CSPA Crowns — In Their Voices Issue 5 by Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards Issue 5

In this Issue:

In Their Voices The CSPA invited all 2012 Crown Finalists to submit two spreads that their staff believed helped elevate their publications to Crown status. These are their observations as told in their voices, presented in alpha order by school.

Arrowhead Christian Academy, Wings Yearbook, Redlands, CA Burgess High School, Stampede Newspaper, El Paso, TX Francis Howell High School, Howelltonian Yearbook, St. Charles, MO McLean High School, The Clan Yearbook, McLean, VA Shawnee Mission North, The Indian Yearbook, Overland Park, KS Staples High School, Inklings Newspaper, Westport, CT The Hockaday School, Vibrato Magazine, Dallas, TX

Arrowhead Christian Academy Wings Yearbook Redlands, CA Page 2-3 “Hey You!” Opening pages show the theme (“NOISE”) very clearly through the dominant photo as well as the collected noise (overheard comments) scattered about the page with lots of graphic noise going on in the background. The theme copy shouted out to the reader. Fun!

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

The CSPA invited all 2012 Crown Finalists to submit two spreads that their staff believed helped elevate their publications to Crown status. These are their observations as told in their voices, presented in alpha order by school.

e heard you

hey, you!

tro.... hispering intro.... reaming whispering king at lunch screaming ughing joking at lunch nging laughing atomysomething singing aying anatomysomething ying

That’s right. We’re talking to you! Just thought you should know we’ve been eavesdropping on you all year, and we heard everything.

This book was written by you.

No joke. Don’t believe us?

Briana Arias

Then flip over a few pages.

WHY DIDN’T YOU TEXT ME BACK? WAIT, WHEN DID THEY START DATING? Hey you! That’s right, we’re talking to you. Just thought you should know: When did we’ve been eavesdropping onthey you start? all year. Hey you! That’s right. We’re talking to you. Just thought you should know: We heard it all. we’ve been eavesdropping on you all year. We heard you screaming in the halls after the pep rally and cheering We heard all.lost your voice at basketball games. until it you

You might just come across something you said and thought no one heard.

But we did.

Loud and clear. screaming

We heard you gossiping in the bathroom I DON’T UNDERSTAND OBAMA We you screaming in the the pep rally andheard complaining about that testhalls nextafter period. and cheering until you lost your voice at basketball games. You weren’t as quiet as you thought you were. We heard you gossiping in the bathroom and complaining about that test next period. We heard you “whispering” in class and getting Youbusted weren’tfor as chewing quiet as you thought you were. gum.

We heard you in the halls after you won the spirit stick at the homecoming pep rally. We heard you complaining about having your iPod confiscated.

blabbing

We heard you debating politics in government class We youthere “whispering” in class andheard we were when your cell phone went off. and getting busted for chewing Yes, everyone did hear itgum. vibrate. IT’S A LOVE We STORY heard you debating politics in government class and we were when phone We heard youthere joking withyour yourcell friends at went lunch off. and laughing Yes, everyone did hear it vibrate. at how funny you thought you were.

We heard you squealing on your first day of cat dissections in Anatomy We heard you joking with your friends at lunch and laughingknow at how funny thought you were. You who you you are ... Smencils! Why isWe this limited to pencils? There should smens!in Anatomy heard you squealing on your first day of cat be dissections and belting Taylor Swift songs at the top of your lungs. You know who you are ... s really cool, man.

We heard you in the bathroom about potential prom dates. We heard you broadcasting the news of teachers Nathan Heuker and Sarah Day’s engagement.

Sacan su tarea.

andtogether! belting Taylor Swift songs at the top of your lungs. No, you two can’t work The estrogen-ometer is getting a workout at my house.

ue That’s story. legit.

Okay, who watched the Oscars last night?

I hate fractions!

He sent me a message on Facebook!

Senior ditch day: Just say no!

noise

Actually, I think Jacob is really cute.

NOISEMAKERS •Allison Kouba (dominant) •Miranda Casarez, Julia Trempala •Liam Burnett •Camila Roach, Gabriel Portillo •Presley Wick •Jake Jones, Andrew Carnes, Matthew Jordan •Derek Longfellow, Destinee Du Bose. (Photos: Michael Veloz, Yoon Shik Park, Jillian Bradford, Christian Davis, and Megan Reade)

Ms. Frey, you turn us into nerds. We are over-analyzing everything.

Your point is?

Can you stop touching my elbow?

Did you see her post last night?

So … we’re talking about “Siddhartha”?

You are so annoying!

hey, you!

Arrowhead Christian Academy Wings Yearbook Redlands, CA Page 58-59 “Party Animals” The color connects through all of the photos and graphics. Dynamic dominant was used to draw the reader’s eye. Interesting black in the graphic related to the headline font. Detailed story and captions were included.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

At the March 15 meet at Woodcrest Christian, Arian Ramos jumps a hurdle. “I fell on the high hurdles the first time and scratched myself up,” Ramos said. “but on my first low hurdles, I got third. It was a huge adrenaline rush.” (Photo: Jake Naman) Like a gazelle, Justin Bain keeps his pace in the 400-meter dash at the Woodcrest Christian meet March 15. He finished with a time of 57.11 seconds. Exhausted, Ashley Santoro catches her breath after finishing the 300-meter hurdles at the same meet. “Track was my first time doing something that wasn’t dance,” Santoro said. “I felt completely out of my comfort zone. My nerves were so bad I felt like throwing up.” (Photos: Christian Davis)

Eagles laugh and dance their way through practices in style “It’s raining!” “Yes!” “Is track canceled?” “No. You still have to run,” coach Sarah Day said. The team complained as they reluctantly began their warm-ups. Ten minutes later, they circled around Day for orders. “When you’re on spring break, you need to run,” Day said. “But it’s supposed to snow in Colorado,” Austin Jorritsma said about his spring break destination. “I might get frostbite if I run outside.” “I’m sure there are plenty of other places for you to run,” Day said, rolling her eyes. The meeting broke up, and the throwers followed coach Nathan Heuker to Eagle Park, while the runners stayed with Day. They started their routine of sprinting ladders, lifting weights, and running. “We do so many ladders at practice,” Christian Davis said. “[At the end] you feel like you’re going to die.” “Day pushes us hard,” Jillian Bradford said. “You pay for it if you don’t keep up with the workouts.” “I thought [track] would be easy to letter in,” Allison Kouba said. “I was wrong.” To get a letter, varsity members had to be one of the top three in their event, attend three out of five varsity meets, and have good practice attendance. Still, some players couldn’t resist skipping practice. “I was getting over a cold and didn’t want to go,” Kouba said. “I said I had a lot of homework to make up. It was true, but I should have gone.” “I asked Harrison Vann’s mom if she could get Cory [Wong] and me out of practice,” Adrianna Robles said. “She told Heuker that we needed to help set up for Cirque du ACA. It worked, but I felt so guilty that I went to practice anyway.” The team found ways to cope with the workouts. “We always break out in song,” Bradford said. “[Sometimes] we sing ‘Teach Me How To Dougie.’ Other times it’s Taylor Swift. There’s a lot of dancing.” “Amanda [Copeland], Kimberly [Blakeslee] and I rap,” Janna Bruns said. “We use [the song] ‘Black and Yellow’ for discus. We definitely have futures in the rap industry.” Beatboxing and giggles soon broke out. “It’s a very social sport,” Davis said. “Running in circles may seem like it’s really boring, but it’s where the party’s at.”

Over the top. Julia Bennett races through a set of hurdles at the Ontario Christian invitational meet March 19. “At the Woodcrest JV meet, I was doing well,” Bennett said. “I lost momentum and wiped out when I got around a corner. It was so embarrassing.” (Photo: Erin Barents) At the same meet, Julia Naman leaps over a high hurdle. She finished with a time of 21.88 seconds. (Photo: Jillian Bradford) Joshua Garcia sprints a 400-meter relay at the JV Woodcrest meet March 18. He placed first out of six. (Photo: Erin Barents)

katie devore

sports

track: dougie!

Burges High School Stampede Newspaper El Paso, TX Page 1, 11/2011 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Time Crunchâ&#x20AC;? The finished product showcases a higher quality result than what we had anticipated, after considering the resources available to us. The photo of the clock was taken in our storage room using one spotlight and a black drop cloth.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

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Burges High School Stampede Newspaper El Paso, TX Pages 6-7, 11/2011 “Shift in Production” After toiling with this spread for about three weeks, we scrapped our old idea for this one three days before we went to print. We think it’s one of our best because it exemplified our ability to work under pressure and presented routine information in a fresh, interesting way.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

6.60% Japan

10.30%

34.77%

Mexico

Other Countries

16.10%

Canada

China

4.40% Germany 2.60% Saudi Arabia 2.10% France

2.80% United Kingdom 2.30% South Korea 1.73% Taiwan

38.45%

5.10%

Other Countries

Japan

5.40% China

11.80% Mexico

20.30%

Top Ten

Canada

4.20% Germany 3.10% The Netherlands 2.50% Brazil

4.20% United Kingdom 2.70% South Korea 2.25% Belgium

Francis Howell High School Howelltonian Yearbook St. Charles, MO Pages 44-45 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Money Crunchâ&#x20AC;? This page blends finances by focusing not only on teachers losing their jobs, but also the required personal finance class. Handling the coverage this way allowed the spread to record an emotional topic while also showing a good slice of academic life.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

Francis Howell High School Howelltonian Yearbook St. Charles, MO Pages 74-75 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Current Events Cause Chaosâ&#x20AC;? This spread shows how current events can be told through quotes and photos while keeping a localized perspective and placing many students on the page (and into the book).

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

McLean High School The Clan Yearbook McLean, VA Pages 102-103 “We’re Off to Neverland” Here the dominant photo package covers the performances of The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan. Meanwhile the secondary packages explored more creative aspects of the production like the lighting, a Facebook page that was created especially for the show, and the composer of the music as well as the actors. In addition, the spread included a good use of color that created interest in the topic and unified all facets of the spread.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

1. WHILE TAKING A PUFF OF HIS CIGAR, junior Max Sparta acts as Captain James Hook. Surrounded by his first mates the group of pirates plan their attack to capture the lost boys and Peter Pan. “Hook always needed to think of new and original ways to capture the Lost Boys because Pan would always get in the way,” Sparta said. 2. WHEN FIRST MEETING PETER, Wendy, played by junior Meredith Bloom, is shocked that Peter is raising the Lost Boys without a mother. The intimacy between Peter and Wendy was a key factor in the play. “The character’s relationship was so important so we [Elliot, Nick and I] spent a lot of time together off stage to get a feeling of one another’s style and it was really valuable,” Bloom said. 3. STANDING PROUD, Peter Pan, played by junior Nick Stone relaxes after tricking the pirates into freeing the trapped Tiger Lily. The play was split into two different casts, the red and the green. “It was a bit of a struggle because you only had half as much rehearsal time, but at the same time it was really cool because you got to see two perspectives on the same character,” sophomore Max Johnson said. 4. AFTER BEING SAVED FROM THE PIRATES Tiger Lily, played by freshman Liz Kazarian for the red cast, brings Peter Pan and his crew back to her tent where she expresses her wish to be his wife. Tiger Lily was played by junior Lexie Shoaibi for the green cast. “I really enjoyed being Tiger Lily because it was so different from all the other characters I’ve played,” Shoaibi said. 5. IN A FINAL ATTEMPT TO TAKE PETER’S HEART, Kazarian as Tiger Lily and the Redskins try one last tactic, a song and dance called “Chain of Fools.” The musical numbers were cut from the first two performances but performed for Phillip Klapperich, the playwright. “I was really nervous before I went out and I didn’t want to do it, but I gave it my all and after the performance I got a lot of positive feedback from him,” Kazarian said. photos by Niab

“The play shows the two sides of Peter Pan. His shadow is such a big part of him.” -Elliot Duffy, 12

We’re Off to

NEVERLAND theater puts a modern spin on a classic fairy tale

“The true pleasure of the ordered adult mind is the ability to choose the adventure despite the danger,” senior Ethan Stackpole said as The Doctor. The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan takes place in Wendy Moira Angela Darling’s mind. While the doctor tries to asses Peter’s mental state, the Lost Boys, Pirates and Indians are all out for each other’s blood. “I wanted something magical and a fresh look on a classic tale,” theater director Amy Poe said. Phillip Klapperich’s Peter Pan is much darker with poison, murder and love triangles. Juniors Zoe Davidson and Savannah Thieme played Tinker Bell, the mischievous fairy who fights with Wendy and Tiger Lily for Peter’s love. Junior Max Sparta played the dastardly Captain James Hook who lead the rest of his pirate crew on an endless hunt for the lost boys. Junior Lexie Shoaibi and freshman Liz Kazarian played Tiger Lily, “the bold and amorous”

leader of the Redskins, Neverland’s natives. After Peter saves Tiger Lily’s life, she is forever indebted to him and joins the fight for Peter. The play featured two full casts, one red and one green. “[The worst part] was probably trying to keep everyone busy because we have two full casts so while I’m working with one cast the other has to be doing something else and it’s hard to get everyone here at the same time because there’s 53 of us,” Poe said. The Lost Boys of the Green Cast won an award for Best Ensemble for the Friday show. The Lost Boys are Peter’s closest friends and were played by senior Aster Ryu, juniors Erin Moran, Max Johnson and Damian Leverett and sophomores Siena Richardson and Polina Tamarina. “I went to see it on Dec. 3 and it was an amazing, intense show. I never expected that from Peter Pan! Definitely one of the best shows we’ve had in years,” junior Yasmine Panah said.

Montgomery

“Opening night was absolutely exhilarating because we had a red carpet and reporters and everything. It felt so professional and definitely boosted the cast’s energy before the show!” -Lexie Shoaibi, 11 PERFORMING TOGETHER ON STAGE, Peter Pan played by junior Nick Stone, his shadow played by senior Elliot Duffy and Wendy played by junior Meredith Bloom dance across the stage. The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan premiered on Thursday, Dec. 2. photo by Niab

(and actor & musician)

photo by Niab Montgomery

I composed all of the music for the play. It took me a month and a half and we were still changing things up until opening night. I was going for a modern take with a rockish feel and in the end I’m really happy with it and the musicians did a great job. I incorporated the songs “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne and “Back in Black” by ACDC for a classic rock theme. This was the first large-scale score that I’ve composed. I also was Curly in the green cast and played the music for the red cast, but composing was much harder. -Damian Leverett, 10

Montgomery

Clear Your MIND(BOX)

I am a composer

TRIPLE PLAY

The second scene of the play was about Wendy’s mom, Mrs. Darling, played by senior Hannah Menchhoff. Every night, Mrs. Darling clears out Wendy’s “mindbox”, which was represented by a laptop in the play, and puts everything in it’s place. The mindbox was a tangible version of her mind that her mother cleans out each night. It gets cluttered throughout the day, and each night, Mrs. Darling disposes of any inappropriate material. For the play, Menchhoff even created a Facebook page for Wendy Moira Angela Darling.

photo by Niab Montgomery

COLOR Code

what the lighting meant Red- Pirate Ship Pink- Pirate Ship when the Lost Boys take over Orange- Indians

Green-Neverland Dark Green- Neverland with Pirates Purple-Dream White-Wendy’s house

photos by Niab Montgomery

102 CLUBS

“I went crowd surfing in the dressing room” -Polina Tamarina, 10

9 102 Even Page

FALL PLAY

“WE WENT TO THE SILVER DINER AFTER THE CAPPIES SHOW TO CELEBRATE A JOB WELL DONE.” -Melissa Cockrell, 11

Job # 05024

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McLean High School The Clan Yearbook McLean, VA Page 144-145 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hitting it into the Greenâ&#x20AC;? The action in the dominant photo leads the eye easily into the copy while the poll incorporates students who are not on the golf team onto the spread. Finally, the outdoor photography and lighting alloed for the photos to help brighten the spread.

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“I had my second overall hole-in-one at the Liberty District Tournament. I knew it was a good shot when I hit it, and when I got up the hill I saw that it went in.” -Sam Nelson, 12

Hitting it into the

GREEN

golfers achieve their personal best

On & Off the BALL

The golf team members discuss how golf impacts their lives.

“I’ve been playing for three years and my favorite golfer is Tiger Woods.“ -Daniel Cardwell, 11

“We don’t practice after school so I still have time to get everything done.“ -Billy Heberton, 12

“This may have been our strongest team ever,” Coach Rick Eyerly said about the boys and girls of the Golf Team. In the six years that Eyerly had been coaching McLean’s golfers, he described the 2010 season as the team’s “personal best” in the District. At the Liberty District Golf Tournament, the team placed third behind state powers Langley and Madison. “We think we’re one of the better teams in the region, but only two teams can go to Districts. We’ve had a difficult time getting past Langley and Madison,” Eyerly said of the team’s challenges in getting to states. The season ended with two boys and four girls from the varsity golf team going to States. The team had a variety of players with different skill levels. A

Meet Your MATCH

majority of the golfers cited their parents in getting them started in the sport. “My dad was the person who first taught me how to play,” senior Sam Nelson, who ranked 2nd in the District, said. Despite the stellar season, the team did encounter some inconveniences. Their match versus Langley, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 14 at Reston National Golf Course, was cancelled after the golf course overbooked. The match, which was rescheduled for a week later, ultimately ended in loss. In spite of these setbacks, the golf team had little regret. “We’ve got the upmost respect for Langley and Madison, and because they’re so good, it’s helped us improve,” explained Eyerly. “We hope one of these days we’ll defeat them.”

I Scored a Hole in One

This was my second time at States, which were in Virginia Beach at the Red Wing Golf Course. It is a two day tournament and we complete 18 holes each day. On the second day of the tournament I scored a hole in one on the thirteenth hole. The hole was a par 3, so I got an Eagle, one stroke instead of three. It was awesome. Mr. Eyerly was next to me when I hit it off the tee. He couldn’t see that it went in at first, but when he found out it did, he was really excited! -Maria Lu, 12

photo by Kelsey Pence

“We accomplished a lot this season. The breaks just didn’t go our way.” -Harry Siggins, 12 DURING THE GOLF MATCH VERSUS LANGLEY, senior Harry Siggins follows through with his shot on the first hole. The match, which was held on Sept. 20, ended in a loss. photo by Mariam Jaffery

1. POSITIONED FOR THE PUTT, sophomore John Heberton completes the first hole at Reston National. After the first match against Langley was cancelled due to an overbooked course, the team met again a week later for the rematch. “If we had saved a couple of strokes here and there we might have made Regionals,“ Heberton said. photo by Stephanie Jarrett 2. PICKING UP HIS GOLF BALL, senior Sam Nelson scores a hole in one at Liberty District Tournament. Nelson had been playing for eight years, after being taught to play by his father. The Varsity Boys Team participated in this tournament September 22 and 23. photo by Rick Eyerly 3. GETTING ADVICE FROM COACH GEORGE LODGE, Siggins perfects his swing. The coaches often critiqued the players to help them improve. “It’s to our advantage that one of our coaches is a PGA professional and that he is certified to teach golfers,“ Siggins said of Lodge. photo by Stephanie Jarrett 4. BEFORE TEEING OFF AGAINST LANGLEY, members of the boys and girls varsity golf team, Eric Dindlebeck, Harry Siggins, Ally Crowers and Maria Lu prepare their score cards. They kept track of each other’s score from hole to hole. Langley proved to be a tough competitor, and was fourth place at States. photo by Mariam Jaffery 5. AT RESTON NATIONAL GOLF COURSE, members of the varsity boys golf team John Heberton, Nikos Pavlis and Harry Siggins try out different swings. The majority of their practice was done over the summer and individually once the school year started. “I started golfing with my parents, kept it up, and have enjoyed it ever since,“ Pavlis said. photo by Mariam Jaffery

“Harry [Siggins] and I have gone laser tagging a few times outside of school.” -Nikos Pavlis, 11

Poll In ONE

would you rather play pro golf, mini-golf, or Wii golf? Pro Golf 22.8% Mini-Golf 58.5% Sophomore Mallory Bryan plays minigolf over the summer at Old Pro Golf in Bethany Beach, Delaware. “It was a lot of fun, but I still prefer Wii Golf,” Bryan said. photo by Mara Corbett

Wii Golf 18.7% 171 students polled

144 sports

Varsity golf

“I am one of the four girls [from McLean] who made it to States. It feels awesome!” -Maria Lu, 12

9 144 Even Page

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“WE ARE THE BEST TEAM EVER BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE HARD WORK WE PUT IN.” -Eric Dindlebeck, 12

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Shawnee Mission North High School The Indian Yearbook Overland Park, KS Pages 8-9 “The Tribe Dance” This was the first page designed for our book, and one of the first designed by our student life editor, Tucker Love. It featured good informational graphics, and helped to set the tone for our book. It’s a good example of collaboration from different members of the staff - a brand new writer, fresh photographers, a new designer, and a new font designed by an editor.

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THE

TRIBE incoming freshmen spent their first day learning a new dance while becoming acclimated to North and its traditions

Binder in hand, freshman Ha-Vy Nguyen gets her class schedule before going into the Field House. “I was kinda nervous,” Nguyen said. “I was afraid of getting lost.” photo by tucker love

Arms waving to the music, freshman Meghan Love practices the Indian Flash dance in the auditorium with other members of the freshmen class. “The dance was actually really fun,” Love said. “We all got to be a part of something on the first day.” photo by tucker love

how to do the INDIAN FLASH

reason #

FRONT LAWN FLASH DANCE

cabbage patch front doors

end

ORANGE 1

running man

GREEN 3

lawn mower

GREEN 2 car wash

GREEN 1 sm indian

YELLOW 3

driving in the USA

YELLOW 2

YELLOW 1

fist punch

sprinkler

BLUE 3

motorcycle

BLUE 2

BLUE 1

wave arms

moon walk

RED 4

RED 2

move side to side

macarana field house

start

*GROUP

dance move

RED 3

stayin alive

RED 1

the rainbow

As she raises the North finger, freshman Diana Henriquez stands at attention during the Freshman First Day assembly. “I was nervous and surprised,” Henriquez said, “but in a good way.” photo by taylor gwin

we gon' light it up

I wanna celebrate and live my life saying ay-oh baby, let's go we gon' light it up

'cause I told you once now I told you twice

“I liked lining the hallway for the filming of the Dynamite dance because everyone got to participate.” scott johnson, freshman

“I was afraid that I wouldn’t have any classes with my friends.”

bailey conklin

like it's dynamite"

like it's dynamite

noah kaifes

ben burchstead

'cause we we gon' gon' rock go all night this club

gotta let go

ORANGE 2

freshmen relate their worries about the first day of high school

end of song

saying ay-oh

the Indian flash video was shot throughout the building starting at the Field House and ending on the front lawn at the end of freshmen first day

fresh THOUGHTS

to participate in what quickly became the school dance, follow these steps "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes

DANCING through the halls

lunch dock

s the day began, 417 freshmen entered the school cautiously. After nearly 10 years of elementary and middle school, high school was bound to be much different. Freshman Sawyer Ramirez put his hands up in the air and clapped, spun around and repeated, singing along to the song that would symbolize his first day of high school forever. Ramirez’s first day of high school introduced him to new friends and a whole new experience. “I loved the first day,” Ramirez said. “It was great, mostly because of the Indian Flash though.” The Indian Flash was a dance choreographed to the Taio Cruz song, “Dynamite.” Student Council officers thought a flash mob - a large group of people who assemble to perform an unusual act - would be a perfect way to bring a bit of fun to what could sometimes be a stressful day. Associate Principal Annette Gonzales was surprised that so many people participated in learning the dance. “It was excellent,” Gonzales said. “The student ambassadors that helped with the first day were outstanding. “The transition from middle school to high school is very important, and I think the Indian Flash really helped. I really think that the first days just get better and better.” Gonzales also thought that the students were pretty excited about returning to school. This was confirmed by freshmen Tanner Erb. “I was glad to come back to school and see all of my friends again,” Erb said. “I was pretty nervous to start high school, but the Indian Flash really made me feel a lot better.” As Erb and Ramirez clapped and spun around to the song, most of them realized that the next 4 years could be the time of their lives. story by timothy meyer

“I didn’t know if I would find anyone to sit with at lunch.”

“I was nervous to dance in front of everyone.”

freshmen first day

Shawnee Mission North High School The Indian Yearbook Overland Park, KS Pages 118-199 “This is Yourtown” The designer of this page - Kristin Enyart - was in her first year on yearbook staff, and didn’t start designing until halfway through the year. Almost immediately, she started doing amazing work, and this page went on to win an honorable mention in the national Jostens / Adobe InDesign contest in 2011. With a lot of natural talent on our staff we worked to allow everyone to be a part of the book, no matter how long they’d been there.

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student

senior Tommy Creach designed the entire Urinetown set, a majority of it was built by students in 6th and 7th block Tech Theatre classes

public amenity #9

entire set

chris palmer “I really enjoyed getting to know the students outside of class and was amazed by their creativity.”

olivia dawkins time spent building set: roughly

hours

materials used:

“It was a good experience. It was my first time working with Mr. Palmer and delegating people.”

In unison, seniors Garrett Holm and Layla Peach perform “Urinetown” during the dress rehearsal. “The best part of drama is all the different characters you can be,” Holm said. “Acting gives opportunities to be something you aren’t always.” photo by alexis reid

Forced against his will, Old Man Strong, as played by junior Dakota Jafferis, is hauled away to Urinetown by Officer Barrel, played by senior Justin Leslie. “Old Man Strong was a blast to play,” Jafferis said. “He’s just crazy off the wall.” photo by alexis reid With grime on her face, Suzy Go-Lucky, played by senior Sarah Hunt, sings “Urinetown,” the seocnd song of the show. “My favorite part of being on-stage is the rush of adrenaline,” Hunt said. “Trying to work with other people and keep character can be very difficult.” photo by tucker love

this is satirical musical explores what would happen if people had to pay to pee ouse lights dimmed and overture playing over the speakers, Old Man Strong, played by junior Dakota Jafferis, stumbled down the aisle. The rest of the ensemble, dressed in raggedy clothes and covered in grime, followed closlely behind him, all of them needing to use the restroom. Officer Lockstock, the narrator played by senior Tommy Creach, entered soon after. Welcoming the audience to Urinetown (the musical, not the place) he began explaining the current situation during the opening song, “Too Much Exposition.” For six performances, audience members were introduced to a multitude of characters and ideas as they sat and listened to the cast perform the opening number. A dark comedy that addressed the issue of water consumption, Urinetown centered around the people having to pay for the privilege to pee. The Urine Good Company, or UGC, owned the public amenities where people must pay to use the bathroom or get sent to Urinetown. Directed by Maureen Davis in the Margaret McClatchey Theatre, the small cast was comprised of 29 students. Sophomore Joel Steelman and senior Amy Hastings played Bobby Strong and Hope Cladwell, respectively, the two heroes of the show. “I love being a lead so I can set a good

example for the underclassmen,” Hastings said. As a sophomore, Steelman had never been in a production of any kind before. “I was really glad to be able to get involved and enjoyed being a part of the show,” Steelman said. During the auditions, Steelman knew he would be up against upperclassmen for the part. “He did really well in auditions and deserved the part,” junior Ben Johnson said. The show opened on Oct.14 and ran for five days, selling more than 1,000 tickets. Four of the six performances sold out and extra chairs had to be set up in the back of the theater. Following the final bow, the entire cast and crew worked together to put their costumes away, take down posters, and write thank yous to persons who contributed to the show. “I feel like we made the best of it,” junior Jeremy Evans said. “There was a lot of room to mess up, but we nailed it.” story by alisa watkins & tucker love

Tied to a chair, senior Amy Hastings as Hope Cladwell sings “Why Did I Listen to that Man?” while sophomore Joel Steelman as Bobby Strong sings above her during Act II. “I love the bonds that the cast makes,” Hastings said. “I love the people, the stage, everything.” photo by tucker love

reason #

“I auditioned because I had heard musicals here at North were an amazing experience and well directed.” joel steelman, sophomore

urinetown

Staples High School Inklings Newspaper Westport, CT Page 20, 1/24/11 “Teammates Beyond Staples Stadium” This page depicts the camaraderie and sportsmanship of the football team’s closest players, close enough that certain pairs of these players went off to play in college with one another. The layout tried to capture how tightly-knit the team was by featuring a pre-game ritual and by showing how particular players interacted with one another on the field. The content of the article provided a stellar profile of the unity of the team; the two sidebars put the information on the page in context for those who are not as well-versed in Staples sports.

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SPORTS January 24, 2011

PHOTO BY ERIC ESSAGOF ’12 NUMBER ONE STRATEGY: The Wreckers Football team strives off of their outstanding dynamic which contributed to its success throughout the ’10-’11 season.

Teammates beyond Staples Stadium JACKIE KERAMES ’12 Staff Writer

hester Pajolek ’11, Tyler Jacobs ’11, Chris Coyne ’11 and Pat Murray ’11 share the esteemed title of 2009 FCIAC Champions and 2009 FCIAC Central Division Champions as Staples football players. Their camaraderie and commitment to the team has contributed a great deal to its success over the past few years. Next fall when the 2011 seniors go to college, Jacobs and Pajolek will continue to be teammates at Amherst College. Likewise, Coyne and Murray will play alongside each other at Yale University. Although their positions are not yet determined, Staples football Coach Marce Petroccio is sure that Pajolek will be a quarterback and both Coyne and Murray will be on defense. As for Jacobs, Petroccio says he’s a great candidate for both offensive and defensive positions. Coyne looks forward to playing alongside Murray at Yale. He sees their close friendship as a characteristic that could be used to the football team’s advantage. “Going to college with a former teammate will definitely make our relationship an asset to the team,” Coyne said. Murray agrees with Coyne that their prior experience playing together will be a valuable quality. “It’s important that there is camaraderie on a football team, and Coyne and my relationship will allow us to contribute that trait to the team,” Murray said. Petroccio is thrilled that the two will be playing together and believes that their friendship will be a positive addition to the Yale football team. “Both players are extremely close; they care so much about each other,” Petroccio said. According to Petroccio, Coyne and Murray have always had “a natural dynamic” that he believes will stay with them as they continue on to Yale. Petroccio has positive expectations for Pajolek and Jacobs as well. Pajolek, who was quarterback of the 2010 season prior to an injury, is eager to begin playing at Amherst alongside a for-

PHOTOS BY ERIC ESSAGOF ’12 COLLEGE BOUND: Pajolek (no. 12) makes a handoff to Jacobs (no. 24) in an early season game against Norwalk. The two will continue as teammates at Amherst College. Murray (no. 9) and Coyne (no. 83) will continue to play on Saturdays in the Yale bowl.

COLLEGE TEAMMATES GO PRO TOGETHER

mer Wrecker and already has a positive outlook on the football season. “Playing alongside Tyler at Amherst is an exciting opportunity. Having someone who I’ve played football with for so long continue to play on the same team as I will make adjusting much easier,” Pajolek said. Jacobs shares equal enthusiasm for the 2011 football season. “I’m excited to get to work with Chester again. There’s definitely a strong sense of unity in Staples football and next year we will be able to bring that to a new team,” Jacobs said. Although Pajolek and Jacobs will continue to work together, they will be competing against a former teammate who will play in the same conference. Rob Gau ’11, who was recruited to Trinity College’s football team, will be one of Pajolek and Jacobs’ opponents during the season. Although Gau will not be playing alongside any high school teammates, he predicts that playing against them in the same conference will be just as fun. “Being able to play against Chester and Tyler is a great opportunity, and it will show how

hard we each have worked to get to where we will be,” Gau said. “I think it’s hilarious,” Petroccio said in reference to the competition. “The players have a special bond and now they have the opportunity to play against each other. It makes it fun,” Petroccio said. “It’s inevitable that they will play their friends, but the competition is healthy.” Although they will be competing against their high school teammates, Pajolek, Jacobs, Coyne and Murray have a rare advantage. Their camaraderie is a dynamic that isn’t grown overnight, but rather over years. “In football, camaraderie and unity are more important than how athletic you are and how strong you are,” Petroccio said. “Our best seasons have always been when the team has the best chemistry.” Petroccio characterizes this year’s seniors as one of the closest groups in the past few years, especially the friendships between Pajolek, Jacobs, Coyne and Murray. As the players move on to college, Petroccio is confident that this quality will get them far. “The fact that these guys care so much about each other, that’s what equates in to wins.”

New York Giants

New York Jets

Chris Snee #76 College: Boston College Drafted: 2004, 2nd round Height: 6-3 Weight: 317 lbs. Position: Guard

Joe McKnight #25 College: USC Drafted: 2010, 4th Round Height: 5-11 Weight: 205 lbs. Position: Running Back

Mathias Kiwanuka #94 College: Boston College Drafted: 2006, 1st round Height: 6-5 Weight: 265 lbs. Position: Defensive End

Mark Sanchez #6 College: USC Drafted: 2009, 1st Round Height: 6-2 Weight: 225 lbs. Position: Quarterback

INFO COURTESY OF ESPN.COM

MEET THE MASCOTS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS THEIR NEW WRECKER: Lord Jeff (above left) and Handsome Dan (above right) are Amherst and Yale’s respective mascots. Lord Jeffrey was a general in the French & Indian War and settled in Amherst, Mass. Handsome Dan was purchased from a New Haven blacksmith for five dollars in 1889. Since then, he has accompanied the football team onto the field before games and aided in the intimdation factor of the Yale football team.

Staples High School Inklings Newspaper Westport, CT Page 1, 2/18/11 “Staples High Unprotected” This front page demonstrates the staff’s ability to both investigate a controversial issue and localize it. While the layout made the article intriguing without editorializing, it also provided a statistic to verify the headline statement. The second article served to begin an article about curriculum change, and the picture broke up the text. The Briefs served as a message board of our town and school and teasers stimulated further reading.

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February 18, 2011 Vol. LXXIV No. 8 www.inklingsnews.com www.inklingsn new ws.com

InBrief

STAPLES HIGH

Staples Tuition Grant Applications Available

UNPROTECTED “Kids ages 15-19 account for a third of STDs in the

Applications are now available for Staples tuition grants. These grants are available to seniors and can be used to help with the tuition costs of their post-high school educations. Applications are due March 15. Financial aid documents that must go along with the tuition grant applications are due April 22. All applications can be accessed at www. staplestuitiongrants.org.

state of Connecticut.” –Kristin duBay-Horton (Director of Health and Social Services for the City of Bridgeport)

CAPT Testing Approaches For Sophomores

BEN REISER ’13 A&E Editor

ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of high school students in the United States had sexual intercourse in 2009. Only 38.9 percent used a condom. Says the CDC, “Each year, there are approximately 19 million new STD [sexually transmitted disease] infections, and almost half of them are among youth ages 15-24.” In spite of these statistics, Staples does not dispense contraceptive devices to its student body. “We do not provide contraceptives out of our office,” school nurse Elizabeth Russ said. “It’s not an actual policy that the district has; it’s just been historic.

The Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) for sophomores will begin on March 2 and end on March 11. Makeup days for students will be held March 14-18. All students should refer to the Staples High School website for information regarding the dates of each test, as well as the corresponding schedule modifications.

These types of policies are born out of community concern, and this has just never been a topic of conversation.” While Principal John Dodig thinks students should have access to contraceptives through the school nurses’ office, he said that creating such a policy “would have to be a collective effort.” Dr. Jonathan Sollinger ’86, a partner at Willows Pediatric Group in Westport and an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) fellow, believes that “restrictions and barriers to condom availability should be removed,” an opinion that is in accordance with AAP. “Schools are appropriate sites for condom availability, but this should be just one part of a collabora-

The Start of Spring Sports Tryouts All spring sports will hold their first practices March 21. All necessary forms must be filled out and approved by a school nurse before tryouts begin. These forms can be accessed from the Staples High School website.

Continued on pg. 3

PHOTO DRAMATIZATION BY ANNIE NELSON ’11

A.P. curriculum to stress depth in 2011–12 school year DANA RAPPAPORT ’11 Web Managing Editor Science teachers Michele Morse and Joel Kabak are allotted approximately 150 days to teach 1,247 pages of A.P. Biology. Social studies teachers Eric Mongirdas and Daniel Heaphy must cover 42 chapters of A.P. United States History in the same amount of time. Like all other Advanced Placement courses, these classes are essential in preparing for the A.P. exam in May. But in the cases of these two courses, College Board has finally recognized the need to revamp the corresponding curricula, effective at the start of the 2012-13 school year.

“I think the A.P. U.S. course has been struggling. Covering 400 years of history is almost impossible,” Eric Mongirdas, A.P. United States History teacher, said. Similarly, the A.P. Biology class speeds through each lesson in order to cover the information. “We do PowerPoint slides up until when the bell rings, and we do them every day, except for our lab day. I would say the information isn’t theory driven, it’s more how much can we know by the A.P. exam,” Caela McCann ’11, a current A.P. Biology student, said. Many students, including Dan Navarro ’11 who took A.P. Biology his sophomore year, find that teaching for a test is not effective.

LOOKING AT THE

issue

“I think that you shouldn’t have to teach for a test; you should teach the actual material that’s relevant,” Navarro said. Like Navarro, the College Board has come to this realization. According to The New York Times article, “Rethinking Advanced Placement” by Christopher Drew, the College Board’s plan is to minimize the amount of material that students will need to learn and shift to more of a focus on critical thinking. In effect, this will allow students to focus on larger concepts and ideas to help formulate more analytic thinkContinued on pg. 2

PHOTO BY MADELINE HARDY ‘11 PARTNERS IN CRIME: Michelle Lee ’13 and Danielle Egipto ‘12 work on a lab in period 2 A.P. Biology.

MICHELE’S PIES

FRESHMAN DOMINATION

New pie shop to open its doors on Post Road

Freshmen step up to the plate and are key players in many winter sports

Westport Youth Film Festival Deadlines Coming Soon The first deadline for submitting films to the Westport Youth Film Festival (WYFF) on May 13-14 is Feb. 20. Submitted films must be designated by one of six possible categories and can be submitted online at wyff.indee.tv/submissions. The final deadline is March 15. For more information on how to enter the festival or on the festival itself, please visit www.westportyouthfilmfest. org.

The Hockaday School Vibrato Magazine Dallas, TX Pages 32-33 “Behind the Stairwell in the Kitchen of My Flat” The playfulness of the poem strongly complements the artwork. To make the spread more of a unit, the student incorporated elements and colors from the artwork into the title – in a very settled and unintrusive manner.

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Meredith Gunn

You are in your pajamas, eating a banana, eating cold pizza, eating a leaf, with the lemon light spilling from the shelves. When you decide what time to lock the fleshy gates each nightto make a coyote in your stomach gnaw at the reserves-let me know. Now all you need is a pregnant coyote: dinner for two at 8-o’clock. Darling, if you were here, I’d try to whisper all those mantras with you in mindto lick your heart and feed you hand whisked cream. What happens when your head splits open against the counter and the bird flies out, its two notes deranged? It, too, will jump the sinking boat and seek the sky above your vortex.

Marching Away

Madeline Burch

All that a human is made of is gold, but you can’t get the skin thin enough to taste such very very little gold. So you scavenge. Imagine a frog, with legs of knives, sliding in your mouth, struggling. Why am I so afraid of nothingness, when you can hold it in your palm and pet it with grasshopper-fingers? My soul is a baby wolf, fat off milk and cheese.

The Hockaday School Vibrato Magazine Dallas, TX Pages 80-81 “Portraits of a Sidewalk” In the student’s opinion, the amount of detail and texture in the artwork demanded a quiet and serene page next to it - avoiding conflict between the two pages.

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Portrait of a Sidewalk in 1992 Alex Bishop

I wrote my name for the first time on a sidewalk. Words like bird, or book, or lemon came later. Sweet nectar of the alphabet dripped from my palms into dewy puddles—forming words, which drowned the hot pavement like a child’s melted popsicle in summer—red, and sticky.

Trees

Vivian Ludford

Once, I asked the giving tree to protect these words from the rain. To nourish them with soiled water like she did her children, the branches and the leaves. But, they too wilt and die.