Lamplighter 11-5-10
College Admissions and the Class of 2010
LAMPLIGHTER
Meredith Leyden With this year’s seniors applying to some of the top schools in the country, we are seeing a sudden influx of supplemental essays and early decision or early action deadlines. With some schools’ early decision deadlines having already passed, seniors are working away as the next deadlines approach. November 1st or 15th, depending on where the applicant is applying to, are early action and decision deadlines. Early Action is non-binding, whereas when applying for Early Decision the student
is obligated to attend the college or university if accepted. Lucy Steer says, “Early action and decision
are good things, put too many people assume that everybody applies early decision.” Regular Decision is anywhere between the first of January and the fifteenth. Derryfield seniors have been preparing for this moment for over a year. With many of the class having taken the SATs and ACTs multiple times in the past year, the class has had enough with standardized testing. Jamie Ducharme believes, “The work you do in the classroom, with time to See “Seniors” on Page 2
http://collegeclue.com/CollegeClue%20Rankings.html
NaNoWriMo Hits Derryfield Rachel McCoy “At midnight on November 1, armed only with their wits, the vague outline of a story, and a ridiculous deadline, more than 200,000 people around the world will set out to become novelists,” says the press release issued by NaNoWriMo. Over the next month people from all around the world will be sitting down and attempting to write 50,000 words in thirty days. NaNoWriMo started 11 years ago with only 21 participants and six
winners. Last year there were 167,150 participants and 32,178 winners. Over the past years Derryfield students have become increasingly involved with NaNoWriMo, however many have not found out others in the school participated until after the event. For many, having that support from fellow “NaNoers” would have been helpful. Maggie Cochrane, a junior, has participated in NaNoWriMo for the past
See “NaNoWriMo” on Page 3
Inside this issue: Seniors Con’t
2
Inconvenient Truth
2
NaNoWriMo Con’t
3
Plagiarism Update
4
Inside Story
4
Inside Story
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Inside Story
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LAMPLIGHTER
Derryfield News Seniors Continued correct mistakes and understand materials, is a better way to gauge intelligence than a five hour test.” Luckily, for those who do not think his or her test scores reflect them as a student, many schools are going test-optional, replacing the standardized test with a
few supplemental essays. These supplemental essays are what many Derryfield students think will either make or break their admittance, becoming either their best friend or worst nightmare. That being said, Derryfield has done its job in preparing the class for college. A few of the students
have already submitted supplements, application fees, and even a few applications, while the majority are closing in on perfecting their essay and all aspects of the application. Wish the senior class luck!
Derryfield’s Take on An Inconvenient Truth Maggie Cochrane On Wednesday, October 13th, Juniors and Sophomores took the PSATs and spent the remainder of their day watching the movie An Inconvenient Truth. An Inconvenient Truth follows Al Gore throughout his campaign to spread the message of global warming. Despite the environmental message, many students found that there were political undertones which were too big to ignore. “I consider myself to be more liberal,” an anonymous student said, “but I think it’s really unfair that they’re not showing the other side of the argument. Also, maybe if there were fewer shots of Al Gore riding in cars or playing with his Macbook, it would have had more of an impact.”
Mr. Bouton says “It’d be great to make time to discuss alternate viewpoints and show both ends of the political spectrum… we want to be a place where everyone can feel like their views will be respected.”
Indeed, there were varying viewpoints over the film choice for the afternoon. Daniel Schwartzberg says, “I find the See “Truth” on Page 3
http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/movies/24trut.html
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Truth Continued subject very interesting and thought provoking… the political message didn’t matter to me, I felt that it was irrelevant; I thought it was great to promote awareness [of global warming].” Ellie Lynch enjoyed the film as well, saying that “it raises people’s awareness and shows the impact of global warming.”
However, Ellie continues, “Some felt upset because they said it was sort of criticizing Americans and saying we’re causing most of the trouble with global warming, and they thought that was unfair.” An anonymous student says, “I’ve seen that movie multiple times. I know that many people fell asleep…
maybe if it was more recent, people would find it more interesting.” The movie was made in 2006. Students may be sharing their ideas with each other, but Ms. Jipson says, “I haven’t actually heard many students’ opinions about it… maybe people didn’t feel strongly about it, or maybe they already knew it. Maybe
NaNoWriMo Continued two years has “never won NaNo, so I’ve never hit the 50,000 word count, but I still do it because it’s a lot of fun. A lot of people say they want to write a novel but they never do, and this is a great motivation to actually try your hand at it.” This year, Maggie Cochrane along with other juniors participating in NaNoWriMo are trying to reach out to fellow students participating and giving them a support that she and other students had been missing these past years. In addition to letting people know that NaNoWriMo is going on, she has worked with Ms. Jipson to set aside a small area in the library for NaNoWriMo use only, when there are no classes. The computers in the library closest to the connector will be for NaNoWriMo use. This is in hopes that those who don’t have laptops will be able to work on their novels during their free periods. She is also working with others to plan a midway party filled with food, music and frantic writing as writers try to hit the 25,000word mark. While NaNoWriMo has already started, it is not too late to begin if you find it interesting. While 50,000 words is the goal set by the creators of NaNoWriMo, you can set your own personal goal. The NaNoWriMo website is filled with useful tips and forums, and it is also a good place to connect with fellow writers who share similar interests. Remember, your novel is not being judged and no one has to ever read it. NaNoWriMo is not for those who want a prize; it is for those who want to challenge themselves to do the impossible. So, over the next month, keep an eye out for those participating. Please respect their dedication and do not try to distract them. Encourage them and remind them that they can in fact do their homework and write those 1,667 words a night. And if you want an idea how it feels to participate in NaNoWriMo, check out the ALL CAPS music video on YouTube “The NaNoWriMo Song”.
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LAMPLIGHTER
Plagiarism Update Maggie Cochrane As reported in the previous issue, students have been more and more annoyed with the quantity of plagiarism talks that have been presented. Mr Powell brings us some news on the subject: “There will be no more whole-group meetings, except possibly for one with the ninth grade. The result of the surveys with the tenth and eleventh grade
students regarding how teachers have discussed the topic was overwhelmingly yes... students felt very clear on the expectations of teachers.” So the plagiarism assemblies seem to have stopped for now. Mr. Powell continues, “ except for the ninth grade, what I’ll do is as
the teachers in early January to do a five to ten minute review.” He says that students often say teachers discuss their requirements at the beginning of the year and then never refer back to them. Hopefully these plans will satisfy students in terms of the plagiarism issue.
Human Interest Fashion Jamie Ducharme
Transition Pieces Fall can be an awkward time in New England, same days feel like winter, others resemble August. It can be tempting to revert back time and time again to a uniform of jeans and t-shirts-- after all, it is too cold for summer clothes, and not quite cold enough for winter clothes. This fall, don’t let the unpredictable weather hold you back style-wise. This season is brimming with great possibilities to carry you through the transition months.
Indoor jackets: Jackets cut in traditional silhouettes but made of lighter fabrics than typical outwear are a great way to stay warm, but still look great. Tuxedo cardigans, blazers, silky jackets, and light military jackets are all excellent options. Cardigan vests: Long, cozy knit vests look chic paired with jeans, or over a breezy dress. Tunics: Tunic sweaters, when belted and paired with tights and boots, are a perfect way to stay practical
and comfortable without losing style. Button-down shirts as sweaters: When the last bits of warmth are still in the air and a heavy sweater isn’t right, a menswear-inspired chambray shirt looks great as a cardigan, especially over feminine dresses or skirts. Fall dresses: If you are not yet ready to let dresses go along with the warm weather, invest in a sweater or shirt dress. They provide more coverage than sundresses for the cooler
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Chinema Zack Chin
The Social Network Who is the asshole? That’s the question we ask constantly throughout the course of Social Network. The script was designed to allow the audience to decide who committed what crime. Aaron Sorkin claims that he did not want to demonize any interpretation or group of individuals involved in the creation of Facebook. Instead, he demonized everybody. The result is an extremely entertaining movie with a lot of people the audience would not want to spend a Friday night with, especially if they went to BU and not Harvard. The only truly relate-able character is Eduardo Savrin, the best friend of Zuckerberg and aspiring business man who represents an unremarkable leave behind of the Facebook team and fails to see the writing on “the wall” (get it?). The Winklevoss twins, the perfect scholar athletes, epitomize the idea of renaissance men. Mark Zuckerberg has a keen sense of human nature as well as an innate ability to write and delegate thousands of lines of code to produce his brainchild, Facebook. Justin Timberlake plays an irresponsible older brother figure to the rising superstar that super-poked Eduardo by rendering his shares public. Regardless of the lack of belonging that a movie watcher feels among the characters in, the fast paced script and the captivating grey toned cinematography made for an excellent cinematic experience. The portrayal of Facebook’s “best invention”, the relationship status, was shown beautifully. The only downside was the lack of the view of the Harvard campus. Unfortunately, there is little to say about this movie because it has a certain mysterious draw to it that only those who watch it would understand. Please, go watch it. It is now under my “favorite movies” in my Facebook profile. Script: 4/4 Cinematography: 4/4 Entertainment: 4/4 Bottom Line: 12/12 (SUPERSTAR)
Presidential Address Aseeb Niazi Student Council tackled one the top issues on our agenda, which was to put on paper a policy regarding food in classes. According to Mrs. Leclerc students are not getting enough food in their system, so we need to write a policy that assures that students can bring snacks to classes if the teacher allows it. Event of the week: IT IS CHAMPIONSHIP TIME!! Girls and boys soccer are in their championships and they will want all the support we can offer them!
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LAMPLIGHTER
Derryfield Pep Rally Roz Kennybirch Compared to last year’s pep rally, where the varsity soccer teams simply walked around the gymnasium, this year’s pep rally was full of energy and spirit. All fall sports teams got involved, including the varsity soccer teams, junior varsity soccer teams, field hockey (both varsity and junior varsity), golf, cross country running, and crew. Each team was asked to plan a type of performance for the pep rally and each team’s
performance proved to be unique and evoke cheers from fellow students. The boy’s varsity soccer team as well as the crew team had clever raps planned, girl’s varsity soccer presented a carefully choreographed dance, cross country running and field hockey showcased videos, golf planned a skit, junior varsity boy’s soccer creatively chose to run piggy-back races, and junior varsity girl’s soccer created a cheer. Hannah Comeau also participated
in a dance off against Devin Walker, in epresentation of her independent sport, dance. Because of the variety of different presentations, the audience was kept entertained and eagerly anticipates the playoffs for some of the fall sports mentioned. The addition of spirit club to the selection of activities has brought a whole new level of energy to the school, which was
Thanks to All of the Contributors! Editor-in-Chief: Kristen Ryan Managing Editor: Maggie Cochrane News Editor: Maggie Cochrane Human Interest Editor: Roz Kennybirch Sports Editor: Rachel McCoy Layout: Maggie Cochrane Contributing Writers: Meredith Leyden, Jamie Ducharme, Zack Chin, Aseeb Niazi, Hannah Kanik, Jessa Fogel, Ben Moll, Kate Jorgensen, Leah DeWitt Want to join in on the fun? Contact Kristen Ryan at 11ryan@derryfield.org
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Bachelor and Bachelorette Hannah Kanik
Bachelor: Adam Gray
Bachelorette: Kerri Falkenham
What do you look for in a girl? Personality. Even the best of looks can be ruined by a bad personality.
What do you look for in a guy? Someone who I can have fun with and someone who cares.
What is your biggest turn-off? People who are obnoxious and inconsiderate of others. I like peace and quiet.
What is your biggest turn-off? Arrogance.
What is your most hated fashion trend for girls? Girls in sweatpants. I can't even stand myself in sweatpants. That's not attractive.
What is your most hated fashion trend for guys? Pants at their knees. Wear a belt, please.
What do you think is your best feature? I like to party. I'd say that's pretty attractive. What is your favorite thing about girls? The fact that they're not as immature as guys. Describe your perfect date. One in which I don't have to carry a conversation and it's not awkward.
What do you think is your best feature? I have no idea. What is your favorite thing about guys? The way they smell and how they automatically make you feel safe. Describe your perfect date. Just hanging out at the beach.
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LAMPLIGHTER
Sports Congratulations Girls Varsity Field Hockey, 17-0! Good Luck to Boys and Girls Soccer this Weekend in the Championships!
Independent Sport of the Week: Daniel Schwartzberg Jessa Fogel Lamplighter’s independent sports interview for this issue is with Daniel Schwartzberg. Dan, a sophomore, takes dance lessons outside of school and participates in 13 The Musical to fulfill his fall sports credit. Lamplighter (Jessa): What kind of dance lessons do you take? Dan: I take a ballet class, a jazz class, and a tap class. LL: Is it difficult to balance all of that with academics?
DS: Well, it’s harder when I have play rehearsal because it runs a bit later, but mostly I can handle it by doing my homework during free period. LL: Is transportation to your dance classes ever a problem? DS: Not really. I have classes three days a week and I usually just stay after school and my parents pick me up to take me there.
DS: I had a great time doing crew last year, but I had to give it up so I could be in a fall show. LL: Would you rather participate in a team sport at DS, or an individual sport? DS: Well…I do a lot of theatre rather than sports; I’m more of a theatre person. So, you could say that due to my lack of experience with team sports, I am unable to answer that question.
LL: Have you had to give up any activities for dancing?
Athlete of the Week: Nevin Stevens Ben Moll Junior Nevin Stevens is this week’s Athlete of the Week for Boy’s Varsity Soccer. Stevens has been on the team all three years of high school and now starts for the team. Nevin says he enjoys soccer because “I’ve been playing it for years” and “it builds both physical and mental strength.” Stevens could not predict how far the team would go in the postseason because “it all comes down to the games themselves.” Although the ages and grade levels vary greatly, Nevin thinks the team has great chemistry. He also thinks the team “works hard, plays aggressively and takes many shots but cannot finish for our lives.” Personally, Stevens is dissatisfied with his game play, saying that he is “not where I want to be.” He currently has 1 goal and 3 or 4 assists. The junior believes he can put plays together and take shots but along with the rest of his teammates, he struggles to find the net. This drive to improve is the mark of exceptional athletes. Nevin also wants to mention freshman Jared Schoneberger, who has impressed him with his ability to create points and opportunities and also hold down the defense with senior Nate Milne. Look for this athlete to be a big factor come playoffs for these defending champions and to truly motivate the young players for the big games.
Have an Opinion? Send it in. 11ryan@derryfield.org
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Editorials Kitty Cornered: A Finely Tuned Appreciation for Music Kate Jorgensen Last weekend, on Saturday the 16th, I went to a fancy black tie affair, ate delicious filet mignon – and listened to Ronan Tynan serenade my chocolate mousse. Ronan Tynan is a world renowned tenor, formerly of the Irish Tenors, who lives in Boston – and tells a mean joke as only the Irish can. He was quite magnificent, his voice soaring out of the dark crevices and arching chandeliers of the hall – leaving my heart all aflutter and my skin prickling. Of course, having eagerly purchased his CD to receive his autograph, I listened to it with some anticipation. I will admit that I was disappointed. Nothing sounded so clear, pure or even remotely as beautiful as it had just a scant hour earlier. At this juncture, I will admit that I am something of a snob when it comes to music. Many artists of course, can only be properly listened to live. They just sound better in person, and no recording can ever replace that. A digitally recorded medium usually will never sound as good as that artist pouring out their soul on stage. It is a cruel trick of the 21st century that ‘fixing’ music has taken place to such an extent that the reality is far different from the fantasy track you are listening to. Tragically you will never really be able to hear this fantasy music. Artists have become the face, the exposed flesh on the cover of an album – not the vocals. Sadly enough, that elusive creature the singer-songwriter has become an endangered species. Sometimes they don’t have the appeal to make it; sometimes they just don’t have the face. You still hear their songs, but someone else is singing them and that isn’t necessarily better. Everyone can think of an original song that was covered by someone else, and the cover wasn’t worth listening to. I have become spoilt I think. Not just Ronan Tynan, or my odd five thousand songs on my MP3 player, or even Youtube where virtually any song can be found. No, I mean I have become spoiled because Derryfield students have such incredible talents as musicians. And I get to hear them live, fifty feet away, or even singing the odd song down the hallways. Definitely spoiled. But I think I can live with that – because I know in the future that I’m going to be turning over an album and saying “Oh, I went to school with that kid” and then realizing that I will pay the eight dollars to get their album – if only so I can hear their voice and incredible talent again.
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Eleven Inconvenient Falsehoods Leah DeWitt Imagine being forced to watch Glen Beck for an hour and a half. “That’d be crazy! No one would make me watch that junk,” and, “I don’t believe in it, so why should I have to watch it?” probably sum up your reactions. You would much rather watch Al Gore, right? Try to grasp this: Al Gore is to conservatives as Glen Beck is to liberals. A liberal forced to watch Glen Beck would be aghast. How can The Derryfield School force conservatives to watch Al Gore? For those of you who don’t know, the Derryfield sophomores and juniors watched Al Gore’s environmentally conscious movie, An Inconvenient Truth, after finishing the PSATs on Wednesday, October 13th. There was no warning beforehand, nor was there an option to refrain from viewing this controversial propaganda. The Derryfield community either fails to recognize or chooses to ignore the existence of political diversity. In February 2007, England’s Education Secretary Alan Johnson made the decision that 3,500 copies of Al Gore’s documentary would be distributed to all secondary schools in England.1 After Stewart Dimmock’s children, 11 and 14, were required to watch An Inconvenient Truth in their classrooms, he filed a complaint against the school.2 Before the court hearing, he said, “I wish my children to have the best education possible, free from bias and political spin.”3 When Dimmock stated that the documentary was loaded with scientific inaccuracies, the evidence was further examined.4 Many faults were found in Gore’s biased argument. It was ultimately decided that all secondary schools in England must issue a warning before showing An Inconvenient Truth to students.5 The warning must state that the film is a one-sided political work, and “Eleven inaccuracies have to be specifically drawn to the attention of school children.”6 If teachers fail to do this, they are guilty of political indoctrination. Ironically, the biggest issue with An Inconvenient Truth is its lack of truth. In the film, an animated polar bear struggles to hoist itself onto drifting ice, and Gore claims that many polar bears have been drowning because of melting ice. He entirely misread the study: four polar bears died because of a violent snowstorm.7 Al Gore shocks his audience, declaring that a 6-meter increase in sea level will force migration inland. Evidence shows that sea level will only increase 3 to 40 centimeters in the next 100 years.8 Cited researchers had to retract claims to false data, which was made up to receive grant money.9 There are other falsehoods in An Inconvenient Truth, and I encourage you to find them on your own. I would like to share one more thing about our dear friend. Last week, Al Gore delivered a lecture on sustainable development in Gothenburg, Sweden. Meanwhile, his rental car was left unattended and running for a total of 60 minutes.10 Aside from the obvious hypocrisy of his behavior, it is illegal in Sweden to leave a vehicle unattended and running for longer than 60 seconds.11 He has yet to receive punishment, and perhaps none will ensue. Indoctrination is not allowed in public high schools, but private schools have the right to distribute such information. The key word is right. Although a high school designed to nurture students’ minds like Derryfield has the right to force a certain mindset, it does not mean it is right. What does Derryfield fear? Does it fear that if students are allowed to think independently, they will lose their liberal views? To prevent this, Derryfield refuses to educate its students with multiple political arguments. In addition to being unfair, failing to present all information is detrimental to students. Teachers in England are required to provide students with the counterargument. We also need to hear all view points, so we can think independently and form our opinions. We’ve had enough liberal propaganda in our assemblies, and I look forward to a more balanced presentation in the future.