Newtonite ◆ Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 • Volume 89, Issue 11
Non-profit org. US postage paid Newton, Mass. Permit no. 55337
Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460
Senior charged with murder
Student, ’10 graduate, accused of participating in Waltham crime Marena Cole Senior Benjamin Peirce has been charged with murder and attempted armed robbery after allegedly being involved in a shooting, according to a police report from the Waltham District Court. The incident, which occurred the evening of Thursday, Sept. 30, resulted in the death of Adam Coveney, a 29-year-old man. According to the report, Peirce told police that he set up a drug deal with Coveney to purchase Percocet tablets. He and three men brought a handgun and planned to display it to scare Coveney, Peirce said in the report. The handgun was discharged and Coveney was shot, the report said. Patrolman L. Arevalo said in his report that he noticed a gunshot wound in the victim’s lower abdomen area. The victim was transported to Newton Wellesley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the report said. With Peirce were allegedly Wallace Duarte, 19, of Waltham, Shaquan Jacobs ’10, 18, of Newton and Daniel Louis, 21, of Roxbury, according to the report. Principal Jennifer Price sent out an e-mail to the Newton North community after the incident saying that support was available for students who needed it in the wake of the incident. “It is incomprehensible that a North student and a recent graduate could allegedly be involved in such a violent crime,” Price said in the message. “As we grapple with what occurred, our primary focus is to address the emotional needs by
of members of our community shaken by this most upsetting event.” Price said that counseling was available all day for students Monday after the incident. “We will also continue to communicate openly and honestly with all of you about how we can work together to support our students through this challenging time.” In a second letter to the community sent out Wednesday evening, Price detailed new security measures around the school. “The principal of Newton South and I successfully advocated last spring for School Committee approval of cameras in our schools. Since this time, we have been developing a plan for the installation of cameras. “We are moving forward on this plan, and my expectation is that cameras will be installed before the end of the year. “Also, our collaborative efforts with the Newton Police will continue around the issues of school safety and drugs in our schools.” Peirce was arraigned Friday, Oct. 1, and Duarte, Jacobs and Louis were arraigned Monday, Oct. 4 at Waltham District Court. According to the Criminal Procedure in the Massachusetts District Courts, “the accused will be informed of what charges are alleged” during arraignment. Next, Duarte, Jacobs, Louis and Peirce will have their probable cause hearing Tuesday, Oct. 26. ◆ Eli Davidow contributed to this coverage.
Teddy Wenneker
Boys’ soccer: Junior Luke Westman runs up field at Cold Spring Park against Norwood Monday, Oct. 4. See sports on pages 10-12.
Restrictions prevent students from posting flyers Students allowed to post flyers on designated tack boards around this building Hilary Brumberg Students are only allowed to post flyers and posters in designated places around the building, according to Barry housemaster Aaron Sanders. Within the next month, there will be large tack boards by the cafeteria (currently a taped-off area on the wall), near Beals house office and by the theatre entrance, Sanders said. “Administrators are open to putting tack boards in other places around the building where they would make sense,” he said. by
Due to the reduced number of areas where students can post flyers, new kiosks are available by the two main entrances and announcements will scroll on the television monitors located on walls on the first floor. Sanders said the new policy was put in place in part to abide by the fire code. “In the old building, the rule may not have been enforced as much,” he said. “Now in the new building, we’re trying to start fresh. “Our hope is that the new policy will affect the school in a positive way. Now, students can
get information in a designated place, whereas before, students were putting things wherever they wanted. Information wasn’t in a convenient place.” The new policy changes the way Theatre Ink will be able to advertise its shows, according to director Adam Brown. “In the past, we were able to put posters wherever we wanted and be creative: in the halls, in the bathrooms—everywhere. Our theatre program produces almost 13 productions every year, and we need to advertise like that because it reached more people.
“From the marketing point of view, it was great because people would see the posters all over the place. It allowed us to reach out to all students. If we’re only allowed to hang things by the cafeteria, that changes the broad exposure of our publicity.” Brown said that when he first heard of the policy, he was concerned that he was losing the freedom to freely advertise. But then he realized that “we just need to recondition people to look in specific places for information. “This could potentially be
a good thing, as long as many people as possible see the posters. I think this might be better in the end, but it would be nice to have more tack boards around the building.” Graphic Communications teacher Tom Donnellan, whose students have designed and printed many of the posters that have hung around the building in the past, said the new policy does not affect him very much. “It just means less printing for me, and I need to change the structure of some of my classes,” he said.
See inside for exchanges, safe driving law and Lady Gaga
page 3
pages 6-7
page 5
opinion
2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
No text message is worth risking your life
In spirit of new law, beware of the dangers of driving distracted Steven Michael For teenagers, texting has become as entrenched in the daily routine as eating, sleeping and breathing. by
column A walk along any given hallway of this school at any time of day will invariably reveal a group of students busy texting. It is a quick way to communicate with multiple people via cell phone without the hassle of actually talking to someone. Or, as is more often the case, texting provides a way to exchange a few words in between or during classes. Texting has led to a new form of abbreviated language complete with improper grammar and mechanics that would make an English teacher cringe. Words are frequently misspelled or spelled phonetically using abbreviations. Entire phrases are condensed into acronyms. Laugh out loud becomes lol. See you later becomes cul8r. Whatever the prevailing wisdom about the usefulness of texting—or lack thereof—there is no doubt it can be a distracting activity. Engrossed in sending or receiving a message, one can easily become oblivious to what is happening nearby. Texting and driving make for a dangerous combination. A new Massachusetts law prohibits texting while driving for everyone and talking on a cell phone while driving for drivers under age 18. Furthermore, the new law enacts strict penalties for violations of the law. For a first offense, junior operators face a mandatory 60-day license suspension, $100 fine and attitudinal course. For a second offense, junior operators must serve a 180-day license suspension and pay a $250 fine. For a third offense, junior operators receive a license suspension for an entire year and must pay $500. These strict punishments befit the seriousness of the infraction. Driving while texting endangers the driver, passengers and other vehicles. If a driver is texting, it means he is less focused on the
road ahead. Driving requires undivided attention. The few seconds spent glancing at a cell phone while driving, although seemingly inconsequential, can be the difference between an accident and quickly reacting to danger. Traveling at 40 miles per hour, a car covers over 175 feet in the three-second window it takes to receive a text. Imagine driving with your eyes closed over that interval. The driver would be unaware of the multitude of possible hazards lurking ahead—a curve in the road, an oncoming car or a bicyclist. To send a text message takes even longer. Because car accidents are a leading cause of death for teenagers, any step by the state legislature to create safer roads for all is welcome. While it may seem like a nuisance to pull over to the side of the road and park just to send a “harmless” text message, this action saves lives. Better decisions mean fewer traffic fatalities. The attitudinal course requisite for first offenders is an integral part of the new legislation, for re-education may be as effective as punishment. The law needs to be engrained in the driving curriculum for students to truly recognize the dangers of texting while driving. Just as students learn in Driver’s Education not to ride in a car with someone who is intoxicated, the same rule should apply in regard to texting. In many ways, driving while texting is analogous to driving drunk. In both situations, the driver is not paying full attention to the road ahead. And both of these behaviors can have disastrous consequences. If the driver begins to text while driving a motor vehicle, advocate for your safety by telling the driver to stop or by offering to text for the driver. No message is more valuable than your life. Texting while driving is dangerous to the driver and all others on the road. The new legislation will strictly enforce that texting while driving remains unsafe and unacceptable.
Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., 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 Freelance editor — Meredith Abrams News analysis editor — Steven Michael Talk of the Tiger editor — Georgina Teasdale Photography editor — Gaby PerezDietz Production managers — Gabe Dreyer, Ben Hills Advertising managers — Emily Gulotta, Tiphaine Kugener Business manager — Dan Salvucci Circulation managers — Alison Berkowitz, Caleb Gannon
Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy Production adviser — Tom Donnellan News staff — Malini Gandhi, Rebecca Harris, Kayla Shore Features staff — Emmett Greenberg Sports staff — Evan Clements, Nicole Curhan, Jeremy Gurvits Arts staff — Becky Kalish, Gloria Li News analysis staff — Kellynette Gomez Art staff — Catherine Chen, Marissa Goldman, Anna Kaertner, Maddie MacWilliams, Monica Reuman, D’Jaidah Wynn Photography staff — Karen Brier, Anna Gargas, Eric Halin, Jaryd Justice-Moote, Edan Laniado, Jenny Lewis, Ivan McGovern, Matt Victor Circulation staff — Spencer Alton, Stoddard Meigs, Omar Pinkhasov, Michela Salvucci Production staff — Ross Swerling, 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 617-559-6400, ext. 454443. Yearly subscriptions cost $20. Readers can also reach us at thenewtonite@gmail.com. To find the Newtonite online go to www.thenewtonite.com.
Distractions while driving can quickly get out of hand.
Marissa Goldman
No need to prohibit iPods here Jacob Schwartz In this school, the use of iPods is strictly prohibited in most classrooms, but unlike Natick and other schools, they are permitted in some study halls, according to housemaster Jamie D’Orazio. “It’s really up to the discretion of the study hall teacher,” D’Orazio said. “Some teachers felt it wasn’t distracting anyone, and some are against it. It’s up to them.” Natick High School’s regulations on the use of iPods in school are similar to those of this school. However, according to an article on Boston.com, Natick issued a ban on iPods in study halls and other areas around school for this school year, but are putting it to it a vote. Teachers allowing students to listen to their iPods is preferable for students, and, believe it or not, for the teachers as well. According to this school’s Electronic Equipment Policy, outside of class, students can use iPods and mp3 players “in ways that are appropriate and considerate of others.” Although much learning occurs in study halls, I believe, in this case, they should be considered to be outside of by
column class. The noise level in study halls, from my experience, can be a bit loud. With an iPod, students can block out other students’ conversations by listening to their music, making studying and doing homework easier. Furthermore, students in study halls are less likely to talk with their peers if they listen to music players. It is true that for many people, music can help with concentration, but for others, it’s as distracting as the noise of a jackhammer. Students should decide which of these examples applies to them. It goes without saying that iPods should not be used in regular classes. Of course, students should be listening closely and paying attention to their teachers. Study halls are a different story. Besides attendance, it is not necessary for students to pay attention to the teacher during study halls. Study hall teachers are mainly required to take attendance, supervise the class and try their best
to help students with questions on their homework. For situations outside of study halls and classes, students should simply use their heads. If there is a fire drill, listening to an iPod is probably not the smartest idea, because in a real fire one needs to listen for important directions. This school currently has a good policy when it comes to iPods, as it allows the possibility for permission to listen to iPods in study halls—but it could be better. Listening to music in study halls should be up to the discretion of students, not the teachers.
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. 15, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3
Students experience countries through exchanges Hilary Brumberg Perrin Stein This year, students can go on foreign exchanges to China, France, Italy and Mexico and a community service trip to Nicaragua. While on the exchanges, students will attend classes, live with a host family and go sightseeing, according to exchange coordinators. Newton students already hosted Italian exchange students, are hosting students from Beijing and will host students from Paris and Guanajuato. by
and
Chinese exchange
On the Chinese exchange, students from North and South will attend the Jingshan School as regular students, taking classes in geography, history, calligraphy, brush painting, martial arts and Chinese, said Donna Fong, the exchange coordinator. They will also attend English seminars based on Chinese literature taught by the American chaperones. A teacher at the Jingshan School will guide the group on a tour of historical sites around Beijing, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. During the two Jingshan
School vacations, the group will have the option to take trips wherever they want to go around China. Students will stay with host families of Jingshan School students while in China from the end of January to the end of May. Chinese students from the Jingshan School are currently here, and they will return to China in late January. They are staying at the homes of Newton students who are going to China. During the day, Chinese students attend the major subjects at their academic level, then they take as many electives as they can fit and find interesting, Fong said. On weekends, there are activities arranged for them around Boston, such as going on the Freedom Trail and visiting museums. The group also travels on its own to different parts of the country like Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls and the West Coast during their school vacations. The exchange started in 1979, making it the oldest ever exchange program to China at the secondary school level in the country, according to Fong.
French exchange
Starting in early February, French students from this school
will spend four weeks living with families in Paris, said French teacher Suzanne Putzeys, who might go on the exchange with French teacher Alieu Jobe, the exchange coordinator. For the first and fourth weeks of the exchange, Newton students will go to the Lycée Massillion school in the morning with the children of their host families. In the afternoon, they will go sightseeing around Paris, visiting the Eiffel Tower and Le Louvre museum. During the second and third weeks, students at the Lycée Massillion school are on vacation. Newton students will accompany their host families wherever Newtonian they go, Putzeys Suzanne said. Putzeys The Lycée Massillion students will come to Newton in early April and leave in late April, staying with the students who went on the exchange. While they are here, the French students will attend school some days and travel around Boston other days, visiting Plymouth Plantation, Sturbridge Village and the Kennedy Library. Like the Chinese students, they will spend two days in New York City. Applications are still welcome, according to Putzeys. If a student cannot go on the trip, students can still host a French student. The exchange began in 1978.
Italian exchange
courtesy Christopher Yee
Out to eat: Jingshan freshmen Lucy Wang, Xuanrao Liu and Annie Lin enjoy eating at a restaurant.
Astronaut to talk to physics classes
Meredith Abrams NASA astronaut Timothy Creamer will be visiting this school Thursday to meet the science team and talk with students and faculty. On Creamer’s last mission, he spent a total of 163 days in space, almost all of them aboard the International Space Station, according to Creamer’s bio page on the NASA website. Creamer wore a TigerScience T-shirt in space, thanks to science teacher Ann Dannenberg and her husband. “TJ is a personal friend of my husband’s and mine,” said Dannenberg. “He offered to take something from us to space with him, and we chose an NNHS science department T-shirt. “It seemed appropriate both for its science education mission theme and its small foldable characteristics,” she said. Creamer will have breakfast with the science team A-block, run an assembly in Lasker Auditorium B-block and speak with faculty C-block. by
in brief The B-block assembly will be an in-school field trip for all freshman physics students. Before and after the assembly, the science team will give prepresentation and post-presentation lessons. During his presentation, Creamer will, “narrate a video about his mission on the space station, describing what he did for the 5.5 months he was in orbit,” Dannenberg said. There will also be a question-and-answer session after his talk.
Solar powered trash compactors installed
Samantha Libraty Last week, this school received two solar powered trash compactors. The school received the compactors from the City of Newton as part of a green initiative, according to teacher Steve Chinosi. Big Belly Solar, a company based out of Newton, provided them. There are many Big Belly trash compactors in Newton for instance, in front of J.P. Licks and by
Since 1980, this school has participated in an exchange with Liceo Scientifico Antonio Gramsci in Florence, Italy, according to exchange coordinator Emilio Mazzola. Every September, students from Italy come to this school for two weeks. This year, Italian students stayed with host families, attended classes, toured Boston and went to New York City for a couple of days, according to Mazzola. Students from this school will have a similar experience when they travel to Italy from late January to late February. “They’ll go to school on a regular basis, stay with a host family and have a variety of cultural experiences,” he said. “This includes sightseeing in major cities such as Rome, the Newton Free Library, according to Chinosi. The trash compactors condense trash, making them energy efficient because trash collectors do not need to pick up the trash as often. “There are no cons to the switch,” Chinosi said. “There are nothing but benefits.” The Greengineers will be working alongside Newton to assist with the trash compactors, he said. Besides the environmental benefits, the trash compactors are cost-efficient, Chinosi said. Big Belly installed trash compactors throughout Philadelphia, saving $900,000 in 2006, according to Big Belly’s website. The City of Philadelphia is projected to save $13 million over the next 10 years, it said. Jeff Satwicz ’01 co-founded the Big Belly company with friends from Babson College. He is currently product manager at Big Belly, which means he is “largely in charge of engineering the product and participating in many of the strategic business decisions about how to improve the product,” Satwicz said.
Students sightsee during exchanges. Venice and Florence.” The trip will cost about $2,500, Mazzola said. “This includes almost all the money a student will need such as air fare, an allowance and hotels for overnight stays,” he said. Sophomores, juniors and senior who have a C average or above can apply.
Mexican exchange
Newton students will spend the first few days of the three-week Mexico trip in February visiting the colonial city in Mexico City, according to Spanish teacher José Sancho, the coordinator. On the way to Guanajuato, they will stop and see the preColumbian Pyramids of Teotichuacan. Two times a week, students will attend special Spanish classes taught by a Mexican teacher. Then the Mexican students will come here for three Newtonian weeks in April. José They will go Sancho to this school, where they will help with Spanish classes and follow their American hosts around to some classes. The Mexicans will also have time to do class work from Mexico. Sometimes, they will take day trips around Boston, going to “the usual Boston tourist sites,” including Fenway Park and malls, Sancho said. Applications are due at the end “I’m very excited at the opportunity to give back to the school,” he said. “I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with engineering teacher Scott Rosenhahn’s current students and hopefully getting them excited about the engineering field.”
Students win awards for PSAT scores
Malini Gandhi Seven seniors were awarded National Merit Scholarships this year, according to vice principal Deborah Holman. In an attempt to identify and honor academically talented students, the National Merit Scholarship selects 16,000 students out of the half million juniors who take the PSAT to become semifinalists, Holman said. Seniors Derek Butterton, Rebecca Engelke, Ellen Goldberg, David Gore, Rebecca Harris, Flannery Sockwell and Ned Weitzman were all named National Merit Scholars and will have the opportunity to continue in the competition and earn scholarship money from a $36 million pool to be awarded in the spring, according to Holman. by
Catherine Chen
of October.
Nicaragua service trip
Each year, French teacher Fiona Blyth leads a two week long community service trip in March to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Students stay with a host family in San Juan del Sur, and each day they work in different schools in the countryside around San Juan del Sur, according to Blyth. At the schools, students repair buildings, paint, install toilets and construct new classrooms, Blyth said. They also spend a week traveling with a mobile library. In previous years, students worked in different communities building eco stoves for families so that they no longer had to cook over an open fire. The students’ jobs vary based on the villages’ needs, she said. Blyth started the community service trip to Nicaragua six years ago with a group of seniors. “The students were interested in doing some sort of community service trip during vacation, so I, with a former South teacher, Kathy Knight, went to Nicaragua in February and returned again in July 2004 with Habitat for Humanity,” Blyth said. The trip to Nicaragua is open to all students interested in serving and improving the lives of others, she said. The cost and sign-up deadline for the trip are yet to be finalized. Financial aid for all exchanges and international school trips is available through the Global Education Leadership Fund. In order to progress further in the competition and qualify as a finalist, the seven students were required to submit an application packet to the school September 29 that included general information, an extra-curricular activities profile, an application essay and SAT scores, Goldberg said. She said she believes that by concentrating on students’ PSAT scores, the National Merit Scholarship program “focuses stuNewtonian dents early on, and not just latEllen er in junior and Goldberg senior year.” “A lot of people don’t take the PSAT too seriously, but the presence of the National Merit Scholarship is very useful in pushing students and focusing them on success,” Goldberg said. Engelke said the National Merit program is “a good way to identify people who did well on academic tests and recognize hard work.”
arts
4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
Library has display of student artwork
Exhibit showcases projects from Art Major, Art Minor classes Kate Lewis Artwork created by Newton North students is currently on display in an exhibit at the Newton Free Library, said art teacher Shannon Slattery. “This exhibit is the first of its kind,” Slattery said. “The library thought it would be a good idea to showcase student artwork, and now we have the initial exhibition for the Young Adult Gallery.” The exhibit, which is located on the second floor of the library, opened Tuesday, Sept. 7. A reception to celebrate the gallery’s opening will take place tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the library. This gathering is open to anyone who wishes to attend. Pieces created by 18 students, including juniors, seniors and recent graduates, were selected to go on display in the gallery. These works are mostly linoleum block prints and were created by students in last year’s Art Major and Art Minor classes, Slattery said. “They’re all very impressive. When they’re framed and hanging on the wall, they look very professional,” Slattery said of her students’ work. An especially noteworthy piece from the gallery was “The View,” a print by junior Nellie Robinson. According to Slattery, a visitor to the exhibit offered to buy the piece. Robinson said she was surprised by the news that somebody wanted to buy her work. “I was
honored that someone liked it enough to want to buy it,” she said. She described “The View” as a linoleum print depicting the view from her bedroom window. “It’s a four-color reduction print, meaning that each print
Perrin Stein Last year, during April vacation, Nick Weiss-Richmond and Rachel Cole, both ’03, filmed Adam Underground in the old Newton North. Friday, Oct. 1 in Lasker Auditorium, they premiered the short film as a thank you to all the students and faculty involved in the project. First, Weiss-Richmond explained the birth of Adam Underground. Originally, he planned to spend last year backpacking around China, but he was in a biking accident, so he was unable to go, he said. “I was really upset that my trip was canceled, so I spent my time walking the streets of Newton,” he said. “Eventually, I had the
idea that Rachel and I should film this script we’d written together, a while ago, at North.” In a meeting with principal Jennifer Price, Cole and WeissRichmond pitched the idea of making their film a collaborative project involving student apprenticeships, he said. “She was all for our idea and told us to begin filming during April break,” Weiss-Richmond said. At this point in the project, Adam Underground was still very rough, but the directors worked quickly to make it come together, according to Weiss-Richmond. After the directors finished their story, seniors Spencer Alton and Zuzia Weyman, creators of
by
Gaby Perez-Dietz
On display until January: An exhibit of student work is located on the second floor gallery of Newton Free Library. went through four printing stages, one for each color,” Robinson said. Robinson said that the exhibit is a good way for people who are not connected to the Newton North community to see what art students have been produc-
ing, as well as a chance for those students to show off their hard work. “It’s a great opportunity for high school students to showcase their work in a public setting outside of school,” she said. “I’ve had my art displayed
publicly before, and it’s always satisfying to be able to stand back and look at it because it makes me aware of what I spent all that time on.” The exhibit is open daily to the public and will be displayed through January.
Alumni premiere film shot at this school last April by
The Making of Adam Underground, described their film. “We wanted to concentrate on the importance of the apprenticeship program and the creative process,” Alton said. The documentary included short clips highlighting important aspects of each day’s filming. Through voice-overs, Weyman explained the clips and gave a brief overview of each day on set. The documentary also included short interviews that Alton conducted with the adults working on the project. Once the brief documentary ended, Cole took the stage to call out the names of all the student apprentices in order to thank them for their involvement in
Adam Underground. “We had amazing students involved in this production, and there is no way Adam Underground would have been possible without them,” Cole said. Finally, the short film premiered. The story tells of Adam, a student, who leads an underground cheating ring at Monroe High School. A girl, Drew, with whom he has a romantic past, discovers the cheating operation and writes an article for the school newspaper about it. She threatens to reveal Adam using the article, unless he closes down the operation by the end of the school day, when the paper goes to press. When the film ended, senior
Philip Halin, the production apprentice, moderated a question and answer session with the film’s producers, Nikhil Melnechuk and Lily Wahrman, its directors, and the professional actors who played Adam, Drew and Adam’s friend, Peter. One audience member asked why they shot Adam Underground at this school. “We realized early on that we were drawing on our own high school experiences to create the script, so we knew that it had to be at North,” Weiss-Richmond said. “There is just something so weird and awesome about the old school, which gave it a fantastic potential for film.”
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features
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5
‘Gaga’ for Gaga Pamela Chen “Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah. Roma-romamah,” the refrain begins, each belted staccato note hitting the air with a punch. by
viewpoint Millions of fans watch as Stefani Germanotta dances around in a skimpy leotard and milehigh stilettos, her fake eyelashes reaching for the sky. Her scarlet-painted lips open to sing the next line in a distinct, throaty vibrato. Unless one lives under a rock at the bottom of the sea, one already knows this next line of the refrain all too well: “Gaga, ooh-lala. Want your bad romance.” Unless one lives on another planet, one has heard this song blasted on the radio, screamed by hordes of teenagers and played at dance parties just about a thousand times. Perhaps the name “Stefani Germanotta” is not familiar. However, without a doubt, her stage name “Lady Gaga” is. Lady Gaga has taken over the pop scene, going from virtually unknown to internationally famous in just a few years. Without question, her catchy billboardtopping songs, her theatrical outré style and the sheer ubiquity of her presence make her the new Queen of Pop. By definition, “pop” as a genre of music is “popular”; however, Lady Gaga takes that definition to a new level. Not many artists can have their singles all top the charts, one after another. Even on an international scale, Lady Gaga’s songs such as “LoveGame,” “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance,” have consistently reached the coveted number-one position. Indeed, the official music video for “Bad Romance” has even reached more than a quarter billion views on YouTube. The simple fact of the matter is that her songs are unbeliev-
ably catchy. There is a certain quality to her synthesizer-filled, bass-thumping music that is, quite simply, addicting. Whether Lady Gaga is telling the populace to “Just Dance,” break up with “Alejandro” or stop calling her “Telephone,” the global population all wants to listen in and sing along. Of course, having a handful of multiplatinum songs is not all one needs to dominate the pop scene. What truly makes Lady Gaga unforgettable is her extremely distinctive fashion statement. She pushes the limit and shatters convention with her avant-garde and downright bizarre style, each new freaky costume making eyes widen and jaws drop. Just when everyone thinks she cannot get any weirder or more inappropriate, she audaciously smacks the world in the face with another controversial vestment. In fact, wearing nothing but sequined lingerie is perfectly normal for Lady Gaga. It is when she wears a sparkly lobster on her head, a dress made out of Kermit the Frog puppets or a dress of translucent plastic bubbles, that everyone stops and stares, and then of course, gossips. She is not at all afraid to break from the bubblegum-pop mold and be very, very different; rather, she flaunts this freak status. After all, why should the word “subtle” be in her vocabulary? She has created her own iconic look, just as easily identifiable as Madonna’s then-shocking cone-shaped bras or Kanye West’s shuttered shades. “Go big or go home,” seems to be her mantra, and other singers are all struggling just to stay relevant with her around. Provocative or just plain peculiar, Lady Gaga undoubtedly steals the spotlight with her style, becoming one of the most easily recognizable and cult-worshipped idols in pop culture. Quite simply, Lady Gaga is everywhere. She is so popular,
Anna Kaertner
On top of the pop scene: Lady Gaga’s crazy costumes and music have brought her success. radios from Newton, Massachusetts to Shanghai, China all constantly play her music. In fact, it is not even surprising to hear her songs being simultaneously played on multiple radio stations anymore. At malls across the world, her songs blare over the speakers. On the Internet, nearly every other singer is constantly compared to Lady Gaga, whether they share any commonalities or not. The references to her on YouTube, be they positive or negative, are endless. The Emmy award-winning television series “Glee” even devoted a whole episode to Gaga, an honor shared only by other equally controversial pop icons
Madonna and Britney Spears. From newspapers and magazines to radio, the internet and television, Lady Gaga has infiltrated every media outlet available. This can hardly be said for any other pop artist today. Frankly, she has so much global influence, Caesar and Napoleon would be jealous of her. Love her or hate her, as it is nearly impossible to feel indifferent about her, Lady Gaga is inescapable. Pop stars always come and go. They rise to an astonishing level of fame within a few years, then become replaced by new faces and voices once they become old news. That is the basic nature of the pop music industry.
Right now, she rules the pop scene with her addicting melodies, provocative glamour and bizarre fashion. However, the global population must wait and see if her popularity stands the test of time. Will she be recycled and replaced by an even crazier young artist? Will the musical tastes of the world shift away from her infectious style? Though it seems inevitable that this will happen at some point in the far future, right now it is hard to imagine a world that is not gaga for Gaga. Then again, who knows what might happen within the next decade? The lady might just have a few more tricks up her nonexistent sleeve.
See your ad in the Newtonite! Call Emily Gulotta or Tiphaine Kugener at 617-559-6400, ext. 454443
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Real Estate Matters
courtesy Ben Clark
Fantasy Football: Seniors Jeremy Gurvits and Ben Clark pose for a picture at their annual fantasy football draft. vClark is holding a picture of his first round draft pick, Houston Texans’ wide receiver Andre Johnson. The league is in its sixth year.
house and condo purchases/sales condominium conversions ownership dispute resolution Joan A. Koffman Nancy R. Dreyer
8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, O
Seniors say whether s Marena Cole Eli Davidow Friday, Oct. 1, the Safe Driving law went into effect, which outlined penalties for dangerous driving practices.
by
teens on the road
and
mass interview Seniors, who are above the legal driving age, weighed in on whether they feel their peers are reliable drivers and have safe driving habits. Linda Bard: “I think it depends if they’re responsible or not. If they’re responsible all the time, they’ll be responsible drivers. “I also think certain events, like Adam’s crash, will make people more aware that driving is to be taken seriously.” Josh Brooks: “There are certainly student drivers I trust because they’re experienced and know that driving is a serious responsibility, but there are some I don’t trust because they think it’s a joke. Newtonian “I don’t think Josh texting is the Brooks biggest issue. I think a lot of kids just feel invincible and don’t realize that they might get hurt.” Rebecca Engelke: “I’ve heard statistics that students get in more accidents than adults. I don’t think it’s because they are bad drivers, it’s just because they have less experience, so they have to be more careful.” Simona Gilman: “Not at all. We’re easily distracted, and we
think we’re better than we really are. “I think overconfidence is the issue, because student drivers really stop paying attention to what’s going on around them.” Marissa Goldman: “Teenagers think it’s fun to drive fast. They like the thrill.” Annie Gombosi: “Most of my friends can be pretty reliable drivers as long as they stay focused.” Zach Grannan: “They don’t Newtonian have a lot of expeAnnie rience, but most people are careful Gombosi and have faster reflexes than adults. What they lack in experience they make up in reflexes.” Rebecca Harris: “I think everyone has most accidents in their first few years of driving. “Whether it’s from when you’re 16 to 18 or 21 to 23, there’s not a lot of difference. “One thing I think teenagers have to deal with a lot more than adults, for example, is friends being really obnoxious in the car while they’re trying to drive.” Anna Kaertner: “I think most of them are reliable. In general, driving too confidently can lead to carelessness and loss of concentration.” Jared Kalow: “Student drivers are very unreliable. I don’t think
The Facts on
Law gives teens more restrictions Meredith Abrams Marena Cole Thursday, Sept. 30, the Safe Driving law went into effect in Massachusetts. The law includes a number of provisions to encourage safe driving, according to a July 2 press release from the office of Governor Deval Patrick. The legislation “bans text-messaging for all Massachusetts drivers, prohibits junior operators from using cell phones and institutes new license renewal procedures by
and
for mature drivers, among other provisions,” according to the press release. According to the law, any driver caught composing or reading a text message can be fined $100. The law also includes extra measures for minors. Under the law, drivers under 18 caught composing or reading a text message can be fined $100 and have their license suspended for 60 days. Offenders will also have to complete a driver attitudinal course in order to get their license reinstated, the press release says. “By making texting and the use of mobile devices a primary enforcement, this gives us more tools in our arsenal to protect drivers who use our roads, particularly young and inexperienced drivers who are the most likely to get into a crash,” said Registry of Motor Vehicles registrar Rachel Kaprielian in the press release. According to Newton police lieutenant Bruce Gabe Dreyer
Apotheker, getting caught on any electronic device included in the law is a primary offense. “If I’m out there doing my job and you’re using one of those devices, I can pull you over for that,” Apotheker said. “If everyone under 18 follows the law, they will benefit not only from not getting a citation, but from driving better, and possibly saving themselves and others from serious injury.” Driving is all about experience and paying attention, Apotheker said. “In general, anyone can be a bad driver and anyone can be a good driver. “We hope that this law has a positive effect and everyone under 18 looks at this law with interest. What it’s basically saying is, ‘if you do this, you will get punished,’” he said. “So, you just can’t do this anymore. We have to stop the domino effect—if you do it, your friends will all follow. If you don’t do it, neither will they. “Whether it’s your first day with your license or you’ve been driving for 100 years, it comes down to paying attention to what you’re doing and obeying the laws,” Apotheker said. Safe Rides director Nancy Holczer said that the biggest issue concerning young drivers is teens knowing how dangerous driving can be. She said there can be a lack of “understanding that when you are driving, you are operating a machine that can kill you, your passengers or others on the road.” According to Holczer, the law is just good judgment. “Common sense tells most of us
that texting and driving is a bad idea. The new law addresses this and that is a good thing. “Hopefully it will help high school students change behavior that is proven to be dangerous,” she said. “Also, risking losing your driver’s license seems to be a good reason to follow the new law.” The Safe Driving law is geared towards teens, because new drivers tend to be the least reliable, Holczer said. “Any time a person is learning a new skill, he or she is bound to make mistakes and needs to concentrate more to succeed. “Since the largest population of people getting licenses for the first time are teens, this new law will be reflected in changes in driver’s education courses and hopefully will decrease distractions while driving,” she said. Prevention/intervention counselor Alison Malkin said the new ban will keep students safer as long as they make sure to follow it. “Many students have told me that they’re used to texting and driving, but you just can’t do both activities at once,” she said. “I think many people are conditioned. They hear the sounds and go for the phone.” Malkin also said that friends should encourage friends to turn off their phone while driving if they believe it will be a distraction. “I think as in any situation, when you’re concerned about a friend, being as specific as possible about why you’re concerned is important. Try not to do it in a way that’s very accusatory. Come at it from a friend perspective.”
The risk of m among 16- to age group. In drivers ages 1 than older dr ◆ The presence the crash risk This risk incr teen passeng ◆ Crash risk is year that teen ◆
Students p Kate Lewis “A Promise to Adam,” a pledge to honor late senior Adam London, has been “an amazing success,” according to Claire Masinton, a Newton North parent in charge of the campaign. The pledge encourages students to observe safe driving habits in memory of London, who died in August as a result of a car accident. “This began as a modest idea: to have the young people who were Adam’s good friends make a solemn promise to his family not to engage in risky behaviors while driving,” Masinton said. “His family did not want any other family to experience such pain and horror.” What started as a simple promise has become a full campaign, gaining attention from local media outlets like the Boston Globe and Boston Herald. So far, 330 pledges have been received, Masinton said. “More and more parents, educaby
Oct. 15, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆9
students drive safely they realize how dangerous cars are, being giant 4,000-pound machines.” Pierre Looper: “I think the biggest problem is more like kids on cell phones. “A lot of accidents show how much kids actually can’t Newtonian talk and drive. Pierre It’s definitely Looper dangerous.” Amy Lu: “Teenagers don’t have much experience, which can make us a little reckless, but that’s not always and not everyone.” M a r i l y n O’Dowd: “I’d say about 50 percent of them are safe, but sometimes they don’t drive right. They’ll speed or take a turn when there’s a car in front of Newtonian them. Marilyn “A lot of the O’Dowd time, they don’t pay attention around them and think they’re the only person on the road.” Lucilla Pan: “It really depends. Some people are just naturally more cautious. I don’t think there is much difference between adults and students when it comes to driving.
Omar Pinkhasov: “Somewhat. The younger people are more ignorant of the law, and it’s not until they get older until they start recognizing them.” Xue Rosenberg: “For the most part, I think students are pretty responsible.” Jocie Sobieraj: “A big problem I see is that a lot of teens are very confident, but not that good. People constantly text, and even though it’s illegal now, they’ll probably still do it. “They don’t seem to know the statistics of how many people are in car accidents.” Ned Weitzman: “Some kids are unsafe, but some are very safe. It varies a lot, but there’s definitely some distinction.” Andrew Wilson: “I think it depends on who the student is, and that impacts students as drivers. I haven’t observed so many problems. “But I don’t think texting is such a big problem.” Christopher Newtonian Yee: “It depends Lucilla Pan on the kid, and it depends on their moral standards and their choices. Texting also increases the chance of getting hurt.” Evan Zhang: “If kids follow rules, they’ll make the right decision.”
—Center for Disease Control and Prevention
pledge to drive safely
tors and student leaders expressed an interest in our campaign,” she said. “We have received pledges from as far away as Texas and
No Answer No
No Answer No
20%
No Answer
Yes
No
20% No Answer
No
Florida and many from neighboring states.” All numbers aside, the program’s real rewards come when young drivers keep the promise that they made, Masinton said. “This success can never be truly measured,” she said. “We have already heard from many young people that this has influenced their actions already. In this way, we know we are making a substantial difference.” According to Masinton, the pledge is important for young drivers, as it will open their eyes to the very real consequences of engaging in dangerous behaviors on the road. “The reality is sobering and unspeakably sad—but it gets the attention of young drivers,” she said. “Once they think about this reality, we hope that they will make more intelligent choices.” Individuals wishing to sign the pledge can find more information at the campaign’s website, www. apromisetoadam.org.
No
Yes
Yes
60%
50
TEXTING
40
Percent of students 30 who felt each category caused unsafe driving by a peer. 20
10
motor vehicle crashes is higher o 19-year-olds than among any other n fact, per mile driven, teen 16 to 19 are four times more likely rivers to crash. e of teen passengers increases k of unsupervised teen drivers. reases with the number of gers. particularly high during the first nagers are eligible to drive.
family photo
If you thought a friend was Have you ever been in a No Answer driving unsafely, did you No Answer situation where you thought a ever try to stop him/her? friend was an unsafe driver?
20% No 20% No 60% Yes 60% Yes 20% 20% 20% 20% 60% Yes 60% Yes20% 20% 40% 60% 60% 20% 20%
n Teen Driving:
Adam London
Last week, the Newtonite polled 114 seniors in homeroom about their experiences driving with their peers.
0
70
DRUGS/ALCOHOL
55 59 CALLING
OTHER
35
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8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
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Eat a balanced diet • Keep active • Stay smoke free www.nwh.org
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
Talk of the
From the Vault Oasis— (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? is nothing new, to say the least. Oasis crafts the album that tickles a vulnerable spot for all of us: our love and respect for pioneer British bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. This sentimental return to what’s familiar and comforting sticks out like a sore thumb in an era when pioneering rock bands like Nirvana were just emerging on the scene. That’s gutsy. Every song is, in its own way, a shoutout to the past, but the band adds a contemporary layer on top to preserve freshness. Most notably, “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” an arena-rock gem beginning much like John Lennon’s “Imagine,” is a grandiose, atmospheric and sublime sing-a-long. And there, of course, is the well-known “Wonderwall,” a sparkly and majestic composition. Key tracks: “Champagne Supernova,” “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and “Wonderwall.” Grade: B+
Tiger
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9
Weezer— Pinkerton You haven’t fully understood the word “desperation” until you have listened to Pinkerton. The album embodies such a common loneliness, sadness, frustration and rage encountered during the teenage years, which is sometimes difficult to capture musically and lyrically. However, singer Rivers Cuomo and company absolutely hit the nail on the head. If Pinkerton is to be depicted in one single moment, it must be Cuomo’s wailing, gigantic howls during the opening track, “Tired of Sex.” There is something so cathartic and liberating about them, almost like a strand of his soul is being violently ripped out of him. At least compared to Weezer’s fantastic eponymous debut, the band has a much darker, emotion-based sound rather than a bubblegum pop one. But it truly works through this gloominess and proves to be overbearingly triumphant. Key tracks: “Across the Sea,” “The Good Life” and “Tired of Sex.” Grade: A
Teachers’ Picks
This Month in 1980...
Balance is what you should strive for on any album. It should be well rounded, striking a sort of stability between succulent, sweet emotional moments and spunky, popish ones, right? Belle & Sebastian does a remarkably great job of piecing together a disc of musical equilibrium. It only makes sense to label its sound “bittersweet.” Listening to the album as a whole kindles a warm, adorable, cutesy sort of feeling, while simultaneously, a depressing and morose one too. It feels kind of strange to have these opposites elicited at the same time, but it reaches aural nirvana. Highlights include the lively song, “Like Dylan in the Movies,” which has a bass line that skips along like a stone on pond and the sad “The Boy Done Wrong Again.” Key tracks: “The Boy Done Wrong Again,” “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying,” and “Like Dylan in the Movies.” Grade: A—Eli Davidow
Ms. McKenzie
Mr. Espelin
Dr. MacGowan
Favorite Artists
Favorite Artists
Favorite Artists
Eric Hutchinson John Legend Rihanna Billy Joel Katy Perry
Favorite Movie Good Will Hunting
Favorite Show Modern Family
James Taylor Miles Davis Jimmy Buffett Dave Matthews Band Rusted Root
Favorite Movie The Natural
Favorite Show The Office
Detention begins Students who cut class were required to attend detention either before school or after school. Previously, students had met during homeroom. Students who did not attend the detention would be temporarily suspended.
Belle & Sebastian— If You’re Feeling Sinister
Jimi Hendrix Neil Young Bob Dylan Roxy Music Miles Davis
Favorite Movie Seven Samurai
Favorite Show Jeopardy
Trying to find a principal Twenty-six students submitted names to be on the screening committee for a new principal. The Student Faculty Administration Board narrowed the list to six and then three would be chosen from there. Tiger’s Loft reopens Previously, the program had only been open to special needs students. When it reopened, it was open to students who had a year of food training or work experience. Instead of running on federal funding, the program began to be self-sufficient. Additionally, there was an increase in food options.
Did you know? Georgina Teasdale Physical education teacher Michael Bower graduated from this school in 1990. At North, Bower participated in four sports. He played as a lineman for the football team, becoming captain his senior year. He was also a baseball captain his senior year. Freshman and sophomore year Bower played basketball, but he switched to indoor track for junior and senior year, competing in the shot put. All four years, Bower participated in the Ric ’n Rocco show, a rock and roll show. Bower’s father also taught at Newton North, and took him to all the shows. “As a kid I was so enthralled with the thing, and I shook Rocco’s hand after the show, and it was like he was a celebrity.” As a teacher, Bower said he tries to use his experiences from when he was a student to help students with their lives. Bower said he thinks he’s not by
Newtonian
that different from current students and not much has changed, in that he had many of the same experiences, growing up two blocks away. Bower said he had “many great moments” as a student here, such as winning football games and hanging out with friends on Main Street. “Those are the moments that I cherish,” he said. Of his yearbook photo, he said “that was the style then—those glasses were in.”
“Smart” Boards
Maddie MacWilliams
sports
10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
Girls’ swimming to visit Dedham Jay Feinstein As it continues its season, girls’ swimming and diving, 4-4, works on “picky skills,” according to senior Rebecca Harris, a captain with senior Daryl Choa. “We’ve had an even season so far, so it’s mainly just the little things that need work,” she said. “We’re really proud of how we’ve done.” The Tigers’ main strength is focus, according to Harris. “It’s really there for us,” she said. “You can see it in our starts and finishes.” Determination moves the team forward during practices, Harris said. “We practice really hard everyday. One time, we even ran in the pouring rain,” she said. “We want to try our best so we can do well in our meets.” Tuesday, the Tigers will visit a very small Dedham team, according to coach Kirsten Tuohy. “They’re very competitive, so it won’t be an easy meet,” she said. Dedham has “outstanding individuals,” according to Tuohy. “They have phenomenal sprinters and a great backstroker,” she said. Hosting Needham Friday, the Tigers expect a tough meet with the Rockets, according to Tuohy. “We anticipate a challenge,” she said. “They always swim well.” The Tigers will host Weymouth Tuesday, Oct. 26. “They seem to get stronger every year,” Tuohy by
Karen Brier
Freestyle: Senior Daryl Choa warms up for the Framingham meet Friday Oct. 8. Visiting the Flyers, the Tigers won 97-84.
said. “We’ll have to be prepared. If we’re going to win, we’re going to have to earn it.” In an “amazing meet” at home Tuesday, the Tigers defeated Brookline 93-91, according to Harris. “It was really a group effort,” she said. “Everyone had a part in it.” According to Harris, every event was a highlight, but the butterfly was especially good. Friday, the Tigers visited a tough Framingham team, losing 97-84, according to Harris. “Framingham meets are always hard, so we did well, considering that,” she said. Thursday, Oct. 7, the Tigers visited Boston Latin, winning 9984. “We were really focused and we came ready to win,” Tuohy said. “We had outstanding diving,” she said. At Walpole, Tuesday, Oct. 5, the Tigers lost, 99-79. “We swam well, but Walpole is just a really strong, talented team,” Tuohy said. The Tigers visited Braintree Friday, Oct. 1, losing 95-90, according to Tuohy. “We had a couple of disqualifications, which hurt us,” she said. “We had a false start and a goggle malfunction.” According to Tuohy, the Tigers expected it to be an easy meet, so they weren’t mentally prepared for it. “It was a good competition, and we had some good swims, but we just need to be more focused for next time,” she said.
Girls’ cross country focuses on endurance, strength Perrin Stein Despite its inexperience, girls’ cross country, 5-2, is having a good season, according to senior Margo Gillis, a captain with senior Devika Banerjee and junior Melissa Weikart. “We are working on longer runs in order to prepare for the championship part of the season,” Gillis said. “We are also doing harder workouts, such as running the Comm. Ave. hill.” These workouts help everyone learn more about the sport and become stronger, Gillis said. “We just want everyone workby
ing to their full potential,” she said. To become stronger, the team goes on runs every day, according to coach Peter Martin. “Cross country requires these girls to run the longest races that they will all year, so we need to focus on endurance.” This year, there are many new girls on the team, so they’re still learning the sport, Martin said. “Therefore, in the future, we will have a really strong team. We’re not bad right now, but we will definitely improve.” Tuesday, Oct. 19 the Tigers
will travel to Walpole. “We will have to run really well in order to beat them,” Martin said. “We have some work to do in order to be able to win.” The following week, Tuesday, Oct. 26, the Tigers travel to Brookline and “expect a decent meet but will probably win,” Martin said. Tuesday, the Tigers visited a tough Wellesley team, losing 2233, according to Gillis. “People showed promise,” she said. Friday, the Tigers defeated Norwood 18-45. “Everyone ran to their full potential,” Gillis said.
Volleyball works on defense, prepares to host Marauders Jacob Schwartz Defensive intensity has become a major strength for volleyball, 9-1, according to coach Richard Barton. “As a team, we’re very good at not letting the other teams get kills.” According to senior Tatiana Froehlich, implementing ideas for practice will be key for defeating Dedham today at home. Hoping to repeat the 3-0 win Thursday, Sept. 23 in which the Tigers “served the Wildcats off the court,” according to Froehlich, the Tigers will travel to Weymouth Monday. “We learned from the first time we played that if our serving and passing are strong, we can win any game.” One player on Wellesley’s team has proven to be a challenge for the Tigers, which they will attempt to overcome when they face the Raiders at home Wednesday. by
Finishing their four-game home stretch, the Tigers host Brookline Friday. “Both their setters are injured, so one of their best hitters is setting.” Froehlich said. “Their attack is definitely not as strong.” The Tigers will be facing a strong Framingham team on the road Monday, Oct. 25, according to Froehlich. When the Tigers defeated Framingham Monday, Oct. 4, Barton “told the team it was going to be tough, but we were all in the game and we ended up winning 3-0. Hopefully, we can do that again,” Froehlich said. Visting Braintree, the Tigers beat the Wamps 3-0 Wednesday. In the Hall Of Fame Tournament in Holyoke, the Tigers placed second. The Tigers beat the Red and Blue 3-0 Friday, at Natick. The Tigers’ superb defending along with Froehlich’s spiking led them to shut out Needham 3-0 at
home Wednesday, Oct. 6. The Rockets had trouble competing with the Tigers because they had trouble controlling their hits. However, Froehlich commended Needham because, while they had trouble with their offense, “the rest of the players ran to keep the ball up and get it over the net no matter what.” Substitute coach Lucas Coffeen said, “We played very well most of the time. Our serving was generally on, and they struggled with the serve receive, and that was key for this match.” According to Coffean, starting in the second game, the Tigers tried changing up their lineup by moving a middle player over to the right side. Coffean said he believes the new plan was successful, as the Tigers won by the most points in the second game, defeating Needham 25-8. At home, the Tigers beat Framingham 3-0 Monday, Oct. 4.
Gabe Dreyer
Hosting Norwood: Sophomore Meghan Bellerose races Friday at Cold Spring Park. The Tigers won 18-45.
sports
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11
Girls’ soccer focuses on passing, defense, scoring Jay Feinstein Girls’ soccer, 6-3-1 Wednesday, has improved its basic skills, according to coach James Hamblin. Specifically, the Tigers have been moving the ball better, Hamblin said. “This has helped us improve our passing and defense,” he said. According to Hamblin, the Tigers have also been finishing better. “We’ve been scoring more goals lately, compared to earlier in the season,” he said. “Most importantly,” Hamblin said, “we’ve become more mentally solid.” Tomorrow, the Tigers will visit Newton South, a rival, according to Hamblin. “They’re a strong team, so we’re looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “Everyone’s excited.” Looking forward to a competitive game Monday, the Tigers will visit Medford, according to Hamblin. “It’s going to be hard, but as long as we try our hardest, everything will be fun,” he said. Wednesday, the Tigers will host a tough Wellesley team, ac-
cording to Hamblin. “They have very good players, and they lost only one game all season so far,” he said. “They’re good at moving the ball around, too.” According to Hamblin, “Winning this game will be very important for making the tournament.” The Tigers expect a battle when they host Brookline Friday. “They’re a very quick, dominant and physical team,” Hamblin said. “We tied them last time,” he said. Expecting strong defense, Monday, Oct. 25, Framingham will host the Tigers. “They have a really good goal keeper, so we need to work on our offense for this game,” Hamblin said. Wednesday, Oct. 27, the Tigers will visit a strong Needham team, according to Hamblin. “They have good composure, so this is going to be a battle,” he said. “We’re going to need to work hard.” At home Tuesday, the Tigers defeated Dedham, 2-1 in a tight game, according to senior Ellen Goldberg, a captain with senior Evelyn Hurwitz.
“It was a really tough opponent, so we’re happy that we were able to pull through,” she said. Goldberg said both goals were scored by senior Emily Brown, “but the first one was definitely the highlight of the game.” “The last goal was a penalty kick, and it was really exciting,” she said. In a difficult home game Friday, the Tigers defeated Braintree, 3-1, according to Hamblin. “We weren’t doing great at the beginning, but we came out strong in the second half,” he said Monday, Oct. 4, the Tigers visited Norwood, losing 4-2. According to Hamblin, the game was difficult because of Norwood’s talented players. “We kept them quiet during the first half, reaching 1-0 at halftime, but we couldn’t handle the end,” he said. “It was the opposite of our Braintree game.” The Tigers defeated an even Needham team 1-0 at home, Thursday, Sept. 30. “We were 0-0 for most of the game, until Emily Brown scored a goal with five minutes to go,” he said. The Tigers were to have visited Weymouth yesterday.
Eli Davidow At 3-1-3, field hockey is finally starting to believe that success is attainable, according to coach Celeste Myers. However, the postseason berth for the team is not yet confirmed, and the team will need to work hard to officially clinch it, she said. “I think our team is eager and gaining confidence, and I truly think we have an opportunity to do well,” Myers said. “The kids have had a realization of how good they can be, but we have to make sure to put in all of the work required and all
of the effort required for their success. “It’s still a little premature to make assumptions at this point, so we can only do one game at a time.” Senior Marissa Troy, a captain with seniors Andrea Marzilli and Ali Pappas, said that she is proud of the way the Tigers are approaching their games. “We left that culture of our past teams that never did really well or succeeded,” she said. “And now this year, we came with a different attitude of ‘we’re not going to let this happen again.’
“Now, we’re figuring out how to win.” The most difficult challenge for the Tigers to tackle will be playing six games in the span of two weeks, Myers said. But, she still believes that the Tigers will pull through the long stretch. “I think we’re mentally ready for playing a lot of games backto-back, and we’ll hopefully be ready to take it on,” she said. The Tigers begin their busy schedule with two make-up games here against Framingham today and Natick Tuesday. Then Wednesday, they will
by
Teddy Wenneker
Hosting the Wamps: Senior Emily Brown plays against Braintree at Warren Friday. The Tigers won 3-1.
Field hockey works towards clinching postseason by
host the Wellesley Raiders for the first time. Then Friday, the Tigers will replay Brookline. In their first meeting Friday, Sept. 24, the Warriors and Tigers tied 0-0. After visiting Framingham Monday, Oct. 25 for a second match-up, the Tigers will wrap up their season with a visit to Needham Wednesday, Oct. 27. “Needham is always a competitive team,” Myers said. “I think they have a lot of balance on offense and defense.” The Tigers played the Rockets evenly in their first meeting here, tying them 1-1 Thursday,
Sept 30. In recent action Tuesday, the Tigers tied the Dedham Marauders 1-1. Junior Bobby Grimshaw scored the Tigers’ only goal. “It was not a great game,” according to Troy. “I think the communication was pretty good, but it was a very mediocre game.” Friday, Oct. 8, the Tigers edged Braintree at home 4-3. “It was a great motivator for us,” Myers said. “We didn’t give up, and we stuck with it. It speaks well for our perseverance and well for not giving up.”
Boys’ soccer makes attempt at qualifying for State Tourney Jacob Schwartz Boys’ soccer, 6-4-3 Wednesday, has been giving its all to qualify for States, coach Roy Dow said. The team needs seven more points in order to qualify for States, with one point for every tie, and two points for every win. “Every game is must-win,” Dow said. “We have to maximize every game.” In order to achieve this goal, Dow said, the team has been working on moving the ball quickly. “We’re trying to have our forwards more involved in the game and we need to be making sure, when we’re attacking, that we always are the first ones to the ball. “We’re working on just understanding the game and where people are in relation to each other,” Dow said. “However, we still have to work on maintaining our focus at all times.” On the road Wednesday, the Tigers will face Wellesley, a team that has proven to be surprisingly strong this season, Dow said. “They’ve had some good results this year. They beat Brookline earlier this year, which was by
Teddy Wenneker
Against Norwood: Junior Parker Swiston dribbles upfield.
coach Roy Dow “We’re working on just understanding the game and where people are in relation to each other.” unexpected.” The Tigers then face the Brookline Warriors again on the road Friday. When the Tigers lost to Brookline 2-1 earlier in the season, Dow said the team “learned we have to be disciplined for the whole game.” “We learned that we can play with them, which is great because that really helped with our confidence leading up to this point. “We’re really trying to cut out mistakes that are in our control. That game was a tough loss.” The Tigers will host Framingham Monday, Oct. 25. “We played them last time on a rainy day where we let up a bad goal, but then we put much more pressure on them and we finally scored the second half,” Dow said. “We learned you can’t give them space because they can be dangerous.” Closing the season, the Tigers will play Needham on the road
Wednesday, Oct. 27. The Tigers tied Dedham here 1-1 Tuesday. A sloppy and scoreless first half began the match, according to senior Gianluca Viscomi. However, “during the second half we picked it up. We got the ball to the strikers’ feet. “Also, we were playing much more pretty soccer, and because of this, we scored two goals,” he said. The Tigers defeated Braintree 2-0 Friday on the road. Scoring once with 18 minutes left in the first half, the Tigers defeated Natick 1-0 at home Wednesday, Oct. 6. Junior Luke Westman “went one on one with Natick’s goalie after he got a lead pass,” Dow said. “He swatted it right by him for the goal.” “It was definitely one of the best games this year in terms of the team’s amount of intensity,” Dow said. “We were able to win the ball and find the right passes to our midfielders to start our attack,” he said. The Tigers were to have hosted Weymouth yesterday.
sports
12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Oct. 15, 2010
Boys’ cross country works on distance Jay Feinstein As boys’ cross country, 5-1, reaches the halfway point in its season, the Tigers are beginning to focus more on distance, according to senior Dan Ranti, a captain with senior Ezra Litchman. “We’re running 10 to 11 miles daily, so we can be in the best shape we can possibly be in by the time States and All-States come around,” he said. In addition to working on distance, The Tigers are pushing for variety in their practices, Ranti said. “We’ve been mixing some speed workouts and hill workouts into our practices, so we can be prepared for anything,” he said. Tuesday, the Tigers will visit a moderate Walpole team, according to Ranti. “We’ll definitely need to work on the gap between our third and our fourth runners, because it might kill us,” Ranti said. “Other than that, I’m confident in our abilities for this meet. I’m pretty sure that we’ll be able to pull through.” The Tigers expect a “devastating” meet Tuesday, Oct. 26, when they will visit Brookline, according to Ranti. by
Gabe Dreyer
Persistence: Senior Jeremy Markson nears the finish line, racing against Norwood Friday at Cold Spring Park. The Tigers defeated the Mustangs 16-47.
“This will definitely be the most challenging meet for us all season,” he said. “We will have very low expectations for this meet,” Ranti said. “We’re going to focus more on individual goals.” According to Ranti, the reason the Brookline meet will be so hard is because of Brookline’s talent. “They have eight guys under 16:45, and we only have three under 16:45, and that’s only on a good day,” he said. “All we can do is run our best.” Tuesday, the Tigers visited Wellesley, winning 24-26. Coach Jim Blackburn said, “ We had good depth in this meet, which helped us place second, third, fourth, seventh and eighth.” “We didn’t get first place, but we still won, and we still did well.” Hosting Norwood Friday, the Tigers defeated the Mustangs, 1647, according to Blackburn. “They’re not the greatest team,” he said. “We took almost a complete sweep.”
Football makes changes, earns first two victories
Tigers gain first victory against Braintree on new field, beat Milton 21-6 on the road Jacob Schwartz Football, 2-3, recently established changes to its offense in order to “get the skilled players the ball much more than we have been” and put more points on the board, said senior Isaiah Penn, a captain with seniors Kevin Barisano and Ben Clark. Tomorrow, Weymouth and its “very strong running back,” according to Penn, will come to Dickinson Stadium to face the Tigers. “I’ve heard Weymouth is a good team,” Penn said. “Last year they beat us badly.” The Wildcats’ running back greatly contributed to the win, Penn said. by
“If we can neutralize him, we’ll be all set, as long as we score points on offense.” The Tigers will travel to the Dedham Marauders Saturday, Oct. 23. Penn said he was surprised to find out that Dedham had a close game against a very strong Braintree team. “I would have expected Braintree to win because they’re usually a better team,” Penn said. “Dedham might have some kids who can make plays.” At a packed house in Milton, the Tigers defeated the Wildcats Saturday, in a satisfying 21-6 victory. Coach Peter Capodilupo said
the plan going into the game was to “stop Milton’s running back, senior Kemani Jones.” The game remained scoreless until the last three minutes of the first half, when junior Nate Menninger scooped up a blocked Milton punt and ran it back for a touchdown. The score seemed to be a big momentum changer, but it was not to last. Nineteen seconds later, the Tiger’s couldn’t stop Jones, who barreled through the Tigers defense, running 52 yards for a touchdown. At the beginning of the second half, sophomore Nick Raso recovered a punt, which was dropped by a Milton kick-returner.
The recovery began the Tigers’ drive that would ultimately give them the lead. On second and goal, the ball was handed off to Clark, who was hit into the end zone by a Milton player, scoring a touchdown. Capodilupo said the Tigers’ offensive line deserves a lot of credit for the victory, playing strongly “against a Milton team that was physically bigger than them.” For the first time this season at the new Dickinson Stadium, the Tigers won Saturday, Oct. 2 over the Braintree Wamps 21-7. “The coaches worked us hard for this, and we played a good game as a whole,” Penn said.
With the score locked at 7-7 near the end of the first half, the Tigers’ drive advanced deep into Braintree territory. Junior Ryan Byrne threw a pass from the edge of the red zone to the right corner of the end zone. The throw was deflected by a receiver, but then caught by senior Alex D’Agostino. Byrne said the pass was intended for D’Agostino all along. Penn said, “It felt great to win. It was sort of a statement game that we weren’t going to give up and we came out harder and stronger than we had before,” he said. “We were much more enthusiastic.”
Golf adapts to new scoring, prepares for postseason Jacob Schwartz Golf, 9-3, is preparing itself for the two-part State Tournament Monday, which, unlike the regular season, will be played with stroke play rather than match play, according to coach Bob MacDougall. “Match play usually allows us to take more risks,” he said. “Since States is stroke play, they will have to think differently, and they can’t be as aggressive. “During our regular season, a double bogey wouldn’t hurt our score because it was match play, but in stroke play, a double bogey could completely destroy your scorecard,” MacDougall said. “We have to play smart golf. Eagles and birdies will come to us. We don’t have to go looking for them.” Senior Eric Regensberg, a captain with seniors T.J. Ryan and Mike Zegarelli, said, “During match play, if you mess up one hole, it doesn’t matter as much as in stroke play, where if you get a 10, and the other gets a four, it by
could ruin your whole game.” MacDougall said he was disappointed that only six of his players could participate in States. “If I could bring eight, that would be a lot easier.” The Tigers will participate in the Bay State Tournament Monday. To prepare, the team is working on swings and whatever skills the participating players are lacking, according to Regensberg. “We went to the driving range Wednesday to work on our swings, and that helped a lot.” At Needham, the Tigers won 58-50 Tuesday. “Needham played alright,” Regensberg said, “but we played much better. Our underclassmen played especially strongly.” The team has played in challenging weather conditions in the past few weeks, but MacDougall said that it has not affected the team. “Of course, we would prefer 80 degree weather, but we play in what we get,” he said. MacDougall said he knows
that if the team “plays its best, it can beat anyone. I know that we have exceptional talent.” At Brae Burn Country Club Monday Oct. 6, this was proven, he said, when the team defeated Wellesley, a team that came into the match undefeated, by a score of 60.5-47.5. “They’re an exceptional, excellent team,” he said. “However, I knew going into the match that we had talent as well.” Natick defeated the Tigers here Tuesday, Oct. 5, by a score of 60.5-47.5. MacDougall said Natick was probably more motivated than the Tigers. “Their beating us puts them one match away from qualifying for the Bay State Tournament. They were a more desperate team than us at that match,” MacDougall said. The team “shows good poise and the ability to compete,” MacDougall said. “We’re not affected by the pressure of tough matches the way we were at the beginning of the season.”
Teddy Wenneker
Against Natick: Seniors Ben Tack and T.J. Ryan discuss strategy for Tack’s upcoming putt Tuesday, Oct. 5.