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Newtonite ◆ Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 • Volume 90, Issue 10

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

Price works on dissertation SAMANTHA LIBRATY For part of November, principal Jennifer Price will take a leave of absence to complete her dissertation, she said.

Price is in the process of writing her dissertation in order to receive a doctorate in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, she said.

In her dissertation, Price looks at the achievement of lowincome students at this school.

“I wanted to write about something related to this school,” she said. “I wanted to tie my job into my dissertation.”

Recently, Price said, she received “increased pressure from Harvard” to finish her doctorate, because she is a ninth-year doctoral student.

“Harvard said I would be withdrawn from the program if I did not complete my dissertation soon,” she said.

Over the last few months, Price said, she said she has made progress, committing most of her summer vacation to collecting data, which included MCAS scores from the past few years.

She requested the leave of absence this summer, and superintendent David Fleishman

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officially granted it in early October.

Price will be out for 17 school days, she said. During her absence, vice principal Deb Holman will act as principal as well as vice principal, Price said.

She will continue to be paid during her leave of absence, she said. “This is because in the summer of 2010, during the move to the new school, I worked all summer, even though my contract only states that I work for half of it,” she said.

Because Price exceeded the amount of work days her contract stated in 2010, the district agreed to pay her during her leave to compensate her for the extra days she put in during the move, she said.

Price said she could no longer be a full-time student once she became principal.

“I applied to be a principal thinking there was an outside chance that I would get it, but when I did, I couldn’t turn it down,” Price said.

“All of my professors advised me against becoming a principal while still working on my doctorate,” she added.

Price hopes to finish her dissertation in May.

Jacob Schwartz

Movement: Junior Madison Nadeau passes the ball upfield during the Tigers’ 3-2 victory over Waltham Saturday. Senior Holly Szafran netted a hat trick, scoring all three goals.

Students, teachers respond to anti-bullying policy MEREDITH ABRAMS JAY FEINSTEIN “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then, it will start a chain reaction of the same,” Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine shootings, once wrote in an essay.

“Rachel’s Challenge” is an organization in her memory to spread her morals explained in her essay, “My Ethics, My Codes

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of Life.” These values include kindness and compassion.

Members of the organization presented at this school Monday, Oct. 17 as part of the anti-bullying curriculum. The presentation showed that kindness is an antidote to bullying.

In fact, compassion can be an important tool against bullies, according to Beals housemaster Michelle Stauss. “There have been incidents where the

aggressor has felt genuinely remorseful for his or her actions and words,” she said.

“Sometimes the aggressor has been on the receiving side and is able to take a step back to remember the personal or emotional, social and sometimes, academic repercussions.”

All of the increased attention on bullying can only help the problem, she added.

“I think there is a greater

awareness about what constitutes bullying and harassment and the hurtful and potentially long-lasting impact,” Stauss said. “It is quite likely that the awareness alone can help to deter some from engaging in bullying behaviors.”

Bullying itself is certainly an issue that hits closer to home than the incident of Columbine does. Students at this school have witnessed the effects of

harassment firsthand.

The 2010-2011 Newton Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported that 42 percent of high school students had witnessed bullying within 30 days prior to the survey and 15 percent of students had been bullied at school themselves.

According to senior Ryan Byrne, bullying is inevitable. “You can’t prevent it because there ◆ continued on page 7

Newton Free Library displays art students’ recent creations MALINI GANDHI Adding color and texture next to the shelves of books, collographs and photographs by this school’s art students are currently on display at the Newton Free Library.

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review

Gabe Dreyer

Showcase: Senior Allie Phillips views student artwork, which is on display at the Newton Free Library until the spring.

“It’s a nice surrounding—all of the books and well-lit walls and framed photos and artwork,” said art teacher Shannon Slattery. “Exhibits like these are wonderful because so many people see them.”

The exhibit, which opened Saturday, Oct. 1 and will be on display through early 2012, is

located on the second floor of the library next to the Young Adult book section and features work from students.

According to Slattery, her art major class contributed work from a project on collographing, a method of printing that Slattery describes as “unique and interesting.”

Slattery said that her classes experiment with “lots of types of printing,” but collographing is different because instead of etching patterns into metal plates or linoleum blocks, the collograph board is built up by collaging various materials onto a cardboard base and infusing them with ink.

The resulting prints have a “mixed colorful feel,” according

to Slattery, imbued with texture, shape and depth.

But Slattery’s favorite aspect of the collographing process is not actually the prints themselves but the textured, colorful, three-dimensional boards left behind.

“The board left over is a relief structure, clinging to the residue of the ink,” Slattery said.

“What I love so much about collographing is that the board itself becomes a work of art.”

The exhibit at the library displays collographing boards created by Slattery’s students.

Though differing widely in subject, each board provides a surreal quality that comes with the landscape of overlapping ◆ continued on page 4

See inside for international exchanges, “Tartuffe,” technology and new clubs

page 3

page 4

pages 8-9

page 11

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Trick or...treat?

Julia Moss

Anti-bullying seminars deserve attention With the new anti-bullying initiative that the Newton Public Schools has implemented, every student in this school will participate in four anti-bullying seminars throughout the year.

editorial The first of these seminars was held Thursday, Oct. 7 in homeroom, and the second was the Rachel’s Challenge assemby Monday, Oct. 16.

During the first of these seminars, teachers educated students on what it means to bully someone, the different types of bullying and how to

tell when a situation falls into the category of bullying.

If you were one of those students who zoned out when the teacher discussed how bullying can ruin a kid’s life, you should have been attentive.

If you were texting your friend in the room next door as the teacher encouraged everyone to take a stand against bullying, you should have been listening.

And if you left the bullying seminar laughing with your friends about how that was a waste of an hour, you absolutely should have been paying attention.

Or maybe you are one of those kids who said, “Bullying does not happen that often at this school.” Maybe you think that because you have not witnessed bullying, it never occurs. Well, just because kids are not publicly beaten up for their lunch money and are not given swirlys in the bathroom, it does not mean bullying never occurs.

Sometimes bullying is concealed. Let us say you are on Facebook. Scanning your news feed, you notice that someone posted a rude comment about someone else.

Assuming that they are

friends and are just joking around, you ignore it.

In your eyes, that was one harmless comment on a kid’s wall. But maybe that kid has been harassed by the person who posted that comment for months.

Maybe he is being tormented by this kid, and the wall post was a subtle reminder of the aggressor’s superiority. You never know what is being masked behind a seemingly innocent wall post or a tease or ridicule.

Bullying is not a joke. Understandably, it seems like a bit of an exhausted topic at this point. Since the begin-

ning of this school, teachers have probably been drilling these ideas into your mind.

But this lesson needs to stick with kids. The more we are told not to hit and not to tease, the less likely we are to do it.

If a teacher tells you once not to bully, chances are you will go back to school the next day and continue to bully. But if you are constantly reminded of the repercussions, the lesson will take hold.

So take bullying seriously.

Think about the discussions you had in your anti-bullying seminar.

America will bounce back from economic troubles AMANDA HILLS It is pretty clear that our country is not in such great shape right now. Unless you have been in hibernation for the past three years, you probably have some sense of this country’s current economic trough.

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column But just in case you have withdrawn from society these last few years, here is a crash course in the events of our country, which should bring you up to speed: We are in a massive amount of debt.

This can be attributed to costly wars, lavish government spending and tax cuts when the government needed the money the most.

The economy fell into a recession. President Obama launched a stimulus plan, which ended up putting us further into debt.

The government is in an economic gridlock, meaning the Republicans and the Democrats are too stubborn to compromise and nothing is being accomplished.

Feeling hopeless yet? Well here is something that should cheer you up: Good times will

Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460.

Editors in chief — Hilary Brumberg, Ben Hills, Perrin Stein Managing editors — Jay Feinstein, Jacob Schwartz Graphics manager — Gabe Dreyer News editors — Alex Feit, Samantha Libraty Sports editors — Gloria Li, Kristian Lundberg Arts editors — Malini Gandhi, Fatema Zaidi Features editors — Meredith Abrams, Julia Oran, Kayla Shore Freelance editors — Ryan Condon, Steven Michael News analysis editor — Amanda Hills Talk of the Tiger editor — Julia Moss Photography editors — Maliha Ali, Alec Mapes-Frances Production manager — Jordan Robins Advertising managers —Tiphaine Kugener, Evan Nitkin Business manager — Alison Berkowitz

Circulation manager — Michela Salvucci Online Editor — Henry DeGroot Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy Production 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 — Arielle Conti, Rin Rogers Photography staff — Madeleine Aquilina, Emma Hanselman, Nina Kaplan, Jenny Lewis, Solomon Mercurio Circulation staff — Irene Betts-O’Rourke, Eyob Gizachew, Sam Jones, Phillipine Kugener, Matthew Soloman Production staff — Charles Attisano

The Newtonite staff does all the reporting, production work and photography to produce 10 issues a year for a circulation of 2,000.

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

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

come again.

Our country’s rut is not forever. Our government is curretnly working toward improvements.

While it seems like the change the American people want is no happening, it is really just that Congress and the President are taking their time to ensure they do not screw up again.

One wrong passed law could be costly for this country. Our leaders realize that this country can’t afford another slip up, and even if it takes a while to reach a conclusion, the positive changes will hopefully be enough to make up for the decline our

country went through while the federal government debated.

And, when that change does occur, it will be just in time for our generation to hit the job market.

Our future is looking pretty bright. After this lousy economic slump is behind us, the economy is likely to bounce back better than ever.

According to The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, when the United States faced the Great Depression in the early 1930s, it took a couple of years of stalled progress before the economy got back on its feet.

Once it began to recover from its plummet, the unemployment rate quickly decreased, falling two percent in just one year after the Depression officially ended.

Since our recession officially ended in June of 2009, the unemployment rate has dropped almost a full percent, which goes along with the statistics of the Great Depression.

Change is coming. We need to stay hopeful and remember that our generation will likely be the one to experience the next glory days. It is only uphill from here.

Make sure to wear a helmet to prevent biking injuries JACOB SCHWARTZ All a cyclist has to do to use a biking helmet is to place it on his or her head and buckle the strap tightly.

But, if it is so easy, why do so

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column many students choose to bike to and from school without wearing one?

If it were not for their safety, hemets would not be the common choice of head-gear for most bikers.

However, fashion is not what is important here.

According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Driver’s Manual, “about 75 percent of bicycle-related deaths and disabling injuries could have been prevented if riders wore a proper bike helmet.”

This statistic says it all. If a biker is involved in a dangerous accident, chances are that wearing a helmet could save his

or her life.

Bikers cannot deny that a driver backing out of his or her driveway and accidentally hitting them is a possibility.

While bikers could avoid this potential danger by taking it slow and simply riding with caution and awareness, they cannot control how the drivers, who share the road with them, act on the road.

The theory that cyclists without helmets are less likely to get into accidents because they will be less daring than their helmet-wearing counterparts is illogical.

This idea ignores all the other factors that are involved in bicycle accidents.

No matter how careful bikers without helmets may be, there are so many factors which the biker cannot control, such as a quickly accelerating car or a driver not being able to see a biker riding in his or her blind spot.

Therefore, the likelihood that a biker will get into an accident is not really based on helmetwearing, but rather the biker’s surroundings and, if nothing else, luck.

However, if one were caught in a biking accident, it would only help to use a helmet.

Therefore the pros of wearing a helmet greatly outweigh the cons. Use your head, and protect it while biking.

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, Oct. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

Foreign trips enrich learning ALEX FEIT SAMANTHA LIBRATY Foreign exchanges with Chinese, French, Italian and Spanish schools are currently being organized, along with a community service trip to Nicaragua, according to world language department head Nancy Marrinucci.

Students can travel to the countries and/or host students from this school’s sister schools, according to exchange coordinators.

“Going on an exchange is a life-changing experience,” Marinucci said.

“The experience opens one’s eyes to new cultures and benefits a student’s linguistic development. There is no educational experience quite like living within a culture and using the language 24/7 for everyday communication—learning in the classroom cannot give you that.”

“The experience will help a student reflect on his/her own culture and think about it in a different light. You will remember it forever—I highly recommend going on an exchange,” she said.

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Chinese Exchange Since 1979, this school and South have conducted an exchange with the Jingshan school in Beijing, according to former special education teacher Donna Fong, the chairperson of the program.

The exchange, which is the oldest one between secondary schools in the United States and the People’s Republic of China, is already underway, with students from the Jingshan school now living with host families and taking classes in Newton, Fong said. Students from both this school and South will travel to China towards the end of January, staying until late May, she said.

Up to eight students will have the opportunity to travel with two teacher chaperones to Beijing, where they will live with families and attend classes in Chinese art, calligraphy, martial arts, language and literature.

According to Fong, Newton students who go on the trip will also visit historical sites around Beijing, such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven. Students may have the opportunity to visit cities outside Beijing.

Jingshan students in Newton will take group tours to sights around Boston, as well as enjoy the holidays that coincide with their stay, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chanukah and Christmas.

Fong said that students should go on the trip to “open hearts and minds” about foreign countries and cultures.

In the words of a former student who participated in the trip, “One can discover him or herself while at the same time discover ing what China stands for. This trip can influence a student’s direction and choices in the future.”

As with all exchanges, students must be in good academic standing to go on the trip. Students must show “a real interest in learning about the language and culture of China,” Fong said, and they must also be able to “make a commitment to establishing person-to-person connections and be a good ambassador for Newton and for America,” Fong said.

French Exchange Students who are studying French at this school will be visiting Paris from February 10 to March 10, according to French teacher Suzanne Putzeys, who will chaperone the trip along

Jay Feinstein

Chinese exchange: Jingshan sophomore Jim Chen and junior Broughie Morris collaborate on problems during math class. with French teachers Fiona Blyth and Margot Murphy.

About 15 students from this school will travel to France, she said. They will stay with families from a local high school called Lycée Massillon, which will send students here in April.

The students from France will stay for three weeks during April, one week which is over our April vacation, she said.

Students from this school will be in Paris for two weeks attending school with their hosts, while the other two weeks will be spent on vacation with their host families, Putzeys added.

“Going abroad broadens one’s mind and allows students to learn about other people and new cultures,” she said.

Applications are still being accepted, she said. Even if a student cannot attend the trip, students can host a French student in April, she added.

Italian Exchange Sophomores, juniors and seniors who are enrolled in an Italian class and are in good academic standing will be able to participate in the Italian exchange to Florence, according to Italian teacher Laura DiMascio, the coordinator of the trip.

The trip, which has been occurring for over 30 years, will last four weeks, with one of the weeks coinciding with February break, DiMascio said.

During that time, students will attend classes at Liceo Scientifico Gramsci and “explore the various sites in Florence and its neighboring towns,” she added.

Students will also go on excursions to various historical sites, such as the Roman Forum, the Vatican, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Uffizi Museum.

A trip to Venice may be scheduled during the festival of Carnivale, which DiMascio said was a “cultural experience second to none.”

For those who go on the exchange, DiMascio hopes that “students will fall in love with Italy, create everlasting friendships and wonderful lifelong memories, and of course, improve their Italian language skills.”

Nicaragua Trip

Jay Feinstein

Spanish exchange: Virginia García Rojo, a junior at IES Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, and junior Franklin Lewis chat in the Library Learning Commons.

French teacher Fiona Blyth will be running a trip to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, in March.

Students will be able to provide community service to small villages on the trip, which has been running for over 10 years, Blyth said.

In the past, students worked in local schools, built water filters to purify well water and dug wells in villages, Blyth said.

This school’s Nicaragua Aid Club has also helped raise money for young people from

the village who are trying to continue to higher education, Blyth said.

Rebecca Chavez, a resident of San Juan del Sur, was put through nursing school with some of the money raised, Blyth said. The club is currently sponsoring another student through medical school.

Anyone who is in good academic standing and is willing to do physical volunteer work can sign up for the trip, Blyth said.

“I hope people can gain some insight that any action, no matter how small, can help others in a significant way,” Blyth said.

Spanish Exchange Students in Spanish classes will have the opportunity to travel to Burgos, Spain, come February, according to Emilio Mazzola.

For three weeks, students on the exchange will attend classes at the IES Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente school and travel to other major Spanish cities, such as Madrid and Barcelona, Mazzola said.

The Spanish group, which is comprised of 21 students and two chaperones, arrived Sunday, Oct. 16, Mazzola said. They will leave Monday, Nov. 7. While they are here, the visiting group has been studying, traveling to Boston and spending time with Newton families, he said. They will also take a trip to New York City.

According to Mazzola, anyone who is in a world language class and maintains at least a C average in all of his or her classes is eligible to be on the trip.

He or she must also be able to “practice good conduct.”

Mazzola said, “Students on these kinds of trips have an opportunity to explore a way of life that is similar to their own, yet different and empowering.”

Foundation develops alumni networking database SAMANTHA LIBRATY Over the summer, senior Jeff Weinfeld, along with a South sophomore Astha Ajarwal and South alumnus Greg Barrett, worked on developing a network for Newton Public Schools alumni, according to Newton Schools Foundation board director Marcia Tabenken.

The network will allow alumni to connect with other alumni and to support the schools, she said.

Weinfield and the other students had unpaid summer inBY

ternships at NSF, Tabenken said.

They researched all alumni classes from 1960 to the present on networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn in order to gather information for the NSF network, she said.

“Since not all alumni use social networking sites, the students contacted Harris Connect, a company that puts together directories, to make sure NSF reaches all alumni,” Tabenken added.

Weinfield’s focus was to

contact sports teams and other alumni classes from this school.

He said it started off slowly, but that the effort has “picked up steam.”

All of the research done over the summer in order to create the alumni network is just the start to the project, Tabenken said.

Other people will finish the project over the next year.

This winter, NSF will launch a capital campaign to support the NPS’s goal of developing 21st century skills among all

students, Tabenken said.

“This large-scale fundraising effort will require broad community support,” said NSF executive director Rick Iacobucci.

The new alumni network will help with community outreach fundraising.

To connect with fellow alumni, Newton graduates can “like” the Newton Schools Foundation Alumni Network on Facebook or join the Newton Schools Alumni Network on LinkedIn, she said.

The NSF raises funds for

grants to give to schools for items such as technology, Tabenken said.

Because there has been such a demand for new technology, schools have been receiving grants from outside sources and other private funding sources to keep up with the demand, she said.

NSF provides assistance by funding technology in all schools, she said. This winter, it will launch fundraising efforts to raise additional money, she said.

arts

4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Gabe Dreyer and Hilary Brumberg

In rehearsal: Senior Caleb Bromberg (left) and sophomore Emily Clott and freshman Jelani Asim (right) practice for “Tartuffe,” which goes up Thursday.

‘Tartuffe’ focuses on theme of deception FATEMA ZAIDI Spanish teacher Daniel Fabrizio is directing “Tartuffe,” a comedy that explores themes of deception and reality through the story of a French man who masquerades as a priest in order to exploit a rich gentleman.

The show goes up in the auditorium Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Saturday, Nov. 5.

According to Fabrizio, the main characters of the show are Tartuffe, Orgon and Elmire.

“Orgon, the master of the house, is an upper-class buffoon. He clings to the holy teachings of Tartuffe and alienates his family.

“Tartuffe is a con-man who

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convinces Orgon to let him stay in his house and marry his daughter Mariane. While he seems pious and reverent, he becomes quite undone in the presence of the beautiful Elmire, Orgon’s wife,” Fabrizio said.

Tartuffe is attracted to Elmire, Orgon’s second wife, who is young and beautiful.

She finds she must deflect the unwanted advances of Tartuffe, he said.

Senior Sam Bell-Gurwitz, who plays Tartuffe, described him as “a hypocrite and a fraud in the guise of a very honourable and pious man.”

“The play revolves around him, as he is a master manipulator, although Orgon’s family

suspects that he is not who he says he is,” he said.

According to Bell-Gurwitz, he enjoys playing the role of Tartuffe because there are two sides to him—one external and one internal.

“The interesting thing about Tartuffe and why I like playing him is that although the play is a farce and that Tartuffe is considered to be a liar and a fraud, I believe Tartuffe has some of the most honest moments in the play,” he said.

“I feel as though he is the most real character, which is indicated by his honesty when his lust and passion for Elmire come out.”

Fabrizio said the set and

costumes for the show will be created to bring the 17th century to life.

“The costumes and set will be done in period-style—look for ornate furniture, gold leafing and lots of lace and ribbons on the costumes. The set will be gorgeously lit with some period shell-shaped footlights, and the music will be of the period, as well,” Fabrizio said.

Fabrizio chose to direct “Tartuffe” because he loves the play and because Theatre Ink has never done a Molière show before, he said.

“My favorite element of the play is the comedy—’Tartuffe’ is a farce, which always means the language will be smart, and

the action will be quick.

“Also, the movement of the period is beautiful and we have employ that in our show. The actors have been a great job at using their bodies to demonstrate the posture, gestures and overall culture of the time,” Fabrizio said.

“People should come to see ‘Tartuffe’ first and foremost to laugh but also to think and maybe even learn.

“Also, as with all Theatre Ink shows, it’s always great when the community comes out in support of the student actors, designers and producers who have been working very hard to make their play a success,” he added.

Library showcases art students’ recent creations ◆ continued from page 1 images, the merging colors and the palpable depth of the art.

Junior Izzy Rosenblatt’s collograph board depicts a textured jungle scene—bursts of orange and yellow trickle from between blue reeds, while an intricately carved monkey and parrot bathed in green peer out from the shadows.

review According to Rosenblatt, she enjoys both printing and working with three-dimensional art, and collographing was the perfect opportunity to “work with different textures and sculpt the materials to create prints,” she said.

“I love how collographing is both the prints created and the boards left behind,” Rosenblatt said.

In junior Devan Miller ’s collograph board, the charcoalcolored silhouettes of a crowd of people turn their heads towards a blaze of pink and orange smoke rising from faded towers.

The scene is smoky, ambiguous and profound.

The second half of the exhibit features photographs by advanced and intermediate photography students, according to photography teacher Ron Morris.

He described the exhibit as “both an opportunity for the community to see great work and an honor for the students.”

In return for having their work displayed in the exhibit, Morris mentioned that the students are able to keep the frames

courtesy Sarah Sylvia

On display: Junior Sarah Sylvia’s photograph of crushed soda cans is currently on display at the Newton Free Library as part of an exhibit of student artwork and photographs. created by an Auburndale framer, which Morris described as a “wonderful reward.”

According to Morris, he chose the photographs to “represent a wide range of styles from traditional black and white photography to digital photography.”

Despite differing techniques, all of the photographs display a striking awareness of space and

contrast.

Senior Mary Emma Searles’ photograph, a portrait of what she describes as the “transition from summer to fall,” has a subtle yet moving beauty.

The photograph depicts flip flops and a pair of sunglasses propped against the stones at the edge of a river, but the items are faded and battered, with curled, withered leaves strewn

between them, and the water seeps through the stones.

The photograph, shot in traditional black and white, gives a subject that would normally be depicted as bright and colorful—a pair of flip-flops and sunglasses—a more muted, quiet feel, that perfectly captures the melancholic end of summer.

Senior Alexander Oliveira’s photograph was eye-catching

not solely because of its complexity but rather its stark simplicity.

It depicts the front of a white house, the entire photograph dominated by an overwhelming swath of whitewashed stucco.

At the bottom, there is a small, bright blue door, which bears the sign, “No Tresspassing” in dark print.

The lines of the door, sign and house are clearly defined, giving the photograph a striking, geometric feel.

Junior Sarah Sylvia’s photograph is a particularly noteworthy example of the overwhelming impact of brightness and cluttered space.

It depicts thousands of crushed soda cans—countless colors, labels, brands and distorted metal engulfing the entire photograph.

According to Sylvia, she came across the sea of color and metal while at her family’s New Hampshire house. She was at the recycling part of the town dump, and when she discovered the giant cubes of crushed cans, she immediately thought it would make an intriguing photograph.

“The colors were amazing,” Sylvia remembered. “I am really into high-contrast photographs, and I knew the cans would look even cooler in high contrast.”

Sylvia said that having her work featured is “awesome.”

“Many of the people in photo major want to do something with photo in the rest of their life,” she said. “These exhibits are great because they make people more well known and introduce us to having our work exhibited.”

arts

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Thoughtprints celebrates students’ skills PERRIN STEIN FATEMA ZAIDI “The house on Alexander Street always creaked alive as the sun climbed towards its throne in the sky,” senior Madeleine Aquilina wrote as the opening line of her short story “On Alexander and Eden.”

This piece is among the 88 pages of content that range from photographs to drawings to poems in the 2010-2011edition of Thoughtprints literary magazine. Everything is written, edited and anthologized by students.

Each spring, the Thoughtprints staff produces a magazine, calendar and CD, which represent the best of the submitted work. Any student, even those who do not attend meetings, can submit pieces.

Aquilina, the editor in chief and the arts editor, is involved in the magazine because, “I loved making art, reading and writing,” she said.

“It seemed like a perfect fit, talking to other like-minded students, talking about art and also spreading the word about the art community at my school.”

Over the course of her time at this school, Aquilina’s love for Thoughtprints has grown, and she has become more involved in the magazine, she said.

Since freshman year, Aquilina has attended Thoughtprints meetings with her long time friend, senior Lior Percher, the music editor.

“I remember being really nervous at the first meeting, but by the end of the year, I met so many upperclassmen and felt so much more at home at North,” Aquilina said.

As editor in chief, Aquilina deals with logistics and guides BY

AND

Gabe Dreyer

Submission process: Junior Sophie Kaplan and senior May Singleton-Kahn discuss artwork. discussions, she said. As the arts editor, she leads discussions on submitted artwork and relays feedback to the artists.

Last year, Aquilina was the production editor, so she designed and laid out all the pages of the 2010-2011 magazine.

“Although we have different titles, all the editors work together to spread the word about Thoughtprints by making posters, recruiting members and generally being crazy enthusiastic,” she said.

Aquilina said that she loves being an editor of Thoughtprints because she is always proud of the final product.

“I remember when the magazine last year was printed, after

a crazy spring of trying to design it,” she said. “People who bought it said it looked really beautiful, and they were looking at the art and reading the poetry and stories every night.

“I felt relieved to be done but also proud of the hours I had put in to yield something that people were enjoying.”

English teacher Neil Giordano, the adviser, said he feels the same way about Thoughtprints as Aquilina does.

“When I see it come off the printing press every year, I am proud to show it around to the faculty and staff of the school.”

According to Giordano, Thoughtprints represents the skills and immense creativity

of the students at this school.

“North students are wildly talented. We produce a fine magazine in comparison to a lot of high school literary magazines elsewhere,” he said.

In 2009, Thoughtprints won the All-New England Award for Best Magazine from the New England Scholastic Press Association, which is given for “overall editorial and design excellence,” Giordano said.

To produce the magazine, the editors meet in homeroom, and interested students attend meetings on Sunday evenings at editors’ houses, according to Giordano.

At the meetings, students discuss the anonymously sub-

mitted work to decide whether it should be included in the magazine.

Because there is so much content submitted, Giordano is helping the editors to decide whether to add a winter publication in addition to the current spring one.

To c h o o s e c o n t e n t f o r Thoughtprints, students use the same process for each submitted piece.

First, everyone reads the piece aloud, listens to it or looks at it, depending on its medium.

To begin the discussion, members blurt out words that come to mind, such as “contrast” or “color,” according to Aquilina.

Then, an editor asks students to elaborate.

During the discussion, whenever people agree with a comment they snap, and whenever people disagree they make a jellyfish with their hands. These gestures often invoke laughter, Aquilina said.

Senior Isabel Meigs, the literary editor, went to her first meeting sophomore year, and “it proved as cool as advertised, so I’ve barely missed a meeting since,” she said.

“Thoughtprints is really fun, and despite accusations of pretentiousness, we’re really normal, nice people, and we encourage everyone to participate, whether it’s coming to meetings or submitting your work.”

Meigs’ most memorable experience at Thoughtprints was the first time one of her stories was accepted. “ Whenever everyone responds well to a piece and has a really good discussion about it, and it’s yours, you can sit in the corner and let the praise rain down. It’s sweet.”

Songwriting club members share love, passion for music FATEMA ZAIDI Sitting around a table, a small group of students talk with Italian teacher David Master about their favorite kind of music.

The Learning Commons has introduced a new opportunity for students interested in songs and their lyrics—a songwriting club that takes place every Monday X-block.

According to Master, the purpose of this club is to be a seminar for aspiring songwriters in which they can safely share their influences and ideas.

As for how he plans to teach songwriting, Master says it is something that can be shown, not taught.

“Someone once told me that in a well-written song, ‘Don’t tell me, show me.’ And I guess that’s how I teach songwriting.”

Master plans on presenting

BY

Gabe Dreyer

Discussing music: Italian teacher David Master leads the new songwriting club, which is held Monday X-blocks.

his own songs, though he does not plan on them being the focus of the club, he said.

“I will show my own songs but mostly other artists’ songs that I deem as great, and I want to explain why they are good, well-written songs that are relevant to our culture and society.”

Passion for songwriting is the main reason Master decided to start the club, he said.

“I’m passionate about eating, but I’m more passionate about eating in company—it’s the same thing with songwriting.

“I’ve been songwriting for as long as I can remember. I find songwriting a way to capture and understand a moment in all its complexities and simplicities,” Master said.

Senior Alexandra Pini, one of the members of the club, joined because she hopes to learn, “how to funnel my writing

skills into a whole new musical realm,” she said.

Master asked the students to bring a song to the next meeting that they think has beautiful lyrics and inspired them to write.

Pini said she is looking forward to what everyone has to share.

“So far I can tell it’s going to be a really chill time with really passionate people.

“I can tell that each member loves music for what it is, and I’m looking forward to sharing this common interest with them,” Pini said.

“If you love music and love to write, then you should definitely come take a look. We all have so much to learn from each other, so why waste your time being a loner? In the wise words of Bob Marley, ‘let’s get together and feel alright,’” Pini added.

Orchestra holds in-school rehearsals for first time MALINI GANDHI For over 20 years, Orchestra held rehearsals Thursday X-block and Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9:30, tuning instruments and laughing in the bustling music room while the rest of the school emptied out, and outside darkness fell.

But starting this year, Orchestra has class time for rehearsal.

Students practice during two blocks every week and hold a shorter rehearsal Tuesday evenings, a change that Orchestra director Adam Grossman said is

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“only positive.”

“We had been considering the allocation of class time for Orchestra for a long while, and we decided this was just the time to try it,” Grossman said.

According to Grossman, the previous arrangement was workable but not that practical.

The Thursday X-block rehearsals were difficult to manage and inefficient because students often had sports practices or other obligations, while the Tuesday meetings from 7 to 9:30 p.m. were long and tiring.

Now, the X-block meetings will be eliminated altogether, while the Tuesday meetings will be shortened to 7 to 9 p.m., he said.

Senior Laura Cooke, a member of Orchestra for the past four years, said that the change is “a lot more manageable.”

“It was a little strange to get used to at first because it’s been one way for so long, but I think it is definitely a good thing,” Cooke said.

“We have more rehearsal time as a whole, and it’s a lot more

structured,” she said.

Cooke mentioned that the arrangement is also useful for collaborations with other music groups.

In the past, when rehearsing for choral collaborations, Orchestra members were sometimes able to get out of class, but it was difficult and hectic, according to Cooke. With class time, the process is “a lot easier,” Cooke said.

According to Cooke, the change is a “good one,” and she is “really looking forward to this

year, though it is bittersweet because it is her last.

“Orchestra gives people the opportunity to meet others in different grades, people you wouldn’t normally meet,” Cooke said.

“They say music bonds people, and I think that’s true. We are a close group of kids that enjoy music, and we have some great energy going on.”

Grossman also said that it is “nice to have class time, and I am looking forward to getting to know the class.”

6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

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Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

Students, teachers respond to bullying school students last year reacted ◆ continued from page 1 are so many different forms of similarly—they watched and did it,” he said. “Some bullies don’t not intervene—while 34 percent even know that they’re doing it.” attempted open communication Byrne admits that this was with the aggressor.

“I didn’t want my best friend the case for him. “In sixth grade, I would sometimes exclude to hate me, so I didn’t do anypeople from kickball games. I thing,” Lyons said. Later, she didn’t realize that I was bullying was bullied herself. “People thought they them, and thinksenior were better than ing back on it, me, and nobody I wish I hadn’t Ryan Byrne stood up for done it.” me,” Lyons said.

Junior Kris “You can’t prevent “I really regret Labovitch said bullying because there not standing up he bullied someare so many different for that girl in elone by accident, forms of it. Some bullies ementary school too. because now I “I was talkdon’t even know that know what she ing about polithey’re doing it.” must have felt.” tics with this girl Sophomore on the Close-Up trip,” he said. “I was forcing my Eliana Gevelber has been a byopinions on her, but at the time, stander to bullying on multiple I didn’t realize how harsh I was.” occasions.

“Many times, I didn’t say He thought about it later, and thought about how she might anything, but one time I talked have felt about the argument, he to the bully, and it seemed to said. “It taught me to tone down stop,” she said.

Along with Rachel’s Chalmy rhetoric.”

Sophomore Demetria Lyons lenge the four extended homewas a bystander to bullying in rooms this year are part of the elementary school. “My best bullying awareness initiative.

Senior Daniel Shy comfriend was bullying a girl that I didn’t know, and I just sat and mented that programs such as the extended homerooms do not watched.”

According to the same sur- really help the issue.

“Extended homerooms crevey, 68 percent of Newton high

information courtesy of the summary of survey results submitted by Social Science Research and Evaluation, Inc.

Responses of Newton high school students to the question asked in the 2010-2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey: How did you respond to the last time you were bullied? ate a problem. People get embarrassed through it if they’ve been bullied,” he said. “Their experiences come back to them.”

Shy argues that open communication is the way to go.

“I’ve been bullied, and I stopped the bullying for myself when I stood up to the bully,” he said.

“The bully didn’t expect confrontation, and it stopped.”

However, he acknowledged that standing up to the bully will not always work.

“Every case of bullying is different, and some people might not be able to deal with it the same way that I did,” he said.

“It would be best for victims to stand up for themselves, but

information courtesy of the summary of survey results submitted by Social Science Research and Evaluation, Inc.

Responses of Newton high school students to the question asked in the 2010-2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey: How did you react to the last time you witnessed bullying?

if it doesn’t work, it would be Shereen Sodder. best for them to bring an adult, “Glee shows one of the stuanyone that they trust, to help,” dents, Kurt, bullied for being Shy said. “That’s what adults himself, and it shows that bulare for,” he said. lying is a problem at schools,” Junior Nina Kaplan agreed. she said.

“A victim should be surrounded The evolution in how bullyby a support system of adults ing is viewed is a good thing, said that care for the victim.” math department head Charles Junior Amelia Rooney. junior Goldstein took a “It’s being somewhat differ- Amelia Goldstein t a k e n m o r e ent view. “I’ve had and more seteachers that add riously, with “Teachers can’t jump to the problem,” state legislain and save the day in she said. tion behind it,” “Some teachevery instance, but they he said. “It’s a ers think that they positive thing. should always be are joking when It can help end supportive.” they single people acts of aggresout in class, and sion towards sometimes it is a joke, but other students.” times I feel like teachers add to One act of bullying from the bullying.”

Rooney’s child-hood stands out Teachers who do not directly to him, he said. hurt students can also add to the “There was a boy in my problem by ignoring bullying. class who had just immigrated “Sometimes they ignore things to America from Pakistan, and because they don’t want to get he was picked on viciously,” involved,” Goldstein said.

Rooney said.

Even though teachers cannot That boy ended up leaving fix every situation for students, the school system. “He didn’t they should do their best, she last the year,” said Rooney. said. “They can’t save the day in “Some of my classmates every instance, but they should were very disturbed by what always be supportive.” happened to him. It was a long Television directed towards time ago, but the school could teenagers has been advocating have taken a more active role against bullying, said junior in what was going on.”

Students find ways to balance jobs, school work JULIA ORAN In the past few years, studies have shown that students are under more and more pressure.

Why would a student want to add more stress by working?

Having a job teaches “good work ethic and life skills,” said Joe Prestejohn, the owner of Cabot’s Ice Cream and Restaurant.

According to Prestejohn, Cabot’s employs 12 to 15 students, out of about 45 regular employees, but it depends on the students’ availability, especially if they are also involved in sports.

“For most of them,” Prestejohn said, “it’s their first job, and it’s a good experience to work in the community and near the school.”

Prestejohn said when hiring a student, he looks at “cleanliness, availability, friendly personality, positive attitude and the ability to handle work and school and not become overwhelmed.”

“Over the years,” he added, “Students have become more stressed out and experience more pressure of doing well in school.

“It is hard to balance it, but those who do should be commended,” said Prestejohn.

Anthony Sirignano, a districtwide employee for students of Newton Public Schools, is a “resource to students who are looking for job, volunteer or internship opportunities,” he said.

“My goal,” said Sirignano, “is to identify jobs that best match a student’s skills, interests and

BY

Jacob Schwartz

Go fish: Junior Izzy Rosenblatt works at Newtonville Pet some days after school. abilities.”

He added that, “Students are looking for a variety of jobs ranging from office work to landscaping positions.”

However, Sirignano said, “I strongly believe that students should find a balance among school, work and extra-curricular activities, which suits their current situation and supports future goals.”

Junior Elizabeth Bianchi,

who has been working at Cabot’s for about six months, said, “I got a job so I’m not just hanging around after school and to start to get me ready for life after high school.”

Bianchi said, “I put all my money in the bank to save up for a car, and so I can also go on the Italian exchange trip.”

In addition, she said she usually works three to four days a week, so she does her

schoolwork during free periods and when she gets home from school.

“The best part about working,” she said, “is knowing you’re earning your own money.”

However, she added that the worst part is “dealing with some rude customers.”

Similar to Bianchi, senior Justin Keefe said the worst part of his job at Modell’s is when rude customers get mad at him for “things that have absolutely nothing to do” with him.

However, Keefe said the most rewarding part is getting his paycheck because, he said, “I usually keep roughly 20 percent of my weekly paycheck for my-self.

“I save the rest of it, so I will have spending money in college next year.”

Keefe said he began working at Modell’s in April because he “needed something to do over the summer and money, of course. Also, I liked the store itself and could see myself working there.”

During the summer, Keefe worked about 25 hours a week, but now he is “lucky to be in there about 15 hours a week,” he said.

In addition, “because of school and cross country, I almost only work on weekends.”

Keefe added, “My three biggest time consumers are school, work and cross country. School and cross country never overlap, so that’s never a problem, but work certainly gets in the way sometimes.”

Despite his full schedule, Keefe said, “I find time to hang out with friends in between all that stuff.”

Senior Genevieve Resnick, however, does not have any issues trying to find time to see her friends because she sees them at her job at the Village Café.

Resnick said she started working there in part because of her close friends but also because, “It’s close to my house, and I needed money.” Resnick said she saves most of her earnings.

Because she only works on Saturdays, Resnick said, “It’s easy to balance with school.”

She added that her favorite part is the “free food,” and her least favorite part is cleaning.

Junior Izzy Rosenblatt also dislikes the clean up at her job, but it is a different kind of clean up because she works at Newtonville Pet. She has been working at Newtonville Pet for about a year and a half and works for five hours each day after school because, she said, “I like working.”

Also, Rosenblatt said, “Working motivates me to work hard, teaches time management and forces me to get things done before they’re due.”

According to Steve Cohen, owner of Newtonville Pet, he currently has two students working at his store, out of the nine regular employees.

He said it is good to have student employees because, “It’s a local connection and a family run business.”

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Oct

Tech of th

School utilizes tec JACOB SCHWARTZ PERRIN STEIN Over the past year, students and teachers have been working to acclimate to this building as well as the new technology that came with it.

Many places, such as the Language Lab, Library Learning Commons, Career and Vocational Technical Education labs, electronic music lab, little theater and auditorium came equipped with state-ofthe-art technology.

Each of the 118 teaching classrooms were stocked with a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, an Eno interactive white board, two ceiling-mounted speakers, a document camera and a DVD player.

This technology was purchased and implemented in the new building for $1.85 million, according to Paul Shapiro, the technology consultant for the construction of this building.

In order to decide what technology to purchase for the new school, Shapiro and information technology specialist Chris Murphy met with each department “to learn what technologies they felt were necessary and appropriate for their teachers and students in the new building,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro and Murphy visited multiple technology companies and newly constructed high schools in Massachusetts to “investigate as many options as we possibly could,” Shapiro said.

Then a committee of teachers tested and discussed what technology to implement in each classroom of the new building, according to Murphy.

The committee chose the technology, and at least one teacher in each department was selected to take a class on how to use the new technology.

Then, those teachers taught the other

BY

AND

Gabe Dreyer

Eno board: English teacher Tom Fabian uses the new technology.

members of their departments what they had learned, Murphy said.

Now that they have had around a year to work with the new technology, teachers reflect upon how it affects their practices in the classroom.

English teacher Tom Fabian believes that this school’s technology has already proven to be worth the money. “It’s awesome to have a dedicated projector every day,” he said. “In the old school, we were lucky to get a cart with a projector once a term.”

Simply the fact that the new technology is present makes a world of difference for Fabian.

“I think the ‘having it’ is really important, and as a teacher it makes you think of things to do that you wouldn’t normal think of,” he said.

However, Fabian added that he still hopes that he can improve in his ability to use the technology. “I want to be able to have more facility.”

At first, English teacher Janice Miller said she hated the technology. “I was afraid of it.”

Miller’s friend, English teacher Liz Craig Olins, recommended her for the training group led by Murphy because, Craig Olins said, “I really love the idea of using the new technology” and she wanted her friend to enjoy it also.

“I think that there is tremendous potential in learning how we can take advantage of our resources. We need some time to get comfortable with it,” Craig Olins said.

Miller said, “I know kids and adults make jokes about how much money we spend on all the technology, but I can see the reason for it.

“The truth is, as an English teacher, it’s very applicable to what I teach.

“Let’s say my students were studying

Learning Commons adds electronics HILARY BRUMBERG Librarians of the Library Learning Commons integrated technology into their space in the new building by adding iPads, iPod touches, Kindles, Ebooks and computers, as well as using QR codes to access books and other information, according to librarian and Senior Year Project teacher Kevin McGrath.

In addition to 46 desktop computers and 18 laptops, the Learning Commons has 15 iPads, which students can check after signing an agreement.

McGrath said that “libraries are places that should have iPads” because many magazines now develop their content for iPads. Also, he said he hopes that the iPads will “support a diverse and growing need for alternative ways to learn.”

When librarians were deciding how to allocate the funds in the most effective way, they realized that the choice was mainly between iPads and computers, McGrath said. Even though iPads meant fewer com-

BY

puters, he said it was worth purchasing them because the option was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

The Library Learning Commons also purchased six iPod touches with which students can listen to music and use apps while in the library. It also received five Kindles for students to check out for three weeks at a time.

Like all other departments, the library department placed its requests for computers, iPads, iPods and Kindles with Paul Shapiro, the technology consultant for the construction of this school in the spring of 2010.

Shapiro said he was able to fund nearly 100 percent of the librarians’ requests, totalling almost $100,000.

The Library Learning Commons also received $35,000 from the Education Excellence Fund. During the 2009-2010 school year, the librarians met with representatives of the EdEx Fund and asked for money to fund at least 5,000 of “the latest

books” and eBooks for online research, according to McGrath.

He said it was important to be able to purchase books that students are reading at the moment because, “after students hear ‘no, we don’t have that’ over and over again, they stop asking.”

The Library Learning Commons started using QR codes that link iPod touches, iPads and 3G phones to book lists and connect students to related information online.

When students or faculty members scan the codes on the back of selected books, their devices connect to the Learning Commons’ website. Depending on the type of QR code, the web page is a list of books on the same topic or by the same author.

If the book is nonfiction, the web page contains a list of websites and other books that provide more information.

Librarian Donna Johns said, “We’re here to help people choose books, but sometimes students want to be independent.”

iPad: Senior Gwendolyn Stoll looks at a

Television production receives grant to furnish televi STEVEN MICHAEL During television production’s final years in the old school, the studio barely worked, and students were forced to shoot on consumer-grade cameras, English teacher Neil Giordano recalled.

“We were hindered by the fact we could film but not edit,” Giordano said. “We reached a point where there was no point in continuing if we could not have better technology.”

Now, by contrast, grant funding has allowed television production to upgrade to professional cameras and SD card compression technology, he said.

However, applying for the grant, winning approval and spending the funds was a long process.

Coming from the outdated technology

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of the old school, the television production program arrived to an empty studio in the new school. But, it was just that—empty.

A television studio consists of more than just the studio space itself, Giordano said. It needs microphones, cameras and a lighting grid. It needs a control room with a camera switcher, sound and playback.

But none of the equipment was available at the start of last year.

In a twist of irony, the program even lacked a working television, Giordano said.

“Last year was a huge disappointment—only portable cameras from the old school,” Giordano said. “We didn’t have anywhere to edit. The computers didn’t come until last November, and they were not configured until January.”

The $650,000 grant for television pro-

duction came from Newton’s Cable Reserve Fund, which also provides funding for cable access channel NewTV and other telecommunications projects, according to Giordano.

Although the Board of Alderman approved the grant in April 2010, the equipment was delayed by the bidding process and continual change in technology, Giordano said.

“Technology changes enough that we had to change orders,” he said. For instance, an initial grant proposal included digital tapes, which are now outdated.

While students waited for the technology to arrive, they focused on single camera work, which requires post-production.

“Unfortunately, television production is a technology-based program, so without

the technology, you can’t do much,” Giordano said. “We live in the YouTube generation. You don’t need $10,000 to make video, but to make high-quality broadcast video, you need to keep up with the technology of the 21st century.”

At this point, all of the equipment has arrived, but the lighting and curtains are still being installed, Giordano said. Now, television production can choose which direction to follow.

Some possibilities include a cooking show or a talk show, Giordano said.

In previous years, Giordano’s Advanced Television Production class produced Tiger Magazine a variety show with a mix of news, satire, animation and profiles. The live studio removes the need for editing, so more shows can be created, according

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9

t. 28, 2011

he

chnology Hamlet’s soliloquies. I could now use the document camera to display the text, and mark it up. I could show videos of different actors from Hamlet.”

Because history teacher Daniel Willbach is not an avid user of this school’s technology, he said he had “no clear answer” on whether the technology is worth the money. However, he said technology should not be the first priority at this school.

An example Willbach used to bolster his argument was the school system of Finland.

“Finland schools have very high test scores, with almost no technology whatsoever. They are very old school, but still do very well. This corroborates my idea that technology is secondary to good teaching,” he said.

Math teacher Elisse Ghitelman said she believes there is much potential in the new resources.

“I think there is some amazing technology we have. The hard part though, is the learning. People aren’t yet using what they have to the full capabilities, mostly because we haven’t the training or time yet to be able to do that.”

Although the technology at this school is not yet proven to be worth the money, according to science teacher Matthew Anderson, there is plenty of hope that it someday will.

“I’m sure it’s not being used to its full advantage yet here,” he said. “But, that being said, it’s barely used to its full advantage anywhere.”

The idea that as time goes on, teachers and students will be able to do more with the technology is one that Anderson agrees with. “There is an ever-growing fraction of those who are experts, and if people learn a few things every day, it will help.”

Gabe Dreyer

apps in the Library Learning Commons.

sion studio to Giordano.

Giordano said he hopes to incorporate a creative element with the technology, placing a greater emphasis on performance.

He plans to involve more students both on and off camera.

“We could produce a recurring show for the entire year, and students would apply to be on the show,” he said.

Senior Johnny Medlar, who takes Giordano’s Advanced Television Production course and is the officer of Tiger Magazine, said he looks forward to producing music videos and projects with special effects with the new cameras and editing software.

“We used to film with VHS technology.

It used to take hours to digitize tapes, now it’s just drag and drop,” Medlar said.

Jacob Schwartz

Google Docs: Freshman Daniel Munoz and seniors Aidan Verre and Austin McCusker use their education accounts.

Newton schools adopt Google Docs HILARY BRUMBERG This year, the Newton Public Schools Information Technology department set up Google Docs education accounts for all 12,000 students and 2,000 teachers in the system.

“Google Docs give all students the same tools despite different equipment, so they are a big equalizer,” said K-12 instructional technology coordinator Missy Costello.

“Students can collaborate at home with the same tools and work on projects at the same time.”

NPS Google Docs are set up as education accounts, giving them a “level of security” because certain features can be turned off for different grades, according to Costello. For example, there are no email accounts associated with the Google Docs accounts, and high school students have access to more features than students in elementary school.

Students can log into their Google Docs accounts through a link on this school’s website and the Library Learning Commons’ website. The username and password are students’ ID numbers.

In the near future, teachers will be able to make classroom or department websites more easily using Google Sites, according to librarian and Senior Year Project teacher Kevin McGrath, who has helped advertise the new Google Docs system.

Costello said that for the last few years, teachers have been constantly asking for a way for students to access work at school and at home.

When the IT department recognized this need, it looked at many programs that could potentially fit the requirements, according to Costello. However, no program besides Google Docs provided “the ability to collaborate universally on all different kinds of digital devices,” she said. Also, Google Docs contains a “unique chat feature,” so students can communicate while

BY

viewing the same document, she said.

The NPS has been exploring ways to immerse Google Docs into its classrooms for the past three years, according to Costello. During the 2009-2010 school year, two classes tested out Google Docs at Bigelow, where Costello was previously the IT director.

Last year, the IT department wanted to see if Google Docs were feasible on a larger scale, so it implemented them in all middle school classes.

“This worked out really well because we saw that Google Docs are something that classes could use,” Costello said. “We were also able to make some completely green middle school classrooms last year because they never had to print out paper assignments.”

Costello and NPS IT department head Leo Brehm decided to expand Google Docs to all schools in the system. According to Costello, Brehm has been a driving force in the implementation of Google Docs since he began working in Newton in July.

Brehm brought to Newton experience with Google Docs because when he was the IT department head of the Sharon Public Schools, he set up Google Docs education accounts for the students there.

His role in the NPS is to “support all of the people here in using Google Docs,” Brehm said.

Over the summer, Costello, Brehm and the rest of the IT department created Google Docs education accounts for all NPS students and faculty members and developed a Tech Tool Kit online. The website offers tutorial videos, handouts, examples and instructions for faculty members.

Down the road, Costello said, there will be a similar “how to” guide for students.

Costello said that eventually some students will have an E-portfolio that contains work from kindergarten to 12th grade. “I’d love to be able to go in and see what pre-

sentations my kids made in fourth grade,” she said. “That’s the kind of organization we’re talking about.”

Chris Murphy, the instructional technology specialist at this school, created a training webpage off of his Newton North Computer Technology website. The webpage includes resources that are specific to this school in addition to the system-wide Tech Tool Kit, he said.

Murphy helped advertise the Google Docs system among faculty at this school.

On opening day for faculty members, August 31, Murphy announced that Google Docs would be available by the following week.

September 9, He sent an email to all faculty members notifying them of the availability of the new Google Docs system. Interested teachers contacted him and together they set up accounts and created class groups by downloading student information from Chancery SMS, according to Murphy.

He offers individual training for faculty members in half-hour time slots every block and Thursday X-blocks.

Murphy highly recommends using Google Docs. “If people get in the habit of using Google Docs, the file management burden will be over, and students and faculty members can access everything from home. More learning will be going on.”

Science teacher Jodie Cohen was one of the first teachers to integrate Google Docs into her classes. She said she heard the “hype about it” earlier this year and decided to figure out what it was about.

Since then, she has had her students use Google Docs for group presentations because she and her students can easily share information and can also reduce the amount of paper they used.

Cohen said that while Google Docs is a new program for her, her students are willing to “simply figure it out with me.”

Docs automatically save every time a change is made.

Multiple people can work on a Doc at the same time, and they can see what the other people are doing as they do it.

Easily share Docs with any student or teacher in the Newton Public Schools.

See all revisions made to your Doc, who made them and when they were made.

Create Collections to organize your Docs.

If multiple people are viewing a Doc at the same time, they can use the built-in chat feature to talk.

AUTO-SAVE SHARE

COLLABORATE

TRACK CHANGES ORGANIZE COMMUNICATE graphics by Ben Hills

10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

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Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

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Interested in a Senior Year Opportunity?

SYP (Senior Year Project) and SPARC (Senior Program of Alternatives to Regular Classes) want you!

Dream big. Take a risk. Develop your own idea.

Try something new. Grow.

To participate and learn more: 1) Fill out the proposal online at: nnhssyp.wikispaces.com Deadline for proposals is November 30 (but do it NOW).

2) Come to the next planning meeting on Monday, November 7 X-block, Library Learning Commons.

If you have questions, please see a member of the Senior Year Opportunities faculty team: SPARC — Ms. Sturma, Room 110D; Ms. Bateman, Room 375 SYP — Mr. McGrath, Library; Mr. Chinosi, Room 148; Ms. Kennedy, Room 457

Please join us for the Northside Dining Adventure!

The Newton North High School PTSO’s Fourth Annual Progressive Dinner It is a wonderful opportunity to share good food and conversation with other Newton North parents and guardians.

~Friday, November 18, 2011~ 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

For more information or to reserve your space, visit:www.NorthPTSO.org

Need a tutor who specializes in ORGANIZATIONAL skills, organization of writing, and study strategies?

Call Jennifer Braman at 617-861-7991 or email at jenn.braman@gmail.com

features

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11

Gabe Dreyer and Maliha Ali

New clubs: Senior Rebecca Jereza sings and junior Samantha Chan plays the piano as a part of Melocotones (left). Senior Emmett Greenberg plays the djembe during a meeting of the Djembe Club(right).

Students describe process to form clubs ests that they want to share.

“It’s great that students are able to take all the initiative to put together these clubs. They have some very exciting ideas.”

Having enjoyed the book club at Day, freshmen Kavish Gandhi, Rebecca Hurwitz, Annie Shriver and Becca Webster decided to create one at this school.

“Coming into North, we were surprised to see that they did not have a similar club, and we decided to start one,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi and the other officers are particularly looking forward to the club meetings, he said.

“I am excited for the intense discussions concerning the finer and more subtle aspects of the novels we read, a large group of kids being involved, philosophical meanderings and great food!”

Senior Emmett Greenberg discovered his passion for the djembe, a type of African drum, when, as a freshman, he took a hand drumming class through

JULIA MOSS From Quidditch to ski and snowboard, this school offers an incredible range of clubs— nearly 80 in total, including 12 new ones this year.

Clubs at this school not only give students the opportunity to become involved and to explore new ideas, but they also provide students with important leadership roles. Students create and manage clubs at this school.

How do you start a club?

Anyone can start a club, and it is a surprisingly easy process.

You can start a club at any point in the year, but the best time to do so is in September, so that you can advertise it at Club Day. After getting the okay from club director Michael Hazeltine, you need to find a faculty adviser. It makes sense to ask a teacher with experience in your club’s field. Then, Hazeltine gives you a website on which What inspires students to start new clubs? They are driven by personal passions and inter-

BY

Newton Community Ed. “I didn’t know what to expect at first, but I immediately took a liking to the djembe,” Greenberg said.

“It is very easy to learn and very energizing. I also like it because it’s different—it’s primitive, and not played from a standard musical staff. And, it is full of culture and tradition, which I also enjoy learning.”

Greenberg has been taking weekly drumming classes since then and has also attended workshops and drum circles led by master drummers, he said.

As he got more and more involved in djembe, he wanted to share his love for the instrument with others, and decided that starting a club would be good way to do this, he said.

“As I became part of the drumming community of Greater Boston, I realized that the group was quite isolated and that I knew no one my age with a serious passion for the djembe. I wanted to start a club

Which test(s) did you or will you take?

to help this unique instrument gain recognition and to teach my passion to other students.”

Similarly, freshmen Douglas Friedberg and Aris Vanderpool share a passion for fencing that they wanted to bring to this school. Friedberg has been fencing since a very young age.

“I was always involved with lessons,” Friedberg said.

Friedberg said his father, an Olympian fencer, motivated him to start the club. “He also won the best NCAA fencer award two years in a row,” Friedberg added.

Friedberg wanted to start the fencing club to get other students interested in the sport.

“We thought we could run a successful club and make a lot of fencers out of it,” he said.

Friedberg added that if students are interested, he will eventually try to set up a fencing team.

Senior Alyssa Kaplan started Melocotones, an a cappella club, with senior Rebecca Jereza and junior Samantha Chan. Kaplan

said, “I got interested in a cappella because I’ve always loved to sing, and I joined Forté, the all girls a cappella group at this school, last year. Whenever we performed in concerts, we got to hear other a cappella groups, and I’ve always loved how amazing songs can sound without instruments.”

Kaplan said that she and the other officers started the club to give more students a chance to participate in an a cappella group. “There are so many students at North who are interested in singing, and we thought that starting a new group would create more opportunities.”

Other new clubs this year include: 50 Cents to Save a Life, Cartooning, Film and Movie, Girls Learn International, Help the Homeless, Veteran’s History and Water Polo.

Many students at this school have passions. Creating new clubs allows them to express these passions and find other students who share them.

Why did you choose to take the SAT/ACT?

Neither

Neither

Both

Both

PLAN

ACT

PSAT

SAT

My parents’ decision More test preparation available for SAT More people take the SAT Older sibling took the same test Did well on PSAT/PLAN Newtonite survey of 100 juniors and seniors

Counselors clarify differences between SAT, ACT KAYLA SHORE You arrive at the test center, clutching your admission ticket, three freshly sharpened number two pencils, a calculator and four replacement batteries. You have done everything you can to prepare for today (including 15 hours of prep classes and eight practice tests), but that is no guarantee that something will not go terribly, horribly wrong and doom you to rejection from every university.

The SAT and ACT are a perennial source of anxiety for juniors and seniors, a looming presence beginning sophomore year with the PLAN test. With so much riding on one test sitting, students feel immense pressure to do well and to choose the right test.

Over one-third of juniors and seniors polled by this newspaper took or will take both tests.

BY

According to counselor Darby Verre, this approach may or may not yield higher scores on one test. “It’s really 50/50 with students showing higher scores on one test over the other,” she said.

The two practice tests, the PLAN and the PSAT, which have almost the same format as the ACT and SAT respectively, have no weight in the admissions process but provide students with preparation and experience before taking the actual tests.

Senior Shahar Don chose to take both the PLAN and the PSAT to “maximize my knowledge of how well I’m doing and to see where I need to improve.”

Verre said, “We have built in a model where students have experience with both tests.” This way, students are able to base their decision on their practice test results.

“When students come for advice, hopefully we’re able to pull out the data and predictor scores from the last test and go from there.”

According to the College and Career Center, there are several key differences between the SAT and the ACT. The SAT has three sections: Critical Reading, Math and Writing. The ACT is divided into English, Math, Reading, Science and an optional Writing section.

Questions on the ACT are more curriculum-based than the questions on the SAT. For some students, like junior Kris Labovitch, the SAT is preferable because it has “more logical reasoning and less curriculum.” For other students, “the ACT style is more typical to what they are familiar with,” said Verre.

There is also a penalty for incorrect answers on the SAT but not on the ACT. Another advantage of the ACT for some students is that for many schools, it takes care of the requirement for SAT Subject Tests.

Verre encourages students to try an actual ACT and SAT test. “I don’t promote lots of testing, but for students feeling like they should cover their bases, it can be a good idea.”

Counselor Tom Sheehan also said that the testing process can involve trying different tests. “A lot of it is trial and error: Were you comfortable taking the test? How was your score? What is your ability?” he said. While it’s good to try to understand where one’s strengths lie with these tests, said Sheehan, “it can become a frenzy.”

“Students become determined to try everything, sometimes taking three or four SATs, two ACTs,” he said. “Repeatedly taking the test doesn’t equate to a higher score—it just doesn’t work that way.”

Allison McNamara, a counseling intern at this school and a former member of the board of admissions at Boston University, said that neither test is preferred in the admissions decision. She emphasized that “it makes no difference whatsoever which test you take.”

For some schools, 25 percent of the decision is based on scores, and at others the scores account for 50 percent, according to Sheehan, while some institutions do not require any tests at all. No matter what a university’s criteria are, standardized tests are only one piece.

12 â—† Newtonite, Newton North

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feature

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Students find safe-haven at Boys and Girls Club AMANDA HILLS All teenagers needs an outlet––a trustworthy place where they can relax, be themselves and feel at home. For many students at this school, they have found that place in the John M. Barry Boys and Girls Club of Newton.

The Club is a non-profit organization that aims to give kids a safe place to hang out, as well as grow. According to its website, “The Club inspires and enables young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”

At the Club, the staff encourages the kids to always try to be the best that they can be. In order to do this, the staff strives to form a bond with the kids.

“Kids stay around because of their relationship with the staff.

There’s no judgement, no fear,” said Club teen director Joleane Anza. “Our number one job is to form a relationship with them.”

Freshman Maria Proia sees how special the staff to kid relationship can be. “The adults at the Club are amazing,” she said. “They act like an older brother or sister to the kids and are always there when you need them.”

Club executive director David Sellers said he feels that by developing these kinds of relationships, the kids are more likely to want to become an active participant at the Club.

He said, “I can’t make a kid do anything. They have to want to do it. The best way to do that is to form a relationship with them.”

Sellers Jr. grew up at the club, spending many of his teen years there. He knows how important it is for the adults and kids to

BY

trust one another.

“The adults are great role models. The kids interact with the staff and can look up to them. There’s always somebody to talk to,” said Sellers. He works to maintain those friendships, knowing first-hand how crucial they are.

For some, the Club has become a safe-haven. Senior Davante Maxwell remembers himself as once being a troublemaker. The Club helped him break free of that reputation and start anew, he said.

“Since I’ve been at the Boys and Girls Club, I have turned my life around,” Maxwell said.

“I used to be that kid who got into trouble and ran around causing problems. I’m now vice president of Keystone, which is our high school leadership program.

“I’ve accomplished a lot at the Club,” he added.

Maxwell was the recipient of the Male Most Progress Award in 2010 and the Unsung Hero of the Year Award in 2011. He said, “I have been recognized for my hard work at the Club.”

By distributing awards at an annual ceremony and banquet, kids are driven to want to work hard enough to earn those awards, according to Anza.

“When teens see other teens accepting their awards, the next day they want that award. It pushes them to be better than last year,” she said.

One of the Club’s objectives is for kids to step out of their comfort zones socially, according to Anza. Kids are constantly urged to talk to peers that they would not normally socialize with.

According to Sellers, a wide

courtesy of the Boys and Girls Club

Awards: Junior Vanessa Battista holds her award and poses with her father Frank Battista, sister Liliana Battista, mother Elizabeth Battista and sister Alyssa Battista. variety of kids come to the Club.

He explains that because of this diversity, students who normally would not interact with each other end up hanging out on a regular basis.

“I’ve connected with people I wouldn’t really have talked to otherwise,” Proia noted.

Anza observed, “None of these kids would usually interact with each other. It boosts kids’ self esteem and confidence to be able to talk to other kids.”

Junior Vanessa Battista can attest to that. She said, “The Club has helped me overcome many of my insecurities.”

In addition to offering kids a social spot, Anza cites several leadership opportunities.

One leadership program is Big Me––Little You. In this program, teens are paired with a younger kid from the Club. There are scheduled times for the pair to work together, whether it is on homework, an activity or play-

ing together.

Sellers said, “The teens help with events and activities for the younger people. They find what it’s like to have kids look up to you.”

The consensus seems to be that the Boys and Girls Club changes lives and has a positive atmosphere where kids can feel safe, respected and appreciated.

According to Maxwell, “The Boys and Girls Club has made me a better person overall.”

sports

14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Boys, 9-2, train for States

Youth bolsters field hockey KRISTIAN LUNDBERG With only five varsity players returning from last season, coach Celeste Myers expected field hockey to undergo a rebuilding year.

While this year’s team did develop, it also managed to find its own success.

The Tigers, 6-5-3 Wednesday, stand within one point of returning to the playoffs with two games left in the regular season.

The squad hosted Needham Thursday, needing a win or a tie to clinch a playoff berth. If the Tigers failed to earn either, they will face Norwood tomorrow at Dickinson Stadium with their season on the line.

The Tigers’ success this season stemmed from “younger and older players working together,” Myers said.

“As a whole, the team has really applied itself,” she said.

“The younger players have incorporated themselves into the team, and the seniors have done a great job in mentoring them.”

Now, Myers’ goal for the team is to “reach the next level.”

The Tigers’ immediate hope is to advance past the first round

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Depth boosts cross country GLORIA LI Boys’ cross country, 9-2, is determined to place well at the State Meet, according to senior Justin Keefe, a captain with senior David Buzby.

“We also want to qualify in order to attend the New England Regional Meet,” Keefe said.

According to Keefe, last year, only one athlete from boys’ cross country qualified for that competition, Dan Ranti ’11, who was also a captain.

Keefe said he hopes that this year, more members will qualify, and he hopes that they will place well.

According to Buzby, “The team is a closely knit group, like a family.

“All members on the team have fun together before the races and get to business during each of our races. They each put in their all, performing well,” he added.

According to coach Blackburn, the Tigers have a tight collection of members.

He also noted that they have a deep selection of strong runners who will provide a competitive edge in the postseason.

The Tigers will race at Norwood tomorrow as as part of the Bay State Conference Meet.

Keefe said, “Norwood has never been very good—we usually destroy them. I’ve never seen them do too well against us since I’ve been here.”

Keefe said he believes that, “the Tigers will get their confidence boost” from the MTSCA State Coaches Invitational Meet, Saturday, Nov. 5.

He said he does not expect the team to place extremely high but that the Tigers will perform well in the meet.

Buzby said that the team is expecting to perform its best during the postseason.

According to Buzby, “We’re also hoping that we’ll be able to keep up a good record despite having lost to Walpole and Brookline.”

The team’s loss to Brookline, Wednesday, according to Keefe, was an acceptable way to end the season.

“They are the state champions, so going into the meet, we were focused on trying our best and performing well, but we didn’t neccessarily expect to win,” he said.

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

BY

Gabe Dreyer

Vision: Senior Ellie Abbott passes the ball to a teammate during practice at Forte Field.

of the playoffs, she said, which would at least equal last year’s finish. However, Myers hopes the team will make a “meaningful run in the tournament.”

She added, “We’re in a good position. We’re playing at a playoff level, and we’re on target to meet our expectations.”

Senior Stephanie Vitone, a captain with seniors Alison Berkowitz and Danielle Wasson, said the younger players “have come ready to play.”

“They’re motivated to play and eager to make an impact,” she said. “With a couple of seniors having returned from last year, we’ve been able to give them good leadership, too.

“The underclassmen are coming out and feeling more comfortable with the team and that translates on an individual and team level.”

If the squad were to make the pressure cooker of the State Tournament, this leadership could come in handy. Vitone said, “It’s definitely encouraging that we went to the tournament last year. Because we’ve done it before, making it far is not so difficult to accomplish.”

Girls’ volleyball preps for tournament GLORIA LI Girls’ volleyball, 17-1, qualified for the State Tournament Thursday, Oct. 6.

Senior Laurie Kamenetsky, a volleyball captain with the rest of the seniors, said she expects the game at Medfield tomorrow to be “an energetic match since they’re an extreme team.

“If we can keep up our consistency, we’ll have a good turnout.

“At tournament, we usually place first or second in our division, but we face many tough opponents, nevertheless, including Barnstable and Medfield,” she said.

According to coach Richard Barton, the Tigers have won the conference for the past five years in a row.

Senior Serena Haver said, “The teams that we tend to find challenging are Wellesley, Braintree and Brookline.”

Kamenetsky said, those teams’ strengths lies in their strategic plays on the court and their exceptional hitting.

“We have no major troubles on court, and our passing tends to be fairly precise,” she said.

According to senior Kristine Cheng, the Tigers’ only loss this season was to Brookline in a BY

five-game match Friday.

The opponent “hit hard and passed well, and we’re working to match up to them in those respects. Nevertheless, we communicated well.” Cheng said.

K a m e n e t s k y s a i d , “ We worked well together on court as an entity but unfortunately, were unable to claim a victory against them. We’ve learned from this though, for next year.”

Most of the team members have consistency in their hits and serves, which carries them through most of their games, Kamenetsky said.

Senior Meredith Abrams said, “Our spiking also tends to be fairly strong, as is the teamwork and ability of each of the individual members.”

The weaker points of team are defense and blocking.

The Tigers need to work out inexperienced net fouls, which the teams needs to avoid as it works out kinks in the system, Abrams said.

According to Barton, the Tigers are working on the “serving, passing, attacking and defense strategies.”

The Tigers are still in transition and are gradually working to improve their offensive techniques, Barton said.

Gabe Dreyer

Hosting Natick: Sophomore Infiniti Thomas-Waheed blocks the ball as junior Deanna Cortina covers, Thursday Oct. 6.

Runners focus on technique PERRIN STEIN In the first half of the season, girls’ cross country, 6-5, stood up to numerous challenges: the toughest teams in the Bay State Conference, learning how to run competitively and a race course it had never experienced before, according to coach Brandon Mogayzel.

Through their hard work, the Tigers persevered, maintaining a winning record.

They “tailored their practices a week prior to each meet in order to be as prepared as possible,” Mogayzel said.

“For example, we did hill runs if we knew the course would be hilly, and we did track workouts to improve our speeds.”

The team’s focus on techBY

Madeline Aqualina

Cold Spring Park: Seniors Elizabeth Ho and Leah Greene run against Wellesley Wednesday, Oct. 5.

nique, speed and strength helped it to compete well in the first half of the season, he said.

“Each meet is very different, but I think the entire team was prepared and competed well.”

Now, the Tigers are focusing on aspects of their running that can be shorter, according to senior Becca Trayner, a captain with seniors Allie Phillips, Rosie Sokolov and Melissa Weikart.

For example, the Tigers can eliminate time at the end of the race by kicking their legs as they approach the finish line, according to Trayner.

“Our coach is great at making workouts that help us improve the little things,” she said.

“He gives us different techniques to focus on each day, and we do a variety of different runs

to improve on one little thing at a time.”

With the most difficult races completed, the Tigers are looking ahead to the larger meets that always punctuate the end of the season.

At these meets, the Tigers will focus on individual performances, according to Trayner.

Tomorrow, the Tigers will face Norwood as a part of the Bay State Conference Meet.

Saturday, Nov. 5, the Tigers will attend the MSTCA State Coaches Invitational, giving athletes a chance to compete on a much larger scale than the dual and tri-meets they have been racing in all season. It will help the Tigers to prepare for the even larger State Meet late next month.

sports

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Dance team strengthens newly added fall squad RYAN CONDON When seniors Maura Quinn and Hanna Stubblefield-Tave saw students’ interest in having a dance team during the fall season, they knew what they had to do.

They created a fall dance team that will compete in addition to this school’s winter dance team.

“The winter team was created back in 2008, but last year, we saw more and more interest for another team,” said Stubblefield-Tave.

“We talked to athletic director Tom Giusti about making another team, and he said we could do it. It just happened from there.”

Quinn asked Stephanie Hubbard to coach the team.

She had met Hubbard at a class that Hubbard was teaching a few years ago, and she agreed to coach the team.

Hubbard said that she took the job because “I am always interested in opportunities in the dance community.”

Last year, Nathane Lamas and Emma Leader, both ’11, were captains for the winter team.

Quinn and Stubblefield-Tave were voted captains for the winter and fall teams for this year, but Stubblefield-Tave said she will only be captaining the winter team due to other com-

BY

Jacob Schwartz

Bust a move: Sophomore Anna D’Alleva works on a hip-hop routine during a dance team practice.

mitments.

The team will dance at events in this school, then enter Bay States, a competition that takes place next month, according to Quinn.

The dancers will use parts

senior Hanna Stubblefield-Tave “The girls who are juniors this year will have to step up next year and lead the team. After that, they have to pass on their love of dance to the younger students. That is how the team will continue in the future.” of previous dances to create a large performance for the competition, said Quinn.

The performances are judged on synchronization, choreography, showmanship, difficulty and crowd appeal, according to Hubbard.

One problem with the judging system, said Quinn, is that most other high schools in the area dance jazz, while the Tigers dance hip-hop.

“Because the two styles are almost impossible to compare, we sometimes get lower marks than other schools would,” said Quinn.

However, Quinn said that the team might enter another competition held at the Reggie Lewis Track Center that has a hip-hop division. South also competes in the competition.

This year, the team has had less time to prepare for the competition due to a late start.

“We’re trying to connect everyone together, and I think we already have a close-knit group of girls,” said Quinn.

“This year we’re just starting out, with our first fall season and a new coach,” Quinn said.

“We’ll have to try out new ideas and see what works and what doesn’t.”

Hubbard said, “We have to bond quickly and work extra hard to make up for our lack of familiarity, but our strength is our drive and passion.

“Every girl on the team wants to be there and loves every second if it. That, coupled with the girls’ talent, will make for a strong team.”

In the future, StubblefieldTave said that she expects to see growing interest in dance at this school.

“The girls who are juniors this year will have to step up next year and lead the team.

After that, they have to pass on their love of dance to the younger students. That is how the team will continue in the future.”

Tigers’ postseason hopes rest on final two games KRISTIAN LUNDBERG Once again, boys’ soccer faces a season on the brink.

One year removed from a magical run in the State Tournament, the Tigers, 6-5-5 Wednesday, needed at least a draw from their final two matches to sneak into the playoffs.

The Tigers were to have played the first of these two yesterday at Needham, a team they tied earlier this season. If they failed to earn the crucial point then, the team would face a tie-or-go-home scenario in tomorrow’s season finale against Lexington at Dickinson Stadium.

If the Tigers do sneak through the back door to make the postseason, coach Roy Dow may need to rely on a strategy similar to last season’s.

Last year, boys’ soccer survived in the playoffs mainly because of its virtually impenetrable defense and because of an offense that came through in crunch time to score key goals.

Dow attributes the Tigers’ defensive strength this season to the play of their two veteran center backs. “Seniors Tim Stanton and Jackson MossHawkins have played together for many years, and this is their

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second year together on varsity,” he said. “They’re confident and comfortable on the field, and their skill sets complement each other.”

Dow added, “Between them and our outside backs, all of whom are good soccer players and tough tacklers, we’re able to not only win the ball but also initiate our attack.”

During the regular season, the offense has struggled to score at times, which could hinder the team in traditionally low-scoring playoff matches.

“We’ve had struggles with finishing,” said senior Luke Westman, a captain with Stanton. “But with our experience last year, we may surprise teams who don’t take us seriously.”

Dow said the team is working on “patterns of play off the ball,” to help production on offense.

“In the tournament, our only goal is to survive and advance,” he said. “Tournaments reward teams that survive, so we need to adapt to what’s in front of us to advance to the next round.”

Still, Dow expressed confidence in how the team will fare.

“Soccer is a game of passion, perhaps more so than any other sport. If we play with passion, good things will happen.”

The Tigers only have to look back to last season to find the epitome of postseason endurance. Making the postseason was an accomplishment in itself for last year’s Tigers, who were coming off a disappointing season following the death of coach Ucal McKenzie.

However, the squad, seeded 19th out of the 26 teams in their division, adopted a never-saydie attitude and pulled off an incredible run, defeating some of the best teams in the state before finally bowing in the State Semifinals. What originally seemed to be a rebuilding year for Dow, then a first-year coach, turned into a stunning, fairytale-esque season.

Part of the goal for this year’s team is to avoid the sophomore slump.

Dow plans to focus on controlling the flow of the matches.

“We can move the ball really well, and we have quality all over,” he said. “We can still play our game against the best teams in the state, and in the tournament, the team that can impose its style has an easier job.

“This year, we’ve been able to impose our style on other teams, and we’ve made them chase the ball.”

Gabe Dreyer

Control: Senior Arthur Moss-Hawkins dribbles the ball.

Experienced players lead girls’ soccer to playoffs KRISTIAN LUNDBERG Every day before practice, girls’ soccer players donned gray shirts with the phrase “No Second Chances” emblazoned on the back.

The Tigers have performed better in this season than in any other with coach James Hamblin at the helm, and with the State Tournament looming, “No Second Chances” is strikingly appropriate.

“Last year, our team slogan was ‘Train to Win,’ just like it had been in the years before,” said senior Lauren Smith, a

BY

captain with seniors Sarah Perlo and Katie Regan.

“Before this season, coach Hamblin asked the seniors to change the slogan, so we chose ‘No Second Chances,’ because this is the seniors’ last chance to play high school soccer.”

When Hamblin began his tenure as the head of the girls’ soccer program three years ago, he inherited a young squad deep in the rebuilding process. However, after suffering through a tough first season, the players gained experience, according to Smith, and many of them have

stepped up to lead the team.

“We have a lot of returning players this year who’ve played with each other for the past three years,” she said. “If there was any year where we could go far, it’s this year.”

Smith added, “We want to play every game like it’s our last.

Whenever we step on the field, we want to make every moment count.”

Hamblin believes the slogan sets the tone for the team’s postseason expectations.

“For the seniors, it’s this year or never,” he said. “We want to

get it done now.”

In the postseason, the maxim of “No Second Chances” holds especially true.

The Tigers, 12-3-2, are in line to receive a higher seed in the tournament’s preliminary round than last year, but a loss to any team would still end the their season.

“We wanted to get a higher seed, so we could face the ‘easier ’ teams,” Smith said.

“Last year, we had to play a lot of tough teams early on in the tournament.”

According to Hamblin, a ma-

jor focus in the postseason will be “getting it tactically right.”

“Every single game, we’ll play teams at a high level.

There’s a higher level of competition.”

One of the revelations of this year’s squad has been its offensive prowess, Hamblin added.

“I thought we’d struggle to score, but we’ve had not just one but four or five players who can step up and score,” he said.

The Tigers host Needham today in their season finale, and they begin tournament play in early November.

sports

16 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Swimmers face Mount Alvernia tonight JAY FEINSTEIN Tonight, in the last meet of the regular season, girls’ swimming and diving, 6-4-1, will face a small Mount Alvernia team.

This is the first year that the Tigers are competing against Mount Alvernia, so the Tigers are excited, according to coach Kirsten Tuohy.

Mount Alvernia has “a couple of really strong swimmers,” she said.

Competing against a small team can be good or bad for the Tigers, Tuohy said.

It could be good because the Tigers could have an advantage in swimming events, but Mount Alvernia does not have a diving team.

“At least they don’t have boys on their team,” Tuohy joked.

Other smaller schools that the Tigers competed against, such as Norwood, Walpole and Weymouth have had co-ed teams this season.

The Tigers hope to use their depth of stroke in events including butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke, to beat Mount Alvernia, Tuohy said.

“We’re getting really competitive in stroke events, and it’s exciting,” she said.

According to Tuohy, the Tigers’ freestyle events are not as strong, but they have been improving.

“We have more depth in freestyle events now than we have had in recent memory.”

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In a meet against Framingham, junior Nina Kaplan achieved a 6:02 time in the 500-freestyle, which was 8 seconds faster than her time from the previous meet against Walpole.

“She’s been improving every time we compete,” Tuohy said.

“Her goal is to break the six minutes, and she might do that in the final meet.”

To prepare for the final regular season meet, the Tigers have been splitting up the practices between JV and varsity members.

When one group swims, the other runs. “Cross training makes a huge difference,” Tohy said.

“We’ve gotten stronger since we started doing more cross training, and we’re continuing to get stronger,” she said.

The Tigers are not without their struggles, though.

They have recently coped with the concussions of three members of the team, according to assistant coach Michael Pohlman.

“The other girls have had to step up and swim other events.”

According to Tuohy, “It’s not so much about how the injuries affect the team. It’s about how the injuries affect the individuals.”

The Tigers have a strong team dynamic, said senior Hunter Hedenberg, a captain with senior Veronica Ingham.

Nina Kaplan

Against Dedham: Freshman Jessie Powers swims the butterfly Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Football awards acknowledge standout players JACOB SCHWARTZ After every football game this season, players will take a knee and listen to their coaches explain to them what went right and what went wrong at that competition.

However, if the Tigers win that day, there is an added bonus, according to senior Mike Bradley, a captain with seniors Pat Bryson, Brendan Fagan and Swardiq Mayanja.

Two awards are given by coaches to players following a win, Bradley said. These awards are given to thank and to recognize players for the actions they take to improve the team.

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Coach Mike Bower first Stick of the Week Award, Capoawarded the Hammer Award dilupo said.

Thisaward for two seasons has a lot to ago, according senior with techto coach Peter Michael Bradley do nique, someCapodilupo. thing which Capodilupo Capodilupo said, the Ham- “A lot of the game is also mer is “given to self-motivation, because said is a key for the Tigers kids where work you can’t coach this season. ethic is found” motivation.”

The winner and is awarded to of the Stick of a player who has worked extremely hard during the Week award gets to sport a practices in the week up to the hard hat in school, every day for the next week of school, accordgame.

A player who makes a game- ing to Bradley.

The Hammer winner is changing hit, either on offense or defense, is eligible for the awarded a sledgehammer,

which he holds onto for the next school week.

The goal of the awards, according to Capodilupo, is to give “acknowledgement that your work ethic fuels others.”

In a rare occasion Saturday, Sept. 24, senior Jack Ingham won both awards in the Tigers’ 23-21 win over Framingham at home.

“He had a great game,” Bradley said. “He worked hard and made some great plays too.”

According to Bradley, however, “a lot of the game is also self-motivation because you can’t coach motivation.”

“We thrive on technique,”

he said. “When we win or lose, it’s based on how our individual technique was during the game.”

These techniques, Bradley said, will include staying low, playing quick and “doing everything we can with more intensity.”

“Alignment in the assignment will also be important,” Bradley said.

“There’s a mental part of the game that everyone has to pay attention to,” he added.

In upcoming action, the Tigers travel to Walpole tonight and will host Braintree Saturday, Nov. 5.

Inexperienced golf develops GLORIA LI Golf, 7-7, put up a strong performance this season, but it did not reach the State Finals, according to junior Mark Vrahas, a captain with junior Brendan Ryan and sophomore Charlie Goldberg.

According to Ryan, “ We wanted to win the rest of the matches this season until the playoffs.”

The Tigers were dissatisfied with the outcomes of matches against their two toughest opponents this season, Needham and Brookline, he said.

“We didn’t go into the game expecting to win each match,” according to Ryan.

The Tigers ended up suffering losses in these matches, 5554 and 56-52 respectively.

At the match, Tuesday, Oct.18, the Tigers were close, 54-54, but then, Needham won the tie-breaker because the player with the lowest score was on Needham coach Bob MacDougall said.

“We came within only a few strokes of beating them on their course,” he said.

Despite its losses, the Tigers still participated in the Division I North Qualifier State TournaBY

Gabe Dreyer

On the links: Junior Mark Vrahas hits a chip shot against Brookline Thursday, Oct. 20, at Brae Burn Country Club.

ment, Sunday, Oct. 24, he said.

At the qualifier, the Tigers finished 10th, and MacDougall said they played well, but “it would have taken some great playing for the team to advance.”

Additionally, he said, “There were a lot of great scores at the qualifier.” MacDougall is confident that that the lessons learned this season will pay off for the team next season and into the future.

Ryan said, “Throughout the season, we competed against more experienced teams who typically also perform well at tournament.”

According to MacDougall, the Tigers “were a very inexperienced team this year,” with seven players out of 11 new to varsity.

Also, most of the courses on which the Tigers played their away matches, such as the Walpole Country Club, are not open to the public.

Therefore, the courses were not easy to play on because the members did not know what to expect, he said.

“I tried to inform them of the courses, but it requires having actually played the course to be-

come familiar with it,” he said.

“This was largely due to the fact that they typically practice using stroke-play format where the individual is emphasized over the team, while at the actual competition, players compete in match play,” he said.

Goldberg and junior Robert Anderson were two of the stronger and harder working members of the team this season, according to Vrahas.

According to coach Bob MacDougall, last year, Goldberg qualified for the State Final as an individual player.

Although “the team’s inexperience on courses away from home was its Achilles’ heel,” MacDougall said there were “some really good golfers who could put up some low numbers.”

MacDougall said, “Vrahas had a good year. He was very consistent, and his presence in the lineup and his leadership really stood out.”

He also said junior Mike Kurson, in his first year on varsity, “played like a third-year veteran.”

MacDougall said he considers himself lucky to have been in the company of these members.