The Newtonite Graduation Special V96

The Newtonite ◆ Wednesday, June 7, 2017 • Volume 96

Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460

Graduates celebrate 2017 commencement Lucy Lu This afternoon, the Class of 2017 concluded its senior year, becoming the 156th graduating class of this school.

The graduates took their seats as instrumentalists from the Wind Ensemble played “Pomp and Circumstance,” by Edward Elgar, conducted by music teacher Richard Labedz.

The ceremony began with Family Singers, conducted by Adam Grossman, singing “America the Beautiful,” by Katherine Lee Bates, a member of the Class of 1876.

Senior Liana Glennon sang the National Anthem while seniors Dalila Dias Araujo and Katherine Chicas signed it in American Sign Language.

After principal Henry J. Turner welcomed guests, English Language Learning and EDCO seniors greeted attendees in American Sign Language, Bengali, Cantonese, German, Mandarin, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

Next, Mayor Setti Warren, superintendent David Fleishman, school committee member Angela Pitter, and city councilor Scott Lennon spoke to the graduating seniors.

Senior class president Emily Szeto then presented the class gift and senior tribute. Jordan Greene spoke on behalf of the Class of 2017, and instructional technology specialist/career and technical education teacher Christopher Murphy spoke by

Joelle Sugianto

The Class of 2017 celebrates during the final seconds of senior year at Countdown in the SOA last Thursday morning. for the faculty.

Turner presented the Principal’s Plaque to Carl Pasquarosa, the General Manager of Honda Village. The award is given to a person or group of people in the Newton community who have made outstanding contributions to the students, faculty, and programs at this school. Pasquarosa received an engraved tray.

Seniors then presented awards to their classmates.

Isaac Appel presented the Charles Meserve Fund Award engraved tray and scholarship to Emily Moss. The award honors an outstanding scholar who has made outstanding contributions to this school.

Luther Evans presented the Girls’ Senior Cup to Njioma Grevious, and Elinor Graham presented the Boys’ Senior Cup to Dobbin Bookman. The Senior Cups are awarded for character, scholarship, involvement in the

school community, and personality.

Faculty members nominate students for this award and the senior class then votes on the nominees.

Both Grevious and Bookman received engraved bowls.

Charles Benninger presented Ava Waitz the Phi Beta Kappa Award certificate and scholarship for academic excellence.

Brycen Adam received the Dickinson Memorial Award engraved

bowl from Isabella Jackson Saitz. For this award, the athletic department chooses a male who has shown great improvement in athletic cooperation, sportsmanship, character, and skill.

The Gary Elliot Prize was awarded to Nicholas Scott by Thomas Sasdi. Scott received a certificate for his dedication, creativity, talent, and love for the performing arts.

The Helene Breivogel Award was presented by Linh Dinh to Erin Claflin. The award is given to a female who improves in athletic competition and demonstrates character, skill, and sportsmanship.

Fariha Mahjabin presented Emma Brown with the Margaret South Award engraved bowl to recognize her courtesy, courage, enthusiasm, and unselfish service.

Melvin Nguyen was awarded the Newton Rotary Club William Rockwell Memorial Career and Vocational Technical Education Achievement Award plaque, which was presented

by Maria Castaneda Gonzalez.

Jennifer Bindman presented the Lenny Zakim/PTSO Human Rights Award to Nattalya Brown and Chenyang Xia. The award honors students who pursue a greater understanding and appreciation of human differences.

Brown and Xia both received a certificate and scholarship.

At the end of the ceremony, seniors received their diplomas, marking the end of their time at this school.

World language award recognizes senior achievements Rose Skylstad This year for the first time, a number of seniors received the Seal of Biliteracy from the world language department to celebrate their achievements in language learning.

Students received their certificates at a ceremony Thursday, May 4, in the Little Theater.

The Seal of Biliteracy is a national organization promoting fluency in multiple languages. The group’s designation of biliteracy has been recognized by 24 states and the District of Columbia and is under consideration for approval in Massachusetts. The award itself is given by the school.

Silver, gold, and platinum levels of the seal were awarded to 58 seniors by superintendent David Fleishman, principal Henry Turner, and world language department head Nancy Marrinucci. The highest level, platinum, is considered sufficient to work in another language according to US government standards, Marrinucci said.

The goal of the ceremony was to “celebrate the real challenge it is to learn not only a culture, but the language that goes with it,” according to Turner.

“I think that people who study languages tend to be more aware of what’s going on,” said senior Tamara Kahhale, who won a gold seal in Spanish and English. “They are constantly looking into different cultures and the different ways people act.”

Seniors who applied for the seal took a test to assess their reading, writing, and speaking skills in a given language, according to Marrinucci.

Students were also required to submit an English MCAS score to prove literacy in English. For languages by

without a pre-made test, students were assessed in person by a local speaker fluent in the language. This year, the application for the seal was only available to seniors.

After seeing other Massachusetts area schools implement the seal last year, Marrinucci was inspired to bring the ceremony to North. During the summer, Marrinucci and other members of the world language and English departments decided that a key focus of the seal would be to ensure equitable recognition of both foreign and English language learners, Marrinucci said.

Senior Linh Dinh, who received the platinum seal for English and Vietnamese, said she appreciated the recognition of English Language Learners (ELL) students. Dinh moved to the United States from Vietnam in sixth grade and learned English through the ELL program.

“Other people can just learn a language for fun, and if they don’t master it, it’s fine, as long as they get good grades, but we have to master it,” she said. She added that ELL students are sometimes given higher expectations than foreign language students and their accomplishments often go unnoticed.

Marrinucci explained that the amount of students who voluntarily took this three tofour hour test, is an encouraging sign that students understand the value of biliteracy.

Senior Christine Yao, who won a gold certificate for Mandarin and English proficiency, said that biliteracy is helpful in a practical sense because it can be an important asset to a student’s modern resumé.

“With globalization, there are a lot of benefits of learning a second

language,” said Yao. “A lot of businesses ask for people who speak a different language.”

Similarly, Marrinucci referenced a 2017 New American Economy report which states, “While U.S. employers posted roughly 240,000 job advertisements aimed at bilingual workers in 2010, that figure has more than doubled by 2015, growing to approximately 630,000.”

The report explained that demand is particularly on the rise for workers bilingual in “key languages” such as Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic.

Furthermore, Kahhale explained that language can not only be useful in a practical manner, but it can “broad-

en your perspective,” and open up a new way of thinking and analyzing.

Kahhale also explained the importance of discovering and understanding different cultures. “You can’t go through life only caring and thinking about yourself, putting yourself up on a pedestal, and never paying attention to anyone else,” she said.

Dinh, having lived in both Vietnam and the United States, offered a unique perspective on the benefits of exploring new cultures.

Vietnam is not a hugely diverse country and most everyone speaks Vietnamese, explained Dinh. This lack of diversity lead to an ignorance about other cultures. “I remember growing

up, we had a lot of stereotypes about other countries, and that’s all we knew because we didn’t really meet people outside of our country,” she said.

However, Dinh said that coming to the United States and learning about the culture first hand “completely changed” how she views others.

Now, Dinh explained, she tries to see people for more than just stereotypes, a perspective which she said she would have never considered without being exposed to another culture.

“I would go through the whole challenge of learning a language again, just to pick up that skill of not being judgemental and not putting people into categories,” she said.

Alisa Caira

Seniors Allison Salwen, Maren Gunning, Laura Anderson, Madeline Sherbet, and Isinsu Bastepe sign yearbooks and share memories outside the cafeteria after Senior Breakfast Friday, June 2.

opinion

2 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Choose sacrifice to own struggle in support of cause This school year has been marked by tension and conflict.

From the Confederate flag incident in September to the presidential election to the WGBH story about bullying after the election, emotions have run high.

However, as a result, activism and its potential has grown in prominence at North.

North’s unique, nurturing environment equips students with necessary tools to understand how to make an impact on the world. However, this same environment also gives way to a “mob mentality” that distorts the true meaning of activism.

editorial Students cannot take a stance merely at the mercy of convenience and must accept consequences that come with making their voice heard.

From the Blackout in September to the International Women’s Day rally in March to at least a dozen awareness day events in between, many students strive to make North a microcosm for an ideal future world. However, it becomes easy to romanticize what it means to fight for your beliefs.

During the Blackout following the Confederate flag incident, for example, many students went not just because they wanted to support the cause—but also because they had a free.

Other students faced difficult dilemmas regarding possible consequences for attending the rally.

However, being a part of the struggle is difficult because it is just that—a struggle, something the rest of the world may not readily accept. If students truly want to make a difference, they must learn to stand up for what they believe in by taking responsibility and facing the consequences of their actions.

Taking responsibility is a

Devin Perlo

Students record the student-run Blackout event with their phones Tuesday, Sept. 30. powerful statement in itself. It could mean sacrificing other things that are important to us, or facing legal consequences, or just missing obligations. It could simply mean skipping an in-class essay we cannot make up.

It is easy to go to an event such as the Blackout because it seems trendy, or because you conveniently have the time. It is easy to pretend that you are edgy because you believe black lives matter. It is not as easy to take a zero on a test you missed

The Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the news source of Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460.

Editors in chief — Valeria Dountcheva, Jackie Gong, Lucy Lu Managing editors — Rose Bostwick, Amy Morrill Senior editors — Nour Chahboun, Jonathan Cohen, Samantha Fredberg, Maya Waldman Arts editors — Zoe Goldstein, Hannah Liu Features editor — Laura SchmidtHong News editors — Tali Falk-Judson, Rose Skylstad, Sophia Zhou Sports editors — Jake Forbes, Will Kharfen

Opinion/Blogs editor — Adam Clements Talk of the Tiger editor —Nichol Weylman-Farwell Photography manager — Wendy Li Graphics manager — Alisa Caira Advertising and Business manager — Ophelia Baxter Technology manager — Michael Tang Advisers — Tom Fabian, Derek Knapp, Amanda Mazzola Staff — Teddy Everett, Erin Hosford, Jeanette Hurwitz, Derek Krantz, Abby Roll, Joelle Sugianto

The Newtonite staff does all its reporting and photography to post content daily to its website, thenewtonite.com. They make all content choices.

Sign up for The Newtonite’s weekly email newsletter on its website. In addition to the print graduation special, the Newtonite publishes a special on the first day of school, a club special, and a midyear special.

To place an advertisement in the online or print version of The Newtonite or to contact us by phone, please call 617-559-6273. Readers can also reach us at thenewtonite@gmail.com.

Letters The Newtonite serves as a designated forum for student expression. Readers are invited to submit guest articles and letters to the editor. Letters should be put in The Newtonite box in the main office or emailed to thenewtonite@gmail.com.

The Newtonite reserves the right to edit all letters, which must have the writer’s name and a student’s class and homeroom.

for believing in solidarity. It is not radical to simply be in attendance.

In 1970, North students went on strike from school for weeks to protest the Vietnam War and Kent State shootings. In an effort to increase their impact, they left school with full acceptance of potential consequences for their actions.

Final exams would be cancelled that year due to the mounting student unrest. However, these students left their classes

without that knowledge, and took a risk in order to stick to their beliefs.

In the current heated, extremely partisan political climate, those who wish to make a difference cannot with a clear conscience simply make an appearance at a single rally and consider their work done. They must be willing to defend their positions continually—and accept that others may disagree.

We applaud the growth and activism we have seen as of late.

But ask yourself the question: what is my intent? am I being honest with myself ?

To stand up for one’s values is a constant struggle, not something to be accomplished in a single Saturday afternoon, regardless of whether or not the proof is immortalized on a Facebook feed. Activism will always be necessary. Decide how important a cause is to you. Weigh the consequences of pursuing an action. Own your decision.

Focus on taking time away for yourself amid stress of academic, social obligations Adam Clements The popularity of gap years taken between graduating high school and beginning a higher education has increased dramatically in recent years, as shown by a 2014 Forbes study reporting a 20 percent increase in U.S. students taking gap years since 2006. That reflects a broader, positive trend in society.

While people take gap years for a variety of reasons, taking time away from ordinary life for independent self exploration and learning is a virtue that makes them effective for many young people. Apart from gap years, self-reliance and removal from the society you live in can manifest itself in lots of ways.

Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk who spent years in solitude.

He once wrote, “we cannot see things in perspective until we cease to hug them to our bosom.” Merton’s idea is tied as much to Transcendentalist thinkers of the 19th century as it is to monasticism: it is extremely difficult to understand the society we live in and our place in it until we gain some distance from that society.

Merton’s chosen route of secluding himself within a monastery, devoting all of his time to contem-

by

plating life and writing books about it, is a bit extreme for most of us.

There is a place for thinkers like that in the world, but there are plenty of ways for thoughtful people to actively participate within society while positively contributing to it.

The most important application of his idea is taking time out to decide how best to contribute to society.

column

Actual, temporary solitude may be fitting for those who can tolerate it. Go for a walk in the woods closest to home, or go camping in Massachusetts’ own Berkshires or New Hampshire’s White Mountains and ignore the responsibilities waiting at home for a while.

Or embrace the core concept of taking time outside of the social context in which you live–the ordinary pressures, people, and places you are surrounded with–without total isolation.

Drive to Canada with a few companions and forget about our own painfully all-consuming political climate for a few days. Reflect on the responsibilities that make up our lives on a broader scale, but avoid being immersed in their specific

challenges.

The value of finding some form of escape is evident in data from gap years: A 2010 report from a researcher at University of Sydney found that students who took gap years reported feeling significantly more motivated going into college than those who did not. That added motivation is evident in a 2011 study conducted at Middlebury College showing that students who had taken gap years had consistently higher GPAs than their peers.

Motivation demands a sense of purpose, something that is easy to lose in the exhaustion of high school. As demonstrated by the University of Sydney study, a gap year can do wonders to restore it. Beyond that, however, every bit of time spent in pursuit of broad, lasting mental clarity–whether extravagant or miniscule–helps maintain some degree of motivation.

Following the conclusion of high school is a rapid uptick in adult responsibility and independence.

Whether it’s through a gap year, a vacation alone, or simply a shortterm adventure with your friends, it is important to keep taking time for yourself, away from it all.

retirements

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 3

Tobin treasures student connections cultivated

By Samantha Fredberg Walking through the glass doors of North, often a terrifying experience, is made more comfortable by the support of Karen Tobin.

After a life dedicated to North, Tobin retired from her position as Barry House secretary in October.

Though she no longer works in the school, her impact remains among students and faculty.

While Tobin’s primary duty was to help out the dean, she said that she interacted most with students. “The fact that I stayed with students for the four years allowed me to get to know every student in the grade,” she said. She added that she felt as though she left a positive impact on the development of the students.

Indeed, on an ordinary day, Tobin maintained the schedule and activities associated with the Barry House, while also helping students with personal needs.

“I think that Ms. Tobin was seen as a leader amongst the administrative assistants and house secretaries,” said Barry House dean Aaron Sanders, who Tobin worked with for 11 years. “She helped the others learn how to do their jobs and made them feel very welcomed at North.”

Beals House secretary Cheryl Stover explained that Tobin had a welcoming and helpful personality. “She was an amazing coworker because she knew how to ask and who to ask. Sometimes she was the

person to ask,” she said.

As Sanders assumed the position of a dean in 2006, Tobin helped to make him feel comfortable in his new role, he said.

“She took me under her wing and taught me the ways of North,” he said. The people at North will always remember Tobin as a smart, professional, and kind woman, according to Sanders.

Stover also remembered Tobin as a mentor at North. “She was very helpful to me, and I’ve seen her do it with others too,” she said. “I’ve seen her working with her deans and they’ve all loved her. She’s got a good relationship with the staff.”

Tobin was born and raised in Newton and graduated from North in 1972. She attended Aquinas Junior College where she pursued a degree training as an administrative assistant. After working for a few years, she decided to start her family.

Tobin had four children and sent them to Newton Public Schools, where they graduated from North, just like their mother.

As her youngest went to kindergarten, Tobin went back to work, this time in the Wellesley Public Schools for three years. “I chose my career mainly because of my four children. It was great and easy to be on the same school schedule as them,” she said.

In 1995, Tobin returned to North and began the job she would hold for the next 21 years: Barry

House secretary. She soon became well-known and loved for her smile and charisma.

In many ways, students taught and helped Tobin as much as she did them. “I’ve met a lot of students who have touched my life, and in an equal way I know that I’ve touched theirs,” she said.

According to Tobin, the connections she made with students were the most meaningful component of her job. One of her favorite memories was the graduation of her first class in 1997, which was around the time of her birthday. “The whole class got me a birthday cake, and when I went down to the cafeteria, there were a dozen boys who gave me red roses,” she said. “It is one of the nicest memories I have of North.”

Tobin remembers the connections that she made with students as a significant part of her career.

She recalled that she “got very close with students,” and still has students who visit her.

According to Stover, Tobin cared deeply about every student she interacted with. She noted that on Check-Out Day “you would see everyone come up and give her hugs.”

Though the student body has changed over her years at North, Tobin said that her relationships with students have always remained the same. She thinks that above all, the students of today are more worldly, but also under a lot

of stress.

“I’ve always thought that the feeling you get when you really help a student, maybe in their personal life, and you know that you’ve had an impact that will help them on their way is the feeling that I have always loved,” Tobin said.

Tobin explained that graduations were a meaningful time for her throughout her career. “Seeing students struggle for four years, and then seeing them make it, is special.

You know in some small way that you’ve helped,” she said.

Sanders said that students have always appreciated Tobin’s help and understanding, and that her personality is missed in Barry house.

It was “difficult to leave” North, according to Tobin. “I miss the students. I miss my coworkers and teachers. You get close to a lot of people,” she said.

With the end of one chapter of her life, Tobin opened a new chapter by being very active during her retirement. “We traveled for a bit, but now we’re getting our house in Newton ready to sell and we’re planning to move to our beach house in Plymouth,” she said. Tobin also enjoys gardening, reading, and is looking forward to volunteering soon.

Though her career at North is over, the school continues to have a place in her life. “I’ve had a lot of connections with the school,” she said. “Myself, my children, we’re all connected to it.”

“I’ve come back a few times for different things,” Tobin said. She added that when she interacts with students on her visits, it makes her miss the job.

Tobin explained that she would do the job again if she could. “I loved the job, I loved working with students and becoming close to them,” she said. “I knew I had a good rapport with the kids, and I do miss it a lot.”

Looking back on her 21 years at North, Tobin said she believes that she grew and helped shape the lives of students.

“North has taught me that color and creed do not matter. What matters is who a person is and what they are like,” she said.

the first place where Vello worked with adolescents. She was first a counselor on the South Shore and then in a residential treatment facility in Marlborough.

When her three sons began school, Vello worked as a preschool teacher at their daycare. “It was really fun for me,” she said, “but it was also different because it was a different age group from the adolescents I was used to.”

It was so different, said Vello, that she soon wanted to return to the population she was familiar with: high school students. In 1993, she began to work part-time as a support professional at Newton South in an alternative education program. From there, Vello found her way to the Education Center where she created the Springboard program.

“Ms. Vello is the program,” said former co-worker dean Scott Heslin. “She embodies everything that the program stands for.”

But on her first day running the program, Vello was not confident in her ability to successfully manage it. “I was questioning myself as to how I had ever thought that I could do this,” she said.

Vello soon developed a partnership with Horace Mann Elementary School, which allowed the program to get up and running.

Vello recalled the highlights of working with staff at Horace Mann: “We would go into the library, into the art rooms, or we would do things outside in the community.

We got a grant and we planted a bunch of plants and shrubs, which was a great bonding experience.”

A highlight in Vello’s career is always the program’s annual graduation.

Everyone in the Education Center is invited to this celebratory event, and Vello added that seeing the community come together as one truly moves her.

One year in particular stood out to Vello, when one of her students

asked if he could say a few words.

“He started by saying ‘I’m not a bad kid’,” she said. “And I will never ever forget those words. It’s probably the impetus for me to move forward with this program.

And that’s why our program is so important, because he’s right, there are no bad kids.”

Vello followed this philosophy throughout challenging times in the program.

She said that sometimes she had to go to the houses of students just so they would come to school.

“I have gone into houses that are empty with just the kids inside,” she said.

Additionally, despite the program’s best efforts, according to Vello, there are students who “continue to struggle, even as adults.”

“I leave my job everyday and I turn off the lights and I thank God for keeping everybody here, and well, and safe,” she added.

According to Heslin, Vello puts her students first, regardless of the situation. “She’s like a mother, and

they all become part of the family,” he said.

Vello said she has yet to decide how she would like to spend her retirement, but looks forward to traveling and seeing her relatives more often.

“I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,” she added.

Working at the Springboard program has provided “memories that will carry me through life,” Vello said. “I’ll miss the kids and the staff. Leaving is the most difficult decision for me.”

This year, Vello hopes to see her former students return at the 20th reunion of the program. She said that the relationships that developed between students and members of the staff have been incredible, and many students still keep in contact with her.

“It wasn’t perfect all of the time, but whenever I faltered, it was okay,” she said. “I just wish I was younger and I could stay longer because I’ve learned so much about myself and others.”

Joelle Sugianto

“She was an amazing coworker because she knew how to ask and who to ask,” said Beals House secretary Cheryl Stover.

Vello’s Springboard Program empowers students

By Maya Waldman “It takes a village,” said Pat Vello, creator and director of the Springboard program, who is retiring after working with Newton students at the Education Center for more than 20 years. “We need to remember that we’re there for each other.”

Vello began working at the Education Center in 1997, after she read an article looking for a counselor to start a program assisting students who had difficulty learning in the public school environment. This program eventually developed into what is now the Springboard program, which helps students who experience difficulty learning in a large setting.

“Both of our high schools, North and South, have gotten very big, and these kids struggle with that. In this program we provide a smaller learning space with ample support,” said Vello.

According to Vello, the program was small in the beginning. With only about 12 students, it was “a one room schoolhouse,” she said.

In fact, in 1997, the first year it ran, the program only graduated one student.

Despite these initial difficulties, Vello soon grew more accustomed to the program, and with her the program blossomed.

“We had tutors that would come in, we did a lot of community service with the kids, and we created our own unique curriculum,” added Vello.

She recounted how her support staff helped her expand the program and explained that its creation was a community effort.

“They challenge me to think outside of the box, and I can always rely on them for guidance and support,” she said.

Similarly, many of Vello’s coworkers said they are extremely fond of her and will miss her greatly.

Linda Deagle, a member of

Wendy Li

“She embodies everything that the [Springboard] program stands for,” said Scott Heslin, dean of Beals House. the Springboard support staff, described her as being a caring person who works hard to make sure that her job is done well.

“She does the job of three people and beyond,” said Deagle. “Her arms are always open, and she has a deeper connection that extends beyond her job.”

Deeper connections with the students in the program is vital, according to Vello, so students always feel welcome. “I work with adolescents, and sometimes adolescents get angry. We all have tough days.”

Vello was born and raised in Newton, but like many of her students, she did not attend Newton Public Schools. She graduated in 1963 from a Catholic private school, previously known as Our Lady’s High School.

Later Vello attended Suffolk University in Boston. There, she majored in psychology and received a certificate in social work.

She also interned with Boston Juvenile Court and developed an interest in working with youth. This interest inspired her to create the Springboard program.

The Education Center was not

Flying off to college...

We’re so proud of you, John.

Love, Mom, Dad, David and Kevin

retirements

4 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Sheehan helps students gain resilience, capability Sophia Zhou “Take Care of Business” reads the shiny placard on guidance counselor Tom Sheehan’s desk. The significance of the phrase lies in the profound effect it had on a former student, Will, who gifted the placard to Sheehan as a thank you for his guidance and help.

According to Sheehan, “every time he’d leave my office I’d say, ‘Will’ ‘Yes Mr. Sheehan’ ‘Don’t forget to take care of your business’ and he never forgot it. He says he always has it in his head, ‘I gotta take care of my business’.”

He added that Will [not the student’s real name] was a perfect example of his philosophy of “trying to help kids help themselves.”

Originally hired by Ed Fraktman, former principal of F. A. Day Middle School, to be a one year replacement for a counselor on maternity leave in 1985, Sheehan is retiring this year after working in the Newton Public School System for 32 years.

“He’s one of the best hires that I ever made,” said Fraktman. “With some people you never know, but with Tom you knew from the beginning.”

At the time, Sheehan had just begun to find his calling as a counselor after trying out various different jobs, including selling hot dogs on a beach in San Diego, after graduating from Wellesley High School.

For four years he’d driven cross country, taking random jobs where he went before eventually landing in California. There, Sheehan realized he wanted to work with people and chose to go back to school.

Sheehan attended University of California, Berkeley and majored in social welfare/counseling.

Sheehan cited family members who were teachers as well as past experiby

ences with his own guidance counselor as motivation.

“It was kind of a part of my family culture growing up that part of what your relatives were doing was trying to make a difference with people,” he said. “It was always in the back of my head that maybe it’d be something I’d be interested in.”

After nearly seven years in California, Sheehan changed course again, returning to the East Coast and becoming a social worker in Boston, before leaving the job to try his hand at business as a salesman for Arrow Electronics.

“That job was actually the final job I had that made me realize that wasn’t what I wanted to do because I didn’t really like it. It wasn’t me,” said Sheehan. “So I said you know what, counseling is right for me, working with people is the right thing for me, that’s really what I want to do.”

So, Sheehan attended Northeastern University, where he received a master’s in education and became certified as a counselor for K-12. He then went to Day, where he worked as a counselor, as department chair, and as a coach for various sports teams.

“He was highly respected by his colleagues and sought after to solve complicated issues with kids.

I think he was seen as a very mature problem-solver and worked really well with kids,” said Fraktman. “He’s wonderful with students, cares a great deal, stays calm and collected, and knows how to work with students both at Day and North.”

It was during Sheehan’s time at Day that he met Will.

“This young man was a great kid, but he did not have a father.

He lived at home with his mother, and he struggled at Day Middle

School,” said Sheehan.

He added that Will “kept getting in trouble. He wasn’t growing up and wasn’t aware of what he needed to do. And then he came up to the high school.”

Around the same time, after 16 years of working at Day, Sheehan was ready for a new setting.

Like Sheehan, former North dean and interim principal Mark Aronson also taught at Day before coming to this school.

“I’d say his defining quality is his compassion and care for others,” Aronson said. “His door was always open to his students. They could always come to him and trust him to be supportive and honest.”

According to Aronson, his own transition to North “re-energized” his career — he encouraged Sheehan to move to North, too.

For Sheehan, it was a difficult transition that required learning about and adapting to the school.

“I was learning some new things I hadn’t done before, like the college process. It was a bigger building, so it was harder to get to know people, harder to navigate,” he said.

“It took a while for things to settle down, and I didn’t know anybody, so I was kind of the new guy on the block.”

At the high school, Sheehan was again at the same school as Will.

“He was still here, so I started seeing him again and he was getting better, but he was still struggling,” said Sheehan.

According to Sheehan, Will eventually went to a college in Colorado after graduating, and they stayed in touch. In college, Will partied frequently and his grades kept dropping until one day Sheehan received an email from him that read, “You know what, I don’t think this school is for me. I’m par-

tying too much.”

Sheehan was greatly amused by the email but also proud that Will was finally beginning to understand. He helped Will transfer schools and from there on out, Will did “very, very well,” winning a Fulbright Scholarship and eventually becoming a lawyer.

Sheehan explained that Will was a perfect example of what he tries to do, saying that his goal “as a counselor has been trying to help students develop a sense of capability and a sense of resilience.”

He added, “That’s what it’s all about right there. If the kids can do that, they can handle anything.”

Sheehan was also quick to point out that things don’t always work out as well as they did for Will.

“Sometimes you get lucky and make a connection with a kid.

They make a connection with you and you’re able to make a difference, but it doesn’t always happen,” he said.

He additionally emphasized that while not all students end up as successful as Will, they are equally dear and important to him.

Guidance counselor Amanda Griffin, Sheehan’s former intern, praised Sheehan for being open to all students.

“One of Tom’s greatest assets as a counselor is that he’s easy going, approachable, and genuine with everyone he works with,” she said.

“He taught me that being ‘real’ is so important in counseling, especially when working with high school students.”

When senior Luther Evans worked with Sheehan, he found Sheehan to be very helpful and reassuring about both the college application process and the future.

“Mr. Sheehan has a calm nature, but also has a sergeant attitude of

Teddy Everett

“He’s confident, and he really listens to what you have to say,” said senior Luther Evans. getting tasks completed, which I admire about him. He’s confident and he really listens to what you have to say,” he said.

Ultimately, Sheehan hopes to leave North with the positive connections and relationships that he’s created.

“If I feel like I’ve helped a kid out along the way and helped them help themselves and made some kind of difference in their lives, then that’s an achievement for me, and I feel good about what I’ve done,” he said.

After retirement, Sheehan plans to continue working with students in some capacity and is currently looking at possible opportunities at nearby colleges.

Looking back, Sheehan said he had truly found his calling and passion as a counselor. He added, “This has been a great job. Man, I would do the job again in a heartbeat. This has been a great fit for me. It’s what I like doing best— connecting with people.”

Wang places students at focal point of teaching ideology Nichol Weylman-Farwell “Education is about learning, so the students should be at the center,” said Chinese teacher Gail Wang, who is retiring after two years of teaching at North.

“Students know that she cares for them,” said world language department head Nancy Marrinucci.

“When students know that their teacher cares, they tend to perform well.”

Wang said that some of her favorite memories were watching her students in their extracurricular activities such as theater productions, saying that she enjoyed seeing “more aspects of their lives.”

Another fond experience at North was when one of her classes left her “awestruck” during a research presentation on Chinese medicine. Wang assigned her students to choose different topics to present, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies. Some even shared more personal stories of how their own ancestors used medicine.

“Research-based projects and hands-on projects are really some of the best ways to learn,” said Wang, citing her belief of centering her teaching around her students.

Junior Hiroshi Irizarry experienced firsthand the impact of Wang’s philosophy saying, “It was evident very often, and she really believed that we were really the center of it all.”

Wang taught Honors and ACP classes from levels two to five, and said, “They’re all my favorite classes. I enjoy my students very much.”

According to Irizarry, Wang enjoyed being with her students so much that she consistently helped by

Joelle Sugianto

“Students know that she cares for them,” said world language department head Nancy Marrinucci. them through tutoring after school, not just on the days designated for X-block. “She even took time out of her own schedule to help some of us on Wednesdays after school,” he said.

Irizarry described Wang as being very helpful, saying, “I remember the times she would take her time each week to help me with my Chinese, and how she helped me prepare for a summer abroad program and always made sure I was feeling okay in general.”

Wang was born in Guangzhou, China and graduated from Hangzhou No. 7 High School. She went on to major in English Literature at the Shanghai Foreign Language Institute, later earning her master’s degree in the same field at the Beijing Foreign Language Institute.

During her time after college

and before emigrating to Boston in 1990, Wang worked as an English teacher in China.

Wang soon realized the importance of her career in education. “During the early ‘80s, China opened up to the world and needed a lot of people who could read and write English,” she said, “so there was a high demand of teaching jobs.”

Wang emigrated from China to Boston for multiple reasons, one being that her husband had enrolled at UMass Boston to receive his master’s degree.

In addition, Wang explained that she left because she “wanted to see the world and China from a different perspective,” so that she “could understand China better.”

After moving to Massachusetts, Wang taught Chinese, and English as a second language, in the Lexington, Boston, and Newton Public Schools systems and at the Boston Center for Adult Education.

Marrinucci said that she hired Wang because of her “experience and collaboration skills,” saying that this school was “fortunate to have found a teacher of such high caliber.”

After her first day at North in 2015, Wang was “impressed by how friendly all of the students were” to her and enjoyed all of her classes.

“Some of my students didn’t feel comfortable speaking Chinese when I first arrived, but now they don’t even think twice before speaking,” Wang explained.

Marrinucci described Wang as being “open to feedback” and “easy to talk to,” adding that her personality allowed her to “develop strong

and positive relationships with students and connect with them on an individual basis.”

Irizarry expressed a similar sentiment about Wang’s personality and described her as being “a really nice and fun teacher,” adding that, “she helped out students and really cared to make sure we understood her material and that we weren’t frustrated learning Chinese. She tried to teach Chinese in a fun way but also a more immersive way.”

Many students felt lucky to have Wang as a teacher, and she reciprocated that sentiment towards the students. “It’s my students that make me want to go into work everyday,” she said. “I love forming connections with them and consider

them to be my friends and equals.”

Wang added, “I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work at North because it is one of the best schools in the nation.”

If given the chance to teach at North again, Wang said that she would “definitely accept.”

Wang helps out at the Boston Children’s Museum and at the Peabody Essex Museum. She also enjoys gardening, reading, and traveling to other countries in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

However, no matter where she travels to, North will always have a place in her heart.

Wang said, “Newton North will always be special to me because of the incredible student body.”

Congratulations, Jacob, on all you’ve accomplished.

You’re ready for your next big adventure—we know you’ll go far!

Love, Mom, Dad, Alex and Jojo

retirements

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 5

O’Neill leaves lasting impact of caring, kindness Zoe Goldstein Whether she’s baking pumpkin bread for department meetings, finding creative ways to engage students, bringing in cards for her colleagues, or staying long after the end of the school day to meet with struggling students, Spanish teacher Juanita O’Neill, who is retiring after teaching for 24 years at North, cares deeply about the people around her.

O’Neill is “a real caretaker,” according to world language department chair and Spanish teacher Nancy Marrinucci, a long-time friend of O’Neill’s.

“She’s left a legacy on the department as well as what it means to be an excellent colleague and to care about your colleagues and kids,” added Marrinucci.

O’Neill will leave a widespread impact on her department. “She is a rock for us,” said Spanish teacher Daniel Fabrizio, a friend and former mentee of O’Neill’s. “Her imprint is everywhere because she mentored so many of us. Her teaching style is with so many of us.”

O’Neill’s unique teaching style combines elements of technology, creativity, connection, and plain old hard work, a combination that led to her winning the Paul E. Elicker award for Excellence in Teaching in 2013. Her teaching philosophy is that “all kids can learn, and they need motivation to do that,” O’Neill said.

She tries to motivate students through “humor and building relationships with kids. Kids know that she has high expectations, but she also will support them in their learning,” according to Marrinucci.

The power of making mistakes and learning from them is also something O’Neill said she believes in.

“You really have to be wrong in language; it helps you to make mistakes. I’d say one-on-one connecby

tion works better than most things.

We all try to do stuff with technology and getting kids out of their seats when we can—different ways of recycling the same material.”

O’Neill’s love of change and her constant journey to improve in any way she can have led her to be at the forefront of the movement to introduce new technology to language classes. “I like the change, and I like the technology that’s come on since I’ve been doing it,” she said. “I love change.”

Although she believes that some technology can increase students’ distractibility, “after a while, you give up and Kahoot with them,” she said, referring to the popular quiz game many language teachers use. “If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em.”

Technology is not only an important part of O’Neill’s tactics in the classroom, but in her personal life as well. According to Marrinucci, “What I hear from other members of the department is that Ms. O’Neill’s Pinterest account—you want to follow it.”

To get to where she is today, O’Neill herself has experienced a lot of change. She grew up on a farm in Greenwood, Delaware and went to Greenwood High School, graduating in 1968. The school, which she described as “rural,” had 52 people in its graduating class.

She was the only one to continue to college.

Originally, O’Neill wanted to be a doctor, but said, “My pediatrician said that girls couldn’t be doctors, so I thought I’d be a nurse because he said girls could be nurses. Then I realized I didn’t want to be a nurse.

I loved Spanish, so it seemed right.”

O’Neill studied at the University of Delaware, which led to another time of change for her: a semester spent abroad at the University of Madrid. The experience “made me especially aware of one of the cul-

tures encompassed by the language I was teaching. I loved getting to be in Spain, going to bullfights, seeing all the beauty of the country.”

After majoring in Spanish and secondary education, O’Neill started teaching Spanish at Randolph High School, then at St. Mary of the Hills in Milton, and English at Elian’s Boston Spanish School in Randolph. After a few years, she received her master’s in applied linguistics at University of Massachusetts Boston.

Hired by then principal Jim Marini, O’Neill began teaching at Newton North in 1993. She experienced another change when she taught during the rebuilding of North that concluded in 2010. She retains the culture of a culmination of years spent at North.

“She’s the one we look to when we need some history,” said Fabrizio. “She has some institutional memory.”

Being at North for so long has not diminished O’Neill’s spirit; her love of Spanish inspires her steadily. She refers to the language, her students, and her colleagues as “the big three.”

O’Neill infuses this love for the language and change, into her approach to teaching daily and yearly.

“She starts over every year.

What’s remarkable about her is that she is not content with going through her files from the year before and pulling out a worksheet or a handout or a test,” said Marrinucci. “She pretty much throws everything away and starts over every year.”

She is also dedicated to helping her students, even if it means sacrificing her own time.

“She will stay after school, she will work here early in the morning with students; she’s constantly working with every single student who wants help,” said Fabrizio.

“For some students, the subject

is a struggle, but I think that struggle is an undervalued word today,” said O’Neill. “I think there’s something to be said for overcoming difficulties and getting mastery and learning something. I really respect kids who work hard.”

O’Neill applies the same hard work she encourages in her students to her relationships with colleagues, and her role in the department.

According to Marrinucci, O’Neill “collaborates well with everyone. At the department meeting, she takes the notes. When we have a birth or a death or an illness in the department, she brings in the card and we all sign it, and not because she’s asked to, but because she does it.”

“I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t cleaning something,” said Marrinucci. “Even though we have a sign-up sheet, she feels responsible.”

To O’Neill, the language department is “a very collegial group of teachers. We help each other by sharing materials, ideas, philosophies, and time. I think it’s important to feel comfortable with the group with whom you teach.”

She added, “Sometimes we forget how fortunate we are to teach in a place like this.”

O’Neill juggles a devotion to her department and to her students, but manages to balance the two.

“The funny joke is that I’ve had lunch with her maybe three times in eight years because during lunch she is in her office working and sending emails. She has a working lunch every day,” said Fabrizio.

“This is a woman who is making up new tests and new material every day up until the day she retires.”

O’Neill uses creativity in creating her curriculum, but also hopes to use it during her retirement. She hopes to spend time gardening, reading, making art such as jewelry, learning Italian and carpentry,

have remained the same, including core values of “learning and respect.”

As a student, Grace took business classes. She later continued on to attend the Hickox Business School, where she majored in business.

Originally, Grace took jobs centered around finance. She recalled that in high school, she worked at the New England Telephone company, where she was a long distance operator.

After Grace had two children, she became a stay-at-home mom, working part-time because she wanted a flexible schedule to take care of her children.

Following a number of shortterm jobs, Grace’s professional career at North began in 1991 when she was hired part time by director of Newton Summer School Donald Crowley as his assistant. This was Grace’s favorite job because of its social atmosphere. There, she developed brochures, took care of registration, handled tuition, and posted grades.

Grace said that working at North had advantages compared to working elsewhere because many of the teachers were her friends, including some that had been her former instructors.

After working for the summer school, she was hired to work in the Newton Teacher’s Credit Union. “I enjoyed the credit union as a manager and treasurer. I handled every aspect: funds, loans, and reports,”

Grace said.

In 1993, she began working fulltime at North’s library and summer school. Later, she started working for the world language department.

World language department head Nancy Marrinucci said, “As someone who worked with me, she was very competent. She was the type of person to pitch in and help out because she saw a need. I really appreciated that.”

Grace said she enjoyed multiple jobs because it was “stimulating” and she always had something different to work on. She liked change and having many things to do.

“She was always precise and everything had to be done just right,” said Grace’s colleague, counseling department secretary Donna Harper.

Throughout her time at North, Grace said she loved chaperoning field trips and dances. She travelled overseas for the first time on the Prague trip with the late Ty Vignone in 1997. “It was awesome. I

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“Her spirit ...is going to benefit us and benefit the students for years and years to come,” said Spanish teacher Daniel Fabrizio. and “anything creative with [her] hands.”

According to Marrinucci, O’Neill’s retirement will leave a “big hole” in the language department.

“Certainly life goes on and we move on, but sometimes you hear people say that everyone’s replaceable. I don’t know if I agree with that,” said Marrinucci.

“So much of her spirit is going to be here, and so much of her stuff is going to benefit us and benefit the students for years and years to come. People will look back fondly and mention Ms. O’Neill,” according to Fabrizio.

Although O’Neill has won the Elicker award and is a model for colleagues in her department, she does not strive for notoriety or recognition.

According to O’Neill, “All I am is a teacher. That’s what I am. My achievements are just that I teach.”

Grace develops connections, sense of community

Hannah Liu Former administrative assistant Deb Grace began her career at North long before her first job here.

Grace began attending Newton High School when it was a yellowbrick three-part building. Students walked to the right in the hallways, travelled through tunnels from building to building, and followed a strict dress code, which students protested when the school administration asked a boy to cut his long hair.

Having graduated in the class of ‘67 and worked at North’s library, world language department, Teacher’s Credit Union, and summer school, Grace feels that North has become like a home for her.

“I am proud of having been a student and having worked here,” Grace said.

From her 23 years at North, Grace, who retired last December, said that she has taken away the ability to be both “kind and direct.”

“People are people. People are different. You have to respect them all,” Grace added.

Grace said that one of the things she most loved was the sense of Tiger Pride at the school. She said that her colleagues were “all just so kind, friendly, and giving. No matter what the job was, the people were welcoming.”

Grace added, “There’s better education now, more media.” According to Grace, the ‘60s were a time of the Beatles, the Vietnam War, and the baby boomers. That by

Joelle Sugianto

“She was the type of person to pitch in and help out because she saw a need,” said world language department head Nancy Marrinucci. was when she noticed North changing from its “uptight” mannerisms to a more inclusive environment.

“People today do not have the same black and white view of wrong and right,” said Grace.

“There’s more ability for students to speak out. That’s better now.”

Though the school may have changed greatly, Grace said that the most important aspects of North

want to go back all the time,” said Grace.

Since her retirement, Grace has spent her time exercising, socializing, visiting her grandkids, and planning a trip to Europe. She hopes to volunteer and work at an animal shelter and plans to move to Plymouth, Massachusetts within the next few months.

Grace remains connected to the North community. She said that she still stops by the school once a week because she misses the people she worked with.

Even with her fond memories of the days of the Beatles, Grace said that she believes that this school has changed for the better.

Though she appreciates the people she met during her time at North, Grace said that she is ready to move on. “The school is now the next generation for me. My generation is retiring,” said Grace.

“Change is just inevitable. Change is all the time.”

Congratulations Maddy!!

We are so very proud of you and excited for your future in D.C. and beyond.

XOXO BTTU Mom, Dad, Caryn, Simon and Genevieve

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6 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Congratulations Class

of

2017

Best wishes as you embark on your many new adventures!

With love and pride, The Cabot Parents

Celebration 2017 Thanks Our Donors...

Thank you to our local businesses for donating money and food to the post-prom party!

Please patronize these businesses!

Patron ($501-1000)

• Aronson Insurance • Bokx 109 • The Village Bank

Business Donors

Sponsor ($251-500)

Contributor ($101-250)

• Cabot’s Ice Cream & Restaurant • Honda Village • Newtonville Camera • Newton Wellesley Orthopedic Associates, Inc • Sacramone Orthodontics • W. T. Rich Company, Inc.

• Brookline Bank • Eaton & Mackay Funeral Home • KidsWell Pediatrics & Urgent Care • Nonantum Children’s Party Association • O & A Mariano Landscaping • R.L. Tennant Insurance Agency, Inc. • Tanowitz Law Office, PC

Donor ($51-100)

• A.R. Belli Inc. • Alkon & Levine, P.C. • Boston Lock and Safe Company • CrossFit City Line • EBS Capstone • In 30 Minutes Guides • Metro Welding Supply • Waban Dental Group

Supporter (up to $50)

• Holly Cleaners • J&S Mobil • Summit Education Group • Professional Loss Adjusters

Food Donors Jumbo Seafood

Village Café

BJ’s

#1 Dumpling House

The Cheesecake Factory

Tri-City Café

Russo’s

Del Frisco’s Grill

Farmstead Table

Bokx 109

Trader Joe’s

Seasons 52

Comella’s

Sandwich Works

Dunn-Gaherin’s Food & Spirits

The Local

Bertucci’s

Costco

Harriet’s Bakery

Fiorella’s

O’Hara’s

Cabot’s

Whole Foods

D & A Pizza

Wegman’s

Zheng Garden

Aji

Paddy’s

Great Harvest Bread Company

Wally’s

Brewer’s Coalition

Antoine’s Bakery

Finagle A Bagel

Shaw’s

Dunkin’ Donuts

Stop & Shop

Bruegger’s

Target

Rancatore’s

CVS

Yogurt Beach

Farmstead Table

White Mountain Creamery

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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Congratulations Despina!

We are so proud of you for all of your achievements and the beautiful person you have become! Your confidence and smile are contagious - carry them with you wherever you go! You are destined for great things!

May you soar like an eagle at BC! With all our love and admiration, Dad, Mom and Harrison

Newton North, The Newtonite â—† 7

8 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

CONGRATULATIONS JAKE AND JOSH

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–Nelson Mandela

You have both left your individual marks on Newton North, and received much in return from your mentors, counselors and teachers.

Jake: May your gifts of questioning, debating, and intellectual pursuit serve as a platform for further growth and success at the University of Chicago.

Josh: May you use your leadership talents, drive and academic achievement to make an impact in the next chapter of your life at Middlebury College.

May you both always remain passionate in life and true to yourselves.

With much pride and love, Mom and Dad

community statements

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 9

Succeed by building on Recognize and learn from diversity established foundation To the Graduating Class of 2017, I am thrilled to offer my congratulations to each of the students graduating this year. The occasion of your high school graduation is a celebratory time. Thank you for letting me share this very special day with you. This is truly a significant moment in your life, and I hope you will take the time to appreciate all you have done to get yourselves here and everyone who helped you along the way.

As you embark onto the next phase of your lives, you have the opportunity to build on the strong foundation you have received from the excellent and dedicated teachers, administrators, and staff of the Newton Public Schools. We all take great pride in our school system here in Newton, and I know that the lessons, skills, and knowledge you have received have helped prepare you for the challenges you will face ahead. I urge you to embrace your next steps with enthusiasm and confidence, knowing you are prepared with all the tools you need to succeed.

Consider using this foundation as a path to public service and work for the public good. Give back to your community, work together,

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and understand different perspectives. By working together to bridge divides, you can make a real difference in our society.

Congratulations again and best of luck in all your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

—Setti D. Warren ‘88 Mayor of Newton

Engage in your community, utilize skills, life lessons Dear Class of 2017, We are honored to join the chorus of those wishing you success as you continue on your journey to adulthood.

You have had the privilege of spending four years in a beautiful new high school with diverse offerings. You may have started out with trepidation, wondering how you would make your way, but you have gained confidence and a sense of ownership during your time in the school. We hope you have adopted a growth mindset and have been willing to experience failures as you attempted new things. You will learn from these setbacks and from opportunities to revise your work and change course.

Newton North has been enriched by signs of your engagement; your participation in clubs, athletics, academics, volunteer efforts, theatre, art, and music, among other activities, will serve as a testament to your good citizen-

Dear Class of 2017, Please accept my congratulations as your time in the Newton Public Schools draws to a close. I hope your educational experience has been a time of both academic and personal growth.

As you reflect on your high school experience, may you remember the teacher that sparked a passion, the adult in the building that helped you through a difficult time, or the fellow student who inspired you to accomplish things you never deemed possible. We are lucky in Newton to have students, faculty, and staff with diverse

backgrounds and life experiences.

I hope that you had the opportunity to learn from them and to view life from a different perspective.

This will no doubt serve you well as you take your next step.

It is our sincere hope that the Newton Public Schools has given you a strong foundation to pursue your passion and inspired you to be a lifelong learner.

Best wishes as you begin the next chapter.

­—David Fleishman Superintendent­­

Seek motivation in new experiences, recognize meaning in every moment Congratulations Class of 2017 on all that you have accomplished at this fantastic high school. Over the last four years, you have had many kinds of experiences. You have experienced moments of great joy, as well as moments of great challenge. These moments have shaped you as an individual and added to the dynamic of our collective school community. You have undoubtedly had experiences in which you learned something new and those in which you met people different from you. As you blaze your own path, I urge you to continue to seek out all of these same kinds of experiences: joyful, challenging, new, and different. You never know when these unique and varied experiences will take you in a new and even profound direction.

One of my favorite Steve Jobs stories is about his college calligraphy class. One doesn’t often hear

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Steve Jobs and calligraphy in the same sentence! But, he shared the story that he actually used what he learned in his college calligraphy class to help him design the many fonts that were found on the original Macintosh. New experiences can be informative and can return to inspire you when you least expect it.

It will be tempting to let some

experiences pass you by as you strive toward your goals. My advice is to be open to everything and learn as much as you can from every experience. Most importantly, make every moment meaningful by being present. Take your time and stay in the moment.

We have had joy and challenge this past year at North and the leadership of the Class of 2017 helped Newton North grow and learn from these experiences. I believe that we have learned as much from you as you have learned from us. Your unique perspective and contribution has made Newton North the special place that it is today and will continue to be in the future. Best of luck as your life beyond North begins.

—Henry J. Turner, ED Principal

Challenge yourself by accepting struggle file photo

ship and continued development.

We hope that you have also grown in your ability to make good decisions through your friendships and through guidance from parents, guardians, teachers, coaches, and counselors. We also hope that the Just Think: Teens Making Smart Choices expos and events have helped you realize that there is always a community of support at your disposal. We know that you will carry with you what you have learned in all capacities as you continue your life journey.

We wish you well in the future beyond the walls of Newton North High School.

You have made us, and the families we represent, proud.

Congratulations!

sky

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—Sally Brickell and Rex Clark Newton North PTSO co-presidents

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We love you Naomi!

Mom, Dad and Rachel Bobie, G’pa Berol & Grandma & the rest of your crazy mischpucha

To the Class of 2017, We are so proud of you and the many individual and collective accomplishments you have achieved so far. We hope that you take the time to enjoy and celebrate with those who have guided you and supported you and relish in the idea that you are about to embark on the next exciting phase in your life journey.

Carry with you the words of Henry David Thoreau, who said, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Open your eyes as you launch and seek those opportunities where you can make an impact, no matter how big or small. Engage in this great big

world—engage with people that are different than you, challenge yourself with the unfamiliar, and find commonalities that can bridge differences. Take what you have learned in your years in Newton and create, listen, participate, and always find ways to bring more kindness into your world. We are all very excited to see what your next steps bring.

Congratulations and best of luck!.

—Jenny Chou Co-Chair, School Council

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Set achievable goals, allow growth As you transition into the next phase of your life, I encourage you to keep an open mind and try something new. Many of you may think that you already know what you will study, what activities you will try, or what your job may be. I encourage you to be lifelong learners who explore the opportunities around you even when you feel confident “that thing is not for me.”

Personally, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the students who helped me “try something new” this year. I’ve never been a runner. Even when I played soccer in high school, I hated running. However I made the decision this year to try something new, to join Dreamfar High School Marathon Team at North and to run regularly. My goal was to connect with students…and perhaps to get a little bit better at running. Run-

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ning was still hard for me. I didn’t run a marathon. I’m barely running 5Ks. But much more importantly, I found that I actually could enjoy

running. Running with students, building relationships, and being a part of a team made all the difference. A huge thank you to all of the Dreamfar HSM students who ran with me this year. You had a huge impact on my year.

So, like the students impacted me, I encourage you to impact those around you. Invite others to try something new alongside you.

Support friends when they try something and it is hard. You won’t enjoy everything that you try. That is for sure. But you will build stronger relationships, and you might just find a true passion or a new route through life. Challenge yourself to take a risk, try something new, and build relationships along the way.

—Amy Winston Vice Principal

10 â—† The Newtonite, Newton North

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

faculty statements

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 11

Apply values gained at North Embrace change as I knew you when you were a freshman. You were shorter then.

You were goofy. You were still figuring out how you fit in, and what mattered most to you. Graduation was an eternity away.

Graduation is here. Look how far you’ve come! You are the fastest on the track team. You are the speaker at the Black Lives Matter rally. You are the star baseball player. You are deeply involved in theater. You have a wide group of friends. You organized the Asian Cultural Day. You went on an international exchange. You play Ultimate. You edit the Newtonite. You stretched yourself taking more challenging courses. You’ve excelled sometimes and flubbed sometimes, and you handled it. You got a job.

You got into college. You joined the National Guard. You are going on a gap year to places yet to be decided. You are more confident than you ever were as a freshman.

For any one of these things, you’ve become one of the leaders of this graduating class. Underclassmen

look up to you. Faculty, staff and/ or coaches were your mentors; you listened, learned and grew.

Wherever you end up, you will remember NNHS. Hopefully, you will remember someone who cared.

You will remember the animated discussions in history class about the latest hot point of the day. You learned to listen. You will remember mindfulness exercises in math class. You learned to be calm and purposeful. You will remember Kindness Day, LGBTQ Day, and all the other Days that your teachers took you to and wonder why the rest of the world has such a hard time with the basic truth of being kind to others.

It is my sincere hope that now you will go forth in this world and make a difference. There are so many issues on the table; climate change, politics, racism, and biases against many different groups are but a few. I could apologize for my generation that we have left the world such a mess for you, but I believe that nothing is new. We

learning experience

I have had only one year to work with the Class of 2017, but you have all made me feel so welcomed on the last leg of your journey. Thank you for letting me get to know you, and I will miss the many interactions I

file photo

have simply shone the light on hidden ills that were festering for many years. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to dig in and fight for what is right.

You impress me. You give me hope. I am lucky to have known you and watched you grow. I love my job because of you. I love your passion. Thank you for being part of my life.

—Deborah Lund Science Teacher

Champion issues important to you Becoming an adult is disorienting even in the best of times. But right now, in 2017? It must feel downright intimidating. You’ve come of age at one of those moments in history that people used to call “interesting times.” (This is before we had terms like “hot mess” or “dumpster fire.”)

You were wrapping up elementary school in the wake of a financial crisis that continues to send shudders across the globe; you watched thousands of protesters respond by proclaiming themselves the 99% and demanding an end to economic inequality.

You spent your middle and most of your high school years in the historic administration of an African-American president. Simultaneously, you witnessed a string of horrific violence committed against Black communities, a development that is not new except for the national attention it attracted this time around. Then you saw the emergence of a movement shining light on, and fighting against, this injustice and declaring that Black lives matter.

You’ve seen reproductive and

Alisa Caira

voting rights restricted in various ways across the country. You’ve seen gay marriage become the law of the land and the struggle of trans people gain increasing prominence.

You’ve watched fast food workers, Wal-Mart employees, and other low-wage workers across the country spark a movement demanding a $15 minimum wage and union representation. You’ve seen the U.S., and to some extent the world, largely fail to take action to mitigate

the effects of global climate change.

And to top it off, this year you lived through a presidential campaign that shredded all the rules most of us thought governed our democracy and left us in uncharted waters, to say the least.

And now, here you are, finally recognized as adults and citizens, or about to be. So what’s your role in the chaotic world you’re inheriting? I don’t know! That’s for you to answer.

But I hope you will think not just about what you will do as a student or in the work force, but also about what you will do as a citizen. Find an issue that’s important to you.

Find the people and organizations that are doing good work around that issue. And join in the struggle.

You can’t save the world by yourself, but you can do something.

In fact, you must do something.

This is your time to figure out what that something is and take those first steps.

We’re counting on you.

—Mike Schlegelmilch English Teacher

Cherish people, places on journey It’s graduation time, hugs, laughs, pictures: let yourself be drenched in love and bring it with you.

In the path you have chosen, love what you do. High school was hard work, but some find it fulfilling, and some others find it tedious.

We all want to have fun after a whole day of study and work and are constantly frustrated with having no time for fun. How about having fun while working or studying?

In Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell,

Joelle Sugianto

if people can find three things, that is “autonomy, complexity and a connection between effort and reward,” hard work will be fun and fulfilling. But things take time; pour your love into what you can find and keep an open mind.

As you are saying goodbye to your high school, remember to love people you met and learn to love the people you will meet and always have a space in your heart for your parents. Life is full of ups and downs, and they have supported you wholeheartedly, even though they may not seem to sometimes. People change constantly. Your unfriendly teammate may become your best friend in five years. Life experience will bond people or make people drift apart. But try to agree to disagree and try to embrace both old and new friends in your lives. Find a study pal, a workout pal, a camping pal, and even a meditation pal.

Learn to love your professors, even if they spew out all the information that does not make sense, even if it seems that their only job is to make

you feel bad. Fine, you don’t love them. But love the experience because it makes you spot the good ones immediately. Be appreciative of what you go through.

Love the places you go. Brush up on your world language skills and travel: try walking barefoot on the streets of Auckland, New Zealand; taste the skewered scorpion in the night market in Beijing, China; dress up for the Day of the Flowers in Guanajuato, Mexico. Each trip will be full of excitement and adventures.

As you stride on your journey, I hope you will have something you love to do, have someone you love to be with, and have something to hope for, every day. Henry Haskins once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” May love be with you and share the love.

—Star Lew World Language Teacher

Wendy Li

have shared with you.

Change is inevitable as you live your life. Accepting disappointment and turning it into a learning experience helps shape you as a person. Remember small gestures can mean so much and can help strengthen relationships in both your personal and professional life.

I have no doubt that the Class of 2017 will use the values gained here at Newton North to help bring positive change to our community and our world. Enjoy this time and be the best that you can be!

—Eileen Peruzzi Barry House Adminitrative Asst.

Take pride in successes Congratulations, Class of 2017!

It has been a pleasure to work with you over the past four years.

I will fondly remember the Class of 2017 as a group of leaders who made positive contributions to our

Abby Roll

school. You should be proud of your great achievements both inside and outside of the classroom.

I hope you are as proud of your achievements as I am for the kindness and respect you have shown towards your classmates. You have left our school a better place than when you arrived.

As you take the next step in your journey, take with you the same expectations that we had for you as freshmen: ask questions, accept challenges, identify resources, establish relationships, explore opportunities, and get involved.

I wish you all the best of luck as you move on from NNHS. Homerooooom!

—Aaron Sanders Dean of Barry House

Approach life with passion, kindness Class of 2017! I am in awe! You have continued to impress me and surprise me every step of the way.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to observe you all think, plan, organize and execute your awesome ideas! You brought talent, knowledge, kindness, and passion here everyday. Thank you, be safe, and make good choices.

—Nicole Franchi Class Adviser

Wendy Li

Congratulations Kathryn!

May you forever find the song in your heart, the rhythm in your feet, and be free to dance among the stars!

Love Mom, Dad Kristen, and George

awards

12 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Students receive scholarships, awards Vanessa Carrasquillo-Gonzalez Daisy Cartagena Perez Katherine Martinez Kayleigh Moscillo Roanna Squires-Keyes

Donna Mandatori Scholarship Award Courtney Pappas

V. James Marini Scholarship Rebecca Bianchi

Mathematics Department 110% Award Carls Gonzalez-Moreno William Dunn

Richard Mechem Award Frederick King

Robert Mitchell Scholarship Matthew Levinson

Edward J Mulligan Award Jeremy Tang

Mitchell Nathanson Memorial Award Erick Santos

National Merit Scholars Emily Moss Amanda Powers

Newton Brokers Association Scholarship Heleni Daly

Wendy Li

North’s football team plays against Needham at the annual Friday Night Lights game Friday, Sept.30.

Margherita Acchione Scholarship Ana Garay

Diane Antonellis Childcare Scholarship Alexandra Hendricks

Auburndale Women’s Club Fintan Grafe

Jeffrey M. Banks Memorial Scholarship Njioma Grevious

David Barboza Memorial Scholarship Kyle Butler

Ron Barndt Scholarship Feng Xin Yi Cong

Barry House Award Shana Bouyer

Bryan Max Bernfeld Theatre Ink Prize Nicholas Scott

Sandy Bartzak Award David Salazar

Edward Beatty Book Award Daniel Kleber

Big Heart Mathematics Award Bethany Silberstein

Coach Jim Blackburn Track Scholarship Jordan Greene

BNI Newton Connector’s Scholarship Brycen Adam

Charles E. Brown Scholarship Award Tobin Gevelber

Lt. Stafford Leighton Brown Memorial Scholarships Travis Emenaker Adam Fierimonte Alan Shea

Marjorie Byers Scholarship Sayawni Lassiter

Robert W. (Beep) Calabro Football Scholarship William Mahoney

Cambridge Savings Bank Kevin J. Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Scholarships Jake Morrissey Melvin Nguyen

David Casavant Culinary Arts Scholarship Awards Cassandra Taylor

Alex J. Castoldi Memorial Scholarship: Theatre Arts James Driscoll Edward Cartland IV

Alex J. Castoldi Memorial Scholarship: Career and Vocational Technical Education

Camila Aro Liam Axon Alyssa Battista Gina Bellevue Leanna Bellevue Nattalya Brown Alex Butron Vanessa Carrasquillo-Gonzalez Daisy Cartagena Perez Xing Yi Chen Caitlin Cugini Jader Cunha Anthony Curtis Tyan Davis Matheus Dei Santi Linh Dinh Stephanie Ethier Adam Fierimonte Michelle Filippelli Autumn Frost Hong Yu Fu Arleen Garcia Carlos Gonzalez-Moreno Njioma Grevious Sarah Hamilton Faith Kirabo Yadira Lagos Sayawni Lassiter Daphnie Lin Ivan Liu Tiffany Luong Fariha Mahjabin Katherine Martinez-Hernandez Natalie McMillen Gregory Mitelman Kayleigh Moscillo Jordon Myers Disa Parker Palak Patel Alejandra Ridley Madeline Rielly Ashley Rodriguez David Salazar Jovanni Santiago Roanna Squires-Keyes Zainab Stewart Caira Tumage Kaifan Wang Amanda Whitham Douglas Whitham Chenyang Xia Adrian Yuen Luna Zhang Nicholas Zhang

Greg Chan Scholarship Fund Njioma Grevious Nicholas Zhang

Robert Chernis Drama Awards Olivia Duvall Yael Soran Joshua Shub-Seltzer Charlotte Thornley

Liran Federmann

Adrian Colasacco Memorial Scholarship for Automotive

Isaiah Aponte

Adrian Colasacco Memorial Scholarship for Carpentry

Chaffin Educational Fund Scholarship Awards

Reagan Vetree

Jeremy Tang

Liz Costa Delfino ’65 Memorial Scholarship Victoria Rodriguez

David Costanzo Award Zackery Benjamin

Caroline Costello Memorial Scholarship Abigail Donnellon Luna Zhang

Seth Daigle Memorial/PTSO Scholarship Fariha Mahjabin

Andrew Dealy Memorial Scholarship Curtis Judd

Tom DePeter Memorial Scholarship Rebecca Arango Maren Gunning

Bobby Donahue Scholarship Fund Award James Hodgson

Engineer of the Year Douglas Whitham

Robert Faulkner Career and Vocational Technical Education Student of the Year Scholarship Ashley Rodriguez

W. Eugene Ferguson Math Award

Rebecca Torcasio

Honey Dew Donuts Scholarship Benjamin Lublin

Horlick Educational Fund/ELL Award

Athul Sahadevan

Newton Firefighters Association Scholarship

Yui-Ting Tarn

Newton High School Scholarship Fund

Luther Evans

Newton METCO Academic Achievement Awards

Intrepid Drafter of the Year Award Investment Club Appreciation Award Elizabeth Jewett World Language Scholarship Valerie Yang-Schmidt

Abe Jellinek Scholarship for Assistance & Computer Technology Purchase Zackery Benjamin

JT Dedication Award Camille Isabel Baxter

Lanna Kelley Memorial Scholarship Arleen Garcia Abby Scanlon

Barbara Killion Award Liana Reilly

Zackery Bejamin Holly Chin Erin Claflin

Edward Lareau Scholarship Achievement Award

Megan Fieleke

John Fuller Second Church Scholarship

Melvin Nguyen

Jasmine Hien

Henry Lasker Memorial Music Award Elizabeth Wu

League of Legends Scholarship Alex Chin

Luther Evans Disa Parker

Deborah E. LeBovidge Scholarship

Nicholas Scott Rachel Leighton

Thomas Leonard Music Scholarship

Meredith Ghattas Scholarship Graphic Communications Community Service Award Caroline Cohen Daniel Mui Julia Weiss

Golden Hammer Award Anthony DiRusso

Golden Rubber Chicken Award Alexander Tanowitz

Good & Plenty Mathematics Award Margaret Thompson

Rev. Howard Haywood Scholarship Oluwadamilola Oluwadara

Kathleen Henighan Child Studies Achievement Award Aliza Bromberg

Carmela Hilbert Memorial Scholarship

Faith Kirabo Oluwadamilola Oluwadara

Xing Yi Chen

Charlotte Howard/ Claflin School Scholarship

Max Kolb Memorial Scholarship & Book Award

Haskell C. Freedman/NTA Scholarship Fund

Luther Evans

Newton Centre Women’s Club Scholarship Sandy Stover Memorial Newton Educational Secretaries Scholarship

Anne Harrington

Howard Ferguson Memorial Scholarships

Newton City Council Scholarship

Stacia Pikul

Sophia Cohen

Barbara Hugo Lira Memorial Music Scholarship Jordan Rensing

Adam London Memorial Scholarship Isaiah Aponte

The Jason Long Memorial Scholarship Luther Evans

Walter Lyons Award Amanda Maxey

Barbara Sulkin Lourie Memorial Scholarships Alexander Butron Linh Dinh Hong Yu Fu Gregory Mitelman

Richard H. Lovell Scholarships

Anthony Curtis

Zackery Benjamin

Matheus Dei Santi

Henry Allen Ariyan Davis-Lodge Alexus Garcia Petion Jordan Meyers

Newton METCO Academic Excellence Awards Nattalya Brown Alexander Chin Sayawni Lassiter Melvin Nguyen Taylah Robinson

Newton METCO Helen and George Bresnahan Academic and Cultural Award Nattalya Brown Alexander Chin Yadira Lagos Melvin Nguyen Taylah Robinson

Newton METCO Pacita D.A. Hayes Memorial Leadership Award Shana Bouyer Nattalya Brown Sayawni Lassiter Taylah Robinson

NNHS Future Business Leaders of America Student of the Year Sydney Hurwitz Tiffany Luong

NNHS Design Awards Liran Federmann

Newton North High School Honor Roll Scholarship Maren Gunning

Newton Nor th Television Award Julianna Lakomski

Newton Police Memorial Scholarship Brycen Adam Stephanie Ethier

The Newtonite/Helen Smith Scholarship Emily Moss Jacob Sims Speyer

Nonantum Neighborhood Association Scholarship Rebecca Bianchi Gina DeFelice

awards

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Nonantum Neighborhood Association Awards Alyssa Battista Gina Bellevue Leanna Bellevue Natalie McMillen Ashley Proia

Dorothy Novack Memorial Scholarship Awards Sarah Hamilton Matthew Mali

Oak Hill William O’Brien Scholarship Fund Annabell Tocco

William O’Brien Scholarship Fund Isaac Appel

Phil Ochs/Alan MacDougall Award Fariha Mahjabin

Mary O’Malley Award Alyssa Battista Rebecca Bianchi SeanRoss McClinchy Ashley Proia

110% Math Award

Carlos Gonzalex-Moreno William Dunn

Orr Foundation Awards Isaiah Bowden Zackery Benjamin Melvin Nguyen

Liv Pangburn Memorial Art Award Valerie Yang-Schmidt

Peltier History Award Isabella Jackson-Saitz

Perkins History Prize Melissa Coervo Thai Koenig

Rosanne Perlmutter Scholarship Noah Stonehill

David Phelan World Language Award Fredrick King

Robert E. Pill Family Scholarship for Study & Awareness of Israel, the Holocaust and/or Judaic Studies Liran Federmann Honorable Mention: Daniel Babitskiy Amanda Powers

Ellen Raphael Award Nattalya Brown

Nathan Alden Robinson Memorial Math Award Kaifan Wang

Nathan Alden Robinson Memorial Music Award Colin Kadis

Giovanni and Louisa Rossi Scholarship Fund Camila Aro

Susan Rosenzweig Scholarship Isaiah Aponte Nattalya Brown

Rotary Club of Newton Anthony J. Bibbo Community Scholarship Amanda Powers

Rotary Club of Newton Anthony J. Bibbo Newton Rotary Community Scholarship: METCO

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 13

Ariana Huang Jefferson Hyppolite Ksenia Moskalenko Teodora Padure Kiara Santiago James Sonia Jing Long Zhu

Ellen Silk Scholarship Holly Chin

Frank Simmons Award Madeline Rielly

Leslie Solomon Scholarship Jacob Sims Speyer Lucy Zheng

Raymond Smith Music Award Nicholas Scott

Social Science Club Award Sarah Hamilton

Gail Stein Scholarship Dairielis Lovera

Saul Stern Music Award Anna Bosco

Robert B. Swett, Jr. Fund Awards Daniel Babitskiy Katherine Ostrovkiy Joshua Shub-Seltzer Joshua Sims Speyer

John Temperley Graphic Arts Award Ashley Rodriguez

Theatre Ink Special Recognition Awards James Amirato Petros Estratoudakis Erique Green Njioma Grevious Anna Bosco Emily Ecker Jacques Klapisch Sofia Neuman-Stier Sophie Lyon Elizabeth Wu Katie Bradshaw

Theatre Ink Outstanding Achievement Awards Galen Rokosz Thomas Sasdi Louis Torracinta Tatiana Wiener Annabelle Tocco Maddy Sherbet Sofia Perez-Dietz Grace Kellman-Fennell Bennett Herlihy Gabe Jasper Isinsu Bastepe Liana Glennon Anastasia Foley Zoe Jasper Natalie Cotter

Laura Andersen

Wendy Li

Math teacher Melissa Perez and EDCO teacher Krystal O’Chung participate in a traditional Indian dance at the Faculty Talent Show Thursday, April 6.

Laura Anderson

The Village Bank of Auburndale Community Charitable Foundation Scholarships Gregory Brunberg Holly Chin Sophia DeNucci Nathaniel Klein Julia Lailler Alexandra Nugent Oluwadamilola Oluwadara Katherine Ostrovskiy Nicholas Scott

Thornton Swain Thomas Poetry Award Aleah Cremer Charlotte Thornley

Richard Thompson EDCO Award Asma Sheikh

Henry David Thoreau Foundation Scholarship Gregory Brumberg

Natalina Mastroianni Go Confidently In The Direction Of Your Dreams..

Live The Life You’ve Imagined Forever Proud, Mom, Dad & Michaela

Tranchita Leadership Award Liana Reilly

Marcia Tyman Memorial Scholarship Award Natalie McMillen

Daniel Uberti Memorial Scholarship Arielle Alford

Maria Libera Vallone Italian Cultural Scholarship María Fernanda Castaneda

Ty Vignone History Prize

Carolina Fernandez-Londono Jacob Sims Speyer

Alice M. Warren Scholarship Awards Naarah Cox Sophia Marinelli Yasmin Sayouty

Pavlos Valaes Amanda Whitham

Waste Management Company Scholarships Danae Lally Marcel Oliart Annabelle Tocco Kaifan Wang

Wegmans Scholarship Program Marta Dupont

Philip J. Wolfe Theatre Awards Fintan Grafe Rose Labdini Allison Salwen Adrian Yuen

Women’s Club of Newton Highlands Sarah Hamilton Caira Turnage

Vollin B Wells Business Scholarships Matthew Blouin Michael Ostrovskiy

Compiled by Valeria Dountcheva and Lucy Lu

Congratulations Liran!!

You are awesome!

Your dedication to your studies, your enthusiasm for family, friends and activities, and your insight regarding the world and your community continually inspire and amaze us.

You are beloved.

And, you are on your way.

We will always be with you, supporting you and cheering you on!

Mazal Tov on reaching this wonderful milestone!

With Love and Pride, Mom and Kaylee

Nattalya Brown

Rotary Club of Newton President’s Award Stephanie Ethier

Rotary Club of Newton Bell and Flag Scholarship Alison Kinsella

Congratulations Matan!

Chuck Sakakini Scholarship Award Nathaniel Klein

Mary Sapienza Math Award Adlai Hess

Thomas Schaefer Award Devin Perlo

Michael Scheller Memorial Scholarship Teodora Padure

Clinton H. Scovell Fund Scholarships James Ammirato Kaitlyn Bradshaw Brena Brasiel Michael Brevde Anthony Davila Ana Garay Jordan Greene Taylor Higgins

We are so proud of you!

We look forward to seeing all that you will achieve in college and beyond.

Love, Abba, Imma and Yehudit

senior plans

14 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Congratulations Class of 2017

The following is a list of the graduating students’ plans for next year. Students with blanks accompanying their names either did not submit information or requested that their information not be included in this special.

A Abelenda, Nicolas

Adam, Brycen—Tufts University Adamsky, Naomi Alexy, Richard—Wentworth Institute of Technology Alford, Arielle—Syracuse University Allain-Farrell, Danielle— Massachusetts Bay Community College Allen, Henry—Salem State University Amatucci, Joseph—UMass Amherst Ammirato, James—Emerson College Andersen, Laura—Macalester College Apfel, Alexandra—Year off Aponte, Isaiah— UMass Boston Appel, Isaac—Skidmore College Arango, Rebecca—Wellesley College Aro, Camila— UMass Amherst Avramovich, Arik—Clark University Axon, Liam—Oberlin College Azadzoi, Tyler

Devin Perlo

Students gather outside the cafeteria showing support following Blackout event on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Burch, Maja—U. Vermont Butler, Kyle Butron, Alex—UMass Amherst

C Cable, Lindsey

Capulli, Olivia—Regis College Carrasquillo Gonzalez, Vanessa—Massachusetts Bay Community College Babitskiy, Daniel—UMass Carson, Jaclyn—Indiana Boston University, Bloomington Banks, Michael—Bentley Cartagena Perez, Daisy— University Massachusetts Bay Barbosa, Victor—Year off Community College Barisano, Allison Cash, Eliza—UMass Amherst Baronowski, Nathaniel— Castaneda Gonzalez, Maria— Villanova University Suffolk University Barrera, Byron Chamberlain, Connall—U. Barrett, Sophia—Skidmore Colorado, Boulder College Chan, Winnie—Barnard College Bart, Katherine Chang, Grace Bass, Caroline—Bates College Chasalow, Simon—Brandeis Bastepe, Isinsu University Bastianelli, Connor—Franklin Chen, Xing Yi—UMass Boston Pierce University Chicas, Katherine—Work Battista, Alyssa—Worcester Chien, Melanie—Tufts State University University Baxter, Camille—Kenyon Chin, Alexander—UMass College Amherst Bellevue, Gina—Framingham Chin, Holly—Wellesley College State University Choi, Ji Hyeon—Vanderbilt Bellevue, Leanna—Framingham University State University Chow, Natalie—Simmons Belsley, Katja—Gettysburg College College Claflin, Erin—Merrimack Benjamin, Zackery—Old College Dominion University Cloran, Madelyn—West Bennett, Maxwell—Wesleyan Virginia University University Cohan, Sofia—Northeastern Benninger, Charles—Rice University University Cohen, Caroline—Tufts Bernard, Jackson—U. University Connecticut Cohen, Sophia—Wesleyan Bianchi, Rebecca—Boston University College Collins, Dana Bindman, Jennifer—New York Cong, Feng—Cornell University University Copley, Kathryn—Chapman Birnhak, Zoe—Smith College University Blake, Katherine— Cordero, Santiago—Work UMass Dartmouth Cortes, Abigail Blouin, Matthew—Indiana Coscione, Christian—Mount Ida University, Bloomington College Bombara, Jane—Sarah Lawrence Cotter, Natalie—Loyola College Marymount University Bookman, Dobbin Coukos, John Bosco, Anna—Oberlin College Cox, Ariel Bouyer, Shana—UMass Lowell Craig, Marshall—U. Vermont Bowden, Isaiah—U. Southern Cremer, Aleah—UMass Maine Amherst Bradshaw, Kaitlyn—UMass Cuervo, Melissa—U. Tampa Amherst Cugini, Caitlin­—Bridgewater Brasiel, Brena State University Breen, Eamon—Skidmore Cummins, Gabrielle College Cunha, Jader Brevde, Michael Curtis, Anthony—Work Brock, Katrina—UMass Amherst Bromberg, Aliza—DePaul D’Agostino, Elizabeth—Babson University College Brown, Emma—Tufts Daly, Heleni—Emmanuel University College Brown, Nattalya—UMass Davila, Anthony—UMass Boston Boston Brumberg, Gregory—Cornell Davis, Ryan University

B

D

Davis-Lodge, Ariyan—UMass Dartmouth Dei Santi, Matheus DeJesus Miguel, Manijha— Salem State University DeNucci, Angela—Boston College DeNucci, Sophia —U. Connecticut Desibhatla, Mukund—U. Connecticut Devine, Molly—Bard College Dias Araujo, Dalila—Northern Essex Community College Dias, Summer—Bates College Dickey, Nell—Colorado College DiFelice, Gina—Merrimack College Dinh, Khanh DiRusso, Anthony Dobies, Paige—U. Michigan Donnellan, Abigail—Saint Anselm College Donovan, Aidan—College of William and Mary Donovan, Michael—Bowdoin College Doss, Matthew Drake, William—Wake Forest University Dreese, Christopher—Syracuse University Dreyfus, Leah—Macalester College Driscoll, James Dunn, William Dupont, Marta—Bishop’s University Duvall, Olivia—University of the Arts

E Ecker, Emily—Bryn Mawr

College Eckhouse, Henry—Tulane University Edgar, Emily—Chapman University Efstratoudakis, Petros—Babson College Elliott, John—Massachusetts Bay Community College Emenaker, Travis—Rutgers University, Newark Ethier, Stephanie—Norwich University Evans, Luther—Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Evcen, Cana—UMass Amherst

F Fallon, Cathryn—Fairfield

University Federmann, Liran—Syracuse University Feldman, Aaron Fernandez-Londono, Carolina— Babson College Ferreira, Adam—U. Maine Ferry, Natalie—Post-graduate year Ferry, Olivia—Syracuse University Fieleke, Megan—Simmons College

Fierimonte, Adam—Suffolk University Filippelli, Michelle Finck, Rebecca—American University Fischer, Benjamin—U. Maryland College Park Fitzgerald, Caroline—Trinity College Foley, Anastasia—New York University Fox, Matan—Suffolk University Freedman, Seth—Northeastern University Friedman, Ross—Year off Frost, Autumn—Framingham State University Fu, Hong Yu

G Galgano, Charlotte—

Smith College Gallagher, Logan—U. South Carolina Garay, Ana Garcia Petion, Alexus—U. Alabama Garcia, Arleen Gartland, Edward—U. North Carolina School of the Arts Geis, Peter—U. Colorado Boulder Georgiadis, Despina—Boston College Getchell, Kelsey—UMass Amherst Gevelber, Tobin—Case Western Reserve University Gilman, Noah—Brandeis University Glennon, Liana—U. Hartford Goldstein, Aaron—U. Virginia Goldwater, Mark—Olin College of Engineering Gonzalez-Moreno, Carlos— Suffolk University Gordon, Zachary—Northfield Mount Hermon School Grafe, Fintan—Emerson College Graham, Elinor Green, Erique—Pace University Greene, Frederick Greene, Jordan—Manhattan College Grevious, Njioma—Juilliard School Grijalva, Angel Grossman, Gabriella—U. Virginia Guekguezian, David Jesse— Pitzer College Gumen, Eugene—Suffolk University Gunning, Maren—Vassar College

H Haider, Maleeha—UMass Boston Hamilton, Sarah— UMass Dartmouth Han, Zui—Northeastern University Haque, Mehedi—

Bridgewater State University Harrington, Anne— Massachusettes Institute of Technology Hart, Sowmya—Keene State College Hemler, Carney—U. Vermont Hendricks, Alexandra— U. Vermont Herlihy, Bennett—Northeastern University Heschel-Aronson, Gittel—Clark University Hess, Adlai Hetnarski, Jacob Hien, Jasmine—Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Higgins, Taylor—Mount Ida College Hoag, Kamryn—U. Maryland, College Park Hodgson, James— Bentley University Horsburgh, Jennifer—U. California, Berkeley Howley, Caroline— American University Hreczuck, Kayla— Occidental College Huang, Ariana—Indiana University, Bloomington Huang, Raynold—Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Hurwitz, Sydney—Bentley University Husain, Ahmad Hyppolite, Jefferson

IIshaq, Arsalaan JJackson Saitz, Isabella—U.

Chicago Jasper, Gabriel—Hampshire College Jasper, Zoe—Oberlin College Jauniskis, Zoe—UMass Amherst Jensen, Isabel—U. Colorado, Boulder Jepsen, Leo—Quinnipiac University Joyce, Isabel—Carnegie Mellon University Judd, Curtis—Year off

K Kadis, Colin—U. Vermont

Kadis, Julia—U. Pittsburgh Kahhale, Tamara— Northeastern University Kaler, Andrew— Dartmouth College Kannan, Tharun—U. Vermont Karniadakis, Paris—Brown University Kellman-Fennell, Grace— Johnson & Wales University, Providence Ketchum, Tobin—U. California Kharasch, Eleanor Kharasch, Gregory—Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University Khurana, Nalini—Brown University King, Frederick—Princeton University Kinsella, Alison—Union College Kirabo, Faith Klapisch, Jacques—Skidmore College Kleber, Daniel—Carleton College Klein, Allegra—U. Vermont Klein, Charles—Union College Klein, Nathaniel—Middlebury College Koenig, Thai—Wheaton College Kolaczyk, Carolyn—McGill University Kolodney, Jacob—Clark University Koziatek, Patrick Krantz, Blake—Northwestern University Kurson, Daniel— Muhlenberg University Kwong, Marcus

senior plans

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 15

L Labadini, Rose—Carroll College

Lagos, Yadira—Suffolk University Lailler, Julia—New York University Lakomski, Julianna Lally, Danae—U. Miami Lam, Stephanie—Purdue University Langenfeld, Elizabeth Lannery, Kim—Wheaton College Lassiter, Sayawni—Florida State University Lau, Fiona—U. Rhode Island Learned-Rivera, Devonte Lee, Diana—Northeastern University Leger, Ladue—Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Leighton, Rachel— Massachusetts Institute of Technology Leone, Olivia—Stonehill College Leung, Chloe—Emerson College Levinson, Matthew—College of William and Mary Lewis, Angelica—Boston University Lewis, Celia—UMass Amherst Lewis, Theodore —U. Vermont Liao, Iris—Columbia University Lin, Daphnie—Providence College Lin, Ryan—New York University Link, Isabella—Carleton College Liu, Ivan—Clark University LoRusso, Dominic Lovera, Dairielis—UMass Dartmouth Luban, Matteo—U. Vermont Lublin, Benjamin—Georgia Institute of Technology Lundberg, Corinne—Temple University Luong, Tiffany—New York University Lyon, Sophie—Oberlin College Lyons, Maeve—U. Vermont

M Mackowski, Matthew—U.

Colorado, Boulder Maguire, Katherine—U. Wisconsin, Madison Mahjabin, Fariha—New York University Mali, Matthew Maloney, William—U. Michigan Manaktala, Maya—Skidmore College Mapes-Frances, David—Oberlin College Marcus, Lily—Tulane University Martinez Hernandez, Katherine —North Shore Community College Mastroianni, Natalina —U. Rhode Island Mastromattei, Jonathan Matthews, Kira—Pitzer College Maxey, Amanda Mayer, Emily—U. Colorado, Boulder McCabe, John—Syracuse University McCabe, William—U. South Carolina McCleary, Finn—McGill University McClinchy, SeanRoss—UMass Dartmouth McDonagh, Dylan—Quinnipiac University McEachern, Sarah—Middlebury College McGinty, Gabrielle—Dickinson College McKee, Haley—Massachusetts Bay Community College McMillen, Natalie—Bennington College Meiliban, Ouerkaxi—UMass Amherst Metser, Maya—New York University Mezzanotte, Nicolas—Year off Miller, Adela—U. Vermont Miller, Julian—Allegheny College Minahan, Robert—U. California, Los Angeles Mitelman, Gregory Mo, Timothy Hu— Mobilia, Madison—Sacred

Tocco, Annabelle—UMass Amherst Torcasio, Rebecca—Westfield State University Torracinta, Louis—University of Oxford Trainor, Jacob Trauba, Ruben—Connecticut College Triantafilles, Konstandina Turnage, Caira—West Virgina University

V Valaes, Pavlos—U. Colorado, Boulder Van Alstyne, Erik

W Waitz, Ava—Massachusetts Joelle Sugianto

Seniors Doug Whitham, Emily Szeto, and Sophie Shen compete in the annual Physics Phloat Thursday, May 25.

Heart University Rabinovich, Alexander— Sims Speyer, Joshua— Monico, Kathryn—Syracuse Bucknell University Middlebury College University Razis, Constantine—Tufts Skylstad, Grace—U. Vermont Moore, Sofia—UMass Boston University Slocum, Aaron—U. Vermont Moore, Thelonious—San Diego Reilly, Harrison—Villanova Snow, Gabriel—Work State University University Sofronova, Iva—UMass Boston Morrissey, Eric Reilly, Liana—Massachusetts Song, Juyoung— Vanderbilt Morrissey, Jake—Villanova Institute of Technology University University Rensing, Jordan—Queen’s Sonia, James Moscillo, Kayleigh University Soran, Yael—New York Moskalenko, Ksenia—Suffolk Rhodes, Rasheyah—Salem State University University University Spataro, Atavio Moss, Emily—Harvard Riak, Andrew—Washington Spetter-Goldstein, Benjamin— University University, St. Louis Boston University Mui, Daniel—Massachusetts Rico, Daniel Squires-Keyes, Roanna Bay Community College Ridley, Alejandra—UMass Stanley, Laurel—Lehigh Mulvaney, Kyle—U. Scranton Boston University Myers, Jordon—Framingham Rielly, Madeline—U. Vermont Stavridis, Konstandinos State University Rinkus, Elizabeth—Boston Steele, Ryan—Yale University University Stewart, Zainab—UMass Robinson, Spalding—Southern Boston Methodist University Stoia, Kristyn—Boston College Newman, Jacob­—U. Hartford Robinson, Taylah—Long Island Stone, Aaron—Brandeis Newman, Zachary—U. Miami University, Brooklyn University Newman-Stier, Sofia Rodriguez, Ashley—Bentley Stonehill, Noah—The Ohio Ng, Elisabeth—UMass Amherst University State University Nguyen, Melvin—New York Rodriguez, Victoria Straughan, Billy University Rokosz, Galen—Chapman Sumner, Isabella—U. California, Nichols, Conor—Northeastern University Los Angeles University Roman, Jai Sung, Lincoln—UMass Amherst Niehaus, Seneca—Work Roth, Molly Supko, Erin—U. Connecticut Noble, James—Wentworth Rubin, David—U. Colorado Suriel, Ivan Institute of Technology Boulder Svensson, Scott—Cornell Notartomaso, Holly—Hobart Ruisi, Domenic University and William Smith Colleges Ruiz Ramirez, Helena— Swain, Matthew—U. Nowak, Niklas Tecnologico y de Estudios Rochester Nugent, Alexandra—U. Superiores de Monterrey, Szeto, Emily—Bentley Connecticut Campus Monterrey University Nutting, Jacob—U. S. Marines Szpak, Devan—The Ohio State University

N

O O’Hanley, Eric

Oliart, Marcel—U. Pittsburgh Oluwadara, Oluwadamilola— Union College Ostrovskiy, Katherine—U. Miami Ostrovskiy, Michael—U. Miami Otero, Jorge—Regis College

P Padure, Teodora

Paez, Lourdes—UMass Boston Parker, Disa—Fitchburg State University Patel, Palak—Drexel University Paydarfar, Daniel—U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill Pendleton, Nicholas Perez-Dietz, Julian—George Washington University Perez-Dietz, Sofia—Colgate University Perlo, Devin—Cornell University Perri, Mia—Bentley University Petrie, Mary—Mount Ida College Pikul, Stacia Porter, Anna—U. Vermont Powell, Nalani Powers, Amanda—Harvard University Proia, Ashley Pulsone, Rachael—Assumption College

Q Querusio, James­—Bentley University

R Rabanales, Eldin

S Sahadevan, Athul—UMass

Amherst Salazar, David Salomon, Kevin—U. Maine Salwen, Allison—Barnard College Sanchez, Darrius Santiago, Jovanni—Suffolk University Santiago, Kiara Santin, Katherine—UMass Amherst Santos, Erick—UMass Boston Sasdi, Thomas—Macalester College Sava, Thomas Scanlon, Abby—U. New Hampshire, Durham Schaefer, Madison—Emory University Scheff, Rebecca—Southern New Hampshire University Schertz, Anna—U. California, San Diego Scott, Nicholas—Brown University Seamans, Alexander—U. Vermont Seckler, Maya—Oberlin College Seidman, Hannah Sellitto, Michael—U. S. Marines Shea, Alan Daiji—Purdue University Shechtman, Noah Shen, Amy—Cornell University Shen, Sophie Sherbet, Madeline—George Washington University Shore, Theodore—U. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Shub-Seltzer, Joshua—Syracuse University Silberstein, Bethany—Syracuse University Sims Speyer, Jacob—U. Chicago

T Tabib, Tal—Suffolk University

Institute of Technology Wajsfelner, Liam Walsh, Montanta Wang, Claire—New York University Wang, Jennifer—Smith College Wang, Kaifan—Case Western Reserve University Weiner, Jordyn—Year off Weiss, Julia—U. Vermont Wessenberg, Megan— Northeastern University Whitham, Amanda—Bryant University Whitham, Douglas—U. Rhode Island Wiener, Tatiana—Connecticut College Wilder, Grace—Bucknell University Wolfe, Zachary—Northeastern University Wong, Corey—UMass Boston Wu, Elizabeth—Harvard University Wu, Irene—Harvard University

X Xia, Chenyang—U. Virginia Y Yang-Schmidt, Valerie—Cegep du Vieux, Montreal Yao, Christine—UMass Amherst Yerardi, Theodore—Sacred Heart University Yip, Michael Yue, Christopher—Suffolk University Yuen, Adrian

Z Zayas, Alejandro

Zeidan, Joseph—U. Tampa Zhang, Luna—Babson College Tang, Jeremy—Bunker Hill Zhang, Nicholas—Northeastern Community College University Tanowitz, Alexander—U. Zheng, Lucy—U. Chicago Colorado, Boulder Zhu, Jing—UMass Lowell Tarn, Yui-Ting Zou, Kevin—Massachusetts Tavan, Davida—U. Connecticut Taylor, Cassandra—Bennington College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences College Zucchero, Anna—Vassar College Thomson, Margaret—Indiana University, Bloomington compiled by Thornley, Charlotte Sophia Zhou Tils, Isabel—Colorado College Tobin, Ryan—UMass Boston

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16 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

CONGRATULATIONS SEN CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS!!

Mark W. Quigley General Contracting CONGRATU Mark W. Quigley _______________________ General Contracting Mark __________________________ Complete home renovation/building.

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From the Gold Engine at Berry Blue to Graduation Day at Newton North, we’ve loved watching you learn and grow into the bright, beautiful, witty young woman you are today. We can’t wait to see what the next chapter of your life will bring.

You are a shining star; our pride and joy.

CONGRATULATIONS SENIOR Complete ho markwquigley.com

Mark W. Quigley Kitchens, b CONGRATULATIONS SE GeneralW. Contracting Mark Quigley 617 527-3467

GeneralSENIORS!!

Contracting Mark W. Quigley __________________________ CONGRATULATIONS General Contracting

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With all the love two hearts can hold, MarkComplete GeneralKitchens, Contractingbaths, interior/exterior.

Congratulations Hannah!

Complete home renovation/building Complete home renovation/building. __________________________ Kitchens, baths, interior/exterior.

617 527-3467 markwquigley.com Kitchens, baths, interior/exterior.

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Love always, Mom and Dad

xoxo

Complete home renovation/building.

617 527-3467 Kitchens, baths, interior/exterior.

617 527-3467

markwquigley.com

Yay Emily!!!

You have accomplished so much, and will soar even higher as a 'Buff'

Congratulations Bethany Silberstein You continue to amaze, impress and delight us!!

With much love, Mom, Dad, Bubbie and Buddy

markwqu

markwquigley.co

Love you to the moon and back--way to go sweet girl.

We'll miss you, Sam and Mom

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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Newton North, The Newtonite â—† 17

Newton Schools Foundation congratulates the class of 2017 and wishes all graduates the best of luck in the years to come!

It's taken 13 years to reach this day.

Show your appreciation to the Newton educators who helped you along the way by giving in their name to Honor Thy Teacher.

Your donation will help future generations of Newton students reach this milestone.

Go to www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

18 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 19

North students show skills as entrepreneurs Samantha Fredberg Students who decide to run their own businesses are driven by a passion for creative success, a search for high profits, and the will to take advantage of the opportunities provided during their time at North. The community members and businesses featured on this page provide a window to the world of entrepreneurship and the work that it entails.

A number of students have created businesses out of their passions, whether it be photography or environmental activism. In this way they earn a profit from an activity that they enjoy, and the work feels like less of a burden. And yet others have created simply businesses based on the opportunities in front of them.

Regardless of inspiration, finding the best way to succeed

ing passion w o l l s Fo

by

financially relies on balancing strategic spending with a steady cash flow. This, in turn, depends on an intuition for finding profits in unexpected places.

Many of these tools required for leading a successful business are taught in the “incubator” provided by North. The skills that are used in business, such as marketing and advertising, are taught in the classes and clubs already available to students.

In the businesses highlighted in the stories featured below, students and alumni explain why they start a business, how they run it, and how they learned to be successful. The drive to succeed is not enough. These entrepreneurs light the road to being your own boss.

North’s resources Maya Waldman Most high school students will jump at the opportunity to make a few bucks by doing odd jobs for their neighbors or babysitting for their family friends. Some can even juggle education with a part-time job. But only a handful of students will choose the lesser-known, challenging path of creating an entire business by themselves.

To assist in this challenge, North often acts as an incubator by providing various platforms and programs that help develop crucial skills that will serve them throughout their career.

“We give kids a taste of what life in business is going to be like, and then they can go out by

and pursue what they would like to do,” said business teacher Robert Kane.

North offers various business electives such as accounting, marketing and entrepreneurship, financial planning and banking, international banking, business law, web development, and interactive multimedia, according to Kane.

North students can also gain business experience outside of the offered business electives.

Senior Arielle Alford, who started her own necklace business, said that taking the graphics elective also helped her with starting a business.

“Because of graphics, I understand how to market my products and how to advertise,” she said. “It’s basically like a business class.”

Another program that is available for students who want to learn more about life in business is the CAPS program, where students have the opportunity to either work in an internship outside of the school or develop a product based on intensive research they do individually.

“We’ve had students offered jobs directly out of high school, or start their own music festivals, or do TED conferences and go on to do national speaking tours,” said English teacher and CAPS research coordinator Tim Finnegan. “It’s not because of anything that we did, it’s only because we as a program provided them a platform to shine.”

For students who create their own businesses, North also acts as a market of new consumers.

“People often hear about my products by word of mouth, especially around North,” said Alford.

Despite the many options North students have relating to business, public schools are not required to teach financial literacy in Massachusetts, according to Kane. “You don’t have to take the classes.

If you want it badly enough, we’ll help you achieve it,” he said.

“We are so fortunate to have the opportunities and program at this school,” said Kane. “It’s great to see students taking advantage of them.”

Drawn and designed by Alisa Caira and Valeria Dountcheva

Alumni experience Laura Schmidt-Hong While students at North complain of having to memorize dates in history class and titrate solutions in chemistry, the skills alumni entrepreneurs say they found most important from high school could not be found on any test—confidence, communication, and perseverance.

Jason Albano, ’07, started his own business, Jason Albano Lawn Care, in 2014. As a third-generation landscaper, he was largely inspired by his father and “wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

After graduating, Albano worked at his father’s landscaping business for five years. He then started his own business, noting that “it’s all about word-of-mouth, spreading the word around, and advertising,” something that his experiences at North’s CVTE program helped.

Brendan Hathaway ’10 also started his own business after leaving North and graduating from Boston University in 2014. He became a freelance mechanical engineer and currently works at a motorcycle shop in Allston.

Both Albano and Hathaway felt their time in high school built a foundation for their later experience as entrepreneurs.

In his senior year, Hathaway participated in the CAPS program, which he said equipped him with “really fantastic research skills.”

“I think that’s one thing that impresses my clients the most, that I can show up at the table with really concise, well-thought-out research,” he said. “On top of that, it gave me confidence to do my own thing. I know now that almost every single problem is solvable” after being part of the CAPS program.

During his time at North, Albano participated in the Career and Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) program and majored in Graphic Communications. He said, “The whole majoring department with graphics helped me get a sense of how to start my own business and run my own business.”

Albano commented that owning his own business is unique not only because he must make his own decisions in regards to what projects to take on and who to hire, but also because “it’s my name on the house,” which brings him a sense of pride.

In the future, Hathaway hopes to expand his business and “find more projects in different places to keep it mixed up and different.”

Similarly, Albano hopes “to stay busy” and to grow his business, not “astronomically,” but similar in prominence to his father’s business.

Albano added that for those who hope to start their own businesses, “keep at it, because if you keep at it, your business is going to thrive.” by

by Rose Skylstad Being in the early stages of their careers, many student-entrepreneurs are afforded the unique opportunity they won’t have later in life to take risks in their business endeavors and follow their passions. Junior Cassie Scheirer and freshman Kat Benninger have found opportunities to turn their hobbies in the arts into viable business models at school, where students are the main customers.

Scheirer first started marketing her talents in photography and digital arts by taking senior portraits. She found success due to seniors’ preference for selecting their own portrait photographers “It’s a very good way to make money,” Scheirer said. “Since it’s something I love to do, it’s a really fun way to make money.”

For Benninger, selling baked goods under the name Sprig Bakery between classes brings her business that funds her contributions to her track and field team’s gifts for coaches and captains.

“I probably want to do it as a job once I turn sixteen and can work in a bakery,” Benninger said, commenting on how her hobby might turn into a future career. For now, Sprig Bakery is “a fun way to test out new recipes.”

Scheirer’s passion has also led her to expand the reach of her work in the community. She successfully sold art at a Newton Open Studios show and curated an art exhibit at L’Aroma Café in West Newton, which ran last weekend. The exhibit featured a collection of Scheirer’s and other North students’ art. “It’s a good opportunity for people to sell their work and get exposure,” said Scheirer.

Considering the next phase of her artistic career, Scheirer hopes to continue her work in digital arts. “As I’m looking for colleges now, I’m looking for places that have computer animation, and computer graphics, and graphic design,” she said.

According to Scheirer, students can and should create a business or profession that they enjoy. “You don’t have to do something that you don’t like doing just so that you make money,” she said. “I like working for something that I love to do, and I think it’s something that other kids should think about doing.”

Running the busines s

by Tali Falk-Judson For student-entrepreneurs, it can be hard to create a good product, produce it, and manage finances. Running their own businesses, the founders of companies Vibes Inc, run by juniors Matteo Greenberg and Henry Johnson, and Soapstainability, run by seniors Mukund Desibhatla and Tharun Kannan, have navigated these challenges by making their own decisions.

Greenberg and Johnson decided to sell earmuff headphones as a part of their work with the Future Business Leaders of America club (FBLA). According to Johnson, “we’ve been selling them in the past three months.”

Working towards a greener future, Desibhatla and Kannan created Soapstainability, a company designed to produce environmentally friendly soap, according to Kannan.

“Most commercial soaps use palm oil. Palm oil is exploited from Indonesia and Malaysia, and it’s the major cause behind large-scale deforestation,” said Desibhatla. “We provide a much better alternative.”

In an effort to get the word out about their business, Greenberg and Johnson had a chance to market their product at an event set up by the FBLA program, which coordinated with other schools in order to provide a platform for student entrepreneurs. At the event, they sold much of their stock, according to Johnson.

“We grossed almost $900, and we’ve been selling on our website recently,” said Johnson. He added that they are currently preparing for competitions to earn seed money to further develop their product.

Desibhatla and Kannan, on the other hand, have made their sales on a more face-to-face basis. “Most of our business comes from craft fairs where people are conscious of this sort of thing,” said Kannan.

But like Johnson and Greenberg all of their profits have gone into building their company. Although Soapstainability has made about $100 at their last few fairs, “we don’t actually get any of it,” said Desibhatla.

“At this point, all the money goes right back into our business.”

Vibes Inc and Soapstainability are both also looking towards the future of their companies.

Going forward, Desibhatla hopes Soapstainability can sell “enough where we can make some money along with the product.”

According to Johnson, the earmuff headphones are “really a seasonal product, but we hope to relaunch the product in the fall just so we can have a better model.”

20 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

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Congratulations, Christopher!

We’re so very proud of you!

Adventure awaits!!

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Congratulations to all of Newton North’s Class of 2017!

Love you huge!

Dad, Mom, and Mackenzie

CONGRATS TO KATIE BRADSHAW & MADDIE CLORAN YOU DID IT!

WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU AND ALL OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS! WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT LIES AHEAD IN YOUR JOURNEYS!

LOVE, MOM & DAD EMMA, OLIVIA, GRAMMY, GRAMPY, AUNT CLARE & PAPA PETE!

senior statements

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆21

Challenge yourself by embracing unique experiences I can still remember sitting in physics freshman year, at the end of September 2013, and hearing my teacher say we were “1/40th of the way done with high school.” Four years, ten months each. At the time, I was a scared, awkward freshman unsure of her place in this school.

And yet, as I write this, with 39 out of 40 months completed, I am still scared, awkward, and about to be a freshman all over again.

As I’m sure everyone else has written, it’s unbelievable how fast the time went by. And as cliche as it is—we’re all right. Sometimes it feels like I went to bed in 2013 and woke up in 2017.

And somehow, it’s not true. In these four years, myself and the Class of 2017 have undergone radical changes, both within these walls and outside. I’ve made new friends, tried countless clubs, sports, and new classes, and taken way too many standardized tests. For my first three years here, I was obsessed with grades and being a version of myself I didn’t like. Nowadays—less so. But high school is a time for

change. I don’t know a single person who walked in these doors four years ago and will be the exact same person who walks across the stage at graduation.

Change is inevitable. Don’t expect to enjoy the same things you enjoyed freshman year in sophomore, junior, or senior year. You may love English and history coming into North but find you love science by the end of senior year. (Not that they’re mutually exclusive!)

You may discover a new passion in engineering or art that you never knew you enjoyed before you took the class. Don’t just stick with what you know. You’ll never know that you enjoy something unless you try it! At North, you have so many opportunities to discover a secret passion of yours that many other students don’t get. Try taking a new elective, or senior year, broaden your horizons with a new subject. I never knew how much I enjoyed political science before I took Close Up and Comparative Government, but if I had stuck with what I knew best, I would have never tried a class out-

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side of traditional history. If you had told freshman Janey that I would be the officer of a club, completed a marathon, and tried out for a sport I had never even heard of, she would have never believed you.

Challenge yourself. Change exists in the uncomfortable area outside of your comfort zone. Settling

for what is comfortable or known means you’ll never know what you are capable of. Trying to run a marathon existed outside of my comfort zone. It was scary, unknown, and intimidating, but completing such a lofty goal was unbelievably rewarding, and pushing my body that far taught me my own potential. However, be aware of your limits. Don’t try to take only AP classes and do 10 clubs. But try out for a new sport or challenge yourself to meet someone new every week.

Forget regret. Dwelling on mistakes and the awkwardness of life will never be productive. As someone who is perpetually worried, this is easier said than done, but making an effort to live in the moment will be so rewarding. If you fail a test, learn from it and try to make it better next time. One failed test will not make or break your future and dwelling on it will only hurt you. If you try a new club or sport, and it doesn’t work out, accept it as a learning experience, not wasted time. Put that time in your “backpack of life” and carry with you what you learned. I

have made many mistakes in these last four years, and I’m sure I’ll make many more in the rest of my life.

But truthfully, every mistake and bad choice has lead me to the place I am now. Take every experience as it comes and try to understand its place in the Story of Your Life.

You will make mistakes in high school, and things probably won’t end up exactly how you imagined four years ago. High school is a time for ups and downs, emotional turbulence, and trying new things.

No one makes it out of high school, or life, unscathed.

To the Class of 2017: enjoy life’s journey’s, whether good or bad.

As one of my favorite quotes goes: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!’” (Hunter S. Thompson).

—Janey Bombara

Explore uncharted opportunities Conquer obstacles

Let’s get it! We finally made it Class of 2017! It’s been a rapid four years, and we’ve reached an imperative landmark in our lives thus far. Blooming out of the high school cocoon, I hope we endeavor to form relationships, expand our intellectual curiosity, and value the importance of financial literacy.

It has also been a whirlwind of global social altercations that we witnessed and grappled to comprehend. Recognizing how quickly life progresses and advances, it’s important to learn how to adapt to our environment in order to effectively utilize the resources that will help us succeed and make the most of our circumstances. Having gone through trial and error in the effort to accomplish my goals, I learned a valuable lesson that everyone should implement in their life immediately.

At Newton North, you will sometimes have people approach

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you to join a club, team sport, sponsored event, choir, musical show, organization, etc. This is great and convenient because whatever is being offered to you may appeal to your interest. But we all know it doesn’t always work this easy, especially in life beyond high school.

In some cases, you may be contemplating whether to join a certain activity, but you may not have someone to persuade you to try it out or you may feel under-qualified for that position. I have been in this scenario many times and how I dealt with these hurdles was simple: I invited myself to participate in what I thought may be a great opportunity to grow. You might have a positive vision about how rewarding that activity will be if you join. No one can execute your vision for you, so you want to invite yourself to explore the extra-curricular that are out there. At the end of the day, you have nothing to lose; time is your greatest asset and the more you invite yourself, you will have more time to enjoy the fruits of life. Hmmm! If you feel that you can provide and receive value from that activity, go for it!

—Luther Evans

Make positive impact beyond North We made it, Class of 2017. We made it! Here at Newton North we had the best of times and the worst of times through our high school experience. Many of us came here with hopes and dreams of being the best we could, and from what I have seen we all made a great step toward our future. Wherever we go from here we will surely make a significant contribution to society. Like Mr. Sanders said, “We are all leaders.” From freshman year to now we all have shown growth, determination, ambition, and other characteristics that make us who we are to be phenomenal. When we first walked inside Newton North I know we all felt overwhelmed by

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the big halls, freakishly full-grown students, loads of homework, theater, clubs, sports, and don’t forget about all the other wonderful opportunities that the school has to offer. Our memories from our high school experience will never be forgotten and when we leave here today, as Gandhi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.”

My experience in Newton has been a journey for me. Most of you should know that from elementary school and up until now, I made changes in myself to become a better young black man and from being in the METCO program, making new friends, trying new activities in and outside of school, becoming one of the best in the state for track, and my personal favorite, moving up in certain classes. For those who were in the same class as me, played sports with me, laughed with me, danced with me, and even got into trouble with me, I am glad to have spent those moments with you all. Clearly I don’t know all of you personally, but now we are close together in this experience of preparing to move on. To tell you the truth, I thought I wouldn’t be one of the students to go to a fouryear college. During my earlier high school years, I lacked focus, I didn’t take class seriously, and I appreci-

ated the social aspect more than the academic. To tell you the truth I thought I wouldn’t be one of the students to go to a four-year college.

That being said, I also contributed to the North community with leadership, determination, success, and confidence out on the field, as well as the classroom. Many of you have also contributed similar talents to Newton North and I expect you all to do the same wherever you go.

In our class I saw so many achievements in you all. Just look back at freshmen year, when we were all small and immature students, and now look at us. Full grown students taking leadership roles, going above and beyond, and walking across the stage with diplomas in hand. Feels good, right? We all aspire to be the best versions of ourselves, so the grind doesn’t stop here. Graduating high school shouldn’t be a resting point, so keep making a positive step toward greatness. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” So Class of 2017, let’s keep moving forward to contribute, achieve, and excel.

—Jordan Greene

on road to success “Carolina, you aren’t good at grammar, but you’re good at fashion. Everyone has their thing,” were the words of my freshman year teacher. And to an extent it is true, we all have some type of natural talent, but how much of that talent do we grow? Whether it be the gift of pitching the perfect game, or the gift of hitting an octave, we can each list a strength. Personally, I am “good at fashion,” but what is your “grammar” and why is it “not your thing”?

While I truly couldn’t recognize an appositive phrase, the idea of marginalizing my abilities would be putting me on the wrong path for freshman year. In order to achieve my fullest potential, I would need to envision and reach my fullest potential.

I began to block the negative chatter and build up my confidence. Through self-affirmative talk, I would hype myself up before a big test, “you can do it Carolina. You have studied all night. You’re ready.” However, envisioning my goal would only take me so far. I had to meet with teachers during X-block, ask for extra credit assignments, and raise my hand high with clarifying questions.

With this game plan in mind, I began to pave the path I wanted for my next four years. From aca-

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demic support in freshman year to a variety of AP classes senior year. I pushed my abilities. Along the road, the school didn’t hold my hand, but rather, it gave me the resources I needed in order to meet my goals. North taught me to step beyond the box that I had originally placed myself in.

As I continue to set goals for myself and continue to look at my life through a lens of possibilities rather than restrictions, I am leaving North with one final goal in mind: prove the impossible. For each sport, class, or club you wish to master but feel as if you cannot conquer, I challenge you to reach for the opportunities given to help you pave a path far different than the one you had imagined.

—Carolina Fernandez

“Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.”

--Tom Stoppard Congratulations, Emily Louise!

With all our love, Mom, Dad & Jord OK. OK. What’s next?

22 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

senior statements

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Avoid comparisons, Appreciate North’s challenges concentrate on self Congratulations, Class of 2017.

The moment we have all been waiting for: graduation. Only four years ago, we were freshmen beginning this journey we call “high school.”

The first week of high school was, for me, the absolute worst.

The reason? Math 501, the honors course. From day one, I was surrounded by those who could multiply 586 by 23 on the spot, or who had memorized 100 digits of pi, you know, just for fun, or those who had never received below an A on any test (and to those people, I salute you). I, on the other hand, failed the first math test we had been given.

The whole year was downhill from there, and it got me thinking I really wasn’t smart, especially compared to everyone else in my class.

It took me all four years of high school to realize how wrong I was to compare myself in that way.

Going to North taught me many things, including the art of competition—the way we inevitably compare ourselves to each other as a measure of our own self-worth.

Instead of working to become great for ourselves, we work to meet an external standard. We only believe we’re good enough when we compare ourselves to our peers.

We push ourselves to take AP courses in subjects that don’t interest us, or we overload our “free time” with sports or theatre or volunteering or anything that would look good on an application. Rather than feeling happy for someone if they win an award, we might wonder why it wasn’t us, or what this will do to our own chances come college application time. Of all the things I hear in the halls, the most common phrase is, “hey, what’d ya get?,” as if knowing we are better than someone else will make us feel validated.

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The problem with basing my selfworth on what others think of me is that I lose sight of what makes me special. I realized this in math class, where my comparative poorness in the subject has no reflection on my overall intellect. And so, in our final moments as high school seniors, I call on you to reflect on what makes you happy, not somebody else. Let’s figure that out and do those very things because the consequences of our choices right now will be what decide our future in 20 years.

Each and every one of us, no matter our country of origin, our biases, or our clothes, has something wonderful to offer our world. And it would be a real shame to not let the world see that because someone, somewhere, got it in your head that you’re anything less than amazing.

So, the lesson for me is this: don’t look to others for self-approval because you won’t find it. The only person you need to listen to is yourself. If you are happy with what you’re doing, then you’re doing the right thing.

—Tamara Kahhale

Remember the past, enjoy opportunities On the third floor by the history department offices, there is a mural that always catches my eye. In piercing blue ink it reads, “the eyes are useless when the mind is blind.”

Over the past four years, I have begun to feel connected to many of the murals in the school, but there is something about this one in particular that makes me turn and stare every time I walk past it.

Think about everything we’ve learned in the past four years. From math to history to English, we have devoted hours upon hours each day to learning as much as we can in order to prepare ourselves for “the real world.” Now is the time to relish that achievement.

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Think about how each and every one of us has grown over the past four years…not just intellectually, but emotionally and morally. Now is the time to recognize the experiences which have led to these pivotal changes in our lives.

Think about the bonds we’ve made with each other. Remember when someone stood up for you, or when a someone gave you a shoulder to cry on. Now is the time to appreciate the lengths our friends have gone to support us.

Think about the mural on the third floor. Let us look back on the times when our biases and judgements have caused disparity—when our internalized notions of others and the world around us have caused strife. From a young age, we learn to stand headstrong in our beliefs and ideas, impervious to logical reason or human experience.

Consequently, we see life through a single color—through a single story—unable to see the vibrancy of another’s. Although it will not be easy, now is the time to try to recognize our blindness. Now is the time to open our minds to a world full of color.

Today we relish, recognize, and appreciate what we have done. Tomorrow we strive to see life in its complete form.

—Joshua Sims Speyer

Newton North is the shining light, Class of 2017! This is it.

Time flies by so fast, even though freshman year feels like forever ago. But...it’s about time we move on.

This has been a long journey for all of us. I know my journey has included plenty of highs and lows, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

I feel extremely blessed: blessed to be graduating from Newton North, blessed to be lucky enough to attend school in Newton for 13 years.

High school is a place where you learn how to enter the “adult life,” as they call it. A world in which you have to turn things in on time. When you’re not satisfied with your GPA, you have to look for that teacher and ask for extra credit to get at least a C+ as a final term grade. Here

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at North, you live the quote that “time flies when you’re having fun.” My time here at North has led me to see what I wanted to do in my future, which is the reason I am heading to college in the fall.

There are so many opportunities that you can’t miss out on. You build a community and family during school hours and after.

Newton Schools have offered me so much, but the most impor-

tant gift has been teachers instilling within me confidence. Confidence that I could succeed and do more than just the minimum.

When I walked in as a freshman, college wasn’t on my mind. Honors classes weren’t on my mind.

But I was always surrounded with encouragement and a constant push to keep going forward.

Giving up isn’t allowed at North. North demands effort and dedication. The dedication you give to your hobbies, after school sports, or activities is always paid back double when you try to solve a math problem for more than 15 minutes. You learn along the way that there are always highs and lows in high school, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and Newton North has always led me in the right direction.

—Alejandra Lagos

Challenge yourself with exploration, forgiveness, regardless of difficulties

To my freshman year self—it’s okay. It’s okay to be confused, to make mistakes, and to ask for help.

More importantly, it is okay to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for those lost friendships that unraveled in the chaos of high school. Forgive yourself for hurting your best friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend, or yourself.

Please know that you’ll lose friends, but you’ll also make new ones, and that’s completely normal. You will feel stress, and you will feel a lot of it. It will take a toll on you, but you’re so much stronger than you than you think you are. Push through it because the taste of the finish line is so sweet. Confusion is not always a bad thing. It can lead you to places you never expected yourself to be in. You might find yourself trying out for a new sport, joining a new club, or talking to someone you’ve never met before.

More importantly, find your thrill.

Find it in what you do inside and outside of school. Find the class that makes you research beyond the homework assignment. Find the

people that make you laugh until tears are streaming down your face, and your cheeks burn.

To my senior year self—keep going. Keep forgiving; keep pushing; keep exploring. Continue to learn and grow as a person in every aspect. Take more classes; go out more; see the world beyond these brick walls. Go do what makes you happy and be with those who make you smile endlessly. Negativity is a waste of energy, so choose wisely who you spend time with and what you spend time on. Never take

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anything or anyone for granted, especially your parents. They are so much more than a checkbook.

Saying “thank you” isn’t as hard as it seems and accepting a helping hand doesn’t make you weak. Continue to be there for your friends and those closest to you. But also, don’t be afraid to put yourself first.

You’re allowed to make yourself happy too.

To the Class of 2017—congratulations. After four long years, here we are. You might have gotten some bruises and scars along the way but keep your head high and stand tall.

From sleepless nights to feeling like your life was falling apart, you are still in one piece. You are so strong and capable; never forget it. Here’s to the memories we all share together; here’s to the times where we surprised ourselves and others; and here’s to a bright future. There’s so much potential inside all of us, and, once we release that, the world is ours.

—Emily Szeto

Embrace leisure, make memories I spent my first three and a half years of high school following all of the rules; I never missed a homework assignment, never slacked on studying for a test, never waited until the last-minute to crank out an

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essay. I thought that this method was working out well for me, until the latter half of my senior year, when I began to realize what I was missing.

I was in the middle of working on a Chinese assignment during a free block on a sunny April day when a friend of mine invited me outside to play hacky sack. I hesitated; the warm weather was inviting, but my assignment was due next block. After a moment’s thought, I dropped my pencil and headed outside for what was probably the best free block of my entire high school career. As for my Chinese assignment, it was never finished, but it had no drastic effect on my grade or my life.

It took me until the second half

Heleni-

We know this is just another chapter in a great story! You are the wind in our sails.

Love Mom, Dad, Janine, Uncle Tom- Judy, Arbelia and Eugenio.

of my senior year to realize that it’s okay to take a break from school work every once in awhile, even at the expense of an assignment not getting done.

Twenty years from now, we aren’t going to remember the Chinese assignments that we didn’t finish, the essays that we turned in late, the tests that we didn’t study for. But we might remember the fun breaks we took playing hacky sack on the turf or gallivanting through Newtonville.

This mindset may seem much more welcoming to a second-semester senior, but I think that any student can afford to, and should, take a break every once in awhile, regardless of their grade level, course-load, or college ambitions.

Missing that ten point assignment won’t hurt your GPA. Asking for an extension won’t prevent you from getting into your dream school.

I must address that some people probably need to hear the opposite advice; if you’re one of those people, move on to a different statement. For everyone else, don’t be afraid to put down your pencil and go out to have fun.

—Nick Scott

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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Newton North, The Newtonite â—† 23

senior statements

24 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Focus on overarching goals while embracing uncertainty I sit at my kitchen counter, the place where all my last minute homework has been done. I am thinking about one of my last assignments, What lessons did you learn in high school? Oh dear. For one, I learned that I write fastest on the morning that an assignment is due. I learned how to integrate and titrate and translate. How to gracefully say hello to someone in the hallway (No, that’s a lie—when do I look up? Should I wave?).

The most important thing I have learned—in fact it is something I

am still learning—is this. Look up.

To the students still grinding along behind me, to my younger self, head bent at the kitchen counter, and to my classmates moving on to new unknowns. Look up.

Look up because in high school it is easy to fall onto the conveyor belt, to let the motion of school, homework, tests, SATs, ACTs, and college applications, shuffle you along. “I have to finish this math worksheet because I have to do well on this test so I can get placed in a good class next year, so I can...”

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and so on and so on. It is easier to focus on the individual steps than to where they are leading. By no means have I “broken free” from this mind trap. I am off to college now, and all I can think about is the classes I need to get into.

To be clear I am not saying blow off your work and ignore these steps and milestones. They do have merit and should be dreaded and celebrated accordingly. Just don’t let the steps to achieving a goal become the goal itself. Look up. Keep a larger picture in mind. You are

striving towards something bigger.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what this “something” is for you or how to find it. I am not even sure what it is for me. But I think it’s okay to be uncertain. It is the looking that matters. The straining forward, not to the next grade, school or job, but to the person that you can be and the impact you can have. Hold onto the belief that you are made for something greater.

Look up.

—Ava Waitz

Show appreciation for life lessons I had no idea what I was doing for most of the past four years.

Here’s what I remember: The best decisions I made: -Taking Exploratory Photography with Mr. MacIntyre.

-Skipping the study session for that final to go to that thing with that person I’ve always wanted to know better.

-Applying for the Telluride Association Summer Program.

-Asking for help. Taking time off.

-Making mistakes. Awful messups. Catastrophic failures.

-Forgiving myself.

The most important lessons I learned: -Adults are not perfect.

-It’s okay to close a door and not open a new one. It’s okay to simplify.

-Give a damn. Many damns.

More damns than anyone.

-Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyways. Literally, or else you will “almost N-out” every term and have to show up on Skip Day. (:

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The truth: -School is tough but so are you.

-I have struggled and continue to struggle with mental health issues.

Over the past four years, I have been crippled by PTSD, disarmed by anxiety, and bedridden by depression. Through it all, I was never alone. You are never alone.

-All that I know to be true is because of other people.

To those who listened and listened more even after the library lights went out, and all the bathrooms were closed, and we really had to pee: if I know what patience is, it is because of you.

To those who stood on chairs in crowded spaces to tell their stories: if I know what courage is, it is because of you.

To those who work tirelessly to uphold an education that is for all, no matter the wreckage or the hoops or the early mornings without coffee (Ms. Hall, Ms. Letourneau, Ms. Volmer, Mr. MacIntyre, and Ms. Leong): if I know what compassion is, it is because of you.

To those who brought the ice cream and the candy and the gross stuff late at night: if I know what friendship is, it is because of you.

To those who told me that despite my shortcomings, my damage, and my many mistakes, I was still worth loving—that we are all worth loving: if I know what wisdom is, it is because of you.

To my best friend: if I know what love is, it is because of you.

Congratulations, Class of 2021!

Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will.

—Irene Wu

Live in moment, embrace unknown As senior year draws to a close, you’re probably realizing that not much time is left, and you wish you could do more, or that you had done more. Time itself is a dilemma again. It is so precious but costly and short.

Think back to freshman year, when we all walked into school, nervous and concerned. “Where will I fit in?” you asked yourself.

While we are all worried about the friends we would make, concerned for our futures that we’re pressured to take care of, waving away our parent’s requests to “get on it already,” time is slipping away.

When you feel like regressing

Check out our online newspaper:

back into your comfort zone: pause.

Let yourself bathe in the unknown.

The beauty of overcoming fear is that you are about to step outside

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of your comfort zone, and at that point, you have no idea what’s next.

Embrace it. There comes a time when all you have been working for and planning cannot help you; instead, guts, resilience, and anticipation are what you need. Until that moment, you won’t know what could be your next hobby or who could be your new best friend. You won’t know until you try. So take the next step. Take a moment every day to just forget about the past and future and show yourself how valuable it is to live in the moment.

—Christine Yao

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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Newton North, The Newtoniteâ—† 25

26 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

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Congratulations, Anastasia!

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Congratulations

James!

We are so proud of you!

Love always, Mom and Dad xo xo xo

We are so proud of you and all your NNHS accomplishments.

The Big Apple awaits and we can’t wait to see what you do next!

Mom, Dad and Colin

NNHS Class of 2017

Dear Gittel, June 2017 We are so proud of you !

Mommy, Dad & Avi

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

editors’ column

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 27

Be confident in your skills, take risks despite failures I looked around the room and noticed everybody else writing their hearts away. It was my first in-class essay of sophomore year, and that was the only thing I could focus on.

Meanwhile, in that 50 minute class period, I managed to write only five sentences. My eyes welled as I ashamedly turned in that barren piece of paper. From the moment I read the prompt, I decided that I wouldn’t do well. The prompt was too hard. My ideas would simply be wrong.

If you’re anything like me, you avoid doing the things you aren’t good at. Throughout grade school, I attempted various sports, musical instruments, and activities, most

of which I quit because I decided they weren’t “my thing.” I was so obsessed with finding my passions and strengths that I gave up on the things I wasn’t immediately com-

fortable doing.

Don’t do that. Some of the most important lessons I learned in high school were through trying and failing. I hated doing the things I was bad at—but who doesn’t? Nonetheless, I did them because I had to. I wrote more in-class essays because I had to. And of course, I hated every single one of them, until I got rid of the self-doubt and replaced it with positive self-talk. It inspired me to be more productive, more confident in my abilities, and overall less stressed.

This year, some of my best essays were written in class. I used to be so worried about the time constraints, convincing myself that I

learned anything over my four years at Newton North, it is how to exert myself without allowing my academic successes and failures to impact other aspects of my life. Unfortunately, it is a well-known reality that students in Newton struggle with anxiety and pressure, and, in many cases, this is the product of the community in which they live.

Newton North can serve as an embodiment of academic competition. But I want to encourage all students to avoid being consumed by this environment.

Over the past four years, I have been asked, “what did you get on the test?” countless times. This last year, as students finished their college applications, these inquiries were only multiplied. It is always okay not to answer.

People mean no harm in the

vast majority of these interactions.

However, the result is often students becoming caught up in a norm of constant comparison with others in a race to the top of the ladder. And this produces an unhealthy level of pressure and self-deprecation. Perfect test scores and an impeccable report card are typically unattainable for many—no matter how hard they work—and that’s all right.

I have learned that in order to reach my academic goals without all the stress, I need only focus on myself. It is healthy to be insular: to strive towards your ambitions without concerning yourself with those around you. It is healthy not to discuss every test and every essay and to manage the many obstacles that the college application process presents without announcing your every step for judgement. High

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needed more time to develop my thoughts. The truth was that my rawest, unfiltered thoughts were often the best and the clearest. The only thing I lacked was the ability to embrace them. Once I stopped worrying about how much everyone else was writing, I could write more—and better—myself.

We spend so much time comparing ourselves to other people in high school, whether it be about who takes the most APs, who is the best at violin, who makes varsity four years in a row, or in my case, who has written the most during an in-class essay. That thought process is foolish and counterproductive.

And I’m not going to tell you to

stop comparing yourself to other people, because we all know that’s humanly impossible. But I will say: it’s no use being so hard on yourself. You should give yourself credit where credit is due. The work you produce is almost always a direct reflection of the way you view your capabilities. Don’t be afraid to try something new because of fear of failure or because your friends are already experts at it. Make it your own. Say yes. You’ll surprise yourself.

—Maya Metser Editor in Chief Volume 95

Focus on individual achievements without excessive stress Privileged. Fortunate. Wealthy.

As students growing up in the Newton Public School system, these words have been reiterated time and time again—and rightfully so.

I, for one, have lived my whole life in this affluent community of elite schools, excellent teachers, and an abundance of academic resources outside of the classroom. However, I am not interested in exhorting Newton students to be more appreciative of these privileges they enjoy. Rather, I think that it is equally important to speak to the potential challenges many face in attending school in Newton.

Privilege has its cost, and that cost is living within the culture it cultivates. One of the pillars of the City of Newton is public education and a resulting expectation of academic achievement. If I have

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school students learn the most from self-evaluation and grow the most from self-gratification. No student needs another student to serve as their critic or measuring stick.

I want to suggest that having “tunnel vision” may be the best possible mindset to thrive in an elite

high school of extremely bright students. If everyone went about their own business, taking advantage of the abundance of resources that our high school has to offer, there wouldn’t be as much of a negative shadow of anxiety. Making the most of your high school experience often means not comparing grades or counting APs. It means performing as well as you can individually based on your own effort in the pursuit of your own interests. Many outstanding students in a school like Newton North will ask you about your classes, grades, and colleges. But ultimately, it’s just background noise.

—Blake Krantz Managing Editor Volume 95

Use your opportunities effectively, embrace criticism

As high school students, we are expected to demonstrate significant growth across a multitude of areas.

Whether it be a teacher remarking on an upward trend in your test scores, or your parents commenting on “newfound maturity,” the concept of growth goes hand-in-hand with institutional education.

Yet despite this expectation, high schools aren’t specifically designed to directly promote individualized growth in every single student.

Now, I’m not claiming that teachers here are doing anything wrong.

However, twenty-something person classes present inherent limitations in the individualized learning process—there can only be a certain amount of comments on essays, and there isn’t time to go over every problem on the test.

In order to maximize the education provided to us, we as students

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must use every opportunity we can to seek out one-on-one learning opportunities.

To do so, we must first realize that we all have areas we can improve on. When we get back a test or essay that we bombed, resist the urge to chuck it in the recycling bin.

Rather than running away from our failures, it is critical that we accept that we can improve. This way, we will not be impervious to advice.

Ninth grade English class was a challenge. I found myself consistently struggling to effectively organize and analyze. I more often than not had the desire to ignore the faults in my writing. My English teacher helped me realize that simply avoiding the problem would not lead to any long-term solutions. During nearly every available study-hall that year, I worked with my English teacher to identify areas for improvement.

Newton North does a superb job ensuring that students are able to work with faculty on a person-toperson basis. This time is built into everyone’s schedule in the form of X-block. This allocated time slot provides the opportunity for indepth and focused academic support which could otherwise not be given during class time.

We as students have to take ini-

tiative to use these opportunities effectively. Except in rare cases, it is not the job of the teacher to seek out individualized help. Often times, students can feel intimidated when they schedule out-of-class meetings with teachers; I certainly did. Just remember that teachers are here because they want to see you learn.

Lastly, it is important to be receptive to feedback. Don’t view your teacher’s comments as personal attacks on your educational ability. Rather, be excited to receive constructive comments on your work.

For me, this was the most difficult step to accomplish. Most of us prefer compliments over criticism.

Once we realize that listening to feedback is for our own good, and don’t try to shut out comments that we don’t like to hear, we can better process the advice we are receiving.

When I first started receiving revisions from my English teacher, I not-so-subtly ignored some of the harshest criticism. Not surprisingly, my writing failed to improve. It was only when I bit the bullet and learned to take criticism effectively that I saw progress.

It can be easy to overlook all the individualized learning opportunities provided at this school. Next time you find yourself needing help, however, I would encourage you to take initiative in seeking out the help you need. There is nothing wrong or shameful about this.

Instead, it is simply taking full advantage of the resources North has to offer.

— Jacob Sims Speyer Managing Editor Volume 95

Develop perspective by concentrating on bigger picture A student in my tenth grade math class once raised her hand and asked how the problem on the board could be relevant to our “real” lives. The teacher responded without hesitation, and his cryptic words have stuck with me ever since: “How many times have you seen a boxer jump rope in the ring?”

Not sure what to make of this answer, the student shook her head, asking, “What does that have to do with it?”

“The boxer wants to make himself stronger so that he can succeed in a match,” the teacher continued.

“The jump rope is just there to help him train for the ring. And that’s what school does—it prepares you to succeed in a different context.”

At the time, I just nodded, exchanged a few nervous glances with other students in the class, and continued copying notes from

the board. But I’m not exaggerating when I say that envisioning my future—that metaphorical “boxing ring”—has helped me get through high school. Thinking about where I want to devote my energies—what issues I most care about, how I can make the biggest difference—has been a source of strength when I’ve felt uncertain or even beaten down.

High school is full of good days but also, inevitably, some bad ones.

The experience, often stressful, can also feel devoid of meaning at times. You might wonder whether that chemistry test you just blew will ruin your grade. Whether or not your digital watch started beeping during the SAT—totally breaking your concentration, nearly getting you thrown out of the exam, and forcing you to take the test a second time—means your life is over. (A true story, minus the very

last part.)

But it’s important to remember that high school isn’t where it ends. Neither is college. Over the longer term, the score at the bottom of your scantron—or the fear that comes with getting your watch confiscated from the SAT testing room, or even the sting of hearing others laugh about a social event you missed—will feel negligible compared to the contributions you can make to the world. And the world needs you. You can be sure of that.

At this point, my best advice would be to figure out what you most value and to try to keep a sense of perspective about everything else. When I was 11 years old, I discovered that I loved working with kids, and tutoring has been a bright spot for me ever since. In high school, I started writing articles for

the Newtonite about controversies in K-12 education in an effort to learn more about how our educational system works. One thing that became clear is that our system is so unequal that it’s almost impossible to exaggerate how unfair it is. It’s made me want to help change it, so I hope one day to manage a school district or work in education policy.

I like to think there are kids who need me.

These are the kids I think about whenever I feel myself worrying about something small, like a bad test or an embarrassing moment.

Here at North, there are so many amazing students doing so many great things—in classes, in sports, in theater, in clubs. But we need to be careful not to let all that greatness get under our skin and get us down. We need to do our best to separate ourselves from the

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competition and remember that we all have different passions, different things to contribute. What has been valuable for me—at least so far— has been imagining what’s next and starting to strive for it. Because we’re all boxers looking to find our jump ropes and our rings, and the world needs all of us.

—Emily Moss Managing Editor Volume 95

28 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Brand New Brand New You You CONGRATULATIONS THEATRE INK SENIORS! CONGRATULATIONS INK SENIORS! THIS IS WHERE THEATRE IT ALL STARTED! THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTED! Thank you for being a part of Theatre Ink whether it was for 1 show Thank you for being a part oforTheatre 4 years!Ink whether it was for 1 show or 4Jay, years!

Love, Mr. Brown, Ruth, Mike, and Mr. Fabrizio Love, Mr. Brown, Ruth, Jay, Mike, and Mr. Fabrizio

Aliza Bromberg Alli Salwen Aliza Bromberg Anastasia Foley Alli Salwen Andrew Hastings Anastasia Foley Angelica Lewis Andrew Hastings Anna Bosco Angelica Lewis Annabelle Tocco Anna Bosco Bella Jensen Annabelle Tocco Carolyn Kolaczyk Bella Jensen Charlotte Thornley Carolyn Kolaczyk CJ Thacker Charlotte Thornley Claudia Smith CJ Thacker Dami Oluwadara Claudia Smith David Mapes-Frances Dami Oluwadara Disa Parker David Mapes-Frances Drew Kaler Disa Parker Elisabeth Ng Drew Kaler Elizabeth Wu Elisabeth Ng Emily Ecker Elizabeth Wu Erique Green Emily Ecker Erique Green

Fin Grafe Gabby Cummins Fin Grafe Gabe Jasper Gabby Cummins Grace Kellman Gabe Jasper Heleni Daley Grace Kellman Irene Wu Heleni Daley Isabella Jackson-Saitz Irene Wu Isinsu Bastepe Isabella Jackson-Saitz Jacob Kolodney Isinsu Bastepe Jacques Klapisch Jacob Kolodney Jennifer Bindman Jacques Klapisch Josh Shub-Seltzer Jennifer Bindman Josie Ramsier Josh Shub-Seltzer Julia Lailler Josie Ramsier Kamryn Hoag Julia Lailler Kat Brock Kamryn Hoag Katie Bradshaw Kat Brock Laura Anderson Katie Bradshaw Leah Dreyfus Laura Anderson Liana Glennon Leah Dreyfus Liana Glennon

Lucy Zheng Maddy Sherbet Lucy Zheng Maya Metser Maddy Sherbet Megan Fieleke Maya Metser Montana Walsh Megan Fieleke Natalie Cotter Montana Walsh Nick Scott Natalie Cotter Olivia Duvall Nick Scott Rosie Ramseier Olivia Duvall Rebecca Finck Rosie Ramseier Sofia Newman-Stier Rebecca Finck Sophie Lyon Sofia Newman-Stier Tatiana Wiener Sophie Lyon Teodora Padure Tatiana Wiener Thomas Sasdi Teodora Padure Yael Soran Thomas Sasdi Zoe Jasper Yael Soran Zoe Jauniskis Zoe Jasper Zoe Jauniskis

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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Newton North, The Newtonite â—† 29

30 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

fine and performing arts

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Theatre ink shows ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ transcends religion with universal message

Theatre Ink’s production of Fiddler on the Roof transported audiences to Anatevka, Russia in the early 1900s. It followed poor Jewish milkman Tevye, played by senior Nick Scott, and his family through happiness and hardship. The show ran March 16 through March 18 in the auditorium and was directed

by Adam Brown, director of Theatre Ink. “Each actor brings a part of themselves into their performance which makes it unique,” said junior Rachel Stoia, who played matchmaker Yente. “Everyone plays their 1900s Anatevka self.”

According to Brown, Fiddler on the Roof isn’t “just a Jewish musical—I think it’s a musical about people and what’s important in life.”

Wendy Li

Senior Anastasia Foley, junior Jonathan Champion, and sophomore Maddy Ranalli rehearse for ‘Harvey’ Tuesday, May 23.

‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ displays absurdism North and South actors came together to perform Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a witty, existentialist, absurdist play. Directed

by North senior Emily Ecker and South senior Abby Lass, the show ran Oct. 27 through Oct. 29 in the South Lab Theater.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, played respectively by South sophomore Aviva Fidler and South junior Elijah Lawrence, are travellers who lost all memory of their identity and spent the show attempting to figure out who they were.

“A lot of the dialogue in the play is very heady and often somewhat depressing,” said Lass. “I think the tradegians really provided a breath of fresh air to what otherwise could have been a really heavy production.”

‘The Servant of Two Masters’ combines plots in witty comedy The Servant of Two Masters, a comic slapstick directed by Spanish teacher Dan Fabrizio, ran Nov. 3 through Nov. 5 in the auditorium.

The show intertwined the plots of a stage crew and the play they were directing.

According to junior Jeremy Gordon, who played a tavern keeper, the play was a Commedia Dell’arte: characters wore masks and displayed their personalities through exaggerated manners. The silliness of this style served as a reprieve from the complex plot of the play.

Sophomore Lucas Pratt, who played Silvio Lombardi, said, “I really enjoyed the physicality of my character.” In keeping with the comedic style, his character walked around with his chest out to attract women.

According to Fabrizio, the lightheartedness remained even when the play ended with a character’s death, revealing the deeper message of an actor’s commitment to their role up “until death.”

‘Assassins’ forces audiences to empathize with typical villains Theatre Ink’s Assassins revealed the motivations behind nine presidential assassins through a series of dark, comedic scenes. Seniors Anastasia Foley and Zoe Jasper directed the play, which ran Dec. 7 through Dec. 10 in the Little Theatre.

The musical brought the assassins’ stories to life in a chain of anecdotes performed in song. Jasper explained that “the show challenges the audience to empathize with people typically vilified.”

Nora Geffen, who played assassin Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, said, “It’s definitely hard to portray these characters because they’ve all done things that are so hard to understand.”

According to Foley, “Assassins is a very important story in learning to empathize with those you don’t agree with.”

Freshman Cabaret showcases message of personal fulfillment Energetic freshmen showcased catchy songs, a variety of dances, and comedic skits in Freshman Cabaret’s This is Me. Directed by sophomores Teá Baum, Rene Miller, Kiley Smith, and Megan Vecchione the show ran Dec. 14 through Dec. 16 in the auditorium.

Miller, the singing director of the show, described the variety of music as anything from “upbeat indie songs to alternative rock to pop.” The songs spoke to the general theme of pride and freedom of expression.

Throughout the show, an all-freshmen band played live music, something Miller said she was proud of because it wasn’t able to happen last year.

Freshman Sammy Schrager, a member of the cast, said that the message for the audience was to “show who you are and shine on stage or offstage.”

Improv Jam displays year-long hard work of Improv Club Improv Troupe amazed audiences with hilarious improvisational games Jan. 12 and May 3 in the Little Theatre.

The troupe consisted of actors who attend Improv Club, which meets twice a week for the entire year.

Their performances included improvisational games such as freeze, which consists of actors calling out other troupe members and replacing them in their position on stage.

“It was a fun, low-pressure show, and everyone enjoyed themselves,” said sophomore troupe member Laila Plaster. “I learned new techniques and really enjoyed the process.”

According to freshman troupe member Noor Shoresh, Improv Jam was the funniest show since Nitrous Oxide. “It was a smashing success and received uproarious laughter,” he said.

Spontaneous Generation thrills audiences with improv comedy

‘Harvey’ presents satirical social commentary in period setting

A comedic look into the lives of a brother, sister, and an imaginary rabbit, Harvey, directed by seniors Nick Scott and Josh Shub-Seltzer, ran in the auditorium May 24 through May 25.

The show follows Elwood P. Dowd, played by junior Evyatar Gershon, as he tries to escape attempts by his sister Veta, played by senior Anastasia Foley, to institutionalize him.

“The show is really unique for the audience because it’s a comedy set in the 1940s and there’s a lot of witty humor and satire,” said Foley.

Scott described the show as “a satirical social commentary on the norms of the 1940s,” adding, “some of the meanings presented in the show, such as the theme of embracing differences, do transcend time and are applicable today.”

Passionate actors delighted the audience with humorous, improvised skits and games at Spontaneous Generation’s opening night.

The troupe performed unique shows March 29 through April 1 in the Little Theatre.

Before engaging in each game or skit, the troupe burst into energetic transitions full of ridiculous dance moves, adding a sense of comedy to the transitions.

One of the best improv activities was “Da Doo Run Run,” led by junior Andrew Hastings. During the game, audience members proposed one-syllable names for the cast to rhyme to the tune of a song. Once a cast member lost the rhythm or failed to rhyme, they were eliminated.

Being the only freshman in the cast, Noor Shoresh found the troupe to be a “welcoming environment” in which his favorite part of the process was “meeting new people throughout the Theatre Ink community.”

Cabaret Troupe’s Moving Forward is comprised of “a variety of dramatic and comedic contemporary musical theater songs performed by energetic and talented students,” according to senior Olivia Duvall, a co-director with senior Liana Glennon, and took place June 8 and June 10 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

Cabaret Troupe is “a night of great songs and extremely talented singers and actors,” said Glennon. Audiences can “look forward to seeing a couple months of hard work come to life.”

According to Duvall, with the use of a varied collection of musical theater numbers, the cast is “so excited to introduce audiences to a genre that many people aren’t too familiar with.”

North, South perform joint production of ‘As You Like It’

Playwright’s Festival to feature array of student productions

Actors from North and South performed Shakespeare’s As You Like It, directed by South theater teacher Paige Perkinson. The show ran May 18 through May 20 at the Newton South Courtyard and followed lovers Rosalind and Orlando, played by South senior Abby Lass and South junior Elijah Lawrence, on a journey of romance and mistaken identity.

According to Lass, “In the play the characters run to the forest of Arden to escape the constraints and dangers of life in court and are able to find themselves by getting lost in nature.”

She added that the show is “a strong blend of over-the-top and hilarious romance that still comes from a place of truth.”

Senior Charlotte Thornley, who played Celia, said that this play “isn’t often done compared to Shakespeare’s other comedies, and it has some of his strongest female characters.”

Cabaret Troupe encourages ‘moving forward’ through song

The 10th annual Playwright’s Festival will premiere ten student written and directed shows June 9 at 7:30 p.m. and June 10 and June 11 at 2 p.m. in the Little Theatre, directed by senior Laura Andersen.

Writers submitted plays to be chosen and revised early November before casting and production began in the spring.

According to Andersen, plays will range from comedy to dark comedy to drama.

Their topics also vary from time travellers to zombies.

Andersen added, “seeing the plays grow” from a first draft to the final has been the best part of her experience as a director. “You get really good at crafting a story” and creating “full-bodied characters,” she said.

Junior Rose Labidini, the stage manager, said, “What I love about Playwrights is the fact that it is so unique. I think it is the most student-led creative process.”

Nitrous Oxide amuses, delights with comedic performances Theatre Ink’s Nitrous Oxide, a collection of sketches full of laughter, hilarity, and commentary, ran Feb. 1 through Feb. 4 in the Little Theatre and was directed by seniors Galen Rokosz and Annabelle Tocco.

The show included a variety of sketch topics, ranging from a meeting of the “StraightStraight Alliance” to a melodramatic heist during which cast members performed gymnastic feats.

Senior Ben Fischer, a cast member, said, “None of what we did was purely individual.

Even if something started as an individual project, we worked as a team to make it as funny as possible.”

Senior Josh Shub-Seltzer, a cast member, said, “This group has a great combination of personalities and backgrounds which allows a ton of perspectives on comedy.”

Wendy Li

Junior Rachel Stoia and senior Isinsu Bastepe rehearse for ‘Fiddler on the Roof ’ Wednesday, March 15.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

fine and performing arts

Winter Jubilee concert dazzles, inspires with powerful messages

Wendy Li

Senior David Ruben and junior Jonathan Jaspers play music with the Jazz Rock Workshop band in the art courtyard after school Thursday, June 1.

Harvestfest displays large scope of musical styles, performances

Harvestfest, comprised of Harvestfest I on Nov. 16 and Harvestfest II on Nov. 17 in the auditorium, showcased student-musicians’ hard work.

Jubilee Singers, directed by music teacher Sheldon Reid, and Tiger Bebop, Jazz Ensemble 1, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble, directed by music teacher Richard Labedz, performed in Harvestfest I. Harvestfest II featured Vocal Ensemble, Concert Choir, Family Singers, Orchestra, and String Ensemble, all directed by music teacher Adam Grossman.

In the show, “We try to do lots of different things,” said Grossman. He tried to include “music from different times, different places, and different languages.”

Junior Liz Reikine, a member of Orchestra and String Ensemble, said, “There’s a nice balance from slower somber movements to faster exhilarating movements.” She hoped the pieces were “as fun to listen to as they are to play.”

Winter Jazz Night demonstrates wide range of talent, originality

Winter Jazz Night captivated the audience with a variety of jazz songs performed by Honors Jazz Ensemble 1, Jazz Ensemble 2, Advanced Jazz Improv, Jazz/Rock workshop, and Tiger Bebop, all directed by music teacher Richard Labedz, in the auditorium Jan 11.

Tiger BeBop began the show with “It Don’t Mean A Thing,” by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills.

A highlight of the concert was Jazz Ensemble 1’s rendition of “My Funny Valentine,” the first time the group has performed with a singer, according to junior NNHS Jazz Ensemble 1 drum player Noah Klavens.

Overall the jazz-filled concert made a cheerful night and marked the start of vocalists joining the jazz groups which created a more delightful, diverse sound.

Winterfest appeals to audience with variety of musical groups

Winterfest I and II, held Jan. 25 and Jan. 26, respectively, in the auditorium, featured music to appeal to fans of upbeat and classical music alike.

Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, both directed by music teacher Richard Labedz, joined with bands from F.A. Day and Bigelow middle schools for Winterfest I. Winterfest II featured Concert Choir, Family Singers, and Orchestra, all directed by Adam Grossman, with special guest, acclaimed opera singer Sandra Piques Eddy.

“It’s great to be with other musicians who you’ve never played with before,” said senior Sophie Cohen, who plays the flute.

Eddy said, “I sincerely hoped that this Winterfest concert would cause a spark in the musicians and audience members alike to be curious about attending more local opera.”

Jubilee joined the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College to give an energetic performance with relevant messages of unity and perseverance Feb. 4 in the auditorium.

Sheldon Reid, Jubilee director, described the collaboration between the groups as “wonderful” and “powerful,” and said the night was “cathartic” for the singers and the audience as it helped relieve some of the “tension that seems to be so prevalent these days.”

Junior Olivia Kelly, a Jubilee member, was excited to perform the song entitled “Better is One Day” because it contained intricate harmonies, motivating the group to sing energetically, using their full potential.

According to junior Ben Schwartz, the concert’s mood was “uplifting,” and its message was “a call to action for many of those who are losing hope to go on and continue to fight for what they believe in.”

Spring Jazz Night demonstrates striking ability of jazz program

Spring Jazz Night, including Honors Jazz Ensemble 1, Jazz Ensemble 2, Advanced Jazz Improv, Jazz/Rock workshop, and Tiger Bebop, filled the auditorium with smooth jazz tunes April 5 in the auditorium.

A highlight of the show was Combo Two’s performance. Their stage presence was effortless, and they knew how to keep the audience’s attention.

Honors Jazz Ensemble closed the show with “Inner Urge,” by Joe Henderson. It contrasted the generally upbeat songs of the concert with its slow, haunting, and muted tones.

After the show, Labedz said, “It’s the motivation of the students who come together which makes this happen.”

Springfest showcases impressive collection of ensembles, soloists

In a break from the traditional format of Springfest, Springfest I was on March 29 at South and combined North’s Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, directed by Labedz, with South’s bands.

Springfest II, a joyful concert full of diverse pieces and talented musicians, took place April 27 in the auditorium and featured Vocal Ensemble, Concert Choir, Family Singers, and Orchestra, all directed by music teacher Adam Grossman, and Wind Ensemble, directed by

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 31

Richard Labedz.

Senior Juyoung Song, a violinist in Orchestra who played Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto,” said, “I hope that during Springfest, my friends and audience felt something in the music aside from listening to it because there are a lot of feelings and messages that we can all relate to,” she said.

Pops Night entertains audience, celebrates musical achievements

North’s music groups all came together to wrap up the year with Pops Night, a concert and potluck dinner celebrating the year’s accomplishments, May 17 in the cafeteria. The concert was filled with a medley of pop songs and playful humor.

Each ensemble performed one or two pieces in the open admission concert.

Awards were then presented to seniors who had positively affected the music department, giving recognition to hardworking graduating students.

“It’s always a different night than most performances because most of the families are there, and the seniors get an opportunity to display their musical growth at North,” said junior Ryan Park, a musician at the event.

An all-inclusive concert that showcased the students’ hard work throughout the year, Pops Night was a success due to the students’ enthusiasm and sophisticated skills.

Spring Jubilee concert impresses in energetic, joyful performance

Jubilee singers sang upbeat music from their traditionally joyful repertoire June 3 in the auditorium.

Jubilee director Sheldon Reid said, “Every Jubilee concert is unique with every collection of songs and students.” For this concert, Reid chose music that highlighted this year’s particularly strong soprano section.

In line with Jubilee’s focus on music from the African Diaspora, the concert featured high-energy, thrilling songs, a number of which were Reid’s own arrangements.

One of Reid’s favorite pieces was “My Father Knows,” a poem by Walt Whitman set to music to become a “contemporary gospel piece” that is “haunting” and “very pretty.”

Senior Angelica Lewis, a member of Jubilee, said, “Jubilee is like a family, so it’s always a good time. I hope the audience takes away that gospel choirs are actually a lot of fun, and it’s okay to get up and dance and sing along.”

Art Morning provides inspiring showcase of student artwork

National Scholastic Arts Awards honor students’ creative ability

Student-artists showcased inspiring pieces of artwork in a variety of mediums including photographs, paintings, sculptures, and more as part of Art Morning on May 12th.

The displayed pieces were created by both major and minor students from the ceramics, photography, and art departments. Both the art hallway and the courtyard were open for students to admire the art.

For the event, art teacher Shannon Slattery asked students to create masks out of cardboard; sophomore Téa Baum alternately created a garment out of cardboard. “I’m obsessed with the unconventional challenge from project runway where they take materials other than fabric to make stuff that looks wearable,” she said.

Sophomore Amy Kaluzhny’s painting of a beautiful landscape that she had encountered in France a couple years ago radiated peace and happiness.

“I loved the contrast of the colors green and red along with the sun-lit lighting which gave it a very warm and summery feeling,” said Kaluzhny.

Overall, the dedication to students’ art made for a joyful ambience that rang throughout the school day.

The National Scholastic Arts Awards allowed students to enter artwork to receive recognition both locally and nationally this year.

Senior Zoe Jauniskis won a Gold Key for her painting, “Larger Than Life,” a self-portrait using oil paint.

“I was pretty excited and surprised to get a Gold Key at Nationals. I had submitted stuff in the past and gotten honorable mention locally,” said Jauniskis.

Senior Danae Lally also won a Gold Key as well for her piece, called “The Dragon Warrior,” a sculpture of a dragon made out of a book.

According to Lally, “That particular piece was one of my strongest and made me realize I like working with and am better at sculptures made from mixed media.”

Art teacher Shannon Slattery submitted only four pieces this year because she has “mixed feelings about the manner in which the judging is executed.”

Joelle Sugianto Although she believes that the National Art students draw a succulent with chalk during Art Morning Friday, May 12.

Scholastic Art Awards is “a program that supports the arts,” she argued that what the artwork is judged on “doesn’t always align with what is important to teach.”

Pages 30 and 31 compiled by Nour Chahboun, Zoe Goldstein, Hannah Liu, and Amy Morrill

sports

32 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Fall teams perform well, embrace success Junior Einat Gavish and freshman Helena Teixeria DaSilva were named Bay State Conference All-Stars, and junior Rose Teszler earned an honorable mention. The team placed tenth in the All-State meet.

Next year’s captains are juniors Grace Donovan, Gavish, Lillian Joyce, and Jill Pollard.

Field Hockey builds team bonds, becomes stronger together Jonathan Cohen Field Hockey, 6-9-1, missed the state tournament, needing one more draw to qualify.

Senior Olivia Ferry, a captain with senior Madeline Rielly, said that the highlight of the season was when the team started to beat teams that they had lost to in previous games.

Ferry added that the team accomplished the season’s goals. “We really worked on being a team unit, and we focused on working together, rather than winning. We wanted to improve our skills, grow as individuals, and as a team as well,” added Ferry.

Ferry was named First Team All-Star, while Rielly received an honorable mention.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

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Wendy Li

Juniors Almonte Henk and Anthony Calcagni watch their teammates play during Friday Night Lights Sept. 30.

Boys’ cross country achieves goals, qualifies for All-States

Dance wins various titles while facing difficulties with routine

Maria Bacanurschi Boys’ cross country, 8-3, were “pretty consistent winners all season long,” according to senior Ryan Steele, a captain along with junior Andrew Mah. Towards the end of the season the team locked up an 8-3 win and qualified for the All-States Championship meet for the first time in three years.

The season highlight was during the Bay State Conference when junior Andrew Mah set a course record in the 5K, according to Steele.

Even though three of the top runners on the team from last year graduated, they achieved their goal for the season of qualifying for AllStates as a team.

Assistant coach Sean Wallace said, “It was a great season for the team.”

Next year’s captains are juniors Ilai Gavish and Andrew Mah.

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Boys’ soccer defeats rival team Brookline, overcomes challenges Will Kharfen Boys’ soccer, 5-9-4, finished sixth in the Bay State Conference, two wins away from a tournament appearance. Despite the rocky season, there were many successful takeaways, according to senior Lincoln Sung, a captain with seniors Jackson Bernard and Matt Mackowski.

According to Sung, “What helped us succeed was that we were a very close team and we knew that each one of us would be willing to lay it all on the line for the guy next to him.”

A highlight of the season was beating Brookline High School in an away match, according to Sung. “Their whole football team was there, and they were chirping hard.

Brookline was one of our best opponents and we hadn’t beaten them in years,” he said.

Mackowski was named a Bay State AllStar and senior Matteo Luban was awarded an honorable mention.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

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Cheerleading succeeds at Bay State Conference competition Jake Forbes Cheerleading finished fifth at the Bay State Conference competition for the second year in a row.

“It was amazing that we placed that high since there were over 30 teams competing,” said senior Mehedi Haque, a captain with seniors Heleni Daly and Ali Hendricks. The team improved their routine despite obstacles during the season. According to Haque, their goal was to get fifth at Bay-States, and they successfully completed that goal.

Despite a mid-season change in coaching staff, “the team handled it well, and performed great at Bay States,” Haque said.

He added that the “routine was done really well, and the highest point was when we finished the routine and walked off the floor.

It was a feeling like no other.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Sophia Zhou Dance took second place at the Reggie Lewis Dance Competition and finished third place at states, according to winter season captain senior Mia Perri.

“We were hit with a new music copyright law once our season had started already, which forced us to start over and start a new routine to a new song,” said coach, Sarah Elentukh.

“The team was bummed, but they did what they always do, which is step up and show up! They put in extra work to make the new routine just as great, if not better.”

The team met their goal of “working together to problem-solve, learn new skills, and bond as best friends,” added Elentukh.

Senior Arielle Alford, co-captain with juniors Justine Pavia and Danielle Sharon echoed this sentiment. “We challenged ourselves with difficult choreography, which helped us grow as dancers and learners.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Football has successful season, wins Friday Night Lights game Will Kharfen Football, 7-4, lost to Brockton, the number two-seeded team, in the MIAA South Division One Quarterfinals after a very successful season.

Senior Nathaniel Klein, a captain with seniors Brycen Adam, Isaiah Bowden, Jimmy Hodgson, and David Salazar, attributes the success to “great team camaraderie.”

A highlight of the season according to the captains was the victory during the Friday Night Lights game against Needham. Salazar said, “It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. We knew we were the underdogs, and we came out fired up and were able to win.”

Senior Brycen Adam and junior John Grady were named Eastern Massachusetts AllStars. Adam and Grady were also named Bay State All-Stars along with seniors Nate Baronowski, Bowden, Hodgson, Klein, Salazar, and juniors Nathan Alfred, Ryan McLaughlin, Noah Neville, and Will Thompson.

Next year’s captains are juniors John Grady and Ryan McLaughlin, and other captains are to be determined.

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Girls’ soccer sets small goals for each game, strives for growth Michael Cornish Girls’ soccer, 2-12-3, had a disappointing 0-11 start, but finished strong with a 2-1-3 run, according to head coach Alicia Carrillo.

The team was led by its captains, seniors Alex Nugent and Kira Matthews.

Nugent said the team set new goals every game.

“We set small goals for each game, like keeping the ball out of our defensive end the first three minutes,” said Nugent. “These small goals motivated us each game as we had something specific to work towards.”

The season’s turning point came in a 3-2 home loss against Dedham under the lights.

“We were still getting used to playing with a new team, but right after the first whistle, we looked like a different team,” said Nugent.

Nugent won the NNHS Athletics Department Sportsmanship Award and sophomore Abigail Dobies was an honorable mention for the Bay State Conference All-Stars.

Next year’s captains are juniors Lauren Eckenrode and Lydia Smith.

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Girls’ swim and dive maintains success in season, achieves goals Bella Ceriani Girls’ swim, 10-2, had a successful season according to senior Erin Claflin, a captain with seniors Rebecca Arango, Logan Gallagher, Madison Schaefer, and Elizabeth Wu. “We came in second at states, which North has never done before,” said head coach Emily Manion.

“A turning point was definitely losing to Brookline. Despite the loss, we went into that

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meet strong and everyone on the team got a personal best,” said Claflin.

The girls’ swim team also accomplished many goals during the season. Claflin explained that the captians were responsible for “communication between everyone,” as well as “making sure everyone felt comfortable.”

As for swimming, I would have to say that the whole year we were focused on doing well at states.”

Next year’s captains are juniors Caroline Beecher, Claire Campbell, Katelin Luce, Kristin Luce, Serena Ly, and Ciara McCormack.

Girls’ volleyball makes finals after undefeated regular season Will Kharfen Girls’ volleyball, 21-1, went undefeated throughout the season, before falling to Barnstable in the MIAA State Finals.

Despite the tough finals loss, senior Anna Zucchero, a captain with seniors Emma Brown, Abby Donnellan, Lily Marcus, Sofia Perez-Dietz, and Liana Reilly, described the successful season as “unlike any other.”

Zucchero explained that “the closeness of the team and of all the team’s bonding before and during the season `really helped us be successful.”

The highlight during the season was when the girls were able to beat the number one ranked Barnstable in five sets. “Our goal was to beat them since they were our biggest competition,” said Zucchero.

Zucchero, along with senior Emma Brown, junior Miska Legatova, and sophomore Ashley Wang were Bay State First Team All-Stars, and sophomore Chelsea Simmons was named an honorable mention. Legatova was also named All-Scholastic.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

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Golf has impressive season, qualifies for state tournament Nichol Weylman-Farwell Boy’s golf, 9-5, had an impressive season according to senior Daniel Kurson, a captain with senior Matt Levinson.

Kurson said, “One of our goals every year is to qualify for the state tournament. We did this early on by winning so much at the beginning of the season, which was impressive.”

A highlight, according to Kurson, was the “exciting” rise of freshman Pete Delmonico over the course of the season, who Kurson described as a “fantastic asset for the team.”

Kurson also described a change in mindset as being one of the turning points of the season.“After seeing all the new and improved talent the team had, the veterans realized that we could be a very good team,” said Kurson.

Kurson, Levinson, and senior Dylan McDonagh were named Bay-State Conference All-Stars.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

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Girls’ cross country qualifies for All-States after strong season Zoe Goldstein Girls’ cross country, 8-3, had a strong season according to senior Amanda Powers, a captain with seniors Kayla Hreczuck, Nalini Khurana, and Holly Notartomaso.

The team succeeded in many of their goals, according to Powers, one of which was to qualify as a team for All-States. The season’s turning point occurred after the division one meet.

“The Division One Eastern Massachusetts Meet was the first time that the majority of our scoring varsity runners were all healthy enough to run on the same day,” said Brandon Mogayzel, the coach of the team. by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Sophomore Emma McKee passes the ball up the field in a varsity field hockey game.

sports

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Newton North, The Newtonite ◆ 33

Winter teams achieve goals, see improvement meter freestyle, and 400 meter freestyle teams qualified for states as well.

Next year’s captains are Riley, juniors Theo Fasciano, Brandon Jiang, and Joey Yerardi.

Boys’ indoor track maintains undefeated record, finds success Jonathan Cohen Boys’ indoor track, 6-0, finished the season undefeated for the 19th consecutive season, according to senior Ryan Steele, a captain with seniors Dobbin Bookman, Isaiah Bowden, Jordan Greene, Nathaniel Klein, and junior Andrew Mah. The team completed their goals of remaining undefeated and winning the league, according to Steele.

Steele said that the team had a relatively easy season. “Nothing was that tough for us… at least not this year.”

Sophomore Theo Burba ran a time of 1:55 in the 800 meter leg of the sprint medley at the state relays,“a legendary time,” according to Steele, which helped the Tigers win the race.

Steele added that the team had a great season, which ended with “a good showing” at the All-State meet, where they won a state championship.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Girls’ basketball has successful season, wins multiple awards Abby Roll

Junior Sonya Feng executes a switch leap in her beam routine during a girls’ gymnastics meet Saturday, Feb. 11.

Alpine finds achievement with addition of several strong athletes Jake Forbes Alpine had another successful season, adding several strong freshman to its lineup, according to senior Matteo Luban, a captain with senior Peter Geis.

According to Luban, the highlight of the year was freshman Avery Murphy winning a race which no one from North had done in several years.

The addition of Murphy and freshman Carolina Auerbach on the girls’ side propelled the team to many varsity points.

Murphy and Auerbach qualified for the slalom and giant slalom at the state meet, and Geiss qualified as an alternate for those events.

Murphy finished 31st in the giant slalom and 38th in the slalom. Auerbach finished 52nd in the giant slalom.

For the first time in three years, the team had a skier qualify for an alternate position, according to Luban.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boys’ basketball finds success, athletes receive numerous awards Will Kharfen Boys’ basketball, 16-7, finished their season in the first round of the MIAA South Division Tournament. Despite early season struggles, coach Paul Connolly commended the team’s ability to “bounce back and put together some good stretches of basketball.”

Junior Ethan Wright, a captain with senior Matt Mackowski and junior Noah Neville, believed that the team’s strong bond off the court led to success on the court. “It helped the team a lot that we were all such good friends off the court,” he said. “It made it easy to play together and figure out how to avoid obstacles as a group.”

Wright believed a highlight of the season was an early season game against Catholic Memorial, a rematch of the 2016 MIAA South Division Finals. “The game showed that we could win close games and compete with high level private schools, even with all the young players we had,” he said.

Wright was named as an All-Scholastic and Bay State All-Star, along with junior Chris Matthews. Neville received an honorable mention.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boys’ gymnastics keeps winning momentum throughout season Jonathan Cohen Boys’ gymnastics, a team consisting of members from North and South, finished 8-0 by

and went on to win their third straight state championship.

“Winning states is the main goal,” said senior Isaiah Milgroom, a captain with seniors Noah Gilman, and Ido Tamir from South.

The turning point in the season came early for the Tigers. “We stumbled into our first meet, but we won it, and gained some momentum and confidence,” said Milgroom.

Senior Alex Seamans and freshman Jake Forbes were named Boston Herald AllScholastics. South sophomore Sam Arber and Forbes were Boston Globe All-Scholastics.

Arber was also named Bay State Gymnast of the Year.

Next year’s captains are Arber, junior Vincent Campagna from South, and sophomores Michael Mitelman and Steven Tan.

Boys’ ice hockey falls short of tournament, remains resilient Jake Forbes Boys’ hockey, 7-9-3, completed another successful season, according to senior Ricky Alexy, a captain along with seniors Curtis Judd and Joe Zeidan. Despite the success, the team failed to make the Super Eight Tournament.

The team’s highlight of the season was “winning our senior night game because it was really fun to win with such a large crowd,” said Alexy.

The team was predominantly made up of upperclassmen, but sophomores Hunter Adam, Lawrence DuPont, and Henry Bonenfant added to the team’s success, according to the Alexy.

Judd won the All-Scholastic award and senior Ben Lublin won the Sportsmanship Award.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boys’ swim shows improvement Jake Forbes Boys’ swim and dive, 1-6, showed promise with a “younger team” than in years past, according to junior Will Riley, a captain with senior Josh Sims Speyer. “The highlight of the year was just seeing people improve, especially those who had never been on a team before,” said Riley.

According to Riley, the turning point of the season was during winter break, “when we started to pick up the intensity of practices.”

Riley felt that the team was able to succeed when “people did events that they had never done before, and tried things that were outside of their comfort zone.”

At states, Riley came in ninth in the 100 meter breaststroke, while sophomore Jonathan Qian came in 11th. The 200 meter medley, 200 by

Jake Forbes Girls’ basketball, 17-5, finished first in the Carey division of the Bay State Conference edging out rival Braintree as North held the head-to-head tiebreaker. Despite an impressive regular season, North fell to cross-town rival South in the first round of the state tournament.

The team’s highlight of the season came “when we beat Braintree, but also getting a lot of wins for our coach, Mo Hamel, in her first year,” according to senior Sayawni Lassiter, a captain along with seniors Summer Dias and Caroline Howley Dias felt that the turning point of the season was “coming back from five down against South and getting the win,” during the season.

Though the season ended in disappointment, several players were awarded for their strong play. Lassiter and junior Elizabeth Davis were named Bay State Conference All-Stars, while Dias was an honorable mention. In addition to winning the All-Star Award, Lassiter won MVP for the Carey division.

Next year’s captains are Davis, juniors Emma Arpino, Kelly Barbieri, and Juliana Landry. by

Girls’ gymnastics finishes season undefeated, meets expectations Jake Forbes Girls’ gymnastics, 9-0, placed second at the Bay State Championship in addition to winning the league title, before finishing 10th at the South Sectional Championships.

North had high expectations this year, having “senior Amy Shen return, as well as four new freshmen who all competed,” according to senior Carolyn Kolaczyk, a captain with senior Naomi Adamsky.

North’s win against rival Weymouth was the highlight of the season, according to Kolaczyk.

Shen won Bay State Senior Gymnast of the Year and was invited to the Senior Massachusetts Team, a team of elite high school gymnasts who gather in Florida. Shen, along with sophomore Alexandra Chu and freshman Isabella Day, qualified for the Girls’ High School Gymnastics State Meet. They were also named Bay State All-Stars, and Chu won the Bay State all around title.

Next year’s captains are juniors Sonya Feng and Shannon Murphy. by

Girls’ ice hockey wins awards, cultivates skills for next season Jonathan Cohen Girls’ hockey, 1-14-3, “gave it everything they had,” according to coach Robert MacDougall.

The highlight from the season, according to senior Olivia Ferry, a captain with seniors Paige Dobies and Natalie Ferry, was the only by

win of the season, in a close, single goal game.

“We worked on our skills and tried to get better for next year,” said Olivia Ferry “We wanted to stay positive because we knew that we couldn’t change everything around. Once it got to the point when we knew we couldn’t make the [state] tournament, we finished strong.”

Olivia Ferry was named first team All-Star, while senior Natalie Ferry received an honorable mention.

Next year’s captains are juniors Natalie Lynch, Isadora Meyerhoff, and Nadia Visco.

Girls’ indoor track wins states, leagues in competitive season Jonathan Cohen Girls’ indoor track, 7-1, won the State Relays, according to senior Amanda Whitham, a captain with seniors Kayla Hreczuck and Sydney Hurwitz.

According to Whitham, the team completed all of their goals for the season, staying undefeated in divisional meets, and winning the state relays.

A highlight from the season besides winning the Division 1 State Championships, said Whitham, was the team’s victory over Needham in the second meet of the season.

According to Whitham, the team really came together during that particular meet.

Senior Liana Reilly and junior Natalie Marshall were named Bay State All-Stars.

Next year’s captains are juniors Deirdre Boyer, Elizabeth Dallaire, Catherine DeGroot, and Einat Gavish. by

Nordic comes together under devoted coach, wins state titles Will Kharfen Nordic ended the season with girls finishing seventh and boys finishing third at states, according to senior captains Isaac Appel and Elinor Graham.

Appel believes that the biggest piece to their success was their coach, Chandra Wisneski.

“She really brings up the team morale and when things got stressful, she helped us get through it and kept the positivity up,” said Appel.

A highlight of the season for the boys was when they won their first league race in four years, according to Appel.

Graham explained that the team “had a lot of freshmen who improved tremendously throughout the season.” She also said, “even though Nordic is an individual sport, we still are a team and like to hype each other up.”

Junior Jacob Jampel was named as one of the Boston Globe’s Skiers of the Year. Junior Rose Teszler was named All-Scholastic. Graham, Jampel, Teszler, juniors Alex Crystal, Max Teszler, sophomore Joseph Silagi, and freshman Serena Jampel were named Massachusetts Bay East All-Stars.

Next year’s captains are Crystal, Jampel, Rose Teszler, and one other captain to be determined. by

Wrestling attains success through motivated individuals’ leadership Will Kharfen Wrestling, 14-5-2, had a very successful year with many exceptional individual efforts, according to junior Kyle Randall, a captain with juniors Nate Beatrice and Michael Mariano.

Motivation and improvement were key in much of the team’s success. “What motivated us were our coaches and also the kids on the team cheering each other on,” said Randall, adding that, “being able to overcome challenges really helped us be successful as well.”

Mariano also said, “We worked a lot on mental toughness, which was our big focus this season.”

A highlight of the season was a tie with Cambridge. “Even though we wanted to win, even getting the tie was a big motivator for us,” said Mariano.

Randall won the state championship in his weight class and was also named a Bay State All-Star for the team.

Next year’s captains are Beatrice, Mariano, and Randall. Other possible captains are to be determined. by

sports

34 ◆ The Newtonite, Newton North

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Spring teams secure spot in state tournaments Melanie Chien, a captain with seniors Rebecca Arango, Nell Dickey, Rachel Leighton, and Lizzie Rinkus.

The Tigers have had a consistently successful year, according to Chien, who added that this has “definitely been our strongest year yet with a lot of good communication and teamwork.”

“There have been matches we have wanted to win, and were definitely able to, but since we could not, we use that as motivation moving into future games,” said Chien about the only two losses the Tigers have had this season.

Moving onto the state tournament, Chien said that “the team is really excited.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Girls’ track finishes with strong record, performs well at states

Jonathan Cohen Girls’ outdoor track, 5-0, “put in a good team effort,” according to senior Amanda Whitham, a captain with seniors Camille Baxter, Sophia Denucci, and Sydney Hurwitz.

The team won the Bay State Conference, “which was something the team had its eye on,” according to Whitham, and finished third at the Division 1 State Championships.

A big highlight from the season according to Whitham was the team’s victory over Needham. “Going into [the meet] they had a strong team of distance runners that carried them through cross country and the indoor season,” she said. “It was our only home meet, and we smoked them.”

Next year’s captains are juniors Deirdre Boyer, Elizabeth Dallaire, Catherine Degroot, and Rose Teszler. by

Wendy Li

Sophomore Dante Taylor prepares to bat at a varsity baseball game Wednesday, May 24, in a 2-1 victory over Natick.

All wraps are current as of press time. Please see thenewtonite.com for updated post-season results and awards.

Boys’ baseball makes Super 8 despite facing tough adversaries

Jake Forbes Baseball, 14-9, qualified for the Super 8 tournament for the fourth straight year with a team that senior Michael Banks, a captain with senior Jimmy Hodgson, said needed to be “a little sharper on defense and a little more aggressive on offense.”

“We haven’t really had a highlight this season. We’ll have to wait and see how the season pans out,” said Banks.

“Everything has come in spurts here and there. We haven’t built any solid running ground,” he added.

According to head coach Joe Siciliano, the team has struggled at times because they’ve “faced a lot of tough pitchers this year.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boys’ lacrosse qualifies for state tournament with strong lineup

Will Kharfen Boys’ lacrosse, 14-4, qualified for the state tournament and has been able to add “more depth to the team than last year,” according to senior Brycen Adam, a captain with senior Teddy Yeradi and junior Will Thompson.

Adam commended the Tigers’ strong starting lineup, noting in particular, “We have a strong three defensemen and an excellent defensive coach.”

According to Adam, a highlight from this season was the team’s victory over Wellesley in the middle of the year.

“We were in a short stretch where we were playing lesser skilled teams, and then we realized our team is legit and that we could do everything we thought we could,” he said.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boys’ track goes undefeated, has multiple impressive performances

in the first round of the playoffs.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

by

Girls’ lacrosse loses in playoffs after strong regular season

Jonathan Cohen Boys’ outdoor track, 6-0, “won the Bay State Conference by a long shot” and “had a really good year,” said senior Ryan Steele, a captain with seniors Dobbin Bookman, Isaiah Bowden, Jordan Greene, Nathaniel Klein, and junior Andrew Mah. Steele could not think of a distinct turning point in the season. “It’s hard to find a highlight when you are shining as bright as the sun all season long,” he said.

At the league meet, the team “had a lot of great performances,” according to Steele.

“I’m really proud of my entire team,” he said.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Boys’ volleyball communicates well, achieves successful season

Jake Forbes Boys’ volleyball, 13-6, qualified for the state tournament with a team that did “a good job of communicating,” and worked “really well together,” according to senior Jing Zhu, a captain with seniors Arik Avramovich, Dylan McDonagh, Travis Emenaker, and Ben Lublin.

The team experienced much success throughout the season but did have a rough few weeks. “In a two week span we lost three games, including a tournament, and that was tough. Luckily we started to communicate and work as a team,” said Zhu. The team lost 3-0 to Greater New Beford by

by Jonathan Cohen and Laura SchmidtHong Girls’ lacrosse, 9-9, qualified for the state tournament this year.

One of the highlights from the season was North’s victory over Duxbury, according to senior Olivia Ferry, a captain with seniors Molly Devine, Paige Dobies, and Grace Wilder.

Going into the game “with Duxbury we really didn’t think we would have a chance,” said Ferry.

According to Ferry, a significant point in the season came when senior Kim Lannery, the team’s goalie, was injured. Junior Grace McCormick stepped in as a backup and has played well.

Dobies and senior Summer Dias were first team Bay State All-Stars, and Wilder received an honorable mention.

The team lost 15-8 to Natick in the first round of the playoffs.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Girls’ tennis has strong season through consistent performance

Will Kharfen Girls’ tennis, 12-2, qualified for the state tournament and had “a very strong season from the beginning,” according to senior by

Softball finishes season strong, qualifies for state tournament

Jake Forbes Softball, 17-2, qualified for the state tournament again this year and felt that “things were going really well heading into the playoffs,” according to senior Madison Schaefer, a captain with senior Elizabeth D’Agostino.

According to Schaefer, the team’s highlight of the season was their second game against Bishop Feehan, “who we knew would be a tough opponent.”

“We lost our first game against them, but when we played them the second time we beat them, and that was huge. It was a close game throughout,” Schaefer added.

The team lost to Braintree in a game where it “didn’t come ready to play,” but then “came back and beat them the second time,” said Schaefer.

“There’s talent throughout the team and we have a really good team this year,” said Schaefer.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boys’ tennis emphasizes unity, defeats Brookline in key victory

Will Kharfen Boys’ tennis, 13-3, qualified for the state tournament and had a “really strong and deep team” this season, according to senior Matteo Luban, a captain with senior Ruben Trauba and junior Jake Vasu.

Luban commented on the team’s strong bond, saying that “we have very good chemistry as a team” this season, along with “a very knowledgeable coach who knows what he’s doing.”

The Tigers’ victory at Brookline was one of the most important moments of the season, according to Luban: “Since they are a really good team, it was a big win for us,” he said.

Going into the state tournament, “We really want to win, but it will be tough right away,” he said. by

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Wendy Li

Sophomore Alida Parkman looks for open teammates during a girls vs. boys lacrosse game Friday, May 26.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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Newton North, The Newtonite â—† 35

36 â—† The Newtonite, Newton North

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS TO TO THE THE GRADUATING GRADUATING STUDENT STUDENT ATHLETES! ATHLETES!