Vol XV Iss 8 May 2015

Turn to pages 4 and 5 for the annual Senior Car Exposé!

See Globe, page 2, for a Verve Views on memories of Magic Fountain!

Summit High School

May 1, 2015

Volume XV Issue 8

125 Kent Place Boulevard Summit, NJ 07901

Fifty years later, Title IX continues to create opportunities for girls

By Anika Becker Globe Editor

Local athletics always maintain top programs and produce top players in a wide range of sports. One sport that has really flourished as it has become more popular across the country is lacrosse. On the girls lacrosse team alone, there are 10 girls committed to top Division One lacrosse teams at academically esteemed colleges and universities.

The girls Varsity lacrosse team consists of commits across grades 10-12, including schools such as Colgate, Cornell, Duke, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola, Northwestern, Stanford, UNC, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Yale, among others.

Title IX is a portion of the United States Education Amendments of 1972, which mandates gender equality.

This law has evolved and according to Title IX, if a college or university wishes to start a boys sports program, they also have to start a girls program.

This is also true for public high school athletics.

As a result of the law, over 400 men’s athletic programs have been eliminated in order for universities to become NCAA compliant. This has presented girls with new opportunities that hadn’t previously been presented to them.

According to Birch Bayh, cocreator of Title IX, credit for the push for this law goes to his first wife, Marvella. Bayh said “We can’t afford to ignore the development of 53 percent of the brainpower in this country, I had no idea how far that basic idea would go.”

The principle of Title IX is that men and women are equal, and this has opened doors for

millions of women, setting a path in life that they might not have otherwise taken if not for the law.

An example of Title IX at work is at the prestigious Northwestern University.

Northwestern doesn’t have a men’s lacrosse team, but established a girl’s team which developed a strong program over time. Had the law not existed, there would be no lacrosse program at Northwestern , excluding many bright and talented athletes from the school.

Junior Sara Szynal, who is committed to play at Northwestern University, said, “even though Northwestern doesn’t have a men’s lacrosse team, their women’s lacrosse team is a national contender every year. In the future it would be awesome for Northwestern to begin a men’s lacrosse

College Board makes life harder, again

Crunch time! Junior Emily Tulsky prepares for the “new and improved” AP Chemistry exam. Photo Credit: Emily Gao

By Emily Gao Buzz Page Editor

After suffering through the revised AP Biology exam during their sophomore years, junior and senior students are now faced with new and unfamiliar AP US History, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics exams.

Not only are these exams being changed, according to CollegeBoard, effective fall of 2016, most of the STEM AP exams will undergo alterations, such as the AP Calculus exams and the AP Computer Science Principles exams.

The changes are being made to help students develop conceptual understanding, to encourage in-depth teaching

of concepts and skills, and to provide science standards that align vertically with the redesigned AP Science courses.

For the US History, changes will be made to the course structure, targeted themes, defined expectations and exam design.

Instead of 12 themes suggested to structure the course and 28 time periods with suggested specifics, the new exam will test seven big ideas, nine periods organized into three key concepts every period, and students’ historical thinking skills, according to a handout from CollegeBoard. Got that?

According to Carolina Biological Supply Company, the new AP Chemistry exam “changes its perspective from a

list of major topics to a framework of six big ideas.”

In order to concentrate on the new depth of the course, CollegeBoard has issued Exclusion Statements that specify which concepts are no longer required for the exam.

Chemistry teacher Mrs. Jodi Friedman said, “The changes to the exam caused me to focus a little bit more on concepts rather than just calculations. Also, several topics were removed from the exam and others were added.”

Students who are more skilled in math may find the exam harder, as now they must understand more about why the calculations work. On the contrary, students who are not as good at math but better at understanding concepts may find the exam easier.

“I think the changes are annoying, and make everyone’s lives more difficult,” said Junior Emily Tulsky, who is taking the AP Chemistry exam in May. For the next several years, students will be tasked with tolerating similar changes.

This month’s Verve....

Globe...................2 Car Exposé...........4-5 Screen & Sound....7 Opine...................3 Buzz........................6 Turf.......................8

Lax! The 11 girls commited to play D1 lacrosse pose after practice.

Photo Credit: Anika Becker

program- that way everyone could enjoy the sport! Northwestern is a great institution with such a huge athletic fan base that I think both a men’s and women’s team would have great success there. I cannot wait to get there and play for such a respected university!”

Being talented athletes has given students leverage in the college search process.

However the true talent of these students is in the classroom.

Committed to such prestigious colleges, the students still need to maintain certain grade point averages and receive certain scores on standardized tests. The minimum requirements vary depending on the school and their standard expectations.

Students, admins excited as block scheduling to begin

By Rachel Isralowitz Staff Writer

Assistant Principal Mrs. Stacy Grimaldi has confirmed that block scheduling will commence next year.

Under block scheduling, students have six classes each day instead of eight.

Each class and lunch will be an hour.

“There are many pros to the switch in block scheduling including a longer period of time each day in class and the common lunch,” Grimaldi said.

Students with busy schedules support the upcoming change.

“I think block scheduling benefits students like me who can’t fit a study hall into their schedules. The hourlong lunch will be super helpful because you can spend 20 minutes eatting and spend the rest of the period studying or seeing a teacher,” said sophomore Catherine Hassert.

In addition to improving students’ academic lives, block scheduling will offer more opportunities to join

Upcoming:

5/2: SAT @ SHS 5/30: Mr. Summit 5/13: Maroon Room 5/15: Jr & Sr Prom

clubs.

“It’s hard to get people to come to meetings in the mornings because they don’t like to wake up. The afternoon is also hard because everyone has sports and homework. Having the hour-long lunch for club meetings makes it so much easier to get people to come,” said sophomore Amalia Tobias, who runs the school’s Family Promise Club.

According to a November 2013 presentation by Principal Mr. Paul Sears to the Board of Education, 62 percent of staff members favored the move to block scheduling.

Grimaldi is confident that teachers will smoothly adjust to the change.

“There will be some transition for teachers to teach an hour long class for every period, but since they are used to teaching an hour-long class at least once a week, I know they will be able to do an awesome job. In addition, we are planning on some professional learning time for teachers to plan for the change to the block schedule,” she said.

5/19: Athlete Banquet 5/21: Spring Concert 5/25: Memorial Day 5/27: Aw’ds Excellence

Globe

Verve 2

May 2015

Drought still devastates golden state

By Laura Pasquale Screen & Sound Editor

California students adapt to drought! Students in the Living Sustainability program at UCLA plant drought-friendly plants in place of green grass to save water. Many other colleges and universities within the state are making similar alterations in order to save water and help with the mandatory water restrictions imposed by Governor Jerry Brown. Photo credit: UCLA Newsroom.

There is still time!

Top five homemade gifts for Mother’s Day

By Ashley White Screen & Sound Asst. Editor Mother’s day is a time to honor the most selfless person in your life.

It is important to show your mother how much you care about her on the one day out of the year that is not all about her children.

Homemade gifts are thoughtful and perfect for high schoolers with a low budget. Plus, you’ll always be her baby.

Driving Coupons These days, Moms are driving their children in a million different directions. If you have your license offer to drive your siblings to their activities in order to give your mom a break!

A thoughtful card List the top ten things you love about your mom in a thoughtful card that she can save forever!

Breakfast in Bed If you’re not a good cook, you can’t go wrong with cereal!

Homemade cookies Our mom’s are always baking their signature cookies throughout the year, today let’s give them a break and bake them your family’s favorite cookies!

Hand-picked flowers Put together a nice bouquet of flowers that will be a beautiful center piece for her table!

Everyone has heard about the severe drought in California. It’s one of the driest seasons of all time, recorded as the third most extreme drought in the nation’s west according to ca.gov. However, here are some facts you probably didn’t know.

For the first time in the state’s history, California’s Governor Jerry Brown imposed mandatory water restrictions, requiring all cities and towns to cut their water usage by 25 percent. According to the LA Times, the restriction is causing complaints to roll in by the hundreds, urging state officials to reconsider how they would

implement the mandatory statewide water-use cut.

Additionally, California’s agriculture provides roughly 25 percent of US food production, which will make some products more expensive. No other state or combination of states can match California’s output per acre, so the impacts of the drought will be noticeable in the food industry.

According to National Geographic, pumping groundwater to make up for the lack of surface water for agriculture has softened the economic impact of the drought, but groundwater depletion is causing land to sink. Sinking earth reduces the land’s ability to contain floodwater, thereby increasing flood

risks.

A study done by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences states that the drought is expected to cost $2.2. billion with a job loss of 17,100. Additionally, researchers strongly believe the dryness will continue not only through 2015 but also into 2016.

Lastly, President Obama announced $100 million directed to the livestock disaster assistance, $5 million for targeted assistance for hard-hit areas, $60 million for food banks and 600 new sites for a summer meals program, and more. The President’s attention is forcing people to realize the severity of the situation.

Is weather pattern affecting college choice?

By Anna Tselevich Opine Editor California is known to be sunny, green, and beautiful; a very attractive feature to students from all over the world who apply to one or more of the state’s approximately 100 colleges that are situated on beautiful palm-tree-lined campuses. But what happens when those key attractive features dry up?

The drought in California is affecting everyone in one way or another. On April 1, Governor Jerry Brown placed a restriction on water usage throughout the state by 25percent According to a UC San Diego article, “The restrictions will affect households, home builders, golf courses, municipal goverments, college campuses and other groups targeted for water savings.”

California colleges and universities have begun implementing drought action plans.

The main way colleges can begin to implement these, according to an Inside Higher Education article, is through changing landscape.

Senior Keith Morrison who will be attending the University of Southern California said, “It’s not the worst thing in the world. Especially since USC is one of the most well manicured schools in the country, the fact that they will have to do some re-landscaping and be a little more environmentally conscious is probably for the best.”

The restrictions will affect households, home builders, golf courses, municipal goverments, college campuses and other groups - UC San Diego Creating the drought action plans prove to be especially difficult for the California State Universities, whose campuses tend to be much larger and greener. The campuses have been running initiatives with students to help make showers shorter, and to reuse water for improved efficiency. The grass has gotten browner, and the fountains no longer have running water.

Senior Anne Mikkelsen said, “I’ve kind of always known I was going to end up in California for college, so the drought was never part of my decision. I guess I better get used to shorter showers, though.” Mikkelsen will matriculate at Occidental College in Los Angeles for Fall 2015.

Pepperdine University, which was already incredibly water efficient and yet still had to decrease their water usage by 25 percent began to drain all of its fountains, and are unsure on what else they can do.

Senior Claudia Hanley who will be attending Stanford University next year, said, “Well there were no fountains on when I visited campus a few weeks ago, so that was a bummer. It kind of took away from the aesthetics of the whole thing. But otherwise no, I didn’t really think about the drought when it came to making my decision.”

It seems that although the drought may be a serious concern for current Cali residents, it certainly isn’t on the mind of these graduating seniors.

Verve Views: Stand down!! :’( As we await its return.... What do we love about Magic Fountain?

By Megan Shaw

Senior Eric Reyes “I love the strawberry milkshakes. I loved being able to just walk there and refresh myself. ”

Sophomore Bebe Totman

“I loved MF because it was such a tradition and the fact that it’s only open half the year makes it so much more special.”

Freshman Pablo Rojas “Wait, Magic Fountain is closed?”

Senior Zahra Jasdanwala “I love the chipwiches! Chipwich it up!”

Sophomore Jack Bonomo “I love magic blends and love always going during the summer.”

Opine

May 2015

Parking pits neighbors against students for now

By Ryan Blume Staff Writer

The issue of junior parking has been a prominent one since last spring when local residents put up signs declaring that parking on Montrose Rd. would no longer be allowed.

Now a year later, students are being barred from their previous spots and being pushed farther and farther away from the SHS campus, due to parking restrictions that are not backed by any change in city ordinance.

No clear or decisive solution appears to be on the horizon from either city hall, the Board of Education, local residents or the student body.

Juniors and seniors who do not have a parking spot have been parking on Kent Place Blvd.

The potential on-foot commute from car to school for these students is notably longer than the previous hike from Montrose to first period.

Senior track and field athlete Leland Jones said, “I don’t have a spot, so I have to park up on Kent Place. [...] and depending on how late or early I am, sometimes I have to walk 400m or farther to get to the school.”

Since the student parking ban on Montrose, countless students have been ticketed by police for parking infractions

Clogged arteries! Cars parked on Kent Place Blvd. are packing the road, and causing difficulty for neighbors and commuters driving by.

Photo credit: Ryan Blume.

that break new rules that are at the very least, ambiguous.

While most students appeared in court just to plead guilty, a group of students, led by senior, Zach Rissman, appeared at a City Council meeting to voice discontent with the dubious parking restrictions.

While that endeavor led to no solution, several parents have taken up the cause of finding a solution to this parking dilemma.

Lack of student organization can also be considered a factor that led to the initial Montrose parking ban. Students should begin to consider finding their own solutions or at least ways to alleviate stress on local resident problems with students jamming up the neighborhood byways.

For example, students parking on both sides of the road significantly narrow the area, which residents feel is out of line.

Senior student and resident

of Montrose Road, Mitchell Booth, said, “I understand why the students are upset, but they have to understand why residents have more of a right to be upset. I’d be pretty upset if I was an adult resident and some high school kids parked on both sides of my road, turning it into a narrow one lane road and then blocked part of my driveway with their cars.”

Perhaps the implementation of a student enforced “single side of the road” parking policy would allow residents of local streets to empathize with the student body that parks on their roads.

While student organization could help the situation, it will certainly not solve it.

Only with time and cooperation from the City Council, Summit Police, the Board of Ed and students can SHS students hope to see a lasting solution to the junior parking problem.

Counting down with May Day..deposit

By Cam Fuoti Turf Page Editor Seniors have searched all year, trying to find the right place to spend the next two, four, possibly six years. The college decision is one of the most difficult decisions yet.

For some seniors, the search has taken them to other states, and in some cases, other countries.

Senior Adrian Wong said

he will attend NJIT for three years, and then move down to the Caribbean to pursue a medical career.

However, before seniors can be part of something that will change their life, they must put down a deposit on May 1, one of the most stressful days of senior year.

The day can also bring relief. It’s the day seniors like to consider their third to last day.

After May 1, their AP exam

days are the second to last day.

Finally, graduation ends this chapter of life.

Deposit day can bring about emotions we never thought would come along with our college decision.

Senior Ben Powell who will be attending Lehigh University said, “There was a decent amount of pressure on myself. In the end though, the support of my family really made the decision easier.”

Verve 3

From the Editors So it’s May. At this point as seniors we are basically just dying to get out of here. But there’s another part in all of us upperclassmen (well, most of us…) that asks, why not make the most of these last two months? You only walk this way once, and the days are dwindling. It’s time to participate! We won’t have these opportunities with these exact people ever again.

Take a risk! Ask someone on a date! Actually, we take that back. We are not here to offer any romantic advice, you’ve read our Blind Dates. But seriously people, all jokes aside, the time is now. In just a few weeks life will be so much different.

Ok, done with being sentimental for now. Put that on pause.

While we’re still here and have the chance, we have a few things left to complain about.

First, this PARCC/AP business.So not cool. For all the kids taking APs and coming into school while your friends are sleeping, we feel you. It’s a bummer and inconvenient. Not only that, but it’s left a lot of kids asking the question, “Why are being punished for taking harder classes?” Look, valid point. We’re equally as annoyed. But a wise teacher (shoutout to you Mr. Seid) told his class last week, “you guys are lucky to have this opportunity to learn more and become more prepared to do your best on this exam.” #TRUE. Ok, so I know we told you we came here to complain this time, but honestly I’ve got nothing. The man’s correct. Calm down people, not everybody is out to get you. Maybe if you quit whining about being too lazy to wake up and actually appreciated the free opportunity to study, you’d realize what a gift this is. But PARCC still stinks. That’s all.

So now back to the sentimental stuff. Last issue we thanked our Verve staff, but this issue we wanted to thank our Verve readers! Dear faithful fans, you guys rock. We hope we make you laugh, at least every once in a while. Maybe? Also, while we’re at it, shoutout to the haters (you know who you are) who think we need some “adult supervision”. We’ve got this under control. Love ya’ll!! Peace, love, Hilltop Nation.

Senior asks Editor-inchief to prom

By Andrew Helmer Staff Contributor

Recently the Verve was named one of the top student run newspapers in the country, so I thought it would be an honor to be able to ask my date to prom this way.

Thanks to the lovely Verve staff I was able to completely fool my date Ellie Schaffer, who just so happens to be the co-editorin-chief of the paper....

Gotcha! So, Ellie, will you go to Prom with me?

Summit Senior High School 125 Kent Place Boulevard Summit, NJ 07901 Staff Reporters: Editors-in-Chief:

Meredith Robertson Ellie Schaffer

Managing Editors:

Carly Leiter Megan Shaw

Metro News Editor: Ethan Mandelbaum Globe Editor: Anika Becker Opinion Editor: Anna Tselevich Asst. Opinion Editor: Jackson Sidebottom

Entertainment Editors: Ashley White Laura Pasquale Buzz Editor: Carly Leiter Sports Editor: Cam Fuoti Asst Sports Editor: Dan Montgomery Art Director: Ryan Blume Circulation: Sophie Lees Kaitlin Stewart

Ryan Blume, Spencer Frey, Ben Henning, Emily Hurley, Rachel Isralowitz, Sophie Lees, Matthew Mormile, Caroline Phillips, Marielle Rogoff, Kaitlin Stewart Principal: Mr. Paul Sears Assistant Principals: Mrs. Stacy Grimaldi Mr. Michael Lapotasky Adviser: Mrs. Anne Weisgerber English Supervisor: Mr. Corey Walsh

Photo used with permission of Andrew Helmer

May 1, 2015 Volume XV, Issue 8 shsverve@gmail.com

Verve is funded by a grant from the Summit City Board of Education and print subscriptions. As of publication, Verve’s circulation is 600, including 320 print subscribers.

Verve is printed at School Publications Company in Neptune, NJ, and digitally archived at Issuu as shsverve.

Verve is a publication open to the opinions of its readers.

Please submit all letters to shsverve@gmail.com.

Letters must be signed, and will be subject to editing for space, grammar, and factual ac-

curacy; however, all efforts will be made to preserve the writer’s intent. Libelous and inappropriate writing will not be published.

If Verve has made an error and a correction is warranted, the editors take reader feedback seriously and will promptly deal with concerns. Reader corrections welcome at shsverve@ gmail.com Views expressed in Verve do not necessarily reflect those of Summit Senior High School’s administration, faculty, staff, or other students.

Verve Senior

4 Verve

For the Class of 2015 Car ExposĂŠ, over 100 seniors joined the edito After counting the almost ninety re

dy Glynn

Sickest Rims: Ka

Most P

aranoid

: Will C

urrie

Most Likely to Break Down: Hunter Wyckoff

Best Driver: Jack McCarthy

Coolest Car: Bryan Bolivar

Eco-friendly: Maddy & Trevor Ashmun

Gas Guzzler: Anthony Campanelli

r Car ExposĂŠ

Verve 5

orial board to vote for their classmates in ELEVEN different categories. esponses, these students are the winners.

orm: Brian Cantillo Most Likely to Transf

Dankest Smelling: Chris Garrison

Best Sound System: Kyle Brown Best soccer-mom car: Abin Alexander

1. Convenience 2. When your spot is still there when you come back from unassigned 3. Assigned Spots 4. Safe-zone...you know what we mean 5. Random donuts

1. Juniors 2. Snow banks 3. Assigned Spots 4. Pot holes 5. Jackson Sidebottom

Worst

Best

Top 5 Best and Worst Things About The Senior Lot... you decide...

Thanks Seniors, stay safe!

Buzz

Verve 6

May 2015

By Kaitlin Stewart Staff Reporter In addition to the common electives like Art and Photography, new electives will be offered in the 2015-2016 school year. A few of the new electives are Graphics Engineering by Design, Computer Programming Principles and Speech and Debate.

In order to create a new elective, the board needs to approve the proposed idea, the class needs a designated teacher, and enough students

these kinds of subjects before they go to college.”

The Computer Programming Principles elective is an advanced course that requires taking the AP Computer Science A exam.

The teacher of this elective, Mr. Weinfeld, says, “The Honors Computer Science Principles course provides our students with the opportunity to learn the history of programming by learning how to code in five different languages. It is an essential course for students who wish to pursue technology related majors in college.”

The new electives being offered this year explore more college related topics that students will be interested in taking prior to graduating.

The introduction of these new courses has been a success so far because a large amount of students have added them to their schedules for next year.

McDonald’s comes through, serves breakfast all day

By Ethan Mandelbaum Metro News Editor On March 30, McDonald’s made breakfast enthusiasts ecstatic, announcing a trial of breakfast all day in select locations. Unfortunately, most of the trial restaurants are in California. However, if the trials go well, they will proliferate nationwide.

Previously, if a breakfaster didn’t arrive between 5:30 and 10:30, they were out of luck. Because McDonald’s only has so much grill space, it only serves breakfast during extremely limited hours.

Sophomore Davis Hausman said, “On Saturdays after a long, hard lacrosse practice, all I want is an Egg McMuffin.

However, my practice runs past 10:30 am, when McDonald’s stops serving breakfast.

If they had breakfast all day, I could satisfy my cravings.”

Excited about the prospect of breakfast all day, Verve did a taste-test of breakfast sandwiches at the McDonald’s in New Providence.

The taste test The Egg McMuffin: McDisappointing (Rating: 2 stars) I was extremely disappointed by the McMuffin. It seems that you can never turn on the television or radio without seeing or hearing an advertisement for the Egg McMuffin. It seems that there is a reason that McDonald’s needs to advertise so heavily for this sandwich. My Egg McMuffin was served on a half-stale English muffin that most certainly was from ShopRite. It tasted like a Thomas’ English muffin that had been sitting around a kitchen for a week, then attempted to be toasted and served. More importantly, the sausage (or Canadian Bacon as they call it) was firm and tough to chew, and made me lose my appetite. I would suggest an Egg McMuffin without the sausage (just with egg and cheese).

The Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit: A McClassic becomes McMediocre (Rating: 3.5 stars) This sandwich was very average. The biscuit was pretty good, better than the English Muffin. The bacon was exactly what you would expect McDonald’s bacon to be. Not great, but not that bad. I enjoyed the first few bites, but after eating half of the sandwich it became very bland. This may be because I was about 700 calories into my journey.

If you aren’t an adventurous eater, this sandwich is a safe

bet. However, you better eat lightly for the rest of the day if you start your day with one of these, as they contain 460 calories.

The Steak Egg & Cheese Biscuit: The McUnderdog steals my heart (Rating: 5 stars) I loved this sandwich (the closest I’ll ever come to being McLovin’). The Steak & Egg combo was a dark horse all along; I knew it had the potential for greatness. After my first bite, I was hooked.

The steak tasted like a burger patty, however, it went beautifully with the egg and cheese.

It tasted fresh and was filling (not the best thing for me, after eating two sandwiches already). This is the only sandwich that receives the Verve stamp of approval. I would eat these every day if I didn’t need to worry about my arteries.

The Coffee: I thought that McCools was an Ice Cream Shop (Rating: 4 stars) The one thing I wasn’t worried about was the coffee; I expected to get a hot cup of joe to wash down my heart attack. After taking a seat and a sip, I was highly disappointed.

While it wasn’t cold, it was lukewarm at best. At 8 a.m., one would expect the only constant at any restaurant to be hot coffee. Other than the temperature, the coffee was rich in flavor, and I would suggest it so long as you are eating in McDonald’s, as you can always send it back for a hotter cup.

Photo by Ellie Rogoff

need to sign up. If not enough students are interested in the elective then it will not be offered in the following year.

Junior Caroline Wohl, who is scheduled to take the Speech and Debate elective says, “Taking the Speech and Debate elective is not only a good opportunity for me to refine my individual research skills for the school debate team, but an even better way to teach and develop the skills in our developing debators.”

The Graphics Engineering by Design elective is an online course where students interested in engineering or design can work on STEAM based projects using computer software. Students will also be challenged to solve problems that occur in everyday life.

Guidance counselor Ms. Day says, “Not many high schools offer programs in the STEAM field. Here we offer electives that focus on math and science to give students exposure to

PARCC! Sophomores Anna DiSibio and Abby Claus study in the auditorium after opting out of the April PARCC testing.

By Ellie Rogoff Technical difficulties were Staff Reporter not the only thing causing

From April 27 to May 1, Summit High School’s students in grades nine, ten, and eleven took the PARCC assessment for the second time this year.

According to Summit’s PARCC information brochure, the test’s purpose was to assess the Common Core State Standards in English and Mathematics, in hopes of gaining an evaluation on students’ success and making sure they are well prepared for college. Also, according to the PARCC website, this test would help to identify any students who may be falling behind in their academics and need extra assistance.

Unlike other standardized tests, this exam was done electronically on the school’s Chromebooks.

Freshman Amy Martino faced serious technical difficulties when her class was testing in the computer lab.

She said, “During my second day of math, the power went out in the computer lab so we all needed to restart the test.”

problems for students. Missing valuable class time was detrimental for many as well, especially those in AP classes, preparing for the upcoming exams. “I need to do well on the AP test for AP Language and Composition, meanwhile I also need to waste my time on taking the second round of PARCC when I could be alloting this time to study,” said Junior Casey Andrews.

There were be a few changes to the schedule for this upcoming PARCC exam. Instead of having classes during testing, anyone not taking a test that day was allowed to come in at 10 am. The schedule for normal classes was also changed.

However, those in AP classes were required to come to school at 7:40 each morning for AP exam review.

In order to refuse the test, the student’s parents had to email Mrs. Grimaldi. Then, the student was placed in a study hall (they couldn’t come in late or see teachers during the testing time).

I’m Lovin’ It?

Ethan Mandelbaum, Metro News Editor of Verve, did a taste test and said...

“It seems that there is a reason that McDonald’s needs to advertise so heavily for this sandwich.”

“I enjoyed the first few bites, but after eating half of the sandwich it became very bland.”

“I loved this sandwich (the closest I’ll ever come to being McLovin’).“

“Other than the temperature, the coffee was rich in flavor...”

Photos by Ethan Mandelbaum

Photo by Emily Gao

New School Year Brings New Electives PARCC Round Two

Screen & Sound Boxers prepare for It’s okay to take a break highly anticipated and get some work done Las Vegas match

May 2015

Verve 7

By Kyle Brown Contributing Writer Laura Pasquale Quickly approaching is the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Entertainment Editor

By Dan Montgomery Staff Reporter

Pacquiao fight on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Looming as one of the most anticipated fights in boxing history, the two pound for pound greats will finally face off after years of speculation and the realistic possibility that the bout would never happen.

“I’ve been waiting for this fight for so long. It will be well worth the price to watch it on pay-per-view,” senior Andrew Weiss said.

Fight Week! The MGM Grand Garden Arena has prepared for this event by publicizing “Fight Week,” in which other boxing matches lead up to Mayweather and Pacquiao’s. Photo Credit: MGM Grand Las Vegas

According to MMA Media, the match will cost a viewer $95.95 for what will end up being the richest fight in boxing history.

Each boxer is clearly excited to showcase their prowess on the largest stage boxing has to offer.

In article on ESPN, by boxing expert Dan Rafael, Mayweather said, “Giving the fans what they want is the main focus.

This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport.”

Senior boxing enthusiast Peter McKinlay said, “At first I thought Mayweather would wipe the floor with him, but now I’m rooting for the underdog Pacquiao. He’s been waiting for this one for a while now, and I think he’ll give Floyd all that he can handle.”

I often find myself drifting into the vast world of the Internet and wasting hours upon hours of my time, when I could be studying, reading an interesting book, or just being productive. If kids had less time to waste on Facebook and Youtube, our generation could do incredible things.

Leisure time is defined as any period of time during which work is not required. It is time that is supposed to be spent easing the mind and relaxing. However, most teens go directly to their television or computer as soon as they find themsleves with any downtime. Instead of going right to watching these mindnumbing reality shows, simply reading a good book can go a long way in enhancing memory and vocabulary.

According to Pew Research Center, reading habits among the US population have been on the decline. A Pew survey reveals only 76 percent of Americans ages 18 and older reported reading at least one book in the past year.

If our generation used the hours spent in front of the television or computer to read, the world would be much better off. Studies show significant negative effects of television addition. Television addicts experience a traquilizing,

In the same article by Rafael, where he met with both Mayweather and Pacquiao at a Miami Heat game back in January, Pacquiao said, “I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world.”

However, Money Mayweather didn’t fail to put in his two cents from a personal standpoint.

“I am the best ever,” Mayweather said to Rafael. “And this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win. Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won’t be successful. He will be number 48.”

It should be a great one come May 2nd.

numbing effect when indulging, causing them to relax, become drowsy, and then desire to watch more television. Other studies, focusing on the effects of a television addiction have revealed that kids feel passive and drained of energy after the television is turned off.

According to the US National Institute of Health, “Excessive amounts of time at a computer can contribute to obesity, undeveloped social skills and a form of addictive behaviour. Although rare, some children with seizure disorders are more prone to attacks brought on by a flickering television or computer screen.”

However, no data suggest that television viewing causes weakness of the eyes.

The results of a poll from 100 random Ypulse subcribers initiated by Verve shows that a

slim 10 percent of people prefer to trade their leisure time for any form of school work, despite the negative affects associated with excessive usage of tevelvision and computer screens.

With the recent major leaps in technology, teens are spending less and less time reading books. If parents were to utilize the parental controls on computers that allow them to limit the amount of time spent online, beneficial effects may arise. In fact, getting this leisure time reduced may benefit many kids by allowing them to fully utilize their mental capacities.

Next time I find myself with nothing to do, I will think twice before flipping through the channels on the television and remember that life is much more than a screen.

ripped out, seen through the new Directioner trend in which they post photos of themselves crying on social media platforms to demonstrate their reaction or feelings in response to Malik’s decision.

lik’s wax figure in at Madame Tussaud’s London has been assigned a tissue attendant to aid the hundreds of weeping fans that sit at it’s feet.

“We’ve had a delivery of of 150 boxes of tissues over the weekend so we’re prepared,” Grace Chadden, assistant for the One Direction exhibit at the museum told Yahoo UK. Malik won’t be absent from the music industry for long, though. It is rumoured that he has already began working on his own solo music project. These rumors were then supported on March 30 when Naughty Boy, a music producer for many major artists, leaked a Soundcloud link for a demo of Malik’s first solo song, however, the song was removed almost instantly.

Directioners will just have to wait and see what the future holds for the band and Malik himself.

Popular boy-band loses fifth member

By Emily Hurley Staff Reporter

Face off! Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. (left) and Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao (right) gear up for what may be the biggest fight of their lives, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Photo Credit: MGM Grand Las Vegas.

Technology! Juniors Jackie Shepard and Dylan Glasser use the computer for research rather than taking advantage of the library’s resources. Photo Credit: Laura Pasquale

Directioners everywhere are mourning Zayn Malik’s departure from the band - literally. On March 25, One Direction announced that the band is now a four person gig.

Suspicions were raised prior to this announcement, when Zayn flew back to England from their Australian tour to give him time to alleviate stress. Shortly following, he announced his decision to leave the band.

“I am leaving because I want to be a normal twenty two year old who is able to relax and have some private time, out of the spotlight,” Malik explained.

He apologized to the millions of fans he knowingly let down, but he had to do “what felt right in [his] heart.”

Fans, however, are not responding well. Many feel that they have had their hearts

1D! Despite leaving the group, Malik is still featured on the band’s website. Photo Credit: One Direction Music

One Direction Spotify streams have also risen 769% as fans remember the band’s glory days. In addition to the increase in music plays, Ma-

Verve 8

Spring season updates

Turf

by Caroline Phillips Staff Writer

Junior Kayla Hoesly

Senior Andrew Helmer

Girls varsity lax team

Senior Leland Jones

Senior Amanda Brodow

Varsity baseball team All photos courtesy of nj.com

With the majority of sports teams having winning records so far, it is clear that students’ dedication and hard work is paying off.

Both the boys’s and girl’s lacrosse teams have winning records.. The same goal every year is to win the Tournament of Champions, both teams are feeling optimistic about the season.

Sophomore Varsity girl’s player Delaney O’Dowd said, “We lost a tough game in the TOC last year and this year we’re hoping to just work really hard and trying to do all of the little things right so that we can give ourselves the opportunity to play that game again.”

The baseball team’s record is 10-7. Senior Charlie Pacilio has been honorably mentioned by team members. The team hopes to win the conference and continue a strong run through the state tournament.

The golf team, led by Villanova commit Andrew Bowyer, has continued to get better. The team is hopeful that their dedication will continue to show as they prepare for the conference, county, and state tournament.

The boy’s tennis team continues its winning tradition. Led by Sonoma State recuit Christian Barrett, this team will be a force throughout the state tournament.

The girl’s softball team had a tough start but is on the rise after quality wins against Scotch Plains and Union Catholic.

Sophomore Casey Nardino said, “I think our team will do much better because we are all so close to each other so the atmosphere is really positive.”

The boy’s volleyball team lost a few important players who had graduated last fall, but the team hopes to have a great season this spring. They play one of the toughest schedules in the state.

This will pay off later in the state tournament.

The sailing team has been practicing since all of the other spring sports have, despite the low temperatures and the reality that they might be a little wet and cold at practice.

Junior Varsity sailor Sarah Elia said, “Our team is looking to continue our success from our fall season, especially as we compete in larger and more competitive regattas.”

The boy’s and girl’s spring track season has been going well for many of the runners.

Sophomore Varsity runner Claudia Piron said, “We have a strong team, so we’re feeling optimistic.”

Both the boy’s and girl’s teams were successful at the Penn Relays. Led by a core group of seniors, the track teams are favorites to contend for a state championship.

May 2015

Contending for CLASS award

Score! Terry McKenna during a game for Holy Cross.

Photo Courtesy of goholycross. com

by Matt Mormile Staff Writer

Congratulations to alum Terry McKenna of Holy Cross, who has been nominated for the senior CLASS award. The CLASS award is given to a college senior athlete who excels both on and off the field. According to seniorclassaward.com, CLASS stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. It is a prestigious and rare honor.

McKenna is currently a senior midfielder who found out about his nomination from the Holy Cross athletic department. He is now one of 10 finalists for the prestigious award, and would be the first Crusader student athlete to win.

McKenna’s stats are im-

pressive. As a senior in the maroon and gold, he recorded 34 goals, 14 assists and 70 ground balls. He was a three year member of the Varsity lacrosse team, leading the team to a group two state championship in 2011.

In his senior year, he was a captain and named team MVP. McKenna was also the senior captain and MVP for varsity soccer and basketball along with being a national merit scholar.

He continued his lacrosse success in college and according to tapinto.net, McKenna earned Second-team All-Patriot League, as well as offensive player of the year in 2014. He is active with the Big Brothers/ Big Sister program.

McKenna said “A large part of my high school memories are definitely about my experiences in athletics. That being said, academics was also part of my life especially in math and science in High school.”

He also credits teachers and Coach Davidson as influences .

Ballots for the CLASS award are sent throughout the nation to media, coaches, and fans. Voting ends May 11, so go to seniorclassaward.com, click on the link and cast your vote for Terry McKenna to win the senior CLASS award.

*All records updated as of Monday, May 4.

Everlasting Sports network pioneers new look

by Spencer Frey Staff Writer The way the media covers sports is evolving. Companies like ESPN are trying to make reporting more viewer friendly. Their latest attempt at helping with viewership is integrating social media into reporting.

Social media is a fad that won’t go away, and the sports world is taking advantage of that. Many teams and players have Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to connect with their fans on a broader scale.

On these pages teams can post pictures from games, live updates on scoring, or even just an article about a player.

ESPN’s new website makes social media an integral part of the website experience. There is a live twitter feed that has tweets from all

different athletes, and teams.

Along with adding the Twitter feed, ESPN took the top stories off other websites to accompany the newsfeed and the usual place of scores.

Sophomore Tyler Tomlin said, “I don’t really like the new website. There is way too much going on and if I want to read a simple game preview I can’t because the website has so many new features.”

Senior Hunter Miller had another point of view, “I really like the new website. ESPN did a great job of realizing that the world is evolving and unless they evolve with it they

ESPN’s new framework for its front page. The change resulted in much questioning from avid viewers.

Photo used with permission of espn.com

will fade into the background.

But I also want to say that I think it was great that they added other websites stories so you can get more than one point of view.”

The new ESPN website is similar to the popular website bleacherreport.com.

Senior Brian Cantillo said “The first thing I noticed was that it looked very similar to Bleacher Report.”

ESPN realized it was necessary to change their website to be more user and social media friendly. This new website will become the face of ESPN for a long time.

All Aboard! For the past few years the girls lacrosse team has cranked out numerous college athletes. The team already has over 10 athletes committed to play college lacrosse. Working together, pushing each other to the limit, and constanlty perfecting their game defines the girls lacrosse team.

Illustration by Sophie Lees

Have you committed to a school for a sport?

Let us know at shsverve@gmail.com