INDEX
Italy’s U20 Hockey Goalie page 12
Music at Sacred Heart page 6
HEART Volume 29
News......................................3 Features..................................5 Arts & Entertainment.............8 Profiles...................................9 Opinion................................10 Sports...................................12
February 13, 2012
BEAT Number 4
“Power clap once, power clap twice, hooah!”
don’t really care,” Moran said. “I’m kind of guilty of that myself, but I think a lot of people think like that as well. I don’t think forcing us is going to make us peppy. School spirit has to come from you, not a requirement.” Arnold disagreed, saying that she has received a good deal of positive feedback in response to the effort. “I think it’s going well,” Arnold said. “A lot of people came up to me after Ed Gerety’s presentation and said that they not only enjoyed it, but it touched them, too.” Adams said that she very much hopes to see an improvement in school morale as a result of Heart 4 the Heart. “I hope I’m not the only person in school with spirit,” Adams said. Arnold said that she was particularly struck by the need for a more tight-knit school community during the “mix-it-up” workshop. “I heard a seventh grader say that he didn’t have any friends,” Arnold said. “He should have friends now. As a result of this week, I want stu-
BY MEAGAN ANTONELLIS Staff Writer
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ed and blue balloons and streamers have decorated the cafeteria all week long, while posters have been seen throughout the hallways of Sacred Heart. These have been put in place to celebrate Sacred Heart School’s first-ever week dedicated to school spirit, entitled “Heart 4 the Heart.” Student council moderator, Karen Arnold, said that the idea of Heart 4 the Heart was originated by a general lack of spirit schoolwide. “It started last year when we came back from one of our leadership conferences,” Arnold said. “Last year, there was a lot of change, with the layoffs and other changes, and there was a general feeling of low morale. Students wanted to do something that was fun and engaging to boost morale.” Senior and honorary student council member Holly Adams agreed, saying that she also feels that Heart 4 the Heart was necessary in order to bring about a positive change in student attiStaff photo by Patricia Zibelli tudes. Week,” an event Heart the 4 “Heart promoting hallways the in hang posters Many “We wanted to have people get to know each that aims to bolster school spirit. other so that maybe they’d be nice,” Adams said. Arnold stressed that the goal of Heart 4 the Heart is to bring the student body closer togethdents to realize that no one’s alone.” er. Arnold also said that she hopes the week will reinforce core principles behind Sacred “I want everyone to have fun, but I also want everyone to be able to come together as Heart. a community,” Arnold said. “We are a community,” Arnold said. “We’re together. We’re one entity. Students Senior Maeve Moran said that she appreciates the sentiment behind Heart 4 the Heart, have a sense of community, a sense of pride, of belonging. They should want to should but questions its effectiveness. here.” be “I like the idea of it, in theory, but in practice, the majority of people at this school
Obama said what?! BY KATE JAMISON Staff Writer On Tuesday, January 24, President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union address. In his speech, he emphasized education; discussing the rising cost of college, the dropout age, teachers, and the importance of higher education. Federal student aid, Obama said, is not enough to keep college affordable. “We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money...colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down,” he said. Sophomore Caroline Imparato found fault in Obama’s plan. “The President can’t tell colleges to make their tuition lower. That isn’t in his power,” she said. History teacher Mr. Gerald Golden added that college tuition is higher than it needs to be. “Colleges often increase tuition before inflation,” he said. Obama also mentioned another source of financial aid for students. “States also need to do their part, by making higher educa-
tion a higher priority in their budgets,” he said. Golden said that prioritizing education is no easy task. “Funding education is a delayed gratification, you don’t get immediate payback on your investment. This society wants immediate payback. Given that idea, education is not a priority,” he said. In addition to augmenting federal student aid, Obama plans to cut federal aid to colleges. “If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down,” he said. Golden agreed. “I like that idea, the government funding should go down,” he said. Later in his address, Obama explained his plan to reward good teachers and eliminate ineffective ones. “Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn,” he said.
Photo Courtesy of Reuters
President Obama shakes hands with House Speaker John Boehner after the 2012 State of the Union Address.
Math teacher Mr. Benjamin Reed questioned the role of standardized testing in evaluating educator’s performance. “There are plenty of intelligent people who don’t test well,” he said.
STATE OF THE UNION continued on page 2
THE HEART BEAT
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STATE OF THE UNION continued from page 1
Golden agreed that testing was not the correct yardstick for rewarding teachers. “Define ‘good teacher.’ If you look in this school, there will be at least one teacher that students will go to. Every teacher in the school connects with some kids. Does that make every teacher good? Do you evaluate it by academic progress? That’s testing. It’s a matter of passion for the discipline or passion for the individual,” he said. But what if the individual isn’t passionate towards learning? President Obama “call[ed] on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen,” in his State of the Union address.
Golden thought carefully before responding. After a long pause, he said,” What are we gaining by keeping them in the school when they are in an environment where they don’t feel they have had success and don’t care about what the school is offering. What happens in a classroom with 25 kids who don’t want to be there?” Junior Sarah Kamp supported the President’s suggestion. “I think it is better to have the dropout age at 18 because there are so many people without an education,” she said. “The whole big question: what is the purpose of education? Are we training kids to go out and do some job that society wants, or are we encouraging them to be lifelong learners?” Golden asked. “Does this society value learning or does this society value good grades?” Golden concluded.
February 13, 2011
Staff photo by Nicholas Murphy
Seniors Nickey Stevens, Holly Adams, Jackie Lee, Maeve Moran, and Emily Hollstein attend a history club meeting.
ED GERETY
continued from page 1
Staff photo by Patricia Zibelli
Ed Gerety speaks with Senior Owen Imparato at Monday’s assembly.
Staff photo by Patricia Zibelli
Motivational speaker Ed Gerety spoke to Sacred Heart students on Monday as part of “Heart For Heart” Week.
SOPA is a Nopa! BY CHELSEY TAHAN Staff Writer
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ou’re in the car when you hear the latest, next chart topping hit by Rihanna on the radio. By the time you’re out of the car and at your computer, the song is stuck in your head, replaying over and over again until you finally decide to download it to your iPod. Through some sort of torrent site or file sharing program, you can have the song on your iPod and ready to jam out in little to no time at no charge. It seems like a harmless, common enough action, but according to the United States government, that little song could get you a fine more expensive than a thousand songs on iTunes, or even some jail time. The Stop Online Privacy Act, better known as SOPA, was proposed by Texan Representative Lamar S. Smith on October 26, 2011.The purpose of the bill was to crack down on online trafficking and privacy. The bill would effectively censor websites such as Facebook, Google, and YouTube, which continuously have been big components in copyright infringement. The bill would put heavier restrictions on streaming illegal content online, location of illegal material through the use of search engines, and yes, downloading free music. With millions of people in the US owning iPods, iTunes is the number one pay-formusic program available. The average song costs $1.29, with older or less popular songs selling for $0.99. It doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but to some, it’s not worth what it costs. “I think that there’s an ease of downloading music online rather than from something like iTunes,” senior Sean O’Donnell said. “But another part of it has to do with not wanting to pay for something one could get for free.” With thousands of file-sharing sites readily accessible on the web, more and more people, especially teenagers, are getting into the habit of downloading free music. An RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) study stated that only 37% of music downloaded by US consumers was paid for in 2009. That number has decreased in 2012. A further study by the RIAA found that the music industry loses an average of 12.5 billion dollars a year because of internet piracy, with over 70,000 US jobs lost and 422 million dollars lost in revenue. Is it fair for musicians and recording companies to lose all that hard earned money? “It isn’t fair on one hand, but then again, I don’t think it’s fair to cut off music from people who can’t necessarily afford it,” said O’Donnell. Junior Stephanie Rodway has a different look. “Musicians work just as hard as the next guy,” Rodway said. “Just because you can download something for free doesn’t mean you should.”
Not all people download music illegally. iTunes and Apple still make a hefty amount of money from selling music. But SOPA, and the US government, doesn’t seem to want to turn a blind eye towards the plethora of piracy that occurs on the web. Downloading a song for free online, or even recording a cover of a song and uploading it to YouTube can be considered copyright infringement and result in up to five years in federal prison. Many celebrities and musicians, such as Marie Digby, Rebecca Black, and Justin Bieber, attribute their fame to uploading YouTube videos. Since its conception, the SOPA bill has been viewed as a widely controversial bill. It has made headlines on several news sites and been a topic of interest for the past few weeks. On January 18, popular sites such as Wikipedia, Google, Tumblr and Reddit, along with 7,000 smaller sites, protested the bill by having a “blackout.” The trademark Google symbol was replaced with a big black censor block for the day. Tumblr, an up and coming blogging site, gave users the option to blackout their blogs and instead have the link to the phone line of their local government representative. SOPA has been deemed by many to be an infraction against the First Amendment of the US Constitution, an amendment notable for its theme of freedom of expression. “Although downloading music online isn’t very good, sites shouldn’t have to be censored,” Rodway said. “The internet is something we pay for, and we should be able to decide what we want to do on it.” The fear of getting caught in the act of downloading music free is not apparent in many teenagers’ lives. It is assumed that getting in trouble for something that “everyone does” isn’t likely to happen. If the SOPA bill were to pass, however, the government would be able to expand their measures of preventing piracy. Before, culprits downloading or streaming illegal content would only have to pay a fine; victims of the SOPA bill could spend a maximum of five years in jail if caught. “I believe that there needs to be more regulation of this type of thing,” O’Donnell said, “but cracking down on these people won’t do much to stop the overall problem.” SOPA wreaked havoc on the internet for months, but on January 20, the House finally came to a conclusion. “The committee remains committed to finding a solution to the problem of online piracy that protects American intellectual property and innovation… The House Judiciary Committee will postpone consideration of the legislation until there is a wider agreement on a solution.” This official statement from the federal government ensures that SOPA will not be happening anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean the government won’t be seriously considering a major shift in the way online piracy is dealt with. “The government can try to limit us all they want,” Rodway said. “People are going to do what they want to do.”
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February 10, 2012
THE HEART BEAT
No snow, no problem; students find fun in this winter’s weather ALEX BIANCO Staff Writer
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his winter, the South Shore has seen an out-of-character lack of snow. Many students, teachers, and their families have taken advantage of the nice weather, enjoying more time outdoors than usual. The warm weather has allowed them to play sports and engage in many other activities not usually enjoyed during the winter months. However, this winter’s warmth has taken its toll on the families that enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and other snow sports. Students who participate in bog hockey and pond skating have also been out of luck. Although there has been little snow, some members of the Sacred Heart community have found ways to hit the slopes. Senior Stephanie McSherry and her family venture to their home on Bretton Woods Mountain in New Hampshire nearly every weekend. “It’s unfortunate that we haven’t had very much snow at home this year, but it makes for a nice excuse to go away for the weekend”, McSherry said. “Although I’m lucky enough to have a place to ski up north, the snow makes everything pretty and it would be nice if I could go sledding once in a while at home”, she added. Junior Jamie Johnson agreed. “As much as
I love the good weather, I have been trying to plan a trip up north to go skiing,” he said. Others weren’t as upset over this winter’s weather. “It is pretty nice not having snow constantly on the ground, it has given me a chance to ride my dirt bike more often and play lacrosse” said sophomore Benjamin Bianco. Johnson has also been enjoying the great weather here in Kingston. “This weather has
“Although I’m lucky enough to have a place to ski up north, the snow makes everything pretty and it would be nice if I could go sledding once in a while at home”
-Stephanie McSherry
been great for hunting. It has been nice not to have snow on the ground, too,” he said. Some students have taken full advantage of the warmer weather, while others have headed to snow country or skulked around waiting for the next snowfall. As the winter drags on, students are eagerly awaiting a healthy amount of snow.and hopefully, a snow day or two.
Staff Photo by Alex Bianco
A Sacred Heart maintainence truck prepares to plow the parking lot.
Analyzing Obama’s adminstration at the JFK libary MIKE HANNA Staff Writer
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elect students and teachers from Sacred Heart High school took a field trip to JFK Library on January 15 to listen to a presentation titled “Assessing Obama’s Presidency”. When asked if the speakers had a bias towards the right or left political wings, history teacher Mr. Gerard Golden said they were “close to the truth.” The crowd was predominantly liberal because all of speakers had a Democratic background but there also were conservative students from Sacred Heart who attended the presentation. Students from Sacred Heart who went on the trip were juniors Patrick Macdonald, Qichao Zha, and Jeff Millman and senior Ryan Thomas. Accompanying the students was Golden, history teachers Mr. George Rose and Mr. Walter Lucier, as well as Sacred Heart alum Ryan Vermette (class of ’09). The trip was organized by Golden, and has been a Sacred Heart High School tradition since the Class of ’89. Golden also called the trip “profitable”. The object of the trip was to bring politically interested students to listen to experts speaking on the subject of Barack Obama’s presidency. The presentation at Boston’s JFK Library had two keynote speakers, Jonathan Alter and Hendrik Hertzberg. Jonathan Alter is a columnist for Bloomberg View. He has also spent 28 years at Newsweek and works as a contributing analyst and correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. Hendrik Hertzberg is a senior editor and staff writer at The New Yorker. Hertzberg was also a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter. The two speakers used their expertise to analyze Obama’s administration. “They broke down the strengths and weaknesses of his presidency,” Rose said. According to Rose, Alter took a more sympathetic stance
Mr. Golden, Ryan Vermette, and Mr. Rose converse with one of the speakers.
towards Obama’s presidency while Hertzberg took a more unbiased, balanced stance. Rose and the students were actually able to speak with Hendrik Hertzberg and found him very personable. “It’s great to see students who gave up their Sunday to make themselves more politically informed and to show a level of active interest,” he said. He added that both of the speakers were extremely knowledgeable and well
Photo Coutesy of Mr. Walter Lucier
informed. The trip has occurred for the past 23 years and after this year’s success, it is safe to assume that it will occur again in the future.
4
February 10, 2012
Fighting for the GOP vote, Republican primaries are underway
Photo Coutesy of Getty Images
Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romnet, Michelle Bachmann, Hermain Cain, and John Hunstman campaign at a GOP debate.
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RYAN THOMAS Staff Writer
he month of January has been of significant importance for GOP presidential candidates. January started with the Republican Caucus in Iowa. Iowa can be an indicator of how the rest of the nation’s votes will trend. In the Iowa caucus were Republican candidates Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, John Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, and Michelle Bachmann. Freshman Adam Tomasi was less than enthusiastic when reviewing this year’s field of candidates. “I was generally disappointed with most of the candidates; however, I was impressed with John Huntsman and found him to be the sole voice of reason,” he said.
“It comes down to who is most electable. I think there will be a lot of pressure within the heirarchy of the GOP to nominate the most electable”
- Mr. George Rose
Santorum was declared the winner, followed closely by Romney and Paul. After the caucus ended, Michelle Bachmann announced she was suspending her campaign. Candidates then moved on to New Hampshire. Romney’s image as a moderate Republican who can create jobs through experience in the private sector lead to a win in New Hampshire by a double digit margin. Paul pulled in 23 percent of the vote to finish second. John Huntsman also emerged as a contender, tallying 16 percent of the New Hampshire vote. The previous Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, had been an early frontrunner, but his momentum slowed in Iowa. While Gingrich placed fourth in both Iowa and New Hampshire, he garnered more votes than Rick Perry. The Governor of Texas experienced a fifth place finish in Iowa, followed by a sixth place finish in New Hampshire. Before the start of the South Carolina primaries, Perry ended his campaign and endorsed Gingrich. In the process of the South Carolina primary, Huntsman dropped out. According to freshman Adam Tomasi, Paul, the oldest Republican candidate, appeals to many independent minded young voters. “I agree with his foreign policy and his plan to restore America’s image abroad,” he said. Once campaigning in South Carolina was underway, Gingrich surged after strong performances in the debates before the primary. Gingrich won 40 percent of the vote. Romney still reeled in a respectable 28 percent of the
vote. It is being forecasted that Romney is the man to beat Finishing third was Rick Santorum, with 17 percent of in many of these upcoming primaries. Gingrich is also the vote. Santorum’s ties to evangelical leaders, while not counting heavily on a good showing in Southern States. an issue in South Carolina, has raised concern over his Rose said that he did not foresee any of the candidates appeal to less conservative Republicans and independents dropping out anytime soon. across the country. “Santorum is still hoping to appeal to the evangeliPaul’s campaign floundered; he finished fourth and cal base of the party and Paul is still hoping to capture received 13 percent of the vote. In particular, South enough of the libertarian wing,” Rose said. Carolina’s voters seemed to take issue with Paul’s nonRose said he thinks that all four candidates will stay in interventionist foreign policy and hands-off approach to the race for a substantial amount of time, “ I don’t think social issues like drug legislation. any of them will drop out until, perhaps, Super Tuesday After South Carolina’s primary, the candidates moved to or if there is earlier pressure by GOP leaders to rally Florida. According to History Teacher Mr. George Rose, around one candidate,” Romney’s spending in Florida was the major driving Tomasi stressed that the race wasn’t over, “Obviously, force behind his victory. Rose stated, “It would appear he Florida was a clear indicator that Romney is the man to outspent Gingrich 16 million to 3 million which certainly beat, but we live in interesting times. Things can change played a huge role.” quickly.” Romney’s media blitz was extremely effective, as he won 46 percent of the vote. Gingrich came in second with about 32 percent of the vote. The diversity of the state seemed to benefit Romney, as he won the Latino vote.The double digit loss to Romney came as a heavy blow for Gingrich, who had reinvigorated his campaign with his win in South Carolina. Rose credited the deterioration of Gingrich’s support to the money Romney was able to spend on attack ads. “I primarily attribute it to money. Once he started running ads the poll numbers flip-flopped, Gingrich was ahead then Romney took the lead for good,” Rose said. Aside from having less money than Romney, Rose stated that Gingrich’s woes were compounded by his behavior around the media. Rose noted that national appeal is crucial when a party nominates a candidate, “It comes down to who is the most electable. I think there will be a lot of pressure within the hierarchy of the GOP to nominate the most electable.” Neither Paul nor Santorum performed well in Florida. Paul was already campaigning in Nevada when it was announced he had finished last in Florida with only 7 percent of the vote. Santorum also slumped, taking only 13 percent of the vote. When Super Tuesday arrives on March 6, 437 delegates will be up for grabs in ten primaries. The Super Photo Courtesy of Getty Images Tuesday primaries reveal whether the Congressman Ron Paul on the campaing trail. candidate can unite his party before the national vote.
FSacred Heart gets Apple-fyed EATURES
February 13, 2012
5
THE HEART BEAT
BY KATIE BELDEN Staff Writer In today’s world, technology plays an important role in everyone’s lives. In the past decade our society has shifted and transitioned into a technologically based lifestyle. Sacred Heart High School is also beginning to undergo this transition in the hope of broadening our community and of integrating technology into our new ways of learning. One of the ways Sacred Heart is pushing this transition is by introducing the “iPad,” an idea from Sacred Heart School’s President, Pamela Desmarais. “I am a person who uses technology for everything. Being new to this school I want to incorporate technology, and bring as many new and refreshing ideas as I can,” Desmarais said. “The iPad is a great and interactive tool that offers many new and exciting ways to learn.” Desmarais went on to explain that she held many meetings with Apple Education as well as IT Director, Chris Wilbur, and Sr. Alice Marie about this new proposal. She also explained that in the performance surveys filled out by families, students, and teachers, the majority mentioned the idea of incorporating new technology that can help broaden and update our school. “The iPad is a phenomenal device that will greatly prepare the students for the technology being used in the outside world. It is important to educate and involve our students as best we can,” Desmarais said. Desmarais mentioned that each of the departments at Sacred Heart received an iPad to try. All of the feedback was supportive and positive. The faculty enjoyed the idea of using technology in the classroom. She talked about how the faculty has picked a group of ten different students, two from each grade, to join the faculty in trying out these new devices. Librarian, Ms. Arnold, shared her personal thoughts on the use of iPads at our school. “This is an unlimited tool that is great to help the students to become more educated about the topic we are talking about,” Arnold said. “I love technology, and I fully support providing new and creative ways to educate the students.” History teacher Walter Lucier, also talked about his viewpoint on this idea. “It is really exciting, and puts us in the forefront of education and technology. The potential that the iPad has is unlimited. Its ability will
Staff Photo by Hannah MacInnis
Junior Tomas Griffin shares an iPad with Librarian Karen Arnold. iPads are slowly being integrated into the education system at Sacred Heart.
revolutionize how teachers teach and how students learn,” Lucier said. “It allows for greater individual instruction and provides us with endless amounts of resources at our fingertips.” Science teacher, Mr. Larry Small also explained that his only concern is that the students will be easily distracted and it will be a struggle to keep the students and teachers on the same page. Although many people believe there are no possible downfalls to this change, there are those who have their doubts. Senior Nick Hardiman, shared his anxieties. “I think it’s a good idea, but I don’t think it will actually work that well,” Hardiman said. “I believe it will cause a large distraction for the students, and will make it extremely difficult to stay on task.” Small elaborated on his iPad thoughts.“I think they will enhance the way we teach and I’m immensely looking forward to learning how to use one,” Small said. “This is a great idea to help our school keep up with the other prep schools that are also starting to use more technology in the classroom.”
D’Andrea is the Voice of Democracy BY ANGELA D’AMELIO Staff Writer
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n March 3rd, 2012, junior LeighAnn D’Andrea will be going to Washington, D.C. to compete in Voice of Democracy. Every year for the past 60 years, the Veterans of Foreign Wars has sponsored this nationwide public speaking competition. It starts locally, becomes statewide, and finally goes national. Contestants write speeches with a patriotic theme and record them. D’Andrea recently submitted a tape discussing why she thinks we should have pride in our military. “The competition is meant to make students appreciate their country,” D’Andrea said. D’Andrea won the local VFW competition and on January 15th, 2012, her tape was chosen as the best in Massachusetts, so she has been invited to compete nationally. For her accomplishment, D’Andrea received a scholarship in the amount of $4,000 and $500 cash. The national winner will receive a $30,000 scholarship. D’Andrea got the idea to enter the Voice of Democracy competition from speech coach Mr. Dan Sapir, whose daughter won the national Staff Photo by Nicholas Murphy competition in 1995. D’Andrea discusses chemistry with fellow speech competitor, Sophomore Hannah Wisniewski. D’Andrea has won many speech competitions in her high school career. “It’s really cool to be retracing history,” Sapir said. “I think LeighAnn has the potential to finish high up in D.C. She’s very talented and I think she’ll do very well down there.” D’Andrea is more than enthusiastic about competing in the competition. “This whole thing is unbelievable! It’s an amazing opportunity and I can’t believe I get to experience it,” she said.
February 13, 2012
HEART BEAT
6
You Can’t
S BY CHRIS LATINI, IAN KIRWOOD, PATRICIA ZIBELLI, MELANIE ODELL Contribu�ng writer, Staff writers
In South Korea, the borde 50 feet away to annoy them the standard North Korean many. Despite differences in cul all cultures will be happy a concert may bring about dis become embedded in each Freshman Jinrong Li turn “It makes me feel relaxed
“Music is a universal language,” - Dr. Katherine Gallo
Senior Spencer Dick is a budding prodigy on the violin.
Photo courtesy of Mrs. S. Giovenetti
When a person listens to m along with music genre and in blood pressure, heart rate “Music has helped me thr said. “It picks me up when Serving as a vocal guide t across messages they can’t erine Gallo stands firm on t Choir teacher Agata Orze commitment, and love for m quality of entertainment at fects people and their mood thinking, enjoying the liturg cation of the liturgical choi and Rosalie take the stage e From iPods to smartphone group, music serves as a me sic is a true passion, giving Through a newly impleme sons of all kinds at the Sout band. In this, music is becoming alumnus William Dinardo t community members are ge
February 13, 2012
HEART BEAT
7
the Beat
Stop
er guards occasionally blast Korean pop music at the North Koreans only m. This infuriates the hostile enemy and generally causes disruptions in day. This is just one of many examples as to how music influences the
lture, music remains a constant. For example, wedding music in almost and upbeat, creating a festive mood. However, attending a heavy-metal ssimilar results entirely. It is this cultural exchange of music that has individual’s background and history. ns to music during times of stress. d,” Li said. “I can find myself in music.”
music, the brain sends signals for the body to release endorphins. This, d the starting mood of the individual, can lead to an increase or decrease e, and or shift mood and mentality. rough some of the toughest times in my life,” freshmen Jeremy Thomas I’m down.” to religious concepts, members of the Catholic faith turn to music to get get across through mere words alone. In this, religion teacher Dr. Kaththe belief that, “Music is a universal language.” echowska is truly immersed and devoted to her music. Her dedication, music is seen and heard through her semi-annual school concerts and the each month’s liturgy. Maintaining that “Music is an influence that afd,” Orzechowska makes sure to pick musical selections that leave people gy, and arousing feelings. This is shown through the hard work and dediir, and doubly through the faces that come alive when Sisters Rosamonde every so often to sing the anxiously awaited “Ave Maria.” es, most are in touch with music 24/7. Not exclusive to any one age eans through which expression of personality takes shape. To many, mug canvas to the expressions and creativity of their minds. ented affiliation, Sacred Heart students will be able to take music lesth Shore Conservatory in Duxbury, in hopes of eventually building a
g more and more integrated at Sacred Heart. From the early days of to Dr. Gallo and even Sarah Kieran of the liturgical choir, more and more etting involved, and finding a true passion in music.
Staff photo by Patricia Zibelli Senior Elizabeth Liu practices piano in the auditorium during tutorial.
Staff photo by Patricia Zibelli
Junior Sara Kieran practices for the Liturgical Choir.
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RTS
February 10, 2012
October 31, 2011
THE HEART BEAT
Come to the land of the ice and snow BY: IAN KIRKWOOD Staff Writer Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling Millenium trilogy hit American shelves a little over 3 years ago. In that time, it has become a cultural phenomenon, and the release of the Swedish adaptation films in America just keep the wave rolling. Before seeing the American adaptation, I read all three of the books in the trilogy, and I’ve seen a good chunk of what the Swedish films had to offer. With David Fincher directing (Director of Se7en and Fight Club, two of my favorite movies), it goes without saying that my expectations for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo were high. And they were blown away. Twice. For those who have been living under a rock for three years, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tells the story of Mikhael Blomkvist, a modern day Swedish muckraker, who has been disgraced in court after losing over libel charges. An eccentric millionaire hires him to help solve a 50 year old murder. His research assistant, a certain Lisbeth Salander, is the titular girl with the dragon tattoo. And the world is never quite the same again. A main theme throughout the story is violence against women. When Larsson wrote the books, he included factoids about this type of violence in between each of the five parts, constantly pressing the reader to recognize that gender-based inequalities do still exist in today’s world. This set a disturbing tone that forced the reader to keep reading past the real-life violence. Fincher and his cast delicately play off this tone that the books set, pressing movie-goers to the exact degree of discomfort to unnerve their premises but keep them directly concerned with the conflicts at hand. The cast is fantastic. Daniel Craig (of James Bond
Staff Graphic by Patricia Zibelli
fame) plays a great Blomkvist, and actually impressed me as an actor, showing his serious side instead of his action/adventure muscles. Joely Richardson, who played Anita Vanger (a family member of the murder victim), soared beautifully in the powerful ten minutes that she was actually in the film. But no one in the cast can even compare to the terrifying and subtle Rooney Mara. Rooney Mara’s previous movie experience ranges from the girlfriend in The Social Network to Nancy in the awful remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. She went all-out in preparation for the role of Lisbeth Salander. Proudly adorned with real piercings and an anorexic
looking body, Mara has completely transformed herself and become Lisbeth Salander. Naomi Rapace, who did an excellent job as Salander in the Swedish films, created a new character when she played the hacker. It was good, but it was not the original Lisbeth Salander from the books. Mara instead opts for a different route, perfectly capturing the book’s version of Miss Salander while evolving her into a hard-boiled yet melodic character. If Rooney Mara doesn’t win Best Actress at the Oscars, I will lose a lot of respect for that award show. The film wouldn’t have been nearly as excellent as it is, even with the great cast, without David Fincher at the helm. Fincher’s films often explore base human emotions, bleak and dreary landscapes (that sometimes are our own backyard) and innovative camera tricks. Northern Sweden is rendered amazingly with the stark whites and opaque darkness providing a sharp contrast for the occasional bouts of color: the warm colors used in flashbacks, the greens of spring and summer, the welcome atmosphere of the Millenium office. Along with the almost flawless score (which will really get your heart racing at one of the more controversial scenes in the movies), the whole experience creates what is easily the Best Picture of 2011. There, I said it. David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the best film to grace cinemas with its presence this year. A faithful but still unique adaptation of the novel, this movie provides a deep locked-room mystery story that will stay with the audience for years to come. And the best news is that the trilogy’s future won’t end at the Oscars this March. No, we all still have two more movies to look forward to, The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. Brace Yourself.
Golden Globes attracts more viewers than ever BY MELANIE ODELL Staff Writer
With stunning wardrobes, popular celebrities, a host with a not so “G rated” sense of humor, tickets going for a mere $17,500 a person, and roughly 16.8 million viewers, the 2012 Golden Globes seemed like a success. Why is it that, every year, millions of Americans sit down in front of their TV to watch a celebrity award show? Possibly to see what their favorite celebrities are wearing or to see if their favorite movie wins, or maybe even because they wish they could be there themselves. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain. Americans love award shows. Besides the 2012 69th Annual Golden Globes the 64th Annual Directors Guild Awards, the 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and the18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are all being seen by millions of viewers around the country. Keep in mind, it’s only February. These shows are becoming a trend. This mix of anticipation and drunken celebrity banter is growing into one of the widest forms of entertainment on television. With George Clooney taking Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture for his role in The Desendants and Meryl Streep leaving with Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture for her role in The Iron Lady, the night seemed to be off to a good start.
Rickey Gervais served as the Golden Globes host once again, taking no time to dish out attempts at raunchy humor, managing to offend Kim Kardashion less than one minute into his opening speech (Although it’s not like she makes that very hard to do). Some other anticipated winners included Best Performance By An Actress In A SupMotion Picture, Drama porting Role In A Motion Picture-Octavia The Descendants Spencer in The Help and Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical- Modern FamBest Performance By ily. An Actor In A Motion For those who missed the Golden Globes: Picture – Drama don’t bother turning to Hulu or Youtube. George Clooney, The Just wait 12 months and you’ll be able to Descendants see the same show in 2013, except maybe more awkward and drunker than this year Best Motion Picture (if possible). – Comedy Or Musical Rickey Gervais puts it best when he said The Artist “The Golden Globes are just like the Oscars without the esteem.” Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Golden Globes Winners
Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical Jean Dujardin, The Artist Staff Graphic by Patricia Zibelli
Best Director – Motion Picture Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture Octavia Spencer, The Help Best Screenplay Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris Best Performance By An Actress in A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture Christopher Plummer, Beginners Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical Modern Family, ABC
Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical Matt LeBlanc, Episodes Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama Claire Danes, Homeland Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series, Or Motion Picture Made for Television Jessica Lange, American Horror Story Best Television Series – Drama Homeland, Showtime Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama Kelsey Grammer, Boss
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February 10, 2012
THE HEART BEAT
Say hey to Miss Kaye BY MEAGAN ANTONELLIS Staff Writer
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any members of the Sacred Heart community have become well-acquainted with a familiar voice over the phone, saying “Sacred Heart High School: Michelle speaking, how can I help you?” Having passed the halfway mark in the school year, it is high time that Sacred Heart also became acquainted with Michelle Kaye herself. A constant presence at the Sacred Heart front desk, Kaye’s responsibilities are answering the phone, sorting incoming mail, helping to keep track of attendance, sending out school-wide emails, updating message boards, overseeing announcements and assisting Pamela Demarais in tasks related to her role as interim principal. Kaye is no stranger to Sacred Heart, having graduated with the class of 2006. She says that she has enjoyed her experience in returning to her alma mater. “It’s been pretty good,” Kaye said. “There’ve been a few changes, with some new faculty and new additions to the school. It’s been interesting to see it from the other side.” Kaye continued her education after high school to getting her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at the University of Maine. She is currently working on obtaining a master’s degree in education, which she says takes up a good deal of her free time. Also claiming a significant amount of her time is her work. Not only does Kaye work at Sacred Heart, but she also holds two additional jobs, one as a cake decorator and another as a math tutor. When Kaye isn’t working or studying, she normally chooses to spend her time with loved ones, family being her top priority. “I like to spend most of my free time with my family,” Kaye said. “Sometimes, I’ll catch up with friends when I’m not working, and I also hike and whitewater kayak.” Kaye said that she has been given the best advice by her family, and that is, essentially, to be true to herself.
Ms. Kaye at the front desk checking student attendance.
Staff Photo by Hannah MacInnis
“The best piece of advice I’ve been given is from my dad. ‘Do what you want, and love what you do, and everything else will fall into place.’”
Marketing Sacred Heart T
“Really, it comes down to what we need to do across the school from giving the snow emergencies to how everyone’s email signature is set up, just being more consistent from a communications standpoint between the elementary school and the high school. It’s a little more straight forward, but a little more involved.” Caruolo said. Caruolo claims her main objective is to make Sacred Heart a widely known example of educational excellence, with the key words being “widely known”. Despite living merely thirty minutes away from the school, Caruolo had no idea of the school’s existence until recently. “It was a surprise what a jewel it was down here. I had no idea it was even down here, and I consider that a huge challenge. You know, someone commented ‘You’re the best kept secret on Route 80.’ And I thought to myself you don’t want to be the best kept secret,” she said. Ultimately, Caruolo believes that she has a major part to play in the transforming Sacred Heart landscape. “It’s a great institution and I’m learning more and more. It’s only been three months (for me), but there’s such a history here and I feel like I know that I can help, especially with the branding aspect,” she said. “I know that I can help the school go where it wants to go and still be here in 65 years because that’s quite a feat,” she said.
BY GREG HABEEB Staff Writer
here’s no denying that there have been a lot of changes in the Sacred Heart community since President Pamela Desmarais took charge of operations and began to institute her vision for the school. One such change was the hiring of a Communications and Marketing manager. Desmarais’ choice is former marketing and communications consultant Cheryl Caruolo. Caruolo, a Rhode-Island native, moved from the Ocean State to attend Northeastern University, as well as to earn her master’s degree at Leslie University and “like a lot of people, stuck around and never left.” She came from a diverse occupational background, having experience in a variety of fields such as healthcare, education, and even at one point a food manufacturer. With such a wide ranging resume, it’s a wonder Caruolo ended up at Sacred Heart. However, the way she puts it makes the choice seem like a no brainer. “I was looking to work in an education environment, and I have a lot of respect for the whole educational institution,” Caruolo said. Meeting with Desmarais only sealed the deal. “We just seemed to have a really good rapport and I understood and really respected her vision for the school,” Caruolo added. As Marketing and Communications manager, Caruolo is faced with a task of creating the Sacred Heart brand. Not to be confused with sales, which is a short term entity; marketing is a long range task. “Marketing is about getting your name out there,” Caruolo said.
Staff Photo by Nick Murphy
Cheryl Caruolo at her desk working on making Sacred Heart Schools more attractive to students.
“It’s establishing a brand of whatever it is, whatever organization it is, what your mission is, what your purpose is, and then
continuing to feed that so it’s always present,” she explained. The communications aspect of the job requires less clarification.
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February 13, 2012
Holy Gun Laws! BY EVAN NOLAN Staff Writer The debate over gun control has been raging between gun safety activists and sport shooters for quite a while. With several hunting seasons coming up in the spring including: turkey, quail, coyote and rabbit, many people are lining up to receive their 2012 hunting permits. In order to be eligible, an applicant must first pass a state hunters education course, receive a state Firearm ID card, and have a class B license. For sports shooters and hobbyists, it is required to hold a Firearm ID card and most likely a higher level Class A license. A Class A license allows the user to carry large capacity pistols, rifles, shotguns, and feeding devices .Many anti-gun activists reject the use of guns recreationally because they believe that they will be used to harm citizens and they should rely on law enforcement to watch over them and not use firearms for personal defense. The application for a Massachusetts Firearms license is a long and painstaking process compared to New Hampshire, where citizens “Live Free or Die.” The right to own a gun in New Hampshire is almost as beloved as the right to breathe. While responsible residents of New Hampshire use their firearms responsibly and respectfully, their laws are more lax than those of Massachusetts. If somebody even wants to hold a gun in a licensed Massachusetts gun store, buy brass casings, or buy a grain of black powder, he/she is required to hold a valid state issued FID card. An FID card grants you the permission to use the most basic of guns such as pistols, small capacity rifles and shotguns for hunting and also buy ammunition and reloading supplies. To obtain a respectable Class A license, one must pass an accredited firearms safety course, costing approximately $150-$200, pay
deemed necessary to fight in. They volunteer and make huge sacrifices to protect the rights and privileges we enjoy and take for granted every day but in Massachusetts they can’t bear arms. Anti-gun activism has grown largely due to violence in inner cities where gang violence is rampant. For example, in 2009 two 14 year old boys and a 10 year old girl were shot in the middle of crossfire in Roxbury, MA. Deval Patrick soon proposed a bill limiting the number of guns someone can buy monthly to just one. This was his idea to curb illegal gun trafficking in the city of Boston. This would punish those who legally purchase guns and leave those who attain them illegally to continue their violent acts. Instead, he should have focused on cracking down on the smuggling of arms coming in from Ireland, Russia, Eastern Europe, and those guns which are stolen out of homes. In a 2006 article written by Michael Blanding for Boston Staff photo by Nick Murphy Magazine, out of almost 900 illegal their local police department $100, guns recovered by Boston Police, barely and the applicant’s police chief must 1/3 of them were traced to Massachuapprove of them to determine whether setts. What Massachusetts gun runners or not they get a Class A or Class B lihave been doing for years is bring in cense. Not only is Massachusetts trying guns bought in states such as Florida to curb the number of people registering and South Carolina and transporting for gun licenses, the state is taxing them them to Boston and selling them for a for every possible penny. steep markup. Those Massachusetts citizens who What most gun enthusiasts are are under the age of 21 are not even finding is that it is becoming more diffieligible for a license to carry a handgun. cult to obtain licenses and their freeThis is an extreme infringement on the doms are being infringed upon. Due to 2nd Amendment of the United States high gun violence statistics, lawmakers Constitution. The Constitution states “A are putting more restrictions on firearm well-regulated militia, being necessary sales and use than ever before. Instead to the security of a free state, the right of of focusing on how illegal guns make the people to keep and bear arms, shall it to the streets of Massachusetts, new not be infringed.” Since the Massachulaws are making it difficult and expensetts state government believes they sive to legally own a gun. As criminals know what’s best for the people, they easily equip themselves with stores of withhold the right to own a handgun weapons, the citizens can barely own to anyone under the age of 18. An 18 one gun to protect themselves. year old can join the military and risk his/her life in a foreign warzone which the elected officials of this country have
School Reading: A love hate relationship I am going to state the painfully obvious: sometimes the books we have to read for school are not enjoyable to read. Whether you dislike the subject matter, find the book boring, or just don’t like reading, you will likely come across a book in high school that you do not like. I know that I have. However, I have slowly learned to appreciate them for what they are worth. Sometimes the boring books that we are asked to read can teach us more than any other assignments. Think of the last book you had to read for school. Unlike some other types of assignments, you couldn’t easily ask for answers from classmates. Reading the book was your responsibility. Yes, you could have used summary notes online, but the 50% you receive on the quiz for cheating won’t do anything for your average. If you do the reading, you are training yourself to manage your time well by finding a few minutes to sit down and do the assignment. Reading can take time, but the reward can be worth it. Not only do
these boring books force us to learn time management, but they may open your mind to other possibilities. For example, I have been going through the tedious and sometimes painful col-
Editorial lege application process. Throughout this process, I have been asked countless times what I plan to major in. The reading that I have to do for a class here at Sacred Heart has single handedly helped me answer that question. For Foreign Policy with Mr. Golden, we have to read a book by journalist Bob Woodward called Veil. It’s a massive book and I found it daunting at first. However, once I got past the size and sheer density of the text, I really started to enjoy what Woodward had to say. I now plan to major in National Security and Public Policy studies in college, something I had never seriously considered before
cracking open Veil. Even if reading a book doesn’t help you choose your future college major like it did for me, it will help you learn how to read better and faster. Practice makes perfect, right? Ask anyone; you will have to do a lot of reading if you choose to attend college. Practice reading now and enjoy the time you save with your speed reading skills later. The boring books will pay off eventually. According to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, reading can be “reliably linked with cognitive differences,” meaning that reading actually can make you smarter. Improved vocabulary, analytical thinking, and reduced stress have all been reported as perks of reading. I’m not saying that you have to like every book that you have to read for school. I’m suggesting that next time you find yourself struggling to turn the pages of your next assignment, consider the potential benefits before you give up.
THE HEART BEAT Editors-in-Chief: Meagan Antonellis Kate Jamison Front Page Editors: Alexander Bianco Angela D’Amelio Features Editor: Ian Kirkwood Double Truck Editor: Chelsey Tahan A&E Editors: Kendall Fisher Melanie Odell Opinion Editor: Evan Nolan Profiles Editor: Ka�e Belden Sports Editors: Gregory Habeeb Michael Hanna Ryan Thomas Photo Editors: Hannah MacInnis Nicholas Murphy Patricia Zibelli Copy Editor: Mercedes McGarry Staff Writer: Sophia Pizzi Contribu�ng Writer: Christopher La�ni Staff advisor: Mr. Vincent Boccalini THE HEART BEAT is the student newspaper of Sacred Heart High School, located at 399 Bishops Highway, Kingston, MA 02364. The views expressed herein are those of the staff. Responsible le�ers should be addressed to the Editorial Staff c/o Mr. Boccalini or via e-mail at vboccalini@sacredheartkingston.com. THE HEART BEAT welcomes readers’ opinions on all topics. Le�ers must be signed. The editors reserve the right to reject, edit, or shorten letters. THE HEART BEAT is printed by Graphic Developments, Inc.
Mission Statement The Heart Beat is Sacred Heart High School’s newspaper. As the present custodians of this long-standing and award-winning publica�on, we pledge ourselves to the following threefold purpose: To inspire and foster a sense of passion and love for journalism, journalis�c ethics and the integrity of the wri�en word; To create and develop an atmosphere of responsible leadership, commitment to truth and dedica�on to the highest standards of journalis�c principles; To recognize that in all we do, we are in the service of our Provident God who has blessed us with the oppurtunity to minister to the Sacred Heart community. -Vincent Boccalini Moderator
Press affilia�ons Columbia Scholas�c Press Associa�on (CSPA) New England Scholas�c Press Associa�on (NESPA) American Scholas�c Press Associa�on (ASPA)
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February 13, 2012
She Said
He Said
He Said, She Said: I love you man BY MEAGAN ANTONELLIS AND IAN KIRKWOOD Staff Writers I had two big problems with Ed Gerety’s presentation, his overall message and his presentation style. As far as his message goes, I agree that caring for others is a good idea. We’re a Catholic school, and the golden rule is the greatest principle to live by. The problem that I had with what he was saying was that it was less about treating others the way you’d like to be treated and more about going around saying “I love you” to everyone. I don’t think people should be saying “I love you” unless they really mean it, and expressing love is re-
I have never understood why the word “love” has always been considered taboo by the majority of people. Sure, it takes a lot to love someone. It takes placing another person above our own interests and caring enough about them to put their happiness first...but isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing anyway? “Love thy neighbor” seems to have fallen to “tolerate thy neighbor” at best. What Ed Gerety was doing during his presentation was trying to get us to see that we often simply don’t treat each other in the way we should. It’s not enough to tolerate the people around us. We aren’t meant to go through life simply putting up with each other. What exactly is so wrong with telling people that we love them? Behind the words “I love you” are those of “I care about you, and I’m here for you if you need me.” We would all be so much better off if we could just bring ourselves to
ally meaningless unless the person has gone through the pain and suffering necessary to bring out that kind of feeling. You have to get a little for what you give; you’re not equipped to love someone unless you’ve been through a certain amount of pain. Forcing the word love out of people isn’t going to make any kind of difference unless they’re actually ready to use it. Gerety shouldn’t be encouraging people to simply ignore all the evil in the world. People need evil, because you don’t appreciate all the good in your life until you’ve been through the bad as well. In life, you need to have your
put in the small amount of effort required to make these words ring true in regard to everyone in our lives. Love is not some big, monumental goal that we have to spend our entire lives working up to; it’s our natural state. To love the people around us only requires that we let ourselves do so. I don’t take Gerety’s words to mean that we should completely ignore all of the pain, suffering
experience with evil, find your own personal way to fight it off, and learn from that experience. We can’t just turn a blind eye to the suffering in our lives. A balance of good and evil needs to be there. For the most part, I thought Gerety presented his message in the most effective way possible. He was hilarious, and I believe that humor is really the best way to get your message across, and he is very talented at what he does. That being said, the audience participation element of the performance was planned beforehand; Gerety alerted people before the presentation started as to what roles they would have. This predetermined element of the performance took away from the integrity of the message.
and evil in the world. That’s simply impossible. Everyone has gone through, and will continue to go through, their fair share of suffering in their lives. Gerety was asserting that we should have a community of people to lean on while we endure it. Pain is inevitable; Gerety’s message just tells us that we should be making each other’s burdens easier rather than the other way around. All of the most effective speeches and presentations made in history were premeditated. The fact that the audience participation element to Gerety’s was also planned should not take away from the overall effect. What we are meant to do here is look behind the bells and whistles to the core; while we can appreciate his abilities as a speaker, it is far more important that we receive his central messages of community, love and support.
Valentine’s day the single way BY SOPHIA PIZZI Staff Writer
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ll the single ladies, put your hands up! For those who are single, it’s the dreaded time of year when we are constantly reminded of our missing second half. You might be familiar with the term “Singles Awareness Day.” With Valentine’s Day soon approaching, we search for the key to avoiding the tidal wave of candy hearts and red roses. But have no fear; being single isn’t the end of the world! Here are some uplifting ideas that can help change our one sided view on the holiday of love.
Dress to Impress
Don’t Listen to Love Songs
Treat Yourself
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pgrade your Starbucks from a Tall to a Venti. Don’t just walk by that one pair of shoes you’ve been eying for weeks; go in and buy them. You know you deserve it! Make yourself a nice dinner, with dessert, of course. If you want flowers and chocolate, send yourself flowers and chocolate! Anything you can think of to make yourself feel good, the extra money and effort is most definitely worth it.
earing the perfect outfit is the ultimate confidence boost. If you look good, you feel good. So ladies, go the extra mile! Do your hair and put on that one scarf that really brings out your eyes. And gentlemen, dab on your favorite cologne and put an extra skip in your step. A confident smile and optimistic attitude are musthave accessories to catch that wandering eye.
void all of the sappy Taylor Swift tunes about unrequited lovers. Instead, make a playlist of positive songs that won’t result in feelings of desperation and include some fast paced dance songs that get your mind off the topic. Here are some suggestions: •Kick Us Out- Hyper Crush •Perfectly Lonely – John Mayer • Riding Solo – Jason Derulo • Single Ladies – Beyonce • The Anthem- Pitbull •Up, Up and away- Kid Cudi
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Unite With Other Singles
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urround yourself with friends who are just as independent as you are. Let the couples gallivant off into the depths of lovers’ land alone. You don’t want to be there; they don’t want you there...it’s just best for everybody. Make plans with friends to take your mind off the holiday. Don’t go to a fine restaurant; the surplus of couples will certainly bother you all night. Don’t forget, you’re the free bird, able to do whatever you want; take advantage of that.
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February10, 2012
THE HEART BEAT
New look, same success Saints basketball gets new uniforms thanks to pancake breakfast, concession stand. BY KENDALL FISHER Staff Writer
The thick, cardboard like uniforms have been worn by Sacred Heart High School girls’ basketball players for far too long. Each year their complaints grew more and more after every game until finally the time had come to make a change. “They made playing the game, to the best of our ability, hard because they were so heavy,” senior Bethany Faiella said about the old basketball uniforms. “I’m beyond relieved that we’re getting new ones.” The girls’ basketball team hosted a pancake breakfast raising enough money for the uniforms. At the breakfast, there was a bake sale as well as a raffle for Bruins and Celtics tickets. Athletic Director Robert Duquette dressed up as Santa Claus and posed for pictures. The breakfast accumulated a surplus of money. “The uniforms were about two thousand dollars and we raised about four thousand so it was more than enough,” senior Jackie Schreiber said. Recently, the team learned that since their record was 11-3, they were eligible to play in the tournament that begins some-
time after February vacation. The Lady Saints have dominated this season thanks to a heavy dose of team work, favoring the skills of the many over relying on the talents of a singular star. The team believes that the new uniforms will help them to look as well as they play, and expect that to translate to the postseason. “I think that the new uniforms are going to be really good for the girls,” said senior Rebecca Stanton. “It’ll add confidence to our game during the tournament.” The boys’ varsity basketball team will also be sporting new threads for the remainder of the season. “We really wanted to buy new uniforms as well,” said senior Chris Weimer. “I think it’s definitely a needed change.” Earlier, the boys’ basketball team did not have enough money to buy new uniforms like the girls. However, once the decision was made to use money from the snack bar featured during their home games, they too were able to receive new home and away jerseys and shorts. Both teams will be getting nearly identical uniforms, with the only difference being that the girls’ jerseys will have a more feminine cut. The home uniforms are white with a blue stripe that runs from the shoulder down to the bottom of the shorts. The word “Saints” is emblazoned across the chest in
Staff photo by Nick Murphy
Seniors Haley Aubert (left) and Rebecca Stanton (right) show off their new away jerseys. The uniforms were purchased with money from a pancake breakfast fundraiser held by the team this past December.
blue script with a red outline, and the new logo (the letters SH with halo askew upon the “S”) can be found on the left leg of the shorts. The away uniform is similar, blue with a white stripe from shoulder to knee and “Sacred Heart” typed in white block font with a red outline across the chest.
The goal is to have the new uniforms by the end of the basketball season so that both the boys and girls can finish up their last few games in style. As Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders once said “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good.”
Italian ice
Senior Martin Rebanser represents his homeland in international hockey tournament. and minor tournaments or exhibition games,” Rabanser explained. “But I can’t fly over there for every single game so I just go for the world championships and also for this one week camp that we do.” Rabanser is far from finished. In April, he will be back Earlier this winter, seniors may have noticed that one between the pipes for his country. This time, he will be of their classmates was notably absent from school. From playing for the U18 team, with playDecember 5th to December 18th, senior ers more his age. While the experiexchange student Martin Rabanser repence level of the players may be difresented his native country of Italy in ferent, the process stays the same. the U20 Junior Hockey World ChampiRabanser will fly to Europe for a one onships in Austria. Rabanser, who plays week training camp followed by a goalie, participated in a one week trainweek of tournament play. ing camp followed by a one week tournaRabanser is expecting to play a ment. little more for the U18 team than he Due to the tournament being in the U20 did for the U20 team. “I hope to play (players must be under 20 years of age) at least one game in the tournament, division, Rabanser was playing against because I’m a ’94 and this is more my competition at a more advanced age than age group,” he said. his. As a matter of fact, Rabanser was the This won’t be the first time that youngest player on his team. Rabanser plays for the Italian U18 “I’m a ’94 birthday,” Rabanser said, national team. Last spring he also re“but all the other players were born in ceived an invitation to travel to Eu’91, ’92, or ’93. There were a couple of rope and play. other ‘94s, but they were older than I When Rabanser does finally ship am.” back to Europe, he knows he will be Although his youth meant he did not undergoing the experience of a lifeget a chance to play much, Rabanser did time. The ability to play overseas and see some time in an exhibition match represent one’s country is not an opagainst Austria during the training camp. portunity offered to just anyone. For “We lost the game 4-3, unfortunately, but Rabanser, the appeal is fairly straight it was still a very good game and a very forward: good experience,” Rabanser said. “Over“You get treated like a professional Photo Courtesy of Martin Rebanser all, it was a good experience and it’s alplayer. You wake up and play hockey ways nice to be able to go with the na- Senior Martin Rabanser extends the glove and snatches a shot out of the air during a game in the Junior Hockey World Championships held in Austria this winter. Rabanser was the all day. You get treated well, you get a tional team and play,” Rabanser added. youngest player selected for the U20 Italian national team. ton of free stuff, it’s great.” Rabanser Rabanser’s team placed well in the said. “I’m just living the dream.” BY GREG HABEEB Staff Writer
competition, finishing third behind Kazakhstan and tournament champion France. With their victory, France will be moving up a division. Most players invited to play for a national team play together more often than two weeks a year. “Usually we practice over the summer and also participate in camps