, causing the cancer to relapse. “These women are very sick for a very long time,” said Ev-ans. “It’s not acceptable. We have to do better for them.” The $1.5 million grant allows Evans to hire a top of the line staff as well as advance tools and equipment. Evans is making sure he is able to do the absolute best he can do by hiring “the best staff out there.” Right now, he is going through a recruiting process to do so. “With the right resourc-es and a strong team, we will have the brain power to make a differ-ence,” Evans said.

Evans’ used his own brain power while going through the process to achieve the grant; it was not just handed to him. He had to fill out 12 to 20 different documents as well as write a ten page essay describing his dream research procject This included what exactly he would like to do and how it would impact Ameri-cans and the future. He compared the extremely complex process to the college application every senior goes through… except times ten. Evans is now applying what he learned in high school to his life by researching how to stop cancer in its tracks. He is Newtown’s very own example that anything is possible.

November 2010 9

NHS Teachers’ Thanksgiving Traditions

“The one thing I love about Thanksgiving is that my mom transforms the house with festive decorations. Every year, she decorates the inside and outside with

mums, corn stalks, pumpkins, gourds, all different turkeys, fall leaves, and other festive crafts. Growing

up in Shelton, the Shelton-Derby Thanksgiving game is a huge tradition for the town and my family as well. We also love to gather around after dinner and watch

college football.”- Ms.Ramsey

“My favorite tradition is making the stuffing (my great grandma's recipe) for the turkey while I watch the

Macy's parade. I get up earlier than I normally would on a non-school day, and then cube up three loaves of bread by hand. I add all the other ingredients, roll up my pajama sleeves, and mix everything with my hands

I do all my other cooking with the parade on, too. I usu-ally cry when Santa comes down the parade route at

the end. I'm a sucker for holiday traditions!” - Ms. Kaplan

“This is a strange tradition, but on Thanksgiving, my family and I of course eat lots of turkey together and

have a big feast. Then, we all go out for a walk together afterwards and get our annual exercise time.”

- Mr.Saladin

“Well things have changed a lot over the past years, but when I was younger I would always watch the

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. A couple of times we were even able to go! Then my family and I would go to my grandparents, and we’re Italian, so we’d always

start out the Thanksgiving meal with lasagna. It is re-ally just a fun time to get together with family, espe-

cially since we dont’t see each other often.” - Ms. Dellasala

“On Thanksgiving, a small amount of family and I get together and eat a big meal. This is a perfect holiday and time to come together with family and hang out

because we never get to see each other during the year.”- Mr.Carley

Megan Duero

Megan Duero

Megan DueroMegan Duero

Megan Duero

rachel MuscoFeature Editor

Megan DueroFeature Editor

“Every Thanksgiving I eat at my mother-in- law’s, my sister-in-law’s and my Mother’s. My favorite Thanks-

giving dish is candied yams with marshmallows. Despite this, there are always so many decisons to be

made that day, like whether to have cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly. For the past twenty two years, my dad has asked me if I want creamed onions, and each year, I reply ‘No dad, have you ever even seen me eat

creamed onions before?!’”-Mr. Harrison

rachel Musco

10 Feature

Among Newtown’s notable features, one of its more

notorious is the now infamous “wood chipper murder.” “Everybody knows the wood chipper story. It’s so creepy! For the longest time, I just thought that it was a story my siblings made up to scare me,” senior Shannon Panasuik said. On November 19, 1986, Helle Crafts was murdered by her husband Richard, both residents of Newtown, because Helle had decided to divorce him. What is so noteworthy about this particular

Located on South Main Street, Carminuccio’s, after 13 years

in operation, has become one of Newtown’s most beloved pizza shops. “Carminuccio’s? Absolutely delicious,” junior Skyler Bast said. “They always, always have the best pizza.” His classmate Quincy DeYoung agreed, giving it “three thumbs up.” Such praise has also been lavished upon the restaurant by several food critics, including “Gourmet Magazine,” “Road Food,” and “My Travel Guide.” “Gourmet Magazine” has decreed it as “one of America’s top ten pizzas.” Senior Cristina Naldini claims that “Carminuccio’s is definitely a huge aspect of Newtown Everyone knows it and loves it. But it isn’t just Newtown. I have family that lives outside of Newtown who are always stopping in to get a slice. ”

Newtown has monopolized the market for inexpensive

movie theaters, as it is the only one in Connecticut that sells tickets for two dollars each. While the featured movie of the week is often played a few months after its release, the cheap price and central location are enough to cancel this out. “Edmond is great,” said senior Scott Wexler. “For five dollars, you get a movie and plenty of food. It was the highlight of everyone’s freshman through sophomore Friday nights: going out to Edmond whenever a good movie was playing with all of your friends.” Newtown’s Board of Managers also presides in the building, but Edmond is, apart from the movie theater, more widely known for its variety of others rooms which are used for recitals, parties, and weddings. And, of course, there is the gymnasium located underneath the building, which, along with being the practice space for the Rocking Roosters Square Dancing Club, is used for many sports and social events. Face it: everyone has gone to at least one fifth grade birthday party in the Edmond gym, and more than likely has had some sort of Little League sport practice there.

Ram’s Pasture is perhaps one of the most iconic

features of Newtown. “I love Ram’s Pasture,” junior Meghan Condon said. “It is such a huge part of the town’s culture.” Ram’s Pasture has a colorful history. In Newtown’s earliest years, the eighteenth century Newtown-ers declared the plot of land as part of the “Home Common,” where it was owned by individuals of the town. It is often said that French soldiers, under French General Rochambeau during the Revolutionary War. In the early twentieth century, Mary Hawley purchased and resembled the

Who Are We?

land into a single 12.5 acre plot. Upon her death, the land was briefly owned by Yale University, but eventually returned to the town.Currently, Ram’s Pasture is home to several key events, such as the annual Tree Lighting held every December, a tradition that will be reaching its 25th anniversary this year, and is open to ice-skaters in the icier winter months.“Ram’s Pasture is great because it can be used anytime; it is perfect for a summer picnic or a winter snowball fight.” But be warned: it is also home to a fleet of angry geese that tend to charge in the vicinity of bread crumbs.

case is the level of viciousness which Crafts used to kill his wife; he used a blunt object to kill Helle and then used a wood chipper to dispose of the body. Crafts is currently serving time in jail, as a part of his 99 year sentence. “It seems so strange that in picturesque, quiet Newtown, something so brutal could happen. It definitely contradicts the image of a sweet little town, and I think that is why is sticks out so clearly in the town’s history,” Sarah Zuvanich, an NHS senior, said.

Ram’s Pasture

Woodchipper Murder

Edmond Town

Hall

Carminuccio’s

November 2010 11

Arguably the most recognizable symbol of Newtown, the flagpole, located in the center of Main Street, has become a fixture in

Newtown society. Dan Cruson, the town historian, reported in September 1994 “Rooster’s Crow” that the first Newtown flagpole was erected in 1876 to celebrate the nation’s centennial. The so-called “liberty pole,” merely a wooden pole that stood in the middle of The Street (as the nineteenth century Newtown-ers called Main Street), cost a total of $131.65. The modern flagpole was raised in 1950, made of steel and standing 100 feet, totaling $2900- about 22 times the amount of the original flagpole. In between 1876 and 1950, the pole was either

First built in 1720 where the flagpole currently stands, the Newtown Meeting House has endured nearly three hundred

years to remain as another distinctive feature of the town. As was the standard for such New England buildings of the time, it was used for town events during the week and religious services on Sunday, with a prayer meeting once a week. After 72 years in its original position, the meeting house was relocated to its present address, and in 1808 expanded. The expansion was paid for through the sale of pews; pews in the church became personal property that

Since its opening in 1973, the Blue Colony Diner has

become a fixture in the Newtown food and social scene. “That’s sort of the place to meet or to unwind at. Everyone goes there after football games or prom; it’s just as ingrained in the high school’s

Since 1877, the Newtown Bee has been reporting on the goings-on of good ol’ Newtown, covering every

aspect of the town. The Newtown Bee has reported on virtually every topic that could come up in Newtown, from its earliest days, most important moments, and current events. A record of life in Newtown, the Bee is still deliver to most Newtown citizens every Friday morning, ready to face the week.

Who Are We? a look into what it means to live in newtown by Dani Villa and Justin Villamil

Newtown Bee

Many may scoff at the Bee- NHS junior Rob Uhde points out that one day, the headline news was that new, smaller American flags lined Maine Street- while others find its legacy inspiring. NHS senior and Bee intern Sarah Walton said, “Think about it. The Bee has survived for over 200 years, and especially now, when the fate of journalism- both local and national- is being debated, the fact that it can remain such a large part of our society is pretty impressive. For local reporting and a local newspaper, the Bee does a phenomenal job.” Freshman Breanne Moulder agreed. “It’s nice being able to see yourself and your friends in the newspaper. What other towns can say that? It has a very nice, personalized feel to it that is pretty unique.”

replaced twice, and survived lightning striking it, cars crashing into it, and the occasional bird’s nest. In the winter, the town’s 12 foot by 18 foot American flag is raised (for the spring and summer, a larger flag is used). “It is an iconic image,” junior Dieter Gutbrod said. “It represents Newtown; the entire state likens that with us.” “It makes sense. The flagpole is in the center of town and it is so widely known; it is always on Newtown ornaments and cards. What better to symbolize Newtown?” agreed senior Meghan Loose.

could come be inherited along family lines (until 1874, when pews became free for all).The rooster weathervane, the official symbol of Newtown, has been sitting atop the building since the eighteenth century. Though local folklore dictates that French soldiers shot the rooster on their march to the Battle of Yorktown, it has been determined that it was almost certainly local rabble rousers who dented the town’s bird. Though the Meeting House no longer offers regular church services, it does serve as a popular location for weddings. “I always see wedding parties standing outside of the Meeting House. But what I remember must abut it is taking a field trip in elementary school to it, and learning about Newtown history. It’s a landmark building and has a lot of landmark events associated with it,” sophomore Leah Pickney said.

Meeting House

Flagpole

culture as it is the town’s,” NHS senior Emma Fiore. “There is something for everyone there- I’m a personal fan of their fries. But everyone knows that the diner is the place to be,” Kelly O’Sullivan, a NHS sophomore, said.

The Blue Colony Diner

Spirit Week Takes Over Newtown High School

12 Arts & Leisure

Every year at Newtown High School, students and staff

prepare themselves for one of the most exciting weeks during the school year: Spirit Week. Each day of Spirit Week leads up to a very important event in the sports season, the homecoming game. A week’s worth of school spirit pumps up students to support the football team, all in hopes of bringing home a victory. Spirit Week, which occurred this year from October 18 to October 22, is a time for students from all grades to express their pride in their school

and in themselves. It is also an effective way to bring the school together as a community, which is what NHS Student Government tries to do every year. Student Government also tries to choose different days from prior years in hopes of getting more students involved and to bring forth new creative wardrobe. This is much different than in the past, when students decorated hallways and not themselves to show school spirit. “I remember the years during Spirit Week when the different grade levels each had a “hallway” that was theirs. The kids would stay all night decorating their halls to their themes. On Friday when you walked into

Aidan ShermanArts & Leisure

“I liked how people were actually allowed to wear costumes. I think maybe next year I’d say give like rewards to the most spirited home-room, or like english class or something like that to encourage kids to partake... maybe a munchkin party.” Kurt Liniger- Junior

“My favorite day was costume day. I think more peo-ple did it this year and last year.” Tim Ciavara- Junior

“I thought spirit week was good a lot of people participated in all the days espe-cially costume day and of course color war day, this year alot more people did costume day then last year,my favorite spirit day is color war because you can see whose in each grade and its fun having a war with all the grades to see which grade is the most spirited.” Morghan Moroney-Senior

“I liked spirit week better than last year because i actu-ally liked all of the days. Costume day was amazing which was so much different from last year...My favorite day was definitely black out be-cause the seniors always do such a great job and everyone goes all out.” Casey Hill-Senior

“I loved the spirit of the kids who got dressed up and had the most spirit.”Jeff Tolson, School Counselor

“I thought Spirit week was great. The students participated in color war day really well. Also, the Math Department enjoyed costume day be-cause everyone wore their Super Pi Shirts.” Danielle Harris, Math Teacher

“My favorite day is always Blue and Gold Day because I get to wear my comfy Newtown sweatshirt. I think there was more participation over-all than in past years, especially for color war and neon day. Spirit Week was very well planned, Stu-dent Government did a great job with communication of the week.” Amy Repay, Social Studies Teacher

SHAWNA O’ SULLIVAN

school, it was transformed into a ‘permanent parade float,’” said Mr. Strait, Physical Ed Department. “It was a lot of fun and added to the festiveness of Spirit Week.” To make the days more memorable, each grade is usually assigned to something specific dealing with that day, making it easier to tell the grades apart and to see which grade has the most school spirit. Senior Matt Genovese, co-president of Student Government, said, “We picked the days we did because we wanted to try something new as well as using the days that we felt that worked best in the past, like color war and neon day. Unfortunately, participation in pattern day and costume day were less than

we expected.” The Spirit Week days for the 2010- 2011 school year involved a variety of themes. Monday was Pattern Day where seniors wore Tie Dye, juniors Plaid, sophomores Stripes and freshmen Safari. Tuesday was the always-popular Color War day, where students support their grade. Seniors dressed in black, juniors white, sophomores red and freshmen green. Wednesday was neon day where the students dressed in their brightest colors, and Thursday was the infamous Costume day. Lastly, the traditional end to Spirit Week is Blue and Gold Day. It is a perfect way to conclude Spirit Week also

happens to be the day of the Homecoming game; students are dressed from head to toe in blue, gold and Newtown ware. “Participation in blue and gold day was the largest we’ve seen in a while,” Genovese said. “It also happened to be my favorite day because the most amount of people could participate in it without any drawbacks like color war or neon day and it was a lot of fun to see everyone’s school spirit,” he added. Students and staff at Newtown High School will always remember the memories of Spirit Week, whether during their first year at the school or their year of graduation. The schoolwide enthusiasm for the event is difficult to ignore.

AIDAN SHERMAN

AIDAN SHERMAN

AIDAN SHERMAN

AIDAN SHERMAN

November 2010 13

When the credits begin after a movie ends, two things

happen; the audience either thinks to themselves, “Overall, a good movie. The part with the goat was strange, but other than that, good.” Or, they will sit there in desolate silence wondering, “That’s it?” The prime objective of a movie is not to have the latter take place. Instead, the goal is hold some amount of significance in someone’s life. After viewing a large sum of films over the years, I wonder; what movie from my adolescence will I remember when I’m older? Which one, in essence, defines my generation?

Students of the NHS student body had strong opinions about their favorite films that they will remember for years to come.

Freshman Julia Diluoffo, said the movie that she will remember the most from her childhood is Finding Nemo.

“Even though it’s Disney,

it is still so good!” Diluoffo said before adding, “I love the color, and I think it’s such a classic movie.”

The movie definitely made bank when it came out in 2003.

The aquatic adventure details the story of Nemo, a clownfish who gets taken away from his coral reef abode and placed in a fish tank in Sydney, Australia. His father must then travel to the Australian capital to find his son.

On opening weekend, according to Internet Movie Database, the film grossed more than 70 million dollars, and is still enjoyed in homes today. Meanwhile, senior Doug Brodbeck said a defining movie of his adolescence is the film 300.

“300 teaches a man to never give up and put others before himself.”

The film, which debuted on March 9, 2007, is about King Leonidas and his force of 300 men who fought the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

With stars such as Gerard Butler and Lena Headey, the film

To many, the famous works by Picasso and Van Gogh

are what most people consider art. When asked if bras covered in glitter and feathers are also art, most people would say no.

On October 23, the bras decorated by “bratistas,” were bought by the public like famous works

Held in the Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall, the bra show featured bras designed

and decorated by the “bratistas.”October is Breast

Cancer Awareness month, and the artful bra event was planned around that.

The bra show was non-sexual. For people judging the show by its name, it was assumed that the event was similar to the Victoria’s Secret Annual Fashion Show, but this event was more Andy Warhol than Heidi Klum.

Some bras were modeled by “The Men in Black”, who were men wearing black unitards with black masks. They were

there for a laugh, and they were certainly successful.

Rosemary Rau was the coordinator of this grand event. She had been keeping the decorated bras in her house for months. Newtown High School had an important role to play in making the artful bra show successful.

Diane Dutchick’s art portfolio class had some “bratistas” decorating the undergarments.

“The works were

made a total box office gross of more than 210 million dollars. In addition, the action thriller has given our generation the chance to scream out, “This is Sparta,” when the opportunity arises.

Sophomore Peter Kung prefers a movie that challenges his intellectual ability. Kung says Inception is his pick, because, “it reflects my thoughts on the world; whether we’re living in a real world or if it’s just a projection. Is this reality?” Inception, which came out the summer of this year, is about a world in which technology enters into the human mind through dream invasion. The plotline offers the story of a thief who has his final chance at redemption. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page, is getting Oscar nods months before the awards-ceremony takes place.

Junior Katelyn Kean’s generation defining, is completely different from the films 300 and Inception.

Mean Girls tells the story of high school angst as Cady Heron, played by Lindsay Lohan, is in-than out-with The Plastics, the A-List girl clique at her new school.

The screenplay is written by Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey, who also stars in the movie, and gives the film a comedic flare on the unwritten social criteria that girls often follow.

“I think it defines high school in an exaggerated way,” Kean said. “Plus, it’s really funny. I quote it often.” Movies come out every week, whether they are romances, comedies or horror films. However, out of all the films that have debuted in the past years-and there are many- movies can giving meaning to the adolescent years of our lives. Whether that meaning be through their storylines, the overall message, or just the quotes, beloved movies old and new are sure to leave a mark on our generation and our lives in general.

spectacular!” Dutchick said.“Each and every one!” Junior Morgan Kirol’s piece got $250 in the auction, one of the highest that night.

Most of the bras ranged anywhere in price from $50 to $250 “all to benefit Ann’s Place in Danbury, where counseling and support is available for cancer patients,” Dutchick said.

The event was “uplifting” for many. Another exhibition on Sunday offered an opportunity for families to view the art before the

bras went to their new owners. At the Saturday evening

event, there were appetizers, wine and petite desserts for the guests. The silent auction and music by a college a cappella group were what made the event.

The bra show changed many people’s perspective of the simple undergarment.

Even though the concept of this artful bra show was certainly out of the ordinary, the gala on Saturday and the fair on Sunday was the talk of the town that weekend.

The Defining Movies Of Our Younger YearsAnna HodgeArts & Leisure Editor

Hannah BarrettStaff Writer

An “Uplifting” Bra Show

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a classic being read in Mrs. Miller’s AP Language and Composition Class. The story is based in seventeenth century Boston, Massachusetts, then a Puritan settlement. Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the story, is involved in an adulterous affair which leads to the illegitimate birth of her daughter, Pearl. After being condemned by her community to wear a scarlet A on her chest as a symbol of being an “adulterer,” Hester emerges as one of the first true heroines in American culture.

Honors English II, taught by Ms. Hughes, is reading Twelve Angry Men. The story, written by Reginald Rose, is about a jury’s deliberations over a murder case. As the trial unfolds, the reader soon learns that although the majority of the jury believes the suspect is guilty, one votes against this conviction. After taking more votes, doubts about guilt are raised and soon enough the tide turns. The decision for most jurors is not guilty, however it is only a matter of time until the jurors holding out for guilt-because of prejudice and family relations-will give in.

James Joyce’s collection of short stories, Dubliners, is taught by Dr. Toby to her AP Literature classes. Written in the early 1900s, this piece of urban literature holds 15 short stories, which detail the lives of various characters who struggle with the challenges they face in relationships and life in Dublin, Ireland. The initial stories in the collection are narrated by children, who are the protagonists, and as the book progresses, the stories deal more with the lives of older, more mature people.

JSOFT.COM

ILL-LEGALISM.COM

POWELLSBOOKS.COM

READINGANDROOIBOS.COM

Literary MadnessA column about what the students of NHS are reading.

By Dani Villa, Editor-in-Chief and Anna Hodge, A&L Editor.

Speak, a story written by Laurie Halse Anderson, is being read in Freshman English classesabout an outcast struggling through her highschool career. Melinda Sordino takes on the role as a misfit after calling the cops on the final summer party of the year. After partaking in a traumatic experience, Sordino refuses to confide her experience to anyone. Instead, she chronicles her first year of high school in he story and reveals in stages what really happened at the party.

MOVIEPOSTERDB.COM DEREKRUNDGEN.COM

ONLINEMOVIESHUT.COM MOVIEPOSTER.COM

14 Arts &Leisure

Very rarely is an author able to create a book that

contains mystery, intrigue, and love without making the story painfully unsurprising. Nonetheless, Stieg Larsson is able to accomplish this nearly impossible feat with his novel The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Main character Harriet Vanger disappeared over forty years ago, and after the trail went dry, was labeled as a suspected murder. The case was unopened, hopeless, yet her dying uncle refused to leave the world without knowing her fate for certain. Readers follow investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander as they uncover family secrets, question what is believed to be the truth, and discover the most horrifying concealment of all. Stieg Larsson has ingeniously conquered the author’s ultimate task of balancing information, by giving just enough to push the

reader forwards.The complex plotline

and Larsson’s ability to mislead a reader only to then nail them with the unexpected will keep them reading in the search for answers to the millions of questions that Larsson’s book raises.

He is a mastermind of suspense, building it without leaving any room for the reader to stop and take a breath. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo forces the reader to keep turning the pages in the search to rid the feeling of unsettlement that will surely follow them to the last page. Larsson will have the readers’ throats tightening in horror as Salander suffers some of the worst abuse imaginable. Their heart rates will increase with each footstep Blomkvist takes towards the darkened, hidden basement, and the hair on their arms standing on end as he gets shot at in the woods. Mystery, as a genre, doesn’t often see writing of this expertise and precision. Unfortunately, Stieg Larsson passed away shortly after sending the manuscript for the

third installment in the trilogy of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to the publisher. However, after translating the original novel from Swedish into a myriad of other languages, as well as creating a movie out of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, there is no doubt that Larsson’s words will continue to live on many years past his death. Hailed as a “wildly suspenseful…[and] an intelligent, ingeniously plotted, utterly engrossing thriller” by The Washington Post, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was this and more. Larsson raised the bar for the mystery genre; step back Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes, Blomkvist and Salander are taking over the mystery scene. Larsson’s cunning twists lack the predictability that is so common in more recent mystery writing, giving the genre a freshness that it hasn’t seen in quite some time. It is this freshness that created The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’s increasingly popular presence in bookstores and

personal bookshelves everywhere.In short, The Girl

With the Dragon Tattoo offers something for every reader; the complexity of the plot, the unique

Megan DueroFeature Editor

Larsson’s Dragon Tattoo Captivates Readers

Great Gatsby Makes Off Broadway

I didn’t know it was actually possible for someone to

memorize the entire text of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. I never knew that such a person could exist outside the pages of those odd medical magazines one finds in Biology textbooks. Certainly the last place I would have expected to find such a person is in the sold-out Public Theater in Manhattan – Off Broadway. Scott Shepherd portrays Nick Carraway in Gatz, something of the latest in breakout stage performances. Even before the show starts, it is immediately clear that Gatz is different from almost any other play in the world. The first thing you need to understand about Gatz is that the actors don’t have a script. They have a book. The next thing is that the book, The Great Gatsby is read in its entirety. Yeah. That’s right. They read the whole Fitzgerald novel onstage: everything from, “In my younger and more vulnerable years,” to “ceaselessly into the past.” The play is six hours long. I arrived at 2:00 and left at 10:30. The night before SATs. This probably explains the less-than-charitable/actively hostile attitude I felt as I sat down. But as the lights dimmed and the most famous bittersweet story of the 1920s unfolded before my eyes, I was stunned. The production was exceptional. The stageplay takes us from an ordinary office worker

(Shepherd) who picks up a copy of Gatsby while waiting for a computer to load. In the end, the actor puts down the book and becomes Nick Carraway. That’s about a chapter or two from the end, and Scott Shepherd then delivers about two hours of straight monologue. But in the end, it’s not about the delivery of Fitzgerald’s words that makes the production so good. It’s the long, intense pauses on stage before the delivery of the lines. The alternations between the gaiety of the 1920s and Tom (Gary Wilmes) punching Myrtle (Laurena Allan) are sometimes more eloquent onstage than they are in the book. Of course, the production has flaws. Jim Fletcher’s portrayal of Jay Gatsby is stiff, wooden. Dare I say old? A balding and lackluster Gatsby could have potentially killed the play, but Shepherd’s stellar exuberance is enough to pull it from the storm clouds. In addition to this, some of the scenes are improperly staged. Daisy’s (Victoria Vazquez) line “they’re such beautiful shirts” comes off as comedy rather than the most tragic line in the book. But ultimately, Gatz isn’t about that. Ultimately, Gatz is about falling in love, not with Daisy, or shirts, or the vision of the upper-class, but with literature itself. The production is so brilliant because the actors, directors, and production manages all legitimately care about the book. Because of them, Gatz becomes Gatsby, and the result is truly amazing. It was almost worth destroying my prospects on the SATs to see it.

Justin VillamilWeb Editor

personalities of the characters, and the excellent technique Larsson uses to lead the reader on will keep everyone interested until they turn the last page.

The cover of Stieg Larsson’s novel.COLLIDER.COM

Question: Is there anything more frustrating than

the SAT? Answer: Sort of. The ACT and the SAT subject tests tie for first place on my list of most hated things. Over the past six weeks, I have taken each of the above mentioned tests twice. And on each of those six (six!) occasions, I have felt like banging my head on the desk repeatedly, and then storming out of the room (but quietly, so as to not disturb any of the other test takers). The SATS are only one of the setbacks that come with all of the perks of being a senior. Said setbacks include, but are not limited to, college applications (pause for mild panic attack), stacks of forms to fill out , and, of course, squeezing in those dreaded standardized tests for the seventh time. If you are like me, you want to get these nuisances out of the way as soon as possible. So this edition of “Seniority” will be focused solely on the irksome little tasks that will come back to haunt you in June.

-Retake the SAT/ACT/whatever

test you need to take:

The SAT is not fun. No one likes being shut in a room that is, inexplicably, either too hot or too cold. No one likes five hours of circling bubbles. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty important test. So just get it out of the way so that it can become one less worry. However, before you take it, study! You’ll feel much better if you walk into the room after reviewing some vocabulary words or math tips.

-Start looking for scholarships if you plan on applying for them:

Scholarships are my new favorite things: an excuse not to pay for college! Every year, the price of tuition for most colleges increases; throw in room and board, books, travel, meal plans, and other collegiate necessities, and costs are quite high. Scholarships are a great way to get past part of the glaring price of higher education. Luckily for all of us, the Career Center has an abundance of scholarship information.

-If you need to use the CommonApp, start filling it out:

The Common Application isn’t particularly difficult to complete; nor is it confusing. However, it is quite lengthy and requires specific information pertaining to NHS, your education, and your family. So pick a Saturday

and just get it done; you’ll be thankful on December 31 (a.k.a. the last possible deadline for most colleges).

-Make sure you know all of the requirements for the colleges you are applying to:

Sad anecdote time: Once upon a time, there was a girl who was very excited to go to a certain college. She was ready to apply: she had her recommendation letters, took the SATs, and wrote her college essay. Then, one stormy evening, she was perusing the college’s website when she saw that they required a two SAT subject tests, neither of which she had not taken! That girl was not able to apply to her top-choice college…and she was never seen again.

Just kidding.

But how awful would that be? So please, please double check on all of your colleges’ requirements. Or risk ending up like the poor girl in the story.

-Maintain all high school related duties as well:

Don’t forget that senior year is still very important, and that colleges will see these grades. Keep working hard and focus on schoolwork, but don’t forget to have fun; with all of this college insanity, we could all use a break every now and then.

Seniority: The ColumnA monthly column about the trials and tribulations of senior year.

By Dani Villa, Editor-in-Chief

MEGAN DUERO

November 2010 15

Cultural Exchange: Breaking Down the BarriersEmily MorrellStaff Writer

While Danbury High School differs from Newtown

High School with its variety of spoken languages and larger student body, students from the two schools were able to find common ground after their cultural exchange. The Conversations on Race and Multicultural Perspectives classes began in the cafeteria for the exchange. Students paced anxiously as they helped social studies teacher Amy Repay prepare for the Danbury High School students’ arrival.

“I’m always most nervous when they come here,” Repay said.  She explained that although Newtown High School’s student body is generally polite, it only takes one or two mean-spirited kids to ruin the experience for a Danbury High School student. She did not want the rudeness of one student to taint the students’ perspective on all NHS students. 

Promptly after the

Emily DuttWeb Editor

Danbury students filed into the cafeteria, Repay’s students knew what would happen next. Repay told the class that they would be choosing their own partners.

According to sophomore Maggie Kennedy, students were feeling the pressure of choosing a partner at random before they had even introduced themselves to the Danbury students.

She further shared her initial concerns after Danbury High School students visited.

“I was afraid of what to say or what to do because I wasn’t sure how they would react. The stereotypes we had were the classic assumptions coming from a school with much less diversity. It made me cautious of how I acted,” Kennedy said.

As the day at NHS with the Danbury exchange partners came to an end, Repay’s students began to realize that they had a lot more in common than they had initially thought with the DHS students

Repay told students earlier that they would be able to confront stereotypes head on; yet students did not expect to diminish these stereotypes in such a personal way.

Students had no idea that just two days later, their trip to Danbury High School would be even more eye-opening.

“I have to say being on the bus and seeing the huge building, I was most nervous about the change in population of the school. Coming from a small setting every day at NHS it is a big change for a student at our school to go to DHS,” Kennedy said.

Other members of the classes were quick to agree that the large and unfamiliar campus of Danbury High School overwhelmed them that morning.

Katie Tomascak, a sophomore, admitted her initial worries when we arrived at DHS.

“I was most nervous about getting lost in the hallways. They were really crowded compared to NHS. At first I thought everyone at DHS would be intimidating and I would stand out, but I found everyone to be really nice and friendly,” Tomascak said.

A major highlight of the trip for students was lunch with their partners which, for most, eased tensions.

“Lunch was my favorite part. There was a mini food fight. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life,” Tomascak said.

At the end of the day students gathered to discuss the exchange, compare favorite moments, confront stereotypes, and share what they learned from the experience.

“After experiencing their school, it broke down the barriers we had keeping us from being real with other students from a different school because after all of the trade, we were just like them,” Kennedy said.

Following their final thoughts, DHS and NHS students gathered to say goodbye, exchange cell phone numbers, and snap pictures.

Many agreed that any stereotypes they had about Danbury High School and its students were erased by this experience.

“Stereotypes are based in truth; the problem is applying them to everybody,” Repay concluded.

Repay encourages any sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are interested in participating in an exchange like the one between DHS and NHS, to enroll in either Conversations on Race or Multicultural Perspectives.

DUMAIS.US

NHS students with DHS exchange partners

Cloud Nine in Rainy SeattleMost people have heard of

the classic film, “Sleepless in Seattle” starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks  (besides sports editor RJ Roman who lives under a rock). In late October, I got the chance to visit this sleepless city with my mom as part of my eighteenth birthday present. Since Seattle is on the opposite side of the country, a lot of people from this neck of the woods don’t know much about the city. Seattle was founded in 1869, and is located on the Puget Sound in the state of Washington. It is surrounded by mountains, and has a three hour time difference from our neck of the woods. Finally, on Thursday, October 28th, I arrived in the Seattle Airport. After waiting many long hours due to a delayed flight in Westchester the night before, I was happy and excited to explore a new city. It was raining very hard. Aside from being a sleepless city, Seattle is also a wet one. Seattle rains about 226 days a year, averaging 37.19

inches of precipitation total, so I expected to see some droplets. Our hotel, the Sheraton, was located right in the heart of the city. I couldn’t help but feel amazed as I gazed out the hotel window at the streets dotted with department stores and office buildings. Aside from the industrial sites of Seattle, I could also see areas of bodied water because Seattle rests against the Puget Sound, which leads out into the Pacific Ocean. After a much-needed nap, I got myself ready to tackle the damp city. I ventured out into the cold, and what, may one ask, was my first location to visit on my list? Starbucks. The first original Starbucks was opened in the quaint Pike Place Market on the shore side of Seattle. It is no surprise that the city is known as one of the coffee capitals of the world. With a grande soy caramel macchiato in my hand, I strolled down the busy Fifth Avenue, taking in the people and the lights around me. Everyone looked so happy, despite the

bitterly cold weather. I felt more comfortable in Seattle than I did in New York City. I looked into stores that are usually hard to find at home- like American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, and one huge Nordstrom’s. As humorous as it sounds, I noticed that as I walked into each store there were plastic bags to the side,

and when asked what

they were for, I was told by a sales representative at Nordstrom’s that the typical Seattle day consisted of heavy rain, and customers would often enter the stores with wet umbrellas. Since the stores didn’t want water all over their expensive clothes, they would hand the plastic bags out to each patron to utilize. While traveling to any major city, many jump to the conclusion that the price of anything would be outrageous. But surprisingly it seemed that all the stores in Seattle had massive sales. After a long day of flying, it was nice to relax with some retail therapy. With new earrings and dresses in a plastic bag on my arm, I felt satisfied. My mother decided to skip her business meetings to spend time with me and venture around the city to see what more it had to offer us, besides the shopping stores that we can find at home. We got an early start, stopping for Starbucks along the way, of course, and then walked down to Pike Place Market to check out the interesting shops they had to offer. What I came to discover was that Pike Place offered a variety of goods, such as farm fresh produce, unique foods, handmade arts and crafts, and even an old collectibles store. We witnessed men throwing fish into the air, restaurants with scrumptious smells, a room entirely dedicated to old magazine covers, and even an acupuncture place. Pike Place Market is truly a unique site for tourists to visit After leaving Pike Place, we walked along the coast, where the shiny blue water nestled the

shores in front of us.  There were so many people out- tanning, taking pictures, biking, or just having a cup of coffee with some friends.  I liked the friendliness between people, everyone seemed to be in a good mood- even perfect strangers.  While my mom and I took a break from walking  on a bench, we received multiple “hellos” and “how are yous” from complete strangers.  It was a different sense than I get from  a city like New York City, where everyone seems to be in a rush and unfriendly.  Here, people wanted to be adventurous, and  spark conversations with others.  I enjoyed the feeling I got from being around such upbeat people. Later that night, my mom and I went to eat dinner at the Space Needle, which is a tower in Seattle that also doubles as a restaurant.  It is one of the major l a n d m a r k s of the Pacific Northwest, and is a symbol of Seattle.    It is about 605 feet high! However, the most unique aspect about the Space Needle r e s t a u r a n t is that while you’re sitting and eating, you are also moving.  The entire r e s t a u r a n t rotates so that you can look out into the city of Seattle while you are

enjoying your meal.  One full rotation takes about 45 minutes – during this time you can barely feel yourself moving, and can only really tell by looking at the windows or the floor. My mom and I got there at around 6:00 pm, when the sun was setting.  We dined for about two hours, and it was truly breathtaking to have an evening looking out into the lit-up city and starry skies. It was an experience unlike any other that I’ve had. The next day, we packed up our bags and prepared ourselves to leave the rainy city.  I was upset to go home after what felt like such a short trip, but I was excited to share my experiences with my friends and peers.  Even though we didn’t get to do much but walk around, people watch,  and shop while we were

there, I still found it to be a great experience. Getting the opportunity to visit another city or state is always fascinating and fun to compare how it is similar and different from other places in the world. If for some reason, in the future you get the offer to visit a city like Seattle, like myself, I would r e c o m m e n d going. You will definitely feel

bliss in the city of Seattle.My mom and I at the Space Needle.

Emily DuttThe Space Needle tower and

restaurant lit up at night.

Meighan Dutt

16 SportS & HealtH

Teenagers are naturally a little bit high strung. They

have tendencies to feel extreme emotions and often times get frustrated at somewhat small things. A large amount of this is due to the stress that they are under to perform in school, sports, and other activities. However, this does not always have to be the case. There are ways to help people such as the stressed out, overworked teenager become more relaxed and calm. One of the most recently popular

Abbey’s Road to a Healthy Lifestyle

Fever, aches, chills, headache, sore throat, runny nose and

discomfort…does this all sound familiar? It’s flu season again, and the common signs of the flu virus are starting to affect people all around the world. The best way to stop the flu is by knowing how to prevent the virus. The flu is highly contagious and is spread by sharing germs in ways such as touching and/or using items with other’s germs on them. It can also be caused due to a lack of personal hygiene, making it easier for a person to catch the flu if they don’t wash their hands enough. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot as soon as possible. The earlier the shot is administered, the easier it is to prevent the flu. This year, the shots for three different types of the flu, including H1N1, have been combined into one quick and easy shot or nasal spray vaccine. These vaccines are available through doctor’s offices, and pharmacies everywhere. If diagnosed with the flu or if a student is experiencing flu-like symptoms, the nurses at Newtown High School strongly suggest staying home to prevent further spreading of the disease. Having the flu is a miserable experience. Not only is it very painful, but in most cases,

it takes several days of staying home to recover entirely. However, there are ways to lessen the discomfort. Doctors recommend staying warm, drinking a lot of liquids, and keeping blood moving by getting up and walking around. Luckily, this year’s flu epidemic will be nothing like last years. NHS Nurse Dee Cupole claims that the two can’t be compared. Last year, H1N1 struck all over the country including NHS. Countless amounts of students were infected. All three of the Newtown High School nurses agree that “at least one hundred” students at NHS developed at least one kind of the flu last year. In the week of November 1st to November 7th 2009 there were a total of 934 students at NHS absent due to illnesses, many of which were the flu. NHS nurses believe that this year, less students will have the flu. This is mainly because last year there were not enough flu shots available . “The problem was the H1N1 wasn’t available until later when the bad had already past.” says Cupole. Although this year’s flu season will hopefully not be as bad as last year, it is still important to take precautions in order to prevent catching the flu.

Rebecca DutsarStaff Writer

Sunday, November 21st, 2010Rauner Hall, Newtown United Methodist Church

92 Church Hill Road, NewtownOver 100 Items from

Coldwater Creek and Sabrina StyleFeaturing

Everyday Styles, Holiday Outfits from Casual to Dressy, Long & Short Evening Dresses and a special

preview of upcoming Prom Dresses

All Proceeds go to the American Cancer SocietyDonation $20.00

For Reservations or more information contact: Janelle at (203) 270-6375 or

lasmamacita@gmail.com

Las Mamacitas’

Afternoon Tea and Fashion Show

ACHOO!The Flu SeasonHits Newtown

A monthly column on mind, body and soul.

Abbey DoskiManaging Editor

ways to do so is yoga. This activity, bordering between a sport and an exercise routine, is used all around the world in different forms to help people get toned, fit, and relaxed. Yoga originated in India over 3000 years ago and was intended as meditative practice, and still is today. Although it has evolved over the years the basics are still the same. Today, there are millions of gyms and programs that teach people how to do yoga, but it is also something that one can do at home or at work when

they need a break. The goal of yoga is to achieve total enlightenment and relaxation, and is done through various poses that allow oneself to realign their body with their mind, heart, and spirit, and encourage good flow of blood, thoughts, and feelings. There is no set way to begin yoga, it is a flexible program that allows people to customize it to however they see fit. However, there are many common poses that people do which are apparently extremely beneficial.

Each pose works a different part of the body depending on what the person intends to achieve. If one wanted to improve their core, they could try the balancing table pose. A person starts on their hands and knees, and then lifts up one hand and the opposite leg, and holds for a certain amount of time. This time should start out small, around 10 seconds for beginners and increase as they become better. Some poses can be held for upwards of ten minutes

with practice. If one wanted to improve their balance, they could try the eagle pose, in which, while standing, a person crosses their arms over their chest, and wraps one leg around the other. These are just a couple of the hundreds of poses that are available for people to use that don’t require expensive gym memberships, equipment, or other people. Yoga is a fun and relaxing way to get through any type of stressful situation.

BLOGSPOT.COM

BLOGSPOT.COM

The Balancing Table Pose

One of the Many Helpful Yoga Poses

November 2010 17

For many Newtown High School athletes graduating

this June, the highlight of their season is Senior Night. This event is especially bitter-sweet, as it is the last time the seniors get to compete in a home game or meet before the end of their final season at NHS.

However, the work that goes into the planning of such an important competition is the true mark of the friendship and love teammates truly have for one another.

Freshmen, sophomore, and junior put their heads together to plan an unforgettable night for their graduating friends. Money is collected to buy gifts and flowers to present to their seniors. Hearts are poured into speeches remembering all of the laughs and tears of the four years seniors devote to their team. The home arena is decorated with blue-and-gold streamers, balloons, and posters.

And, even though everyone is so tired from spending the night before perfecting every little detail, the energy from the team is indescribable,

everyone wanting to make the last meet count. Senior Emma Fiore reminisced on the craziness of past Senior Nights, “Planning Senior Night is so stressful! You want to show your seniors just how special they are to the team, and how much we will miss them!”

NHS sophomore Reagan Cerney described what the soccer team does for their Senior Night:“This year, we spelled out “seniors” with plastic cups on the fence at Tilson Field, and decorated their cars. We had to do their cars during our free periods, not to mention go over to Treadwell a few hours before our game to prepare the field, but it was so worth the smiles on their faces.” Even for guys, Senior Night is a big tradition. As a member of the Boy’s Swim and Dive Team, sophomore Patrick Milano helped with posters and speeches for the previous season. “Senior Night is really important because it honors the people who have led our team,” he added. As a freshmen on the Girl’s Swim and Dive Team, Ellen Atkinson’s first Senior Night was, in short, stressful.

“Even after watching three of my older sisters go through high school, I was still unprepared for all the extra hours we had to put in for Senior Night. I mean, we practically devoted an entire Saturday for t-shirt making alone! But, it is our special way to express to our Seniors how much we care about them, and how

Behind the Scenes of Senior NightSally MartineliStaff Writer

This October has marked the 25th anniversary of Breast

Cancer Awareness Month. Initially, the goals of the month were to promote regularly scheduled mammogram awareness. As a result of the success, so many activities and events have been benefitting the cause. Professional sports teams, government officials and countries are devoting

their time to bring awareness to Breast Cancer. Race for the Cure, Numerous walks, Global illumination and Pink days all have generated millions of dollars for the cause. Proceeds from that have gone toward research and certain foundations that help families who have been affected by this disease. Recently, Newtown High School and in particular many of the Varsity Girl sports have joined to help the cause.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: So Much More than a Pink Ribbon

R.J. RomanSports Editor

much they influenced our team,” said Atkinson.

But, all of the hard work just adds to the excitement of Senior Night for everyone, especially the seniors. “I cannot wait for Senior Night this year! After putting so much hard work in for our past seniors, to be the one

surprised with the decorations and such is really exciting,” said Fiore. This tradition holds a special place in Newtown athletics. Upperclassmen and underclassmen alike hold Senior Nights close to heart, and never forget how much they love and will miss their seniors next year.

EMMA FIORE

Field Hockey members Maggie Korth, Emma Fiore, Katie Canavan, Jamie Keating and Hannah Koch celebrate their Senior Night.

Cheerleading, Girls Soccer, Volleyball, Girls Cross Country and Field Hockey have supported the cause throughout the entire month by raising money and sporting pink uniforms. Being an avid sports fan, every school sponsored event that I have attended this month there has been touches of pink. Not only is it a great way to bring awareness to the school, Newtown as a community has always been there to support the

events. Raising the awareness through sports has been a very interesting approach. Some of the teams have just worn the pink jerseys while others have donated the funds raised from the game to different breast cancer foundations. This month was truly a testament to all the athletes that helped the cause. Emma Herring a Junior on the volleyball team had this to say, “We really enjoyed making a difference as a whole team and we’re very grateful for all that we have and we wanted to give back

to others.” Talking to other athletes on each of the teams they all had that same mentality. Although their goal was to win at their respected sport getting the chance to support Breast Cancer Awareness was a rewarding part of their seasons and careers at NHS. From the support and donations made from each team Breast Cancer has become noticed in the community. All the athletes have appreciated the time they gave to bringing awareness to Breast Cancer this month and for years to come.

MEREDITH BRIDGES

The Girl’s Cheer Team shows their spirit with pink ribbons and breast cancer socks.

CASEY RUTTER

The Girls Varsity Soccer Team wears their pink jerseys.

18 SportS & HealtH

The construction of the field at Newtown High

School has been ongoing since late spring. This has impacted both sport teams and physical education classes. None of the teams have set foot on the new turf, and by the way things are looking no one will this year.

Many of these teams utilizes the fields almost everyday and with the field not ready, Gregg Simon, Director of Athletics, is frantically checking that everything is in place for the teams.

For Simon setting up schedules up Newtown High School teams is a constant race. “I am always figuring out how to overcome a problem and everyday there is a new one. It is very frustrating,” Simon said.

To compensate for senior nights being held at off campus fields, Simon provided professional DJ’s for the varsity soccer and field hockey teams.

The loss of the field has affected many seniors involved in athletics. “The seniors have been great, I feel sorry for them because it’s their last year and their not at the stadium.” Simon said.

Some players find it unfair that they will not be able to use the field for their last games. Sophomore Patrick Riccardi stated “it is a bummer that we can’t use the field. I was hoping to play on it this year.”

The construction due date was supposed to be open October 22, but was moved to November 5th.

  “We hope the field will be ready in early November. The student body have been great with the changes and have been adjusting well,” Simon said.

“I think it is unfair that the date keeps moving. The administration needs to set a final day that the field will open,” says Riccardi.  At first soccer fest had to be rescheduled because of the weather, but then other games like senior night and SWC’s interfered. There was no official soccer fest.

Many of the gym

Megan EvansStaff Writer

Hawks Come Back Home

MEGAN EVANS

classes have been affected by the construction as well. Classes had to run the mile around the perimeter of the back fields instead of using the track.

  Mr. O’Connell, a physical education teacher at Newtown High School, stated “this affects the physical education program a lot. For the mile we were suppose to have it around the track, but instead we had to

measure the mile out precisely on the back fields.” 

Due to the construction, it is also hard to plan day to day activities.

“The construction is hard to work around because there are no health rooms, no pool, and no fitness center. A lot of the daily planning now depends on the weather,” O’Connell said.

Although the long wait

The New Newtown High School Stadium

SALLY MARTINELLI

Like Oz has its Wizard, making everything tick

from his curtained quarters, Newtown High School has Athletic Director Gregg Simon. For eleven memorable years, Simon has been the man behind NHS’ sports, coordinating with other schools to get the best for our athletes. “As the Athletic Director, I am in charge of all sports teams our high school offers, including twenty-five varsity teams,” Simon said. “This includes updating the whiteboard and staying in contact with all of the coaches, parents, and hundreds of volunteers.” The sports season never truly begins until athletes get Simon’s pre-season lecture on

Sally MartinelliStaff Writer

Teacher Profile: Gregg Simon

If one were to watch, on the one hand,

Anne Martino collide with a car door while nearly smashing a laptop in the process and, on the other, Anne Martino fly across a 5K finish line, one would see two completely different people. Here’s a hint: ignore the car door. Only when that happens does the girl’s c r o s s - c o u n t r y

Justin VillamilWeb Editor

Student Profile: Anne Martino

running team superstar, Anne Marino, shine. And nobody knows this better than Martino herself. “Yeah, I guess I’m just pretty awesome,” she joked, when her stellar running record came up. To watch Martino, a captain of the cross-country team, run is to watch a study in concentration. An SWC championship race is always hectic: screaming spectators line both sides of the track and the runners themselves generally appear to be more of a mass of arms and legs than individuals. But in the midst of the hullaballoo you will always find Martino right at the front. Watch for her – her face will be a mask of mixed focus and hatred. “I’m sorry I flicked you off during the race,” Martino joked with teammate Lila Kohrman-

Glaser as Kohrman-Glaser congratulated her. “I really didn’t mean to.” “I totally understand!” came the reply. Oddly, this Jekyll and Hyde relationship seems to exemplify the team dynamic. When Martino finished third in the 5K race (knocking three seconds off her average from last year), it took her a few moments of bemused blinking to readjust to real (post-race) life. During this time she was instantly inundated by cheering teammates. “I mean, Anne is valuable to the team in more ways than just running,” said Mara Scallon, a senior and co-captain. “She’s a strong leader, she goofs off like the rest of us, she’s just a really great person. You wouldn’t have the same chemistry without her.” “It takes work, but I’m

really proud of my record,” says Martino. On the actual subject of her record, however, she is strangely reticent. When asked for a few moments she was most proud of, Martino skirted the subject and delicately refused to answer immediately. Instead, she preferred to talk about failed bake-sale cookies. “I put them in for the recommended time!” she insisted. “It wasn’t my fault [the dough didn’t cook through].” Days later, Martino grudgingly handed over a paper record of her best times – some of which are remarkable even for the state. “For me, running is a lot more than running. It’s like life, you run to relax, you run to concentrate, and you run to win. It is a competition, but it also means much more than that.”

JUSTIN VILLAMIL

making good choices. “After doing swim team and outdoor track, I feel like I’ve heard a million of Mr. Simon’s speeches,” senior Alex Scarpa said. “However, reinforcing where the athletic department stands on many issues is a good reminder on how all athletes and students should behave.”

Simon discussed the personal reward of watching his payers advance through the years.

“What I love about my job is watching students come in as freshmen and leave as seniors. It is really rewarding to watch how students change their sport, and how it changes them in return.”

Despite Newtown’s success in the South West Conference, the biggest reward of Simon’s job is not

whether Newtown High School wins or loses. “What is really important about competing in sports in high school is laughing with your friends on the pool deck, or going to pasta parties,” Simon said. “The friendships and self-respect students get from playing sports is what really matters, and what they take away from high school.”

Coaches at NHS respect and appreciate Simon’s dedication to the program and athletes. “Working with other Athletic Directors in high school and college, it is clear that Mr. Simon is the best in the business,” Girl’s Soccer Coach Marc Kenney said. “One thing that impresses me is how hard he works to get teams what they

need and what they want. Without question, the changes in athletics, like the renovations being made to the field and gym, have been made so much easier with all of his hard work.”

can be frustrating, there will soon be a brand new track and field. Paint will no longer be chipping off of the bleachers, and the track will stop tearing off.

“It will definitely be worth the wait,” said O’Connell.

The new field and the track will open to all of the student body. The construction will lead to a great new addition to NHS.

It is clear how lucky NHS is to have such a dedicated Athletic Director. The sports program could not function without Gregg Simon, and all the work he puts into his job.

Athletic Director Gregg Simon at his desk

Anne Martino competes in the SWC Championships

November 2010 19

Taylor Swift is one of the most popular and talented artists

that this country has ever seen. But are these talents a little too short-lived? The Country-Rock superstar’s career began as a little girl in Pennsylvania, where her love of words encouraged her to write what eventually became song lyrics. At the age of 14 Swift moved to Nashville with her family to pursue her musical aspirations. Already she stood out as something special. Swift always spoke what was on her mind. She wrote a poem at the age of ten entitled Monster in My Closet with which she won a national poetry competition. Now that Swift has another decade under her belt, her songs are much more appealing to the majority of the American population. However, Swift continues to use her everyday experiences for inspiration, but this time they are focused on one major theme; love. As Swift enters into her adult life and searches for the one that she will marry, her audience gets to follow along with her through her music. Although the majority of this search has left Swift slightly bitter, it is at the very least entertaining. But no matter what this country star chooses to write about, her natural talent will carry her to the top. Taylor Swift is simply too good to ignore. Taylor Swift will always be popular because she does not treat herself as a superstar. She considers herself to be just another average person, and her songs are a reflection of that. The connection that this creates between herself and her fans is incredible and unheard of in many years. Swift has become one of the biggest overnight success stories that this industry has ever seen. Her new album Speak Now,

released in early November, was the largest grossing album yet for Swift after just one week of sales. It is also currently the most popular album in the country on ITunes. For her to remain at this height in popularity for the entirety of her career would be physically impossible. It is simply human nature for us Americans to eventually lose interest and move on to the next big star. In Swift’s case, due to her popularity, this may not be for a long time. There is no question in my mind that Swift will continue to grow; the release of her new album, written entirely by Swift, proved just that. Nevertheless, the artist must advance with caution. Her lyrics are quickly beginning to gain criticism. Her lyrics seem to be nothing but her trashing her ex-boyfriends, falling in love again, trashing them again, so on and so forth. Not only will this cycle label Swift as a shallow artist who cannot write anything with depth to it, but it will also encourage her listeners to desert her earlier on in her career. Many artists and groups have fallen because of this truth, including 90’s boy bands The Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, who constantly wrote of the very same topic of love and relationships. My advice for Taylor; mix it up a bit. If she manages to expand her writing from the same few topics she currently revolves around, she has nothing to worry about. She will show extreme growth as an artist and be able to attract a wider audience. She will also be able to hold on to the audience she already has for a long time. As of right now, there is no stopping the 20-year-old multitalented superstar. And as long as she continues to remain true to herself, she will always have me in her corner cheering for her success.

Taylor Swift Conquers the

Music Industry

At approximately 6 PM on Halloween night, I donned

my Power Ranger costume with pride. Pillowcases in hand, my three friends and I soon strode out the door to begin our quest for candy. It had occurred to me previously that we might, in fact, be a bit too old for trick-or-treating. Actually, I suggested during the Halloween planning process that maybe we should just hang out and watch a scary movie or something. I was overruled. Once we pressed the first doorbell, though, I can’t say I regretted my defeat. There was something inexplicably liberating about trekking from house to house in disguise, begging for candy. It probably had something to do with the sugar-high that I reached after inhaling a few Snickers bars

along the way. Even so, I couldn’t help but notice the apparent age difference between myself and the little fairy that scurried across the next yard over. My discomfort increased a bit as the following door swung open, and I recognized that the individual placing candy in my pillowcase was in the grade below mine. I wondered whether I should be embarrassed, but instead I was simply disappointed by the realization that somewhere in the transition between middle school and high school, the art of trick-or-treating suffers severe abandonment. Granted, a majority of the kids in my grade had already experienced their fill of Halloween spirit at the ragers on Friday and Saturday night, but I figured some of them must have decided to follow the honored tradition of trick-or-treating. As we continued our route, however, I failed to

SLICEOFSCIFI.COM

Taylor Swift’s new album, Speak Now was realeased October 25.

Abbey DoskiManaging Editor

Here are the facts: for 24 years, a war has raged in Africa.

For 24 years, innocent civilians have been killed, driven from their homes, and had their children abducted into Joseph Kony’s army, the rebel force known as the Lord’s Resistance Army or LRA. For 24 years, American (and indeed, international) interest has waxed and waned, ranging from the International Criminal Court’s case against Mr. Kony to the near apathy for the situation today. Some, however, aren’t quite so lethargic. Activist groups continue to call for donations and support for the Ugandan cause, and some organizations are calling for solutions at even higher levels of the government. Invisible Children is an association that has now become a common name in high schools around the US for their documentary work and nationwide touring. This group has been working tirelessly for the past seven years to end the conflict in the region, and now they are going further. Already, because of their efforts, President Obama presented a strategy for the arrest and removal of Joseph Kony and the revitalization of the region

by signing H.R. 2478, the bill otherwise known as the “Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009.” The bill cites multiple crimes committed by the LRA and asks for a definite and final solution that will topple Kony and end the violence forever. It is, of course, easy to criticize H.R. 2478, especially considering the botched “Operation Lightning Thunder.” This operation, which had full American military backing (though our soldiers never actually fought) overseen by the Bush administration, failed to capture Kony. In fact, not only did it fail to capture Kony, but it also drove the fragmented rebel army into the surrounding towns where they proceeded to kill over 900 people in just two short months. The statistics are horrific. All this means, however, is that now more than ever, something has to be done. Peace talks with Kony that began in 1990 were intermittent, with Kony coming close to actually signing several times, but always backing out at the last second. Things finally came to a head in May of 2008 when Kony backed out once more, leaving Uganda without hope and a million terrified,

displaced refugees crying for help. It’s not an easy prospect. With America economically reeling and our military resources spread across several continents, one can see how leaders might balk. It is also true that the Obama administration wants to cut operations overseas and concentrate on domestics. However, as the world’s most powerful nation militarily, we have a moral obligation to intervene in a case of this magnitude. Few would, if faced with the reality of the genocide in Africa, stand by and watch. It’s an action on par with saying that the Holocaust shouldn’t have been stopped if the nations of the world were short of money. Regardless of the nations we belong to, we are all humans together. When President Obama came to power, we knew that the face of America was changing – possibly forever. It is time for the President to step up and accept responsibility for the mistakes of previous administrations and give the face of American foreign policy a brighter and more moral expression. And we’re not alone. Every nation wants to see an end to this war. All that remains is for America to support and collaborate with the rest of the world to end this struggle and return stability to a region so

How Old is Too Old for Halloween?Hannah MaretManaging Editor

Justin VillamilWeb Editor

What Happened in Uganda?

recognize anyone within the high school age range. Maybe it was just the neighborhood, I can’t be certain. What I did know, though, was that they were missing out. From house to house, we were greeted with as much enthusiasm as ever. Always a, “You all look great!” or a “Who do we have here?” One woman even pulled us aside to get individual explanations for each of our costumes. Not once did anyone question our age, insisting that we were too old to be out taking candy meant for the littler kids. In retrospect, it is clear that any unwritten laws regarding an age limit for trick-or-treating simply cannot be justified. Halloween is one of those sporadic, blissful opportunities for embracing your inner child. It is simply a question of how willing one is to participate. So, how old is too old? There is no such thing as too old.

INVISIBLE CHILDREN

The logo for Invisible Children in Uganda.

DELISH.COM

November 2010 20

No Strings AttachedBringing NHS Into the Age of Wireless Internet

A free computer is a rare sight at Newtown High School.

Now this might seem like a strange statement to make—after all, NHS has 206 computers available for student use in the library and computer labs, and even more will be available after the new expansion opens. However, with many of these labs unavailable due to classes or lack of teacher supervision, many students find themselves without a computer to

work with during free periods or study halls. The only way to solve this problem is to increase the number of computers at NHS. And with many students now owning their own laptop, iPad, or iPod Touch, bringing Wi-Fi to NHS might effectively solve the problem. The benefits of making NHS wireless would extend beyond simply increasing the number of computers available at NHS. One of NHS’s goals is to prepare students for college,

and most major universities now have wireless Internet in classrooms and dorms. If NHS had wireless Internet, students would be able to use their computers more in class, just as in college. Many NHS teachers already post handouts and syllabi exclusively online, and many publishers have online editions of their textbooks. If students use these online resources, the school could spend less money on paper and textbooks. And with more students using computers in classrooms, computer labs will be free for use by students without a computer or wireless device. However, installing Wi-Fi at NHS does have its drawbacks. The Newtown Board of Education has a very strict media policy in place and also places filters on school computers. Installing Wi-Fi would disrupt the control the district has over technology. Having wireless Internet would also help students cheat, as students could use an iPod Touch to look up answers during a test. And of course, wiring NHS for Wi-Fi will cost upwards of $15,000, a large sum of money for a cash-strapped district. While the advantages to a wireless school are clear, the several disadvantages might seem to outweigh the benefits. However, the school district can avoid many of these problems. NHS could

easily place filters over the Wi-Fi stream as well, limiting students’ access to inappropriate websites. Teachers could be on the lookout for iPod usage during tests, just as they are for cell phones now. And if the school charged each student even $10 at the start of the school year for use of the network, the school could pay for the network in a year. And the possibility of wireless Internet is not invisible to the NHS administration. “I would like to see Wi-Fi in school,” said NHS

Matt JensenWeb Editor

Principal Charles Dumais. In fact, Dumais said that the new expansion will have routers and “access points” available. Although the school does not plan on installing Wi-Fi soon, the routers show that the possibility exists for a wireless NHS in the future. The administration is on the right track. A wireless NHS seems very advisable—not just in the future, but now. Not only will it help solve the computer shortage, but it will help bring NHS a step further into the technology age.

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There are many things that I hate: any form of testing (I

tend to get very, very nervous), strawberry Oreos (what part of that is a good idea?), when computers decide not to work, and, inexplicably, veins. And while there are many other things that raise my blood pressure, nothing irks me quite like slow-walkers. I’m sure we’ve all been there. It is fourth period, and because you were jotting down that last note on Alexander Hamilton, you lost two precious minutes. You dash out of the classroom, hastily stuffing your binder into your backpack, and doing that awkward walk/power-jog/spring thing you do when you’re late for class, which happens to be in the portables. You narrowly avoid students as you round the corner, slinking past book bags and purses, and entering the stairwell.

Taking a dangerous two steps at a time, you know that you won’t be late…until you encounter the slow-walker. You are forced to stop, are late to class, get a tardy, and ruin your entire academic career. Life over. All thanks to the wily slow-walker. The slow-walker, that most foul beast, is the worst kind of creature found in a high school (which is remarkable, considering a high school is a building filled with hormonal teenagers). Its notorious gait is rivaled only by that of a one-legged sloth (oh, the horror!). Social in nature, the slow-walker can be found with at least three of its kind, traveling in a terrifyingly slow pack. Despite the creature’s leisurely pace, it is of the sharpest intellect, for, whenever its prey tries to walk around it, the slow-walker merely shifts its path to further trap its victim. The slow-walker emits an aura of hopelessness, particularly to students late to class or any appointment, those who have

little patience, or those who simply walk fast. I often fall into all three categories, as I am usually the last student in and out of a classroom (my penchant for note-taking is often the cause of this). And despite my naturally stumpy legs, I have developed a hurried pace (probably because I have gotten used to being late for everything). After the strawberry Oreo and Voldemort, the slow-walker is my worst enemy. The problem of slow-walkers has magnified in recent years. Students clump together by lockers, inch up stairwells, or, worst of all, randomly stop in hallways. There are great masses of students flowing against each other in the school, either trying to walk forward or stand still (or walking in the opposite direction- there is always one kid who hasn’t figured out which side of the hall to walk on). In an already crowded building, it heightens the feeling of claustrophobia and frustration.

Slow-Walkers: Ruining High Schoolers’ Lives, One By OneAn Examination of the Phenomena Slowly Sweeping the NationDani VillaEditor-in-Chief

So for the sake of my mental tranquility, please, please move along in the halls. Slow-walkers, I promise you that you can finish

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your conversation in another location. And at least there, there is no risk of enraging a very nervous and very late student.

HANNAH MARET

A Business Education class occupies the computer lab.

Students walking a little too slowly in the hallway?