Nov 10 issue

Inklings November 10, 2014 Issue 4 Founded in 1933 inklingsnews.com

Students gain insight on Syria conflict

PHOTO BY ALE BENJAMIN ’15

Greta Bjornson ’15

A

s the fight against ISIS in Syria continues each day, Staples students in Middle Eastern studies classes have had the opportunity to learn about the current conflict, and have gained the perspective of Staples alumni Megan Laney ’09, who spent time studying abroad in Syria while the riots broke out.

According to the BBC, “more than 100,000 Syrians have lost their lives” from the conflict in their country, and this devastation has grown in the past months with the rise of ISIS. Since 2011 and the explosion of Arab Spring, Syria has been mentioned regularly in the news as rebel groups have resisted the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. involvement has increased this past fall, specifically Sept. 17 when the House of Representatives approved the training and arming of Syrian rebels to fight ISIS. President Obama promised the nation we would “degrade” and “destroy” ISIS after the beheadings of two American journalists.

While studying Arabic abroad in Aleppo, Syria, Laney witnessed the riots that broke out in 2011. Students in Middle Eastern studies classes have had the opportunity to listen to presentations by Laney on her time in the country that teacher Cathy Schager calls “astonishing.”

Laney stressed the importance of educating students about the influence Syria has on the entire global community.

“When I came back from Syria and spoke to Ms. Schager’s class for the first time, I said to everyone not to underestimate Syria. That it is a key player in the region, and if Assad and the instability of the Revolution were allowed to continue, things would get much, much worse for all, and now everyone can see it has,” she said. “What happens in Syria will always be a catalyst for so much more.”

Laney explained that Westport is “sheltered from reality.” Thus, students have to seek out world knowledge on their own.

“I had traveled to third world countries before, but Continued on page 4

Inside Opinions Features A&E Sports

7 11 19 24

Antisemitism at Emory disturbs Westport community

AT SUNDOWN Candles are lit and the table is set in preparation for Friday night Shabbat dinner.

Rachel Treisman ’15 Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is a time of atonement, repentance and making amends. Ironically, many people say they will remember this year’s Yom Kippur as a day of intolerance and ignorance after students at Emory University

spray-painted swastikas on the Jewish Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity house.

The incident has both caught the attention of both the nation and more specifically, brought the issue of antisemitism into the Staples spotlight.

Anti-semitism, or hostility to or prejudice against Jews, is

nothing new. But recent events have shined light on the subject and led many Westporters to reevaluate the presence of antisemitism in their own community.

Many students say that they have seen bigotry firsthand at Staples.

“The most prominent memory I have was when we were talking about the Holocaust in one of my

classes, and the kid sitting next to me muttered under his breath that ‘the Jews got what they deserved.’

No one else heard him say it,” Sydney Sussman ’15, who spent three weeks in Israel and is actively involved in her synagogue, said.

There is a large Jewish population in Connecticut and in Westport, specifically. A recent study from City-Data.com shows that 6.3 percent of Westport residents are affiliated with Judaism, the second most populous religion after Catholicism.

This Jewish presence is evident in the community, whether through school days off allocated for religious holidays or the seven Jewish synagogues scattered around town.

Connecticut alone has a higher percentage of Jewish residents than the national average – in 2012, 3.2 percent of the state population identified as Jewish.

In contrast, only 2.2 percent of the overall American population identified as Jewish, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that works to stop anti-semitism and secure justice, reports that the number of anti-semitic incidents in Connecticut increased in 2013, while there was a decline in reported incidents across the U.S. in that year.

Thirty-one anti-semitic incidents occurred across the state, 18 of which involved harassment.

Many people, such as Sussman, believe that many of these incidents are due to the lack of education and awareness about Judaism, and the perpetuation of Continued on page 3

New voters cast their first ballots

Connecticans will go to the polls on Nov. 4 to decide whether Words have been spewed, Governor Dannel Malloy will ads have been aired and ballots remain in office or if Republican will ultimately be cast. businessman and former ambassador to Ireland, Tom Foley, who ran for the office in 2010, will be elected governor of the state of Connecticut.

In the past, students spent election day away from school.

However, some students will be able to go to either the Westport Public Library, Saugatuck Elementary school, Coleytown Middle SHOWING SUPPORT Staples students Eli school, Greens Debenham ’17 and Max Kaplan ’17 listen to Senator Farms Elementary Chris Murphy speak at the Westport Democratic school or Long Lots Headquarters on Nov. 3, the night before Election Elementary school Day, endorsing the 2014 Connecticut Democratic to cast their vote for candidates. the first time.

Bailey Ethier ’15

Preview of Winter Sports

“It’s the American thing to do,” David Raice ’15, who is registered to vote in the upcoming election, said. “I feel it’s my civic responsibility.”

However, while some students like Raice are looking forward to having a say in the election of their public officials, others aren’t as motivated to do so.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 38 percent of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2012 election, and Alyssa Gehb ’15 may be a part of the majority of young adults who don’t vote.

“I know I probably should vote, but I don’t know much about the election, and I don’t have a very strong opinion about it,” Gehb ’15 said.

While Gehb may still be deciding whether to vote or not, many politically active students who would vote won’t be old enough to do so on election day.

Sam Gasway ’15, a member of the Young Republicans club,

Page 27

is “deeply disappointed” that he will be a few months too young to vote in the elections.

Olivia Jones ’15, who has interned with Rep. Jim Himes (who is up for re-election against Republican challenger Dan Debicella whom Himes beat in 2010, according to The Hour), is also “disappointed” that she won’t be able to vote on Nov. 4.

“I find it really frustrating [that young adults don’t vote],” Jones said. “I see no reason for people not to vote, and it will only help their community by voting for someone they think could help it.”

With the gubernatorial election too close to call, first time voters could make the difference between keeping Malloy in office and sending Foley to Hartford.

Update: At press time, Inklings learned that Dannel Malloy won the 2014 Connecticut gubernatorial election.

EDUCATIONAL ELITISM SPIKES AT STAPLES Page 12

OUIJA MOVIE SPARKS FEAR AND CURIOUSITY Page 20

2

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | News

Compo Beach renovates

at expense of skate park CLOSED FOR RENOVATION

Compo Beach renovations, meant to improve the �low of traf�ic, increase parking-lot safety and add more restrooms, come at the expense of the skate park.

Jesse Greenspun ’16

A

t a Sept. 19 Westport town hall meeting, hundreds of Westport residents flooded the room with opposition to the Parks and Recreation committee’s plan to re-arrange the Compo Beach parking lot.

The plan is meant to improve the flow of traffic, increase parking lot safety by creating pedestrian walkways and boardwalks and add to the overall infrastructure with the addition of new restrooms and concessions. The cost of the renovation is expected to exceed $10 million, $2 million of

which will only cover the cost of paving.

While the proposed plan seems beneficial to one of Westport’s most prized locations, there are some unforseen consequences to the renovation, one of these being the teardown of the Compo skate park.

Removing the skate park would eliminate beachside parking, relocating it to the back of the parking lot, creating room for an eight-foot-wide pedestrian walkway.

Cole Crawford ’15, who has been skating and working at the park for over four years, said, “Taking down the park not only prevents current skaters from

enjoying their passion, but it also prevents opportunities for others to learn how to skate.”

He went on to describe the camp at the skate park, which has “introduced thousands of kids to skateboarding.”

According to Crawford, the demolition of the skate park would lead to kids skating downtown and in the streets, which is an obvious safety hazard. He believes that this would lead to a major decline in kids who skate in Westport, which he calls “a shame.”

Along with multiple other community members including James Bowles ’18, Crawford has created a petition to save

the skate park. Already, he has gathered around 500 signatures, and the petition can be found in various local businesses like Village Bagels.

Despite the heated opposition to the park being removed, there are some practical reasons.

Currently, pedestrians must cross the parking lot, which is heavily populated with moving cars – a safety hazard to the thousands of young children who frequently visit Compo’s sandy shore.

However, this change would create a longer walk to the sand from the parking lot. According to Westport Now, the walk would be an estimated 120 feet

for young children and elderly in order to reach the sandy beach.

Peter Kolbrener, a long time Westport resident, understands the need for change at the Compo Beach parking lot. “I have seen a lot of kids run in front of cars [at the beach]. It’s only a matter of time before there is an accident,” he said. Kolbrener understands the backlash from the skating community, but firmly believes that added safety precautions will be a much needed improvement to the beach.

A summary of the plan, frequent reports of its progress, and even an area for viewer input can be found at compobeach2.com.

Confusion surrounds CAPT replacement test Jenny Lupoff ’15 Earlier this year, it was announced that starting in the 2014-2015 school year, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test (SBAC) would officially replace the CAPT test. Though CAPT is taken by sophomores, juniors will be the only high schoolers taking the test for the 2014-2015 school year. This is because last year, when schools had the option to pilot the test, Staples opted out and gave the CAPT, as usual.

According to its website, the SBAC is an online assessment that “will cover the full range of college-and-career-ready knowledge and skills in the Common Core State Standards.”

While juniors are well aware that they will take the SBAC this year, they seem to not be entirely sure of what the test is or how they will be prepped for it. “I know it involves technology, but our teachers just told us that we were going to be taking it in the spring and haven’t mentioned it otherwise,” Jillian Kleiner ’16 said.

Angela Yu ’16 agrees. Yu

thinks it’s weird that her teachers have not really mentioned the test, particularly since “last year, they prepared us for the CAPT so well,” Yu said.

Yet, according to English teacher Sue O’Hara, the reason for the lack of prep material is because there is no precise way to prepare for the SBAC. CAPT could be precisely prepared for because we “knew the exact type of questions…this is a more broad test that is designed to make sure we are in line with the Common Core,” O’Hara said.

According to Julie Heller, the English department chair, the prep for SBAC has already begun. “Last year we started putting a greater emphasis on informational texts, which is not something that has been done in traditional English classes, but it’s a big part of the [Common Core] standards,” Heller said.

The other change implemented in order to prep for the test is that “all teachers are now teaching kids in all grades to write argument essays,” Heller said.

In order to prepare for the math section of the test, there

GRAPHIC BY JULIA SCHORR ’16

has not been much of a need for curriculum changes within the math department. According to John Wetzel, head of the math department, the Common Core for math is broken down in terms of what should be taught to students by 11th grade. “If you compare [the standards] with what most of our kids are

taking in 11th grade and before, they would have been taught nearly all of these by 11th grade.

That is why there has not been a sweeping reform for the SBAC,” Wetzel said.

According to Wetzel, what may present a challenge for all departments is the technology aspect of the test. “But I don’t

think it’s going to be that big of a deal since the majority of students are tech savvy,” Wetzel said.

According to director of technology, Natalie Carrignan, a plan on how to familiarize students with the technology will be presented to the Board of Education in December.

3

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | News

In Brief Staples

“Hello Dolly!”

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15

Hong Kong protests prompt discussion among students

T

Emily Wolfe ’15

hroughout the past two months, thousands of prodemocracy protesters in Hong Kong have been taking to the streets surrounding their government’s headquarters.

Several months ago, the Chinese government agreed to take steps towards creating a representative democracy in Hong Kong. However, instead of allowing citizens to vote, these representatives were chosen by pro-Beijing officials. Hong Kong citizens have been peacefully displaying their dissatisfaction with these minimal steps towards democracy through their powerful protests.

Some Staples students have heard about these demonstrations on the news, and have seen them all over the internet. However, there are numerous students who have a specifically personal connection with the issue.

“I wasn’t entirely shocked that the Chinese government would pull something like this, given the level of censorship I had heard about and experienced while I was living there,” Nadia

Carrié ’15 said.

Carrié lived in Beijing before she moved to Westport as a sophomore, so she was directly immersed in the workings of Chinese society. She explained that while she lived in China for a large portion of her life, it is still hard for her to fathom the way that the Chinese government continuously denies its people simple democratic rights.

The governing of Hong Kong has been a debate for over 100 years. Initially, it was a divided territory, split between British rule and Chinese rule.

In 1946 the United Nations declared Hong Kong, along with several other cities, independent.

However, in 1997, Hong Kong switched back to full Chinese rule. Hong Kong has its own government, but it is overseen and strongly influenced by the communism and censorship within the rest of China.

“As someone who is accustomed to a more open governmental culture, it’s still strange to think about the fact that some people still believe this is reasonable,” Carrié said.

Several students who have

lived in Hong Kong in the past know people in China who are directly involved with the protests. Former Hong Kong resident Abbey Suppan ’17, explained that she was shocked and upset by the violence in Hong Kong, but also strongly believes that their voices should be heard.

Jack Pflug ’16 lived in Hong Kong for several years before moving to Westport, and he explained that some of his friends have participated in the protests.

He said that he is proud that so many Hong Kong residents are standing up against the Chinese government, but is worried by the violent opposition to these protests.

“I know that a lot of protests happen in Hong Kong because they use their freedoms to voice their opinions frequently” said Pflug said, “But they had always been very organized, respected and peaceful. I didn’t think that they would ever get violent.”

Like Pflug, Carrié was upset by the Chinese government’s acts of violence, as well as their blatant disrespect of the “one country, two systems”

agreement. This agreement states that Hong Kong is allowed to have a completely separate government from China, free from communist influences.

Carrié explained that people she knows in other places throughout China are prevented from learning about the protests due to extreme censorship.

“At fi rst, I didn’t hear much about it, so I didn’t think much of it. Then they started blocking anything that could increase protests,” Estella Zeng, Carrié’s former classmate from Beijing, said.

“They blocked all sorts of websites, even Instagram. That was when I knew it was a big thing,” Zeng said.

Students who have lived in Hong Kong or anywhere in China have strong connections to the people involved in these protests as well as to the city as a whole.

“It is great that a lot of Hong Kongers are standing up for what they believe in,” said Pflug. “And I think that they should do their very best to keep the Chinese government as far away from Hong Kong affairs as possible.”

Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 20-21 Staples Players will perform “Hello Dolly!” throughout the weekend. On Friday and Saturday nights the curtain will rise at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday Nov. 16 at 2:00. Tickets will be on sale outside the cafeteria the week leading up to the show and at the show for five dollars.

Senior Write-ups

Nov. 17 Senior write-ups appear next to senior’s portraits in the yearbook, and are opportunities for seniors to reflect on their experiences at Staples. All writeups need to be completed and turned in by Nov. 17 if Seniors want their write-ups to be included. Refer to the yearbook website, yearbook.stapleshigh. net, for more information.

Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 26-30 Thanksgiving break will begin with a half day on Nov. 27.

Students and staff will return to school on Dec. 1. For most winter sports teams Dec. 1 will be the first day of practice.

For continual updates, check www.inklingsnews.com

Staples students and alumni react to Emory incident

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’16

continued from page 1

FINDING FAITH At one of Westport’s seven local synagogues, Temple Israel, Leah Blitstein of Weston High School studies service prayer books (pictured below).

wrongful stereotypes.

“I think those students who are Jewish or pro-Israel should learn how to educate people who either don’t know anything or are actually against Jews, because more times than not, people who aren’t educated on certain topics just pick up knowledge on what they hear,” Sussman said. “And what they might be hearing isn’t always the most positive thing.”

In a survey conducted by the ADL, 70 percent of respondents who considered themselves antisemitic said they had never met a Jewish person, and 35 percent said they had never heard of the Holocaust.

Caitlin Hoberman ’14, a current freshman at Emory University, agreed that spreading awareness is crucial in defying stereotypes and promoting tolerance, especially after the antisemitic vandalism of the fraternity house.

“My older brother is in AEPi here, so I found out the night it happened,” Hoberman said. “Everyone on campus who I have talked to about it is really disappointed and upset that someone in our community would do that, but there have been campus talks against hate to combat any

feelings of anti-semitism.”

Emory’s education and discussion-based response to the offensive graffiti is appropriate and significant, according to assistant regional director of ADL’s Connecticut office, Josh Sayles.

“Bad things happen in all communities,” Sayles said. “You don’t judge a community by the bad things that happen there but by how it responds to those incidents.

The way I think you prevent antisemitic incidents moving forward is for the community to speak up and band together to let everyone know that bigoted or anti-semitic behavior isn’t going to be tolerated there.”

Even students with no personal ties to Emory say the incident there has affected their view of anti-semitism at home.

“I think that the graffitied swastikas at Emory can impact people’s perceptions of antisemitism and Judaism itself here by showing that outside of the bubble that is Westport, Connecticut, there are, in fact, large amounts of people who do not like Jews,” Sussman said.

Sayles, however, says there is a fine line between ignorance and intolerance, citing the hypothetical example of a swastika being found at Staples.

“It’s on a case-by-case basis,” Sayles said. “That could be

targeting a Jewish person it could be anti-semitism. But swastikas are also general symbols of hate, and it could just be a knucklehead looking for attention who doesn’t really know what it means but knows it will get a reaction out of someone [...] But it has the same effect on the students sitting at the desks whether it is intended to be hateful or not.”

Many students say they see these anti-semitic events as a chance to learn more about religion and intolerance on larger scale.

“I would [encourage] Staples students to learn about their religion,” Sarah Herbsman ’15, President of the Israeli Culture Club, said. “There is so much to learn, and the history can help you put modern day situations into perspective.”

The issue of anti-semitism is now on the radar at Staples, whether or not incidents have attracted widespread attention.

“You’re never going to eradicate hate,” Sayles said. “But what’s different from 40 years ago is that schools are not as outwardly anti-semitic. People who walk around in hallways know it’s not okay to call people a ‘dirty Jew’ or drop the ‘N-word.’ There’s plenty of bigotry, but the majority of bigots don’t want people to know that they’re bigots – and that’s a victory.”

4

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | News

National Honors Society combats lack of world awareness

D

Lulu Stracher ’17

ue to the lack of discussion about current events in social studies classes, the National Honors Society (NHS) is discussing a project aimed to make students more aware of current events and the world around them. Although the NHS has not reported it, students have noted that, for the most part, current events are not talked about in classes, and, because of this, students are often unware of the world around them.

“Talking about current events would provide a more direct experience for students, making it easier to make connections and understand ideas taught in class,” Jisu Ahn

’17 said.

However, due to the strict guidelines and curriculum in AP classes, it can be a challenge to stray away from the curriculum to talk about the news. Students in AP classes feel annoyed with the lack of discussion about events in our world now and, instead, the abundance of discussion about events in the past.

“From day one in August, it is about completing the curriculum before the AP test rolls around in May. When school started, my friends in AP Government got to talk about the events that took place in Ferguson, Missouri this summer, while my classmates and I were analyzing the motivations of our founding fathers - slightly less

interesting,” Sarah Herbsman ’15, a Staples senior in AP government and a member of the NHS, said.

The NHS project would focus on students at Staples being more aware of the world outside of Westport, which hopefully would lead to more intelligent and in-depth conversations in class.

“While we have such great forms for getting out the news in our school, like Inklings and the Morning Show, they never really talk about the current events happening in the world, and that’s a really important thing for us to be aware of, especially in high school,” Avery Wallace ’17, a member of the NHS, said.

Daniel Heaphy, who

teaches AP U.S. History, Global Themes,and Latin American history discusses his policy on current events in class and how he tries to incorporate them into his lessons.

“At minimum, we discuss current events in class once a week during Communication Time. I like to have a set time for it so they don’t stray away [from the curriculum]. The purpose of our courses is to understand the world. Hopefully, by discussing current events, they can find connections and meaning to what they are learning about,” Heaphy said.

As of now, there is no specific plan as to how the National Honors Society will move forward with this project.

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15

Statistics according to the Global Studies Foundation

School on Veteran’s Day results in mixed emotions Francesca Truitt ’17 Each year on Nov. 11, the United States celebrates its veterans through parades and memorial services. This year, like past years, Westport Public Schools have decided against giving students and staff the day off to celebrate America’s heroic veterans.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in 1919 President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 “Armistice Day” to celebrate the ceasefire of World War I. Nineteen years later, an act passed by Congress on May 13, 1938, declared “Armistice Day” a legal holiday to celebrate the veterans of this World War. In 1954, this act was amended by Congress; the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans” as to have Nov. 11 honor American veterans of all wars.

Richard Franzis, Staples Vice Principal and United States veteran that held 33 years of service in the Army especially appreciates the holiday. “It gives me time to reflect on all of those that have gone before me, in

terms of serving this country,” Franzis said.

Still, Staples High School is in session on the holiday.

Surrounding towns including Greenwich, Norwalk, New Canaan and Weston also have school in session on Nov. 11. However, Fairfield and Bridgeport went against this popular decision, and decided to give students and staff the day off.

This year is similar to past years. In the last decade Westport Public Schools have had school in session on Veteran’s Day every year. Spencer Daniels ’17 disagrees with the district’s decision to have school in session.

“Elliott Landon is not considering what the veterans have done for this country,” Daniels said.

Franzis supports the district’s decision to have school in session on the holiday so long as the teachers and students discuss its importance. “It’s probably better than kids having the day off to just hang out downtown,” Franzis said. “Because when students have the day off, most people would just go to some mattress or clothing sale.”

Bill Wilkes, Staples math

teacher and veteran of the Army by taking advantage of every who held eight years of service, day and every opportunity,” agrees with Franzis’ assessment Franzis said. “Because there are on students’ celebration of some veterans that can’t do that Veteran’s day. “When I was a anymore.”

Wilkes agreed with this little kid, it was just another day off,” Wilkes said. “And little notion. “[Veteran’s Day] should kids think one day off is as good be a day of remembrance. We’ve as ony other. There is not much got lots of people who gave up a whole lot,” Wilkes said. “The significance.”

However, Daniels does not lucky ones only gave up time fit these given standards of a away from their families.” high school student.

Usually, Daniels would travel to Philadelphia to visit his great grandfather that served in World War II. “I am unable to honor [the veterans] the way I want to because I have school,” Daniels said.

“I’m upset about this.”

Franzis’ 33 years of service in the United States Army has led him to one request of the people that he served.

“My wish is that people will pay tribute IN UNIFORM Posed in front of an American to veterans by living �lag, Staples vice principle Richard Franzis their life to the fullest, sports his uniform of 33 years of army service.

Mid-East studies class enlightens students about Syria continued from page 1

what Syria specifically taught me was what life without freedom is like,” Laney said.

Despite the current efforts by the U.S. government to intervene, Laney remains skeptical about the role first world countries play in Syria and places like it.

“I watched as red lines were crossed with no international reaction or response. I have little to no faith in organizations such as the U.N., which, to me, seems like a long outdated institution that no longer serves its original intended purpose,” she said.

Although Syria was named one of the most dangerous places for children and the most dangerous for journalists by TIME and Forbes respectively, Laney said that those she met in Syria are “some of the bravest, best” people she knows.

Laney urged students to go abroad and educate themselves about the unknown countries of the world to gain a global perspective.

“Syria has forever changed me. It has shaped who I am today,” she said, “and I am so thankful for the experience I had.”

The inclusion of Laney’s talks with students is one of current events in the Middle East curriculum, as it changes to include relevant topics and those mentioned in the news, such as the rise of ISIS and rebellions in Syria.

Middle Eastern Studies teacher Cathy Schager explained that her curriculum has shifted in light of Syria’s current state and ISIS’s domination of the region.

“We have a simulation for the conflict in Syria, and look to a variety of sources for background information [...] like ‘Frontline’ episodes and a variety of news outlets; but based on what’s going on with ISIS, we are in the process of reexamining it,” she said.

Middle East classes are also assigned weekly homework to research current events in the region, which student Oliver Hickson ’15 said “really helps us understand what is going on in that area of the world right now.”

One of Schager’s students, Nikhita Shankar ’15, learned of the injustices by the Islamic Brotherhood in Schager’s Middle Eastern studies class.

“ISIS is really twisting around the meaning of the Koran [...] Islam clearly does not condone violence, nor do they advocate spreading Islam by force,” she said.

Schager noted that her classes were “very lucky” to have attended “The Current Crisis in Iraq and Syria,” a discussion led by deputy director of the United Nations Middle East and West Asia Division, Darko Mocibob, at Norwalk Community College on Oct. 23.

Middle Eastern studies student Olivia Jones ’15 said that news about Syria fits naturally among other material in the course.

“Because there is so much happening in this area each and every day, it’s kind of hard not to address what is happening in class, particularly since it’s all so relevant to the curriculum,” she said.

5

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | News

World Briefs Hong Kong

rotests erupted in Hong Kong after China’s leading legislative committee ruled that candidates in the democratic election for Hong Kong’s chief executive must be approved by a nominating committee. According to the BBC, protesters argue that China will use this committee to ensure that all candidates promote the views of the Chinese government.

Hong Kong has a separate legal system from China because the city was a British colony until 1997. The chief executive is currently chosen by a mostly pro-Beijing election committee, but Hong Kong’s mini-constitution includes the goal of electing that executive via universal suffrage.

In August, China decided to allow that democratic election in 2017, but stipulated that candidates would need approval from the majority of a nominating committee that is likely to be mostly pro-Beijing, meaning many in Hong Kong fear that they won’t be able to vote for politicians that disagree with the Chinese Communist Party.

Leading the protests against the decision are Occupy Central, a prodemocracy group formed by Benny Tai,

and several student groups. Class boycotts in early September inspired thousands to hit the streets for a massive occupation of central Hong Kong that continues today, although in smaller numbers.

According to NBC, many in Hong Kong actually oppose these protests, some because they feel it’s hurting Hong Kong’s economy and some because they think it’s better to maintain a good relationship with China.

CNN says the Chinese government itself has stressed the need for unity and has taken steps to censor social media coverage of the protests.

The question of whether the protesters can achieve their goal of fulldemocracy still hangs in the air over the many colorful tents on the streets of Hong Kong.

Staple s

P

Megan Root ’15

Ebola Some good news finally emerged about the Ebola outbreak: according to the New York Times it appears that the rate of infection is slowing in Liberia.

Aid, slow to come at first, is arriving and 22 treatment centers are expected to open in November. On the other hand, experts have serious concerns that any slackening in the containment efforts will allow areas cleared of the disease to become re-infected.

Furthermore, the death toll is still rising as the World Health Organization reports that close to 5,000 have died of the disease.

Countries around the world are deciding how they will keep Ebola from crossing their borders.

According to

gh Schoo i l H

the BBC, several African nations, like South Africa, are denying entry to all non-citizens arriving from the “highrisk” countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. In the United States, policies currently vary across states, and controversy has erupted over the concept of quarantines. New Jersey and New York declared mandatory 21-day quarantines for all travelers from West Africa, whether or not they show symptoms.

Doctors Without Borders and other medical groups have criticized these policies as unscientific because those infected with Ebola are not contagious until they actually show symptoms. These groups also argue quarantine policies will discourage healthcare workers from helping in the fight against Ebola. The Australian government was condemned for similar reasons when it announced that no visas would be issued to travelers coming from West Africa.

The balance between civil rights, respect for healthcare workers, and public safety will only become more important as the Ebola outbreak develops.

Inklinations

On the World: Ebola Izzy Ullmann ’17

“

I believe quarantining is necessary because precautions need to be taken in order to preserve American lives.

-Will O’Halloran ’17

”

“

I think people are overreacting to the Ebola outbreak in the U.S. because there are many worse issues that are affecting people other than Ebola. Even though it is scary, it is just scary because it’s the newest thing.

“ ”

-Rebecca Oestreicher ’16

I think the quarantine is merited, and it will nullify the spread of Ebola.

-Connor Rainey ’16

”

6

Inklings

November 10, 2014 |Advertisement

Opinions

November 10, 2014

7

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

News today is history tomorrow D

uring Thanksgiving dinner, when your uncle asks you, “Hey kid, did you hear about what happened in the news today?” could you grant him a thoughtful response?

Inklings EDITORIAL

Could you tell him that Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi was recently released from a Mexican prison after being held there for 214 days? Or that movie theaters are banning Google Glasses? Or that a windowless plane is in the works?

In a recent poll of Staples students, 78 percent reported

Inklings

it is either very important or important to keep up with the news.

However, in the same poll, only 41 percent of students claimed to read about, talk about, listen to or expose themselves to information regarding domestic or foreign affairs once a week or less.

So, many of us understand the importance of being aware of what’s going on in the world around us, yet many of us choose not to be.

There are countless reasons why it is both beneficial and interesting to check out the news more than “once a week or less.”

First off, to some students, learning about genetics in biology class may not be the most exciting lesson.

But when we can connect that knowledge of genetics to a

recent discovery revealing which genes make someone a daredevil, we understand that what we learn may actually have real world value.

It shows us that learning in school may amount to something besides a good grade on a test.

And the events of today that help us understand the content of our textbooks will be the content of the textbooks 20 years from now.

Our grandparents have firsthand knowledge of the civil rights movement. But, besides talking to them about it, we can only experience it through our textbook readings.

So, isn’t it cool that when our kids are reading their history textbooks, we will be able to tell them, “I remember when our first black president was elected”?

And wouldn’t it be even

cooler if we knew the specific details and could explain to our kids what happened? To be able to describe the moment when you learned that Barack Obama had been elected?

As humans, we should know what is happening to other humans.

We should know about the spread of the Ebola virus and about the impact the Affordable Care Act has had on Americans and about ISIS’ mistreatment of women.

We need to be aware of our surroundings in order to make informed decisions and keep an open mind.

Even more so, when we’re off in the real, post-school world, we will literally need an understanding of current events to be successful.

Every job, from

photographer to stockbroker, is affected by the happenings of the world. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a necessary job.

We need to learn about experiences different than our own. We need to know that there’s more out there than just what we see living in a small town.

As members of this society full of technological advancements, we need to take advantage of our advantages.

We have the easiest, most direct, fastest access to news of all time. And as students who are supposed to love learning, we should sufficiently value this easy accessibility.

It is just as easy to turn on notifications from Instagram as it is to turn on notifications from The New York Times.

And just as interesting, too.

Editors-in-Chief Zoe Brown Bailey Ethier

News Editors Greta Bjornson Sophia Hampton Quinn Hughes Megan Root

Web News Editors Kaila Finn Daniela Karpenos

Advisers Mary Elizabeth Fulco Rebecca Marsick Cody Thomas

Silver Crown Award for Inklingsnews.com from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2013

Managing Editors Alexandra Benjamin Caroline Cohen

Silver Crown Award for Newspaper Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2013

Web Managing Editors Nicole DeBlasi Cadence Neenan

Pacemaker from National Scholastic Press Association 2013

Breaking News Managing Editors Andrea Frost Taylor Harrington

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.

Directors of Social Media Mat Jacowleff Larissa Lieberson Associate Managing Editors Gabrielle Feinsmith Claire Lewin Photo Coordinator Justine Seligson Creative Directors Claudia Landowne Katie Settos

Opinions Editors Emma Berry Cooper Boardman Emma Lederer Izzy Ullmann Features Editors Claudia Chen Jackie Cope Jane Levy Margaux MacColl A&E Editors Jessica Gross Sarah Sommer Renee Weisz Emily Wolfe Sports Editors Claire Dinshaw Dylan Donahue Adam Kaplan Fritz Schemel

Web Opinions Editors Julie Bender Michael Mathis Web Features Editors Rachel Treisman Jane Schutte Web A&E Editors Zach McCarthy Blake Rubin Web Sports Editors Talia Hendel Jimmy Ray Stagg Business Manager Kacey Hertan Assistant Business Managers Chase Gornbein Jacquelyn Sussman Web Multimedia Editor Adam Kaufman Graphics Editor Olivia Crosby

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

8

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Opinions

get super intense

A

Kit Epstein ’17

s I log onto my Facebook every night at around 7 p.m., I expect to see a couple of friendly notifications from my peers. You know, the normal stuff: somebody commenting on a photo or being tagged in a recent post.

Soon enough, a button pops up on my screen. Somebody has posted in the Staples Superfans 2014-15 Facebook group.

I click on the link, expecting to find a cordial reminder to head over to the soccer game after school. What I get instead is a lengthy post telling me how disappointed the Superfans are in the entire Staples’ student body because not enough fans showed up to the football game. On Sept. 19, Superfan group administrator Greg Fisher posted: “There are 913 people in this group and considering Wilton is no more than 20 minutes away from the Fairfield edge of Westport its [sic] pretty pathetic that more of you didn’t show out.”

What a travesty. Although school spirit is great, it seems as though every time I log onto Facebook, there’s another notification from the Superfans Facebook group saying that it’s not okay if I skip a football game on a Thursday night to do homework.

After the complaints from Superfans, threats are thrown around. A member of the group with the name of Paparo Isaac posted: “Best game played so far and you all missed it. Better be a good showing of people at the next home game.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about school spirit, and the members and president of the Superfans Facebook group usually do a fantastic job of creating a fun atmosphere for students to support. I love going to football games and wearing white in support of the Wreckers.

Most of the time, administrators and members are in complete support of all the sports teams here at Staples. For example, girls’ varsity soccer had their FCIAC final game against Warde, and user Donald Griffin posted a supportive message: “Our girls soccer won, and they are moving on to the finals for the first time in many many many years, like a lot of years...would love to get twice the crowd this Wednesday at McMahon.”

Superfans member Jackson Lucas noted: “So far this year, we’ve had an incredible fan section, and there’s no reason to not keep that going.” Those encouragements are what I think being a part of the Superfans Facebook group should be all about. Superfans should be supporting sports teams and encouraging kids to go to games. Seeing angry Facebook posts is not the ideal way to get me to head out to a football game. If the Facebook group became supportive 100 percent of the time, then maybe more kids would show up for some fun football under the lights. The supportive posts always get positive attention, so why not keep it that way all of the time?

Just like Donald Griffin once said: “A Superfan is an example of school spirit at any school event, even Avenue Q.”

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

Stressed out seniors anxiously await decisions Alison Morrison ’15 Early Action is giving me early anxiety.

Once those final submit buttons are pressed and the safari window is closed for that last time, the end is in sight.

The finish line is just around the next bend. Or is it? Decision day approaches at a glacial pace, and all I can do is sit and twiddle my thumbs.

The Common Application opened for fall 2015 applications on Aug. 1. Yet the earliest I can

hear back, contingent on me submitting my application before the beginning of October, is sometime at the end of November.

After submitting my essay, answering those last few identifying questions and finalizing the official “Colleges-I’m-Applyi ng-To” list on Naviance, I’m left with somewhere in the ballpark of two months of thinking about whether or not I should have included that one time in the third grade when I got a 100 on my spelling test.

It may look like I’m walking

around, business as usual, but I’m really a bumbling ball of pent-up emotion.

Now, there are a lot of things that I could be doing to pass the time. For example, “Friends” goes on Netflix on Jan. 1. But that can’t come soon enough.

Alternatively, I could be doing something productive, like that math review sitting on my desk or studying for my impending government test.

But I can’t be productive right now because the little email notification on my phone hasn’t

given me any hope. It’s stuck at zero, with no decisions to report.

The first official decision day lurks in the back of my head like a huge dark cloud, moving closer and closer with the threat of storm.

College is meant to be a super exciting time for everyone involved. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited, but I just wish the deadlines came earlier.

In the meantime, you can find me procrastinating my work and watching whatever looks good on Netflix.

Why we will survive the Ebola outbreak Jennifer Gouchoe ’16 We’re all going to die.

It’s just a given: the world is going to be consumed by Ebola, and millions of people will die off in a “Contagion”-esque manner.

Especially now since Ebola has reached New York City, Staples, along with every other school, office building, store and household in the Tri-State area - heck, the entire United States - should invest in hazmat suits.

We might as well all flee to an island in the middle of nowhere.

Or better yet, the moon!

As frightening as it is thinking about the virus spreading all over the world, the chances of it developing into a full-blown, apocalyptic catastrophe are slim. So just put down the Purell for a minute, and I’ll tell you why you shouldn’t be worrying.

The Ebola outbreak started in West Africa, specifically

in Guinea, Sierra Leone and practicing how to put on and Liberia. According to the World take off protective gear. Also, Health Organization, more than their isolation ward for Ebola 4,900 people have died patients is well-equipped from the virus in with decontamination rooms and cameras 2014.

Many to monitor patients.

Americans Although it didn’t start is concerning The first freaking out knowing that human outbreaks until Thomas something occurred in 1976.

Duncan deadly is traveled from so close to Liberia to the home, Bellevue United States. hospital has taken Five days after all the right steps in treating arriving in the U.S., Spencer so far, and it looks like Duncan developed Ebola-like many other hospitals in the U.S. symptoms, and was taken to are doing the same to prepare for Dallas Presbyterian Hospital, possible future cases. only to be released that day.

I’m not saying that there Two days later, he is a 0-percent chance Ebola went back to the will become pandemic across hospital and was the U.S. If the virus quarantined. mutates and As of Oct. 27, five Duncan was becomes United States airports confirmed to airborne, are screening travelers have Ebola on then maybe from West Africa.

Sept. 30, and I will jump died on Oct. 8. on the It was clear bandwagon that the hospital was and agree unequipped to handle this that we’re all going to die. situation; not only did they But right now, that doesn’t ignore Duncan’s symptoms look like it’s going to happen. the first time around, but the There have only been nine nurses who were caring Americans who have contracted for him also were the virus, and seven of not wearing those nine have the proper recovered.

Out of 100 protective We U.S. public health gear. Two have laboratories, 24 are nurses working to take eqipped to test for Ebola. with Duncan a step contracted the back and virus; fortunately, realize that they are now Ebolawe have some of the best free. medical care However, on Oct. 23, Dr. here in the Craig Spencer, who had been U.S. In West Africa, the working for Doctors Without virus spread so rampantly, partly Borders in Guinea, was in because of subpar medical care.

New York City when he was Hospitals in the U.S. have confirmed learned from to have the Dallas Ebola. hospital’s

In a recent Gallup poll of over 1000 Americans, one-fifth were worried about contracting Ebola.

GRAPHICS BY EMMA BERRY ’15 AND COOPER BOARDMAN ’17 INFORMATION FROM CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND THE NEW YORK TIMES

Spencer was taken to the Bellevue Hospital, one of the eight hospitals in New York City that is a designated Ebola treatment center. Doctors and nurses at Bellevue have been drilled,

mistakes, so even if more cases arise, they will be prepared to deal with them.

Who knows if the situation will worsen, but for now I think everyone can hold off on buying the hazmat suits.

9

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Opinions

College teams tackle professional leagues Adam Kaplan ’16

O 11,500,000 T.V. viewers

fans 529 , 2 8 d nde atte

GRAPHIC BY MEGAN ROOT’15

fans 208 , 4 9 d nde atte

26,061,000 T.V. viewers

ne hundred yards long, 53 yards wide– between the white lines there is very little difference between college and NFL football.

Sure, in college you only need one foot in-bounds to make a catch and in the NFL you need two, but the real difference lies off the gridiron.

I’ve been watching NFL football since before I could speak. My family lives and breathes the sport; however in recent years the NFL has done things to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

After years of being hesitant to switch to watching college football, I finally made the transition, and it was a breath of fresh air.

As I watched college teams battle it out on the field, I saw something that was missing in the NFL: people enjoying football for what it should be– a game.

After watching both levels of the sport, I realized college football is a game, while professional football is a job.

As a fan, it is so much easier to get emotionally attached to the sport when there is passion.

College players choose where they want to go to school, and there is a family dynamic that makes the teams inseparable.

The way NFL players leave teams makes it seem like that dynamic is less prevalent.

It’s heartbreaking how little some pro players seem to care about the game. Sure, they are putting in all their effort, but a lot of the time they are motivated only by getting a higher salary.

For example, Albert Haynesworth received $100 million after an All-Pro season, but since then, he has failed to reach the same level of play and was cut from the Washington Redskins for being lazy, according to head coach Mike Shanahan.

When Haynesworth decided not to play his hardest, it felt like a punch in the gut to me as a football fan.

Haynesworth is not the only example of players underachieving on purpose, there are a myriad of other NFLers doing this, including Vince Young, Jamarcus Russell and more recently, Dashon Goldson.

College football is a new fascination for me as I try to learn its unique style.

Sure more people watch the Super Bowl, but for me, there is nothing better than watching the Red River Rivalry between The Universities of Texas and Oklahoma.

Remember it’s called “The game of football” and that’s how it should remain: a game.

Mayonnaise is not an instrument Jimmy Ray Stagg ’16 A couple of weeks ago, I made a shocking discovery about my life. I was sitting on the couch in my living room, avoiding homework at all costs (as usual), when I decided to get nostalgic and flip over to Nickelodeon.

Ah, who am I kidding?

Nickelodeon is playing at all times from at least one of the TVs in my house.

Anyway, I was halfwatching, half-texting when the single greatest show in the history of television opened with its signature and oh so familiar theme song.

Be honest with yourself.

There was a time when you would lose your voice screaming, “Ayeaye captain,” and days were lost trying to mimic Spongebob’s esteemed nose flute.

It was then that my discovery hit me in the face like a brick wall.

I am Patrick Star.

My discovery came during the poignant episode “The Fry Cook Games.” Spongebob and Patrick were wrestling, when Spongebob pulled out a pencil and cleverly erased part of Patrick’s nametag, making his name appear to be “Rick.”

This infuriated Patrick, who screamed, “MY NAME’S NOT RICK,” before lunging at

Spongebob.

This hit home because I’m very used to being called “Jimmy” or “JR” or “Jimbo” as opposed to my actual first name (and yes, it is Jimmy Ray, no hyphen).

It was then that my discovery hit me in the face like a brick wall.

I am Patrick Star.

Granted I’m not a pink personification of an echinoderm with a low IQ and no shirt, but I maintain that the ideals portrayed by the sea star live on in the real world through yours truly.

Think about it. The show launched in 1999, a year after I was born. The creators obviously realized that Patrick’s embodiment was finally among us, and brought the show to air.

Patrick has also provided laugh after laugh for almost 200 episodes now, and I myself am quite a jokester, which annoys some of my teachers, just as Patrick incessantly annoys Squidward.

Patrick and I both are always trying to get to the bottom of things, whether it be examples of an instrument (not mayonnaise or horseradish apparently), or why certain teachers may give me certain grades on certain assignments.

The inner machinations of both my mind and Patrick’s mind are enigmas, as I often have no clue how I get from point A to point E without touching all the points in between, and Patrick often gets confused

when opening jars, returning home to strangers under his rock and trying to walk through doors with wooden boards nailed to his head.

For hours, I could list off specific reasons (our mutual interest in food at 3 a.m., our celebration of Scandinavian holidays our knowledge on Wumbology), but I would like to also point out that Patrick stands

for perseverance and optimism.

No matter what is happening around him, Patrick stays happy and carefree and can make light of any situation.

Though I don’t want to toot my own horn, I pride myself on my ability to keep my head up and a smile on my face no matter what life throws at me.

And if you still don’t believe me, just ask the magic conch.

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

PHOTO BY EMMA BERRY ’15 AND COOPER BOARDMAN ’17

Excessive college gear generates judgement Cadence Neenan ’15 At Staples High School, college applications are treated with the type of air-tight security a clueless outsider might reserve for the CIA. Forget “I love you;” the truest sign someone trusts you is if they tell you what school they’re EDing to.

So can someone please tell me what to do with the 10 t-shirts, seven sweatshirts, three hats, two pairs of shorts and one windbreaker I own that all feature the logo of a college I’m applying to?

Buying college apparel is a quantifiable addiction. After being successfully hypnotized by adorable photos of students laughing, impressed by statistics that somehow prove that every school in the nation is “#1 for undergraduate experience,” and intrigued by plenty of darling Adirondack chairs, you arrive at the gift shop like it’s holy ground.

And since this school is obviously, unquestionably, absolutely your destiny – you’re sure about this one, even though you know you said this on the last visit, too – you of course need yet another long-sleeved grey t-shirt (and maybe the matching yoga pants as well).

However, you inevitably become a little less enamored with your trendy new apparel when you realize that wearing it comes with the heavy implication that you plan on applying, being accepted and attending the given school.

Wearing college apparel can result in more than a couple of sideways glances from potential competition, plenty of questions from underclassmen, teachers and even a little low-key bullying from your friends, if they get around to it.

So really, major props to anyone who dares sport apparel in this season of stress.

But, out of curiosity, for a friend, are you actually applying there?

10

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Opinions

Pay tribute to our fallen heroes Sweet deals come Izzy Ullmann ’17 When I was in eighth grade, I heard a veteran’s story about his experiences in the Vietnam War. I have been appreciative for the troops and their service ever since.

Seeing the look of fear in the veteran’s eyes when he described the unimaginable scene of combat, and his stories about helping his wounded friends really spoke to me about the importance of honoring the armed forces.

Even if you personally do not have a close tie to someone who has fought for this country, everyone should be aware of the heroic actions soldiers are taking in places like Afghanistan every

single day.

Just in the past year, there have been commanders who lost their lives in bailing aircrafts over the North Arabian Gulf or generals who lost their lives in attacks from enemies.

America has had brave souls like Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins, who received the Medal of Honor for killing 175 enemy troops and taking 18 wounds from enemy fire. These people have families and lives like every one of us. The actions that they take for America’s safety deserve recognition.

So this year on Veteran’s Day, let us remember all of the brave souls who have fought for our country and have lost their

limbs, their sanity and sometimes their lives.

Let us take a break from the essays and homework that may be piling up and simply take some time to honor the people who serve this country and make America safe.

Whether you plant flags in the cemetery near veterans who have died, attend the ceremony at Town Hall or call a relative who has served, make sure to do something to honor the veterans of America.

I know that this year I will definitely take time out of my day to connect with the veteran who really reached me in middle school to simply say, “thank you.”

PHOTO BY LOGAN MURPHY’15

HONORING VETERANS Compo Beach cannons commemorate the bravery of the veterans that fought for the U.S. during the Revolutionary War.

Vegetarians trade turkey for turnips Eliza Goldberg ’17

A

westruck omnivores constantly question my ability to trudge through the meatless and seemingly difficult world of vegetarianism.

“So, what do you eat on Thanksgiving?”, they all ask sheepishly.

Ok, yes, Thanksgiving can be a tiny bit of a struggle for my fellow vegetarians and me.

Thanksgiving revolves around the eating of a turkey, and being the non meat-eaters in a primarily meat-eating world leaves us in a bit of a pickle (no pun intended).

But that can’t stop me from having a good meal, right?

Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving isn’t all that difficult for me.

I am not a big believer in fake meats, so when the fourth Thursday of Nov. rolls around, you won’t be finding any “tofurkey” on my plate.

I rely on sides—sauces, potatoes, vegetables, etc.— and of course multiple desserts to fill up my stomach.

I pile my plate with green salad (the staple) and sweet potatoes (the carb) along with cranberry sauce and squash (the festive foods).

I haven’t even reached the best part yet. The highlight of the day, hands down, is dessert. An arrangement of rich pumpkin pie,

creamy ice cream and crunchy cookies cover my plate. I mean, when you can eat multiple servings of desserts, why do you even need to eat dinner in the first place? Don’t forget the advantage of not stuffing your face during the main course. I’m fully able to stomach the giant mass of sugary sweet on my plate because I wasn’t able to over-exert myself during the meal.

Sure, I eat more dessert than dinner, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy Thanksgiving any less than a layperson. My meal may not be the most conventional, but it just proves that vegetarians are able to eat just as good (if not better) of a meal on Thanksgiving as anyone else.

GRAPHIC BY CHANNING SMITH ’17

with bitter regrets Daniela Karpenos ’15

I bend down to doubleknot my laces. Scratch that—I go straight for the triple-knot. I fill my CamelBak HydroTanium water bottle to the brim—I’m going to need to stay hydrated.

I hoist my premium, insulated, water-resistant North Face backpack over my shoulder—it contains all the basic survival gear I will need.

The weeks of preparation— of timed practice drills and upper-arm strength resistance training—have led up to this moment.

It’s Black Friday, and I’m ready to score major deals.

Never m i nd that it’s four in the morning.

Nevermind that the man next to me just forcefully elbowed me in the ribs. There’s nowwwhere else I would rather be on this glorious morning.

Oh, wait, there is: in bed.

In fact, I’m still in bed, sleeping. When I wake up, I will have a leisurely mor n i ng— I’ll whip up some pancakes, brew myself a cup of coffee, maybe even catch up on my Netflix shows. The point being, I’ll be as far away as possible from the hysteria of adrenalineinduced shoppers.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing I love more than a great bargain.

But no half-priced scented candle or buy-one-getone-free T-shirt is worth the mental anguish and physical injuries.

However, despite Black Friday shoppers’ reputation of wreaking havoc, you can rest assured knowing that, according to “Time Magazine,” last Black Friday was the “calmest” in years—with only one death and 15 injuries.

Only one death. What a relief.

But, a closer look at the data is slightly more frightening. “ Bla ck Fr id ayD e at h C ou nt ,”

No half-priced scented candle or buy-one-getone-free T-shirt is worth the mental anguish and physical injuries. a site which tracks all deaths and injuries attributed to Black Friday, reports the trampling of an 11-year-old girl outside of a

Walmart in Ohio.

I admit, a trip to the hospital is an extreme—most Black Friday shoppers remain relatively safe in their struggle for sweet deals. Yet, just how “sweet” are these deals?

According to “The Market Watch,” a site following marketing trends, most stores use retail tricks to fool customers into spending more than planned.

Even those who believe they have never fallen victim to these underhanded tactics actually have at some point or another.

The site says retailers “turn

GRAPHIC BY NOELLE ADLER ’15

deal-hunting into a treasure hunt,” and in turn offer customers complimentary reusable bags to carry all the great deals they snag. According to “The Market Watch,” these store-offered bags “create a void that needs to be filled, encouraging customers to buy more than they need.”

Noelle Adler ’15, when Black Friday shopping last year, observed that shoppers even bring their own bags—essentially doing the retailers’ job for them.

“It was funny to see that lots of people brought suitcases to carry everything they bought around the mall,” Adler said.

It’s all part of business strategy. Stores force shoppers to walk past 500 items they don’t need before arriving at the one item they came there for. They offer customers convenient rest areas, which are not-so-coincidentally placed near products the store hopes to unload. They place similar merchandise beside each other— one cheaper than the other—so customers believe they’re saving money by choosing the better deal.

So, if you ask me, the best way to save money on Black Friday is to not spend it all.

Features

11

GRAPHIC BY CLAUDIA LANDOWNE ’15

November 10, 2014

Staples takes to ideas worth s p r e a d i n g Claudia Chen ’16 ita Pierson stands on a stage, accompanied only by a small black microphone clipped to her red cardigan and behind her, three big letters on the stage spell out “TED.” In fewer than eight minutes, she talks about how she gave a student a “plus 2” instead of “minus 18” when he got two out of 20 questions correct on a test. She says that she told her failing class that they were chosen to set an example for the school about human connections.

Pierson’s presentation is one of over 1,800 TED Talks. TED – which stands for Technology, Education and Design – is a nonprofit organization that, according to its website, is on a mission to make “great ideas accessible and spark conversation.”

Social studies department chair Lauren Francese said she thought the celebration of ideas is what makes TED Talks special.

“I think seeing individuals [who] have found something that they’re passionate about and are willing to share that [passion] with the world is a really powerful thing,”

GRAPHIC BY JULIA SCHORR ’16

R

she said.

These lectures are given around the world in auditoriums, viewed by millions on www.ted.com and Youtube and played in many Staples classrooms. In May 2014, Staples even hosted its own event called “TEDxSHS” in the auditorium with 10 guest student and staff speakers.

The event, which was organized by 15 freshmen, centered around passion.

English teacher Anne Fernandez gave a talk about “Car Culture,” which is the impact of driving a car on a person’s daily life.

She said that it was exhilarating but also a challenge because it was the first time she has had to speak without anything, not even a podium or notes, separating her from her audience.

“I’m a huge fan of TED Talks,” Amanda Book ’16 said. “I actually watch a

strangely large amount of them. I feel like every time I watch a TED talk, my brain just grows twice in size automatically.”

One of Book’s favorite TED speeches is “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown. Book said that Brown’s discussion about the need to embrace shame and vulnerability is something that a lot of people should and need to hear.

Staples alumn and guest speaker at TEDxSHS Ryder Chasin ’14 said that a talk by evangelist and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic stood out the most to him.

He said that he was left with a sense of warm gratitude and awe seeing how Vujicic lead an exciting life, inspiring millions around the world as an actor, musician, author and speaker, despite

“I feel like every time I watch a TED talk, my brain just grows twice in size.”

- Amanda Book ’16

missing all four limbs.

This positive outlook on life is prevalent throughout many TED Talks. Book said that all of her favorite presentations have touched on empathy or how to be a more engaging, motivated and happy person.

“It’s like online therapy that you don’t realize you need until you watch it,” she said.

Julia Kempner ’16 was also inspired

by TED Talks ability to bring individuals’ ideas into a global context.

“TED Talks have taught me that there is a lot to know about humanity,” Kempner said. “There is a story in every person, and coming together to expand our tolerance for differences and issues is a fantastic way to make the world a better place.”

Social studies teacher and mentor of TEDxSHS Ashley Gayanilo said that the talks provide thoughtful information that causes people to question their truths and to learn new perspectives.

“That to me is the essence of learning – to arrive at an expanded perspective on issues or ideas, and find your own truth.”

quiets Quizlet and flings aside flashcards

Brendan Massoud ’17 YouTube, for many, is a source of adorable baby footage or the latest high-school phenom’s highlight reel. But for some, it is actually an incredible academic resource.

In the past few years, educational YouTube channels have become more and more prevalent for members of the Staples student body. With YouTube programs such as Khan Academy, Crash Course and ACDCLeadership, students across academia are now able to access a world of knowledge from their own laptop computer.

Isabel Perry ’15 has been using YouTube as a supplementary study tool for over three years.

“I started using Crash Course during my freshman year, and I’ve used it every year since, in basically every class that matches up with my schedule,” she said.

“Specifically, the chemistry videos were always really helpful because I had a ton of trouble with acids and bases last year.”

While many Staples students use YouTube to study or teach, some disagree on exactly how to use it as a resource.

Though social studies teacher Sara Pinchback finds

YouTube videos beneficial at times, she does not believe that it can or should replace traditional studying. Pinchback believes that videos should serve as helpful synopses of class information.

“For some students, the videos might move too fast. It’s not merely enough to just watch videos,” Pinchback said.

Conversely, math teacher Anthony Forgette, who creates and uploads videos for the Staples Math channel, sees YouTube as an effective form of teaching.

In addition to having his students check out the channel if they have forgotten how to

do a problem, Forgette assigns videos for his students to watch for homework. This teaching method leaves time for Forgette to teach bigger concepts during school hours.

“I like the idea of a flipped classroom. Students can watch videos at home in order to learn mechanic and algebraic skills,” Forgette said.

Jay Mudholkar ’17 thinks using Youtube for studying is okay in moderation, similar to Pinchback’s perspective.

Recently, he became a fan of Crash Course for U.S. History and Tarrou’s Chalk Talks for

calculus.

“I use YouTube to reinforce topics that I am a bit blurry on when studying for tests. I don’t study a ton, so it is a good refresher for upcoming U.S. assessments,” Mudholkar said.

Perry uses YouTube not for last minute studying but rather to further her ability to comprehend what teachers are teaching in class. She watches videos on the weekend before a new unit starts.

“This way I have some idea of what my teacher is talking about during the lesson, and I can make connections to what I’ve already heard,” Perry explained.

12

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Features

Eskell etches life lessons through art

Becky Hoving ’17 oom 1009’s six-foot-high easels and bins of graphite pencils shield a master of fine arts. She walks around the classroom, charcoal in hand, ready to help her students discover their true talent.

This master is Camille Eskell.

A graduate of Queens College, Staples’ petite drawing teacher has established quite the following over her 14 years of teaching. Since Eskell is the only teacher of Advanced Drawing, Honors Studio Art and AP Studio Art, she has many of her students for three, or even four years. Because of this, she has the time to develop a relationship beyond what a student might have with an Algebra II teacher they had once in tenth grade.

“I really get to know the students, their strengths, their weaknesses,” Eskell explained. “And who they really are as people.”

However, it’s clear that it’s not just the fact that Eskell has her students multiple times that makes her so beloved. Her creative and friendly teaching style plays a huge role in her relationship with her students.

“I think one of my strengths is individualising to a student’s needs, which is important in teaching,” she said. “I try to gauge where they are and where they need to be.”

Besides going above and beyond to connect with her students on an artistic level, Eskell makes an effort on a personal level. Harry Epstein ’15 has had Eskell three times already, and couldn’t stress his appreciation for her more.

PHOTO BY LIAM ABOUREZK ’18 “Ms. Eskell is my favorite teacher to the point where I don’t have to even think PAINT ME A PICTURE With a smile, Camille Eskell admires her students’ artwork. She has about it,” he said. taught art classes for 14 years and has various quirky props in her classroom, like a fake skull.

R

While Maddie Jones ’17 is only beginning her second semester with Eskell at the front easel, she agrees with Epstein’s sentiment.

“I feel like I’ve grown so much as a student in her class,” she said. “My drawing has improved tremendously since Drawing I and I know Ms. Eskell is responsible for that.”

The self-proclaimed “goof-ball” has always felt that adding a little humor to her classes never hurts. Amy Perelberg ’15 can vouch for this, as she said, “She’s totally hilarious and quirky, which makes all her classes entertaining and fun.”

But Eskell’s humor is also a little more out of the box.

“She does this funny thing where she makes everything an analogy,” Perelberg explained. “One time, the class was drawing popcorn, and Ms. Eskell kept comparing the pieces of popcorn to different animals. One piece looked like a turtle, another a pig and a third piece like a crab,” she finished, laughing. “It was so random but it helped us draw the popcorn.”

Eskell’s talent goes beyond drawing; she has unbelievable talent for teaching, too. Whether she is playing class-clown for Advanced Drawing or instilling a passion that inspires a quest for further knowledge in Drawing I, Eskell is always dedicated to her students.

“There is so much love and respect for Ms. Eskell,” Jones said. “She is passionate, funny, kind and genuinely cares about how we are doing.”

Her current students express their love for her now, and will continue to respect her into their college years. Epstein is sure he’ll always remember Eskell. “When I visit Staples next year, I’ll visit the drawing room first,” he said.

Students grapple with academic stigmas and attitudes Margaux MacColl ’16 & Emily Olrik ’16 Every student, every day, walks past the same pink flier hanging dutifully outside guidance.

As conversation floods the hallway with students chatting about tests and grades, many may not notice this sign, but it hangs there to remind them of what they may not understand.

In bold, black text it reads, “B = College Prep (NOT Below Average).”

Guidance counselor Victoria Capozzi put these signs up last year as her “short, quick, easy way” to stop the preconceived misconceptions of what a B level class is.

This misconception may go hand-in-hand with a stigma associated with not taking high level classes. Staples has four main levels of classes, B, A, Honors, and AP. The purpose of these levels can be lost as students fixate their focus solely on the leveling.

“Everything in Staples is very much based on level,” Jenna Patterson ’16 said. “It’s this culture we have built.”

Patterson points out that this mindset is apparent everywhere in the school. Whether walking in the hallway or studying in the library, “You can hear people asking, ‘What level of this class do you take? What level of that class?’” she said.

This fixation is especially prevalent when schedules are released and class assignments become a dominant conversation starter.

Sebi Alderucci ’15 remembers entering the new school year witnessing the familiar mania over class selection.

“When everyone’s talking about new schedules, they say, ‘AP this and AP that,’” Alderucci said. He would respond to them halfheartedly, saying, “Well I’m in B.” He says this obsession over

classes can sometimes make students in B classes “feel like they’re not as smart or as good in school,” according to Alderucci.

Throughout her career, Capozzi has seen students struggle with this stigma.

She recalled one time in particular when a student came to consult with Capozzi about her schedule, saying unhappily that she was “only taking two honors.”

“I stopped her dead in her tracks,” Capozzi said. “There’s this whole concept of everyone else is doing something better.”

This culture of constant comparisons and academic

drivenness may unjustly impact the level of class students pick.

Capozzi says she’ll often see students “taking levels of classes for the wrong reasons.”

Each student has a level that fits them best, and while B certainly doesn’t stand for “Below Average,” there are a few key differences that can help accommodate the student.

In the course catalog, A classes are described as an “advanced college preparatory class” that “challenges a student’s ability to exert purposeful effort” whereas a B class is a “college preparatory course” that seeks to help students “develop as learners who exert

purposeful effort.”

Phil Fosie ’15, who has taken both A and B level classes, said the main differences are that the B level works at a slower rate and has a lighter workload.

Another major difference is how the classes are weighted. If a student takes an A level class and receives a C, they have a 2.00 GPA. However, if they dropped down to a B class and improve to a B+, their GPA would raise a full point to a 3.00.

For some students taking a B level class, it can make the difference between struggling and success.

Emily Duranko ’16 experienced

this firsthand. In her freshman year she enrolled in Algebra 1A, but found it to be too challenging, so she decided to take Algebra 2B. Originally she was “self conscious” about taking a B class, but now, “I couldn’t be happier with my decision,” Duranko said.

Throughout the incessant chatter about class levels and grades, some students know when to take a step back and realize that the level of class you are taking is not important.

“If you’re not in all APs, you’re okay. If you’re taking three APs, you’re okay,” Jacob Offir ’16 said.

“And if you don’t take any APs,” he said, “you’re still okay.”

GRAPHIC BY JULIA SCHORR ’16

GRAPHIC BY JULIA SCHORR ’16

13

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Features

P H OT O S BY C A R O L I N E O ’ K A N

6 E ’1

Humans of Staples

Meet Bri Rotella, a bright face in the hallway Caroline Lane ’16 here were you born?

I was born in Iceland on a military base because my parents served there for about three years. I actually have three birth certificates because of it. I have an American birth certificate because that’s where my family is from, an Icelandic one because that’s my birthplace and, lastly, a military base birth certificate.

What did your parents do in the Navy?

My mom worked with all the technology and radars, and my dad was on the security force. They only worked in the Navy for about six to seven months after I was born.

Did you grow up literally on the

W

military base?

Yeah, we lived in an apartment that was right on the base, and it was so much fun. I was the first baby that they had on the base in a while, so everyone was so friendly and helpful to me and my family as I grew up. I remember there was this wall on the base that was dedicated to me where I could color and draw on it so I wasn’t bored.

What do you remember most about Iceland?

We only stayed in Iceland for about four or five years but I remember the cold temperatures and the ground because there just volcanic rock, not a speck of grass. There were no beaches in Iceland, so the first time I saw a beach was when I moved here. I’ve sadly never visited since.

What’s your fondest memory of Iceland?

It definitely was how there was so much wildlife that you would never see here like puffins, whales and moose.

Was it hard making the move?

What was hard about it?

It was hard getting adjusted to a new country because it was vastly different from Iceland. I wasn’t used to the sand, ocean, beach and hot weather. I didn’t speak one word of English coming here, but the transition was

fairly smooth, other than I can remember kids would make fun of me for my accent.

That still happens once in a while. I was going to Qdoba with my friends the other day, and they all thought I said Qdoba weird, but I didn’t even realize it.

Growing up did your parents teach you Icelandic or American culture and values?

My parents stuck to teaching us about American culture even though we were in Iceland. I remember in the third grade everyone made fun of me because I was the one person not born in Connecticut, and then I was born outside of the country.

I didn’t see myself differently at all, so that was a weird feeling.

What was different culturally about Iceland?

From what I can remember there were so many different types of music, orchestras and art galleries. They all pulled together such a wide variety of cultures.

How are people in the two countries

Jenna McNicholas ’15 It’s safe to say, an iPhone would not be complete without the emoji keyboard.

Depending on a person’s skill when it comes to using this keyboard, awkward situations can be made more comfortable, and, sometimes, comfortable situations can be made very awkward. In order to be a successful iPhone user and avoid any amateur miscommunications, it is vital to understand the connotation behind every emoji and the repercussions that come with using them in the wrong way.

Because, as the saying goes: an emoji is worth a thousand words.

The praying emoji: This emoji is among the most useful.

Desperate times call for the praying emoji.

It is important to not overuse it, though, because if this emoji is thrown around in every text sent when asking for a favor, it could create a “boy-who-cried-wolf” situation.

A golden rule for emoji users is to never throw around the praying emoji like ks and lols.

“I’ve heard that it’s actually two people giving a high five. I would much rather use it as a person praying though,” Cassie Cohen ’16 said.

Carefully use this emoji to have an advantage and display a sense of desperation because how can two people high-fiving be helpful?

Praying emoji works every time.

The sunglasses emoji: This emoji conveys the user’s awesomeness and overall relaxed and chill perspective on life. “I use it when something awesome happens. Maybe a little excessively,” sunglasses emoji enthusiast Anna Eichorn ’16 said. If this emoji is on someone’s most recent page, they are doing something right, and by something, probably everything.

The red heart emoji: This simple red heart is on nearly everyone’s recent page of emojis. But a dynamic and matured emoji user will realize that everyone’s using the red heart,

GRAPHIC BY JOE BLAIKIE ’17

Students smile in real life and over text

different?

The people in Iceland are so much happier and nicer compared to Americans, who are much more judgmental. The town I lived in was so small that everyone knew everybody, and that was really cool. I definitely miss all the friendships I made. Everyone was just so close.

What’s the biggest thing that has happened in your life?

That would probably be coming to America and feeling like I belonged. My first day of school here I met people that I’m friends with to this day, and it was one of my greatest moments. Even though I didn’t speak the language, I felt like I was at home finally because I was surrounded by my friends and family.

and it has started to lose its true value and meaning.

“I hate when girls send me the red heart emoji. Spice it up a little,” TJ Bravo ’15 said.

Don’t be basic. Take that extra two seconds of thumb exercise and swipe through to the page of different sized and colored hearts. The person being texted will appreciate and notice the originality and care and maybe even send the

doubleheart back.

The straight face emoji: This emoji says it all. It has the ability to be a virtual eye roll, end a conversation and even give the receiver the cold shoulder. It’s the face slap of emojis.

Don’t use this emoji to convey neutrality, use it to convey disappointment, anger, and overall negative view on something someone else has said.

These are just a few of the most common emojis that are sent and many times misused.

Remember, practice makes perfect.

Don’t use emojis too often, but when you do, use them right.

14

Live with n November 10, 2014 | Features

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIIA CROSBY ’15

Kick the bucket list Jacquelyn Sussman ’17

H

ave you ever heard of “carpe diem?”

What about the expression “Don’t let life pass you by?” Do any of those ring a bell?

For those of you who either don’t speak Latin, its literal meaning is “to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future,” according to dictionary.com.

The more commonly-known translation is “seize the day.”

In modern teenager language, the equivalent of “seize the day” is Nike’s slogan “make it count.” This slogan encourages people to

live in the moment and to make lasting memories in order to make life worthwhile. In his Ted Talk “Want to be happier?

Stay in the moment,” scientist Matt Killingsworth proved this when he said, “What are the big causes of happiness? [...] I think something that has the potential to be an answer is that maybe happiness has an awful lot to do with the contents of our moment-tomoment experiences.”

Emma Ruchefsky ’15 certainly has a zest for life. “[Being alive] means to enjoy every little thing in life and not take anything for granted,” Ruchefsky said. “I think that life is an amazing thing if

you learn to appreciate it, and if you don’t appreciate it then it won’t be worth living.”

Ruchefsky also said that she organized the experiences she wants to have in her life before she dies. This is also known as a bucket list.

No, the term “bucket list” did not originate from the 2007 movie “The Bucket List” that starred Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Rather, it has a creepy history. According to Slate.com, the term “bucket list” traces all the way back to the Middle Ages, when a common form of death was execution by hanging. When a person was about to die, they would kick the bucket

they were standing on from underneath their feet and die.

On a lighter note, many Staples students already have ideas of life experiences they want to have.

For Nicole Kiker ’17, she wants “to go to every continent, skydive and learn to scuba dive,” she said. Similarly, Ruchefsky’s bucket list included travel as well. “I want to go to Africa or Spain, I want to go the the top of the Eiffel tower [and] I want to go the the Grand Canyon,” Ruchefsky said.

Travel seems to be a shared desire for Staples students. Thomas Moy ’17, in addition to travelling the world, has “always had

this dream the I would go to every baseball stadium in the country.” By contrast, some students are interested in experiences rather than travel.

“I want to go skydiving when I turn 18,” Zoe Mezoff ’17 said.

Mezoff later added that “[what it means to be alive is] being able to take risks and not being afraid of failure or things not going as planned.”

Naturally, what it means to be alive varies from person to person. For former Staples student Arin Kaye ’17, “[being alive] for me is defined by being surrounded by the people I most care about. No material possession could ever replace that.”

15

Inklings

no regrets

Make the high school years count Taylor Harrington ’15 Ever since students watched the Wildcats burst into a synchronized dance number on top of red lunch tables in “High School Musical”, movies have been setting the bar pretty high for what life is like in high school. Eight years after singing along with Troy Bolton, students are at Staples and ready to make those quintessential high school moments their own.

Envisioning the last day of school in “High School Musical 2” when Ms. Darbus’ homeroom whispers “summer” before the final bell rings, Jojo Adler ’16 wants “everyone to throw all their papers in the air

and race out of school.”

Claire Smith ’15 has a more ambitious goal. Smith lives by the motto, “No ragrets” from the 2013 comedy “We’re the Millers.” In the scene, actor Jason Sudeikis jokes with a teenager about a bold tattoo on his chest with this motto.

Sudeikis says, “You have no regrets? Not even a single letter?”

Smith doesn’t want to look back on her senior year with any regrets – not even a single moment. She wants it to live up to movie standards, especially her class’ senior prank. She wants it to be Grammy-worthy.

“Let’s put Dodig’s car on the roof of the school,” Smith

joked, as shown in an episode of “Full House” when D.J. did the same to her principal’s car.

However, many students would agree that high school in real-life isn’t exactly like the movies; although it’s fun, students’ goals tend to be more geared towards their futures.

Once students become ninth graders, the goals of skipping class like Ferris Bueller and sitting at the popular table like the Plastics in “Mean Girls” don’t seem as achievable or desirable as they had once been.

Noa Wind ’15 crossed her fingers, hoping that her goal would be a bit more realistic.

“I want a chance to sing

in front of the school, whether that be at the variety show, baccalaureate or graduation,” Wind said, as she is hoping to pursue a career as an opera singer.

“In a perfect world I would be able to stand in front of my classmates, without any fear or nerves, and show them what I can do and what I have worked so hard to achieve.”

Peter Sauer ’16, highly invested in I²robotics, a team of students in Westport focused on designing, building and programming robots for competition, has high hopes that his team will win the world championship before he graduates. As a sophomore,

his team was able to reach the world finals, but wasn’t able to claim the winning title.

“This year, I hope that we can do better by spending more time designing the robot and building it in a more efficient way,” Sauer said.

No matter if the goals were seen on screen or not, Staples students are driven and hopeful that they will have the chance to check them off their highschool bucket lists.

But, then again, who knows? If Smith’s plan can be successfully executed, Principal John Dodig’s car will be dangling from the third f loor of school by the end of the year.

16

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Features

Falling in love with fall PHOTO BY JANE LEVY ’16

Traditions are the stuffing of Thanksgiving

T

Alice Hickson ’17 urkey is not the only thing getting stuffed on Thanksgiving.

This food-filled holiday is also packed with plenty of classic and occasionally unconventional traditions.

The participants of the original Thanksgiving in 1621 would be quite shocked if they observed the updated celebrations, most of which involve a television remote to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and a football game.

However, one aspect of the holiday hasn’t changed: feasting on mounds of food.

“My mom makes about 100 pounds of food, [and] we eat until we can’t eat anymore,” Paul

Tricarico ’16 said.

The cooking doesn’t just stop at mashed potatoes and turkey. Dishes of pies, plates of fruit salads or roasted vegetables are up for grabs, and students fill themselves to be as stuffed the turkey itself. “The main event is my sister’s homemade apple pie that she makes every year,” Tricarico added.

However, not all families enjoy a traditional turkey. Sera Levy ’17 is part of an entirely vegetarian family, which calls for a unique annual ritual on Thanksgiving.

“We eat tofurkey, which isn’t the tastiest thing in the world, and we leave the leftovers until they’re almost completely rotten and then each throw

a piece out the window,” Levy said.

This might not have been what the Puritans had in mind when they started the annual harvest feast, but contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving isn’t all about the food. In some cases, students celebrate by not focusing on the holiday at all.

“Every year, my family goes out to get our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend,” Christina Dear ’17 said.

The traditions include a range of different foods and locations among students.

However, the commonalities of Thanksgiving celebrations lie in feasting, watching football and, most importantly, being with

family.

Victoria Finley ’16 said her favorite part of the holiday is “hands down being with my relatives; I don’t see them often so it’s always nice to catch up.”

The beauty of Thanksgiving is that its traditions remain within each family in a world that is always changing.

“My dad tells stories that we have all heard 100 times before,” Tricarico said.

Despite a few repeats through the years, devoting the third Thursday of November entirely to food and festivities brings families together for their entertaining and slightly wacky traditions.

Giving thanks means giving back Dylan Donahue ’15 Fourteen years ago in his Westport garage, Al DiGuido began “Al’s Angels” a Thanksgiving meal bin packing project. That was the year they provided 40 families with Thanksgiving meals. This year they will provide meals for over 3,200 families within the tri-state area who are battling cancer, rare blood diseases or severe financial hardship.

“We can get caught up in our lives and miss the fact that there are many in our community that are hurting,” DiGuido said in an interview over email. “I think that all of us as members of the human family have an obligation to share our talents, enthusiasm and our hearts with those in need,” he added.

The Thanksgiving project takes place on Nov. 15 where volunteers can help to assemble the meal bins and load the food trucks.

However, Al’s Angels is the only charity that offers opportunities for students to act on the generous spirit of Thanksgiving (by more than just generous helpings of stuffing).

Another opportunity for students to volunteer comes through the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, which offers three separate Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities. There is a coat drive, a turkey drive and an online fundraiser where groups of people can form “turkey teams” and donate virtual turkeys online for $20 each. This year they hope to donate 3,000 turkeys and 15,000 winter coats.

This fundraiser actually takes place from Nov. 19 through Nov. 25, every day but Sundays at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport. The volunteers will pack bags of fixings and distribute them along with the turkeys, as well as help families find coats that will fit the members of the family.

Though the project is fairly new, starting only six years ago, the project has been growing in size in order to try and meet the need as much as possible.

“We think it’s important for everyone to be

able to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family,” Donna Romano, communications manager for the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, said. “Many people in our community do not have the financial resources to buy a turkey and all the trimmings that go into a traditional Thanksgiving meal, and many do not have proper clothing to keep them warm in the cold winter months.”

For students who want to volunteer without ever having to leave the cinnamon and nutmeg aromas that emit from cooking pumpkin pies, the Saugatuck Church Thanksgiving Community Feast offers the opportunity to volunteer at a Thanksgiving meal.

Along with helping to run the feast at the church by setting up the event, cooking turkeys and other dishes, serving meals, greeting guests, driving guests to and from the Feast and cleaning up, the volunteers also help by delivering meals to people who are unable to leave their homes.

“Thanksgiving began as a gathering of people from radically different cultures. The Feast brings together people from very different economic circumstances, a range of faith perspectives, different political views…and none of it matters,” Craig Patton, the husband of the pastor of Saugatuck Church, said in an email over interview. “We gather as a true community to celebrate the holiday.”

Though the event is held at the church, many volunteers aren’t parishioners at Saugatuck Church.

Anyone who wants to help at the event can sign up on the website.

These volunteer opportunities, as well as others, offer Staples students to do more than just say what they are grateful for; students can really be thankful for what they have by helping others who don’t have as much.

“Giving back always provides the giver more than the receiver gets in my opinion,” Diguido said.

“This work will provide volunteers with a real sense of pride and love in their hearts.”

PHOTO BY JANE LEVY ’16

Best Buddies picks prize pumpkins Jessica Gross ’15 Fall leaves crunch underfoot, chatter and laughter fill the fields, the scents of apple cider and woodsmoke permeate the air; the landscape burns with autumnal hues of red, orange and yellow.

Sunday, Oct. 26 could not have been a more perfect afternoon for picking pumpkins.

But finding a flawless jacko-lantern-to-be was not the only activity Staples’ Best Buddies took part in; they also worked their way through a corn maze, and saw multiple parts of the Jones Family Farm on a hayride.

“The hayride was probably my favorite part,” Best Buddies member Lily Dane ’17 said Though both girls were bundled up, Dane, rubbing her mittened hands together as the wind picked up, said, “Overall the weather was fine, not too chilly.”

When the buddies arrived at 1 p.m., the sun was shining, and the sky was blue. As the afternoon went on, clouds crept in. However, the mood was still sunny.

Member Jane Handa ’16 agreed with Dane; the best part of the afternoon was the hayride.

“We got to see more of the farm, and all of the buddies had a really good time,” Handa said.

Overall the event was a success, with Buddies bearing pumpkins of all sizes on their way out the gate. Members chattered away with their parents about their search in the sea of orange, the views admired atop the hay cart and the confusion they battled to find their way out from the tangle of corn rows as they departed.

Pumpkin picking has been a tradition of the Best Buddies for several years, but President Victoria Pappas was especially pleased with the event this year.

“Last year we went to Silverman’s, and they just had pumpkin picking. Anything else was too much [money]. Here (Jones’) is a little farther, but it’s so much fun,” she said.

Pappas most enjoyed the corn maze because of “the puzzle aspect.” However, her buddy, Emmy Shaah ’17 agreed with Dane and Handa.

“Emmy at first didn’t want to go on the hayride,” Pappas said.

“But then she really enjoyed it.”

PHOTO BY JESSICA GROSS ’15

November 10, 2014 | Advertisement

17

Inklings

south moon under

SOUTHMOONUNDER.COM

14 POST ROAD EAST | WESTPORT, CT

18

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Advertisement

November 10, 2014

A&E

19

GRAPHICS BY ELIZA GOLDBERG ’17, RENEE WEISZ ’17 AND SARAH SOMMER ’16

Come cold weather, Girl Scout cookie cravings kick in

Caroline Lane ’16 hen the leaves fall from the trees and snow falls from the sky, it marks the beginning of Girl Scout cookie season.

Though every person has a personal preference of Girl Scout cookies, a few stand out as favorites among Staples students.

The selection of Girl Scout cookies is endless, and there’s a cookie for every taste. Jenn Martin ’16, a former girl scout, claims that Thin Mints are the best.

“There’s no match,” Martin said. The thin mint-- a minty-fresh cookie coated in fudgey chocolate shell-- has been a bestseller since 1966.

Another cookie, which has been around since the 1950s, is the classic Trefoil. Scott Seo ’15 is a traditionalist when it comes to Girl Scout cookies. “I’d have to [say] Trefoils [are my favorite], they are the definitely the best ones,” Seo said. One bite of a Trefoil, and flavors of vanilla explode in the mouth as one tastes the simplicity of shortbread.

A fan favorite among the Staples community is the Tagalong. Jasper Fowle ’18 and his sisters are Tagalong enthusiasts and always argue over them. “We always fight when they’re in the house,” Fowle said. Many students are enticed by the creamy dollop of peanut butter and a milk chocolate coating. Tagalongs are always in high demand during Girl Scout cookie

W

season and are hard to find in the stands around town.

For people who are gluten free, try new Trios; a cookie filled with oats, gooey chocolate and smooth peanut butter. Katy Twombly ’16 has missed out on Girl Scout cookies due to her gluten free diet, but is thrilled at the news of a gluten-free cookie. “It's great that there are gluten free Girl Scout cookies because so many more people can enjoy them now,” Twombly said.

Another cookie that is popular at Staples is the Samoa. “Without a doubt about it, Samoa’s [are my favorite]” Vig Namasivayam ’16 said without hesitation.

Students say there’s no match to the burst of flavor: sweet caramel oozing over the sides, toasted coconut crunching and indulgent chocolate melting in your mouth.

However, for students like Carolynn Van Arsdale ’16 and Alex Suppan ’16, who are both still Girl Scouts, it isn’t about the taste of the cookies, but the tradition.

“Buying Girl Scout cookies raises money for troops overseas and troops at home. It’s really cool how a little girl selling cookies can make that much of a difference,” Van Arsdale said.

Whether buying or selling cookies, there is nothing more exciting than knowing that when the new year rolls around and Staples waves goodbye to 2014, it will mean that Girl Scout cookie season has begun.

Fall show “Hello Dolly!” means goodbye haircuts Zoe Brown ’15

DRAWING BY SALLY PARK ’15

Nineteenth century long locks and excessive facial hair are making a comeback for students involved in Staples Players’ production of "Hello, Dolly” this

fall. To fully capture the essence of the early 19th century characters, the cast– boys and girls–had to grow out their hair for the show.

For boys, this includes facial hair as well.

“Because in the 1890s, so many of the men had mustaches or muttonchops, we thought it would be fun to just ask the boys if they think they can grow some of it,” Players director David Roth said.

When opening of the show nears, boys

will go to the barbershop and get their hair cut and styled to match the show’s 19th century setting. Many students involved in the play have little problem with growing out their hair as it eliminates the need for wigs.

“It just makes it easier for everyone involved if we look the part by using our natural hair,” Bailey Claffey ’15, a featured dancer, said.

Some Players are even more enthusiastic about growing out their hair.

“It looks much better on stage when the haircuts are of the correct time period, and this helps create the world of the play,” ensemble member Colin McKechnie ’17 said.

Everett Sussman ’15 is especially glad that he won’t have to use his razor anytime soon.

“I am happy to do it for the show, and it gives me an excuse not to shave,” Sussman joked.

If a student did not grow out his or her hair, though, consequences for disobeying the request would not necessarily be grave.

“We don’t punish them, but we certainly expect them to listen to what we tell them to do,” Roth said.

Overall, Roth believes that avoiding the use of wigs will add to the authenticity of the show.

“The show is going to look great, and the hair is going to look fantastic,” Roth said.

20

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | A&E

oa r ds b a j i Ou r s with spook y s mon

YES Margaux MacColl ’16

T

hree girls were huddled in a dark room.

“Everything was in shadows,” Sam Galveo ’16 said.

The only illumination in the bedroom came from a sliver of light that crawled in from under the door. The only movement was the quickening of heartbeats as the three girls each placed two trembling fingers on a black pointer.

All eyes were attached to one daunting, fear-inducing,

pir i ts

e shi v

nightmare-creating object: a Ouija board.

All three girls used the board, hoping, like all the users before them, that the pointer would mysteriously move over letters a communication between them and the spirit world.

This ominous game typically consists of a brown board displaying a black font alphabet, numbers zero through nine, and the words “yes,” “no,” “hello,” and “goodbye.” It uses a small heart-shaped planchette as a moveable indicator that delivers a spirit’s message by spelling it out on the board. People have tried using the Ouija board to speak to the deceased since the toy was first patented in 1891. It has since become a fixture in American horror culture, appearing in dozens of TV shows and movies.

This past October another movie, appropriately titled

“Ouija” has been added to the list.

“Oujia” tells the haunting tale of a group of friends who use the supernatural board and unleash a plethora of evil forces that threaten their lives.

While just saying the words “Ouija board” is enough to make some Staples students quiver, others don’t believe the hype.

“I think they're silly,” Maggie Walsh ’15 said. She said that she’s used the board twice, neither time resulting in anything supernatural.

This skepticism surrounding the mystical board isn’t new - in fact, the origins of its controversy may have started with the very moment it was named.

According to historian Robert Murch, the board was named when medium Helen Peters and a group of her friends asked the board what it should

be called. The pointer creeped beneath their fingers to the “O” and then to the “U,” until it finally spelled out “O-U-I-J-A.” When they asked what it meant, the board responded with a simple “Good luck.”

However, the validity of this spooky story was questioned when further research by Murch revealed that Peters was wearing a locket with a picture of a woman who had the name “Ouijia” printed above her head.

While some question the supernatural nature of the Ouija board, others do not dare disturb it.

When asked if he would ever use a Ouija board, Sam Ahlgrim ’16 said, “I don’t want to. I believe in spirits, and a Ouija board would just cause problems.”

Ahlgrim may never find his fingers on a pointer spelling out his fate, but he certainly won’t be

GOODBYE GRAPHIC BY JOE BLAIKIE ’17

NO shying away from theaters next horror-movie season.

“I am a big horror movie fan,” Ahlgrim admitted.

As for “Ouija,” Galveo said that she’s “been waiting for it forever.”

Whether a ghost story keeps you up for nights or you don’t let spirits spook you, “It’s good to get scared once in a while - it spices up life,” Galveo said.

21

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | A&E

ABC gets into the Westport “Groove” Max Bibicoff ’16

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

Halloween haunts homes well into winter

I

Katelyn Deagro ’17

t’s a few days before Thanksgiving when a student might notice the eyesore of a house that still has zombies coming out of the ground and a giant blow up witch in the front yard.

Of course there is fun in decorating for a holiday, but for many students there’s a point when enough is enough.

“I think that leaving decorations out past Halloween is stupid since Halloween is over,” Alex Orseck ’17 said.

Decorations should be out a week or two in advance but then taken down soon after Halloween is over, according to Orseck.

David Faccin, the Westport Stop and Shop store manager, said that the seasonal decorations and other goods are to be treated

as “perishable goods.” This is due to a lack of storage space and that most people will not continue to shop for seasonal items after that particular season is over.

Though many people tread

“I think early October is a good time [...] Any earlier is a little ridiculous.”

-Madison Malin ’17 the fine line between the build up of anticipation and annoyance, they know when to cut their loses on the aisleway displays in the seasonal section. They know that the anticipation of Halloween can

only do so much to disguise the sugary chocolate and the cheap fabric of the costumes.

“I just think, if the holiday is over, then a week later they should take them down,” Emma Rojas ’18 said. Not only do people tend to leave decorations up too late, but Halloween decorations have also started to invade late August as well. For many students, this is far too early to begin preparing for the holiday.

“I think early October is a good time. That way you're thinking about Halloween at that point,” Madison Malin ’17 said.

“Any earlier is a little ridiculous.”

Granted, timeliness isn't the only factor. “Well there are two parts that go into it. Amount of decorations and time of placement. The amount is much stronger with its annoyance,” Drew Beitman ’15 said.

Groove Clothing Store, located on the Post Road in Westport, recently had the unique opportunity of playing host to ABC’s hit program “What Would You Do?” The hidden camera reality show led by correspondent John Quinones brought along a crew of actors to play out a controversial scenario in front of unknowing shoppers.

Cue the look of embarrassment on the customers’ faces when they found out that their disgusted remark had just been caught on film.

“What Would You Do?” is a show widely known for the heated incidents it captures in public places. Local businesses all over the country have been home to the program’s reactionprovoking scenes.

As the show’s catchy name suggests, it focuses on the essential decision that people are faced with every day: whether or not to get involved in problematic situations. Some of the issues that they have played out include homophobia and racism. Resembling a scientific procedure, the program experiments with variables such as gender and age in every episode in order to test the differences in people’s reactions.

“I was excited and thought that it was really cool that my mom’s store got picked out of many,” Amanda Neckritz ’18, one of the daughters of store owner, Corri Neckritz, said.

Owner Corri Neckritz touched on the details of the experience. She said although the selection process was mainly random, the store “met the criteria they were looking for.”

This criteria meant looking for a children’s clothing store in an upscale town, making Westport a fitting destination. She remarked that ABC found the store through her website during a search for possible filming locations in the area.

As one would imagine, a TV show constantly on the move takes some time to make every new environment ready for

filming. Cori Neckritz recounted the process and the lengthy setup that preceded it, saying that hidden cameras had been implemented with additional lighting early in the morning, as the crew had a long day of filming ahead of them.

This particular episode was centered around a young girl who was acting abusively towards the sales person. The girl and sales person were both actors, along with the girl’s mother and a few extras. However, real customers who entered the store that day had no idea of the filming and their potential appearance on TV, until Quinones walked in to shake their hand.

“The girl was so rude to the salesperson. They wanted to let the scenario get out of hand in order to get reactions,” Cori Neckritz said of the way the episode played out.

“There were full-on altercations between the actress’ mom and customers. Some people were ready to fight with the mother. I think it was a very rare scenario. People who live here don’t really raise their kids like that,” she continued.

While some would be eager to take part in such an intriguing experience, others might not have so readily volunteered.

Cori Neckritz said that, above anything else, it was for fun.

“Obviously there are two sides to it. It could offend customers, but it’s also a unique situation,” Neckritz said.

Emma Fasciolo ’16 said that she had just recently watched an episode of the show.

“I think it has a good purpose in getting people’s reactions to the controversial issues [...] that’s what makes it entertaining,” she said.

“It gives suspense and makes the viewers think twice about their own actions since it’s ordinary people,” Fasciolo continued.

The airing of the episode on TV will certainly be something to watch for in the coming weeks.

Who knows? You might just catch the priceless reaction of someone you know.

Vintage fashion finds modern fans in the Staples community Today, most teenagers are tentative to jump on the latest fashion trend and will choose to dress like the mainstream.

However, some students pride themselves on their original fashion by taking popular trends of the past decades and adding a modern twist to them to create something new: vintage cool.

“It’s taking the best stuff from the past and using it in new ways,” Tova Byrne ’15 said.

Byrne considers vintage jackets to be “her thing” (her favorite clothing item is a vintage canvas farm jacket she bought at a flea market).

Like Byrne, Harley Kowalsky ’15 is a supporter of the vintage trend. Some of the most prominent styles she notices are denim pieces such

DRAWING BY CHANNING SMITH ’17

Julia Greenspan ’16

as overalls, jean jackets, highwaisted Levi’s and ripped denim.

Many of these styles have been revived by chain-stores.

“Vintage grunge looks have been modernized in 2014 by going through an ‘Urban Outfitterfication,’” vintage-wearer Doug Raigosa ’16 said.

He believes the clothes manufactured were made to look vintage, but do not have the same originality as pieces he buys from Goodwill, Pacific Sunwear and Rue 21.

While many students always wear vintage fashion, there are others who wish to incorporate the trend in their style. “I wear J. Crew so vintage isn’t really my thing,” Katherine Coogan ’17 said. “But I wish I knew how to pull off the overalls look.”

These trends are mostly shown in the media by celebrities

and indie and alternative bands.

Students are fans of celebrities such as Alexa Chung, Nina Nesbitt and Miley Cyrus who advocate originality with vintage-wear.

Hayley Foote ’17, who is a fan of alternative bands such as The 1975, The Strokes, Cage the Elephant and Kodaline, believes that bands like these are making their way into the mainstream media. “The whole look they give off of being really grungy is becoming more common because of their popularity,” she said.

“As a society, we look back at the 90s and think, ‘Oh man, what were we thinking?’”

Byrne said. However, the cringeinducing styles of the past have been reinvented by students who are able to take old trends and turn them into something more modern and fashionable.

November 10, 2014 | A&E

Inklings

22 PHOTO BY SOPHIE ROSEN ’15

Concerts

Emma Lederer ‘16 tanding in a crowd of fellow fans, belting your heart out to songs that you know all the words to, and seeing your favorite artists in the flesh is an activity that many students regularly shell out hundreds of dollars to secure seats for.

Max Rothstein ’17 expressed his personal fondness for live music. “Seeing a band perform live is often better than listening to them on an MP3,” he said. He explained that there’s something much more real about seeing bands perform in person.

While large, publicized concerts such as Foam and Glow – an EDM concert with lots and lots of foam-- and venues like

S

hit a high Terminal Five and the Roseland Ballroom are extremely well known by the student body, there are a plethora of less popular venues with concerts that are often a lot less pricey than popular shows. Rothstein explained that there are even well-known bands that perform nearby. “There are many great venues to see locally and sometimes internationally successful bands,” Rothstein said.

However, he acknowledged that many people don’t know about or attend the shows because the venues don’t always advertise as heavily as popular venues do.

Rothstein’s favorite local

note venue happens to be Staples High School. “Most people don’t know that there are live concerts at Staples,” Rothstein said. “Bands like Kicking Daisies and MOTP have performed.”

Another promising local concert venue is the Levitt Pavillion. Ben Rogers ’15 explained, “I think that the Levitt does a good job of providing music to all age groups,” and “gives time for families to spend time together and enjoy themselves while listening to wonderful music.”

Unfortunately, even though most people who live in Westport

closer are aware of the extensive revamping the venue underwent, the schedule makes it difficult for many people to attend concerts at this new-and-improved venue.

“The Levitt groups perform on most weekday nights,” Rogers said. “I feel if there was more music on the weekend, it would attract a lot more people.”

Emma Fasciolo ’16 believes that people may not take advantage of the quality local venues they are not quite local enough. “My favorite [venue] is the Fairfield Theatre Company,”

to home she said. “I think not a lot of people go there because it’s not directly in Westport so it’s not necessarily close to us.” Fasciolo has enjoyed many performances at the Fairfield Theatre Company, her favorite being a Pink Floyd tribute band.

Even though local venues may not always be local enough or the schedule isn’t always the most convenient, these venues are extremely promising and worth checking out.

GRAPHIC CREATED ON WORDLE.NET

Young writers scribble stories beyond school Megan Root ’15 For many students, the word “writing” brings to mind ideas like “essay” and “literary devices” and “thesis.” After all, a good deal of the four years of required English classes at Staplesfocuses developing analytical skills.

But some students have made a more meaningful connection with creative writing, the kind associated with ideas like “poetry” and “imagination.”

Some pursue this side of writing in their free time, a hobby that proves both enjoyable outside of school and beneficial in school.

When Michael van der Merwe ’16 took his first creative writing class outside of school he wasn’t expecting it to be fun.

“I discovered this love for writing fictional stories that hadn’t been there before,” he said.

Currently, van der Merwe is in a teen creative writing class at Westport Writer’s Workshop.

Susan Ross teaches the course, which follows a workshop model, where students recieve lots of

peer feedback. Ross says she is more of a “facilitator” than a “teacher.”

“This isn’t school,” Ross said. “What I really want is for kids to be able to have time and space to do their own thing.”

The flexibility of the class has allowed van der Merwe to explore genres he wouldn’t normally write at Staples, such as screenwriting and short stories.

Right now, he is working on a story about a teenage runaway.

Emily Schussheim ’17 found similar freedom in a self-paced course offered by Johns Hopkins, and has tried writing everything from short stories to poetry,.

She has also completed projects requiring skills very different from the ones used in analysis essays.

“In English-class writing, you work to detangle themes and patterns to find meaning, while with creative writing your goal is to weave in motifs and devices to create meaning,” Schussheim said.

Despite the differences, Schussheim still feels writing in

her free time has improved her performance in school. Minahil Salam ’16, who was won three Silver Key Awards for poetry, agreed.

“I didn’t actually start enjoying writing in English class until way after I started writing poetry,” Salam said.

Only two Staples classes focus on the writing that interests

“I discovered this love for writing fictional stories that hadn’t been there before.”

- Michael van der Merwe ’16 Salam and other creative writers: “Reading and Writing Fiction” or “Reading and Writing Poetry.”

Last year, English teacher Amanda Morgan taught the class on fiction writing, and

she followed the same kind of workshop structure used at Westport Writer’s Workshop.

“I wanted to emphasize the writing process and investing in your work and giving your peers feedback more than I wanted to set out the idea that there’s a right way to write a short story,” Morgan said.

The personal nature of creative writing makes it harder to grade, but also makes it a singular means of expression.

“There are kids who might have trouble expressing themselves in any other way, but they really can explore their thoughts, their feelings, their imagination through creative writing,” Ross said. “I think it’s very empowering.”

Morgan agreed with Ross, and said she included some creative assignments in her regular English classes as well, although she is careful about students who aren’t comfortable with the more abstract format.

“I think, often, these are the assignments in which students are the most invested,” Morgan

said. “But I usually incorporate some sort of reflection with it... so that students who might feel less confident in creative writing still have concrete things they can do.”

Because there is a limit as to how much creative writing can be included in standard English classes, van der Merwe feels Staples should open more classes that focus on this style.

“It’s not very popular here,” said van der Merwe. “We only have [those two] classes and [they’re] available for just juniors and seniors.”

Morgan supported opening a more general creative writing class for younger students. The exposure might help them to figure out what kind of writing most suits their interests, she said.

“I think there would be a lot of value in introducing younger students to the workshop process and giving them an opportunity to do more creative writing,” Morgan said. “Then students could decide to take one or both of the more specific classes later.”

November 10, 2014 | Advertisement

Inklings

LOVES Staples High School Students COME SEE US!!

30 Hard Ice Cream Flavors • Soft Serve Ice Cream • Yogurt Milk Shakes • Floats • Sundaes Try the “Manny Special” – Take the "Wrecker Challenge" Over 100 varieties of bulk candy Great Cakes Cupcakes, Fruit Bars, Cookies, Brownies Riverside seating – come see us at Saugatuck Center Open Tuesday thru Sunday from noon til 10pm Like us on Facebook !

WE SUPPORT WRECKER SPORTS !!!!

WELCOME SUPER FANS !!!!

575 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT 06880 • 203-642-4615

23

sports

24

November 10, 2014

Athletes debate the safety of turf fields Andrew Vester ’17

W

PHOTO BY CLAIRE DINSHAW ’17

hat does Jinny Parker field, Staples Stadium and the field at MetLife Stadium all have in common?

They’re made of turf, and they might be more dangerous than their grass counterparts.

The turf fields located at Staples are crumb rubber fields, made up of reused, shredded tires. A study conducted by Environment and Human Health, Inc. showed that a chemical contained in this rubber is butylated hydroxyanisole, a recognized carcinogen that is believed to be a toxicant for the endocrine, gastrointestinal, immune and nervous systems. A carcinogen is a substance that is known to directly cause cancer.

According to a recent study conducted by NBC News, the crumb rubber found in turf might not be the safest surface for athletes to play on, and that it may in fact lead to cancer.

Physical education department chair David Gusitsch

INFOGRAPHIC BY EMMA LEDERER ’16 MADE ON PIKTOCHART.COM

was not worried by this recent study, or the previous studies about turf fields.

“The administration conducted all the research to make sure there is zero concern for the safety for students, athletes, and anyone else out there on the fields,” Gusitsch said.

“I would feel comfortable with my kids out there, participating on those fields.”

However, student athletes felt differently about the situation.

“Athletes usually spend a large part of their lives on the field,” field hockey and lacrosse player Aishah Sofiah ’17 said.

“And if [turf] is dangerous for us, we should reevaluate the materials being used.”

The potential that turf fields cause cancer is not the only issue that student-athletes have with these fields. A study conducted by the University of Missouri revealed turf fields are stiffer than the all-grass alternatives, which leads players to injure their knees and ankles more

easily. Players also have the risk of getting turf-burns, something they don’t have to deal with when playing on grass.

In the same study, turf fields reached temperatures exceeding 170 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer, presenting a danger to the athletes.

On the other hand, some students feel that it is safer to play on turf. Many grass fields have divots that can either be natural, or caused by overuse of the field without proper maintenance.

This can make whatever sport being played more dangerous for the athletes.

“I personally believe turf is safer than grass,” Jonathan Maragos ’16, a football player, said. “Players get better traction versus on grass where it can get really muddy and kids can slide.”

In addition to this, various other studies have shown that turf fields don’t pose a major risk to their users. As shown in a study by the state of California, a chemical found in this rubber, chrysene, increased

PHOTO BY FRITZ SCHEMEL ’17

the probability of cancer by .0000029 percent, only if the rubber is regularly ingested.

Many students weren’t convinced by the studies that cancer could be linked to playing fields on turf.

“I’m not too worried about the turf playing fields. There’s no real definitive studies that show that they can cause cancer,” Lilly Howes ’17, a soccer player, said.

“But then again, cell phones and electronic devices cause cancer, and we don’t really care.”

Currently, there are contradicting studies that show that turf can both be safer and more dangerous than their grass equivalents. However, if one of these studies does become available, the school will take whatever precautions necessary to protect its students.

“If there is something serious, [the district] is going to address it,” Gusitsch said.

“We’re not going to continue to put people out there, at risk, if there are known facts that show that turf can cause cancer.”

ATTACKING THE NET One of the members of the varsity �ield hockey team, Colleen Bannon ’17, practices shooting at the goal with assistance from Chloe Deveney ’17 on the turf �ield at Jinny Parker Field on Nov. 3.

A break in seasons does not provide relaxation time Ben Foster ’16 Whether or not Staples sports teams make it on to FCIAC, all fall seasons come to an end at some point in November. But what happens next? Depending on which sports students play, the offseason could last a few weeks or as long as nine months.

For Staples swimmer Kenzie Healy ’17, there is no such thing as an off-season.

When asked about time off from swimming, she said, “Essentially there is none, although during championship

“A lot of us go to the gym, we do a lot of running, we play for club teams.”

-Michael Reid ’15 season we may taper and have an easier practice.”

Right when the Staples swim season ends, she continues swimming with her club team.

Similarly to Healy, Michael Reid ’15 has an off season filled with soccer. In Dec., Reid begins training with his club team, Everton.

“A lot of us go to the gym, we do a lot of running, and play for club team. Basically we just try and stay in shape as much as possible,” Reid said. He also emphasized the importance of off-season training to improve results during big games.

In addition to club play, Staples soccer coach Dan Woog offers many helpful soccer, physical, and cardiovascular workouts throughout the offseason.

“We have voluntary 6 a.m. workouts in the fitness center two days a week from January to June,” Woog said. “We have two summer leagues and we have monthly competitions in different sports like basketball and volleyball. We have very tough ‘Workouts of the Week’ all summer.”

Like the boys’ soccer team, the football team keeps working during the off-season. The team punter Ryan Fitton ’17 explains the intensive training regimen they have to go through. “We lift three days a week during the winter and spring. We lift and run four days a week at 6:30 in the morning throughout the whole summer,” Fitton said.

As fall sports end, another season, the off-season, is just beginning for athletes.

“The training keeps the team together,” Woog said. “It gives them confidence and strength.”

25

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Sports

Staples and Greenwich Teams honor seniors battle on Thanksgiving in grand fashion

F

Thomas Nealon ’17

or 93 years now, Americans have maintained the tradition of watching professional football games on Thanksgiving. At Staples, there is a similar tradition; the Wreckers football team challenges Greenwich to a crucial end-of-the-season game on Thanksgiving Day. The tradition of the Thanksgiving football game dates back to the year 2000, when Coach Marce Petroccio made a decision to start an annual game versus Greenwich.

“Back then, no one wanted to play Greenwich on Thanksgiving; they were too good. But I said, okay, I’ll play them, and that’s how the whole thing started,” Petroccio said.

Coach Petroccio viewed the Thanksgiving game as an opportunity to play against an opponent who would challenge the Wreckers.

According to Petroccio, the one game that was the most memorable and important to the rivalry was the 2009 game. In that game, the Wreckers blocked a field goal in the final seconds of the game to win 30-28, and remained undefeated that season.

This year’s game looks to add to that long history. According to MaxPreps.com, Staples is ranked eighth in the FCIAC this year, while Greenwich is ranked sixth.

The game will most likely have playoff implications and decide the fate of both teams’ seasons.

“Not only will it be the last regular season game, but anytime you have the opportunity to play a great program like Greenwich and potentially beat them, it is a great way to end the season, especially since the game has evolved into such a fierce rivalry,” Petroccio said.

This year, the game will be very memorable for the players because they get to carry on a tradition that has lasted well over a decade.

“It really does mean a lot considering the great tradition behind the game.

Anything can happen on Thanksgiving, and just being part of its great history is truly an honor,” Captain Jake Melnick ’15 said.

The impact this year’s game has on Melnick is bigger than usual, considering that it could potentially be the last game ever played as a Wrecker for Melnick, and all the other seniors.

“Being a senior, it really does make it even more important for us to win. It will be one of the things we remember for the rest of our lives,” Melnick said.

Former player Nick Ward ’14 experienced the intense rivalry first-hand, but he is now attending and playing football for Trinity College. As he reflected on his memories of playing for Staples, he, too, found the Thanksgiving game to be one of his most fond memories.

“It was an honor to play in the game against Greenwich on Thanksgiving. Two

out of the three times I played them, it was for the FCIAC Championship, so it had even more on the line than it usually did,” Ward said, “I have missed playing in every game this year, but I will miss this game the most because of the intense rivalry and rich tradition of this game.”

It is hard for former players and coaches to not feel nostalgic when reflecting upon Thanksgiving Day games. These great memories have positively impacted their lives and will remain with them forever. For most Americans, Thanksgiving football is simply entertaining, but to those who have ever been a part of the Wreckers football program, and have ever proudly worn the white and blue, the Thanksgiving rivalry game is more than a game; it is life-long memories waiting to happen.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

Blake Rubin ’16 Girls decked out in vibrant shirts blow their whistles as their senior teammates arrive at the cafeteria. A luxurious breakfast awaits them along with gift bags full of expensive goodies. This is a typical scene from a girls’ sport Senior Day. Not to mention the classy posters.

Celebrating seniors on sports teams is a tradition commending seniors on being leaders. The tradition is also a fun way to end the season.

However, boys’ and girls’ sports have wildly different ways of approaching this celebratory event.

Boys’ varsity soccer coach, Dan Woog, said that they do very little for Senior Day. “We introduce the seniors and their PHOTO BY CLAIRE DINSHAW ’17

parents. That’s it,” Woog explained in an email.

Aside from introducing “the seniors and their parents,” the boys’ varsity soccer team recognizes the senior teammates during their banquet Woog said.

On the contrary, girls Senior Day involves catchy posters, homemade baked goods and, sometimes, even fish. On Fri., Oct. 10, the girls’ swimming and diving team gifted their seniors with goldfish.

The girls carried them around their aquatic friends from class to class all day.

Some traditions, however, are less exotic. Standard senior days remain the same across all sports teams. Juniors secretly customize shirts, help coordinate the goodie bags and organize the decorations behind all the seniors’ backs.

They don’t want the surprise to be spoiled.

This past Senior Day, juniors participating in girls field hockey designed navy blue t-shirts for the members of the program with the seniors’ names on the back. When the seniors arrived at the cafeteria, they were then given their pink senior day shirts.

“Senior Day was so amazing [this year]. The juniors did a great job of honoring us all,” Meg Fay ’15, varsity field hockey player, said.

Not only juniors are participating in Senior Days. Underclassmen help contribute to the special day as well. Not only do they wear the shirts supporting the graduating seniors, but they also help the juniors create the decorations for the cafeteria.

“Senior Day definitely unifies the freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams.

We all have to work together to bring breakfast and decorate,” Nicole Welch ’17, a junior varsity girls’ soccer player, said.

However, Welch then explained sometimes it feels exclusive because the varsity team has bonded with the Seniors the best. She hopes to be a junior on the varsity team next year, so she can experience a more successful senior day by becoming close with her senior teammates. In a year from now, she and the other juniors will take an active role in preparing the Senior Day for the class of 2016.

While the underclassman help contribute to the morning breakfast, as well as supporting their senior sport members, it is a tradition that when they are seniors, the underclassmen will do the same.

So, prepare for the feather boas.

TRADITIONS BORN (far left) Teddy Coogan ’15, a captain of the football team, poses in his Adidas game uniform. In last year’s Thanksgiving game, Greenwich defeated Staples 27-7. (near left) Aishah Avdiu ’17, a member of the girls’ varsity �ield hockey team, sports her senior day gear.

26

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Sports

“It didn’t come easy.

I was never one of the best in my grade, but through hard work and dedication, I propelled myself to where I am today.”

-Nathan Panzer ’16

PHOTO BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’16

THROWING OUT THE FIRST PITCH Panzer works on his throw at Staples Field. The junior currently plays for one of Baseball U’s fall travel teams.

Rebecca Rawiszer ’17

B

dedication and commitment that helped him reach his baseball goals. “It didn’t come easy,” Panzer explained. “I was never one of the best in my grade, but through hard work and dedication, I propelled myself to where I am today.”

Long-time teammate, Ben Casparius ’17 also noted Panzer’s work ethic. “When he was younger he used to sort of suck,” Casparius admitted. “But as time went on and people were honest with him, he knew he needed to start working even harder to get to the level he is now, which obviously paid off a ton.”

According to his teammates, Panzer has multiple strengths as a baseball player. Teammate Noah Yokoi ’16 noted that “his speed, arm strength and overall ability has transformed day and night.

He’s grown into a real talent on the baseball field.”

Not only does he possess these qualities as a baseball player, but he is also appreciated as a teammate.

“He is always looking out for the person next to him and is as much as you can ask for in a teammate,” Ian Burns ’15, Columbia commit, said.

Even, Staples baseball coach, Jack McFarland described Panzer as “unselfish, hardworking, and a leader.”

Panzer’s supporters have been a huge part of his success. Panzer explained that he wouldn’t be where he is today without his dad, who is always traveling with him and supporting him. Panzer also noted that Casparius and Yokoi “are like brothers to [him].

[They] have gone through this entire process together, which has made it an even more incredible experience.”

PHOTO BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’16

aseball star Nathan Panzer ’16 recently committed to the University of Maryland and is “extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a Maryland Terp.”

Though he started playing in the yard, Panzer quickly progressed to playing Little League with his step-brother, Andrew Ingber ’16. However, his passion for the game really sparked after taking home the trophy for the fifth grade Little League championship.

The college recruitment process started in the summer of 2014, where Panzer participated in a tournament at University of Virginia.

Many coaches became very interested in Panzer after watching him play in the tournament.

Coach Rob Vaughn, the assistant coach and hitting instructor at Maryland, was especially impressed with Panzer’s performance and gave him his card. They started contacting each other, and Panzer considered Maryland as one of his top choices.

Meanwhile, Panzer continued getting offers from other schools, such as Penn State and Stony Brook.

Something about Maryland caught Panzer’s attention, though. “I thought the overall atmosphere of the campus was great,” Panzer said. “But the thing that put it over the top was how good the baseball team has been lately.

They came in thirteenth in the nation in the Super Regionals of the College World Series, just losing to the University of Virginia, which is number two in the country. And the new coaches are doing a

tremendous job.”

There are defi nitely some pros to being committed so early. For instance, Panzer doesn’t have to submit college applications to other schools.

However, even though he is committed, Panzer has no plans of giving up in school.

“There is a lot less pressure on me, school-wise,” Panzer said. “But I am still trying to do the best I can, both academically and on the field, in order to make the transition to Maryland smooth and simple.”

It was this same sense of

GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE DINSHAW ’17

Panzer committed to University of Maryland as a junior

Girls’ basketball welcomes new coach, Paco Fabian Alix Sommers ’16 After playing basketball at Norwalk High School and making it to the state championships in 1996, Paco Fabian is ready to take on the role as the new coach for the Staples girls’ basketball team.

Five-years ago, Fabian was the assistant coach for Norwalk High School’s girls’ basketball team. “I decided to apply for the coaching job at Staples because I love the game of basketball so much, and I miss being out of the sport,” Fabian said.

Many of the basketball players are also excited for the season and excited to get to know their new coach.

“Paco’s been great in the preseason,” captain Madeline Schemel ’15 said. “He’s been very enthusiastic, and knows a lot about basketball, so I think everyone has a positive outlook on the season.”

Fabian, however is not a new coach to Staples. He’s been coaching the girls’ varsity tennis team for two years now and previously coached the boys’ varsity tennis team.

Fabian’s coaching has also left an impact on his players.

“Paco always has the interest of the team on and off the court,” tennis player

Vanessa Mauricio ’17 said.

“He [is] always thinking about the team both in practice and matches. His experience as a player when coaching us [makes] tennis that much more of a great experience.”

Many members of the girls’ tennis team are thrilled to know that their coach will be coaching another Staples sport.

“I was excited to hear he is the basketball coach because I think he is really able to get through to players and help them be the best they can be,” girls’ tennis captain Avery Wallace ’15 said. “The tennis team improved significantly when he became coach because he was able to highlight all of our potential and help us win.”

Fabian is thrilled for the basketball season to begin and can’t wait to apply what he’s learned as a player to his coaching.

“I am most excited about the competition and teaching girls the game of basketball the way I was taught,” Fabian said.

“The girls seem ready to learn, and I feel like they really want to be pushed.”

Girls’ basketball captain Maggie Fair ’15, added, “Paco has already had an impact. I know after playing summer and fall league games that he will be a great coach.”

Girls’ and boys’ track and field

PH OTO BY EM MA FA

SC IOLO ’16

The Staples boys’ and girls’ indoor track teams are ready to tear up the track come the winter season. Co-captain Luis Cruz ’15 believes the boys’ team has a shot at winning FCIACS. “We are going to try and recruit some new sprinters in order to stack our sprinting squad,” Cruz said. “Other than that though, our distance team is looking great. I would definitely say that winning FCIACS is the goal for our team” On the girls’ side, co-captain Elisabeth French ’15 thinks that the team can build off of last year’s success.

“We lost a few key seniors but I know our coaches have been preparing for that,” French said. “On the distance side, so far during cross country this year, we’ve been very strong so I hope that can translate into fast track times come indoor.”

Staples takes a peek at

Winter sports Chase Gornbein ’16

T

his winter season, Staples sports are shaping up to feature some marquee teams that are looking to last deep into the postseason come championship time.

Boys’ wrestling

PHOTO BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’16

27

Inklings

November 10, 2014 | Sports

The boys’ wrestling team has a lot of newcomers and a big freshman squad, so the team will look very different.

Jonathan Maragos ’16 is a believer that the team hard work in the off-season will lead to success come the regular season.

“Expectations are high this year,” Maragos said. “We have recruited a lot of kids to come out for the team and have been putting in the work this year. Myself along with three other kids went to a Cornell wrestling camp for 19 days this summer. Other kids on the team do lots of off-season clubs. Things are going to be a lot better than last year.”

The boys’ swim team has prepared since September for the winter season, and they are ready to dive in for some fast times.

“I know that most of us from the Staples team have been swimming at the YMCA, where we have been practicing since as early as September,” swimmer Sebastian Ortega ’16 said.

Boys’ swimming and diving

PHOTO BY AILEEN COYNE ’16

PREPARING FOR THE SEASON (top left) Running on the track (from left to right) Connor Teran ’17, Zak Ahmad ’17, James Lewis ’16 and Luis Cruz ’15 work on their times during varsity track’s practice. The team placed second in the recent FCIAC competition. (top right) Varsity wrestling members Justin Ludel ’15 and Charles Lomanto ’15 work on their skills during a practice last season. They are both captains this year. (bottom left) Members of the boys’ swimming team compete in State Opens at Yale University, where they placed eighth. (bottom right) Players Rachel Seideman ’17 (right) and Olivia Troy ’17 (left) practice ball handling at a preseason practice in the �ieldhouse on Oct. 27.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’16

Girls’ and boys’ basketball The boys’ basketball team is ready to wreck the opposition during the winter season. Ben Casparius ’17 believes the hard work the team has put in during the off-season will be beneficial come game time.

“During this off-season we have played in a fall league where we have games on Sunday,” Casparius said. “We also have conditioning after school on Wednesdays and early morning scrimmages on Thursday.”

Girls’ basketball player Rachel Seideman ’17 believes that the new coaching staff. mixed with the team’s off-season training is bound to help girls’ basketball beat the competition.

“We have a great new coaching staff who have organized conditioning sessions for our team,” Seideman said. “Our goal this season is to make states and do better than we did last year.”

SPORTS

Inside

Nathan Panzer committed for baseball as a junior

The Wreckers

Page 26

Staples senior day traditions hold strong

Page 25

InBrief

PHOTO BY ELIZA GOLDBERG ’17

Girls’ Cross Country The girls’ cross country team placed first in the FCIAC championship after finishing the regular season 16-2. The team brought home the second place title at the State Class LL, and third place at State Opens, both of which were held at Wickham Park.

Boys’ Cross Country

GALLOP AND CANTER Megan Hagarty, who attends a private school in Stamford, rides in a competition at the Hunt Club on June 1, 2014.

The sport of horseback riding takes off in Westport

I

Sarah Ellman ’15

t’s a sport with no teams.

A sport that requires both concentration and skill. A sport competed on four legs. It’s horseback riding.

Horseback riding is not a sport many students know about, but for some, including Tori Haber ’17, it’s part of a beloved daily routine.

“The difference between riding and a sport like soccer is that [...] riding is a planned situation, while soccer is more dependent on other people,” Haber said.

A number of student riders compete in horse shows all throughout the country.

Horse shows include a variety of different events including equitation (referring to when riders are judged on form, style and ability), flat (referring to when the horses do not partake

in any jumping) and jumping, (referring to when horses and riders are judged on their execution of jump obstacles).

Carly Crossfield ’16 became involved with horseback riding through the Fairfield County Hunt Club when she and her sister participated in their summer camp and then signed up for lessons. “I became hooked immediately,” Crossfield said.

She said she enjoys seeing her friends at competitions and working with animals. “I think as a kid I really liked taking care of the animals, whereas now I love the competitive aspect,” Crossfield said.

Haber agreed with Crossfield in admiring the competitiveness of horseback riding. She said there are only about three months in a year when she is not on the road showing.

“Once you get to a higher

class in showing, depending on what you qualify for, it is insanely exciting to see your name on a big screen and win the prizes that are given,” Haber said.

According to Haber, horseback riding takes a lot of brainpower. She said the majority of the mistakes made tend to be the riders’ fault.

“You have to think about what you are doing, what your course is and what you are doing wrong,” Haber said.

Haber has been riding horses since she was almost 4-years old and began riding competitively at Silvermine Farm in Norwalk, Connecticut when she was about 8-years old. Haber said her best experience with a sport has been with horseback riding even though she used to play other sports including soccer, lacrosse and skiing.

“I thought that I would miss

being on a team when I stopped playing sports, but as individual as riding sounds, you are really on a team with your barn,” Haber said.

Another Staples horseback rider, Hope Penwell ’17 also began riding when she was 8-years old and has also continued with various other sports. Like Haber, Penwell fi nds horseback riding to be her favorite.

“I love the bond that forms between the rider and the horse,” Penwell said. The relationship between the horse and the rider is important and can make riding difficult if the horse doesn’t trust the rider, Penwell also said.

Trust, attentiveness and expertise are crucial components of the equation.

“It’s a sport that deals with an animal, so it’s not a sport where you can only rely on yourself,” Crossfield said.

Finishing the regular season undefeated, the boys’ cross country team is ready to race and hopes to make it all the way through the championship season. The team placed second, losing by a single point at FCIACs. The team took home the fifth place title at States and finished in third place at Opens.

Boys’ Water Polo The boys’ water polo team is in the midst of their most competitive season. On Nov. 1, the boys’ water polo team competed in a tournament at Hopkins School in New Haven.

The team finished 1-1 in the tournament.

Football On Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. the Staples football team played Bridgeport Central under the lights at home. This week, on Nov. 14 the team will be playing at 7:00 p.m. at Norwalk High School’s Testa Field. On Thanksgiving morning at 10:00 a.m. the football team will be at Cardinal Stadium in Greenwich.

Girls’ Swim and Dive On Nov. 8 at 6:00 p.m. the Staples swimming and diving team competed in Class LL Trials in East Hartford. The finals this week are on Nov. 12 at Wesleyan and State Opens follow on Nov. 15 at Yale.

PHOTO BY ELIZA GOLDBERG ’17

Girls’ Basketball The girls’ basketball team will be holding tryouts starting on Nov. 24. The team will begin their season on Dec. 10 against Norwalk. Last year the varsity team had a record of 7-13.

HEAD UP, BACK STRAIGHT (above) At the Hunt Club a rider jumps over a high-level barricade during a June 1, 2014 competition. (right) Hope Penwell ’17, atop a horse named Nike, takes a ride at the Hunt Club located on Long Lots Road.

For continual updates, check inklingsnews.com PHOTO BY CAROLINE O’KANE ’16