THE GLOVES ARE OFF
DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY PAGE 2
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HEART Volume 29
June 1, 2012
CONTENTS Features..................................2 News......................................3 Arts & Entertainment.............6 Opinion..................................7 Sports.....................................8
BEAT
Farewell, Class of 2012! BY SOPHIA PIZZI Staff Writer
At 3 o’clock on Saturday, May 26, the 85 Sacred Heart seniors processed out of the front doors of the school for the last time. The girls wore watermelon pink dresses and each carried a white rose while the boys were dressed in black tuxedos with matching pink ties. Despite the humidity in the air, all of the parents, students, faculty members, and administrators gathered under the gigantic white tents on the front lawn were both proud and excited. “It was my first experience at a Sacred Heart graduation,” science teacher Ms. Kielynne Banker said. “It wasn’t your typical graduation. It reminded me of a wedding because it was small, intimate and had a celebratory feel.” A five member brass orchestra accompanied by members of the Sacred Heart choir began the commencement with the sSar Spangled Banner and the Sacred Heart Alma Mater. Sister Donna Gribshaw returned to campus to give the welcoming invocation, which was followed by the two student speeches. Salutatorian Sarah Dunn spoke about the accomplishments her class has achieved over their years at Sacred Heart, making a humorous comparison to the popular book series The Hunger Games, concluding with the statement: “We are the victors!” Valedictorian Gabrielle Franzini also spoke light-heartedly about the memories and bonds formed at Sacred Heart and how they will influence the future of each student. “I really liked the bits of humor in all of the speeches,” junior Molly Greenwood said. “That helped keep it lively.” After the student speeches, Assistant Principal Mrs. Rennie-Stanton and President Pamela Desmarais began the conferral of diplomas. Each student received his or her diploma with a grin from ear to ear, as proud parents snapped photos of the hallmark moment. After the diplomas, awards donated by various companies were given to outstanding students. The scholarships and medals recognized students for their academic, athletic, and service achievements. “These were my first students and I felt very prideful watching them, hoping they are well prepared and have what they need to start the next chapters of their lives,” Ms. Banker said. After the conferral of awards, President Desmarais announced the guest speaker, Sister Candace Introcaso, President of La Roche College in Pennsylvania. She connected with the students, giving them advice to live by in the future. “Always get involved and stay involved, be the best for the world, and don’t let technology get in the way of human interaction,” were Sister Candace’s three key points of advice. Mrs. Suzanne Giovanetti concluded the ceremony by officially announcing the class of 2012 as alumni of the Sacred Heart community. The seniors then processed out and lined up on the stairs of the school for the traditional class picture. Senior, and now alumnus, Katie Presutti said, “I really enjoyed graduation. It was a nice feeling to end high school and truly start the
“You Made It!” A collage of seniors celebrating their graduation. All photos by Dafei Lu, Thomas Griffin, Mr. Joe Masi, and Mrs. Suzanne Giovanetti
Number 6
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Features HEART BEAT
You are cordially invited...
June 1, 2012
Sacred Heart High School’s Junior-Senior Prom is a Success! BY ELIZABETH SULLIVAN-HASSON Staff Writer On Thursday, May 5th Sacred Heart High School hosted its 2012 Junior-Senior prom at the Sea Crest Hotel in Falmouth. Due to the small size of both classes, the Senior and Junior proms were combined. Along with juniors and seniors, a few sophomores were also in attendance, and many dates were brought from outside schools such as Boston College High School, Pembroke High, and Cardinal Spellman High School. The beachy setting of the prom was both relaxing and fun, as the Sea Crest Hotel was just yards from the water. The hardworking student council considered the dance an overall success. Junior class officer, Nicole Clement, said she thought the prom went well, and although she was glad everyone had fun, it was nice to have the burden of planning for prom lifted from her shoulders. “I think it was a success. All our hardwork went noticed and everyone enjoyed themselves,” Clement said. Staff Photo by Dafei Lu
A group of Junior and Senior students strike poses for the camera.
“I think it was a success. All our hardwork went noticed, and everyone enjoyed
-Nicole Clement ‘13
themselves.”
The venue was divided into a wooden dance floor on the right, and simple yet elegant seating on the left. A buffet style meal of pasta, salad and steak was served. Later, cakes, pastries and cookies were offered as dessert. After the meal had been eaten, and countless pictures snapped, it was time to hit the dance floor. Students danced to all of the current pop artists. “The music was good, ” junior Micheal Nee said. “He kept a great balance of fast and slow songs.”
Staff Photo by Dafei Lu
Staff Photo by Meaghan DuPuis
Junior prince and princess Tom Gerhard and Meghan Quinn
Senior king and queen Tommy Viscariello and Jackie Schreiber.
Staff Photos by Dafei Lu
Photo above: Sacred Heart Juniors and Sophomore Griffin Ostrowski prepare for dinner Photo right: Senior Holly Adams pins a corsage on Sophmore Mengjun Duan
News
3 June 1, 2012
HEART BEAT
Battle of the parties: Round One
Presidential candidates face off in first clash of the campaign BY RYAN THOMAS Staff Writer After months of hard fought Republican primaries the general election is now in sight. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has emerged as the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. With the primaries over, Romney and incumbent President Barack Obama are expected to try to court the country’s political center. Both candidates are reaching out to moderates and independent voters who could sway the election. It is expected that Romney will run a campaign revolving around the economy and his own personal business experience. Senior Owen Imparato can see why Romney is appealing. “He has an impressive background in business management which gives you a sense that he knows the ins and outs of the economy.”
Photo courtesy of getcentered.wordpress.com
Imparato added, “If [Romney] can communicate his economic policies to the undecided voters I think he will have a great chance.” It’s assumed that Romney will point to a down economy over the last four years as a reason to unseat Obama. Political scientists have predicted that the Obama camp
will try to run a campaign that portrays Romney as a change for the worse. Political scientists also believe that Obama should tout his foreign policy accomplishments, such as ending the Iraq war and the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Librarian Miss Karen Arnold emphasized the importance of the economy, “It’s going to be about jobs, insurance, social security and who can provide those services that are crucial right now in this economy.” Imparato gave Obama credit for his foreign policy, “He did end a costly war in Iraq and killed Osama Bin Laden so those things will probably be his strongest case against Romney.” Arnold agreed, “[Obama] will have to point to what he’s done. He may even have to point to his predecessor and show how he has improved the country since being in office.” Romney has already sought to portray Obama as an “old-school liberal”, who, in Romney’s view, “would try to guide every aspect of life”. Romney has even discussed the legacy of Bill Clinton to bolster his image as a pragmatic problem-solver with a belief in small government. Romney asserted that Obama is far to the left of Clinton in his economic beliefs and his support for big government. The Obama campaign has fired back at Romney’s assertions and invoked Clinton to counter Romney’s claims. The Obama campaign has tried to portray Romney as someone who wants to bring back tax cuts for only the wealthiest Americans, and emphasized that Clinton compared Romney’s policies to “failed economic policies that created the crisis.” The general election is still 6 months off, yet polls have been predicting candidate approval ratings since the Republican primaries. The newest poll from Reuters that was released on May 8th showed President Obama leading Romney by seven percentage points. These results were due to support from independent voters. Experts also predict optimism about the economy favoring Obama. With Election Day on Nov 6, 2012 both candidates will be trying to pull independents to their side.
Photo courtesy of faafiye.com
Recently, however, polling was further complicated by President Obama’s public support of same-sex marriage. “That’s going to take center stage. It may or may not hurt Obama but now that he has taken a stand it will become a major issue,” Arnold said. According to the Washington Post, ABC News poll voers split down the middle on this issue. 46 percent of voters support Obama’s stance while 46 percent are opposed to it. A New York Times poll showed that 68 percent of voters saw Obama’s announcement in support of samesex marriage as a calculated political move instead of a principled stance. Democratic advisors of Obama were reportedly worried that the way the announcement was handled would turn off independent voters. Arnold pointed out that the president was put in a tough position from the start, “Obama didn’t intend to say anything but then Joe Biden went on and talked about his opinions (concerning same-sex marriage) on Meet the Press.” Arnold emphasized that the issue would eventually fade. “The buzz created by Obama’s announcement will die down eventually because the economy will take center stage and then the debate about jobs and benefits will start up again.”
Bringing Tanzania to Kingston BY ELIZABETH SULLIVAN-HASSON Staff Writer
Sacred Heart’s fourth through eleventh grades assembled on Tuesday, May 29th to listen to Bill Wallauer and Kristen Mosher describe their experience shooting the Disney movie Chimpanzee. Bill and Kristen came to the school through the efforts of Mr. Ed Gray and his band of dedicated Roots and Shoots members, who raised close to $500 for their own environmental project in Malawi. As their presentation unfolded, it became clear that filming the movie Chimpanzee was not just their job, but a way of life for Kristen and Bill. Kristen explained how they came to work for the Jane Goodall Institute. “We both volunteered. That’s how we got started.” she said. Bill started volunteering in the Peace Corps tracking elephants for two years in Tanzania while Kristen was stuffed into a gorilla, I mean chimp, costume to promote awareness of the endangered chimp species. For Bill, working in Tanzania was a blessing in disguise, “I was lucky to work in Tanzania, and that’s where I met Jane [Goodall].” He was soon recruited by Goodall to work on the chimpanzee project. Jane Goodall has been the main impetus for increasing global awareness about the endangered chimp species. Bill described how Goodall inspires audiences everywhere. “In her talks she does this ice breaker; it’s a hello from Gombe, it’s a chimp call” to the audience. “If you have ever been to a Jane Goodall talk, she changes lives in two hours,” Bill said. Working with chimps has given Bill and Kristen the opportunity to chase their dreams, and observe the private lives of a species so similar to our own. “It wasn’t until I went to Gombe that I understood why
someone would want to dedicate their whole lives to them (chimpanzees),” Kristen said. “It was their emotions that were so easy to recognize.” Bill agreed with her, saying they were the “perfect ambassadors for the rest of the animal kingdom.” Of all the known animal species, chimps are one of our closest relatives; we can identify with them and experience their emotions. It is this aspect of chimpanzees that make Bill’s and Kristen’s message so penetrating. As part of the Jane Goodall Institute, Bill and Kristen pass on a message of conservation and preservation, hoping to educate the global community to protect chimps as well as other endangered species. Bill highlights their motivation, “If we are not the voice for chimps; voices for nature, who will be?” The 2011 movie Chimpanzee was one way to promote awareness. The movie took three years to produce, and raked in a gross product of over $27 million at the box office. Bill recalls the most difficult shots to get were on the boundary lines of the chimp territories. “The most challenging part for me was filming that territorial behavior,” he said Bill and Kristen also had more personal talks with individual classes in the library. Junior Anthony Jordan commented on their visit to his AP Biology class. “I liked the bio session better; there were only like 20 kids,” Jordan said. In these small classroom talks the two expressed their opinions on issues omitted from the auditorium presentation. Both Bill and Kristen spoke about their opposition to caging animals in zoos. The students reacted very positively to the presentation, IS student Hanah Coulter said, “I thought it was really
Photo by Thomas Griffin
Bill Wallauer, Edward Gray and Kristen Mosher pose prior to the presentation
cool, I liked how they were so similar to us, and I liked learning about how they used tools”. Teachers also found their interests piqued. Math teacher Mrs. Claudette Cardey said that she enjoyed the presentation, but was shocked at how far the rainforests in Africa had receded. “I liked the stories about the monkey families; the thing that hit me most was the picture,” she said. The presentation had a more personal impact for Junior Anthony Jordan, who has been contemplating joining the Peace Corps. “It was more surprising how he and his wife met, and how he joined the Peace Corps. I think it was more personal because I have been looking into going into the Peace Corps too.” Jordan said. Bill noted that in the end, “It’s about being happy. I think I have the best job in the world.”
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June 1, 2012
Oh! the place
After graduating from Sacred Heart, the Class of 2012 will be attending
5
June 1, 2012
es you’ll go!
g colleges and universities across the United States and Europe. MAINE University of Maine Orono, ME Rebecca Stanton VERMONT Champlain College Burlington, VT Allison Malone Norwich University Northfield, VT Alex Bianco NEW HAMPSHIRE Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH Christian Crays Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Molly Kuketz Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH Kenzie Sullivan Kristyn Marino University of New Hampshire Durham, NH Katie Belden BriAnna Habeeb Maeve Moran MASSACHUSETTS Bentley University Waltham, MA Christina Galizio Kelly Goldman Charlie Tilden Boston University Boston, MA Meagan Antonellis Mike Hanna Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA Emily Hollstein Shealagh Walsh Cape Cod Community College Hyannis, MA Nickey Stevens Curry College Milton, MA Miranda Boyles
Emmanuel College Boston, MA Owen Imparato Carly Ward Lasell College Newton, MA Joe Pink Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA Erin Cardey Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, MA Evan Nolan Merrimack College North Andover, MA Ryan Arsenault Mount Ida College Newtonville, MA Marissa Melchionda Aria Parker Bridget Pica Regis College Weston, MA Jill King Simmons College Boston, MA Katie Presutti Stonehill College Easton, MA Kylie Davis Sarah Dunn Suffolk University Boston, MA Melanie Odell UMass Amherst Amherst, MA Joe Belsito UMass Boston Boston, MA DJ Greenwood UMass Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA Kendall Fisher Diane Heidke Brynne Kight Mercedes McGarry Elizabeth Welch Katherine Welch Wheelock College Boston, MA Olivia Pizzi RHODE ISLAND Bryant University Smithfield, RI Angela D’Amelio Nick Murphy Tommy Viscariello Providence College Providence, RI Oliver Cahill Sean O’Donnell Reegan Whipple Roger Williams University Providence, RI Jackie Schrieber University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI Michaela Dibiase CONNECTICUT University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Haley Aubert NEW YORK Canisius College Buffalo, NY Monica King Fordham University New York, NY Nick Hardiman Iona College New Rochelle, NY
Jackie Lee Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY James Michael Imlach PENNSYLVANIA Villanova University Radnor Township, PA Greg Habeeb OHIO Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH Spencer Dick INDIANA Purdue University Lafayette, IN Munjun Cho MARYLAND University of Maryland College Park, MD Joe Fonts DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA American University Washington, DC Patrick Maher Americorps NCCC Washington, DC Holly Adams VIRGINIA The College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA Ian Kirkwood George Mason University Fairfax, VA Patty Zibelli NORTH CAROLINA Elon University Elon, NC Chelsey Tahan SOUTH CAROLINA Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC Michaela Murray University of South Carolina Columbia, SC Chris Weimer Wofford College Spartanburg, SC Ryan Thomas ALABAMA University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Patrick Davis Bethany Faiella Brianna Faiella Hannah MacInnis Stephanie McSherry LOUISIANA Tulane University New Orleans, LA Kate Jamison ENGLAND University of Chichester West Sussex, UK Caragh Fane-Hervey CZECH REPUBLIC Univerzita Karlova V Praze Prague, CZ Elizabeth Liu
Arts
6 June 1, 2012
HEART BEAT
Attention Super Hero fans! Avengers is for you!
Photo courtesy of GeekAlerts.com
O
BY: PATRICIA ZIBELLI Staff Writer
ver the past four months, FX has been flooding television with waves of Marvel superhero movies in preparation for the release of their newest box office sensation, The Avengers. Released on May 4 of this year, The Avengers follows the story of six “heroes” thrown together for the unified purpose of saving the planet. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Mark “the Gruffalo” Ruffalo as The Hulk, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johanson as Black Widow, and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, this all-star cast helped to rake in a total gross of $200.3 million domestically in its opening weekend alone, claiming the highest total weekend gross in movie history-a record previously held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow: Part 2 at $169.2 million. The movie opens at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, where we are introduced to the main conflict of the movie: The Tessaract. Tessaract is an unlimited power source, discovered at the same time Captain America was
unearthed from his 70-year, accidental ice nap. Serving as a door between two worlds, the movie’s antagonist, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) Norse God of Mischief, and Thor’s brother, intends to control Tesseract, using its power to enslave mankind, and rule the earth as his own. Taking the audience through a brief glimpse into each hero’s history, The Avengers go through a series of trials and tribulations before they finally unify, and find something worth avenging. Even during this relatively ‘slow’ progression of scenes, the action is intense, and the graphics fantastic. Once The Avengers finally pull together, the intensity of the action multiplies, as does the extravagance of the graphics and effects. Fueling your adrenaline and pulling at your heart strings with every twist and turn of the plot, you better make sure you empty your bladder and stock up on ample snacks before you enter the theater-you’re going to need your full attention in following this story, and you’re not going to want to miss a single second. The only aspect of the film that may pose
Photo courtesy of GeekAlerts.com
Introducing: Lingua Franca
Sacred Heart’s new and improved literary magazine
a conflict for anyone outside the realm of geek chic is the fuel to Loki’s fire. It is highly recommended that anyone going to see Marvel’s The Avengers become well-versed in each hero’s individual story (ex. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, etc…). The plotline is easy enough to follow, but without a fundamental knowledge of each Avenger’s life, you may lack a full understanding of the movie. Photo courtesy of GeekAlerts.com
Critic Rating
Overall, I give this movie 5 and a half out of 6 Avengers…because, let’s face it, The Hulk’s only a superhero half the time.
This isn’t Grandma’s cabin in the woods... But the review was big and bad BY: MELANIE ODELL Staff Writer
W
Artwork by Julia Pomella ‘14
Green Scene by Julia Pomella captures the theme of this year’s new literary magazine
Meaning “Bridge Language”, Lingua Franca is the common ground for people who don’t speak the same language. This is the theme of the 2011-2012 literary magazine, which is composed of a variety of student created poems, essays, and paintings. The new name is credited to Junior Casey Santry, who has helped make this issue possible. Be sure to stop by the computer lab to check out the new issue that will be out by the end of the school year. Composing any music, art, and/or literary masterpiece this summer? Submit your work to Ms. Zigouras at czigouras@ sacredheartkingston.com to be considered for the next issue of Lingua Franca!
hat do camping trips, naive redheads, bloodthirsty pioneer zombies, and a whole lot of marijuana have in common? Apparently a movie deal. The Cabin in the Woods is a not so scary movie with dialogue and scenes that will make you wonder if the characters on the screen are the only ones who have been smoking too much. The movie begins with two men, later revealed to be working for the United States government. Their jobs? To send a horrifying plague of mythical and bloodthirsty demons, ghosts, monsters, and zombies out to destroy one unlucky group of people a year. Not exactly your typical 9-5. When 5 teenage friends, Dana (the good girl), Curt( the jock) , Jules (the popular girl), Holden (the average friend), and Marty (the stereotypical pothead) decide to spend a week at Curt’s cousin’s cabin in the woods, they become that unlucky group. I know, what a totally original cast! Everything seems relatively normal until Dana stumbles upon a diary written by a young pioneer girl hundreds of years earlier. The diary depicts violent scenes of the girl being beaten by her father; she even has her arm sawed off. The diary ends with a Latin phrase that Dana then reads aloud. Apparently this unleashes the “plague”. The first of the pioneer zombies ascend from a futuristic elevator built in the middle of the woods and begin to make their way towards the cabin. Makes complete sense, right? Now this is the point where things begin to get a little strange. Yes, believe it or not, the beginning was the normal part of the movie. Without revealing too much let’s just say Jules and Curt are the first to die when they get attacked in the woods. The plot of the movie really begins to “develop” after the “lead zombie” tosses Jule’s decapitated head to Dana who calmly catches it like a baseball.
Photo courtesy of CinemaScrutiny.com
Characters in Cabin in the Woods take a stand against the murdering supernatural forces.
At this point, it becomes very apparent that the director is going for shock value as the main form of entertainment. I’ll admit there were a few times where I found myself genuinely laughing at the ridiculous scenes and humor and really appreciating the creativity of the plot. If you were to ask me if I’d recommend the movie to a friend, however, I’d say you were better off watching a cheesy sci-fi movie instead. As far as main characters go, Dana is a bore. She’s nothing special at all, making it hard to root for her. At some points I was honestly rooting for the zombie to take her out with his giant bear trap (I’ll leave that one to your imagination). Just for the record, I’m not saying this movie is awful. At least not completely. It’s just very clearly directed towards a very particular audience. While Dear John is aimed at hopeless romantic girls or the Hunger Games caters to the interest of grieving Harry Potter fans, Cabin in the Woods appeals to those with a morbid sense of humor and an overly vivid imagination.
Opinion
7 June 1, 2012
HEART BEAT
He Said She Said:Love, Actually? BY IAN KIRKWOOD AND MEAGAN ANTONELLIS Staff Writers
SHE SAID
HE SAID In Josh Bazell’s New York Times bestseller, Beat the Reaper, protagonist Pietro Brwna and his girlfriend,
Magdalena, climb into a shark-infested aquarium. Hiding from Mafia hitmen, floating near sharks, breaching hypothermia, Pietro and Magdalena look into each other’s eyes, say I love you, and kiss. Today’s romance tales have evolved from the fingertip-grasping, quick-blushing caricatures of the past; that’s what’s so great about fiction as a reflection of society: it grows. The biggest advantage of today’s stories of attraction is that authors are now allowed to say or “show” anything and everything, so the details that the reader sees, whatever they may be, are only the important ones to a book. If an author can show physical intimacy, but chooses not to, that makes his love story much more personal. In the past, authors were limited in what they could say. Oftentimes, the physical tension in scenes was more repressed than the Puritan society it represented. Today, scenes can be much more powerful. Slumdog Millionaire, the 2008 best picture winner, tells a love story that crosses barriers and time just like anything Jane Austen ever wrote. Only it’s much more powerful because it’s real, not dignified. Rebuttal
It’s a sad truth that the love story has fallen from the art form it once was to a modern day author’s attempt to live vicariously through fictional characters. The medium that once brought us the raw passion and intensity of Catherine and Heathcliff, the subtle and slow-paced attraction of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, and the hate-turned-love affair of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy has yielded to an era of sparkling, stalker-esque vampires, characters we’ve all seen a thousand times before, and the stark tendency to turn a love story into a lust story. What authors like Austen and Bronte were masters of that modern day romance writers don’t seem to grasp is the beauty and dignity of restraint. Many of today’s authors are awash in sexual material and oftentimes even rely on it for the entertainment value of their work. In days long gone, the slightest touch could send shivers up a reader’s spine because literary experts had tugged mercilessly at their heart strings with the emotional connection between characters. Now, with the mentality that nothing is off limits, we’ve seen it all and hardly think twice. Emily Dickinson may have put it best when she penned “a thought beneath so slight a film is more distincly seen.” The more we want from a story, the more invested we get, and the typical modern love story leaves us wanting very little. Rebuttal
The only reason that people were able to blush at the dignified restraint of author’’s past is because reading those stories was about as exciting as their love lives would get. That’s why today’s love stories are so impactful. People no longer care about the aspect of pure physical atraction; they can get that elsewhere. Instead, the significance of a love story comes from an author’s inclusion of love itself. In a time without morals, a generation disillusioned with reality via internet and social networking, real, true love is much more of a rarity and therefore more signifcant when created in a novel based on today’s world. Modern authors are keeping modern love alive by choosing to keep it. The meaning is in the employment and inclusion of the theme of love.
The inclusion of love itself is precisely what’s lacking in the modern love story. Authors are catering to the element of physical attraction almost exclusively; when it really comes down to it, real substance is almost entirely absent. What happened to the radicalism of Charles Dickens? Instead of shamelessly playing to his audience, Dickens used his work to challenge accepted ideas of social injustice in his society. Although he was not primarily a writer of romance novels, perhaps today’s love stories could benefit from his technique. You say that we live in a time without morals, where true love is a rarity. Authors should be using their words to change that, not to use it to gain shallow popularity. Playing down the lust and keeping genuine love as a true theme will reintroduce some much needed, good old-fashioned purity to our disillusioned generation.
Keeping up the momentum The class of 2012 have officially taken their last bow and turned their eyes toward their horizons. The Heart Beat’s care and legacy have been passed to the class of 2013, and our transition is just beginning. I got a sneak preview of this transition when we traveled to Columbia University in March, 2012. I came back from this trip with two new insights. First, I was inspired by the sense of family created by the senior staff. Whether they were bonding over seminars titled “Crop It Like It’s Hot” or singing with waitresses at dinner, they blended a perfect mixture of work and fun. Secondly, I witnessed potential talent, passion, and focus unfolding in each one of my fellow juniors, characteristics that I hope next year’s staff will bring to our newspaper. More recently, we juniors started the work portion of our transition with layout tutorials; afterschool sessions where we dabbled in InDesign and learned the how-to’s from last year’s
staff. While everyone was focused on learning the basics of layout, I was watching the staff. What I saw was both reassuring and a tad frightening.
ute class during the school day and countless late-nights afterschool. More than just time, newspaper takes dedication and determination. This is the job of both the editors and the staff. A successful newspaper requires commitEditorial ment from the entire group. Next year this will be our challenge; to match the I first noticed how comfortable they commitment and finesse of this year’s all were with each other. Although staff, and put out issues that would not they were a very eclectic group of peo- only make them proud, but also ones ple, they all meshed perfectly into one we can be proud of ourselves. unit. It was comforting knowing that even though next year’s staff might not all have the same interests, we will For all their hard work, I applaud still be able to find common ground the senior newspaper staff, which was under the auspices of the Heart Beat. spearheaded by co-editors-in-chief Hopefully we will become uniquely whose passion for journalism and exunited by our newspaper. cellence shone through in every issue. In addition, I send out a challenge to next year’s staff to meet the standards this year’s has set, and to set a few of The second realization gave me our own. Last year’s staff built up a a shiver of a scare. Producing the newspaper that we read in school takes momentum that we not only intend to maintain but also to surpass. It is an enormous effort. Forget about copy honor to be handed such responsibility. and paste, and say hello to writing, It is safe to say that although our transirevising, and editing while balanction has just begun, I look forward to ing a deadline, conflicting schedules and personalities, and a life outside of the successes that next year’s Heart newspaper. This adds up to a 42-min- Beat will bring.
THE HEART BEAT
Editors-in-Chief: Sophia Pizzi Elizabeth Sullivan-Hasson Photo Editor: Thomas Griffin Front Page Editor: Jay Meyer News Editor: Patrick MacDonald Features Editor: Sarah Kamp Double Truck Editor: Kelsey Malone A&E Editor: Nicoletta Pappas Opinion Editor: Christopher DeCamp Profiles Editor: Tian Yang Sports Editor: Thomas Gerhard Photographers: Dafei Lu Kathryn Mullen Staff Writers: Meagan Antonellis Kate Jamison Ian Kirkwood Melanie Odell Ryan Thomas Patricia Zibelli
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 letters 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. Letters 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 publication, we pledge ourselves to the following threefold purpose: To inspire and foster a sense of passion and love for journalism, journalistic ethics and the integrity of the written word; To create and develop an atmosphere of responsible leadership, commitment to truth and dedication to the highest standards of journalistic 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 The Heart Beat Press Affiliations Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) New England Scholastic Press Association (NESPA) American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) Suffolk University (SU)
Sports
8 June 1, 2012
HEART BEAT
Another season, another tournament
The Girls’ Varsity softball team is entering the tournament for the 6th straight year. BY TOM GERHARD Staff Writer The girls’ varsity softball team finished a successful regular season recently with an 8-2 win against Pope John Paul II, making their final record 14-4. With a winning record, the girls, led by Coach Marie Bruninghaus, will move onto the state tournament, hoping for further success. In retrospect, Coach Bruninghaus noticed that pitching and catching are the team’s strengths. “I have a huge battery [of pitchers and catchers] from varsity, junior varsity, and intermediate school,” Coach Bruninghaus said. “All our pitchers and catchers go to pitching or catching camp, and have pitching or catching coaches. I am lucky the kids decided to stay at or come to Sacred Heart.” Not only is its pitching and catching exceptional, but the way the team communicates is also one of its strengths. According to Junior Kelsey Gailes, “We all communicate well together; we work well together.”
“I think this team is as good as the team I had when we won the small school division in 2008.”
- Coach Marie Bruninghaus
Senior Captain Sarah Dunn agreed with Gailes and believes that the team’s age diversity brings them together. “I think we’re closer [than previous years]. There’s a mix of every grade. We’re all there to have fun and play softball.” The softball team is compiled of great athletes with phenomenal skills; their weaknesses all seem to be mental. Gailes believes that, “we get lost in the game and forget what we’re doing.” Dunn agrees, saying that, “If we’re thinking about it we’ll do really well but when our heads aren’t in it, we don’t do well. We have to play the mental game.”
With the playoffs quickly approaching, Coach Bruninghaus believes that the team will do very well unless they play Case, a team that plays Division 2 during the regular season but bumps down to Division 3 during the playoffs. “I think we’ll do great in the tournament unless we play a team like Case, or Case (itself). We have to set a goal to compete against them. I think this team is as good as the team I had when we won the small school division in 2008,” Coach Brininghaus said. While the playoffs are the team’s last chance to show off their outstanding skill, every season eventually concludes, marking the end of one season and the start of another. The seniors led the charge this year but it is up to the juniors and underclassmen to step up next year and fill their shoes. “I am losing some great talent,” said Coach Bruninghaus, “They [the Photo courtesy of Life Touch underclassmen] have big shoes to Senior Captain Marissa Melchionda fires fill.” Junior Sammy Slavik agreed, off a pitch. The girls’ varsity softball team’s saying that next year’s season, success was heavily credited to their strong “will be challenging since we’re pitching and catching. [the softball team] losing some key players. The upcoming players are going to have to step up.” This year’s junior varsity girls’ softball team went undefeated, so there is sure to be some talent coming up. In the end, it all comes down to the desire to play softball that keeps the girls’ varsity team running. According to Coach Marie Bruninghaus, “These kids are doing this all because they love softball; it’s their game.”
Success isn’t measured in medals
Boys’ Varsity baseball failed to make the tournament but looks towards next season. “Just the quality of young men who were good, honest, hardworking students and players and the way they acted and played made me very proud. They all played with sportsmanship, integrity and in a gentlemanly way.” Boyles also thanked the seniors for their leadership. Captains Greg Habeeb, Tom Viscariello and Joe Fonts as well as Christian Crays, Pat Davis, and Ryan Thomas, led the team, helped organize the team’s schedule and trained underclassmen in the fundamentals of running, batting, catching and fielding. “The seniors were amazing,” said Weir, “They were very helpful.”
BY PATRICK MACDONALD Staff Writer As the school year begins to come to a close, so, too, do Sacred Heart’s many spring sports. Sacred Heart’s varsity boys’ baseball team had a very strong season, despite ending with a 5-11 record. The 14-member team played in the Mayflower League, and succeeded against teams much larger than themselves. Sacred Heart was also one of the few teams to defeat league champion, Bristol-Plymouth, during the regular season. Many players stepped up the plate this year and gave this season their all. Junior left fielder John Beatson said, “We had a few younger kids step up. We hope they can carry the team later.” When asked his opinion of the season, Beatson said, “The season was fun, even though we didn’t win as many games as we were hoping to. We had some tough games where we just didn’t light up, but we did have many games where we were solid.” Eighth grader, first baseman, Nick Weir also spoke about his experiences with the team this year. “I thought it was great, being an eighth grader on a varsity team, you know. We’re a pretty good team. We had a variety of talent from all grades.” Literature teacher, Mr. Eugene Boyles, has been coach of the boys’ varsity baseball team for the past twenty years and was very impressed with this season’s team. “We had an outstanding core this year, led by Tom Gerhard and John Beatson.” Boyles said the best part of coaching this year’s team was the players.
“We’re a pretty good team. We had a variety of talent from all grades.”
-Nick Weir
Photo courtesy of Mr. Joe Masi
Senior Captain Joe Fonts steps up to home plate during the Saints’ home game against Blue Hills. The Saints’ finished their season at 5-11.
“The senior leaders were very devoted and modeled good behavior that the younger players developed. They were great with the younger kids,” said Coach Boyles. When asked about hopes for next year, Boyles said, “Well, we hope to win the tournament. We’ll also be moving to a smaller league next year, so that also helps.”