The inkblot issue 2 volume 14

Page 13 No email use past 7 p.m.

SPORTS

Page 6 Students’ food allergies

OPINION

Page 3 Spirit Week review

F E AT U R E S

NEWS

November 16, 2015 Page 15 Injuries from head to toe

BLOT PHOTOS BY MEAGAN MCDOWELL

Halloween costume contestants, from left, senior Josh Ehling of Freehold, junior Sarah Lynch of Interlaken and seniors Jess Stansfield of Wall and Lauryn Masciana of Middletown.

Volume 15, Issue 2

Communications High School, Wall, New Jersey

www.THEINKBLOTNEWS.com

SGA revises info session approach

By JUSTIN BOLDT The SGA held its first session on Saturday, Oct. 3, for prospective CHS students, combatting issues that have previously caused problems at student information sessions.

SGA adviser and Chemistry teacher Erin Wheeler said that the main issues with the information sessions revolve around unknowns regarding the amount of people in attendance.

Some students and parents were also unaware of where they should go for their tours.

“It’s hard to know how many kids and people are coming,” Wheeler said. “The challenging part is right in the beginning when trying to get everyone into the room where they’re supposed to start in.”

SGA President and senior Lauryn Masciana of Middletown also said that getting upperclassmen ambassadors was difficult for the first session, as the info session took place at the same time as the October SAT. “I was going crazy trying to recruit people for this date, because we had so few signups,” Masciana said.

To solve this, SGA sought help from freshmen and sophomores.

“I’m trying to get the underclassmen to help us, because they were confused as to how they can … help us get people where they need to be,” Wheeler said.

Regardless, junior ambassador Julia Feigus of Brielle said she had positive feelings about how the info sessions went.

“I’ve gotten to give kids information and hopefully they come to CHS. It’s been a lot of fun,” Feigus said.

Senior ambassador Clay Paley of Howell said that even though there were issues with some info sessions in the past, a few tweaks helped everything go smoothly this year.

“Because of the way the schedules for students working the info session were laid out, people got confused as to where they should take the kids after the opening presentations,” Paley said.

By the end of the first session, all of the parents and students were together and almost everyone got to see every room in the rotation, Paley said.

BLOT ILLUSTRATION BY CAYLA HARRIS

Student spreads positivity that sticks

By CAYLA HARRIS and ANNA ROBINSON As students arrived to school on Monday, Oct. 19, they were greeted with positive messages stuck to their lockers on Post-It notes.But this wasn’t the first time.

An anonymous student posted similar messages last year and struck again last month with the intention of spreading positivity, they said.

The student – who @DanNewsFeed coined a “locker hacker,” but perhaps could also be called a “positivity promoter” – spoke to the Inkblot earlier this month on condition of anonymity.

“I want people to think about the act itself of doing something for others, and not the person who did it,” the poster said. “If people know it’s me, it loses some of its ‘magic.’”

The student said they first had the idea to make the notes when their mom gave them a couple of unused packs of Post-Its last year.

After a particularly bad day, the student said they wanted to pass on good vibes.

“Somewhere in a school over 320 kids, there was probably someone else

feeling the same way, and … if I could make just one person feel better than I felt, [then] I should feel better,” the poster said.

SCREENSHOT TAKEN FROM @DANNEWSFEED

Senior Dan Mopsick of Manasquan has run the @DanNewsFeed Twitter account since March 2014 and now has over 300 followers. Mopsick said the mission statement for his Twitter ac-

counts is to “give the school something to smile about through putting a quirky and relatable spin on CHS news and events.”

This year, the poster decided to cotinue the tradition after another stressful day, because “I knew that my peers

needed something to lift them up.”

While some messages are original, the poster used quotes that coaches, teachers and parents had impressed upon them. The notes were signed with a dash and a heart.

It takes about seven hours to write out all 320 post-its but only about a half an hour to put them on all the lockers, the student said.

They come to school early, before most students and teachers arrive, to post the notes.

Junior Sydney Smith of Tinton Falls said she thought the messages were “really sweet.”

“It was just nice to see a positive message in the morning when I’m all tired and groggy. It’s nice to find something positive to look at,” Smith said.

But senior Clay Paley of Howell said students don’t always interpret the notes well.

“I think a lot of the time people take it as a joke. One time, a person took the nice note off my locker and put one that said ‘I smell bad’ on it,” Paley said.

[See POST-ITS, Page 2]

PSAT and SAT revisions alter students’ testing decisions

By KYLIE LAMB Changes to the annual PSAT made their debut at CHS on Oct. 14, surprising students with longer sections and different formatting.

The 2015 PSAT was modeled after the new version of the SAT, to give students an idea of what’s to come on March 5, 2016, according to the College Board.

Many, including junior Becca Cleffi of Manasquan, were only aware of the optional essay and the score change – the test will be scored out of 1600 instead of 2400.

But students were also tested with easier vocabulary and had no penalty for guessing.

Each question now only has four answer choices, rather than five, according to the College Board.

These changes did not affect freshman Sebrina Gao of Freehold.

“It really wasn’t that terrible – not as bad I as thought it would be. Only the noncalculator math section was hard for me,” she said. “But it’s only practice anyways.”

But the juniors had more at stake.

Their PSAT scores counted for the National Merit Scholarship, an award meant to “recognize and honor the academically talented,” according to their website.

All scores are sent to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, or NMSC,

and the top 50,000 highest are considered for national awards.

From there, about two-thirds receive a Letter of Commendation as recognition of their achievement on the state level, while the rest move forward to be semifinalists on a national level.

Finally, half of those students are awarded scholarships.

But this new information didn’t change Cleffi’s attitude going into the test.

“I personally didn’t think I would qualify for the scholarship, so even though I still tried, I didn’t go into it with any extra pressure,” she said.

As for the rest of the test, Cleffi said she found it challenging to finish within the

given time and is going to try the old and new SAT to be safe.

Junior Tony Moore of Howell had a different stance.

He packed on a little more pressure for this PSAT, due to the new modifications and the National Merit Scholarship.

After taking it, Moore said he realized that the old SAT is better for him.

“I found I was struggling a lot more with time during this PSAT, and I had to rush near the end of the sections, which made me feel more pressured,” Moore said.

“I’m definitely taking the old SAT because it’s more established, I know more about it, and I feel I can better prepare for it than for the new version.”

2 The Inkblot receives 32 awards at Fall Press Day

the inkblot november 16, 2015

By TOMMY FLETCHER Twenty students represented CHS at the annual Garden State Scholastic Press Association conference, held at Rutgers University’s Busch Campus Center on Oct. 26, where the Inkblot brought home over 30 awards.

The conference hosted over 45 sessions and was attended by over 300 student journalists and advisers from around the state.

First Amendment rights activist Mary Beth Tinker was the conference’s keynote speaker. She is known for her role in the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, in which she fought her school’s administration after she was suspended for wearing a black armband to school to protest the Vietnam War. Tinker was presented with the Golden Scroll, which is the GSSPA’s highest honor, GSSPA President Greg Gagliardi said.

Junior Sarah Lynch of Interlaken said she enjoyed Tinker’s presentation.

“Seeing Mary Beth Tinker in person was an amazing experience,” Lynch said.

“She was so energetic and passionate about the First Amendment. Even though I learned about her in journalism class, she gave even more information about her case that I didn’t know.”

The Inkblot was also recognized at the event. The paper received the GSSPA’s Overall Excellence award in Division C, which is judged based on all elements

of a publication including stories, photos, graphics and layout.

The Inkblot also received the group’s Distinguished Journalism award in Division C for the overall quality of its writing.

Division C is comprised of schools with populations of under 899 students, the smallest of all the divisions.

Individual staff members also received awards for news writing, photography, layout and design, opinion articles and editorials.Staff members received 30 awards overall: nine first-place awards, seven second-place awards, seven third-place awards and seven honorable mentions.

The Inkblot’s adviser, journalism teacher Andi Mulshine, said she was impressed with the paper’s success.

“Once again, the Inkblot staff has shown its mettle. The staff won awards in most every category, from honorable mentions to first place, from artwork to indepth reporting. They work so hard to keep us all informed, and it’s nice to see them rewarded,” Mulshine said.

Staff members also participated in sessions. Mulshine and managing editor and senior Tommy Fletcher of Wall presented a session early in the day about creating news video from a smartphone.

Fletcher, along with editor-in-chief and senior Cayla Harris of Manalapan created a video for and participated in a GSSPA Student Chapter session later in the afternoon.

BLOT PHOTO BY MEAGAN MCDOWELL

Senior Victor Riveros of Long Branch poses for a selfie with First Amendment activist Mary Beth Tinker at Fall Press Day 2015.

Junior Linda Badaracco competed and won first place in the conference’s write-off.

The annual newswriting contest invites one student from each school to write a story on deadline that covers the conference’s keynote speech.

The participants are allotted 40 minutes to write their story, and the winner is awarded with a $100 check and a plaque.

“The write-off was a great time, and it really tested my ability to take notes and

write with speed and accuracy,” Badaracco said. “To have won first place against so many talented student journalists was an honor.”

Badaracco said the day was a great experience overall.

“I thought the day was very beneficial for everyone who went and provided an opportunity for some amazing papers to be recognized,” Badaracco said.

Maher shares her skills as new club adviser

By ANDREW WANG SkillsUSA has a new club adviser: math teacher Deborah Maher.

Maher said she became the new adviser early this year after Principal James Gleason approached her about taking the new position. Despite the numerous responsibilities that came with being the Skills adviser, Maher agreed.

“I am very interested in this type of competitive club ... and the fact that they’re going to be going to quiz bowls and learning about things that way ... I enjoy that,” Maher said, adding that she hopes “to be there for the students and help them and guide them in their efforts.”

Maher followed in the footsteps of previous advis-

er and U.S. History I teacher Bill Clark, who announced his resignation from the position at the end of the 2014-15 school year.

Clark became the club adviser after his predecessor, English teacher Kelly Harmon, left CHS for an administrative position with the Monmouth County Vocational School District during the middle of the last school year.

Clark cited the pressures of the numerous responsibilities he had to handle during that year as the reasons he chose to resign from the position, as he already acted as the adviser for the now-disbanded Broadcast Club and the Class of 2016.

Advising the club was a major commitment, as it

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forced him out of school for a total of 10 days because of competitions and professional days.

At the end of the 2014-15 school year, Clark chose only to continue advising the Class of 2016.

The SkillsUSA council wasn’t involved with the transition between advisers. Senior and SkillsUSA council member Clay Paley said the council initially had concerns about who would take over the club in Clark’s absence.

“We went to Mr. Gleason and asked if we had to do anything about it, but he told us that he would take care of everything,” Paley said. “It was day two of school when he came to us and told us that Mrs. Maher was going to be our new adviser.”

[POST-ITS, from Page 1] Biology teacher Jeanine Gomez said the messages were nice to see, especially considering their positive connotation.

“I thought that it was a very cool thing,” Gomez said. ”Very unique to CHS.” The poster said the next time they’ll strike is dependent upon when they need a “pick-me-up,” although some time in January is likely.

“We all strive to be the ‘best and brightest of Monmouth County,’ and in that, sometimes we lose our happiness trying to be perfect,” the poster said. “I really just want everyone in the school to know that someone is always there for you, even if you don’t think they are. Even if you think no one cares about you, I do.”

Visit the TheInkblotNews.com for continuous breaking news, updates, polls and more.

FALL SPIRIT WEEK 2015 1. Juniors 2. Seniors 3. Sophomores 4. Freshmen

BLOT PHOTO BY ALLIE KUO

Sophomore Andrew Wang of Marlboro dressed to impress on “Fancy Day.” Students brought extra items for theme days so their class earned maximum participation points.

BLOT PHOTO BY SARAH TAKASH

BLOT PHOTO BY ALLIE KUO

Junior Jack Warner of Spring Lake, center, helped the Juniors earn first place in Wednesday’s lunchtime activity against the seniors.

Students swarmed the cafeteria to watch Tuesday’s Jenga competition. Sophomore Emma Hecht of Wall was a part of the winning team for the class of 2018

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Theme: Pajama Day

Theme: Fancy Day

Theme: America Day

Theme: Punk/Grunge Day

Theme: Halloween

Activity: Candy Toss

Activity: Jenga

Activity: Dodgeball

Activity:

Activity:

BLOT PHOTO BY MEAGAN MCDOWELL

Senior Jess Stansfield of Wall, left, and Sarah Takash of Brielle pose for the “Senioritis Scarecrow” for the class of 2016.

BLOT PHOTO BY CATHERINE ESCUETA

Senior Josh Ehling of Freehold flexes for the judges as WWE wrestler John Cena. Ehling earned five points for his class.

Scarecrow Decorating

BLOT PHOTO BY ALLIE KUO

Junior Matt Miller of Wall, right, and Nick Brennan, center, of Middletown fight for candy in Monday’s candy toss.

BLOT PHOTO BY MEAGAN MCDOWELL

Senior Shane Nolan of Bradley Beach and Sallie Haas of Deal were two of the 11 members in “The Lion King” group.

BLOT PHOTO BY ALLIE KUO

Freshman Tali Petto of Marlboro has a friend help her put on makeup and show her colors on America Day.

BLOT PHOTO BY CATHERINE ESCUETA

Juniors Joscelin Timpko of Freehold, left, and Madelyn Curtis of Spring Lake won “Most Original” as web browser icons.

Penny Wars

Costume Contest Winners Most Original - Web Browsers, Juniors Best Group - The Lion King, Seniors Best Couple/Pair - Back to the Future, Freshmen Scariest - Caroline Richter, Seniors Funniest - John Cena, Seniors

Costume Contest

1. Juniors: 5,788 points 2. Freshmen: 3,138 points 3. Sophomores: 1,307 points 4. Seniors: -6,160 points BLOT ILLUSTRATION BY CATHERINE ESCUETA

cluos l

4

the inkblot november 16, 2015

Class and club presidents

Leaders look to make their marks on CHS

By KYLE GALVIN As students return to CHS for a new school year, club presidents begin their terms. Some have taken this leadership position early in their careers at CHS, while some are beginning at the start of their final years.

Freshman Kevin Clark of Spring Lake is the newlyelected president of the Class of 2019.

“I really want to make our freshmen year very unique and just make everybody happy,” Clark said.

Sophomore class president Ebbie Shim of Spring Lake Heights said she hopes this year will be prosperous for the Class of 2018.

“I’m hoping we just have a successful year [and] that we raise enough money so we can go on a field trip,” Shim said.

Senior Christina Noll of Hazlet is the president of SkillsUSA. “My goal is to reignite the enthusiasm people have for it and improve its longevity ... If by the end of this year, every freshman

knows what SkillsUSA is, then I’ll consider my senior year a success,” Noll said.

Senior Darcy Darbin of Middletown is the editor-inchief of the Literary Magazine.

“Lit Mag is one of the few places underclassmen really get to show off their creative skills, and making Lit Mag more important than ever will leave my mark on CHS as someone passionate about art, writing and the community of CHS,” Darbin said.

BLOT PHOTO BY CATHERINE ESCUETA

Junior Sarah Lang of Monmouth Beach is a of the co-presidents of the Class of 2017, along with junior Elizabeth De Furia of Manalapan. Their adviser is fitness teacher Ginny Clevenger.

Cultural Communications Club

Volunteer carwash raises money for pitbull rehab

PHOTO BY SABINA CAMPBELL

Neska Campbell at a photoshoot for Pick Your Paw.

SkillsUSA

By MARIE SCHOBEL and TORI FERRARO On Oct. 23, five representatives attended a Leadership Conference to learn more about SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA members also competed in an Academic Challenge at the Steven’s Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. on Oct. 17 and won third place.

Members of the winning time included seniors Bridget Savage of Brielle, Lilia Kang of Marlboro and Justin Ortiz of Middletown and juniors Justin Boldt of Howell and Kevin Meberg of Wall.

This was the first time any of these students competed in a high school Quiz Bowl, SkillsUSA adviser and math teacher Deborah Maher said. The team scored over 1500 points out of a possible 4000.

SkillsUSA is implementing a new fundraiser, called “Pilgrams” for Thanksgiving. Stu-

urPaw.org.

This organization is one Spanish teacher and CCC adviser Sabina Campbell said she holds close to her heart. Campbell adopted one of her dogs, Neska, from the organization.

“They don’t have a shelter or any government support. The volunteers keep the dogs in their homes until they are adopted. When these dogs are rescued, they are in very bad condition,

dents can purchase pumpkin spice Oreo balls during the week of Nov. 16.

It also wants to help students think outside of the box when capturing their shots.

Photo

Lit Mag

By KHUSHI KADAKIA and ERICA SAMMARCO The Photo Club council is working on introducing the new and returning members to the club.

Council member and senior Mithu Sankar of Manalapan said the club will run differently this year, as opposed to last year.

“We have a photo of the week every week where we have people submit different photos. This year we’re doing it kind of different; we’re picking our top five, and we’re just reviewing those top five,” Sankar said.

Council member and junior Allie Kuo of Tinton Falls said that the club aims to expand people’s interest in photography.

By DARCY DARBIN The Literature Magazine held a poetry workshop on Oct. 27 run by Linette Reeman, a nationally acclaimed slam poet and a CHS alumna.

Reeman guided the group through different poetry prompts during the workshop and encouraged students to read their work out loud.

Class Councils

Freshman

By SAMANTHA DELLIS On Saturday, Sept. 19, the Cultural Communications Club started a new tradition: the Pick Your Paw Car Wash.

Pick Your Paw is a non-profit organization that rescues and rehabilitates pitbulls in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The non-profit helps the dogs become stable pets and match them to their forever home, according to PickYo-

By KEVIN CLARK The freshman council, which was elected on Oct. 1, consists of President Kevin Clark of Spring Lake, Vice President Kail Ying of Manalapan, Treasurer Connor Martin of Spring Lake, Secretary Kelly Forrester of Spring Lake and Events Manager Emma Hecht of Wall.

The class’ advisers are U.S. History II teacher Sharyn O’Keefe and Biology teacher Jeanine Gomez.

Following elections, the freshman council mainly focused on the Halloween dance, which took place on Oct. 30.

Sophomore

Drama

By ANGELINA CHEUNG and MARISSA HO Drama Club will be performing the play “12 Angry Men” on Nov. 20 and 21. The leads include senior Olivia Keavey of Shrewsbury, sophomore Jonathan Slovak

By KYLE GALVIN The sophomore council held a class meeting on upcoming class activities and opened with a discussion of various art activities sophomores could get involved in outside of school.

Talk then moved on to two future fundraisers, one of which will include a holiday food and toy drive for Red Cross.

The meeting ended with an explanation of the selection process for the Winter Ball theme and an open forum.

This year’s Winter Ball will take place on Friday, Jan. 8.

Junior

and it takes a lot of time and money to train them and take care of their health issues,” Campbell said.

The event was hosted in the parking lot of Feigus Office Furniture, the family business of CCC council member and junior Julia Feigus of Brielle.

“The best part of the carwash was to see so many students volunteering. We had freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. The fresh-

Club Briefs

of Spring Lake Heights, junior Becca Madeira of Howell and sophomore Sam LaRochelle of Belford.

Senior Olivia Malesco of Middletown, who is also the play’s producer, said the audience can look forward to an “impactful, tense and surprisingly funny examination of the American justice system.”

Drama Club director and senior Tricia Lowney of Long Branch said she is excited about putting on a drama, rather than the club’s usual comedies.

“Everyone seems really excited to try something new,” Lowney said.

Radio

By JULIA PARDEE At Radio Club’s first meeting, new members, especially freshmen, were invited to better acquaint themselves with the

By SARAH LYNCH The junior class council is in the midst of initial preparations for Coffeehouse and on Oct. 21 held the third annual 3v3 basketball tournament.

On Thursday, Oct. 8, the council met with all juniors interested in helping out with Coffeehouse decorations, ticket sales and advertising.

The council exit sales are every Tuesday, where students can buy Gatorade to take to a sports practice or baked goods for the bus ride home.

Coffeehouse will take place on Dec. 4.

men were really enthusiastic and were amazing advertising the event,” Campbell said.

The car wash was able to raise $403 for Pick Your Paw. Since it was so successful, Campbell said she hopes to have another one this spring.

“I would definitely do this event again, because I think the kids who volunteered had fun, and we were able to raise a lot of money,” Feigus said.

radio studio through scheduled training sessions led by council members.

Radio Club members also signed up for monthly show dates.

Digital Video

By TOMMY FLETCHER Digital video students competed in the All American High School Film Festival Invitational in New York City on Oct. 6 to Oct. 9.

A team of 10 students, consisting of eight seniors and two juniors, participated in the challenge.

The group shot and edited a film in three days, shooting in famous locations including Grand Central Station and Washington Square Park.

The film received second place and was played during the festival.

Senior

By CAYLA HARRIS The senior class made up their junior class trip to New York City on Sept. 16.

They visited the Museum of Natural History and saw a performance of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.”

The class also hosted the back-to-school dance on Sept. 18, with a theme of “blacklights.”

The council is now planning several fundraisers and beginning to survey the class for prom themes amidst preparation for the senior Thanksgiving and other class events.

the inkblot november 16, 2015

CHS fall favorites: flannels, food and fright

By ALEXIS COLUCCI As the leaves begin to change color and warm clothes are brought out from the back of closets, students begin to participate in fall activities again.

Freshman Anna Nardelli of Wall said her favorite part of fall is wearing sweaters.

“They’re so warm and cozy, and I have over twenty sweaters in my closet,” Nardelli said.

Freshman Kail Ying of

Manalapan also likes fall clothes.

“I love flannels,” he said. “Especially red [ones.]”

Sophomore Samantha LaRochelle of Middletown said she is more excited for the fall food.

“I love to make these gluten-free pumpkin cookies with dark chocolate chips that I can only make in the fall because of the pumpkin puree I buy,” LaRochelle said.

Sophomore Cameron DeStefano of Middletown said he enjoys other aspects of fall, such as the weather of the season.

“It’s warm but not super hot and cold but not super cold. It’s a really good balance,” DeStefano said.

Along with the change in weather, students await holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween in the fall months.

Freshman Rebecca Rippon of Ocean said she

loves Halloween, because it’s a time to connect with friends and family.

“My favorite part of Halloween is handing out candy,” she said. “I like to see all of the different costumes and just hang out with my family.”

Freshman Greer Shanley of Fair Haven said she loves Halloween, too.

“I love dressing up with friends and going trick-or-treating,” Shanley said.

Students tackle time management

By SAMANTHA HOGAN and CATHERINE LIANG Staying up until 3 a.m., scrambling to find an open lab at lunch and walking to classes with eyes half closed are all telltale signs of a CHS student lacking time-management skills.

Whether they like to finish their work ahead of time or find themselves procrastinating, CHS students find there are multiple factors that contribute to getting their work done on schedule.

Freshman Parthesh Patel of Marlboro said he usually ends up procrastinating. “[It depends on] how much work I have, whether or not I want to do it,” Patel said.

Freshman Robert Murphy of Ocean Township also said he normally procrastinates on his work.

“I feel like … the more work I have, even if it’s easy or hard, the more my brain just doesn’t want to do it,” Murphy said.

Senior Maria DiSpigna of Middletown, on the other hand, said she likes to finish her work early.

“I usually work ahead of time,” DiSpigna said. “I use my planner and make note of what I have to do, it makes it easier to get schoolwork done faster, and put my priorities first, which is very important. ” Junior Jenna Cohen of Freehold has the same habit.

“I can never procrastinate; otherwise, I get anxiety about it,” she said.

Procrastination isn’t the only reason students aren’t finishing their work early.

For some students, sports or extracurricular activities also affect time management.

Sophomore Timothy Weisel of

BLOT ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE KUO

Marlboro said he usually likes to finish his work a few days before the due date, but sometimes he can’t.

“It depends on if I have time, because I run cross country,” Weisel said. “Some days I’ll be too tired ... and not want to do my homework.”

Cohen participates in extracurriculars as well but said that her extracurriculars only motivate her to finish her work early.

“Up until now I had dance, so it made me work harder to get all my homework done before dance class,” she said.

In addition to sports and activities, CHS itself has effects on time management.

DiSpigna said the school helped to improve her time-management skills.

ROVING

REPORTER

Freshman Summer Ward of Oceanport “My role model is my mom, because she is really hardworking. She goes to work every day and works really hard, and then she has to come home to take care of her two kids.”

“CHS really benefitted my time-management skills in many ways; even though it’s a bigger work load, I plan it out,” she said.

Patel disagreed and said the scheduling at CHS makes it easier for him to do his work.

“I haven’t had too much work yet,” Patel said. “A lot of my homework I’ve done in school [and] at lunch, so that helps.”

English III teacher Kelly Lang said she believes her students do a good job of managing their time.

“I think their time management has to be on point, because our classes are so quick; we have semester classes as opposed to all-year,” Lang said. “Even though they don’t have as many classes, they really need to manage their time well.”

1 in 300

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX PAREDES

Paredes jumps for joy, gymnastics

By ELIZABETH KLEMM Junior Alex Paredes is always jumping around – either from school to gymnastics or from a trampoline to 30 feet in the air.

Paredes, of Atlantic Highlands, began practicing gymnastics when she was “little” but did not stick with it at first. She began training once again in fifth grade, when she took a class with a family friend at Head Over Heels in Middletown.

Paredes quickly advanced to a higher level and, within a few months, her coach asked her to be on a team. Paredes remains a member today, but the team has moved to its own gym, Elite Trampoline Academy in Middletown.

Training approximately 20 hours a week, Paredes said schoolwork can be difficult to complete.

“It’s definitely not easy to do it ... you just have to be time-management proficient,” she said.

Despite the difficulties of managing school and trampolining, Paredes said she enjoys her time at the gym. Her love for the sport became concrete “once I started training seriously, at around Level 8, because that’s where you get to do optional, which is a routine where you just get to do your hardest skills.”

The levels in gymnastics range from one to 10, followed by junior and senior elite, Paredes said. She currently competes at junior elite, which is one of two levels that competes internationally.

“I hope to go to a world age group competition in Italy sometime in June,” Paredes said.

Paredes competed at the national level for many years and said her biggest accomplishment was placing fifth out of 80 competitors at the 2013 US Trampoline & Tumbling Championship.

Paredes also said she has learned an important lesson through trampolining.

“You actually have to work hard, and it’s just not going to come to you easy and you can’t be scared. In a sport like gymnastics, you can’t be scared,” Parades said. “Don’t let fear get in the way of anything, and work really hard.”

Q: Dead or alive, real or fictional, who is your role model and why?

Sophomore Marcos Guevera of Cliffwood

“My role model is my dad, because he came to America when he was seventeen years old with no money in his pocket, and he now has a family of six and is a successful engineer.”

5

Junior Sydney Smith Senior Eileen Volk of Tinton Falls of Manalapan “My role model is Abraham Lincoln, “My role model is April Ludgate from because he is seriously the greatest ‘Parks and Recreation,’ because she man who ever lived and clearly the doesn’t care what people think. She knows who she is.” greatest president. He freed the slaves and kept our country together.”

INTERVIEWS BY ALEXANDRA WEITZMAN BLOT PHOTOS BY AUDREY MANNION

6

the inkblot november 16, 2015

Food allergies: restrictions that can kill

By VICTOR RIVEROS Beyond the deceptive façade of pies, pastries and other seasonal foods, a danger lurks with every bite.

In an Inkblot survey of 184 students, 25 percent of CHS students said food allergies have turned harmless foods into life-threatening dietary restrictions.

Senior Melissa Martin of Tinton Falls said her allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fruits and vegetables have affected her health.

“Growing up, I didn’t have allergies until I got older. Once I got older, it made it tougher to eat healthier,” Martin said.

Martin’s allergies have also affected her personal hobby of baking, she said.

“I can’t make a lot of

recipes. I also can’t try a lot of flavors, especially traditional foods in baking,” Martin said. “It just makes it hard to relate to people.”

Junior Dan Quinlan of Freehold said his tree nut allergies have also made it harder to relate to others who eat popular foods containing nuts.

“I can’t really enjoy Nutella or foods people say are good,” Quinlan said.

Despite the frequency of nuts as an ingredient in foods, Quinlan said people are generally aware of foods posing an allergy risk.

“When we do Socratic seminars, Ms. Lang says not to bring food that contains peanuts,” he said.

Allergies affect a select portion of the population,

and those students know how to cope with its effects.

Junior Sydney Smith of Tinton Falls said that due to her allergies to peanuts, cashews and pistachios, she is always prepared for an allergic episode.

“I always have to carry around an EpiPen wherever I go and an inhaler, but it has very rarely affected me,” Smith said.

An EpiPen is an autoinjector containing epinephrine, a medication used to treat anaphylaxis resulting from severe allergic reactions, according to EpiPen’s official website.

“My best friend knows I have my EpiPen in case I need to use it,” Martin said.

The treatments serve as a temporary solution to a

BLOT INFOGRAPHIC BY CAYLA HARRIS

Survey of 272 students on Oct. 6, 2015

permanent condition.

“It keeps getting

worse, and it’s never getting any better. It’s really an

inconvenience,” said.

Quinlan

Field trips bring students together, to other places

The school-wide trip to Two River Theater on Nov. 24 may be the first of its kind at CHS, but it’s not the first time students have hopped on a bus for a field trip.

By TOMMY FLETCHER and SARAH TAKASH Learning doesn’t just happen inside of a classroom.

Field trips have long been a part of CHS culture, and students have gone on a variety of trips over the years.

The Class of 2016’s junior trip to New York City was rescheduled to September of their senior year due to PARCC testing. The class visited the Museum of Natural History and saw a performance of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.”

As a result, the senior canoe trip and senior picnic were combined and will take

place at the end of the school year.

Another trip that saw change this year was the annual freshman trip to Thompson Park, which was canceled due to rain.

Instead, the event was rescheduled and took place behind CHS on the Wall High School fields.

“It was disappointing to cancel the annual trip to Thompson Park, but I think we found a great alternative and everyone had so much fun,” SGA President and senior Lauryn Masciana of Middletown said.

“This was the fourth freshman trip I got to go on, and I am always excited to be a part of them.”

BLOT PHOTO BY MEAGAN MCDOWELL

Juniors Riley Mullan of Long Branch, left, and Allie Kuo of Tinton Falls, attended this fall’s Grounds for Sculpture trip.

One of the school’s most widely-attended field trips is the Photo Club’s trip to Grounds for Sculpture, which takes place each fall and spring.

Senior Kelly Hooper of Howell said she enjoyed the Grounds for Sculpture trip last year and had an equally good time this year.

“The trip was really fun, and Grounds for Sculpture is such a cool place, especially to take pictures. It was a really beautiful day outside, and it was so nice to just walk around and look at all the sculptures,” Hooper said.

The Cultural Communications Club

FILE PHOTO BY CAROLINE YASENCHAK

Almnae Emily Winter of Middletown, a member of the Class of 2015, paddles her canoe on the annual senior canoe trip last fall.

also organizes several trips each year.

In the spring of 2015, CCC members visited the Tenement Museum in New York City.

Senior Samantha Dellis of Spring Lake, who is also the current president of the CCC, was one of the members in attendance.

“Last year about 50 members of the Cultural Communications Club went to the Tenement Museum in New York City.

We were able to visit an old house that was very typical to what immigrants would live in when they first moved to the United States,” Dellis said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID SALOWE

A group of students, members of the Digital Video Club, competed in the All American High School Film Invitational this October.

the inkblot november 16, 2015

Trending now: ‘80s, furs, velvet, knitwear and plaid

By MAURA DeROSE Every six months, fashion designers unveil their seasonal creations at four fashion weeks in New York City, London, Milan and Paris.

These fashion shows boast an attendance of celebrities, magazine editors, department store buyers and more.

The trends displayed in the collections don’t just influence the world of high fashion – these trends trickle down into mass market retailers such as Forever 21, H&M and Target, according to CNN. This means that fashion designers’ creations aren’t just worn by those who can afford them.

Trends find their way into the wardrobes of everyday people and even high school students.

Junior Delia Noone of Middletown said she often shops at stores like Forever 21 and H&M and thinks they do a good job of making fashion affordable.

“They come out with new stuff all the time, and it’s always really, really affordable and, at the same time, feels like you’re wearing what’s … trendy,” Noone said.

One of the first things that the fall 2015 fashion week showed the public is that the ‘80s are back.

The models at the J.W. Anderson show walked down the runway in wild sweaters inspired by “The Cosby Show.”

Eighties shoulders were embraced at Balmain through metal-

lic dresses and at Loyis Vuitton through blouses.

Mui Mui created looks inspired by ‘80s work wear. Saint

my dad wore the eighties: very, very poorly,” Guevara said.

Designers were also inspired by librarians, teachers and stu-

“It enables me to be punk and also comfortable,” Ross said.

Fur lining had a huge presence this season, utilized in more

PHOTO OBTAINED THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS

Models line up backstage at the 2015 Paris fall-winter fashion week. These fashion weeks see new designs each year from big-name designers like Louis Vuitton, Mui Mui, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Chanel and Saint Laurent.

Laurent displayed the classically ‘80s poofy skirt.

Sophomore Marcos Guevara of Cliffwood said he sometimes wears ‘80s-inspired clothes, like a hand-me-down jacket made of denim and corduroy.

“I wear the ‘80s the same way

Freshmen feel out CHS on their first days

By ANNA NARDELLI During the course of a lifetime, there are a lot of “firsts”: first words, first steps, first day of kindergarten – and this year, for the Class of 2019, the first day of high school.

Freshman Rebecca Rippon of Ocean Township said her first day didn’t go exactly how she expected.

“The first day was pretty uneventful, which I wasn’t expecting. No disasters or anything, so it was a pretty calm day,” Rippon said.

But Rippon said that CHS is better than she expected it to be.

“I knew that I would love it here, but I never realized I would come to love it so quickly,” Rippon said.

Freshman Kera McGovern of Tinton Falls said her favorite thing about CHS is the atmosphere.

“It’s so great to be in such a happy and upbeat environment,” McGovern said.

Math teacher Justine Lane said the freshmen seem happy but also a little stressed.

“They handle the work like troopers,” Lane said.

Rippon said that the workload at CHS isn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

“The workload has actually been a lot lighter than what I was assigned in middle school. We didn’t have block scheduling, so I was juggling eight classes on top of clubs after school,” Rippon said.

McGovern said she is excited for many future CHS events.

“I’m definitely looking forward to Color Wars and spirit week, along with meeting the rest of our class and making some new friends,” McGovern said.

“Even though I’ve only been at CHS for just over a month, I can tell I’ll make some of my best memories here.”

dents.

Gucci’s models sported oversized glasses, berets and loafers while Tommy Hilfiger’s girls earned their varsity letters.

Junior Leo Ross of Fair Haven said his favorite fall look is “leather and sweaters.”

“You are a beautiful soul, in the words of Jesse McCartney”

than just the traditional winter coat.

At Prada and Proenza Schouler, designers incorporated fur into evening looks with touches of fur on gowns.

Gucci created a slipper-like loafer lined with fur.

7

The other most common fabric this season was velvet.

Giorgio Armani created velvet pants in bright hues.

Sonia Rykiel displayed velvet jumpsuits.

British designer Christopher Kane added velvet to dresses by creating silhouettes of women in the fabric.

“I’m very passionate about velvet. I’ve never worn [it], but I would very much like to wear velvet,” Ross said.

Checks and plaids are the epitome of fall style, according to Elle.

Bottega Veneta created knitwear in the print and Henry Holland mixed various plaids to create autumnal combinations.

Senior Veronica Parker of Millstone said her favorite print is black and white stripes, while her least favorite is floral.

“I’m a fan of black and white stripes but used correctly, so you don’t look like Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice is just crossing the line a little bit,” Parker said. “I’m not a big fan of floral print unless it’s classic … so not like the big, bright flowers and not big, bright colors.”

Parker said she hopes that denim jackets are a trend that continues through the next fashion year.

“I’m a big fan of the jean jacket thing going on right now, so I hope that stays, because I don’t want to have to buy another jacket,” she said.

“Racked in a one hunna on the radio final!”

“Did you know Jimmy Fallon is an alcoholic?”

“Oh my god; I’m gonna cry!”

“Have you seen my cake pop?”

OVERHEARD IN THE HALLWAY “Are there cookies?”

“This isn’t a real school.”

“Do we watch ‘Brokeback Mountain’ in that class?”

“Calm down; it’s just the DV final.”

Students take home daily assignments, biweekly paychecks

Managing grades and attendence can often be work enough, but many CHS students also take on part-time jobs during their high school years.

By REBECCA RIPPON As September comes to a close and October rolls in, students are beginning to feel the pressure of balancing academics and extracurriculars – and, for 20 percent of CHS students, the added weight of working a job 11 to 19 hours a week.

Junior Rebecca Cleffi of Manasquan is one such student, who said that it can be extremely overwhelming to

find the balance.

“It becomes very stressful when due dates are coming up, and I also have to try to deal with soccer, work and friends all at the same time,” Cleffi said.

Freshman Grace McCaffrey of Middletown doesn’t work during the school year but said she believes that students should be careful not to take on too much at once.

“It’s only wise to work

“I’m gonna park on the train tracks.”

49%

During the school year, I work about...

19%

0 hrs. a week

1-5 hrs. a week

20%

10%

2%

6-10 hrs. a week

11-19 hrs. a week

20+ hrs. a week

BLOT INFOGRAPHIC BY MITHU SANKAR

Survey of 272 students on Oct. 6, 2015

during the school year if you work short hours,” McCaffrey said. “I probably [will] have a little difficulty when I start to work, because I don’t have the best time-management skills.”

Others find working a part-time job while in school to be beneficial.

Freshman Connor Martin of Spring Lake Heights said it has not been an issue balancing work, school assignments

and social activity.

“I usually work early and then have time in the afternoon to do whatever I want,” Martin said.

Senior Natalie Staub of Middletown said that having a job has been beneficial in her life.

“It has helped me put into perspective exactly how much time I need to complete certain tasks on a daily basis,” she said.

8

the inkblot november 16, 2015

Religion: /rə lijən/ (noun)

an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god or group of gods Religious tolerance is a work in progress

By SARAH LYNCH Since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, Americans have enjoyed the security of religious freedom in the first amendment. But with thousands of different religions in existence, religious intolerance is a growing issue both in the world and in the U.S., according to a 2012 study conducted by the Pew Research Center. Students here have felt the impact in their towns and middle schools.

Sophomore Cameron DeStefano of Middletown said religious tolerance is a very important aspect of his life.

“This school consists of mostly people who don’t believe in God, and liberals, and I’m a conservative Catholic,” DeStefano said. “I definitely want people to accept me for who I am and tolerate me for my beliefs instead of attacking me for them.”

Junior Sydney Smith of Tinton Falls said she upset a hometown friend when she told him she was an atheist.

“Now, he’s very accepting,” Smith said. “It was just one of those cases where people have judged me a little bit.”

While Smith willingly shared her religious beliefs with her friend, junior Shannon Bradley of Keyport had hers shared without consent. Bradley’s eighth grade teacher told her entire class that Bradley was Buddhist while she was absent from school to observe the Chinese New Year, she said.

“My classmates didn’t make fun of me, but they kind of penalized me for it. They would say things like, ‘Oh we’re gonna celebrate Christmas break, but Shannon won’t celebrate that,’” Bradley said.

Junior Anna Vernick of Ocean said a few of her classmates judged her for her religion as well. Vernick and a group of friends were called “Jewish-American princesses” in middle school.

For a while, Vernick did not know what the term meant but eventually realized that it is “extremely offen-

sive in that it associates religion with things completely outside of that, like money.”

Ninety-nine CHS students answered an online survey about what they believe is the main source of discrimination today, and why. The answers “religious beliefs” and “ignorance” tied for the majority.

Senior Mithu Sankar of Manalapan, who is a practicing Hindu, said these results were unsurprising.

“Ignorance is too strong of a word; it’s more like people are just assuming things they don’t know,” Sankar said.

The online survey also said that 89 percent of students surveyed believe Muslims endure the most discrimination.

Sophomore Samara Ghali, a Muslim of Colts Neck, said this wasn’t shocking. “[People] see all Muslims as discriminatory against women, and [as] bombers, and that’s not true.” Ghali said.

Junior Elizabeth De Furia of Manalapan said discrimination will always be a part of society.

“When you split people into groups, the majority is always going to be upset with the minority or want them to conform, or stop being the way they are, or to just all die out at once,” De Furia said. “It’s largely geographical and historical. It can change with time, but it’s always gonna be bad for the little guy.”

Despite discrimination that still exists today, Bradley said she is hopeful that this generation is more tolerant than previous ones.

“Our generation is starting to think, ‘Wow, these are just other people, and they just believe different things,’” she said.

Spirituality influences students’ lives

Growing up, students have come to identify with or move away from familial beliefs

By CASSIE PASSANTINO It’s an age-old saying: “You shouldn’t talk about politics or religion.” Why? “For the same reasons you should not talk about politics, you should not talk about religion.

People actually begin wars and kill one another over conflicting religious views. Why would you discuss these things in public?” the Elite Daily’s Ally Batista argued in 2012.

Yet religion – or a lack thereof – plays a very distinct role in the lives of teenage high school students.

About 43 percent of Monmouth County residents said they weren’t religious in a 2010 survey conducted by City Data, but, at CHS, many students’ personal relationships with religion affect their daily lives.

Junior Isaiah Drake of Ocean Township is a Christian and said that religion is implemented in his life day-in and day-out.

“I’m alive because of my religion,” Drake said, reflecting on how religion is more of a lifestyle.

Sophomore Veronica Yaron of Little Silver said she feels that she came into her own in regards to her religion last year, after the loss of a family member shook her Roman Catholic faith.

“I started to pray more and started to hope that there was a

higher power, and that I could see that person again,” Yaron said.

She said that her grief made her accept her religion. Religion now makes up a quarter of her daily life.

Senior Isabella Olaguera of Ocean Township identifies as Jewish, but when she was around

to creation, I don’t believe there’s a greater entity out there,” Olaguera said.

Sophomore Christina Alfano of Middletown is Episcopalian, but said she has more agnostic views and believes that while there was a higher power that drove the events that shaped his-

saying that I’m agnostic, because I can’t prove that God exists, and I can’t prove that God does not exist.”

No matter how students identify and practice their religion, it’s prevalent in the choices they make.

Yaron said her religion and

BLOT INFOGRAPHIC BY JULIE ALTER

Survey of 272 students on Oct. 6, 2015

12 years old, she decided that she was leaning towards atheism.

“I believe in the values that Judaism and many other religions teach. But when it comes

tory, there is no real proof of such a being.

“I don’t really have a deep connection with religion,” Alfano said. “I now feel comfortable in

morals are similar in nature, and so she feels that her choices are more moralistic.

Drake said that religion does determine his choices because the

Bible taught him ethics as he grew up.

Both religious and nonreligious students couldn’t fathom what their lives would be like the other way around. “ I feel like I would be more h e l d b a c k , ” Olaguera said, when asked what she imagined it was like to be religious.

Conversely, Yaron said she thinks that life would be scary without her religion.

She said she likes to hold on to the hope that there is a higher power, a heaven and a God. Drake said he wouldn’t find satisfaction in life if he was nonreligious, because there would be no God to reward him.

Religion isn’t black and white, and CHS students identify – or don’t – all over the religious spectrum.

“I believe in religion, not as a deity or someone controlling your fate, but as a sense of community, of unity and teaching people how to be kind and just to others,” Olaguera said.

9

the inkblot november 16, 2015

Pupils weigh in on Pope Francis’ U.S. visit

By LINDA BADARACCO Though surrounded by a motorcade that stopped traffic for blocks, Pope Francis himself was easy to miss in a black Fiat 500L during his threecity U.S. tour, which began in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22.The Pope addressed Congress on Sept. 24.

“I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people … so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream,” Pope Francis said during the address. “God bless America.”

Pope Francis continued on to New York City on Sept. 25.

Freshman Kail Ying of Manalapan said he felt a special connection to the Pope’s New York City

visit.

“I am in no way religious ... however, my mother is a devout Catholic, and her faith is strong,” Ying said.

“The date of her open heart surgery was announced, and she quickly became fearful. She kept herself sane by praying and keeping a strong connection to her lord.”

Ying said that he and his mother soon noticed the Pope’s visit to New York City was the exact day of her surgery.

“I don’t know why this happened; either it’s a big coincidence, or there’s some weird stuff looking over [us], but to be honest, I don’t know,” Ying said. “I guess believing this was a sign from God gave my mom and I comfort, thinking that someone is watching over us.”

Pope Francis ended his U.S. visit in Philadelphia on Sept. 27.

Junior Lamissa Prova of Middle-

town, a Muslim student at the Academy of Allied Health and Science, said she felt Pope Francis’s visit held great significance for Catholics.

“I think more conservative members of the church would maybe be offended by his modern takes, but his more progressive views can make for a more progressive Catholic community as a whole,” Prova said.

Sixty-seven percent of Americans have a favorable view of Pope Francis, according to an August survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute.

But not all CHS students view him positively.

Junior Angel Chasco of Middletown said he was disappointed in the Pope’s stance on transgender people.

“I am currently attending a United Methodist Church,” Chasco said.

“My dad was a Catholic, so I knew a little about that faith but never really

looked into it.”

Chasco said he felt no urge to see Pope Francis.

“In his recent book, ‘This Economy Kills: Pope Francis on Capitalism and Social Justice,’ he listed several things that defied the order of creation, and ‘gender manipulation’ was one of them, right next to ‘nuclear arms.’ As a transgender person, I was offended,” Chasco said.

Junior Anna Vernick of Ocean, who identifies as Jewish, agreed with Chasco’s sentiments.

“I think Pope Francis is absolutely taking the Catholic Church in a positive direction, and he absolutely should be praised for that, but …

I think that it’s really a shame that someone who holds that much power and influence has a problem with transgender people,” Vernick said.

“Hella cool that he drove around in a Fiat, though.”

Students observe holidays year-round

BLOT GRAPHIC BY SALLY BONIECKI

By SYDNEY CONEENY Religion is ancient, passed through generations over time, but, for teenagers at public schools like CHS, religious practice is often disregarded via the First Amendment and the separation of church and state.But that doesn’t mean religion is absent from students’ lives; in fact, religious practices – especially holidays – are significant to the identities of many.

Christianity is the dominant religion in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.

Over 70 percent of Americans identify as Christian.

The CHS population follows a similar trend, and 38 percent of students identified as Roman Catholic in an October 2015 Inkblot survey.

Junior Julianna Belas of Monmouth Beach is Christian and celebrates the religion’s major holidays, such as Christmas and Easter.

Christmas, which falls every year on Dec. 25, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians recognize as the son of God. Easter, which falls on a different day each year in the springtime, celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from death after his crucifixion.

Hinduism, although practiced heavily across the world, isn’t massively prevalent in the CHS community. Only 1 percent of students identified as Hindu in the same October Inkblot survey.

Junior Rishi Karthikeyan of Manalapan is a practicing Hindu. With parents hailing from India, Karthikeyan is exposed to Hindu culture at home, where she observes holidays such as Diwali and Navratri.

Diwali is a five-day Hindu festival of lights and celebrates the victory of good over evil.

Navratri, similarly, is a nine-day

festival dedicated to the goddess Durga, the “mother goddess,” who represents power, according to the OM Group.

“I grew up in it. My aunt has her own school for Hinduism, so it was just always around me. She helped me appreciate it from a spiritual aspect,” Karthikeyan said.

Junior Elizabeth Srulevich of Holmdel is also a part of a religious minority at CHS, as

of Israeli slaves from the ancient Egyptians. A highlight of the holiday is the Seder, a “ritual packed feast,” that includes eating matzah and reciting the Haggadah, according to Chabad.

Also known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is the holiest day in Judaism, in which sins between man and God are atoned.

Yom Kippur is held on the 10th day of Tishri, a month used in the ancient Jewish cal-

BLOT PHOTO BY CATHERINE ESCUETA

Junior Kayla Smith of Lake Como began the Christian Club last year with her sister, alumna Hailey Smith.

she practices Judaism.

Seven percent of CHS students identified as Jewish in the October Inkblot survey.

Srulevich said her family is a part of the Orthodox sect, and although they aren’t very observant, they celebrate Passover, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

Passover is an eight-day festival celebrated in the spring commemorating the release

endar, according to the Jewish Virtual Lab. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, celebrating the creation of Adam and Eve and their “first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in [God’s] world,” according to Chabad.

Observers sound the shofar, a ram’s horn, during the celebrations to represent the people’s coronation of their king.

The major gods of each religion: Christianity The Holy Trinity Judaism Yahweh PHOTO OBTAINED THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS

Islam Allah

Mormonism God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost

Buddhism No god

Hinduism Infinite gods

10

the inkblot november 16, 2015

Religion is personal, shouldn’t be federal It’s red, white and blue – and unjustly religious, too.

Every morning we stand for the Pledge, and we declare our loyalty to a flag and a country “under God,” which is also, ironically, the same country that was founded upon religious freedom. Welcome to the United States of Contradiction.

Ever heard of the separation of church and state? It’s in the First Amendment. You learned about it in sophomore year history and journalism. But if you’re a freshman, or if you need a refresher, don’t worry. We’re accommodating: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

The First Amendment was adopted in 1791. The Pledge was written a century and a year later; socialist minister Francis Bellamy originally submitted the Pledge to a magazine contest for The Youth’s Companion in August of 1892, and it was published in September, according to Business Insider. It read a little differently than what we know today: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Imagine saying that every morning.

In 1923, “the Flag of the United States of America” and “to” before Republic were added. But it wasn’t until 1952 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower added the words “under God” to the Pledge. He was a newly-converted Presbyterian and aimed to use “under God” to combat communism in the midst of the Cold War (because, as we all know, God is much more powerful than your average machine gun at face value.) It was signed into law in 1954.

Now, we at the Inkblot are the biggest First Amendment advocates you’ll ever meet. Trust us; we have two centerspreads about it. So if you believe in God, great. If you believe in Allah or Yahweh or Buddha, great. All we ask is that religion stays out of the government.

Earlier this year, State Superior Court Judge David F. Bauman reviewed a lawsuit involving the phrasing of the Pledge of Allegiance in the Matawan-Aberdeen school district. He ruled against the removal of the words “under God,” citing tradition and historical evidence that the Founding Fathers believed in God, according to USA Today.

If we’re talking tradition, we had 62 years without “under God,” and we have 61 with it now. The same amount of tradition behind “under God” also stands behind a pledge without it. And just because the Founding Fathers believed in God – as it is their First Amendment right to do so – doesn’t mean that they didn’t believe in the separation of church and state.

Further, Bauman argued that the Pledge has never had any religious affiliation and, instead, only serves to promote “those core values of duty, honor, pride and fidelity.”

In JVV’S English IV class, we learned the definition of absurdism – something only exists if you believe that it exists, and something only has meaning if you give it meaning. So, if we don’t believe that “under God” has religious connotations, then it won’t. Pretty absurd, if you ask us.

Now, you could be saying to yourself: “Well, if it bothers you that much, just don’t say it.” And you’d be right. We don’t have to say it. It is, as we’ve noted, our First Amendment right. But the fact of the matter is that the separation of church and state prevents us from inserting God into federally-recognized practices or phrases. In the same logic, you could also just add “under God” into an “under God”-less pledge if that really bothered you that much.

You could also be saying to yourself: “We also have God written on our money. Why is it okay there and not in the Pledge?” It’s not. But let’s tackle one issue at a time.

Listen. We’re not in the middle of the Cold War anymore, and we’re living in a nation of growing religious diversity. There’s no need nor any real justification to keep “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, if we’re really, truly aiming for liberty and justice for all.

BLOT CARTOON BY JOSH PENSKY

Cecil the Lion makes the public roar

By JULIE ALTER An American trophy hunter killed Cecil, an iconic Zimbabwean lion, this past July, according to Discovery. The guide and hunter allegedly illegally lured the nationallyprotected lion, according to CBS. But rather than focusing on the illegality of the violation, the public has exploded with outrage against the killer of the creature himself.

Disapproval over the death of an animal is completely justifiable, but taking action is often replaced with acting imprudently.

Personally, I am strongly opposed to hunting and animal cruelty. But this article isn’t about morals; this is is about the general reaction to the situation. For this case, the public’s sincerity is brought into question.

For example, while many are disgusted with Cecil’s poaching, those same opinions are countered by otherwise neutral stances on topics like deer and bear hunting.

Perhaps the concept of a beautiful lion murdered is more moving than that of a typical buck, yet it seems unlikely that a true believer in animal rights would be against one and not the other.

But the real problem lies not in exaggerated personal beliefs but in how people choose to act on the slaying of Cecil the Lion. Immediately after the event, the Internet burst into action, as usual. On Twitter and Facebook, users attacked and slandered the hunter, Walter Palmer. He is tagged daily with #LionKiller.

The dentist has also faced defamation to his practice, death threats and trolls. This would include over 200 negative online reviews of Dr.

PHOTO OF CECIL THE LION OBTAINED THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS

Walter J. Palmer, DDS, rating him only one out of five stars. These ratings have only appeared over the past two months.

Some reviews are possibly fake stories describing dirty equipment and terrible service, while others look like this: “I went to see Dr. Palmer for a toothache. He gave me a shot that immobilized me, let me suffer for 40+ hours, then shot me, skinned me and chopped off my head. To his credit, my tooth no longer hurts.”

Claiming moral high ground by shaming a man, no matter how appalling his actions, is intolerable.

Especially doing so while hiding behind a keyboard when there are so many better solutions.

The correct way to go about expressing concern with this or any topic would be to first look at the problem as whole instead of blaming a single partaker. Rather than

spending money on stamps to mail death threats to a dentist in Minnesota, donate what you can to an endangered animal fund or charity. In lieu of typing a long-winded Facebook message, sign a petition to request that Zimbabwe stop issuing hunting licenses. Even just staying updated and informing others on a cause can benefit the future of animal rights.

Cecil the Lion was a magnificent creature that deserves to be honored in a way that prevents events like this from happening again. Still, just because you disagree with the killing doesn’t mean you need to take action if you’re only going to do so from a computer screen; it’s okay to be sensitive to hurting animals without being a raging activist.

A true activist doesn’t target others. A true activist tries to solve a problem.

Making the cut: franchises divide movies to multiply profits

By PHOEBE DRUMMOND It’s been seven years since the first Hunger Games book was released and three years since the first movie.

Finally, “Mockingjay: Part Two” will hit theaters in November 2015.

Before the “Hunger Games” movies were made, I wondered if the producers would split “Mockingjay” into two parts, as had been done with other book-to-movie adaptations, like “Harry Potter” and “Twilight.”

I think this is to maximize profit, and, if money is what producers are after, the right choice was made.

Especially in the entertainment industry, more movies equal more money, and adding to a franchise will most certainly increase profits.

It may seem like an obvious thought – two movies equal twice the amount of money – but that’s false.

These people make way more than twice of what one movie would make.

Let’s use “Harry Potter” as an example.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One” grossed about $959 million in profit worldwide, according to The Numbers.

But that number fades away completely when you take into account the $1.34 billion that “Part Two” raked in.

This only makes me believe more that producers with dollar signs over their eyes would make one movie into eight if time wasn’t such a big factor in the production of a film.

So, if the first movies tend to make less, then the producers of this movie should be jumping for joy, because “Mockingjay: Part One” grossed just over $123 million, according to Variety’s film section.

And considering that both the books had similar popularity, I see no reason for

there not to be a huge jump with “Mocking Jay: Part 2” like there was in the “Harry Potter” movie.

By now, it should be obvious that moviemakers will be splitting this film based on the hopes of financial advances.

It makes no sense at all to settle for less money than what could’ve been made.

It is almost guaranteed, based on recent trends, that the enthusiasm for the film and its plot won’t be lost during transition time.

So as long as green paper is concerned, Mockingjay was rightly split, and it certainly won’t be the last movie to do so.

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the inkblot november 16, 2015

Boys, don’t blush: rose gold iPhone isn’t ‘gay’

By EMILEIGH EVANS The tech world is buzzing with the highly-anticipated release of the new iPhone 6s, with new features including an improved design and a higher-quality camera.

This iPhone was released in exclusive colors: silver, space gray, gold and rose gold.

Twitter exploded with this news, with Twitter users @Michael__McQ and @1saiah_Rios tweeting, respectively, “I wish the rose gold wasn’t gay lol I’d def get it” and “Any guy who has the rose gold iPhone is gay.”

These sentiments originate from the feminine – and ‘gay’ – connotation that society has assigned to the color pink.

Other men have attempted to deny the pinkness of the phone, coining it “bro’s gold” in a ploy to avoid these feminine connotations.

What these people are forgetting is that, despite what society says, colors are gender-neutral, and making something pink doesn’t automatically mean it’s feminine.

Similarly, making something the color blue doesn’t mean it’s masculine.

These are made-up connotations.

In fact, before World War II, pink was for both men and women, and, because it was a derivative of red, it was considered to be warlike, even.Men sometimes favored the color pink.

Blue was thought of as a weaker color

and was used mostly for girls.

Then, after Hitler labeled homosexuals in concentration camps with pink triangles, it was decided that pink was no longer suitable for men to wear, according to BBC. Only society’s perception of color changes the gender association surrounding it, telling men that they can not enjoy pink.

That’s a real shame.

Owning a pink phone will not automatically deem a person necessarily feminine or gay; it will just mean that that person owns a pink phone.

This is just the latest in a societal trend that tells men that they aren’t allowed to like anything coded for girls, and, if they do, it means they’re gay.

In order for men to use products like

hand sanitizer or candles, the products must be rebranded, possibly with a huge label that says “FOR MEN” or a socially-acceptable ‘masculine’ color scheme.

Otherwise, they just aren’t marketable to the average man.

In other cases, there will be a new portmanteau invented, like guy eyeliner becoming ‘guyliner’ or men’s leggings becoming ‘meggings’ to frame these products in a new ‘manly’ light.

Toxic masculinity promotes all of these practices.

If society ceased to press these harmful ideas upon the public, men would be able to see that hand soap and candles are not a threat to their manliness.

And, mostly, pink phones can be attractive to all.

Celebrities set stages, not examples Criticism isn’t music to these fans’ ears

By MARIA MAROKO It’s obvious that people, especially adolescents, are influenced by people they admire, especially celebrities.

In fact, they’re probably the best example of this trend.

For this reason, many adults feel that celebrities should behave properly, as to set an example for the young people who idolize them.

For instance, the Parents TV council publically condemned Miley Cyrus, renowned twerker, when she announced she would host the 2015 VMAs. But it’s not fair to expect celebrities – namely, Cyrus – to be ‘good’ role models.

While it’s important that children have positive influences in their lives – someone to look up to – some celebrities said they feel constrained by these behavioral expectations.

Cyrus, who is notorious for being a supposed ‘bad’ role model had a few choice words to say on the subject: “My job isn’t to tell your kids how to act or how not to act, because I’m still figuring that out for myself. To take that away from me is a bit selfish. Your kids are going to make mistakes whether I do or not. That’s just life.”

It’s also important to keep the bias that is involved when deciding if someone is a ‘good role mod-

PHOTO OF MILEY CYRUS OBTAINED THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS

el’ in mind.

Cyrus talked about this kind of prejudice surrounding role models, referencing Taylor Swift, a supposed ‘good’ role model and her “Bad Blood” music video.

“I don’t get the violence/revenge thing. That’s supposed to be a good example? And I’m a bad role model, because I’m running around with my (expletive) out?

I’m not sure how (expletive) are worse than guns,” Cyrus said in

an interview with Marie Claire this August. Cyrus does bring up a legitimate point.

If Cyrus’ provocative clothing makes her a ‘bad’ role model because it may encourage her fans to dress in a similar manner, then a violent music video shouldn’t be considered ‘good’ role modeling.

Cyrus said she doesn’t believe celebrities should be obligated to act as good role models.

I quite agree with her.

By ARIELLE HUTCHINSON I am a fan of boy bands, and I refuse to be ashamed.

The moment the phrase ‘boy band’ is said, everybody cringes.

There is blatant revulsion toward the words.

Not only are boy bands themselves despised, but their female fans also suffer criticism on social media and other online platforms.

It is a common occurrence for spiteful hashtags like #hitdirectionerswithashovel to trend on Twitter.

In a fandom primarily made up of passionate teenage girls, the stereotypical female fan is portrayed as hysterical and rabid.

A study commissioned by StubHub found 18 percent of people under 25 years old are One Direction fans.

“Crazy About One Direction,” the infamous documentary produced by Channel 4, called the One Direction fandom “a cult now powered by the online community” in 2013.

The documentary then perpetuated the fan stereotype by making girls seem insane

for waiting long hours in line to meet their idols or paying hundreds of dollars for a night of concert bliss.

When a female fan expresses her love for a particular band through tears and screams, society immediately tells her to calm down.

But no one shames grown men who spend hundreds of dollars on sneakers, roar at the TV when their favorite sports team loses or wait hours on the street for the latest iPhone for their own dedication.

When a man does these things, it’s normal fan behavior.

When a female adolescent does it, she needs help.

Females, and young girls especially, have been silenced throughout history for being themselves.

It’s a double standard that needs to end.

Constantly dismissing adolescent girls’ choice of music and shoving stereotypes down their throats is reductive and sexist.

Loving a boy band has nothing to do with the intelligence, potential and value of these young women.

BLOT CARTOON BY AMELIA JOHNSON

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the inkblot november 16, 2015

A memoir: the Uber drivers I’ve come to know

Some perceive Uber as a potential danger, but this writer has had much different experiences

BLOT CARTOON BY JAIME TIRRELL

By CAT LA ROCHE I love small talk.

I love small talk so much, I almost wish everyone in the world was a stranger so that I could meet them all over again.

For this reason, I make either a fantastic or nightmarish Uber passenger.

For those unfamiliar, Uber is a ride-share service in which one can request a ride via the Uber app from one of the company’s many, many drivers.

Within minutes, the car shows up, having found your location via GPS, shared securely through the app, and it takes you where you’re going, according to the app’s “Help” tab.

The first two times I took Uber, I was still a fledgling rider, piggybacking off of the other Uber riders in my life.

My traveling companions and I did not say much to our driver, as is customary.

My first lone Uber ride, though, I couldn’t stay silent.

The very instant I got into my driver’s car last July, I asked him about his ethnicity.

As soon as I did, a tsunami of regret washed over me.

He, Malik, was obviously Middle Eastern, and probably assumed that as a member of one of the less-racist generations, I would not spew such loaded words out of my white mouth.

But then I clarified: “I just got back from India; that’s why I asked!”

He and I were clearly both relieved that I wasn’t, after all, a flaming bigot.

After that, we stuck to talking about gardening for the rest of my $20 ride to the Little Silver train station.

A couple months later, I needed a ride to work badly enough to turn to Uber.

This time, I got a ride from Vadim, who was a huge, blue-eyed Eastern European guy who spoke with an accent.

I figured it was less offensive to ask white people about their heritage, so I took a chance.

Turns out, he was Uzbek.

In fact, he was the very first Uzbek person I’ve ever met, and he was sitting there, right before my eyes.

He had lived in the United States for 10 years and had a son in South Carolina.

Apparently nobody speaks Uzbek these days.

Another time, stranded at work at around 9:30 p.m., I met another driver, Oswald, who’s Haitian and left Haiti after the earthquake in 2010.

He said that he misses the heat, the food and the people, though he likes that he can afford to visit his family these days.

Thanks, Uber!

If you’re my mother, you’re probably concerned about the safety of getting a ride from a stranger.

I’ve never worried.

Uber has only killed three people – far less than Jeffrey Dahmer – and those deaths were pedestrians hit by Uber drivers, according to the Daily Beast.

There are a fair amount of sexual and physical assault stories, though.

One San Francisco passenger reported being hit with a claw hammer by his Uber driver, and another passenger in New Delhi was kidnapped and raped by hers.

The risk goes both ways, too; an Uber passenger was arrested last month for pulling his driver’s hair and hitting the driver’s head against the window.

I could be an axe murderer just as much as any of my drivers could be, and that mutual vulnerability is what makes me feel safe.

If Uber didn’t cost so much, I would take it all the time, meeting these lovely strangers.

Who knew all these people live within a five mile radius of me?

I probably pass their houses, too, not knowing that the cars parked in the driveway prowl the roads, unmarked, taking people to where they need to be.

I just hope that they don’t axe-murder me.

BLOT CARTOON BY AMELIA JOHNSON

Existing U.S. gun laws fail to protect schoolchildren

By SARAH LYNCH On my first day of kindergarten, my mom probably worried about how my day would be: would I have enough snacks?

Would I make friends? Would I be able to find the bus for the ride home?

But one thing that she and all parents shouldn’t have to worry about is whether a gunman will break into their child’s school.

The fact that school shootings occur more often in America than any other country in the world is completely unacceptable.

Not coincidentally, American civilians own 270 million guns, according to Harvard Political Review.

That’s “more than the civilians of the 21 other countries that had school shootings own combined.”

I can’t be the only one to see the relationship.

Creating more restrictive gun laws is the only way to squash the number of school shootings in America.

I’m not naive enough to think access to guns is the only characteristic of a gunman, but it’s the only one the law can feasibly control.

Mental illness and bullying are both severe issues that can contribute to the rage of a gunman, but they exist in these other countries as well.

We can’t simply pin all our shootings on whether or not the shooter was a psychopath.

We can’t say that insanity and violence will always exist, so there’s nothing we can do to stop that.

PHOTO OF POLICE AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY OBTAINED THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS

On Dec. 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother in their Connecticut home before murdering 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Lanza later committed suicide at the scene, shooting himself in the head.

Gun laws should adapt in the same way that airport security did.

After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, airports everywhere completely revamped their security, adding metal detectors and bag checks to the point where it takes hours to get through to the terminal.

Just because terrorists will always exist didn’t stop airports from taking every precaution in their power to protect their passengers.

In the same way, gun laws must transform to protect the lives of American citizens.

Any average American’s counterargument to the statement above would be the Second Amendment.

I’m not suggesting that we abandon the Bill of Rights.

But the Second Amendment is supposed to protect us from our government, not from each other.

In order for the Second Amendment to maintain its purpose while still protecting citizens, the federal government desperately needs to include more conditions in regards to gun control.

There’s no reason why an everyday blue-collar citizen should have heavy artillery in his house in the name of protecting himself against an intruder.

In fact, Psychology Today reported that “the presence of a gun in a home is 12 times more likely to lead to the death of a member of the household or a visitor than an intruder.”

Restricting the type of gun a citizen can own is one possible condition to the second amendment that would help this issue.

Adding conditions like this will never eradicate the school shootings entirely.

There’s no foolproof solution.

Even with all of the post-Sept. 11 airport security, a pilot or copilot on an airplane could still take control of their plane and kill everyone on board.

A teenager with a mental illness could still theoretically find a gun even after stricter gun laws are implemented, but why make it easy for him?

Fifty-five school shootings took place in America between 1991 and 2013, and no other country had more than three, the Harvard Political Review reported.

This is a uniquely American issue.

By the time I send my kindergartner off to school on his or her first day, I hope I’ll feel secure in the gun laws my country has created to protect my child.

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the inkblot november 16, 2015

Swipe right for your soulmate

Social media stays at home

Online dating can be a fun way to meet people, but user beware: uncomfortable interactions can occur

By NATALIE STRAUB “Hello goddess you are stunning.

Please may I be your slave and worship and spoil you?” – grammatical errors included for effect.

This was just one of the many colorful messages I received on OkCupid, a free online dating site and fierce competitor of vanguard sites such as eHarmony or Match.com. You have to be 18 to sign up for the dating site, but I hit that milestone in August. OkCupid uses algorithms to determine the potential for a success of a match, according to Gizmodo.

And yes, they use math, indeed; most of my matches were my age, times two. Although my age preferences were set from 18 to 23, 11 of the 39 messages I received were from men in their 30s or older. A handful of them had profiles that read things like “hard-working father of two.” Hard-working is right – working hard to hit up 18-year-old girls online.

I was only on OkCupid for a week, yet that brief time was enough for me to get an overall feel for the type of people who use that site.

They’re not for me.

In fact, I only ever decided to sign up as part of a social experiment.

I wanted to see not only how differently people act online as opposed to real life, but also how people behave on different types of dating sites and apps.

I joined Tinder in August of this year, entirely as a joke. Not looking for anything specific, let alone serious, I swiped left and right and browsed my matches out of innocent curiosity.

Looking back at old messages, I realize I was spoken to inappropriately only twice out of the 50+ messages I received in the week or so that I used the app.

This is ironic, being that Tinder has gotten a bad reputation as an app used only for “hit it and quit it” type-relationships, a term used in a recent Vanity Fair article.

Juxtaposed with OkCupid, I had more polite, appropriate conversations on Tinder. It’s obvious that the app commits to its users’ preferences.

It’s impossible for anyone outside of my preferences to message me or even access my profile if we don’t match. Therefore, it’s a thousand times easier for me to avoid unsolicited atten-

tion from eager men.

I wish I had the time or money to experiment with a third site, but after I spent 30 minutes setting up an eHarmony account, they would not let me view my matches unless I made a payment of at least $12.95 per month.

This experiment helped me realize that on dating sites, people behave as though they are invisible to the outside world.

They are in a secret little bubble, free to say whatever they want to whomever they want, while either in search of something aimless or even a serious relationship.

OkCupid was worse than Tinder, and I believe that Tinder users’ surprising politeness may stem from one major detail: it’s synced with Facebook.You never know when one of your matches shares 80 mutual friends.

Apps like Tinder are adding a strange and terrifying dimension to the world of online dating.They’re bringing it back to reality.

It’s time that people recognize once again that getting to know someone face-to-face can help build more meaningful relationships.

Ban the use of school email after 7 p.m.

By MAURA DEROSE School, work, clubs, sports, chores, extracurriculars and a social life – it can be hard to keep a teen’s busy schedule.

But are all of these activities more important than health?

At CHS, we have a culture of sleep deprivation. Because students are so focused and driven, many of them spread themselves too thin and do not allot enough time for sleep.

It’s the norm to get home from activities late and stay up well into the night studying.

In an October Inkblot survey, only 15 percent of students surveyed said they got an adequate amount of sleep each night. Seventy-four percent of students said they got five to seven hours of sleep on average and ll percent reported even less.

This sleepless culture must stop, and the school needs to get involved to make this happen.

CHS can work towards ending sleep deprivation by banning the use of school

emails past 7 p.m.

Adolescents need eight to 10 hours of sleep each night to properly function, but only 15 percent of teens get eight and a half hours of sleep on school nights.

Teens have dangerously irregular sleep patterns, getting too little sleep on weeknights and getting a lot on the weekends, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

The effects of sleep deprivation are detrimental to teenagers.

During this time of development, it is vital for adolescents to rest.

Lack of sleep negatively affects concentration, listening, learning, memory and problem solving.

This makes it extremely difficult to be successful inside the classroom. Small amounts of sleep can lead to unhealthy eating, weight gain, acne and depression.

In 2006, a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that depressed teens were more likely to be sleep deprived and have sleeping problems.

BLOT INFOGRAPHIC BY KAROLINE WINZER

Survey of 272 students on Oct. 6, 2015

Schools must encourage good sleeping habits and do whatever they can to help students get to bed earlier. t CHS, school emails should be disabled past 7 p.m. It’s nearly impossible to get to bed at a reasonable hour when your phone is buzzing with emails from clubs, teachers and classmates.

In the same Inkblot survey, 68 percent of sophomores, juniors and seniors said they have had a teach-

er email them a modified assignment past 7 p.m. to be handed in the next day.

Although it is often hard to complete school assignments and many students get home late from sports, activities and jobs, the hours past seven must be reserved for relaxation and sleep.

This small step by administrators, teachers and students can result in more alert, productive, happier and healthier teens is limiting school email use.

Attention: c/o Communications High School 1740 New Bedford Road Wall, NJ 07719 (732) 681-1010 The Inkblot is published by the students of Communications High School.

The Inkblot is a public forum for student expression and encourages all sides to voice their opinions.

Our writers will honor the highest standards of journalism by striving for truth, accuracy and fairness first.

The Inkblot welcomes letters to the Editor.

Please send your letters to Editor-in-Chief Anna Robinson at arobinson@ctemc.org or Editor-in-Chief Cayla Harris at charris@ctemc.org.

The Inkblot reserves the right to edit for length and content.

By ELIZABETH SRULEVICH It isn’t hard to understand why adolescents are fixated on Twitter. Twitter provides a steady stream of commentary in bite-sized forms, a welcomed relief from Shakespearean soliloquies in classrooms.

But when you overlook the viral videos and #relatable jokes, the social network is popular for another reason: it’s ideal to spread high school angst. Twitter’s format is exceptionally suited for indirect ranting, or “subtweeting,¨ and teenagers go nuts for the drama.

Twitter allows petty drama to enter public knowledge quickly. During his annual first-day-of-school address, Principal James Gleason mentioned Smack High NJ, a Twitter account that collects submissions from New Jersey high school students in relation to their towns and schools. Gleason scolded the student body for negative Smack High submissions. Of course, this is a subtle case of “monitoring” students on social media.

Nobody was penalized, as Smack High is anonymous. But if the principal is checking Smack High, he could be seeing much more. In Indiana, a student was expelled for publishing tweets that contained expletives in them, though he didn’t direct them at anyone specifically, according to the Huffington Post. They were simply deemed as vulgar, and he was promptly punished.

The latter instance is a breach of First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of students’ freedom of speech, with the exception of vulgar and disruptive in-school behavior. But this doesn’t apply outside of school.

What teenagers do when they leave the classroom should not be of concern to administrators.

Such situations can lead to serious, real-life implications. A Georgia high school evacuated students after being informed of threats to “shoot up the school,” according to 11Alive Atlanta video footage from 2012.

In other instances, Twitter is used to express opinions on happenings within the school.

For example, Wagner High School in Staten Island took to social media to offer insight and inappropriate humor about recent bomb threats directed at their school.

There is an undeniable overlap between Twitter and schools, but this area becomes increasingly more complex the more you think about it. With lax gun control and increased school shootings, a little reinforcement could be beneficial, such as strategic keyword monitoring.

Nonetheless, students are entitled to post whatever content they desire, as long as they are not hurting themselves or others.

School officials cannot simply castigate those whose online presence they do not agree with; that behavior is downright childish.

Editors-in-Chief Cayla Harris & Anna Robinson Managing Editor Tommy Fletcher

News Editor Julia Pardee Assistant Nick Brennan Features Editor Victor Riveros Assistant Abby Silva

Features Truck Editor Linda Badaracco Assistant Cassie Passantino Opinion Editors Cat La Roche Sarah Lynch

Business Manager Sallie Haas Web Editor Dan Mopsick Assistant Izzy Cavazzoni Assistant Emma Willenta Sports Editors Nick Hession Shane Nolan Clubs Editor Sam Dellis Social Media Editor Kate Ridoux Print-to-Web Editor Caroline Savage

Art Editor Sally Boniecki Assistant Karoline Winzer Print Photo Editor Sarah Takash Web Photo Editor Meagan McDowell Video Editor Olivia Malesco Assistant Kat Holtz Copy Chief Christina Noll

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the inkblot november 16, 2015

Class of 2019 elects Clark as class president

By ALLIE BEEKMAN and MATT MILLER “The opposite of pro is con, right? So, what’s the opposite of progress? Congress?” freshman Kelly Forrester of Spring Lake said during her election speech before the votes were tallied on Oct. 1.

“Well, not if I’m on council.”

At the end of the day, the new Class of 2019 council was announced over the loudspeaker. Of the 11 candidates who made it past primaries, Forrester was chosen as a council member. Kevin Clark of Spring Lake was elected as president and Kail Ying of Manalapan became vice president. The other council members include Emma Hecht of Wall and Connor Martin of Spring Lake.

Clark said he ran because he wants this year to be “something special.”

“Well, I ran because of how much I love CHS. I feel like I can represent a lot of the freshmen really well,” Clark said.

Hecht, who said she ran for an opportunity to represent the student body, agreed.

“My plans are just to have – obviously, like everyone else – a great freshman year,” Hecht said.

Ying said he ran because he wanted to help create fun, unique events for the class.

“I want everyone to remember this year as the best

year there has ever been,” Ying said.

One idea of Ying’s ideas, he said, is to sell pumpkin spice sushi.

Freshmen Tali Petto of Marlboro and Bridget Woodrow of Belmar said they love Ying’s idea.

“It’s fabulous,” Woodrow said.

But while Petto said she loves the idea, “for right now I think they should focus on more serious stuff.”

Freshman Vivian DeRosa of Ocean said she wants the council to make decisions on behalf of the entire grade, not just the five elected council members.

“I’d like our council to see our grade as one big, conformative council, and that we can all make decisions and be respected,” DeRosa said.

Martin said he already has this in mind.

“My goals this year are to create a class with unity, identity and camaraderie,” he said.

Class of 2019 co-advisers Biology teacher Jeanine Gomez and U.S. History II teacher Sharon O’Keefe said they are looking forward to working with a new group of students.

“I’m looking forward to planning the events with the class. I already see a lot of great communication within the class. I see that there is going to be a lot of good collaboration,” Gomez said.

BLOT PHOTO BY MEAGAN MCDOWELL

Freshman Connor Martin of Spring Lake, a member of the Class of 2019 council, addressed the freshmen on Oct. 1.

The freshmen will host the Halloween dance as their first class event.

“Mrs. Gomez and I will work hard with [the council],” O’Keefe said. “But we won’t work for them.”

Survey: students unaware of Week of Respect

BLOT INFOGRAPHIC BY MITHU SANKAR

Survey of 272 students on Oct. 6, 2015

By ARIELLE COHEN and JACQUELINE GELLER Sophomore Ronan Leahy of Colts Neck said that, to him, the words “quality, consideration and help” embody the true meaning of the Week of Respect.

The Week of Respect took place Oct. 5-9 in schools all over New Jersey this year.

Schools were instructed to spend this time teaching their students and attempting to avert them from bullying, harassment and intimidation, according to the New Jersey Education Association.

Rainy weather puts out annual PSFA bonfire

By AVERY LIMA and BRIDGET WOODROW The fifth annual PSFA bonfire was canceled this year due to bad weather conditions predicted for Oct. 2, the night of the bonfire.

PSFA co-president Janice Quattrocchi of Matawan said that there was no rain date for the bonfire.

“Unfortunately, the bonfire cannot be rescheduled for this year,” Quattrocchi said. “We are planning a bonfire for next September, and while it’s unfortunate that the bonfire was cancelled, there are no other welcome events planned.”

Freshman Liam Marshall of Sea Girt said he was disappointed that the bonfire was canceled.

“I was really excited and looking forward to it,” Marshall said.

Freshman Jillian Lynch of Interlaken was also planning on attending the bonfire.

Lynch attended the bonfire with her sister, junior Sarah Lynch,

last year and said it “was a lot of fun, and it was a good time for everyone to hang out with classmates and for parents to meet.”

Sophomore Brigid Garrett of Wall said the bonfire is a unique event at CHS. “The bonfire is different than other CHS event, because it’s not held at the school, and you just get to sing, talk and hang out, which is good, especially for freshmen who haven’t gotten to hang out with their classmates that much,” Garrett said.

Principal James Gleason said that the bonfire is an ongoing CHS tradition, but there was one year, aside from this one, when the PSFA rescheduled the bonfire due to weather conditions. But the backto-school event wasn’t always a bonfire.

“The PSFA changed from a pasta dinner/potluck for parents and students to a bonfire about five years ago,” Gleason said.

In an October Inkblot survey, 61 percent of CHS students said they were unaware of the Week of Respect before Oct. 5.

To spread the word, health teacher Dorothy Condon enlisted her junior class to create Week of Respect posters that were hung for the students passing through the hallways to view throughout the week. The classes chatted and wrote their viewpoints of the week, which were used to make a collage on the posters, according to junior Gabriela Compagni of Highlands.

Throughout the week, students were greeted with notes relating to the Week of Respect projected onto the TV at the front entrance.

Each morning, Principal James Gleason also gave a message pertaining to the week during morning announcements, such as to respect yourself and to always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’

Sophomore Niki Dalicardillo of Wall said the Week of Respect is important.

“It reminds you to be a good person and a good citizen,” Dalicardillo said.

On the last day of the school week, Gleason dedicated the morning announcement to appreciation, urging students to be thankful for the wonderful school and environment they have.

Guidance counselor Sandra Gidos said CHS has taken part in the week for multiple years. In the past, theatre groups came to perform, and students listened to quotes about respect over the loudspeaker.

“We are fortunate enough that CHS has a climate of respect and kindness,” Gidos said.

Students open books, open year with summer reading discussion

By MARK DISPIGNA In an approach resembling that of the 2014-15 school year, Instructional Council allowed students to choose their summer reading novel from a list of four books and organized mandatory book discussions held on Sept. 24.

The four novels chosen for this year’s reading were “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand, “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier” by Ishmael Beah, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury and “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez, Java teacher and Instructional Council adviser Laura Gesin said.

Principal James Gleason emailed a school-wide survey in late July to keep track of which students and faculty members read each book.

From there, he and the council organized students into rooms for their book discussions, which took place during DEAR time, Gleason said.

Each group consisted of at least one faculty member and one student discussion facilitator, along with other students who read the same novel.

In general, the Instructional Council grouped underclassmen with other underclassmen

BLOT INFOGRAPHIC BY JULIE ALTER

Survey of 272 students on Oct. 6, 2015

and upperclassmen with other upperclassmen.

Freshman Gia Caruso of Howell, who read “Unbroken,” said she enjoyed this setup.

“I think my group’s discussion went really well,” Caruso said. “There was always someone contributing to the conversation, and it helped me understand parts of the book that I hadn’t before.”

Junior Kayla Smith of Lake Como, who read “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents,” said she prefers the idea of summer reading without ad-

ditional assessments.

“My book was definitely the happiest out of the given options,” Smith said. “Especially when all the other novels looked dry and violent.”

Gleason said that in the future, he will continue to encourage reading for personal enjoyment rather than for a test or quiz.

“A book always has a different impact on each person who reads it,” he said. “Whether it’s a teacher or student, I think it’s a great idea to get together and talk about it.”

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the inkblot november 16, 2015

SPORTS INJURIES

Athletes face injuries, no matter the game, from head to toe Hjelm: Broken Collarbone

Brennan: Concussion

By NICK HESSION Senior Peter Hjelm of Atlantic Highlands played hockey for the Red Bank Generals Bantam A club team. During practice in early 2013, Hjelm “fell at an awkward angle into the boards” and broke his collarbone. His injury resulted in trips to both the hospital and an orthopedic doctor.

“There’s no way to cast a broken collarbone, so I just wore a sling for a very long time,” Hjelm said.

Hjelm said he couldn’t move his arms for five months but was limited in mobility for a total of seven. He also said there were also mental setbacks.

“I couldn’t play the sport that I loved and was pretty sad for a while,” Hjelm said.“Even after it fully healed, which the doctors said … healed very well, it took a while to regain confidence in my arm/shoulder region. I think it affected me the next season, but nowadays, I have no worries about it.”

BY SHANNON BRADLEY Senior Nick Brennan of Middletown is known for is knee injuries which gave him a brace, a cane, and a tan line. In his time playing for Middletown North and on the Middletown Mutiny club team, Brennan has also suffered a concussion when he attempted to head the ball but instead “clashed heads with an opponent” and blacked out for a short time, he said.

“I was helped off the field feeling really groggy.” Brennan said. He self monitored the concussion with parental guidance for several days. He also took a week off soccer to recover properly.

“My dad brought me and home and woke me up every two hours that night and I woke up the next day feeling tons better. I was able to fight my way through the uncertainty of the next day,” Brennan said.

Karl: Sartorius Tear

Foo Siam: TFCC Tear

By NICK HESSION Junior Sydney Foo Siam of Millstone plays tennis for Allentown High School and tore her Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex, or TFCC with repeated overuse in March 2014.

The TFCC is a cartilage structure that “cushions and supports the small carpal bones in the wrist,” according to Midwest Orthopedics at Rush’s website.

Foo Siam hurt her wrist gradually by overusing it playing tennis, she said. Originally, she participated in physical therapy, but has since received a Cortisone shot and switched to occupational therapy. She currently wears a brace and said it hurts to lift anything heavy or put any kind of strain on her wrist. She is scheduled to go in for surgery this December.

“I haven’t been able to play since July, and I won’t be able to play until it is completely healed because I don’t want to further injure myself,” Foo Siam said.

BLOT GRAPHIC BY SALLY BONIECKI

Harvey: ACL Tear

By SHANNON BRADLEY Maneuvering a new school is a challenge that all CHS students can relate to, but for senior Julia Harvey, of Howell, this challenge was amplified because she did it on crutches.

Harvey was practicing with her club team in the Monroe sports center, when her knee gave out the summer before her freshman year.

An MRI showed that she tore her ACL. Her injury was corrected through surgery, five months of constant physical therapy, and the use of crutches her freshman year.

She continued to play in spite of her injury, eventually injuring her other knee playing for the same team and cared for the injury with the same measures as before.

By NICK HESSION Junior Abi Karl of Monmouth Beach plays soccer for the Peninsula Club Team and tore a sartorius muscle in her hip in June.

The sartorius muscle is the longest muscle in the human body and helps flex and rotate the hip, according to Healthline.

Karl described the day she injured herself as “crazy hot” and said her team had to play the full game without substituting anyone in or out.

“I went to take a kick on the left side of the field, and while I was taking the kick, I just felt something give out.

I went down immediately,” Karl said.

The injury kept Karl from playing for four months and, in order to heal properly, she needed to use crutches for two to three weeks and attend physical therapy three times a week for three months, she said.

“I’m still a little hesitant to kick with my right foot. I also missed the entire pre-season, so this season I wasn’t able to be in the best shape I could have been, and I feel I’m still unprepared for this season,” she said.

“I tried to return to soccer after the second injury, but after one game decided I didn’t want to risk getting hurt again and stopped playing.”

Harvey said she misses basketball and soccer and itches to play a sport again.

“This year I’m trying out for Howell’s swim team ... because I’m miss playing sports so much,” Harvey said.

Paredes: Jammed Ankle

By ANNIE RUOFF Junior Alex Paredes of Atlantic Highlands has become accustomed to sports related injuries, after suffering from two over the course of one year. Paredes, a gymnast for the Elite Trampoline Academy in Middletown, hurt both of her feet last year on different occasions.

Paredes first injured her left foot in March 2014 due to overuse and the application of too much pressure on unhealed stress fractures in training. Then, in October of 2014, Paredes jammed her right ankle while attempting to perform a double flip on the trampoline.

“While I was twisting during the second flip I hit the wood next to the trampo-

line, which is on an incline, so my ankle joint jammed into itself,” Paredes says.

The ankle locked into itself and she was unable to move it for around eight weeks. While her first injury only took 10 weeks to heal, the recovery process for her right foot took five months and required intensive treatment, including pulling the foot out of it’s socket twice a week for six weeks.

“Having injuries is definitely the worst part of any sport,” Paredes said.

“I hated being in the gym conditioning while everyone else was getting better.

It’s great motivation to work hard once you’re back, though. It reminds you how much you love the sport.”

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the inkblot november 16, 2015

Stansfield “kills” in high school volleyball

By GRACE TRESHOCK Senior Jess Stansfield of Wall first played volleyball for the Monmouth County Parochial School of Saint Dennis and now plays for Wall High School.

As a freshman, Stansfield played on the Wall volleyball team with her sister, Alyssa Stansfield, a senior at the time.

“I had looked up to her so much - I still do - and just sharing the court with her for a few matches that season was something special I’ll never forget. We share the same love of the game,” Stansfield said.

Stansfield knows her position on the team requires a lot of responsibility and confidence.

“Some days you’ll make the play; some days you won’t. It’s all about preparing yourself for those situations and accepting you can’t be successful 100 percent of the time,” Stanfield said.

With this attitude, Stansfield said she

Siminerio colors the field

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATIE SIMINERIO

Siminerio in a competition with her color guard team at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 26.

By SHANNON BRADLEY Junior Catie Siminerio of Manalapan isn’t allowed to have pink hair.

This isn’t because her parents won’t let her or because it’s ‘bad’ for her hair. Siminerio isn’t allowed to have pink hair because she’s a member of Manalapan High School’s color guard.

Siminerio dyed her hair back to her natural color in September after a few months of sporting the pink locks.

She said her coach required that twirlers’ hair look natural for competitions.

“They preferred me not to dye my hair pink, so I just had to make sure that it was blonde by the first competition,” Siminerio said.

But blonde or pink-haired, Siminerio said she still loves being a flag twirler in the color guard.

Siminerio said she only just started twirling this year. Over the summer, she learned how to twirl, throw and spin the flag.

It isn’t as easy as it looks, Siminerio said. All the girls have to throw, catch and spin their flags at exactly the same time, height and speed.

A friend approached Siminerio during summer vacation and asked if she would want to join the color guard.

When she agreed, she said she found that the sport would allow her to see hometown friends.

“It’s a great way to see old friends from middle school and catch up,” Siminerio said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESS STANSFIELD Stansfield recently recorded her 500th career kill as a Wall volleyball player, a feat only accomplished by one other person in the history of the school’s program, she said.

just plays because she enjoys being part of the team.

Stansfield is only the second volleyball player in Wall history to have 500 career kills.

As for playing in college, Stansfield said she decided to play beach volleyball instead of indoor volleyball, as beach volleyball is a more strategic and less team-oriented sport.

Stansfield said she likes communicating with one teammate instead of five and enjoys the challenge of getting her hands on every other shot.

Either way, she’s a team player.

“I love it. Whether I am the best or worst on my team, I simply play to have fun,” Stansfield said.

Stansfield has recently committed to play Division 1 beach volleyball for the Grand Canyon University Lopes in Phoenix, Ariz.

A sport that runs in the Kalika family

By EMME LEONG A team huddle: hunched backs, hollering chants, panting breaths and stirred mentalities.

For sophomore Brandon Kalika of Middletown, this is what makes his time on the soccer field more than just worthwhile.

“It might sound cliché, but it’s the team effort. It’s nice to be a part of something,” Kalika said.

But he didn’t always carry this mindset in his early years.

When he was six years old, Kalika began to follow in his father’s footsteps with success in soccer.

Kalika’s father was a semi-professional player.

Trying out new things for the first time can sometimes be pretty rough, which is why Kalika said he used to be indifferent about soccer and thought of it as just a sport.

“He thought it was important for me to play soccer as well as love it,” Kalika said of his father. “I think he did a good

job.

Kalika said he gradually came to love the sport and still visits the parks and fields he used to play on.

His talent landed him a spot on Varsity at Middletown High School South as the team’s center defenseman.

Sophomore Kyle Robinson of Middletown has been teammates with Kalika for the past two years.

“I think he’s good enough for it,” Robinson said. “Brandon’s strengths are that he’s loud – just like in school – [and] he’s physical and pretty fast.”

With his passion in tow, Kalika said he’s determined to make Division I Men’s Soccer in college.

“More importantly for me is to get a good education, because I value education more than sports,” Kalika said.

But Kalika still cherishes that team huddle.

“That’s really what a team is about, when you think about it; they’re like family who stick together through the good times and bad,” Kalika said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDON KALIKA

Kalika runs down the field at a game during his first season on Middletown South’s varsity soccer team.

Field hockey newcomer Marisa Harczuk practices persistance and pride while in play

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARISA HARCZUK

Eight minutes into the first half of her game on Oct. 9, 2015, Harczuk participates in her first year on Tinton Falls’s field hockey team. Harczuk wears jersey No. 12.

By ALEX HERRMANN and MIA GALLO Freshman Marisa Harczuk of Tinton Falls said she has a special motto to help her get through field hockey training: “Pain is temporary but pride lasts forever.”

“When I want to give up, I think about how great the end result could be, and it pushes me to work harder,” Harczuk said.

Harczuk took up field hockey for the first time this year.

When contemplating which sport she would play at her home high school, Monmouth Regional, she said she automatically thought of field hockey.

Since she grew up with neighbors that played field hockey, Harczuk said she al-

ways heard their stories about the sport.

These stories influenced her decision to play.

Harczuk said she also joined field hockey to stay fit.

“I was looking for something to keep me busy during the fall and to help me keep in shape,” Harczuk said.“I just like to stay in shape and eat healthy; it makes me feel better about myself.”

Harczuk said that she enjoys both the physical and social benefits that field hockey offers her.

She has the opportunity to exercise and also see friends.

“I like seeing myself improve, whether it is in shape or skill-wise,” Harczuk said. “I also like to be able to still see all of my friends at my home high school.”

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