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Newtonite ◆ Friday, April 30, 2010 • Volume 89, Issue 6

Non-profit org.

US postage paid Newton, Mass.

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Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass. 02460

Zilles runs for Union president S HILARY BRUMBERG panish and English teacher Mike Zilles is running for the position of Newton Teacher Association president against eight-year incumbent Cheryl Turgel.

The president of the NTA stops teaching and works full time as a Union representative.

He or she works with a team to negotiate contracts with the school committee and city, mediates disputes for individual members and groups of members and works with administrators on educational policy and professional development, among other things.

The original election for NTA president was Wednesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 8. But according to Zilles, there were irregularities in the election procedure.

The NTA said this is not official information and it would not comment on what the irregularities were.

“Honestly, I think the election was fair,” Zilles said. “I think the mistakes were honest mistakes—I don’t think anyone was trying to cheat.

“We just really need to be careful because it’s such an important election.”

There will be a second election in schools Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6, according to an email sent to Newton North faculty by English teacher Wendy Richardson, an NTA Election Committee member.

For this election, the Election Committee will have teachers volunteer to monitor the balloting process in the Main Office, according to Richardson’s email.

According to Zilles, this monitoring will be implemented to ensure that voting is fair.

If he were elected president, Zilles said he would bring “important” changes the NTA, which he said it needs.

“Right now, participation and trust in our Union is at a terrible low point,” he said. “Our membership now feels that its leadership does not communicate well, that it neither informs its members of what it is doing, nor seeks out their input.”

If elected president, Zilles said he would reestablish those lines of communication, which would encourage greater participation and in turn, make the NTA a

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Kate Lewis

Belting it out: Junior Emily Cetlin and seniors Hayley Travers and Kate Gallagher sing on the steps of a church while with the Music Travel Club in Italy. See page 5 for related content.

Days organized to represent community’s silenced voices HILARY BRUMBERG o recognize how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have been silenced throughout the years, the Gay/Straight Alliance sponsored the Day of Action and Day of Silence, according to math teacher Janice Lichtman, an adviser with counselor Darby Verre.

Today, members of the GSA are handing out pins to support GLBT people, and there is a poster series around the school as part of the Day of Action, Lichtman said.

The GSA also has a table on Main Street in light green. At the table, there is a petition asking Newton to include gender expression as one of the categories

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in its anti-discrimination policy, Lichtman said.

Lichtman said that the Day of Action is designed to encourage people to “take action to make the community a safer place and a more accepting place for GLBT people and their families.”

It was created after the Day of Silence so people who “felt limited by their silence” could “speak, answer questions and be more vocal and active” about the same issues, she said.

Wednesday, April 28, participants of the Day of Silence were silent for the whole school day.

They wore stickers saying “silent” and carried cards explaining why they were silent.

Some students spoke on the Day of Silence, but still they sup-

ported the cause by being allies, Lichtman said.

“Other people with questions could address them to the allies who were there to talk about the Day of Silence, explain the meaning and support the people who are being silent,” Lichtman said.

At the end of the day, there was a collective scream for all participants of the Day of Silence.

At that point, they debriefed about how the day was for them.

Meetings were held before vacation for those students who wanted to participate in the Day of Silence.

“We talked about what the day means, how to handle situations, what allies can do and logistics,” Lichtman said.

stronger Union and better able to defend education in Newton.

“Many members also feel that our current president has alienated the citizens of Newton and has turned our natural allies into adversaries,” Zilles said.

“Teachers, students and parents want the same thing: a great education for the children of Newton. I would help reestablish the community’s trust that our educators and their Union advocate for conditions in which they can offer the best education possible.

“I think we need a Union leader who is a good communicator, both with members and with the community, and I think those are things I would bring,” he said.

On the other hand, Turgel said she considers herself to be a stronger candidate for NTA president than Zilles because of her experience.

“I have the experience and know how to do all of the things a president needs to know how to do,” Turgel said.

“I am a trusted and respected member of the community and have lived here for 35 years. I have been committed to the NTA, not only in my presidency, but also in my five years in the Union prior to being president.

“I understand our members and their issues and have stood for improvements in very difficult financial and political times.

“Mr. Zilles has not worked in the Union at all, except in one committee in his 14 years in Newton.”

In her time in the Union, Turgel has successfully negotiated three three-year contracts and two one-year contracts, so she believes she brings “a knowledge of negotiation” to the position over Zilles, she said.

“Under my leadership, we have gained tuition reimbursements for our members which was increased this year and in all units the NTA contracts had no give backs,” Turgel said. “We’ve maintained our health insurance program with a split of 80-20 in the premiums.

“Many members believe that at this time, when there are so many changes and unknowns in the administration, it is to the NTA’s advantage to have the current leadership continue in order to maintain the ground for which we have worked so hard.”

Teachers survey juniors about homework habits HILARY BRUMBERG o show teachers how homework loads affect students, history department head Jonathan Bassett, math teacher Dennis Klem and science teacher Jo-Anne Purdy are conducting a survey of the junior class, according to Klem.

The survey was given throughout the two weeks before vacation to a random sample of two junior classes in each curriculum level of the five major academic classes: mathematics, biology, American history, English and world language.

The survey asked students

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how much homework they are assigned on average per week in the class they were surveyed in, what percentage of that homework they actually do and whether they do other things while doing homework, including using Facebook and listening to music.

Klem is doing the survey because he thinks “it’s important to know how much time our students spend on academics outside of the classroom, at least on average.

“It gives me another perspective on how much time students actually take on doing assignments, rather than how much

time I think they take.”

Students were also asked to record their race and how many bedrooms there are in their houses. This data is intended to help to show whether there is a correlation between homework and a student’s background, according to Klem. “Newton North has identified an achievement gap based on race and income,” he said.

Klem said he thought of doing the survey after being asked by a parent at a parent-teacher conference how much time he expects the parent’s child to spend doing homework for his class.

With the parent’s comments in mind, Klem asked “a few” of his classes “informally” how much time they were spending on math homework, he said.

He then made a comment at a faculty meeting about the amount of homework teachers are assigning.

At that point, Bassett suggested they do a survey.

Over the summer, Bassett, Klem and Purdy will tally the data, and they plan to publicize the results in September, Bassett said.

When teachers see the results, “we may adjust our assignment

levels,” Bassett said.

“Once we have those kinds of numbers [of how much homework students have in each class], we can put together a hypothetical schedule for a kid,” he said.

We can total up the amount of homework a kid should be expected to have.

“Kids say ‘oh, we have too much homework.’ And we think ‘oh, well, kids are always complaining.’

“We’re doing this so teachers are aware of the homework level.

Right now, we don’t have any data—no one knows.”

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, April 30, 2010

Facebook access would eventually be detrimental This school’s Student Faculty Administration is currently discussing a proposal to unblock Facebook, a popular social networking site, from all school computers.

editorial Although allowing Facebook access in school has both positive and negative potential, and it could be helpful for some aspects of group work, it would inevitably be too much of a distraction to be helpful.

On the one hand, for many students Facebook has become a legitimate educational tool.

In the digital age, collaboration over the Internet is essential on group projects for school. In many cases, students check their Facebook page before they check their e-mail.

To contact someone or a large group online, Facebook is by far the easiest option, as it is used so universally.

Students often have hundreds of “friends” on Facebook that they can easily interact with on the website, but often only have the e-mail addresses of a few friends.

Blocking Facebook unintentionally cuts back on the ability of students to collaborate and communicate.

But inevitably, regardless of its potential for productivity, Facebook’s usefulness would be quickly negated by the amount of time students would spend using it for purposes not related to schoolwork.

And there are many other useful tools over the Internet

for group communication.

Google offers comparable organizing services without social networking features.

If Facebook became accessible in school, students would inevitably flock to the library to update his or her status and “tag” the latest photo.

Students always face countless distractions, without question.

During a free block, students can loiter in the hallway or walk to Newtonville.

Even in the library, numerous gaming websites remain accessible.

Leaving Facebook blocked while allowing other equally distracting content to be viewed seems ineffective.

But if Facebook were to be unblocked, problems would definitely arise.

The most forseeable consequence of unblocking Facebook would be overcrowding in the library.

As it is, the library is usually packed, and finding a computer can often be difficult.

It would become more difficult for students to find a computer to do actual schoolwork.

Facebook access in school also increases the chances that students would be cyberbullied, as students could use the popular social networking site to target other students during the school day.

So in the end, it is probably better for everyone that Facebook is blocked on school computers.

Although in some cases it could be useful, Facebook would ultimately serve as more of a distraction than a tool in school.

Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass. 02460.

Editors in chief — Marena Cole, Eli Davidow Managing editor — Teddy Wenneker News editor — Hilary Brumberg Sports editors — Jay Feinstein, Jacob Schwartz Arts editors — Kate Lewis, Perrin Stein Features editors — Jacob Brunell, Fatema Zaidi On campus editor — Meredith Abrams News analysis editor — Steven Michael Photography editors — Gaby Perez-Dietz, Ivan McGovern Production managers — Katrina Barry, Ben Hills Advertising managers — Emily Gulotta, Tiphaine Kugener Business manager — Dan Salvucci Circulation managers — Alison Berkowitz, Caleb Gannon Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy

Production advisers — Sue Brooks, Tom Donnellan News staff — Malini Gandhi, Ilana Greenstein, Rebecca Harris, Kayla Shore Features staff — Emmett Greenberg, Gavi Kaplan Sports staff — Evan Clements, Nicole Curhan, Jeremy Gurvits Arts staff — Audrey Derobert, Becky Kalish News analysis staff — Kellynette Gomez Art staff — Anna Kaertner, Maddie MacWilliams, D’Jaidah Wynn Photography staff — Karen Brier, Ryne Duffy, Anna Gargas, Gabe Dreyer, Jaryd Justice-Moote, Ramzy Kahhale, Edan Laniado, Isabel Meigs, Matt Victor Circulation staff — Spencer Alton, Stoddard Meigs, Omar Pinkhasov, Michela Salvucci, Stephanie Vitone Production staff — Peter Taber-Simonian

The Newtonite staff does all the reporting, production work and photography to produce 16 issues a year for a circulation of 2,000.

To place an ad in the Newtonite or contact us by phone, please call 617-559-6274. Yearly subscriptions cost $20. Readers can also reach us at thenewtonite@gmail.com.

To find the Newtonite online go to www.thenewtonite.com.

Jacob Schwartz

Litter: Trash left on Main Street, including this bagel, continues to be problematic.

Thanks for years of coverage DEAR NEWTONITE STAFF, This letter is in response to your editorials of March 26 and April 9, 2010 in which you mention the elimination of the on campus/enrichment program due to budgetary cuts.

The program has been in existence since the 1950s. Throughout the years, it has broadened and contributed to the culture of Newton North High School in innumerable ways. It has provided many and varied opportunities for the community to contribute to this unique school.

Working with staff, students and the public, 40 to 75 programs have been presented annually, reaching as many as 11,000 students at times. Most presentations are free, but for those that require an honorarium, the PTSO has been very generous.

letter Since 2003, the enrichment position has been a half-time appointment.

The award-winning Newtonite continues to provide outstanding coverage of so many issues of interest here at Newton North High School.

Thoughtful and informative articles of interviews conducted with students and staff indicating the effectiveness of a variety of the on campus programs are regular Newtonite features.

Articles describe how individuals have been affected by a variety of speakers and programs throughout the year. It is rewarding to realize the impact that the

enrichment programs has had in enhancing the classroom experience.

Throughout the years, Newtonite reporters and the on campus editor have been exemplary in their courtesy and reliability. It is with pride that I include a copy of the Newtonite article to presenters in thank-you letters to them.

In addition, since 1987 this office has trained staff and students in mediation skills and techniques. During this time, we have scheduled many meditation sessions upon request.

Thank you for your concern and attention to this budgetary cut.

Gratefully, —JEANNE C. WHITE ON CAMPUS AND PAWS MEDIATION COORDINATOR

Just think about it...

Earth Day

Earth Day, celebrated on Thursday, April 22, reaffirmed the importance of protecting and preserving the environment.

Energy is a limited resource on the planet.

Production of energy using fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas pollute the environment and contribute to

global warming.

To save energy, buy efficient appliances to reduce your total carbon footprint. Efficient appliances not only reduce your energy consumption, but also lower the cost of your utility bills.

By turning off the lights when you leave a room, you can also conserve energy.

Another key way to help the

environment is through recycling. Recycled bottles and cans are remanufactured into other products instead of ending up in a landfill. Recycling cuts back on our waste and reduces the energy needed to make recycled products.

Through conservation of energy and recycling, we can collectively create a greener planet.

Donate to fund for athletic aid HELLO, My name is Alexander Petitti.

I began a scholarship fund in 2008 to help assist pay the required user fee necessary to participate in the athletic programs at Newton North High School.

Many families that struggle with financial hardships cannot meet the full fee necessary for their children to participate in the athletic programs.

Although the Newton North Athletic Department does grant waivers, reductions and extensions of the user fee, I have started a reserve athletic fund to cover the full cost of the fee, which helps pay for the new equipment and uniforms for sports.

The new reserve is named “Alex’s Coaches Fund.”

Corrections:

letter I ran the Newton Heartbreak Hill International Road Race in 2009. I started running the Falmouth Road Race in 2007, with my family.

This year Richard Waxman and Steven Petitti, both ’81, have challenged each other in a running of the Falmouth Road Race on August 15, 2010. There will be a class of 1981 Facebook event called “Falmouth Road Race Challenge.” Hopefully, you will be kind enough to sponsor them with a contribution to achieve their worthy challenge.

Hopefully, the athletes that are recipients of this fund will continue to raise funds by run-

In the April 9 issue in the article headlined “Discussion focuses on pros and cons of student access to Facebook in school” on page 1, the Newtonite incorrectly attributed quotations to special education teacher Kevin O’Neil. They should have been attributed to special education teacher Peter Cavanagh.

ning annual races and perpetuate “Alex’s Coaches Fund” for future athletes’ use.

Please make checks payable to Newton North Athletic Tigers (please put Alex’s Coaches Fund on the check or the fund will not get credit for this).

Mail checks to 160 Pine Street, #3, Auburndale, MA 02466.

Thank you for your kind donation and assistance.

—ALEXANDER PETITTI CLASS OF 2011

Letters Readers are invited to submit guest articles and letters to the editor. Letters should be put in the Newtonite box in Beals House or emailed to thenewtonite@gmail.com.

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

news

Friday, April 30, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

Facebook debate goes on REBECCA HARRIS Restrictions on Facebook continued to be a topic of discussion at a Student Faculty Administration Board meeting Wednesday, April 14.

The board is currently debating a proposal that, if passed, may lead to the removal of current restrictions on Facebook access at Newton North.

Librarian Kevin McGrath, one of the authors of the proposal, said that he thinks that the only sites that should be blocked are those that “the community agrees have no value whatsoever.”

“Let this be available as a possibility for people to use,” he said.

To unblock Facebook allows the school community to continue to address the issues it presents, he said.

“There are a lot of implications about this type of media that we’re going to live with for years to come,” he said.

He has heard many students voice a concern that their privacy would be violated if Facebook were allowed on school comput-

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courtesy Alex Feinberg

Bonding with hosts: Sophomores Iris Moulin, Camille Debuisson and Juvenal Audinet have a water balloon fight after a picnic. Twenty-two students from École Massilon in Paris have been staying with hosts from this school, sightseeing and experiencing culture in this country as a part of the French exchange. The students leave today.

KAYLA SHORE Since the beginning of the year, junior class president Nicole Goldberg and senior class president Eliana Eskinazi have been preparing for their respective end-of-the-year dances.

Junior Semi-Formal will be held in the U. Mass. Boston student center Saturday, May 22.

According to Goldberg, the venue “is great—it has a great view of the city.” This location was “loved” when it was used in the past, she said.

Goldberg and the vice presidents, juniors Kevin Barisano, Emily Cetlin, Molly Doris-Pierce and Amy Ren have organized the decorations, security, transportation, a DJ from A Touch of Class and food from Comella’s.

Tickets are $67 and are on sale during lunch until next Friday.

This year, Senior Prom will be held at the Weston-Copley in Boston Monday, June 9.

Eskinazi and Rocco Donohue, Jeff Handler and Zoe Talkin, the vice presidents, have been trying to secure DJ Roy Barboza, a great DJ from Jam’n 94.5, Eskinazi said.

The after-Prom celebration will have a “Candyland” theme and will be held at Newton North, she said. “Everybody should come,” Eskinazi said. “It’s like a final goodbye party.”

Tickets are $85 each and will be on sale during lunch at the Riley House office window from Wednesday, May 12 to Wednesday, June 2, according to math teacher Rachel Mingos, the class adviser.

When students purchase their ticket, they will have the option to make an additional $10 donation toward the after-Prom “Celebration.”

If students choose to donate, they will receive a raffle ticket for a large flat-screen TV. During the first week of ticket sales, students who donate will receive two raffle tickets for $10.

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Senior Parent Night to be next week STEVEN MICHAEL Upcoming events for the senior class will be discussed at

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in brief Senior Parent Night, according to Riley housemaster Mark Aronson.

Senior Parent Night will be in the film lecture hall Tuesday, May 11 from 7 to 8 p.m.

“Our goal is for seniors to have a safe, successful end to their high school careers,” Aronson said. “If parents have concerns or questions, I want to be able to address them.”

He will speak at the event about what happens as school winds down, he said.

Letters inviting parents to Senior Parent Night were sent with third term progress reports. A timeline addresses what the Class of 2010 has planned for the rest of the school year.

Upcoming events include the last day of school for seniors Friday, June 4, Senior Prom Monday, June 7 and graduation Wednesday, June 9.

Event to give advice on college admissions STEVEN MICHAEL Admissions representatives from Brown University, Drew University and U. Mass. Amherst will speak at the Junior Admissions Seminar, according to the director of the Career Center, Brad MacGowan.

The Junior Admissions Seminar will be in Lasker auditorium Thursday, May 13 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The seminar will allow juniors and their parents to hear about the college admissions process from college admissions officers themselves, MacGowan said.

Admissions officers from these schools will participate in a panel discussion to answer questions from parents and students.

“The panelists will discuss the various parts of the college admissions process including high school transcripts, testing, essays, teacher recommendations and extracurricular activities,” he said.

MacGowan said he hopes students learn more about the college admission process so they can be knowledgeable about what needs to be done and approach the process with confidence.

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Facebook, he said.

Freshman Kristian Lundberg said that Facebook was not to blame for cyber-bullying incidents.

“It’s not Facebook that bullies people—it’s other people that bully people,” he said.

He also suggested educating students about how to interact and be safe on Facebook. “It’s an important skill to have,” he said.

Special education teacher Peter Cavanagh said that even defining cyber-bullying presents problems. “What is harassment on Facebook?” he asked. “What is cyber-bullying?

“It’s going to put someone or some group of people in a very difficult position” as they try to figure out what’s permissible and what’s not, he said.

Math teacher Elena Graceffa said that the issue was not whether allowing Facebook would increase cyber-bullying, but whether the school would be liable if any cyber-bullying were to occur on school grounds.

Clubs have organized events Debate finishes fourth in States MARENA COLE The debate team just had its strongest competition this year, according to senior Ezra Cohen, a captain with senior Caeden Brynie.

The team finished fourth overall at State Debate Sunday, March 28 at Shrewsbury Middle School in Shrewsbury, Mass.

“Without question, it was our strongest showing at States in a long time,” Cohen said.

Three doubles teams and two single teams from this school participated in the competition, which hosted representatives from about 20 schools in the state, Cohen said.

Cohen and sophomore Abby Holtzman competed as singles, and the singles topic was jury nullification, Cohen said.

The three doubles teams consisted of senior Caeden Brynie and sophomore Michael Dinsmore, freshmen John Hennessy and Ryne Duffy and freshmen Jordan Ecker and Kristian Lundberg. The doubles teams debated on affirmative action.

Cohen placed second for overall Best Speaker and advanced to the semi-finals, where he was eliminated.

Cohen said the season went very well for the team overall.

“We did very well, considering that we’re one of the youngest teams in the school,” he said, noting that the team is only in its fourth season. “And we are one of the youngest, if not the youngest, teams in the state.”

Looking to next year, Cohen said he can expect even more improvement in the team’s performance.

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Junior, senior classes to host dances

ers, but he believes that students should not depend on filters to protect themselves, he said.

He also said that allowing Facebook in school could potentially make it less dangerous or powerful because students would be less inclined to believe that what they wrote on it was private.

Parent representative Claudia Wu said she had heard some parents express concern that Facebook could be used for cyber-bullying at school.

Student co-chair Ezra Cohen said that he didn’t think cyberbullying would become a bigger issue were Facebook to be unblocked.

“The issue of cyber-bullying is already an issue in the school,” he said.

“That is an issue with Facebook as a whole, which will certainly not go away if Facebook is blocked or unblocked.”

“There are mechanisms in place to deal with cyber-bullying” at this school, and they wouldn’t disappear if the school unblocked

newer ones, according to Ghitelman.

Friday, April 9, the math team participated in States, a meet that produced positive results, she said.

According to Ghitelman, a meet consists of six rounds, each covering different mathematical topics, followed by a final “team round,” in which the entire team works together.

“We started out slow and there were a lot of hard questions, but by the end we pulled it together and were one of the top teams in the team round,” Ghitelman said.

Sophomore Joseph Chan performed particularly well, finishing as one of the top scorers and receiving a prize, Ghitelman said.

Students clean up with Newton Serves MALINI GANDHI Nine students dedicated their time to cleaning up Newton and repairing city property as part of Newton Serves, a day of community service, Sunday, April 25.

With this year’s event marking its 10th anniversary, Newton Serves has grown into a largescale undertaking that spans throughout the city’s parks and schools, consisting of 55 proj-

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ects and over 1,500 volunteers, according to the Newton Serves brochure.

Orange Shield, North’s student group devoted to community service, participated in a Newton Serves project at Horace Mann Elementary School, according to junior Tiffany Leung, an officer.

The project, which took about 45 minutes to complete, involved painting bulletin boards and cleaning desks and chairs in a kindergarten classroom, Leung said.

This was the first year that Orange Shield participated in Newton Serves, and Leung believes it was a “great experience.”

“When you see how happy and grateful the teachers are to see us help them out, you feel good about yourself, and I hope that those who participated in Newton Serves realize that,” Leung said.

“It is the little things that make a difference.”

According to Leung, the project not only allowed members of Orange Shield to make a difference, it also brought together people across Newton with a common goal.

“Through Newton Serves, I have met so many great people who want to make and keep Newton beautiful and simply want to help out,” Leung said.

Math team to compete in New Englands MALINI GANDHI After a successful performance at States, the math team advanced to the New England competition today, according to math teacher Elisse Ghitelman, the coach.

“It would be nice to place in the top five—I think that’s a reasonable goal,” she said. “And we aim for each person to be successful individually, as always.”

To prepare for the competition, the team will practice old problems, with the more experienced students assisting the

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courtesy Tami Roberts

Newton Serves Day: Orange Shield members junior Tiffany Leung and sophomores Elizabeth Ho and Anastasia Mashtaler stand with Mayor Setti Warren at Horace Mann, where they volunteered.

arts

4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, April 30, 2010

‘Spontaneous Generation’ full of energy KATE LEWIS Zany scenes full of madcap energy marked “Spontaneous Generation,” this school’s annual improv show.

Performed by a troupe of 13 students, the show went up Wednesday, April 7 through Saturday, April 10 in the little theatre.

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review Friday night’s show opened with comedic parodies of Theatre Ink’s more intense shows this year, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Caligula,” “All My Sons” and “Cabaret.”

The show then picked up with scene games such as “Movie Reviewer,” “Grand Theft Auto” and “Death Pendulum,” to name a few.

In one such game, “Styles,” actors would first perform a bland, average scene. Then, they modified the scene with various styles or genres suggested by the audience.

In the scene, senior Melissa Lozada-Oliva and junior Skylar Fox vied for the affections of freshman Nick Rodriguez. This basic framework would remain the same, but became more outrageous with each suggested style.

In a “film-noir” scene, Rodriguez’s character became a hard-boiled detective, and Fox’s character became a blonde bombshell reminiscent of 1940s detective films.

The next adaptation was in the style of a Lady Gaga music video.

“This is truly a bad romance!”

Fox exclaimed at the sight of Lozada-Oliva and Rodriguez together, dancing in the style of the eccentric pop star.

The final style was “lax bro,” in which all of the characters became relaxed, arrogant lacrosse players.

“Styles” helped to demonstrate the versatility of improv actors and their ability to assume different characteristics at will.

Another game was “Freeze,” hosted by Lozada-Oliva, who

Ivan McGovern

Non-stop excitement: Junior Skylar Fox and freshman Nick Rodriguez host the game “Rock Band” during the Friday night performance of ‘Spontaneous Generation.’ explained that though the scene would begin with two actors, audience members could at any time shout “Freeze!” and tag an actor out and join the scene.

As the game went on, many audience members eagerly participated onstage. In fact, most of the scenes in “Freeze” were completely audience-driven.

In one memorable scene, identical twin brothers, freshmen Billy and Johnny Cohen, reacted

with farcical horror at the discovery that they looked exactly alike, which earned riotous laughs from the audience.

“Grand Theft Auto,” a notable character-based scene game, involved two groups of four actors who alternated stealing the other’s car as ridiculous characters, the inspiration for which was drawn from audience suggestions picked at random.

The actors scared each other

off with crazy personas such as “itchy divorce lawyers,” “irascible fruit vendors,” “splendid businessmen” and “peculiar taxidermists,” and for each different character, they adopted unique quirks specific to their traits.

This game gave the actors a chance to experiment with different choices and to create wacky characters based on a prompt from the audience, and the result kept the audience laughing

throughout the game.

Piano accompaniment by Nathan Harris, a senior, was a special feature of the show.

Harris’s skills at the keyboard accentuated the mood of the scenes and heightened the humor of the show.

For example, in a scene that took place in outer space, Harris used a futuristic sound to add to the extraterrestrial setting. In another scene set in the 1940s, Harris played a catchy ragtime piano tune.

Harris’s playing also added tension to certain scenes, with deep and dramatic music reflective of the action onstage.

To end the show, sophomore Graham Techler asked for an adult volunteer from the audience to come on stage. Neil MacGaffey, a North parent, was chosen and subsequently interviewed by Techler.

MacGaffey shared details of his young life, including his childhood habit of eating ants, his fights in middle school and his time studying biology at the University of Wisconsin.

Then, MacGaffey sat back and watched as the troupe presented a musical based on his life. The musical included full-length, completely improvised numbers such as “I Won’t Eat Ants Anymore,” “That Hurt Like Hell,” “Can’t Beat Genetics” and “Let’s Live with the Ants.”

The audience was floored by the troupe’s ability to make up original songs on the fly. In “Can’t Beat Genetics,” a particularly memorable song, Fox gave a performance as MacGaffey’s biology teacher, as he improvised an impressive song-and-dance number.

In the final number, “Let’s Live with the Ants,” the troupe reprised their roles from earlier in the show to wish MacGaffey, played by freshman Sam Raby, luck in his new life among ants.

Altogether, “Spontaneous Generation” was a wacky and exciting show that greatly impressed audiences with the improvisational comedy skills of students.

North, South students prepare to perform ‘Comedy of Errors’ PERRIN STEIN Students from Theatre Ink and South Stage alike are preparing for “The Comedy of Errors,” an early Shakespeare comedy about mistaken identity, according to director Dev Luthra.

The play, which is the 27th annual North/South Shakespeare collaboration, will be performed Thursday, May 6 through Saturday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the little theatre.

The play involves two sets of twins who were separated at birth.

One set of twins is a pair of wealthy merchants known as Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse, played by juniors Derek Butterton and Justin Phillips.

The other set of twins are servants to the two merchants: Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse, played by freshman Anna Nemetz and South junior Jaclyn Horowitz.

The twins from Syracuse arrive in Ephesus, and they are mistaken for each other by the people in town. This creates hilarious confusion, Luthra said.

Ephesus is located in modern

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Gaby Perez-Dietz

Shakespeare’s famous comedy: As Antipholus of Syracuse, junior Justin Phillips rehearses a scene.

day Turkey. “In Shakespeare’s time, Ephesus had a tradition of being a center of magic, so people would have believed that magic was causing these odd encounters—not mistaken identity,” said Luthra.

The set, designed by sophomore Aaron Siegel, will portray this Mediterranean setting through vivid colors such as bright blues and yellows. The set will include a spiraling floor plan, brightly colored platforms, and a house frame that allows people to see inside of it.

The costumes, designed by junior Anna Gargas, will be different textures of white to contrast the vivid set.

The only character who will not be clothed in white is the magician, Dr. Pinch, played by senior Robert Benner. “He is the focus of magical power, so it’s fitting for him to be colorful,” Luthra said.

Along with white clothing, the sets of twins will wear masks. The actors who play the twins have similar physical builds, according to Luthra, but it makes it more believable if they look exactly the same through the usage of masks.

Also, the masks are a creative costume idea that adds a little to the simple white clothing.

This is Luthra’s second year directing the North/South Shakespeare production.

“I enjoy working with Shakespeare plays and directing students,” he said.

“Shakespeare’s stories are very compelling, and he worked as an actor, so his plays give people a variety of ways to embody the character,” he said.

In shows such as “The Comedy of Errors,” Shakespeare includes many ensemble parts, and this gives students a chance to work together, Luthra said.

He also likes how Shakespeare uses “poetic and humorous language.” This makes shows like “The Comedy of Errors” very entertaining.

Despite the fact that Shakespeare’s plays are very old, the characters “have many layers,” so people can still relate to them today. This makes them really interesting and intriguing, Luthra said.

Tickets are $7 and may be purchased at all lunches or at www. theatreink.net.

arts

Friday, April 30, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Students travel, perform in Italy KATE LEWIS Over April vacation, I had an incredible opportunity to join the Music Travel Club on its 11-day tour of Italy, an experience which I will surely never forget.

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personal experience Wednesday, April 14, we departed from Newton North to kick off the trip. The group consisted of 32 students and three chaperones, including music teacher Richard Travers, Jubilee director Sheldon Reid and fine and performing arts department head Todd Young.

From the very start, the trip’s focus on music was evident. On our first bus ride, members of the Jubilee Singers taught other

travelers “Psalm 23,” one of their songs. Along the way through Italy, we would perform “Psalm 23” and other songs.

Our first performance was at St. James Episcopal Church in Florence, where we sang at a service Sunday, April 18. The performance’s program included the spiritual song “Guide My Feet,” “Order My Steps” by Glenn Burleigh, “Lachrymosa” from Mozart’s “Requiem” and the traditional hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Seniors Hayley Travers and Ryan Vona and junior Sam Melnick performed beautiful solos in “Amazing Grace,” “Order My Steps” and “Guide My Feet,” respectively.

Afterwards, Mr. Young spoke to the congregation about this school, explaining the positive dynamics of our school. He ex-

Kate Lewis

Immersed in culture: Juniors Linda Bard and Annie Gombosi pose for a picture overlooking the city of Florence while traveling with the Music Travel Club.

Kate Lewis

Sightseeing: Sophomores Emily Paley and Mia Bracchiale stand in front of the Colosseum. plained how Newton North is a place where all students can find a niche, like in the music department.

During our time in Italy, we performed wherever we could, giving impromptu concerts in restaurants, piazzas and outside of local churches.

While staying in Sorrento, we performed a different concert in the hotel lounge every night, with numbers from Jubilee, Family Singers, Concert Choir, Tiger Bebop and Northern Lights in our repertoire.

Our performances, spontaneous or otherwise, were so much fun to be a part of.

As we sang, passersby gathered to listen to us and applauded enthusiastically.

However, we did more than just perform during our stay. We had ample opportunity to relax and soak up the rich Italian culture in all of the cities we visited, which included Florence, Sorrento and Rome.

By experiencing art, cuisine and sights from different parts of Italy, we got a feel for the local

flavor of each place we visited.

While in Florence, we saw the famous Duomo at the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, and some of us even took the stairs to the top of the Duomo for an unforgettable view.

We also toured the Academy of the Arts, where we saw Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the statue of David.

It was truly amazing to see legendary works of art and architecture in the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.

We got a chance to enjoy the relaxing, gorgeous seaside during our stay in Sorrento, which included day trips to Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast.

In Pompeii, we took a tour around the ancient city, which was buried under volcanic ash during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. While we were visiting Pompeii, Family Singers and Concert Choir even sang “Dies Irae” from Mozart’s “Requiem.” As “Dies Irae” translates to “day of wrath,” the tune was fitting for the site of a natural disaster.

The island of Capri was even more beautiful than I could have imagined. The ocean was a bright shade of blue, and all of the cliffs and grottos were astounding to behold.

After taking a bus up the winding roads of the island, a group of us took a chairlift to the very top, where we could see everything for miles around.

On the final leg of our journey, we stayed in Rome. We toured the ruins of the ancient city, like the Colosseum, the Forum and the Pantheon.

Also in Rome, we attended a performance of Giacomo Puccini’s opera, “Madama Butterfly,” and we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Alfredo’s, the restaurant where fettuccine alfredo was invented in 1914.

By the end of our trip, we had all grown closer with the common bond of our fantastic adventures to keep us together.

Altogether, the trip to Italy with the Music Travel Club was an unforgettable experience and a great opportunity to discover new things and places.

Lasker sees its final ‘Springfest’ PERRIN STEIN According to fine and performing arts department head Todd Young, Springfest was a very special night on many levels.

“It is a chance for us to hear music from five ensembles, and it is our last Springfest in Lasker auditorium,” Young said.

BY

review The concert was Monday, April 12, and it included performances from Concert Choir, Family Singers, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Orchestra.

Before the ensembles performed, Young took a moment to recognize and honor Richard Travers, the director of Concert Choir and Family Singers. He brought Travers up on stage, and told a few funny stories from Travers’ career.

“This is Mr. Travers’ last concert before his retirement at the end of the year,” Young said. “He is a special person, and we will all miss him very much.”

After this tribute, Concert Choir began the show. As a solo, freshman Nora Elghazzawi sang “Sure on this Shining Night” with Travers at the piano.

After the song, the rest of the Concert Choir took the stage, wearing brightly colored shirts, which added to the upbeat feel of “Changamano” by Sally Albrecht. Throughout the song, the

choir swayed, clapped and used gestures to express the song’s theme of unity.

Next, the Family Singers performed. Travers, the director, apologized for being unable to perform the entirety of “The Lark” by Leonard Bernstein due to his recent shoulder surgery.

Instead, the Family Singers performed the short movement “Soldier ’s Song.” This piece began with intense chanting, which was echoed sweetly by the soprano section. The parts then blended together in a beautiful harmony. All the singing stopped, and the piece concluded with the chorus whistling cheerfully.

Second, the Family Singers performed “Yah Ribon Alam” by cantor Robert Solomon. Senior Joella Tepper began the piece by singing the cantor part. Once the chorus began, it broke into many parts, weaving together. Junior Stacey Terman soloed, reaching extraordinarily high notes, adding drama and intensity.

Three senior soloists performed a solo piece with the Orchestra. The musicians were chosen by the teachers from the music department, as part of the yearly Concerto Competition.

Paul Batchelor on bass went first, and he performed “Allegro moderato” by Antonio Capuzzi. The Orchestra switched off between pizzicato and playing with a more urgent arco bowing. Batchelor could be heard

clearly because his low instrument contrasted the rest of the Orchestra.

Oboist Mali Golomb-Leavitt performed “Rondo Pastorale,” the first movement of the Oboe Concerto by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The piece began quietly, and throughout the piece, the oboe diverged into complicated patterns.

After a pause, Golomb-Leavitt played a challenging solo.

The final soloist was flautist Sherrie Deng, who played “Allegro Maestoso” from the first Flute Concerto by Mozart. Throughout the piece, the instruments became louder with Deng playing high above the Orchestra. The contrast between Deng’s sweet, high sounds and the Orchestra’s large forceful one made the piece interesting.

Student teacher David Rossler conducted the Symphonic Band in songs of his own choosing.

First, the band played “Fanfare for the Third Planet,” which used a drum and bell throughout to create an interesting contrast.

“Into the Storm” by Robert W. Smith was the Symphonic Band’s final piece. Flutes and bells began this piece, creating a quiet sound, which mimicked the quiet before a storm. Dramatic drums were added, creating the illusion of a growing storm. As the piece continued, drums continually banged, supporting the rest of the band’s playing.

The final group to perform

Teddy Wenneker

Family Singers: Junior Sam Melnick solos on “Yah Ribon Alam” at Springfest, Monday, April 12. was the Wind Ensemble under the direction of Young. They performed six short pieces from “Star Wars.”

First was “Duel of the Fates,” which used constantly crashing cymbals and drums, giving the piece intensity.

Another piece played was “The Imperial March.” The piece’s militaristic sound was enhanced through a strong trumpet, drums and cymbals. It also featured the flute section, which stood

out from the rest of the Wind Ensemble’s strong quality.

The Wind Ensemble finished with “Star Wars (Main Title).”

This familiar piece had a beautiful flute interlude that contrasted the accentuated drums. It ended sharply with a loud cymbal crash.

This signaled the end of Springfest, and Young took the stage once again to thank the audience for listening to such a monumental concert.

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6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, April 30, 2010

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feature

Friday, April 30, 2010

On set:

MARENA COLE pril vacation typically means deserted hallways and empty classrooms, as students stay away from 360 Lowell Ave. for a well-deserved break.

But this past vacation, the halls of Newton North were host to lights, cameras, actors and crew—and the exciting atmosphere that comes with the creation of a film.

The school was the shooting location for Adam Underground, a short film about a secret underground cheating society in a high school.

It was directed by Rachel Cole and Nick Weiss-Richmond, both ’03, and produced by Nikhil Melnechuk and Lily Wahrman.

According to Cole, the film narrates the “fall of an empire” as Adam, the head of the organization, dismantles it all.

“It’s set over the course of a day,” she said. “Adam’s ex-girlfriend, who’s the editor of the school paper, tells him he has one day to go about its dismantlement before she writes an exposé for the school paper.

“Also, it’s more broadly about young people and their commitments, and the incredible things students can make.”

Students from this school and Newton South have been “extraordinarily integral” in the creation of the film, Cole said.

About 30 students worked as apprentices on the film, working and assisting in various areas of production, with professionals for up to 16 hours a day, she said.

“Students have been involved in a number of ways, and the film would not have been made without them,” she said.

Cole cited junior Daisy Richardson as an example of how integral students were to the project.

“We don’t have a professional makeup artist for the film,” Cole said. “She’s been doing everyone’s makeup.”

She also described how junior Anna Gargas worked to costume dozens of students who were extras in the film.

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Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

Students and professionals collaborate to make movie

A

Teddy Wenneker

Adjusting the scene: Josh Caras, playing Adam, and Nick Weiss-Richmond ’03, a director, discuss a scene taking place in Adam’s secret underground homework lab.

Teddy Wenneker

Getting ready for the cameras: Junior Daisy Richardson applies makeup for Josh Caras, who plays the title role, Adam.

Playing Tommi, a member of the underground cheating society, senior Ingrid Rudié said she has learned the hard work that can often go into making a movie, especially after her character’s scene that was shot after 19 takes.

“It was fun and exciting, because as I was doing it, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m in a movie!’” she said.

“At the same time, I’m seeing that making a movie can be really tedious. We shot the scene in 19 takes, plus rehearsals. It was crazy.”

The film is now finished shooting and will be edited over the summer, Cole said. Once edited, it will be 20 to 23 minutes in length.

Adam Underground will soon

Teddy Wenneker

circulate the North American film festival circuit in 2011, Cole said.

“We will also be distributing it as a part of an educational package for middle and high schools around the country to use to teach about cheating in schools,” she said.

According to Melnechuk, there will be a sneak preview of the film in Lasker Auditorium next September, with a date to be decided.

“If there’s community support, we’d like to come back and make another film next year,” he said.

The filmmakers are also accepting donations for the movie, which can be made at wewilldoyourhomework.com, Melnechuk said.

Teddy Wenneker

Teddy Wenneker

On the set: Junior Zuzia Weyman, an apprentice, talks with freshman Julia Belkin, an extra.

Teddy Wenneker

On the move: Junior Anna Gargas, an Behind the scenes: Senior Graham Stanton, an Talking it out: Production manager Daniel Melnechuk works with Newton South senior Jeremy Perlman, an apprentice. apprentice, moves costume pieces. apprentice, works with camera equipment.

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Ap

after

katr

All together: Junior Gabe Paul, senior Ricky Lu, junior Maddie MacWilliams, senio senior Nate March, junior Paul Cannistraro and sophomore Gracie Rolfe standwit courtesy Maddie MacWilliams

Working in the sun: Senior Sammy Alpert clears brush.

People in New Orleans welcoming, thankful SAMMY ALPERT In 2005, the city of New Orleans was flooded and parts of the city were destroyed because of levee breaks caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Five years later, there is still a lot of work to do. The Leadership class, along with some carpentry students, went down to help do whatever was needed.

BY

personal experience We stayed in the Annunciation Church and went out almost every day to work hard in the sun.

Most of us worked on clearing a large field, about the size of a football field, that was filled with trash and completely overgrown with weeds, small trees and other overgrown plants.

We worked for about three hours before lunch, and about three hours after on most days.

For four days we steadily worked our way across and, amazingly, reached our goal before lunch on the fourth day.

Before the storm, this field had between four to six houses on it.

The reason we were directed to clear it was because the health inspector was coming, and if he saw that the land was not be-

ing taken care of, he would fine the owners $100 per day.

Most of the residents don’t even have enough money to come back to New Orleans and rebuild their homes, let alone pay a daily fine, so the land would eventually end up in the government’s hands.

The carpentry students took a small building that was standing on its four outside walls. They framed the interior walls and put up sheet rock on one side, leaving it ready for electricity and insulation.

For fun, we went to the Hornets’ last game of the season, and on the last day we visited the French Quarter. We had tons of fun exploring, eating strange foods and shopping for gifts for our friends and family back at home.

After all of this, the thing I will keep closest to my heart are the stories and experiences the people of New Orleans shared with me.

I met so many nice, caring, welcoming, thankful people.

There were many who stopped by us while were working just to say thanks, or beeped while driving by.

The best thing I did, and that anyone can do when going down to help out, is just listen to the stories of the people you are helping.

They will teach you, and you will let them know you care.

Each story that I heard was moving and interesting in its own way.

Taking a break: Senior Vivian Guzman, English teacher Inez Dover and sophomo

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9

pril 30, 2010

rina

Teddy Wenneker

Lead-in phrase: Rest goes in italics

courtesy Maddie MacWilliams

Sharing experiences: Junior Maddie MacWilliams stands with Duane, a pastor she met while at the Annunciation Mission in New Orleans.

courtesy Maddie MacWilliams

ors Sammy Alpert, Jamie Duncan-Brown and Adam Halwitz, junior Sam Kinsella, th a local man next to the famous Café du Monde in New Orleans.

ore Gracie Rolfe eat together after working.

Leadership, carpentry help fix damage left after hurricane FATEMA ZAIDI Leadership and carpentry students helped victims of Hurricane Katrina rebuild in the lower Ninth Ward in the fourth annual trip to New Orleans.

During the trip, 16 Leadership students and five carpentry students stayed in the Annunciation Mission in the Broadmoor district of New Orleans from Wednesday, April 7 to Tuesday, April 13, according to Leadership teacher Inez Dover.

On the trip were Dover and English teacher Peter Goddard, who teach the Leadership in a Diverse Society class, and carpentry teacher Garrett Tingle.

According to Dover, Leadership students “cleared six or seven overgrown lots because the residents who left New Orleans get fined $100 a day if they don’t maintain their property.”

“Those fines can add up to thousands of dollars when the residents return,” she said.

“The five carpentry students who went on the trip framed and drywalled a house for a woman with cancer who is currently living in New York, but her sister was in New Orleans,” she said.

Sophomore Gracie Rolfe was one of the carpentry students who went on the trip.

“Everything inside the house was destroyed, and we had to take out a lot of wood and lawn mowers,” Rolfe said.

Rolfe said she also realized that she needed to start not taking the simple things for granted.

“I think we all learned to be thankful for what we have because many people really have little material things,” Rolfe said.

Rolfe thinks that after this trip and meeting all the gracious people, “everyone would go again if they could,” she said.

Carpentry students also had to reframe the house and sheetrock it, Rolfe said.

“They were really thankful and gracious,” she said.

BY

courtesy Maddie MacWilliams

English teacher Inez Dover “Through learning outside of the classroom, the students gained a sense of accomplishment and, in general, a sense of humanity.”

According to Dover, students had the opportunity to see “southern hospitality at its finest.”

While the students were clearing a lot, a woman thanked them for helping because “everyone else, the city, state and federal government had abandoned the lower Ninth Ward,” Dover said.

“This woman, whom we had never met, invited all 24 of us over to her house for a lunch of catfish and jambalaya.”

According to Dover, the people were wonderful and were extremely thankful for the help in one of the most needy areas of New Orleans.

“Through this learning outside of the classroom, the students gained a sense of accomplishment and, in general, a sense of humanity,” Dover said.

“The students also gained a sense of community, understanding of a different culture and pride in helping others through this trip.”

A highlight of the trip for Rolfe was going to Bourbon Street, she said.

“That day, we didn’t have to work, and driving through the Ninth Ward, we saw the before and after shock,” Rolfe said.

Dover enjoyed the last day of the trip, when the students went to the French Quarter.

On the last day they also “ate lunch, shopped and enjoyed some historic sights,” Dover said.

—J A C O B B R U N E L L C O N T R I B U T E D T O T H I S ARTICLE.

on campus

10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, April 30, 2010

Plays discuss bullying STEVEN MICHAEL Performers from the Urban Improv troupe discussed bullying in a series of skits during Tuesday, April 13 in the little theatre.

Urban Improv is a “rehearsal for life,” focusing on issues such as peer pressure, bullying, teen pregnancy and gang violence, according to artistic director Tobe Dewey.

“We work with a lot of schools around Boston to deal with a variety of issues,” Dewey said.

“We believe this process is a great learning experience.”

The troupe included actors Merle Perkins, Faith Soloway, Kevin Smith and Zach Stuart, with Dewey leading the discussion.

Smith opened the show with a lively game of Simon Says, in which he tricked the audience with deceiving gestures. He succeeded by eliminating all but two faculty members.

The central performance focused on several scenes involving a girl who becomes the victim of cyber-bullying. The drama starts when high school students portrayed by Perkins and Soloway have a falling out when Soloway repeats unfavorable comments Perkins made to other friends.

In a moment of anger, Perkins sends a private video of Soloway performing a “nerdy dance” to several other students. A student posts the video on YouTube. The video goes viral. The next day, she is mocked at school for her dance in the video. Students jokingly ask her show them her moves.

Strangers post unfavorable comments about her after viewing her video. Audience members were called upon to participate in the scene by offering advice on how she should deal with the situation.

Students offered a variety of suggestions. Some students said she should call the police to ask for the video to be removed.

BY

Jacob Schwartz

Dangers of bullying: Merle Perkins and Kevin Smith, members of the theater troupe Urban Improv, perform a play warning students of the dangers of bullying, Tuesday, April 13 in the little theatre.

Others thought the best course of action would be to ignore the repeated ridiculing and laugh with them instead of being laughed at.

If she did not encourage them, the video would eventually die down.

The girl ultimately choose to

confront her friend about how upset she was that the friend forwarded a private message to other kids. However, the friend refuses to take any responsibility for forwarding the embarrassing video.

At this point, the audience

concluded the best option for a bullying victim would be to notify a parent or a trusted adult in the school about the cyber harassment.

Urban Improv connected the presentation to the bigger issue of bullying. Earlier this year, a South

Hadley High School student committed suicide after being bullied at school.

Dewey explained that a new Massachusetts state law may pass that will help principals and school administrators deal with bullying.

Improbable Players share effects of alcohol abuse KATE LEWIS To advise against the dangerous consequences of alcohol and drug addiction, especially when concerning dating violence, the Improbable Players, a professional theater group, presented “Hitting Rock Bottom” Thursday, April 8 in the little theatre.

The group consisted of four actors, Adam, Amie, Chris and Dennis, all of whom are recovered alcoholics.

On the name of the troupe, Adam remarked that “it’s pretty improbable that we, as sober alcoholics, would form a theatre troupe.”

After the actors introduced themselves, the play began.

BY

Amie and Chris entered, playing Andrea and Sarah, two teenage girls. The girls talked about Kevin, a well-liked, older guy from their high school, played

by Dennis.

The scene then flashed back to a concert by Kevin’s band.

Andrea, a student journalist, approaches Kevin and asks him for an interview for the school newspaper.

Kevin replies that he has to go to a party, but he gives her his phone number and promises to do the interview later.

Amie portrayed Andrea as a naïve ingénue with an aptitude for writing, as she spent much time buried in her journal writing

poetry and plays. Dennis played Kevin as charming, though flawed by his drinking problem.

Meanwhile, weeks pass, and Andrea and Kevin have fallen in love. Although he comes to her house hungover, Andrea still seems to be completely smitten with him.

However, Sarah expresses concern for her friend, saying that she is spending too much time with Kevin and not enough time doing activities she once enjoyed, like the drama club. Andrea dismisses Sarah’s concerns and promises that nothing will go wrong.

Soon, Kevin’s dependency on alcohol causes problems with his

performance in his band and his attitude.

His friend Mario, played by Adam, pleads with Kevin and tells him to get help. “I don’t like you when you’re like this,” Mario insists.

Kevin becomes angry with Mario and responds to him with violence, using his tumultuous childhood and alcoholic father as an excuse for his problem.

His alcoholism also sends his relationship with Andrea into a downward spiral. He becomes manipulative and even physically threatens her.

While Sarah and Mario express concern over the situation, Andrea does not seek help. Kevin

asks for her forgiveness and promises to stop drinking, but he does not follow through on this promise, and his alcoholism only worsens.

Andrea silently bears Kevin’s abuse, which escalates until he violently throws her to the floor and threatens to kill her.

Mario and Sarah intervene, and with help from her friends, Andrea gains the courage to break off the relationship and tell Kevin to get out.

The scene then returned to the present, where Andrea expressed how glad she was to get out of her abusive relationship.

After the performance, the actors further introduced themselves and told their stories of addiction and recovery.

Chris, who was an addict throughout middle and high school as well as college, said that her boyfriend suggested she get help.

Now, she has been 100 percent abstinent from alcohol for almost 12 years, she said.

Adam said his alcoholism became a serious problem in college, when his job as a bartender made it “socially acceptable” to drink in large quantities.

on campus

Friday, April 30, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11

Isabel Meigs

Isabel Meigs

Conservation: Seniors Carissa Chan and Naomi Genuth, officers of the Improving the system: Juniors Maria Brandi and Will Harney talk about how Environmental Club, talk about the importance of recycling. recycling works at this school.

AP Bio presents environmental projects MARENA COLE As a part of the Earth Day presentations, students explained how projects they have been working on positively benefit the environment Wednesday, April 14 during D-block in the film lecture hall.

All students in AP Biology have to do year-long Environmental Service Projects, and students presented their individual projects.

Juniors Maria Brandi and Will Harney said that they have been working on improving this school’s recycling system as a

BY

part of their project.

Seniors Carissa Chan and Naomi Genuth, officers of the Environmental Club, spoke further about recycling in Newton.

“The average household in Newton produces 40 pounds of trash per week,” Genuth said.

“The city has been recycling since 1971, and recycling became mandatory in 1990,” she said.

Now, because of the singlestream recycling, every household has one bin to put all of its recyclable goods in, she said.

This includes paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass

containers and clean metal cans, Chan said.

Junior Nicole Dube spoke about the dangers of winter moths, an invasive species found commonly in Newton.

“Winter moths will be exploding in population in a few years,” Dube said. “There will be about one million moths for each resident in Newton.”

Dube said that winter moths are native to Newton, and therefore have few predators here.

Other common invasive species in this area include rats, which are native to northern

China, and starlings, which are native to Europe.

Junior Andrea Marzilli then spoke about her Environmental Service Project, which has been the study of conventional farming versus organic farming.

Marzilli said she has been volunteering on the weekends at Blue Heron Farm in Lincoln.

According to Marzilli, the difference between conventional and organic farming is that organic farmers do not use any chemicals or genetically modified organisms.

The organic farming move-

ment began in 1970, and currently 1.5 percent of farms in the country are organic, she said.

“If all farms in the country would make the switch to organic farming, it could offset 11 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions,” Marzilli said.

Marzilli said people can help support organic farming by shopping for produce at local farmer’s markets.

In July, there is a farmer’s market Tuesdays at Cold Spring Park and Fridays at the Post 440.

Also, people can grow produce at home, she said.

Global warming must end now, ACE speaker says ELI DAVIDOW According to Alan Palm, a speaker for the New England chapter of Alliance of Climate Education, the end of global warming will depend on this generation’s effort to stop it.

Palm spoke to a group of students during C-block in the film lecture hall on Earth Day. “The most important thing is what you decide to do,” he said.

“Don’t doubt the power that you have. You have all the energy, talent and technology to make a difference.”

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ACE is a program that speaks to students all around the country about the consequences of global warming and what students could do to end it.

Palm’s presentation was accompanied by animations illustrating the statistics and concepts that he was talking about.

To start off, Palm spoke about how Americans are living too large, as they are using up too many resources.

“The average person uses about 21 football fields of resources,” he said. “If you were to

line them all up end to end, you would probably be running over a mile.

“If everyone in this school were to line up their 21 football fields, it would reach Colorado.

“We would need five planets to support all the energy that we are using up.”

As a consequence of the world’s overuse of fossil fuels like coal, oil or natural gas, “plants, animals and even entire cultures are getting driven to extinction,” Palm said.

“We’re making a ton of carbon

dioxide, and we’re destroying the ozone layer,” he said.

“Trapping in that heat, we’re jacking up the dial of the world’s thermometer. It’s like we’re conducting a lab experiment on ourselves.

“It’s happening right now, and the consequences are as serious as life or death.”

Simple changes in everyday life can add up to make a collective impact against global warming, Palm said.

“The small things can make major progress for a sufficient and

functioning planet,” he said.

However, the key to spreading environmentally healthy habits is what Palm calls “lowering your emissions and raising your voice.”

Through technology, like Facebook, or events, like rock shows or fashion shows, students can recruit and unite other students for a greener planet, he said.

To learn more about what can be done to create a healthier world, visit ACE’s website, www. acespace.org, for more information, Palm said.

Greengineers produce biodiesel fuel from waste JAY FEINSTEIN Greengineering teacher Steve Chinosi first thought of having a Greengineering class during one of his sophomore English classes.

“My students were researching biodiesel and I found it very interesting.” he said. “From there, I researched more and wrote a grant so I could hold a class that would teach what I learned.”

Members of the Greengineering program gave a presentation during B-block in the film lecture hall.

Right now, the Greengineering class is working on creating biodiesel fuel, making durable bags out of plastic shopping bags and growing algae.

The biodiesel fuel is made from vegetable oil from the cafeteria and vegetable oil that savethatstuff.com donated from

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Legal Sea Foods. According to Chinosi, the Greengineers take this oil, add methanol, drain a glycerin bi-product and clean it in a wash tank in order to make the fuel.

There are advantages and disadvantages to using biodiesel according to Chinosi. “Biodiesel puts some nitrious oxide into the air, but it is a carbon neutral fuel that releases a lot less of other substances,” Chinosi said. “If we use biodiesel, we don’t have to be dependent on some country somewhere for fuel,” he said.

According to senior Brendan Hathaway, methanol can be dangerous, so it is always important to be aware of the safety of every situation. The Greengineers use the Draeger Pac II to make sure that there is no more than 200 parts per million of methanol in the air, he said.

The Greengineers only spend $2 for every gallon of biodiesel they create, and they plan to sell each gallon for $2.10, said Hathaway.

For another project, the Greengineers partnered with MIT to grow algae. The species of algae that the Greengineers grow is high in starches and oil. According to Hathaway, through breaking the cell walls of the algae, the Greengineers can extract fuel for biodiesal.

Next year, the Greengineers will have a 53-foot long algae lab where they can work with MIT students to study the process of extracting fuel from algae, said Hathaway.

In addition, the Greengineers collect plastic shopping bags and make them into new reusable objects. According to junior Andrea Marzilli, “Every bag you save will

help in the long run.”

When plastic is thrown out, it takes space in landfills, and when it is littered, it ends up in the ocean, she said.

Most of the plastic that isn’t thrown away goes into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island halfway between San Fransisco

and Hawaii, Marzilli said.

To prevent bags from going there, the Greengineers fuse layers of plastic shopping bags together and make them into bags or purses that people will use and not throw out, said senior Olivia Margolin. Bags that can’t be fused together can be knit, she said.

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12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, April 30, 2010

Habits for a Lifetime of Health Newton-Wellesley Hospital encourages you to develop healthy habits.

Eat a balanced diet • Keep active • Stay smoke free

www.nwh.org

Tiger Athletic Booster Club 360 Lowell Avenue Newtonville, MA 02460 tigerathleticboosters@gmail.com

Looking for ways to show your Tiger Pride?

Get involved with the Tiger Athletic Booster Club (TABC)! The purpose of the TABC is to: • • • • •

help promote good sportsmanship throughout the Newton North community and BUILD OUR FAN BASE BACK UP, especially as we prepare for the opening of the new Newton North in September 2010; encourage student athletes to participate in the athletic program; encourage the involvement of parents to enhance and enrich the athletic program at NNHS; assist the athletic department in providing a safe environment for student/athletes; help provide financial support for athletic programs.

We are currently seeking volunteers and committee members to work on various initiatives, including team liaisons, concessions (food as well as merchandise), website and events. We are also planning activities for the 2010-2011 year to coincide with the opening of the new Newton North High School.

Good luck to all the spring sport athletes as they begin another successful season!

Tom DeStefano President NewtonPoliceFFL@aol.com

Eileen Ingham V.P., Fundraising Eileen@ingham.net

Carolyn Sidor V.P., Communications carolyn.sidor@colliers.com

Sharon Fagan Secretary fagan_family@verizon.net

Donald Troy Treasurer dtroy@dgccpa.com

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Friday, April 30, 2010

Talk of the

Tiger

Critic’s Corner À la folie... pas du tout (2002) “He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not” (English title) In this dramatic romance, a young student, Angélique (Audrey Tatou), falls madly in love with a married doctor, Loïc (Samuel Le Bihan). In two parts, the film offers both Angélique’s and Loïc’s perspective on the relationship. However, Loïc’s perspective offers a bizarre twist, and the movie takes a strange turn. A seemingly cute romance is quickly revealed to have many more layers than at first glance.

Romantic and eerie, the movie’s strangeness somewhat detracts from its appeal.

—Rent

Okuribito (2008) “Departures” (English title) Wonderful direction and a deeply moving storyline bring this Japanese masterpiece to life.

The film centers around the life of Daigo (Masahiro Motoki), a young cellist without a job or a direction. Desperate, he takes on a job preparing bodies for fu-

nerals. He faces opposition from his wife, Mika (Ryoko Hirosue), but continues to pursue what he believes just might be his new calling in life. The film’s offbeat premise just adds to its drama and intensity, conveying a young man’s struggle to find passion.

—Buy

Buddy (2003) Light and upbeat, this Norwegian film follows Kristoffer (Nicolai Cleve Broch), a carefree 20-something who makes a living hanging billboards. Out of sheer boredom, Kristoffer and his two roommates film their day-to-day actions and submit their tapes to a local television studio. The three become instant celebrities, and the stress soon begins to break their relationships apart. Newly single and friendless, Kristoffer finds himself caught in a tough battle between being famous and being a good friend. The film balances goofy, slapstick comedy with serious issues of trust and friendship, making it definitely worth seeing.

—Rent

Teachers’ Picks

Word Search:

Spring Dance Edition Shi qi sui de dan che (2001) “Beijing Bicycle” (English title) Although it has an interesting premise, a poor script is this film’s ultimate shortcoming. Liangui (Lin Cui) is a 17-year-old boy from China’s countryside, who moves to Beijing to work as a bicycle courier. However, it is not long before his bike is stolen and sold to a poor student his age, Jian (Bin Li). The two engage in a battle over the bicycle, fighting back and forth over its rightful ownership. However, the film proves mostly uninteresting, with sparse dialogue and a plot that seems to have little direction, or none at all, after the first half.

—Pass —MARENA COLE

Mr. Mazzola

Ms. Tobin

Favorite Artists

Favorite Artists

Favorite Artists

Robert Tepper Lee Greenwood AC/DC Duran Duran Eric Stanley

Favorite Movie ◆ C.H.U.D.

Favorite Show ◆ Married with Children

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Jonathan Edwards The Moody Blues The Beatles Elton John The Rolling Stones

Favorite Movie ◆ Papillon

Favorite Show ◆ None

Party Tickets Bouquet Dress Refreshments Disc Jockey Date

Tie Music Suit Limousine Shoes

Did you know?

Mr. Barry ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Copley Place U. Mass.

Prom Tuxedo Photos Corsage Dance

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

The Eagles Van Morrison Eric Clapton Neil Young Billy Joel

Favorite Movie ◆ Steel Magnolias

Favorite Show ◆ N.C.I.S.

Newtonian

Christopher Drakos, equipment manager, graduated from Newton High School in 1968.

He played three sports and worked in the equipment room.

“I got to know some very interesting people, people who created the Newton reputation we’re living off today,” he said.

After graduation, Drakos continued helping.

In 1975, after Title IX passed, Drakos was asked to be the girls’ equipment manager.

This school year, Drakos was inducted to the Newton North/ Newton High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Nature of Spring

AH, SPRINGTIME! THE FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING, THE BIRDS ARE SINGING, AND CAREFREE STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN WHIMSICAL MERRIMENT...

Maddie MacWilliams

sports

14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, April 30, 2010

Girls’ lacrosse works on draws Team improves offense with smarter passes, ball control JACOB SCHWARTZ Girls’ lacrosse, 2-3-1 Wednesday, has been recently been “working really hard in practice on our offensive and defensive movement,” according to senior Kim Gillies, a captain with seniors Britney Jaillet and Leanne Luke.

The team has won a lot more draws recently as opposed to earlier in the year, Gillies said.

However, she said the team really needs to work on being patient with the ball and knowing where to be.

Brookline, a team on the weaker side, according to coach Kim Hamilton, will host the Tigers Monday.

“Traditionally, we always beat them, but since I’ve been coach they get better every year, so we can’t overlook them,” Hamilton said.

Double teaming and good communication will be necessary in doing well at Needham Wednesday, according to Hamilton.

“They’re one of our main rivals, and a lot of emotion goes into games with them,” she said.

Playing at Framingham Friday, May 7 will be one of the team’s biggest challenges, according to Hamilton.

“Framingham moves the ball around so fast and catches every-

BY

thing that’s thrown at them, so we find it hard to adjust on defense,” she said.

Having home field advantage will be helpful for the Tigers against Natick Monday, May 10, Hamilton said.

“Our team is definitely more comfortable on our own field, so we’ll do better than we did last year at Natick.”

Braintree plays here Wednesday, May 12. The Tigers lost to Braintree 15-11 Tuesday, April 13. “I think we’ve improved since then,” Hamilton said. “I really think we should beat Braintree,” Hamilton said.

Dedham lost to the Tigers last year, and the Tigers return to Dedham Thursday, May 13.

The team beat Dedham by a large amount last year, Hamilton said. “I hope we can do it again.”

The Tigers came out with a 15-2 victory over Weymouth Tuesday, by “shutting down Weymouth’s scorers,” Hamilton said.

Walpole defeated the Tigers here 18-12 Thursday, April 15.

A 15-15 tie was the result of a home game with Waltham Saturday, April 10. “We worked hard to make that game a tie, so it definitely wasn’t a disappointment,” Hamilton said.

The Tigers were to have faced Milton on the road yesterday.

Ivan McGovern

Catipult: Junior Michellle Cramen passes the ball as senior Hannah Jellinek looks on.

Boys’ tennis improves, hopes to defeat Needham JAY FEINSTEIN Boys’ tennis, 4-3, “is continuing to improve”, according to coach Phil Goldberg. “We still have a ways to go,” he said.

The Tigers will play Needham today at home. “We expect a very touch match versus Needham because they’re one of the better teams in the state,” Goldberg said.

At home, Monday, May 3, the Tigers will play Framingham.

“Framingham beat us 3-2 in our

BY

first game, so our goal is to turn that around,” Goldberg said.

Wednesday, May 5, the Tigers will visit Natick. Goldberg said that this game “should be close,” but that he hopes that the Tigers end up winning.

The Tigers will visit Braintree Thursday, May 6. “They will continue to be weak,” Goldberg said.

At home, Monday, May 10, the Tigers will play Dedham. According to Goldberg, “Dedham is

not expected to be that strong,” so he said he expects the Tigers to win.

The Tigers will visit Weymouth Wednesday, May 12.

“They’re very weak, so there’s no problem there,” Goldberg said.

Thursday, May 13, the Tigers will visit Wellesley. According to Goldberg, “Wellesley is one of the strongest teams in the state,” so he expects that to be “a very tough match.”

The Tigers hosted a weak Milton team Monday, winning 5-0. “They were not much of a challenge, so it went how I expected,” said senior Dan Stein, the captain.

Thursday, the Tigers visited Wellesley, but the Raiders shut them out 5-0. “They are a great team,” Goldberg said.

“We pushed their second doubles team in the second set of their match.”

Thursday, April 15, the Tigers

played Norwood. “We beat Norwood handily, 5-0,” Goldberg said.

Hosting Walpole Wednesday, April 14, the Tigers won, 5-0.

“This win was also handily,” Goldberg said.

Monday, April 12, the Tigers hosted Braintree, winning 5-0.

According to Goldberg, this match wasn’t that hard for the Tigers.

The Tigers were to have visited Weymouth yesterday.

Boys’ lacrosse has experience, prepares to visit Brookline JAY FEINSTEIN Boys’ lacrosse, 2-5 Wednesday, has showed considerable improvement over the past four weeks, according to coach Bussy Adam.

“We have more experience now and are able to play much better than before,” he said.

In addition to improving, the Tigers are “coming together as a team,” Adam said.

Monday, May 3, the Tigers will visit Brookline. “We haven’t played them yet, but they’re known for their good offense,” Adam said. “We need to keep the ball out of their sticks,” he said.

Hosting Needham Wednesday, May 5, the Tigers expect a tough game, according to senior Rocco Donohue, a captain with seniors Scott Guisti and Mike Vaglica.

“Needham is one of the better teams,” he said, “so we really need to work hard as a team to beat them.”

“If we do our best, we can pull

BY

Ivan McGovern

On offense: Junior Kevin Malloy looks for an open man.

out a victory,” he said.

Friday, May 7, the Tigers will host Framingham.

“We beat them last time in overtime, so this time, we hope to beat them in regulation,” Donohue said.

At home, the Tigers will play Natick Monday, May 10. “They’re a tough team,” according to Donohue.

“If we are able to come with our best game, we might be able to win,” he said.

Wednesday, May 12, the Tigers will host Braintree. “They’re a struggling team,” Donohue said.

“I think we’ll win this game,” he said.

Tuesday, the Tigers visited Weymouth, losing 5-2. “Parts of the game went well and a lot of our shots were on net,” Donohue said. “We need to work on the placement of shots. We also need to work on communication,” he said.

“We want to bring everything

together to be the best team we can be,” he said.

The Tigers lost at Waltham, Wednesday, April 21, 9-7. “We lost this game but we could have won,” Donohue said.

“We didn’t play to our potential. We worked hard, but it didn’t show,” he said.

Thursday, April 15, the Tigers lost at Walpole 13-8. “They’re one of the better teams that we play,” said Donohue. “We played okay, but Walpole was very fast and physical in that game. We just weren’t ready for them.”

The Tigers defeated Braintree at home Tuesday, April 13, 11-2. “When we beat them, we knew that we had the best game all season,” Donohue said. “We worked very well together and we did everything that we needed to do.”

Visiting Norwood Thursday, April 8, the Tigers lost 8-3.

The Tigers were to have hosted Milton yesterday.

sports

Friday, April 30, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Baseball makes offense priority to win close games JACOB SCHWARTZ Baseball, 0-7, has not been getting the breaks it has needed to win games lately, according to junior Jack McLaughlin, a captain with seniors Eric Howard and Borja Jones-Bersaluce.

“We need to start making breaks for ourselves by working hard,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said the team’s record does not at all show how the team plays, having lost three one-run games and a two-run game.

To improve offense, the team has been Newtonian taking batting Joe practice and Siciliano “making hitting a priority,” coach Joe Siciliano said.

Today, the Tigers travel to Norwood. “They’re very good at hitting,” Siciliano said. “I think for that game we’ll have to improve our hitting and defense.”

Monday, the Tigers play here against Milton, a team that “has given us all sorts of trouble in the past,” Siciliano said.

“They’ve always been very good defensively and are a good

BY

team, but we won’t be doing anything different to try to beat them—we’ll just be trying our best.”

The team visits Brookline Wednesday to play its rival. “It’s a great rivalry,” Siciliano said.

“There’s a lot of emotion when we play. I would say that, yes, some years they are better than we are, but we compete because of the rivalry.”

Playing Needham here Friday will be a competitive Bay State Conference game, according to Siciliano.

“They’re very good, and specifically their pitching is very good,” he said.

The Tigers will play at Natick Wednesday, May 12.

“They beat Framingham 4-1 earlier in Newtonian the season, so Jack I assume they McLaughlin are good,” Siciliano said.

Hitting will be a priority, according to Siciliano, in a game against Braintree Friday, May 14.

The Tigers lost at Walpole Wednesday, 8-2.

Against Braintree and “one of the best pitchers in the entire state,” according to McLaughlin, the Tigers lost here 5-2 Monday.

At Catholic Memorial, the Tigers were hitless, losing 4-0 Saturday, April 24. “The whole team was disappointed that we couldn’t get any hits,” McLaughlin said. “We learned that we have to be more aggressive at the plate.”

A highlight against Catholic Memorial was freshman Hector Coscione pitching five innings of the game in his first start. “He did very well for his first start,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said the team “fought until the end” in a 6-4 loss here against Xaverian Thursday, April 22.

A walk-off double gave Newton South the edge, 7-6, in a game at South Tuesday, April 20.

“It was a very good game,” said McLaughlin. “However, it was a very deflating loss.”

At Framingham, the Tigers were defeated 1-0 Wednesday, April 14.

Despite the loss, McLaughlin tried to look at the bright side.

“It was scoreless for most of the game,” McLaughlin said.

“Howard let up no earned runs, and that was impressive.”

Teddy Wenneker

First base: Junior Lucas Mosca catches a Braintree pop-up.

Girls’ track makes strides, sets high goals for itself

BY IVAN

MCGOVERN Girls’ track, 4-0 Wednesday, has made strides toward success, according to coach Joe Tranchita.

“The team has gotten more fit and has improved on technique in all field events,” Tranchita said.

Senior Ariana Tabatabaie, a captain with senior Camilla Jackson, said that a big season goal is to reach 200 personal records.

“Every meet we have come

closer and closer to that goal,” Tabatabaie said. “Girls are improving every single meet, and I think that is something to be really excited about.”

The Tigers visit Needham Tuesday, May 4. Last year, the Tigers defeated the Rockets 10626. Tranchita said he expects “Needham to be weaker this year than last year, but it is really too early in the season to assess their ability level as a team.”

The team will compete at the State Coaches Meet in Somerville Saturday, May 8.

Framingham will face off against the Tigers Wednesday, May 12. Last year, the Tigers beat the Flyers 92-44.

The Tigers traveled to Braintree Tuesday, April 27 and defeated the Wamps, 94-35.

Tuesday, April 20, the Tigers beat the Wellesley Raiders on the road despite missing five varsity

athletes.

Tabatabaie said, “The beginning of the meet was extremely close, but after a sweep in the long jump and the shot-put, we began to run away from them.

“Our team may not have been there in full force, but everyone ran, jumped and threw well, and again we got the job done.”

Weymouth lost to the Tigers 71-65 Wednesday, April 14. Tabatabaie said the meet was very

exciting.

“Everyone on the team understood what needed to be done, and so they did it,” she said.

“We have a really young and new team, so I wasn’t sure if everyone on the team would understand how truly important this meet was. But no one shied away from the challenge, and all 85 of us rose to the occasion.”

The Tigers were to have competed at Milton yesterday.

Softball prepares to face Norwood JACOB SCHWARTZ Although softball is off to a strong 6-1 start, coach Lauren Baugher said the team needs to make sure it is not looking past teams and must continue to learn from its mistakes.

Baugher said she is continuing to drill the players on offensive and defensive fundamentals and situations. “We want to make sure we’re making the plays and that people know where they’re supposed to be,” Baugher said.

Today the fifth-ranked Tigers host Norwood, a team ranked fourth in Eastern Mass. “It will be a good test for us because they hit the ball well,” Baugher said.

Milton hosts the Tigers Monday. “They’re a good fundamental team,” Baugher said.” They hit really well. We’ll need to better our fundamentals to do well against them.”

At home, the team plays Brookline Wednesday. “We beat them last year,” said Baugher. “Hopefully, we’ll beat them again.”

A two-game home stretch starts Thursday against Needham Friday, May 7, and continues with Framingham Monday, May 10.

“We beat both of them before,” Baugher said. “It’s really important that we don’t get cocky.”

Natick visits Wednesday, May 12, and Baugher said she expects

BY

Ivan McGovern

Power: Junior Ali Pappas begins to swing Wednesday, April 14 against Framingham.

a good game. “Both their hitting and pitching are strong,” she said.

At home, the Tigers were defeated 2-1 by Walpole in their first loss of the season Wednesday.

“It was a tough loss for us,” said senior Leanne Precopio, a captain with seniors Jess Fugazzotto and Lucia Joseph. “Our offense wasn’t working.”

The Tigers beat Braintree 7-6 on the road Monday, April 26. “It was the first time we beat Braintree in a long time,” Baugher said.

In one of the closer games so far, the Tigers won at Woburn 4-2 Saturday, April 24. “Junior Ali Pappas had three runs batted in,” said Baugher. “That was the reason we won the game.”

In five innings, the team defeated Framingham at home Wednesday, April 14 12-1, thanks to the mercy rule.

The Tigers defeated LincolnSudbury on the road, 10-2 Monday April 12.

Joseph and senior Rae Copan each hit a triple and a double when the team played at Weymouth Thursday, April 8. Copan also earned 12 strikeouts and the Tigers won 8-2.

On the road, the Tigers shut out Belmont 10-0 Wednesday, April 7.

sports

16 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Tigers build skills O

JACOB SCHWARTZ ver vacation, volleyball, 7-2, worked on running more complex plays and revamped its court set up, according to senior Chris Keefe.

In the process, Keefe and sophomore Michael Thorpe, who formerly hit on the left, now primarily hit in the middle. Changes like these “definitely seem to be working for us,” said Keefe.

“We have some more sub par teams coming up and we get to practice against those teams and perfect everything.”

Keefe said running more complex plays will also become an advantage in the long run because, when executed well, “the other team never knows exactly what we’re going to do.”

Instead of putting a pass up to the left side like we usually do, we’re trying fake plays, so that the other teams end up with only one or no blockers on the other side,” he said.

The Tigers face Framingham on the road Monday. “Framingham is much better than they’ve seemed this year,” he said.

According to coach Richard Barton, “We demolished them earlier in the year, and hopefully we can do it again.”

Barton said he isn’t expecting much of a match at Braintree Wednesday.

“They aren’t a strong team,” he said. “We will not need a very strong effort to beat them.”

Barton is expecting more of a challenge in the match here against Natick Monday, April

Friday, April 30, 2010

Girls’ tennis, 4-1, features depth Tigers win four matches in a row, prepare for tough Needham team ELI DAVIDOW ith a team that features deep talent, girls’ tennis, 4-1 Wednesday, has pulled in a string of victories, according to senior Lexi Abbott, a captain with junior Emily Kelly.

“Technically, we have seven spots to fill in our starting lineup, but we have the depth that we can interchange players,” she said. “We’re able to match up our players with players on different teams, so we get the best results.”

Kelly added that the Tigers’ chemistry has contributed to their success.

“The fact that our team is so close has been a strength for us,” Kelly said. “We practice with the JV too, so we’re basically one big team and that helps us a lot.”

Today, the Tigers visit Needham, which Abbott expects to be one of the harder matches of the season.

“Needham’s always consistent and competitive, so we’ll have a tough match against them,” Abbott said.

At Framingham Monday, the Tigers hope to bounce back against the challenging Flyers, Abbott said.

“In the first match, the loss was due to nerves,” she said. “We were a little too nervous. We’ll have to take them at a slower pace and have more communication and focus.”

The Tigers next host Natick Wednesday, which shapes up to be not overly talented, but also not a push-over, Abbott said.

BY

BY

Jacob Schwartz

Block: Senior Chris Keefe stops a spike against Needham.

10. “It would be a major upset to beat them, because they’re very smooth and powerful,” Barton said.

“The team will need to have more anticipation on blocking and spiking to succeed, he said.

The Tigers will meet their match, according to Barton, when they face Brookline on the road.

“They’re pretty equal with us,” he said. “We’re both pretty good, and I think we both look forward to playing each other, because it will be a good game.”

Wednesday at home, the Ti-

gers shut out the Wellesley Raiders 3-0.

Wellesley had trouble controlling the ball towards the end of the game.

The team beat Weymouth on the road 3-1 Monday, April 26.

“We should have beat them 3-0, but we were trying the new set up,” Keefe said.

Needham defeated the Tigers at North Friday, April 16, 3-1.

Keefe said players stepped it up in order to beat a tough Brookline team 3-0 here Wednesday, April 14.

W

Thursday, the Tigers host a weaker Braintree team that has become more competitive team every year, Abbott said.

“They’ve definitely gotten increasingly better, skill-wise and organizational-wise,” she said.

Here against Dedham Monday, May 10, the Tigers expect to see a fairly good squad in the Marauders, Abbott said.

Weymouth provides the Tigers another difficult match here Wednesday, May 12, Abbott said.

“It’s always very close,” she said. “Usually one of the teams pulls through by just a small margin.”

Then Thursday, May 13 at Wellesley, the Tigers play the most “ridiculous” team in the league, Abbott said.

“All their players are wellrounded and have been playing the game since they were young,” she said.

In recent action, the Tigers beat the Wildcats in Milton 4-1 Monday.

“We got our head in the game, and we thought about what we had to do, and then we did it,” Abbott said.

At home Thursday, April 15 against Norwood, the Tigers shut down the Mustangs 5-0.

“We got to change up our lineup, and that really worked for us,” Kelly said.

The Tigers beat Walpole here 4-1 Wednesday, April 14. Monday, April 12, the Tigers edged the Wamps at Braintree 3-2.

Yesterday, the Tigers were to have visited Weymouth.

Boys’ track returns to high standards Tigers’ undefeated streak ends with 78-63 loss to Weymouth JAY FEINSTEIN fter losing its first league meet in 12 years, boys’ track, 4-1 Wednesday, is focusing on getting back to its previous success, according to coach Jim Blackburn.

During this meet, Wednesday, April 14, Weymouth beat the Tigers, 72-63.

“They were better and had a stronger team,” Blackburn said.

“We didn’t do well in the hurdles, the javelin or the long jump.”

“This just shows that we were clearly affected by having no track. Last year, we could go to Newton South to practice field events, but this year we can’t.”

By winning just one more event, the Tigers would have been able to win the meet, Blackburn said.

“Weymouth was the toughest team we had to face, so we should be alright for the rest of our meets, and we should be able to get through the season,” he said.

Tuesday, May 4, the Tigers will visit Needham.

“I don’t worry about them because they’re not that good,” Blackburn said.

Individuals from the team will participate in the State Coaches meet Saturday, May 8. There will be no team score at that meet, acBY

A

cording to Blackburn. The Tigers don’t know which individuals will compete yet.

The Tigers will visit Framingham Wednesday, May 12. “I don’t expect to have a hard time in this meet,” Blackburn said. “I’m not worried about it.”

Tuesday, April 27, the Tigers visited Braintree, winning 90-43.

“We won, despite the miserable weather,” said senior Conor Ebbs, a captain with seniors Jake Gleason, Mike Goldenberg and Hao-Kai Wu. “We swept the shot put, they swept the javelin and we were 1-2 in the discus,” he said. Ebbs and senior Kevin Foo achieved personal records.

“It was rough, but we showed some promise that we are improving. We showed that with bad conditions, you can still have a decent day, ” Ebbs said.

The Tigers visited Wellesley Tuesday, April 20, winning 11223. “The meet went well,” Wu said.

“Hurdling and jumping events were better than before, but they still weren’t great because we don’t have a track,” he said. “We can’t practice some events until the day of the meet because we just don’t have a chance.”

The Tigers were to have visited Milton yesterday.

Jacob Schwartz

Triple jump: Junior Isaiah Penn prepares to land on a mat in the SOA Monday.