ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS page 13: Boys’ Hockey
page 7: Indie Playlist
race
page 10: Exchange Student Interview
page 8
December 5, 2011 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 120 • No.4• Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com • Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY, 14850 • FREE
2012 Graduation Site Remains Uncertain
IHS Welcomes New AP
By CHRISTINA SEUNG
PHOTO/EMMA PRESTON
Whether graduation will take place at Ithaca College or Cornell University hasn’t been finalized; Activities Director Karl Mellander has been weighing the options carefully before making a decision. With the budget for the event weighing in at approximately $10,000, the process of looking into the graduation location costs is routine. However, the school doesn’t only pay for the space. “A lot of the bill comes from paying people to set up, sound, flowers, sign language interpreters, the staff, and the police,” Mellander said. Also, the diplomas, diploma covers, Regents diploma stickers, and staff contracts all cost about $4,000. Currently, Mellander is considering both Ithaca College and Cornell University. “The thing about Cornell is that it has a good atmosphere, it’s in a good site and the sound is OK.” Graduation has been at Cornell’s Bartels Hall for the past several years. This sports arena allows the seniors to gather in the middle while relatives look on from the benches, just as they would at a basketball game. However, Ithaca College has a brand new Athletic and Events Center. Although there isn’t much information about this new facility, there would be air conditioning, an upgrade from Bartels’s stuffy and humid atmosphere. IHS is currently not being considered as a spot for graduation, because it would have to be outside on the football field, for Kulp Auditorium and Activities are far too small to fit 360 seniors, their relatives and the orchestra. If graduation were to be held on the football field, an expensive new covering would have to be purchased to protect the turf surface. Ideally, graduation will not happen at Ihs, unless the graduation budget is cut. The Senior class is now working to raise money for the event. The 2011 graduation at Cornell University cost around $14,500 in total, of which the senior class paid about $6,000. “They’re in pretty good shape right now... they’ve done good work at raising money,” noted Mellander. To fundraise, the Senior class hosts the Handball Tournament in December, Winter Formal in January, the Carnival in March, and the Spaghetti Dinner and Senior Prom in June. The Senior class and Mellander hope to decide on a graduation location soon. “I’m going to be up at Cornell and IC quite a lot testing the sounds and seeing what makes more sense.”
By MANSI VOHRA
On November 11, the Board of Education (BoE) appointed Aditya Joseph Dhara as new Associate Principal for IHS. Dhara replaced interim AP Earlene Carr, who succeeded Barbara Katz-Brown. The new administrator began working on November 14, and was quickly welcomed to the IHS community. Currently, Dhara plans on strengthening connections between teachers, students, and their families while increasing communication between the administrative staff. “To strengthen the administration I have to work with the other APs, the principal, and Mr. Jordan as a team,” Dhara said. “We come together when we’re trying to figure out what’s going to help our kids, or what rewards we should give kids; not just academic awards, but citizenship awards.” Dhara originally began working as a substitute teacher in the Syracuse School District for one and a half years, and after receiving certification from Cortland, worked his way up to becoming Math Dept. Chair at a Syracuse high school. There, he became accustomed to figuring out benchmarks, setting goals, and aligning student achievement. “I [plan on] bringing my expertise to things like scheduling, discipline, and curriculum, because I’ve had good experience in all three of these areas.” As an administrator, Dhara is in control of the Technology, Physical Education, ISS, and RTI departments at IHS. In proposing solutions to school problems, Dhara was quick to point out a step-by-step process in which problems can easily be solved: “First observe what is happening, analyze why it is happening, and then work with a group of people to come up with a solution.” School problems such as budget cuts, bullying, fights, and attendance are among the many seen by IHS students. “So when we talk about bullying, the first thing that is important is that kids should know what their rights are,” Dhara said. That way, he adds that students know “how they can be protected against bullying, and that if they’re the aggressor, it’s a very serious crime.” In addition to bringing his advice to the table, Dhara also plans on learning from the other two APs, Mrs. Little and Mrs. Abowd, as well as from Dean of Students Mr. Jordan, and Principal Mr. Powers. The new administrator has already frequented several clubs, such as the African-Latino Club, in order to further his understanding of students and the activities they partake in. Lynne Saulsbury, library clerk and co-advisor for the African-Latino Club, recalled Dhara introducing himself to students and staff at the club. “If somebody takes the time to come say hello and introduce themselves, it’s really very nice,” said Saulsbury. “It’s an interesting school that we have here, and I know that he’s got a lot of learning and what not to do.”