vol88i1

Newtonite

Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass. 02460

◆ Friday, Jan. 30, 2009 • Volume 88, Issue 1

Newton to be on ‘Nation’s Report Card’

ELLEN SARKISIAN To show what they know and can do in key subject areas as part of a federal study, 95 seniors will need to take a test Thursday, Feb. 12, said principal Jennifer Price.

School systems must participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress in order to receive federal funding, she said.

“It is part of our requirement as a school system,” Price said.

“It is similar in many ways to the MCAS, but we only do it when asked. It is a wonderful opportunity for Newton to see if the school system is serving all of our kids.”

The U.S. Department of Education uses the test results to make policy and publishes them in a report called “The Nation’s Report Card,” said assistant principal Deborah Holman.

“It allows for comparison of achievement among states,” she said.

Other states besides Massachusetts in the 2009 12th-grade pilot are Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Dakota and West Virginia.

“While state-level results for 4th- and 8th-graders have been reported since 1990, only national data has been available to measure the progress of our nation’s 12th-graders, according to Mass.

NAEP materials.

Starting with this test, 12thgraders will be measured state by state, the materials say.

According to Holman, based on demographic data on seniors BY

Chloe Judell-Halfpenny

Happy at 7 a.m.: With the Capital Building behind them, members of the Black Leadership Advisory Council get set for a memorable day.

Great to be in Washington for Obama’s inauguration

CHLOE JUDELL-HALFPENNY e met a pitch-black sky and a wave of frigid air as we stepped outside, bundled in layers of clothing.

As we boarded our bus, English teacher Adam Carpenter began a role call for attendance.

“When I say your name, you say ‘Obama,’” he said.

As he streamed through the list of names, the enthusiastic cry, “Obama!” echoed from every voice.

With 27 students from the Black Leadership Advisory Council, I headed to Washington, D.C. to witness the inauguration of the nation’s first African-American president, Barack Obama.

Carpenter and work-study coordinator Molly Gadenz led the trip, but Carpenter couldn’t be on the mall because of a student’s medical emergency.

We arrived in the capital from our Maryland hotel before 7.

With the Capitol Building in the distance, we began our long trek toward the Mall.

As we approached Independence Avenue, we clung to each other, linking arms, in order to weave through the vast mob. It was almost impossible to move, but if you looked away for just a moment, you could be swept away.

Never before had I seen so BY

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viewpoint

many people.

We made our way into the crowd and gradually inched closer. In the distance, I could see glimpses of a Jumbotron screen that displayed the event.

People climbed onto the tops of portable toilets and into the branches of trees to catch a glimpse.

Finally, it started. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California called the ceremony to order.

Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church, began the invocation, his voice a faint murmur from where we stood.

Aretha Franklin offered a rousing performance of “My Country ’Tis of Thee” that silenced the chattering group.

After the music, the vice president-elect, Joseph Biden, took his oath of office.

Then cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill played composer John Williams’ “Air and Simple Gifts.” heers grew deafening as the man we had all been waiting for graced the stage. The crowd stood silent.

No one around us uttered a word, despite the infamous flub in Chief Justice John Roberts’ recitation of the oath.

C

And at last, the inaugural address.

We listened in silence, struck with awe. Tears streamed down the face of a woman standing beside me.

Carpenter and members of BLAC later reflected on their experience.

“I live to teach,” Carpenter said. “I’m literally sustained by strong lessons. For this lesson I was the guide, but life was the teacher.”

Senior Kendra Dolor said the number of people in the crowd inspired her.

“It was crazy at first, but it was wonderful,” she said. “It was different to see black people as a majority. Whites and Asians were the minority around us.” enior Sophie Dover said she was also moved by the unity of the group.

“It was shocking to look out and see such a huge sea of people, but really awe-inspiring to watch people come together,” she said.

Senior Mariah Wynn said she she didn’t realize how inspired people were by Obama becoming president until she went to Washington “Then it hit me,” she said.

“I realized how important it was and could really see how much change is happening in the world.”

S

Matt Kalish

In the librar y: Students see Barack Obama give his inaugural address.

Non-profit org.

US postage paid Newton, Mass.

Permit no. 55337

Gaby Perez-Dietz

In Lasker: Students and faculty watch the ceremonies.

that the school sends, the NAEP chooses a cross-section of seniors in schools they select.

This year, the U.S. Department of Education chose Newton North along with sic others in the city: Cabot, Countryside, Horace Mann, Lincoln-Eliot, F.A. Day and South, Holman said.

Other high schools in Massachusetts include Brookline and Lexington, according to Rebecca Bennett, Mass. NAEP State Coordinator.

High school seniors will take English, math or science tests, which will be about 90 minutes long, Holman said.

Of the students selected to take the test, a participation rate of at least 90 percent is required, Holman said.

“The seniors have to show up or the NAEP will continue to return to the school to retest,” she said.

“Individual test scores are not reported to the school and do not affect student’s grades or report cards,” Holman said.

Barry housemaster Aaron Sanders said the test allows students to “show their achievement across the state and nation.”

“We would think that since the school has been selected, students would want to be represented in a positive light,” he said.

To encourage participation, there will be a breakfast for seniors taking the test, Holman said.

Today is the deadline for parents to notify the main office in writing if they do not want their sons or daughters to participate.

Faculty to dispose of unwanted paper

Two purge days next week MARENA COLE Two purge days are scheduled for next week, said work-study coordinator Molly Gadenz.

Thursday and Friday, faculty can get rid of unwanted paper, Gadenz said.

“It will be a win-win situation, for both faculty and the students in work-study,” Gadenz said “Faculty can get rid of unwanted paper before the move to the new school, and it will be something different for the students to do,” Gadenz said.

“If this goes well, we will try to plan other days to get rid of more than paper.

“We might make an inventory list and arrange days for other items to be discarded.”

Faculty can put unwanted paper in recycling bins outside their doors.

Sixteen students from the Connections work-study program will collect the bins and bring them to the loading dock, Gadenz said.

For confidential papers, faculty can choose to have them shredded instead, Gadenz said.

Faculty should place them in BY

separate boxes marked “shred” and place them in designated shredding locations around the school, she said.

Shredding locations will be 126A, M5, 365, 337, the math office and the main office, Gadenz said.

Inside •Death

by Chocolate page 3 •Exchanges page 7 •King essays pages 10-11

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Great moments do happen here

T

editorial

his school has its great moments—in all different spheres.

Tuesday, Jan. 20, for instance, marked one of the most important days in this country’s history, with the inauguration of the first African-American president.

As students watched the ceremony in Lasker Auditorium, the library, the TV production room and on various computers around the building, they showed a sense of community not often seen. What a moment it was when everyone rose together to show the new president respect.

In a different setting Monday, Dec. 29, senior Hallie Vitagliano hit an improbable half-court buzzer beater to edge the Newton South Lions 47-46. It was one of

the most exciting finishes to a Newton North basketball game. Every Tiger present was proud.

These two events are just a couple of the many exciting and amazing things that occur daily at this school, and with each one it’s important to appreciate everyone involved.

Not to say that this school is perfect.

We could name a few negative Newton North moments, including false fire alarms, bomb scares and long hikes in the cold from distant parking spaces.

But we’re still sure there will be some great all-school moments ahead—through Theatre Ink, the culture days coming up and graduation.

KELLYNETTE GOMEZ s human beings, we tend to procrastinate.

Why couldn’t we finish that history essay or complete those simple math problems?

A student’s reputation is pretty much the only thing he has to go on into the “real” world.

And this reputation is generally based on the quality of his work and how well he meets his deadlines.

It’s sad to see students miss out on an opportunity because they were too busy complaining about how hard it was, instead of just taking advantage of it, said EDCO counselor Andrea Koening.

“Most of the time when a student waits too long on an opportunity, someone else comes along

and takes it away,” she said.

Koenig went on to explain that meeting deadlines can be a problem area for students because of sports, jobs, extracurricular activities or religious education classes.

Here are some helpful tips based on what I’ve learned—the hard way.

1. Care about deadlines.

2. Keep a list of projects and deadlines. If you care about deadlines, you’ll write them down.

Have one place where you will check often to make sure what’s due and when.

3. Obtain clear deadlines.

Make sure you and your teacher are on the same page. If the deadline seems fuzzy, you will have trouble meeting the due date. If you are unsure about your dead-

Shira Bleicher

Snow and more snow: Cold weather makes spring feel far away.

Have trouble meeting deadlines? Here are some tips BY

A

Correction:

In the last issue, we reported that the city was sponsoring its 42nd celebration to honor the life of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, it was the 41st celebration.

Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass. 02460.

Editors in chief — Eli Davidow, Matt Kalish, Ellen Sarkisian News editor — Marena Cole Arts editor — Alicia Zhao Feature editors — Emily Amaro, Jay Krieger Sports editors— Meredith Abrams, Josh Bakan Photography editors — Shira Bleicher, Gaby Perez-Dietz, Teddy Wenneker Graphics managers — Prateek Allapur, Peter Taber-Simonian Advertising managers — Joe Connors, Chris Keefe Business manager — Chris Welch Circulation managers — Dan Salvucci, Olivia Stearns Exchanges editor — Georgina Teasdale Adviser — Helen Smith Production advisers — Sue Brooks, Tom Donnellan

News staff — Rebecca Harris, Jaryd Justice-Moote, Rebecca Oran Features staff — Jacob Brunell Sports staff — Evan Clements, Nicole Curhan, Emmett Greenburg, Jeremy Gurvitz, Becca Oran, Elliot Raff Arts staff — Eliana Eskinazi, Kate Lewis News analysis staff— Kellynette Gomez Art staff — Julia Belamarich, Puloma Ghosh, Anna Kaertner, Hannah Schon Photography staff — Anna Gargas, Lucy Mazur-Warren, Jesse Tripathi Circulation staff — Spencer Alton, Jackie Assar, Caleb Gannon, Rebecca Kantor, Sydney Massing-Schaffer, Stoddard Meigs, Brooke Stearns, Daniel Tabib Production staff — Alison Wu

The Newtonite staff brings 16 issues a year to camera readiness for a circulation of 3,000 and goes on line daily during the academic year.

To place an ad in the Newtonite or contact us by phone, please call 617-559-6274. Yearly subscriptions cost $20. Readers can also reach us at Newtonite@newton.k12.ma.us.

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

column

lines, ask your teacher.

4. Make a plan. Get a clear idea of how long a project will take and break it down into smaller pieces.

5. Allow enough time for each part to be completed, which will allow for delays. If you finish early, your teachers will be pleased.

6. Turn off your gadgets. You are going to get distracted if you have too many electronic devices around you. The odds are that

you will be paying more attention to your favorite television show than to your homework.

7. If you cannot complete the deadline, negotiate and meet a second deadline. Talk to your teachers for an extension. That is safer than letting the deadline go by without any communication.

8. Learn from mistakes. If you miss a deadline, take a few moments to evaluate what went wrong and how you can avoid that in the future.

9. Do not overcommit. One of the biggest causes of missed deadlines is that the student commits to more than he can handle.

Time management is important.

If you know you won’t have time for your schoolwork, learn to say no.

10. Stay up late. If you planned badly or procrastinated and you’re up against a tight deadline, do whatever it takes to meet it. That means working long hours.

Visit here changed our lives

Jingshan exchange students express their thanks TO THE EDITOR:

We have stayed here four months, it has been a great experience and it will be the most precious memory in our whole lives. We have made many friends and they helped us a lot.

The courses we took were hard for us, but we improved a lot and really learned something from them, both knowledge and friendship.

We made great progress on English language skills and how to deal with the huge pressure while we were staying in another country, staying in another culture.

We also want to thank our host families for taking care of us these four months.

Four months, it’s a long time, and it changed our lives.

Sam Schauer

Alan Dai and Charles Chen

letters We went to school every day with our host brothers, sophomore Billy Panaggio and senior Elias Menninger. They are just

like our siblings.

Now it’s time to leave here. We need to go back home to finish our exchange program.

Sadness is part of life, but another part is called happiness.

We’ll tell our friends about the school here, the people here, and the life here.

And there will be another group coming here in September. The exchange program will continue.

We won’t forget this great school, these great people, this great country.

We’ll miss our friends a lot. If we have the chance, we’ll be back again, maybe in college.

As Barack Obama said, we are ready to live once more.

—ALAN DAI AND CHARLES CHEN See related stories pages 7-9

Students support Ken Parker TO THE EDITOR:

Students for Ken Parker for Mayor has kicked off its campaign, the first active student campaign for a mayor in Newton history.

In keeping with Alderman Parker’s commitment to include all Newton residents in our city government and in our city politics, we will work at both Newton high schools to organize a student volunteer effort for Parker.

We, the leaders of this group, are all Newton North students, who are also Parker for Mayor precinct captains in our own neighborhoods. We have diverse and bipartisan political and policy

experience.

We support Ken Parker for mayor because he supports students.

He knows that we’re smart, he knows that we can have good ideas, he knows what we want and need.

He represents the common sense and responsibility that Newton needs right now.

Students for Ken Parker for Mayor will begin meeting on a regular basis at a location to be announced.

For more information visit our website at studentsforparker.org, or email us at students4parker@gmail.com.

Thank you.

—KEN LANDERS ’10, BEN MILLER ’10 AND GABE DREYER ’11

Letters Readers are invited to submit guest articles and letters to the editor. Letters should be put in the Newtonite box in Beals House or emailed to newtonite@newton.k12. ma.us. The Newtonite reserves the right to edit all letters, which must have the writer’s name, class and homeroom. The Newtonite serves as a forum for student opinion.

news

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

SFA discusses student lounge

Some faculty express concerns about supervision of space REBECCA HARRIS Two faculty have proposed reopening the student lounge. They presented their proposal at the Student Faculty Administration Board Wednesday, Jan. 21.

“A student lounge would provide a space for students to congregate during free blocks and at the same time relieve the library of overcrowding,” says the proposal from history teacher Gregory Drake and librarian Kevin McGrath.

“The lounge would be open to any student with a free period.

“Students could use the space to study, relax or socialize quietly.”

The lack of substitutes this year has caused an increase in the number of students using the library each day, McGrath said.

“Some days we’ve had 1,600 kids coming through the doors,” McGrath said, citing figures from electronic counters near the entrance.

Last year 1,200-1,300 passed through on a busy day, he said.

“When you have that many people, teachers are less willing to bring a class,” he said. “It’s harder to get a focused group doing research.”

A student lounge would draw students away from the library and make the numbers more manageable, he said.

Riley housemaster Mark Aronson said that there used to be a student lounge, but it presented problems.

“Within a month, the bean bag chairs were destroyed and there was graffiti,” he said. “Supervision was an issue. Foot traffic through the area around it was an issue.”

But Aronson said that a problem arises when students consider the library a social place rather than a place for studying.

“Kids don’t understand that BY

cookie, which is a French meringue cookie with dark chocolate mousse and a sweet and salty toffee on top for the event.

The 15 students who accompanied McKinney to the event are seniors Vincent Bibuld, Derek Colston and Joe Treddin, and juniors Lexi Abbott, Lydia Diperrio, Sara Koumantzelis, Amanda Lau, Maxx Lyman, Eddie McAuliffe, Sonia Paola, Kim Parra, Aida Skelic, Ryan Tene, Avery Thomas and Derek Virgilio.

“The students got to choose the dessert we brought to the event,” McKinney said. “They tried out

different recipes, and then chose one based on different tests.”

Death by Chocolate was open to the public. For a $15 entrance fee, attendees could sample as many of the desserts they wanted, and then vote on a winner for each category.

Competing against the Tiger’s Loft in the Best Cookie category were local businesses including Angel Foods, which created a chocolate shortbread cookie with walnuts dipped in chocolate, and Legal Sea Foods, which made a chocolate coconut cookie covered with pecans.

Leadership runs seminars to aid freshman transition security.”

According to English teacher Inez Dover, who co-teaches the Leadership class with English teacher Peter Goddard, the goal was for freshmen to have interactions with upperclassmen.

“We wanted the students to be able to talk freely about issues that they may not have a chance to talk about during the regular school day,” Dover said.

“On the first day, the focus was on identity, opportunity and unity.

The second day was a check-in from the previous day and focused on progress, peer pressure and motivation.

“The orientations started with introductions, some icebreaker games and then a discussion between the upperclassmen and the freshmen.

“This year is the first that the orientation has been structured this way.

“In the past, we’ve had the freshman orientation event on the first day of school.

“This year, the Ninth-Grade Transition Committee had a mission to smooth the transition out and decided to do things differently.

“This way, the Leadership class could get to know each other

before orientation, and there could be more orientation after Student Orientation Skills was completed.”

Beals housemaster Michelle Stauss and special ed teacher Keren Sammett co -chair the Ninth-Grade Transition Committee.

Members are Dover, METCO counselor Paula Diggs, special ed teacher Nicole Franchi, science teacher Paul Martenis, counselor Christine Potter, math teacher Tracey Stewart and social studies teacher Ty Vignone.

According to Stauss, Student Orientation Skills currently consists of Step-Up day and three X-blocks, two of which are for homeroom activities and one for the housemaster’s welcome, Club Day, and Leadership class seminars.

SOS began in 1983 to help newcomers adjust to the school, Vignone said.

Continuing orientation later in the year was effective, Goddard said.

“We thought we got a positive reaction,” Goddard said.

“Also, it was good to have students leading the discussion, rather than having adults talk to them.”

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MARENA COLE To help orient the freshman class to the high school, the Leadership class has run seminars for the Class of ’12.

Thursday, Jan. 15 during F and Friday, Nov. 14 during E, all freshmen attended the seminars by homeroom.

Senior Inricka Liburd, a member of the Leadership class, said the seminars sought to support students.

“We aimed to encourage them not to lose motivation and to keep on persevering throughout high school,” she said.

Senior Colin Notis-McConarty said the seminars aimed to make students feel more comfortable at the high school.

“We talked about how they should deal with pressure, especially where it comes from and how to relieve it,” he said.

According to senior Tiffany Mui, the seminars allowed freshmen to speak directly with upperclassmen about their concerns.

“It meant they could to open up to the North community and have some fun with new peers,” Mui said.

“We were striving to present a sense of welcoming and BY

KITCHEN

JACOB BRUNELL Culinary arts students from the Tiger’s Loft took first place in the Best Cookie category at Death By Chocolate Sunday at the Sheraton in Newton Corner.

An annual event for the past eight years, Death By Chocolate is a fundraiser the Newton and Waltham Rotary Clubs put on for local charities, and a culinary competition among local bakeries and restaurants, said culinary arts teacher Lisa McKinney.

The Tiger’s Loft created a “Chocolate Meringue Bliss” BY

FOR THE

Culinary students win award in Death by Chocolate contest

ARTISTIC TREASURES

courtesy Eddie McAuliffe

Death by chocolate: Juniors Aida Skelic, Kim Parra and Lydia Diperrio display their desserts.

Students from the Tiger’s Loft won the Best Cookie category.

you come here to work,” he said.

“Maybe we need to create signs that say ‘This is a quiet space.’”

Designated silent spaces within the library might help, said senior Andreas Rotenberg.

McGrath said the library staff uses conference rooms for that purpose, but librarians “sometimes worry about how people use those rooms.”

The SFA also discussed the possibility of expanding the use of existing spaces, including the Tiger’s Loft and the International Café, rather than creating a new lounge.

The suggestion came from Jeremy Bernfeld, Pat Craig and Thomas Foote, all ‘05.

They said a gift Newtonian from the Class Kevin of ’04 could McGrath help furnish the room.

By December, 2004, the PTSO and the Class of ‘04 had a combined total of $10,000 for a lounge. The SFA met in what would become the lounge, 311.

In January, 2005, 311 opened as a lounge for seniors only.

Then, in April, 2005, the SFA discussed opening the lounge to juniors.

But January 11, 2006, Jennifer Huntington, who was then the principal, closed the lounge. “ Without supervision, the room has become trashed,” Huntington said at the time.

In February, 2006, seniors proposed that 311 be reopened as an upperclassman lounge under supervision of students on the SFA. Math teacher Eric Stanley, the SFA faculty co-chair, offered to keep a key.

arts

4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan.30, 2009

‘The Illusion’ to go on stage KATE LEWIS Magic, love and loss combine to make “The Illusion” a fascinating story, said senior Jackson Davidow, a co-director with senior Rachel Stubblefield.

Tony Kushner’s adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s 17th-century drama will go on stage Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 7:30, and Saturday at 2 in the little theatre.

“A lot of period plays don’t give directors a lot of freedom with the set and costumes,” Davidow said. “‘The Illusion’ gave us the ability to create our own vision in terms of set and costumes for the show.”

In the story, a man named Pridimant nears death and goes to see a sorcerer because he wants to find his long-lost son.

“Pridimant’s major conflict is discovering the truth about his son while maintaining an illusion of the person he is,” said junior Jordan Ascher, who plays this role. “To portray him, it’s about understanding what he has been BY

Newtonian

All together: The 10-member Nitrous Oxide troupe strikes a pose. The comedy went on in the little theatre January 14 and 15.

Nitrous Oxide over the top

ALICIA ZHAO ith visually transmitted diseases, mimes and musical interludes, Nitrous Oxide made a strong first impression.

Under the direction of juniors Chris Annas-Lee and Seth Simons in début performances Wednesday, Jan. 14 and Thursday, Jan. 15 in the little theatre, the 10-member troupe engaged the audience.

In one particularly clever sketch, sophomore Mercer Gary played a character who desperately wanted to make eye contact with Simons’ character.

“I want to look into your pupil,” Mercer purred. “There’s nothing more intimate than that.”

When Seth finally succumbed, the two gazed at each other, but then Seth finds out that Mercer’s character has a “visually transmitted disease.” She has made BY

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review

eye contact with another man.

Nevertheless, the two could not help but gaze into each other’s eyes once more.

In one of the more serious sketches, the humor came from hyperbole. It involved Annas-Lee as a veteran speaking at a convention. He reflects on his army’s losses during “The Mime War.” “The mimes were the perfect soldiers—we never heard them coming,” the veteran says as cast members mimed a flashback.

As mimes, sophomore Derek Butterton, junior Louis Loftus and Simons silently shot their rifles. The opposing army—senior Dan Abromowitz, Gary, junior Melissa Lozada-Oliva and sophomore Jesse Nicholas—used speech.

Later, as a captain, junior Jordan Ascher speaks of all the

sacrifices his army made to defeat the mimes as dramatic music played in the background.

Another over-the-top sketch started with Simons’ character working out, trying to lose weight. As a salesman, Loftus then entered, advocating a weight loss product that uses utensils to literally cut out fat.

“First you slice, then you dice, and those thunder thighs will just disappear!” the salesman says.

The salesman then introduces his customers. One stepped up and talked about how much weight she’d lost—by using the product to chop off her hand.

Between sketches, actors amused the audience with original songs and poetry.

Setting off laughter and applause during every sketch, Nitrous Oxide gave the audience something to look forward to in future shows.

BRODERICK, BANCROFT & GOLDBERG attorneys at law

through.”

Alcandre, the sorcerer played by senior Annabel Raby, shows Pridimant three illusions about his son. During the illusions, the son falls in love with a beautiful woman.

“As the illusions progress, their love starts as a simple boy-meetsgirl scenario and progresses to a much more complicated scenario,” Stubblefield said. “He ends up having multiple affairs, and she grows colder towards him.”

“The story has strong themes of love and how time is fleeting.

“One of the main messages is to appreciate times of romance and friendship while you have them.”

Senior Jazzy Pullen-Schmidt designed costumes based on the 17th century, and senior Phoebe DeGroot’s abstract set will allow for many worlds on one stage because it will have circular platforms with clock faces to represent the theme of time, Stubblefield said.

Tickets cost $7 at the door.

Winterfest to feature instrumental groups

BY ALICIA ZHAO Featuring instrumental groups, Winterfest will be one evening this year, said fine arts department head Todd Young.

Orchestra, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will play in Lasker Auditorium Thursday, Feb.12 at 7.

Orchestra will perform the first movement of Beethoven’s “Symphony No.1” and Aaron Copland’s “Variations on a Shaker Melody,” said its director, music teacher Adam Grossman.

“I chose ‘Symphony No.1’ because it was the first big orchestral piece by Beethoven, and it’s the one that made him famous,” Grossman said. “‘Variations’ is an excerpt from ‘Appalachian Spring,’ one of Copland’s best known works.”

Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will present a collection of music freaturing American composers, Young said.

“I hadn’t intended on programming an All-American concert, but when putting a number of potential concert pieces together I discovered that we had a theme,” Young said.

Symphonic Band will perform

the theme song by Irving Szathmary from the TV series “Get Smart” and “Prelude and Dance”

by Elliot Del Borgo, Young said.

Wind Ensemble will play “Americans We” by Henry Filmore, “Gettysburg” by Randy Edelman, “Into the Storm” by Robert Smith and scores from Ralph Ford’s arrangement “Go West,” a collection of themes from “The Magnificent,” “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly,” and “Hang ’Em High,” Young said.

He said he will make “Our Director” by Frederick Bigelow a tradition for Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble members to perform together.

Young said he hopes that audience members will be excited to hear the result of the students’ hard work.

Tickets cost $5 at the door.

Admission for children under 12 and senior citizens is free.

Meanwhile, choruses and the orchestra are preparing Vivaldi’s “Gloria” for the March 1 Ray Smith Memorial concert, in honor of the late music department head. The performance will be at the Presbyterian Chuch in Newton Corner.

ALICIA ZHAO Jubilee Singers will perform in a variety of musical styles next Saturday evening at 7 in Lasker Auditorium, said music teacher Sheldon Reid, the director.

“There will be a couple of what we call ‘concertized spirituals,’” he said. “These spirituals originated from the collective experience of slaves and were taken and arranged by musicians later on.”

Other pieces will include contemporary gospel, a cappella and small-group songs, Reid said.

“No two Jubilee concerts are the same,” Reid said. “Each time, song arrangements are different and the voices are different, so there’s always a different story behind the music.”

Reid said he hopes for audience members to relax, have a good time and “be reminded of

the importance and the power of music and community.”

Tickets are available from Jubilee members and are also on sale during third lunch for $5.

The singers’ most recent performance was Jan. 21 at Temple Emanuel for the city-wide service honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Senior Rachel Bronstein soloed in “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” and Alex Paraschos ’05 soloed in “Carry Me Home.”

“It was definitely a special experience, singing a song from the civil rights movement in an event honoring it,” Bronstein said.

“Especially given the significance of the inauguration happening the next day, the song’s meaning—never giving up and continuing on despite the odds —was even more relevant.”

Jubilee to perform

BY

313 Washington St. Suite 207 Newton, Mass. 02458 Telephone: (617) 641- 9900 FAX: (617) 641- 9920

features

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Newtonite spring calendar February

Junior Parents’ Night is Tuesday at 7.

On campus sponsors Deaf Culture Day Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Career and tech ed hosts the Main Street Event Thursday. That night, under the direction of seniors Jackson Davidow and Rachel Stubblefield, Tony Kushner’s “The Illusion” opens in the little theatre at 7:30. Performances will be Friday and Saturday nights with a matinée Sunday at 2.

The ACT is Saturday. The Jubilee Singers will perform in Lasker Auditorium that evening at 7.

On campus sponsors Mentors in Violence Prevention Day Tuesday, Feb. 10. Sophomore Parents’ Night is that evening in Lasker Auditorium at 7:30.

On campus sponsors Asian Culture Day Wednesday, Feb. 11.

Seniors take the National Assessment of Educational Progress test Thursday, Feb. 12, and Winterfest I takes place in Lasker Auditorium at 7.

School closes for vacation Friday, Feb. 13 and reopens on Monday, Feb. 23.

The winter athletic awards ceremony is in Lasker Auditorium Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6:30.

March

Close-Up leaves for Washington Sunday, March 1.

The choirs and orchestra perform Vivaldi’s “Gloria” at the Presbyterian Church in Newton Corner.

English Language Arts MCAS retests are Monday, March 2 through Wednesday, March 4.

Term III warnings are due Tuesday, March 3. Career and tech ed has a display at 5:30 that evening, and Eighth Grade Parents Night is in Lasker Auditorium at 7.

MCAS math retests are Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. That Friday night, the Sophomore Sleepover starts at 9.

PTSO meets in the library Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30.

On campus sponsors BLAC Culture Day Wednesday, March 11.

On campus sponsors the year’s second Huntington Lecture as history teacher Isong Ibokette speaks in the film lecture hall Thursday, March 12 at 4.

SAT reasoning test is Saturday morning, March 14 at 7:45.

Faculty have a professional half-day Thursday, March 19 and this year’s all-school musical, “Anything Goes,” opens at 7:30. It will be on stage Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 with a matinée Sunday, March 22 at 2.

On campus sponsors Team PACT Cancer Awareness Day Thursday, March 26.

Asian Culture Night is Saturday, March 28 at 7.

The MCAS English Long Composition test is Tuesday, March 31.

April

The MCAS English Reading Comprehension test is Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2. Spontaneous Generation presents its improv show in the little theatre Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30.

Term III ends Friday, April 3. One more to go.

The ACT is Saturday morning, April 4 at 7:45.

Set clocks ahead for daylight savings time, which begins Sunday, April 5.

On campus sponsors Day of Remembrance Tuesday, April 7. MCAS Long Composition makeups are also this day, and the PTSO meets in the library at 7:30 p.m.

Red Cross runs a blood drive here Wednesday, April 8.

Passover is Thursday, April 9.

No school April 10 for Good Friday.

Mentors in Violence Prevention’s Take Back the Night

rally is Tuesday, April 14.

Springfest will be in Lasker Auditorium Thursday, April 16 at 7.

School closes for vacation Friday, April 17 and reopens Monday, April 27.

On campus sponsors an international festival Tuesday, April 28.

On campus and the Gay/Straight Alliance sponsor the Day of Silence Wednesday, April 29.

The Newton North Showcase is Thursday, April 30.

May

On campus and the Gay/Straight Alliance sponsor the Day of Action Friday, May 1.

Students can take the SAT Saturday morning, May 2 at 7:45. The Jubilee Singers perform in Lasker Auditorium that evening at 7.

Small ensembles will perform in the little theatre Sunday, May 3 at noon.

Rocco returns for Doo-Wop Thursday, May 7 and Friday May 8 in Lasker Auditorium at 7:30.

Juniors have their prom at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston Saturday, May 9 from 7-11.

The PTSO meets in the library Tuesday evening, May 12 at 7:30.

On campus sponsors the First-Year Forum Wednesday, May 13. Term IV warnings are also due, and the career center sponsors a college admissions seminar from 7 to 9 that evening.

AP exams will be be the weeks of May 4 and May 11.

Career and tech ed has an awards ceremony Thursday morning, May 14 at 9, and the North-South production of “Macbeth” goes on stage at South at 7:30 and runs through Saturday, May 16.

Heintzelman award winners will read their pieces in Lasker Auditorium Monday, May 18.

Students will take the Math MCAS Tuesday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 20.

Pops Night is in the cafeteria Thursday, May 21 at 6.

School is closed for Memorial Day Monday, May 25.

Juniors take the US History MCAS Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27.

The history and social sciences department awards ceremony is in the film lecture hall Tuesday, May 26.

The English department awards are Wednesday, May 27.

The spring athletic awards ceremony is in Lasker Auditorium Thursday, May 28 at 6:30. Under the direction of seniors Rachel Bronstein and Rachel Gore, “Urinetown” goes on stage in the little theatre through Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 with a matinee Sunday, May 31 at 2.

There will be a Senior Year Project reception for parents and students at 6:30 Thursday, May 28.

June

The PTSO meets in the library Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30.

World language awards are in the little theatre Wednesday, June 3 at 7.

The Science MCAS is Thursday, June 4 and Friday, June 5. The Playwrights Festival is in the little theatre June 4 and 5 at 7:30.

The SAT is Saturday, June 6.

Senior prom is at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Monday, June 8.

Graduation is Wednesday, June 10.

The Eighth Grade Athletic Orientation is Thursday, June 11.

Step-Up Day is Friday, June 12.

Theatre Ink’s banquet is Saturday, June 13.

Students’ last day is Friday, June 26. Teachers’ last day is Monday, June 29.

—ELLEN SARKISIAN

Anna Kaertner

6 â—† Newtonite, Newton North

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Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

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Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

Around the world Exchanges get under way in 3 continents ELLEN SARKISIAN rom the Great Wall to the Louvre to the Colosseum to Teotihuacan, students and faculty on exchanges will experience new vistas in the coming weeks.

Staying with host families, they will attend Newton North’s sister schools in Beijing, Paris, Florence and Guanajuato.

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Spring Festival in China this week

For the first three weeks of their stay, the seven students in Beijing will be on vacation from school for the Spring Festival, said Donna Fong, the Chinese exchange coordinator.

Having left last Friday, senior Elias Menninger and six South seniors are in Beijing on the Newton-Jingshan exchange with South special ed teacher Kristin Kamerick and South science teacher Amy Richard.

“After celebrating with their host families for a few days, they will take a 10-day trip to other parts of China during the vacation,” Fong said.

Then, students will attend school with their hosts, and will take classes “specifically for the group,”, including brush painting, calligraphy, Chinese language, geography and history, hand crafts and martial arts, Fong said.

They will also take regular Jingshan classes with their host siblings, including politics, English language, math and science.

While in Beijing, students will visit the Summer Palace, the Great Wall and the Forbidden City among other places, Fong said.

Students will return on May 23.

The Jingshan host siblings were here for the first semester.

Classes, excursions for students in France

In Paris, students on the French exchange will go to school every day and visit sites, including the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower and museums in the afternoons, said French teacher Fiona Blyth, the chaperone.

They will attend morning classes at Ecole Massillon with their hosts during the first week, Blyth said. She said they will also go on excursions, including one to Versailles.

After one week of classes, students will have two weeks of vacation, which they will spend with their families in the Alps, on the Atlantic Coast or in the South, she said.

Audrey Wittrup

Scavenger hunt: Juniors Camilla Shearman and Hannah Howcroft enjoy a treat at a café at the Place de la Contrescarpe after going on a scavenger hunt throughout Paris during the French exchange last year.

“There will also be a visit to Normandy, where we will see the D-Day beaches and visit the war memorial in Caen,” Blyth said.

Blyth said the group of 13 students will leave Saturday. Math teacher Vu Ha will be there for the first week.

There will be another week of school after the vacation.

Massillon students will be here from April 4-April 23. Those who are interested in being host families for the French students may contact Blyth on the school email system.

Liceo Gramsci to be home base in Italy

On the Italian exchange, students will get to see the sights in Florence and visit surrounding towns, said Laura Sweeney, a teacher of Italian.

She will be chaperone of 11 students with history teacher David Bedar. The group leaves for Florence Saturday, Feb.

14.

The students will remain in Florence for four weeks, the first of which will be during the Italian students’ vacation. Then, students will attend three full weeks of school, she said.

Students will be attending the Liceo Gramsci in Italy from Monday to Saturday, Sweeney said.

“After we have finished at school for the day, we will spend our afternoons and evenings seeing the sights,” she said.

There will also be trips to Venice and to Rome, Sweeney said.

“My hope is that students will develop a lifelong connection with Italy,” she said.

Italian students who are hosting will be coming here next September, she said.

Group in Mexico to visit pyramids, stay in Guanajuato

For the first time since 2005, students will be going to Guanajuato, Mexico for an exchange, said world language depart-

ment head Nancy Marrinucci.

She is chaperoning the trip with Emilio Mazzola,a teacher of Italian.

“The last time we were going to go in 2007, there weren’t enough applicants,” she said.

“We are happy to be going back this year.”

Saturday, nine students will fly to Mexico City, where they will stay for two days.

“They will be visiting the pyramids at Teotihuacan and taking a tour of Mexico City,” Marrinucci said.

In Guanajuato, students will live with host families, she said.

They will spend part of the day with their host students at the sister school, the Escuela del Nivel Medio Superior de Guanajuato.

The group will return February 27, and the students from Mexico will be here from March 28 to April 16.

French class runs drive for school in Burkina Faso MARENA COLE ELLEN SARKISIAN Notebooks, pencils, pens and shoes along with about $500 will go to a school in Yako, Burkina Faso, French teacher Fiona Blyth said.

Blyth’s AP French class is running a drive to collect supplies and raise money.

“Our program was inspired by the students of our sister school, Massillon, in Paris,” she said.

They raised funds to build the first agricultural school in Kipoula, in northern Burkina Faso, she said.

Last year, students who participated in the exchange and students of French chose to help the Municipal of Seguédin in Yako, a small village several hours from Ouagadougou, the capital, Blyth said.

“The teachers and students in this school desperately need school supplies and help,” she said.

“Part of our civic responsibility is to the global community,” Blyth said. “The students have worked very hard with bake BY

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sales and selling chocolates to raise money for the school.”

Senior Eden Dotan, a member of the class, said she got the idea to send supplies to the school after participating in the French exchange program last year.

“We saw how hard the country is pushing for better education and wanted to help once we got back,” Dotan said.

“This year, we got the idea rolling in class.

“Since December, we’ve raised more than $500.”

Blyth said students are creating a club to continue the partnership with the school.

“As most of the students in the AP class are seniors, we are looking for underclassmen to continue this next year,” Blyth said.

People interested in donating supplies or money can contact the students through Barry house, said senior Harrison Keyes, a member of the class.

courtesy Fiona Blyth

Schoolroom: Notebooks, pencils and other school supplies will go to the children in the Municipal de Seguédin in Yako.

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Ja

Around the worl

Spices enliven meals in this school commun

Paprika essential to Hungarian cuisine PETER SZABÓ hicken with paprika, beef with paprika, eggs with paprika, beef stew with paprika, potatoes with paprika, rice with paprika, lamb with paprika and sausage with paprika.

In the Hungarian cuisine, paprika is an essential ingredient.

The Ottoman Turks introduced paprika during the height of their occupation during the 16th and 17th centuries, beginning in 1522 under the rule of Suleiman. After the occupation ended, paprika slowly replaced pepper, sage, rosemary, marjoram and horseradish as the chief spice, according to my mother, Monica Szabó.

“The Hungarian cuisine is well known throughout Europe,” she said.

“It is easily recognizable if you are being served a meal that has Hungarian paprika because it has a distinct, sweet taste and vivid color.”

Hungarian paprika is the most famous type of paprika in the world, according to my mother.

“No other place has the same sweet and strikingly red type of paprika,” she said.

My mother described several types of Hungarian paprika.

“Kalocsa paprika is from the town of Kalocsa and it is a sweet, colorful type of paprika, which is ideal for making meals like chicken paprika (paprikás)—chicken with paprika sauce.

Szeged regular paprika is from the town of Szeged and has a deeper, browner color than the Kalocsa paprika. It also has a stronger taste.

This type of paprika is ideal for making gulyás, a soup that is made with paprika, beef, vegetables and other spices.

There is also a hot variant of Hungarian paprika, called Szeged hot. It is ideal for making lecsó, a stew made from sausage, paprika and tomatoes. The hot paprika is also used in one of Hungary’s most famous stews, “halászlé.” This stew is made with a type of fish called carp along with vegetables and hot paprika. ungarians also like to use paprika as a condiment. When it is ground into a powder, Hungarians sprinkle it on eggs, meat, soup, sandwiches, and cold and hot dishes. They also make it into a paste and use it to enhance the flavor of sandwiches.

Paprika is a national symbol, my mother said. The paprika is used as decoration in kitchens, it is painted onto pottery, it is depicted on clothing and bedding, and it is even painted on folk furniture.

The deep, red color of paprika is commonly used in almost all folk decorations.

Real, dried paprikas are also placed on a string and hung in the kitchen.

Mealtime is important for Hungarians and traditional Hungarian meals have several courses.

Lunch is the most important meal of the day and cooked food is usually served at lunch.

In the evening, Hungarians usually eat sandwiches with small salads and fruit on the side.

Most main meals begin with a soup course. The soup course can either have a hot, salty soup or a cold sweet soup such as sour cherry soup.

The main course in a Hungarian meal is substantial, such as chicken with creamy paprika sauce (paprikás) and a salad. Hungarian salads are not at all like the salads BY

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in the United States. They do not contain lettuce. Instead they are made with cut up vegetables and served with various types of dressing.

Dessert is the final course in a Hungarian meal. It usually consists of espresso coffee and some kind of sweet or salty pastry.

An example of a salty pastry is sós stangli, a dough coated with egg, salt and either cheese or caraway seed and baked for a brief amount of time.

An example of a typical sweet pastry is kremes (creamy), a cake made out of heavy cream, egg and sugar that has a thin piece of dough on the top and the bottom.

Hungarians make a wide variety of cakes, which rival Viennese and French pastries.

This tradition has its roots in the AustriaHungary Empire.

One of the most famous Hungarian cakes is gerbeaud. It is a cake made with a ground nut and apricot jam filling, topped with a layer of chocolate. People are able to buy the orginal Hungarian gerbeaud in an elegant coffeehouse called “Gerbeaud” in the downtown section of Budapest. It is the place where this pastry was served for the first time. lthough the Hungarian cuisine is diverse, paprika dominates the Hungarian diet and is a spice that one is sure to encounter when eating in a Hungarian restaurant or a Hungarian family.

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Hungarian Lescó

Ingredients ◆9 yellow, red and green peppers ◆3-4 mid-sized tomatoes ◆1 large onion ◆oil ◆½ pound of sausage ◆hot paprika and salt Directions 1) Brown the onion in oil.

2) Cut up the peppers into rings and add them to the onion.

3) Add the diced tomatoes.

4) Add the hot paprika and salt.

5) Add the sausage in circular slices.

6) Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.

Chicken Paprika

Ingredients ◆2 chicken breasts ◆1 green pepper (diced) ◆1 medium onion (diced) ◆1 small tomato (diced) ◆6 ounces of sour cream ◆1 teaspoon of sweet Kalosca paprika. ◆1 tablespoon of flour ◆salt ◆oil ◆a pinch of caraway seeds Directions 1) Brown the diced onions with the diced peppers in oil.

2) Add the cut chicken along with diced tomatoes, and sprinkle with one teaspoon of paprika, a pinch of caraway seeds and salt.

3) Brown for five minutes.

4) After browning, add water until done.

5) Make a base of one tablespoon of flour with the sour cream and add to the chicken mixture.

6) Cook for one minute or until mixture boils.

7) Serve with homemade pasta and cucumber salad.

Paprika: Freshman Pete Szabó adds heat to a dish with paprika, a traditional Hun

courtesy Pete Szabó

an. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆9

ld

Allspice, ginger, mustard part of mixture that goes with shrimp

nity

JAY KRIEGER ustav Brunn created Old Bay seasoning when he immigrated to Baltimore from Germany in 1939, said Leslie Lindle in consumer affairs at McCormick & Co. By combining allspice, bay laurel leaves, black pepper, cardamon, celery salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, mustard, paprika, pimento and red pepper, he created Old Bay. He first used his seasoning by sprinkling it on blue crabs native to the Chesapeake Bay, according to McCormick & Co. While Brunn originally created the combination to spice fish, crabs and shrimp, my father has applied it to other dishes such as chicken, coleslaw, eggs, soups and vegetables.

When my father, Jeff Krieger, is cooking seafood, he always includes Old Bay in his recipes.

“I first learned about Old Bay in Maryland in the context of cooking seafood, specifically crab, which is a specialty of the region,” he said.

“I enjoy the heat imparted by the black and red pepper.

“But it doesn’t have the bitter after-taste BY

“In addition to the heat, it has a slightly sweet and smoky flavor that I enjoy with seafood.”

One dish he prepares is shrimp.

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Boiled shrimp

Jay Krieger

Old Bay: Parent Jeff Krieger prepares boiled shrimp. that I associate with black pepper.

Ingredients: ◆4 quarts of water ◆2 peeled carrots ◆2 stalks of celery ◆1 quartered onion Puloma Ghosh ◆2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning. ◆1 pound of deveined and shelled shrimp ◆juice of ½ lemon Directions 1. Add water to a stockpot and bring it to a boil.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion and seasoning to the stockpot. Let mixture boil for 20 minutes.

3. Add shrimp and lemon juice.

4. Let the shrimp cook for three to four minutes until they turn pink.

5. Immediately stop the cooking process by transferring the shrimp to a bowl of ice cubes.

6. Serve the chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce.

Green chilli enhances Indian dishes

MATT KALISH ari mirchi—known as green chilli peppers in this country—is a common ingredient in Indian dishes, especially curry, said junior Prateek Allapur, who was born in Hyderabad, India.

“Most Indian food is very spicy, and adding hari mirchi is an easy way to turn a bland dish to something you’ll never forget,” Prateek said.

Cooks often put hari mirchi powder in the pan along with the oil, adding a base flavor to the entire dish, he said.

“If you order a chicken dish in India, it is guaranteed to have hari mirchi, either sprinkled on top or embedded in the flavor,” he said.

“Hari mirchi is so popular in India because it is such a versatile spice. With the exception of sweets, hari mirchi can be found in almost any Indian food.”

Allapur’s mother, Swapna Allapur, recommended an Indian chutney, in which she said the fresh flavors are a treat.

“You can use it to stuff a whole fish, as a condiment for grilled fish, grilled chicken or as a simple topping for rice,” she said.

“If you use the six green chillies it calls for, the sauce is quite hot, though the coconut softens the impact of the chillies.”

Traditionally the chutney is made using a mortar and a pestle, she said. But this recipe is one case where a food processor is not only easier, but also does just as good a job of reducing the ingredients to a salsa texture, she said.

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Indian Chutney

Ingredients ◆2 cups coriander leaves and stems ◆6 green cayenne chillies, coarsely chopped ◆6 to 10 medium garlic cloves, chopped

Prateek Allapur

Hari mirchi: Swapna Allapur, mother of junior Prateek Allapur, adds green chilies to spice up her meal.

3) Briefly grind the cumin seeds with a ◆2 teaspoons minced ginger or ginger mashed to a paste ◆1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut ◆1 teaspoon cumin seeds ◆3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice ◆1 teaspoon sugar ◆1 teaspoon salt, or to taste Directions 1) Place the coriander, chillies, garlic and ginger in a food processor and process to a paste.

2) Add the coconut. Transfer to a bowl.

mortar and a pestle or a spice/coffee grinder not to a powder, but to crush them a little.

Then add to the chile mixture.

4) Stir in the lime or lemon juice, sugar and salt. Then taste for salt and adjust as necessary.

5) Serve immediately, or refrigerate covered until ready to serve. The chutney will keep for about four days in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator.

Cayenne peppers make soups special

ngarian spice.

courtesy Pete Szabó

Paprika: The strikingly red spice is a symbal of Hungaria. It comes in a variety of flavors, some sweet and some extremely hot.

Puloma Ghosh

JAY KRIEGER ayenne peppers can be ground into a powder or left whole. The shell of the pepper can be filled with meat, chicken or fish to make a stuffed pepper dish.

Cayenne peppers are also tastey in soups.

“Okra soup is a popular dish of Southeastern Nigeria,” said history teacher Isongesit Ibokette.

“How spicy the soup is depends on how many cayenne peppers the cook decides to put in.

“The peppers add heat to the dish. The soup is usually served with pounded yams, pounded manioc or garri, also know as foo BY

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Okra Soup

Nigeria

foo, which is similar to rolled up mashed potatoes.

It can be made with any type of meat or fish, including crayfish, he said.

Puloma Ghosh Ingredients ◆1 pound chopped okra ◆chopped pumpkin leaves or spinach ◆2-3 pounds of pre-cooked fish or meat ◆1 onion bulb chopped up ◆fresh tomato (optional) ◆1 or 2 cayenne peppers, depending on desired spice ◆2 cups ground crayfish Directions: 1) Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil then add ingredients, making sure the okra is added last.

2) Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, at regular intervals.

arts

10 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Winning essays ICE CREAM & RESTAURANT

about modern heroes who embody Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spirit

She withstood Nazis, helped save lives VERONICA SLABICKI ver since I was a baby, the glowing face of Izabella Lipinska has hovered over me, and her calm, waterlike voice has trickled into my ears.

Babica Iza, “Grandma Iza” as I call her, is the closest thing I have ever had to a grandmother even though we are not actually related.

In Polish, the expression przyszywana or “sewn on” is reserved for those individuals to whom you are so emotionally bound that they could just as well be your family.

She has been a prominent player throughout my life, caring for me, teaching me and loving me like her own granddaughter.

I have always admired Iza’s oratorical ease, the way she tells stories and expresses her ideas in a way that compels her listeners. As a child, my favorite stories were the humorous tales of k_amczuch, “the liar,” composed on the spot by my Babica Iza. Izabella wanted to teach me good morals through her tales, and she herself always exhibited humor, virtue and kindness towards everyone.

Only recently did I discover the unique acts that truly classify her as a hero, and now Izabella amazes me even more.

In the Warsaw, Poland of World War II, Izabella was a young girl trying to live a normal life. Her reality, however, was contrary to normalcy. She remembers the streets of her childhood as filled with the fear of cold, shiny machine guns punishing disobedience with a symphony of shots.

Blood-painted buildings lined the city, and an air of grief hung above people’s heads. Daily, Nazis herded Jews like worthless livestock to incarcerate them in ghettos and concentration camps.

The Poles were also regarded with disdain, and the Nazis did not hold back when the opportunity arose to kill them.

Poland was the only country where feeding, housing and even giving water to Jews was punishable by death.

In spite of the danger, the desperately hungry Jews began to permeate the barrier, digging passages under the walls and squeezing their emaciated children through them.

Several skeletal children with hope set deep in their eyes appeared at Izabella’s door. They were hungry, filthy, ill-clothed and had lice in their hair, but instead of sending them away, Izabella and her grandmother devised a plan to sneak as much food into the ghetto as possible. hile her grandmother washed the children, cut their hair, and gave them new clothing, Iza would gouge out the fluffy inner portion of bread with her hand and fill it with lard. Her grandmother explained that the pig’s fat would satiate more people than the bread alone. At the next interval free of patrol, the Jews would return to their dank world of confinement.

As the occupation progressed, the Nazis decided to limit the education of the Polish youth and only allowed them to study at vocational schools to become future bakers, blacksmiths or carpenters. The Poles, however, continued to resist and sent their children to schools that met in secret.

Izabella’s school was relocated to an apartment building near the ghetto. She used this opportune location to aid the Jews and on several occasions during lunch breaks, Izabella hastily pushed loaves of lard-filled bread through the holes underneath the walls.

She was afraid to be caught and killed for her acts, but her upbringing told her to overcome this fear so that she could BY

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—Anthony J. D’Angelo, Author

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courtesy Veronica Slabicki

Izabella Lipinska

help others. Thanks to her compassion and struggle, the great void of the Jews’ stomachs was temporarily satisfied, and their suffering was alleviated.

Mr. Kakowski, Izabella’s father who belonged to the underground army of Warsaw, also had a strong influence on the girl.

Iza knew that her father was involved in publishing and illegally distributing a Polish gazette free of Nazi propaganda, and she quickly caught on to the importance of opposing the Nazis. ne morning as Mr. Kakowski was leaving the house, the young Izabella rushed out to say goodbye to her father. In the street several Nazi officers were milling about idly. Mr.Kakowski froze. e knew that if the papers were discovered, he would surely be killed.

The Nazis began to approach, officially marching in his direction, clutching their weapons.

With only a split second left before their arrival, Iza agilely and discretely slipped her hand into her father’s pocket, produced the papers and ran away.

She watched from a safe place as the Nazis body searched her father, turning his every pocket inside out only to encounter a few meager crumbs.

Mr. Kakowski stood gaping in utter disbelief as the officers marched off, and still shaking from fear, he encountered Iza around the corner.

She waved the gazettes in the air and tenderly placed them back into his pocket.

Because of her courage, the Poles could continue to be notified about the progress of the resistance and be encouraged to oppose the injustice of the Nazis.

This year in English class, we read and discussed the masterful speeches of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and based on his heroism we were asked to write about a person who in some way embodies King’s character.

Izabella Lipinksa reminds me of Rev. Martin Luther King because she, too, stood against injustice and used her powerful speech and eloquence in many situations. he is a truly formidable person whose cleverness, courage and selfless acts saved her father and helped starving Jews during the World War II. She holds a truly special place in my heart because of her kindness, her loving nature and her constant positive outlook on life despite the horrors she has lived through.

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arts

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11

Honorable mentions Nourin Alsharif, Daniel Anderson, Derek Butteton, Michelle Craman, Robert Dalton, Rebecca Harris, Myles Kamisher-Koch, John MacGaffey, Christina Pressley, Jake Rosenthal and Katelyn York.

Gaby Peretz-Dietz

Contest winners: Sophomores Tatiana Froelich, Veronica Slabicki and Ramzy Kahhale read their essays in a schoolwide assembly in Lasker Auditorium Thursday, Jan. 15. Excerpts appear on these pages.

Grandfather risked his all in Lebanese war I RAMZY KAHHALE f you ever looked into my grandfather’s warm face, you probably would not see a hero from the start.

But if you felt the determination in his eyes and understood the care and compassion that are ever-present in his glimmering expressions, you would see a hero.

A hero can be determined by a person’s unwavering perseverance and courage to do what is morally right. Heroes always summon the bravery to take initiative in difficult times, even if it requires risking their lives.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. risked his life to protest against the unethical racial discrimination that existed throughout the United States, and Rev. King, therefore, is regarded as a hero for being an exceptional, courageous and determined leader.

Similarly, my grandfather William Skaff was a hero because much like Rev. King, he was selfless and fearless in risking his own life to give assistance to others less fortunate than he. During times of war and destruction, his actions had a major impact on the people he helped in Lebanon.

In addition, his example of high morals and strong values guides my actions and understanding about helping people

less fortunate than I, no matter what the situation.

The Lebanese Civil War in 1975 began in a time of chaos and destruction that lasted for about 15 years. My grandfather along with my grandmother, my mother and my two uncles, lived in a small apartment in the heart of the capital, Beirut.

Unfortunately, Beirut was where most of the bombing and demolition occurred, which made every day life exceedingly dangerous for everyone. Just going to the grocery store to do your daily shopping was a perilous ordeal because of the constant threats of sniper attacks and bomb shelling. adly, this left many with no food, shelter or comfort, and this is where my grandfather comes in.

Every day, rain or shine, he drove to his restaurant, situated about five miles from his house, and often he would bring his wife and sometimes even his children to help him.

Once he arrived at his establishment, he opened it and began cooking meals for anyone who came seeking food and shelter.

Since he was only the manager of the restaurant, not the owner, he had to pay for all the meals he prepared from his

own pocket, but that never bothered him because of his kind heart and strong sense of compassion. Because he welcomed in all who needed food and shelter, his restaurant was no longer a business, but rather a public kitchen where anyone could come and have a decent meal in a time of war.

Every second he spent in that restaurant he risked his life, but he was fully aware of that. family photo At any moment, a William gunman could have enSkaff tered the kitchen and shot everyone present, or a bomb could have exploded outside his restaurant, obliterating the entire building along with the innocent, starving individuals inside.

Regardless of this danger, my grandfather continued to provide meals because he knew it was the right thing to do for the community, and he felt obligated to remain at work, even during the war. e was not forced to continue to work, nor was he rewarded by anyone. He merely did it out of the goodness of his heart, and believing that this was something that needed to be

done. That, to me, defines a hero.

My grandfather’s compassionate acts during a time of war are equivalent to Rev. King’s admirable acts during the somber periods of segregation because both men risked their lives and did not expect rewards for their honorable efforts. My grandfather helped a devastated community by providing food and shelter for many who had lost their homes and loved ones.

Rev. King also helped his community, despite the unceasing murder and bomb threats made to him and his family.

Both men remained calm and strong during times of crisis. Both did what was right, despite the possibly fatal consequences. If you ever observed my grandfather as he walked to his restaurant, you’d definitely see a hero.

And if you ever talked with him while he served the needy, ever heard his witty and comical voice that had a soft undertone of tenderness and care, yet pronounced each word with a powerful assertion, you’d know he was a hero. n my eyes, his willpower, strong character and sense of responsibility made him an everyday hero, and I will always remember, respect and honor him for that, just as I do Rev. King.

TATIANA FROEHLICH As I said the word ‘extremist,’ a terrible explosion rocked the truck.

First the sound, then the light, then the glass smashing, then the deadly silence followed by horrible screams. I knew it was a bomb.”

These are Benazir Bhutto’s words in her book, “Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West,” describing what happened October 18, 2007, the day of her return to Pakistan from exile in Dubai on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula.

Sadly, this was a terrorist attack meant to assassinate her. What stopped her from getting killed was the tremendous crowd of more than 3 million people maverickpakistanis.com welcoming her home.

Benazir More than 50 of these supporters were young Bhutto men who had been holding hands to make a human shield around Bhutto’s bulletproof truck, and therefore the bomb did not kill Bhutto. However, it and other devices killed 179 innocent supporters, including all the brave young men willing to die if it meant Bhutto would still live.

The reason so many people had come to welcome Bhutto on her return was that she represented democracy. The people had suffered from their government. It was a

dictatorship controlled by the military and General Pervez Musharraf. They wanted justice, freedom, equality and opportunity, and this was what democracy offered.

Bhutto represented a strong woman leader who fought wholeheartedly for the belief that democracy, modernization and women’s rights were, in essence, compatible with Islam. The way she undertook this is what made her a true hero.

She became one of the youngest chief executives of the world in 1988 when she was first elected as prime minister of Pakistan. She was 35.

On top of that, she was the first and still the only woman ever to have led an Islamic country.

What helped her succeed in this role was that she came from a family involved in politics for generations.

Her grandfather, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, launched the Sindh United Party and its newspaper in the 1920s under British rule.

Her father, Zulfikar Alli Bhutto, created the Pakistan People’s Party, which she later led, and had been prime minister before being assassinated April 4, 1979. n 1990, after only 20 months as prime minister, the Pakistani president unexpectedly removed Benazir Bhutto from office for supposed corruption. This did not stop her.

Again, she ran in the 1993 elections, was re-elected, and another president removed her for the same alleged reasons in

1996. Again, this did not stop her. either did the exile she was sent to in 1998. Even though she stayed in Dubai for eight years, and despite extremists who manipulated the interpretation of Islam to pretend there was no way Islam and democracy could work together, her devotion to Pakistan and her belief that Islam and democracy actually do go together kept her going.

During Bhutto’s exile, she was able to convince the Pakistani president that her actions were meant only for good will, and she came to an agreement with him. All corruption charges against her were lifted, and she was allowed to run in the elections for prime minister yet again. This is how she decided to return to Pakistan.

She knew there was going to be an extremely high risk of a terrorist attack, and that some people absolutely hated what she stood for, but she believed that doing what was right for Pakistan was her absolute priority, which came first even above her husband, her three children and her life. Her dream for Pakistan overruled all her other priorities, and she was willing to sacrifice anything for it.

Indeed, her return did result in a terrorist attack, but she survived it and continued her campaign for prime minister a third time. Unfortunately, as expected, the terrorists did not give up and attacked again December 27, 2007.

This attack succeeded. Benazir Bhutto

was assassinated, and the world was in shock. All hope was lost.

It was absolutely devastating— so much so that even President Musharraf ordered three days of mourning.

What she represented to the people and what she fought for was a real future of opportunities. That all went away in just a few hours.

However, everything she did and the way she fought to make the world a better place made people see what a single person was capable of. There was now proof that a woman in an Islamic culture could be just as powerful as a man.

She showed that you should never stop doing what you believe is right. Nothing was able to stop her, until death.

The same was true for Rev. Martin Luther King. He never stopped trying to eliminate segregation. He didn’t stop when he was sent to jail. He didn’t stop when people were trying to convince him to wait. He didn’t stop when he was being called an extremist.

If you want change, you simply can’t give up.

Neither King’s color, Bhutto’s gender nor other people’s criticism stopped them from doing what they believed was needed to make the world a better place for everyone. his quality of perseverance is one that inspires and brings change. It is the true quality of a hero.

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Benazir Bhutto fought for democracy in Pakistan BY

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12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

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car·bon mon·ox·ide

car·bon mon·ox·ide car·bon mon·ox·ide mon·ox·ide car·bon 1: a flammable odorless very toxic/poisonous gas used to manufacture chemical products; it is also present in the exhaust gases of internal-combustion engines and furnaces 2: an ingredient in cigarettes

1: a The flammable odorless very toxic/poisonous used to best way to handle smoking is to nevergas start. manufacture chemical products; it is also present in the 1: a flammable odorless very toxic/poisonous gas used exhaust gases of internal-combustion engines and to 1: a flammable odorless very toxic/poisonous gas used to manufacture chemical products; it is also present in the furnaces 2: an ingredient in cigarettes manufacture chemical products; it is also present exhaust gases of internal-combustion engines and in the The best way to handle smoking is to never start. exhaust gases2:ofaninternal-combustion furnaces ingredient in cigarettes engines and furnaces 2: an ingredient in cigarettes

The best way to handle isfind tohelp. never start.

If you do smoke and wantsmoking to quit, you can The best way handle smoking is to never start.

Talk to to your school nurse or doctor.

You can find more information about smoking and quitting on our web site www.nwh.org and through The American Society at The best way to handle smoking isCancer to never start. www.cancer.org, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at If you do smoke and want toat quit, you can find help. www.cdc.gov/tobacco, and www.gottaquit.com.

Talk to your school nurse or doctor.

You can find more information about smoking and quitting on our web site www.nwh.org and through The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/tobacco, and at www.gottaquit.com.

If you do smoke and want to quit, you can find help.

Talk to and your school nurse oryou doctor.

If you do smoke want to quit, can find help.

You can find more information about smoking and quitting on our web Talk to your school nurse or doctor. site www.nwh.org and through The American Cancer Society at You canwww.cancer.org, find more information about smoking quitting on Centers for Disease Controland and Prevention atour web If you do smoke and want to quit, you can find help. site www.nwh.org and through The American Cancer Society at www.cdc.gov/tobacco, and at www.gottaquit.com.

Talk toCenters your school nurse or doctor. www.cancer.org, for Disease Control and Prevention at You can find more information about smoking and quitting on our web www.cdc.gov/tobacco, and at www.gottaquit.com. site www.nwh.org and through The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/tobacco, and at www.gottaquit.com.

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

sports

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Moving along on the ice Senior belongs to synchronized team MEREDITH ABRAMS enior Melanie Greene is competing with the Lexettes, a synchronized skating team.

Synchro routines must have five basic elements: circle, block, intersection, line and wheels. Also, they have moves in the field and moves in isolation.

Her team, which is based at the Hayden Recreation Center in Lexington, may represent the United States in the Junior World Challenge Cup in March, Greene said.

She also said the Lexettes will go to Rouen, France this Tuesday and spend a week representing the United States in the French Cup Competition.

“It’s an experience that I’ll remember all my life,” Greene said.

She began skating when she was 5, taking group lessons. She has spent six years doing synchronized skating and joined the Lexettes last year.

Now, she said, she practices six days a week, with the shortest practice lasting an hour and the longest three and a half.

Balancing school with skating can be a challenge, she said.

“Some days, I leave for practice from school, and I don’t get back home until 8 or 9 at night,” she said. “That’s when I have to start my homework.

“My friends have learned what a big commitment it is, and they understand when I tell them I’m busy skating. They’re very supportive and always ask to come watch me skate.”

Greene said skating has taught her how to manage her time.

“It has also taught me how to cooperate with others, smile through pain and deal with something I may not like,” she said.

“I travel all the time to skate. I’ve traveled to BY

Local rinks open ◆Reilly Memorial Rink 335 Chestnut Hill Ave. (617) 277-7822 ◆Waltham Rink 295 Totten Pond Road (781) 314-3474 ◆Daly Memorial Rink Nonantum Road (617) 527-1741 ◆Jim Roche Community Rink 1255 VFW Parkway (617) 323-9512 ◆ Fe s s e n d e n School Rink Fessenden Lane (617) 636-2393

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courtesy Melanie Greene

In the Lexettes: Senior Melanie Greene, farthest to the right in the middle row, glides across the ice with her teammates.

Georgia, South Carolina, Michigan, New York, and Colorado for competitions.”

Greene said her least favorite parts of synchro are the early mornings and the temperature.

“Wednesdays, I wake up early to skate before school, and the temperature is something you never really get used to,” she said.

But Greene also said her three favorite parts of skating are traveling, competing and being with friends.

“It’s a team sport, so you feel more comfortable on the ice and you don’t feel like everyone is staring at you,” Greene said.

According to her coach Linda Blount, “Melanie is a good performer, very precise, and she works hard. She wants to be good at what she does, so she practices hard.

“She has personal goals, and synchro is getting big. She has a strong commitment to the sport.”

Junior competes in singles freestyle ALICIA ZHAO amille Saint-Saens’ “The Swan” played as 13 ice skaters practiced in waltz time on a Thursday night at the Skating Club of Boston.

One of the less experienced skaters was learning how to do a double jump—often falling during the process—while an advanced student worked on perfecting her spin.

Wearing a tan T-shirt and a pair of black pants, junior Kevin Han wove smoothly among the skaters, practicing his triple jumps when he found a vacant spot on the ice.

“Up, up, up!” his coach Lisa Coppola shouted excitedly from the bleachers.

After completing the jump, Han skated over to Coppola, who commented on the jump and gave him advice for the next one.

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something,” he said.

“If something bad happens, then you can still persevere.”

Alicia Zhao

At the Skating Club of Boston: Junior Kevin Han works out on a recent evening.

Han skates the singles freestyle, which involves spirals, footwork, spins and jumps.

He started at age 7 when his parents signed him up for a class. At first his friend, junior Ryan Kwan, learned with him.

“Our mothers took us to skating lessons at an ice rink, but after a month, I quit,” Kwan said.

“But Kevin really enjoyed it, so he persevered.

He was really good at it, too.”

Han has been in various competitions since then, but no matter how experienced and skilled he may be, problems do occur.

A knee injury he got two years still affects his performance.

Each section of the United States—the East Coast, Midwest and Pacific Coast—has three regional competitions. The top four in each region go on to Sectionals, and the top four in each section go to the national level.

Han placed fourth at the Junior Nationals in 2005 and second in the New England Junior Regionals in 2006.

Training for the 2007 regional competition, Han said, his knee gave out in the middle of a jump, and he also broke his tibia. After Han was carried out on a stretcher, surgeons fixed three screws into his knee.

“It was frustrating because I worked the whole year for that competition and the ones after it, and I got injured. I couldn’t compete any more that year and it’s messed up this year too,” he said.

Nonetheless, Han’s friends said that he did not make a big deal out of the situation.

“I thought the injury would severely affect his life,” said junior Hao-Kai Wu. “But he took it very well. At one point, I forgot he even hurt his knee.”

When Han returned to school, most people didn’t even know about the injury, Kwan said.

“He didn’t want people to feel bad about him,” he said.

Injuries are common in the competitive field

of figure skating, Han said.

“Many skaters get injured a lot because skating is really demanding,” he said.

“When you are jumping and spinning, the repetition of those kinds of movements and actions makes it really hard on the body.

“There are a lot of obstacles that you have to overcome.

“If you’re not good at one element of the sport, then you have to practice at it. Or if you get injured, then you have to come back from the injury.”

As a male figure skater, Han said, he also hears about how skating is a “girly sport.”

“Most people perceive skating to be like a ballerina dancing on ice,” Han said. “I get that a lot, but it’s not like that.”

While skating has its artistic elements, it also requires a great amount of athletic ability, he said.

According to Han, skating in time to the music and preparing a program are the main artistic aspects of figure skating. Everything else, such as jumping and spinning, relies on athletic capability.

“Not everything is graceful although you try to be as smooth as you can,” he said.

Han’s friends said they admire his attitude.

“I’m proud of him,” Kwan said.

Currently, Han has almost recovered from his injury and said he expects to compete in the coming season.

“I can’t do everything again,” he said. “But I can do close to everything.”

At the Skating Club of Boston, Han is learning different trip jumps and a new program with his coach, Coppola, who has been his coach for five years and has been a coach for the past 23.

Han said he’s practicing eight hours a week, but not all practices run smoothly.

Still, he said, he sets goals and strives to improve.

“I learned how to put hard work into

sports

14 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Swimmers prepare for league meet JEREMY GURVITS Boys’ swimming will bring its 6-0 record to the Bay State Conference Championship Meet in Brookline Wednesday and Thursday.

“We are the only undefeated team in the conference,” said coach Amy Richard. “We are Bay State Conference champions, but every team in the conference will be competing at the BSC at once so every conference team will be competitive.”

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Newton North became the Bay State Conference champions for the second time in a row, Richard said.

“As far as I know, no other Newton North swimming and diving team has repeated as conference champions,” Richard said.

Senior Luke Alie, a co-captain with senior Elias Menninger, said the Tigers’ strength is in their numbers.

“In past years we’ve relied

heavily on one or two people, but we have a lot of people this year who have picked it up and who have done a lot of off-season work,” Alie said.

Friday, Jan. 16, the Tigers won at Wellesley 94-90 in a “very competitive meet,” Richard said.

Senior Dong-Yeop Shin took second in both the 50 and 100yard freestyle “against a very strong competion,” Richard said.

In the 200-yard freestyle, se-

nior John Heilbron took first and Alie took second, Richard said.

Tuesday, Jan. 20 in Needham, the Tigers won the Bay State Conference championship 100.5-85.5, when they beat the Needham Rockets.

“Both teams were undefeated going into this meet,” she said.

“That brings with it a sort of heightened consciousness. Both teams knew that whoever walked out as winners in that meet would win the conference title.”

The Tigers swept Needham

Tigers, 4-1, get set for State Coaches Meet

in diving with sophomore Taylor McDade placing first, junior Austin Su placing second and freshman Curran Ferrey placing third.

Shin came in first in the breaststroke and butterfly, said Richard.

Menninger placed second, junior Aidan Breen finished fourth and senior Francis Neem finished fifth. Each player dropped two seconds, which is an “unheard of amount in that event,” said Richard.

Coach cites leadership on girls’ indoor track JOSH BAKAN Girls’ indoor track, 4-1, has a large number of leaders, coach Joe Tranchita said.

“We start with our captains,” Tranchita said, referring to seniors Michelle Kaufman and Carolyn Ranti.

“Work ethic is one of our main strengths. All the kids really bring their own passion and desire to be the best they can be.”

The Tigers have a lot of raw talent in their distance runners, Kaufman said.

Tomorrow, the Tigers will go to the State Coaches Meet.

“It doesn’t count toward our record, so it’s a really good meet,” said Kaufman.

In preparation for the meet, the Tigers have “been working on a lot of technical things and muscle toning,” she said. “We’re facing very good competition.”

Sunday, the Tigers will go to the State Coaches Elite Meet and compete with the top 24 teams in New England.

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Teddy Wenneker

“Long jump, high jump, hurdles and the 800 will be our main focal points,” Tranchita said.

“We also want to emphasize speed, which has been a chore for us this season.”

Wednesday the Tigers will face major competition from Natick at the Bay State Conference Interdivision Meet, Tranchita said.

“Natick is a very talented and well balanced team,” she said. “They’ll be a very big challenge.”

Kaufman noted that Natick’s shot put and 300-meter events are particularly strong.

The Tigers will go to the McIntyre Elite Meet Sunday, Feb. 8, which will have the top four state relay teams.

“We always place really high in the long jump, high jump and hurdles,” Kaufman said.

In previous meets, Weymouth beat the Tigers 49-37 Thursday, Jan. 22, in the only loss of the season.

“Weymouth had better depth

and more talent,” Tranchita said.

Sophomore Emily Hutchinson finished with a high jump school record at 5 ft., 4 in., sophomore Margo Gillis finished with the best time in the state for the 1,000 at 3:01 and Kaufman had a league best performance in the 55 hurdles in 8.65 seconds and a 50yard dash time of 7.61 seconds.

Saturday, Jan. 17, the Tigers finished second to South at Mass.

State Track Coaches Association State Relays.

The shuttle hurdle team of Kaufman, juniors Emily Denn and Jen Liu and sophomore Amy Ren finished first, as did the sprint medley team of Kaufman, Ranti and sophomore Margo Gillis.

High jump relay finished second, setting a school record of 14 ft., 9 in. with Hutchinson, Ren and freshman Lucia Grigoli.

Kaufman, Kornetsky and Ren set a school record of 47 ft. and 1 and 3/4 inches in. in long jump, which finishing second.

Hurdles: Junior Brittany Jaillet leaps over a hurdle in practice.

Boys indoor track undefeated for 12th straight year

MEREDITH ABRAMS EMMET GREENBURG For the 12th straight year, boys’ indoor track, 5-0, has had an undefeated season.

“We really stepped up and picked up the slack,” said senior Tony Chen, a co-captain with seniors Sam Arsenault and Dan Hamilton.

Arsenault, Chen, Hamilton, junior Ben Kiley and sophomores Ezra Lichtman and Dan Ranti, along with the 4x400 relay team, have qualified for the State Coaches Meet tomorrow.

Arsenault and Chen qualified in the hurdles, Hamilton in the two-mile run, Lichtman in the 100-meter dash and Kiley in the 55-meter dash, Coach Jim Blackburn predicted everyone would do well tomorrow.

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Check out our website every weekday at thenewtonite.com

“They’re good, they have talent, and they work at it,” he said.

In upcoming state meets, the Tigers “just need to work hard, especially for the 4x400 relay,” Blackburn said.

“We need to put in a little more effort to get the results,” he said.

Blackburn said that the middle distance events have improved because people have switched their events to find their strengths.

Sunday, the State Coaches Elite Meet is for the top 24 players who entered the State Coaches Meet.

The Tigers expect to do well in the Bay State Championships Inter-Division Meet Wednesday because they have strong hurdlers, high jumpers and fast runners, Chen said.

Sunday, Feb. 8, the Tigers compete in the McIntyre Elite Meet.

In recent action, the Tigers beat Weymouth Thursday, Jan. 22 49-37 to win the league title.

“We had to prove to ourselves that we could beat them, so the win gave us confidence,” Blackburn said.

The Tigers placed sixth in the Mass. State Track Coaches Association Division 1 Indoor Relays Saturday, Jan. 17.

In the high jump relay of Arsenault, Chen and Kiley combined to clear 17 ft. and seven in.

However, B.C. High’s Corey Thomas, who jumped 6 ft. and 11 in., led his team to victory with 18 feet and 4 and 3/4 in.

In the 4x50-yard shuttle hurdles, the team of seniors Chen, Ethan Goldman, Arsenault and

junior Faisal Mayanja took third in 27.09 behind B.C. High and Brockton.

Thursday, Jan. 15, the Tigers routed Brookline 60-26 in an unexpectedly one-sided victory, Blackburn said.

“We always expected it to be close, and it wasn’t,” he said.

“That’s a surprise, but we don’t want that to make us overconfident.”

Kiley won the 300 in 37.54 seconds and the 55-dash in 6.87 seconds. He also cleared 5 ft. and 7 in to finish second behind Arsenault in the high jump. Arsenault won the 55-hurdles.

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sports

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Captain praises Tigers’ versatility, cites hard-working group

Girls’ gymnastics to host Brookline MEREDITH ABRAMS If girls’ gymnastics, 5-2 Tuesday, can sharpen some of its skills and perform consistently, the Tigers will have a good chance of winning upcoming meets, coach Jim Chin said.

With the addition of sophomore Victoria Mirrer, who was injured but has recovered, the team is regaining strength, Chin said.

Hosting Brookline today the BY

Tigers “don’t expect too much of a challenge,” and hosting DoverSherborn and Medfield Tuesday, the team will have fun because it is a non-league meet, Chin said.

At the Bay State League Championships in Needham Saturday, the Tigers should place “in the top two to three teams,” Chin said.

To be ready for the championships, the Tigers are trying to “put everything we have into a team

effort,” said senior Nevart Varadian, a co-captain with senior Arliene Posno.

“We have athletes who are versatile, and we push each other as much as we can,” Varadian said.

“It’s been a really good season for us, and we want to continue up the ladder,” she said.

Chin cited Mirrer and junior Rani Jakobson as top competitors on the team.

“They are working hard and pushing up their routines, and

they just have a very high skill level,” Chin said.

Friday, Jan. 23 Wellesley beat the Tigers 133.9-132.7 here.

“They just had an excellent lineup on bars that they built up such a lead we couldn’t catch up,” Chin said.

In Needham the Tigers won 129 to 120.9 Tuesday, Jan. 20, and in Walpole they won 130.9-130 Friday, Jan. 16.

The Tigers were to have hosted Braintree Tuesday at home.

Boys to finish their season at Andover ELLIOT RAFF With its final season meet in Andover today, boys’ gymnastics, 0-4, has been showing improvement, coach Steve Chan said.

The combined team from Newton North and South, scored a season best of 113 points at Attleboro Tuesday, Jan. 20.

“As long as we work hard and the young guys step up, we BY

have a chance to beat Andover,” Chan said.

The team suffered a heavy loss early in the season when one of the captains, junior Justice Hedenberg, broke his wrist, Chan said.

Juniors Buzz Cochran and Oleg Kodysh, the other co-captains, have excelled this year, Chan said. Cochran has been

stellar on the parallel bars, and Kodysh has done well on the floor routines, Chan said.

“We have a lot of veterans helping out younger kids, and that’s helping them along,” Hedenberg said.

Also, the newer gymnasts “learn super-fast, so we are matching the level of other teams,” Hedenberg said.

“As a team, we need to get

solid routines, and work on our swings, handstands, and form,” he said.

The Tigers lost to Burlington 141-113 Friday, Jan. 23 Burlington won 141-113 in Burllington.

“We were shorthanded because Justice fractured his thumb, and he was out best all-around competitor,” said Chan.

Tuesday, Jan 20 the Attleboro won 102.3-162.8 in Attleboro.

Shira Bleicher

At practice: Junior Rani Jacobson practices a routine.

Girls’ hockey, 5-4-3, to host Dedham Marauders have strong goalie, but Tigers solid, captain says MEREDITH ABRAMS OLIVIA STEARNS Defense and forward play has improved for girls’ hockey, 5-4-3 Tuesday, coach Bob MacDougall said.

“We’re playing up to our potential, and we’ve got great forward lines and solid defense,” he said. “We are trying to stay focused and be diligent.”

Tomorrow, the Tigers host Dedham, which has a strong goalie, Sarah Mosca, who has been keeping them in games, said senior Morgan Abbott, a co-captain with junior Kim Gillies.

“We have an entire team of solid players, and we’re ready for any game and play to win,” Abbot said.

Hosting Weymouth Wednesday, Abbott said the Tigers hope to defeat the Wildcats for the second time this season.

“Weymouth is not as strong as the rest of the teams we have played, but we certainly can’t go into the game thinking we will win,” she said.

Thursday, the Tigers host South for a game that “has a life of its own because everyone wants bragging rights for the city,” MacDougall said.

Then Saturday, Feb. 7 the Tigers host Wellesley.

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Shira Bleicher

Against Weymouth: Freshman Ryan Fanning races across the ice here against Weymouth Wednesday Jan. 7. The Wildcats won 7-0.

Boys’ hockey to visit Dedham JOSH BAKAN JACOB BRUNELL Despite a 2-11 record, boys’ hockey has been able to keep a positive attitude with the help of the seniors on the team, said coach Thomas Ryan.

“We’ve done a very good job on defense limiting the amount of opportunities opposing teams get near the net,” Ryan said. “We are moving the puck well on the perimeter, but we aren’t getting to the net enough.”

The strongest players on defense have been senior Mike Asaley and juniors Sean Yule and Ben Sauro, Ryan said.

“Asaley was a forward and we switched him to defense,” he said.

“He took a little time to adjust, but he’s moved the puck really well in recent games.”

To win more games, the Tigers need to seize their scoring opportunities, Ryan said.

“The biggest problem is that as a team we haven’t really been able to capitalize on our potential, BY

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and we often lack confidence in pressure situations,” he said. “Offensively, we need to do a better job getting shots on net and capitalizing on good opportunities.”

The Tigers’ next four games are away.

Tomorrow, the Tigers visit Dedham.

“Dedham is usually a good team. We’re going to have to step up our game against them,” said senior Anthony Moscatelli, a captain with seniors Mike Asaley and Pat LeBlanc.

Tuesday, the team visits Weymouth.

“Weymouth is a very strong team,” Moscatilli said. “They beat us by a lot last year.”

Friday, the Tigers visits Wellesley.

“We were able to beat Wellesley last year, but they’re very good this year,” said Moscatelli.

Wednesday, Feb. 11, the Tigers visit Brookline.

“Brookline is a very fast team

and they play very good defense,” said Moscatelli.

In recent action, Natick beat the Tigers 1-0 here Saturday, Jan. 24.

“We moved the puck better than them and out shot them, but I was disappointed in our effort,” Ryan said.

Wednesday, Jan. 21, Framingham won here 6-4.

“The game went back and forth, but their empty net goal put us away,” Moscatelli said.

In Peabody, the Tanners won 6-1 Monday, Jan. 19.

“We put in a very good effort, but Peabody had one dynamic player who we just couldn’t stop, and they took it to us,” said Ryan.

Needham beat the Tigers here 3-1 Saturday, Jan. 17.

“We played with real emotion against Needham, which is something we have tended to lack at times this year, and it showed,” Ryan said.

“It will be challenging because we beat them in States last year by one goal, and they want payback,” MacDougall said.

“We must keep up our speed and take any opportunities we get.

“Wellesley is one of the best teams in the state because they have strong forwards, and their goaltending is much improved.”

Monday, the Tigers and Belmont reached a scoreless tie Belmont after Natick beat the Tigers 3-2 Saturday in Natick.

Saturday, Jan. 17, the Tigers tied Needham here, and tied again while hosting Framingham 2-2 Wednesday, Jan. 21.

“Needham has always been a strong team so we knew it was going to be a hard game,” said Abbott.

“Framingham was our first game of the season and they beat us 5-3, so we were looking for revenge, and I think were satisfied with a tie.”

Monday, Jan. 19 The Tigers beat Walpole 1-0 in their rematch after Walpole had beat them 43, January 3 in Walpole. In the January 19 game, junior Hannah Jellinek got the only goal.

The Tigers were to have visited Braintree Wednesday.

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Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

Tigers aim for .500 season JOSH BAKAN oach John Staulo said the goal of finishing at .500 looks reasonable for the wrestlers.

“Inexperience and lack of determination had been our weaknesses, but kids are starting to gain experience, become better positioned, and improve conditioning,” he said.

“They’re starting to click at this time of year. We can’t let any more matches slip away because of inexperience.

“A .500 record is our goal and it’s certainly attainable.

“They’re all really stepping up at this time. They’ve all been gaining match experience.”

The Tigers, 5-6 Monday, go to an invitational tournament in Methuen, which is in the Merrimack Valley Conference.

“They’re in the toughest wrestling area in the state,” Staulo said.

“It’s just an old style tradition there. Their whole league is very tough with wrestling. The towns always want to one-up each other.”

In Walpole Thursday, the Tigers will face a team that has “been really good in past years.

They have some great determination,” Staulo said.

When the Tigers visit Brookline for a quad-meet Saturday, Feb. 7 against Brookline, Randolph and Malden, the main competition will come from Brookline, Staulo predicted.

“Randolph and Malden are teams we should have the upper hand on if we do all the right things,” he said.

Wednesday Feb. 11, the Tigers finish the regular season at Waltham.

“We like to keep a NewtonWaltham tradition since they moved out of our league,” Staulo said.

“They’re friendly, but they’re always a tough rival.”

The Tigers visited Milton for a quad meet against Milton, Weymouth and Norwood.

Saturday, Jan. 17 the Tigers visited Weymouth for an invitational tournament.

Junior Sam Shames, a captain with seniors Hagai Brandon, Tom Dekel and Jared Forman, finished first in the 103 division.

Forman finished third in the 112.

Junior Alex Talishinski took third at 189. Brandon finished fourth at 145. Junior Alex Westlund finished fifth at 160.

Wednesday, Jan. 21, Natick beat the Tigers 57-14 in Natick.

Shames, Dekel at 152 and junior Kofi Jackson at 125 all had pins, Staulo said.

The Tigers were to have visited Wellesley Tuesday, Jan. 27.

BY

Teddy Wenneker

Jump ball: Junior Greg Kelley and Braintree junior P.J. Douglas go for ball, as senior Matt Berkowitz, Braintree senior Tom Fratto and senior Geoff Woodberry prepare themselves Tuesday. The Wamps defeated the Tigers 61-57.

Boys, 13-1, to start a road stretch MEREDITH ABRAMS ELI DAVIDOW ooking at post-season action for the 19th straight year, boys’ basketball, 13-1, begins a difficult five-game road stretch, coach Paul Connolly said.

“This road trip will really test who we are as a team,” he said.

“It’s going to be an exciting time of year.

“On the road, it’s always a big game.”

To start off, the Tigers visit a solid team in Dedham today, Connolly said.

“As they said from the movie ‘Hoosiers,’ they’ll make us chuck it from the cheap seats,” he said. “They’ll play some good defense.”

In Brockton Sunday, the Tigers anticipate an all-around, good, non-league opponent, Connolly said.

“Brockton plays in the Big Three, which is one of the best conferences in the State,” he said.

“They are a team that’s quick and athletic that can also shoot the ball well.”

According to senior Matt Berkowitz, a co-captain with senior Craig Marriro, the Tigers’ BY

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out-of-conference opponents will be the major threats to their perfect record.

“They are usually some of the tougher teams in the state,” he said.

Lack of experience may be Weymouth’s Achilles heel hosting the Tigers Tuesday, Connolly said.

“They’re not having the best year,” he said. “They’ve graduated a lot of guys from last year, but it will still be hard to play them on the road.”

Wellesley junior Evan Kulac will lead the Raiders’ offense when they host the Tigers Friday, Feb. 6, Connolly said.

Ending their regular season here against Needham, Thursday, Feb. 12, the Tigers should have a game that will prepare them well for the post-season, Connolly said.

Hard workers who are contributing to the Tigers’ success are junior Courtney Wornum-Parker, a guard and forward, and sophomore Tevin Falzon, a forward, Berkowitz said.

“Both of these guys are coming off the bench and providing the team minutes,” he said. “They’ve

contributed in crunch time.

“Courtney is a guy who can crash the glass, and Tevin is a great rebounder.”

Tuesday, Braintree defeated the Tigers 61-57 for the first time this season at home.

“It was hard for our guys to battle against Newton’s big guys, but we fought hard,” said Braintree coach Bob Crook.

“We knew if we didn’t play our hardest, we’d be embarrassed.”

Crook cited P.J. Douglas as Braintree’s star player.

“P.J. Douglas can do things you just can’t coach,” Crook said. “He can get to the basket and make shots other boys can’t. He really stepped up and helped carry the team.”

Crook said the victory was one that “we will remember for a long time.”

Despite a “slow and sluggish start,” the Tigers had beaten Braintree Monday, Jan. 19, winning 64-54, Berkowitz said.

“We were able to contain them in the second half,” Berkowitz said. “It was also good that we contained P.J. Douglas.”

Saturday at New Bedford, the Tigers won 73-63, which was a

“strong” victory, according to Berkowitz.

Senior Geoff Woodberry scored a career-high 30 points, and Marriro added 15.

Friday, the Tigers defeated Natick here 70-28. “ We m a i n t a i n e d s t r o n g throughout the game, and we held their offense well,” Berkowitz said. “It was impressive.”

Wornum-Parker had “an awesome slam-dunk,” Berkowitz said.

Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Tigers topped the Flyers in Framingham 61-48.

“It was an all-around good team win,” Berkowitz said. “Although it was a relatively close game in the beginning, we were in control for most of the game.”

Playing one of their strongest Bay State Conference opponents, according to Berkowitz, the Tigers beat Needham 54-46 Friday, Jan. 16.

“In the fourth quarter, we built on our lead after it started to get close,” he said.

Falzon had a notable performance, snagging 11 rebounds for the Tigers.

Coach praises girls’ hard work MEREDITH ABRAMS laying every possession of the ball, selecting good shots and rebounding are major focuses for the girls’ basketball team, 6-6, coach Hank DeSantis said.

“We are working extremely hard and getting better every day,” he said.

“It’s a great group of kids who are very receptive to learning and care about each other.”

In addition, the Tigers are working on selecting good shots, getting every player the ball and putting pressure on the ball, DeSantis said.

Today hosting Dedham, the team is “up for the challenge,” BY

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DeSantis said.

Hosting Weymouth Tuesday, the Tigers will know what to look for, DeSantis said. Weymouth defeated the Tigers 43-41 in Weymouth January 6.

A home game against Wellesley next Friday will be challenging, DeSantis said.

“The girls are very motivated because Wellesley is very good,” he said.

Hosting Brookline Tuesday, Feb. 10, the Tigers “have got to be prepared,” DeSantis said.

According to senior Hallie Vitagliano, a co-captain with senior Mariah Wynn, the Tigers are building unity and momentum.

“When we are up against a

strong opponent, we really rally ourselves and play hard, and rise to the challenge,” she said.

Tuesday at Braintree, the Tigers won 64-35.

‘It was out best team effort of the season, Everyone played unselfishly, shared the ball, rebounded, and made good shots,’ said DeSantis.

The Tigers defeated Framingham at home 52-41 Tuesday Jan. 20.

Friday, Jan. 16, the girls’ basketball team defeated Needham away 68 to 52.

Brookline defeated the Tigers at Brookline 46-37 Tuesday, Jan. 13. It was “the game we wish we got back,” DeSantis said.

Gaby Perez-Dietz

Concentration: Sophomore Ella Scheuerell prepares to take a free throw here against Framingham Tuesday, Jan. 20. The Tigers won 52-41.

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Moving along on the ice—See figure skating features page 13