11/6

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INKLINGS

November 6, 2015

Vol. 87, Issue 3

INSIDE Page 20 James Gikas fiddles his way to stardom

Page 8 Families come together to give thanks

1 7 11 17 21

News Opinions Features Arts Sports

Casualties suffered in major 2015 school shootings* Local elections *Read from left to right

2015 Election Day comes to a close Sophie Call ’16

Graphic by Channing Smith ’17

= Injured in a school shooting

= Deceased in aschool shooting

Staples reacts to national shooting threats

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Channing Smith ’17

he recent Oregon shooting on Umpqua’s campus sparked nationwide debate concerning gun control but did not seem to get much discussion at Staples.

In the days following the tragedy, physics teacher Scott Lee, addressed his students before starting class. “Do you guys read the news? Have you heard [about the shooting]?”

Lee asked. “I am disappointed we have not talked about it. We need to be a community. If anyone has any questions, I will answer them to the best of my abilities.”

Despite the silence surrounding the Umpqua shooting, students hold strong opinions about current gun policy, and many Staples students believe it is time for reform.

Many Dem- ocrats believe in tightening the reigns, making it much harder to purchase a gun.“I personally am very [much] for more

gun control,” Max Kaplan ’17, a member of the Staples Young Democrats Club, said.

“Assault weapons bans, magazine limits and background checks would all help curb gun violence, in my opinion.”

Rebecca Oestreicher ’16, also a member of the Staples Young Democrats Club, agreed that there was a need for change in gun laws, saying that gun control is “essential.”

However, James Allott ’17, who affiliates with the Libertarian Party believes that, though there should be increased background checks, the right to bear arms is a right Americans are entitled to.

“I believe strongly in the second

“I am disappointed we have not talked about [the Umpqua shooting]. We need to be a community.”

-Physics teacher Scott Lee

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Westport residents cast their votes in the elections for many of the local boards, which decide on issues from the town budget to Staples’ new principal. Although the election was just a one-day event for voters, for campaigners and candidates, the election season started in October.

One of the contested races was for Planning and Zoning, which ended in a win for Paul Lebowitz, the Democratic candidate.

A resident of Westport for nearly two decades, Lebowitz plans on using his new position to create more affordable housing for seniors.

“We’re losing seniors at a rapid rate to other communities because of the lack of affordable housing,” he said. He’s interested in finding parcels of land to build “care facilities” for Westport’s seniors.

In the contested Board of Finance (BOF) race, the Democrats managed to pull a 4-3 majority with the election of Sheri Gordon and John Hartwell.

amendment and its purpose,” Allott said. “I believe in the right to protect yourself in your everyday life and a citizen’s right to protect his or herself from tyrannical government, so I Continued on page 5 do not support gun control.”

Despite differences in opinions, there is one common thought: narrowing in on mental health. Though many gun violence incidents do not involve people with mental disorders, closing in on mental health screenings has been a popular thought. “I mean, I’m sure we have less criminally insane people per capita than most places, but I would have said that about Newtown, as well. That’s why we need increased mental health screening [...]”

Allott said.

Similar to Allott, Oestreicher views the frequent school shootings to be wake up calls ELECTION DAY (Left to right) Democratic representative Jonathan Steinburg, Board of Finance members for reform.“Nothing separates Staples from Chip Stephens and Iain Bruce and Representative other schools where shootings have hap- Town Meeting member from District One, Matthew pened,” she said. “They can happen anywhere Mendall, along with Bear the dog, stand outside Saugatuck Elementary School, a polling place for RTM and at any time.” districts one and two, on Nov. 3rd, 2015.

T RANSGENDER RIGHTS Conversation about gender identity unfolds Becky Hoving ’17 & Fritz Schemel ’17 *Names have been changed With twenty minutes left until the bell rings, Liam* raises his hand and politely asks his teacher if he may use the restroom. He exits his classroom and positions himself in front of the female and male restrooms, where he is confronted with a decision that most students do not have to face every day. For transgender and non-binary students like Liam, deciding which bathroom to use is a decision that is not so easy to make.

“There was a time in the beginning of my transition when using the girls’ restroom would feel really dysphoric, but

I also felt it wasn’t socially acceptable to use the boys’ one either,” Liam said. “It can definitely be ambiguous for non-binary or transgender people when it comes to choosing restrooms.”

Someone who is non-binary does not identify themselves clearly with the gender they were assigned at birth. A non-binary person might either identify themselves with the gender opposite of the gender they were assigned at birth, which is often referred to as transgender, or a non-binary person might identify with a combination of the two genders.

Given the challenges connected with gender identity, bathroom assignments for non-binary people can be tricky.

However, Sue Lavasseur, supervisor of Health Services for Westport Public

Schools, says the school leaves the decision up to the student.

“The issue of where to go to the bathroom is certainly something that we are all trying to work around. However, students that are transgender all have access to the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity,” she said. “...If they feel they want a private bathroom, we give that student access to a private bathroom. Some students prefer to use the bathroom in the nurse’s office; it really just depends on the student.”

Still, Staples has yet to provide gender-neutral bathrooms, a trend in recent years on college campuses. Lavasseur says it is something the school is “considering.”

Andy*, another transgender student at Staples, supports the idea of gen-

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

der-neutral bathrooms. “[...]They’re a space where every person, regardless of gender, can feel comfortable,” he said. “When I’m in public, I’ll try my best to find a gender neutral bathroom—it helps relieve a lot of my worries and ensures I don’t feel out of place.”

Liam says the school is doing its best to accommodate non-binary students, but that the current system still has flaws.

“Staples already offers unisex bathroom and locker options to transgender students, which is pretty great,” he said.

“However, single-person unisex facilities can still have disadvantages. It could be difficult for questioning or closeted trans students to access them, for instance.”

Continued on page 4

inklingsnews.com

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News | November 6, 2015

Students struggle with high pressure environment

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Jane Levy ’16

n recent years, Palo Alto, California, public high schools have had their fair share of tragedy, with numerous teenagers taking their own lives. With the coverage of the schools in the news, it’s difficult not to see the similarities they have with Staples.

A suicide cluster is defined as three or more suicides in a short period of time and in close geographic proximity. In the last 10 years, there have been two clusters in the Palo Alto Unified School District.

In light of the four suicides in her school district, Carolyn Walworth of Palo Alto High School wrote an opinionated editorial as a junior about the stresses she endured going through the entire Palo Alto Unified School District.

“It is time we wake up to the reality that Palo Alto students teeter on the verge of mental exhaustion every single day,” Walworth wrote. “It is time to realize that we work our students to death. It is time to hold school officials accountable.”

Many students at Staples have similar feelings as Walworth towards Staples—one of whom is Ellen Dalen ’17, co-president of the newly-founded De-Stress Club.

Dalen and her co-president Amanda Katz ’17 started the club because they rec-

ognized that “extreme stress has become too commonplace in Staples,” Dalen said.

Three years ago, guidance counselors Victoria Capozzi, Leslie Hammer and Deborah Slocum started the Staples High School Resilience Project when they “noticed a real surge in day-to-day complaints about anxiety and stress,” Slocum said.

As part of the initiative, the Resilience Project gives presentations to the Staples PTA, sends out emails that spread awareness about studies in neuroscience about the development of the teenage brain, attempts to correct some of the cultural norms that lead to this stress and goes into freshman health classes to speak about the project.

However, although Slocum acknowledges that stress at Staples “comes from extremely high expectations that have been internalized in a high-achievement culture,” and, to that degree, Staples has a “highly stressed student population,” she said, many students still feel that not enough is being done to help reduce the stress.

A junior girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, is currently coping with mental health disorders as a result of school-induced stress. “[At Staples] it seems that everyone is shooting for the top and is vocal about their grades,” she said, “and it’s hard not to get

caught up in it.”

As a result, the junior girl says she has “mild panic and anxiety attacks” on a daily basis, and, in the long term, her stress has resulted in “mild depression and an anxiety disorder.”

She claims that “the administration thinks that they’re helping,” but, through her struggle, she hasn’t “seen many changes in the cloud of stress that is hanging over e everyone.”

However, speaking to the stressful culture at Staples, Slocum puts onus on the community as a whole. “The school doesn’t function in isolation,” Slocum said. “It is a reflection of the community it’s in.”

Furthermore, Slocum said, “I’m not going to underestimate what it takes to shift the kind of achievement-oriented thinking that we have at Staples and that a certain amount of stress leads to success.”

Upon reading about the tragedies in Palo Alto, Emily Lustbader ’16 saw parallels between Palo Alto and Westport. In both districts, “Stress and peer competition start from a young age and can often leave students with low academic self esteem when entering high school,” she said.

She also noted that “because of the competition, students are waived into advanced classes [… ] so they can compete for

top universities,” Lustbader said. “But this means being subject to work that is more than just challenging for them, which means more stress, so it’s a pretty vicious cycle.”

In Staples guidance, however, Hammer discusses how guidance counselors make deliberate efforts to “help make students choose appropriate level classes,” in an effort to avoid adding “a whole other layer of stress” to their lives as a result of being in a class they cannot handle.

Daniel Pauker ’16 did credit the work that the guidance department does at Staples for helping bring down students stress levels.

“Even though we sit through the long application talks and sometimes attend mandatory college admissions assemblies, they make sure that the college entrance process goes smoothly,” he said.

Even still, Dalen expresses her disappointment with the efforts of the school.

“Palo Alto, based on what’s written, is what Staples is heading towards,” Dalen said.

“We face the same issues, such as leveled classes starting in sixth grade, ambitious students who overshare and a school that sees the issue but isn’t taking the steps to solve it.”

In the years to come, Hammer has one primary goal for The Resilience Project. “We would like to put ourselves out of business,” she said.

Graphic by Zachary Rosenburg ’18

Overabundance of clubs leads to insufficent funding Colette Lippman ’17 & Alex Spadacenta ’17 With over 120 clubs represented at Staples, the school has had difficulty allocating funds for each one. This has sparked frustration among members of clubs at Staples, some of whom feel neglected when it comes to funding important events and activities.

Clubs like Junior Statesmen of America (JSA), a popular club with as many as 60 members, does not receive any money from the school.

“We have three major overnight conventions each year,” JSA president Cole Bruno ’16 said. “However, due to the high expenses of these trips, many students are unable to attend.”

According to assistant principal Richard Franzis, when clubs do receive money it’s “typically based on the number of students served, how long the club has been in existence and the level of com-

plexity of the supervision involved.”

Just because a club exists, it doesn’t mean the club meets regularly or has a devoted following of members. “Often, students who propose a club are very enthusiastic when the club first begins, and over the course of the year, they become less interested and motivated to continue the club,” Franzis said.

Some students readily admit that while their intentions for a club often start out as genuine, once it comes down to organizing the club, they fail to maintain its legitimacy once the school year starts. “I started the club because I wanted to be a leader of something,” an anonymous junior girl said. “But after a while I realized that it was too much of a commitment[...] we only had two meetings.”

This makes the process for identifying the most deserving clubs for school funding a bit more complex. The process has also possibly been hindered by students suspected of starting clubs for the sole purpose of padding resumes for col-

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

lege.

At the end of the Student Involvement Fair this year, Franzis sent out an email stating that students are not allowed to create illegitimate clubs. To combat this trend, Franzis established new rules that clubs must follow in order to have the school recognize them as legitimate.

According to Franzis, clubs must meet at least once a month, and at least half of their members must be in attendance at each meeting. If this criteria is not met, the club will be discontinued the following year.

James Allott ’17, a member of the Foreign Affairs Club, agreed with Franzis’ message and feels people should have more integrity when creating, joining or serving clubs. “If we had made up the positions, it would be rather unethical,” Allott said.

Ethics aside, the tremendous volume of clubs has also delayed and even prevented clubs from receiving funding, which has caused problems for unfunded

clubs looking to pay for good works in the community.

New clubs, like Fashion Club, started by Emerson Kobak ’18, do not receive money from the school and must raise funds in their first few weeks to get anything done. However, while having bake sales at school can be a quick way to raise some cash, clubs cannot function to their full potential, considering groups can only have one bake sale each semester.

“It is hard for members to have to supply ourselves with everything we need,” Kobak said. “Especially because everything we do is aimed towards giving to different charities. Paying for supplies is taking money away that should be going to the charities.”

Despite all of the trouble with club financing, the administration still believes members can take their own initiative to benefit their club. “Clubs can raise their own funds,” Franzis said, “typically through after school bake sales and the selling of appropriate merchandise.”

BBQ Wings News | November 6, 2015

Stand up with Homes with Hope comes to Westport

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Claudia Chen ’16

n Nov. 7, comedian Tom Papa will fill the Westport Country Playhouse with laughter during the eighth annual Stand Up for Homes with Hope fundraiser. People who buy tickets, which are on sale on the Homes with Hope website, will enjoy hor d’oeuvres before the show.

Afterwards, Papa “will come on and be funny for about an hour,” Homes with Hope president and CEO, Jeff Weiser, said.

Adding to his resume, Papa has performed as the opening act for Jerry Seinfeld, hosted the NBC series “The Marriage Ref ” and appeared as a guest on talk shows like “Conan.” Weiser said Homes with Hope is very hopeful that Papa will bring intelligent humor to the audience of up to 578 people.

However, the real heart of the event is not solely aimed at leaving the audience in stitches.

Funds raised from these stand-up events have allowed Homes with Hope to nearly double the number of people it provides shelter to, from 54 people eight years ago to 105 people today.

“Having access to funds can really help our clients,” Paris Looney, Director of Emergency Shelter Services and Program Director at Bacharach Community, a subset of Homes with Hope, said. “They get tangled and twisted up. Having the ability to help them untangle the web that was weaved is very important.”

Sarah Simmons has benefited from Homes with Hope’s aid firsthand. She is featured in a video that will be shown at the stand-up event, in which she credits Homes with Hope with helping her get the apartment that she expects to move into by early November.

After moving to Connecticut in 2012, Simmons didn’t have a stable home. In August 2013, she received a DUI and lost custody of her two young children.

“That’s when I really hit rock bottom and got back into drugs,” Simmons said. “I just began to live on the streets. I didn’t feel like I was going to be able to get my life back on track.”

She enrolled in a rehabilitation program and eventually got her kids back. Then, in December 2014, the family arrived at Homes with Hope.

“I feel very blessed to have come here. Paris helped me feel like I was doing really good,” Simmons said. “She really worked her butt off to get me housing. If I didn’t have her on my side, I don’t think I’d have housing right now.”

Simmons’ video will raise awareness about homelessness in Westport, which is something Weiser wants to accomplish through the event. He noted that his hope is for the event to make Westport newcomers proud, not worried, of the shelters.

“My friend and I were taking a tour of Westport, and he said, ‘You know, Westport must be the only town that has a homeless shelter two doors down from a Tiffany’s,’” Weiser said with a laugh.

“Westporters don’t get enough credit for supporting that activity. We want to make sure that the town keeps on this mission of helping the neediest citizens.”

Stephen Rowland ’17, a youth member of the Board of Directors of Homes with Hope who has volunteered at the Gillespie Center, one of their emergency shelters, said he could tell that people in the shelters really appreciate volunteers.

“It’s important for kids our age to understand that homelessness happens everywhere, including Westport,” Rowland said. “If they start participating in the Homes with Hope events, it might hit them with how fortunate we are and inspire them to give back.”

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Ribs

Graphic by Cooper Boardman ’17

Barbecue club increases its gender diversity in 2015 Chase Emilio ’16 The Barbecue Club has always been popular at Staples, and since the 2015 Student Involvement Fair, more girls are joining the currently male-dominated club, dispelling rumors that the club barred female participants.

The Barbecue Club was established by a group of seniors under the supervision of former English teacher Alex Miller. They have held barbecues at soccer games and other sporting events, and have raised money for the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County.

Rumors accusing the club of being sexist and preventing girls from joining have circulated since the club’s initial establishment, but members of the club object to the accusations.

In fact, club president Kee Busk was shocked to hear about the rumors that the club was sexist. “The statement girls are

now allowed to join BBQ club is very presumptuous,” Busk said. “Girls were always allowed to join the club; whether or not they did was up to them.”

However, while girls have always been allowed to join, member Justin Cheng did concede that the nature of the club often does seem to cater more to boys.

“Unfortunately, due to the dynamic of the club — it was run by a largely male friend group of seniors last year— our club tended to attract more boys than girls,” Cheng said.

Furthermore, Ethan Shenhar, the club vice president, believes that the rumors stemmed from a misinterpretation of “a running joke that girls are not allowed due to our club being predominantly male.”

Despite the joke and the rumors, the club’s leadership insists that not only have girls always been welcome in the club, but the number of girls signed up to participate is “large.”

“Due to the dynamic of the club— it was run by a largely male friend group of seniors last year— our club tended to attract more boys than girls.”

-Ethan Shenar ’16

Grap h

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Mela nie

Lust ’16

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

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News | November 6, 2015

Transgender issues thrust into spotlight Local Briefs Becky Hoving ’17 & Fritz Schemel ’17

Andrew Vester ’17

Continued from page 1 On the other hand, Megan Brown ’17 notes that multi-person gender-neutral bathrooms would introduce an entirely different set of complications. “Yes, gender-neutral bathrooms would assure that transgenders are much more comfortable.

But it would also mean that girls and boys would be using the same bathroom, which is something not everyone would be comfortable with,” Brown said, noting that the idea of using the bathroom with boys her age would be “so unusual” and ultimately “awkward for everyone.”

Nicole Kiker ’17 supports the idea of gender-neutral bathrooms, as long as they are in addition to the already-existing separate female and male bathrooms.

“Ideally, gender-neutral bathrooms would be able to mitigate gender stigmas, but in a high school environment, that’s just not realistic,” she said.

In terms of Staples’ policy on transgender bathroom use, Lavasseur notes that “we’re still evolving,” but also accredited respect as the “underlying message.”

“It is a new topic, but it’s really not that different. It fits right into that anti-discrimination policy,” she said. “However, we do feel like, for students, there needs to be an individual plan as well. Not all transgender students are going to want to do the same thing.”

Andy feels as though this “individual plan” has been working for him but acknowledged that it might not be the same for all students. “[The administration has] done enough so that I feel comfortable, but every trans student won’t feel the same as me,” he said. “Comfort is a highly individual thing.”

Dr. Valerie Bachich, Coordinator of Psychological Services for Westport Public Schools, thinks all students should be respected, and that that responsibility falls on the student body.

“I think in terms of how students can help, it’s very important for everyone to accept these students for who they are,” she said. “Ultimately, we want to make sure that Staples is a gender-inclusive environment and that we are doing everything we can to make sure that all students feel safe, comfortable and welcomed.”

Someone whose assigned birth gender and gender identity are the same.

Cisgender Someone whose gender self-identity does not conform with the gender assigned at birth.

Transgender

Classification of sex and gender into two distinct, opposite and disconnected forms of masculine and feminine.

Gender binary

Someone who moves between feminine and masculine gender identities fluidly, often depending on context.

Bi-gendered

Eighty schools join a new college application

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Justin Schwebel ’16

he Common Application (Common App), with its red and white color scheme and seemingly endless questions, is a part of most college applicants’ lives. As an online college application system, it allows students to apply to more than 600 member institutions using the Common App’s online portal.

The Common App has been the predominant way that students apply to America’s top universities. However, the The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success (The Coalition) wants to change that.

According to data from Naviance, a “college and career readiness software” used by the guidance department at Staples, all of the top 20 schools Staples students have applied to over the last few years have accepted the Common App. Starting next year, however, these numbers will tell a different story.

The Coalition wants to improve the widely criticized college application process. According to a September press release, the Coalition “hope[s] to motivate a stronger college-going mindset among students of all backgrounds, especially those from low-income families or underrepre-

sented groups who have historically had less access to leading colleges and universities.

Eighty universities, including many that are highly ranked, have signed onto the Coalition in the last year, with many others expected to follow.

While very few specifics have been announced, the Coalition is centered around the idea of getting students to start thinking about college as an underclassman, even as early as their freshman year.

This has sparked sharp criticism from some students. “[Underclassman] don’t know what their passions are,” Eric Greenberg ’18 said. “You need to give them time to discover themselves.”

The Coalition will be broken up into two parts: “The College Locker and Tools” and “The Coalition Application” According to the press release, when the college locker and tools launch this spring, they will consist of various tools that will “streamline the admissions and financial aid process.” However, this section will also include the core difference between the Coalition and the Common Application: the portfolio.

The portfolio will allow students to add various forms of class work, such as

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

essays or projects, that they have completed over all four years of high school. This portfolio will potentially be sent to colleges during the application process.

In contrast with Greenberg, David Qui ’16 supports starting the application process early, and also strongly supports the idea of a portfolio system. “Personally, I like the idea of the college process starting freshman year. Keeping track of one’s accomplishments, works and efforts would allow colleges to look at the growth of a person, which I feel is extremely important,” Qui said. “Improvement is something that people should strive for, and this new process would push people for constant improvement.”

This does not necessarily mean the Common Application will be a thing of the past. Will Herald, a Coalition Representative and Admissions Officer from the University of Chicago, believes that some schools won’t be completely abandoning the Common App. “Those decisions are made by our member schools,” Herald said.

“There is no reason the Coalition platform and Common App cannot coexist.”

The application portion of the Coalition will open in the summer of 2016 for the college graduating class of 2021.

Nov. 25

Thanksgiving Break Thanksgiving Break begins with a shortened day ending at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, with no school on the following two days, meaning students and staff return on Monday, Nov. 30. Many will use these days off to take a break from school, to spend time with their families and to tour colleges.

Nov. 13

Fiddler on the Roof Staples’ production of “Fiddler on the Roof ” at Staples High School opens on Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and will include six total performances. The lead role of Tevya will be played by Jacob Leaf ’17, while the fiddler will be played by James Gikas ’19.

For some, this will be their second time acting in the play, as it was produced at Coleytown Middle School during the 2010-11 school year. Tickets can be bought on the Staples Players website.

Nov. 20

Dreamscapes A new exhibit, “Dreamscapes,” will be opening at the Westport Arts Center, on Nov. 20, replacing the previous exhibits in “The Print Show” and “Young Shoots.”

Dreamscapes paintings, which were selected through a contest run by the Arts Center, are artists’ imaginary interpretations of space. The Arts Center will also have a one-night exhibit, “The Pop-Up Show,” in which pieces of pop up art are featured, on Nov. 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Early November

Junior Parking Lottery The lottery for junior parking stickers will be held in early November. Many juniors with their licenses are hoping to gain a parking spot to avoid the lengthy walk from Wakeman.

Early-to-mid November

EA/ED Deadlines For the seniors applying to college, deadlines for Early Application and Early Decision come in early-to-mid November.

They will be looking to use whatever time possible to put the finishing touches on their applications before sending them off to their first choice schools.

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See more at www.inklingsnews.com

News | November 6, 2015

WWPT goes to the Drury’s D

Fritz Schemel ’17

uring the first week of November, five broadcasters from Staples’ radio station, WWPT, will hope to be named the number one high school radio station in the country at the Drury Awards in Naperville, Illinois. The last time WWPT achieved this honor was four years ago.

Daniel “DJ” Sixsmith ’11, a play-by-play announcer at the time who has since graduated from college and is working as a radio host for CBS Sports along with broadcasting games for ESPN3, says “it still amazes” him that WWPT was able to receive that honor.

While he’s now removed from the radio program at Staples, a new wave of young broadcasters have taken his place.

Cooper Boardman ’17, Jacob Bonn ’17, Jack Caldwell ’18, Zach Edelman ’17 and Adam Kaplan ’16 will lead WWPT to the Drury’s for the seventh consecutive year, an accomplishment they are all extremely proud of.

“It’s amazing to be rewarded on a national stage for the Drury’s, especially considering it’s an accolade I accomplished in my freshman year,” Caldwell, studio director at WWPT, said. “Everyone at WWPT puts in a great effort, day in and day out, and it is really showing [with the Drury nominations].”

In total, WWPT is nominated for eight awards in categories such as “Best Sports Play-by-Play,” “Best Sportscast” and “Best Sportstalk Program.”

The awards festivities, just 30 miles west of Chicago, include a luncheon with other high school broadcasters from around the country and a talk by a professional journalist.

Mike Zito, faculty advisor of WWPT, says he has been impressed with not just the finalists but the entire staff of the program.

“It goes beyond the students that were nominated,” he said. “It includes so many others that did amazing work that I feel should have been finalists.”

The awards, which will take place on Nov. 7, are a culmination of the last year’s work.

Edelman says his favorite memory last year with WWPT was broadcasting the basketball state championships at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“Not only did we get media passes, but we got a table to broadcast courtside, and it felt for the first time ever [like] we made it to the big show,” he said. “[It was] definitely an experience that I will always remember and one I cherish greatly.”

The broadcast of the girls’ basketball state championship between South Windsor and Wilton that Edelman, Boardman and Kaplan called is nominated for “Best Sports Play-by-Play” at this year’s awards.

Ultimately, Bonn is happy that all of the hard work it takes to run a broadcast is paying off.

“Being rewarded for the hard work was definitely an amazing feeling,” he said.

5

Photos by Channing Smith ’17

BROADCAST Christopher Morales ’16 and Matt Johnson ’16 live braodcast a soccer game at Loeffler Field for WWPT. WWPT celebrated its 40th last year and broadcasts on average two-to-three games a week ranging from field hockey and football to soccer and volleyball.

FACES OF THE PAST (Bottom left) The Wall of Fame, situated in the WWPT classroom, honors students of the past who have made significant contributions to WWPT such as, now CBS sports anchoe, DJ Sixsmith.

Local 2015 election season comes to a close Sophie Call ’17

Continued from page 1 Sheri Gordon’s platform includes a stricter maintenance program for Westport’s schools, parks, beaches and roads.

“We’ve let maintenance slide, and it shows,” she said.

Although the Board of Education (BOE) race was uncontested, the election season still allowed for people to learn about the board and what they do in Westport, according to Max Kaplan ’17.

The three BOE candidates who were up for reelection were Democrats Michael Gordon and Mark Mathia, and Republican Paul Block. In their upcoming term, one of the largest issues facing them is the search for a new principal at Staples.

This time, they’re planning on doing it a little differently, bringing in a search firm to aid in the process, which “can bring a much larger network and more good-quality candidates,” Michael Gordon said.

For the entire month of October,

students had been volunteering with the candidates about the election and help Democratic Town Council and the Re- with phone banking,” Max Hammer ’16, publican Town Council to try and garner president of the Young Democrats, said. as much support as possible for their re- “We’re also helping out with debates. We always do this kind of thing leading up to spective candidates.

“There are a lot of little things elections.

While many Staples students are that need to get done if a candidate is going to be successful, and we do our best still only old enough to help with the to make it as easy as possible for them,” campaigning, there are a few who are Tim Wetmore, chairman of the Republi- able to cast their own votes.

“It’s important to be involved in the can Town Council, said.

This is where the students come in, community,” Sam Galvao ’16, who’s able to vote in this election, said. “Voting alhelping with anything they can.

“We put signs together, talk with lows you to share your political, social inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

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INKLINGS | November 6, 2015

opinions

Photo dramatization by Caroline O’Kane ’16

Tell us what we need to hear Latin American Studies, Differential Equations, Mandarin Chinese, Caribbean Literature, Forensics: you name it, it’s likely a class offered at Staples. With this diverse course selection, it should be safe to assume that

Inklings

EDITORIAL Staples students have extensive knowledge of the world around them.

And yet, when we look

Inklings

out the window, our safety in our community is still a foggy mystery to us.

As students, we come to school to be educated, to learn about the world around us and our place within it. However, when tragedy strikes just a few miles down the road, the school fails to educate us about what’s going on.

Just two weeks ago, when there were bomb threats at Fairfield Warde High School, we were told nothing. Our information came from distressed parents, social media and the mouths of other kids.

Panic surged through the halls as

Editors-in-Chief Adam Kaplan Jane Levy

Crown Finalist for Inklingsnews.com from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2015

Managing Editors Claudia Chen Margaux MacColl

Silver Crown Award for Newspaper Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2014

Web Managing Editors Kaila Finn Talia Hendel

Pacemaker from National Scholastic Press Association 2013

Breaking News Managing Editors Quinn Hughes Jane Schutte

All the opinions, news and features in this paper are those of Staples High School students. Inklings, a curricular and extracurricular publication, has a circulation of 1,800 and is uncensored. All letters to the editor must be signed. The editorial board reserves the right not to publish letters and to edit all submissions as it sees fit. The editorial board determines all editorial opinions, which are authored faithfully by the Editors-in-Chief. Inklings reserves the right to not publish advertisements that promote products that could be harmful to student health.

The paper is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association and supports the Student Press Law Center.

Public Relations Directors Will Dumke Julia Greenspan Creative Directors Caroline O’Kane Channing Smith News Editors Max Bibicoff Claire Dinshaw Becky Hoving Fritz Schemel

kept in the dark about things involving our safety as they are happening. It is the ugly of the world that the school protects us from, but subsequently neglects to acknowledge and address, and that is what we need to hear.

We deserve to be informed––we are just as much a part of the community as anyone else.

We understand that there is no easy way to deal with tragedy and that not every teacher is armed with the skills of a social worker. However, all we’re asking for is the reality of the world to be addressed, both the good and the bad, what’s inside our town and outside of it.

students grappled with a fear they felt they couldn’t share. There was not so much as a mention of the event in the classroom or by administrators, and there still has been minimal discussion about the threat.

Looking back three years ago, when 26 innocent people were massacred 40 minutes away in Newtown, all we got was a short announcement. That’s it.

Years later, we discuss the event as a memory in the distant past, covering up the fact that in the days immediately following, the most we had was a school-wide moment of silence.

Time after time, we are

Opinions Editors Kit Epstein Caroline Lane Lulu Stracher Jackie Sussman Features Editors Eliza Goldberg Emily Olrik Sarah Sommer Izzy Ullmann A&E Editors Abigail Lamb Margot Mather Frenchy Truitt Renee Weisz Sports Editors Max Appell Cooper Boardman Amelia Brown Julia Rosier Web News Editors Molly Liebergall Zach McCarthy Web Opinions Editors Rebecca Rawiszer Andrew Vester

Web Features Editors Jen Gouchoe Blake Rubin

70 North Ave. Westport, CT 06880 Phone: (203) 341–1994 Inklingsweb@gmail.com

Web A&E Editors Alice Hickson Ivy Prince

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

Web Sports Editors Jesse Greenspun Brendan Massoud Web Creative Director Jimmy Ray Stagg Assistant Web Creative Director Anders Hovstadius Business Manager Kacey Hertan Assistant Business Managers Ben Foster Alix Sommers Alex Spadacenta Advisors Mary Elizabeth Fulco Rebecca Marsick Cody Thomas

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Opinions | November 6, 2015

Letter to the Editor

Open Choice students feel under-represented

D

ear Inklings, There was an article written about diversity in the September Inklings paper. We are upset because the article mentioned the Open Choice Program here in Westport, and being a part of this program since we were very young, we felt offended when we were not asked to be interviewed about our experience with diversity in the Westport Public School system. We feel that it is important to highlight our personal experiences with diversity in a school district with very little diversity.

“Open Choice is an inter-district public school program intended to improve academic achievement; reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation; and provide a choice of educational programs for public school students.” The reality of this program is the commitment we have to make to even get to school every day.

Many do not know the challenges we

Dear Open Choice students, Thank you for submitting a letter to the editor regarding our article about diversity at Staples in the September issue of Inklings.

We recognized that we only included one interview with an Open Choice student and are sorry that you feel under-represented. We understand your disappointment, and we hope that publishing your letter that details the commitment you make to school will

face daily just to get to ride again is almost two school every morning. hours long, which means The bus rides are very if we want to be involved long. Typically the first in any extra -curricular pick-up on the high activities we would need school bus is around to commit to an almost 5:30 a.m., and the last 14-hour school day. stop is typically around After putting in a 143:00-3:30 p.m. Our daily hour day, we get home, morning and afternoon do our homework, eat, bus rides are almost and get ready for bed. two hours long each We are teenagers. We way. This means that we fall asleep around 10-12. spend nearly 12 hours The average teen needs of our day between about eight to 10 hours commuting and being in of sleep. If we’re up school. Some of us are about 17-20 hours a day, involved in after school we only get around four *GRAPHIC BY CHANNING SMITH ’17 activities such as sports INSPIRED BY CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT to seven hours of sleep. and clubs. There is an We are writing this OF EDUCATION LOGO after school bus offered to letter to ask that you middle and high school students. However, include all students in the Open Choice this bus arrives at 5:30 p.m. and the bus Program the next time there is an article

Inklings Response

suffice for now.

The purpose of the article was to shed light on Staples students’ feelings about the lack of diversity in our school and the need for expansion of programs, like Open Choice, that combat this. Therefore, while we certainly appreciate and recognize that the Open Choice program helps to diminish the lack of diversity at Staples, the experiences of the students in the program were not intended to be the focal point of the article.

Furthermore, it was difficult for us to figure out who the members of the Open Choice program were in an appropriate, respectful manner. We attempted to contact organizers of the program regarding the participants but did not hear a response back. We did not feel comfortable asking students whether or not they were a part of the program, and none of the sources we interviewed volunteered any information about who was in it.

In the future, if we write another

written on diversity in the Inklings paper.

A few students were interviewed in the article that was published, but most of the students (with the exception of one Open Choice student) were Westport students.

Although their experiences with diversity are important, we feel that our experiences bring a different perspective that would be important for others to hear. We also think it would be a good idea to reach out to Open Choice students who have already graduated from Staples. It would be interesting to hear about their experiences and how it has impacted them in life after high school.

We think you will find our experiences and thoughts on diversity meaningful and hope that you will take the time to reach out to us next time.

Open Choice students Kaylynne Mercado, Coletia Williamson, Jelissa Velasco, Dorian Phillips, Quinntin Brovo, and Angelica Sistrunk

story on a similar topic, we will make sure to reach out to the students in your program who identified themselves in the letter. We feel that your program has done a tremendous amount for the community and your accomplishment and experiences should be recognized. Again, we apologize that you were dissatisfied with the article, and we hope you understand our reasons.

Best, Adam Kaplan and Jane Levy Editors-in-Chief

Extracurricular commitments limit diversity Alex Spadacenta ’17 Twenty years ago, colleges wanted a student body that was well rounded and ready to tackle the world. These days, however, colleges are more interested in the students who specialize.

Colleges don’t want students who look, dress and act the same. They would rather take people pursuing a unique passion and people who are looking to bring that independent drive and interest to the next level.

But this shift in colleges’ preferences has created a bit of a problem for multi-potential people, like me, who prefer to have a wide range of interests.

Walking down the halls of Staples ,the walls are plastered with posters advertising clubs that span from the BBQ Club to National Honors Society. These advertisements are a testament that Staples offers diverse options and opportunities for students. And that is great.

My problem is I want to be involved in almost all of them.

There are definitely downsides to having so many interests. I have had a tough time balancing my gov homework with Inklings, with gymnastics practices and with Key Club meetings, and everyone in my

life is telling me I need to drop something. But the last thing I want to do is give up one of those activities.

The reason I feel so passionately about keeping all my activities is that I benefit a great deal by participating in each one.

For instance, without gymnastics, I wouldn’t have found my love for hanging up-side down and tumbling across the mat, and without Inklings I wouldn’t have found my passion for writing.

Many adults remind me that my pursuit of many interests may come back to haunt me, and they strongly suggest that I become very skilled at just one thing and forget everything else.

However, having many interests has offered me ways to relieve the stress from the college process.

Specialization is too exhausting. It’s just more fun to do a little bit of everything.

I think Westport could benefit from a culture adjustment. People should be encouraging others to try new things and have experiences they would not have had otherwise.

So, I only can urge Westport to take a second look at their interests and values and maybe focus on the things they love and recognize that it’s okay if they don’t become the next Steve Jobs.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Photo by Fritz Schemel ’17 and Graphic by Channing Smith ’17

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Tu tor

Opinions | November 6, 2015

Graphic by Channing Smith’ 17

Tutor students on academic

independence Kit Epstein ’17

I

f I can remember clearly, it was within two short weeks of entering English 1 Honors when my grade sunk to a C-, a grade that I was never expecting. Feeling unsure about my class placement, I went to see my guidance counselor to seek, well, guidance.

The first sentence that came out of my mouth during the meeting with my guidance counselor was, “Should I just get a tutor?”

Hold up. Looking back at this meeting two years later, I’m stunned that the overwhelming tutoring culture at Staples had already hit me when I barely knew my way around the halls.

But that just brings me to my next question: why is tutoring such a huge part of our school’s culture? I truly believe students here are over tutored and tutored

for the wrong reasons. From what I can tell, students do not get tutored because they’re incapable of doing the work on their own but because they have access to a potentially easy way out. This has to stop.

Tutoring isn’t meant to be an easy way out, yet it’s become this for some students.

Let’s just get one thing out of the way. If you’re reading this and saying to yourself, “I don’t know anyone who is tutored four days a week for almost every subject,” you’re lying. Everyone knows at least one person like this.

Students here practically boast about their incessant tutoring. I completely understand getting a tutor for that one class that you truly struggle in before a big test, but why has it become ok to get a tutor to write your entire English paper or do your U.S. history project? While it can be a valuable tool, I find this approach towards tutoring counteractive to our school’s harsh policy on academic integrity

and its goal of preparing us for college.

Furthermore, being completely dependent on tutors not only underprepares students for college but also lowers their academic confidence.“Over-tutoring tends to send the message to students that they can’t do things on their own,” guidance counselor Victoria Capozzi said.

“So my question is, what happens when a time comes when tutors aren’t going to be available, and there’s not going to be a backup to land on by paying somebody?”

I couldn’t agree more.

Overtutoring diminishes a student’s academic integrity and ability to complete tough assignments on their own.

Even Superintendent Elliott Landon believes in fostering a more independent learning environment. He sent out a letter this past summer to all parents in the district stating, “Students should treasure learning for its own sake, strive to do their personal best, develop academic competence,

learn to think analytically, value ethical behavior and take responsibility for their own actions.” As a community, we have to learn to follow and foster these guidelines to regain academic integrity.

Fortunately, our school offers plenty of resources, so your parents don’t have to spend up to 15-grand a year on private tutoring. Learning centers are located on the first and second floors and offer oneon-one teacher attention with any subject.

Let’s get one thing straight–the majority of Staples students are driven.

Although many would argue that in such a high stress environment students need as much tutoring as they can get, we also need to be prepared for life after Staples. Life, unfortunately, will not offer a tutor for every little bump in the path you come across.

As a community, we need to disconnect from the world of incessant tutoring to gain back our academic independence and confidence.

Core classes suck the joy out of school Kateyln DeAgro ’17 As an excited young freshman, I was eager to take part in the wide array of classes offered at Staples. But then, for three years, I walked into the guidance suite and watched as my schedule was filled only with the classes considered to be mandatory.

Staples has classes for everyone.

There are classes that dip into just about every course of study that you can think of. In fact, as far as I’ve seen, the staff has done nothing but encourage students to follow their passions. But the reality is, students are so restricted by graduation requirements that their schedules cannot accommodate the many electives they often wish to take.

Whenever I asked why I must take a class that does not interest me, I was never given a satisfactory answer.

Guidance counselors, teachers, parents and any other adult figure often failed to effectively explain the importance of taking chemistry or physics when my goal in life is to go into politics.

To a certain extent, some classes are necessary even if they are not particularly enjoyable because they provide lessons and skills that are useful for life later on.

For example, classes that teach reading,

writing and some levels of math will certainly help when I read a newspaper to stay informed or write an email to communicate my ideas or manage my budget to pay rent. But that is where it ends. I challenge anyone to please tell me how advanced trigonometry is going to help me figure out how to do my taxes.

When students are forced to take a class only to fulfill a graduation requirement, it only builds resentment. In my case, the embodiment of my frustration stems from being forced to take physical education.

I completely understand that for some students, gym class may provide them with daily exercise. I don’t need a class to teach me to exercise or to eat a salad every once in a while. So, for me, required classes like health and physical education only take up room in my schedule and prevent me from taking classes like psychology, tech ed or any other class where I might stand to actually learn something new.

However, there is a solution. That solution is to simply let students choose the classes that interest them. Staples has so many interesting classes that have the potential to spark love for learning, but this spark is extinguished when students are corralled into taking classes that hold no relevance to their lives.

Graphic by Emily Pozzuto ’18

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

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Opinions | November 6, 2015 Graphic by Melanie Lust ’19

Students cope with pressure by faking sick Abigail Lamb ’18

F

aking sick may seem like the perfect excuse to start binge watching “Friends.” But while I may get a good laugh or two when everyone else is at school, the large amouts of work I’m left to do is never worth it.

I’m guilty of faking sick every now and then. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by a chemistry test and need a break, or I just have a need for watching the latest drama between Monica and Chandler.

Since kindergarten, I’ve heard of kids claiming they have a cough when they’re really just on a plane to Disney or say they have a fever when they’re

really refusing to take a math test.

Faking sick has become a way to escape your responsibilities at school, but it only leads to more work.

The other day in my swimming class, there were seven kids out on the bleachers avoiding the water and none of their faces were green or had violent coughs. They looked more like they had come down

with a case of the not-having-read-“TheCatcher-in-the-Rye”-for-English-that-day.

It’s understandable that people get coughs, the flu and sometimes just need a personal day, but there’s a limit.

So, the next time you’ve come down with a bad case of catching-up-withMonica,-Chandler,-Ross,-Rachel-andPhoebe, think twice about the consequences.

Photos by Caroline O’Kane ’16

Families give thanks with loved ones Olivia Foster ’18

Thanksgiving is commonly thought of as a time when family gets together to share memories, converse and eat a massive amount of food. However, some people don’t have the huge families to chow down with.

According to CNN, an estimated 46.3 million people will travel on Thanksgiving.

A huge portion of that 46.3 million people will be traveling to visit family; a smaller percentage is likely traveling to be with friends.

I have an extremely small family that is spread across the

country. I’ve rarely had a Thanksgiving that includes both my mom’s and dad’s sides coming together to celebrate. This may seem like a sad affair, but growing up in Los Angeles, where many people live far from their families, Thanksgiving for us became a time spent with friends.

My family would always host the holiday at our house, inviting three or four close friends.Our feasts were always accented with our friends’ well-loved family recipes, such as baked plantains and pecan pie. Left to our own recipes, we would never have been exposed to new foods.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Some dishes were surprisingly delightful; others not so much, but it was always fun to see who and what would show up.

Our first Thanksgiving in Connecticut, was a stark contrast to our Los Angeles feasts. Our friends here all have families that live nearby and, hence, already have well-established traditions for their Thanksgiving meal, so it was hard to find company. It was strange not to share our turkey, stuffing and pie with close friends. Over time, we have reconnected with relatives and families we rarely got to see when we lived in Los

Angeles, and we now have a solid group of what we call our “small-family crew” that celebrates Thanksgiving together.

Now, our non-traditional gatherings have become our tradition. When Thanksgiving rolls around, we have familiar faces at the table and, some years, new additions. Thanksgiving doesn’t necessarily mean celebrating with your family but with anyone who makes you happy and who you enjoy spending time with. You never know who may be joining your table each year, but hopefully it will be someone who makes you smile.

de Lande Long takes on his senior year at Staples

A

Eliza Goldberg ’17

lthough he’s been a familiar face around Westport for over a decade, it wasn’t until August of 2015 that Westport became Peter de Lande Long’s ’16 full-time home. de Lande Long has had a weekend home in Westport for about 13 years, but he used to only visit Westport every other weekend. He spent the majority of his time living in New York City. This year, however, he decided it was time for a change.

“I basically just wanted a bigger school [because] my old school was really small,” de Lande Long explained. “I like it more than the City in a lot of ways. It’s a different experience.” de Lande Long contemplated transferring from Friends Seminary in Manhattan to Staples all summer and thought he had decided against it. But a week before school started, he changed his mind and officially decided to become a

Staples student. “I had to do all the summer work in a week,” de Lande Long said.

His parents switch off from living in the City and in Westport in order for de Lande Long to attend Staples.

Longtime friend of de Lande Long, Steven Warshavsky ’16, was “super surprised and shocked when Peter showed up to school.” de Lande Long decided to surprise Warshavsky on the first day.

He sat with some of Warshavsky’s friends in the cafeteria and waited for Warshavsky to notice he was there.

“At first I thought it was because he didn’t have anything to do at home, so he just came to visit. Then it hit me that [it] was his way of

surprising me that he actually did decide to transfer,” Warshavsky said. “I am extremely happy that he chose to do his senior year here at Staples and [I] think everyone should get to know him.”

Warshavsky and de Lande Long have been friends since middle school, when they played recreational basketball together.

“He has introduced me to a lot of people,” de Lande Long explained.

Coincidentally, as de Lande Long was talking about rec basketball, he noticed former rec member Matt Chernock ’17 across the hall. “Matt, do you remember me?” de Lande Long yelled.

“Yeah, from rec basketball?”

Chernock said, approaching the table.

“He was a stud. He was a legend.”

In addition to playing basketball, de Lande Long really

features

Human of Staples

enjoys art. He is currently taking the advanced drawing course at Staples.

Jordan Goodness ’16 met de Lande Long this year, and they have already become close friends. Goodness describes him as “fun, easygoing and friendly.”

Warshavsky feels the same way. “In a few words, he is athletic, very easy going, funny, smart and so much more. If you want to have a conversation about anything, he will know what he’s talking about [and will know] the right thing to say,” he said.

“I consider him a brother, and I know that if I ever need s o m e t h i n g , he is and always will be there for me or anyone, for that matter.”

Photo by Caroline O’Kane ’16 and graphic by Zachary Rosenberg ’19

NEW KID IN TOWN Peter de Lande Long ’16 transferred to Staples from his high school, Friends Seminary in Manhattan, deciding that Staples would be a better fit for his senior year. He describes himself as an outgoing person who loves to meet new people and is fascinated by the world of architecture.

What will you miss most about John Miller?

Social studies teacher’s absence leaves mark on students in the classrooom “I miss seeing him in the halls because he was just a good person to talk to.”

-Jojo Adler ’16

“He had a way of inspiring students to want to learn about history.”

-Charlie Krawiec ’16

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INKLINGS | November 6, 2015

“He made a class that might be boring otherwise very interesting and funny to be a part of.”

-Ben Thaw ’16

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

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Features | November 6, 2015

sexti

Messaging tech transforms sex Jesse Levinson ’17 & Sarah Sommer ’16

*Names have been altered Can you show me?” The text from her boyfriend left Grace* in a wave of panic. Their innocent, flirtatious conversation had become more and more sexually explicit, and now it had taken a turn she was afraid to go down yet more afraid to avoid.

“When you like a guy, you’re kind of under a different impression of them,” she said. “You just want to do anything for them to like you back and compliment you and make you feel good about yourself.”

With one hand nervously holding her door closed, she slipped off her shirt, took a picture and sent it to him. “In the moment you don’t think about [breaking up], but looking back, I wish I’d considered the possibility since we’re not on good terms anymore,” Grace said.

“It makes me uncomfortable now to know that he still has those pictures.”

What Grace was describing, of course, is an experience she had with sexting—the action of sending a sexually explicit photograph or text Graphic by Izzy U message through the use of a cell phone.

According to Grace, sexting is popular at Staples because people feel that they have to do it in order to be accepted by their peers. In addition to this, the rise of Snapchat – a social media app that allows people to send pictures to their friends that disappear after a maximum of 10 seconds – could be contributing to the popularity of sexting.

In a survey of 562 Staples students, 146 participants admitted to sending a sexually explicit photograph at least once. Out of those students, approximately 83 percent cited Snapchat as one of the means of communication they used.

Photo dramatization by Caroline O’Kane ’16

“

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

CENSO

ing.

hnology xting culture

When asked about Staples’ students attitudes towards sexting, one anonymous senior girl mentioned that it is largely split. “I’ve spoken to multiple peers about how terrible sexting from both genders can be, and then I’ve seen a polar opposite picture of sexting being a widely accepted phenomenon in our school,” she said. She also believes that many students fail to understand the severity of sending explicit photos.

“If a girl wanted to send me a nude, I’d take it,” Jesse Semel ’17 admitted. However, he also expressed that he doesn’t think the reward outweighs the risks of sending explicit photos. “I think it’s kind of stupid,” he said. “Honestly, if you like someone, why wouldn’t you wait until you see them in person to show them your body?”

What many teenagers fail to consider is the legal consequences that can result from sending nude photographs.

Aside from the mental devastation that can arise from a leaked picture, both sending and receiving nude photographs are against the law.

“The people who can get in trouble are the ones who are disseminating the information, which would be the people sending the texts,” health teacher Jeff Doornweerd said.

He also mentioned that either sending or holding nude photographs under the age of 18 is considered child pornography.

Another aspect of sexting students fail to realize, Doornweerd said, is what is considered an explicit photograph.

“Even pictures where you’re Ullmann ’17 technically covered but being provocative and suggestive could technically fall under the category of child pornography, so you want to be careful with that,” he said.

Despite the health teachers’ best efforts to cover the risks of sexting, there remain teenagers who continue to send nude photographs.

This is evident in the survey on Staples students, where approximately 107 people said that, although they are aware of the negative consequences that can result from sending sexually explicit photographs, they do so anyways.

“You never picture yourself as the one whose nudes will get leaked or who’s going to get caught,” Grace said.

“You never think anything bad’s going to happen to you.”

Features | November 6, 2015

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sexting by the numbers Out of a survey of 590 Staples students

44 percent of students have sent sexually explicit photos to a friend or stranger.

34 percent of students sent sexually explicit photos to their significant others.

ORED

78 percent of students are aware of the negative consequences of sexting.

Graphic by Emily Olrik ’16 and Izzy Ullmann ’17

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Features | November 6, 2015

Accomplished Staples alum reflect on their success

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Adam Kaplan ’16

n only a decade since graduation, Staples students have already taken big jumps into being stars in their respective fields. Whether it be in broadcast, film or theatre, here are a few alumni who are taking the right steps to success.

John Karman A little less than 10 years ago, two students made the name Ruby Dog a marquee name throughout the halls of Staples.

Created by John Karman ’08 and Jake Andrews ’08, the duo took Staples by storm, creating a nationally recognized YouTube channel and a feature film, “Showdown II.” Karmen attributes his early success to the Staples student body. “Everyone at Staples, both faculty and students, were incredibly supportive and helpful,” he said.

“One time I somehow convinced close to 100 kids to stay after school to be extras in a fake cafeteria scene. I felt very lucky to be making films in an environment where that kind of thing was possible.”

Since his graduation, Karman has worked in Los Angeles with the likes of Freddie Wong. Karman, to this day, still works with his high school coworker and friend Jake Andrews ’08, as the two are currently working on a mini series, “Rocket Jump.”

Adam Kaplan Don’t let the byline fool you into thinking there was some bias in this choice.

Adam Kaplan ’08, the now ex-Staples Player, has reached musical theatre heights.

Since graduating, Kaplan has performed shows everywhere from Broadway to the White House. After his share of professional success, one might expect Kaplan to have sailed through Players with very

little trouble. However, tough love is what Kaplan says his most valuable lesson from high school was. “I mean this in the most loving way possible: players taught me how tough this industry is,” Kaplan said. “I got a real taste of competition and rejection at an early age. I had success in high school but certainly didn’t get the majority of roles I wanted. I worked my butt off for the organization and still had my ‘heartbreaks.’ It’s a dramatic field we’re in — pun intended.”

Eric Gallanty With a quick walk by the Staples’ radio room, one can see a wall of John Drury high school radio awards covering the blue paint. Upon further inspection, one can see the recipient of many of those awards was Eric Gallanty ’11. Gallanty started broadcasting sports his freshman year, and from then on, he and DJ Sixsmith ’11 became an award winning force. Gallanty has hit the ground running since graduating from Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School for Communications. “I just finished my first year as one of the broadcasters for the Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals,” Gallanty said. “I call Syracuse University soccer for the local TV station. I also call games on local stations in Connecticut, Albany and games for Northeastern University and Harvard University.” Gallany has attributed Staples to much of his professional success.

“At Staples, we didn’t just want to be those high school kids who do the games,” Gallanty said. “We wanted to put together a program that would have respect outside of the school and even beyond the town of Westport. Something everyone could respect and was worthy of Staples as a school.”

RADIO GENIUS Eric Gallanty ’11 is remembered largely at Staples for his various radio awards over the years, especially for sports reporting.

THEATER INSPIRTION Adam Kaplan, an Elon University graduate, made his debut in the Broadway show “Newsies” in 2013 as Morris Delancey and a newsboy.

YOUTUBE SENSATION John Karman ’08 left behind his legacy of his YouTube channel, which had many student and teacher viewers.

Photos contributed by Cooper Boardman ’17, Jim Honeycutt and Julie Kaplan ’17

Photo by Caroline O’Kane ’16

Bagel alliance creates bond among social studies department Jen Gouchoe ’16 Some have compared it to the likes of the CIA. Others have heard whispers about it or perhaps have seen glimpses of its Schoology page that was accidentally brought up on the SmartBoard in class. Few have dared to inquire about it up until now.

“The first rule about Bagel Alliance is that you do not talk about Bagel Alliance,” social studies teacher and leader of the Bagel Alliance Suzanne Kammerman said.

The Sacred Bagel Alliance started long ago, back when the entire high school staff would come together to eat bagels every Friday morning. Due to budget cuts, the staff bagel get-togethers were diminished to only once a month and eventually were eliminated completely.

“When it went away entirely, the social studies department decided we would

pick up the slack for our department, and we would buy our own bagels,” social studies teacher Jonathan Shepro said.

Ever since then, a group of about 20 teachers from different departments adopted the ritual of buying bagels every Friday morning for the Sacred Bagel Alliance. Each teacher has a bagel partner who they coordinate their bagel purchases with. There is also a Schoology group that helps the alliance keep track of who buys the bagels each week.

To some, buying bagels seems like a simple task. But, to the Sacred Bagel Alliance, it’s no small matter.

“We’re very particular about our bagels,” Shepro emphasized.

Bagel King in Fairfield, Connecticut, is the favorite among the alliance members. Shepro noted that “there are strict regulations” against supermarket bagels and Dunkin Donuts bagels.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Although most members abide by the rules, some teachers have wreaked havoc in the alliance by purchasing subpar bagels. The most notable incident was when social studies teacher Eric Mongirdas, bought bagels from a new location – the Bagel Bar in Milford, Connecticut.

“Terrible” was all social studies teacher Sara Pinchback had to say. “Terrible day for the Bagel Alliance, the Milford bagels.”

Mongirdas defended his bagels, saying, “I simply tried to elevate the level of bagel consciousness to some of my fellow colleagues by bringing in some bagels that were outside of the normal realm of bagels.”

Shepro noted that there was talk among the members of the alliance of a punishment for Mongirdas. In the end, he merely received a “stern teasing,” Shepro said.

“Again, I think they were just marked by fear of something that was outside the comfort zone, kinda like an animal

in the wild,” Mongirdas said. “When you intrude upon its zone, it just naturally reacts in a combative manner.”

Overall, the Sacred Bagel Alliance has been an enjoyable experience for its members, despite some controversial bagel choices here and there. Even Mongirdas said that his “overall experience in the bagel alliance has been emotionally, spiritually and professionally fulfilling.”

Now that the secret has been revealed to the entirety of Staples High School, it will come as no surprise when the smell of fresh bagels is wafting through the halls every Friday morning.

“All kidding aside, it adds a lot of collegiality among the staff and gets us together,” Shepro said. “That was the original intent of having the bagels in the first place—to have the teachers come together, talk about life, get to know each other and have a good time.”

Features | November 6, 2015

Photo by Caroline O’Kane ’16

Testing stress triggers Adderall abuse I

15

Alix Sommers ’16

t’s 8 a.m. on Saturday, and a large influx of high school juniors and seniors swarm the hallways with number two pencils, graphing calculators and tickets in hand, ready to take either the SAT. Some even walk in feeling calm and confident, knowing that the Adderall pill they just took will help them get through a five-hour-long test.

Standardized tests are one reason why many Staples students are turning to prescription drugs to succeed academically. Whether it’s getting a prescription from a doctor or purchasing it illegally, students are finding any way possible to get their hands on Adderall.

“I decided to start taking [Adderall] because I felt really antsy all the time,” an anonymous senior girl with brown eyes said.

“And I couldn’t really focus on anything and I heard [Adderall] helped on tests like the ACT.” Even though she is prescribed by her pediatrician, she has no medical history requiring her to take Adderall. “It helped me with the ACT, and on the days I take [Adderall] I get 10-times more things done.”

According to Time Magazine, “An estimated 15 percent to 40 percent of students at high-achieving high schools use prescription stimulants to get ahead.” With the pressure to attend prestigious schools and achieve academic excellence, Adderall has allowed students to manage the stress and anxiety that comes with the responsibilities of being a high school student.

Because of the pressure, Adderall has caused a dealing culture at Staples. “I have extreme ADD, so I was prescribed it about two years ago when I couldn’t pay attention in class and couldn’t sit down to do my homework,” an anonymous se-

nior girl with light brown hair said. “A lot of people have asked me to sell them Adderall and, not going to lie, I sold it before because it’s such easy money, and I don’t take it that often, anyways.”

Sometimes students are prescribed Adderall even if they are not diagnosed with ADD or some other kind of attention disorder.

“I decided to start taking Adderall because I was finding it hard to focus in class, and my thoughts would always trail off,” an anonymous junior girl with brown hair sadi. “But I don’t have ADD or ADHD.” She is prescribed the drug by her psychiatrist but does not medically need it. “It

has improved my grades, and it makes me feel so motivated.”

Unfortunately, according to Muir Wood, a teen addiction treatment center in northern California, Adderall “can have [a bad] effect on those who take it who are not diagnosed with [ADHD]. Rather than decreasing erratic behavior, it creates a ‘high’ as well as a number of effects that may initially seem positive, especially for a teen struggling under the weight of a tight schedule that includes school, homework, sports and extracurricular activities, standardized testing prep [and] college applications.”

However, there are high

school students who do take Adderall due to medical history. “I decided to take Adderall when I got a concussion, which put me out of school for around three months,” Reid Rizack ’17 said. “Once I returned to school, I realized how bad my concussion truly was. My doctor told me it was a direct impact from the extreme blows to the head that I suffered. [Adderall] certainly benefited my concentration and willingness to work.”

Whether students are prescribed for medical reasons or found a way for their doctor to give them a prescription, all students have noticed negative side effects.

“I crash a lot in the afternoon,

which causes me to feel depressed, and because it’s a stimulant, it can make me kind of sweaty and very anxious at times,” the anonymous junior girl with brown hair said.

“It also completely wipes out my appetite, and I’ve lost a lot of weight on it so far this year.”

The anonymous senior girl with brown eyes agreed, saying, “It [makes] me feel sad and like I don’t want to be social.”

Rizack also noticed that “it made my headaches even worse.

[It] also caused my appetite to vastly decrease,” he said. “I couldn’t eat anything which affected the amount of energy that I had.”

Since Adderall has gained popularity at Staples, students are noticing that this is becoming a nationwide issue, as well.

“People are starting to realize how easy it is to get prescribed and simply how much it helps,” Rizack said. “But it’s not only in Staples.

Whenever I talk to kids across the country, they always talk about how much it’s used in their school.

It is a very popular drug that is certainly taken advantage of.”

Are you interested in making graphics for Inklings?

Contact Channing Smith ’17 or Caroline O’Kane ’16 to be assigned photos or computer generated graphics for the December issue.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

16

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17 arts

INKLINGS | November 6, 2015

Making history with a side of popcorn LGBT stories take on the big screen Katelyn DeAgro ’17

M

ovie night often consists of eating overly buttered popcorn and drinking flat soda. But when moviegoers are snacking on their over-priced goodies, they might also notice the recent trend in LGBT themed movies.

“I think [film] has been influenced by and is able to influence the socio-political culture,” Charlie Colasurdo ’18 said. Lately, the proverbial Hollywood has taken an interest in LGBT rights.

However, Colasurdo fears that the increase of movies about the LGBT community might just “inflame already hot tempers.” He believes that some may not enjoy the films that feature the LGBT community, which may in turn further prejudice against the LGBT community.

“The increase in LGBT-centric movies is a good thing but only if

it’s done right,” Kasey Hoebermann ’17 said. “In some cases, LGBT characters are portrayed as just comic relief or walking stereotypes.”

One of the recent movies that Hobermann found “disheartening” was “Stonewall,” directed by Roland Emmerich and released in September. “Stone-

Graphic by Channing Smith ’17

ie doesn’t actually historically exist and is likely an inaccurate version of history.

“I feel that if those characters are accurately represented and treated as people beyond their identity, it could lead to more of an understanding from viewers,” Hoebermann said.

Alex Brown ’16 agrees and also

“The increase in LGBT-centric movies is a good thing but only if it’s done right.” -Kasey Hoebermann ’17

wall” is centered around a gay, cisgender man named Danny who is depicted as the pioneer of the LGBT rights movement. In actuality, the LGBT movement is believed to have been led by several African American transgender women, meaning the main character of the mov-

mentions he is happy that at least some shows have been accurate and fair, especially in regards to casting.

“I think it’s good that they are getting actual transgender representation [in casts],” Brown said. “Like, they are using transgender [peo-

ple] to play transgender roles.”

“Stonewall,” “Tangerine” and “Nasty Baby” have gone against the traditional route of having a white heterosexual male as a main character and have finally provided young LGBT people with characters that prove they, themselves, can be the hero.

“They will be able to see representation and see that they are not alone in this,” Brown said. “Especially today, it’s such a big outreach to kids who are transgender. They can identify with [transgender heroes] and get the representation they need to feel comfortable with themselves.”

So after the movie ends and only the taste of salt on your tongue remains, just think about how many lives are being changed by a few pictures floating across the screen.

BLACK

Graphic by Zack Rosenberg ’19

Black Friday proves frantic yet fun Nicole Shapiro ’18 Black Friday might be the only holiday where people run around, punching each other and throwing things. With Thanksgiving and the holidays quickly approaching, Black Friday is upon the horizon as well. Black Friday occurs the day after Thanksgiving, and while students get the day off, it is not an official holiday. It has been regarded as the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and most major retailers open very early and offer promo-

tional sales. Staples students, in particular, have a love-hate relationship with the day.

Some students hate Black Friday and prefer not to attend. “I usually stay home because I don’t want to be with the crazies,” Brooke Adelmann ’18 said. Many other students agree that avoiding the sometimes violent sales is a good idea.

The majority of Staples students like to attend other sales in the year because it is less hectic. “I never go to Black Friday sales,” Anna Greenspan ’18 said. “I prefer sidewalk sales in July. They’re a lot less hectic.”

Others said they just go to watch. “I went one year to Target just to watch people fight over things, and I saw moms throwing down,” Matt Brown ’18 said. “It was really funny.”

But some students do enjoy the unofficial holiday. “I really love Black Friday because when there are sales, I always take the opportunity to get a good deal, and it’s the perfect time to shop for the holidays,” Gabby Neufeld ’18 said.

The shoppers aren’t the only ones benefiting from Black Friday; the store

owners do, too, procuring more business than usual. Corri Neckritz, the mother of Amanda Neckritz ’18, owns Groove, a kid’s clothing store in Westport. She has a Black Friday sale every year and claims it is really good for her business.

“Offering a discount drives traffic to the store, and customers look forward to a sale,” Neckritz said.

Love it or hate it, Black Friday will always be an unofficial holiday that only does real harm to shoppers’ wallets.

So save up because it’s coming up fast.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

18

Arts | November 6, 2015

“I don’t think I’d ever want to give it up.”

-James -JamesGikas Gikas’19

by Melanie Lust Lust ’19’19 PhotosPhotos

by Melanie

Alice Hickson ’17

I

n just a few weeks, the Staples auditorium will be filled with the shrill of excited chatter before the curtain opens once more to reveal the Staples Players fall mainstage production, “Fiddler on the Roof.” As the smooth sound of a violin resounds through the darkness of the auditorium, audience members will listen in amazement, quickly realizing this is no amateur.

Many might assume by the sound

of his playing that this fiddler is a senior member of the orchestra. Yet, when the lights go up, it is revealed that the sound isn’t coming from the pit, but from James Gikas ’19, a member of the cast.

Gikas was originally cast in the ensemble of “Fiddler on the Roof” but was asked to audition to be the Fiddler during the rehearsal process. Now, instead of just singing and dancing in the background, Gikas is also a featured role.

He’s only a freshman but unlike most students who began their musical careers in fourth grade because of parental recommendation, Gikas has been

CRESCENDOING TO THE TOP James Gikas ’19 plays one of his songs from the Staples Players’ production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” which will be performed on Nov. 13, 14, 15, 20 and 21.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

playing the violin for almost ten years.

At the age of four, Gikas was motivated to take violin lessons by his sister, Elizabeth Gikas ’17.

“She still inspires me to this day,” James said fondly. “She works so hard on everything she does in the violin world and outside of it, which really inspires my work ethic.”

Ever since moving to Westport in fourth grade, James has been taking private lessons with Akiko Silver, a Juilliard trained violinist. After working with James for so long, Silver is amazed at his ability to take on challenging pieces such as major classical concertos.

“I never have to convince him to do the work,” Silver said of James’ growing enthusiasm for the violin. “If I give him three pages to work on, he will do four.”

James exhibits his dedication to the violin in school by being one of three freshmen in the symphonic orchestra. Outside of school, he and Elizabeth are beginning their sixth year in the Norwalk Youth Symphony, where they’ll both be playing as first violins in the highest level, principal orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Yates, a Harvard graduate also trained by Juilliard.

Being in principal orchestra as only a freshman could be overwhelming for some, but James takes it in his stride.

“Whenever I’m challenged with a tough piece of music or an opportunity that requires a lot of work, I don’t view it as a bad thing,” James explained. “I view it as an opportunity to improve because then I practice a

lot more so I can master the music.”

James’ eagerness to take on new opportunities to advance his skills and repertoire is why he was delighted to be offered the role as the Fiddler. Even though violin is his main focus, being cast as the Fiddler allowed him to combine his interest in acting with his love of playing.

“I get to fly across the stage while playing the violin,” James laughed nervously. “So my only fear about that is that I’ll drop my violin.”

With all the orchestras and events James participates in, the 20 to 30 minutes of practice time that he was accustomed to in previous years doesn’t cover it anymore. James said he practices no less than an hour, but aims for an hour and a half to two hours “on a good day.”

James possesses many diverse interests including theater and history, making it to the national competition of history day last year with his performance on Winston Churchill. However violin is certainly his first priority and lifelong passion.

“I can see him wanting to be a professional musician,” Elizabeth, his sister, said.

James acknowledges that to become a professional would mean working even harder than he already does, but that won’t stop him from pursuing his passion in the future.

“Even if I don’t continue it professionally, I would definitely continue it as a pastime or join an amateur orchestra,” James said with a smile. “I don’t think I’d ever want to give it up.”

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Arts | November 6, 2015

19

Photos by Caroline O’Kane ’16

Facial hair is the new fad

MOVEMBER MUSTACHE MADNESS (From top left moving clockwise) Kenji Goto ’16, Harry Garber ’16, Ross Goldberg ’16 and Max Richlin ‘16 have fun sporting their own makeshift ‘staches to start off Movember. Gilli Rozynek ’16, center, does not plan to particpate in the No Shave November trend.

J

Jack Zapfel ’16

ust like around the rest of the country, November tends to be Staples’ hairiest month. When roaming the halls this month, students may notice an abrupt increase in beards and mustaches.

Although everyone may not participate, staff and students have become increasingly aware of No Shave November, the name playfully given by facial-hair enthusiasts. Movember is a variation of No Shave November,

“

but both refer to the fundraising movement promoting men’s health.

However No Shave November is not often celebrated by both genders equally. Males typically celebrate by growing out their facial hair for the entire month, while girls, on the other hand, tend not to celebrate. “I don’t think so,” Liv Rubin ’17 said when asked if girls participate in the festivities. “I haven’t met a girl who does.”

However, there are a few who do.

Contrary to normal practices, the Daily Mirror’s Natalie Port interviewed Siobhain Fletcher, a 36-yearold woman with a medical condition that causes her to grow facial hair.

Fletcher does not remove her facial hair for the month of November in order to raise money and awareness for the causes Movember supports. “Even though I can’t grow facial hair, I love Movember,” Peter Burger ’16 said proudly.

Even though I can’t grow facial hair, I love Movember,” -Peter Burger ’16

Photos by Caroline O’Kane ’16

“It’s fun, and it’s for a great cause.”

The Movember Foundation Charity was formed in 2004 and has run countless Movember events. At Staples, even some teachers like to get involved.

“The teachers enjoy participating in something that brings awareness and money to help men’s health,” social studies teacher Jonathan Shepro said.

The big picture behind the growing of facial hair is to “change the face of men’s health,” the organization promotes.

“My beard won’t be shaved for the month,” Ian Offenberg said, “and I hope to see other beards and moustaches in the halls.”

ROCKIN’ ROLLIN’ AND LAUGHIN’ From left: Alejandro Hervella ’16, Sean Porio ’17, Halley Jonas ’16, Tristan Zauls ’16 and Jimmy Kavetas ’16 smile and laugh after taking a break from their afterschool practice. The band’s most recent gig was the NEASC opening reception on Sunday Oct. 25.

Francesca Truitt ’17 In school nowadays, it’s hard enough to find time to finish your English homework, let alone have band practice -- but that hasn’t stopped Tristan Zauls ’16, Sean Porio ’17, Halley Jonas ’16, Jimmy Kavetas ’16 and Alejandro Hervella ’16 from pursuing their passion.

Outside of the school band, the five of them go to band practice at someone’s house once or twice a week after school for a jam session as Pizzadust.

The unique name can be credited to Hervella’s eighth grade self.

“Back in late middle school, I was

plays with pizzazz

trying to put a band together, but nobody in our grade played music, and if they did they were kind of jerks,” Hervella said. So he wrote all of the names he thought up for an imaginary band into his phone, and when it came time for Pizzadust to become a band, he found the name and decided it wasn’t half bad.

Pizzadust originally consisted of only Zauls, Porio and Hervella; but the trio eventually absorbed Jonas and Kavetas at the beginning of the school year. The three guys were always friends, but didn’t even consider starting a band together until Zauls and Hervella’s physics teacher, Carrie Veigas, offered them a deal.

Zauls and Hervella were in physics

class when their teacher showed them a video which had the theme song “Magnetic” by Judith Edelman. “Probably one of my least favorite songs I’ve ever heard,” Zauls continued. But Veigas offered them extra credit if the two performed “Magnetic” at the variety show.

“We really needed the extra credit,” Hervella admits.

“I was sweating by the gallons, dude,” Hervella added.

After having performed at the variety show, Pizzadust went on to perform at Toquet Hall in August this summer, and they have an upcoming performance Nov. 7 at the Westport Playhouse where they will play background jazz for a

Homes with Hope fundraiser. It will be the first performance with the new lineup incorporating Jonas and Kavetas.

For Kavetas, the most satisfying aspect of performing is “when you know you’re feeling it, and then you know everyone else is feeling it.”

Zauls describes Pizzadust’s genre as “everything that’s not rap.” But for the most part, it’s “pretty much rock-ish,” Porio said.

Once this year comes to an end, and the members go their separate ways to college, the group doesn’t know what will happen to Pizzadust. But, Jonas has come to terms with it. “There will be other bands,” she said. And so long as they’re all playing music, they’ll be happy.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

THE

BEAT

Arts | November 6, 2015

20

Top five autumn foods that spice up the season Crisp apple pie from Fresh Market

Hot apple cider from Balducci’s

“Apple crisp pie sold at Fresh Market is the bomb,” Claire Lonergan ’17 said. She continued by explaining that nothing is better than a warm slice of fresh apple crisp pie on a fall night.

“On cold Fall weekends I like to snuggle up by the fire with a book and drink hot apple cider from Balducci’s.”

-George Garland ’16

Photos by Caroline O’Kane ’16

Pumpkin seeds at the Organic Market

“I love pumpkin seeds because they are so different from any other food. I always eat them during the fall.” -Billy Hutchison ’17

Gaetanos and Fortunas gain fond fans through the years Julia Rosier ’18

F

requenters of Gaetano’s Deli and Fortuna’s Deli and Catering are part of a recently growing rivalry, as they’re constantly raved about.

I’ve tried to take on the challenge of answering the burning question: which deli is better?

The truth is, I don’t know. I’ve been visiting these delis for a while, and each and every time I go, I love them both. Both delis offer unique menu choice and service.

Gaetano’s serves an exquisite selection of food, while maintaining a

friendly relationship with every customer.

Whenever someone walks into the store, the faculty always knows his or her name and gives a warm welcome. I always have a feeling of comfort each time I take a step into Gaetano’s. The Italian specialties have a rich and delightful taste, and the staff’s hearts are full of passion for the food they serve to each and every customer.

Fortuna’s offers a more modern style of food. There are countless options, and everything looks delicious.

Surprisingly, my favorite dish at Fortuna’s is the salad. The crispy lettuce and the vegetables on top never fail to impress me. The pasta at Fortuna’s also never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Finalmente Trattoria dishes out quality cuisine PHOTOS BY RENEE WEISZ ’17

Erin McGroarty ’18

In my 15 years of living less than two minutes away, I’ve never experienced the Little Italy that is Finalmente Trattoria. This culinary gem of Westport, tucked away and concealed by the commotion of Main Street, is among the few quality restaurants in our area.

I was completely devoid of any sort of expectation as I pulled into the tight parking lot, but I was soon pleasantly surprised by the incredibly romantic atmosphere created by Andre Iodice, the owner of Finalmente. The low lighting and candlelit tables added an element of intimacy that inspired deep conversations, as well as pleasurable chatter. Iodice and his family did an incredible job of adopting the essential aspects of his homeland, Isola di Ponza, Italy. The authentic Italian mu-

AN AUTHENTIC MEAL( From left to right) Finalmente served a hearty Italian meal of Pollo Cappriccioso, a grilled chicken breast with arugula, fresh mozzarella and fresh tomato as an entree. For dessert, they served a chocolate lava cake with white chocolate drizzle and mixed berries.

La Pontina was the appetizer consisting of prosciutto di parma with mozzarella, tomato, roasted pepper, basil and balsamic vinaigrette.

sic and decor created a genuine European atmosphere, which is difficult to achieve.

Of all the praise I could award Finalmente, my highest respect goes to their specialty of outstanding Italian cuisine. After trying my pappardelle bolognese pasta dish, I was instantly assured

that the restaurant served nothing less than the best. Everything from the texture of the noodles to the seasoning in the meat sauce was exemplary. To make sure this level of excellence was consistent, I tried my mom’s penne rigate alla vodka and was just as satisfied. Both of us

were given generous portions of delicious food that deemed the large bill worth it.

I’ve actually never been to Italy, but experiencing the strong smell of spices and fresh baked bread satisfied my fantasies. It doesn’t surprise me that this little restaurant is number one on Trip Advisor.

R

ecently, college recruiting has trended towards going after younger and younger high school athletes, with major colleges contacting certain players as early as 10-years old. At Staples, students have committed as early as their sophomore year.

The recruiting process, full of tricky rules and long talks with coaches, can be hectic and difficult to manage, especially for students

not even halfway through their high school careers.

Boys’ lacrosse player Tanner Wood ’17 received his first offer as a freshman.

“The recruiting process can be very overwhelming because you’re deciding on a college really early into high school years,” Wood said. “But it’s a great experience to visit schools and see where it can take you in the future.”

There are many factors that need

to be taken into account when students, not just athletes, pick colleges.

Athletes, however, have a few more components to think about. For Ben Casparius ’17, a baseball player, finding the school where he felt he would best fit played a huge role in deciding where to commit.

“I wanted to go to the best fit possible, which meant both academically and athletically,” Casparius said.

“I felt [the University of North Carolina] was the best fit because I loved the

sports

Staples athletes continue to commit early and often Ari McCoy ’17

21

INKLINGS | November 6, 2015

Inklings | Sept. 22, 2015

campus and all aspects of the school were really attractive to me.”

Finishing the recruiting process sooner rather than later can also be a relief to athletes. Many athletes, like Meghan Johnson ’18, a lacrosse player who recently committed to the University of Delaware, likes the current process for that exact reason.

“I honestly think if you are passionate about a sport and are thinking about playing in college, you should go for it.”

Graphic by Julia Schorr ’16

Winter Wreckers are ready for the season Ski team

Jason Streiter ’17

Cheerleading The cheer team looks to have another great competition season this year after a second place finish in FCIACs last year. Even with the loss of eight seniors, captain Jessy Nelson ’16 is confident in this year’s squad. “We have a great group of girls willing to push themselves for competition,” Nelson said. “We started practicing really early and have already improved on stunts and tumbling.”

Photo by Chase Gornbein ’16

Photo by Jimmy Ray Stagg ’16

Boys’ basketball The Wreckers basketball team had a strong season last year, getting eight wins and qualifying for the state tournament. The team lost five seniors, but guard Ben Casparius ’17 is confident. “The team looks really good this year,” Casparius said. “We have a lot of experience and have been playing together for a long time.” Casparius expects the team to improve. “Over the off season, we’ve gotten better,” Casparius said. “Our team should come out with a good season this winter.”

The boys’ ski team looks to have another successful year after finishing first overall in the regular season and second in the state playoffs. “We were disappointed that we didn’t end up winning states after such a good regular season,” Lucas Reichhelm ’17 said.

“We have a lot of talent, and we think we can do it this year.” As for the girls’ team, they have confidence they can improve on a fifth-place finish in the state last year. “We are excited about this upcoming season and hopefully will place better,” captain Emily Duranko ’16 said.

Photo by Thomas Nealon ’17

Photo by Chase Gornbein ’16

Girls’ basketball

The girls’ basketball team won nine games last year and qualified for the state tournament where they lost to Career Magnet in the first round.

The team lost a lot of talent, but they’re still dedicated to improving. “We’ve been doing a lot of offseason summerand-fall-league prep,” guard Rachel Seideman ’17 said. “We’re hoping this season to make it to states again and maybe even go further.” Seideman believes the team is dedicated to doing well. “A lot of teams in the FCIACs are bigger and stronger than us and have really talented players, so we’re just going to try and do our best to compete with them.” inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

22

Sports | November 6, 2015 Photo by Emily Pozzuto ’19

Community runs deep on cross country team, regardless of grade

F

Sarah Sommer ’16

or most high school sports, the divide between the freshmen, junior varsity and varsity teams is thick and finite.

Freshmen practice on their own fields with their own coaches and play in their own games.

However, in the heat of cross country running, the lines between the grades and teams become as blurred as the body of the first place runner hurling himself across the finish line. “It’s an individual sport in terms of everybody running, but it is very much a team sport overall,” cross country coach Laddie Lawrence said. “I’ve often said it’s more of a team sport than team sports.”

In cross country, there are no starters — while only the first five runners are scored, they can race as many as 100 students. This also gives younger students greater opportunities to race based on their ability, regardless of the team that they’re on. “There aren’t really any divides between grades but rather ability level,”

captain James Lewis ’16 said. “Our top group has almost as many sophomores as seniors.”

Warming up, practicing and racing as a team definitely has its benefits. According to Luke Lorenz ’19, it’s the thing that pushes him to go the extra mile. “All of the varsity runners inspire me,” he said.

“Just seeing them race is amazing. I hope someday I can compete with them.”

The uniting of the teams has also fostered a greater sense of community among Staples runners. “I love the atmosphere that it brings,” Lorenz said. “It’s something to look forward to after school.

Henry Haas ’19 had the opportunity to run with the junior varsity team at the Bowdoin Park Invitational on Sept. 26.

He agreed that the opportunities to meet students he otherwise wouldn’t is what makes cross country special. “My proudest accomplishment is just seeing myself and my teammates succeed in races,” he said.

“Joining cross country was such a great decision for me.”

SPRINT TO THE FINISH (from left to right) Young Staples track stars Henry Haas ’19 and Luke Lorenz ’19 race to the end lengths ahead of Stamford.

Harry Burke rows his way to success on an international scale As for how Burke was able to find said. When asked if this meant the nation- definitely has a bright future in rowing,” such success, many attribute it to his work al team, he added, “It’s very far away and teammate Lucas Manning ’16 said. ethic and consistent training. According a lot can happen, but that’s the ultimate With all of the attributes that make a to Burke, that training included rowing goal.” successful athlete, Burke has made a splash 20 kilometers a day, six days a week. “He Burke does not lack a vote of conon the rowing scene in a short amount of On Aug. 10, Harry Burke ’18 broke is really into finding little tiny ways to get fidence from his fellow boat members, time – especially when you count the fact the 15-to-16-year-old 5K rowing world either. “He’s got a lot of maturity and dedi- that he has, what Bub describes as, “a silky record with a time of 17:13.7. The previous better everyday,” teammate Oliver Bub ’16 said. cation to the sport for someone his age. He smooth stroke.” record holder had set the record in just Amato also feels around 10 seconds more.

Contributed photo by Row2k that Harry’s specific Initially, the idea of being a record knowledge of the sport holder did not strike Burke as might be plays into his training. expected. “At first it didn’t hit me,” Burke “He has really said. “But then later, when I had to do all invested himself into the of the official certifications, it was pretty science and the theory of crazy.” the sport,” Amato said.

In order to confirm that he had, “Harry has been very in fact, broken the world record, Burke wise about monitoring contacted rowing company Concept 2. In return, Concept 2 mailed him a certificate his training and building up an aerobic base.” for his accomplishment.

Certainly, the This feat was especially incredible due to the fact that Burke has been rowing training paid off, and Bub feels that Burke for only around a year. “I started because deserves all of the acI thought it would help me jump higher creditation he receives. for basketball,” Burke said with a smile.

He has since stopped playing basketball to “It is a filthy score for his age and something to be concentrate on rowing. extremely proud of,” Bub Although Burke set a solo record, said. he normally rows in a boat of eight at As for his aspirathe Saugatuck Rowing Club. Many of his tions past high school, senior teammates were excited about the Burke is shooting high. idea of having Burke alongside them. “I was just happy to know that such an abso- “My plan is to row in TAKING ON THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER Boys’ JV 8 rowers from the Saugatuck Rowing Club competed in the Head of the lute tank would be in my boat for the fall,” college, then hopefully Schuylkill river in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earlier this year. row afterwards,” Burke teammate Nic Amato ’16 said.

Brendan Massoud ’17

MARQUEE MATCHUPS The best Staples games of the week

Friday, Nov. 6 CROSS COUNTRY @ WICKAM PARK The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams head to Manchester as they look for their respective state open title.

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2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7 FOOTBALL @ ST. JOSEPH Following a loss to Ridgefield and a bye week, the team looks to bounce back with a victory over the defending Class M champions.

Saturday, Nov. 7 BOYS’ WATER POLO VS. HOTCHKISS The boys’ play their final game of the year, coming off their performance in the Connecticut State Water Polo Challenge.

Monday, Nov. 9 GIRLS’ SOCCER VS. TBD After a tough loss to St. Joseph in the FCIAC quarterfinal, girls’ soccer attempts to bounce back in the first round of the state tournament.

Sports | November 6, 2015

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Boys’ soccer team gains motivation from their shed Chase Gornbein ’16

V

isible from the hill astride Loffler Field is a shed decorated with the boys’ soccer FCIAC and state championship titles painted against the dark blue frame.

This shed provides space for both the boys’ and girls’ teams to store their equipment, as well as personal belongings.

After rotting wood was discovered in a previous shed that held the same spot, freshman boys’ coach Chris Odell decided to lead the project of rebuilding an esteemed new shed. Odell works in construction and was able to gain funding for SHED STANDS STRONG (From left to right) this project through the Top Co-captains Noah Schwaeber ’16 and Kenji of the Hill team.

Goto ’16 have led the Staples boys’ varsity This project was soccer team to an 8-5-4 season. presented during last April paint the walls. break, and players from Co-captain Kenji Goto ’16 beall levels of the boys’ program had the lieves that building the shed was a great opportunity to participate in the building team-bonding activity. of this shed. Students worked to construct “Building the shed was a great time the structure, put together the roofing and

out the work, but in the end it was all worth it.”

The girls’ team also uses the shed, mainly to store their corner flags, since they store their equipment primarily inside the girls’ locker room.

Head coach Barry Beattie of the girls’ program believes that the shed “adds character to the field,” Beattie said. “People should focus on what is on the outside of the shed and not what goes inside it. They should focus on the white writing and be proud of the multiple successes the boys’ program has provided for Staples High School.”

The championship years scribbled across the walls has motivated co-captain Noah Schwaeber ’16 to strive to help his team write Photo by Caroline O’Kane ’16 their own history.

“Seeing all those past because we all became much closer during teams make history fuels our team to the process. It was really great to work with my teammates and accomplish some- make it onto the shed this year,” Schawaber ’16 said. “We want to create a legacy thing,” Goto said. “It certainly took a lot and become a part of the shed forever.” of time, getting down on all fours to grind

Brick Oven Pizzeria

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Sports | November 6, 2015 Photo by Caroline O’Kane ’16

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POST SEASON PUSHES (before from left to right) Aishah Sofia ’17 takes the ball up the field as the Wreckers beat Brein McMahon 7-0. Daniel Perez Alorza ’16 muscles a defender out of the way in a 4-0 victory over Stamford. Lydia Shaw ’17 kicks the ball down the field in practice as the girls’ soccer team looks to come back from a heartbreaking FCIAC loss to St. Joseph. Cross country team races around the track as they continue their success as the number two overall in the FCIAC.

RAGLAND DOMINATES THE FIELD Unviersity of New Hampshire commit Jordan Ragland ’16 continues to help the field hockey team in its goals to win a state championship as one of the co-captians.

6 O’Kane ’1 Caroline Photo by

6 enspun ’1 Jesse Gre Photo by

Max Photo by

After five games, the field hockey team was undefeated with a 3-3 tie against defending FCIAC champion New Canaan.

The Wreckers then lost four straight but bounced back, winning five of their last six to propel them to a number six seed in the FCIAC playoffs. The team then suffered a brutal loss to Norwalk in the first round, as the Bears netted the game winning goal with 39 seconds to go. They now look for a victory in the first round of the state tournament, led by college commits Jordan Ragland ’16 (seven regular season goals) and Meghan Johnson (five regular season goals).

Appell ’18

Boys’ soccer

Girls’ field hockey

lex Photo byA

The boys’ soccer team finished with eight regular season victories—scoring a combined twelve goals in the final two games—and earned a berth in the FCIAC tournament, where they fell to second-seeded Darien 2-0 on the road. The team fell victim to a tight FCIAC race in which the teams that finished three through nine were separated by less than 10 points. While this was a tough blow, the Wreckers will look to captain Kenji Goto ’16 and midfielder Graham Gudis ’16 as they go up against competition from around the state when the Class LL state tournament gets underway next week.

Girls’ soccer On the girls’ side, the Wreckers snuck into the FCIAC playoffs with a victory over Danbury on the final day of the conference season. That meant the team had to travel to undefeated St. Joseph in the first round of the FCIAC tournament and face a team that had given up just nine goals all season.

Nonetheless, Staples put up a fight, conceding the game winner only off a penalty kick in the 70th minute in a 1-0 defeat. After an FCIAC championship last year, the team has the playoff experience that is necessary to make a deep run. They will look for junior standouts Charlotte Rossi ’17, Lydia Shaw ’17 and Tia Zajec ’17 to be the main offensive threats and will need quality performances from goalie Anna Sivinksi ’18 (12 saves vs. St. Joseph) as they prepare for the Class LL state tournament next week.

ta Spadacen

’16

Cross country The boys’ and girls’ teams both placed second overall at the FCIAC championships and second and fifth respectively at the Class LL championships. Each team finished with a perfect regular season record and look to continue that success as the postseason race heats up. Zakeer Ahmad ’17 has been the lead runner on the boys’ side with a fifth place finish at the FCIAC championships and an 11th place finish at the Class LL meet. On the girls’ side, it is Hannah DeBalsi ’16 leading the pack (both literally and figuratively), as she captured her third straight FCIAC and Class LL individual titles in October.

Each team will travel to Wickham Park in Manchester for the final state meet of the year (the CIAC Open Championships) before gearing up for the New England and Foot Locker National Championships.

INSIDE THE ISSUE page 21

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CROSS COUNTRY CROSSES Staples athletes continue to GRADE BARRIER

COLLEGE COMMITS

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BURKE BREAKS ROWING RECORDS

NEW SOCCER SHED

Boys’ soccer built new Harry Burke ’18 held the re- equipment shed to replace commit to top sports schools Future cross country stars for lacrosse, football, field jump into Staples and prom- cord for fastest 5k time and the old one. The shed moise a bright future in years to looks to continue his success tivates the boys’ and girls’ hockey and many other come. as his career progesses. team.

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