February 2018

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nklings

Staples High School

February 9, 2018

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Jack Caldwell ’18

Photos contributed by Chris Greer

News Opinions Features Arts Sports

Contemporary World challenges students to talk about sexual assault Roxy Augeri ’20 “Whose fault is it if a nude is leaked?” was a question displayed on a bulletin board located outside the cafeteria on Dec. 20. This question was later followed with two other prompts to ponder: 1) “My bf pressured me to send him nudes. Now he threatens to leak them if I don’t send nasty pics. Who’s at fault? I’m 14,” and 2) Your friend says he’s been sexually assaulted by a girl at a party…What do you do?”

Each question was individually posted outside the cafeteria for one full day and called for students to interact with it by leaving comments on post-it notes. The final installation of the project, which included research and the outcome of the experiment, was posted on the bulletin board outside the social studies department on Jan. 22.

These posters were a part of an end-ofthe-semester project for Contemporary World Studies, taught by social studies teacher Cathy Schager. After the outbreak of the #MeToo movement on social media, students enrolled in the class decided to help create a conversation at Staples regarding sexual misconduct and its role at Staples as well as in Westport.

“It’s not okay to assault someone. It’s not okay to harass someone,” Lydia Donovan ’19, a Contemporary World Studies student helping to manage the effort, said. “No one really talks about it, so people don’t really know what counts and what doesn’t count. If you start the conversation, people will learn what is okay and what isn’t.”

THE PETROCCIO LEGACY Over the 25-year period Marce Petroccio spent as Staples’ head football coach, the Wreckers secured three state championships and five FCIAC titles.

[at Staples]. When I was hired, they had only won 11 games in seven years,” Petroccio said. “Work hard, get discipline back, do the same things I’ve done at Staples there and hopefully the kids will buy in.”

Meanwhile, Staples is coming off a 7-3 season in which they missed the state playoffs for the second straight year. Without Petroccio leading the ship, the future of the program is unclear.

“It all depends on who the next head coach is and what his staff ’s philosophy is,” Rabacs explained.

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Petroccio, head football coach, leaves for Trumbull

fter 25 years as the head coach of the Staples football team, Marce Petroccio announced on Jan. 26 his decision to take the head coaching job at Trumbull High School. Petroccio held a closed-door meeting with his stunned football team to announce the news at the end of the school day.

“It was shocking news,” Cole Brockwell ’19, a lineman for Staples said. “I found players, including myself, with pale faces just in disbelief. It almost seemed as if it was a joke.”

Kevin Rabacs ’19, whose family has been involved in Westport football for nearly a decade, added, “Coach [Petroccio] has been coaching here since before we even started youth football, so the thought of him not being here anymore is hard to believe.”

As a Trumbull native, Petroccio learned much of his craft from Trumbull’s storied former head coach, Jerry McDougall. After playing at Trumbull High School, Petroccio joined McDougall as an assistant coach in the 1980s; with Petroccio on the coaching staff, the team won Trumbull’s last state championship in 1986.

Petroccio was hired as Staples’ head coach seven years later, bringing three state championships to Westport in the 2000s.

“Being at Staples during that time was very fun,” Matt Sych ’07 explained. “It was clear the school’s culture was paying a lot more attention to football since they were so good.”

As head coach, Petroccio set the school’s all-time wins record at 210. Petroccio also gained the support of the Westport community, evidenced by when Staples’ Gridiron Club bought him a Cadillac in 2009.

“Thank you to the parents, administrators and my athletic director, they’ve been fantastic to me.” Petroccio noted. “It’s been a great ride, and I’m going to miss Staples.”

Trumbull football is coming off an unsuccessful 3-7 campaign that resulted in the resignation of head coach Bob Maffei after 20 seasons. Trumbull has gone 0-3 in state championships since Petroccio originally left and have failed to play in the title game since 2010.

“I have to dive into it the same way I did

INSIDE

Brockwell believes that the surprising move will serve as motivation moving forward.

“We move on with a chip on our shoulder and look at the situation with positivity,” Brockwell said. “We will continue to work hard as we have done even before we heard the news.”

Staples has now begun their search for a new head coach. With five FCIAC titles, three state championships and 210 wins, Marce Petroccio leaves many championship banners behind at Staples.

Continued on page 2

Photo by Ellie Kravetz ’18

Administration reevaluates sexual assault policy Julia Rosier ’18 After a group of five girls addressed the Westport Public School’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting on Jan. 22 to demand a reevaluation of the sexual assault

and harassment policy, the administration took action to address their concerns.

“Any time we hear a concern about something that’s happened in our schools,” Superintendent Colleen Palmer said, “it’s incumbent upon us to do

our due diligence to make sure we have followed our policies and our own practices to make sure that we have taken care of our students appropriately.”

Sydney Carson ’18 was one of the students who attended the BOE meeting and

spoke out. “We decided to go because we saw that the last time it was talked about, it was talked about for a total of three minutes, and for a policy that hasn’t

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page 21 New hockey record

Continued on page 2

INSIDE THE ISSUE

page 10 page 14 The case against an Oprah presidency Rockclimbing connoiseur

Hannah Schmidt ’19 spends her free Oprah’s presidency would yield disastrous consequences for America. time rock climbing in Fairfield.

70 North Ave., Westport, Connecticut, 06880

Google Arts and Culture Teachers and students uncover their historic art doppelgangers.

Sam New broke the record for the most goals scored for boys’ hockey.

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February 9, 2018

Contemporary World challenges students to talk about sexual assault Continued from page 1

However, Donovan noticed backlash targeted at students in the class following the board’s initial unveiling.

The first question asking “Whose fault is it if a nude is leaked?” provided students with sticky notes so that they might leave anonymous responses.

Comments including “F***ing pricks,” “Crooked Hillary,” “Feminist c***s” and “Ronald Reagan” were some of the more negative student responses put up on Dec. 20.

“I wrote on the board because I didn’t take the board that seriously,” an anonymous source said. The anonymous student said he believed that the poster wasn’t something that needed to get talked about; he said he posted offensive internet memes and wrote directly on the board because he said it “made my friends laugh.”

Some students outside of the Contemporary World Studies class said they were not surprised by some of the negative comments. “I think it was expected to get out of control the way it did based off of the walls last year and what people wrote,” Bradley Stakoff ’20 said, a bystander of the experiment.

The conclusion to the project outside the social studies department displayed a series of bullet points restating the goal of the installations, which was, to “Create an open dialogue - Change the stigma - it’s not only women. Understand the reality and effects of the situation. Inform and educate. Don’t be ashamed if it happened. You’re not alone.”

The students hope that Staples will become an environment where people can talk about issues like sexual assault.

“We should be able to have these kinds of discussions,” Stakoff said, “but the wide range of maturities prohibits us from doing so.”

SEXUAL ASSAULT COALITION Students from Cathy Schager’s first semester period 4 Contemporary World Studies class sit in front of the first of a series of posters pertaining to sexual conduct.

Photo contributed by period 4 Contemporary World Studies

Administration reevaluates sexual assault policy Continued from page 1

changed since 1995, we thought it deserved more of a conversation,” Carson said.

According to Carson, at the meeting, the main changes that were made to the sexual harassment and assault policy were word changes and adding social media to the list of ways students can be sexually harassed.

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination in an educational system. The Assistant Principal Richard Franzis is the Title IX Coordinator at Staples, but the BOE discussed the idea of hiring a female Title IX Coordinator for Staples.

Palmer has already acted on the idea. Both Carson and Sophia Sherman ’18 believe that this will be beneficial to the Staples community and future students because it will provide students with additional support.

According to Palmer, the Westport Public Schools have 10 Title IX Coordinators, three males and seven females.

“We also immediately set up training so that we will have females on site in the high school and it will have more diversity in terms of gender,” Palmer said.

Sherman was another student who spoke at the BOE meeting and believes that sexual assault and harassment must be addressed. “I would really love for sexual assault to be clearly stated and explained in the school handbook,” Sherman said.

“If we had a better education about all of this, I cannot even explain how much of

an impact this would have on the victims who are lost and don’t know where to go.”

According to Palmer, beginning in the fall of 2018, there will be an online learning module implemented for all Staples students. “We want to go through so that every student understands what their rights are, how they can report this, what kind of help they can expect,” Palmer said.

Palmer stated that this online learning module will most likely include texts or videos which must be viewed and read by students. After completing the activities, students will be required to answer a few questions by a certain date

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before proceeding to the next section.

“I think that the module was an incredible addition to the policy,” Sherman said.

“Currently in the school, the terms rape and assault are used so freely and I think that a lot of that is due to a lack of education.”

Palmer believes that this module will increase student awareness as well as ensure that students have the correct information about where to go for support. On Feb. 1, there was a session for all 45 administrators in the district, even though they are not all Title IX Coordinators, in order to “refresh their memory, what their duties and responsibilities [are],” Palmer said.

Photo by Melanie Lust ’19

According to John Bayer, the Director of Human Resources and General Admission for the Westport Public Schools District, if an event of sexual harassment or assault were to occur on the campus of the school, the administration would conduct a Title IX investigation and the police would become immediately involved.

If the event of sexual misconduct occurs off-campus and it is brought to the attention of the school, the administration will abide by Title IX policy to ensure that school is not a hostile and uncomfortable environment for both students and staff.

“We always have to look at things that maybe happened off-campus somewhere and then how do we make sure that when people come back to the campus, that they are in a safe environment,” Bayer said. “But if something happens on our campus, then obviously we have the ability to immediately engage with the police or whatever necessary resources we have to bring in to support the affected individuals whether they are students or staff members.”

Ultimately, Sherman believes her forward action was effective, enabling her to take on an active role in the Westport community.

“Taking action, going to the Board of Education meeting and being an active citizen in changing school policy made me realize that I do in fact have a voice,” Sherman said. “All of us students are strong, powerful and this truly is a democracy, so if you don’t think something is right, it is fully in our hands to change it.”

Inklings

February 9, 2018

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Alex Reiner ’18

Feb. 16-25, 2018

Feb. 27, 2018

February Recess and President’s Day

Code Girls

School will be closed for February break from Feb. 16 until Feb. 25. Only the teachers who did not opt to attend the Aug. 25 professional development day will be required to attend school on Feb. 16. On Feb. 19, President’s Day will be celebrated nationally.

Liza Mundy, New York Times bestselling author, will be at Westport Library on Feb. 27 from 7 to 8 p.m. to talk about her new book, “Code Girls.” The book discusses the female American code breakers, those who deciphered enemy messages, during World War II.

March 2-4, 2018

March 7, 2018

Staples Players Studio Production

Music Festival

Staples Players is producing “The Miracle Worker” on March 2, 3 and 4. The play is fully run by students and will be performed at Toquet Hall. The show is about Helen Keller’s life as a blind and deaf person. Sammy Webster ’21 will play the role of Keller and Sydney Carson ’18 will be the director of the show.

On March 7, there will be a town-wide music festival in the Staples High School auditorium. There will be musicians from the bands and orchestras from: Staples, Bedford Middle School and Coleytown Middle School. The concert will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

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STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL | inklingsnews.com

4 News

February 9, 2018

Inklings

Malloy proposes ban of bump stocks Tori Lubin ’18

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egislation to ban bump stocks, a device used to increase the number of bullets a gun can fire, was proposed by Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy on Jan 30. His call to action was prompted by the recent Las Vegas shooting, in which the gunman used a bump stock device to fire hundreds of more bullets than he would have been able to with a conventional gun.

The proposal has garnered bipartisan support.

“Bump stocks, in accordance to Malloy’s proposal, should be illegal,” Peter Clanton ’18, president of the Staples Young Republicans club said. “They serve no practical purpose with regard to hunting, home defense or anything else.”

However, some Staples students do not necessarily think a bump stock ban is the most effective way to curb gun violence.

“Criminals, by definition, won’t follow the law, and eliminating bump stocks will only weaken the legal gun owners who may face an unlucky, unlikely, unfortunate encounter with one such criminal,” co-president of the Staples Young Politicians League Eric Schwartz ’19 said. “If the question revolves around the citizen’s rights in terms of gun ownership, I am an advocate for the individual’s rights above their government’s.”

Currently, bump stocks are sold legally in Connecticut and do not have to be registered according to state law, although assault

weapons with similar firing capacities do.

If the law should pass during the 2018 session that began Feb. 7, the sale and possession of bump stocks, binary trigger systems and trigger cranks would be a felony. Connecticut would join Massachusetts, California and the city of Columbia, South Carolina, as the only areas of the country that have banned this device.

Nicole Arellano ’18, who is involved with Cathy Schager’s Contemporary World classes’ project, Disarm Gun Violence, supports Malloy’s ban. “I can’t see a valid reason for anyone to own that type of device,” Arellano said. “As Malloy put it, they’re cheap, deadly and unnecessary.”

Despite differences in opinion surrounding the effectiveness of Malloy’s proposed ban, Clanton, Schwartz and Arellano all cited strengthened background checks as a gun control measure they would like to see implemented in Connecticut.

Although actions taken by Malloy were prompted by the Las Vegas shooting, the issue of gun control continues to be a personal issue for Connecticut residents due to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December of 2012.

“The Sandy Hook tragedy was at our doorstep, not even an hour away,” Schwartz said. “Although the Las Vegas shooting was a similarly disgusting and useless loss of life, the Newtown massacre was a horrific reminder to us in our Northeast, Westport bubble that these statistics are more than numbers, but life lost in an avoidable way.”

Photo by Charlie Colasurdo ’18 Photo by Samantha Taylor ’21

ENDING GUN VIOLENCE Disarm Gun Violence, a group of Contemporary

World Studies students, assembled a panel to discuss gun violence in the nation. Speakers (top) included experts in the field. The group also hung a poster with statistics about the issue near the cafeteria (bottom).

BOE approves 3.97 percent budget increase Bailey Blaikie ’19 On Jan. 29, the Board of Education approved a 3.97 percent budget increase from the current year for the 2018-2019 school year. This countered Superintendent Dr. Colleen Palmer’s initial proposal made on Jan. 2 for a 4.19 percent budget increase.

The board approved budget is a $256,490 decrease from Palmer’s proposal.

The budget will go to the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting for final approval within the next few months.

“I hope that the Westport [Public] Schools are able to maintain the level of excellence it has now, regardless on how big the budget happens

to be,” George Harrington ’19 said.

The budget the Board of Ed approved includes some decreases, along with some increases that will directly impact Staples. With the new budget, a sum of $37.6 thousand will be allocated towards permanent substitute teachers.

“We will be getting more teachers,” Principal James D’Amico said.

“We’ll have new courses to offer that are included in the budget.”

However, given that the student population of the school system has been declining since 2013, and since next year the amount of students is projected to be 4.7 percent less than in 2013, some speculate the need for a budget increase.

“There will be lots of discussion on why we need so many employees,” Stern said. “[There will be] discussion of the teachers, how many do we need, what courses do we need to offer and how much support they need.”

Regardless, the biggest motivation for the budget increase comes from salaries and medical costs. These take up approximately 81.5 percent of the budget proposal.

“The biggest change year over year is the cost of medical care for our employees,” Brian Stern, Board of Finance chair member said.

He mentioned that the Board of Finance is continuing to work toward another budget proposal that has less cost and less risk associated with it. The cur-

rent proposal includes budget decrease in areas such as building projects, daily substitute teachers, teacher regular education and extracurricular stipends.

“Only about one-third of the people in Westport have kids in schools,” Moore said. “The other two-thirds don’t, and they don’t use the schools so they’re almost financially supporting the schools. We don’t want to make it less attractive for those people to live here.”

Palmer, though, remains confident in the future of the 2018-2019 education budget.

“This budget,” Palmer said, “fully funds appropriate staffing and resources for our district to continue in its journey of educational excellence.”

BUDGET MEETING Members of the Westport Board of Education

met Monday, Jan. 29, to finalize the 2018-2019 budget increase of 3.97 percent. The Board of Education meets Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in the Staples High School cafeteria.

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Photo by Charlie Colasurdo ’18

Inklings

February 9, 2018

News

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MENDING TRAFFIC FLOW Pictured is the intersection of Main Street and Post Road East where the ‘Main to Train’ study, centered around reducing traffic congestion through the implementation of new traffic lights, is set to take place.

‘Main to Train’ study approved at town meeting Lili Romann ’19

“M

ain to Train,” a $37,500 multifaceted research study regarding transportation complications from Downtown Westport to the Train, was approved Jan 9. at the Representative Town Meeting (RTM).

The study, conducted by NV5 Holdings, Incorporated, a construction engineering company based out of Florida, will explore vehicle, walker and biker traffic signal mishaps that occured on the roads.

As many RTM members are particularly adamant about protecting travellers in Westport from hazardous conditions, the vote to approve the research study was unanimous.

Some student drivers support the RTM’s decision, as they have become frustrated with the lack of effective traffic sig-

nals downtown and by the train station.

“I am an advocate of making it easier “I feel like it’s never safe to cross the for our residents to move freely around our street downtown, and everybody is just tak- community, whether by car, bike or foot,” ing their chances,” Brooke Matthew Mandell, RTM Githens ’19 said. “I have to Representative of District “If we can find drive downtown to pick up One, said. “If we can find my parents from the train better or alternative better or alternative meaa lot, and there is always sures to get people to the measures to get major, unnecessary traffic.” train, or for that matter The intentions of the people to the train getting people from the study include refining to downtown, that [...] that would be of train the lack of coordination would be of great benefit.” great benefit.” between traffic lights on The RTM is funding alroads leading to the train most half of the finances station to improve com-Matthew Mandell, necessary to execute this muter traffic. Additionproposal. This provides the RTM Rep. District 1 RTM with little control over ally, the study looks to facilitate the feasibility of the intricacies of the process. crossing the road at these intersections “The Department of Transportafor pedestrians and bikers and explor- tion requested this type of study, and ing the plausibility of creating a bike lane. if we hand it back to them, the odds of

them doing it are increased,” Mandell said. “So, we are only paying 20 percent of the total study cost, with the rest being carried by WestCOG, the regional planning organization we are a part of.”

Many RTM members are confident that they made the right decision in supporting the $37,500 multifaceted research study.

“I voted for the appropriations to spend the money and do the research,” John Klinge, District Seven RTM Representative, said. “It’s a good idea because I think we do have some severe traffic problems getting from downtown through Post Road and through Riverside.”

RTM members are also hopeful the research study will be the first step in addressing the traffic issues.

“Am I optimistic about it being a rousing success of the magic Panacea?

No,” Klinge said. “But I think it’s a start.”

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February 9, 2018

Inklings

Inklings

OPINIONS

February 9, 2018 Editors-in-Chief Amelia Brown & Anay Simunovic

Managing Editors

Max Appell & Ian Bernstein

Media frenzy compromises journalistic integrity

W

estport Daily Voice: “Staples High School admins failed to act when students reported sex Business Director assault.” New York Post: “Students slam Brett Franklin officials for giving boy ‘stern talking to’ Creative Director after sex assault claims.” NBC New York: Melanie Lust “Connecticut students say vice principal Breaking News Managing Editors told them to ‘let it go’ after sex assault Emma Greenberg & Julia Rosier claims.”

Web Managing Editors

Megan Doyle & Tori Lubin

Associate Managing Editors Izzy Blansfield & Alex Reiner

Assistant Public Relations Manager Cate Casparius

Assistant Creative Directors Charlie Colasurdo & Ellie Kravetz

Broadcast Directors

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EDITORIAL

Jack Caldwell & Jonathan Kaner

Outreach Managers

Hannah Bolandian & Bri Zeiberg

Assistant Business Manager Zach Feinstein

Subscription Managers Clay Crouch & Ben Klau

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Last month, Westport made national headlines, and, like with the TEAM essay contest last year, not in a good way.

This time, the administration came under fire from media sources across the country for their handling of recent sex-

ual assault complaints. But, as journalists, we could not help but notice the one-sided sensationalization of the stories.

We don’t know the validity of the girls’ accusation or what the administration is or is not doing, but we did see the biased coverage that was accepted as fact by many in the community and across the country without acknowledging the complexity of the full picture.

Quick to blame the Staples administration, specifically Title IX Officer Richard Franzis, for the handling of the claims, articles did not acknowledge the school’s legal limitations. Without an official police report, the school is, by law, unable to take action against the accused or give comment on the private case.

When reporters left out this critical restriction, they not only painted the administration in a biasedly negative light, but they failed to deliver the full story: sexual assault legislation restricts schools from taking action, not just in Westport, but throughout the country. t ’19 ie Lus Melan y b c i Graph

Advertising Managers Caroline Donahue & Emily Stone

News Editors

Jack Beck & Zach Horowitz Sophie Driscoll & Dan Harizman

These professional papers also failed to conduct their own interviews and instead recycled the same sources, using them over and over again with each new story. Because many reporters didn’t talk to sources themselves, out-of-context quotes and misinformation got passed off as fact. This lazy reporting led to a cycle in which the same perspective drowned out any other views.

The media serves an important purpose in gathering and presenting information for people to make their own judgements.

However, when the media only presents the juiciest facts to create drama and garner readership, they risk also creating a singular perception of a multi-faceted story.

We know how hard it can be to cover sensitive topics. Many situations are not black and white, and it is difficult to represent all sides impartially. However, it is not the media’s job to pass judgement; it’s the reader’s.

But by blatantly painting complex issues simplistically in an attempt to attract viewers, the truth of a story is lost and the media ends up deciding what we should believe.

Our editorial board voted unanimously in favor of this editoiral.

Opinions Editors

Izzy Connors & Alexandra Sprouls Kaya Leitner & Layla Wofsy

Features Editors Bailey Blaikie & Lili Romann Audrey Bernstein & Liv Ronca

Arts Editors

Allie D’Angelo & Olivia Foster Nicky Brown & Anna Rhoads

Sports Editors

Kaela Dockray & Erin Lynch Jackson Daignault & Amanda Kaplowitz

Web News Editors

Nicole Dienst & Adam Wenkoff

Join the discussion.

Have an opinion about an Inklings article? Write a letter to the editor at inklingsnews@ westportps.org

Web Opinions Editors Arin Garland & Siri Kanter

Web Features Editors

Chelsea Fox & Sasha Narang

Web Arts Editors Molly Mahoney & Maddie Phelps

Web Sports Editors Elliot Kaufman & Ben Pearl

Advisers

Matthew Bohn, Joseph DelGobbo & Mary Elizabeth Fulco Gold Medal for Columbia Scholastic Crown Finalist for Columbia Scholastic

Hybrid News from Press Association 2017 Inklingsnews.com from Press Association 2015

Silver Crown Award for Newspaper from Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2014 Pacemaker from National Scholastic Press Association 2013 All the opinions, news and features in this paper are those of Staples High School students. Inklings, a curricular and extracurricular publication, has a circulation of 1,800 and is uncensored.

All letters to the editor must be signed. The editorial board reserves the right not to publish letters and to edit all submissions as it sees fit. The editorial board determines all editorial opinions, which are authored faithfully by the Editors-in-Chief.

Inklings reserves the right to not publish advertisements that promote products that could be harmful to student health. The paper is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association and supports the Student Press Law Center.

70 North Ave. Westport, CT 06880 Phone: (203) 341-1994 Inklingsnews@westportps.org Decisions of Inklings and Westport Public Schools are made without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other discriminating basis prohibited by local, state or federal law.

[INKLINATIONS]

Rohan Goswami ’18 “When people take it upon themselves to push a narrative that has no basis in fact.”

WHAT CONSTITUTES BAD JOURNALISM?

Paige Anderson ’18

Meher Bhullar ’20

“When only one view point is represented.”

“If the information is not accurate or you change the context of what your sources say."

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL | inklingsnews.com

8 Opinions

Inklings

February 9, 2018

The Artichoke *Inklings Satire

*#Lost you but still gained followers Ellie Kravetz ’18

D

ear @bballboy22 I hate to do this on the biggest h o l i d a y of the year (a.k.a. Valentine’s Day), but since you refuse to obsessively post about our love on social media, I must publicly break up with you on this Instagram post.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. You literally gave me no choice. I mean, I’ve dropped every hint in the book. I sent you screenshots of our friends who have already posted for Valentine’s Day. I sent you photos of us to remind you of how pretty I am. I did everything. But CLEARLY the importance of this sacred day didn’t register with you because you didn’t post on social media.

Don’t blame your gender and say Valentine’s Day is for The Girls. Just take Billy, for example. He posts pictures of Sasha ALL of the time. Sure, they’re always fighting in the cafeteria at lunch, but their profiles prove their invincible love. No one ever questions their relationship status.

How are all of my friends supposed to know if we are still dating if you aren’t constantly uploading pictures showing you with me? Think of it this way: if we are having fun and other people don’t see it, did we actually have fun? Didn’t think so.

You just don’t put in enough time to Insta-

gram and that translates to you not putting enough effort into our relationship. Anyone who has used Instagram knows that good pictures take both time and effort to post. You have to pick the right filter, the right time to post, the caption. I did all of that for you because I love you, yet you did nothing. If you really felt like no words could articulate your adoration, perhaps one of the 722 emojis on your keyboard could have.

You claim that you “never use social media,” yet you have 98 posts. Yes, we have only been dating for two weeks, but out of those 98 posts only twelve include me.

That’s 8.17 percent of your page. Am I only 8.17 percent of your life?

Why would you post a picture of the fish you caught in Cape Cod last summer when I am the biggest catch you’ll ever snag? Your Grandmother doesn’t even have an Instagram profile, yet you felt the need to post her a birthday shoutout? I mean seriously; get your priorities straight.

The Buzzfeed quiz I took this morning told me that I am the perfect girlfriend. After I got those positive results, I decided to take the quiz on your behalf, and you did not get my remarkable score.

Yes, the flowers you bought were pretty, but flowers die, unlike social media posts which never disappear.

Good bye 4-ever. @heart_taker_and_breaker

Graphic by Sarah Maybruck ’18 Photo by Charlie Colasurdo ’18

Trumps order to send back Salvadorans will lead to terror in El Salvador After being deemed traitors by gangs in San Salvador, women from El Salvador sought shelter and rode in bulletproof cars.

They then were deported from America. These women are forced to change their identity in order to stay safe from gang infested streets. Soon, this will be the life of nearly 200,000 more Salvadorans after Trump’s most recent reversal of immigration policies.

Trump decided to send back the Salvadorans living in America for the past decade under the Temporary Protected Status, which allowed Salvadorans to live and work legally in America after two tragic earthquakes struck El Salvador in 2001. Trump is removing these threatened, hardworking, tax paying, residents solely because they are not American citizens.

This isn’t much of a surprise, as Trump took away protections from Nicaraguans last year and Haitians just a few weeks ago, who were also here for natural disaster relief. He has been very vocal regarding his immigration stance, making it clear that he does not want immigrants in our country.

Although The Department of Homeland Security claims that the damage from the earthquakes in El Salvador have been fixed, these Salvadorans are being sent back to one of the most unsafe countries in the world.

San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, has been named the seventh most unsafe city in the world according to Business Insider. Sending these people who have grown accustomed to life in America would be sending them back to turmoil and distress.

According to The Guardian, in San Salvador, the gangs take over the streets, making it difficult to walk or even take public transportation. Women are constantly at risk and often a r e v i c tims to sexual assault. It is difficult for most women to say no to gang members who threaten them to have sex. These women dream of coming to America to escape the violence and terror they experience on a daily basis.

Salvadoran lawyer Laura Morán explained the situation to The Guardian. “Deportees

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

from the U.S. face being killed or sexual violence. Most girls try to hide from the violence,” Morán said. “The prob-

Graphic by Katie Howard ’19 and Melanie Lust ’19

Bailey Blaike ’19

lem is that most don’t have a place to go.”

Some children who were born in America will be allowed to stay but will be separated from their parents. To me, this concept is unfathomable. Separating a family solely based on their immigration status is unjust and unfair to those who have been granted protections here.

Trump never fails to act on his own priorities before the priorities of others.

Regardless of how many Salvadorans are threatened by gang violence, it is irrelevant to Trump and his plan to deport all who are not American citizens. Salvadorans are here for a reason and deserve a better chance at life. They have built a life for themselves in the U.S., and now it is being ripped out right from under them. No one should be subject to constant gun violence and sexual assault, whether or not they are a U.S. citizen.

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February 9, 2018

Trump’s response to “Fire and Fury” supports book’s claims Kaela Dockray ’20

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f I’ve learned nothing else from our president during his first year in office, at least I’ve gained a new appreciation of the importance of being accountable for my actions.

Time and again, Trump has simply failed to do this. Rather than taking the blame, our president points fingers at his political opponents, his cabinet and now Michael Wolff, journalist and author of the scathing new tell-all, “Fire and Fury.”

While I cannot attest to the accuracy of Wolff ’s book, I can conclude that Trump’s response has only made things far worse for him and his administration. Trump’s inability to recognize that his actions caused this publicity-storm only confirms many of the criticisms made about him in the book.

We all make mistakes. Yes, even you, Mr. President. While nobody is perfect, it seems that Trump believes he is the closest thing to it. However, he was mistaken enough to grant unfettered access to the West Wing to a journalist who, for over six months, not only observed the inner-workings of the White House operation, but interviewed several White House officials, including Steve Bannon, Trump’s right-hand man. Trump allowed this to occur because, presumably, he expected nothing less than a glowing review about his first term in office. BIG mistake.

Alas, Wolff did not pen the review

Trump envisioned. On the contrary, he wrote a raw and critical assessment on the Trump Administration, making it clear that our president is neither mentally stable nor equipped to fulfill the most powerful position in the world.

However, while the ugly picture that Wolff painted did not come as a

surprise to the majority of Americans, it around 48,000 on Amazon to numdid to our leader. Trump reacted with fire ber one on the New York Times best and fury, seeking to undermine Wolff ’s seller list. Sales continued to soar, which credibility. He claimed he never granted led to Wolff thanking the president for access to the administration’s highest levels, the attention he’s brought to the book. said that he never spoke to Wolff regardTo be fair, it is unrealistic to expect an ing the book, engaged in a Twitter tirade, administration to simply ignore allegaand threatened to sue both tions of this magnitude. But it is reasonWolff and the book’s publish- able to assume that the leader of the Free er (even though such suits run World would be somewhat measured in afoul of the First Amendment.) his response. After all, it is only a book, Trump’s reaction only height- and every president in recent history has ened the public’s intrigue. had their fair share of critics who write The publisher moved about them. But none have responded as up the date this president has.

Trump’s response of the book’s reAlthough prolease by four days, viding Wolff unrehas only made and people immethings far worse stricted access to the diately lined-up to White House was a for him and his purchase a book that bad idea from the the president did not outset, almost any administration. want a single eye to reaction would have see. It rose overnight from been better than the route our president chose. Acknowledging that mistake and moving on would have been a more effective course. Yet, somehow our president missed the basic lesson of taking responsibility for mistakes, a principle that may have saved him from endless bad publicity in the aftermath of the book’s publication.

We all need to stand by our decisions.

If “Fire and Fury” were filled with praise, it goes without saying that Trump would have bragged about his choice to invite Wolff into his lair. So, the question I am still left wondering is, why is our “fearless” leader so afraid of owning the consequences of his own doing when things don’t go as he had hoped? But more importantly, if this is how he responds to a publication admittedly replete with some inaccuracies, how can we expect him to react in the face of legitimate crises?

Graphic by Katie Howard ’19

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL | inklingsnews.com

Inklings February 9, 2018 10 Opinions #MeToo movement lacks second side of the story Izzy Blansfield ’18

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ince the sexual allegations made against Harvey Weinstein, the #MeToo movement has taken the country and the world by storm, flooding the media as people share their experiences of being sexually assaulted and harassed.

Since Weinstein was exposed, 116 public figures have been accused of sexual misconduct, according to Time magazine. For many of those accused, they are either facing criminal or civil charges, or at least, the consequences of damaged reputations, including job loss.

However, many of those that have been accused have protested that the allegations posed against them are false and as a result are being faced with undeserving consequences. By acknowledging the possibility of innocence, I believe that the media’s role in the #MeToo movement has stripped men of their rights to a fair trial and unfairly displayed one side of the story.

But don’t get me wrong, I believe the #MeToo movement has finally given guilty men what they deserve, allowed women to find their voice and made it clear that sexual violence will not be tolerated in our society. Because of this, I stand with the #MeToo movement.

However, there are differing points of view and changing cultural influences that complicate the movement. Which is why the legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve has come to the defense not of the victims, but of the accused in a

Graphic by Melanie Lust ’19

letter in the newspaper Le Monde.

Deneuve made the point that, “the #MeToo movement has led to a campaign of public accusations that have placed undeserving people in the same category as sex offenders [...] While the only thing they did wrong was touching a knee [or] trying to steal a kiss.”

While I wouldn’t go as far as to call the

movement a “witch hunt” as Deneuve did in her letter, I think it is important to consider her point and realize the impact that the media has on the influence of the movement.

Because of the media, people are now capable of making accusations that threaten others’ careers and lives. This could result in innocent lives seriously jeopardized, just by the weight of the accusation.

Jeremy Piven, an American actor who has been accused of sexual abuse and claims the assertions to be false, discussed the media’s role in the movement. Piven made the point that “allegations are being printed as facts” and “lives are being put in jeopardy without a hearing, due process or evidence,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

This was demonstrated within the controversy of the allegations against American actor, Aziz Ansari.

After going on a date with a woman, Ansari was notified that the women felt violated. Ansari claims he was surprised and concerned as he believed the encounter to be consensual and apologized after he was notified.

The woman’s accusation on Ansari has raised dispute as many readers concluded that the encounter was an instance of bad sex during a date gone awry, according to Time.com. And as a result, Ansari has been “in a professional sense, assassinated on the basis of one woman’s anonymous account,” according to the Atlantic.

BBC.com brings up the point that women have said that the issue has “been so unfair for so long that if a few innocent men get wrongfully accused, that’s a price they are happy to pay.”

I disagree with this stance. No innocent man or woman deserves to be accused of something they did not do, and as a result lose their reputation, their jobs and others respect.

Even though there are many cases where men haven’t just touched a woman’s knee, it is important for people to acknowledge that an accusation presents only one side to a story, and to give the benefit of the doubt until the accused are proven guilty as charged.

Oprah’s presidency would yield disastrous consequences for America Melanie Lust ’19 On Jan. 7, philanthropist and talk show host Oprah Winfrey took to the stage of the Golden Globes and delivered perhaps the most iconic speech in the award show’s history. Her words were certainly eloquent and empowering, but not — as most of the Internet has already labeled it — presidential.

The fact remains that Oprah is not a politician and never will be. Her rhetorical prowess that night reflected decades of success in the entertainment industry, not political skill. And should she eventually concede to media pressure and announce a presidential bid, America will enter yet another era of crippling partisan polarization with dire consequences.

The thought of Oprah Winfrey as president in 2020 is a glamourous fantasy in contrast to our current administration, which certainly explains why it appeals to so many people. It’s true that Oprah surpasses Donald Trump in everything from ethical soundness to command of the English language, but they both share something in common: utter lack of political experience.

Candidates for office should only be judged by their capabilities as a politician and leader in an increasingly complex politi-

cal landscape. The world stage today is an intricate and dangerous system, and the United States is at the forefront of most political conversations. The only way a president will be able to handle leading the most powerful nation in the world is if they have had direct experience with everything from foreign policy to domestic economic issues. A good president in an era like ours, in addition to being

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

compassionate, is necessarily a practical Indian-American senator from California leader, hardened by experience, with a with extensive experience as a district atprofound comprehension of every di- torney, Attorney General of California and mension of society and government. congresswoman. Her history of activism Oprah has never had to stand her ground for prison reform, environmental justice on the Senate floor and face down dozens and gun control has already made her a of livid political adversaries; she has never particular favorite for the 2020 election had to push for plausible and specific ac- among African-Americans in California. tion across the world; she has never coordi- And, according to U.S. News, she is already nated with intimidating world leaders who strongly considering throwing her hat in have the power to wipe out all known civ- the ring when election season rolls around. ilization. She has never Harris has direct experience in the been exposed to the chaotic world of politics and would serve our nation betGraphic by Melanie Lust ’19 many nuanced proShe has never been ter than Oprah. cesses that exposed to the many She may not have compose the advantage nuanced processes of being a pop the federal that compose the governculture icon, but federal government, all she needs, as ment, so so she is not qualified we saw in 2016, she is not to lead it. qualified is one spark of to lead it. media attention According to a re- that will grow into a wildfire that will make cent NPR poll, many her known as a Democratic candidate. people are drawn As a nation, we gave Trump an absurd to Oprah not only amount of attention that let him win. We because of her per- are now witnessing the consequences of sonality, but because fueling that fire. Even disregarding his she would break the heinous morals, Trump’s political strattrend of white male egies have been divisive and dangerous, presidents in office. pushing us closer towards nuclear war This is not an un- and completely deconstructing the litreasonable consid- tle order remaining in Washington, D.C. eration, but there And yet, even after experiencing the damare other women aging failures incited by an unqualified of color in politics president, Hollywood and the media are right now who are nudging another politically incompetent far more qualified celebrity into the 2020 race. We can not to lead our nation. afford to make the same mistake and alKamala Harris is an low media attention to concentrate around African-American, Oprah instead of other capable politicians.

Inklings

February 9, 2018

FEATURES

11

Technology Education fuels creativity and independence Ava Simunovic ’20

how to make more advanced projects.

“Depending on the unit, we will either have free build, where we can build anys the second bell rings, students thing we want to, granted we can do it in scramble into their classrooms the shop,” Lindwall said. “Then there’s and grudgingly take a seat. other structured units where you learn Laptops are whipped open, mechanical how to build things like wind turbines.” pencils are pulled out and crumpled This semester students were able homework is scavenged for at the to take apart and rebuild small gas bottoms of bags. But for a select few engines, build architectural house at Staples, their class period consists models while working with electrical of something quite different. These applications and experiment with turstudents replace pencils with saws and bine designs using a metal lathe and laptops with wood. They push aside wind tunnel. In addition, students their homework and instead dress also learned how to troubleshoot and themselves in gloves, goggles and repair outdoor power equipment. aprons. These students are none other Sansur believes that what students than the “woodshop” kids. take away from the course is extremely Technology Education is unlike the beneficial and rewarding for the future. common courses offered at Staples. It “Those who may have the mindset that encompasses a whole new set of skills college is not for them come to realize and techniques unfamiliar to most. that components of the class can be “Students are required to learn all of the further pursued via certain programs functionality of the laboratory power of study in some colleges or techniequipment, power tools and hand tools,” cal school, Technology Eduwhich can cation teacher Mi“ It is more free lead to apchael Sansur said. formed than other prenticeThe projects are classes, so you can ships or inalways hands-on, choose how you dustrial or fostering an enSTEM career gaging environwant to do things ” Sansment. “I enjoy and you can express paths, getting to work ur said. “The yourself better.” with my hands afclass teachter sitting at a desk - Kevin Lindwall ’20 es practiall day,” Emerson cal skills Anvari ’20 said. that stu“In other classes we just learn, write dents will use outside of the classand listen, but for this we get to room in their everyday lives.” build stuff and express ourselves.”

Although Anvari does not see himThe structure of the class fuels indeself continuing Technology Education pendence. “It is more free formed than outside of high school, he believes the other classes, so you can choose how you values he was taught in the class will carwant to do things and you can express ry with him. “I don’t think I’ll go on to yourself better,” Kevin Lindwall ’20 said. necessarily pursuing a tech-ed career,” While the class is more freelanced Anvari said, “but the skills of creativity, than most, there are structured units craftsmanship and problem solving will embedded within it to teach students serve me well in life with whatever I do.”

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SPARKS FLY (1) Jake Trock ’20 enjoys the freedom of Technology Education, which allows students to structure their own learning experience.

(2) For one of the projects, students must construct a balsa wood bridge. After it is built, they test it for durability.

(3) Alexander Toglia ’21 works to construct his balsa wood bridge. This is one example of the hands-on projects in which students take part.

(4) (Left to right) Oliver Bonner ’21, Eli Kogan ’21, Toglia, Axel Haazen ’21, Johnny Harrar ’18 and Trock display their work on the balsa wood bridge. Technology Education teacher Michael Sansur emphasizes that the students will be able to use these skills in everyday life.

Photos by Ellie Kravetz ’18

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL | inklingsnews.com

12 Features

February

CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT Children in the Soviet Union were often trained by their schools in preparation for conflict with the United States. While the photo does not depict Ulianova, according to Ulianova, it is an accurate representation of her experiences. As a child, she learned how to properly wear gas masks and operate an AK-47.

Additionally, she was taught to hide in the event of a nuclear explosion.

Photo from softmixer.com

An interesting past leads to a bright future for German teacher Liubov Ulianova Emma Van Riper ’20 & Lily Kane ’20

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aving grown up in an environment filled with gas masks and AK-47s, German teacher Liubov Ulianova’s story shows no resemblance to that of a typical Westport teacher.

Ulianova, known to her students as “Frau,” was born in Leningrad, which is now known as St. Petersburg. Her childhood was spent in the Soviet Union and her German education began in first grade at an elite school with a military curriculum.

“I had to shoot AK-47’s, wear gas masks and do a lot of training because we were fighting Americans. In case of nuclear explosions, we had to hide under the desks,” Ulianova said. “We had to shoot targets and throw fake grenades during gym class.”

Following her high school graduation, Ulianova received a scholarship to Heidelberg University, a prestigious school in Southern Germany. While moving there, Ulianova became the first exchange student from Soviet Russia to travel through Checkpoint Charlie, a Berlin Wall crossing point.

In May of 2001, she and her husband decided to start a family and immigrated to America. The 9/11 terrorist attacks that took place shortly after she arrived lengthened the immigration process.

The language barrier also made the first few months challenging as Ulianova had to learn English as her fourth language.

Ulianova recalls that she was originally intimidated by the United States because of what she was taught as a child.

“We were always fighting you [Americans]. We were hiding from you under

the desks,” Ulianova said. “But obviously, once I met [Americans], I realized it was all propaganda that the government made up to keep political powers in place.”

Ulianova teaches German at Staples from level one through AP classes. In all of these classes, she stresses the importance of bringing German culture alive in the classroom.

Many of her students admire her bright energy in and out of the classroom. “She isn’t afraid to have fun with her students,” Pauline Autaurd ’20 said.

“Her focus is not to stress us out or load us with tons of homework, but to emerge us in German culture and have fun.”

Prior to obtaining her job at Staples, Ulianova worked at Yale University, Wesleyan University and Connecticut College.

She has also served as an interpreter for the German Counselette and a Corporate interpreter for CEOs in St. Petersburg, while on the side having created her own technical translation company.

Because of her many years spent in Germany, Ulianova is not only able to teach her students about the German language, but provide them with inspiration about furthering their German education in the future.

“She is always planning German field trips, telling us how we can win free trips from the German government and always talking about the benefits of European life,” Nick Bilotti ’18, a student in one of Ulianova’s level two German classes, said.

Ulianova’s eventful past contributes to her different style of teaching, which many of her students are fond of. “She’s a very unique teacher,” Bilotti said. “I really appreciate that.”

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

y 9, 2018

Inklings

13

1 2 3 4

THROUGH THE YEARS (1) Ulianova is pictured in Dresden, Germany, an area close to

Berlin. She traveled through Germany when she was roughly 24 years old.

(2) Ulianova poses during her first year at a university in Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg. There, she chose to study German and English.

(3) In eighth grade, Ulianova traveled through Checkpoint Charlie, a Berlin Wall crossing point, and became the first exchange student from Soviet Russia to do so. With her host family, she visited the Fischmarkt Hamburg Altona.

(4) Ulianova was able to observe the Neckar river from her dorm at Heidelberg University in Germany.

Photo by Charlie Colasurdo ’18

Photos contributed by Luibov Ulianova

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL | inklingsnews.com

14 Features

February 9, 2018

Inklings

Schmidt climbs through thick and thin Chelsea Fox ’19

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ost Staples student athletes spend their afternoons in the gym shooting hoops or out on the track running laps; however, Hannah Schmidt ’19 can be found in Fairfield working hard at her climbing gym, Rock Climb Fairfield. When given a rope, a harness and a 50 foot wall, Schmidt can do incredible things.

Although it took a while to find her true love for climbing, the process happened very naturally.

“At first I went to a few birthday parties, then I joined the club,” Schmidt said. The club was available to individuals who were interested in rock climbing, but not yet ready to be competitive.

However, recreational climbing was not enough to satisfy Schmidt.

It was not long before she joined the rock climbing competition team and started going to competitions almost every weekend.

The uniqueness of both the sport and the team hooked her into the activity. “Everyone on my team is so different as far as ability goes,” Schmidt said. “My strengths are someone else’s weakness and vice versa.”

Not only do team members vary in ability, but each competition route is ensured to be different than the previous. “[With different climbs] you’re always surprised, but you are willing to work hard,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt explained that starting to climb competitively is the easy part, but continuing to progress requires dedication. “It is easy to get really good really fast,” Schmidt said, “[...]but then you hit that point where you plateau for a while and then you realize ‘Oh man, now I have to start training super super hard.’”

Science teacher Kristin Scott knows Schmidt from both in and outside of the classroom. Schmidt is a former chemistry student of Scott and is also friends with Scott’s daughter, who competes on the climbing team.

Scott explained that both as a student and as a rock climber, Schmidt is able to stay focused under pressure.

“Where other students would panic or get frustrated when things got difficult [in chemistry], she always stayed very calm,” Scott said. “[This] is the same thing she does when she is hanging from two fingers on a wall.”

Although Schmidt has mastered the ability to stay calm under pressure, she does have trouble managing 12-15 hours of climbing a week.

“In the beginning it was hard for her to realize the depth of commitment rock climbing took on her,” Justin Schmidt ’19, Hannah’s twin brother, said. “It’s definitely a challenge [for Hannah] to balance everything out.”

Despite hardships presented in training, Hannah Schmidt climbs on.

“You are never doing the same thing everyday,”she said. “It’s definitely uncommon, but that’s why I like it.”

All rankings according to USA climbing

Photo by Ellie Kravetz ’18

Social media platforms distract while fostering creativity Ian Bernstein ’18 & Emma Greenberg’18

Social media is the common ground amongst Generation Z and Millenials. It provides a platform for people to show off their individuality, while also bridging connections that would not have existed in the past. But there are some who have opted out of participating in the social media world.

Anisa Prasad ’19, who refrains from using all social media platforms, considers them a distraction.

“I think that if I started using [social media], it would drain my time and would probably lead to a lot of procrastination,” Prasad said.

Some students would attest to the truth in Prasad’s statement. Chris Drbal ’18, for one, originally had social media but decided to step away from his account.

“For snapchat, it got to the point where I was doing it a lot, and I needed to focus on other things, like school and sports,” Drbal said.

However, others believe social media is key to keeping in contact with family and friends, and argue that the pros of social media far outweigh the cons.

“Facebook has for sure allowed me to keep up with my family members who live far away,” Ella Lederer ’18 said. “I think it’s cool that I get

to see what’s going on in their lives.”

Similarly Tomaso Scotti ’20 feels that social media platforms can help people communicate.

“I think social media helps people stay connected even when they don’t know what to say. Take Snapchat. It’s really just pictures of your face but apps like that help communicate when you don’t know what to say,” Scotti said.

Nevertheless, according to a recent report from The Conversation, more and more young people are transitioning away from broadcast social media, specifically Facebook and Twitter.

“I feel very connected to the people who are close to me just by emailing and texting them,” Prasad said.

In contrast with Prasad, Kylie Adler ’19 is an avid social media user. For her, social media is not to be used only to keep in contact with those she knows, but also with making connections with complete strangers. That is why she runs an Instagram account with over 18,000 followers.

“I want to create a positive impact with my presence,” Adler said.

But Prasad does admit that there are some downsides to avoiding social media platforms.

“Since a lot of communication for clubs and extracurricular activities take place on Facebook, I’ve missed a few events,” Prasad said. “That’s one disadvantage of not using social media.”

“I think that if I started using [social media ], it would drain my time and would probab ly lead to a lot o f procrastination .”

- Anisa Prasad ’19

Graphic by Nicholas Caporale ’19

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Photo dramatization by Samantha Taylor ’21

Inklings

February 9, 2018

Features

15

s r e h c a e T f o y m e d a c The A ooses Sulzycki ch Hannah Bolandian ’19

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magine giving a speech in front of a classroom full of students. Then, add ten more people, a hundred more, a thousand. For many, the thought of this sends chills down their spines. However, in English teacher Holly Sulzycki’s case, it excites her. Recently, Sulzycki was nominated and selected for the master class of speechwriting with President Obama’s former speech writer, Stephen Krupin.

The speechwrit-

Photo by Zoe Barnett ’19

ing class is held by The Academy of been fascinating to me,” Sulzycki said.

Teachers. “The Academy of Teach- She now teaches Rhetoric and Persuaers is a New York institution that re- sion and AP Literature classes at Staples. ally works to foster the respect for The speechwriting class will teach Sulzyeducators and give them professional de- cki skills and techniques to implement in velopment opportunities,” Sulzycki said. her own classes. “I’m going to be sitting in a The class will be held at The Cooper room with 17 other teaching professionals,” Union on Feb. 13. Many nominations Sulzycki said. “Part of that day is dedicated for teachers in the to developing New York area were more curricu“[Sulzycki] really submitted, but only lum and workpersonalizes her 18 were selected ing on ideas to to attend the class. help students teaching to each For years, Sulzycaccess this student,” ki worked in theater content. That’s because of her pasI’m really - Georgia Wright ’19 what sion for performance. excited about.”

Soon after, she went In her on to study English. In college, Sulzycki Rhetoric and Persuasion class, Sulzycki took speech and teaches the basics surrounding writing communication and performing speeches. “[Sulzycki] reclasses. “The idea ally personalizes her teaching to each stuof communi- dent,” Georgia Wright ’19, student in the cation and Rhetoric and Persuasion class, said. “[She] e f f e c t i v e understands not just giving speeches but c o m m u - the mechanics behind a great speech.” nication, Sulzycki has been known by students to h e l p i n g bring her all to class. She exhibits great into think terest in her students’ success and curricuhow we lum. “It’s evident that she’s passionate about use lan- the English language,” Rohan Goswami guage to ’18 said. “I don’t think the nomination c o m m u - will even slightly alter the enthusiasm n i c a t e , she brings to the classroom — there isn’t has always anywhere for it to go; it’s kind of maxed.”

Upcoming police academy mentors youth interested in joining the force Isabella Bullock ’19 Being a police officer might not be like CSI everyday, but it can still be interesting. Crime happens and police need to know how to protect citizens. A new program called the ‘Westport Citizens’ Youth Police Academy’ gives students who want to become police officers, or are interested in police work, a way to learn what happens in the police force.

The program welcomes anyone who wants to join. “Even if you were ‘anti-cop’ I think it would be a great opportunity to get in our heads and see why we do what we do,” Officer Ned Batlin, creator of the program, said.

Batlin explained that the reason for creating the academy was to connect Westport’s police system with the town’s young adults, as they have done in the past. “We thought with all the work the police department does with students of town-youth commission, police youth collaborative would just be another great extension for anybody curious about a career in law enforcement,” Batlin said.

A similar program was created for adults last year, which went so well that the creators of that program decided to make another one for students.

Art Kelly ’19 previously participated in a Westport police academy program, which impacted him greatly. “The program actually made me want to join the police force after doing the ride along,” Kelly said. “I’m hoping to be accepted to the University of New Haven for criminal justice and then will hopefully pursue a career in law-enforcement in Westport.”

Batlin stated that the police force is highly competitive and always has been.

“I took a test with 350 other people for 10

jobs, but anytime they offer LEARNING THE TECHNIQUE During the police academy program, the test hundreds of peostudents will be taught the responsibilities of an officer and have the ple show up,” Batlin said. opportunity to graduate after the sessions.

This program could help decrease the competition in the police force for the students who join the program because they will have already gained a sense of what law enforcement does.

The program will consist of five sessions every Tuesday from Feb. 27 to March 27 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Students are eager to begin. “I have already signed up,” Desiree Powell ’19 said.

Like the previous program, there is a syllabus of the upcoming events where students can know what they are getting into. In the syllabus it states how students will meet with the officers, learn investigating techniques, learn about specialized units, learn the responsibilities of a police officer and much more.

At the end of the program there is even a graduation ceremony. POLICE FORCE (From left to right) Corporal Sean Wong Won, “I think it’s a Officer Dave Scinto, Detective Erin Shaw, Desk Officer Shawn great idea for stu- Kelly, Sergeant Dave Librandi, Corporal Howard Simpson, dents to be apart Officer Ned Batlin and Sergeant Sereniti Dobson are members of this program,” of the Westport Police Department, which will be mentoring Alexis Tucci- youth.

Photos by Charlie Colasurdo ’18 nardi ’19 said.

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL | inklingsnews.com

16 Features

February 9, 2018

Inklings

Math National Honors Society provides free weekly tutoring Alex Sprouls ’19

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s the final bell rings, most students rush to their cars in hopes of beating the buses.

However, members of the Math National Honors Society choose to spend their afternoons in the library tutoring their peers.

“My tutoring with the Math National Honors Society was amazing,” Sydney Panzer ’19 said. “I went the day before a test and I think it helped tremendously.”

The Math National Honors Society at Staples needs to complete a certain number of hours of community service every year to meet a quota, and tutoring is one way of getting those hours.

The idea is new this year and was created when the students were thinking of different ways to help out around the school. Math teacher and Society adviser Rasha Tarek describes the initiative as “completely student-driven.”

The tutoring began on Jan. 10 and has been occurring every Wednesday after school since then with no appointment necessary.

“One of the many benefits of this program is that they don’t have to schedule an appointment beforehand,” Daniel Westphal ’19, member of the Honors Society, said. “So even if someone has a question on that night’s homework

Graphic by Melanie Lust ’19

they can come in for a quick fifteen minute explanation, and at no cost too.”

To be a part of the Society, one must submit an application, have a certain GPA and an interest in math. Many Society members want to teach their

peers in order to share their passion.

“I think learning from a student is more beneficial because sometimes students can come across as friendlier or seem less intimidating,” Bri Eagan ’18, member of the Math National Honors Society said.

Teddy O’Kane ’20 appreciates how the program is student-run. “They teach as if they are more of a friend rather than a teacher,” he said.

In past years, members of the Society have gone to the Math Science Learning Center and tutored students during their frees to reach their quota.

In addition to fulfilling the quota, the Math National Honors Society holds meetings to discuss various math topics, such as interesting equations and how they connect to the world.

“One of my favorite presentations so far has been when we learned how origami directly correlated to math,” Merry Hertan ’19, a member of the Math National Honors Society said.

Tutoring at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesdays will be ongoing throughout the entirety of the school year.

“Go ahead and give it a try,” Tarek said to those who are considering attending. “Let us know what you

Photo dramatization by Andreas Lolis ’21

Observatory focuses on learning, space exploration within the Westport community Amelia Brown ’18

From the outside, it seems like an unsuspecting place.

A white tin building tucked away behind the Westport Health District; the red light omitted from the door of Meadows Tower is the only hint that it contains a whole other world inside.

Multiple other worlds actually. Thousands, really.

Located inside the tower, the Westport Astronomical Society’s (WAS) Rolnick STARGAZING The Westport Astronomical Society’s Observatory is open every observatory houses their current telescope, a 16” Meade Wednesday from 8 to 10 LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain. p.m. to the public for planet, nebula and galaxy viewing when the skies are clear. thaw from the open dome, and sit back Cat Graham ’19, initially lured into going watching a movie while his camera autowith the promise of snacks by a friend, said matcally captures photos of galaxies light that she ended up learning a lot. “My only years away. In addition, being a member complaint was that it was kind of late for a for any duration means access to barbeschool night,” she said. “I would do it again.” ques, solar events and special speakers.

While the public “star parties” only hapDespite the numerous events pen once the sky is dark, volunteers and and having the largest publicly acmembers are also attracted to the slew of cessible telescope in Connectiother perks and activites that WAS has. cut, there is some difficulty drum“I found out that if you’re a memming up interest in the observatory. ber for a year you get a key,” Shannon “We love having younger peoCalvert, an amateur astrophotograple here,” Calvert said, “but it’s hard pher and WAS Board Member, said, because as soon as you get some“and you can come whenever you want.” one on the Board, they graduate The full time access to the telescope aland go off to college and are done.” lows Calvert to set up his camera, go down Graham noticed the lack of popularity to the “warm room,” a small building to deas well, but stands by the value of going.

“Maybe there’s just less interest in space in general, which is a bummer, but I think that anyone who did have an interest would have a lot of fun,” she said.

However, the Astronomy class at Staples is trying to generate more interest, according to teacher Tori Wagner.

“It is crucial to have a hands-on viewing experience to even begin to grasp the wonders of our Universe,” Wagner said.

“I’m very excited that Staples has such an amazing resource in the Westport Astronomical Society and their observatory.”

Not only does the observatory hope to dish out knowledge and fun, but WAS has

a bigger goal in mind. “We believe that by exploring space, people can gain an understanding of themselves and their environment,” their website reads. “It helps people appreciate the special qualities of our planet and comprehend how rare an event our home, Earth, really is.”

The nature of the observatory, a non-profit volunteer run organization, also allows members and visitors to appreciate the work of the amateur astronomers.

“It’s all volunteer so it’s just people interested and that’s the best kind,” Calvert said. “They have a passion for it.”

IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY M33 is about 3 million light years away and the 3rd largest galaxy in the local group. It was seen and captured in this photograph from the observatory in November.

Photos contributed by Shannon Calvert

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

Inklings

February 9, 2018

ARTS

17

New season explores futuristic realities Dana Perelberg ’20

L

ike many other fans of the popular Netflix series “Black Mirror,” I was excited when season four finally came out. The previous seasons of the show were amazing, as they all explored alternate futures and their technology. But season four came up a bit short for me.

This season mainly focused on the idea of human consciousness.

Many episodes featured watching memories, transferring human consciousness and one of the episodes even had a device that put restrictions on it. This topic was touched on in season two in the episode “White Christmas,” and I like that they decided to continue exploring it in season four.

However, this was definitely not my favorite season.

Episodes two and three (“Arkangel” and “Crocodile,” respectively) were okay, but both lacked action.

The tracking device that “Arkangel” revolved around did not have enough of a storyline to fill an entire 52 minute period, and although the memory watching concept of “Crocodile” is intriguing, it was poorly executed.

Also, I disliked episode five, “Metalheads,” so much that I couldn’t even finish it. After 20 minutes of sitting through this silent, black and white, grown up version of “WALL-E,” I was too bored to continue.

That being said, I think “Hang the DJ” and “USS Callister” were amazing episodes. “Hang the DJ” not only had a fascinating storyline about online dating apps and finding love, but also an amazing plot twist at the end.

“USS Callister” was very different than the usual “Black Mirror” episodes but was very enjoyable nonetheless.

It revolved around a ‘Star Trek’ like spaceship controlled by an abusive captain but was much more than just a remake as it had many futuristic twists that revealed the consequences of further developing technology.

I also believe that episode six, “Black Museum,” was one of the best episodes of the series. It addressed the idea of uploading human consciousness into other people, objects, and even digital copies by

having a girl exploring a futuristic museum, guided by a man with elaborate stories about each object. This episode was not only creative and extraordinary but it was also the most thrilling and haunting.

Despite the fact that season four was not as good as the other seasons, I still believe the creators achieved their purpose of showing the audience the dangers of technology. The show demonstrated the consequences of technology well, especially when it comes to our privacy—a prevalent argument against the development of technology today.

Season overview Ratings by Dana Perelberg ’20

1. “USS Callister” A lonely man uses his coworkers DNA to create a simulation with them in a “Star Trek” like game.

2. “Arkangel” A mother gets overly involved in her daughter’s life when she purchases new technology that tracks her every move.

3. “Crocodile” An insurance adjuster investigates people due to an accident with a memory machine.

4. “Hang the DJ” Two people participate on a dating app that gives a time limit on people’s relationships.

5. “Metalhead” Robotic dogs terrorize a woman as she tries to survive in a new, deadly land.

6. “Black Museum” A woman visits a museum filled with strange artifacts and dark stories behind them.

Graphic by Ali Green ’20, Jordi Katz ’20 and Melanie Lust ’19

Graphics by Melanie Lust ’19

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL | inklingsnews.com

18 Arts

February 9, 2018

Inklings

Google app teaches art through a facial scan Sarah Maybruck ’18

Librarian Colin Neenan

Principal James D’Amico

T

he Google Arts & Culture facial scanner is the newest hot app feature as it matches a user’s face to a famous painting.

Originally created as a way to teach people about art, the app has thousands of paintings organized into collections for users to access and view.

“I thought it was really cool,” Maddie Baildon ’19 said. “Not just to see who your painting doppelgänger is but also because it gives great insight to [the] arts.”

According to the App Store, “Google Arts & Culture has collaborated with over 1,200 international museums, galleries and institutions from 70 countries to make their exhibits available for everyone.”

For the art doppelgänger feature of the app, a user must first take a selfie. Then the program searches through its databases and presents users with a match. Each portrait includes a percentage of how much you resemble it.

Though the technology in the app is meant to create the closest matches, some feel that the app may not work as well as advertised.

“Some of them, yeah; others no,” Monique Østbye ’18 said. “It depends what angle you get the picture at.”

Despite the apps’ recent popularity, receiving 112.3 thousand ratings and four and a half stars in the App Store, many users have deleted it immediately after being matched.

“You take one photo and get that surprise,” Samantha Taylor ’21 said, “and then it’s kind of the same paintings every other time, so it isn’t as fun.”

Math teacher Nicole Pendolphi

English teacher Jamie Pacuk

.

How to use: Google’s “Arts & 1. Download Culture” app.

Go to the home page and

2. scroll down to the “Search for your Selfie” section.

3. Press “Get Started.” your selfie and wait for 4. Take the results. through your matches 5. Scroll to see your painting look alike.

Graphic by Poppy Livingstone ’21

Sweet treats to make for your Valentines Photos by Elle Fair’19

Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Elle Fair '19 Brownie Roll Out Cookies Brownies are a well known and incredibly popular dessert, but incorporating a fun shape and toppings to the brownies will help to integrate the holidays theme and colors. Rolling out the brownies into a heart shape will show your loved one how much you care.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl mix together, three cups of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, one stick of butter, one and ½ cups of sugar, two eggs, one teaspoon of vanilla and ⅔ cup of cocoa.

3. Let the mixture chill for at least an hour.

4. Roll out the dough on a counter of flour, let the dough mix in with the extra flour.

5. Using a utensil, cut out the dough into a heart shape.

6. Place dough on baking sheet.

7. Bake for eight to 11 minutes.

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

When looking for an easy and cute baking idea for the holiday of love, sugar cookies are always a go-to.

Spicing up the sugar cookie will bring a more adventurous taste and look to the classic cookie. Instead of the regular sugar cookie that is overused every Valentine’s Day, making a red velvet sugar cookie with white frosting will bring a whole new level of tastiness to the cookie.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a bowl, mix together 2 and ½ cups of flour, with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, ½ a tablespoon of baking powder and ½ tablespoon of salt.

3. In a separate bowl, add 1 and ¾ sticks of butter and 1 and ½ cups of sugar, two eggs, two tablespoons of vanilla, one tablespoon of white vinegar and one tablespoon of red food coloring.

4. Add the flour mixture into the separate liquid mixture until the two are mixed thoroughly.

5. Using a scoop or spoon, make one inch balls of the dough.

6. After the dough is made into the balls, rol them in sugar.

7. Bake for seven to ten minutes.

8. After done baking, add white frosting.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes A chocolate cupcake isn’t anything special, but when adding colorful frosting and a chocolate dipped strawberry to the top of it, it immediately becomes outstanding. Creating a chocolate cupcake with bright pink frosting and a chocolate dipped strawberry is the perfect treat for this Valentine’s Day. Chocolate Cupcake: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, blend together one cup of flour, ½ cup of cocoa powder, one teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda and ¼ teaspoon of salt.

3. In a separate bowl, add one stick of butter, ½ cup of brown sugar and ½ cup of granulated sugar.

4. After, add two eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract into the liquid bowl.

5. Mix together the dry and liquid bowls until fully blended.

6. Bake for about 16-18 minutes.

Strawberry Frosting: 1. Using a large bowl, add two sticks of butter, 2 and ½ cups of powdered sugar, and one tablespoon of heavy cream.

2. After, add ½ cup of strawberry jam, one teaspoon of vanilla and two drops of red food coloring.

3. Mix until fully blended.

Inklings

February 9, 2018

Arts

19

Oscar nominations showcase this year’s best films Jack Shapiro ’19

T

he Oscars will return on March 4 and once again be hosted by late-night television host, Jimmy Kimmel.

Here is a preview of movies and celebrities that could take home some hardware at this prestigious award show.

One of the most anticipated awards of the night i s

Best Picture. The Oscar goes to the top movie of the year and is award e d to the producers.

There are only nine movies nominated for the award and "Dunkirk" is surely a favorite in this category. The movie takes place in 1940 as the German troops advance into France, trapping Allied soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk. Although "Dunkirk" didn’t take home any awards at the Golden Globes, it is my favorite for taking home the Oscar gold.

But if "Dunkirk" isn’t the winner, my guess is Best Picture will either go to “The Shape of Water” or “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Both films received exceptional reviews and have actors and actresses nominated for their own awards.

Two more important awards for the night in-

clude the best Lead Actor and Actress.

As for the best lead actor, it will be tough competition for the five nominees. Denzel Washington is easily one of the favorites for his role in “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” Washington has been nominated for an Oscar eight times, has won an Oscar twice, and took home the Outstanding Actor Award at this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, so he is always a top contender.

Other actors to watch out for include Gary Oldman and Daniel Kaluuya. Oldman was praised by the critics for his portrayal as Winston Churchill in “The Darkest Hour.” As for Kaluuya, he received lots of buzz for his role in “Get Out.” The Lead Actress award is just as close of a race. Frances McDormand is the favorite after winning the Golden Globe for Best Performance by Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for her role in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”

Saoirse Ronan is just as close in the running after her performance in “Lady

Bird.” After she won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, it will be a tight race for Oscar hardware between her and McDormand.

Meryl Streep and Margot Robbie also deserve praise for their performances. Streep is nominated for her twenty-first Oscar after staring in “The Post.” As for Robbie, she earned her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya.”

The Oscars will be a very exciting show this year because it’s featuring some of the same stars and also has a strong list of of new nominees. To find out who wins the trophies, tune in on March 4.

Graphic by Cat Graham ’19

Joshua Berkowsky ’19 If you would like to showcase your article, photograph or graphic in the submission of the month, email inklingsnews@westportps.org

Hollywood, we need to talk about your LGBTQ representation problem Joshua Berkowsky ’19

The year 2016 was not the best for LGBTQ people in entertainment; a GLAAD study conducted in May concluded that out of 125 movies, only 23 had anyone who was explicitly identified as LGBTQ, and nearly half of those movies only featured these characters for less than a minute of screentime. A minute.

TV shows were not exempt from this.

While there has been a noticeable uptick in LGBTQ characters in 2016’s TV, many of the characters ended up dead or were designated as a background character.

Shows such as CW’s Supergirl, moved Alex Danvers’ coming out story and her relationship with NCPD Detective Maggie Sawyer to a one-scene-an-episode C-plot.

Sara Lance’s character, who is canonically bisexual, has died more than once on several different shows. This brings us to the problem at hand: the ‘Bury your gays’ trope.

Imagine for a moment, that you are an LGBTQ teen, watching a TV show or movie where one or more of the characters are LGBTQ, you’re happy to see yourself in a TV show... aaaand then they get shot.

Okay, that sucks, you stop watching that show and you move on to the next, it’s pretty good... and then she’s been stabbed in the back. Quite literally.

You try to find others, but no matter where you look, everyone who’s even remotely like you has been shot, stabbed, blown out an airlock or had

their skull crushed in Trial-by-Combat.

It’s hard enough being a LGBTQ teen; 40 percent of the Youth Homeless Population is LGBTQ, in several countries being gay or queer is punishable by death, and rates of mental illness are three times higher than the general population. It’s hard enough getting by as a queer teen without every TV show or movie depicting queer characters as being the victims of murder or abuse.

The inundation of negative images and plot lines makes queer youth, who are just coming to terms with who they are, think that they too will be victims of violence if they come out, or try and find love, or try and be who they are. The shows suggest that death and abuse is the only future for a queer person in search of love.

Movies and television shows hold a great deal of influence in shaping our country’s culture and values. They have the power to challenge common thoughts and practice.

Take “Will & Grace” for instance. This show is fondly remembered as a representation of a massive cultural shift in the minds of many Americans by showing the rad-

ical concept that gay people were human.

Over the course of the show’s nearly eight year run from 1998 to 2006, Vermont granted the first Civil Unions to same-sex couples. The following April, the Supreme Court struck down soddemy laws in 2003.

Massachusetts became both the first state to legalize same-sex marriage and have the first legal same-sex marriage.

All this became possible because people were exposed to the truth that gay people are human and deserve equal rights.

It is past time for television and movies to step up and represent positive LGBTQ characters and plot lines. While there are TV shows that introduce queer-positive messages, such as Freeform’s ‘The Bold Type’ and Syfy’s ‘Wynonna Earp’, that does not excuse the terrible treatment on other shows. The time has come for proper representation, not the queerbaiting, violent deaths that leave so many in denial and despair. Times may be changing, but time has a hard time changing on its own. It requires a push, and movies and TV have just the resources to do it.

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inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

February 9, 2018

Inklings

Inklings

SPORTS 21 A ‘New’ record to break: February 9, 2018

Sam New ’18 scores most goals in Staples history Jack Caldwell ’18

Using his speed, puck-handling skills and strong hockey sense, New controls the game’s momentum when playing in the opor the past four years, Staples boys’ ponent’s end. Scoring his 95th career goal ice hockey has had its ups and downs. on Jan. 31 against Fairfield Warde/Ludlow, They’ve had 10 different captains in New broke the all-time Staples scoring rethat timespan, and while the Wreckers cord, but went on to score two additional reached euphoric goals. “It will always heights in the 2016 be something I will state playoffs, where look back on proudthey reached the ly,” New said. “I owe state championship it all to the fantastic game, they have also teammates I’ve had experienced painful for over four years.” woes when they But it’s his defailed to qualify the fensive play that’s following year. But for brought him the last four seasons, full-circle since there has been one winning the CIAC Photo contributed by Eric Mace Freshman of the constant: Sam New ’18 playing on the top line.

Year award in 2015.

New has not only AIMING FOR THE GOAL Sam New ’18 “I really worked continued to be a scored the only goal against Lyman Hall on on defensive posistrong force this sea- Jan. 24 at Milford Ice Pavillion. Staples lost tioning and being son by leading CIAC 4-1 in the matchup featuring the top two in the right spots,” Division III in goals teams in division three in the state.

New said, who also (29) and points (38), credits second-year but has also broken and surpassed the head coach Chris Avena on his defensive Staples record for career with 97 goals. improvements. “Coach Avena has empha“He’d probably be the state’s best play- sized being positionally sound, so he’s really er in Division II [a higher tier of com- helped me on the defensive side of my game.” petition], let alone Division III,” Jake Avena added, “I’m very proud of Glickman ’20, a teammate of New noted. how Sam works on the ice, but also of

F

his maturity as a leader and captain.”

New has worn number 19, a scorer’s number in hockey, since his freshman year, and was given the honor of adding a captain’s “C” to his uniform before the start of this season. “Being a captain really means a lot to me,” New said. “I get to help young men grow into adults and mentor younger guys about hockey.”

As a first year player, Glickman admires New’s mentorship. “He’s a great captain and a good guy,” he said.

New broke onto the scene instantly his freshman year, scoring 32 goals in 22 games.

But the highlight of that season came in the first round of the CIAC playoffs, when e ac M New scored a c i Er game-winning by d e goal for Staut rib nt ples with 8.9 o c seconds oto Ph l e f t . “ T h a t ’s a great achievement to have under my

belt, but I look at it as a stop along the way to overall greatness,” New said.

Staples came very close to achieving that overall greatness in 2016, when they played Stamford-Westhill in the CIAC state finals. Down 4-1 with 10 minutes to go, the Wreckers scored thrice with a pair of goals coming from New to even the score at four. With overtime seemingly imminent, Stamford’s Nick Rich burst away from an exhausted Staples defense and scored the championship-winning goal with 27 seconds left. Although it was a stinging loss for Staples, New reflected on the experience with positivity. “Me and Nick [Rich] have been great friends since we played on the same line as kids,” New said. “He’s a great kid and player.”

About halfway through his senior season, New has tallied 29 goals and is on-pace to shatter his personal single-season record of 32. Staples is a top team in the FCIAC and state standings thus far and is expected to make a deep run come playoff season.

Westport native Julia Marino shoots for gold in Korea Zach Horowitz ’19

For the typical Bedford Middle School eighth grader, Fridays mean eagerly walking from class to class in under five minutes, while exchanging plans for the upcoming weekend. This wasn’t the case, however, for Julia Marino. Marino remembers taking Friday’s off of school to travel to Stratton Mountain in Vermont. The now 20-year-old snowboarder is a gold medalist at the 2017 X Games in Aspen and a two-time X Games big air medalist. She was also ranked No. 2 in 2016/17 World Snowboard Tour slopestyle standings and now she’s competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Marino didn’t always shred the slopes.

In fact, she started skiing when she was just three years old and was hesitant to trade in the skiis for the snowboard.

“I’d get to ski about two weeks a year on our family vacations at Beaver Creek Mountain in Colorado,” Marino said. “I started to try snowboarding on one of those trips when I was about eight or nine but really didn’t like it that much, I always pre-

ferred skiing,” she added. “I picked back up with snowboarding a little later and the older I got, the more I fell in love with it.”

As her love for snowboarding intensified, the thought of making it a career became a reality. When she made the US Rookie Team at age 16, she realized that it was s omething she really wanted to pursue.

Her sister Cece Marino ’19, a current student at Staples, saw her s i s t e r ’s potential at a young a g e .

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

“As she started competing, she did really well and got into bigger and more competitive events where she also s u c c e e d e d ,” Cece Marino said. “So when I saw that, I knew she really could be amazing in this sport.”

Julia Marino believes her greatest success in her career is earning the gold medal at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado in slopestyle snowboarding, as well as being named to the

Photos contributed by Julia Marino

U.S. Olympic team. Her greatest struggle, however, comes not from the physicality of snowboarding but rather the mental aspect.

“It’s one thing to have the ability to do the tricks but it’s another thing if your head is in the wrong place,” Julia Marino said.

“But almost all snowboarders at this level talk with a sport psychologist which helps a lot with some of the nerves and s t r e s s e s .”

As Julia Marino prepares for the Olympic games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, she is competing in competitions and training at her coach, Max Henault’s house in Quebec, Canada to work on some of her tricks. The Olympics opening ceremony is tonight, Feb. 9.

“Korea is going to be a whole new experience for me,” Julia Marino said. “I think the competing aspect of it is going to be fairly similar, in terms of level of the course and the riders that are attending are the same riders/friends I see at every contest. […][I am] feeling nervous but also really excited.”

22

Inklings

February 9, 2018

Sports

Winter sports prepare for home stretch Elliot Kaufman ’19

Girls’ ice hockey

Girls’ ski

T

he team consisting of players from Staples, Westhill and Stamford only has a record of 3-13, including a 8-2 blowout win against Wilton. Their goalie, Mary Leydon ’19 from Stamford, won the Ruden Report Player of the Week for her performance against Greenwich. This was a huge confidence boost for the team, according to captain Emily Gitlin ’18.

As simple as it sounds, Gitlin explained that their goal is to put the puck in the back of the net, and to stay positive when playing the stronger teams. “We want to be more consistent in our effort and have our team come together so that we are not intimidated by tougher teams,” Gitlin said. While they have been putting up a fight against nearly all of their opponents, their record does not reflect that.

Photo contributed by Emily Gitlin ’18

SKATING INTO THE SEASON Captain Erin McGroarty ’18 grabs the puck during their game against Fairfield. Fairfield managed to score two goals in the last four minutes, which resulted in Staples losing 2-1.

The girls’ ski team fought neck and neck with Fairfield co-op for first place in their first two races. “Fairfield [has] been notorious for being right on our backs or right in front of us for the past 3 seasons,” captain Zoe Hulina ’18 said. They barely fell to Fairfield coop in their first race, but came back quickly and slid into first place at the next race. The underclassmen are helping the team as many of them are finishing as top 10 racers. However, many of the team’s varsity skiers are seniors and will be absent next year. The team really does believe that having fun is important, but they still need to focus on winning.

“I hope that as a team,” Hulina said, “we have fun on the hill but stay competitive.”

Photo contributed by Tim Steele

HITTING THE SLOPES Emily Bassler ’21 competes in a giant slalom race Southington on

Jan. 9. Both varsity and jv girls’ ski teams are currently first place in their respective standings.

Varsity came in first place at two of their three races this year.

Boys’ swim and dive

MAKING A SPLASH John McNab ’19 swims in the meet against Westhill/Stamford.

Staples came out victorious in the end.

The team’s current record is 6-0. Their next meet will be on Feb. 14 against Fairfield.

Photo contributed by Andy McNab

Boys’ squash

Boys’ ski The boys’ ski team began its campaign this year with a crucial race against Fairfield co-op. “We lost to them by less than one second in States last year and it felt good to show them who’s boss this time around,” captain and three year team member, Matt Greenapple ’18, said. Staples beat Fairfield co-op with total times of 276.86-278.39. The team has also had a long rivalry with Fairfield Prep, as last season Staples loss to them by a few seconds. The team has been working on starting the race faster, because the slope has a flat starting section. “We’ve also been working to get next year’s captains ready for the role,” Greenapple said. “ Zach, Joe and I have been pushing the juniors to perform at their best and putting them in leadership roles to earn them the team’s respect.”

Coming off a strong season last year, the boys’ swim team is picking up right where they left off. The team is 4-0, with their most difficult meets behind them, according to captain Scott Adler ’18. “Our key moments were our wins over Ridgefield and Greenwich, especially Greenwich, as we hadn’t beat them since 1977,” Adler said. The team has eight seniors, but they are not the only people who are contributing to the team’s success, according to captain Josiah Tarrant ’18. “What is crazy about our team and about our depth is that no one carries our team alone,” Tarrant said. “Yes we have a couple of standout swimmers, but our success is all about depth.” The boys’ swim and dive team has been having their best season ever, according to the captains, and they hope people from Staples and Westport come out to more meets and support the team.

Photo contributed by Matt Greenapple ’18

SHREDDIN’ SNOW Matt Greenapple ’18 skis a giant slalom course in the race on Jan. 31.

Nearing the end of the race, Greenapple is in a tuck to get more aerodynamic and finish faster.

The squash team came out of last year as a strong team and is pushing to become the best in the league. The team has been playing more strategically and creatively to compliment their natural skill according to captain Andrew Schwartz ’18, and it has lead them to a 4-3 record. In addition to their success on the court, the team has been bonding and supporting each other off the court. They struggled early in the season against Greens Farms Academy, but they have since used it as motivation throughout their season to get better. Now, Schwartz said that the team is striving to win its division of the FairWest cup. “Last year we tied with another school for second, which was great, but this year, we're going for gold.”

SQUASHING THE COMPETITION Andrew

Schwartz ’18 plays against Greenwhich on Nov. 29, 2017. Schwartz lost the match in five games.

Photo contributed by Andrew Schwartz ’18

High hopes keep girls’ basketball players on their toes Anay Simunovic ’18

“Bring Em Out” by T.I. blared through the speakers as the Staples girls’ basketball team ran onto the court for their pregame ritual before facing off against Westhill on Jan. 30.

The girls have something to celebrate with a current record of 13-4. Captain Sophie Smith ’18 partially attributes the team’s newfound success, having finished 9-7 last year, to their freshmen players.

“I definitely think our freshmen coming in were really strong and brought a lot of energy to the team,” Smith said.

Additionally, many of the girls have noticed a stronger sense of chemistry among the team.

“Everyone really likes each other and everyone just wants to succeed and do well,” Arianna Gerig ’20, a starting forward this season, said.

“So we’re kind of putting the individual behind and just putting the team in front of everything.” Marley Lopez-Paul

’21, who is new to the team, agrees with Gerig and describes the transition from middle school to high school basketball as easy because of the team’s chemistry.

“This team obviously knows each other and they can play off each other’s strengths,” Lopez-Paul said.

While the girls have definitely strengthened certain aspects in their season so far, they recognize that there is still work to be done.

“We’re more of a second half team,” captain Amanda Troelstra ’18 said. “We want to make sure that we come out with more energy in the beginning rather than being down in the first half and then coming back in the second half.”

The girls, captains especially, have taken steps to improve this.

“In warmups we’re coming out with a lot more energy, clapping, giving each other high fives, yelling. Just trying to kind of rally the girls together and get their heads in the game,” Smith said.

Given their efforts, the girls are only looking to improve upon their already impressive record and hopefully win some big games, one being against Fairfield Lud-

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

lowe at Ludlowe at 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 12.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we can compete to win championships,” head coach Paco Fabian said. So our goal is to play our best at the end of the year, in the FCIAC tournament and the state tournament.”

THE BALL IS IN OUR COURT (From left to right) Marisa Shorrock ’20 gets back on defense to help the Wreckers improve to 13-3 after beating Westhill on Jan. 30. The team is currently sixth in the FCIAC.

Photos by Amelia Brown ’18

Inklings

Sports

February 9, 2018

23

Photos contributed by staplesrunning.com Photo dramatization by Amanda Kaplowitz ’19

Girls’ indoor track witnesses a decline in participants Roxy Augeri ’20 & Allie D’Angelo ’20

stress from the sport was the feeling of needing to win,” she said. “Being in races I didn’t win, I felt embarrassed and ashamed.”

However, Zarah Ahmad ’19, a current ver the course of this member of the girls’ “It was more winter season, the track team, explained mentally hard to that girls’ track should Staples girls’ indoor track has reduced in numbers be taken just as sericompete than due to girls quitting the team. ously as any other sport physically.”

While some girls run offered to students. track as their primary sport, “[The reduction in -Anonymous girls’ track participants] others participate to stay in shape for their fall and spring has to do a lot with sports. This clash in purpose and com- how many people view this sport as mitment led some girls to leave the team. though it’s conditioning for their fall and A source that requested to remain anon- spring sports,” Ahmad said. “But it ends ymous reflected on her past experience in up being harder than expected and the indoor track prior to quitting. “The main coach expects the same level of commit-

O

ment as one would to any other sport.”

Tori Greenberg ’20, a year-round track runner, explained the team’s workouts for their meets. “Distance [runners] run countless miles per week and sprinters do endless workouts both followed by conditioning,” Greenberg said.

An anonymous source countered claiming that it was the mental strain that played a larger factor in her decision to quit. “It was more mentally hard to compete than physically,” she said.

Ella Sunshine ’19 described her experience participating in the sport before quitting to be unenjoyable. “The reason I don’t run anymore is because it wasn’t fun,” she said. “I joined to have a good time and I felt like that wasn’t happening.” According

to head coach Jesse McCray, it is the lack of experience of incoming track members that plays a large role in students quitting the sport. “If given the ability to have experience in the sport of track and field before entering high school, all athletes might have a better understanding of the demands of the sport and the transition may be easier,” he said. One of the solutions McCray offered would be to include a freshman or junior varsity program in order to ease the transition into the varsity level sport.

“Track is a sport that requires passion and dedication,” co-captain Leah Robins ’18 said. “I think that some girls just weren’t willing to put in the work that was needed because they saw track as a work-out class rather than a sport.”

inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

24

Sports

Inklings

February 9, 2018

George Harrington pins heavyweight competition Ben Klau ’18 & Daniel Thompson ’18

W

ith his Beats headphones on and his gold chain hanging from his neck, George Harrington ’19 begins to pull out his wrestling gear from his Gucci gym bag as he prepares to get his 12th consecutive win in a so far undefeated wrestling season. After joining the wrestling team just a year ago, Harrington has worked his way up to become one of the top wrestlers in the state.

Also a key member of the football and rugby teams, Harrington is six feet tall and wrestles in the heavyweight weight class. His size has translated into First Team All-FCIAC honors in football and a starting position on the rugby team.

Harrington has taken his success on the football field to the wrestling mats.

He was approached by head varsity wrestling coach Jesse Koproski, who also coaches him during rugby, to join the team. This led Harrington to ask his concerned parents about adding a third sport.

“I always wanted to wrestle but my parents were against it due to what the impact of playing three sports would do to me academically,” Harrington said.

The go ahead from his parents has paid off. Harrington has worked to become the fourth ranked wrestler in the state and a contender for the class LL heavyweight title.

“I really didn’t believe that I would be anything special, but as the season went on I started to improve a lot and that’s when I started to fall in love with wrestling,” Harrington said.

“When I came third in [The Class] LL [tournament] with only a half a year of experience, I really started to realize that I could be good.”

Along with his individual success, Harrington has also had a positive effect on the team morale, according to captain Dominic Arciola ’18. “He brings energy into the room as well as working hard to become better,” Arciola said.

Harrington has had to put in extra work since he did not compete during his freshman year. He went to wrestling camps and joined a club wrestling team during the offseason.

“I had to make sure I got stronger and quicker to make up for the mat time that I missed by not doing wrestling freshman year,” Harrington said.

Harrington expects to have a match against Jack Stewart of New Canaan High School in the FCIAC finals. They are projected to be the one and two seeds. Harrington lost his first ever match in high school to Stewart and said that beating him would mean the world.

“Since he was my first ever match,” Harrington said, “beating him would be proof of the improvement and hard work that I put in the sport.”

Photos by Ellie Kravetz ’18 and Melanie Lust ’19

Harrington’s record

PRACTICIN’ PALS (from top to bottom) George Harrington ’19 pins John-Carter Montoni ’19 at practice on Feb. 5 in the gym locker room. Harrington spectates at the match on Feb. 6 because the other team forfeited for this weight class due to lack of heavyweight wrestlers. Harrington enjoys working on skills at practice such as grappling with Montoni.

29-0 9

220-285 pounds Heavyweight class inklingsnews.com | STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

seconds

Fastest pin

4th ranked in state