The Eagle
Plymouth North High School 41 Obery November 2021 Issue 1
The Return of a Full School Year The return to a full and "normal" school year has proven to be tough for some Plymouth North High School students so far
BY: RYAN HEALY Many Plymouth North underclassmen have struggled with the adjustment from a ‘Covid School Year’ to the full school year. At the beginning of October, 50% of all of the Plymouth North High School students had a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ in Aspen, a standard that the administration expressed they were not pleased with. There is a real issue with students adjusting to the school habits and routines so far this school year, leading to students failing to make deadlines, pass in homework, and pass tests. Plymouth North Principal, Peter Parcellin has been observing the return of students this year and has noticed some significant differences. “This year is a remarkably better experience than last year,” he said, a statement which most students and staff would agree with. “Kids are happy to be back in the building,” but he also said that “We are not back to 2019 levels” in relation to attendance and academics. One observation that stands out about this year is that “Seniors are outperforming the seniors of two years ago,” Parcellin said. “Seniors were the bulk of our attendance issues two years ago, seniors are the least absent group now,” he added. “It seems like they knew high school and having time away from the normal routine of Plymouth North High School, has had them double down,” he said when speaking about the difference between grade levels. Some teachers have expressed their satisfaction with the effort coming from their upperclassmen. “I’m proud to say my students have adapted well with attendance, with nightly homework, and tests,” said Rory Plante, a Plymouth North Mathematics Teacher. Plante has recognized that the freshman and sophomore classes have been most negatively impacted by the past two unusual years. “I feel like students have really bounced back, but I have heard that underclassmen are bouncing back a lower rate,” he said.
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
Many ask why this may be, but a cause could be that Plymouth North freshmen and sophomores do not fully know how high school works yet. “For the underclassmen it seems like they have struggled to make headway into a typical highschool experience,” and “They are still getting their feet wet as to the expectations and experience of high school,” Parcellin said. But still, both Plante and Parcellin believe that students deserve some time. “Students need time, it’s only about halfway through term one, students need time to get into the routines,” Plante said. “I think they’re gonna get there, I think it’s just gonna take them a little longer,” said Parcellin. A portion of staff say that students need to take responsibility for learning as time goes on, and one extremely important lesson to learn early on is to ask for help. In comparison to the years preceding Covid-19, Derek Strohschneider, a Plymouth North Science Teacher, said, “I don't really feel like things are all that different or new.” “If you don’t ask for more you have to be happy with what you have,” Strohschneider said, meaning that if a student doesn’t do their best, they should not complain about the results. “I have numbers of students who are not passing in work but they don’t stay for extra help, they don’t communicate, they don’t try and act as problemsolvers for their own problems,” Strohschneider said. Potentially, underclassmen only have themselves to blame for their performance and attendance so far this year.
Potentially, underclassmen only have themselves to blame for their performance and attendance so far this year. One underclassman at North, who has yet to experience a full and normal year in high school, voiced her opinion on how last year affected her routines and habits. “I got used to having the extra day to do my work, so switching into this year and not having as much time to do my work and to study makes things a little harder,” said Sophomore Mackenzie Hohulin. On the other hand, upperclassmen, who have been through at least one covid-free high school year, said that they are glad to be back to normal. “I think this year has been easier. I learn better in person and last year it was more difficult to retain information and actually learn material,” said Senior Robby Cooney.
Being fully online switching to hybrid, and then to full return, meant that teachers had to shorten their curriculum or rush on some subjects. “Teachers kinda taught the overall picture of everything because we didn’t have time to go into every single detail like we can this year,” said Junior Lilah Tocci. Overall, the return of a full school year has been a positive experience for most students even if some are struggling with academics and other aspects of the full return. As the school year moves forward, administrators, parents, and students continue to work to find ways to improve the attendance and academic performance of the entirety of the school so that Plymouth North can return to the rigorous institution that it is known to be.
In this issue Senior Projects Pg. 2 Art in the Community Pg. 2 BioMed Projects Pg. 3 English Language Learners Pg. 3 PYDC Pg. 4 GSA Pg. 4 Pulsera Project Pg. 5 Chess Club Pg. 5 Alumni Spotlight Pg. 6 College Applications Pg. 6 Thanksgiving Day Parade Pg. 7 Teacher Evaluations Pg. 7 Traffic Circle Pg. 7 Unified Basketball Pg. 8 Football Pg. 8
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Senior Project BY DELYLA COLEMAN
ridden of, or just overlooked. Senior Project is the latter. During normal Over the past two years, lots of opportunities at Plymouth North have been limited, pandemic free years, a meeting would be held at the end of the year for all juniors.
Senior Project is most widely known and chosen because of its independent learning process. Students have the responsibility to choose every part of their project, which includes a research paper and a final project that, at the end of the year, is presented to a panel of judges. But with responsibility, comes individuality.
“It’s very exciting, because we get to see the student's perspectives on what they are passionate about. So we get to see what their true colors are and what they really love to do,” said Senior Project Advisor Mrs. Allen. “It’s a great chance to get to see kids in a different light.”
Every Senior Project is personal to every student. Their finished works are a reflection of who they are, and what they have discovered within and about themselves during Senior Project.
“I love it{Senior Project}, because I just to see what kdis are interested in outside of what is required of them...to see their likes and their dislikes and what they might pursue in school.” said Senior Advisor Mrs. Burt. “And also to be able to see a student thrive in their own environment, being able to put together a project that comes solely from them...for me it’s very meaningful to be involved in this program.”
Senior Delia Joyce. “It gives you real life and hands-on experience.” Students who take on Senior Project have a responsibility to find a mentor. The mentor must be related to their topic and cannot be a teacher from Plymouth North. Students work one-on-one with their mentors during the entirety of their projects.
While Senior Project is a very independent process, every student has a Senior Advisor to aid them during the process. Assignments are turned in on the Senior Project Google Classroom, where any enrolled student can also find the Plymouth North High School Senior Project Handbook, which outlines, in detail, every assignment and expectation for Senior Project.
“Even just having as much experience in it[Senior Project] as I do and as all the other advisors do, we have a lot of ideas and past experiences that we can draw on to help guide the current students as far as ideas, topics, troubleshooting, or finding mentors,” said Senior Advisor Mrs. Allen.
Senior Project is a personal learning process dependent on experiences and student responsibility that indulges creativity and self advocacy within students.
Art Beautifies Plymouth BY AMANDA CHERRY
Plymouth North’s Art in the Community students’ work radiates the hallways of the school as well as the sidewalks downtown. Art in the Community is exactly what it sounds like - students create art meant to be displayed in various locations throughout town in order to make Plymouth more vibrant. This class makes it possible for students who love to create and help their community do both in creative ways. During the hybrid learning model in the 2020-2021 school year, Art in the Community faced different challenges due to different guidelines and rules that needed to be followed. Art in the Community requires students to go on field trips in order to actually express their art outside of Plymouth North. The mural in Holmes Park was finished by students last year during the hybrid learning model. Mrs. Jezierski, the Art in the Community teacher, said, “Last year it was very confusing trying to get that field trip going because I didn't see students a lot… If it wasn't your day to be in school, you had to get a ride.” The hybrid learning model was designed in a way where students were only coming to each of their classes once a week in person, while the rest of the days were spent learning remotely from their homes.
📷 Mrs. Jezierski
The hybrid model itself made it difficult for students to complete projects in a normal, timely manner. For instance, a big project the class worked on last year was painting ceiling tiles for the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Plymouth. “If you were absent, you missed so much. When kids were only in one day a week, trying to paint a ceiling tile took a month,” said Jezierski. Along with Mrs. Jezierski, the students also felt the pressure of the pandemic weighing on their creative processes. Senior Riley Robertson said half of the class being home made “planning for field trips really difficult. It was also challenging not being able to talk through all of our solutions… and creative ideas with half the students gone.” Although students were limited to what projects they could and couldn't do, the class was still able to make art that enlivened the community while also promoting ways to stay healthy. Senior Hannah Caple also took the class last year during the hybrid learning model. “We created sidewalk stencils to encourage members of the community to wear masks,” said Caple. Caple agrees that the lack of students present during class made it especially difficult to work creatively. “Most art classes thrive off of a collaborative environment which was difficult to achieve when we couldn't see everyone,” said Caple. Now that students are back in school everyday and there are less Covid-19 restrictions, Art in the Community students are able to create more collaborative projects. Teachers all across the school have had their trash bins painted by the Art in the Community students as their first project of the year. This project allows students to interact with the staff while also ornamenting the classrooms with different themes and depictions that are relevant to the teacher it was created for. This project is a great way to start conversations in class and allows students to learn more about their teachers. Spanish teacher Mrs. Goggin's trash bin was painted her favorite color, purple, and depicted her favorite celebrity, Will Smith. “It has two iconic examples of Will Smith, one is Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the other side is Men and Black...It came out wonderful, and now I get to stare at him everyday in my classroom!” Mrs. Jezierski also noted that, “We are painting more ceiling tiles for BID [Beth Israel Deaconess], and in addition to that we’re also doing some sculpture installations at the skatepark.. and at the jetty.” In addition to the students creating their own work, they are also going to be teaching workshops at Plymouth Council On Aging, a senior center next to the school. Students will be teaching the senior citizens to create the same sculptures they are making for the skate park and downtown. Art in the Community students are finally able to express art throughout Plymouth and the school after having minimal opportunities for projects last year. Students are also able to take the class to the next step by safely teaching others how to create beautiful artwork. Next time you're out, make sure to pay attention to different art pieces incorporated throughout the community.
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
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Ted Talks Coming to North High
MRS. ROZAK’S CLASS IS CHALLENGED TO DIG INTO A CAREER THAT COULD BE IN THEIR NEAR-FUTURES WITH A PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA
B Y M A R G A R E T L A D D
The biomedical program has always been a top program at night but now it's giving students more than just medical knowledge with public speaking being integrated into the curriculum.
The process starts with Biomedical Innovations students choosing a professional in their field of interest to give a presentation over google meet. The presentation would be 10-15 minutes long with a plan being completed from the student prior to the presentation. Time for questions will be allotted at the end of the presentation with questions prepared from the student beforehand also.
These projects were new to the curriculum last night mainly due to covid with students behind having to shadow a professional rather than give a presentation. Mrs. Rozak kept the project in for future years as well due to the success of last year.
“It was better use for the students' time and more pertinent to what they were going off to do,” said Mrs. Nancy Rozak, Biomedical Innovations Teacher.
The filming part of the project is in collaboration with EDTV with students being able to go down to the studio to practice before the final ted talk. The practice allows for students to be comfortable in front of the camera before the final project.
“This project is going to allow me to get a better overall idea of the true role of a neurologist,” said Nick D’ortona, current biomedical student.
The project is allowing for deeper understanding of the career paths that students are hoping to pursue. Besides just the understanding of the career, skills in public speaking are being created for many students.
“I wish when I was in high school there was a project like this,” said Guest Speaker Natalie Petterrossi.
Students when coming into the final stages of the project need to combine the information that the guest speaker gave and their own research. Students are able to focus on a specific part of the career that they are interested in.
In January, Biomedical Seniors will be recording their ted talks in the EDTV studio with everything memorized as professionals would have. Students will have practice talks each time using less note cards.
Students will learn public speaking skills which they are able to translate into any career that they pursue.
Students in the biomedical program are learning more science skills with the addition of the Ted Talk project. The skills of creating presentations and public speaking students will be prepared to enter the workforce.
Immersed in the English Language BY ALEXCIA BARRY At Plymouth North the focal point of the ELE (English Learner Education ) program is for EL’s (English Learner Students) to get a better understanding of this unfamiliar language. The program also makes Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) another priority. SEI is an approach to teaching academic content to EL’s in English. This approach helps students to feel more comfortable, and secure within the ESL (English as Second Language) class.
“I don't need to be stressed out in the class, because there are other people that speak my language.” said Kelvyn Pereira, an ELS at Plymouth North.
After learning how comfortable Kelvyn feels in the classroom we are able to see how the sheltered and inclusive environment that the teacher’s of the program have created for their students is severely benefiting them. Outside of the classroom being around student’s that primarily speak English has been very beneficial for EL’s as well.
EL’s are not the only people benefiting from this incredible program. Mr.Carpenito, one of the ESL class teachers, has also had the opportunity to improve his language skills by immersing himself into the languages of his students.
“It helps me to be a better language teacher, to have to go through the language learning process along with them,” said Mr. Carpenito.
📷 Maya Galindo Not only are the students eager to help their teacher become more familiar with their languages, but “they are eager to help each other, because they remember what it was like to be that student.”
When first entering the program, ELs start out at the beginner level in which they start learning very
basic vocabulary in order to familiarize themselves with words and phrases that they will hear more
often. Eventually ELs will advance to intermediate, and advanced levels after about a year or two.
Students placement in the program is based on an exam called ACCESS for ELL. This exam is composed of three sections: writing, speaking, and listening. When ELs in the beginner level of the program score above a two on the exam they will move up to the intermediate level of the program. The advanced level of the program is for students who have scores above a three on the exam.
“Once an EL scores above a 4.2 on the exam they leave the program” and will be referred to as (FEL) Former English Learners, said Mr. Carpenito.
After exiting the ELE program students venture off on their own, but still have Mr.Carpenito and other ESL class teacher, Mrs.Goggin, to turn to when in need of a helping hand.
Mrs.Goggin, one of the Spanish teachers also works hard to help students advance in the program and move onward towards success at the end of their highschool careers.
Mrs.Goggin said, “As I get to know my ESL students better I am definitely more aware of the challenges that students face when learning a second language, especially when the time available to them to practice the new language is minimal.”
Trying to pick up a few phrases is difficult enough, nevermind trying to learn an entirely new language in the span of a few hours. But Mrs.Goggin and Mr.Carpenito do not let this restriction stand in their way. Both teacher’s have adjusted their teaching strategies to accommodate all of their EL’s and use class time to be as productive as possible.
This program has not only provided students with the amazing opportunity to learn a secondary language , but has also set them up for a successful future.
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
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PYDC BY RILEY DEVER
To say that the last year and a half has been difficult would be an understatement. From adjusting to independent, hybrid learning to going back full time, student stress has been at an all time high.
substance, to fit in with peers, or to celebrate. When we say young people use to ‘feel better’ normally this means to cope with a negative emotion, to grieve, or to help treat an underlying mental Causes of Stress for Middle and High School Students
Data from PYDC Survey
According to a recent survey, substance abuse amongst Plymouth teenagers is rising. Data collected via survey by the Plymouth Youth Development Collaborative (PYDC) shows the amount of students using drugs, the most common of which were alcohol and cannabis. PYDC is a community coalition whose goal is to prevent and reduce drug use and make Plymouth a healthier environment. The survey showed statistical data collected from the survey regarding stress levels, causes, and coping mechanisms among the 1,728 students who completed the survey. The data showed that while vaping was most common in middle schools, alcohol and cannabis were the most common drugs used in high school. It also showed that risk perception surrounding cannabis use dropped significantly between 9th and 12th grade. It also showed that while peer disapproval was high in terms of prescription medication and regular cigarettes, it was low for substances considered less severe such as vaping and marijuana. Parental opinions showed similar results, with disapproval being high for all drugs except marijuana, which only had a disapproval rate of 61% with the parents of twelfth graders. Stress levels seem to correspond with the data with average stress for high school students ranging from 5.41 to 6.43 on a one-to-ten scale, the higher end being Junior students and the lower end being freshmen. Ninety-percent of students agreed that school work caused them stress followed by 56% percent of students who related stress to COVID-19. Thirty-five percent of students also claimed that they struggled a little with coping with stress and only 9% of high school students claimed to experience no stress at all. “Reasons for using substances usually fall into three main categories: “to feel good, to feel better, and to do better." says Kelly Macomber, the Program Coordinator for PYDC. “To ‘feel good’ usually means students use to feel the effects of a
health issue such as anxiety or depression.” Macomber also states that “... a person might use [drugs] to ‘do better’ such as in athletics (performance enhancing drugs) or to enhance studying skills.” An important part of substance abuse awareness is helping the students who are already addicted. “Therapy, support groups, and giving them a purpose by empowering them to focus their time and attention on something they are passionate about,”said Michael McCarthy, a health teacher at Plymouth North High School. “I think it’s extremely important to show those suffering from addiction that they have others supporting them and provide them with avenues to help them express their creativity and develop a purpose in life.” Schools are working hard to prevent drug use within their student population. According to Mark Furman, a guidance counselor at Plymouth North. “While awareness is certainly an option, sometimes hearing from people who have struggled with these issues personally, and how it impacted their lives is pretty effective. For example, at one time we had Chris Herren come in and speak with students.” Chris Herren was a successful basketball player who struggled with substance abuse. Mr. Furman says that, “Hearing his story, and how drugs impacted him (and what he is doing about it now) is pretty powerful and can get discussions going.” Drug use in Plymouth is just as big of a problem as ever, as it is all over the country. PYDC as well as other administrators in our school systems continue to work hard to spread awareness regarding drug use in our school system. PYDC has even partnered with Independence Academy to teach parents and guardians of teenagers why children may use drugs and how to navigate conversations surrounding the topic. They also encourage programs that will help students with stress management as well as long term messaging to make sure students are aware of the dangers of substance abuse.
Gay Straight Alliance Creates A Safe Space For All Students THE CLUB THAT IS STRIVING TO SHARE PRIDE WITH EVERY IDENTITY
BY DELIA JOYCE Many may assume that the Gay
“A lot of people that are not
Straight Alliance (GSA) is a club
straight might not have a place to
for only members of the LGBT
go, and we wanted to create a
community. This is simply not
safe space for people to talk about
true. It is an alliance of all
their experience, or don’t. Just
identities.
listen to other people's stories. I’m
The GSA club meets on the first
very proud to be a part of such a
Thursday of every month, with the
welcoming and loving group,” said
purpose of providing a
Miranda Coleman, Treasurer of
comfortable place for students to
GSA.
be themselves.
“I’m looking forward to building
“Being a part of the community
a nice community. We’ve talked
myself, I saw the position was
about some fundraising ideas and
open and I felt that I could be
how we’re going to use that
📷 Lilli Hanlon
money,” said Celia Constantino. creating a good impact in our
Members and advisors have
school community. I wish I had
expressed their goals for the club,
that opportunity when I was in
including meaningful
high school myself but we did not
conversations, fundraising for
have that type of club,” said Mr.
LGBTQ+ foundations, and bringing
Cardoso, advisor of GSA. “I would
back the trip to Provincetown. All
like our club to be very visible. I
with the purpose of making a
would like kids to be aware of it,
difference and sharing unheard
and feel comfortable enough to
voices.
be themselves in the club.”
“Come join GSA, we want more
The Gay Straight alliance is a
people to join so we can hear
club made to hear out all
more input on their stories.” said
perspectives, aspiring to unite
Miranda Coleman.
students of every identity, and
The Gay Straight Alliance club
create a common ground.
takes place in room 241 from
“I’ve learned so far that there is
2:00pm to 2:45pm on the first
a lack of knowledge about the
Thursday of every month. See Mr.
club. GSA is not just for gay,
Cardoso, Ms. Velino, or any of the
lesbian, transgender kids. It’s for
board members with questions.
all kids. When people hear GSA
You can follow the GSA Instagram
they automatically jump
account @plymouthnorthgsa for
to these conclusions, and they're not right,” said GSA advisor
updates. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join.
Ms.Velino. “GSA is a group of people who are either LGBTQ+, or supporters coming together to talk over things, be supportive of each other, and have fun,” said Celia Constantino, Vice President of the Gay Straight Alliance. Constantino and her board members want to encourage and welcome students who are not sure about joining.
📷 Lilli Hanlon
Parents Disapproval of Substances Data from PYDC Survey
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
PAGE 4
Pulsera Project BY HANNAH FLOCKTON
Chess
BY JACOB PETRARCA
A PROJECT THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH NATIVE INDIGENOUS ART, AND THE SURGE OF CULTURAL AND ECONOMICAL AWARENESS
Upon its warm-welcomed
“It's a celebration of the artistic
arrival to North in 2017, the
crafts that originated with the
Pulsera Project has only grown in
indigenous people of those
popularity throughout the years.
countries. I really like seeing how
The project, adopted by
excited the students get about
hundreds of schools across the
these bracelets and bags, not
United States, brings not only the
even realizing what a good cause
school community together, but
they are contributing to by
the international community,
getting excited.”
between the US and Spanish speaking countries. The purpose of the Pulsera Project is to sell handmade bracelets and bags made by
Linda Goggin, the AP Spanish teacher at North, is a frequent customer to the project and a big fan of the bracelets and bags. “I love that we do it, and I love
Chess. It’s an old game, having
Students met on Zoom, and were
been played for thousands of
randomly assigned opponents.
years as a derivative from real-life
However, not everyone was a fan. Sean Hales, the son of Mr. Hales,
people all over the globe in
the bracelets,” said Goggin. “This
wars. The strategy required to
Spanish speaking countries while
project is vibrant, helpful, and
succeed at chess is unlike any
has been a member of chess club
also creating community service
supportive of sustainability for
other game. There are complex
for all four years at North,
humanity.”
strategies, one has to think ahead,
expressed his excitement at the
predict your opponent’s move-
slow disappearance of guidelines.
hours at North, and
much like predicting the
league again, and we can play
North, chess club is one of the
other teams,” the younger Hales
many after-school activities
said.
offered for students to enjoy. Co-
of experience. Some, like
Dana Perlow, it’s a solid mix of
sophomore Andrew Scott, are
competition and fun.
looking forward to possibly joining
“About ten years ago, these kids
and that’s really how it started,”
much strategy involved. This
said Hales.
would be my first year in chess
with COVID, and, like everything
and economical differences.
bags beautiful, but they come
else, is on a steady return to
The word “pulsera” directly
with custom made tags with a
normal.
picture and description of the
“I love how interesting and how in-depth the game is, there’s so
had to come to a screeching halt
translates to “bracelet” in English.
the decade-old group.
us if we could do a chess club,
However, like everything else, it Not only are the bracelets and
However, not everyone has a lot
ran by Mr. Jeremy Hales and Mr.
kind of came up to us and asked
bringing awareness to cultural
“I’m hoping that we can do our
decisions of a rival general. At
“It’ll be great that they can play
club, so I don’t know what it’s like normally.” “It brings a really interesting group of kids together, just people from all different parts of this school- athletes, singers, you know
person who created that certain
chess in a room together and
it’s not just the stereotypical chess
goes back to continued
product. By doing this, the project
don’t have to worry about
player,” Mr. Hales said.
employment for these artisans,
becomes more authentic, with
distancing and if they’re too close,
and towards their benefits, such
real names and faces behind the
and they can go play meets with
but there’s no cutoff to when
as healthcare.
creations being sold.
other schools again,” Perlow said.
someone can join, it’s year round,
The proceeds of these pulseras
Since its creation in 2009, the
Lana Sweeney, a senior at
Last year, with everything shut
Chess club has already begun,
held in room 322 every Tuesday at
project has made roughly
Plymouth North, has bought
down, a few members of the
$5,000,000 in profit from selling
several bracelets from the Pulsera
South Coast Conference
all they need are a couple of
around 800,000 pulseras.
Project in the years that it has
Interscholastic Chess League
players.
been present in school.
played virtual games online,
Kaelin Jenkins-Brown, a Spanish teacher at Plymouth
“Buying a bag or bracelet was
North High School, is responsible
very easy and efficient, and for a
for bringing the project to
very reasonable price. It was a
Plymouth.
great way for me and my friends
“One of my best friends, who is
including Plymouth North.
to learn about Spanish culture
also a Spanish teacher at another
and communities. It is a very cool
school, did the Pulsera Project
project,” said Sweeney.
and I saw it on her social media,”
3:00. The chessboards are waiting,
She, and many of her fellow
said Jenkins-Brown. Typically,
classmates, still have their
students take the opportunity to
“pulseras” from Freshman year.
sell these bags and bracelets to
Stay tuned for more updates
get service hours. Students set up
regarding this engaging project as
a table in the cafeteria to sell the
it finally returns to North in March.
items and even sell them during study and passing.
📷 Provided by Hannah Flockton
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
PAGE 5
Alumni Spotlight EAGLE ALUMNI TAKING ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY BY LIAM HUSBAND Jack Doherty and Charlie Stutzenberger, former Plymouth North Eagles, have been working in the studio as they are both aspiring hip hop artists
This studio features all the high tech equipment one would need. Stutzenberger said, “I basically transformed the garage into a studio.”
Charlie Stutzenberger, better known as Charlie Waves in the music world, graduated Plymouth North in 2017, has since attended Emmanuel College and graduated in 2021. He majored in management with a concentration of marketing. Going way back, Stutzenberger always had a love for music and a passion for hip hop. Stutzenberger said, “Back
photo provided by Liam Husband The genre of Stutenberger’s music is mainly hip hop and pop rap. “There are some influences and subgenres under that,” said Stutzenberger. At first he was really into the “boom bap, rappity rap, old school beats.” he said. Although as his journey continued he said he “Got more of a mix of melodic, a little bit of singing, a little bit of rapping, a balance of both.” That's what makes the musical process so interesting. “The fun part about it all is finding ur sound,” he said. Stutzenberger has many favorite songs that he has crafted. “I would say my favorite track most recently is a song called Tropicana, because of the experience I had writing it, it was really freeflow, a super catchy, fun, summer song,” Stutzenberger said. Coast to coast was the first song Stutzenberger got professionally mixed. He said, “I went from not sounding professional to sounding professional and that's when I was like oh I can sound like that!” Stutzenberger has lots of
in the day I remember I watched the movie 8 mile for the first time and that really inspired me.” MTV Jams and always being a hip hop fan since elementary school led to his discovery of music videos and artists like Kanye, T Pain, J Cole, Kendrick, and Jay Z. He always knew the grind of artists such as these as he researched the come up stories. Stutzenberger said, “I wanted to study the game a little more, and really become a student of the game.” Stutzenberger always loved the passion and creativity in hip-hop. “Playing basketball at North me and guys like Miles Ward and Josh Pistana would freestyle before games to get hyped,” he said, “Although, I never thought I wanted to make my own music.” So at the start of college he was greeted with real recording equipment and his friends asking “Hey why don’t you try and record?” “The rest was history…” said Stutzenberger, as he fell in love with recording. In January of 2020, he dropped his first official song with the help of his friends and his “Makeshift” studio.
songs he is working on now. He said,
“My goal is to release a song every month, starting around December, for the whole year.” Stutzenberger is also working on music videos with all sorts of songs. Stutzenberger said he, “Plans to bring back the freestyle Fridays.” This is where he will freestyles over that month's most popular beat. Stutzenberger praised many who have helped him down his music path and helped get where he is today he said, “Miles Ward, Josh Pistana, Dan Hickey, Dylan Capoostah, and Chase and Liam from down in Florida helped me from the start and still today.” To conclude Stutzenberger has advice for those interested in music and the advice that helped him find his sounds, “Make the music you want to make and do it because you love it. Easy to get trapped into thinking you have to make a certain sound.” Be sure to give Charlie Waves music a listen on multiple platforms. Since his Plymouth North graduation in 2016 Jack Doherty better known as Jack Karowak throughout the music industry has been on the come up with 13 years of songwriting and recording for 9 years under his belt. He now lives in LA working on music full time. Doherty said music has always been a part of his life, since day one. “My parents always say I was really responsive to music as a baby,” Doherty said.. In first grade his friend Austin told him about music videos. “I checked out BET when I got home from school,” said Doherty. He saw the music video “Let Me In'' by Young Buck and after that he was hooked. Around 5th grade his passion for rap became less spectator oriented and grew into him trying to write his own raps.
Songwriting was always something Doherty knew he loved and was good at. “Freestyling with friends and writing songs in my room I loved,” he said. “The genre is definitely rap. There's a lot of outside influences in there from genres like Soul, Blues, Folk music, but at its core it’s Hip-Hop,” Doherty said. We see these other influences play out as Jack's music has changed throughout the years. He started out with some different types of beats. “That real 90s New York, Boom Bap sound and since then I've just been addin in elements of music I've grown fond of over the years. Cross pollination and experimentation are what keeps music fresh and evolving.” said Dohert was his 4th video he shot with his videographer Xandros. “Although it was the 1st one I helped direct, I feel like the vision was just executed at a really high level,” said Doherty. Some others who made everything come together “musically, visually, or even conceptually are Zach Lucero, Sushi, and Lasik.” said Doherty Jack is currently working on his 3rd mixtape and in the next month or so is planning on releasing a “new song plus music video. Really excited to share this one.” he said. So be sure to be on the lookout for Jack Karowaks music on multiple platforms.
📸 Provided by Liam Husband
College Process
HOW THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
COVID-19 has affected all aspects of life. From school to sports to work, everything we do has been changed in some way. However, one thing often overlooked in this frenzy is the college search and application process. In a normal year, finding the right college can be a nightmare. Taking just a year and a half to decide where a student will spend the next four years of their life is a prospect that scares anyone to begin with. But once the madness and unpredictability of COVID-19 was thrown into the mix, it became even more of a headache. However, the last few months have seen this begin to change, as the college search process has become a bit more normal.
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
HAS AFFECTED PLYMOUTH NORTH’S STUDENTS IN THEIR SEARCH FOR COLLEGES BY SEEGER CREANE For starters, it had been much harder to visit and tour colleges a student might be interested in. “I only got to tour two schools, both in February 2020” said Katie Mindel, PNHS class of 2021, who is a current freshman at the University of Maine Farmington. That had a big effect on choosing a school. I hadn’t been able to see anything other than those two in my junior year.” Many recent graduates, particularly the class of 2021, missed out on touring colleges, guidance sessions, and many other key aspects in selecting and applying to a college. However, as COVID-19 restrictions lifted over the past year, these processes have begun to revert back to normal. Once Plymouth North transitioned back to a full time schedule.
📷 Madde Tassinari April 2021, students began to go about their college searches like they used to, leading to better and clearer decisions about what school they wanted to attend. “Having students in person everyday helps a lot. Last year was definitely more difficult. Having the staggered schedule made things very hard, and most tours were virtual. This year it’s been much better explained Ms. Megan White, guidance counselor. Having students back in the building full time has made life easier both for these students and guidance counselors. Students also have many opportunities and tools at their disposal now that they didn’t during the hybrid schedule. Robert Cooney, senior, said “Some things that have helped me during this process are doing it in chunks,
going one step at a time, and not getting overwhelmed.” The ability to go one step at a time and take things slowly was largely unavailable to students until recently. “Seniors are back in guidance before school, during K Block, after school; last year they were here every other day, making it harder to take advantage of these resources” said Ms. White. As Plymouth North has moved past the peak of COVID-19 and past the hybrid schedule, the process of finding and applying to a college has become much easier and much more normal. College fairs are back, campuses are reopened, and tours are done in person. Ms. White summarized it best when she said, “We’re back to a sense of normalcy.”
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Thanksgiving Parade
Teacher Evaluations
BY THE NEW THANKSGIVING PARADE ROUTE BY MADELINE DAYIE
AN INDEPTH LOOK ON HOW TEACHERS ARE EVALUATED AT PLYMOUTH NORTH
Last year, cancellations became the new normal, and Plymouth’s annual Thanksgiving Parade was no exception. However, it’s making a comeback this month - with a slight twist. For the first time since its creation, the route will be completely flipped. Unlike most adjustments, which were due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this decision was based mostly on Channel 5, who wanted to improve their televisation of the event. “It’s been changed specifically because we have a two hour window to get the parade through for Channel 5,” said Laura Tonello, part of the Waterfront Logistics and permit specialist. “If we had it going through the reviewing stand first, in front of Channel 5’s cameras, then we have more control over keeping a good flow.” As the parade’s Lead Photographer, Tonello adds that the change is “a great thing for photography, since the sun will be at [her] back.” The parade usually goes from Court Street and ends up at Plymouth Rock. This year, The Rock will signal the beginning of the parade, which will head south and up Water Street. A right turn will lead the procession north on Court Street, finally ending in Benny’s Plaza. Despite the new differences, Laurie Maiolini-Ayotte, the Administrative Assistant to Economic Development thinks the usual crowd will show because “people are really anxious to get out and start living again” after the hiatus of quarantine. Maiolini-Ayotte is in charge of meticulously sending and organizing the town’s required permits for large public events, including to the Departments of Public Health, Emergency Services, and Fire, depending what amenities are present. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes,” she said. “We have to get all the signatures from everybody here, and the final signature is the town manager. Once she signs off, I send this back to them and they can have their event.” More behind-the-scenes work comes from the desk of the Police Captain of Administration, James LeBretton, who oversees several different divisions of the police department, including special events. “I look at what the event is… and I put together the plan for the police department; how we’re going to respond to this event” he said. Capt. LeBretton is in charge of determining the route, detours, and if support is needed from other divisions, such as the Fire Department or the Department of Public Works. While a different Incident Commander will be in charge of running the parade on the day of, LeBretton has to gather and organize all the necessary particulars. “I’ll take all the information we have and put it into a binder and tab it all out… I’ll give a copy to the Chief of Police, a copy to the Captain of Operations, I’ll have a copy, and then I’ll give a copy to the [Incident Commander].” Across the board, all those interviewed said there are no new protocols specifically for the parade besides the state guidelines currently in place. Maiolini-Ayotte recognized that “it’s affected it a little bit, the numbers are down… but the Waterfront [Festival] was really well attended, so I don’t think it was really affected for that.”LeBretton agrees with this sentiment, and said, “Since it was cancelled last year, we anticipate probably a larger crowd, so we have to be prepared for that.”Tonello recommends that people find a place on the waterfront by around 9 AM so they can catch the opening ceremony, which will include a parachuting performance by the Golden Knights. If they can’t make it, Channel 5 will be filming it live between 10 AM and 12 PM. It will be on Saturday, November 20.
BY: BROOKE HOLMES
The classroom door suddenly opens as students tense in their seats, watching a clipboard toting faculty member walk to the back of the room. This is a common occurrence in classrooms as teacher evaluations happen regularly throughout the school. Evaluations are a state mandate for teachers throughout Massachusetts used to review teacher effectiveness and performance in the classroom. First year teachers are evaluated at least 5 times a year and second and third year year educators are evaluated at least 4 times a year. After teachers have been here for 3 years or more they are minimally observed twice a year by administration. Almost all evaluations are unannounced as there are only few occurrences evaluations are announced such as at the first year of employment. Administrators base evaluations upon 4 core standards curriculum planning, and Assessment, teaching all students, family/ community engagement and finally professional culture As teaching returns back to normal, so are the expectations of teachers and students within their classrooms. Teachers strive to create a safe and clear classroom environment for students with the help of administration. “They evaluate teachers state wide on their curriculum and their instruction; focusing on teaching to all the students, their professional practice and family and community engagement. And for us, we are evaluating teachers on that statewide scale and trying to give teachers feedback so that they get better,” Mr. Parcellin, principal of Plymouth North said. With these aspects in mind, Parcellin hopes that teachers will be able to create an environment where students are engaged in their classes. This includes teachers that are able to have good rapport with their students, to enable kids to actively listen and communicate about the content all while taking academic risks. All of these goals help to promote deep learning within students by creating a positive academic environment that is ultimately facilitated by teacher evaluations.
Traffic Circle
Obery Street Rotaries Cause More Harm Than Good By: Jack Boissoneau
Plymouth North shares a love-hate relationship with Obery Street. Students and staff love to fantasize that we are the elite of Obery Street. While on the other hand, students and staff hate Obery Street. The hatred comes from the rotaries that were installed on the street in the past year. Beginning in March of 2019, construction started on Obery Street. The construction project’s objective was to create two rotaries on the street to speed up the flow of traffic. Since the construction began in March Obery Street has never been the same. Civil Engineer James Downey said, “The Obery Street Reconstruction Project, Goal was to provide safe and efficient infrastructure for all. The project itself has been successful at doing that.” The majority of students and staff at North have formed the opposite opinion. Plymouth North Senior Kevin Gorman said, “I think the idea for the rotaries was a productive idea, and ultimately turned out to be a failure.” Many others at Plymouth North feel the same way. However, since rotaries have caused traffic coming in and out of Plymouth North’s parking, one thing that has helped the congestion is the directing of traffic by Officer Ireland and Principal Parcellin. -School Resource Officer Shaun Ireland said, “There hasn’t been much improvement, and I don’t understand the purpose of the rotaries on the street. However, I feel my directing of traffic into North’s parking lot has helped the traffic.” These opinions about the rotaries are prevalent among anyone at North. Almost everyone believes that the rotaries have done the opposite of what they were intended to do.
However evaluations don't always come without their setbacks as “ it can be hard to evaluate a teacher when only seeing ten minutes of a class,” Ms. Fallon Spanish teacher at Plymouth North said. “ I think that teachers must be held to standard to ensure that they are teaching students the curriculum and are following the school expectations in their classrooms” For many, teacher evaluations allow for greater accountability in classrooms. Therefore, teachers are able to be responsible for the content they are effectively teaching their students as they follow the curriculum. “I think evaluations keep both teachers and students accountable because knowing your teacher knows how to teach and can handle a classroom is important for the learning environment,” Danielle Halnen, a student at Plymouth North, said. “and if they are successful in creating a good learning environment then it is easier for all students to perform to their best abilities.” However, accountability is not the most important tenant in evaluations. Rather, providing feedback in order to create effective teaching strategies is the main goal. “I think it can be really helpful to have someone else come into your room and see some of the things you are doing while having another viewpoint,” Mr. Loughlin is a history teacher at Plymouth North. “You almost get stuck in a routine of the things you do and how you do them, having someone who is able to see outside of that can be really helpful.” Oftentimes evaluations are looked upon as a performance review, however evaluations are merely a tool to help teachers improve their craft of learning. “ We are painting a picture, crafting a sculpture of a student's mind. So it's an art form you get better at but never get perfect,” Mr. Parcellin, Principal of Plymouth North said . Evaluations are an opportunity to give teachers feedback, tools and skills in order to refine their craft. This allows students to effectively learn in a positive environment that fosters deep thinking engagement and educational risks.
📸 Lilli Hanlon
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
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Unified Basketball BY SKYLER WODZINSKI An all inclusive program that introduces a fun and supportive environment for special education students
With a love for the game and a supportive The school is provided with the opportunity to environment to play it in, helpers and athletes do that and we all have a chance to grow alike are excited to play one of Plymouth North's together. unified sports. Kelly Maccaferri has been a coach for the Plymouth North High School’s unified Plymouth North unified basketball team for the basketball team started over five years ago. It has last four years. He is a special education teacher been a great way to have everyone connect. With and he cares about the opportunities North gives a growing awareness for students in special to the special education programs. education, it is important to recognize a program Maccaferri said, “bringing together different built on unity and support. groups of students and watching them come Senior athlete and co-captain of the unified together as a team and form relationships they basketball team, Robert Lee has been playing on might not normally do is [my favorite part about the team for his entire high school career. He this program].” loves getting to play with his friends. The players The program provides a sense of safety and are what creates the community of the team as uniqueness as it is an all-inclusive group. It's they give so much support and energy to the about social inclusion and the friendships program. everyone can make on the team. The program “Getting to play with my friends is the best. I shows that they care about their people. got into it because my friends were in it,” Lee The helpers provide support to the athletes and said. they are always supporting each other and 📷 Ella Derby All over the world, over 1.4 million people take having an amazing time. part in Unified Sports. Since 2013, ESPN has been Sophia Espinola is in her second year helping a major supporter of Special Olympics Unified out the team. Espinola, alongside Lee, holds the Sports. It is a big part of the community as it position of co-captain. She loves getting to brings together people with and without volunteer her time into this program and it's intellectual disabilities. always rewarding when you see how happy the “It's all about friendship,” Lee said. team is. She heard about the unified team Unified Sports are all about inclusion. It is through the admissions office about the different something that everyone needs to learn in sports that were happening “The dynamic is great as it's so exciting to see schooling and even outside in the real world. and is very rewarding,” Espinola said. With organizations such as Unified basketball, it During practice, the team scrimmages each gives the chance to grow. other and practices skills and drills. They work .. together so they can grow and create stronger relationships. In a regular game, there are 10 people on the court. Five for each side. There are two helpers and three athletes on each team at a time. The idea is to get the athletes playing while teaching them the rules of the game.
📷 Ella Derby
Plymouth North plays against other schools' unified teams. They play Plymouth South, Middleborough, and Pembroke. Being inclusive and supporting one another is the energy that the North community needs. It's always important to remember that young people with disabilities do not get the chance to participate in the usual school sports teams. It is very promising that they have the chance to explore new things and grow as people in a supportive environment. Unified sports are an important part about our school. It is highly beneficial to support everyone. The program does amazing things and everyone should support everyone, whether it be chess club, football, math team, or the unified basketball team.
Thank you! WRITERS Ryan Healy Delyla Coleman Amanda Cherry Margaret Ladd Alexcia Barry Riley Denver Delia Joyce Hannah Flockton
Jacob Petrarca Liam Husband Seeger Creane Brooke Holmes Madeline Dayie Jack Boissoneau Skyler Wodzinski Donald Procter
LAYOUT AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Madde Tassanari Maya Galindo Lilli Hanlon Hannah Caple
Plymouth North Football Rebounds to Reach Playoff Contention BY DONALD PROCTER The Blue Eagles clinch Playoffs to Come Back from a winless Spring season
Injuries took some like Wesley Hillman, but Football is a huge part of fall sports at
since then he’s been quietly producing big Plymouth North and this season Coach numbers on long passes as the primary target Chris Whidden’s squad has been turning in the offense on chunk plays, like the walkheads with 5 wins and solid standing as off catch he had to seal the win against they swoop into the playoffs. Whitman-Hanson on their turf. A drastic improvement on last year’s North’s football players are complete winless Fall II session, the Eagles have players that can adapt to the situation and been swooping in with wins against play all sides of the ball; not to mention Falmouth, Dennis-Yarmouth, Pembroke, Hillman proved that with a 90-yard kick Silver Lake and most recently an return that proved crucial in the same game overtime thriller against Whitmanin Hanson. Hanson. With Dallas Murphy in his fourth The defense is a unit that has grit like no season starting, the team surrounding other, they’ve at times been overwhelmed him has been bolstered up to some of its but have shown really optimistic highest points in recent years with a performances on a level playing field; the supporting cast that has seen adversity defensive line, lead by ruthless Senior End but proven they can put it all together Jaylen Baker and up-and-coming Junior End when it matters most. Brandon Hilliard, comes for blood in the These men put in the effort during the pocket chasing any who dare tread in the times when the lights weren’t on to backfield. A linebacking corps led by Senior ensure they made their last year of high Captain John Brock has shown tremendous school football count, “We really just hustle even featuring underclassmen, such as went into the offseason with a different hard hitter Maurice Pina and Sophomore mindset,” said Senior cornerback Logan menace Killian Murphy. Gallagher. “Going 0-5 last season wasn’t The defensive backfield includes a diversity enjoyable for anyone and we knew we of under- and upperclassmen as well, had to put in the work all off-season featuring Seniors Logang Gallagher and long and into the preseason to just put Domanic Kearney while Juniors Tommy our heads down and work to get better O’Connell and Joey Moriarty get their first every day.” Varsity opportunities to impress streaking The team has been rising slowly down on the defensive backfield as well as around him since the senior class first getting plenty of time to shine at the receiver stepped foot on Marano Field in 2018. which is a pretty rare opportunity for underclassmen.
NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 1
The offensive line is an up-and-coming unit that has been able to open gaps for long runs by Sophomore runningback Issac Uva, with Senior Teddy Golden leading his younger counterparts rushing past linebackers to show a lot of potential. The men have faced some challenges though, dealing with tough losses against Duxbury, Hingham, and Marshfield, but nonetheless, they put up a good effort in each contest against elite competition; these schools rank up against some of the best in the Northeast. And from what we’ve seen out of this team so far, you can never count them completely any given Friday. They have all the pieces of an elite roster, but even the giants must fall sometimes. The rolling Eagles met their match on Friday, November 5th, as they put up a solid fight but went to battle with a North Attleborough team full of talent that has proven their status amongst some of the state’s best. This loss is nothing to hang their heads over though, as the Eagles look to Thanksgiving as they play South in the classic Thanksgiving day rivalry game. Regardless of the result on Turkey Day, the senior group has earned the hard climb up to this point, they’ve motivated the turnaround from a group last year that couldn’t manage a single win to a contending squad that has shown every team they’ve played the fight and exertion of a strong football team that can play every minute of the game like it was their last. The boys put in work in the weight room and in summer camps getting better everyday. This relentless nature got carried from the weight room to the field come fall,
“The team’s biggest strength so far this season has been working hard after a loss. It’s a process, and we all put in work to push ourselves to be better,” said Senior Captain Adam Blackington. The talent on this team is undeniable, and Head Coach Chris Whidden has put together a staff in his third year that has highlighted the strengths of the offense and put the defense and special teams in a good position to bring helmets to the ball. “This team is diverse. Diverse in terms of abilities and different skill sets,” said the Head Coach. “With a lot of different personalities that for the most part blend and mesh together pretty well.” With no testament to yards and touchdowns, or wins and losses, this team has come a long way and should be very proud of what they’ve become with a bright future ahead. Be sure to support this team on Thanksgiving Day at home at 10 o’clock.
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