v90i1 master

Newtonite

Non-profit org.

US postage paid Newton, Mass.

Permit no. 55337

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

◆ Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 • Volume 90, Issue 1

Snow closing policy clarified Hilary Brumberg Perrin Stein Students often express confusion, frustration and anger with this school system and superintendent David Fleishman when they want and expect a snow day but do not receive one.

For example, after the first snow day of the season, Wednesday, Jan. 12, over 200 schools in Massachusetts were closed the following day, Thursday, Jan. 13. The Newton Public Schools were not among them.

That snowy Wednesday evening, sophomore Julia Schiantarelli was one of many students who posted a Facebook status showing her feeling regarding the fact that she had to attend school the following day.

Her status read: “This is what’s probably going through the Superintendent’s head right now: ‘Boston-closed, Framingham-closed, Medford-closed, Needham-closed, Walthamclosed, Watertown -closed, Weston -closed. AHAHAHA WE ARE NEWTON, WE DON’T CANCEL SCHOOL!’” Along with posting Facebook statuses about having school Thursday, “a handful” of students sent Fleishman emails expressing their annoyance with his decision, he said.

Although students’ skepticism about the superintendent’s decisions can be seen in emails and Facebook statuses, Fleishman said that he chooses whether to call a snow day based on information he receives about the safety of the roads and sidewalks.

“Calling a snow day is a very important decision,” he said.

“The safety level of roads and sidewalks is not my area of expertise,” Fleishman said, so he relies on information from the Department of Public Works.

Before making a decision, Fleishman speaks directly with the Commissioner of Public Works and with managers clearing the snow on school grounds in order to learn about the timing of subsequent snowfall and clearing operations, according to chief operating officer Bob Rooney.

“Safety is first and foremost in his line of questioning before consulting with the Mayor,” Rooney said.

Fleishman said that he consults with superintendents of neighboring cities and towns, as well. Wednesday, Jan. 12, he asked Brookline and Wellesley superintendents their opinions about cancelling school the following day, he said.

“Every community’s different, but it was just a quick check-in to get a sense of what their streets were like.”

Thursday, Jan. 13, the roads in Newton and neighboring cities were “very clear,” according to Fleishman, so he decided not call a snow day.

Regardless of whether there is going to be a snow day or a delay, Fleishman said he always likes to call around 5:30 a.m. “I think people appreciate knowing as early as possible,” he said.

Fleishman was able to announce the Wednesday, Jan. 12 snow day the previous evening by

and

because it was “very clear how much snow there was going to be,” he said.

Thursday, there was a snow day in some place but not in others because the amount of snow “really varies from community to community,” he said.

“Schools that were not open were in districts where the streets were not clear.”

One district that was delayed Thursday, Jan. 13 was the Weston Public Schools.

Weston superintendent Cheryl Maloney said she called a delay because the Department of Public Works asked for “a bit more time to clear snow banks at intersections.”

Maloney, like Fleishman, calls a snow day “based on whether or not the roads will allow for safe travel,” she said.

The roads were also not safe Friday, Jan. 21, so Maloney decided to have a snow day.

Prior to making this decision, Maloney spoke with the Weston Deputy Director of its Department of Public Works who thought that the roads were not safe for travel. Maloney, like Fleishman, also checked in with a few other superintendents who “shared her concern about safety,” she said.

Last year, neither Weston nor Newton had snow days, but Weston had a delay and an early release, according to Maloney.

In the ’08-’09 school year, Maloney said Weston had two snow days, which is “unusual” because the town usually only has one per year.

According to chief of operations Mike Cronin, Newton also had two snow days during the ’08-’09 school year.

Removing snow from streets and sidewalks is costly, so Fleishman wants to open schools whenever possible, in order to take advantage of this City’s investment, he said.

Quickly cleaning up the snow, so that schools can remain open comes at a great cost, according to Fleishman and Rooney.

It cost Newton about $550,000 Wednesday, Jan. 12 to clean streets and sidewalks enough so that schools could be open the following day, Rooney said.

He said that Newton has $1 million in the budget that “can be utilized immediately for costs associated with the snow season.” The City has an additional $2 million in different accounts to pay for cleaning up snow, if necessary, he said.

Although Weston had a delay Thursday, Jan. 13 and Newton did not, and the town has a significantly smaller snow-fighting budget, Rooney would not “try to make a correlation between the two cities because there are many other variables that a superintendent takes into consideration when making the decisions to close school or not.”

He explained that comparing the amount of money different cities and towns spend is not “apples to apples” because each city or town has a different number of miles of roadways and sidewalks and a unique situation involving the utilization of contractors and town employees.

Weather warrior: Junior Sam Green rides his bike to school every day.

Gabe Dreyer

Surveillance cameras to be positioned in public spaces Alex Feit This school is planning to install surveillance cameras in the building, executing a proposal that was approved by the School Committee last year, according to principal Jennifer Price.

The cameras will be used as a deterrent to crime, such as theft or assault, Price said.

“We don’t have a finalized plan,” she said. “But we are beyond the preliminary stages and are at the beginning of implementation.”

The Newton Public Schools’ security policy, adopted, last June states that cameras will “only be located in public areas such as hallways, athletic areas, large public gathering spaces, parking lots and public walkways,” and will not be located in areas where “there may be a reasonable expectation of privacy by staff and students,” such as locker rooms or bathrooms.

Price said that classrooms would not contain cameras.

According to Price, spaces that the administration deems the “most problematic” or contain the highest traffic would most likely receive surveillance attention. However, the exact location of the cameras has not by

been determined, she said.

“The idea is to come up with a thoughtful plan that is cost-effective,” Price said. “The challenge is going to be what level of coverage we want.”

Placing the cameras discreetly in certain areas is also being considered by the administration, according to Price.

The current security policy dictates that signs be placed at entryways to the building and other conspicuous locations stating that cameras are in use.

Price mentioned that “we need to be clear about the installation and parameters, but my plan is not to be very clear about where they are installed exactly.”

Other approaches are being considered to help prevent crime from occurring, Price said. “A cost-saving measure might be to install fake cameras,” she said.

Additional actions will be taken to ensure student privacy, Price stressed. Only the superintendent and other authorized personnel can view recorded footage, and it can only be saved for a maximum of 14 days after recording, according to the security policy.

“We’re only going to look

at cameras reactively when there’s an issue,” Price said.

“We wouldn’t be looking at a kid skipping class.”

Price said she believes that several of the problems associated with serious issues or events could have been handled better had surveillance cameras been in use. The response to the Monday, Dec. 13 lock down that was held when a lighter was mistaken for a handgun could have been much quicker, she said.

Although a lock down would most likely have taken place, School Committee member Reenie Murphy said that “video tapes could have confirmed that the student had left the building.”

Price also said that “we could have operated within the school building” during part of that period.

The ultimate goal, Price said, is to “support kids to make better decisions without undermining trust.”

“I’ve been clear with the student body that cameras will be installed in the building,” she said. “Students feel like they’re trusted and respected. I don’t want to undermine that.”

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

All teams need ‘6th Man’ support Amanda Hills At a school that’s passionate about sports, you may expect raving crowds at every game, with spectators dressed from head to toe in orange and black, encouraging the people around them to cheer for the players. by

column While this is a typical scenario at some teams’ games, other teams experience much different playing environments.

At a boys’ varsity basketball game, the 6th Man takes over the stands. This student section leads the other onlookers in cheers throughout the game.

When the team plays deep into the postseason, fan buses are even organized, just to ensure that the fans can be there to encourage the team.

Yet when you flip the channel to a girls’ varsity basketball game, there’s a clear change in atmosphere. This school’s support consists of a few fans, while the opposing team may have packed bleachers.

Having the 6th Man at games gives the team confidence. With its encouragement, teams gain extra enthusiasm throughout the competition. Senior Alex Pettiti, who is a captain of boys’ gymnastics, said, “The support would boost the team to want to do better, and to want to show the school what they’ve got.”

The 6th Man is quick to show up at boys’ basketball games, accumulating in number as the season goes on and the team advances. However, the same show of support is not mustered for other games. The rest of the teams put in an enormous amount of effort in preparation for their matches. The smaller crowds limit their ability to showcase their hard work.

Girls’ gymnastics coach Jim Chin said, “The girls would appreciate more people in the crowd. Gymnastics isn’t as well known. The girls don’t always get the recognition they deserve.”

When you’re on the court, it gives immense motivation to look out at the stands and see nothing but Tiger Pride covering the bleachers. It should be impossible to distinguish the bodies from each other, every single one roaring and clapping—no matter which Tiger team is playing.

The 6th Man leaders should be at the front of the crowd, leading the spectators in the ruckus. “We want the 6th Man to be loud and proud,” said athletics director Tom Giusti.

This shouldn’t be an occasional sight, but a regular event at all games, meets and matches. The 6th Man needs to be better represented across the board—not just at boys’ basketball games.

Encouragement: As part of the 6th Man fan section, senior Mikey Bennington cheers on boys’ varsity basketball at its game Friday, Jan. 14 against Brookline.

public spaces.

In light of security threats this school has faced in the past—bomb scares, December’s lock down, theft and vandalism—these cameras are especially necessary.

Cameras help the school create a safe environment for the student body.

Primarily, surveillance cameras will serve as a deterrent to threats to the building and students.

Students are less likely to commit an infraction of school rules if they realize they are being monitored

and there are consequences for their actions.

Even if the cameras would not have stopped the bomb scares in recent years, it is possible they still may have helped find the culprit.

Principal Jennifer Price said if this school had had a camera system when the lock down occurred, the administration could have identified that the student in question had left the building.

“Cameras prevent issues from happening, and if a crime is committed, we have the footage to find out,” Price

said.

Naturally, surveillance cameras raise concerns about privacy. But the Newton Public Schools’ security policy assuages all doubts regarding privacy and the operation of the cameras.

According to the security policy, cameras will be limited to public spaces and will only be reviewed by the principal and her designee following a crime or threat.

In other words, the school will only examine the tapes after an infraction has occurred—not in an attempt to

catch rule-breakers.

No one will be watching live feeds or monitoring the movements of students from a control booth. The cameras will be reviewed discriminately for the protection of students.

As long as the Newton Public Schools’ security policy is properly observed, adding cameras to the school will be an asset to the administration and the students.

Surveillance cameras will encourage solid behavior without compromising any student privacy.

Chris Murphy The excitement of moving in to the new building coupled with the classroom technology presents a great deal of adjustments for the faculty. The classroom technology in the new building far exceeds what we had available in our former building.

The inconvenience and hassle of having a projector cart is gone. The stress felt by each teacher has subsided and his or her energy can be directed to classroom teaching. The new classrooms typically have the following components: ceiling-mounted projector, DVD/ VCR player, ceiling-mounted speakers, interactive whiteboard, Ethernet cable for a reliable network connection and a document camera. The days of rolling in a projector cart are over, but the faculty faces the challenge of learning how to use these new features for the benefit of the students.

The faculty started its training last spring. Each department had at least one member trained by me in the use of the interactive whiteboards and Bluetooth styli. Then, the teach-

guest column

als, scheduled training sessions and on-demand trainings. I hope to raise the comfort level and usage of the technology by having each faculty member make strides that they are comfortable making.

Many of the classrooms also had a document camera installed in December. This set up another wave of teacher enthusiasm. This technology allows teachers to project anything that could be placed under the camera. This could include a section of a book or a student’s writing sample. The ease of use of the document camera will help move teachers forward with their technological skills.

Teddy Wenneker

Increase in surveillance cameras keeps school safe In order to maintain the safety of this school, the administration is installing surveillance cameras around the building.

editorial Last year, the old building contained cameras at the Hull Street and Elm Road entrances. But, cameras have yet to be installed here.

Furthermore, the school plans a sweeping increase in these cameras, exceeding the scope of the past surveillance with cameras situated in hallways and many other

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 — Gabby Ginsberg Advertising managers —Tiphaine Kugener, Evan Nitkin Business manager — Alison Berkowitz

Circulation managers — Phil Rubin, Michela Salvucci Online Editor — Henry DeGroot Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy Production adviser — 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 BettsO’Rourke, Sam Jones Production staff­ — Charles Attisano

The Newtonite staff does all the reporting, production work and photography to produce 16 issues a year for a circulation of 2,000.

To place an ad in the Newtonite or contact us by phone, please call 617-559-6273. Yearly subscriptions cost $20. Readers can also reach us at thenewtonite@gmail.com.

To find the Newtonite online go to www.thenewtonite.com.

Technology can help teachers by

ers who were trained would conduct training sessions for the remaining teachers in their department. This model would have each department have experts who could serve as a convenient resource for the rest of the department.

The goal of the initial training was to have each teacher be able to use his or her stylus as a mouse and pen for the upcoming school year. This would allow a teacher to manipulate the computer while standing at the front of the room, rather than seated at his or her desk.

Additionally, each teacher is able to use Smart Notebook software. This allows each teacher to create lessons similar to PowerPoint but with built-in interactivity. One advantage for all of the new tools is that the files can be saved and shared with colleagues, not to mention used in subsequent years. This training has started and will be a major part of future technology trainings.

Training is available in several forms. There are online tutori-

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, Jan. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

Ligerbots ready for March meet Alex Feit Involving more students and building the best machines they can are the primary focuses of the Ligerbots, according to junior Paige Grody.

The Ligerbots, a collaborative competitive engineering effort between this school and South, has been Newtonian in the process Paige of designing Grody and building a new robot for a series of competitions that will be held in the coming months in the metropolitan Boston area.

Abiding by the U.S. Robotics challenge, the Ligerbots are planning to build a robot that will swiftly place inner tubes on elevated pegs in a special arena in order to score points against other teams, according to Grody. “It’s all about speed,” according to Grody.

In addition to human control, the robot will also be able to control itself via special sen-

sors that recognize light, Grody said.

Grody said one of the team’s major goals is to win the Chairman’s Award, a prestigious honor awarded to the team that, according to the FIRST website, “best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.” The team has reorganized itself since last year, allowing for new positions to be filled by the expanding team, Grody said.

However, according to Grody, the team still needs to remedy several problems.

“As the year progresses, and we are getting steadily larger, more things need to be done,” she said. “There are other appointments that need to be made.”

Yet, the ultimate goal is still the same.

“It’s all about the team and the community, and how well we can promote First Robotics and just science and technology in general,” Grody said.

The Ligerbots meet every day after school at South until 8 and Saturdays from 10 to 4. Their first meet is the WPI Regional in Worcester March 10 to12.

Start from scratch: Coach Ed Ellis helps South student Irusha Vidanamadura learn building skills during a Ligerbots meeting at South. The team’s first competition is next month.

by

Samantha Libraty In March, this school will screen a new documentary called Race to Nowhere, followed by a community forum, discussing the topics of the film, teacher Stephen Chinosi said.

The PTSO and teachers are organizing the event.

Race to Nowhere is about “high-performing suburban schools and the pressures that students have,” said Chinosi.

The film addresses many issues

among students in a community that is so involved with education, he said. He added that it asks the question of “Where are we racing to?”

The screening was initiated by a group of teachers that began to talk about the documentary, Chinosi said. After Chinosi approached principal Jennifer Price about the screening, she agreed. The PTSO provided a grant so that the screening will be free of charge for the com-

munity, Chinosi explained.

English teacher Peter Goddard had previously seen the documentary. “I think we are screening it here because it’s a film that addresses what we lose when we try to be high-achieving. Students have a lot of stress at our school. Doing well comes at huge costs to us and the culture,” Goddard said.

Chinosi said, “We wanted to have it open to the community because Newton has always

been a community of thinkers.

Newton questions and values education, and this film will help start a conversation.”

The screening will be followed by a community forum, as requested by the producers of the film, Chinosi said. The producers want communities across the U.S. to talk about the implications of our society on students and education.

“I really liked how the film addressed a lot of important ar-

eas where there are problems,” Goddard said. While the film only addresses the problems and their implications on parents, students, teachers and coaches, possible solutions to these challenges are listed on its website.

Chinosi concluded, “We are really excited about the film.

Hopefully, it will start a great conversation in our community on how to change these recurring issues.”

Debate set for meets, members make States

The team is looking to qualify more members over the next couple of months, Ecker said.

The team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m in 270. English teacher Tom Fabian is the adviser.

in brief

From 7:30 to 9:10, parents will attend a variety of different workshops that will “vary in topic and provide a full spectrum of relevant information,” Swederskas said.

Then, parents will “split into smaller groups and meet with their son or daughter’s guidance counselor,” Swederskas said.

Swederskas said that parents should attend because “the event will give them relevant information about their son or daughter’s future.” Juniors are also encouraged to attend, as the event, according to Swederskas, “is really all about their own future.”

Sophomore Parent Night was Wednesday, Jan. 19. The event started at 7 with a group introduction and presentation on Naviance, as well as speeches by other key speakers.

From 7:30 to 8, parents broke into smaller groups to meet their child’s guidance counselor. Parents were “given information on what to expect for the rest of the year and for the transition into junior year,” Swederskas said.

ing rope, running and rowing.”

Freshmen Charlie Goldberg and Anthony Vitone will also compete in the event and will perform team fitness exercises in a “kids” workout along with F.A. Day eighth grader Thomas Mobley, Cohen said.

Goldberg said that CrossFit “encompasses many different styles of working out all put together. That’s what makes it effective.”

Cohen said that the event will serve as a place for students to “show off” their hard Newtonian w o r k w h i l e undergoing Jodie CrossFit’s fitCohen ness program.

The event is being held as a celebration of CrossFit Newton’s second year since opening.

Cohen said the event will be “a friendly competition with members of a close community.”

The event will include many types of exercises and will be set up similar to a tournament, with teams qualifying for a third workout by doing well in their first two workouts. People of many ages will be at the event, with the youngest being 14 years old and the oldest over 50 years old, Cohen said.

Other members of this school’s community will be participating in the event, including physics teacher Shu-Yee Chen and Michele Barbone ’05, a former varsity athlete here.

Students are encouraged to come and watch the event from 9 to 1 tomorrow for “this day-long friendly competition,” Cohen said.

by

Evan Nitkin

Documentary addresses high stakes education

Samantha Libraty Tomorrow and Saturday, Feb. 5, the debate team is set to compete in two tournaments, according to sophomore Jordan Ecker, a captain with junior Abby Holtzman.

The tournaments will include pairs of students as well as individuals debating a variety of topics.

Each tournament will include four to five teams. The tournaments are made up of two different types of debates: public forum and Lincoln Douglas, Holtzman said.

In public forum, students debate “real world” topics in pairs. In Lincoln Douglas, individual students debate more hypothetical topics, Holtzman explained.

An upcoming topic may include gun control because of the recent events in Tucson, said Ecker. Holtzman added that she likes the Douglas debates because “hypothetical debates are intriguing.”

The team has 12 members and “all of us are naturally argumentative,” Holtzman said.

“We like to prove things.”

Holtzman said there are a lot of freshmen, “which is great so that they can have the experience for the future.”

The team recently placed second at a tournament, “which was a big accomplishment,” Holtzman said. Ecker and sophomore Jonathan Kim did well at the tournament, qualifying in doubles for the State Tournament in May, he said.

“We received fourth at states last year,” Ecker said. “We hope to tie or do better this year.” by

Science team prepares for next competitions

Ryan Condon Though its biggest competitions are yet to come, the science team has been putting up a good showing this season, said senior Helen Gao, the captain.

The team has been competing in West Suburban Science League (WSSL) competitions, which take place every month. The team is currently ranked fifth out of 18 schools in the league. It placed third in the last WSSL competition in Newtonian Wayland.

According Helen Gao to Gao, “ We haven’t had our major competitions yet, but I think we’re looking pretty good this year.”

The team sent three groups to Women of Science, a regional competition designed to encourage female students to explore science-related fields, one of which placed fourth out of 27 teams, Gao said.

Saturday, Feb. 5, the team will compete in the Blue Lobster Bowl, a competition centered around marine science. Then, Saturday, Feb. 12, the team will compete in the Science Bowl, which covers all areas of science. Both competitions will be Jeopardy-style, with students by

hitting buzzers to answer questions, Gao said.

The team will also compete at the Science Olympiad Saturday, March 19, an event that it has previously won three times in a row.

However, because the team placed second last year, Gao hopes for a better performance this year.

“We’re really hoping to make a comeback this year,” she said.

Science teacher Barbara Gibson, the adviser, said, “We are looking to put up a strong performance at the Blue Lobster Bowl and the Science Bowl. We want to be in the top three.”

Gao said, “So far this year, we’ve really been focusing on building the team, training new people and getting them interested and engaged.”

Gibson added, “We are really studying hard for the big events coming up, and we hope to do well.”

Parent nights provide important information

Ryan Condon Junior Parent Night, a program in which parents “will be given information about beginning the post-graduate planning process,” will take place Tuesday, according to counseling department chair Beth Swederskas.

The event will begin at 7 with a group introduction and a brief presentation on Naviance, a web-based tool for post-high school planning, along with important information presented by other key speakers, Swederskas said. by

‘CrossFit’ athletes to compete tomorrow

Jared Perlo Over 80 athletes from gyms around New England will be converging at CrossFit Newton, a local exercise club, to display their physical fitness, tomorrow.

According to biology teacher Jodie Cohen, who is participating in the event, “CrossFit is a style of working out executed at a high intensity. CrossFit combines movements from gymnastics, Olympic lifting, power lifting, calisthenics and endurance sports such as jumpby

arts

4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Troupe sings pop music

Presents compelling theme of ‘Growing Up Again’ Malini Gandhi With songs of acceptance, rejection, moving on and looking back, Cabaret Troupe used the theme of “Growing Up Again,” which is also the title of the show, to present a tremendous compilation of contemporary musical theatre in its performances Thursday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 23 in the auditorium. by

review Directed by senior Kelly McIntyre and junior Jon Paul Roby, Cabaret Troupe is in its second year of existence, harnessing the voices and talents of 22 students.

McIntyre and Roby noted that this year’s performance included a variety of mainstream pop songs, crediting artists such

as Ingrid Michaelson and Ben Folds.

Indeed, the performance seemed to have a modern, relatable feel, spunky yet nostalgic, with songs ranging from the upbeat and boundless to the soft and questioning.

Each piece centered on the changes we endure, and both the opportunities and pain that accompany them.

First Act

Sung by senior Molly DorisPierce, one of the most stunning songs was “Five And A Half Minutes” by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk.

A moving, unanswerable expression of “how do you find or keep or measure love,” the song became heart-wrenching as Doris-Pierce’s voice rose from breathy and thoughtful to resounding, protesting and

utterly desperate.

A fun, inspirational tribute to taking advantage of the moment and stepping over the boundaries, “Freedom” from “The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown” was another favorite.

Junior Emily Paley and sophomore Eliza Burr acted as two carefree friends on a road trip, singing in edgy, vibrating voices and interrupting each other with witty commentary that spilled over into music.

Featuring Roby and senior Joanna Yelen, “Cubicle of Love”

by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond was a sweet, humorous duet between two coworkers in an office awkwardly trying to express their feelings to each other.

Singing in short staccatos and vibrant voices, Roby and Yelen proclaimed that they “linked like two paper clips” and invited each other to the “cubicle of love,” garnering laughter from the audience.

The full company song “You and I,” by Ingrid Michaelson, provided a satisfying end. The slow, bouncy lyrics: “let’s get rich and live together” were optimistic and naïve, yet touched with a knowing sarcasm. Sophomores Chris D’Agostino and Anna Nemetz alternated in clear, whimsical voices over plucking chords.

Second Act

Alec Mapes-Frances

On stage: Sophomore Kate Berger performs a quiet solo.

“Never” from “Darling” was a fast-paced, escalating song with almost sinister undertones. McIntyre and seniors Edan Laniado and Sam Melnick harmonized in sharp, dramatic voices.

Sophomore Lexi Dissanayake’s performance in “Spring Cleaning,” by Chris Miller and Nathan Tyson, was one of the more humorous pieces.

With an annoyed, stubborn voice that rose to a wail coupled with dramatic hand gestures, Dissanayake made a point of adding “you” to her spring cleaning list, promising to say good-bye to “you parasitic bloodsucker.”

Alec Mapes-Frances

“Still Fighting It”: Seniors Sam Melnick, Edan Laniado and Lydia Tarnower sing in Cabaret Troupe’s concert.

A proclamation of confidence and limitless opportunity, “Twenty Something” from “Tales From the Bad Years” was a compelling piece sung by Burr, Laniado, McIntyre, Melnick and senior Johanna Gittleman.

Their voices melded into a rising harmony and then broke off into complex layers, with each singer simultaneously singing a different part. Each individual voice testified to the vivacity and potential of “generation twenty-something.”

In a duet touched with harmony, Gittleman and junior Mia Bracciale demonstrated the soft desperation that comes with looking back in “My Heart is Split” from “The Freshman Experiment.”

The singers echoed each other, creating a beautiful, quiet expression of grief begging to be heard.

Another memorable piece was Melnick’s solo “Over” by Jason Robert Brown, which he accompanied on his guitar.

Over static, repeating chords, Melnick’s soaring voice was deep and melancholy as he sat surrounded by darkness, mur-

muring to “keep crying.”

This was followed by McIntyre’s beautiful solo of discovery and realization, “Out of My Head” by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond.

McIntyre sang the long and wandering notes with a pure, smooth voice that rose from soft and lingering to loud and choked with emotion.

A strong and resounding expression of determination to move forward and to “grow up again,” the full company song “Holding On,” by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk, ended the performance with power and inspiration.

Junior Jane Naugler began the song in a quiet, wishful voice, which sifted over the murmuring of the rest of the troupe. As the piece progressed, the murmur rose to a strong and pounding unison.

Demonstrating yet again the power and appeal of contemporary music, Cabaret Troupe wove humor, compassion and inspiration into an incredible performance that touched on the changes that drive our lives.

‘Under Milk Wood’ compares dreams with reality Fatema Zaidi Spanish teacher Dan Fabrizio is directing “Under Milk Wood,” a show about a day in the life of a Welsh fishing town, which will go on stage Wednesday, Feb 2. through Saturday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the little theatre.

“It starts in the dreams of the citizens of the town and goes from morning to afternoon to night and then goes back to their dreams,” Fabrizio said.

The citizens have such grand aspirations in their dreams that real life is a struggle between normal life and the dreams they have throughout the play, according to Fabrizio.

The play consists of a 19person ensemble, with every actor playing at least three roles, he said.

“The main character, the character who will keep recurring throughout the play, is Captain Cat, a retired sailor who is blind and has all these adventures and eventually settles in Llareggub,” Fabrizio said.

Captain Cat is a very nostalgic person who looks in his past a lot, but he also greatly appreciates town life, said Fabrizio.

The play was originally a radio drama by Dylan Thomas and later became adapted for the stage.

“Those who listened to it on radio could relate because they by

Gabe Dreyer

In rehearsal: Freshman Ezra Dulit-Greenberg practices his lines for “Under Milk Wood” in the little theatre.

were a blind audience, just like Captain Cat,” said Fabrizio.

As for the costumes, they will be very “of the time,” he said.

“What the audience will find is costumes from the early 1950s, which are designed by the talented costume designers,” Fabrizio said.

“It’s tough to costume 75 people, but they are doing a great job,” he said.

According to Fabrizio, “the set is an amalgation of what the town would look like in a small space.

“So there will be a dock, barrels and boxes, lots of fishing nets and things that you would find in a Welsh fishing town,” Fabrizio said.

One of the set designers, sophomore Amalia Sweet, described the set as having a pier, different parts of a house and a painted backdrop of a coastline with houses and the coast of Wales.

“The pier was there from ‘Eurydice’ so it was easy and convenient to just use it for our show,” Sweet said.

The setting was specifically designed to fit the story of “Under Milk Wood,” which Sweet said, “is about different perspectives of the town.”

Fabrizio said he decided to direct this show because, “I saw the show four years ago,

the abbreviated version, and I really liked it, so I wanted to do the whole thing with a group of enthusiastic kids, and what’s a better place to find them than in Theatre Ink.” “It gives a great opportunity to showcase their acting talent,” he said.

Senior Philip Halin will play Captain Cat. Halin described his character as “an elderly, retired sea captain who spends his time listening to town noises, reminiscing and being nostalgic.”

Halin has another, smaller role in the play as well.

Additionally, he will play Jack Black, a cobbler in the tow.

According to Halin, “Jack Black is an angry, bitter character who spends a lot of his time just being grumpy and skulking.”

Highlights to look forward to are “some really cool sequences with a blend of dreaming and staunch realism,” he said.

“Basically, you will recognize the realism, but then it will surprise you with something,” Halin said.

“I have also heard that the costumes are of the time and the makeup is very ambitious so that’s also something to look forward to,” he said.

Tickets are $7 and will be sold at all lunches and are available on theatreink.net.

arts

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Newton concert supports Darfur effort Jay Feinstein To spread awareness for conflicts in Sudan, this school held a benefit concert Saturday, Jan. 15 called “Hidden Voices.”

The proceeds from the concert will go to the International Medical Corps. by

review Junior Ellie Abbott, who organized the event with junior Hannah Lloyd, introduced the night by explaining the inspiration for the concert. She and Lloyd spent the past summer in India and helped the less fortunate on their trip, she said.

“We learned firsthand how good it felt to reach out and help people who were living lives so different from ours,” she said.

“We thought about how amazing it would be to bring this amazing feeling back to our community and let them experience the joy of giving back, too.”

Abbott and Lloyd planned this concert so Newton students could “collaborate on how best to serve different causes throughout the world and bring their issues to our community through the arts.”

After the South Beat Band and the Bigelow Middle School Choir performed, students from North went on stage.

Senior Edan Laniado performed a song and played the piano “Melted Droplets,” a song that he wrote.

Laniado displayed a strong voice and talented piano skills.

His song conveyed a message that told the audience to stay aware of current events, which related to the theme of the concert.

Then, Northern Lights performed an inspired arrangement of “Yesterday” by the Beatles. It started with a slow harmony.

The singers then started singing staccato notes, which eventually mixed into legatos.

Under the direction of fine

and performing arts department head Todd Young, the concert choir and the female members of Jubilee singers performed “Music Down in My Soul” by Moses Hogan.

It was a sweet, soft tune accompanied by the piano. It started slow, but it ended in a soulful way that uplifted the audience.

The Jubilee Singers performed “We are the World” by Michael Jackson, accompanied

by Laniado on piano, senior Teddy Wenneker on bass and junior Caleb Bromberg on drums.

It was a meaningful, powerful performance that motivated the audience to sway back and forth to the tune.

Then, a heartbreaking slideshow of the suffering people in Darfur started playing on a projector screen, signifying the intermission.

“These images and this genocide have been in front of our faces since it began, but it is our responsibility as a human race to search for these images, see them for what they are and do something about them,” according to the concert’s program.

Following the intermission, a special guest who was invited to the event, Reng, came on stage and introduced himself as a lost boy from Sudan.

He talked about his own experience and how he was kicked out of his home by Sudan’s government.

He said he was able to escape eight years ago, but that most of his family is still in Darfur.

“Nothing looks good in Sudan right now,” he said.

Next, Laniado performed “On the Other Side,” a tune that he wrote specifically for the “Hidden Voices” concert.

It was about how important it is not to forget about genocide and how important it is that people pay attention to events like the situation in Darfur.

Next, junior Jared Masinton

Alec Mapes-Frances

With passion: Junior Jared Masinton solos on “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King during “Hidden Voices,” Saturday, Jan. 15. The concert benefitted victims of the Darfur genocide. sang “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, accompanied by Wenneker on bass, Bromberg on drums and senior Ben Schwartz on guitar.

The Ben Schwartz Band performed “The Kids” by B.o.B. next. It mixed rap and vocal harmonies into a magnificent performance.

To end the show, the Jubilee

Singers performed “If You’re Out There” by John Legend.

According to Abbott, this song “was the inspiration for the concert, as it embodies the message that we’re trying to get across.”

It was a powerful way to end the night.

“I’m calling every woman, calling every man. We’re the

generation, we can’t afford to wait,” the singers sang loudly, showing passion for what they were singing.

The group was swaying back and forth to the beat, showing how much it cared for the cause.

For information about the Darfur genocide or to donate visit www.savedarfur.com.

Jubilee presents first solo performance tomorrow

Students perfect techniques, practice in groups Perrin Stein For its first solo performance in the new school, the Jubilee Singers will perform a variety of contemporary gospel and spiritual songs, according to music teacher Sheldon Reid. The concert is tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

The Jubilee Singers meet every C-block to practice and learn new techniques to improve their singing.

Thus far file photo this year, the Sheldon Jubilee SingReid ers have performed in Harvestfest, Wednesday, Nov. 17; “Hidden Voices,” a fundraiser for the International Medical Corps, Saturday, Jan. 15; and the Martin Luther King Day ceremony.

The group will also perform in Springfest Wednesday, April 13 and will host a second solo concert Thursday, June 2.

In order to prepare for a performance, the Jubilee Singers spend time learning the music and the lyrics, according to Reid.

“It takes a lot of coordination between the director, choir and band, so the more we practice and go through the songs, the better off we will be,” he said. “ We also have to learn the by

Gabe Dreyer

In harmony: Juniors Caleb Bromberg, Ellie Abbott and Jon Paul Roby and senior Sam Melnick practice for their upcoming Jubilee concert.

movements that go with all the songs.”

The group will be singing about 15 pieces, many of which come out of a religious tradition.

“I chose all the songs because I like the messages in them,” Reid said. “That is the only reason that I ever have for performing a certain song.”

One song that the Jubilee singers will perform is “What a Time” from the soundtrack of the musical “Boycott.”

The movie is about the bus boycotts that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement, according to Reid.

Another selection is the wellknown Christian hymn “Amazing Grace” by John Newton.

In the piece “If You’re Out There,” by John Legend, junior Jared Masinton, a bass, sang a duet with junior Monica McKenzie at the “Hidden Voices concert.

The Jubilee Singers will also perform this piece in the concert tomorrow, but Masinton and McKenzie may not be soloing, Reid said.

According to Masinton, the Jubilee Singers spend their time going over the songs together.

Often, students break into sections to work on the specific part that their group will perform, he said.

Although this can be repetitive, “I don’t find it very difficult or boring to remember the songs. In fact, it’s just really fun

to sing,” he said.

Senior Matt Dickey, a member of the bass section, said he is looking forward to tomorrow’s concert because he enjoys gospel music.

Also, “Everyone in Jubilee is really close, and we have a lot of fun,” he said. “ The bass section is especially close— and good, so Newtonian we have a lot Matt of pride in our Dickey section.

“Bass pride is what it is all about.”

In order to prepare for the Jubilee Singers’ concerts, Dickey said he thinks that it is necessary to spend time outside of class practicing. “ We rehearse the songs and do warm ups in class, but when I go home, I do pushups to strengthen my ribs, which makes my singing stronger,” he said. “I also work on memorizing the songs.”

On the whole, Dickey said that he tries hard to make the concert as good as it can be.

“We definitely don’t want to look sloppy. Instead, we want to show the effort and time we’ve put in,” he said.

Tickets are $5. They can be bought by Jubilee Singers’ members or at the door.

6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

advertisements

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Local and proud of it!

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

—Henry Ford

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

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

ICE CREAM & RESTAURANT

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

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

Member FDIC Member SIF

Habits for a Lifetime of Health

x 7.25" Newton North

Newton-Wellesley Hospital encourages you to develop healthy habits.

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

Advertise in the Newtonite! Call 617-559-6273.

feature

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

Students, grads say why crew is special S Henry DeGroot tudents hammer away at what is now only plywood, while others consult a notebook. It is late in the evening, and the show they are working on is only weeks away. They are not professionals, and most of them are barely paid, but the work they do is the backbone of this school’s theatre productions.

Anyone who has seen a show from a seat in the auditorium or has looked down on actors performing in the little theatre has seen the effort put in by the members of stage crew.

According to stage crew adviser Mike Barrington-Haber, “Stage crew is different from the other extra-curriculars in that it is a completely studentdriven program where students design the set, lights, costumes, sound and all other aspects that go into the production of a show backstage.”

In order for all of the aspects of a production to get finished, hours of work have to be done by the students each day.

“It’s unreal how much effort the students put in,” Barrington-Haber said. “They are here every day. On tech week they are here until 11 or even later working on the set until it is perfect.”

He said that “theatre takes as much time as any sport, if not more sometimes. The effort that goes into a show is 110 percent every time.”

Barrington-Haber has been the stage crew adviser for the past eight years, teaching the students the different technical aspects that need to be done for the shows to run.

Junior Aaron Siegel is a set and sound designer for many different productions. Siegel, who has been involved in stage crew since the summer before his freshman year, said that he values how much he can affect the productions that go up.

“I like how over the summer you are given a script, and you by

see it evolve and know that you had a huge hand in the productions, that there is a fruit of your labor.”

He said that although he loves stage crew, it comes at a cost.

“I’d say the biggest thing missed is just hanging out during the week, and the hardest thing is not having time to do other activities.”

One thing that makes Theatre Ink unique is the amount of productions it puts up each year. “Most schools do one or two programs a year, sometimes four. We do 10 to 12 every year, so in terms of sheer numbers in what we are producing, there are very few schools that do as much,” Barrington-Haber said.

Mike Barrington-Haber “It’s unreal how much effort the students put in. On tech week they are here until 11 or even later working on the set until it is perfect.”

Siegel described the effort put into each show: “It’s quite a process. It’s really long,” he said. “It’s hard to realize until the final weeks of building how much work has gone in, from the script to the planning to actually building the set piece by piece and the final problemsolving that happens sometimes right before a show goes up— just making sure everything is perfect.”

Siegel compared a production to a long paper “in terms of the number of rough drafts that you go through before the final.”

Max Proskaeur, a freshman, had a hand in Theatre Ink’s “The Skin of Our Teeth,” which went up this fall. Proskaeur designed the slide show that was projected at the beginning

of the play.

“In the script, it required a projection, so they had the announcer give background information to the plot while we ran the slide show I made off of my computer. It was basically my job to gather the pictures and put it together,” he said.

Proskaeur, like most other crew members, spends most of his time in stage crew working on the sets.

He said, “It’s been really fun.

I was planning to do Ligerbots, but this is so much better.” He hopes to “work up the ranks and be able to design something,” he said.

The students involved in stage crew get more out of all their hard work than three or four nights of a show, according to Siegel. Like sports and other extra-curricular activities, stage crew helps teach real-life skills.

“The skills you learn are extremely valuable because you learn basic things like how to use the tools, how to paint, how to build, but also you learn how to deal with people and general problem-solving because you work with so many people,” Siegel said.

“I’d just say we learn better scheduling and time management. It’s hard to balance crew, homework and school, and it can be difficult at times, and that was part of my freshman year, just trying to stay organized.”

After participating in stage crew at this school, some students go on to learn more about technical theatre at the college level.

Kristof Janezic ’09 is studying light design as a sophomore at Ithaca College. “When you go into a school for theater, you need a certain mindset,” he said.

“High school theatre is generally less funded, so coming from North gives me a better insight in regards to responsibility and stress. Some kids couldn’t handle the stress, and

Cutting wood: Sophomore Darian Ward works on the set for “Under Milk Wood.”

Publish your drawings in the Newtonite.

Stop by 273 for more information.

Maliha Ali

Koffman & Dreyer

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

Real Estate Matters

house and condo purchases/sales condominium conversions ownership dispute resolution Joan A. Koffman Nancy R. Dreyer

Maliha Ali

Adjusting the lights: Sophomore Phoebe Arteaga works on hanging and cabling lights in the little theatre. so they left the program. They didn’t have the mindset or the experience necessary to do well in the field.”

Janezic said that if he continues with lighting design, he can do more than just theatre. He is considering going into lighting design for architecture, concerts, sports or possibly regional theater, he said.

This school’s theatre program has provided him with the experience and opportunity to succeed in the field.

Chris Annas-Lee ’10 is a bachelor of the fine arts at the University of North Carolina School for the Arts. He is studying lighting in a four-year program.

Annas-Lee said that the most important thing he learned in stage crew was how to logically tackle problems.

“After four years there, I definitely see the world in a much more analytical way,” he said. “I think I’m always trying to figure

out how things work and what goes on behind the scenes. In context, this is how to build a flat or get a light from floor to grid. But out of context, a lot of the issues in my life seem simpler now, more manageable, like writing a paper or time management.

“At North, we put on very close to professional shows, and our process of technical design and implementation is really true to what happens in the industry. So the edge I have now in my BFA program comes from the four years of training in North’s very authentic take on theatre that showed me precisely how to do it and that gave me a glimpse of what the profession was like in the real world,” Annas-Lee said.

The careers of other stage crew alumni include engineering, civil engineering, industrial design, boat building, technical direction and master carpentry, Janezic said.

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Ja

Out with the old, in with th Food service changed due to $1 million deficit Hilary Brumberg To address the approximatly $1 million a year deficit the Newton Public Schools Lunch Program has been running for about the last two years, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) has contracted all food service operations to Whitsons School Nutrition, according to School Committee member Jonathan Yeo. Until Monday, Jan. 3, Newton Public Schools’ lunch program was run by a department of school municipal staff, which consisted of a manager, administrative staff and food service employees.

“Historically, having the program in-house allowed for the best oversight and control,” Yeo said.

Although the in-house program “worked well in the past,” employee benefits have risen too high, according to the Deputy Superintendent’s Chief Administrative Officer Sandy Guryan. A deficit has “crept up” to $1 million over several years, prompting the NPS to consider hiring an outside company, she said.

The $1 million came out of the school budget each year, meaning that there was less money to spend on teachers, specialists, technology and books, according to Yeo. The savings will be used to help cover the large budget deficit by

Newton is facing next fiscal year, which is over $6 million for the schools alone, he said.

With Whitsons, NPS will provide a subsidy for health care costs for the lunch employees for less than $250,000 a year during a two-year transitional period, according to Yeo. After that, all subsidies will disappear, guaranteeing the NPS over $1 million in savings per year, he said.

The NPS agreed to pay “downwards sloping” health care subsidies over the next two years after negotiating with the employee union because the Whitsons corporate health care is “very good” but is “less generous” than the NPS in paying the premiums, according to Yeo. All employees eligible to retire were required to do so and are provided health care through the retirement system, he said.

Whitsons lunch employees’ new contract is similar to the one under the NPS. It goes through FY13 and offers similar salaries and unemployment benefits for vacations, according to Yeo. When Whitsons was negotiating the contract, in the early fall, there was concern among lunch workers that they would lose their jobs and be replaced by trained Whitsons employees.

Whitsons “brought on” any former NPS workers who wanted

positions and at least 47 have accepted and are currently working in the NPS, according to Guryan.

Holly Von Seggern, Whitsons’ director of marketing and brand development, said that the transition has been “seamless and easy” and the community is “very welcoming and involved.”

She explained that Whitsons is able to offer a “good price for a good lunch” because the company has purchasing power, meaning that it can get the lowest prices for the best quality food because it buys ingredients in bulk.

A training team is currently working with existing food service workers to train them with the menu and “make sure they are used to our way of doing things,” according to Von Seggern.

The team will be on site until the workers “feel comfortable,” at which point the NPS site manager, April Liles, will take over, Von Seggern said. Being a registered dietitian, Liles will make sure that Whitsons is “on top of our game for nutrition in the NPS,” Von Seggern said.

Initial results from the program have been extremely encouraging across the elementary, middle and high schools according to Yeo. “The food quality is high, and both students and staff are happy with the switch-over.”

Enjoying nachos: Juniors Hassan Bukenya and Damian Miran

Gabe Dreyer

Fresh choices: The new lunch menu includes a salad bar of veggies and other produce.

In the cafeteria: Students wait in line to buy lunches. Junior Al

Healthy options added to caf

New company has focus on fresh, local ingredients Meredith Abrams Whitsons School Nutrition food is a healthy option for students, said Whitsons food service director and registered dietitian April Liles.

“Calorie counts, fats, sugars, carbohydrates and sodium do not tell the whole story of why Whitsons foods are different,” Liles said.

“Yes, we are paying attention to nutrient values. However, we also look at recipes from the ingredient level, utilizing whole grains, removing high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors and using fresh local ingredients.

“So, when looking at a slice of pizza, for example, one must remember that our crust is fresh and whole grain, that our cheese is low-fat and that our sauce is by

authentic,” she said.

It’s important when looking at the nutritonials that you compare apples to apples on portion sizes and specific ingredients.

In addition to food, Whitsons offers a more sophisticated environment, Liles said.

“Whitsons takes a retail-style approach to dining at the secondary school level that is similar to a corporate dining environment,” she said.

“Whitsons has signature lines of branded concepts, which are fully set up with professional signage, merchandising and marketing.”

Other nutritional information about Whitsons food includes, according to Liles: ◆ Most products sourced by Whitsons have zero trans fats ◆ Milk and chicken products

are hormone and antibiotic free ◆ All dressings are natural with no artificial ingredients and contain no high fructose corn syrup ◆ Breads, tortillas, taco shells, nacho chips, yogurt, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and all condiments are free of any partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup ◆ Yogurt is 100 percent all natural and contains no artificial ingredients ◆ All pasta is whole grain ◆ All rice is brown ◆ Canned fruits are packed in natural juice only, no syrup ◆ All cheese is low fat ◆Sliced bread, hamburger buns and hot dog buns are 100 percent whole grain and they do not contain any high fructose corn syrup

New food: N

an. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9

he food

New cafeteria food offers more options, healthier choices

Students appreciate variety, quality of new lunch options Kayla Shore Taste may be subjective, but the new school lunch program has won approval from many students at this school because of its variety and quality.

On the most basic level, the new lunch program is widely liked because “it tastes good,” said freshman Anthony Algarin.

Junior Tiffany Wong agreed that “it tastes better, and the ingredients taste fresher.”

Freshman Claire Lim said “the new food is better because there is more variety. I like the new pizza the most.”

Sophomore Aneesh Anand echoed Lim, saying “I like the new lunch better because there are many Newtonian more options, Aneesh and the pizza is Anand better.”

Senior Julia Rudzka agreed that “the new lunch is better because the pizza is better.”

Junior Francisco Esparza Martinez added that he also appreciates the options, “like the nachos, which they didn’t have before.”

The new lunch program offers many different choices, and with by

nda try out the new lunch menu Tuesday in the caf.

Gabe Dreyer

the hanging signs, it gives the impression of a food court.

Sophomore Cedric Masengere said, “I like the new food because it tastes better and because there is more food, and there are more Newtonian kinds of sandwiches.”

Cedric Sophomore Masengere Jenny Lewis praised the Greek salad that the cafeteria serves: “It’s amazing. I love it!”

Senior Linda Bard said “the new system is better because there are more choices and because it seems healthier.”

Whitsons, the company that provides the new cafeteria service, emphasizes the healthiness of its meals.

Junior Gabbi Morgenstern agreed that “the food tastes Newtonian healthier.” She Gabbi is also partial to the new lunch Morgenstern “because it’s easier for me since everyone

seems to go to the burger line, and I don’t buy burgers.”

Buying lunch is even faster for Morgenstern because according to her, “there are more people on staff.”

Conversely, freshman Sam Ketchum said “service isn’t as great and the line is a mess—either as bad as or worse than it was before.”

However, Ketchum still “likes the new food better because it’s better quality, and there are bigger portions.”

Many faculty members and some students opt to eat at the student-run Tiger’s Loft because of the high-quality food served there.

The Tiger’s Loft charges $5 for most of its lunches, while cafeteria lunches cost $3.50.

Still other students and faculty head to Newtonville, or sometimes farther, to buy their lunch.

Freshmen, who don’t have open campus privileges have fewer options for lunch because the Tiger’s Loft is only open second and third lunch, and freshmen are not allowed to leave campus to go to Newtonville.

As for freshman Julia Wang, the new lunch options in the cafeteria are good enough because according to her “they actually tastes like food.”

Cafeteria staff finds lower pay, heavier workload with change Meredith Abrams For many members of the cafeteria staff, the shift to Whitsons School Nutrition resulted in pay cuts and an increased work load said food handler Maria Mastroianni.

“The new program has had a big impact, because there was a big pay cut for everyone, and we’re still short on help,” she said.

“It’s been really tough,” Mastroianni said. “We were hustling before, and we’re hustling now, but there are a lot more items we have to put out now.”

There were also people who by

Gabe Dreyer

llie Phillips eats the salad she just purchased for lunch.

Gabe Dreyer

Now, students eat this taco meat for lunch.

All nutritional information courtesy April Liles

lost their jobs due to the shift, Mastroianni said.

“We did keep the same staff, but all manager positions were eliminated, and we’re still waiting on three new people, she said.

Mastroianni said, “people are getting stressed out from all the work.”

Mastroianni said that the extra work was partly due to the new food options.

“Before we used to have a rotation, which we don’t anymore, but now, for example, we make the pizza from scratch, where we used to buy it.

“The number of sales have in-

creased, so the kids seem to like it, but I can’t be sure because I don’t have time to go out and talk to them anymore,” she said.

However, Mastroianni said, the new members from Whitsons are good to work with.

“It seems like they’re all nice people,” she said. “We have a chef who’s supposed to go around and train all the cooks, who seems like a wonderful person.

“They’re all great people, and willing to help out,” she said.

Food handler Regina Eldredge agreed. “I think the food is great, and the kids really seem to enjoy it,” she said.

Alec Mapes-Frances

Old food: Until January, the school offered this taco meat.

features

10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Assembly honors essay contest winners Jay Feinstein Finalists from the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., sophomore essay contest presented their compositions Friday, Jan. 14 in the auditorium.

Winners were Katie Wu in first place, Malini Gandhi in second place and Christina Chen in third place.

Honorable mentions were Emily Abromowitz, Caroline Ayinon, Vanessa Battista, Julia Bernstein, Matt Bressler, Courtney Cawley, Audrey DeRobert, Jordan Duckham, John Henessey, Winston Huang, Caroline Loftus and Brittany Yu. English department head Melissa Dilworth opened up the ceremony, Newtonian presenting the details of the Melissa project.

Dilworth Sopho mores had to write essays to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., she said. They were to pick a hero who encompassed the spirit of King and to write about him or her. “Students were judged based on the depth and clarity of their work,” she said.

“You will hear today from some of the sophomore class’

best writers and thinkers.”

Dilworth finished her introduction with a quote from King himself: “Justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Then, the honorable mentions walked up to the podium, one by one, sharing selections from their pieces. After, the winners read their whole essays.

Chen wrote about her greatgrandmother, who lived in China during the Sino-Japanese war. v“People everywhere were destitute, with no food in their mouths and no clothes on their bodies,” Chen read.

Her great-grandmother helped a couple of orphans by inviting them to a meal and giving them clothes to wear.

She then proposed to the community center that everybody contribute what they could to these two children, until they could get jobs.

She even donated her body to medical research for the greater good, even though it was something that was looked down upon at the time.

“My mother characterizes her grandmother as somebody who ‘just did little things, trying to help other people.’ Her stories have cultivated my admiration for the woman whose gestures, three generations later, still in-

fuse warmth,” Chen read.

Gandhi wrote about her father, who commits his life to preventing and treating HIV/ AIDS and other infectious diseases.

At the beginning of her father’s career, one of his patients passed away, but he always held a positive outlook on life.

That instance inspired her father to put passion into his

work and to eventually found a weekly online forum and an AIDS conference in South Africa.

Wu wrote about Jesse Smith, a formerly homeless man whom she met on a church trip. Ever since a fortunate encounter with a police officer, Smith worked to overcome his hardships.

He ended up working to save a homeless shelter from closing

and speaking to groups about eliminating the social stigma associated with homelessness. Wu quoted Mahatma Gandhi near the end of her essay: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

“For every act of benevolence—in Jesse’s case, the policeman’s kindness—there are many more barriers to be overcome,” she read.

Katie Wu Ever since I can remember, a few coins clinking in a tin can and the words “spare change” were familiar sounds as I walked through the streets of Boston.

When I was young, I saw signs of homelessness everywhere: a disheveled figure curled up on a bench in the Public Garden, an intimidating man selling roses at the Arthur Fiedler Footbridge and the broken woman who jingled coins in a Dunkin’ Donuts cup in Chinatown.

However, this summer on my church’s mission trip to Washington, D.C., where we handed out water to homeless individuals, hosted meals and worked in soup kitchens, my idea of homelessness changed.

This summer, I met Jesse Smith, a formerly homeless man.

As Martin Luther King, Jr., fought for the human rights of the black community, Jesse Smith is dedicating his life to fight for the dignity and rights of the homeless members of our society.

Jesse Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in Arts of Sociology, and he had been married for 32 years when his wife divorced him. The divorce left him without anything, so he travelled to his mother’s home in Washington, D.C., hoping to find a job.

With each passing day, Jesse found himself spiraling into a deeper and deeper depression—the sudden loss of family, community, and home was a shock. Jesse recalls: “I tried to drown my sorrows in drink and drugs….and I attempted suicide

a number of times.”

But the true effects of homelessness did not strike him until he decided to move out of his mother’s house to find a job to support himself. Due to his depression and low self-esteem, however, he could do neither: “This was the true introduction to the realities of destitution, extreme depression, and for the first time, I was truly alone,” he recalls, “…I had become a member of the homeless community.”

The many beggars he had seen on the street throughout his life suddenly became his brothers—and he, a forgotten, neglected man.

Jesse traveled to New York City, where the fight for survival became part of his daily life.

He learned to steal from local stores, beg for money and sleep in abandoned cars. He became accustomed to rats sharing alleyways with him, and he learned how to sleep at night without getting his possessions stolen from him.

In the winter, he rode the trains and subways all day, seeking warmth during harsh northeastern weather. Christmastime was the worst; the constant reminder of his lost family deepened his depression.

Despite all these hardships, the most difficult thing for him was being alone: “I had no one to talk to who could possibly help alleviate my pain or selfpity.”

Despite holding a Social Security card and having a clean criminal record, it was very difficult to find a job due to his filthy appearance.

Even worse, especially in cities, he recalls feeling invisible.

People would brush past him and disregard him as a living being. Occasionally, he was stepped on.

But one kind act eventually changed Jesse’s life. Outside a Wa Wa store one winter night, Jesse was approached by a policeman who had been patrolling the area. “My initial reaction was to lie, so I told him I was waiting for my sister… [after he didn’t believe me], I told him I was hungry.”

The policeman walked into the store, and returned with a dinner for Jesse: “Best of all, he served me.” Jesse was escorted to the warm police station, where, for the first time since his divorce, he felt like a human being again.

Two policemen spoke kindly to Jesse and each gave him twenty dollars for a train ticket back up to Washington, D.C., where Jesse promised to find his cousins. Although Jesse admits to spending some of the forty dollars on alcohol, to him, the money and encouragement were gifts from one human to another that boosted his confidence. These policemen, who often see the worst side of human nature, helped restore Jesse’s dignity.

Jesse traveled back down to Washington, D.C., where he reconnected with his cousins, and started living in a crowded and well-known homeless shelter in D.C. He was determined to regain his life—and he has.

Since then, Jesse was involved with a group called “The Committee to Save Franklin

Shelter,” which raised awareness about the closing of a large homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. Jesse remembers that the group had few resources: “We had two #2 pencils, two legal pads and 45 cents in cash.”

Remarkably, they were able to rally community support to save the shelter, and today, 300 homeless people are housed there.

Today, Jesse speaks on behalf of organizations helping the homeless in order to shed light on the homeless community and some of the difficulties it faces.

Fighting the many misconceptions about homelessness that plague our society today, Jesse works to overcome the barriers that segregate the two worlds of those that have a permanent roof over their heads and those that don’t.

As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “nothing in the entire world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

Jesse advocates for people, homeless or not, so that they be treated with dignity and respect.

For him, the kind actions of the policemen on that cold, dreary night in New York changed his life.

Jesse’s message: When you see a homeless person, a simple smile or “hello” shows that you acknowledge their humanity.

The act of responding—whether you give them money or not— can have a huge impact on their dignity.

Martin Luther King’s inspirational fight for civil rights pertains to us today almost as much as it did to people living

in the 1960s but in a different way, and among a different community.

Today, segregation takes on as many forms as it did then— between black and white, gay and straight and rich and poor.

In the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse cares for his brothers on the streets. These people are clinging to whatever hope they have left just as many blacks did in the 1960s.

Like Jesse, King was also concerned about economic injustice. During his last few years, he devoted himself to the struggle against economic disparities. In 1968, King marched with angry garbage workers who were fighting for their rights after two co-workers were killed by equipment.

When people struggle on behalf of the most unfortunate among us, our society benefits.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” But like King’s struggle for civil rights, even after schools were integrated in the 1960s and ’70s, that greatness was challenged.

Even for every act of benevolence—in Jesse’s case, the policeman’s kindness—there are many more barriers to be overcome. In fact, right now, the Franklin Shelter is once again in danger of being bulldozed.

As a postscript, last August, Jesse wrote to the kind policeman expressing his gratitude for his single act of humanity that changed Jesse’s life. The two plan to meet in the next few months. Sometimes, it takes one hero to create another.

by

Gabe Dreyer

Winners: Sophomores Katie Wu, Christina Chen and Malini Gandhi won this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr., essay contest. They read their essays in an assembly Friday, Jan. 14.

Actions of homeless man similar to those of King by

Subscribe to the Newtonite! Stop by 273 for more information.

feature

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11

Newtonite spring calendar February Tuesday, Feb. 1 is Junior Parent Night at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

The MCAS biology retests are Tuesday, Feb. 1 and Wednesday, Feb. 2.

On campus sponsors Deaf/Hard of Hearing Day Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Under the direction of Spanish teacher Dan Fabrizio, “Under Milk Wood” opens Thursday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. also in the little theatre. Performances will also run Friday and Saturday nights.

On campus sponsors Asian Culture Day Wednesday, Feb. 9.

Winter Concert I will feature Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Tiger BeBop. The performance is Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

The second part of the performance, Winter Concert II, is Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

Concert Choir, Family Singers, Wind Ensemble and Orchestra will be featured.

ACT testing is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 12.

School closes for vacation Friday, Feb. 18 and reopens Monday, Feb. 28.

March Term three warnings will be sent home Tuesday, March 1.

MCAS English Language Arts re-tests begin Wednesday, March 2 and conclude Friday, March 4.

The winter athletic awards are Monday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Students head to Washington, D.C for the Close-Up Trip, which is Monday, March 7 through Friday, March 11. Also, starting Monday, March 7 are the MCAS retests for math, which continue Tuesday, March 8.

Saturday, March 12, SAT testing will be held.

The PTSO hosts a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15.

There will be a Professional Development Half Day Thursday, March 17. Students will be dismissed at 11 a.m.

“Curtains” opens Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Performances continue Friday and Saturday evenings, with a matinee Sunday, March 20, at 2 p.m.

English-Language Arts MCAS will occur Tuesday, March 22 through Thursday, March 24.

The Sophomore Carnival will be Friday, March 25 from 6 to 11 p.m.

On campus sponsors BLAC Culture Day, Thursday, March 31.

April Term three ends Friday, April 1.

In the auditorium, Saturday, April 2, the Asian Culture Club will host Asian Culture Night.

Monday, April 4, term four begins.

The All City Orchestra will perform Tuesday, April 5 in the auditorium. It will also perform the following day.

Thursday, April 7, the final Huntington Lecture of the year will occur in the film lecture hall at 4.

Spontaneous Generation opens Wednesday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the little theatre. Performances will also take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Term three grades will be sent home Friday, April 8. The next morning, ACT testing will be held.

The music department’s Spring Concert I, featuring Concert Choir, Jubilee Singers and Wind Ensemble, occurs Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

The second part of the show, Spring Concert II, features Honors String Ensemble, Family Singers and Orchestra, and it will be the following evening at 7 in the auditorium.

School closes Friday, April 15 for vacation and reopens Monday, April 25.

The final Improv Jam of the year will be Wednesday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the little theatre.

Jazz Ensemble and Tiger BeBop will perform in Jazz Night, Thursday, April 28, at 7 in the auditorium.

The Gay/Straight Alliance sponsors a Day of Silence Wednesday, April 27.

A Day of Action will be held Friday, April 29.

May Tuesday, May 3, the PTSO will host a meeting at 7:30 p.m.

The Junior Semi-Formal will be Saturday, May 7.

Earlier that day, there will be SAT testing.

Term four warnings will be sent home Tuesday, May 10.

On campus sponsors the First-Year Forum Wednesday, May 11.

Under the direction of Serah Rose Roth, the NorthSouth Shakespeare production of “Hamlet” opens Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. at South. Performances will be the following Friday and Saturday.

The career center sponsors a college admissions seminar Thursday, May 12 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

Tuesday, May 17 and Wednesday, May 18 there will be Math MCAS. Career and tech ed will have a Senior Awards Ceremony B-block, Thursday, May 19. That evening is Pops Night at 7 in the cafeteria.

Tuesday, May 24, the history and social sciences department awards ceremony will occur at 7 p.m.

The following evening, Wednesday, May 25, the English department awards ceremony will be held from 7 to 9 p.m.

The second musical of the year, “Sunday in the Park with George” opens Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will be at the same time Friday and Saturday, with a matinee Sunday, May 29 at 2 p.m. The math awards ceremony is from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the library Friday, May 27.

School is closed Monday, May 30 for Memorial Day. The spring athletic awards are Tuesday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

June The world language awards ceremony is Wednesday, June 1 in the little theatre and the library. That same day, the Physics MCAS begins. Testing concludes the following day, Thursday, June 2.

Nitrous Oxide and the Playwrights Festival open Wednesday, June 1 through Saturday, June 4.

The Jubilee Singers holds its final concert of the year Thursday, June 2, at 7 in the auditorium.

SAT testing is Saturday, June 4.

Sunday, June 5, senior prom will be held.

Graduation is Tuesday, June 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. at this school.

The Eighth Grade Forum is Thursday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m.

To conclude and celebrate the year, Theatre Ink will host its annual end of the year banquet, Friday, June 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria.

Step-Up Day for eighth graders is Friday, June 10.

The final ACT testing of the year is Saturday, June 11.

Students’ last day is Thursday, June 23.

Friday, June 24 is teachers’ last day.

—Compiled by Ryan Condon and Perrin Stein

Charles Attisano

12 â—† Newtonite, Newton North

advertisements

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

CIEE Gap Year & High School Abroad

language / culture / challenge

Immerse yourself in a new culture! Use your language skill to explore new worlds.

australia / brazil / chile / china / costa rica dominican republic / france / germany ireland / italy / japan / spain www.ciee.org/hsabroad www.facebook.com/CIEEHSandGap

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Talk of the Critic’s Picks The Truman Show

Dramatic irony takes the spotlight in the 1998 masterpiece, The Truman Show. The movie follows the reality-television series of the same name, which creates a false reality for the star, Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), who is unaware of the show’s existence. Everyone in Burbank’s life is simply an actor for the show. The mere creativity of the storyline is incredible, but outstanding acting is what makes it entertaining.

Not everyone is a fan of Carrey, better known for his slapstick.

However, Carrey takes a giant leap in his acting career in The Truman Show, as his character finds out why people treat him the way they do. The Truman Show also keeps the audience questioning the ethicality of broadcasting a person’s life against his will.

Grade: A

Tiger

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Ocean’s Thirteen

Following a less than impresive sequel, the revenge-filled Ocean’s Thirteen, third in the Ocean’s series, greatly exceeded expectations. The all-star cast, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, continues its great chemistry from the first installment, Ocean’s Eleven.

Throughout, Danny Ocean, played by Clooney, and the rest of the crew make plans to seek revenge against hotel owner Willy Banks (Al Pacino), which is entertaining. Pacino plays a fantastic villain in Banks, with an egotistical personality the audience can’t help but loathe.

While the film has many clever lines, Ocean’s Thirteen proved to be better at showing than telling. Ocean’s Thirteen may not have lived up to the standards of Ocean’s Eleven, but it still can be enjoyed time and time again.

Grade: A-

Groundhog Day

Bill Murray stars in this humorous and endearing comedy, in which his character, Phil Connors, relives the same day —Groundhog Day—again and again. While the storyline is quite cliché at times, Murray executes the role well. His reactions to the situation can be insanely funny, such as when he punches a man who, day after day, tries to start a conversation with him. Some may say that the script takes it too far, with Connors making ridiculous decisions and committing suicide countless times, only to awake on Groundhog Day. However, this is what makes the movie so comical. Groundhog Day makes a connection with everyone in the audience as they think what they would do if they could relive the same day more than one time.

Grade: B+ —Jacob Schwartz

Fire and Ice

Fire Drill...

What if our teachers went to Newton North?

People are always amazed at all of the possibilities this school has to offer. Many teachers here think they may have been very different students if they had had the opportunity to attend this school.

Ms. Hennrikus: Long-term English substitute Jaqueline Hennrikus said she would have taken advantage of all of the options here, and she would h a v e b e e n very involved if she had g o n e to this school.

Hennrikus said Maliha Ali she “defJaqueline initely Hennrikus would h a v e been a part of the dance team,” and she would have been interested in participating in peer tutoring, The Newtonite and the Student Faculty Administration.

Hennrikus said she also imagines her high-school self in the creative writing club and the Students Against Destructive Decisions club. She added that she also would have wanted to go on the exchange to Spain that this school offers.

Mr. Finnegan: English teacher Tim Finnegan went to a parochial high school in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he “learned grammar and to fear the teachers, but not really how to write or think,” he said.

Imagining what it would

have been like to have all of the options this school offers as a high school student, Finnegan said, “I wonder how much better a writer, thinker or even mathematician or scientist I would be if I had gone here. North is one of the best schools in the nation.”

According to Finnegan, his school wasn’t nearly as much of a “liberal community” as North is, and there were no electives.

“There were no choices,” he said.

Finnegan added Newtonian t h a t Tim Finnegan teachers who create electives here are very devoted to those subjects. Having such passionate teachers, Finnegan said, would have helped him greatly in high school. Aside from academics, Finnegan said he would have wanted to do Theatre Ink, which he described as “phenomenal.” He also would have been very interested in doing a Senior Year Project.

“Very few high schools let kids take time off school to conduct enormous research and field work and to present it to the school at large,” Finnegan said. “That’s just awesome.”

—Julia Moss

Julia Moss

Freedom or Boredom?

New Schedules...

Term 3...

Charles Attisano and Julia Moss

sports

14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

New swimmers’ effort improves team unity

Freestyle: Freshman Kenny Wen practices in the new pool.

Emmett Greenberg Boys’ swimming and diving, 1-4 Wednesday, has improved its ability to focus, according to assistant coach Paul Perz.

“Our focus has gotten much better, particularly for our freshmen,” he said. “But it’s something we can always improve.”

The team is also working to improve its starts and reduce personal times, Perz said.

According to senior Ramzy Kahhale, a captain with seniors Jamie Lew and Jeremy Markson, the Tigers’ biggest challenge is integrating new swimmers after losing key seniors from last year.

“It’s almost like we’re rebuilding the team,” he said.

However, Kahhale is impressed with the younger swimmers’ efforts to fill the void. “Our underclassmen have worked

painfully hard to try to get up to the seniors’ level,” he said.

The Tigers have no more dual meets this season, but will participate in the Bay State Conference Meet Wednesday and Thursday. Kahhale said he thinks they will challenge for the title.

“I’m expecting to see a close race,” he said. “I want the score to be indicative of how hard we try. No matter what your record is, this is when you really win.

“Our goal is to push hard to be in the top three or four.”

Team unity will help the Tigers succeed in the Conference Meet, Kahhale said.

“We’ve become closer as a team, but we need to come together even more to have a chance,” he said.

Wednesday, Jan. 19, the Tigers lost a tough meet at Wellesley, 90-88. “We supported each other, and we cheered each other on, which was great,” Kahhale said. “We could have finished the races a little better—we lost steam at the end.”

Friday, Jan. 14, the Tigers visited Framingham in a close loss, 92-91. “I think we all showed a lot of heart,” Kahhale said.

“We attacked the water, and we lasted the whole race. Framingham won hands down, but we really gave it our all.”

The Tigers were to have hosted Needham yesterday.

Jay Feinstein Wrestling, 8-5, has grown in many ways over the season, according to coach John Staulo.

“Most importantly, team members have learned the benefits and possibilities of a sport like wrestling,” he said.

“Our more experienced wrestlers are more into a knowledgeable position,” Staulo said.

“They’re learning more about how to be leaders.”

According to Staulo, “There are some glitches to overcome both on and off the mat, but overall, everyone’s been very re-

silient, doing everything well.”

Tomorrow, the Tigers will host a quad meet with Weymouth, Milton and Norwood.

“Weymouth is one of the top teams in the State,” Staulo said.

“Several members of their 11-1 football team make up their wrestling line up, which definitely helps the team.”

Milton and Norwood are both in rebuilding years, Staulo said.

“Milton is back from a bunch of coaching changes and lack of participation. Norwood is further along, yet both teams have outstanding individuals.”

Wednesday, the Tigers will host Brookline for the last meet of the regular season. “We don’t have a huge rivalry with Brookline like we do in football, but we make a point of having some rivalry,” Staulo said. “They’re a competitive team and have an outstanding coach, but I’m not going to make any predictions on this meet.”

The Division I Team Sectionals will take place Saturday, Feb. 5 at South. The winner moves on to the State Semifinals, according to Staulo.

The Division I Individual Sec-

tionals will take place the next Saturday, Feb.12. “It’s similar to the invitational meets we’ve been to because it’s in an individual style,” Staulo said. The winner goes on to the Division I States.

Saturday, the Tigers participated in the Weymouth Tournament. “We had a pretty good showing,” Staulo said.

Thursday, Jan. 20, the Tigers defeated Wellesley 42-33. “We had to win everything at the end,” Staulo said.

Saturday, Jan. 15, the Tigers participated in the Woburn tour-

nament. “We did alright,” Staulo said. “There was some good, and there was some bad.”

As a highlight, according to Staulo, senior Ben Polci at 215 placed first.

Unfortunately, senior Pat Bryson suffered in a “freak injury,” and he will be out for the rest of the season, Staulo said.

“He always had a positive outlook on everything,” Staulo said. “He’s a good kid, and he’s definitely an inspiration to the team. He has a great attitude, and he always keeps things in perspective.”

Perrin Stein More than halfway through its season, girls’ indoor track, 4-0 Wednesday, has reached two of its major goals, winning the State Relays and qualifying for the State Meet, according to senior Katie Brandl, a captain with senior Amy Ren. “We are undefeated, so it is clear that the team is working hard and competing well,” Brandl said.

“Despite this, we want to continue to improve and keep

our spirits up until the season finishes.”

In order to progress, each member of the team is working on her events.

“In track, you can only get better by a second or an inch, so we need to focus on the small details,” Brandl said.

According to coach Joe Tranchita, practice is spent “focusing on conditioning and on developing consistency of competition execution.”

The State Coaches Invita-

tional meet is tomorrow at the Reggie Lewis Track Center.

Wednesday, the Tigers will attend the Interdivisional Meet at the Reggie Lewis Center. Depending on the results of meets in the next week, this school will face Wellesley, Walpole or Natick because at press time, all of these teams were undefeated.

The Tigers will participate in the McIntyre Elite Meet Sunday, Feb. 6.

Wednesday, Feb. 9, the Ti-

gers will attend the Bay State Conference Meet, which includes qualifying teams from the Carey and Herget Divisions.

The Tigers will be scored as a team, and specific team members will be scored based on their performances in individual events.

Thursday, Jan. 20, the Tigers beat previously undefeated Weymouth, 58-37. In order to win, the Tigers scored 31 points in the final four events, he said.

The Tigers won the State Relays Sunday, Jan. 16, beating Andover 47-43. The meet was very competitive, according to Tranchita, because the title was determined by the final two events: the 4x400 and the long jump relay.

At Brookline, Thursday, Jan. 13, the Tigers won 80-15. Thirteen personal records were achieved at the meet, according to Tranchita.

Yesterday, the Tigers were to have hosted Needham.

Gloria Li Boys’ indoor track, 4-0 Wednesday, “is having a good season,” according to coach Jim Blackburn.

“We are pretty strong in every event at the moment,” he said.

The Tigers will run against Walpole Wednesday.

“I think that we’re expected to and favored to win this meet,” Blackburn said.

The McIntyre Elite Meet is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 6, in which top individuals on the team will be competing, according to Blackburn.

“I think in the McIntyre Elite Meet, we should have some excellent individual performances from a lot of people,” said senior Ezra Lichtman, a captain with seniors Ben Clark and Ryan Donovan.

Lichtman said he expects the compeitition to be tough, which he said would in turn push people to their limits and increase the performance of teammates.

“We will likely be entering a sprint medley relay team in this event, too, because we qualified to do so by winning the sprint medley at State Relays this past weekend with the fastest sprint medley relay time so far in the United States this season,” Lichtman said.

Lichtman said he was reasonably confident that the Tigers could win the Carey Division of the Bay State Conference If so, they will face the winner of the six teams in the Herget Division for the title of the Bay State League Champion at the Bay State Championships Wednesday, Feb. 9.

Thursday, Jan. 20, the Tigers won 55-40 at Weymouth, Lichtman said.

Sunday, Jan. 16, the Tigers placed third in the State Relays, according to Blackburn.

“Although we got third overall in the team State Relay meet, we placed first in the sprint medley relays,” said Lichtman.

“We also got first place in the shot put and sixth in the

distance medley relay.”

Against Brookline Thursday, Jan. 13, the Tigers won in every one of the 11 events by a total score of 78-17, according to Blackburn.

“It’s the most we’ve ever won by, and I’m proud of the team,” Blackburn said.

Lichtman said, “Our shotput team was definitely one of our strengths versus Brookline, as we have four of the top five shot putters in the league on our team.”

“We are also much stronger in sprints and field events than Brookline,” he said.

“The only concern was how our distance crew would fare.

They did an excellent job, however, as they won all the distance events.”

Junior Justin Keefe won in the 1000-meter and freshman Nick Fofana excelled in the high jump, long jump and hurdles, Blackburn said.

The Tigers were to have competed against Needham yesterday.

In the SOA: Senior Tylor Hart practices the high jump.

by

Karen Brier

assistant coach Paul Perz “Our focus has gotten better, but it’s something we can always improve.”

Experienced wrestlers develop leadership roles by

Details vital for girls’ indoor track, captain says by

Fueled by successful start, track aims for league title by

Gabe Dreyer

sports

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Girls’ basketball to host Braintree today Kristian Lundberg Girls’ basketball, 6-5, is focusing on improving rebounding and decreasing turnovers, said coach Hank DeSantis.

“The team continues to improve. Hopefully, we can continue to make progress and grow as a team,” DeSantis said.

Today the Tigers will host Braintree, a rematch of a crushing 63-59 loss Tuesday, Dec. 21.

“Braintree is undefeated, and we lost in overtime last time we played. Hopefully, we can do better this time,” he said.

Next up, the Tigers will host Dedham Tuesday and Wellesley Friday, then the team will travel to Weymouth Tuesday, Feb. 8.

“Every game is important, so we should focus on our opponents one at a time,” DeSantis said Tuesday, the Tigers lost at Natick 59-41.

“We didn’t play with a lot of energy, and it was not our best team effort,” DeSantis said.

Saturday, the team beat Needham 48-45 on the road.

“We were smart with the ball, and we defended like we were capable of,” he said.

Wednesday, Jan. 19, the Tigers defeated Framingham at home, thanks to an 11-0 run in the second quarter to break the game open.

“I was reasonably impressed with the team’s performance. I thought the team’s defense was solid,” DeSantis said.

“However, we need to improve rebounding and miniby

mizing turnovers. We could do better off the glass,” he said.

With the game tied 8-8 early in the second quarter, freshman Infiniti Thomas-Waheed scored six consecutive points, including a long distance threepointer, en route to a dominating quarter by the Tigers. The team didn’t concede any points before Framingham scored with one minute left, taking into halftime a 21-12 lead that it would not relinquish.

Thomas-Waheed left in the fourth quarter after injuring her hand, but her 10 points led the team in scoring.

Senior Megan Gentile, a captain with seniors Briana Hunt, Ella Scheuerell, and D’Jaidah Wynn, praised Thomas-Waheed’s performance.

“Infiniti had a great game and pushed through, especially considering that she hurt her hand,” Gentile said.

“However, we made too many stupid plays, and we need to improve our rebounding. We made it easier for Framingham with our turnovers.”

Scheuerell stepped in as the starting point guard for the Tigers and provided strong defense with five steals.

At the end of the first half, she made a spectacular hustle play that helped maintain the Tigers’ lead.

With a minute left in the half, Scheuerell dove on a loose ball deep in the Framingham backcourt, somehow wrestling the ball away from the Flyer guard while still on the ground.

Jacob Schwartz

Hook Shot: Senior Megan Gentile scores against Framingham Wednesday, Jan. 19. The Tigers defeated the Flyers 40-32 in the Reginald E. Smith Gymnasium.

Boys’ gymnastics strives to improve form, scores Kristian Lundberg Boys’ gymnastics, 0-3 Wednesday, is working hard to keep up with its difficult competition, according to coach Steve Chan.

“We need to put in hard work for the next two weeks to keep up with other teams,” he said.

“Other teams score around 130 to 140 points per meet, so we need to improve our score to keep up with them.”

Tuesday, the Tigers will travel to Attleboro in their penultimate

meet of the season.

“I think they score high, so we need to work hard, even though I don’t know too much about them,” said Chan.

Tuesday, the team traveled to Burlington to compete against a perennially strong Red Devils team.

The Tigers lost, but they set their season high in points with 123.

The team lost 123.5-99.2 at Andover Thursday, Jan. 20.

“We were psyched out be-

Jacob Schwartz Boys’ basketball, 9-2, has gelled as a team and grown throughout the season, according to coach Paul Connolly.

“It’s been fun to see how the whole thing has transpired,” he said. “Players have developed a real ‘team’ mentality.”

Today, the Tigers face the Wamps for the second time this season, this time in Braintree. In the second game of the season, the Tigers defeated Braintree 68-51 thanks to strong shooting.

According to Connolly, while Braintree has probably improved since then, the Tigers have as well.

The Tigers will especially need to pay attention to Braintree junior Pat Delano who stands at 6’6, and is “a force,” Connolly said.

The team travels to Dedham Tuesday and Wellesley Friday.

Defense will be key in both of these road matches, according to Connolly, as both the Marauders and the Raiders shoot very strongly.

Hosting Brockton Sunday, Feb. 6 should help prepare the Tigers for the State Tournament, Connolly said.

Weymouth plays the Tigers here Tuesday, Feb. 8. The Tigers lost to Weymouth earlier this

season in a close 56-51 game.

The team will simply “have to come out stronger” in order to beat Weymouth this time around, Connolly said.

Hoping to achieve their second win against the Warriors, this season, the Tigers travel to Brookline Friday, Feb. 11.

The Tigers defeated Natick, 64-53 at home Tuesday, in what began as a very close game.

The team was persistant on defense, getting turnovers from its full-court press. However, it had trouble getting much of a lead until Natick junior David Hinton dunked in the third quarter, tying the game at 33.

After the dunk, the Tigers scored 10 consecutive points.

In an impressive performance, junior Jared Masinton scored three times while drawing fouls. He converted two of these “and 1’s” into three-point plays.

Freshman Aaron Falzon grabbed many offensive rebounds, which helped the team hold a lead early on.

The team won back to back road games, defeating Needham 66-58 Saturday, and beating Framingham 60-52 Wednesday, Jan. 19.

At the Hoop Hall Classic, the Tigers defeated Springfield Central in the Blake Arena Sunday,

by

cause there wasn’t a spring floor for the floor routine, so we didn’t do so well,” Chan said.

Thursday, Jan. 13, the Tigers lost to Braintree 176.1-109.4 at home, but secured a moral victory, according to Chan.

Chan said the Tigers “did well, but Braintree was really good.

“The team showed its championship form against us.”

“However, we reached our goal of scoring over 100 points, as we scored 109.4.”

Senior Alex Petitti, the captain, said the team is “coming along very well” so far.

“We’re progressing a lot, and the newcomers have met higher expectations than I could ever have hoped for,” he said.

Concerning the Braintree meet, Petitti said the team met a major goal in breaking 100 points.

“By the end of the season, we hope to score in the 120s to 130s,” he said.

Petitti said the Tigers need

to improve routines and form before trying more complicated moves.

“It’s important that we get the form down first before we work on difficult tricks,” he said.

“That way, the newer gymnasts can more easily become a higher level of gymnasts in the upcoming years.”

The Tigers were to have competed at home against Lowell yesterday in a meet that was rescheduled from Thursday, Jan. 20.

Strong team performances key to Tigers’ growth by

Teddy Wenneker

Against the Warriors: Junior Michael Thorpe eludes a Brookline defender Friday, Jan. 14.

Jan. 16, 58-56. At the Classic, senior Tevin Falzon participated in the Dunk Contest, and senior Avi Adler-Cohen and Aaron Falzon shot in the Three-Point Contest.

The Tigers played rival Brookline Friday, Jan. 14, in the Reginald E. Smith Gymnasium.

“Just like football,” Tigers’ fans chanted as the team defeated Brookline 62-50. The crowd

was referencing football’s 41-12 defeat over the Warriors in the annual Thanksgiving Game.

However, unlike the blowout football game, this game was fairly close at first.

With the score locked at 40 in the fourth quarter, Aaron Falzon made a layup that began an 11-0 scoring run, leading the Tigers to victory.

Sophomore Korey Mui performed well coming off the

bench, drawing a foul on a successful layup and finishing the three-point play. Thorpe dominated on defense.

Adler-Cohen, a captain with Tevin Falzon, said Brookline put up a strong fight. “It was a close game, and they played very well. However, we were able to get a few fast breaks later in the game, which helped us gain momentum when we needed it.”

sports

16 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 28, 2011

Boys’ hockey displays toughness, unity Kristian Lundberg According to coach Tom Ryan, boys’ hockey, 3-7 Wednesday, is working on “remaining competitive,” especially against superior foes.

“We’re losing too many battles for pucks. We’re just trying to get better every day,” he said.

Tomorrow, the Tigers will travel to Dedham to face off against a Marauder squad with “similar talent,” Ryan said.

“Both of us lack numbers, but we’ve had success against them the past two years,” he said.

Wednesday, the team will play at Wellesley, which has been “inconsistent” this year, according to Ryan.

“They’ve struggled at points this season, but they’ve also played well, so it all depends on how we play,” he said.

Saturday, Feb. 5, the Tigers will host Weymouth.

“Weymouth is the best team in the league this year, so it’ll be hard to win,” said Ryan.

In a rivalry game, the Tigers will play at Brookline Wednesday, Feb. 9—a game Ryan said would be intense and emo tional.

“Brookline is always an emotional game, since it’s a big rivalry game, so we’ll have to play hard to win,” he said.

According to junior Ryan Fanning, a captain with senior T.J. Ryan, the team has struggled on offense but has by

Gabe Dreyer

Defense: Sophomore Phil Biancuzzo adds pressure on the forecheck Saturday against Natick. The Tigers lost 3-2 at Fessenden Rink.

played with determination and hard work.

“Though we could capitalize better in the offensive zone, we’ve shown a lot of toughness in the past few games, and we haven’t been giving up as a team when we’ve fallen behind,” he said.

“The bench is always excited while watching the game, and it makes for better team unity.”

Hosting Natick Saturday, the Tigers lost a close game 3-2, according to Fanning.

Against Needham Wednesday, Jan. 19, the Tigers lost 8-0 to a strong Rocket team.

“The Needham team is very skilled, but we had chances,” Fanning said.

“We played well overall—they were just a very good team,” he said.

Monday, Jan. 17, the Tigers hosted Brockton, losing in a close game 2-1.

Fanning said the team played well in the loss.

“We turned it up with the hitting, and we got a couple of lucky bounces,” he said.

“We played very well and spent much of the time in their defensive zone.”

Saturday, Jan. 15 in Framingham, the Flyers defeated the Tigers 5-2.

“We came out flat, though we were checking and using the body well,” Fanning said.

“In the end we couldn’t capitalize on scoring chances.”

Hard work, goaltending strengths for girls’ hockey Gloria Li Girls’ hockey, 3-7-1 Wednesday, is working hard on defense and will have to play well to win this season, according to coach Bob MacDougall.

“Currently, our team’s biggest strength lies in the fact that we have a strong goalie with depth at forward,” MacDougall said.

Senior Marissa Troy, a captain with senior Michele Troy and juniors Katie Caruso and Stephanie Vitone, said that the Tigers are a “young team, and we don’t have enough experiby

enced defense members.”

“We’re also working on getting more shots and scoring more,” she said.

Troy said she thinks the team always gives 100 percent on the ice and that it is usually strongest during the third period.

The Tigers face off against Dedham tomorrow at 3 p.m. at home.

According to Michele Troy, the team is “really looking forward to playing Dedham.

“We lost to them earlier on in the season, so we are going to put forth our best effort to beat

them,” she said.

“Last time we played them, it wasn’t our best game, so we want to prove ourselves this time around.”

The Tigers will face Wellesley Wednesday, Weymouth Saturday, Feb. 5, and Brookline Wednesday, Feb. 9.

“Wellesley is a team that we can beat,” Troy said.

“They have a sound past,” she said, “but we plan to give them a run for their money.”

MacDougall said that Weymouth has improved since the Tigers defeated the Wildcats 4-1

earlier this season.

However, Troy believes that the Tigers can beat Weymouth again.

“Weymouth isn’t a strong team, and we beat them last time,” she said.

Troy said that she believes the Tigers are better than Brookline as well. “We expect to win against them too,” she said.

At Natick, The Tigers suffered a 2-0 loss Saturday.

Michele Troy said, “It was a really physical game. We were short on numbers for that game, but we still put forth good ef-

fort.”

Wednesday, Jan. 19, the Tigers defeated Needham 3-1 at home.

“We had really good hustle, and our hustle made them get a lot of penalties,” said Marissa Troy.

“Although they scored first, we eventually ended up winning in the third period,” Troy said.

The Tigers suffered a 4-1 loss Monday, Jan. 17 at ActonBoxborough.

Hosting Framingham Saturday, Jan. 15, the Tigers were defeated by the Flyers, 1-0.

Girls’ gymnastics prepares for Conference Meet Gloria Li Girls’ gymnastics, 4-3, hopes that everyone on the team will remain healthy for the rest of the meets this season, according to coach Jim Chin.

“We have yet to put in our best line up,” he said.

Chin said he believes that the top score of the team could be 137 instead of the current 131.4 points.

Chin explained that last season, the fourth gymnast on an event might score in the 7’s, but this season, the same gymnast would be capable of scoring in the 8’s.

“That’s a four point difference between this year and last year—that’s huge in gymnastics,” Chin said.

The Tigers will compete here against Brookline today.

“Brookline is scoring in the low 110s, so I don’t anticipate it being a very close meet,” Chin said.

Saturday, Feb. 5, the Tigers will compete in the annual Bay State Conference Meet.

“I believe we can win the BSC Meet,” he said.

“Last season we lost to Wellesley by 0.05 points. This year we may have another close one against Wellesley,” Chin said. by

“Other teams like Braintree and Needham have also improved, so the BSC Meet may be tougher this year,” Chin said.

The Tigers lost at Braintree 130.45-125.8 Tuesday, according to Chin.

Wednesday, Jan. 19, the Tigers lost 132-130 at home against Needham.

“Sophomores Allie Hurwitz and Lili Margolin, and senior Andrea Marzilli contributed some high scores in the 8’s.

They kept us in the running,” Chin said.

Friday, Jan. 14, the Tigers won at Walpole 127.4-124.1.

Senior Victoria Mirrer, a captain with Marzilli, said, “We were above average in every category.”

“Although there were a few falls on beam—a few more than usual—we still did well,” Mirrer said.

Marzilli said, “We improved a lot on vault at the Walpole meet.”

At Framingham, Tuesday, Jan. 11, the Tigers won, 127.6122.6.

“The entire floor team did amazing,” Marzilli said.

Mirrer set a personal record of 9.5, while Hurwitz set her new personal record of 9.3, according to Mirrer.

Gabe Dreyer

On the vault: Sophomore Lili Margolin twists in the air during a meet in the SOA.