v89i13 master

Newtonite ◆ Friday, Nov. 12, 2010 • Volume 89, Issue 13

Non-profit org.

US postage paid Newton, Mass.

Permit no. 55337

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

Juniors record homework time Hilary Brumberg To find out how much homework juniors are assigned each week and what percentage of it they do, history department head Jonathan Bassett, math teacher Dennis Klem and science teacher Jo-Anne Purdy conducted a survey of the junior class last April, according to Klem.

He said they surveyed juniors—rather than seniors, sophomores, or freshmen— because “junior year is a more intense, busier year.”

Bassett, Klem and Purdy gave the survey to 30 total classes: two randomly selected math, English, science, history and world language classes from each curriculum level, according to the PowerPoint presentation they made.

No teacher was sampled twice in the same curriculum level, the presentation explained.

Students were asked to record the percentage of assigned homework they usually complete in a week.

According to the presentation, of the 532 students surveyed, 66 percent reported completing 90 percent or more of their homework each week. Eleven percent of students reported completing 50 percent or less of their homework each week, which is “a relatively low percentage,” Purdy said.

In order to find out how much homework students with different course loads have, Bassett, Klem and Purdy chose five sample schedules: ◆ three honors/AP and two curriculum one ◆ one honors/AP and four curriculum one by

Proposal asks for lanes in caf Rebecca Harris To make cafeteria lines move faster, sophomore Winston Huang proposed at a Student Faculty Administration meeting Wednesday, Nov. 10, that a “fast lane” be created for those buying lunch with PIN accounts.

“It is clearly apparent that the current system of paying for lunch is tedious and time-consuming,” the proposal says.

“This process is exacerbated by the many students who pay cash. The five to 10 extra seconds it takes to hand back change quickly adds up in a high school with more than a thousand people.”

Huang said that he hoped the fast lane would both move by

faster than the current lines and encourage students to switch to the PIN system.

Principal Jennifer Price expressed support for the proposal, but wanted to make sure that a substantial number of students buy full-priced lunches with PIN accounts so that the fast lane doesn’t just become the free and reduced-price line.

She said she didn’t want students to see the line and think “that’s the line for kids who can’t afford to buy lunch,” and didn’t want to stigmatize or single out the students who receive free or reduced-price lunches.”

History and social sciences teacher Gregory Drake said that direct changes to cafeteria

policy were outside the SFA’s purview, but that the board could pass non-binding resolutions to suggest changes.

Also, the board elected Drake faculty co-chair and junior Allison Wu student co-chair.

At the board’s first meeting Wednesday, Nov. 3, Drake said that helping people settle into the new building will be a focus for the board this year.

Vice principal Deborah Holman said that “the old building was like the wild west,” citing student groups that met after school without faculty present.

Senior Jared Kalow said that the SFA should also discuss the policy against eating on Main Street in the new building.

Sample Students vs.homework Hours Spent on HW per Week Average hours of students with different Hours Spent on HW per Week

Gabe Dreyer

On the Quidditch field: Freshman Karen Douglas and senior Dana Gooley fight for the Quaffle during practice. See story on page 3.

◆ five curriculum one ◆ four curriculum one and one curriculum two ◆ one curriculum one and four curriculum two From the surveys, Bassett, Klem and Purdy calculated the median number of hours of homework per week students with each course reported having. See results below.

By dividing these numbers by five, Bassett, Klem and Purdy were able to find how many hours on average students spend on homework each night, according to the PowerPoint. They concluded that on average students with these sample schedules spend the following amount of time on homework per night: ◆ three honors/AP and two curriculum one: 3.55 hours ◆ one honors/AP and four curriculum one: 2.4 hours ◆ five curriculum one: 2.2 hours ◆ four curriculum one and one curriculum two: 1.8 hours ◆ one curriculum one and four curriculum two: 1.2 hours According to Klem, the intent of the survey was just to gather data—not to draw conclusions.

“We don’t want to tell people what to think,” he said.

“We are letting people come to conclusions themselves.

According to the PowerPoint presentation, a parent asked Klem how much time he believes his students spend on average on each homework assignment. He posed the question at a faculty meeting, at which point Bassett proposed they conduct a survey.

20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

course loads have per week

17.75

12

11 9 6

A (3,2,0)

B (1,4,0)

C (0,5,0)

D (0,4,1)

E (0,1,4)

Jonathan Bassett, Dennis Klem and Jo-Anne Purdy Sample Students

Key: (X,Y,Z)

X=number of honors/AP classes

Y=number of curriculum one classes

Z=number of curriculum two classes

City, State survey students to find health trends Gloria Li Newton Public Schools middle and high school students will take the Newton Youth Risk Behavior Survey (NYRBS) in November, according to Wellness Curriculum coordinator Gwen Smith.

Smith said NYRBS is “an anonymous survey, based on the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey and developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The Newton survey has slight modification by

to target health trends that are specific to Newton.

“The results are used by the Newton Health Department and the Newton School Department to develop and provide better prevention and intervention programs and curricula that addresses the health needs of the Newton community as well as to encourage students to practice healthy lifestyles,” she said.

NYRBS encompasses a wide range of topics, including

“tobacco and other drug use; issues of safety, bullying and other violence; body image, nutrition and physical activity; stress and connections and other general information,” according to Smith.

“In general, most all of the categories have improved slightly each year,” she said. “Those that did not improve are the red flags for us to put more effort and emphasis on with the community programming such as parent educational opportuni-

ties and the K-12 health emphasis in the curriculum.”

It is issued only to middle and high school students “because that is the age group where school aged children may be more exposed and need to focus on more healthy decision making about behaviors that may compromise their health,” Smith said.

After the results are collected and tabulated by a research group called Social Science Research & Evaluation,

the district Wellness committee analyzes the results of the data, Smith said. It discusses, plans and develops any necessary city wide educational and/ or programmatic, preventative strategies.

The results of the survey are posted on the Newton Health Department website.

“This information can lend some understanding of the current trends in Newton to parents and community outreach and youth programs,” Smith said.

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Too much homework could be detrimental Results of the Junior Homework Survey were made public at a faculty meeting Tuesday, Nov. 2.

The survey, conducted last year, asked members of the junior class how many hours they spend on homework each week.

editorial

The survey revealed a high, if not surprising, burden of work for juniors.

The survey gives credence to the claims of the overworked junior trying to juggle it all.

But the results immediately beg the question: What should be done with this data? What should be changed?

The committee of teachers who organized the survey sought to collect quantitative data concerning the amount of homework actually given to juniors.

The survey is significant in its goal of objectively assessing the homework load from the student perspective. Teachers may not realize how long an assignment takes to complete or the volume of work from other teachers. In general, students take five or six academic classes, not one.

Parents may be unaware of the extent of work or what percentage of work students complete. Only students see the big picture.

Another piece of that picture that only students really see is the time necessitated for extra-curricular activities. Sports teams and organizations like Theatre Ink involve students in highly demanding roles.

Athletes may practice 15 hours per week, and those involved in the theatre program often stay late every day after school to work on a production.

It is beneficial for this school to have these timeintensive programs, because programs such as these are what give the school life.

Extracurriculars provide an opportunity for students to be engaged with their peers outside of a traditional classroom setting. However, it can be a struggle for these students to balance a full course load on top of a demanding extra-curricular schedule.

Students should not have to choose whether they want to take a rigorous course load or be involved in school activities. Workloads at this school should be adjusted to make sure students have the

free time to engage in other activities.

Additionally, the survey only quantified the amount of homework done by those in up to three honors or AP classes. However, there are many students in this school who take up to five honors or AP classes, or take other additional classes outside of school.

Students may not fully understand what they are committing to when signing up for courses the previous spring. This data has the invaluable potential to help council students in selecting courses that will not overwhelm them.

No matter what students want to participate in outside of their given coursework, their homework should not impede them. Also, students who wish to take demanding courses should weigh carefully the potential of overloading themselves.

The results of the survey will hopefully provoke an honest dialogue between students, teachers and parents about the role of homework in students’ lives.

This survey should be the starting point, not the end, of a serious discussion about homework.

No need to pout about building Gabe Dreyer People may say that the new $197.5 million Newton North High School building was too “expensive,” the hallways are not wide enough, it is too long and the cafeteria is smaller than a studio apartment. Well, my response to these Negative Nancys and Downer Dans is this: these “drawbacks” of the new Newton North are nothing to pout about.

The concern of cost is a completely unnecessary and selfish notion. There are about 60,000 taxpaying citizens in Newton.

With a price tag of $197.5 milby

satire lion, and the state’s contribution of approximately one quarter of the cost, individuals could only have paid about $2,500 each. What else can one really buy with that money? A vacation? No one actually needs a vacation—in fact—with the new athletic facilities, including a pool and high-tech fitness center, hanging around Newton North during the winter holidays would almost be a vacation in and of itself. You could even top it off with a lovely dining

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 Perez-Dietz 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, 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, 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.

experience in the Tiger’s Loft. I recommend the coffee cake. It’s quite delectable.

As for the cramped quarters, we will build and strengthen social connections, as students who may have never spoken to one another get tossed around in the hallways, bumping elbows and tripping into lockers from the cramped corridors on the third floor. Students sitting on each other’s laps in the cafeteria on a rainy day will become closer to each other, as well as their lunches, which spill over backpacks, PB&Js flying in the air and apples rolling on the ground.

“The school’s too long,” one might quip. Well, my response to that is exercise. Childhood obesity is a growing concern of Americans today, and what is a better cure for that issue than running up four flights of stairs and down a question markshaped hallway in under five minutes, just so you can make it from B-block P.E. to C-block math in 466 on time?

Within the first month of being a junior, I have personally seen much improvement in my hamstring and gluteus muscle regions, simply from trekking around the school.

In conclusion, the whiners and complainers of the troubles we have come across in the new building have provided reasons that are out of complete and utter jejunity. They are not stopping to realize both sides of the situation. Who really cares if we face significant overcrowding in the next few years? We can’t fret on these small problems because if we do, we will lose our wonderful sense of Tiger Pride. And without Tiger Pride, we cannot beat Brookline on Thanksgiving—the obvious reason that we constructed this expensive new school to begin with.

Gabe Dreyer

On Main Street: Students shuffle around aimlessly before A-block Monday.

Digital notes foster strong study habits Ben Hills Many times, I have asked my teachers if I can take notes for class on my computer. The answer is just simply “no.” Frustrated, I started to contemplate possible reasons as to why a teacher wouldn’t want his or her students to take notes on their electronic devices. by

column The first possibility is that the student wouldn’t actually be taking notes. Yes, it is true, the student could possibly be playing games or checking his or her e-mail while taking notes. But how is that any more distracting than said student hand writing notes while doodling, doing homework for another class or just gazing into space?

Maybe the teacher simply doesn’t trust that the notes won’t be “as good” as handwritten notes. For me, I like to be organized, especially with my notes and papers. It is extremely difficult to organize handwritten notes.

When a teacher starts with one topic, then goes on a tangent to another topic, then back to the original topic, it is impossible to keep your notes organized by topic while hand writing your notes. On a computer, you could easily do this task.

Once, a teacher told me that

it’s scientifically been proven that when you write something, you absorb information better than just listening or typing.

While this may be true, I never look at handwritten notes to study. I just don’t do it. Due to the extreme disorganization, and my illegible handwriting, I just can’t study from my notes.

I know that if my notes were typed up, I would study them prior to a test. I would be able to read them, could organize them in any way I wanted to, and could even create some sort of review sheet if need be.

So really, what is the downside to letting us take notes on a computer versus handwritten notes? If students were allowed to take notes on computers, all it would do would allow us to stay more organized and study more efficiently.

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, Nov. 12, 2010

New club team brings fantasy sport to life Malini Gandhi Typical Quidditch Team practices seem almost identical to those of any other sport, with breathless, rosycheeked students sprinting down the field and mesh bags filled with colorful balls strewn across the grass.

But there is one obvious difference—these students clutch broomsticks between their legs.

Like many aspects of the worldwide phenomenon of Harry Potter, Quidditch, the wizard sport played on broomstick, has been enthusiastically adopted by the “non-magical” world.

According to senior Dana Gooley, a captain along with senior Spencer Alton, it was an opportunity North could not miss out on.

“The idea was sparked when I was walking home from school with Spencer, and we were talking about how other colleges and high schools had Quidditch teams,” Gooley said. “It seemed like such an appropriate thing, since there are so many Harry Potter fans here.”

Quidditch is a combination of soccer and rugby. Points are scored by a team’s three Chasers, who try to throw the Quaffle (a volleyball), into one of the other team’s three hoops situated at the end of the field, according to the International Quidditch Association Rulebook.

Meanwhile, the Chasers must evade the Beaters, who attempt to temporarily knock players out of the game by throwing Bludgers (dodge balls) at them.

According to Gooley, one of the most exciting aspects of the game is the Golden Snitch, a neutral person who runs around trying to avoid capture by each team’s Seeker through any means, however crazy.

“The Golden Snitch basically just does anything he can to embarrass and evade the Seekers,” Gooley said.

The game ends when the Snitch is caught by one of the Seekers, awarding that team an additional 30 points, according to the rulebook.

“Quidditch is a great sport—we’re really learning while we’re teaching,” Gooley said.

“Our goal is to create an open, fun group environment so that kids who are not super athletic can still get the motivation and spirit that comes with being part of a team.”

Alton also stressed that the team is very “fun-oriented.”

“It’s good to be competitive, but we shouldn’t sacrifice fun for competitiveness,” he said.

According to Alton, the team is looking for other high school Quidditch teams in the area in order to arrange a season of matches for the spring. But currently, the students are working on drills and scrimmaging during their practices Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, as well as organizing fundraisers, he said.

“The goal for this season is really to establish ourselves,” Alton said. “It’s an experimental year, and we are going to see how it pans out. People are really excited.” by

Lead in goes here: Sophomore Ryne Duffy

Gabe Dreyer

Gabe Dreyer

Bludgers and Quaffles: Senior Rebecca Engelke and sophomore Ryne Duffy practice for the Quidditch Team.

Two seniors began the team this year to play the sport based on a magical game from the Harry Potter series.

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

Debaters participate in first tournament

Julia Oran Eight members of this school’s debate team participated in its first tournament at Dighton-Rehoboth, according to junior Abby Holtzmann, a captain with sophomore Jordan Ecker.

The tournament, which was against Brookline High School, Needham High School and Sacred Heart, was held Saturday, Oct. 23.

It was comprised of two types of debate: public forum debate, which involves partners, and Lincoln-Douglas, which is done individually. The topic for public forum was NATO in Afghanistan and the subjects for LincolnDouglas were nuclear weapons and civil disobedience.

At tournaments, there are four rounds and finalists go onto a fifth round, she said.

Holtzman won a trophy for coming in second for varsity Lincoln-Douglas, which was a big deal for the underdog team, she said.

She said she thinks the debate was a good experience, especially for the students who had never competed in a debate before.

Although the team is “warming up” and getting ready to take on more challenging teams, Holtzman said the team is still looking for a coach. Without a faculty member overseeing the team, it is not allowed to practice in the building, according to school policy. Despite missing an adviser, Holtzman said, the debate team is preparing for its next tournament, which will be Saturday, Nov. 20 by

in brief Team prepares for Science Olympiad

Ryan Condon After a slow start to this season, the science team is working hard to improve its performance, according to science teacher Barbara Gibson, the adviser.

Thursday, Oct. 14, the Tigers competed in a West Suburban Science League (WSSL) tournament, placing 11th, Gibson said.

These tournaments take place every month until February and cover all areas of science, including chemistry and biology.

According to Gibson, the results weren’t “up to par,” but the Tigers are not too discouraged because WSSL tournaments aren’t the team’s main focus.

“They are really just an opportunity for new members to experience a competition,” she said.

In March, the Tigers will compete in the Science Olympiad with 40 other schools. The Olympiad is “part build ahead, part study ahead,” said Gibson, which means that sometimes competitors have to answer questions and sometimes they have to build projects. Last year the team came in second at the Olympiad.

The club’s president is senior Helen Gao, and the vice president is junior Young Guang.

The team’s captains for WSSL are senior Patrick Triest for build aheads and Gao for study aheads. ◆Ned Martenis contributed to this article. by

Koffman & Dreyer

Attorneys at Law 85 Cabot Street Newton, MA 617-965-9525 www.koffmandreyer.com

Real Estate Matters

house and condo purchases/sales condominium conversions ownership dispute resolution

Joan A. Koffman

Nancy R. Dreyer

Go Tigers! Beat Brookline!

arts

4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

‘Skin of Our Teeth’ opens theatre season Kate Lewis “The Skin of Our Teeth” by Thornton Wilder opened Theatre Ink’s 2010-2011 season, playing Thursday, Nov. 4 through Saturday, Nov. 6 in the auditorium under the direction of seniors Aviva Galpert and Edan Laniado. by

review The play grappled with several themes, such as family values, gender roles and the nature of humanity. Humanity, in this case, was represented by the Antrobus family, whose members have not aged since the dawn of time.

At first, the Antrobuses appeared to be a typical American family. Yet, several inconsistencies over the course of the first act make it obvious that they are far from normal. Such inconsistencies include their pet dinosaur and pet mammoth and their historical houseguests, such as the Muses and the blind poet, Homer.

Furthermore, several allusions were made to compare Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus, played respectively by junior Caleb Bromberg and senior Linda Bard, to the Biblical Adam and Eve. Their son Henry served as a parallel to Adam and Eve’s son, Cain.

Henry, played by junior Sam BellGurwitz, appeared as a helpless child, loathed by his father and upstaged by his “perfect” sister, Gladys, played by sophomore Eliza Burr.

Henry’s desperation for approval and eventual isolation from his family would become a major conflict over the course of the show.

Early on, further conflict arose between the family’s matriarch, Mrs. Antrobus, and the housemaid, Sabina, played

by Madeline Murphy, a sophomore.

Mrs. Antrobus, a plain yet fiercely dedicated housewife, and the dramatic and beautiful Sabina served as foils to each other, frequently arguing over what it truly means to be a woman.

In an early scene in Act I, Sabina chastised Mrs. Antrobus for sacrificing her femininity for her family.

“You are not a beautiful woman,” Sabina snapped at Mrs. Antrobus.

Though Sabina was clearly the more physically attractive of the two women, Mrs. Antrobus ended up being the driving force of the scenes to come. Her character, though sometimes cold and angry, left a strong impression.

Towards the end of the second act, as a storm that would put an end to the world approached, Bard took center stage and delivered a powerful monologue, her intensity highlighted by dark lighting and ominous sounds of thunder and rain.

“We’re not what books and plays say we are. We’re not what advertisements say we are. We’re not in the movies, and we’re not on the radio,” she said, denouncing society’s superficial expectations of women and justifying her domi-

neering nature over her family.

Mrs. Antrobus’s character required an adept actor willing to take on a difficult and multifaceted role, and Bard truly delivered in this aspect.

Another scene-stealer was sophomore Anna Nemetz, who played a fortune teller at the Atlantic City boardwalk. She strutted across the stage as she delivered a powerful soliloquoy, commenting on the action of the Antrobuses’ lives and foreseeing their future.

With a thick Polish accent and high energy, Nemetz commanded attention, even though she only appeared in the second act of the show.

Towards the end of her soliloquoy, when her mood became dark and she foresaw the coming of the storm, the audience understood that the end was near, a fact denied by the characters.

From the beginning, “The Skin of Our Teeth” was established as a play-withina-play, with the actors sometimes breaking character to voice their opinions on the show, giving it a satirical spin.

Though the intent was to separate the action of the play from reality and provide comic relief, the “play-withina-play” moments often seemed out of place with the other scenes and tended to detract from the well-played intense moments.

For example, when Bell-Gurwitz entered in Act III, Henry had undergone a shocking evolution from a meek, despised child to a hardened war general and an enemy to the Antrobus family.

Bell-Gurwitz played this character with captivating energy, angrily rejecting the family that once rejected him.

In a particularly intense moment, he went head-to-head with the father who spurned him, ending in a physical confrontation.

However, the re-introduction of the “play-within-a-play” changed the scene’s mood almost instantly and cast a light on the scene that almost negated this powerful performance. It felt almost wrong to laugh after watching such a dramatic moment.

Costumes, designed by senior Anna Gargas, junior Gabbi Morgenstern and freshman Sophie Sokolov, included simple outfits in the style of the 1940s and large earth-toned outfits for the dinosaur and mammoth.

The costume designers clearly used thoughtful color choice in their designs—the Antrobus family was typically outfitted in blue and yellow, while outsiders, such as the conveners on the boardwalk and eventually Henry, wore black, gray and red.

Sabina also wore this color scheme, to especially highlight her isolation from and antagonism towards the Antrobus family unit.

The extravagant set, designed by sophomore Amalia Sweet, rotated between acts from the Antrobuses’ home to the Atlantic City boardwalk and back again. This multidimensional set made the stage crew’s hard work evident.

Gaby Perez-Dietz

Protecting his daughter: In the opening scene, Gladys Antrobus, played by sophomore Eliza Burr, clings to her father, George Antrobus, played by junior Caleb Bromberg.

Gaby Perez-Dietz

“All sixes and sevens”: Sophomore Madeline Murphy, as Sabina, delivers a monologue to open the play.

Sophomore Phoebe Arteaga designed the lights, which were used skillfully during the second act to depict an impending storm. Throughout the act, the lights slowly dimmed to black, showing a severe storm.

To portray lightning, Arteaga decided to use a penetrating flashing light at the same time that thunder sounded. This made the storm feel incredibly close and realistic to the audience.

Altogether, strong performances from talented student actors and hard work on the part of stage crew made “The Skin of Our Teeth” a solid performance to inaugurate the new building’s stage.

Gaby Perez-Dietz

Mother and son: Mrs. Antrobus, played by senior Linda Bard, comforts her son Henry, played by junior Sam Bell-Gurwitz, during the first act.

Gaby Perez-Dietz

The news of the world: Freshman Will Champion, as the announcer, introduces the play’s characters.

arts

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Jackie Comstock

Kara Cochran

On display: Senior Kara Cochran and junior Jackie Comstock are two of 15 students from this school with work on display at the Massachusetts Transportation Building photography exhibit. Over 25 schools are represented at the state-wide exhibit, which is open until Wednesday, Nov. 24.

Student work shown at photo exhibition Perrin Stein Hanging on the walls of the Massachusetts Transportation Building are over 250 photographs taken by high school students from this state.

The exhibit shows the breadth of techniques that students learn in photography classes and displays students’ talent. It began Monday, Oct. 25 and will continue until Wednesday, Nov. 24. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

For the past two years, the New England Art Education Conference (N.E.A.E.C) has organized this exhibit.

Along with running this exhibit, the N.E.A.E.C runs the Boston Scholastic Art Awards in the spring in order to “improve and sustain art education in Massachusetts and other New England states.”

One of the most interesting photos on display was senior Emma Hyde’s “Cognitive Dissonance.” The photograph, which was manipulated digitally, disby

plays a girl smoking.

Only the girl’s face and scarf are clearly visible because they are white, while everything around her is black, or not displayed in the photo. Hyde digitally altered the coloring in order to have an eerily surreal light coming off of the girl’s face. The smoke from the cigarette takes the form of a skull, and it’s bluish-green, which adds to the dreamlike quality of the photo.

The photo clearly shows cognitive dissonance, which is the sensation of holding conflicting ideas in one’s head simultaneously. The girl appears peacefully serene, while the skull represents death, which is not a serene thought.

Using an interesting camera angle, senior Kat Blyum brings attention to interesting aspects of a typical street in her photo “Streets of Gold.”

The camera is positioned on the ground looking up, so the pavement is in the foreground,

while the background shows electric wires and houses. This angle allows the viewer to see what can be seen from the middle of a street.

In the foreground, the camera’s proximity to the street highlights the pavement’s texture and the median lines in the middle of the road. The items in the background appear much smaller than the median lines and pieces of gravel, even though they are obviously much larger in reality.

The photo is interesting because Blyum focuses on median lines, something that people hardly ever think about. In fact, the things that people do think about, like houses and street signs, are so small that the viewer has to look carefully to see them. Through this photograph, Blyum skews the viewer’s idea of what’s important.

Junior Sam Schwamm has three photos on display under the title “Music, Dreams, Family.” Each one of his photos

alludes to one of these themes through clever digital manipulation.

The first photo shows only the black and white torso of a boy, who is sitting in a chair.

Schwamm’s choice to frame the photo this way draws the viewer’s attention to the boy’s chest. On the boy’s chest is a collage of music albums, which all appear in full color. Each album is quite small, so the viewer has to look closely in order to tell what each album is.

It is very difficult to tell what is going on in the second photo, but after a close look, it becomes clear that the boy is lying on a bed. Once again, only his torso is visible. This time the photos superimposed on his chest are of otherworldly places, where dreams might take place. The idea of dreams is also reinforced by the fact that the boy is laying down on a bed.

For the theme of family, Schwamm placed the boy in the chair again, but this time he is

facing right instead of left. The images on his chest are of the same people at different ages and places. It can be presumed that these people are the boy’s relatives.

“Dylan at the Park” is a black and white photo taken by senior Ethan Ansel-Kelly. The photo is taken from the sidewalk across the street from Burr Park. It shows a boy skateboarding up the driveway of the park.

Because the photo is taken from far away, the boy is small, and it’s impossible to understand anything about him except that he is skateboarding.

This allows the viewer to pay attention to other aspects of the photography such as the building that displays the words Burr Park and the wrought iron fence on either side of the driveway.

Photography on display at the Massachusetts Transportation Building exhibits a variety of interesting techniques, and it shows the talent of high school students throughout the state.

Six musical ensembles to perform in Harvestfests Gloria Li Six of this school’s musical ensembles will participate in Harvestfest I and II Wednesday, Nov. 17 and Thursday, Nov. 18, according to fine and performing arts department head Todd Young.

Jubilee Singers, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will perform Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. The other ensembles will perform Thursday.

According to director Sheldon Reid, Jubilee Singers will be performing Reid’s arrangements of traditional songs “Amazing Grace” and “Hold On,” as well as “Psalm 23,” a song performed by the group every year.

Reid chose “Amazing Grace” for this concert because “it’s rhythmically and harmonically complex and forces the singers to learn the fundamentals of singing together as a group,” he said.

Members of the group requested to perform “Hold On” after hearing a gospel choir from Harvard College, also directed by Reid, the Kuumba singers, perform it.

Symphonic Band will perform three pieces, “Variation Overture” by Cliffton Williams, “Welsh Rhapsody” by James Currnow and “Kronos” by Robert W. Smith, said Richard Labedz, the director.

“Variation Overture” was by

Teddy Wenneker

Wind Ensemble: Senior Patrick Triest practices for Harvestfest, the first of three all-school concerts this year.

chosen to open the set because “it ends on an exciting note, offering many different moods,” Labedz said.

“Welsh Rhapsody,” on the other hand, “is a nice lyrical piece with more open and exposed, individualized playing parts and solos,” Labedz said.

Wind Ensemble, also directed

by Labedz, will be performing three pieces as well: “Americans We” by Henry Fillmore, “Variations On a Korean Folk Song”

by John Barnes Chance and “Among the Clouds” by Brian Balmages.

According to Labedz, “Americans We” was chosen for Wind Ensemble because it honors traditional march music.

“Variations on a Korean Folk Song” will be the only piece performed by Wind Ensemble that is not of American origin.

“It has different permutations of how the same melody can be treated and developed,” Labedz said.

“Among the Clouds” is “a contemporary piece that has the cutting edge literature of our band,” Labedz said.

At Harvestfest II the following evening, Concert Choir will sing “Down to the River to Pray” arranged by Sheldon Curry, “Ashokan Farewell” arranged

by Carole Stephens, “The Storm is Passing Over” arranged by Barbara W. Baker, and finish up with “Good Night” by the

Beatles.

Young chose “The Storm is Passing Over” because “it consists of quality literature, and I feel that it is a good place to begin the year.”

This is Young’s first year directing Concert Choir. “It’s both challenging and rewarding,” he said.

Family Singers will perform “Strike It Up” by Thomas Weelkes, “Romances and Ballads”

by John Anderson and Robert Schumann, “Caution” by William Schuman and “O Praise the Lord, All the Nation” by Laudate Johoram Omnes Gentes, said director Adam Grossman.

The last piece will be a spoken piece called “Geographical Fugue” by Ernst Toch.

Orchestra will be performing three instrumental pieces: “Overture and Dances” from George Handel’s “Theodora,” “Air” by Norman Dello Joio and Haydn’s “Symphony No. 104,” Grossman said.

A baroque piece, “Overture and Dances” will be performed first because it is “a lively piece that shows their abilities,” Grossman said.

According to Grossman, “Air” is a piece with “a slow, sustained melody” that contrasts with the Handel piece.

A suggested donation of $5 is asked for at the door, in order to benefit the fine and performing arts programs at this school.

advertisements

6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Local and proud of it!

“Thinking is the hardest work there is...”

—Henry Ford

...but thinking about which bank to choose is easy: The Village Bank.

Auburndale • Newton Highlands • Newtonville Nonantum • Waban • Wayland • West Newton www.village–bank.com • 617-527-6090 Customer Care Center 617-969-4300

ICE CREAM & RESTAURANT

An old fashioned Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant Serving Newton since 1969 One scoop at a time...

743 Washington Street, Newtonville, MA 02460 617-964-9200 www.cabots.com

Member FDIC Member SIF

Habits for a Lifetime of Health

x 7.25" Newton North

Newton-Wellesley Hospital encourages you to develop healthy habits.

Eat a balanced diet • Keep active • Stay smoke free www.nwh.org

Advertise in the Newtonite! Call 617-559-6400 ext. 454443

features

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

Teachers express opinions on SparkNotes Fatema Zaidi Crunched with time, the boy rushes to his computer and goes on the Internet.

Where is the student going?

After hours of trying to trek through a difficult book, he found it necessary to use SparkNotes to guide him.

But English teachers have a variety of different opinions about whether SparkNotes is a valuable tool for students.

Nick Grant said that he has no problem with kids using SparkNotes.

“When do kids need to use SparkNotes? For Shakespeare,” he said. “The language is difficult and students need to know what the heck it means. All it gives is the plot narrative, characters and settings. That’s just a start. The real work is done in class.”

Grant said that when he was a boy, he used a book by Charles and Mary Lamb called Tales from Shakespeare.

“It was famous and they were prose versions of the plays. My teacher recommended we use it,” he said. “Then we could have some prior understanding and tackle the difficult bits. By difficult bits, I’m talking about the language, the choices characters make, and the meaning intended by the playwright.

“You’re not going to get that from SparkNotes or Lamb’s stories.

“It’s all learning, but SparkNotes is just the beginning—it’s the tip of the iceberg.”

According to Grant, students should first ask their parents as a resource when they don’t understand the book.

“I vividly remember when I was in 10th grade, we had to explain the meaning of “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning.

My dad taught me that poem, and I still remember mostly everything he said. That learning experience was just as good as any learning experience I was going to get from my teacher,” Grant explained.

SparkNotes did not exist when Grant was younger, he said, but he used CliffNotes and Monarch Notes instead.

“And I must admit, I almost feel like a hypocrite saying ‘don’t use study guides’ because I did,” he added.

“I stress that we all learn from different things,” he said. “You can learn from Sunday Comics.

I read a lot of book reviews in The Boston Globe or The New York Times and then I have an opinion on a book that I’ve never read before. Is it wrong for me to talk about a book or movie I know a bit about but haven’t read or seen? So I really have no problem with it.”

Alicia Carrillo said she believes that SparkNotes has its advantages and its disadvantages.

Although it is a tempting resource, she knows that “students can come up with a lot by

of the material they find on SparkNotes on their own if they try,” she said.

Carrillo said she also runs into problems from time-to-time with plagiarism and copying.

“Sometimes when I read papers, I see SparkNotes-like ideas from students,” she said.

“Turnitin.com allows for a greater monitoring of sites like SparkNotes if the students blatantly copy something, but it’s not 100 percent effective,” she said.

But she said that there are positive aspects to it as well.

“Students who have been out from school with a long term illness can use SparkNotes to catch up on reading,” said Carrillo.

“Also, students whose cognitive abilities are limited can use it to help them access a deep text like The Scarlet Letter.”

Mary Palisoul said she thinks that SparkNotes can be helpful in addition to the text, but it should not be relied on.

“In some cases, it can be helpful for a student who really struggles with language to use SparkNotes as a supplemental resource, rather than a substitute for actually reading a text,” Palisoul said.

According to Palisoul, once a student becomes dependent on SparkNotes, then a problem can arise.

“Relying on SparkNotes as a supplement can be disempowering for students—they may start to believe they can’t read or understand a text without SparkNotes,” she said.

“Understanding difficult language and texts can be a challenge, but it is also an important skill students need to learn in order to prepare themselves for the ‘real world,’” Palisoul said.

Tom Fabian said he thinks

that SparkNotes can be helpful, but the information the site contains is not what he is generally after as an English teacher.

“I’m interested in the ways that students understand and process language and how it is used,” Fabian said.

“I guess my first question would be what resource would you need other than the book?

If a student doesn’t understand what’s going on, then there is a problem, and the student should go to the teacher,” he said.

In his opinion, teachers should give assignments that make SparkNotes beside the point.

“If I give an assignment that asked merely what happened, then SparkNotes gives that information, but I don’t give assignments like that,” Fabian said.

“For example, Romeo and Juliet is not just about what happened, it’s also about the language,” he said.

Jim Lallas said he would never recommend for students to go to SparkNotes.

“I would recommend going to Harold Bloom, a critic, rather than going to SparkNotes,” Lallas said.

“For the principal reading, I actually suggest students to not go to SparkNotes because I believe them to be inaccurate and misleading,” he said.

Janice Miller has a similar opinion to Lallas.

“I hate SparkNotes,” Miller said. “I have two nieces in college, but when they were in high school, I used to complain to them about it, and they told me it was helpful as a study guide for complicated books.

“But as a teacher, I see it as such a temptation for students to not read the book and use it as a replacement. And then

180 students of all grades were surveyed last week about their use of SparkNotes or other reference websites.

How do you use SparkNotes?

Not at All In Addition to Reading a Text

34%

16%

Instead of Reading a Text

50%

Do you believe students should be allowed to use SparkNotes as a reference tool?

16%

No Yes

84% there are some students who read the book lightly and use SparkNotes afterwards, leading to a weak or flat understanding of the text.

“It hurts them because they can’t approach the book through their own imagination, so they don’t get any practice learning how to become strong readers.”

According to Miller, strug-

Catherine Chen

Some students believe they should be allowed to use SparkNotes as a reference tool.

gling with a difficult book is part of being a good reader.

“Sometimes I pick up a new, challenging book and ask them to read it. Part of it is for them to learn to tell themselves that it is okay not to understand all of it,” she said.

It can also be dangerous because then plagiarism becomes a problem, Miller said.

“SparkNotes comes up in students’ work and then I catch it,” she said. “And then they get punished for plagiarism.”

But SparkNotes can also be hurtful in a subtle way, she said.

“In the short run, it’s helpful because they can answer questions in class, but in the long run, students don’t do well on essays because they need textual evidence, and if the students use SparkNotes, then they can’t find what they need,” Miller said.

She also said she believes students should consult each other with questions, rather than SparkNotes.

“I think they should bring their questions to class because other students are a big resource they overlook,” she said.

A c c o r d i n g t o M i l l e r, SparkNotes has become more available, and that availability has changed the habits of students.

“I don’t think the content of SparkNotes has changed over the years, but it is much easier to get to,” she said. ◆ Jacob Brunell contributed to this coverage.

Presentations on campus focus on gender identity Meredith Abrams To commemorate the victims of anti-transgender hate crimes, this school sponsored presentations for the Transgender Day of Remembrance, said junior Madeleine Aquilina, an officer of the Gay/Straight Alliance.

of anti-transgender violence.

“This year, especially in light of all of the suicides by gay teens, it was a good opportunity for remembrance and education,” Aquilina said.

The B-block presentation in the film lecture hall showed parts of the HBO movie Middle Sexes: on campus Redefining He and She. “It examines how different Aquilina said the Gay/Straight cultures look at people of differAlliance sponsored the event Fri- ent gender identities,” Aquilina day, Nov. 5, to honor the victims said. “It focuses on the stories by

of a transgender man and two transgender women.

“It discussed transgender people, but also the gender spectrum, and how there’s lots of variation,” she said.

During the other presentation, E-block in the little theatre, Jason Cameron Gordon ’10, and Liv Pangburn ’09, spoke about their experiences as transgender teens.

“I didn’t know what people were saying about me,” Pangburn

said. “Walking down Main Street was terrifying.

“But my friends were always really supportive,” he said. “I think I had a pretty good time of it.

“When I came out to my family about six months ago, my mom was really great about it—my family is very open-minded.”

Gordon said that when he came out to his family it was quite different. “Both my parents are deceased, so I was living with

my grandmother at the time,” he said.

“She kicked me out.” He was 16 at the time.

He said his friends, however, were supportive. “I’m still friends with most of them.”

Of his experience in high school overall, Gordon said, “The easy thing to say is that it gets better, but I won’t say that because I don’t know. What I will say is that you will get stronger as a person.”

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, N

courtesy Linda Barisano

Seniors Ben Clark, Kevin Barisano and Isaiah Penn, the captains.

Four years of preparation leads up to one last game Four years have come and are now almost gone. This senior class, in particular the 11 of us that have stuck it out for all four years, have truly seen it all.

guest column Schools, fields and coaches have changed. Teammates and friends have been suspended, quit and returned. Others have been charged with a variety of crimes and one has tragically died.

We will never forget walking to Cabot every day (often in the rain) carrying 15 pounds of equipment and then being told to sprint and do up downs when we arrived.

It begs the question of why we subject ourselves to something so physically demanding day in and day out.

Thirty-five kids played that first year, a number that has gradually decreased as time has passed. The “what-ifs” and “could-haves” are gone. What’s left are guys who care and respect each other enough to endure what we have gone through together.

Our perspective of each other goes beyond friendship or the team itself. It’s something that only those who have played football for their town can understand. It’s special. It’s real.

Without a win our first 10 games of freshman year, we were motivated to rise to the occasion for our last. The four captains of varsity that year—Kyle Ross, E.J. Metallides, Giovanne Clayborne and Diya Berger—came into our locker room that week, and introduced us to the significance of the Brookline game.

We learned then, almost instantly, why we played football at Newton North. It was to beat Brookline, not only for ourselves, but for our families, our town and everyone who had worn that uniform before us.

Sophomore year, with the loss of key players, the varsity team struggled. As we joined the squad on the other side of Cabot field, many of us went through the grind of serving on the scout team and playing in junior varsity games. We found little

reward in a year that was so hard. It tested our commitment and our willingness to sacrifice. The losing hurt but the pain we felt together made us stronger. We finished 3-8, and watched from the sidelines as Troy Peterson and Derrick Vianna combined for 200 yards rushing in a thrilling triple overtime win in Brookline.

Last year we did not beat Brookline. At 5-5 we lost to an 0-10 Warriors team with no more than 30 players on the roster. To this day, kids come up to us and laugh at how we failed. It hurts us, of course, but our hearts ache for last year’s seniors.

Many of us feel like we failed them, let down our families and embarrassed our town. It is a sickening feeling—one that will never go away.

We have had no time to feel bad for ourselves. Senior year has flown by. It seems like just a few days ago we were standing at the library window of the old school, staring in awe at the incomplete stadium. And now the season, and with it our careers, is coming to a close. We have one game left: Brookline.

We have been a part of tremendous joy and horrifying devastation in our careers here at Newton North. As we’ve grown ,we’ve began to realize that Brookline is our rival for a serious reason. It is our last game. The game we’ve been waiting for.

Both teams push themselves as hard as they can simply because they know it will be their last time to strap on the pads. It all comes down to what Cappy has pounded into our heads: “How do you want to be remembered?”

Through the last three years, Coach Cappy has been a father-figure in guiding us through everything. He is part of us.

Cappy, Carl Pockwinse and Chris Drakos, have been here longer than any of us have been alive. If nothing else, we have worked for four years to have a winning season for these people. When we win on Thanksgiving, it will be for Scott Giusti, Berto Castillo and the rest of the ’10 players, for our entire coaching staff, for our town and for our families. We will win on Thanksgiving for them.

—Kevin Barisano ’11 and Ben Clark ’11.

Gabe Dreyer

Block: Junior Brendan Fagan, a guard, protects the quarterback from Natick’s defensive line.

Gabe Dreyer

On the run: Senior Alex D’Agostino, playing Blitzing the quarterbac apply pressure to Natick quarterback, looks for an open receiver.

Nov. 12, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9

Football prepares for 117th Brookline game ever play. Many people remember experiences by how they end, so this game is very important to us.”

Although the Tigers have a better record than the Warriors this season, the records for the Thanksgiving Game are close. The Tigers are currently in the lead with 55 wins. Brookline is close behind, with 53 wins. There have been six ties.

“The cliché is that the record going into that game doesn’t matter,” Capodilupo said. “You don’t have to be better than a team for a year, a month, a day or even an hour. You just need to be better for 48 minutes, and then you can say you were better than them forever.”

Clark said, “Last year they were 0-10 and still beat us. Anything can happen.

“Hopefully we can win and start a trend this year.

“It’s definitely looking up this year.

We’ve got so many underclassmen starting.

Also, the Newton Pop-Warner team, which prepares players for high school football has gotten better in the past few years.”

The Tigers travel to Framingham tonight to face the Flyers under the lights.

“They throw the ball very well,” Capodilupo said. “The fact that it’s a night game and that they get a great turnout at their field will make it a challenge. Even Napoleon had some trouble winning on the road.”

Natick defeated the Tigers 48-6 Saturday, Nov. 6 at Dickinson Stadium.

Warriors working hard, inspired by ’09 victory

by Rose LaPlante Brookline Sagamore Managing Writing Editor Brookline is eagerly anticipating the annual Thanksgiving Brookline-Newton North football game as a way to finish off their season strong.

guest column The team currently holds a 1-8 record.

Captain junior Jonah Morgenstern-Gaines said, “For our skill level, it’s been disappointing.” But, he added, “We’ve worked hard.”

This past season the team got a new coach, Kevin Mahoney. MorgensternGaines said of Mahoney, “he really inspires the players.”

Despite having a losing record this year, Mahoney said that his goal for the team this year was to allow them to represent more than themselves when they are out on the field.

TriAngles Salon

G Be o T at i g Br ers oo ! kli ne !

Jacob Schwartz In pursuit of revenge and glory, the Tigers, 4-5, host Brookline, 1-8, on senior day in the annual Thanksgiving Game Thursday, Nov. 25, at 10 a.m.

Senior Ben Clark, a captain with seniors Kevin Barisano and Isaiah Penn, said the memory of last year’s Thanksgiving Game has stayed in his mind since the Tigers were defeated 18-6 at Brookline.

“We’ll never forget watching from the sidelines in disappointment as they celebrated,” he said. “This year, they’re a small group. They don’t have much more than 30 kids, but they’re fast and athletic.”

Throughout its 117-year history, the Thanksgiving Game has been a meaningful event for both competing sides.

Clark recalled that when he was a little kid, he “always went to the Brookline game. I remember going to the old Dickinson Stadium, covered in snow some years, and looking up to all those guys who were playing,” he said.

“And now, those guys are us.”

Coach Peter Capodilupo said the game “is one that transcends generations. It’s one of the oldest games in the state.

Uncles, fathers and grandpas of players on the team have played in the same Thanksgiving Game over the years.”

“A lot of emotion goes into the game,” Capodilupo said, “because for 95 percent of the seniors playing, this is probably the last organized game of football they will by

132 River Street West Newton, MA 02465 617-527-5889 Open Until 9 p.M.

Alison Bryson

American Board Certified Haircolorist

“We really need them to have pride that they are representing the town of Brookline, all their peers and the blue and red,” he said.

The team is hoping to improve upon the season so far in today’s game against Weymouth and at the Thanksgiving rivalry game.

“We’re looking to get back on track with these last few games,” said senior Jack Livingston, a captain. The team can use last year’s game Thanksgiving game, which they won, for inspiration.

“We were really happy with last year’s result,” said Morgenstern-Gaines. “We came into the game with a goal that we were going to win no matter what it took.”

As for this year, Morgenstern-Gaines said, “I hope that our team will come in with the same mentality to win.”

Livingston thought BHS and Newton North were at similar levels going into the game, so a win for BHS is definitely possible.

The colors of autumn create a warm, inviting backdrop that blends cool evenings with great food and libation shared at home among family and friends. If you are in the market for a new residence for those harmonious evenings, allow us to assist. We are members of the Sotheby’s International Realty Network® and take great pride in artfully uniting extraordinary homes with extraordinary lives.

Margie Kern & Margaret Szerlip

• Margie - 617.686.0981 Margaret - 617.921.6860 • margie.kern@sothebysrealty.com; margaret.szerlip@sothebysrealty.com Karp, Liberman & Kern Sotheby’s International Realty • 391 Langley Rd., Newton Centre, www.karplibermankernSIR.com

Congratulations to Varsity Girls’ Volleyball on an excellent season!

Gabe Dreyer

ck: Sophomore Andrew James and junior Nate Menninger, both defensive ends, k’s offensive attack.

advertisement

10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

embracing lifelong learning

Mary McManus - Literary Specialist McManus remembers that Mr. Mulvey, a biology teacher, often walked around with an embalmed and made science fun despite dissections of creatures such as worms. McManus said she “thinks about Mulvey when thinking about teaching,” as she most remembershis ability to make science labs fun.

s t r i v e f o r

Mike Bower - Physical Education Teacher Mr. Hart, a science teacher of Bower’s at Day Middle School, enabled him to believe in himself and taught him that he could “do whatever he set his mind or heart to, despite growing up with learning disabilities,” he said. Bower said that Mr. Hart’s words stuck with him and helped him to understand that even though he learned differently, he could be as smart or as determined as anyone else.

SUBHASRI Gangopadhyay - Biology Teacher Growing up in India and attending a Catholic school, Gangopadhyay was thankful for the friendship of Sister Cicily, her principal and teacher with whom she is still in touch. Despite being in an environment where student-teacher relationships were supposed to be strictly about education, the Sister visited Gangopadhyay when she stayed home sick, and often talked to her outside of the classroom. Gangopadhyaysaid she is “very grateful for the Sister’s friendship and prayers,” and they still talk today.

e x c e l l e n c e

DAN FABRIZIO - Spanish Teacher Fabrizio said was influenced greatly by Brother Lyons, a teacher at his Catholic school. According to Fabrizio, Lyons was “the meanest, strictest, most particular teacher” he had ever had, but he made sure that his students’ vocabularies expanded exponentially by assigning numerous words and making sure that his students understood all the material. Fabrizio said that Brother Lyons enabled him to become good at Spanish and influenced him in becoming a teacher.

LESLIE MEYER - Math Teacher Meyer had an English teacher, Heidi Dawidoff, whom she said “didn’t give up on me,” and convinced a reluctant Meyer to actually enjoy and look forward to English assignments by the end of the year. “She helped me understand that you have to put time into assignments to get the most out of them,” Meyer remembers. She recalls that despite being an unenthusiastic English student, she was able to improve at going through the process of writing analytical and creative pieces thanks to Dawidoff’s help and persistence.

“Your past always influences your future” Newton Teachers Association

Happy Thanksgiving Emily Gulotta, Gaby Perez-Dietz & Teddy Wenneker

news

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11

Program launches 3-year pilot Funding goes to Robotics

Lab will help turn ideas into programs Hilary Brumberg “Educate to innovate” has long been a popular maxim repeated by teachers and administrators in the Newton Public Schools and even by President Barack Obama in his “Education to Innovate” campaign.

However, the way schools are set up now, teachers must be willing to spend time beyond their teaching duties to turn their innovative ideas into real programs, according to chief innovation officer Steve Chinosi.

“Ultimately that’s nice, but there’s never enough time, never enough resources,” Chinosi said. “Curriculum development really requires extraordinary time from groups of teachers to get great ideas off the ground.” by

Getting a start

With this in mind, Chinosi helped develop Newton’s Lab, The Innovation Laboratory of the Newton Public Schools, more commonly known as the innovation lab, under the leadership of principal Jennifer Price, parents Chryse Gibson and Chris Pinney and members of the business community.

“Internally, among faculty, staff and students, the innovation lab will act as an incubator, partner, consultant, advocate, navigator, networking/resource manager, etc.,” Chinosi said.

Gabe Dreyer

Making Biodiesel: Junior Sonya Douglas and sophomore Owen Weitzman work with chief innovation officer Steve Chinosi in Greengineering.

The lab, which launched its three-year pilot project this month, will partner with any teacher in the NPS who has an idea that, if instituted, would “connect educators and students to the real-world challenges and the needs of the 21st century,” according to Gibson, the innovation lab’s project manager, in a memo from the innovation lab.

Chinosi said, “Lab ideas are ideas that will offer teachers and students new information to learn, new ways to deliver information and authentic ways to facilitate how our students ‘own’ the information.”

According to Chinosi, the innovation lab will connect

teachers to companies and university partners with resources so that they can put their ideas into action.

Steps to take

A memo from the innovation lab explained how the lab works in four steps or the three-year pilot program, whichever comes first.

“Step one: Teacher A has an idea, does some research and asks some questions.

“Step two: Teacher A contacts Newton’s Lab and explains visions.

“Step three: Newton’s Lab swings into action and connects Teacher A and her idea with like-minded folk, new resources and time to work on it.

“Step four: Teacher A with the lab continues to research and develop, navigate the politics of public education, test the curriculum and plan on implementation.”

Chinosi said that from his experiences starting Greengineering and Senior Year Project, he understands the importance of time, resources and connections to develop ideas.

However, when Chinosi started the Greengineering program, he had to work on developing the curriculum in addition to all his responsibilities as a full time English teacher, he said.

“I would have loved a support team, like the innovation lab, to help me organize the process of creating Greengineering.

“Through the innovation lab and our powerfully creative teachers, students in the NPS will be given opportunities they would not otherwise have,” Chinosi said.

lab’s “number one” partner, PTC, a Needham-based, worldwide engineering software firm, “generously donated” stateof-the-art industry software, according to Chinosi. The programs, including Pro-Engineer and Wind-Chill, “are like Facebook for engineers,” and will be used in engineering, Greengineering, art and graphic design classes at this school, he said.

According to Chinosi, companies pay a few million dollars to use the software.

PTC also donated $50,000 to the lab, according to Price.

Chinosi said PTC “has really stepped up with support, from the generous donation in financial support to the software support and training,” Chinosi said.

“Without them, there would be no lab right now.”

What’s next

Robotics 3: Junior Jake Shearman builds a robot. Some of the robot’s funding is coming through the innovation lab.

Generous donations

For example, the innovation

Chinosi explained that the innovation lab started when Pinney “showed up with a great idea to connect schools, the community and businesses in new and engaging ways.

“Immediately, Jen Price and her leadership team came together and started brainstorming.

What they created, with Gibson and Pinney, was the innovation lab,” he said.

According to Chinosi, the next step for the innovation lab will be to create an action team of faculty, administrators and students from this school and Newton South.

“The lab’s action team will govern, manage and drive the lab,” he said. “It will facilitate a new era in a long tradition of educational excellence in Newton.”

Hilary Brumberg Five teachers from this school and Newton South participated in a workshop to brainstorm ideas about how the innovation lab should function, according to math teacher Elena Graceffa.

Synecticsworld, the “innovation power source for the world’s most admired companies,” according to its website, facilitated the workshop Friday, Oct. 22 in Cambridge.

Graceffa, who attended the seminar with chief innovation officer Steve Chinosi, vice principal Deborah Holman and

less helpful, some more on target, some less on target. The idea of Synecticsworld is to just let your mind wander, so you come up with ideas you otherwise wouldn’t have.

“The goal was not to criticize people—just to get anything out that was in our minds.”

Next, teachers narrowed down the ideas, according to Graceffa.

“We selected which seemed useful and followed Mr. Chinosi’s idea of what would be the next step,” she said.

“Then we talked about what would be obstacles to the next

step and discussed how we could overcome them.

“By the end, we walked away with a specific plan of action,” she said.

Graceffa said she came back to this school more excited about the innovation lab and how she could use it as a teacher.

“I left trying to think about how a class could involve math and connect to a world beyond school, putting aside all of my preconceptions about what a math class is,” she said.

“Mr. Chinosi has definitely done this to the extreme with a number of programs.”

Jacob Schwartz

Workshop helps teachers to develop lab by

Marena Cole With some support from the innovation lab, students in the Robotics 3 class have been working to design a large-scale robot, according to technology/engineering teacher Scott Rosenhahn.

“We’ve done some rudimentary sketches so far,” Rosenhahn said. “Right now, one of the biggest problems is funding.

“The motors themselves can cost hundreds of dollars,” Rosenhahn said. “Webcams, control feeds, the nuts and bots—it all adds up.”

Rosenhahn said students have been writing grants for funding, including to the PTSO, Raytheon and Toshiba.

Also, Rosenhahn said one plan is to have some funding come from PTC, a Needhambased software company, via the innovation lab.

“They support our robotics team, and also help to support our classes,” he said.

According to senior Adam Fisher, the robot will be a “substitute student,” for when a student needs to stay home sick.

“The problem we were looking to solve is students not wanting to stay home from school because they’re afraid of missing so much work,” Fisher said.

According to Fisher, the robot the class is building is designed to help students who are sick keep up with schoolwork.

Senior Derek Goldstone said that if the class had unlimited resources and time, the ideal robot would be able to take notes and go to all of a student’s classes, and interact with other students and teachers.

But the students’ goal for the robot, he said, is to at least send and receive data from a remote location using the school’s WiFi. “A student who is sick in the future could have the robot go to all his classes and not miss anything important,” Goldstone said.

“Right now we’re still in the planning stage, working with the prototype and learning how it’s going to be built and how we’ll use the software.

“It’s slow work, but we’re moving forward.”

Goldstone said the class has been working on the project since the first week of school, and began to build the prototype robot three weeks ago.

“It probably will take the entire year, but it’ll be fun,” he said. “It’s something all of us enjoy.”

The students have been split into three teams to work on the robot, according to Goldstone.

The mechanical team is working to put together the robot and determine what structure works well, he said. The electrical team works with the control boards, motors, drive shafts and wiring, and the control team works with the software controlling the robot, he said.

“In the end, it all comes together for the final product,” he said.

“We’re definitely going to do some test runs later on.

“This is a project that a company might want to invest in, and in 10 to 20 years you might see these in every school.” by

Newton South teachers Rachel Becker and Jamie Rinaldi, said it was based on Synecticsworld’s nine-step process.

Graceffa said Chinosi came into the workshop with a specific goal: to invent a model that connects businesses, public schools and innovation.

She said that in the beginning of the workshop, the teachers “threw out a lot of ideas—as many as we could” about the way the innovation lab could work.

“There were a lot of ideas,” she said. “Sure, some of them were good, some of them were

advertisement

12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Good luck to the Tigers

Beat Brookline!

from the families of:

Danny Anderson Kevin Barisano Jake Barnett Nate Biederman Michael Bradley Pat Bryson Ryan Byrne Axl Castaneda Mike Cedrone Ben Clark Julian Cohen Rydell Cox Joe Cunning Alex D’Agostino Chris D’Amore Tom DeStefano Elliot Dix Tom Doherty Ryan Donovan Terrell Doyle

Brendan Fagan Ryan Gallagher Mark Gately Felege Gebru Young Guang Raul Hernandez Emory Holmes Ben Howard Jack Ingham Darryl Jackson Andrew James Aiden Keyes Andrew Kinsella Andrew Mackowski Anthony Mariano Joe Mariano Nick Mariano Swardiq Mayanja Nate Menninger Mwamburi Mkaya

courtesy Linda Barisano

Elvin Montoya Craig Moore-Jenkins Jose Morgan Kevin Panica Isaiah Penn Ben Polci TJ Quinn Mike Cruz Marlon Rainville Nick Raso Marcus Richardson Andre Robinson

Dan Sabetti Dan Shagorodsky Jake Shearman Henry Shore Mike Sullivan Mike Thorpe John Vo Orion Wagner Jeff Weinfeld Jackson Wells Wyatt Wells Carl Whitham

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Talk of the Critic’s Picks Far East Movement— Free Wired

While Far East Movement slams down some real catchy beats, along with terrific effects, there isn’t much else to Free Wired. The majority of the songs are so repetitive that after one song ended and the next one started, I thought I had the player on repeat.

In other words, with the a few exceptions, the songs are basically identical. Among the exceptions is “Rocketeer,” in which the album seems to come up for air. The song displays exceptional vocals and decent lyrics. It’s worth a listen, but still doesn’t make the album worth the buy.

“If I Was You (O.M.G.)” is definintey a good example of the more thoughtless part of the album, featuring rhymes like “O.M.G., you so sexy.”

Overall, the majority of the music seems to fall into the thoughtless category more often than the thoughtful.

Key Tracks: “Like a G6,” “Rocketeer” and “So What” Grade: C+

Tiger

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

This month in 1980...

Taylor Swift— Speak Now

Speak Now is a well-produced collection of quality tracks, and it should succeed fairly well in its attempt to appeal to pop fans.

Swift shows off her genuine voice throughout, not straining to hit the high notes. Through many of the lyrics, she seems to be having a conversation with the listener in the second person, helping the listener relate to the song.

However, while many songs, including “Mine” and “Speak Now” have great lyrics, they have awfully similar melodies.

However, Swift’s lyrics are descriptive and colorful because she knows how to tell a story through her music. In Speak Now, Swift describes a wedding where the man she loves is marrying another woman.

The bottom line: Despite a lack of originality in the music, Swift tells interesting stories through her original lyrics.

Key Tracks: “Long Live,” “Mine” and “Speak Now” Grade: B

Boys’ cross country

Bruno Mars— Doo-Wops and Hooligans

One listening to the first two tracks of Bruno Mars’ DooWops and Hooligans might be discouraged to continue listening, believing the album is just 10 consecutive “Just the Way You Are” tracks. However, this would just be a misconception.

In fact, the album as a whole shows the artist’s versatility.

“Lazy Song” has a bit of the style of Mars’ “Billionaire,” but was different in that it didn’t seem like Mars was trying to make the track a number one hit. Instead, he’s simply trying make a unique song and capture his feelings of laziness.

“Runaway Baby” is a rock song with a nostalgic ring to it, which he accomplished well.

Throughout the album, Mars lets loose his wonderful—and at times very intense—voice, which meshes almost perfectly with the strong backing beats.

Key Tracks: “Lazy Song,” “Runaway Baby” and “The Other Side” Grade: A—Jacob Schwartz

The team finished the season 8-0, winning its league. The Tigers recieved the Eastern Mass. Division 1 crown. Additionally, they placed fourth at the All-State Meet.

Girls’ cross country

Finishing its season 7-1, girls’ cross country went to States, coming in second place. Additionally, the Tigers came in second in their league.

Girls’ swimming and diving

In the State Championship, two Newton North girls took third place.

Main Street closed

After juniors were rude during a class assembly, Main Street was closed to students.

Football

In the annual Thanksgiving Game, Brookline beat Newton 34-0.

Speech Team

The Newton North Speech Team placed in a tournament, receiving trophies.

Proposition 2 ½ passed

The school was forced to make significant budget cuts.

In addition to changes in class sizes, bus use was limited to students who lived at least two miles away.

Did you know?

Georgina Teasdale Special education teaching assistant Loretta D’Amore graduated from Newton High School in 1968.

As a student, D’Amore volunteered in both the social studies office and in the Beals House office.

Additionally, D’Amore participated in the sewing club after school.

D’Amore remembers that students weren’t allowed to be in the hallways during class.

Instead, students would have to go to their common room.

Students only had open campus during second semester of senior year.

She also remembers that while the campus was beautiful and she loved being able to eat outside, and the five minutes passing time made it very difficult to get across campus in by

Teacher’s Picks Bob MacDougall Tom O’Connor Favorite Artists Eric Clapton Buffalo Tom Nirvana The Allman Brothers Jane’s Addiction

Favorite Artists The Rolling Stones The Who The Beatles Led Zeppelin The Police

Kathleen Walsh Favorite Artists Louis Armstrong Amy Winehouse Hugh Masekela Gato Barbieri Edith Piaf

Favorite Movie

Favorite Movie

Favorite Movie

Favorite Show

Favorite Show

Favorite Show

The Godfather

Modern Family

The Town

Family Guy

The Lion King

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

Newtonian

time for classes.

On the student body, D’Amore said, “It was a very closed society. You only knew other students who went here. But we made very close friends, and I still see my high school friends today.”

Fun Fact!

en Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey instead of a bald eagle.

trangely enough, his favorite late-November meal was bald eagle with

stuffing and cranberry sauce!

Maddie MacWilliams

sports

14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Girls adjust diving for meet Jay Feinstein Girls’ swimming and diving, 6-5, has been preparing to visit MIT tomorrow for Sectionals, according to coach Kirsten Tuohy.

The Tigers qualified for every event in Sectionals, Tuohy said.

“We have many more people attending this year than we’ve had in previous years, which really reflects our strengths,” she said.

“We expect fast times for our swimmers in Sectionals, and we expect that our divers will dive well in the competition, too,” she said.

According to Tuohy, this meet is different from most meets because there are 11 dives instead of six dives.

“That means that we need to prepare more dives to compete in,” she said.

“We need to figure out which dives are both strong enough to qualify in, yet are challenging enough to earn high scores in,” she said.

“It requires a lot of strategizing.”

According to Tuohy, diving and Newtonian swimming Kirsten are completeTuohy ly different when it comes to competitions and scoring.

“When you’re scored for swimming, you get a time, and it’s exact. You can’t argue with it. Your score for diving is decided by judges, and it is more based on execution.”

According to Tuohy, the Tigers have qualified for most events for States, which will take place Sunday, Nov. 21 at Harvard.

“We look forward to competing in States every year,” she said. “This year, we have a solid amount of people going.”

Events that are not yet qualified for can be qualified for at Sectionals, according to Tuohy.

Sunday, the Tigers participated in the Bay State Conference meet, placing eighth out of 10 teams.

“It was a long meet, but it was good,” Tuohy said.

“We had quite a few highlights, and we’re happy with our results.”

Juniors Jackie Comstock and Christine Dube dropped times in the 500 freestyle, and freshman Helen Culici dropped her time in the 100 backstroke.

In addition, the members of the 400 freestyle relay improved by more than two seconds, according to Tuohy.

Most importantly, sophomore Katie Wu qualified for Sectionals in the 100 breaststroke.

According to senior Rebecca Harris, a captain with senior Daryl Choa, the Tigers have been trying to qualify for breaststroke all season.

“We’re so happy that we qualified during this meet,” Harris said.

“Other than that, we did okay,” she said.

“A lot of people on our team didn’t like the pool that we swam in, but we did well considering that we weren’t used to the pool.”

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Boys improve individually Jay Feinstein Preparing for tomorrow’s Eastern Mass. Division I Championship at Franklin Park, boys’ cross country, 9-2, has been focusing on individual performances, according to coach Jim Blackburn.

“We have some really strong runners, and I hope they do well,” he said.

If the Tigers do well, they can qualify for All States, Blackburn said. “I think that we’ll qualify, but if we qualify, it won’t be as a team. It would just be individual runners.”

According to senior Dan Ranti, a captain with senior Ezra Litchman, the reason the Tigers don’t expect to qualify as a team is because qualifying as a team would require five outstanding runners.

“Our top three runners are solid, but the difference between our fourth and fifth runners is too big for us to do well as a team.”

Saturday, the Tigers ran in the State Coaches Invitational meet in Wrentham.

The competition was divided into three races: the freshman 3k race, the sophomore 5k race by

by

and the junior and senior 5k race, according to Ranti.

“It was the freshmen’s first time participating, and they did well,” he said. Mike Schlichting placed 25th out of 250 runners in the freshman race with 10:59.

Jonny Long did well in the sophomore race, according to Ranti. Long placed 28th with 17:53.

In the junior and senior race, Ranti came in third with 16:17.47, Litchman came in fourth with 16:17.87 and junior Justin Keefe came in fifth with 16:19.

“We stayed together and created a wall of Newton North runners, which really helped to boost our energy,” said Ranti.

Saturday, Oct. 30, the Tigers ran in the Bay State Conference meet, according to Blackburn.

The team scored 101 points, tying for third with Walpole.

Brookline came in first with 50 points, and Weymouth came in second with 75 points.

Individually, Keefe finished third with 16:30, Litchman placed ninth with 16:46, and Ranti came in 11th with 16:51.

Teddy Wenneker

Running laps: Senior Ezra Lichtman rounds the track Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Girls’ cross country shows persistence

Determination, experience gained is key to successful postseason Perrin Stein Although girls’ cross country, 6-5, began its season as an inexperienced team, it has improved, according to senior Devika Banerjee, a captain with senior Margo Gillis and junior Melissa Weikart.

“Everyone has improved drastically by pushing themselves, which is really great to see,” Banerjee said.

“It’s also great because the team, as a whole, is better than last year.”

As the season draws to a close, the team is attempting harder runs and exercises in order to strengthen itself for the postseason, according to Banerjee. by

“Our practices are much more intense now because we are gearing up for the division and state meets,” she said.

“We are strengthening our top seven runners by working together and running more as a pack.”

According to coach Peter Martin, the team is also working on pacing and conditioning in order to achieve the experience needed for the championship meets.

“Along with working hard in practice, the team has bonded.

Everyone is really close, and they always help each other out by running in a pack,” Martin said.

This year the team has im-

proved, so next year the Tigers will be even stronger, he said.

“We have the makings of a deeper and, overall, better team.”

Tomorrow, the Tigers will participate in the Eastern Mass.

Division I Championship at Frankin Park.

Everyone in the team’s division is invited to run in the competition, he said.

The top four teams from each division meet will then continue on to the All State meet Saturday, Nov. 20, according to Martin.

“It would be a fantasy for us to qualify for All-States, but I think that we can be in the top eight of our division. Then again, you still never know be-

cause every race is different,” he said.

Saturday, the Tigers ran in the State Coaches Invitational meet in Wrentham.

The meet was separated into races by grade, and included students from all across the state.

Julia Schiantarelli came in 20th for the sophomore race.

At Franklin Park, the Tigers attended the Bay State Conference meet Monday, Nov. 1. Every team in the conference was invited to participate, and this school placed third overall.

“We beat Braintree, which was really great because they are a strong team,” Martin said.

Cheerleaders hope to qualify for States Malini Gandhi With superior talent and very strong commitment, cheerleading has a “good chance of advancing to States,” according to Amanda Costa, the assistant coach.

“The girls are very put together and dedicated, and they have a great work ethic,” Costa said.

“They have really changed the cheerleading culture at North.”

Though the cheerleading season has just started, Costa said she has already seen “marked improvement.”

“Freshman Jen Davis came in knowing barely anything about cheerleading, and now she is looking like the seniors,” Costa said.

“The level of talent is definitely the best we’ve seen in a long time.”

Sunday, the Tigers will compete in Regionals, where they hope to “hit a full-out routine,” according to senior Corinne Beatrice, a captain with senior Taylor Sweeney.

Sweeney noted that the team has strong opening stunts, but that “our weakness is definitely by

Gabe Dreyer

At Dickinson Stadium: Freshmen Kelsey Loughlin and Amanda Forster, and sophomore Kaitlin Lyons-Dunckel perform at halftime during the football game Saturday.

our stamina,” she said.

“We need to get a lot better at handling situations where we are competing under pressure,” she said.

According to coach Adrianne Callahan, in the past, “little mistakes that resulted from cracking under pressure have cost us a lot.”

To continue to States, the Tigers must come away with at least 160 points at Regionals, according to Callahan.

Wednesday, Nov. 3, the Tigers competed in the Bay State Championship in Braintree.

Though the team placed high enough to advance to Regionals, “a little fluke on the mat at the beginning” resulted in its performance not going as well as previously hoped, according to Callahan.

A highlight of the competition, however, was the “huge number of supporters,” according to Callahan.

“The dedication level has changed and cheerleading is really taken seriously now,” Callahan said.

“There’s been lots of support from the school, which has been great.”

sports

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Girls’ soccer falls to Peabody in State Tournament Jay Feinstein Towards the end of the season, girls’ soccer, 10-9-1, became more aggressive, said senior Ellen Goldberg, a captain with senior Evelyn Hurwitz.

“We used to be intimidated by many of the teams we faced, but we’ve improved,” she said. “This attitude helped us make it to the postseason and win the first game of the tournament.”

The Tigers also improved at moving the ball, Goldberg said.

“We’re excellent at controlling the ball on the ground, but we could have been better at controlling the ball in the air.”

In addition, the Tigers grew closer as a team. “Our team this year is similar to our team last year, and this season we’ve gotten more comfortable with our teammates,” Goldberg said.

According to Goldberg, because everyone was closer this season, the Tigers performed better than last year. Last year, the Tigers’ record was 2-11-4.

Although they were eliminated from the tournament, the Tigers still exceeded all of their expectations, according to coach James Hamblin.

“The girls should be proud

because they all played good quality soccer,” he said.

In a difficult postseason game Monday, the Tigers visited Peabody, losing 5-2, Hamblin said.

“Its is one of the best teams in the state, so we had trouble.”

According to Hamblin, the Tigers had difficulty because of Peabody’s speed of play and strong players. “They had an amazing forward who scored all of their goals,” he said.

Hamblin considers the game to be a success for the Tigers.

“We managed to score two goals, which is good, considering that they were a hard team,” he said.

At South Saturday, the Tigers beat North Andover 2-0 for their first game in the tournament.

“Both our team and their team were at the same level, but luckily, we won,” he said.

Senior Emily Brown scored the first goal off a deflection, according to Hamblin. She scored the second goal from a free kick with a mere two seconds to go. “ Winning a game in the postseason is big for us. It really means a lot,” Hamblin said.

“This game was definitely one of our best games we’ve played.”

Jay Feinstein Both JV and freshman girls’ soccer finished their seasons with good effort. In addition, both teams stayed strong without giving up.

and close as a team, and we knew everyone on the team well,” she said.

The Tigers could have been more mentally prepared for their games, Bernstein said.

“We should have been more serious and aggressive when we were competing,” she said.

Also, the Tigers could have started games better, Bernstein said. “It took a while to get used to every game we played.”

Bernstein also said it took the Tigers a while to gain momen-

by

Teddy Wenneker

Against North Andover: Senior Emily Brown drills the ball upfield against the Knights in the preliminary round of the North Division 1 Sectional as junior Maggie Heffernan looks on. The Tigers defeated the Knights at South 2-0.

Subvarsity girls’ soccer teams improve steadily by

JV finishes season with team unity

JV girls’ soccer, 4-11-3, coached by Johanna Lynch, finished its season with team unity as a strength, according to sophomore Julia Bernstein.

“We were really tight-knit

tum for their season.

“We didn’t do so well at the beginning, but won most of our games at the end,” she said.

A highlight of the season was October 22 when the Tigers defeated Brookline, sophomore Radha Sharma said. “We won with a penalty kick, and we were really happy about it.”

’14 has enthusiasm

Despite struggling with scoring, freshman girls’ soccer, 0-15-1, finished its season with

a positive attitude, according to coach Emily Hartz.

“Even though our record shows a lot of losses, we fought hard through every game,” she said. “The scores of our games don’t reflect how our games were.”

According to Hartz, the Tigers improved steadily as a team throughout the season. “Our defense improved the most.”

Katherine Alves, Rachel Brown, Gina Ferolito, Ying Gao and Casey Orlin stood out as

excellent players, Hartz said.

“Katherine played goalie all season, and she was very resilient,” she said.

The highlight of the season was the Tigers’ 1-1 tie in Brookline October 21. “We tried our hardest for this game, and it paid off,” Hartz said.

According to Michaela Smith, a captain with Alves and Bridget Struth, the Tigers were mentally strong. “We had great enthusiasm despite our scores.”

Lincoln-Sudbury defeats field hockey in playoffs Eli Davidow After concluding its best season in recent memory, field hockey, 8-5-3 overall, fell to Lincoln-Sudbury in the quarterfinals of the North Division 1 Sectionals.

“I think we did what we wanted to accomplish,” coach Celeste Myers said. “We performed well in the playoffs and put together a pretty amazing season.”

Fourth-seeded Lincoln-Sudbury ended the 12th-seeded Tigers’ postseason with a close 2-1 victory Sunday.

“Lincoln-Sudbury had great passing and knew what they were doing,” said senior Marissa Troy, a captain with seniors Andrea Marzilli and Ali Pappas.

Junior Bobby Grimshaw tapped in the Tigers’ last goal of the season.

To qualify for the quarterfinals, the Tigers won 3-2 in dramatic fashion over North Andover Friday with a game-winning goal by Grimshaw.

The game in North Andover required two extra periods consisting of 15 minutes each to break the 2-2 tie. During these two overtime periods, the teams were only allowed seven players each.

“We played one of our best games,” Myers said. “We had key scoring.

“North Andover was excellent and had great speed and balance, but our determination won the game for us.”

The Tigers set the pace early with two by

quick goals by Grimshaw and senior Michele Troy, but the Knights retaliated with two goals, making the game 2-2.

From that point forward, the game turned into a defensive match-up. Both the Tigers and Knights kept each other at bay with key stops on corners, which continued until the end of regulation.

Then in the first overtime, both teams missed crucial opportunities to capitalize, which would have broken the deadlock tie and kept their playoff hopes alive.

There were occasions when the Knights had superb chances to take advantage of the Tigers’ penalty tendency.

But senior Julia Cuccurullo, the goalie, was lights out, kicking the ball out of the box. Cuccurullo and Pappas were named Bay State Conference all-stars.

Grimshaw also had one particular opportunity in which the ball skidded inches from the goal. In reaction to the near game-winner, he slammed his stick in anger, which truly encompassed the game’s frustrating monotony.

But finally within three minutes of the second overtime, Grimshaw put the game to rest, as the Tigers charged onto the field in celebration. The North Andover crowd fell silent.

Jacob Schwartz The goal “felt like just another goal— Going upfield: Senior Michele Troy pushes the ball away from a North except I knew that scoring meant I would Andover defender while coach Celeste Myers looks on. The Tigers defeated have a good weekend,” Grimshaw said. the Knights in double overtime in the prelimary round of Sectionals 3-2.

JV exhibits flexibility, freshmen grow as players Eli Davidow While JV field hockey played with only seven players, the freshmen adjusted to an unfamiliar sport. by

JV finishes at 8-4-2

With only seven official players, JV field hockey exhibited flexibility that helped lead to a winning 8-4-2 record, said coach Kim Hamilton.

“We’d use varsity players who didn’t get as much playing time and also we’d bring up freshmen,” she said.

“Even though we didn’t have a full team, I thought we played well.”

The top players for the Tigers were juniors Ellie Abbott, a strong offensive player with nine goals, and Hannah Lloyd, a solid defender, Hamilton said.

Both also contributed to varsity games.

Junior Hannah McGoldrick, a center forward, said that the small team established great chemistry.

The Tigers’ season opener September 14 at Walpole was a highlight despite

losing 2-0, Hamilton said.

“Walpole has one of the strongest programs in the state, and we didn’t let them control the game,” she said.

Freshmen strengthen skills

Although the team was initially inexperienced, freshman field hockey, 2-2-6, developed into a strong competitor this season, said coach Lauren Baugher.

“I think all the kids grew a lot as players and as people,” she said.“They developed a passion and love for the game.”

The team gave exposure to the opportunities athletics offer, Baugher said.

“It was a great way for the players to start their first semester of high school,” she said.

According to Madi Raso, a forward and midfielder, the Tigers had an incomparable cohesion.

“We’re like a family now,” she said.

The highlight of the season was the Tigers’ last game against Needham October 27, tying 0-0, Baugher said.

sports

16 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Postseason hopes end for volleyball North Quincy defeats Tigers 3-1 at home the loss, Barton said, is that “sports are Jacob Schwartz The Red Raiders jumped together in hard.

“The biggest challenge in sports is celebration, with grins on their faces as North Quincy knocked girls’ volleyball, working on having the strongest performance that you can, whenever you want 16-3 overall, out of the postseason.

North Quincy defeated the Tigers 3-1 to or need to.

“Most professional athletes have in the Reginald E. Smith Gymnasium Wednesday, bringing an end to the Ti- trouble with that, and most college athletes can’t always do that.” gers’ season.

In their first playoff appearance, the Coach Richard Barton had said focus would be important for the game, but Tigers defeated Boston Latin Academy that the Tigers were not completely 3-0 Monday at home in the second round focused until the third game, which was of the Sectional Quarterfinals.

The team set and spiked with pretheir only win Wednesday. cision, executing “In the first two well-placed hits that games of the match, coach Boston Latin Acadwe were serving out, Richard Barton emy wasn’t able to and some of our hits from. and serves were hit“Sports are hard. The recover Senior Melissa ting the net a lot. The Jewett, the setter, biggest challenge in number of points showed persistence they received from sports is working on and strong effort, our errors is really diving all over the having the strongest extraordinary,” Barto keep the ton said. performance that you court ball alive.

In the third game, The team also discan, whenever you the Tigers held the played its practice lead for the majorwant to or need to.” on tipping, catchity and ended up ing Boston Latin off winning over North guard.

Quincy 25-14.

Serving was strong, with several Senior Tatiana Froehlich’s serving was a major improvement compared to players earning multiple aces in a single the first two games, achieving two aces rotation.

These players included Froelich, in a row during one rotation.

“Once they got warmed up, they just seniors Emily Hutchinson and Megan played volleyball,” Barton said. “They Gentile, junior Meredith Abrams and freshman Alana King. just started playing.”

According to Hutchinson, the team North Quincy coach Kerry Ginty said the Tigers “played powerfully and implemented a new rotation which had positive effects. quickly.

“We were trying to change around dif“They played a really good game,” she said. “They had aggressive serving, ferent people in the serve receive, and I which forced us to have good passing, think it definitely worked,” Hutchinson said. which, luckily, we did.”

Barton said, “Boston Latin wasn’t used The reason North Quincy won was its to our speed, and when we’re playing a defense, Ginty said.

“We were picking up balls, and re- team like them, and we serve in, we will ally digging their aggressive serves. We win. They just couldn’t keep up with us were also in the right place at the right in ball control.”

On the regular season, Barton said, time.”

According to Barton, North Quincy’s “We established ourselves in other tourathletic director told him after the match naments as one of the top 12 teams in that “the Red Raiders played much better Massachusetts, and that is a very strong performance that we should be proud than they ever had before.”

A lesson that can be learned from of.” by

Teddy Wenneker

Against Boston Latin Acacdemy: Senior Melissa Jewett sets the ball in the Tigers’ preliminary round match. The Tigers won 3-0.

Boys’ soccer to play Lexington in semifinals today Jacob Schwartz Capitalizing on opportunities will be key for boys’ soccer, 10-5-6 overall, today in the semifinals of the North Division 1 Sectionals in Woburn, said senior Gabe Paul, a captain with senior Jeremy Gurvits.

“In order to do well, we’ll need to switch up the field, create space and most of all, put away our opportunities,” Paul said.

According to Gurvits, the team has attempted to “learn everything we can about Lexington” in the last two days. by

They beat Framington 3-1, and “we lost to Framingham, so we know it’ll be a tough match,” he said.

Wednesday, Nov. 10, the Tigers defeated Acton-Boxborough on the road in the quarterfinals of the North Division 1 Sectionals, 1-0 in penalty kicks.

“We saw a lot of opportunities, but weren’t able to finish them,” Paul said.

“The same exact thing happened to Acton-Boxborough.”

Against the Colonials, Paul said that the Tigers “had some

good moments. Our defense played pretty well. They put a lot of pressure on us.”

At the end of regulation, with the score tied, the teams faced off in a penalty kick shootout.

According to Gurvits, after junior Tim Stanton scored the Tigers fourth penalty kick, an Acton-Boxborough player missed his team’s fifth kick, giving the Tigers the win.

Gurvits said, “It was amazing and exhilarating to win in penalty kicks.”

He said the team “went nuts” when they won and ran over to

senior Matt Dickey, the goalie, to celebrate.

“It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” Paul said.

In the first round of Sectionals, the team, seeded 19th, defeated third-seeded Masconomet 1-0 in an upset Tuesday on the road.

Coach Roy Dow said, “They played well to start off, but we really put them under a lot of pressure. We had one big chance to score, and we did.”

S o p h o m o r e M i k e Ka y e scored the goal that, in the end, gave the Tigers the win.

Dow said he’s been “preaching to the team to always take advantage of its opportunities, and we did in Masconomet.”

Paul said it was a nice confidence boost for the team to upset Masconomet.

“Until the very end, we played really defensively,” Paul said. “When they had the ball in their half, we attacked quick and forced them into a lot of mistakes.”

The Tigers defeated Lynn 1-0 on the road in the preliminary round of the tournament Sunday.

Subvarsity boys teams work hard to improve Jacob Schwartz While a confident JV boys’ soccer had one of its best seasons in years, the freshman team improved its communication and skills. by

JV, 9-3-3, prepares players for varsity

J V b o y s ’ s o c c e r, 9 - 3 - 3 , achieved its goal of preparing players for varsity and the next level of soccer, according to coach Peter Goddard.

“It was one of my most successful seasons in 11 years,” he said.

“Whenever we stepped on

the field, we knew that we had a chance to win. You don’t always feel that every year.”

Junior Carter Tiernan, a captain with junior Sam Davis, said he “really felt like the team was going to have a winning season.”

A memorable game for Goddard was when the Tigers tied Brookline here Friday, Sept.

24, 0-0.

“Brookline and us are the two best teams in the league, and I think we really showed it to each other that day,” he said.

The team also beat Weymouth twice, Goddard said.

Goddard said, “The team’s values were to always play hard, play together, to be supportive of each other and have fun.”

Sophomore Gilad Seckler said, “We wanted to have a good time and win games doing it.”

According to Tiernan, “When kids didn’t take things seriously in practice, they were aggravated when things didn’t work out as well in games, and this taught them a really good lesson.”

Freshmen develop strong communication

Coach Tom Barry said freshman boys’ soccer’s play im-

proved towards the end of the season.

“Our communication improved a lot,” Barry said. “We also became more aggressive.”

Barry said that the best game for the team, 2-10-4, was a 0-0 tie against Framingham at home Tuesday, Oct. 26.

“We probably should’ve won.

Everyone who played in that game communicated well.

“It was great to see all the things we worked on in practice transfer to the game,” Barry said.

Defeating Braintree 5-0 at home in the first game of the

season Monday, Sept. 13, was also a strong game for the Tigers, Barry said.

Aaron Weinberg said a memorable moment for him during the season was when Philip Smith scored an unusual goal.

“He shot the ball directly off of his toe and it went right past the goalie,” Weinberg said.

“From that point on, we always called him ‘the Golden Toe.’” The team showed strong passing and shooting throughout the season, Weinberg said.

“We also put forth a strong amount of effort,” he said.