v90i09 by The Newtonite

Newtonite

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

◆ Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 • Volume 90, Issue 9

Schools receive additional funds Hilary Brumberg Perrin Stein When the State budget was approved in July, the Newton Public Schools received $777,000 in state aid and circuit breaker reimbursements. This funding allowed this school to hire back the equivalent of 1.4 full time educators (FTEs), which were used to lower class sizes and add sections of preexisting classes, according to superintendent David Fleishman. Principal Jennifer Price said the funding was used to add one section of the following classes: creative writing, speech, chemistry, ninth grade history, robotics and engineering, 10th grade history, 10th grade English and jazz band. The NPS usually receives additional state aid once the State approves its budget, according to Fleishman. The funding cities and towns receive is based on the State’s revenue projections for the fiscal year, he said. Along with the $200,000 in state aid, the NPS received $577,000 in circuit breaker reimbursements, which are given to cities and towns to offset the cost of out-of-district tuition from the previous fiscal year.

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Bullyproof:

This money was in addition to the reimbursements estimated in the FY12 budget. The NPS’s FY12 budget approved by the School Committee in May accounted for 40 percent reimbursement from FY11 because it had “been that low for the past several years,” Fleishman said. After reviewing all reimbursement claims from FY11, the State decided to increase the reimbursement percentage to roughly 65 percent. Consequently, the NPS received an additional $577,000 in circuit breaker reimbursements, which was added to the budget in July. Fleishman said it is “not typical” for the NPS to receive additional aid when the State budget passes because the circuit breaker reimbursement percentage rarely increases. Once the NPS knew it would have additional money to add to the FY12 budget, Fleishman, the deputy and assistant superintendents and all of the City’s principals reviewed the school system’s needs, Fleishman said. On July 19, he proposed to the School Committee to add the additional funding to the FY12 budget and recommended how ◆ continued on page 3

Schools create prevention plan

Alex Feit Newton Teachers Association negotiators are close to striking a deal with the School Committee for a new teachers’ contract that will include changes in teachers’ health care, benefits and base salary, according to NTA president Mike Zilles. “I am cautiously optimistic that the NTA Negotiations Team will soon be reaching agreement

with the School Committee on a fair contract that will extend through the coming three academic years,” Zilles said in a speech at the August 31 all-City faculty meeting. If a new contract were to be ratified, it would mark the end of a year-long negotiation process. Teachers and other Newton Public Schools employees are entering their second year without a contract, Zilles said.

Jacob Schwartz

At Club Day: Seniors Michael Dinsmore and Veronica Ingham promote Mock Trial Monday in the cafeteria. See club special pages 7-10.

Jonathan Yeo, the School Committee’s chair of negotiations, said that he is “very hopeful that a fair settlement will be reached in the next few weeks.” In reality, two contracts are being negotiated, said history and social sciences teacher Joel Greifinger, the chief negotiating chair for the NTA. One contract will cover the 2010-2011 school year, during which a contract was not in place, and a suc-

cessor contract will cover the 2011-2014 school years, he said. A central topic of the collective bargaining agreements has been how to divide out-of-pocket expenses for NPS employees’ health-care plan, Zilles said. Under a law passed in the State House earlier this year, local municipalities are required to provide health insurance eit h e r t h r o u g h t h e G r o u p ◆ continued on page 3

New laws dictate injury procedure Jay Feinstein Gloria Li “It’s part of the game...until it’s you,” Mario Manningham, a wide receiver for the New York Giants, once told The New York Times. Manningham was referring to the severity of concussions and how they do not get enough attention. On July 19, 2010, the Massachusetts legislature passed a law that mandates how policies regarding concussion prevention for student-athletes should be enacted within all public schools in the State. The law was put in place at the end of last spring, and this is the first complete season in which the policies are being used for all student-athletes.

and

Jacob Schwartz

Collision: Concussions are most prevalent in football, according to neuropsychologist Dr. Neil McGrath.

Samantha Libraty To comply with the new antibullying laws passed in Massachusetts, the School Committee adopted a new anti-bullying curriculum that will be incorporated into classes and schoolwide events throughout the year, according to Beals housemaster Michelle Stauss. “The Newton Public Schools have programs in the elementary and middle schools addressing bullying. However, even though some people are under the impression that bullying behavior stops in high school, it is a relevant issue that we proactively address at this school,” she said. The curriculum, which is called Bully -P roofing Your School, was chosen by a group of teachers, counselors and administrators from both high schools, Stauss said. It will be used to conduct classes in homerooms, she added. Thursday marks the first of four extended homerooms for the delivery of the curriculum. The others will be Wednesday, Nov. 23, Thursday, Dec. 1 and Thursday, Jan. 26. In addition to teachers speaking about bullying, there will be two schoolwide events on Friday, Oct. 14 and Monday, Oct. 17. “With this curriculum, we are trying to strengthen this school’s environment to positively affect students and make the school a safe place for everyone,” Stauss said. “Bullying occurs in every school, and instead of being bystanders and not preventing bullying, we want people to speak up and be involved. We want to go from a silent majority to a caring majority,” she added. Over the summer, a steering committee made up of teachers, counselors and administrators from both schools discussed the ways this anti-bullying curriculum could be effectively used, Stauss said. Along with Stauss, history teacher Gregory Drake, special education teachers Lisa Goldthwaite and David Turcotte, English teacher Michele Leong and guidance department head Beth Swederskas were all on the committee. Stauss said, “Everyone at this school should be taking a stand against bullying. Research shows that when a student is bullied, he or she can’t focus in class, and both teaching and learning can be affected. “Bullying has serious consequences. The program will positively impact the academic, social and emotional growth of our students.”

Union nearing contract compromise by

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

The State law

The State’s new law has three

main components, according to Dr. Neal McGrath, a neuropsychologist who served on the advisory committee that helped develop the regulations. The first component requires students, parents and coaches to take an annual online education course on concussions. “It gives an overview of symptoms, risks and treatments of concussions,” he said. According to McGrath, who specializes in the evaluation and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injuries, two dozen states across the country require concussion education. The second component of the law prohibits athletes with concussion symptoms from playing sports. “It basically establishes the rule ‘when in doubt, sit ’em out,’” McGrath said. A student ◆ continued on page 14

See inside for costumes, club special, September 11 coverage and fall sports

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opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Zeitoun reveals critical lesson At this school and South, plenty of students probably decided to take a pass on reading Zeitoun this summer. Reading is not a top priority for most kids over the summer, especially when it was a required book––not one they chose based on their own interests.

But Zeitoun is worth reading. Yes, its plot can be quickly summarized, and you would probably be able to get by in a class discussion by just reading a quick recap on SparkNotes. But, you would be missing the main point of the whole “Two Schools, One Book” initiative. This project was not designed to give kids torturous summer reading or to add discussions and essay topics to an English class curriculum. No, it was created to give all students a common learning experience which, in this case, included a major lesson: ignorance is not always bliss. In the book, the character Zeitoun is arrested. He and three of his friends, one of whom is Muslim like Zeitoun himself, are all staying together in a house, which had access to a phone. This situation causes suspicion among

a group of policemen. Despite his complete innocence, Zeitoun and his Muslim friend were forced to spend over three weeks in prison. They were racially profiled, and the cops who arrested them came to the conclusion that, because they were Muslim and were frequently making calls, they must be up to no good. This lesson is especially important to our generation. After Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, racial profiling hightened. The terrorist attacks on this country seemed to cause more people to make assumptions about a person based on his or her race or culture. Reading books, such as Zeitoun, that give real-life examples of how someone’s ignorance can affect another’s life, emphasizes the consequences of racial profiling. To anyone who still has not read Zeitoun: read it. Although your teacher might not be enforcing it anymore, it is a worth-while read. Its lesson of being able to look beyond someone’s race or ethnicity is one that cannot be conveyed in a one paragraph summary or a friend’s brief overview. It needs to be read, thought about and discussed in order for one to grasp its crucial lesson.

sentation, another student 1,000 miles away might be struggling to find basic supplies in his school’s art room. The lack of sufficient materials many schools currently have to deal with is affecting their students. Students here do not always recognize the high caliber of our facilities. Our school is the rare exception, with a plentiful array of resources that most schools are not lucky enough to have. We have the privilege and benefit

of being able to spend our days in a top-notch school. We are fortunate enough to have a variety of resources to help us with anything we need. Students at this school have to realize that other schools in this country are not in as great shape as ours. While the American Jobs Act might not cause such a drastic change in this school, it can make a huge difference in the learning environment for students elsewhere.

editorial

Julia Moss

An online summary of Zeitoun will not teach students the vital lesson about the dangers of ignorance. This lesson can only be fully captured in the book.

Advancements in new school should be treasured Ryan Condon Amanda Hills President Obama proposed the American Jobs Act in a joint session of Congress Thursday, Sept. 8.

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column This act is intended to lift the United States out of its continuous slump and start positive changes for this country. Everybody was looking to find some hope in the presi-

dent’s speech. One part of the speech that brought optimism to Obama’s viewers was when he an nounced that the bill would restore decaying schools across the country. “The American Jobs Act will repair and modernize at least 35,000 schools,” he said. Now, here in Newton, we tend to be in our own bubble. The difficulties that other schools in this country are facing are hidden by our own

Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460. Editors in chief — Hilary Brumberg, Ben Hills, Perrin Stein Managing editors — Jay Feinstein, Jacob Schwartz Graphics manager — Gabe Dreyer News editors — Alex Feit, Samantha Libraty Sports editors — Gloria Li, Kristian Lundberg Arts editors — Malini Gandhi, Fatema Zaidi Features editors — Meredith Abrams, Julia Oran, Kayla Shore Freelance editors — Ryan Condon, Steven Michael News analysis editor — Amanda Hills Talk of the Tiger editor — Julia Moss Photography editors — Maliha Ali, Alec Mapes-Frances Production manager — Jordan Robins Advertising managers —Tiphaine Kugener, Evan Nitkin

Business manager — Alison Berkowitz Circulation manager — Michela Salvucci Online Editor — Henry DeGroot Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy Production advisers — Sue Brooks, Tom Donnellan News staff — Emmett Greenberg, Jared Perlo Features staff — Anna Clements, Jared Freedman Sports staff — Jesse Metzger, Infiniti Thomas-Waheed Arts staff — Ned Martenis, Noah Thompson News analysis staff — Kellynette Gomez Art staff — Catherine Chen, Arielle Conti, Rin Rogers Photography staff— Jenny Lewis, Ivan McGovern, Teddy Wenneker Circulation staff — Irene Betts-O’Rourke, Sam Jones Production staff— Charles Attisano

The Newtonite staff does all the reporting, production work and photography to produce 10 issues a year for a circulation of 2,000. To place an ad in the Newtonite or contact us by phone, please call 617-559-6273. Yearly subscriptions cost $20. Readers can also reach us at thenewtonite@gmail.com. To find the Newtonite online go to www.thenewtonite.com.

school’s modernity. While students at this school are enjoying the new building’s fresh paint, shiny floors and un-graffitied exterior, we often do not realize that students in a town right near us could be sitting in the middle of math class with the sound of a dripping pipe behind them. Or that while we are in our Library Learning Commons utilizing just about the most advanced technology available to create an amazing class pre-

Norm Walker was passionate Amanda Hills Mr. Norm Walker, a teacher and football coach at this school from 1960-1985, died Monday, Aug. 22 after a three-year fight with brain cancer. He was 73 years old.

in memoriam Mr. Walker had a legendary coaching style. Former English teacher George Bower said, “He was an outstanding coach. He was very thoughtful but very forceful at the same time. He was strong-willed and didn’t take any bologna from anyone. I admired the way he got the most out of his players.” His passion continued off the field as well, where he was an esteemed member of the English department. Bower noted, “No matter what students or people thought of him, they respected him. He had an enormous amount of friends.” As a colleague, Bower looked up to Mr. Walker. He said, “He had a lot of knowledge, and he was an honest guy, so I would go to him for advice––he was always available and easy to

Norm Walker

file photo

go to.” Bower said he pictures Mr. Walker in two settings: on the football field and in the classroom. “He was the rare combination of a great English teacher and an outstanding coach.” Having co-taught a junior honors class with Mr. Walker for one year, former English teacher and adviser for this newspaper Helen Smith saw how genuinely he loved teaching. “He loved to teach all kinds of classes. He could find the spark in any group. He’d come out of a class and say, ‘That was a really

great group,’” she recalls. In 1976, Mr. Walker won the Charles Dana Meserve Award. This award for excellence in teaching is given to a teacher who goes above and beyond for his or her students. Smith said, “He was a genius. He took a tremendous amount of interest in his students. He always wanted his students to go beyond where they had been. On the field, in the classroom or just in life.” A funeral mass was held for Mr. Walker Friday, Aug. 26 at St. Michael’s Church in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Letters Readers are invited to submit guest articles and letters to the editor. Letters should be put in the Newtonite box in the Main Office 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, Sept. 30, 2011

Schools receive more funding ◆ continued from page 1 the NPS should spend it. The proposal focused on minimizing the effects of the cuts in the original FY12 budget through adding special education support, putting aside reserve funding and adding sections of classes, according to Fleishman. It included adding back three of the 9.8 FTEs that were cut from the high schools in May. After the School Committee approved the recommendation, Fleishman told the principals to divide the FTEs among themselves. Former math department head and current deputy superintendent Cindy Bergan, Price, South vice principal Mary Scott and South principal Joel Stembridge discussed how to divide up the FTEs. They decided that this school would receive 1.4 FTEs and South would receive 1.6 FTEs because South “took larger cuts in the spring,” according to Price. She then contacted all of this school’s department heads, and they discussed the staffing needs of each department based on student registration and class size. While she and the department heads worked collaboratively to allocate teachers, Price said she ultimately made the decisions. Although the department heads made it clear which areas needed the most funding, she said she still had some difficult choices to make. In the end, she favored adding FTEs to areas where the most students would benefit, she said. Another item Price said she considered while delegating the FTEs is the English contractual cap, which limits the number of students each English educator can have to an 83 student average over three years. The cap would “definitely have been in jeopardy” if the English department had not received the additional 0.45 FTEs, according to Price. Because students are still enrolling in this school, the cap is still at risk of being violated, she said. If the contractual cap is violated, any English teacher with more than 83 students average over the last three years would have the option of filing a grievance with the Newton Teachers Association, according to NTA president Michael Zilles. While Price said she feels she and the department heads allocated the FTEs to the best of their abilities, she acknowledged that “it is not perfect.” “I’m sure there are still a lot of students who are frustrated,” she said. “We’re frustrated, too, because we’d like to offer the breadth and depth of classes with the class sizes we’d like, but the budget does not allow for that.” The NPS could gain up to an additional $350,000 this month when the State does final calculations on its FY11 spending and sends any leftover funds to school systems to help alleviate cuts made last spring, according to Fleishman. If the NPS receives any of this money, it will be put aside as reserve funding in the case of any unanticipated expenses in FY12, he said.

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special

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

Club Special A guide to clubs at this school This special is a guide to clubs and organizations at this school. Monday, various clubs and organizations participated in Club Day in the cafeteria. Here you can read more about the various clubs and organizations offered at this school.

50 Cents to Save a Life

What: Students raise money to help people suffering from tropical diseases, such as hookworm and river blindness. When: Thursday X-blocks. Goal: “This year, we will be coming up with fundraising ideas like selling candy. We will also be working with the students who did the Darfur Concert last year to make neglected tropical diseases one of the causes that benefits from the concert,” said senior Diana Seldin, an officer. Officers: Seldin and senior Kayla Wong. Adviser: English teacher Nick Grant. —Hilary Brumberg

Art Club

What: Students experiment with different drawing techniques. When: Thursday X-blocks in 129. Goal: “We want students who are not necessarily art majors to be able to express themselves creatively,” said senior Shoshana Stanger, an officer. Officers: Stanger and junior Izzy Rosenblatt. Adviser: Art teacher Shannon Slattery. —Malini Gandhi

Club Special

Asian Culture Club

A guide to clubs at this school

What: Students engage in social activities during meetings. Each year, the club hosts Asian Culture Day and Asian Culture Night, a talent show with free food afterwards. When: Monday X-blocks in 353. Goal: “The goal of the Asian Culture Club is to raise awareness of Asian and AsianAmerican culture in our community,” said senior Joy Kang, an officer. Officers: Kang, seniors Bonnie Chen, Young Guang, Rebecca Jereza and Tiffany Wong and junior Winnie Chen. Advisers: English teachers Charlene Beh and Michele Leong. —Cyrus Vaghar

Jacob Schwartz

Greengineering: Sophomores Kristen McMillen and Emily Kern and senior Lida Richardson work during a greengineering class C-block. The greengineering club meets Thursday X-blocks in 148.

Book Club

What: Each month, students read a book and meet to discuss it. When: X-blocks monthly in the library. Goal: “The goal of the club is to read awesome books, meet people with similar interests in other grades and have interesting discussions,” said freshman Annie Shriver, an officer. Officers: Shriver and freshmen Kavish Gandhi, Rebecca Hurwitz and Becca Webster. Adviser: Librarian Donna Johns.

Class of 2013

What: President and officers of the Class of 2013. When: To be determined. Goal: “We are trying to have a successful year, academically, athletically and socially,” said junior Brian Goldfinger, the president. Officers: Goldfinger and vice presidents Shelly Altman, John Hogan, Ryan Lucken and Mike Safran. Advisers: English teachers Maureen Kaanaguh and Mary Palisoul. —Asya Grozdanova

Club Special

Athletes Serving the Community

What: Students, non-athletes included, volunteer at different events in the community. When: Time and location vary based on the events. There are no regular meetings. Goal: “To help kids with no time find time to volunteer,” said senior Stephanie Brown, a president. Officers: Brown and seniors Alessandra Denaro and Tim Kenslea. Adviser: Parent Kim Boucher. —Kayla Shore

Badminton Club

What: Students play badminton. When: X-blocks in the SOA. Goal: “We created it for people to play badminton and for occasional tournaments against other schools,” said senior Melody Tang, an officer. Officers: Tang, senior Wendy Jamsri and junior Xin Yin Zhu. Adviser: Math teacher Derek Hogan. —Cyrus Vaghar

Black Leadership Advisory Council (B.L.A.C.)

What: Students of color and allies share experiences, discuss stereotypes, pursue academics through Peer Tutoring and college planning and prepare for B.L.A.C. Day. When: Monday X-blocks in 350. Goal: “To promote comfort of African Americans at this school and in the community and to provide a safe place to hang out,” said senior Robyn Estwick, the president. Officers: Estwick and senior Michela Meaney, the vice president. Adviser: English teacher Kim Parker. —Malini Gandhi

Cooking Club

What: Students cook healthy foods and learn about cooking. When: Thursdays until 4:30 in the international café. Goal: “We want to meet people, cook and practice directions,” said senior Josh Kantar, the president. Officers: Kantar and sophomore Nate Orlov, the vice president. Adviser: Special education teacher Lisa Goldthwaite. —Jacob Schwartz

Creative Writing Club

Cartooning Club to clubs at this school A guide —Hilary Brumberg

What: Students write and draw cartoons both individually and as a group. When: Monday X-blocks in 322. Goal: “To give students who love to draw and write cartoons the opportunity to share ideas and create cartoons together,” said sophomore Julia Moss, the officer. Adviser: History teacher David Bedar. —Perrin Stein

Chess Club

What: Students practice their chess skills. When: Everyday after school until 4:30 in 325 or 350. Goal: “To fulfill our motto by using strategy, knowledge, yielding, risktaking, intelligence and moxy,” said senior Cameron Couch, the officer. Adviser: English teacher Janice Miller. —Perrin Stein

Class of 2012

What: President and officers of the Class of 2012. When: Wednesdays after school in Adams house. Goal: “To represent the grade and incorporate everyone’s wishes and wants,” said senior Jon Paul Roby, the president. Officers: Roby and vice presidents Stephanie Brown, Ben Hills, Brooke Stearns and Ivan Wolyniec. Adviser: Special education teachers Nicole Franchi and Grace Niccolazo. —Artem Aleksanyan

Class of 2014

What: President and officers of the Class of 2014. When: X-blocks in A106. Goal: “To make the Class of 2014 have the most fun-filled and enjoyable school year that we possibly can,” said sophomore Jared Perlo, the president. Officers: Perlo and vice presidents Ben Galgano, Yankel Karasik, Freddie Pierce and Emma Tavolieri. Advisers: P.E. teacher Courtney Albert and science teacher Jodie Cohen. —Sam Jones

Class of 2015

What: President and officers of the Class of 2015. When: To be determined. Goal: “The goal of the Class of 2015 is to represent its class and to make positive contributions to its school and community,” said Beals housemaster Michelle Stauss. Officers: Class elections will be held the next week. Adviser: To be determined. —Connor Vasu

Comic and Manga Club

What: Students explore and learn about Manga, a Japanese art style. When: Monday X-blocks and Fridays after school in 363. Goal: To give students an “outlet to appreciate some Manga films and readings,” said English teacher Wendy Richardson, the adviser. Officers: To be determined. —Douglas Abrams

What: Students do writing activities and peer edit each other’s pieces. When: Wednesdays after school in 355. Goal: “It’s a wonderful environment in which to grow as a writer. We are always open to new members, especially freshmen,” said senior Abby Holtzman, the officer. Adviser: English teacher Maureen Kavanaugh. —Isatou Marenah

Dance Club: Twisted Rumor

What: People gather to practice different dances, including belly dance, Latino and ballroom dance. When: X-blocks in the dance studio. Goal: “The goal is to inspire people to dance and to express themselves with their moves,” said junior Milena Petkova, an officer. Officers: Petkova and senior Ralitza Petkova. Advisers: English language learners teacher Deborah Jose. —Asya Grozdanova

Debate Team

What: Students prepare for and participate in mock debates. When: Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. and Thursday X-blocks in 270. Goal: “ To prepare students to be confident thinkers and speakers and to give those who have strong opinions a way to voice them,” said senior Abby Holtzman, an officer. Officers: Holtzman and junior Jordan Ecker. Adviser: English teacher Thomas Fabian. —Douglas Abrams

Friday, Sep

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Club Special

A guide to clubs at this school

Djembe Club

What: Students learn technique and rhythms of the djembe, a popular West African hand drum. When: In 150 at a time to be determined. Goal: “To create an interest in the djembe by having a community at this school,” according to senior Emmett Greenberg, the officer. Adviser: English teacher and chief innovation officer Stephen Chinosi. —Hilary Brumberg

Dreamfar High School Marathon Team

What: Students practice and train for the Providence Marathon. W h e n : Tu e s d a y s a n d T h u r s d a y s immediately after school in 345. The time and location of the team’s meetings on Saturdays are to be determined. Goal: “To take small steps and show discipline by responsibly training for and completing all 26.2 miles of the Providence Marathon,” said senior Manny Lopez, the officer. Adviser: Teaching assistant Drew Pierce. —Jonny Levenfeld

Dyslexia Awareness and Resource Club

What: Students listen to speakers talk about how to cope with dyslexia, and teachers learn about how to help dyslexic students. When: Once a month in a location to be determined. Goal: “We want to make it seem like they don’t have dyslexia,” said junior Ryan Lucken, the officer. Adviser: English teacher Nick Grant. —Perrin Stein

When: Sundays at 7:30 p.m. at members’ homes. Auditions are Monday and Tuesday after school. Goal: “To learn new music and to have fun singing together,” said senior Mira Netsky, an officer. Officers: Netsky and seniors Pamela Chen and Melissa Weikart. Adviser: Fine and performing arts department head Todd Young. —Kayla Shore

What: Students watch “The Office.” When: Fridays during third lunch in a location to be determined. Goal: “To enjoy watching ‘The Office’ while having a good time eating pizza,” said senior Ellie Abbott, an officer. Officers: Abbott and senior Will Spiro. Adviser: Librarian and English teacher Kevin McGrath. —SeungWan Kang

What: Students learn about all aspects of French culture, including cuisine, games, films, music and language. W h e n : M o n d a y X- b l o c k s i n t h e international café or 267. Goal: “The purpose of the club is to enjoy French culture,” said senior Emmett Greenberg, an officer. Officers: Greenberg and senior Steven Michael. Adviser: French teacher Suzanne Putzeys. —Hilary Brumberg

What: Students learn about business principles and try to develop business leadership skills through various activities, including community service and fundraising. When: Monday or Thursday X-blocks in 319. Goal: “To increase interest in business,” said senior Kevin Wu, a president. Officers: Wu and seniors Ryan Chan, Tim Kenslea and Jordan Long. Adviser: Business teacher Robert Kane. —Hilary Brumberg

French Club

French Film Club

What: Students watch French films while enjoying food and relaxing. When: In 267 at a time to be determined. Goal: “To show people the awesomeness of French films and to have a good time,” said senior Rachel Adelsheim, an officer. Officers: Adelsheim and senior Madeleine Parmenter. Adviser: French teacher Suzanne Putzeys. —Kayla Shore

Friday Afternoon Culture Society

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

Gay-Straight Alliance

What: Students work to create a safe space for students of all sexual orientations. When: Monday X-blocks in a location to be determined. Goal: “The goal is primarily to promote inclusion and equal rights in a school environment and to make sure every student feels safe and equal,” said senior Abby Holtzman, an officer. Officers: Holtzman and seniors Madeleine Aquilina, Yaelle Sarid-Segal and Miko Walsh.

Education for Empowerment

What: Students meet and hold fundraisers for foundations that help build schools for impoverished orphans.When: Thursday X-blocks monthly in a location to be determined. Goal: “The goal is to raise money for poor children so that they can live comfortable lives and have equal opportunities,” said senior Fatema Zaidi, the president. Adviser: History teacher Susan Wilkins. —Kayla Shore

What: Students learn about the challenges women around the world face in regards to education. When: To be determined. Goal: “To educate as many people as possible about what we can do to help girls in other countries obtain the education that we take for granted,” said senior Katja Hamler, an officer. Officers: Hamler, senior Cora Spillman and junior Devon Phinney. Adviser: Math teacher Rachel Mingos. —Amanda Hills

Greengineering Club

What: Students learn how to create environmentally friendly tools and products. When: Thursday X-blocks in 148. Goal: “Greengineering allows students to do hands on work on our core projects like biodiesel and fused bags without having to commit to the full class,” said senior Quinn Silva. Officers: The club has leadership roles, but there are no formal officers. Advisers: Science teacher Matt Anderson and English teacher and chief innovation officer Stephen Chinosi. —Connor Vasu

Guidance Aides

What: Upperclassmen meet freshmen, talk to them and help them transition into high school. When: Tuesdays and Thursdays in homeroom and occasionally X-blocks. Guidance aides are assigned to all freshman homerooms. Goal: “To have the freshmen have a smooth transition from middle school to high school and answer any questions that they have,” said senior Emily Paley, an officer. Officers: Paley and senior Jon Paul Roby. Advisers: Counselors Christine Potter and Amanda Tsetsi. —Jennie King What: Students collect clothes, toys, books and food for the homeless, volunteer at a shelter and participate in the “Birthday Wishes” program to bring birthday parties to homeless children. When: Monday X-blocks in 247. Goal: “There are many homeless people in Boston, but many people don’t realize that there are local homeless people as well. We would like to reach out to the homeless in Newton and the surrounding areas in order to make a difference,” said junior Anna Golin, an officer. Officers: Golin and junior Alicia Santiago. Adviser: Spanish teacher Marla Glaskin. —Malini Gandhi

What: Students discuss environmental issues and engage in projects aimed at helping the environment. When: In 413 at a time to be determined. Goal: “To make the school more ecofriendly,” said junior Zach Rosenof, an officer. Officers: Rosenof, senior Thao Bach and juniors Jay Feinstein and Victoria Holland. Adviser: Science teacher Ann Dannenberg. —Perrin Stein

Hiking Club

Fencing Club

What: Students go on local hiking trips to places such as the Blue Hills, and students take an overnight trip to showshoe in the White Mountains. When: In 429 at a time to be determined. Goal: “We’re eager to get people of all hiking abilities interested and to explore the beautiful outdoors,” said sophomore Eliana Gevelber, the officer. Adviser: Science teacher Ann Dannenberg. ––Julia Oran

What: Students learn to fence. When: In the cafeteria at a time to be determined. Goal: “To introduce students to fencing and possibly to compete against other school fencing teams,” said freshman Aris Vanderpool, an officer. Officers: Vanderpool and freshman Douglas Friedberg. Adviser: Latin teacher Elise Tuchmayer. —Meredith Abrams

H.O.P.E. Club

Film Club

What: Students help to combat bullying, eating disorders and other issues teens face. When: Wednesdays after school in 266. Goal: “To raise awareness about issues that teens struggle with and how actions can unintentionally hurt people,” said junior Lynn Chou, the officer. Adviser: French teacher Margot Murphy. —David Kwartler

What: Students watch and discuss films. When: Fridays after school in 363. Goal: “To introduce students to thoughtprovoking films as an art and to discuss social issues that may be dealt with in the fims,” said junior Owen Weitzman, an officer. O f f i c e r s : We i t z m a n , s e n i o r S a m Green, junior Alec Mapes-Frances and sophomores Mike Buonomo and Emmett McCleary. A d v i s e r : E n g l i s h t e a c h e r We n d y Richardson. —Hilary Brumberg What: Members meet to learn their music for upcoming a cappella concerts.

Girls Learn International

Help the Homeless Club

Environmental Club

Forté

Adviser: Math teacher Janice Lichtman. —SeungWan Kang

House Management

Maliha Ali

Improvisation: Seniors Graham Techler and Charlie Beers and junior Lily Brown practice during improv club, which meets Thursday X-blocks.

What: Students help set up before Theater Ink productions and act as ushers during shows. When: One hour before Theatre Ink shows begin. Goal: “To help students run the house smoothly on the night of a show,” said

pt. 30, 2011 senior Katherine Norris, an officer. Officers: Norris, senior Danielle Campbell, junior Kyle Hartman and sophomore Joyani Ghosh. Adviser: Theatre Ink director Adam Brown. —Jennie King

Improv Club

What: Students explore improvisational comedy and improve their comedic skills. When: Thursday X-blocks in the little theatre. Goal: “To teach kids to experiment with comedy who have never worked with it before,” said junior Sam Raby, a director. Officers: Raby and senior Nicole Bunis. Adviser: Jesse Appell, ’10 —Peter Diamond

Italian Club

What: Students learn about different aspects of the Italian culture. When: Thursday X-blocks in 256. Goal: “To learn more about Italy and to have fun trying new things,” said junior Maggie Amatucci, an officer. Officers: Amatucci and junior Elianna Accomazzi. Adviser: Italian teacher Maria ProcopioDemas. —Amanda Hills

Japanese Film and Anime Club

What: Students watch Japanese movies and television shows. When: Tuesdays until 4 and Thursday X-blocks in 363. Goal: “This club gives people who already love anime a place to watch and discuss it. It also gives people who know little or none about the genre a chance to discover it,” said senior Melissa Levy, an officer. Officers: Levy and seniors Rin Rogers and Enrique Villena. A d v i s e r : E n g l i s h t e a c h e r We n d y Richardson. —Perrin Stein

Jewish Student Union

What: Students learn about and celebrate Jewish traditions. When: Monday X-blocks in 355. Goal: “We want to create an environment where students can come together to discuss and appreciate Jewish culture,” said junior Caroline Nunberg, a president. Officers: Nunberg and senior Laurie Kamenetsky. Adviser: Science teacher Tatiana Osipenko. —Perrin Stein

Junior National Association for the Deaf

What: Students plan activities such as community service events and fundraisers. When: Thursday X-blocks in 366. Requirement: A knowledge of American Sign Language. Goal: “To expand the program and to give back to the community through events such as Christmas donations and fundraisers,” said senior Reggie Joseph an officer. Officers: Joseph, seniors Danayt Gafo and Neha Jain and junior Dominick Boyd. Advisers: English and history teacher Erika Guarino and interpreter Marcia Gardiner. —Gloria Li

Ligerbots

What: Students work to construct a robot for the FIRST Robotics Competition. When: Until the season starts in January, the team meets Thursdays from 3:30 to 5, alternating between 139 and the woodshop at South. Goal: “The goal of this club is to build a super robot that will defeat all opponents in the game of that year, but it’s mainly to have fun while doing something cool with robotics,” said senior Paige Grody, a captain. Officers: Grody, juniors Evan Nitkin and Eli Sadovnik, South senior Ruth Allard and South sophomore Dan Ehrlich. Advisers: IT specialist Phil Golando, robotics and engineering teacher Scott Rosenhahn, South science department head Charles Hurwit and South science teacher Jordan Kraus. —Alex Feit

Math Team

What: Students practice complicated math problems and compete against other schools’ teams. When: Wednesdays after school in 465. Goal: “To learn new math and have fun doing it. We hope to inspire people to pursue more math outside of school,” said senior Caroline Ellison, the captain. Adviser: Math teacher Elisse Ghitelman. —Kristina Zagame

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9

Melocotones

What: Students learn and rehearse a-cappella songs. When: At least once a week in varying locations and at differing times. Requirements: Applicants must fill out an audition packet and audition. Goal: “To give all students who are interested a chance to participate in a performance group at this school,” said senior Rebecca Jereza, an officer. Officers: Jereza, senior Alyssa Kaplan and junior Samantha Chan. Adviser: Fine and performing arts department head Todd Young. —Hilary Brumberg

Mentors in Violence Prevention

What: Meet to discuss issues like sexual harassment and to organize ways to share the club’s message with the school. When: Thursday X-blocks in the film lecture hall. Requirements: Interested students must apply and attend one training session. Goal: “The goal of MVP is to inform students about critical issues that occur in and out of high schools,” said senior Emily Schacter, an officer. Officers: Schacter and seniors Alessandra Denaro, Veronica Ingham and Alyssa Kaplan. Adviser: Science teacher Albert Calderone. —Perrin Stein

Microcredit Club

What: Students discuss ways to raise money and donate to a variety of countries. When: Every other Thursday X-block in 133. Goal: “To give loans to people who otherwise could not have been able to support themselves and start their own businesses,” said senior Hannah Schindler, an officer. Officers: Schindler and senior Ilana Greenstein. Adviser: History teacher Ty Vignone. ––Julia Oran

Minga

What: Students hold fundraisers and raise awareness about the sexual exploitation of children. When: To be determined. Goal: “To bring teenagers together against the sexual exploitation of children,” said senior Rebecca Jereza, an officer. Officers: Jereza and seniors Tiphaine Kugener and Diana Sapahnik. Adviser: Math teacher Janice Lichtman. ––Julia Oran

Mock Trial

What: Students prepare for their roles as either lawyers or witnesses to compete in mock trials against other schools’ teams. When: Wednesdays 7 to 9 p.m. in 253, from November to February. Goal: “To learn about the law and also to prepare and to perform witness examinations,” said senior Michael Dinsmore, the president. Adviser: Latin teacher David Hawkins. —Leah Budson

Model U.N.

What: Students talk about current international issues and discuss foreign policy. When: Thursdays 5 to 6 in the film lecture hall. Goal: “To model the real U.N. where each member represents a country and talks about issues from his country’s perspectives,” said senior Gabe Dreyer, the secretary-general. Officers: Dreyer and seniors Allie Phillips and Emily Schacter and junior Sage Vallabh are under secretary-generals. Adviser: History teacher Gregory Drake. —Liam Wilcox-Warren

Newtonian

What: Students work on this school’s yearbook. When: After school in 275 beginning in November. Goal: “To have students come together to produce this school’s yearbook at the end of the year,” said television production aide Amanda Mazzola, the adviser. Officers: To be determined. —Liam Wilcox-Warren

Newtonite

What: Students produce this school’s newspaper. When: Every day after school in 273. Goal: “The Newtonite is a way to represent student opinion and report news around the school and community,” said senior Ben Hills, an editor-in-chief. Requirements: Students must take Journalism 1 to work on the writing staff,

Jacob Schwartz

Angle-grinding: Senior Aaron Siegel works on the set for the upcoming Theatre Ink show,“Tartuffe.” Stage crew meets in 185 every day after school. but anyone can help with the advertising sales, art, photography, the website and circulation. Officers: Hills and juniors Hilary Brumberg and Perrin Stein are editors-in-chief. Adviser: English teacher Kate Shaughnessy. —Malini Gandhi

Nicaragua Club

What: Students think of ways to serve the community of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. When: X-blocks in 266. Goal: “To serve the community of San Juan del Sur, this is mainly in the form of helping the local school system,” said senior Leo Simmons, an officer. Officers: Simmons and senior Stephanie Brown Adviser: French teacher Fiona Blyth. —Naomi Cherenson

Orange Shield

What: Students organize community service events and fundraisers. When: Every other Monday X-block in 453. Goal: “ To help people in the local community and to raise money for local causes,” said senior Jen Hamilton, the officer. Adviser: Science teacher Michael Hazeltine. —Ryan Condon

Paws Mediation

What: PAWS Mediators are trained students and faculty who are available to help mediate conflicts that arise between students and/or faculty. When: PAWS training will take place during two days in November or December. Mediations happen on an as-needed basis. Requirements: To attend a certification session. Goal: “I hope that students become

experienced at working in groups to resolve conflicts and to make effective compromises,” said senior Emma Rosenfield, an officer. Officers: Rosenfield and senior Hunter Hedenberg. Advisers: Counselors Kyra Bateman and Belma Johnson. —Ryan Condon

Peer Mentoring

What: Students mentor peers who are new to this school, making their transition easier. When: Meets once a term at a time and place to be determined. Goal: “Peer Mentoring is a credited club for diverse and motivated students to show new students the school and to help them become acclimated,” said senior Rachel Adelsheim, the officer. Requirements: Must attend an orientation at the beginning of the school year. Adviser: Counselor Kyra Bateman. —Nick Hansell

Peer Tutoring

What: Upperclassmen choose a subject that they would like to tutor to underclassmen in. When: Starts at the beginning of October. Students participate during their free blocks. Requirements: Students must complete an application, which can be obtained from Burke. Goal: “Students get to interact with each other in a helpful and respectful learning environment,” said math teacher Karly Burke, an adviser. Advisers: Burke and math teacher Melissa Rice. —Nick Hansell

special

10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Club Special

A guide to clubs at this school

Poetry Club

What: Students write and share poems. When: Thursday X-blocks in 364. Goal: “To have fun and express yourself through poems,” said senior Corey HessMahan, an officer. Officers: Hess-Mahan and senior Rachael Adelsheim. Adviser: English teacher Michael Fieleke. —Ryan Condon

Officers: Arteaga, senior Aaron Siegel and junior Amalia Sweet. Adviser: Intro to Technical Theater teacher Michael Barrington-Haber —Sonia KhuRana

Students Against Destructive Decisions

What: Students work to fundraise and to raise awareness about the destructive decisions that some teenagers make. When: X-blocks in 318. Goal: “Our goal is to spread awareness and to create healthy classroom and social environments,” said junior Kyle Hartmann, the president. Officers: Hartmann is the president and junior Victoria Holland is the vice president. Adviser: To be determined. —Sonia KhuRana

Club Special

Quidditch Club

What: Students practice and compete in Quidditch, a sport inspired by Harry Potter. When: Mondays and Thursdays after X-block in a location to be determined. Goal: “To have fun playing Quidditch and to get better as a team,” said sophomore Stefan Steenstrup, an officer. Officers: Steenstrup and senior Cameron Couch. Adviser: English teacher Nicholas Grant. —Ryan Condon

Sailing Team

What: Students sail two different types of boats in the spring on the Charles River in Boston. When: Every day after school at Community Boating. Students meet by the Main Entrance in order to carpool. Goal: “The goal is to learn to sail and to race against other teams,” said senior Veronica Ingham, an officer. Officers: Ingham and senior Lillian Robinson. Adviser: Scheduler Richard Ballou. —Sam JoneS

Science Team

What: Students compete in eight science competitions throughout the year. When: The whole team meets Monday X-blocks in 425. Goal: “To form a competitive team that represents Newton North,” said junior Daniel Shy, vice-president. Officers: Shy is vice president and senior Cole Kerr is president. Adviser: Science teacher Tatyana Osipenko. —PeteR diamond

Ski and Snowboard Club

What: Students take weekend ski and snowboard trips throughout the winter. When: The two trips this year will be sometime in January, February or early March. Goal: “To provide the opportunity to ski and snowboard recreationally for students at this school. The club has existed for over 20 years, and it’s always given kids a chance to get to know each other,” said special education teacher Stephen Hess, the adviser. Officers: Seniors Curren Ferry and Brooke Goldstone and junior Mark Vrahas. —Julia moSS

Spanish Club

What: Students of all levels gather to practice speaking Spanish and to enjoy games and food. W h e n : M o n d a y X- b l o c k s i n t h e international café. Goal: “To provide a place to practice your Spanish and learn about culture,” said senior Sarah Bolden, an officer. Officers: Bolden and senior Zlata Temkin. Adviser: Spanish teacher Jose Sancho. —Kayla ShoRe

Sportscasting Club

What: Students get the opportunity to broadcast and to announce at Tigers’ games. When: In 260 and there are no regular meetings. Goal: “To do sportscasting to get to cover this school’s games,” said English teacher Neil Giordano, the adviser. —Kayla ShoRe

Stage Crew

What: Students work on lighting, sound and set design for Theatre Ink. When: Every day after school in 185. Goal: “To make settings for theatrical productions and to bring performances to life,” said junior Phoebe Arteaga, an officer.

A guide to clubs at this school Team P.A.C.T.

What: Students fundraise for cancer research foundations. When: Every other Monday X-block in 421. Goal: “To raise money for cancer recearch,” said senior Danielle Wasson, an officer. Officers: Wasson and senior Hanna Stubblefield. Adviser: Science teacher Brian Gagne. —Kayla ShoRe

Theatre Ink

What: Students can act, work backstage, do makeup and costumes, stage manage and student produce for Theatre Ink productions. When: Every day after school in the little theatre and the auditorium. Goal: “To create the best student theatre we can,” said senior Katherine Norris, an officer. Officers: Norris, senior Danielle Cambell, junior Kyle Hartmann and sophomore Joyani Ghosh. Adviser: Theatre Ink director Adam Brown. —teReSa tRiaS

Theatre Ink Costumes

What: Students work on creating all the clothing that appears on stage for every Theatre Ink show. When: Every day after school in 179. Goal: “To introduce students to the world of costuming and to allow students to use this unique outlet for their art,” said sophomore Sophie Sokolov, an officer. Officers: Sokolov and seniors Gabbi Morgenstern, Mary-Emma Searles and Gwendolyn Stoll. Adviser: Theatre Ink director Adam Brown. —hilaRy BRumBeRg

Thought Prints

What: Students create and select submissions of fiction, art, and music to publish in this school’s literary magazine. When: Sunday nights from 7 to 9 at editors’ houses. Goal: “To bring student artwork and literature into the public eye and to showcase students talents,” said senior Madeleine Aquilina, the editor-in-chief. Adviser: English teacher Neil Giordano —teReSa tRiaS

Tiger Friends

What: Students enjoy activities with students in the Connections program such as watching movies and playing outside. When: Monday X-blocks in 313. Goal: “To integrate the kids in the Connections program with mainstream Newton North students, giving everyone a chance to step outside their comfort zone by meeting new people,” said senior Haley Rosenberg, an officer. Officers: Rosenberg and senior Jamie Ravech. Adviser: Special education teacher Jodie Whidden. —KRiStina Zagame

Tiger Magazine

What: Students produce a 6 to 8 episode TV show that airs on NewTV. When: Meets as a class C-block in 260. Requirements: Students must be enrolled in Advanced Television

Jacob Schwartz

Tossing the disc: Junior Evan Zhao practices Ultimate Frisbee on the multi-purpose field with other members of the Ultimate team. Production or Television Production Level I. Goal: “To produce great episodes of Tiger Magazine,” said senior Johnny Medlar, the officer. Adviser: English teacher Neil Giordano. —naomi CheRenSon

Tutors in Action

What: Students walk to Cabot to tutor fifth graders, focusing mainly on math but also serving as friends and mentors. When: Monday afternoons from 3 to 4 at Cabot. Goal: “To help out the kids at Cabot in any way we can,” said senior Sarah Bajwa, the president. Adviser: Counselor Darby Verre. —Kayla ShoRe

Ultimate Frisbee

What: Students practice Ultimate Frisbee and prepare for competitions against other schools. When: In the spring, every day after school at Burr. Goal: “The goal of Ultimate Frisbee is to compete against other schools, place well at States, and spread the game of Ultimate,” said junior Nick Roberts, an officer. Officers: Roberts and senior Justin Wu. Adviser: Science teacher Matt Anderson. —Jonny levenfeld

Water Polo Club

What: Students learn basic water polo techniques, execute basic drills and play

water polo. When: In the pool in the spring at a time to be determined. Goal: “To get as many people interested in water polo as possible, develope basic skill of the game and have fun in the water,” said sophomore Irina Rojas, the officer. Adviser: To be determined. —hilaRy BRumBeRg

Yako Connections

What: Students learn about the culture of Burkina Faso and raise money for school supplies for the village of Yako. When: Monday X-blocks in 266. Goal: “To broaden our horizons about the global community and to work with school systems that are less fortunate than ours,” said Fiona Blyth, the adviser. —aRtem aleKSanyan

Veteran’s History Project

What: Students videotape interviews with veterans of various wars and send them to the Library of Congress to be archived. When: In 312 at a time to be determined. Goal: “Our goal is to get original war stories,” said junior Ian Wittrup, an officer. Officers: Wittrup and juniors Chris D’Amore, Mike Gavris, Brian Goldfinger and Mike Sullivan. Adviser: History teacher David Bedar. —hilaRy BRumBeRg

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features

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11

Students study, recall terrorist attacks Jacob Schwartz Normally high school students have not experienced the events discussed in their history classes. However, in history classes throughout this school in the days following Sunday, Sept. 11 students were able to connect with the curriculum, as the events that were discussed affected each student personally and immediately. For the 10th anniversary of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, history teachers were asked to focus on the events and the aftermath of September 11. The decision to teach about September 11 in Newton history classes for grades six through 12 was made by history department head Jonathan Bassett, South history department head Jennifer Morrill and K-8 social studies coordinator Lucia Sullivan. Bassett said the intent of the classes was “to make sure students know what happened and why it is important to our history.” Teachers did not have to stick to a central lesson plan, according to Bassett. “We provided materials for teachers to use if they wanted to or to get them started, but what the students learned and discussed about September 11 was up to the teachers of each class.” Ty Vignone said he used many steps to teach his students about September 11.

He began his classes by giving his students a packet of facts, the goal of which was simply to show students what happened, how it happened and to clear up any misconceptions, he said. “For example, many of my students had thought before that September 11 was Al Qaeda’s first big attack,” Vignone said. “They learned Monday that September 11 was actually Al Qaeda’s fourth attack.” Next, Vignone’s students discussed personal experiences, and Vignone invited faculty from the school to speak about their own September 11 experiences. According to Vignone, “All the teachers that came in had a different recollection because when you’re five years old, you don’t quite get it, but if you were an adult, you were so traumatized that you don’t always even remember certain details that other people remember. Everyone remembers different things.” In class Monday, Sept. 12, Katharine Heidlage’s students spoke to one another about their personal experiences from September 11. “One girl remembered her mother crying, and I thought it was surprising that this student would actually be able to remember something that vivid from such an early age,” Heidlage said. Heidlage’s classes then continued by studying the events of

Gabe Dreyer

Remembrance: History teacher Gregory Drake discusses September 11 with his students. the September 11 attack. “Most of my students were surprised to learn that September 11 wasn’t the first attack on the World Trade Center. There was a bombing by Al Qaeda in 1993 in the basement of the towers.” For their homework over the weekend of the anniversary of the attacks, students in John Fitzgerald’s th and 10th grade classes interviewed adults in their lives on the events of September 11, and what the experience was like for them. “I learned from this activity that a lot of people have indirect

or even direct connections to the attacks that I had no idea about,” Fitzgerald said. Junior Emory Holmes, a student in David Bedar’s U.S. History class, said Bedar ’s class Monday, Sept. 12 showed students “who we are now as a country and how we’ve dealt with terrorists.” During the class, Holmes said students discussed whether it was ethical to torture suspected terrorists and to force them to endure long trials. “I didn’t really learn a ton of new stuff, but it did made me think.”

The goal in Gregory Drake’s history classes was “to make sure students looked at how our society changed,” Drake said. “I found that in general, students felt that the people of our country had become less trustworthy. One of my students really summed it up well, by saying ‘September 11 was when America lost its innocence.’” Drake’s classes also dicussed the aftermath of September 11. “Many students said that it brought out the best in our people because of the rise in nationalism.”

struggle to explain it because this was sort of an unexplainable event.” As a part of the 10th anniversary of September 11, an organization called the Family and Friends of Flight 93 unveiled a national monument where the crash occurred. Price, who was the organization’s first president, attended the ceremony in Shanksville with her partner and children and the other families who lost relatives in the crash. “Friends and Families of Flight 93 created the memorial to honor and remember what happened,” Price said. “This ceremony helped me bring closure to what happened and

helped my kids understand the event.” Price’s children are seven and 10 years old. The oldest was born merely 18 days before the deaths of Price’s mother and stepfather. “Having my first child and losing my mother within three weeks of each other was extremely challenging,” she said. Price’s methods of coping with her mother and stepfather ’s tragic deaths helped define her as a person, she said. “Until that day, I was a kid for whom everything went right. I did well in school. I went to Princeton. I became a teacher, and the students liked me. I got an administrative position, and

my colleagues liked me. But, the true measure of a person is not what goes right. Instead, it is what goes wrong—what is difficult.” By working through the challenge of losing her mother and stepfather and raising a newborn child, Price learned resilience and developed inner strength, which have helped her as principal, she said. In addition to gaining confidence in her ability to “get through tough stuff,” Price said her parents’ sudden deaths gave her the ability to relate to people with tragedy in their lives. “That’s not a great skill, but unfortunately, it helps in this job.”

Price recollects parent’s death in Flight 93 crash Hilary Brumberg Perrin Stein Jean and Don Peterson arrived at the airport early for their flight to San Franisco. They switched to an earlier flight and boarded without mishap. Once the plane took off, its trajectory differed fatally from the planned route. The Petersons, principal Jennifer Price’s mother and stepfather, along with the 38 other passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93 never reached their destination on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. They all died in Shanksville, Penn., where the plane crashed when the flight’s passengers and crew diverted terrorists’ by

and

possible attempt to fly the plane into the White House. Price spent most of September 11 unaware of her mother and step-father’s deaths because they were not originally scheduled to be on board Flight 93. Instead, as one of the housemasters at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, she focused on communicating information to students and faculty about the attacks and helping students get in touch with their parents. Around 4:30, she received a phone call from her uncle, who delivered the news of her mother and stepfather’s deaths. “I did not understand what had happened,” Price said. “I still

Students’ memories of September 11 still linger Amanda Hills Jacob Schwartz With Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 now 10 years in the past, memories of that day are becoming dimmer and dimmer for the generation of students who are currently in high school. Students and teachers recall where they were when they first heard about the terrorist attacks.

and

Seniors

Caleb Bromberg was supposed to have dance class after school on September 11. Instead, his dad picked him up from school and told him everything was cancelled. “He tried to explain to me that there was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, which I obviously didn’t understand because I was in second grade.” Before September 11, the television in his house had barely been watched, Bromberg said. However, “that night we all gathered around it and watched the footage. I still have a very clear memory of that,” he said. Exiting Mason Rice Elementary School September 11, Katherine Norris said she “saw

more parents waiting to pick up their kids than I had ever seen at school before.” She said, “My parents Newtonian d i d n’ t a l l o w us to watch Katherine TV for about Norris a week after that. I remember that I couldn’t quite relate to it personally at first, but I did feel sad.”

Juniors

Maeve Larkin knew something was out of the ordinary September 11 when all the teachers gathered together at recess. “They seemed to be stressed about something,” she said. “I did find out what happened later that day, but I don’t think my parents gave me all the exact details that I would later find out.” Wei Wei Wan said he remembers that in the apartment building where his family used to live, chaos struck. “In our building, there was a television in the lobby, and I remember

that everyone was rushing down the stairs as fast as they could to watch the news,” he said.

Sophomores

Tess Vasiliadis’ memories of the day include her kindergarten class being disrupted when her teacher left the classroom to watch the news. She said, “I just remember my teacher leaving and an aide being in charge. I remember the whole school being confused. My mom explained the gist to me. My whole family was just really upset.” Simon Wolfe said he was extremely confused when he, a five-year-old at the time, heard that there had been a terrorist attack. “My brother Newtonian explained the Simon difference beWolfe tween a tourist and a terrorist, but my grandma was the first person to explain what had happened. She told me there were bad people in America and they killed people,” he remembers.

Freshmen

Jonathan Gomolka said he has few recollections of the day. “I was in preschool. All I remember is families taking out their kids for the day,” he said. “My mom said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll talk about it later.’ We went home and watched the news. I didn’t really understand the events of September 11 until I was nine.” Ella Laniado said she barely remembers the day. She recalled, “Everyone was stressed and frantic. I was confused.”

Teachers

Math teacher Nicole Conway said he was working as a student teacher at an elementary school at the time, so she was not fully aware of what had happened until she watched the news later that day. “Because it was an elementary school, there were no TVs where you could watch the news. We didn’t want to scare the kids. I didn’t grasp it until later on,” she said. “It was pretty terrifying. I remember feeling very vulnerable, like I had had this false sense of security that as an American

nothing would ever happen to us. When President Bush came on and spoke, he was very reassuring.” Math teacher Elisse Ghitelman was co-teaching a class at the time. She remembers former principal Jennifer Huntington making an announcement when the towers collapsed. “On the fourth floor, the students were worried that they would be attacked because it was a tall building. People didn’t know what was next,” she said. And, to add to the fright of the terrorist attacks, there was a bomb scare in the school the next day. “When everyone went out to the stadium, we saw Air Force planes flying around,” Ghitelman recalled. Remembering our scared, vulnerable and worried reactions upon hearing the news of September 11 is key to making sure we never forget the tragic losses of those who perished that day. We need to continue to talk about that day in order to commemorate and honor all that was lost.

12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

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calendar

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Newtonite fall calendar

October

The SATs are tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Warnings for Term I are due Tuesday, Oct. 4. Thursday, Oct. 6 is a professional half day, with school ending at 11 a.m. That evening, Back to School Night for parents is 7 to 9. Yom Kippur begins Saturday, Oct. 8 at sundown. No school on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 10. School and College Nights are Wednesday, Oct. 12 and Tuesday, Oct. 18 from 7 to 8:30 in the cafeteria. Students, faculty and staff will participate in morning activities as part of of Two Schools, One Book Friday, Oct. 14. The PSATs are Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 a.m. The PTSO Principal’s Coffee is Tuesday, Oct. 18 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m in 103. The 2nd Senior Year Project (SYP) Informational Meeting is Monday, Oct. 17 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the library. Student photo retakes are Wednesday, Oct. 19. The ACTs are Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 a.m. A Newton Schools Foundation Event will take place Thursday, Oct. 27. The PLAN test is Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 a.m. SYP Registration closes Monday, Oct. 31.

November

The PTSO meets Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The Huntington Lecture Series begins Thursday, Nov. 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the film lecture hall. That night, Theatre Ink presents “Tartuffe,” directed by Spanish teacher Dan Fabrizio, whichwill show through Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Term I ends Friday, Nov. 4. The SATs are Saturday, Nov.

5 at 7:30 a.m. Term II begins Monday, Nov. 7. Math MCA S retests are Wednesday, Nov. 9. and Thursday, Nov. 10. Financial Aid Night is Thursday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 10:30 in the auditorium. No school for Veteran’s Day, Friday, Nov. 11. English MCAS retests are Monday, Nov. 14 through Wednesday, Nov. 16. Harvestfest I and II are Wednesday, Nov. 16 and Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Northside Dining Adventure is Friday, Nov. 18 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Athletic Fall Awards Night is Monday, Nov. 21 from 6 to 9 in the auditorium. There is an Early Dismissal at 1:15 Tuesday, Nov. 22 because of Parent Conferences, which take place from 2 to 5. School closes for Thanksgiving Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 11. The Brookline game is Thursday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. at Brookline. Another round of Parent Conferences will take place Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 4 to 7.

December

Thursday, Dec. 1 is a professional half day, with school ending at 11. SYP Proposals are due Friday, Dec. 2. The SATs are Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 a.m. Under the direction of seniors Charlie Beers and Graham Techler, Theatre Ink presents “The Cripple of Inishmaan” Wednesday, Dec. 7 through Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the little theatre. The Winter Athletics Rally will be Thursday, Dec. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria. The ACTs are Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 a.m. Warnings for Term II are due

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Tuesday, Dec. 13. Under the direction of sophomores Kelsey Fox, Juliet Roll, Alex Shames and Alyssa Rose Steffen, Theatre Ink presents “Freshman Cabaret” Thursday, Dec. 15 and Friday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Improv Club presents an Improv Jam Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the little theatre. A Jazz Concert will take place Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. An In School Holiday Concert will be performed Thursday, Dec. 22 in the auditorium. After a full day of classes Friday, Dec. 23, school closes for winter vacation Monday, Dec. 26.

January

School reopens Tuesday, Jan. 3. The PTSO meets Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. Cabaret Troupe, under the direction of seniors Emily Paley and Jon Paul Roby and junior Anna Nemetz, performs Thursday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. There will be no school on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 16. Tenth Grade Parent Night is Tuesday, Jan. 17 from 7 to 9 in the auditorium. The Huntington Lecture Series continues Thursday, Jan. 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the film lecture hall. Term II ends Friday, Jan. 20. —compiled by malini gandhi

Charles Attisano

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14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

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Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

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The first concussion law was passed in Texas in 2007, but the majority of states have enacted laws within the last two years.

Ben Hills

New concussion laws spark awareness ◆ continued from page 1 must have a medical clearance in order to return to practice. The third part requires that every MIAA high school and middle school develop a concussion management policy. It lays out what to do when a student is or may be concussed, McGrath said. According to McGrath, one of the most important parts of the management policy is that it acknowledges that concussion victims may have a harder time at school and should receive academic accommodations if necessary.

The City law

Newton took the initiative one step further. This City requires all high school and middle school student-athletes, regardless of the sport level, to take the imPACT test, a computerized test that assesses a person’s attention, memory, processing speed and reaction time. “When someone is taking the test, a few shapes might flash on the screen, and then a question will pop up asking them which shapes they remember seeing,” said athletic trainer and P.E. teacher William McAndrews. Taken every two years, the test establishes a performance baseline, which is used for comparison later, according to McAndrews. The test gives insights that CT scans and MRI scans cannot. “ When you get an ankle sprain, you can see the swelling by just looking at it. You can’t see that in a concussion. You need the imPACT test for that,” he said. The City began paying for this school’s tests in the spring, according to Commissioner of Health and Human Services Dori Zaleznik. The cost decreases when a city purchases a site license and orders the tests for all studentathletes instead of having each school order them on its own, she said. Sports Concussion New England in Brookline is the organi-

zation that sells the tests to this school, according to Zaleznik.

At the school level

This school required the concussion test before the City mandated it, according to athletic administrative assistant Donna Benoit. According to McAndrews, the testing at this school was started during the winter of 2008 for several high-risk sports including hockey, football and lacrosse, but now, this school provides tests for every sport. “We started it back then because we thought that it was the right thing to do. It had nothing to do with laws requiring us to implement it,” McAndrews said. According to Jonathan Frieze, the former South booster club president, South began testing three years ago, shortly before this school began testing. “I brought the imPACT tests to the school after I read an article in The Boston Globe.” “I told them that they show

how the brain is operating both before and after a concussion, and how they’re a valuable tool for showing doctors the severity of concussions,” he said. According to Frieze, the school was interested, but it did not have enough money to fund the testing, so the South booster club had to fund it for the first two years. “We met with the City and pushed the idea that imPACT testing be implemented across the City, and ultimately, the City decided to fund it for all the high schools and all the middle schools,” he said. The City first began funding it at this school this spring, and the athletic department at this school funded it before then.

School procedure

At this school, coaches follow a strict state-wide protocol that they use after a student-athlete receives a head injury. First, athletes are removed from play. Then, the mental state of ath-

letes is evaluated through the posing of a series of questions, according to McAndrews. “I usually ask them questions that allow me to tell whether it’s a medical emergency or if it’s not too serious,” he said. Through this process of examining the symptoms and questioning the student, a conjecture can be made by either coaches or trainers regarding the distinction between a concussion and a mere hit on the head that is not permanently damaging to the patient, he said. If the injury is a concussion, athletes have to wait until at least 24 hours after the symptoms go away to start running again. Depending on the case, student-athletes are sometimes required to wait even longer before beginning sports-related activities again. If symptoms do not return, they are then allowed to participate in contact practices.

www.vectortemplates.com/vector-countries-usa.php

The severity of concussions

Concussions can cause various types of amnesia and memory loss, and if a student-athlete receives a concussion and gets another before they fully recover, it could potentially become life-threatening, McAndrews said. “The brain damage from a concussion could be permanent, so it is important that people have the time to recover,” he said. “I would never want an alumni when they’re 45 or 50 years old to have trouble caring for their child because they had neglected to be tested and a concussion wasn’t detected when they were involved in high school sports,” he said. “It’s just not worth it.” McAndrews said, “I tell kids: this is your brain. Don’t mess with it.’”

New knowledge about concussions

Attitudes toward concussions have changed over time, Frieze said. Ten years ago, “nobody knew the extent of the injuries or what was truly happening.” According to McAndrews, “they used to be that someone could go back and play as soon as you physically could, even if that person was still recovering from a concussion.” There has been a dramatic change in attitudes about concussions since then. “We deal with it more seriously now that we know more about the long term effects of concussions,” McAndrews said. “The issue has become more publicized and critical.” According to McAndrews, in the past, people did not always report their concussions. With the new emphasis on teaching about concussions, there have been more incidences reported. “Now that kids are more educated, they are more likely to say something about a concussion,” he said.

Massachusetts is one of 29 states that has enacted a concussion law.

Tigers face tough test against Bay State rivals, captain says Gloria Li Boys’ cross-country, 5-0, sees its toughest opponents this season as being Walpole and Brookline, according to senior Justin Keefe, a captain. “We beat Walpole last year, but this, year since we’ve lost many outstanding runners, we may have a more difficult time against them,” Keefe said. Keefe also noted that Brookline usually wins States, and he said that the team “always proves to be a challenge.” The Tigers are trying to close the gaps between some groups of runners who have potential and help them catch up to the stronger, more experienced members,according to Keefe. This is especially an issue because some of the most prominent runners and able leaders, Ezra Lichtman and Dan Ranti,

courtesy Amy Jo Blotner

Determination: Sophomore Gabe Montague and senior Justin Keefe run against Weymouth Tuesday, Sept. 13.

graduated last year. Now, it is Keefe’s turn to lead the team. At the team’s first meet ,Tuesday, Sept. 13 against Weymouth, Keefe placed first. He also came in third place in the league meet and fifth in the State Coaches Invitational last year. Keefe said he is hoping for a place in the top 10 at States this year. Coach Jim Blackburn said, “Keefe is definitely the strongest on our team this year. Out of the 50 members that we have, there were five who have scored for varsity, and Keefe was the number one of those five.” The other four members of varsity are juniors David Demarest and Jonny Long and sophomores Gabe Montague

and Mike Schlichting. Blackburn said he expects Keefe to win the league’s Most Valuable Player this year. Keefe said the Tigers are looking to improve their standing by putting forth their best effort during the season. We’re looking to claim a victory against Wellesley Wednesday, and Needham and Walpole Wednesday, Oct. 12, he said. Keefe described the team as being “a lot more motivated this year than in past years.” That being said, Keefe said he believes that there is much to be improved upon including racing tactics and strategies. Blackburn said, “We hope to win all of our meets this season and we also hope to beat Brookline, which has been one of the toughest teams that we’ve lost to in past years.”

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Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Tigers work on consistency, first downs Jacob Schwartz If football works hard enough, a winning season is within reach for the Tigers, according to senior Brendan Fagan, a captain with seniors Mike Bradley, Pat Bryson and Swardiq Mayanja. “We have a strong team this year, and I think that makes it easier to achieve that goal,” Fagan said. “We have a lot of heart and a lot of character.” Today, the Tigers, 2-1, play a well-rounded Natick team, according to Fagan. “They are just one of those teams that no matter how many seniors graduate, they always have talented kids who can fill the spot.” However, Fagan noted that this season, unlike other seasons, the Tigers have a chance to beat every team they will face. “We have a lot of returning kids making an impact, but we also have a lot of young kids who are stepping it up big time,” he said. Coach Peter Capodilupo said he hopes “we can become more consistent. To do this, everyone

will need to be strong in their position.” The team is also working hard to gain more first downs, he said. The three major goals for the season, according to Capodilupo, are to beat Brookline in the annual Thanksgiving game, to have a winning season and “to win our next game.” The Tigers have watched a game film of Weymouth playing to learn how they function, Fagan said. Fagan said he hoped the game film would allow them to prevail when they face the Wildcats on the road Thursday. “We can’t predict everything, but we’ll be as ready as we can and play to their weaknesses.” Capodilupo said the team will have to be careful when defending against Weymouth, as it tends to spread its offense. “By spreading their plays out, they make it very difficult to cover. They also have quarterbacks who can run, which can be very dangerous.” Fagan said, “We’re a well balanced team. A lot of the weaknesses from last year were evened out, and a lot of the younger kids are stepping up.”

Punt return: Senior T.J. Quinn blocks for junior Andrew Kinsella Saturday, Sept. 17. The Tigers defeated Milton 21-0 at home for their first win of the season.

Jay Feinstein Graduating just five seniors at the end of last year, girls’ swimming and diving, 2-1-1, starts its season with an optimistic attitude, according to coach Kirsten Tuohy. Losing a minimal amount of swimmers bolsters the team’s experience, she said. “It helps make way for faster times.” The Tigers were not the only team to lose such a low amount

of upperclassman, though. “None of our opponents graduated many seniors,” Tuohy said, “Our times will improve but so will the other teams’ times.” More people are on the team this year than there have been in previous years, she said. With the addition of 11 freshmen, the team is up to 51 swimmers and divers and three managers. Tuohy added, “We’ll miss last

year’s seniors, but it would have been worse to lose more people from the team,” she said. The Tigers are focusing on building depth. “We’re strong, but everything needs to be stronger,” she said There are several areas that the Tigers need to improve, Tuohy said. “We need to put some work into finishes and relay exchanges.” According to senior Veronica

Jacob Schwartz

Girls’ swim benefits from experienced members by

Ingham, a captain with senior Hunter Hedenberg, the Tigers’ strengths include stroke events. “We’re really good at butterfly and breast stroke,” she said. Tuesday, the Tigers will host Walpole, according to Tuohy. “We’re expecting it to be hard,” she said. “We’re going to have to pick up our game.” Because Walpole does not have a boys’ team in the winter, there are boys on their girls’

team. “It’s tough because boys are stronger, yet they are competing on a level playing field,” Tuohy said. “It’s frustrating, and it’s a big difference compared to competing against just girls, but the challenge makes us better competitors.” Friday, the Tigers will host Framingham. “It’ll be an exciting meet,” she said. “We need to push our team to be more competitive than last year.”

Despite numbers game, girls’ soccer starts strong Kristian Lundberg Although the varsity team opened the season with key wins, the girls’ soccer program managed to have a rocky start. After coach James Hamblin brought up four freshmen to the varsity squad and added eight to JV, only nine freshmen were left to play on the freshman team— leaving them two players short of fielding a full team. Furthermore, some sophomores were cut at the same time the freshmen were raised to varsity or JV, according to Hamblin. “We want all girls to play at their appropriate level,” he said. “We put the girls on their teams on a purely developmental basis. If a player’s good enough, no matter the age, she should play on a better team.” Hamblin further emphasized the need to “give girls playing time” on a suitable team. “Last year, there were 24 girls on the freshman team, but only a few came back as sophomores,” he said. “The participation varies year-to-year, but the soccer

Gabe Dreyer

Midfield: Sophomore Madison Nadeau dribbles the ball against Brookline Thursday, Sept. 22. The Tigers remained undefeated with a 1-0 win at Warren.

program as a whole is about finding the right level. If a girl is frustrated on her team, she might not return next season.” Due to this lack of numbers, some sophomores, as well as some freshmen who made JV, have played with the freshmen team, Hamblin said. “It’s more of a JV-2 team than an only-freshmen team,” Hamblin said. “We’ve let our opponents know, and they’ve been fine with it.” Senior Lauren Smith, a captain with seniors Sarah Perlo and Katie Regan said, “I know it’s something we can’t control, but still, I think it’s kind of sad.” “I’m not sure why there’s not much participation. Maybe it’s because some girls aren’t interested unless they play varsity or JV or because they think the freshman team isn’t as important anymore.” According to Smith, “North has moved away from the freshman and JV teams. For some girls, it’s ‘varsity or nothing.’” Still, Smith stressed the im-

portance of the freshman team. “I think it’s really important, and it’s one of the only ways to get better,” she said. “The underclassmen add new talent,” Smith said. “Coach Hamblin has a saying: ‘If you’re good enough, then you’re old enough.” The varsity team, 6-0-2 Tuesday, was undefeated over its first eight games, holding its opponents to only three goals over that span. Among the team’s highlights from the first month was the derby match Sunday, Sept. 18, in which senior Holly Szafran netted a hat trick in the Tigers’ 4-0 win over South. The Tigers’ gradual improvement over the past few years, as well as their early season success, has Hamblin “cautiously optimistic.” “We have a strong team with great all-around players,” he said. “Still, we’re focusing on poise in front of the net.” Next week, the Tigers will host Natick Tuesday, before traveling to Braintree Thursday.

Boys’ soccer looks to defend Division I North title Kristian Lundberg Last year, boys’ soccer, led by rookie coach Roy Dow, made a fairytale run deep into the postseason, winning the Division I North title in the process. The Tigers, seeded 19th out of 26 teams in the sectional playoffs, played four games in six days, winning all of them to set the stage for the Sectional Championship against archrival Brookline. In that game, the Tigers came from behind to win, scoring an equalizer in the second half beby

fore knocking out the Warriors in the penalty shootout. Although the Tigers subsequently lost a heartbreaker to New Bedford in the State Semifinals, the run set a standard of success that Dow hopes to continue. “This year, we hope to improve our win total and turn the losses and ties we had last year into wins,” Dow said. “Last year, some teams looked over us, but this year we expect to be one of the toughest games for our opponents.”

However, Dow said he was not putting too much focus on the State Tournament this early in the season. “We have the rest of the regular season in front of us before we can tackle the tournament,” he said, adding that the team “needs to be ready to go and play smart in games.” To equal or improve on last year’s playoff finish, Dow said the Tigers, 2-3-2 Tuesday, would rely on “an experienced group of players coming back.” “I expect the older players to

help mentor the younger ones,” he said. “We have a lot of players who are not only good soccer players, but also good athletes.” Last year, the Tigers were able to compete with some of the toughest teams in the State Tournament because of their strong defense, which conceded only two goals during the team’s run to the Sectional Finals. This year, Dow is working on the team’s offense. “Last year, we were good at closing down space, and we still

have a strong D, but we’ve been putting work into how we possess the ball,” he said. Although the Tigers had some early season trouble with finishing, the Tigers’ offense and possession skills are improving, according to senior Tim Stanton, a captain with senior Luke Westman. “We’re in a better place, and we’re coming along,” he said. “It’s kind of a long process.” Tomorrow, the Tigers will battle Brookline on the road, before heading to Natick Tuesday.

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Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Girls’ volleyball, 7-0, works on strategy, plays Gloria Li All players on girls’ volleyball, 7-0, have strong basic volleyball skills this season, according to coach Richard Barton. Many key players graduated last year, but “we may end up surprising the state,” he said. Numerous members of the team are competing on junior Olympic teams outside of the school, he said. Those players include senior Laurie Kamenetsky, juniors Emma Berger, Keane Brazda, Anya Carr Klein and Deanna Cortina and sophomores Micaela Cohen, Maeve Greeley and Alana King. Referring to the members who play and practice outside the school, Barton said, “That’s in part why our team is so strong and is in such a competitive standing. “We still need to have stronger attack and block strategies though,” he said.

Gloria Li

Hosting Norwood: Junior Emma Berger bumps the ball.

This season, however, Barton is hoping to shift his main focus from building a strong foundation to creating team unity, he said. “All the skills of volleyball are important, but having enduring team unity throughout the season is the most critical,” Barton said. For wins, the team must be emotionally together and each member must also be strong, Barton said. “My goal is to get a good cohesive, unified and supportive team together so that even through losses they will be attacking and serving with confidence,” he said. According to Kamenetsky, a captain with the rest of the seniors, the Tigers need to work on making more strategic plays, such as serving and hitting deep in the court, where few members of the opposing team are prepared to respond. The Tigers should also pre-

vent against position slip-ups during games, Kamenetsky said. “Against a weaker team such as Norwood, it was fine, but if we did it later in the season, it would be a problem, so we’re working on that now,” she said. Barton said he hopes that the team will keep up its confident serving, even against the tougher opponents such as Brookline, Braintree, Walpole and Wellesley. In past years, the Tigers have typically defeated Brookline, but this year, Barton said, the Warriors have two of the best players in New England in seniors Jamie Francona and Maya Midzik. The Tigers will play at Needham Tuesday and will host Medway Wednesday. According to Kamenetsky, “Needham has the tallest team members and they’re usually imposing at the net, but they will make a great gateway team to Medway.”

Mogayzel steps up to coach girls’ cross country Perrin Stein Since girls’ cross country’s inception 36 years ago, Peter Martin coached the team, helping it win the Bay State Conference title 12 consecutive times. At the end of last season, Martin retired, so this year, Brandon Mogayzel, who has been the assistant coach for the past six years, replaced Martin as head coach. After learning of Martin’s retirement, Mogayzel decided

to apply to coach the team this year because, he said, “I’ve been so invested in it that I owe it to the girls to make sure that the coaching they have had throughout their high school careers continues.” As assistant coach, Mogayzel’s job was to train some of the runners, while Martin trained the rest. “This means my position as coach isn’t that different from assistant coach,” he said. “I just have a larger portion of

athletes.” So far this season, the Tigers, 3-2, are shaping up to be a promising team, Mogayzel said. “Last year, we were barely in the top half of the Bay State Conference, so this year I want to do better. I am hoping that we can get a 7-4 or 8-3 record.” The Tigers finished last season 6-5. Throughout the month of October, the team will focus on improving strength and endurance, according to senior Allie

Phillips, a captain with seniors Rosie Sokolov, Becca Trayner and Melissa Weikart. “We have about 15 girls all in the same level, and they run in a pack, so they can improve together,” Phillips said. “Working together to get better helps us rebuild the team because we lost some good seniors at the end of last season.” The Tigers’ next meet is tomorrow at the MSTCA Bay State Individuals in Wrentham.

This meet is split into three races: varsity, junior varsity and freshman, and anyone can participate. “It gives people an opportunity to run a full 5K race, so they can gain experience,” Phillips said. Wednesday the Tigers will face Wellesley. Last year, Wellesley placed second in the Bay State Conference, and when the Tigers faced the Raiders, they lost 33-35.

Young golf squad starts well, remains competitive Ryan Condon For golf, 5-3, this season is all about letting younger players gain experience and knowledge, while still retaining a competitive level of play, according to coach Bob MacDougall. “This year is going to be a challenging one, as we have many young and inexperienced players who weren’t here last year and aren’t really comfortable with this level of golf,” MacDougall said. Early in the season, the team will focus on building its com-

fort level while playing varsity golf, MacDougall said. Only four players on the squad are returning from last year: senior Jeff Howard, juniors Brendan Ryan and Mark Vrahas, and sophomore Charlie Goldberg. With Goldberg, Howard and Ryan as co-captains this season, MacDougall said he is relying on these veterans to provide leadership for the younger players. According to Howard, the team has “less experience” than in the past years.

“Still, the younger players are adapting well,” he said. MacDougall said that last year, the team was very familiar with the courses used throughout the league last year, which was an important advantage. Because the team is less familiar with the courses this year, it needs to work harder on building its knowledge of them, he said. Even with all of the inexperienced young players on this year’s squad, MacDougall said he expects for the team to re-

main competitive. Later in the season, MacDougall said the team’s goal is to qualify for the State Championship, and “hopefully we’ll be in contention for the league championship,” he said. MacDougall said that last year the team was inconsistent at times but could rely on its being a good team. “This year, we can’t do that,” he said. “With only four players left from last year, we’re going to have to work really hard in order to gain the experience and knowledge

necessary to play varsity golf.” The Tigers will travel to Wellesley Monday, a match MacDougall said he expects to be “very competitive, as Wellesley is one of the top teams in our league.” Tuesday, the team will host Framingham. MacDougall said, “I expect us to play well, as Framingham is having a down year. However, we still need to compete and play consistently, as I don’t think we are the type of team that can show up expecting to win against anyone.”

Tigers attempt to outperform last season’s run in playoffs Kristian Lundberg For the first time in six seasons, field hockey qualified for the State Tournament last year. The Tigers won their first-round playoff game in double overtime last year, before falling in the second round. However, because a core group of players graduated last year, coach Celeste Myers said the team’s more immediate goal is “meeting last year’s result.” “It’s a rebuilding year for us,” she said. “We have only five players returning from the previous year, and three of them are captains.” “Also, we didn’t have a freshmen a few years ago, and those freshmen would be juniors now,” Myers added. “That hurts our depth.” Still, Myers believes the team has a chance to advance farther in the postseason. “We’re training to go back to the tournament,” she said.

“We’re working hard, and we want to at least meet, then improve on, how we did last year.” Last year’s team also differed from previous teams by integrating, as four boys joined the squad. Myers said becoming co-ed was “not unique.” “We’ve played a lot of teams with boys, and it’s not really different,” she said. “It’s the same with boys as with girls at our practices, and the gender doesn’t even matter. All of them are members of our team.” Myers also said that the Tigers “don’t have to make a lot of adjustments” with boys on the team. “They bring intensity and add focus, but otherwise, there’s no difference. We don’t really consider whether someone is female or male,” she said. The only returning boy to the varsity team from last year is senior Bobby Grimshaw who was among the team’s top scorers

last season. He scored a clutch game winner in double overtime in the Tigers’ playoff win. “We love having Bobby, and we’re used to him being on the team. He makes the practices and games more competitive,” said senior Stephanie Vitone, a captain with seniors Alison Berkowitz and Danielle Wasson. This year, the Tigers, 3-2-1 Tuesday, are hoping to finish above .500 for a chance to qualify for States. Myers said the team needs to “take one game at a time” during the season, as all of the teams in the conference are competitive. “If we’re not willing to work hard every single game, we’ll lose,” she said. “We need to prepare for every game and use the things we worked on in practice in games.” In upcoming action, the Tigers will host Natick Monday and Norwood Wednesday.

Jacob Schwartz

On offense: Junior Bridget Gillis passes up the field Thursday.