volume89 issue9 master

Newtonite ◆ Friday, September 17, 2010 • Volume 89, Issue 9

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

Committee cuts lunch options Hilary Brumberg ue to the $1 million a year deficit the Newton Public Schools Lunch Program has been running for several years, the School Department has made cuts to the program, according to School Committee member Jonathan Yeo. Newton Public Schools is also in the process of hiring an outside company to manage the Lunch Program, Yeo said “The massive one million dollar deficit is $1 million that can’t be spent on education,” Yeo said.

“Both the City’s Citizens Advisory Committee and an expert outside consultant have analyzed the Lunch Program and found it to be far too expensive and far out-of-line with properly staffed programs,” he said.

“In order to balance the FY11 budget, we had to cut half of the $1 million program subsidy by reducing Lunch Program staffing and offerings.

“The $500,000 saved this year in the budget represents 10 teachings positions that were not eliminated.”

Another way the Lunch Program will cut costs is by hiring Whitsons New England, Inc. to manage the program with no subsidies, while still providing “excellent food service across the school system,” according to Yeo. “They very successfully run school lunch programs in many Massachusetts school districts, as well as in other northeastern states, and will rehire the existing staff to run the program” he said.

“We had hoped to have an agreement over the summer and Whitsons in place for September to run an outstanding food program, much superior to the past program,” Yeo said.

“That has unfortunately not happened. We hope that they will start running the program very soon, once we complete negotiations with the employee union.”

In the meantime, interim cuts have been made to the Lunch Program, according to Newton North Lunch Program Director Maria Mastroianni.

Twenty-five lunch employee

positions were eliminated citywide, including seven from this school.

This reduced the number of lunch employees at this school from 13 to six—over 50 percent—Mastroianni said.

“But we still need to feed the same number of kids,” she said.

“As it is right now, it’s really hard to put the food out. More staff would make the lunch lines go faster. But we can only do what we can do.”

With the reduction of workers, the deli, salad bar and vegetarian bars were all eliminated, as was the hot sandwich and all hot grill items except one (which rotates each month), according to Mastroianni.

“The six options we used to offer went down to two: a hot entrée and one item on the grill,” Mastroianni said. “Right now we don’t have any choice because we just don’t have the manpower.

The School Committee’s just trying to make it as easy as possible for us.”

In addition to the Lunch Program cuts, the Committee cut the breakfast program altogether.

“Kids on low income used to come in and have breakfast, which they weren’t getting at home because they can’t afford the full price,” she said.

“I think this will affect their education because they won’t get the most important meal of the day now. If you’re taking a test and your stomach is growling, you can’t concentrate.”

Mastroianni, who has been working for the Newton Lunch Program for 18 years, is afraid that she will either lose her job or be offered one with lower pay and smaller benefits when Whitsons starts running the program, she said.

“It’ll be sad if we’ll have to stop working here after so many years. Some ladies have been working here for 30 or so years.

Some of them will be forced to retire.”

Food handler Angela Massarotti said, “We just want to keep our jobs and our benefits. We work very hard for this job. We take pride in what we do.

“We’re here for you guys. We like you guys. We’re like your mothers.”

Through conversation with members, he said he hopes to get more people interested and informed about what the NTA is doing.

“We’re going to open clearer channels of communication. I think then more people will identify with the NTA. “I hope this will make people think they have a bigger voice and get them involved. More people involved means that there are more people working to solve problems.”

According to Zilles, the NTA has been putting together a statement for the upcoming contract negotiation. He said it will be asking for a three-year contract this year.

“It’s for everybody’s sake. We

want to know what our salaries will be. We want security. It’s important for all of us so that we can plan around it and move from there.”

Zilles, who was an English and Spanish teacher at this school, said his new position is very different from being a teacher.

“When I came to work today, there wasn’t a group of students there,” he said. “I’m alone more.

“It’s also high intensity. There’s a lot of adventure. Not that you don’t have those things in teaching—it’s just different.

“This is a job where there are a lot of emotional highs and lows.

You get the excitement of working in such a challenging system, but also empathy for the people who are most vulnerable.”

by

Gabe Dreyer

Introducing the new building: Principal Jennifer Price, Mayor Setti Warren, superintendent David Fleishman and senior class president Molly Doris-Pierce ceremonially cut the ribbon at for the opening of this building Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Additions, changes to building to be entered into Google Doc Hilary Brumberg here are still items that need to be completed in this building even though the school year has started, according to Heidi Black, the administrator of high school construction and strategic planning.

Shelves need to be installed, some remaining equipment delivered, light switches moved, the pre-school playgrounds finished and—“of course”—the old building has to be demolished so that the field complex can be completed, Black said.

Teachers should enter anything that may not be working in their spaces into a Google Doc, according to Black. She reads by

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the entries and decides “if they are even reasonable requests,” she said. Black then delegates the issues to different people depending on the item that needs attention.

“If it’s something simple like moving furniture, the custodians can do it,” she said. “If it’s something like ‘the lock to my classroom is broken,’ it needs to be fixed because it’s under warranty.”

Certain issues entered into the Google Doc can be categorized as “punch list items,” according to Black. These items were not totally completed during construction and the contractors are responsible for finishing them.

“There are some items that

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may not be addressed,” Black said. “Some teachers say ‘I want a light switch moved’ or ‘I want my computer dock moved.’ Well, we can’t make every change that everyone might want.”

Black is keeping track of requests that would require money, she said.

“In about a month, I will sit with principal Jennifer Price and make a list of our priorities.

“There is a small amount of money put aside if it’s necessary to finish work. It is up to the City of Newton to release that money.

“If there are items that the school wants changed, we’ll have to talk to the City about whether they are reasonable to fix.”

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Two school representatives start terms in Newton Hilary Brumberg uperintendent David Fleishman and Newton Teachers Association president Mike Zilles began their positions Thursday, July 1.

Both Fleishman and Zilles said they enjoy their new jobs and are experiencing all areas of the Newton Public Schools through talking to administrators and faculty. by

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Fleishman focuses on challenges for teachers

Since he began his position as superintendent, Fleishman said he has met with all of the NPS principals, spoken to teachers on opening day and toured this school. “I’ve been learning and listening,” he said.

“So far, there haven’t been any major surprises, and I think that’s because I’ve lived in the area for a while and I’ve been a superintendent before. The biggest challenge is learning about a new community and a new culture.”

Starting Monday, Fleishman has and will continue to visit one of each of the City’s 22 schools each day. “I visit the classes and talk to the teachers, administrators and parents,” he said.

“There are a lot of wonderful people associated with the Newton Public Schools, and I want to make sure I can talk to as many of them as possible.

“Before decisions are made, I want to know more about the Newton Public Schools. For me,

it’s hard to lead a school district by staying in an office. I really want to learn about the challenges facing teachers.”

Fleishman finds that the biggest challenge for Newton is finding a way to “make a very good school district even better for all kids during a time where resources are somewhat limited,” he said. “My goal is to ensure that we do everything possible to meet both the academic and emotional needs of all students.”

Zilles wants to increase union involvement

Like Fleishman, Zilles has been talking to people working in NPS to “get their input, see where they stand and see what the tasks are,” Zilles said.

opinion

2 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Adam London, 17: team player School is still Student remembered for his kindness, compassion a blank canvas Kate Lewis Senior Adam Michael London died Monday, August 23, when his car struck a tree on Bellevue Street. He was 17, and he was two weeks away from starting his senior year. by

Marena Cole Three years ago, the Newton North Class of 2011 assembled in Lasker Auditorium to hear welcoming remarks from faculty. by

column

One announcement in particular was met with extra applause and enthusiasm: our class would be the very first to graduate from the new Newton North High School building.

We would be the seniors in a brand new space, with all of the authority to decide where we, as cool new seniors, got to hang out. Members of our class would be the first to studentdirect shows in the brand-new theatres, and to captain sports teams during our new athletic facilities’ debut seasons.

This would be our building.

But back then, it all seemed so far away. We were still freshmen, with no conceivable authority or gravity in a school that already had such a unique, defined culture.

But years passed. We went through the discussions. The voting. The planning. The arguing. The moving. We brought down the house at 360 Lowell Ave. Our class president was the one to cut the ribbon to the doors of the new school, alongside principal Jennifer Price, superintendent David Fleishman, and mayor Setti Warren.

And as I finally got to walk into that beautiful new space in August during the seniorsonly tour, I remembered back to those words I heard on my first day of freshman year.

At last, I thought, we’re on our turf.

The school lived up to all the grandeur promised in its $197 million pricetag. The grounds sport a beautiful new football field, with a bright tiger emblazoned in its center. Sports teams practiced outside, in what was one of the first on-site practices for these students. Finally, the idea of a ‘home game’ seems a bit more tangible to

a class that went three years without a single field. Granted, I’m no athlete, but it was impossible to ignore the resurgence of so much Tiger Pride after years of away games and offsite practices.

The school’s interior was no less spectacular. Hallways were spotless. Computer labs boasted the latest and greatest technology, and an interactive whiteboard was prominently displayed in each classroom.

The air conditioning was perfect.

To someone who went through high school in a building crumbling at the edges, this was a beautiful sight.

However, one fact couldn’t be ignored: this wasn’t 360 Lowell Ave. Not by a long shot.

As I walked through the halls, I couldn’t help but realize that this isn’t the school that my class and I had grown to feel so comfortable in.

I find myself a senior with no idea where any of my classes are, nor where to find the offices of my favorite teachers.

Where will I eat lunch with my friends, if not on Main Street by the light green lockers in front of Barry House? Others that I toured the hallways with that day voiced similar concerns.

Although I’m finally a Newton North senior, that morning I didn’t feel as if I had any more connection to this place than even the members of the Class of 2014.

So is this really 2011’s school?

The short answer seems to be: not yet. We may be the dominant force on campus, but for now we’re presented with a perfectly blank canvas.

It’s up to us and the other three classes to figure out where we all want to hang out. Soon, we’ll get to decorate the walls with artwork, fill the theatres with performances and pack the fields with spectators.

It’s all just beginning. And that’s what’s going to make these next few weeks so very exciting.

Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the newspaper of Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., 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 Talk of the Tiger editor — Georgina Teasdale Photography editors — Ivan McGovern, Gaby Perez-Dietz Production managers — Gabe Dreyer, Ben Hills Advertising managers — Emily Gulotta, Tiphaine Kugener Business manager — Dan Salvucci Circulation managers — Alison Berkowitz, Caleb Gannon

in memoriam Adam’s family remembers him as a thoughtful, intelligent individual with a “gift of gab” and ability to command attention.

“No matter who he was with, you really got engaged with Adam,” said Howard London, Adam’s father.

“He was really very thoughtful and very smart. He had an intellectual life,” his father said.

“When he would engage in intellectual discourse, other kids would think it was okay, too.”

According to Barbara Spivak, Adam’s mother, her son was kind and thoughtful, despite the “macho, tough side” that he presented to the world.

“He could almost surprise you with his acts of kindness and compassion,” his mother said.

“They really were frequent.”

Adam was passionate about

family photo

Adam London

lacrosse, and played at the varsity level for three years. According to coach Bussy Adam, Adam made excellent progress in his junior year and had a “fantastic” season.

“He never had a poor performance—he had excellent games and good games, but no average or bad games,” said Mr. Adam.

“Adam started in 18 games, made 283 saves and maintained a 73 percent saves percentage,” he said. “He not only developed his lacrosse skills during the past season, but worked extremely hard on his abilities to lead our

Mary Sapienza was innovative Eli Davidow Ms. Mary Sapienza, the math department head from 1977 to 2003, died Friday, August 27 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She was 65. by

in memoriam Jo Ellen Hillyer, a retired math teacher and a close friend, said that Ms. Sapienza inspired her as a teacher.

“Mary supported me in so many ways in becoming the best teacher I could be,” she said. “I will always treasure her.”

Ms. Sapienza grew up in Lawrence and graduated from Lawrence High School in 1962. She then attended Emmanuel, where she majored in mathematics and minored in philosophy. She also went on to do graduate studies at Columbia.

During her career here, Ms. Sapienza established the 541 math sequence in 1970 and the SIMMS program in 2002.

file photo

Mary Sapienza

“She developed a departmentwide math program that included all students,” Hillyer said. “Her focus was to make math accessible and exciting to everyone.”

Math department head Cindy Bergan, who was hired by her predecessor, said that Ms. Sapienza was a forward thinker.

“Mary really predicted the new trends in math teaching,” she said. “She pushed us to stay open

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

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to new approaches and new paths of learning, while still preserving high quality teaching.

“She encouraged us to collaborate on all levels,” she said.

“She was the one who inspired us to have department-wide final exams and midterms.”

Math teacher Janice Lichtman, who co-taught SIMMS with Ms. Sapienza, also noted her innovative teaching style.

“She was a creative thinker who was willing to teach outside the box and think outside the box,” she said.

Family and friends gathered for a private service. A funeral mass was said on Saturday at the Corpus Christi Parish in Lawrence.

Memorial donations in Ms. Sapienza’s name may be made to The Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C. 20002 or to The New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, PO Box 196, Stratham, NH 03885.

Sheila Zolli had a soft touch Marena Cole Mrs. Sheila Zolli, an English teacher from 1967 to 2008, died July 28. by

Adviser — Kate Shaughnessy Production advisers — Sue Brooks, Tom Donnellan News staff — Malini Gandhi, Rebecca Harris, Kayla Shore Features staff — Emmett Greenberg Sports staff — Evan Clements, Nicole Curhan, Jeremy Gurvits Arts staff — Becky Kalish, Gloria Li News analysis staff — Kellynette Gomez Art staff — Anna Kaertner, Maddie MacWilliams, Monica Reuman, D’Jaidah Wynn Photography staff­ — Karen Brier, Anna Gargas, Jaryd Justice-Moote, Edan Laniado, Matt Victor Circulation staff — Spencer Alton, Stoddard Meigs, Omar Pinkhasov, Michela Salvucci, Stephanie Vitone Production staff­ — Ross Swerling, Peter Taber-Simonian

team. Adam had the courage to step outside of himself and move on to a higher energy, allowing him to evolve into a confident, talented and valuable teammate.”

This past summer, Adam worked as a counselor at the Garden City lacrosse camp, where he was able to share his love of the sport with younger players.

Adam was an alumnus of Cabot Elementary School and Day Middle School, and leaves his mother and father, along with siblings Eric ’03, Katie ’05 and Lizzy, a senior.

Adam’s parents hope that students will learn from their son’s tragic story and exhibit safe driving skills to avoid future accidents. For the official pledge, see page 14.

A scholarship fund has been set up in Adam’s name. Donations can be sent to the Adam London Scholarship Fund, Newton North High School, 457 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA 02460, and checks should be made payable to City of Newton, Adam London Memorial Fund.

Services for Adam were held at Levine Chapel in Brookline on Friday, August 27.

in memoriam Mrs. Zolli grew up outside Chicago in Park Forest, Ill. She graduated from Rich Township High School in 1962, and went on to study English at the University of Wisconsin.

She returned to school for two years in 1974, earning a master’s degree in theatre from the University of Hawaii.

In addition to her English classes, Mrs. Zolli began to teach Speech and Theatre Arts electives in the mid-1970s.

While here, she helped to establish the Student Faculty Administration Board and directed plays over the years.

“My teaching philosophy is that I try to reach and connect with every student I have and try to help them become the best writer, the best reader, the best speaker they can be,” Mrs. Zolli

file photo

Sheila Zolli

told the Newtonite when she retired in 2008. “I try to strive for excellence and to generate respect. I try to create a community in the classroom.”

In 1990 she received the Human Rights Award for exemplifying the school’s core values, and she also became the scholarship director in 1993.

When Mrs. Zolli retired, retired English department head Mary Lanigan said that she participated fully in the school, and always remained an active member in the school community.

Retired English teacher Margery Wieder, who team-taught along with Mrs. Zolli for several years, said that what stood out most about her was her gentle nature.

“She had a soft touch with all of her students,” Wieder said.

“She always came across as very gentle.

“She helped me to look for the best in all of the students we taught.”

A celebration of her life will be Monday, Oct. 11, 2010 at the Stonehurst Estate in Waltham.

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, Sept. 17, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 3

Lockers allotted by grade Malini Gandhi On the first day school, students were given permanent lockers organized by grade and homeroom, according to Riley housemaster Mark Aronson.

“We made this change to adapt to a shifting culture in the new school, as well as to develop a sense of community for each grade level,” Aronson said.

While there were technically assigned lockers in the old school, “students ended up ignoring this and just choosing whatever locker they wanted each year based by

on where they would hang out on Main Street,” Aronson said.

Since the organization of lockers based on the social culture of Main Street no longer exists in the new school, administrators decided to give students permanent lockers situated near their homerooms. Students will be responsible for their lockers during their entire time at North, Aronson said.

According to Barry housemaster Aaron Sanders, “having homerooms and lockers in the same area would also mean that

everything is much closer together and students have more time to drop off books.”

Allowing students to keep the same locker for four years also “gives students a sense of ownership,” Sanders said.

However, with ownership also comes responsibility—students will be held responsible for damage or defacement of their lockers, according to Sanders.

“This is also part of helping to keep the new building clean. We will monitor the lockers through locker clean-ups,” Sanders said.

Parent Night informs parents about life after Newton North Kayla Shore To alleviate parents’ stress and put their minds at ease, the counseling department will host Senior Parent Night, said Beals housemaster Michelle Stauss.

The event, which will be held Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 in the auditorium will “provide parents with a lot of important information about planning for life after Newton North,” according to counseling department head Beth Swederskas, who organized the night.

Senior Parent Night will also provide resources to inform parents about both the college process and about planning for any time off students might take, Swederskas said.

This year, the event will incorby

Gabe Dreyer

Building tour: Junior Jon Paul Roby gives tour to junior Johnny Medlar and other juniors Tuesday, Aug. 31.

porate more technology into the presentation, utilizing the new building’s more comprehensive resources. “Hopefully, parents will be able to see the papers being discussed,” she said.

However, the course of the evening will be the same as it has been in previous years, as it has been a popular and successful event, according to Swederskas.

The night will begin with opening remarks by principal Jennifer Price, Stauss and PTSO co-president Sally Brickell, Swederskas said. Then she will introduce the overall application process.

Then, parents will move into “breakout sessions” where they will meet with their child’s respective counselor.

There they will learn about

“the nuts and bolts of the college application process and the senior packet,” as well as other essential information, according to Swederskas.

“We want parents to be as informed as possible,” Swederskas said. The meeting is important to attend because the college process can be “challenging, confusing, and overwhelming.”

In order to ensure that all parents receive the support they need, the guidance department wants to make sure that parents living outside of Newton, such as those whose children are in the Metco or EDCO programs, attend as well.

The department is doing this by providing reminders through Connect-Ed calls and e-mails.

News teachers bring experience, skills to school by

Hilary Brumberg and Perrin Stein

Dan Fabrizio

Spanish Teacher

Su Gangopadhyay

Biology Teacher

Maureen Kavanaugh English Teacher

Math Teacher

Mary McManus Literary Specialist

Background: Fabrizio received his bachelor’s in Spanish and in secondary education at Boston College earlier this year. During his time at Boston College, he was a student teacher with former Spanish and English teacher Mike Zilles and Spanish teacher Marla Glaskin.

Excited about…“teaching in this new building with all the new technology. Last year, I had an opportunity to student teach here, and I’d like to bring a bit of the old school here to the new one. Also, the faculty, staff and students give this school an incredibly exciting atmosphere to work in.”

Background: In 1990, Gangopadhyay earned her master’s in physiology and nutrition from Calcutta University. Two years after that, also from Calcutta University, she earned her bachelor’s in education.

She received her doctorate in human physiology from Calcutta University in 1998. For the past six years, Gangopadhyay was a teaching aide in the science department at this school.

Excited about…“working in a place where everyone is so friendly and ready to help. This is also a learning experience, and everyone will be helping me in their own way.”

Richard Labedz

Anna McKenzie

Music Teacher

Background: He received his bachelor’s in music in 1997 from UMass Amherst. Then, in 1999 he earned his master’s in music from the University of Colorado at Boulder. From 2008 to 2010, he directed the Jazz Combo, and taught Jazz improvisation, music production and music technology at Newton South.

Brings to the school…“a unique and diverse set of experiences as an educator as well as an experienced musical performer. I love all aspects of working with musical ensembles and look forward to sharing my enthusiasm with the students here.”

Margot Murphy French Teacher

Background: Attended Connecticut College and earned her bachelor’s in French and religious studies in 1999. Then, Murphy received her master’s in the Art of Teaching from Tufts University in 2006. In 2010, Murphy earned her master’s in French at Middlebury College, and for the past three years, she has been a French teacher in the Cambridge Public Schools at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School and Graham & Parks School.

Excited about…“the students, colleagues, the exchange programs and, of course, the new building!”

Background: McKenzie earned her bachelor’s in economics from Georgetown University in 2009. This past spring, she received her master’s in the Art of Teaching from Boston University. While there, she was a student teacher at this school for math teachers Stephen Feiss and Elena Graceffa.

Excited about...“working with the incredible staff here and getting to know the students of the Newton North community.”

Brings to the school…“my enthusiasm and energy. I also hope to be involved with the girls’ lacrosse team in the spring. I am very excited!”

Kim Parker

English Teacher

Background: She received her master’s degree in secondary education and English from Boston College in 2002. Parker expects to earn her Ph.D in curriculum and instruction from the University of Illinois-Urbana this December. She worked at the Codman Academy Charter Public School from 2002 to 2004 and from 2009 to 2010 and at the New Mission High School from 2008-2009. When she was not teaching in these schools she was in graduate school.

Excited about…“joining a vibrant community in which everyone seems to love what they do.”

Background: After earning a bachelor’s in English from Holy Cross in 2003, Kavanaugh received a master’s in English from Stanford University in 2005. Immediately after earning her master’s, Kavanaugh worked at Drew School in San Francisco until 2009. Then, during the last school year she worked at the Dexter and Southfield Schools in Brookline.

Brings to the school…“a love of literature, which I hope to impart on my students. I love curriculum planning and researching new activities for students to enjoy. I am very happy to work with the other English teachers.”

Background: McManus received her master’s in education from Lesley in 2000. She earned her Certificate of Advanced Study in reading from MGH Institute of Health Professionals in 2006. In 2008-2009, she was a literacy facilitator for the Hanson Initiative for Language and Literacy. The next year, McManus was a literacy coach in the Randolf Public Schools.

Excited about…“working with older students instead of elementary age students.”

Brings to the school…“my work in the field of education for over 11 years. I have a rich background in reading and an understanding of how to help students read better.”

Chris Wood

Spanish Teacher

Background: In 1983, Wood received his bachelor’s in history with a concentration in European intellectual history from Columbia University. He received his Ph.D in medieval Spanish literature from Yale University in 1996. Right after graduating, he taught for 14 years at Boston College as an adjunct associate professor.

Excited about…“meeting such tremendously gifted teachers and working with a talented faculty. I am thrilled to join the Newton North community, and I look forward to meeting you all.

I want to share my energy, experience, enthusiasm and a love for learning.”

Photos by Steven Michael, Gaby Perez-Dietz and Teddy Wenneker

arts

4 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Senior establishes student-run theatre company Inaugural season includes student-directed plays “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Talk Radio” Perrin Stein For the first time in over 10 years, Newton did not sponsor a theatre program for high school students this summer. In lieu of the usual program, senior Skylar Fox began a student-run ensemble called Circuit Theatre Company, which held three shows in July: “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Talk Radio” and “Missed Connections: An Evening of Original Readings.”

When Fox heard that there was not going to be a summer theatre program in 2010, he spoke to some of his friends about beginning a student-run acting company. “As the idea snowballed and more and more people got involved, I realized: ‘Wow. This is probably going to happen,’” he said.

After the company assembled, each member made an equal monetary contribution so they could have a small starting budget, Fox said.

The members also held a few fundraisers, printed posters in Graphics Communications with the help of Theatre Ink direction Adam Brown and started a website for ticket sales, according to Fox. The company had particular by

courtesy Skylar Fox

“Talk Radio:” Senior Skylar Fox performs in the Circuit Theatre Company’s first season. difficulty finding a location in which to conduct rehearsals and performances, Fox said. Turtle Lane Playhouse in Auburndale was willing to lend its space to the program, but due to insurance issues, the space could not be used.

Brown and Jeff Knoedler, fine arts and music theatre department head at South, helped the company organize the use of South’s Lab Theatre. Also, the New Arts Centre donated space for rehearsals, “which turned out to be an ideal location,” Fox

said.

Fox said he was worried that the opening performance of “Lend Me a Tenor” Thursday, July 8 would have a slow turnout.

Contrary to his expectations, “we had to hold the curtain for 20 minutes to add enough seats to

accommodate the huge audience that had showed up. This trend continued for each performance after that one,” Fox said.

The company had rehearsals from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each night. The company only had a few days to prepare for each show, which made the process very difficult, said South senior Rina Friedberg, a member of the acting company.

“It was insane and really hard.

But, that craziness actually added so much to the experience—it was so satisfying to see how hard we worked and how much we accomplished,” she said.

Tori Wilson, South ’10, another member of the acting company, also said that the short rehearsal time was hard to manage. “Usually full-length shows at the student level take much longer to get ready, but we had only 10 days for ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ and eight days for ‘Talk Radio,’” she said.

Last summer, Wilson participated in Newton Summer Theatre Festival and enjoyed the experience. “I was very enthusiastic about participating in another summer of theatre,” she said. “This summer, I got to meet new people with similar interests and do the things we love.”

Seniors hone artistic skills at pre-college program Kate Lewis Art major students from this school had a chance to hone their creative skills and to learn more about their craft at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) pre-college program this summer.

“I’ve wanted to go to RISD forever, so the summer program seemed like a good way to explore the college,” said senior Abby Wolfe. Along with seniors Marissa Goldman and Phoebe Nesgos, Wolfe spent six weeks at the intensive program.

While at RISD, students chose a major, which they studied twice a week. Wolfe chose to major in architecture, while Goldman and Nesgos majored in painting.

Students also took core classes on drawing and basic design, which involved projects related to the group’s major.

In her architecture class, Wolfe learned about the field and created scale models of buildings out of different materials, accenting them with wood, she said.

Although a typical architecture class lasted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., students stayed in the studio long after class was over to finish their work, and they usually left only to sleep or eat, said Wolfe.

“We barely ever left the studio

until curfew,” Wolfe said. “I spent more time in the studio than in my dorm.”

According to Wolfe, her time at RISD was “the most productive time of my life,” and she felt that working long hours helped to improve her work ethic. She also became more interested in architecture through her major class.

“I learned a lot about the field and how every decision made during a project has to be backed by concrete logic,” she said. “I know now that I want to pursue a career in the architectural design field.”

Wolfe said that the most rewarding part of the experience was the gallery at the end of the program, where students displayed their works and admired the work of their peers.

“It was amazing to see what everyone had created within the period of six weeks,” she said.

“It also felt excellent just to be done with the program and have produced so much after so many sleepless nights.”

Students interested in participating in the RISD pre-college program can sign up on a firstcome, first-served basis and must receive a recommendation from an art teacher.

Kate Lewis Student musicians from the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) traveled to England for an eight-day tour, June 26 through July 3.

Junior Laura Cooke, a cellist who has participated in BYSO for six years, said that the trip, her first with the orchestra, was an incredible experience.

“Playing music in an orchestra setting is incredible,” said Cooke.

“To get the chance to travel with that orchestra and have musical experiences abroad is phenomenal and even life-changing.”

Over 100 students from around New England went on the tour, including three students from this school: Cooke and seniors Linda Bard and Dan Ranti, who play the

cello and trumpet, respectively.

In the past, BYSO members have traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Spain and Russia, among other international destinations. The tours take place every two years and are exclusive to members of the highest level of the orchestra.

While in England, the group performed three concerts: one at the Chichester Cathedral, one in Birmingham and at the town hall in Oxford. In Cooke’s opinion, the concert in Oxford was the most memorable.

“We played Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 again, which is a remarkable symphony,” she said.

“Also, it was our final time playing together for the season, and for some, for the last time with

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courtesy Marissa Goldman

An intensive program: Senior Marissa Goldman works on a painting in her major class.

Students tour, play in England with youth orchestra by

BYSO, so emotions were high.”

In addition to their performances, the musicians had a chance to take in the sights of England while on tour.

Among the places visited were the Millennium Bridge on the Thames River in London and William Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Moments after arriving in London, Cooke and her companions were able to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace from their tour bus.

On one occasion, the group visited Covent Garden and spent time exploring, Cooke said. “I really enjoyed being able to experience London and take in everything around us.”

Cooke said the trip helped

her to experience what the “real world” of a musician is like, because the orchestra had only a few rehearsals and many concerts close together. In this way, she believed the trip helped her

to grow as a musician.

Above all, “it was nice to just be there with people who love music, and who have dedicated so much of their lives to classical music just like I have,” she said.

calendar

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 5

Newtonite fall calendar September

Yom Kippur begins tonight at sundown.

Parent Night for seniors is Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 7 in Lasker Auditorium.

Student Orientation Skills for freshmen ends Monday, Sept. 27 in X-block.

The PTSO meets Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

The Theatre Arts Opportunity Meeting for Parents for Theatre Ink is Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in the little theatre.

Club Day is Thursday, Sept. 30 during X-block in the cafeteria.

October

“Adam Underground,” a film shot at Newton North last spring, will be previewed Friday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. in Lasker Auditorium.

Warnings for Term I are due Tuesday, Oct. 5.

Wednesday, Oct. 6 is a professional half day, with school ending at 11 a.m.

Back to School Night for parents is Thursday, Oct. 7 from 7 to 9.

The SATs are Saturday, Oct. 9 at 8 a.m.

No school for Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 11.

School and College Nights are Wednesday, Oct. 13 and Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6 in the cafeteria.

The PTSO meets Thursday, Oct. 14 at 9:30 a.m.

The PSATs are Saturday, Oct. 16 at 8 a.m.

Student photo retakes are Wednesday, Oct. 20.

ACTs are Saturday, Oct. 23 at 8 a.m.

The PLAN test is Saturday, Oct. 30 at 8 a.m.

Halloween is Sunday, Oct. 31.

November

English MCAS retests are Wednesday, Nov. 3 through Friday, Nov. 5.

The Huntington Lecture Series begins Thursday, Nov. 4. in the film lecture hall. That evening, under the direction of seniors Aviva Galpert and Edan Laniado, Theatre Ink presents “The Skin Of Our Teeth” through Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. in Lasker

Auditorium.

Transgender Day is Friday, Nov. 5. That evening, the PTSO meets at North Side Dining.

The SATs are Saturday, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m.

Term II begins Monday, Nov. 8. Math MCAS retests are Monday, Nov. 8 and Tuesday, Nov. 9.

Financial Aid Night is Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 7 in Lasker Auditorium.

Term I grades are due Friday, Nov. 12.

The PTSO meets Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Fall Concert I and II are Wednesday, Nov. 17 and Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in Lasker Auditorium.

Athletic Awards Night is Monday, Nov. 22 at 6:30 in Lasker Auditorium.

Parent Conferences are Tuesday, Nov. 23 from 2 to 5 p.m.

School closes for Thanksgiving Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m.

The Brookline game is Thursday, Nov. 25 at 10 a.m at Dickinson Stadium.

Winter sports begin Monday, Nov. 29.

December

Visiting singer-songwriter Catie Curtis will perform a benefit concert for the Global Education Leadership Fund Thursday, Dec. 2 in Lasker Auditorium.

Parent Conferences are Thursday, Dec. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m.

SATs are Saturday, Dec. 4 at 8 a.m.

Mediation training for PAWS— Positive Agreement Works—is Tuesday, Dec. 7 and Thursday, Dec. 9.

Under the direction of seniors Derek Butterton and Mercer Gary, Theatre Ink presents “Eurydice” Thursday, Dec. 9 through Saturday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. in the little theatre.

On campus presents Inclusive Schools Day Friday, Dec. 10.

ACTs are Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 a.m.

Warnings for Term II are due Monday, Dec. 13.

On campus and the Gay/ Straight Alliance presents ToBGLAD Day Wednesday, Dec.

15. That evening, Improv Club presents an Improv Jam at 7:30 in the little theatre.

Thursday, Dec. 16 is a professional half day, with dismissal at 11 a.m.

School closes for winter vacation Friday, Dec. 24.

January 3.

School reopens Monday, Jan.

Career and Technical Vocational Education Outstanding Student of the Year awards are presented Thursday, Jan. 6. in Lasker Auditorium during Bblock.

The Huntington Lecture Series continues Thursday afternoon, Jan. 6 in the film lecture hall. That evening, Theatre Ink presents “Freshman Cabaret” through Friday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 in Lasker Auditorium.

Sophomores will be presenting their Modern Hero essays Friday, Jan. 14 in Lasker Auditorium.

There will be no school for Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 17.

Music Cabaret Troupe performs Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Lasker Auditorium.

The SATs are Saturday, Jan. at 8 a.m.

Term III begins Monday, Jan. 24.

The PTSO meets Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 26 is a professional half day, with dismissal at 11 a.m.

Term II grades are due Friday, Jan. 28.

Jubilee performs Saturday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in Lasker Auditorium.

—compiled by Meredith Abrams and Marena Cole

Marissa Goldman

6 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Big windows, narrow hallways

on campus

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Students, faculty discuss building Meredith Abrams Steven Michael This year, Newton North moved from the old building at 360 Lowell Ave. to a new facility next door at 457 Walnut Street.

Students and faculty shared which aspects of the new school they like, dislike and find most surprising. by

and

Faculty

Riley housemaster Mark Aronson: “How easy it has been for staff and students to find their way around.”

Adams housemaster James D’Orazio: “The whole thing is overwhelming. I think teachers who have kids in other school systems can really appreciate what we have here.”

Special education teacher Lisa Goldthwaite: “One thing I was really worried about with the new layout is how I’d be able to find people in the building, and it’s been a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

Campus aide Dave Mosca: “I think I have to walk three times more per day to make myself visible. The old school was simple—I just had to stand on Main Street because 90 percent of students who switched classes went on Main Street.

“If you want to be an effective campus aide, you have to be visible.”

Librarian and English teacher Kevin McGrath: “How easy it was to find everything. I thought I’d be lost for months before I found everything.”

Seniors

Emily Brown: “There’s no Main Street, but there are a lot of windows.”

Andrew Liebendorfer: “The fact that there’s only one way to get from one side of the school to the other on the same floor.”

Jeremy Markson: “The cafeteria is not well-organized. The lunch lines are too long.”

Gabriella Pulcini: “I like the structure of the building. I also just learned that it’s eco-friendly.

But I’m still learning my way around and I’m not really sure about the layout.”

Ned Weitzman: “Nothing is color-coded. But, I like all the technology—I’m a fan of technology.”

Sarah Wen: “It looks awfully new, which is nice. But it’s too big—I always get lost.”

Juniors

David Buzby: “The small size of the caferteria and the fact that every hallway looks like it’s going to end and keeps on going. I was expecting a new school smell.”

Shoshana Fleischmann: “I like that it’s clean and new and that we have a chance to keep it that way. But there was a history and culture at the old school that’s not as visible here.”

Marlon Rainville: “The layout and organization—it seems a lot better than the old school.

It makes everything easier to find.”

Nellie Robinson: “I dislike how spread out the building is, but I like all the windows.”

Jacob Schwartz

At lunch: Freshmen Ana Horn, Philippine Kugener and Amber Poirier eat lunch by Dickinson Stadium with the old building behind them.

Rin Rogers: “I like that it’s clean and that the lockers are suitably sized.

“I dislike the fact that there are no murals.”

Shoshana Stanger: “I hate that it is too big. And it’s just such a stereotypical high school—there’s nothing special about it.”

Kevin Wu: “That the staircases are badly located. The halls are too narrow.”

Sophomores

Rayan Bezri: “I enjoy windows and the nice lockers.”

Thomas Bishop: “The outstanding sports facilities and how well-kept they are, especially the

SOA, pool and track.”

Lynn Chou: “I like how we have so many windows and a nice place to eat outside, but I don’t like that the hallways are really crowded.”

Deanna Cortina: “I dislike the crowded hallways and how long it takes to get from class to class, but I like that it’s clean.”

David Demarest: “What surprises me most is that the hallways are small, but it’s incredibly sparkly and clean.”

Mike Sullivan: “It looks like a hospital. It doesn’t have any personality.”

Julie Joyce: “I like how it’s new

and big, but there’s no color and it seems like a hospital.”

Allison Valley: “It’s really clean and I like all the light, but there’s no color.”

David Wolfe: “Fresh air. It was so stuffy in the old school.”

Freshmen

Pascale Froehlich: “It’s big and confusing, but I like how the room numbers go in a line.”

Paroma Mallick: “It’s shiny and new, but I wish it was in a circle so eventually you would find your class.”

Isabell Oliart: “I like that it’s really clean. I don’t like that that the rooms are hard to find.”

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feature

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 7

No books yet: Students study at tables and use new computers last week. Wednesday, the library was closed to shelve the 19,500 books and DVDs.

Gabe Dreyer

New building provides opportunities for all Jacob Brunell Fatema Zaidi Students are now just beginning to acclimate to the new building. Several departments in the school have updated spaces with features different from those in the old building.

McGrath.

According to McGrath, the school has purchased 20 Amazon Kindles and is hoping to order iPads for students’ use in the library.

“There will be Kindles with subscriptions to international and domestic newspapers, magazines in the new Media Watch Room.

There will also be a live cable news feed on a TV in that room,” McGrath said.

The Library Learning Commons will also have an “innovation zone” room, which will allow students to create projects in both 3-D and digital formats,” McGrath said.

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and

Dedicated studios, new equipment for fine arts department

According to art teacher Shannon Slattery, this year is the first time that North has had actual art studios for its students.

“In the old school, the art rooms were simply ordinary classrooms converted into studios. Now, we have three dedicated art studios—one ceramics studio and two 2-D studios,” Slattery said.

According to fine and performing arts department head Todd Young, there is also a new photo studio with a classroom, a processing room and a dark room.

Another feature is the fact that the new building has specially designed windows.

“The windows in all the art studios face north, which is where the most consistent natural light comes from,” Slattery said.

“With north-facing windows, it is never too dark in the room, and also never too light.”

More changes to the art rooms include the addition of industrial sinks, ceiling mounted electrical outlets, more storage space and bigger rooms, Slattery said.

Theatres feature more intimate setting

According to Adam Brown, the chair of Theatre Ink, the new theatre facilities are a drastic improvement over the ones at the old school.

“The new little theatre is supposed to be more flexible for different configurations and to do different things, but we may not have as many seats for the audience,” he said.

The little theatre, depending on different configurations, can fit from 50 to 175 people, he said.

“It is higher, but it is also

Want to advertise in the Newtonite?

Call Emily and Tiphaine at: 617-559-6400 ex. 454443

Windows, natural light in Career and Tech. Ed.

Gabe Dreyer

In Graphic Communications: Senior Josh Brooks works on a project in the Graphics room.

Gaby Perez-Dietz

Lasker Auditorium: The new auditorium boasts a new orchestra pit, LEDs on the acoustic panels and sprung floors. smaller—the old little theatre was 52 by 52 feet, but the new one is 42 by 52 feet,” Brown said.

The new Lasker is also smaller than the old one. According to Brown, the new Lasker has 80 fewer seats.

However, “the infrastructure is night and day, meaning all the technology is at a higher level,” he said.

According to Brown, new technology will make designing

easier, but it also makes it more challenging to learn the different systems.

“Lasker has a full orchestra pit that can fit a full 18 to 20 piece orchestra­—it’s like Broadway” he explained.

According to Brown, these changes should help in teaching and learning because less time will be spent in fixing broken equipment, like in the old school.

“I am very excited that there is more meeting space and that theatre is all on one level now,” Brown said.

Library has new name, updated technology

The Library Learning Commons has added many new technological features as well, in addition to the 19,500 books and DVD’s already in Newton North’s collection, said librarian Kevin

Career and Technical Education Vocational department head Diana Robbins was truly amazed by the spaces in the new building.

“The first floor location allows for a ton of large windows, which is essential for programs like Design and Visual Communications where an abundance of natural light is needed,” said department head Diana Robbins.

The first-floor location benefits the Culinary Arts program as well, Robbins said.

“The Tigers’ Loft Restaurant will be open to the community one day a week, and its location will allow the public to access this easily,” Robbins said.

“I believe it is important for the community to see the programs in action, so they can experience what the students learn in Career and Vocational Technical Education.”

New equipment was purchased for programs to replace pieces that were outdated. For example, a new alignment machine was purchased for Automotive Tech because the old one could not accommodate newer, larger vehicles like SUVs, Robbins said.

“But for me, the best part is seeing students and teachers walking around this building smiling and happy about the new school,” Robbins said.

8 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Se

Around the world: Summ North students backpack across India, Himalayas W Ellie Abbott e had been backpacking for nine days in India. We had seen yaks as big as three full-sized men, shrines, mosques and some crazed donkeys attack each other. We had eaten pretty much the exact same things for every meal up until that point (porridge, naan, potatoes, noodles, repeat). We learned how to play cricket, cross rivers on foot (and in buckets) and even how to dig our own toilets.

For the last nine days we had woken up early, trekked through the majority of the day, arrived at our campsite and gone to bed as soon as we possibly could. But this day was not like any other day.

Today was day 10.

We had known this day would come. It was the day we were reaching the highest point of our trek, the Bubba Pass. We had gone from trooping through major heat to suddenly hiking through snow.

Our leaders weren’t physically well enough by day eight, then we would be sent back to Delhi, never reaching that view we had all worked so hard to see.

How could any of us describe the beauty of that day? We reached the top, and as cheesy as it sounds, I certainly felt like I was on the verge of tears. The whole experience was incredibly surreal and something none of us could have ever imagined happening to us.

Who ever said I would be able to travel to India for a month, without my parents, on a student-run expedition and trek through the Himalayas?

I mean, come on, I’m a teenage girl from Newton. If you told me I was going to be without a by

Camp teaches girls respect, teamwork Annie Gombosi his summer I returned to Becket, Mass. for my sixth consecutive summer at Chimney Corners Camp for Girls.

I had the opportunity to be an assistant counselor for nine weeks to two cabins of nine girls each. I attended Chimney for four summers and was then accepted into the AIDES leadership program in 2009.

As a camper, Chimney’s values create a safe environment for girls to grow and learn more about themselves, others and how to respect differences. Chimney is the perfect place for girls to practice important life skills such as teamwork, independence, self confidence and how to handle personal as well as group responsibilities.

The essentially risk-free environment offered by such a respectbased group of people gives girls a chance to make decisions based solely on what they want and enjoy, instead of what parents, teachers and peers want for them.

Camp also teaches girls how to live with other girls in a shared space and to bond with and support each other. Each night, the whole cabin sits down around a candle for cabin chat and shares their personal answers to a question posed by the counselors, which lets the cabin get to know each other on a deeper level.

Also, the fact that Chimney is an all-girls camp provides a unique by

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opportunity for girls to only be around girls, which eliminates a lot of pressure and stress. Going to camp is so important to me because it is my time to rejuvenate and have fun in a consistently comfortable environment that I feel good in.

I have the chance to let go of my “home” world and be somewhere different where I know I will be respected and supported.

My home friends are the greatest and I could not ask for better, but a different bond is formed with friends you meet at camp.

Living with friends really adds another layer to the relationship.

Constantly being around each other makes you dependant on each other’s presence and left feeling empty at the end of the summer.

Working at Chimney this summer was supposed to be my chance to give back to camp for all that it had taught me.

Instead, I found that I gained more than I ever thought I would.

Being able to play a part in making campers’ summers amazing and showing them what they can gain from it was so special.

It felt good to watch a new generation of girls start to learn leadership and embrace Chimney values as I remember doing as a camper.

Knowing that I helped ensure that camp will be in the hands of those who respect and cherish it was all I could hope to be a part of.

shower for 16 days, sliding down a mountain in the Himalayas on my butt through the snow (and horse/donkey poop), hiking down through clouds, crossing rushing rivers on foot, drinking river water and going to the bathroom in a hole, I would’ve said you were a little crazy. If you had told me I was going to have the best time of my life doing it, I would have said you were insane.

But I did! I made amazing friends, and I landed in Boston with an incredible sense of accomplishment. I had made it. We had made it. What’s different about a World Challenge trip (the group we travelled with, which has trips not only to India, but also to places such as Madagascar, Peru, Tanzania and many more) is that it’s student run. We didn’t show up at the airport with everything all preset for us, and we most certainly did not have our hands held on a tour through India.

The 13 kids from our group who went on our trip through World Challenge planned almost every aspect of it. We decided to go on a 12-day trek through the Himalayas and to help repaint a school in the village of Haripur as our community service project.

We were also in charge of booking our hotels and transportation, finding places to eat and making sure all of it was done safely and efficiently (we were in a foreign country, after all). This trip was literally ours.

We had touched every aspect of it and had even been encouraged to earn the money to go on our own. Now when I say, “oh yeah, my trip to India,” I can really mean, “my trip to India”. That feeling of

self-sufficiency is something that I feel every high school student should earn by the time he or she is ready to move onto college or elsewhere.

I wouldn’t take back going to India — ever. It’s a place that could be very difficult if not almost impossible to travel to with just your family, because you can’t see everything or get the experience you’d be hoping for.

From the first day we arrived, kids from all over the area were at the school almost as soon as we woke up because they wanted to watch us. The kids who we met were beautiful, funny, kind and incredibly eager to interact with us.

We played games and sang songs (they loved hearing our Taylor Swift renditions and the Star Spangled Banner) in between painting new murals for their walls. For many of us, it wasn’t hard to find favorite kids, ones who followed us everywhere, kids whom we will miss forever and whom many of us said we will make an effort to go back to see.

When speaking to other students who had been on World Challenge trips (or trips like it), many of us were told that our lives would be changed forever.

How many times have you heard that before traveling off on your own? It got to the point that we weren’t thinking our lives would change—we were expecting them to be changed. Surprisingly enough, it happened. I can most certainly say that I have changed.

India: beautiful, inspiring, remarkable, unpredictable, unexpected, hilarious and sometimes difficult. We’d all go back any day.

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

Real Estate Matters

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

courtesy Diana Seldin

New friends in India: Junior Diana Seldin has a heart-felt moment with Dehsi schoolchildren.

ept. 17, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 9

mers spent abroad, close by Camp Interfaith promotes inclusion

Aviva Galpert ew and far between are the places where one can attend five prayer services for three different religions before 8:30 in the morning (in addition to many more throughout the day).

Even more rare are the places where teenagers attend as many services as they can, regardless of their own faiths, in order to become more informed and open-minded.

Certainly, Camp IF is unique.

The New England region of the Anti-Defamation League runs the program, “Camp Interfaith.”

Its purpose is to foster understanding between teenagers of different faith traditions, help participants abandon preconceptions, o p e n p a r t i c iNewtonian pants’ eyes to Aviva the inequality Galpert in the world and strengthen participants’ leadership skills so that they can bring what they learn back to their communities.

Camp IF is open to Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Unitarian Universalist high school students. Although this allows for a great deal of diversity, it is still a limited demographic, and this is very intentional. Because all of the religions are Abrahamic Faiths (meaning that their followers believe themselves to have been descended from Abraham), they have a great deal in common—from prophets to central values.

For example, obligatory charity (called “zakaat” in Islam and “tzedakah” in Judaism) is a core tenet of each religion. The program brings together adolescents who are similar in many ways, but whose religious differences have historically been a source of unfathomably bloody conflict, and by doing so, opens doors for acceptance and understanding of other differences as well.

One day is dedicated to teaching and learning about either Judaism, Islam and Christianity/Unitarian Universalism. Teaching is done

by Adult and Teen Facilitators and includes a “learning service,” Teen Facilitators’ stories about how they identify with their faith, lessons on beliefs and traditions and smallgroup discussions that provide more in-depth understanding of specific topics.

Throughout each day, specific stereotypes and common misconceptions are corrected. For example, in the group discussions on “Islam day” participants learn about Jihad, which doesn’t mean “holy war” but can be translated as “struggle,” and refers to overcoming personal obstacles in order to become a better Muslim and a better person.

Furthermore, Sharia (Islamic law) has specific rules that are clearly violated by “Muslim” terrorists — as one participant said, Islamic extremists are representatives of the religion in the same way Ku Klux Klan members are representatives of Christianity. Of course, now that the heated debate over the construction of a mosque at Ground Zero is exposing and by

courtesy Teddy Wenneker

Mountain top: Senior Teddy Wenneker summits a peak in Canada’s Coast Mountains.

Senior learns leadership skills on hike through Yukon territory Teddy Wenneker e woke up at a campsite just outside of Whitehorse, a city in Canada’s Yukon Territory, on a brisk July morning. With 60pound packs on our backs, 13 students—ages 16 to 28—along with three instructors, set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Thus began my four-week backpacking trip with the National Outdoor Leadership School.

School, you ask? In the summer? Well this was no ordinary school. A 100-mile trek through the Coast Mountains of Canada’s Yukon Territory was the classroom, and leadership, backpacking skills and first aid were the subjects.

Except for a few much needed layover days, we woke up early every day and hiked for five to 10 hours. We hiked through tundra, forest and marsh, across rivers, over mountains and through passes. We spent most of our time and energy bushwhacking through what seemed like never-ending, chest-high brush. Dinner and sleep were so much more than welcome at the end of the day. Sleep did not mean darkness, however. In the summer in the Yukon, it never gets dark. The sun sets at 11 p.m. This is followed by dusk, which is followed by dawn with no nighttime in between.

In the first part of the trip, we learned necessary backpacking skills. We learned how to pack our by

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massive backpacks efficiently, and we learned how to put them on without falling over. We learned how set up our stoves and our tents, and we learned how to take care of all of our bodily needs.

We also learned all the joys of bear camping.

The Yukon is the stomping grounds of black, brown and grizzly bears, so we had to take the necessary precautions. We had to constantly shout out bear calls on our hikes, we had to set up our stoves and keep our food at least 100 yards away from our tents, and most importantly, we had to be in groups of three or more with bear mace handy at all times. Our tactics worked, and zero bears attacked us, but we did see three grizzlies.

As the trip progressed, our instructors revealed the magic of navigation, showing us topographical maps and how to relate the geographical features around us to the squiggly lines on the paper.

A week into the trip, our instructors implemented the Leader of the Day (LOD) program, in which three students volunteered to lead each hiking group for the day. The LOD was in charge of navigation, keeping the group moving efficiently and overall moral support.

Through my multiple rounds as LOD, I grew as a leader and backpacker.

Any time we had off was spent on first aid lessons. We learned

how to do a full patient assessment and perform very basic medical care before the medical helicopter arrived.

Toward the end of the trip, our instructors felt very confident in our abilities and decided we could go off on an independent student expedition. The students split into two groups with one elected leader in each. The leaders spoke with the instructors and agreed on a destination where we would all meet in four days.

The next morning, we all left on different routes. My group of six students was completely alone in the great wilderness. After four slightly nerve-racking days, we all reunited at our rendezvous point.

A highlight of the expedition was running out of fuel the last day and cooking rice in Nalgene bottles using the heat of the sun.

After four weeks and 100 miles, we met a bus on the highway,which brought us back to Whitehorse.

After the trip, we were all changed people. Not only did we gain a huge amount of technical knowledge, but we gained an appreciation for what is truly important in life, realizing how unnecessary the various amenities we depend on every day are.

Personally, I gained an appreciation for the beauty of nature and a love for living in such splendid seclusion—so far from cities, people and society. I want to go back the first chance I get.

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underscoring the extreme Islamophobia felt by so many Americans, the importance of conversations such as this one is more apparent than ever.

Over the course of the five-day program, the haze surrounding certain practices and beliefs clears, and participants are able to make increasingly strong and meaningful connections with one another and between one another’s faiths.

Another exercise involved participants listening to scenarios involving insulting and derogatory comments and actions. They then went to a certain area of the room based on whether they thought they would be a “perpetrator,” “target,” “ally,” or “bystander.” Once again, standing in these positions was made much harder by the fact that there was always a friend in the “perpetrator,” “target” and “bystander” sections.

In a similar activity, a participant gave identifying factors, such as religion, ethnicity, class, gender, physical disability, mental condition, etc., and participants to whom those factors applied were given the opportunity to stand in front of the room and state insults and stereotypes about that feature that they never again wanted to hear said about them.

Once again, to see faces put to remarks that are often made so nonchalantly was affecting and disheartening.

Camp IF allowed participants to interact with people of different backgrounds and also allowed them to discover the emotions and reasons behind others’ principals and values.

In addition, the camp forced participants to put logic and intellectual fact behind unfounded prejudice that can be felt deeply on an emotional level.

The hope is that by increasing awareness and understanding, the program will begin to chip away at what is metaphorically referred to as the base of the “Pyramid of Hate”: the major gaps in sympathy and understanding that become the foundation first for slurs and name-calling, then individual attacks and hate crimes, and then persecution and genocide.

One word that is sometimes used by reflective participants is “Utopia,” for a place where people of such vastly different backgrounds can be so open and understanding is hard to find and hard to leave.

However, one of the most important aspects of the program is that its teachings not remain among only the participants.

Camp IF continues during the school year as the Interfaith Youth Leadership Program. For the IFYLP, the participants divide into three groups, called Regional Action Teams, and each group takes on a community service project—in the spirit of charity, zakaat and tzedakah. (In the past, these projects have included working with organizations such as Cradles to Crayons and the Special Olympics.)

And, with the support of their groups, participants reach out to their communities and do whatever they can to make the rest of the world a little bit more like Camp IF.

10 â—† Newtonite, Newton North

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Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

761 Beacon Street Newton Centre MA 02459 (617) 244-9881

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Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Tiger

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11

Talk of the

Around the Town: Pizza Bill’s Pizzeria

Domino’s Pizza

Sweet Tomatoes

Location: Newton Center Toppings: 50+ Alternatives include: Burgers, wraps and sandwiches, pasta, salads, chicken dishes and desserts.

Price per slice of cheese: $1.85 Delivers: Yes

Location: Four Corners Toppings: 20+ Alternatives include: Chicken, sandwiches and pasta Price per slice of cheese: Slices not sold Delivers: Yes

Location: West Newton, Newton Center Toppings: 30+ Alternatives include: Salads, sandwiches at Newton Centre Price per slice of cheese: $3 Delivers: No

Café Nicholas

Newton Town Pizza Center

Tom’s Pizza

Location: Newton Center Toppings: 40+ Alternatives include: Wraps, sandwiches, pasta and salads Price per slice of cheese: $2.25 Delivers: Yes

D&A House of Pizza Location: Nonantum Toppings: 10+ Alternatives include: Grinders, spaghetti and salads Price per slice of cheese: $1.35 Delivers: No

Location: Newton Center Toppings: 20+ Alternatives include: Subs, sandwiches, salads and pasta Price per slice of cheese: $1.77 Delivers: Yes

Location: Auburndale Toppings: 20+ Alternatives include: Pasta, salads, wraps, subs and dinners Price per slice of cheese: $1.50 Delivers: Yes

Newtonville Pizza West Newton Pizza and Grill Location: Newtonville Toppings: 20+ Alternatives include: Sandwiches, soups, desserts, salads, omelets and pasta Price per slice of cheese: $1.87 Delivers: No

Teachers’ Picks

Location: West Newton Toppings: 50+ Alternatives include: Subs, sandwiches, pasta, salad and barbeque Price per slice of cheese: $1.75 Delivers: Yes

Mr. Calderone

Ms. Sammett

Ms. Graceffa

Favorite Artists

Favorite Artists

Favorite Artists

Prince Alicia Keys

Favorite Movie Pink Floyd the Wall

Favorite Show

Eva Cassidy Bob Dylan

Favorite Movie Z

Favorite Show Lost

The Wire

Nick Drake Joni Mitchell

Favorite Movie Waking Life

Favorite Show Mad Men

Local Events: “Wicked” Date: 9/17-9/18 Time: 8 p.m.

Place: Boston Opera House Cost: $35+

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Date: 9/23-9/25 Time: 7 p.m.

Place: Wellesley College Cost: Free Newton Jazz Festival Date: 9/25 Time: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Place: The Jackson Homestead, Newton Cost: Free

Did you know?

Karen Tobin, current Barry House secretary, graduated from this school in 1972.

Tobin had attended a parochial (Catholic) school, where there were 30 kids in her grade.

She said was “thrilled” when the school closed her senior year because it meant she could go to Newton North, which, as a larger school, had more to offer.

At Newton North, while Tobin didn’t participate in after school activities, she took typing and accounting classes as electives.

The change in schools was a huge “culture shock,” she said.

“I loved it, but before I came here I didn’t know you could skip classes or anything.”

Tobin said her favorite memory of Newton North was meeting so many classmates and making

Newtonian

so many new friends.

She said the biggest change from when she was a student to now is that, “I think the students seem to be more into school than we were, and they seem to enjoy it much more.”

Arena Scheduling Oh wait...

I guess we still have to go to...

Wow! This new school is great!

Monica Reuman

sports

12 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Teams return to new facilities on campus Eli Davidow, Jay Feinstein and Jacob Schwartz After three years of construction, 10 sports will return to campus for games or practices.

“The teams will have extra time by not having to travel far to get to practice,” said boys’ tennis coach Phil Goldberg. “That will also lessen the stress on the players and coaches.”

According to athletic director Tom Giusti, football, lacrosse and track will play on Dickinson Stadium’s turf field, as well as soccer for a portion of its season. In the grass field out front, which was temporarily named Tiger Drive Field, soccer and field hockey will play. The field has yet to be given a permanent name. Tennis will play on the brand new courts. by

Field hockey

Field hockey will gain experience with its occasional practices on turf, said senior Marissa Troy, a captain with seniors Andrea Marzilli and Ali Pappas.

“It’s a very different kind of surface that we weren’t always exposed to,” she said. “I believe that the team will feel more prepared when we do play on the turf now.”

The Tigers will play most of their home games off campus at Forte Field, as well as some games at Dickinson Stadium.

Football

Coach Peter Capodilupo said he believes everybody on football will enjoy the new Dickinson Stadium. “Everyone likes being close to the school,” Capodilupo said.

“It’s so user friendly, and so immediate to the academic piece of the school. It invites people inside the school to observe games.

Gabe Dreyer

Tennis courts: The new courts feature wind screens, making wind less of a factor during matches.

“It will be nice because when it rains, we’ll still have practice because of the turf, and games won’t be cancelled.”

Boys’ and girls’ lacrosse

According to coach Bussy Adam, the Tigers’ turf field has no playing advantage, but “it’s something exciting for the kids.

Most schools in the Bay State League already have turf fields, so it’s nice that we caught up.”

Playing on turf fields will be a bit different from the grass fields the teams are used to, Adam said. “The ball bounces a little

differently, and games are usually played more quickly on turf fields, but we’ll get used to it.

“It’s exciting to have the field in our backyard, so we can go inside on rainy days. On rainy days, we’re able to go the film lecture hall and watch game tapes.”

Boys’ and girls’ tennis

Location isn’t the only plus to having new courts, according to Goldberg. The new courts will also affect the performance of the teams.

“These courts will be a big improvement over the other courts we have used around the city, and

Habits for a Lifetime of Health

we will have more of them, which will let us get more practice time and also get more singles work in per practice hour,” he said.

“The wind screens and the proximity to the building should make the wind less of a factor than playing at South or Cold Springs, which will be nice.”

Boys’ and girls’ soccer

Soccer will be playing many of its home games at the Tiger Drive Field this year, with its newly laid sod.

Girls’ soccer coach James Hamblin said, “I’m very excited and grateful to have a new field.

We’re going to have more people at games, and we’re going to have more training, too.”

Boys’ and girls’ track

“Everything about the new track is perfect,” said coach Jim Blackburn. “For the past three years, we had to practice on the streets, but now we have a great new place.”

According to Blackburn, the track has many benefits.

“It will help us in meets because we’ll be able to prepare better,” he said.

“Also, more kids will want to join the team, which is good.”

Gabe Dreyer or Ivan McGovern

Newton-Wellesley Hospital encourages you to develop healthy habits.

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

sports

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 13

Girls’ cross country to better its fitness Perrin Stein Even though there are 30 students on girls’ cross country, 2-0, there is a very strong team vibe, according to senior Devika Banerjee, a captain with senior Margo Gillis and junior Melissa Weikart.

“To be honest, we don’t have that many weaknesses. Not everyone is a great runner, but we work together to improve,” she said.

Every day during practice, the by

Tigers run between three and five miles, according to Banerjee.

Also, three times a week, they do work outs in three skill level based groups in order to become more fit.

Unlike other sports, cross country doesn’t involve that much technique, according to coach Peter Martin. “We just need to practice running, so we’re prepared to run 5K well,” he said.

“We are very inexperienced right now, but by the end of the season,

we can definitely be one of the better teams in the state.”

Students run in groups in order to push each other to progress, Martin said.

“This helps the team as a whole because it is better to have three runners at 20 minutes instead of one at 19 and two at 21.”

Although there are many new team members, some of them look like they will become great runners, according to Martin.

Among them are sophomores

Meghan Bellerose, Julia Schiatarelli and Julia Schlossman.

Also, some returning members are becoming great assets to the team, he said.

“The captains are good runners, and they carry the team well. One of them, senior Margo Gillis, is one of the best runners in the state.”

Wednesday, the Tigers will host a tough Weymouth team, according to Weikart. “It’s going to be a challenge, but if we work

together, we can beat them,” she said.

The Tigers don’t know what to expect Tuesday, Sept. 28, when they visit Natick. “We hope to win, but I’m not too sure what will happen. Natick has a really good team,” she said In a duel meet Wednesday, the Tigers defeated Dedham 15-30 and Framingham 23-38.

“Everyone ran really well. The whole team pulled their efforts together,” she said.

Volleyball crafts defensive plans Jacob Schwartz In order to succeed, volleyball, 1-0 Wednesday, must maintain its current strengths, coach Richard Barton said, and add to them by attacking opponents and creating defensive schemes.

“The other team has to try to put the ball somewhere, and there’s a big court to cover, so where we would put our players on the court is very important, as is what they do on the court,” Barton said.

According to Barton, the team will be training through its first month of the season to prepare for the harder months of October and November.

“We have a softer part of our schedule until the beginning of October, when we face really good teams for a few weeks in a row,” Barton said.

“In our league, only Brookline, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley play power volleyball.

The others do not, and we are a power volleyball team.

“The other teams are not as relevant to our path.”

Senior Nicole Goldberg said she felt the schedule for the seaby

Teddy Wenneker

In the gym: Senior Nensi Cukalla digs a hit in practice as Senior Megan Altieri looks on.

son was quite convenient.

“The teams we play become progressively better as the season goes on, as we become more cohesive as a team. This will be helpful to us because we will be ready to play teams as we face them.”

The Tigers visit Walpole Tuesday. According to Barton, “Walpole has one strong, tall hitter we have to watch out for.”

Following the game at Walpole, the team travels to Weymouth Thursday and then hosts Milton Wednesday, Sept. 29. If the Tigers give it their all for both games, they should be able to come out with victories, Barton said.

In a 3-0 shutout, the Tigers defeated Norwood on the road Tuesday in the opening game of the season.

“They had a new coach and a new team, and we were on aggressive cruise control,” Barton said.

“It was not a pretty sight if you were on Norwood.”

The Tigers were to have played in the first home game in the Reginald E. Smith Gymnasium against Braintree yesterday.

‘Every player is key’ this year for golf, says captain Jacob Schwartz Golf, 2-1 Wednesday, looks for its chemistry to help lead the team to a successful season, according to senior Eric Regensburg, a captain with seniors T.J. Ryan and Mike Zegarelli.

“We have a really strong team this year, and every player is key,” he said.

The Tigers will host Walpole Monday in a match at the Brae Burn Country Club. “Walpole beat us last year,” coach Bob MacDougall said. “They work very hard. They don’t have any superstars, but they’re a very good team.”

Tuesday, the team will travel to Weymouth.

“They’re still trying to develop a team, but they have a new course that we’ve never played on before,” MacDougall said.

“The course will probably be more of a challenge than the team.”

Milton hosts the Tigers Thursday, in a match MacDougall said should be close.

When facing Brookline at home Monday, Sept. 27, the Tigers need to “make sure not to go in to the game thinking we’re going to win, even though we beat them earlier in the year,” MacDougall said.

With a very strong lineup throughout, according to MacDougall, Natick hosts the Tigers Tuesday, Sept. 28. “It should be a tough game, and we can’t be overconfident.”

Playing well from the beginning and keeping the Flyers by

from getting confident will be the key to winning in Framingham Thursday, Sept. 30.

Wednesday, the Tigers hosted Norwood. The Tigers won 2781.

MacDougall said, “This was a good start for the team this season, everyone played well.

I think some of the returning players remember the one-point loss to Norwood at its course last year, so they wanted to make a statement.”

The Tigers lost at Braintree Monday, 54-54, in a match that was ultimately decided by a tie-breaker, which was taken by Braintree because it had the lowest individual score.

The score was only one stroke lower than the lowest individual score for the Tigers.

“Last year, we let incidents derail us and we fell behind,” MacDougall said. “This year, I think we are more experienced, savvier, so that should help us this season.”

The team hosted rival Brookline Friday, Sept. 10. The team beat the Warriors, 46.5-61.5.

MacDougall said, “Even though it was the beginning of the season, it had the feel of a championship match.

“These are two of the top teams in the Bay State Conference and our matches in the past have really been hard-fought affairs.”

The Tigers were to have played at Dedham yesterday.

Ivan McGovern contributed to this story.

At Brae Burn: Senior Kyle Krasker putts against Norwood Wednesday, Sept. 8.

Teddy Wenneker

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14 ďż˝ Newtonite, Newton North

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

# ! # ! ! " $ ' $ ! $ ! ' (# "! & ( !& "! !

&

# ! # ! "!! &! & & ! ! & ! & !& ! ! " !

# ! ! %! $ # " ! # ! ! ! &

! ! ! & $ ! & ! & ! & ! # $ & ! & ! ! $ ! ! ! ! " &

Finally, thinking of Adam and his great promise to the world, I pledge to do the following

(please make a promise to improve your own life, or the lives of those around you – it may be as simple as “be kinder to my family� or far more extensive; whatever you believe you can & should do):

&

!

Please mail completed form to: A Promise to Adam c/o Claire Masinton 57 Beechcroft Road Newton, MA 02458 ( a copy will be returned to you)

sports

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 15

Boys’ cross country to face Weymouth Jay Feinstein Boys’ cross country, 2-0, is focusing on longer runs right now, according to senior Ezra Lichtman, a captain with senior Dan Ranti.

“We always start the season with longer distances, so we can work our way towards shorter faster ones,” he said.

According to Lichtman, this strategy will help the team pull through to have a successful season.

Cross country is also working on figuring out the team’s top runners. “Only the top five runners count for scoring,” Lichtman said.

Although the whole team does not count for scoring, the whole team still matters, according to Lichtman. “We’re all working together,” he said. “We all know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, and it helps.”

According to Ranti, the toughest team the Tigers expect to face this year is Brookline—the only by

Ivan McGovern

In a pack: Junior Evan Harris, seniors Ezra Lichtman, Jeremy Markson, Dan Ranti and sophomore David Demarest train on the new track.

Boys’ soccer develops new offensive strategy Jacob Schwartz Boys’ soccer, 0-1 Wednesday, is devising different ways to bring the ball up the field, coach Roy Dow said.

“We’re doing this because we don’t want to be a one dimensional team,” he said. “We’re also trying to keep up our fitness level so that we can be ready to out-work other teams.”

The Tigers will host Braintree Monday, a team that senior Gabe Paul, a captain with senior Jeremy Gurvitz described as a strong team, as of last year. “I’m not sure exactly how they’ll be compared to last year, but I think it should be a good game.”

Wednesday, the team plays Milton on the road. According to Paul, the Tigers are overall a better team than Milton, but lost to Milton last year in a major upset.

“We’ll just need to polish up our scoring and defense to prevent that from happening again,”

he said.

The team will be hosting a very well-coached Brookline squad next Friday, according to Dow. “I know their coach, Jeff Katz, very well,” Dow said.

“The kids really buy into what he teaches them, and they know how to attack and get the ball to forwards very well.”

Paul said, “It should definitely be one of the tougher games of the season.”

In order to defeat Somerville on the road Sunday, Sept. 26, the Tigers will have to keep up with Somerville’s fast players and put away goals early in the game, Paul said.

Paul said the Tigers have a good chance of beating the Flyers in Framingham Tuesday, Sept. 28.

“A lot of their strong players graduated last year, and that should help us out,” he said.

Traveling to Needham, the Tigers will face the Rockets

Thursday, Sept. 30. “If we don’t play up to our full potential, any team could beat us, including Needham,” Paul said. “I hope they don’t though, so we’ll have to make sure to play well.”

Although they played stronger soccer than their opposition Tuesday, the Tigers lost against Walpole here Tuesday, 1-0, in the season opener, said Paul.

“We played a better game than Walpole,” he said.

“They were lucky to get a goal, and we just weren’t able to get one back.” The goal was scored with five minutes left in the first half.

Paul said the game could have turned out differently had the team not “gotten lazy at certain points of the game, and marked our men poorly.

“Even with our loss, I believe we have definitely improved greatly since last season.”

The Tigers were to have played at Weymouth yesterday.

Eli Davidow One distinction of this year’s field hockey team, 0-1, from other years is the addition of four boys, according to coach Celeste Myers.

“I think it’ll be an adjustment,” she said. “I think the initial day, all the girls were a little apprehensive, a little worried that the boys were not going to take it seriously or take it as a joke.

“But their presence has really become a positive thing. They’re asking questions when they need to, and they’re trying hard at practice. They bring a new type of energy to this team.”

The boys initially joined because some were cut from other teams or coming off of injuries.

But surprisingly, the transition to a new sport has been a smooth one, said senior Anthony Zagame, who has been playing forward.

“It’s not that hard to pick up,” he said. “It’s similar to a lot of

other sports, like soccer, lacrosse and hockey.”

Zagame said that the boys want to bring glory to a team that has struggled in the recent past.

Last year, the Tigers finished 2-10-2.

“We want to rejuvenate the sport here,” he said. “We want to go far. We want playoffs, and I think we give the team a higher energy level and a better chance to win.”

Myers said that a strong group of veteran players will complement the new players on the Tigers.

“We do have a great core returning to the team, but we’re still trying to find the best combination to yield the best results,” she said.

These solid returners include seniors Andrea Marzilli and Ali Pappas on defense, and junior Alison Berkowitz, a “very fast and aggressive” midfielder, said senior Marissa Troy.

In terms of upcoming competition, Myers said that she is expecting all opponents to bring their best.

“Every year is different for every team,” she said. “But I do expect every team we face to be competitive and go into each game prepared.”

Monday, the Tigers visit Braintree, a team they defeated twice last year, and then they host Milton here Wednesday.

The Tigers next have difficult games back-to-back on the road, visiting Brookline Friday and Norwood Monday, Sept. 27, Troy said.

Then, the Tigers host Framingham Tuesday, Sept. 28 and Needham Thursday, Sept. 30.

In the first game of the season Tuesday, Walpole defeated the visiting Tigers 4-0.

Troy, a captain with Marzilli and Pappas, said that the Tigers “played a really solid game against a really good team.”

by

team that defeated the Tigers last year.

“Overall, they have more depth and talent,” he said.

Compared to Brookline, Ranti said that Wednesday’s meet against Weymouth and the Tuesday, Sept. 28 meet at Natick will not be hard.

Coach Jim Blackburn said, “based on how they performed last year, Weymouth should be a little tough. I think our runners can do well.

“We’ll do well against Natick, too. Hopefully we can be the best in the league this season, but I can’t tell yet if we can,” he said.

The Tigers look forward to a competitive season, according to Blackburn. “We have a big team, we have some good runners and we want to do well.”

The Tigers hosted Dedham and Framingham in a duel meet Wednesday, winning against both teams 15-50 and 20-39, according to Ranti. “The freshmen really pulled through,” he said.

Dow leads Tigers Jacob Schwartz Letting players learn from each other is a major part of the coaching style of Roy Dow, boys’ soccer’s new head coach.

“My coaching style involves letting them play smart soccer, bringing ideas to the table and letting them know what I expect.”

Dow said his coaching style is based on that of a friend who was his mentor and coached with him the last two years at Tufts. “He’s really helped me develop my philosophies in soccer, and made me better at working with young people.

“The biggest lesson he’s taught me is that you can use soccer to help teach life, and get ready for the next step of life by teaching them to be disciplined and responsible.”

Dow said that he has “been lucky to be able to do a bit of everything, in terms of soccer.”

He coached for the last three years at Tufts University and has worked at various camps in New England, as well as by

with many different club teams.

“I’ve been able to do everything from coaching five year olds to college seniors, which is really great,” Dow said.

“While I was working at Lincoln Elliot Elementary, the secretary mentioned that North was looking for a coach for boys’ soccer,” Dow said. “I was lucky enough to get an interview, and then I was lucky enough to get the job.”

Pa u l M a r i n e r, w h o h a s coached teams including the New England Revolution and England International, has been a major role model for Dow’s career, Dow said. Mariner is not one to yell at players, according to Dow. “He’ll call someone out, but he won’t go berating them.

He just goes up to them and explains to them what they did wrong,” Dow said.

“I got to sit down and talk with him a bunch, and he helped me understand a lot of things about coaching. I took what I know about coaching from him.”

Field hockey becomes co-ed, hopes to make postseason by

Teddy Wenneker

At Forte: Senior Sam Majewski takes a shot in a scrimmage Friday. Majewski is one of four boys to join the Tigers.

16 ◆ Newtonite, Newton North

Football loses in home opener A Jacob Schwartz fter four years of playing home games not quite at home, football, 0-1, lost to Walpole 28-7 in the first game of the season, at the brand new Dickinson Stadium.

The Tigers had a strong start Saturday, scoring a touchdown on their first drive, with senior Ben Clark, a captain with seniors Kevin Barisano and Isaiah Penn, the force behind the team’s running game.

However, the team couldn’t control Walpole’s powerhouse offense, and it allowed four consecutive touchdowns.

Coach Peter Capodilupo said he was “pleased with the enthusiasm and emotion,” “I was pleased with hardness of work, but Walpole played a better game than us,” he said.

The team must improve maintaining momentum late in games, Capodilupo said. “We got deflated once Walpole got going. Also, penalties hurt us badly. We need to work to be more disciplined.”

A sense of teamwork will also be vital to a successful rest of the season, he said. Everyone on the team is concerned with his own job, but don’t always think about by

helping the team as a whole, according to Capodilupo.

According to Barisano, football is putting concentration on hard hitting, with more live sessions of play in practice, in an effort to achieve more of this season’s goals.

Among these goals are to exceed .500, to beat Brookline on Thanksgiving and “to win our next game,” Barisano said. The last, he said, meant that the team strives to focus on the season one game at a time.

Unfortunately, strong veterans graduated last spring, Barisano said, but the team also has many young players who are quickly gaining experience.

“A lot of young kids are stepping it up. We even have some sophomores who are potential varsity players right now,” Barisano said.

The Tigers play in their second home game Sunday at 1 p.m. against Needham. “Needham is usually pretty good. They had a good record last year,” Barisano said.

Traveling to Wellesley, the Tigers face the Raiders in the first away game of the season next Friday.

sports

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

Ivan McGovern

At Dickinson Stadium: Junior T.J. Quinn breaks upfield against Walpole Saturday.

Girls’ soccer works on possession, communication Jay Feinstein irls’ soccer, 1-0 Wednesday, hopes to develop its skills this season and make the State Tournament, according to coach James Hamblin.

“Our main goal, though,” Hamblin said, “is to perform better than we did last year.”

Last year, the Tigers finished 2-11-4.

According to Hamblin, the team still has a few things to work by

G

on before it reaches its goals.

“We have to work on passing, possession and communication,” he said. “Most of all, we have to work hard.”

Monday, the Tigers expect to play an evenly matched team at Braintree.

“We tied twice last year. If we want to beat them this year, we need to improve,” Hamblin said.

In a home game Wednesday, the Tigers will face a tough Milton team, according to Hamblin.

“We lost heavily to them last year. We need to work on tight defense and stopping passes for this game,” he said. “The Bay State Conference is very competitive, so a lot of our meets aren’t going to be easy.”

Next Friday, the Tigers will visit Brookline for what Hamblin expectes to be a hard game.

“They have some very strong players,” Hamblin said. “They won all of their games so far.”

Tuesday, Sept. 28, the Tigers

will host Framingham.

“They’re a very good team, so our strategy for them is to find their best players, isolate them, and take them out of the game,” Hamblin said. “They don’t have the best goal keeper, so we don’t have to worry as much with offense.”

The Tigers will host a wellcoached Needham team, Thursday, Sept. 30.

“This one’s going to be a tough game. They have a good coach,

and they have key players. It’s definitely going to be a battle,” Hamblin said.

In an “amazing” 2-0 win Tuesday, the Tigers visited Walpole, according to senior Evelyn Hurwitz, a captain with senior Ellen Goldberg. “We played well as a team,” she said. Senior Emily Brown and sophomore Madison Nadeau scored the two goals.

Yesterday, the Tigers were to play their first home game against Weymouth.

Girls’ swimming to host Raiders Jay Feinstein ith the 100 meter breast-stroke as a strength, girls’ swimming and diving, 1-0, “is looking strong this season,” according to senior Rebecca Harris, a captain with senior Daryl Choa.

“We’ve seen good things in practices,” she said.

The new pool boasts a timing system that will help the Tigers at meets, according to Harris.

“We used to use stop watches to time ourselves, and the stop watches never gave us our exact time,” she said. “Now we have touch pads, so right when a swimmer reaches the wall, they can touch the touchpad, and the time will automatically go to the scoreboard.

“This new system gives us opportunities to qualify for meets this season,” she said.

According to Harris, the Tigers had a good season last year, with a record of 5-5-1, but to improve, the Tigers mixed up what they previously did in practices.

“We’ve been doing more cross training than we’ve done in previous years,” said Harris. “It makes a big difference.”

The team is also focusing on breakouts and streamlines, according to Choa. “It’s important to get off the wall quickly so you by

Teddy Wenneker

Poolside: Junior Hunter Hedenberg dives into the new pool Wednesday at practice.

W

can have a good time,” she said.

“We’re a strong team, so we expect improvement.”

Improving times throughout the season isn’t just something the team works on, according to coach Kirsten Tuohy, it’s the team’s goal.

“I’d love to have kids in every event to qualify for Sectionals,” she said. “In practice, we already had times that have met qualifying standards.”

According to Tuohy, the Tigers have strong underclassman and great senior leadership.

“Our seniors are good role models and work well together with the team,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to winning competitive meets with them,” Tuohy said.

Next Friday, the Tigers will visit an evenly matched Wellesley team. “Last year, we had a really close meet with them,” she said.

The Tigers cannot anticipate how they will fare at Natick Tuesday, Sept. 28.

“I don’t know what to expect against them,” she said.

The Tigers visited Norwood Tuesday, winning 93-91 in an “amazing meet,” according to Harris.

“Winning our first meet really sets the tone for the rest of the season,” she said.