Denebola
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Boston, MA Permit Number 54523
www.denebolaonline.net
d
Newton South High School
Volume 51, Issue IV
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sophomores start SWAG
Inside Denebola A New Era For Denebola
A2
News Feed
A2
View From The Bottom: Getting Lost in South
A3
In Memoriam: Denebola’s tribute to Amy Winehouse
A6
Turnitin.com now mandatory for all English students
A7
Sophomore Rides 270 miles for arab war widows
A7
All-girl field hockey team employs male players
B1
Summer training prepares girls’ volleyball team
B1
Faculty Members start Fantasy Football league
B2
View From Top: Grace Nathans dishes out wit and wisdom
B3
September Art Focus: Senior Jackie Lebovits
B5
Fake Chinese iPhones distributed to global market
B6
First Year faculty’s hopes for 2012 school year
A7
photo by aley lewis
Amanda Laws, coordinator of C.O.R.E. assists a student with attention deficit issues. This is the program’s first year at South.
C.O.R.E. assists adolescents By Noah Rivkin This year marks the arrival of, perhaps, the most innovative studentlearning program South has ever implemented. The new program, Community Opportunity Responsibility Education (CORE), serves students who need extra help on their work and projects to achieve their potential. “We wanted to create a structured environment to have a place where [the students] can do as well as we know that they can do,” CORE directior Amanda Laws said. Laws, a new teacher at South, has already found that many people have
misconceptions about what CORE actually is. “CORE is a regular-ed program. It’s not like, say, Southside, which offers a therapeutic approach to learning,” Laws said. Laws, who came from the Compass school in Dorchester, is a guidance counselor by trade and has taken up the challenge of pioneering this innovative and helpful program. “There were kids [at Compass] who came from [all corners of] the city,” Laws said. Even if South is larger than her previous school, Laws is very excited to work with the numerous kids that she
will, no doubt, encounter in CORE. “I was always looking for an opportunity to work in an environment where I can make sure that there is more of an opportunity for the [students], “ Laws said. “I also like that South is a lot like the school I went to in [Montclair, New Jersey]. I feel like I will be able to relate to the kids a little better than the average new teacher.” Laws can’t run such an intricate program by herself. To the casual observer, it looks like a combined History and English class; but unlike the CORE, continued on page A7
Modular classrooms point to future issues
photo by aley lewis
The modular classrooms allow the schools to continue educating their large student body.
By Robert Wang One of the long-term issues that is currently stemming from Newton’s elementary schools is the problem of overcrowding. To add to this matter, the additions of modular classrooms,
classrooms built adjoining the side of a school, have been delayed in Burr, Horace Mann and Zervas elementary schools. In the future, these students will come to South and possibly create similar overpopulation issues.
Over the past few years, modular classrooms have already been implemented at Pierce, Bowen, Zervas, Oak Hill, and Horace Mann. Last year, students were moved to Angier to allow the school committee to make improvements and reallocate resources. A method that the school committee implemented is the distribution of students into buffer zones. Students were spread out across different, available, under-populated school districts in Newton. While the flood of students is currently restricted to certain elementary schools, problems could potentially arise when the majority enters the middle and high schools, as seen in Day Middle School. The elementary schools will not face extreme growth; as some schools grow, others are expected to see shrinkage. According to Jonathan Yeo, a member of the Newton School Committee, “Projections based on past trends and
census records of pre-schools aged children show the overall elementary population slowing in growth, but not declining.” The middle school levels will also grow by several hundred students since the elementary schools will send their students forward. The growth bubble will eventually hit the high schools, giving both North and South around 1900-2000 students. However, Yeo believes that “both schools [have] sufficient space to accommodate the growth.” The main issue of the overpopulation will be the impact on student learning due to the recent budget cuts. With the increase in enrollment in high schools, the need for more teachers and specialists will also rise. The cuts, however, will force class sizes to become even larger. Principal Joel Stembridge predicts there will be an increase in the MODULES, continued on page A7
Rachel’s Challenge comes to South to promote anti-bullying By Daniel Barabasi “We exist to inspire, equip and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business, and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.” This is the mission statement for Rachel’s Challenge, a program that is responsible for a part of the the recent anti-bullying curriculum implemented at South. Rachel’s Challenge is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Scott, the first person to die at the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. The goal of the program is to create a more accepting and understanding community for
students of all ages. There have been as many as 16 million participants in the live presentations at schools all over the country since the program’s creation. And this year Rachel’s Challenge has come to Newton South. Over the summer, the Newton Public Schools Bullying Prevention and Intervention Committee, which consists of teachers from both North and South, convened in response to a Massachusetts anti-bullying law passed in May 2010. The Committee based their actions on two sources: Bully-Proofing For High Schools by Jill McDonald BULLYING, continued on page A7
photo by hannah pittel
Dramatization of bullying: Rachel’s Challenge and the anti-bullying laws hope to eradicate it.
By Astha Agarwal For most kids at South, partying is a rite of passage, but only during senior year. For one group of freshmen, however, senior year came a little early when the Newton Police broke up a party in March of last year. According to an anonymous source, drinks were openly available at the party, but there was an entrance fee of $5. “At first it was funny and it was a good time, but people started yelling at each other and fighting and getting out of control, and that was when a few kids started to get really sick,” the source said. When one boy became particularly sick, an ambulance was called and Newton police arrived. Afterwards, housemasters, who were notified of the incident through a memoranda of understanding with the Newton police, held an informational meeting for parents and students who were involved in the party. The goal, according to Housemaster Henry Turner, was to decide “how we can communicate better as adults, to prevent students from making destructive and dangerous decisions.” Motivated and empowered by what the housemasters said at this meeting, Eliza Granahan-Field, a freshman at the time, initiated a group called SWAG, Students With a Goal, to educate incoming freshmen about the dangers and excitements of high school. Along with her friends, Natasha Berezin, Mel Gundersheim, Lauren Levey, Sofia Osorio, and Jessa Rubera, she is working in an effort to make the transition to high school an easier one for other students. “One of my very close friends went to the parent meeting last year after the horrible accidents at the party and did not like what was said about our grade and the reputation [it] now has,” Rubera said. “She was talking to me about the situation, and [because] both of us are very committed athletes and against drinking or doing drugs, we decided, not only to get our reputation wiped and to start over, but also to get the message across to younger grades and the majority of the school that we did make a mistake and should never let it happen again.
“What we did was a mistake and should never happen again” —Jess Rubera ‘14
“Our main goal is to educate people who are nervous about or haven’t experienced the environment of high school,” Osorio said. In order to achieve this goal, the group speaks to incoming South students about what they have to look forward to and beware of. They last spoke at Step-Up Day in June. “[I think] we really made an impact on the incoming freshman,” Rubera said. SWAG focuses on promoting ways to have fun without getting into trouble, teaching kids and even adults how to promote the right message and stay safe, as well as teaching kids about high school in general. Prevention/Intervention Counselor Rich Catrambone, who spoke at the Housemaster’s meeting, has been advising the group since it began. “He’s guided us in the right direction and made things happen, fast,” Gundersheim said. Currently, the group is having meetings with housemasters, other faculty, to discuss and make changes.
SWAG, continued on page A7
Denebola
Editorials A2
Denebola Founded in 1960
Editorials & Opinions
Editors-in-Chief Dan Kats and Jason Yoffe
Annapurna Ravel (Sr.) Hattie Gawande Jarrett Gorin Tim Newton Daniel Pincus
Executive Editor Rutul Patel Managing Editor Helen Holmes Senior Copy Editor Charlie Temkin
Sports
News
Astha Agarwal Daniel Barabasi Andreas Betancourt Noah Rivkin Robert Wang
Julia Spector (Sr.) Melanie Erspamer
Arts & Entertainment
Sophie Scharlin-Pettee (Sr.) Michelle Tian
Features
Denebola enacts a two-fold role in the Newton South community: responsibility to the larger Newton community and the school itself and responsibility to the individuals who contribute to its pages. This tradition extends back to Newton South’s inception in 1960, and the first issue of the newspaper. As Newton South High School’s official school newspaper, we are engaged in every facet of the school community, which means fair and equal coverage of South’s sporting events, enrichment and art programs, school organizations, and all other aspects of school life. Additionally, Denebola feels it is important to stimulate as well as inform discussion on the essential issues of the day. Denebola is written, edited, and published by Newton South students. Its publication is entirely supported by advertising; the newspaper receives no funds from the PTSO or similar organizations. Contributions are neither soliticted nor accepted. Unless stated, opinions are those of the individuals under whose bylines they appear. Letters from students, faculty, or members of the Newton community should be addressed to the Editors-in-Chief.
Dylan Royce (Sr.) Dina Busaba Peter Natov
Disgruntled Teenager
THIS FACEBOOK LAYOUT SUCKS!!!!!!1!!!!1!! About 1 week ago -- Like -- Comment
Mark Zuckerberg So why are you still using Facebook??
Photography
Aley Lewis (Sr.) Ray Flint Anna Garik Emma Sander Jonah Seifer
about
Disgruntled Teenager ....
Graphics
Tim Jiang Lizzie Odvarka Victor Qin
about
Corbin Krinsky Thibaut Xiong
yesterday
-- Like
Contributors: Dar Alon, Lauren Ashbrook, Ethan Epstein, Adam Macalister, Erik Manditch, Grace Nathans, Ramya Ramadurai, Daniel Rozenblum, and Karen Weinstock Special thanks to: Avinash Agarwal, Danielle Betancourt, Krisztina Bukur-Doczy, Xuemei He, Lana Kats, Michael Kennedy, David Nislick, MA Payne, Hilary Spector, Karen Temkin, David Weintraub, Aviva Yoffe, and Saul Yoffe
John Doe
HOLY CRAP! I JUST FOUND A CAMERA IN THE MARSHALL’S BATHROOM About 1 month ago -- Like -- Comment -- See Friendship
Volume 51, Issue 4
Denebola dives into new era
Denebola turns a page in its historical past as South’s 51year-old, official newspaper. With a fresh crop of students to lead the paper and a new set of faculty leadership, we see the transition more as an opportunity than as a bridge between generations. We are seizing this opportunity to propel Denebola into the future. It is time to bring the newspaper into the media-rife 21st century. While shedding the anachronisms from an established institution poses its challenges, we are devoted to initiatives in both print and virtual publication. From crisper, contemporary aesthetics in our printed editions to an accessible and modern website, we hope to set Denebola on a solid footing in this new age. We will uphold our mission to be the vital artery from South’s pulse to its students. While our staff strives to enrich fellow students’ lives with each story, Denebola hopes to strengthen its connection with the community’s young adults. We will channel this initiative through our online media. From links to scheduling updates and vital administrative information, to an upcoming interactive web interface, to a
1 week ago -- Like
Mark Zuckerberg Exactly.
Copy Editor
Aafreen Rajani
Marshall’s Employee Nice birthmark, bro.
about
Denebola, The Official Newspaper of Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road, Newton, Mass. 02459
Editorial by Jason Yoffe
1 week ago -- Like
Web Editors
Liana Butchard Jesse Feldstein Courtney Foster Josh Nislick Wendy Ma
www.denebolaonline.net
Nathan Baskin Mike Berman Josh Carney Joe Maher Zach Pawa
Global Education
Centerfold
Faculty Advisor Brian Baron
27 September 2011
virtual art gallery – a forum for any student-created images and art, Denebola is devoted to unifying the remarkably talented South community. Our role in South’s fabric is to not only provide news and foster unity, but it is also to offer students with an opportunity to explore the nuances of journalism and the media. Because Denebola will continue to function like a small business, it will provide students with experience in fields beyond writing. Positions developing skills in photography and artistry, business, management, and web design offer unique experiences in the professional world. The values and missions to which Denebola has subscribed will remain the guiding light on its journey into modern high school journalism. Denebola attributes much of what it is today to our former advisor, George Abbott White, who served as the faculty leadership for the greater part of two decades. During his tenure, White helped his students transform a small, colorless publication into a newspaper that, from afar, looked professional. His ability to provide students with copious article ideas and up-to-the-minute scoops helped make Denebola the reli-
able provider of South’s news. But what set White apart from the advisors of most high school newspapers was his unparalleled dedication to Denebola. He cared about the success of the publication and would even supervise throughout the night and then teach in the morning. White set the foundation for Denebola. Now, we are going to use that foundation to take this publication to new heights. Our campaign begins with school and parental support. We could not have published this issue without the guidance of English Department Head Brian Baron. Without his and Principal Joel Stembridge’s support, we would not have a coalition of generous faculty and South parents to supervise production. Denebola sees their encouragement and time as invaluable contributions. As we at Denebola turn our gaze from the past into the future, we hope to begin a new era of journalism at Newton South, a sustainable model that balances the printed traditions with newly established online conventions. In the next months, our focus will be on writing the next chapter in Denebola’s prolific history.
Wanna be a star?
1 week ago -- Like
Ray Allen
Paul Pierce
Hey man, did you hear our coach, Bryan Doo, saved some Newton guy’s life the other day? About 1 week ago -- Paul Pierce Likes This -- Like -Comment -- See Friendship
Bryan Doo Just Dooing my job. about
1 week ago -- Like
Newton Homeowner
You darn kids, always swimming in Crystal Lake at all hours of the night and making a racket! How can I get any peace if you’re splashing around all the time? About 1 week ago -- Like -- Comment -- See Friendship
South Student Chill bro, the lake’s public property! Everyone should use it. about
1 week ago -- Like
Mayor Setti Warren
Mayor of Waltham
Wanna bet that the Newton North Football Team will win the game between North and Waltham? About 2 weeks ago -- Like -- Comment -- See Friendship
Mayor of Waltham You’re on. Loser buys dinner. about
2 weeks ago -- Like
Mayor of Waltham
Mayor Setti Warren
HAHA! Time to pay up. I’m feeling sushi. Lots and lots of sushi. About 1 week ago -- Like -- Comment -- See Friendship
Newton North Football Team ...Our bad. about
1 week ago --Mayor of Waltham likes this -- Like
Senator Ruth Balser
VOTE NO ON GAMBLING LEGISLATION: It’s addictive and poisons the mind! About 1 week ago -- Like -- Comment -- See Friendship
Mayor Setti Warren ... Is this a bad time to mention the 40 bucks you still owe me from our poker game? about
1 week ago --Mayor of Waltham likes this -- Like
AP European History
Join Check out:
http://bit.ly/JoinDenebola
Due to the state giving Newton Public Schools more money, AP Euro will now be offered at South. About 1 month ago -- Like -- Comment -- See Friendship
History Nerds OMG!!
about
1 month ago -- Like
All information loosely resembles the truth. Please don’t sue us.
Opinions Denebola
27 September 2011
Opinions A3
Big Brother’s watching... but who cares?
By Dan Rozenblum I’ve been hearing a lot of displeased chatter about the recent installation of security cameras in our hallways. Some complain that we are being spied upon at all times of the day, others find the cameras ominously creepy, and a spare few even go on to violently denounce the dark, bulbous creatures as ugly and degrading to the beauty of our school. Angry students can be found throughout the halls yelling profanities and waving picket signs – offended at this apparent breach of our constitutional amendments. However, if we get over the technological invasion by these voyeurs, I strongly believe we will be able to use them to our advantage. Now many of you argue that these cameras are just a way for Big Brother to monitor us even closer. Maybe you’re right, but honestly, who cares? If the dude spends his Friday
nights with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s watching videotapes of seniors plowing through freshmen in the hallways (freshman – stop walking so slow, and stop being so small) on the mega-projector in the Field House, then so be it! Also, these cameras can help us avoid some of the most infuriating situations that occur in school. Who forgot to return your pencil after borrowing it C block? Cameras. Which kid in your homeroom took extra munchkins so you didn’t get any? Cameras. Who committed the blasphemous act of leaving their gum in the Goldrick water fountain? Cameras. Side note: last week I ran up and down the Goldrick stairs (okay.. more like crawled), and I can confidently assure everyone that the first floor of Goldrick does, in fact, have the best water fountain in the history of mankind. The second floor is a close
second. The third floor just sucks (sorry Mr. Turley). But seriously, there are many advantages to these cameras. We can avoid more thefts, and save money by not having to pay Scooby, Shaggy, and the rest of the gang to solve all of our mysteries (Mystery Inc. may seem nice on Cartoon Network, but those kids do not come cheap). If something expensive gets stolen, we are more able to catch the criminal on tape, and give them the justice they deserve. Yeah, I’m talking to YOU kid who stole my iPod sophomore year. I may have seemed like an easy target back then, but now I got Big Brother on my side. The cameras have been strategically placed throughout the school to cover as many “hot spots” as possible. There are also a lot of them in place to ensure our safety, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Plus, more of an excuse to make funny faces.
photo by annapurna ravel
View from the Bottom: Oh the places freshmen will go
graphic by adam macalister
By Dar Alon and Ethan Epstein As Newton South freshmen, you have been to the infamous pool on the fourth floor countless times. But you should probably refresh the memories of the upper-
classmen who have forgotten just how wondrous a pool it is. The entire room is covered in gold and flecks of diamond, and the water is kept clean with powdered rubies instead of chlorine. The towels are made from the
finest silk and the chairs are made from premium platinum with Egyptian cotton pillows. Just kidding. Unfortunately, for all students at South (especially you, freshmen) such a pool does not exist. But your experiences of getting lost on
By Hattie Gawande As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approached, the public was getting more and more anxious. In the week before the anniversary, there were last minute interviews conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an attempt to verify claims of terrorists flown in from Pakistan. Rumors claimed that car bombs in New York and Washington were to be detonated around the time of the anniversary; thus nationwide security tightened. Closer to home, Boston residents were being warned to stay off the turnpike and to avoid large gatherings. Still closer, Newton South students were wondering what all the hubbub was about. In the decade since 9/11, there have been fewer than 40 casualties of terrorism in the United States, none at the hands of al Qaeda. Osama bin Laden is dead, and experts are saying that al Qaeda is on its way out due to lack of leadership, shrinking funds, and dwindling support. In other words, the terrorist threat to the United States is infinitely lower than it was in 2001. And yet the majority still acts as though another major terrorist attack is right around the corner. The day after 9/11/11, news broke: nothing happened. There were no bombings or shootings. There were no
explosions. The masses that came out to commemorate those that died in the attacks were left alone. Many were shocked, but Newton South was not. “Nobody I know was really concerned about a threat ten years later because 9/11 was in the past, and although a threat is still present, it doesn’t feel real,” sophomore Nicki Oppenheim said. Oppenheim’s sentiment echoes that of most South students: 9/11 will not happen again. The multitudes of security measures enacted in the years since, and our own heightened awareness of the threat of terrorism, will make sure of that. Still, what with the situation in the Middle East, people need to expect the unexpected. Though some South stu-
it’s reasonable for people to think that they need to have security,” sophomore Michelle Tian said. The key is balance. Too much paranoia is bad in general because it can lead to overzealous security measures and a population on the verge of hysteria. But being too lax would be foolish. “I’m not terribly concerned with terrorism; it’s not like I’m worrying about it all the time. And I know that there are people who feel the same. But we can’t be naive about the subject. Who knows, [terrorists] might be planning another attack on us because we killed Osama bin Laden,” freshman Marielle Dragat said. The opinions of most of the student population reflect this levelheaded view of the potential threats to the U.S. “There’s always that underlying concern, but I don’t feel that threatened. I know that it’s very unstable in the Middle East, but I’m not particularly afraid that something will happen any second,” senior Judy Cohen said. Many would call it sheltered. Others would say naive. I say realistic. At Newton South we’re not about to panic at the mere possibility of a terrorist attack. But we won’t be caught unprepared in the event of an emergency.
Historic reflection: 9/11
“Too much paranoia... can lead to overzealous security measures and a population on the verge of hysteria.” dents feel that while the possibility of a terrorist threat on 9/11 was exaggerated, it’s never a bad idea to be cautious. “I don’t think that terrorist attacks would have been successful, but I think that it’s good to be prepared. I think
the first day do. Take your first ever math class at South, in which you walk in twenty minutes early due to an early dismissal of your advisory. As you confidently strut into your math class, you are shocked by how big everyone has gotten over the summer. That’s when you recognize a camp friend and realize that you’re in a sophomore class. As mortified as you already are, you become even more humiliated when she unintentionally introduces you to her whole class (including the math teacher), saying, “Hey, Freshman.” There was really nothing you could do but back away slowly and make your exit. When your class finally starts, your teacher (who happened to witness your little scene amongst the sophomores) approaches you to comment upon the unfortu-
nate incident. You were so embarrassed that you could only choke out a brief, garbled reply. What a sense of accomplishment you felt just then, for already you were making memories you would rather forget. Then, of course, there was the Spanish incident. When you casually walk into what you thought was your Spanish classroom, it is the last period of the day and you are already disoriented enough from trying to find your way to the 6000’s from the 4000’s. As you settle down and take out your pencil case, content with what you think are your superior navigation skills, you notice students walking in and saying “bonjour.” At first, you figure that it is some sort of ironic joke. But you get suspicious after every single person in the class greets the teacher with “bon-
jour” instead of “hola.” Then, as the class begins, you notice the teacher “playing along” with the joke. You don’t worry too much, though, until the teacher hands out the course syllabus. Right then you suffer a rather rude awakening. Suddenly, realizing that no one is trying to be funny, but rather say “hello,” you quickly gather your pencil case and consult your schedule to confirm your embarrassing error. You try to nonchalantly excuse yourself as you attempt to explain to the French teacher the awful mistake you have made. Thankfully, the teacher is very understanding and directs you to your real class. A few weeks later, you can see the humor in your mishaps. But right now, as humiliated as you feel, you’re just glad that you didn’t end up at the pool on the fourth floor.
Denebola
Centerfold A4
Centerfold A5
27 September 2011
Welcome to South, Freshmen! As your welcome present, DENEBOLA presents your guide to the best spots at South. We solemnly swear we are up to no good...
PHOTO BY JULIA SPECTOR
PHOTO BY JULIA SPECTOR
The L Bench boasts an open area filled with light. Conveniently located between the 3000s and 2000s, it is prime real estate for hanging out between classes. Junior Ben Snyder said, “The L-Bench is chill, but it isn’t an L.”
Seniors Isabel Carter and Andrew Chen like to hang out in the Mixed Media room because, as Chen puts it, “The atmosphere of the room is good because Mr.Wixon’s chill.”
PHOTO BY JULIA SPECTOR
First-years, beware! Senior Commons can only be used by seniors. As Senior Class President Greg Ly said, “Senior Commons is a place where seniors go to relax inbetween classes without the distraction of freshmen. It’s a place for seniors, and Seniors Maxwell Hamilton, Isaseniors only.” bel Carter, Stefani Karr and Adam Macalister chill in the photo room because. According to Macalister, “There’s always someone I know and can talk to here. I’ve definitely connected with Mr. Bouchal… and it’s a break within an academic school from academics.” By Melanie Erspamer, Dan Kats, Rutul Patel. Julia Spector, and Charlie Temkin
PHOTO BY ALEY LEWIS
Senior Masha Uglova prefers to relax in front of the auditorium because, “It’s an open space. It’s easy to relax there.” PHOTO BY ALEY LEWIS
PHOTO BY ALEY LEWIS
Arts and Entertainment Arts and Entertainment A6
Photo vision By Adam Macalister Vision is only a small part of sight. Photography teaches not only how to see, but how to look. The physical ability to see will not help you find Waldo in a crowd of obnoxiously similarly dressed people—one needs to know how to look for him. Photography teaches not only how to see Waldo, but how to look for and find him in everyday life. All photographs exist in the world, independent of the photograph. Some are staged and some are spontaneous, but they all stem from an understanding of what looks good in the world. This is an understanding that anyone can develop, even without photography, but photography serves as a catalyst, bringing forth a better understanding faster. When looking through the lens of a camera, the world is temporarily frozen and framed; creating a piece of art that can be captured using the camera. After practicing photography for a while, one will develop a certain sight. This sight creates the ability to take notice of photographs and other works of art in the world, even those independent of the camera. This vision lasts past practicing p h o t o g r a p h y, a l l o w ing the world to be seen as a work of art forever and ever. Not caring how many apps there are to help on the iPhone camera, or how many megapixels one’s digital camera has, the real way to begin photography is with film. Using a digital camera, hundreds of photos can be taken, deleted and replaced in less than an hour. Though effective for certain types of photography, starting out with digital will limit the development of true sight. Film photography constantly reminds the photographer of PHOTO, continued on page B5
27 September 2011
Denebola
YPO Europe: South Kids Abroad
THE FASHION FILES By Helen Holmes
England Conservatory’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO) is a competitive orchestra that holds auditions for only the most ardent young musicians willing to come to several hour-long rehearsals every weekend. “You have to love it enough to put in the work,” Newton South Choral Director Benjamin Youngman said. The level of professionalism that the orchestra brought to the stage enabled them to act in a way that overshadowed their ages: “a very high level of musicianship is needed [to be considered ready to perform]”. Junior Yoonchan Choi, senior Aaron Wolff, and senior Jaclyn Freshman were lucky enough to be musicians, having been able to perform such difficult music in no other way than through devotion. The level of professionalism that the orchestra brought to the stage enabled them to act in a way that overshadowed their ages. The willingness, dedication and professionalism that such performance takes can only truly be attributed to one thing: passion. Art has often inspired impassioned young people to pursue one of the greatest gifts to mankind: creative license. This creative license is an inherent gift that every child, man, and woman has within themselves. In Newton, we are fortunate enough to have music programs starting in the elementary schools. All students can fondly look back at the year when
Rewind to mid-August: I’m working six hours a day at a consignment store in Wellesley, sweating through my t-shirt and dreaming of crisp sweater weather. While my co-worker took her lunch break, I used the lull in customers to take a quick peek at the internet. And there it was in bold print, splashed across the screen: legendary fashion label Missoni will be coming out with a line for Target on September 13. Needless to say, I (figuratively) crapped my pants. For those who don’t know (or haven’t bothered to care about) designers, Missoni is a pretty big deal. Founded in 1953, it’s a legendary Italian fashion house famous for its exuberantly patterned knitwear, and now all its funky splendor was available for a pittance compared to its high-end retail price. Unfortunately, I’m not the only girl who’s realized that designer lines for Target are LITERALLY the best things ever, so by the time I actually made it to the store, there was almost nothing left. A few battered shoe boxes lay scattered around one lowly rack. It was picked almost clean, reminding me of an elephant carcass after a whole pack of hyenas have gorged themselves on it. Nevertheless, I saw one green coat still hanging there, and made a beeline for it - I managed to get to my prize just before a hugely pregnant woman, who looked devastated when I tossed the coat over my shoulder. I felt bad, but what did she want with anything extra small anyway? SO many questions. In any case, I also managed to snag brightly colored greeting cards and
YPO, continued on page B5
FASHION, continued on page B5
photo contributed by jaclyn freshman
By Ramya Ramadurai
This past summer, several South students were privileged enough to be part of the talented minority that headed off to Europe for a two week excursion with Boston’s prestigious Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. After one week of reviewing for finals, one week of arduous back-breaking writing of finals at odd hours of the day, and 180 days of self-deemed unnecessary school days, most high school students look forward to a summer of sheer relaxation mixed with a few inevitable and possibly horrible hours of summer reading. Some students, however, spend their time doing community service or working in places they do not actually like just to make some money. What is more, still fewer students travel with their orchestra to other continents to play with acclaimed musicians and bask in the rigorous art form that is classical music. The Musikverein, a famous concert hall in Vienna, was one of the venues graced with the presence of the talented musicians who, armed with nothing but their hefty instruments and their determination, embarked on this once in a lifetime trip. The stage, which great composers of the past and great maestros of the future will all have stood upon, seems like a rather lofty establishment to have a group of high school kids try and fill with music. This, however, was not just any group of kids; New
Amy Winehouse: a farewell tribute to the songstress of soul By Sophie ScharlinPettee On September 14, 1983, Amy Jade Winehouse was born into the arms of a London taxi driver and his pharmacist wife. Years later on July 23, 2011, this English singer-songwriter joined the infamous “27 Club,” a title coined to encompass the unfortunate, coincidental deaths of various influential musicians. Like many other members of the club, Winehouse was wellknown for her tumultuous and controversial lifestyle, including a very public showcase of her drug use and passionate relationships. That, combined with her petite frame and hair the size of a small child, helped her form a unique persona in the modern music industry. With all the wackiness that surrounded her publicized existence, too often her incredible artistry was overlooked.
Winehouse released two to have physically attacked her critically successful studio husband in turn as he tried to albums and grew to possess calm her. popularity coveted by most voIn 2007, pictures surfaced of calists of our time; like the jazz a beat-up Winehouse and her greats Ella and Louis, “Amy” husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, became a household name for after an alleged fight. the younger generations. Much of her music concenGrowing up with the constan- trated on her relationship with cy of music surrounding her, drugs and alcohol, with a varied she ended up attending various gamut of her personal reactions theatrical and performing arts to intoxication. As well as subschools to stance-abuse hone her What Amy Winehouse issues, Winenatural house openly brought back to 21st- a d m i t t e d t o talent for guitar and struggling century music, with singing. depresno lack of self-assured with Winesion, eating charisma, was soul. house was disorders, and known far self-harm. and wide for her individual Possible self-medication and sense of style, which was large- the death of her grandmother ly a tribute to her love of 1960s in 2006 may have set her off girl groups. into addiction, admitted and Her defining beehive hairdo re-admitted to several rehabiliand Cleopatra makeup were tation institutions in the course both borrowed from The of her young life. Ronettes, an all-female group Ironically, when it came from New York City in the down to it, evidence from her 60s. death has so far been inconcluThose characteristics, along sive, though it has been conwith her tiny, toothpick figure firmed that it was not related added to a sense of absur- to illegal drugs. dity and ludicrousness so often Perhaps the most tragic fact conjured when Winehouse is of all pertaining to her short referenced. existence is that by the time Along with her wild and of her death, Winehouse was untameable individuality was considered more a light-hearted a vicious attitude which added joke than a brilliant, talented to the popular opinion of Wine- musician. house as a crazy, mentally inept Though she gained five “rock and roll” songstress. Grammy awards by the age of She was claimed to have 24, Winehouse’s public image punched a fan after he insult- was more often than not used ed her choice of spouse, then for ridicule than an example
of talent. Like so many under-appreciated artists of our time, Winehouse, it seems, will have to be largely appreciated in death. In August 2011, weeks after her jarring and sudden passing, her second album Back to Black became the UK’s best selling album of the 21st-century. For among other things, Amy Winehouse was a singer with vocals powerful enough to rival a steam engine. Having emerged in the wake of M.I.A.’s slow disappearance from the music industry, Wi n e h o u s e s o o n grew to pave the way for other popular, soulful singers such as Adele and Jessie J. With her debut album Frank attracting platinum sales and several award nominations, Winehouse had created a relatively sturdy presence in the music industry. When her follow-up album Back to Black was introduced, her sultry, contralto vocals set her apart from the rest of modern musicians. W h a t A m y Wi n e h o u s e brought back to 21st-century music, with no lack of selfassured charisma, was soul. The bold jazz, R&B, and soulful songs on Back to Black reminded international listeners what a talented musician should sound like. The album, as a collective composition, displayed Wine-
house’s stern grasp of classic and contemporary rhythms and lyrics. Her explicit honesty bled through to her lyri c s
in such songs as “Love is a Losing Game,” which won the 2008 Ivor Novella Award for “Best Song Musically and Lyrically.” Often focusing on the more tragic, obtrusive aspects of her life, the songs on her 10-track album spoke of a brilliant dichotomy seen only in the most sincere and mature of masterpieces.
Amy Winehouse gave the world an album with lyrics showcasing the blunt hardships of addiction and the harsh reality of adult relationships, contradictory to the music, which was kept rich and mainly upbeat. Winehouse was incredibly gifted in her own right, taking the most tragic aspects of humanity and turning them into something beau-
photos from internet source
tiful. Through her strong control over siren melodies and beguiling musical appeal, Winehouse took her pain and created complete and utter beauty. Despite her out-of-control personality, excessive substance-abuse, and a hair height half the size of her torso, Amy Winehouse was nothing short of a genius.
Denebola
27 September 2011
News A7
Students With A Goal
SWAG, continued from page A1
photo by aley lewis
Amanda Laws assists a student in one of her CORE classes. This is one of the innaugural blocks for the program.
CORE program’s first year
CORE, continued from page A1
linked classes, it’s not just English and History. Laws recruited Jim Norton, the English teacher for CORE, and Kara Henry, the History teacher, to implement her unique vision. “We are trying to give extra support to kids who need more structure to do as well as possible. It takes a [significant] amount of time to plan,” Laws said. Meeting a few times a week, Laws, Norton, and Henry plan classes that will be helpful to students. Support blocks, community meetings, and time for individual attention are some of the few strategies CORE employs. Even though CORE is de-
signed to help all kinds of kids with different learning styles, it is proving a little difficult to recruit kids for. “It’s a new program, so naturally, not many people know about it,” Laws said. “We’re really trying to create an identity [for ourselves].” The program should see signs of heightened awareness
“We think that CORE will be a place were studetns will want to be and where they achieve goals.”
-Amanda Laws
with the execution of a new referral process. “We’re working on finding a way to identify those kids who need some help and who could really benefit from CORE,” Laws said. “Just by having a structured way to have new students will make kids and teachers more aware of what we’re doing here.” For now, though, Laws and her team are mainly focusing on the things she has direct control over. “We’re really focusing on building the community aspect of it,” Laws said. “If we can really get a sense of community, we think that CORE will be a place where students will want to be and where they can achieve their goals.”
Turnitin now mandatory By Andreas Betancourt Starting this school year, the English department at Newton South is implementing a program that requires all-student writing, aside from in class essays, to be submitted electronically to turnitin.com (Turnitin). Turnitin is a site that, among other features, checks for plagiarism in submitted writing pieces. Brian Baron, head of the English Department, said the program was instituted for a number of reasons. First, the district was already allotting a significant amount of money (approximately $8,000 a year) for the site to be available to all teachers, but only a few were actually using it. Second, Baron said that last year there were a number of instances of plagiarism the department “found pretty disturbing.” One such case, taking place in the fall of 2010, involved a student near the top of his AP class who was found to have plagiarized a large portion of his essay. The student did not get off without repercussions. “He got an F for the first term of senior year,” said Baron. Due to these reasons, the English department met in the spring of last year to discuss the use of Turnitin. By the end of the meeting, they had decided that all of the English teachers had to try it out for at least one assignment to form an opinion on the website. When the department met again at the end of the year, many teachers had found the service
useful, and the decision to use it for all the student-writing assignments was “really unanimous, except for one or two teachers,” said Baron. Aside from checking for plagiarism, Turnitin lets teachers grade, make comments and even conduct peer reviews online. However, some teachers such as Bob Jampol still require students to turn in a hard copy of their writing, as well as the online submission to Turnitin. Jampol, who used Turnitin for the first time this year, said, “I had heard good things about it from other teachers.” However, he is not sure yet how much it will accomplish. The only thing he has noticed so far are a few comical “flags” the site has put on items like Martin Luther King Jr. Jampol said that when students have access to the Internet, they can, for example, look up essays on poetry instead of coming up with their own ideas but he tries to avoid assigning essays that can be easily copied. English teacher Alan Reinstein also tries to create assignments that are creative and interesting enough that you can’t plagiarize them easily. While Reinstein agrees that Turnitin offers a “modest defense” against plagiarism, especially for students who may just be considering plagiarizing, and gives the ability for teachers to comment electronically, it won’t stop students who are plagiarizing very aggressively.
By Melanie Erspamer On September 11, 2011, South students joined the rest of America in remembering the horrid events of that day a decade ago. But Celina Bliss Siegel, a sophomore at South, did more than just remember. She biked 270 miles from Ground Zero to Boston to raise money for Afghani widows and their children in a program called Beyond the 11th. “I was in third grade the first time I [rode the distance],” Siegel said. Ever since 2004, when she rode with her father on the tandem, a two-person bike, Siegel has biked for the cause every year. She joined founders Susan Retik and Patti Quigley for part of the journey, and later, as she became older, rode the
entire event. After September 11, 2001, Retik and Quigley were left widows. Both were pregnant when they heard the news of the disaster and both had other children that needed to be cared for. However, they did not face the hardships alone. “[Wherever] they went, they got support from all kinds of people; even people they didn’t know,” Siegel said. “That was very powerful for them.” Surrounded by kindness and compassion, Retik and Quigley began to realize that they were not the only victims of September 11. Due to the war caused by 9/11, there were widows in Afghanistan, too. Without a husband, the bread-winner of the family,
Reinstein had his students take a pledge to be academically honest, and also gave them a survey that showed that out of all forms of cheating, plagiarism was the least common.” “I like to trust my students,” Reinstein said. “But forcing everyone to use Turnitin can create an atmosphere of suspicion.” While the English Department has made the decision to use Turnitin, many students were unaware that this was a department wide policy. Senior Mitchel Wong, who is taking songwriting with Reinstein this year, was one of these students. Wong said he knew that his class was using Turnitin, but was surprised to hear it was a department-wide policy. Wong noted that Reinstein had talked a lot about plagiarism especially because “songwriting is a class based on creativity, and stealing someone else’s writing is really bad.” Wong still thinks it is a positive change: “It saves paper, especially if you have a long essay that you need a lot of drafts for and making it pretty obvious if work is stolen.” Junior Robert Maratos agrees. “It makes it much easier for technologically advanced people.” It also diminishes the amount of time and effort taken in printing papers and trying to decipher written teacher comments. “It’s a deterrent,” said Baron. “If a student is caught plagiarizing early on, they can be taught to be more conscious of the issue, not punished for it.”
They have kept true to their goal by promoting their message of safety and anti-drugs to South students. “SWAG is helping [us] make a difference [in society] and learn about the things going on in our surroundings,“ Levey said. As students who have experienced the pressure to get drunk at parties, they are trying to reach new students whom school antidrugs and alcohol programs have not been able to get to, with their message. “We wanted it to be a realistic group; we wanted people to realize that teenagers are going
to experiment-it’s just a fact- but they should know all the safeties, [and] they should be informed,” Granahan-Field said. “We all agreed that when the [the school is simply] telling you that drinking and drugs are bad, it isn’t informative. “It doesn’t prepare you for what really happens.” The girls are proud of their
accomplishments as a group so far, but also realize that they have a long way to go in promoting their message to the school. Their next steps include speaking at Freshmen Parents’ Night, helping with the anti-bullying program Rachel’s Challenge, as well as planning fundraisers.
photo by aley lewis
Rachel’s Challenge at South
BULLYING, continued from page A1
and Sally Stoker, and the Rachel’s Challenge program. The Rachel’s Challenge portion of the new anti-bullying program consists of an all-day assembly that will be held on October 18th, which will include an after-school portion for parents, two school-wide assemblies and a bullyingprevention club that hopes to accommodate 100 students and 10 to 15 faculty. “The club will team up teachers and students to accomplish Rachel’s Challenge,” club director and Prevention/ Intervention Counselor Rich Catrombone said. “This will be the core group for efforts around a strong school-based anti-bullying program.” The club also hopes to create active bystanders to intervene in case of bullying. According to English teacher and active South-North bullying committee member, Alexander Kaplan, almost 85% of people involved in bullying situations are bystanders who do not step in to help the target or inform an authority figure. However, the club and as-
semblies are only a part of a larger program taking place throughout the year that will involve parents, teachers, and the community. “We have goals for teaching and enrichment workshops as well as a whole variety of other offerings,” Catrombone said. The main obstacle to Rachel’s Challenge is identifying when and how bullying takes place. “One of the problems is that kids don’t talk about bullying
“You can only change climate by changing the community both in and out.”
—Rich Catrambone with us [teachers],” Kaplan said. “Victims feel ashamed about what happened to them; they feel adults only make [the situation] worse.” According to Kaplan, “There, unfortunately, is no
safe haven to students online. Bullying online enters a snowball effect.” In the annual start of the year meeting for seniors, Principal Joel Stembridge offered a hopeful message on bullying at South: “There are times when it is important to make a difference, and [now] I am asking you to take care of each other and our school.” In spite of this, there are some doubts on the future success of Rachel’s Challenge at South. “I think that in terms of telling students about bullying and keeping a positive environment, that can happen in the classroom,” Sophomore Stephanie Foster said. “In terms of enforcing it, there isn’t much [teachers and staff] can do except addressing issues as they see them in the hallway or classroom.” Catrombone agrees that the efforts to stop bullying and achieving Rachel’s Challenge are not going to be an easy process. “You can only change climate by changing the community both in and out of school.”
More modular classrooms to be built MODULES, continued from page A1
student body by 100 students in the next five years. South is expected to rise from the current 1700 to 1800. “The school will be able to handle the increase, but the budget department needs to take in to account the [numbers],” Stembridge said. There is a possibility that teachers may “run out” if the population becomes a severe issue. “Currently, we are not using all the classrooms every block, but South may have to use 95% of the classes per block if the
student population were to exceed 1800,” Stembridge said. Still, the long-term problem can be curbed. Class sizes may not necessarily go up if the budget increases, and if there is preparation beforehand, accommodations can be made for more staff. “It is definitely something the school committee has to fix and understand, something the mayor’s office has to fix and understand,” Stembridge said. The school can begin making descisions when the contract between the Teacher’s Associa-
tion and the school committee has been settled. A more immediate problem is the steady decrease of the school’s budget over the past few years. The school has not been able to bring back the same resources as previous years. Stembridge believes that even with the same number of students, the cuts will bring problems. “The cuts have kept coming. They haven’t leveled off, and so if this happens with the same amount of students, we’re going to have issues.”
the trip. “I did a lot to get publicity. There was an article in the Newton Tab, and I sent out emails to everyone and I made a speech at my school. In the end, I raised $10,000.” That year, apart from Siegel and her father, there were only four other riders. But Siegel’s wish to keep the event an annual occasion worked. The following year, Retik joined the ride, becoming president of the organization. Quigley still involved herself in organizations that helped Afghani children and widows, but left biking in her past. “[Quigley] doesn’t want to keep being seen as a widow,” Siegel said. “She wanted to move beyond that.” Although the event survived, in 2009 and 2010 it was not
the full 270 miles. The bikers only rode a portion of that distance. This year, though, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Siegel and the group rode the whole distance. “This year was the first time I rode a solo bike,” Siegel said. “I did about 150 miles in it and 120 in the tandem with my dad.” To prepare for riding such a long distance by herself, Siegel trained over the summer. She rode many days with her mountain bike, training her endurance for the long journey. Next year, she hopes that she will be able to do the whole journey on her own. “I really hope there’s a trip next year,” Siegel said. “This has become a big part of my life.”
Sophomore rides 270 miles for Afghani war widows on 9/11
photo courtesy of celina bliss-siegel
Celina Bliss-Siegel and her father riding in the Beyond the 11th bike ride.
most Afghani women were left with barely anything to feed themselves and their children. Retik and Quigley decided to help these victims. When Siegel was in sixth grade, the annual trip was no longer avaible. She had just begun wanting to ride the whole journey, instead of just a small portion as she usually
did, and she was disappointed by the news. For her Bat Mitzvah the next year, Siegel decided her community service project, necessary for the ceremony, would have something to do with this cause. “I decided to organize another bike ride,” Siegel said. Along with her father, who helped her map out a route, the two directed
Advertisments A8
Denebola
27 September 2011
Denebola
Sports 27 September 2011
Sports B1
Volleyball ready for season, spent summer in training
photo by thibaut xiong
Boys join Field Hockey team By Zach Pawa This season, the South Field Hockey team joined many other Massachusetts schools by adding boys to their femaledominated roster. Two boys traded in the traditional football and soccer jerseys for plaid skirts. Juniors Jon Stricker and Jake Medoff are the first boys at South to join the Field Hockey team, turning the all-female team into a co-ed program. “After seven years of playing soccer, a little change was needed,” Stricker said. “Field Hockey also puts less strain on my stress fractures.” The change is quite dramatic, but sheds a new light on the sport for the two boys. “Field Hockey is unlike any sport I have played before,” Medoff said. While Field Hockey is an opportunity for the two to learn a new sport, they are also determined to win. “Both the boys are strong offensive players,” senior and Captain Sylvie Evans said. “They help us keep the ball on the opposing team’s side of the field.” While the South program is happy to have the two boys, other programs have become worried about the safety of the girls. “Boys are proven to be stronger and more aggressive,” Evans said. “Certain teams are concerned and want to change some rules for boys, but nothing has been done yet.” This may worry teams, but the reality is that Field Hockey originated as a men’s sport, and only in America is it played as a predominately female one. Title IX, a law passed in 1972, states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Without the existence of a men’s program, male players cannot be restricted or discouraged from playing on the female team. “If rule changes were made, it would have upset me,” Stricker said. “We have every right to the same rules as the girls.” The South team had no problem with the boys joining. “We were received very well,” Medoff said. “Everyone on the team was open to us playing. And why wouldn’t they be? The team has been struggling the past couple of years and any new members can only be beneficial to the program.” The new venture has been a learning experience for the boys as well. “Everyday, we improve,” Stricker said. “It seems each day we learn more.” With the sport being new to the boys, and boys being new to the sport, everyone had to make some adjustments, but it has been a success. Stricker and Medoff have become more and more interested in the sport. “If I have the opportunity to play in college I would be very interested in doing so,” Stricker said. “I also plan on playing on a club team this winter.” As for Medoff, he is not as sure of where Field Hockey will take him. “It depends on how much I end up playing,” Medoff said. Playing Field Hockey seems to have been a good choice for the two; it has opened their eyes to a new sport and new opportunities. Over the past couple of years, teams across the state are becoming more integrated with boys. It seems that in a few years, Boys’ teams may emerge. “These men are an inspiration,” Athletic Director Perrin said. “They are doing a great thing and I give them a lot of credit.”
er] level of play than the other By Joe Maher Last year, the Newton South teams,” Bryan said. Players took it upon themGirls’ Varsity Volleyball team achieved a record of 16-2 de- selves to improve, and in doing spite having labeled the season so, impressed Elwell. “We had more kids playing as a rebuilding year. This year they face much the same chal- offseason volleyball this past lenge after graduating five of year than we have in the past 20 last year’s six starting players. years combined,” Elwell said. The summer programs No matter how dim the outlook for the new season, the are vital to the success of team refuses to not make a run the South Volleyball teams for the Championship. “Al- because, coming into high though this year is viewed by school, the players are often most as a rebuilding year, we at a disadvantage. Unlike many other schools are going to make a commitment to winning,” Coach Todd in the Dual County League, South does not have a solid Elwell said. Elwell hopes to continue base of volleyball players ready the success of past years to compete at the high school by placing an even greater level. “Some schools, such as emphasis on the competitive Quincy and Mattapan, have nature of the game. He relies on players to “buy a group of girls who have into” his system, and for play- played together since sixth ers to actively participate in grade. We often have players practices and games in order begin [playing] their freshman year and they have to catch to help the team as a whole. Elwell mentions with pride up,” Elwell said. Elwell also points out a sigthe senior leadership under captains Tori Bryan, Chloe nificant statistic that puts the Jackson-Unger, and Michaela team at a greater disadvantage: O’Flaherty, who “understand this year, half of the players on the expectations of what is the Varsity team did not begin playing volleyball competitivenecessary.” During past summers, South ly until either their sophomore players have enrolled in a clinic or junior year. “We have to take them from called Gold Medal Squared, a summer volleyball program zero to 100 in practically no utilized by both Olympic and time at all,” Elwell said. However, that is something college programs. For the first time in its his- the program seems to have tory, the program ran twice compensated for. Both Elwell and Bryan atduring the past summer, once in July and once again in Au- tribute this recent surge of volleyball spirit to the levels gust. The program allows athletes of competition on the court, to enhance their athleticism and new levels of commitment with the intelligence portion of to the team. “When players are comthe game, which is, according to Bryan, “the key to having a peting for a spot every day,” Elwell said, “practice becomes solid team.” Another opportunity for the that much more intense as playplayers to improve their skills ers hold each other accountable over the summer was the high- for mistakes. “This also leads to a more level Beantown Volleyball, a club team that after 25 years intimate setting.” Senior Cecilia Macarthur of only male involvement deagrees, and feels that “the cided to turn coeducational. team is extremely passionate Six out of the sevabout the sport en seniors on the team, as “Although this year is and about each other, which well as several of the sopho- viewed as a rebuilding is reflected on court.” mores, played year, we are going to theThe sense for the club o f c a m arateam in addimake a commitment derie created tion to the Gold to winning” allows playMedal Squared ers to feel inprogram. —Todd Elwell volved, and “[That enmakes them abled] us to start at a faster pace and [high- willing to give up their posi-
photo by jonah seifer
Senior Tori Bryan leads Girls’ Volleyball through rebuilding year.
tion for the betterment of the team. Junior Rebecca Heller moved from libero, a defensive specialist, to setter, a move that summarizes the scrappy aspects of the team, points out Elwell. Athletic Director Scott Perrin is quick to commend the student-athletes on their hard work, but also calls Elwell a “great coach, who is really im-
mersed in the culture.” Just this past summer the team was exposed to and taught by a collegiate player from Brigham Young University and a professional volleyball player from Hawaii. “[Elwell] surrounds his team with elite programs from around the country, and [the team] sees those programs as a level to play up to,” Perrin said.
Golf tries to turn around season; swings for States By Erik Manditch The Newton South Varsity Boys’ Golf team is heading into the 2011 season optimistically, looking to improve on a 6-7 season that left the team on the brink of the State tournament. The squad is captained by senior Adam Goldstein, who
is the leader of a Lions group full of promising golfers top to bottom, including junior Anders Klumpp and senior Patrick Mildner. The team is also bolstered by an influx of sophomores including Matt Fallon, Matthew Marcus, and Max Hooker. Equipped with a revamped
attitude and a high level of focus, the team is looking to turn last year’s close losses into wins this fall. “This year, we’re going to need to bring our performances from practices and qualifiers to the matches in order to qualify for States,” Fallon said. “In order to do well, we need to keep
photos by thibaut xiong
all other thoughts like school out of our minds and focus on what we need to do on the golf course.” For the Lions to succeed this fall, they will need to be focused and relaxed against consistently high-level competition that includes the likes of Acton-Boxborough, ConcordCarlisle, and defending Dual County League champion, Westford Academy. This tough schedule has been a challenge for the Lions thus far in the early part of the season as they have stumbled to a slow start that has included a couple of narrow losses. However, there is plenty of time for the Lions to make up ground. “For most of the team, it was their first Varsity match so the nerves were high for everybody,” Goldstein said. “We’re getting better and bet-
ter and learning from every match.” Even though the team is inexperienced, the athletes are learning quickly and are adapting to the challenges of the game. “The learning curve is steep at the beginning with competitive golf,” Goldstein said. “The goal is that each player comes out better than they went in.” The goal for the Lions, as it is for any Varsity squad no matter what sport it is, is to qualify for the State tournament. In order to do so, the Lions will have to finish with a winning percentage of .500 or better to play in the State tournament. Last fall, after starting off the season very strong, the Lions lost their last six matches and missed out on the tournament. Even though the team lost two of those games by the slimmest of margins, the record
stood at 6-7. “Last season was rough, but it was a learning experience for me,” Goldstein said. According to the South golfers, golf takes more mental concentration and composure than perhaps any other sport. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves and [we need to] just play each match, each hole, and each shot, staying in the moment in the whole way,” Goldstein said. South will need a team effort to get the Lions into the postseason where potential is limitless. “It’s all about getting to the .500 mark and making the State playoffs,” Marcus said. “Once we’re in the State playoffs, we’re there to win. “And with a great captain like Adam Goldstein and a great coach like Mike Flemming, we just might get there.”
Denebola
Sports B2
27 September 2011
Forman looked at by colleges
PHOTO BY ALEY LEWIS
that they should emphasize education, and that they should only apply to a college if they could see themselves there not playing football. Ever since Dalicandro put Forman’s name out, several schools have shown interest in him, including University of Massachusetts at Amherst and University of Connecticut. On his own, Forman has traveled to and met the coaches at Oklahoma State, University of Pennsylvania, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, and Coastal Carolina. According to Dalicandro, as of now no big-time football schools have contacted Forman, due to the fact that “they take a longer time because they recruit hundreds and hundreds of kids.” This is something that Forman definitely empathizes with, saying, “it’s really just stressful because there are so many kids at that position and it is a competition throughout the country.” Forman’s two positions, fullback and cornerback, while both very difficult to play, are popular positions among high school recruits, and therefore are hard to stand out in. Coming from Massachusetts, Forman feels he is at an even greater disadvantage because football recruiters tend to focus on areas of the country such as Florida, Texas, California, and Georgia. Another point Dalicandro emphasizes that the recruitment game has changed dramatically in the past couple years, as restrictions on coach-recruit interactions have become sanctioned. “With the media covering every aspect of recruitment, it has become just as much about grades and persona,” Dalicandro said. While these restrictions make college football better in the long run, they make it more difficult for high school athletes to be recruited. When his peers are making their decisions on where to go to college, Forman must also make a choice, whether it involves football or not is up to him.
By Nathan Baskin It is September, which means the start of a new football season. The season has begun and many of South’s students have been logging into Yahoo! or ESPN and are beginning to think of who they should pick for their fantasy football team. Many students take fantasy football as seriously as schoolwork, spending hours researching potential picks. In class, they often partake in trade negotiations and discussions of who to pick up off of waivers. The recent popularity of fantasy sports has affected not only students, but also teachers, who enjoy watching football. South teachers take the sport as seriously as, or even more seriously than many students. To build his fantasy team, Mathematics teacher Andrew Kelly has a golden rule regarding the players he is deciding on picking. “I usually end up picking players that I like or don’t dislike; that means no Cowboys’, Eagles’, or Redskins’ players,” he said. Growing up in New York, Kelly naturally dislikes the New York Giants’ rivals. Kelly plays in a fantasy league with friends from his high school days. He has been playing fantasy football since 1999 and actually went on to
reach the finals of his league in 2003. The key player in Kelly’s run at the time was Rich Gannon, the quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. Kelly has grown up in the shadow of a famous NFL star. Green Bay Packers’ running back Ryan Grant went to Kelly’s high school and was drafted by Kelly last year as a result. Unfortunately, Grant got injured during the first game of the season, and was out for the rest of the year. This year Kelly has a bigger problem on his team. Kelly drafted Peyton Manning, the Colts’ future Hall of Fame quarterback. Manning has been suffering from a neck injury and is excepted to miss the whole season. The rest of Kelly’s team includes Titans’ wide receiver Kenny Britt, Chiefs’ running back Jamaal Charles, Saints’ wide-out Marques Colston, and Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco. Another South teacher has invested much time and energy into his team. Academic Support teacher and Football Coach Ryan Augusta is hopeful this year that his team, which currently ranks first in his league, can win the championship. With a team that includes two top 10 quarterbacks in the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, Augusta has quite the advan-
tage. Augusta started playing fantasy football when his best friend started the league. Augusta also said that he thinks fantasy football is a great way to spend some time with his friends, whose busy lives might make seeing them hard. Ted Dalicandro, Head Coach for the Varsity Football team at South, is also an avid fantasy player. “The game is fun; I love to compete, and winner gets bragging rights for a week,” he said. Dalicandro has been in the same league with friends for 10 years. This veteran fantasy player says that he loads his teams with wide receivers and picks quarterbacks in later rounds. This year, Dalicandro jumped on Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers in the third round. “I don’t know how it happened, but it was a lucky pick,” Dalicandro said. It proved to be a very lucky pick indeed, as Rogers led his team to Super Bowl victory last year. While some of South’s teachers will spend their weekend grading tests and papers, others will be anxiously awaiting the results from their fantasy league.
Kelly:
Augusta:
Joe Flacco, BAL, QB Peyton Manning, IND, QB Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG, RB Jamaal Charles, KC, RB Kenny Britt, TEN, WR Marques Colston, NO, WR Jacoby Ford, OAK, WR Rob Bironas, TEN, K Chicago Defense
Tom Brady, NE, QB Greg Jennings, GB, QB Aaron Rodgers, GB, QB Tim Hightower, WSH, RB Mike Tolbert, SD, RB Kenny Britt, TEN, WR Santana Moss, WSH, WR Aaron Hernandez, NE, TE Alex Henery, PHI, K Houston Defense
By Joe Maher Like most seniors entering their final year of high school, Michael Forman spent his summer touring colleges. The difference that separates him from his classmates? Instead of looking at the dining halls and dorms, he spent his time touring the athletic facilities of each college, talking to coaches, and performing in combines. Michael Forman is a football player. Forman, a fullback and cornerback for the Lions’ Varsity Football team, grew up around football. Under the supervision of his father, who joined the South team as an assistant coach this year, Forman has bloomed into one of South’s brightest football prospects, sought after by several coaches in the northeast as well as coaches farther south. The senior and captain spent much of his summer trying out in front of coaches at combines, which are tests
of one’s physical abilities. “Not many schools come up north to recruit, so I had to go down to Florida three or four times to visit coaches and schools,” Forman said. While South’s team has been under the supervision of Head Coach Ted Dalicandro, three or four players a year have continued to play football in college. This trend does not hold true across the state, as the hot spots for college football recruitment tend to be farther south than Massachusetts. While the odds may be stacked against him, “[Forman] has the intangibles in terms of speed and strength to play in college,” Dalicandro said. Dalicandro is willing to market a player as long as he understands the level of play is “a lot more intense in college and players have to be ready for the commitment that increases tenfold.” Dalicandro also reminds his players
Teachers fantasize football
PHOTO BY RAY FLINT
Ageless Athletes: Kara Sargent By Ray Flint Even though she is busy grading papers, teaching classes, and advising the sophomore class, Spanish teacher Kara Sargent does her best to stay fit. She loves the outdoors and she frequently enjoys strenuous outdoor activities such as hiking, boating, and swimming. Sargent, born and raised in Lowell, attended Lowell High School. At Lowell High, she began playing volleyball, softball, and running track. By her junior year, Sargent participated in the Varsity team for each of the three sports. By the time she was a senior, she was also on the school’s Varsity Softball and Indoor Track teams. Although Sargent was a member of numerous of Lowell High’s sports teams, softball was by far her favorite sport. “I always loved playing softball the most,” Sargent said. This preference comes as no surprise considering that each of her four sisters was also a competitive softball pitcher. “My father coached us all,” Sarget said. In fact, Sargent ran pitching clinics for young girls with her father for years. When asked what it was like to compete with her sisters, Sargent said, “We still get into arguments about who was the best.” Sargent was a valuable to her team, pitching a perfect game during her senior year. To this day she is the only person to have pitched a perfect game
at Lowell High School. In addition to the perfect game, she also pitched seven shutouts during her senior year. As a result of her stellar performance, she was a Merrimack Valley All-Star and an All-Conference player during both her junior and senior years. Sargent went on to attend UMass Amherst, where she participated in intramural sports. To this day, she still enjoys playing sports, although, according to her, “nothing organized or very competitive.” Sargent does not avidly watch sports games, but she still enjoys watching a game here or there. “I get into football and baseball sometimes,” Sargent said. When asked about her time on the track team, Sargent reflects that she was not the best runner on Lowell High School’s Track team; however, Sargent ran the one-mile and two-mile distance races and “never came in last place in a race.” Sargent stuck with track, however, and enjoyed being part of a team. When asked what stood out to her most about being a high school athlete, she did not choose any of her many impressive athletic achievements. She simply said, “I always remember how much fun it was to be part of a team.” The ideal teammate and a great Spanish teacher, Kara Sargent is a joy to be around on and off the field.
Reach for the stars
Dalicandro: Aaron Rodgers, GB, QB Ray Rice, BAL, RB Darren McFadden, OAK, RB Wes Welker, NE, WR Larry Fitzgerald, STL, WR Aaron Hernandez, NE, TE Stephen Gostowski, NE, K Bears defense
Join
Features
27 September 2011
Denebola
Features B3
View From the Top: Grace Nathans
By Grace Nathans Okay, so, I’m literally sitting in my bed, watching Criminal Minds and laughing at my own jokes I’m telling to people on Facebook chat, and the absolute last thing I feel like doing is writing an article that’s like, “WOOOOHOOO SENIO12S, FRESHMEN SUCK ITTTTTT.” I called my friend Joe and asked him what to write about, and he said “sex, drugs, and rock and roll.”
I chose not to take this advice, so I’m kind of just gonna talk at you for a while. It seems that these days the only thing I ever talk about is college. I can hear myself boring you already, but se12iously guys, I’m freaking out. My dad likes to have these emotional talks with me about it where he tells me I’m gonna be fine, but honestly, Sam Nathans does not run the world and does not know my life.
I mean, both my parents went to some rando high school in Long Island, NY. Every time they try to calm me down, I’m kind of just like, “DON’T TELL ME HOW TO FEEL; YOU WOULD DIE AT NEWTON SOUTH, ROAAAAR!” Like, I’m a nice girl, I won’t do anything (too) weird, please someone just let me in. Anyway, I don’t even feel like I can get all sentimental in this because senio12 year has
just begun and I’m not even like “omg I’m gonna miss this place,” yet. So far I’m kind of just like Suicide Watch ’12 (too much?). So, since I don’t want to talk about college, and since it’s too soon to get emo about it, and you guys don’t want to hear my summary of last week’s episode of Dance Moms, I’m just gonna go ahead and share some tips I’ve learned over the past three or
four years. Okay, so my first one is dedicated to all the teachers that told me I’d never amount to nothing, to all the people that lived above the buildings that I was hustling in front of that called the police on me when I was just trying to make some money to feed my daughters, and all the kids in the struggle, you know what I’m saying? No, it’s actually dedicated to anyone who is not a senio12. Okay, listen, here’s the deal. We’ve had a few probs in the past year of…certain people in other classes (2013) getting sassy about seio12ism. Honestly, someday, young grasshoppers, you will all be seniors. You will inherit the sweaty room that wars have been fought over, and you will have the honor of walking to the farthest away parking spaces. But for now, don’t hate. Omg also, when prom comes, DO NOT post your dress in the group if you are anything other than a senior. I don’t care if we have the same dress, Jane Doe Sophomore, I am going to wear it anyway. I will look better in it, and I will ask all (two of) my friends to glare at you. Oh and also, the 12 as an R thing is cool. Shut up. My second piece of advice is to never let Kylie Walters interview you for Roar (is it awkward to talk about Roar
By Dar Alon, Ethan Epstein, and Karen Weinstock It all started Wednesday, September 21. Without warning or fanfare, Sam Fidler, a freshman, became a Newton South rap superstar. A few weeks prior to his local fame, a few kids from school discovered that Fidler was into rapping. Subsequently, a kid “spit” a few verses, so Fidler “flung some back.”
Then, the same student tried twice again to out-rap Fidler, and even though he was pretty good, Sam ended up beating him. Thus a legend was born. Many kids say that Fidler may be the next Eminem, but when asked about it, Fidler replied, “Don’t you start talkin’ ‘bout Eminem / I already know I’ll be better than him / He’s like the candy he’s named for, he’s bite sized / My motto is to always be maximized.”
It’s just that witty style that has Newton South raving over Fidler’s rhymes. When another freshman, Danny Sohmer, was asked if Sam Fidler really is better than Eminem, his response was, “I will have to go with [Sam] Fidler.” Even though Fidler has became an overnight sensation, getting 70 Facebook friend requests in the span of two nights and starting a trend of wearing fedora hats, don’t expect to see
him let the fame get to his head. When asked why he raps, Fidler responded, “Big question here. While I enjoy the fame, recognition, fitting in, and the groupies, I’m really doing it because I’m an entertainer. I love the feeling that my work puts a smile on other peoples faces.” He also said, “I used to be really unpopular and now I’m actually kind of embarrassed that people are recognizing me
everywhere I go. I’m honestly just doing what a lot of other rappers have done, except at a school.” Although Fidler has modest opinions of himself, others think very highly of him. Freshman Roni Tamir notes that, “it takes confidence to do that type of thing with everyone watching. It’s entertaining, I love watching the rap battles.” Unlike most celebrities, Fidler won’t change who he is. He
is an inspirational, intelligent, and talented musician who will go far in life regardless of what career he chooses to pursue. He’s not sure yet if he wants to be a rapper. “Whatever it is, I definitely want it to be entertaining,” Fidler said. As a parting line, Fidler had one more rhyme to share: “Denebola! If you haven’t read it, you should / It’s better than Lion’s Roar, ‘cause it’s actually good.”
By Wendy Ma “‘Bulletz’ can mean bullet points, bullet trains, bullet holes, bullet casings, or God forbid… real bullets. Let’s avoid those, but I’m heading to the Middle East,” former Newton South History teacher Pilar Quezzaire wrote on her first blog post. Quezzaire has gone to Beirut, Lebanon, to teach abroad and created a blog called Bulletz Over Beirut to document her experiences in the turbulent nation. Lebanon, a Middle Eastern nation, is experiencing political tensions, frequent protests, regime violence, and threats of imminent civil war due to the Arab Spring, a series of political uprisings sweeping through the Arabian Peninsula. Despite the instability of the nation, Quezzaire agreed to teach at the American Community School (ACS) in Beirut. “It’s where I got a job in a place that I thought I’d feel comfortable socially,” Quezzaire said. “I had other offers in the States and in Saudi Arabia, but I thought Saudi Arabia too restrictive, and I need a break from the U.S. every once in a while to get a global perspective on things.” Quezzaire’s reasons for leaving Newton because she is concerned about the American school system in general. “Teachers are leaving the profession because they are frustrated that they are not
treated like professionals with expertise,” Quezzaire said. According to CNN article What teachers really want to tell parents, parental interference, distrust, and lack of respect for teachers have led many teachers in the recent years to simply give up on the American school system and quit their jobs as educators. N e w ton Public Schools “has a big problem with this because the community is deeply concerned about grades, and many parents try to target teachers if the grades are not favorable,” Quezzaire said. “I’ve found far too many parents to be condescending at times they had no right to be. This is not universal, but it happened often enough to concern me.” In this sort of environment, it is hard not only for the teacher to teach, but also for students to learn. According to Ron Clark, winner of 2011’s American Teacher of the Year award, teachers feel like “parents are
breathing down their backs as they teach and have their hands completely tied.” This is an increasing problem not just at South, but all over America. Despite its claims to diversity, respect, equality, communication, and creativity, South
As a school with a student enrollment of roughly 1,700 and 220 faculty members, it is a very large school. However, Quezzaire prefers a smaller school because there is a larger sense of togetherness. “At a small school, the fac-
a bad place to be, and I would rather leave than do that,” Quezzaire said. “Being abroad and facing new challenges has helped me to remember why I do the work I do.” These philosophical differences between South and herself led her to make the drastic decision of moving to Lebanon. “I had Ms. Quezzaire for two years so I’m sad to see her go. It was probably a huge decision on her part to move to a different country, but I’m happy for her,” former student senior Joe Joseph said. Quezzaire has been in Beirut since August 21, photo contributed by pilar quezzaire 2011. ulty acts more in concert, and I “Beirut is not exactly what like that,” Quezzaire said. I thought it was going to be Perhaps the motivating push either. The airport is more behind accepting the job as a modern, and the bureaucracy is teacher at ACS in Beirut was more ancient,” she said. her desire for a change. She is slowly trying to learn “My frustrations with the Lebanese culture. system threatened to affect my Quezzaire explains how the work in the classroom. I did culture of Beirut and Newton not want to feel as though I South are very different and could not teach all of you, and how she is adapting to her new I started to feel that way. That’s way of life.
“Now that I have been at ACS for a little bit, I am very surprised to find that I am considered very kind and approachable; I am described often at ACS as having a very friendly face,” she said. “I was frequently criticized for being ‘intimidating,’ ‘harsh,’ and ‘difficult to talk to’ [at South]. “The sarcasm and toughness I exhibited in class at Newton was a bad thing, whereas in Lebanon it’s considered very good. That, I think is a comment on just how different school cultures can be from one another.” In her blog, she posts topics from ranging Palestinian Ghettos to finding a litter of abandoned kittens. As for her reasons of keeping a blog: “I am a teacher, a traveler, and an epicure. Beirut is a city that provides well for all three. It’s also a place of stark contrasts and divisions. I look forward to making some sense of the whole sordid mess, as well as getting some good pedagogy and palatables in,” Quezzaire said. Quezzaire has left Newton South to start a new adventure in the city of Beirut. “Perhaps after two years abroad, I might want to come back, I don’t know. I love to travel though, so don’t be surprised if I move around a bit,” Quezzaire said. “Check out my blog!” “Bulletz’ Over Beirut” is Quezzaire’s tumblr blog.
photo contributed by grace nathans
in Denebz? Has there ever been a double agent for Roar/ Denebz? Idk. Someone let me know.). Last year she called to ask me about St. Patricks day, and I told her that I didn’t know anyone who took it seriously and that in general, people just use it as an excuse to get really drunk. Imagine my surprise when the article came out with the line, “According to Junior Grace Nathans, St. Patricks day is ‘just an excuse to get drunk.’” I was 15. Thanks, Ky. Thirdly, be really careful how you pose in photos. You might be accidentally standing too close to your friends, and you may appear to be grabbin’ them when the photo gets muploaded. As a result, you will be Hammered with jokes at your expense. Lastly, don’t ever get full bangs. I’m serious. Don’t do it. And, yes, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “but Grace, won’t I look like a cool artsy girl who not only listens to good music, but also has a dangerous side?” No, no you won’t. You will look stupid, and everyone will make fun of the way they stick to your forehead in your license picture. Oh, also, don’t tell anyone when you’re going to take your permit test. If you tell no one, then no one can make fun of you when you fail it. Am I right ladies, am I right?
Freshman Impresses with Vicious Rhymes
An Inside Look: a teacher’s reasons for leaving
lacked a sense of community according to Quezzaire. “I had excellent colleagues, and I think the faculty is amazingly qualified — you as students are very lucky to have them. That does not mean the faculty acts as much of a unit though,” Quezzaire said. “They tend to congregate in cliques, much as the students do. I got tired of seeing that.”
Denebola
Features B4
27 September 2011
Muslim students views on Zeitoun
photo by aley lewis
Faculty Focus: Marie Shaw By Jesse Feldstein Many students from this year ’s freshman class believe that the transition from middle school to high school is complex and confusing, yet exciting nonetheless. And one teacher, who came up from Oak Hill Middle School with the Class of 2015 could not agree more. First-year English teacher Marie Shaw is a new face among the South faculty, but to a large portion of students, her presence is anything but new. For the past 14 years, Shaw worked across the field at Oak Hill teaching Drama. For her, the new school is more familiar than one would expect. “I find it interesting to see how students have changed, and how they haven’t changed,” she said. The former middle school teacher recognizes nearly half of the students at South. But the juxtaposition of seniors’ former appearances to their looks today is, according to Shaw, comedic. “Old students seem almost like adults,” she said. “These kids used to be poking fingers [at each other]. It’s a real gas to see them again.” Shaw does believe, however, that high school is different from middle school in the way that it stimulates learning while
maintaining a more relaxed environment. “It’s much more laid back,” Shaw said, “Yet the students take a responsibility for their learning. The students know when to jump on board, [thus they] are more involved in their academic pursuits.” Shaw is also noticing the changes in schedule. “I have to remember which classes are dropped each day,” she said. “I still have to figure out my own way to work through the complexities of the schedule.” For now, Shaw is responsible for teaching sophomores and seniors, a transition she had to make during the summer months. She needed to familiarize with a new curriculum, then plan how to teach it a couple of months later. “I had to learn the material, then figure out a way to present it to the students,” Shaw said. “There certainly is a lot of paperwork, but that is what the job entails, and I expected that.” Shaw has also had to make the transition to a completely different field of teaching. “Working in a different discipline, Drama versus English ... [is] like working with my children. I love each equally, but each one has its own quirks and personalities to foster to maturity,” Shaw said. Although Shaw has a lot of
experience working with South pupils in the past, her experience at South has forced her to adapt. “The work is intense. This school truly operates at a collegiate level, and I can sense that and appreciate it,” Shaw said. “Thankfully, the faculty has been extraordinarily helpful and understanding.” At Oak Hill, Shaw had her own office in a private area. Now her office is located in the English Department, which is also a transition she enjoys. “Working in an office is great. I felt like part of the community immediately, and that really assisted my move,” she said. Although Shaw is only accountable for teaching English, she tries to instill much more broader lessons in all of her students, no matter where she teaches. “Ultimately, my goal is to empower all of these students to become the best people they can be. I want them to exercise their full potential, whether it be academically, socially, physically, emotionally, or culturally.” Shaw is hoping to help students with one of the most difficult parts of adolescence. “I really work to help all of my students to make appropriate decisions,” she said. “That’s really important to me.”
By Lauren Ashbrook I’ve been getting really into sustainable agriculture recently. This summer, that interest threw me into a sweltering cornfield with Smokey, Raddles, T-Dawg, M.J, Thrasher, McGregor—in total, 16 hulking, sweating, swearing, interesting 20-something guys and me. We were working for Syngenta, an international biotechnology company that creates hybrid strains of crops such as corn and soybeans. The company strives to have huge yields while taking advantage of as few natural resources as possible. And yes, they tinker with genes. My crew’s job was corn pollination. That sounds complicated, but all we were doing was facilitating the transfer of pollen from one corn stalk to another. The pollen from one particular plant’s tassels has to be poured over another’s silks. This fertilizes one stalk with the pollen of an entirely different strain, thus creating a crossbreed. Basically, it’s corn sex that makes babies on steroids. These offspring are genetically stoked. At this point you’re asking yourself, is this really “sustainable agriculture?” I was asking myself the same question. It was a rough July in central Illinois. The boys and I were in the field from 6:30 AM to 4:00 PM. With the heat index, temperatures were soaring past 110 degrees. There were tornadoes, electrical storms. People
got heat strokes and fainted. It was a pretty challenging environment. After just an hour, we were already sweating and covered in mud, but having a good crew made things easier. M.J. was often blasting “Thriller” on a handheld radio (thus the
science was interesting and raised some important questions. Here’s the thing—population growth projections suggest that by the year 2050 the world is going to have to produce twice as much food as it currently does. About one-third of the planet is already used for agriculture. We can’t farm the whole planet, not even two-thirds of it, and that would lead to ecological disaster, so another solution is necessary. Syngenta’s solution is genetic modification, which makes many environmentalists uncomfortable. I mean, the idea of salmon DNA in your tomato sounds pretty freaky, and who knows what the long-term effects will be. Syngenta calls this solution “sustainable.” Many crunchy organic-lovers (like me, I guess) would not. But what does sustainability really mean? Genetics may be our only way to avoid farming the earth beyond its capacity. At this point, only corn is on the path to doubling its yields by 2050. I would like to imagine an organic paradise with butterflies and Birkenstocks, but maybe that won’t feed the planet. Syngenta researchers argue that it’s going to take a lot of science to get the job done. If they are right, the quality of that science and its impact are really going to matter. I don’t have the answers here, but this summer I began to see the reality of one of our world’s greatest challenges, first hand.
Senior spends summer on farm
photo contributed by lauren ashbrook
nickname). Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything” was another favorite jam, along with every country hit of the summer. We danced and goofed around, anything to keep our minds off of the heat. My nickname was East Coast. At first it seemed a little insulting. They were probably wondering what the heck a city girl from Boston was doing there. But after a sweltering 50-hour week, Smokey, my boss, came up to me and said, “Damn, people back home should call you Midwest!” That rocked. Walking from row to row bagging silks or tassels could be grueling work, but the
By Josh Nislick Imagine a middle-aged man paddling through a flooded city in a fragile canoe, ignoring urges for him to leave the area, in order to rescue those in need of help. This man is risking his health and safety, braving wild terrain, and living in a tent on his roof just to save his fellow countrymen and to provide relief for the helpless and desperate. Such a book would likely be hailed as a story of great heroism and courage, and this man would be acclaimed as a fearless and daring character. Yet Zeitoun by Dave Eggers exposes Newton South students not only to the incredible bravery of an ordinary American citizen, but also to the United States’ disastrous management of New Orleans after it was hit by Hurricane Katrina. English teacher David Weintraub, one of the people who nominated the novel to be this year’s “Two Schools, One Book” choice, believes that the novel accurately shows how Americans currently view Muslims. “When the teenagers tear the hijab off Kathy’s head,” he said, “And when Kathy’s mother says, ‘You can take that thing off now, he’s gone,’ I think these subtler moments reveal who we actually are. This book has real power to motivate change, and it shows how life for Muslim-Americans actually is.” Senior Muhammad Akif Honca, a Muslim-American, agrees that what Zeitoun experienced reflected similar sentiments that Americans feel towards Muslims. “In regard to the biases towards Muslim Americans, it’s exactly
right,” Honca said. “After 9/11, people look at us as more foreign and dangerous when most of us are normal people.” Weintraub also believes that 9/11 has altered the lives of many Muslims living in America. “For the majority,” Weintraub said, “My sense is that profiling has increased. There tends to be a single picture about MuslimAmericans, yet Zeitoun broadens that story.” Honca liked the book because it portrayed Zeitoun as a normal American citizen, but he was angered by the treatment Zeitoun received by American soldiers after the storm. The novel also made Honca look at his own life compared to that of Zeitoun. “The book made me think of my own experiences,” he said. “I’ve definitely felt the hatred felt by many Muslim-Americans.” Sophomore Shariq Cheema, also a Muslim-American, agrees that he has felt the biases of Americans towards Muslim individuals. “There are people that make comments or jokes about the fact that I’m Muslim and they connect me to the unfortunate attack of 9/11,” Cheema said. “I have never experienced racial profiling, though, and I believe that people view us Muslims as average and normal human beings and that we are a part of the same nation as them.” Zeitoun not only provides a glimpse into the life of Muslims living in the United States, but also displays the inadequacy of the American government in handling the crisis in New Orleans after the hurricane. The
country’s disturbing response to Hurricane Katrina contributed to Honca’s lack of faith in the government. “Even before I read the book,” Honca said, “I didn’t like the way the government treated Muslims. Just the fact that all that stuff happened in New Orleans, in our own country, made me more skeptical of whether the leadership in this country is the best.” Although it could be difficult at times for readers to grasp Zeitoun’s experiences during the book, Honca and Cheema feel it was an important book for South to read. “It opened up a lot more people’s minds in terms of accepting others,” Honca said. “It showed that sometimes there are situations where people are treated badly on account of their religion of where they are from,” Cheema said. Despite the extreme hardships Zeitoun deals with throughout the story, he demonstrates an amazing willingness to help others in times of need. According to Weintraub, such actions display a change in modern American heroism. “I found it fascinating that it provides a glimpse of a new kind of American hero, a blue collar immigrant and a Southern Baptist woman who converted to Islam,” he said. In addition, Weintraub feels that the central message in the novel is to show the good in America as opposed to the bad. “The book superficially criticizes the government,” he said. “But at its core it valorizes average people and shows how everyone can be a hero.”
By Helen Holmes Amidst the disorganized hustle and bustle that comes with the beginning of a new school year, one particularly red-haired presence is conspicuously absent. As the rest of us are worrying about curfews and chemistry, one of our own is enjoying a life of independence. Dylan Boudro, who would have been a Newton South senior this year, has instead transferred to Bard College at Simon’s Rock. I caught up with Dylan recently to hear his story, and to find out what it’s like to be a college Freshman when most of us can’t stay out past 11 without fighting World War Three. Boudro’s path through high school has certainly been an unconventional one. “I decided to attend college … due to my mistakes earlier in my high school career,” Boudro said. “As a sophomore, I lost touch with how important school was and really struggled academically.” Boudro spent junior year playing catchup, but still felt less than motivated in such a stressful and academically rigorous environment. He adds that the fact that his house was “a three-minute walk away”
from school contributed to his lethargy. Frustrated and uncompelled to finish out his high school education, Boudro found out about Simon’s Rock and decided to “take the leap to a much heavier academic workload.” But here’s where it gets interesting—though Boudro points out that “most people at Simon’s Rock drop out of high school,” he intends to return to Newton South with enough English credits earned in college to graduate with the rest of the Class of 2012. According to Boudro, his mother “made it clear” that if he wanted to skip senior year for college life, he’d have to graduate—the only difference is that he’s doing things in reverse. Though a unique 17-year-old in that respect, Boudro is eager for the perks of senior year and adds that hopefully he’ll be able to “come back for prom and graduation!” When he’s not studying the intricacies of internet marketing (his preferred field of choice,) Boudro is savoring the sweet taste of freedom from parental contol. “What helped me survive here in terms of managing myself was the independence
you get from having a car and a job,” Boudro said. “In college, you need to keep up with schoolwork, but you also need to make sure your room is clean and all your stuff is there when you need it.” Boudro is also exploring the world of college parties— responsibly, of course. He’s living in Dolliver house, a dorm “notorious for its lounge in the basement.” As for drugs, Boudro notes that there’s “non-excessive [drug] use on campus… everyone is very open minded and extremely understanding, and I have never seen social pressure to do drugs.” What else is there to know about living the collegiate life? “One thing that people might not guess … is the value of good food,” Boudro said. “In college, when you eat ramen out of any container you can get your hands on, good food is like a gift from the heavens.” Deeply enjoying his new experiences, Boudro also mentions enthusiastically that he was “really lucky” to be the only freshman in his dorm to get a room with a balcony. For this unconventional student, there can be no doubt that the view looks good from here.
South senior skips ahead; loving the college life
photo contributed by dylan boudro
Denebola
27 September 2011
Arts and Entertainment B5
The Have Nots would be Proud, an album review interpersonal relationships that By Tim Jiang Guitar wailing like a siren, range from the inspirational to bass grooves bouncing from the heartbreaking. The Have Nots successfully wall to wall, snare drum exploding through the room, the mix pop sensibilities with oversecond release from this first driven guitars to paint a porclass ska act is a sonic attack trait of America’s dark side. The standout track ‘Louisville from start to finish. One of Boston’s best live Slugger’ opens with the lines, bands, the Have Nots revitalized “Tomorrow she’ll put make-up punk rock two years ago with on the bruises, tomorrow she’ll the fantastic Serf City USA; be making up excuses…” On this gem, frontman Jon their sophomore effort Proud expands upon their debut’s Cauztik consoles a childhood militant fury with a melodic friend fallen victim to an abusive husband, his verses alternating edge. Effortlessly, the band mixes between pity and outrage. The song simultaneously rock, reggae, and hip hop to create the most vital ska-punk fills the listener with empathy since Rancid’s …And Out and indignation — helplessly, Come the Wolves, or even we watch as Cauztik tries to defend the girl Operation Ivy’s against her Energy. Proud...already tormentor. It would be stands as a modern With a easy to comdelivery that pare Proud with classic in its own shifts bethese time-honright. tween drill ored triumphs, sergeant but in reality, it already stands as a modern barking and machine gun fire, classic in its own right. The Cauztik dedicates the rest of Have Nots’ work sounds just the album to topics such as the as poignant in 2011 as it would atrocities of war, a tortured romance, and his bond with his in 1977. Raw, aggressive, and hooky, deceased father. Displaying his storytelling as Proud plays as a soundtrack to the chaotic climate of post- well as his outspoken political regression America, while also views, Jon Cauztik ranks as the exploring a nostalgia for the finest blue-collar poet since Joe Strummer. values of a world long past. Over a backdrop of two-step Proud juxtaposes revolutionary anthems with tales of thrash and gang vocal inter-
ludes, the Have Nots’ second singer Matt Pruitt’s voice seems melodic, almost tender. Despite this, Pruitt’s delivery proves brutal by any mainstream standard; he handles most of the (relatively) mellow material while still delivering the band’s signature energy. His songs range from the quasi-ballad ‘Farewell Show’ to the furious ‘Laser Guided Freedom Killers‘; on the latter, he asks “Would you resist, would you insist? If they dropped hell on you?” Pruitt also holds the distinction of writing the best song on one of the year’s best albums, which he breaks down on the band’s official website: “So, what’s ‘The Brink’ about?” “Well, I guess the long and short of it is this: ‘The Brink’ points to the other side of the wartime news headline, where the selflessness of our soldiers is seemingly forgotten, and the humanity that’s shared amongst us, is lost in the smoke and mir-
arts, Lebovits participated in the freshman play and followed her friend, senior Allie Haber, to the speech team meeting. “I really only went to the meeting because Allie wanted to go, and I was curious about South’s extracurriculars, but once I made friends with the ‘09 Captains; Chrissy Amendola, Alex Brodsky, and David Schlenker; they took me under their wing and I realized just how much speech team could teach me,” Lebovits said. Now in her fourth year as an active Speech member, Lebovits has received more than a few accolades from competitions statewide, as well as qualifying for a national tournament in Texas last June. Along with participating emphatically with Speech, Lebovits has appeared in several South-
Stage shows, such as 2010’s production of “Cowtown.” She has also poured all her considerable heart and humor into South’s improv troupe, Candy Corn, as a dedicated and caring member. Through her involvement in these performing venues, Lebovits has learned much about herself and her skills. “I became a better and more confident public speaker, but I also became a more confident and more sociable person in general,” she said. Besides theater, Lebovits has dabbled in many different areas of art, including photography. “I’ve taken Photo with Bob Bouchal since freshman year, and,
By Sophie ScharlinPettee “All through elementary school and middle school I was the more ‘athletic’ daughter in the family...but always loved being creative and interacting with people,” senior Jackie Lebovits said. An ironic statement, if nothing else, as Lebovits is now an enthusiastic leader of both Newton South’s Speech and Debate Team, AKA “Speech,” as well as the student-run improv group Children of the Candy Corn, or “Candy Corn.” “When I got to high school, I initially wanted to try out for the softball team, but I thought that high school sports were only for talented and serious athletes,” Lebovits said. Upon deciding there was more hope in turning to the performing
PHOTO, continued from page A6
of shots left on a roll, and that number is never in the hundreds.Frames must be conserved, leading to a search for what is truly worthwhile to photograph and quickly moves past the shallow, cliché, Myspace profile picture shots. The cost of buying film is a bit of a turnoff, but this additionally leads to a careful and sparing approach to what is photographed, resulting in products that are well worth the money. The actual shots on a roll of film cannot be seen until they are developed, creating suspense and excitement to discover the results of shooting. Following the development of negatives from film, photos are printed using an enlarger in the darkroom. Hours can be spent in the darkroom, hoping no one walks in on a solitary dance party to Ke$ha on the radio, and fingers dipped in chemicals you would not want contaminating your lunch, all to produce just a couple of prints. Mistakes that would have otherwise been avoided lead to new discoveries and promote experimentation. The entire film process takes money, time, effort, and a development of skills, creat-
rors, of war-time agendas.” With a surprisingly catchy melody and a swinging rhythm section, ‘The Brink’ offers an unconventionally patriotic take on the situation in the Middle East. Whether he’s covering the hardships of an American soldier or screaming at the injustice of
vive the day-to-day struggles of the world and then pass that endurance on to us. Proud offers a rare mix of social commentary and catharsis; the Have Nots pass the classic test of the great rock band — popularized by John Lennon, Chuck D, and Bob Marley — with a repertoire that includes songs of
civilian casualties in Iraq, Pruitt juggles concepts and perspectives effortlessly with a tuneful call, the perfect counterpart for Jon Cauztik’s raspy howl. No matter what they may have to say about our foreign policy, The Have Nots embody a truly American phenomena, singing the ballad of the underdog. Through music, they sur-
revolution, and songs of love. With their newest work, they expand, they mature, and they realize that sometimes, a wellplaced hook can wreak just as much havoc as a wall of distortion. Not only do The Have Nots want you to get up and mosh, they also want you to sit down and think. These days, that’s rare.
throw pillows, unfortunately someone had already bought the Missoni for Target bicycle. Besides my being caught up in the whirlwind of cheap, chic clothing, I had to ask myself: is the mania of fall fashion simply diverting or inherently disturbing? Just minutes after being released to the public, the massive influx of orders for Italian luxury crashed Target’s website. Despite campaigns to the contrary, models still strut down the NYC Fashion Week runway looking as though they’d never seen a sandwich, let alone eaten one. I, personally, have embraced the fact that I don’t resemble an emaciated beanpole and that I’ll never be as skinny as I was when I was twelve. My favorite food is filet mignon and my afternoon snack is caramel popcorn. Sue me, I love to eat! Fat or thin, rich or broke, I look forward to fall every year. To me, nothing beats waking up to air scented with dried leaves and scaled with the faintest chill of autumn, because this means that the best of my wardrobe is soon to come.
although digital is fun, I like black and white film the best. I’m interested in film-making as well and took a film course at Barnard during the summer of 2010,” she said. She and Haber, a friend and fellow Speech team member, are also the co-presidents of South’s Water Aid International, or WAI, club. According to Lebovits, WAI
is “a lovely community service club that raises money to help aid the water crisis in third world countries.” Despite her impressive credentials, Lebovits has a humble perspective on the college process. “I would really, really, really, love to go to college please. Don’t know exactly where that will be yet. That’s scary,” she said. As for what colleges have piqued her interest, Lebovits commented, “Most colleges have some kind of theater extracurriculars and improv troupes — I’d also love to try sketch comedy. I am looking at schools with speech teams, but I wouldn’t say that a college has to have a team for me to commit to going there!” For this theater-loving senior,
what lies ahead is unclear. “College speech is different from high school speech and much more intensive, so I’m not sure yet if I’m going to continue that after high school. “As of right now, I hope to continue participating in these activities as hobbies!” Her after-college plans are still in the making, but Lebovits hopes to keep some kind of performing art still a part of her life. “I think that the skills I’ve learned from theater, speech, and improv will definitely influence my career path, although not the activities themselves,” she said. As for advice to the newlyenrolled freshman, Lebovits has only one thing to say: get involved. “Join Speech and Debate! Audition for Children of the Candy Corn! Join WAI!”
photo from internet source
Art Focus: Jackie Lebovits
Photo: Seeing the light ing a much deeper connection with the final product than the couple of minutes it takes to upload and print a photo from a digital camera. This being said, there are undeniable benefits to digital photography. Once an appreciation for the photograph is achieved and a photographic eye is developed, digital photography can be used to fill in the gaps of and augment certain qualities of film photography. The ability to Photoshop the absolute junk out of photographs gives digital a one-up on film in the color aspects as well as photo manipulation. W h i l e the digital process is hardly as much fun as the film process, the option to spend hours in front of a computer making the tiniest of adjustments to hue, contrast, and lighting in each individual section of the photograph is the ultimate fine tune editing tool. But this editing power is often abused, leading some to disregard the raw photograph and rely solely on computer editing tools to produce a quality photograph. However, when used properly, editing software can enhance composition possibly
THE FASHION FILES
photo by jackie lebovits
FASHION, continued from page A6
YPO takes South to Europe
beyond its film counterpart and allows for manipulations far beyond the limitations of an enlarger. These benefits of digital photography should be fully utilized, but it is vital that sight is not lost of the values and practices learned through film photography.
graphics by victor qin
The best way to begin with photography is to take the class. The projects assigned are expertly crafted by Newton South’s Bob Bouchal to teach you how to see the world through the lens, and how to develop your skills as a photographer. If it so happens that one is taking 2,304 Advanced Placement classes and this is not an option, then find or borrow a film camera, buy a roll of film, and carry the camera around until there’s a roll of shots, then find a friend who takes photography to show you the ropes. Or find me, someone more than happy to show the process and help out! But seriously, do photography, and prepare to be amazed for what vision and sight will unearth.
YPO, continued from page A6
toted their recorder to school, and were privy to the horrid screechings that no inventor ever meant to make possible out of that instrument. In reality, though these memories have tainted our knowledge of early music, these are also the events that often trigger kids to pick up different instruments such as cello, like Wolff, or as Freshman chose, the violin. As students in an affluent town and region, there are always opportunities waiting in all walks of life. Musical opportunities are likewise abundant in the Greater Boston area, and the only attribute required in the initial entrance of such establishments is the desire to learn. It is in these institutions that the young, eager children become aspiring musicians filled with a passion that music
intrinsically evokes. This passion is absolutely magnetic and can lead to some of the greatest combinations ever created. As Youngman said, “more than any other activity or art form it is the one that truly has no borders...it opens communication and opportunities between two cultures when you share music...you become a traveler not a tourist....an explorer not a tourist.” This passion creates an electric energy onstage during performances, as an elder gentlemen noted, thoroughly touched by the vibrancy of one of YPO’s concerts on the tour. The orchestra’s initial intimidation at performing in front of hundreds of unknown onlookers did not stop them from coming on stage with an air of confidence. Youngman added that “for-
photo from internet source
eign countries are incredibly welcoming to musicians... especially younger musicians.” The orchestra’s initial intimidation towards performing in front of hundreds of unknown onlookers did not stop them from coming on stage with an air of confidence. “It’s never too late to explore and study music,” he said, “Because even if your music doesn’t take you to La Scala or Alvert Hall, it will still connect you to both your own and other cultures.” The kids were from the highschool generation, the audience members were often from an older or younger generation, and the music hailed from a much, much more ancient generation. How could these three or four eras meet in such a perfect harmony? The answer lies in the tears of the old man who was touched by YPO’s concert. It lies in the zeal with which students such as Choi, Wolff, and Freshman attend rehearsal every weekend, and finally it lies in the sold out sign outside the concert halls in which YPO was privileged enough to play. Choi, Wolff, Freshman, and many South students carry this love of music around with them everyday. As Nietzsche so correctly put it: “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
Global Education Denebola
Global Education B6
27 September 2011
Protests and bloodshed continue in Syria
By Dina Busaba With the Libyan revolution winding down, the world’s attention has turned to another country going through political turmoil: Syria. The unrest began in mid-March but laid relatively below the radar due to Libya’s heavily publicized revolution. The Syrian people are fighting for a democratic government. They want the right to vote and have their voices heard. Large protests started in the capital city of Damascus, but later spread to cities like Homs and Zabadani. It has been questioned whether or not this is now a war based on religion or politics. The revolution has stretched beyond the borders of the nation and on to the Internet, with protesters speaking out on Facebook and Twitter. Rami Nakhle and Omar Edilbi, opinionated protesters who have been fighting this battle over the Internet, have fled into neighboring Lebanon. In late August, political cartoonist Ali Farzat was badly beaten by Syrian security forces. He has since been recovering in a hospital in Damascus. Since the beginning of the rebellion, over 2,000 people have been killed. The protests have been met by President Bashar al-Assad with blood since week one. Syria has been in a state of emergency since the mid 1960s; Bashar al-Assad lifted that state in April before the violence began again. Troops have opened fire on the unarmed protesters countless times throughout the past five months. President Bashar al-Assad has
On July 22, over 700,000 Syrians protested in the northwestern city of Hama.
defended the killings, saying gangs and terrorists started the protests he was only trying to restore order in the country. At least 52 bodies have been found to have evidence of torture prior to the killings. There are reports of tear gas and killings during funerals of the dead. All victims were male aged 13 and older. Some people on the internet have called for more female participation. The United Nations Human Rights Council has been investigating the protests for any violations and crimes
against humanity. The United Nations and European Union (EU), along with the United States representatives, have been working together to impose more sanctions on the unstable country. All member states of the EU have agreed to stop buying crude oil from Syria. Nations in the Arab League fear the violence has gone too far and that Syria is on the brink of a civil war. The Arab League has demanded that al-Assad be put under more pressure to step down and stop attacking his people.
Libyan rebels on the verge of victory
By Karen Weinstein For the past 42 years, Libya, a tribal country in the north of Africa, has languished under the dictatorial rule of Moammar Gaddafi. Last spring, thousands of Libyans first protested, and then rebelled against their ruler, causing an ongoing civil war that has lasted more than eight months. With the recent fall of Tripoli, the rebels now control most of the country. Gaddafi’s whereabouts are unknown. From his refuge, perhaps his besieged hometown of Sirte, Gaddafi has exhorted his followers to fight on and crush the rebels, claiming to still be the country’s leader. Some of the remaining loyalists are still fighting sporadically, defending strongholds like Sirte and Bani Walid. While others flee the country in fear of retaliation. According to History Teacher Bob Parlin, “There still is some fighting, but it doesn’t seem, at least the way the media is portraying it, that the loyalists who have been supporting Gaddafi are
photo from internet source
in any way going to proceed.” Libya’s future is still unclear. France and other European nations are trying to help Libya set up a democracy in place of their dictatorship, but “democracy” is still a foreign concept to most Libyans. “There’s not a whole lot of precedent for that in the region, but if the dictatorship is replaced with something better than it was, then it’s still an improvement,” History teacher Paul Estin said. There is controversy over whether democracy could thrive in a tribal country, especially one with no history of successful government. “Libya has never been a unified country without a strong dictator,” History teacher Sean Turley said, “So it will be very interesting to see if they can really start a new government. In the past, there have been many tribes in Libya that do not get along.” At least a dictatorship provides some measure of stability to the nation, as opposed to no government at
On June 20, rebels on the frontlines west of Misrata fire a Grad rocket at loyalist forces.
all. Libya may find itself in a difficult situation if a democracy fails to take hold and some other factions take control. Parlin believes a Libyan democracy modeled after the U.S.’s government is unlikely. Until a democracy is established, there is always the possibility that other factions, such as a tribe or a religious fundamentalist faction, will rise to power and create another dictatorship. “Some people are worried that the rebels themselves are very fundamentalist Muslims,” Parlin said. “A country ruled by a much more conservative religious leader would look like Iran.” Though he appears to be on the brink of defeat, “as long as Moammar Gaddafi is not caught, there is always going to be the possibility that the revolution will fail, because people will oftentimes support someone who’s not around or is in hiding,” Turley said. As of now, Gaddafi still has loyalists in Libya, and may be taking cover in his tribe’s territory or somewhere deep in the desert. A new democracy would require the tribes to cooperate and give up some power to create a government system. “It will be interesting to see if [the tribes] would give up some power,” Turley said. “The people are used to being in control of their own area and all of a sudden they will be asked to cooperate.” Ancient ethnic conflicts and newer ones over water and oil complicate prospects for centralization and a successful civil society. Only time will tell if a peaceful democracy can rise from the ashes of Gaddafi’s dictatorship.
photo from internet source
photo from internet source
Members of the United Nations have been pushing for more sanctions to be imposed, but China and Russia keep vetoing further action. Russia wants to speak with both Syria and the United Nations so they can come to a peaceful agreement. Protesters and outside observers, however, no longer believe al-Assad after his previous assertions that he would reform his government. Many Arab countries, as well as Israel, are concerned that al-Assad could be replaced by another dictator, possibly one more warmongering than al-Assad, who had maintained peace with Israel and relative stability in the region. Even worse, anarchy could
The hiPhone 5 (left) and the iPhone 4.
follow his rule, resulting in interethnic and –religious strife. The fears of disorder in the Middle East, exporting violence and possibly chemical weapons, have held many nations back from calling for regime change, and continue to hold many back from assisting the opposition. It remains unclear whether al-Assad can cling to power, but his resolve has surely been strengthened by the fates that have befallen his fellow dictators in Libya and Egypt. The success of the revolutions there, however, also gives confidence to the people of Syria, and people across the Middle East, that autocratic regimes can, in fact, be defeated.
photo from internet source
Chinese release iPhone 5 knock-off
By Ethan Epstein While millions of Americans eagerly await the much-anticipated release of the iPhone 5, some people in China have already gotten their hands on one – sort of. An online counterfeiting company in China, called Taobao, has released the hiPhone 5, a knock-off available for as little as 200 Yuan, equivalent to about $31. Amazingly, the hiPhone 5 was released in advance of the muchanticipated iPhone 5 – extremely rare in the world of knock-offs. The hiPhone’s design is based on a leaked picture that depicts the workers at the Wintek Factory in China building iPhones. At first glance the picture is useless, but a closer look gives a pretty good idea about what the newest iPhone looks like. The iPhones in the picture have an edge-to-edge screen (much wider than the iPhone 4), an elongated home button, and rounded edges that are thinner than the iPhone 4 (like the older iPhones). hiPhones share these features with the apparent iPhone 5’s. The hiPhone is 7mm thick while the iPhone 4 is 9.3mm thick, suggesting that the iPhone 5 will also be significantly thinner. The hiPhone has a wider, rounded glass screen and flat back, as well as a logo that is almost identical to Apple’s. To many, the idea of replicating a product so closely is unethical as well as risky. China, however, isn’t
new to knock-offs of popular companies’ best-selling products. Most of these knock-offs, including the 2008 hiPhone, were released after their originals. That is what makes the hiPhone 5 unique: it was released August 1, a few months before the real iPhone 5, which is expected to come out this October. The hiPhone, however, does have many aspects characteristic of other counterfeited products. In addition to it being much cheaper than the original, it is also lighter. Though the company made the phone so similar to the original that customers will buy it thinking no one will notice the difference, it has a few differences to ward off lawsuits. Despite the obvious copyright infringement, Apple is so far not taking any sort of legal action, possibly because the hiPhone is just different enough from the iPhone to build a defending case, or possibly because the Chinese government is doing the work for them. But the more likely reason as to why Apple hasn’t taken any legal action is that it is not very concerned about the loss of business – though the hiPhone is cheaper, it is physically weaker and quite possibly inferior in other areas. Obviously, there is little in the way of tech support for it. Therefore, anyone who was willing to pay for a high-quality iPhone before the hiPhone’s release is probably still willing to pay.
Denebola
27 September 2011
News B7
First Year Teachers Tell Denebola About Their Aspirations
Divya Babakrishna Math/Science Teacher “[I think] i’ll have a ton of fun... This is my first job!”
Ellen Loko
Spanish Teacher “I expect 382 students to [become more fulent] in spanish.
Helena Alfonzo
Spanish Teacher “[I think] that students [will] be able to learn Spanish fluently.”
Marie Shaw
English Teacher “To reconnect with a lot of people here, and to see how they’ve matured.”
Jennifer Morrill Jenniffer Dimmick
History Department Head/ Teacher “I’m looking forward to this year and getting to know people at South.”
Librarian “To meet and connect with as many students as possible to advocate for a superior library program.”
Melinda Brown Goldrick Secretary “[My goal] is to have a wonderful, productive year.”
Science Teacher “I hope to find a place and make a helpful contribution to Newton.”
Amanda Dodson Lindsay Johnstone
Preschool Teacher “I hope to have a wonderful year with the preschoolers.”
Preschool Teacher “To have a great new classroom and to build good relationships with the teachers and High School students”
Kim O’Byrne
Kathleen Farnsworth
Goodwin Guiadence Counselor “To help students adjust to the new school year, especially focusing on the transions of 9th and 12th graders.”
Suzi Drurey
Special Education Department Head
“To have an exciting year where i’ll learn a tremendous amount about Newton South and provide high quality support for students.”
Amanda Laws
CORE Coordinator “I expect to work with wonderful groups of students and staff to start the core project off right in it’s first year. ”
Newton South information gathered by connor macbain
pcitures by aley lewis, hannah pittel, and divya agarwal
Money from the state aide South
Lexington and has achieved one year to the next,” StemBy Daniel Barabasi bridge explains. “This is often After the tight pinch in bud- success. H o w e v e r, S t e m b r i d g e due to a rise in the price of get at the end of last year, the Newton School Committee w o r r i e s a b o u t w h a t w i l l commodities, but because voted to return 12.6 positions happen when the influx of all those different costs have and Latin classes for middle students from current middle gone up the actual amount of schools to the Fiscal year and elementary schools will money has gone up slightly, of 2012 budget. The sudden arrive at South in the next but it doesn’t go as far.” Yet Stembridge remains restoration was due to the few years. “Over the last school district receiving over five or six years there have positive: “Can we do it? $700,000 in funding from been multiple cuts but there Yes. Are students still getthe state and circuit breaker haven’t been additions to t i n g a g o o d e d u c a t i o n ? sources in addition to the faculty, and that hasn’t lev- Yes.” He still admits that budgeted amount for the fis- eled off. If those reductions t h e l a c k i n s t a ff i n g w i l l continue and we have the make “it more difficult for cal year of 2012. According to Principle same number of kids again we t e a c h e r s t o d i ff e r e n t i a t e instruction for the kids who Joel Stembridge, this allows will have difficulties.” “We have not been able to need that most. It’s not as for the restoration of two Full Time Equivilaents (FTE), bring back the same amount easy to learn as South as it which will be spread across of people and supplies from was last year.” the departments. A FTE is teaching time worth one teacher (4 blocks). Yet Stembridge says that South is still shortstaffed. “Even though we got two FTE back, we are still three FTE down. That’s 12 sections across the school that will not run.” The lack of FTEs also accounts for large class sizes this year. “[A shortage of FTEs] is why a class that would have had 27 or 28 in previous year now has above 30 and why we are offering four sections instead of five,” Stembridge said. The budget allocations also include increased library coverage and $52,000 of funding in order to hire a special education finance director for the monitoring of Newton’s special education expenses. According to Sandy Guryan, _____, a similar posiphoto by divya agarwal tion was implemented in Dramatization of classes returning after the State added money to South’s budget.
Advertising B8
Denebola
27 September 2011