INKLINGS OCTOBER 5

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Staples Goes October 5, 2012

Founded in 1933

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New Google Apps Program Implemented Ryder Chasin ’14 & Ben Goldschlager ’14 Web News Editor & Staff Writer

J

ust over a year ago, Facebook access was still a fantasy in the halls of Staples High School. An attempted logon to the social site, and computer screens were blasted with error messages and warnings of a policy violation. Well, policy has changed.

Staples lifted the Facebook firewall before the last school year, and so allowed students to bring their virtual lives from home to a reality at school. This shift in viewpoint moved Staples closer to its vision for a “21st century education,” and the changes, as of now, are showing no signs of slowing. In the year since, the program has gone through an overhaul—after the better part of two decades, Roundcube is no longer considered the sole communication gateway.

The technological revolution

THE SEARCH IS OVER: The Westport Public School district has officially made the switch to Google Apps for Education. The program has brought about both favorable and disapproving reviews from students and teachers alike.

PHOTO BY ALEX GREENE ’13 has finally come to Staples.

On July 1, Westport schools began using Google Apps for Education, marking an end to proprietary software and an initiative to use the Cloud almost exclusively according to Principal John Dodig, referring to the use of web apps such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, Gmail, and data storage on the Internet.

Though it has been both criticized and praised by students and teachers, the administration ultimately chose Google Apps because it offered the most flexibility at a good price, said Natalie Carrignan, the Director of Technology for Westport Schools.

Dodig called this move toward the Cloud “the overarching reason” why the change was

made, with the ultimate goal being the implementation of a bring your own device (BYOD) policy. This is slated to begin next school year, according to Westport Schools’ Five-Year Strategic Technology Plan.

“The district will no longer have to buy laptops because most kids bring their own laptops or tablets to school,” Dodig said.

Dattco, Drivers At Odds Ellie Gavin ’14 & Aaron Hendel ’14 Staff Writer & Sports Editor

It isn’t over yet.

While the bus strike announced Sunday may have been averted (at least as of Oct. 2), sources say the drivers and the bus company, Dattco, are far from an agreement.

While both sides say they remain generally optimistic that they will reach an agreement,

some drivers say they are deeply dissatisfied. Some of the issues under mediation are typical, like wages; others, equally as vital, are more surprising.

According to several in-town drivers, who wished to be anonymous, their pay is much lower than that of drivers in neighboring towns such as New Canaan and Wilton. According to one driver, for first-year employees in Westport, the hourly wage starts around $16, whereas drivers just a few miles away often earn be-

PHOTO BY BEN REISER ’13

STALLED AT THE CROSSROADS: Strike talks parked in neutral as

all parties seek an agreement.

Inside the Issue

tween $23 to $26 for the same job.

However, Dattco officials said, Dattco is not the only company that offers bus services for public schools in Fairfield County, and numbers can vary depending on the terms of the specific agreements between the town and the company.

The drivers would strike against Dattco, not Westport schools. In 2010, Westport’s Board of Education entered into a five-year contract with Dattco; the cost of the contract was $16,759,991.71, including $225,000 in property taxes paid

by Dattco over the five years.

Dattco Chief Operating Officer Cliff Gibson said that he doesn’t believe the reported $7 to $10 range is accurate. He did not say what the range is but added that he believes Dattco’s wages are not the highest, nor the lowest. He called them “competitive.”

Gibson and the anonymous driver both added that wages for drivers can be affected by a number of factors, particularly a worker’s tenure at the company.

According to the anonymous driver, net pay is also much higher in other towns, and a major factor is the number of hours

However, with a few exceptions, this plan will not work if the school continues to use proprietary software due to the potential incompatibility of software between different computers.

Another reason for the move was cost. Dodig called Microsoft Office prohibitively expensive, Continued on page 3

Teachers Required to Post Grades in Online System Ellie Gavin ’14 Staff Writer

For the 2012-2013 school year, Staples teachers will be trying a new grading system that will require teachers to post scores on a regular basis using eSchool electronic grade book to aid in communication between parents, students, and teachers as well as helping students stay on top of their work.

Likewise, the administration wanted to offer the program to teachers as an alternative to spending money from their own pocket on systems like Jupiter Grades.

The eSchool system will work similarly to systems like Jupiter Grades that Staples teachers, especially in the math and science departments, are already familiar with. The online system will allow both students and parents to see their current course grades including a breakdown of each individual assignment as well as missing work. According to Mr. Dodig all Staples teachers will be utilizing this program by second semester.

Staples is following an effort begun by the Westport middle schools, which have been using the system since 2010.

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 4

Senior Day Rules, Restrictions

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Changes to Orphenians, Choir

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2

News October 5, 2012

The Parking Price Tag Sami Bautista ’13 Web Sports Editor

E

mblazoned with one’s class year and framed by the standard Staples blue, student parking stickers are displayed proudly on the windshields of the majority of cars found in the school’s parking lot. Each sticker is branded with a unique registration number in order to identify the car. However, it is not the only number that comes with student parking. A price tag looms over every single blue and white sticker.

For seniors, the cost of their parking stickers is $50 apiece.

Juniors don’t have to pay as much money, because they receive their stickers later on in the school year. According to Richard Franzis, one of the assistant principals, the price is “pro-rated” depending on the time of the lottery. For instance, Franzis estimates that a sticker in April will only be about $10.

According to Franzis, $14,000 per year is usually accumulated from student parking and goes into a Student Activity Account. This account mostly provides funds to sustain parking such as new tickets, new stickers, and the maintenance of the security vehicle.

In fact, this year the money was used to buy the new security vehicle from the Westport Police Department.

Patrick Micinilio, assistant principal to the senior class, also adds that the money goes towards the general upkeep of the school.

“Last year, somebody took the gate between Bedford and Staples,” Micinilio said. “Things like that aren’t generally in the budget, so having these funds is helpful.”

Despite the fee’s purpose, some students remain skeptical about the cost.

“I’m sure the school uses the money for good stuff, but they just bought new computers so I doubt they desperately need our money,” Turner Block ’13 said. “It’s overpriced, and the school is taking advantage of the students, because they know we have to pay.”

Elizabeth Coogan ’14, a hope-

ful contestant of the junior parking lottery, agrees.

“The price is a little high,” Coogan said. “Besides staff and visitors to the school, who else is going to be taking up those parking spaces except for students?

The spaces would be empty without students, so why should we pay that much?”

Greg Salamone ’13 feels the same way.

“I never enjoy giving up hard earned money, but corporate is going to do what they please. We wait 17 years to get senior parking, yet we have to write a check,” said Salamone. “It’s like they care more about the numbers than the person.”

In contrast, Franzis believes that it is a fair deal.

PHOTO BY ALEX GREENE ’13

BUMPER TO BUMPER: Seniors, and a few select juniors, are al-

lowed to park in school lots, permitted they purchase a $50 parking sticker. The money goes towards a Student Activity Account.

“Parking is a privilege, it’s not a right,” Franzis said. “The Town of Westport graciously provides a large sum of money in the form of school buses, so students could get here for nothing if they wanted to.”

However, Georgie Talbot ’13 disagrees wholeheartedly.

To her, she believes that student parking is, in fact, a right.

“We shouldn’t have to pay for parking. We have to go places. We have a lot of commitments, and we deserve to have parking for free,” Talbot said.

“After all, we do go to a public school. Everything should be free.”

Although there are many protests from Staples students, other schools in Fairfield County have much more to complain about. Weston, Fairfield Ludlowe, and Fairfield Warde charge their seniors $100 or $50 per semester for their juniors. Wilton has two different parking lots. Seniors can either buy assigned parking spaces for $150 or park at a free parking lot with no guarantee for a spot.

The free parking lot functions by the first come first serve policy. Lastly, Ridgefield charges $200 for their student parking stickers.

With so many different opinions, there was only one thing that Garrett Jordan ’13 could say about the issue: “It’s bogus.”

A Matter of Time

Juniors, Seniors Alike Take College Entry Exams This Fall Katie Cion ’14 Staff Writer

BY THE NUMBERS

As the school year begins, juniors and seniors are at very different points in planning for their futures. Whereas juniors are just beginning on the long trek that is the college process, seniors are starting down the final stretch.

Yet increasingly, these two paths are crossing at one crucial point: standardized testing. Both juniors and seniors are sitting down this fall to take the ACT or SAT, though with goals and incentives varying between the two grades.

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to get it out of the way and not have to focus on it later,” said Melissa Beretta ’14 of the ACT, echoing a popular sentiment among junior test takers. Beretta took an ACT for the first time in April of her sophomore year and again on September 8. “You have an unlimited amount of times to take it, so why not try it early on?” Beretta added.

Alec Maki ’13, who also took the September ACT, offers a similar explanation.

“This was my fourth ACT. I thought I could do better, so I might as well just see what happens,” said Maki.

This mindset is promoted by the many options available when reporting scores. Both score choice from the College Board,

which allows students to choose only their best score to report to colleges, and super scoring on the Common Application, which picks the highest score on each individual section of the ACT or SAT, increase the possible benefit of retaking standardized tests.

However, Elaine Schwartz, Director of Guidance at Staples, advises against taking standardized tests too many times.

“If you take it too many times it doesn’t change your score all that much,” Schwartz said. “You tend to plateau.”

According to a 2009 study conducted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a group that represents the interests of private and public guidance counselors, more than one third of the postsecondary institutions surveyed said that an increase of only 10 or 20 points on the SAT would “significantly improve a student’s likelihood of admission.”

Such statistics serve as an incentive for Staples students to test early and often.

“I was almost mad at my parents that I didn’t start earlier,” said Zoe Cohen ’13, who took her first college entrance exam December of junior year, and took another this September. “I wanted to be done with it.”

Westport Educational Consultant J. Yoon also supports standardized testing earlier on.

“One of the reasons I like my students to take it junior year is to avoid the pressure of senior year,” Yoon said.

Pressure, which, both Cohen and Maki agree, is compounded with the addition of filling out applications, maintaining high GPA’s, and many other tasks keeping seniors busy this time of year.

However, Cohen also cites several advantages to testing senior year, including having more courses under her belt and more experience in standardized testing.

Nathan Allen, President of Andover College Preparatory Inc, sees such advantages helping specifically with the ACT. Al-

len says that whereas the SAT is a “bastardized IQ test,” the ACT is more content based, similar to many statewide assessments, thus it is important to be comfortable with the content covered on the test before taking it.

As for the SAT, Allen says that taking it junior or senior year is “irrelevant,” and rather places importance on the specific month in which the test is taken.

“I strongly recommend taking released tests, which are in October, January, or March,” Allen said. “They don’t try anything new on released tests. And if anything goes wrong you can find out why.”

Schwartz, Yoon, and Allen all acknowledge that ultimately, it is up to the individual.

“None of this happens in a vacuum,” said Allen, who advises students to plan out their time and figure out which test date works best with their individual schedule.

Furthermore, Schwartz urges students to remember that college entry exams are not the be all and end all for juniors or seniors.

“SATs and Across all score ranges, there was a ACTs are only on small part of a stuincrease from junior scores to senior scores. dent’s entire portfolio,” said Schwartz. of juniors taking the test again “Students have as seniors improved their score. options. A lot of schools no longer had score drops. need SATs or ACTS for admittance. Just do the best you can. had no change.

It’s only one piece.”

STATISTICS FROM THE COLLEGE BOARD

10.8 point

55 percent 35 percent 10 percent

A Global Shortage Sparks Class Projects Ben Reiser ’13

Managing Editor We thought this could only happen if pigs flew.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this year’s drought in the Midwest has caused prices to increase dramatically for corn and soybeans. As a result, U.S. pork production is expected to be reduced in 2013. In an August report, the USDA stated that per capita consumption of pork products in 2013 are expected to decline by 1.23 percent.

It didn’t take all that long for headlines to be screaming the words we never thought could be a reality: “Global bacon shortage imminent.”

In some cases at Staples, the news has been used to an academic advantage. Social studies teacher Sara Pinchback has been teaching her students about the shortage in her AP Economics classes to solidify the curriculum concepts of supply, demand, shortage and elasticity.

“We used it as a fun way to review the concepts we are currently covering in class,” Pinchback said.

“We may even track its progress.”

Despite its economic implications, the bacon shortage does not seem to faze Daniel Kaseff ’14 all too much.

“I, as well as most bacon lovers, would be willing to make some sacrifices in order to enjoy the succulent delight that gives so many Americans hope in a time of despair,” Kaseff said. “Bacon is bacon.”

Indeed, Westport will be seeing less of its favorite breakfast meat not only domestically, but around the world—according to the European Union, pig herds are significantly declining on a global scale.

As Britain’s National Pig Association chairman Richard Longthorp put it, the shortage is now “unavoidable.”

Judy Feng ’13 had only one thing to say in face of the news: “Don’t go bacon my heart.”

News

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

An Endangered Species

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Will Staples Learning Centers Become a Thing of the Past?

Jordan Shenhar ’13 Web Managing Editor

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eyboards

clack. Pages turn. Occasional whispers are rendered unintelligible by a humming printer and stifled yawns. Faint footsteps resonate in the hallway.

Learning centers, one of the last bastions of silence left at Staples, harbor nervous test-takers and quiet studiers alike, day in and day out, without the commotion or clamor of the library or the cafeteria. And after years of understated functionality, the Learning Center may be going extinct—albeit not in the immediate future.

According to Principal John Dodig, Staples now houses approximately 1,900 students after one of the largest year-to-year enrollment increases in school history. The increased growth took the district by surprise, greatly surpassing the estimated number due to an unexpectedly large influx of students moving into town and transferring from private schools, combined with a sharp decline in students leaving the system.

The population boom is already creating logistical nightmares, as there are not enough classrooms for the number of courses taught at Staples.

“There’s no more room at the inn,” Dodig said. “We’re running at maximum capacity. We’re completely booked.”

If this year’s growth becomes

a trend, Dodig said, Staples will have to make some consolidations. And although he hopes that the school would be able to preserve them, he acknowledged that the learning centers are among the rooms that may have to be sacrificed in the interest of creating space for additional classes in the future.

English teacher Sue O’Hara, whose AP English Literature class has had to meet in the library due to the lack of available classrooms, isn’t particularly keen on eliminating the learning centers either.

“Learning centers are important, so I would investigate some underused spaces, like storage rooms with windows, to create more room,” O’Hara said.

She added that she “doesn’t feel stuck” in the library and is “not unhappy” with the unorthodox arrangement.

Andrew Bowles ’13, a student in O’Hara’s class, mirrored her positive outlook on the situation.

“We have a tiny class, so we fit in the classroom, and it’s really not that different,” Bowles said.

“And I don’t think the Learning Center would be any better.”

Most likely, future classes in similar situations won’t have to find out. Math department chairman Frank Corbo felt confident that the learning centers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“A change is not imminent,” Corbo said. “Kids like it, parents like it, it isn’t going to happen.”

Dodig, however, was less

PHOTO BY DINA SILBERMAN ’13

LENDING A HELPING HAND: Physics teacher Richard Fisler helps a student in the Math and Science

Learning Center.

convinced that the future would remain bright for auxiliary spaces like the community room and the Learning Center. He expressed hope that, if absolutely necessary, the town would look into expanding the building to a capacity of 2,000 students by completing an extension to the World Language hallway.

The extra wing was included in the original plan for the school’s renovation in 2006 but was scrapped before the project was finished. Dodig said that infrastructure like plumbing and

electricity is in place; however, the Boerd of Education has not discussed the possibility of an extension.

If popular support continues, and growth returns to its normal yearly rates, the learning centers may endure for students like Peter Sauer ’16, who had been scheduled to make up a test when he learned that his teacher was absent. Sauer stayed in the room to work on programming homework, citing it as a “less noisy” alternative to the library.

Social studies teacher John

Miller also praised the quiet atmosphere in the Learning Center.

“There are times in the office when there’s 50 different things going on, so the Learning Center is a nice chance be able to sit,” Miller said.

O’Hara remained hopeful that the school could resolve the overpopulation issue without substantial changes to the way Staples operates.

“I’m sure they planned for the future,” she said. “The future just came faster than they planned.”

District Response to New Google Apps Program Mixed Continued from page 1 while Carrignan confirmed that moving to the new version of Microsoft Office would have cost the school district $150,000—money that’s currently not in the budget.

“Many school districts throughout the nation are using Google Apps,” Dodig said.

And Google supports Dodig’s claim. According to the company, Google Apps is being used by 16 million teachers and students, including colleges like Brown University and the University of Notre Dame. But at Staples, its

popularity is mixed.

“I haven’t actually used it yet,” Matt Willis ’14 said.

Others have a more positive outlook, like Michael Adler ’13.

“Overall, switching to Google Apps will provide a better educational experience for both students and staff,” he said.

Gabe Pensak ’15 offers some criticism, saying that Google Drive is not always clear.

“Sometimes a document for homework looks like classwork,” Pensak said. “This could definitely pose a problem.”

However, despite student

reviews, many teachers, whom the school mandated to take a two-hour training session during the first three professional development days, are happy with Google Apps. Among teachers, one avid user of Google Apps is new social studies teacher Sara Pinchback.

“I really enjoy using Google Apps with each of my classes,” Pinchback said. “There were lots of groans in the beginning of the year, but groans are decreasing, and I have even heard some ‘I really like Google Apps.’”

David Scrofani, a physics

teacher, is also a fan of the move to Google Apps, particularly Gmail. According to him, teachers and students now have an “effective” way of communicating outside of school. In contrast, Scrofani believes that Roundcube—last year’s email system— was, in essence, useless.

“If I sent a student an email through Roundcube, they might see it five days later,” Scrofani said. “Maybe.”

A complaint, on the other hand, was with the official rollout of Google Apps, which Michael Abrams ’14 called disorga-

nized.

“I don’t remember much notification about it until my parents received the email [with the Acceptable Use Agreement] that we had to sign,” Abrams said.

Dodig admits to Abrams’ claim. “Some people did not like the fact that we were getting rid of something that we had been using since probably its inception,” he said.

But Dodig believes that the change was inevitable.

“The entire industry is moving that way,” he said. “The writing is on the wall.”

GOOGLE DOCS: WORD CONVERTER

Go to your Doc, click on “File,” “Download As,” and “Microsoft Word” to automatically download your work. You might encounter a few weird font and formatting snags, but the Word document content should be perfect.

GOOGLE DOCS: REVISION HISTORY

To locate your Revision History in Google Docs, click on “File,” then “See Revision History.” Google Docs automatically saves documents as they are edited, and a log is created as a result.

GOOGLE READER: A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

Click “Reader” under the “More” tab to store links for blogs and news feeds.

When one of your specified websites posts, that post will automatically come up in your Google Reader—no more last-minute scanning for a juicy current events presentation.

GRAPHIC BY JAMIE WHEELER-ROBERTS ’13

4 News

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Best Buddies Chapter Wins State Award Carlyle Klein ’13 Staff Writer

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taples High School seems to have a club for everything.

Whether you’re into bicycling or sailing or astronomy, it’s here.

For those looking to make a personal connection and help someone with a disability, there’s Best Buddies.

Last June, the Staples chapter was awarded The Outstanding High School Chapter in Connecticut. Eleanor Powell, the program manager who works with schools in Connecticut, explained that the Staples chapter “went above and beyond and participated in every event, raised money for all of our fundraisers and had really strong student leaders as well as a terrific advisor.”

The award wasn’t given lightly. Club advisor Patty McQuone, along with the other club mem-

bers, compiled a packet detailing the clubs accomplishments. The packet was then sent to Powell who passed it onto Anthony Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Best Buddies International.

Two months later, McQuone was told by another program manager, Cassandra Henderson, that they had won. She remembers being “stunned and excited” upon hearing the news.

Sharing that same excitement was co-president Joe Aftab ’13, who exclaimed, “I couldn’t wait to get up onto the stage to receive the award in front of about 1,500 people and represent the club and the school!”

Last year, the Staples Chapter participated in numerous events.

One of the major events that led the Staples chapter to this award was fundraising for the Best Buddies friendship walk.

Staples raised $1,905, the most of any other participating chapter. In ad-

dition to the friendship walk, Best Buddies members dedicated time to giving back in the community.

They raked leaves for the Clasp Home and baked pies for Thanksgiving, which were then delivered to the ABC house and the Project Return House, both in Westport.

Another memorable event was the 13th Annual Best Buddies Ball hosted by the Staples chapter. With a “Nations Around the World” theme, live music and food from different countries, this was definitely a night to remember.

This year, Best Buddies plans to grow the club and add some new and exciting events into the mix.

the club’s accomplishments, McQuone believes that the club’s true purpose is “helping the buddies to do a lot more and learn how to reach out.”

Best Buddies strives to afford disabled students the opportunity to settle in and feel comfortable in their school setting. Club members

work to bring all students together and provide a sense of community.

“I want the kids to have that chance to be included, because when you think about it and you know who they are, they are just like any other kid,” McQuone said.

“Let’s give them a chance to have a great high school experience.”

According to McQuone, there is the possibility of a silent auction and a talent show as well as the events from last year. The club has weekly Tuesday meetings in Room 2012.

Best Buddies has come a long way. Even though she’s proud of

PHOTOS BY ALEX GREENE ’13

ABOVE: Buddy Alexander Baumann ’15 enjoys a fun-filled day of

whale-watching with his fellow buddies.

LEFT: The award-winning chapter of Best Buddies poses for a picture at a September meeting.

Controversy Surrounds New Online Grading Program Continued from page 1 Coleytown Middle School principal Kris Szabo believes that the system has been beneficial to the middle school by aiding in communication between the parents, teachers, and students.

“Our initial fear was parents using it to go after teachers, but that didn’t happen,” Szabo said.

“It cut down on the number of phone calls teachers got and cut down on teachers having to go after kids [about missing work].”

Despite its benefits, the system is controversial because it raises discussion about how independent high school students should be. As teenagers inch closer to adulthood, there is fear that giving parents total access will discourage their independence and responsibility.

Principal John Dodig believes that students deserve full access to their grades. “Grades are the currency of students,” Dodig said. “If my boss told me, ‘we’re not going to tell you what your salary is until January,’ I don’t think I’d like that.”

Dodig added that the response among staff has been “two-pronged.”

On one side of the argument are teachers like English teacher Brian Tippy, who feel that forcing teachers to use the system could potentially be counterproductive to their style of teaching.

“In some classes, teachers don’t want [to post a running average] because they don’t want students to think ‘I’m a B

student, I’m an A student’ right then,” Tippy said. “They want them to wait and give themselves a chance.”

Math teacher Bill Walsh has different take. While he said he is not necessarily against the idea of grade transparency, he fears this system could potentially be an unnecessary distraction.

“I think it’s very important that math teachers spend a lot of time thinking about math and how to teach math,” Walsh said.

“With one other aspect of communication, it takes away time thinking about that discipline and teaching that discipline.”

He added students should have an understanding of their grade without it being posted.

On the other hand, some teachers feel the system is what the students and teachers need.

Italian teacher Enia Noonan, who has supported the idea for years, feels that without the posting of each grade, it can be hard for the students to understand where their yearly average comes from.

“The grades belong to the students,” Noonan said. “I really think that if you are going to give a student a grade, you need to be able to explain why.”

As for the student body, some said they are concerned about the parents having total access.

“We’re adults now, we should be moving more towards adulthood and not having our parents over-parent us,” Dana Segal ’14 said. “Some kids should be scared because they are screwed.”

Drivers Fight for Better Wages, Holiday Pay, More Work Continued from page 1

“It’s a slap in the face,” a driver said.

A few drivers also say that the vehicles themselves need to be replaced. According to one, the buses are old, hot, and even “smelly,” with the heating and air conditioning systems often malfunctioning. The driver also said that in other towns, these equipment problems aren’t as prevalent; he finds their buses are in better condition.

Gibson said that Dattco subjects its vehicles to inspections annually, and he is proud to say that Dattco buses comply with age limits agreed to by Westport and the company. He said the buses pass what he called “strict”

inspections.

As of now, negotiations continue. The bus drivers, due to involvement of a federal agency, agreed to continue working while negotiations proceed. The drivers are working under the terms of their former agreement. It seems that while a strike has temporarily been averted, one in the future may still be a possibility.It is not clear how long it will take for them to come to an agreement.

According to athletic director Marty Lisevick, a contract disagreement between drivers and the bus company has occurred before. The last time, he said, it took about two months to come to an agreement.

worked. In other towns, he said, bus drivers amass more hours because they get to drive charter trips for events like field trips and athletic games.

According to the driver, the proposed contract actually cut hours for many employees, even those who have been loyal for many years. Ultimately, the driver said, the combination of the low pay and reduced hours would mean a significant decline in overall income.

Gibson, on the other hand, said that Dattco has the “responsibility” to use all available Dattco drivers in Westport for the charters, adding that in the fall and spring in particular, it is very common for towns, not just Westport, to be supplied with buses or drivers from elsewhere in order to accommodate all student transpor tation needs.

According to some of the drivers, in addition to the wage inequalities that have been in place for years, new provisions in the renegotiations for the new conPHOTO BY ALEX GREENE ’13 tracts will remove holiday pay for the THE NEGOTIATIONS GO ROUND AND ROUND : According to an anonymous drivers. bus driver, other towns in Connecticut have buses that are in “better condition.”

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Opinions October 5, 2012

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

I will check my grades on eSchool. I will check my grades on eSchool.

eSchooled

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Online Grading Policy Will Fuel GPA Obsession

n Feb. 15, 2011, Staples aired “Race to Nowhere,” a movie that drives one point home: Stop freaking out about grades.

The next fall, AP U.S. History was offered for the first time to sophomores.

Inklings EDITORIAL

Something’s not right here.

Just a few months ago, the administration told teachers that in January they will have to publish numerical grades on eSchool, an online gradebook. This was decided, it should be noted, with minimal, if any, input from students, teachers, or parents.

We’re a little worried. We think that giving students and parents the ability to monitor

“Silver Crown Award” for Inklingsnews.com from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2011 “Crown Newspaper Finalist” Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2011 First Place “All-American” from National Scholastic Press Association 2010-2011

All the opinions, news, and features in this paper are those of Staples High School students. Inklings has a circulation of 1,800. The paper is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Natioanal Schoalstic Press Association and supports the Student Press Law Center. All letters to the editor must be signed before they will be published.

The editorial board reserves the right not to publish letters and to edit all submissions as it sees fit.

grades will exacerbate the already GPA-obsessed culture omnipresent within these halls.

The other day, a runner on the girls’ cross-country team noticed her physics grades had been posted online. Cut to a scene change: the entire team left practice to grab phones and check for grades, too.

Obsessing over grades sucks the learning out of school. It means many of us learn to get a grade, rather than learn for the sake of learning. When we measure our averages down to three decimal places, we become accountants, not students.

Staples praises creative learning and critical thinking, posing three essential questions that flash in blue type in front of the main entrance: What are we learning? How are we learning? Why are we learning?

Why, then, would the school Editors-in-Chief Rachel Guetta Ned Hardy Managing Editors Chloe Baker Ben Reiser

Web Managing Editors Cheyenne Haslett Jordan Shenhar News Editors Danny Cooper Hannah Foley Will McDonald Jamie Wheeler-Roberts Opinions Editors Callie Ahlgrim Kate Beispel Katie Cion Erik Sommer

choose to implement something that so obviously prioritizes grades over learning?

Quite frankly, it’s a bit hypocritical.

One day, the administration tells us to stop worrying about grades and to focus on learning itself. The next day, we’re encouraged to define ourselves as numbers.

We get it—we’re some of the biggest culprits. We check our grades almost as much as we check Facebook.

And we know that for some, checking grades can be motivational. Access to eSchool could clear up some of the mystery that surrounds grading. Seemingly random grades could be explained clearly in the form of specific numbers.

But not all classes are created equal. Online grading may work well in the average math or science class, where grades are based sole-

Features Editors Rachel Labarre Deanna Schreiber Julia Sharkey Haley Zeldes Arts & Entertainment Editors Greta Bjornson Sophia Hampton Claudia Landowne Sara Luttinger Sports Editors Molly Barreca Aaron Hendel Simon Stracher Bailey Valente Web News Editors Ryder Chasin Eliza Llewellyn Web Opinions Editors Bailey Ethier Eliza Yass

ly on test scores. But it won’t work in the average English or social studies class, where there are gray areas, and rightly so.

There’s no doubt that Staples strives for academic excellence and isn’t afraid to show it. We don’t rank students, but we have both a GPA-based National Honor Society and High Honors Dinner.

However, even the good academic intentions behind these practices are often clouded by the over-competitive drive of our community.

The other day, we overheard a disturbing comment.

“Whenever I’m feeling down about my grades, I look up Norwalk Community College on Naviance.”

What’s gotten us to this state of mind? We need to separate learning from grades, and eSchool access won’t cure our GPA-obsessed culture.

It’ll just bury us deeper within the hysteria.

Web Features Editors Sophie de Bruijn Chris Ramey Web Arts & Entertainment Editors Claire O’Halloran Caroline Rossi Web Sports Editors Sami Bautista Joe Greenwald Photography Editors Alex Greene Rose Propp Business Managers Ellie Mann Alex Spector Advisers Anne Fernandez Mary Elizabeth Fulco Julia McNamee Stephen Rexford

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

6

Opinions

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Yes, I’m From Texas; No, I Don’t Drive a Horse

N

o one prepared me for what it was going to be like being new to Westport as a freshman. So I’m going to be honest.

Being a new kid in Westport sucks.

There is no other way to put it, it flat-out sucks. Being a freshman is hard enough, so you can imagine how horrible being a freshman and a new kid is.

But everyone, and I mean everyone, told me that being new to Westport as a freshman would be great, so on the first day of school I wasn’t that worried.

Everyone was wrong.

If you move to Westport as a sophomore, junior, or senior, people at least are more likely to realize that you are new. But since I was a freshman, all the Coleytown kids thought I was from Bedford, and the Bedford kids thought I was from Coleytown.

On the first day of school last year, not wanting to sit alone, I sat with some random kid at lunch. After I told him I was from Houston, Texas, he stood up, called me a “dumb redneck,” and left.

In Houston, everyone made an effort to get to know the new kid. In Westport, people aren’t nearly as outgoing and don’t

GRAPHIC BY EMMA RHOADS ’14 make nearly as much of an effort to get to know the new kids.

At lunch no one reached out to me. The lack of friendliness people showed me was perceived by me as, who the hell are you and why are you sitting at this table?

It probably took a month or two to finally make a few friends and have people learn who the

heck I was. When people found out I had moved to Westport from Houston, all I heard were redneck jokes.

For example, in my Global Themes Facebook group last year, every time I had the word “ain’t” included in one of my statuses, someone would comment, “Haha Bailey said ain’t.”

But I’d like to clear the air:

as shocking as this may sound, I don’t own a shotgun, a cowboy hat, or a horse named Bucky.

And I’m definitely not a Dallas Cowboys fan. I might have accidentally put the word “y’all” in one of my essays, but that’s it.

And while I didn’t exactly enjoy hearing about the oil rig in my backyard and how my parents drove pick-up trucks, I

accepted the fact that I would forever be known as the redneck hillbilly from Texas.

Later in the year, when I lost a bet with a friend, I not only became known as a Texan, but also as the kid who wore a blue morph suit on Spirit Day. So to all the kids new to Westport who happen to be reading this, don’t get known for something; get involved. Unless you’d rather be known as a morph suit-wearing redneck from Texas; in that case, go for it.

Instead of sitting in your room on Facebook, do something to help you get to know people. It doesn’t matter if that’s sports, Players, or even Inklings.

If you do something you’re interested in, you’ll meet other kids who are interested in the same thing, and you won’t be forced to awkwardly sit at a table listening to a discussion of the latest “Gossip Girl” episode.

I know that sounds really cheesy, and your guidance counselor has probably told you the exact same thing by now (minus the “Gossip Girl” part), but it’s true.

Being a new kid sucks, but you can make your year good or bad. If you sit in your room talking to old friends about how you hate your parents for moving you and how Westport sucks, your year is going to stink.

Even if you hate Westport, try to make the best out of a “bad” situation. You’ll be surprised how good it might just be, even if you are a dumb redneck like me.

2010

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Opinions

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Together at Last

7

Most classes at Staples are grade-exclusive. You’ll never find a senior in a Global Themes class or a freshman in AP U.S. Government and Politics. However, attaining the coveted upperclassman status means some might find themselves in classes with students a bit older or younger than them. Here’s a glimpse into experiences of being in classes with mixed grades.

We’re All Chicken

J

uniors and seniors: there’s not really much that separates these two grades at this point in the year. To use an analogy, both grades are chicken.

Let’s face it, the juniors look as old as us seniors, and know the ins and outs of Staples just as well as we do.

There’s really little physical difference, we are all the same type of meat.

However, there is one essential difference between these two grades: a difference in outlook on life and attitude. In the world of chicken, let’s just say one grade is honey-glazed chicken, while the other is spicy BBQ chicken.

Let me explain. Juniors are at the start of what will show itself to be the most intense year of high school.

The combination of AP courses and standardized testing makes this year a killer. They are the BBQ chicken: full of emotions and explosive with energy.

The seniors on the other hand have just completed this challenging year. The end of the college process is in sight, and their attitude might be more, well, relaxed than juniors. They are the honey-glazed chicken: mel-

low and comforting.

When members of both grades are present in the same class, a relationship is formed that benefits both members. The juniors need something to keep them sane. They need to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Seeing the seniors in their relaxed state serves this purpose. It lets them know that after sol-

diering through this extreme year, senior year will be better.

Some might say that seniors’ more laidback manner is distracting to the juniors in this critical time. I disagree.

As a junior, it was quite comforting to be able to see that the intensity of school would decrease next year.

Seniors also benefit from this relationship. They need something to keep them grounded and remind them that this year still counts, and the high school journey isn’t quite over yet. In a class of all seniors, there is often no one who is motivated, and even the most dedicated of students will struggle to

Kickin’ Back with the Seniors

perform to his or her full extent in such an environment. However, with the presence of juniors in a class this state of no motivation can be avoided.

There are others who are still working hard.

To refer back to the extremely relevant chicken analogy once again, the best piece of poultry would be a mix of these two extremes; not so spicy that your mouth is on fire, not so sweet it’s sickening to eat.

Aside from the motivational aspect of having juniors and seniors in the same classes together, I find that such classes really widen one’s circle of friends. For the first two years of high school, you don’t really gain too many friends in different grades; this is largely because freshmen and sophomores are not interacting that much, as they rarely share classes.

Having juniors and seniors in class together leads to meeting new people, which can never be bad (okay, the chicken analogy doesn’t really relate to this aspect of the relationship…).

So to seniors that bash the juniors they share classes with, I say give them a chance. We were juniors just a couple months ago. We’re all chicken.

Ah, seniors. The indescribable student.

But I’ll take a stab at it.

The super laid-back students who don’t seem to have a care in the world.

They enter the classroom with a slow shuffle and collapse into their seats, assuming their default positions — head on hand, one leg extended, slouching deep into their chairs.

As the teacher brings the class through lesson after lesson, their eyes seemed to be glued to the clock.

This is what it’s like to be in a classroom with a senior.

There’s always speculation when two age groups are mixed together and expected to collabo-

rate in class. Will they get along? Are they going to work effectively? Can we join these two different groups and make one, comfortable learning environment?

I think it depends on the class. This is my first year in classes mixed with seniors, and it was a little intimidating at first.

I figured that feeling would soon disappear; with time comes comfort.

So far, so good.

But I guess three years of persistent hard work really wears you down, and by the fourth, some seniors have no motivation left in you whatsoever. Class discussions are a lost hope — I find my teachers asking questions to a silent class.

I’ve narrowed it down to a simple science — seniors exist in three groups.

First, there are the enthusiasts. This rare group of seniors exemplify the perfect student — raising

their hands for nearly every question the teacher asks, rhetorical or not. I’ve only seen this type once or twice.

Then, you have the cruisers. Cruisers are those who know they have the right grades and SAT scores from their previous year to get into college. In short, they’re not worried.

They just want to get the remaining credits they need.

Lastly, you have the slackers, which I think is safe to say makes up at least a quarter of the senior class. These kids are so happy to be in senior year that they just want to get by with doing as little work as possible.

Despite the fact seniors alter the mood of the class, I will admit, it’s nice to have a group full of new faces. One’s own clan can get tedious after a couple years, and it’s a breath of fresh air getting to interact with new people.

All in all, the seniors in my classes are mixed; some have positive attitudes toward the actual subject, while others just towards college. However, no matter what their intentions, I can assure you working super-duper hard is not among them.

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA HAMPTON ’15

It’s Time to Dressalize

GRAPHIC BY EMMA RHOADS ’14

This past Monday, I was walking towards my economics class when one of my friends stopped me and told me news that was hard for me to handle.

“We have to wear long dresses to Red and Whites,” she said, and the first thing that went through my head was “No.” I understand how this might seem ridiculous, like something you would see @ whitegirlprblms write on Twitter, but as a girl in her own little Westport world, I cannot ignore it. Long dresses frustrate me.

It has been a tradition at Staples that senior prom is the only dance where girls wears a long dress. The extended length of our dresses is a sign that our high school years are coming to a close. Requiring long dress-

es at Red and Whites and the County Assemblies takes away what makes senior prom special.

Quite honestly, I never planned on wearing a long dress to senior prom. I am a five-foottwo 17-year-old. If I wore a long dress I would look like Stumpy from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.”

The president of the County Assemblies claims that the change in dress code was made because the event was turning into more of a “Hollywood dance-party” than a black-tie event.

Although I respect that Red and Whites and Counties is a charity event, the attendants are students in high school. The age of the students and the way that they dress doesn’t ref lect their level of respect for the charity and the people in charge.

But this isn’t just about how I would look. Dances aren’t cheap. There’s the ticket to pay for, f lowers for your date, get-

ting your hair and nails done, buying shoes and a dress. With this change in length, the price of a dress could double. The average short dress for Counties or Red and Whites used to cost roughly $150. There is absolutely no way I’m paying more for a long dress that I don’t even want.

Furthermore, how are they planning to regulate the length of our dresses once we get to the dance? They traditionally use breathalyzers before students enter the venue so what are they going to do now?

Picture it: students walk in with their group of friends, heading towards a man holding a breathalyzer, the test results are negative and the students move on. Next, a chaperone kneels onto the f loor next to female students and whips out a ruler. If your dress is more than three inches above your ankles: you’re out. It will be the new craze at the Fairfield County charity balls: Dressalizing.

8

Opinions

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Amplify the Entertainment

Obama, Romney Need to Keep Voters Interested to See Success

A

s someone who is into politics, the presidential election is something that I have always been very interested in.

Even in 2004, when I was only 8-years-old, I paid close attention to all the Kerry and Bush news and TV headlines to see what was new on the election front.

In 2008, the idea of the end of George W. Bush’s time as president drew me once again to the television screen. I had been waiting for a new president since Bush was re-elected in November 2004.

This year my interest is no less than before, and in some ways I am even more interested. This is the final presidential election until I am actually able to vote, and I am concerned about who will be the head of our country as I enter adulthood.

But even though I am in some ways more interested now, I feel like this presidential election is missing something that the 2008 election had.

The 2008 election was fun and interesting. From Obama’s motivational speeches to the character that was Sarah Palin, the election kept me absorbed.

Four years ago, Obama was a new and fresh personality. I loved the idea of a new Democratic presidential candidate, and the fact that Obama was African American piqued my interest. I was sick of white guys

GRAPHIC BY AMY PERELBERG ‘15

being in charge.

However, this year, I almost know Obama too well already.

His presence is kind of boring. I feel like the pizzazz that he offered in 2008 is gone.

Sarah Palin’s comical statements and general lack of knowledge about politics made the race of 2008 sheer farce at points. But Mitt Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan is definitely

INKLINATIONS How would you change teen driving laws in CT?

“I think that we can handle driving past 11:00 p.m. It’s annoying that if you go to a movie at 9:00 you have to worry about getting home in time.”

— Spencer Manners ’14

no Sarah Palin. This year, something just seems to be missing.

Paul Ryan is the kind of guy that bores me to tears. He agrees with everything Romney says, while not adding much zest to the Republican ballot. He also has a voice that drones on and on and on. Ryan actually reminds me of Vice President Joe Biden. Even though the men are of opposite political parties,

they feel like the same person to me. Both tend to agree with everything their running mate says, and they also lack a personality. The running mates that presidential candidates choose are supposed to make me want to vote for their ballot, but these men do the opposite.

Even though I am still interested in the election this year, I miss the freshness and excite-

Connecticut driving laws state that within the first six months of obtaining a license, the driver can only drive alone, with a parent or guardian, or a person of at least 20 years of age who has held a license without suspension for four years. Within the second six months, the passengers are ex-

“I would make it legal for twins to drive each other when they have their permits.”

— Baxter Stein ’14 (a twin)

ment of the 2008 election. Elections aren’t supposed to be entertaining, but I am the kind of guy who likes to be entertained, and the 2008 election definitely did that for me. I am excited to see what presidential elections will become in the future. Maybe during the 2016 presidential election, something really wild will happen.

How about Palin 2016?

tended to include immediate family members. Until the driver’s 18th birthday, he or she must abide by the 11 p.m. curfew, wear a seatbelt, and use no mobile devices, including those that are handsfree. Staples students offer their input on these driving laws.

“After six months when you can drive siblings and family members, I would make it so you could also have friends in the car, but no more than four friends.”

— Allie April ’13

“I would allow parents to make their own curfews instead of 11:00 by law. It’s not fair that the government is basically parenting parents.”

— Nikki Bukovsky ’13

Features

9 GRAPH IC BY GRACE KOSNER ’14

October 5, 2012

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder Teacher, Students Benefit from A Second Year of Class Together

Alexandra O’Kane ’13 Staff Writer

A

s big as Staples may seem when freshmen walk through the front doors, it becomes a tight-knit community in no time. There are only so many teachers spread across the disciplines, and over the course of four years, many students have the same teacher twice, or even three times.

One may expect some students to groan at the thought of having a teacher for a second time, but Staples students showed nothing but enthusiasm, especially looking forward to comfort and familiarity right at the beginning

of the year.

“It’s always good because you have a good, outstanding rapport with them and it makes you feel more comfortable early on. It helps to have them know your name already,” Caitlyn Rand ’13 said.

Rand has been in Spanish teacher Ana Deluca’s both Spanish 1 and AP Spanish Literature classes, in addition to having English teacher Christina Richardson for English 2 and now for Myth and Bible Honors.

Rand stressed that it is helpful to know the teacher’s style and grading policies before going into the class.

Jessica Ellison ’13 had science teacher Will Jones as a chemistry

teacher two years in a row- for regular chemistry and then again for AP Chemistry. Ellison agreed with Rand in that she knew what she liked about Jones’ teaching style before AP Chemistry even began.

“He uses a lot of analogies in class and does not assign any busy work. I knew that he would make AP Chem enjoyable while still challenging us,” Ellison said.

Teachers feel this same comfortable relationship when they have a student for a second time.

Deluca said that making a relationship with her students is important to her, and she loves to see her old students in the hallway.

“When I have many of the same students again, there is a

shorter period of adjustment at the beginning of the year. My old students are also able to calm the new students because they already know what to expect from me,” Deluca said.

Jones has had countless repeat students over the years.

“It’s usually fantastic when I have a student for the second or third time. Other times, it can be more difficult—you can get Patrick Connolly for a second time,” Jones joked.

Jones did second Deluca’s point that from a teacher’s perspective, it’s great to get right to work with a class that has a lot of repeat students.

“For me, it can be like meeting

up with old friends,” Jones said.

Having a year or two in between having a teacher can change the student’s perspective of the teacher and the class. Rand, who had Deluca freshman and again senior year, said that she changed dramatically as a Spanish student.

Any time gap makes a difference in terms of knowledge.

Students between sophomore and senior year “mature both intellectually and emotionally to become stronger students overall,” Jones said.

Having a teacher multiple times in high school can not only change the class dynamic for students and teachers but can have lasting impressions on their work.

Senior Day Regulations Sensible or Oppressive?

Ellie Mann ’13

Business Manager Blue and white balloons, streamers, Robeks celebratory smoothies, cakes, “We love our seniors” t-shirts, glitter. What could possibly be wrong with this scenario? According to the administration, a lot.

Principal John Dodig, Head Custodian Horrace Lewis and Athletic Director Marty Lisevick met with several athletic captains from last year to put together a list of rules in order to eliminate Senior Day decoration issues in the future.

The problem with decorations in the past was that they left messes around the school that were not always cleaned up by the students who put them up.

The administration has decided that all decorations need to be housed in the cafeteria.

Additionally, posters and decorations are not allowed in any

other locations of the school.

Only painter’s tape can be hung up on the walls.

Athletic Director Marty Lisevick hopes that these new regulations help.

“I’ve always liked introducing our seniors at their final regular season home games—especially when their parents can attend and enjoy it with them,” Lisevick said. “If everything is done right, Senior Day should be a day where we can honor our senior athletes without disrupting the normal flow of a school day.”

However, varsity field hockey captain Shelby Phares ’13 has a different opinion.

“Senior Day is a day to honor, thank and say goodbye to

our beloved seniors, and I just wish that the school would respect this and realize that it is a day where the whole building is decked out in ridiculous decorations,” Phares said. “As long as the team cleans up afterwards, I see no problem in having all the decorations.”

Many students, in addition to Phares, love the spirit that fills the school on Senior Days.

However, while Senior Day may be exciting, it is also a lot of hard work for the students in lower grades. Their responsibilities include creating Senior Day shirts, decorating the seniors’ cars, greeting the seniors in the morning when they arrive to school and making speeches at

the Senior Day game.

“The juniors completely do it themselves,” volleyball captain Jen Dimitrief ’13 said. “I feel like you work for it junior year and enjoy it senior year.” Varsity field hockey player Elizabeth Coogan ’14 added that for juniors, duties include making sure the shirts are paid for and ordered on time, that the food is all assigned, and that each senior gets an equal number of posters.

Every senior athlete enjoys a different aspect of Senior Day. Soccer captain Siri Andrews ’13 said her favorite part is the excitement.

“I just love when the seniors walk in,” Andrews said. “They are always so genuinely appreciative.”

For field hockey captain Josie Fair ’13, the best part of last year’s Senior Day occurred after the game.

“We were crying because the seniors enjoyed their day so much,” Fair said. “They also didn’t want to leave the field because it was their last home game.”

Besides the occasionally misspelled name on the Senior Day shirt or the Robeks spill on the way into school, Senior Days are usually filled with smiles, food, decorations and appreciation for seniors.

However, most junior and senior athletes don’t entirely know about the new Senior Day regulations. These new regulations will not be music to their ears.

“I think there is some regulation with the number of flyers and where flyers can be hung up,” soccer captain Turner Block ’13 said. “I think this is completely stupid.”

Last year, the janitors were told to take down all field hockey and soccer Senior Day decorations if they were not in the cafeteria.

“We had spent days creating the posters, and I came in super early to help decorate the school,” Phares said. “I remember running into the janitor and grabbing the trash bag full of posters and salvaging as many as I could because we also use the posters to hang along the fence by the field.”

Phares believes that this put a damper on the entire Senior Day, a day that is meant to be happy, exciting and all about school spirit.

Whether people know it or not, these Senior Day regulations will go into action this year.

Administration hopes that some added regulations will allow the day to run smoothly, keep the school cleaner and continue to keep the Senior Day spirit alive.

PHOTOS BY MOLLY BARRECA ’13 & CALLIE AHLGHRIM ’13

CELEBRATE THE SENIORS: The Staples girls’ soccer and field hockey teams decorated their 2011 Senior Day with posters throughout the cafeteria and on their fields.

10 Features

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Waste of Space?

LOCKERS

BY THE NUMBERS

Students’ Lockers Continue to Go Unused Nicole Deblasi ’15

There are 1,899 total lockers on the Staples campus.

Staff Writer

W

alking through the halls of Staples, one sees an endless stream of lockers. Although intended for storage of binders, textbooks, jackets, and athletic equipment, lockers have become mere decoration, as only a small portion of students actually use them. The majority of students opt to carry their academic world in a backpack clogging the cafeteria and the aisles of classrooms.

There are clear benefits to using a locker but just one big reason students don’t: inconvenience.

Kelly Harris ’13 doesn’t use her locker because it is on the third floor.

“I don’t even know what my locker number is or the combination,” she said. Harris and many students like her feel that their lockers are too far away from their classes.

Mehar Kirmani ’15 and Ben Hamer ’16 agree with Harris.

They think that a majority of students in their classes don’t use their lockers due to the inconvenience; they don’t have time in between classes to stop by their locker to get supplies.

552 lockers can fit standing up in room 2033.

Out of 92 students polled, only 13 percent said they used their locker.

Vertically standing, 3,780 iPhone 5s can fit in one locker.

PHOTO BY HALEY ZELDES ‘13

An Election Uncovered

revise the curriculums of Global Themes and U.S. History so that current events are a part of it.”

Some students agree with Frost in that they expected the current events of today’s politics to be incorporated into their government courses. However, in a college-level course with minimal time to prepare for the test, many students understand why closely following the elections doesn’t fit into the curriculum.

“Personally I don’t really care that much about how teachers have been covering the elections because I can’t vote, so I feel like it is less important to me,” said Ben Cion ’14, a student in Suzanne Kammerman’s AP Gov class.

Beyond the students who don’t care, there are students who intentionally avoided fulfilling their government class requirements first semester so they wouldn’t discuss and learn about the upcoming elections frequently. Meghan Coyne ’13 is one of these students.

“I’m not really interested in the presidential candidates this year,” said Coyne.

“I wouldn’t want to be a in class where we have to talk about 2012 them daily, so I knew taking Gov second semester would be the better option for me.”

Chloe Baker ’13 Managing Editor

One of the tenets of American government is the election of public officials.

While students learn about the importance of democracy and of the people being represented in government by elected officials in their mandatory American government classes, many have gone the entire course so far without even discussing the upcoming presidential elections.

“I put off taking ‘Gov’ until my senior year because I thought it’d be interesting to be enrolled in at the same time as the presidential elections are going on,” said Danielle Frost ’13, a student in social studies teacher Joe Jelen’s AP U.S. Government and Politics class (colloquially referred to as AP Gov). “I’m disappointed since Obama and Romney’s names have barely been mentioned.”

There are no master plans for how teachers have to cover the elections, according to Social Studies Department Chair James D’Amico. A-level government classes tend to have more f lexibility to spend time on the elections than the AP-level course. However, in the Social Studies department, there have been pushes to include more current events.

“It would be much better if the elections fell in the Media Analysis unit,” D’Amico said. “We worked this summer to

CURRICULUM CHALLENGE: With numerous units of study

in the AP U.S. Government and Politics curriculum, fitting in studies specific to the 2012 election is a difficult feat.

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GRAPHIC BY ELIZABETH CAMCHE ’14, ABBEY FERNANDEZ ’14 & NATE ROSEN ’14

There are a few students who use their locker. Victoria Loiacono ’14 has a locker on the third floor, and even though most consider such a location inconvenient, she finds time to go to her locker during her free period or her study skills class. “[I use my locker] because I have scoliosis, and I don’t want it to get worse by carrying a

“I don’t even know what my locker number is or the combination.”

— Kelly Harris ’13 bunch of binders around,” Loiacono said.

Karyn Morgan, assistant principal for the freshman class, agrees with Loiacono, saying that she promotes the lockers because she doesn’t want to see students carrying around their heavy book bags, which can possibly hurt them with the heavy weight.

Similarly, Patrick Micinilio,

assistant principal for the senior class, wants more students to use their lockers because he sees student’s backpacks in the cafeteria and doesn’t want them or the contents inside to get stolen.

Every Staples student gets assigned a numbered locker, but with the student population increasing, Micinilio said that the school will eventually have no more places to add lockers for incoming students.

In fact, currently the school has almost maxed out. There are 1,899 lockers for 1,883 students and eight of those lockers are reserved for special-needs students.

“We really have no other place to put the lockers,” said Micinilio about moving lockers from the third floor or moving them to central locations.

For students like Loiacono who need a place to put books, the third floor locker is a point of frustration, and she thinks something could be done.

Loiacono believes that if the administration would reassign lockers and distribute them by prioritizing students who actually use them, then lockers would be more effective for the students who like to use them.

Features

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

11

New Field Hockey Coach Cracks the Whip Cheyenne Haslett ’13 Web Managing Editor

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shley Delvecchio is blonde, blue-eyed and average height. She dons up-todate athletic apparel and can often be found on Ginny Parker Field after school.

As far as first appearances go, it may come as a surprise that Delvecchio describes herself as one of the toughest head coaches the team has seen. Her rigorous techniques stem from her day (and night) job: a Westport police officer.

As the first policewoman the field hockey team has ever called coach, Delvecchio is laying down the law on Ginny Parker. The team seems well aware that Delvecchio runs a tight ship, both on and off the field.

“We’re definitely taking the code of conduct much more seriously this year than any other year in history,” said tri-captain Shelby Phares ’13.

Delvecchio, a well-seasoned FCIAC participant herself, is well -qualified for the coaching job.

She grew up in Fairfield, where she played field hockey for Fairfield Warde High School, and then went on to play at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Delvecchio’s career choice, however, is what sets her apart from other FCIAC coaches with similar field hockey backgrounds.

For example, Delvecchio learned the importance of teamwork firsthand at the Connecticut Police Academy in Meriden, Conn., and she often enforces this

PHOTO BY MAX LIOTTA ’15

TOUGH LOVE: Girls’ field hockey coach Ashley Delvecchio guides the team from the sidelines during their first game under the lights against Norwalk’s Brien McMahon High School. lesson at practice through physical activity, such as making the team run a full field sprint for every minute a teammate is late.

“If someone forgot something for class at the Police Academy, our whole session would face the consequence. You would never be an individual; you always hold the team accountable, so I take that into perspective,” Delvecchio said.

“When [the team] is telling me that they’re tired and they’re hurting, I know in my head, from my experiences, that ‘you can do

this’,” Delvecchio said.

The words “tired” and “hurting” are expected, as the field hockey team has conditioned more this season than any season the tri-captains remember from seasons past. Tryouts, for example, included running a timed mile every day until each person achieved below seven minutes, 30 seconds. Other exercises commonly implemented

by Delvecchio include hill sprints and “300s,” where the team runs to the 25 yard line and back 12 times, then repeats that sprint

three times.

“I am a firm believer that being in good shape is what wins,” Delvecchio said.

The team is ready to make the commitment to field hockey, especially with big shoes to fill from last year’s FCIAC championship win. In order to achieve this status again, tri-captain Jackie Lawrence ’13 believes you can have it one way or the other.

“You can choose to be on the team, and be part of the team, and have fun with all of us, or you can choose to go out and do as you

please,” Lawrence said. “We just don’t have the luxury of messing around.”

Just a few weeks in and the team has already seen positive results of Delvecchio’s strict coaching style.

“We say there’s more conditioning and it’s hard work, but we’re all cheering each other on and we do it together and laugh about it together. It’s a bonding experience,” Lawrence said.

The team has grown closer because of the hard work and even gained some stories along the way about Delvecchio’s experiences as a police officer.

“She’s serious about making sure we go out there and try our best because she wants to see us play well, but it’s so much fun and she’s so sweet,” tri-captain Josie Fair ’13 said. “It’s just on the field that she cracks the whip.”

Delvecchio recognizes that the team needed some time to adapt to her coaching style.

“They were definitely frustrated with me during preseason, but now they’re starting to see if they do things right, it will benefit them,” Delvecchio said.

The team may not have been expecting Coach Ashley Delvecchio, Westport police officer, to step in as the new varsity coach, but now that she has, they are quickly adjusting. “Everyone knows that high schoolers like to go out on the weekends, but we are all so close, and you make the commitment to the team. It’s worth it,” Fair said.

“Partying is what our twenties are for,” added Lawrence.

Senior Girls Slogan Beloved, Bashed Olivia Kalb ’14 Staff Writer

Blue and white feather boas and jeweled tiaras heralded the arrival of the Staples High School senior girls class of 2013. The girls’ cheers could be heard ringing through the hallways, from classroom to classroom, on their first exciting day of senior-hood.

Their ex- h i l a r a t i o n was palpable .

S t ud e nt s could feel it in the air, even hear it, though that may just have been the c olor f u l plastic whist l e s a n d

and they’re not like that.”

Taunting or not, to some the phrase became downright inappropriate and led to the creation of some unfortunate sexual innuendo. Many students around Staples for the next few days had quite a few jokes about the meaning behind “13ow Down.”

The senior girls said they hadn’t contemplated any sexual or degrading meaning in the slogan. “I don’t think any senior girl takes it seriously,” said Siri Andrews ’13, the senior girl who ordered the t-shir ts.

“It’s just a fun saying.”

The saying was chosen in a Facebook group dedicated to the senior girls class of 2013 and was selected over a few other choices such as “13ring it on.” Most s e n i o r girls agreed on it, though none thought it would be considered offensive in any way and were surprised with the attention it has received.

“It’s not like we’re taking any action,” Andrews said.

“We don’t expect people to actually ‘bow down.’”

The message wasn’t the only issue that day, however.

13 OW DOWN

shouts of “Bow down” coming from ever y direction in the hallways.

However, not ever yone appreciated their enthusiasm or their message. Some students and faculty had adverse reactions to the senior girls’ slogan of “13ow Down.”

“I’m not a fan,” said Assistant Principal Micinilio. “It carries a taunting message.

But I know most of the girls,

PHOTO BY CADENCE NEENAN ’15

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN(S): Two underclassmen “13ow Down” to a senior girl, the self-professed

queens of Staples High School.

The loud cheering and even louder whistles became a bit of a nuisance to some.

“I believe the senior girls deser ve the right to brag about being the top dogs,” said Jonas Piekara ’16. “But I also believe they take advantage of it with all the shirts and other unnecessar y trinkets.”

Piekara certainly wasn’t the only one. Plenty of students grumbled about the shrill whistles, the main com-

plaint was that not only did they have to be up so early after a summer of sleeping in but that they also had to endure the loud shriek of a whistle whenever they entered the hallway.

Then there were those who didn’t care one way or another about the yearly celebration. Ever y year on the first day the royal carpet is laid out for the senior girls to parade down and show off

their newly attained status as seniors. A ll the hoopla was normal and expected.

“Let them have their fun,” Ror y Siegel ’13 said. “It doesn’t really affect me.” Others felt similarly, though they were more in line with the message from the slogan, that the senior girls were queens.

“I don’t find it offensive; why should I?” A llyssa McGahern ’14 said. “They’re the senior girls; they’re the queens.”

12 Features

THE CHOICE Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Arguably the most important daily choices we have are about the food we eat.

Fries or salad? Sandwich or pizza?

In Westport and at Staples, the choices are ultimately ours.

Behind the Kitchen

With Chartwells, There’s More Than Meets the Fry Eliza Llewelyn ’14 Web News Editor

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ne chicken Caesar wrap provides about 24 grams of protein, 54 grams of carbohydrates, and 19 grams of fat. But this menu choice is more than just numbers on a nutrition label; it is a student’s lunch. Behind a split-second decision during second wave is a process that balances nutrition with flavor and requires the collaboration of the town of Westport, Chartwells, administrators, and members of the Food Service Advisory Committee.

“The cafeteria has a mix of foods that are healthy and good-tasting,” said Sarah Rountree ’14 as she waited for her panino to be pressed. Rountree mentioned the school’s offerings of whole wheat wraps and breads as good options that fulfill both taste and nutrition.

Although the bread has the telltale dark brown color of whole wheat, there are more subtle ways the cafeteria has changed its menu to offer more nutritious fare. For example, the breading on the chicken nuggets is now whole

tionist in Westport and a Staples representative on the committee, the group primarily was focused on the appeal of food. However, in the past eight years, the focus has broadened to include nutrition.

For budgeting reasons, the town, in conjunction with Chartwells and with input from the committee, plans meals that are eligible for government subsidies. Meals that qualify for the subsidies must meet the USDA guidelines for school lunches, as outlined in the National School Lunch Meal Program.

The national guidelines require that the school offer meals within weekly ranges for protein and grains. For example, the guidelines require a range of one to two ounces of protein per day, a saturated fat intake below 10 percent of total calories, and call for flavored milk to be fat free.

However, the cafeteria’s menu is not based on strict standards alone; student preferences are also taken into account. Greenspun encouraged students to share their opinions with members of the committee. According to Chartwells Dining Services Director Frank

“I think [the Chartwells menu] is a work in progress that is constantly being adapted to meet the needs of Staples students.”

— Rusty Schindler ’13 grain, as is the pizza crust.

These changes were enacted after discussion and evaluation by the Food Service Advisory Committee for the Westport Public School district. This group, which meets four times per year, discusses the health of the cafeteria food and gives the town feedback and ideas for the school menus.

The committee, which includes at least one representative from every Westport school, provides parents and students with an outlet to submit opinions on cafeteria cuisine.

The committee’s base of members includes trained chefs who provide feedback on the taste of the food.

According to Abby Greenspun, a nutri-

Rupp, new products go through a sampling process before being served to students.

Despite the lengthy process of planning a menu, students’ reactions to the cafeteria food are mixed. “You can tell that the pizza is whole grain,” Casey Smith ’13 said. “I don’t like it.” Luis Cruz ’15 noted that healthier choices are less convenient: “The salad costs a lot,” Cruz said, “And you have to wait for most of the lunch period to get a sandwich.”

However, students recognize that the cafeteria offers broad choices, many of which are served as tasty choices, rather than for their nutritional value.

“Fries are just a choice to eat,” Brenden Price ’16 said. “They should keep them.”

Price expressed appreciation for the ability students have to independently choose from the variety of foods in the cafeteria.

Principal John Dodig was unconcerned by cafeteria treats like cookies and fries. “Our kids eat healthily,” Dodig said. “They go to the gym, ride bikes, and a majority plays sports after school.”

Due to the health-conscious nature of the town, there is room for the school to opt out of the government subsidy in certain situations.

At the beginning of this year, sandwiches were briefly changed to meet the government regulations of a maximum of two ounces of meat per sandwich.

After student feedback, which included a 140 signature petition created by Devon Lowman ’13, Dodig met with Rupp, along with Superintendent Elliott Landon and Assistant Superintendent for Business Nancy Harris.

Opting out of the government subsidy for deli cold-cuts, they reinstated the more generous sandwiches that students were used to.

“Staples values the view of its students,” said Rusty Schindler ’13, who helped publicize the petition. “I was not surprised that the food was changed so quickly.”

According to Dodig, this type of allowance would not have been made in a less privileged district.

“Almost every kid in New Haven is on a free and reduced lunch plan,” Dodig said. In contrast, Westport schools are less bound by subsidies.

Furthermore, the town utilizes fresh fruit, which is more costly than canned or frozen products. The town has been able to support better quality ingredients without increasing meal prices, which have stayed the same since 2008, Rupp said.

But when it comes to food, change is an element that some students seek.

“A slice of pizza leaves students feeling greasy and a salad leaves them hungry,” Schindler said. “I think it’s a work in progress that is constantly being adapted to meet the needs of Staples students.”

The process of menu planning is never static. It occurs constantly behind the scenes of the sandwich lines and lunch tables. The town has been increasing offerings of fruits and vegetables for several years, ahead of the federal

USDA regulations, Rupp said.

The town is also one step ahead of dairy requirements. For five years, Westport schools have served milk that is either 1 percent or fat free. Just this year, the USDA enacted that milk must be 1 percent or skim.

Westport school menus are also shifting to decrease processed foods. These steps, developed from committee discussions and collaboration, are not government required and are ahead of the curve.

The improvements will simultaneously fuel a healthy lifestyle and appeal to students’ taste buds.

Features

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

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Westport: Eat Fresh?

Local Teens Eat Healthier Than Most Nationwide Elizabeth Camche ’14 & Abbey Fernandez ’14 Graphics Editors

GR AP HIC BY OL IVI A CR OS BY ’15

It almost goes without saying: America has a love affair with fast food.

With an annual business revenue of $110 billion, with 160,000 fast food restaurants across the country, with one in every four Americans served daily at a fast food chain, our fixation with fat-filled food has contributed in making over one-third of the country obese.

And yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Connecticut has the second-lowest obesity rate of all 50 states.

How and why do Westporter teenagers manage to stay fit and healthy, while a large portion of the country falls in the fast food franchise’s trip?

Karen Laramie, a certified clinical nutritionist in Westport, believes Westporters are healthy because they are educated. “From an early age, children are taught in health class and by their parents the importance of nutrition,” Laramie said. “This helps with future food choice making.”

This education begins in the Westport school system. According to Dave Gusitsch, K-12 Physical Education and Health Curriculum Coordinator, health class begins at the elementary level and becomes a regular occurrence in middle school and throughout high school.

“The goal is to educate students to make good choices on a day to day basis,” Gusitsch said.

This education is evidently not lost on students. Katie Smith ’14, for example, is a student who strives to be healthy and believes the habits she has learned in school have been engrained in her.

“As early as I can remember, P.E. and health classes at school have stressed the importance of eating healthy and exercising.

Personally, I was brought up eating a ton of fruits and vegetables, so healthy food became normal for me,” Smith said.

Fitness trainer Jimmy Coscina, owner of FitJim in Westport,

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in fighting obesity because the schools many of them attend are more likely to make budget cuts on physical-education classes.

Westport is an affluent area where healthy eating is a feasible, affordable option, according to Sloane Cooper ’15: “Westport teens eat healthier because we are able to buy more organic foods which costs more money but are healthier for you,” said Cooper.

A study by Dr. David Ludwig from Boston Children’s Hospital found that after surveying 6,212 children and teens, those who ate fast food consumed significantly higher amounts of saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and calories per gram of food compared to

“The goal is to educate students to make good choices on a day to day basis.”

— Dave Gusitsch

K-12 Physical Education & Health Curriculum Coordinator

also believes firmly in the phrase “everything in moderation.”

“That’s why I have a pantry full of snacks. I try to encourage my kids to eat healthy, but you shouldn’t deprive yourself,” Raifaisen said.

Varsity soccer player Jack Scott ’14, who said he indulges occasionally much like Raifaien recommends, thinks his diet should ultimately support his passion. “I eat fast food every now and then, but I know eating it too often is a poor decision, it’ll only hurt my health and my athletic ability.”

Parents act not only as insight, but also as means of something else very important: money.

A 2004 Time Magazine article about the relationship between economics and health reports that one in four adults below the poverty level is obese, compared with one in six in households with an income of $67,000 or more. The article notes that children from less-wealthy families face an even greater challenge

those who did not. They also had less fiber, milk, fruit, and vegetables in their diets.

Health teacher Kelly Garrity supports Ludwig’s study by explaining the negative impact of fast food.“Some of the negative effects of fast food can include headaches due to nitrates in the processed food,” Garrity said.

“With the high levels of sugar and fat in most fast foods we often feel a spike of energy which fades quickly leaving us feeling not so good and even craving more unhealthy food.”

Westport can afford to be thin and healthy. Extensive nutrition units in health classes, a comprehensive athletic program including 74 teams, and influential parents all collectively contribute to making Westport an environment where teens can find a balance between diet and fitness.

At the end of the day, however, the occasional order of McDonald’s fries may be just nearly impossible for any hungry teenager to resist.

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has another hypothesis for why Westport teenagers live a healthy lifestyle: parents. He believes Westport parents influence their children, enabling them to afford personal training and gym memberships, not to mention Staples’ top-notch athletic program.

“Kids learn from their parents’ habits and have plenty of exercise opportunities,” Coscina said.

Sherri Raifaisen, a Westport mother who attests to Coscina’s theory, has four daughters who have either graduated from or are currently at Staples. She believes she’s similar to other Westport parents who have instilled healthy values in their kids and

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A&E

C CHIC October 5, 2012

Classroom

DEANNA SCHREIBER ’13 Features Editor

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all is: cozy sweaters, warm corduroys, soft leggings, your worn-in Ugg boots. This year, those clothes will still be staple items, but as the leaves change, so do the hip fashions. Designers have introduced new add-ons that will give every wardrobe its own personality. Denim button-down shirts, burgundy and olive colors, chic backpacks, and studs will add some flair to make each closet unique.

Nothing says fall like warm, deep colors. This fall, rich greens and reds will pop off of every mannequin. Both colors look great with any neutral colors: white, black, beige, gray. The olive green will be seen in military style jackets, stylish cargo pants, and everything in between. The burgundy will adorn many warm knit sweaters and corduroys.

Ever wish you had an edgier fashion style? Well, this season is your chance! Studs are everywhere. This 70s-inspired style will embroider all apparel.

Whether lining the pockets of a pair of jeans or embellishing an iPhone case, they give every piece some personality. The best part about studs is that they go with everything. The variety of colors, shapes and sizes give just the right amount of rock-and-roll to your wardrobe.

Step away from the classic black North Face backpack. They may seem more convenient, but the real style is in the new retro and chic backpacks. Walk down the hallways and a greater variety of stylish backpacks can be spotted.

These unique backpacks are not just trendy, but they also show a little individuality. Whether it’s canvas and leather backpack s or JanSport’s patterned bags, these school bags will make carrying books fun and fashionable.

MODEL BEHAVIOR: Model Alyssa Gehb ’15 poses in the current trends.

Walk into LF, Mixology, Urban Outfitters, or pretty much any clothing store this season, and you will see a variety of jeanstyled shirts. These are not to be confused with jean jackets. Jean shirts are often made with soft cotton materials, created to be longer and to be worn over a shirt or with leggings. Throw it over any summer-style shirt or dress to add a nice fall feel. Finding the perfect denim can be a challenge due to the variety of styles, ranging from dark denim to light denim, decorated with studs, and sold in varying lengths. No matter what you pick, try to get the most versatile shirt for the most use.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAKOB KAPLAN ’16, IAN OFFENBERG ’16 & DEANNA SCHREIBER ’13

A&E Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Tuning In with Teachers

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LARISSA LIEBERSON ’15 & CLAIRE QUIGLEY ’14 Staff Writers

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usic has always played a big role in the Staples community. With outstanding musical productions, an incredible music department—including an or-

chestra, band and choir—and even a kid who walks the halls with a boom box on his shoulder, music truly is everywhere. In fact, the faculty at Staples also can’t help but tap their feet to their favorite songs to help them get through the day. From Mumford & Sons to ACDC, the staff members have quite the variety of artists on

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their top 5 lists. However, not all of the teachers listen to music on a regular basis. Take Mr. Betts, for example, who said, “I don’t personally own an iPod, but I do occasionally listen to my wife’s.” Still, many will be surprised to see what music they’re listening to.

Who would’ve guessed that so many teachers are such audiophiles?

Mr. Dodig’s most played

Mrs. Hirth’s most played

Mrs. Horrigan’s most played

Ms. Shulz’s most played

Roll Away Your Stone Mumford & Sons LiƩle Lion Man Mumford & Sons The Cave Mumford & Sons Sigh No More Mumford & Sons

Good Day Sunshine The Beatles The Girl City and Colour Monday Morning Death Cab For CuƟe This Head I Hold Electric Guest

Hells Bells AC/DC I’m Gonna Crawl Led Zeppelin Shoot To Thrill AC/DC Big Jack AC/DC

Ai Se Eu Te Pego Michael Teló Closing Time Semisonic Dream a LiƩle Dream of Me The Mamas & The Papas I Predict a Riot Kaiser Chiefs

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Science Teacher

Dodig first “fell in love” with the band Mumford & Sons when he heard one of their songs on MTV, and they have since been his favorite artists. When asked about how big his music library is, Dodig joked, “I can probably drive to California and never hear the same song twice.”

Music plays an important role in Hirth’s life. She constantly has her headphones on, whether she is at home or at work. “I love listening to music when I’m planning lessons,” she said. “It gets me into my groove.”

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KRISTIN SHULZ

Librarian

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Growing up with three older brothers, Horrigan has always been listening to rock bands like Led Zeppelin and ACDC. Looking over her “Top Five Playlist,” Horrigan laughed at all of the hard rock music on her iPod. “I’ve been listening to that since I was six; can you believe it?”

“Since so many of my friends are from foreign countries, I have grown to adore international music,” Schulz said. She first heard the song “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” when she was visiting Majorca last year and fell in love with it, even though the lyrics are in Portugese.

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A&E Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

#Baby-razzi The Latest Celeb Trend: Getting Pregnant ADELE

“Rumor has it” that Adele is going to be a mom.

Staple students had much more positive things to Staples t deeply influential songwriter and artist say about the Adele.

“I am happ happy for Adele, but I’m not interested in Snooki,” Sofia Weinberg ’15 said.

First a secret marriage, now a secret preg pregnancy.

With two months left in her pregn pregnancy, Adele just recently informed her public tthat she is expecting.

“Adele is rolling in the deep now,” said Daniel Kaseff ’14.

Obviously we have more respect for people who contribute useful and inspiring things to our society.

The radio stat station Kiss FM said, “She’s not the type of girl who wa wants a massive church wedding, hundreds of of guests and a photo rights sold and tons of security.” This is a clear contrast to Snooki, who pictures her ultimate wedding we with zebra carpets and leopard print and hot pink dresses. Print clash, much?

AMINA ABDUL-KAREEM ’15 Staff Writer

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reaking news: Angelina Jolie has adopted ted her third baby from a third world country. Jessica ca Simpson stole Kourtney Kardashian’s baby’s name. me. Why is Snooki pushing a baby stroller full of beer? Kourtney urtney Kardashian gained 40 pounds during her pregnancy; ancy; how does she maintain her pear-shaped figure? Iss Kate Middleton drinking alcohol while a soon-to-be-heir ir is is on the way to the British throne? Is Adele going to name me her baby after a number like she did her past albums?

The year 2012 is the the “baby boom” generation on for celebrity babies. What does that mean? Well, if you walk into CVS, there’s a 90 percent rcent chance you will be bombarded by deceiving magazine headlines nes that urge you to invest $3.99 in the latest celebrity rumors.

GRAPHIC BY ROWAN MACOLL ’14

SNOOKI

Upon refreshing my Facebook newsfeed, I was greeted by a picture cture of a pregnant woman covered in an extremely emely tight, cleavage-bearing snakeskin top, long nails, dramatic eye makeup and large hoop op earrings to top it off. Inside her oversized stomach tomach was a soonto-be-baby. Yes, “Jersey Shore’s” ore’s” four-foot nine Nicole Polizzi, also know as Snooki, has given birth to her baby, Lorenzo Dominic LaValle.

Snooki got more publicity icity than the pregnant 9 year-old girl in China. na.

A week later, I noticed ced that numerous Twitter accounts had been n dedicated to Snooki’s baby. Under the description iption of one named “Snooki’s Baby” was: “This his is the OFFICIAL account of Snooki’s unborn orn child. It’s hot in here and smells like pickles les and vodka.”

Other tweets from this his account included: “‘Got Pot’ is trending. g. I can tell you this much: somebody around d here does... #FetalMunchies” and “Smells like lii ke booze in the delivery room.”

When asked about the “Jersey Shore” star’s pregnancy, Raspati Horrigan, rrigan, one of the school library aides, said, “I really don’t care aboutt celebrity babies; I care about bout normal human people.””

“Before I was pushhing, I put bronzer on and [fake] eyelashes,” ,” Snooki confessed in n a Sept. 1 interview w with “People Magazine”. “I wanted to look pretty for [Lorenzo].”

Our role as a society is to judge and make fun of celebrities, and every stupid decision they make. So when Snooki tweeted her relief of using a breast pump p to feed her baby, we automatically questioned whether her breast pump was pumping milk or alcohol.

Now let’s just hope she doesn’t bronze her baby orange, too.

BEYONCÉ BEYON

“If If you liked it, it then you should have put a ring on it.”

Now, Beyoncé Beyonc has the ring and the baby.

Beyoncé Knowles unbuttoned her purple sparBeyo kly jacket and rubbed her belly, officially announcing she was pregnant at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.

Although Beyoncé gave birth to her daughter on Jan 7, confusion still remains at her baby girl’s name, Blue Ivy. “Didn’t Beyoncé name her baby something stupid? Like poison ivy or something?” asked Noel Sosnoski ’15.

Great question. If you were to ask Glozell, a popular YouTube comedian, she would give you this response as her impersonation of Beyoncé: “Ivy means four, which is my favorite number. And blue is from Jay-Z’s album…Blueprint.”

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

GRAPHIC BY KATIE SETTOS ’15

A&E Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Key Change

17

New Orphenians Director Makes Organization Changes CLAUDIA LANDOWNE ’15

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Staff Writer

rphenians is going through what some might call a midlife crisis.

Two years ago, Justin Miller replaced choral director Alice Lipson, who led the group for 22 years. Then, just weeks before the start of the school year, Miller suddenly left the position. At the last minute, sing-

er and voice major Luke Rosenberg was hired to replace him.

Now, Rosenberg is allowing underclassmen to audition for the group for the first time, a move many consider a major change.

“The history of Orphenians is based on excellence,” said Rosenberg, who believes that by holding fair auditions, he will be able to choose or reject potential members based solely on said excellence.

This change has excited many underclassmen. “It was always our goal to get into Orphenians,” said Joe Badion ’15. He and his friends have anticipated joining the group since they were freshmen and jumped at the opportunity to get in a year early.

Sarah Cooperman ’13, however, is disappointed in the decision to include underclassmen in Orphenians, although she makes it clear that it’s nothing personal, simply a matter of tried and true rituals.

“It’s always been a tradition for upperclassmen to join Orphenians and for underclassmen to wait,” she said.

But Rosenberg is confident in his modifications.

“It’s in everyone’s best interest to grow the choir program,” he said, “and Orphenians is the flagship group.

I want them to be the best they can be.”

In addition, Rosenberg wants to give Orphenians a whole new attitude. According to him, the group has to be

professional and have discipline, but “there must be a sense of family.” Rosenberg plans on holding get-togethers and outings, and “hope[s] that Orphenians will become a tight-knit group.”

It was rumored that Orphenians would no longer be wearing their signature blue robes when performing, but Rosenberg refuted this.

He said the group will definitely continue to wear the robes at the start of the year, although this may not be the case later on.

O f all the longstanding Orphenians customs, that of the blue robes seems to be a student favorite. “They look really pretty when you’re holding a candle,” Cooperman said l au g h i ng l y.

Badion also appreciates the attire.

“You really get a sense of the tradi-

TAKE NOTE: Grace McDavid-Seidner ’13 helps Noa Wind ’15 during a rehearsal.

tion when you see [the Orphenians] step out in their blue robes,” he said.

Although some may feel anxiety over the changes to Orphenians at first, Rosenberg urges students and teachers alike not to worry.

“Whenever you have a new leader, things will change,” Rosenberg said. “Tradition is important, but that tradition may have a new spin on it.”

PHOTO BY ROSE PROPP ’13

Great Moments in Tech Past The first telephone created in

1876

New and Improved...Again REBECCA BREGMAN ’14 Staff Writer It’s happening again. The clusters of students raving over new cases, preorders higher than the supply, replaying the Apple preview video, phones immediately updated with the new software: it’s the all new iPhone 5.

“I’m just curious to see what this new phone possibly has that the iPhone 4S doesn’t already have,” Meredith Hood ’14 said.

Well, the iPhone 5 has many new assets: a thinner, longer four-inch screen and a smaller, reversible connector for chargers. The improved iSight camera now has clearer resolution with 28 megapixels, noise reduction, higher lowlight performance, and a front camera with f lash. Replacing the A5 chip with an A6 chip speeds up the entire phone with faster downloads, faster graphics and a faster data connection.

Teeming with dedicated Apple customers, the Staples student body normally rave about the release of the new iPhones, however, this particular release had opposite reactions.

Some students were offended by the smaller dock connector at the bottom of the phone. “Apple is being selfish,” said Charlotte Rowland ’14. “They’re forcing people to buy new chargers, new speakers, and new car plugs.”

Disappointed by some aspects of the past iPhone, other students were hoping for specific changes in this improved iPhone 5. “I’m not the biggest fan of Siri,” said Hannah Lewis ’14. “They should make a better one; she hasn’t reached my expectations.”

Despite some dissatisfied students, the iPhone 5 has received some positive feedback. “Girls can take better quality selfies” said Luis Cruz ’15, referring to the 8-megapixel iSight front camera.

The first radio created in

1897 The first TV created in

¦Ù Ö«® Ö«® ù ʽ®ò® ÙÊÝ ù ’15 Of course these carefully captured “self-portraits” are irresistible to any typical high school girl. Just snap a candid, write a witty caption, pair it with a hashtag, and it’s ready for instagram.

The addition of more Emojis (smiley faces with many emotions) is also a bonus.“They are my life; I’m the Emoji queen,” Julia Tziolis ’13 said.

Although the Staples excitement is not focused on the Apple techies’ additions, the larger four-inch phone opposed to the original three-and-a-half inch phone has not gone unnoticed.

“That’s better for old people, they can see the screen now,” said Lewis.

Cell phones have transcended through decades with change and unimaginable improvements adapting to a variety of consumers.

“No one thought it could get better,” Cole Gendels ’14 said. “But it did.”

1928 The first PC created in

1981 The first iPhone released in

2012

iPhone 5?

2007

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A&E Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Tan Lines May Fade, But Memories Will Last Forever MTV’s “Jersey Shore” Cancelled ZACH SPEED ’13

T

Staff Writer

he end is finally coming. The music has stopped playing. The fists are done pumping.

And it is no longer t-shirt time. Ladies and gentlemen “Jersey Shore” has been cancelled.

With this historic event drawing ever-soclose, I have just one thing to say: good riddance.

I know people are going to deal with some withdrawal. “Jersey Shore” is one of the most addictive drugs on the market today.

Nobody can argue that.

It was great being instructed about the G.T.L. culture. If this show didn’t air, I would have no clue what the difference even was between the “G” and the “L.” I will even go as far as saying “Jersey Shore” was inspiring. It was proof that even without a high school or college diploma, you could make more money than 99 percent of the population. Just dance like an idiot and fight a lot.

And don’t even try to say that it wasn’t hilarious watching Snooki scream, “WHERE’S THE BEACH?!” as she was running down the boardwalk of the beach.

We are all going to miss those moments.

But overall, I have to

PHOTO COURTESY OF MTV.COM CASTING AWAY: During its past five seasons, the cast of “Jersey Shore” has been known to party hard and bring lots of drama to every episode. say that this is a good thing some point, it starts to rub gue the point that the sea part of his campaign. The for America. We stooped off on all of us. is salty because of whale fact “Jersey Shore” was “‘Jersey Shore’ is like sperm isn’t exactly helping cancelled under his term very low by watching this a disease,” Colin Davis ’13 our intelligence level. show. of presidency is proof that Sure, it was amusing said. “You need to be aware Speaking of intelli- he is creating a better and to see just how stupid some of the stupidity out there. gence level, everybody is smarter nation. people could be. But it was But you don’t want it to talking about the presiHe would win hands spread.” also morally wrong to take spread. dential election right now. down. advantage of the...let’s say, After all this is a hisFace it, America lis- Personally, I think Barack Afte “less intelligent.” Also, at tening to moment. In fact, the to Snooki try to ar- Obama should d make this toric mo

moment I heard about the show’s cancellation, I quoted Neil Armstrong by saying, “One small step for man, one large step for mankind.”

Except, I have to say, this is probably a bigger step for humanity than stepping on the moon.

But, to those few who are actually depressed about “Jersey Shore” being cancelled, don’t be too distraught. There will be spin-offs that will run as replacements, such as “The Pauly D Project” and “Snooki and JWoww”.

I don’t think those shows are going to do so well, though. After all, Snooki has a baby. Does anybody feel like watching Snooki run around drunk after a baby Oompa Loompa?

I doubt it.

“It’s basically like a bad version of ‘16 and Pregnant’ except these people are less responsible,” Jack Dobrich ’13 said. At least Staples students can see through the idiocy of these shows.

Principal John Dodig, you should be very proud.

So yes, “Jersey Shore” has been cancelled. Cheer while you can, though: those over-tanned high school dropouts are not gone for good.

And that’s for shore.

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CROSBY ’15

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: GOTTEN: T THE HE J JERSEY ERSEY S SHORE HO DICTIONARY Fist Pump:

The fist pump is a signature dance performed at the club. It includes pushing your fist in the air at a powerfully fast pace to upbeat club music. This dance is usually performed in groups, often in a dance circle.

Sunday DinneR: A weekly Sunday ritual when groups in the house cook dinner for their fellow roomates. It is a time to reflect on the week’s activities and to bond with other members of the house that there may be conflict with.

gtl: An acronym that stands for the words “gym, tan, and laundry.” In order for the castmates to stay fit and looking good, they go to the gym, get their orange spray tan on and put their clothes in the laundry so they can wear their favorite t-shirt to the club that night. It is vital to “GTL” during the summer.

KiD: A term used to describe a romantic interest in one of the castmates that a member of the house has developed. It can be used in situations such as, “I’m starting to develop feelings for the kid,” or, “I think I’m starting to like the kid.”

RobberY: The term “robbery” is used to describe the act of one male stealing an attractive female from his fellow “bro” when he is trying to take her home. This is a particularly serious offense, which typically ends with drinks and punches being thrown.

SIDEBAR BY CLAIRE LEWIN ’15

A&E Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

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20

Sports October 5, 2012

vs.

A Tale of Two Teams

When High School Soccer Just Isn’t Enough Will McDonald ’14

T

News Editor

he biggest limiting factor in the success of high school sports teams is both constant and inevitable: the graduation of senior stars.

However, this year’s Staples boys’ soccer squad has found itself without six members, a result of them departing not into the collegiate ranks, but to Academy soccer teams claiming to offer their players a better chance to develop.

“The U.S. Soccer Federation—the national governing body of soccer—has decided that the root to a World Cup championship comes from having high school kids play two more months each season,” said Staples boys’ Head Coach Dan Woog.

This year, the Federation mandated that its 79 official Developmental Academy teams—club soccer teams nationwide that are not affiliated with any school—switch to a 10-month season, rendering it impossible for Academy players to play for their high school teams. The Academy and high school seasons have previously never overlapped in the 10 years that such academy teams have existed, and it was common for high school players to join the Academy ranks during the offseason.

“With so many teams, there are almost 3,000 kids playing

Academy,” Woog said. “The national team only has 23 players, so for the one or two out of those 3,000 who have a legitimate shot at that, Academy is a good thing.”

For the thousands of others, Woog believes they are being denied the unique experience that high school soccer provides.

Woog has seen talented players leave before in search of better soccer opportunities, only to return to Staples later on.

As Woog noted, in 1998, former Staples standout Kyle Martino ’99 attended the IMG Sports Academy in Florida for his junior year of high school.

Martino later returned for his senior year at Staples—and was named Gatorade National High School Player of the Year. Now

Premier academy in New Haven for the past five years, the choice was Staples.

“I chose Staples because they supported and communicated with me throughout the whole process and have made me the goalkeeper I am today,” Hickok said. “My senior year at high school was just absolutely something I could not pass up, and I feel sorry for those who did.”

Deciding to do the opposite was former Wrecker star Lorenz Esposito ’13, who now plays for the FC Westchester Academy in New York.

“I left the Staples program because it wasn’t a true depiction of me as an athlete and I didn’t feel like I was getting any better,” Esposito said. “I made the choice to leave for Academy to increase my opportunities to play in college and to play at the highest level.”

Esposito added that while he hadn’t received a single email from a college coach during his time at Staples, he received five emails after just three games at his first Academy showcase tournament. Esposito has since committed to play at the University of Connecticut for his collegiate career.

Also leaving the Staples ranks for Academy was Dylan Hoy ’13. For Hoy, the decision also came down to getting the best opportunity to play in college.

“I chose Staples because they supported and communicated with me throughout the whole process and made me the goalkeeper I am today.”

— James Hickok ’13 a broadcaster for NBC Sports, Martino spoke of his decision while commentating during the MLS Soccer Draft in Kansas City several months ago.

“All the people on the hill cheering me on, I loved the camaraderie [at Staples],” he said.

The sudden change left many players with a decision to make. For co-captain James Hickok ’13, who has also been playing with the South Central

“If I can improve enough to play at a good school, I will have four more years of the high school experience,” Hoy said.

Hoy went on to tell of how he recently took in a game at the University of Akron, one of the top soccer schools in the county.

According to Hoy, there were over 1,000 fans at the game, and the team’s seated sections had already sold out for the rest of

is enhanced even more.”

Woog, however, maintains that high school soccer provides a unique experience that is the best way for young players to improve.

“Academy teams’ main criticism of the high school system is that there are too many games in too short a time,” Woog said.

“I see that as the best way for young players to improve. Tak-

“I left the Staples program because it wasn’t a true depiction of me as an athlete and I didn’t feel like I was getting any better.”

— Lorenz Eposito ’13 the season. Hoy hopes to be able to play in a similar atmosphere.

“Improvement and development are my concerns right now, and if that goes well then I’ll be able to feel the same experience on a college team,” Hoy said.

According to Lonny Unger, the President of Esposito’s F.C. Westchester Academy, the quality of play provided by Academy is the best way for young players to heighten the level of their game.

“Playing with and against the best players on a regular basis is a proven way of improving players to their greatest potential,” Unger said. “The Academy program does just that and with this extension of the Academy season, that player development

ing—or defending—a penalty kick in front of 3,000 people in the stands and with the FCIAC championship on the line, that’s the essence of the game.”

Hickok is looking forward to perhaps being in that situation this fall, even with the knowledge that some of his former teammates will likely be a part of the large crowd Woog mentioned as opposed to being on the field with him.

“I feel sorry for some of them when they are sitting in the stands watching, but that is the path they chose, so best of luck to them,” Hickok said.

LEFT PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CARL MCNAIR. RIGHT PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY GERALD WRYNN.

Sports

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Advice From the Pros Eliza Yass ’14

Web Opinions Editor

W

estport is a town where the windy, tree-lined roads are seldom free of colorfully clad, sweat-drenched runners. Many students seem to run, but two groups lead the pack: the Staples track team and the Saugatuck Rowing Club.

Not many teams run on the roads for conditioning. Most resort to the track or treadmill, but these two teams take to the streets with energy and caution.

Camilla Broccolo ’14, member of the girls’ cross-country team, feels that running outside provides benefits that running inside cannot.

“I’m inside all day, and running outside is just a breath of fresh air,” Broccolo said. “It gives me time to think.”

She explains that running outdoors lets her feel liberated and calm after a long day of schoolwork.

Training outside is important for sports like crosscountry because the races are outside. The team must be prepared for different weather conditions like wind and humidity.

Many believe that running in-

side or on a treadmill does not provide the same effect.

Greg Fisher ’15, also a member of the track team, prefers running outside for another reason.

“Running inside is extremely tedious and boring,” Fisher said.

While running inside the field house is, indeed, an option for Staples track members, Saugatuck Rowing Club does not provide this option. With over 250 members and only 10 treadmills at its Riverside facility in Saugatuck, running outside is necessary.

According to Sharon Kriz, Junior Rowing Director and Head Coach of the Competitive Junior Boys Rowing Team, the Rowing Club sends its teams out in groups.

Group running is a bit different from running solo in that the group must work as a unit.

The track team accomplishes this by assigning an upperclassman to be the “point.” The “point” looks out for traffic and notifies the group when a car is coming its way.

There is no “point” to notify unaccompanied runners, so for anyone who wishes to take on the streets of Westport, remember to be careful.

According to RoadID, a company that creates “identification gear” to wear while out on the roads, over 122,00 runners, walkers and cyclists are hit by cars each year. Staples track coach Laddie Lawrence

21

Running Safely on Westport’s Roads

photo by claire sampson ’15

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?: Runners and walkers are supposed to move against traffic. knows all of the tips and tricks about running on the street.

“Always make eye contact with the drivers,” Lawrence said.

According to Lawrence, by looking directly at the driver before crossing a street, the message will be clear as to whose turn it is to go. After a clear signal has been made, the runner should proceed to cross the street. It is also important to cross the street before approaching a blind turn.

Both Kriz and Lawrence recommend running against traffic so cars will be seen

head-on.

Ian Teran ’13, an experienced runner on the track team, he offers this advice: “Stay alert. You never know what can happen and you have no control over drivers.”

Kriz recommends keeping a form of identification handy.

This is necessary because if a runner ever is hurt, police and emergency medical technicians need to be able to know specific important information about him or her and who to contact.

Also, Kriz said that the brightest, most obnoxious running attire should be worn so that

cars are too stunned to move.

Music is also a big no-no in her book.

“If you put headphones in, you may not hear cars. No music,” Kriz said.

Anybody can join the Westport movement of runners and most can join the track or rowing team. Just keep Lawrence’s words in mind.

“No matter how safe you can be, or you think you can be out there; you have to anticipate the unexpected,” he said. “For everything you do to be safe, you have to be that much more vigilant of the unexpected.”

22 Sports

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

ON GUARD: A policeman watches the senior section, in search of unruly behavior such as underage drinking.

PHOTO BY RYDER CHASIN ’14

Law & Order: Staples Edition

Police Presence Heightened at Friday Night Lights Molly Barreca ’13 & Brittany Healy ’13 Sports Editor & Staff Writer

I

t is Sept. 15 , the day after the f irst night footba ll game under its ow n lights in Staples histor y.

The Wreckers pulled of f a w in against St. Joe’s, and the game went of f w it hout a hitch. The st udents overf lowed f rom t he stands in a sea of white shir ts and hats, and group cheers could be heard f rom the bleachers each time Staples scored throughout t he game.

The game was bot h safe and successf ul, just as t he administration had hoped.

No incidents of misconduct were repor ted throughout the night.

Police of f icers, including police captain Sam A rciola, a for mer Wrecker himself, were stationed on t he f ield facing the audience to keep an eye out. Additiona lly, of f icers were posted at entrances and exits and the West por t Police Depar tment a lso sent of f icers to direct traf f ic af ter the game.

A lthough a ll v iewed t he game as a success, in t he week s leading up to t he f irst night game in Staples’ histo r y, there was cer tainly buzz over what safet y precautions would be taken.

This summer, when t he new lights were added to t he Staples footba ll f ield, st udents, parents, and adminis-

trators a like were excited to see t he lights shine for the f irst night game.

However, when t hese lights were put in place, a new wor r y was put in place as well.

Wit h night footba ll games comes old wor r ies, such as underage dr ink ing and other r isk y behav iors tak ing place on school grounds.

The issue of misconduct at at hletic events is not new to t he Staples administration, which has been tr y ing to educate st udents about t he dangers of a lcohol consumption af ter a Homecoming footba ll game in 2009, dur ing which st udents were repor ted ly out of hand. Since t hat time, secur it y at day games and Homecoming in par ticular has been heightened, and w it h the impending night game on Sept. 14 , t he administration was not ta k ing any chances.

“My plea to the st udents is t hat t hey don’t screw it up for 20 minutes of f un,” Pr incipa l John Dodig said. “I don’t inter fere w ith your pr ivate life, but t his is a school event and I ex pect that you’ll behave.”

In an ef for t to maintain t he level of precaution taken before big footba ll games, such as tightened secur it y at entrances to school as well as of f icers stationed on the f ield, t he senior class at tended a mandator y assembly the day of t he game to discuss

the ex pectations. At the assembly, st udents heard pleas f rom Pr incipa l Dodig, se nior class assistant pr incipa l Patr ick Micinilio, as well as footba ll coach Marce Petroccio. For the most par t, they a ll had the same message: be caref ul, and behave.

A lthough no r isk y behaviors in par ticular were men-

senior inter nship in May. In addition to the administration ta k ing steps to look out for misconduct at the game, the West por t Po lice Depar tment was a lso prepared w ith necessar y se cur it y plans to ensure safet y.

However, A rciola explained that t he secur it y precautions were t he same

“My plea to the students is that they don’t screw it up for 20 minutes of fun. I don’t interfere with your private life, but this is a school event and I expect that you’ll behave.”

— Principal John Dodig tioned, st udents k new t he contex t of the speech.

“I t hought it was interesting that they only ca lled seniors to t he assembly and no one else; other grades are just as susceptible,” Per r i Cohen ’13 said.

St udents were made aware of the repercussions of misconduct at the game, such as an automatic suspension.

Additiona lly, any seniors caught misbehav ing could potentia lly lose t heir opport unit y to par ticipate in the

ones that are a lways in place for Staples footba ll games, which can reach upwards of t wo thousand fans.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel here,” A rciola said.

“You’ll see us at dif ferent lo cations of the facilit y, you’ll see us at the ticket booth, you’ll see us on both sides of the f ield. You’ll see us.”

The safet y of fans at the f irst night footba ll game was a pr ior it y. Staples and tow n administrators as well as the police depar tment worked to

create a secure env ironment.

But regard less of the scoreboard, the f ut ure of night games at Staples could only be deter mined by the conduct of t he fans themselves.

A f ter a successf ul f irst game, there seemed to be even more buzz among st udents regarding the second night game on Sept. 21.

Again, no repor ts of st udent misconduct were repor ted at the game, a lthough one st udent did suffer an injur y f rom a fa ll of f the bleachers.

The Wreckers pulled out a 49 - 6 w in against Br idgepor t Centra l High School, and the presence, as well as t he behav ior of the fans did not go unno ticed by members of the team.

“My t hought process was that if we didn’t do the r ight things that f irst Fr iday night, it would be a problem for t he rest of the season, and they did a tre mendous job,” footba ll coach Marce Petroccio said.

A lthough Dodig did not send out an email to Staples families af ter the Sept. 21 game, the email he did send at 7:30 a.m. af ter the f irst night game seemed to say it a ll.

“I saw my st udents having the time of their lives,” w rote Dodig in his email. “It made me as proud of them as I would be of my ow n daughter.”

Sports

Inklings / October 5, 2012 / inklingsnews.com

Oklahomecoming!

23

Scheduling Conflicts Make for a Chaotic Day Rachel Labarre ’14 & Sara Luttinger ’13

E

Features Editor & A&E Editor

very year, students go all out in full blue-and-white attire, paint their faces, and constantly scream cheers down to the players at the Homecoming football game. In another annual tradition, students purchase their tickets to see the Staples Players’ fall musical. But this year, many will have to plan their time to accommodate the celebrations surrounding Homecoming and the theatricalities of the Players’ production, as the two events are both set to take place on Saturday, Nov 10.

According to Athletic Director Marty Lisevick, Homecoming was not always planned to be so late in the year or on the same day as the Players’ production.

Originally, the game was to take place in mid-October, but upon receiving a call from the superintendent, Lisevick was informed that that weekend was also an ACT testing weekend. The game had to be moved, and Lisevick was not left with many options.

According to Lisevick, a game against Stamford’s Westhill High School was already scheduled to take place on Friday, Nov 9. That date seemed to be the only other option for Homecoming, but the administration wouldn’t allow Homecoming to be a night game. After switching the date a few times, Lisevick finalized the date to be Nov. 10—the opening weekend

GRAPHIC BY NATE ROSEN ’14

PICK AND CHOOSE: Fans of both the Wreckers and Players will have a busy day on Saturday, Nov. 10. for the Players production of “Oklahoma!”

According to Players director David Roth, the musical has always taken place on the two weekends before Thanksgiving, and having the events on the same day will now mean that the cast and crew cannot fully participate in Homecoming.

After speaking to various Players, it was found that, although many performers are not thrilled with the way the timing worked out, the seniors and

freshmen in “Oklahoma!” are the most displeased with the planning. Danielle Frost ’13 explained that although she is thrilled to be in the show, she is not happy that she will likely be missing much of Homecoming as a senior.

“We don’t get to enjoy Homecoming festivities with the rest of our graduating class, and as seniors, I think that it is something we should be able to participate in without any unchangeable conflict,” Frost said.

However, some of the Play-

ers were able to keep an optimistic outlook. Claire Smith ’15 said that while it is true that timing is not ideal, but going to Homecoming that morning might actually liven her up and get her pumped for her performance that night.

Members of the football team agree that the timing is unfortunate. “I think it’s a shame that the attendance at both will be affected,” said Kevin Kearney ’13, one of the captains of the team.

While many may feel unhappy about the planning of Home-

“We don’t get to enjoy Homecoming festivities with the rest of our graduating class, and as seniors, I think that it is something we should be able to participate in.”

— Danielle Frost ’13 coming and “Oklahoma!,” it is still possible to attend Homecoming in the morning and then the production in the evening.

“Since Homecoming isn’t during an actual performance of ‘Oklahoma!,’ I don’t think it will hurt either of the events. But it’s a lot in one weekend and seems like pretty unforunate planning,” Taylor Jacobs ’14 said.

Makin’ A Splash Girls Diving Strides Toward Success Cadence Neenan ’15 Staff Writer

When featuring the Staples girls’ swim team, “Good Morning Staples” once talked about how unknown the sport was. However, the show failed to mention the fact that it is actually the swimming and diving team. That’s how unknown the Staples girls’ diving team is.

The diving team is larger than ever before. The eight girls on the team have more than doubled the size of last year’s team. The girls practice a lot: six days a week for about two hours a day.

Diving is a fairly unknown sport, and most girls on the team heard about it only by word of mouth or from the popular diving events shown at the Olympics. However, many feel that diving for Staples is more than just a sport.

“We are all supporting and helping each other like one big family,” Sonia Klein ’16 said.

For how unknown it is, the team has done well at its meets this year. The diving team has been successful in its first meet, an away diving meet in Ridgefield. Divers Eliza Donovan ’16 and Sophia Stanley ’16 competed for the first time

PHOTO BY THOMAS PALUMBO ’13 DIVING OFF THE DEEP END: Olivia Crosby ’15 demonstrates perfect form in front of the bigger-than-ever team. along with Olivia Crosby ’15.

The girls proved the team’s skills, with Crosby placing first at the meet, Stanley plac-

ing third, and Donovan placing fourth.

A diver’s score is based on the difficulty level of her dive

and how well the dive is executed. Every dive has a level of difficulty, with a typical one being about a 1.8.

As the diver performs the six dives required of her at the meet, she is scored by three judges, each of whom scores each diver out of ten. Once all of the judges’ scores have been added up, they multiply that number by the degree of difficulty.

For the divers, the meets aren’t quite so simple. They have more to think about than just a score. Getting into the “rhythm of the board,” according to coach Dan Long, is difficult. Divers agree.

“I’m not used to having to manipulate a large piece of metal,” Kacey Hertan ’16 said.

Yet, according to Long, not even the board or the pressure from the judges is the most difficult part about diving.

“Every kid has a certain fear that’s sort of inside them, and, ironically, certain dives bring out those fears,” Long said. “Everybody has fears in terms of diving, and it’s just a matter of time before you discover those fears. And then you have to deal with them.”

That’s a pretty high standard for such a small team. But then again, the Staples girls’ diving team is used to jumping off the edge of a metal board suspended above a pool.

They can handle it.

L I O AW D R E Pg DE & .2 R 2

S N

The Wreckers

I

ports

GRAPHIC BY ALEX ZUCKERMAN ’13

HIT HEAD ON: Concussions may not only prevent athletes from playing for a certain period of time; they can also cause lifelong damage.

Dazed and Confused Sports-Related Concussions Gain Awareness in Media, Culture A lex Spector ’13 Business Manager

H

e sits in class taking notes, but then looks down at his paper and forgets what he’s writing about. He gets off a couch to retrieve something, but when walking across the room, he forgets why he got up.

These are moments that former Wreckers varsity football captain and six-time concussion victim Chris Coyne ’11 deals with on a constant basis.

“I have severe memor y issues that have plagued me for over a year now,” said Coyne, who now attends Yale University. “My memor y has dropped to the third percentile, so it’s in pretty bad shape.”

In fact, Coyne’s memor y is better than just three percent of the rest of the world.

Coyne was recently on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” discussing his experiences and his new role in tr ying to educate young players about the effects of the most talkedabout injur y in sports today: the concussion.

It is estimated that there are currently any where between 1.6 and 3.8 million

sports-related concussions in the United States ever y year, which has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare them at an epidemic level. Efforts to prevent and treat sportsrelated concussions exploded after 2007, when the National Football League (NFL) released a study of over 2,500 retired NFL players, which proved that players who had had at least three concussions during their careers would have three times the risk of depression.

Coyne said that the concussions he sustained playing his favorite sport have certainly taken a toll on him since he was forced to quit football last year.

“I truly don’t know what to expect,” Coyne said. “From what we do know, those with a histor y of concussions are more prone to early A lzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, and suicide. I’m a strong guy, but I’ve seen people much stronger than I, most notably former NFL players, have their life ruined by these effects. So I really just don’t know what to expect.”

While concussions seem to be most closely associated

“Concussions are the epitome of the saying ‘better safe than sorry’ because you need your brain for the rest of your life.”

— Courtney Barry ’13 with football players (there are approximately 67,000 high school football players diagnosed with concussions

annually), these potentially life-changing injuries aren’t just restricted to the gridiron.

For example, Courtney Barr y ’13, a girls’ volleyball player, has suffered multiple concussions playing soccer.

“I can’t dive into pools, or jump on trampolines, or go on roller-coasters. I also can’t play contact sports for the rest of my life, which is hard for me,” Barr y said. “I used to have a great memor y, but my short-term memor y is aw ful now, which gets frustrating.”

While concussions are prevalent in sports currently, Jake Titlebaum ’13, a former Staples football player who sustained a concussion last season, believes that they are handled well by Staples’ coaches and trainers.

“Coaches nowadays are stressing proper blocking and tackling techniques. As a result, I think there will be less and less concussions,” Titlebaum said. “Concussion awareness is as good as it has ever been. Coaches and trainers are constantly on top of their players making sure they are symptom-free.”

Titlebaum’s sentiment is one that Coyne and Barr y both echo.

“I personally think that because of the amount of concussions I have had and the amount of doctors I have been to, trainers and people who evaluate head injuries are strict enough,” Barr y said.

“You can’t be too strict when it comes to head injuries; they are the epitome of the saying ‘better safe than sorr y’ because you need your brain for the rest of your life.”

While Coyne also thinks that trainers and coaches handle potential concussions well, he worries about players who tr y to hide their injur y to stay in the game.

“The trainers are great.

They do ever y thing right and are more than strict enough.

Unfortunately, concussions are an invisible injur y. So if a player wants to hide an injur y from the trainer, they can,” Coyne said.

This is a problem that Coyne, with the help of the Sports Concussion Awareness and Prevention Program (SportsCAPP), is tr ying to put a stop to.

“My personal belief is that the culture of playing through concussions can only be stopped with player education,” Coyne said.