Newtonite ◆ Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 • Volume 89, Issue 2
Non-profit org. US postage paid Newton, Mass. Permit no. 55337
Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass. 02460
Board discusses proposal for vote REBECCA HARRIS o advance the course assessment proposal that the Student Faculty Administration is currently discussing, senior Ezra Cohen and English department head Tom Fabian will develop the letter that is to accompany it. If the proposal passes, the SFA will send this letter via email to all teachers at this school, encouraging them to issue mid-year course assessments to students. Distributing the assesment to classes would be optional to teachers, according to Cohen, the SFA’s student co-chair. The email would also include a sample course assessment, which Cohen described as “fairly adaptable.” Teachers could change it however they wanted to fit their classes’ needs, he said. Principal Jennifer Price said that she thought the board needed to see a proposal in writing before they could vote on it. She said that the proposal will be more likely to continue in future years if it is written out. The board also needed to work out the logistical aspects of the proposal, such as who would issue the email, she said. In a straw pole vote, the majority of the board voted in favor of Cohen’s proposal. Additionally, the SFA discussed the transition to the new building, which faculty co-chair Gregory Drake said should be the board’s focus right now. Librarian Kevin McGrath said that the librarians are working to develop a “learning commons” in the new building, which would combine traditional library services with ongoing events and presentations. “It’s a totally different concept,” McGrath said. “I’d be very interested in working with you to figure out how to do it.” Also, Riley housemaster Mark Aronson said that the SFA could draft a proposal to limit signs and fliers to a specific part of the building, as opposed to all over the building. “I think it would be great if we created kiosks where signs and notices would be,” he said. Sophomore Gabe Dreyer said that the board might be able to find a way to put signs and flyers up on electronic screens as a way of saving paper. BY
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Teddy Wenneker
Jambalaya: Sophomore Jessica Broussard serves jambalaya to history teacher Tom Barry last Friday in Pilot’s annual event.
Committee seeks nominations for names of places in new school HILARY BRUMBERG ome areas of the new building will keep their current names, while others will be renamed, according to history department head Jonathan Bassett. Bassett, the head of the committee, said the committee is currently collecting suggestions for names of parts of the new building. Only names of people or geographic locations will be considered. The submission cannot honor a person currently employed by the City of Newton. Anybody who would like to suggest a name for a part of the building should email Bassett at Jonathan_Bassett@newton.k12. ma.us with “Naming North” in the subject line. The Naming Committee will meet again in March or April to consider the submissions. At that time, they will recommend the best names to the School Committee, Bassett said. “If we get six entries and they
all seem really good, we’ll send all of them,” Bassett said. “But if we get 600, then we’ll weed through them and decide which ones are worthy of being recommended.” The School Committee will then hold a public hearing and have a public vote. Instead of having the School Committee select all of the names in the new building, it authorized the creation of the Naming Committee. The Naming Committee’s 11 members include students, current faculty, former faculty, parents and parents of alumni. “We can probably make better recommendations for names than the School Committee if they had to do it all by themselves,” Bassett said. “Their members are elected from all over the city, and they don’t know the school like we do.” The committee hopes that recent members of the faculty as well as those who influenced Newton High in the past will be honored, according to Bassett. However, the current student
body only “knows people that have been here recently” and are “not necessarily the best group of people to decide on names of people who may have had a lasting impact, but were not here recently,” Bassett said. To remember the significance of past faculty members, former principal Jennifer Huntington and a parent of a graduate from the ’90s are on the committee. Athletic director Tom Giusti and fine and performing arts department head Todd Young are also on the committee, because they have several spaces in the new building that need to be named, according to Bassett. This includes the theatre, music wing and tennis courts. According to Bassett, Theatre Ink students have suggested naming the theatre after Gary Elliott, the director of Theatre Ink in the ’80s and ’90s. For the first time, the School Committee is considering selling naming rights, according to Kurt Kusiak, chair of the fundraising
subcommittee of the School Committee. This involves “putting a company or person’s name on a field or a gym” to make a profit, he said. The Newton Schools Foundation would use the money to start a fund to “support teaching in the Newton Public Schools by developing a 21st century classroom,” Kusiak said. This involves buying “first-rate” technology for all classrooms, not just at this school, so teaching “can be enhanced by the technology available to us,” he said. The Newton Schools Foundation is in the interview process to hire a professional fundraiser to help sell the naming rights of parts of the school, Kusiak said. “We’re having a difficult time with the budget. We’re suffering under a large financial deficit,” he said, referring to the 2008 tax override that did not pass. “The state funding has dried up to a degree because of the poor economy.” ◆SEE EDITORIAL ON PAGE 2.
Cacace said. This is the first time Pilot has orchestrated a collection. The program collected $1,000 as of Monday, Feb. 9. Because the deadline was extended, Pilot hopes to get more this week and today, Cacace said. When starting the collection, Pilot created a “thermometer” to chart donations, Cacace said.
It was initially drawn with a $500 maximum. However, they had to add an additional two sheets of paper to make the thermometer grow as more donations came in, according to Cacace. The donated money will be sent to the American Red Cross once collected. Pilot chose the American Red Cross, because “they are a very
well-established organization that we can trust with our donations,” Cacace said. All Pilot students are involved in the collection, according to Cacace. They made flyers and distributed them to each homeroom teacher Tuesday, Jan. 26. The students also created posters and made an announcement in homeroom.
Cacace said that the students plan to send thank-you notes to all doners once the collection is over. According to Cacace, there might be a presentation of the donation after vacation. Anyone who would like to contribute should bring money to the Special Education office or 441 today.
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Pilot extends deadline for Haiti relief fundraiser HILARY BRUMBERG ilot extended the collection deadline for donations to Haiti to today, according to Pilot teacher Katie Cacace. Right after a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti, senior Jibrie Sylvester and junior Dan Winograd “were concerned about the people of Haiti and wanted to do something,” BY
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See Deaf Culture Day — Pages 6 and 7
opinion
2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
‘Should students be able to drop out?’ JACOB SCHWARTZ In Massachusetts, at the age of 16, students are allowed to drop out of school, according to the Massachusetts Department of Education’s website. This proves to be a controversial topic as teachers and students disagree on whether dropping out should be allowed in the first place. BY
Teachers
History teacher Elizabeth Scharlack said, “I think people should be able to drop out because we have freedom of movement. Slavery was abolished. The question is—at 16, are you old enough to make that decision?” Spanish teacher Jane Monahan has a different opinion. “I believe in freedom of choice, but I truly believe that to be successful and happy in life, you need an education.” Science teacher Paul Martenis said, “I think it should be possible, but only in highly unusual cases. I don’t think it should be a common thing, but there are cases where it would be apNewtonian propriate.” Paul
Martenis
Seniors
“It’s a bad idea first off, and you need education,” said Christina Terrio. In most cases, she said, “You won’t be able to do much in life, but sometimes it depends on the situation.” Sam Rossinow said, “I think dropping out is okay if they want to work and school isn’t their primary objective.” Audrey Wittrup said she does not think it would be right to allow students to drop out because “it’s in the best interest of the populous to have people that are well-informed in society.”
Juniors
“If they’ve had parental consent, and their parents have discussed it with their counselor in depth, they should be allowed to drop out,” said John MacGaffey. Sarah Nunberg said, “Students should drop out only if they
mass interview have a good reason. It has to be solely legitimate that they have no other choice. There really aren’t any good reasons either, because teachers are here to motivate the students. If the teachers fail at that, then the students will fail too.” Hannah Herlich said, “If they’re mature enough, they should be able to do what they want and be able to drop out.”
Sophomores
“Students should be allowed to do what they want—it’s their decision,” said Bobby Grimshaw. “But why would you ever want to drop out?” Lia Mitchell said that students may have a desire to drop out because “they don’t think that it’s helpful, or they may have personal reasons as well. I think it should be their decision and not any government decision.”
Freshmen
Rowan Sockwell also does not think dropping out should be allowed. “Especially in this economy, it’s not okay to drop out, and it’s also important to be able to get a better job. You need an Newtonian education.” Will Hefner Rowan said, “It’s their Sockwell choice. “If they decide to drop out and mess up their life like that, then so be it. I don’t know why anyone would want to drop out.” Hefner said he has family members who didn’t finish school. “They’re not very well off at all, financially,” he said. “However, I believe if someone drops out of school, they’re not hurting anyone except themselves.” Matt Callahan said, “Education is important and people shouldn’t be able to drop out of school just because they don’t like school.”
Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass. 02460. Editors in chief — Marena Cole, Eli Davidow Managing editor — Teddy Wenneker News editor — Hilary Brumberg Sports editors — Jay Feinstein, Jacob Schwartz Arts editors — Kate Lewis, Perrin Stein Features editors — Jacob Brunell, Fatema Zaidi On campus editor — Meredith Abrams News analysis editor — Steven Michael Photography editors — Gaby Perez-Dietz, Ivan McGovern Production managers — Katrina Barry, Ben Hills Advertising manager — Emily Gulotta Business manager — Dan Salvucci Circulation managers — Alison Berkowitz, Caleb Gannon
Exchanges editor — Peter TaberSimonian Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy Production advisers — Sue Brooks, Tom Donnellan News staff — Malini Gandhi, Ilana Greenstein, Rebecca Harris, Kayla Shore Features staff — Emmett Greenberg, Gavi Kaplan, Jonah Schumer Sports staff — Evan Clements, Nicole Curhan, Jeremy Gurvits Arts staff — Audrey Derobert News analysis staff — Kellynette Gomez Art staff — Anna Kaertner, Maddie MacWilliams, D’Jaidah Wynn Photography staff — Ryne Duffy, Anna Gargas, Jaryd Justice-Moote, Edan Laniado, Isabel Meigs, Matt Victor Circulation staff — Spencer Alton, Stoddard Meigs, Omar Pinkhasov, Michela Salvucci, Stephanie Vitone Production staff — Ross Swerling
The Newtonite staff does all the reporting, production work and photography to produce 16 issues a year for a circulation of 2,500. 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 thenewtonite@gmail.com. To find the Newtonite online go to www.thenewtonite.com.
Jacob Schwartz
In Introductory Physics: Freshmen Kira Liu and Madison Beatrice eat ice cream they made.
Help out naming process The walls of the school are lined with plaques, dedicating certain locations to those who have influenced this school in the past. The Henry Lasker auditorium, Reginald E. Smith gymnasium and the David J. Phelan world language lab are just a few examples of places that have been named after former faculty members. And now, a Naming Commitee has been formed, which will help to determine what names will carry into the new school. But most importantly, the creation of this committee allows members of the community, including students, to suggest names for the new building. We feel that often, students can feel disconnected to many of the names, which were named long before they were students at North. Now that students can sub-
editorial mit suggestions, this generation of students an opportunity to help pick names that will honor more recent employees of Newton Public Schools. The naming of landmarks in the new school allows this generation of students to leave their mark, in addition to honoring the naming decisions made when this building was new. So if you know of someone that impacted the school, suggest their name to the Naming Committee. Take part in honoring someone that made a contribution to this school. Earlier this month, a poll was posted on the library’s website, asking students to vote on the name of the new school’s ceremonial drive. Monday, Feb. 8, the School
Committee deemed Tiger Drive the name of the ceremonial drive, which pays homage to North’s beloved mascot. Also, for other public areas of the new school, namely the gymnasium and theatres, the School Committee is discussing selling naming rights. Funds raised from the auction would aid the Newton Public Schools in purchasing new equipment in the future. With the state and city governments confronted with less tax revenue during this recession, extra funding proves especially valuable. Either solution would benefit North students. A compromise of the two scenarios would work best: naming some areas based on student input and others based on corporate sponsorships. This scenario would give students a voice and raise funds for students’ benefit.
Support Greengineering’s projects TO THE EDITOR: The Greengineers at Newton North High School have been working on various projects this year. The projects this year have included making biodiesel with waste grease from the cafeteria and making fashionable bags by fusing old shopping bags. All of this is done with the intent to save the planet and be more thoughtful and thorough. Despite being a new class, the Greengineers have come across an incredible opportunity: To work with Save the Stuff (a recycling company here in Boston) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to make biodiesel from algae, and to reinvent the way science education is performed in New England and eventually the world. We plan on doing this by bringing a Mobile Algae Lab to schools across New England. Steve Chinosi, English teacher and Director of Greengineering at this school, says: “The Mobile Algae Lab is a strategic partnership between Save the Stuff, Newton North High School and MIT that will offer cutting edge science and engineering curricula to schools
letter throughout New England. “Our vision is to have this 53foot (tractor trailer) mobile lab spend a few weeks or a semester at each school partnering with MIT and Newton North students and faculty. “The algae lab will engage students through an integrated curriculum of biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental science and business of alternative energy.” The only thing that stands in our way is money. To overcome this obstacle we have applied, and are in the running for, a $250,000 grant from the Pepsi Company. If we win the money it will be put towards things like getting the Mobile Algae Trailer/Lab up and running, developing curriculum and covering the transportation costs. But to win the money, we need people to vote for our project at www.refresheverything.com/algaelab. We are merely one group out of 729 competing for grants. You can help this idea succeed, but only if you vote! Think
about it: your school could win $250,000 to help save the planet, and most importantly save the humans. If you have any questions or if you just want to learn more, you can e-mail the NNHS Greengineers at greengineering1@gmail. com, or visit our website at www. greengineers.wikispaces.com. If you would like to see a more detailed budget, you can find one on the same side site on which you vote: www.refresheverything.com/algaelab. Thank you for your consideration! And remember, you can vote once every day! —BRENDAN HATHAWAY ’10
Letters Readers are invited to submit guest articles and letters to the editor. Letters should be put in the Newtonite box in Beals House or emailed to thenewtonite@gmail.com. The Newtonite reserves the right to edit all letters, which must have the writer’s name, class and homeroom. The Newtonite serves as a forum for student opinion.
news
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3
Academic teams, clubs compete in events Conference recognizes Model UN delegates
HILARY BRUMBERG For the first time, Model United Nations won seven awards at a conference of close to 3,000 people, said senior Ezra Cohen, an officer with seniors Ben Miller and Ken Landers, and junior Jared Kalow. Landers is the Secretary General and Cohen, Miller and Kalow are Undersecretaries General. Students from around the world met at the Sheraton Hotel in Cambridge Thursday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 31 for a conference hosted by Harvard College. Miller and seniors Prateek Allapur, Jonathan Bressler, Max Fathy were recognized as best delegates. Cohen was recognized as an outstanding delegate. Senior Camilla Jackson and Landers won an honorable mention as a double delegate. Kalow also won an individual honorable mention. “There was a huge number of international students,” Cohen said. “The international piece of who’s there is one of the more appealing factors in terms of conferences.” Every year, Model UN attends two conferences. However, this year, the other conference is scheduled for over February vacation, and so the team will not attend, he said. BY
Presentation, content strong for Mock Trial
KAYLA SHORE Mock Trial sees this year as a rebuilding season, according to sophomore Michael Dinsmore. This year’s case involves a person who has invested his or her child’s college fund in a hedge fund with a financial adviser at a brokerage firm. When the market crashed and he or she lost a lot of money, he or she sued the brokerage company for fraud and several other charges, according to Dinsmore. Because North lost at least one of the three preliminary trials, the Mock Trial competitive season is over. “It really depends on the judge you get,” said senior Abby Weisberger, a captain with senior Ezra Cohen. BY
“Some are very harsh, and some are very generous. Some judge more on content, others on presentation. “We excel in both areas, and I’m optimistic that it will be more apparent next year,” she said. North won its third preliminary trial against Lexington Monday, Feb. 8, 96-89. Monday, Feb. 1, Newton South defeated North 105-99 in the second preliminary trial, and North lost the first preliminary trial against Belmont Hill Thursday, Jan. 28, 91-90.
Debaters win awards, prepare to compete
HILARY BRUMBERG In its fourth season, the Debate Team is focused on building the team and training underclassmen, said senior Ezra Cohen, co-captain with senior Caeden Brynie. “I trust that in the next few years it will be a debate power house, given the intellectual capability of our students,” Cohen said. Saturday, Feb. 27, the team will compete in Needham “against all schools around the state who show up,” Cohen said. Lincoln-Douglas debaters will debate jury nullification at the competition while Public Forum teams will debate whether affirmative action in the United States is justified. To prepare for the competition, the team will “discuss cases together, what we’re thinking of arguing, research and start running rounds in house as soon as the cases are done,” Cohen said. This school sent two doubles teams and one single novice team to a tournament Saturday, Jan. 30 and Sunday, Jan. 31 in Natick. In a competition in early December at Lexington High School, Brynie and sophomore Michael Dinsmore went 4-0 and won third place. Cohen also won third place, finishing 3-1 in the competition. BY
Ligerbots prepare for competition
STEVEN MICHAEL During the six-week building season, members of the NorthSouth robotics team learned how to work together, according to administrative technology specialist BY
Gaby Perez-Dietz
Debate Team: Freshmen Aneesh Anand, Ryne Duffy and Jorden Ecker practice debating. Phil Golando, the coach. Known as the Ligerbots, the robotics team had its rookie season last year, qualifying for the national finals of the For Inspirational Recognition in Science and Technology robotics competition. First, the team must pick its best design. “Once tested and proven, the chosen design will be built from lightweight and sturdy materials and connected to the robot,” Golando said. Team members build the robot in multiple components, Golando said. This includes a chassis, a lift arm and a ball-shooting device. Tuesday, Feb. 23, the completed robot will be picked up and will not be seen again until competitions. “In the time before the first event and after the robot has been picked up, the team will prepare for the events by making buttons,
Jacob Schwartz
Math Team: Sophomore Isaac Feinhaus and math teacher Elisse Ghittelmen work on a math problem Wednesday, Feb. 3 in 437.
getting scouting teams organized and completing a new code for the robot to use at the event,” Golando said. The Ligerbots will compete at their first regional event of the season Thursday, March 11 through Saturday, March 13 at the Worchester Polytechnical Institute. Thursday, March 25 through Saturday, March 27, the team will attend another regional event at Boston University. In the short term, the team hopes to create a competitive robot that will perform well and hopefully win at one of the two regional events, Golando said. The team is currently looking for sponsors, Golando said.
Math Team has group, individual events
MARENA COLE Talent and work ethic have been the Math Team’s strongest assets this year, according to junior Dong Gil Shin, the captain. “We work hard, practice hard and have a lot of talented people,” Shin said. So far this year, the team has participated in four Greater Boston Math League meets and is currently ranked fifth out of 27 teams in the league. During the meets, which are held monthly, members of the team each compete in individual rounds, answering written questions, Shin said. At the end, there is a team round where all of the team members work together to solve three problems. Scores are tallied at the end, and the team with the highest score wins, he said. Wednesday, Jan. 13, in a meet at Brookline, the team did “very well,” finishing fourth overall, Shin said. The team was to have competed in another meet Wednesday, Feb. 10, which determined if they will move on to States. Shin said that last year and in past years, the team has competed in States. “We hope to do very well this year,” he said. In October, the team also competed in the Mass. Mathematics BY
Olympiad, which is a written test members of the team took here individually. Shin, sophomores Joseph Chan and Caroline Ellison and freshman Christina Chen finished in the top 100. This qualified them for the second round, which will be in March.
Science Team readies for upcoming Bowl
HILARY BRUMBERG According to science teacher Barbara Gibson, the Science Team adviser, the team is preparing for upcoming competitions. Saturday, Feb. 27, North and approximately 30 teams from the Boston area will compete at the Science Bowl. Hosted by U. Mass. Lowell, the Science Bowl tests students’ knowledge in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, technology and earth science. “It’s a hard competition,” Gibson said. “We did really well last year. We’d like to take the top seat.” The science team competed in the 13th annual Blue Lobster Bowl Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Seniors Shira Bleicher, Nikolai Klebanov, Jeffrey Luong and Austin Su and sophomore Cole Kerr competed. North played four teams in the round robin: Bedford, Chelmsford, Marblehead and North Andover. Each round of the competition included 16 fast-buzz questions and two team challenges, Gibson said. Placing fourth, North advanced to the elimination round. The team defeated Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 114-56, in the first elimination round. In the second elimination round, North defeated Lexington’s B-team. Lincoln-Sudbury eliminated North in the quarterfinals. Overall in the Blue Lobster Bowl, placed third. The team won a tour of the WHOI Labs, $300 for books for the school, equipment from the MIT Sea Grant, a trophy and a third place medal. BY
features
4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
Exchange students share about school in China STEVEN MICHAEL Exchange students from the Jingshan School in Beijing outlined the differences between education in China and the United States in a presentation last month. Five students each gave a PowerPoint presentation describing an aspect of the life of a typical Chinese student—both inside and outside of school. The January 27 presentation emphasized the Newton-Beijing Jingshan School Connection, the longest-running Chinese high school exchange program in this country, according to information provided prior to the presentation. Teachers and students from Jingshan spend the fall semester in Newton, at both this school and South. Teachers and students from Newton travel to Beijing to spend the spring semester at the Jingshan School. Cindy Mi spoke about the Jingshan School and her experience living in Beijing, China’s capital city. “The Jingshan School was founded in 1960,” Mi said. “There are nine labs for chemistry, biology and physics in our school.” The Jingshan School accommodates 2,300 students, approximately 400 more than at this school. She showed pictures of the Forbidden City, a World Heritage site located near their school, BY
which was formerly an imperial palace. Victor Li described the Chinese school calendar in relation to the calendar used in the United States. The first day of the term is September 1. After a month of studying, beginning October 1 students have a few days off for the National Day holiday of the People’s Republic of China. Students return to school on October 9. From January 18 to 20, students take finals in classes including Chinese, chemistry, English, physics, politics and history. On Chinese New Year’s Day, which will be February 14, families often attend temple fairs, according to Li. At a temple fair, traditional Chinese goods are for sale and performers demonstrate martial arts. Li explained how he was surprised when American students protested if teachers assigned homework over vacation because Chinese students study during vacations. Miles Zhang talked about the standard schedule in Beijing. “Unlike in America, we don’t move between classes unless for science labs and physical education,” Zhang said. “The teachers come to us.” The number of tests students take differs greatly between the two countries. Zhang said Chinese students have monthly
exams, midterms and finals. “Examinations in China are much more competitive,” he said. “Teachers will collect students’ grades and put them all in a table for students to see.” Unlike at this school, where teachers encourage non-disclosure of grades, Zhang said in China, students “value themselves by comparing to classmates.” Shengnan Wang discussed the extent of testing for students in China. “You just have SAT or ACT, but we have much more pressure,” she said. To enter middle school, high school and university students are required to pass a test. Gao Kao, the Chinese version of the SAT, is different in that it is only offered once per year. “It shows your achievements of 12 years in two days,” Wang said. There are two forms of Gao Kao with students choosing to take either the science or liberal arts version, she said. The science version includes physics, chemistry and biology, and the liberal arts version includes history, geography, politics and government. All students study for the core subjects of Chinese, English and math. To demonstrate the pressure devoted to Gao Kao, she displayed a picture of a policeman giving a boy a ride to the location of the Gao Kao testing. He had
courtesy Donna Fong
From the Jingshan School: Chinese exchange students Miles Zhang, Cindy Mi, Ricky Li, Shengnan Wang and Victor Li stand in front of the Statue of Liberty. arrived at the wrong location, so the policeman gave him a ride to guarantee he would arrive on time. On a lighter note, Ricky Li conversed about what Chinese students do for leisure activities. “Basketball is the most popular sport in China,” Li said. “Soccer used to be the most popular
sport.” Girls play badminton and a traditional game called Jian Zi, similar to hacky sack, he said. The Chinese enjoy American media, video games and restaurants, Li said. “Some American fast-food restaurants are popular, such as McDonald’s.”
Culinary students take prize in Best Candy category JACOB BRUNELL For the second straight year, Newton North culinary arts students from the Tiger’s Loft won first place in the Death by Chocolate fundraiser. This year, the students’ “Chocolate Lollipops,” won the top prize in the Best Candy category. The lollipops had a solid chocolate shell and were filled with either a caramel, espresso or banana-cheesecake filling, said senior Lydia DiPerrio, one of the program’s representatives at the event. In last year’s fundraiser, the Tiger’s Loft took first place in the Most Unique Dessert category with their “Chocolate Meringue Bliss” creation. “Every year we participate in the event, the students figure out what we are doing,” said culinary arts teacher Lisa McKinney. “This year, I wanted to make bon-bons, and they all wanted to make cheesecake lollipops. But they are in charge.” “From the beginning, I guide them, but it’s really all their doing,” she said. “They plan it and carry everything out.” Death by Chocolate is a cuBY
courtesy Lisa McKinney
Death by Chocolate: Seniors Eddie McAuliffe, Aida Skelic, Ryan Tene, Humberto Castillo and Lydia DiPerrio stand with their finished chocolate lollipops.
Advertise in the Newtonite! Call Emily Gulotta at 617-559-6274
culinary arts teacher Lisa McKinney “I do this event not only for the students, but also to do our part to thank the Rotarians and help offset the cost of the generous scholarships they give us.” linary competition and fundraiser put on by the Newton and Waltham Rotary Clubs, said senior Amanda Lau, a culinary arts student. An annual event for the past nine years, this year’s Death by Chocolate fundraiser took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Newton Sunday, Jan. 31. The Rotary Clubs give three scholarships to the Career and Vocational Technical Education Department to award to outstanding students at graduation. The scholarships are for $1,000 each, said McKinney. “I do this event not only for the students, but also to do our part to thank the Rotarians and help offset the cost of the generous scholarships they give us,” McKinney said. In addition to DiPerrio, the ten students who represented the Tiger’s Loft at the competition were seniors Humberto Castillo,
Amanda Lau, Maxx Lyman, Eddie McAuliffe, Kim Parra, Aida Skelic, Ryan Tene and Avery Thomas, and juniors Justin Agner and Jacob Plati. Besides the Tiger ’s Loft, other local shops and organizations created desserts for the fundraiser as well, including Icing on the Cake, Double Dipped, Edible Arrangements and the Waltham and Newton Boys and Girls Clubs. “Other than our lollipops, my favorite dessert at the event was the cake shots made by Icing on the Cake,” DiPerrio said. Lau disagreed. “The best dessert was definitely the chocolate-covered strawberries and apples from Edible Arrangements,” she said. The event cost $15 and was open to the public. In total, the event raised nearly $22,000 for the Rotary Clubs, McKinney said.
arts
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
A caring mother: Junior Rosie McInnes, playing Kate Keller, watches conflicts unfold in her backyard.
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5
Gaby Perez-Dietz
Childhood sweethearts: Seniors Robert Benner and Laura Swager, as Chris Keller and Ann Deever, share a tender moment together.
‘All My Sons’ a compelling family drama PERRIN STEIN Grass covered the floor of the little theatre, and a white picket fence bordered the stage. The back of a typical suburban house protruded from the wall, to show that “All My Sons” was centered on a family’s life. The play, which was on stage Thursday, Feb. 4 through Saturday, Feb. 6, “examines the result when the generation that started World War II meets the generation that fought it,” according to senior directors Jordan Ascher and Jen Diamond. As the show began, the sounds of wind and airplane engines rushed through the theatre. When the lights came up, the tree in the corner of the yard had split into pieces. The small, unfortunate event set a high level of intensity for the show and symbolized the larger drama of the play. This drama stems from the BY
review deeply rooted conflicts in the Keller family. One conflict involves the Kellers’ two sons, Chris and Larry. Chris, played by senior Robert Benner, returned home safely from the war, but Larry has been missing in action for almost three years. Kate Keller, their mother, still believes that Larry will one day come home, although the rest of the family has abandoned hope. Played by junior Rosie McInnes, Kate is conflicted between her ties with her son and the pressure to move on with her life. Eventually, her emotional burden becomes too much to bear and she breaks down, falling to her knees and screaming. Her performance was realistic, and the audience was in awe of the pain emanating from her
voice. A second conflict involves the family patriarch, Joe Keller. During the war, Joe ran a factory that produced airplane parts. When his factory shipped parts that caused the deaths of 21 pilots, Joe and his partner were arrested. Joe narrowly avoided a prison sentence, but his business partner did not. Junior Derek Butterton skillfully portrayed Joe as a man who worked his way up in society, and he now lives comfortably with his wife and sons. Throughout the show, he constantly reiterated the importance of family. Even when arguing with Chris, Joe stood firmly with his beliefs. Butterton never wavered in his portrayal of Joe’s adamant philosophy, and his emotions only grew stronger during arguments with Chris. Chris’s belief that all human
life is valuable clashes with his father’s belief that family comes first. This leads to a great deal of tension and eventually physical violence. A fight scene between father and son captivated the audience, Benner raised his voice for emphasis, and Butterton tried to control his son without success. Chris’s love interest, Ann Deever, returns to her hometown to reacquaint herself with the life she left behind when her father, Joe’s business partner, was jailed. Senior Laura Swager balanced Ann’s love for Chris and her effort to move past her father’s arrest. As neighbors continually discussed the events that led to Ann’s father being sent to jail, she displayed a strong will and dramatically disowned her father. From the beginning, Swager stood out from the rest of the cast.
Other characters were dressed in simple clothes from the 1940s. Swager was wearing a bright floral dress, which helped to define that she was—in what turned out to be more than one sense—separate from the rest. As the play progressed, the intense action grew. The family’s casual small talk escalated to loud arguments. Some characters even resorted to violence to better portray their vehement convictions. At one point, Joe slapped his son to create an element of surprise and intensity. The Kellers and their neighbors always remained steadfast in their convictions, and the actors livened up scenes by bringing their conversations to life. “All My Sons” presented a dramatic look at conflicting human beliefs and the devastating effect that they can have on family dynamics.
Annual Boston Globe contest honors 13 student artists PERRIN STEIN Thirteen students at this school received recognition in the annual Boston Globe Arts Awards. Over 10,000 images in 16 different categories were submitted to the contest, but only about 2,000 pieces received awards. The winning Golden and Silver Key pieces have been on exhibit since February 1 and will continue to be on display in the State Transportation Center until March 1. Students can view each other’s work at the awards ceremony Sunday, Feb. 14 at John Hancock Hall. “The exhibit represents artwork from all over the state,” said art teacher Sandra Truant. “The art reflects how students observe and imagine the world around them. These pieces are completed with great care, excellent technique and are very expressive.” Students from North have participated in this contest for 18 years. Each art teacher selects up to 25 pieces to enter in the awards. “It’s a regional contest, which means the entire state is represented,” Truant said. “Once work is submitted, it is then judged by a panel of artists from around the state.” The contest is meant to expose students to competition and see where they stand in relation to other high school artists, she said. “Art is a visual expression and needs to be seen by an audience. Entering a student’s work into competition allows students to know where they stand among their art peers.” BY
Anna Gargas
In black and white: Junior Anna Gargas’ photo shows “the contrast between masculinity and femininity.”
Junior Anna Gargas was one of the 13 students to receive an award. She won a Silver Key for her submission of a high contrast photo of a girl. “The photo hints at the contrast between masculinity and femininity,” Gargas said. “I wanted this photograph to question the belief that there is only male and female. “It’s a fuzzy issue—not black and white. The photo is only black and white, but the issue I’m trying to portray is gray, which makes it ironic,” she said. While flipping through a book, Gargas saw a photo of a man in a dress superimposed on the “ideal” female body. From this, she said she got the idea that she wanted to show the blurry lines between male and female, she said. “It’s an honor to be recognized for something I enjoy,” Gargas said. A Golden Key award was given to junior Monica Reuman. Silver Key Awards were given to Gargas, juniors Tatiana Froehlich, and Marissa Troy, and sophomore Nellie Robinson. Honorable Mentions were given to seniors Samantha Alpert, Olivia Glennon, Maia Levoy and Abigail Weisberger, juniors Jessica Kramer and Tiffany Leung and sophomores Evelyn Golden and Lizzie Weisman. Reuman’s work will move on to compete in New York City. If it wins, the piece will move on to the national competition in Washington, D.C.
on campus
6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
Deaf Culture Day EDCO presentations raise deaf awareness Wednesday, Feb. 3 in the film lecture hall courtesy of EDCO
Teddy Wenneker
Service dogs: On the left, Tom Rich, a spokesperson for canines for Disabled Kids, presents during D-block. On the right, Millhouse, his service dog, demonstrates how service dogs can alert their owners with hearing disabilities to sounds around the home.
Service dogs assist Deaf owners at home
MARENA COLE Service dogs can help owners with disabilities in their homes, according to Tom Rich. Rich, a spokesman for Canines for Disabled Kids, spoke during D-block about how service dogs can help people with various disabilities lead their daily lives. Rich, who is Deaf, said his dog Millhouse helps him daily. BY
“He gets me up in the morning, and alerts me to anything from the telephone ringing to the smoke alarm going off to my wife calling me from another part of the house,” Rich said. “He’s very alert. When the school bus stops 200 or 300 yards down the road, he comes and tells me.” Dogs of all different breeds
can be trained for the program, as long as the dog is willing to work, Rich said. The program trains both rescued dogs and young puppies. Once a dog has been deemed suitable for the program, it is placed for basic training, either with a family or with an inmate in a low or medium security prison.
“The prisoners enjoy working with the dogs, and it gives them a big feeling of accomplishment,” Rich said. “The guards say they notice a change within the prison inmates when the dogs are there.” After the dogs come back, they go through formal service dog training, and are then matched up with an owner, Rich said.
The dog and the owner then go through a two-week training process. To end the presentation, Rich gave a demonstration with Millhouse. Senior Nneamaka Mordi knocked on the door, and Millhouse ran back and forth between Rich and the source of the sound, alerting him.
Students learn American Sign Language alphabet MEREDITH ABRAMS Audience members practiced their sign language during B- and G-block presentations. Senior Kayonna Mitchell opened the presentation, which she said would delve into Deaf poetry, the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet and hand shapes. “Hand shapes, body language and expressions are the three aspects of ASL,” she said. Mitchell then introduced a BY
film that she said would demonstrate the ASL alphabet through sports. On screen, a man panto mimed playing various sports, Newtonian w h i l e s u b t l y Kayonna presenting each Mitchell letter to the audience. First, he played golf and pre-
tended to swing, hit and watch his shot. He demonstrated each ASL letter through a different, golf-related movement. Next was football, and he was the quarterback as he broke from the huddle, received the ball and threw it for the touchdown while repeating the alphabet in ASL. The basketball clip began with a tip-off, and ran through a defensive play before a player pretended to receive the ball and take a shot, still signing the
alphabet. Then he acted out a wrestling scene, continuing to show the audience each letter of the ASL alphabet as he pretended to wrestle. After the film, members of the audience divided into groups and practiced their sign language, with an EDCO student leading each group. To start, students practiced making each hand shape of the alphabet correctly, then moved
on to making words from the letters. Then students began learning signs for words and phrases such as “my name is” and “I love you.” For the rest of the period, students remained in their small groups learning sign language. To leave the film lecture hall, students lined up and had to demonstrate one sign they had learned at the door.
Deaf professionals discuss personal experiences HILARY BRUMBERG Education aide Sabrina Dennison Weiner signs the word “Deaf” in front of her heart, instead of traditionally in front of her face, demonstrating how important Deaf culture is to her, she said. Dennison Weiner, Sarah Fish, a student, and Terry Malcolm, a staff interpreter at the Mass Company for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, presented on a Deaf BY
professionals panel E-block. Senior Ketya Destin asked the professionals questions in sign language, who responded also in sign language. Translator Diane SchallearHough and EDCO head translator Melissa Phair translated the conversation into verbal English for the audience. Dennison Weiner, Fish and Malcolm shared their personal
experiences with being Deaf and hard of hearing. “I was born Deaf,” Dennison Weiner said. “My mom had the German Measles in the 70s. Many people were born Deaf at the time.” Malcolm said she is proud to be born Deaf. “I really cherish my culture— signing,” she said. However, she is “curious to see what it’d be like
to be hearing.” For her, the hardest part of being Deaf was being forced to lip read. “It was really frustrating,” she said. Malcolm said that she did learn to speak a little. “When I was six, I learned my first word: ‘cow,’” she said. Because Fish is hard of hearing, she can hear some things. She has learned from living in
“both worlds” that “the hearing ability doesn’t matter at all. What matters is your personality. “I don’t wish I’d be fully hearing. Sometimes I’d prefer to be more Deaf,” she said. “But really, I appreciate the diversity in people. “I’m used to being the one who’s different and not necessarily having the same access to everything as other people.”
on campus
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
Newtonite, Newton North ◆ 7
Students discuss life being Deaf
Panel of students: Junior Andre Robinson, sophomore Kellynette Gomez, senior Ketya Destin and junior Brandon Bailey discuss their personal experiences being Deaf or hard of hearing.
STEVEN MICHAEL Five students who are part of the EDCO program shared their perspectives on being Deaf or hard of hearing in a panel during F-block. The panel included seniors Ketya Destin and Gilberto Richardson, juniors Brandon Bailey and Andre Robinson and sophomore Kellynette Gomez. Sabrina Dennison Weiner, who works in the EDCO program at F.A. Day, moderated the panel. Questions delved into how life is different for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing and how their families coped with learning of their child’s Deafness. Robinson said his family always supported him. “My mom has always accepted my Deafness,” Robinson said. “My mom is my advocate,” Gomez said. “She accepted me from day one. “My mom is accepting, and my whole family is accepting.” Richardson said he found out he was different from others after he was already enrolled in a
school for the Deaf. “When I found out I was Deaf, I accepted it,” Richardson said. “I was already at a Deaf school. I didn’t have experience with hearing people until first grade.” Members of the panel also discussed life as a Deaf person. In response to a question regarding whether the Deaf can drive, the panel responded with a resounding yes. Bailey added he even has his own car. Acknowledging the difficulty in communicating with hearing friends, the panelists said they used a combination of text messaging, writing and lip reading to communicate. Robinson played football for this school along with other Deaf students. “We would teach the other players signs and write on paper,” he said. Some panelists said they have received cochlear implants to aid their hearing, while others said they were content with their present level of hearing. After, the audience asked the panelists questions.
MARENA COLE According to various members of the Deaf community, opinions on cochlear implants vary. During C-block, members of the EDCO program showed Sound and Fury, a documentary about a family that struggles to decide whether to get a cochlear implant for their daughter. Cochlear implants are devices that can improve the hearing of a
After the documentary, students in the EDCO program shared their personal experiences and feelings regarding cochlear implants. Sophomore Kellynette Gomez spoke about her decision to get a cochlear implant in sixth grade, after considering multiple options. Also, Gomez said she felt parents should wait to get implants
for their Deaf children until they are old enough to make the decision themselves. Senior Ketya Destin, who is Deaf and does not have an implant, said she did not want one because she identifies as being a Deaf person. “I was born Deaf, and that’s who I am,” Destin said. “I’m happy with myself and being Deaf.”
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Jacob Schwartz
Sound and Fury explores struggles with implants BY
Deaf person. The documentary, which was made in 2000, followed a Deaf man, his Deaf wife, and his hearing brother and hearing sisterin-law. Both couples have Deaf children and consider whether to get them cochlear implants. In the end, the hearing couple decide to get an implant for their son, Peter, despite objections
from Deaf family members. “I want him to grow up with all the opportunities his brother has,” said his mother Mari, referring to the fact that Peter has a twin brother, who was born hearing. However, the Deaf couple decided to wait until their daughter Heather, who was five at the time, was older so that she could make a more informed decision.
Habits for a Lifetime of Health Newton-Wellesley Hospital encourages you to develop healthy habits.
Eat a balanced diet • Keep active • Stay smoke free www.nwh.org
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8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
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Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
Talk of the
Critic’s Corner The Notebook (2004) Oh dear...get out the tissues for this one. Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook tells the tale of Noah ((Ryan Gosling)) and Allie ((Rachel Gosling Rachel McAdams), two teens in the 1940s who fall madly in love. This movie is considered a staple of the romance genre, but not everyone will enjoy it. While those who are love-story fans will go crazy for the passionate romance, those who want a little action and adventure and are not ready for a hardcore tear-jerker may want to steer clear. -Rent
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) It’s a classic story: boy meets girl, girl is way out of boy’s league, boy devises intricate plan to get her to love him. Okay, so maybe it’s not something you hear every day, but with a plot derived from William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” and a fantastic ensemble cast, 10 Things I Hate About You is not to be missed. Julia Stiles and Heath
Favorite Artists ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Artie Shaw The Beatles Bobby Darin Frank Sinatra Mel Tormé
Favorite Movie ◆Casablanca
Favorite Show ◆The Simpsons
Sudoku
Ledger star as Kat, a sullen teenage girl, and Patrick, the boy on a mission win her affection. The plot centers around another boy’s elaborate ploy to date Kat’s sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), and Patrick gets roped in along the way. A sweet mix of love, humor and teen angst, 10 Things I Hate About You is almost impossible to hate. -Buy
Fever Pitch (2005) Ben (Jimmy Fallon), a diehard Red Sox fan, must decide between his two greatest loves: Lindsey (Drew Barrymore) or the home team. Hilarity ensues in Fever Pitch, a perfect combination of sports, comedy and romance. There’s something for everyone to love about this movie: guys will love the baseball theme, girls will love the romance, and both will laugh out loud over Ben and Lindsey’s wild antics. Even though the ending is predictable (everyone knows what happened to the Red Sox in 2004), the laughs along the way make Fever Pitch well worth it. -Rent
Teachers’ Picks
Mr. Wood
Tiger
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9
Ms. Carrillo
Favorite Artists ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
The Allman Brothers Cat Stevens Dire Straits James Taylor Van Morrison
Favorite Movie ◆Pan’s Labyrinth
Favorite Show ◆Fringe
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
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This movie is, without question, the Annie Hall of our generation. The film follows the tumultuous relationship between Summer ((Zooey Deschanel), who has lost faith in love, and Tom ((Joseph Joseph Gordon-Levitt Gordon-Levitt), ), a hopeless romantic, through vignettes depicting their 500day relationship. Mark Webb, in his debut, directs his actors through the screenplay with the mastery of a much more experienced filmmaker. All of the stops are pulled out in (500) Days of Summer, and they work to create a great film. -Buy —CALEB GANNON AND KATE LEWIS
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Did you know?
Mr. Zhu
Favorite Artists ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Beethoven Chopin Heifetz Mozart Pavarotti
Favorite Movie ◆Avatar
Favorite Show ◆ABC News ◆
Culinary arts teacher Lisa McKinney graduated from Newton North in 1981. Senior year, McKinney became a culinary arts major, the first year that the major was available. McKinney said she was planning to go to Minuteman Regional High School for its Culinary Arts program her senior year rather than attend Newton North. However, after the Newton North program was created, she stayed here instead In 10th and 11th grade McKinney ran track and played softball. Of returning to teach at North, McKinney said, “I like to call it the Peter Pan syndrome. I’ve never grown up. I’ve always been a Tiger my whole life.” She said that since she attended, “having freshmen at the school has changed the balance
Newtonian
of the school. It forces people to grow up too fast.” Additionally, McKinney said another major change since she attended North is that some vocational programs have been eliminated, such as metal and electrical shop.
Happy Valentine’s Drama
YOU TOO?!
D’Jaidah Wynn
10â—† Newtonite, Newton North
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3/31/10
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
sports
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11
Boys’ basketball to compete in tournament ELI DAVIDOW At the Comcast Tournament, tough competition will prepare boys’ basketball, 17-2 Wednesday, for what is to be a challenging post-season, said coach Paul Connolly. “It’s a very prestigious tournament that we’ve been invited to the last six years,” he said. The tournament will take place at B.C. High Saturday and Sunday. In the first game of the tournament, the Tigers will play Everett. Then the winner of that game will play the winner of the B.C. BY
High-Central Catholic game for the championship. “Everett’s good,” Connolly said. “They’re competitive in the Greater Boston League, and they’ve got some really good athletes.” After the tournament, the Tigers will look forward to the post-season. “Our goal is to get one of the top four seeds,” Connolly said. “There are still some teams who need to qualify, but there’ll be some good teams in our bracket for sure.” The Tigers need to focus on
how to react to challenging competition, Connolly said. “We’re not responding to tough teams in the way we’d like to,” he said. “Some teams get hot, and then we get cold.” The game at Brockton Sunday, Jan. 31 is a good example for the Tigers to learn from, Connolly said. The Boxers won 80-69. “We got off to a pretty good start, but we had our ups and downs,” he said. “Then in the third quarter, they just kicked our tail.” Connolly also noted how special this post-season will be, es-
pecially because it is senior Greg Kelley’s last season. Kelley, a captain with senior Wynn Tucker, is a four-year starter for the Tigers and second all time for career points in the boys’ program. He is also one of 15 players in Massachusetts to be nominated as a McDonald’s All-American. “Greg has played over 80 games for us, attending over some hundred odd practices,” Connolly said. “This season is special for us, along with the rest of the Class of 2010.” In recent action Tuesday, the
Tigers defeated Brookline 6843 in the season’s final home game. Tucker said, “We came out hard, and we never gave them a chance.” On Senior Night Friday, the Tigers topped Wellesley 73-63. “It was an emotional game, especially just to see a lot of the alumni at halftime,” Kelley said. Against Weymouth Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Tigers beat the Wildcats 86-49 and Friday, Jan. 29, the Tigers defeated Dedham 66-39. The Tigers were to have visited Needham yesterday.
Girls’ hockey tries to capitalize on puck possesion JACOB SCHWARTZ Offense and puck possession have been the focus of girls’ hockey, 5-10-1, in order to ensure a good end to the season, said senior Kim Gillies, a captain with senior Hannah Jellinek. “We’ve been trying different two-on-one and two-on-two situations,” she said. Tomorrow, the Tigers play BY
Needham, which according to Gillies, is considered their biggest rival. This will also be the last game of the season, and the team will be celebrating Senior Day. “Although Senior Day will be really fun, we have to make sure we stay focused on the game and not get too distracted by the festivities,” Gillies said.
During vacation, the team will play in the Cougar Classic tournament, in which the Tigers will play Sandwich Tuesday. “Sandwich is a strong team with a strong record, and we’ll want to play our top game if we want a positive result against them,” Gillies said. The Tigers were shut out by Wellesley 6-0 on the road Sat-
urday. Wellesley scored one goal in the first period, two goals in the second and three in the third. Coach Bob MacDougall said that the team still had problems getting the puck into the offensive zone and noted that Wellsley outnumbered the Tigers in terms of shots. The Tigers shut out Weymouth
on the road, 3-0 Tuesday, Feb. 2. Saturday, Jan. 30, the Tigers lost here to Dedham 5-2, in what was a close game to the end, Gillies said. “We had some unlucky bounces,” she said. “But they also had a couple of goals, because we were slow on the transition. “They also capitalized on a lot of our mistakes.”
Boys’ hockey ready for final match-up JACOB SCHWARTZ Senior Ben Sauro, the captain, said boys’ hockey, 2-15-1, still doesn’t know how to win late in games. “It’s a little physical and a little mental,” he said. “Mentally, we just don’t know how to compete in the third period. “If we go into the third period and it’s a 3-2 game, we tend to go downhill because we’re not used to those situations.” Coach Tom Ryan said, “When you’re not used to winning games in the third period and playing teams who are, it’s really hard to come out on top.” For their last game of the season against Needham, the Tigers are working on battle drills and one-on-one and three-on-three situations, in order to do well late in the game. The Tigers are also working on their toughness and checking. “We’re practicing hitting guys in the corners,” Sauro said. BY
Teddy Wenneker
On the ice: Wellesley sophomore Will Darcey and senior Ben Sauro battle for the puck.
“Needham’s one of the top teams in the state, but we have our work cut out for us. It will still be very hard to beat them.” Wellesley shut out the Tigers at home 5-0 Saturday, Feb. 6. Ryan said, “In my opinion, we didn’t compete hard enough.” Ryan said that recently the team has stepped it up, but he was disappointed in the quality and effort of play against Wellesley. The Tigers lost 7-1 to Weymouth, Wednesday, Feb. 3. “We played a good game. After the first period we started moving the puck and playing harder,” Sauro said. At Dedham Saturday, Jan. 30, the Tigers won 4-1. “We skated fast and we moved the puck well. In the third period, we managed to stay strong.” Sauro said he was proud of the team’s chemistry. “We’re a close together team. We bond really well.”
Girls’ basketball sticks to strong defense, teamwork JAY FEINSTEIN Defense has been strong for girls’ basketball, 15-2, this season, according to coach Hank DeSantis. “People have been stepping up for the team,” he said. Senior Lucy Abbot, a captain with seniors Sammy Alpert, Monet Lowe and junior Briana Hunt said, “We’ve been working well throughout the season.” There will be a tournament at North Tuesday, Feb. 16 and BY
Wednesday, Feb. 17. First, the Tigers will play Burlington. Abbot said she expects the Tigers to advance to the championship round for a rematch against Wellesley. Visiting Wellesley, Friday, Feb. 5, the Tigers lost to the Raiders, 52-35. “We got frustrated really easily and that made us play badly,” Abbot said. “We need to stay more positive. We started off well but then
it went downhill.” Cooperation helped the Tigers defeat Brookline 54-33, Tuesday Feb. 9, Alpert said. “We stepped up our effort and focused our energy and frustration on the game,” she said. “Brookline was talented, but we took out key opposing players.” According to Abbot, the Tigers didn’t start out the greatest, but they “had a really good second half so we didn’t let ourselves get
frustrated.” Shooting well also helped the team claim the victory, Abbot said. At Weymouth Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Tigers defeated the Wildcats, 51-43. “We started the game off slowly but our energy picked up as the game progressed and we had solid defensive effort,” DeSantis said. Sophomore Grace Rolfe and junior D’Jaidah Wynn did es-
pecially well, according to DeSantis. Visiting Dedham, the Tigers defeated the Mauraders 54-23 Friday, Jan. 29 by playing good defense, according to DeSantis. “We had a solid team effort,” he said. “We had tremendous contributions from everybody. “Everybody played well and we did a great job overall.” The Tigers were to have visited a solid Needham team yesterday, according to Abbot.
Boys’ gymnastics prepares for State Championship JACOB SCHWARTZ Boys’ gymnastics, 0-7, has been working hard in preparation for the State Championship Meet tonight, said coach Steve Chan. “One thing I’ve noticed in their training is their willingness to keep working at their routines even when they’re physically and mentally tired,” said Chan. “That’s definitely a plus.” Chan said in training the team has been trying to get past the BY
inexperience of the new gymnasts. “They’ve just been working hard and trying to pick up tricks that are easy for them to pick up in a short amount of time, so they can improve their routines which will contribute to their overall team scores.” To do well in the meet, according to Chan, the team needs to make sure they’re as polished as possible.
“Their routines were not as smooth as they could be,” he said. “That’s what we’ve been working on, to make the routines as smooth as they can be.” The Tigers competed in a State Coaches meet Monday, Feb. 8. Only individual scores were tallied. Senior Justice Hedenberg, a captain with Senior Buzz Cochran, received two metals at
the meet. One was for his performance on floor, where he came in fourth place with a score of 8.0. A second was for his vault routine in which he came in sixth place with a score of 8.0. Junior Alex Pettiti also earned an all-around metal. He came in sixth and scored 27.6 points. Cochran also said he thought one of the team’s biggest strengths was the excellent coaching by Chan.
Andover defeated the Tigers Friday, Feb. 5. “We didn’t win, but we weren’t expecting to,” Cochran said. “We definitely pulled together some of our routines.” “Unfortunately, the number of players on the team is a big weakness. “We need more gymnasts to try out next season. There’s no experience necessary.”
sports
12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
Boys’ track finishes undefeated in league A
JAY FEINSTEIN lthough they finished the best in the league with a record of 6-0, the Tigers still need to work on individual state events, according to coach Jim Blackburn. “We work on everything from jumping to throwing to running, speed and distance,” he said. Previously, the Tigers weren’t the strongest in the hurdles but they have been getting better. “We’ve improved a lot to keep BY
up our record,” said senior HaoKai Wu, a captain with seniors Conor Ebbs and Jake Gleason. The Tigers will participate in the Division I State individual competition Saturday, Feb. 20. Individuals qualify for the competition by earning certain times. “We don’t know who is going, but we expect to do well,” Wu said. Wednesday, Feb. 10, the Tigers were to compete in the Bay State Conference all-star meet. The top
individual people in each event participated. At the McIntyre Elite Relays, Sunday, Feb. 7, the Tigers placed second in the shot put relay. “Having the big meet atmosphere and still being able to perform well was crucial,” Ebbs said. As champions of the Carey Division Wednesday, Feb. 3, the Tigers competed in the Bay State Conference finals meet against Milton, the winner of the Herget
Division. They defeated the Wildcats 60-32. Junior Isaiah Penn came from behind, passing the Milton anchor in the final lap to win the 4x400 relay for the Tigers with 3:34.23. The Tigers swept the shot put and junior Dan Ranti won the two-mile with 10:06.59. Saturday, Jan. 30, individuals from the team participated in the State Coaches Invitational. Most notably, junior Ezra Li-
chtman finished sixth in the mile with a time of 4:27. Thursday, Jan. 28, the Tigers defeated Weymouth 68-18. “We did well in just about everything,” Blackburn said. Notable in the meet were freshman Ryan Lucken, who finished third in the 300 with 37.90 seconds, senior Connor Ebbs, with a 14.55 meter throw in the shot put and senior Jake Gleason, who finished the 2 mile in 10:19, Blackburn said.
Wrestling, 15-5, has determination JAY FEINSTEIN xperience, execution and determination helped wrestling, 15-5, achieve one of its best records in years, said coach John Staulo. “We did really well this season,” said senior Sam Shames, a captain with senior Alex Westlund. “We’ve improved and came really far from where we began,” he said. Saturday, Feb. 6, the Tigers placed second out of 13 teams in the Team Sectional Wrestling Championship. First, the Tigers wrestled Waltham, winning 47-28. “They’re a tough team, but we were able to be aggressive and win in the end,” Shames said. Next, the Tigers achieved a win against Algonquin, 37-29. “We started out slowly, but we came back really strong,” Shames said. In the final round, Franklin defeated the Tigers, 62-5. “They’re BY
Teddy Wenneker
Determination: Seniors Alex Westlund at 171 and Ed Campana at 135 practice wrestling.
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one of the toughest teams in the state, so I wasn’t surprised by our loss,” Shames said. “People wrestled tough, but Franklin was tougher, so the match didn’t go our way.” Visiting Brookline, Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Tigers defeated the Warriors 51-25. The Tigers earned more than twice as many points as Brookline thanks to great determination, Staulo said. Saturday, Jan. 30, the Tigers defeated both Quabbin, 40-33, and Woburn, 48-14, in a tri-meet. When the Tigers were at 34-33 with Quabbin, sophomore Pat Bryson at 215 pinned a heavyweight to secure the victory. Seniors Ed Campana at 135 and Jake Gannon at 145, and junior Mike Atkinson at 160 also achieved pins. Against Woburn, Bryson, Campana, Shames at 119, Westland at 171, junior Ben Polci at 189, and freshman Steve Paton at 103 all won pins.
Girls’ track hopes to stay focused as season closes PERRIN STEIN irls’ track, 4-0, is hoping to “stay focused and maintain as high a competitive edge as possible throughout the final three weeks of the season,” according to coach Joe Tranchita. Having won all of the regular season meets, the Tigers are working to achieve peak perBY
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formances at the state level, he said. Saturday, Feb. 20, the Tigers will compete in the Division I State meet which is for all the Division I teams in Massachusetts. Students can only participate if they have achieved certain time standards, Tranchita said. The top six students at each event will qualify for state finals to be held
Friday, Feb. 26. The Bay State Conference League meet Wednesday, Feb. 10 included the top team in every league. For each event the Tigers were to have entered their two best members, Tranchita said. This event is only for individual competition, and the team as a whole did not receive a score. At the McIntyre Elite meet,
Sunday, Feb. 7, the Tigers beat two school records. First, in the long jump, the three students’ combined length was 47 feet 4.25 inches. The second record was by freshman Carla Forbes, who jumped 17 feet, 11.5 inches in the long jump. The Tigers won 62-24 against Milton, also undefeated, in the Bay State Conference finals
Wednesday, Feb. 3. Against Weymouth Thursday, Jan. 28, the meet came down to the final event: the 4x400 relay. Because the Tigers won this event, they won the league title for the 19th time in 23 years. “It turned out to be one of the most competitive meets in the Bay State League history,” Tranchita said.
Girls’ gymnastics ends strong JACOB SCHWARTZ t least one girl has achieved a personal best in every meet girls’ gymnastics has participated in this season, according to coach Jim Chin. “I’m proud of the fact that they have been working hard to achieve their personal bests,” Chin said. “I always told them if you look at it from a selfish point of view, it’s fine because their
individual scores will still contribute to a higher team score.” The Tigers beat the team record for total score at the Bay State Championship, their last meet, with a score of 136.15. The team came in second place, coming in only four tenths of a point behind Wellesley. Junior Andrea Marzilli, a captain with senior Rani Jacobson, said that the bars showed noticeable improvement from
past meets. “There were mixed emotions,” she said. The Tigers lost in a fairly close meet against Dover Wednesday, Feb. 3, with a score of 139.55134.65. The team broke a school record for total event score on the bars, with a total bars score of 33.5. The Tigers beat Brookline on the road 131.55-115.6 Friday, Jan. 29.
PERRIN STEIN oys’ swimming has finished its season with a 3-4 record, according to senior Aidan Breen, a captain with senior Sam Rolfe. “It wasn’t the most successful season in terms of winning, but everyone learned a lot,” Breen said. According to coach Amy Richard, the team grew together. “I am looking forward to next year, because the team has a good focus which will continue into next year,” she said.
Students participating in the South Sectional Championship Sunday, Feb. 14 and the Division I State Championship Friday, Feb. 19 will continue practicing over February vacation. To qualify for these meets, students must have achieved a specific time in an event or diving score set by the MIAA. According to Richard, five students will be attending States, and six students will be attending Sectionals. Students partaking in these events are working on tailoring
their practices to prepare for major meets in the next two weeks, Rolfe said. The Tigers came in fourth with 207 points at the Bay State Conference Championship. Rolfe had the highest combined individual score of 32. The meet, which was held at Brookline, also featured Brookline, Framingham, Natick, Needham and Wellesley. The diving and 500 freestyle occurred Thursday, Feb. 4, while the rest of the events were held Friday, Feb. 5.
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Swimming finishes 3-4 overall
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Teddy Wenneker
Co-captain: Junior Andrea Marzilli practices in the SOA.