TOMASI VS. THE WORLD
SPRING SPORTS AT SHHS
PAGE 5
PAGE 11
CONTENTS News......................................2 Features..................................4 Profiles...................................5 Arts & Entertainment.............8 Opinion................................10 Sports...................................11
HEART BEAT Volume 32
May 8, 2015
Number 7
Eyes in the sky: a new observatory for SH BY HENRY ESHBAUGH Staff Writer
On Tuesday, April 28 the Kohout-Dingley Observatory hosted its first viewing in quite some time.With a brand new telescope capable of viewing deep-space objects, it was quite the event. Insight Observatory’s Michael Petrasko and Paul Bonfilio oversaw the festivities, lending their technical expertise and goodnatured charm. The evening began with a look at Venus, noted for its absolute hostility. The atmosphere is 97% CO2, with highly-reflective clouds of sulphuric acid forming its upper echelons. The greenhouse effect, on steroids, keeps the surface a toasty 800 degrees Celsius. The shiny sulphur clouds make Venus one of the brightest objects in the night sky - hence the name “Evening Star.” Last Tuesday’s clear sky afforded viewers a startling view of the moon – detailed enough to make out individual craters. The moon is Earth’s sole orbiting body and was likely formed around 4.5 billion years ago after the Earth collided with a Mars-sized object called Theia. Though the moon appears bright-white in the night sky, its surface is actually quite dark; on the surface, one would be reminded of asphalt. Thus far, the moon is the only nonEarth celestial body humankind has set foot This picture of the moon was shot through the viewfinder of the telescope. Staff photo by Cameron Keough. on. dipole moment is some 18,000 times larger than Earth’s. If The future bodes well for this telescope – it’s powerful Jupiter’s rings were on display, with its four most one were able to stand on the surface of Jupiter, one would enough to look for deep-space objects. At some point, we’ll visible moons - Io, Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto. notice that their compass would be tugged with a force be staring at galaxies and nebulae through its eyepiece. Mr. Petrasko made careful mention of the giant planet’s roughly twenty times that when on Earth. To boot, we’ll have the opportunity to look for meteor apparent paradox – Jupiter radiates more energy away Jupiter itself is famous for its Big Red Dot – a powerful showers, which promises to be stunning. than it receives from the sun. Jupiter’s magnetic field is storm the size of Earth, lightning and all. Other features of Tuesday’s viewing means a lot for the accessibility intense; the planet is composed mainly of hydrogen gas, Jupiter’s “surface” include patches of ammonia ice called of science. Bonfilio also spoke about STEM’s recondite but pressures at its core compact the atoms into a lattice. zones and stripes of a dark, unknown substance called reputation; that Einstein’s theories are only understandable Jupiter’s core is a metallic form of hydrogen. Because bands. Exactly how deep the structures go is unknown. by, well, Einstein. Major motion pictures like Interstellar of the electron configuration of the hydrogen atom, each Voyagers 1 and 2 flew by several years ago, but nothing help to stamp out these cultural misconceptions with point in the lattice has an associated magnetic dipole has flown by Jupiter since. breathtaking visualizations, but they by no means make moment. These dipoles align quite nicely – essentially, In addition to the evening’s viewing, both Petrasko and astronomy any more accessible to the masses. For that, we Jupiter’s core is one huge magnet. Jupiter’s magnetic Bonfilio proved very knowledgeable about a variety of need newfangled pieces of hardware that put the power to
Michael Petrasko sets up the telescope for the veiwing session on Tuesday night.
Staff photo by Cameron Keough.
other topics. I was fortunate enough to have a fascinating discussion with Bonfilio about astrobiology, an emerging field combining astronomy and biology. Space is a vast place; if life could happen here on Earth, why couldn’t it happen in other places? What would that life look like? These are the types of questions astrobiology asks. It is apparent that Bonfilio is educated on the subject, as he spoke lucidly about the prospect of life on Europa. A primary concern, he said, is that Jupiter actually radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun - whatever is growing in that ice has to be pretty radiation-resistant, which entails a radical redesign from the sort of mutation-vulnerable DNA-based life omnipresent on Earth.
examine the universe into the hands of students. That’s the job of this telescope. And if Tuesday’s viewing was any indication, it’ll do a good job indeed.
Staff photo by Cameron Keough. Jupiter and its moons shine brightly during the viewing session.
News
2 May 8, 2015
HEART BEAT
The 2016 presidential race is officially here Hillary Clinton and Democrat-caucusing independent Bernie Sanders have both launched campaigns, while the GOP will see a face-off of four potential nominees. Hillary Clinton.
Ted Cruz.
Photo courtesy of MSNBC. Marco Rubio.
Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post.
BY ADAM TOMASI Contributing Writer Over the course of two terms, only one lone Independent has filled the ranks of the United States Senate. After serving sixteen years in the House of Representatives, Bernie Sanders of Vermont has declared his candidacy for President of the United States. Sanders confirmed that he was running for President on Wednesday, April 29th and, although he is an Independent, will be running on the Democratic ticket against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While other Democrats have been openly considering a presidential run, Sanders and Clinton are the only Democrats who have officially announced their candidacy. Popular Republicans who have declared their candidacy include: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and former Hewlett-Packard CEO, Carly Fiorina. Bernie Sanders describes himself as a Democratic Socialist, putting him considerably farther left than Hillary Clinton. Both candidates, however, are opposed to the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, which led to the creation of Super PACs. Super PACs can accept unlimited donations from both individuals and corporations; this has led to a major expansion in campaign spending by the wealthiest in our society. Sanders, in a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer, said that he will not launch a Super PAC and “will get the vast majority of [his] money from small individual contributions.” In this same interview, Sanders commented on the electoral process: “Frankly it is vulgar to me that we’re having a war of billionaires. People did not fight and die to create a democratic system where it’s a war between billionaires.” Hillary Clinton, too, opposes Citizens United, saying in a speech in Monticello, Iowa that, “We need to fix our dysfunctional political system and get unaccountable money out of it once and for all— even if it takes a constitutional amendment.” While Sanders and Clinton appear to agree on campaign finance reform, they seem to disagree on the issue of trade. Sanders is strongly opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade deal being hammered out by 12
Rand Paul.
Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post. Carly Fiorina.
Photo courtesy of FutureFirstLady.
Bernie Sanders.
countries, including the United States and Japan. Clinton, on the other hand, has not gone back on her previous statement in November 2012 as Secretary of State where she said she supported the TPP. At an anti-TPP event last April, Sanders called out Hillary Clinton, saying, “She’s going to have to be clear...are you on the side of working people who would suffer as a result of this disastrous trade agreement, and seeing their jobs go to China or Mexico, or are you on the side of corporate America? It’s not a very difficult choice.” In 2012, Clinton had said the following about the TPP: “This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade...And when negotiated, this agreement will cover 40 percent of the world’s total trade and build in strong protections for workers and the environment.” On the issue of climate change, Clinton supports Obama’s establishment of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan to regulate CO2 emissions from power plants. When she was Secretary of State, she launched the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, an organization led by the United Nations. This organization helps poor families in developing countries shift away from dirty stoves that contribute to climate change, deforestation, and poor health. Under her leadership as Secretary of State, however, she encouraged developing countries to make deals with American fossil fuel companies to engage in fracking. Fracking is the acquisition of natural gas inside of shale rocks through drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at high pressure. While this was consistent with Obama’s support for natural gas as a transition fuel to move from coal to renewable energy, environmental groups argue that fracking will have devastating consequences for the climate. Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, has ranked among the top 10% of Senators as being a strong “climate hawk”. This ranking was given by Climate Hawks Vote, an organization which analyzes the extent that US Senators are committed to addressing climate change. Sanders has also sponsored legislation which would charge companies
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
Photo courtesy of USATElections.
for CO2 emissions and use some of the revenue for funding renewable energy. When it comes to prison reform, Clinton has spoken out where Sanders has not. Both Sanders and Clinton supported the 1994 Crime Control Act (Sanders voted for it as a representative, and this was Bill Clinton’s legislation) which increased prison construction, banned assault weapons, and denied prisoners the opportunity to apply for federal Pell grants while incarcerated. Clinton, however, has spoken out against the “tough on crime” ideology that has dominated our institutions. In a speech at Columbia University on April 29th, she called for ending “the era of mass incarceration.” She also calls for more help for prisoners with mental issues, and body cameras to be placed on all police officers (in light of recent events of police brutality against Black Americans). After the Baltimore incident involving Freddie Gray, Sanders has spoken out against the subject of police brutality. In his CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer, Sanders expressed his belief that police officers need to be held accountable, by wearing body cameras, but that over the long-term, policies that reduce unemployment will address the structural conditions that lead to crime. Sanders noted that Baltimore is a city with very high levels of unemployment. How will GOP presidential hopefuls battle Bernie Sanders? Clinton has already drawn criticism from the likes of Republican Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida and the younger brother of President George W. Bush. Bush said that “...the Obama-Clinton foreign policy...has damaged relationships with our allies and emboldened our enemies”. GOP hopeful Ted Cruz, too, has tied a potential Clinton presidency to a continuation of Obama’s approach, saying that, “[a] Hillary Clinton administration would be no different than an Obama administration.” These criticisms, however, could not apply to Sanders, who in some respects is quite different from both Obama and Clinton. Only time will tell how the GOP will respond to the Sanders candidacy.
News
3 May 8, 2015
HEART BEAT
Millions displaced by Nepalese earthquake BY JEREMY THOMAS Staff Writer
Nepal and other international organizations are struggling to mount relief efforts in the wake of the April earthquake.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
The 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake), which killed more than 7,000 people and injured more than twice as many, occurred at 11:56 NST on April 25th. The earthquake measured a 7.8 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was the village of Barpak, Gorkha district, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 kilometers, or roughly nine miles. More than 7,675 are believed to have died and 16,300 are injured after the quake flattened mountain towns, while destroying buildings in the densely populated capital of Kathmandu. The Nepalese government has called an end to the search and rescue efforts and shifted their focus to providing shelter for millions who have been left homeless - as the monsoon season fast approaches. It was the most powerful disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake. Some casualties were also reported in the adjoining areas of India, China, and Bangladesh. The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19, making it the deadliest day on the mountain in recorded history. The quake triggered another avalanche in Langtang Valley, where 250 were reported missing. Hundreds of thousands of individuals were made homeless, with entire villages flattened, across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square, and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture. Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal in 1520 minute intervals, with one shock reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April at 12:54 NST. The country also has a continued risk of landslides. Rescuers are desperately searching for more bodies in Langtang valley, which was ‘wiped out’ by a massive landslide following the quake. Residents of Langtang village say as many as 200 people could have died when tons of mud and rock destroyed the popular trekking route. A local official made the chilling admission that even
Relief workers clear wreckage from the earthquake.
“The country’s response is the best it could do, given the paucity of its resources and the magnitude of the disaster.
- Nepal’s Information Minister Minendra Rijal finding every single dead body in the destruction will be impossible. Over 13,000 foreign hikers visit the scenic Langtang area every year, but officials admitted they do not know ‘exactly how many people were there at the time of the disaster.’ Bad weather Wednesday prevented helicopters from helping rescue efforts in the remote area 37 miles north of the capital. Local official, Gautam Rimal, said: “The entire village was wiped out by the mudslide. There were some 60 houses there, but they were all buried under rubble. It will be impossible to recover all the bodies. Among those still missing is British backpacker Matt Carapiet, a 23-year-old who was hiking through Langtang Valley when the earthquake occurred. According to reports, the village was home to 435 people and 55 hotels and guest houses. Just one house remains standing. Up to one-third of Kathmandu’s 2.5 million residents have left their homes since the earthquake, and Kathmandu Police say nearly 900,000 have left in the last ten days alone. Droves of panicking locals jammed bus stations in desperate attempts to reach their relatives in devastated villages. The United Nations estimates eight million people have been affected by the earthquake and 2.9 million people have been displaced by it. The government of Nepal estimates that 500,000 homes were destroyed in the earthquake, leaving millions without shelter as the rains approach. Britain has provided emergency shelter to more than 65,000 displaced people in the country, the Nepalese government told journalists. The British government is also sending around 20,000
more shelters as aid agencies face the monumental task of delivering food and emergency supplies to the millions the natural disaster has displaced. Britain’s INternational Development Secretary, Justine Greening, said: “Our prepositioned shelter kits meant that within 24 hours of the earthquake British aid was reaching communities who had been hit hard and providing temporary homes to thousands of people across Nepal.” Concern was expressed that harvests could be reduced or lost this season as people affected by the earthquake would have only a short time to plant crops before the onset of the Monsoon rains. Nepal, with a total gross domestic product (GDP) of USD$19.921 billion (according to a 2012 estimate), is one of Asia’s poorest countries, and has little ability to fund a major reconstruction effort on its own. Even before the quake, the Asian Development Bank estimated that it would need to spend about four times more than it currently does annually on infrastructure through 2020 to attract investment. The U.S. Geological Survey initially estimated economic losses from the quake at nine to fifty percent of GDP, with a “best guess” of 35%. “It’s too hard for now to tell the extent of the damage and the effect on Nepal’s GDP,” according to Hun Kim, an Asian Development Bank (ADP) official. On April 28th, the ADB issued a statement that it would provide a USD$3 million grant to Nepal for immediate relief efforts, and up to USD$200 million for the first phase of rehabilitation. UNICEF, too, appealed for donations, as close to 1.7 million children have been driven out into the open and are in desperate need of drinking water, psychological counsel, temporary shelters, sanitation, and protection from disease outbreak. UNICEF is in the process of distributing water, tents, hygiene kits, water purification tablets, and buckets to Nepalese children. Being Nepal’s immediate neighbor, India mounted the most rapid response of the international community. The Indian armed forces provided relief and rescue services to Nepal under the banner of Operation Maitri, while evacuating stranded individuals in its own country. Looking to the future, one can only hope that the survivors of the earthquake persevere. The thoughts of the Heart Beat staff go out to the affected.
Features
4 May 8, 2015
Yet another successful SH country hop BY EMILY WAYSTACK Staff Writer On April 17, 2015, seventeen members of the Sacred Heart community left the country for a ten day trip to Ireland. This group consisted of students and their families along with two faculty members: English teachers, Mrs. Margaret Pasquale and Mr. Michael Duchaney. The trip focused on The Northern part of Ireland with a concentration on four major locations: Ballymena, London-Derry, Belfast, and Dublin. Using the tour group Worldstriders, the Sacred Heart travelers were set up with a tour guide and bus driver that would stay with them through the duration of the trip. Both the tour guide and bus driver became part of the Sacred Heart family as they toured the Irish countryside. While in Ireland, the group was able to experience the history, culture, and life of the Emerald Isle. Events included visiting major tourist places like the ancient formations at Knowth, seeing the Giant’s Causeway, and visiting the Bogside, site of Bloody Sunday. The travelers also were able to experience the country as locals, getting lots of free time to shop and eat at restaurants. Each person on the trip found themselves behaving as the natives, drinking tea at least once a day. Junior attendee Alexa Bitterman said, “It was one of the most amazing vacations I have ever been on!” Senior
The Sacred Heart group poses with the Lord Mayor of Belfast.
Nichole Henderson added, “Ireland was a fantastic experience. I’ve always wanted to go, ever since I was little and I’m so fortunate to have gotten this opportunity. Th group
A panoramic view of the Irish shoreline at The Giant’s Causeway.
Photo courtesy of Karen Bitterman.
was amazing, as was our tour guide and bus driver. And I’m pretty sure I saw more sheep than people, so that’s a plus.”
Photo courtesy of Karen Bitterman.
First drafts to final Heart Beat publication Newspaper staff travels to see how their newspaper goes from the screen to paper BY CAMERON KEOUGH Contributing Writer On Tuesday, March 31, the Heart Beat staff visited Graphic Developments in Hanover to see the previous edition of the student newspaper printed. Accompanied by Heartbeat adviser, Mr. Vincent Boccalini, and Sacred Heart High School English teacher, Mr. Eugene Boyles, the 15 staff members took two Sacred Heart vans to visit the printing company, who is responsible for preparing and printing the Heart Beat pages. Graphic Developments began the printing process by converting the correct color space, checking image quality, combining proper pages to be printed on an aluminum slate, and checking that the text was formatted properly.
Staff photo by Cameron Keough
Seniors that attended the field trip listen intently to the staff member explaining the process of publishing the newspaper.
After viewing the initial preparation work, the staff was taken into a very large “dark room” where the “PDF” of the paper is printed onto a large and thin piece of aluminum. A certain type of ink with the capability of retaining each ink color was used by the press. The printer to make these sheets is roughly twelve by four feet long and the sheets of aluminum are roughly two by three feet. Once the sheets are properly printed, they are taken to the printing room. The printing room, which spanned well over 150ft in length, contained two massive presses. Four workers printed thousands of copies per hour. The printer funcStaff photo by Cameron Keough tioned using a scheme of four colors: cyan, magenta, blue, Heart Beat printing coordinator Helen Alexander shows and black. To center the page, the printer first aligned the slates to seniors Tim Kuketz, Casey Cambell and advisor Mr. Bocalini the beginning of the Graphic Development. be printed. They then ran hundreds of copies, slowly adjusting each color to properly make the colors readable. In the process of printing the Heart Beat, they produced roughly 800 test copies of the paper, all of which were recycled. Once all of the printers confirmed that the colors were correct, aligned, and the pages were centered, each press quickly spat out 350 copies of the Heart Beat. Those copies were bound into packs of roughly 100, and sealed. When the staff finished watching the completed, timeconsuming printing process, they returned to Sacred Heart to distribute their published product to administrators, faculty, and staff. A new appreciation for the entire editing to printing proStaff photo by Cameron Keough cess was a definite byproduct of the staff’s visit to Graphic Our newspaper traveling through the printing maDevelopments. chine which is putting all of the different colors on it to make the newspaper readable.
Profiles
5 May 8, 2015
HEART BEAT
Charles Mara earns achievement of a lifetime 200 hours of work and 89 merit badges later, he earns Eagle Scout BY TIMOTHY KUKETZ Staff Writer
On December 9, 2014, Sacred Heart junior student, Charles Mara, accomplished an achievement of a lifetime. He made the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, which is no small feat. Reaching this hard-to-earn achievement takes years of work, camping, leadership, and perseverance. An Eagle
Photo courtesy of Walter Lucier
Charles gives his speech during his Eagle scout ceremony.
Scout candidate must seek subsequent town approvals to begin working. The scout must also raise funds for his project through whatever means he may find. Once his money and approvals are all set, the scout must then begin the physical labor. Most often, other scouts from the troop will help him with the work in addition to any family or friends that offer their help. The scout must keep track of who has helped him, how many hours have been put into the project, and how many expenses he has. The scout must supply all the tools and materials needed for the project, all from within his own budget. Once the physical labor is done, he then must complete the project write up, which is a lengthy description of expense reports and summaries of project occurrences. Charles Mara joined Kingston’s troop 49 in March of 2009 and after five years, he made it to the top. The two keystone pieces to earning this rank is having 21 Eagle required merit badges, nine additional badges, and completing a service project to benefit the community. Mara earned 89 merit badges in his scouting career, an incredible total, requiring many hours of hard work. His service project was at the Sisters of Divine Providence House in Kingston Massachusetts. The Sisters of Divine Providence also run Sacred Heart Schools. Charles’ project consisted of restoring gardens and creating new ones. He raked and removed fallen limbs and leaves and also weeded and mulched the gardens. In addition to restoring old gardens, he also planted 200 spring bulbs, five trees, and over 25 perennial flowers. He transplanted numerous bushes and restored and stained five benches. For two months, he checked on the progress of his project weekly for a grand total of 200+ man hours. Looking back on his project, Mara said, “Perseverance is the key to success and overall achievement.” Earning his merit badges and completing a massive project were only two pieces of what made Charles’ Scouting career. He has led his troop as senior patrol leader, and is a member of the Order of the Arrow, which is Scouting’s
honor society. Mara’s Eagle Scout ceremony was held April 11, 2015. It was attended by several scouts from Sacred Heart and some school faculty. Charles received recognition from many people, such as local police and fire chiefs, along with state senators, federal senators, and other town officials. Spanish teacher, Mrs. Justine Murphy, remarked, “I was very impressed by the ceremony, the number of badges he received, and the work involved with landscaping and caring for the grounds of Sacred Heart. His ceremony was attended by a lot of people and he received many accolades from state senators, congressmen, and police and fire officials. His speech was short and succinct in its message.”
Photo courtesy of Walter Lucier
Charles accepts an award from his scout leader.
Adam Tomasi - SHS’s national competitor A nationally ranked debater, he is in the top 10 for the entire nation BY JENNIFER URIBE Staff Writer
One word: #Tomasiswag. Nationally ranked, senior Lincoln-Douglas debater, Adam Tomasi, has achieved many awards since the commencement of his debate career. Tomasi has been on a winning streak ever since his first debate tournament in 2010. “A sixth grade teacher of mine at Sacred Heart Elementary school suggested that I join the debate team since I was very politically conscious for my age,” stated Tomasi. In seventh grade Tomasi joined the speech team, and began debating in eighth. And that, my friends, is when his debate career erupted. Since then, Adam has won multiple Massachusetts Lincoln-Douglas debate State Championships, and has made it to National quarterfinals three years in a row. This year during the month of March, Tomasi went full throttle to State Championships, aiming for the gold. In order to win states, he had to beat two debaters in the semifinal and final rounds. These two competitors were from Lexington High School. Lexington High School is one of the most competitive debate high schools in Massachusetts. Tomasi was not intimidated. As Tomasi won the coin toss during semifinals, the topic that he debated was ‘Whether providing food security to citizens is an obligation for the government’. Tomasi debated both sides, performing very well in semifinals. As the debate progressed, finals were a little more intense. Tomasi began the final round by throwing off his normal streak of winning the coin toss. Nevertheless, he flawlessly won the final debate in a 3-0 decision. Tomasi took home the gold. Again. In April, Tomasi travelled to the University of Kentucky for the Tournament of Champions. Not only is qualifying for this tournament difficult within itself, but qualifying for elimination rounds is extremely difficult.
Staff photo by Cameron Keough
Adam Tomasi, chillin’ in the school parking lot at lunch.
Tomasi has made it to elimination rounds at the Tournament of Champions three years in a row. “My most memorable tournament would definitely have to be was my octofinals (top 16) debate my sophomore year at the Tournament of Champions. On the elimination bracket, I was the bottom seed going up against the undefeated top seed. I had pulled an amazing upset and won that debate on a 3-0. One of the judges told me in private that it wasn’t even close. And I was just so happy about that.” Adam Tomasi has had an outstanding debate career at Sacred Heart High School, but the debate streak doesn’t stop there! “ I had an idea of debating in college when I was a junior. Once I started thinking about my college plans, I decided that debating in college would be awesome for me.
My goal was to find a school that was excellent academically while also having an awesome team, and I found that in Wake Forest.” Next fall, Adam will be attending Wake Forest University on a debate scholarship and is very excited to join the debate team. He plans on majoring in History and hopes to be in school long enough to get his PhD. “I want to specialize in areas of US History that I enjoy (American social movements, environmental history, etc.)” In the future, Adam will be competing in Policy Debate which is two-versus-two, whereas Lincoln-Douglas is one-vs-one. Tomasi has a lot to learn because Policy Debate is so much different than high school competition. “One similarity though is that both activities encourage debaters to speak very, very fast. So I won’t be so far behind,” Tomasi said. A huge congratulations to Adam for all of his achievements throughout these past few years. Adam has made Sacred Heart High School history and will surely make Wake Forest proud to have his debating skills.
Staff photo by Cameron Keough
Adam’s prized trophy from his victory in Kentucky.
6
AAAAAAND TH Best Eyes
Daniel Goldman / Abigail Sagona
Best Smile
Timothy Kuketz / Lauren Bracken
Best Athlete
Sean Coleman / Kelley O’Donnell
Best Car
Samuel Chapman Mason jars filled with candy patiently await their winners.
Best Friends
Kameron Murphy & James Kilroe Francesca Keelan & Tabitha Johnson
Most Sarcastic Jackson Dunn
Most Artistic Jennifer Uribe
Most School Spirit Cameron Keough
Best Hair
Griffin Wagner / Kelley O’Donnell Hosts Adam Tomasi and Jackson Dunn were on a roll with the jokes and crackin up the crowd.
Friendliest
Emily Waystack
Best All Around
Daniel Veitkus / Minsu Cho
Best Couple
John Storer & Nichole Henderson
Best Couple That Never Was
Henry Eshbaugh & Abigail Sagona
Best To Bring Home To Mom and Dad Daniel Veitkus / Maria Fonts
Est. in 2013, cutest couple Nichole Henderson and John Storer spread their love and pose for a quick photo.
Most Likely to Win the Hunger Games Maribeth Mason
7
HE WINNER IS... Teacher’s Pet Chloe Deeb
Most Likely To Be Late James Kilroe
Most Likely To Marry A Millionaire Francesca Keelan
Most Likely to Be Out of Uniform Savannah Eastman
Most Likely to be President Adam Tomasi
Seniors Cassandra Walsh and Peyton Fleming get their picture taken by Kameron Murphy.
Most Dependable
JoAnna-Lee Haskell
Most Likely to Succeed Henry Eshbaugh
Worst Driver
Peyton Fleming
Life of the Party Justin Marino
Most Likely to Win a Nobel Prize Zhengda Zheng
Most Changed Since Freshman Year
Seniors Tabitha Johnson and Francesca Keelan accept their award for Best Friends from presenters Maria Fonts and Abigail Sagona.
Casey Campbell / Minsu Cho
Unsung Hero Griffin Wagner
Best Nickname John Storer (J$PD)
Most Likely to Shock Everyone at the Reunion Sean McCarthy
Most Likely to be Caught Sleeping in Class Kameron Murphy
Seniors Kelley O’Donnell and Sean Coleman accept their awards for Most Athletic.
All Staff Photos by: Cameron Keough
Arts
8 May 8, 2015
HEART BEAT
Age of Ultron lives up to mighty standards Avengers sequel continues Marvel Studios’ unprecedented streak of hits BY WILLIAM KELLEY Staff Writer Avengers: Age of Ultron was released last Friday as the next step in Disney’s plan to consume the entire entertainment industry by the early 2020’s. If they continue to produce blockbusters of this quality then I welcome their white-gloved grasp on my wallet. The film follows the eponymous superhero team as they do battle with the equally eponymous artificial intelligence, Ultron. The robotic villain is built by Iron Man to protect the world, but of course, he turns evil and immediately sets out to destroy the world because the Avengers need someone to fight for two hours and twenty-one minutes. Age of Ultron is the first direct sequel to 2012’s The Avengers, which brought together Marvel’s disparate roster of superheroes for the first time on the big screen. With the actual assembling out of the way, director Joss Whedon was now able to explore the team as a unit, examining and expounding on their relationships and conflicts. The characters interact with each other organically. Clearly, thought was put into making sure it seemed like they shared a history and were familiar with each other. Similar to the rest of the Marvel films, Age of Ultron strikes a balance between fun, inventive action and witty dialogue. The sequel manages to keep action-building momentum throughout, with the stakes and the tension rising to the climax which leads to one of the best final sequences in the whole franchise. This installment of the overarching Marvel story boasts the most massive cast yet, including all six of the previously introduced Avengers, three new characters, two villains and all of their assorted hangers-on. All of the main characters, however, receive their moment in the sun and the story never feels overstuffed or too scattered. The biggest disappointment of the film is the character Ultron. There’s so much potential in an all-powerful artificial intelligence in today’s technology-dependent world.
Instead of capitalizing on that promise, Ultron’s potential coolness is squandered. Instead of a ghost in the machine wreaking havoc through our digital infrastructure, he essentially just operates as an evil Iron Man. In addition, Ultron never really evidences his inhumanity or the presumably alien perspective a nearly omniscient artificial being would have. James Spader’s vocal performance never sounds like anything but James Spader. Ultimately, Ultron never amounts to anything more than the default action movie villain. As long as you’re only looking for a fun romp, the Avengers sequel ultimately doesn’t disappoint. The script flirts with questions of security versus privacy and the
Photo courtesy of blastr.com Will the “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” meet their match against the relentless robotic rampage?
reasonable limits of technological expansion, but none of those questions are ever really answered. The filmmakers, instead, focused more on smashing robots. Avengers: Age of Ultron is a fun addition to the ever-expanding catalog of Marvel movies and an exciting ride in its own right. It equals the quality of its predecessor while adding new elements and wrinkles. Finally, the most exciting aspect is the promise of more epic adventures on the horizon. Make sure to stay after the credits for a glimpse of one of those adventures.
Fast cars, fun action and a final farewell Fast and Furious 7 says goodbye to Paul Walker with one last great ride BY GABRIELLE FANTASIA Staff Writer This spring, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Dwayne Johnson lead the cast of the Fast and Furious 7. The film had an initial release date of March 26 in Croatia but hit theaters in the United States on April 3. The movie review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes lists an 82% approval rating from critics and an 87% approval rating from audiences. The movie performed much better than expected at the box office, becoming the highest grossing opening weekend and reeling in the most cash of any film for the franchise, thus far. The film was so successful that the studio has already announced they will be releasing an eighth movie on April 14, 2017.
Fast and Furious 7 follows the returning cast of the previous installment as they return to the United States where they have all assumed regular lives after being awarded amnesties for their past crimes. Their “normal” lives prove short lived, however, when Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), an incredibly dangerous rogue Special Forces assassin, seeks revenge on the people that put his younger brother in a coma. This incident actually occurred in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, making this film the first actual sequel to that film in the franchise. Of course, this film spiked a lot of conversation and media coverage after the loss of Paul Walker, in a tragic 2013 car accident. Walker was one of the leads of the movie and had been part of the franchise since the first film. Luckily,
One of the best casts in the history of action re-unite in Fast and Furious 7
Photo courtesy of forbes.com
Walker had already filmed a majority of his scenes and the studio enlisted the help of his two brothers, Cody and Caleb Walker, along with CGI and previously unused footage to complete the film. Upon release, the film was critically and commercially acclaimed, with special attention given to the conclusion’s Paul Walker tribute. The end of the film was re-written following Walker’s passing in order to pay appropriate homage to the star. It features a combination of CGI and clips from all of the previous films accompanied by Wiz Khalifa’s beloved song “See You Again”. The scene was especially emotional because Walker’s character received a send-off from his co-star Vin Diesel, who was very close to the real Walker off-set. Fast and Furious 7 was a successful continuation of the franchise, a film full of the action fans crave and the send off Paul Walker deserved.
Photo courtesy of mtv.com Paul Walker, before his death, with a Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, his character’s signature car.
Arts
9 May 8, 2015
HEART BEAT
Artistic students make strong showing The Sacred Heart Art show was held at the Kingston Public Library BY CASEY CAMPBELL Staff Writer Thirty members of the Sacred Heart student body displayed their drawings, paintings, and photography at the annual Sacred Heart Art Show. Art teacher, Ms. Julie Trahon, inspired creativity within her classes, leading to an affluence of memorable works which were used as the staple of the show. Spanning the month of April, the art show allowed students to display their talents for several communities to see. Walking into the main entrance of the library, one was greeted by a lobby filled with the finest, student photography. Photographers include Sophomores Amelia Beaton, Kyle Coleman, and Jake Tibbets, as well as Juniors Nick Gallo, William Gregson, Victoria Manning, and Kira Pyne. Pieces included waterscapes, landscapes, structures, anatomy, profiles, and abstracts. Intelligently framed and well lit, “The Scars of Saint Stephens” was taken by sophomore Kyle Coleman. It showed Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. Juxtaposing the photos were two pieces of drawn art. One was a marker and watercolor piece by Senior, Maria Fonts, entitled “Zengangle”, and another was a pastel by Junior, Anika Ruppen, entitled “Time”.
To the right of the photography exhibit was the drawing and painting section. Along the forty foot wall were the artistic stylings of other Sacred Heart High School students. The following students displayed their artwork: Leandra Anthony, Alexandra Baston, Jillian Blake, Grace Bromage, Mia Camelio, Tori Castanha, Dehua Chen, Olivia Colombo, Chloe Deeb, Siming Du, Matt Dunn, Maria Fonts, Teaghan Gokey, Matt Johnson, Amanda Latini, Elizabeth Linsdell, Joy Moriarty, Abby Murray, Anika Ruppen, Danny Sinclair, Ryan Veitkus, Haley Whitaker, and Lucy Ye. Different mediums for pieces included graphite, marker, pencil, pastel, paint, watercolor and newsprint. Each piece had its own unique style, detailing the creator’s emotions and mindsets that went into each creation. Some were photorealistic, while still having been drawn by hand; History teacher, Mr. Walter Lucier, appreciates student-proothers utilized geometrical shapes and overlapping duced photography lattices. The Sacred Heart Art Show expanded on an already impressive résumé of work. There’s a wealth of creativity both within the walls of the art room, and the school at large.
Junior, Annika Ruppen, stands with art teacher, Ms. Julie Trahon, to present her piece, “Time”
Senior, Griffin Wagner, swept up in the beauty of the art on display
A sampling of the paintings, etchings and photography produced by only a few of the talented young artists in the community
Principal, Dr. Micheal Gill, taking in a sketch created by one of his students All photos by staff photographer Cameron Keough
Opinion HEART BEAT
10 EDITORIALs
“I want change in my life.” BY DANIEL GOLDMAN Co-Editor-in-Chief
With a few exceptions, on Friday, May 8, Sacred Heart’s senior class of 2015 will be exiting the halls one last time before graduation. From that point on we will be “alumni” of the place we have called home, amongst many other things, for the last four years. To use a popular cliché: a chapter of our lives is over, and the next chapter has yet to be written. After graduation day there will be some people who I will never see again, and others I hope to see for many years to come. In the fall we will be headed to a college or university for the first time, an experience that will be very different than heading back to Saints’ territory. With the deadline to commit to a college or university past us, all the seniors know what school they will be attending next year. My parents will drop me off at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. This was my fourth college choice on a list of five, but I am still very excited to be attending Salve. The decision came after being denied from Boston College and Northeastern University, and being wait-listed at UMass, Amherst. Getting denied by Northeastern was painful, but not the end of the world, as the rejection came from a school I had not been set on attending. Boston College, however, was the school I had dreamed about going to since I was in the seventh grade. I wanted to be an Eagle all my life, but that dream was shattered by a short email saying they didn’t want me. Surprisingly, this rejection hurt even less than Northeastern’s. I’m not sure if I was expecting BC’s response to be bad news, but I read the email, locked my phone, and moved on without skipping a beat. I realized that it does not matter where I go to college, but what I get out of it. I want change in my life, and Salve Regina will be a big change. After four long years I am sick of waking up before the roosters crow to sit in school for seven hours a day, day after day. Every day is the same thing; wake up, go to seven boring classes, participate in extra-curriculars and sports, eat dinner, do homework for two hours, get less than adequate sleep, wake up and repeat. There is no variation, no surprises, nothing new
Staff photo by Cameron Keough Dan Goldman walks into his future and away from both the game and Sacred Heart.
to look forward to. I am excited to go to a place where I can use the restroom when I please, no questions asked. I get to attend classes that are relevant and will help me with my career path. I will be interested in learning, and not dread going to the same classes every day. I am also looking forward to living away from home. I find myself always complaining about how bored I am and how I don’t have enough friends. Living on a campus with 2,000 other teenagers should help that problem go away. I can’t wait to be able to walk down the hall of the building I live in and be surrounded by kids my age that I can become friends with and make the most out of our time together at college. Sacred Heart is not necessarily the reason for my suffering; I suspect it would probably be the same at any high school. Going through the monotonous motions of high school is not how I want to spend my days as a teenager. I want variation and surprises, and Salve will bring that to me.
On concluding the year BY CASEY CAMPBELL Co-Editor-in-Chief This is the final Heart Beat that fellow co-editor Dan Goldman and I will publish at Sacred Heart. The next issue will be completed at the hands of the upcoming Class of 2016. When the current staff was introduced to The Heart Beat, I know that I had no idea what was going on. Whether it was writing an article, or editing a page, I was completely in the dark. Thankfully, the members of last year’s staff were there every step of the way. In helping the current staff, we grew and became our own well-oiled machine. Beginning in September of 2014, the Class of 2015’s staff began working on their very first Heart Beat. Now, in May, just
Staff photo by Cameron Keough
Casey Campbell, with his three heroes.
days before graduation, we are about to leave the school. It’s with a heavy heart that I have to leave this publication. Some of my fondest memories from my Senior year have been within the walls of the newspaper lab. Coming up with ideas for the newest issues, putting all of our work onto the digital papers, and sending said work out to the printing press was a great experience. That being said, it absolutely could not have been done without my wonderful staff. Without them, we would not have been awarded with two first place citations, from the American Scholastic Press Association and the New England Scholastic Press Association. Without them, this would be an extremely bland paper, with no personality. The beauty of this experience has been seeing each personality displayed on each editor’s page. Whether it be the colorful, artistic Double Trucks by Jenn Uribe and Emily Lochran, the humorous titles and captions of Billy Kelley’s Arts and Entertainment pages, the ever changing layouts of Maribeth Mason’s Features pages, the always interesting News pages from Henry Eshbaugh and Jeremy Thomas, the challenging layouts of Tim Kuketz’ Profiles, the constantly inviting Front page by Emily Waystack, or the exciting Sports pages from Gabby Fantasia, peoples talents shone through with every new issue. Equally as important and impressive was the high caliber photography displayed by photographers Cam Keough, and Kelley O’Donnell. With this staff, it’s no wonder that we received praise from the ASPA and NESPA. I feel lucky to have worked with them. My co-editor deserves my highest praise. As an exceptionally busy person, Dan Goldman took it upon himself to take three AP classes, run cross country, play lacrosse, and co-manage a newspaper staff, with an always level head. Balancing that many classes and extracurriculars would have made me question my choices, but he always attacked it head-on, making me believe that college will be an absolute breeze for him. With every challenge, stress, and celebration, Dan has been by my side, easing the experience for everyone. While I couldn’t have been able to make it to where I am now, I have no doubt in my mind that I absolutely would not have been able to get near here without him. And for that, I thank Dan, my staff, advisor Mr. Boccalini, and the readers, for everything we’ve accomplished.
May 8, 2015
THE HEART BEAT Co-Editors-in-Chief: Casey Campbell Daniel Goldman Front Page Editor: Emily Waystack News Editors: Henry Eshbaugh Features Editor: Maribeth Mason Double Truck Editors: Emily Lochran Jennifer Uribe A&E Editor: William Kelley Opinion Editor: Cameron Keough Profiles Editor: Timothy Kuketz Sports Editor: Gabrielle Fantasia Cameron Keough Photograph Editor: Cameron Keough Photographers: Cameron Keough Kelley O’Donnell Contributing Writers: Jackson Dunn Cameron Keough Adam Tomasi Jeremy Thomas 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 opportunity 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
11 May 8, 2015
HEART BEAT
Sacred Heart sprints to the win BY MARIBETH MASON Staff Writer
Softball (4-4), baseball (2-7), boys (0-5) and girls (1-4) track
Junior, Lauren MelStaff photo by Cameron Keough chionda, throws a full 7 inning game for a win.
Tryouts for varsity baseball began in March. Due to the remnants of our rough winter, most practices were forced to be held indoors. The team was finally able to utilize outside facilities during the month of April. Practices became far more intense when the diamond became more accessible. The team is composed of players from eighth through eleventh grades. Sophomore Andrew Mason said, “We are a really young team with no seniors and we are looking forward to trying our hardest this year.”
Sophmore, Trent Garzoni, sends a line drive into left
The captains of the varsity baseball team are juniors Collin Gillis and Nicolas Weir. The team is coached by English teacher, Mr. Eugene Boyles. As the Heart Beat goes to press the team’s record is 2-7. Another sport played in the spring is varsity softball. Tryouts for softball began during the third week of March. Initially anyone who wanted to tryout could. At the end of the first week of tryouts it was decided who would play on the junior varsity team or the varsity team. All of the seventh graders, most of the eighth graders, and a few ninth graders were put on junior varsity. The junior varsity team is coached by Mr. Michael Duchaney. One eighth grader, most ninth-graders, and all players from the sophomore, junior and senior class were selected for varsity, coached by gym teacher, Ms. Marie Bruninghaus and math teacher, Mr. Jonathan Olson. The season had a slow start because there was still so much snow on the ground from the record breaking winter. Nonetheless, the Lady Saints’ softball team has had a great start to their season. The team consists of twelve players from grades eighth through twelfth. The varsity team has three captains, senior Gabrielle Fantasia, senior Maribeth Mason, and junior Lauren Melchionda. The three girls were elected by their teammates to lead them to through a great season. Senior Gabrielle Fantasia said, “Our goal is to make it to the tournament and try our hardest. Hopefully we go far Sophmore, Anguo Chen, Staff photo by Cameron Keough but I have faith in our team that we will be successful.” runs to the finish line in the last leg of the 4x1. The team is led by two powerful pitchers, Junior Lauren Melchionda and Freshman Jillian Blake. Junior Lauren Melchionda said, “When I am pitching I have so much faith in my team because I know they back me up and play their hardest.” At press time, the Lady Saints are Spring track and field is in full swing and everyone has high hopes for a successful season. Pat Norton is the girls coach and Katy Holtnis coaches the boys. Neither Norton or Holtnis are Sacred Heart School teachers but all of the assisted coaches hold teaching positions at the high school: Religion teacher Miss. Lylah Fitzgerald, History teacher Mr. George Rose, and substitute teacher Mr. Carl Olson. In track and field you can do running events or field events. Some examples of the track events range from the two mile race to the 100 yard dash. Field events include the javelin and discus. The long jump, pole vault, triplejump and high jump are also included in the field events. Staff photo by Cameron Keough Senior Tim Kuketz said, “Track is a lot different than Junior, Evan Coletti, hurdles in the boys 100m hurdles. any other team sport. It is about pushing yourself and setting new goals. We try and have people in all events to get as many points as we can.”
Staff photo by Cameron Keough Sophmore, Elizabeth Staff photo by Cameron Keough Hokanson, in the front of the pack.
Sports
12 May 8, 2015
HEART BEAT
Sacred Heart spring sports have sprung BY Jackson Dunn Staff Writer
Boys (7-0) and girls (3-3) lacrosse, boys (5-2)and girls (7-2) tennis
Sophmore, Erin Hal- Staff photo by Cameron Keough lam, breaks through West Bridgewater defense.
Spring is back at Sacred Heart, and what better way to celebrate than hitting the books. Apologies, I meant fields. With the turn of the seasons in full swing, our sports teams are following suit. Despite losing many skilled and able seniors last year, Boys Varsity Lacrosse has made an unprecedented entry into the season with a 7-0 record. With a fresh batch of young talent, as well as returning firepower gracing the roster, this season looks promising for our boys in blue helmets. The Boys Varsity Lacrosse team opened their season with a 7-3 victory over Old Colony, not too shabby for having practiced in the school parking lot for weeks. They followed that up with a 9-4 win over Southeastern, with many a minor chip involved. So far in the season, boys lacrosse has out scored their opposition by a factor of 2 to 1, a testament to their dedicated defense, and prolific
Staff photo by Cameron Keough Junior, Dehua Chen, reaches for a deep forehand.
Junior, Hayley Ferraro, Staff photo by Cameron Keough takes an overhead from the baseline.
offense. When asked to comment on the team, Senior Captain Dan Veitkus said, “As the season progresses, the chemistry within the team continues to grow. We have been displaying this in our performance in games.” With an undefeated record thus far, it’s not hard to believe the captain in his claim of team cohesiveness. Maria Fonts, boy’s lacrosse super fan, had this to say, “The team is doing excellent this year, I’m looking forward to experiencing more games.”
Senior, Daniel Goldman, rips a shot through the Bishop connoly defense.
Boy’s Varsity Tennis has also made quite the spring splash. With a 5-2 record, and just one game away from clinching the league, they may very well steal the boy’s lacrosse spotlight. The girl’s tennis team is close behind the boys with a 7-2 record, not as impressive, but certainly admirable. Senior Griffin Wagner stated, “it’s nice to finally have a winning season. The boys have really pulled it together and were starting to get somewhere.” Girl’s varsity lacrosse also has a 3-3 record, thanks to seamless teamwork and enthusiasm. Junior Shay Myers said, “I’ve never seen so much effort in a team. We’ve really come together this year, on the skills front, as well as the team’s attitude.” Hopefully, they can keep up the winning trend, and the fun alive. With all this sports excitement, it’s going to be hard to focus on schoolwork for the rest of the year. Good thing that’s a nonissue for our seniors.
Staff photo by Cameron Keough