Graduation Special V94

Newtonite ◆ Monday, June 8, 2015 • Volume 94

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

Ceremony commends Class of 2015 Maxwell Kozlov This afternoon, the Class of 2015 concludes its senior year, becoming the 154th graduating class of this school.

The graduates took their seats as instrumentalists from the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band played “Pomp and Circumstance” by Edward Elgar.

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

Seniors Jonathan Gomolka, Ella Laniado, and Eleanor Rogers then sang the National Anthem while seniors Tanya Montalvo and Taimin Rosado signed it in American Sign Language.

After principal Jennifer Price welcomed guests, English Language Learning and EDCO seniors greeted attendees in American Sign Language, Armenian, Cantonese, Hebrew, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Next, mayor Setti Warren, superintendent David Fleishman, school committee member Geoff Epstein, and alderman Stephen Linsky spoke to the graduating seniors.

Senior Irene Golden gave a speech on behalf of the Class of 2015, and retiring career and technical education outreach specialist David Ticchi spoke for the faculty.

Price presented the Principal’s Plaque to the City of Newton Law Department. 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. The department received engraved trays.

Seniors then presented awards to their classmates.

Bali Connors presented the Charles Dana Meserve Fund Award engraved tray and scholarship to Kavish Gandhi. The award honors an outstanding scholar who has made significant contributions to this school. by

Final seconds: Seniors count down the final seconds of their careers at North in the SOA last Tuesday morning.

Noah Blankenship presented the Girls’ Senior Cup to Katie Nugent, and Sadiya Ervin presented the Boys’ Senior Cup to Sadiq Ervin. 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 Sadiq Ervin and Nugent received engraved bowls.

Lucine Boloyan presented Kaija Gahm with the Phi Beta Kappa Award certificate and scholarship for academic excel-

Josh Shub-Seltzer

lence.

Thomas Mobley received the Dickinson Memorial Award engraved bowl from Napoleon Miller. For this award, the athletic department chooses a male who has shown great improvement in athletic competition, sportsmanship, character, and skill.

The Helene Breivogel Awardwas presented by Andrew Bombara to Nicole Quinn. The award is given to a female who improves in athletic competition and demonstrates character, skill, and sportmanship.

The Gary Elliot Prize was

awarded to Peter Diamond by Spencer Bronk. Diamond received a certificate and scholarship for his dedication, creativity, talent, and love for the performing arts.

Jonah Robbins presented Alexander Wei with the Margaret South Award engraved bowl to recognize his courtesy, courage, enthusiasm, and unselfish service.

Jessica Gallagher was awarded the Newton Rotary Club William Rockwell Memorial Career and Vocational Technical Education Achievement Award plaque,

which was presented by Michael Caira.

Ezeka Allen presented the The Lenny Zakim/PTSO Human Rights Award to Mathena Abramson, and Christina Delyani presented the award to Allen.

The award honors students who pursue a greater understanding and appreciation of human differences. They 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.

Cate Waters Out with the old and in with the new. The Class of 2015 is leaving North, but what it leaves behind is almost older than the graduates themselves.

For the class gift, the class will be refurbishing letters from the old building that read, “Welcome to Newton North High School.”

The school plans to place the letters at the Tiger Drive entrance, according to senior Alexander Wei, vice president.

When the officers approached principal Jennifer Price about creating a welcome sign, she reacted positively, informing them that the letters, previously hung above the main entrance of the old building—a gift of the Class of 1999—could be salvaged for a

new sign.

The senior class decided on the letters because “there was no sign on the school itself that says, ‘Newton North High School,’” said Wei. Senior Nathan Buchwald, class president, said, “We wanted to bring back a touch of the old school with our own spin on it.”

The class will provide funding to polish and refit the letters to the point where they look brand new, Buchwald added.

Other gift ideas that were considered included putting in water bottle fillers, but the class felt that it would be too expensive and installation would be too complicated, according to Buchwald.

Seniors said they are happy with the gift selection for their

class.

“I think it is a good way to contribute to the school. It’s a representation of what our class stands for and will always be there,” said senior Vikram Krishnamachari.

Senior Alexander Samaha said he believes that “our class gift is representative of our school’s amazing legacy by showing that even aspects of our past benefit our current lives.”

Many seniors said they found particular meaning in bringing back some school history.

Senior Adam Elghazzawi added, “I think it’s cool that they’re bringing something back from the old school, even if it’s small.

It probably has some nostalgic value to teachers who experienced the old school.”

Senior class breathes new life into old letters by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

The end: The Class of 2015 celebrates as the clock hits 0:00 at Senior Countdown.

Check out our online newspaper: t he

Newtonite.com

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Monday, June 8, 2015

CVTE measures North’s benefits This year, the Newtonite highlights the Career, Vocational, Technical, Education (CVTE) programs at this school in its centerfold. In emphasizing this school’s CVTE programs, the Newtonite stresses that a four-year college is not the only path students are able to embark on following high school.

editorial

Additionally, we seek to celebrate programs that make a North education truly comprehensive.

Many schools across the country offer similar core academic classes; however, North is one of only 30 integrated high schools in Massachusetts, opening up both academic and technical education paths to our diverse student body.

CVTE programs not only prepare students for academic success, but also for entry onto solid career paths.

For example, students who are involved in culinary for the majority of their high school careers may choose to go to culinary school as opposed to a four-year college.

A student who studies carpentry may choose to take an apprenticeship instead of pursuing a degree.

Granted, the CVTE programs represent only a fraction of the opportunities at North. This school has over 80 clubs and 76 pages in the course catalog that contain over 700 classes. What sets North’s CVTE programs apart from the other classes, however, are the opportunities for tangible learning experiences.

All schools, including North, seek to foster academic success among their students. Local and national publications use metrics that emphasize standardized test scores to compare North to other schools. However, MCAS, SATs, and APs are incomplete ways of in judging how well a school prepares its students for life beyond the classroom. North’s culture of acceptance of various student life goals—whether or not they include a fouryear post-graduation experience—allows it to remain the vibrant community it is.

Here, students entering the job market right after high school, whether to pursue an internship or an audition, receive appreciation for the risks they take. The CVTE programs have provided a legitimacy and respect to the career paths they support.

According to CVTE department head Diana Robbins, these programs allow students to connect their “mind, heart, and hands.”

Students are able to apply their classroom learning to hands-on, real-life situations.

Students involved in Graphic Communications, for instance, undertake various printing jobs for the school and the community.

They must interact with clients via email and telephone in a professional manner and therefore learn valuable skills for the job market.

Students in Design & Visual Communications created a pedestrian alert system for a town in Ethiopia to allow members of the community to cross the street safely. The invention was entered into the White House Science Fair, and the design students were able to meet president Obama as a result.

The design process, as well as working for a real client, allowed them to simulate a real design job.

Whether these programs are taken at an exploratory or a major level, they provide students with a tangible representation of their classroom learning and with a greater appreciation and understanding of the various jobs they can lead to.

A benefit of these complex programs is the opportunity to take them at many levels.

For example, students who have no desire to pursue a career in automotive industries are still able to learn the basics of automotive maintenance and repair in the course’s exploratory level.

Majors, on the other hand, gain in-depth exposure to their chosen field, allowing them to prepare for the career path they hope to pursue.

The Newtonite recognizes these programs that help students find paths they can feel passionate about.

file photo

Soldering: A seventh grader from Orchard Gardens School in Roxbury solders wires together for an electrical project as part of Design & Visual Communications’ new enrichment program focused on design and engineering. Read more about CVTE classes on pages 20 and 21.

Unleveled classes encourage collaboration, camaraderie Emily Moss One of the hidden advantages of exploratory Career, Vocational, and Technical Education (CVTE) courses is that they bring students together in a setting where there are no academic tracks or curriculum levels—that is, where students are not separated into courses labeled College Prep, Advanced College Prep, Honors, or AP. This is a rare occurrence at North, where the practice of grouping students by curriculum level—historically referred to as “tracking”—affects all of us, every day, in virtually all of our core classes.

In some respects, dividing students in this way makes for a very special classroom environment. Students who are particularly interested in, say, math and science, can opt to push themselves hardest in those fields and enroll in honors and AP classes, where they have the opportunity to learn at a faster pace alongside peers who share similar passions. Those who have less of a background in a particular subject area can enroll in classes that are geared more to their needs and interests, while teachers can tailor their lesson plans accordingly.

Still, there comes a point when we need to ask whether this grouping has gone too far, especially because one of the by

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

Editors in chief — Camille Bowman, Maxwell Kozlov Managing editor — Jessica Tharaud News director — Jacob Sims Speyer News editors — Jackie Gong, Cate Waters Sports director — Adam Rabinowitz Sports editors — Blake Krantz, Andrew Mannix

Arts editors — Rose Bostwick, Amy Morrill Features director — Emily Moss Features editors — Maya Abou-Rizk, Maya Metser Opinion/Blogs editors — Adam Clements, Isabel Joyce On Campus editor — Lucy Lu Talk of the Tiger editor — Nour Chahboun Photography managers — Devin Perlo, Josh Shub-Seltzer

Graphics managers — Valeria Dountcheva, Maria Trias Advertising manager — Astrid Kugener Business manager — Rachel Adamsky Technology manager — Michael Tang Advisers — Tom Fabian, Derek Knapp, Amanda Mazzola Photo staff — Teddy Everett Talk of the Tiger staff — Maria Melissa, Mary Solovyeva

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 will publish 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.

Students interested in getting involved with the Newtonite can email us, visit the staff in 273, or sign up for Journalism I in the fall.

most powerful advantages of public education is bringing people together, across traditional divides.

Since 2010, educators in Newton and throughout the country have been working to implement a set of standards known as the “Common Core,” which are intended to equalize and improve education for students nationwide.

column In fact, this focus on what we have in common has always loomed large in American education. When public schools were first established in this country, back in the 19th century, they were called “Common Schools”—institutions that were open to all children, with a common curriculum, for everyone.

Today, our public schools are certainly open to everyone, but our individual classes often are not.

Horace Mann—the founding father of American public education—declared in 1848 that “education…is the great equalizer of the conditions of men.” These words emerged as one of the main slogans of the Common School movement and, remarkably, were penned while Mann was living in West Newton—on the corner of Chestnut and Highland, just over a mile from our school.

Clearly, then, the importance of bringing students together in our public schools has long been celebrated in Newton.

Mann was right. From a social standpoint, we’re all citizens of the same community, and school is a place where we should all learn to work together. From an educational standpoint, common classes allow us to learn from each other—something that is surely lost when students in a particular subject area are isolated from each other.

Instead, shouldn’t we try to encourage collaboration—at least for part of the school day— among people who have different strengths and experiences?

I’m quite sure that Horace Mann would have said this was one of the main reasons for creating

public schools in the first place.

In the end, it all comes down to finding a balance—that is, doing our best to allow each student to learn at his or her own pace while also ensuring that students have certain opportunities to work together in untracked classes.

Fortunately, we have a model for doing this right in front of us: the exploratory CVTE classes, which already cross curriculum and grade levels and are open to all. As senior Vikram Krishnamachari, a student in carpentry, writes in his senior statement, CVTE classes such as carpentry provide “an even playing field, where everyone has the same goal of finishing the project” and where students can develop friendships and learn to collaborate.

Given the strengths of this model, it’s not clear whether we should be limiting it solely to electives. Indeed, we should consider leaving one core subject untracked, so that students in each grade level could convene for an hour a day in a more inclusive environment.

At the very least, we need to open this issue up for discussion among students, parents, and teachers. Perhaps the School Committee or the Student Faculty Administration—possibly in collaboration with the Leadership class—should explore the topic. After all, the practice of segmenting students by curriculum level affects all of us, and we should all voice our opinions on how far to take it.

Letters The Newtonite serves as a designated forum for student opinion. 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.

retirements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

Maria Procopio expands students’ visions Amy Morrill “When I walk into a classroom, I smile,” said Italian teacher Maria Procopio, who is retiring from the Newton Public Schools this year after 36 years.

Born in Calabria, Italy, Procopio moved to the United States at the age of 14, and grew up in both Lexington and Arlington, graduating from Arlington High School in 1975.

When she was young, she described helping kids in her neighborhood who were having trouble in school––the start of a lifelong career.

Procopio majored in Italian and French at UMass Boston and earned a master’s degree in education from Tufts University.

She also took courses at Boston College and many other colleges in the area.

Soon after she graduated from UMass Boston in 1979, Procopio began teaching Italian and French at F.A. Day Middle School.

She loved the job and said, “I couldn’t believe they paid me to do it because I always wanted to teach.”

Before coming to North, Procopio worked at Day for 23 years, where she enjoyed working with younger kids and sharing “both my culture and my country with them.” She focused on people experiencing Italian culture and organized trips to Italy for eighth graders and their parents.

When her children went to college, Procopio made the decision to transfer to North.

She began working at the high by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

“Students know that she will do everything she can to help them be successful, but they also know that she’s not playing,” said Riley housemaster Mark Aronson. school in 2002.

She explained that coming to North was a great experience because she knew many of the students and colleagues from her time at Day and felt very welcomed.

“It was really wonderful because kids were happy to see

me here, and I had colleagues that had come here from middle school,” said Procopio.

Housemaster Mark Aronson, who worked with Procopio at Day before coming to North, said that Procopio brought some of the “spirit” that middle school teachers have to the high school,

and that “some of that spirit became part of the world language department,” a legacy that will last beyond her time here.

In part, Procopio wanted to become an Italian teacher to break stereotypes of Italians.

According to Procopio, Italians were often not looked at in “a positive way” in the seventies, and she wanted to change that by giving as many people as possible the opportunity to learn about Italy and its contributions to the world.

World language department head Nancy Marrinucci said that Procopio achieved this goal.

“In her own teaching of Italian and Italian culture, and as a person who was born in Italy, she has worked really hard to dispel stereotypes,” explained Marrinucci.

For Procopio, one of the best experiences in teaching is knowing that she helped students find themselves and grow into responsible adults.

“When that happens, you feel like you’ve made a difference in someone’s life,” said Procopio.

“That’s what you want to do is feel like you’ve gone through this life, made a difference, and helped the world be a better place.”

She describes her teaching philosophy as “using the subject matter in a way that expands the vision of the children, and gives them a window into the world.”

In doing this, Procopio is able to build strong relationships with her students and help many of them find a place at the school.

“She connects with kids that may not feel connected in school,” said Aronson. “She holds them accountable, but she does it with a smile. Students know that she will do everything she can to help them be successful, but they also know that she’s not playing.”

Marrinucci added that, “at this point in her life, she’s a mother figure to a lot of kids.”

Procopio said that she is “leaving a piece” of herself at this school because of how much she has given of herself to the Italian program, her students, and the school. Procopio added that she leaves “with the notion that it’s important to be kind and to realize that each child is special and has their own views, and therefore one of the teacher’s roles is to help them grow.”

“She leaves a legacy of a strong Italian program,” said Marrinucci. “She has added to and enhanced the program.”

After her retirement, Procopio said she plans on “opening the door, looking out, and seeing what’s out there.”

She says that because of her love of teaching, she has given it her “heart and soul” and has not truly explored other activities.

Procopio enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family ––including her grandchildren and parents––gardening, and travelling, among other things.

“There are so many things that I’m interested in that I won’t know where to start first,” said Procopio. “I will not be bored.”

Brad MacGowan helps students find future paths Jackie Gong The belief that “there’s a college for everybody” has been Brad MacGowan’s philosophy for the past 21 years. MacGowan is retiring after counseling students at North for over two decades, first as a guidance counselor and eventually as a college and career counselor.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, MacGowan grew up in both Chelmsford and Andover, and graduated from Andover High School in 1975. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in psychology and master ’s degree in school counseling.

MacGowan later received his doctorate in 2001, with all three degrees earned from Boston University.

Interested in both psychology and education, MacGowan decided that “school counseling combined the two.”

MacGowan served as a school counselor to Newburyport High School in Massachusetts for five years before coming to North as a guidance counselor in 1990.

MacGowan described his first year as overwhelming.

“I went from a school that had 600 students to a school that had 2,000 students,” he said. “I felt lost sometimes, but I quickly realized what a great school this is and what a great place it is to work. I eventually learned my way around.”

After four years as a guidance counselor at North, MacGowan became a counselor in the College and Career Center.

MacGowan’s dedication to finding a perfect match for each individual completely captures the essence of his goals. “I just want to help them follow their dreams,” he said. “Whenever students tell me they have a dream, that’s what I go with. I don’t try to change it; it’s their dream and their life. Every student is an individual, and you listen to that individual.” by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

“Whenever students tell me they have a dream, that’s what I go with. I don’t try to change it; it’s their dream, and their life,” said college and career counselor Brad MacGowan.

For a man with this mindset, MacGowan has certainly found his fit here at North.

“He is so knowledgeable” about college counseling, said counselor Melissa Hanenberger.

She added that MacGowan “really knows this field inside and out. We will describe what a student is looking for in a college and ask what college would be a good fit for the student. We have never been able to stump him, and he always finds one that fits.”

MacGowan has also been a “constant resource” in the community, said Hanenberger.

“Teachers call and stop by his office all the time with a quick question about a student, a college, or Naviance.”

MacGowan also sees the community at this school as a “perfect match” for him as well.

“I really feel as though this school has been a really good fit for me. It’s an open-minded, tolerant, inclusive community.

The values of this community fit my values.”

Working at North has also opened many doors for MacGowan.

“I’ve gotten involved in a lot of regional and national associations. I got into some leadership positions and did some work in government-relations, and if I were at another school, I don’t think a lot of that would have ever happened,” he said.

Even through all of the hectic moments in his job, MacGowan always remembered to smile.

“There are many moments when Dr. MacGowan has provided levity when we really needed to laugh and relax as a department,” said guidance

department head Beth Swederskas.

Hanenberger shared a similar opinion. “Dr. MacGowan would be the one to crack a joke when we needed it the most— his timing and sense of humor is impeccable.”

“This is a great place to be,” MacGowan said. “When I come in everyday, I see my colleagues working with students, caring about them, helping them. You come in, and when you leave you feel like you’ve really accomplished something. I just always felt as though it was really a privilege to work here.

“The thing about North is that it just seems like there’s so much going on, and it’s all meaningful. We don’t just do things because they’ve always been done that way. It’s worthwhile stuff,” he said.

MacGowan will miss the people at North the most. “The students are an amazing group who are interested in their education. There’s amazing teachers and a supportive community,” he said. “You won’t find a school with better students or better teachers anywhere.”

In his 21 years here, the idea of leaving North never crossed MacGowan’s mind. “I literally never once thought, ‘Maybe I’ll look for something else.’ Even if it was open to me, or suggested to me, I never did it,” he said.

“He is such a presence in the College and Career Center, and we have all greatly benefitted from his knowledge and expertise in the field of college counseling,” said Hanenberger.

“Not only has he imparted his knowledge, but he has provided a lot of inspiration. He is definitely leaving big shoes to fill.”

“We will miss his conviction to help all students, regardless of their circumstances, and champion for those who have less access to resources,” said Swederskas. “We will miss his vast experience… and his willingness to help students, families, and faculty. He has been an unsung hero, who is incredibly dependable, and goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

MacGowan said he is interested in the history of medicine and public health and plans to work on a history project after his retirement in Lowell, MA with the city historian. He also said he would like to do a bit of research and writing on his own.

MacGowan said he hopes that he has upheld the model of the College and Career Center.

“It was here when I got here and is still here now; I hope I’ve had a hand in preserving that, and I hope that it continues,” he said. “This place is amazing, and people go on to do amazing things after that, too.”

retirements

4 ◆ Newton North, Newtonite

Monday, June 8, 2015

Zhu fosters intellectual curiosity in class Blake Krantz “I am proud to be a teacher because I believe that teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world,” said Chinese teacher Bin Zhu. “I enjoy teaching so much, and even though I may not continue to teach, I will continue to learn new things everyday.”

Zhu is retiring from teaching after a career spanning over 40 years, including 25 years teaching Chinese at North.

Over the course of his career, Zhu has taught thousands of students of many different ages.

He said that “each has its individual spot” in his memories.

Zhu grew up in Wuhan, China. Both of his parents were teachers: his father, Qian Feng, taught English in China for 20 years, and his mother taught math before later becoming an engineer.

After graduating from high school in China in 1974, Zhu became an elementary school teacher in the Chinese countryside for three and a half years.

Zhu explained that he was chosen because “in the poor Chinese countryside, there were not many educated people. A high school graduate was considered to be a highly educated person. My job was comparable to teachers who are sent to Africa to help those people.”

In the Chinese countryside, Zhu saw some of the greatest accomplishments of his career, as he was able to have a positive influence on the children.

“Many of my elementary school students went on to go to college, and I know I really helped change their lives.” Zhu was able to help the kids learn “Chinese, English, math, and other subjects.”

Zhu then became a student at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, where he also taught English to the Chinese Technology students for another three years.

Zhu’s experiences as a teacher in China are just one fasby

Josh Shub-Seltzer

“Even though I may not continue to teach, I will continue to learn new things everyday,” said Chinese teacher Bin Zhu. cinating aspect of his past; as Spanish teacher Christopher Wood put it, part of what makes Zhu what he is are his “very interesting and dramatic life experiences.”

In 1982, Zhu came to the United States to study English as part of a newly-established exchange program between the University in China and Boston University. It was there that Zhu received a master’s degree in teaching and, in 1986, a doctorate in English Literature.

Although Zhu teaches Chinese at North, his initial academic interest was in Shakespeare and English.

Zhu was hired at this school in 1990 by Dave Phelan, the world language department head at the time. Zhu also taught part-time night classes at BU until 1998.

Current world language department head Nancy Marrinucci said that Zhu will leave a lasting legacy, known for being “full of wisdom.”

Marrinucci explained that Zhu was able to “strengthen

the Chinese program and keep it strong” throughout his years teaching at this school.

In large part as a result of Zhu’s influence, the Chinese program is now “accessible to all students,” said Marrinucci.

For Wood, Zhu will be remembered for qualities such as the “love of his students, his wit, and his humanism.”

Zhu recalled that about ten years ago, an article was published in the Newtonite that listed the most common sayings of teachers in the school, asking students to match the sayings with the teachers who often used them.

He did not realize it at the time, but the students figured out that Zhu’s most common saying was “it doesn’t matter.”

Further illustrating his attitude in the classroom with his students, Zhu now feels that his saying represents the class atmosphere he tried to convey, preferring his classes to be “relaxed, like everything would be fine,” he said.

Zhu said that he has intended

lyze how interpretations of The Odyssey have evolved over time.

“I think fostering creativity is extraordinarily important,” she said. “The worst thing a student can ask me is ‘what do you want me to say,’” she added.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Craig-Olins moved to New England where she attended both Wellesley High School and Stamford High School in Connecticut.

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Skidmore College, she received a master’s degree in English Literature and later a master’s degree in teaching from Simmons College.

But Craig-Olins was not originally focused on English. She began as a biology major in college and aspired to become a marine biologist. One of her professors encouraged her to pursue English, and she found that she “was more interested in reading and writing about science than I was working in a lab.”

Craig-Olins’ interest in the use of text and art started with her first job as an editorial assistant at The Atlantic in Boston, and later as an art editor in the school art department at Houghton Mifflin.

In 1995, Craig-Olins started teaching part time at the Torah Academy Middle School.

In 1998, she began working at North, hired by former English department head Brenda Keegan.

But just like many students, Craig-Olins found her first day at school scary. “When you are new at something, when you are new at anything, you don’t know how it will play out,” she said. However, she quickly learned from her colleagues and became more acquainted to the classroom.

English teacher Janice Miller views Craig-Olins as a very good teacher. “She really understands the craft of writing and helps students become stronger writers,” said Miller.

In addition to teaching standard English classes, CraigOlins taught an experimental elective called “Earth Labs and Literature,” an interdisciplinary class combining science and English.

One of her favorite curriculums that she teaches is the junior course. “I like the focus on American literature,” she said.

“I love teaching transcendentalism, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson. I love teaching poetry.”

However, Craig-Olins’ love

for his classes to be relaxed because students lead very stressful, chaotic lives. He said that his goal is to provide a “positive and relaxed” atmosphere so that students can alleviate their anxieties as much as possible.

Marrinucci also noted his incredible work ethic and humility, adding that for anything he was asked to do, Zhu was always able to quietly “get it done,” even daunting tasks. For example, Zhu has succeeded in creating a bond between his diverse group of students.

The Chinese program includes a mix of native speakers and students completely new to the language, a gap that is difficult to bridge. But Zhu has consistently brought his students together, and has always been “beloved by his students because he can connect with them,” said Marrinucci.

Zhu has always tried to “emphasize the individual difference” between his students, with varied backgrounds at all of the different levels and schools of his long and successful career.

The Chinese philosopher Confucius once said to “teach each student according to what he or she is.” Zhu said he is a firm believer in this concept and in the fact that there is no universal teaching method.

“Some students may constantly need more encouragement, while some students are very motivated, and what you have to do is put more pressure to challenge them,” he said.

Additionally, Marrinucci and Wood said that Zhu has also helped other teachers to improve.

Wood described Zhu as a “great mentor of young teachers,” and Marrinucci said that Zhu’s mentorship of other teachers is yet another way Zhu has positively impacted North.

Marrinucci explained that Zhu has always been willing to “share his teaching techniques and strategies” with teachers

not only in the world language department, but also with Chinese teachers throughout Newton.

During his teaching career, Zhu has tried to instill an “intellectual curiosity” in his students, something he said is essential in learning.

According to Zhu, this curiosity is “like a starting point,” and that when his students “develop that intellectual curiosity, they have a very good beginning, and it will be much easier for them to continue.”

Zhu said, “A teacher should try to learn more about their students and try to make them see their own future; help them make decisions and see that learning can help them create this future. Teachers should make students enjoy learning and make students see the necessity of learning.”

Outside of this school, Zhu enjoys hobbies such as cooking, gardening, and playing the violin. Zhu tutors young violin players, something he plans to continue after he retires.

Looking back, Zhu explained the many different jobs of a good teacher and how he has always tried to provide all that he can for his generations of students.

“A teacher should have three different roles to play. They should play as a father or mother, taking care of the kids; as an educator, leading the students to the new world; and finally, as an entertainer, to make the students happy.”

An illustration of his love for English literature, Zhu modified the ending of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” to describe his career at North: A great while ago my job here begun, With a Nihao, Ciao, Hola, and Bonjour, But that’s all one, my work at North is done; I have striven to please you every hour.

English teacher Craig-Olins encourages creativity Jake Sims Speyer “One of the things that I love so much about teaching is that I’m learning all the time,” said English teacher Elizabeth Craig-Olins. “Teaching is always interesting.”

After teaching at this school for 17 years, Craig-Olins is retiring from her job as an English teacher. She has taught freshmen, juniors, and seniors since she was hired at North in 1998 and has always tried to engage her students in unique ways.

What separates Craig-Olins the most from her colleagues is her use of art and multimedia to gain different perspectives in literature. This reflects her passion for creativity and innovation.

In fact, Craig-Olins’ love for art can be seen by walking into her classroom as the walls are decorated with paintings from floor to ceiling. This extends in her classes, which are known for their creative elements.

For example, freshmen create multi-media projects to anaby

Devin Perlo

“ I think fostering creativity

is extraordinarily important,” said English teacher Elizabeth Craig-Olins. of poetry did not develop overnight. “It wasn’t until I started teaching poetry that I got to love it more,” she said. “Some are like puzzles where when you first read it, you have an impression but don’t have a clue what it’s about.”

During her time teaching, Craig-Olins helped organize the “Teachers as Scholars” program within the North English department, which allows teachers to engage in intensive study of subject matter in their field.

“She believed in the program and took on the responsibility to keep it for us,” said English teacher Peter Goddard.

Miller also noted that CraigOlins leaves an impact on the department. “She has a very independent voice and is very

passionate about the subject.

Her experience and her passion really support newer teachers who come into the department.”

Goddard shared a similar opinion, saying that she supports “the idea that the department is a group, not just a collection of individuals.”

In her time at North, CraigOlins has seen a lot of change.

Early on, she said that she used technology more than most other English teachers. “I got grants from the Newton Foundation to work with computers doing this art, and design, and text combination,” she said.

She has also seen a change in both teaching styles and student habits. Ten years ago, teachers had more freedom to teach, Craig-Olins remarked.

Students have also “come up more programmed to do things in a certain way,” she said, noting that they take school more seriously, but are more focused on grades.

In her retirement, CraigOlins plans to spend time biking, cooking, kayaking, and traveling. She also wants to re-involve herself with graphic design and photography.

Moving forward, Craig-Olins has one suggestion for students.

“Read with a pencil. Write to discover what you think,” she said. Additionally, she quoted author Mark Twain. “The time to begin writing is when you have finished... by that time you begin to perceive what you really want to say.”

retirements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Bergan uses varied career to aid students Maya Abou-Rizk “I have loved every bit of my 25 years in the Newton Public Schools,” said assistant superintendent of secondary education and special projects Cynthia Bergan. “There is nothing better than doing this kind of work with students. I am really grateful.”

Bergan began her educational career student-teaching for housemaster Mark Aronson at F.A. Day Middle School in 1989.

After a year of student-teaching for Aronson, Bergan taught math for eight years at F.A. Day Middle School. Bergan then came to North and taught math full-time for three years.

“I consider myself fortunate that she wandered into my classroom because she really raised my game,” said Aronson.

Bergan is “caring, motivated, an amazing friend,” and her coworkers admire her, he added.

“She works really hard to make the best decisions for the students,” said Aronson. When a decision Bergan makes does not please the whole crowd, she still manages to make everyone feel as if their opinions are heard, according to Aronson.

“It’s really admirable to have that kind of relationship with people: where you’re able to get your viewpoint across but everyone still walks away feeling as if they’ve been heard,” he said.

Bergan has a talent of putting herself in the perspective of her students and their families, according to science department head Amy Winston, who worked alongside Bergan at North.

“She helped me better understand the delicate balance between what students need, what by

file photo

“I consider myself fortunate that she wandered into my classroom because she really raised my game,” said Riley housemaster Mark Aronson. families want, and what schools think is best. She could see the perspectives as a Venn diagram and could find the overlap that was best for the students.”

In 2001, Bergan became assistant principal of North for two years. She then became the math department head from 2003 until 2011, when she left North for her current position.

“Her positive energy was an amazing contribution to the NNHS administrative team,” said Winston. “She knew when to make us laugh, how to lead us through difficult scenarios, and how to be a keystone in the administrative team.”

Bergan did not always know that she wanted to teach. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1973, where she majored

in economics and political science.

Early on, Bergan entered the computer industry and worked as a systems analyst installing computer systems.

Bergan enjoyed exploring new careers after college. “The computer industry was new and refreshing and it was so much fun to be a part of it while it was in its early stages,” she said.

Bergan feels great to have been given the opportunity to work at this school. “I could not be happier that I made the decision to leave the computer industry to become a teacher,” she said.

When Bergan had her three children, she kept consulting in order to “keep her hand in.”

After some time, Bergan decided to return to school to become a teacher. She was inspired to do this during one of her consulting jobs.

“I was supposed to teach computer science at a technical institute, and I found out I really loved it. There I realized, ‘Wow, this is for me,’” said Bergan. She then changed career paths and started teaching.

Bergan earned her administrator’s credential through a program offered by the education collaborative, EDCO. “A lot of former Newton teachers and superintendents had input in the program,” said Bergan. “That made it a really great experience.”

Bergan then went on to receive her master ’s degree from Harvard University in the Graduate School of Education, specializing in mathematics.

The reason Bergan became a math teacher and not a com-

puter science teacher like her majors and experience suggested was because she had always loved mathematics, Bergan said.

“Math was broader to me, and I had always loved the subject even though my degree wasn’t in it. I just loved it; I thought it was a beautiful discipline,” she added.

In addition, Bergan noted that computer education was not as relevant in schools in 1990 as it is now, as there were no laptops and minimal desktops for students to use.

“Mostly, I chose math education over everything else

because I wanted to teach something broader, where I could really investigate and continue learning,” Bergan continued.

“That is what I was really interested in and what I knew I wanted to do.”

Her careers in mathematics, science, and computer engineering show her versatility.

Aronson said, “She has turned down more jobs than most people get offered.” “ The biggest piece that makes her so great is that she makes the best decisions for the students,” he added.

CONGRATULATIONS KYLE MENDELSOHN!

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! LOVE, MOM, BLAIR, AND CLAIRE

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship

Congratulations Kat , Liv and Bri! We are so proud of you!

retirements

6 ◆ Newton North, Newtonite

Monday, June 8, 2015

Heidlage puts emphasis on world affairs Jessica Tharaud Throughout her 17 years at North, history teacher Katharine Heidlage has always emphasized analytical thinking and the importance of world affairs in her classes.

Born in Geneva, New York and raised in Pittsford, New York, Heidlage relocated to the Boston area at 12 and has lived here ever since. She graduated from Beaver Country Day School in 1969 and majored in government with a focus on Chinese government at Smith College before receiving a juris doctor degree from Boston University School of Law and a master’s degree in law and taxation from Boston University.

Heidlage worked as a lawyer for 17 years in the Boston area before deciding to become a teacher. She worked as a substitute teacher at Oak Hill Middle School for a semester in 1998 before coming to this school, where she has spent her entire teaching career. Heidlage said that she has always been interested in public affairs and brought that passion to North.

“In many ways I think I’m a better teacher because I had experience in a different field beforehand,” Heidlage said, adding that practicing law requires some of the same skills as teaching. As a lawyer, Heidlage said that she would use her knowledge to advise clients on the “best way to proceed according to the law.” Similarly, she said that as a teacher, her job is to introduce students to critical thinking so that they can make informed decisions about the world. But Heidlage has enby

joyed teaching much more than she enjoyed the law.

Because of her life-long passion for exploring the world and governmental institutions, she has emphasized the importance of world issues to her students.

This focus on the world is a key part of her teaching philosophy, and she sees it as a very important part of being a knowledgeable citizen.

“There are a lot of world issues that are very important to us now as world citizens,” Heidlage explained. “If you don’t understand American history or world history, how are you going to be able to help govern this country?”

For Heidlage, her favorite parts of teaching are seeing students improve and reconnecting with past students.

She said that talking with past students who have taken what they learned and applied it to their careers has made her realize that students really do learn from her classes and that she has influenced their lives in a beneficial way.

History department head Jonathan Bassett said that Heidlage showed sincere “dedication and tenacity with her students,” recalling a former student of hers who had trouble with his junior thesis and likely would not have completed it without her help.

“She required him to come for extra help, called home regularly, and essentially pushed him through by her own insistence on his success,” Bassett added.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, H e i d l a g e brought that same commitment to the history department as a whole. “She has never hesitated

Josh Shub-Seltzer

“Her questions and insights forced me to be more careful and clear about just about everything I tried to do,” said history department head Jonathan Bassett. to tell me when she thought we were headed in the wrong direction, but she also let me know when she thought we were headed in the right direction – even if that direction was not especially popular,” Bassett said. “Her questions and insights forced me to be more careful and clear about just about everything I tried to do.”

And in class, Heidlage made it a point to encourage her students to pay attention to world events and to write clearly and purposefully.

Because of her focus on world affairs, Heidlage created the AP Comparative Government class for seniors, which was a defining moment in her career. Before teaching the course at this school, she taught

it as an independent study to a few interested students. The group met every week for an entire school year, and she used these informal classes to formulate the AP Comparative Government curriculum, which emphasizes the different political systems and power structures of other countries.

After taking the course, Heidlage said that many former students have gone on to pursue careers related to international relations and politics. “I’m very happy about that,” she said. The course did not run this year, but next year it will be taught by history teacher Subheen Razzaqui.

“I know I have big shoes to fill,” Razzaqui said. The course has been popular with students at this school because of the

“intellectual depth and passion” that Heidlage has for the class, according to Razzaqui.

Additionally, Heidlage’s focus on teaching the importance of world affairs to her students is evident in her other classes.

For the countries project, students in her sophomore honors Modern World History class research an assigned country throughout the year, compiling interesting articles into a portfolio at the end of the year. “They always seem to be astonished at how little they knew about a particular country and how much more they know” after completing the project, she said.

The project “gets them more involved in world affairs,” Heidlage added. “I’m proud of that.”

This summer, Heidlage will travel to China for three and a half weeks. She hopes to travel out of the country at least once a year after she retires. She will also edit a history book written by Bassett and Brookline history department head Gary Schiffman and a law book written by her husband.

After she retires, Heidlage said that she will miss the people she has met at this school the most. “I’ll miss talking with the teachers, I’ll miss the interaction everyday with students.”

“I will miss her smile and the gleam she gets in her eyes right before she tells a story she enjoys,” Razzaqui said. “I’ve been friends with her for fifteen years at this school and expect her to be there in the history department. It will be strange to not see her around.”

Lallas engages students in insightful discussions Maya Metser “When Jim teaches, he seems almost possessed. Not in The Exorcist Linda Blair spin-yourhead-360-degrees sort of scary way, but his teaching seems to possess his very soul,” said English department head Melissa Dilworth in her remarks to faculty about Jim Lallas, who is retiring after 14 years of teaching at this school.

According to Dilworth, Lallas will be remembered for his eccentricities, his unconventional teaching, and his daring to dream. She describes him as “well-versed in life.”

Lallas grew up in Massachusetts, but spent his summers on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire in 1968. Exeter became the first place he taught at, as a visiting fellow.

While in high school, Lallas co -founded the Harlem Children’s workshop. Lallas explained that this was a project of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Urban League, an organization that helps New Yorkers gain access to equal opportunities in employment, education, and financial and technological literacy, as stated in the New York Urban League website. The task of the Harlem Children’s Workshop was to set up an arts workshop for economically-deprived children in Harlem.

Lallas attended Yale University, where he changed his major frequently. He intended to study geology, but he ended up with more credits in art, art history, architecture, and literature.

“I did my thesis at Yale about Lowell, MA and a city in Virginia and how those two places’ geology made them wealthy and possible,” said Lallas. “This thesis was the source of my interest by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

“In Mr. Lallas, I found a teacher that wanted me to get to a higher level of thinking and

maturity, to where I could think critically about some idea and have an insightful discussion about it,” said Chris Frattaroli ’03. in architectural development.

From this, I was invited to join the board of directors of the Human Services Corporation of Lowell.”

Construction and real estate was one part of Lallas’ varied career, as he also taught and founded programs to help kids achieve their goals. He taught in Dracut, Massachusetts, where he initiated the first AP English program at Dracut High School; in Woodstock, Vermont, as a history of art and literature teacher; and in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

Lallas was also the founding program director for Step Up to Excellence, which is a privatelyfunded mentoring program in public schools. “It focused on working with poorer children.

We went to small cities with big city problems,” he said.

The program was first set up in Fitchburg as an experiment.

When it was successful, the program expanded.

“In Step Up to Excellence, you could see radical changes in students’ lives in just months.

That’s very rewarding,” said Lallas. According to Lallas, the program supported the children financially to achieve their goals, including traveling the world, going to college, or any dreams they might have for after high school. Step Up to Excellence continues to motivate students to reach their goals.

While teaching at Fitchburg, Lallas founded and coached the school’s mock trial team.

His team went to State Finals against this school, which is how he learned of North.

Lallas also went to the Yale Graduate Seminars at Bris-

sago, Switzerland for design.

“I was lucky enough to study with R.W.B. Lewis and Helen Frankenthaler,” he said.

Lallas became an English teacher at this school in 2001.

“I will never forget the day that principal Jennifer Huntington went out of her way on the first day of school to tell me she was glad I joined the faculty.”

He said, “I have always been interested in teaching and learning. I started teaching when I was still a student in high school.”

As a teacher, Lallas said he “believes deeply in utter openness in thought and expression in the classroom” and in “the humanity and the questioning of students.”

He has taught every grade in high school and all levels of English, but he said he prefers

to teach juniors and seniors because of their intellectual maturity. “When you see a class where the students’ intellectual curiosity has been piqued and who are so invested in a text, that’s exciting,” he said.

Chris Frattaroli ’03 said, “In Mr. Lallas, I found a teacher that wanted me to get to a higher level of thinking and maturity to where I could think critically about some idea and have an insightful discussion about it.”

According to English teacher Kate Shaughnessy, Lallas has a very particular teaching style “because he really holds the subject of English literature in a very high esteem.” She added, “I’ve heard from students that he could easily spend half the year on A Farewell to Arms because he just loves to dig into every word, phrase, and sentence, helping his students appreciate the nuances in one of his favorite texts to teach.”

Chris Frattaroli ’03 said, “in a time where education and the value of it is based on how well students can memorize facts for a standardized test, it becomes difficult to find a teacher who takes the next step.” He added that teachers normally told him what to think, but Lallas was an exception; he truly cared about what students had to say.

Shaughnessy said, “Just today when I was trying to compile a list of poems that would fit well with the junior reading curriculum, he was immediately able to rattle off a half-dozen titles and poets. Not only did he have this knowledge off the top of his head, he was so excited to share it with me and to add ideas about how it might connect to some of our core texts.”

After retirement, Lallas said he plans to rest, fish, golf, and indulge in the luxury of freedom from a schedule.

retirements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

Mulligan encourages students to explore Jackie Gong “A good teacher is like a great candle; it consumes itself to light the way for others,” wrote sophomore Marie Chiofilo, in her good-bye to EDCO program director Edward Mulligan for The EDCO Eagle News. “Mr. Mulligan, you are our candle.

You have shown all of us EDCO students the way to be successful through our years.”

After nearly four decades working in the Newton Public Schools system, Mulligan will be retiring.

Born in West Point, New York, Mulligan grew up in Newburgh, New York and attended Newburgh Free Academy, a high school around the same size as North, and graduated in 1970.

Mulligan worked many different jobs before becoming a teacher, including positions as a newspaper deliverer, a waiter, and a custodian for a bowling alley.

Originally planning on attending St. John Fishers College and becoming a speech therapist, Mulligan did not have enough money for college but accepted a scholarship to Mount Saint Mary College. At the time, the school only had three majors: nursing, liberal arts, and education. Mulligan decided on education and found that he liked it.

“One day I was flipping through the graduate school catalogue and saw ‘Teacher of the Deaf’ as a job,” said Mulligan. “I had no idea what it was, but I said, ‘That’s what I want to be.’”

Mulligan also earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Mount Saint Mary College, a master’s degree in deaf education at Gallaudet University, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies by

(CAGS) at Boston State College, which is now known as UMass Boston, and a doctorate at Boston College.

After moving from Washington D.C., Mulligan started working at F.A. Day Middle School, teaching students who were deaf and hard of hearing in 1976. In 1983, the ninth grade moved up from middle school to high school, and Mulligan became the director of the EDCO program at both North and Day, a position he would hold for 32 years.

Mulligan describes his first year at North as an “exciting year because it felt like there were a lot of people who didn’t know what to expect.” Many teachers and students were moving up to the high school, and Mulligan was among them.

Mulligan noted that a big change in all his years teaching has been technology. “It has allowed deaf students to have much more communication, and it has helped them to become much more independent.”

Over the years, Mulligan has strongly believed in providing students with many different experiences. “Experience is three-quarters of the battle,” he said. “The more positive experiences we can give to students, the more they’re ready to deal with reality.”

Mulligan will miss the students at North the most. “They have made me want to come in every day to teach because you know that you’re touching the future and helping them prepare for their own futures,” said Mulligan.

In response to Mulligan’s retirement, the students of the EDCO program contributed to this year’s spring/summer volume of The EDCO Eagle News, which featured student

Josh Shub-Seltzer

“Dr. Mulligan has taught me to, ‘change what you can, accept what you can’t, and do the best you can,’” said EDCO teacher Joan Siskind. memories and thoughts about Mulligan.

“If there is a person in my high school that I am extremely thankful to, that person is you, Dr. Mulligan,” wrote senior Eric Belozovsky. “You have done way more than any normal principal or program director.”

EDCO teacher Joan Siskind will miss Mulligan as well. “I will miss his equanimity under pressure,” she said. “We might have an interpreter out or a

teacher out, and he’s the one who doesn’t get stressed about the daily occurrences of delegating positions. Dr. Mulligan has taught me to ‘change what you can, accept what you can’t, and do the best you can,’” she said.

Mulligan’s best memories of his job have been hearing about the successes of his students after they leave North. “I recently learned that a former EDCO student was named superintendent of Rochester School for the

Deaf. When students come back to visit and let me know how they’re doing, it’s very special because it feels like we’ve had a little bit of a hand in helping them to achieve.

“Being here at North makes you realize what a great school system is all about,” said Mulligan. “There is so much wonderful teaching that goes on everyday here, and being here just keeps raising your expectations for students and staff.”

Siskind added, “When he took over EDCO, the essence of the program became Mulligan.

He was the face of the EDCO program, and his boots are going to be hard to replace.”

In her farewell to Mulligan in The EDCO Eagle News, senior Maryah Arzola wrote something similar. “When I think about Mr. Mulligan, I think that he is EDCO. Without him there is no EDCO,” she wrote.

As for Mulligan’s plans after retirement, he plans to “see what opportunities come along.

I’ve been involved in deafness for 42 years, so I’ll probably do something related to deafness,” he said.

Mulligan also enjoys refinishing furniture. “I have an old barn next to my house, and maybe someday I’ll start a refinishing business,” he said.

Mulligan has treasured his years in the EDCO program. “I have loved my job for so many years, I feel so fortunate to be a person who can say that, and I’ve enjoyed coming to work. It’s never been dull or boring.

“I hope I’ve had a positive impact, and I hope it’s one where students have come to realize that they can do anything that they set their minds to,” he said. “I hope that [North] is a little better place for my having been here.”

David Ticchi inspires students to pursue passions

Jacob Sims Speyer Throughout his work as a faculty member over the last 40 years at this school, career and technical education outreach specialist David Ticchi has broken many boundaries and inspired others as a teacher.

After overcoming hurdles which prevented blind educators from obtaining teaching positions, Ticchi leaves an inspiring legacy and lasting impact on those who have worked with him.

“You don’t have to have 20/20 vision to be respected,” he said.

“He has been an extraordinary role model for students and staff alike,” said Diana Robbins, who directs vocational programs for the Newton Public Schools.

Born in Brockton and raised in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Ticchi attended West Bridgewater High School, where he graduated in 1963. He went on to major in economics at the College of the Holy Cross.

Ticchi had his first encounter with teaching when he joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and taught Native Americans at a school in Santa Fe. “I really enjoyed it and decided to become a teacher,” he said.

Upon returning to Boston, Ticchi graduated from Harvard University where he received a master’s degree and a doctorate, both in education. When he received his teaching certificate in December 1969, he became one of the first blind teachers in the state.

“The challenge was to get a job. I sent out hundreds of resumes. Many interviews, all rejections,” he said. Principals had multiple concerns, accordby

Josh Shub-Seltzer

“He always approaches his interactions with students from a loving and compassionate perspective, no matter what their struggle is. He sees the best in everybody,” said carpentry teacher Garrett Tingle. ing to Ticchi, such as, “Can blind teachers run and use technical equipment? Are kids going to cheat if they have a blind teacher?”

In 1971, he was hired by principal Ernest Van Seasholes to teach seventh grade English at F. A. Day Middle School.

After six years, Ticchi “made a very difficult decision,” and left education to work for Kurzweil Computer Products, a subsidiary of Xerox. He worked as an International Marketing Manager selling text-to-speech devices equipment for the blind.

In 1990, he “felt the urge to get back into education,” he continued. Ticchi received a position at North at the ninth

and tenth grade program, which later became the Networks and Links program. “They were for kids who may have had attendance issues and needed ways to better connect into the mainstream,” Ticchi said.

When he first started at the school, Ticchi said he was “joyful. I had some apprehension about how I would be received by my colleagues, and perhaps the community. As time went on, those apprehensions went away.”

Since then, Ticchi has worked for the career, vocational, and technical education department, where he is responsible for outreach to middle schools and students who attend South

but partake in vocational classes at North.

At first, Ticchi did face a few difficulties. “I caught some kids cheating. We developed an honor code. ‘Do the right thing as if no one was watching and would ever know.’ That worked out well and is something I am proud of,” he said.

Ticchi’s emphasis on moral values has resonated with his colleagues. Ticchi “makes a point of meeting the bus when [South students] are first dropped off,” said Robbins.

“When I watch the way he interacts with students from Newton South, and they watch him, they know that he genuinely cares for them.”

Carpentry teacher Garrett Tingle said he agreed, stating that “Ticchi always approaches his interactions with students from a loving and compassionate perspective, no matter what their struggle is. He sees the best in everybody.”

In addition to his position as the liaison to South students and middle schoolers, Ticchi arranges student internships with the Boston-based seafood company Legal Sea Foods, where he plays an active part in developing their code of ethics and leads a course of respect for human differences in his position reporting to the president of the company.

Outside of North, Ticchi has been involved with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) at the local, state, and national levels. In 1998, he was named Blind Educator of the Year.

Ticchi said, “it was the NFB who changed the visual acuity requirements for public school teaching, and by doing so, they helped pave the way for me and created an opportunity for a wonderful career.”

Ticchi is thankful for being able to work at North. “The Newton Public Schools, North in particular, is wonderfully inclusive,” he said. “When a school is inclusive, the entire community benefits.”

After retirement, Ticchi hopes to stay active—both with education and in the gym. Additionally, Ticchi hopes to travel and spend more time with friends and family.

“You can’t help but be inspired by him,” Tingle said.

“Ticchi is an example to everybody.”

advertisements

8 ◆ Newton North, Newtonite

Monday, June 8, 2015

Celebration 2015 Thanks the Donors...

Celebration 2015 thanks Newton North parents and the Newton community for their financial support: Heather Alker Anya Bassett Michele Baxter Lori Beizer Jennifer Blakeley Joel Bloom Marjorie Boone Andrew Budson Lisa and David Carlen Joanne Coyle Michael Crystal Joanne Doherty Mark Feldman Susan Finegan

Peter Gitelman Jennifer Goldstein Laurie Gould Andrea Graf Susan Haber Susan Haber Mary Lyons Hunter Page Kelley Sandra Ledgard Judith Levenfeld Jane Mahmberg Sandra Marwill Marian McDonagh Catherine McEachern

Judith McKay Christine McLennan Robert Mehrez Michaela Millott Lynn Modell Emily Moskowitz Amy Null Dianne O’Sullivan Venkatachalam Peddada PTSO Anastasia Raczek Deborah Ruiz Claire Ryan Eileen Sandberg

Mary Sava Gail Schoenbrunn Annette Seaward Consulting Finance Services Mindy Sherbet Shawna Slack Shannon Slattery Gail Stein Mary Sullivan Tatiana Tolstykh Artann Volpe Mary Webster Hong Xu

Let’s thank and support our local businesses and civic organizations for contributing money to the post-prom party: Corporate Donors Boston Showcase Honda Village Nonantum Children’s Christmas Party John Coyle Inc Aronson Insurance Walter Tennant Village Bank WT Rich Company CBK Designs (Kahane)

Food Donors Anna’s Taqueria, Brookline Antoine’s Pastry Bertucci’s Newton Corner BJ’s Wholesale Club Newtonville Pizza O’Hara’s Russo’s

Shaws Newtonvillle Stop & Shop – Watertown Tango Mango Wally’s Ice Cream, Auburndale Wegmans Chestnut Hill Whitson’s Food Service Whole Foods Newtonville

Monday, June 8, 2015

advertisements

THE BOLD LEARNER TUTOR I can help you with: * mastering the general humanities curriculum (grades 9-12) * conceptualizing and writing your college essay * researching and writing your major English and History papers becoming a bold learner!

Call Sarah Fendrick: 917-903-1946 I have 18 years of tutoring high school students *I offer exible hours and competitive rates I am based in Newton (short walking distance from NNHS)

Congratulations, Nicky!

"SO GOOD!" Love, Mom, Dad, Molly, Ben and Guoguo

Newton North, Newtonite â—† 9

Stay true to who you are Continue to be your own man Respect yourself and others will respect you Congratulations Matthew Class of 2015 Newton North High School We are so proud of you!

Love Mom, Dad & Kyle

community statements

10◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Monday, June 8, 2015

Meet your potential Make impact on community To the Graduating Class of 2015: I am pleased to offer my congratulations to each of you on what is a significant milestone in your life. Your high school graduation is a cause for celebration, and I hope you will take a moment and reflect on your achievement. You have all made extraordinary contributions—in the classroom, on your athletic fields, and in our community—and you all carry tremendous potential as you embark on the next phase of your academic career.

I hope that each of you will build on the solid educational foundation you have received from the talented and dedicated teachers, administrators, and staff in the Newton Public Schools. Have confidence that the world-class education you have received here in Newton has prepared you for the road that lies ahead and has given you the tools to achieve success,

Setti Warren

file photo

and remember that you hold the promise to make our world a better place. I am extremely proud of what you have accomplished and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

—Setti Warren Mayor

Continue learning Congratulations seniors!

Wherever your path beyond Newton North takes you, make the most of the opportunities that come your way. Strive every day to be the best version of yourself you can be.

Education is a life journey, it does not finish here. Learn something new every day. Go forward and make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Remember the glass is always half full.

—Jo Doherty Co-chair Newton North School Council

Jo Doherty

file photo

Trust in your education Dear Class of 2015, 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 the new Newton North! You may have started out with trepidation, but you have gained confidence and a sense of ownership during your time in the school. Newton North has been enriched by signs of your engagement; your participation in clubs, athletics, academics, volunteer efforts, theatre, art, and music, among others, will serve as a testament to your good citizenship and strong growth.

We also hope that you have grown in your ability to make

good decisions through your friendships and through guidance from parents, guardians, teachers, 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, the parents, and guardians we represent, proud.

Congratulations!

—Sally Brickell and Rex Clark PTSO co-presidents

file photo

file photo

Sally Brickell

We are so proud of you!

We know there are even greater things ahead!

Love Mom & Dad & Arrianna

Rex Clark

Dear Class of 2015, Congratulations on what I hope was a rich and meaningful educational experience in the Newton Public Schools. I also hope your years in school have been a time for both academic and emotional growth.

While you have had the privilege of attending school in a beautiful building, I expect you will also remember the teacher that sparked a passion, the adult who helped you through a difficult time, or the individual who pushed you to accomplish things you never deemed possible. I also imagine that you had the opportunity to interact with

others who bring backgrounds and perspectives far different from your own.

As you transition to the next stage of life in this ever-changing world, I hope you continue to have opportunities to learn in ways that allow you to reach their potential. Many of you have also contributed to Newton North and the City of Newton to make them a better place, and I expect that you will continue to positively impact communities and institutions as you move forward.

Best wishes for continued success.

—David Fleishman Superintendent

file photo

David Fleishman

Dream big, challenge yourself Dear Class of 2015, Congratulations!

I want to take this opportunity to wish each of you all the best as you move on from North to take on the next adventure that lies ahead. You have worked hard here at North, whether it was in the classroom, on stage (or behind), in athletics, or in countless other ways. Please take smart chances, continue to challenge yourself personally and intellectually. Ask a lot of questions, and always find the time to laugh often and keep those you love close.

As a Newton North graduate myself, I still reflect on very fond memories and friendships that I had while I was here. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger…

As Eleanor Roosevelt stated, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of your dreams.” Dream both big and small as there are many opportunities and possibilities.

Remember to take care of others, and know you can make a difference in our world. Enjoy, all the best and be well!

—Midge Connolly Vice principal

file photo

Midge Connolly

Mark W. Quigley General Contracting Complete home renovation/building.

Kitchens, baths, interior/exterior.

617 527 3467 markwquigley.com

CONGRATULATIONS, SCOTT! LOVE MOM, DAD, AND STEVEN

Visit theNewtonite.com

Monday, June 8, 2015

advertisements

Newton North, Newtonite â—† 11

12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

faculty statements

Let your journey be epic As I am off now, leaving North to pursue my own adventures, I am very grateful to have a little space here in the Newtonite to say goodbye to my students and to offer a few last words of unsolicited advice. Read on if you haven’t had enough pearls of wisdom from me already. (Insert smiley wink.)

Over the next ten years, you will be embarking on a big adventure: exploring, meeting new people, facing challenges, finding your place in the world.

My best advice about your adventure is this: let it be epic. In the old school sense of the word ––like, Ancient Greek Epic.

If you’ve paid attention to the heroes you’ve studied in English, you’ll know what you can expect on your journey: First off, know that you are the hero of your own story––an ordinary person who will transform and grow over time. You can achieve the extraordinary.

Ordinary people do, all the time.

Heed the call to adventure, even if you feel reluctant. Step outside your comfort zone. Look for magic in your world––pay attention, look up from your phone––don’t miss the beautiful moments.

Find a few real friends. Find a mentor. Know that your real friends and mentors won’t be the people who tell you what you want to hear—mostly, they’ll kick your ass on a regular basis. Choose these friends and mentors wisely: people who are striving, as you are, who get what you’re doing, and are invested in your success.

Expect obstacles. You’ll have to cross over into the unknown world, to go places and try things you’ve never even heard

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Annie Blais

of. Don’t expect anything to be easy.

There will be thresholds to navigate. People won’t always welcome you as you cross into new spaces. (My advice––aside from the lessons of the hero’s journey—is to act like you belong. Own the room and use your manners––you’ll be fine.)

As a hero, you can expect people to challenge you, sometimes to knock you down. Don’t take it personally––it’s part of the journey. Keep getting up. Don’t expect people to love you for the warrior that you are, but, as Phlio of Alexandria said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”

You will face serious challenges. This is because a) life is hard, and b) you are a normal, flawed person. You’ll need to know both your flaws and your strengths to tackle the tasks ahead.

These tasks will be difficult, requiring that you work harder and sleep less than you ever thought possible. You will be afraid. Choose to be brave.

Face your fears and you will gain rewards. Don’t ever face

the challenges alone. That’s not heroic––that’s stupid. Heroes need friends and mentors.

With the aid of friends, if you can face your deepest fears and surmount them, you will gain incredible gifts. Funny thing, though: the rewards aren’t things; they are insights. They are precious. Another funny thing: the gifts you seek, in the end, aren’t intended for you.

They are for you to give to the world, because the hero’s highest achievement is service.

And another thing about what you’ll earn: you won’t truly receive the rewards you seek or be able to serve if you aren’t properly humble. Avoid pride ––it’s deadly. No matter how skilled or “gifted” you are, you have to atone: to be clear about where you have done wrong, and to get right with your loved ones and your higher values or God or gods. Keep yourself in line with the higher purposes, but stay low: greatness is achieved by people who work to empower not themselves, but the people around them. Never seek power––give it away at every opportunity.

After your hero’s adventures, you will return to the known world––probably to create a life, a family, a community of your own. Work to put others’ happiness or a higher goal above your own comfort. You will have found something to live for. This is completion of the cycle––this is happiness.

Best of luck to you all as you get out there and write your stories. Be the hero. And let the journey be full of adventure and mistakes, laughter and learning, love and loss––in a word, Epic.

—Annie Blais English teacher

Do not coast through college, find goals that matter to you Dear Seniors, You’ve found your way to the finish line.

Remember being freshmen and sophomores and asking your teachers what type of school supplies you would need? By senior year, you (hopefully) had a system or two that worked for you, and you could coast through Staples to get ready in the fall.

Then in the fall, even senior year, you’d fill out a schedule card (maybe even color code it), and you’d check it to remember what class was next and where it was. But after a few weeks, you could coast from class to class.

And now you’ve found your way to the finish line. Maybe you sprinted there. Maybe you crawled. Maybe you coasted.

But the time for coasting is done. No matter what’s next, you will have the most control you’ve ever had over what you do

file photo

Kate Shaughnessy

and how you do it. This control means something.

Having control means greater opportunity and responsibility to engage in what matters to you—a field, a cause, a goal.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Be conscientious of all around you “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts.”

As you cross the stage and receive your diploma, you enact one moment in your life.

Four years ago, you entered Newton North as freshmen— sometimes timid, sometimes exuberant, probably nervous, perhaps excited. Now you exit this phase of your life and enter the next. Whatever the future holds for you, ups and downs, it is a new adventure, one hopefully filled with growth and learning and a hefty dose of happiness.

Additionally, you will play a role in the lives of many others. As you enter the shared scenes of life, pay heed to the actors around you. Whether your relationship to them is as a friend, lover, coworker, neighbor, parent, spouse, or any number of other roles, listen and act with care. Your tiniest action can bring light or dark to another’s day, rippling from one moment to the next, from one person to another. On stage, we see this mirrored in how each actor listens and reacts to his or her fellow performers, enriching those moments, building a deeper portrayal of each characters’ relation to each other.

I chose this quote not just for its meaningfulness in life, or for my love of Shakespeare (imbibed from my own high school English teachers), but also because this class has a

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Lisa Goldthwaite

special group within in it that I am honored to know and to have mentored. In Spring of 2010, Adam Brown finally talked me into advising Freshman Cabaret. My world at North expanded tenfold when I first met that cast of 60 freshmen.

Theatre was how I found myself in high school and still plays a large role in my life, but I didn’t expect to love this particular experience so much. However, rehearsals seemed a haven within our larger school, where these students could shine with each other and, that December, shine for their friends and families on stage. Since that day, I’ve watched them grow and learn, struggle and triumph, and become even more amazing. Many of them are now leaders in our school—as performers, artists, athletes, scholars, innovators, volunteers, citizens, and, most importantly, as friends. I am so very proud to have been a part of their experience here.

—Lisa Goldthwaite Special Education teacher

So engage. One of the reasons so many of your teachers do what we do is because we care about you and love watching you grow during this most extraordinary time of your life. Graduation is a rite of passage and all that, but it means more than just going through the motions.

If you’ve been coasting through the end of your senior year, make the decision not to coast across that stage. March.

Grab that diploma that you earned and feel proud that it means something.

Then, don’t coast wherever you are going next. Don’t coast through college, or work, or your gap year. Engage. Be active in whatever it is that you care about. Make the world a better place. Control is a powerful thing. Use it.

—Kate Shaughnessy English teacher

Cherish memories, live in present, realize your passions in life

file photo

Tracey Stewart

I am so happy to have the opportunity to congratulate the Class of 2015! Graduation is a time to celebrate with family and friends and reflect on how much you have grown over the past four years. It can also be a scary time full of unknowns and uncertainties. Here’s one thing I’ve learned though. Spend too much time living in the past and thinking “if only” or too much time worrying about your future and asking “what if,” and you miss the incredible moments happening right in front of you.

Cherish your memories, learn from your mistakes, and dream about your future, but remember to live in the present!

I’m also here to tell you that, as someone who typically had a “plan” for how her life would go, things don’t always go according to plan. It’s in those moments that you begin to realize just how strong you are and that maybe—just maybe—things are exactly the way they are supposed to be.

North can be a tough place to be in when everyone is discussing their plans for next year. It’s easy to start second-guessing your decisions or thinking other people have it better than you.

Don’t worry about being better than anyone else. The only person you need to compare yourself to is to the person you

were yesterday. Comparison is said to be the thief of joy, so just go out into the world, and work on becoming the most awesome version of you that you can be, and build an amazing life along the way. A few ways to make your life a little better are to find something to be grateful for in each day; ask for help when you need it and lend a hand when you can; and don’t be so quick to judge others, as you never really know what someone else’s life is like. You all have a special purpose in this world… go out and find it!

This is a time in your life when it is important for you to begin to realize that you

shouldn’t let society dictate who you should be, what you should do for a living or whom you should love. Only your heart can make those important decisions and don’t let others try and put you in a box or label you or limit you. If you live your life from a place of kindness, empathy and compassion, any decision you make will be the right one! One of my favorite songs is by Jack Johnson. It is called “Where have all the good people gone?”

Well, they’re headed your way Mr. Johnson. Now go out into this world and do good!

—Tracey Stewart Math teacher

faculty statements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Take pride in your successes

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Michelle Stauss

Dear Class of 2015, Congratulations! You have achieved so much, you have overcome many challenges, and you have learned who you are and who you want to be.

Each one of you has your own achievements, your own interests, and your own way of looking at the world. Together, as an entire class, you have some core values in common and you have defined your time in Beals House by practicing kindness, exercising effort, and seeking balance.

Since your freshman year, you stood up for others in difficult situations and you reached out for more support as needed.

You increased your self-awareness, acknowledged struggles, and accepted assistance. You had tough conversations about life and loss, equality and respect, and crime and justice.

You pushed yourself and others to challenge old stereotypes and to take new risks. You took a different class or dropped an entire activity to find a healthy balance. In many ways, you learned

to better balance work and play.

And you learned to take care of yourself while showing compassion for others.

Take pride in what you’ve done over the four years you spent in Beals House, keep striving for balance in your life, and continue to grow each and every day both intellectually and emotionally. In turn, you will develop in a way that is true to you and yet new enough to you that you evolve confidently.

I enjoy coming to work every day because of my work with you, because of my relationships with you, and because of what I have learned from you.

Thank you for being such a wonderful class—I am going to miss you! Stop by some time and let me know about your next adventure.

—Michelle Stauss Beals housemaster

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Change the world

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Cheryl Stover

Congratulations Class of 2015! Four short years ago, you were the newest tiger cubs roaming the hallways,

now you are heading out to make the world a better place.

Your next adventure awaits!

College or work, away from home or at home, I have no doubt that you are ready, and will succeed!

I feel honored to have been part of your high school career, and I hope that when you look back, you can think of at least one way in which I positively impacted your time here. The most fitting final words I have for you were on my whiteboard, and I borrowed them from Cinderella’s mom. Have courage and be kind. Go out there, have the courage to change the world and be kind while you are doing it!

—Cheryl Stover Beals House secretary

Embrace new opportunities, reevaluate decisions

David Bedar

file photo

To the Class of 2015: Congratulations, you’re finally real people!

As you embark upon your next adventure, you may expect some inspirational words from your teachers. They, and the other adults in your life, have more life experience than you, and might know what they’re talking about. So do try to take in some of their collective wisdom. But to be honest, many of you probably won’t listen to what they say and you’ll screw up regardless.

Despite my essentially telling you to not to listen to me, let me attempt to give you some advice anyway (hypocrite!). Embrace

your new opportunities with optimism and enthusiasm, but also don’t be afraid to make some mistakes (just not really dumb ones). Remember that you’re about to fly off to freedom, fun, and failure.

Few of us always listened to our elders’ advice, and we all made mistakes. But your mistakes will be your own. You’ll learn from them and grow up in the process. No amount of teachers’ and parents’ sermons can replace simple life experience. Adults who love you have cared for you and helped you become successful. But now you’ll have to figure things out for yourselves; no one’s going to be

CHRIS QUINN, As you graduate, look back and smile. Look ahead with excitement and always be content right where you are.

Best of Luck at Wentworth Love Mom, Dad, Noelle & Danny

there to do this for you. Scary!

But also incredibly exciting.

Some might say that you’ll “discover who you really are” in the coming years. Maybe, but don’t get too caught up with this.

Do think about who you might want to be, absolutely, but don’t think you have to determine your entire life trajectory. Many of us are still figuring out what we really want to do. You may change your mind several times about what you want to study and how you view the world.

Good! Do this by seeking out interesting (but safe) experiences, considering what you really value, and taking advantage.

Surround yourself with smart,

interesting people who will push you to broaden your horizons.

Choose friends wisely, the kind who will have your back no matter what, especially when you do inevitably screw up. Lastly, keep learning, in and out of the classroom.

Or don’t listen to any of this advice and just do your own thing.

I was so lucky to teach many of you. You’re a special class.

I wish you the fondest of farewells and best of luck in all your future endeavors!

—David Bedar History teacher, Senior class advisor

awards

14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Monday, June 8, 2015

Students receive scholarships, awards

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Senior ‘phloat’ races: Students in senior-year physics courses apply their understanding of buoyancy and density to test their boats made out of PVC piping and cardboard. Their goal: to complete a lap of the pool without sinking.

Margherita Acchione Studies Achievement Award Miriam Meyer Award Dorothy Novack Memorial Awards Tara Courtney Elena Rodríguez Scholarship Eliza Macuch Scholarship Awards Emma Sampson Ariana Incorvati Ainsleigh Callan Horlick Educational Fund/ Deputy Richard MitchNatalie Tereshchenko Anna Mazzei William Figlioni ell Waltham Firefighters’ ELL Award Diane Antonellis Childcare Adrian Colasacco Memorial William O’Brien ScholarJoselin Catalan Vilela Scholarship Scholarship for Automotive Charlotte Howard/ Scholarship ship Fund Kelly Little Christopher Wood Rachel Malieswski Noah Blankenship Claflin School Scholarship Robert Mitchell Scholarship Jeffrey M. Banks Memorial Adrian Colasacco Memorial Phil Ochs/Allan MacDouAnnie Shriver Alexandra MacDonald Scholarship for Carpentry Scholarship Intrepid Drafter of the Year Anna Eleanor Murphy Me- gall Award Tamara Henk Francis Muumba Alexander Klavens morial Scholarship Award David Barboza Memorial David Costanzo Award Offer of Admission to the Rachel Malieswki Brett Stanton Joseph Arcuri Scholarship United States Militar y Mitchell Nathanson George Jessup Award Liz Costa Delfino ’65 MemoNicholas Norton Academy Memorial Award Jose Maria Lamas, Jr. rial Scholarship Sandy Bartzak Award Noah Carlen SeungWan Kang Elizabeth Jewett World Jessica Gallagher Aidan Harte National Merit Scholarship Orr Foundation Awards Language Scholarship Edward Beatty Book Award Caroline Costello Memorial Reggie Edge Isaiah A, Brand Jessica Powers Alexander Potter Scholarship Nkosi Grevious Kaija J.G. Gahm Abe Jellinek Scholarship Lauren Benson Celia Betts Award Nolan Griffen Kavish P. Gandhi for Assistance & Computer Lea May McDade McCala McDonald Wilson Ho New TV Scholarship Technology Purchase Nicholas Krauss Big Heart Mathematics D.A.R. Good Citizenship Brianna Gershkowitz Balazs Bonyhay Jose Maria Lamas, Jr. Award Award Newton Aldermen Award JT Dedication Award Maria Proia

Coach Jim Blackburn Track Scholarship Carter Harrison

BNI Newton Connector’s Scholarship Julia Lindsay

Stephen Bottomley, Murray Road Annex Award Binta Marenah

Charles E. Brown Scholarship Award Eli Schwamm

Lt. Stafford Leighton Brown Memorial Scholarships Benjamin Bassett Jonathan Gentile Anthony Niles Aris Vanderpool Daniel Whalen Yuheng Wu

Marjorie Byers Scholarship Ezeka Allen

Angelica Dutra

Seth Daigle Memorial/PTSO Scholarship Elena Oliviera

Andrew Dealy Memorial Scholarship Thomas Gresser Nicole Quinn

Tom DePeter Memorial Scholarship Douglas Friedberg Grace Ledgard

Bobby Donahue Scholarship Fund Award Christopher Quinn

Robert Faulkner Career and Vocational Technical Education Student of the Year Scholarship Paige Cunning

W. Eugene Ferguson Math Award Katie Nugent

Robert W. Calabro Football Scholarship

Howard Ferguson Memorial Scholarships

Cambridge Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Scholarships

Haskell C. Freedman/NTA Scholarship Fund

Christian Cox

Lucine Boloyan Jessica Gallagher

Career & Technical Education Unsung Hero Award Isabelle Roy

David Casavant Culinary Arts Scholarship Awards

Curtis Beatrice Hallie Hall Owen Grafe

John Fuller Second Church Scholarship Sadiq Ervin Julia Vitagliano Sarina Wolfe

Elizabeth Daniell

Meredith Ghattas Scholarship

Elizabeth Reilly

Graphics Communications Community Service Award

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

Spencer Anderson Lucy Beizer Paige Cunning

Golden Hammer Award Nancy Tejeda

Victoria Whitham

Paul Hathaway

Newton Centre Women’s Club Scholarship

Barbara Killion Award Madeline Irwin

Sandy Stover Memorial Newton Educational Secretaries Scholarship

Rosanne Perlmutter Scholarship

Jessica Gallagher

Newton Firefighters Association Scholarship

David Phelan World Language Award

Newton High School Scholarship Fund

Ellen Raphael Award

Francesca Cedrone Mary Cugini

Max Kolb Memorial Scholarship & Book Award Edward Lareau Scholarship Achievement Award Nancy Tejeda

Henr y Lasker Memorial Music Award

Sarina Wolfe

Curtis Beatrice

Samantha McGrath

Newton METCO Excellence Awards

Adam London Memorial Scholarship Noah Blankenship Francis Muumba

Barbara Sulkin Lourie Memorial Scholarships Annemarie ConboyDePasquale Svyatoslav Kotyk Brandon Seda Khondwani Tembo Saria White

Richard H. Lovell Scholarships Jackeline Catalan Vilela Joselin Catalan Vilela Armani Jackson-Tyrell Angelo Marshall

Susanne McInerney Real Estate Internship Scholarship David Kwartler

Mathena Abramson Sadiq Ervin Sadiya Ervin Anthony Niles

Newton METCO Pacita D.A. Hayes Memorial Leadership Award Mathena Abramson Sadiq Ervin

Newton North High School Honor Roll Scholarship

Candalaria Knight

Anthony J. Bibbo Newton Rotary Community Scholarship

Mathematics Department 110% Award

Newtonite/Helen Smith Scholarship

Khondwani Tembo

Kathleen Henighan Child

Noah Blankenship Laughter Emmanuel

Francesca Cedrone James Dow

Chuck Sakakini Scholarship Award

Newton Police Memorial Scholarship

Rev. Howard Haywood Scholarship

Robert Chernis Drama

Daniel Mei

Susan Rosenzweig Scholarship

Helen M. Ryan Award

Anthony J. Bibbo Newton Rotary Community Scholarship: METCO

Mary Cugini Alex Wei

Daniel Whalen

Giovanni and Louisa Rossi Scholarship Fund

Brianna Gershkowitz

NNTV Producer of the Year Award

V. James Marini Scholarship Joseph Arcuri

Natassia Mazzola

Martin Rossman Scholarship

Rotary Club of Newton Bell and Flag Scholarship

Good & Plenty Mathematics Award Andrew Bombara

Sarina Wolfe

Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation Scholarship

Grace Raczek-Hoffmann

Check online for a list of this award’s 39 recipients.

Greg Chan Scholarship Fund

Lucine Boloyan

Rotar y Club of Newton President’s Award

Donna Mandatori Scholarship Award Balazs Bonyhay

Daniella Chinitz

Sophie King

Newton North Television Award

Golden Rubber Chicken Award Alexander Samaha

Annie Shriver

Brandon Seda

Kevin Sandoval

Zachary Bennett

Leyla Arapi

Nathan Alden Robinson Memorial Music Award

Newton METCO Academic Achievement Awards

Thomas Leonard Music Scholarship

Maria Bilotta

Nathan Alden Robinson Memorial Math Award

Irene Golden

Deborah E. LeBovidge Scholarship

Michael McGinty

Perkins History Prize

Asya Grozdanova Eliza Macuch

Lakshmi Mridula Peddada

Chaffin Educational Fund Scholarship Awards

Angelo Sellitto

Peltier History Award

Lanna Kelley Memorial Scholarship

Andrew DiNucci

Mathena A. Abramson MacKenzie Silvia Alexander Potter

Maria Proia

Joseph Arcuri Bali Connors

Curtis Beatrice

Mary Sapienza Math Award Jonathan Goodman

Thomas Schaefer Award Celia Gittleman

Michael Scheller Memorial Scholarship Sadiya Ervin

Clinton H. Scovell Fund Scholarships Check online for a list of this award’s 22 recipients.

awards

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Ellen Silk Scholarship Melissa Mark

Frank Simmons Award Sonya Jampel

Leslie Solomon Scholarship Asya Grozdanova

Raymond Smith Music Award Ella Laniado

Social Science Club Award Sadiya Ervin

Gail Stein Scholarship Kevin Sandoval

Saul Stern Music Award Spencer Anderson Dominic Bosco Adam Zupancic

617.795.2560 (work) 781.244.7224 (cell)

We welcome volunteers of all ages!

Robert B. Swett, Jr. Fund Awards Benjamin Bassett Asya Grozdanova Thomas Mobley Daniel Ruttenberg

Newton at Home

John Temperley Graphic Arts Award

Neighbors Helping Neighbors 206 Waltham Street, West Newton, MA 02465 www.newtonathome.org

Lily DeBenedictis

Theatre Ink Special Recognition Awards Jelani J. Asim Dominic Bosco Natalie Burr Gabriella Coppola Flynn Robin Donohoe Camille Evans Jonathan Gomolka Nicholas Hansell Julielle Kahn Nicholas Krauss Isaac Landman Ella Laniado Aiden O’Neal Eleanor Rogers Abigail Rowe Daniel Ruttenberg Mark Sagan Julia Techler

Thornton Swain Thomas Poetry Award Peter Diamond

Richard Thompson EDCO Award Nikolya Sereda

JT Tranchita Leadership Award

Please Contact Us Julie Plaut Mahoney, Ph.D. Coordinator of Community Partnerships and Volunteers volcoord@newtonathome.org 617.795.2560

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Mr. 015: Senior Luke Fisher performs a song on his guitar as part of Mr. 015.

Melissa Hurwitz

Marcia Tyman Memorial Scholarship Award Tanaja Jordon

Waste Management Company Scholarships Polina Feschenko Kyle Mendelsohn

Daniel Uberti Memorial Scholarship

We s t S u b u r b a n Y M C A Scholarship

Maria Libera Vallone Italian Cultural Scholarship

Whitson’s Culinary Group Scholarships

Maria Proia

Ariana Incorvati

Alice M. Warren Scholarship Awards Asya Grozdanova Shirley Jiang Savina Lin Caitlin O’Hanley MacKenzie Silvia

Vollin B. Wells Business Scholarships Brian Fitzgerald Melissa Hurwitz Nicole Quinn

Julia Lindsay

Molly Dalzell Candalaria Knight Steven Zhu

Philip J. Wolfe Theatre Awards Ashley Campbell Jonah Samuels Philip Steudel

Women’s Club of Newton Highlands Sadiq Ervin Sadiya Ervin

CONGRATULATIONS LUCINE! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! ~Mom, Dad, David and Anna

senior plans

16 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Monday, June 8, 2015

Congratulations Class of 2015

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.

Hunt, Cameron—Brandeis University Hunter, Luke—Champlain College Hurley, Zachary—Suffolk University Hurwitz, Melissa—Bryant University Hurwitz, Rebecca— Northeastern University

A Abbott, Tatum—Syracuse

University Abrams, Douglas—Colby College Abramson, Elizabeth— Macalester College Abramson, Mathena—Smith College Aleksanyan, Artem—Mass Bay Community College Aleksanyan, Tamara— Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Alexy, Eric—UMass Amherst Allen, Ezeka—Ithaca College Amatucci, Vincent—UMass Amherst Amouyal, Chloe—Tufts University Anderson, Spencer—Skidmore College Apfel, Amber Arcuri, Joseph Armijo, Maria Arzola, Maryah—Fisher College Asim, Jelani Asuka, Zuisho—New York University Atakhanov, Max Atocha, Jessica Avramovich, Koby—Syracuse University

B Barbieri, Michael—U. New

Hampshire Barnstone, Hannah Barrile, Marissa—Framingham State University Bart, Nicholas Barth, Meir Bassett, Benjamin—Kenyon College Bastianelli, Christian Batista, Adrianna—Fordham University Beatrice, Curtis—UMass Amherst Beizer, Lucy—Skidmore College Bell, Nora—Vanderbilt University Belozovsky, Eric—Rochester Institute of Technology Bennett, Zachary—Wesleyan University Benson, Lauren—U. Connecticut Beshansky, Jason—Suffolk University Best, Marissa Bhatt, Arjun—Boston University Bilotta, Maria—Bentley University Blair, Montgomery Blankenship, Noah—Rochester Institute of Technology Boloyan, Lucine—UMass Amherst Bombara, Andrew—Dean College Bonyhay, Balazs Bosco, Dominic—Oberlin College Boudreau, Ryan Boyd, Mickey—Gallaudet University Bradley, John—Bryant University Brand, Isaiah—Brown University Braunstein, Leah Brock, Kerry Broderick, Kirby—Georgia Institute of Technology Bronk, Spencer Brown, Deisha Brown, Maya—U. Redlands Buchwald, Nathan—Brown University Budson, Leah—Haverford College Burr, Natalie—U. Michigan

C Cabrera, Ulises

IIncorvati, Ariana—Salve Regina

University Iodice, Sofia—Westfield State University Irwin, Madeline—Ithaca College Ishaq, Zalaan

JJacks, Madeleine—Cornell Josh Shub-Seltzer

Physics Phloat: Seniors Andrew DeNucci and Elliot Sackman race in the senior year physics boat races.

Caira, Michael Callan, Ainsleigh Calleva, Christopher—UMass Boston Campbell, Ashley—Emerson College Cardoso, Larissa Cardoso, Elias Carlen, Noah—United States Military Academy Carr, Danuel Cartwright, Jack—Roger Williams University Caruso, Nicholas—Eastern Connecticut State University Cedrone, Francesca—Regis College Cedrone, Valerie—UMass Amherst Chen, Augustine—U. Illinois Chen, Conan—UMass Amherst Chen, Shih—Bentley University Chen, Tianzhen—Purdue University Cheung, Alexander Chinitz, Daniella—Quinnipiac University Chivian, Catherine—Bangor University Choi, Nicolas—Brown University Clay, Darien Cohen, Caroline—Harvard University Cohen, Samuel Conboy-Depasquale, Annmarie—American University Connors, Bali—Lehigh University Conti, Steven—George Washington University Copley, Kristen—U. St. Andrews Coppola Flynn, Gabriella—U. Vermont Corbett, Hailey—Merrimack College Cotter, Kirsten Courtney, Tara Cox, Christian—Western New England University Coyle-Howard, Morgan— Fordham University Cugini, Mary—Salve Regina University Cunning, Paige—U. Colorado, Boulder

D Dalzell, Molly—Smith College

Daniell, Elizabeth—Johnson and Wales University Daniels, Carolyn—Colby College Davis, Reid—UMass Lowell DeBairos, Danielle—Tufts University DeBenedictis, Lily—Mount Holyoke College Decaille, Noah Delyani, Christina—Rhodes College DeNucci, Andrew— Massachusetts Institute of Technology

DeNucci, Joseph—West Virginia University Devlin, Claudia—Framingham State University Diamond, Peter—Oberlin College DiSeglio, Michael—Wentworth Institute of Technology Doherty, Rohan—Allegheny College Dolati-Ardejani, Parnian—U. Toronto Donelan, Colfax—UMass Dartmouth Donohoe, Robin—Brandeis University Doolin, John—U. Wisconsin Dow, James—Mass Bay Community College DuBois, Olivia—Syracuse University Duong, Julie—Boston University Dutra, Angelica

E Eastman, David

Edge, Reggie—Bridgewater State University Elghazzawi, Adam—UMass Amherst Ellis, Karina—Mount Ida College Ellison, Anna—Massachusetts Institute of Technology Emenaker, Wyatt—Brandeis University Emmanuel, Laughter—Suffolk University Erickson, Chloe Ervin, Sadiq—Boston College Ervin, Sadiya Evans, Camille—U. Vermont

F Fair, James—Mass Bay

Community College Fan, Elizabeth—U. California, Berkeley Feinhaus, Ethan Feinstein, Julia—Dartmouth College Feldman, Charlotte—U. Michigan Ferre’, Vanessa— Boston University Feschenko, Polina—McGill University Figliolini, William Fisher, Luke Fitzgerald, Brian—UMass Amherst Fitzpatrick, Sean—Rochester Institute of Technology Fleischmann, Yocheved Foley, Joseph—American University Friedberg, Douglas—Dean College

G Gahm, Kaija—Yale University

Gallagher, Jessica—Johnson and

Wales University Gandhi, Kavish—Massachusetts Institute of Technology Garcia-Gonzalez, Shirley Gavish, Yotam Gebru, Elshaday Gekas, Alexander—U. British Columbia Gelb-Bicknell, Rudy— Washington University in St. Louis Gentile, Jonathan—UMass Amherst Gentilucci, Thomas Gerard, William—Michigan State University Gershkowitz, Brianna—Tulane University Giang, Samantha—U. Alabama Gibson, Daniel— Elon University Gittleman, Celia—Tufts University Golden, Irene—Barnard College Gomez, Olivia—Bates College Gomolka, Jonathan—Pace University Goodman, Jonathan—Allegheny College Graf, Amanda—Sacred Heart University Grafe, Owen—Juniata College Graham-Osborne, Benjamin— Babson College Gresser, Thomas—UMass Amherst Grevious, Nkosi Griffin, Nolan—Westfield State University Gross, Benjamin—Northeastern University Grossman, Alessandra—Colby College Grozdanova, Asya—Marymount Manhattan College

H Hadley-Walker, Rosa

Haider, Zareef—UMass Amherst Hall, Chyene Alexis— Emmanuel College Hall, Halle—Syracuse University Hanelin, Daniella—Connecticut College Hansell, Kathryn—U. Texas at Austin Hansell, Nicholas—New York University Harrison, Carter Harte, Aidan—U. New Hampshire Hastings, Adam Hatcher, Kaila Hathaway, Paul—Fort Hays State University Hayashi, Dylan—U. Miami Helgason, Brandon—UMass Amherst Henk, Tamara—Wentworth Institute of Technology Ho, Wilson Hsu, Hsin—U. Illinois Huang, Aric—UMass Amherst

University Jackson, Cheyanne Jackson-Tyrell, Armani—Mass Bay Community College Jampel, Sonya—Williams College Jefferson, Sam—Phillips Andover Academy Jiang, Shirley—UMass Amherst Johnson, Tyla—Mass Bay Community College Jordan, Tanaja—Framingham State University Jurman, Michelle—Kent State University

K Kahn, Julielle—Boston

University Kang, SeungWan—Boston College Kann, Alyssa—Brandeis University Kaplan, Bennett—Lafayette College Karakouzian, Christine Kaufman, Nicholas—Kenyon College Kelley, Dylan Kelly, Scott Kharasch, Emanuel Khurana, Sonia—Yale University Kibel, Susanna—Cornell University Kiel-Zabel, Ryan—Stonehill College Kiley, Dillon—Salem State University King, Jacqueline—U. New Hampshire King, Sophie—Dartmouth College Kinsella, Matthew—U. Hartford Kitamura, Yuka Klavens, Alexander— Connecticut College Knight, Candelaria— Framingham State University Kotyk, Svyatoslav—UMass Boston Krasner, Marissa Krauss, Nicholas—U. Illinois Krishnamachari, Vikram—Tufts University Kwartler, David—George Washington University Ky, Patrick

L Lam, Joanne—U. Maryland

Lamas Jr., Jose—Suffolk University Landman, Isaac—Fordham University Landsburg, Michael—New England College Laniado, Ella—UMass Amherst Lannery, Aine—Sacred Heart University Lau, Kerri Laughrea, Courtney—Parsons The New School for Design Ledgard, Grace—Colby-Sawyer College Leger, Samuel Leighton, Alexander— Massachusetts Institute of Technology Levenfeld, Jonathan—Cornell University Li, QuanJian Liao, Langdon

senior plans

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 17

Lichter, Emily—UMass Lowell Lin, Savina—Boston University Lindsay, Julia—Babson College Lipson, Samantha Little, Kelly—Endicott College Long, Maxwell Lord, Taylor—Washington University in St. Louis Lund, Alexander Lundberg, Madeleine Lutwack, Amara Lyons-Dunckel, Meghan— Ithaca College

M MacDonald, Alexandra—New

York University MacDonald, Guinevere—Smith College Macuch, Eliza—U. Rhode Island Maguire, Thomas—U. Wisconsin Maikuri, Collins Malieswski, Rachel—Merrimack College Malloy, Anne—Framingham State University Maloney, Madeline— Middlebury College Manley, Lauren—U. Vermont Marcano, Cynthia Marcus, Samantha—U. Maryland Marenah, Binta—U. San Francisco Mariano, Katherine—Sacred Heart University Mark, Melissa—Boston College Marshall, Angelo Matthews, Taylor—Sacred Heart Univeristy Mayer, Madeline—U. Texas at Austin Mayville, Brett— Union College Mayville, Quinn—Carleton College Mazzei, Anna—U. Arizona Mazzola, Natassia— Framingham State University McA’Nulty, Ryan—Worcester Polytechnic Institute McDade, Lea—U. Vermont McDade, Liam—U. Oregon McDonald, Emily—U. New Hampshire McDonald, McCala—Pine Manor College McGinty, Michael—Emerson College McGlashing, Riana McGrath, Samantha McKay, Ian McKrill, Stephanie McLennan-Mayanja, Joshua— UMass Amherst McMaster, Garrett—Suffolk University McNicholas, Nolan Mei, Daniel—UMass Amherst Mendelsohn, Kyle—American University Merriweather, Ammaad— Bunker Hill Community College Michaely, Miri Mick, Kevin—Wentworth Institute of Technology Miller, Loren—Philadelphia University Miller, Napoleon Miller, Perry Mobayed, Sophia—Connecticut College Mobley, Thomas—Philips Exeter Academy Montes Soza, Sebastian—U. Colorado, Boulder Morgan, Steven—Bentley University Moskowitz, Leah—U. Vermont Moustafa, Zachary—Lasell College Mukalazi, Ashraf—U. Rhode Island Mulvaney, Matthew—UMass Amherst Munoz, Daniel Muumba, Francis—Roger Williams University

N Nesgos, Anna—Cornell

University Newman, Conor Ng, Kimberly—UMass Lowell Ngan, Hody

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Victory: Sixth man celebrates at the TD Garden as boys’ basketball takes home a 61-46 win over South Jan. 10.

Nicholas, Amelia—Boston College Niles, Anthony— Wentworth Institute of Technology Norris, Michael—Wake Forest University Norton, Nicholas Nugent, Katie—Bryant University

O O’Hanley, Caitlin—Moravian College O’Neal, Aiden—American University Oliveira Hidalgo, Elena Ortiz, Amanda

P Paone, Giovanni

Paquette, Madeline—Ithaca College Parker, David—Temple University Patel, Nee—UMass Amherst Pearson, Christian—work Peddada, Lakshmi—Wellesley College Peng, Yiping Phillips, Stephen—Regis College Phinney, Erin Pittel, Hannah—Temple University Plotkin, Ethan—Hamilton College Pollard, Casey—Colorado College Popma, Rebecca—George Washington University Porter, Benjamin—Columbia University Potter, Alexander—Rochester Instititute of Technology Powers, Jessica—U. California, Santa Barbara Precopio, Dominic— Bridgewater State University Prisacari, Chiril—Framingham State University Proia, Maria—Lasell College Prokhorov, Alexander

Q

Quadir, Juweria—UMass Amherst Quinn, Christopher— Wentworth Institute of Technology Quinn, Nicole—UMass Amherst

R Raczek-Hoffmann, Grace—U.

Vermont Radouch, Lucas—Ithaca College Razis, Michael—Boston College Reed, Colin Reibman, Alexi—Fashion Institute of Technology Reilly, Elizabeth—Boston College Reilly, Isabella—Wesleyan University Resnick, Theo Reynders, Rebecca Rice, Angelo—St. Michael’s College Riley, Cameron—Rensselaer Polytechnic Intstitute Ring, Haley—U. Wisconsin Robbins, Jonah Robinson, Tristan Rodriguez, Elena—New York University Rogers, Eleanor—UMass Amherst Rosado, Taimin Ross, Fiona—Queens University Rowe, Abigail Roy, Isabelle—U. California, Los Angeles Rufo, Renee Ruttenberg, Daniel—U. Chicago

S Sackman, Elliot—U. Miami

Sagan, Mark—Rochester Institute of Technology Salganik, Rebecca Salvucci, Marisa—Stonehill College Samaha, Alexander—Boston University Sampson, Emma—George Washington University Samuels, Jonah Sanchez, Ethan Sandoval, Kevin—Mass Bay Community College Sarr, Yacine—Boston College Saukkonen, Julia—Emerson College Sava, John—Merrimack College Schiefer, Madelin—St. Lawrence University Schindler, Rachel—U. Maryland Schlossman, Laura—New York University Schoettle, Cameron—U. St. Andrews Schubert, Kristina Schwamm, Eli—Vassar College Schwartz, Elena—Harvard University Scott, Jarrod Seaward, Ellen— UMass Amherst Seckler, Aryeh—U. Wisconsin

Seda, Brandon Sellitto, Angelo—Franklin Pierce University Sereda, Nikolya—Rochester Institute of Technology Seuch, Brian—George Washington University Sharer, Jack—UMass Amherst Shattuc, Quincy Sheen, Peter Shen, Bill—New York University Shepard, William—Mt. Ida College Sherbet, Caryn—U. Michigan Shirokova, Katerina—Tulane University Shreve, Shawn Shriver, Anne—Vassar College Shull, Robert—Wentworth Institute of Technology Silvia, MacKenzie—Syracuse University Simmons, Tess— Indiana University Sloane, Olivia Slocum, Alexander—U. Connecticut Stanton, Brett—U. Virginia Staunton, Ciara—UMass Amherst Steudel, Philip—Skidmore College Stonehill, Shira—Columbia College Chicago Sullivan, Brooke—U. Alabama Sullivan, John

T Tal, Lotan

Tarn, Ting-Han—UMass Amherst Taylor, Samantha Taylor, Siena—North Carolina State University Techler, Julia—Muhlenberg College Tejeda, Nancy—Wentworth Institute of Technology Tembo, Khondwani Tereshchenko, Natalie—Bard College Thomson, Katherine Trayner III, Edwin—UMass Amherst Tripathi, Avery—Tufts University Tsolirides, Alexi—Deerfield Academy Turner, Rohen—Tulane University

V Vaghar, Cyrus—Regis College

Vanderpool, Aris Vasu, Connor—Duke University Vecchione, Micaela— Framingham State University Ventouris, Madeline—Hobart and William Smith Colleges Vilela, Jackeline Vilela, Joselin Vitagliano, Julia—Connecticut College Voccio, Kyle Vrahas, Remy—U. California, Santa Barbara

W Walpert, Harrison

Walsh, Benjamin—U. Vermont Walsworth, Patrick—Michigan State University Webster, Rebecca—Bryn Mawr College Wei, Alexander—New York University Westcott, Matthew—Becker College Whalen, Daniel—Temple University White, DeVaughn—Saint Anselm College White, Saria—Morgan State University Whitham, Victoria Wilcox Warren, Liam—U. Wisconsin Williams, Christian Wing, Alexis—George Washington University Wolfe, Sarina—UMass Amherst Wong, Qiu—Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Wu, Yuheng—Bentley University

X Xie, Catherine—Wellesley College

Y Yavin, Yaron—UMass

Dartmouth Yeung, Hannah Yunen, Talisha—Florida International University

Z Zagarella, Melissa

Zhu, Steven—Boston University Zupancic, Adam—Bates College compiled by Jackie Gong and Blake Krantz

18 â—† Newton North, Newtonite

advertisements

Congratulations Mikey!

We wish you and all of your friends the best of luck moving forward.

Love, Kelly, Mom, and Dad

Monday, June 8, 2015

Monday, June 8, 2015

principal statement

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 19

Thanks for your support

To the Newton North Community: Thank you for giving me the honor and privilege of serving as your principal for the last nine years. As I reflect on my time here, I think about both the big and the small moments that have defined my tenure. Combined, these moments tell the story of this school: a unique school comprised of amazing students, filled with a committed faculty and staff, and supported by an incredible community.

My first memory of Newton North is meeting with students as part of the interview process. The room was packed and kids were asking me really difficult questions, from budget priorities to school culture issues. I had a blast during that block and knew that if I was offered the position, this school was the place for me. It was clear to me from the beginning that North is a place that empowers students and teaches them to think critically.

I spent my first four years as principal in a building that many said looked like a jail. True, it was not a great building—but it was an alive building with decades of stories. It was a place that many people remember fondly, a place where a generation of students received an incredible education. I still remember my final moments in the old building. It was late July, 2010, and I had spent the past month with a team of movers.

On that late July day, I met the head of the construction team in the old cafeteria and handed him the master key to the old building. That was the moment that we no longer controlled the building. That was the moment when the demolition began. I remember leaving the cafeteria, relieved that I would no longer spend my days moving trash cans to catch water or watching univents catch on fire, but I also paused to think about the lives touched by this space

and pondered the fact that spaces rarely define experiences, people do.

During my tenure, our school has been through some challenging times. We have lost three students (Nathan, Adam, and Karen) and two faculty members (Bob and Ucal). Yet, in each instance I distinctly remember moments when our community pulled together in a meaningful way: classmates singing a powerful rendition of “For Good for Nathan,” hundreds of classmates signing a Pledge for Adam, the Old Grannies club knitting together to honor Karen, Jubilee singing Psalm 23 at Ucal’s memorial service, and Emilio Mazzola cooking lunch for the entire staff the day Bob died. These moments are examples of what make this school special. When needed, we quickly forget anything that divides us and come together to support one another in a truly unique way.

We have also had numerous opportunities to celebrate.

We celebrated the end of an era by “Bringing Down the House,” which included selling locker doors, a huge theater retrospective entitled “Kiss the Stage,” and hundreds of alums walking down Main Street one last time. We walked into our new building as a faculty led by faculty members who had worked in the old, old building and were greeted by generations of former North faculty.

We have celebrated numerous state championships, academic team state and national titles, award-winning publications, fantastic theatre productions, and so much more. And we have done so with our usual flare and unwavering community support. For example, when our girls’ volleyball team won the state championship this past fall, its bus was greeted by three police cruisers at the Newton city line and escorted to the school where adoring fans were waiting to cheer the team as it arrived. This is how North does it. No matter when or where, we show up to honor and sup-

port one another, whether on a field, in a pool, on the set of “High School Quiz Show,” in a theater, or in a classroom.

We also have provided amazing opportunities for all of our students. We have narrowed our achievement gaps and ensured that all kids have equal access to the excellent education within our walls.

We developed a fund to make sure all students are able to participate in our exchange and travel programs. We created a Black and Latino scholars program to support these students as they push themselves academically.

We developed a mentoring program for students who are first in their family to go to college. I am so proud that we have been able to level the playing field while maintaining the highest level of academic experiences for all students.

As I look back over the last nine years, I feel so lucky to have worked with such an amazing staff who works tirelessly to support all kids.

I think about all the students whom I have had the privilege to watch grow into incredible young men and women, committed to taking the lessons learned here at North to impact lives around the world. I have felt so supported by parents who have entrusted this school with their children. I am appreciative of everyone who has allowed me to learn from my mistakes and grow as a leader. I am grateful to a community that took a risk to hire me, and allowed me to be myself. Thank you, as always, for being my partner in this process.

Best, Jennifer Price P.S. I am not really leaving—simply changing seats— as my eldest daughter will be entering this amazing school in one short year. So, it is not really goodbye.

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Saying Goodbye: Principal Jennifer Price gives a speech to the departing Class of 2014 at graduation last year.

Price leaves legacy of helping students Cate Waters In principal Jennifer Price’s first few years at North, she might have felt more like a handy-woman than a principal.

On occasion, she found herself hauling buckets around the old building to catch dripping water. While her greatest early accomplishment might have been simply keeping people dry, the impact of Price’s nine years has been felt in a number of important ways in our community.

One area on which Price has focused much energy as principal is the implementation of programs designed to combat the achievement gap—the disparities in the academic performance of different student groups according to economic status, race, or disability.

Over the years, these initiatives included the following: • Global Education Leadership Foundation, now named for Price, provides students with financial aid for international exchange opportunities.

• Transitioning Together is a program for first-generation and low-income students that pairs these students with members of the North community who help them navigate the college process.

• Dover Legacy Scholars (DLS) pairs Black and Latino students with mentors and creates opportunities for their enrichment.

• As part of DLS, administraby

tors cluster minority students who take higher-level classes and organize a summer AP U.S. History preparatory group.

• Peer Tutoring places students in need of academic help with knowledgeable peers.

• After School Program supports struggling students in a structured learning environment after classes end for the day.

About this focus, Price said, “We have really done an amazing job of having black and low income students achieving at the same level or similar levels to our white and affluent kids.”

Apart from the achievement gap, many new initiatives began during Price’s nine-year tenure at this school, from the re-instituting of SFA, and its creation of a student union space and no-homework weekends, to One School One Book and the schoolwide Hunger Games in which Price, dressed up as Effie Trinket, rode around the turf field on a Segway while giving a play-by-play on the competition.

Sophomore Chloe Leung said, “I really like Dr. Price because she has done some very helpful things for the community.”

In speaking of the work done during her tenure, Price added, “Greatness is truly defined by the success of those kids who need us the most.”

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Josh Shub-Seltzer

A Very Tiger Halloween: Price shows her North pride on Halloween this past year.

Farewell: Price chats with PTSO members at an event May 26.

Creative Hands a

20 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Monday, Ju

Exploring North’s Diverse

Down narrow hallways and hidden in nooks and crannies scattered around tional Technical Education (CVTE) program. As opposed to the desks, paper, instead find sawdust, 3D printers, computers, grease, oil, algae, cameras, or education—instead, students explore a breadth of career options designed to each discipline with an exploratory class open to any North student whether t and subject knowledge necessary to become a successful major or to simpl selves for college, vocational technical training institutes, apprenticeships, an state that affords students this range of academic experience, whether as a c

Child Development

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Automotive: South Senior Miguel Dela Cruz and sophomore Angel Grijalva service a vehicle.

Automotive

Program goal: Automotive is a combination of hands-on, academic, and computer-based learning related to auto repair. Students in the program receive instruction on the use of equipment and tools, and have the opportunity to work on customers’ vehicles.

Teacher statement: Automotive teacher Paul Wagner said, “All of the students’ training is industry standard, so they become fully prepared to enter the workforce if they choose. They also gain the knowledge to prepare them for college due to the embedded academic component.”

Senior experience: Senior Miguel Dela Cruz said, “Automotive taught me all the basics like changing oil and fixing brakes. With the help of Mr. Wagner and Mr. Kadehjiah, I was able to pass CPR certification, ASE certification, and the 10-hour OSHA test.”

Future plans: According to Dela Cruz, he has been offered a job at a local auto shop, where he plans to work after graduating. Automotive has given him “all the necessary skills to enter the workforce.”

Alumnus reflection: Avery Cain ’14, now a technician at R.C. Olsen Cadillac, said, “I love cars and always want to be working with them or around them. What I have accomplished is that I’ve gotten faster. I have a better understanding of vehicles and diagnoses of the vehicles.”

by Lucy Lu

Program goal: Students learn to care for children in a nurturing environment. Majors can receive alternate learning experiences by working with preschoolers and staff. Major students are also able to assist the preschool teachers and implement the curriculum. Students who study all four years in the child development program are eligible to receive an infant and toddler certification from the Massachusetts child development department.

Teacher statement: Child development teacher Michelle Ramsdell said, “We spend a great deal of our class time learning how students develop. We teach child development students to promote learning and development in infants and toddlers.”

Senior experience: Senior Eliza Macuch said, “It has been fun and enjoyable being with the kids every day. I’ve definitely learned a lot.”

Future plans: According to Macuch, she plans to go to college to become a child psychologist. She said she likes to be able to work with children, even though it does not involve early child development.

Alumnus reflection: Mark Gately ’12 said, “I quickly learned that a normal day in a preschool classroom is more than just coloring and naptime.

A teacher has countless responsibilities, such as creating lesson plans that focus on each of the developmental areas and managing the classroom.

Through the lectures and hands-on experience, I became prepared to be a teacher in an early childhood setting. Besides working, completing this program definitely put me ahead of the game in my college courses.”

by Nour Chahboun

Child Development: Senior children in Plowshares.

Carpentry: Junior Caroline Ka on a hinged chest.

Carpe

file photo

Design: Junior Emily Zhu explains design concepts to a student from Orchard Gardens School in Boston.

Devin Perlo

Drafting: Sophomore Paris Karniadakis edits a virtual model using drafting software.

Drafting

Program goal: Students use software to design and create plans in order to draw 3D building models and mechanical parts. They learn skills used in many professions, including architecture, engineering, and software design.

Teacher statement: Drafting teacher Andrea Shurtleff said, “This class is really good for getting ready for college in certain building and manufacturing majors, and for getting a taste of many different professions that use drafting, because if something has to be built or manufactured, it likely has to be drafted.”

Senior experience: Senior Koby Avramovich said, “My favorite thing about this class is that I can take anything from my head and transform it into something others can see and visualize too. It’s also interesting to see my ideas joining other ideas into a final product that we can all be proud of.”

Future plans: Avramovich said that he plans to study civil engineering, a choice which was inspired by his work in drafting.

Alumnus reflection: Patricia Muumba ’14 said, “I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in architecture at Cornell University. The class in high school helped me get a clear understanding of what the architectural field requires from an architect. Without it, I would not be attending the best architectural school in the country.”

by Andrew Mannix

Design & Visual Communications

Program goal: Students in Design & Visual Communications classes gain skills related to branding, invention, product development, and web design and pursue creative works outside the classroom. Projects have included developing a website accessible to the blind, designing congressional logos to hang in congressman Joseph Kennedy’s office, and inventing a solarpowered traffic system to reduce road accidents in Ethiopia.

Teacher statement: Design teacher Sue Brooks said, “Some think of design as being limited to advertisements, website, and layout. However, I like to think of design education as a process by which I engage my students to identify a problem, advance solutions through observation and collaboration, and critically explore other alternatives.”

Senior experience: Senior Isabelle Roy, who is enrolled in Design Major 3, said, “I have learned tons about the principles of design and the design process, as well as about collaboration and working with many different people.”

Future plans: After graduating, Roy said she hopes to study design in college and then become a graphic designer.

Alumnus reflection: Karen Fan ’14, a graduate of the program, said, “Design at North really showed me all the different possibilities and ways design exists in all fields. No other class could possibly give you as much real world experience.”

by Emily Moss

Program goal: The carpentry progr love of building through instruction in qualified to supervise construction s Teacher statement: Carpentry teach North has a long history, and student through their projects together. It open they can go in a million directions whi part of their education.”

Senior experience: Senior Nancy Te to be more independent, and we hav to do various jobs such as making box siding and roofing.”

Future plans: Tejeda will attend We year and plans to major in Constructi Alumnus reflection: Sam Kinsella Management degree this summer, sai derstanding of daily items. “All those t houses–I now look at with a new pers that goes into their building.”

Graphics: Sophomore Nate Ba screen after printing.

and Critical Minds

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 21

une 8, 2015

e Learning Opportunities

the first floor, students can find the dynamic spaces of North’s Career Vocar, and whiteboards a student encounters in core classrooms, a student might scones. These classes are not intended to provide a commonplace classroom o help them make informed choices for their future. This potential begins in they go on to become a major or not. In these classes, students learn the skills ly develop a hands-on competency. Students pursuing a major ready themnd the workforce. North is one of only 30 comprehensive high schools in the chance to try something new, or to pursue a passion towards a future career.

Culinary

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Eliza Macuch interacts with

Program goal: Students run the Tiger’s Loft restaurant within the North campus. The major students design their own lunch menu. Menu specials created by majors are then sold in the Tiger’s Loft during second and third lunches. Majors have various routines during class, including preparing pastries, washing dishes, and making sandwiches.

Teacher statement: Culinary teacher Lisa McKinney said, “My class is a machine in constant motion, exerting positive energy. The class is full of shooting stars. We are an active, ever-changing class. Each block is different, so it never becomes boring.”

Senior experience: Senior Mimi Daniell said, “I’ve learned that to be in culinary takes more than a person would think. It requires standing for a long time in a hot kitchen and if you don’t love it, find something else.

Culinary is hard work but I found something that I love. So it’s all worth it at the end of the day.”

Future plans: Daniell will attend Johnson and Wales University next year for baking pastry arts. She hopes to work in the restaurant industry and eventually open her own bakery.

by Nour Chahboun

Devin Perlo

aler places the finishing touches

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Greengineering: Senior Sammy Marcus completes construction on a build in the Innovation Lab.

Greengineering

Program goal: Students in Greengineering develop the knowledge and skills to deal with complex global and environmental issues through designing, building, and researching solutions that combine science, engineering, and economics. Students research, study, and control all the aspects of a “real-world” green-design think tank, engineer new, sustainable solutions through STEM research, and create “green-tech” projects such as biodiesel processors and wind-power systems.

Teacher statement: Chief innovation officer Stephen Chinosi said, “The curriculum offers students opportunities to enable the human species to live in harmony with the planet—from building better cities, to designing cleaner energy systems, to exploring land-safe agriculture.”

Senior experience: Senior Sammy Marcus, a minor, said, “I love the studentdriven learning environment and the class discussions and the freedom to build whatever we want. For the first couple of weeks, we tinkered with the Music Tree and perfected it in preparation for the STEM Conference. I enjoyed this period of time to come up with crazy ideas for complex builds and to really learn about the engineering process and how all of the steps leading up to building are equally, if not more, important than the actual build.”

Future plans: Marcus plans to study engineering or environmental science in college.

Alumnus reflection: Eliot Bemis ’12 said, “Before I was in Greengineering, I struggled to find any course that truly engaged me. It showed me there is no one right path for education; as long as you are always learning you are doing it right.”

by Rose Bostwick

entry

ram allows students to pursue their n tools and materials. Students become sites. her Garrett Tingle said, “Carpentry at ts learn the importance of teamwork ns up so many doors for students, and ile still finding carpentry an essential

ejeda said, “Carpentry has taught me ve all become like a family. I learned xes and coffee tables, as well as some

entworth Institute of Technology next ion Management. ’11, who will receive a Construction id carpentry has given him a new unthings I used to take for granted –cars, spective. I see the tools and the energy

by Lucy Lu

Devin Perlo

aranowski power washes a silk-

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Culinary: Senior Mimi Daniell mixes ingredients to bake scones.

TV Production: Senior Lotan Tal edits a video project in the editing lab.

Program goal: Students learn graphics and communication techniques through hands-on design projects. Students gain design experience, such as generating layouts and operating presses, while participating in projects at all stages of the print production process. They develop customer’s design concept requests, while working with client needs and specifications and follow it through to its execution and final production stages.

Teacher statement: Graphics teacher Tom Donnellan said, “In graphics, we do a lot of live work. Everything we do here is a real project. When you create something, you actually print it and produce it. It’s a project that gets produced, given to someone who can use it, so it serves a purpose.”

Senior experience: Senior Maria Proia said, “I learned a lot about the designing side to the graphic arts field as well as the business side. The greatest achievement I have made in graphics is that I’ve made it my home, a place in the school where I’m comfortable to be myself.”

Future plans: Proia plans to possibly work for a printing company one day, focusing on business instead of designing.

Alumnus reflection: Joe Frassica ’89 said, “The program got me a job and a career. The things I learned at North directly impacted the way I work today. The program taught me a strong work ethic and what it takes to have a job in real life.”

by Rose Bostwick

Program goal: TV Production teaches the three major steps of production: pre-production, in which students brainstorm their ideas, learn script writing, and figure out casting and crew logistics; production, which involves using cameras, sound equipment, and lighting; and post-production, which involves editing and packaging.

Teacher statement: Television and film production aide Amanda Mazzola said, “My favorite part is that students get to do lots of different things. They get the opportunity to film their own projects and film things that we assign them. They get to work with clients in and out of North and they get to film theatre, sports and special events.”

Senior experience: Senior Grace Hoffmann, a student in the advanced class, said, “Besides the skills taught, I have learned so much about interviewing people and about the person-to-person skills needed to get the most information out of a person.”

Future plans: Senior Brianna Gershkowitz, a student in the advanced class, said she plans to attend Tulane University to study communications, envisioning a future as a producer “because you need to know all aspects of the field.”

by Andrew Mannix

Graphics

TV Production

Designed by Valeria Dountcheva and Maria Trias

22 ◆ Newton North, Newtonite

advertisements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Rebecca,

It’s been a great ride!

We love you!

Love, Mom, Dad, and Jeanette

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

-Winnie the Pooh

WITH LOVE, MOMMY, DADDY, LILY, MIKE AND MATTHEW

Monday, June 8, 2015

senior statements

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 23

Go beyond your ceiling Embrace mistakes Whenever I watch How I Met Your Mother, especially the early seasons, Ted really infuriates me. It’s not because of his propensity for trite romantic gestures or his love of ugly suede jackets, it’s because he’s unsure and unsettled, constantly searching for love or happiness or a wife.

Maybe I’m being unfair to Ted––I mean, in the end he does end up with the girl–– but there’s something that feels fundamentally wrong about his discomfort. We, as humans, need to make plans in life to survive, we need to exist within some sort of structure, we need to settle, eventually. And that’s an impulse; it’s a biological instinct even.

But maybe there’s something to be said for fighting it, like Ted does.

As high school students,

we are all in a unique position in life: we can survive without being settled. For four years, we are supported by our parents, our teachers, our school, and allowed to drift unencumbered through life. I don’t mean that we have no responsibilities or obligations, we do. What I mean is that we haven’t found our places in the world yet, so we can exist in all of them, or in as many of them as we want. To do this––to experience the diversity of existences or even a fraction of them—is hard, especially when you consider that none of us want to do that, that we are wired to settle.

I’m not saying that you should go and join a new club or play an unfamiliar sport, although that’s well and good.

I’m saying that you should do something much more difficult: recognize the limits that you have already put on your life— the limits that we have all put on

file photo

Douglas Abrams

our lives, inherently—and try to overcome them.

Note: If you have not watched How I Met Your Mother, you should watch that now, before you try to tackle anything life-changing.

—Douglas Abrams

Pursue endless opportunities, be open to world around you I’ve only ridden a literal roller coaster once. It was a wooden coaster at Six Flags on the trip we went on at the end of eighth grade. The strange feeling I have in my knees now is very similar to the one I had as I stepped off that ancient contraption because the past four years have been just like that roller coaster.

We’ve made friends, we’ve lost some. We’ve laughed our butts off, we’ve cried our eyes out. We’ve learned to love and to hate. But most of all, we made it. We made it through countless all-nighters, pop quizzes, break-ups, and screw-ups. Now, Newton North High School’s Class of 2015 is off to take the world by storm. As we go our separate ways, some off to the far reaches of the earth (or

perhaps beyond) and some off to retire quietly up the street and around the corner, I want you all to try something, try to remember something. Try to remember how you feel today.

Try to remember how much is out there for you to see, how much is out there for you to try.

Because no matter what you finish, no matter how many doors close in your life, there will be so many left to open.

There is always another game to play, another show to put on, another problem to solve. There are always new friends to make.

Or new adventures to go on with the friends we already have. No matter what you’re hungry for, the world will never fail to fulfill your appetite, as long as you know where to look. And the way I see it, we’re only getting

Jelani Asim

file photo

started on the appetizers.

So with a heavy heart and a shit-eating grin, I bid you all farewell and the best of luck.

—Jelani Asim

Despite immense workload, learn to appreciate education

Reflecting on my four years at North, I admittedly realize that there were times when I may have done a bit more complaining than appreciating. As someone who gets frustrated when my time is wasted, I often found myself saying, “We did nothing in class today,” or, “What’s the point of this assignment, anyway?” It wasn’t until recently that I truly began to view so-called “busy work” with a positive perspective.

It was the middle of senior year, and I was staring at my assignment book and whining to my friends, wondering how I could still have so much homework. However, as I furiously tried to finish outlining a chapter in my psychology textbook, I realized that I was picking out the important content and formatting it in concise bullet points with relative ease.

While that may seem trivial, I knew that as a freshman, I probably would’ve copied down paragraphs of the chapter word for word. In this moment, it occurred to me that even though I might not have necessarily remembered this information, I had learned how to confidently pick out main ideas and consolidate my thinking, life skills that will only benefit me in college and beyond.

Truly, it is in those moments, when you are sitting there star-

file photo

Lucine Boloyan

ing at a laundry list of math problems or 50 IDs on the American Revolution—work which you simply cannot see how it will be of benefit in the long run—that you learn the most about yourself, just as I did outlining psychology. And besides, I probably wasted at least five precious minutes complaining when I could’ve been further along in the assignment anyway.

The fact of the matter is that we are not always going to like what we’re doing; it’s unfortunate, but that’s reality.

However, that doesn’t mean it can’t have a benefit either. What if something you wrote about in your junior thesis helps you

strike up a conversation with your roommate, and as a result, you become best friends?

What if you are sitting in your dorm at 2 a.m., trying to put the finishing touches on an essay, and a comment someone made in a Socratic seminar during sophomore English class suddenly comes to mind and helps you to clinch that conclusion paragraph beautifully? The point is to never underestimate the value of what you are doing, whether it is something required or of your choosing. As we begin to scope out new pathways in the years ahead, we will begin drawing on past experiences to apply toward our future education, professions, and everyday endeavors.

So, to the faculty at North: We may not have thanked you at the time for assigning us that analytical essay or teaching us how to solve parametric equations, but know that somewhere down the line, we will come to appreciate it. And to the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and my fellow seniors: embrace the moment, trust the process, and hang in there because eventually, whether it’s tomorrow, in a month, or five years from now, you will find yourself saying, “Oh, WOW! Now I see why we did that. It all makes sense.”

—Lucine Boloyan

Nothing lasts forever. A lot of the time, people take that statement as something negative or depressing, but really it’s kind of a beautiful thought.

Looking back at freshman year, I feel relief knowing that all the anxiety I felt about coming to high school, all the tests I failed, and thankfully all of those fashion trends I thought were okay would eventually come to an end. All of the negative parts of high school are only temporary and that’s a beautiful part of coming to the end of it: you realize the little things that were so embarrassing or negative don’t really matter anymore.

The idea that nothing is permanent makes each new part of life like a clean slate. I know now that any mistake I make won’t sting as much and will actually lend itself to help me. To me, a mistake is like a personal guidebook letting me know what works, what’s fun, and what probably isn’t the best idea to try again, rather than a stamp that everyone will see and define me by. Mistakes are a good thing. I know I have made plenty in my high school career and will most definitely make more in the future.

In high school, I learned to make moments worthwhile and try my best not to put off for another time what I can do today. As I write that, I’m aware that is practically the mother of all clichés; however, I really mean it. I procrastinate so much that if there were a procrastination movement and it needed a leader, I would be the president.

Even though it would probably take me some time to actually

file photo

Mathena Abramson

take office, it would definitely probably happen, eventually.

And even though particular stages of life always roll to an end, there’s always another something somewhere waiting for you at the end. For me that thing is college, for some it’s the workforce, and for some others it’s taking time to discover what will be next or maybe just taking some time off. But whatever it is, no matter what stage in high school you’re in, take the lessons from the past with you to your future. When you make a mistake, embrace and wear it proudly because those are your personal lessons that you’ll use to tackle the next task you’re moving on to. Embrace your flaws. High school really flies by, and before you know it you’ll be walking across the stage and onto the next stage of life, so don’t dwell too much on your mistakes; use them as a lesson.

—Mathena Abramson

Tatum, You’ve made us so proud the last four years. We’re so happy you’re on to your next adventure!

We love you to the moon and back, Mom, Dad, Ellie, and Ollie

Congrat

ulations

MacKenzie,

We are so proud of you!!

Dream Big, the Future is Yours…

Love, Mom, Luke & Lacey

Congratulations Lea! So proud of you.

You are a shining star!

Watch out UVM! xoxo Mom and Dad.

24 ◆ Newton North, Newtonite

senior statements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Find what makes you happy, Positive character satisfy your own expectations builds personality When I walked through the doors of high school on my first day of freshman year, I was a small, frightened fish in the massive ocean that was Newton North High School. The school was, frankly, completely overwhelming. Like most other freshmen, I had no idea what path I wanted to take in life; I was merely focused on making it through the next four years.

Now, as my time at North comes to a close, the school seems no larger than a fish tank. I have been able to meet new friends, make unforgettable memories, and truly find my niche in the school. The ways in which I have matured both intellectually and personally surprise me even today.

Freshman-year-me would have never be able to fathom how much would change over four short years.

There is one aspect of my life that remains largely the same, however: uncertainty about my plan for the future. Sure, I’ve got some basic ideas about what I’d like to accomplish, but I haven’t really laid out a concrete strategy. Adults always ask me what

file photo

Nathan Buchwald

I’d like my college major to be or what job I’d like to have in the future, and truly, I have no idea.

I am always impressed when I meet a student who has decided the occupation they want to pursue or what their educational future holds. I couldn’t begin to think that far into the future.

But does this worry me? Absolutely not. If my time at North has taught me anything, it’s that learning is through experience and exposure. High school can only show a small portion of what the world has to offer.

Everybody has their own path

in life, so don’t fret if you see uncertainty looming. Some paths are more straightforward than others. Remember, exploration and risk-taking can reveal new passions that you may not know about at the outset of your journey after high school. So take your time, and take advantage of all that life offers.

No matter what you plan to do in your years after high school, make sure you ask yourself this question: are you doing what makes you happy?

This new time in our lives is supposed to be a time of autonomy and liberation. Don’t limit yourself by trying to satisfy someone else’s aspirations. It is YOUR life after all. Personally, I want to be able to look back on my years of early adulthood without remorse. I want to remember being happy and feeling like I lived my life to the fullest extent. So, regardless of where the next few chapters of your life take you, make sure the finished product is your own personal masterpiece.

—Nathan Buchwald

Explore hobbies, discover passions At the end of the announcements on Wednesday morning, they always end with “learning does certainly sustain the human spirit.” Up until this year, I always thought that learning meant academics and school work, and I would always mock it. I didn’t realize that you could see it another way. I might be looking into this too hard, but if you look at it from another angle, it has another meaning.

Learning is a broad topic, and, for me, I learned about food and cooking. The past four years I’ve spent most of my time in the Tiger’s Loft learning how to run a kitchen. It’s not all cooking though. I learned how to place an order and how to record purchases in our computer.

If you don’t already know, the Loft is a student-run restaurant. Literally, it’s a student-run restaurant. As I tell upcoming freshmen and parents, the teachers are there to make sure we don’t burn down the place.

Almost every day someone sets a bagel on fire, and the teachers are the only ones who know how to make it stop flaming. They

file photo

Mimi Daniell

are there to teach, but more often, the teaching assistants know what needs to be done, and if the students have any questions, they come to us.

One of the things that I figured out in freshman year was to find something that you truly love and have a passion for.

High school would have been so much different if I had not found the culinary program. I would probably not know what my ma-

jor would be in college if not for this program. Find something that you are passionate about.

It doesn’t matter if you are a millionaire, if you are unhappy.

Live your life to the fullest, and be happy with what the future has in store.

As we are getting ready to go to college, we slump a bit more day after day. Some think that senioritis is a bad thing because grades still sort of count. But in my opinion, we get to focus on something else besides tests and quizzes and homework. We have more time to hang with friends or to play sports or focus on the things that actually matter in life.

High school is an experience I will never forget. All the good and bad times will be with me for a long time. The stupid adventures turn into lasting memories. Even though every day I say that I hate high school and that I can’t wait for college, I’m going to miss this place. The past four years have been great, and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

—Mimi Daniell

Choices made here do not define you For the longest time, we have been taught to believe that every choice we make in high school will have a direct effect on the rest of our lives: the classes we take, the grades we get, and the extracurricular activities we do.

What I’ve learned in my four years at North is that while all those things matter, they are not everything. So what if you fail a few tests? Or don’t take five APs senior year? Or don’t run track and star in the big musical? Those choices don’t define your whole life.

I spent my first three years at North choosing classes based on what looked impressive for colleges rather than what interested me. I spent my first three years staying up late to finish work and study for tests rather than taking care of my health and sleeping. For senior year, I changed my approach to school.

I took classes that interested me, even if they weren’t offered at the highest level. I listened to my body and allowed myself to sleep instead of pulling an allnighter to finish every assign-

ment and study for every test.

I even stayed home for a day.

In my four years of high school, I have only missed seven full days of school. Missing a full day drove me crazy. I’d feel like I was missing too much work and that I’d fall behind. I did everything in my power freshman, sophomore, and junior years to never miss a day. This year, I realized that missing a lecture or even a test was not a terrible idea. I still don’t like to miss school, and I definitely don’t suggest missing more than a day or two every few months, but taking a day for some muchneeded rest can make a huge difference.

After taking that break, I learned that sleep and relaxation are some of the most important parts of the day, though I know it’s hard to believe. They affect almost everything in your day: your attitude, your ability to think, your level of interest, and especially your ability to function at school. I’m not saying don’t try hard or don’t think about your future at all. What

file photo

Celia Gittleman

I’m saying is don’t automatically sacrifice the opportunities provided to you right now, and your sanity, for something that is so far away. Ultimately, taking time to take care of yourself will have more of a positive effect on your future than an A on a test will.

—Celia Gittleman

In our years at North, there have been many times when the second we leave a classroom after a test or a quiz, we compare answers with our friends in an attempt to figure out how we did. We’ve defended our answers to multiple choice questions, and we’ve laughed at our stupid mistakes. But, in the end, we know that we will only know the right answers once we get the test back later, once we have already forgotten the little questions that we had.

We know that comparing answers will never change what we wrote, how we did, or how much we studied, and all of our stressing about what we cannot control does nothing to help us.

Therefore, rather than sweat the small stuff that is in the past, like that ball you missed in tennis, that line you forgot in the play, or that question you got wrong on the test, instead, let us focus on the present and what we can control. Throughout our lives, there are always going to be things that don’t go as planned, jobs we don’t get, and tests that we study hard for without the desired outcome. What is important, however, is that we move on from these disappointments with a positive attitude and look for how we can do better in the future. The only person who can truly change

file photo

Julia Feinstein

how you feel about something is yourself. So even if what lies ahead at any point is not what you expected, just acting enthusiastic about it will make you happier. Soon, your enthusiasm will encourage you and make you eager to pursue the road ahead.

As we move onto the next stage of our lives, whether it be college, work, or something else, we are going to have a lot more power over our choices. I hope that whatever decisions we make are made with confidence and fervor for their outcomes.

Our confidence will make us happy with our lives and with what we, ourselves, can offer the world.

—Julia Feinstein

CONGRATULATIONS LIAM!

WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR YOU AND CAN’T WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT CHAPTER. WITH LOVE AND ADMIRATION, MOM, DAD AND SOPHIA

senior statements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Find your passion, enjoy high school Wow, we finally did it, Class of 2015. We are graduating. I don’t know about you guys, but I remember attending the open house at North in the spring of 2011 and being very intimidated by the large new school.

I remember being told by an upper classman that each year would flash by in the blink of an eye, and before I would realize it I would be a senior and graduating. Four years is a long time, and I believed high school would go by slowly. Well, look at me contradict myself today.

Four years go by faster than you could ever imagine. To this day, I still can’t seem to find where the years went.

I have loved the experience I had here at North. I was given opportunities that I never would have expected, and I met amazing people who really influenced how I behave today. I started freshman year not really knowing what I wanted to do with my high school career. All I knew was soccer and sports. What North allowed me to do, which I am so grateful for, is find my current passion in life—theatre.

I really went out of my comfort zone to try theatre. Not because sports and theatre are so different, but because my first show was Freshman Cabaret, and I had to sing and dance in a dress in front of the entire school.

That is embarrassing, right?

Well it was, but in the end, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Students and faculty at North laughed with me and respected me for pushing my limits—something I will always remember. Ever since then, I have been pursuing theatre, and I am going to college to major in acting.

Nick Hansell

file photo

Underclassmen: push your limits, and find what your passion is. Whether it is theatre, sports, robots, art, or anything, don’t be afraid to try. Push yourself, and you will succeed.

Academics are stressful, and although I can’t say school will be a breeze, it is very important to try and enjoy high school as much as you can. It is your time to find where your passions lie.

I want to give a quick shout out to the best supportive twin sister anyone could ask for, Kitty Kat Hansell, and another to the goons that have been with me through all of middle school and high school. Isaac, Michael, Ben, Brian, Liam, and James, you guys are like brothers to me, and I love you guys so much. I am so sad to leave, but am so proud of our accomplishments. I am proud of our school.

I am proud of what we have all become, and I am so proud to be a part of this graduating class.

Let’s go Tigers!

—Nick Hansell

Appreciate North, remember friends, thank your parents Class of 2015: it’s been an unforgettable four years. Soon, we will be leaving high school and slowly figuring out what we want to do with the rest of our lives. North has prepared us with the confidence to do just about anything. Although we will all be off doing different things, remember and appreciate your time at North. Remember the teachers that made a difference in your life. Remember the hard work and the stress you put yourself through. Remember your accomplishments and your failures. Remember your friends that you’ll have for life, and especially remember to thank your parents. I’d also like to make a shout out to my twin Nick Hansell for pushing me toward excellence and for being my best friend! It’s been an amazing run for the past 13 years of school together! Class of 2015: I am so excited to see what we all do with our lives

Kat Hansell

file photo

and to consider each and every one of you my friend. We will always bleed black and orange.

Go Tigers!

—Kat Hansell

Congratulations Caryn!

Your spirit shines through who you are and what you do, for all to see Look out U of Michigan!

BTTU - Mom, Dad, Maddy, Simon and Genevieve

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 25

Master procrastination I’m pretty sure everyone procrastinates. When you’re at school learning, listening, writing, thinking for eight straight hours, how can you be expected to go right home and get all your work done efficiently? Home isn’t a second library. It’s home.

Your bed could be a studyspread, but it could also be a place to nap. Your desk could be the workplace, but it could also be a snack table. A computer equipped with Netflix, Facebook, and Buzzfeed is a downward spiral waiting to happen.

These merciless distractions capture us for ten minutes, then twenty, then sixty.

Hungry for a break, we let them. Not much later, we regret it. And then comes the stress: “I’m so frustrated with myself. I just wasted all my time. How can I possibly get my work done now?”

OK, here’s where you have

a fighting chance. You have a choice: either keep being stressed, full of regrets, and inefficient, or get it together.

Here’s my method for accomplishing the second option: Step 1: Forgive yourself, and let go of your frustration. Take some breaths, show some true self-kindness––whatever it takes to stop focusing on the past.

Step 2: Move to another room. Take only what you need to do your work. Pro-tip: try your best to leave your phone behind.

Step 3: Try to make doing your homework fun. If it’s reading, brew some tea, and get cozy with a blanket. If it’s math, reward yourself with a chocolate chip after every problem. If the work is high above your energylevel, Skype with a classmate, and work through it together.

This may take longer, but it’s worth it, and you end up doing a more thorough job.

If there’s any skill I’ve learned

file photo

Irene Golden

the past four years, it’s how to procrastinate mindfully––how to take a highly-needed break and then bounce back. For me, procrastination has never been fully avoidable, but I mastered the art of doing it right.

—Irene Golden

Embrace new challenges Finally after challenges, struggles, and achievements, we have arrived at our graduation. Our high school careers close, and the rest of our lives lie before us. We have a choice about how we face the future ahead of us. We can face the future with fear and anxiety, or we can look at it as an exciting challenge.

In high school, you are forced to do things that may be difficult or tedious. Most of the time you don’t have a choice in the completion of the task. We all have to do things we don’t want to do: writing your junior thesis, mile repeats in the pouring rain, studying for finals on a beautiful day, working a long shift on a Saturday, cleaning your room, or getting no sleep during tech week. Even though we have no choice about its completion, we do have the freedom to control our attitude. You can make the choice to approach the activity

file photo

Sonya Jampel

with a positive or negative attitude, but either way the task must be completed.

By learning to approach difficult or annoying tasks with a positive attitude, your life becomes much more enjoy-

able. Instead of wishing the task would end, we can learn to love the pain and the struggle in order to enjoy life to the fullest.

We must make the best of every situation since you never know how many days you have left.

We only have a set amount of time on Earth, and why waste one second pouting? It is impossible to be positive every moment or everyday, but if you try to just add one more smile to your day, that is one more moment you are happy to have lived through.

As we move on to the next portion of our lives or for underclassmen who will continue their journeys through high school, we know there will be more challenges. Don’t scare away from the challenges, but instead embrace them with a smile. You never know when you may actually start to enjoy a seemingly unbearable task.

—Sonya Jampel

Take part in extracurriculars, find stress-relieving interests Four years at Newton North have taught me that the best medicine for combatting the stress of academics is to find your passion, express it, and pursue it. I walk into North every day bracing myself for the wave of stress to crash over me. At home, I sit in the same place for hours on end to finish seemingly endless piles of homework. From challenging AP classes to lengthy essays, it sometimes feels like the pressure of getting good grades and making my family proud is going to swallow me whole.

However, within all of the chaos and anxiety, I learned to find my escape. It took me a while to figure out the key to survival at a highly competitive school. Finding your place in such a big school isn’t easy, but it’s there. You just need to look in the right places and take some risks.

The arts at North were my safe haven and literal breath of fresh air throughout my four years. I could actually spend time doing something I loved. I never thought it was possible to experience so much happiness in a part of my school day. I discovered photography, my home away from home. The photo

classroom became the place in school where I felt comfortable and relaxed. I didn’t feel judged or anxious like I did in other classes where I had to prove I was smart enough or good enough for North. I could just be creative and pursue ideas without focusing on the grade.

After school, I found North’s dance team to be a relaxing break in my schedule. This extracurricular gave me a couple hours away from the barricade of schoolwork. At dance, I felt like I was with family and could push myself without the fear of failing that I had in class. I was free and could let myself go. It was the perfect example of work hard, play hard.

When dance season would end, I found myself in the theatre, where I had the opportunity to open up and learn about my talents. Theatre Ink is the only place at North where an audience is watching you and every person there wants you to succeed. Standing up on a stage and feeling the excitement and pride of performing was just what I needed after a rough day.

It helped me to develop a close relationship with people who I might never have bonded with otherwise. Newton North can

file photo

Julielle Kahn

be a tough place, but pursuing your passion can help. Most of us are talented in a way other than in academics and that is amazing. Look around. Sign up for an extracurricular club or sport you’ve always wanted to try. Take a class you’ve dreamed about, and ignore those who say it isn’t “good enough” to impress colleges. We all have a passion and can use it to help us find relief from our stressful days. Take a chance and go after something that makes you feel good about yourself.

—Julielle Kahn

26 ◆ Newton North, Newtonite

senior statements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Hands-on class provides academic relief Whenever I tell people I take carpentry, I get a variety of responses. Some people express confusion, whereas others think I’m joking. Some even think I take carpentry to “get credits for a free block.” I have taken carpentry for three out my four years at Newton North, and it’s been the most valuable class I have taken.

I know that many students at Newton North have gone through all of high school without stepping foot into a Career and Vocational Education class.

Some complain that you don’t learn anything (not true). Others say that it is not as useful as an academic class (also not true). These arguments against carpentry pale in comparison to what you do get out of it.

A hands-on class like carpentry is like a breath of fresh air. You get some relief from the rigorous academic environment of tests and essays, and you learn to appreciate what you can do with your own hands.

There is a wonderful satisfaction in building a bench and seeing somebody sit on it. You also gain an appreciation of how difficult it is to make everyday things that you frequently take for granted.

Carpentry is also a real adventure. As Mr. Tingle likes to say, if you make a mistake in math class, you lose five points on a test. If you make a mistake in carpentry class, you can lose a finger or an eye. There is no way to get by in carpentry without putting in your best effort.

The carpentry workshop is a diverse environment, where I have met some of the kindest and most hard-working kids in the school. In carpentry, there are no egos. It’s an even playing field, where everyone has the same goal of finishing the project. It’s a class where you always work together. When you’re building a shed, everyone in the class gets the same grade.

There is no room for one student to shine above the group, as everyone’s work is equally integral to the final product’s success. Carpentry is where I really learned how to work with others.

Finally, take carpentry so you can help others. Earlier in the year, I worked with another student to refurbish a set of

shutters for an elderly woman in the community. Because of our work, she was able to save on the costs of having them replaced. I also traveled to New Orleans in April with twenty-seven other carpentry students. We worked on rebuilding houses that were devastated

by Hurricane Katrina. It is an amazing feeling when you know you have contributed to someone’s life in a positive way.

I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. There is no other class at Newton North where you can learn real-life skills, meet new people, travel to New Orleans, and help others at the same time. Carpentry is cool!

—Vikram Krishnamachari

file photo

Vikram Krishnamachari

We change, evolve, grow Meet new people, I don’t know how many of us have really thought about the future. So much of our senior year is spent stressing and dreading the next few months, when we leave home and actually function as adults… on our own. How many of us have really thought of what comes after college? What will happen to those of us who entered high school and thrived and those who seemed to fade into the background? We are embarking on a crazy journey, one we can’t procrastinate on, and one we can’t hold back.

Some of you are probably questioning my use of the word “we.” Our groups of friends are small, at times suffocating, and there are so many of you I have probably never seen, let alone spoke to, so I understand your confusion. We are the Class of 2015, not just those of us who get Most Likely to Succeed, Best Smile, Best Laugh, or yes, Class Clown. We are all the next leaders of this “great” country we call our own. We all hear the tragic happenings in the news, the deaths that rock our country, the results of elections we can now participate in. Our views may differ, but it hits us all nonetheless.

Some of us are or will be liberals, some the most conservative Republicans. Some will live the same lives they lived in high school, skating by on

file photo

Isatou Marenah

our looks or excelling with our minds. Tragically, some of us won’t have a future, won’t have kids and families, passing away before we can make a real go at it. Most of us will mature and grow into the adults, spouses, businessmen and women that we were meant to be. Some will have children right out of high school or get married because they are some of the few romantics who believe teenage love is real love. Noticing our many differences, we are the Class of 2015.

We fight, disagree, cheat, lie, yell, scream, and laugh until we have cramps in our stomachs and tears streaming down our faces, but we’re a family, and

that is exactly what families do.

The future is an enormous, terrifying place, for everyone, regardless of whether you go to college, take a gap year, or get a job right out of high school. In 10 years, when we all gather and see what our class has achieved, or what we don’t already know from Facebook or whatever social network that will be out in 2025, I won’t be the same person and I know none of you will be.

We change, we evolve, and we better ourselves. We grow.

I can’t wait for the moment we say goodbye to high school, say thank you to our teachers who have helped mature us and prepare us for life out of high school. I can’t wait to hug people I never had the chance to actually connect with and say goodbye to the “just high school” friends I’ve made, the “forever” friends, and the loves I’ve developed that, yes, I will have to leave. It’s hard to do, and it’s hard to accept because transition is hard, but it is necessary.

I can’t say I love you all because I don’t know you all, and I know you may not love me but… that’s all right too. I wish you all the best of luck, I know our class is the best of all. Go Tigers.

Turn Up Class of 2015. Be safe in your future endeavors and I sincerely hope I can see you all again, someday.

—Isatou Marenah

Contemplate past difficulties, prepare for future challenges

As graduation day approaches, marking the end of my four years at Newton North, I feel nostalgic. Whether it evokes good or bad memories, our high school experience is part of who we are and what type of people we are going to become in the future. We’ve all faced some sort of challenge as we’ve grown from freshmen to seniors.

As a freshman, I took many laps around the cafeteria, looking for a familiar face. I can still remember the relief I felt when I finally found a table of middle school friends. What was a big deal to me as a freshman seems so miniscule looking back. It was that awkward stage in high school where day-to-day routine was anxiety-provoking.

Each day was a challenge to step out of my comfort zone – whether it was raising my hand in a class full of new faces or walking under “The Perch” as a freshman in my onesie pajamas for team spirit, envisioning all of the seniors staring down at me. As I look back, I realize that nobody really cared what

I was doing because everyone was occupied finding his or her own niche in the unique Newton North culture.

After surviving the awkward social stage, I braced myself for the academic challenges that Newton North is known for. Escalating to the dreaded junior year grind, I faced the endless chemistry problem sets, late night research for my junior thesis, and, on top of that, SAT prep.

Within a blink of an eye, senior year was upon me. A stressful yet exciting year with the realization that our high school experience was coming to an end. By surviving the challenges of high school, I’d like to think that I am prepared for whatever lies in the future.

Wherever we are going, moving forward, we all face our own insecurities. Yet, it’s comforting to know that we are all in the same boat and that we will learn to take future challenges in stride. As we all go our separate ways after graduation, let’s reflect back on what challenged

file photo

Katie Nugent

us throughout these last four years, because there are more challenges to come. Chances are, we will be at college or on a new job, once again making that lap around the cafeteria, searching for a familiar face. We have been challenged, we have changed, and we are equipped to overcome whatever obstacles we are going to face.

—Katie Nugent

express gratitude, live in the present To start a new chapter of our lives, we must end an old one. In bittersweet fashion, our long, yet precious time at Newton North is coming to a close. With a school full of 2,000 people, it is impossible to grow close with each individual. Some classmates are dear friends that we’ve had since kindergarten, some are acquaintances that we have grown apart from as the years went on. On graduation day, it will be easy to look around and pick out some kids that you have never had a class with, or never gotten to know very well, or maybe never even talked to. Although it can seem like that fellow classmate is somewhat of a stranger, the reality of the situation is that they are far closer to you than you could ever imagine.

Making it this far is not an easy trek. When we started out in elementary school we did not even know the alphabet. Now we can read hundreds of words per minute. We all had an embarrassing moment in elementary school, an even more embarrassing one in middle school, and a time in high school where we regretted not doing something because we were afraid of being embarrassed.

Believe it or not, graduating from high school was an incredible feat to accomplish.

Be proud of it. Acknowledge all of the work that each one of us put in to make it this far.

Walking off the field at graduation will not be as easy as we think. All of us have taken separate paths through our high school lives, but we have all completed the same journey. It is easy to look back and remember all of the days you felt like a teacher was singling you out, or you did not have a friend’s shoulder to lean on when you needed one.

It is easy to dwell on the lowpoints when you felt all alone.

What is hard to think about is that we all went through that.

The same day that you were stressed out because of a test G Block, another student had the same test F Block. The same night that you were up

file photo

Tommy Mobley

until 1 a.m. writing a paper, another student was up until 2 a.m. preparing a biology presentation.

When we are grown up, in the real world, and run into each other, I am confident that there will be a great feeling of reflection and reminiscence.

Here at Newton North we created a community, and we all brought something to it.

When we leave, we will be taking a part of each other with us as Newton North has shaped all of us into the people that we are.

You might cry, you might feel like you are going to miss people that you thought you would not. Emotions will be all over the place, but do not sweat it. It is natural.

Throughout life, the most valuable commodity is time.

One day our time here on earth will run out, and our money, degrees, and test scores will become meaningless. Graduating from high school marks a huge passage of time: your childhood. The unconscious, raw emotion of the phenomenon will easily overtake most of us. So let it out. Give someone the compliment that you always kept to yourself, thank the teachers that you never got along with, talk to the classmate that you never met, because this is your last chance. Embrace each other and the moment as we prepare to embrace our future on the road ahead.

—Tommy Mobley

Visit theNewtonite.com

senior statements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Find your interests High school is like one long four year pregnancy. It’s painful, you’re hormonal, but you feel super important at the same time.

Your little baby is like your future, growing more and more real inside you. Teachers, friends and parents will guide you in the right direction and suddenly your future is so real it feels like it’s almost kicking inside of you. You go to the doctor and you see a really cool 3D ultra-sound of your little future and you get really excited to leave high school and just start with it already. And you take all your pre-natal vitamins by doing your homework and studying hard to ensure that when you’re ready, your future will be the best it possibly could be. And then, BAM, you graduate, and suddenly your future is this real thing that you hold in your hands and have control over.

And it’s horrifying no matter how prepared you once felt.

We can’t expect to know exactly what to do once we step out of the comforting bubble of high school. If high school has taught us anything, hopefully it’s taught us how to discover what we love. It’s hard not to fall in love with something this school has to offer, whether it be a hobby, sport, or play. So, find out what you love to do, and spend your time focusing on that. It’s how you find your career, not just a job; it’s how you live passionately instead of passively. So, my advice to anyone still in high school is to seek out what interests you. We can’t expect to be good at everything, but deciding what we like to do and what we don’t like to do is

file photo

Elena Rodríguez

an excellent first step in becoming who we are.

Freshman year I fell in love with theatre, particularly writing and directing, and I met some truly inspirational students and teachers that made me believe in myself. If it wasn’t for the fantastic theatre program here, I might have never learned what I want to do with the rest of my life. It makes life after high school seem a lot less scary, because now I know what I’m ready to do.

I’ve learned a lot about myself and my peers through my experience in high school, but our next steps are more important than what we’ve done.

What we choose to do with our knowledge and passions is going to be the most exciting and interesting part of our lives. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the Class of 2015, and I can’t wait to see where we go!

—Elena Rodríguez

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 27

Put more time into activities

Start slump freshman year.

Oh, I’m serious, cuz you freshmen, sophomores, and juniors don’t really know what “Senior Slump” is.

I certainly didn’t. I was expecting that in February, every teacher would throw their hands in the air, yell a profanity, and stop classes altogether to look at frogs.

We’d study the curves of an ice cream sundae in calc, we’d eat Tom’s Pizza in Italian, and maybe we’d dissect a goat in bio just for the heck of it. Yet, classes did not cease; on the contrary, because of those satanic “snow days,” we worked harder than ever.

T h o u g h c l a s s d i d n’ t change, I did. There was a shift in my brain chemistry.

The parts labeled “Obligations” began to shrink, and the parts labeled “Passions,” “New Experiences,” and “Community” (the TV Show, but the concept is cool too) grew. What I thought mattered throughout high school

file photo

Daniel Ruttenberg

was not as important as I may have believed, and what really mattered was pursuing passions and learning for the sake of learning.

I kept doing my classwork, but for different reasons. I no longer wanted to get an A on my Spanish vocab quiz; I wanted to learn the spanish vocab so that I

could talk about la economia with Chileans. The grade had lost its value, causing my lust of learning to grow.

I also began to realize how important out-of-class learning was. I put more time into my extracurricular passions, and I grew in completely new ways. As fourth term rolls around, the “clock” that is the academic year may begin to stall, but my new state of mind remained.

This perspective shouldn’t be restricted to second semester seniors. Don’t take classes that will give you the ideal GPA; take classes you feel a passion for. Always try and reach out of your comfort zone; go to a club, audition for a show, or try out for a sport you never thought you’d go to/audition for/try out for before. And, let’s be honest, you should get some sleep and half-ass that essay during production week. I won’t judge you.

—Daniel Ruttenberg

Do not underestimate yourself So much of high school involves being assessed by other people. We are given grades that supposedly reflect our aptitude for a subject; coaches assign us to teams or give us a certain amount of playing time based on what they understand our ability to be; directors award us parts in shows according to how talented they think we are; college counselors tell us which schools are our safeties and which are our reaches. And amid that climate of quantifying, it is difficult, but ultimately vital, to keep one thing in mind.

Only you know what you’re capable of.

The appraisals and advice of teachers, coaches, directors, college counselors, and other sources of guidance are undoubtedly helpful tools in navigating what amounts to a really difficult four years. But all of that should come second to what you think you can do.

Don’t let anyone else limit what you strive for, because ultimately, you are the only person

to whom you’re accountable. At the end of the day and at the end of senior year, it is you who will take pride in having gone the distance despite the doubts of other people – or it is you who will be left wondering how far you could have gone.

Challenge other people’s expectations. Take a class for which your teacher is hesitant to recommend you. Practice your sport or skill on your own and show just how well you can perform. Apply to schools that you are told are out of your league.

What’s more, you’re probably capable of even more than you think.

High school is often compared to a marathon, and the metaphor is an apt one. It is long, at times grueling, and you hit a wall (most likely during junior year) where it may even feel like you can’t go on. But the reason that marathons are inspirational is because who would have ever thought human beings could run 26 consecutive miles? And yet, every spring

file photo

Elena Schwartz

thousands of people do, right along Comm Ave. You have a lot more in you than even you believe. Don’t underestimate yourself. If you think you can do it, then the only remaining question is, are you going to?

—Elena Schwartz

Create wild, lifelong memories

Dear Isaac, We know you are going places!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! ~Love Mom, Dad and Eli

What will I miss most about high school?

As I sit here and try to think of some generic “inspirational” memories to share, I am stumped.

Well, I’ll definitely miss Waffle Wednesday every Wednesday morning in the cafeteria. I’ll most certainly miss those late night drives with my friends in my beat-up Pontiac, cruising around with our McDonald’s ice cream cones in hand, as we blast Taylor Swift and sing our hearts out. Oh, and I’ll never forget the way my lacrosse teammates laugh out of pity as I tell my horrible jokes for them everyday at practice (which I still think are hilarious).

Now, if any of this seems pointless to you, stick with me because there’s a message behind all of this, I promise.

Although these memories may seem irrelevant to you, these are the things that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

From the comforting way the lunch monitor would ask me, “More chocolate chips?” every Wednesday morning, or to the way I belted out Taylor Swift’s hit “Style” during late night drives with my best friends, I will never forget the way high school made me feel: happy.

file photo

MacKenzie Silvia

These memories, though somewhat silly, are me. I am the girl who enjoys extra chocolate chips on her waffle. I am the girl who sings proudly without a care in the world and the one who enjoys making other people laugh (even if it’s because they feel sorry for me). This is who Newton North has helped me become, and I can honestly say I could not be more thankful for such a supportive high school.

Although it is sometimes easy to overlook the obvious, it is Newton North that has guided me through these last four years. It’s the lunch monitors and the entire North staff that have taught me how to be

comfortable with the uncomfortable and how to push myself academically. It is the amazing sense of community North possesses that has led me to meet my best friends. It is the sports teams and coaches that have taught me about mental toughness and believing in myself even when I am ready to quit.

These are the memories that Newton North has left me with.

As I prepare to leave for college and become an Orange for the next four years, I will always be proud to call myself a Tiger at heart.

It is Newton North that has helped me grow into a confident young woman and given me immense opportunities in many different aspects of life.

So how does this relate back to you? (Drumroll please...)

Newton North is filled with many different ways to become involved based on your passions and interests. It is up to you to take advantage of these opportunities and make some crazy memories of your own. This can be the best time of your life, so don’t let it pass by. Be yourself, and be proud! Go find out your favorite waffle topping, I did!

Good luck and a huge congratulations to everyone in the Class of 2015. #WeMadeIt —MacKenzie Silvia

senior statements

28 ◆ Newton North, Newtonite

Monday, June 8, 2015

Self-love requires time, effort As a freshman, I used to wonder what kind of person I’d turn out to be my senior year. I had very high hopes for myself then, and guess what? I turned out even better than I expected!

Now you might be wondering, why is this girl bragging about how awesome she is to us, doesn’t she know that teenagers are supposed to be miserable and self­-loathing? Well that’s exactly what I want to talk about.

To be honest with you, I haven’t always been this confident ray of sunshine. In fact, this is all very new to me, and three years ago I truly didn’t think that self­ -love was something I would ever feel.

I’ve struggled a lot. Most of us have. Freshman year, I used to filter everything I said because I was terrified of being perceived as annoying or immature. I genuinely believed that if I didn’t, people wouldn’t want to be my friend. Sophomore year was the worst. I didn’t like the way I looked so I tried to make myself invisible.

And as if junior year wasn’t already hard enough as it is, I limited myself by not thinking that I was smart enough. So why am I sharing these deeply personal and depressing things with you? Because it’s a reality and because I am living proof that it is possible to come back from those things and learn to

love yourself.

It can be generally agreed upon that high school sucks sometimes. Being an adolescent is hard because we’re constantly being told that being an adolescent is hard. We’re taught that we should just accept that this is the way it has to be, that we have to be unhappy and insecure because we’re teenagers. I don’t think this is true. And so here are my thoughts on teens and self­-love in the form of advice that you don’t have to take, but should at least consider: 1) You may not feel this way right now, but it is possible for you to love yourself. Know that this doesn’t happen instantaneously and that there’s nothing wrong with you if you don’t, but please be patient with yourself.

2) Say what you’re thinking.

Be honest with your friends, your family, your teachers, and yourself. You deserve to be heard.

3) Connect with your teachers. We go to a school that truly does appreciate uniqueness.

Your teachers want to support you and to believe in you.

Take the time to get to know some faculty on a more personal level, and let them be there for you.

4) Work really hard on the things you care about, and be proud of yourself. Tell other people that you’re proud of

CONGRATULATIONS STEVEN!!

We are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished.

We wish you all the best at Bentley!!

WITH LOVE, MOM, DAD, NICHOLAS, JOSEPH, ROBERT AND GIULIA

Congratulations

Amazing Tori file photo

Natalie Tereshchenko

yourself. Also tell your friends that you’re proud of them.

5) Being a kid doesn’t mean that your thoughts, feelings, and ideas don’t matter. You matter.

And that is the end of my very cheesy list. You might read this and roll your eyes, and that’s ok. That’s what I would’ve done three years ago. But today, I embrace my words. I am so proud of what I have done here at Newton North, and I am proud of who I have become. I think freshman year me would be happy to know that.

—Natalie Tereshchenko

We are so proud of you and

what you have achieved at NNHS.

Enjoy every minute at Bryant University for Buisness and Track and Field...

The BEST is yet to come!

With all our love and admiration,

Natalie You began in Brooklyn, Were nurtured in Newton, Have played in Paris, And now stand ready to take on the WORLD! Kid, we couldn't be prouder of all that you've done and are.

Congratulations -The best is yet to come!

Love you MTTCT, Mom, Dad, and Eliza

visit theNewtonite.com

Mom & Dad, Carl, Amanda, Douglas, and your entire family!!

NNHS Class of 2015

editors’ columns

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 29

Find meaning in life, value each moment In the hours between 6:56 a.m., when my alarm goes off, and 5:28 p.m., when I collapse onto my couch at the end of the day, nothing of significance seems to occur. Each day is the same—the same classes, the same teachers, the same conversations. When someone asks at dinner what I have done that day, I find my mind blank, barren of all but meaningless details. “Oh, I got my math test back,” I’ll respond absentmindedly. Is this really all I have to show for the day?

Well, when I say nothing significant occurs, that’s an overgeneralization. When I say it’s the same classes each day, that’s simply not true. Because each moment you experience—well, whether you like it or not—you have never experienced that moment before and never will again. You will never step into

the same classroom twice.

You will never again be made of the exact same molecules in the exact same orientation. The person next to you will never again say the same statement about her weekend. The sunlight will never fall across the linoleum tiles in quite the same pattern.

So, even though school can feel like an unending monotony of the same classes and the same conversations, stop every so often and realize: this moment will never happen again, and no one else on this planet can ever experience it. Whether you’re stuck in traffic or having the time of your life at a concert, just take in the moment. Stop.

Breathe.

That being said, the fact that something only occurs once may or may not make it significant in your eyes. This is where

Explore interests, appreciate today Standing in front of the building after the first day of high school, my first thought was that this school was massive. My second thought was that the students were so big—the seniors had mustaches! Four years later, leaving the building, my thoughts are reversed—everything seems so small, and, man, did the time fly.

As we all move our separate ways, it can be hard to fully appreciate high school. Everything is pointing towards the future. But although the future is important, it’s the present that really matters, as the future can be impossible to predict.

Before high school, I had almost no interest in joining the newspaper. I chose to take Journalism on a whim—it was a backup class I hoped I wouldn’t get. After being on the Newtonite for three volumes, however, I can say joining the paper was one of the best decisions I made in high school. I’ll always remember homeroom breakfasts, press nights, the Wall of Shame, and even the disasters—because print specials wouldn’t be complete without them. I’m already looking forward to the 100th volume reunion in a few years.

So whatever your plans are for the future, be open to changing them, because in a few years, your future self

file photo

Connor Vasu

will be doing something you never expected. Expanding your interests is one of the most important parts of high school. These four years are a time for branching out and exploring. Take a class because it sounds interesting, not because of how it will look to others. Join a club. Strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know well. You’ll be glad you did.

As we leave North for good, and go our separate ways, our adult life just beginning, cherish graduation and look to the future, but don’t lose sight of the present, for it’s today, and each individual day after, that is the most important in your life.

—Connor Vasu

Congratulations Kristen: "Set" your dreams high, "Ace" your achievements, "Spike" the opportunities that come your way.

When you encounter obstacles, "dig in" and "block," "Hustle" like a champion and life will "serve" you well.

Love, Mom, Dad, Kathryn and George

file photo

Leah Budson

you come in.

Ask yourself, what are the types of things I want to be talking about come dinner time?

Is it a great conversation you had with a friend, an essay you

worked hard on, a time you held the door open for someone, or a scene from a book you read?

There’s no right answer; the only important thing is that you answer truthfully. And, once you answer, go out and try to do those things more.

Now, here is where the excuses come in. I know, because I’m guilty of a multitude. I am quite competent when it comes to complaining and not so successful when it comes to taking action.

There’s really no secret to starting to do the things you love, so you need to stop looking for one. Stop waiting and start doing. Find a way to go out and do whatever it is that brings meaning into your life. It will most likely involve hard work.

But, it’ll be worth it.

Last night, I came out of school feeling overwhelmed by

all the problems of our world.

I went home and complained to my parents, but halfway through the conversation, something snapped in me. I didn’t give myself time to come up with excuses—I went online and found a program to commit to.

It’s only a few hours each week, but the fact that I’m finally doing something I’ve always wanted to instead of waiting around for the “right time” is what makes the difference.

This statement is not meant to say that you need to go out and save the world. Maybe for you it means putting aside a half an hour to read for pleasure, learning to cook, or making yourself available to talk to a friend in need. My message is this: do what brings meaning to your day, and work to appreciate all the moments in between.

—Leah Budson

Create a less stressful school beginning with paper towels Now that I am leaving, a question I have been asking myself has been what I would like to see change in this community if I visit a year from now or ten years from now. This question feels especially relevant considering all that is changing already: an interim principal, a more long-term search to fill that position, a new Riley housemaster. And if I had to sum up my hopes for this community in the coming years, it would be as follows: It would be cool if there were always paper towels in all the restrooms, but I would like to see a Newton North where people stop complaining about the lack of paper towels all the time.

What would caring less about paper towels entail for this community? Well, we would feel comfortable drying our wet hands on our pants, so if anybody ever actually pees in their pants, people will be quicker to make the kind assumption that they had just washed their hands in a restroom that lacked paper towels. Considering how much we all cope with in a school like North, we all should make an active effort to assume the better of two reasons why someone may be walking through the halls with wet pants. So future classes, I urge you to vindicate pants-wetters in this pressure-cooker we call school. We all have to be easier on each other.

Speaking of stress, students who place the onus on them-

file photo

Peter Diamond

selves to ensure that there are paper towels in every restroom at this school are creating an additional source of stress, one that is superfluous when placed on top of homework, classes, SATs, and the like. At a school as large as this one, I often find myself and my peers falling into the trap of taking on far too much, be it too many challenging courses or too many commitments in athletics or theatre.

But we do it anyway, sometimes because we enjoy it, and sometimes because of pressures we feel, so if students stop cursing the gods every time they enter a restroom that doesn’t have a supply of paper towels by the sink, then they are successfully refusing to perpetuate a culture of stress and overcommitment.

And overcommitment isn’t just a student issue. This building holds over 2,000 students and over 200 faculty members, and everybody who takes a part of maintaining this building is overworked. When you really think about it, Newton has a culture of overwork that is hypocritical in the sense that the expansive and unappreciated work of custodians in schools such as Newton North and in the universities that many of our parents went to is used to maintain the very institutions that allow people to live and learn in Newton. We have a lot of rhetoric in this city about being inclusive and egalitarian, but we let many people’s work go underappreciated. Even the complaints of that moist-handed boy at the sink next to you undermine those essential values.

I envision a Newton North where people are less hard on each other, less stressed, and more appreciative of those who keep complex systems like this school running every day. I think we can start with accepting an empty paper towel vessel once in a while.

—Peter Diamond

Congr

atula

tions Congratulations Adam!

We're so proud of all you have accomplished at North.

Wishing you the very best of luck in all the adventures to come at Bates and beyond!

With much love from Mom, Dad, and Hannah

to the

Senior

Class 2015 -OF-

-the Newtonite

30 â—† Newton North, Newtonite

advertisements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Congratulations Karina!

You have grown into a fantastic young lady.

To our dear boys, We are so proud of your accomplishments and treasure your winning smiles. We know that you will carry your sense of fun and friendship to the adventures that lie ahead.

Love, Laura, Amy, Anthony, Matt, Adam, Orenna, and Liraz

advertisements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 31

NickKat & KatNick "He is the sun. I am the moon.

We bond tighter that anyone else in the universe.

Sometimes we need to separate…."

And this is one of those times.

The actor to NYU Tisch and the athletic leader to the UT Austin.

"Born together, living together…." no matter how many miles that separate you and us.

We ( and you two) will always be bonded by love.

Soar high! Dream big!

We are so proud of you both.

From Tiger to Longhor�!

You are an amazing and wonderf�l woman With pride and much love, Mom, Em, and Sam

Love, Mom, Dad and Alex

Congratulations Lauren and Johnny!

We are so proud of both of you.

Love, Your Family

32 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

fine and performing arts

Monday, June 8, 2015

Theatre ink shows ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ tells believable family story

Directed by seniors Peter Diamond and Elena Rodriguez, “Brighton Beach Memoirs” ran Nov. 6 through Nov. 8 in the auditorium.

A play written by Neil Simon, “Brighton Beach Memoirs” is the first of a semi-autobiographical trilogy that ran on Broadway from 1983 to 1986.

The play details the struggles of a middle-class Jewish family living in Brooklyn in 1937. Fifteen-year- old Eugene Jerome, played by freshman Evyatar Gershon, narrates the social and economic troubles the family confronts during the Great Depression.

“Whether it’s the quiet observant little sister of the family, or the loud, impulsive, older brother, it’s easy to find someone in the Jerome family to empathize with,” said Rodriguez.

The actors effectively portrayed “characters who fit together to make a believable, loving family,” according to freshman Jonathan Champion, who played the father of the Jerome family.

“Brighton Beach Memoirs” has a relatable storyline. According to Champion, it was “a show anyone can laugh . . . and cry with.”

‘Prelude to a Kiss’ deals with common teenage issues, fears

“Prelude to a Kiss,” a play based on the classic plot of the popular movie Freaky Friday, was directed by seniors Natalie Tereshchenko and Natalie Burr and ran Dec. 10 through Dec. 13 in the Little Theatre.

The play follows Rita Boyle and Peter Hoskins, played by junior Caroline Kaler and senior Jelani Asim, respectively, a happily married couple whose love is tested when Rita switches bodies with a dying old man. As Peter attempts to save his ill wife’s life, “the audience sees how love can overcome anything,” said Tereshchenko.

According to Burr, “Prelude to a Kiss” is relatable to high school students because it “touches upon love and sex” as well as the fear “of getting old,” issues that many teenagers deal with.

She added that she is proud of her actors because of their commitment and hard work. “Each actor gave it their all.

And each character became so complex and three-dimensional, which is incredibly difficult to achieve.”

Freshman Cabaret displays talent, versatility of actors

Sixty freshmen took the stage in Freshman Cabaret, a dynamic collection of skits, songs, and dance numbers that related to the performance’s theme “Raise You Up.” Directed by sophomores Olivia Dundon-Duvall, Anastasia Foley, Zoe Jasper, and Yael Soran, the show ran Dec. 18 and Dec. 19 in the auditorium.

The actors conveyed their characters’ personalities well, making the wide variety of comedic skits amusing and

convincing. One outstanding skit of the night was “Phone a Friend,” which included freshmen Jonathan Champion, Finn Flaherty, Dustin Ledgard, Abby Richmond, and Sophia Wilcox-Warren.

Champion played an erratic, indecisive teenager who called his friend, played by Wilcox-Warren.

The full-cast dance number following an a cappella rendition of Phillip Phillips’s “Gone, Gone, Gone,” was one example of the effort and skill of the performers. It was a fun, spirited number that demonstrated the talent and versatility of the performers and the many skill-sets involved.

Overall, Freshman Cabaret was a thoroughly entertaining show that portrayed the underlying goal of “being supportive and acting as a community with everyone supporting one another,” according to Foley.

Cabaret Troupe tells story of transitioning to adulthood

“Seventeen,” this year ’s Cabaret Troupe production, focused on the classic theme of transitioning into adulthood.

Directed by senior Jonathan Gomolka and junior Elise Hausman, the show ran Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 in the auditorium.

According to Gomolka, “Seventeen” described “all of the ups and downs, funny awkward moments, and the hardships” of life at seventeen. The songs, both funny and serious, depicted the stress and excitement of adolescence.

Sung by senior Julia Techler, the song “Enjoy the Trip” from “Bring it On: The Musical” was a highlight of the production. According to Gomolka, the song “summed up the message” of the show by advising teenagers to live in the moment and enjoy their youth.

The show ended with the cast singing “Seventeen (Reprise)” from “Heathers: The Musical.” The actors sang about holding onto their youth, and the song concluded with stunning harmony as the lights went down.

Overall, according to Gomolka, actors performed vibrantly with “outstanding power and conviction.”

‘Once Upon a Mattress’ puts new spin on classic fairytale

This year’s musical, “Once Upon a Mattress,” redefines what it means to be a princess with a modern spin on the classic “Princess and the Pea” story.

Directed by English teacher Bradley Jensen, the show ran March 12 through March 15 in the auditorium.

The musical follows Prince Dauntless, played by senior Peter Diamond.

Dauntless has been searching for a wife, which has proved unsuccessful because his conniving mother, played by Elise Hausman, refuses every suitor. When the unusual, unrefined Princess Winnifred, played by junior Amanda Kuo, arrives, she challenges the kingdom’s ideas of what it means to be a genuine princess.

According to Jensen, “A princess is

Devin Perlo

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”: Cast members sit on bleachers with their numbers as they wait to compete in the spelling bee.

Robin Donohoe

“Brighton Beach Memoirs”: Junior Amanda Kuo pleads while juniors Ellie Strayer, Jen Gately, and freshman Nora Geffen look on. someone who maintains her own identity despite the pressure of the world around her and is not afraid to be herself; someone who openly rejects the notions of what a girl should be.”

The performance provided “elaborate musical numbers, sparkling costumes, and hilarious characters,” according to Kuo, and included a tremendous amount of talent and effort as well as a valuable message of self-acceptance.

Spontaneous Generation keeps audiences laughing

Improvisational comedy troupe Spontaneous Generation, directed by senior Elena Rodriguez and junior Jen Gately, kept audiences laughing with its performances, which ran April 8 through April 11 in the Little Theatre.

Rodriguez explained that both the content and the people involved in the show are diverse. “Our cast is full of a variety of different people,” she said.

“Some of them are hard-core theatre kids, and some haven’t even been on stage before, so everyone has something different to bring.”

The show was a mixture of improvised scenes, songs, and games. It opened with a joke-filled parody of a court case that set the tone for the night.

The group’s bond was evident in their amazing dynamic. According to junior Aaron Schwartz, a member of the troupe, a bond also developed between the cast and the audience, “as it’s the first time for either group to ever have seen what’s being put on stage.”

According to Gately, Spontaneous Generation’s performance was “nothing but a night of fun.”

‘The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee’ fuses comedy with serious issues

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a musical filled with fun, quirky characters and hilarious acting, ran May 14 through May 16 in the auditorium.

The one-act musical focuses on six young contestants competing in a spelling bee and weaves their funny quirks and deeper background stories together to create a compelling plot.

According to senior Ashley Campbell, a director with senior Aiden O’Neal, the show is silly on the surface, but has more serious underlying themes that are at times “touching and heartbreaking.”

The musical relied on background flashbacks, puns, and audience participation to create a “high energy and entertaining show,” according to senior Sonya Joffe, who played spelling bee moderator Rona Lisa Peretti. There was “never a dull moment” in the performance, added Joffe.

North, South perform joint production of ‘Macbeth’

“Macbeth,” this year’s Shakespearean play, included collaboration with South’s theatre company, South Stage, and ran May 28 through May 30 at South in the Newton South Courtyard.

The play, a core work at North, follows Scottish Thane Macbeth on his quest to become the king of Scotland.

Freshman Thatcher Andreae, a member of the cast, said the stage combat scenes included “sword-fighting, and a lot of fake blood.”

According to freshman Jonathan Champion, who played Macbeth, “One of the highlights of the show was taking Shakespeare’s thoughts and metaphors into my mind.”

Nitrous Oxide highlights hilarious, original sketches

Filled with student-written sketches, Nitrous Oxide ran on June 4 and June 5 in the Little Theatre.

The show, which is the only sketch comedy production at North, was unique because it was a “combination of a lot of different types of humor,” according to senior Elena Rodriguez, a cast member.

Rodriguez also enjoyed seeing the “evolution” of sketches. “What starts off as a simple pitch of an idea then becomes a performance-ready sketch in a matter of weeks,” she explained.

Junior Naomi Forman-Katz, a member of the troupe, said, “Rehearsals consist of a lot of laughing and playing around with sketches, which is not only fun but also adds new elements to the sketches.”

Playwrights’ Festival allows students to create new plays

Playwrights’ Festival will go up this Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Playwrights’ Festival is entirely student-run.

Students will write, direct, and act in eight separate plays, which are chosen by a group of faculty members, past members of the festival, and the directors, according to senior Elena Rodriguez, a four-year member of the show.

Rodriguez said, “For me, writing a good script involves creating characters that I want to see. If my characters aren’t interesting to at least me, I know an audience wouldn’t be interested in seeing them on stage.”

According to Rodriguez, “you learn a lot about your peers” during the process. “I love it when you can hear the voice of the playwright through the dialogue in their play--it makes the play more honest and real,” she said.

Monday, June 8, 2015

fine and performing arts

Harvestfest showcases wide range of musical diversity

Harvestfest, the first of North’s three seasonal concerts, displayed a wide range of student talent through diverse musical styles. Harvestfest, a concert in two parts, ran Nov. 19 and Nov. 20 in the auditorium.

Jubilee Singers, directed by music teacher Sheldon Reid, performed at Harvestfest I along with Tiger BeBop, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Wind Ensemble, all directed by music teacher Richard Labedz.

Described by Labedz as “the initial kickoff to our holiday season,” Harvestfest I began with the Symphonic Band’s performance of “Encanto,” by Robert W. Smith. As the pace and volume gradually increased, the room filled with beautiful music.

Later in the night, Jubilee Singers impressed the audience with an outstanding performance of the deep and powerful gospel tune “I Wanna Be Ready,” arranged by James Miller.

Harvestfest II included Concert Choir, Family Singers, String Ensemble, and Orchestra, all conducted by music teacher Adam Grossman.

According to Grossman, the concert featured “different kinds of music from different periods and styles” as far back as the 16th century.

Every ensemble that performed in Harvestfest I and II showcased incredible student talent and displayed vast musical ability in the varied pieces.

Winterfest features musical ensembles, impresses crowd

Featuring six ensembles over two days, annual concerts Winterfest I and Winterfest II impressed audiences Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, respectively, in the auditorium.

Winterfest I brought together Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, both directed by music teacher Richard Labedz.

Winterfest II, also called the Ray Smith Memorial Concert, included Concert Choir, Family Singers, and Orchestra, and featured classical pianist and North alumnus Constantine Finehouse.

The involvement of eighth-grade band members, who played pieces with Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, added an element of excitement to Winterfest I. “This concert is really about the involvement of everybody,” said Labedz.

“It’s about all of the students working together.”

Young. Seniors awarded were Spencer Anderson, Zack Bennett, Dominic Bosco, Irene Golden, Ella Laniado, Dan Wayland, Sarina Wolfe, and Adam Zupancic.

“It’s a lot more relaxed than the typical concert,” said Young. “Celebrating the year is a great experience.”

Jazz Night dazzles audience with beautiful harmonies

Devin Perlo

Family Singers: Students in Family Singers perform at Springfest II April 16 in the auditorium.

Winterfest II focused on two Beethoven pieces: “Choral Fantasy” and “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.” Orchestra also performed “Divertissement” by Jean Berger.

Finehouse was featured in “Choral Fantasy” and impressed the audience with his elegant playing.

Concerto with Orchestra as part of the annual Concerto Competition.

“I’m so happy that I have this opportunity to cap off my high school musical experience,” said Anderson. “This feels like the culmination of all the hours of practicing and rehearsing we’ve done over the last four years.”

Springfest presents soloists, honors talented musicians

Pops Night celebrates talent

Students in Springfest I and II performed in the auditorium April 15 and April 16, respectively.

Springfest I included Jubilee Singers, directed by music teacher Sheldon Reid, as well as Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and the smaller Chamber Ensembles, all directed by music teacher Richard Labedz. Springfest II included Concert Choir, Family Singers, Orchestra, and String Ensemble, all directed by music teacher Adam Grossman.

Springfest I opened with Wind Ensemble’s performance of “Lincoln Posey,” by Percy Aldridge Grainger. Subtle crescendos and contrasting harmonies gave the piece a grand feel and set the tone for the night. According to Labedz, the song was “a significant piece.”

Later, seniors Spencer Anderson, Dominic Bosco, and Adam Zupancic were featured soloists, performing a movement of the Mendelssohn Violin

Students across the music department came together to fill the cafeteria with pop music May 21 as part of Pops Night.

Pops Night is an annual end-of-year concert in which students play and sing current pop songs in a casual setting for hundreds of family, friends, and community members.

Pops Night is the only performance of the year in which every music group in the school performs. According to fine and performing arts director Todd Young, the concert was “a celebration of our year’s work in the music department.”

Freshman Sophia Vito, a member of Symphonic Band, said that the concert was “a chance for all of us to play together and to hear songs from different groups we don’t usually hear.”

After the concert, scholarships and other music awards were awarded to seniors who were “universally involved” in the music program, according to

National Scholastic Arts Awards commend students

Participating in the National Scholastic Arts Awards gave visual arts students a chance to showcase and receive recognition for their work.

Many of the North students that entered the competition won honors for their pieces.

“It’s special having work be a part of the exhibiting process, and students love to show off their work to something bigger than just Newton,” said art teacher Cindy Massoff.

Sophomore Joanna Le won a Silver Key for her painting “Forestry,” a beautiful depiction of a forest path.

Le said that it was an amazing feeling to be “awarded for doing something I love.”

Senior Morgan Coyle-Howard received a Gold Key for her photograph which was inspired by Black Swan.

As she is a dancer herself, CoyleHoward said she was able to channel the pain and effort of performing into her photograph.

“I always encourage all of my students to submit their best work, and I’m proud of them to have taken this opportunity,” said Massoff.

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 33

Devin Perlo

Spotlight: Student artwork lines Main Street May 15 during Art Morning.

Art Morning exhibit features art, photography, ceramics

Student painters, photographers, and sculptors displayed various pieces of artwork for Art Morning, May 15 from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the art wing and first

floor art classrooms.

“Art Morning is a chance for each and every art student to display what they have created,” said art teacher Cindy Massoff. “It really shows how what the kids have done connects to each other.”

Jazz Night showcased North’s impressive jazz program through classical and contemporary jazz pieces Feb. 5 in the auditorium. The show included performances from Advanced Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Ensembles One and Two, Jazz Workshop, and Tiger BeBop. Music teacher Richard Labedz, the director of each group, said that each piece they performed was unique and “showcased different skills from each of the school’s jazz programs.”

Jazz Ensemble One impressed the audience with the song “There is No Greater Love,” composed by Isham Jones. According to junior Griffin Kadar, a member of the ensemble, the song is a “slower piece that allows for more creativity on the chord changes.”

The concert concluded with performances from Jazz Ensemble Two, invigorating the audience with lively, cohesive pieces that provided the perfect close to a spectacular night.

Jubilee Singers showcase musicians in performances

Jubilee Singers, a choir that sings music from the African diaspora, performed three concerts this year, Oct. 5, Feb. 14, and June 6, in the auditorium.

Music teacher Sheldon Reid, who directs Jubilee, said that concerts allow the group to show the audience its talented singers.

Jubilee’s first performance was Oct. 5, a fundraiser for the Dover Legacy Scholars in conjunction with the Kuumba Singers, a gospel choir at Harvard College also directed by Reid.

“Helping those in need is a great thing,” said junior Swabira Mayanja, a member of the group. “I love seeing the happy faces.”

South’s Harambee gospel choir joined Jubilee at their Feb. 14 concert for the song “Looking for You,” by Kurt Franklin.

The Feb. 14 concert ended with the piece “Come by Here,” by Walter Hawkins, which included a fantastic solo

by Mayanja.

One important piece of artwork was a unique, compelling compilation of pictures by sophomore Sophie Lyon. The set showed a six-by-six grid of people’s bare stomachs with tape measures wrapped around them. Viewers interpreted the project in various ways, with some seeing it as a representation of societal pressure to be a certain size.

Other interesting pieces were the small, woodland-inspired statuettes created by junior Alex Hoffman. The three pieces consisted of a cup and two figurines with detailed, realistic tree bark patterns and gnome faces. They were skillfully-made pieces that appeared to be straight out of a fairytale. According to Hoffman, the exhibition was “the one time of year to show off the work we’ve done.”

Art teacher Shannon Slattery said, “You see the full range of work from every single person taking an art, photo, or ceramics class in any level. Kids are often surprised when their work is put all together because they get a sense of how much work they really made.”

Theatre, music, and visual arts wraps compiled by Rose Bostwick and Amy Morrill

34 â—† Newtonite, Newton North

advertisements

Monday, June 8, 2015

CONGRATULATIONS, CAMERON! GOOD LUCK AT RENSSELAER. Love,

Mom, Dad, Nathan and Spencer.

Lydia, Hazel and Gary.

Monday, June 8, 2015

advertisements

Newton North, Newtonite â—† 35

sports

36◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Monday, June 8, 2015

Fall teams face challenges, perform well Boys’ cross country surpasses expectations, shows promise

Dance places third at States, performs for the community

by

by

Boys’ soccer fails to make States, learns from mistakes

Field hockey qualifies for States, loses in first round

by

by

Blake Krantz Boys’ cross country, 7-4, finished fourth out of 12 teams in the Bay State Conference, an end result that was “better than predicted,” according to senior Carter Harrison, a captain with senior Perry Miller and junior Johnny Sava.

Going into the season, Harrison said the Tigers knew that they “didn’t have the strength of past years,” and as “a very respected team, they had a name to keep up.”

Sava, who coach Jim Blackburn cited as a “key runner” for the team, was selected as a league All-Star in addition to junior Siddarth Nizamuddin and freshman Andrew Mah. Blackburn said that the “future looks great” for the team, with the majority of its key runners returning.

According to Blackburn, the Tigers “should contend for the league title” next year, along with other formidable teams in the conference such as Brookline.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Thomas Byrne Boys’ soccer, 4-12-2, learned what is needed in order to make the State Tournament, according to senior Ben Bassett, a captain with seniors Balazs Bonyhay and Rohan Doherty.

Bassett added, “our goal was to make it all the way to the State Tournament.

We probably could have practiced more and believed more in ourselves that we could actually make it.”

The season’s highlight was beating rival Newton South 4-1 on Senior Day. Coach Roy Dow said, “groundwork was laid this year for successive interest. I believe we have a strong squad for next year.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Cheerleading places third at States, qualifies for Regionals

Blake Krantz Cheerleading won its first and only competition of the year and finished third at Bay States this season. The Tigers also qualified for Regionals, but had to withdraw due to injuries.

According to senior Paige Cunning, a captain with seniors Daniella Chinitz and Tammy Henk, the team developed a strong chemistry in preseason workouts, and “the compassion of our team came alive with all of the hard work we were doing in preparation.”

Chinitz said that the Tigers beat many more complete teams during competitions.

The Tigers competed with just two stunt groups compared to the three groups of many other teams in the state.

Chinitz explained that, “due to injuries, we were not able to go to any other competitions” after the first league competition of the season.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Andrew Mannix Dance placed third at States and went to Regionals in the fall season while performing for small organizations and events during the winter season.

“The team was filled with unique people, each member different from the other. But the one thing we all had in common was our love for dance and hard work,” said junior Sonia Ferre, a captain with junior Lexi Gershkowitz.

Coach Sarah Elentukh said the turning point of the year came at winter season tryouts.

“There were so many people, it was hard to pick the dancers that would mesh well together. The coaches took a risk by taking such a diverse group,” she said.

Elentukh said she is most proud of how the team “handled all the snow days and scheduling conflicts before their big competitions.” The Tigers only had one rehearsal with all the dancers in attendance before Regionals.

Next year’s captains are Ferre, Gershkowitz and sophomore Arielle Alford.

Jackie Gong Field hockey, 9-7-3, had a strong season, qualifying for the State Tournament, according to coach Nate Coolidge.

The Tigers achieved their goals, according to junior Rachel Hamilton, a captain with seniors Kat Hansell, Maddie Irwin, Lea McDade, and Nicole Quinn.

“We made it to the State Tournament, which was a huge goal we reached because we didn’t make it last year. We ended up having more points than we needed to qualify,” she said.

The Tigers lost 1-0 to Acton-Boxborough, eventual State champions in the preliminary round of the State Championship.

Quinn was named a Bay State Conference All-Star and Hamilton received an honorable mention with a total of 30 points scored.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Football goes undefeated in regular season, plays hard

by Isaiah

Bowden Football, 9-2, had a successful season. The Tigers went undefeated in their league and throughout the regular season.

According to senior Devaughn White, a captain with seniors Curtis Beatrice, Andrew DeNucci, and Chris Quinn, the Tigers achieved their goals this season.

“Our goal was to out-hit teams and play hard every game, and I feel like we executed that,” he said.

Coach Peter Capodilupo, in his final season as coach, said, “this team was one of my favorite teams to coach since they hit together and they play as a family.”

The team was beaten by B.C. High 28-21 in the first round of the postseason.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Josh Shub-Seltzer

In the air: Sophomore Abby Donnellan throws a serve in a 3-0 victory over Needham Sept. 30.

Girls’ cross country surpasses goals, has successful season

Rose Bostwick Girls’ cross country, 8-3, had a successful season according to senior Catherine Xie, a captain with seniors Irene Golden, Sonya Jampel, and Isabella Reilly.

Xie said the Tigers achieved their goals and more.

“Goals included making the All-State Meet as a team, having a winning record despite the number of seniors who graduated last year who contributed to the scoring, and bonding with the entire team despite the fact this year’s team was the largest we’ve ever had,” she said.

The season’s turning point came after the Tigers beat Wellesley.

“The win gave us our first victory and allowed some of the new members of our team to demonstrate their abilities against a comparable match-up,” said coach Brandon Mogayzel.

Junior Leah Metzger and freshman Einat Gavish were named Bay State Conference All-Stars, and Jampel earned an honorable mention. The Tigers placed 13th in the All-State Meet.

Next year’s captains are juniors Natalie Cohen, Westly Joseph, Ruby Mayer, Victoria Spitaels, and Dee Wu. by

Girls’ soccer faces multiple injuries, still plays strong

Eleni Balafas Girls’ soccer, 3-12-1, put in their best effort this season after having to overcome many obstacles.

“Our main goal was to make the State Tournament this season which we unfortunately did not accomplish. I think this season was hard because we lost eight great seniors last year and had some injuries this season, so it was a transition year and we got to develop a lot of young players,” said senior Katie Nugent, captain with seniors Julia Lindsay and Maddie Maloney.

Coach James Hamblin said the team “played well, always showed passion and heart, and had a good team chemistry.”

According to Hamblin, the season highlight was beating Weymouth, which was in first place in the Carey Division.

Lindsay was named Bay State Conference All-Star.

Next year’s captains are juniors Eliza Bresler, Katie Daniel, and Maya King. by

Girls’ swim and dive finishes undefeated, third at States

Amy Morrill Girls’ swim and dive, 11-0, had a successful season, as 22 swimmers made Sectionals, and 16 made States.

“This year the team exceeded my goals,” said coach Emily Manion. “I think each student-athlete grew as a young woman by working hard and being an active, positive team member.”

The Tigers placed second at the Bay State Championships, first at Sectionals, and third at States. by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

On the line: North prepares for a rush in a 24-7 win over Needham Sept. 27.

A highlight for the team was beating rivals Framingham and Needham, according to senior Marissa Best, a captain with seniors Amanda Graf, Sasha MacDonald, and Katherine Mariano.

“Everyone was able to swim at those meets,” said Best. “It was nice because everyone contributed to the win.”

Graf was named a Bay State Conference All-Star, along with senior Annemarie Conboy-Depasquale, sophomores Erin Claflin, Logan Gallagher, Sarah McEachran and Erin Supko, and freshman Serena Ly. Graf, Gallagher, McEachran, and Ly were also named Boston Globe and Boston Herald AllScholastics.

Next year ’s captains are juniors Elizabeth Gibbs, Sophia Ly, and Lauren Moriarty.

Girls’ volleyball play well, captures elusive State title

Adam Rabinowitz Girls’ volleyball, 21-3, had a successful season, winning the State Championship.

The team, which made it to the State Finals for the third year in a row, finally captured the title, which was the team’s goal, according to senior Sammy Marcus, a captain with the rest of the team’s seniors.

According to senior Bali Connors, the turning point of the season was when the Tigers beat Brookline and Barnstable, two strong teams, back-to-back early on in the season, setting the team on its path to success Bali also said that the highlight of the season was winning States, something the team worked hard for all year.

Senior Tess Simmons was named a Boston Herald All-Scholastic, and won the Boston Globe Player of the Year award. Connors and senior Madeleine Lundberg were Boston Globe Bay State All-Stars.

Next year’s captains are the team’s current juniors. by

Golf qualifies for States as team, excited for next year

Adam Rabinowitz Golf, 6-6-1, qualified for the State Tournament as a team, and was represented by junior Owen Boucher, a captain with senior Ethan Plotkin, at the Individual State Meet.

According to Boucher, the season’s highlight was beating Brookline and Needham by one stroke at the same meet, clinching the team’s spot at States.

According to Plotkin, the turning point of the season came after a rough start, in which the team went 0-3.

“We had great play from some of our younger players and from junior Jonathan Wang after the Dedham match that helped propel us to the playoffs,” he said.

Coach Bob MacDougal said he’s looking forward to “a strong group of experienced seniors to lead the team” next year.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

sports

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 37

Winter teams achieve goals, see growth Alpine obtains experience, shows great advancement

Adam Rabinowitz Alpine had a successful season, highlighted by the team’s improvement throughout.

According to senior Siena Taylor, a captain with juniors Christine Cox and Callie Foster, although the Tigers did not qualify for States, this year’s team was full of newer skiers, so this year’s goals were different.

“We had a lot of skiers who had never raced before on the team, so our main goal was for everyone to learn how to race and what techniques to use,” she said.

Cox echoed her sentiments, saying that improvement was a huge goal for the team.

Cox also added that reaching this goal late in the season was a highlight for the team.

“The highlight of the season was when almost everyone on our team skied their best in our last race and had their best times,” she said.

Cox also added that the turning point of the season was during a race towards the end of the season in which the whole team was cheering for every other racer to do their best.

Next year’s captains are Cox and Foster. by

Boys’ basketball ends season undefeated, makes semifinals

Andrew Mannix Boys’ basketball, 22-3, finished the season undefeated in the Bay State Conference with a record of 16-0.

According to head coach Paul Connelly, the turning point of the season was competing in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield.

The Tigers were ranked number four for the final season rankings by the Boston Herald after winning the Bay State Conference and the Garden City Tournament. They were knocked out of the State Tournament in the semi-finals

by Catholic Memorial, which went on to win the tournament.

Senior Tommy Mobley, a captain with seniors Sam Jefferson and Brett Stanton, was named Bay State Conference MVP, a Boston Globe All-Scholastic, and part of the Boston Herald Dream Team. Jefferson, Mobley and junior Nate Hollenberg were named first team All-Stars. Stanton was named a second team All-Star.

Next year’s captains are Hollenberg and junior Mike Gately. by

Boys’ gymnastics excels, place first in State Championship

Blake Krantz Boy’s gymnastics, 4-1, won the State Championship this season after falling last year by roughly 0.1 points.

The team was a combination of gymnasts from North and South. Junior Vitaly Kates, a captain with senior Alex Lund and South senior Tomer Keren, said that working with the gymnasts from South “helped the team out” in a big way and “brought the team bigger numbers.”

According to Lund, it was good to see “how well the team performed at States and how much progress” the team made this season.

Both Kates and Lund said that the season was highlighted by States.

Lund added that “the team was able to perform well despite missing a few key gymnasts at times,” and he “expects another great season” next year, with the team only losing one senior.

Next year’s captains are sophomore Isaiah Milgroom and South sophomore Ido Tamir. by

Boys’ hockey has best season in 18 years, earns fourth seed

Andrew Mannix Boys’ hockey, 14-6-3, had their best season in 18 years, qualifying for the State Tournament for the first time since 1998. The Tigers advanced to the second round of the State Championships after defeating Natick, but lost to Duxbury.

According to senior Thomas Gresser, a captain with seniors Matthew Mulvaney and Chris Quinn, the turning point of the season was the team’s 8-1 loss to by

Framingham when they “gave up mentally and physically.”

Under first-time head coach Jamie Gresser, the Tigers earned fourth seed in the tournament. They clinched that spot, which was the goal from the beginning of the season, with a win over Framingham.

According to Coach Gresser, highlights for the season included early wins against Milton, Waltham and Walpole, beating Framingham to qualify for the playoffs, and the win over Natick in the playoffs.

Next year’s captains are juniors Michael Hart, Thomas Joyce, and Dante Leone.

Boys’ swim and dive makes All-States, improves mindset

Blake Krantz Boys’ swim and dive, 3-4, showed “the distance they’ve come as a team” this season, according to junior Benjamin Cole, a captain with senior Eric Alexy.

Six Tigers qualified for the All-State Meet this season, in comparison to only one last year.

Cole said that the Tigers “did a very good job of racing their own races,” and that “individual swimmers were focusing on how they could make their swim great.”

Alexy, junior Bowen He, sophomore Josh Sims Speyer, and freshmen John Laukitas, Will Riley, and Joey Yerardi competed in the All-State Meet.

Alexy cited the team’s first win of the season, a “close meet” against a “good North Reading team,” as the season’s highlight.

According to Cole, the team still has much to improve upon, such as staying focused at each practice, incorporating more dryland practices, and recruiting swimmers.

Next year’s captains are Cole, He and junior Jonah Pemstein.

by

Boys’ track completes 18th straight undefeated season

Blake Krantz Boys’ indoor track, 6-0, completed its 18th straight undefeated season this year, a winning streak of 116 meets in the Bay State Conference.

Junior Jared Prior, a captain with seniors Carter Harrison, Perry Miller, and Ben Porter, accredited the streak to “a tradition of hard work and success” in North’s track program.

The season featured 80-20 wins over Weymouth and Braintree, as well as a 55-45 win over Needham, decided by the final relay.

According to Harrison, the win over Needham was the toughest challenge for the team, and that after the close win “it would have taken a major upset” for the the team to lose the winning streak.

Prior said that the Tigers “had a remarkably young team,” and that next season “people who showed signs of promise will likely step up in training and their performances.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Girls’ basketball misses State Tournament, fights injuries

Andrew Mannix Girls’ basketball, 9-11, failed to reach the State Tournament. Although it was a disappointing season for the Tigers, they were able to rebound in January and almost make the playoffs.

According to junior Jill Latanowich, a captain with senior Amanda Ortiz and junior Ednaija Lassiter, the turning point of the season was “when we realized that we had to practice how we play in the game, hard and smart.”

Although the Tigers fought through adversity and injuries throughout the year, coach Linda Martindale said they “stuck together as a team and played as hard as we could through adversity.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Girls’ gymnastics progresses, finishes second in conference Blake Krantz Girls’ gymnastics, 6-3, won its last six meets of the season, showing “a lot of progress from the beginning to the end of the season,” according to senior Amara by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Face-Off: Junior Rachel Hamilton faces off against Brookline in a 3-2 victory Feb. 7.

Lutwack, a captain with seniors Daniella Chinitz and Meghan Lyons-Dunckel.

The Tigers finished second in the Bay State Conference Meet. Lutwack and junior Calley Dias were named league All-Stars, and junior Rachel Adamsky earned an honorable mention. Lutwack was also voted Senior Gymnast of the Year in the Bay State Conference.

According to Lyons-Dunckel, the highlight of the season was the meet against Wellesley, the Tigers’ “biggest competitor.” Wellesley had not lost a meet for six years before the Tigers won this season’s matchup 134.45 to 134.3.

Lutwack said that the Tigers had “hoped to make Sectionals” this year, but fell short, and will look to continue their improvement next season.

Next year’s captains are Adamsky, Dias and junior Sofia Leav.

Girls’ hockey qualifies for States, shows developments

Andrew Mannix Girls’ hockey, 6-13-2 qualified for the State Tourament after coming in second in the Bay State Confrence with a 6-7-2 leauge record.

The Tigers lost in the first round of the State Tournament to Chelmsford by the score of 6-1. The Tigers were looking for an upset as they were the last seeded team in the tournament.

Coach Bob MacDougal said the highlight of the year was the game against Framingham, where the Tigers clinched a birth in the State Tournament. This game was the battle for the second seed in the Bay State Conference. MacDougal said it was the Tigers’ most complete game of the year.

Throughout the year, the Tigers faced tough competition. According to MacDougal, as a young team, the Tigers improved by facing elite teams. As the season progressed, the Tigers became better and better each time they played an elite team.

Nicole Quinn received second team Bay State.

Next year’s captains are juniors Megan Lenihan and Alexa McAuliffe. by

Girls’ track wins Division I Meet, finishes undefeated

Adam Rabinowitz Girls’ indoor track, 6-0, had yet another successful season, highlighted by an undefeated regular season and a first place finish at the Division 1 State Meet.

According to senior Adrianna Batista, a captain with seniors Olivia Gomez, Isabella Reilly, and Elena Schwartz, the Tigers definitely accomplished their goals.

“We went in to every meet not expecting victory to be handed to us. We worked hard everyday in practice and it showed in the meets,” she said.

Gomez said there was not a specific turning point in the team’s success beby

cause they constantly worked to improve, but “State Relays was certainly a turning point in our confidence as a team, because we really came together in order to succeed.”

According to Gomez, the highlight of the season was winning the Division I Meet. “It was so unexpected and it showed that all the members of the team were part of a larger effort.”

Next year ’s captains are juniors Cristina Galvagno, Annie Greene, Olivia Mazzapica, and Carissa Stots.

Nordic embraces members, creates deep, lasting bonds

Blake Krantz Nordic placed ninth for boys and 11th for girls at States, with senior Sonya Jampel finishing first in the girls’ race for the Tigers.

According to Jampel, a captain with seniors Lauren Benson, Alyssa Kann, and Alex Klavens, the team had “lots of new members who didn’t know how to ski and who learned how to love the sport.”

Throughout the season, “the team bonded to help all members achieve their goals,” she said.

Kann found similar keys to success, noting that “team members formed deep bonds with one another and were able to come together as a unit despite ranges in ability and temperamental weather.”

According to Kann, this season’s highlight was the team’s ability to develop a “wacky rapport” that Kann labeled “pretty unique for a varsity sport at North.”

The team competed in five league races, the Weston sprints, and States.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Wrestling bounces back from injuries, accomplishes goals

Adam Rabinowitz Wrestling, 13-5, had a great season according to coach John Staulo.

Senior Joe Arcuri, a captain with senior Max Long, said that the season was filled with various highlights, centered around the team’s ability to bounce back from injuries to some of its veteran wrestlers.

Arcuri said the turning point of the season was when sophomore Zach Benjamin and freshman Adrian Scott came in and saved the line-up from disaster.

Arcuri also added that the team definitely accomplished its goals for the season.

“I strongly believe we have gone above and beyond our expectations this year, especially given our lack of senior four-year wrestlers on the team.”

Arcuri and Long were awarded first team All-Stars and junior Brendan Altieri earned honorable mention.

Next year’s captains are Altieri and juniors Tristan Gubert and Ben Shale. by

sports

38◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Monday, June 8, 2015

Spring teams bask in victorious season All wraps are current as of press time.

Please see theNewtonite.com for updated post-season results and awards.

Baseball ends season strong, moves on towards Super 8

Adam Rabinowitz Baseball, 16-6, has had a strong season according to senior Ben Porter, a captain with seniors Curtis Beatrice and Theo Resnick.

The Tigers qualified for the Super 8 Tournament for the second year in a row, the team’s primary goal, according to Porter.

The turning point of the season, according to Porter, was losing to Braintree, because the team “figured out that we needed to work harder to be up there with the best teams,” he said.

According to Resnick, the highlight of the season was the comeback win against Wellesley. “We were losing 5-9 and ended up winning 21-9,” he said.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boys’ lacrosse goes to States after ending year on high note

Blake Krantz Boys’ lacrosse, 12-6, qualified for the State Tournament this season, hoping to “host their first game” and “make a deep run” in the tournament this year, according to senior Ben Bassett, a captain with seniors Andrew DeNucci and Chris Quinn.

“We didn’t play as well as we would have liked in the beginning of the year,” said Bassett, but have since found a rhythm going into the tournament.

DeNucci had similar thoughts, saying that the Tigers “don’t have many quality wins” this season, losing “several games” that they should have won.

One highlight, according to DeNucci, was a 10-7 win against Marblehead, in which the team came back from a 7-1 deficit in the second quarter.

Going forward, Quinn sees room for improvement, pointing to things such as “stick skills and taking smart shots” as important in the tournament for the Tigers.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Boy’s tennis finishes season with successful final week by

Blake Krantz

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Fastball: Junior Gabby Vachon throws a pitch to senior Caitlin O’Hanley in a 4-2 victory over Weymouth, May 2.

Boys’ tennis, 8-8, qualified for the State Tournament after a 3-1 record in the final week.

The Tigers defeated Walpole, Weymouth, and Milton, improving from 5-7 to 8-8.

According to senior Owen Grafe, a captain with seniors Jonny Levenfeld and Cameron Schoettle, the team has “bonded” throughout the year, especially with a “main core” of seniors.

Grafe pointed to the first match of the season, a 4-1 win over Framingham, as a highlight.

In making the State Tournament, the team achieved its main goal, according to coach Phil Goldberg. The team will now look to compete well in the tournament against formidable competition.

Schoettle explained that the Tigers’ lineup will “change significantly” next season, due to the team’s six seniors graduating, but he believes that the team is “deep enough” to adjust and find success.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Boys’ track tastes victory in Bay Sate Conference Meet

Blake Krantz Boys’ outdoor track, 5-1, won the Bay State Conference Meet and finished third in State Relays, but fell short of the by

league title after a loss to Needham in its final meet.

According to senior Carter Harrison, a captain with seniors Liam McDade and John Sava, and junior Jared Prior, it was “too bad” that the team fell to a “strong team” in Needham, the only loss of the season.

Coach Jim Blackburn added that the team’s goal was to “win the league title” this season, but that the team’s focus shifted to performing well in the Bay State Conference, Division 1, and AllState Meets.

Despite the regular season’s disappointing end, Harrison said the Tigers have still “improved an impressive amount” this season, and that they “will be a very strong team next year.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Boys’ volleyball rules court throughout regular season

Andrew Mannix Boys’ volleyball, 13-3, qualified for the State Tournament after a dominating regular season. The Tigers were scheduled to face Brockton Tuesday night in their first game of the tournament as of press time.

According to senior Wyatt Emenaker, a captain with the rest of the team’s seniors, the turning point of the season came when the Tigers lost the last two games of the season after losing focus.

After two weeks of practice, the Tigers have “picked back up our intensity and focus.”

The Tigers were scheduled to play Brockton last Tuesday in the first round of the playoffs as of press time.

Next year’s captains are the current juniors on the team. by

Girls’ lacrosse advances to postseason after good year

Andrew Mannix Girls’ lacrosse, 13-7, defeated Lexington in the first round of the State Tournament. The Tigers were scheduled to play top-seeded Concord-Carlisle in the second round as of press time.

Highlights of the year included beating Hingham after being down three goals in the final 70 seconds, and defeating Norwood and Winchester, both of which also came down to the final minutes of the game.

According to senior Lea McDade, a captain with senior Nicole Quinn, the turning point of the year was when the Tigers lost to Natick in a blowout game.

After the game they “realized that we really needed to step it up.” This allowed them to compete better the next time they faced Natick. Although they lost, it “showed us how far we have made it during the season.”

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Girls’ tennis accomplishes goals in best season yet

Adam Rabinowitz Girls’ tennis, 10-4, had a strong season, finishing with a 10-2 record in its league. by

Josh Shub-Seltzer

Slam: Senior Wyatt Emenaker jumps for the ball in a 3-0 loss to Needham May 15.

The Tigers season was highlighted by a night match against Wellesley, a team the Tigers had not beaten in many years, according to senior Sammy Marcus, a captain with seniors Cari Daniels and Taylor Lord.

Marcus said, “everyone was so fired up and ready to play and we ended up winning the match overall.”

Marcus also said that the Wellesley match was the turning point of the season because it put the team on track to later success.

The team accomplished its goals for the season, according to Marcus.

“Tennis is a very individual sport and I am happy to say that this is the closest the team has ever been. We also made the tournament and came out of the season with a strong record, beating both Wellesley and Needham,” she said.

Next year’s captains are to be determined.

Girls’ track dominates, wins Bay State Conference Meet

Adam Rabinowitz Girls’ track, 7-0, has continued its streak of excellent seasons, finishing undefeated in the regular season and in first place at the State Relays and Bay State Conference Meet.

According to senior Adrianna Batista, a captain with seniors Melissa Hurwitz, Casey Pollard, and Isabella Reilly, the season highlight was beating Weymouth after a significant loss to them two years ago.

The previous match “was such a heartbreaking loss and everyone was crying especially the seniors, so going into this year’s away meet against Weymouth all of us were hungry for a huge win,” Batista said.

Reilly said that because track is an individual sport, there was no turning point to the season, but that wins and losses were mostly expected.

The Tigers finished third at the Division 1 Meet, something that Reilly said showed that the Tigers came to compete.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Softball goes on eighteen game rampage, wins league

Andrew Mannix Softball, 18-2, is Bay State Champions after finishing 16-0 in the league. The Tigers were scheduled to face the winner of Woburn and South in the first round of the State Tournament as of press time.

According to coach Lauren Baugher, the turning point of the year came when the Tigers lost to Silver Lake, the number one team in the state, twice to start the season. Baugher said the Tigers “realized they needed to work hard and stay focussed in order to achieve their goals.”

The Tigers went on to win the next 18 games.

According to Baugher, the highlight of the year was defeating Norwood, which was the other undefeated team in the Bay State Conference.

Next year’s captains are to be determined. by

Monday, June 8, 2015

advertisements

Newton North, Newtonite â—† 39

40 â—† Newton North, Newtonite

advertisements

Monday, June 8, 2015

Newton Schools Foundation congratulates the class of 2015 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