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Inklings June 21, 2013

Founded in 1933

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GRAPHIC BY NATE ROSEN ’14

Inside the Issue

Alex Angus’ Road to Recovery

Black and White Keys to Success: Jake Landau

NEWS June 21, 2013

Record Breaking Rain, Snow and Storms KĆęĎĊ RĊĞēĔđĉĘ ’14 Staff Writer

A look back at years of

weather

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY LUCAS HAMMERMAN ’10

2010

March Nor’easter

ew have forgotten about the nor’easter that came in March 2010. High winds caused trees to fall all over the northeast, cutting power lines and putting lives at risk. It was difficult, if not impossible, to go anywhere in the week following the storm without seeing a fallen tree or wire. “My friend’s house was hit by a 100 foot-tall tree,” said Jakub Hrvacic ’13. Many others’ homes were blocked similarly, and one Westport citizen died. This storm led to three days of no school for students. “I spent some of the time cleaning my yard and helping my friends clean theirs,” said Hrvacic.

2011

2012

PHOTO BY CHEYENNE HASLETT ’13

Hurricane Irene

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY JENNA BERNARD ’14

2013 PHOTO BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’15

Halloween Nor’easter

Otherwise known as “Snowtober,” the Halloween nor’easter of 2011 moved Halloween to a later date in Westport, crushing the spirits of children all around the area. Of course, the “new” Halloween date couldn’t compare to the usual Oct. 31 tradition. Some houses were no longer giving candy because of the confusion between the two dates. “I went trick or treating on regular Halloween, and no one was giving candy,” Griffin Noyer ’13 said. This storm not only interfered with Halloween, but caused an especially memorable homecoming game. Staples’ win over Darien was barely visible through the awful weather caused by this nor’easter.

Superstorm Sandy

Many students were thrilled to miss five days of school because of Hurricane Sandy back in October 2012, but this storm was nothing to celebrate. Power was out, homes were destroyed and lives were lost. “We had to walk through knee-high water to get to our house the day after the storm. My basement was flooded, and there was sand in my front yard for months; at the beginning, it was about a foot high,” said Lucas Carstens ’13. Carstens is one of many whose road to recovery after the storm was long and seemingly endless. The storm did, however, call for a togetherness between family and friends that may not have been seen otherwise. “We rented a bunch of movies and watched them together on my laptop,” Joanna Arcee ’13 said.

Hurricane Irene hit in late Aug. 2011, delaying the opening of Westport Public Schools from August 30 to Sept. 1. While some students were excited about the late opening, others were anxious to be home and to begin a regular routine. “We lost our power early and had to stay at my twice-removed step-uncle’s house. He had power but only played the Plain White T’s on his walkman and reruns of ‘The Big Bang Theory,’” Max Rubin ’13 said. The experience wasn’t quite so miserable for some other students. “Hurricane Irene gave me time to finish my summer work and hang out with my friends. We all came together at my house because we have a generator,” Haley Zeldes ’13 said.

2011

PHOTO BY CAROLINE O’KANE ‘15

GRAPHICS BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

Winter Storm Nemo

You certainly didn’t need to search for the Nemo that rolled in on Feb. 7, 2013. Bringing about 20 inches of snow to Westport, Nemo caused public schools to be let out early on Friday, Feb. 8 and closed the following Monday. Piles of snow were so thick that if one wasn’t careful, one could disappear in his or her own snow angel. Students were certainly not the only members of the Staples community affected by the storm. “The top of the hill of our neighborhood looked like a giant had come through on a leisurely walk and just swatted down all the trees,” special education teacher Rebecca Anderson-Furlong said. The intensity of the situation called for extreme measures. “The oddest thing for us was seeing the National Guard in the neighborhood. We would bring them coffee, cookies and doughnuts as a thank you for just trying to help the community through yet another major storm,” Anderson-Furlong said. This is just one of the many examples of communities coming together to assist during times of crisis.

News

Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Reshuffling the Cards Happily Retiring LĆėĎĘĘĆ LĎĊćĊėĘĔē ’15

gone. ance counselor. “I can honestly say that Mr. Betts is In fact, it seems that many retiring teachers the best gym teacher I’ve ever had because will continue to pursue activities related to their Now that I’m retiring, I finally get to he’s so chill and treats his students like his true passion: teaching. wake up without an alarm clock … equals,” Leah Fuld ’16 said. “I love teaching, and I’ve had a great career at 6:30 a.m.,” said Laddie Lawrence, And besides relationships with their working with some fantastic kids,” said Radler, a physical education teacher and track students, these teachers’ long legacies come an English teacher. coach. with close bonds with their co-workers. “Now I’m going to continue on to teach While the thought of waking up at “Mrs. Roberts makes a heck of a cotherapeutic writing and horseback riding to 6:30 in the morning makes many people conut cake, and she brings it in for my people with disabilities.” want to drop dead, for Lawrence, this is birthday every year,” said Robin Stiles, her However, not all of these teachers will considered sleeping in, after waking up at fellow librarian. “She has to come back to leave completely. Students can look forward 5:30 a.m. for the past 44 years. make it for me even when she’s gone.” to seeing Lawrence’s smiling face in the According to The (Baton Rouge) But, luckily, these retirees will take halls on a daily basis since he will continue Advocate, 25,000 grade school educamany memorable experiences along with to coach all three seasons of track. tors will be retiring in America this year. He hopes to write a book about his them in their future endeavors. Besides Lawrence, four other Staples “I’ll never forget when the Class of time coaching. educators, Christine Radler, Bruce Betts, 2011 senior girls bubble-wrapped the “I’ve been known for my stories Christine Gray and Julia Roberts, will be whole library. It was so cute, and, every with the team. In fact, they won’t get off included in that number. time you took a step, you would hear a the bus for a championship meet unless And, with their newfound freedom, popping sound,” Roberts said. I tell them a story fi rst,” Lawrence said. they have all made exciting plans for the As Staples says farewell to these Since many of these staff memfuture. incredible teachers, let’s just remembers have been working at Staples “I plan on working with underserved ber and appreciate everything that they “from the time when the dinosaurs high school students to help them with roamed,” as Radler put it, there will have done to make Staples an even betthe college process,” said Gray, a guiddefinitely be a void when they are ter school. Opinions Editor

“

GRAPHIC BY NOELLE ADLER ’15

4 News

Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

A Bright Future Awaits

EđđĎĊ GĆěĎē ’14 Staff Writer

hen asked what the most exciting thing about going off to college is, most students would probably say the independence. All throughout high school, students yearn for the liberation of college life: no parents, no curfew, no rules. f But, for Sam Robson ’13, the word independence holds even w more significance. Robson, who is blind, will spend his next three years at the Vista Vocational & Life Skills CenV ter t in Westbrook, Conn., enrolled in a program that focuses on helping adults with disabilities develop the skills they need to lead rich and independent lives. Robson will be only the second visually-impaired student to ever be enrolled at Vista. Admission to Vista, like any regular university, is a matter of how the school and the student h match up. Vista’s website says that they evaluate potential students t based on employment potential, b PHOTO BY CLAIRE LEWIN ’15

I life skills, cognitive, social and emotional development and community integration. “Typically, administrators from [Vista] will come and observe the students, looking for their level of independence and how well they can advocate for themselves,” said Deborah Gallon, who works in the Special Education department at Staples. Robson’s decision to go to Vista, as opposed to any other program offered to b l i n d students, w a s m a d e similarly to any other student’s choice. He considered his options and weighed the pros and cons, but, it came down to a gut feeling. “I took a look at a couple college programs, and I like them, but they weren’t for me,” said Robson. “The staff at Vista were so nice to me and so open and warm. It was what I needed to make [the experience] accessible for me. They just

made it very easy.” Like Robson, many students with disabilities want to enroll in higher education to enrich their minds and their lives. Lucky for them, there has been a huge increase in the number of options for post-secondary education for disabled students in the U.S. According to USA Today, as recently as 2002, there were only four programs on university campuses that allowed students with disabi lit ie s to experience college life with assi st a nc e from the school. As of 2009, that number has increased to over 250 nationwide. This won’t be Robson’s first time at a school for the disabled. After completing the seventh grade in Westport Public Schools, Robson transferred to the Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, Conn., the oldest school for the blind in the U.S. “[Switching schools] was

“I don’t want to just sit at home and do nothing for the rest of my life.” -Sam Robson ’13

T hard, but I’ve now learned so much that I took and brought here,” said Robson. “I’ve met so many different people from all my different schools, and I’ve learned not to think that I’m not gonna meet someone or that I can’t have a friendship with them just because I’m different from everyone else.” But Robson isn’t really so different from boys his age. He loves sports, seeing his friends and participating in extracurricular activities. A devout Boston Celtics fan, Robson has a dream to someday get a college degree and work as a manager for a sports team. “[I’m interested in] pursuing something that’s going to really interest my mind and keep me busy,” said Robson. “I don’t want to just sit at home and do nothing for the rest of my life.” Although the path Robson is taking may be different from the rest of Staples’ graduating class, he sounds just like everyone else when he smiles and says, “I just want to get out of my house. I’ve been here for almost 21 years, and I am so ready to officially leave.”

News

Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Aced It Reaching the Top EđĎğĆ LđĊĜĊđđĞē ’14

Web Managing Editor nder the hot Black Box lights, Madeline Seidman ’13 laments ruination and commits suicide. A change of costumes and seasons, she is a frock-clad dilettante and delivers punch lines. Seidman is a versatile actress, and she plays diverse roles even off the stage. Beyond her commitment to acting, singing, and extracurriculars, Seidman is the valedictorian of the class of 2013. Seidman is far from the stereotype of a gradegroveler who, when not studying, is logging into Home Access or recalculating an updated GPA on a TI-84 Plus. “You should never give up what you’re interested in,” Seidman said. Although Seidman was encouraged to give up theater and chorus classes to take more APs, she resisted. “You have to take what you love,” she said. Seidman’s passions include Players, Orphenians, Peer Advisors, and costume design. This involvement is no insignificant load. Seidman estimates that a typical week consists of 20 hours of outside activities. “Many people often have to choose between having heavy academics and being a huge part of Players,” said Grace McDavid-Seidner ’13, a fellow actor and friend. “Maddy has always taken many pretty intense classes while never decreasing her dedication and involvement in Players shows.” Throughout her Staples career Seidman has participated in 18 plays and musicals. Even second semester her senior year, Seidman played a lead-

ing role in You Can’t Take it With You. “I haven’t slacked off too much,” Seidman said. Seidman often takes on “character roles” of funny or strange personalities, fitting given her appreciation of comedy. However, the multifaceted Seidman has also played serious roles, including the character who committed suicide. Seidman can stay involved in the arts next year at Williams. “It’s very strong academically,” Seidman said. “It’s also very centered on the arts.” Seidman’s comedic gifts come through in the classroom. In AP Chemistry, she is renowned for her authentic accents, rattling off the KSP of silver chromate in a Czechoslovakian or Cockney accent, according to chemistry teacher William Jones. It’s easy to forget that Seidman balances schoolwork by day with acting and other activities after the dismissal bell sounds. “When I asked [Seidman] how she handled both Players and schoolwork, she said to me, ‘You just have to keep going until all the work is done,’” said Isabel Perry ’15. “She made everything look so easy,” added Jones. Seidman isn’t loud or outspoken about either her activities or her GPA and is often described as humble. “When I found out [that she was valedictorian], I didn’t believe it at first,” Perry said. “Not because she isn’t qualified, but because she said it so casually. That’s Maddie-she’s so great and talented, but she’s not conceited or arrogant.” Jones agreed. “She’s deceptively awesome. It’s a subtle, classy awesome.”

“She’s deceptively awesome. It’s a subtle, classy awesome.” -William Jones, Science Teacher

CĆĉĊēĈĊ NĊĊēĆē ’15

GRAPHIC BY KATIE SETTOS ’15 PHOTOS BY BAILEY ETHIER ’15 AND CLAIRE LEWIN ’15

News Editor It all began in a freshman year biology class. Robert DeLuca was learning about cell respiration, and suddenly something clicked. He became determined to learn as much as he possibly could about how the body made energy. “That’s the first moment that stands out like a light,” said DeLuca.“The first time I hurtled at learning like something shiny and beautiful.” In schools today, especially in Westport, where college is almost guaranteed and Ivy Leagues are plastered on too many Facebook profiles to count, a debate arises: are students learning for grades, or are they learning to learn? With this year’s salutatorian, DeLuca, there seems to be no question. “He is a student whom a teacher gets to meet only a few times in her career.” said Enia Noonan, DeLuca’s Italian teacher, “ The kid wants to know as much about ever y thing as he possibly can. It’s equally inspiring and unnerving,” Ryan Greenberg ’13 said. DeLuca himself attributes his success to his passion for academics. “I think for me, a lot of it was just that I really enjoyed school a lot of the time,” said DeLuca. Whether it be singing in Italian in the shower, solving complicated math problems off the internet, or just reading as much and as often as possible, DeLuca is motivated inside and outside of school. DeLuca’s friend Katie Hickson ’13 sees the same motivation in DeLuca. “He seems like the kind of guy who goes home

and reads Wikipedia articles about scientific theories for fun,” Hickson said. DeLuca’s motivation could seem implausible to some. However, his passionate investment in his classes is enriched by an unfailing dedication to his school work that is clear to students and teachers alike. “He is one of the most hard-working students I have ever met,” said Noonan, “He NEVER slowed down or failed to turn in a homework assignment for four years.” Yet DeLuca wasn’t driven only by academics throughout high school. He participated in the extracurriculars he was passionate about—boys water polo, Junior State of America (JSA), and a few flings with boys track and coed water polo. “It was really things I had an interest about, and then the people sealed the deal,” said DeLuca. A n d a f t e r spending time with the people in his extracurriculars, DeLuca even maintained one of the things too many academically challenged students seem to lose touch with: a social life. To his friends he isn’t simply academically motivated— he is compassionate, funny, kind, jacked, and incredibly energetic. “His face lights up like Mexican fireworks each time he sees you, making you feel more important than you actually are.” said Greenberg. DeLuca always exceeds expectations. However, it is clear that he owes his success as salutatorian to his love of learning. “Learning is a pastime for him; it truly is his passion,” said Noonan.

“He is a student whom a teacher gets to meet only a few times in her career.” –Enia Noonan, Italian Teacher

Congratulations to

6 Senior List

Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Alexander Addessi Lehigh University

Douglas Bonenfant Roger Williams University

Kim Adler Brandeis University

Brian Book Tulane University

Michael Adler Brandeis University

Alexandra Bookbinder University of New Hampshire

Jessica Adrian Northeastern University

Emily Borner University of Connecticut

Joseph Aftab Norwalk Community College

Fallon Bottone University of San Francisco

Callie Ahlgrim Boston University

Joseph Bottone Norwalk Community College

Shannon Connors Eastern Connecticut State College

University of Connecticut

Ariel Greene University of Maryland

Anthony Amaru Gettysburg College

Paul Bowlin Roger Williams University

Daniella Paige Cooper Baylor University

Josephine Fair Boston College

Alexandra Greene Bucknell University

Amereen Anand George Washington University

Ethan Bradeen University of Connecticut

Daniel Cooper Cornell University

Jessica Felton Syracuse University

Hilary Greenwald Southern Connecticut State University

Elias Andrew George Washington University

Vasilea Bradley Loyola University Maryland

Sarah Cooperman Williams College

Judy Feng Duke University

Siri Andrews University of Michigan

Samuel Brancucci University of Wisconsin

Anne Cooperstone Weslyan University

Wyatt Forn Marymount Manhattan College

Clayton Andrews Johns Hopkins University

Malik Brantley Monroe Community College

Elizabeth Cope Tulane University

Christian Fincher University of Chicago

Alexis Andros University of Arizona

Alex Brown University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Caroline Corbally Middlebury College

Colin Findley University of Chicago

Phoebe Corde Connecticut College

Rebecca Finell University of Massachusetts

Kevin Coughlin Cornell University

Anna Fiolek Elon University

Mary Courtney Indiana University

Kirsten Flicker New York University

Meghan Coyne Gettysburg College

Barbara Foster Principia College

Matthew Cozzi University of Connecticut

Andrew Fox James Madison University

Charles Cross University of Pittsburgh

Louisa Freeman University of Michigan

Lucas Crowley Gettysburg College

Shari Friedman University of Albany

Allie Daut Syracuse University

Sydney Friedman Tulane University

Colin Davis Univeristy of Colorado, Boulder

Danielle Frost University of Pennsylvania

Katherine Degener University of Loyola

James Frusciante Princeton University

Robert DeLuca Princeton University

Emily Garber Tufts University

Cole DeMonico George Washington University

Haley Garrison Tulane University

Ross Dener Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Grace Garrity Radford University

Peter Angus Ithaca College Jacqueline Appell College of Charleston Allison April Muhlenberg College Joanna Arcee Norwalk Community College Angus Armstrong University of California, Santa Barbara Anna Aron Indiana University Megumi Asada Williams College Courtney Babbin Indiana University Chloe Baker Washington Uinversity in St. Louis Colin Bannon Endicott College Jacob Baron Oberlin College Molly Barreca Miami University Courtney Barry Boston College Samantha Bautista University of Virginia Kate Beispel University of Texas at Austin

Nicole Bukovsky Salve Regina University Brendan Burris Xavier University William Byrnes University of Connecticut Samuel Cadan Savannah College of Art and Design Douglas Caffery University of Alabama Matthew Campbell University of Colorado, Boulder Gregory Carl Keene State University Spencer Carr Duke University Claire Carroll Elon University Lucas Carstens James Madison University Alexa Casimir Michigan State University Allegra Chaple University Prep Nina Chasnow Franklin and Marshall College Jacob Chernok Ithaca College Alexandra Ciotoli New York University

Noah Bender University of Vermont

Daniel Ciotoli University of Maryland

Robert Bene Villanova University

Kelly Cirillo Villanova University

Grace Bergonzi Fordham University, Alvin Aily

Thomas Cirillo Purdue University

Noel Berry University of Southern California

Isabella Claveloux Trinity College

Sydney Bibicoff Miami University Olivia Bicks University of Virginia Harry Birch Bucknell University Turner Block Fordham University Nathaniel Boley Williams College

Nicolas Cohen University of Tampa Sarah Cohen College of Charleston Andrew Cohen University of Pennsylvania Perri Cohen University of Michigan Samuel Cohen Emory University Zoe Cohen University of Delaware

William Cohn North Carolina School of the Arts Michael Colley The College For Creative Studies Stephen Colodny Franklin and Marshall College Patrick Connolly University of Wisconsin at Madison

Jonathan Denowitz University of Michigan Jacqueline Devine University of Connecticut Michelle DeVito Keene State University Morgan DiDonato University of New Hampshire Jennifer Dimitrief University of Michigan Jack Dobrich Wake Forest University Savannah Donahue Colgate University Mikayla Doyle Sacred Heart University

Caroline Eldh Pennsylvania State University

Michael Graham University of Guelph

William Horne Boston University

Richard Eldh Fordham University

Amelia Green Laffayette College

Jason Hoving University of Michigan

Jenna Ellis New York University

Ryan Greenberg University of Pennsylvania

Dylan Hoy Wesleyan University

Jessica Ellison Georgetown University

Peter Greenberg Landmark College

Jakub Hrvacic Montanna State University

Alexander Ellman Emory University Lorenz Esposito

Emily Greenberg Mount Holyoke College

John Hunter Hobart William and Smith Clleges

Isabel Gasway University of St. Andrews Reed Geisler Cornell University Amanda Giannitti Miami University Ryan Gilland University of Vermont Liam Gilmore University of Alabama Zoe Ginsberg Oberlin College Shira Gitlin Hampshire College Christopher Gladitsch University of Maine

Joseph Greenwald University of Connecticut Kelly Grundei Universtiy of Colorado, Boulder Rachel Guetta Weslyan University Kaylin Gurnari Wheaton College Sarah Gutman Indiana University Zachary Haigney Sacred Heart University Patrick Hamonet Champlain College Edmund Hardy Stanford University Anne Harrar University of Connecticut Kelly Harris Bucknell University Cheyenne Haslett University of Connecticut Casey Hausman University of Colorado, Boulder Taylor Hawes Roger Williams University Kyra Hawrysh Marist College Brittany Healy Fordham University Jasmine Henry New York University James Hickok Dartmouth College Katherine Hickson Durham University in England Mie Higuchi State University of New York at Albany James Hines Clark University Jake Hirschberg Colgate University Sydney Hirsh Syracuse University Harrison Hlawitschka Tulane University Matthew Hodes University of Austin Texas Pieter Hoets Trinity College

Ashley Hyun Pratt Institute Jessica Izzo Gap year then Norwalk Community College Ryan Jacobs Syracuse University Tyler Jent University of Cincinnati College Grant Jessup University of Vermont Bridget Johnson University of Wisconsin Harriet Jones University of South Carolina Justin Jones Highpoint University Samantha Jones Tulane University Garrett Jordan Indianna University Julia Kaner University of Michigan Eli Kanter University of Alabama Claudia Kann Rice University Alexander Karol Washington University in St. Louis Kevin Kearney Bowdoin University Briege Keenan University of Connecticut Nicholas Kelly Amherst College Annie Kessler Syracuse University Kiana Khozein Brandeis University Ryan Kirshner Colgate University Ian Klasky Bowdoin College Carlyle Klein Hobart and William Smith Colleges Dylan Klein Ohio State University Margaret Kniffin Green Mountain College Samuel Koenig College of William and Mary Alexander Kogstad University of Connecticut Callie Kole Savannah College of Arts and Design

Christopher Driscoll Post-Graduate Year

Katie Glick Syracuse University

Henry Dumke Boston College

Jarrett Goodness Gap year

Marie Neloise Egipto Boston University

Zoe Googe Bucknell University

Michael Holtz Washington University in St. Louis

Anya Kostenko Florida State University

Jared Eisenberg Washington University in St. Louis

Lindsey Graber Duke University

Danielle Honigstein Vanderbuilt University

Matthew Kresch Northwestern University

David Hoffman Indianna University

Rebecca Konowitz Washington University in St. Louis

o the Class of 2013

Senior List Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Jeffrey Krieger Cornell University

Isabel Mann University of Maryland

Julia Onorato University of Vermont

Jeffrey Rosen Ithaca College

Gabriella Signore Southern Connecticut State

Georgia Kursten Miami University

Alexandra Manning University of Wisconsin

Michael Orent Northeastern University

Adam Rosenthal Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising

Clayton Singer Carnegie Mellon University

Max Kurzner Colgate University

James Manning Colby College

Liam Orly Muhlenberg College

Jacob Landau The Juilliard School

Patricia Maragos Union College

Megan O’Shea University of Delaware

Catherine Lane Endicott College

Walker Marsh Emory University

Levon Oztemel University of Colorado in Boulder

Max Rubin Syracuse University

August Laska Middlebury College

Francesco Martinovic University of Richmond

Nicholas Paparo University of Colorado, Boulder

Jordan Rubin Emory University

Salvatore Latella University of Rhode Island

James Masiello University of Connecticut

Luke Paschal Oberlin College of Ohio

Douglas Russ University of Pennsylvania

Matthew Smith Washington University in St. Louis

Jacqueline Lawrence Trinity College

David Mathis University of Connecticut

William Patrick Tufts University

Marcus Russi Yale University

William Smith Muhlenberg College

Eric Lederer Indiana University

Nicholas McCarthy Fairfield University

Michelle Pauker University of Miami

Connor Rustemeyer Villanova University

Liam Smith Boston College

Michelle Lee University of Connecticut

Grace McDavid-Seidner Point Park University

Brad Payne American University

Alyssa Rutski Fisher College

Lauren LeGorrec University of Southern California

Leo McElroy Middlebury College

Christopher Snider St Josephs University in Philedelphia

Jessica Violette University of Rhode Island

Zachary Pensak University of Vermont

Alexander Saad Gap year

Erik Sommer Macalester College

Anita Vohra Connecticut College

Ryan Petersen Pennsylvania State University

Katherine Sabbagh University of Connecticut

Patrick Sorensen Clark University

Hannah Weinberg University of Arizona

Damian Petta Michigan University

Gregory Salamone Franklin & Marshall College

Chase Sosnoski Joining the Marines

Lauren Weinberger Boston University

Chloe Pflug Miami University

Rachel Samuels University of Vermont

Steven Weinstein James Madison University

Shelby Phares Indiana University

Madeline Saveliff Wake Forest University

Alexander Spector University of Maryland at College Park

Jessie Lepisto Nichols College Beth Lester Elon University Matthew Levantin Duke University Sarah Levenson Indianna University H. Levi Lehigh University Sathya Levy Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Blythe Lewis University of Edinburgh Matthew Liebergall Northwestern University Rachelle Lindstrom College of Charleston Charles Lo Presti Loyola Marymount University Alexander Lochoff Dartmouth College Trevor Locke University of Pittsburgh Eric Lombardo Northwestern University Lance Lonergan Union College Perry Lorberbaum Bentley University Devon Lowman College of William and Mary Alexander Ludel Ithaca College Sara Luttinger University of Texas in Austin Francesca Lynch Tulane University Michaela Macdonald Yale University Michael Magid Bingamton College Alec Maki Johns Hopkins University Sarah Malanoski Pennsylvania State University Thomas Maloney Gettysburg College Madeline Mann University of Alabama

Rhyse McLean Carnegie Mellon University Connor McLoughlin Santa Clara University Nicole McNees Gettysburg College Jacob Meisel Harvard University Quinn Mendelson Boston University Michael Menz Yale University Cameron Meyer Marist College Allison Michaelis Union College Amy Miers Quinnipiac University Margaret Mills University of New Hampshire Adam Mirkine New York University

Katherine Platt Syracuse University Caroline Prangley University of Miami Rose Propp University of Maryland at College Park Umberto Pucci Bentley University Rebecca Raab Saint Lawerence University Caitlyn Rand University of Pennsylvania

Molly Rubidge Rhode Island School of Design Rachel Rubin James Madison University

Dylan Schattman Univerisity of Vermont Russell Schindler University of Michigan Kathryne Schlater Carlson School of Design Sydney Schmerzler Bentley University Deanna Schreiber Washington and Lee University Tessa Schroll University of Munnick Mark Schwabacher Grinnell College

Ryan Moran Miami University

Peter Rankowitz Washington University in St. Louis

Zachary Morrison University of Maryland

Lillian Rappaport University of Miami

Katie Moss University of New Hampshire

Jill Rappaport Emory University

Matthew Mula University of Rhode Island

Alexandra Rappaport College of Charleston

Patrick Nolan Dickinson College

Blake Ratner Pennsylvania State

Rachel Senia Eastern Connecticut State University

Griffin Noyer Colorado College

Brianna Reedy The University of the Arts

David Shalmi Binghamton University

Emily Nuzzo University of South Carolina

Audrey Reedy Chapman University

Rachel Shapiro Michigan State University

Katherine O’Brien Stanford University

Peter Reilly Butler University

Julia Sharkey University of Wisconsin

Gaiane Offredo Stony Brook University

Benjamin Reiser Georgetown University

Ryan Shea University of Connecticut

Claire O’Halloran Villanova University

Gabriella Rizack Tulane University

Jordan Shenhar University of Texas at Austin

Kirk O’Halloran University of Vermont

Tucker Rizzi College of William and Mary

Jeremy Sherman Columbia University

Declan O’Hern Elon University

Evan Roberts Norwalk Community College

Gregory Shikowitz Marist College

Alexandra O’Kane Georgetown University

Samuel Robson Vista College

Jacob Shore Rhode Island School of Design

Liam O’Leary Maine Maritime Academy

John Roof Santa Clara University

Rory Siegel Lehigh University

James Onischuk University of Colorado at Boulder

Jake Rose University of Tampa

Ethan Siegel Pennsylvania State

Victoria Scordato Washington University in St. Louis Casey Searl College of Charleston Madeline Seidman Williams College

Michael Sixsmith College of the Holy Cross Annika Skjoldborg University of Tampa Casey Smith James Madison University Kyle Smith Providence college

Zachery Speed Northeastern University Christopher Speer Trinity College Olivia Stanley Cornell University Erica Stein University of Tampa Sarah Stein George Washington University

Oliver Tonsberg Gap year then Champlain College Andrew Travers College of Charleston Emily Troelstra Naval Academy Julia Tziolis University of Connecticut Bailey Valente University of Michigan Jeanette van Dorsten George Washington University Brian Van Gessel Gateway Community College Frank Vartuli Western Connecticut State University Kyle Vaughn Fordham University

Henry Weller Stanford University Hunter Wendroff Berklee College Brynn Werner Wheaton College Corey Werner Bentley University Matthew Wetmore Providence College

Jamie Wheeler Roberts Kingston University in London Britney Stevens Housatonic Community College Ross Whelan Iowa State University Gregory Strauss Virginia Polytechnic Institute Caroline Wildstein and State University University of Connecticut Thomas Stuttard Amanda Wildstein Boston University University of Connecticut Felicia Sych Danielle Williams American University University of Connecticut Philip Syrrist Alec Wrubel University of Connecticut Northwestern University Georgina Talbot Henry Wynne University of Connecticut University of Virginia Zachary Teicher Tiffany Yang University of Rochester Georgetown Alexis Teixeira Jackson Yang Boston College Middlebury College Ian Teran Alec Yass Southern Connecticut State Pennsylvania State University University Bryan Terzian Roger Williams University

Elizabeth Zaffina Sacred Heart University

Matthew Thibodeau Merrimack College

Harry Zec Berkeley College of Music in Boston

Haley Tighe Bucknell University Jacob Titlebaum Tulane University Nia Tofel University of Rhode Island Emma Tolkin University of Wisconsin Kyle Tolkin University of Arizona

Haley Zeldes Emory University Joseph Zelkowitz Middlebury College Abigail Zimmerman Dickinson College Alexander Zuckerman Pratt Institute Lily Zuckerman University of Vermont

OPINIONS June 21, 2013

Thinking About The Parts of Us Inklings EDITORIAL

hen we think of Madeline and Robert, we don’t think about their GPAs; we don’t even know their GPAs. They wouldn’t tell us. Because they know, like we do, that even as valedictorian and salutatorian, they are not defined by their GPA. When we think of Madeline, we don’t wonder if theater brought her average down; we just remember the characters she brought to life on stage. When we think of Robert, we can’t list what APs he has taken, but we remember when he stood in his Speedo in front of the entire school at the pep rally.

But why is it that when we think of ourselves those three digits seem to outweigh everything else? Part of it is us. Grades are concrete, they’re something to grasp onto. It’s harder to see how learning about the Declaration of Independence will help us in the long run than it is to see how a couple of points higher on our GPAs might help us get into college. And so it takes perspective to not take the shortcuts to a higher average. Sometimes we just want that easy A. But “sometimes” can become a lot of the time, and a lot of the time can snowball to the point where an entire high school career is centered on that easy A. We cheat ourselves out of a long-term education in favor of immediate gratiEditors-in-Chief Katie Cion Hannah Foley

“Silver Crown Award” for Inklingsnews.com from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 “Silver Crown Award” for Newspaper Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 “Pace Maker Finalist” from National Scholastic Press Association 2013

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 National Scholastic 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.

Managing Editors Rachel Labarre Will McDonald Web Managing Editors Ryder Chasin Eliza Llewelyn Breaking News Managing Editors Sophie de Bruijn Aaron Hendel Social Media Editor Simon Stracher Graphics Coordinator Nate Rosen (chief) Liana Sonenclar News Editors Bailey Ethier

fication. But part of it is also our environment. In a lot of other towns, just graduating from high school is a big accomplishment, regardless of whether or not college follows. In Westport, graduation is expected, and Ivy League schools are preferred. The pressure is on, and we’ve all noticed. But still, even though there are a lot of factors working against it, real learning does happen, and it does have an impact. We tried to think of a time when we actually learned something without our teachers dangling the good grade carrot. It wasn’t hard. We remembered teachers literally falling over multiple chairs in their excitement for constitutional law, teachers who Claudia Landowne Claire Lewin Cadence Neenan Opinions Editors Alexandra Benjamin Jackie Cope Larissa Lieberson Claire Quigley Features Editors Greta Bjornson Zoe Brown Andrea Frost Sophia Hampton Arts & Entertainment Editors Caroline Cohen Olivia Kalb Emma Muro Katie Settos Sports Editors Claudia Chen Gabrielle Feinsmith

jumped up and down when a student finally learned how to tackle a definite integral, and teachers who referenced Justin Bieber without shame to explain chemical reactions. The common denominator is teachers. Passionate teaching can break down the wall that students, parents and the community create between grades and learning. They can motivate students to learn for learning’s sake. Realistically, grades will always be a priority, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a well-thought-out lesson on the 1920s, even if we are getting a C in your class. We already said that sometimes it’s hard for us to see the benefit of learning, so make it easier by being passionate about your subject, about Deanna Hartog Zach McCarthy Web News Editors Ben Goldschlager Jessica Gross Web Opinions Editors Abbey Fernandez Eliza Yass Web Features Editors Luke Foreman Caroline Rossi Web Arts & Entertainment Editors Kaila Finn Nicole DeBlasi Web Sports Editors Bobby Jacowleff Kelsey Shockey Business Manager Elizabeth Camche

learning, about us. We want teachers to care about us on a basic human level. When you show that you view us as more than an average in your gradebook, by asking about our soccer game or the latest episode of Game of Thrones, we see ourselves as more than a number, too. We understand that it’s easy to look at us and see a bunch of grade-crazy students. But part of us is still eager to learn. That part feels much better knowing we have earned an A, even if it wasn’t easy. That part thinks it’s cool to actually read Huck Finn, instead of SparkNoting it the night before it’s due. That part gets as giddy over the preterite tense as our teachers do. Part of us is still eager to learn. But we need someone to root us on. Copy Editors Ryder Chasin Ben Goldschlager Staff Artist Olivia Crosby Advisers Anne Fernandez Mary Elizabeth Fulco Julia McNamee Stephen Rexford Correspondence and Subscriptions: Inklings 70 North Ave. Staples High School Westport, CT 06880 Phone: (203) 341–1994 Inklingsnews@gmail.com Printed on recycled paper

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Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

A Revolving Circle: Kindergarten Lessons Are Eternal CHLOE BAKER ’13

“All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum Most of what I really need To know about how to live And what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top Of the graduate school mountain, But there in the sandpile at Sunday school These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life Learn some and think some And draw and paint and sing and dance And play and work everyday some. When you go out into the world, Watch out for traffic, Hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder.

Staff Writer

am among all the Soffewearing, intensely spirited girls who daily find the urge to enthusiastically chant “10 months for two”. I spent many years at the place that is an enigma to those who spend the two months of summer at home: sleepaway camp. Every Friday night, we celebrated Shabbat and recited one poem that never failed to surge a warm, sweet tingling feeling throughout my body. Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten” has not only been my favorite poem since I began my journey through camp at age nine, but I have carried it in my heart throughout my experiences as a high schooler because it offers essential words of wisdom. 1) Clean up your own mess Throughout our lives, we’ve enjoyed multiple safety nets to support us through our many endeavors. Yet, as training wheels turn to car wheels and Barney turns to Gossip Girl, we find ourselves without those nets to fall back on. Whether we’ve wronged a friend or received a lessthan-exemplary grade on a test, we learn in high school to be mature and fix the problems we create by using words and problem-solving skills. 2) Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody For those that are particularly stubborn (me included), admitting fault is one of the hardest things to do. But, considering that high school is the one time in our lives when we’re bound to make mistakes – whether it’s gossiping behind someone’s back or simply chatting on the side when a teacher is teaching a lesson – “sorry” remains one of the most crucial words in a high schooler’s vocabulary. 3) Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you I am a firm believer that chocolate is the cure to everything: heartache, stress,

the common cold. One of the most comforting rituals in times of stress has been coming home and indulging in a scoop (or two... or three) of Ben & Jerry’s “Half Baked” or “Phish Food” topped off with several balls of Tollhouse cookie dough. 4) Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some It’s the little activities we do just for ourselves that create a nurtured life. From singing (or more like shrieking) random alternative music at the top of our lungs in the shower to traveling 30 minutes just to eat the best dim sum in the Tri-State area, high school teaches us balance. 5) When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together Though it was definitely one of the most unnerving aspects of freshman year, finding friends to stick to and brave high school with makes the world a little less intimidating and a lot more enjoyable. Your friends are there, always, no matter what the reason. Now, as we leave Staples and move onto the next step, we look forward to gaining immense amounts of knowledge and intellect. Some will take Philosophy 101 at a university. Others will learn interpersonal skills while working in Westport. Regardless of future plans, the wisdom we gained from the magical world of kindergarten is crucial to being successful as a human being, a friend, a family member, and much, much more. I will continue to cherish the words of Fulghum’s poem, as they help me hold onto the glowing hope and optimism of the kindergarten room.

DRAWING BY KATIE SETTOS ’15

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Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Riding on Different Tracks EėĎĐ SĔĒĒĊė ’13

Staff Writer

was on a train going towards Grand Central last week when I saw two darkskinned men sitting right behind the car door. They were probably in their 50s, but their old, tattered sweatpants and rugged, uneven faces turned them into 60. One of them had a beard (though I doubt it was on purpose) and the other had the early beginnings of one. Looking further down, there was a plastic foot jutting out of the shaven man’s right leg opening. The words imprinted on his crew neck had faded from the bold shape that probably once defined him, as well. The letters spelled out “Support Vietnam Veterans.” The two men were holding each other with their hands clasped. When a tall guy wearing a Yankees cap moved his eyes towards them, the bearded man yelled “What the f*** are you looking at?” Then the doors opened and the tall guy walked out. ***** As I looked at these men, I started thinking about the world outside mine for the first time in a long time; I started to see the great enigma of human relationships. So many of the people on that train had probably already summed up each other’s life stories — my life story. If every lie formed a physical object, nearly every person on that train would be sitting in their own cubicle.

The same emotions are repressed in a man’s chest whether it is covered by a suit and tie or torn crew neck. And, in many instances, this becomes a good way to define Westport: as a cubicle, or, using the phrase more commonly alluded to, as a bubble. Everyone, including me, tends to avoid thinking about people who are inconveniently different than they; we describe ourselves as progressives but then assume the guy begging for money on the train platform is just a junkie or lost cause.

And this sort of logic makes es sense – Mother Teresa wouldn’t dn’t have the emotional wherewithal rewithal to ask every immobile obile person watching the he black-suited world walk by, “How was your day?”” Similarly, kids my age will compartmentalize others into neat, simple descriptions, which h can be used to justify one’s empathy or lack thereof: this kid from ____ has no intention ntention of going g to college llege so he’s going nowhere here in life; that girl iss a Republican ican so she must not care are aboutt poor people. le. This isn’t to say that hat we don’t on’t develop lop thesee predetermirminations ons around nd otherr Westporttporters – becausee we do. do o. God knows middle dle school ol would have been better er if people thought ght I was athletic. etic But the etic. problem lem becomes so much uch worse when n many of the people le around you have,, or act like they have,, the same general beliefs and background nd and outlook on life ass you have. And there’s e’s no reason to fault someone for this; thesee are the people who are close to us – they ey are the people we understand. nderstand. And understanding erstanding is fear’s greatest test enemy. But when we get too comfortable with the things hings we know, when one word descriptions of others ers – whether they be from m Texas or Trumbull – are re used as excuses for

not venturing too far out of one’s own insulated group of acquaintances, so much is lost. Empathy becomes unnecessary, ideas become closed-minded, and our politics become immovably righteous and divided. Though Mark Zuckerburg would argue the contrary, the Internet isn’t helping much either; there’s no reason to truly understand someone else when their personality is summed up within a few status updates and profile pictures. Ideas straying too far from your point of view are swallowed by the filter called Google; the search results at the top of the webpage are based on the interests you divulged in previously visiting a certain website. So when I search News or Rock ‘n Roll, I will never have to listen to the detested Bill O’Reilly or Aerosmith. I will never have to hear the devil’s advocate. Ever ybody has a story to tell about themselves with chapters describing ups and downs, pain and love; the same emotion are repressed in a

man’s chest whether it is covered by a suit and tie or torn crew neck. It is taken for granted in a child’s eyes that a snapback or Snuggy doesn’t define someone, but social pressure and TV and billboards depicting unrealistically handsome models slowly convince us otherwise. A lot of growing up is about rediscovering a tolerance and empathy that was once intrinsic; it is about learning to learn from people whose styles or ideas may come off as outlandish or unpopular. It’s about stepping outside of your own bubble. Though it may be buried deep within our self- conscious, we are all capable of this open-mindedness. It just requires you to admit that you’re as imperfect as anyone else. ***** In the midst of my reflections, a grey haired gentleman wearing a sleek navy blue suit and gripping a leather suitcase walked through the door. He then opened his body towards the two open seats across from the crippled man and bearded man who’d told at least three passengers to go “f*** themselves” by now. After dusting off the faded red leather seat, he sat down. I stared from afar and waited for him to get cussed out for his bewildered glance. He was staring at them like a kid seeing Ronald McDonald for the first time. It took five seconds for the bearded man to ask, “What the f*** are you looking at?” “His leg,” responded the suited man. “How did he lose it? I was drafted in ’73 with all my brothers, but I was the only one not to go. I had flat feet.” “Well thank your ugly feet for saving your legs.” The half- shaven man with the prosthetic leg sat up as straight as he could and, for a split second, divulged a half, brokentoothed grin. Then, with somber eyes and a raspy voice, he whispered, “Thank you.”

DRAWING BY ALICE MCDONALD ’14

DRAWING BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

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Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

EĉĒĚēĉ HĆėĉĞ ’13

Staff Writer t’s time for me to come clean. In first grade, at the age of six, I played on one of Westport’s rec soccer teams. To say that I “played,” though, is a bit misleading. What I did on that field involved very little understanding of the game and quite a bit of mindless running around, looking at the grass, and catching insects. By rough estimation, although I didn’t touch the ball a single time, I scored about negative six goals that fall. Yet at the end of the season, I was awarded a trophy that read something along the lines of “GREAT JOB! YOU’RE AMAZING!” I wasn’t alone. Millions of kids across the country receive similar trophies, stickers and congratulatory awards each year, often for doing nothing extraordinary. I was (and still am) absolutely awful at soccer, yet a group of adults decided to throw heaps of praise upon my non-existent skills, in what I can only imagine was some sort of politically-correct, new-ageparenting effort to boost my selfesteem. It was a nice touch, to be sure, and full of good intentions. Yet I can’t help but feel like this

The Fixation Generation kind of carefree praise – which is widespread, and shows up in m soccer games to everything from ool P.E. classelementary school hich every es, places in which child has to win all ght be the time – might contributing to the hat narcissism that seems to define my generation. Because we are a generation of na rci s si st s, no matter how you look at it. We used to be called Generation Y, he but we felt the ack need to hijack ten whole cenat we turies so that he Milcould be “The lennials.” neration ME, We’re Generation athetic individua wave of apathetic i f t t d with als who are so infatuated our own individuality that everything we do must revolve around ourselves. We’re the iGeneration, selfie-obsessed, seeming to care only about likes on Instagrams, friends on Facebook, favorites on our tweets, and other meaningless pleasures that help us to glorify, well, us.

I once heard a horror story

DRAWING BY ALANNA ZAVOICO ’14 about someone who deletes an Instagram photo if it doesn’t get more than 100 likes. If we could give ourselves a trophy today, we’d probably engrave it with “RT if I’m #AMAZING!” And when you stop to think about it, it’s easy to find fault

haps we don’t always need to be the winner at everything. We’re great, but it’s statistically impossible that we’re always, all the time, in every way, amazing. Everyone has to have at least one or two bad days and more than a few mediocre days. No human being can always be the most popular, smart, athletic, beautiful, high-achieving person in a room. So here we are in a room: all 467 of us, plus relatives, gathered together in a very hot field house on what is no doubt a very warm day. Lo and behold, we’re probably all thinking about ourselves: What am I doing tonight?...I’m so bored...When is my name gonna be called?...Why is it so hot in here? Look: I’m probably thinking about myself right now too. Narcissism is a part of human nature, and I’m not denying that. But I’m also hoping that as we graduate, and as we move away from a very insulated place to a less-insulated place, we might begin to focus less on ourselves and more on each other and the world around us. Generation WE has a nice ring to it, no?

within ourselves for this narcissistic, reflection-gazing behavior. Perhaps we’ve be been spurred on a bit by the rec soccer trophies, but we’re still s the ones who decide to post the photos of our feigned, ma keup -ador ned smiles and send s the self-congratulating tweets. At the same time, though, we’ve grown up with technology as an integral part of our lives. Our parents didn’t have that opportunity, nor did their parents before them. Is our b generation inherently gen more narcissistic than previous previou generations, or has technology simply made techno our narcissism more obvious? I’d like k to think it’s the latter, coupled with the aforementioned political-correctness and the fear of lawsuits. At least that offers a sliver of hope that we, as Generation ME, are not quite as self-absorbed as we might seem. Perhaps we don’t always need to be given a trophy. Per-

Learning to Write When Words Fail BEN REISER ’’13 Staff Writer I march in today’s processional donning two hats – one of a graduating student and one of a graduating student journalist. Working on Inklings has been a joyful honor and a matchless learning experience — so I felt it befitting that my farewell column reflect on the most transformative memory and profound lesson I will carry with me not only from Inklings, but from my four years at Staples. I would guess that many classmates have known similar epiphanies and moments of intense growth in other Staples extracurricular activities, whether baseball, JSA or Players. By last December, I had been a high school journalist for three years. Still, no experience could have prepared me for that day. Just before world history class started, I checked Facebook. Someone had posted in the “Inklings Breaking News” group. “Not sure if this is relevant,” an editor had written, “but there was a shooting at an elementary school in Newtown.” I didn’t give it much thought. I knew Newtown was nearby, but figured it was probably an accident or minor altercation. For the next half hour, my phone vibrated incessantly. Every minute, there was another post on Facebook, another text mes-

sage from a co-editor. But I was in class; I couldn’t check the screen. When the lunch bell rang, I bolted to the newsroom, scrolling through notifications, weaving through hordes of classmates heading to the cafeteria. The door was open, the lights

I still wasn’t fully certain what had happened. I gathered that there was a shooting, and, because it was nearby, we were covering it. It wasn’t until we got back to the newsroom that the magnitude of the tragedy began to

No experience could have prepared me for that day. on — unusual since the room was typically locked and dark that period. Two staff writers were feverishly typing away. A faculty adviser sat at another computer, watching breaking coverage online, fingers pursed against her lips. A news editor handed me a reporter’s notebook. “You covering this with me?” “Definitely,” I instinctively replied. As we ventured around the school for interviews, smart phones in hand, breaking news at our fingertips,

register. Tentative details trickled into news reports, the fatality count rising by the minute. It wasn’t just adults; it was little kids, too. Live video from Sandy Hook Elementary, just 20 miles from Staples, flashed onto the projector screen as we struggled to discern which reports were factual and which were speculation.

We hurriedly updated the Inklings website each time we could confirm something, anything, but we remained apprehensive in our reporting. I was still there an hour later when the Inklings staff began to enter for the Advanced Journalism class. The chuckles and murmuring gossip that normally indicated the staff’s arrival were replaced by a stupefied silence. As a staff, we watched the news. Absolute speechlessness. Absolute shock. As live coverage transitioned to commercials, two faculty advisers embraced, dissolving into tears. That was when I realized that the day’s events would change our lives forever. I felt sick and anxious, but, oddly, my emotions weren’t especially visceral. My mind told me to sit tight — to write, fact-check and edit. That was my job. ***** Two weeks later, my family and I traveled into the city for Christmas Eve dinner. By then, our coverage had largely concluded, and Inklings’ Sandy Hook

memorial issue had been published. As the dishes came and went, I couldn’t shake from my mind images of childhood. I recalled gleefully ambling across the street toward my mom and dad after getting off the elementary school bus. I remembered skipping pebbles across the river with my brothers. I reminisced about sitting in my grandmother’s lap, reading aloud our favorite poem, “Wynken, Blynken and Nod.” That’s when it hit me. There, in the middle of the crowded restaurant, I broke down. For weeks, my job had been to remain objective and impartial. But two weeks of keeping that bottled up was enough, and I ran to the bathroom. I rarely cry, but those memories, in concert with the Newtown tragedy, effectively moved me to my core. As I wiped away tears, I realized I had gained an invaluable insight. Being a journalist isn’t simply providing the most recent facts and the most captivating quotes to the public. It’s about balancing objectivity with humanity.

DRAWING BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

FEATURES June 21, 2013

The Previously Featured: What You Didn’t Know Grace Bergonzi EđĎğĆ YĆĘĘ ’14

Web Opinions Editor

Tommy Palumb

tedly in Inatured repea fe 3 ’1 tic bo m u my Pal ay at an athle hy was Tom e w inning pl at th th e le or sc ab t it n’ id ely char klings? He d ething insan Pam y so m m do t To n’ e. id . Nop event. He d valedictorian He isn’t the bo. s. m u on al li P il y m aples helped ing Tomm be r fo d senior at St re g u in at n fe ai as rt w te en bo t lum er it’s shock, a quirky bu hers. Wheth ot to Palumbo is om fr s on tions seem strong reacti tion, all reac be featured ta ri ir t who elicits gh ri to t or dow n as honored r entertainmen bo said he w antics. A s fo m u is al h P of . n bo io m it gn co re e th please Palu ted him: He apprecia know about in Inklings. people don’t three I moved at th as s w el I fe n something he in the Maldives, and whe al warmly due to glob ke li t os “I was born m k san home island that one out.” because the ng to figure yi tr l il st e ar s ing. Scientist

“I’m really shy when it comes to talking to strangers. I hate ordering at restaurants because I think it’s so awkward, and I hate being put on the spot.” Who said this? One of Staples’ best on-stage performers: Grace Bergonzi ’13. Not only does ordering meals make Bergonzi nervous, she hates answering the phone. If someone calls and she doesn’t know the number, the phone remains unanswered. And yet, Bergonzi was recently featured in Inklings for her outstanding dance performance with Rebecca Finell, ’13, at the variety show. The performance combined hip-hop and ballet choreographed to the hit song, “Feel This Moment.” Bergonzi practices dance 20 hours a week, and will join 14 other girls attending Alvin Ailey at Fordham University next fall. Despite her shyness off-stage, Bergonzi is able to feel “completely at home” when she’s dancing in front of her massive and most likely fascinated audiences.

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Rusty Schindler Henry Wynne

Fast. This is what comes to mind when you hear the name Henry Wynne ’13. Wynne is now thee Connecticut high school record holder in the 1000-meter, 0-meter, the mile, and the sprint and distance medley relays. elays. He recently was named the second fastest mile in n the th he nation. Inklings nearly runs out of pages to feature ure him. But Wynne argues that speed is not always what hat he is know for. “I’m actually pretty slow when it comes to doing other things in my life,” Wynne said. “I really take my time. It’s kind of a problem.” For instance, it takes Wynne a while to get ready to leave his house. In fact, in the time it takes him to dress, Wynne could probably run at least 8 miles. Not only that, but he used to hate running.. Wynne played Staples lacrosse freshman year and only ly began his running career when his freshman lacrosse coach told the team that they had to either lift or run. He chose cross-country. As Wynne says, “the rest is history.”

Infeatured in d, ’13 has been ea r le br d d in ke h Sc ba Rust y ce, he has an st , in rd r ya Fo king. his back kliings for ba zza oven in a pi in d d re fi re u doo as feat creeated a w keries and w ocouple of ba a ’t what he’s pr at en d ar ke ts o or w uc od pr y ch ut star cookbook. B cause now. t gh ri g e of breed be in mot st of her ty p t the la e ou th ab is g “My do ise activism ra to g r’s n yi d I’m tr id. Schin le of poachers. o Schindler sa ” s, ie ec sp r he ex tinction of n Mahato. nines, he’s is a Tanzania p, oo Sn g, ng to save ca do yi tr sy bu ot When he’s n ,” g cereal. n ti ting cereal ea ly ab prob s when ea u ro xt de bi “I’m am hether he’s nfessed. eat tastes, w Schindler co gr as h y rl ea Schindler cl em himself. or creating th taste like potato chips. em th g n ti ea chickpeas “I can make ’s craz y.” ato chip… It ot p or av fl y Like an

PHOTOS BY ZOE BROWN ’15

Features Inklings / June 21, 2013/ inklingsnews.com

Stepping on a Crack Won’t Break Angus’ Back HANNAH FOLEY ’14

Editor-in-Chief

n April 27, 2012, Alex Angus found himself as the victim of a serious mountain biking accident, paralyzed from the middle of his back to his feet. Just over a year later, he will be walking across the stage in the field house with his graduation cap perched on his head, diploma in hand. On that terrifying Friday afternoon, Angus and a few of his friends were testing out a 15-foot high jump that he had recently built in his backyard. “I had the speed correct, but my weight was too far forward,” he said. “I landed on my front wheel and went over the bars. It wasn’t that I fell on my back and broke it; I fell on my head so hard that my spine compressed and broke in 3 places: T6, 7 and 8.” Angus lay on the ground for 45 minutes as he and his friends panicked. Angus was scared to call 911 and have his parents notified of the accident. “The exact words that my friend said to my mom were, ‘Now Mrs. Angus, I don’t want you to be angry, but I think Alex needs a doctor,’” he said. Eleven police cars, three fire trucks, and two ambulances showed up at the scene. By this time, Angus was completely paralyzed from T5 down, five vertebra below the base of the neck. “When the paramedics in the ambulance were calling in the injury to the hospital, they actually called it in as a code two, meaning it wasn’t too serious,” Angus to ask g said. He proceeded p

them to call in the injury as a code doctors had no way of knowing scared about anything in my life one to ensure that he could see a whether or not they were damag- as I was in the ‘On Deck’ room for doctor immediately. ing his spinal cord. Serious dam- surgery,” he said.“My dad cried “My first thoughts were that age could have resulted in Angus for the first time, I think, in his there really couldn’t be anything never moving again. entire life. My mom said she had too wrong. It was only a jump in “Mid-surgery, the doctor had never seen him cry in their 30 my backyard. It couldn’t be that to call my parents and ask them if years of marriage...that made me serious,” he said. they should continue without the realize things were serious.” He was brought He was also to Norwalk Hospital, struck when his uncle, but after a CT scan, who had not prayed in doctors refused to years, began to pray operate, saying that for him. it was too serious for “We always made them to handle. They a joke that he would suggested that he be get struck by lightbrought to another ning if he stepped foot hospital. in a church, but here At this point it he was, actually praywas Friday evening, ing for me,” he said. and rush hour traffic His mother then was at its heaviest. It showed him the was determined that countless supportive he should be airlifted Facebook messages to Yale New Haven he had received from Hospital. However, friends. it was a particularly When Angus windy day, so no hearrived home, his licopters in Connectifriend, Griffin Noyer cut would fly him, and ’13, was standing in one had to be called in his living room with a from New York. 12-pack of tacos. Once Angus ar“We had always rived at Yale, he un- PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ALEX ANGUS ’13 loved going to Taco derwent a three hour CRACK: Angus’ spine X-Ray shows the compression fracBell together, and he CAT scan to get a ture of his T7 vertebrea. Two titanium rods, eight screws, was the one who told more detailed report and a bone graph now fuse his spine together from T5 to T9. me about their taco of what was wrong. 12-pack deal in the At this point many sensors or just close me back up. I first place,” Noyer said. “So when doctors had already left the hos- came to nine hours later and had I heard he was coming home I pital, and a special team had to be two Titanium rods, eight screws, texted him and asked ‘hard or assembled in preparation for his and bone grafted from my hip, soft tacos? Also, what soda do you surgery the next day. keeping my spine together,” he like?’” Complications occurred said. Noyer wanted to give Angus again in surgery. The brain senAngus described the im- a low-key welcoming home. sors that Angus wore, which in- mense support from his family “I thought he might like it dicated whether or not his spinal and friends before and after his if I just did something simple to cord was being harmed, died. The surgery. help take his mind off the injury. I “I have never been more just did what I’m sure he would’ve

done for me,” he said. “There was not a single day that people did not come by to see how I was doing. My parents actually had to tell some people to come back another time because I wasn’t getting enough sleep,” Angus said. Angus spent two months in a hospital bed and had missed a substantial amount of school. He was given the option to either have tutors come to his home and then enroll in summer school, or he could return to school, on a modified schedule and make up a reduced amount of work. “I was able to complete the work and finish school only one week later than everyone else,” he said. Daniel Heaphy, a member of the social studies department, had Angus as a freshman in Western Humanities and then again as a second semester senior in Current Events. “I was talking with him while he was waiting to meet with another teacher in the department, and he said that he just needed to get back on it, stick with it, and look to the long term,” Heaphy said. Heaphy went on to say that Angus should be a role model for his fellow classmates. “Alex shows that life’s not about never falling down and always being perfect; life’s about getting up when you fall down,” he said. “I know it is corny, but never let anything bring you down,” said Angus. “Always fight for what you believe in.” With a laugh, Angus added in one last piece of advice to the other members of the class of 2013. “Don’t break your back.”

Three Facts About Mountain Biking • The highest mountain bike race was held at Mt. Everest at 17,160 feet above sea level. • The longest mountain biking race was 2,700 miles, from Mexico to Canada. • Mountain biking was invented in California in 1970. PHOTOS BY ZOE BROWN ’15 AND SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15

Information from beembee.com

14 Features

Inklings / June 21, 2013/ inklingsnews.com

What Are the Odds? The Staples High School Roulette Wheel KĆęĎĊ CĎĔē ’14 Editor-in-Chief

11,625

cumulative credits necessary for the entire senior class to graduate

4,368 minutes of passing time in a 4 year high school career $2,934

to the winner of AP assassination as compared to the $1000 afforded to each member of the winning Spectacular Student Challenge team

433 pictures posted in the Senior Girls’ facebook group 405

more students in the class of 2013 than the original graduating class of 1884

peanut butter and jellies prepared at the beginning of lunch

20 seniors still had missing library books or fines at the start of internships

19 weather-related closings over the last four years Congratulations to the graduating class of ’

Features Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Dealing a Royal Flush of Staples Seniors SĔĕčĎĊ DĊ ćėĚďĎē ’14 Breaking News Editor

The Students Who Never Got a Sandwich

ozens of students flock to the sandwich line every day, enticed by the smell of sizzling paninis, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. Often students will spend half their lunch period in one of the infamous lines, enduring the aggressive blows of starving seniors just to get their hands on one of Amber’s or Colleen’s creations. There are, however, the rare students who have not braved the sandwich line even once in their Staples career. One of these hidden gems is Josie Fair ’13, who doesn’t care for sandwiches and doesn’t see the point in missing half of lunch waiting for one. “I would usually get a salad, or I would just grab a chocolate milk and some peanut butter instead,” she said. Jill Rappaport ’13 is another senior who will graduate without ever having bitten into a chicken pesto. “Since freshman or sophomore year I have brought my lunch every day, so it was pretty easy to avoid the trend of the sandwich line,” she said. “When I told my friends towards the end of the year that I never bought a sandwich, they were in shock and disbelief,” said Rappaport. “I am sort of proud just because I think it’s funny that I resisted the sandwich line every day of my high school career.”

The Student Who Drank Coffee Every Day Every Staples student knows what it feels like to be sleep-deprived. Haley Garrison ’13 found a delicious way to beat the morning drowsiness that inevitably follows a long night of homework. Each morning before school, Garrison goes to Dunkin’ Donuts in order to get her caffeine fi x. Her love for Dunkin’ Donuts coffee began the summer before her junior year, when she frequented one of the popular shop’s locations. When school started in September, Garrison couldn’t cut the trips out of her schedule, despite the earlier mornings. “I needed caffeine to function in the morning,” she said. “I did it so often that on the mornings I didn’t go, it felt like withdrawal.” Garrison succeeded in finding easy and tasty motivation to get out of bed in the morning, even if it meant being late to class a few times. Garrison prefers iced coffee and got the cool beverage yearround, even when there were several inches of snow on the ground.

The Senior Cellist Who Always Practiced Staples students are often overwhelmed with intense schoolwork and myriad after-school activities. It can be challenging for students to find the time to dedicate to anything, much less make a commitment to something every single day. Kevin Coughlin’s ’13 passion for the cello overcame these obstacles, and he found time to practice nearly every single day during his high school career. Coughlin’s dedication did not come easily; he was forced to sacrifice free periods to spend time practicing and put off watching TV or other activities for other days. “Music is a big part of my identity and has been integral to my development and my experience at Staples,” he said. “Staples has the best music department in the state, and you only need to come to one of our concerts to find out why.” But, for Coughlin, the most important take-away isn’t about the music. “I’ve made some great friends and have so many amazing memories from chamber rehearsals to Candlelight concerts. I know that I will cherish these memories in college and in the years beyond.”

PHOTOS BY ZOE BROWN ’15 GRAPHICS BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15

16 Features Now Playing: A Four Year Soundtrack Inklings / June 21, 2013/ inklingsnews.com

AMINA ABDUL-KAREEM ’15 Staff Writer

hether you consider A$AP Rocky or John Mayer to be a musical genius, there will always be songs that dominate the radio playlists. These are the official top songs that Staples seniors chose to define their high school years.

’09-’10 “Whip My Hair” by Willow Smith When this song came out, almost every teenage girl changed her profile picture to a picture of her whipping her hair with the caption: “I whip my hair back and forth”. No matter if your hair was long or short, when this song came on, everyone was whippin’ it. “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift Either people actually enjoyed this song (die hard Taylor Swift fans) or they found it a joke. Regardless, the lyrics were to be belted out from every rooftop. The music video gained a lot of popularity especially since Taylor Swift played the antagonist, a popular brunette cheerleader and the protagonist, a shy, blonde nerd with glasses. Of course, the gorgeous Lucas Till, the protagonist crush, contributed to the popularity of the music video.

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“Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO At one point, this song was No.1 all over the world. “Party Rock Anthem” made every teen want to get on their feet and start to get down on the dance floor. This is pure pop party music. It was the “song of summer” in 2011. The upbeat tune was catchy and the dance-pop/electro-house genr was hot. The bass-thumping glory is perfect for blasting in the summertime.

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen This song may be the most overexposed tune of 2012. Basically, a lot of girls want guys to call them. The lyrics are catchy, and were popularized by the U.S. Olympic swim team. Even former Secretary of State Colin Powell created a cover of this song. Every teenager made good use of the “call-me” hand sign.

“I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift “Dubstep” and “Taylor Swift” being used in the same sentence was a shock to almost everyone. “Taylor Swift’s dubstep song” may be a defining moment in dubstep’s takeover of the mainstream. Also, the parody “I Knew You Were A Goat When You Walked In” had everyone laughing and raised the popularity of this song.

“Give Me Everything” by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo “Grab somebody sexy, tell ‘em hey” is a phrase that most kids quickly picked up when this song became a hit. It entered party playlists instantly. This song has two very distinct styles of singing: the R&B quality of NeYo and Pitbull’s unique style of rap. Afrojack contributed to the catchy beat, highly energetic and dance song.

“Starships” by Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj songs always have a different theme and beat. This song has a strong dance energy, nostalgic lyrics, and a creative mix of 90’s-influenced Eurodance, pop, reggae, and electropop. Nicki also does a great job with blending rapping and singing. Her music videos are never disappointed. A fantasyisland with Nicki sporting green hair and in a pink bikini are to be expected.

“Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis After this song came out, everyone felt like it was time to hit the racks at Goodwill. The lyrics to this song are catchy and stayed in everyone’s head. “I’m gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket.” People also felt it was necessary to wear their grandfather’s vintage sweaters. This song even contributed to a new theme day: thrift shop thursday.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE COHEN ’15

A Couple of Actors Take the Stage CADENCE NEENAN ’15

However, their true success comes from within. “The best part about working together in players was getting the chance to grow together,” Clay said. “I know I wouldn’t be half the performer I am today had Michelle not been such a huge part of my high school performances.” And Michelle also loves working with Clay. “It’s nice to be able to work with someone who is just as serious about theatre as I am. I also love singing with him; our voices go together pretty well.” At the risk of being seen as a “Glee” episode-worthy stage couple, Michelle and Clay shared some of their finest moments outside of the auditorium. Clay recalled a quiet summer afternoon that quickly esca-

News Editor What does Clay Singer ’13 say is his favorite thing about his on and off stage girlfriend, Michelle Pauker ’13? “Hands down her eyes.” Clay and Michelle didn’t start out bathed in the limelight and glitter of show business. They first met surrounded by finger paints and coloring books in the same kindergarten class. The torch of love was eventually passed to theater in their first show together, a performance of “Godspell,” when they were eight or nine. They began dating in the spring of freshman year, after performing in a student directed performance of “The Children’s Hour.” Some immediately fangirled over the budding couple. Caley Beretta ’10, director of “The Children’s Hour,” recalled her excitement when she heard that they were dating. However, many held low expectations for what was thought to be just another freshman couple. Allie Daut ’13 recalled her initial reaction: “I’ll give it two weeks.” However, Clay and Michelle quickly proved to be a couple with more durability. “Claychelle” earned respect in Players for their work ethic, their dedication, and, most famously, their chemistry. “Everything they do onstage feels that much more real because they both put their heart and soul into every part of the show,” Beretta said. David Roth, director of Players, agreed. “They are both very caring, warm, and compassionate people, and I think that the relationship with each other reflects that.” Yet Clay and Michelle perform just as well when they aren’t playing the swooning

“Everything they do onstage feels that much more real...” –Caley Beretta ’10 GRAPHIC BY RACHEL LABARRE ’14 PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY MICHELLE PAUKER ’13 sweethearts that they are offstage. “I thought that they were both great in ‘A Chorus Line,’ to be honest. Although they didn’t play a leading couple, they both were incredibly well suited for their roles,” Isabel Perry ’15 said. Clay and Michelle have adjusted to performing apart. Their performance in “Rent”, during the first summer they began dating, was the first time they dealt

with the possible jealousies of being a stage-bound couple. When Clay was coupled on stage with a real-life model, and Michelle was cast in a stage relationship with her ex-boyfriend, both proved to have the greatest professionalism. “Well, I was [Clay’s] wife once and we bonded and got really close,” Daut said, after performing as the Kristine to Clay’s Al in ‘A Chorus Line.’

lated from water bottles to a water battle. “I unexpectedly emptied my entire water bottle on her head then she did the same to me and then it turned into a huge water fight,” said Clay. But if all is fair in war, it’s certainly fair in love. So what is Michelle’s favorite thing about Clay? “He is truly my other half and the light of my life -- that’s my favorite thing about him.”

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A&E June 21, 2013

Art Smart: Rubidge Capturing the Shades of Life “She posseses an intellectual bent and a sophistication. Her depth of thinking is evidenced in her interpretation of ideas.” - Camille Eskell

EMMA MURO ’14 A&E Editor n amazing artist. A role model. A talented swimmer. Molly Rubidge ‘13 is well known for many of her distinct qualities, all of which are reflected in her artwork. For her whole life, Rubidge had a passion for drawing, and would spend much of her time creating pieces in her free time. But this talented artist never took her work seriously until she came to high school. In freshman year, she took her first art class at Staples, and by junior year, she was sure she had a talent. Helping her realize this gift was Camille Eskell, who teaches a wide variety of art classes from basic drawing to studio art. “During the second semester of junior year, I took honors studio art for the first time,” says Rubidge. “It was under her guidance that I started to realize that I wanted to pursue a career in art.” Eskell taught Rubidge in all of the foundational classes, where she guided this talented artist through the process of improving her work more and more. It was in honors studio, notes Rubidge, where she started taking more risks with her choices of subject matter and experimenting with things she’d never been exposed to before. “She’s always had a lot of faith in me and my capacity for improvement; she’s helped me to push myself out of my comfort zone,” says Rubidge.

PHOTOS BY LIANA SONENCLAR ‘14 AND MOLLY RUBIDGE ’13 THE ARTIST: Drawing in her notebook, Molly Rubidge brings to life another scene. This graciousness was not one-sided. Eskell thinks just as highly of Rubidge, claiming she “posses an intellectual bent and a sophistication. Her depth of thinking is evidenced in her interpretation of ideas.” Rubidge wowed her art teacher with her Honors Art Studio Project, in which the students had to interpret the theme “Food Attitudes.” Rubidge chose to depict the myth of Persephone and cast the heroine curled in the core of a pomegranate. The drawing, which was set in Hades, showed traces of the landscape above.

“The story of Hades and Persephone is a greek myth where Persephone, the daughter of Demeter (the goddess of the harvest), gets abducted by Hades so he can force her to marry him,” Rubidge explains. Angela Simpson was also a key player in Rubidge’s art career. “Ms. Simpson has been a really positive, encouraging influence,” says Rubidge. “Her classes exposed me to mediums I may not have had the chance to experiment with on my own.” It was because of the diverse classes that the Staples art program offers

that Rubidge was able to gain experience in different types of art. For Simpson’s silkscreen class this year, she brought in an expensive printing press that’s used for a variety of printmaking, giving students the opportunity to experiment with something they would otherwise be unable to. As an alumnus of Simpson’s classes, Rubidge wants to dip her feet in a few different art pools. “I keep flip-flopping between wanting to do straight up fine art and wanting to do illustration -something in the vein of concept art or game development, maybe,

2009

or animation, or something else entirely. I have no clue yet!” Demonstrated by their incredible praise, Rubidge’s art teachers are sure she is going to change the world of art. With an acceptance to Rhode Island School of Design under her belt, as well as being named a Commended Student in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program and featured multiple times in “Gretel Art” magazine, she has a stable foundation to build upon. Rubidge said she is still unsure about what the future will hold for her, but she’s confident art is what she wants to do. Making the decision of attending a design school rather than a liberal arts college was a difficult decision, but she couldn’t be prouder of it. “I’m very glad I’ve ended up where I am, and I’m looking forward to what the future has to offer.”

2013

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA KALB ’14

What’s Trending? (And No, I’m Not Talking About Twitter) GRETA BJORNSON ’15 Features Editor “Just like any girl, I wore leggings with a jean skirt and a plain black tank top.” This is how Anya Kostenko ’13 describes the outfit she wore on her first day of school as a freshman at Staples. Take a look around. Chances are, you don’t see anyone wearing this outfit. Trends such as Kostenko’s first day of school outfit are shortlived, particularly in high school, and don’t exactly excel in longevity. When most senior girls look back on the outfits they wore on their first day in 2009, the memories of those who can recall so far back like Kostenko are flooded with recollections of uncomfortably tight Sugar Lips, colorful gauzy scarves, and strappy gladiator sandals. Fast-forward to 2010 and images of colorful crop tops and Ombre hair may ring a bell for some. Come 2011, military-inspired black and brown leather combat boots and boho styles like sheer, flowy tops, silver and turquoise jewelry and stacked brace-

lets made appearances. Finally in 2012, girly peplums spiced up the hems of tops and wedge sneakers gave many a boost in not only height, but style as well. Most could also identify 2012 as the year of the infamous LF sweater: a loose-fitting knit that came in an array of colors (although most girls wore the olive green) with slashed cutouts on the sleeves was seen on almost half of the female student body. Kostenko was not one of them. “I think the LF sweaters are ridiculous. [It looks like] all the girls who wear them…got attacked by a wild animal the day after the LF sale. I just see it more as being funny rather than a fashion statement,” she said. Not only did just specific articles of clothing like the LF sweater gain popularity over the past four years, their color mattered just as much, if not more, than their construction. Neon fabrics returned in 2010 with vengeance, lighting up everything from fuchsia headbands at J. Crew to lime green Havaianas flip-flops at Wishlist.

Annika Skjoldborg ’13 enjoyed neon clothing for a bit, but believes that you can definitely have too much of a good thing. “I think the right amount of neon clothing can be really cool,

“Something is really cool until everyone all of a sudden has it. Then it goes back to the forgotten uncool pile and then ends up coming back as a trend years later.” -Annika Skjoldborg ‘13 if worn right. However it’s often styled poorly and then it easily looks trashy. The only neon thing I own is a pair of high-top Vans that I love to use to add a splash

of color to an outfit,” she said. High school fashion is an ever-changing phenomenon that many can attest to is more often than not filled with questionable trends. For example, during both 2009 and 2010, Uggs took hallways all over the country by storm when cold weather rolled in and were even more prevalent on the checked linoleum floors Staples, a fact that Alexis Teixeira ’13 remembers well. “They were comfy, but I wouldn’t say [that they were] very fashionable,” she recalled of the clunky fur-lined boots. Teixeira is not alone in doubting the shoes’ attractiveness. Jackie Appell ’13 shared the same sentiment. “I was never into Uggs and never thought they were a good idea, although I did wear a short pink pair one day sophomore year; I wish I could tell you why. It was a big mistake,” she said. When fabrics like fur and lace blew up in 2011, so did hair trends. Feather extensions and dip-dyed tips could be seen adorning the locks of Staples’ female students as they fashion-

ably flipped their hair. Skjoldborg reflected on the popularity of the fast-spreading accessory. “I thought hair feathers were very cool when they were a bohogirl kind of thing. However, I lost interest in them quickly as they spread to the hair of every Staples girl,” she said. Although some of the fads formerly popularized by hallway style queens have faded (R.I.P. plaid everything, Juicy Couture velvet sweat suits, and straw fedoras) one from over two years ago still prevails: pants in pink, green, or even orange are seen in the halls, but blue is out when it comes to jeans. Devine summed up the popularity of the trend. “I did not wear tribal pants, Toms, or gladiator sandals, but I do love colored jeans,” she said. However, the popularity that characterizes trends such as colored jeans is not so stylish for Skjoldborg. “Something is really cool until everyone all of a sudden has it. Then it goes back to the forgotten uncool pile and then ends up coming back as a trend years later,” she said.

A&E Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Super Dee Assists the Lucky ’13 AććĊĞ FĊėēĆēĉĊğ ’14

Web Opinions Editor ee Hychko, or just “Dee,” has a history with this class that goes beyond being its grade-level assistant: some students were campers or counselors with her at the Parks and Recreation Beach Camp. From gimp to graduation, Hychko has stuck with the students through Staples and summers. Hychko has worked at Parks and Recreation, specifically “Beach Camp,” for 18 years. Counselor Nick Kelly ’13 has three words to describe his summer experiences: “Dee is awesome.” Others felt the same way. “It was always a lot of fun to work with Dee. She’s the type of person that can always keep people laughing,” Julia Tziolis ’13, another former counselor, said. In four years, Hychko has grown extremely fond of this class. Excited for the future, she still is sad to see them go. “You get close to families; you get close to kids,” Hychko says of her relationship with the senior class. Her office is saturated with pictures of students from games, performances, and other events that Hychko attended. “The best was seeing Dee

on the sidelinee of every sporting event, cheering us on.. She’s always had ourr back and has been helpful to us in so many ways. It’s hard d not to grow closee to her,” Joey Zelkowitz owitz ’13 explained. Hychko has as had fun with her er students as thee grade-level assitant, like when en she appeared as Cruella de Vil, when the senior girls dressed up as dalmatians. Siri Andrews ’13 13 says that this was her favoritee memory of Dee. e. “She’s always ways up for fun stuff like ike that,” said Andrews ’13. 13. The admiration ration between Hychko and this class is mutual. Asked to describe this class in one word, Hychko put it simply: “extraordinary.” Hychko will be in attendance at both baccalaureate and graduation with “a big box of Kleenex,” she says.

Mr. M Puts the ‘Pal’ in Assist. Principal

DRAWINGS BY AMY PERELBERG

Admin adding Class to the Class of 2013

Patrick Micinilio is the Pat class of 2013’s assistant principal, but his authoritative position did not stop him positi from fostering close relationships with many of the tionsh students of this class. In stude fact, this is the first class that Micinilio has shepherdM ed through four years of th high school. “Having watched “ these students come th in as freshman, even meeting some of them m in eighth grade, and e watching them grow and wa mature over four years ma has been rewarding,” Micinilio Micinil says. Katie Platt ’13 attests to Micinilio’s commitment to Micinil the class clas over four years. “He knows kno every kid in our grade’s name and, over the past four fou years, he has made a point to get to know all of his students,” Platt says. students, He has grown close to this class by attending their extracurricular events, printing their report cards quarter after quarter (a usually pleasant experience), hosting weekly homeroom meetings and talking with them in the halls. As a former English

teacher, he has even offered help on essays. “There’s a negative stigma attached to the assistant principals because they deal with discipline, but I’ve had plenty of positive relationships with kids; they were always welcome in my office,” said Micinilio.

“The passion of this class; that will be sorely missed.” –Patrick Micinilio Matt Smith ’13 certainly made the most of that open door policy. “Whenever I had some spare time, I could always hang out in Mr. M’s office and joke around about things going on at school, my friends or baseball,” Smith said. While Micinilio is excited to watch the graduation of his first full four-year class, he’s sad to see them leave. He says, “The passion of this class, that will be sorely missed. As well as their energy, the energy of the class of 2013 is unmatched.”

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20 A&E Give Us a Song, You’re the Piano Man Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

“Astonishing.” “Cutting edge.” “Unbelievable.” BEN GOLDSHLAGER ’14

PHOTO BY LIANA SONENCLAR ALL HANDS ON DECK: Jake Landau ’13 playing one of the Mozart Piano Sonatas.

Web News Editor

hese are just a few of the words that Myra Garvett used to describe her piano student of six years, Jake Landau ’13. Landau’s original music has already been performed by the New York Philharmonic and the New York Youth Symphony as well as the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and Avery Fisher Hall. “I was flabbergasted when I first heard his pieces,” Garvett said. His friend Jacqueline Devine ’13 agreed that he is a great music-maker. “He often just fiddles around on the piano and makes incredible music,” she said. Landau, however, stressed his passion for composition. “I can’t not compose,” Landau said. That’s why I compose.” Garvett also emphasized Landau’s extensive knowledge of music. “I don’t think there’s a piece of music he hasn’t examined,” she said. In fact, Landau tested out of Music Theory in the Juilliard Pre-College program, something no one else had done before. “He

knew everything,” Garvett said. Landau’s passion and talent has paid off, as Landau will be attending Juilliard in the fall and will be trained by the classical composer John Corigliano. Landau said that he was very surprised when he learned he’d be studying with Corigliano, as Corigliano has never taken a freshman before. “I just [signed up for Corigliano] as a whim to see if I’d get in because that would be a huge deal,” Landau said. “And I did.” Corigliano has won many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for Music for his Symphony No. 2, an Oscar for Original Music Score for “The Red Violin,” and a Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for “Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan.” But Landau was also attracted to another quality of Corigliano’s: he has been able to make such a success from his music. “Ultimately, I want to be able to live off my pen and paper just as he has,” Landau said. Given the success that Landau has already enjoyed from his music, it seems likely that Landau will accomplish his goal. “I see Jake accepting Oscars,” Devine said.

The Real Life of the American High School AēĉėĊĆ FėĔĘę ’15 Features Editor In late Aug. of 2009, the seniors of 2013 woke up for their first day of freshman year timid and not sure of what was to come. They thought that what they knew of high school was going be like what they had seen on TV. While quotes from the infamous movie “Mean Girls” were engraved in their brains, they hoped the high school life that was portrayed in the movie wasn’t real. In “Mean Girls,” just like the freshman of 2009, Cady, the main character, went to high school for the first time not knowing what to expect. However, she soon learns about the clique system and “mean girl” behavior that exists at North Shore High. High school, to her, is a jungle, meaning only the fittest survive. Jill Rappaport ’13 said that by far “Mean Girls” is and will always be her favorite movie about high school, but it didn’t influence what she first thought it would be like. “The whole movie was so hyperbolized,” said Rappaport. “I knew that high school wouldn’t be that bad.” Rappaport explained that every comment or joke made in “Mean Girls” is over-dramatized to make it funny. In one scene, characters Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith tell Regina George that she can’t sit with them because she is wearing sweatpants and it’s a Monday. “That’s against the rules and you can’t sit with us,” Smith saya. While George tries to protest, the conversation ends when Wieners screams to

the whole cafeteria, “you can’t sit with us!” While all the “disses” and “rudeness” still do happen in high school, Rappaport feels that, at Staples, they happen discreetly in comparison to the movie. “In ‘Mean Girls’, so many people walk around and openly gossip and say something mean about someone they aren’t friends with,” Rappaport said. “In real high school, I think many people often have a stereotype, opinion, or image for a person, but they keep it private.” Like “Mean Girls,” many shows that teenagers watch are centered around teenagers living a high school life. Both “Gossip Girl” and “The OC,” two of Siri Andrews’ ’13 favorite shows, focus on teenagers’ lives as they attend private school.

The show definitely influenced Andrews because she stated that after watching these shows, she thought that private schools were full of “wealthy kids with crazy lives that can do whatever they want.” The shows follow the characters as they drive around in town cars, buy anything out of a top designer store, and fly half way across the world. All these little details are the small things that add to the scandals about boys and bullies. “In reality, high school isn’t like that. There aren’t bullies or pregnant teenagers or the popular kids that strut the halls like they own the place,” said Perri Cohen ’13. As Andrews has now lived through four years of high school, she agrees with Cohen and realizes that these scenarios

were not necessarily the case at Staples. “High school is obviously so different from TV and movies because drama isn’t created for the sake of being created,” said Andrews. “People really try to avoid drama, and, unlike TV shows, there isn’t that much sabotage and revenge taking place. People work out their problems normally.” In these shows, it is typically the girl who is creating the drama because she thinks she is better than everyone else. However, there is no “queen bee” who runs Staples the way Blair Waldorf runs Constance Private School on the Upper East Side in “Gossip Girl.” Unlike Waldorf, people don’t dump their full cup of yogurt on you if you sit in their seat in the lunchroom, and they definitely do not spend their day

scheming for revenge to make you the most hated person on the Upper East Side. An average day for a Staples High School student would consist of waking up around 6:30 a.m., going to school, participating in an after-school activity, coming home to do homework, and then probably going to bed. However, Waldorf runs her life differently. The camera always shows her outside the classroom in the courtyard, shopping on Madison Avenue, feeding the ducks in Central Park, or attending a charity gala on a Tuesday night. The concept of homework, a daily high school activity, never made the cut. Cohen concluded that whether it is “Gossip Girl,” “Mean Girls,” or any other show or movie, high school drama shows share one thing in common. “They all hyperbolize the worst and best possible scenarios in high school situations, and, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on what scenario, I cannot really relate my high school experience to those in TV shows,” Cohen said. Rappaport and Andrews agree that while they love watching these drama-filled movies and television shows, they cannot truly relate to any specific characters. “High school was so normal, and there are no shows that follow just an average person. It always has so much excessive drama and cattiness, and high school really just is not like that,” said Andrews.

A&E Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

The Drama Within The Drama CAROLINE ROSSI ‘14 Web A&E Editor t seems like just yesterday that this year’s Senior Players walked through the Black Box doors and into the “four hallway.” Four years later, many of them are preparing to take their last bow on the Staples stage. “Staples Players is the promised land of high school—the land of endless opportunity if you will,” said Alexandra Rappaport ’13. But even she admited that everything that could go wrong did go wrong in Players while the class of 2013 was at Staples. “Our grade is definitely ‘the lucky 13,’” Tyler Jent ’13 said. Talk about drama within the drama. Since 2009, this Players class has been making history, beginning with its first mainstage musical, “Guys and Dolls”, when many cast members were plagued with the “Swine ‘09” epidemic. “Everyone wore facemasks through all of Hell Week,” Maddy Seidman ’13 said. “I was told to learn two parts the day before opening.” A brother and sister were double cast as Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson, the two leading roles who were love interests so they couldn’t both go on together. Luckily, both Sarahs and both Skys made it through the run in good health, but it was a close call, especially considering that another leading actor had come down with swine and another had a broken foot. As if that wasn’t enough, on opening night, the directors, David Roth and Kerry Long, were absent, as Long was giving birth to their child, Lucy. “I remember having theater first period Friday morning, opening night,” August Laska ’13 said. “When a substitute teacher walked in, we knew what it meant.” For the cast and crew, the rest of that day was a blur, filled with worries about how the night would play out. Caley Beretta ’11, the assistant director, took over, and the show went on without a hitch. Players also had its fair share of weather-related issues over the past four years, from the March storm of 2010 during “Little Shop of Horrors,” to Hurricane Sandy this year during the fall main-

PHOTOS BY: ΈABOVEΉ LIANA SONENCLAR ’14, ΈUPPER RIGHTΉ RACHEL LABARRE ’14, ΈLOWER RIGHTΉ RACHEL LABARRE ’14

PLAYERS THROUGH THE YEARS: “Curtains,” “West Side Story” and “Oklahoma!” showcase Player’s and their talents ever since the beginstage “Oklahoma!”. During “Little Shop”, rehearsals were held at Saugatuck Elementary School, and on opening night the lighting board’s memory was wiped and the entire lighting plot was lost, so the show had to be lit live. Because of power outages during

tioning broke in the auditorium, and the intense heat led to cancellations of rehearsals during tech week,” Jent said. But of course, all of these shows opened on time. Np matter the Weather, sickness, or even injury, Players pulled through every time. On the

Success When Fate Throws the Cast a Twist “Oklahoma!”, rehearsals took up temporary residence at the Conservative Synagogue (one of the only powered locations in town) and were run by assistant directors. “One example that didn’t really get much attention was the 2011 summer show “Jesus Christ Superstar” when the air condi-

final day of tech week for “West Side Story”, there was a mishap with stage combat during one of the huge fight scenes that gave Jent a concussion and knocked him out for all of the last week of rehearsals, until he returned right before opening. Ryan Shea ’13 had a similar experience.

PHOTO BY: BELLA GOLLOMP ’15 ALL IN LINE: The cast of “A Chorus Line” rehearses in the black box before their singular sensation.

“I had a tendon in my right foot that was partially torn during rehearsals for A Chorus Line this year,” he said. “I wasn’t able to dance for two weeks, and it was very painful, but, because of the support of the cast and crew, I was able to go on and have a great experience performing.” Craziness aside, there have been many wonderful moments and opportunities for this class. Over the years, Players has had the chance to work with many professionals. For instance, Players worked with Rupert Holmes, the composer of the music for the show “Curtains,” performed by Players in the fall of 2010, and this year they worked with Baayork Lee, who played the original Connie Wong in “A Chorus Line” on Broadway. The icing on the cake was after this March’s production of “A Chorus Line,” Terre Blair, the widow of the show’s composer Marvin Hamlisch, asked the cast to perform at Hamlisch’s birthday celebration in New York City on June 3rd. “Theatre has opened doors for me in English, history, and

psychology,” Will Smith ’13 said. “I joined Players to release myself from the stressful way of society. Players has been the place I could relax in while practicing my acting skills in a non-judgmental environment.” Seniors said that, regardless of the crazy moments, the organization has been and will continue to be a huge influence on their lives. “It has been an irreplaceable four years in Staples Players. Four years that has had a whole lot of challenges but a whole lot of heart,” Jent said. “I’ll never forget it.” Rappaport agreed. “It’s safe to say that we as the class of 2013 have probably been through some of the most testing times in Players’ history, but it’s also safe to say that we’re one of the most promising classes to pass through,” she said. “It was the difficult, unlucky times that really made us what we are. If you asked any of the seniors if we’d change anything, I think you’d get the same answer from us all. Not for the world.”

22Degree List Thank You Staples Teachers... Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

ADMINISTRATION John Dodig Principal Southern Conn. State Univ., B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year

David Winer Dept. Chair, Music New England Conservatory of Music, B.M Univ. of Connecticut, M.M. Univ. of Hartford, 6th Year

James Farnen Assistant Principal Dept. Chair, Media Central Conn. State Univ., B.A. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year

Maria Zachery Dept. Chair, World Language Fairfield Univ., B.A. Columbia Univ., Teachers’ College, M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year

Richard A. Franzis Assistant Principal Dept. Chair, Library and Computer Science Southern Connecticut State Univ., B.S.; M.S.,6th Year

ATHLETICS Gaetana Deiso Springfield College, B.S.

Martin Lisevick Athletic Director Central Conn. State Univ., B..S. Univ. of New England, M.S. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year Patrick Micinilio Assistant Principal Dept.. Chair, Family Consumer Science, Tech. Ed. Univ. of Conn., B.A. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year Karyn Morgan Assistant Principal Dept. Chair, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Academic Support Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S.; 6th Year Fairfield Univ., M.A. DEPARTMENT CHAIRS Frank Corbo 6-12 Coordinator for Mathematics Fairfield Univ., A.B., M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year James D’Amico 6-12 Coordinator, Social Studies Univ. of Conn., B.A.; M.A. Univ. of Conn., 6th Year Lorraine DiNapoli Dept. Chair, Special Education Central Conn. State Univ., B.S. Univ. of Central Florida, M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., M.S.;C.A.S. David Gusitsch K-12 Coordinator, Physical Education & Health Central Conn. State Univ., B.S. Western Illinois Univ., M.S. Sacred Heart Univ., 6th Year Julie Heller Dept. Chair, English Bennington College, M.F.A. Union College, M.A.T. Cameron Univ., M.A. Michael Rizzo Dept. Chair, ESOL Fairfield Univ., M.A. Univ. of Connecticut, 6th year A.J. Scheetz 6-12 Coordinator, Science Lake Superior State Univ., B.S. Univ. of Colorado, M.S.; Ph.D. Elaine Schwartz Dept. Chair, Guidance Syracuse Univ., B.A. Teachers College, Columbia Univ., M.A.; Ed.M.

ENGLISH Jesse Bauks Univ. of Conn., B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Heather Colletti-Houde Fairfield Univ., B.A. Western Conn. State Unive., M.S. Anne Lutz Fernandez Brown Univ., B.A. Boston College, M.A. Mary Elizabeth Fulco Univ. of Mary Washington, B.A. Southern Connecticut State Univ., M.A. Michael Fulton Univ. of Wisconsin, B.A. New York Univ., M.A. Daniel Geraghty Hofstra Univ., B.A. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.T. Univ. of Conn., M.A. Elizabeth Humphrey Fairfield Univ., B.A.; M.A. Julia McNamee Williams College, B.A.; Univ. of Massachusetts, M.A. Alex Miller Southern Connecticut State Univ., B.S. Fordham, M.A.; M. Phil. Susan O’Hara Tufts Univ., B.A. Rutgers Univ., M.A. Columbia Univ., Teachers’ College Ed.M. Elizabeth Olbrych Conn. College, B.A. Univ. of New Hampshire, M.S.T. Fairfield Univ., C.A.S. Kimberly Herzog Bucknell Univ., B.A. Univ. of Conn., M.A. Amanda Parrish The Univ. of Chicago, M.A. Christine Radler State Univ. of New York at Oneonta, B.A. State Univ. of New York at Binghamton, M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.L. Stephen Rexford Skidmore College, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Middlebury College, M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year

Christina W. Richardson LIBRARY/ MEDIA Northwestern Univ., B.S. James P. Honeycutt Western Conn. State Univ., M.A. Fairfield Univ., B.A.; M.A.; C.A.S. Barbara Robbins Fairfield Univ., B.A. Western Conn. State Univ., M.S, Sacred Heart Univ., 6th Year Meghan Scheck Colby College, B.A. Middlebury College, M.A. Kristin Schulz College of the Holy Cross, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Delbert Shortliffe Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, B.A. Colgate Univ., M.T. Holly Sulzycki Indiana Univ., B.S. Southern Connecticut State Univ., M.S. Brian Tippy Yale Univ., B.A. Elizabeth Triggs Yale Univ., B.A. Gus Young Bard College, B.A. Univ. of Maine, M.A.T.

Julia Roberts State Univ. of New York, New Paltz, B.A. Western Conn. State Univ., M.S. Southern Conn. State Univ., M.L.S. Robin Stiles Grove City College, B.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., M.L.S.

Carrie Mascaro Ithaca College School of Music B.M., M.M. Southern Conn. State Univ. 6th Year

Gertrude Denton Univ. of South Florida, B.A. New York Univ. M.B.A.

Luke Rosenberg Western Michigan Univ., B.M.

Ann Didelot St. Joseph’s Univ., B.S. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.S. Dana Dolyak Southern Connecticut State Univ., B.S.; M.S.

Jennifer Giudice (P/T) Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha, B.S.; M.S. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th year

Linda McClary Fordham Univ., M.S.W. SUNY at Cortland, B.A.

Margaret Gomez Union College, B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.S.

Alison Milwe–Grace Univ. of Mass, Amherst, B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.A. ICE- Manhattan, Culinary Degrees

Caroline James Fairfield Univ., B.S. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.S.

Janet Garstka Carnegie Mellon Univ., B.F.A. Illinois Institute of Technology, M.S. Jaclyn Jeselnik Quinnipiac Univ., B.S. College of New Rochelle, M.A. Jonathan Nast Gettysburg College, B.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., M.S. Angela Mata Simpson Skidmore College, B.S. Southern Conn. State Univ., M.S. Tracy Wright Ohio State Univ., B.S.; M.Ed

MUSIC Candi Innaco P/T Univ. of Dayton, B.M.E. Kansas State Univ., M.M.

MATHEMATICS Stacey Delmhorst Southern Connecticut State Univ., B.S. Univ. of Connecticut, M.S.

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES Cecily Gans Johnson & Wales Univ., B.S.; M.A.T.

Camille Eskell Queens College/CUNY B.F.A.; M.F.A.

Bill Wilkes Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S. Western Conn. State Univ., M.A.

Nicholas G. Mariconda Univ. of Bridgeport, B.S.; M.S.

Anthony Mike Forgette Univ. of New Haven, M. Ed.

FINE ARTS Carla Eichler Univ. of Conn., B.F.A. Southern Connecticut State Univ., M.S.

Sarah White Univ. of Virginia, B.A.; M.T. Sacred Heart Univ., 6th Year

Michael Zito Southern Conn. State Univ., B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A.

E.S.O.L. Janell Iyer Union Univ., B.A., M.A.

Laura Wendt Pine Manor College, B.A.

John Wetzel Dickinson College, B.S. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.; M.S.

Alan Jolley Rutgers Univ., B.A. Wesleyan Univ., M.A.T.; 6th Year Theron Kissinger Univ. of Mexico, B.S. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.Ed. Leonard Klein Univ. of Conn., B.S. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A. Jessica Levy Quinnipiac Univ., B.S., M.A. Kerrigan Warnock Springfield College, B.S. Univ. of New Haven M.A. Robert Papp Sacred Heart Univ., M.A. Dartmouth College., B.A. Nicole Pendolphi Fairfield Univ., B.S.; M.A. Robin Sacilotto Univ. of Connecticut, B.S.; M.A. Sacred Heart Univ., 6th Year Rebecca Stern Boston College, B.A. Columbia Univ. Teacher’s College, M.A. William Walsh Univ. of Conn., B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.Ed.

Adele Cutrali Valovich Western Conn. State Univ., B.M.E. Eastman School of Music, M.M. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year Greg Winters P/T Western Conn. State Univ. B.S.; M.S. PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION Bruce Betts Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S.; M.S. Maureen Cadden Univ. College Dublin, B.S. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.S. Michael Caetano Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S., M.S. Cari Christenson P/T Central Connecticut State Univ., B.S. Colin Devine Southern Conn State Univ., B.S. Kelly Garrity Southern Connecticut State Univ., B.A.; M.S. John R. Lawrence Southern Arkansas Univ., B.S.E. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Cari Moore Central Connecticut State Univ., B.S. Marcellino Petroccio Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S. Nicole Ross Ithaca College, B.S. Christopher Shamas Univ. of Maryland, College Park, B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Sacred Heart Univ., 6th Year Janet Zamary Springfield College, B.A., M.S.

23 We Could Not Have Done It Without You! Degree List

Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

PUPIL SERVICES Sandra Dressler Berman Queens College of the City Univ. of New York, B.A. Fordham Univ., M.S.W. Mary Bernhardt Univ. of Rhode Island, B.A. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.S.; C.A.S. Victoria Capozzi Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S.; M.S. Jennifer Currie Univ. of Delaware, B.A. Central Connecticut State Univ. M.S. Christine Gray Univ. of Conn., B.A. Univ. of Hartford, M.Ed. Denise Honeycutt Southern Conn. State Univ., B.A.; M.S. Fairfield Univ., C.A.S. Julia Horowitz Bowdoin College, B.A. Univ. of Michigan, M.P.H. Columbia Univ., M.S.W.

Nathaniel Dewey Grove City College B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.A.T. Cecilia Duffy Providence College, B.A. Wesleyan Univ., M.A. Southern Ct State Univ., 6th Year Matthew Filip Univ. of Notre Dame, B.S. DePaul Univ., M.Ed. Richard Fisler Stevens Institute of Technology, B.E. New Jersey Institute of Technology, M.S. Sara Gifford Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S. Christine Hirth Univ. of New Hampshire, B.S.; M.A.T. William Jones Union College, B.S.; M.S. Joel Kabak Queens College, City Univ. of New York, B.A. Yale Univ. School of Medicine, M.D.

Edward Huydic Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S. Columbia Teachers College, M.A.; 6th Year Wesleyan Univ., C.A.S.

Joanne Klouda NYU - Polytechnic Institute, B.S. M.I.T., M.S.

Micah Lawrence Dickinson College, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A.

Alexandra Krubski Univ. of Conn., B.A. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.T.

William Plunkett Colgate Univ., B.A. Harvard Univ., Ed.M., C.A.S.

Michael J. Vieira Lazaroff San Francisco State Univ., B.A.

Deborah Slocum Wesleyan Univ., B.A. London School of Economics, M.S.C. Fairfield Univ., M.A.

Dominick Messina Manhattan College, B.S. Stony Brook Univ., M.S. Nicholas Morgan Villanova Univ., B.S. M.I.T., Ph.D.

Jennifer Sorge Univ. of Richmond, B.A. Columbia Univ., M.A.

Heather Morley Univ. of Vermont B.S. M.Ed.

Christine M. Talerico Univ. of Conn., B.S. Central Conn. State Univ., M.S.

Michele Morse Fairfield Univ., B.S. Fordham Univ., Ph.D.

Carol D. Taney College of New Rochelle, B.A.; M.S.; 6th yr.

Howard David Rollison Maine Maritime Academy, B.S.

Tom Viviano New York Univ., M.S. Fordham Univ. P.J. Washenko Univ. of Massachusetts, B.A. Southern Conn State., Univ., M.S. ACADEMIC SUPPORT Francine Sinay Eastern Connecticut State Univ., B.A. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.S. SCIENCE Michael Aitkenhead State Univ. of New York, Syracuse, B.S. Pennsylvania State Univ., M.A. Robert Andrew Cornell Univ. B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Antonio Coccoli Sacred Heart Univ., B.S.; M.A.T. Maura Delaney Quinnipiac Univ., B.S., M.A.

Kristin Scott Univ. of Conn. B.S., M.A. David M. Scrofani Fairfield Univ., B.S. M.A. Flavio Tinoco Maharishi Univ. of Management, B.S.; M.S. Univ. of Iowa, Ph.D. Serena Tirado Emory Univ., B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Carrie Veigas Conn. College, B.A. Boston College, M. Ed Trema Voytek Southern Conn. State Univ., B.A.; M.S. Sacred Heart Univ., 6th year Heather Wirkus Marist College, B.S. Southern Conn. Univ., M.S.

Humphrey Wong Univ. of Illinois, Ph.D. Univ. of California, Berkeley, B.A. Harvard Univ., M.P.A. SOCIAL STUDIES Carol Avery Indiana Univ., B.A. Southern Conn. Univ., M.S.; M.A. Ashley Gayanilo Univ., of Virginia, B.A. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A. Dana Gilland Univ. of Vermont, B.A. Western New England College School of Law, J.D. Univ. of Bridgeport, Sixth Year Katherine Goulian Cornell Univ., B.A. Columbia Univ., M.A. Daniel Heaphy Univ. of Conn. , M.A. Shelia Hirai Kenyon College, B.S. Boston College, M. Ed. Joseph Jelen Univ. of Maryland, M.Ed. Suzanne Kammerman Union College, B.A. Universiteit van Amsterdam, M.A. Chi–Ann Lin Univ. of Conn., B.A.; M.A. John Miller Ohio Wesleyan Univ., B.A. Univ. of Cincinnati, College of Law, J.D. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.T. Eric Mongirdas Penn State Univ., B.A. Simmons College., MA Harvard Univ.., MA Sara Pinchback State Univ. of New York, Geneseo, Hunter College, M.A. Rob Rogers Sonoma State Univ., B.A. Northern Arizona Univ., M.A. Catherine Schager Johns Hopkins Univ., B.A. Teachers College, Columbia Univ., M.A. Jonathan Shepro Boston Univ., B.S. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.A. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.L. Jeanne Stevens Marquette Univ., B.A. Northern Illinois Univ., M. Ed. Meghan Ward Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.T. Tobias Watson Univ., of Maine, B.A, Univ. of Bridgeport, M.Ma. Fairfiled Univ., 6th year David Willick Michigan State Univ., B.A. SPECIAL EDUCATION Rebecca Anderson-Furlong Syracuse Univ., B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.A.

Rita Appel City Univ. of N.Y. Brooklyn College, B.A.; M.S. Carmen J. Arciola, III Assumption College, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Brooke Barrington Syracuse Univ., B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Andrea Beebe Univ. of California, Los Angeles, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Karen DeFelice-During Providence College, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A.; M.F.T. Deirdre Dempsey Univ. of Conn., BA Columbia Univ., M.S. Diann Drenosky Univ. of Conn., B.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., M.S. Johanna Driscoll Lesley College, B.S. Sharon Halstead Connecticut State College, B.A. Southern Connecticut Univ., M.S. Fairfield Univ., 6th Year Heidi Howden Southern Conn. State Univ. B.A.; M.A Marylou Huisking Ladycliff College, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year Sally Joyce Southern Conn. State Univ., B.A., M.S. Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners & Educators Aimee Lorenti Southern Conn. State Univ., B.S. Sacred Heart Univ., M.S. Jennifer Lynch Fairfield Univ., B.A.; M.A. Karla Masiello Univ. of Conn., B.S.; M.A. Tom Owen Ohio Univ., B.S. Marjory Palmer Calif. State Univ., Chico, B.S. Fairfield Univ., M.A., C.A.S.

WORLD LANGUAGE Horacio Ballesteros Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A. Joseph Barahona Southern Conn State Univ., B.A., M.A. Olivier Blanchardon Central Conn. State Univ., B.A. Fairfield Univ., M.A., 6th Year Natalie Clay Univ. of Montpellier, France, B.A; M.A. Erica Craft Allegheny College Middlebury College Sewanee, Univ., of the South Claudia Cuevas de Taranto Sacred Heart Univ., B.A. Southern Ct. State Univ., M.A. Louisa D’Amore Univ., of Delaware, B.A. Ana Catalina DeLuca Fairfield Univ., M.A. Christopher Fray Conn. College, B.A. Sacred Heart Univ., M.A.T. Eamon Griffin Middlebury College, B.A., M.A. Jennifer Huettner Univ. of Virginia, M.Ed. Denison Univ., B.A. Donna Kenny Univ. of Iowa, B.A. Univ. of New Haven, M.B.A. Carol Kochefko Fairfield Univ., B.A.; M.A. Margaret Neville Middlebury College, B.A., M.A. Enia Noonan Univ. of Conn.. B.A. Universidad de Sevilla, Espana Fairfield Univ., M.A. Susan Pels Tufts Univ., B.A. Univ. of Texas (Austin), M.B.A. Univ. of Texas (Austin), M.A. Renee Torres Sacred Heart Univ., B.A. Univ. of Conn., M.A. Priscilla Wentworth Fairfield Univ., B.A.

Lili Yang Sara Prior Rhode Island School of Design, Wheelock College, B.A. B.F.A, BArch Southern Conn. State Univ., M.A. Eastern Conn., State Univ., Sarah Stanley Central Conn. State Univ., B.S Southern Conn. State Univ., M.A. TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION Michael Sansur Univ. of Maryland, College Park, B.S. Univ. of Bridgeport, M.S. Southern Conn. State Univ., 6th Year, 7th year THEATER David Roth The Theatre School at Depaul Univ., B.F.A. Southern Oregon Univ., M.A. Southern Conn. State Univ. 6th Year

Kemen Zabala Univ. of Conn., B.A., M.A NURSES Suzanne Bookbinder Brooklyn College, B.S. New York Univ., M.A. Diane Bosch Hartwick College, B.S.N. Elizabeth Russ Univ. of New Hampshire, B.S.N.

SPORTS June 21, 2013

Ode to the Motorcade KATE BEISPEL ’13 Staff Writer

dle to the motorcade. As we rode through Westport, people literally stood on their doorsteps cheering us on. When we paraded down Main Street, customers and employees came out of their stores to watch (LF uploaded a whole ole album if you’re interested in checking hecking that out). And despite thatt one woman who gave us the middle ddle finger until the light turned green, most people always gave us the right of way and allowed our parade to stick together. Probably forr their own safety, now that I think ink about it, but it seemed nice at the time. I actually got sad, ad, as it was still going g on, that it was going to end soon. As we approached North Ave., ve., I requested taking another er lap. There was a carload of myy friends behind me, and we spent pent most of the ride screaming ng song lyrics back and forth h at each other. F o r t u n a t e l y, our timing was perfect. We approached the Staples parking lot right before 5:00. All participants waited until the last car had arrived to storm down the hill into the game as a pack. Everyone ran n down screaming too-

gether. I often try to incite a movement for a spring motorcade. We’re not even at school anymore, and I haven’t given up. Once I was asked what the best day of my senior year was, and I responded before the question was even finished with, “the

motorcade,” as if everyone should know that. After writing this ode, I’m willing to promote it to the best day of my life. To all juniors: I’m willing to fly back from college next year to drive you, just to relive my glory days. To this year’s motorcade: gone, but never forgotten.

GRAPHIC BY MAX BORTNIKER ’15

n Valentine’s Day, I Instagrammed a collage of motorcade pictures. This is not a joke. The comments ranged from nostalgic to borderline obsessive. At least once a month I tweet a comment like, “I want to marry the motorcade,” and can expect at least 15 favorites. But rewind back to November, and this current love affair almost wasn’t. Hurricane Sandy hit the last week of Oct. into the first week of Nov. and changed much of the Staples schedule, including Homecoming and Spirit Week. Originally scheduled on Nov. 10, the Homecoming game was moved to Tues. Nov. 13. The worst had happened. Before you roll your eyes at me for being overdramatic, you must realize that Homecoming was rescheduled to a Tuesday night. The worst had definitely happened. First came the issue of Spirit Week. Two days of dressing up didn’t really give me the opportunity to win best outfit, and let’s face it, if you don’t want to win the free shirt that’s given out at the Pep Rally as a reward, then you might as well not dress up at allwhich brings me to the next issue of the Pep Rally. It was no lon-

ger the day before Homecoming. The annual traditions that were a rite of passage of senior year were falling apart. When the cheerleaders were no longer allowed to lead the motorcade, I had just about had it. 5:00 p.m. on a school day with no one to lead us: it looked as if the motorcade was not going to happen. This was obviously a very dark time. After as much successful planning that can happen in a Facebook group of over 400 teenagers, the idea was to meet at Compo Beach at 4:00. And so, my group of friends borrowed a Jeep Wrangler, found a junior who reluctantly drove us, and headed

It was love at first sight. out in our decorated car to the beach. When we arrived, I was shocked at the uniformity everyone was able to pull off. What I had expected to be a chaotic clamor with no instruction turned into a never-ending line of cars waiting to pull out of the beach. And that’s when it all began. It was love at first sight. There is a myriad of activities to look forward to throughout senior year: painting your cars, the internship program, graduation, getting into college. Let me tell you, none of them hold a can-

Light Up The Night SIMON STRACHER ’14 & BOBBY JACOWLEFF ’14 Social Media Editor & Web Sports Editor

At the the bebegi ginn nnin ing g of any any ginning scho sc hool ol year, yyea ear, r, there tthe here re school is excitement eexc xcit item emen entt to seee your se your friends, ffri rien ends ds,, to meet mee m eett your your teachttea each ch-ers, er s, tto o ch chec eck k out out check your yo ur classes. ccla lass sses es.. Bu Butt in thee 2012-2013 th 2012 20 12-2 -201 013 3 sc scho hool ol school year ye ar,, th ther eree wa wass a differdiff di ffer er-year, there entt kind en kind of of excitement exci ex cite teme ment nt spar sp arke ked d by the the new new footfoot fo ot-sparked ball ba ll fieeld ld lights. llig ight hts. s. ook k several seve se vera rall years year ye arss of It ttoo took nego ne goti tiat atin ing, g, a and nd $ $35 350, 0,00 000 0 negotiating, $350,000 according acco ac cord rdin ing g to the the Westport Wes W estp tpor ortt News Ne ws,, but but by tthe he 2 201 012 2 Staples Stap St aple less News, 2012 foot fo otba ball ll ssea easo son, n, the the lights llig ight htss were were football season, inst in stal alle led d and and ready read re adyy to go. go. Much Muc M uch h installed hy pe surrounded ssur urro roun unde ded d them. them th em.. hype They did did n not ot d dis isap appo poin int. t. They disappoint. The first rst game game vver ersu suss St St.. JoJoThe versus seph seph was was a 49-28 494 9-28 28 Staples Sta S tapl ples es victory. vvic icto tory ry.. But But the the drubbing drub dr ubbi bing ng was was not not the the main mai m ain n stor st oryl ylin inee of that ttha hatt night. nigh ni ght. t. Rather, Rat R athe her, r, it it was was storyline the the incandescent inca in cand ndes esce cent nt llig lights ight htss that that shined sshi hine ned d down down on on the the turf turf and and the the stands. ssta tand nds. s. “The hair hai h airr stood stoo st ood d up on on the the back back of of “The my neck” nec n eck” k” head hea h ead d coach coac co ach h Marce Marc Ma rcee Petroccio Petr Pe troc occi cio o said. said sa id.. “We “We waited wait wa ited ed a long llon ong g time time to to see see perpermane ma nent nt lights llig ight htss at Staples Sta S tapl ples es High Hig H igh h School, Scho Sc hool ol,, and and manent it was was worth wor w orth th it.” iit. t.”” Connor Conn Co nnor or H Har Hardy ardy dy ’14 ’14 agreed. agr a gree eed. d. “The ““Th Thee exciteexci ex cite te-ment ment in in the the air air was was palpable. palp pa lpab able le.. Th Thee whole whol wh olee

sc scho hool ol was was there tthe here re ,” ,” he said. ssai aid. d. school Thee li Th ligh ghts ts n not ot o onl nlyy in incr crea ease sed d lights only increased fan fa n tu turn rnou out, t, b but ut a als lso o in incr crea ease sed d turnout, also increased play pl ayer er m mor oral alee wh whic ich h cr crea eate ted d a player morale which created home ho me fieeld ld advantage. adv a dvan anta tage ge.. “I tthi hink nk tthe he ffan an turnout ttur urno nout ut was was think grea gr eat… t…Ga Game mess we would wou w ould ld normally nor n orma mall llyy great…Games play pl ay without wit w itho hout ut a lot lot of of people peop pe ople le here her h eree had ha d a lo lott of p peo eopl ple, e,”” Petroccio Petr Pe troc occi cio o said. said sa id.. people,” “Itt felt “I felt amazing ama a mazi zing ng firrst st coming ccom omin ing g outt under ou unde un derr the the lights. ligh li ghts ts.. It was was such ssuc uch h a great grea gr eatt feeling,” feel fe elin ing, g,”” offensive offe of fens nsiv ivee lineman line li nema man n Nick Ni ck W War ard d ’14 ’14 sa said id.. Ward said. Runn Ru nnin ing g ba back ck Joey Joe J oeyy Zelkowitz Zelk Ze lkow owit itzz Running ’13 ’1 3 sa said id the the lights llig ight htss crested cres cr este ted d a place plac pl acee where wher wh eree “students “stu “s tude dent ntss could coul co uld d come come out out and an d be rowdy rrow owdy dy under und u nder er the the lights.” llig ight hts. s.”” Petr Pe troc occi cio o al also so credits ccre redi dits ts a pospos p os-Petroccio sibl si blee in incr crea ease se iin n the the po popu pula lari rity ty of of sible increase popularity foot fo otba ball ll in in Westport West We stpo port rt to to the the new new football ligh li ghts ts.. lights. “Foo “F ootb tbal alll is u und nder er a llot ot o off “Football under pressure pres pr essu sure re due due to to concussions conc co ncus ussi sion onss and and suicides suic su icid ides es in in the the NFL, NFL, and and for for us us it’s it’s just ju st another ano a noth ther er way way where whe w here re maybe may m aybe be a young youn yo ung g kid kid will will be be in those ttho hose se stands ssta tand ndss and an d say, say, ‘Maybe ‘‘Ma Mayb ybee on onee day day I would woul wo uld d like li ke to to play play Staples Sta S tapl ples es Football Foo F ootb tbal alll under unde un derr thee li th ligh lights,’” ghts ts,’,’”” he ssai said. aid. d. Thee Wreckers’ Th Wrec Wr ecke kers rs’’ we were re llit literally iter eral ally ly iin n thee spotlight th spot sp otli ligh ghtt and and certainly cert ce rtai ainl nlyy did did not not have ha ve ssta stage tage ge fright ffri righ ghtt as they tthe heyy went went 5-0 5-0 and an d outscored outs ou tsco core red d opponents oppo op pone nent ntss when when playing play pl ayin ing g a total tota to tall of 252-82 252 2 52-8 -82 2 under unde un derr the the

lights lights. ligh ts.. Throughoutt the ou the enentire ti re season, ssea easo son, n, Ward Wa rd and a nd Zelkowitz Zelk Ze lkow owit itzz both both agreed agre ag reed ed their tthe heir ir fafavorite vori vo rite te moment mom m omen entt wass when wa when tthe they heyy walked walk wa lked ed under und u nder er the the lights ligh li ghts ts for for the the firrst st time. time ti me.. Football Foot Fo otba ball ll manman m an-ager ag er A Ann Annie nnie ie K Kes Kessler essl sler er ’13’s ’13’ ’1 3’ss fa favo favorite vori rite te m mom moment omen entt came ca me 44 44 days days later llat ater er on on a Tuesday Tues Tu esda dayy night, nigh ni ght, t, when whe w hen n thee Wreckers th Wrec Wr ecke kers rs took ttoo ook k the the field eld ve vers versus rsus us West Wes W estt Haven Have Ha ven n in tthe he first rst round rrou ound nd of of the the state stat st atee to tournament, tour urna name ment nt,, under unde un derr thee lights, th ligh li ghts ts,, in the the snow, ssno now, w, and and with wi th a 42-20 424 2-20 20 victory. vvic icto tory ry.. “The “T he lights llig ight htss illuminated illu il lumi mina nate ted d thee snow th snow which whi w hich ch made mad m adee everyever ev eryything thin th ing g se seem em so so cool, cool co ol,, and and for for some so me rrea reason easo son n that that really rrea eall llyy got got the the play pl ayer erss ex exci cite ted d which whic wh ich h made made for for players excited an eexc exciting xcit itin ing g game,” game ga me,” ,” K Kes Kessler essl sler er ssai said aid d Thee lights Th ligh li ghts ts were wer w eree a welcome welc we lcom omee adadditi di tion on to to the the Staples Stap St aple less community. comm co mmun unit ity. y. dition They Th ey ignited iign gnit ited ed a passion pas p assi sion on and and drive dri d rive ve in in thee players th play pl ayer erss th that at h hel helped elpe ped d illuminate illu il lumi mina nate te many ma ny g gre great reat at victories. vvic icto tori ries es..

GRAPHIC BY MAX BORTNIKER ’15

Sports Inklings /June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

26 Sports

Inklings / June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

It’s a Sher Thing

Jeremy Sherman ’13 on sports, hard work, and protein bars WILL MCDONALD ’14 Managing Editor

n most sports, athletes want to weigh in as big as possible: to be the largest, strongest hulking mass of athlete that they can be by the time they line up against their opponents. For wrestler Jeremy Sherman, this desire came with a limit – one that may as well have been written in stone. As a wrestler, Sherman had to ensure that he stayed within his weight class, meaning at no time before a match could his weight exceed 126 pounds. Sherman had to walk a fine line – become as strong and fit as possible but at the same time dial it down occasionally to ensure that he did

der to catch up to other wrestlers who had the advantage of years of experience of middle and elementary school wrestling. This hard work manifested itself through hours spent in the weight room, running around the indoor track - often in a full sweatsuit in order to help him make weight- and practicing year round with a local wrestling club. However, Sherman recalls that improving was a slow process – as he admits, he didn’t win very many matches early on. “Even though I didn’t start winning for a while, it was rewarding to see hard work pay off in the form of incremental improvement. For me, it was more than a sport; it was a lifestyle,” style,” he said.

“The path to victory isn’t glamorous - It’s monotonous, exhausting, and painstaking,” -Jeremy Sherman not exceed his weight limit. For Sherman, this meant falling into a well-worn routine. “On a day before a meet, I would usually end practice about two pounds under, go home and eat dinner, and then be right on weight for the morning,” Sherman said. In order to maintain such a precise routine, Sherman credits staying focused each day, whether or not there was a meet the following day and whether or not wrestling was even in-season. “The path to victory isn't glamorous - It's monotonous, exhausting, and painstaking,” he said. “I got better as a wrestler and as a person by working as hard as I could every single day.” And better Sherman did get. While he is the first to admit that as a freshman wrestler he took his “ fair share of beatings” on the mat, Sherman worked hard in or-

All those extra hours spent honing his craft did eventually pay off, and this year Sher-man enjoyed a tremenndous senior campaign, gn, placing 5th at the Class LL Championships in his weight eight class (126 pounds), a weight class Sherman says comes es with a reputation as one of thee state’s toughest. This qualified Sherman for the State Open tournament, in which wrestlers ers from all state classes (S, M, L, and LL) compete against each other for the title of best in the state. te. At the Open, Sherman, man, the 17th seed heading in, had ad a remarkable run, eventuallyy taking 8th. This came by way of an upset, in a match that Sherman does not hesitate to classify as “career areer defining.” Sherman was up p against Charles Kane of Fairfield d Warde, hot off a Class L state titlee and un-

defeated for the year. Trailing 2-1 with just eight seconds remaining, Sherman beat the buzzer and took Kane down to the mat, scoring two points and eking out with a 3-2 victory. In addition to triumphs on the wrestling mat, the Columbia University-bound Sherman is also a star in the classroom. Again, it is Sherman’s commitment to hard work that sets him apart from his classmates. “Two qualities that set Jeremy apart are his perseverance and hard work,” said Michelle Morse, Sherman’s Authentic Science Research (ASR) teacher said “He worked harder than most of my other students and persevered to find a lab in which to do his research.” S h e r m a n ’s topic was studying Alzheimer’s disease; for him, one of the greatest joys with the project came from being able to inte-

grate what he had learned in statistics with his scientific research by using several statistical processes to tabulate and analyze the data he collected in the lab. In addition to the project, Sherman is also a budding energy bar entrepreneur. He created his own bar – fittingly named the J–Bar – when he couldn’t find a suitable pre-match snack for the carbohydrates he needed. Sherman designed the recipe himself. He concedes that a combination of peanut butter and bananas is involved. although any other specifics of the secret formula are a closely guarded secret. Sherman is the first to admit that he was no wrestling prodigy – it was only through his determination to succeed that he was able to finally begin winning. And so, between the mat and the classroom, Sherman has served as

a living example of the phrase “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” “Jeremy was by far, without a doubt the hardest working guy on the team, and it was really great to see that hard work really does pay off,” wrestling teammate Jake Santo ’14 said. “I've wrestled with Jeremy for at least 2 seasons out of the year since my freshman year, and he's been a great role model of hard work in wrestling and just a great friend overall, on and off the mat.”

SHERMAN’S SWEET VICTORY: Sherman shows off his strength and athleticism in an friendly arm wrestling challenge.

PHOTO BY GABRIELLE FEINSMITH ’15

Sweet, but not too sweet

r a B J e h T Most similar to thick banana bread

All natural ingredients

Manufactured at Sherman’s house GRAPHIC BY RACHEL LABARRE ‘14

Sports Inklings /June 21, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Four Years, Five Sports, Two Athletes of The Year James Frusciante RYDER CHASIN ’14 Web Managing Editor

ale Senior Athlete of the Year: James Frusciante ’13 The big three sports at the forefront of any high school sports aficionado’s mind are undoubtedly football, basketball, and baseball. The most athletic positions at the forefront of any high school sports aficionado’s mind are, without question, wide receiver, point guard, and center fielder. Yet, to most, each of those three positions in those three sports requires an athlete who possesses an amalgam of three prime skills: extreme speed, coordination and strength. And James Frusciante ’13 is that athlete. “I just tried to be a role model and someone that the younger kids could look up to,” James Frusciante ’13 said. “It was a great experience and taught me many lessons that I can apply to my life.” The lessons began this fall with the football team, as Frusciante helped lead the Wreckers to the LL semifinals and an FCIAC championship title. As one of the team’s captains, his 16 touchdowns were good enough to lead the entire LL, and his 932 yards placed him second in the LL and first in the FCIAC. In addition, Frusciante was selected for not only First Team All-FCIAC honors, but was also named to MSG Varsity’s All-Metro Team. This team is comprised of players from all across the tri-state area — New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut — and Frusciante was the only Connecticut athlete named to the team. However, to head coach Marce Petroccio, Frusciante brought more than just impressive numbers and accolades to the football program. “Once he hit the field, there was no nonsense. He has a competitiveness, a fire, a passion,” Petroccio said. “He refuses to lose.” And Frusciante brought that fire with him into the basketball season, captaining the team to a 10-9 overall record and an LL playoff berth. In his last season with the team, Frusciante stacked up among the highest in the league with 17.65 points per game, as well as a modest five assists and three rebounds per

contest, good enough to earn him Second ond Team All-FCIAC honors. But Frusciante’s teammate ate on both the football ball and basketball all teams, Nick Ward ard ’14, puts focus us not just on Frusciante’s e’s numbers, s, but on his leadership. “He’d e’d set up everyonee else in basketball with his great passes, or score a big touchdown wn and turn the game around ound in football,” Ward said. aid. “He leads by examplee and really puts tons of effort in all the time.” Finally ally spring rolled around for Frusciante, and it was back to work as one of five captains for the Staples ples baseball team. While hitting itting in the leadoff spot every ery game, Frusciante put himself mself among the league leaders eaders with 18 stolen bases, as well as batted ed .330 with nine extra-basee hits and 16 runs batted in. He was named to the All-FCIAC AC Western Division team. But Fruciante performs well off the field, as well, as he was one of two Staples athletes picked to representt the th school h l att the th CIAC Scholar Athlete dinner in May. “I’m going to miss everything about him, seriously,” Petroccio said. “He’s a tremendously great athlete, and he’s a great kid off the field.” Frusciante will take both his athleticism and scholasticism to Princeton University in the fall, where he’s committed to play football for the foreseeable future. For now, though, Frusciante wants to take the time to appreciate the seasons he’s left behind. “My senior year of sports was one that I never will forget. I am glad that I was able to finish my sports career with the same people I started it with 10 years ago,” Frusciante said. “The seniors I played with on each of these teams are my best friends that I will have for the rest of my life.”

Ryan Kirshner

PHOTO BY RACHEL LABARRE ’14

A Full House

According to Ryan Kirshner ’13, the soccer and lacrosse seasons this year were times forww rebuilding. After losing seniors — as many as 10 from the lacrosse team, mostly starters — this year’s t e a m s w e r e counted out, put in the posit i o n of restructuring themselves for the future. For Kirshner, the future was this year. As a senior leader of the soccer team, she propelled the team into the LL State Tournament. As a senior tri-captain of the lacrosse team, she led her team’s way into the FCIAC and LL tournaments. “I knew my senior year was going to be a huge challenge trying to lead the team on and off the field, and it was a huge challenge,” Kirshner said. “But overall it was something I’m really proud of and glad I got to do.” For her senior year of soccer, Kirshner, helped lead Staples to a record good enough for third in the FCIAC Central Division. For her personal efforts, Kirshner earned an honorable mention for the All-FCIAC team. “Without Ryan’s guidance, the dynamic of the team would have been very different,” teammate Gea Mitas ’14 said. “She always presented new ideas and plays in order to better the team.” One memorable moment from the season for Kirshner was defeating higher-ranked Darien 2-0. Darien, a team, according to Kirshner, known for having great athletics, was the clear favorite coming into the match. Kirshner and the team, however, had other ideas. “I tried to be a leading force on the attack end of the field and to be able to learn new things to make myself the best player I possibly could be,” Kirshner said.

“I put a lot of effort into each drill in practice on my own time to be able to be the best I could.

“I play and act with no regrets, always trying to do whatever I can to play as if it’s my last time.” –Ryan Kirshner And Kirshner’s athletic year did not stop after the fall season ended. Spring came, and Kirshner took to the field again as a captain of the girls’ lacrosse team. She led the team to an 8-71 record, all the while performing well enough individually to be selected to the ESPN 2013 Class Watch List, as well as earning AllState and All-FCIAC second team honors. “Ryan was a captain with good balance because she would be friendly and joke around with everyone but also have us all focus when it was time to be serious,” teammate Kate Lesch ’16 said. “She was a role model to all of us.” And it wasn’t just her character that showed. Kirshner also scored 48 goals — including as many as seven in one game — and assisted 35 more on the way to being named the team’s offensive player of the year. “I tried to play 100 percent every time I played,” Kirshner said. “I was working hard to bring the team up and lead. That was what I focused on.” Kirshner will take her talents to Colgate University next year, where she’s been committed for lacrosse since Dec. of 2011. While she’s looking to make a mark on the NCAA in the coming years, for now Kirshner is still thankful for the seasons she’s already had. “I play and act with no regrets, always trying to do whatever I can to play as if it’s my last time,” Kirshner said. And, although her last time playing for Staples may have already past, Mitas says Kirshner’s impact is far from gone. “Next year will be very hard without Ryan as a teammate,” Mitas said. “But her leadership and commitment to the team will be forever remembered.”

LUKE FOREMAN ’14 Web Features Editor

The Staples Track Similar to other seniors, Julia Kaner ’13 experienced her best Staples moment towards the very end of her four year career. After the AP test for calculus, her teacher, Mr. Kissinger, a race-walker who has competed in events across the country, took her class outside to the track to challenge them and prove that the hype was warranted. Although it started to rain, Kaner didn’t let the weather ruin her moment. “When all of us were out there, I almost forgot about all the math tests I almost failed this year,” Kaner said. “It felt like we were all just friends having a good time trying to walk as fast as our teacher.” Although her race-walking experience was bizarre, Kaner doesn’t believe that it is that unusual for a teacher at Staples to reach outside of the curriculum for the sake of the students. “It really just speaks for the strength of the community at Staples,” Kaner said. “Everybody is willing to go out of their way to make sure that students are always enjoying themselves.”

PHOTOS BY LUKE FOREMAN ’14

You Were Here

The Staples Field Although Rachel Shapiro ’13 didn’t play a sport at Staples, her favorite moment in all four years of high school occurred at Staples Stadium. Staples was playing St. Joes in the first ever game under the lights, and Shapiro could feel the energy all around her. “It was so cool to see everyone come out to support the team,” Shapiro said. “Everyone was so fired up and there was such an awesome crowd.” Staples ended up defeating St. Joseph, 49-28, thanks to explosive plays by many seniors on the team. Shapiro was a team manager and claims that being at every football game made the fall of her senior year one that she would never forget. “Even those who don’t like football or who typically don’t come out for the games were there to support the team because it meant so much to the program. They’d been trying for years to get those lights, and the game really connected the Staples community.”

The Black Box Theater PHOTO BY GABRIELLE FEINSMITH ’15

Staples Auditorium

Three years ago, Jacqueline Devine ’13 sat down at the piano in front of hundreds of upperclassmen. Devine had a strong case of the butterflies. “I was panicking backstage, taking deep breaths before I began, trying to be in the moment,” Devine said. “If I could feel the lyrics, I had hoped the audience would as well.” The large auditorium may scare off others, but Devine embraced the opportunity, belting out a powerful rendition of her original song, ‘Just Be’, and stunning the once doubtful crowd of older students, despite being just 14 years old. Devine recognizes that it’s strange to experience a favorite high school moment so early on in her four years at Staples, but also claims that the experience was the key to her performing success. “I have more gratitude than anything to have been able to perform my freshman year” Devine said. “It shaped me as a performer more so than anything else I had ever done.”

The Staples Pool Jared Eisenberg ’13 had to wait until the last day of school to experience his best moment throughout his four years at Staples. When all of the seniors gathered in the pool area before their last day of school, he felt a sense of togetherness that best represented the Senior class as a whole. “The jumping in the pool showed how our whole grade wanted to be a part of something both awesome and mildly amusing,”Eisenberg said. Although not many people jumped in, Eisenberg chose to go all out on his last day, taking a dive into the senior-infested water. “I’m never going to get a better chance to show off my pathetic diving skills to hundreds of people, so I just figured I had nothing to lose and took a swim.”

For August Laska ’13, Staples Players saved the best for last. At the end of the 2011/2012 school year, all of the students involved in Players filed into the Black Box Theater, anxiously awaiting the announcement for what the spring 2013 show would be. The directors’ plan was to blast the opening number of the show over the loudspeakers, bringing instantaneous excitement to the actors and filling the air with the tunes of the play that they would be working on in the months to come. “It didn’t work at first, and we were all freaking out,” Laska said. “It was the longest 10 seconds life seco se conds d of my li lif ife waiting.” Then words and music to ‘II hopee I get it’ it’ from the aca ac claimed claime m d musicall ‘A A Chorus Cho h rus Line’ blasted blas aste ted te d as the th he students stud st udents in n Players Pllay a ers rejoiced. reejo oicced ed.. “I was in shock, never shoc sh ock, k I nev ver thought thoug ught ht we would wo w oul uld d actually Laska recalled. do o tthe he show,” sho how, ho w ” La w, ask ska a re reca call lled ed.. “Itt seemed seeem emed ed dream.” like li ike a dre eam m.””