v88i12 by The Newtonite

Maddie MacWilliams

Newtonite

Non-proﬁt org. US postage paid Newton, Mass. Permit no. 55337

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

◆ Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 • Volume 88, Issue 12

Looking up applicants Colleges say if Facebook affects admissions process ELI DAVIDOW n a poll taken Tuesday, Oct. 20, 20 percent of seniors said they had changed their names on the social networking website Facebook. Responding to a survey distributed by this newspaper, one student said, “Some of my peers are changing their names because they ﬁgure colleges won’t be able to identify them on the proﬁle.” Colleges commented on whether they search for prospective students on Facebook to obtain more information about them. They also said whether any information that they find on Facebook would affect the application process, and how. Some colleges said they do not normally search prospective students’ names on Facebook because it is not their standard procedure. Boston University’s chief of media relations Colin Riley said that the university might search Facebook if someone wants an admissions counselor to look at it. “There may be an exception,” he said. “If someone calls attention to the use of Facebook or the things they have on Facebook, the university may look it up and go on a page. “By and large, the university is not engaged in going into Facebook to research student applicants.” Vivian Robson, an admissions representative at Harvard College, said that there is no time to search Facebook due to the high amount of applications the school receives every year. She estimated that thirty thousand students apply to Harvard each year. “With Harvard’s high volume of applications, we still make every effort to carefully read each applicant’s evaluations and essays. We will look at anything we think we need to.” Meanwhile, other colleges said they do not search Facebook because it may not be a dependable place to find information about someone. According to Clark University’s director of admissions, Tricia Uber, Facebook is not an appropriate web site for colleges to investigate applicants. “We feel strongly that it’s your private space,” she said. “If we were missing some information from an applicant, we would call the student or the high school to ask for an explanation. “Facebook doesn’t paint a full picture. In some cases, you don’t know who put it up. “It’s not a reliable source, because it might not be from the BY

Teddy Wenneker

Spain versus JV: In a scrimmage game Tuesday at Warren, Alba Rodrigo, a Spanish exchange student, kicks the ball as sophomores Denis Nalbatov and Ben Mubiru look on.

Students visit from Burgos

JACOB BRUNELL tudents from Burgos, Spain have been staying with host students and families from this school. The 21 exchange students from the Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente School in Burgos arrived here on Sunday, Oct. 18 and will stay until Sunday, Nov. 8, said Italian teacher Emilio Mazzola, the exchange’s coordinator. The Spanish students spend a part of their day at North with their hosts. “After the ﬁrst two blocks, in which they go to classes with their hosts, the Spanish students work on their own homework for two blocks, and then they participate in Spanish class so that students in those classes have an opportunity to talk to BY

Library has new search options

MARENA COLE New resources are now available from the library. According to librarian Annette Tate, the library’s catalog is now available online. “You can access it from home now, or see if we have a certain material in the library,” she said. Additionally, Questia, an online library, is now available to faculty and students, said librarian Kevin McGrath. “You can access lot of copyright-protected books, as well as a lot of periodical articles,” he said. According to McGrath, almost 75,000 books are available on the website. The website allows users to search the books and articles for speciﬁc terms, he said. Students and staff can access Questia through the school library website. Anyone who wants to log on must use his or her ID number and ﬁrst and last initial for the username, and “newton” as the password. BY

them and get to know them,” Mazzola said. In addition to attending school, the Spanish students also plan to visit Boston and go on trips to the Museum of Science, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Freedom Trail. Last Wednesday, Oct. 21 and Thursday, Oct. 22, the Spanish students visited Newtonian New York City. Emilio Although it Mazzola has not been confirmed, Mazzola said, the North students who go to Spain might visit some of its major cities, such as Barcelona and Madrid, in addition to Burgos.

“There is an application process for students to go to Spain. In order to go, you have to have a record of good performance in the classroom, as well as a good record of behavior.” Students who participate in an exchange have a great opportunity to improve their language skills and increase their love of that culture, Mazzola said. “First of all, there’s a friendship between the students from both schools that develops, a life-long friendship.” “Lastly, by the time they leave, students often feel a connection or a sense of belonging to the city they were in for just three weeks,” said Mazzola. Students from this school will stay in Burgos from Friday, Feb. 5 to Friday, Feb. 26.

in brief

Board to discuss issues with new building

Laptops stolen this month

MARENA COLE Two laptops have been stolen this month, according to computer information specialist Phil Golando. The laptops, newly issued to teachers this year, were both stolen Friday, Oct. 9, Golando said. One was stolen from a locked ofﬁce and the other was stolen from an unlocked classroom. Police do not have any suspects at this time, he said. The City of Newton is self-insured, which means it does not insure any physical items with insurance companies, Golando said. Horace Mann Insurance, a company that will insure teacher laptops, offers discounted rates to Newton Public Schools employees, according to Timothy Cheek, the owner of the agency in Newton. The company currently insures over 300 Newton Public School employees, he said. BY

REBECCA HARRIS Transition to the new building will be a key topic of discussion for the Student Faculty Administration this year, principal Jennifer Price said. She cited two speciﬁc issues to address: issues with the new building’s wireless computer network and incentives for students to eat in the new building’s cafeteria. “We won’t have that level of space that we currently have on Main Street,” Price said. Additionally, the SFA plans to discuss ways to deal with overcrowding during third lunch, whether second-semester sophomores will have frees when their classes are canceled, how the board might redesign the block schedule so that A-block isn’t always ﬁrst in the day and student input on the library’s transition to the new building. The SFA elected history teacher Gregory Drake faculty cochair and senior Ezra Cohen student chair. BY

See Election Special — Pages 7-9

student or the high school.” At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, dean of admissions Stuart Schmill said that Facebook is something irrelevant to the admissions process. “We feel there is enough information in the application there that it is not a representative of who students really are,” he said. “We don’t want to bring that into the admissions process.” Wheaton is one example of a college that would take into account negative information if it happens to be found on the Internet, according to the college’s assistant director of admissions, David Ostman. Although the college does not actively scan Facebook, Ostman said, “If by chance we happen to randomly come across an applicant’s profile and see something inappropriate, we would certainly consider it further,” he said. Students should always be aware of what they put online, according to two schools. Salem State College’s assistant dean of admissions, Mary Dunn, said that she strongly advises students not to put anything online that can be viewed as negative. “I believe the social networking sites can affect a person’s opportunity, as anything written is open to the general public review and interpretation,” she said. Also, Robert McGann, the director of admissions at the University of New Hampshire, said that “the larger issue for students to be concerned about is being conscious about a student’s electronic image.” Still, the university does not check, he said. “That image can linger for years,” he said. “At UNH, we don’t search students on Facebook, but employers do and graduate schools do. The rule of thumb is ‘if you don’t want your grandparents seeing something, then don’t put it up on Facebook.’ “And even if you do delete something on the internet, it’s still there. Students need to be careful.” Facebook’s privacy settings allow users to dictate how open their profile is to the public by customizing who can view their profile as a whole, as well as specific content. “You choose what information you put in your profile, including contact and personal information, pictures, interests and groups you join,” according to the website’s privacy policy. Users can also block other users or specific e-mail addresses to prevent them from being able to access any of their content on the website. ◆ S EE EDITORIAL ON PAGE 2 AND RELATED STORIES ON PAGE 3.

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Exploring Interactive Whiteboards MAX FATHY Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) make students and teachers “ooh” and “ahh.” The fancy pens, wacky features and modernity of IWBs are certainly appealing. IWBs are shiny, new learning toys. What teacher or student wouldn’t want one?

guest column IWBs are part of a push towards more innovative teaching methods in Newton, according to instructional technology specialist Chris Murphy. Recently, different models of IWBs have been tested in classrooms to determine whether they should be used in the new school. According to principal Jennifer Price, one IWB will be placed in each of the new school’s 119 classrooms. IWBs are supposed to enhance learning by increasing student engagement. Teachers can post notes taken on IWBs online, manipulate text and graphics and involve students with clickers and tablets. “What we’re trying to do is get kids engaged,” said Murphy. “Once the ‘wow’ factor goes away, there are some really cool possibilities.” After talking to teachers who have used them and observing them as a student, I have come to the conclusion that this decision is premature. “If teachers use them right, they can be really good,” said Murphy. However, teachers struggle to use IWBs to their full potential. They are used as nothing other than projector screens or white boards. Before placing

one IWB in each classroom in the new school, teachers and students should learn how to maximize their benefits. The current situation, in which teachers learn by trial and error or ask Murphy or other teachers how to use their IWB, is insufficient. There should be a formal training workshop where teachers can learn how to use IWBs to their full potential. It appears IWBs are better used in some subjects than others. In my experience, IWBs are more effective in math and science classes than in history or English classes. While acknowledging the benefits of IWBs, science teacher Peter Hamel was “not crazy about the features.” History teacher Gregory Drake is correct when he says that, “It’s important to use the technology where it makes sense and not force IWBs into areas where they don’t make sense.” Some positive features of the IWBs are clear. They are a huge upgrade from the carts, which waste class time and give teachers massive headaches. With an IWB, “I spend less time messing with technology,” said history teacher Elizabeth Sharlack. The costs are substantial, but reasonable. Each IWB costs approximately $2,000. This seems like a lot, but each new cart would cost around $1,200. IWBs should be in many classrooms in the new building. But considering the serious fiscal problems of our city and state, the positives and negatives of IWBs need to be further explored before significant amounts of money are invested in this technology.

Just think about it... Go Vote

City ofﬁcials inﬂuence the lives of everyone in Newton. Decisions they make can affect many aspects of life, especially in the school system. If you’re 18, you can help decide who it is that has such

a big inﬂuence on your life. By voting , you can increase the chances that someone who shares your views will be elected into ofﬁce. Every vote makes a difference. Go vote and have a say in your government.

Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass. 02460. Production advisers — Sue Brooks Tom Donnellan Volunteer layout adviser — Rob Greenﬁeld News staff — Ilana Greenstein, Rebecca Harris, Stephen Michael, Rebecca Oran Features staff — Emmett Greenberg, Jacob Brunell Sports staff — Evan Clements, Nicole Curhan, Jeremy Gurvits, Elliot Raff Arts staff — Eliana Eskinazi, Kate Lewis, Fatema Zaidi News analysis staff — Kellynette Gomez Art staff — Julia Belamarich, Puloma Ghosh, Anna Kaertner, Maia Levoy, Stephen Lu, Maddie MacWilliams, Hannah Schon Photography staff — Helen Gao, Anna Gargas, Jaryd Justice-Moote, Edan Laniado, Jesse Tripathi Circulation staff — Spencer Alton, Alison Berkowitz, Stoddard Meigs, Omar Pinkhasov, Michela Salvucci, Stephanie Vitone Production staff — Graham Stanton The Newtonite staff does all the typesetting and scanning of photos, art and ads to bring 16 issues a year to camera readiness for a circulation of 2,500. 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.

Editors in chief — Eli Davidow, Matt Kalish, Ellen Sarkisian Managing editor — Prateek Allapur News editor — Marena Cole Sports editors — Meredith Abrams, Josh Bakan Arts editor — Alicia Zhao Features editors — Emily Amaro, Jay Krieger On campus editor — Olivia Stearns News analysis editor— Georgina Teasdale Photography editors — Shira Bleicher, Gaby Perez-Dietz, Teddy Wenneker Graphics managers — Max Fathy, Ben Hills Advertising managers — Chris Keefe, Jack McLaughlin Business manager — Chris Welch Circulation managers — Caleb Gannon, Dan Salvucci Exchanges editor — Peter TaberSimonian Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Just before Halloween

Shira Bleicher

In the garden: Leaves change and fall as mid-autumn arrives.

Be cautious with online proﬁles Be careful what you put online. No matter how careful you are with privacy settings or what name you use, you can never be sure who is looking at any information you have posted on the internet. Your friends can show something you put online to other people, or someone you’re communicating with online may not be who you think he is. Therefore, it’s safest to always assume that anyone can see anything you put online

editorial —pictures, messages, posts, anything. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Though it’s not a standard practice, colleges or employers could potentially search for you online, so it makes sense to make sure nothing they ﬁnd could be detrimental to your reputation. Even if they say they don’t regularly search applicants,, if something comes to a college’s attention, it can only

take one search to have a big inﬂuence on your future. Online safety extends to more than just protecting your personal information from people you don’t know. Even if you haven’t done anything inappropriate or potentially condemning, being associated with something your friends have done could be potentially harmful. You never know who may be looking you up online, so take steps to ensure that you aren’t affected by anything posted on the Internet.

Earliest memories of Halloween GEORGINA TEASDALE Every year on October 31, kids dressed in costumes go trick-ortreating. The Newtonite asked students and teachers what they dressed up as the ﬁrst year they remembered celebrating Halloween. BY

Teachers

Richard Berger, Spanish: “I think I dressed up as a hobo. I used some old work pants and an old work shirt of my father’s and an old pillow.” Stephen Feiss, math: “When I was really little, I was a pumpkin. I think it had originally been part of a stuffed animal, but my mom took it off and made it into a person costume.” Richard Jones, English: “One time that I remember is being the Lone Ranger. He was a huge ’50s and ’60s comic book series hero. He shot silver bullets and was a force for the good.” Susan Wilkins, history: “My sister and I got a big box and we cut arm holes and a head hole and painted it with Halloweenthemed pictures. “The problem was, I could not grab the candy and reach with one hand to put it in my trick-or-treat bag. I had to rely on the people to put it in my bag, and they never gave me as much as I would have taken. It was a disaster.”

Seniors

Will Batchelor: “I was a dalmatian. I remember during that Halloween when I went trickor-treating, there was a house at the end of the street with lights and the fog machine and music, and the woman was dressed as a witch. She scared me, and I ran away and didn’t take any candy.” Eliana Eskinazi: “I was a ninja turtle. My mom was going to sew

mass interview me an awesome costume, but I decided I wanted to do it myself. I made this hideous ninja turtle thing, and everyone asked me what I was, even though I thought it was totally obvious.” Jeff Leong: “I was a ninja. It was the only time I dressed up for Halloween because my parents threw away all my candy.” Grace Walter: “My mom made me a Lamb Chop puppet costume when I was like two, and she stayed up all night and then I wouldn’t wear it.”

Juniors

Will Harney: “One time I was going to be a ghost, but the eyeholes irritated my eyes so I took it off, and since I was wearing all black underneath, I was a ninja instead.” Rosie McInnes: “My favorite costume was when I was a crossing guard. It was the first one I thought of myself. I was in first grade. I had a stop sign I made and a reflective vest. It was great.” Marissa Troy: “I was Belle from ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ I went with my twin sister who was the same thing. People were confused, because they thought we were the same person.” Yangjun Wu: “It was last year. It was the first time I had Halloween because there’s no such holiday in China. I dressed up as Spiderella—it came from a movie. It had a huge collar and the dress was the web of the spider. It was pretty fun because I saw lots of costumes.”

Sophomores

Amanda Derby: “I was the Little Mermaid. I really liked the movie. I think I was three, and it

was really cold.” Juliana Farina: “I was a crocodile. My mom made the whole outﬁt. It took her a couple of days. I was four years old.” Paige Grody: “I was the pink Power Ranger. I fought tooth and nail to get it from my older sister, and even though it didn’t ﬁt, I kept it in my room for years so that my little sister couldn’t have it.” Andrew Redmond: “I was a skeleton. My mom took a black sheet and covered it in bone, just pieces of paper. I was four years old.”

Freshmen

Ari Appel: “I was a green pea. My parents decided for me. I think my grandmother made it.” Jenny Casey: “I was a Christmas present, and I remember every time I fell over I couldn’t get back up and I’d have to ask for help to get up.” Jake Torres: “I was a pumpkin. I got my costume because I was obsessed with pumpkins when I was a child. My sleeves were orange, and I was all orange.” Felix Xu: “I was a dog, because it was the cheapest suit my mom could ﬁnd. I was ﬁve. It wasn’t very realistic.”

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, Oct. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

Seniors discuss Facebook names

OLIVIA STEARNS In a survey distributed on Tuesday, Oct. 20, seniors answered questions about changing their Facebook names. First, they were asked if they had changed their name in the past three months. Out of 126 seniors surveyed, 25 said they have changed their Facebook names in the past three months. One student said, “My name was changed to a nickname, and I like my new name—it suits me, and colleges can’t identify me.” Seniors also commented about whether there is anything on their Facebooks that they want hidden. “There is nothing illegal on my page, but there is language,” one student said. “I don’t want colleges looking at my conversations. I use a lot of swears and bad language that I don’t want people to see.” Another said, “There are ugly pictures of me on Facebook that I don’t want people to see.” A senior also explained that, “I don’t want people to see my e-mail or cell phone number ,because I have had friends who have been stalked by strangers by getting their information off of Facebook.” Additionally, students were asked why they think other students are doing it. One senior said, “At first, the original kids changed their BY

names to hide their accounts, but then the second wave of kids did it to follow a trend.” Another senior said, “Some people think it’s funny to put inside jokes and ridiculous names as their name. “I think that they’re doing it because they think it’s funny or are just doing it because their friends are,” said another. One student thought, “They change their names so teachers and school authorities can’t find them or figure out exactly who they are.” Lastly, seniors also expressed their opinions about the name changes. “It is really annoying when people change their names because you then can’t figure out who they are,” someone else said. “It just creates a lot of confusion,” someone said. Someone else said, “They don’t want colleges to see pictures of them doing illegal or bad things. I don’t see the point of people putting those pictures up in the first place.” “My opinion is that it is pointless and annoying when you actually have to send someone a message and you don’t recognize them,” another student said. Commenting on changing names to prevent being searched by colleges, one student said, “I don’t think that colleges look at Facebooks. They don’t have time for that.”

Finding your friends online isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Maddie MacWilliams

Counselors weigh in on effects of social networking

Tips, advice on how to be cautious with online resources MARENA COLE Counselors commented on how online proﬁles and social networking can affect students, especially in the college admissions and job search processes. Counseling department head Beth Swederskas said she spoke to a college admissions ofﬁcer who looked up a student’s Facebook page and saw pictures of the student using drugs and alchohol. “ That student was deNewtonian nied admission Beth into that colSwederskas lege,” she said. “College admissions and job placement is extremely competitive so anything that could result in a negative impression should be avoided.” Jerry Etienne said students should watch what information they put online, in case it ends up in the wrong hands. “Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and any other social networking sites can be a great resource to access, but can also be very dangerous if interpreted a certain way. BY

Subscribe to the Newtonite! Call Caleb Gannon and Dan Salvucci at 617-559-6274

symposium “At all of our senior seminars, the guidance department has made it a point to discuss being mindful of things posted online. As far as tips go, always make sure you do not post any personal information online—i.e., social security number, address, phone number—and make your proﬁle private to others or block off anything you do not want others to have access to. “I advise my students that if they are doing something that they would be ashamed of later on in life or something that would shame their family name or misrepresent them in any way, to say no or simply stay away.” Matthew Fo r d s a i d counselors Newtonian try to address Matthew benefits and Ford issues with social networking as early as freshman seminars. “I think that communicating online has become so second nature to students that it’s too easy to lose the perspective that once

it’s out there, you can’t always take it back,” Ford said. “There can be a disconnect between what one might express online and what one would be willing to express in person, or at least verbally.” Michele K e n n e d y said students should be careful what they put online, in case they ’re searched. “ Yo u c a n Newtonian network on Michele Facebook and post things that Kennedy w o n’ t h a r m you,” she said. “You just need to think first before you post. “It’s also important to give others feedback if they post pictures of you that are not appropriate. Ask your friends to take things down that you know shouldn’t be posted.” Tom Sheehan said online profiles have the potential to directly influence students when they’re looking for jobs. “There’s one particular case I know from a relative of mine,” he said. “A young woman graduated from college and was applying for a job. The employer was going to

hire this girl, but checked Facebook and found pictures of her drinking and partying—what you could call risky behavior. “They questioned her about it an d didn’t like her responses, and they decided Newtonian not to hire her. Tom “I tell all my students: don’t Sheehan do anything or say anything online that you wouldn’t want everybody to know.” Amanda Tsetsi said students should be mindful about what they post now, because it will be just as important to be careful when they are working in a profesNewtonian sional environment. Amanda “In terms of Tsetsi the professional world, people are pretty careful about what they put online,” she said. “Maybe your boss isn’t looking at your Facebook, but other

people you work with or clients can see what you’re doing. “It’s important to be wise and responsible about what you’re putting up. It can feel like a safe place to express yourself, but that isn’t always the case.” Darby Verre said students should be mindful about privacy settings to ensure that they are safe online. “I don’t think it makes sense to take chances on this,” she said. “Students—or adults—should not be putting obvious identifying info on these sites— birthdays, addresses, even school affiliNewtonian Darby Verre ations can be a problem if a stalking situation or identity theft starts. “In my senior seminars this September, I cited an example of a young woman’s story mentioned in the Globe in which she was ﬁred from a job because she wrote offensively about her boss, forgetting that she had friended him. “He promptly fired her—on her Facebook page.”

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4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

WANTED:

Lifeguards and Swim Instructors

Friday, Oct.30, 2009

Newton’s Very Own Community Service Organization For High School Students

What We Do -Help out at fun events around the Boston area The West Suburban YMCA is looking for part-time lifeguards and swim instructors. You must be 16 years old and have the current certiﬁcations to lifeguard. Work out in our Youth Fitness Center with your free membership when you work 8 hours or more a week. Please contact Amanda Pierce at 617-244-6050, ext. 3127 if you are interested in this great opportunity.

��

Endorsed by the N TAB

Lisa and Matt Hills and their four children

“As a parent of four children in our public schools, I am deeply committed to maintaining excellence throughout our system. I have the experience and perspective needed on the School Committee to successfully meet our academic, management and ﬁnancial challenges. I ask for your vote on Nov. 3.” —Matt Hills COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT � Ward School PTO Treasurer � Vice Chair, Blue Ribbon Commission

CAREER EXPERIENCE �� Partner, private equity/venture capital ﬁrm

When We Do It -All year, mostly on Saturday & Sunday Mornings -You choose what events you sign up for How You Can Join & Help -Register online at www.newtonasc.org -Tell a friend, and come to events together! Questions? -Contact Maicen Young, Sammy Alpert, or Lucy Abbot

arts

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Seven ensembles to present Harvestfest ALICIA ZHAO In two back-to-back concerts, Harvestfest will feature seven musical groups, fine and performing arts department head Todd Young said. Concert Choir, Family Singers, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will perform in Harvestfest I Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in Lasker Auditorium. Under the direction of music teacher Richard Travers, Concert Choir and Family Singers will present seven pieces. First on the Concert Choir repertoire is “Down by the Sally Gardens,” written by William Butler Yeats and arranged by David Lantz III. An old Irish hymn, “the song talks about a young man taking the time to smell the roses because he has been busy all his life,” Travers said. “Spark of Creation” by Stephen Schwartz is a catchy, poprock tune that embraces the beginning of life and how exciting it is, Travers said. Family Singers will perform a spiritual called “My Good Lord’s Done Been Here” by Andre J. Thomas. Following is “Lux Aurumque” by Eric Whitacre, a contemporary piece celebrating the birth of a baby. “Tortoise and the Hare” by Darmon Meader “tells the classic story of the tortoise and the hare only done to a more modern, faster tempo,” Travers said. Finally, the choruses will end their acts with a combined performance of “Introit Kyrie” from Mozart’s “Requiem.” They will deliver the full version with the Orchestra Sunday, March 28 at the Presbyterian Church in Newton Corner. Young will conduct Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. The Symphonic Band pieces include “A Classic Overture” by James Swearingen and “Anthem for Winds and Percussion” by Claude BY

Teddy Wenneker

Wind Ensemble: Sophomore Clare Doolin, a ﬂutist, rehearses her pieces for Harvestfest.

Percussion: Senior Mike Kenslea, a percussionist, practices for Harvestfest.

T. Smith. “‘A Classic Overture’ is a nice piece to start the year with because it features all sections of the band and gives everyone the opportunity to be at the forefront,” Young said. “It has a lot of starting and stopping, and jumping back and forth.” “Anthem for Winds and Percussion” is a fairly difﬁcult piece with complex rhythms and textures, Young said. On the Wind Ensemble program are “Cenotaph” by Jack Stamp, “Divinum Mysterium” by James Swearingen and “The Rakes of Mallow” by Leroy Anderson. “I picked these pieces because they are contrasting in

Orchestra, with direction from music teacher Adam Grossman, will present three pieces. Beethoven’s “The Creatures of Prometheus” is an early ballet, Grossman said. “It has a slow, solemn introduction but it becomes fast and rather silly for Beethoven pieces,” he said. William Boyce’s “Symphony II” is a strings-only piece from the Baroque period. The last work, Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermais,” is a comic operetta, according to Grossman. “It’s about a masked ball, and it’s full of famous waltz tunes,” he said. On the program for Tiger BeBop are “In the Morning” by

nature,” Young said. “While ‘Cenotaph’ is big, loud, brassy and fun, ‘Divinum Mysterium’ is all about the sound and texture we can explore musically. It’s slower and more lyrical.” Meanwhile, “The Rakes of Mallow” is a “real barn burner” of a tune that gets faster and faster as the piece continues, Young said. Harvestfest II will be the following evening Thursday, Nov.19 at 7 in Lasker Auditorium, with Jubilee Singers, Orchestra and Tiger BeBop performing. Music teacher Sheldon Reid will conduct the Jubilee Singers. He has not yet determined their program, Reid said.

Norah Jones and “Cloud Burst” by John Hendricks, Leroy Kirkland and James Richard Harris. According to Travers, who will be conducting the group, “In the Morning” has a “country rock feel,” with junior Kelly McIntyre and sophomore Ellie Abbott soloing. Meanwhile “Cloud Burst” has a fast tempo. Accompanying in both pieces will be senior Paul Batchelor on bass, senior Dan Friedman on the drums, senior Nikolai Klebanov at the piano and junior Alex Petitti on the guitar. Tickets are $5 at the door, and they are free for children under 12 and senior citizens.

Singer-Songwriter Symposium to be December 3 Interested students should submit a demo of their music to participate in the event

ALICIA ZHAO Students will have an “amazing” opportunity to work on the craft of songwriting in a SingerSongwriter Symposium with special guest Catie Curtis Thursday, Dec. 3, ﬁne and performing arts department head Todd Young said. “It will be a day-long event with master classes on all aspects of songwriting,” Young said. “Students will work on the craft of songwriting, arranging and stage performance techniques, during which Catie will give suggestions and perform with the students. “It’s an opportunity to learn about and have a venue to work on this craft which, up until now, has been reserved for only students in our music classes.” A current resident of Newton, Curtis has released 10 CDs over the past 15 years, with songs appearing on television shows such as “Alias,” “Dawson’s Creek” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She was BY

dubbed “Folk-rock goddess” by the “New Yorker” and she has won the Grand Prize in the International Songwriting Competition and a Boston Music Award for Indie Song of the Year. The symposium will also feature Kevin Barry, a guitarist who was a band member with Paula Cole and Mary Chapin Carpenter. He is also on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music. “We will try to give as many students this opportunity as possible,” said Young, who will judge the entries with Curtis. “But it’s also really important the students are ready to perform music live on stage. They have to be prepared for the work.” This symposium is a good way to engage a different population of students, Young said. So far, he has received a number of entries from students who are not a part of this school’s music ensembles. From this experience, Young

hopes for students to “gain an increased sense of confidence and sense of excitement for song writing,” he said. “Songwriting is such a special thing because you take a piece of art—your song—and you put it out there for the world to hear. It’s a phenomenal thing, the risk that goes into creating the song and then delivering it yourself.” In order to participate, interested students should burn a demo of one or more original tunes on a compact disc in mp3 format, include their names and contact information and submit it to Young by Tuesday, Nov. 10. Young encourages all interested students to submit their music. Young will announce the accepted participants Monday, Nov. 16, and these students will spend the school day on Thursday, Dec. 3 attending the workshops. The day will culminate with a concert featuring the students and Curtis and Barry.

catiecurtis.com

Singer-Songwriter Symposium: Musician Catie Curtis will work with students in a day of song writing workshops.

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arts

6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Gaby Perez-Dietz

courtesy Micah Dornfeld

Massachusetts High Schools Photography Exhibit: A visitor views photos by Newton North students at the Massachusetts State Transportation Building in Boston. Including senior Micah Dornﬁeld’s “Purgatory,” the exhibit will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. until Friday, Nov. 27.

Photography exhibit an enjoyable display 15 students from this school showcase insightful, creative works FATEMA ZAIDI Creative and insightful pieces at the Massachusetts High Schools Photography Exhibit made for an enjoyable display. Fifteen students from this school now have artwork on display at the exhibit. The exhibit is on the second ﬂoor of the Massachusetts State Transportation Building in Boston Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will be open until Friday, Nov. 27. Among the photographs by students from this school, senior Melissa Lozada-Oliva’s photograph “Mass Pike at 400” depicts an accident on the Mass Pike on a rainy day. An ambulance and police car surround the car—the victim of the accident. The entire photograph is black and white except for the police car’s lights, allowing the viewer to focus on the lights. Raindrops BY

review on the lens also add texture to the picture and bring out the bright colors. Such a depiction represents the role of a police ofﬁcer in an accident because sometimes it is hard to appreciate their occupation, which is an essential one. Another interesting piece is Jessica Pincus’ “Anorexia,” which portrays a man’s leg. On the leg is the inscription “Secret #343 I will never be skinny enough” written in ink. The background is black, but the silver bracelet that the man is wearing contrasts with the rest of the photograph. The intricate bracelet stands out as well as the dark ink on the leg. At first glance, it is easy to mistake the leg for an extremely skinny chest, and one must look

at it several times to realize what it actually is. This shows how the subject feels that even having a waist as narrow as his or her knee will not be skinny enough. The entire photograph rings the word anorexia in the viewer’s mind, making the viewer ponder when walking away. Senior Eddie Pang’s “Second Chance” tells a story with a series of ﬁve pictures. The ﬁrst photograph simply shows the hands of a person holding a Heineken bottle and a small bottle of pills. Handcuffed hands are in the second photograph of the series. The locked up hands are the main focus of the photograph. The background is gray and portrays the dark connotation of handcuffs. The third picture shows a handcuffed person writing an apology in a notebook, and the fourth has the hands held out

with the handcuffs breaking loose. The individual in the handcuffs is starting to break away. The fifth and final photograph depicts the previously handcuffed hands holding a flower. The flower is white and contrasts with the gray tones. The flower symbolizes peace, freedom and possibly atonement. The entire series sends a message to high school students who are peer pressured into regrettable situations and later try to forgive themselves—that is, there is always a second chance to correct their mistakes. The photographs provoke insightful thoughts regarding criminals and illegal substances. A photograph utilizing exposure, senior Micah Dornfeld’s “Purgatory” portrays a fractured skull. It looks as though someone tried to fix the fractures with gauze. There are two views

of the skull, one from the front and the other from the side. The proﬁle is fainter and overlaps the front view, appearing almost like a ghost. The white skulls contrast with the black background, adding to the sinister atmosphere of the photograph. Junior Lucy Mazur-Warren’s piece, “Untitled,” portrays a clear sky with a structure of apartment buildings below. The photograph catches the viewer’s eye because of its geometry—the apartment buildings are square and the windows are rectangles, accompanied by horizontal and vertical lines throughout the photograph. These are simple shapes that viewers can ﬁnd in their own daily lives in the city. Provocative and spectacular, the exhibit clearly showed the students’ hard work and talent.

Seniors co-direct comedy

‘Twentieth Century’ to go on stage in Lasker ALICIA ZHAO Grand, over-the-top and fastpaced, “Twentieth Century” will be a blast, said senior Ingrid Rudie, a director with senior Julia Mandel-Folly. “Just from reading the play, I knew that I’d have fun directing, designing and watching the s h o w, ” s h e said. “I think Newtonian I would enjoy Julia playing any o n e o f t h e Mandel-Folly characters.” With Mandel-Folly and Rudie directing, the play will take the stage in Lasker Auditorium Thursday, Nov. 12 through Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. The whole story takes place on a train called “Twentieth Century” running from Chicago to New York, Mandel-Folly said. One of the passengers on this train is Oscar Jaffe, a theater producer in ﬁnancial ruin. Before the train reaches New York, Oscar plans to convince his former ingénue and lover Lily Garland to take part in his newest play. “He knows that if Lily stars in his show, it is guaranteed that he BY

Gaby Perez-Dietz

Warming up: Seniors Katy Lasell, Rocco Donohue and Laura Swager play acting games for “Twentieth Century,” which will go on stage Thursday, Nov. 12 through Saturday, Nov. 14.

will make money,” Mandel-Folly said. The catch is that Oscar doesn’t have a play to produce, and complications arise as he tries to ﬁnd a play and money to fund it. Oscar, whom senior Jordan Ascher will play, is a man with big dreams, Mandel-Folly said. “He has a loose grip on reality and thinks very highly of himself,” she said. “He thinks that his ideas are the only way to go.” He and Lily are both used to being in control and telling people what to do, Mandel-Folly said. “Each is the only person whom the other cannot control, so that creates an interesting dynamic,” she said. Junior Nuala O’Donovan will play Lily. Rudie described Lily as a “total drama queen who is really obsessed with herself.” “It seems Newtonian like she is alIngrid ways acting to Rudie get what she wants,” Rudie said. Mandel-Folly said that all of the characters have exuberant

personalities and contribute to the ending. “We knew from the beginning that we wanted a comedy with big characters,” she said. “‘Twentieth Century’ was the ﬁrst play we read, but we kept coming back to it.” Aside from comedic elements, the main themes in the play are “the mishandling of money, honesty and not thinking anything through,” Rudie said. The set, by junior Kevin Zabrecky, is a highlight of the show, Rudie said. It will consist of three cars of the train, but it will only display two cars at a time. ‘“The whole set can move back and forth,” Rudie said. “It’s very sleek and exciting, and it’s one of the coolest things about the play.” Costumes by junior Aviva Galpert will be true to the time period, according to Rudie. “The people are all really wealthy, so all of the characters will wear fancy 1930s clothes,” she said. “The costumes also have rich, vibrant colors to reﬂect the personalities of the characters.” Tickets are $7 and they are on sale now at www.theatreink. net and during lunches in front of the little theatre.

elections

Friday, Oct, 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

ELECTION SPECIAL Mayoral candidates

Ruth Balser

Why are you running for mayor?

Balser: I am running for mayor because we need new strong leadership in our city. We need someone who has the experience and the vision to move our city towards a brighter future. I have been very successful as a manager in the health care industry, and as an alderman and a state representative. I am prepared to modernize our budget process, ensure ﬁscal stability, restore conﬁdence and bring our community together again. I love our city; I know it can and should be a special place. I can provide the leadership the city needs. Warren: Newton is a wonderful city. I have been fortunate enough to have been born and raised in Newton and to have attended Newton North High School. Newton is a city that I truly care about, and I believe that it is in need of new leadership.

What are your top priorities for the City of Newton? Balser: My top priorities are: implementing a performance management system so that our government runs more effectively and efﬁciently, making City Hall more responsive to citizen concerns, ensuring a world-class system of education for our children, making our city more energy efﬁcient, protecting our natural environment and ensuring that Newton is a livable city in which to grow old. In short, I want Newton to be a great place to live, raise a family and grow old.

Prateek Allapur

Warren: My number one priority is to get the city’s ﬁnancial house in order. I need to make sure that tax money is being spent wisely and efﬁciently, and that the services which Newton provides are meeting the citizens’ standards. I want to make sure that I hear the needs of the people of Newton and address them properly. The schools are the bedrock of our city and I will make sure that they are the best that they can be. Our schools are why our property values are what they are, and they are often the reason people move here.

How would you improve the Newton Schools overall? Balser: I want to support a 21st century educational model which must be ﬂexible and dynamic to accommodate new skill and knowledge requirements of an ever-changing, global economy. It must emphasize a more personalized approach to learning through collaborative teaching models in the early grades and distance learning opportunities in later grades through greater use of online, web-based course offerings. Small classes are essential, particularly for the youngest children. We must attract and retain knowledgeable teachers who know how to inspire and engage students and must include strong participation of parents in their child’s learning. I want to partner with the business and college community to develop a STEM center, so that education in science, technology, engineering and math are improved. I want to partner with the

Setti Warren local colleges, so that they will welcome high school students into college courses, to compensate for the loss of electives. I want to make sure that present and future generations of Newton’s children receive a world-class education. Warren: What happens in the classroom is the most important part of education. We need to ﬁnd and keep the most qualiﬁed teachers, and make sure that students of every level are getting properly challenged, be it those in honors classes or special education, and everyone in between. We need to make sure that we are spending money in the most cost-effective way possible to maintain and better the high quality of education in this city. We also must make sure all of the buildings are conducive to the students’ needs. It’s also important that we continue to build on our partnerships with places such as Boston College, which will allow even more opportunities for our students.

What would you do as mayor concerning the new Newton North? Balser: As Mayor, it will be my job to make sure that the completion of the Newton North project is done on budget and on time. It will be my job to make sure that we maintain the building, so that we don’t make the same mistakes we have made in the past by neglecting infrastructure maintenance, leading to more costly demands down the road. Warren: It will be my responsibility to

Prateek Allapur

ensure that the new Newton North opens in a timely fashion and is cost-effective. It is essential that the city make use of this facility and that it is not just used for school. It will have a multitude of available resources that not just students, but the entire community can make use of.

Why should 18-year-old students vote for you over your opponent? Balser: I encourage 18-year-olds, and all voters, to recognize that we need a new mayor who has the experience and the vision to do the job. Newton is at a critical juncture in its history, and we need someone to hit the ground running on day one, to take on the difﬁcult challenges that we face. For 20 years, I have been working effectively and creatively with the people of Newton to solve our problems. Additionally, I draw on my successes as a manager in the private sector. I bring a track record of success implementing new ideas and bringing about responsible change. We need leadership that we can count on. Warren: This election is about the future and about who has a wide experience in government. I have been a part of all levels of government, from the Clinton administration to the New England Regional Ofﬁce of FEMA and as a founding member of Newton’s Community Preservation Committee. We need someone who has managed public employees and public dollars before. I have a vision for the future and I will make this city run to its full potential.

Newton A guide to voting in Newton Elections See map of wards page 8

Welcome to the Election Special of the Newtonite! Inside this special you will ﬁnd all the information you will need to be informed for the Newton general election Tuesday, Nov. 3. There are some rules regarding for whom you can vote, but overall it’s a simple process and an easy way to exercise your civic duty.

Two candidates are running for the position of mayor. All residents can vote in the mayoral election. There are 12 School Committee candidates in six contested races. The candidates are divided into six wards with two candidates running against each other in each. All residents can vote in all races.

For the Alderman at-Large race, there are nine candidates from three different wards. All residents in Newton can vote for the position of Alderman-atLarge. You can also vote for two candidates in each ward. There are two contested races for Ward Alderman. Two candidates from each ward are running against each other.

School Committee

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Margaret Albright PRATEEK ALLAPUR As a grant writer and planning consultant, Margaret Albright, Ward 2 School Committee candidate, has spent a great deal of her professional life working in the ﬁeld of education. Albright said she is a strong supporter of public service, having been a volunteer in Newton Public Schools and havﬁle photo ing served on the Horace Margaret Mann School Council Albright and the social studies curriculum review committee. Albright said she believes in investing in teacher training, technology and classBY

room materials to ensure that teachers have all the tools they need to do their jobs. “I would like to see our high schools start to offer virtual learning and online courses,” she said. “Rather than trying new and innovative things or launching new programs and pilots, we apply band-aids when problems crop up,” Albright said. She said that Newton has cut, trimmed and added fees to balance an annual budget without considering the long-term outcomes of these actions. “I want to see more systematic curriculum review, and I think we need to reexamine our math curriculum in elementary and middle school, as I don’t think it is serving us well,” Albright said.

Dan Proskauer BY JAY KRIEGER Dan Proskauer is running as a new candidate with the hopes of becoming an effective member of the School Committee. “I offer vision, leadership and action, which are things that have been missing from the School Committee for some time,” Proskauer said. ﬁle photo He said he plans to Dan address some of the Proskauer main problems in Newton education if elected. “The biggest problem we have with schools in Newton is the imbalance in our

BY ILANA

GREENSTEIN Sue Rosenbaum, a Ward 5 candidate, said she is running for the position so that she can give back to the community. Rosenbaum said she has always been involved with the schools and has done a lot involving education and the city. She has two children who graduated from the Newton Public Schools, and said she credits the Newton schools with the fact that they are doing well in college, took on leadership roles, and did community service. Rosenbaum said the main problem with Newton education is that “it is impossible to teach the same way to every student, and it’s really a difficult job for our teachers to find out how to teach effectively with large classes.” Another issue is that there is too much stress at the high schools and too much negative competition, Rosenbaum said. “We have to find a way to make our schools competitive and also have some stress relievers,” she said. Rosenbaum said the Newton community needs to find a way to bring in new revenue to keep up the great programs it has. file photo She said of her opSue ponent, Steve Siegel, Rosenbaum “I think he wants to measure everything, but I don’t think everything can be measured. “We both want to fix the schools, especially the elementary schools which are in disrepair. Having kids in elementry school gives me a greater idea of what we need,” Rosenbaum said.

Reenie Murphy

BY MATT KALISH Making sure projects are seen through to their completion is a goal of North parent Reenie Murphy, running for her fourth and final term on School Committee. “I’ve been working on a number of different issues while on the Committee, and I’d hate to not be able to finish them,” Murphy said. Murphy is co-chairing the committee in charge of finding a new superintendent for Newton Public Schools, which she says is “the most important job of the School Committee.” “I think the main issue with education in the Newton Public Schools is the education model we are using,” she said. “We need to find a way to keep delivering quality educational services under

Ward 4

cost structure that requires a 6 percent budget increase every year to keep service levels the same. “Since city revenues grow at approximately a 3.5 percent per year, that means unless there are cuts elsewhere in the city to fund the larger increase to the school budget, we end up cutting teachers and educational programs,” he said. Proskauer said cutting teachers and programs is affecting the quality of the education for our students. “Consensus is very important and working together as a team collaboratively is equally important. However, the fact that in 2006-2007, 96 percent of all School Committee votes were unanimous—debate and discussion were stiﬂed and the School Committee shares the blame for that.”

Ward 5

Sue Rosenbaum

Ward 2

Steve Siegel

BY ILANA GREENSTEIN Steve Siegel, a Ward 5 candidate, said he is determined to raise the Newton Public Schools’ reputation. “I think we had a reputation a generation ago as being among the best school systems in the nation, and we don’t right now,” he said. “I’m interested in returning us to that level.” Siegel said the Newton schools have many high-achieving children, supported by an engaged parent population and good teachers. He said the biggest change to help the Newton schools would be “to be more analytical and quantitative than we have in the past to sort out educational initiatives in the future.” Siegel is interested in working on the math and science curricula in elementary schools. He said he wants to “ﬁnd ways to encourage our students to participate in the sciences to a greater level, consistent with national targets.” Recently, Siegel was a founder and co-chair of Newton 20/20: Vision for Effective Government. The organization is focused on researching and introducing Newton to the best practices in school and city operaﬁle photo tions. Steve Siegel is active in Siegel the Zervas Elementary School PTO. “We must strive for continuous improvement in the Newton schools,” he said. “We must not rely on hunches and suppositions. “My approach is that no assumption should go untested, and we should use good data to guide our decision making.”

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

the difficult financial situation we are in today.” Murphy said that “education is the most important thing anyone can give a child besides love.” “I believe that my experience in the School Committee along with being a Newton North file photo parent makes me qualiReenie fied for the job,” she Murphy said. “We have differences on how we perceive the quality of current education services,” Murphy said.

Jonathan Yeo

BY JAY KRIEGER Jonathan Yeo is running for re-election after being on the School Committee for four years. “As a parent, taxpayer, and community activist for 13 years, I am passionate about and committed to excellence in Newton Public Schools,” Yeo said. Yeo is running for the Newton School Commitﬁle photo tee because “I feel that Jonathan my experience, skills Yeo and energy can help build a stronger school system with classroom excellence for all and a physically sustainable future,” he said.

“I strongly support public schools of Newton Public Schools that provide a dynamic education system from kindergarten through high school that fits the individual needs of students and prepares them,” Yeo said. Funding has been extremely tight at city and state levels, Yeo said. “School systems need to find innovative new ways to maintain the strengths of schools and make continuous improvements while working under tight financial constraints.” Jonathan Yeo has over 13 years of experience in Newton Public Schools, including serving as a PTO co-president for two years and city-wide PTO council co- president for a year.

Wards of Newton Ward 4

Ward Ward 3 2 Ward 5

Ward 1

Ward 6

Ward 7

Ward 8

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Olivia Mathews ELLEN SARKISIAN Olivia Mathews said as a member of the School Committee, she would like to see “clearer goals” for the Newton Public Schools. “I’d like to see the new superintendent unify the district around clear goals,” she said. Among Mathews’ goals are the implementation of full-day kindergartens, which she said ﬁle photo 75 percent of MassachuOlivia setts already has. Mathews According to Mathews, it has been shown that longer instruction time results in better performance in the ﬁrst and second grades. “It saves the district money, because less money has to be spent on academic BY

School Committee Ward 6

support,” she said. She said she also feels strongly about keeping class sizes small, particularly in kindergarten and the ﬁrst grade. Also, Mathews said she believes the elementary math curriculum should be “examined carefully” because many topics are not covered in depth. “I will make sure we focus on the most important goal of the district—maximizing student learning,” she said. “It means improving teacher recruitment, professional development and retention. “Also, it means keeping class size from continuing to grow.” Mathews also said that “every decision and expenditure needs to be examined in terms of the impact on student learning.” She noted her experience as an assistant principal, elementary school teacher and literacy program director.

MATT KALISH Focusing on hiring a great superintendent will be one of Sue Flicop’s main goals if elected to the School Committee as a representative of Ward 7. “Hiring the best superintendent of Newton will have huge long term implications on not only Newton North, but on the general education in ﬁle photo Newton,” Flicop said. Sue Flicop “We need to make sure that the city is led by someone qualiﬁed and someone who focuses on maintaining the high quality of our school system. BY

“It’s also important to remember that it ultimately comes down to the classroom— that’s where the teaching takes place.” Flicop’s other main goals would be instituting a long-range financial plan and improving communication between the School Committee, the school administration and the Newton community, she said. Flicop said that her main strength is understanding how to develop policies and how they will play out in the classroom. “I’ve had a lot of experience in observing how the School Committee works, along with doing a lot of volunteering in the classroom, so I will be able to use the knowledge in understanding how it will play out in the School Committee,” she said.

Margie Ross Decter PRATEEK ALLAPUR

Claire Sokoloff

ELLEN SARKISIAN Claire Sokoloff said she is seeking reelection to continue working on innovative programs to enrich learning and achieve ﬁscal sustainability. Sokoloff, who was a leader in developing the new Strategic Plan, said she would like to use her experience, enthusiasm and leadership skills to help bring all the new ﬁle photo School Committee memClaire bers up to speed. Sokoloff The Strategic Plan aims to add critical and creative thinking skills to core knowledge and adds “innovations in teaching, including more collaboration among teachers and more differentiated instruction,” she said. BY

Ward 7

Sue Flicop

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9

Margie Ross Decter, a strong proponent of enabling every child to meet his or her full potential, is running for School Committee Nov. 3. Ross Decter served in the White House while trying to enact national ﬁle photo Margie Ross health care reform in the early 1990s. Decter “I will bring 20 years of organizational and board leadership, and public policy experience to help develop innovative solutions to the problems that our schools face,” she said. Ross Decter said that she is running for School Committee because she is committed to ensuring that Newton delivers on

its promise of educational excellence and achieves financial sustainability. “I have helped countless health care and education organizations to deliver results by finding more effective ways of improving services within shrinking budgets, and I can help the Newton Public Schools,” she said. Ross Decter said she believes every child should be challenged in school to reach his or her full potential. “We need to foster an environment of continuous improvement,” she said. According to Ross Decter, Newton’s teaching model needs greater flexibility to ensure children are engaged and challenged to their best ability. “I will reach out to every corner of our community to help build momentum to support the changes needed to improve the quality of our children’s education,” she said.

Matt Hills

MATT KALISH Creating a wide array of academic offerings is a major goal for School Committee candidate Matt Hills. “I can make a significant difference, given the problems we face,” Hills said. “We have a wonderful school system that is currently under severe financial pressure,” he said. “With my experience in the field of business and finance, along with my work with non-profits as well as corporations, file photo I believe that I can help turn this around.” Matt Hills Hills said that experience is the key to getting the Newton BY

Ward 8

“We have brought innovative technology into the classroom and are forging a new partnership with Boston College,” she said. She said they are also “working to achieve energy efﬁciencies and improve our food service program.” She has been the PTO president at Bowen Elementary and Oak Hill Middle Schools and a chair of the Newton South School Council. “I have children who have been through elementary, middle and high school in the Newton Public Schools, and I have been in a leadership role at all three levels, so I am a good advocate for all students,” she said. “Also, I understand how to make tough trade- offs at budget time.” She is currently vice-chair of the School Committee and co-chair of the Superintendent Search Committee.

school system back to where it should be. “The key to any organization, be it a school or non-profit, is figuring out how to lower costs while improving the outcome, in this case, that product is education,” he said. “We have to take control of our own destiny. If all we do is cut and reduce the breadth of all we have to offer in our school, how is that helping anyone?” Hills said that his experience in the professional world of finance will allow him to handle the money shortage the best way possible. “There have been school systems that have been met with these same problems and succeeded, so I am confident that Newton can do the same,” he said.

Tom Mountain

PRATEEK ALLAPUR As a long-term columnist for the Newton Tab, Tom Mountain has been a critic of politicians, especially those on the School Committee, he said. The target of much of his criticism has been the Newton schools but especially the school administration and School Committee, Mountain said. He said he was often taunted with statements ﬁle photo such as, “Tom, if you’re Tom such a critic, why don’t you run for the School Mountain Committee?” “Well, in answer to all my critics, I am running now,” Mountain said. According to Mountain, the school department has “enriched its cronies with huge salaries BY

while letting the teachers squander for the leftover pennies.” “We now have 65 administrators who make over $100,000 a year and the school budget has doubled in 10 years from $80 million to around $160 million, despite the fact that student enrollment has hardly changed,” he said. Mountain said he believes Newton’s school buildings are falling apart. “I’m very concerned with the ﬁscal issues, but my main priority is the topic that everyone in the school department and on the School Committee wants to avoid—the curriculum,” he said. Mountain said he believes that Newton Public Schools’ curriculum is focused on anti-racist multicultural education. “It teaches that our American culture, heritage and traditions are bad. If I’m elected to the School Committee, it will end,” he said.

Aldermen running for election Ward 1

Alderman at-Large: Allan Ciccone Carleton Merrill Guive Mirfenderski

Vote Nov. 3!

Ward 5

Alderman at-Large: Bill Brandel Brian Yates Deb Crossley

Ward 5

Alderman: Anil Adyanthaya John Rice

Ward 6

Alderman: Dick Blazar George Mansﬁeld

Ward 7

Alderman at-Large: Jeff Seideman Ruthanne Fuller Sydra Schnipper

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Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

“I will be the leader our city needs right now” “This election is about the FUTURE of Newton. It is about electing a Mayor who has the skills and experience required to heal our wounds, ﬁnd common ground, and lead this city forward NOW. It is about creating a new vision and new approaches that help the city we love live up to its full potential. I believe I am that leader and I respectfully ask for your support on November 3rd.”

www.settiwarren.com

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Talk of the Critic’s Corner

28 Days Later

Most horror movies don’t scare me. 28 Days Later is the rare exception, as its scares create the sense of being completely alone, while still supplying many frightening moments. Cillian Murphy stars as Jim, and, well, Jim is having a bad day. After waking up from a coma, he realizes that the city of London is seemingly abandoned. He soon discovers that the inhabitants of London have become “infected” and turned into the walking dead, so he attempts to ﬂee the city. 28 Days Later does a fabulous job of making the audience feel Jim’s sense of abandonment and disorientation. -BUY

Halloween I don’t think Halloween would be as nearly as memorable if it weren’t associated with the holiday. This isn’t to say the movie isn’t good; on the contrary, Halloween is a generally frightening ﬁlm with many memorable moments. Despite what the movie does well, it is plagued by down

time and takes a while to get going. The plot is also fairly simple, which makes it predictable. The movie is still enjoyable due to performances by Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence and the unique style of legendary director John Carpenter. -RENT

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was shockingly violent for the time period and a brutally frightening movie. The Beginning feels like a low-budget, straight-to-DVD ﬁlm that delivers on bloody and gruesome scenes, yet fails to frighten the audience. Given the general scariness of the original source material, it’s unfortunate that this iteration is utter garbage. The ﬁlm also takes the violence to the next level. Someone getting chased with a chainsaw is the normal fare and generally scary, whereas someone being suffocated with

Teachers’ Picks

Ms. Tellado-Schiﬀ... Mr. Chinosi... Favorite Artists

Favorite Artists

◆Nina Simone ◆Juan Luis Guerra ◆Bruce Springsteen ◆Sting/The Police ◆Celia Cruz

◆De La Soul ◆Ben Harper ◆Bob Marley ◆Playing for Change ◆The Roots

Favorite Movie

◆James Bond Movies (with Sean Connery)

Favorite Show

a plastic bag is unpleasant and disturbing to watch. Director Jonathan Liebesman needs to understand that limbs being severed is not scary—it’s disturbing and cannot carry a movie for 96 minutes. -PASS

Vacancy Vacancy is a stupid movie done right. Luke Wilson and his soon-to-be ex-wife find themselves stranded in the woods when they stumble upon a motel. They soon ﬁnd a disturbing tape of a couple being murdered, and the murder was ﬁlmed in their room. While the movie lacks plot and dialogue, it delivers frightening moments and makes the audience uneasy. A memorable scene is when the protagonists are being chased while crawling through an underground tunnel, giving the audience a real sense of claustrophobia. -RENT —Jay Krieger

Around the Town ... Halloween Scream Silent Rave Saturday, Oct. 31, 8-11 p.m. Boston Public Gardens Boston, MA Price: Free

Boston Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth’s Halloween Dance Friday, Oct. 30, 7-11 p.m. Back Bay Events Center Boston, MA Price: $10

Beacon Hill With a Boo Tour Saturday, Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m. Massachusetts State House Boston, MA Price: $15

Halloween Swing Dance Ms. Rice... Favorite Artists ◆Metallica ◆Led Zeppelin ◆U2 ◆The Black Crowes ◆Kings of Leon

Favorite Movie

◆The Princess Bride

◆Shaun of the Dead

Favorite Show

◆P.B.S. Television

◆C.S.I.

Tiger

Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church Newton, MA Price: $15

Boston Ghost Cruise

Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. Boston Harbor Boston, MA Price: $32 adults, $25 children

◆True Blood

Monster Mistake Nice zombie costume.

...

It’s not a costume, is it?

D’Jaidah Wynn

sports

14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Field hockey improves, junior varsity 3-6-3 MEREDITH ABRAMS ELI DAVIDOW Field hockey is steadily improving, while JV ﬁeld hockey works on the little things. BY

AND

Offense, effort become varsity strengths

Edan Laniado

Scramble: Junior Andrea Marzilli ﬁghts a Natick defender for ball possession. The Red and Blue won here 7-2.

With a record of 2-9 Wednesday, ﬁeld hockey coach Celeste Myers said that she could not be more proud of this year’s team. “In the past, we were a team that didn’t score, but this season we have produced, and that hasn’t happened in past years,” she said. Although the Tigers lacked experience, that did not slow down their run at a successful season, Myers said. “Across the field, everyone had not played varsity except the captains,” she said. “Everyone held their own, and the team learned a lot. That’ll help us for next year.” Myers said that she respects the team’s willingness to try, even if the effort results in defeat. “As a coach, it’s difﬁcult,” she said. “It’s hard to accept losing. It takes real courage to lose. As the season went along, we’d be more

willing to fail, because if you can risk failing, that will help bring positive outcomes.” At Brookline Friday, Oct. 23, the Warriors topped the Tigers 3-2 in “an amazing game,” said senior Tal Shemesh, co-captain with senior Leanne Luke. “Everyone did a good job,” she said. “We got some great plays from Steph Vitone, a sophomore, who scored a goal. The whole forward line deserves some recognition.” Wednesday, Oct. 21, Wellesley defeated the Tigers 7-1. “We made a lot of simple mistakes, and I think we just weren’t on our game,” Shemesh said. ”

Junior varsity succeeds in passing, clutch play

JV ﬁeld hockey, 3-6-3 Wednesday, has developed into a solid squad, according to Katie Lee, a coach with Kim Hamilton. “We have several players who have stepped up this season,” she said. On defense, junior Rebecca Gilbert, a sweeper, and sophomores Hannah Lloyd and Genevieve Resnick have been reliable, Lee said.

“They each stay composed under pressure and have a wonderful ability to spark offensive movement,” she said. Then on the Tigers’ offensive, sophomore Jamie Ravech has been a stand-out, Lee said. “Jamie has been an incredible asset to the team,” she said. “Her individual stick skills have improved tremendously over the course of the season.” Passing is what the Tigers do best, according to Hamilton. “In the beginning of the season, the team would just hit the ball forward to get it out of our end, but a lot of hard work in practice and the improvement in individual skill has led to a great passing game,” she said. However, the Tigers are still having trouble scoring timely goals, Hamilton said. Lee said that the best game of the season was Friday at Brookline, which ended in a 0-0 tie. “The girls’ composure throughout the game was unmatched,” Lee said. Junior Rebecca Gilbert said the team is trying to work together to make the plays ﬂow and score goals.

Golf eliminated from State Tourney EVAN CLEMENTS The Tigers ended their regular The season ended for golf season Monday, Oct. 19 with a Monday in Beverly. 68.5-39.5 loss in Needham. Participating in the North Di“We had a tough day, and in vision State Qualiﬁer, the Tigers, general Needham is a very good 9-7, did not qualify for Sectionals team,” said MacDougall. “We got as Andover, Billerica and Central off to a slow start, got down early Catholic advanced, coach Bob and then tried to do too much MacDougall said. and got ourselves in trouble. Seniors Jonathan Levine and It is disappointing to come up Ben Sauro, juniors Kyle Krasker with a result like that to end the and T.J. Ryan and freshman Mike season. Vrahas competed for the Tigers “The good teams are strong at the State Qualiﬁers. one through eight and are con“We played 18 sistent one through Coach Bob holes on Thurseight,” he said. “This day for practice year, we lacked conMacDougall and everyone sistency, and that played really “We have a lot of guys is something we well. We were need to work on coming back next year next year. We have hoping to have the same scores and we need to get back a lot of guys coming to where we have been back next year and o n M o n d a y, ” historically.” said Krasker. we need to take the Unfortunatesteps necessary to ly, it was a different story on get back to where we have been Monday, he said. historically.” “The course was tough and MacDougall said he had to we had a tough time making our thank the team’s four seniors: putts,” said MacDougall. Levine, Sauro, Alex Bernstein However, Vrahas was “impres- and Henry King. sive,” shooting a 79 but falling “It’s always great to have three strokes short of qualifying senior leadership,” MacDougall for the individuals, MacDougall said. said. BY

Teddy Wenneker

Against Needham: Junior Kyle Krasker is about to sink a putt in the ﬁnal match of the regular season. The Rockets beat the Tigers 68.5-39.5.

Boys’ soccer, 3-8-3, must improve depth, coach says MEREDITH ABRAMS Having overcome inexperience, boys’ soccer now has the ability to compete with any team in the conference, coach Brian Rooney said. “We’re getting better as a team, and we’re excited to see what we can do when we’re healthy and excited to be on the ﬁeld competing,” Rooney said. He said the team has faced its major problem of scoring points with a head-on approach. “We’ve done a good job of addressing our problem with goal scoring, and we’ve improved in our ability to create chances BY

and take advantage of them for goals,” Rooney said. At the start of the season, lack of depth was a weakness, Rooney said. “As a team, we continue to try to develop depth,” he said. “At the beginning of the year, only a few players were comfortable with the game, and now they’re comfortable with a variety of plays. It’s been tough this year because there were so many players new to the varsity level. “Our biggest focus has been trying to improve on offensive ability,” Rooney said. “We’ve also been working on the movement

of players without the ball and how to make runs.” At Framingham today, Rooney said the Tigers are facing a tough match. “They have the best record in the league, but when we played them the first time we had a ton of chances, and we just couldn’t finish,” he said. Monday, the Tigers host Medford. “They’re a very talented team, they will be very physical and aggressive,” Rooney said. “It will be a challenging match for us.” In their final regular season game, the Tigers visit Somerville

Wednesday. “It’s going to be a tough game,” Rooney said. “We’re just going to give it our best shot and see how it turns out.” Junior Gianluca Viscomi, a captain with seniors Ben Gross and Gabe Paul, said the team is just focusing on getting better. “We know the tournament is out of reach at this point, so we’re trying to get better as a team and rebuild for next year,” he said. “We’ve become a very solid team, and we’re starting to be better offensively and ﬁnish on opportunities. “We’re coming out to practice

hard, working at 110 percent, and if we do that every day, we will get better.” Friday, Oct. 23, Brookline defeated the Tigers 5-0 here. “We were without two of our starting defenders before the game started, and we had to sub some people into positions they didn’t have experience playing,” Rooney said. “We had a hard time shutting them down.” The Tigers defeated Wellesley 2-0 at home Wednesday, Oct. 21, in a match Rooney said was “a great game for the team. We really outplayed them from start to ﬁnish.”

sports

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Football works on possession JOSH BAKAN Working to end the season strong, football has great chemistry and ability to bounce back, coach Peter Capodilupo said. “The kids care about each other,” Capodilupo said. “They work very hard.” In order to improve in the second half, the Tigers, 2-5, must “hold on to the ball more,” Capodilupo said. “We need to get ﬁrst downs and control the clock.” Senior Humberto Castillo, a captain with seniors Faisal Mayanja, Conor O’Neil and Eddie Pang, said the offensive line is coming around and improving the offense. “The offensive line has done a good job stepping up,” Castillo said. “They were inexperienced at the beginning of the season.” Sophomores Michael Bradley, a left tackle, Patrick Bryson, a center, and Brendan Fagan, a left guard, have stepped up recently, Castillo said. “This past week, everybody has been improving,” he said. “But everybody has to step it up as a team.” Tomorrow at Newton South at 1 p.m., the Tigers face Milton, who beat the Tigers 38-0 last year. The Tigers will try to stop Milton senior Kwami Jones, a running back, Capodilupo said. BY

Jaryd Justice-Moote

Back in the groove: Senior Conor O’Neil, a quarterback, prepares for Braintree after returning from an injury. The Tigers beat the Wamps 34-12. Junior Isaiah Penn, who took over at the position when O’Neil was injured, observes.

“He’s a quick running back who runs behind a physical offensive line,” he said. “Any time you have a good running back and a good offensive line, you have to stop them.” Saturday, Nov. 7, the Tigers host Dedham at Boston College. “Dedham is small but feisty and physical,” Capodilupo said. “This game and the rest of the season will be a question of technique.” Friday, Oct. 23, at Braintree, the Tigers beat the Wamps 3412. “We showed up to play,” Castillo said. “I don’t think they were ready. “They wanted to run the ball, and we were just stopping the running game. Our offense was executing the passing and running game.” Senior Hao-Kai Wu rushed two yards for a touchdown, ﬁlling in for senior Troy Peterson, an injured running back. “Troy brings us talent and experience, but Hao-Kai has been doing a great job,” Castillo said. Friday, Oct. 16 at Weymouth, the Wildcats beat the Tigers 27-0. “We were kind of intimidated by them,” Castillo said. “They were bigger than us, and we couldn’t go full-out. We just weren’t ready.”

Girls’ cross country to visit conference league meet ELI DAVIDOW Next up for girls’ cross country, 5-6, are the postseason meets. For the Bay State Conference League Meet tomorrow in Norwood, coach Peter Martin said he expects the team to beat at least two opponents that it defeated this season. “I hope that we finish as high as fourth, but if we finished fifth, that would be great,” he said. A week later in Wrentham for the State Coaches Meet, the BY

Tigers will send mostly sophomores, according to Martin. “Since that Saturday is an SAT Saturday, a lot of the juniors and seniors are going to be taking them,” Martin said. “So the State Coaches Meet is mostly for the kids who are otherwise not occupied.” Sophomores participating in the State Coaches Meet are Jenny Hamilton, Allie Phillips, Rosie Sokolov, Becca Trayner, Miller Tuohy and Melissa Weikart.

Senior Adele Levine, a captain with seniors Julia Belamarich, Susannah Gleason and Shoshana Kruskal, said the season was a success despite the team’s inexperience. “It’s been a great season given our condition,” she said. “It’s been a rebuilding year, so I’m very proud of the team.” Throughout the season, Weikart has stood out as the most improved runner on the team, Levine said.

“She’s done really well,” she said. “Melissa always puts forth her best effort. She has succeeded because she’s very determined.” In the last regular meet of the season, the Tigers edged Brookline 29-31 Wednesday, Oct. 21. “I think that because it was the last home meet for seniors that we wanted to go out with a bang,” Levine said. Junior Margo Gillis took the top spot for the Tigers with 19:00 and Gleason took fourth with

21:06. Other strong finishers included Kruskal, Trayner, senior Jaya Tripathi and sophomore Devika Banerjee. Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Bay State Invitational at Northfield Mountain, Gillis finished first out of 84 runners with 19:30. “Although Margo’s victory doesn’t help the standings, it really shows how we have a good program here at North,” Kruskal said.

Swimming applies challenge sets to stay focused MEREDITH ABRAMS With the aide of more challenging activities, girls’ swimming, 3-5-1, is overcoming a lack of focus during practice, said coach Kirsten Touhy. “This is a point in the season where it’s hard to maintain focus,” Touhy said. “So we’ve been giving them challenge sets to push them out of comfort zones. “If they can get it, we give them a reward, like a shortened practice,” she said. One challenge set that coaches presented to the team was swimming 25 yards, doing a ﬂip turn, and taking two more strokes without breathing. Swimmers then had to do that 10 times, Touhy said. “It was so much fun to see the individuals so proud of themselves,” she said. Overall, Touhy said she was very happy with how the season turned out. “They have pushed themselves out of their comfort zones and their times show that,” Touhy said. Senior Carissa Chan, a captain with seniors Zoe Talkin and senior Caeden Brynie, said the BY

Teddy Wenneker

Hosting Dedham: Freshman Dohie Kim swims the breast stroke Tuesday, Oct. 20. The Tigers defeated the Marauders 93-88. team is trying to “have endurance during meets and finish races strong. “We’re staying motivated and pushing people on personal times, and we’re working together to accomplish our goal of winning,” Chan said. Against Weymouth Tuesday,

Touhy said the meet would be a chance for her to evaluate swimmers who could ﬁll in next year for graduating seniors, Touhy said. Sunday, Nov. 8 the Tigers compete in the Bay State Conference Meet. “We could end up around

fourth or fifth, which could be exciting,” Touhy said. Qualified for Sectionals and States are the 200 medley relay, the 200 freestyle relay, Talkin in the 100 butterfly and sophomore Thao Bach in the 200 individual medley, the 100 breast and the 100 butterfly.

In addition, the 400 free relay is qualiﬁed for Sectionals. Sectionals are Saturday, Nov. 14 and States are Saturday, Nov. 28. At Needham, the Rockets won 96-85 Friday, Oct. 23 and Tuesday, Oct. 20 the Tigers defeated Dedham 93-88 here.

sports

16 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Volleyball wins 3-0 vs. Needham H

JOSH BAKAN eading towards the S t a t e To u r n a m e n t , girls’ volleyball, 14-1 as of Wednesday, has strength at all positions, coach Richard Barton said. “We’re strong at every position, but we haven’t reached the pinnacle at any position,” Barton said. “We count on cohesiveness and camaraderie, but we want to add 30 percent to our effectiveness.” In the playoffs, Barton expects “if we play cohesively, there’s no one in the state who can count on beating us.” Senior Kate Bellerose, a captain, said the Tigers need to work on communication on the court. “Sometimes people don’t go after balls because they think someone else will get it,” Bellerose said. A strong point for the Tigers has been their “very strong setters and passers,” she said. Bellerose said two players leading the Tigers in those aspects include senior Ellie Bernstein, a captain, and junior Melissa Jewett. “Melissa is very consistent and goes after every ball,” Bellerose said. “Ellie is a very strong passer and a strong defensive specialist.” Tuesday, the Tigers beat Needham 3-0. After winning 12 of their ﬁrst BY

15 games with a 3-0 score, the Tigers beat Brookline 3-2 at Brookline Thursday, Oct. 22. “The first time we played Brookline, we beat them very easily,” Barton said. “This time, they were very aggressive, their hitters were much more accomplished and they were better at receiving hits.” The Tigers won the first game 25-19, lost the second two 23-25 and 24-26 and won the last two 25-13 and 15-10. At Wellesley, the Tigers beat the Raiders 3-0 Tuesday, Oct. 21. “They were 9-3 at the time,” Barton said. “It took a very sharp performance by us.” Saturday, the Tigers competed in the Medfield Open at Medfield. They beat Ursuline 3-0 and split two games against Medfield. Friday, Oct. 16 at Weymouth, the Tigers beat the Wildcats 3-0. “Weymouth is athletic,” Barton said. “They play good defense, but they have no good hitters.” The Tigers were to have hosted Ursuline yesterday in the final game of the regular season. Ursuline coach Eric Neely predicted, “I think the varsity at Ursuline has had ups and downs, so we’re capable of winning or losing to them.” “We have to execute our game plan and not worry about what’s going on at North’s side of the net,” he said.

Gaby Perez-Dietz

Strong serve: Senior Kate Bellerose, a captain, serves the ball against Needham. The Tigers won here 3-0 Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Defense a strong point for girls’ soccer, 1-10-4 JOSH BAKAN efense has kept girls’ soccer in games, said senior Kim Gillies, a captain with seniors Lee Ford and Camilla Jackson. “We’ve been playing better one-on-one defense,” Gillies said. “We’re getting possession of balls in the air.” The defense has been led by Ford, a goalie, and junior Evelyn Hurwitz, a defender, Gillies said. The Tigers, 1-10-4, need to take advantage of opportunities to score, Gillies said. “Evelyn has taken on more leadership on the field,” she said. “We know if she’s defending against someone, we’re very conﬁdent that she’ll end up with the ball.” Today, the Tigers host Framingham. Coach James Hamblin said, “I think it will be a tough game. Framingham has some very good players.” Framingham coach Stacy Freda said the Flyers “have had many injuries, although we’re BY

Edan Laniado

Corner kick: Senior Hannah Jellinek kicks the ball inbounds. Junior Evelyn Hurwitz headed it in for a goal. The Tigers tied Andover 2-2 here Monday, Oct. 28.

getting healthier. We expect to use our speed to pressure the Newton North defenders.” Monday, the Tigers face Newton South at Warren. “Both of us haven’t been as successful this year as we wanted to be, but it should be a close game,” Hamblin said. Monday, the Tigers tied Andover here 2-2. The Tigers started 1-0, went down 1-2 and then sophomore Holly Szafran scored a goal with 10 minutes left in the game to tie it up, Hamblin said. The Warriors beat the Tigers 2-0 at Brookline Friday, Oct. 23. “We had three JV players starting because of injuries,” Hamblin said. “We got tired and let in two goals in the second half.” Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Wellesley, the Raiders beat the Tigers 5-2. “We passed and moved the ball well, but we couldn’t stop their offense,” Hamblin said. “In the last 20 minutes, we got two goals, but we weren’t defending well in the ﬁrst 50 or 60 minutes.”

Boys’ cross country hopes to qualify for State Meet BY MEREDITH ABRAMS oping to qualify for the State Meet, boys’ crosscountry, 10-1, has seen great improvement this season, said coach Jim Blackburn. “The outstanding majority of runners have brought their times down and are running faster,” he said. To qualify for States, the team has to place in the top ﬁve at the Division I Meet Saturday, Nov. 14.

Blackburn said the meet would depend on sophomore Justin Keefe, who is currently injured. “We need ﬁve good runners to qualify, and without him we only have four.” Blackburn said. The other four top runners Blackburn cited are seniors Jake Gleason and Michael Goldenberg and juniors Ezra Lichtman and Dan Ranti. “They just have more talent, they work harder and they run

faster,” Blackburn said. Overall, he said he is happy with the season. Senior Mike Goldenberg, a captain with senior Jake Gleason, said, “We had a great group of guys this season and they’ve done a great job. “Now going into the second part of the season, we hope for the best. “We want to be as ready as possible if we want to win States.”

“This season, we’ve been training really hard and we’ve improved a lot,” Goldenberg said. “It’s been a lot of fun, and so far we’ve done pretty well.” Tomorrow, the Tigers compete in the Bay State Conference League Meet in Norwood. “We’re really just using it to prepare for the upcoming meets,” Blackburn said. In Wrentham Saturday, Nov. 7 at the State Coaches Meet,

See football page 15

Blackburn said runners compete by class. “It’s really more of an individual meet, and there’s not as much of a team element involved,” he said. Brookline defeated the Tigers 39-20 Wednesday, Oct. 21 at home. “They had a little more depth, and they had a few better runners then we had,” Blackburn said.