4/1/16

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INKLINGS

Vol. 86, Issue 8

April 1, 2016 page 11

page 23

Sharon shares her story

Hannah DeBalsi

Staples custodian Sharon Williams describes her experience growing up in Jamaica and moving to the United States.

The star Staples runner cements her legacy.

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abian Becerra ’17 was five years old when he began to feel weakness in his legs.

“I was still able to walk then,” he said.

“But I would get tired and need to rest.”

Little by little, Becerra’s legs lost functionality. After dislocating and breaking his right knee at 12 years old, he became completely dependent on his wheelchair.

He hasn’t walked since.

Becerra is one of 500,000 children under the age of 18 in the United States who is currently affected by cerebral palsy, “a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture,” according to Mayo Clinic. It is the most common motor disability in children.

Becerra’s life as he knew it quickly changed as a result of his disability. He was placed in special needs courses that he felt he didn’t belong in. He was taking more medication, seeing more therapists, avoiding the stairs at all costs. He became more self-conscious, emotional and stressed.

On top of all this, Becerra found himself facing ignorance and prejudice from his peers.

“It was students who would ask me questions so piercing and hurtful that I was amazed that kids at Staples and at other schools could think those things,” he said. “The kids who often associated themselves with me were often too scared to hang out with me publicly, as if I would make them less popular.”

Now, as a junior, Becerra has had enough of being treated differently.

“I want someone to know and not be scared of me,” he said. “I want someone to give me a chance.”

But Becerra isn’t the only one who’s affected by the stigma against people with disabilities. In

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News Opinions Features Arts Sports

Texas most recent state to permit campus gun carry

Disability stigmas on par with racism, sexism and heterosexism Jane Levy ’16

INSIDE

fact, this stigma is pervasive in our society, according to Sylvia Yee, an attorney at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.

In her paper, “Where Prejudice, Disability and ‘Disablism’ Meet,” Yee references the work of various activists, scientists and professors who have dedicated their lives to understanding these prejudices and advocating for their elimination.

Paul Hunt, a first-generation disability activist on prejudice said that prejudice against a disability is a “complex and sophisticated form of social oppression or institutional discrimination on a par with sexism, heterosexism and racism.”

However, when 200 Staples students

were asked in an anonymous poll which act of discrimination they are least informed about, out of sexism, disablism, heterosexism Continued on page 4

Awareness of prejudice: by the numbers Results from a About which of these four school-wide poll with 200 student responses. acts of discrimination have you been least informed?

HETEROSEXISM (11%)

DISCRIMINATION OR PREJUDICE BY HETEROSEXUALS AGAINST HOMOSEXUALS.

DISABLISM (77.5%) DISCRIMINATORY, OPPRESSIVE OR ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR ARISING FROM THE BELIEF THAT DISABLED PEOPLE ARE INFERIOR TO OTHERS.

SEXISM (8%)

PREJUDICE, STEREOTYPING OR DISCRIMINATION, TYPICALLY AGAINST WOMEN, ON THE BASIS OF SEX. 17

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RACISM (3.5%)

PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION, OR ANTAGONISM DIRECTED AGAINST SOMEONE OF A DIFFERENT RACE BASED ON THE BELIEF THAT ONE’S OWN RACE IS SUPERIOR.

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL| 70 North Ave., Westport, Connecticut

Max Bibicoff ’16 Since 1996, when the Gun-Free School Zones Act was revised following the Supreme Court case U.S. vs. Lopez, it has been illegal to carry a gun in a school zone. Yet, when it comes to the possession of firearms on college campuses, it is an entirely different story.

On Aug. 1, 2016, Texas governor Greg Abbott’s Senate Bill 11 will take effect, lifting the prohibition of guns in all Texan college campus buildings, including classrooms.

However, the bill’s gun policy will not be new for the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)— there, gun-license holders have been permitted to carry concealed handguns on the UT Austin campus since 1995.

“I think [the University of Texas] has gotten a lot of press over campus carry here in Texas when, in reality, the law applies to all public schools in the state,” Bailey Ethier ’15, a current freshman at UT Austin said. “I think Texas has been in the news a lot over this because it’s ‘Oh look at what gun-crazy Texas is doing now!’”

Texas is also not the only state to permit concealed weapons on campus. Seven other states — Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin — have similar laws. “I can see why most people living in Connecticut would be critical of the presence of weapons on a campus, but I think we need to consider the fact that states have the right to make their own laws that fit their agenda and problems,” Andres Marmelo ’16 said.

However, there are others who are strictly opposed to the concealed gun carry laws. Halle Foster ’16, who will be attending UT Austin next fall, is wary of the policy’s effect on the campus environment. When asked whether she thinks the law could impact future applicants and their view of the school, she said, “I think it could affect some, but more so teachers because they could be put in danger if they’re confronted with an upset student about a grade or something.”

And the Bill has, in fact, affected some teachers. In February, Frederick Steiner, Dean of the School of Architecture at UT Austin, made the announcement that he was leaving the university for the University of Pennsylvania over concerns of the campus carry law. Steiner said in an interview with NPR that “[he] knew [he] Continued on page 3

inklingsnews.com

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News | April 1, 2016

Local Briefs Jack Zapfel ’16 April 2

Historic District walking tour

A walking tour of Westport’s Business Center District will be led by Bob Mitchell on Saturday, April 2, at 3 p.m. The tour will begin at 20 Jesup Green Road, Westport, Connecticut. On the tour, participants will discover facts about historic sites such as the National Hall and the former Westport Bank & Trust Company building. “This tour demonstrates how critical the Saugatuck River was to the commercial and economic development of Westport,” Mitchell said, as featured on westportct.gov.

April 4

Third marking period ends

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pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

To stand or not to stand: Protests and apathy result in a decline in Pledge participants Ben Foster ’16

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s students get settled into their second period classes, the Staples High School principal, Dr. Mark Karagus, delivers the morning announcements and relays the familiar Pledge of Allegiance.

While some students stand, other students and teachers choose not to do so.

The West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette Supreme Court case established the freedom for students to elect whether or not to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Hannah Simmons ’16 takes full advantage of the ruling. She believes the pledge endorses religion and is a violation of the establishment clause under the Constitution.

“I don’t like the religious aspect of the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m not a religious person, so I don’t really feel comfortable saying the part about God,” Simmons said.

Although the Pledge of Allegiance was originally written in the year 1892, numerous edits and additions were added to Americanize it even more. In 1954, in response to com-

munist threats at the time, Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words “under God.” In 2014, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance does not discriminate against atheists and upheld the phrase, defending, “under God” as a patriotic exercise.

Unlike Simmons, Nicole Kiker ’17 does not have a specific objection to the Pledge, but she, nevertheless, still finds herself sitting more times than standing. “I don’t stand sometimes, but it’s not like a crusade against it or anything. I’d simply just rather be sitting,” Kiker said, adding, “I don’t really care for something that has no relevance to me or what we are learning about in school. I don’t even understand what it means, so why is it part of the curriculum?”

Offering an alternative perspective, Staples librarian, Colin Neenan, believes that while people may not have to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, there is a certain amount of respect that should still be given. “You’re making an effort to be rude by walking [during the Pledge of Allegiance] or not paying any attention to it at all,” Neenan said. “I feel like students need to stop for a moment and see what’s going on.”

Getting closer to the last day of school, the third marking period ends on Monday, April 4. Grades will be due on the following Monday, April 11, at midnight. The fourth marking period begins the next day on Tuesday, April 2, and will continue through June 22.

April 5-7

Mandatory intern training

Staples seniors will all attend a required intern training session during Communication Time. Seniors leave for internships on May 6 and participate through June 15.

April 9

ACT

The ACT will be offered on April 9, but despite the many Staples juniors taking the test, Staples will not be a test site. This is the second to last ACT before next school year; the following test will be offered on June 11.

April 9-10

Players One Act Play Festival Staples Players’ directors are showcasing 13 different acts as a part of their One Act Play Festival on April 9 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. There will also be an additional show on April 10, at 5 p.m.

April 16-24

April break Students and faculty will go on spring break from Saturday, April 16 until Sunday, April 24. This is the last vacation period for students and faculty this year, and many students will return to AP tests looming in early May.

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News | April 1, 2016

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Community reconsiders health education post-marijuana legalization Claire Dinshaw ’17

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few weeks ago, fift h grader Vevay Simunovic ’23 began the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, commonly called D.A.R.E. “I have learned how to be responsible,” Simunovic said, mentioning that D.A.R.E. has covered a lot of topics she was unfamiliar with before.

One thing, however, that Simunovic will not be learning about during her time in the D.A.R.E. program is marijuana.

This is because the national elementary school D.A.R.E. curriculum, despite recent controversy and allegations from pro-cannabis bloggers, who claimed the organization had changed its stance on marijuana, no longer discusses marijuana.

“In 2012, D.A.R.E. came out with a new curriculum for elementary school children called Keepin’ it REAL,” Officer Edward Batlin, who is heavily involved with Westport’s D.A.R.E. program, said. “Marijuana is no longer part of the core curriculum.”

According to Batlin, marijuana was originally removed from the national curriculum, because “the academic team that created it at Penn[sylvania] State University felt that the concept was too abstract for many elementary-school-aged children.”

In February of 2016, only a few years after these curricular changes, two bills relating to marijuana legalization were proposed in the Connecticut General Assembly. One bill would legalize recreational use of the drug, while another would legalize its medical use for minors.

Some Westport parents, including Christy Colasurdo, who has two teenage sons, believe that, due to the recent legal changes, marijuana should

be introduced at the fifth grade level.

“Times are changing and so must our approach to dealing with the issue of drugs,” Colasurdo said, referring to the recent changes in marijuana’s legal status. “I [would] rather inform the kids early and provide them with enough facts to make smart decisions when the time comes.”

Lauren LaPorta ’17 agrees with Colasurdo, failing to see what is “abstract” about marijuana.

“I feel like when I was taking D.A.R.E., [marijuana] was the one that made the most sense,” LaPorta said.

“Because that is the most common [drug],” Maria Hodge ’17 said, finishing LaPorta’s thought.

Simunovic echoed Hodge and LaPorta’s viewpoint, saying she had heard of marijuana before and knew it was a drug despite the fact that it had not been explicitly addressed in D.A.R.E. Nolan Call ’23, on the other hand, still had some unanswered questions when it came to marijuana.

“Marijuana is a drug, I’m pretty sure,” Call said.

“It can ... I have no idea what it does.”

Hodge, though, feels that health education may be able to wait until after elementary school. “I don’t really know of much drug use in sixth and seventh grade,” Hodge said.

On the other hand,

according to Vig Namasivayam ’16, if legalization continues, health education at all levels must shift its current anti-marijuana tone to one emphasizing safety.

“Like alcohol, you just have to teach people to do it in moderation,” Namasivayam said. “I have always thought that telling kids to abstain from drinking alcohol is not the best way to go, because kids are going to do it anyway, so why try? Just teach them to be safe. I think that is the same with marijuana.”

Batlin, however, does not see legalization of this drug as a foregone conclusion.

“There is evidence to show that

support [for legalization] has stalled since 2013,” Batlin said. “Science has proven, and all scientific and medical organizations agree, that marijuana is both addictive and harmful.”

Still, according to a recent study endorsed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), approximately 9 percent of people who use marijuana will become addicted. Still, the study acknowledges that the addiction rate is slightly higher for adolescents.

However, Batlin said D.A.R.E. remains, “absolutely opposed to the legalization of marijuana.”

Graphic by Channing Smith ’17 Information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse

Texas becomes eighth state to enforce gun-carry laws Max Bibicoff ’16 Continued from page 1 would have to enforce the [concealed gun carry] law even if [he] didn’t believe in it.”

However, while the Bill must be enforced on all Texas college campuses, private Texas schools may elect to ban concealed handguns following a campus discussion. Southern Methodist University (SMU) is one such college that opted to be weapons-free after more than twothirds of students, who responded to a SMU

Student Senate letter, voted against concealed weapon carry.

“I do not think the discussion over the law really had an impact on SMU students,” Sammie Kurtz ’15, a freshman at SMU, said. “Personally when I got the email [about the vote], I got kind of freaked out because the idea of allowing guns on a college campus seemed crazy with all of the recent school shootings.”

“[Teachers] could be put in danger if they’re confronted with an upset student about a grade or something.”

-Halle Foster ’16

Graphic by Sophie Driscoll ’19

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

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News | April 1, 2016

March SAT elicits confusion and cancellations

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Sophie Call ’16 & Molly Liebergall ’17

uniors took the new SAT on March 2 and responded with mixed reactions to the recently state-mandated test and graduation requirement that replaced SBAC. While all students sat for the exam, many chose to cancel their scores.

Unlike the ACT, the SAT has recently undergone major changes, which may have been a factor for some students cancelling their scores.

“I think a lot of people thought it was pointless since people prepped for the ACT,” Jacob Bonn ’17 said. “A lot of people cancelled their score since they thought taking the test didn’t matter because the SAT was changing.”

According to College Board, the new SAT differs from the old version in a variety of ways, including the omission of the penalty for guessing answers incorrectly, the decrease in maximum score from 2400 to 1600 and the essay sec-

tion’s shift from mandatory to optional.

Due to these changes, some students feel wet behind the ears when approaching the new exam as its first round of test-takers.

“The SAT is new, uncharted waters that scare away kids and tutors because they don’t have any knowledge in regards to studying for it,” Nick Roehm ’17 said.

Another factor playing into the decision to cancel scores was Connecticut’s decision to omit the newly optional essay portion for the high-school-mandated version of the SAT. For many students, the essay omission was a dealbreaker for taking the test since, according to the SAT prep company Ivy Global, 26 colleges in America require the essay section and many more schools strongly encourage it. Since the March 2 SAT did not offer the essay section, any students planning to apply to colleges requiring or recommending the essay section would need to take the test a second time.

“I knew that I would have to take it again, and I wasn’t going to study

for another test,” Katherine Coogan ’17, who cancelled her score, said. “It just wasn’t worth my time.”

In an attempt to make the test more worthwhile for students, Westport Public Schools Director of Technology Natalie Carrignan said the school district offered to pay an additional cost if the state would include the essay portion. However, the contract between Connecticut and SAT had already been decided and “the state and College Board were not interested in providing different options than the one they set up,” Carrignan said.

Despite the many reasons cited for cancelling scores, there were still teacher-SAT proctors who believed students missed an opportunity to benefit from the test, especially since many colleges accept superscores (the greatest possible composite score achieved by combining the highest section marks from each SAT attempt). “If [students] take their test in May and they do worse on the verbal, but they cancelled their scores from here,

[INKLINATIONS]

they don’t have the option to say ‘Oh, well I did better on the verbal [in March],’” math teacher Anthony Forgette said.

Additionally, he speculated that many students cancelled their scores without first checking the superscore policy of schools they will be applying to in the fall.

For next year, Staples will take steps to avoid the confusion and cancellations that dominated this year’s test.

“We were thinking that maybe we ought to have all [next year’s] juniors come in and have the school district pay for the PSAT,” James D’Amico, incumbent Director of Secondary Education and Staples principal-elect, said. D’Amico hoped that by offering the PSAT for free, students would know what to expect when taking the test next March.

But for this year’s juniors, it’s too late.

“I think more people cancelled their scores than needed to,” Forgette said. “It’s like when you write this awesome paper, and then you delete it and there’s no way to get it back.”

DID YOU CANCEL YOUR SCORES FOR THE MARCH SAT?

“I cancelled my scores because everyone else was, and I felt pressured to do so, too.”

-Katherine Coogan ’17

“I cancelled my scores because I didn’t want them on my record.”

-Thomas Moy ’17

“I didn’t cancel because what if I did well? It’s a free test, so I may as well keep it.”

-Kelly Moran ’17

Stigmas surround physical disabilities Jane Levy ’16

Continued from page 1 and racism, 77.5 percent said disablism.

Connor Mathewson ’16 believes this outcome is a result of common standards of political correctness. “Any kind of prejudice or exclusion is wrong,” he said. “But depending on the region or community, being racist or homophobic tends to be seen as worse than the exclusion of people with disabilities.”

One consequence of this stigma, according to political scientist Harlan Hahn, is “the pervasive sense of physical and social isolation produced not only by the restrictions of the built environment but also by the aversive reactions of the nondisabled that often consign [disabled people] to the role of distant friends or even

mascots rather than to a more intimate status as peers, competitors or mates.”

Becerra has experienced treatment described by Hahn in the halls at Staples.

“When you’re social and people reject you, you’re stuffed back into your shell,” he said. “It turns you into an antisocial monster.”

Maya Lawande ’16, president of the Staples Chapter of Best Buddies, notices the prejudice that exists in Staples and sees the effect it has on the buddies.

“It could be just always sitting alone at lunch, never being invited to social events on the weekends or feeling isolated and ignored by your peers,” she said.

“Students with IDD [intellectual and developmental disabilities] at Staples have experienced situations like those because

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

people are unintentionally being exclusive.”

Buddy Director Johnny Bairaktaris ’16 is an advocate for students with special needs. “People who have special needs and who are disabled feel that they are alone, but they are not,” he said. “They have a heart.

They can think, and they can be hurt.”

Bairaktaris joined Best Buddies because he feels passionately about “advocating for kids with special needs,” and wants to make being different “a little bit more swallowable,” for others.

Lawande has similar aspirations in her role as Staples Chapter president.

“I hope the club gives our buddies meaningful friendships, friendly faces around school and great memories to look back on after their time at Staples,” she said.

But even though prejudice against the disabled exists, Lawande doesn’t believe that Staples is a “malicious” place. In fact, she is optimistic that Staples will have a more inclusive and empathetic culture in the future.

“I am confident that if people at our school thought to take the time and reach out to someone with IDD, Staples would be a much more inclusive place,” she said.

As Becerra continues to advocate for kindness, he hopes to see change in both the way he is treated by his peers and the way his peers treat others who are faced with disabilities.

“I want people to see me and kids like me as normal individuals who have disabilities,” he said. “I want to make the school better than it was when I came.”

News | April 1, 2016

Photo via MCT Campus

WORLD BRIEFS

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BRUSSELS ATTACK Anay Simunovic ’18

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he Brussels attacks are believed to have killed more than 30 people and dozens have been injured.

On the afternoon of March 22, twin blasts hit the Zaventem airport in Brussels, killing 11 people.

An hour later, another explosion struck a city metro station known as Maelbeek with 20 people reported dead.

Two brothers, Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, are believed to be responsible for two suicide bombings during the attacks. The brothers are Belgian nationals of Moroccan descent.

The Brussels bombings marked the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Belgium.

MOURNING (Left) A family in Brussels grieves on March 22 after the attacks in Brussels’ station and airport.

[ ][ ] OBAMA VISITS CUBA

PAKISTAN BOMBING

A suicide bomber killed at least 69 people and injured hundreds of more in a crowded public park in the eastern city of Lahore, Pakistan on Sunday, March 27.

Pakistan Taliban splinter group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday explosion and says that they were intentionally targeting Christians. Many women and children were among the victims of the deadly attack.

According to Ehsanullah Ehsan, a representative for Jamat-ul-Ahrar, such attacks will continue.

Pakistan’s President, Mamnoon Hussain, has condemned the attack and the regional government has issued a three-day period of mourning.

UPCOMING PRIMARIES Wisconsin APRIL 5

ELECTION BRIEFS Megan Doyle ’18

Wyoming (D) APRIL 9

New York APRIL 19

Connecticut APRIL 26

Delaware APRIL 26 Maryland APRIL 26

Pennsylvania APRIL 26

President Obama made history on March 20 as the first U.S. President to visit Cuba in over 90 years.

In the past, the United States and Cuba struggled with one another as a result of the disastrous effects of American imperialism and the Cuban Revolution.

However, Obama attempted to mend the struggles between the two countries during his visit.

He took to the stage of the Grand Theater of Havana and announced, “I have come here to extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban people.”

Obama also called on the Cuban president to embrace the political and economic changes that the autocratic government has long resisted.

TRUMP

Donald Trump has gained support from the majority of the Republican Party, winning 18 states out of the 30 who voted. But, as the chances of Trump winning the GOP primary become higher, both Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to halt him.

According to Creighton Kerr ’18, an anti-Trump rally will be held at Columbus Square in NYC on April 26, and many Staples students are attending.

CT PRIMARIES

On Tuesday, April 26, both the Republican and Democrat primaries will take place in Connecticut. There are only 28 Republican delegates, and 70 Democrat delegates in Connecticut, so the candidates do not spend much energy focused on winning the Nutmeg state. Polls from both Emerson College and Quinnipiac University have predicted that Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic primary, and Donald Trump will win the Republican primary.

CLINTON

With about half of the primary season over, Hillary Clinton has a total of 1712 delegates, while Sanders has 1004. This includes superdelegates, where Clinton has a solid lead of 440.

However, Sanders continues to stay in the race in pursuit of the delegates that could potentially disrupt Clinton’s lead.

In the upcoming 28 contests, Sanders could mathematically win, but it is close to impossible considering the support Clinton has already gained.

Rhode Island APRIL 26

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opinions

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INKLINGS | April 1, 2016

Editors-in-Chief Adam Kaplan & Jane Levy

Managing Editors Claudia Chen & Margaux MacColl

Web Managing Editors Kaila Finn & Talia Hendel

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Margot Mather & Renee Weisz Frenchy Truitt & Andrew Vester

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Molly Liebergall & Zach McCarthy

Web Opinions Editors Jesse Levinson & Becca Rawiszer

Web Features Editors Jen Gouchoe & Blake Rubin

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Matthew Bohn, Mary Elizabeth Fulco, Rebecca Marsick & Christine Radler Crown Finalist for Inklingsnews.com from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2015 Silver Crown Award for Newspaper from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2014 Pacemaker from National Scholastic Press Association 2013 All the opinions, news and features in this paper are those of Staples High School students. Inklings, a curricular and extracurricular publication, has a circulation of 1,800 and is uncensored. All letters to the editor must be signed. The editorial board reserves the right not to publish letters and to edit all submissions as it sees fit. The editorial board determines all editorial opinions, which are authored faithfully by the Editors-in-Chief. Inklings reserves the right to not publish advertisements that promote products that could be harmful to student health. The paper is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association and supports the Student Press Law Center.

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Graphic by Channing Smith ’17

United, we stand … and sit E very day at 8:25 a.m., the majority Pledge of Allegiance are not held by of students sleepily rise out of all. We do not have a completely united their chairs to stand, shifting their nation, nor do we all believe in the same God, or in any God, for that matter. We right hands over their hearts. Then, at are divided, with respect to politics, the sound of a beep from the intercom, economics, education and more, and the students recite one sentence in we are far from achieving liberty and justice for all.

While some choose to stand out of respect for veterans, as a result of peer pressure or for the sake of routine, others choose to sit because of laziness, preoccupation or dissatisfaction with the current state of the country. But in the grand scheme of things, whether you stand, recite or sit quietly, it shouldn’t perfect unison, the same sentence mean much.

Saying the Pledge is not a they have been saying each and every morning for more than half of their lives. measurement of how patriotic you However, the ideals outlined in the are — the Pledge is simply a universal

Inklings

EDITORIAL

Inklinations

“I prefer not to stand. It “I’m used feels kind of to standing forced and indoctrinating, for it since especially the kindergarten.” ‘under God’ part.”

-Lily Kalman ’18 -Emily Schussheim ’17 “I feel it’s the right “It recognizes the thing to do. I’ve unity of our nation, been doing it since elementary school.” but it interrupts -Jack Sharkey ’18

Decisions of Inklings and Westport Public Schools are made without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other discriminating basis prohibited by local, state or federal law.

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statement that attempts to unite the American people under a singular utopian ideal. True patriotism is shown in the actions that you take, not in the words that you recite as part of a daily routine.

When you go out and show appreciation and kindness to veterans, participate in and support rallies for equality, involve yourself in local, even national politics or attempt to understand those who are different from you, you are demonstrating patriotism.

Saying the Pledge is a kind and respectful gesture, but not saying it doesn’t mean one isn’t patriotic. It’s what happens after you say it, or don’t, that shows one’s true dedication to the future of our country, to a future that comes closer to the shining ideal.

How do you feel about the Pledge?

class time. ” -Martin Menz ’19

“ I don’t agree with the idea of saluting a piece of fabric, but it’s kind of a habit, and I don’t think that in any way harmful or detrimental so I don’t really care.”

-Claire Meehan ’17

“It shows respect for our country that provides us with freedom, safety, and education.”

-Lucas Manning ’16

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Opinions | April 1, 2016

Consider gender in Presidential election to combat sexism Claire Dinshaw ’17

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Photo dramatization by Caroline O’Kane ’16

ender matters. It matters when applying for a position as CEO, it matters when obtaining health care and it matters when selecting the next President of the United States of America.

Gender matters because sexism is alive, and as long as it is, Hillary Clinton’s gender matters. It is not the sole reason anyone should vote for her, but it is a valid point in her favor.

Every politician and businessman claims he or she wants to hire and promote women.

Mitt Romney famously stated that his staff had “brought him binders full of women,” to fill positions at the Governor’s Office.

However, the statistics show that few of those women were hired.

As Jill Filipovic, a New York attorney and a feminist author, pronounced in a recent New York Times editorial, the line of governments, corporations and the American elite for too long has been, “We want women, just not this woman.”

The truth is, for every political office except for President, we have advocated for both gender and race to be a factor in deciding who to vote for. People have pushed for Hispanic justices, female members of cabinet and African-American CEO’s. So, why are

people not pushing for more gender diversity for the presidency?

It all comes down to many Americans simply not being ready for a female to lead. In fact, many of the criticisms of Clinton are linked to sexist stereotypes.

‘Manipulative,’ ‘cold,’ ‘overly ambitious,’ ‘calculating’ and ‘liar,’ all Clinton critiques, ring true as words most often associated with female criticisms. I know because I have heard them handed out to girls since grade school.

If you still don’t believe that sexism has any role in the Democratic primary, consider this: would a female version of Bernie Sanders (yelling, disheveled clothing, and all) have any chance at being taken seriously?

Gender matters because sexism is still alive. And, when it comes to discrimination based on gender, Clinton understands what Sanders does not. She understands that the workplace is still biased against women. She understands, from her work as a lawyer and later as a politician, what it is like to have to be, not just as good as, but better than your male counterparts to be given any credibility. That is why she has fronted women’s issues such as universal pre-K and the the wage gap in her campaign.

Bernie Sanders may support some of those reforms as well, but he has certainly not placed them at

the forefront of his campaign, and these issues deserve to be given more attention. These next eight years, in my mind, will spell the fate of American women. Right now, access to abortion and other women’s health services is being threatened. Maternity leave is finally part of the national conversation, opening a door for a bill to be passed that will decide the issues at the federal level within the next few years. There is simply too much at stake to lose these fights, or even push them to the sideline.

Only Clinton knows the pain and reality of sexism. Only Clinton has fronted women’s issues in her campaign. Only Clinton has a consistent record defending women’s rights (she may have flipped on other issues, but she has never flipped on her ladies). Only Clinton, as a fellow woman, can be counted on to never desert women.

Clinton would be the first woman to win a major political party’s presidential nomination, so it is safe to say that she might be the only chance we get, at least for the next few decades, to proudly make the face of our country a woman.

I stand with Clinton, not only because she is a woman, but because I am beginning to realize that ‘not this woman,’ is code for ‘not any woman,’ and I am tired of waiting.

Graphic by Channing Smith ’17

Horoscopes determine my entire future — not Emily Olrik ’16

When I wake up in the morning, I need a few things.

I need a cup of coffee, my daily Skimm and most importantly, I need to read my horoscope.

I am directionless without it. In fact, when I walk into school without knowing that I might meet the man of my dreams, receive bad news or make a life-changing decision, I can’t carry on.

Every instant of my life is dictated through my zodiac sign.

When my Gemini horoscope says

I’ll meet my soulmate, I know that the first guy that locks eyes with me is certainly the one, especially if he’s an Aries or Libra (my most compatible signs).

And when I get the intriguingly mysterious prediction, “Geminis will encounter an unexpected visitor in their life,” second period in Physics, a god-like figure arrives—a sub. The astrological universe graced me with his presence.

And if the planets, moon and sun aren’t perfectly aligned

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

and orbiting in a certain way around the Earth, it can throw off the entire course of my day.

When my horoscope says to take risks in my personal life, I post a solo picture or selfie on my Instagram and create a new finsta (fake Instagram) so I can feel a little bit daring. When my horoscope claims the planetary alignment will affect my health, I stay home from school and avoid the germs. Or when my horoscope claims I will hear bad news, I take a mental health day.

So many questions can be answered with a click of a button on my phone. Will a boyfriend from the past turn up? Will I win the lottery?

Astrology is a science.

Now I’m going to give you a ridiculously accurate horoscope for your reading pleasure: The weather is heating up and so is your love life. You may find a new romantic interest to canoodle in the halls.

This spring it is crucial to wear white Converse and

Ray-Bans in order to fit into the rare, basic-girl species.

Make sure to get Dunkin Donuts iced coffee and invest in some Free People spring tops.

You also may find yourself stuck in a sticky situation, with your bank account swiftly dwindling. No worries (insert star sign here). This is just the result of the piles of clothes you will have to purchase at Brandy Melville.

Oh, and you know that special someone who sits behind you in math? He could be the one.

Opinions | April 1, 2016

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Why we should worry about “Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt”

I

Kaila Finn ’16

nstead of working towards closing the wage gap, increasing the number of girls in STEM fields or improving women’s representation in politics, Texas is working towards a decision that strips women of their rights, their safety and brings our country farther back in history.

On March 2, the Supreme Court of the United States heard Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the most influential case regarding women’s health in 25 years. The fate of this case is concerning, to say the least.

The Supreme Court heard testimony to decide whether to uphold HB2, a Texas law that has implemented admitting-privileges (the requirement that doctors must admit a certain number of patients to hospitals per year and OB-GYNs must perform a certain number of surgeries). HB2 also requires clinics to be remodeled to meet the standards of an ambulatory surgical center, meaning most clinics would need to rebuild hallways and examination rooms.

These restrictions on doctors and clinics have created

Distance to the nearest abortion clinic Texas vs. Connecticut Information from The New York Times

h ing Smit

n

by Chan Graphic

20-30 day waiting times for appointments, sometimes making procedures impossible. Furthermore, constraints have created up to 300 miles of travel time and the possibility of multiple trips. These restrictions can be an enormous financial burden, making abortions wishful thinking for low income women in Texas. This fact is especially true considering that 42 percent of women having abortions have income levels below the federal poverty line, according to a 2010

Mastering the art of

April Fools’ Day An Inklings member shares his top five ideas for getting a giggle and avoiding a suspension Chase Emilio ’16 A good prank is a joke that can make everyone smile.

So consider these suggestions.

They will represent the mischievousness expected for the holiday, but they will also steer you clear of getting into trouble.

NUMBER ONE

This one is for the teachers and is a great way to quickly prank your students. Just as all the students enter the classroom, announce that they originally were going to go on a fantastic field trip today. However, it was canceled because nobody brought in their permission slips.

NUMBER TWO

This prank was recommended by a Staples student.

“I think switching all the condiments containers in the cafeteria would be a hilarious prank.

They should be all reversed. Put mustard in ketchup and ketchup in the mustard,” Wyatt Kron ’16 said.

NUMBER THREE

Another neat trick that will get your friends at lunch is the old poke-holes-in-a-waterbottle-and-open-the-cap prank.

The first thing you need is an empty water bottle. Fill the water bottle all the way to the top and close it with the cap.

Next, use a nail or pin to poke a hole on the sides and bottom of the

bottle to create tiny holes.

While you might think water will come pouring out of the holes, it won’t, because of surface tension. When the lid is on the bottle, air pressure can’t get into the bottle to push on the surface of the water and the tiny holes in the bottom or sides of the bottle are not big enough for the air to sneak in.

Believe it or not, the water molecules work together to form a kind of skin to seal the holes. Science is cool, right.

Finally place the rigged bottle on a table and wait for an unsuspecting student to grab it.

Guttmacher Institute survey.

Therefore, while the regulations were supposedly made to “protect women’s health,” they actually are a detriment to abortion safety and clearly violate the “undue burden” test set in Casey v. Planned Parenthood.

Justice Roberts stated that “the purpose [of] the law… doesn’t make a difference” when determining substantial or undue burden. Meanwhile, according to Oyez, the “purpose or effect” is actually crucial

’17

when defining “undue burden.”

Even more upsetting is that politicians have publicly admitted that HB2 was designed to make abortion more difficult, and yet some justices still justify the restrictions. For example, at an anti-abortion rally a few months ago, Texas governor Rick Perry said, “an ideal world is one without abortion. Until then, we will continue to pass laws to ensure that they are as rare as possible.”

Overall, the Supreme Court’s decision could lead to

more abortion restrictions, especially if the next president is anti-abortion. According to a recent Slate article, “Some legal pundits have hypothesized that a 4-4 split” (referring to the outcome of four justices voting in favor of the repeal and four Justices voting against the repeal) “would embolden anti-abortion legislators to push ever-harsher restrictions.”

Of course, you’re probably wondering how a court case 2000 miles away affects us. The idea behind HB2 is to decrease a woman’s ability to choose, and a similar sentiment is spreading throughout the country; Mississippi almost lost its last abortion clinic last spring and Louisiana might have to close four out of five of its abortion clinics.

The impact of this court case extends farther than even reproductive rights, though. I’ve heard people questioning the need for feminism, too many times in Westport to believe America has progressed as much as it should have.

It may seem like men and women are equal in Westport, but we have to remember that cases like these are the reason we still need the fight for equality between genders.

License-less senior struggles with driving stigmas Jimmy Ray Stagg ’16 Whenever I tell anyone that I, a 17-year-old senior, do not have my license, they are absolutely flabbergasted. In Westport, it’s essentially expected that all upperclassmen have the ability to drive, and usually drive their own car as well. What follows is a series of questions. On behalf of all seniors living sans-license, I would like to answer the most frequently answered questions.

Why haven’t you gotten your license yet?

A lot of people attribute my delayed testing to my habitual laziness and procrastination, when it’s actually quite the opposite. I have chosen not to get my license as a protest of the societal presumptions placed on high schoolers. I have intentionally waited so long to get what

so many view as a right of passage so that I can be an example, an idol for people to look up to when they feel like they don’t fit the status quo. They see me, and see that I’m thriving without my license and they realize that they can stand up to the system. So, for that, you all are welcome.

What do you do if you want to go somewhere?

I usually just close my eyes, think of the place I wanna be and wish really, really hard. I end up in the right place about 60 percent of the time.

Don’t you get tired of asking for rides?

Actually I quite like incessantly begging my friends to drive me around; it makes me feel like I’m validating their driving ability. I also love the pure rush of adrenaline when I realize that if my parents don’t

answer their phones, I could potentially be stranded for hours.

It really gets my heart beating.

Are you ever going to get your license?

I’ve thought about it, but I think at this point I’m just planning on waiting it out until either teleportation is fully developed or I’m famous/ rich enough to be able to buy a fleet of Segways to get around.

I hope that this was helpful, but if you have any more questions about what it’s like to be living without the weight of societal standards on your shoulders, don’t hesitate to ask. And to all those young’ns out there, whether or not you choose to get your license is up to you, but just know that if you do make the decision to be independently able to transport yourself, you’ll be falling right into the oppressive claws of society.

NUMBER FOUR

Here is a simplistic trick that is sure to fool and annoy your friends in class. Take a sticky note, write “April Fools” on it, and then stick it to the bottom of your friend’s computer mouse while he isn’t looking. Sit back and watch as he then struggles to figure out why his mouse isn’t working.

NUMBER FIVE

Take a bunch of blown up balloons, tape them together and hang them in front of the door window to make it appear as though the entire room is filled with balloons. When your teacher approaches with the key, her worries will turn to smiles and relief when she discovers that the room really is not filled with balloons.

Graphic by Channing Smith ’17

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

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Opinions | April 1, 2016

Staying devoted to my favorite show is an act of endurance Emma Greenberg ’18

I

wish to declare that my commitment to the show “Grey’s Anatomy” has never waivered. I have had nothing but the fullest devotion to my favorite TV show.

That being said, even I, a major “Grey’s Anatomy” fan, can admit that the death rate for the show spiraled out of control. After all, in season six alone, 11 characters met their deaths.

But after 10 seasons, I guess I reached a point where there was no turning back. I mean, would a marathon runner give up on the 17th mile? Of course not. The only option for me was to stick it out.

Although many people call seasons seven through 11 the “bad years,” I thought they marked the period where the show was reinventing itself. They were the seasons where the show picked up new storylines, and from there it was able to introduce new characters that kept “Grey’s Anatomy” interesting.

For instance, in season 11, the show ended with the unfortunate death of the beloved leading man, McDreamy (a.k.a Derek).

His death came as a complete shock. In fact, I am still a bit angry at executive producer Shonda

Rhimes for having the audacity to kill off such a valuable character.

But even so, Derek’s death was a brilliant strategy to keep viewers like me wanting more. So, I will tune into next season, too, because I need to know what is going to happen to Derek’s drug-addict sister and see if she is going to have a relapse. And how could I not stay tuned to find out what happens to Meredith? What is going to happen to their children?

People say every show eventually reaches its peak and dies off. Some argue that “Grey’s Anatomy” is a testament to that fact— that even the actors recognized the show had run its course as they quit one by one. But despite the over-the-top drama, there is still something comforting about spending an hour or two (or five) with the characters I love.

No matter what your view on “Grey’s Anatomy” is, I think it is pretty clear that the show is a master at hooking its viewers and pulling them back for more. Whether it’s a plane crash, the death of a character, a mass shooting or getting run over by a bus, the show is always suspenseful. So, maybe I did fall victim to its trashy plot lines and crazy drama. But that’s okay. I was a willing victim through it all.

Drawing by Christoph Russi ’17

Make Republicans great again

Jacqueline Sussman ’17 Government is a necessary evil. It is an institution that is morally wrong because it limits the rights of individuals, yet still essential to the survival of any society. While I recognize that this view of government is highly contested, the argument itself — that something can be referred to as both essential to a society and wrong in accordance with acceptable standards of social conduct — is undeniably true.

Perhaps the most unpop-

ular example of a necessary evil in today’s society is the need for Republicans to support Donald Trump, should he be the nominee, in the 2016 presidential race. He is evil for obvious reasons: Trump is a loose cannon loaded with racist, sexist and other politically incorrect commentary. But he is also necessary because he brings to light a fatal flaw within the Republican party: conservatism.

Conservatism is obsolete.

The ideology is based on the notion that tradition is the ultimate arbiter to what is deemed social-

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

ly “right” and “wrong.” However, it is time to draw the line when conservatives apply their antiquated personal beliefs as the backbone of liberty and responsibility. Let me ask: does it illustrate liberty to prohibit individuals with various sexual orientations from the right to marry? Does it illustrate liberty or responsibility to prohibit a woman from having complete control over her body? Of course not.

Conservative ideology, which emphasizes personal convictions, cannot plausibly be applicable to the diverse demographics that make up the melting pot of America. As America continually becomes more socially progressive, socially conservative ideology is clearly becoming irrelevant. It is imperative for the Republican party to abandon its ties with conservative ideology and champion libertarian beliefs.

Libertarians share similar ideas to those of centrist conservatives that, in simple terms, states that people are free to do whatever they choose as long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others, and that a government does not have the right to infringe on the rights of the people who give it authority. Applying that notion to platform issues leads to Trump’s real, un-published, platform: pro-choice, pro-marriage equality, pro-marijuana legalization, pro-free market,

pro-immigration restrictions, anti-Obamacare and most importantly, anti-big-government.

Like many other Americans, I do not want Trump to be the Republican nominee. I do not want anyone who is bigoted to represent a country whose most fundamental ideal is tolerance.

I am not condoning his behavior, nor do I agree with it. As a Libertarian Republican, I wish

Trump would find a different party to implode. Yet his failure to align with establishment conservatives has sparked a renaissance era for the Republican party: a rebirth of the libertarian ideology on which the party was founded.

Trump highlights the change that Republicans need, and by embracing that change, we might make the Republican party great again.

Graphic by Channing Smith ’17

features

THE STORY OF OUR CUSTODIAN Williams finds faith through hardship Margaux MacColl ’16

R

JAMAICA

eggae music fi lled the packed club and Sharon Williams was on stage.

“It was like me alone in the world,” Williams said.

“I would look, but I would not look into the crowd—I would look over the crowd. It was like I was in my own head.”

Williams was 21 years old at the time, living in Kingston, Jamaica and singing at a local club with her band.

While music would always be a constant in her life, almost nothing else in her life would be. Time would take her across the ocean, through several careers, in and out of cities and eventually lead her to Staples High School, to work as a custodian.

Even years later, her Jamaican roots are apparent in every word she speaks. She talks with a heavy accent—rounded words bobbing with a melodic cadence.

She grew up in Jamaica with music in her blood. Her uncle was Alton Ellis, an international reggae star. When Williams was a child, Ellis would come visit Jamaica and the two would go to concerts together.

While the image of Jamaica—with its blue waters and vibrant music—evokes ideals of paradise, Williams’ childhood did not evoke the same peace. Her father left before she was born, and her mother, young and uneducated, sent Williams as a child from government school to government school.

“You felt like you’re not loved,” she said. “You felt like there was nobody there for you.”

Instead, she found solace in music. In her twenties, she formed a band with friends called “the Mighty Titans,” playing a regular gig at a local club.

Although she was in what she dubs the “fun part” of her life, Williams had three children and needed a way to support them. She wanted to give them the education her own mother never received.

“For me, I determined in my mind that I had to break away from this. I have to get through this, because I know that I’m capable to do better, and to do more,” she said. “So, I’m getting out of this.”

At 35, she decided to move with her family to America.

However, the moment she decided to leave her past behind, her past decided to find her.

Before leaving for America, Williams’ father returned to Jamaica. Williams had only ever spoken to him through letters, only seen photos of him when he was young. She had never heard his voice, never seen his face in person.

“I thought him coming from America—he’s supposed to look sharp,” she said. “I expected him to be dressed like in a nice suit.”

She pulled into the airport to pick him up, carrying a fantasy in her mind. But the man in the sharp suit was nowhere to be found.

“This man was standing at the post,” she said. “And

I passed him about twenty times looking for my dad.”

He was scruffy, dressed like “a farmer.” Eventually, after wandering through the airport, she approached him.

“I go up to this man that’s standing there and I said, ‘Are you Oswald Williams?’”

The man responded by calling out her nickname, Joy. It was then she knew she had finally found her father.

He stayed with her for three weeks—weeks in which their relationship both suffered and thrived under the weight of the past.

“I had a block up because I was still wondering why would he leave me as a child,” she said. “But after [he explained that] his mom sent him away and there was nothing he could do, then we started bonding.”

When her father had to go back to the Bronx, Williams decided to go back with him.

So, after belting reggae and living by the sea, after reconnecting with her father, after realizing there could be a better life an ocean away, Sharon Williams left for America.

AMERICA Every night, Williams’ sleep was rocked by pounding of train against railway overhead.

Her father’s home was beneath a train track in the Bronx, and Williams stayed there with her three children.

“I thought I was going to be an international singer when I moved to the States,” she said, chuckling.

But the path to fame was a mountainous climb in America. Instead, she took odd jobs, becoming a babysitter then a house cleaner.

While her jobs kept her occupied, she found her life lacked the community of Jamaica.

“I got to say, when I got here, I was filled with hurt and rejection and disappointment,” she said.

In 1994, she found her purpose.

“My neighbor introduced me to the church and it was the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said. “You’re gonna make me cry, how much I love Him.” Church allowed her to combine two of her passions: music and God. Her voice, which used to carry reggae melodies in a club by the sea, now belted gospel in a church.

Seeking job security, she ultimately took a job as a custodian at Long Lots Elementary School. Since then, she’s worked for years as a custodian at both Bedford Middle School and Staples High School.

“I broke away [from] the whole institution that’s caging me into being poor,” she said.

“I’ve had my way and I’ve tried to accomplish.”

In fact, her determination has inspired her to attend business classes.

But, even in her pursuit to improve her future, she has kept pieces of her past with her always.

“If I had the money, I’d go back to Jamaica. It’s beautiful,” she said. “The food is fresh and I lived right by the sea.”

But Williams, above all, has kept her faith.

“Along this way,” she said, “if your life doesn’t touch somebody’s life, then your living is in vain.” the

“I broke away [from] the whole institution that’s caging me into being poor. I’ve had my way and I’ve tried to accomplish.”

- Sharon Williams

Photos by Alex Spadacenta ’17

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INKLINGS | April 1, 2016

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

12

VISUAL LIT

Features | April 1, 2016

COMIC BOOK

Jen Gouchoe ’16

Comic book class offers visual perspec Jen Gouchoe ’16

T

here are three panels in Nick Greene ’16’s comic

shows a close up of black and white sneakers resting on the gas pedal and clutch. The second displays a hand, contrasting with the black background, shifting the speedometer.

“In every comic book you have a sequence of events, and it’s more of a juxtaposition than traditional storytelling,” Greene said. “So the whole point of the sequence project was to get three or four images that kind of had a flow, and you could understand what was happening without the need for text.”

This sequence project was just the precursor for the comic book that Greene and his class-

mates will eventually make in their Visual Literacy class, otherwise known as the comic book class.

Visual Literacy was introduced in the 2014-15 school year, though, according to English teacher and co-creator of the course, Jesse Bauks, it was a long time in the making. About six years ago, Bauks and design and tech teacher Carla Eichler pitched the idea for the course but was told it was not “an appropriate time to present to the [Board of Education] a ‘funny books’ course,” Bauks said.

However, once Julie Heller, the current English department chair, took over, the course was immediately brought to the Board of Education because of its correspondence with Common Core values.

“It’s a combination of

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

traditional literary study and visual literacy,” Bauks said.

While the end goal of the class is for students to create their own comic strip, most of class time is used for discussing and analyzing comics. Every Monday, Bauks lets students choose an independent comic book to read for that week. One desk in the classroom is piled high with brightly colored and slightly weathered comics ranging from “six, seven volume comics to my old ‘X-Men’ comics from the 90s,” according to Bauks.

“It’s really nice because it’s simple, it’s straightforward and it doesn’t feel as taxing as just straight text because you get the images to break it up,” Greene said about the weekly readings.

“It’s got a very nice flow to it.”

After reading and analyzing these weekly comics, students write a reflection on what they’ve read. Through reading and reflecting, students develop new skills in analyzing specific images and how they contribute to the larger meaning of the text.

“There’s a lot that goes into every little panel, and if you carefully analyze a panel, you’ll see all of the artistic elements and principles of design that go into said panel, and you can actually get a lot of information from panels without text describing the scene,” Greene said.

Greene noted in particular his analysis of the most recent comic he had read, “Superman: Red Son,” in which he noticed the differences in artistic styles to portray the different types of characters.

“Superman had this elaborate costume, and he looked clean, and his clothes looked good,” Greene said. “Yet you looked at the people he was saving and

ERACY

ctive for English classes the environment he was in, and it was clear that the buildings were falling apart, and everything was kind of a dingy shade of beige.”

Similarly, Annemieke Mathissen ’16 developed a keener eye in analyzing comic panels while reading “The Last of Us,” a comic book based off of a video game. The storyline revolves around a girl who learns to survive in a zombie-apocalypse setting.

“The rounded and more simplistic faces of the characters basically make the characters seem like more innocent and kinda naive,” Mathissen said regarding the beginning of the comic. “You can see in later artwork and the video

game itself [...] they’re far more realistic and harsh art styles. […] It makes them look more experienced and weathered.”

This analysis of comic panels comes into play when the students have to make their own comics. Bauks recounted the time one student wrote a comic based on the floating island of garbage in the Pacific Ocean, emphasizing the sheer creativity that went into the project.

“When she did some research on it, she found that it’s not actually literally a floating island of garbage. [...] Most of it is plastic that’s been dissolved, so

it floats under the surface,” Bauks said. “She did this kind of neat story about a researcher who’s out studying the reef and then he finds these creatures, and actually what they do is, they eat the plastic.”

Through comic analysis and the final project at the end of the class, students obtain a new lens in viewing literature and art.

“There’s a lot of more higher-brow literature and analysis that’s going into comics now,” Bauks noted. “It’s not just ‘funny books’ anymore.”

Graphic by Josh Francios ’16

13

“It’s really nice because it’s simple, it’s straightforward and it doesn’t feel as taxing as just straight text because you get the images to break it up.”

- Nick Greene ’16

14

Features | April 1, 2016

The real deal uncovered An investigation behind Westport drug distribution T

*Names changed.

Renee Weisz ’17 & Jack Zapfel ’16

he bell rings. The halls crowd with students heading off to track, maybe to Gaetano’s or perhaps to the library. Mike*, though, hops in his Honda Pilot and makes his way down I-95 North to a different kind of extracurricular activity. He pulls over on a side street in Bridgeport and waits for “the plug” (his drug dealer). Fifteen minutes later, Mike heads home inconspicuously with a half-pound of marijuana in his trunk, just like every time before.

Although this may seem like a scene out of the television show “Weeds,” it’s representative of the experience some students here at Staples have had. Administration has suspended, expelled, arrested and taken action against students dealing drugs, but there are some students who continue to sell despite the dangers and consequences.

Mike* I ran out of money for weed toward the end of junior year, so I figured if I got all my friends to throw money together and gave them a slightly higher rate, I could pick up bulk and profit some pot. So I became the “distributor” for some of my friends and skimmed some off the top.

I deal because I love pot. I love everything about it and that turned into a habit that started consuming hundreds of dollars per week. Dealing was the only way for me to support my consumption while also saving all my legally acquired money.

While the process changes a lot, it’s usually along these lines: I get my pot by the bulk from my connect in Bridgeport, bring it back to Westport where I usually immediately sell most of it to people who committed to buying a large amount ahead of time. Then I usually am left with a one-fourth pound to half pound of pot which I sell in smaller amounts and smoke. By the time I’m running out, I usually have a few grand collected, and I repeat the process. Any money I profit, I use to buy concentrates, bongs, psychedelics, etc.

When you deal you have a lot of scary moments. I’ve been pulled over several times with weight on me, I’ve run from the cops with my pot in my bag, etc. When you constantly carry weight, you put yourself in a position where things can go really bad really easily. My friends and I were once pulled over with several ounces in the car, driver somewhat drunk, going twenty over the speed limit. I was riding shotgun with a very explicit weed sweatshirt clearly visible to the officer. Thank God we made it off scot free, just like I always have.

Police sergeant Serenity Dobson We run into these [drug dealing] cases all the time. With Staples it’s mostly marijuana and pills, kids selling their Adderall or kids selling their Oxys.

If you’re under 18 and you’re found with less than a half-ounce, then you’re getting a summons. You’re getting arrested, so it’s more severe than an adult receiving the same infraction. It can go two ways. If we know it’s just an incident, we can either send him to the juvenile review board, or they’ll get issued a summons and go to court.

Ultimately we want the bigger fish. So these little minions (kids that are just selling nickel-bags or dime-bags that think they’re big time dealers), that’s what we focus on. We want to get to them because we know that they’d be more likely to talk because they have a lot more to lose and we want to get to the top of the food chain.

Danny* The scariest moment was when a cop caught me using a fake alias. He texted me asking to pick up weed, posing under a fake alias, “James Rodriguez,” claiming he was a Fairfield Warde student. We set up a deal and the alias claimed he was running late. The whole thing never happened, as I eventually had to leave. About a month later, the cops confronted my parents to confirm the phone number “James Rodriguez” texted was me. Eventually, the charges were dropped and nothing other than getting in trouble with my parents happened. Could have been so much worse, thank God, but getting in trouble with my parents was enough to make me realize how bad it could end up.

Assistant Principal Richard Franzis I’ve been involved in a number of situations where students have had drugs either in their possession, in their car or some place on campus. Typically, we don’t go through kids’ bags on a random basis— “Hey things are a little slow, Jim, let’s get a kid and go through his bag”— no. All we have to have is credible information that a student has drugs with them and typically that’s how we find out.

If you have pot here, forget it— you’re gone. Ten days at least and you’re going away for maybe a year. It’s a big deal here. inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Photo dramatization PhotobybyCaroline CarolineO’Kane O’Kane’16 ’16

Features | April 1, 2016

15

Newly-licensed teens act above the law T

Anay Simunovic ’18 & Jesse Levinson ’17

here is a fairly wide agreement among teenagers when it comes to Connecticut’s driving laws,

licensed teens from driving their friends for a year. Many 16 year olds, it seems, are actually not in favor of being forced to drive alone. Moreover, they go so far as breaking the law at times—despite the potential license suspension. According to Zach Edelman ’17, “everything’s more fun when you do it with your friends.

As long as you’re not speeding or doing anything illegal in terms of violating traffic laws, then I don’t see the problem with it.”

Similarly, Abi Genser ’18 described the law as “not being a big deal.” Another senior girl, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “Within the first three hours that I had my license, I drove people.”

However, despite its popularity, research from the Department of Motor Vehicles has documented car crashes as the number one cause of death in 15 to 19 year olds. In addition, the research shows that a teenager is much more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash when driving with another teen.

Officers Rachel Baron and Scott Morrison of the Westport Police Department confirmed that new drivers are much more likely to be involved in an accident because it is their first time on the road. The distraction of friends in the car only adds to the possibility of danger and deathly consequences, they said.

While there are a number of factors that could contribute to teenagers’ lack of regard for this law, one reason may revolve around teenagers’ propensity to make rash decisions.

According to Beatriz Luna, a neuro-

scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, “It’s not that adolescents don’t understand risk [...] it’s just that they find it more rewarding to impress their peers than the risk that’s involved in their actual survival.”

But are teenagers necessarily to blame for their tendency to make these impulsive decisions? Many studies say no. According to the Annual Review of Neuroscience, “The prefrontal cortex has long been suspected to play an important role in cognitive control, in the ability to orchestrate thought and action in accordance with internal goals.”

Furthermore, researchers at MIT have concluded that, in most cases, the

prefrontal cortex does not fully develop until one reaches his or her mid-20s. As a result, it is not uncommon for adolescents to disregard their cognitive reasoning and allow their impulses to take control.

Another prominent factor that contributes to the poor driving decisions among teenagers is peer pressure.

When Rachel Polin ’16 first got her license, she was confident that she would never succumb to driving around her friends until the mandated year had passed. After all, she knew that getting caught would not only put her in trouble with the law but also with her parents.

She lasted four months. Considering that many newly-licensed drivers last no longer than a day, this could be considered an accomplishment, but it is still eight months short of what the law requires.

“It would suck when all of my friends would get into one car and I’d have to be alone in mine,” Polin said, adding, “A lot of my friends’ parents didn’t care if they drove other people, so [my friends] didn’t understand why I couldn’t drive them.”

Officer Morrison also said that this particular law is enforced for a reason and should not be taken lightly. Driving is not a right; driving is a responsibility.

Photo Dramatization by Eliza Goldberg ’17

Horseback riders gallop into Florida’s heated circuits Nicole Shapiro ’18 Many Staples students are active in extracurriculars that conveniently take place on Staples’ fields, in town or in the

comfort of their own homes. But there are a few students who take their extracurriculars beyond convenience, and pursue them all over the country. Those students include many equestrian enthusiasts, who often travel all the way to Florida to pursue their love of horseback riding.

Florida offers warm weather

Photo dramatization by Eliza Goldberg ’17

during the winter for horses and riders to enjoy. “[Going to Florida is] so much nicer than staying at home in the cold,” experienced rider Tori Haber ’17 said.

But the warm weather doesn’t just feel good—it also allows the horses and riders to get in much needed practice. “The warm weather benefits my riding in Westport, because it can qualify me for more shows and also, instead of riding poorly in the cold where the horses are unhappy, we are able to ride and progress in Florida. That way, when we get back, we are ahead,” Haber said.

Among the many circuits available, one very popular pre-circuit starts in December and is called Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The horseback riders who attend the festival go for the weekends, usually leaving around 7:30 a.m. on Fridays and flying home Sunday nights.

“During that weekend time, my day consists of getting up at around 6:15 Saturday and Sunday morning, getting dressed and heading to the show to walk my course [...] to plan out how [I am] going to ride the course,” WEF rider, Dimitra Ippolito ’18, said.

“Then I actually get on my horses and show each of them. After, I will watch and cheer on my other friends.”

But not every rider goes for only the weekend. Haber goes for the whole circuit as well, staying in Florida from Jan. 19 through March 27. She horseback rides in Ocala, Florida at the horse show HITS Ocala. In order to keep up with her studies, Haber gets her school work

sent down to her by her teachers at Staples.

“Even when I’m home, it is difficult to put school first. Riding has always been a top priority, so I never think about my work first,” Haber said.

Haber is not the only one who feels like it’s hard to balance riding and school work.

Carly Crossfield ’16, another WEF rider, also struggles to keep up with school.

“It is so difficult [to get my work done]. I am constantly making up work each week, because I miss every Friday and sometimes even half of Thursdays, not to mention the constant delays and cancellations of flights on Sunday nights,” Crossfield said.

However, all the time that went into managing riding and school really did pay off for Crossfield. “This fall I was recruited to Southern Methodist University class of 2020 with an athletic scholarship to be a part of their Division I equestrian program,” Crossfield said. Along with Crossfield, Haber is being recruited by colleges.

Since studying on the road (or in the air) is challenging, capitalizing on every free moment is essential.

“Plane rides are nice because it gives me a set couple of hours to work without distractions,” Crossfield said. “But I spend a lot of my Friday and Saturday nights doing school work and emailing teachers as well.”

Between the plane rides, homework, sleepless nights and circuits, the riding life in Florida is a lot to juggle. But many believe the time and effort is all worth it, because they get to live and engage in something they love to do all year round.

“Riding is my passion and in general is basically, at least for me, so therapeutic,” Haber said. “I rely on it so much.”

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

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Features | April 1, 2016

Outdoor enthusiasts scope out the best hunting spots mediately her entire body is jolted backwards. The sound breaks the near dead quiet of the forest, and a frenzy of geese erupts into the dusk. t’s four in the morning Like the Durankos, Huntand the Duranko sisters, er Duff y ’18, a Staples student Emily ’16 and Jessie ’18, are who can trace his hunting lincrouched down, holding their eage back “from my father to breath, concentrating deeply his father, and his father before on a faint rustle that is caused by more than just the wind. him,” does not lack in huntA flock of geese is about a ing and fishing experience. quarter mile away, hidden By the time Duffy was barely through a tween, he “As much as you don’t see the dense was already people hunting around here, pine trees wrestling we are a tight community of and countfish the conservation enthusiasts who less decoys. size of large mostly you might never suspect t o d d l e r s .

Alongside as being hunters.” the careIn fact, one -Hunter Duffy ’18 of Duffy’s ful eye of their faself-dether and his hunting dog, Blue, scribed “oddest” memories came the sisters are sure they’ll have at the age of nine in upstate New dinner on the table tonight. York near the Canadian border.

“You sit for a realIt was there where the ninely long time — you have year-old Duffy hooked into a 40to be patient,” Emily said. plus pound King Salmon. But, Jessie swiftly trades Duffy said, that wasn’t the odd her Dunkin Donuts iced part. “The crazy part of the stocoffee for her BB gun. She ry is the fish almost pulling me treads lightly over the sod- down the river while I frantiden earth as it squelches un- cally tried to communicate with der her boots. Her eyes slit the French-speaking Canadians,” as she stares down the barrel. Duffy said.

“My dad will say ‘Go, Although some WestBlue,’ [signaling] my dog to porters might claim that huntchase the geese to come fly- ing and fishing only takes place ing over us,” Jessie said. amongst a select few in FairHolding her breath, she field County, there is actualpulls back the trigger, and im- ly a considerable contingent of

Brendan Massoud ’17 & Margot Mather ’17

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hunter aficionados in the area.

“As much as you don’t see people hunting around here, we are a tight community of conservation enthusiasts who mostly you might never suspect as being hunters,” Duffy said.

Part of the reason for the belief that the outdoor community is so small is because of the controversial aspects of hunting.

“Some people feel that the killing of animals isn’t right, or that I get satisfaction out of watching an animal suffer,” Duffy said.

However, hunters and fishers like Duffy and the Durankos can often have a positive impact on the community.

“We eat just about everything we can from the deer and often donate parts … to charities working with those in poverty,” Duffy said. Often, the hides themselves can be turned into gloves and hats for military veterans.

They also help to keep down the growing deer population in Westport and other Connecticut towns.

Nevertheless, those who hunt can feel dissuaded by judgemental glares from peers and even complete strangers. As a result, many students at Staples who hunt with family members or close friends do not go around flaunting their most recent kills. “I never tell any of my friends,” Emily Duranko ’16 said.

A remedy for this can be a trip up north, to where hunt-

Photo dramatization by Margot Mather ’17

ing vests and guns are a daily sight. “In Vermont you can walk around in camo with your gun and no one judges,” Emily said.

Furthermore, like any popular activity, hunting can be enjoyable whether with friends or alone.

“I would do it again,” Emily said with a smile. “I mean, I feel bad

for the animals, but it was fun.”

Now that spring has arrived, for Duffy and the Durankos, it’s time to again set the 3:30 a.m. alarm and trade out the unofficial Staples uniform of college logo wear, Vineyard Vines and Sperry’s for jet black face paint and head-to-toe camo.

Vega grows up with roots around the world Photos by Caroline O’Kane ’16

Aileen Coyne ’16

SISTERLY LOVE Sofia Vega ’16 (left) and sister Gabriella Vega ’18 (right) have a family life filled with music, sports and foreign languages. On top of traveling often to visit her diverse family, Sofia has played on club soccer teams and sits first stand in the Staples Symphonic Orchestra for violin.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Aileen Coyne ’16 Sofia Vega ’16 has a Cuban father and a Costa Rican/ Argentinian mother, but her blood is not her only identity: she is also a Chinese speaker, musician and world traveler.

As Vega puts it, she’s “a mutt.”

Vega comes from a family of three siblings, two parents and too many relatives to count. Family is what makes her the person she is. The impact extends far beyond the close bond between her immediate family.

“I have family everywhere since my great grandma was one of about 27 kids,” Vega said. “I like going to family reunions ’cause there are over a hundred people in a house that all are somehow related to me even though I don’t necessarily know them.”

Vega’s family may be close, but it doesn’t mean that they live nearby; her family is stationed all over the world in Costa Rica, Spain and Cuban Miami, but maintain open doors to the Vega Clan.

Vega has had the opportunity to visit her family in rural areas all over the world.

She credits these trips for allowing her to see the world more authentically. “When you go to very touristy areas, you see these supposed authentic foods, dances and

clothes, although they are just putting a show on to make money,” Vega said. “In my family’s hometowns you see how real people act in their respective countries.”

Vega’s mom realized the importance of teaching the heritage that goes hand in hand with family.

“I grew with my mom always telling me it was important to learn Spanish because it was an important part of my family history,” Vega said. “I didn’t realize how important it would be until I went to Costa Rica and Spain and met my fourth cousins.”

The bond of their shared language and heritage allowed them to forge bonds in an environment completely foreign to Vega.

Language has forged bridges in her life that she didn’t know were possible without the support of her parents.

Chinese is something she started freshman year that without her mom’s loving push of languages she never would have tried. While Vega chose Chinese because she thought it would help her later in life when she entered the workforce, it has also added to her knowledge of foreign cultures.

“Chinese has shown me a total different side of the world.

It exposed me to yet another culture that was drastically different from both Spanish and American culture.”

As Vega looks forward to college next year, she can look back at her family and be thankful for making her the person she is.

Photos contributed by Zoe Bradford

arts

Mann shines under the spotlight in “Billy Elliot” Seventh grader defines “triple threat” as he leaps, acts and sings his way onto center stages everywhere Margot Mather ’17

T

here’s a faint pitter patter of clacking footsteps behind the illuminated door.

A rising star is about to emerge: twelve-yearold Jamie Mann ’21 of Bedford Middle School.

Mann starred in the Florida regional production of “Billy Elliot” as Billy at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Now at Company Theatre in Norwell, Massachusetts, he will reprise the role in June at the Palace Theatre in New Hampshire.

When the spotlight shines on Mann, he’s at ease.

“You go on stage and you get these butterflies that are kind of flying out of you,” Mann said.

His passion for acting began at the age of three when he saw a production of “Swan Lake” on Broadway. “I remember just sitting there mesmerized. It was beautiful,” Mann said with a sparkle in his eyes.

At the age of seven,

Mann went to see the Broadway production of “Billy Elliot” for the first time.

For Mann, it was love at first sight. “I knew I immediately wanted to play Billy,” Mann said. “[Billy’s] kind of creative, and he doesn’t really care what people think.”

During his time at Alvin Ailey Boys Athletic Dance Program in New York City, one of the Broadway “Billy Elliot” cast directors scouted Mann to audition for the ongoing tour. Mann sent in a video but was denied a role because he was deemed too young.

Mann went on to play Billy in the Florida regional production of “Billy Elliot.”

Every week, Mann spends up to 24 hours in rehearsals and classes, perfecting his technique and the role of Billy.

“There are so many numbers. I don’t know any other show that is as rigorous,” Mann said, flexing his toes back and forth against his bedframe.

With his packed schedule come sacrifices; however, his family has been supportive.

“My three siblings barely see [our] mom, and they’re really nice about it. I couldn’t ask for better siblings,” Mann said, looking at his brother with a smile.

“It’s a challenging path, in more ways than just the dicipline and sweat,” Mann’s mother, Jill, said.

Mann believes the reason his siblings are so supportive is that they also share his passion for dance. His younger brother, Cameron, plays Aladdin at the Center Stage Theater Company in Westport “Jamie inspires me with my acting,” Cameron said.

As Mann looks to the future, he has big plans ahead.

“I’ll probably start to get a lot more serious about dance.

I want to be in a company,” Mann said. He wants to enter the New York City Dance Company and also plans to continue acting in his future.

Photo by Margot Mather ’17

THE MANN (Top) Jamie Mann exchanges smirks with his fellow cast member in the production of “Billy Elliot.”

(Bottom left) Mann is hoisted up by “Older Billy,” played by Ben Kuefler.

(Bottom right) Mann is used to posing and performing; his headshot is pictured.

Adult coloring books draw a strong following Colette Lippman ’17 An adult coloring book— it seems like an oxymoron.

The idea behind the adult coloring book is to provide an option for stress relief that is more mentally stimulating than staring at a TV or computer screen.

Many students have been attracted to the adult coloring book trend, with many claiming that it relieves the stress of high school responsibilities.

“I think there are so many worse ways that a person can relieve stress,” Giselle Briand ’17 said. “So, I think coloring, something that requires minimal effort, caters to a lot of people.”

Adult coloring books differ from the average children’s coloring book because of their detailed patterns of typically floral

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INKLINGS | April 1, 2016

or geometric designs, making it more challenging and appealing than a children’s coloring book.

In an interview with NPR, the creator of the adult coloring book, Johanna Basford, described the reasoning behind her idea to create a mature coloring book.

“I think there’s something quite charming and nostalgic about coloring in,” Basford said.

“And chances are last time you picked up pens or pencils you didn’t have a mortgage or, like, a really horrible boss or anything.”

Basford also described the mindless, relaxing appeal that it has to adults, saying, “The outlines are already there for you, so it’s just something that you can do quietly for a couple of hours.”

However, some Staples students think the adult coloring book hype is overrated.

“The bottom line is that coloring books are meant for kids, not adults,” Kenji Goto ’16 said. “If it does relieve stress for some people though, there’s nothing I can say against that.”

Still, the combination of nostalgic childhood feelings and positive stress relief is why adult books have become a widespread trend.

“I think they’ve become pretty popular because whether you are an artistic person or not, you can use them for many different purposes,” Kate Reach ’18 said.

Overall, opinions surrounding adult coloring books have been positive.

“I think people have finally realized the beauty in doing something so simple,” Fleur Byrne ’17 said. “It can help a person forget problems and collect themselves.”

Graphic by Claudia Chen ’16

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Arts | April 1, 2016

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by Eliz Photos

erg ’17 Goldb

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New bakery provides Westport with delicious treats Alix Sommers ’16

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ppealing wallpaper and black and white tiled floors greet customers as they step into the freshly decorated space of the newly opened bakery store, The Cake Box. The well laid out restaurant is welcoming and warm with the smell of freshly baked goods in the air. Located at 10 Bay St., right off Post Rd. E., The Cake Box sells cupcakes, cookies, custom cakes, gluten-free items and many other bakery goods that leave everybody satisfied.

The extensive menu keeps

customers contemplating over what to order. Just the list of unique cupcake flavors will leave you stumped. The cupcake menu includes “Life

by Chocolate,” “Red Velvet Cookie ’n Cream,” “Salted Caramel Truffle,” “Lemon Raspberry” and “Mochaccino.” The “Stracciatella,” an Italian word for “rag” or “shred,” was especially good. It was a fancy twist on an old classic, as the cupcake has chocolate shavings baked into the vanilla cake and is topped with vanilla chocolate swirled buttercream.

Catch these four flicks for spring Zachary McCarthy ’16

Lawrence and Oscar Isaacs who are all set to reprise previous roles and, as far as Fox’s mutant movies go, it’s coming off the heels of the delightfully dirty “Deadpool.” What more could you ask for? My only gripe is that Wolverine is slated to sit this one out (If only my editor would let me use the sad emoticon).

After the post-Oscars drought of quality films (dubbed the “dump months” by moviegoers), it’ll certainly be nice to embrace the barrage of big-budget blockbusters that burst onto scene this season. Whether you’re looking to escape siblings home for spring break or trying to evade studying for AP exams, here are my spring movie recommendations. Fair warning for action-agnostics: What? Get out! I totally didn’t put this here this list is dominated by superhero sequels. just because there were too many comic movies!

Well, maybe I did, but of course every list needs its dark horse and here’s mine. How does one expand an app, that sits on my homepage to this day, into a major motion picture?

I don’t know exactly. However, I do know that After being trounced by Marvel at just a few years ago, the “Lego Movie” took one nearly every turn, Warner Bros. is look- toy and made the best two hour, Oscar-noming to jumpstart its own universe with the inated commercial of all time. Never underDC ensemble. Boasting an array of contro- estimate the power of product placement. versial casting choices from Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne to Jesse Eisenberg (Yeah, the guy from The Social Network) as the sinister Lex Luthor, it’ll be interesting to see how this project unfurls. Can these heroes save the world? Perhaps more importantly, can What’s better than seeing your favorite Warner Bros. save its fledgling franchise? heroes battle villains? Seeing them battle each other! Seriously, Marvel is poised to continue its winning streak, as it flexes its carefully-crafted continuity with a smorgasbord of Fox delivered an all out slam-bang characters (Name your favorite Avenger and crossover with 2014’s “Days of Futures Past,” they’re almost certainly appearing in this one) so I’m all in for the latest installment, which duking it out over whether vigilantism can promises to wrap up the X-Men’s prequel continue. It’ll be quite the juggling act, but if trilogy in style. It’s got a star-studded line- Marvel does it right, this film could go down up, including Michael Fassbender, Jennifer as one of the best comic movies of all time. inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

The buttercream frosting was light, delicious and perfectly complemented the cake.

After finishing the dessert, I was left craving more.

If a customer has food allergies, The Cake Box does offer some gluten-free and nut-free options. I highly recommend the Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.

After eating it, I couldn’t believe gluten free could taste that good. The cookie was so

flavorful with a hearty, chewy texture. It was slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making it quite satisfying.

However, if customers are looking for a wider selection of gluten-free and nut-free desserts, visit The Cake Box’s sister store, Swoon, located in Ridgefield.

Swoon serves all gluten-free and nut-free desserts, including cakes, cupcakes, cookies and monkey buns.

If I’m ever in need of a dessert place for a special occasion or even just a quick and delicious pick me up, now I know the perfect place to go.

Arts | April 1, 2016 Graphic by Julia Schorr ’16

Students seek the ideal streaming platform

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William Dumke ’16

s streaming platforms dominate the entertainment industry, students have to decide which ones best fit their needs as an avid entertainment observer.

HBO Go

Though less popular than other streaming platforms and the most expensive at $14.99 through a television provider, HBO Go is still an easy way to access popular movies and keep up-to-date on shows.

Harrison Ames ’16 is one Staples student who avidly uses HBO Go as his primary streaming platform.

“Its exclusive TV shows are outstanding; shows like ‘Silicon Valley’ and ‘Ballers’ are so dope and entertaining,” Ames said.

If students are looking for a new streaming platform that offers an exclusive selection of high quality entertainment, they should look no further than HBO Go.

Hulu Plus

Separating itself from Netflix, Hulu Plus has become so popular for how it updates its TV shows weekly. Unlike Netflix, where students have to wait a year until the new season is released, Hulu Plus adds new episodes the second after they air on TV. This allows students to follow shows in a more up-to-date fashion.

Hulu also undercuts Netflix’s monthly subscription by about one dollar and HBO’s subscription by seven dollars costing only $7.99., making it appealing for students looking to save some money.

Mathew Elliot ’16 is one of the many Staples seniors who enjoys the benefits of Hulu Plus.

STREAMING SURVEY In a survey sent out to all Staples students, 254 reported the streaming platforms they suscribe to and prefer.

“The big thing that Hulu has over Netflix is the fact that it is way more TV-based,” Elliot said. “With Hulu they have shows like ‘Family Guy’ and ‘Quantico’ that are airing right now, and when an episode of that show runs on its respective station it comes on Hulu directly after.”

However, Hulu does lack in some categories. Unlike Netflix or HBO Go, Hulu does not have a large movie selection, making it strictly TV-based which may repel some avid entertainment viewers.

Netflix

The Netflix selection of thousands of movies and shows has made it the most popular streaming platform in Staples.

With an easy to access website and mobile app, Netflix can be used anywhere.

Costing only $9.99 a month, students can get full access to a wide variety of popular movies, documentaries and TV shows.

Ava Reichhelm ’17 uses Netflix as her primary streaming platform.

“Netflix is great, because it has a huge selection of entertainment at a really reasonable price,” Reichhelm said. “It’s better than other TV show streaming networks such as Hulu, because it has a wide variety of shows in full series without having any ads interrupting your episode.”

What sets Netflix apart from the other streaming platforms is its enormous library of movies and shows. Students can find their niche within the genres on Netflix’s home page.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

BEAT

Arts | April 1, 2016

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Erin McGroarty ’18

’m sure that all you “House of Cards” fans were all aware of the highly-anticipated release of season four that occurred on March 4. Before embarking on the journey of watching a season of this political thriller, questions hung over the heads of all the fans. Was the anticipation worth it? Does this season live up to the expectations that have been set so high by the other seasons?

After watching, I can confidently answer “yes” to both of these questions. The political agenda of President Frank Underwood and his opponents stayed ever riveting and shocking, while the drama that grabbed the audience’s attention in the first season remained prevalent. Characters from previous seasons, who many viewers thought had left the show, returned to portray their characters who changed with time, such as Sebastian Arcelus who reprised the role of the disgruntled former-journalist Lucas Goodwin.

The newest season was a success because it stayed true to the stunning events and secret agendas that made it hugely popular during the previous seasons; producer Beau Willimon

Graphic by Melanie Lust ’19

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

also felt no loyalty to protagonists, killing off a character who had been with the show since the first season. The show’s management went by the mantra, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The screenplay is still phenomenal, with Frank’s continual use of asides creating a colloquial tone to the show, and the director’s continued use of dramatic camera angles to keep the audience begging for more. The actors and actresses are still nailing their roles, such as Golden Globe winner Robin Wright for her portrayal of Claire Underwood, and the one and only Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood. Surprises still emerged even when the audience thought there were no more to come (take Claire’s breaking of the fourth wall in the season finale as an example).

Nevertheless, there was still a part of me that wanted a little more scandalous drama, resembling a show like “Scandal.”

I full-heartedly believe that adding some more slant to the plot would draw in and hook the younger audiences. All things considered, however, the fourth season of “House of Cards” remains both thrilling and enticing, and the season finale leaves viewers like you and me begging for more.

sports

GRACE

MCGINLEY ROWS FOR THE TOP Photos by Charlie Colasurdo ’18

Tori Lubin ’18

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eet Grace McGinley ’17, who has broken two world records and holds a first place title for previously winning the Head of the Charles Regatta and the National Championships.

McGinley began her journey as a rower in sixth grade at Saugatuck Rowing Club.

“I got into rowing because I was looking for a fall sport to supplement all the workouts I was doing for basketball at the time,” she said. McGinley initially had mixed impressions of the sport.“I didn’t immediately like the entire sport, but I liked that it was somewhere where you could be strong and big and still be successful, so I guess that’s what pulled me in.”

McGinley is one of the most accomplished members of her team, achieving a wide variety of personal goals. “I’d say my biggest accomplishment, at least in rowing, is the fact that I made the first varsity boat.

Especially at Saugatuck, there are such high standards, so being in that first boat, with eight other of the best rowers on the team, is a really big honor,” McGinley said.

The high caliber of athletes that McGinley rows with has aided McGinley in achieving her personal accomplishments.

“The high standards of that boat forced me to push myself harder, which allowed for some of the individual accomplishments,” she said.

McGinley’s teammates described how McGinley has motivated them as athletes, expanding on how teammates help each other to achieve their goals. “Grace is a very valuable member of the team as she inspires and motivates us all to keep trying to reach our goals. Also she pushes me to never give up,” Willemjin Ten Cate ’16, one of McGinley’s teammates, said.

Eden Schumer ’18, a coxswain at Saugatuck Rowing Club, also describes McGinley as a valuable asset to the entire

A DEEPER LOOK

Broke the 18-and-under open weight girls’ 5K ergometer world record by seven seconds.

“

team. “I know I speak for the team when I say that Grace has incredibly valuable accomplishments of speed, power and drive,” Schumer said. “She’s [...] the fastest girl on the team, in the undefeated top varsity boat and a national champion. Besides her accomplishments, Grace is a great friend to everyone and is always seen cheering on the other rowers.”

Claire Plunkett ’16, a teammate of McGinley’s from Darien High School, continued to emphasize McGinley’s value.“Grace is a valuable member of the team, because not only is she very strong, she is friendly to everyone, kind, supporting, funny and motivating to all. She helps push me through hard workouts and inspires us all,” Plunkett said. “Without a doubt, Grace is definitely someone I can trust, and I’m honored to row with someone of her talent.”

McGinley explains that she is just as motivated by her teammates as they are by her. “Rowing is a big team sport,” she said.

“Everyone else was working just as hard, so I worked off of what they were doing and the energy in the room in order to push myself, too.”

McGinley plans to enhance her repertoire of rowing accomplishments throughout this year. “I’m hoping to bring my 2k time (a standard test for rowing) below 6:45, or even 6:42, depending on the opportunities I’m given,” she said,“I’m hoping to travel to the Netherlands this summer with the Junior National Team and medal at worlds. With Saugatuck, we’re all gunning for another national championship, so that’s the big goal.”

McGinley made one final suggestion to all Staples athletes who hope to mimic her success in their athletic careers. “My suggestion would be to keep training, even when it sucks or it gets really hard, because you don’t always know what you’re capable of,” McGinley said.

“

I know I speak for the team when I say that Grace has incredibly valuable accomplishments of speed, power and drive.”

-Eden Schumer ’18

I’m hoping to travel to the Netherlands this summer with the Junior National Team and medal at worlds. With Saugatuck, we’re McGinley’s 500m time all gunning for another national championship.”

-Grace McGinley ’17

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INKLINGS | April 1, 2016

1:44:40

6:54:10

McGinley’s 2000m time

inklingsnews.com inklingsnews.com || STAPLES STAPLES HIGH HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOL

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Sports | April 1, 2016

WEEKLY

SCHEDULE Saturday, April 2, 2 p.m.

BASEBALL VS. CENTRAL The defending FCIAC and Class LL runner up visits the Hilltoppers to open up its 2016 campaign.

Photos by Molly Mahoney ’18

Saturday, April 2, 2 p.m.

BOYS’ LACROSSE VS. WESTON The Wreckers host a non-conference SWC opponent on the first weekend of the tri-state lacrosse season.

Hoop skills sharpened at YMCA Ben Foster ’16

W Monday, April 4, 4 p.m.

SOFTBALL VS. GREENWICH Following a game against New Canaan, rival Greenwich travels to Wakeman Field in Staples’ 2016 home opener.

hether an athlete is playing a quick game of pickup basketball or just practicing his or her shot, basketball culture at the YMCA is stronger than ever before. As the Y nurtures all types of players, anyone can show up and display his or her potential.

Dylan Dreyfuss ’16, varsity point guard of the Staples Wreckers dedicates a lot of his mid-game success to his practice at the Y facility, where he builds mental and physical toughness.

“Playing ball at the Y is a different cul-

ture. It really tests your toughness. At any second you can catch an elbow to the head or a knee to the thigh. Friendships are put on pause and all that matters is winning. I wouldn’t be the player I am today without my experience at the Y.” Daniel Brill ’16 explains another aspect of the rec leagues and dedicates his success to this organization. “It’s no surprise team Brill is ranked No. 1 in rec basketball. But what is surprising is that you can see my team practicing there night and day,” Brill said. “Team chemistry is built at the Y because of their founding principles: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.”

Brill and his teammate Keiran Simunovic ’16 are not only on the same team but

also workout together at the Y, contributing to their chemistry on the court.

Simunovic shared a similar thought on the Y. “This organization allows students to craft their basketball skills in order to truly reach their athletic potential.

Without the the pleasure of venturing to the legendary courts of the Y every afternoon, there would be a hole in my soul,” Simunovic said.

The Y allows students to develop vital skills and relationships that help guide them during a game.

Who knows how cohesive the Brill/Simunovic combination would have been on the court without the YMCA?

It’s spinning men at Staples Alice Hickson ’17 Tuesday, April 5, 6 p.m.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE VS. NORWALK After a second round exit in last year’s state tournament, Staples begins the regular season under the lights at Testa Field at Norwalk High School.

Friday, April 8, 5:30 p.m.

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL VS. RIDGEFIELD In a rematch of the 2015 FCIAC title game, the Wreckers and Tigers renew their rivalry in the second portion of a challenging roadtrip for Staples.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

ories.

Sitting on a bike for an hour may sound dull, but according to Offir, that is not the case.

“There are theme rides like Drake vs.

Fetty Wap or One Direction vs. The Jonas Brothers which is really cool too,” Offir explained. “It’s a party.”

Graphic by Christoph Russi ’17

The lights dim. Major Lazer’s “Light it Up” begins to blare. This may sound like the beginning of a wild EDM concert but no; this is spin class.

With the recent additions of SoulCycle and Joyride to Westport in the last two years, spinning has become an exciting new way to exercise.

“It’s amazing,” Isabel Offir ’18 said when describing the atmosphere of her class at SoulCycle. “There are times where the music is pumping and everyone is in sync, and then there are the cool down songs where everyone is just focused on themselves and it is really relaxing.”

Offir commented on the lack of high school boys in her class but thinks it is mainly because boys prefer the gym instead of a formal exercise class.

“I've been with my dad and uncle, and I'm still trying to get my brother to go with me,” Offir said.

This intense cardio workout is not geared toward either gender.

In fact, the Rugby team went spinning three times a week at Joyride last winter in order to prepare for their season in the spring.

“We could still get cardio in without freezing,” Nick Greene ’16, a rugby team

member, said. “I think we were better off doing spinning than running; it felt like we were getting somewhere.”

More than just an intense workout, spinning helped bring the team together.

“It was all of us packed into a room,” Greene said. “There was more of a whole team vibe than all of us spread out running.”

Other boys have decided to test out spinning instead of doing their typical gym workout.

“I was hesitant about going at first,” Thomas Moy ’17 said. “But after I went I realized it wasn’t a girl thing at all; it really works out your w h o l e body.”

Spinn i n g works out the abdominals, thighs, h a m strings a n d calves in a d d it i on to improving overall cardiovascular health.

The average spin class burns around 500 cal-

Sports | April 1, 2016

23

Hannah DeBalsi enters her last season

H

Max Appell ’18

annah DeBalsi ’16 holds nine Staples High School track records, but her talent and success does not stop there. DeBalsi stands as the only Connecticut high school girl to run the two mile race in under 10 minutes and capture four straight New England Regional Track titles in the 3200m, with a personal best of 10:29.

“I’m still trying to figure her out. It’s tough to understand what’s going on with the success she’s had,” Girls’ Track Coach Jesse McCray said. “She continues to amaze me and the way she approaches every single challenge.”

DeBalsi believes she owes the Staples community credit for her success. “The culture here is really supportive of sports,

“She brings such a focused-feel to the team dynamic, and just having such an elite athlete on the team has really made the rest of us step it up.”

-Susie Martin ’17

Photo contributed by Ward French III

BY THE NUMBERS

FINAL SEASON SCHEDULE

2015-16 TIMELINE

4/4: Bridgeport Central 4/18: Darien 4/25: Westhill, Ridgefield 4/28: Penn Relays 5/2: Stamford 5/7: Middletown Invitational 5/9: Danbury, Trumbull 5/16: Greenwich 5/21: FCIAC Championships 6/1: CIAC Class LL Championships 6/8: CIAC Open Championships 6/11: New England Championships

10/20: Announced committment to Stanford University

10/21: Won FCIAC cross country title 10/31: Won Class LL cross country title 11/6: Won State Open cross country title 11/14: Won New England cross country title 12/12: Earned All-American cross country honors 2/4: Won FCIAC 1600m and 3200m titles 2/11: Won FCIAC Class LL 1600m and 3200m titles 2/20: Won State Open 3200m title 2/28: Won New England 3200m title 3/10: Named Staples High School salutatorian 3/11: Placed fourth in 500m at New Balance Nationals

10 FIRST PLACE FINISHES

so it's nice that everyone is involved,” DeBalsi said.

Not only has DeBalsi broken personal barriers, but she has also changed the Staples track program and influenced her teammates. DeBalsi helped Staples finish third in Distance Medley Relay (DMR) at the New Balance Indoor track Nationals and in the process earned All-American honors.

“Watching Hannah achieve such success has definitely motivated us and pushed us,” Susie Martin ’17 said. “She brings such a focused-feel to the team dynamic, and just having such an elite athlete on the team has really made the rest of us step it up.”

Like many athletes, DeBalsi has struggled. During her sophomore year, DeBalsi suffered from a stress reaction in her sacrum. This set back her goals as she had to focus on recovering.

“When Hannah got injured her sophomore year, her dedication to cross training made it clear that that kind of love of the sport isn't really something a coach can teach or enforce, but something an athlete either has or doesn't,” Coach Amanda Morgan said.

Track is not the only thing that defines DeBalsi. The star athlete finds time to excel in school and tutor children in her free time. “Sometimes it’s hard to get home from practice and do all my homework and keep going all day, but I enjoy it,” she said.

DeBalsi has been named the Salutatorian for her graduating class.

As for her future, DeBalsi recently committed to Stanford University for track.

“After college I’m definitely not going to run competitively or anything, but I’m sure I’ll go out for a jog,” DeBalsi said.

Overall, DeBalsi is one of the most decorated athletes to ever walk the halls of Staples.

“She is talented. She works extremely hard. When you put those things together you come up with something special,” McCray said. inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

24

Sports | April 1, 2016

Amelia Brown ’18

A

s Stamford’s Nick Rich ’17 streaked toward the net with under a minute to go in the Division III state championship game, Staples’ Ryan Johnson ’16 dove to block his shot attempt.

The clock froze at 27 seconds as the puck whistled over his outstretched stick, bounced off the pad of goalie Zack Bloom ’18 and nestled itself in the back of the net.

Johnson remained on the ice for a full minute, as Westhill-Stamford celebrated the first state title in the co-op’s history around him, a thrilling 5-4 victory at Yale’s Ingalls Rink on March 19.

While the Staples/Weston/Shelton [SWS] boys’ hockey team ultimately fell short of the championship, they secured their spot in the finals after a thrilling 6-5 victory over Woodstock Academy in the semifinal on March 15, an exciting experience for the boys.

“The win against Woodstock Academy in the semifinals [was my favorite part of the season]. The whole team was so happy and I was happy to help get all my seniors to the championship for their last game,” Bloom said.

The road through the State Tournament was not easy.

“We didn’t just show up and have the school behind us playing in the state finals.

To get there, it took hours of work,” Ian Offenberg ’16 said. Offenberg was a captain and one of five seniors on the team, each of whom took on big leadership roles, which hurt the team when not fulfilled.

“One stumble in the road was playing against New Fairfield Immaculate, the No. 1 ranked team in our division. In the game, we played without star senior captain Jesse Greenspun ’16 and a few other key members,” Sam New ’18 said. “We went on to lose and at that point of the year we really started to notice that we needed to pick it up and really buy into the idea of being a family.” The team ended up with an overall record of 15-9.

But once they made it, the SWS team had the support of each other and the school behind them. With logistics regarding train schedules and fan buses posted in the Staples Superfans 2016-17 Facebook group, hundreds of students showed up to ‘white out’ Yale’s Ingalls Rink in New Haven, also known as the Whale.

“We were all so excited after beating Lyman Hall in the quarters, because we knew we made it to the Whale and knew how exciting it would be playing there,” Bloom said. “The fans were that extra boost for us and they were awesome to have.”

The puck dropped Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with the first state title in nearly 40 years hanging in the balance. After

taking the early 1-0 lead in the first period against FCIAC rival Westhill-Stamford, SWS fell behind 3-1 in the second period.

The Wreckers fought back with goals from Sam New (2) and Jesse Greenspun to tie the game at four. That score stood until Rich scored the game’s winning goal for Westhill-Stamford.

Although the game didn’t turn out in SWS’s favor, the team has kept their spirits high, focusing on the games they did win and the games they can win in the future.

“Obviously I wish we could have won that game but looking back it was the best season of hockey I’ve ever had and couldn’t imagine having more fun than I did,” Bloom said. New echoed Bloom’s thoughts, adding that “the experience we gained this year by going to the finals will carry with the returning players and make next year successful for us.”

Underclassmen will be returning next year, but Saturday’s game was the final time the seniors will take the ice with “Staples” across their chests. Following his last game, Offenberg used the Superfans Facebook group to write a message to everyone who supported them after the loss at the Whale, writing, “I want to sincerely thank each and everyone of you who came out not only today but at any point this year. You guys made this last season the best any of us have ever had. We love you all.”

3.6 123 15-9 74 5 GOALS PER GAME

REGULAR SEASON TOP LINE POINTS

2015-16 END OF SEASON RECORD

SAVES DURING D-III PLAYOFFS

YEARS SINCE LAST STATE FINAL APP.

“Everyone who was apart of that ride knows what went into it. We didn’t just show up and have the school behind us playing in the state finals. To get there, it took hours of work and to see that come full circle and for us to get that amazing opporunity as a result of our efforts, [it] was absolutely surreal.”

-Ian Offenberg ’16

THE ROAD THE WRECKERS ENTERED THE 2016 DIVISION III STATE PLAYOFFS WITH A 12-8 RECORD (.600, 48 POINTS) AS THE THIRD OVERALL SEED. FIRST ROUND VS. (14) MASUK

7-3

FINAL SCORE

GOAL SCORERS:

RYAN JOHNSON (3), EVAN MANCINI, BILLY HUTCHISON, IAN OFFENBERG, JIMMY BEIRNE

QUARTERFINAL VS. (6) L-H

5-3

FINAL SCORE

GOAL SCORERS:

IAN OFFENBERG, JESSE GREENSPUN, RJ GUPTA, SAM NEW, SEBASTIAN ZEMAN

SEMIFINAL VS. (2) WOODSTOCK

6-5

FINAL SCORE

GOAL SCORERS:

RYAN PURGAY, BILLY HUTCHISON (2), RYAN JOHNSON (2), IAN OFFENBERG

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP VS. (5) STAMFORD

5-4

FINAL SCORE

GOAL SCORERS:

RYAN JOHNSON, JESSE GREENSPUN, SAM NEW (2)

STAPLES CO-OP WRECKERS: 2016 DIVISION III STATE FINALIST

INSIDE THE ISSUE

page 21 GRACE MCGINLEY A look inside world record holder Grace McGinley ’17’s success.

page 22 YMCA BASKETBALL Basketball players hit the YMCA courts for the best competition.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

page 22 SPINNING Soulcycle and Joyride provide a reprieve for all genders.

Photo contributed by Stan Godlewski/CPTV Sports

Boys’ ice hockey plays for first state title since 2011

page 23 HANNAH DEBALSI One of the greatest Wrecker athletes of all time prepares for her final season.