Inklings December 16, 2012

Inklings Dec. 16, 2011

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GRAPHIC BY STEVIE KLEIN ’12 AND ALIX NEENAN ’12

Four Years of Résumé-Building May Be Met With Rejection NED HARDY ’13 & CHEYENNE HASLETT ’13 Web A&E Editor & Web News Editor

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ric Wessan ’10 was rejected from the University of Pennsylvania.

In the fall of 2009, Wessan applied to a highly selective program at the school, which, according to Wessan, “focuses on international business and international relations.”

“I thought it would be really interesting, so I applied Early Decision there,” Wessan said. “I did not get in.”

Such is a way of life around mid-December for many Staples students. Some apply early decision to a “dream school” and are accepted. Others are not.

Some swear by early decision, calling it the best course of action that they have ever taken. Others denounce it, calling it a “crapshoot.”

Just as acceptance is a reality for many people, so is rejection. It is important to examine the entirety of the college-hyped culture in which many Staples students live so as to take a closer look at college acceptance and rejection.

The predicament is that while it can be helpful, fun, and motivating for students to have a dream school, putting so many eggs in one college decal-labeled basket can often lead to feelings of rejection if that dream does not pan out.

Welcome to the college conundrum.

AN ENVIRONMENT OF STRESS D.J. Petta ’13 can be associated with two colors and one name: blue and gold, University of Michigan.

Each day, Petta wears an article of the school’s logowear; each night, Petta’s head rests upon a university pillow case in a room painted blue and gold and adorned with pictures of the school. When the school’s football team is playing, Petta is not far from a television, a computer, or the stadium itself.

In fact, it was this past December that Petta attended the University of Michigan’s first ever night game held in the school’s 150,000 person stadium. Petta found the crowd and the experience to be “electrifying.”

“I had always known, but that [game] was the deciding factor,”

Petta said. “I knew that I was going to go to Michigan no matter what.

Unless I don’t get in.”

The University of Michigan is, without a doubt, Petta’s “dream school,” a term typically used to describe a school that someone has wanted to attend from an early age.

Much like a dream, however, a dream school is not always a part of one’s future.

Petta’s fondness of the school is a healthy passion. He under-

The College Conundrum stands that while it may be a part of his future, it also may not be the school that he ends up attending.

He speculates that, if it were to be the case, he would be able to find another school with qualities similar to Michigan.

However, some students believe that the race to attend a dream school can start at too young of an age, and can eventually take over one’s life in a negative way.

Jacob Meisel ’13 is all for

dream schools, but does not believe that they should encroach upon one’s academic life at too early of an age.

“I think that preparing for college at an early age is ridiculous,” Meisel said. “Freshmen and sophomores should not begin preparing for college because, quite frankly, undergraduate colleges do not matter as much as people think.”

On the other hand, some students believe that it is important to be prepared. Dylan Hoy ’13 believes that not valuing the importance of each school year is just as bad as being caught up in the academic hype.

“You don’t want to be the kid that’s like, ‘Freshman year killed my GPA,’” Hoy said.

Andrew Cohen ’13 believes that while having a dream school can be beneficial, one must take care to appreciate it for what it really is: a mere idea. He feels that dream schools, especially for students at Staples, result from a community that is obsessed with college.

“Growing up, guys watch college sports. Everybody wants to go to Michigan because Michigan has the best football team,” Co-

hen said. “You grow up, especially in Westport, with the ultimate goal of going to college. Every time you encounter the opportunity to grasp onto a college, you will.”

Some Staples students do not know who to blame for the collegeobsessed environment in which they live.

A source who was granted anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue stated that his dream school has been decided upon without his direct involvement.

“It’s almost been shaped in my head, I guess. It’s been predetermined that I would apply to the school that my parents went to,” said the source. “I don’t think that is my parents’ fault or anyone’s fault. I think that’s what I grasped onto as a child.”

The anonymous source, a junior who has been eyeing the school from afar, believes that the collegeobsessed environment of which he is a part of arose from the people that surround him on a daily basis.

As the source said, “My parents, family friends, aunts, uncles— they all went there. I’ve grown up in an environment that’s screaming ‘PENN!’”

Continued on pg. 3

Wreckers Lose State Championship Title to Xavier JULIAN CLARKE ’12 Managing Editor The Staples Wreckers have become accustomed to heading into the locker room down at halftime.

On Dec. 9, at Rentschler field, Staples trudged into the locker room, like it has so many times before, behind. However, there was no second half magic. There was no unpredictable comeback. Instead, Xavier proved its worthiness of the Connecticut football throne and took CIAC royalty out of the hands of Staples.

Xavier’s triple-threat backfield headlined by senior Mike Mastroiani

tallied over 400 yards on the Staples defense the Falcons soared to a dominating 42-7 victory.

“The roof caved in. They’re a great football team, they really are,” Wreckers head coach Marce Petroccio said. “You have to be able to score when you’re in the red zone. They deserve to be number one.”

Staples, a team comprised of many underclassmen, was a dominant force on all sides of the ball until Saturday, when the team was overpowered by a bigger Xavier. It wasn’t David vs. Goliath, it was Goliath vs. a much larger Goliath.

“We knew they were big, hope-

Inside the Issue

fully we learn from this and try to get back a year from now,” Petroccio said.

Xavier’s last loss was in 2009 to Staples, Head Coach Sean Marinan remembers that night all too well.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say this is all the more satisfying because they’re the last team to beat us. To take it to a team like that is really satisfying,” Marinan said.

Petroccio, though proud of his players, knows that his team was outperformed.

“When I vote tomorrow, I’ll vote for Xavier as no. 1 in the poll,” Petroccio said. “Tonight was just not meant to be.”

Staples Students Cope with OCD

PHOTO BY ERIC ESSAGOF ’12 HUG IT OUT: Captain Peter Bonenfant ’12 is consoled after a disappointing state championship loss.

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Student Ballerinas Perform ‘Nutcracker’

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NEWS

2 Swoosh, There It Is

December 16, 2011

Nike Running Store Opens in Downtown Westport ELIZA LLEWELYN ’14

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Staff Writer

he Nike running store, which opened on Nov. 17 on Main Street, provides the Westport community with a selection of some of the hottest athletic gear, including Lunarglide, Air Maxx, Shox, and Air Pegasus.

The arrival of the swoosh has been met with student anticipation and some town reservations about commercialization from Westporters and competing stores.

The store is specific to Nike’s running line, offering a specified range of products directed towards the fitness and running oriented community in Westport.

The chain had been looking into Westport as a potential market since 2010.

“This is a great experiment for both Nike and Westport,” said Keith White, the manager and “head coach” at the store.

Many students embrace the new arrival.

“It’s going to be really cool,” Max Hoberman ’12 said. “I’m a runner and I buy a lot of Nike stuff, so the store will be really convenient.”

Some students, however, were surprised that the store’s product range will be limited to running gear.

Although Adam Levinson ’12 was slightly disappointed that the store was not offering a full product line, his excitement wasn’t dampened.

“I’m still going to go check it out,” he said. “I’m pumped.”

Carly Steckel ’14 was impressed with the store. “They succeeded in making running look appealing, which can be hard to do when so many people are intimidated by the sport,” said Steckel, a member of the Staples

KNOCK KNOCK, SHOE’S THERE?: The new Nike store downtown offers a varity of exercise gear.

TOP PHOTO BY MADISON HORNE ’12, BOTTOM PHOTOS BY ELIZA LLEWELYN ’14 cross country team.

Side by side with Tiffany’s, Gap, Starbucks, and Restoration Hardware, Nike joins an array of national chains represented on Westport’s Main Street.

But some believe the addition of another name brand marks Westport’s shift from a quaint small town to a more commercialized business hub, a transition that some are averse to.

“So much for mom and pops

coming in there,” commented Matthew Mandel on a Westport Now photo showing the location of the new store.

Chris Buchner, the owner of the local Athletic Shoe Factory (ASF) on the Post Road, feels that some of Westport’s charm has been robbed by the presence of national chains.

“There has always been a camaraderie amongst the independent retailers that doesn’t exist

with national chains,” Buchner said.

Despite Nike’s big name and reputation, Buchner maintained that ASF’s wide selection and customer service would keep clients coming back.

As a local business, ASF also donates to local organizations and employs local students.

“We are a good neighbor in the Westport community,” Buchner said. “This is our way of say-

ing thank you for all of the support we get.”

While small, family owned businesses give Westport an appealing, small-town atmosphere, more commercial chains are necessary to fuel the town economy.

According to First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, big chains are often the only ones that can afford the high cost of occupying space on Main Street. Property owners pay substantial taxes to the town, so landlords look for clients who can pay the pricy rents.

“I’d love to have small bookstores and coffee shops, but you can’t expect landlords to reduce rent,” Joseloff said. “You can’t keep residential taxes low and complain about large chains.”

Without the taxes paid by bigname chains, property taxes would have to be higher.

The addition of another popular brand name may also draw more traffic to Main Street, supporting other businesses in town. Bob LaRose, president of the Downtown Merchants’ Association, a group of small business owners on Main Street, was excited about the new store.

LaRose was not troubled by Nike’s big-name status.

“People can vote with their dollars,” he said. According to LaRose, Westport’s Main Street is 100 percent rented, a statistic that demonstrates the vitality of the town.

Although Nike is a worldwide retailer, the chain is also looking to have presence in Westport as a member of the community instead of a cold, commercial enterprise.

“We want to engage the customer in a very holistic way,” White said. The store plans to hold running clubs and races in order to connect with Westporters on a more personal level.

Staples Teachers Supplement Curriculum with Technology RYAN PANNY ’12 Staff Writer When students in your class find strangers trying to donate money to them online, life as a teacher can get pretty interesting.

This was the case with Catherine Dancz’s (formerly Schager) U.S. History Honors class: their assignment was to set up non-governmental organizations on the Internet, and they were contacted by unaffiliated people interested in making financial donations.

Dancz is one of many teachers at Staples who are taking advantage of the Internet to develop alternative teaching methods and provide students with new perspectives on the curriculum.

Throughout the year, students enrolled in Dancz’s classes create websites on Google Sites, post online blogs periodically, and even take screenshots of Facebook chats for their end-of-quarter reflections.

“My students exist online academically,” Dancz said. “I’ve started to almost feel guilty every time I give out print-out assignments.”

Dancz said she has found that the Internet has generated a closer connection with her students.

“I have former students now in college who are still e-mailing

me from the Gmail accounts that they created in my class,” Dancz said.

Of course, it all comes with a price: 84 online rubrics for her to grade at the end of each quarter.

“That’s where I can run into trouble,” she said.

Meanwhile, on the third floor, biology teacher Kevin Glass is busy editing YouTube videos for his students. Glass utilizes programs such as Screenflow and Biozone.com to create reference materials that students can use at their leisure. Glass has found that his approach causes an interesting shift in the classroom dynamic.

“In a way, it reverses the roles of the classroom,” he said. “Students learn the material at home, and then bring in questions from the info.”

A favorite among Glass’s students are the luxuries they enjoy on nights before exams. Using a program called UStream, Glass sits at his desk at home after dinner, and answers students’ questions via video chat.

Spencer Bratman ’12, one of Glass’s former students, attests to the video chat’s effectiveness.

“It was so convenient, because we didn’t have to set aside time to meet in his office,” Bratman said.

“I’m also the type of kid who studies last minute, and it’s rare to be

able to speak to a teacher at 9 p.m.”

These technological methods are not solely enjoyed by his students; Glass says the Internet has allowed him to lead a significantly more convenient life with the work he has to do as a teacher.

“I don’t need to drag home a big stack of papers. I can grade anywhere as long as I have an internet connection,” Glass said.

Arguably the most significant impact that teachers like Glass and Dancz have had on their students, though, is inspiration.

“Mr. Glass definitely inspired me because he had the courage to teach differently,” Bratman said, who is currently in the process of creating his own school-interactive website: www.MyCampuz. com.

What’s currently on the mind of teachers at Staples is the question of where Internet education will be in the future. Because the majority of Staples now owns personal computers, education appears to be looking in an increasingly progressive direction.

“It would be great to get to the point where we can create books online that cater to individual students, which would require every student to have a reliable portable internet device,” Glass explained.

But, as he is quick to point out, “We’re pretty close already.”

PHOTO DRAMATIZATION BY BEN REISER ’13 LET’S GET DIGITAL: A group of students work on their laptops to complete school assignments. Lately, Staples has seen a trend in teachers such as Dancz and Glass utilizing computers and the Internet to teach their class curriculum and allow for cumulative grading.

News Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

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Students Receive Extra Time on Standardized Tests HANNAH FOLEY ’14 & SAMANTHA RUTTER ’12

he SAT proctor writes the end time “10:00” on the classroom whiteboard, puts down her thin instruction packet, faces the students and calmly says, “You may now begin.”

Caroline Howe ’12 picked up her freshly-sharpened #2 pencil and opened her SAT test booklet.

She is ready to complete the one essay and 170 English and math questions.

But Howe’s testing experience is going to be different from most students. She has extended time.

Students like Howe receive extra time on the SAT due to learning disabilities, but such accommodations come with controversy. Some students may view extra time as an unfair advantage, but students with learning disabilities find it to be an es-

“All you can do is take a deep breath and try your best.” sential part of an important test.

The number of students who receive extended time is hard to determine. Inklings contacted the College Board, but did not receive a response to e-mails and phone calls by press time. Internet searches yielded no results as to the percentage of students who receive extra time considerations.

But according to one survey of 385 people conducted by Helium.com, a website that posts articles about educational topics, 66 percent of voters felt that it was fair to allow students with disabilities extra time on the SAT, while 34 percent, roughly a

PHOTO BY BRYAN SCHIAVONE ’13 FOR WHOM THE CLOCK TOLLS: Students with specific disabilities may be granted extra time on certain tests.

third, felt that it was unfair.

One contributor, Kevin Jeanette, brought up the fact that the SAT is supposed to be a standardized exam, and that allowing disabled students extended time eliminates the “standardized” aspect of the test.

“In a society obsessed with equal opportunities and political correctness, the fact is that giving learning-disabled students more time to complete the SATs is doing them a disservice,” he said. “It teaches them that they are different from all the other students.”

According to the K&M Center, a tutoring company in Santa Monica, Calif., students with disabilities who receive extra time show significant improvement in their test scores, while students that do not require the extra time fail to show improvement when granted extended time.

“Research indicates that learning-disabled students process visual material at a slower rate than their non-learning-disabled peers. This slower rate hinders their ability to demonstrate their full knowledge on timed tests,” states the website, quoting

studies conducted in the 1970s and 80s.

Howe says that she definitely benefits from the extra time.

“I’m dyslexic. Fortunately it’s what I call minor, especially now. When I was younger, I did a lot of extra work, programs, and summer activities to catch me up to a more even reading level as my peers,” Howe said. She receives time and a half, meaning an hour-long portion of the test would be 90 minutes.

Each case, however, differs.

One student said that he received an extra five or 10 minutes on each section of the test.

The process of receiving extra time on the SAT is not an easy

JUST THE FACTS

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Opinions Editor & Staff Writer

one.

According to Fran Sinay, an Academic Support teacher, each case is reviewed by the College Board. Students provide documentation of an existing disability and the College Board reviews and grants, if warranted, the accommodation.

Every school in America is required, by law, to provide fair opportunities to students with disabilities.

According to Sinay, students that receive extra time may qualify under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination based on a disability. Sinay said that each student is evaluated by a school

team and a unique accommodation plan is developed to minimize the impact of the disability.

After students are granted extra time by the school, they must then send a request to the College Board to be granted extra time for their SAT exam.

According to the College Board website, once the documentation that Sinay referred to is submitted, students must wait to be approved by the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities. If approved, the student is given an eligibility code that is used when registering for the SAT exam.

The question arises whether extra time is more of a necessity or an advantage for students that need more than four hours to complete the exam.

Some students argue that those who receive extra time are given an advantage. However, for one anonymous student, it is the opposite.

“I see my extra time not as an advantage, because once my scores are sent to colleges, they are marked as specifying that I had received my extra time for the tests,” the student said. “The reason I have the extra time is because I use it in school as well.”

According to the student, extra time does not create a large difference between his exam experience and those of other Staples test takers.

“No matter what, you still have a limited amount of time to complete each section of the exam,” he said. “All you can do is take a deep breath and try your

50% extra time, he or she is allotted 5 hours and 25 minutes to take the SAT. If a student receives

If a student is granted 100% extra time, he or she is allotted 7 hours over a two-day period to take the SAT.

4% to 6% of students have specific learning disabilities and may qualify for extra time on the SAT.

FACTS COMPILED FROM THE COLLEGE BOARD

Students Look to the Future After Early Decision Process, Results Continued from pg. 1 HOW TO DEAL College rejection is often one of the first major letdowns in a Staples student’s life. Thus, many find it difficult to deal with. That being said, the silver lining of the college rejection cloud, as pointed out by school psychologist Sarah Hawkins, is that “you learn about your own personal resiliency.”

“It’s a bit of a grieving process,” Hawkins said. Early Decision applicants generally apply to schools that they are 100 percent committed to going to. As Hawkins said, “Something makes it your first choice.”

However, guidance counselor PJ Washenko believes that students need to remember that receiving a rejection during the college process is a realistic aspect of the situation.

“Sometimes, students think everything is in line, it looks great, and then it’s a no. It gets denied,” Washenko said. “You did everything in your power and then some stranger behind an admissions counter says, ‘No, you’re not the one.’”

This, in turn, makes it easy to take rejection personally. Re-

jection manages to hit students in multiple ways. There is no set limit as to how long students should be upset about rejection. For some, a feeling of worthlessness due to rejection can last for a few days. For others, it can last for what feels like a lifetime.

This is where the guidance department steps in.

Staples has 11 guidance counselors, three psychologists, and one social worker. Hawkins and Washenko agree that visits to the guidance department can help students deal with rejection. Hawkins believes that understanding that one is not alone in being rejected is important.

“Normalize feelings, which means relate it to the general population. There are a lot of schools, and give or take 50 percent rejection,” Hawkins said. “One in two kids is rejected. Even though it feels personal, it’s not.”

Washenko feels that having a college plan B, or a plan C and plan D for that matter, is also crucial.

“Have a backup plan,” Washenko said. “I’ve seen some of the craziest things happen with college admissions. If they see rejection, they say, ‘What do I do now?’

They feel lost.”

Will Bitsky ’12, seasoned in the early decision process, has come to a realization similar to Washenko’s advice.

While he was nervous and fearful of the decision he would receive come Dec. 15, he now he feels that it will be a day that will ultimately give him his options.

The early decision process is one that binds an applicant to a school through contract, and to some, it can seem imprisoning.

“If they say, ‘Unfortunately, you’re not accepted,’ then I can say, ‘I get my choice back, I get to visit more schools, I get to re-evaluate,’” Bitsky said.

Some students will receive letters of early decision acceptance.

Hawkins and Washenko suggest that students who were accepted as Early Decision applicants remember to be respectful around those who were not.

“Someone might be jumping up and down because they got in, but someone else might not be,” Washenko said. “Be careful of Facebook, because it’s public and everyone can see it. For the student that just got rejected, it’s a constant reminder that they didn’t get in.”

IT ALL WORKS OUT IN THE END Eric Wessan did not end up going to the University of Pennsylvania. Upon receiving the letter of rejection, Wessan decided to let out his feelings by writing his own letter, which he titled, “Dear Generic University.” The letter jokingly mocked the rejection by saying things like, “After careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of your rejection notice, I have chosen to decline your rejection.”

Did the letter reverse the school’s decision? No, nor was that its intent. Rather, the letter allowed Wessan to come to terms with the rejection and move on.

This enabled him to focus on other schools. With his mind open to change, Wessan chose to attend the University of Chicago. He says that he has been happy with his decision ever since.

“The key is really realizing that no matter where you end up, you can still have a good time, as long as you keep an open mind,” Wessan said.

Gabe Block ’11 found himself in a situation similar to Wessan’s.

The current freshman at Colgate University applied early decision to Middlebury College, his self-

described dream school. About a month after sending in his application, he received a letter of rejection.

“I visited, I sent letters, I met with professors, I sat in on classes,” Block said. “I did basically everything that I could have done to get in. It ended up that I just didn’t get in.”

A few months later, Block chose to attend Colgate. Like Wessan, Block says that he could not be happier with his ultimate decision. Block believes that no matter what school one attends, it will all work out in the end.

“Once you get there, you forget that you applied somewhere else. Wherever you go, it’s going to be amazing,” Block said. “They always say, ‘It works out in the end,’ which is really true, even if you have your heart set on one school.”

Is rejection still a difficult blow to bear? Yes. Is it normal to feel personally victimized by a letter of rejection? Of course. It is most important to remember that a stranger in an admissions office does not define a person’s worth.

College is, after all, a mere part of the road that is life, and in the end, it is in the hands of the student to shape a college experience.

4 News

Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

OPINIONS Some School Like You

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December 16, 2011

t started out with a crush.

Or an interest, more like.

You checked them out online, maybe went for a walk. Gave their quads a passing glance. It started to get a little more serious. You wore their clothes, you may have even stayed the night.

Soon, you were in a fullblown relationship. You thought about them constantly; your dreams consumed with their beauty.

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Inklings EDITORIAL

You emailed, you called, you wrote paragraph upon paragraph about them. You committed yourself fully.

And then: the unthinkable. Before you moved in, they broke up with you… through email.

This all-too-familiar tragedy has, unfortunately, been the script that many Staples students have followed in the past week as colleges and universities across America tell applicants what they have been dreading: “We regret to inform you…”

Breaking up is always hard to do, especially when you are breaking up with your potential future.

So, we want to offer our thoughts to all applicants who were rejected in the past few weeks.

Notice that we didn’t

GRAPHIC BY NELOISE EGIPTO ’13

say, “Everything happens for a reason,” or, “You will get in somewhere that you will love.” The last thing rejected applicants want to hear is a tired cliché. They can’t think about the relationship that may develop four months from now.

There is some etiquette to keep in mind when trying to console a broken senior heart.

Parents, we know it’s hard to watch your child endure such a heart-wrenching episode of supposed defeat. And we know that your maternal and paternal instincts encourage you to swoop in and fix the problem. This is a boo-boo that cannot be kissed away.

The last thing you want to do is smother your son or daughter. We all deal with rejection in our own way,

and for many, this requires independence. The best thing you can do is walk behind them, so that if they turn around, you are there (at least 10 feet behind, though). That means they can’t see that your eye is on the keyhole and you have been pacing the hallway outside their room for the last thirty minutes.

We know that parents and friends are going to try to make the rejectee in their lives feel better by using a few banalities. We implore you to avoid these: “That school sucks anyway.” Well, if it sucked so much, why did you let them apply and plan to spend four years of their lives there.

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

We were not aware that you could predict the future.

The Mayans couldn’t pre-

dict the end of the world; what makes you so able to predict where a student was meant to go?

“Time to get started on the rest of your applications.” This person was just told they were not good enough for their dream school. Give them a minute.

So what do we recommend?

Baseline phrase: “I’m so sorry. I’m here if you need me.” That tells them that you are thinking about them, and you know how awful this situation is, but it gives them the choice of either dealing with it alone or running over for a hug and some ice cream. Because what better way to get over a break-up than some Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and a DVD of “The Notebook?”

RETRACTION In the article “Speech Impediments: A Look Inside” from the Nov. 18 issue, quotes were taken from the Internet and attributed to Jennifer Berkey and Michelle Blend, Speech pathologists in Westport. The reporter never interviewed either of these women. Inklings deeply regrets the article’s publication and any misperceptions that followed.

The Saga of Sick Days

What’s worse than being sick? Coming back.

It is hard to think of something worse than waking up with a fever, killer stomach ache, or an uncontrollable migraine.

Especially on a school day.

I used to view getting sick as a good day off from school, as if it was a snow day just for me.

Sure I hated being sick, but a fever has never stopped me from blasting away n00bs and teaching rebellious scum a lesson in “Call of Duty.”

Then I took my first sick day this year, and the downside of sick days hit me like several hundred pages from an unread textbook. I discovered I had not ‘taken’ a day off from school but merely borrowed a few extra hours of sleep from the equivalent of a mafia loan shark.

Let me assure you, the loan shark came to collect.

For my one day of recovery, in which I spent almost 15 hours sleeping, I had to make up some kind of work before school, after school, and during my free period for the next three days.

Physics lab, math test, essay: if

you can name it, there was probably one waiting in a learning center for me. I had so much work to make up that I actually lost even more sleep than I had regained on my “day off.”

Naturally, that had all kinds of awesome effects on my body, which was totally prepared to cope with it, especially after the fever. Fortunately for me, by that point it was Saturday, so I did not end up missing any more school. Still, I can only imagine what it would have been like to miss even more work.

It’s a cruel fact of life that as more pressure to perform is applied to students, our immune systems falter; and we become susceptible to all kinds of diseases. Stressw weakens more not just the mind, but the body as well. The little colds and fevers that our white blood cells should have brushed away without a thought suddenly become much more menacing. When we need to study and work at our maximum capabilities, a disease can swoop right into our sleepdeprived bodies.

The worst part is that there is nothing we can do about it, short of getting more sleep. Of course, telling a high schooler to get more sleep is like telling an adult to make more money: “Great idea, honey! Why didn’t I

“Silver Crown Award” for Inklingsnews.com from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2011 “Crown Newspaper Finalist” Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2011 First Place “All-American” from National Scholastic Press Association 2008-09 All the opinions, news, and features in this paper are those of Staples High School students. Inklings has a circulation of 1,800. The paper is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Natioanal Schoalstic Press Association and supports the Student Press Law Center. All letters to the editor must be signed before they will be published. The editorial board reserves the right not to publish letters and to edit all submissions as it sees fit.

Editors-in-Chief Eric Essagof Stevie Klein Managing Editors Julian Clarke Alix Neenan Web Editor in-Chief Isaac Stein Web Managing Editor Emily Goldberg News Editors Rachel Guetta Alicia Lourekas Ben Reiser Bryan Schiavone Opinions Editors Molly Barreca Hannah Foley Jordan Shenhar Jamie Wheeler-Roberts Features Editors Leah Bitsky Danny Cooper Carlie Schwaeber Nicolette Weinbaum Arts & Entertainment Editors Jackie Kerames Rachel Labarre Deanna Schreiber Sammy Warshaw Sports Editors Ryder Chasin Kelsey Landauer Will McDonald Julia Sharkey Graphics and Photo Editors Madison Horne Nate Rosen Business Manager Charlotte Breig Video Editors Katie Cion Elizabeth Coogan Advisers Elizabeth Humphrey Julia McNamee Stephen Rexford Correspondence and Subscriptions:

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15 think of that?”

Really, all the advice that can be given to stay healthy is pretty obvious stuff. The doctor always stresses the right way to take medications, tissues are available in most classrooms as well as the nurse’s office, and if you managed to graduate from elementary school you probably

know that washing your hands is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease. Beyond that, many of the factors leading to sickness are beyond our control.

Missing school starts off a vicious cycle that has no easy resolution, so all I can say is this: get well soon!

Inklings 70 North Ave. Staples High School Westport, CT 06880 Phone: (203) 341–1994 Inklingsnews@gmail.com Printed on recycled paper

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Opinions

Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

The Beard is Weird How girls destroyed my self-esteem

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he last time I had grown a beard was this summer, and it was out of necessity. I was taking care of 12-year-olds at a summer camp, and I was almost the same height as the campers in my bunk. The beard was used to make myself seem older.

It worked; my campers thought I was 27. Since I didn’t get too much flak for it at camp, I figured I would try it again for No Shave November.

I soon learned that teenagers are not nearly as complimentary as 12-year-olds.

When I first embarked on this month-long challenge to avoid shaving, I thought that I would grow frustrated with the way my beard felt. As someone who has been able to grow facial hair since the seventh grade and someone who has grown beards before, I knew that facial hair could be annoying, but I had never gone this long without even trimming the hair on my face. I prepared myself for a month of itchiness and distraction.

However, having a beard felt pretty cool. It gave me something to play with during class, and it made me look about five years older. In fact, I probably would have kept the beard, albeit with some serious trimming, had it not been for one thing: My friends are terrible people.

Let me rephrase that.

My female friends are terrible people.

Once two peaceful weeks

NO-FRIENDS NOVEMBER: Essagof was bombarded with merciless verbal harassment throughout the month, especially from his female friends. without shaving went by, it was like all of my girl friends had turned into Regina George from the film “Mean Girls.” No insults were held back.

I distinctly remember walking into school on that Monday, making eye contact with my good friend Jackie Gazerro ’12. When I walked over to her, she looked at me like “The Human Centipede” was playing on my chin.

She didn’t say, “Hi Eric,” or, “How was your weekend?” Instead, she just exclaimed, “Oh my god, shave already!”

For the next two weeks, girls called me a hobo, a creep and other cruel names. Some even had the nerve to call me a terror-

ist, which was less an insult of my beard then it was an insult to my race.

I jokingly told my Red and Whites date, Chloe Randich ‘12, that I was planning on keeping it for the dance. I guess she didn’t find it very funny, because she replied “hell no” without expression.

When talking to girls, I noticed that they rarely made eye contact with me, instead staring at my beard with their mouths agape. I had to fight the urge to tell them, “Hey, my eyes are up here.”

Some just stopped interacting with me altogether.

“It makes me not want to

have a conversation with you,” Charlotte Weber ’12 said.

The closest thing I ever got to a compliment from a girl was from Meghan Hill ’12 after she felt my beard and told me that it wasn’t that bad. For a moment I was elated.

Then she dropped this bombshell: “It’s like when you don’t shave your legs for a really long time.”

I have never felt more disgusting in my entire life.

This brings me to my main point: I was completely aware that my beard was gross. It was overgrown, patchy and parts of it were orange. Or, as Amanda Beusse ’12 so endearingly put it, “It looks like

PHOTOS BY STEVIE KLEIN ’12

you have Halloween on your face.”

However, this beard should not have been an open invitation for every girl in the student body to verbally abuse me. It’s not like I was going to suddenly say, “You know what? You are right! I had no idea I looked like Tom Hanks at the end of Cast Away. I’m going to go shave immediately. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways!”

In the end, the girls won. I have learned that growing facial hair is just asking to be mocked by the female population.

I’ll just start pointing out all of my girl friend’s physical flaws with mean insults.

Hey, an eye for an eye, right?

An Empty Mailbox

Colleges ditch the mail for online admissions

In “A Cinderella Story,” teens jealously gawked at Hilary Duff, starring as Sam Montgomery, as she received her acceptance letter to Princeton.

In “Accepted,” they felt sympathy as Bartleby Gaines, played by Justin Long, shamelessly received rejection letters from every college he applied to. Nonetheless, they watched as both Sam and Bartleby opened envelopes. Real envelopes that came in the mail, actual pieces of paper with typed decisions.

I grew up thinking that I too would one day get that envelope with my acceptance or rejection typed plainly. That when I was a high school senior I would check the mail every day hoping for an envelope. Not just any envelope, but a big one. One that was heavy and definitely filled with a bunch of papers and booklets. Because everyone knows that a big envelope means a “Congratulations!” is waiting on the inside.

When I watched these movies, it never even crossed my mind that

GRAPHIC BY CONNIE ZHOU ‘12 I wouldn’t be allowed to experience this tradition. Never able to have that moment of relief when I open the mailbox and find one envelope filling up the entire box. As I look back, I see that I always assumed I would be able to feel what it was like to be in Sam and Bartleby’s shoes.

But I was wrong.

Today, the college process is entirely digitized. I am not talking about solely the application process, but everything. From submitting the common app to hearing a decision, everything is done on a

computer. Yes, it is nice to be able to check the status of your application, but what has vanished is the excitement of checking the mail for that ONE envelope. The tradition that we have been looking forward to has suddenly disappeared, and a computer screen has taken its place.

According to Zach Miners in an article on The US news & World Report website, colleges are making an “effort to connect with students on their digital turf.”

However, despite this posi-

tive effort, college admissions have failed to acknowledge the negative effects of online notifications.

Knowing that a decision can be made available on your account at any time between now and the final decision date not only adds anxiety to students already stressed about college, but also creates an added distraction. During school when students have their laptops out to “take notes,” they are really checking every college account to see if their application status has changed. Even if a student knows

they won’t be hearing a decision until January, they will still check that account more than once a day.

It gets to be a point where you have so many different accounts with usernames and passwords like “AHG843nge9MF” that it becomes impossible to keep track of them all.

You suddenly have to keep track of 13 separate accounts with different usernames and passwords and deal with the stress to check every account at least three times a day, instead of simply check the mailbox after school, which for most people is already a part of their daily routine.

A physical letter in the mail is something you can put up on the fridge, concrete proof that you have been given a spot at a university. There is something very unreal about a decision given online; if you hit refresh, that “Congratulations” might simply vanish. In one case it did disappear. In April 2010, George Washington University accidentally e-mailed 200 acceptances to rejected applicants wrote Miners. One minute students were in. The next they were out. While the Internet is revolutionary, it does have its limits.

A decision that determines the next four years of someone’s life should not be in the fate of a wrong click.

Opinions

Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

I

t’s been said that history is written by the victors. If this statement is true, quite frankly, the U.S. History Honors curriculum at Staples scares me, because it means political correctness is a victor.

While other classes, like AP or A-level U.S., teach U.S. history as a brief overview of the country, looking at it from a variety of perspectives—from colonial to confederate. However, the US Honors curriculum deviates from this path in its focus: the class looks almost exclusively at oppressed groups in America. I wouldn’t say it didn’t teach me anything about US history that was useful. But I really did feel like we missed a lot.

History has historically been my favorite class, but my experience in U.S. Honors almost turned me off from that. I found examining past events in the context of how they’ve shaped today fascinating.

That’s not what the class did.

To be clear, this was no fault of any teacher. The text for the class was Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, described by “Publishers Weekly” as a “classic of revisionist American history” and a “vital corrective to triumphalist accounts… uncompromising radicalism.”

The issue was, simply, that the curriculum had but one idea to hammer home: that there were oppressed people in these United States and that was all there was

GRAPHIC BY CHIARA PUCCI ‘12 to talk about.

We learned about the Civil War…exclusively through the view of slave liberation-. We didn’t talk about Sherman’s march to the sea, which redefined warfare as we know it. We talked about slaves in the north, but the industrialization of the nation that played a tremendous part in both the war and everything about the US since wasn’t covered. The Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day of fighting in American history, might’ve been mentioned in passing once—and I think that was because someone asked a question about it.

We talked about World War I, too, but only in the context of how it impacted the suffrage

movement. We didn’t talk about how it shaped and refined American industry leading into World War II, preparing us to become an industrial superpower.

We learned a lot about women’s struggle for voting rights… but somehow missed the sociopolitical conditions in the U.S. that developed from World War I and helped lead to the Great Depression.

As a matter of note, we skipped over the Depression. Entirely. Not that it was important or anything.

We managed, in fact, to ignore the better part of World War II except for the Japanese internment camps. Those are far more important than the war effort

that stopped fascism and Nazism cold.

If not for outside reading, I’m not sure I’d know we ever invaded Korea, let alone Vietnam, which was mentioned…implicitly, when we talked about Kent State.

I could go on, pointing out how the word détente was never mentioned or how the lack of coverage of the Cold War at all would leave many at a disadvantage moving into American Government—which, of course, is much easier to understand in contemporary times with outside knowledge of the past 50 years of American history—but that’s not the point. The issue, however, is not that we are covering things we shouldn’t. It’s important to

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look at oppressed people in the U.S. because that’s an important and often white-washed part of our history. But the solution is not to dedicate an entire class exclusively to it, particularly a graduation requirement called U.S. history.

According to James D’Amico, the social studies department chair, the U.S. History Honors curriculum was designed “with the underlying assumption that most students who took the course would also take AP U.S. History as juniors or seniors, and would therefore gain the benefit of both approaches to the study of U.S. History.”

At the time, this was a clear justification. U.S. History Honors would prepare students to understand oppressed groups, and a more traditional U.S. History education could come from taking AP US. Today, however, with countless electives being offered to students, this is no longer the case.

The solution to this issue isn’t clear. One option being offered is letting sophomores take AP US, a class with a nationally standardized curriculum that focuses just on the facts.

I like that. But we need to do more.

I will, for one moment, stand with Zinn. As the People’s Historian would say, I write this article not as a prediction, but as a hope.

We can reform our curriculum to reflect the suffering of those oppressed in this country, but also cover the tremendous breadth of American History.

Not only would this contextualize future classes, it would prepare us to participate in the American democracy as informed citizens.

The End of Childhood Innocence What happened when my idols grew up

Look, I can't tell you the precise moment it happened.

Maybe it happened some night while I was sleeping, after I had cleaned out the Tooth Fairy with a seemingly endless supply of baby teeth.

Or perhaps it was the time when Santa Claus finally stopped bringing me presents on Christmas morning.

Whatever.

All I can tell you is that it's done and over with. At some point, I looked around and realized that somehow, some way, my childhood had just vanished.

I'm still at a loss to explain how it was stolen from me. It seems like just yesterday when I was enveloped in the wondrous bubble of a blissful childhood, the Kool-Aid-fueled days of Malibu Barbie, N*SYNC, Tickle-Me Elmo, Powerpuff Girls and -above all -- my beloved magenta Raleigh bicycle with streamers.

Here's a few of the people I looked up to in those innocentyet-awkward "pre-teen" years.

Britney Spears ("Oops, I Did It Again"), Christine Aguilera ("Genie In a Bottle"), Lindsay Lohan ("Mean Girls"), Amanda Bynes ("The Amanda Show").

Um, you get where I'm going with this, right? Between the nip slips, the wardrobe malfunctions, the see-through blouses, and the sloppy nights in Vegas, many of my heroines now seem to be hooked on heroin.

Remember Britney Spears’ adorable Barbie doll? Oh, and how can you forget Lindsay Lohan’s precious role in the parent trap.

Time has moved on for us all, but has it always been a positive progression? How many times have we heard that adulthood is not so kind to child stars?

Fast forward to the new millennium, and the Olsen twins—as a random example —are no longer the cute, precocious little coquettes of "Full House;" they are hard-core party animals at NYU. Mary Kate's prescription drugs were found in the system of the late Heath Ledger. Yikes!

Another star from "Full House" -- Jodi Sweetin – admitted to a methamphetamine addiction.

Maybe they should rename the series "Half-way House."

As for Miley Cyrus, when I watched "Hanna Montana" reveal her secret double life as a

GRAPHIC BY JILLIIAN PECORIELLO’12 pop star, I was somewhat disappointed. Well, imagine my shock when the real life Miley revealed more than just a secret identity in those Nick Jonas shower pictures (if you know what I mean).

I feel as though these celebrities are shrinking my childhood, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

Should I go on?

If I were to focus on the

seemingly tragic career paths of my teen heroes from the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, it's really kind of depressing.

I can only imagine. Zack and Cody graduated long ago and moved out of the Tipton Hotel; they could be out-of-work hipsters participating in the Occupy Wall Street protests down in New York's Zuccotti Park, for all I know. As for step-brothers

Drake and Josh, who knows?

They may still be living in their mother's attic, eating Hot Pockets and vegging out while playing Call of Duty 3.

For just one last time, I want to see Hilary Duff's Lizzy McGuire character cry to Miranda about her true love, Ethan Craft.

Instead I'm treated to paparazzi snapshots of a very pregnant Hilary flashing her weird cosmetic dental surgery that cruel gossip columnists have likened to horse teeth. More than anything else, I want to delete Christina Aguleira’s cringe-worthy, muddled botch of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2011 Super Bowl from my permanent memory.

I am now at a point in my life where I can apply to any college I want, drive my mom’s Beemer alone, and legally rent an R-rated movie (yeah, as if that stopped me before), yet the imaginary friends of my childhood have all gone to a bad place and seem to be trying to drag me down with them.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. But if you tell anybody I will absolutely deny it.

Sometimes at night, I like to go to sleep cuddling with the stuffed bunnies I've had since I was four.

Growing up doesn't always have to be about letting go.

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FEATURES December 16, 2011

OCD When order becomes a disorder LEAH BITSKY ’12 Features Editor

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any students think that having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder means using your sleeve to open a door, covering the toilet seat with tissue paper before sitting down or constantly applying Purell to one’s hands. This could just be the result of wanting to be clean; it may not be OCD. OCD is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings,, sensations, or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something.

Typical obsessions can take the form of constant doubt, fear of germs and contamination, impulses to do something that may seem socially inappropriate or overly aggressive, having the need to keep things in a particular order, or having repetitive sexual fantasies.

According to the Understanding OCD (UOCD) website, approximately 3.3 million people have OCD in the U.S. “A lot of people claim to have OCD, but they have no idea what it is, or how serious it is,” an anonymous student said.

As stated by www.designedthinking.com, one third to a half of all sufferers find OCD symptoms in childhood, and it is most common for symptoms of the disorder to show in teenagers.

At Staples, there are a handful of students who do suffer from this lifetime disorder to the point where it actually affects their daily lives at school.

“I am overly organized and particular about certain things, especially with school work,” said one senior girl who was granted anonymity. “I have to do work in a certain order and follow a certain routine, and if I don’t it just stresses me out.”

The anonymous student explained that her father has OCD, and it runs in her family. Her doctor informed her that she had it too; however, she describes her obsessions and compulsions as “pretty minor.”

Mel Schwartz, a psychotherapist and author of “The Art of Intimacy, the Pleasure of Love, explains Love,” how a person may become obsessive or compulsive. the “For most part, I believe it’s often environmentally learned and witnessed through the behavior of a parent. But in other cases it’s just the way an individual overcompen-

PHOTO DRAMATIZATION BY LEAH BITSKY ’12 WASHING AWAY: A common symptom of OCD is obsessive cleanliness. Those suffering from this disorder might find themselves taking extreme measures to stay clean. sates for stress and anxiety,” Schwartz said. “My beliefs are that although heriditary are that although it plays a part, our environment plays a larger part.”

The student explains that she randomly feels the need to always hit the “caps lock” button on her computer and that when she “feels like she needs to, and is not allowed to,” it gives her anxiety.

Also, the student must follow a specific routine when getting ready for school in the morning.

She explains that she must put in her contacts, then brush her teeth, and then turn on all of the lights in her room. The order of her routine is the same every morning.

“My OCD mostly revolves around order, rather than specific habits,” the student said.

Will Streiter ’12 also feels the need to keep things organized but explains that his OCD shows up randomly, not

constantly.

“I spend a great deal of time at home organizing and reordering all of the shoes in my garage and my room,” Streiter said.

“They must be lined up perfectly, but I can never achieve perfection.”

Additionally, Streiter also feels the need to keep all cabinets and drawers closed, and to “keep everything balanced.”

While the anonymous student considers her OCD to be pretty manageable, Strieter finds that his obsessions and compulsions are extremely distracting at school, and that his focus often shifts from school work to his obsessive thoughts. Streiter says the distractions are drastic enough to affect h i s grades i n

school.

Streiter explained the severity distraction in his pre-calculus class froma poster spanning three walls of the classroom, showing the first five hundred digits of pi.

“Instead of paying attention in class, if I catch even a glimpse of the poster, I have to memorize and quietly recite as many digits of pi as possible for the rest of class until the bell ring,” Streiter said. “I had roughly 50 digits memorized by the end of the first quarter.”

In order to overcome this obstacle, Streiter requested a seat change so his back was to the poster. He also forced himself to refuse to recite the digits when he accidentally looked at the poster.

But for Streiter, and others with obsessions and compulsions, overcoming OCD is no easy task.

Schwartz explains what it takes to conquer OCD. “First, I’d recommend seeing a therapist if possible. As well,

OCD suggests that something is out of balance,” Schwartz said.

“Ask yourself what this behavior is masking. This is likely a fear ofrinsecurity underneath it.”

Commonly, people with OCD are also prescribed medication.

However, www.desighnedthing. com said the relapse rate of only using pharmaceuticals can be as high as 80-90%, which is why other therapies are required.

Schwatz also explained that “the longer the bad habit, the more entrenched it becomes,” so he advises addressing the issue at a younger age is best.

But even with the help of a therapist or medication, another student with OCD who requested anonymity explains this may not be enough.

“OCD is not simple. It’s not something that you can easily talk yourself out of,” the anonymous student said. “It is true to the name: obsessive: it is nonstop.

Compulsive: you’re not thinking it through; you’re just going with it. And it is truly a disorder.”

PHOTO DRAMATIZATION BY LEAH BITSKY ’12

Features

Inklings / December 16, 2011/ inklingsnews.com

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Of Men and More Men

Are there too few books written by women and minorities in the Staples curriculum?

NICOLETTE WEINBAUM ’12 Features Editor

Of Mice and Men: written by a white man. The Great Gatsby: written by a white man. Catcher in the Rye: written by a white man.

Within the Staples course catalogue books handed out to students during January of every year, about 25 authors are listed as mandated reading, and 79 percent of them are male.

“English classes can teach so much when analyzing certain texts about the values an author may try to convey,” Briyana Theodore ’12 said. “However, I don’t see why they can’t find those same values in books written by a woman or an African-American.”

Theodore said the book choices within the curriculum are a poor reflection of what she says Staples represents: diversity and acceptance.

“It would be nice to read things by women sometimes, so the curriculum doesn’t seem sexist,” agreed Christina Peterson ’12.

English department chair Lisabeth Comm, however, said the department is constantly trying to incorporate new authors.

“Thirty years ago they referred to the books taught as dead white males; we’re always trying to get authors of color or different ethnic groups,” Comm said.

The English bookroom actually includes a number of texts written by more diverse authors, said Alex Miller, an English teacher at Staples.

But Miller says that most of the year addresses the core texts, leaving little time at the end to cover books with high student in-

terest or variety pieces. Teachers are caught between the musts of the cannon and making room for diversity. He’s sympathetic with the situation.

“Three quarters of the year, more or less, is occupied by the classics. The conversion becomes, if you add a book, then you subtract one too.”

Miller feels that t h e s e courses c ou ld

grow f r o m more additions into the curriculum.

“I think courses would benefit from more literature in general; certainly getting more female and AfricanAmerican writers involved would be great,” he said.

Comm says that the books taught are chosen in an effort to incorporate both classic authors and new authors, female and male.

Comm also emphasized the importance of course themes for every year, explaining that the authors of the books are chosen because of the context. For example, the literature theme for

tures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a controversial book that has been banned in many states due to the use of the word “n*****,” teachers begin by spending time talking about historical context.

“Huck Finn has 235 mentions of the N word. It’s important to read this book, and not to ban it, because the N word is used in this te x t t o

satirize t h e theme period precivil war.”

Comm said.

“Twain satirizes the stupidity of civil war GRAPHIC BY NATE ROSEN ’14 time period, and the overall message is positive. The people freshman year is the journey of a who use the word are meant to be hero, which is why they read The seen as prejudice fools.”

Odyssey, and Of Mice and Men Some students argue that while junior year English empha- despite content, removing any of sizes the American dream, read- these books from the curriculum ing books like The Great Gatsby. would be a form of censorship.

Before reading The AdvenElaine Miller ’12, president

of the Literary Society, feels differently than Theodore, stating that it’s not about the content of the book, but rather about freedom of speech.

“To me, there is a difference between how we should act in society today and what we read in books,” Miller said. “The most controversial books we read were generally written in different eras. We become educated on the way life used to be, or how life could be.”

Some students interviewed said they weren’t especially bothered by the curriculum.

Jay Kaplan ’12 feels that the genders of authors make no difference to him.

“I don’t really mind if we read more books written by men than by women. The gender of the author should never matter”, Kaplan said.

Despite Kaplan’s feelings, there still are students who think there is not enough variety of authors being taught in the standard English classes.

Theodore feels that it is a shame that Staples has not incorporated more female and African American authors into the standard English curriculum.

“Why is it that there has to be a women’s literature and an African American literature class at Staples in order for them to be recognized?” Theodore said.

Peterson says that the gender of authors in Staples books was just brought to her attention.

“I never really paid attention to which gender wrote most of the books, and it doesn’t really effect me, but it would be nice to read things by women sometimes so the curriculum doesn’t seem sexist,” Peterson said.

Two’s a Couple, Three’s a Crowd Teachers are the third wheel in student’s relationships SAMMY WARSHAW ’12 & KATE BEISPEL ’13 A&E Editor & Web Sports Editor At Staples, when you’re in a relationship, most of the student body knows.

And so do most of your teachers.

The Staples teaching staff, although less concerned with what happened last weekend or who unfriended who on Facebook, is apparently not oblivious to the make-ups and break-ups that are a regular occurrence.

“It’s not always obvious when students in my classes are dating, but usually,” said math teacher Maggie Gomez. “It’s kind of obvious if a male and female student tend to arrive to class together every day and sit together everyday. If I don’t know about it in the beginning, it doesn’t take long to figure it out.”

Students said sometimes other students out couples who are dating to teachers, making relationship statuses public knowledge to the class, much to the dismay of their red-faced, embarrassed friends.

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15 “It’s definitely funny when other kids bring these things up as a joke. It happens all the time,” said Henry Dumke ’13.

But teachers may not need students to figure out what’s going on, as Gomez and others said.

They may make their own assumptions, said Andrew Felman ’14, “through how two people act together, or from PDA in the halls.”

It’s not exactly the talk of the lunch table, but teachers said they may even talk among themselves, curious about what they’ve seen.

“Sometimes [my colleagues and I] wonder when we see certain people together,” said math teacher Nicole Pendolphi. “I’d love to know about who is dating, and I think it’s fun to know.”

Junior Katie Platt is familiar with the scenario of teachers in

the know.

“My boyfriend and I have classes together, and my teachers joke about the fact that we’re dating, with us and the rest of the class,” she said.

Gomez said she has no problem if a couple sits together in class; she has a no-assignedseats policy. But Platt said she and her boyfriend have had a different experience in some classes.

“We’ve been separated,” she said.

High school is commonly associated with gossip and rumors, but students differed when asked how it feels to know teachers have gotten wind of the rumors that spread through the halls. Some students are not bothered by this exchange of information with their teachers.

“I think it’s fine if teachers know about who students are dating. It’s not really a big deal,” said Ryan Kirshner ’13.

“It can be annoying and uncomfortable,” Sydney Crossfield ’14 disagreed.

Gomez senses that knowledge of a relationship can make for an uncomfortable atmosphere for some students. However, there’s an up side.

“It is helpful sometimes. One can take worksheets for the other if they are absent,” she said.

These benefits may not last, though..

“The tricky part is what happens if students break up?” Gomez asked.

Teachers will most likely find that out too.

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Features Inklings /December 16, 2011/ inklingsnews.com

Workin’ CHARLOTTE BREIG ’12 Business Manager

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veryone has it. That class that requires going above and beyond for an A. The one that most of the afternoon is lost to, and other classes fall second to.

At Staples, a variety of classes across multiple disciplines fi ll that particular role for students.

Inklings randomly surveyed 100 students from all corners of the cafeteria, asking them to name the class that they spend the most time on. 48 out of the 100 students indicated that their most time-consuming class was a social studies course. Following social studies in the survey were science and English classes, both of which were indicated by 21 students as their most timeconsuming course.

While there was no specific class that an overwhelming majority of students named as their most time-consuming, the most common responses provided by students were A.P. American Government, United States History, Global Themes, A.P. World History, and Honors-level English. Other popular answers included A-level American Government, African Studies, A.P. Environmental Science, Honorslevel Biology, A.P. English Language, and A-level English.

The reasons why certain classes take so much time vary as much as the classes themselves.

For A.P. U.S. History, Danielle Kosinski ’12 largely blames the complexity of the writing process, which involves finding and analyzing sources, conferencing with her teacher, and writing multiple drafts of each paper.

Where English classes are concerned, books seem to be the major time consumers.

“Reading isn’t really something [students] can cut back on,” said English teacher Julia McNamee, whose teaches both Honors-level English and A.P. English Language. “There’s no way to do it much faster. It all depends on how quickly they can read.”

Still other classes, like A.P. Environmental Science, require a unique kind of outside work.

Kumi Goto ’12 says she does extra credit for the class – such as listening to speakers, testing for bugs in a river, and helping clean the town farm – about twice a month.

This work, in addition to time spent doing textbook readings and studying for multichapter tests, has lead Goto to conclude that A.P. Environmental is one of the most time-consuming classes she has taken at Staples.

und o r A

the clock

has had to spend up to two hours per night doing work for Global Themes.

“It’s a new class this year, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said.

E x p e c te d or not, taking such time-conI t suming courses has a definite impact on how students handle work for their other classes.

“Sometimes I sacrifice GRAPHIC BY STEVIE KLEIN ’12 & the integrity of my other work for classes in which I have a lot ERIC ESSAGOF ’12 to do,” said Jennifer Mastrianni ’14.

Rather than rushing comes as no surprise that many of the most commonly given re- through their other work each sponses to the survey were A.P. night, some students simply plan courses. Some students who to do it at another time. “I’ll put listed an A.P. as their most time- off other class work to do during consuming class even explained my free or culinary,” said Siegel, that they signed up for the class after admitting that he prioritizexpecting the heavy workload es work for A.P. Language over assignments for math or even simply due to the level.

In fact, few students seem A.P. Government.

Yet in some cases, the workto have been caught off guard by the amount of time the class- load in these time-intensive es require. Many, like Emily classes has just encouraged the Ressler ’14 and Rory Siegel ’13, students to develop better time were warned in advance by older management skills.

“I’m learning a lot by trial siblings, friends, or teammates.

Others were not so fortu- and error,” said Perry, “but I’ve nate. For example, Isabel Per- gotten the hang of not procrastiry ’15 was surprised that she nating.”

Regardless of the class or level, across the board students agree that the amount of time their class requires has more to do with the curriculum of the course than their particular teacher.

“There’s just a lot of material to cover in a short amount of time,” said Ressler, speaking about her A.P. U.S. History class.

McNamee also feels that the amount of work in English classes is essentially uniform, regardless of teacher.

According to her, the English 9H curriculum requires all teachers to assign the same books and give two papers each quarter, although she acknowledges that there may be some variation in the number of reading quizzes given by different teachers.

Another commonality among students is the feeling that the heavy workload would not dissuade them from recommending the class to a friend.

“Despite the work, it is an absolutely amazing class to take if you’re interested in the subject,” said Siegel in regards to his A.P. Language course.

In fact, for some students, their passion for the class actually increases the time they take doing work for it. “[U.S. History and Assisted Scientific Resarch] are actually my favorite classes,” said Mastrianni. “That’s probably part of why I spend so much time on them.”

Features

Inklings / December 16, 2011/ inklingsnews.com

The People Christmas Leaves Out CHLOE BAKER ’13

Web Opinions Editor

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here are no fuzzy socks with a dreidel embroidered on them or blue and white Hanukkah Harry shortbread cookies being sold at the Fresh Market. On ABC Family, there is no “8 Nights of Hanukkah” and Target does not have an entire section devoted to the holiday.

As December break approaches, local grocery stories have an endless supply of Santashaped chocolate and cookies ,and an entire section of Target is now devoted to Christmas, with a whole aisle set aside for stockings.

With Christmas being the sole focus of the month, Jews and other non-Christians feel excluded from the festivities.

In Westport where a significant proportion of the population is Jewish, the story is no different.

Sam Jones ’13 is among these people.

“I absolutely hate Christmas time.

It’s just not fair that I don’t get to celebrate the better holiday. There have been times that I’ve wished I were Christian be- c a u s e of it. No one even cares about Hanukkah, especially since its name is impossible to spell correctly,” Jones said.

Non-Christians feel removed from the holiday spirit

A number of Jewish students feel similar to Jones in that they wish they could celebrate the holiday and feel that Hanukkah is not as fun as Christmas.

Some believe that Christians rub Christmas in their faces.

“The entire month of December Christians just talk about how excited they are for Christmas, and they pay no attention to Hanukkah,” said Andrew Cohen ’13. “At school, rather than asking us what we received as a Hanukkah gift the night before, they work on their Christmas wishlists. Businesses do the same thing. All they do is focus on Christmas.”

Hanukkah, also PHOTO BY CHLOE BAKER ’13 STOCKING UP: Christmas-related merchandise can be found at Target in the Trumbull mall.

referred to as the Festival of Lights, is a holiday aimed at recognizing the recapturing of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem due to the Maccabees rebellion.

Jewish religious leaders feel that the holiday has lost its true

meaning because of its proximity to Christmas.

“Hanukkah is a very minor holiday in Judaism and is only made a big deal because it is around the same time as Christmas. The tradition of giving gifts was adopted from Christmas,” Rabbi Robert Orkand of Temple Israel said.

Some Christians try to include those of other religions by doing “Secret Santa” within their groups of friends.

They believe that non-Christians are not excluded and that

s k c i d d A . s M A Day In The Life MOLLY BARRECA ’13

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lates, tardies and unexcused absences. After compiling a list of students she must check up on by the end of the day, she n a June day in 1993, Alice Addicks heads to the cafeteria to see how many stuarrived at Staples High School only dents she can cross off of her list before the expecting to be working for three 7:30 bell has rung.

The cafeteria is not only the perfect days helping make sure students weren’t cutting class during the final weeks of spot to locate the students she needs to see, it is also the spot where Addicks school.

During one of those final days, Ad- socializes with the many students who dicks climbed through a cafeteria window have become close with her after four in the old Staples High School in order to years together.

“I like to chit-chat with students catch three students attempting to leave in the cafeteria about sports, Playschool property.

That act of crazed dedication is what ers, etc. I’ve met so many kids that I’ve gotten to know throughout landed Ms. Addicks her job at Staples.

Now, Addicks patrols the halls as a their four years of high school just by grade level assistant for this year’s senior talking to them in the caf each morning,” class. After her 18 years at Staples, Addicks Addicks said.

Addicks is also active in the Staples’s has her daily routine down pat.

Each morning, Addicks arrives to her Athletic Department, including running office with many emails and voicemails the finish line for the indoor and outdoor awaiting her. She begins her day by print- track team, calling the lines for the boys’ ing a truancy report of the previous day’s volleyball team and reffing field hockey.

Before she began timing the finish line, Addicks also coached track at the old Long Lots Junior High for 20 years.

Many athletes hold a special place in their heart for Addicks, and she is often described as a true Superfan.

“Ms. Addicks and I became close through our common interest in field hockey. We alPHOTO BY MOLLY BARRECA ’13 ways talk strategy in FLY COLLECTIONS: Alice Addicks shows off her diverse collec- the hallway,” said tion of butterflies that she has gathered over the years.

Emily Ashken ’12,

Christians do, in fact, make an effort to include them in the festivities.

“Secret Santa is a great way to include people who don’t celebrate Christmas. It keeps up the spirit and lets them join in on all the fun,” Riley MacDonald ’12 said. “They definitely aren’t excluded on purpose, but I feel bad that they don’t get to do all the different Christmas activities.”

In order to have fun during the holidays, some non-Christians adopt different Christmas traditions. Amereen Anand ’13, a

follower of the Sikhism religion, used to decorate a tree, receive presents, and believe in Santa Claus so that she could feel included in the holiday.

“Some Jews have taken on the ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ mentality in inappropriate ways. There is no such thing as a Hanukkah bush,” said Orkand. “Hanukkah should serve to remind us of the fact that we are different and that this holiday is in place to remind us of how we fought for the right to be different. That’s what it’s all about.”

SEE the I N G D Ad O dic U B L E ks st y ?: Da le o n t ni Ko w in s in day s k i ’ 12 . nai ls

Opinions Editor

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fl ies outside of school; she began collecting in the early 90s while working at Camp PHO Aspetuck.

Her capTO collection has CON tain of TRI fl ourished over the B UTE the field hockey DB years and now inYD team. “We share a ANI cludes other insects KO S love of the game.”

INS such as beetles.

Although Addicks is often the KI ’ 12 “Butterflies are one to catch those who cut class, and her amazing creatures,” presence outside the classroom door usuAddicks. “Those little delally triggers the chorus of “Ooooooohs” s a i d icate creatures are monster strong.” from students, seniors have come to know She is also part of a school commuAddicks as a friend and a supporter.

Dani Kosinki ’12 has become close with nity bowling league, and in 2010 Addicks Ms. Addicks after meeting her freshman was awarded a Triple Crown for the highyear and building a friendship throughout est average, and the highest score in a series. her years at Staples.

Addicks has been in the same league In fact, for this year’s Twin Day, Kosinsince she started bowling in the 90s. ski could be seen walking the halls in an Whether it is in the halls or at sportoutfit that looked identical to Addicks’ outing events, students are in agreement: they fit. Right down to the walkie-talkie.

“Ms. Addicks is the kind of person love Ms. Addicks. She has been a part of who will show you respect if it is given in the Staples community for many years and return. The Staples’ halls would not be the has touched the lives of students and faculty alike. As much as the Wreckers love same without her,” Kosinski said.

Apart from her school responsibilities, her, Addicks feels mutually about Staples.

“I love my job,” Addicks said.

Ms. Addicks enjoys collecting butter-

12 Features

Inklings /December 16, 2011/ Inklingsnews.com

AARON HENDEL ’14 & SIMON STRACHER ’14 Staff Writers

“Westport Public Schools are… closed today.”

As soon as students hear Dr. Landon’s declaration declare that it is an all too rare snow day, their first thoughts are excitement, and then, they contemplate how they will spend their day off. Some may choose to sleep the day away, while others may want to catch up on homework, but there are plenty of Staples students who still love a childhood passion.

“I love sledding,” said Taylor Jacobs ’14. “It’s a great way to spend time with friends.”

Jacobs and Noah Prince ’15 take advantage of large hills on or near their property all throughout the winter. “It’s the thrill,” Prince said.

The Sled

There are various types of sleds students enjoy using. A popular choice is the simple rounded disc-like sled, which can comes in various colors and is produced in countless designs. They are usually plastic and lightweight.

Another common choice is the flat, plastic toboggan sled, which emphasizes safety and speed at the same time. “It goes so fast that it skims across the snow,” Prince said. “It feels like a boogey board.”

Location

For those who don’t have the advantage of slopes on their estate, three places where high schoolers usually end up are the massive hills next to Greens Farms Elementary School as well as the numerous paths at Winslow Park, and the historic Loeffler Hill overlooking the soccer field at Staples High School.

There are advantages and disadvantages to every good sledding spot in Westport. Greens Farms may be the steepest grass hill; however it directly borders on the Post Road, with its noisy cars and pollution.

Winslow Park, on the other hand, is set back from the streets. “It’s good because there is plenty of space, and there are a lot of hills,” Nick Drbal ’14 noted.

The park is also conveniently located within ample walking distance from the warm and toasty Planet Pizza, as well as the popular smoothie joint, Robeks.

As for Loeffler Hill, many students won’t go near the property on an off day. And then there are those who use the topography effectively.

“I go to Staples because it’s great there, and it’s the perfect height,” Sam Reiner ’12 said. “I don’t want the hill too small, but I’m afraid of heights.”

Sledding In Style

Downers

Some Staples students, however, prefer to stay home during snow days and not take part in sledding. Ryan Jacobs ’13 would rather play snow football or videogames. Bobby Jacowleff ’14 does not like sledding because as he put it, “I’m not a five year old.”

Another negative is that “you have to wear so much stuff, then you sweat” complained Claire Smith ’15, “but (sledding) is really fun.”

Students who dislike sledding, however, are in the minority. Sledding, said Prince, can be fun for everyone. “You’re not cool if you don’t sled.”

Even though Staples students are young adults, many of them would rather emphasize the “young,” and still enjoy riding on a toboggan down an icy, slippery hill. “Sledding is really fun,” exclaimed Haleigh Donavan ’14.

“And I love drinking hot chocolate afterwards.”

PHOTO WHEE!: Charlotte Massey’1 Winslow

ALIX NEENAN ’12 Managing Editor

L.L. Bean’s Classic Toboggan If you’re looking for a traditional sledding experience that couldbe part of a movie montage, this is the sled for you. With its aesthetically pleasing design androom for three (or four... or five if you want to push it) L.L. Bean epitomizes the winterexperience.

Photo credit LL Bean

STIGA Snow Racer Although not nearly as nice-looking as Bean’s toboggan, STIGA’s Snow Racer certainly makes up for it with its capabilities. Debateable as to whether this could even be considered a sled, the Snow Racer is best for those looking for an adrenaline rush. Videos can be found online of people doing stunts on the Snow Racers.

Photo credit from Snowracers.net

Features

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Inklings /December 16, 2011/ Inklingsnews.com

Inklings’ Top Sledding Spots In Westport Winslow Park Greens Farm Elementary School Staples High School athletic field Birchwood Country Club Long Lots Elementary School

BY CALLIE ALGHRIM ’13 13 flies down the hill at w Park one snowy day.

Wham-O Snow Boogie Do you “awwww” at videos of meowing kittens? If so, you’re going to love Wham-O’s Snow Boogie, which is in the shape of either a penguin or a polar bear. Slide down the hills in the most adorable way with this sled.

Photo credit from wham-o.com

Paricon Flexible Flyer Another tried-and-true classic, the Flexible Flyer is a sturdy saucer that can endure even the most turbulent of slopes. Its speed is a little bit slower, but its durability certainly compensates.

Photo credit Bossbi.com

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A&E

Style PHOTOS BY JACKIE KERAMES ’12 AND RACHEL LAB BARRE ’14 LABARRE

December 16,, 2011

Brielle Hutchinson ’14

Josh Reedy ’13

Sam Reiner ’12

Sophie Dodd ’12

Luca Capputo ’12

Amanda Pacilio ’12

MADISON HORNE ’12

S

Photo Editor

ome people spend hours each morning planning an outfit, while others just wear whatever is clean and easily accessible. From an outfit that took hours to plan to the classic gray sweatpants you wore to bed last night, eveyone has a different style. Clothing has always been a way for people to reveal a part of their personality that others may not see at first glance, especially here at Staples. Each of these students finds a different way to dress in the morning, showing off who they are.

The Eclectic Individual : Brielle Hutchison ’14 When it comes to Hutchison’s style, she’s got it all.

You can find her wearing a zebra print skirt, a sparkly scarf, and floral tights with fur boots all at once. She describes her bold style as “eclectic.”

“I think it’s just a little bit different, but not as weird as everyone makes it out to be,” said Hutchison.

She feels that her style has become somewhat of a habit since it started three years ago. Although she shops at popular stores like Forever 21 and Macys, she takes the norm of typical girl clothing and adds her own personal twist. Instead of getting lost in a crowd, Hutchison likes to take all the different styles she admires to make her own bold statement.

Hutchison shows off what she calls her “quirky and frazzled” side, and she can make it work.

“Some of my friends say, ‘Wow! I’d never wear that, but it looks good on you’,” said Hutchison. “It’s what everyone else wears, just combined together.”

The Bro: Sam Reiner ’12 When you ask Reiner what’s up with his style, the one word he uses to describe it is “boss.” You can usually find Reiner fulfilling his lacrosse bro qualities by dressing as “lax” as possible. Reiner wears sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt on a daily basis, in and out of school. “My only fashion statement is me being comfortable,” said Reiner.

With such basic requests, Reiner claims he does not shop and instead has his mom buy all of his clothing. When all of those clothes end up in the closet, his morning routine is simpler than the clothing on his own back. Reiner starts his day grabbing whatever looks comfortable and readily available, and dressing as if he never left the convenience of his own comfy bed.

“I just want to be comfortable throughout the day,” said Reiner.

The European: Luca Caputo ’12 Caputo pulls off a European style, which is quite fitting for the Italian exchange student. He wears popular brand names, such as Abercrombie and Fitch and Gucci, but he does not like to be limited to one style, always looking for something comfortable and fitting to his personality.

Caputo usually spends an hour getting ready in the morning before school: 30 minutes to choose clothes and 30 minutes to put himself together. Caputo added that one of the most important aspects is styling his hair. Back in his Italian hometown, looking good was a common concern, he said.

Not only does Caputo feel it is important to have an “[attractive] appearance”, but to also have a style that really speaks for him. He explains that Italians are known for their “aesthetic” sense, including an appreciation for the way they dress. “[My style] says that for sure that I am Italian, confident in my taste, and I like to be different,” said Caputo. “My style is about who I am and where I come from.”

The Fashionista: Sophie Dodd ’12

The Rocker: Josh Reedy ’13 Reedy dresses to match his rocker attitude. As the drummer for a band called Take Zero, the music vibe influences a style he calls “Dude, Awesome”.

He gets inspiration from his favorite musicians to put together a look full of skinny jeans, cool shirts and comfortable shoes.

His wardrobe is comprised of clothes bought from one of his favorite stores, Bob’s. This allows him to create a look that is “comfortable, practical, and looks nice.”

Reedy wears whatever he sees first when it comes to getting ready for school in the morning. He has created a style to fit his laid-back style that makes him look cool without putting much effort. “Although I think that a person’s image on the outside may not necessarily reflect the person’s inside,” Reedy said, “I think that my look shows my energy.”

Dodd is the girl who wants to go home as soon as possible to change if she comes to school with a “bad” outfit. She’s the girl that refuses to just roll out of bed and go somewhere in sweatpants. Dodd has never left the house without dressing to impress with the latest fashions, and she has not yet failed. “I just stopped complimenting her outfits,” close friend Victoria Mechanic ’12 said. “It was just implied that they were always fabulous.”

Dodd describes her style as “ever-changing.” She gets style inspirations from borrowing her mom’s clothes, seeing pictures online, and scanning catalogs from some of her favorite stores: Free People, J.Crew, and Zara.

But with such admired style comes a lot of time and effort, especially the night before a school day.

“Sometimes it takes an hour to pick out an outfit [for school], and some days it will only take 5 minutes,” said Dodd. But do not let that fool you, Dodd loves spending time on her outfits. “I think it’s really important to be well dressed,” Dodd said. “It’s enjoyable.”

The Prep: Amanda Pacilio ’12 Growing up with the preppy style that Pacilio’s mom dressed her in has influenced Pacilio to develop her own personal style, shopping within typical prepster stores such as J Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Vineyard Vines.

Putting together Pacilio’s look before school takes time. “I do put in effort, but I don’t try my hardest because I’d rather sleep more,” said Pacilio, who takes about 20 minutes getting ready for school in the morning. A big factor for her fashion choices is not only the family influence but the time she has available to put her outfits together.

“I definitely put more effort in for going out on weekends,” said Pacilio. “In school everyone is so tired. Getting all nice in the morning is not a first priority.” But, Pacilio says that she uses her weekend time for special plans and events as a chance to really bring out her preppy and polished look.

A&E Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

The Six Best Gifts for Six Different Types of People ROSE PROPP ’13 Staff Writer

A Hands-On Gift For the Gamer Do you have a family member who is bored with the games he or she has for their gaming console? If so, this holiday season there are two great games that hat will have them running to their game room to try them out. For the gamer who enjoys more violent titles, “Call off Duty: Modern Warfare 3” is currently one of the most popular video games on the market.

For the more nostalgic gamer, “MaMario Kart 7” will bring the older der gamers back to their childhood od and introduce the younger gammers to one of the biggest video game phenomena of all time.

Both games can be purchased at GameStop on 877 Post Rd. East in Westport.

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A Touching Gift For the Techie If you know a people who have an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or any other touch screen device, you have noticed that it is difficult to get them to put down their technology. During the winter, though, your technology-obsessed acquaintance may have difficulties using their touch screen devices with chilled fingertips.

The perfect gift for this person is Isotoner smarTouch Gloves. With smarTouch gloves, you can operate handheld touch screen devices while wearing gloves. The thumb and index finger are embroidered with special thread that conducts an electrical pulse to the touch screen. Your little techie won’t have to worry about being disconnected during the cold seasons any longer.

• $21-$37 • http://www.totes-isotoner.com/

A Motivational Gift For the Athlete

• MW3: $59.99 for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 • Mario Kart 7: $39.99 for Nintendo ndo 3DS

A Hot Gift For the Book Worm

Most athletes know that when they are running or working out, it is motivational to listen to music while doing so. Although music helps, it can often be a distraction when the earbuds for your iPod or MP3 player fall out.

If you know someone who deals with this problem while working out, Yurbuds: Performance Fit Earphones will help your athlete stay motivated without the distractions. These headphones are guaranteed to not fall out due to their patented shape with twist lock technology, ultra soft comfort, fit and as an added feasound quality. These headphones are the perfect ture, exceptional ex gift for yyour athlete and will improve their exercise experience. $29-$59 • $2 www.yurbuds.com, Walmart, Apple, and www.amazon.com •w

A Delicious Gift For the Chef One of the most important factors in making the holiday season spectacular is eating delicious food. For anyone interested in exploring the world of cooking there are two cooking classes that will be great gifts for the holiday.

There will be gingerbread workshops every Tuesday and Friday at 3:00 pm until the end of the year at Galaxy Cookies in South Norwalk.

At CAKESUITE in Westport Chef and Owner Michele Klem offers classes in her bakery/storefront for both children and adults. No matter which class you choose, both will be sure to make your holiday food unforgettable.

• GALAXY COOKIES: Contact Connie to sign up for one of these sessions.cgrant@galaxycookies.com • CAKESUITE: Go to www.cakesuite.com/ class or call: 203-856-8010 or 203-557-0247.

For some,, receiving books for the holidays is exciting and just the beginning of literature in the year to come. The Amazon Kindle (along with all its other variations) would be a great way to let bookworms further enjoy the world of reading, because it allows people to read all the books they want on a handheld tablet. While all of the Kindles that Amazon offers are fantastic, there is a new Kindle this holiday season, The Kindle Fire, which introduces Internet, games, videos and music to the popular line of Kindles. While it may be the most expensive of the Kindles, the Kindle Fire is half as expensive as the popular Apple iPad.

• Susan Terry: (203) 227-4814 susanterry@optonline.net

• Amazon Kindle $79 • Amazon Kindle Fire $199

• Cynthia Gibb: teaching@cynthiagibb.me

A Musical Gift For the Performer For children and adults of all ages, Susan Terry and Cynthia Gibb offer voice lessons as a great gift for tthe holidays. Susan made debut in the origher Broadway B cast of “Evita” and inal Broadway Br appeared appe ap peearr on several other Broadp as well as performing way shows s sh York City Opera in “A at the New N Little Night Music.” Terry gives Littl N lessons at her home in Westport.

Gibb had a lead role in the hit series “Fame” and was lead in CBS’s “Gypsy” opposite Bette Midler.

Gibb gives lessons at Just Dance Studios in Norwalk.

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A&E Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

Shedding Candlelight on the Prodcution Number HALEY ZELDES ’13 Web Sports Editor

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n Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday Dec. 10, Staples High School’s choir wowed the audience with its production number based on the Ed Sullivan Late Night Show.

Staples choir teacher, Justin Miller, a former student and Candlelight performer himself, got the ball rolling for novel ideas when flip flops and t-shirts were coming into season, last spring.

“We then revisited it and talked specifics about format in early November,” Miller said.

This year was Staples’ 51st Candlelight. The Westport-wide event showcases Staples’ three choral groups: chorale, choir, and chorus. In addition, the band and the orchestra are featured.

Every year, one of the most memorable parts of the concert is the conclusion: the production number performed by the juniors and seniors that are in the choir.

It’s just a short part of the concert, but what the amazed audience does not realize is that the process began long ago.

The facilitator of the conversation, Miller, lets the students spark the ideas.

“We all throw out ideas and write them down on the whiteboard so everyone gets a say… this year we collaborated on the

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM HORNE CROWD PLEASER: A group of Staples students perform the original “Mean Girls” choreography to “Jingle Bell Rock, while Leah Bitsky’12 sings along. theme: A Celebrity Christmas,” said Choir president, Gregg Bonti ’12. These critical conversations formed the blueprint for the elaborate Ed Sullivan Late Night theme.

The Sullivan format allowed for creativity in terms of the casting of characters. Some might not been surprised to see Santa Clause; however, Elvis and the Beach Boys made their first debut in Staples’ skits.

A competitive process takes

place to see who will have the opportunity to have solos and to play the prestigious main roles.

Although there are soloists in the number, the entire choir is included in the rest of the production number.

“Choir is a welcoming group of super fun students, so production number is basically an example of how collaborative and creative we can be,” said Sarah Cooperman ’13.

In past years, performances

tried to tell a story. “This year we tried a different angle, because even though last year worked it was kind of cheesy. The holidays are warm and fuzzy but we wanted something unique,” Miller said.

An additional goal was to keep the audience attentive and involved. “We had the opportunity to sing more songs, which brings a wider variety of music to the production number and something for everyone in the

large crowd,” Miller said.

Miller and his choir work hard throughout the fall to make sure that not only is the production number entertaining, but that “it relates to a variety of holiday songs, not just Christmas,” Miller said. The choir makes sure that there is nothing “sacred” in the production number, but instead they include a variety of styles of holiday favorites, such as “Feliz Navidad.”

Just like Players has its hell week and sports teams have their preseason, the music department has its lengthy Candlelight rehearsals. There is a lot of work to do before the curtains open and the production number is revealed.

After memorizing the dance steps and the music, rehearsal mode kicks in. “We work on the skit both inside and outside of school. During Choir, we learn all the music and get it perfect. Then, when we get closer to Candlelight we have rehearsals from 7-10 p.m. where we “stage” and learn choreography for the production number,” Bonti said.

Will Bistky ’12 is proud of the past shows and of this year’s performance especially because time was so precious. “Considering the short amount of time we have to put everything together, and all the practice needed, it’s amazing how it comes together each year.

And it always does,” Bistky said.

A&E Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

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Toquet Hall Giving Artists an Audience SAMI BAUTISTA ’13

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Staff Writer

he spotlight. The fans. The music. It is easy to see why performers choose Toquet Hall as their preferred venue to gain publicity. But it’s more than that. Toquet Hall gives budding performers a haven where they can express themselves through their various types of music.

According to Director Kevin Godburn, Toquet Hall was founded in 1998 by the Westport Youth Commission to give kids a safe, drug and alcohol free place to hang out. It is usually used as a creative outlet for aspiring performers to get on stage and show off their talent.

“It’s a great way to develop your craft as a performer, especially since it’s not a judgmental environment and it makes you feel very welcome,” said Andrew “Rada” Medina ’12, who has performed his blend of HipHop and Rap music at Toquet Hall four times. “It gives you an opportunity to find out what kind of methods work with crowds and what doesn’t w ithout b e i n g booed off stage.”

Take Zero, a Pop Rock b a n d c o m prised of Charlie Lo Presti ’13, Josh Reedy ’13,

Richard Granger ‘13, and Michael Orent ’13, had different reasons for performing at Toquet Hall.

Since the venue is located downtown, it’s convenient and easy to bring lots of friends. But more than the location, Take Zero plays for passion.

“There is nothing better in the world than playing the music that you love and to have people enjoy listening to your music,” said Lo Presti. “Music also allows us to kind of let loose and do what we want, especially when we are on stage.”

Reedy agreed. “We began performing there in an attempt to be more socially accepted and make music that we enjoy,” he said.

Ellen Kempner ’12, a singer, finds performing at Toquet Hall therapeutic as well as financially beneficial. “It just allows me to space out and focus on my inner self,” said Kempner. “Plus they pay incredibly well.” According to Godburn, the maximum pay for local performers is $200 per concert.

Performances at Toquet Hall attract a wide range of different audiences.

For Medina, his audience usually consists of friends or Toquet Hall regulars. Thus, he looks forward to sharing the stage with others so he gets a chance to demonstrate his talent to other artists’ fans.

“I find it interesting when people I don’t know personally show up to my performances,” said Medina.

“It gives me the feeling that I actually have a fan base that will show up to support and

PHOTO BY SAMI BAUTISTA ’13 TAKING THE STAGE: (Above) A local band of students performs at Toquet Hall in front of an eager crowd.

(Left) Andrew “Rada” Medina ’12 spits fire in front of an audience at Toquet Fall. see me perform.”

Godburn takes pride in the fact that the environment at Toquet Hall allows a comfortable interaction between the performers and the audience. After shows, the crowd is able to hang out with the performers, get autographs, and socialize.

However, he feels that the perception of Toquet Hall amongst Staples students is mixed. Godburn said that there are either people who are really into it or people who are not.

“Some feel like it’s the perfect fit and take pleasure in the fact that it’s their space. Others have a certain opinion in mind and just don’t want to give it a chance.

They discount Toquet Hall right

away,” said Godburn.

Medina shares the same concern and believes that many students at Staples view Toquet Hall in a negative light. “A lot of people need to realize that Toquet Hall can become something way bigger than it is now. It has potential but needs support from the Staples community,” said Medina.

“Most people at Staples are very close-minded and won’t really try new things unless it’s ‘in’.”

Medina feels that Toquet Hall’s biggest problem is its entrance. It is hard to find due to the fact that it is in an alleyway, which hinders its appeal. “I’ve had problems where I would have to go outside minutes before I should be on stage to direct peo-

A House With A Sense of History DANNY COOPER ’13

The Five Oldest Homes in Westport: circa

Features Editor “I remember when we first saw the house. We fell in love with it. It was a classic New England farmhouse. I love a front porch and a perched roof. It was unmolested, frozen in time,” said Joshua Prince, owner of a house on Long Lots dated to 1871.

According to Prince, his house originally belonged to Joseph Jennings, where it functioned as an onion farm.

Prince and his wife Emily purchased the house 13 years ago and have since put much work into it to reach its current state.

“An expansion to the house had been done in the 1920s, but it had not been done very well.

We rebuilt the entire expansion,” Prince said.

However, Prince made sure that the expansion of the house would fit in with the original section of the house.

“The new part of the house is made of reclaimed timber from an old farm. This makes the old floor boards look more authentic.

It preserves the integrity of the house,” he said.

The historical memories are what drew Prince to living in the house.

“I like the feeling of living in a place where you know people have come before you. Its crazy to think that people could have been talking about the Civil War in the same room I where I listen to my iPod,” Prince said.

However, Prince’s goal in regards to the house is not to rec-

ple to the entrance,” said Medina.

The obscurity contributes to the loss of attendees at the venue.

Other performers have a more positive outlook.

“I think that Staples kids think that it is a very relaxing and chill venue. It offers a nice environment that people can just hang out in,” said Lo Presti.

Kempner has a similar opinion. “Staples is supportive of the scene, as underground as it may seem to the commercial eye,” said Kempner. “I think students like it for some sort of street credit.”

Regardless, for all the Toquet Hall performers, only one thing truly mattered. In the words of Lo Presti, “I play because I love doing it.”

1683-87 The house on 187 Long Lots Road was built byJohn Osborn.

circa

1700 The house on 46 Kings Highway South was built in the first third of the 18th century.

circa

1710

PHOTO BY DANNY COOPER’ 13 CURB APPEAL: The roadside view of the historical house on 139 Long Lots Rd., a residential home that was once an onion farm. reate history exactly as it was in 1871.

“We have decorated the house with a combination of modern and vintage furniture.

We are not trying to reproduce history, however, when you see the old and the new together, it makes it look even older,” he said.

There are many interesting features of this house that were common when it was created, but are unusual today. There is an alcove at the top of a staircase that according to Prince could be a “coffin rest,” a place to balance a

coffin as it is being carried down a staircase.

There is also small a room hidden behind a brick wall that laborers found while working on the basement.

“It’s a bit of a mystery,” said Prince. “It might have been a room used to preserve vegetables, or something completely different.”

However, maintaining a house that is over one hundred years old requires much more upkeep than a comparable new house.

“We have to keep up with taking mold off of the wood, and things need repainting much more frequently as the paint doesn’t stick to the old wood as well as new wood” Prince said.

Prince feels strongly that historically important houses in town should be preserved.

“Legally we can do anything to our house, but I feel as if we have a duty to preserve it,” Prince said. “You can’t manufacture 150 years of people walking on floors.

It has a patina and a history that cannot be replicated.”

The house on 38 Compo Road North was built

by John Green.

circa

1727 The house on 81 Clapboard Hill Road was built by Nathan Morehouse.

1731

The house on 41 Kings Highway North was purchased by Noah Taylor after this “dwelling” was built by Norris.

18

A&E Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

Y

ou know the holidays are coming when Starbucks gets out their signature red holiday cups. There are joyful children singing and inspirational quotes on them, but are the contents of these festive cups really as happy as their packaging makes them out to be? There are nine “Holiday Classics” on the Starbucks menu. We sampled six.

Several stomach aches and approximately 3,000 calories later, we have yet to taste the coffee in any of these drinks, five of which are supposed to have coffee in them. They’re all high in sugar, but not so much in festivity.

Here are the individual reviews for each of them from best to worst: CHARLOTTE BREIG ’12 Business Manager

STEVIE KLEIN ’12 Editor In Chief

ALIX NEENAN ’12 Managing Editor

1. The Pumpkin

Calories: 330 for a grande

If anything tastes like the holidays, it would be this drink. We felt the seasonal buzz from the warm spices, making this drink our seasonal favorite. Although the spices did overshadow the pumpkin, it still had a lot of flavor and smelled scrumptious.

4. Peppermint Hot Choc olate Calories: 360 for a grande

The peppermint in both the hot chocolate and peppermint mocha is very strong. It is not a subtle candy cane sweetness, but a rich, intense peppermint. You definitely have to be craving a stronger flavor to enjoy this. But, if you’re up to the challenge, you will be greeted with a pleasant surprise.

2. Creme Brulee

Calories: 510 for a grande

You definitely need a sweet tooth to enjoy this, but if you are craving something sugary, it really hits the spot. It captures the creme brulee taste with a pure flavor. It was the most flavored drink and was creamier than the others. Our only wish is that Starbucks made it a little hotter, because nothing tastes fantastic when it’s lukewarm.

3. Gingerbread

Calories: 250 for a grande

This was similar to the pumpkin drink in that it lost its flavor over time but was still very seasonal and nice smelling. It is calming and relatively bland, but still good.

5. Peppermint Mocha Calories: 330 for a grande

The easiest way to describe this drink is that it tastes like a melted peppermint patty mixed with mud water and a hint of coffee from a cheap NYC diner. It was very watery, in both the skinny and regular editions.

6. Eggnog latte

Calories: 460 for a grande

Given the fact that this drink was sold out, our expectations were high. However, when we traveled to another Starbucks to get this drink, we were extremely displeased. Although we were already nauseous from overconsumption of other mochas and lattes, it still didn’t even slightly resemble eggnog.

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’14

A&E

19

PHOTO BY KERRY LONG

Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

‘Cracking’ Down: Westport Academy CLAIRE O’HALLORAN ’13 & RACHEL GUETTA ’13 Web Features Editor & News Editor

I

t happens every year: the same costumes, the gaudi fake eyelashes, the broken-in pointe shoes, the caked-on make up, and the brewing excitement. It’s the “Nutcracker” all over again.

“You know what happens next, but there’s always something new to it,” Molly Collins ’12 said.

This year, Nancy Zindell directed the Westport Academy of Dance’s 30th annual “Nutcracker” on Dec. 3 and 4.

The dancers were forced to work hard to produce a good show. Their rehearsals were long, and the routines were tedious.

For about four months, practices spaned up to seven hours on the weekends and sprinkled the weekdays.

These girls eat, sleep, and breathe “Nutcracker.” “I listen to ‘Nutcracker’ music while I do my homework,” Jill Rappaport ’13 said.

“The Nutcracker” is a dance preformance that tells the story of a young girl who receives a magical nutcracker whom she travels with through “the land of sweets” where they encounter various mystical characters.

The advanced Sr. Co. dancers, Rappaport as Dew Drop, Collins as Russian, Grace Bergonzi ’13 as Sugar Plum Fairy and Jess Riniti ’14 as Arabian, have been dancing for up to 14 years, and have taken part in over 10 “Nutcracker” performances.

Before school even starts, the dancers are already learning

variations and routines for their more dramatic just because it’s auditions. This includes the Jr. ‘Nutcracker,’” Bergonzi said. “But Co. Staples students: Blair Gould in hindsight, it kind of makes it ’15, who played lead Chinese, Re- more fun that way.”

According to Bergonzi, the nee Reiner ’15, who played Mother Ginger, Harley Kowalksy ’15, list of emotional stories with Nutwho played Shepherdess, Andrea cracker goes on and on.

One memorable moment was Frost ’15, who played lead Candy Cane, and Megan Nuzzo ’15 who in 2007 when Bergonzi played the lead role of Clara. She got her first played Columbine. “[Auditions are] the most blister ever in the middle of the competition you’ll ever experi- second show while dancing.

“I had to dance the entire ence. Literally, you can feel it in the room,” Bergonzi said. “You do first act with this terrible blisthe dances one by one and every- ter and during intermission I was crying so much that there one just stares at you.”

The dancers explained that was massive amounts of makeup a lot of this competition stems dripping down my face,” she said.

Rappaport had a similar mofrom younger years. The little girls who play the angels and the ment of terror with a wardrobe malf unction. sheep look up But Rappaport to the older, c omp a r t menmore promitalizes these nent dancers. moments and As the danctries to enjoy ers grow more the holiday e x p er ienc e d classic despite and climb the these stressful latter of difsituations.“For ficulty; Rapport believes —Molly Collins ’12 me, ‘Nutcracker’ is such a rethat there is pose and happy inevitable competition, since they have their thing in my life,” she said.

Bergonzi sees the stress as a hearts set on certain parts.

But in the end, the competi- sort of adrenaline booster. “One tion is conducive to a powerful of the best parts is the panic that performance: “Everyone wants goes on, but we really channel it everyone to do really well because into excitement to perform,” Berwe want it to be a good show,” gonzi said.

Yet amidst the deadlines and Bergonzi said. “There’s no cattiness—everyone is supportive of fury of putting together a show, the preparation serves as an eseach other,” Riniti added.

In addition to the initial com- cape from academic stress outpetition, the stress inside the stu- side the studio and kindles the dio bubbles as the performances tradition that the dancers await near. “Whenever something goes each year.

Not only do these girls share wrong and it’s ‘Nutcracker’ related, it automatically gets 10 times both a studio and the desire for

“You know what happens next, but there’s always something new to it.”

NUTTY GIRLS: The four Senior Company members, Jill Rappaport’ 13, left, Molly Collins ’12, Jess Riniti ’14, and Grace Bergonzi ’13, right, prepare for dress rehersal.

a successful show, but also a bond that forms throughout the many years of training together.

“It’s a different world from school,” Riniti said.

The dancers even have their own traditions in addition to the Academy’s routine dances and protocols. A few weeks before the show, the dancers will wear their “Nutcracker” pride on their sleeves with customized sweatshirts and apparel. With the new roles printed on each sweatshirt, they represent the growth of the dancers from year to year.

Another tradition is “Secret Snowflake.” The custom is broken down into three parts: the baked good precedes the first performance, the “gag gift” follows, and the real present comes with the last performance.

These gifts lighten the mood and ease pre-performance nerves—especially the “gag gifts.” Bergonzi recalls Staples alumnus Grace Osgood ’11 giving a plethora of baby dolls to one of her fellow baby-obsessed dancers.

Each year, Zindell is reminded of her personal experiences with the show, as she danced in it before her years as a director from 1986 to 1995.

“Every time I see our girls lacing up their [pointe] shoes, stretching in the wings, or helping their friends with their headpiece, I am reminded of that rush and excitement that permeated every moment of everything that surrounded show,” Zindell said.

Behind the Scenes, Zindell works to put the production together, but not without help-- she is indebted to the parents and volunteers that make “The Nutcracker” a reality for these girls.

Zinell has one primary objective for the year. “That goal of reaching for a certain part is such an amazing motivator for our dancers. It’s just a wonderful production to offer to the community around this time of year— it truly is a holiday tradition.”

OTHER PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY JILL RAPPAPORT ’13 AND GRACE BERGONZI ’13

PHOTO BY RACHEL LABARRE ’14

Of Dance’s 30th Annual Nutcracker

SPORTS

20

mba December 16, 2011

zu

EMILY GOLDBERG ’12

PHOTO BY EMILY GOLDBERG ’12

A

Web Managing Editor

s upbeat Latin-style beats pulsate through gyms and fitness centers across the country, people of all ages are turning to Zumba studios to try to keep up with the music. In its native Colombian slang; meaning “move fast and have fun,” Zumba has continually been on the rise since being trademarked in 2001 by Colombian fitness gurus and entrepreneurs Beto Perez, Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion.

“It seems to be advertised everywhere,” English teacher amd Zumba instructor Kim Palca said. “I’ve definitely noticed that on my drive home all of the gym billboards now say ‘We offer Zumba,’ and more and more people I know since I’ve started doing it have tried it.”

After trying other workout programs such as Pilates and kickboxing and continually losing interest, Palca said she was instantly hooked on Zumba. Only a year after trying the program, her instructors suggested she become certified to teach at her studio in Milford.

Through an eight-hour program, where she learned the 12 basic dance moves and how to construct playlists to help heart rate, Palca earned her certification to teach the exercise class.

“I have continued to enjoy Zumba and want to teach others because it is always

changing; no two classes are alike,” Palca said. “Each instructor has their own style, and since I started I’ve definitely seen my health shift in a positive direction.”

According to the official Zumba website, 12 million people have joined the Zumba bandwagon, participating in weekly Zumba classes in 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries.

The international fitness program incorporates salsa, merengue, cumbia, africaan, hip-hop, and belly dancing into its routines with a goal to burn 500-1,000 calories in an hour.

Palca attributes much of the program’s success to its appeal to all ages. Terena Koteka-Wiki ’14 is not only an avid Zumba enthusiast but is also certified to teach.

Although Kotea-Wikki cannot lead her own classes until she is 18-years-old, she frequently guest teaches at her mother’s Zumba studio in Norwalk, Studio M Fitness “Zumba just gets you moving, and it doesn’t matter what age you are because it’s so fun you hardly realize you are working out,” Koteka-Wiki said.

Maddie Melnick ’12 was initially attracted to Zumba as a former dancer. However, after participating in classes at NY Sports Club in Westport, she, like KotekaWiki found it was a fitness program that people at any age, and any skill set can enjoy.

“The class I go to usually has a mix of older women, probably my grandma’s age, younger mothers, and high school stu-

STEP BACK: Terena Koteka-Wiki ’14 aids in instructing a Zumba class at Studio M Fitness in Norwalk, her mother’s facility.

dents, but you don’t need to be a certain age or have a background in dance to be able to participate,” Melnick said.

The weekend Zumba classes she participates in are widely attended by Staples students, Melnick said.

Part of Zumba’s universal appeal also comes from the variety of classes within the program.

The Zumba enterprise encompasses: Zumba Toning which incorporates weights, Zumba Gold geared toward the elderly and overweight, Aqua Zumba, and Zumbatomic for kids.

“Overall Zumba is a huge party atmosphere,” owner of Studio M Fitness Emm Koteka-Wiki said. “It’s about bringing people together to dance and just having a lot of fun.”

After being in the fitness industry for over 20 years, Emm made the switch to focus on Zumba after witnessing the growing trend. She teaches over 20 classes a week to satisfy the increasing demand.

“It’s one of the most popular exercises to date in all the years I have been training, and it’s the best program I’ve known in the last 20 years,” Emm said.

Team Traditions Bring Teams Together

At Staples, students on sports teams belong to a second family. Between hours of practicing each afternoon, long bus rides to away games, and special activities, the athletes become very close to their teammates. One special way in which the teams come together is through team traditions that are passed along year after year. Between boys soccer cutting one another’s hair, all teams having pasta dinners together, and girls soccer singing to each other on the bus, all of these teams find a way to become close and have fun, both on and off the field.

ALEXANDRA O’KANE ’13 Social Media Specialist

Girls Soccer: pre-game superstitions, a moment of silence, special outfits The girls soccer team likes to consider themselves one of the most superstitious teams in the school. “Everything down to what we wear, when we wear it, what song we listen to, where we sit on the bus, who we say good luck to, what time we go to sleep and what we eat” is planned, Lake said.

This year, Lake and fellow captain Jessie Ambrose ’12, created a new superstitious tradition. Before each game, the team is given an inspirational quote from Nicole Ross, their coach. After cheering Staples, the starters go onto the field and have a moment of silence before the game starts.

During this moment, “the team can think to themselves on what they are going to do during the game, and it is a time where we focus and mentally prepare for the game” Lake said.

Off the field, “the most fun of our traditions is dressing up for school. Every year we have dressed up as nerds and in all black,” Lake said. She explained that dressing up boosts promote school spirit and team unity during the school day.

As a whole program, the girl’s soccer teams have a pasta dinner at the start of the season. “This gives the whole program of being one unit instead of individual teams,” Lake said.

Boys’ Soccer: Mohawks, tournaments, and number 15 By the time the postseason rolls around, the boy’s soccer players can be easily identified by their hair. For the past few years, many of the players on the team have gotten Mohawks for the end of the season

and have created a tradition out of it.

“Mohawks do a few things for us: they can be intimidating for the other team to look at, they create a sense of team unity, especially in the process of shaving everyone’s head, and they put a little bit more pressure on us to succeed,” said captain James Hickok ‘13.

Hickok also explained that the Mohawks create intensity within the team and are a lot of fun; especially when they don’t turn out too well and the boys find it very funny.

Before the season even begins, the soccer program has a traditional tournament, the Watermelon Cup, which they participate in with players from all over Fairfield County. “The Watermelon Cup brings together the team for the first time on the soccer field before the season, and also connects us with a lot of alumni,” Hickok said.

In more recent years, a tradition has been created of passing on jersey No. 15.

“This honors the much-loved Preston Hirten, a player on the 2006 team,” Hickok said. Hirten passed away in 2007 and to remember him, the graduating senior who has No. 15 passes it along to a member on the next year’s team. This year Hickok has the honor of sporting No. 15.

Baseball: buddy bags, sleepovers, pre-meet chant While following the main superstitions of baseball, the Staples team adds its own spin by having self-acclaimed swag.

According to Jimmy Kopack ’12, swag is when the players try to look as “dirty and filthy as possible.” The players wear sweatbands, arm sleeves, eye black, baggy pants, and they never wash their hats. It is also necessary that everyone has at least one accessory per arm to accomplish swag.

Not only is this fun for the team but

also it allows creativity. “It brings the team together because it creates a sort of competition between players. Different colors and combinations can be made,” Kopack said.

In addition, the baseball team is extremely superstitious. The dugout must be set up with the outfielders and infielders gloves together. The boys also may never warm up with their jerseys, which is considered bad luck. Kopack also said that there is no excuse for stepping on the foul line. And, a no-hitter or perfect game can be jinxed if it is announced out loud.

Girls’ Tennis: Picking crinkled pieces of paper from a bowl, reading a teammates name, creating treat bags for each game, guessing who could possibly have your name. Every year, the girl’s tennis team tries to figure out who their “buddy” is- who is making them snacks?

One tradition that the team holds is

creating these buddy bags for a member off the team and keeping them a secret. “It’s always a lot of fun because people try to guess and usually they’re wrong,” said Nicole Marcante ’12.

The team also comes together during sleepovers during the season and in their team cheer before each match.

The sleepovers are a great bonding experience, Marcante said. “We all get together and watch a movie or just eat food and talk. We get to know each other a little bit more.”

A favorite tradition of the team though is the chant they do before every match.

Marcante described that they get in a group huddle, cross their right foot over the left and scream as loud as they can. They believe that this brings luck for the game.

“I think it really pumps up the team, especially before an important match,” Marcante said.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ADELE MACKEY ’12 CLOWNING AROUND: Varsity girls’ soccer captains kidnap freshman teammate in their rendition of team tradition.

Sports Inklings / December 16, 2011/ inklingsnews.com

In Sync:

21

The Art of Synchronized Figure Fkating

DĊĆēēĆ SĈčėĊĎćĊė ’13

S

A&E Editor

ixteen to 20 girls wearing bedazzled costumes line up in formation, balancing on the two blades of their ice skates, while judges watch very intently for any mistake.

This is the start to every program for synchronized figure skating: a sport that is comprised of a group of figure skaters who move across the ice creating interesting formations and dance and incorporating the intricacies of ice skating.

Ice skating for Michaela McDonald ’13 and her fellow teammates is a rigorous sport that requires the mastery of techniques.

McDonald is a member of The Skyliners, a synchronized ice-skating team in Westchester County. She has been ice-skating since she was little and has been on teams in New Canaan and Stamford as well.

According to both McDonald and Izzy Baker ’12, a formersynchronized figure skater, these teams require much preparation.

Every Saturday McDonald has a five-and-a-half hour practice with her team, and every other Sunday she has a threeand-a-half hour practice with the team. But the training does not stop there. She is also required to do an hour of ballet every Sunday and to complete at least five hours of independent skating per week.

AROUND THEY GO: Michaela McDonald ’13 and her team create a formation on the ice.

In the practices, McDonald said the team runs through its program and tries to make it better and neater. They work hard to perfect their routine because at each competition, the team is scored in two categories: the program component, which scores the choreography and the quality of ice-skating, and the technical element, which scores based on the degree of difficulty of the routine.

Each program is about two and a half minutes to five minutes long, depending on the type of program.

Throughout each program the team is required to include certain elements of synchronized

skating, such as, circles, pass throughs/intersections, spins, a variety of turns, and multiple oth-

“I feel like I can do anything on the ice.”

-Izzy Baker ’12

er formations.

But Baker feels that these short programs and heavy requirements can be a downside of synchronized skating.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MICHAELA MCDONALD ’13

“It was both nerve-racking and exciting. The countless hours of training I mentioned before was all stuffed into 2 minute of skating before judges,” Baker said.

Although the competitions may be tough, they can also be a lot of fun. The rigorous skating is made festive with the glitter, sparkles, and costumes. For every competition The Skyliners have a designer custom make each of their dresses to fit the music of the program.

They also wear bold makeup that complements the colors of their dress, along with a lot of eye glitter and fake eyelashes. They all wear their hair in buns with some

form of a jeweled hairpiece, and matching earrings as well.

McDonald loves dressing up and getting ready with her team.

“It’s a lot of fun to see our dresses each year and to get dressed up for competition, we usually spend around two hours doing hair and makeup before we compete,” McDonald said.

Whether twirling on ice, training for hours on end, or doing each other’s makeup. McDonald and Baker both enjoy their time skating.

“My favorite thing about skating is the freedom. I feel like I can do anything on the ice. I can just go out there and express myself,” Baker said.

22 Sports

Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

Opinion

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY WESTPORT NEWS FROM THE FIELD TO THE COURT: Former assistant freshman football coach Mike Pickering stands beside his attorney during his Nov. 28 court hearing regarding the recent pornography scandal.

GRAPHIC BY NATE ROSEN ’14 KEEPING IN STRIDE: As the regular seasons turn to offseasons, athletes turn to track to maintain their fitness.

Staying on the Right Track for Winter

Pick a Side

HĆđĊĞ RĆēĉĎĈč ’14

captain of the girls’ indoor track team in addition to the girls’ varsity field hockey and lacrosse teams.

While she stressed that track was difhen the fields frost over and the temperature dives, some Staples ferent than lacrosse or field hockey, she athletes leave their fall sports was quite competitive while running track until the next year and often join the in- and earned as much recognition in it as door track team for a source of competi- she did in field hockey and lacrosse.

“I loved track very much,” she said. “It tion, fitness, fun, or just a change of pace.

Laddie Lawrence, coach of the boys encompassed every part of what makes a indoor track team, explained how students sport enjoyable.”

Caroline Smith ’12, the current capwho play soccer, football or do cross-country in the fall make up the “nucleus” of the tain of the girls indoor track team, who is also the captain of the cross-country team, track team.

“A lot of them are better at track than weighed in on the idea of using track to their primary sport,” Lawrence said. “Kids stay in shape.

“Its only useful if you take it seriouswho take it seriously do very well.”

Jon Heil ’12 says that he joined the ly,” she said.

According to Mitchell, most other track team his freshman year to stay in shape for football, but now in his senior multi-sport athletes on the track teams are year he is equally competitive in both just as serious about running as they are with all of the others that they play, comsports.

Zach Mitchell ’12, who is on the var- peting to win instead of just keep in shape.

“All of the sports teams at Staples sity baseball and football teams, started doing indoor track his junior year, when are very competitive and well coached,” he was convinced by friends on the indoor Mitchell said. “Athletes coming from those programs come to track expecting the track team to try the sport.

“There were a lot of guys on the team same high level of competition.”

Lawrence thinks that participating in who played other sports like I did and had success so I figured I’d give it a shot,” he multiple sports is a positive thing for any high school athlete. said.

“Too many kids start off a sport at a Mitchell is very competitive in the sport and, like Heil, takes it just as seri- young age and pigeon hole themselves,” he said. ously as he does football.

Lawrence suggested that taking up a “All of the guys work so hard and put in lots of effort in order to compete for a sport each season can help you to find out limited number of spots, so for me to do what you are best at, and he encourages anything else would be disrespectful,” anyone taking on a new sport in the winter—whether it be track or any other—to Mitchell said.

Elizabeth Driscoll ’11 started doing give it their all.

“We want people to be competitive track her freshman year after a senior on her field hockey team recommended the and beneficial to the program,” he said. sport to her. She continued for the rest of “We want them to give it their one hundred her time at Staples, becoming a successful percent.”

Staff Writer

W

Over the course of one November day, Staples became known for something other than its students’ high achievements.

Four weeks ago, a 10-year veteran freshman football coach was removed for giving some of his players the login information to a pornographic website. He was then arrested and charged with three counts of risk of injury to a minor.

This entire situation has a lot of athletes, coaches, and even club advisers wondering; where should the line be drawn between being a friend who can be trusted and being a professional? I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do think it’s a question that we as a community need to think about.

Ask any adult or student-athlete who has inspired them in their lifetime.

Chances are they will name a coach or someone who held a similar role.

Inside that sweaty, clipboard-holding

Where’s the line between coach and friend? b body lies more than someone who likes to s shout a lot. For the most part, athletes t trust their coaches like soldiers on the b battlefi eld trust their commander.

By nature, a coach’s role is differe than that of a teacher. A teacher is ent m more like a coworker or boss, someone w it’s okay to kid around with, but the who s shared goal of teaching and learning the a assigned, fi xed curriculum always outs shines that.

Coaching differs in one main way: k kids tend to be a lot more interested in f football or basketball than they are in alg gebra or biology. Often times, they want nothing more than to be successful at n their sport. As a result, the word of coacht es e might as well be scripture.

This isn’t just the case with coaches.

It I applies to the relationship any other student with a passion for an activity that s i involves an adult who has valuable knowle edge about the subject.

Now, I’ve never been a coach before, excluding what I assure you was an ine

credibly intense third grade little league game. I’m not going to try and preach what I think a coach should and should not do, because who am I to say that?

Instead, I asked Dan Woog, the boys’ soccer coach, who has the experience I lack to make such a call, what a coach is.

“A coach is a teacher, counselor, surrogate parent, disciplinarian, friend, and big brother, each at different times and in different ways,” Woog said.

Knowing which role to play in which situation, and how often to play each role is what Woog referred to as “the art of coaching.”

This is where the line comes into play. In some cases, the line is so clearly drawn to the point that it is overbearing, while in others it remains nonexistent.

For instance, a coach is not allowed to give a player a ride home, but waiting with the player, alone, for what can end up being hours is perfectly fine.

However, there are no rules about what players and coaches can and can’t discuss. A mainstay in the pre-season speeches of coaches is the phrase “If you need me, my door is always open.” Should the relationship between players and coaches delve to such a personal level?

I believe the answer to that is yes, on one condition. As long as the player can still take orders from the coach and view him with respect, then it is okay if they have a friendlier than strictly professional relationship.

In the case involving the Mike Pickering, the former freshman football coach, a line had been breached.

But prior to crossing the line, Pickering had hovered close to it. A former football player I talked to said that he used to play Xbox Live with players. I’m not going to waste time debating whether that’s appropriate or not, but it’s clear from his actions that Pickering played the role of friend often, and by doing so may have gradually lost sight of the line that’s been invisible for too long, culminating in last month’s events.

What happened here wasn’t Penn State. No one was raped - allegedly. I think a man, a coach, lost sight of a line and made a mistake, and his life was irreversibly changed. Regardless of the outcome of his trial, anyone who is capable of conducting a Google search is going to be immediately prejudiced against him.

Perhaps if the line were more set in stone, Pickering, a 10-year veteran, held in high regard by his players, would still be coaching.

How close can a coach be to his players? What about if they’re seniors as opposed to freshman? Technically then, Pickering’s actions would have been legal, but does that make them appropriate?

These questions need to be answered before this happenes again, before another coach unknowingly crosses the border and ends up on the front page of Yahoo.

Sports

Inklings / December 16, 2011 / inklingsnews.com

Fall Sports

AēĉėĊĜ BĔĜđĊĘ ’13 Staff Writer

F FOOTBALL

Jack Massie ’14

Football had a largely successful but ultimately bittersweet season this year, going undefeated up to states where they were ultimately defeated by Xavier in a 42-7 heartbreak. Despite this, the team had a strong season, finishing fourth overall in the state with a 12-1 record.

In addition to a number of second-half comebacks including Homecoming and

CROSS COUNTRY C Cross country had “another typically good year,” says coach Laddie Lawrence.

The team won 15 out of 17 dual meets and placed third and second at the two invitatitionals it attended (Windham and Bethel, respectively). They placed second in the FCIAC west, third in the FCIAC, ninth

Henry Wynne ’13

the hotly-contested McMahon game, the team has won a number of solid victories, particularly their defeat of Greenwich on Thanksgiving in a 31-27 game and their quarterfinal victory against Ridgefield in a 48-21 game. The team looks towards even more success next year, with a number of returning sophomore and junior players on varsity.

PHOTO BY DREW TASSEL ’14 in CIAC and eighth in class LL, finishing eighth in state poll. They had four all-FCIAC athletes (Henry Wynne ’13, Mikolaj Kulis ’12, Patrick Nolan ’13 and Marcus Russi ’13).

Laddie said, “Overall, we were better than last year, and we look forward to continued improvement next year as well.”

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SEASON RECORD

11-1 15-2 (G) 11-5 (B)

PHOTO COURTESY OF STAPLESRUNNING.COM

Emily Ashken ’12

FFIELD HOCKEY in the State quarterfinals, Anderson remains optimistic. “[These] Seniors have left a legacy that will propel future staples field hockey teams.”

Field Hockey went further than any Staples team in the last 15 years, doubled S ttheir scoring, and walked away with an FCIAC trophy this year, said their coach, F Cecily Anderson. They not only won the C FCIAC title but finally ended Dariens 93F game winning streak. Although they lost g

5-4-0

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WESTPORT NEWS

BOYS’ SOCCER B Jake Malowitz ’12

ished second in the FCIAC, losing the title to Trumbull in a 2-0 game. Despite this, Bradeen is optimistic. “The team will be good next year.”

“We had a good season” said Ethan Bradeen ’13 of boys’ soccer this year. The team played well, finishing the season with 12 wins, 3 losses and 4 draws, making it to the second round of states before being defeated by Farmington. They fin-

15-3-6

PHOTO COURTESY OF STAPLESSOCCER.COM

GIRLS’ SOCCER G

Coach Nicole Ross said that “this season was very exciting for girls soccer.” This was the first time in over 20 years they progressed as far as they did in the State tournament, and it surprised everyone, considering their number 20 seed. Ross was hopeful for next

Abbey Lake ’12

year, saying, “We unfortunately will be losing ten wonderful seniors next year. It is going to be a challenge, but considering the young talent we had on the team this year, I think they are more then ready to take on that challenge and succeed.”

12-3-6

PHOTO COURTESY OF STAPLESGIRLSSOCCER.COM

W WATER POLO

Nick Yu ’12

Water Polo had a team record-break- chance against every team except Greening season, meeting their pre-season goal wich Y.” Prospects for next year look good, of winning the Hopkins tournament and with a large group of juniors moving up, securing a 7-11 record, the best the team though the loss of senior starters David Kathas seen in its four year existence. They ter, Daniel Nussbaum, Jacob Epstein, Nick finished second out of the two teams in the Yu and Dan Haroun will be hard to make FCIAC. Jacob Epstein ’12 said, “We had a up for. solid team with great potential, a fighting PHOTO COURTESY OF STAPLESSWIMMING.COM

7-11

GIRLS’ SWIMMING AND DIVING G Gabby Wimer ’12

Girls Swimming and Diving saw success this year, sending a number of athletes to states and having their A relay finish second at states. The relay consisting of Verity Abel ’14, Gabby Wimer ’12, Becca Raab ‘13 and Sarah Cooperman ’13 also showcased the core of the team’s meet

performance, where a number of swimmers performed better than they ever had before. Cooperman said, “I’m proud of how we came together, especially towards the end of the season when we faced tough competition and a difficult schedule.”

11-4

PHOTO COURTESY OF STAPLESSWIMMING.COM

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL G Joosje Grevers ’12

Coach Jonathan Shepro of the girls’ volleyball team said that “the team did wonderfully.” This is clearly reflected in their 16-2 record for the year and the overall success the team has had. Although Shepro is hesitant to comment on next

season so early, he said, “We will have a great group of varsity returners and a bunch of players coming up from JV. Expectations will be high.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WESTPORT NEWS

18-4

ports The W Wreckers k

GRAPHIC BY CONNIE ZHOU ’12

Christmas Comes Right on Time for NBA Fans JĚđĎĆē CđĆėĐĊ ’12 Managing Editor

‘T

here could not be any less excitement in this arena,” Andrew Travers

’13 said.

“Yeah,” said Brian Book ’13.

“This is about a tenth of an NBA game. I’d rather be playing [the video game] NBA 2k12.”

“You can even hear that guy talking from across the stadium,” Matt Smith ’13 said, pointing at the lone body of a man speaking on his cell phone.

So began the I-95 Pro Jam: Battle in Bridgeport, at the Webster Bank Arena, which drew a tame crowd of 1,630 people, a far cry from the crowds most NBA players are used to playing in front of.

It looked like this was what basketball fans were going to be looking forward to all year. Instead of the striking intensity of NBA play, and the enamored and hated teams each fan would be rooting for or against, the only thing these fans would have been rooting for was signatures on a potential Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Thank goodness that’s over.

On Nov. 26, the NBA Players Association and the Owners of NBA organizations came to a tentative agreement on a new CBA, the document that governs many of the interior functions of the NBA, as well as how basketball-related revenue is split between players and owners, the main dispute of this year’s lock-

out. The agreement states that the players will receive 51.2 percent of basketball related revenue. Both sides argued for more than 50 percent; however, after an arduous, 125-plus day negotiation, the two sides finally agreed to terms for a six-year deal with an option for another four. The 201112 season will begin on Dec. 25.

The Pro Jam was one of many professional exhibition games that were played during the NBA lockout, and was the first to take place in Connecticut. The games had gained much popularity in California with the Drew and Goodman Leagues, drawing names like Kevin Durant and John Wall.

The game, which featured locked-out NBA players and other professionals, fielded a Connecticut team, headlining former UConn center Hasheem Thabeet, Georgia Tech and Sacramento Kings star Tyreke Evans and Los Angeles Clippers center and Connecticut native Ryan Gomes, and a D.C. team, with Duke standout and Portland Trailblazers draft pick Nolan Smith, Josh Selby, a Memphis Grizzlies draft pick out of University of Kansas and Wesley Matthews, a Marquette University standout and Portland Trailblazers shooting guard.

The game was publicized as featuring Wall, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, DeMarcus Cousins the No. 5 pick in the same draft and UConn standout and 2006 first round draft pick

UNLOCKED

It’s the end of the hiatus Time to go to work Rudy Gay. However, they, along with a few others, backed out at the last moment.

“John Wall isn’t coming?”

Book yelled in disgust. “He was supposed to be the main person here. This is preposterous.”

Despite a thin crowd, as the game went on, fans began to become more enthralled with the shots and dunks, and the crowd grew, not in size, but in audacity.

After months of an NBA lockout, seeing the game unfold before their eyes caused them to realize just why they loved the sport. As the alley-oops, highflying dunks and uncontested three-pointers poured on, the crowd became more and more ecstatic. The crowd was the most animated after an inbound tipin buzzer-beater by Travis Leslie of the L.A. Clippers to give team Connecticut a 171-169 (No, that is not a typo) victory over D.C. Unlike any NBA game a fan may go to, this arena wasn’t exactly prepared for the security demands of a high-profi le basketball name. I was able to hop over the barrier and got the opportunity to speak with Ryan

Gomes and Nolan Smith, two players both returning to an NBA organization now that the lockout is over.

For players like Gomes, a sixth-yearpro out of Providence College, this game was a flashback to past sea-

sons.

“It feels great to be out there working on our games again,” Gomes, who grew up in Waterbury, said. “I’m sure all NBA players are out there working on their games, waiting for us to getting back to playing in the NBA.” Gomes said he was not perturbed by the less than enormous audience. “We’re focusing on playing and trying to win, the crowd doesn’t play a big factor even when we are playing an NBA game,” Gomes said. “We go out there if there’s one fan or 10,000.”

Unlike Gomes, Smith, who was taken 21st overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, has not yet seen professional action.

“It’s hard to reach your dream then have it put on hold.

But to play in games like this keep our fans invested, and loving us,” Smith said. “It’s a big relief, I didn’t want to come back next year with a big rookie class.

We’re ready to get going.”

While games like this have gained some notoriety and popularity, it had been clear that the biggest affect of the NBA lockout would be the heightened signifi-

cance of the college game.

“The world would have become invested in college basketball which would be great for all college teams,” Smith said. “College basketball is exciting.”

So far, attendance at college games has been sky high. In the 2010-11 season, Fairfield University saw an average attendance of 2,431 and is already seeing an average attendance of 4,874 this season, more than double last season’s average, notwithstanding that conference play, the games that are more intense and heated in the college season that usually draw more fans, has yet to start.

Now that a 2011-12 NBA season will be taking place, NCAA attendance should slowly regress as the professional season approaches. Regardless, basketball is back.

“We’ve gone a little longer than expected but until we get a fair deal out of the situation, until that happens, this is where we’ll be playing,” Gomes said. “This is my first time going through a lockout, so I was disappointed.

When you go through a negotiation, whether it’s in the NBA or if you’re working at Stop’n’Shop, it doesn’t matter, because it’s going to take time before things get settled.”

With the season slated to begin on Christmas, professionals are looking forward to going back to playing the game they love.

“Christmas day,” Smith said.

“It’s time to go to work.”