Newtonite
Non-profit org. US postage paid Newton, Mass. Permit no. 55337
Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460
◆Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 • Volume 89, Issue 14
Lunch program hires company Hilary Brumberg In order to make the lunch program more cost efficient, the Newton Public Schools will shift all food service operations to Whitsons School Nutrition, School Committee member Jonathan Yeo wrote in a press release. Whitsons’ new operation will be put in place January 4. It will “bring a high quality professional operation to the NPS that is professionally stable for the long term,” Yeo said. “They can do so without requiring an ongoing subsidy from the NPS budget.” Holly Von Seggern, Whitsons’ director of marketing and brand development, said that the lunch program under Whitsons will provide completely different options than those currently offered. “We will be upgrading the quality of the food at all levels,” Von Seggern said. “The new lunch program will be focused on freshly prepared foods, made daily, with a variety of offerings. “Emphasis will be placed on fresh vegetables and fruits, sourced locally when in season, whole grains, and the removal of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors and flavors. “The service will be food court style, with different stations featuring healthier versions of favorites.” Von Seggern said that Whitsons will offer the following concepts at all Newton public middle and high schools: ◆Chef Productions: fresh homemade hot entree specialties. ◆Coyote Grill: Southwestern menu, including tacos, burritos and nachos. ◆Coyote Quesas: made to order quesadillas. ◆Frait Express: grab and go salads, sandwiches and snacks. ◆Great American Sandwich Co.: Boar ’s Head cold cuts, wraps, paninis, sandwiches, etc. ◆La Cuccina: pizza, calzones and strombolis made with fresh cheese, whole grain crust and Italian tomato sauce. ◆Miss Ruby’s Flats: made-toorder fajitas, grilled vegetables and specialty burgers. ◆Miss Ruby’s Grill: grilled specialties, such as Black Angus burgers, turkey and veggie burgers, grilled chicken breast, etc. “The food we will be offerby
courtesy Tiffany Chen
Leadership Trip: Seniors Tom DeStefano and Tiffany Chen, junior Mario Tavolieri and senior Chrissy D’Angelo belay their classmates on a ropes course. See story on page 8.
Old school to be demolished Hilary Brumberg Due to the hazardous materials found in the old building, it is being abated and demolished in multiple stages, according to chief operating officer Bob Rooney.
kinds of materials.” Workers also remove materials that are not contaminated and can be marketed in bulk to recycle, such as metal lockers and window frames, Rooney said.
First is the abatement phase, which started around August 15 and will continue ahead of any subsequent demolition of “clean material,” scheduled to occur in phases through March, Rooney said. During this stage, workers confronted hazardous materials they found in various parts of the old building. These included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in light fixtures, asbestos in floor tiles and fireproofing of the steel beams, and mercury in the pipes in science labs, he said. “Items that are contaminated with those materials that could get airborne have to be individually removed under a containment,” Rooney said. “It has to be completely wrapped in a plastic environment, with people work ing inside a negative air pressure, and it has to go to a different landfill that’s licensed and permitted for accepting those
The building was divided into four phases working from the Elm Road entrance toward the Hull Street entrance. Once the abatement of each phase of the building is completed, it will be demolished, Rooney said. “For example, once they get into the abatement of phase three, they will start the outside demolition of phase one. “They’re taking it down in a relatively controlled manner—there’s not going to be a wrecking ball that’s just going to bust it all apart. This is because the other phases will still be going on. There’ll be another 100 men working heading south toward Hull Street. “Also, if they come across any other hazardous materials, they need to stop and contain it and proceed to remove that individually.” Alderman Lenny Gentile said that the way the building is be-
by
Abatement
Demolition
ing demolished is not something Newton had a say in. “It is heavily regulated through health and safety standards of the Department of Environmental Protection for the State of Massachusetts.” Rooney said that he hopes the demolition of the building will have minimal impact on students due to its strategic timing. “Windows will be closed and there won’t be a lot of outdoor activity, because it is cold in the winter months. The demolition will be less of a distraction.” He said that there will not be a “huge crater hole” after the building is completely demolished because it does not have a basement. “It is on a slope, so you may have felt like you’re below ground. You’ll just see a lot of dirt pushed around and a slab.” Rooney estimates that the old building will be completely gone by April or May.
In its place
The multipurpose field complex that will replace the building is scheduled to be ready for the 2011-2012 seasons, he said. It will include baseball and softball fields, a soccer field and two shot put areas.
ing will be designed to compete with what is available in the local community,” Von Seggern said. “By serving great tasting student favorites from the concepts listed above, and making them healthier with more wholesome and leaner ingredients, we hope to entice students to stay on campus and dine with us.” The prices for students will remain the same, even though the food offerings will be of better quality, she said. In an effort to partially offset the $1 million a year deficit the Lunch Program has been running for several years, the School Committee made interim cuts to the Lunch Program in September, according to Yeo. Once of the cuts was the breakfast program. Von Seggern said that Whitsons will begin to offer hot and cold breakfast choices again everyday. Also, the Committee laid off 25 lunch employees citywide, including seven from this school, in order to “meet the tight FY11 budget,” according to Yeo. Von Seggern said Whitsons plans to rehire most of the staff that was laid off “if they have an interest in returning.” She said that there is a lot of work to be done at schools before Whitsons opens in January. “We are purchasing equipment to retrofit and upgrade the current service lines in all secondary schools, with the exception of North, as that is a new facility and is ready to accommodate our changes,” Von Seggern said. “Employees will need to attend an orientation, sign on to rejoin the foodservice team under the new agreement and attend a series of training classes after lunch has been concluded for the day. “Whitsons is really excited to be serving the district and one of our most important jobs as your foodservice provider is to get to know the students, parents, faculty, administration and other residents in the community, understand your needs and preferences and continue to develop our program to better serve you. “That means remaining flexible and receptive to feedback on our food and nutrition education programs, while supporting various community efforts that are in our area of expertise, such as farm to school programs and nutrition education efforts.”
School, Newton honor alumni who served in wars Fundraiser organized to buy cast bronze plaques Samantha Libraty To raise money to buy cast bronze plaques to honor World War II and Korean War veterans, the history department and Newton’s veterans organizations are holding a fundraiser Tuesday, according to history department head Jonathan Bassett. “In moving from 360 Lowell to 457 Walnut, we realized that although the school has bronze plaques for Newton High graduby
ates who served in World War I, we had none for World War II or the Korean War,” he said. During all lunches Tuesday, students can donate a dollar towards the memorial, according to Bassett. “If every student gave just one dollar, we’d have a significant contribution towards the plaques,” he said. The history department and Newton’s veterans organizations chose to hold the fund-
raiser Tuesday because it will be the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, Bassett said. The threes bronze plaques honoring alumni who gave their lives serving in World War I 1917-1918 hang on Main Street across from the art display cases. They were presented by the class of 1919, alumni in February 1921 and the class of 1924.
Steven Michael
This school currently has plaques to honor alumni who served in World War I.
opinion
2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
Technology will enhance library Who says technology and education don’t mix?
editorial The advent of the Internet has brought addictive and distracting websites such as Facebook and Sporcle to students. Apple Inc.’s iPod MP3 players are ubiquitous in the halls of this school. According to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation, eight to 18-year-olds spend over seven and a half hours each day surfing the Internet, texting, watching televison or interacting with technology in a variety of other ways. Technology can definitely be a distraction from schoolwork. Equally, technology and the Internet can be used for educational purposes. The Internet expedites research with databases housing millions of volumes only a click away. Books and periodicals are giving way to e-books— digital versions of printed text. Several companies have released e-book readers to compete for what may become a substantial market. Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader is the top-selling product on the e-commerce site. Recently, the Library Learning Commons acquired five Kindles, three iPod Touches and six Flip video recorders, according to librarian Donna Johns. By buying these new tech devices, the Newton North library is following the latest trend in publishing. This is an important step in continuing the pursuit of knowledge in what appears to be a permanent shift from physical to digital information. The current generation of students—the so-called Millennial Generation—has grown up with the world
at their fingertips. Thus, it seems fitting to bring the technology of the digital age to the classroom. Currently, students can sample the first chapter of various books on the Kindles, but the Kindles may not leave the library. Just as the library buys books to stock the physical shelves, the library will also begin stocking the virtual shelves with e-books. And in the near future, students may be able to take the kindles home. “We’re still evolving our policy over lending to students,” librarian Annette Tate said. Kindles offer a way to enjoy literature in a compact, portable form. A paperback thin kindle holds up to 3,500 volumes. Additionally, the library plans to buy 20 iPads, Apple’s combination tablet computer and e-book reader. When the iPads arrive, they will constitute a classroom set, which teachers can incorporate into their curriculum, Johns said. Technology enriches the student experience through its possibilities—more information is available at a quicker speed. The new technology widens the variety of opportunities for students to collaborate on projects. To underscore how the North library is no longer just a room filled with physical books, but a place with digital content and other multimedia, the library has been renamed as the “Library Learning Commons.” The Learning Commons features a row of iMacs, a separate computer lab and subscriptions to web databases for student research. Although education occurs between a student and teacher, technology acts as a useful supplement for the learning process.
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, Arielle Conti, 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.
Gaby Perez-Dietz
Getting ready to perform: Junior Johnny Medlar pretends to strangle sophomore Billy Cohen as part of an improv game. The Improv Club will present its first Improv Jam Wednesday, Dec. 13 in the little theatre.
Revise cancelled class rules Jacob Schwarz A student’s head is rested on a table in the cafeteria. As his boredom increases, he stares at the clock, even though he’s almost positive it has not moved since he sat down. It’s first block, and this student, whose teacher is absent, has not received any homework yet, and has absolutely nothing to do. He begins to think that somehow it would have been better if he had class this block. Unfortunately for this student, if he’s a sophomore or a freshman, he doesn’t have any other choice but to sit in the cafeteria. According to school rules, during a cancelled class, all freshmen and first semester sophomores must report to the cafeteria and sign-in, and then subject themselves to an hour of boredom, sitting at a table in the cafeteria. It seems arbitrary to specifically restrict freshmen and by
column sophomores from what should be an inalienable right for high school students. All Newton North students deserve open campus. If this is an A-block class, students are even worse off because they may not have any homework to do. During a cancelled class, a student might consider seeing a teacher for help, but a student can only leave the cafeteria with a note signed from that teacher. The student might not be able to retrieve a note once he realizes he needs help and would not be able to leave the cafeteria. If going to the cafeteria was no longer necessary, a student could easily just go to his teacher’s classroom to see if the teacher is available. This school’s administration should trust freshmen and sophomores during cancelled classes. If these students had
the privilege, they would follow the lead of the juniors and seniors to take a harmless walk into the nearby restaurants of Newtonville for a bite during their cancelled classes. If a student knew he had a cancelled class A-block and wasn’t prohibited from leaving the cafeteria, he could get much needed sleep at home, and then come to school later in the block. What difference would it make if a student left when the last block of the day was cancelled, and walked home an hour earlier? The answer is nothing. The administration should extend the system of open campus currently reserved for seniors, juniors and second semester sophomores to the entire school. This new system would dictate that any student in good academic standing could leave school for a cancelled class, or at least stay on school grounds for extra help.
SparkNotes prevents growth To the Editor: I’d like to try correcting the impression that may have been left by the SparkNotes article in the last edition of the Newtonite (partly due to the arrangement of the teacher quotes) that English teachers at our school condone the use of such pale facsimiles of the real thing as substitute for reading assigned literary texts. Most of us do not, for a variety of compelling reasons, the central one being that there is no point. The summarizable portion of a literary text is just an inconsequential made-up confection; the plot details are mere fabrications. Poetry is a pure puff of fantasy. Stories and poems are inventions that have no significance in synopsis. The whole point of reading literature is the experience of looking through the literary lens in order to see things as they truly are in their full complexity, to view an enhanced, high-def, MRI image of the human psyche and life and only thereby to detect all their contradictory, layered intricacy. If you replace that lens with the cracked coke bottle of plot summary, you will see only a blurred, barren outline of synthesized events, behold largely an undifferentiated lump of clay. To bypass that lens of literature misses the point entirely, reducing the wannabe reader to the state of a naïve child trying to
letter figure out stars or cells with the naked eye. The unique refractive powers of literary modes of seeing—chiefly elements like irony, metaphor, paradox, motifs, language acoustics, and narrative craft—reveal truths about the human psyche and life unavailable through any other. Only through that looking glass is it possible to gain a full appreciation of some essential truths that make living understandable, tolerable, even enjoyable, and which make genuine connections with other people more possible. But there is more. Those who allow others to do their reading for them will never know the personal satisfaction nor growth in confidence that comes from digging deep and forming their own independent individual opinions about substantial and significant things, expressing and defending them, or finally writing about and developing their own take. To miss out on that, far more than suffering global competitive loss or the embarrassment of being caught, is the real shame. Without any such experience in mining and sorting out for yourself, you are very likely to lead a limited existence in which you end up not really knowing who you truly are and what you actually think, burdened instead with second-hand opinions bor-
rowed from the informational thrift shops infesting today’s cyberspace. And even more: there is the general debilitation of the short-cut, the cultivation of the abbreviated hour rather than the full, the Rosie Ruiz approach to academic accomplishment, hopping on the non-reading T to the Fens, then jogging over to the Hancock, far ahead of those suckers who actually started in Hopkinton and went the distance, standing finally on the awards platform and bending, oh so slightly, to receive your laurels. Training? The full marathon? Actual thoughtful reading? Please—only fools go that route. Truly smart people know how to cut the corners with impunity, leaving plenty of free time for…you know, whatever. —English teacher Richard Jones
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, Dec. 3, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3
Dennis Klem wins Meserve for teaching
Marena Cole It’s often made explicitly clear that Dennis Klem’s math classes are not ideal places to nap. After a posed question is ignored, a dozing student’s desk is spun around to face the class. Graphs drawn on the board are accented with his trademark whistles and hums, and points drawn on the coordinate grid are often accompanied with an array of sound effects. “Come on. Come on! COME ON!” he’ll yell as seconds tick away in the very end of a class, as the solution to a long proof begins to come together. “Thirty seconds! WE CAN DO IT!” To Klem, his occasional bouts of high-energy are used as a method to help students feel excited about the material they’re learning. “It’s like with storytelling— I’m very big on exaggerating with my stories,” he said. “I might have to exaggerate the facts or be a bit over-the-top to make it funny. “If people have tuned out, I certainly think they will tune back in if I slam my hand against the board or go off on a tangent about lollipops.” Klem is this year’s winner of the Charles Dana Meserve Award for excellence in teaching. Klem grew up in Waterbury, Conn. and graduated from Crosby High School in 1996. He went on to attend Boston College and graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor’s in mathematics. In 2001, he earned his Masters of Art in Teaching from Boston University. He began teaching here in September, 2001. Klem said he’s always loved to learn new things, and as a by
teacher he has been able to learn more about math every year. “Even though I’ve taught some topics for 10 years now, every year students have new insights about how to approach a problem I’ve seen 10 times before.” Klem said that learning along with students has been an integral part of making them feel comfortable in the classroom. “One thing a lot of teachers will say is that the learning process isn’t in one direction,” Klem said. “If I’m open to going along with students’ ways to approach problems and if a student feels like we’re all in this together, there’s less pressure. “There’s less of a sense that I’m dictating what’s in my brain to them.” And according to Klem, the desire to help people understand concepts steered him towards being a teacher. “I had had interest in being a teacher,” he said. “But my freshman year of college, I had a professor that I admired a lot. “I said I wanted to be a teacher, and he pushed me away from it—he basically said, ‘No, you can do something better.’ “After that, I pretty much abandoned the idea for the rest of college. After my junior year of college I had an internship with a retirement services company that made retirement plans for teachers. “I learned a lot about saving and planning for the future, and I realized that it might be interesting to teach some of these concepts. “I decided I’d rather help people gain an awareness to help themselves.” Math teacher Janice Licht-
man said that it’s fun to sit in on Klem’s classes. “He’s good with the material, and he’s really funny,” she said. “It’s clear he has a balance, which is great.” For the past several years, Lichtman and Klem have each taught sections of the 503 math class, she said. “When I came into the course, he really understood where kids would have trouble, and where they would have strengths,” Lichtman said. “Even though he had been teaching the course for a long time, he made sure there was space for my input. “He makes sure to bring in new ideas, and he’s always willing to try new things.” Math department head Cindy Bergan said she enjoys everything about working with Klem. “He is the consummate professional in terms of working here at Newton North,” Bergan said. “He could teach any course of the 23 the math department offers, and if I asked him to teach any of them, he would. “I think he’s a very skilled mathematician, and he can make math interesting, too,” she said. “Kids enjoy his classes.” But one thing many people might not know about Klem, Bergan said, is that he is the “social director” for the math department, often organizing the department’s social events. “He loves math, but he loves people, too,” she said. “There are 25 of us in the department, and we’re a very collaborative group. We like to work together a lot, but we also like to have fun together, too. “Dennis is our organizer. For instance, he organized a faculty dinner and play series that
Gabe Dreyer
“Even though I’ve taught some topics for 10 years, every year students have new insights on how to approach a problem I’ve seen 10 times before,” says math teacher Dennis Klem. people really enjoyed.” Bergan said Klem is also the “sunshine fund” collector, for when the department gives gifts to its members to mark special events in their lives. “That’s the kind of thing he would be interested in making sure happens in the department,” she said. “He’s really good at getting people together, and he gets people to feel like a group. That’s a real talent.” And in the long run, Klem said he appreciates all North has to offer its educators.
“Although I’ve never taught at another school, all of my friends from home are teachers, and when they tell stories about the schools they work in, it really makes me appreciate what students and staff have here,” he said. “Lots of schools aren’t safe, they aren’t accepting of ideas of others and they aren’t supportive of different ways of learning. It seems like we do really have a good thing happening here. “If I were going to teach somewhere, I think this is the place to do it.”
Task Force raises awareness about bullying policy Malini Gandhi With recent laws requiring schools to claim greater responsibility for bullying incidents, the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Task Force proposed a series of new policies and outreach programs to the School Committee, said deputy superintendent Paul Stein. Formed in the winter of 2009, the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Task Force is a 29person panel of parents, teachers, administrators and mental health workers who were pulled together to analyze Newton Public School policy, especially in light of how much “bullying has been in the news lately,” according to Stein. This endeavor was made all the more relevant with the passing of a new law in May 2009 that “clearly defined the terms bullying, cyberbullying and retaliation, as well as clarifying the obligation of the school staff, the nature of investigation and different types of intervention,” he said. According to Stein, the Task Force was split into two smaller divisions: the first group focused
on prevention methods such as school curricula and parent outreach, while the second group tackled intervention policies and procedures, including the actual bullying policy that will appear in the student handbook.
Rebecca Harris To discuss sophomore Winston Huang’s “fast lane” proposal, a Student Faculty Administration Board subcommittee contacted the company that will be taking over the district’s food services this January, according to special education teacher David Turcotte. The proposal suggests that a separate lunch lane be created for students who buy lunch with PIN accounts, as they take less
time paying than those who pay cash. In order to better understand this issue, Whitsons School Nutrition will send a representative to observe a lunch block before January 1, Turcotte said. Principal Jennifer Price said that “this is a big opportunity for us to lead something that’s going to be a big transition for the school.” Faculty co-chair Gregory Drake said that the proposal
by
Arielle Conti
The Bullying Prevention and Intervention Task Force works to clarify school policy on bullying.
Among other projects, Stein highlighted the Task Force’s work with cyberbullying procedures as a change that would specifically impact high school students. “Cyberbullying is usually an
instance that takes place outside of school, and in the past it has been unclear whether or not schools hold jurisdiction for this kind of harassment,” Stein said. “With the new law, the school now not only has jurisdiction, but responsibility. If a student has been repeatedly harassed on the Internet, they are going to come to school, and they are going to feel it.” Students will now face explicit consequences for cyberbullying, and any form of harassment could result in suspension. Parents will also be given the opportunity to report any incidents of bullying through a new website that is currently being constructed, Stein said. Stein stressed that this effort is about education, in additon to consequences. “We want to set up counseling or educational interventions in working with both the target and the aggressor,” he said. The Task Force has also piloted new bullying prevention programs for both the elementary and middle schools, though
the high schools are currently still considering new curricula, according to Stein. “In the long run, we definitely want to set up some kind of educational component for high schools, though it is still unclear what this is going to look like,” Stein said. If the School Committee approves the new approach proposed by the Task Force in a vote that will take place Monday, Dec. 13, “the Task Force’s work on the policy will be complete, and it will become a school responsibility,” according to Stein. “The Bullying Prevention and Intervention Task Force’s work is merely a foundation. Now it’s a matter of implementing these changes and allowing them to seep into the culture,” Stein said. “Students need to get the sense that bullying is not acceptable, and it is the bystander’s responsibility to intervene, at least by making sure a staff member is alerted to any instance of bullying. We really need everyone on board, so it doesn’t just sit in the handbook.”
of them receive free or reduced lunch, Turcotte said. The board also discussed safety measures and the role of technology at this school. Housemaster James D’Orazio said that he is working with the other housemasters on a plan to lock all exterior doors except for the main entrance and cafeteria entrance during school hours. “People could be wandering in and out of the building without supervision,” he said. “We
want the school to feel safe.” Additionally, senior Emma Leader, freshman Ned Martenis and librarian Kevin McGrath plan to write a proposal including a variety of potential changes to this school’s technology policies. McGrath said that though the school district determines what sites are blocked, the district has previously seemed amenable to unblocking sites when both high schools agree.
Administration discusses ‘fast lanes’ in cafeteria
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“is in Whitsons’ best interest,” because the company makes a larger profit if cafeteria lines move quickly. The subcommittee was to have met with current food services director Rob Clickstein yesterday to determine whether it would be possible to implement this proposal before January 1. The subcommittee will also find out from Clickstein how many students use their pin accounts and what percentage
arts
4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
Musicians present dynamic Harvestfests Jay Feinstein Gloria Li Six musical ensembles participated in Harvestfest I and II Wednesday, Nov. 17 and Thursday, Nov. 18, in the auditorium. by
and
review The first night included Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Jubilee Singers. The second featured Concert Choir, Family Singers and Orchestra.
Harvestfest I
Under the direction of music teacher Richard Labedz, Symphonic Band opened the concert with the tune “Variation Overture” by Clifton Williams. This piece was a great leadin to the concert because the melody and harmony sections blended well together. “Welsh Rhapsody,” arranged by James Curnow, began softly, but the music grew heavier, as the instruments started to crescendo. Music spread from left to right, as different instruments paused to allow small groups to play together in soli. After Symphonic Band performed, Labedz returned to the stage to direct Wind Ensemble. One piece the ensemble played was “Variations on a Korean Folk Song” by John Barnes Chance. The ensemble showed its skill and versatility by playing seven distinct variations on one piece. The song had a fast tempo at the beginning. Then, it became waltz-like and was finally altered to a marching-band style. Later in the piece, soloists could be heard playing complicated parts of the song. Soloists were senior Peter Wu on trumpet, and sophomores Gemma Lurie and Katie Wu, both on oboe. Concluding the evening was
“Caution”: The Family Singers were one of three groups to perform in Harvestfest II Thursday, Nov. 18. Jubilee Singers, directed by music teacher Sheldon Reid. “Amazing Grace,” arranged by Reid, was the first song the group performed. Junior Emily Paley performed the solo. Paley’s talent stunned the audience, which began clapping to the rhythm. Jubilee proceeded to perform “Be Still and Know I Am God” by Alexi Paraschos ’05. Instrumental accompaniment was provided by seniors Isabel Dover on drums, Kelly McIntyre on keyboard and Teddy Wenneker on bass, along with Labedz on the saxophone. Throughout this song, the entire choir was perfectly in-sync and swayed to the music. The words “I am God” were repeated
in a decrescendo and faded out, at the end.
Harvestfest II
First, the Concert Choir performed, directed by fine and performing arts department head Todd Young and accompanied on the piano by Mali Golomb-Leavitt ’10. The choir sang four pieces, opening with “Down to the River to Pray,” a soft tune with distinct harmonies, arranged by Sheldon Curry. “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Unger, a song about the Civil War, started out with three separate groups of singers; sopranos, altos and tenors. Each section sang with conviction. The choir closed with “Good Night” by John Lennon and Paul
McCartney. Next, the Family Singers, under the direction of music teacher Adam Grossman, walked onto the stage. “ C a u t i o n” b y W i l l i a m Schuman started with a beautiful burst of short staccatos. Throughout the song, the singers repeated the phrase “Look before you leap,” in dozens of different interesting ways. Then, the singers slowed down the pace as they started “John Anderson” by Robert Schuman, a sweet, soft selection. “Geographical Fugue” by Ernst Toch was a piece for non-pitched voice, and was completely spoken. It sounded like the beats of a clock, with
Jenny Lewis
each note short and precise. The short notes became louder and louder as the piece progressed. Members of the Honors String Ensemble joined the Family Singers for “Laudate Jehovam, omnes gentes” by G.P. Telemann. Next, Orchestra, directed by Grossman, performed three selections. “Air” by Norman Dello Joio set the scene with violins. Then, the viola joined in and finally the basses played. As the piece continued, Orchestra varied its dynamics, creating a classic feel. All students in these six ensembles worked hard to perform two wonderful concerts, making for a memorable Harvestfest.
Habits for a Lifetime of Health Newton-Wellesley Hospital encourages you to develop healthy habits.
Eat a balanced diet • Keep active • Stay smoke free Y
www.nwh.org
arts
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5
Sarah Ruhl’s ‘Eurydice’ to go on stage
Adapted from Greek mythology, play includes themes of love, death, tragedy Perrin Stein Seniors Derek Butterton and Mercer Gary are directing Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice,” an adaptation of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus. The show will go on stage Thursday, Dec. 9 through Saturday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the little theatre. “It’s the tale of two young lovers separated by death,” Gary said. “Essentially, the play Newtonian asks the audiMercer ence, ‘Would Gary you choose sad memories or no memories at all?’’ Orpheus, played by junior Charlie Beers, is so dedicated to his wife, Eurydice, played by senior Rosie McInnes, that he goes into the Underworld to bring her back from death, Gary said. The Lord of the Underworld, played by senior Justin Phillips, tells Orpheus that he can bring his wife back as long as he doesn’t look back once he enters the tunnel that bridges the two worlds. As the myth goes, Orpheus looks back, and Eurydice disappears, Gary said. In the tradition of Greek plays, “Eurydice” includes a chorus, which is known as the Stones. The three Stones will be played by senior Amanda King, junior Lior Percher and freshman Emily Clott. “The idea of the Stones originates from the idea that Orpheus is such a fantastic musician that his music has the ability to make even the Stones by
Gaby Perez-Dietz
Commenting on the action: Freshman Emily Clott, senior Amanda King and junior Lior Percher practice their performance as the three Stones. “Eurydice” will go up Thursday, Dec. 9 and play through Saturday, Dec. 11 in the little theatre. weep,” Butterton said. “These characters comment on the unfolding action, and they can be funny and overdramatic, but in general, they are quite unpleasant.” The only other character in the play is Orpheus’ father, who will be played by senior Skylar
Fox. While in the Underworld, Orpheus learns about the place from his father, who has been dead for a long time, according the Butterton. Junior Aaron Siegel designed the set, which will be a 1940s carnival on the pier, according to Butterton.
“A lot of people set ‘Eurydice’ in an amorphous space and time, but we really wanted to make it more concrete,” he said. “The carnival during the day is filled with life just like the Overworld, while at night it is dark and easy to equate it with the Underworld.”
Concerts will help fund student trips Performances will benefit Global Education Leadership Fund Kate Lewis Three concerts presented by outside artists will benefit the Global Education Leadership Fund (GELF), said fine and performing arts department head Todd Young. GELF is a program that provides scholarships for students from both Newton high schools to travel internationally, Young said. The program is in its third year, and has provided financial benefits to over 40 students who have wished to travel on school trips and foreign exchanges in the past two years. World language department head Nancy Marrinucci, a member of the GELF committee, said trips can be life-changing, but in the past “have been out of reach for many students due to cost.” “With GELF, all students can now realistically consider participating in an international program offered at either school,” she said. Young’s involvement with GELF began during his first by
year at this school, when he organized a Music Travel Club trip to China over April vacation in 2009. GELF also provided assistance to some students who traveled with the club on a tour of Italy last year, he said. “Some students received support to travel with the music department,” he said. “It ended up being an incredibly powerful and rewarding experience. “It’s important to help level the playing field so any student can travel internationally,” Young said. “It’s expensive to travel, but GELF helps to provide access as much as possible, so any student enrolled at Newton North or Newton South can have these opportunities.” “From what I understand, 100 percent of the funds raised from these concerts will directly support students,” Young said. Marrinucci said she believed it would be ideal to have three diverse types of music groups at the concerts to attract a wide
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audience. The first of these concerts featured the Steve Soares Trio, a jazz group. This concert took place Sunday, Nov. 21. “While we did not have a lot of people at the Steve Soares concert, I believe it was successful in that we raised some money for GELF, and we made more people in the community Newtonian aware of the scholarship,” Nancy Marrinucci Marrinucci said. Catie Curtis, a singersongwriter of the folk genre, was to have performed in the second concert last night. Curtis is an alumna of Brown University and was a performer at the Human Rights Ball during President Obama’s inauguration in 2009.
She was also a guest artist at this school’s Singer-Songwriter Symposium last year and worked with students from this school during an all-day workshop, culminating in a final concert. “I was a fan of her music long before I got to meet her,” said Young. “For me, it was fun to have her work with the students.” The third and final concert will take place Saturday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, and will feature a group called The Rhythm Room, a percussion group that uses rhythms and instruments from around the world. “Just as GELF enables students to explore and discover different cultures, destinations and languages, this ensemble allows its audience to explore lots of different kinds of music that they might not listen to on their own,” Marrinucci said. In addition, Marrinucci’s sister, Julie, is one of the lead singers of The Rhythm Room.
According to Siegel, the set will include an L-shaped pier opposite the audience, with a Ferris wheel to the left of it. In front of the Ferris wheel will be a Ferris wheel car, which has a river that comes out of it and continues across the stage, he said. In order to clarify the setting, there will also be a backdrop of a carnival. “The pier represents the world of the living and everything below the pier is the world of the dead—the Underworld,” Siegel said. “The river and Ferris wheel represent how people forget the dead. Certain aspects of the set, such as the Ferris wheel, are supposed to be eerie and creepy, like the Underworld.” The costumes, designed by senior Anna Gargas, are based on color schemes for each character. Everyone wears Newtonian pastels in the Anna Overworld, and Gargas in the Underworld, the colors are bright and fake, she said. “For example, Eurydice’s color is red because she is always strong and passionate,” Gargas said. “In the Overworld, she wears real flowers in her hair, while in the Underworld she wears a plastic flower with big rhinestones on it. “Basically, the costumes are supposed to highlight the difference between the Overworld and the Underworld,” she said. Tickets are $7, and they can be purchased on the Theatre Ink website, www.theatreink.net, or at all lunches.
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6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
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Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7
Students of different religions have distinct eating restrictions Jay Feinstein Kayla Shore henever junior Sarah Bajwa goes out, she is very careful about what she eats: no meat, no meat products, including gelatin. She often has to order separately from the rest of her friends, but by now she’s used it. However, Bajwa is not vegetarian. Bajwa, a Muslim, keeps halal, the dietary laws of Islam. Accordingly, she doesn’t eat pork, and she doesn’t eat other kinds of meat outside of her house if they are not certified as halal. Adhering to the dietary restrictions that span many faiths can be difficult for students in a diverse environment. Islam, Judaism and Hinduism are examples of faiths that include strict laws that govern how their members eat. Sometimes staying true to one’s beliefs can be a challenge, especially if tempted by a chorus of recommendations to try a forbidden food (or fruit, as it were). “Around Easter one year, I remember that everyone was eating Peeps,” Bajwa recalled. “I couldn’t have them because they have gelatin, which contains pig’s hooves. Everyone would be saying ‘oh this is so good.’” “It’s a lot easier now,” Bajwa said. Still, “sometimes it’s hard because everything has a lot of meat.” While she goes out with friends all the time, she still eats at home and loves her mother’s cooking. “She makes everything,” she said. The laws of halal also prohibit putting anything in your body that affects your judgement and intellect, including alcohol. Freshman Arman Paydarfar, also a Muslim, chooses to keep pork as his only restriction, but said he isn’t very strict about it. “I just do it because it was how I was brought up….but I’ve had a slice of ham here or there,” he said. Kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws, has much in common with the rules of halal. Junior Molly Mamon is Jewish, but like Bajwa, she also doesn’t eat pork or eat meat out of the house. Adhering to a set of dietary laws can set one apart from a group. “If I’m ever going out for dinner with friends, and they want to get something with meat, I have to get my own food, and I feel left out,” said Mamon. Mamon recalled an English class in her freshman year when she had to watch from the sidelines as the rest of the class enjoyed a “delicious-looking piece of chocolate cake.” Normally, there would be nothing preventing her from eating a piece of that cake, but this cake was brought in during the Jewish holiday, Passover, in which Jews are prohibited from eating bread, among other foods. As a member of the Brahmin caste of Hinduism, sophomore Giri Anand is obligated to be a vegetarian. Traditionally, the Brahmin were the priests of Indian society, so what they ate was supposed to make them spiritually pure, Anand said. “It’s a nice tradition, and I plan to keep following it as I grow older,” he said. Anand doesn’t only limit his foods because of religion. He also limits his foods because of his personal beliefs. “I don’t know if it’s the way I was brought up or something else, but I just find meat disgusting,” he said. “It’s against my personal beliefs to kill something and eat it.” However, Anand admits that meat can be difficult to avoid. “Meat is everywhere,” he said. “Two years ago, when I went to Spain, we went to this restaurant, and every single item on the menu contained meat. There were no vegetarian options, so once we saw the menu, we had to walk right out of the restaurant.” According to Anand, for the most part, it’s not as hard in America as it is in other places. “The food is much more diverse and restaurants give you more options,” he said. Despite the diversity, Anand said that it still can be hard sometimes in America. “One time, in elementary school there was an option called ‘vegetarian hot pocket.’ I was thinking that it was great that they had food just for vegetarian people like me, so by
and
W
Learning how to comply with rules Fatema Zaidi Sitting around the campfire, I smelled the sweet, savory smell of the fluffy marshmallows that my friends were roasting. by
viewpoint
courtesy Sarah Bajwa
In Scotland: Junior Sarah Bajwa stands with her sister Tania Bajwa ’10 outside of Yadgar, a halal kebab house, on a recent family vacation trip.
courtesy Gauri Sharma
Following the restrictions: Senior Gauri Sharma makes daal, a traditional Indian lentil soup, that is permissible for Hindus to eat. I ordered it,” he said. “As soon as I got it, I realized that it had meat in it. The ‘vegetarian’ hot pocket was falsely advertised. They didn’t care about their mistake, and I remember being hungry for the rest of the day.” People don’t always tolerate vegetarians, according to Anand. “Sometimes, people put meat under my nose during lunch to annoy me,” he said. “People take it for granted that they can eat meat, and they don’t respect people who can’t. It’s just unfair.” Sophomore Kris Labovitch is half Jew-
ish and half Hindu, so in the spirit of his heritage, he doesn’t eat any meat. “I fufill the eating restrictions for both religions by being vegetarian.” “By no means am I forced to be vegetarian. My brother isn’t,” he said. “It was a life choice that I made, and I’m happy I made that decision.” Senior Gauri Sharma chooses not to eat beef, as the cow is a sacred animal in Hinduism. It can be difficult when she goes out to a burger joint with friends, but otherwise “it’s just second nature now,” she said.
I was eight years old at my first Girl Scouts campout and I couldn’t eat dessert, which had gelatin in it. Instead, I had to watch the rest of the girls make what looked like the most delicious s’mores I had ever seen. Then, my leader came over to me with a bag full of kosher marshmallows. I immediately cheered up and joined my friends in making my marshmallow perfectly golden. Because I’m a Muslim, I can’t eat meat that has not been killed according to Islamic Sharia, and I can’t drink alcohol under any circumstance. Obviously, when I was eight, I did not fully understand the purpose of telling my friends, “Sorry, I can’t eat that because it isn’t halal.” I had to deal with a lot of questions that I couldn’t answer, so it was definitely harder as a younger child. But now I understand what spiritual purification is, and I know that there are health reasons behind why Islam asks that Muslims stay away from certain food and drinks. It has also become easier because all my friends know about the restrictions. When I go over to their houses, there is always a meat option and a veggie option, such as cheese pizza or pasta. Now, instead of getting angry with my friends every time they say, “But bacon is so good!” I’ve learned to either ignore them or say, “So are veggie burgers!” even if I don’t totally mean it. I’ve learned a lot of ways to make the best within the strict rules. For example, when I make Ramen noodles, I just add my own halal chicken flavor instead of what’s inside the box. And when I go to campouts, I bring my own kosher marshmallows, which have fish gelatin. And every day, as more and more people choose to become vegetarians or vegans, life for me becomes significantly easier. The best part about traveling around the world or even through America is that I get to go to places where there is a larger population of Muslims, which means a greater amount of halal restaurants. My favorite, by far, are the Chinese halal restaurants. I could definitely not live a purely vegetarian life, simply because I love the taste of meat. I applaud those who do it, but my religion does not require for me to be one and I am grateful for that. I intend to continue eating halal for the rest of my life. When I was younger, I only kept it because that was what my parents told me to do. But now that I have a greater understanding of my religion, I’m keeping halal for the rest of my life because I believe that it is best for me, and I could not imagine not doing so.
She also doesn’t eat any meat on Tuesdays, another law of Hinduism. Some students may not continue to follow these restrictions throughout their lives—like junior Allie Phillips, who keeps Kosher, who said, “it can be a hassle.” It’s a difficult choice for students to make, depending largely on complicated personal beliefs. On Sarah Bajwa’s part, despite any challenges she may face, she fully intends to keep halal throughout her life. “I’m looking forward to keeping it,” she said. “I have a lot of faith.”
news
8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
School acquires Kindle devices
Kristian Lundberg Three new Amazon Kindle wireless reading devices are currently available for student use in this school’s Library Learning Commons, according to librarian Kevin McGrath. McGrath said that a major benefit of having Kindles is “the sheer number of books available on the Kindle. There are over 725,000 e-Books available, and most have free sample chapters,” he said. “Students can Newtonian download the chapters Kevin themselves McGrath and read.” He also said that some Kindles will be used to read newspapers and magazines. McGrath said that this school’s library actually has five Kindles total so far. “The other two are being formatted for newspapers and magazines, but we still need to work out the logistics for paying for the subscriptions,” he said. “Currently Amazon.com only allows for payment by credit card, and since the library doesn’t by
own a credit card, we have to be creative.” They will be available for student use as soon as the details are arranged. McGrath said that students have the option of adding books the library didn’t have to the library’s cart at the Kindle store. “If we see that one student wants a book, chances are others want it too, and we will order it.” According to McGrath, the Kindles must remain in the library for now, but students are free to check out a paper copy of the eBook. Students must leave their student ID card at the desk while they borrow a Kindle for the block. According to librarian Annette Tate, the library had been considering buying Kindles for the past few years. “We were able to use money from the Educational Excellence Campaign to make this plan a reality,” she said. In the future, the library will consider purchasing more electronic reading devices, Tate said. “We are not sure exactly what kinds of devices will prove to be the most effective for students,” she said.
Gaby Perez-Dietz
In the library: Seniors Jing Cox-Orrell and Lucy Mazur-Warren use Kindles to read.
Library supports National Novel Writing Month Gloria Li Students from this school were encouraged to spend November writing a 50,000-word story as a part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), according to former library intern Liz Sower. “This event encourages students to write a novel in one month without editing,” said Sower, who was in charge of this schools’ participation. “It’s just so they can get their ideas down for a novel.” NaNoWriMo is not a competition, Sower said. Instead, it compels the author to compete against time and him or herself to write at least 50,000 words. To promote this event, the librarians put up signs reading, “NaNoWriMo *ask a librarian,” by
on the doors of the library. Information was also available on the library’s website. Both the signs and website generated a significant amount of interest, according to Sower. English teacher and librarian Kevin McGrath promoted the event by assigning writing projects for every student in his senior English class. Students chose the form of their writing, whether it be a novel, short story, collection of poetry, or a memoir, he said. “The main focus of the month of November for the assignment, similar to NaNoWriMo, is to write as much as we could, so that we would have something to edit in January.” He suggested participation in NaNoWriMo to his students as a
way to complete the project. “I’d say that I have about 10 students in my class participating in NaNoWriMo,” McGrath said. “As a school we hope each student is able to ‘find his or her voice’ by the time they graduate. Articulating yourself in writing in a meaningful way is an important life-skill.” NaNoWriMo’s host website is www.nanowrimo.org. This year, 2,616,700,182 collective words were written for the event, according to the site. Sophomore Evan Nitkin decided to participate in the event after hearing about it from other members of the Creative Writing Club. Nitkin said he enjoyed this event and did not find it par-
ticularly stressful, but that it took time away from his sleep schedule. “It’s tiring, but I’m so far in that I won’t give up,” Nitkin said halfway through the month. Although his participation in NaNoWriMo cut down on his sleep, Nitikin said it has probably his favorite part of the month. “I enjoyed being awake and working at three in the morning, while the rest of the world was completely dead.” Throughout November, Nitkin said he constantly referred to NaNoWriMo’s website. “It was really helpful,” he said. “Reading it gave me a lot of moral support and helped me continue to finish my book.” According to Nitkin, the website has a word count tool
and a graph that shows an author’s progress to completion, to keep the authors on track and allow them to clearly see how many words they’ve written. “The best part of the website was the forms in which we could talk to others about how writing a book was changing their lives,” he said. In addition to the website’s moral support, Nitkin found that the site also offered information on locations, such as libraries, where people could get together to write their novels, he said. One such event is scheduled to occur at this school in early December for fourth graders participating in a simplified version of NaNoWriMo, which asks them to write 100 words each day, according to Sower.
Class goes to New Hampshire Jacob Brunell Students from this school went to Sargent Camp in Hancock, New Hampshire for the annual Leadership retreat Monday, Nov. 16 and Tuesday, Nov. 17. In the Leadership in a Diverse Society class, students learn about and discuss issues of different leadership styles, race, gender, class and sexual orientation, said English teacher Michele Leong, who teaches the course with English teacher Peter Goddard. “We try to be a proactive and responsive voice within the school community,” Leong said. “The goal of this trip was to have fun and continue to think about and discuss the issues we have discussed in class, while pushing students to challenge themselves,” said Leong. On the trip, students participated in an array of activities designed to challenge them as individuals, but also to encourage community building, Leong said. “We had activities on a ropes course, small group challenges, as well as thoughtful discusby
courtesy Elaine Choy
Team uilding: Senior D’Jaidah Wynn begins a ropes course while on a trip with the Leadership class.
sions on identity and race,” said Leong. The 34 students from the Leadership course were accompanied by four teachers, as well as two EDCO interpreters, Leong said. Along with Goddard and Leong, history teacher Greg Drake and English teacher Kate Shaughnessy served as chaperones on the trip. “I hope students were able to push themselves out of their comfort zones, look at different perspectives, and bring the high spirits and enthusiasm from the trip back to the classroom,” Leong said. Senior Tiffany Chen said she went on the trip because she wanted to bond and learn with her classmates outside of the regular classroom environment. “I thought that working as a group and challenging ourselves would be a good way to bring us together,” said Chen. While Chen said she enjoyed many parts of the trip, there was one moment that stood out. “Working together as a class to get each and every student and teacher over a 20 foot
wooden wall was definitely the most memorable activity of the trip,” she said. “The feeling of making it over the wall with the help of the class really made me feel accomplished and thankful for having such a great support system.” Junior Mario Tavolieri said he actually enjoyed the bus ride the most of the trip. “On the way there, we all sat with our friends and talked with the people we knew,” Tavolieri said. “But on the way back you could see everybody sitting next to new friends and it was really cool to see the impact spending a day and a half together had on everybody in the class,” said Tavolieri. While he enjoyed this trip, Tavolieri also said that he wished there were more retreats like the Leadership retreat, because it was one of the highlights of his high school experience. “Before the trip, most kids in the class knew each other, and might have even said hello to each other in the hallways. But now, it’s like we’re a family,” Tavolieri finished.
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9
Talk of the
Critic’s Picks Swing Vote
Swing Vote is a comedy about a man whose single vote ends up deciding the presidential election. Through an unlucky accident, Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner) ends up having the tiebreaking vote. While his overachieving daughter (Madeline Carrol) is extremely political, Bud is completely unaware of the election and its issues. After the world finds out he has the deciding vote, he is immediately bestowed with gifts, pleas and attention from the candidates themselves, the media, interest groups and individuals. Once you’ve accepted the unbelievable idea that one man’s vote could decide the next president, Swing Vote is a very entertaining political satire. Grade: B+
The Blind Side
The Blind Side is based on the true story of Michael Oher, now a professional football player. A homeless teenager, he is taken in by a woman (Sandra Bullock) and her family. In high school, she urges Oher (Quinton Aaron) to try out for the football team. Despite a rough start, Oher becomes a star and is recruited by many college
teams. Meanwhile, Oher and his family are working hard to raise his GPA so he is able to play in college. While this is a story about how Oher became a professional football player, football takes a backseat to the story about his family, the connections he made with them and his acceptance of himself. Grade: A-
My Sister’s Keeper
Based on the book by Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper is a heart-wrenching story about a girl with cancer and the toll of her disease on her family. Her younger sister, Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin), was conceived to be a genetic match for the transplants her sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), requires. My Sister’s Keeper is the story of what happens after Anna, at age 11, says she will not go through with any more procedures. She hires a lawyer in order to hold her ground against her mother. Unlike many movies based on books, My Sister’s Keeper
Teachers’ Picks
Tiger
manages to follow the basic story line while having its own unexpected twists along the way. Grade: A-
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a comedy about one man’s effort to save “his” mall when it is being attacked. Though everyone else thinks Paul Blart’s job as a security officer is a joke, he takes it very seriously, which pushes him to fight so hard when the mall is attacked. Blart (Kevin James) lives at home with his mother and daughter. Throughout the movie, as a pretty unnecessary sub plot, his daughther and mother are conspiring to find him a girlfriend. Though quite cliché, the movie is very humorous and is worth seeing. Grade: B —Georgina Teasdale
Ms. Meyer
Ms. Karp
Favorite Artists
Favorite Artists
Favorite Artists
Favorite Movie Titicut Follies
Favorite Show Boston Legal
The Kinks Keith Urban Blondie Emmylou Harris The Rolling Stones
Favorite Movie Bull Durham
Favorite Show The Good Wife
Marketing training in new course
A new marketing and management course gave students training in business and retail. Students also opened and managed a school store called Hide ’n Seek.
‘Kismet’ cast goes to beach
Members of the cast of “Kismet,” the all-school musical, took a trip to the beach to film a scene that was meant to take place in the desert. The film was shown as part of the musical.
School feels effects of Prop. 2 ½
After Prop. 2 ½ passed, officials predicted that budget cuts could result in increased class sizes, cuts to programs and a limit on bus passes to only those students who live over two miles away.
It’s going to be a toss-up As the Tigers prepared to host Brookline in the annual Thanksgiving Game, both sides were unsure as to which way the game would go.
Be fair to all smokers
Letters to the editor explained why students feel they should have a smoking room in the school.
Did you know?
Mr. Lallas
John Coltraine Frank Zappa Stevie Wonder Cole Porter Ella Fitzgerald
Headlines from the November 1980 Newtonite
Sonny & Cher Benny Goodman Artie Shaw Glenn Miller Tommy Dawson
Favorite Movie Casablanca
Favorite Show Law and Order
Newton North graduate George Whitesides recently became CEO of Virgin Galatic. He graduated from this school in 1992. Virgin Galatic, a company that plans to provide space travel to the public, is currently developing commercial space vehicles, according to its website. Currently, the company has over 370 customer deposits totalling $50 million, the website says. After graduating from Newton North, Whitesides attended Princeton University and graduated from the Woodrow Wilson school of Public and International affairs. Previously, he worked as chief of staff for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Before that, he worked on the NASA transition team for Barack Obama’s administration. In addition, Whitesides is
Newtonian
George Whitesides
a former executive director of the National Space Society, which is one of the largest space advocacy groups, according to the National Space Society’s website.
Gone Too Soon
Maddie MacWilliams
sports
10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
Mascot entertains generations of fans Jacob Schwartz George the Tiger, a symbol of Newton North pride, can be spotted at concerts, orientations and sporting events, dancing around enthusiastically and getting the crowd involved. Many generations of students have had the honor of wearing the Tiger suit. Jess Barton ’06 said “being George the Tiger was a fun experience.” Growing up, Barton attended countless volleyball games because her father, Richard Barton, has been the coach here since 1987. She said she remembers watching the Tiger in action from the bleachers. “George the Tiger would always be there, jumping around enthusiastically,” she said. Watching the Tiger inspired her to write an application essay, and she soon acquired the position. She said she came across many challenges, including keeping her identity as George the Tiger a secret, which is a tradition at this school. However, Barton’s biggest challenge was “trying to make it to all the games,” she said. “I was the only person with the position in the fall season, and I was responsible for going to as many games as I possibly could. This was difficult because I already was on cross country.” Rushing to former athletic director T.J. Williams’ office after school was routine for Barton, who retrieved a key to the room holding the Tiger costume, from Williams, before every event. Being George the Tiger was gratifying, according to Barton, by
Teddy Wenneker
At the Thanksgiving Game: George the Tiger pumps up the crowd Thursday, Nov. 25, as the Tigers face Brookline.
because she “was able to represent the school. It was great helping teams get pep into their games,” she said. According to athletic director Tom Giusti, to become the person in the Tiger costume, a student must write an essay explaining why he or she would be the right choice. One student’s essay reads, “Ever since I started to attend Thanksgiving football games a few years ago, I dreamed of being the huge force that is Tiger Pride.” Based on these essays, Giusti then chooses a few candidates to audition by having them wear the Tiger suit at events such as concerts and orientations, “in order to see how they bring the costume to life, and how animated they are,” Giusti said. Usually, one to three students are selected each year, Giusti said. However, the story of George the Tiger is more than just the Tiger costume and the people who have worn it. It’s also the story of a man: George Jessup. According to Williams, who retired from his position as athletic director in 2007, Jessup, who was the school’s first athletic trainer, “became a leader and a mentor for students and teachers around the school. “He had an old-school type of thinking and contributed an awful lot,” he said. “I became very close with him.” When Williams was coaching golf and tennis, the position for athletic director became open in 1982. Jessup and Williams were in extremely close competition for the spot, according to Wil-
liams. “After I got the job, he was the first guy to drive to my house to congratulate me,” Williams said. “That’s the kind of guy he was.” In terms of personality, Williams said Jessup was never one to beat around the bush. “I found that very refreshing. He always told you the way it was.” Jessup died of heart failure in 1987, but his legacy continues at North. “He made such great contributions, and he died before his time,” Williams said. “I promised myself that I would find a way to keep his name alive, and I wanted something that would be meaningful.” It was announced soon after Jessup’s death that the Tiger, who had been nameless, would from that point on be known as George the Tiger, in Jessup’s honor. Last year, Jessup was inducted into the Newton North/Newton High Athletic Hall of Fame at the sixth annual Induction Ceremony Celebration. According to Williams, in his 27 years of working at North, only two students have been removed from their position as the mascot, because of a breach of the rules of being the Tiger. Students are asked to agree to these rules when they accept the position. “One of the rules is that the Tiger never speaks,” Williams said. “Also, the Tiger never retaliates, because he’s going to have a lot of little kids pulling on his tail, and most of all, you never divulge that you are the Tiger.”
School Hall of Fame honors inductees Alex Feit To honor exemplary former student athletes, influential coaches and managers, the seventh annual Newton North/ Newton High School Athletic Hall of Fame welcomed 12 new members. Ten athletes, one coach and one community member were honored for their service and dedication Friday, Nov. 26 at the Sheraton Hotel in Needham Hallie S. Boger ’99 was recognized for her positions on the volleyball and basketball teams. She was a two-year captain for both sports. In volleyball, Boger was a first team Bay State Conference All-Star. In both 1997 and 1998, she was a Boston Herald and Boston Globe All-Scholastic. In basketball, she earned the Bay State Conference All-Star honor and was selected twice for Carey Division MVP. USA Today and the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association recognized her as the Massachusetts Player of the Year in 1999. Nathan Busa ’95 was honored for his commitment to the football team. Playing as both a running back and linebacker, he broke this school’s rushing record and was elected to the Shriners All-Star game. He was also selected as a Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic and as a first team Bay State League All-Star. Anne M. Claffin was given the L. Bradford “Doc” Thompson Award for her service to sustaining the lacrosse and football programs for over 30 years. Claffin organized various team events and put together by
the foundation for scholarship awards and fundraising. She managed the Gridiron Club and planned for the construction of the concession stand at the former Dickinson Stadium, which funded several teams in the athletic program. Vanessa Cox ’01 was an award-winning three-season athlete in soccer, indoor track and lacrosse. She was named as a Boston Globe All-Scholastic and a Bay State Conference AllStar for lacrosse. Tanya Jones ’92, a threeseason athlete in soccer, indoor and outdoor track said, “it was a great honor” to be inducted and “great to be part of Newton North Athletics.” She helped indoor track win its first state title in 1992 and she earned a Massachusetts State Champion award. She continues to hold this school’s record for the 300-meter and 400-meter races. In soccer, Jones is known for scoring the winning goal in the 1989 State Championship game. It was this school’s first State Championship for girls’ soccer. Jones was named an AllScholastic by the Boston Globe in track and an All-Scholastic in soccer and track by the Boston Herald. Francis “Sarge” Kinlin coached Tiger hockey from 1960 to1972. The late coach led hockey to 122 wins, a Boston League title in 1962 and the Eastern Mass. title in 1965. Accepting the honor on his behalf was his wife, Marlene Kinlin. Jeffrey S. MacLaughlin ’65 was known for co-captaining hockey in 1965 and carrying the
courtesy Amy Clark
At the ceremony: Tanya Jones ’92 displays her award with football coach Peter Capodilupo. Jones and 12 others were inducted into the Newton North/Newton High School Athletic Hall of Fame. The seventh annual Induction Ceremony Celebration was Friday, Nov. 26. team to three consecutive State Tournaments, as well as his position on varsity baseball. He earned Greater Boston League All-Star honors twice. Fran Coyle ’63, a teammate, a classmate and longtime friend of MacLaughlin, accepted the honor on his behalf. Terry E. MacLaughlin ’63 broke the Newton hockey alltime scoring record during his years at this school. A co-captain of the team, he received Greater Boston League All-Star status twice. He was also remembered as a starting shortstop in baseball under coach Howard Ferguson. Kathleen Maguire-Noonan ’84 was a Suburban League All-Star in soccer and basketball. As a three-year starter and two-year captain for soccer, she
is known for scoring the only goal in a seven-overtime soccer tournament game against Wakefield. The Boston Globe commended her as an All-Scholastic and an All-Star for the All Eastern Mass. Coaches’ Team. In basketball, she led the team in scoring. Frank Tanner ’49 was known for his performance in three sports: football, basketball and baseball. He was honored as an All-Scholastic by the Boston Post, the News-Tribune and WBZ radio. He was also named a greater Boston Suburban All-Star. Peter Thompson ’59 was known for his accomplishments on the football, hockey and tennis teams. He was selected as a Greater Boston League All-Star
in both football and hockey as a three-year varsity starter and a Boston Globe All-Scholastic. Carol Ventura-Walsh ’86 earned varsity letters in soccer, basketball, track and lacrosse. Assisting basketball and soccer in reaching the Eastern Mass. tournament finals, she received Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors in both sports. She also received Suburban League Most Valuable Player awards in basketball and soccer. Seniors Danny Anderson, Margo Gillis, Brianna Hunt, Isaiah Penn, T.J. Ryan and D’Jaidah Wynn were student athlete representatives at the event. The Selection Committee co-chairs are Jack Heavey and Lisa McKinney, a culinary arts teacher.
sports
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11
Students accept athletic awards Gloria Li Coaches presented varsity athletes of this school with their varsity letters and athletic awards for the fall season at the Fall Sports Awards Ceremomy Monday, Nov. 22. Coaches and captains of the various fall sports teams described memorable moments of the season, and thanked fans and parents who contributed to their success at the awards ceremony held in the auditorium. The Tiger Recognition Award was presented to the former athletic department secretary, Suzanne Spirito. Spirito was described as someone who served the department well and has recently moved positions to the bursar’s office. Mayor Setti Warren was present as a guest speaker at the event. Warren spoke of boys’ varsity soccer’s loss of its old coach, Ucal McKenzie, who passed away in 2009. “This team really exemplifies what this city should be about,” Warren said. “Not being afraid of adversity, but instead letting it bring people together.” Boys’ soccer was proud of advancing so far in the StateTournament, according to seniors Jeremy Gurvits and Gabe Paul,
the captains. Freshman Irina Rojas broke the school’s record in the 100yard butterfly with a personal record of 1 minute and 1.057 seconds at States Sunday, Nov. 21. She placed third in the butterfly. In addition, she recently placed 16th at Sectionals, which took place at MIT. MIAA sportsmanship awards were presented to athletes who the coaches thought had done an exceptional job on the team and thus nominated. This award was distributed to one athlete per team. The following students received the award: ◆ Gurvits in boys’ soccer ◆ Rojas in swimming and diving ◆ senior Devika Banerjee, captain of girls’ cross country ◆ senior Ben Clark, captain of football ◆ senior Ellen Goldberg, captain of girls’ soccer ◆ senior Melissa Jewett in girls’ varsity volleyball ◆ senior Dan Ranti, captain of boys’ cross country ◆ senior T.J. Ryan, captain of golf ◆ junior Bobby Grimshaw in f field hockey ◆ sophomore Allison Hurwitz in cheerleading.
Cheerleading improves routines
“Cheerleading is very much a team sport in every aspect,” she said. “The team must really be on the same page.”
by
Meredith Abrams Cheerleading had a good team bond this season, said senior Taylor Sweeney, a captain with senior Corrine Beatrice. “We all got a lot closer than in past years and became a family,” Sweeney said. “ We a l l knew how to tough Newtonian it through Taylor rough times Sweeney and get unified when we needed to.” However, she said communication was a weakness of the team. The team goal was to win Bay States, she said. When that didn’t happen, the goal became to hit a complete routine. “At Bay States, one of the flyers hit the floor, which is an automatic eight-point deduction,” Sweeney said. “We came in fifth, but we would have been first.” Coach Amanda Costa said the team had trouble hitting routines at the right times. “That is part of what makes cheerleading so tough,” she said. “You only get one chance for two minutes and 30 seconds. “However, that is not to say we didn’t have our successes. We complete some of the hardest stunts in the State, which the score sheet reflected. Costa said that every member of the team was key. by
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Swimming breaks personal records
Jay Feinstein Girls’ swimming and diving, 6-5, placed 13th in States Sunday, Nov. 21 at Harvard, according to coach Kirsten Tuohy. “We missed 12th place by just one point,” she said. In the first of many highlights, freshman Irina Rojas placed third in the 100-yard butterfly with 1 minute and 1.057 seconds. “It was a school record,” Tuohy said. Rojas also achieved a personal best in the 200-yard freestyle. “Irina has an extraordinary work ethic,” Tuohy said. The medley relay placed 12th. “Each of our relay swimmers improved across the board,” Tuohy said. “They had great starts and turns, and they were all very focused.” Junior Hunter Hedenburg achieved a personal best in diving, scoring 347.25 points. “I am very pleased with her performance,” Tuohy said. Some of the most significant improvements were in the freestyle events, Tuohy said. “Earlier in the season, freestyle events were something that we really needed to work on,” she said. “They affect other events, such as the relays.” The Tigers placed 12th in the 400-yard freestyle relay, which was a personal best. The Tigers swam in Sectionals Sunday, Nov. 14, placing 15th overall. “Our performance by
Gabe Dreyer
Looking back: Seniors Ezra Lichtman and Dan Ranti, the captains of boys’ cross country, speak about the team’s season Monday, Nov. 22 in the auditorium.
in brief was wonderful, and it put us in a good position in States,” Tuohy said. “We had major drops in our times.” The medley relay dropped two and a half seconds. “It may not seem like a big difference, but it’s huge. It’s more than half a second of improvement for each swimmer,” Tuohy said. Sophomore Jackie Comstock took off more than a second in backstroke and sopho more Caro line Ayinon improved in Newtonian the 400-yard Jackie freestyle. Comstock “ T h i s was a very successful season,”said senior Rebecca Harris, a captain with senior Daryl Choa.
Boys’ cross country runs in All-States
Jay Feinstein Boys’ cross country finished its season 9-2 after the AllState meet Saturday, Nov. 20 in Gardner. Senior Dan Ranti, a captain with senior Ezra Lichtman placed 50th individually with a time of 15:14.3. “He could have done better, and we were hoping for better, but we’re still happy with his result,” said coach Jim Blackburn. “It was an achievement for him to even qualify for it, plus by
he was competing against all of the best runners in the State, so 50th wasn’t bad.” According to Ranti, it was a difficult race. “This very race was what I was looking forward to all season, and it’s what everyone strives to compete in, so before I started running, I was shaken with a strange feeling of how far I’ve made it during the season.” The previous weekend, Saturday, Nov. 13, the Tigers participated in the Eastern Mass. Division I Championship at Franklin Park, placing ninth as a team. As highlights, Ranti placed 20th in 16:50 and Lichtman placed 32nd with 17:04. Junior Justin Keefe placed 63rd with 17:36. “It was a great way to end the season for most of the team,” Ranti said.
Girls’ cross country shows devotion
Perrin Stein Every member of girls’ cross country, 6-5, improved throughout the season, allowing the team to end successfully, according to junior Melissa Weikart, a captain with seniors Devika Newtonian Banerjee and Melissa Margo Gillis. Weikart “Everyone was really devoted, so they worked hard in practice and never slacked off,” by
Weikart said. “This allowed everyone to improve, by working hard both individually and as a team.” Overall, the team did better than last year, according to Weikart. “This really shows the hard work and devotion everyone had to the team. I think it helped that everyone was really friendly, so we were all willing to work together to become better as a whole,” she said. Saturday, Nov. 13, the Tigers participated in the Eastern Mass. Division I Championship at Franklin Park. All 20 teams in the division ran in the meet, and this school placed 10th, according to coach Peter Martin. “This was a strong year and a good performance for us,” he said. “We finished third in the league meet, beating several teams that we had lost to.” The top four teams and top 10 individuals qualified to compete in the Saturday, Nov. 20 in Gardner for the All State meet, said Martin. Gillis was the only person on the team to qualify for the All-State Meet, and she came in 15th overall. “Banerjee also had a particularly fine season,” Martin said. “She was an outstanding runner and captain, with Gillis and Weikart.” The Tigers improved throughout the season, laying the foundation for a better team next season, according to Martin. “Juniors Becca Trayner and Allie Phillips, along with sophomores Julia Schiantarelli and Julia Schlossman all had great seasons and will play an important part in next year’s team,” he said.
sports
12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010
Football defeats Brookline 41-12 Jacob Schwartz In what was senior Alex D’Agostino’s second start as quarterback this season, the Tigers, 5-6, finished their season by demolishing Brookline 41-12 in the long-awaited Thanksgiving Game Thursday, Nov. 25. It was the first Thanksgiving Game on the turf of the new Dickinson Stadium. Coach Peter Capodilupo said the plan going into the game was to “have a more powerful running game in order to open up our passing game.” The Tigers did just that. Early on, the running game was so strong that passing was barely necessary. Three minutes into the game, senior Isaiah Penn, a captain with seniors Kevin Barisano and Ben Clark made a 30-yard touchdown run, avoiding the Warriors’ defense and giving the Tigers an early lead. Soon after this score, back and forth action ensued. A long pass to Brookline senior Gavin D’Amore was followed by a touchdown run by freshman Nick Scott, just four minutes after the Tigers’ first touchdown. In the next Tiger drive, Penn nearly scored on a 48-yard run, but was pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line. Holding on to a 14-12 lead over Brookline early in the second quarter, the Tigers changed m o m e n t u m q u i c k l y, w h e n D’Agostino, starting from the by
Teddy Wenneker
Thanksgiving Day: Senior Ben Clark catches a pass and avoids a tackle for the first of his three touchdowns, putting the Tigers up 21-12. It was a 53-yard reception.
Tigers’ 47, shot a booming pass down the field. The ball was caught by Clark, who continued to sprint down the right side of the field for a touchdown. Denying potential Warrior momentum, Penn made an incredible one-handed interception around the 50-yard line at the start of the second half. Penn and Clark dominated the running game throughout. According to D’Agostino, Brookline played “a hell of a game, but we just played better. We had a great week of practice, working on running with power and using our outside receivers, and it really paid off.” Capodilupo said he was also impressed by strong defense near the team’s own goal line, forcing the Warriors to fourth and goal multiple times, sometimes leading to turnovers. Barisano said, “It was just an unbelievably happy experience. It’s the one goal we’ve been working on for four years, and to accomplish it in the moment is amazing.” Directly following the game, Clark said, “It was so unreal to beat Brookline. It’s an amazing feeling that some of us may never have again. The game is all a blur right now in my mind, and I’m having trouble remembering all the details right now.” In response, senior Jose Morgan shouted for all to hear, “I can remember something: 41-12!”
Subvarsity football displays strong leadership Eli Davidow Jacob Schwartz While JV football adapted to the challenges of losing players to varsity, the freshmen brought skills acquired from practice into games. by
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JV learns basics
All participants of JV football, 8-2, did their jobs and were well prepared for every game, according to coach Nick Capodilupo. “Junior varsity football is not easy,” Capodilupo said. “We practice with varsity every day and we frequently lose players
every year because they can be called up to varsity at any time.” The highlight of the team’s year, Capodilupo said, was defeating Brookline in the last game of the season Saturday, Nov. 20 at Dickinson Stadium, 42-6. “We were all very excited when we found out that we would be able to play them this year. The kids were excited, and we executed well.” Capodilupo said he enjoyed the leadership shown by many members. “Junior Henry Shore
was a great leader for us at linebacker, along with juniors Aiden Keyes and Jack Ingham.” Junior Orion Wagner said the teams strengths were that it “had a lot of depth and was well-coached. “The coach did a really good job teaching us the fundamentals of the game and the type of plays we’d be running at the varsity level.”
Freshmen end 7-3-1
Freshman football’s eagerness to expand its abilities translated to a successful season, according to coach Jeff Clark.
“Every day the kids came out looking to improve,” he said. “They had a lot of team spirit, but most importantly, they bought into what we tried to teach them.” The Tigers, 7-3-1, also overcame the challenge that is smoothly combining players from a collection of middle schools into a cooperative team, Clark said. “They come here not knowing what to expect, cultureshocked,” he said. “But that never really hurt us.” In addition, the Tigers learned
how to never miss the chance to capitalize, Clark said. “We weren’t going to practice hard four days a week and not show up Friday,” he said. The cornerstones of the Tigers’ success were Jack Boucher, a quarterback, Jermel Wright, a fullback, and the offensive linemen, Clark said. The Tigers capped off their season with a 24-6 victory in Brookline Friday, Nov. 19. “We’re going to be battling with them for four years, so it was nice to start off with a win,” said Alex Joyce.
Boys’ soccer bows to New Bedford Tigers lose in State Semifinals at Lynn in double overtime Jacob Schwartz At long last, double overtime closed an incredible run Tuesday, Nov. 16, as New Bedford defeated boys’ soccer, 11-6-6, in Lynn, 2-1, at the State Division I Semifinals in Lynn. According to coach Roy Dow, New Bedford played well at first, scoring an early goal, but the Tigers “owned the second half, and dominated,” tying the game at 1-1. Dow said the team had many other opportunities and some very close chances towards the end of the game, including one shot on goal by sophomore Matt Callahan, which hit the post. Besides Callahan’s post, Dow said, the team had two major opportunities to score. With the score still locked, a New Bedford forward made what Dow called “an amazing goal.” “He was the only kid on the by
field who would have been able to score a goal like that,” Dow said. “Someone passed it in the air right to his foot, and the ball barely touched the ground, and went right into the bottom left corner of the net.” Dow said the team “definitely pushed New Bedford throughout the game.” While the Tigers were seeded 19th, Dow said he didn’t think the odds were too heavily against the Tigers. “We play in what is easily the hardest league in the state. Every team in the division made the State Tournament, and we were well prepared for it.” Senior Jeremy Gurvits, a captain with senior Gabe Paul, said, “At times they really showed why they’re such a dangerous team, but it felt great to know that we were able to keep up.” “It felt amazing to get this
Teddy Wenneker
North Division I Champions: Senior Matt Dickey makes the save that defeats Brookline in the penalty shootout of the Northern Division I Sectional Finals Sunday, Nov. 14. far. Everyone doubted us except ourselves. Everyone in the state was calling us the Cinderella team. It felt great to defy odds like that.” In the North Division I Sectional Finals, the Tigers defeated Brookline at Lynn, 2-1 in penalty kicks Sunday, Nov. 14. Brookline scored early and dominated throughout most of regulation. However, the Tigers put more pressure on Brookline later on,
and in the second half senior Gianluca Viscomi made a long cross to junior Luke Westman, who made a diving header to tie the score at one. At the end of two indecisive extra periods, the penalty shootout began. As sophomore Mike Kaye kicked one by Brookline’s goalie, the Tigers’ goalie, senior Matt Dickey, marched into the box. If he made this save, the Tigers would move on to the State Semifinals.
The Brookline player shot to the right side, and Dickey jumped to his left, knocking the ball away from the net. The Tigers ran from midfield, as the crowd roared, to celebrate with their goalie. “I was so overwhelmed when he made that last save,” Dow said. “It’s overwhelming, with your first year to get that sort of success. I’m proud to have had the opportunity to bring them this far into the playoffs.”