Denebola, Volume 51, Issue 6

Denebola

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NEWTON SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

VOLUME 51, ISSUE VI

MONDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2011

Inside Denebola Pep Rallies, School Spirit Soothe South Students

A2

News Feed

A2

Pro-Con: Obama’s Plan to Pull Out Of Iraq

A3

Timberlake Brings Sexy Back Just In Time

A6

Spotify Stupefies South

A7

Katani Sumner Sings at the House of Blues on a Field Trip

A7

Boys’ Soccer Makes States after Seven Years of Drought

B1

Investigating the Lax Bro Culture at South

B1

After Successful Season, Girls’ Basketball Aims High

B2

Biking Proves to be an Above Average Way to School

B4

Florence + The Machine CD Review

B5

Student Visits a Chile Wrought with Protests

B6

Brehm Brings New Tech Perspective to district

B7

PHOTO BY RUTUL PATEL

Sites like YouTube and Facebook could be permanently blocked if SOPA or PROTECT IP pass.

SOPA and PROTECT IP threaten the Internet

By Rutul Patel and Ahaana Singh

The year is 2011 and Justin Beiber has been in prison for nearly five years.

Ok. Beiber is not actually in prison, but he could very well have been imprisoned had the Stop Online Piracy (SOPA) been passed years earlier.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 co-sponsors, in an effort to increase the powers of government agencies and copyright holders in the fight against online piracy, introduced SOPA on Oct.

26, 2011.

The bill, if passed, will allow the Department of Justice and copyright holders to seek court orders against websites accused of copyright infringement.

The bill would also force companies like PayPal to stop networking with and facilitating payments for companies that are accused of copyright infringement.

Furthermore, internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon would be forced to block access to certain sites.

But possibly the largest impact is

that SOPA plans to make unauthorized upload of copyrighted content a federal felony.

“I think I’m going to jail,” senior Jaclyn Freshman said.

Freshman, like many other aspiring musicians, uses streaming site YouTube to spread her music.

Freshmen makes covers of popular songs on her YouTube profile, www. youtube.com/JFLMmovies.

She has made cover songs of Lady Gaga, The Beatles, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood. If SOPA passes and she continues these cover songs, Freshman runs the risk of being

prosecuted for crimes of copyright infringement.

“What I do is a harmless activity,” Freshman said. “Something like that shouldn’t be censored.”

The supporters of the bill say that SOPA protects intellectual property.

They hope to bolster the copyright laws so that offshore websites upload pirated content, and make money from the content, will not be as prominent and the industries that revolve around intellectual property will keep more of their money.

This, however, is not the case

SOPA, continued on page A7

Grossack’s got game

By Divya Agarwal and Jason Yoffe

Teachers’ contracts finally resolved after more than a year of negotiations

By Daniel Barabasi and Mei Kasif On Oct. 26, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) ratified an agreement with the Newton School Committee regarding teacher contracts for the next three years, as well as a retroactive contract for the past year. The contract is still awaiting approval from the NTA Executive Committee, according to the NTA website.

Negotiators were discussing teachers’ health care and pay.

The pay-grade system has gone from 13-step system to 16-system, meaning that it takes longer for teachers to reach the same relative pay level as before.

The contract negotiations also led to compromise in the health care system for teachers, especially in the high-option Tufts Health Care insurance plan. In the current plan, incentives are off ered by the city for members to switch off the high-option plan. Under the current plan, however, members will be paying more for healthcare than before, even for less expensive plans as they pay less in premiums, but substantially more in deductibles, copays, and other charges.

“I think this contract should be taken in context of the current fiscal position,” science teacher and negotiating committee member Alex Kraus said. “If the economy

was better, then this may not have been an ideal contract.”

However, Kraus believes that the contract was a step forward for future negotiations. “I think it was a positive development overall in terms of the relationship between the [NTA] and the School Committee,” he said. “Both parties came to the table and were able to negotiate a good-faith compromise.”

History teacher and fellow negotiating committee member Jamie Rinaldi supports this assessment. “I agree the contract is a good and fair one,” he said. “[It] puts us in a strong position for the future.”

On the other hand, Rinaldi acknowledges that there

were many bumps along the road. “[It] took over a year to find a conclusions,” he said. “I certainly think the contract could have been settled in a shorter around of time.”

During the negotiating procedures, there were a number of complicating factors. In May of this year, the NTA released a flier that included details of the negotiations standings at the time, responding to what the association felt was a slow response. Before and after this event, the negotiations were done behind closed doors.

A full version of the contract is available on the NTA website along with the results of the initial vote on the proposed contract. A large

GRAPHIC BY TIM JIANG

majority of the contract, mainly the new health care system, will be implemented in December.

The NTA is working to implement the new health care system, as member will have to rethink their choices on the health insurance system based on the new options and costs available.

Members can choose between Tufts Low Option, High Option, or Harvard Pilgrim.

“We made great changes,” NTA president Michael Zilles said. “It will be difficult to implement. Our main concern is to help people understand [the new contract] and smooth out the hiccups in the program along the way,” he said.

At age 14, freshman Zach Grossack has never been on a plane. He’s barely been in high school. He has yet to even write his Romeo and Juliet paper.

But Grossack has accomplished more than many of his roughly 1800 classmates at his young age.

It started with him simply playing cards, with his family.

Today, Grossack’s professional bridge credentials boast 55 tournament appearances, and an offer to play professionally on a team.

Now, despite competing against opponents with an average age of 66, this freshman is rearing up for his first ever plane flight – to Shanghai, China – to represent the United States at the World Bridge Championships.

“It’s exciting,” Grossack said. “It’s not nerve-wracking unless you make it that way.

Yeah, it’s very exciting.”

When comparing him to the international bridge-playing population, Grossack is an anomaly. But among the Newton South community, he is merely pursuing a family hobby. His brother Adam is a force in the bridge community, as well.

A recent South alumnus, Adam is pairing with his younger brother in Shanghai.

The two represent half of the four-player team

GROSSACK, continued on page A7

Editorials A2

Denebola

5 December 2011

Barney Frank

After over 30 years of service, I will not run for reelection after my term is over.

Like -- Comment -- 4 days ago

Setti Warren Can I run now??

Like -- Comment -- 3 days ago

Board of Aldermen

Attention all Newton residents: The average Newton homeowner will have to pay an extra $247 in taxes next year.

Like -- Comment -- 2 weeks ago

Disgruntled Newtonite Dislike. Now I can’t buy my third iPad. Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

L-S Football Team

NSHS Football Team

Good season, guys. You guys played really REALLY well this year.

Like -- Comment -- See Friendship -- 1 week ago

Newton South Student .......not cool.

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

Pep rallies, school spirit soothe South students Many students think of teams generally perform If students choose to just sit the annual pep rally as a better when they play at quietly, the pep rally will be waste of time. We, however, home, why teachers recom- boring, so it is the students’ would encourage the South mend for students to take responsibilities to make it administration to plan more SATs and ACTs at South, entertaining. pep rallies throughout the why people sleep better in A large part of the student year. No other school events their own beds—people body is happy to have pep are as successful at uniting are able to relax and focus rallies just because they are the school. better when they are in a excuses to miss class, but Although the grades com- comfortable environment. some students truly like to pete against each other— To make South comfortable, learn and do not like to miss even if it’s an indirect com- each student needs to feel opportunities to learn somepetition to see who can score welcomed by the rest of the thing new. Pep rallies do not the most points against the students—especially by the teach academics, but they do faculty basketball team— upperclassmen. teach crucial interpersonal the grades also have skills. It is important to work together and to take breaks from cheer each other on everyday life for some All other school events to achieve a common relaxation and variety goal. in activity. are either exclusive to All other school School spirit in genone of two grades or do events are either exeral is an important clusive to one or two way to build relationnot generate the mass grades or do not genships with classmates erate the mass attenand is something that attendance that the pep dance that the pep South needs to show rally does. rally does. Furthermore of. For the most more, no other school part, sports teams do event promotes unity a good job of this, but within a single grade as well Many students will argue the rest of the school needs as the pep rally does. that pep rallies are boring, to follow suit. Most high Dances, cruises, and slee- but even though few stu- schools across the country povers all result in the at- dents actively participate, it pride themselves on their tending students breaking is an activity for all students spirit and have a lot of pride, up into cliques. Pep rallies, and faculty. All athletes know but overall, South lacks that on the other hand, feature that screaming fans make all attitude. South is widely coneach grade screaming as one, the difference in a close sidered to be one of the most trying to drown out all the game, making the student successful schools in the area, other grades. crowd—led by the Class of but this comes at a price: One important aspect of 2012—an integral part of the South is also considered to pep rallies is an out of the comeback victory over the be one of the most stressful ordinary school event fol- faculty basketball team this schools in the area. A great lowing it—for example, a past pep rally. way to de-stress would be Powderpuff game. Having Also, the benefits of the to have one day each month a pep rally, a unifying event, pep rall y outweigh the devoted to school bonding followed by some friendly downsides of missing class and spirit. competition tightens the and potentially succumbing To make South a combond between the classes to overwhelming boredom. fortable environment for and the individual students. If students make the effort, everyone, we need blue and It is absolutely necessary they can have fun and enjoy orange everywhere, monthly for each student to feel like themselves at the pep rally; spirit days, and a lot of comthey are true members of cheering on a team of class- petition between the grades his/her class and school. mates is nothing but joyful (yes, even f reshmen) and There is a reason why sports if one truly devotes oneself. faculty.

Join Denebola

Newton South Football Player It’s ok! We’ll get them next year for sure.

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

Senio12s

Juniors

Good effort, children. But W12S

Like -- Comment -- See Friendship-- 1 week ago

Senio12s K13O

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

Herman Cain

Some of you may have heard of the false allegations against me, but I want to assure you that nothing happened.

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

Newt Gingrich Join the club...

Like -- Comment -- 5 days ago

Tiger Woods Yeah. Club meetings are on Tuesdays and Thursdays Like -- Comment -- 5 days ago

Setti Warren

Angier Elementary

Happy birthday, Angier!! The date says you’re 90, but you dont look a day over 23.

Like -- Comment -- See Friendship -- 1week ago

First Angier Student I dont feel very young...

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

Newton South Boys’ Gymnastics Team

Who went from seven members to 17? We did!!

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

Newton South Freshman I WANT TO JOINN!!!!!!!!!

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

New England Book Fair

We’re excited to announce that we are under new management!

Like -- Comment -- 2 weeks ago

Librarian Oh thank goodness. I was worried that I would have to go to Barnes and Nobles for my novel fix.

Like -- Comment -- 1 week ago

All information loosely resembles the truth.

Please don’t sue us.

Opinions Denebola

5 December 2011

Opinions A3

Thankful for Thanksgiving I f***ing love Thanksgiving.

Seriously, it’s my favorite holiday of the year, right up there with Sky Awareness Week and Barbershop Quartet Day. (These celebrations actually do exist, just in case you weren’t aware of the sky. And hey, who doesn’t love a good Barbershop Quartet right?)

Thanksgiving, on the one hand, is a commemoration of our nation’s storied history.

We honor the brave European pioneers who successfully sailed the ocean blue, and we remember the good harvests of these men and their Native American neighbors- whom the white European men went on to oppress, rob, and kill. (If I learned anything at all from APUSH, it’s that the Native Americans were ripped off ).

By the way, for frosh who don’t yet know what APUSH is, don’t worry about it yet. Just stay focused on your big, five-

page history research paper in third term (lol how cute), and don’t write about William the Conqueror. Trust me.

The dude came and conquered; that’s it. You’re going to have to squeeze out some grade-A bull to pull off five pages about him.

Anyways, Thanksgiving is more commonly a celebration of all that we are thankful for: f rom erratic loudspeaker speeches, to Penn State’s adherence to basic ethical codes of conduct to Inigo Montoya finally killing the six-fingered man, to teachers who use Facebook (and don’t use privacy settings) and from Scooby snacks to James Earl Jones.

This holiday is a chance for us to honor all of these wonderful things. But let’s be honest. Thanksgiving is a time for eating turkey.

And, if you’re anything like my family, this means it’s our only chance to get back at

those wild turkeys that run across Dedham Street like it’s their day job.

Trader Joe’s may be running some great gourmet Thanksgiving specials on turkey, but nothing beats taking Pop’s old shotgun off the wall and bringing home dinner the old fashioned way.

Furthermore, these clueless birds (what part of my dad yelling in Russian and getting out of the car with an aluminum bat do they not understand?) are dangerous enough on the roads to merit them the superlative of Pedestrian’s Worst Nightmare ’12 (them or D-Shraybs…).

Simply put, a chance to exterminate these nuisances should not be passed up.

But hell, what kind of Thanksgiving would it be without some football, and boy, are we in luck in this department.

On the NFL side of things, I’m pretty much just going to

assume that the Lions are going to beat the Packers, purely because I cannot stand Green Bay—being undefeated and absolutely blowing out all opponents is the Patriots’ thing!

Though, to be fair, their success has kept Brett Favre retired… For now. I was thinking about putting my opinions on Powderpuff into this article, but I think I’ll just write all my thoughts out on my blog. Okay?

So pass the mashed potatoes, give some corny toast to appease your grandparents, and get some sleep.

Promise yourself (again) that you will get through all of your college apps and fail to come through (…again).

Or maybe, get started on that ten page poetry essay you have (Mr. Golding, this was NOT in the course description!). But yeah, enjoy your Thanksgiving.

I don’t actually have a blog.

Every day, tens to hundreds of people are arrested for illegally camping out in the city.

After expanding their tent city on Oct. 10, 114 people were arrested on that day alone.

How are arrests furthering this movement in any way?

The majority of the protesters are young people who are currently in college or are fresh out of it.

They think that protesting will lead to a better government for their future. While that may be true, their current actions can lead to all of their hard work being thrown away.

Living in New England, one would know the dramatic weather changes that occur

on a daily basis ultimately leading to colds and fevers.

Those who are camping out in this weather for what has now been almost two months are bound to get sick. Many protesters have gotten hypothermia and other chronic illnesses, yet they refuse to leave their grounds.

By camping out in the middle of the city, nothing is being accomplished. Yes, the protesters are sending a message, but it will not change anything immediately and ultimately they are the ones undergoing the suffering. With such an important issue at hand, real actions should be taken, instead of passive holding of signs. If change is really

wanted, the protesters should go out and make it happen.

The idea that this movement will change our country is fairly dumb and should be looked over once again.

As citizens of a country in

which free speech is guaranteed, we know that it is important for people to stand up for what they believe in.

Going about it in this way, however, is not the correct course of action.

By Dan Rozenblum

graphic by lizzie odvarka

By Allie Lushan and Ahaana Singh

Occupying Boston or just occupying time? and increased prison population correlate with higher socioeconomic inequality.

It has been argued that a growing concentration of wealth precedes economic boom-bust cycles which are associated with rising unemployment and falling incomes, and therefore a loss of social welfare.

As these effects are seen in the daily lives of many, it is extremely important to make the government aware of and diminish the astronomical and ever-increasing income disparities in our country.

But the way that the Occupy Boston protesters are handling the situation is accomplishing nothing.

Thousands of people gathered in Dewey Square in central Boston have ignited controversy. Beginning on Sept. 30, the number of protesters has increased by the days. Protesting the economic inequity and corporate greed of this country, the activists have been stubborn to leave their front.

For years, our country has suffered from economic inequality and corporate greed.

Negative social phenomena such as shorter life expectancy, higher disease rates, homicide, infant mortality, obesity, teenage pregnancies, depression,

photo from internet source

Opposing Viewpoints

The Obama Administration’s plan to pull out of Iraq is...

PRO: Beneficial to both countries

By Hattie Gawande and Tim Newton It’s probably best to go over the background of the Iraq war before we get into the nitty gritty, because former President George Bush and his cohorts did a pretty good job muddling the facts both leading up to our invasion and since.

First, to gain support for the war they told Americans two things: 1) that Saddam Hussein had nuclear weapons, and 2) that Hussein planned to give these weapons to terrorists to use on the U.S. They reasoned that if we didn’t attack ASAP, we were done for.

Since the invasion, many things have come to light, most importantly the fact that Hussein had no such weapons.

Either Bush had faulty intelligence reports or the intel didn’t exist.

In fact, a leaked British memo suggests that Bush and then British Prime Minister Tony Blair intended to invade Iraq shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Bush’s treasury secretary Paul O’Neill backs these accusations.

Furthermore, the idea that Hussein would give weapons of mass destruction to terrorists was ridiculous from the start. The power hungry dictator would never have supplied nukes to terrorists; it would have jeopardized his own regime.

Rather than giving up in light of this evidence, supporters of the Iraq war have changed tacks, claiming that at the heart of the invasion was Bush’s deep-seated desire to liberate the poor oppressed Iraqis. Not really valid claims,

CON: The wrong decision

Today, the government that seeing as Bush failed to show to pull out: the United States

By Andy Webber has come to power following similar compassion to victims literally cannot fund its military Let me start off by explain- Hussein’s deposition is not of the regimes in North Korea, endeavors in Iraq. We are in a able to govern the country Iran, Libya, Syria... the list financial crisis as it is; a with- ing why we are in Iraq.

Contrary to the insistences due to corruption and inefdrawal from Iraq would be a goes on.

With nothing left to ad- neat little cut from the budget, of many, we are not in Iraq for ficiency.

The American government oil. I’d like to reiterate that: we equately justify the U.S. in- one that could save billions. functions as its training wheels It’s easy to see where money are not in Iraq for oil. vasion, war supporters have We went into Iraq because and, by pulling out of Iraq, we contented themselves by argu- could be reallocated. Laying ing for continued occupation, off teachers? Stop buying the US government found would be forcing the country claiming that the situation is guns. Cutting Social Secu- evidence that Saddam Hus- to ride on two wheels. Withso dire that only anarchy could rity, Medicare, and other aid sein was building a nuclear out American involvement, the Iraqi government would programs? Sideline the tanks. arsenal. result from our withdrawal. implode, leaving the entire After trying to negotiate Let’s highlight a few reasons Can’t pay for school lunch why this is a fundamentally programs? Ammunition sure peacefully with Hussein, we country in a state of anarchy.

Some people may flawed assessment of argue that we are the situation.

Do you agree with Obama’s plan to pull out of Iraq? spending way too First, Iraq would not, much money and losin fact, be left all alone.

12% Not Sure Yet ing too many lives in Pulling out would fiIraq, and I agree it nally compel the mon67% Yes would be nice to not ey-flushed gulf states have to put our money to do something about into Iraq, but it is not the chaos surrounding ethical to pull out. them.

Imagine if someone Second, if we stay, came to your house, what would be an apburnt it down, and propriate length of then rebuilt the kitchtime for us to be Iraq’s en and decided that crutch? Would we ever it was too expensive leave? The only way 21% No to finish. How would the (relatively) fledgyou feel? We went into ling Iraqi government Iraq and destroyed it – is going figure out how graphic by karen weinstock and I mean absolutely to stand on its own two destroyed it – over the feet is by learning the invaded the country in an ef- course of the war. isn’t edible. hard way.

It would be completely The bottom line is that fort to make the Middle East No toddler learned to walk with the aid of pair of training withdrawing from Iraq means and the world a much safer immoral of us to pull out of a country in shambles, espeplace. freeing up funds. wheels or crutches.

In the late 90s, Hussein cially a country that we put in America has been in Iraq Finally, it is our fault that Iraq has such a serious terror- since 2003, and it’s clearly rounded up Kurdish Iraqis shambles.

I also concede, however, that in the North, put them into time we left. ism problem.

Iraq is its own country, and inhumanely small villages and there is nothing good about Organized terror groups, including al Qaeda, were not in it isn’t our duty to build them camps, and dropped mustard losing American lives. Our Iraq and had no interest in Iraq forts and help them buy guns and nerve gas on close to men and women in uniform are doing great work over in 100,000 people. until we invaded. Their eternal for their army.

Consider the damage he Iraq, not just great work for If we leave, we can do so hatred of us, coupled with the chaos we created by invading, much more domestically. could have done with weap- that country but great work for gave them both the motive and Right now we cannot afford ons of mass destruction. The all of humanity. Remember, the way in. Surely pulling out to be both a world superpower United States was not willing though, that these men and and occupy Iraq – it simply take the risk that he might be women knew the risk when would do less harm. they signed up to fight. bluffing.

There is one other key reason isn’t feasible.

Conversely, those killed by terrorists and civil war never had the chance to say no; they never had the option to stay out of the line of fire.

Our troops are fighting to defend those who have no choice. They are protecting the people who try to stand against these terrorist groups.

We are protecting the people who can’t defend themselves against the everyday horrors of living in a chaotic country.

These days, it’s impossible to ignore terrorism’s horror.

The Middle East has become a hotbed of terrorist activity over the past few decades.

With American presence in the country, Iraq has been cleared of terrorist groups who want to harm our way of life.

By pulling out of Iraq we are leaving a weak government to cope with the civil war between the Shiites and Sunnis and also the Islamic Extremists who would return to Iraq.

The first two countries that will be targeted by these groups are America and Israel – the only democratic country in the region and our ally.

For a very long time, Iraq has been causing trouble. An Iraqi regime has gassed their own people and invaded its neighbors.

We went in to stop a hostile dictator from using nuclear weapons to attack all who stand in his way. After taking Hussein out of power and destroying the country, it is our moral obligation to lead the rebuilding process.

Our responsibilities are not over just because Hussein is dead and no nuclear weapons exist. We have made it this far in the process; now is not the time to quit.

Facing the music Denebola

Centerfold A4

Nikki Caminetski

What instruments do you play? Guitar, bass guitar,

and piano.

How long have you been playing? I’ve been play-

ing guitar for two years... then with bass guitar, I actually started a couple weeks ago. With piano, I would say about six years.

Who are your musical inspirations? Taylor Swift.

How would you describe your musical style?

Cross-over pop and country.

Where can you be seen performing? On my youtube.com channel, NikkiCamm.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY NIKKI CAMINETSKI

Aaron Wolff

What instruments do you play? Cello, guitar,

and piano.

How long have you been playing? Cello’s

my main instrument; I’ve been playing it since I was four.

Who are your musical inspirations? Radio-

head, The Tallest Man on Earth, Matt Haimovitz, and Maya Beiser.

How would you describe your musical style?

I play everything written from 1600 to one week

Centerfold A5

5 December 2011

South Boasts Notable Solo Acts

Clara Lorant

South’s music curriculum enables school’s young artists

By Melanie Erspamer and Julia Spector Whenever you pass the orchestra or band room, you hear student musicians. At Tertulia, or during passing time they are playing their instruments.

Newton South musicians even have their own school concerts. Yet many feel that despite South’s wide variety of classes, there are not enough opportunities for their musical styles.

“South is a very academic school, but it’s a very artistic school. Musicians aren’t into school spirit,” junior Jonah Fisher, who plays saxophone, said. “[Barely any] students who don’t play instruments go to their concerts.”

Indeed, South, a school that presents many opportunities in academics and theatre, is thought by some to focus less on its musicians.

Certain types of musicians feel they do not have a way to practice their music at South.

Senior Daniel Sahleanu, a blues-oriented guitarist, believes that South does not have much to offer to blues musicians. “[Opportunities for musicians] are kind of narrowed. The classes are mostly about jazz and production,” he said. “I joined Mr. Squinobal’s class for Jazz Improv…but I’m not so satisfied with it because it’s not very flexible to other people’s styles. For just blues musicians, there’s not a lot of places to go.”

Senior Clara Lorant, who plays guitar, agrees.

“I think [South offers] good jumping-off points. But personally, I think the kind of music I really enjoy playing, I do by myself,” selfdescribed pop musician Lorant said.

Both Lorant and Sahleanu have had to work independently so that they can pursue the music styles they love.

Sahleanu created the Blues Club to make sure blues musicians had a place to practice. Any interested musician can join. “[The creation of Blues Club] was based mostly off of the feeling that there wasn’t a place for us here in school. When we play during that club, we feel at home there,” Sahleanu said.

Lorant, on the other hand, spreads her music through events like Teabarn.

“You have to find [opportunities as a pop musician]; you can’t just sit and let them find you. You really have to go out there and [be aggressive] sometimes,” she said.

Recently, Lorant played in Newton Lower Falls with friend Robin Shuster.

“You have to ask to play places and you gradually grow connections with people and the music scene at South and that helps you a lot,” Lorant said.

Despite South’s lack of music classes specifically related to popular music, the school makes an effort to promote student musicians.

Through after school activities and concerts, student musicians not only practice their music, but add to South culture.

“I think [kids who form their own groups are] awesome,” Fine Arts Department Head Jeff Knoedler said. “Those groups can’t help but be an extension of what they learn in school, even if it’s a student who plays in the jazz band but goes out and forms a rock band.”

Knoedler acknowledges that the school is focused mostly on jazz and classical music, but he still believes that opportunities for young artists who practice different types of music can be found such as the pit orchestra for the winter musical Beauty and the Beast.

The 27-piece orchestra will be the biggest since 2002.

Empty Bowls, an event where music classes and ceramic classes mix to raise money, is another event where student musicians can show off their skills in a school environment.

“I really think that we are looking for more ways to bring different areas of art together,” Knoedler said, “but I think we do a good job of cross-[promoting] our events and our exhibitions at concerts and things like that.”

Students are even able to create music digitally in classes like Music Technology and Composition.

In these classes, they can dabble a little in dif-

ferent forms of music than normally found at South, like pop and rock.

“We just renovated our music lab two years ago.

Kids are able to create music in their heads but also create it digitally,” Knoedler said.

Whether practicing inside or outside of school, Knoedler thinks that musicians not only enrich but are necessary to South.

“I think student musicians at South really are students everyone else can look for to see an example of what it takes to be excellent, and what the rewards are of achieving excellence in whatever you do,” he said.

Jason Squinobal, a music teacher at South for two years, believes that the classes offered present opportunities for a variety of musicians.

Although he agrees that the classes do not focus on some types of music, he thinks that the skills the classes offer are necessary to all aspiring musicians.

“Playing in my improvisation classes really gives you the opportunity to learn how to improvise,” Squinobal said, “which is the basis [for] all popular music; and then the music production classes really teach you how to create rock grooves, contemporary music grooves and rhythm parts.

“So really, the musicians who are interested here at South who are pursuing popular music really have many options.”

Like Knoedler, Squinobal hopes artists take opportunities offered because he thinks they are necessary to the culture of South.

“I think that student musicians add a dimension to South culture that would be lacking if they weren’t there,” Squinobal said.

“So I think South is unique in the fact that it has a lot of great performing musicians in school.”

Although some believe that South focuses more on other activities, the music classes, clubs, and determined students keep a flourishing music culture alive.

“I think musicians, as well as a lot of other types of artists, really show the South community how [creative expression] all comes together,” Knoedler said.

PHOTO BY ALEY LEWIS

What instrument do you play? Guitar and viola.

How long have you been playing? I’ve been play-

ing viola for 13 years, guitar for six years, and I have been singing for my whole life.

Who are your musical inspirations? Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Tegan and Sara, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, and Bob Dylan.

How would you describe your musical style?

Pop and folk.

When can you be seen performing? Most hours

of my free time in my room ... Teabarns, occasional community concerts, here, there, and everywhere.

Jaclyn Freshman

What strikes your chord?

Last month, Denebola polled 115 students online about the role South musicians play in their lives.

ago. It is all-encompassing.

Do you think South offers the right amount of music classes?

Do you play an instrument?

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY JACLYN FRESHMAN

Have you ever been to a concert featuring student musicians?

What instrument do you play? Violin, piano, and

guitar.

How long have you been playing? I’ve been play-

ing the violin for 13 years.

Who are your musical inspirations? My musical

Yes 54%

Yes 64% Other 9%

No 46%

PHOTO BY SIMONE GROPER

Yes, in school 45%

No, I’ve never been to one 27%

No, I think they should offer fewer classes 7%

No, I think they should offer more classes 38%

Yes, outside of school 20%

inspiration is a violinist named Kyung Wha Chung. What I love most about her playing is that she pours all of her emotions into her music, and allows the listener to feel her energy and passion.

How would you describe your musical style?

Dramatic, passionate, expressive.

Where can you be seen performing? Performing

the cadenza and fourth movement of the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 on November 20th at Carnegie Hall.

GRAPHIC BY VICTOR QIN

Arts and Entertainment Arts and Entertainment A6

Denebola

5 December 2011

Timberlake brings sexy back, just In Time

fortune, while the poor wake up hoping to have enough time to make it through the day.

The plot takes a turn of events when “In Time” is a movie of fantasy. Sometime in the near future, time replaces the timekeepers, those who make sure money as the currency. Everyone ages time does not end up in the wrong until they are 25 and then their one- hands, take all of Salas’ time away.

Salas has no option but to kidyear-clock begins. nap the daughter A person will The movie was compelling of Fellip Weis, then only live the richest man that one year unless they ac- with the general time concept; in the world and quire more time however, it sounded better in played by Amanda Seyfriend, to keep by either workhimself alive. ing hard or intheory.

Changing one’s heriting time.

If that clock turns to zero, however, way of life is never easy, and, in this action packed thriller, Timberlake’s time will stop and a person will die.

In this way, the rich are immortal and tenacious role proves that immortality live for centuries while the poor are driv- is good for no one.

The movie was compelling with en to begging, stealing, even killing other the general time concept, however, it people just to get through the day.

In a system not made for everyone to sounded better in theory.

This does not mean the movie is not live forever , Will Salas, played by Justin deserving of an afternoon at the cinTimberlake, works for change.

The rich have whatever they want ema, but the overall concept proved to though take no risks out of fear that be harder to wrap one’s mind around they will make a mistake and lose their than a typical overpriced movie ticket

By Jack Hooker and Josh Kaster

is worth.

Despite the fact that the plot clears up towards the ending, a lot of ideas are left to be guessed in-between the lines.

For those who would rather sit back on the couch and enjoy the movie, do not worry and do not change the channel: during a later point in the movie, all questions will eventually be answered.

Yet, the subjective idea of time being replaced with money leaves much for wanting in its back-story and developed dealings.

Overall, the movie’s unique concepts make it a film worth seeing, a rarity among the recent deluge of animation and romantic comedies.

Timberlake’s performance was not his usual “sexy back” character, and he truly made the movie much better than just the supplied mediocre script.

If you are looking for witty dialogue and colorful cinematography, turn away and never look back.

The only real pull of the film is its conceptual uniqueness and Timberlake’s

THE

GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR

Tugging her mother’s cotton sleeve, the elementary school version of senior Hannah Ewing pulled her mother towards their car, eager to get to the library as quickly as possible, before anyone else could take the prized ballet dances on those prehistoric VHS tapes. Though she had already watched them a million times, she wanted to again.

This day, however, the ballet tapes were gone. Sensing a tantrum, the resourceful mother quickly grabbed the first random dance videotape she saw, handing it to Ewing and praying that this different tape would satisfy the child.

Little did she know that this videotape would not quench her child’s thirst, but rather spark an enormous fire that would drive Ewing’s passion for dance to astounding heights. The tape was a recording of Riverdance, a famous Irish Step Dancing troupe, which rose to world prominence in the 90’s.

As soon as Ewing got home, she put the tape into her VCR and absorbed the dance moves performed in front of her like a sponge. After that, “I wouldn’t walk to places, I would dance to them,” Ewing said.

Ewing soon joined the Sullivan School of Irish Dance, where she still dances today, and kept feeding her passion for movement. Along with Irish

photo from internet source

Art Focus: Hannah Ewing

step dance, she takes ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop, and ballroom.

Although inspired by many people, such as the dancers on the videotapes, her all-time favorite performer is Alvin Ailey, who founded and still tours with the American Dance Troupe.

The energy and zeal Ailey feels f or dance is replicated in Ewing’s excitement regarding the troupe. “The fluidity and use of their bodies is insane,” Ewing said.

The drive to excel compels her to participate in many competitions.

Mostly, Ewing seems to compete with herself, admitting that this year she wants to top her seventh place standing in the New England Regional Championships for Irish Step Dance.

singer of a 90s boy band, “In Time” is a film worth the extra babysitting money.

PREMIERED OCT. 27, 28, 29 2011

BY NIKOLAI GOGOL

By Ramya Ramadurai

leading performance.

So, if you are one for somewhat thought-provoking media or the lead

Though Irish step dancing and the several other types of dance that Ewing participates in are both very timeconsuming and strenuous, she somehow finds the time to put serious effort into school and clubs.

Strutting through the senior parking lot in a leather jacket and chocolate

brown boots, Ewing makes her way to Art Portfolio or Chorus, or perhaps Photo or Songwriting.

Through these music and art classes, Ewing fuels her need for artistic expression.

She is also a vital part of the Environmental Club and enjoys the beauty of nature. Her eye for art, lines, beauty, and expression contributes greatly to her love of dance.

While for some dance is simply an extracurricular activity, it encapsulates Ewing’s life, an influential factor in her college and future plans.

In reference to dance as a possible career choice,“I think if I tried to pursue it as a career, I would lose photo by sophie scharlin-pettee

photo by jeff knoedler

my drive and passion for dance. I would rather teach others to dance,” Ewing said.

While a career in Irish step dance may not be on the table right now, Ewing is interested in art and dance therapy classes offered in college. She has also decided that she wants to major in either Special Education or Art Education, though she is unsure where she wants to go to school.

Wherever Ewing goes and whatever path she pursues, she will always carry with her a love and ability for expression through movement.

She will ride the waves of stress in life, always coming back to the comfort that the ebb and flow of dance provides for her.

Ewing has discovered what it takes many people years, lifetimes, or even generations to discover: that art and dance are freedom. Ewing strives so desperately to maintain in her life because of this, and respects their importance and wishes them in the lives of everyone around her.

She yearns to teach others and let them share in the discovery she has made.

By teaching, dancing, and exuding her passion, Ewing will continue to express herself and live her life to its fullest.

“I am, and always will be, a performer,” Ewing said.

Denebola

5 December 2011

News A7

SOPA’s possible implications

SOPA, continued from page A1

according to the anti-SOPA website Fight For The Future (FFTF). People that truly want to download pirated movies or view illegal content can access the sites by simply entering the IP address of the server that the website runs off of.

SOPA has sparked outrage amongst users of the Internet.

Some compare SOPA’s possible outcomes to the Great Firewall of China, the system that China uses to censor many websites and restrict the freedoms of its denizens.

“If this bill passes, I’d feel like a portion of my freedom would be restricted, “ junior Conrad Buys said. “I wouldn’t be able to stream games, upload videos of gaming to YouTube, or videos I take at concerts. A huge part of my life, which is documenting my experiences in gaming and music, would be restricted.”

Although many students aren’t as active on YouTube as Freshman and Buys, their actions on the Internet would still be restricted with the passing of SOPA. “I haven’t personally done

anything to stop the bill,” Freshman said. “But that’s because I didn’t know about it until recently.”

“I use YouTube to listen to music, to watch instructional videos et cetera,” freshman Gabryela Sinclair said. “And although I try to watch the official YouTube channels as often as I can, [if SOPA were passed], it would inhibit my freedom to use much of the online content that I enjoy and find it helpful.”

Many popular websites have also taken up arms against SOPA, AOL, eBay, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mozilla, Twitter, Yahoo, and Zynga have all sent letters to Congress expressing their concern.

Tumblr went so far as to replace its dashboard content with censorship blocks in an effort urge people to plead to Congress. Mozilla used its Firefox homepage as a poster reminding users to tell Congress about how to protest SOPA. After nearly a month of protesting and campaigning against SOPA, FF TF, and other anti-SOPA sentiment

A screenshot of Spotify, a free music streaming program.

holders have managed to kill SOPA. FFOF’s work, however, did not keep Internet freedom away from peril for long.

“The forces behind SOPA are pushing another censorship bill, PROTECT IP, through the Senate,” Tiffany Cheng, an FFTF representative, said.

PROTECT IP is a vague bill. The language is unclear, however, the Senate has opened the bill to amends.

Anti-SOPA congress members hope to remove parts of PROTECT IP that are similar to SOPA. The Senate is still in discussion over PROTECT IP. Whether it passes or does not pass, the landscape of the Internet will most likely be changed.

“A lot of our generation is known for viral videos and YouTube content,” Buys said.

“A large amount of that content is based in gaming. With [SOPA and PROTECT IP], you’d essentially wipe out all of that content. How can that ever be acceptable? To anyone?”

photo by rutul patel

Spotify stupefies South

By Josh Nislick

What if you could have all the music you ever wanted, for free?

For years, people around the world have turned to online music services which illegally distributes material.

Yet one company has set itself apart from the rest, spreading internationally as one of the most popular music services in the world.

Spotify, which was founded in 2008 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, has propelled itself into the American public with its revolutionary approach to music distribution: free music in a legal manner. This new source of free music has prompted Newton South students to take advantage of Spotify’s services.

What allows Spotify to offer unlimited, free music is the flow of advertisements across the Spotify application. Students can search for music using Spotify on any device that has an internet connection, allowing them to essentially listen to their music anywhere. Spotify also allows its users to make playlists of their favorite songs.

Senior Josh Rubin, who found out about Spotify from a friend, says that he uses

Spotify whenever he wants to listen to music at home. Rubin, who enjoys the free version of Spotify, is not bothered by the advertisements. “They are infrequent enough that they are not annoying,” Rubin said.

Junior Ami Kutzen, who also uses Spotify for f ree, agrees that the advertisements do not diminish the overall quality of the service.

Despite the many unique and useful features of Spotify, one of the drawbacks of the service is that free users cannot transfer their music to their iPods or MP3 devices. Still, South students use Spotify to listen to their music at home with their computers.

Rubin and Kutzen feel that Spotify has been gradually increasing in popularity at South. “People who use the program recommend it to their friends, and word spreads,” Rubin said.

Kutzen has also noticed that many of her friends on Facebook use this music service.

Some students even prefer Spotify to the music service juggernaut iTunes not only because of Spotify’s free songs, but also the increased amount of music it provides.

In addition to its offer of free music, one of the main features of Spotify is its role in

social media. The founders of Spotify wanted their company to make sharing and discussing music easier and more enjoyable for consumers.

In its July press release, Ek expressed enthusiasm when discussing the ability of Spotify to change the way people enjoy their music. “We believe that music is the most social thing there is,” Ek said, “and that’s why we’ve built the best social features into Spotify for easy sharing and the ultimate experience in music discovery.”

Spotify is not only changing the social aspect of music, but it is also offering a simple and easy way for consumers to search for their music. Rubin feels that Spotify has altered the way in which he listens to his music because of the convenience of the service.

“Spotify has made it much easier to find music as well as make playlists quickly and easily,” Rubin said.

In Spotify’s press release, the company summarized its feelings about bringing its service to America. “We’re massively excited to be here,” the company said.

Rubin feels the same way.

“It’s just a very good program that people like using,” Rubin said.

According to Regina Moody, Transportation director of the Newton Transportation Office, while there is “no way of tracking the number of students who do not buy passes…for the most part our buses are pretty full.”

The school staff randomly checks for these passes and takes note of the number of students without a pass who ride the bus. There have been various schools that have sent lists of students without bus passes, but according to Moody, they “have found the lists to be shorter than years past.”

When a complaint is filed, the department goes through three steps to checking whether

a bus is overcrowded. First, it checks the number of passes issued, then the driver records a head count for a minimum of three consecutive days in a row. The school then checks for the number of passes, and if the numbers that are counted match the number in the database, then the transportation department attempts to allocate space by adjusting bus routes.

The overcrowding on busses press serious health risks to the students. While many people claim that the busses are expensive, it is important for the Department of Transportation to keep track of student busriders to ensure the safety of the students.

School buses ready to burst at seams

By Robert Wang

High school students sit in the aisles of overcrowded school buses every morning.

The overcrowding is generally a result of a difference between the numbers of students the Department of Transportation tallies that ride on the bus versus the number of actual students on the bus. When the tally is less than the real number, the transportation system does not take action on this issue until it is reported.

Currently, the method of generating revenue and tracking the number of students in the bus system is the distribution of bus passes.

Sumner singing at the House of Blues.

photo by contributed by sumner

Sumner sings at the House of Blues during a field trip.

photo by contributed by katani sumner

Sumner rocks out at the House of Blues

By Wendy Ma

At exactly 9:10 AM on Tuesday, Nov. 15, a school bus full of students f rom South’s gospel choir, Harambee, and African-American Literature left for Boston.

They were looking forward to a day at the world renowned International House of Blues right next to Fenway Park.

There, they would listen to a musical presentation on the evolution of American music.

Little did they know, they were in for a huge surprise.

Katani Sumner, director of Harambee and teacher of Af rican-American Literature, snuck out back stage while her students filed into seats right below the stage.

Nobody in the audience was expecting Sumner to burst out into a lively blues song right as the house lights dimmed and the show began.

“I had no idea what we were going to see,” junior Selene Weekes said. “I was expecting some boring lecture.”

Like Weeks, junior Shafia Gray was not expecting Sumner to “belt one out.”

“I purposely did not tell them. I wanted it to be a surprise, none of the students had any idea that I would be a part of the program” said Sumner. “I actually sat in the audience with the students initially, but quickly slipped away and came in through the stage door in order to enter with the band.”

Sumner sang a variety of songs, from traditional African call and response chants to songs by current pop artist Mary J. Blige. “The field trip is supposed to be a musical journey through American History with an emphasis on the Af rican-American experience and the history

of American music, starting from Negro Spirituals through the creation of the Blues, right up to current day Hip-Hop and R&B music,” Sumner said.

The performance brought the audience to its feet, singing and dancing.

After the much loved performance, Sumner earned a standing ovation and thunderous applause.

“It was great to sing in front of my students as most of them, especially the students in African-American Literature, had never heard me sing,” Sumner said. “[It] was definitely one of the most fun surprises I have been able to pull off during my time here at South”.

Gray’s favorite song that Sumner sang was “Respect”

by Aretha Franklin. “The way Ms. Sumner sang it was really nice,” Gray said.

“I just loved [the performance], if this happened next year I would definitely go,” Weekes said.

Sumner has had a long history with the House of Blues. She began with the original House of Blues in Cambridge, MA where she served as the host for the Gospel Brunch from 1993

to 2003. When the original House of Blues was sold, the Brunch was discontinued until it started again at the new House of Blues behind Fenway Park which opened in February of 2009. “I am fortunate to be able to help out sometimes as one of the ‘narrator or singers’ for the International House of Blues Foundation,” said Sumner.

Sumner wanted her students to explore American history while tracing the history of the blues f rom its roots in Af rican musical tradition through its emergence as an American musical form.

“Ms. Leslie and I hoped that the students would take away a wonderful experience and new knowledge about the journey of African-Americans in America” Sumner said. “The field trip is directly related to our curriculum goals of learning about different cultures and how it relates to the overall American experience.”

What Sumner loves about the presentation is that it demonstrates to the students that the blues had a large impact on many other music genres including jazz, R&B, rock and roll, soul, funk and rap.

“Many people don’t realize that blues music reflects events in American history,” Sumner said.

After the field trip, Sumner gave her students a quiz to see how well they were able to take in and retain information that was shared at the House of Blues presentation.

“I would definitely want to go to something like [the field trip] again,” Weekes said. Since the House of Blues field trip was such a huge success, Sumner hopes to try another joint field trip sometime soon.

of mad and think, ‘why is this little kid beating us?’”

And he has served as a prodigious enigma for the past five years in bridge circles.

At first, Grossack considered playing against people around his parents’ age “weird.” But a combination of playing with and against his mother and gaining tournament experience have raised his comfort level.

“It’s weirder to play against young people now,” he said.

That doesn’t mean that his opponents are used to playing against young high school students, either.

“At first they say, ‘It’s so nice to see young kids playing bridge,’” he said. “It makes me laugh when we beat them by so much.

“I often think, ‘I hope you think the same thing after you leave.’”

According to the Boston Globe, in order to boost the game’s popularity among young people, the American Contract Bridge league has created a marketing depart-

ment and is targeting schools by offering free teaching materials and a stipend for teachers willing to teach bridge.

Grossack has taken up the initiative. “My goal is to get people into the game,” he said.

During J blocks every Monday and Thursday, Grossack runs the Bridge Club, a group he founded upon entering Newton South. He teaches through computer programs and informational handouts.

“It’s complicated at first,” Grossack said, “but once you get going, it becomes almost addictive.”

He is even taking another student from South to a sectional pro-amateur tournament in Watertown.

While it’s clear Grossack has made a name for himself through a family activity, he maintains that he doesn’t consider bridge becoming “his life.”

“I really just want to be successful,” he said. “I want to keep it as a hobby because it’s something I really enjoy.”

“It was great to sing in front of my students as most of them, especially the students in African-American Literature, had never heard me sing.”

—Katani Sumner

Zach Grossack, South’s bridge player

GROSSACK, continued from page A1

representing the nation across the world this summer – a team entering the competition as one of the favorites.

How will these siblings mesh on the big, international stage? “Sometimes it’s tough [to get along],” Grossack said about teaming up with Adam.

“Usually he’s very understanding and we get along well.”

Grossack, according to bridge’s masterpoints rating system that awards players points based on experience and success, has earned five times the number of points required to be considered a master in a mere half-decade.

Traveling across the country to numerous venues, Grossack has participated in a whole spectrum of competitions, including four national events.

He added that he generally fared better at nationals throughout his career than in other tournaments.

“My strategy is that if you can’t do anything, then you trick the opponent,” he said.

“Sometimes people get kind

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Denebola

5 December 2011

Denebola

Sports 5 December 2011

Sports B1

Boys’ Soccer makes State tournament after seven year drought

By Joe Maher

PHOTO BY JONAH SEIFER

Pawaful: Basketbumming

By Jesse Feldstein and Zach Pawa

Can we just say that we are overjoyed that we did not have to sit through a single game of (professional) basketball so far this year.

Other than track, basketball is the least qualified sport. It astounds me that it draws any popularity for several reasons.

First, the game revolves around the existence of fouls. Was it a charge or a block? I find myself arbitrarily asking again and again. It is ridiculous that the outcome of a professional sport is based on theatrical nonsense.

The last two minutes of a basketball game consist of a cycle of the following: foul shots, a timeout, and a commercial. Repeat steps one through three for 15 minutes, until you are let down by minimal action and dwindling excitement…then turn on the Bruins game.

This brings me to my next point.

Deciding between watching hockey and basketball should be a moot point. How can it be possible to dislike a game where two men can engage in official-sanctioned fights?

Furthermore, the sport of hockey includes legitimate highlights and a valid scoring system.

On the other hand, basketball consists of games with over 200 combined points, making the idea of highlights worthless. What makes a couple of those points better than the rest? People often tell me they enjoy the emphatic displays of athleticism, including dunks, alley-oops, etc.

Why watch a game for nearly two hours when you can witness the exact same plays with a click of a button on YouTube in 20 seconds? But you’re right, it is great to see Blake Griffin hang from the rim with his elbow in an utter display of originality, and win the dunk contest. Not that Vince Carter dunked exact same way five years ago. Or remember when he dunked over that sick Kia? Maybe we should put a car on a golf course and let Tiger chip over it, wouldn’t that be exciting?

Another aspect of this lame excuse of a sport is that players can demand more money when half of them cannot shoot a free-throw more than three-fifths of the time. How can we consider them the best in the world, and pay hundreds of dollars to witness their incompetence? Are these men not paid millions of dollars to make an uncontested shot from ten feet? I would be outraged if a kicker missed a PAT. Basketball, for some reason, doesn’t consider mistakes as crucial as other sports do. A player can foul an opposing team member six times before he is ejected from the game. This, of course, is for the sole purpose of stopping the clock yet again in the final minutes of games. A similar intentional foul in football warrants at least a five-figure fine.

Consequently, we have deduced that basketball deserves no more respect than curling in that it should only be viewed every four years when America dominates in the Olympics.

Never should we have to pain our eyes to watch such a silly event again.

We hope that the attempt this year to decertify the union and the refusal to negotiate signals a lasting riddance in the future. For now, we will have to be content with another Christmas filled with the bane of winter: basketball. We still encourage all students to go to the South basketball games to support our Lions.

Also, we want to personally congratulate Shonda Davis for her valiant display of gamesmanship during the 2011 Powderpuff event.

Coming off of its most successful season in years, the Newton South boys’ soccer team made it to the State tournament for the first time since 2004.

Despite their past struggles, the Lions tripled their number of wins from last year, finishing the season with a record of 9-8-3, and managed to advance to the second round of the state tournament.

“Our goal this year was to win twice as many games as last year,” senior and captain Peter Natov said.

“Once we did that our next goal was to make the tournament.”

The season was capped by a remarkable mid-season streak of six consecutive victories that pushed the team into the state tournament.

This year marks coach John Conte’s third year managing the team, and he has succeeded in carrying the program into the postseason.

“I hired Coach Conte to provide a coach that could change the program,” Athletic Director Scott Perrin said. “He has a different way of doing things.”

Senior Captain Miles Meth agrees with Perrin about the success of Conte’s unique coaching style.

“Conte created a program you have to buy into; he gave us everything we needed to win,” Meth said.

The program that Conte has implemented provides an element of stability to the team that contributed to the boys’ accomplishments.

“A coach that lets you know what’s expected and really runs the program is necessary for success,” Perrin said.

Perrin attributes the team’s prior struggles to a lack of team unity. This year, according to Perrin, the team “came together as a group and really gelled.” Senior Mike Duggan credits together and played smart,” senior this season’s achievements to an in- Andy Webber said. “That played to creased sense of team camaraderie. our advantages rather than forcing “By the end of the season,” Dug- our disadvantages.” gan said, “we had united as a team, alIn their first tournament berth in lowing us to make the tournament.” seven years, the Lions beat Barnstable This rise in 2-1 in their first team cohesion “The success that the game. stems from the With the score team had this year was knotted at 1-1 selfless environment that Conte because of the tools and late in the match, instilled in the Brooks opportunities Conte gave senior team. AccordRemy scored i n g t o M e t h , them to succeed, and they a thrilling goal this selflessness took advantage of that.” with less than required a “tradetwo minutes left —Scott Perrin off of personal to play in regulasuccess for team tion, giving South success.” a narrow victory.

This model of success created a The Lions faced Nauset, the thirdpowerful team. “We worked well ranked school in their bracket, in

PHOTO BY JONAH SEIFER

the second round but lost 2-1 in extra time. South trailed Nauset in the second half when senior Aaron Trachtman scored the equalizing goal with just five minutes remaining in the game. The team seemed poised to pull off a remarkable upset; however, Nauset scored early in sudden death extra time Despite the disappointing finish to the tournament, the boys consider the season to be a great success. “It was a successful season in the end because we made the tournament for the first time in a pretty long while,” Natov said.

Perrin shared the team’s admiration for their achievements this season.

“I am very proud of the boys’ soccer program and the direction they’re moving,” Perrin said. “The program goal is to now make the tournament

each year.”

Natov and Perrin are proud of the precedent that this season sets for the underclassmen, who, unlike Natov and Meth, have now experienced the higher level of play required in the tournament.

“This new precedent,” Natov said, “has changed from essentially losing all the time to now making the tournament year in and year out.”

Perrin credits Conte with the overhaul and success of the boys’ soccer team.

“A coach who comes in and runs the program is needed to have a competitive team,” Perrin said. “The success that the team had this year was because of the tools and opportunities Conte gave them to succeed, and they took advantage

Lacrosse’s image has evolved into one of relaxation, making people want to be a part of it. However, everyone interprets the lifestyle differently.

Many people have come to believe that a lax bro is someone who unnecessarily emphasizes lacrosse swagger.

“Too many people are focused more on the lifestyle,” senior and lacrosse captain Jon Katz said. “When they should really be focused on the game.” Katz did add that he loved lacrosse shorts, and will be growing some flow for this season.

This idea of playing lacrosse for the lifestyle, rather than the game, does not sit well with everyone. “Lacrosse has a rich history with spiritual backgrounds, and when I was young this was taught,” Athletic Director Scott Perrin said.

“The marketing of lacrosse perpetuates some negative aspects of both the lax bro and the game.”

Lacrosse is not alone in the idea of excessive style. Baseball, hockey, and soccer are just a few of the other sports where style is a big part of the game, especially at South.

Many have noticed this shift. “The growth of the sport has generated the culture,” chemistry teacher Alyssa Vachon said. “Lacrosse is a great sport and the culture comes with it.” Vachon’s sons all have interest in lacrosse and play during the spring and summer. “The lacrosse culture is

[based around college teams, which] open a new lifestyle to athletes,” Vachon said. “The crazy shorts and flip flops are just a part of it.”

Varsity lacrosse coach David McCallum deals with the pros and cons of lax bros throughout the entire season. His philosophy on them is simple: “If a player works hard, is dedicated, and shows commitment, the other stuff doesn’t matter to me,” McCallum said. “You could be a lax goth for all I care.” He is less focused on the effects of the culture than the overall game itself.

While the lifestyle seems appealing, there are some distractions that come with it. One major distraction, which is also a major safety concern that coaches have noticed is the removal of helmets during practice to adjust flow.

Whatever the public’s view of the lax bro is, it is essential to understand that when it comes time to get serious, the lacrosse player is capable of this as well. Lacrosse is a sport full of history; the lifestyle is merely a sideshow.

It is the game that lacrosse players are drawn to, one of great fluidity and speed.

Sports and styles are constantly evolving. There is nothing wrong with conditioning your hair to the perfect length, or rocking bright shorts, a lax pinnie, mid-calf socks, and a backward hat, as long as the integrity of the game remains intact.

Lacrosse attracts players with its unique culture

PHOTO BY JULIA SPECTOR

By Sam Houston-Read With the spring season comes the fastest game on two feet, lacrosse, and with it emerges an attitude, a label, and a lifestyle.

As a blanket of snow will cover Newton South soon, students are stuck to a toiling schedule of strenuous classes. With 15 hours of darkness, life can be tough during these forthcoming winter months.

However, eventually the snow will melt, grass will appear, the sun will come out, and so too will the lax bro.

“Kids start lacrosse for the lifestyle,” sophomore and lacrosse player

Josh Gordon said. “For instance, [they want the] flow; they just want to be a part of it.”

Flow, of course, is the unparalleled trend of growing one’s hair to a substantial length. This is not a requirement, but more laxers are getting caught up in the hype.

Gordon has not always had flow and says that it is “kind of a force.”

Once during a lacrosse tournament, Gordon witnessed an unnamed laxer who had hair grown almost to his tailbone.

“This of course is a problem with overdoing the lacrosse image,” Gordon said. He deemed the laxer’s situation, ‘overflow.’”

Denebola

Sports B2

5 December 2011

Macathon to have positive effects

By Noah Rivkin

For the second year in a row, players in the Newton South lacrosse program will be participating in the “Macathon,” a program that aims to keep the players in shape through the long winter.

Drafted by the captains, each Macathon team consists of about 1015 members who compete in events such as jump roping, bench-press, a 450-yard sprint, pull-ups, and the famous “Bald Pate Hill.”

Then, in March, each team competes for season-long immunity from Sunday early morning running. The teams receive points for each competition and the team with the most points is named the winner. “The Macathon has two goals,” varsity Lacrosse coach David McCallum said. “One is to figure out who is in shape and who is not and the other is to teach leadership and team unity to the captains.”

To the players, the regimen has a similar purpose. “It’s just a way that Coach Mac evaluates us on what we

be the weakling.” Carney, however, also looks at the Macathon from a personal standpoint. “I really do it as a personal test. My brother, [South alum Dean Carney], got the highest score on the team last year and I’m determined to beat him.”

The internal competition pushes teammates to work harder. “The Macathon brings competition between us,” sophomore and varsity lacrosse team member Jake Alexander said. “This is something that the team lacked last season. You need to compete with [your teammates] if you want to win.”

He went on to explain that the Macathon should be a key aspect in the team’s fitness coming into the season. “We really did not have a good season last year, and I know that basically the only way we are going to improve and get better is by being physically more prepared than we were last year,” Alexander said.

“That’s what drives me to go all out [during the Macathon].”

Alexander also hoped that the training that constitutes the Macathon would remedy some of the problems that the team faced last season.

“Last year, we had three freshmen start along with a handful of sophomores, and we had 15 juniors on junior varsity,” Alexander said. “One of our problems, frankly, was that we basically had boys going up against men.”

Carney also agreed that although it is hard work, the Macathon ends up paying sizable dividends for the South lacrosse squad. “It’s a motivator for the team to get stronger and fast enough to be a reasonable competitor with regards to our tough schedule in the spring,” he said.

Coach Mac has high hopes for this year.“The Macthon should have positive effects, and it will be good to see how leadership [from the captains] will shine through,” he said.

Over the course of the winter, the Lacrosse team will be going through the rigorous training regimen.

The captains expect that if everyone participates to their fullest, it should be a successful season PHOTO BY DAN KATS

have been doing over the offseason to get ready for the upcoming lacrosse season,” junior and varsity lacrosse team member Brian Spink said “We all get pretty into it because we want to beat the other guys and their teams, [not to mention] attain the bragging rights.”

Varsity captain Matt Roberts agreed.

“It’s to keep us in shape, and it makes us more competitive and more of a team,” he said. Roberts expects his team, which consists of Jake Alexander, Andrew Jonash, and Zach Carney, to be successful in the competition.

The Macathon is not all about getting the players in shape. It’s designed to help the players realize their goals, whether they are personal or team oriented. “I was introduced to the Macathon last year, and I admit I didn’t take it very seriously at first, because I thought that it’s only goal was to get in shape for the season,” junior and junior varsity lacrosse team member Zach Carney said.

“Coach Mac also uses it to weed out the weaklings, and I don’t want to

Carlos-less: Gymnastics looks ahead

By Zach Pawa

Throughout his Newton South career, Carlos Morales asked many students a similar question. He would ask,“Hey, do you want to join the boy’s gymnastics team?”

Last year, this dedication to the team began to pay off, as the Newton South Boys’ Gymnastics team added seven new members.

This year, however, the team lacks Morales. Many students wonder how the team will move forward.

Though losing Morales may be hard to cope with, the team is more than capable of overcoming that obstacle. “Carlos was the one gymnastics veteran,” senior and captain Doron Galambos said. “We’ll try our hardest to improve the team as much as possible.”

Morales has faith in his former teammates as well “I left the team with capable individuals,” he said. “If they apply themselves to the sport, [the team] can do well this season.”

The squad is in contention to have its first successful season in years.

Prior to this year, it had to forfeit some meets due to a lack of members.

This year, that will not be the case.

“We have at least 10 new students who are interested,” Galambos said.

“This year we will hopefully not have to take any zeros.”

The team is optimistic about its chances this year and believes it is ready to take on the best teams in the division.

“We may not be the best in the state,” senior and captain Thomas Adamo said. “This year, we will bring it and be some real competition.”

The boys’ gymnastics team is on its way back to the old days. “There are under 10 boys gymnastics teams in the state,” Athletic Director Scott Perrin said. “We have added to that, and created growth in a dying market.”

Two years ago, when Morales was the sole member, and the team has significantly grown since then.

Not only has the team set itself up for success this year, but for upcoming years as well. “We have a great group guys from all grades, and lots of underclassmen,” Adamo said. “We want to help build a good environment for years to come.”

Morales believes the team will only continue to improve with a core group of kids. “ With time and practice, the gymnastics program will be good again,” Morales said. “Little by little, current and incoming members will improve.”

According to all of the players, practice is a key aspect in a grueling sport like gymnastics. The boys believe they must be in peak physical condition in order to compete to the best of their abilities.

“Teamwork is the most essential part of any team,” Galambos said.

“We all need to work as a whole, whether it’s by gaining points during our meets or when conditioning.”

Similar to any sport, teamwork is crucial for success. Galambos believes it will be the deciding factor in the 2011-2012 season.

Adamo agrees, but believes some

PHOTO BY JONAH SEIFER

other aspects are crucial as well. “The key aspect for a successful team is just lots of positive reinforcement, teamwork, and training hard,” he said.

With all the excitement around the program, one must keep in mind that this is a new group of athletes, some of whom have never participated in gymnastics before.

“I’m not expecting perfection, I never did,” Morales said. “I only want people to do the best they can do.” While the team may not be in State championship contention, the athletes are confident in their abilities to put up a fight against our neighbors up north. “ We will surely beat Newton North,” Galambos said. “We were a point or so under them in States last year and we took a few zeros.”

Although Morales never achieved a huge amount of success while at South, he is optimistic about the future of the program.

“I was fully aware I’d never be around to actually be on the team with completely experienced people or ever actually win a meet,” Morales said. “Now that’s starting to become a reality.”

PHOTO BY JONAH SEIFER

After successful year, Basketball aims high

By Sally Stack After a record of 20-2, including a State tournament run, the 2010-2011 Newton South girls’ basketball team put itself on the map. As the new season quickly approaches, students and teachers alike are wondering how the team will overcome the loss of some irreplaceable seniors. The team, however, plans on staying positive and developing its current roster into a competitive squad.

Coach Sam Doner and Athletic Director Scott Perrin are equally optimistic. “We don’t really try to measure things in wins and losses,” Perrin said. “We measure the overall physical and educational experience.”

Doner says that the team has the same ultimate goals every year. “Our number one goal is to have fun,” Doner said, “Our second is to build a good work ethic, and our third goal is to teach [the players] life skills through teamwork.”

Despite the optimism surrounding the team, the graduated players have created a void that must be addressed.

The team had three invaluable seniors last year: Sophie Bikofsky, Kendall Burton, and Chloe Rothman. They were dedicated and had a strong passion for the game and after moving on to participate in college athletics, they have left behind a legacy of success for Newton South to fulfill.

The team is not too concerned about the loss of some valuable players to graduation.

The three girls all brought encouragement to the team, and they were very supportive of each other as well as their teammates.

“I think they had a lot of support from their parents and Coach Doner,” senior and captain Ana Horowitz said. “Also, they had selfmotivation and wanted to be the best they could be.” This helped the team by promoting confidence and laying out personal goals.

The team plans to build upon last year’s success. Because a lot of its players have graduated, this year’s group is very different from the team that made a deep tournament run in 2011.

The team plans on improving multiple qualities with the team upgrade. “Team chemistry is the biggest aspect,” junior captain Kayla Burton said. “If the team can work together, our chances for a victorious season

are much greater.”

The girls intend to repeat their postseason success this season, although the obstacles they need to overcome are intimidating. “Yes, we lost amazing players, but we have a lot of great talent and we work very hard,” junior Charlotte Levine said.

“We are ready for a successful year.”

Burton agrees. “They left a legacy and there can never be the exact same talent or skill,” she said. “We just have to work hard. ” The team is certainly prepared to sweat, practicing for two hours per day, six days a week, she said.

Although the girls are trying to stay positive, they acknowledge that they have some faults. One of the team’s weaknesses is its lack of height.

The players also need to develop their technical skills. “I think we need to work on our shooting, moving the ball, and communication,” Levine said.

Burton thinks that the team should focus on improving its defense. “We need to step it up,” Burton said.

Perrin sees a large amount of talent on the team, specifically in Burton.

She is the younger sister of Kendall Burton, and she is following in her footsteps by becoming captain. “She’s the complete package,” Perrin said.

“She can run, she can shoot, and she can pass. She has a very high basketball IQ.” People may think that the team is suffering, but the team views this skepticism as motivation for the upcoming season. “A lot of people are going to see this as a rebuilding year,” Doner said. “But we see it as a reloading year.”

Burton has great confidence in her coach. She feels that Doner can take any player and develop them into a contributing member of the team, which will be useful for integrating the team’s new recruits.

Coach Doner exudes a positive aura that rubs off on his players. “Coach brings a huge energy,” Burton said.

“It brings fans, and the more fans the more excitement, and energy.”

The Lady Lions have their work cut out for them with an abundance of new teammates and the loss of some skilled seniors. But the players, along with Coach Doner, have their hopes high for the season. With hard work and dedication they should be able to overcome their obstacles.

“I wish them the best of luck.”

Perrin said.

powderpuff

seniors 26, juniors 0

PHOTO BY JONAH SEIFER

Features Denebola

5 December 2011

Features B3

Popping pills for the perfect score

By Rutul Patel

It’s 7 AM on Nov. 5. Vincent*, a senior, is preparing his kit for the SATs. He packs a calculator, spare batteries, three #2 pencils, a brand new eraser, his ID card, the ticket for the SAT 1, and last, but not least, two pills of Ritalin.

Vincent isn’t afflicted with attention deficit disorder (ADD) nor is he plagued with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). He does, however, take Ritalin, a prescription strength medication for ADD and ADHD, to aid him in his test taking.

“I think if the test were shorter, I’d be able to manage just fine,” Vincent explains.

“It ’s just that [the test] is so long, I can’t help but get distracted.”

Vincent, like some other students, finds it “extremely difficult” to take the entire test without some sort of aid. The thought that he may not get into the schools of his choice or into schools that are “better” scares him.

While some students study and burn the midnight oil or spend thousands of dollars on SAT tutors, Vincent decided to turn to Ritalin.

“Before I started using Ritalin, my SAT scores were in the low 2000s, now I’m well over 2150,” Vincent said.

Although the jump may seem insignificant, it sets Vincent well beyond the par for the schools that he’s applying to. “I did this for a specific school.

I knew my GPA wasn’t the best for it, but my SAT score, I hope, will make up for my grades.”

“The trick to the test is concentration,” SAT tutor Beverly

Have you ever illegally used prescription drugs to help you in school?

94%

Crawford said. “If you can concentrate and get into the right groove, then you can blaze through the test. If you’re not concentrated, then you can get stuck on questions, over think your answers, or caught up in thinking about your weekend plans.”

To gain concentration, one can utilize many different tactics. “I advise my students to keep their pencils on the paper at all times. You see the pencil follow the words and you think about the words and not the cute girl/boy sitting beside you,” Crawford said.

A University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center study shows that ten percent of all college students use stimulants illegally at some point in their academic career, and many of the abusers get their doses from friends who are legally prescribed the medication.

“Most students who use their friend’s [medication] do it to improve performance,” said Scott Teitelbam, M.D., medical director of the Florida Recovery Center at UF in an article for news-medical.net.

“It’s like athletes taking steroids – the idea that you can study better, harder, longer, is as If you were hitting a ball farther.”

The effects of Ritalin can increase one’s test taking abilities like the way steroids increase an athlete’s performance.

Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant that works pharmaceutically by raising levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

It is similar, in that sense, to cocaine. Short-term effects include slight appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, personality

85%

change, and a higher level of concentration.

Clearly, there are many more negatives to abusing ADD medication than positives, but that fact has not stopped people from using them to get ahead.

“There is no question that the modern student is smart, and smart enough to go to a doctor and to tell them exactly what the symptoms are of a attention deficit disorder, to get stimulants.” Teitelbaum told the online newspaper.

These “smart” students can then either use the drugs themselves and potentially score better of tests, or they can sell the drugs and make a cheap buck out of them. This, however, is the equivalent of a felony drug offense. In many states, sharing prescription medication is the same as

photo by aley lewis

everything I do because I don’t the pills.” want to become dependent on Vincent is currently getting them,” Vincent said. “But I am good grades and uses Ritalin using them more often than I on an almost biweekly basis. used to.”

His average grade is a B+ and South senior Anna Wyner, scores the occasional A. He also feels the pressures of senior does not see himself as an adyear, but has decided to stay dict, but he does notice himself away from Ritalin and other using the drug more often medication like it. than not.

“Since I’m surrounded by Vincent denies any immopeople getting really good test rality in using the drugs. He scores and grades it’s hard to feels like if he gets to a top-tier compete with that if you aren’t college like MIT or Tufts or a good tester,” Wyner said. “But something along those lines, I wouldn’t turn to Ritalin to do then it wouldn’t be unethical, better.” nor would be too hard for Even underclassmen, who him. have not been exposed to the “I have difficulty concentratSATs, agree with Wyner about ing,” he said. “The pills help me not using stimulants to increase focus and do the best I can. I test performance. don’t think I’ll have to use the “It’s tempting if there’s a high pills in college because it’ll be chance I’ll get a good score,” different from high school. The sophomore Valeria Kottke level of work isn’t as intense. said, “but I still wouldn’t take South is very [hardcore].” *Source’s real name witheld for protection of anonymity

YES

15%

6%

selling illegal drugs and can result in jail time.

Massachusetts has its own code of conduct for Ritalin abuse. The offense is punishable by up to one-and-a-half years in prison and a $1000 fine.

“Regardless, the students who sell or buy the stimulants will have criminal records, which will eliminate them from the possibility of obtaining certain jobs.”

“The first time I used Ritalin was while I was taking SAT practice tests,” Vincent said.

“I knew about the legal [implications], but I knew what I wanted.”

Feeling the pressure to succeed, Vincent turned to Ritalin and now feels the need to use it for a majority of his work.

“I try to not use the drugs for

15%

Do you think it’s ethical to use these drugs for academic purposes?

85%

NO

88%

12%

If you had access to these Denebola polled 136 students last week to investigate Do you have access to these drugs, would you use them their abuse of drugs for academic purposes. drugs or medications? for academic purposes?

A daily dose of danger: Students add meds to diet

By Zach Pawa

The last bell of the day sounds. Senior Jon* gathers his belongings and begins the long walk to the senior lot, trying to remember the homework assignments f rom each of his classes. A paper for English, a history test, a chapter of physics notes, and a Spanish project — surel y a bit more than the average nightly workload.

Jon pulls into his driveway and makes his way up to his room. He pulls out his laptop from his bag and begins to write his English paper on a recent book he read. Half an

photo by jason yoffe

hour later, Jon is out of his seat, in need of a break. His eyes fall upon a familiar pill bottle resting on his bureau, and begrudgingly, with a swig of water, he swallows two pills.

Such drug abuse is rising among Newton South students. With heavy workloads, an increasing number of students have begun to rely on medications like Adderall and Ritalin to get them through their long nights.

These drugs are designed to help individuals who suffer f rom ADD or ADHD to maintain better focus in their lives. Students, however, can illegally abuse this

prescription medication to take advantage of the increased concentration which it provides.

According to teensdrugabuse.gov, of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 years old, 7.7 percent reported non-medical use o f p re s c r i p t i on m e d i c a tions in the past year. The 2010 Monitoring the Future survey confirmed that prescription and over-thecounter drugs are among the most commonly abused by twelfth graders — after alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco.

Jon has been using Ritalin to help him study since

junior year. “While I’m not dependent on the drug,” he said, “it is a huge help for school.”

Nurse Gale Kramer understands why some students have turned to the drugs to help them in school. “ There is a lot of pressure in the world today,” Kramer said. “Kids at this school want to achieve at a high level.”

Bill*, a Newton South senior, also uses Ritalin when he is pressed for time. “Some of it derives f rom school pressure,” Bill said. “It helps me focus in situations when I need to buckle down.”

The pressure to get homework done is driving students to illegally take unprescribed medication. This illicit activity speaks to the workload, as well as to the competitive environment, that South impresses upon its students.

“I think the administration knows about the use of [study drugs],” Bill said. “But they’re still not going to cut down on the amount of work that kids get.”

The drugs have become ver y popular among students in the senior class; their busy schedules and final push through the college applic ation process demand much of their time.

As a result, the later in the night students are awake, t h e h a rd e r f o c u s i n g b e c o m e s . “A l o t o f n i g h t s

I would be up late doing while from a college student things for college,” Bill said. he knows. The drugs are “Then I had homework, so I traditionally used more in college by students attemptneeded to stay focused.”

The school nurses are fully ing to cram before exams, aware that the consumption but now the medications are of these drugs is prominent. showing up more and more “ The use goes up around on high school campuses like testing times,” Kramer said. Newton South’s.

Despite the increasing us“There is an increasing drive age of these drugs to relieve to succeed.”

Yet these medications do stress, some South students not come without a cost. take these medications be“The drugs can cause cardiac cause they actually suffer problems along with countless f r o m A D D o r A D H D . other side effects,” Kramer Senior Ryan* uses Adderall to help him concentrate said.

Students, however, seem during school because he to ignore the harm. To them, has been diagnosed with Adderall and Ritalin are such a disease. He noted, miracles in a bottle. “While though, that he isn’t bothI’m aware that there are some ered by the fact that other negative effects, the positive students abuse medications effects outweigh them,” Jon like Adderall.

The consumption of study said.

Rich Cantrambone, the drugs appears to be rising at school drug counselor, dis- South, and pressure is one agrees. “Often times the drugs driving force behind this can backfire,” he said, “and increased usage. “The culture students don’t retain any of that South has created is the information they have one full of stress,” Bill said. crammed [while using the “Some kids are going to use drugs to combat this stress.” drugs].”

While medication should Students can obtain these medications quite easily, not be the scapegoat for which is one reason why they educational pressure, stuare used abundantly. “The dents view it as an effective drugs seem to be in everyone’s and accessible option for medicine cabinet,” Bill said. relieving their stress. As the pressure of school increases, “They’re just so accessible.”

The medications are also students are willing to comvery easy to find on most promise their health more college campuses; Jon just to keep up with S outh’s gets a bottle every once in a rapid pace. *Source’s real name witheld for protection of anonymity

Features B4

Possessing Powerbands

By Jesse Feldstein

If a curious teacher decided to look at the wrists of students at Newton South High School, they would likely find the following: a Livestrong, a watch, or the latest overpriced fad.

Fashion in a high school constantly changes.

Whether students sport Uggs, snapbacks, or even the up and coming corduroys, fashion is never finished.

Power Balance bracelets, the latest trend in adolescent fashion, are quickly ascending the ranks of student popularity.

These Power Balance bands are designed to alter and control the magnetic field of the human body through a miraculous hologram that can allegedly regulate this field. “[The band] is designed by athletes, and it works towards maintaining the flow of energy, strength, balance and flexibility in the body,” the makers of Power Balance said.

Whether or not this assertion contains truth is trivial because the neat bracelet is definitely maintaining the flow of a steady profit.

At first, the primary users of the bracelet were athletes.

Now, adults who require focus and even students searching for physical en-

hancements are sporting this wrist apparel.

“It’s just another bracelet to wear,” junior Mike Kuritnik said.

Three months ago, Kuritnik stole the bracelet from his brother, initially enticed by the sparkly appearance of the band.

“I liked the shiny inserts and the overall shape,” Kuritnik said. “I was also glad that I didn’t have to pay for it.”

Yet Kuritnik cannot grasp why the Power Balance is so popular, especially because he does not notice any of its supposed effects. “The retail price is criminal at $30, and I think it’s all a big scam,” he said.

In fact, his belief proved to be true as a little over a year ago when the company that created the band released a statement saying that there was no “scientific evidence to support our claims.”

Many of those who purchased the band, however, still affirm that the Power Balance truly does affect their physical performance.

But how can such a product gross over $30 million in sales over the course of two years be nothing more than a plastic placebo?

Senior baseball player Scott Reibstein was actually a part of one of the experimental trials of the Power Balance

Denebola

band at a presentation. Surprisingly, Reibstein found that the band made him feel more balanced.

With the bracelet on, Reibstein said he was able to maintain his balance when he was pushed.

“I could definitely say that I did not feel a difference with the strength of the pushes,” Reibstein said. “The shoves were both decently strong, and when I had the Power Balance on, I didn’t fall over. It was bizarre.”

Reibstein also mentioned that he used to wear a Power Balance until it snapped.

“It was too expensive to replace,” he said. “Honestly, the only reason I wore it was because of the way it looked.”

Similarly to Kuritnik, Reibsten believes the bracelet boomed quickly because kids simply like the way that the product makes them look and feel.

“They think it gives them what they like to call ‘swag,’”Reibstein said. “Hey, it’s up to them what they choose to wear.”

Who knows whether the Power Balance will last, or whether it will be transient.

Either way,the Power Balance represents something much larger among South studentsthe great power, not of the bracelet, but of the trend.

photo by aley lewis

5 December 2011

View from the top: The Gusmans

So apparently some people had better things to do over Thanksgiving break than to write this week’s View From the Top. Consequently, the burden fell to us as we received a phone call late last night from an illegally blonde and desperate Helen Holmes.

Love ya gurl!

First off, we’d like to address some questions that have followed us throughout our twinship: No, we are not identical. No, it would not be cute if we dated (Cutest Couple ’12?). Yes, there is a third Gusman sibling. Yes, our entire family has dimples.

And, most importantly, yes, we are both taken (shoutout to Geech, Seagull, and jgron.

What?)

Second, we’d like to apologize to our A-block teachers.

Who knew that school does, in fact, start at 7:40? Jake didn’t.

Third, you should all come see Madrigals perform a beautiful rendition of Xuan.

Mr. Youngman may have gone dateless in high school, but he sure knows how to throw down at old age homes. Featured soloist: Skylar Krug.

Now that we’ve got all our inside jokes out of the way, here’s some advice to you non-Senior boobs: Class of 2013- This is probably the part where we should start s**tting on you all, but considering the fact that Jake has dated half your grade, we feel uncomfortable doing so. Still, POWDE12PUFFZZZZZ (shoutout to Tiffany Jacobs).

One thing we will say, however, is that Sam HoustonRead is genuinely handsome.

Ladies, get on that. But not for semi. Because Mickie’s going with him.

Also, @NSHSGossipGirl, you’re hilarrrrr #nicetry2013 Class of 2014 and 2015It wasn’t until we started writing this article that we realized you existed. What’s gooooooood — here’s how to land dates as easily as we did: 1. Definitely go younger, whether it’s two months or eleven. Unless you’re the younger one in the relationship; then go older.

2. Stay focused and be relentless. Facebook chats, texts, and bed-side visits at 2 a.m.

ALWAYS work.

3. Buy a leather jacket. It says, I’m dangerous and ready for action. If you’re a guy, you better have an extensive collection of cardigans. If you’re a girl, Frugal Fannies and Salon Joie de Vie. 4. Go to Schechter. That place breeds hotties.

5. Get allergy shots. Just kidding that’s awful. Unless you actually have allergies, in which case absolutely get allergy shots.

6. Stay out of the senior commons.

Alright. We’re not sure what else to write…Here’s an excerpt from Jake’s Neuro Lab: “At the rostral end of the brain were the olfactory bulbs, which control the sense of smell, and just caudal to the bulbs, the olfactory tracts carry the smell information to the rest of the brain. Further HI JOSS caudal, projecting from the ventral side of the brain, were the optic nerves, which carry sensory information from the eyes to the rest of the brain.”

In conclusion, you can’t top this. There’s two of us.

Biking proves to be an above average way to school

By Josh Nislick

When freshman Adam Qian leaves his house in the morning, he puts on his backpack, then his helmet. Stepping into the bright morning sunshine, he mounts his bicycle and glides the half a mile to Newton South.

Qian is one of the many South students who regularly fill up the bike racks in the f ront of the school.

While most students take the bus, get rides f rom their parents, or dr ive their own cars to school, these individuals choose to get to school on two wheels.

Qian has been biking to school since the sixth grade and said that he rides his bicycle throughout the year.

“It doesn’t matter if it rains or snows,” Qian ­said. “I still bike. I do have to go through a lot of them, though, because they rust.”

Snow can prevent many individuals from choosing to bike in the morning.

English teach Bob Jampol, who has biked to South for decades, tries to avoid getting wet in the morning, though he is willing t o w i t h s t a n d ve r y l ow temperatures.

Freshman Elena West also braves the elements in the morning, choosing her bicycle over a car.

“I bike because my sister has [biked] since f reshman year,” West said. “She biked because my parents thought it would be a good way to get some exercise and avoid driving every day. Plus, there’s no bus stop near us, and we’re far

enough away that we don’t want to walk.”

Even West, though, accepts a ride f rom her parents when snow begins to accumulate because the conditions can be too dangerous to bike.

For some, biking to South offers convenience. “It’s a good alternative to taking a

bicycle in the morning is a faster and more convenient way to get to school.

In addition, Qian notes that he bikes in order to reduce his carbon footprint.

“Biking is better for the environment,” Qian said.

“Imagine taking a car ride just for a half a mile trip.

It’s such a waste of gas, and

effective way to transport herself to school, but she acknowledges that saving the environment is not her main priority in choosing to bike.

“It’s not the first reason; the first reason is that my parents usually refuse to drive us,” West said. “But I think that it is something

ing to school is a way to do it, even if it can sometimes be inconvenient.”

Qian believes that becoming environmentally aware and choosing “greener ” transportation options is important for South students.

West also thinks that reducing carbon emissions

car,” Qian said. “I live close to the school and [the ride is short]; [it] is only three minutes.”

Junior Wesley Yee, who has also been riding his bike in the morning since middle school, agrees that taking his

there’s so much pollution.”

Yee also cycles for environmental purposes. He says riding his bicycle, as opposed to driving with his parents, saves his family a gallon of gas every week.­ West views cycling as an

that I use to justify biking to myself, especially in the mornings when I’d much rather be in bed than freezing as I ride to school.”

“I do like the idea of personally reducing my carbon footprint, though, and bik-

would be great for Newton, but she acknowledges that for many students biking is not plausible or very unappealing.

“I think it ’s wonderful for kids at this school to become more environmen-

photo by jonah seifer

tally friendly, especially in Newton where most people have the means to take some measures to respect our environment,” West said. “ I t wo u l d b e g re a t i f people here could choose to take greener transportation, and I wholeheartedly support that idea. But I can also understand why people would be reluctant to give up their warm, dry, ride to school with their parents. It ’s just hard to think of the environment at 6:30 in the morning, you know?”

Biking can also provide some extra exercise for students. “I wouldn’t say that I bike to get exercise,” West said. “But it is a definite perk.”

Jampol enjoys the benefit of staying fit that comes with r iding his bic yc le every day. “I love to bike and I love the exercise,” Jampol said.

Whether students choose to bike for convenience, exercise, or the environment, there seems to be a lot of interest in this alternate means of transportation.

“It’s a growing trend,” Yee said. “I’ve been seeing more bikes at South every year.”

Qian agrees that cycling has become very popular at South.

“Every day, the bike racks are almost full,” said Qian.

“I can barely fit my bicycle into them, and I have to lock mine to a tree so it doesn’t get stuck.”

Jampol also believes that biking is rising in popularity, and he is excited about the influx of student bikers.

“And let the trend accelerate!” Jampol said.

Denebola

5 December 2011

Arts and Entertainment B5

Childish Gambino CD Review: Camp

By Charlie Temkin

In the music community, Donald Glover, known to many as Troy from NBC’s Community, goes by Childish Gambino, a name created on the WuTang Name Generator. Despite the name’s goofy lack of meaning, expect to hear it a lot for a while.

Recorded on the independent label Glassnote, Camp does not fail to meet a Gambino-lover’s expectations – each track offers another chapter to Gambino’s growing legacy, accompanied with unique beats.

Gambino’s smooth word flow creates the illusion that he has been around as long as ?uestlove, but it is merely his first studio album.

Last year, he self-released the album Culdesac and an EP, which established a cult Gambino following. Furthermore, his hit song “Freaks and Geeks” from the EP propelled him into mainstream musical stardom.

Camp blends a touching story of Glover’s difficult path to success while tackling the racism he encountered as a child, under the broader lens of his metaphorical experience at summer camp. He talks of being treated differently and the labels placed upon him as an African-American pursuing the American dream.

Gambino’s vocal talent makes his plea for racial equality even more

convincing as he slickly embeds it with other themes of his high school experiences. Gambino’s vocal talent is displayed throughout the album as he seamlessly varies tempo and pitch, toying with the listeners’ ears at will.

The best example of such vocal genius is displayed in “You See Me,” in which he rivals Busta Rhymes’ “Look At Me Now” for crazy-fast-rap verse of the year. His insecurity about romantic relationships pervades throughout this rapid-rap verse, which reflects the insecurity of his music career. Prevalent in “You See Me,” Gambino doesn’t want to be a rapper, he wants to be the best: “I won’t stop until they say that James Franco is the white Donald Glover.”

Like all forms of musical art, Camp should be listened to straight through. If in a rush, however, make sure to check out “Bonfire,” “Heartbeat,” “Hold You Down,” “You See Me,” and “Sunrise.” If listening to the album on a computer, keep Wikipedia open to help comprehend the analogies and metaphors that are packed into every line.

Camp is special; each song presents innovative style and complex wordplay. It is just one more example of why you should plan on hearing the name Childish Gambino for a long while.

By Helen Holmes

Coldplay CD Review: Mylo Xyoto

By Hayley Goldstein It has been three long, painful, and exciting years for the faithful Coldplay listener. Three years and endless hours of fan speculation later, Coldplay has delivered again.

Though by no means a masterpiece, Mylo Xyloto brings Coldplay to the mainstream circuit while still staying true to their alternative-rock roots.

Producer Brain Eno, lead singer Chris Martin, and the backing band experiment with more rave-tinged pop and R&B elements to create a concept album revolving around the ever-present theme of finding love in an oppressive environment.

A rollicking, “don’t let ‘em take control” kind of opener, “Hurts Like Heaven” (along with a few other tracks on the album) was first performed this summer at various music festival appearances. The studio version, while still very good, has an odd Autotune-y feel to it, leaving the live versions superior in that respect.

Track number three, “Paradise,” is a heart-wrenching dream of escape, complete with the band’s signature ‘whoaoh-oh’s and a string section.

The recently-released music video, which features Chris Martin dressed as

an escapee elephant trying to find his family in Africa, is beautifully shot, very funny, and works surprisingly well with the song.

The track “Charlie Brown,” was also premiered at music festivals over the summer. Immediately after its first public performance, the fandom’s general consensus believed this to be the best song Coldplay has ever written and performed; a “hear it to believe it” kind of song.

“U.F.O.,” a throwback to the acoustic sound of Coldplay’s debut album, Parachutes (2000), is just Chris Martin, a guitar, some strings, and a piano; a needed simplicity to the new raging instrumentals.

The final interlude, the jangly “A Hopeful Transmission,” is followed by the bombastic, fantastic “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart.”

Heart-pounding drums, brilliant guitar, and lyrics seemingly inspired by a movie’s final battle sequence works so very well.

Other than one or two real missteps, Mylo Xyloto has satisfied a fan’s craving for new Coldplay material and will most likely continue to do so for a long time.

Mylo Xyloto perseveres as a fantastic yet imperfect album that will satisfy Coldplay fans and further anger the haters.

Florence + the Machine CD Review: Ceremonials

By Sophie Scharlin-Pettee

Florence Welch, booming lead songstress of the increasingly-popular indiepop band Florence + the Machine, has matched the outlandish ferocity produced of her last album, Lungs, with the newly released Ceremonials. The love child of torridly-romantic lyrics and echoing instrumentals, Ceremonials continues Welch’s legacy of awe-inspiring music that rivals only her natural red hair in its brilliance. The album, released on Halloween, starts off strong with Welch’s solid vocals and the soaring back-up of “Shake It Off.” Following the dance-worthy first track is the album’s main single, “What The Water Gave Me.” A ballad made up of instruments that remains a spectrum untouched by this reviewer’s musical knowledge, continues the roots of Lungs, the band’s debut album. The choral riff does not tire out the listener, however, but keeps interest alive in Welch’s everchanging take on the same line.

Percussion and strings play a larger role than ever in Ceremonials, beginning the strangely upbeat “Breaking Down” and staying prominent throughout the song that, at its basis, details a panic attack.

Arguably, one of the best tracks on the album remains in the traditional Florence + the Machine style; track six: “No Light, No Light.” Welch’s overwhelming vocals overshadow even the strongest of backing instrumentals, with her impressive display of just how crazy her range is. She hits the highest of notes with an impossible preciseness and comes down with ease and an ability that

is nothing but a birthright.

Welch displays her capability to command heart-wrenching lyrics and add them to happy music; she takes painful concepts and provides passionate music to lift up the soul of the composition.

Welch creates agony and leaves beauty in its wake.

Devils, poetry, and the wild unpredictability of nature are prominent themes in the album’s lyrics and general affect.

Ceremonials preys on the weaknesses of humanity and weaves beautiful wordplay around the darkest of concepts, while still staying true to the band’s drowning musical background, composed of an endless array of instruments and various sounds. The actual range of backing is obvious in the fact that Lungs used elevator shafts as a background sound. Yes, it is that kind of music.

In the deluxe edition, acoustic versions take loud tracks and lower them to a calmer state while still sustaining the power each song holds.

Perhaps best described by the lead singer herself, Florence + the Machine’s music “[sounds] like [you are] throwing yourself out of a tree, or off a tall building, or as if you’re being sucked down into the ocean and you can’t breathe... It’s something overwhelming and all-encompassing that fills you up, and you’re either going to explode with it or you’re just going to disappear.”

Ceremonials is an album of magic, promise, and beauty and must be played loudly, proudly, and without pretense.

Ceremonials is Welch’s first and far from last masterpiece, and deserves to be treated as such.

The Fashion Files

PHOTOS FROM INTERNET SOURCE

It’s that time of year again — no, not Christmas, but thanks, Walgreens, for the constant temptation of Santa-shaped Peeps — the Republican Primaries.

Thanks to The Daily Show and a daily dose of slantwise-liberal babble from my enthusiastically Democratic parents, I decided to take an hour or two and catch up on my Republicans.

Hey, I figured, if I can vote in the next election, I might as well have some idea about whose ballot I want to punch. In summary of those few hours: I laughed, I cried, I went through long periods of staring at the screen in disbelief.

In all seriousness, the Lifetime movie channel should option a script about these characters, because these guys are simply too good to be true.

That being said, each candidates deserves an equal amount of respect and opportunity, no matter one’s desire to return to the gold standard (here’s looking at you, Ron Paul).

But of course, this column wouldn’t be my column without my scathing commentary on clothes, so lets get to it.

Ricky Perry, the 47th Governor of Texas, has chosen to paint himself as the consummate Washington outsider.

He’s quick to point out that he’s the one of the only candidates who never worked as a lobbyist, and he recently proposed a complete overhaul of Capitol Hill that involves cutting the pay of members of Congress and ending the tradition of life-long tenure for members of the Supreme Court.

He’s also possibly one of the only presidential candidates ever to forget particulars about his own plan whilst answering questions about it in a debate (search for the clip on YouTube and prepare to feel immensely uncomfortable as Perry admits that he “can’t remember… sorry”).

To me, even more shocking than his lack of short-term memory is Perry’s choice of dress shirts. His collars are a force to behold — towering, starched, and impenetrable, they mask his neck entirely and give him the appearance of a well-groomed albino vampire.

Perhaps Perry wishes to mask an embarrassing college neck tattoo? Maybe he was once kicked in the larynx by a stampeding steer?

The world will never know.

Expecting me to pick on Michelle Bachmann? Think again. Her campaign has far bigger problems than her wardrobe, but in the spirit of goodwill, I’ll relent.

If I’m honest, she’s a very snappy dresser: well done makeup, tasteful suits, modest-yet-chic business attire. Therefore, the outlandishness of her political opinions are somewhat shocking in comparison to her attractive and well-maintained physical appearance.

I don’t know anyone else who would attribute the outbreak of a disease to a Democratic presidency, and yet I continue. Admittedly, her vehement opposition to gay marriage is nothing new.

Take her recent appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; however, she’s clad in a modest black dress and heels, ready to discuss her new book. She’s trying something new.

Consider her occupation and her controversial views, and her deliberate appearance on a distinctly liberal TV show. The Roots, Fallon’s in-house band, decided to play a song called “Lyin’ A-B----” as she walked onstage.

Despite her controversial views and her questionable campaign, such flagrant disrespect to a presidential candidate is nothing short of inappropriate, especially when said candidate is making the effort to reach out to people of a differing opinion.

Bachmann was quite right in pointing out that “this wouldn’t be tolerated if it was Michelle Obama.”

Though the two women’s titles and ambitions are different, the message remains the same: candidates deserve respect in any medium, no matter their views or the setting in which they are presented. Besides, candidates are people too.

And to that end, no matter how much I mock Rick Perry’s collar or Herman Cain’s alligator moat plan, the fact is that one of them could very soon be leading our country, and thus, they deserve proper treatment from the media and the serious consideration of the American people.

Global Education Denebola

Global Education B6

5 December 2011

Student visits a Chile wrought with protests

By Liana Butchard

From kiss-ins to giant pillow fights, the students of Chile have gotten quite creative in the series of protests that many have called the Chilean Winter, a reference to the Arab Spring.

This summer, I saw firsthand some of the protests when, through the ICEP (International Camper Exchange Program), 14 other campers from the Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA Camp and I, plus two leaders, went to Chile for five weeks.

We stayed mainly in the cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, but also in the capital, Santiago, for a few days.

During our trip, we did many hours of community service, had eight-day home stays with Chilean families, and went on some sightseeing, including a trip to the Andes Mountains. At their local YMCA, we also met some Chilean teens, who gave me their own views on the Chilean Winter and the events surrounding it.

Since the 2006 March of the Penguins protests (so called because of the demonstrators’ school uniforms), unrest among high school and university students in Chile has grown steadily.

Much of the unhappiness with the high schools stems from the inequalit y of various regions.

Public schools are mainly funded by their local governments; the schools in poorer areas, therefore, are of much lower quality, and more expensive.

A majority of schools in Chile, furthermore, are at least partly privatized as a holdover from the days of Pinochet, Chile’s former right-wing dictator. This means that the wealthy have access to much better education, while the poor suffer disproportionately to pay for inferior schooling.

The protestors have demanded, therefore, in both 2006 and 2011, increased central government funding for the education system.

Starting in May (which is winter in Chile), the protests have ballooned, occupying between 50 and 100 schools in the Santiago area. They have also included many innovations that have garnered the attention of the foreign media.

Students march in a Santiago square in a 2006 predecessor to the 2011 protests.

“I am very disappointed with the government, because all of the things we are asking for are ignored,” Valparaiso teen Jorge Gardaix Salazar said. Salazar had attended the Liseo Eduardo de la Barro School, but stopped going in May, along with his classmates, due to the protests.

In response to the unrest, centerright Chilean President Sebastian Pinera created the GANE, an acronym that means “win” in Spanish and that stands for, in Spanish, the Grand National Education Accord. The July 2011 proposal promised more money for public education – yet protests continued.

Though students are the main force behind the demonstrations, some teachers have participated, as well.

One of those teachers is Claudio Vasquez Carrosa, who has helped

organize many protests.

“I really want our government to do something about it, as the country wants and deserves a better education now. I know it won’t give us everything now, but a signature saying yes to the future is enough for me,” Carrosa said.

After rejecting another of Pinera’s proposals, the students and teachers organized a massive protest on August 4 in Santiago in which over 800 demonstrators were detained and 90 policemen were injured.

Zoë LaRock, a student at New York’s Holy Child School, saw this protest firsthand.

“I think it was really interesting to see one of the actual protests after we had heard about them for several weeks. It showed us how much the Chileans valued education, and that

Chilean police, or Carabineros, mounted and on foot, form a line to contain a pre-2011 protest.

photo from internet source

photo by liana butchard

Chairs on the fence of a Valparaiso high school prevent non-protestors from entering.

they were willing to go to extreme measures to get these rights,” LaRock said.

The government’s third proposal

photo from internet source

was also deemed unsatisfactory, as it, like the others, made some reforms but left education largely privatized.

Over 600,000 Chileans, therefore, carried out strikes on Aug. 24 and 25 in locations throughout the country, a gigantic number in a nation of under 17 million people.

Hundreds were arrested and injured and a 16-year-old named Manuel Gutierrrez Reinoso was shot to death by a police officer.

A supporter of the student protests, LaRock saw firsthand the disruption they were causing to the nation: “As of now, many of the students aren’t getting the education they deserve. I feel like this should be put to an end as soon as possible.”

Negotiations between the students and the government broke down on Oct. 5, with the students claiming that the government’s proposals barely differed from the rejected GANE. The situation, therefore, remains unresolved, and calls by student leaders to “prepare for harsh times” suggest that they are willing continue fighting for as long as necessary.

Polls and the past suggest outcome of upcoming elections

By Ethan Epstein

As the 2012 election season approaches, the field of Republican presidential nominees is beginning to solidify.

According to a November Gallup poll, 45 percent of Republicans think Mitt Romney will be their party’s nominee, an eventuality that seems increasingly likely as his competitors, one by one, fall prey to various scandals and gaffes, the most prominent being Herman Cain’s entanglement in sexual harassment allegations and Rick Perry’s debate missteps.

Despite the weakness of his competitors, however, actual support for Romney remains low, rarely topping 25 percent in polls.

Republicans, many of whom are concerned by Romney’s apparent insincerity and lack of concrete positions, appear willing to latch onto any candidate who can provide an alternative to him.

Though most of Romney’s many challengers have collapsed after briefly enjoying widespread popularity, Cain maintains significant support despite the scandals erupting around him: a November Gallup poll found that he is tied with Romney for Republican support, each at 21 percent. Newt Gingrich, with 12 percent support, is also becoming an increasingly popular alternative candidate.

The poll, however, also revealed that only 21 percent of Republicans (47 percent of those who believe he will win the nomination) believe that Romney will win the presidency, indicating a surprisingly low level of confidence within the GOP base.

Romney, moreover, fares the best of any Republican hopeful against Barack Obama in straw polls, netting around half the vote in hypothetical elections against the current President.

The outcome of the 2012 Presi-

dential elections is still, therefore, very much up in the air, though Republicans will probably stand at least a somewhat better chance of victory if Romney is nominated.

Republicans’ fortunes are more assured in the House of Representatives, where they command a 50-seat

A recent CNN poll found that 50 percent of those a s k e d w o u l d vo te f o r a Democratic candidate, versus 46 percent who said they would vote for a Republican. majority. Democrats, therefore need to win 25 seats in order to regain control of the House.

If they were to do this, they would also probably have won the presidential race, since that would require less support than a victory in the House, and would almost certainly have re-

tained control of the Senate, giving them back full control of the legislative and executive branches.

Since 30 percent of previous House elections have resulted in a swing of 25 seats or more, the Democrats have, based purely on history, a 15 percent chance of regaining control.

Improving those odds is a recent CNN poll, which found that 50 percent of those asked said that they would vote for a generic Democratic candidate, versus 46 percent who said that they would vote for a generic Republican, which could be enough for a Democratic reconquest.

However, campaigns and individual personalities can heavily affect elections, and it is unclear which party would benefit from them. Furthermore, the GOP is in command of redistricting in many states, which could make pure percentages irrelevant.

Therefore, the Republicans are quite likely, though not certain, to retain control of the House. On the

other hand, while the outcome of the presidential race is highly uncertain, the Democrats are almost guaranteed to retain control of the Senate.

Since a Democratic sweep of all three institutions is unlikely, and a Republican sweep even more so, the most likely outcome of 2012 is at least two more years of divided government.

While it is still unclear whether the deficit reduction “super committee” will manage to find a compromise in the next few weeks, two more years of ineffective government will doubtlessly be bad for the American economy, as well as the markets’ perception of it.

As Greece and Italy rush to form stable, non-partisan, apolitical governments to right their economies, the failure of both American parties to seize full control of the government could trigger fresh anxiety about the United States’s ability to deal with its debt or invigorate its national economy.

Denebola

5 December 2011

Brehm brings new tech perspective to Newton

By Andreas Betancourt

Denebola sat down with Leo Brehm, Newton’s new Director of Technology, to ask him questions about his plans for technology use in Newton.

Denebola: How did you come to get this job?

Brehm: After 14 years as the network manager and director of technology for the Sharon Public Schools, I decided it was time for a change.

The Newton position then opened up, so here I am.

Denebola: Do you notice any similarities/differences between Newton and Sharon?

Brehm: Newton has similar educational and instructional values as Sharon. So far, I believe that Newton has infinite potential to excel in teaching and learning, particularly around the use of technology.

We’re also looking to see how technology affects instruction, delivery and access for students from K-12.

In the pre-K, they’re using ipads; I thought it was pretty neat how they’re using this technology to enhance their learning environment.

Denebola: Do you have any plans you want to implement?

Brehm: Vision 20-20 is a new plan that the school has put together over the last few years; we’ve been reviewing and refining it over the last three or four months to meet our goals.

The plan, in simple terms, is to build an up-to-date infrastructure to give more students and teachers access to materials. We’re searching for what’s called a learning platform, which we hope, will be the appropriate tool to facilitate the vision we have in mind.

Denebola: What do you mean by “learning platform?”

Brehm: A learning platform in our definition would probably be a cloud-based solution that would allow for students to review the day’s notes from class, answer questions or ask questions to peers and teachers.

Denebola: Are you looking for this platform, or are you trying to develop it?

Brehm: We’re trying to find a product that meets all of our desires, but currently such

a product doesn’t exist that totally meets our needs.

Additionally, we are looking for a program that will grow with the school district.

Some of our more immediate needs of an online program are the ability for our teachers to collaborate more easily and offer an online classroom environment to augment the regular classroom material.

An integrated program of that magnitude will allow students to have access anytime.

Denebola: Would the online classroom eventually be required for teachers?

Brehm: We’re hoping it will become part of the culture. We don’t know what it would look like, but that’s our vision; this is all based on Vision 20-20, more immediately that means we’re looking to prepare our infrastructure.

We want to provide enough wireless access so every student and teacher can have two wireless devices on the network at all times.

Denebola: What are the merits and deficits of the current technology system in

Newton Public Schools?

Brehm: Newton has an exceptional support and network team. The curriculum team, including the instructional technology specialists, is also exceptional.

The infrastructure and the people here are phenomenal; it’s been a breath of fresh air for me.

One of the deficits is that the infrastructure needs updating. I, however, think that’s just common to many districts, but is one of the things that needs to be done.

Denebola: Do you have any goals for changes you would like to make?

Brehm: Well, one of things we’re doing district wide is making sure teachers have good technology to use. If we ask them to do more, we want to make sure they have technology at their disposal that will do what we’re asking them to do. We’re doing a lot of memory upgrades, and software upgrades, particularly in the K-8 levels. So, the next thing we’re doing is focusing on students’ access to technology. To do this, we’re

looking at making sure there is an appropriate level of access to meet the demand of all our schools, particularly at the elementary level. We have many elementary schools that don’t have the amount of access they need to utilize technology and build the skills needed for the upper grades.

Another goal is getting a handle on what kind of financing is going to be needed to meet Vision 20-20.

Dr. Kofman and myself are working diligently to come up with a good plan to get this started for the rest of the school year.

Denebola: Since you’ve had this job, what changes have been made?

Brehm: We have started the updates to all the teacher laptops and we have started cleaning up our administrator websites.

We have a new administrator who is cleaning up a lot of code and making sure that’s easy to update and maintain and get information more fluidly from administration to the website.

We’ve continued to roll out

News B7

GoogleDocs and train staff district wide. That’s all in the works right now.

We’ve been updating all of the student machines in the district so that the Intel based machines will have at least 2 GB of memory and running 10.6 hopefully by the midyear.

Denebola: What do you hope these changes will do for students and student learning in the long run?

Brehm: We’re hoping to lower the number of operating systems we need to support and keep it up to date, so you can have more up to date software whenever you need it.

That will give you quicker access to things like GoogleDocs, Youtube, or any digital resources provided by the library.

We want to keep up with technology, if not on the cutting edge so we can take advantage of what new things technology has to offer.

Doing that will create a culture with out staff so they can trust and depend on that technology to be up to date and current, using it more fluidly in their instruction.

Barnes and Nobles capitalizes on Borders’ lack of success

Electronic means of reading literature is one of the reasons book stores are closing.

By Joshua Carney

On Feb. 16, 2011, Borders Bookstores, one of the top retail bookstores nationally, filed for bankruptcy protection.

The 40-year old chain operated 650 stores, including 500 super stores, and employed 19,000 people. In early February, Borders closed 200 stores.

By the end of the summer, half the chain was gone. Currently,

Borders is not operating any stores in Massachusetts.

The bankruptcy of Borders will not have many effects on Newton South, but it will still leave a void in the Newton community. “We have vendors who cater to school libraries, who understand our budget constraints and can give us discounts,” Ethel Downey, one of Newton South’s librarians said. The closing of one

photo by aley lewis

of the largest retail chains in the United States has led to a narrow field of competition for this industry.

Barnes and Nobles has been able to capitalize on the Borders bankruptcy; “I go to Barnes and Nobles near where I live and I used to go to independent book stores, but they’re not there anymore,” Marnie Bolstad, a Newton South’s librarian, said.

The bookselling giant is the only national retail store of its kind, but it still has some competitors. “It competes directly online with Amazon, and I think Amazon is the bigger player online. But as far as large retail stores, Barnes and Nobles is probably the dominant one,” Bolstad said.

Thousands of college students nationwide get their textbooks and various supplies at Barnes and Nobles. As the first ever bookstore to open in the United States, Barnes and Nobles is now affiliated with over 600 different schools of higher education.

There are positive and negative perspectives on having a Barnes and Nobles store on campus. “It subjects students to the marketing of that bookstore, but they have more pleasure reading available to them. It does push more of the independent type book stores out the door because they can’t compete,” Bolstad said.

Barnes and Nobles is not alone, especially on college campuses where there are still many local competitors, which will not make Barnes and Nobles the most affordable choice.

“If there’s a need for another

competitor, somebody is going to step into that market. At least I hope they do. Plus most college students are pretty savvy at finding the cheapest books and supplies, so I think some company would step in and fill that space,” Downey said.

The rates of reading for pleasure will feel the biggest impact that this epidemic will have on Newton South High School students. “For f ree reading, I am hoping students get their books from a school library or a public library,” Downey said.

But, many students do have a preference; “I prefer Barnes and Nobles because it has a Starbucks in it,” sophomore Annabel Epstein said.

Av i d re a d e r s , i n c l u d ing those of The New York Times, believe that the advancements in e-reading technolog y hindered the success of Borders.

The major corporation did not have its own e-reader; it sold e-readers made by Amazon, Samsung, and many other companies. Barnes and Nobles is having great success with their e-reader, the Nook.

The Nook is one of the few

touch screen e-readers in color on the market. The advancements and growing popularity, in digital and electronic books, is an entirely different division of Barnes and Nobles, a component that Borders barely had.

There is a heated debate nationwide that shows itself in Newton about the advancements of the industry. “I think the market is starting to shift that way, definitely more textbook companies are producing digitized books.

“For pleasure reading, many people still like being able to hold a book. I don’t see the digitized format for a long time replacing books,” Downey said.

Many people still purchase hardcopies of books; however, with the print industry morphing into the digitized book industry over the past three years, Borders was not able to keep up. Borders’ inability to stake a place in the e-reading market also harmed them.

It’s becoming a difficult market for bookstores. “If you look on public transportation for instance, and look what people are carrying, they’re carrying their e-readers,” Bolstad said.

Seniors plan on enlisting in armed forces rather than attending full-time college

By Astha Agarwal

Next fall, when most seniors will be in college writing essays into the early hours of the morning, senior Roy Milstein will be learning to fly a plane, preparing to fight in the Israeli air force. Milstein, along with a few other South seniors, is pursuing a program that will allow him to defend his country while completing his college education. After seven years of alternating between attending classes and participating in paid training at the Israeli Air Force Flight Academy, Milstein will not only be ready to pursue a career in the Israeli Air Force, but will also hold a Bachelor of Arts degree.

“After those seven years, I know I’ll have a complete future ahead of me, if I want to be a pilot. After completing the pilot course, you have a wide variety of options,” Milstein said.

Milstein, however, believes he has much preparation and effort to make before he begins training. “The Air Force program is one of the hardest one to get into, and that’s what I’m going for,” he said. In order to be accepted into the program, Milstein must pass several tests at the Air Force center in New York after turning 18 years old. He will then receive a list of courses he is eligible

for which will determine his ability to participate in the air force.

If accepted, Milstein will attend the academy five days a week, with weekends off. His biggest motivation for joining the Israeli military is to reunite with his friends and family who live there.

“All my family is in Israel, the only way I can be in Israel is by joining the military. I’d have to go through a lot of processes to [visit Israel and] not be in the military,” he said.

He has also been inspired by several of his older friends in Israel, who have trained for the military and are currently defending the country.

However, Milstein believes that his experience will not be completely different from those of other college students.

In fact, Milstein is applying to colleges in the U.S. as well, and must go through the regular college application process that other South students face.

“It’s just like going to college, but training in the Air Force,” Milstein said.

Senior Andy Webber is pursuing a similar training, but rather than the air force, Webber is looking to join the U.S. Marines.

Next fall, he will be attending a regular American university, which offers the program.

Webber is considering applying to Tulane University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Texas.

Starting his sophomore year in college, Webber will begin training in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps or the Marine Primary Leadership Course. As Webber will be training for a few hours after

school every day, he isn’t worried about the daily time commitment. “It’s a lot like doing a sport after school, but much more specialized,” Webber said. However, the long-term aspect of the program concerns him. “The main apprehension I have is the fact that it’s a six-year commitment, and it would be [during] a very important part

of my life, [from about] age 22 to 28. A very major part of my life would be given to the Marines.”

Webber looks forward to serving his country at a young age, as well as to the friendships he will make during his time during training. “I’m really excited to see who I’ll meet there, [because] they’re

Milstein (left) and Webber (right) plan to go into training for the armed services next year.

unlike any other friend I’ll [ever] meet–like life brothers,” Webber said.

Both Webber and Milstein agree that they will be participating in an experience unlike any other they’ve ever had.

“It feels awesome–when they’re going to be studying, I’m going to be flying a plane,” Milstein said.

photo by aley lewis

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Denebola

5 December 2011