Inklings Feb 17 Issue

Inklings Feb. 17, 2012

Founded in 1933

inklingsnews.com

MIND THE GAP A Look at the Disparities Within Connecticut’s Public Education System

PHOTOͳGRAPHIC BY JULIAN CLARKE ’12, ALEX GREENE ’13 & BEN REISER ’13

JULIAN CLARKE ’12

I

Managing Editor

n December 2009, U.S. News & World Report compared high schools, naming Connecticut the state with the nation’s best public schools.

However, today, Connecticut’s test scores suggest a different ranking. The standardized test scores of Connecticut’s minority and low-income students are 34 percent lower than those of their wealthier and white classmates, ultimately placing those low-income students three grade levels behind their peers.

“When you look at how our students are doing and our academic standards and our methods

of funding, there is no way we’re the best public education state in the country. In terms of student achievement, we aren’t even close to tops,” said Patrick Riccards, the CEO of the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCan), an education reform advocacy group that focuses on eliminating educational disparity.

A gap exists. Students from wealthier towns, who attend betterequipped schools and have grown up in resource-rich homes, have better chances in their lives than those who hail from the inner cities. And efforts have been made to bridge this gap, but largely, those efforts have been fruitless.

“These towns are five minutes away by car, but they’re separate

worlds,” Staples principal John Dodig said.

One problem, many experts said, is the current formula behind school districting in Connecticut, through which schools can receive money from state and local taxes.

At Staples, the per pupil expenditure is just under $17,000, while Bridgeport schools spend $13,000 a year per student. This accounts for a significant difference in the quality of education that a child in either of these districts would receive. It also does not include contributions from PTAs and other local groups.

Susan Eaton, research director at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School, has studied the state’s problems for years. Her

most recent book is “The Children in Room E4: American Education on Trial,” which chronicles the discrepancies between wealthy and poor districts.

“Like most states, Connecticut has these boundaries that allow students from more privileged communities to attend more privileged schools and force students from less privileged communities to attend less privileged schools,” Eaton said.

“This is a cycle that feeds on itself and exacerbates the problem.”

Staples Student Assembly President J.J. Mathewson believes this difference is highly visible, right here in Westport.

“Staples is a state-of-the-art facility. We attract some of the best teachers around, we just got iPads

for the library, and there are Smart Boards everywhere. These are all things we take for granted, and yet other schools don’t get these luxuries,” Mathewson said.

Compounding the injustice in the state’s funding formulas, Dodig and other experts said, is poverty itself, largely isolated in cities like Norwalk and Bridgeport.

“Nobody has the guts to say it, but this is a social issue, not an educational one,” Dodig said. “There are bright kids everywhere, and there are enthusiastic teachers in every school, but they are overwhelmed by problems that have evolved from poverty at home.” For instance, Dodig said, parents might not be home at night, working a second job Continued on page 4

The Latest Protection

More male teens receiving Gardasil vaccine for HPV protection BAILEY VALENTE ’13 Staff Writer Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV, is a sexually transmitted disease that affects 80 percent of sexually active teens in the United States. Usually in the form of genital warts or lesions, this virus, left untreated, can also cause two types of cancer.

It has always been highly encouraged for girls to receive this vaccine. However, in 2009, the FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine safe for boys, which not only protects against the four common types of the virus, but also decreases genital warts and penile and anal lesions.

Only now is it becoming popular amongst male patients.

“The nurse actually tricked me into getting it. When I said I did not want to get it, she said ‘Would you get it if it was in a nasal spray?’ and I said ‘Yes’,” said Tyler Jent ’13, a patient who received the shot from his pediatrician. “I thought she would come in with the nasal spray but she came in with this gi-

ant needle and gave me the shot before I could even refuse it.”

The Gardasil vaccine is currently FDA-approved for males and females from age nine to 26.

After that time, HPV does not appear to cause as great of an immune response; thus, the FDA does not feel that it is appropriate to fund vaccinations over this age.

Trumbull gynecologist Leslie Goldstone-Orly recommends that both boys and girls receive the vaccine at the age of 12 or 13.

“This is when our immune system is very strong still and the body can make the most antibodies to the virus, yet close enough to the average age that teens become sexually active,” Goldstone-Orly said.

The strongest results are usually found in patients who receive the vaccine before becoming sexually active. However, it is still recommended for people who have a previous history of HPV infections since it is unlikely that they will have been affected with all four viruses that the vaccine protects against.

Inside the Issue

Recently, more boys have been cooperating with their pediatrician’s suggestions.

“I got it just as a safety precaution, since it isn’t harmful and it can protect me from a serious disease,” said Liam Orly ’13, son of Dr. Goldstone-Orly. “I think that people shouldn’t be forced to get it but definitely encouraged because, just like any sexually transmitted disease, you never know who has HPV.” However, there are always those who oppose the vaccine for various reasons, such as safety concerns. Typically, the effects are minor: nausea, dizziness, or swelling at the site of the injection. Very rarely are serious adverse effects reported, which have included Guillain-Barré Syndrome, blood clots, and death.

“The only individuals who shouldn’t receive Gardasil are those with a rare allergy to bread yeast,” Goldstone-Orly said. “The only side effect I have seen is some tenderness near the area, otherwise there is nothing long term.”

Some doctors aren’t sug-

Highlights of the 54th Grammy Awards

PHOTO DRAMATIZATION BY BEN REISER ’13 “JUST BREATHE:” The Gardasil vaccine is currently FDA-approved for all people between the ages of nine and 26. gesting the vaccine as strongly as Goldstone-Orly, so families and patients feel differently.

“My doctor hasn’t said anything to me,” Andrew Felman ’14 said. “I have not gotten the shot yet because I don’t feel it’s necessary, but my brother got it his sophomore year, so I’m sure it’s the same for me.”

The boys who have gotten the

14

shot are grateful, since Gardasil does provide about 100 percent protection against the two types of HPV that can cause genital warts, and the two types that commonly cause cancer.

“At the time, it was rather terrifying and painful for a day or two,” Jent said. “But I guess it’s better safe than sorry down the road.”

Ski Team Tears Up the Slopes

23

NEWS

2

February 17, 2012

Jun niorr Sta ate of Am meriica

Winter Congress CHARLOTTE BREIG ’12 Business Manager

O

n Feb. 2, over 60 members of the Junior State of America club (JSA) at Staples boarded a double-decker bus and embarked on a journey to Washington D.C. for the annual JSA convention: Winter Congress.

Accompanying them were multiple teachers who sacrificed their weekends to chaperone the trip, including James D’Amico, JSA’s dedicated teacher advisor. Once there, the group got up close and personal with

the Constitution at the National Archives, wandered through various Smithsonian museums, took on the roles of senators and representatives by debating and voting on legislation that they helped to write and, of course, went wild at the infamous JSA dances. Finally, on Feb. 6, they piled back onto the double-decker, exhausted from the weekend of spirited political discussion and eager to make it home in time to cheer their team on in the Super Bowl.

A JSA’ER IS A MASTER OF DEBATE: Jacqueline Devine ’13 debates a bill on biodiesel. The bill, which passed the mock Congress, has been sent to an actual congressperson.

A JSA’ER KNOWS HOW TO HAVE FUN: A group of Staples seniors stretches in preparation for the infamous JSA dance party.

A JSA’ER IS A POLITICO: Jessica Haroun ’14, Jenna Bernard ’14, and Deanna Baris ’14 sit on the steps of the National Archives building in Washington.

A JSA’ER IS A SPORTS FAN: During the bus ride back to Westport on Super Bowl Sunday, JSA members gathered around Dan Haroun’s ’12 laptop to catch as much of the game as they could.

News Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

The Academic Industry

3

An examination of Staples’ teacher-to-student tutoring culture ISAAC STEIN ’12 Web Editor-in-Chief

“I

t might be different if we were in, say, Podunk, Ark. But this is Westport, and the amount of money that people are willing to pay is not chicken feed. It’s a big business,” said Alan Jolley, a math teacher at Staples.

The business to which Jolley refers is tutoring—namely teachers who tutor, in addition to teaching a full slate of classes.

According to a master list of teachers who are eligible and registered to tutor released by the Staples guidance department, 93 Staples teachers are registered to tutor. When taken as a percentage of all teachers listed, teachers who are registered to tutor comprise nearly 51 percent.

With over half of Staples’ faculty registered to tutor, some believe that the practice has become a cultural staple at Staples and as such is accompanied by both its advocates and its critics.

“It seems as though everyone I know has a tutor for something.

And more often than not, the tutor in question is a teacher,” said Henri Rizack ’14.

Some individuals who have received tutoring from faculty, including Andrew Felman ’14, believe that this manner of tutoring is effective bec ause te acher s are highly knowledgeable in regards to the academic curriculum in ways that ordinary tutors are not.

“There’s a benefit to being taught by a teacher who knows and understands the topic. They don’t just understand the material…they understand the way that it is presented at Staples,” Felman said.

Felman’s sentiments are reinforced from the perspective of a teacher. According to Michael Fulton, an English teacher who tutors in writing, tutoring between faculty and students is advantageous because of “a general knowledge of what a particular class or teacher expects from the student.”

complished in an hour when you’re not using a phone nor have other distractions. And that’s what tutoring can do—remove the distractions,” Kabak said.

Additionally, Kabak believes that tutoring can provide an environment in which a student is more comfortable asking questions about what he or she doesn’t understand, which furthers progress in the classroom.

“The so-called ‘dumb questions’ that a student might be afraid to ask during class can come out during a one-on-one tutoring session and more openly show topics that need to be reinforced,” Kabak said.

However, Kabak also noted an instance in which a student did not need help with the course, and in his first tutoring session, was performing as if he did not need help.

Kabak did not find the need to continue tutoring the student, and the student eventually scored an “A” in the course without any additional help.

Kabak’s anecdote raises an important question: how much of tutoring is driven by academic need, and how much is rooted in the norms of local culture?

CULTURE & PRICE According to Kabak, the freq ue nc y with which Staples students seek out tutoring help, including that from teachers, is largely driven by a school and town environment that prizes immense amounts of time spent by students in extracurricular activities, which, when taken to the extreme, inhibits academic growth.

“The whole tutoring business is a result of students being shuffled away into extracurriculars, varsity sports in particular, because some athletes literally don’t have enough hours in the day to complete their work, and need to constantly play catch-up at school,” Kabak said.

Jolley suggests an alternate theory: that the local environment in Westport is highly conducive to the tutoring business.

“There’s simply no stigma associated with tutoring in Westport. Somewhere else in the country, a student might be thought of as less intelligent by his peers for seeking tutoring. I tutored one student in calculus over the summer in order to advance her before the school year started. Around here, tutoring is just the norm,” Jolley said.

Although the reasons for why

“It seems as though everyone I know has a tutor for something.”

— Henri Rizack ’14

ONE TEACHER’S STORY During the school day, Joel Kabak teaches AP Biology. But occasionally, after school and on the weekends, he tutors in chemistry and physics, usually three or four students in any given school year According to Kabak, the value of tutoring in some scenarios is largely organizational.

“It’s feasible to get a lot ac-

InBrief

MID-MARCH CAPT EXAMS TO ALTER SCHEDULE The first week of examination for the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) will take place from March 6 to March 9.

The second week of CAPT will begin on March 13 and end on March 15.

All sophomores are expected to be at school before testing commences at 7:45 a.m. each day.

Non-sophomores, however, are not required to be at school until the following times:

PHOTO BY ALEX GREENE ’13 I WANNA KNOW, PLEASE SHOW ME: According to the guidance department, 93 Staples teachers are registered to tutor students. Some students, however, are unable to take advantage of such an opportunity. teacher-to-student tutoring is prevalent are disputed, the economic cost is not. While no teacher would give an hourly rate, three teachers confirmed anonymously that their rates exceed $100 per hour.

Yet Stacy Delmhorst, who teaches math at Staples, believes that there is also a significant cost exacted upon teachers who tutor.

“My first priority, without exception, is always to my students in the classroom. With tutoring on top of that responsibility, there have been several instances in which I have missed time with my family to tutor. Tutoring on a regular schedule requires a significant amount of sacrifice on the part of the teacher,” Delmhorst said.

THE GRAY AREA & THE BIG PICTURE However, some make the argument that there are additional ethical questions in regards to facultyto-student tutoring besides the financial cost.

“I wish I had the money available to hire a teacher to help me get through classwork,” said one student, who requested anonymity.

The student also questions whether teachers who tutor could, for example, ask other teachers for answers on tests and then give them to students.

According to Principal John Dodig, the answer to the student’s question is one of con-

Tuesday, March 6: 10:05 a.m.

Wednesday, March 7: 9:10 a.m.

Thursday, March 8: 9:10 a.m.

Friday, March 9: 10:20 a.m.

Tuesday, March 13: 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, March 14: 9:20 a.m.

Thursday, March 15: 9:20 a.m.

fidence in the integrity of the faculty.

“The possibility for conspiracy certainly exists. But I’d really like to think that we have moral, ethical people working at Staples, at least to the point where something so blatantly illegal would never occur,” Dodig said.

Article 38 of the Westport Teachers’ Contract states that “teachers are prohibited from tutoring, for compensation, students who are in their classes during the school year or the summer before or after they are in their classes.”

However, James D’Amico, social studies department chair, believes that there are some less ob-

vious, but still inherent, flaws in the manner in which some people view the prospect of tutoring as a means to success.

According to D’Amico, an attitude of “money being able to buy grades” exists among some people and undermines true understanding.

In looking at the issues, conflicts, and motivations surrounding teachers and tutoring, Kabak believes that it’s all part of the job.

“There’s a lot of gray area in tutoring, and I recognize that. It takes a certain type of teacher to want to tutor,” Kabak said.” But in the end, it is truly a profound decision that rests with the individual.”

4 News

Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

$100.23 Million Budget Passed for 2012-2013 School Year Staff Writer

O

The budget proposal also included revisions to the Workshop program, a program for academically gifted students. However, the changes will not include any increases in funding.

With the past few years’ economic climate demanding budget reductions, Landon says there is little left to cut. “For the past few years there’s been tremendous pressure to hold costs down,” Landon said. “This is the first time in 13 years that I’ve been forced to look at program reduction.”

Landon had parents write him complaining about his proposal, which cut sixth grade French with the intension to phase out the language in the middle school and reduced fourth and fifth grade gym by a half hour per week.

Cuts to French and physical education had been proposed in order to reduce teachers. “We have already consolidated bus routes and jobs,” Principal John Dodig said. “There’s nowhere else to go, other than people.”

>

n Feb. 6, the Board of Education submitted a $100.23 million budget, making significant changes to the budget proposed by Superintendent Elliot Landon.

According to Donald O’Day, Chairman of the BOE, the Board added middle school French and physical education back into the budget. In turn, it reduced health insurance premium costs, electricity and technology expenses, and cut five secretarial positions.

“The Board of Education needs to minimize the cost of the budget,” O’Day said. “But the last place we want to look is the classroom.”

The Board’s budget is a $331 thousand reduction from Landon’s proposed budget, totaling $100.23 million. This marks the first year that the district’s budget will break the 100 million dollar mark.

According to O’Day, although the budget plan is an increase over last year’s funds, with an increase in salaries, the extra money cannot cover all existing costs. O’Day estimated that salary increases accounted for a roughly $3 million increase, though the Board’s budget only augments the budget by about $2 million.

According to Nancy Harris, Assistant Superintendent for Business, the salary increases impact roughly 66 percent of the budget, with benefits impacting roughly 15 percent. With so much of the budget non-negotiable, cuts must be made somewhere, according to Harris.

The need to keep budget costs down put pressure on officials when drafting the budget. Landon’s proposed plan eliminated sixth grade French and reduced physical education time for fourth and fifth graders. It also cut funding for preventative maintenance, including the painting of the music hallway in Staples.

ENROLLMENT LEVELS These bars represent the Oct. 1 enrollment of the Westport public school district for each respective school year.

But parents went to Board of Education meetings to share their opinions about what programs are being reduced. The Board’s budget restored the programs and assuaged parents’ complaints.

“Parents are unanimously pleased that French and physical education are being restored,” O’Day said. However, many are unhappy about the reduction in secretarial positions. According to O’Day, the Board felt that it needed to make cuts somewhere in order to keep price increases down.

The process of creating a new budget is complex. First, each principal submits a list of necessary supplies needed to run the school. Landon then calls a meeting of all principals and the group discusses where money can be cut. According to Dodig, he had initially wanted the music hallway to be painted.

However, with big maintenance postponements and a tight budget, parts of Staples will forgo

PER PUPIL INCREASE These bars represent the cost per pupil in the Westport public school district for each respective budget year.

$16,405 5,706

5,707

5,742

5,770

$16,470

$16,511

2009-2010

2010-2011

$17,001

$15,570

5,604

Proposed

$14,631

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

>

2006-2007

2007-2008

$17,471

Proposed

5,604

5,819

painting and other preventative maintenance will be put on hold.

After meeting with the principals, Landon drafts a budget, which is revised and voted on by the Board of Education. The revised budget, with changes made by the Board, will then be submitted to the Board of Finance and later the RTM. The budget will be finalized in May. Throughout the process, parents, students, and teachers can share their opinions on the proposed plan. According to Kathy Sharp, President of the Westport Education Association, a union for teachers, union members will speak at public meetings.

Also, surveys will be conducted within the group in order to gather staff opinions on the budget.

The Board of Education’s budget will be submitted to the Board of Finance for review. The Board of Finance will submit an approved budget to the RTM at the end of March.

>

ELIZA LLEWELYN ’14

2008-2009

2011-2012

2012-2013

>

GRAPHS BY BEN REISER ’13 FIGURES TAKEN FROM SUPERINTENDENT ELLIOT LANDON’S JAN. 3 PROPOSED BUDGET

Disparities in Connecticut education system omnipresent Continued from page 1 and leaving children unsupervised.

Daniel Sullivan, the guidance chairperson at Norwalk High, agreed that the parent’s role in a child’s education is an integral one.

“Some kids here [at Norwalk] have a single parent trying to keep a roof above their family’s heads and their focus isn’t really on education. There are kids that have to worry about getting lunch, not that five-page paper they have to write tonight,” Sullivan said.

Eaton said that, as well, stu-

dents in poorer areas may not get much of a chance to experience life anywhere else, versus students in communities like Westport, who can travel and participate in camps and enrichment programs elsewhere.

Finally, many parents in poorer communities simply don’t have as much experience with education themselves, and this has an effect, said Alex Libre, a senior at Norwalk High School and the president of Norwalk’s Student Government, “A large percentage of Norwalk High students don’t have par-

ents with college, sometimes even high school, degrees,” Libre said.

“They can’t get adequate help or encouragement to study when they live in that sort of environment.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 38.4 percent of Norwalk residents 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree while 74.2 percent do in Westport.

The effects are striking. At Staples, the best high school in Connecticut according to ConnCan’s rankings, there is a 99.7 percent graduation rate and 94 percent of students go to a four-year col-

PHOTO BY ALEX GREENE ’13 DISPARITIES & DIVIDES: According to the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCan), Connecticut has the largest achievement gap in the United States.

lege. At Bridgeport’s Bassick High School, by contrast, rated 166th of 170 in the ConnCan ranking, the graduation rate is 53.8 percent, and only 18.4 percent of students will go onto a traditional fouryear college. Of the college-bound students at Bassick in the class of 2010, the vast majority attended an in-state public institution and zero went to a private college.

The injustices of the school funding formula and poverty are decried by many and have been for years, experts said.

“Connecticut absolutely does not provide an equal education to all its students. That has been a court case since I have been a teacher,” Dodig said.

Twenty-three years ago, a fourth-grader named Milo Sheff stood in front of a courtroom. He was a smiling, 9-year-old boy, and he was suing the state of Connecticut.

He, along with 17 other Hartford students and their parents, alleged significant constitutional violations under sections of the state Constitution, which they believed were a denial of their fundamental rights to an education and to equal protection under law.

Sheff v. O’Neill essentially went nowhere.

Initially, the court ruled that the state had no obligation to fix presiding disparities in education quality. Seven years later, in 1996, the case was re-evaluated by the Connecticut Supreme Court, and it ruled in favor of Sheff, stating that the racial and socioeconomic isolation of Hartford schoolchildren violated state law. However, the Court never created a goal or plan

to fix the problem, saying that this responsibility lay with the state legislature and executive branch.

Soon after, the Connecticut State Legislature passed an act that encouraged racial integration in schools and mandated that the State Dept. of Education (SDE) arrive at a five-year plan to eliminate inequalities between school districts.

Nonetheless, in 1998, when still no action had taken place, the Sheff plaintiffs filed for a court order pleading that the state comply with the Supreme Court decision. Superior Court Judge Julia L. Aurigemma ruled that the state did comply with the decision of the Connecticut Supreme Court, bringing the plaintiffs’ effort to a screeching halt.

Today, in 2012, some say the state should look for a new way to approach education and funding its schools.

Regional systems are one possibility; they would incorporate multiple towns and cities into a single, unified school district and would distribute resources more fairly, Eaton said.

“But there’s such a strong and permanent attachment to having individually sovereign school districts that it’s a political disaster to even bring it up for debate,” said Eaton.

Dodig agreed.

“It’s a waste of money to have that many school districts,” Dodig said. “But regionalizing wouldn’t work. What Westport parent would say, ‘For the sake of society, I’m going to send my son to high school in Bridgeport?’ It would never happen.”

OPINIONS

5

FEBRUARY 17,2012

Get it? Got it? Good.

B

oys can get it too.

Boys can get the shot, boys can get genital warts, boys can get girls sick.

Many girls walking the Staples halls are protected from HPV, a virus that leads to various cancers and genital warts, by a vaccine called Gardasil.

Inklings EDITORIAL

However, many boys don’t even know what HPV is. And if they do, they think it is a “woman’s problem.”

While it is true that woman get the more severe repercussions of the disease, such as cervical cancer, guys don’t always get off scott, or should we say wart, free.

Few know that HPV

an actually cause genital warts, penile cancer, throat cancer and anal cancer in men.

Something to think about.

For those boys with some respect for others, the fact that you can give a girlfriend or significant other a deadly cancer should be reason enough.

Think about a sister, mom, aunt, grandma, friend, or some other important female in your life.

It’s guaranteed. She won’t get the fifth deadliest cancer, cervical cancer, from HPV if all boys, at their next doctor’s appointment, asked for the vaccine.

This would eliminate the disease where it starts and ensure its demise.

Another issue. Many doctors don’t even bring up the fact that HPV shots

GRAPHIC BY NELOISE EGIPTO ’13

are available for boys. This is unprofessional, but boys should have the courage to start a conversation with their doctor about the vaccine. And hey, maybe sexually transmitted diseases, and precautions. Really.

Just ask.

Mom and dad, if the doctor asks you if your son

wants the shot, the answer is yes. If you are concerned, as many parents in America are, that this vaccine promotes sex, you are putting ignorance ahead of your child’s safety.

Trust us, not having an HPV vaccine will not stop teenagers from having sex.

It is a fact that there

are some insurance agencies that don’t cover what some would call a pricey shot, about $400.

What’s the price of telling your girlfriend you have genital warts? Probably more than $400.

Last question. Are boys afraid of a few little pricks on the arms?

Afraid of needles? Do we need to say it again: genital warts.

There is now a photo of both a boy and a girl on the Gardasil website. The text says, “Gardasil can protect both males and females against HPV disease.” It is no longer “just for girls.”

This is a virus whose effects transcend gender lines, and boys need to step up to the plate and do their part.

Three shots in 18 months can save both a boy’s and a girl’s life.

Valentine’s Day Broken Heart

Everyone remembers his or her first crush and his or her first broken heart.

Mine was in third grade. On the most romantic day of the year for a third grader: Valentine’s Day. Well, it is not so romantic when you are eight and you don’t get a Valentine’s Day card. In elementary school we used to make our own mailboxes and it was required to give every kid in class a card of some sort. Most went with the generic Hello Kitty for the girls, or Spiderman cards for the boys. But everyone gave their best friends the biggest cutout hearts with lots of Hershey’s kisses.

My teachers always told us that the homemade cards were the most meaningful, so every year my mom and I would go to

“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 2010-2011 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.

GRAPHIC BY ROWAN MCCOLL ’14 the store and buy all the supplies for my cards: glue, red and pink paper, pretty doilies, lollipops, and glitter pens. I was notorious for my amazing Valentine’s Day cards, due to my excessive use of pink, red, and silver glitter. In return, I always got the biggest and Editors-in-Chief Eric Essagof Stevie Klein Managing Editors Julian Clarke Alix Neenan 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

prettiest cards.

But in third grade, there was only one card I cared about: John Smith’s, whose name I changed to protect his pride. It was a typical third grade romance—after talking to each other once and racing each other across the monkey bars Arts & Entertainment Editors Jackie Kerames Rachel Labarre Deanna Schreiber Sammy Warshaw Sports Editors Ryder Chasin Kelsey Landauer Will McDonald Julia Sharkey

during recess, everyone decided that we were dating. Just because we had only spoken once did not mean that I did not expect a Valentine’s Day card.

On Feb. 14, everyone came to school with their homemade cards, some of them better than Web Features Editors Sami Bautista Claire O’Halloran Web Arts & Entertainment Editors Charlie Greenwald Ned Hardy Web Sports Editors Kate Beispel Haley Zeldes

Web Editor in-Chief Isaac Stein

Webmaster Marcus Russi

Web Managing Editor Emily Goldberg

Photo Editor Madison Horne

Web News Editors Cheyenne Haslett Emily Kowal

Business Manager Charlotte Breig

Web Opinions Editors Chloe Baker Mark Schwabacher

Advisers Elizabeth Humphrey Julia McNamee Stephen Rexford

others (mine were still the best).

Everyone distributed his or her cards, and I waited to see each one get placed in my mailbox. As we sat back down to look at our cards, I saw one card that was lacking.

The heart was pointy, the glue was visible, there was no candy, and there were erratic patches of green glitter creating a hideous pattern!

It was from John Smith. He gave me the ugly card. Every other card was practically glowing, with a great deal of effort spent to make them perfect. And then there was John’s, ugly and obviously lacking effort. He obviously didn’t want to go out with me anymore. We would no longer race each other on the monkey bars during recess.

Homemade cards are no longer my favorite; the sentiment involved is too obvious. There is a big difference between a flimsy, self-decorated paper heart and a store-bought Hello Kitty card with candy. I will never forgive John Smith for ruining what used to be my favorite holiday with his careless card and use of glitter.

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

6

Opinions

Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Inklings Round-Up

Which Republican candidate would make the best presidential nominee?

It started with eight contenders, six different leaders in the national polls, and fifteen

debates. It kicked off 2012 with a near tie in Iowa and a trio of primary-winning candidates. Now, four men remain in one of the most hectic primary seasons in national history.

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney currently has the most delegates, but this race may have a few unpredictable twists left.

Constant Contender

T

MARK SCHWABACHER ’13 Web Opinions Editor

his primary season has been extremely turbulent.

Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain and Rick Perry have all soared to first place amid local and national polling only to collapse just weeks later. This same phenomenon may be happening with Newt Gingrich right now.

As all of this has gone on, there has only been one constant in the Republican field: Mitt Romney If the GOP wishes to mount a serious challenge to President Obama in November, it must nominate someone who can gather voters outside of its

own base. The religious right and conservative hardliners that often make up a significant portion of Republican primary voters are not enough to win a general election. While Mitt Romney's seemingly moderate policies appear as a detriment in the primary season, in the general election they will prove much more attractive than the tough right wing stance taken by many of the other candidates.

Romney may not be everything that the GOP wants in a president, but his moderate policies make him the best choice to defeat President Obama.

Newt Gingrich A Democrat’s Dream

ELLIE MANN ’13 Staff Writer From a Democrat’s stand- didate? point, Newt Gingrich is the best In addition, his association thing that could happen to the with Fannie Mae and Freddie Republican Party.

Mac is questionable at best and For twenty years, Gingrich possibly downright unethical. was a member of the House of Then again, Obama has not Representatives, giving him nec- created enough jobs during his essary experience with many top term. The only positive about issues that even President Barack Gingrich’s time with Fannie and Obama did not have prior to be- Freddie is that he knows how to coming president. create jobs as a result of his work However, not only was he in the corporate world. sanctioned for ethics violations But Gingrich’s inflammatory and forced to resign from his po- opinions and remarks will ultisition as Speaker of the House, mately ignite voters against him. on a personal level Gingrich is an His recent remark about firing admitted adulterer and deserted janitors and replacing them with his family. This cruel and callous students to clean schools is only behavior is hypocritical coming one example of Gingrich’s poorly from someone advocating a re- thought-out and blatantly irrational ideas. turn to family values.

Gingrich seeks media attenGingrich has proven his untrustworthiness through the sev- tion and outshines all other Reeral wives that he has cheated on. publican candidates but will lose How can he prove that he is going in a landslide to Obama in the to be a trustworthy political can- November election.

Jon Huntsman, Jr.

The Answer to the Hunt for the Right Man BEN REISER ’13 News Editor In a heated race against unshakable, extremist right-wing politicians, Jon Huntsman, Jr. offered a refreshing dose of what this nation needs most: logic.

Huntsman, unlike the other Republican contenders, holds moderate—rat iona l—standpoints on social issues, such as support for civil unions for gay couples and belief in climate change and evolution. However, he stood by his conservative ideals through various fiscal proposals, such as his tax plan, which the Wall Street Journal deemed “the most pro-growth proposal ever offered by a U.S. presidential candidate.” After all, the Pew Center named Utah the best-managed state and the

number one in the nation in job creation under Huntsman’s governorship.

Yes, Huntsman is no longer a candidate for this year’s presidential election, but he truly was our nation’s greatest chance for unity on all sides of the political spectrum. At the end of the day, there are too few moderate politicians left who are truly dedicated to work toward a goal of bipartisanship and unity.

Also, he truly rocked the keyboards with the band on Letterman’s “Late Show” a few months ago. I’ll be two months shy of 18 when Nov. 6 comes along, but I’d sure vote for a guy who can serve as the nation’s Ambassador to China and still jam out.

Republican Candidates 2012

Mitt Romney

MIITT MII TT ROMNEY ROM NEY PI PICTU PICTURE CTURE RE COURTESY COURTE COU RTESY SY OF MITTROMNEY.COM MITTRO MIT TROMNE MNEY.C Y.COM OM RON PA PAUL UL PIC PICTUR PICTURE TUREE COURTESY C OURTES COUR TESYY OF O F RON PAUL PAUL OFFICIAL OFFICI OFF ICIAL AL FACEBOOK FACEBO FAC EBOOK OK CAMPAIGN CAMPAI CAM PAIGN GN PAGE PAG E NEW GI GINGR NGRICH ICH PH PHOTO OTO CO COURT URTESY ESY OF NEWT NE WT GINGRICH GINGRI GIN GRICH CH OFFICIAL OFFICI OFF ICIAL AL FACEBOOK FACEBO FAC EBOOK OK CAMPAIGN CAMPAI CAM PAIGN GN PAGE PAG E GINGRICH COURTESY RICK RIC K SANT SSANTORUM ANTORU ORUM M PICT P ICTURE URE COURTESY COURT CO URTESY ESY OF RICK RI CK SANTORUM SANTOR SAN TORUM UM OFFICIAL OFFICI OFF ICIAL AL FACEBOOK FACEBO FAC EBOOK OK CAMPAIGN CAMPAI CAM PAIGN GN PAGE PAG E PICTURE JON HU HUNTS NTSMAN MAN PI PICTU CTURE RE COU COURTE RTESY SY OF JON2012.COM JON20 JO N2012.

12.COM COM HUNTSMAN PICTURE COURTESY BARACK BAR ACK OB OBAMA AMA PI PICTU PICTURE CTURE RE COURTESY COURTE COU RTESY SY OF OFFICIAL OFFICI OFF ICIAL AL BARACK BAR ACK OBAMA OBAMA FACEBOOK FACEB FA CEBOOK OOK PAGE PA GE

Ron Paul

Punk Rocker in an AARP Body CHARLIE GREENWALD ’12 Web A&E Editor U.S. Representative Ron Paul is old. He’s so old, his memory is probably in black and white. A guy his age should be retired, playing chess, or relaxing on a beach in Florida.

But Ron Paul is working his butt off.

He’s 76, and yet he travels the country relentlessly, running for president for the third time. He holds his own at the podium, yelling for a revolution like a hippie from the 60’s.

Despite this, the Texan has energized—and gained—young voters at a time when many people under 30 are turned off from politics.

Paul’s reputation for attracting young voters is so pronounced that supporters say it’s sometimes rare to see older adults at his rallies. Many times, the folks in the loud cheering sections at his events are called simply “the kids.”

He’s a Constitutionalist,

which means that he doesn’t think there should be any government besides the Constitution.

Obviously, with times constantly changing, this is an extreme position, but one that he has never wavered from and speaks openly and comfortably about.

Why? Because he’s painfully direct.

He speaks his mind and never wavers from his opinions, which makes him the most genuine and firm Republican candidate.

Politics are tough to understand sometimes, but Paul is somehow able to reel in the young voters because he has the spirit of a punk rock musician inside an AARP body. Sure, he’s kind of like a wacky neighbor, and he has an unusual political background, but he’s smart and inspiring, and he’s more honest than anyone else in the race.

That’s why he should have quit politics a long time ago.

Rick Santorum The Comeback Kid MIKE HOLTZ ’13 Guest Writer On Feb. 7, a sensation struck the nation—Rickmentum. As Rick Santorum surged to the top of the polls in state after state, Americans watched in shock.

When Santorum first announced his candidacy, people scoffed at him. The media suggested he would be out of the race before it even began. He was shot down as being too conservative, a second-tier candidate who lost his own Senate seat by 18 percent back in 2006.

Today, Santorum is not only in the race, he’s leading it, carrying the most states and the second-highest number of delegates.

Though he likely won’t come out on top, he lends this race interesting character and brings an

important focus back to the conservative cause.

When I first heard of Rick Santorum and his extreme rightwing social views, I was majorly turned off. But after seeing him debate, I began to warm up to him. He is eloquent and has interesting ideas on national security and taxes.

He is also the only Republican candidate who is in any way genuine. Whether you agree with him or not, you cannot doubt his conviction, a stark contrast to the fake personae of both Romney and Gingrich.

In this Republican primary, I genuinely believe that, social views aside, Rick Santorum is the most honest and true candidate.

None of Them The Barren GOP Field

ERIC ESSAGOF ’12 Editor-in-Chief In an election year with a didate in a distant second, has high unemployment rate, an more than enough baggage. His economy recovering at a snail’s multiple adultery scandals, ethpace, and a dysfunctional Wash- ics scandals and crazy plan for a ington, it is almost sad that the moon colony will automatically Republicans cannot produce a disqualify him from any success single electable alternative to in a general election.

Barack Obama.

Ron Paul, the libertarian The GOP is the embodiment candidate who would be the oldof everything that Americans est President ever, is the type of hate right now. In a year where in- guy you could imagine, if elected, come inequality is a major issue, pacing up and down Pennsylvania and the 99 percent have set the Avenue trying to find his house. political tone, Mitt Romney’s exAs far as Rick Santorum tremely low 13.9 percent tax rate goes, all one has to do is Google and his defense of the wealthy his last name to realize why he will not play well with the general can’t win (Warning: do not google electorate. “santorum” if you have a weak When your frontrunner is stomach). telling large crowds “corporations Get ready for four more years are people,” makes $10,000 bets of Obama, because the Republion a whim, and says that he “en- cans don’t have an alternative. joys firing people,” you know that That is, of course, unless the your party is out of touch with the economy gets worse and Romney average American. squeaks out a victory, in which The crazy thing is that Rom- case I suggest we all move to Ginney is by far the strongest of all of grich’s moon colony. Maybe we the candidates. can get a fresh political start up Newt Gingrich, the can- there.

Opinions Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

How to Be a Fan Without Really Trying

7

Advice on Enjoying Yourself and Avoiding Detection

Worst Things to Say When You’re Watching...

Basketball: • “Goal!”

• “Is Duke good?”

• “So that team is going to that goal, right?”

T

he cheers, the jerseys, the fanatic Facebook statuses: these are all things I will probably never comprehend. I can understand football about as much as I can understand Chinese.

Every Super Bowl, it's the same scenario: me, sitting in a living room feigning camaraderie with fellow fans of the team most admired by those in my proximity. I have compassion for those who share my lack of understanding because the Super Bowl is basically a national holiday, and it’s no fun to be left out of the celebration. After attending this year’s festivities, despite my complete lack of knowledge, I have finally come up with several solid tips for faking fandom that can be applied to basically any sports game or event: Dress the Part Wear a jersey or t-shirt of your "favorite team," paired with jeans or cut-off shorts. If you're a girl, avoid the pink, bedazzled jerseys that are made to represent your femininity rather than the actual team color.

You want to show your genuine support (wink wink) but don't want to look like you’re trying too hard. You might look like a poser—or even worse, give a true fan the impression that you actually know what you're talking about. That brings me to my

Football: • “So, Eli Manning doesn’t play defense?”

• “What happens if both teams score a touchdown at the same time?”

• “What’s a Tebow?”

GRAPHIC BY JESSICA SHAW ’15 next point.

Only Have Conversations During Commercials When the game is on, just pretend to be totally absorbed.

Chances are, most people around you actually care about the plays and what is going on. Stay away from sports commentary or you might blow your cover. Commercials, unlike the game, can be easy subjects of conversation for anyone. You will give the people around you the illusion that you are participating in the full experience, and thereby will avoid drawing attention to your athletic oblivion.

Imitate Echo and mirror the fans around you. When the people

around you cheer, cheer. When they protest and whine, protest and whine. When they jump up and down, jump up and down.

This is an obvious way of showing that you understand the gist of what's going on. To uphold your masquerade, it is important to gain rapport with fellow fans by participating in unarticulated hype.

Embrace the Snacks Food is part of the American sports experience. Having some wings in front of you is patriotic and characteristic of a wholehearted fan. Enjoying the snacks around you gives people the impression that you're engaged and understand what's going on. It's a fool's paradise.

Beware Faking fandom is risky.

Real sports fans tend to be bothered by those who do it. If you do blow your cover, you risk disrespecting the team, its fans, and in some cases an American tradition. You also risk looking like an idiot. While pretending to be dedicated to a team can be effective for the sake of participating in a fun event, if you want to have a genuinely enjoyable experience, you might want to consider reading a beginners’ guide to the respective sport. You don't have to become an expert, but if you at least familiarize yourself with the game, you will be able to participate and not feel like a fool about it.

Baseball: • “I only watch them when they’re winning.”

• “Which team is wearing the white costumes?”

• “He shoots, he scores!”

• “Look, they scored a point!”

Hockey: • “What inning is it?”

• “Touchdown!”

• “The players need to stop fighting so much.”

Soccer: • “I didn’t know they played this game in America!”

• “Wait, is that the Calvin Klein model?”

The Wrong Side of the Bed Sleep. It is what we all long for. It is what we rarely get.

Forced to get up at a time when it’s unclear whether it is night or day, there is little hope for a high school student to get the sleep necessary. Yet, somehow teachers still find the nerve to yell for sleeping in their classes.

What is the world coming to?

Just so there is no misunderstanding, this is not a rant; I’m just cranky.

This is backed by scientific research. Most people are aware of the fact that teens need approximately nine and a quarter hours of sleep each night. However, according to the Sleep Foundation only 15 percent of teens were reported to be getting just eight and a half hours.

And it’s not our fault that we can’t get that sleep. Emma Tolkin ’13 explained that the only way to get enough sleep is, “If I go to bed at 9:00 p.m. and skip first period.”

Faculty and parents have an easy solution, right? Get to sleep early. What may surprise them is that the Sleep Foundation has proven that sleep patterns for adolescence shift toward later times

for both sleeping and waking up.

That means that it is unnatural to fall asleep before 11:00 p.m.

Check mate.

With that cleared up, can the mystery of why elementary students have a later starting time than high school be solved? Sixyear-old kids don’t need the extra sleep. They have enough energy the way it is. Ask any parent.

But somehow it makes sense for them to get more sleep than high school students. Logic. Got to love it.

To be fair, maybe high school students have grown accustomed to these early starting times.

Maybe it’s not that big of a deal.

That would be a reasonable excuse if it were true.

Students like Ethan Bradeen ’13 have said that, “Absolutely,” school starts too early. Bradeen has also claimed to never be able to focus first period. And has even admitted, “Yes,” he has fallen asleep in class.

It may come to your attention that Bradeen only gave one-word responses. Can you guess why?

He was asked about this first period in the morning. Surprise.

Teachers may also notice a lack of interest during first period. Maybe even a little bit more than lack of interest. Rebecca Stern, a math teacher, has reported catching several students sleeping in her class.

While falling asleep in class obviously doesn’t help learning,

GRAPHIC BY AMY PERELBERG ’15 lack of sleep is also the cause of both irritability and loss of focus.

Not to mention the fact, provided

by Harvard Health, sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory.

Unfortunately, I doubt, “I didn’t get enough sleep” will fly as an excuse for failing a class.

Sucks. I know.

Getting down to business though, there is no reason for school to start as early. It makes students less vigilant, provides a less effective learning environment, and is just annoying.

It is time to take a stand.

Enough getting up before the sun. Enough getting up before elementary kids. Enough not being able to pay attention in class.

Enough is enough.

I challenge Principal John Dodig to do the right thing and support making the starting time later. My initial proposal would be to make it 12:00 p.m. But, that might be a little much.

But, just to help the decision making process along, keep a few study results in mind.

According to Psychology To-

day, a school in Rhode Island that shifted its start time from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. showed several positive outcomes. These outcomes included an increase in attendance, fewer visits by students to the health care center, and mood improvements.

Surprisingly to some, our principal is actually a pretty cool guy. Dodig recognizes that 7:30 a.m. is not an ideal starting time at all and that changing it could help.

However, Dodig also brought to light several problems with changing the start time. “The same fleet of buses is used for all schools, if we started any later, elementary school children wouldn't be able to start their day until close to nine o'clock,” stated Dodig Anybody could see the dilemma that puts Dodig in. But, guess what? I have a solution.

Instead of shifting the elementary, middle, and high school start times later, just switch them. I’m willing to be selfish at this point. I have been up too late and had to wake up too early too many times.

We need the sleep. And what ever happened to sharing is caring? The elementary school had their turn with later start times.

Now it’s our turn.

Sorry.

With that to chew on, I just have one thing left to ask: Can I go back to bed?

FEATURES

8

February 17, 2012

NIGHT SCHOOL

ELIZA LLEWELLYN ’14 Staff Writer

W

hen most students are rushing from class to class and working on tests and quizzes, Sam Tavarnesi ’12 is working a job. Tavarnesi balances a position at a Yacht Club and Pottery Barn with attending the Westport Wilton Evening School, an alternative to traditional high school that meets from 5:30-8:30 p.m., four nights per week.

The night school is a littleknown path available to students in Westport and Wilton. For roughly 16 kids in junior or senior year who struggle with the traditional high school route but want to obtain a Staples diploma, night school is an option.

“Graduating becomes something that is possible,” said Principal John Dodig.

According to Director James Coleman, the school was founded about 30 years ago.

“It was designed for students who do well in smaller, individualized settings,” Coleman said.

The school is different from the stressful, nonstop Staples environment. During the day, students work jobs, which count as credits in the program. Tavarnesi, for example, works at the Saugatuck Yacht Club and Pottery Barn.

“It allows students to find a niche,” said Victoria Capozzi, a guidance counselor. Cooper Yurkiw ’12, who also attends the program, is an aspiring chef who works at a small sandwich shop during the day. “[The job]’s done wonders

for me,” said Yurkiw. “Not only has it taught me the value of money, but it has taught me people skills and task management.”

Sarah Wiles ’12 works at Swizzle’s frozen yogurt in tandem with the night school course. Wiles admitted that the combination of a job and school can be tiring, but said that she enjoys her work.

“It keeps me out of trouble and keeps my day more interesting,” said Wiles.

A working environment paired with a non-traditional school program suits a small minority of students for whom traditional school at Staples is not the right fit.

“Staples was not quite the school for me,” Wiles said. “I was getting called down to Ms. Morgan’s office pretty much every day.”

Al Nakas, an art teacher at the school, acknowledges that there can be some challenges when working with the kids, who may be dealing with personal issues or present a disciplinary challenge. However, he believes that the students merely need

the personal attention the program provides.

Each year, a handful of students transition to this alternative educational program.

Students who are consistently failing, missing class, or displaying behavioral problems meet personally with Dodig to discuss the possibility of attending night school.

Night school can be taken for two years, beginning junior year. According to Capozzi, the program offers more individualized attention to students’ grades and overall behavior.

The program meets four nights per week, each night covering a different subject – math, English, science or social studies.

“You walk into class knowing what you are going to be doing that night,” said Wiles, who finds the schedule of the program to be more manageable.

In art class, Nakas forgoes a strict lesson plan for a more relaxed approach.

“I have one boy who is difficult to get motivated,” Nakas said. “But I gave him some gimp

PHOTO BY ELIZA LLEWELLYN ’14 and he just started weaving and talking. He actually produced something and felt good about it.”

There is no homework for the night school program, which makes graduating a more achievable goal.

Inklings was interested in visiting the evening school in order to learn more about the structure of the program. However, Coleman declined permission due to privacy issues.

For students who may have struggled academically at Staples, the evening school program also provides more individualized attention, with about two teachers per eight students, according to Yurkiw.

However, there can be disparities among academic levels, even in such a small group.

“The class ranges from students that never passed Algebra 1 to students that are more advanced in math,” Wiles said.

Night school is a last resort for helping struggling students get through high school. Without this opportunity, a small contingent of students would be unable

to graduate.

“I really wasn’t putting much effort in at Staples,” said Tavarnesi, who finds the night school a better fit. Tavarnesi believes he was not on track to graduate.

“It would have been so much more difficult [without night school],” Tavarnesi said.

The program is for the few students who need another option.

“The kids are not bad kids,” said Yurkiw. “Some may have had some problems, but they are just there to graduate and move on in life.”

Yurkiw hopes to take a gap year after finishing night school, then continue to culinary school.

According to Nakas, many students show interest in pursuing a college degree after participating in the program.

For most at Staples, it seems these students live a separate, unseen life. But despite the difference in curriculum and time, both groups are working towards the same goal.

“There is nothing more valuable than a Staples High School diploma,” Dodig said.

Survivor Juniors Begin College Process CHLOE BAKER ’13 Web Opinions Editor With the arrival of second semester, seniors have taken a collective deep breath and released academic stress. Tweets about the wonders of being a second-semester senior have invaded Twitter.

Statuses on Facebook proclaiming colleges seniors have been accepted to and incessant congratulatory wall posts are a frequent sight.

However, as seniors begin to relax and feel done with the college process, juniors are at the height of their stress and feel pressured at the thought of beginning the whole “college process.”

“I feel jealous every time I see a senior not study for a big test or come to class late with a muffin in hand and excuse themselves by saying that they’re already into college,” said Alec Maki ’13.

“While all these seniors are done I haven’t even taken the SATs yet.”

Many students, like Maki, feel anxiety due to not having started the college process already while noticing that many of their peers have. Some of these students have begun flooding the guidance de-

partment and have sought out their guidance counselors for help.

“A lot of unknowns can account for all the nervousness. Juniors are sponges absorbing the nerves around them,” said guidance counselor PJ Washenko.

“Just put your best foot forward, take a deep breath, and take your own path.”

Seniors who have already been accepted into college are viewed by some as a good source of advice for the college process and senior year as a whole. Whether it’s information about the school they’re attending or standardized testing tips, some juniors find seniors to be the best source of information.

“My main tip for juniors would be to definitely get a college counselor as soon as possible,” said Anya Rosen ’12. “Also, start taking the SATs or ACTs as early as possible so you have a lot of testing information to give you an idea of where you can go.”

Every year in mid-January, the guidance department holds “Junior Parent Night” in order to aid and inform parents about the process of making post secondary

plans. They also hold other events, such as the College Panel Night in May where admissions officers from colleges come to speak about the process as well.

“Along with the programs at guidance, we work hard to train students in Naviance in December of their junior year so they can really start considering colleges,” said Susan Fugitt, a counselor at the College and Career Center.

Though many students feel overwhelmed with beginning the college process, many juniors who have older siblings who have experienced the process feel that they have benefited greatly from going through it with them. From visiting a plethora of colleges to helping formulate ideas for application essays, younger siblings have experienced the process vicariously through their elder siblings.

“I wish I had been able to see an older sibling go through the entire process before me,” said Katie Saveliff, a freshman at Duke University who graduated from Staples in the class of 2011. “Because I didn’t, I was really eager to start the feeling because I felt as if I hadn’t been exposed to enough

PHOTO BY CHLOE BAKER ’13 MENTOR: Teacher Susan Fugitt helps Danielle Williams ’13 prepare for her post secondary plans. colleges since I am the oldest in my family.”

Maddie Saveliff ‘13, sister of Katie, feels that she is extremely fortunate because she learned a lot about what she wants and does not want in regards to college just from watching her older sister go through the process. Saveliff said that her parents, too, learned a lot from going through it before and now know how to handle themselves throughout the college process.

Though many believe that having an older sibling does make surviving the college search much more bearable, students who don’t have that luxury find the guidance department and the College and Career Center to be extremely helpful. Fugitt cites the most important piece of advice to keep in mind is “to stay calm throughout the process and remember that no matter what, there’s a school out there for everyone.”

Features

Inklings /Febuary 17, 2012/ Inklingsnews.com

9

Hours Away, but a World Apart

The Lessons Learned by Italian Exchange Student

RACHEL GUETTA ’13 News Editor

L

uca Caputo ’12 is seated casually in a wooden chair that has lost its shine.

He laughs quietly as he tries to cut his orange with a plastic knife. It’s a struggle.

He carefully separates the insides from the rind and apologizes for the citrus smell.

The 18-year-old has embraced his temporary home in full by adorning his iPhone and messenger bag with American flags, though his accent and European-flared clothing reveal an Italian background.

Caputo comes from Vico del Gargano, Italy, a small town three hours east of Rome.

Since his arrival in Westport on Sept. 8, Caputo has been adapting to America as an exchange student. He is living with the Shuken family, Westporters with a 12-yearold son and daughter Camille Shuken ’15.

He is here to learn English and will return to Italy at the end of the school year.

“Everybody speaks about America, everyone thinks America is a dream: ‘America is the city where you are free, you can do what you want.’ It’s not like that—America has a lot of rules.”

Playing by these rules has presented some difficulty to Caputo. A seven-hour school day is a drastic change from being in classes six days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“One time, I skipped one hour of school when the lunch schedule changed. I didn’t even know I did, and someone from school called home. In Italy, I skipped 40 days.

Four, zero,” Caputo said with a nostalgic chuckle, “and nobody called my house. I just missed an hour here, and they call. I was like, what the hell?”

Caputo believes the high school experience in Italy to be wildly different than in America. Instead of learning a wide range of subjects like in America, Italians have specialized high schools—ones that focus on philosophy or sciences, others that focus

on language or music.

Additionally, students are kept in the same classroom with the same classmates for all five years of high school.

“Here you can’t make friendships as easily because you keep changing rooms.

There, the teachers are the ones that switch around. When you are with the same people for five years, you become like family,” Caputo said.

He believes America should find middle ground, a balance between the freedom in Italy and the rules in America. He values education and studies hard but prioritizes family, friends, and mental health over school.

“Everybody here is always about work.

Work, work, work. This is the best age of your life. School is important, but fun is important too,” Caputo said.

Living in America has been a culture shock.

Despite the fact that 12-year-olds can’t buy cigarettes and the drinking age is five years older, the most notable difference between his homeland and America has been the people.

“A m e r i c a n people are very cold,” Caputo said.

Within Caputo’s first two weeks, 700 Staples students added him as a friend on Facebook. But only three or four of these people actually talked to him. Caputo is upset by this and misses the warmth he felt in Italy.

Caputo isn’t alone.

Jessica Araujo ’14 moved to America from Brazil at the beginning of the year as well, although she is here permanently. She explained that people from other countries have an impression of America based on movies. Araujo referenced “Mean Girls,” infamous for its heartless and conniving characters. “[The people here] are nicer than what I thought because I thought they were going to be terrible, but they’re not as nice as

“Everybody here is always about work.

Work, work, work.

This is the best age of your life. School is important, but fun is important too.”

– Luca Caputo ’12

• Vico del Gargano, Italy

GRAPHIC CONTRIBUTED BY WIKIPEDIA FAR FROM HOME: Caputo ’12 comes from Vico del Gargano, a town in Italy outside of Rome.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY LUCA CAPUTO ‘12 WESTPORT MEETS ITALY : Luca Caputo ’12 is a familiar face around Staples, as he has made America his temporary home for the past semester.

people from Brazil,” Araujo said.

Araujo said that she’s never met someone from another country who didn’t think America was “like a completely different world.”

But it goes both ways—just as American students seem foreign to non-American students, non-American students seem foreign to American students.

“Yes, I’m different, but I’m like you.

I like what you like. People think I come from another planet, like the moon. I’m just from Italy, it’s 10 hours away,” Caputo said. “Some people say, ‘Oh, your big scarf.’

What’s wrong with my big scarf?”

Caputo added that his scarf and the rest of his clothing is not simply Italian: “It’s not European style, it’s Luca style.”

As he finishes up his orange, Caputo reflects on the social dynamic in Westport versus in Italy. For him, it’s been difficult to adjust to the slower pace, as he is used to living in a big city.

“We don’t spend time at home in Italy.

We’re always out in the city, in the squares.

We talk a lot. We’ll say stupid stuff, but we just speak,” Caputo said. “Here, people are just on the laptop, on the iPhone, on the new Macbook Air.” There, after finishing homework at 4:00 p.m., latest, Caputo and his friends will go out to discos and clubs, and get back anytime between 11:00 p.m. and midnight.

“We’re a group of 25 boys, just boys.

But these 25 boys are like brothers—they are all the same to me. In Italy, people go around with groups of 35, 40 people. We are a lot of fun. We are more chill,” Caputo said.

The language barrier has been another facet to adjust to. Caputo finds himself inadvertently silenced by others in group settings when he struggles to find words.

“I miss the words, and sometimes it’s annoying. I can’t explain how I feel,” Ca-

puto said, pointing to his heart.

Other times, it’s simply the mannerisms that get lost in translation.

“This girl, we were texting on the phone, and she was very weird, very creepy.

I told her ‘I cannot understand you,’ meaning her way, her mind, and she said, ‘It’s OK, I can use Google Translate.’ She just did not understand me.”

He stays rooted by communicating with his family and Italian friends via Skype. He misses his parents and his best friend Vincenzo Speranzoso, especially.

From both ends of the globe, this distance is difficult.

“For me he is my brother; we share everything together. I can’t wait anymore.

I wish he was over here right now, but at the same time, I am happy for him and his beautiful experience,” Speranzoso said.

“When your best friend leave you and he goes far away, part of your heart is empty.”

The two boys communicate regularly and speak about each of their separate lives.

Caputo acknowledges that assimilating as an exchange student presents challenges he’s never had to face before. Aruajo agrees that moving to a different country changes a person completely, “it makes you grow,” she said.

“It’s difficult, but I survive. I wake up every single morning and I say, ‘I’m strong.’

This is the best experience of my life because everyday I learn new things, I meet new people, I learn new culture.”

Despite all the difficulties of assimilating into a new school, a new town, a new country, and a new culture, Caputo is proud to be here, proud to be in America.

“If someone asks me if I’d want to go back to Italy, I’d say no—I want to finish my experience here. I have a lot more to learn.

I’ll go back to Italy and I’ll be very proud,” Caputo said, “I like America, I just say it’s hard. It’s hard and it’s different.”

10 Features

Inklings /February 17, 2012/ Inklingsnews.com

An Expensive Dream

The Role of Finance in College Selection

CALLIE AHLGRIM ’13 Social Media Specialist

T

he difficult part is done, the application process long over. An excited group of seniors have gotten into the college of his or her dreams.

But as more students get acceptances from colleges, a problem arises.

For many of them, these ideal universities may still be out of reach.

According to The New York Times, the cost of college tuition and board rose 439% between 1982 and 2007. The price of college now averages an astounding $50,000 a year.

A senior may have achieved the impossible and been accepted to his or her top choice, but if this top choice is also a top 100 school in the country, there is a very low chance that it’s one of the 20 that are public. In addition, there is an even lesser chance that it’s in-state and therefore cheaper to attend.

For Jayne Bryer ’12 and her twin sister, whose brother will also be beginning law school next fall, the cost of three tuitions is certainly an issue.

“Muhlenberg and Sarah Lawrence are my top two. But Sarah Lawrence is the most expensive liberal arts school in the country,” Bryer said.

She explained her wish for financial aid, which will hopefully cushion the economic burden.

A student will apply to what

“Every parent wants to be able to offer their child every opportunity in the world.”

– William Plunkett he or she refers to as a “safety” because of his or her high probability of being accepted. A safety used to be a simple concept.

But in recent years, a new term has been born; William Plunkett, a guidance counselor here at Staples, defines a “financial safety” as a school that is “not only somewhere where you can get in but also somewhere that you know you can pay for.”

Despite the fortunate circumstances the citizens of Westport live in, not everyone can escape fiscal problems.

According to another senior, who was granted anonymity, many of her friends are considering a financial safety school instead of a top choice because of money.

If students are considering finances in their decision, it’s usually rooted in the view of their parents, who have a huge influence on their kids’ decisions.

However, for some families, the more expensive schools are still worth attending.

“My parents really want me to go to a school I want to go to,

and worry about the money later,” Bryer said. She acknowledges the threat of future debt but would rather enroll in a university that she knows she’ll love.

However, some students don’t feel quite so confident.

“I feel like I’m changing my top choice to a less expensive one because I know that’s what my parents would want,” Meghan Hill ’12 said.

If a parent is concerned about the price of college, it stands to reason that their child will begin to feel the same way.

“Every parent wants to be able to offer their child every opportunity in the world,” Plunkett said. “But sometimes the reality is that forking over $240,000 or whatever it might be for four years’ tuition just might not be possible.”

The anonymous source agreed that it “definitely made it more difficult for me to find a school, knowing I was on a budget with my parents.” She said she chose to apply to mostly safeties because of the low tuition costs.

Despite the “touchy” nature of this subject, Plunkett says that more students than one might think are going for more inexpensive colleges. He says that as a guidance counselor, he recommends this choice to a lot of students.

It’s important for every student to have an open mind when

Dear S tu

d ent,

Congratu lation s! You

hav eb Dream ee na S cce c h We hop pt e yo o o uw l USA ed to ill c h oo . s please s e to end a

ccep the t this in che vitation. If ck t you d Also list o o a ed b ddr elo e ss b e wa l o w with the Tuition r e l i sted a is du the mou eb cos efo ts fo nt. re e r the y ear for tuit nro i on, bo llm ent. oks. ..etc

Sinc ere ly, Steve Bob bin Dire s ctor of A dmi ssio

ns

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPͳ TON ’15

it comes to school. A college may not be a top choice, but it could still offer scholarship opportunities, internships, and other exciting programs, he said.

Plunkett encourages students to consider that when it comes to a financial safety, there “might be more to it than just the money.”

Top 10 most expensive colleges While some adults may remember when college tuition was under $2,000 per year, times have changed, and now each of the most expensive collegest are over $55,000 per year according to CBS Money Watch.

Sarah Lawrence College $59,170 Landmark College $57,330 New York University $56,787 Columbia U. School of Gen. Studies $56,310 Harvey Mudd College $56,268 Wesleyan University $56,006 Claremont McKenna College $55,865 Johns Hopkins University $55,742 Berklee College of Music $55,615 Barnard College $55,566

Features

Inklings /Febuary 17, 2012/ Inklingsnews.com

11

The Brains Behind The Pageants CHEYENNE HASLETT ’13 Web News Editor Most people commonly associate the title “Beauty Queen” with a contest for the prettiest smile, the most glamorous makeup, or the most impressive strut while clad in a swimsuit— yet these connotations may leave the most important aspect of pageantry out: the humanitarian role.

“Everyone tries to help his or her community, and this is our way of helping,” said Jasmine Henry ’13, a pageant contestant since the age of 8 and a winner of five titles.

Henry currently reigns as Miss Teen Connecticut International, but her experience in pageantry has been far from what the nation watches on “Toddlers and Tiaras,” a show that exposes the realities of certain children’s pageants.

What most don’t know, Henry explained, is that winning a pageant means accepting a title, and that this title gives one the chance to “advocate a platform,” or use that title to address a problem and attempt to fi x it.

Henry has addressed eating disorders and binge drinking during her reign, and has had the chance to work with Positive Directions, a non-profit organization which, according to their mission statement, provides communities in Southwestern Connecticut with prevention programs and treatment services for mental health and addictive behaviors.

“I think it’s offensive when people think pageantry is just about beauty,” said Henry.

There may be a glam factor to pageantry, but Henry believes there are many more important

factors that play roles in her attachment to pageantry. For one, Henry has seen the beneficial power that a title can have on the kids she is trying to help.

In addition to working with Positive Directions, Henry frequently volunteers at hospitals.

It is in those halls that Henry sees the real impact of pageantry. “When you go to a children’s hospital and you walk in with your bag of stuffed animals and books, and you just see their faces, and the reactions, and

“Pageantry teaches you to handle not being successful, and it’s taught me that if I try my hardest, that’s good enough for me.”

– Sara Andros ’12 how they feel when you let them try on the crown, you know that you made their day just a little bit better, and that makes a difference to me,” said Henry.

In two years of pageantry, Sara Andros ’12 has also grown attached to its not-commonlyknown components.

Originally interested in pageants as a tool to better her public speaking skills and self confidence, Andros has come to a conclusion that while people are not familiar with what takes place after the contests are done.

Andros may only compete once every two months or so, but her contributions to as pageantare far more time consum-

d in ing. Andros has participated ized pageants that have organized areparades for breast cancer awareness or arranged walks for multiple sclerosis. eves Andros, like Henry, believes pageantry is misunderstood..

“I hate Toddlers and Tiareves as,” said Andros, who believes tenthat the TV show pays no attention to interview sections or the platforms. ros’s For example, in Andros’s d to last contest she was asked comment on Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Middle Eastern woman who en’s’ has strived to defend women’s’ rights in Islamic societies. oves While Andros disapproves ntry, of certain parts of pageantry, such as the costumes and the pageants that don’t require interviews or platforms, she has kills, gained confidence, social skills, obby and life lessons from a hobby eaucommonly written off as a beauty contest. u to “[Pageantry] teaches you handle not being successful, and it’s taught me that if I try my h for hardest, that’s good enough me,” said Andros. mfort She believes this comfort ther aspect transfers to many other parts of her life, including her academic studies.

When pageantry came around, Andros became more outgoing, more outspoken, and more confident in school.

Another way Andros has linked pageantry to her academic life is through the college process.

Andros described how pageant contestants often deal with harsh judgments or losses in one phrase: “different judges different day,” a wise statement that can easily be applied to college rejections.

Beth Andros, Andros’s

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SARA ANDROS ’12 AND JASMINE HENRY ’13

TIME TO SHINE Sara Andros ’12 and Jasmine Henry ’13 show off their dresses and intelect on their big day. mother, also believes pageantry has given Andros a leg-up in the college process, an opinion that has come full circle since Andros fi rst asked her mother if she could try pageantry.

Originally, Beth Andros had premeditated ideas on pageants, based on the bad reputations they can receive from the media.

But after Beth Andros saw her daughter’s fi rst pageant and the work that went into it, including preparation for public

speaking, improvement on her posture so she could be poised at all times, and the development of exceptional presentation skills, Beth Andros was “amazed.”

Now, Beth Andros completely supports her daughter, and gives partial credit to pageantry for her daughter’s acceptance into college. “[Pageantry] has positively affected her future,” said Andros’s mother.

Families Unite Teachers and their kids walk the same halls HĆēēĆč FĔđĊĞ ’14 Opinions Editor

S

even a.m.—Katelyn Farnen ’14 walks into Staples High School with her textbookfilled bag on her back and her dad, Assistant Principal James Farnen, by her side. Katelyn is one of approximately six students who has a parent that calls Staples their workplace.

Katelyn, who is new to Staples this year, said that having her father work at her school has made her transition much easier.

“The pros are that he’s always there for me if I need anything,” she said. “Whether it’s lunch money or a ride home, he’s always looking out for me, which really means a lot.”

Farnen said that he loves sharing Staples with his daughter. “Staples is such a wonderful school, and I am happy that she wanted to come here and that she is able to enjoy a learning environment that is so special,” he said. Farnen went on to say that while he rarely sees Katelyn during the day, “It is nice when I do, either to chat for a second or to tell her good luck prior to a game or a big test.”

According to Katelyn, having an AP as a father does not come without its share of funny situations. “When we had the Japanese drumming assembly my dad had to get up in front of everyone and quiet them down. I just remember the whole auditorium clapping for him and everyone sitting around me stared at me when he did, so it was weird thinking ‘that’s my dad,’” she said.

She also added that it was strange to watch her father be interviewed on “Good Morning Staples.” “It was weird sitting in class and watching him on the screen as an Assistant Principal and not as my dad,” she said.

Katelyn said that there are a few negative aspects to having a parent work at Staples. “He can find out my grades before I do, which could be good or really bad,” she said. “People also have made jokes about me being favored by teachers, which get’s pretty annoying, but overall, my experience with him being at school with me has been very positive.”

Farnen agrees that while he is extremely happy to have Katelyn at Staples, there are a few downsides. “I want her to experi-

ence high school without any additional attention or pressure that comes with being a young woman in high school. Having her dad as an AP in the school will unfortunately increase both of those,” he said. “Katie and I both knew this was the case prior to her making the decision to transfer to Staples and it comes with the territory.”

Ann Didelot, a Staples math teacher, can relate to Farnen’s

“Whether it’s lunch money or a ride home, he’s always looking out for me, which really means a lot.”

– Katelyn Farnen ’14 situation as her daughter, Sarah Malanoski ’13, attends Staples.

Didelot says that working at her daughter’s school can sometimes cause an overlap between her schedules as a mother and as a teacher. “Working at Sarah’s school can be a bit of a disadvantage because during Back to

School night I don’t get to meet Sarah’s teachers, but I still love being here for the kids in my classes,” she said.

Didelot claims that working at Staples not only affects her daughter, but it can both help and hinder her correspondence with Malanoski’s teachers.

“It’s an advantage that I have easy communication with them, but to some degree it’s harder because I’m working the same hours that they are,” she said.

Malanoski said that having Didelot at Staples is surprisingly convenient.

“If I ever mess up, like a late permission slip or I need her to talk to a teacher, she’s there. I can go to her whenever I need her,” she said.

Malanoski also said that there are certain advantages of having a parent who is a teacher.

“There’s always those little perks that you would never think of.

For example, getting driven to school with prime parking in the staff lot when I was a freshman and sophomore,” she said.

Similar to Katelyn Farnen, Malanoski can remember a few funny situations that involved her mom. “One really awkward

situation was when I was a freshman and my mom subbed for the class. I had no idea how to handle myself. We acted completely normal, and most people did not even know we were related, as we go by different last names, so nothing major happened. She did however, come over to tell me, ‘Pick your brother up from the bus,’ while pretending to help me with a worksheet,” she said.

Didelot claims that the most important part about being a teacher at Malanoski’s school is keeping a distinction between her personal and professional life. “I’ve taught a lot of Sarah’s friends and they have slept over at our house,” she said, “And depending on the person, it makes some students feel comfortable and some uncomfortable because I know them outside of the classroom.”

Didelot says that being a teacher at Staples is relatively easy. “Staples students are very respectful students and they know where the boundaries are,” she said. These boundaries, however, exclude the occasional math-question texts that Malanoski receives from her friends and passes on to her mother.

12

Features Inklings/February 17, 2012/ Inklingsnews.com

Skeptics

A Look into the Mind of Atheists SIMON STRACHER ’14 Staff Writer

G

od is dead.

Or at least that’s the opinion of Cole De Monico ’13.

“How could God be the source of all human morality when he has, several times, betrayed his own commandments?” asks De Monico. “Can God make a rock that he can’t lift?”

These are the types of questions many Staples students grapple with today.

Atheism is the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. Throughout history, atheists have been persecuted and victimized, most famously in the Middle Ages.

In recent times, however, as strict religious beliefs have waned, atheism has become more prevalent.

According to a Gallup Poll, in 1948 only 5% of people in the United States said they had no religious identity, while that number increased to 11 percent in 1990 and 16 percent in 2011. Atheism’s growth is especially apparent among younger people.

While legal and social discrimination of atheists is common (A recent study by researchers at the University of Minnesota involving a pool of over 2,000 households found that atheists were the most distrusted of all minorities), in Westport students who are atheists do not have that problem.

“I would be met with more skepticism and suspicion were I to come out as a devout Christian,” said Melanie Mignucci ’13, a committed atheist. De Monico agrees.

“My friends were mostly atheist.

They were largely unsurprised and happy that I had seen their light,” he said.

Neither of Mignucci’s parents are religious, or attempted to raise her with religion.

However, she stated that she was raised to appreciate her Jewish heritage and also had a knoowledge of the symbols of Christianity and other religions, but did not attened church nor temple. She decided on her own that she had no use for the ritualistic aspects of religion because “the spiritual benefits of religion don’t necessarily have to be contextualized within an organized religion.”

De Monico went to church from an early age and was Christian until he was around 13, or 14, around the same time that he was confirmed.

His mother is an atheist, while his father is a born-again Christian, “though not the crazy type; he’s a Protestant.”

DeMonico began to “think on a deeper level at that age, so I contemplated some of the tenants of Christianity, like good and evil, [and] the existence of a higher power and fate.”

This led him to embrace atheism.

“Everyone is capable of being themselves and deciding what is right for them.”

– Mike Moritz ’14 Mike Moritz ’14, a recent convert to atheism from Judaism, also stated that his conversion resulted from a desire to think for himself.

Moritz stated that he takes issue with people who believe in a religion to such extent that they label anyone who disagrees with their beliefs as wrong.”

“Everyone is capable of being themselves and deciding what is right for them,” he said.

Most students’ parents accept their children’s choices to reject religion.

“I never made a point of telling them because they don’t care,” said Mignucci. Molly Rubridge ’13, who was raised as Roman Catholic and her parents are Roman Catholics, said, “They were totally fine with it, and understand that it is a personal choice.” While atheism may still be a taboo topic in the majority of America, it is accepted, perhaps even encouraged here in Westport.

Atheistic students have relatively the same view on God and religion in general, and it is generally not very positive. Mignucci believes that religion has been used to oppress

non-believers, while the spiritual benefits of religion can be embraced without embracing religion.

De Monico is a little more disparaging towards religion. He says: “A Christian sermon [is] little more than a guy in a robe shouting about his imaginary friend.”

While most atheistic students are critical of religion, they understand why people turn to it.

“Christianity has a good way of explaining why bad things happen to good people without any reasonable explanation. It makes sense out of chaos,” says agnostic Charlotte Smith ’12, whose mother used to be Catholic and whose father is Episcopalian. co agrees. “The The afDe Monico thing somebody tells terlife is something himself so he wouldn’t fear death ve something to look and would have forward.” so believes Moritz also ing other that respecting fs and not people’s beliefs heism too expressing atheism ers is imporstrongly to others tant. heist is awe“Being Atheist inion. I love some in my opinion. espect people it and while I respect igion I would who follow religion like to gently enlighten people that religion iss not always d. right,” he stated. urprise that t ha at It is no surprise many Stapless students are speaking out about their beliefs, ass the majority of atheists are younger a group poll and, as a Barna fluent. found, more affluent. urprise that It is no surprise many Staples students are speaking out about their beliefs, ass the majority of atheists aree younger and, oup poll found, as a Barna group more affluent. ience in West“My experience n me that people, port has shown ect differences of regenerally, respect ligion,” said Mignucci. The fact udents feel comthat Staples students fortable doing so is a sign of the changing timess and attitudes rem. If God is garding atheism. dead, atheism is alive and ng in Westwell and thriving port.

Inklings Religion Survey What is your relgious preference?

Does Staples have faith?

Inklings surveyed students to determine what kids think about God and religion at Staples.

Do you pray regularly?

Protestant 9% No religion 23% Roman Catholic 29 %

Another Religion 20 % Jewish 19 %

35 65 %

YES

%

NO

Have you at church or sy in the last s days?

66

%

NO

# polled: 187

# polled 197

# polled: 193

Features

Inklings /Febuary 17, 2012/ Inklingsnews.com

13

Believers

The religiously devout SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15 Staff Writer hen midterms came around this year, Anais Mitra ’14 added another thing to her to-do list: pray. Pray to do well on the exam.

When offered drugs, Alye Pollack ’15, has her response ready: no. No because the Bible instructs that drugs are sinful.

And Sean Driscoll ’15 doesn’t stress when he has to make a tough decision.

“I know I have my religion on my side,” he said.

According to a national study on teenagers and religion, around 71 percent feel some sort of close relationship with God. Informally, a poll done on about 200 Staples students shows that 60 percent believe in God. However, only 35 percent of students pray regularly.

Some Staples students’ religious beliefs are more apparent than others. Amereen Anand ’13 practices Sikhism, a belief originating in northwestern India.

A major pillar of this religion is the belief that everything God gives all beings is a gift, so altering is not an option.

This includes cutting hair.

Anand’s hair, at this point, has grown to about one and half to two feet. She feels proud when people ask about it.

“I like to know other people are interested,” Anand said. Sikhism, she said, keeps her grounded. “It makes me who I am,” she said.

Sometimes, it’s what you don’t see Hamza Khan ’12 doing that represents his religion.

During Ramadan, Khan may choose not to eat lunch.

The traditional Islamic holiday requires one to fast for a whole month. So at times, Khan will sit in the lunchroom, at a table with his friends who are eating everything from pasta to paninis, and he eats noth-

W

ing. However, describing himself as not being that observant, Khan said he sometimes chooses to ignore the dictates of his religion and eat lunch anyways.

Hamza said that living in an area like Westport has a large impact on how religious he is.

Instead of doing the usual five prayers a day, which he might do if he lived a predominantly Islamic country, Khan might only pray once in the morning, and once at night.

“Over here I’m not that religious, probably because I’m surrounded by people who aren’t that religious and I just wanted to fit in,” he said.

Similar to Hamza, Shweta Lawande ’12, who is Hindu, has molded the traditional beliefs of her faith to what she calls a “hybrid religion.” She was raised in the United States and has traveled quite a bit. Seeing all the different cultures led her to her own conclusion.

“I believe that God and religion are two different things. My personal relationship with my idea of God has helped define me.”

–Jake Landau ’13 “I don’t think people really understand how similar all these religions are,” said Lawande.

“Truly all the religions I’ve ever come in contact with, whether it’s Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam...etc. all preach goodness.”

Lawande says she believes in treating others the way you want to be treated.

This approach to religion is similar to that of many Staples students, who describe religion as more of a morality that helps them live their lives.

“I believe that God and religion are two different things.

My personal relationship with my idea of God has helped define me,” Jake Landau’13 says, “but it is the traditions inherent in my

Jewish religion that serve as a significant portion of my moral compass.”

Religion provides inner guidance, students said, such as deciding whether or not to do drugs, cheat on a test, or have sex.

Nick Massoud ’15 commented that religion is pretty important in his life in just this way.

“I try to help other people because I believe that if you are good to others, good things will also happen to you,” Massoud said.

Some students don’t want to be associated with their personal beliefs.

A few students are afraid they might come off as, as one student put it, “some super religious freak.”

Rev. Alida Ward of Greenfield Hill Congregational Church in Fairfield, Conn. believes that this is pretty common among teenagers, especially here in Fairfield County.

“We live in an area where people don’t talk about religion, and that’s not just kids, but adults as well,” Rev. Ward said. “We don’t practice talking about it.”

However, she said kids are more affected by religion that they realize.

A 17-year-old “tough guy football player” told Rev. Alida, in her words, “the ultimate teenage statement”: he doesn’t believe in God, but he talks to God all the time.

Some high schoolers feel so private about their religion perhaps because Staples is a public high school and is non-denominational. Students are not surrounded with a certain belief, like in a Catholic or Jewish school.

“We are a school that represents all,” said Ms. Gayanilo, a social studies teacher.

It gives the student a sense of belonging, she added.

Staples has policies that guide teachers in how to go about approaching religion in the classroom, preventing them from making any student feel left out.

“Our job is to inform the student,” said James D’Amico, social studies department chair, “but we can never advocate for a particular religion.”

GRAPHIC BY JILLIAN PECORIELLO ’12

Do you believe in God?

ttended ynagogue seven

20%

61%

34

%

YES

YES

NO

19%

NOT SURE # polled: 192

Do you believe in heaven and/or hell?

43% 23% NO YES

30%

NOT SURE # polled: 157

14

A E February 17, 2012

T S BE

A recap of the music industry’s biggest award show

RED CARPET OUTFIT

PERFORMANCE

(Left) Bruno Mars stole the show with a performance of his hit, “Runaway Baby.”

(Right) Jennifer Hudson touched the crowd with her renidition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

I

n an interview before the actual show, country singer Miranda Lambert described the impending Grammys as a night in which the viewers could, “let music heal.” As poetic as this statement was, I was completely expecting this idea to fly out the window as soon as the show began.

Instead, the 2012 Grammys were a culmination of the absolute best artists in the business. There were many memorable moments – both good and bad – throughout the show. Not to mention, Adele had one of the best comebacks I have ever witnessed in my 16 years.

Bruno Mars – “Runaway Baby” I have always loved Bruno Mars, and his James Brown-inspired performance was no exception. From landing a split, to his perfectly synchronized dance moves, there was no better way to kick off the show.

Jennifer Hudson - “I Will Always Love You” Wow. That’s really the only word that truly sums up Hudson’s flawless rendition of “I Will Always Love You”

by Whitney Houston. It brought tears to my eyes, even though I was never particularly fond of Houston. The emotional performance displayed Hudson’s outstanding voice, while reiterating the idea of using music to heal. It was said over and over how much Houston would have loved this year’s Grammys, but more than that, I think that Houston would have been so incredibly moved by the performance.

Beach Boys Make a ‘Comeback’ It started off fine, with Foster the People and Maroon 5 performing Beach Boys’ classics. To my regret, the original Beach Boys joined them on stage and tried to sound like those hip young guys my grandma once fawned over.

Tried and failed, that is. All I’m going to say is that you know your reign as music royalty is over when the people singing your music sound better than you do. Sorry Nana, it’s true.

Rihanna and Coldpay - “Princess of China” I love Rihanna, and I love Coldplay. But together, the two didn’t make such sweet music. While Princess of China is one of my favorite songs, the duet was a little pitchy.

Rihanna and Coldplay are both extremely talented, but all in all I expected better from both.

Nicki Minaj Bringing a Bishop Although I tend to love her music, I’ve come to accept that Nicki Minaj is bizarre. It’s as if she was trying to piss people off by showing up to the Grammys in a wacky outfit and a bishop by her side. What was with that? And don’t even get me started on her performance. I’ve already seen this act with Lady Gaga and I’m not ready to get used to it again.

Adele Sings After Surgery After her recent struggles with a hemorrhage in her throat, I figured Adele would grab one or two Grammys and be on her merry way. Instead, she stole the night. The standing ovation she received after singing “Rolling in the Deep” was enough to make anyone tear up. Adele rocked it. Her outfit was dazzling, her voice was perfection, and she won all six of the categories she was nominated for.

MOMENT Adele, who took home six Grammys over the course of the night, gave a teary speech after winning ‘Best Album’ for “21.” The emotional speech got everyone in the audience on their feet.

WO R

ST

RED CARPET OUTFIT

PERFORMANCE

(Top) Katy Perry gave a dissapointing performance that failed to display any of her vocal talents. (Bottom) Nicki Minaj gave an equally awful performance that tried too hard to acheive the shock-factor.

MOMENT Seeing Chris Brown perform twice was already redundant, but receiving the award for ‘Best R&B Album’ gave Chris Brown undeserved stardom.

PHOTOS REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM MCT CAMPUS

A&E

Inklings /February 17, 2012/ inklingsnews.com

15

PHOTO BY MADISON HORNE ’12

JAMMIN’ OUT: Jake Shore ’13 works on his most recent electronic music creaƟon.

A New Generation of Music

Songwriter Jake Shore ’13 turns to technology SAMMY WARSHAW ’12 A&E Editor

U

nlike many aspiring musicians, Jake Shore ’13 didn’t start making music because he wanted to become “the next big thing.” Instead, Shore simply wanted to have some fun with the genre, experimenting with his craft and trying to be different. In fact, one may argue that Shore represents a whole new music-producing generation, one that is less concerned with becoming a star and more focused on having some fun.

As an 8th grader, Shore

found his inspiration for making music at a Ratatat concert, where he thought to himself, “that’s splendid, I’m going to try to make some music as well.” He started off like every beginning producer does, with terrible music. But, what sets Shore apart from the others is that he was able to stick with it. Shore refused to give up his passion for music producing and was never discouraged by the product that he created.

Michael Holmes ’11, Shore’s friend and a fellow music producer, describes Shore’s focus as one of his strongest qualities. “He’s definitely got talent. He’s better

than I was at his age and seems more focused,” said Holmes. “His music is already starting to grapple with some pretty experiential sound design, which is an element that a lot of young electronic musicians simply don’t possess in their songs.”

This is high praise from a friend who has devoted much of his own life to the art of music production. Shore met Holmes several years back and he credits him as his first mentor, explaining that it was Holmes who gave him the software that would help Shore with his first tracks.

Shore also has acheived mas-

tery in other realms of media, such as filmmaking. A filmmaker by trade, Shore has a multitude of skills with the medium. He has developed the ability to synthesize his two talents into one.

“I made a song earlier this year and ended up being really happy with it, so I threw together a little music video for it. It’s more of just like visuals to go along with the audio. But sometimes if I need audio to go behind something I’m working on, I can make something for it,” he said.

Another friend of Shore’s, Jamie Morgan ’11, believes that Shore represents the wave of pop-

ularity that electronic music has recently endured.

“I think electronic music is close to a new threshold of innovation. I’m not sure what it is, but I think a lot of people are listening to a lot more or less conventional music, which is beginning to really influence popular music.”

Jake is a part of this new “threshold” it seems, and he is just getting started. His music doesn’t sound like the typical West Coast heavy bass thump music that comes out of the mainstream. As Morgan explains, “Jake’s music is light hearted beauty in my opinion. I love it.”

The Rise of Online Media Staff Writer There is a reason that Hulu and Sidereel, two of the most popular online media portals, are currently on the rise. As more students and families struggle to fit their old daily shows into their jam-packed schedule, live television takes a tumble.

“We used to have family nights and all watch TV together, but now that shows are accessible whenever we want, we just watch them on our own instead,” said Siri Andrews ’13.

Fitting TV into Andrews’ schedule used to be a hassle, but now with the convenience of online websites she finds she can watch on her own time. Not only do these websites conveniently fit into schedules, but they also don’t require the journey all the way down the stairs to get to the TV. The thought of having to get up, get resituated on the couch, and then probably get up to find the remote, while trying to regain comfort sounds dreadful when it can all be right in front of you.

“The last thing I want to do is move downstairs when I could easily just watch it on my laptop,” said Andrews.

According to the Nielsen Wire Blog, about 70% of global

Internet users watch videos online. This trend will continue to increase: the online video market grew 13% in 2009 driven by marketing, media events, and the viewer’s choice.

“I watch them on the computer because I’m too lazy and my computer is closest to me,” said Rebecca Bregman ’14, who watches at least four hours of TV a week.

Four hours a week may seem like a while to sit in front of your laptop, but the Nielsen Wire Blog found that most Americans view an average of 5 hours and 47 minutes of video online per week. Indubitably, as more shows reach the Internet, Bregman agrees that she will follow in those footsteps.

About 70% of the global Internet users watch videos online.

The undesirable journey to the couch isn’t the only thing that’s unfortunate about watching shows on an actual television.

“I used to watch my shows on my TV like, “Gossip Girl,” but the commercials always got in the

PHOTO DRAMITIZATION BY ALEX GREENE ’13

JULIA SHARKEY ’13

COUCH POTATO: A teen enjoys a movie on her laptop instead of watching it on the TV, a choice that many teens have been making recently. way, so my computer won,” said Bregman.

A large majority sides with Bregman and Andrews and relies on their computers for enjoyable and easy television. If the television industry wants their viewers back they better make a quick turn around.

“A lot of people would rather watch it on the computer where they can control what’s on, rather

than the TV where they have to flip through the channels,” said Dan Haroun ’12.

It seems nearly impossible to keep up with the rising rates of online television. The newspaper, The Telegraph, found that The Broadcaster, a service that launches online TV service, added 40,000 customers through advertising in just three months.

The majority of those 40

grand customers were originally loyal to them, but suddenly find online media appealing instead.

The disparity between these two approaches seems to be growing smaller as fewer people choose to jump on the living room couch with a nice bowl of popcorn, and more people choose to watch on their computer wherever they want, whenever they want.

16 A&E

Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Hungry for More

‘Hunger Games’ fans anticipate the upcoming movie adaptation KATE BEISPEL ’13 Sports Editor

I

t’s coming to a theater near you March 23, 2012.

“The second I heard they were making a movie, I followed it on every magazine and website I could find,” said Jessica Gross ’15.

“The Hunger Games” trilogy, consisting of “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire,” and “Mockingjay,” has captivated readers across the Staples community. All of them are told through the eyes of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, the chosen representative of her district, forced to participate in an event where representatives must fight until only the strongest survives.

Fans like Gross have turned to every media source for sneak previews in anticipation of the upcoming movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence and John Hutcherson, directed by Gary Ross.

“Basically the only thing that got me through midterms is the movie. I literally watch the trailer every day and look for interviews with the characters,” said Savannah Donahue ’13.

The magnitude of excite-

ment for the release of the movie has stemmed from an obsession steadily created since the release of the first novel by Suzanne Collins in 2008, which held a spot on the New York Times bestseller list for 100 weeks straight.

“I loved the freshness of the idea. The fact that Suzanne Collins was able to write such a gruesome and compelling book fascinated me,” said Gross. “She wasn’t afraid to shock her readers.”

For addicts to the series like Kumi Goto ’12, who feels “emotionally attached” to all the characters, the release of the movie marks months of long awaited anticipation and hype.

“The only thing that got me through midterms is the movie.”

- Savannah Donahue ’13 “My friends and I have a group on Facebook for The Hunger Games,” said Goto. “In the group we post things we find about ‘The Hunger Games,’ plan on going to the premiere together,

and it’s just a fun place to talk about the books.”

Premiere planning is already in motion for the most dedicated.

In keeping with the popular trend of attending midnight movie premieres, as many fans have done for the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series, many “Hunger Games” readers plan on purchasing a 12:00 a.m. movie ticket.

“I am 100 percent seeing the namidnight premiere,” said Donahue. ries The popularity of the series ure. isn’t restricted to purely leisure. ass The Myth and Bible Honors class has read the first book as part of their curriculum, much to thee enjoyment of many student enthusiasts.

“I loved reading the books in class because our discussions gave me a lot of cool insight into the story,” said Myth and Bible student nt Isabel Gasway ’13. “The books oks made me excited about the class ass because we all looked forward d to talking about them and almost ost everyone read ahead.”

As a special event, thee students in the class plan on attending the midnight premiere for the movie together.

Although Collins has put

down her pen and ended the trilogy, popularity has yet to cease.

Ryan Moran ’13, a self proclaimed “original Hunger Games fan” has loaned his copies to meet the insatiable needs of those looking to get their hands on the books.

“More people have asked me to borrow the Hu nger

Games than any other book I own,” he said.

First period on the morning of March 23, expect worn out students, buzzing with post-movie reviews, chugging a cup of coffee on the way to class. To all those attending the premiere, may the odds be ever in your favor.

PHOTOS TAKEN FROM THE OFFICIAL HUNGER GAMES WEBSITE

LET THE GAMES BEGIN: (from top right clockwise) “Hunger Games” character Effie Trinket announces that Katniss Everdeen will be participating in the Hunger Games instead of her sister; Katniss fights in the Hunger Games and faces death; Peeta Mellark banged up after a rough battle; Katniss and Gale Hawthorne converse prior to Katniss being drafted for the games.

Tune In to Staples’ New Music Club Wreckers In Tune booms in its first year of existence ALICIA LOUREKAS ’12 News Editor “Music is a great way to fill the community with energy and happiness,” said the co-president of Wreckers in Tune, Nick Vega ’14.

Wreckers in Tune is a new music club that is composed of a group of Staples students who perform live at different venues in Westport for community service.

“Our mission is to bring happiness to the lives of people that may be suffering from pain, sadness or even boredom,” said Vega.

Students with musical talent and performing interest get the opportunity to touch someone’s

“It’s an awesome thing to be able to share your music with other people.”

–Sam Weiser ’12

life with their music. Eighty students meet every Tuesday and

PHOTOS BY RYDER CHASIN ’14 PLAYING TO THEIR FORTE: (from top left clockwise) Mike Ljundberg ’12, Austin Alianello ’12, and Jackson Ullmann ’14 play alongside one another; Seth Eugley ’14 plays guitar for his peers; Wreckers in Tune smiles for a group photo; Nica Wardell ’15 plays a violin solo. perform once or twice a month to spread their love of music.

Vega used to go to the hospital to visit his grandmother and play the piano for her and other residents at the hospital

to bring them joy. This inspired Vega to create the club at Staples.

“I would look around and just see how happy everyone was, and thought about how great it would be to do this in Westport,”

Vega said.

The club gives musicians a chance to broaden their performing experiences, by playing at local venues, assisted living and nursing homes, and Toquet Hall.

“It provides musicians with performance opportunities in the area, as well as the ability to meet and connect with other Staples musicians,” said piano player Danny Pravder ’12.

“It's an awesome thing to be able to share your music with other people, and it is something that this club really taps into,” said violinist Sam Weiser ’12. “On top of that, the performances are at cool places where you feel really appreciated, so it is just an incredible experience.”

Every type of musical talent is recognized in Wreckers in Tune, and even someone who just has an interest in media and performing can join.

The club has already gotten a warm-welcome from the community. Many venues have begged them to come back and have sent ‘thank you’ letters to the performers for making someone’s day. This kind of appreciation and gratitude is the reason why the club started and continues to grow.

“That feeling is just awesome- when you know that you have made someone's day,” Vega said.

A&E

Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Going the Distance: SARA LUTTINGER ’13 Staff Writer

P

ulsing music vibrates through enormous speakers while thousands of screaming fans push their way to the front of the stage at a concert.

Some people love that deep bass beating inside their chests and the incessant ringing in their ears so much that they are willing to pay thousands of dollars or spend countless hours competing in a contest in order to obtain those concert tickets.

On average, tickets are priced at $60, but when purchased from other resources, such as eBay, Stubhub, Ticketmaster, and TicketsNow, they could skyrocket into the thousands.

Charlotte Feinstein ’12 is well acquainted with the willingness to spend large sums of money for the opportunity to see her obsession, the Jonas Brothers, live. This obsession peaked in the eighth grade when she decided it would be a great idea to bid on Jonas Brothers’ tickets on eBay. “I guess I didn’t understand the concept of eBay or how the bidding worked, so I bid $2,000 on a Jonas Brothers ticket not thinking I would actually have to pay for it,” said Feinstein.

Eventually, her parents found out about the whole situation and were not pleased with

the possibility of having to pay $2,000 for the ticket. In the end it all worked out when the seller reluctantly agreed to let the family off the hook for the ticket. But, there was no happily ever after for Feinstein, who didn’t get the ticket and lost her eBay privileges indefinitely.

However, for Feinstein, the punishment didn’t matter. “I would have done anything to go to their concert and be in the front row. I was completely in love with Nick Jonas, so I was basically blinded by him,” continued Feinstein. There was no fear about her parents’ reaction while purchasing the tickets, as long as Nick Jonas’ face was only an arm’s length away.

Ali Crofts ’12 and Adele Mackey ’12 also used the Internet as a source of getting tickets to a sought after Deadmau5 concert.

But instead of eBay, they worked through the world of Craigslist.

“We weren’t going to pay full price for the tickets, so we went on Craigslist to find a bargain,” said Crofts.

After searching through numerous adds on Craigslist, their wish for cheap tickets was granted. Finding the affordable tickets was crossed off the list and the only remaining task was actually getting the tickets before the concert, five days away.

The seller of the tickets lived

17

Students go to extreme measures to get their hands on concert tickets

in New York City and in order to obtain them they would have to meet up in person. In the end Crofts’ mom met the seller in New York to do the exchange. Once it was completed, Crofts and Mackey were able to snag the $75 tickets and attend the concert, while the rest of their soccer team paid $125 for the same ones weeks earlier.

“Bieber Fever” tends to induce desperate measures for tickets. As it rings through the hearts of Kendall Rochlin ’15, Alexa Davis ’15, Emma Boland ’15, Colby Kranz ’15, and Olivia Lev ’15 one could only imagine their happiness to discover a contest that would allow them to see a Justin Bieber concert made into a movie called, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” just by creating a video.

“We decided to make the video because we love Justin Bieber.

We got a lot of views, so we made more and more videos, and we ended up winning,” Rochlin said.

To them it didn’t matter that they had to spend hours rehearsing, taping, and editing all the videos they created. It was all worth it when they got to see their favorite musician, Bieber, performing in the movie.

Some die-hard fans are willing to do whatever it takes and go to wild extremes in order to have the opportunity to hear their favorite musicians live at a concert.

PHOTO DRAMITIZATION BY MADISON HORNE ’12

THE EXCHANGE: Some students will pay thousands of dollars to get their hands on tickets for their favorite singer.

18

A&E

Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Fairfield’s School of Rock teaches students to embrace their inner rockstar

CLAIRE O’HALLORAN ’13 Web Features Editor

Steps to Creating a Band

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE O’HALLORAN ’13

T

he live music can be heard before one even enters the building. Once inside, the aroma of Subway sandwiches fills the room, from the kids eating dinner before they practice their next song.

Instruments are scattered around the room, along with their owners who casually pluck the strings on their guitar, or lightly drum their broken-in drumsticks. Kids are laughing and talking, but most importantly, they are practicing with their momentary band mates for their upcoming performance.

This is the setting of the jamsession rehearsal for the 7-18 year old kids who are a part of the Fairfield School of Rock music school.

This preparation is all for one of the school’s shows, which features a medley of young musicians who practice long hours to perfect the well loved music of rock and roll legends.

The School of Rock is home to many students with a passion for learning and playing music, particularly rock and roll. Students as young as seven take part in the unique curriculum, and learn songs from past favorite rock and roll bands such as The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles.

Frank Perrouna, The Regional Music Director of the School of Rock, believes that at the school, “We make sure that the kids want to come here.” According to Perrouna, what makes this music school different than others is the program’s stress of getting a “performance-based education.”

Although it is not required, most of the students take part in one of the schools shows for the instrument that they are learning.

The shows feature an assortment of bands, which are a combination of the many students in the school. The performances are full of energy and take place in bars such as Norwalk’s The Black Bear Saloon.

“It’s a great experience to play live for an audience,” said Vidur Nair ’15, a guitarist and bass player. “ You feel like the work that you put into learning all this music actually pays off, and you

READY TO ROCK: (from top left clockwise) A band performs a song for their peers; students from Ludlowe High School, Jared Hahn and Katie Burns, peform with their bandmates at the Highline Ballroom; guitars hang on the wall for School of Rock students to use; a group of students enjoys a snack break during their jam sesson; Bethany Fell, 10, rocks out on her guitar. have something to show for it.”

It is no simple task to prepare for these lives shows. There are 12-16 rehearsals before the final show, each one lasting three hours, according to Perrouna.

These rehearsals are in addition to the student’s usual music lessons for the instrument(s) that they play.

Regardless of the time commitment, the students and teachers love what they do. Staples student Annabel Porio ’15, a bass guitar player, describes the process as “very collaborative.” Po-

rio says that because the students ultimately play in a band with other kids for their final show, they understand that they have to work together to be their best.

Nair agrees and believes that, “It’s nice that the performance program teaches kids how to cooperate with each other, because that’s what music is all about.”

It is not just the students who work together to put on a successful show. The entire staff at the School of Rock has worked professionally on some level, according to Perrouna.

The instructors work hard with the students to help them improve, and everyone involved is always growing.

“The job is extremely fulfilling and enriching for everyone involved,” said Perrouna. “We’re all each other’s biggest fans.”

Part of the reason students are always growing is because they are always put up for a challenge. The School of Rock pushes kids out of their comfort zone, which is Nair’s favorite part.

“I found that after joining, I have been able to play music that

I didn’t think I was capable of playing before, but since I had to learn it for a show, it really forced me to do my best to learn the material as perfectly as I could,” said Nair.

The School of rock is not only a successful music school, but a place for kids to exceed their boundaries, and it becomes a kind of second home as well.

Even the student’s like Bethany Fell, who is 10-years-old and has only been playing with the School of Rock for about a year feel at ease, “It’s like we’re all one big family here.”

Advice from Music Instructor Tom Palmiere and members of the School of Rock

1

Get Equipment This includes more than just the instruments. A band should also have amps and open space to play.

4

2

Know Your Music

Understanding the complexities of music is essential to master a song. Do your research before persuing music!

Be Compatible Staples student Annabel Porio ’15 believes it’s important for all members to be committed.

5

3

Dress Appropriately “Skinny jeans. Lots and lots of skinny jeans,” says 13-year-old Max, a member of a band outside of The School of Rock.

Have Fun With It!

Don’t take yourself too seriously; being in a band is about having fun!

A&E

Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

19

Into the Making of the Spring Musical MADISON HORNE ’12 Photo Editor

O

ver the river and through the woods, to the Staples stage they go. Staples Players’ upcoming mainstage performance will be Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,” featuring a freshma lead and dance moves from a new choreographer.

“Into the Woods” is a musical with classic fairytale characters all intertwined into one story. Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel each have a wish, and for that wish to come true, they must go into the woods.

Their different stories bring them all together to create this fourhour long show.

This show has multiple lead roles, giving many students the chance to shine. Claire Smith ’15, has been introduced to center stage by being casted as the Baker’s Wife. She will be holding an important position as a freshman.

“I’m incredibly surprised but flattered to be have been given this opportunity,” said Smith.

Smith says she is intimidated to work with such a talented group, but the cast has faith in her.

“I helped assistant direct her when she was in sixth grade,” said Michelle Pauker ’13, who will be playing the Witch. “I knew how much raw talent she had and I am in awe of how well she is doing.”

Pauker, who has also had her fair share of spotlight as an underclassmen, is excited to see Smith take on this big role. “The whole cast and crew have been unbelievable and really great friends,” said Smith.

New faces aren’t only gracing the stage, but behind the scenes as well. Jojo Kahn, Staples Players choreographer for 22 years, retired this fall after the fall main stage “West Side Story.” Now the cast welcomes Liz Milwe to the team.

“It’s hard for her to live up to someone with so much experience and involvement with Players,” said Dance Captain Danielle Frost ’13.

Milwe has been a dancer since she was eight-years-old, and got into choreographing in her 20s. She has worked with major companies for film and commercials, and dancers on Broadway and MTV. This lead her to create her own dance film company, Jumping Fish Productions, which to her series “Hip Hop for Kids/ Schoolhouse Hop,” winning the Parent’s Choice Award for Best

Children’s Video.

Now Milwe will take on a huge role in the local spotlight.

She has worked with Coleytown Middle Schools director of Coleytown Company, Ben Frimmer, ever since she moved to Westport and is excited to work with Staples Players.

“All theater is a collaboration,” said Milwe, “and I will be working closely with the director, dance captains, and all the talented actors. “ Dance captains, Frost, Helena Wippick ’12, and Annie Cooperstone ’13 are excited to see what this new choreographer has in store for them.

“I think ‘Into the Woods’ was a hard show to jump into because we are virtually writing in any dance parts in the show,” said Wippick. “[Milwe] has a lot of creativity and a willingness to incorporate people’s talents into her choreography.”

This show will incorporate

PHO

TO C

ONT

RIBU

T ED

BY K

ERR

Y LO

NG

AC T “We’re I ’15, N G O U T making Mic : Clai hell Rya the show as re S e n scen Shea ’ Pauker mith great as Jojo 13 p ’ e fro danc13, a e mus have ical m the u rform a nd would ing that , “In pcom wanted it to t o th is very different e W ing be,” said Cooo o from the fall show, “West ds.” perstone. “We all Side Story.” “Most of the dance miss her and want is being performed by fairies and to make her proud.” sprites,” said Frost. “The style is “Into the Woods” will be perboth elegant yet animalistic in formed March 16, 17, 18, 23 and quality.”

24.

Although this team of danc“It is one of the most complex ers is excited to have an expeshows we’ve done in a few years, rienced new leader, the cast and it’s going to be really immembers still miss their old choreographer. They will try and pressive as a final product,” said make this show their best in hon- Pauker. “It is hysterically funny or of Kahn’s long hard work for and will definitely be an audience pleaser.”

Staples Players.

Not Your Average Trip to the City

Freshman spends her time in the city at Broadway shows CHARLOTTE BRIEG ’12 Business Manager

For most Staples students, “a show in the city” is more likely to mean a concert at Madison Square Garden than a play on Broadway. However, for some, like Julia Greene ’15, Broadway is the place to be.

“I adore Broadway because you can’t get the experience anywhere else,” she said. “Broadway is modern-day story telling at its finest.”

Clearly, Julia Greene has high expectations when she walks into a Broadway theater. As the curtains lift, a challenge comes to her mind.

“I just think, ‘Wow me. I dare you,’” she said.

And why wouldn’t she expect to be impressed? Having seen at least 12 Broadway shows, not to mention numerous off-Broadway performances and her own experiences in theater, Julia Greene has a good idea of what a play needs to be impressive.

Her affinity for theater began when she was in fourth grade and saw her first Staples Players production. Broadway soon followed, as she was too eager to see more performances to constantly be waiting for Players to put on new shows.

When she was 9 years old, Greene went to New York City with her mom to see her very first Broadway show, “A Chorus Line.”

The show was not quite as enjoyable as she was expecting.

“It’s probably the worst show I could recommend for someone who’s 9 years old and has never been to Broadway,” said Julia Greene.

The primarily empty set and few costume changes were too

GRAPHIC BY MEGAN FOREMAN ’14 boring, and the humor was too mature for someone so young.

“Any of the jokes I did get, I felt awkward laughing at in front of my mom,” she said.

However, nowadays, “A Chorus Line” is one of Julia Greene’s favorites. Not only does she enjoy the show’s deep emotional conflicts and superb dancing, but she has also come to appreciate the simplicity that did not appeal to her when she was younger.

“There aren’t elaborate sets or costumes to cover anything up,” she said. “It has to be a whole company of talent.”

Another of her favorites is the most recent addition to the list of shows she’s seen, “Follies,” which she saw in early January.

Though she admits to not loving the actual plot or the characters very much, Julia Greene was ex-

tremely impressed by the female characters’ sparkly costumes and Steven Sondheim’s score for the play.

In regards to music, she likes the songs from “Rent” and “Wicked,” but feels they have become cliché soundtracks to talk about.

Instead, she says her favorites are from “Guys and Dolls,” because the songs are conversational and funny, and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

“Maybe I just liked Daniel Radcliffe and Darren Criss a lot,” she said of the latter, “but the score was also really great.”

Music plays a big role in Greene’s love for theatre. According to her older sister, Emily Greene ’12, she has CDs from nearly all of the shows she’s been to – and she’s not shy about sharing her passion with the rest of

her household.

“I can always hear her singing in the shower,” said Emily Greene. “Always.”

This is not the only way Julia’s penchant for Broadway has impacted the family. Prior to seeing “Legally Blonde: The Musical” live, they kept a recording of the three-hour show on their DVR for around 18 months.

“Because of her, I have seen that show much more than I would publicly like to admit,” said Emily.

Though Emily Greene isn’t a huge Broadway fan, her mom, Leslie Greene, is a self-described “theater-buff” and is Julia Greene’s main companion on trips to Broadway.

“It’s so special to share a passion with my daughter,” she said.

“It is an indulgence, but I feel that

living so close to the theater capital of the world, we should take advantage of the many wonderful offerings.”

Julia Greene thinks that the one thing that elevates Broadway productions above all others is their resources. Because Broadway shows have higher budgets than most, she feels that as long as the basic plot of the play is good, they can afford to make an incredible overall show.

“Hundreds of people audition,” she said, “so they can always find the best.”

This is not to say that Julia Greene has enjoyed every performance she’s seen. “Phantom of the Opera” stands out as one that she did not particularly love. Though she admits to perhaps being too young to have fully appreciated it, the operatic nature and predictability did not impress her.

Her problems with “Phantom” highlight one trend she’s noticed with theater overall: changing tastes as she gets older.

Another example is “Avenue Q,” a show Julia Greene says she probably would have loved if it were the first show she ever saw, simply because it had puppets. However, as she has gotten older, Julia Greene has seen more shows and had more opportunities to act herself, both of which have made her more critical of the Broadway performances she watches.

In the future, Julia Greene expects that Broadway will continue to be an important part in her life and hopes she will be able to bring her own daughter to shows one day. In the mean time, she already knows the next play she wants to add to her lengthy list of shows seen. “‘The Book of Mormon.’ I hear it’s just hilarious.”

SPORTS February 17, 2012

90.3WWPT

20

ON THE SIDELINE OR IN THE STUDIO: Avery Suter ’12 and Ryan Jacobs ’13 (left) cover the basketball game on Feb. 7 while Charlotte Weber ’12 (right) broadcasts live from the media lab during her radio show on Feb. 6.

PHOTOS BY ALEX GREENE ’13

The Voice of Staples Sports SęĊěĎĊ KđĊĎē ’12 Ćēĉ EĒĎđĞ GĔđĉćĊėČ ’12

Editor-in-Chief and Web Managing Editor

W

WPT used to try to hide the fact that they were a high school station, in order to seem more pro-

fessional.

However, Advisor Mike Zito realized that the opposite would have a better effect, which he realized in a “lightbulb moment” eight years ago, just after arriving to teach at Staples. He was at a baseball game in the spring.

“It was cool to see everyone celebrating spring and baseball,” he said. He noticed that WestportNow was there covering the event, and he felt the Westport spirit. “You’re an idiot Zito,” he said he had thought to himself. “Don’t negate that we’re part of Staples and Westport, celebrate that.” From then on the station began to celebrate the locality of WWPT. Therefore the station focuses on local sports, a variety of student selected and local music, in addition to news and talk shows.

In 1972 WWPT became the first student-run FM radio station in the state.

Since its birth, the station has expanded from a one-mile radius, to being listened to all over Fairfield County. The station has been awarded for their progress and many successes, being named the best high school radio station at the 2011 John Drury Awards. “Wrecker Radio” also collected seven out of nine awards for sports broadcasting.

However, the lack of awards in the news category shed light on WWPT’s lack of a strong news base.

News Director Hannah Foley ’14 has been working to improve the station’s function as a news outlet. She was asked to take this position after winning the only Drury Award Staples received in the news category for a piece she wrote for “Good Morning

Staples.”

“We swept in every other category except news,” said Zito. “That was an indicator that something needed to be fi xed.”

Foley and co News Director Erik Sommer ’13 just had their first meeting where they reconstructed the news portion of WWPT. They are looking to air a long news update every two weeks because they only have about nine people working to come up with story ideas and develop them. Foley notes that anyone who wants to join can, it’s just a matter of learning.

“When you’re on air, people look at you as the expert.”

“That’s probably the main problem we’re facing right now, the number of people. Up to this point, news hasn’t been a huge part of WWPT, people join for sports and music so it’s definitely a challenge to get people excited about news,” said Foley.

Foley agrees with Zito about the importance of a focus on local news. “Our signal goes down to Greenwich and up to New Haven. People can hear national news on any station while we have the ability to focus on small, important things going on around town and Fairfield County,” she added.

She also explained one of the challenges of news on the radio. “You have to learn how to tell the story without graphics or pictures,” she said.

Foley’s ultimate goal is to get the same recognition for news as they do for sports.

“Our sports reporters and sports show is known across the country,” she said. “We want to get up to that level one day.”

Jake Chernok ’13 loves the recognition that WWPT receives. Whether the student broadcasters are reporting news, sports, or

just speaking their mind on the air, they take pride in their station, 90.3 FM. “Another one of my personal favorites is being recognized around Westport as one of the guys on the radio,” Chernok said.

“So many people around town listen to the station and I love hearing the positive feedback.”

While WWPT is most widely known in Westport, the quality of the station makes itself known miles outside of the community.

In fact, Zito once had the secretary for the Mayor of Norwalk tell him that they play Wrecker Radio in the office all the time. Even a janitor from New Canaan told him that Wrecker Radio was constantly playing in his car.

While students and advisors involved in WWPT have been celebrating their successes recently, the hard work never stops.

Ben Greenberg ’12, who has been involved in WWPT since freshman year, continues striving to give listeners high quality sports broadcasts.

“Each game takes a ton of effort and

PHOTO BY ALEX GREENE ’13 preparation, but I enjoy every minute of it,” Greenberg said, “ It takes days to learn the corresponding names and numbers of each player, but thats just the beginning.

Doing research on each team and knowing the stats of star players is crucial as well because when you’re on air, people look at you as the expert. It’s important to live up to that expectation.”

According to Chernok who often broadcasts a variety of Staples sports from soccer to hockey, to football, the hardest part of sports broadcasts is keeping up with the pace of the game.

“The plays happen in rapid succession and you can’t spend too much time talking about one play or you might miss the next one,” he said.

Foley notes that with the loss of Sixsmith and Gallanty, the staff has been working hard to keep momentum and quality up.

“People have really been stepping up.

DJ and Eric were stars, and everyone is trying to strengthen the station to keep up the level that we had,” she said.

21

Sports Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Wrestling with the Pain

A team faces more than its fair share of injuries

RĞĆē PĆēēĞ ’12

O

in a tough loss,” said Patterson.

“This time around, I won my match against them 16-0,” he said with a smile.

Staples wrestling also has reasons to be optimistic about the future.

Staff Writer

n Jan. 25, the Staples wrestling team traveled to Stamford High School to take on Stamford and New Canaan. Staples lost to both teams, 55-18 to New Canaan and 60-15 to Stamford.

However, what these results don’t show is that in each respective match, Staples forfeited nine matches, eight of them due to injuries.

For a talented Staples squad, the 2011-2012 season has been a frustrating one full of doctor’s notes, surgeries, and an undeserved 6-14 record as of Jan. 25.

Discounting forfeits in the New Canaan match, Staples would’ve beaten New Canaan 12-8.

“On the mat, we have definitely performed as well as we had hoped,” said Jeremy Sherman ’13. “We just weren’t able to anticipate all of these injuries, and it has put us in a hole as a team.”

Of the three Staples captains, two of them are currently sidelined. Brad Menchaca ’12 is out for the season with a broken arm, while Mike O’Day ’12 is currently sitting out with a torn ligament in his ankle.

According to Menchaca, who was staring down his potential 100th career win this season, being injured has been a frustrating thing to deal with.

“There was so much that we as a team wanted to attain this year,” he said. “Given all of the

“It’s really difficult to sit on the sidelines and watch.”

PHOTO BY RYAN PANNY ’12 DOWN AND OUT: Captain Brad Menchaca ’12 looks on with teammate Jake Santo ’14 while cradling his broken right arm. Because of his injury, Menchaca will not hit the mat again this season. time and effort that my teammates and I spent preparing for this season, it’s really difficult to sit on the sidelines and watch.”

The team certainly has put in the hours.

Juniors Jeremy Sherman and Alex Brown both attended the grueling J. Robinson summer training camp last year, Sherman for 28 days in Minn.

and Brown for 14 in Pa. Mikell Washington ’12 trained with 6-time Olympic Champion John Smith in Oklahoma.

“We work a lot harder than people realize,” said Sherman.

Despite all of the injuries they’ve endured, the team has had its fair share of triumphs, most notably an undefeated record of 24-0 for Mikell Washington as of Jan. 25.

“[Being undefeated] has made me work even harder,” explained Washington. “There is pressure every game to continue the streak I have going.”

Stephan Patterson ’12 is another wrestler who has enjoyed a winning record, as well as some notable personal accomplishments.

“When we wrestled Wilton two years ago, I broke my ankle

Sherman, Alex Brown ’13, and Alex Kogstad ’13 are all sure to be forces on the mat next year, and the team welcomed two enthusiastic freshmen this season in Justin Ludel (113 pound weight class) and Charles Lomanto (126 pound).

But according to Sherman, the team isn’t finished yet.

“The real judge of our season will be the tournaments at the end,” he said.

With two Class LL finalists last year in Chris Guinta ’11 and Julian Gendels ’11, Staples is looking to once again make a run at both LL and the FCIAC tournaments.

And if time does in fact heal all wounds, this talented, hardworking Staples squad will be one to watch for come early March.

22

Sports Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

On the Road Again AđĊĝĆēĉėĆ O’KĆēĊ ’13 Social Media Specialist

A

long ride to practice every afternoon is not the only drive that members of the boy’s ice hockey team possess.

In addition to their drive to the rink, the boys also have a drive to win that they claim is unparalleled by any other team.

Their dedication to the sport that they love is apparent in their attitude and determination.

“We give up so much time just to commute every day and play the sport we love. Our dedication forces our drive to win more than any other sports team,” said Captain Aaron Liu ’12.

The team, like most others, has practice every day after school. However, players have to travel to the rink, leaving right when school ends and not getting home until around 7:00 p.m. every night. On game nights, they usually start playing at 6:00 or even as late as 8:00 p.m. The time commitment for the boys is huge, but as Liu says, “it’s all worth it.”

Captain Riley McDonald ’12 explained that the time commitment is by far the most challenging part of being on the team. “It can be tough to balance academics and hockey at times, but we all find ways to be successful,” he said.

Despite the tough balancing act that the hockey players must

deal with, the members of the team said they become close with the amount of time they spend together on a daily basis.

“I think my favorite aspect of the team is the bonding time because it is unlike any other team. We spend four hours a day together, and it brings the team very close,” Liu said.

The team struggles each year to get enough players to even make a team; Staples co-ops with both Weston and Shelton.

“We hardly have enough players to have a team but we make the most of what we have,” Liu said.

Since it draws from different schools, the team is forced to get to know one another even more.

“I am friends with a couple of the kids from school, but on the team I have become close with so many kids that I would have never met otherwise,” McDonald said.

“My favorite aspect of being on this team is the diversity of kids who come from different towns; I enjoy meeting and playing with new people each year. We all view each other as friends, and I personally have grown close to my Westport and Shelton teammates,” said captain Forrest Savage ’12, a player from Wilton.

The chemistry that the members create is so important to the team’s performance both on and off the ice.

“For me the team aspect

makes me feel like ke I’m a part of something bigger,”” Liu said. “Every player on the team plays a vital role towards thee success of the unit.”

“The games is very fast-paced and physically demanding,”” Saves vital age said. It becomes that the team getss along well; it enhancess their ames. performance in games.

For this yearr specifiks hopecally, the team looks fully to the rest off their seaaid that the son. McDonald said team is already off to a good osing some imstart, even after losing portant seniors to graduation last year. w “Some new guys have needed to step up. I think we are doing a pretty good job so o far, but we need to d keep working hard and remain fo-m cused on our team goals,” he said. ffs As the playoffs pes near, the team hopes minathat their determination will bring them hem farther than ever.

“It is very common mmon for Staples teams to fightt for every win in season and that’s t’s what we are doing so far this year,” Liu said.

“We may not be thee best team, but rk the hardest.” we are going to work

PHOTOS BY ZACH SPEED ’13

HEAVY LUGͳ GAGE: Jesse Burns ’14 (above) carries his goalie equipment, while his teammates (left) load the rest of the gear onto the bus.

The Things They Carry •

Bag

•

2 Jerseys

•

2 Sticks

•

Warm up clothes

•

Chest protector

•

2 Elbow pads

•

Helmet

•

Padded pants

•

Shin pads

•

Skates

•

Socks

•

Bucket of pucks

•

Water bottle

•

Mouth guard

GRAPHIC BY RUSTY SCHINDLER ’13

Sports

Inklings / February 17, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

23

WEST

EAST

S K I I N G

V S.

For Skiers—Two Regions, Many Opinions AĆėĔē HĊēĉĊđ ’14 Staff Writer

D

oes the average skier seek powder, size, difficulty, gourmet restaurants and favorable temperatures? Or would they rather find slickness, convenience, familiarity, shorter lifts and waffle huts?

Whether it is over holiday, winter, or spring break—or even just the occasional weekend getaway—it is no secret that Staples students, both ski team and general population, love to hit the slopes. Plenty of people make the approximate four-hour drive up to Vermont while others find smaller hills in state. Also, many people fly out West to the likes of Colorado and Utah.

But which part of the country is truly the best for skiing?

Traveling to the East is more convenient and less expensive, while the West is warmer, has significantly larger mountains and longer trails and usually (although not as much this year) more powdery than icy snow conditions.

The description of the ideal skiing destination at Staples

seems to be mixed. The East is more familiar and enjoyable to some, while the West has more genuine snow. Large and deep moguls are an oft-preferred choice over seemingly frozen, narrow runs.

“Western skiing is undeniably better,” boy’s ski tri-captain Ryan Lach ’12 said. “Higher mountains, more snow, warmer weather, and fewer people.”

The ski captains do not come close to a unanimous agreement, however.

“I enjoy Eastern skiing more just because I’ve been skiing in the East since I was two,” boys’ tri-captain Steve Thompson ’12 said. “Not to say that I don’t love it out West; it’s great. It’s just different types of skiing.”

Thompson may very much enjoy both the East and West, but Lach does not feel that all who attempt to ski both sides of the U.S. would feel the same.

“Put an eastern skier in the West and he or she will have a ball,” Lach said. “Put a western skier in the East, they’ll spend the whole day in the lodge.”

Another aspect of this argument is European skiing, particularly the scenic Alps, including

RĔĘĊ PėĔĕĕ ’13

P R O F I L E

Staff Writer

Girls ski coach Tom Owen has guided the team to a 4-1 record so far this season. Because of his ski experience beginning in his early childhood and his part time job as a ski instructor at Okemo Mountain in Vermont, we asked him several questions about his experience at Staples and on the slopes.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY TOM OWEN P

Switzerland and Austria. Girls’ ski tri-captain Misha Strage ’12 used to live in Europe, and as such has experienced skiing there as well as in the U.S. “[European skiing] is very different,” Strage said. “The snow is natural and softer. It makes for

“I was able to do a black diamond in Massachusetts.

In the West it would be another story.” better skiing.”

Non-ski team members seem to be equally ambivalent when it comes to a choosing a winner.

“They don’t have big terrain parks in the East,” said Megan Foreman ’14. “There are also better restaurant options [out West]. The West is a lot more expensive, but it’s worth it.” While

Inklings: When did you begin skiing?

Tom Owen: I began skiing when I was 8 years old, in 1964.

I: When did you start coaching the Staples ski team?

T: I started coaching the ski team at Staples my first year working here as a teacher, 197980.

I: What is the best skiing experience you’ve had?

T: Skiing with my two kids at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

I: What is the worst skiing experience you’ve had?

T: Skiing with my kids at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I ended up hitting a tree and fracturing my pelvis. The only accident I’ve

there are some decently large terrain parks in the East, there’s a reason why Shaun White isn’t going off half-pipes here.

However, the Eastern mountains are much closer to Westport. “Eastern [skiing] is much more convenient,” Hannah Malowitz ’15 said. “You can just go up for a weekend instead of taking a big vacation.”

Another important factor is the skill level of the skier, because the Western terrain is much more difficult to conquer.

That’s why Daniel Greenberg ’14 prefers the trails closer to home.

“I prefer the East because it’s a lot easier for those who aren’t as advanced,” Greenberg said. “I was able to do a black diamond in Massachusetts. In the West it would be another story.”

Conversely, some prefer the West due to the elevated level of difficulty.

“There is more variety and it’s way more challenging,” girls’ ski team member Hannah Berry ’15 said, although she gladly skis in Vermont nearly every weekend.

A fair number of students like both Eastern and Western skiing, but tend to lean one way

had in 50 years.

I: What tip can you give to beginning skiers?

T: Stay on terrain that is appropriate for your level. Do not let your friends take you to the top of the mountain to ski or ride down an expert trail.

I: What do you think is the best way to stay warm in the coldest skiing conditions?

T: Dress in layers with a base layer that will wick away moisture from your body.

I: What does your skiing outfit look like?

T: A grey helmet, burnt orange Okemo uniform jacket, grey pants, blue boots, black gloves, and a black down vest over 2-3 layers of long underwear.

or the other. For instance, Gillian Serels ’14, a member of the girls’ squad, enjoys spending time on Stratton Mountain in Vermont, which she calls “relatively big” for the East, but her main choice is the West.

The usual mountain for team practices is Southington (Vermont), which, due to its small size, is often referred to as “The Hill,” Strage jokes. “However, regardless of the size or the snow at Southington, we still have so much fun.”

Then there are those who are adamant: Jack Scott ‘14 of the boys’ crew feels that the West is better for skiing “100 percent.”

Although the skiers of Staples couldn’t reach a consensus on which region is ideal for skiing, one thing is clear: the United States and beyond has pretty serious skiing opportunities, and Staples kids take advantage of that.

At the end of the day, some may be eating Epic Mountain Burgers 10,000 feet above sea level in 40 degree weather in Vail, while others may be forced to go down the same runs time and time again in their hefty winter coats.

I: What type of skiing do you prefer? East Coast or West Coast and why?

T: West Coast. There is more terrain, more snow, less crowds and the big mountain feeling is amazing.

I: What is your favorite snack to have in between ski runs?

T: Anything with protein in it.

I: Can you share an experience you’ve had in the East or West that has affected your opinion?

T: Skiing out West, skiing in five feet of fresh powder, it’s incomparable.

ports The Wreckers

Inside: Hockey has more than just pride to carry (pg. 22)

STEIN

BY THE NUMBERS

34 JERSEY NUMBER

12.8 PHOTOS BY WILL MCDONALD ’14 IGNITING THE SPARK: Erica Stein ’13 is taking the 2012 girls’ basketball season by storm, accounting for more than half of the team’s threepoint shots (38) and helping lead the team to an impressive 10-8 record as of Feb. 13.

STEIIN-O-MITE STE Erica Stein ’13 is blowing up the girls’ basketball scene WĎđđ MĈDĔēĆđĉ ’14 Sports Editor

W

ith 3 30 seconds left recent game in a recen against FCIAC rival ri Trinity Catholic, point guard Erica Stein ’13 had the ball at the top of the key. The score was tied. All the Lady Wreckers needed was a lay-up; even a foul-garnering drive to the hoop would suffice.

But Trinity Catholic had made one fatal mistake. Erica Stein was wide open.

One NBA-distance three pointer from well beyond the arc later, and Staples had knocked Trinity’s Crusaders down for the count.

“It was a tie score, and I got the screen,” said Stein, displaying a humility that is a cornerstone of her personality.

Otherwise, she’d have quite a lot to brag about.

Stein made the varsityy squad as a freshman. Although she saw littlee action in i games, thatt year she was wa able impression on to make a large im Head H d Coach Ed Huydic.

“When I fi rst saw Erica play, I told her she had the potential to be the next 1,000 point scorer,” said Huydic,

referring to a feat that has only been accomplished six times in Lady Wrecker history.

Stein began fulfi lling this potential when she experienced her breakthrough season as a sophomore. Last season, she led the team in scoring, averaging th almost 11 points per game, and almo was as one on of the only sophomores in the league to garner second he le team All-FCIAC honors, which All-F she referred rred to as “a surprise.”

This yea year, she’s picked up right wheree she s left off, leading the team with ith an average of 15.6 points per game. am In addition, she was the dit FCIAC-Overtime rtim Player of the Week honors rs after her performance against ins Trinity Catholic.

Stein is instantly recognizable on the he court not for daunting size—she e—sh stands an average 5’5”—but —but for her tenacious style of play. Rarely does an opposing team get an inbound in play uncontested, making it no surprise con that Stein is ranked in the top five in the FCIAC in steals. Despite her toughness and intensity on the court, off it she is surprisingly warm, leading the team to gift her the nickname “Er-Bear.”

“Erica is defi nitely a power player,” said co-captain Jessica Coelho ’12. “She works hard but

she still manages to make everyone burst out laughing with the most random jokes.”

Stein doesn’t allow herself any downtime after the Lady Wreckers’ season comes to a close in February.

“As soon as Staples basketetball ends, the AAU season picks up, and that goes through ugh the th summer,” Stein said. “It’s It’s kind of like one big never-ending endin season.”

It wasn’t always ys this way.

When she was younger, Stein oun played several sports rts in addition to basketball, which ch she fi rst began at five.

“I played Little League Lit baseball for a while,” le,” Stein said.

“Yeah, I don’t think k I ever played softball.”

Stein turned her er full fu attention to basketball in sixth grade, when she began playing ing for a travel basketball team. m. Prior P to that, Stein was coached ed by her father, whom she called her greatest influence.

“Seeing Erica play well is always great, and it’s particularly fun to watch when a team doesn’t expect anything from her and she proceeds to blow them away,” said Larry Stein, Erica’s father.

Despite her basketball com-

mitment, Stein also fi nds the time to play golf in the spring and is a member of Staples hough she advarsity team, though ketball is her fi rst mits basketball love..

Wh While Stein has managed to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time, Huydic still sees room for improvement.

“Every player has a ceiling of how much they can improve,” Huydic said.

“For Erica, hers is a little higher than most. Right now we’re working on developing a move off the dribble that she can use when she goes up against taller guards, particularly when the post-season comes around.”

When asked whether she wishes to continue playing basketball in college, Stein was surprisingly reserved.

“Maybe Division III. Probably not Division I; that’s a little too intense,” Stein said.

For now, she’s content with Huydic’s go-to ith being bein sharpshooter. shooter.

“At her best, Erica is an outstanding transition player,” l ” Huydic said. “When we’ve got a good flow going, I look to her to come through with the huge shot. It’s what she does best.”

POINTS PER GAME

2.1 STEALS PER GAME

204 POINTS SCORED THIS SEASON

38 THREE-POINT SHOTS MADE

STATS AS OF 2/13/12 FROM WWW.MAXPREPS.COM