May 31st full issue pdf by Inklings

Inklings May 31, 2013

Founded in 1933

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Lucky Number Staples Ranked Seventh in State

Robby G ershow it z ’1 4 echoed Dod ig’s beliefs. “I t hin k t he ra n k ings a re impor ta nt, but t hey a ren’t t he most importa nt t hing,” he sa id. “I t hin k a l l of t he top schools a re simi la r w it h ha rd work ing a nd mot ivated st udent s.”

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made it pa st t he f irst t wo steps, it t hen moved on to t he la st step of t he process. U. S. News created a col lege read iness index ba sed on t he number of st udent s who took A P or Inter nat iona l Bacc alaureate test s a nd recorded how wel l t hey d id on t hem. The score t hey received on t his index ind ic ated a school’s nat iona l ra n k ing. State ra n k ings were t hen der ived f rom t he nat iona l ra n k ings. Pr incipa l John Dodig sa id t hat he wa s happy t hat

Editor-in-Chief n Apr i l 23 , U. S. News a nd World Repor t re lea sed it s a nnua l list s of t he best hig h schools in t he count r y a nd t he best hig h schools in each state. Staples, which wa s na med t he top hig h school in C onnec t icut in 2008 by C onnec t icut Maga z ine, d ropped to sevent h in t he state a nd 269t h in t he count r y t his yea r. Even so, it wa s awa rded a G old Meda l for placing a s one of t he top 500 hig h schools in t he nat ion. U . S . News, which partnered w it h t he American Institutes for Re sea rch, collec ted data f rom over 21,000 pub lic hig h schools in 49 states a nd t he Dist r ic t of C olumbia (Nebra sk a d id not repor t enoug h data to be included in t he ra nk ings). Accord ing to t he ra n kings met hodolog y, a school must be able ser ve a l l of it s st udent s wel l a nd must be able to produce mea surable ac ademic outcomes across a ra nge of per for ma nce ind ic ators, such a s t he C onnec t icut Ac ademic Per for ma nce Test (CA P T) a nd Adva nced Placement (A P) test s. There wa s a t hree step process to deter mine a school’s nat iona l sta nd ing. The f irst step wa s to determine if a school’s st udent s per for med hig her on state prof icienc y test s t ha n t he average st udent in t he state. The second step focused on whet her t he school’s lea stadva ntaged st udent s— black s, Hispa nic s, a nd people of low-income— per for med hig her t ha n average when compa red to simila r st udent s in t he state. If a school

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“I think the rankings are important, but they aren’t the most important thing.” -Principal John Dodig

Inside the Issue

Staples by the Numbers: Statistics from U.S. News and World Report

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Staples wa s na med one of t he top ten hig h schools in t he state. “W hen you get up to t he top f ive, 10 or 15 hig h schools by somebody ’s ra n king, t he ra nk ing doesn’t ma ke a d if ference. You’re just be ing recognized as exceptionally good,” he sa id.

Promposal Problems

Student to Teacher Ratio: 12/1

Gatsby Obssession

NEWS May 31, 2013

Memorial Day Memories

PHOTOS BY BELLA GOLLOMP ’15 & CAROLINE O’KANE ‘16

CADENCE NEENAN ’15, RACHEL LABARRE ’14 News Editor & Managing Editor

his Monday, May 27, residents of Westport gathered downtown to honor those who have given their lives for our country. The Police Department, Fire Department, members of the armed forces and many other organizations paraded down the Post Road amidst floats, cars, and army vehicles. The Staples Marching Band participated in the parade,

serenading parade-goers with patriotic tunes. Other Staples students participated as members of groups like the Boy Scouts. The crowd was awash in red, white, and blue, decked in flags and colorful clothing. However, the festivities weren’t limited only to people: even some four-legged friends showed their spirit in patriotic garb.

ABOVE: Teen members of the Boy Scouts march in the parade in remembrance of those put their lives on the line in World War II. LEFT: Canine festivities continue as Westport dogs dress up for Memorial Day. LEFT BELOW: Veterans and their families ride in a military jeep during the parade. RIGHT BELOW: Westport families dressed in patriotic clothes look ahead in the parade.

News

Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inkl inklingsnews.com

The Cicadapocalypse ELIZA LLEWELLYN ’14 Web Managing Editor t’s a harsh, mechanica l drone, a motor ized, whir r ing soundtrack of summer, a grating adver tisement for a mate. It’s t he familiar noise of a cic ada, but t his year, it w ill be amplif ied a million-fold. Dubbed t he “ bug plag ue,” “cicadapoc a ly pse” and a “sex invasion” by blogs and news ar ticles, t he cic ada emergence of Brood II Magicicadas w ill occur t his spr ing in Connecticut, Mar yland, Nor t h Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The insect inf lu x w ill involve f rom 100,000 to over a million insects per acre, according to John Cooley, a cic ada researcher at t he Universit y of Connecticut. The occur rence, which Connecticut entomologist and agr icult ural scientist Chr is Maier descr ibed as a “ biologic a l phenomenon,” w ill commence when soil temperat ures are war m enough, forec asted for t he end of May or t he beginning of June. The cic adas w ill sur v ive for roughly t wo to t hree week s and w ill be concentrated in areas of centra l Connecticut, close to trap rock r idges and rock y slopes. “ They ’ ll be ver y numerous in cer tain hotspots,” Maier said. “In what’s k now n as a mating ag gregation, cer tain trees can have 10 to 20 t housand.” The cic adas, w inged,

red- eyed insects of about 11.5 red 5 f rom a tr ip to Illinois. Illinois “It inches, have spent a lmost t he was hor r if y ing because t here past 17 years underground, were giant, prehistor ic-lookfeeding on x ylem f rom plant ing bugs ever y where,” R androots. A f ter t his leng t hy, ich said. “When t hey landed subter ranean puber t y, t he on you–which t hey did–t hey cicada ny mphs w ill emerge, made a shr ill scream.” The ver y sug gestion of a crawling f rom below ground to molt into f ull-f ledged, cicada mating call is enough w inged adults. The insects to wor r y many st udents. “I’ve reproduce, t hen per ish, hav- seen pict ures of t he cicadas; ing laid t heir eg gs on plants t hey ’re rea lly scar y,” L ex i and trees. The immat ure Lubin ’14 said. “I probably cicadas t hat hatch t hen sink back into t he dept hs, inv isible and silent for t he nex t 17 years. Although a lmost t wo decades have passed since t he last emergence, some still remember past cic ada events. “I remember a ll t he noise,” mat h teacher L ennyy K lein said. “It sounded like it was f rom a sci-f i mov ie, a screeching and buzzing t hat would fade away.” K lein BUG’S LIFE:A full size cicada has a wingspan r e m e m b e r e d of roughly 7 cm. f inding cicada carc asses w o n ’ t smashed on t he ground dur- go outside for t he time ing t he per iod of t he emer- t hey ’re here.” gence. “I’m so annoyed,” Vidur Ha ley R andich ’14 re- Nair ’14 said. “I won’t be members a 2007 occur rence able to sleep because of a ll of

GRAPHICS BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’13

t hose st upid cr ickets chir p ing.” Oliv ia Day t z ’16 a lso harbored hostilit y towards t he insects. “If t here was a cicada in my house, I’d f lush it dow n t he toilet,” she said. Gabi Duncan ’15 had a slight ly more optimistic perspective. “It seems k ind of cool because I’ve never rea lly seen cicadas before,” Duncan said. “I t hink t he emergence is going to be interesting on t he f irst day t hat t hey come out, and, t hen, after, it’s just going to be gross.” E x per ts encourage a more open mind when it comes to t he insects. “Some people are f rea king out, which is rea lly counter produc t ive,” Cooley said. The bugs rarely enter houses, genera lly stay ing in trees. Fur t her more, cicadas, w it h a taste only for plant sap, do not bite or sting humans. Even t he plants won’t suf fer dire har m, ex per iencing only some discoloration of t he stems and leaves, Wesleyan Biolog y Professor Michael Singer said. “It’s a temporar y sy ndrome and doesn’t har m t he pla nts in t he long r un,” Singer said. Cooley sug gested w rap ping delicate, or namenta l or f r uit trees but was a lso unconcer ned. “People shouldn’t tr y to k ill t hem bec ause t hey ’ ll

end up using so much insecticide,” Cooley said. “I a lso tend not to eat t hem because some literat ure sug gests t hey are mercur y bile accumulators.” “ They ’re just out t here doing t heir t hing. They don’t sting or bite, and t hey ’re not a t hreat,” Singer added. Mat h teacher William Wa lsh didn’t see t he upcoming inf lu x as somet hing to wor r y about. “I k ind of like t he sound t hey ma ke,” he said. K lein a lso had a more passive at tit ude towards t he cic adas. “If it happens, it happens,” K lein said. “I’ ll be interested to see how my k ids react.” Ne ver t hele s s, i nd iv idua l s a f f l ic te d w it h c ic ad aphobia may b e i n luck . Ba se d on h i s tor ic a l d at a , Ma ier pre d ic t s t hat t he bug s w i l l not b e emer g i ng d i re c tly i n Fa i r f ield C ou nt y. He proje c t s h ig her nu mb er s i n c ent r a l C on ne c t ic ut tow n s l i ke Mer id a n, Ha mden, a nd Nor t h Br a n ford. Howe ver, Si nger fe el s t hat t he o c c u r renc e lo c at ion i s le s s pre d ic t able. “It w i l l dep end on where t he eg g s were la id a nd whe t her t here a re t re e s a rou nd t hat t he y c a n l ive u nder,” he sa id. Only time w ill tell if the cicada emergence w ill af fect Westpor t. Some may dread it, but entomologists are look ing on w ith anticipation. “People should sit back and enjoy the emergence,” Cooley said.

4 News

Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Ruling on Full-Day Kindergarten JORDAN SHENHAR ’13 Staff Writer estport Public Schools will finally hold fullday kindergarten every day of the week, after 12 years, four contentious votes and over 300 signatures on a Change.org petition. The change will take effect at the beginning of the 20132014 school year after being approved by the Board of Education in April. However, parents and teachers alike remain heavily divided over the benefits and repercussions of the new system. The Board struck down the proposal three times before, in 2001, 2007, and 2010. However, with the state of Connecticut mandating specific standards starting next year as part of the nationwide Common Core curriculum, Westport residents and school administrators became concerned about the short length of the kindergarten day. Board of Education Chair Elaine Whitney, one of six boardmembers who voted in favor of the initiative, believes that adding instructional time to kindergarten will help reduce student stress by giving teachers enough time to finish their lesson plans without having to rush. Whitney voted against fullday kindergarten when it last came up for a vote in 2010. However, Whitney believed the Common Core’s curriculum demands could only be met if a change was made. “There are greater expectations and increased curricular needs because of the depth of understanding we’re trying to achieve now,” Whitney said. For Allison Keisman, a parent whose son will enter kindergarten next year, the change signals a shift in the right direction, especially in light of the new standards. “From the student perspective, they won’t be as rushed,” she said. “Now there will be more time to fulfill the curriculum requirements.”

PHOTO BY CADENCE NEENAN ’13 However, not every parent agreed with Keisman’s assessment. Educational psychologist Jill Greenberg, who has kids enrolled in the Westport Public School system, fears that extending the school day will take away too much free time from young students. “My kids spent a lot of time playing and getting dirty and going to the library and just sorta hanging out,” Greenberg said. “These children are losing opportunities to play—and that’s something they define, not teachers or parents.” Brooke Petrosino, a mother of three and former kindergarten teacher at King’s Highway Elementary School, also felt that students would benefit more from time to themselves than from additional regimented lessons. “The social time that these shorter days allowed was amaz-

ing for my students and my son,” she said. “But I’m sad for our future kindergarten kids. I feel like they’re getting robbed of their childhood—getting to explore and learn things outside of the structure of school.” Petrosino advocated continuing the current kindergarten schedule of three full days and

starting to see the negative byproducts of what she describes as “the factory version of education.” “Kids are getting highly anxious in first grade. They believe they’re stupid,” she said. “Parents are lulled into thinking it’s OK, but kids are crying, agitated. They don’t want to go to school.” Mark Mathias, the only Board of Education member to vote against the proposal last month, agreed that additional time in school might not be necessary for k indergar teners. “Young children in kindergarten really just need time to play,” he said. “What they’re like when they graduate high school won’t be any different whether they have a half or a full day.” However, Whitney was not concerned that the extended school day would detract from

“These children are losing opportunities to play—and that’s something they define, not teachers or parents.” -Jill Greenberg two half days each week, which has been in place since 2010. She also suggested adding an opt-in program for parents who wanted their children to have five full school days a week. Greenberg was concerned that spending more time on academics at a young age would lead to high levels of student stress. As a psychologist, she’s already

students’ creative endeavors. “The Board understands the importance of joyful learning, choice time and time for creative thinking,” she said. “We discussed the value of unstructured play and choice, and those components are being integrated in the curriculum.” Similarly, Keisman was confident that the school system would act with the best interests of its students in mind. “I trust the school administrators to determine the right amount of time for all subjects, including playtime,” she said. “I know they want to make sure it’s a balanced curriculum.” Both Mathias and Whitney cited the Common Core as the biggest reason the proposal finally passed on its fourth vote. Mathias understood that the Common Core presented a compelling reason to vote for full-day kindergarten this time but felt confident that the district would be able to meet all the new requirements without having to extend the school day. “The Westport Public Schools are considered highachieving. We were already in compliance with the Common Core,” he said. While Keisman agreed that the Common Core was a major reason the initiative finally passed, she also cited the emergence of digital and social media as a factor in its newfound success. Technology, she said, helped organize and amplify the voices of those in favor of the proposal, and it was she who started the online petition that garnered 320 signatures before the vote in April. Yet, in spite of the controversies over extending the school day, Greenberg felt that both parents in favor of and against full-day kindergarten had the interests of their children in mind. “All these parents want what they think is the best,” Greenberg said. “They’re trying to make the best decision based on the information they have.”

Staples Ranked Seventh-Best by U.S. News and World Report Continued from page 1 A rle ne G ot te s m a n , pr i nc ip a l of D a r ie n H ig h S c ho ol , w h ic h w a s r a n k e d nu mb er one i n t he s t ate , s a id t h at she w a s h app y to r e c e ive t he ne w s ab out he r s c ho ol’s r a n k i ng. “It i s a lw ay s e xc it i ng to r e c e ive g r e at ne w s t h at v a l id ate s t he h a r d work ou r s t ude nt s a nd te ac he r s dem on s t r ate ,” she s a id . G ot te s m a n a l s o adde d t h at c r e d it for D a r ie n’s s uc c e s s b e long s to e ver y te ac her i n t he d i s t r ic t , t he B o a r d of E duc at ion , a nd t he c ommu n it y, a mong ot he r s . We s t p or t S c ho ol D i s t r ic t S up e r i nte nde nt E l l iot L a ndon b e l ie ve s t h at , de s pite S t aple s’ r a n k i ng , it i s t he at mo s phe r e of t he s c ho ol t h at i s mo s t i mp or t a nt . “ T he ‘ fe e l i ng tone’ of i nd i v idu a l h ig h s c ho ol s i s ne ver me a s u r e d , s uc h a s w he t he r s t ude nt s fe e l s a fe w it h i n t he s c ho ol a nd a r e m ade to fe e l w or t hy b y s c ho ol s t a f f,” he s a id . “O n t h at me a s u r eme nt , I w ou ld pl ac e S t aple s H ig h S c ho ol a s nu mb e r one on a ny n a t ion a l l i s t .

D o d i g e c h o e d L a n d o n’s beliefs. “I n We s t p or t w e h ave a h ig h c onc e nt r at ion of w e l l -

e duc ate d p e ople w ho w a nt a top notc h e duc at ion for t he i r c h i ld r e n ,” he s a id . “ We s p end a lot of e f for t to

m a k e s u r e k id s e nj o y h ig h s c ho ol a nd fe el s a fe a nd v a lue d . A nd w e s e nd t he me s s a ge , a long w it h f a m i -

l ie s at home , t h at e ve n i f you’r e g r e at , w e s t i l l e x p e c t you to b e r e s p e c t f u l , k i nd , a nd c a r i ng.”

GRAPHIC BY CADENCE NEENAN ’15 AND CLAUDIA LANDOWNE ’15

News

Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

A.P. Bio Test Format Changed

SIMON STRACHER ’14 Social Media Editor

on’t bank on the banks. In the past, test banks - loosely defined as a “bank” of questions and answers provided by textbook publishers - have been sometimes used by teachers to devise their own tests. However, many of the test banks are actually available online. If a student ever got a hold of the test bank, a teacher was using, it could spell trouble. With rumors abounding that students use the test banks to cheat on tests, when is it okay to use a test bank, and when is it not? And will tests in the future rely on test banks? In fact, many students find a useful purpose for the banks, particularly at exam times. Extra questions and answers can only help students achieve mastery of a subject, students said. “I still use test banks this year to study. They are still relatively useful for preparing for tests,” said Avery Wallace ’15. However, even the College Board seems to grasp the predicament of the tests. Beginning this year, the College Board overhauled the AP Biology curriculum in an attempt to focus less on factual recall and lessen the emphasis on test banks. Consequently, Staples’ AP Biology adjusted its curriculum. “The AP curriculum changed in that there was a decrease in content but an increased emphasis on inquirybased labs and application of content,” Dr. Michele Morse, an AP Biology teacher at Staples,

MAKING BANK: In some A.P. Classes test banks are less guarded. in the science practices used said. The goal is, according to throughout their study of AP the College Board’s AP Biol- Biology.” This new curriculum has ogy Curriculum Framework, to shift from a traditional model directly affected the types of to a “model of instruction to questions students see on reguone that focuses on enduring, lar AP Biology tests. “The open-ended part is conceptual understandings and the content that supports more about labs and coming them. This approach will en- up with questions, rather than able students to spend less time listing facts,” Claire Sampson on factual recall and more time ’15 said. “The multiple-choice on inquiry-based learning of section is different in that it is essential concepts, and will less fact-based than what I have help them develop the reason- seen from old tests. Rather than ing skills necessary to engage ask what something is, they

GRAPHIC BY NATE ROSEN ‘14 would give a long lab procedure for you to read, or a passage of information and then ask questions about it.” She added, “I think the point was to make it more like ‘real life science.” Dr. Morse echoed Sampson, saying, “The multiple choice questions are not as content driven as in previous years, but contain more reading comprehension-type questions - analyzing graphs and data, for example.” Overall, students agree that

this method of critical thinking is better than the former factual recall method. “Open-ended questions have helped me learn the subject more in-depth because it forced me to learn all the little details about each biological process in order to write as much as possible on a given topic,” Reni Forer ’15 said. Sampson agreed. “I like the push towards making the test more ‘thinking-based’ rather than pure memorization and facts,” she said.

Best Buddies Changes Application Process SAMI BAUTISTA ’13 Staff Writer The hallway outside the cafeteria bustles as herds of students collect around tables cluttered with posters, sign-up sheets and, of course,

BUDDIES AT THE BALL: Members Peter Giffords and Julia Kaner

candy. It’s Club Rush, and students are eager to put down their names for after-school activities. However, those who wish to participate in Best Buddies have to provide more than just their names and email addresses. Instead, interested students are met with a stack of application forms. Next year, Best Buddies is changing their application process. According to faculty advisor Patty McQuone, Best Buddies is a volunteer organization that is dedicated to creating one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PHOTO BY JULIAN CLARKE ‘12

In previous years, Best Buddies followed the same process as other school clubs by allowing everyone interested to be a part of the organization. However, according to Beth Lester ’13 this year’s president of Staples chapter of Best Buddies, it is time for a change. “As the club has grown, we've noticed that there are a lot of people who join but don't follow through on their responsibilities. Best Buddies deals with people first hand, so it's better for us, as well as for the buddies, to have a few dedicated members as opposed to a large number of unengaged members,” Lester said. According to next year’s president of the Staples Chapter of Best Buddies, Victoria Pappas ’15, the club usually starts with about 200 members, and then goes down to 30 or 40 members by the end of the year. Due to this problem, McQuone and Special Education Advisor Deb Gallon decided to limit membership. “We feel that the large crowd at our meetings and some events causes anxiety for some of our buddies, and we feel bad about that and want them to be relaxed,” McQuone said. The new process involves a brief application where students must list all their extracurricular activities and their usual availability. Students who were part of the club last year must reapply and are not necessarily guaranteed

a spot. Once all applications are turned in, McQuone and Gallon will review each application and choose the applicants they feel will be able to give the most energy to the club. In addition, McQuone says that they will have a three-strike policy for admitted students who do not display enough commitment. “We may find that we won't have many students apply. That is the purpose of this new processto weed out those who are in it for the right reason and not for college applications like so many have already done,” McQuone said. “We will not give into that anymore.” Gea Mitas ’14, a current member of Best Buddies, says that the new application process will upset people because it will lessen their chances of joining the club. However, Pappas says that she believes the new application process will be extremely beneficial. “Having a small group allows us to really get to know each other and see the same people every week. The friendships built will probably be a lot stronger, which is what our club is all about,” Pappas said. “We aren't trying to make the club hard to get into at all. We just want to make sure that everyone who is in the club is dedicated.” Currently, Best Buddies meets every Tuesday from 2:15 to 3 p.m., and has a bake sale the second Tuesday of every month.

OPINIONS May 31, 2013

Technical Difficulties

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

How Much is Too Much? Inklings EDITORIAL

taples is constantly lauded as providing not just an outstanding education but an outstanding preparation for college and the mythical “real world” that follows. And in this “real world” we speak of, technology is king. Entire industries, journalism for example, are threatened by the internet, internships want to know how many Twitter followers you have, mp3 players get smaller by the day, and even using the word “mp3 player” probably just dated us. There is no question that Staples should be in-

corporating technology in our curriculum. In theory, the district has taken a lot of steps toward this end. Class Facebook groups abound, iPads did a stint in the library, and the new Google apps program is up and running, soon to completely replace Microsoft Word, another word that, apparently, is dated. In practice there is a disconnect. Some teachers who have SMART Boards hanging in their classrooms lament the loss of valuable space. Some teachers can barely use Blackboard, let alone the Google drive. Home Access Center was a nice thought. Just as frustrating are teachers who are obsessed Editors-in-Chief Katie Cion Hannah Foley

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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 DeBrujin Aaron Hendel Social Media Editor Simon Stracher Graphics Coordinator Nate Rosen (chief) Liana Sonenclar News Editors Bailey Ethier

with technology. Not everything projected has to be electronically highlighted, starred, written in every color imaginable and surrounded by a computergenerated border. The amount of clashing colors will cause a seizure. Every other week, world language students head to labs to use computers to learn. And by learn, we mean sit for half an hour while half the class tries to connect to Sony Soloist. As cool as it is to wear the big headphones, and as comfortable as it is to talk with an anonymous and identically clueless class member, maybe it’d be just as helpful to sit at desks and

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

speak. We spend money on underused and overused technology when we don’t have enough foreign language textbooks for a classroom set. What are our priorities? What’s the point? We don’t love Glogster’s stickers and sparkles and the unlikelihood we will ever use it in that mythical “real world.” We’re sick of making PSAs. We don’t like being told that using a Prezi is cool. If anyone knows technology, it’s our generation. We can’t imagine a time without the internet. We can barely make it from class to class without looking at our iPhones. We’re our parents’ Geek Squad.

We know technology, or at the very least, we think we know technology. So when you take the same teacher whom we actually saw trying to talk to the SMART Board the week before, and have them tell us that Glogsters are the next big thing, there’s bound to be some skepticism. We’re teenagers. We think we know everything. If you’re going to try and prove us wrong, you have to try harder. Technology should be purposeful, married seamlessly to important content and curriculum. It needs to enrich our education, not enhance our reputation. Technology has a place in the classroom. Just don’t use Google Maps to find it.

Deanna Hartog Zach McCarthy

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Opinions Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Early Bird vs. Night Owl 7:30a.m: I’m Still in Bed

7:30a.m: Let’s Get Ahead

PHOTO BY CLAIRE SAMPSON ’15

DANNY COOPER ’13 Staff Writer here are two types of people in this world: those who sit around and let others obtain fame and renown and those who seize that glory for themselves. The fact here is simple—those who want to be the fame seizers are getting to school at 7:30 a.m. if not earlier. End of story. A lot of has been made recently about how America is falling behind in the world. And you know what, it’s true and it’s also our own fault. Do you think that kids in China or Japan are lazily strolling into school at 9:00 am? No, they’ve been there been there since five, and that’s why they’re five years ahead of you in math. The world doesn’t wait until noon to start functioning; it is constantly in motion. Do you think that Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan slept until lunchtime? No, no they didn’t: they were up at the crack of dawn, ready to conquer the world. Don’t get me wrong; I love sleep as much as the next person. It’s sometimes painful to pry myself out of bed in the morning, but, every day, without fail, I manage to get myself to school on time. You’re not going to be able to stroll into work at anytime you please; the mindset should be the same for

school. Most scientists estimate that an average human spends one third of his or her life sleeping. That is over 20 years that you’ll waste on meaningless dreams. Don’t increase that time; take control of your life, and make the most you can from it. Maximize every minute. However, we can’t ignore the fact that sleep is necessary for our survival. Here’s another fact: if you don’t sleep for 11 days straight, you will die. That statistic shouldn’t really worry you though; I mean, when was the last time you casually pulled 11 consecutive all-nighters? My point is that it would be wise to respect sleep as a necessary evil. Don’t deprive yourself to the point of exhaustion, but also don’t let sleep dictate your life. Set a schedule and stick to it; you have to be the one calling the shots. Some might make the claim, “How am I supposed to be successful throughout my day if I constantly feel tired?” You know what, that is a fair point that I am going to address now. Like I said, we must respect sleep. One cannot simply wake up at any hour and expect to feel completely refreshed. There are techniques one must employ to remain sharp throughout the day. One possible method is to set your alarm for a good 10 minutes earlier than you actually need to wake up. You can then remain in a half sleep mode for this additional time, which will leave you feeling much better rested. Another strategy is to exercise in the morning. Go on a run, do some sit-ups; just do something to get your heart beating. You’ll find that lingering tiredness soon abates with the aid of physical exercise. Last, eat a good breakfast. How can you expect your body to perform to its maximum if you do not provide it with the proper fuel for the day? It’s simply nonsensical. So, to those who say that the start time at Staples should be pushed back, I have one simple question: do you want to seize the world and make it your own? If the answer is no, then I have nothing left to say. Sleep to your heart’s content. If the answer is yes…then go and set that alarm.

ERIK SOMMER ’13 Staff Writer I’ve always had a special talent for being late in the morning, and, undoubtedly, there is more than one contributing factor to this. But truthfully, I’m just too lazy to take responsibility for my own laziness. I’d rather just deceive myself by saying my tardiness is the school’s fault. Even if I did just destroy my own credibility, there is surely an argument to be made here; 7:30a.m is too early on so many levels. To start off my argument, I’ll say that I’ve never met a teenager who was happy about waking up at 6:30 or earlier to come to school. I would bet the couple dollars I currently have in my bank account on Nancy Grace saying something annoying before wagering I could find a kid who feels differently about a dawn wakeup. The slumped over kid drooling on the table across from me as I type this is proof. Now, I am adding to what I just wrote there seven hours later it’s now 11:40p.m -- because I procrastinated like any unwise teen, proving my point once again. My species is not built for waking up or going to bed early. And I actually found real evidence, scientific evidence to back what I am saying– Danny’s column probably has none of that. According to kidshealth.org, kids of my age have a weird circadian rhythm because the hormone melatonin is produced later at night; I don’t know what any of that means so I’ll leave it up to you to interpret (that’s how everyone writes songs these days so maybe it’ll work for columns).

VS.

“My species is not built for waking up or going to bed early.” But, anyhow, that’s my excuse – you see, it’s the melatonin’s fault. Clearly, we adolescents have some brain n defect, so why can’t teachers show mee any pity

PHOTO BY LARISSA LIEBERSON ’15 when I lumber into school 10 minutes late everyday and distract the whole class with my aggressive groans? Teachers can be so selfish. Not to mention there is clear research linking poorer grades to sleep deprivation. How am I supposed to learn anything when sleep is begging for my company? I can literally do anything I want when I’m dreaming, but I can’t even find a slope in Calculus, so why would I restrict myself to the reality of a high school classroom? Do you have a problem with me overdramatizing my argument with so many rhetorical questions? I bet Danny hasn’t learned that trick either. As a side note here, if you’re going to sleep in class, then just own it. If you get called on in the midst of your snooze, don’t try hiding the truth. There’s nothing that bothers me more (except maybe war and poverty) than when a kid tries covering up the fact that his head was in his knees by saying something generic like “I was listening – that was a good use of pathos” or “that’s an interesting point Ms. Something.” I have to get up at 7:30 tomorrow again, so I’m going to hit the sack now- my column probably would’ve given Shakespeare a run for his money if I could’ve spent more time on it. But, nay, we’ll never know because I have to get at least a couple hours of sleep and it’s 12:13. And falling asleep isn’t easy when I got this melatonin deficiency. I guess I’ll try counting sheep.

#PPP: Prom Proposal Problems ZACH SPEED ’13

Guest Writer When seniors enter their second semester, they might think that they are done with work. They might think they can finally lie back, relax and put their mind at ease. Wrong. There is still one more very important task at hand: coming up with a prom proposal. Prom proposals are possibly the most stressful part of a high school career. Why? Nobody can get by on a heartfelt but simple invitation to prom. Let’s face it: it’s not just the thought that counts. In this day and age, people need to come up with exciting proposals. You need to ask in a way nobody has before. But that can be a little difficult. As Colin Davis ’13 said, “dances have been around since

Ezio Auditore’s time.” If you don’t understand the reference, go buy Assassin’s Creed right now. The point is that, by now, people have proposed in every way imaginable. Jackson Yang ’13, a rugby player, recalled one of his favorite prom proposals, which happened a couple years ago. The captain of the rugby team had a bunch of teammates paint their chests spelling out “P-R-O-M?” and had them run to the tennis courts where his girlfriend was playing. Impressive. Taking it up another notch, Julia Kaner ’13 recalled that her date did a fake proposal in Times Square on the red steps. Excuse me? How do you beat that? Perhaps the most creative proposal idea came from an

anonymous source, who, being a pilot, planned on f lying a plane over his date’s practice field where he would drop little plastic parachuting army men holding slips of paper printed with the question: “Prom?” Needless to say, that idea was shot down for legal reasons (No pun intended). But how far are people will-ing to go to come up with a creeative and exciting way to ask k a date to prom? I’d like to stress that, iff you’re putting your life on the line, you might be going a little bit too far. But just a little bit. Prom is the night to cap off your high school career. Prom is the night you’ll relive 20 years later at your reunion. You need to be clever. Keeping in mind that a clever proposal is only going to

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

help your chances of her saying “yes.” You want to impress your prom date and make her happy. So how do you come up with an original idea? I’ll be honest; it isn’t easy. You have to grit your teeth, bite

your lip, and really think about it. I’m sorry; I know thinking isn’t a strong point for second semester seniors. Luckily, I think I found an original idea. Ellie Kalatzi ’13, will you go to prom with me?

Opinions Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Two Views on AP Assassination Gun Violence is a Reality, Not a Game

BEN REISER ’13

Staff Writer

t’s that time of year again— those few precious weeks when the trees bloom and the flowers blossom and seniors run around town on missions to assassinate one another in a “Hunger Games”-style shootout. Spring bliss. Despite this, I can soundly say that I won’t be an AP Assassin this year. Sure, it may be a long-standing tradition. Some seniors see it as a fun way to spend their time before graduation. It’s even called a firsthand application of critical thinking. But I won’t be taking part in it. My reasoning isn’t complicated—I simply think it’s in bad taste. Not even half a year ago, 26 innocent people were shot dead in an elementary school rather close by. I know I’d feel a bit uncomfortable, mournful even, driving

through Westport in an effort to shoot a fellow classmate with a Nerf bullet. It just doesn’t sit right with me. Since that devastating day last December, the gun has rapidly become a symbol of contention. I’ll be frank—I endorse the Second Amendment, but I entirely support comprehensive background checks for gun owners, and I also don’t think citizens should have access to military-style firearms. But, regardless of my gun control opinion, in this post-Sandy Hook day and age, I know the absolute last thing I’d want in my passenger seat is a gun—real or fake. Less than a month after the gruesome Columbine High School massacre in 1999, The New York Times published an article about Staples students who bowed out of that year’s AP Assassination. As the article put it, those students had decided that it “might not be the best time to lurk

in bushes and hide under cars in hopes of knocking off a target, even if the deed is done with a foam dart.” My thoughts exactly. After everything that’s gone down over these past few months, I would feel a bit troubled partici-

“I would feel a bit troubled participating in something that makes light of guns and weaponry.” pating in something that makes light of guns and weaponry. The big gun control debate has effectively consumed virtually every facet of our lives—our emotional lives, our political lives and what now seems like our daily lives. After all that we’ve debated, discussed, developed and still have left to do, I see AP Assassination as a form of regression—

Scary Name, Fun Game JORDAN SHENHAR ’13 Staff Writer Deep in the heart of Africa, lion cubs chase and claw at one another, all in the name of having fun, living life, and forming social bonds with the other members of their pride. Thousands of miles and several taxonomic orders away, countless American kids spend school recesses and summer days darting around swingsets and running through cul-de-sacs in an endless attempt to avoid being “It.” And in the darkened driveways and shady streets of Westport, Conn., newly liberated high school seniors spend their final days before graduation plotting, stalking, lurking, armed with nothing more than a plastic ap-

paratus capable of launching foam pellets no more than a few dozen feet away. Much like the first two activities (unless an unfortunate antelope or wildebeest gets caught up in a battle on the plains), AP Assassination is not intended to hurt anyone. There’s even a rule explicitly protecting hoofed mammals from combat, making NERF war-torn Westport a far safer environment than the African savannah. Yet, after a year of especially horrific gun violence, AP Assassination has turned into a lightning rod for controversy. The game of hunting targets has now become a target itself. I can understand why. When tragedies like the mass shooting in Newtown or the handgun violence that has plagued the streets

following through with it affirms that we’ve made virtually no headway in recognizing the gun’s socially significant connotations. In a recent interview, Principal John Dodig made the Staples administration’s stance on AP Assassination clear: they don’t sup-

of Chicago take place, it’s easy to condemn anything associated with war or guns or combat. In some instances, the rush to antagonize guns isn’t such a bad thing—it’s created an immense public pressure to reform this nation’s screwy gun laws. But when the movement gets taken too far—like when the producers of video games such as “Call of Duty have to face legal challenges to their industry, or when second-graders can be suspended for brandishing pencils at their classmates—the result is a nuisance for those taking part in benign activities like AP Assassination and detrimental to the gun-reform cause as a whole. By focusing extensively on issues that don’t matter, like whether or not a group of teenagers should play a game with plastic pro-

port it. “What students don’t understand,” Dodig said, “is the potential danger in this activity by someone in the community mistaking a toy gun or a hidden assassin as an actual dangerous event. There have been some close calls over the years with people calling the police when they see someone crouching behind a bush in the

yard or someone driving by and seeing a student shoved into the trunk of a car.” He later added, “I think this year, in particular, it’s poor judgment to be pretending to shoot high school students.” Bingo. Let me be clear, though, I absolutely do not think AP Assassination should be cancelled this year. I strongly believe in individual liberty, and I do appreciate the tradition and culture deeply rooted in this annual event. It would be a shame to entirely prevent people from participating in it. But, at the end of the day, guns aren’t toys. It’s as plain as that. Why aren’t we spending these weeks holding a fundraiser for families affected by the Sandy Hook shooting or something along those lines? Why are we wasting these treasured spring days playing pointless shooting games?

PHOTO BY DEANNA HARTOG ’16

jectile launchers, we’re wasting time and energy that could be spent trying to prevent future catastrophes. As one of the AP Assassination coordinators, I don’t see anything disrespectful about what amounts to a biologically advanced form of lion mauling and a socially advanced form of playground tag. Instead, I see history in the form of one the few major traditions passed down through the years at Staples. I see dozens of ecstatic kids dreaming of the chance to become heroes or villains or mercenaries, or create new legends (urban or otherwise) that’ll be remembered for generations to come. I see people cutting loose and hanging out with their friends after internships start. And mostly, I see people just looking to have fun—

harmless, victimless, and voluntary fun, in a controlled setting to ensure the maximum level of player safety. Now, whether it makes sense or not, there will always be people who consider AP Assassination disrespectful. Those people are free to enjoy their “civilized” forms of entertainment without fear of being targeted by a rogue assassin wielding a child’s toy that expells foam munitions. By the time the notoriously timeconsuming and paranoia-inducing game ends, they might even be the only sane ones left. But until then, everyone else will enjoy planning, stalking, chasing, collaborating, and ultimately catching a target, all while evading predators themselves. After all, it’s in our nature.

Opinions Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE SAMPSON ’15

CAN YOU SPOT HIM?: Ben Goldschlager ’14 speed crutching across the halls of Staples High School due to his injury.

Crutch Master: Staples’ #1 Speed Crutcher BEN GOLDSCHLAGER ’14

Web News Editor

f crutching were an Olympic sport, I’d win gold easily. This is the fourth time I’ve been on crutches, so I’m practically a professional crutcher. In fact, one time, I crutched two miles twice in the same day. Which is why, when I got injured and was put back on crutches, I stayed positive. For example, without the crutches, people might not ask about my injury, and then I would not get to tell of my heroic actions. But with crutches—BAM— instant conversation starter: “Oh, Ben, what happened to your leg?” “Oh, you know,” I respond,

“I sprained it saving 200 orphans when the orphanage caught fire.” Some people actually believe that story, and those who don’t fall into a fit of laughter. So, I do get some benefits; it sure is fun telling that story. Then people ask what actually happened. If they didn’t laugh the first time, they usually laugh when I tell them I sprained it playing ultimate frisbee and that my alleged heroism was actually just my own clumsiness. But there are some other benefits for having crutches besides getting to tell a good tale. You can move pretty quickly on crutches if you know what you’re doing. The

day that I crutched two miles twice was the fourth of July the year after I was in fifth grade. My family and I had a tradition of walking down to Compo Beach and back to watch the fireworks, and my crutches weren’t going to stop me from seeing the show that year. While you might think I lagged behind, hobbling along on my crutches, the truth is that I beat my family home that year. Me, on crutches. I practically flew. It’s not hard to crutch quickly. Crutches out first. Then, swing your body through, putting your weight on the crutches. Land on your uninjured leg; do a short jump for momentum; land on your good leg again with

your crutches out in front of you again. Now repeat. Speed crutching is actually one of the best parts of being on crutches. It’s basically like jump roping, except you use only one leg and you go forward rather than stay in one place. Speed crutching is a bit harder in the halls of Staples, when you often get caught behind a gaggle of freshman girls who have their eyes glued to their phones. Then, all I can do is imagine the sound of a car horn—BEEP! BEEP!—and continue on at a mile-an-hour pace. But I did get to take a “magical mystery tour” of the school elevator. I thought it would be an

exciting prospect—until I actually rose in. That Thyssenkrupp elevator was more of a Thyssencrapp elevator. I can’t imagine who would win in a race between the elevator and the freshman girls. Still, it was a great way to meet new fellow injured people. My fellow crutchers and I have since formed a Secret Order of the Elevator—wait, I’m not supposed to tell non-crutchers about that! Ugh. Now you know about our Secret Order of the Elevator. There’s only one thing I can do now to right my crime of telling a non-crutcher about our Order. It looks like I’m going to have to break your leg.

Dear Juniors, Here’s What You Should Know ALEXANDRA O’KANE ’13 Staff Writer I know how you are probably feeling right now because I was in the exact same position just a short year ago. You may be feeling stressed about the end of junior year; you may be wondering what on earth the college process means; you may be confused as to where you want to be and what you want to do in the future. That’s totally normal. It doesn’t help that seniors are now off on internships and that they have been checked out of class for the past few months. But just remember that next year, you will be in the same position, and you will love it. Use that as your motivation. There is no doubt in my mind that the period between the start of second semester junior year and second semester senior year is tough. But having been through it, I have some tips for you that I wish I had known before senior year. You may have heard these bits of advice a thousand times over; I know I did. But it can be hard to accept advice from a parent or teacher who seems so far removed from the process you are going through. So, since I just finished high school, perhaps you will accept my advice. Tip #1: No one thing is the end of the world. When the pressure is on, it may seem like every quiz, every score, every dot on the Naviance scattergram is crucial. For your own sanity, please remember

own you. At the end of the day, you are so much more than the college process makes you out to be. Don’t let the colleges that accept you, or even deny you, become the way you define yourself. If you face disappointment, remember that every single person ends up where they are meant to be. If it seems hard, or if you feel defeated at any point, remind yourself of how hard you have worked, and how much you have done to get where you are. No college should be able to take away your confidence and self-esteem. Don’t give them that right. GRAPHIC BY KATIE SETTOS ’15 that it’s not. Standardized testing is like a looming cloud over your heads. But seriously, one test cannot define you, and it cannot be the one determinant for where you get into college. If you have not taken the SAT or ACT already, be sure to prepare so that you are not stressed when you’re taking the test. But don’t kill yourself over your score, and don’t think that you have to take the same test five or six or seven times to raise your score by 10 or 20 points. Save yourself the mental stress. And like a test score, your GPA is just a number. None of these scores can be the one thing that defines you. Tip #2: Use your summer wisely. As you walk out of your last final this year in June, it will feel like a massive weight has been

lifted from your shoulders. You will feel free. Enjoy the summer by doing whatever it is that makes you happy. Don’t try to build your resume any more than you already have. Don’t try to discern what would be a “good” use of your time. The

“At the end of the day, you are so much more than the college process makes you out to be.” beginning of senior year is going to be hard, and you want to feel refreshed and rejuvenated by the time you walk back through the front doors in the fall. This being said, don’t be afraid to get ahead of the game

by doing a little bit of work over the three months of summer. This isn’t meant to stress you out at all; it will actually do the opposite. If you spend maybe a few hours a week getting yourself ready for the college process, you will be thankful during first semester. It can be as simple as finalizing where you plan to apply, filling out your basic information on the Common App, or reading over the supplement prompts so you can start planning your essays. Speaking from experience, I barely did anything for college last summer. On top of all my classes and trying to do well in them, I had to write countless drafts of countless essays, while also tweaking where I applied, and when. So, use the summer to get ahead in the college process. Tip #3: Don’t let the college process

Tip #4: Take it all in. Though some weeks feel unbearably long or it seems that special dates such as December 15, April 1, or May 20 couldn’t come fast enough, it all goes by really fast. Reading this, you may think that all you will want is to be done with high school. I did, too. But, at the same time, remember not to let the stress get to you so much that you can’t enjoy your last year of high school, your last year in Westport. Take time to enjoy yourself by giving yourself some time off and don’t forget that sleep is more important than an extra hour of studying. I wish I could tell you that it’s going to be easy. I wish I could tell you it’s all going to be perfect. I can’t. What I can tell you though, is that no matter how it feels now, how it feels in December, or how it feels in April, you will make it through. I promise.

FEATURES May 31, 2013

Life After High School: Staples Students in the Military

hoosing what to do after graduating from Staples is a daunting task which will eventually be faced by most students. Do you take the traditional route and immediately begin at a four-year university, go to a trade school or take a gap year? For an elite group of Staples students, choosing a college had a lot less to do with the vicinity to the beach or the amount of room to play Frisbee and more to do with a sense of purpose. “I didn’t like the idea that someone else was out there on the front lines looking out for me while I was more than capable of joining the military myself,” former Staples student and current United States Naval Academy Midshipman Sean Gallagher ’11 said. Although joining the military is not as prevalent of a choice in Westport as it is in other communities, nearly every year there are a few students willing to rise to the occasion and serve their country. “In a way, it is my chance to contribute to what makes this country great,” Gallagher said. After arriving at the Naval Academy, colloquially referred to as Annapolis, Gallagher noted all of the positive attributes he acquired as a result of the rigorous training “I have gained an extreme sense of time management. There are always a million things that must get done in a day, and figuring out how you will fit them all in is difficult,” Gallagher said. Lance Corporal Kyle Degener ’11, who is currently stationed at a Marine Corps air station in Iwakuni, Japan, echoed a similar view to Gallagher’s and noted the numerous changes he has made since joining the military. “I’ve gained a lot of maturity and sense of responsibility, that comes with living on your own and making decisions for yourself,” Degener said. Although Gallagher will a college graduate with a degree like his fellow Staples alum, he

does note the significant differences between his daily life and those of his former classmates. “It’s [Annapolis’s] one true purpose is to develop military officers. For this reason, leadership takes on a much greater importance here than it does at most other schools,” Gallagher said. “You will be required to sacrifice most of your personal time and selfish instincts for the purpose of helping your classmates, attending military exercises, working out, and getting school work done. Your personal needs are always second to the needs of others.” Degener, who chose to enlist with the Marines rather than attend an academy, faced a completely different set of challenges. “The biggest difference since leaving Staples has been being

“In a way, it is my chance to contribute to what makes this country great”— Sean Gallagher ’11 without my family and friends. It’s been over a year since I’ve been home and not having them around has been a difficult adjustment,” Degener said. Current Staples senior Emily Troelstra will face an additional set of challenges when she begins her time at Annapolis in the fall, since females make up only 20% of the overall student body. “Females do make up a very small minority, but I will be on the track and field team where I will instantly have a group of girls to talk amongst all the guys,” Troelstra said.“But when I visited the Naval Academy, the women were given just as much respect and responsibility as the men.” Once their respective time at Annapolis is complete, both Gal-

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SEAN GALLAGHER ’11 SET TO SAIL ΈABOVEΉ: Sean Gallagher ’11, in his navy uniform, poses on a naval ship. GOOD STUDENT, GOOD SOLDIER ΈBELOWΉ: Sam Goodgame ’07 is ready for action with his military equipment. NOT YOUR AVERAGE STUDENT: Emily Troelstra’ 13 will attend Annapolis Naval Academy in the fall, where she will run on the track team.

PHOTO BY LIANA SONENCLAR ’14

Staff Writer

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SAM GOODGAME ’07

JĆĒĎĊ WčĊĊđĊė-RĔćĊėęĘ ’13

lagher and Troelstra are expected to serve a minimum of 5 years as an officer in either the Navy or Marine Corps. While Troelstra will choose her path later on, Gallagher already decided to fulfill his requirement in the Marine Corps. Recognizing that the military is not a popular student choice at Staples, Gallagher en-

couraged students to get a better understanding of what the academies are truly about. “While I was growing up in Westport, I was not subject to much of a military presence,” Gallagher said, “I think this detaches kids in Westport from the military, and I believe this is a bad thing. The U.S. military is very much a part of every Ameri-

Military Academy Quick Facts Annapolis Naval Academy

• Located in Annapolis, M.D. • Founded by George Bancroft and James K. Polk in 1845 • 13 to 14 percent of Freshmen are women • First woman accepted in 1976 • Acceptance rate is 7 percent PHOTOS FROM BRODYLEVESQUE.BLOGSPOT.COM AND CYPRESSͳCARES.ORG INOFRMATION FROM USNA.EDU, USMA.EDU AND COLLEGEAPPS.ABOUT.COM

West Point Military Academy

• Located in West Point, N.Y. • Founded by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington in 1802 • Oldest continuously-occupied military post in the U.S. • Famous graduates include Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee • Acceptance rate is 11 percent

can’s life whether they realize that or not, which is why Staples students should at least hear what the Academy has to offer.” For Degener the hope is the same: “Staples students should know that the military can be a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience if you have the strength and determination to do it.”

Features

Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

A Wild Circus of Posts: Exploring College Facebook Groups CHLOE BAKER ’13

Staff Writer

hen a high school senior logs on to Facebook, there is a slim chance there won’t be a notification from their college Facebook group. Whether it’s an incoming freshman asking about which classes to take, begging for someone to room with them, or inquiring the rest of the group about what their favorite Pokemon character is, college Facebook groups are always active. “People say the weirdest things in my group,” Meghan Coyne ’13, who will be attending Gettysburg College, said. “Someone was begging for a prom date in my group even though they don’t know anyone in the group personally.” Prom invites are not too typical in college Facebook groups, but some types of posts are quite common. People often ask if there is anyone in the group who lives in their region and wants to have a “meet up” before orientation. Out of excitement, many members count down to when move-in day is. “People in my college group count down to orientation using helium half-lives,” Lindsey Gra-

GRAPHIC BY GRETA BJORNSON ’15 ber ’13, who is attending Duke University in the fall, said. “It certainly shows off how nerdy some people are.” Some people use the Facebook groups for laughs. Patrick Connolly ’13 joked on his roommate-finding function of college groups by asking his University of Texas college group asking for a roommate, just to see if he would get any humorous comments on his post. “I was bored and figured I’d get some funny responses,” Connolly said. “A guy whose profile picture was of him holding a gun with the caption ‘Guns don’t kill people, I do’ responded saying he was interested in rooming. I definitely got a kick out of it.” Another common type of post in college Facebook groups is a list of the other colleges members of the group were accepted to. Sometimes these posts include scholarships they received for those specific schools, and a request for advice on which school he or she should choose. Many people find it obnoxious when people post the other college they were accepted to, as it seems like they are bragging. “There is nothing more annoying ng than th when someone posts

GRAPHIC BY NATE ROSEN ’14 SEEING CLEARLY: Many students participate in college Facebook groups, but their reasons for doing so often vary. the other colleges they got into. No one cares if you got into Ivy Leagues and got a full ride to them. If you post your other acceptances, you probably just want to brag to random strangers,”

Coyne said. Whether making jokes or writing real posts, Staples seniors find great entertainment in using college Facebook groups. While seniors may have different opin-

ions about using the site, most would agree that college Facebook groups provide a wonderful remedy to senioritis and a source of excitement for the college experience to come.

GRAP GRAPHIC BY EMMA RHOA RHOADS ’14

CLAIRE LEWIN ’15 News Editor Have you ever freaked out after seeing one of your teachers outside of school? You thought that your teachers slept, ate, and lived at school, right? Turns out, teachers do more than just grade; they actually have lives! They even went to high school, just like you and me! Weird, huh? Now try and imagine what your teachers were like in high school. Were they jocks, theater geeks, or computer nerds? Or were they just regular teenagers? It’s hard to say just by looking at them. When we look at our teachers, we just see adults, and it’s

When They Were Young

pretty hard to imagine what they were like when they were our age. Robin Hurlbut is a beloved math teacher at Staples. Not only do the students she teaches love her, but she was also adored by her fellow high school peers. “I was voted everyone’s best friend,” Hurlbut said. Hurlbut also received other awards, as she was voted homecoming queen twice during her high school years. Now, what about the school pranksters? Believe it or not, but some faculty members at our school were just those kinds of students. “My friends and I toilet papered our history teacher’s

house,” Attendance Coordinator Patty McQuone said. “Then when I was putting toilet paper on his door he turned on the lights. I took off running, and I was crying because I was so scared.” Staples High School science teacher, Christine Hirth, also admits to playing a few pranks throughout her high school days. “In high school my group of friends and I swayed the prom song by doing a write in,” Hirth said. “They were going to be all romantic songs but we changed it to ‘Shook Me All Night Long.’” Teachers have basically spent their whole lives in school. All of their adolescent years, college years, and years as an adult have

been spent either learning or educating, so it’s no shock that many teachers were good and motivated students in high school “I was serious about doing the best I could,” said Staples High School English teacher DelShortliff. “It didn’t take a lot of effort for me to be a good English student.” Along with being a serious student, Shortliff was also the leader of many of his school clubs including the president of the student government and the editor of the literary magazine. Last but not least, we get to the final high school stereotype: the jock. Sports are common amongst many students, and

teachers got to play a part in the fun when they were high school students as well. “I was physically active and I played three sports a year,” gym teacher Janet Zamary said. “I played field hockey, track and field, and basketball.” Although we students may feel like teachers don’t understand our stress, they do. They were students once, just like us, and they had many of the same experiences. So next time you see your teacher out of school, remember that they were once high school teenagers and give them a friendly “hello,” instead of running away.

Features Inklings / May 31, 2013/ inklingsnews.com

Summer Journies

From France to New York City, Staples Students Spend their Summers in Interesting Places and Unique Ways CLAIRE QUIGLEY ’14 Opinions Editor he students of Staples High school simply cannot stay put. One would think that after a terribly long year of 6:30 a.m. wake ups, students would be thrilled to be able to sleep in until the late hours of the afternoon. One would think that after lugging around stuffed backpacks, students are ready for their bodies to mold into their favorite La-ZBoys. One would think that after the interminable treks to the third floor math periods, a certain degree of immobility is desired. However, for some students, this just isn’t the case. Sarah Ellman ’15 is planning a three week bike tour through California. Starting in Oregon and ending in San Francisco, Ellman, along with 12 other high schoolers, will bike an average of 45 miles a day through the Apogee Adventures program. “I’m really excited! I’ve never really spent a lot of time on the Pacific coast, and I think a bike tour is a great way to see as much as pos-

When she’s not attending classes at the school, Lycee Massena, Berlin will have time to explore the nearby beach and village. “Weekends I will have off to explore and whatnot. I will have a lot of down time, so it’s not too stressful,” said Berlin. She plans to explore the surrounding cities of Cannes and Saint Tropez while at Massena as well. But she’s not done yet. After a month in Nice, Berlin will also move location to the famous city of Paris, where she will check out the many sights that the city offers. Finally, junior Cassie Feldman will represent the Staples community back on the East coast. She will be working as an intern this summer at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Feldman will work 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every weekday for a month, and will be paid full compensation for the time she gives to the Center. Feldman hopes to learn more about the field of biomedical sciences, assisting in all of the research done at the Center. She says, “I am so thrilled to be given this opportunity. I think it’s much more productive than stay-

“I wanted to be sure to get in as many opportunities as possible this summer.”— Sarah Ellman ’15 sible in only three weeks,” saidEllman. She won’t spend her whole trip on two wheels, though; she will also take surfing lessons with professional instructors near the beautiful Crescent City, volunteer in the Redwoods National Park, and explore the sights of San Francisco. Ellman firmly believes that there is no way she’d rather spend her summer. She says, “I think it’s the worst when you feel like you’ve wasted time doing nothing, but it’s too late to fi x, so I wanted to be sure to get in as many opportunities as possible this summer.” Looking for more of a cultural experience, Brooke Berlin will head almost 4,000 miles to the Southern Coast of France. Berlin ’14 plans to attend a boarding school in the city of Nice, where she says she will, “take morning French classes five days a week, and afternoon fashion classes three days a week.”

ing home and watching TV on my couch.” The most exciting aspect of the internship, according to Feldman, is that she will be working on a research paper with the professionals at the program, and she hopes for the paper to be published, giving her a name in the field. Feldman will be renting an apartment in Manhattan for the month that she is working at Sloan Kettering. Despite living alone in a new city, Feldman has no worries. “I’m not nervous really. I’m just excited for the independence. I honestly think it will prepare me better for life after high school,” she said. It’s safe to say that the students of Staples have quite the summer ahead of them. Whether it’s a physical, cultural, or academic expedition, these students are prepared to take on anything that the summer of 2013 throws at them.

Features Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

A Wild Ride All About this Summers Most Fun Theme Parks and Most Thrilling Rollercoasters KELSEY SHOCKEY ’14 Web Sports Editor With weeks of studying for inal exams still looming, many students may think summer is still far off. But the truth is summer will be here in a blink of an eye, and it will be time to take a trip to an amusement park. “Summer is the best time to go because it’s warm out, it's shorts weather, and you have the time to go there and have a good time,” Sydney Crossfield ’14 said. There is nothing like wearing hot pink Soffee shorts, a Sugarlips tank top, and Havaianas flip flops on a hot summer day and cooling off by riding the Splash Mountain log flume ride. But don’t forget about the

vis’15 said. However, if you’re looking for a longer ride, Bizarro extends the excitement for 3:15 minutes while taking you through seven inversions, including a vertical loop, a dive loop, a zero-gravity roll, a cobra roll, two interlocked cork screws, and a high-speed helix. But if you have exhausted yourself riding the nearby coasters and are looking for new rides and adventures, here are some suggestions: In Texas, there is the Mr. Freeze ride. It is the longest roller coaster in the United States, with 1,480 feet of track. At Denmark’s famous Tivoli Gardens, you could ride one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the World. The coaster’s name is

“You get the thrill of shooting up so fast and then feeling superior when you get off the ride knowing you accomplished something so scary,”—Alexa Davis ’15 deliciously unhealthy food that brings back nostalgic memories for the simpler times of childhood. “After going on the teacup ride, I like having pizza or mac and cheese,” Joey Schulman ’14 said, and Campbell Marsh ’16 added, “The sweet smell of funnel cake can bring back the memory of going to fairs when I was younger.” Amusement parks also offer delightfully sticky desserts such as fried Oreo cookies, churos, and coconut cake. Yet, everyone knows that the rides at amusement parks are the main attraction. Six Flags is the go-to amusement park for most Staples students, where Kingda Ka and Bizarro are the “must ride” roller coasters. Kingda Ka climbs 456 feet high and it lasts for a thrilling 52 seconds. “You get the thrill of shooting up so fast and then feeling superior when you get off the ride, knowing you accomplished something so scary,” Alexa Da-

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

Rutschebanen and it is infamous for having a brakeman to operate. That means, the coaster is so old that there is a man whose job it is to ride in a designated seat and pull the brake in order to control the speed and to bring the train to a stop at the end of the ride. For all you speed demons out there, Australia is the place to go for the world’s fastest ride: The Tower of Terror. Reaching a top speed of 100 mph, you just might feel like you’re flying. While it is undeniable that the park rides are delight and the food is unhealthily delicious, the memories of time spent with friends is truly the greatest part about visiting an amusement park. “I love going to an amusement park,” Schulman’14 said. “You can hang out with friends, play games, try to pick up girls, and enjoy the moment.”

14 Features Germs! Germs Everywhere! Inklings / May 31, 2013/ inklingsnews.com

A Look Inside the Lives of Staples’ Germaphobes SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15

“C

Features Editor

an you open that door for me?” Erica Hefnawy ’15 asked as we approached chemistry classroom 3028. She pulled her sleeves over her hands before sliding into the room, avoiding touching the door at all costs. Hefnawy is a self-diagnosed “germaphobe” and avoids touching handles or doors as much as she can. “Just thinking about how many people touched something before me grosses me out a bit” she said. The tiny microorganisms, called germs, may be invisible, but they can have a very visible effect on those who are afraid of them. The fears actually are not unfounded. The world we live in is crawling with germs. Germs live in dirt, in water, on countertops, on skin, and just about every surface you touch. According to ABC News, just flushing a toilet can spread germs as far as six feet and those germs tend to land directly on your toothbrush. Surprisingly, however, the kitchen sink contains about 100,000 times more germs than the bathroom. It doesn’t stop there. The doctors office might seem safe, but the University of Arizona researchers who tested 616 surfaces in nine professions for germs found that a medical doctor carries around 2,000 bacteria per square inch. While an average person may not give much thought to the germs, germaphobes make it their business to obsess over them. “If we’re shaking hands at a lacrosse

GRAPHIC BY ERKINA SARTBAEVA’ 14

“Just thinking about how many people touched something before me grosses me out a bit.” —Erica Hefnaway ’15

game, or even punching in my code at lunch I put my sleeve over my fingers,” Colby Kranz ’15 said. On a recent Builders Beyond Borders trip, Kranz picked up a small child. She heard someone say, “‘Ella esta enferma!’ which means ‘she is sick!’ And I yanked her off me and put her on the floor as fast as I could!” Kranz said. “I thought I could die.” (On a side note, Kranz loves kids and mentioned she held nothing against the child). Avoiding hugs and most contact is just Kranz’s way of minimizing her chances of being contaminated. Most “germaphobes” take care of their own cleanliness, but it’s the thought that other people don’t that creates fear. Lilly Valente ’16 said, “Just knowing that someone has touched [something] with their germs and those germs have been inside their dirty body all day makes me wanna puke.” Valente even gets anxiety when someone takes a small sip from her water bottle. “I don’t even know if they brushed their teeth that morning, so they’re just not understanding the terror it brings to my eyes,” she explained. Germs: they’re everywhere! The condiment dispensers in the cafeteria. Your friends cellphone. The inside door handle of a bathroom stall. And classrooms have been confirmed as the most germ-infested areas with 17,900 bacteria per square inch! However, Jennie Blumenfeld ’15 keeps her worries in checkbecause she has her own way of keeping the germs away. “When people touch me, I just slap them,” she joked.

Features Inklings / May 31, 2013/ inklingsnews.com

AP Classes Take on Projects After Testing RACHEL LABARRE ’14 Managing Editor he week of May 13th marks big in a high schooler’s world. It’s the frenetic week before junior prom, the long-awaited final week of a senior’s high school career, and the stressful second week of Advanced Placement testing. While the excitement of prom and a senior’s final week apply only to their respective grades, the stress of AP testing affects teachers and students across the school, marking a change in the function, dynamic, and structure of many classes. However, when this week ends and the excitement dies down, AP classes experience a shift—the set curriculum for AP classes dies down, yet an entire month of school remains. Sara Pinchback, who teaches AP Economics, notes that all teachers want their students to succeed, so calendars are planned based on being prepared for the national exam. However, when the exam is over, teachers have the leisure of creating their own mini-curriculum. Some students think that this remaining month is a time for AP students to slack off, watch movies, and make paper airplanes. This is not reality. Yes, the pace of the class may diminish slightly, but almost all AP teachers look forward to this month during which they can embark upon a

project in which students can apply the information that they have learned over the year. So while it could be considered a bit “relaxing,” teachers, and students, get an opportunity to apply their newfound skills to the real world. Suzanne Kammerman teaches AP U.S. Government and Politics, and hopes to link up with some of the AP Economics and AP U.S. History classes. “The goal is that the students can bring together everything they’ve learned in the year and use that knowledge in a specific area, spending time on an issue of their own choice,” Kammerman said. “They can use their knowledge in a way that has real world implications.” Sam Addelmann ’14 said that AP classes can be rigorous and exhausting at times, so it is nice to be able to slow down a little and enjoy a project that might be a little more fun. “I know that I personally look forward to the opportunity to do some fun labs now that the AP Chemistry test is over,” he said. Others agree. “We are attempting to emulate this intense college experience where we spend lots of time cramming and racing through material. Letting us have a month of relaxation shouldn’t be too much to ask,” Melissa Beretta ’14 said.

STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN ΈABOVEΉ: After a year of hard work, students in A.P. Biology continue to pay close attention to their teacher, Mr. Kabak.

CLASS ACT ΈLEFTΉ: Students working in Kabak’s A.P. Bio class PHOTOS BY JILLIAN KLEINER ’16

Not Enough Time: Teachers Struggle With Technology Due to Lack Of Training BAILEY ETHIER ’15 News Editor There are iPads in the library, SMART Boards in classrooms, and a Staples iPhone app so students can record homework and follow their daily schedules. But what happens on any given day can be a different story. Some Staples teachers struggle with technology, in part because they haven’t been trained. “The amount of technology in this building in the last couple of years has exploded,” said James D’Amico, social studies department chair and Co-Chair of the Staples Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Committee. D’Amico said he was referring not just to classroom technology but devices and programs used by students as well. Many students report classes that use technology to supplement and facilitate learning. But some technology can be more difficult to use, which can cause teachers to struggle in the classroom. One recent week, according to Brenden Price ’16, a teacher almost drew on a SMART Board with a dry erase marker because he didn’t know the board would be ruined. The students in the class ended up helping the teacher by writing on the SMART Board using the electronic pens. Alex Uman ’16 also described a teacher who struggled with technology of a different sort -setting up movies, for example. “She doesn’t know how to use it,”

GRAPHIC BY GRETA BJORNSON ’15 AND ANDREA FROST ’15 Uman said. Student responses to teachers’ difficulties vary: some are more tolerant of the struggles than others; some might even make fun of a teacher who isn’t as skillful. On the other hand, a number of teachers successfully use technology to enhance the learning experience of their students. Rob Rogers, a social studies teacher and Co-Chair of the ITL Committee, allows students to build websites and use “any kind of technology they want to take notes on.” “Looking at next year, I’m planning to go to more of a digital curriculum where just about everything will be primarily on-

line,” Rogers said. Students may see a teacher’s technological struggles as a weakness, but Rogers, who re-

“Everyone’s skill set is different.” — Rob Rogers ceives several questions a day from teachers regarding technology, views it differently. “If you put me in front of a car and said ‘Could you change the oil?’ I know it’s a pretty simple thing, but I don’t really know how

to do it; so I would have trouble with that,” Rogers said. “It is like someone who can use [Microsoft] Word, but may not be able to manipulate it because all they know how to do is turn it on, type in it, and print something out. Everyone’s skill set is different.” D’Amico agreed that “the technology use is kind of spotty [among teachers],” but added that the problem stems from a lack of time to train teachers. Teachers only receive technology training a few times a year during professional development days, including the three days before students begin school, and at a handful of after-school meetings, D’Amico said. And during

each of these professional development days, only a small portion of the time is dedicated to training teachers. D’Amico also said that, in those hours, time is mostly concentrated on learning the uses for Gmail or Blackboard, and that little to no instruction is provided for “creative uses of technology in the classroom.” “The main issue we have is coordination. We have the resources to train them and we have staff members who can train them,” D’Amico said. “I think the biggest thing we need to do to get teachers more training is figure out the best way to schedule it so we can get the most use of the time that we have and make sure the technology training fits in with the other stuff teachers are doing in their curriculum.” Despite a lack of time to train teachers, D’Amico is excited about several pilot classes next year. Two health classes will be using Chromebooks in class to see if it is possible to run a curriculum entirely off of a web-based platform, and another class will do the same with iPads. The ITL committee is also looking at possibly putting in a “genius bar” in the library where students and teachers can go to ask other students and teachers technology questions. “Every kid at Staples knows if you have a math question you can go to the math learning center and there’s a teacher there,” D’Amico said. “We want to create a student driven technology learning center.”

A&E May 31, 2013

GRAPHIC BY ALICE MCDONALD ’14

AARON HENDEL ’14 Breaking News Managing Editor

he fact that F. Scott Fitzgerald lived part of his life here in Westport makes the people of town feel a special connection to the famous author. So, when “The Great Gatsby” movie was released, it was not a surprise that it caused a burst of interest in Westport that some people claim has not been seen since the release of the final Harry Potter film. The mov ie has inf luenced clot hing design and fashion. In fact, wa lk ing dow n t he

streets of dow ntow n Westpor t, t here’s a decent chance t hat quite a few men w ill be dressed like Jay Gatsby. This ret ur n to w ing tips, boater hats, suspenders, or white linen her r ingbone suits can be credited to Brook s Brot hers, which has one of its men’s shopping out lets on Main Street. This men’s clot hing line designed t he out f its wor n by L eonardo DiCapr io and t he ot her stars of t he pict ure. On Apr il 15 , t he company released some of t heir selections to t he public to be available for purchasing,

which ex plains why multiple at tendees at junior prom made t he decision to spor t Gatsby at tire. “I f ig ured t hat if I looked like Jay Gatsby, I’d be like Jay Gatsby,” said Nick Dedo menico ’14 , one of t he Gatsby look-a likes f rom prom. “Who wouldn’t want to be Gatsby? He’s r ich, handsome and suave.” Gatsby ’s ex travagance and elegance inspired many st udents to consider hav ing their junior prom af ter-par t y t heme be based on Gatsby ’s ow n par ties, as depicted in t he book and mov ie. Howev-

er, t hat idea died dow n when people f ig ured out t hat t hey could not, contrar y to t he mov ie, get a zebra for t heir par ties. Though no k now n Gatsby-t hemed af ter-par t y was t hrow n, groups of st udents f rom t he Advanced Place ment L ang uage and Compo sition course still gat hered toget her to see t he mov ie immediately af ter completing t heir A .P. exam. These juniors saw it as an oppor t unit y to see a mov ie t hat was based on one of t he book s t hey read in t heir A .P. L a ng class.

“I rea lly enjoyed t he book and t he mov ie,” Ba x ter Stein ’14 , who is enrolled in A .P. L ang and went to see t he Gatsby mov ie w it h severa l st udents f rom his class, said. “I went to the theater tr y ing to forget my opinions on t he book and I came out rea lly enjoy ing t he way it was portrayed.” West por t isn’t t y pica lly inf luenced by f ictiona l pop cult ure characters. So even t hough Fit zgera ld passed away in 1940, his spir it lives on as his creation, Jay Gatsby, continues to ta ke t he tow n by stor m.

Inklinations: What’s the Gatsby Buzz?

“The movie itself makes the book easier to understand and the lighting brought out every emotion.” -Nick Bader ’15

“Everybody really wants to see the party scenes.” -Kasey Hertan ’16

“I don’t think it really captured the spirit of the book...It wasn’t ‘Gatsby.’” -Amanda Mezoﬀ ’14

A&E Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

GRAPHIC BY IAN BARSANTI ’14

Performing in NYC? Staples Players Say ♪“I Can Do That”♪ ZOE BROWN ’15 Features Editor

taples Players have shown consistently that they can shine at the high school theater level, and now the time has come for them to show off their talent to the world outside of Staples. Next stop for Players: New York City. On Monday, June 3, the cast of Staples Player’s A Chorus Line will perform at a benefit for the American Cancer Society in a birthday celebration for the late Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the music for the orginal A Chorus Line production The event is called One Centennial Sensation and will be held at the Hudson Theater

in New York City. Hamlisch’s wife, Terre Blair Hamlisch, attended the last two performances of A Chorus Line at Staples and loved the show so much that, after the last performance, she went on stage and invited the cast to perform at this special event. Players will perform a large section of “Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen,” “What I Did for Love,” and another song that is not from A Chorus Line. However, Players will not be the only stars attending the celebration in June. Celebrities like Idina Menzel, Matthew Morrison, Kelli O’Hara, Berna-

dette Peters, Michael Douglas, Lucie Arnaz, and Klea Blackhurst will also be present. “There will be stars at this event that many Players students look up to and aspire to be like, so the fact that we are

and preparing for the event by rehearsing once or twice a week. They even had a rehearsal with Ernest Green, the music director for A Chorus Line in New York City. Players are ecstatic and genu i nely thankful to be able to perform at this event. “I feel extremely privileged to be given this opportunity,” Clay Singer ’13 said. “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I can't begin to explain how excited I am.” This opportunity says a lot about the hard work that Staples Players puts in throughout the year. Players are proud that

“I feel extremely privileged to be given this opportunity,” -Clay Singer ’13 performing at the same show as them, and possibly on stage with some of them, is surreal to most of us,” Danielle Frost ’13 said. To ensure that they will give their best performance in front of these big names, the cast has been staying in shape

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their six-day-a-week rehearsal schedule for A Chorus Line paid off in a way they never could have thought possible. “Because Marvin played such a crucial role in the original creation of the show, this is essentially the highest form of recognition we can get,” Frost said. Although everyone is grateful for this rare opportunity, it especially inf luences senior Players. Many seniors agreed that it was the perfect end to their time in Players. “This will be so memorable because I will be sharing this night with my closest friends who are really my family,” Tyler Jent ’13 said. “To share this memory with these wonderful people is a dream come true.”

A&E Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Arrested Development: No Longer Under Arrest GRAPHIC BY EMMA RHOADS ’14

CčėĎĘ RĆĒĊĞ ’14 Staff Writer

“

Arrested Development” aired for three seasons starting in 2003 on Fox, before being cancelled because of low ratings. Its cancellation upset the show’s fans and many critics who believed that the Emmy and Golden Globe winning show was one of the best comedies of all time. Now “Arrested Development” is coming back. Netflix, along with the original creator and cast of the show, produced a new season to begin on May 26. “Arrested Development” developed a cult following, which grew as more people watched it via Netflix or DVD, and the fans are ecstatic about the new season. All 15 episodes of the new season will be released at the same time to stream on Netflix. Many Staples students are excited about the return of the show. Peter Lagerloef ’14 said, “I’m glad it’s going to be on Netflix. It’s cool that they’re making it there instead of a network.” Jeremy Langham ‘14 agreed. “I think it being on Netflix instead of a network is a good thing because of its convenience. I can watch every season there easily.” Every fan of “Arrested Development” has a favorite moment from the show. Lagerloef’s was “the burning down of the banana stand. It was hilarious.” Sam Neufeld’s favorite moment was “when Buster became a stripper named Candy Sandy.” The quirky minor characters

are also favorites for some fans, “like Enrique the gardener,” Neufeld said. Gob, a narcissistic magician who rides a Segway, is Lagerloef’s favorite character. “I think he’s the funniest person on the show,” he said. “Arrested Development” left a number of cliffhangers in the finale of its third season. Lucille (Jessica Walters) was stealing a cruise ship and being pursued by the SEC’s commandos; George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) was stowing away aboard the cabin cruiser; Michael (Jason Bateman) was piloting down to Mexico with George Michael (Michael Cera); Buster (Tony Hale) was facing his worst nightmare in the form of a seal, a cuddly, but vicious seamammal; and Gob (Will Arnett) was acting insane (as usual). We also found out that Maeby was not George Michael’s cousin; however, that George Michael’s crush on Maeby was still creepy as all get-out. Fans like “Arrested Development” for its excellent cast, outstanding writing, and quriky style, though some of the fans’ interpretations of the show are even quirkier. “The underlying metaphor that promotes Marxist ideals and encourages young women to be satisfied with their bodies, exhibited, for example, in Buster’s reaction to his hand being bitten off by a seal. He becomes extremely insecure, but by the conclusion of the episode he comes to terms with his flaws and blossoms into a beautiful young man,” Neufeld said.

GRAPHIC BY AMY PERELBERG ‘15

It’s A Girl’s World: One Fan’s Opinion OLIVIA KALB ’14 A&E Editor Although the premiere date has yet to be set, we’re soon to be hit with the shiny new version of “Boy Meets World”: “Girl Meets World.” If “Girl Meets World” ends up being anything like “Boy Meets World” it will be great. No doubt. The show does have the co-creator of the original show, Michael Jacobs, acting as executive producer and showrunner as well as the original Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) as parents to the star, Riley Mathews (Rowan Blanchard). On paper, “Girl Meets World” is essentially the same show as its predecessor. The main character Riley is a cute and witty adolescent who faces life lessons through her friends, family, and school with her best friend Maya Fox (Sabrina Carpenter) at her side. But while the idea of bringing back such a beloved show is great, it may not fare well with this new younger

GRAPHIC BY NATE ROSEN ’14 generation because if “Girl Meets World” is anything like “Boy Meets World”, it’s going to be heart-warming, simple, and innocent. That’s not exactly what younger viewers are interested in these days. The interest in the wholesome family show is no longer there. Instead they watch

“Gossip Girl”, “Pretty Little Liars”, reality shows like “The Jersey Shore”, and shows about being famous, rich, and popular. Their interests don’t lie in learning life lessons in a 20 minute period filled with wit, sass, and that classic heartwarming, slightly cheesy ending.

If “Girl Meets World” is truly like the original, it’s for a generation that’s moved on. It’s for the generation of “Full House” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. Of course, who knows? It may end up being popular. Perhaps original “Boy Meets World” fans will become a version of bronies: teenage boys

and girls watching a children’s show on Disney Channel. More likely though, there’s going to be more f lash, sparkle, and showmanship than there was in the original. But a f lashy new version is going to take away from what made “Boy Meets World” so great. It was down to earth, sweet, and taught valuable lessons on how to be a good person. You just won’t get that with “Girl Meets World” if the show’s focus is on grabbing and keeping the attention of tweens whose minds wander off to their iPhones every 30 seconds. Maybe with these changes, the show would be popular. Sassy female leads are the trend lately. But, it just wouldn’t have the same magic. The producers are trying to recreate a show that was perfect as it was. “Boy Meets World” was a great show, witty and touching, but as many people know, sequels tend to fall a bit f lat.

A&E Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

In the Media and Music Hallway, this mural shows off many musical icons like the Beatles, Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, and more.

Taylor Burg ’16 and Emma Fasciolo ’16 work on an upcoming mural

Painting the Walls of Staples

PHOTOS BY BEN GOLDSCHLAGER ‘14

TATI MORALES ’15

Staff Writer

n the hallways of Staples High School, students rush by as if they are on the busy streets of New York City. Students speedwalk from the third f loor math department to the first f loor gym locker room, and v ice versa, tr y ing to make it to class on time. But if students travel down the media hallway, it is a time to slow down and stare in awe at the walls. There, sprawled across the wall, is an impressive painting that looks like an exploded beige brick wall revealing a classroom inside. The painted depiction of a long metal table, some chairs, curtains, microphones, and detailed posters looks ver y similar to the real media room. This wall painting is a mural, and, thanks to the mural painting class, students at Staples w ill be seeing a lot more like it. According to Tracy Wright, the teacher of the Mural Painting class, the im-

ages for the murals aren’t decided on solely by the mural class. The departments also have a say as to what image is created. “The mural is based on the request of the ‘client,’ which, in this case, means a school department or administrator,” Wright explained.

The first mural to go up was the one found in the Language Hallway. The most recent mural is located by the media room. They are all amazing and so it is no surprise that they are in high demand; each school department w ishes to have a mural of its own displayed proudly in the hallway. Howe ver, meeting the high demand is difficult. “We cannot accommodate the number of requests we have as quickly as we would like,” Wright stated. “Mural painting is a process that takes some time.” But the murals are woth waiting for. Unlike the halls in other schools, halls at Staples are filled w ith color and brilliant representations of the different classes taught. Wright is pleased that the murals have had a positive effect on the school. “It brings happiness, color, and a sense of community,” Wright said. “Plus, I think they look really cool,” Nicole Williams ’15 added.

“The school wouldn’t be the same [without the murals],” Daryl Choi ’16 stated. “It adds to the spirit of Staples.” “The client presents their ideas and the mural painting students design it from there.” Usually departments in the school request the murals. Then the students and the ‘client’ work together, coming up w ith a theme and design for the mural. A f ter the design is made and agreed upon, the students get to painting. Ever y student in the class participates in bringing the design to life. Once completed, the final mural is placed on a wall near the department that requested it. The whole process takes about a semester.

Step-By-Step Process

QUE ES ESTO?: This mural was the first to be put up at Staples High School and can be found in the language hallway on the first floor.

COLORFUL CAFE: The Staples cafeteria displays this unique and colorful masterpiece upon its wall.

1. The class and client meet to decide the mural’s placement, size, and subject. 2. Students research and then design the mural. 3. The students present their designs to the class. A vote sends one or more choices to the client for approval. 4. Wood boards are cut to size, and the students prime them, then use a grid system or projector to place the design. PHOTOS BY CLAIRE SAMPSON ‘15

5. Students paint using a variety of techniques. 6. The murals are sealed, signed, and hung.

LIVE FROM STAPLES: Across from the music mural, this one depicts the media room.

SPORTS May 31, 2013

PHOTO REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM ROSS WHELAN ’13

THE BOMB SQUAD ASSEMBLES: Members of the infamous baseball fan group gather to watch the game.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game KATE BIESPEL ’13 Staff Writer t’s 3:30 on a Wednesday, and Zach Morrison ’13 can usually be found at Fortuna’s. As he finishes eating his sandwich, he takes his bag of chips for the road and heads back to school. Many of his friends are in tow. Arriving at the Staples baseball field for the 4:00 game against Wilton, Morrison and his friends approach right field, lawn chairs in tow, and begin to set up camp. “The bomb squad” has assembled. To onlookers, the bomb squad consists of about 20 members, although the number f luctuates depending on the day, game, or weather. These Superfans do not take the typical route of sitting on the bleachers, behind the opposing

team’s dugout. Instead, they have taken to the right field, lining up lawn chairs behind the fence. Self-proclaimed co-founder and CEO of the bomb squad, Jack Roof ’13, began attending the baseball games on a regular basis this year. What started as just “several kids bringing lawn chairs and parking themselves in right field,” turned into a large fan base by the third game of the season. The original squad began with 12 members and is still growing. According to varsity player Matty Campbell ’13, baseball games in the past have usually only been attended by family members, with the exception of particularly important games. The entire team, coaches included, enjoy having the support of the squad.

“We all understand baseball isn’t the most captivating sport to watch, so [the right field] gives them room to throw around the Frisbee or play catch while they watch

They enjoy playing a myriad of sports behind their lawn chairs, whether it be tee ball, football, or Frisbee. Besides sports, they also spend time relaxing in their lawn chairs,

“‘The bomb squad’ is no ordinary group of people.” –Greg Salamone ‘13 the game,” he said. “Also, they can’t ruin the lives of the other teams’ center and right fielders from the bleachers.” The location choice of right field gives the game-watching experience a whole new meaning. Free from the confines of limited room and other fans, the bomb squad spends their time in right field doing more than just watching baseball.

FIVE

lying in the sun, and the everpopular snacking on sunf lower seeds. It’s a game-watching culture. When it comes to cheering on the team, the squad particularly enjoys heckling the opposition; the proximity to the outfielders allows them to do this easily. “Every home game, perched from our dugout, we

can see that same big group of enthusiastic, yet elegant, line of seniors,” said varsity baseball player Greg Salamone ’13. As the season progresses, the group of seniors is looking to garner more fans. Currently consisting primarily of boys, some members from girls sports teams have begun attending the games after their practices. Morrison attests his regular attendance to the desire to “hang out with pals and watch some of America’s pasttime” as opposed to going home to do work. He encourages others to do the same. “‘The bomb squad’ is no ordinary group of people,” Salamone ’13 said. “It’s a special group of Wrecker fans who provide an intangible sense of meaning to the game of baseball.”

MUST-HAVES:

(According to Bomb Squad co-founder Jack Roof)

1) McDonald’s meal 2) Sunflower seeds 3) A mitt to play catch 4) A lawn chair 5) A baseball cap GRAHIC BY KATIE SETTOS ’15

Sports Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

PHOTOS BY DEANNA HARTOG ’16

The Water Wars of Girls Water Polo AMINA ABDUL-KAREEM ’15 Staff Writer ave you ever tried treading water in a six-foot deep pool for an hour while balls f ly toward your face, all the while being attacked by four vicious girls from the opposing team? For the girls on the Staples Water Polo team, this is nothing new. “You can practically get drowned, and the referee won’t call a foul as long as you’re holding on to the ball,” Laine Crowder ’15 said. Girls Water Polo may not be the most well-known sport at Staples, but it’s definitely one of the hardest. It requires a great deal of physical strength, speed and coordination. Practice starts at 2:30 with a 30-minute swim. Then, the team passes the ball around to loosen their arms. To warm up their whole bodies, the team works on distance passing. Leg workouts are important to improve treading water, and, to help the goalies warm up, the team takes practice shots on the goal. For the last hour of practice, the girls scrim-

mage and work on strategies like driving and corner shots. Practice goes from 2:30 to 5:00 every weekday, and unlike most sports, the team also practices from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays. “Next year, we would like to spend more time on conditioning and introduce more

Tournament, which is their traditional end-of-season tournament. However, the girls value their team progress more than their record. “If at the end of the season we can look back and say that each player demonstrated an increased understanding of the game and grasp of the fundamentals, then we’ll look at the season as a success,” Arias said. Although the Water Polo program has been around for over ten years, many students still aren’t aware of or do not know much about Girls Water Polo. Staples and Greenwich High are the only two public high schools with POLO PRACTICE: The girls water polo team practices in the Staples pool. water polo teams. “We don’t really have Monday night water polo advanced techniques and had practice with boys to prelike football does, and the plays,” assistant coach Bran- pare them for the season. don Arias said. “We are going According to Angus Arm- sport doesn’t tend to get that to do some serious condition- strong ’13, one of the assistant much attention on a national ing for next year’s season,” So- coaches, the girls won their level unless you’re specificalfirst game of the year, 13 to 9, ly looking for the latest water phie Mafilios ’15 added. Many of the girls were on with Captain Sarah Cooper- polo news,” Cooperman said. With the rise of Water Polo the fall swim team, which con- man ’13 scoring nine goals tributed to their pre-season against Suffield Academy. at Staples, the girls hope more conditioning. The girls also They also won the Hopkins people will join next year.

Sports Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

Wrecker Rugby Rises CHEYENNE HASLETT ’13 Staff Writer

fter six months of offseason training, the rugby team returned to the field this spring with a fierce determination that quad-captain Matt Cozzi ‘14 describes only as “second to none.” Despite being a sport that may receive less student attention when compared to its spring-counterparts like baseball or lacrosse, a brief sitdown with the team or any of its 45 members will tell you that the Staples rugby team is vastly underrated. Rugby coach and Spanish teacher Joseph Barahona, who has played rugby for 20 years and coached for an additional six years, saw the positive effects of the team’s hard work firsthand. “I feel that the boys had more at stake in the games [this season] because of all of the hard work they have done throughout the year. They had a

harder time giving up and battled to the end,” Barahona said. “I really think [rugby] is a combo of every sport. You need to be strong but fit. You need to be able to catch, pass, and kick. And you also need to be able to run and tackle,” Cozzi said. This year, they improved in each of the many areas that must be mastered by a rugby team and have already improved their statistics tremendously. Last season, the team only won one scrimmage and came in last in the state’s Division 1. This year, the team is five games and two scrimmages in and has only lost once. Additionally, they have worked their way into the top 5 of the state’s Division 1. With the bitter taste of last season still in their mouths, they went into the 2013 season ready to win. “We worked very hard in the offseason and took care of the small things, then everything just started clicking

and before we knew it, we were top 5 in the state in Division 1,” said Yang. This year, in keeping with the team’s new reputation, they took Fairfield Prep on in a “close, intense battle.” According to Yang, the team was up 19-12 going into the second half. “Some calls didn’t go our way and we ultimately lost 24-19,” Yang said, in a tone surprisingly devoid of regret. “That was the closest we’ve come to beating them in program history,” he added. The team’s improvements may come as a surprise to the general population, but the team itself knows better. Quad captain Umberto Pucci ‘14 said, “We knew that we were going to do well this season, but we didn’t let that get to our heads.” The mindset is simple. “We take the season one week at a time and just try to go 1-0 every week, focus on each team individually rather than taking the season on as a

PHOTOS BY DEANNA HARTOG ’16

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: The rugby team performs their practice routine.

whole,” he said. Barahona calls this the “ELM tree style of coaching,” his newly adopted strategy which focuses on “Effort, Learning, and Making mistakes.” “I encourage players to make mistakes and not to be afraid to try something just for fear of making a mistake as long as they were willing to learn from it,” Barahona said. The team puts this into action by going over mistakes after every game and working to correct them. The ability to learn from mistakes, comes from the strong sense of camaraderie on the rugby team. “[Rugby] is a universal fraternity/brotherhood,” Barahona said. The seasoned rugby player claims that “you can go virtually any place in the world and have a place to stay if you hook up with the local rugby team.” Pucci agreed, stating, “The difference between rugby and other sports is that no sport has

a network of fans/players like rugby does. Being a rugby player (not to sound cheesy) really brings you into a sort of loose family.” Perhaps a more clear-cut example of this inter-sport culture comes from the traditional post-game meal. “In other sports, the teams will ignore each other once the game is over, and in rugby, the teams actually sit down and have a meal together,” quad-captain Brian Book ‘14, who is also a member of the football team, said. This tradition goes all the way up to the men’s club level, and oftentimes transforms into participation in community service or other bonding activities. The Staples’ rugby team has worked hard to get to where they are. But it’s not all about the rankings. The team has bigger goals. “We’re more worried about what we do on the field,” Book said.

Sports Inklings / May 31, 2013 / inklingsnews.com

ROWING ON A RIVER: The Saugatuck Rowing Club rowers practice out on the river.

PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS BY MAX BORTNIKER ’15

Row, Row, Row Our Boat CAROLINE COHEN ’15 A&E Editor

ing erg tests, which are infamous among rowers. Erg tests are practices on ergs (rowing machines) that track the rowing speed and distance the athlete rows. The tests focus on mental toughness, endurance, power and, overall, how much pain can be handled. “If you talk to any rower, you will know they are extremely painful,” Kurtz said. “Basically, when you test, it feels like you are in living hell and you’re going to die and everything. Your mind and body just hurts.” But somehow, rowers find the pain bearable and the workouts maintainable. “Often it’s said that rowers only talk about rowing, and I believe there is a

reason for this,” Julia Schorr ’16 the 2016 Rio de Janiero summer said. “It’s because the sport has Olympics. Julia’s father saw an impacted everyone who does it advertisement for the contest and encouraged to the point Julia Schorr’s Row to Rio Contest her to create where you Logo a logo since don’t know she had just what else to started her talk about.” Design and Schorr was so inTech class spired that she at school. took her love Her father for rowing and thought this entered the would be a “Row to Rio” good chance contest, where for her to use she and other her newfound artists submitskills. ted designs for “I have the logo that will be the official always loved art and graphic desymbol of U.S Rowing during sign, so when my father said it

he sun is shining down and the water flows along with the current of the rowboat. Being a sport that requires technique, teamwork and a whole lot of effort, rowing seems to attract a population of Staples students who, despite rowing’s grueling workouts and tiring workouts, can’t get enough of being out there on water. “Rowing is a sport that tests both your physical and mental boundaries,” Alison Morrison ’15 said. “If you put in the hours on land, it will show on the water and during the races.” According to Morrison, practice is from 3:00-6:00 every day, and during the fall and spring competition seasons, races occur almost every weekend. “A typical practice workout is around an hour to an hour and a half on the water either doing timed pieces or technique work. Races are either 2 or 6 kilometers depending on the season and [last]…. well, as fast as you can go” Morrison said. James Banbury ’16 distinguishes rowing from other sports because it constantly requires movement and effort and it hurts like hell,” Banbury ’16 said. According to Sammie Kurtz ’15, the girls rowing team stays in shape by running two loops that vary from 1.5 miles to 3.5 miles, taking part in yoga, biking, and perform- CLEANING UP: Rowers work together to bring their boat out of the water.

was for rowing in the 2016 Olympics, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to merge my two passions,” Schorr said. Her logo was chosen by the US Rowing Selection committee as a finalist and she campaigned hard and well to get online votes. Schorr ended up having the lead by the end of the online voting. Although the selection committee ultimately announced University of Cincinnati rower Jake Mercuci as the final winner, Julia’s logo was in the top 5 and will be used for events leading up to the games. Schorr said, “I was disappointed, but at the same time proud that I was able to compete in a contest which had many entries from professional graphic designers.” Schorr was pleased but not surprised by the support she recieved since showing suppor to teammates is such a part of Rowing culture. “You learn how to be a good teammate. You make friends” Schorr said. “[Rowing] allows me to spend my time doing something that I truly love with teammates who are incredibly supportive.” Despite the demanding exercise and back-breaking commitment, rowing continues to keep its crew breezing through the river in boats. “Most people who row are completely in love with it. There is no way you could do such a physically, mentally and emotionally draining sport without loving it,” Morrison said.

Ro S w, O Ro I u w D PA r B , R G oa ow E t

ports

The Wreckers

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’16

Chasing 4:00

Henry Wynne ’13 and His Pursuit of the Remarkable RYDER CHASIN ’14 Web Managing Editor

igh school students stood alongside Olympians on May 25 under the overcast New York sky. Finish lines were hung, shoelaces were tied, and competitors were overcome with excited anxiety as they got themselves ready for the hallowed Adidas Grand Prix. One of those competitors was a face familiar to Staples High School: track and crosscountry captain Henry Wynne ’13. Invited to compete in the High School Dream Mile, Wynne took to the track with the top 14 American high school runners. Out of the 14, he was preranked tenth. He fi nished second. Yes, with a time of 4:05:02, Wynne fi nished behind only New Jersey’s Edward Cheserek as the top high school mile runner in the United States. Now, at least among some spectators, a particular question is being posed: can Henry Wynne run a four-minute mile? “I believe Henry has the potential to break four some day,” Head Coach Laddie Lawrence said. “If he does, it will take the perfect race on a perfect day to do it.” While this past Saturday was not nearly the perfect race

or the perfect day, Wynne fi nished barely five seconds away from the four-minute plateau, eclipsing his previous personal record by a full three seconds — and did so in front of a national audience. But Wynne is no stranger to the national stage. In his Staples tenure, during which he has received an All-American selection five times over, Wynne has not only received recognition from some of the most significant running publications like MileSplit, LetsRun, and Runner’s World, but has also taken home two national championships in the distance medley relay and, perhaps most recognized, the mile. “When it gets to that level of competition the energy is ridiculous, and you look around and realize this is the best competition in the country,” Wynne said. “I get a sense of pride that what I am doing is really paying off.” Accordingly, his work is also paying off at the local scale. Over his Staples career, Wynne holds school records in 14 separate events, has taken home 22 state championships to go along with several other New England titles. Nevertheless, according to Lawrence, the accolades aren’t what make Wynne the person he is. While the awards are great, Lawrence enjoys just spending time with his team’s captain.

MILE TIME

4:05.02

AND THE RACE BEGINS: Henry Wynne and fellow racers line up as the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conferencc mile run begins. “Hopefully I have not yet experienced my favorite Henry moment,” Lawrence said. “Although there are already so many good memories it would be hard to pick my favorite.” One memory that Lawrence recalls is when Wynne fi rst joined the cross-country team his freshman year. According to Wynne, his freshman lacrosse coach Paul McNulty offered two options to his players of how to work out in the off-season: lifting weights or running. Fatefully, Wynne didn’t want to lift weights. “During indoor track in his sophomore year, he made a major breakthrough in lowering his times,” Lawrence said. “Today he is a much stronger, faster, smarter and more coachable runner than he was when he fi rst showed up in the program.” Needless to say, Wynne no longer participates in lacrosse,

as he devotes his time almost entirely to running. Between his periodic competitions, daily workout regiment, and constant leadership of the rest of the team, Wynne, at least to co-captain Sam Cohen ’13, consistently shows his dedication. “Henry has a way of getting people to listen,” Cohen said. “I respect him as much as a person as I do a runner.” He continued, “he has an attitude that makes it seem as if he really has not yet realized how good he actually is,” Cohen said. “No one I know would be that humble given his inhuman talent.” It’s exactly this “inhuman talent” that has propelled Wynne to a spot in the class of 2017 at the University of Virginia where he’ll continue his running career through college — and beyond. “I haven’t really thought about after college,” Wynne said.

“But looking back on this year, I’ll look at my medals and still get nervous and excited thinking about all the amazing races. I’ll think about the ridiculously fun times I’ve had with the team.” And, according to Lawrence, the fun times will go on. “After he graduates, I will miss everything about him that he brought with him into the Staples track program,” Lawrence said. “However, I do look forward to having him as a friend once his Staples running days are over.” Wynne is still waiting for that perfect race on that perfect day to come around for him to break 4:00. However, as he continues to get better and better, that day is fast approaching. “Personally, everything that has happened still feels surreal, but I know I have a lot more important meets to race in,” Wynne said. “I’m not reminiscing yet.”