Verve Vol XIV Iss 6 March 2014

Springtime brings rainbows and pots of gold.

Happy St. Pat’s Day

Wanting to shuffle off to Buffalo?

Come see “42nd Street” See page 4

See page 5

Summit High School

March 2014

Volume XIV Issue 6

125 Kent Place Blvd. Summit, NJ 07901

Varsity swimmers streamline Addictive iPhone game, Flappy Bird, gets axed team’s rebuilding season

By Alice Kim Staff Reporter

By Anika Becker Staff Reporter

Williams-bound team cocaptain, Timothy Kostolansky, broke several records this year and will be swimming in the meet of champions as one of the leading 200 Individual Medley swimmers in the state.

Fellow co-captain, senior Tommy DiSibio, said “Overall we had a great season and winning the State Sectional Championship was a goal of ours since the preseason. Coach Piede did a great job preparing us for such an exhilarating season.”

In meets throughout the year there were many quality swims from co-captains and fellow seniors Andrew Aguilera and Andrew Thieck.

SUMMIT, NJ - Winter break may have been a bust for some, but it was all about Costa Rica for Spanish teachers Ms. Aurora Hermo and Ms. Monika Bartlett, and the 17 advanced Spanish students they chaperoned on a visit to San Jose, Cahuitas, Sarapiqui, and La Fortuna Feb. 15 - 22.

Their adventure was coordinated through Worldwide International Discovery tours, and included zip-lining, swimming, kayaking, and dips in hot springs. The group visited sloth and iguana sanctuaries, and had a cooking class.

Spa ready! Here is the group after a hike to the base of the Arenal volcano, near the town of La Fortuna. This day ended with a trip to and dip in the thermal waters of one of the many spas in the area.

Photo provided by Jack Schaffer

Swimming is a popular, competitive winter sport for both the boys’ and girls’ teams; both ended with commendable 2013-14 records in a challenging conference.

Boys’ Varsity ended with a record of 4-3 in the regular season and an exceptional third State Sectional title in a row; the girls’ Varsity team ended with a 4-4 regular season record and won through the NJSIAA Group B Sectional semifinals.

The boys’ team began their season ranked number 19 on the “Star-Ledger” Top-20 list.

Through hard work and determination, the boys’ team was top-seeded and beat secondseeded Chatham with an end score of 95-75, on Feb. 14, in the sectional tournament.

The boys continued to the state semifinals, on Feb. 19.

They lost 55-114 to Princeton.

After graduating so many seniors last year the boys’ team was rebuilding to win another sectional championship.

Standout rising swimmers this season included: sophomores Luke Mahoney, Matt Samay, Jack Williams, and freshman Cole Bligh.

3Peat! The boys swim team throws up the three’s as they defeat Chatham to win a third consecutive sectional championship.

Girls’ Varsity Update The girls’ team beat Caldwell 99-71 at the NJSIAA Group B Sectional semifinal, losing only in the NJSIAA Group B Sectional finals to Chatham 57-113.

Girls’ Varsity captain, senior Kelly Haberl, said “This season was the first time in nine years that the Summit Girls Swim team made it to the sectional finals, so I am proud of our team. The highlight of our season was beating Caldwell, who was ranked fifteenth in the entire state. It’s exciting for us to have made it that far in the state tournament and, hopefully, Summit can make it even further next season.”

The creator of the “Flappy Bird” gaming app, Vietnamese developer Dong Ngyuen, shut down his game on Feb. 9 due to its fame and success.

He tweeted on Feb. 8 from his Twitter account “I am sorry ‘Flappy Bird’ users, 22 hours from now, I will take ‘Flappy Bird’ down.”And he did.

The game, first released on May 24, 2013, did not become wildly popular until December, and now disappointed fans are feeling the void in their gaming addiction.

The game’s simple objective was to steer a bird through various levels of metal pipes.

Its rise in popularity might have been attributed to it being a free download, which coincided nicely with the Holiday phone gift-giving season, but the addictiveness of the game is what separated it from the pack.

Sophomore Stephanie Kostolansky said, “It’s very frustrating to get a high score, but at the same time, it’s a fun app to enjoy.”

There was some controversy over how the green pipes looked too similar to Nintendo’s, Super Mario Brothers,

and the birds reminded users of the “Angry Bird” game.

Mainly, though, the sudden success created disruption to Ngyuen’s life.

He tweeted “I cannot take this anymore.”

Before he deleted the game, it had an average four-star rating with more than 543,000 reviews in Apple’s App Store, and 228,000 Android reviews.

Most of the reviewers shared lengthy, humorous stories about spectacular losses, marriages ending, and addictive behaviors.

Ngyuen said in an interview with “Time Magazine” that his goal was to create a game that would kill time for a relaxing few minutes.

He said he realized it became “an addictive product.

I think it has become a problem,” in his CNN interview.

The game developer also tweeted, “I can call ‘Flappy Bird’ a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.”

The only way to play “Flappy Bird” now is via a smartphone that already had the app installed.

Ngyuen continues to design games.

Photo provided by Monika Bartlett

Photo provided by Monika Bartlett

Winter trip abroad immerses travelers in Costa Rican culture

Cut ups! Seniors Anabelle Sangree and Alexandra Riba were busy cutting up green bananas to make “picadillo” as part of their cooking class, taught by a local woman in her home.

More photos on Globe, page 2

This month’s Verve....

Musical Special 4 Globe......... 2 St. Patrick’s...... 5 Opine......... 3 Buzz.............. 6

Upcoming: Screen + Sound... 7 Turf........

8

Spring Musical: Wed. 3/5 to Fri. 3/8 Daylight Savings Begins: Sun. 3/9@2 a.m.

Music Marathon: Fri. 3/21@7 p.m.

Globe

Verve 2

March 2014

Heroin’s deadly return

By David Meyers Globe Editor

Principal:

Mr. Paul Sears Assistant Principals: Mrs. Stacy Grimaldi Mr. Michael Lapotasky Adviser: Mrs. Anne Weisgerber English Supervisor: Mr. Corey Walsh Editors-in-Chief: Tommy DiSibio Stephanie Ollom Managing Editors: Alex Arias Gwen Rogers A1 Editor: Tommy DiSibio Globe Editor: David Meyers Opinion Editor: Ellie Schaffer Entertainment Editor: Carly Leiter Buzz Editor: Meredith Robertson Megan Shaw Sports Editor: Niko Nyktas & Jamie Macpherson Art Director: Nic Lalicato Circulation: Jackson Sidebottom Staff Reporters: Cam Fuoti, Emily Gao, Alice Kim, Bobby Moriarty, Nate Bowyer, Ethan Mandelbaum, Anna Tselevich, Ashley White, Anika Becker, Laura Pasquale, Dan Montgomery

Image by cinewsnow.com

Rising Concern! Heroin has resurfaced, threatening to take a serious urban problem to the suburbs and nation.

prescription medication and are unable to obtain their drug of choice, they usually turn to heroin to fill their high.

David Disalvo of “Forbes” recently noted that, “the increase in heroin has overlapped with a decrease in pain killer abuse.”

Cost is the driving force.

According to Engel, heroin is only a fraction of the cost of popular prescription pills such as Oxycontin. While Oxycontin can be as expensive as $80 for one pill, heroin is, on average, about $9 per dose. Addi-

tionally, the ability for people to obtain the drug is much cheaper because it is sold illegally and without safeguards.

Senior Jack Riela recognized the growing national problem and commented, “I have noticed that a lot of people have died recently due to heroin overdoses.”

The Narcotics Anonymous organization warns: “addiction is an insidious disease that affects all areas of our lives— even those areas which seem at first to have little to do with drugs.”

Beatles in Hollywood

By Gwens Rogers Managing Editor

Last month marked fifty years since The Beatles made landfall in America. On Feb. 9, 1964, a little band from Liverpool performed for the first time on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Now, half a century later, the Recording Academy hosted “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles” on Jan. 27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, making full use of the all-stars in town from the previous night’s Grammy Awards, including men-of-thehour: surviving bandmembers Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

The Beatles have been a major influence in music over the years; bands like The Beach Boys and The Who modeled themselves after the them. The Rolling Stones cre-

ated the entire “Let it Bleed” album in response to the Beatles’ “Let it Be,” and those are just a few signs of influence.

The Beatles recorded four of the Top 10 Greatest Albums of All Time, according to “Rolling Stone” magazine.

They continued to break musical boundaries throughout their more than seven-yearlong recording career.

Senior Julian Cardazone and guitarist, explained, “The Beatles were the best friends this planet ever had, 50 years later, they still are.”

Today, they are wildely regarded as one of the greatest bands of all time, if not the greatest. The Beatles have been so influential on how popular music styles changed and developed –an impact that is still felt today.

Rock Out! Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed together in concert on Jan. 27 at the Ed Sullivan Theater in Los Angeles.

Jack Riggin ‘17 I want to go to Ireland to learn more about my heritage and see the Dingle Peninsula.

Ms. Erin Fogarty, Phys Ed I want to take a vacation to Finland to see the Northern Lights because I want to stay in an igloo.

Mr. Michael Lapotasky, Administration I like Italian food and water, so I have always wanted to go to Venice.

Brittaney Beamon ‘15 I want to go to Fiji because it is really sunny and it is my favorite water brand.

Photos by Tommy DiSibio

Costa Rican travel snapshot

Photo provided by Monika Bartlett

Summit High School 125 Kent Place Blvd.

Summit, NJ 07901

By Tommy DiSibio Editor-in-Chief

Where would you go for a dream vacation... and why?

Image provided by telegraph.co.uk.

The recent deaths of Cory Monteith and Philip Seymour Hoffman have cast light on the problems of drug overdoses.

Heroin use is making a comeback as one of the most dangerous drugs in America.

Heroin, a narcotic derived from opium, is a class one narcotic according to the DEA. It is known as one of the most dangerous drugs in the world because it is highly addictive.

While heroin was most prevalent during the 1960s and 70s, its popularity is growing today. Pamela Engel of “Business Insider” explained, “Demand for the drug might be coming from people who are hooked on prescription pills.”

Heroin is known to provide the same high as prescription medication, at considerably less cost. Therefore, when people become desperate for

Verve Views

Rescue time. Junior Anne Mikkelsen is at the Kekoldi Indigenous Territory, where a member of the Bribri tribe shared his rescue work in their iguana sanctuary, teaching students about his culture and native language as well. The visit to the sanctuary was one of many cultural immersion experiences had by the recent World Cultures field trip to Costa Rica.

Opine

March 2014

I don’t always From the Editors’ desk... snapchat, but Caps and gowns at the finish line! when I do...

Deja Vu, again. Senior columnist Bobby Moriarty casts a cold eye on the hall TV news loop.

In other news, how awesome was the anti-drinking and driving assembly? If you drive drunk after seeing that, you have no soul. If anyone else was hit by an SUV going 55, which made the body fly 72 feet through the air, and then land on the face manages to live to tell the tale, tell me.

I don’t know what I’d do. But that’s what Steve Benvenisti did, and the guy is simply incredible.

A lot has been going on here at Summit High, but my favorite season, golf season, is coming up and that’s all I can really think about. And with that, I say over and out.

Best water fountain locations revealed

By Nic Lalicato Art Director

There are three things necessary for survival: shelter, food, and water. Today, let’s take a look at the water fountains of SHS. I’m your host, David Attenborough.

Psych! I’m not David Attenborough, but we will still be examining the wonderful world of water fountains.

Today, our school has over 10 water fountains! How amazing is that? Pretty amazing. Though this wealth of water fountains is a pretty ideal situation, not all fountains are up to par.

Some fountains succeed in having great flow, accessibility, and a cold crisp taste. While on the other hand, some are slow, blocked by crowds, and taste like hot iron. It’s time to draw the line that divides success from failure.

Let’s start with the math hallway, a cornerstone in water fountain tourism. A classic station for teens to hang out and congregate, the silver

Verve letters and editorial policy: Verve is a publication open to opinions of its readers. Please submit all letters

By Nate Bowyer Staff Reporter Snapchat. What a fantastic concept. Two Stanford students created a way for us to send photos to each other that would disappear in a matter of seconds. They revolutionized the way we communicate.

Unfortunately, the golden days of Snapchat are over. As it slowly disappears from high school student’s iPhones, lets look back at the history, and the unspoken rules of snapping and chatting.

Sept. 2011 – Snapchat is released on the App Store.

Deemed dumbest app ever.

Summer 2012 – Summit students begin to download and use app, spreads quickly, soon everyone is snap chatting.

Ghost is toast. Snapchat fading.

fountain is the definition of reliable, while its neighboring water-spitter looks like it has not been used since we had homecoming annually. This area does get a little crowded between periods so that does dock it down a few points. On an overall scale this set up is about a 6.5/10.

Next, there is the history hallway. These fountains, while usable, have many faults. Sometimes they take too long to start, they aren’t that cold, and to top it all off they are located in the busiest area in the entire school. If you’re on the second floor, I highly recommend making the trek over to the English wing for some far superior water and a less congested area. The former gets a 4/10, and the latter gets a 7/10.

Last but not least: the holy grail of high school water receptacles is found. The art wing water fountain, in all honesty, tastes like it flows from the springs of Valhalla.

Wars are waged and battles are fought over such high quality H2O.

Fall 2012 – Parents begin to learn about Snapchat, then question children if they use it to “sext.”

Beginning of 2013 – Snapchat is in its prime. Team Snapchat frustrates users every holiday.

November 14, 2013 – Snapchat declines offer of $3 billion from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to buy company. Shortly after app releases new features such as “double-tap to replay” and “Snapchat Story”… the beginning of the end.

Today – “friends” annoy each other constantly with cringe-worthy Snapchat stories. People no longer Snapchat frequently. But, if you must, there are six unspoken rules that all users follow: 1.Snapchat all of your contacts when at a gathering/concert/ event 2. When in doubt, Duck-Face.

3. Any Snap revealing more than half the face is taboo.

4. Thou shall not “screenshot” 5.Always turn on the volume before opening a video.

6. Judgment-free Snapchatting after 10 PM

to shsverve@fc.summit.k12. nj.us. Letters must be signed, and will be subject to editing for space, grammar, and factual accuracy; however, all efforts will be made to preserve

the writer’s intent.

Libelous and inappropriate writing will not be published in Verve. If Verve has made an error and a correction is warranted, the editors take

Tray talk

By Dan Montgomery Staff Reporter The cafeteria serves some edible foods, but four take the cake for being the most eaten and talked about lunches.

“The wings are to die for!”

Junior Sam Griffith said. The wildly popular lunch ranks among the student’s favorite treats. The size, quantity of serving, and distinct taste make the wings a welcomed addition to the lunch menu.

“The Chicken Patties are always a stellar choice. You can never go wrong with a juicy, crisp patty,” sophomore Gianni Mejia said.

The patties are perhaps the most critically acclaimed lunch in the program. Some people love the consistency they provide to their lunch schedule, but others think it is absolutely horrible.

“I love the sandwiches.

Illustration by Stephanie Ollom

Photo by Nic Lalicato

By Bobby Moriarty Staff Reporter

Image from snapchat.com

Hallway news loops It’s been a year since we got those TVs up in the senior lounge, cafeteria and main concourse, I’m still convinced it’s the worst use of money by any school in the county, maybe the state.

First of all there’s no cable, which I wouldn’t really expect but we might as well spend the extra cash to at least make these things useful.

Next, it was cool at first that some students in our chorus sang the national anthem at the Jets game in December, but when I’m reminded of this aging news every day for two months (because it’s one of the three slides on permanent rotation) the excitement evaporates, quick.

And no offense to Maddie Gramigna or Robbie Walsh you guys are stellar athletes… but you’ve completely overstayed your welcome as our “Athletes of the Week.’ My point is either get rid of the TV’s or update their material in a timely fashion please.

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There are such a variety of meats and toppings you can get to complete your sandwich,” Senior Jordan Aaron said. Every day the sandwich line results in a hoopla of activity by the door.

“The different toppings on the pizza, combined with the tasty crust makes the school pizza my first choice,” junior Zach Rissman said. Each day, students storm the pizza line to pick their poison. The availability of pizza is an enormous factor that allows students to have something tasty any day of the week.

Although the school is thought by students to be home to numerous mediocre dishes, the wings, patties, sandwiches, and pizza are some of the favorite eats.

More scintillating foods are sure to be available in the future, but these four constants will remain classics through time.

No complaints, for now

By Nate Bowyer Staff Reporter

In the newsroom, we complain a lot, because there is much to complain about (gym volleyball, freshman, etc.) but I’d like to take a moment to appreciate some great things about our school.

Walk down the hall, and you’ll get a few smiles from your classmates. When it’s your birthday, people know!

In the cafeteria, we have a build-your-own sandwich bar.

How many other schools have reader feedback seriously and will promptly deal with concerns.

Reader corrections welcome at shsverve@fc.summit.k12. nj.us.

that? Fresh meats and toppings built your way every school day.

The teaching staff may be the best part. I have experienced first hand how passionate each teacher is about his/ her class. Teachers here love what they teach. At any point in the day you could drop into class and watch an entertaining lesson. It might be Mr. Kratch telling a military story as he teaches students about World War II. Maybe Mr. Shipley is teaching a biology lesson about ecosystems using his first hand experience of salmon fishing in Canada, or Mrs. Stelmach preaching chemistry with examples from her work at Bell labs.

It’s a privilege to go to school here.

Special Page

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March 2014

By Anna Tselevich Staff Reporter

Two major cities in the tri-state area celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by hosting local parades. The larger and more historical of the two is the big parade in New York City, which marches down Fifth Avenue between 33rd and 79th Street. That event is the oldest in the country, and has been happening annually for more than 250 years. It goes all the way back to March 17, 1762.

This year’s NYC grand marshall will be John T. Ahern, who is the business manager and financial secretary of the International Union of Operating Engineers Union, Local 30.

Those who can’t get in to the Big Apple, or prefer to watch in the comfort of home, can tune in live to NBC or

can go on their website’s live streaming, starting at 11:00 am on March 17, for live coverage.

The second parade is hosted in Newark, New Jersey and is commemorating their 79th run this year on March 14th at 1:00 pm. This year they will be “featuring the 2nd annual High School Band Competition, sponsored by US Bands and The Star Ledger”, according to their website.

Another local festivity is held in Morristown County at noon on March 15th starting at the corner of South Street and James Street and will end at the Morristown Green. This parade will include “about 20 bands with about 70,000 in attendance either in the parade or as spectators”, and before the parade, there will be other activities at the Green around 10:30 am.

Photo by http://tampa.cbslocal.com

St. Patrick’s Day Parades in New York City, Newark, Morristown

Everyone’s Irish. This year’s NYC parade will stream live from www.nycstpatricksdayparade.com.

Community celebrates end of Black History Month with Sankofa festival The Sankofa Festival on Friday, Feb. 28, was a huge success, raising over $1,700 for the Summit African American Action Association. The celebration -- full of choirs, dancers, performers, presenters and more -- was the first school event in over fifteen years honoring Black History Month. Ms. Asha Bailey served as the student adviser for the Festival.

All photos by Barbara Rybolt/The Independent Press, nj.com

March 2014

Spring Musical:42nd Street

An historic production COM E AN D ME FEET ET --

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Musical message still resonates today

By Ashley White Staff Reporter

Living through The Great Depression taught many lessons such as frugality, discipline, resilience and hard work. Has that lesson been lost on today’s citizens? Apparently not. Verve asked: Do you see evidence today of lessons from the Great Depression in your life or in the life of someone you know (like a grandparent, parent, neighbor)?

Here are a few perspectives....

Mr. Wayne Mallette Choral Director

is a eet set r t S d con ruc rty-Se elaborate st rent o F e h a T tion of dents and p a n i b com y stu d stu built b ny dedicate g Feb, s e r u t a in eers. M ay dur e set, volunt rked each d massiv nd, o a w d s l t i n u u e d ak to b city backgro e! e r b y r rua mor es a includ in cars, and h c i h w tra tation, train s

Freshman Keegan McManus

ith assists w r the s g n i t t atie Ge umes fo Junior K d sewing cost Street. an nd dressing of Forty-Seco runs the ers charact yleigh Fowler junior a ad Senior K rew with cohe tumes in c os e costum Wilson. Most c d each an th Elizabe re handmade, s. a ostume c w e o l h p i s t p l the ears mu dworking grou w r e t c a har chara autihow be crew is s e e m h t u t e s Co mak nts that e d u t s f o ful.

Senior Allison Scott

Senior Will Berkery

“The Great Depression is good evidence why we need social safety nets for people in need, such as social security and unemployment.”

“Because of the Great Depression, we see how detrimental unemployment is and, even though it is still evident, the economy has rebuilt.”

“Attitude is the most important thing, being positive even while in a bleak situation, pulled the US out of the Great Depression.”

“After the Depression, people became more conservative with money and learned what you have can disappear in an instant.”

“During the Depression, people learned to be more charitable and support one another during tough times.”

Characters Peggy Sawyer, played by senior Allison Scott, and Billy Lawler, senior Greg Archer, are featured in the show stopping number Forty-Second Street.

Chorus me mb and are featu ers learn multiple dan ces red in many scenes, whic a tough job h is for a high s chool stude entire cast nt. The of Forty-Se cond Street voted to the is deshow and e ven stays at until 8:00 P school .M cal premiere the week before the m usis to perfect each scene.

Sophomore Sophie Lees

“The Depression taught people to be thankful for what they have, and not to take anything for granted.”

Freshman Savannah Dooley All photos by Ashley White and Verve Staff

Buzz Anticipated block schedule to oc- Despite winter chills, cur in upcoming school year love is heating up

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March 2014

The change to block scheduling next year has been made official by the Board of Education and will begin for the 2014 to 2015 school year.

Unlike the current rotating schedule, the block schedule arranges for each class to last an hour instead of 45 minutes, and students will miss two classes each day. There will be an E day on Fridays, when the students will attend all eight classes for 42 minutes each.

The system of three lunches will be changed into a full hour common lunch for all students and teachers. Students may use 30 minutes for lunch and

the other half hour for other activities, such as consultations with teachers, science labs, and participation in club meetings.

“The one hour lunch is great because then you have more time to relax and talk to your friends and even get work done,” said sophomore Alexandra Filiault. She also stated that her favorite part of block scheduling was not having to go to every class every day.

This shift in scheduling was considered necessary mainly because of the school’s growing enrollment. The student body is estimated to be around 1, 265 students, which is an increase of close to five percent,

according to Summit Patch.

In terms of budget, no construction or modification of classrooms is necessary, but money will be used for additional lunch supervisors, custodial hours and security. Also, a fee for extra lunch tables is expected.

When asked about the new scheduling, math teacher Mr. Fontes commented, “I’m excited! Some people are afraid of change, but this is something that is definitely going to be good.”

The effects of this chnage will be evident in the near future, with current sophomores and juniors most impacted by this scheduling alteration.

A major incentive for buying school lunches is the convenience. If there’s not enough time in the morning to pack food for the day, it’s a relief to have a reliable cafeteria to fall back on. It is equipped with not only hot lunch, but sandwich line, drinks and an array of snacks.

Some students, like Andrew Weiss, praise the glorious sandwich line for the tasty lunches that can be preordered and easily picked up. “I don’t have time to make my lunch in the morning, so this sandwich line is something I’ve really appreciated over the years. It tastes good and the lunch ladies are very friendly.”

People like Andrew Weiss continue to buy lunch from the school cafeteria because of the convenience, however even Weiss concedes that the quality to price ratio is not the best in the world.

Sophomore Tyler Gramigna is one student that continues to buy despite various complaints. Gramigna said, “The Sweet and Sour Chicken burned my tongue on one bite, then the next bite was frozen.

Nachos Grande? More like Nachos Pequeño. They aren’t big and they aren’t good.

They always run out of lettuce, and then I have a bad day.”

Misleading? Maybe. However, the school cafeteria seems to be at least trying to improve.

Last year, they implemented a Jamba Juice dispenser and this year they added canned Arnold Palmers to their repertoire.

Though there may be better options for seniors that have unassigned, for underclassmen, the only options are bringing or buying lunch.

Most students must overcome this struggle and choose: To bring, or not to bring?

School Lunches: To buy or not to buy?

By Ethan Mandelbaum Staff Reporter

photo by Ethan Mandelbaum

School lunches have always been a complaint of the students. The age-old struggle is whether to bring or to buy lunch. It seems that every student has a different view on this controversial dilemma.

Sophomore Nick Ritter eats school bought meal at lunch.

Forensics! The SHS Forensics team brings home numerous wins and personal achievements at this year’s Harvard Tournament that took place during Winter break.

Photo by Anne Poyner

Forensics Team dominates at Harvard Tournament

SUMMIT, NJ- The Summit High School Forensics team won several awards at the Harvard Speech and Debate Tournament Feb 15-17. Forty-four SHS speakers, actors, and debaters competed in the largest tournament in the country, that included over 3,000 students from 361 schools representing 38 states.

The Summit team has competed in seven New Jersey tournaments and three national tournaments this season, bringing home four first place and 3 second place sweepstakes trophies and over 100 individual awards.

By Ellie Schaffer Opine Editor Valentines Day may have passed, but love is definitely still in the air for Senior Tommy Disibio and Junior Lexie Perry. The duo, though previously unaquainted, quickly got to know each other through the course of the afternoon.

I picked Tommy up first, who was both giddy with excitement and worried about who the next passenger would be.

After almost killing him on several accounts (I’m a new driver okay????) we made it to the home of his soon to be love interest, and Tommy realized he was in for a treat.

Lexie got in the car and smiled a smile that I’ve only ever seen on my brother when he walked in to the living room while I was watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She was pumped, and had it written all over her face.

The two chatted awkwardexcitedly in the backseat while I chauffered them around, third-wheeling at its finest. I then made an executive decision that spending another hour alone with the budding couple would be too painfully lonely, so I picked up a date of my own, my P.I.C., Carly Leiter. Carly took shotgun and ah, I had some relief.

The four of us made our way

to Tommy’s favorite hotspot, you guessed it, Funplex. The Colgate-bound senior has been known to spend his Sunday afternoons in the foam ballpit. What a guy. I snagged a handicap parking spot because Tommy’s knee was hurting and that counts, and we embarked on our mission to beat some little kids in laser tag.

The romance between Lexie and Tommy was clear as we stepped foot in to the sweaty kidzone. They kept it PG though, only giving each other the satisfaction of a longing glance or a laser shot in the face.

After a euphoric game of laser tag that winded both me and my date, (somehow Tommy and Lexie were fine, I guess they work out) we hit the food court for some pizza and slushies. Tommy got blue razz and Lexie got cherry. If that isn’t a match made in heaven, I don’t know what is.

Heading back to my car and understanding that the date was coming to a close,Tommy and Lexie exchanged phone numbers and made plans to see each other again, soon. Seeing that they had a great time running around like children for an hour, I predict a fun-loving future for the match. Maybe next time he’ll take her to the zoo.

Club Corner The International Dinner was hosted on February 12 from 7:30pm to 9pm by the Spanish Club and Student Council.

About forty students came together for a night of delicious home-cooked traditional international meals and some tasty desserts.

A great way to kick off the

snow day and break, everyone who attended was delighted to be part of this carefree and delicious event. The students picked from an assortment of hot meals, sat down, and enjoyed an evening of talking to friends and enjoying the wonderful foods of various cultures.

Photo by Meredith Robertson

By Emily Gao Staff Reporter

International Dinner! (Left to Right) Juniors Anne Mikkelsen, Julianne Smolyn, Palavi Patil, and Margo Reigle pose while piling their plates with delicious food at the International Dinner on Feb 12.

Verve’s staff invites all clubs to share news of meetings, events, and festivities. Representatives and advisers can e-mail information to the Verve editors at shsverve@fc.summit.k12.nj.us.

Screen & Sound

Lilly, Marshall, Robin, and Barney have begun tackling life together. They have gone through the ups and downs of relationships and everything in between.

Lilly and Marshall are the model relationship that Ted wants to have. Being married and having begun a family, Ted sees that he really has to focus on finding that special someone.

Robin has been that single girl who has always puts work before her personal life. She has never had the right guy and has taken the loss of love like any other woman would.

Lastly, Barney is a womanizer who is only in it for the girls, no strings attached.

Through the course of the show HIMYM has been nominated for fifty-nine awards

who plays his on screen wife Lily, “Alyson taught me to be a man, I came on the show as a twenty-five year old, I am not the guy that I used to be I am really going to miss her.”

Junior David Bonomo has been watching the show since the start “ Its one of my favorite shows and Monday nights won’t be the same without it.”

Bonomo explains.

Viewers have recently been introduced to the namesake mother, played by Cristin Milioti. HIMYM fans wanted the mother to take over the narration for some episodes, but there is speculation that Ted is still doing it is because in 2030 she is already dead. Tune in at eight pm on March 31 on CBS to say goodbye to one of TVs longest running sitcoms.

By Laura Pasquale Staff Reporter

MTV shared “he [Sheeran] was finally able to finish the album thanks to producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin, who helped him refocus - and eventually rein in the project . . .” The new sound supposedly differs from “+”, but is still uniquely and unquestionably a piece of work by Sheeran.

Prior to releasing the album, Sheeran was against playing some songs early. In an interview withNova11. com, he said, “My fans are so viral at the moment that if I’d play a new song every one of them would hear it.”

British sensation Ed Sheeran was prepared to release his sophomore album on Feb. 17, but for a reason unknown to the public, the new tracks are yet to be divulged. The name of the album, which is speculated to be called “=” after a cryptic tweet by the singer/songwriter, was chosen due to his debut album.

He told the Daily Star, “I can’t call an album ‘+’ and then give the one after a regular name!” Sheeran revealed to The Review that this album is largely based off the personal drama in his life throughout the past two years.

After Sheeran rocketed to fame with “The A Team”, he had the opportunity to meet an abundance of other stars.

There is rumored to be a variety of original collaborations in the upcoming collection.

The big song on the album is a track called “Photograph”.

www.mtv.com

Ed Sheeran new album “=”

Best bets for best picture

By Jackson Sidebottom Staff Reporter

www.sonypictures.com

American Hustle: An actor’s movie. Average storytelling and near comatose pace are overshadowed by wonderful performances from Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, and Christian Bale. Most likely received its majority of votes from the actors portion of the academy for the performances and upon recognition of a notable name and recent academy darling director in David O. Russell.

Captain Phillips: A strong Tom Hanks driven vehicle made for nominations. Tom Hanks powerful and smoldering performance as the title character coupled with the magnificent newcomer and supporting-actor nominee Barkhad Abdi gives the film some healthy support from the actors portion while realist, semi-polished cinematography and true story narrative garners support from the rest of acadamy’s voters. While no aspect of the film is clearly elite, it is very well rounded and strong.

Nebraska: A dark horse in the nomination process, Nebraska made it through to the final field. Starring the accomplished Bruce Dern, it is likely to gain many lifetime achievement nominations. Spectacular storytelling and subtle but bold cinematography ( it was shot in black and white) make the film popular among directors and writers alike. Its small budget and even smaller narrative make Nebraska the closest thing to this year’s independent nominee.

12 Years a Slave: The favorite to win best picture tells a true story that exposes america’s ugly history with slavery. Fantastic oscar-bait story and beautiful cinematography coupled with powerful performances all-around make this film tough to beat out in this year’s field.

Gravity: The Acadamy’s annual best picture nomination for groundbreaking special effects goes to Gravity this year. Gravity is this year’s Avatar or Star Wars, truly visually breathtaking but clearly inferior to the rest of the field in terms of narrative, acting, and direction. While it is visally breathtaking it doesn’t perform as strongly overall as the rest of the nominees in this year’s competitive field.

Supporting lead actor Barkhad Abdi, who plays Abduwali Muse in the movie, is from Somalia and used his African origins to help enhance his character in Captain Phillips.

www.wearefilmnation.com

screenrant.com

How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005 and after nine season the show has run its course and will close on March 31, 2014.

HIMYM is the story about how a New York architect (Ted Mosby) meets his wife.

Mosby (the shows narrator) started telling the story to his children in 2030 about how he came to meet their mother.

Mosby and his four friends

ranging from Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys, ALMA awards, Art Directors Guild to BMI Film and TV awards and Peoples Choice Awards. In total the cast has received fourteen awards.

Josh Radnor who plays Ted explained in an interview on The Talk that he really is going to miss the show, “I’ve been working with them [the cast] for nine years I’m really going to miss them”.

Jason Segal, or Marshall, raves about Alyson Hannigan,

From book to the big screen! 12 Years a Slave is a film adaptation of the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup.

www.warnerbros.com

By Alex Arias Editor-in-Chief

www.sonypictures.com

Last season for fave sitcom

Verve 7

www.impawards.com

March 2014

Turf

March 2014

Baseball

Last year the team finished with a 21-6 record and won their conference. Reflecting on last years season, senior captain Tanner Fulton said, “We had a great season last year and we are hoping to build on our past sucess. We have a lot of good players returning to make this season as succesful as possible,” adding, “I have high expectations for the upcoming season.” Senior Sean Guida looks forward to “being able to play with the group of guys I grew up with for the last time.”

Senior captains Ben Schwartz, Max McDonald, and Jamie Macpherson hope to keep improving their 19-4 record from last year. Reflecting on last year, Ben Schwartz said, “The team’s biggest success last year was probably winning the New Jersey North II Group III State Sectional title,” he adds that, “this year I am most looking forward to the Union County Tournament. Our team has 5 of its 7 starters returning this year and we are really looking forward to making a fire place run in county tournament this year!”

Boys Lax

In the upcoming season the team looks to repeat on their impressive 16-0 season from last year. Senior captain Bobby Moriarty and junior captain Andrew Bowyer hope to lead the team this season. Captain Bobby Moriarty stated, “Our biggest accomplishment last season was making it further then the lacrosse team and into the tournament of champions.” This is the confidence the golf team hopes to carry into the 2014 season. As a team they look forward to, “The back 9 at the tourament of champions.”

Senior captains Sam Bebout, Matt Fischetti, Connor Murphy, and Brian Hadley hope to lead the team this season and improve on their 15-2 record from last season. Senior Tommy Kane looks forward to the season because, “I think we have a really deep defense, a lot of returning players in the midfield, and need to fill some holes on attack but I’m sure there are underclassmen and a couple of seniors to fill those positions. I’m really excited and happy for this upcoming season”

bine, Sam was reported saying, “I just wish (reporters) would see me as Michael Sam the football player instead of Michael Sam the gay football player.”

When Sam made the announcement he knew that

him, his family, or the game he loves. He feels that he shouldn’t be treated any differently than he was before the announcement.

Reportedly, Sam told teammates L’ Damian Washington and Marvin Foster nearly a year ago, and then expressed his sexual orientation to the rest of the team during team building workouts later.

People are wondering if this will change where he’s drafted and if he’s drafted.

However, Michael Sam is an first team All-American, and is projected to be a 3-5 round draft pick. He’s will most likely become the first openly gay NFL player.

Sailing

Captains and founders of the sailing team, Jake Groskoph, Will Elia, Will Berkey, Alex Guior, Amy MacDonald, and Tyler MacDonald are all excited for the upcoming spring season. After becoming team racing state champions during their fall season, there is much anticipation for their success this spring. Senior captain Jake Groskoph explained, “I am looking forward to seeing the progress we have made since we put together the team freshmen year.”

There has never been an openly gay man playing in the NFL. Recently, the NBA has seen that barrier broken. Jason Collins, the 7’0” 255 lbs. center was signed by the New Jersey Nets to a 10 day contract on February 23, 2014.

Now, it’s the NFL’s turn.

Michael Sam, a first team, All-American defensive end is trying to become the first openly gay NFL player.

Not many people knew of Michael Sam until he came out. However, Sam doesn’t want to be known as the gay guy that plays football. In an interview at the NFL com-

“I just wish (reporters) would see me as Michael Sam the football player instead of Michael Sam the gay football player.”

it would cause an uproar in the gay community, and the football community. He didn’t want this to be a burden on

DAVID CONNOLLY Captain of the Winter Track and Field Team

State Section Champs 55M - Group 2 6th place

2nd out of 64 entries of TriState area in Easterners

#1 55M time in NJ as of 2/25 #42 in USA School Record Holder in 55M

“David has been the hardest working sprinter over the last 2 years on the team and has gone from an average to above average sprinter in the state to an elite sprinter nationally. He is dedicated and passionate about his sport and is a leader on and off the track.

It is a pleasure to coach such a motivated and hard-working athlete.”

RILEY FLYNN

Varsity Hockey Player

Over three games this week Riley had 4 goals and 5 assists, leading the team in scoring with 48 points. He was chosen as the Union County Tournament MVP. He was also a first team all-league selection for the second time.

“Riley is an outstanding all around player willing to do whatever we need him to do to help the team. He also has a knack for making big plays in big games.” - Coach Nixon

Photo from espn.go.com

Prospect looks to make NFL history at draft

By Cam Fuoti Staff Reporter

Photo from highschoolsports.com

Spring Track

Last season, the girls spring track team was able to qualify for both the prestigious Penn Relays and Nationals, where the competitors ran the sprint medley and a distance medley that had numerous individual records for the team. Senior Gillian Mcllroy, said, “We have a lot of new talent from the underclassmen, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do as a team in the county and at states!” “I hope we qualify for the four by 800 at Penn Relays this coming season,” junior Amanda Brodow added.

Photo provided by Mr. Groskoph

Golf

Boys Tennis

Photo from highschoolsports.com

Photo from highschoolsports.com

Girls Lax

The team had a solid 18-4 record during last years season with highlights like beating a strong opponent Chatham as well as winning their group finals. Senior Kelly Haberl reflects on last year’s season with highlights like “making it into the Tournament of Champions and finishing the season ranked 3rd in the state.” For the upcoming season junior Olivia Kelly said, ‘I think what I’m looking forward to most is playing with my teammates again and hopefully going even further in the TOC’s than we did last year.”

Photo from highschoolsports.com

Photo from highschoolsports.com

After a successful 20122013, winning the most victories since Summit won 11 in 2000, the team, led by senior captains Kicca Fabricant and Joanna Scott, is looking forward to the upcoming season.

Captain Kicca Fabricant said, “I would say our biggest success was winning our conference and finishing the season with a 18-2 record last season.” Pitcher Kayla Hoesly said, “I am looking forward to playing in a higher division this year with more competitive teams.”

Photo by Nate Bowyer

Softball

Photo from highschoolsports.com

By Meghan Shaw Buzz Editor

Photo provided by Bob Lockhart

Warm weather sports heating up

Athletes of the Week for February 16th to February 22nd

Photo provided by Bob Lockhart

Verve 8

Speaking out! Michael Sam speaks for the first time publicly since annoucing he was gay at the Press Combine.