October 2014

OCTOBER 2014

THE

HIGHLAND

VOLUME LXIV, ISSUE 2

FLING

Frack Off, Gas-holes!

Gab Rosenthal & Camryn Kozachek

O

n September 21st, more than 400,000 people gathered in New York City for the “People’s Climate March,” to protest, arguably, the biggest problem facing the United States and the entire world. Worldwide, 2,646 similar events took place in 162 different countries that day. The “People’s Climate March” was organized by 350, an organization started in 2008 which operates campaigns and grassroots projects in 188 countries.

The march began at Colombus Circle, and its course passed by the United Nations Headquarters, where world leaders prepared to gather for a climate summit which would occur two days later. Participants spanned over 30 blocks and included a varied cast of characters, each passionate about one or many climate-related issues. Represented were hundreds of organizations such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, as well as student groups from a large variety of colleges. Elaborate signs denounced fracking (drilling for natural gas), eating meat, the keystone XL pipeline, nuclear power, and more. Throughout the day, marchers and spectators saw many demonstrations, including a drum line, cardboard fists pumping to music in synchronization, and a John Lennon tribute sung by a horde of people in bee costumes. LGBT protesters supported the cause with complex costumes and handheld signs bearing phrases like “fruits for fruit.”

Participants came to the march from all over the country, driven by their strong belief in the need for climate legislation. One protester, Rebecca Ruggles, expressed enormous concerns for the health threats prompted by climate change, especially in her home state of Maryland. “The work that I do is that I run the Maryland Environmental Health Network, so I’m really concerned about the impact on people’s health because of climate change. There are things like, we’re seeing more mosquito borne disease now, as a result of the weather being warmer, and wetter in the northeast, so that allows more mosquitoes to breed faster. Also, the tick population has grown, so that’s one of the examples of how our health is affected. We’re also getting a lot of pollution from the dirty energy from the fossil fuel sources like fracking and coal fired power plants. In Maryland we have a lot of coal fired power plants and we really need to be moving to wind and solar energy in order to not have so much air pollution, so that’s another reason why I’m really concerned about climate change.”

INSIDE

Hailing all the way from Boulder, Colorado, another marcher, Corey Catuna, shared her hopes for the influence of the march. “I’d like to see a bunch of little pockets of people start up in their communities with a lot of passion and also something bigger, like you know how the UN Climate Summit is happening? And I think what’s kind of unique about this march is that whatever the UN says or whatever they come up with, we’re happy to go in the same direction. But if they’re still delaying, we got 200,000 people here that are like, word, we’re going to just keep moving, you guys can come along with us if you want, but for now, we’ve got priorities! We’ve got priorities and if you don’t want to hop on board, we’ll move along and invite you whenever you’re ready. So I want to see a whole bunch of people just taking action in their

Power in numbers Protesters join together to push the environmental agenda.

communities, spreading the word, being like, really nice, and happy, but also like, no, you don’t get to put a fracking well in my backyard. I’m going to go stand out there until you leave. You know what I mean?”

Highland Park students were also represented at the march. Sarah Liebau ’16, the head of Highland Park High School’s environmental club, attended, stating that, “It was a really great event to show that climate matters. There’s a lot of people in our generation who care but don’t really do anything, so this is a big thing to do... I think we could have gotten a little bit of a better reaction... we didn’t get the media’s attention enough.” Owen Fessant-Eaton ’15, also attended the event, saying , “It was fun being in New York and being with all the like-minded people. I know a lot of organizations responded by de-investing in carbon emitting energies, so that’s certainly a good result.”

The Climate Summit, which took place at the United Nations two days after the march, proved how much influence the protest had. World leaders gathered, and as per the request of Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, proposed significant actions against climate change, including donating to the Green Climate Fund, notably reducing carbon emissions, and switching to sustainable energy sources, among other ideas. Other important steps were made by corporations. The Rockefeller Brothers foundation announced that it would no longer invest in fossil fuels, and Cargill, America’s largest privately held corporation, promised to turn some of their branches completely sustainable.

Obama announced that, with China, the US would take ambitious steps towards climate change. A climate deal is expected to be signed during next year’s summit in Paris. Until then, it is unclear how much of an impact these promises will make.

FEAR ME. I AM SHARK. Hailey Conrad ‘15 and fellow Climate March protester shed light on ocean acidification, which threatens all marine life.

(Photo courtesy of Environmental Club)

news

opinion

feature

arts

sports

Capone’s Farewell

The ISIS Issue

Arthur Raps

(p. 2)

(p. 5)

(p. 6)

The Newest Nintendo Games

Girls Soccer Goes Blue

(p. 9)

(p. 11)

2

news

Biblical Time to the Present:

An Overview of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

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he conflict between Israel and Palestine has deep religious roots. While religion does not play a huge role in discussions today, the conflict as a whole can be traced back to biblical times. Basically, the story goes that God promised one of Abraham’s sons, either Isaac or Ishmael, the city of Jerusalem. While Jewish texts say that the city was meant for Isaac, Muslim texts argue that it belonged to Ishmael.

Palestine was occupied for hundreds of years by the Ottomans, really until after WWI when Great Britain established the British-mandate of Palestine. The British expressed an interest in creating a Jewish state for the 10% of Jews living in Palestine. From the 1920’s to 1930’s, with increasing discrimination in Europe, many Jews moved to Palestine, and tensions between the Jews and Arabs continued to rise. In the summer of 1929, clashes between Arabs, Jews and British police resulted in 133 Israelis dead, and 110 Palestinians dead. Palestinian leaders called for the end of Jewish immigration to Palestine later that year, which did not happen.

Following the Second World War, the United Nations proposed a partition plan to resolve the conflicts in Palestine. This plan gave 56% of Palestine to the new Jewish state of Israel, and 44% of the land to Palestine, leaving Jerusalem in an International enclave. In November of 1947, 33 UN nations, many from the Western world, voted in favor of this partition, with essentially every Arab state voting in opposition.

Eventually a ceasefire was agreed to, and an armistice line created what are now Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, which was divided into East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem. West Jerusalem and Israel went to the Jewish state, Gaza went under Egyptian military control, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem went to Jordan.

Arab nations created the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1964, with the goal of creating a free Palestinian state.

The PLO was seen as a terrorist organization by the US and Israel, even though

Becca Chant they obtained observer status in the United Nations in 1974. Following an agreement with the UN in the 90’s to recognize Israel’s right to exist peacefully, the PLO has now been officially recognized by the Israeli government as the representative of the Palestinian people In 1956, British, French and Israeli forces lead a military campaign in the Suez Canal in Egypt. During this campaign, Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, and was later moved out by the UN. In 1967, Egypt ordered UN troops to block Israeli shipping routes, one of the direct causes of the Six Day War. During this time, Israel re-captured the Sinai Peninsula, as well as Gaza, the West Bank, and Golan Heights (a region in Syria). Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1979 following a peace agreement after many bloody conflicts, including the Yom Kippur War in 1973, which left 8,500 Egyptians and Syrians dead, and 2,600 Israelis dead. In 1979, Israel reached a peace agreement with Egypt, returning the Sinai Peninsula to them.

2 months after the last Israeli troops left Sinai, Israel invaded Lebanon in June of 1982, prompted by the attempted assassination of Israeli ambassador to London by a Palestinian group, Abu Nidal. In 1987, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza began an uprising in the form of civil disobedience, followed by a response from the Israeli Defense Forces that left 1,000 Palestinians dead by 1993.

Tensions seemed to be on the decline, in 1994, thanks to a peace treaty between Palestine and Israel that required Israel to withdraw forces from most of Gaza and parts of the West Bank. However, negotiations for this treaty were almost derailed, as a Jewish settler opened fired on a group of praying Muslims in the West Bank, killing 29. The treaty itself contained many flaws, and in 1995 Palestinian militants fired bombing attacks on Israel, and Israel responded by attacking the militants on the ground. A second peace treaty came lat-

CoNTESted territory Border conflict in the Middle East disrupts civilian life.

er that year, dividing the West Bank into several zones, 7% under total Palestinian control, 21% under joint Israeli-Palestinian rule, and the rest under Israeli control.

The United States has long been an ally and supporter of Israel, and since the 1970s Israel has been a top recipient for U.S. foreign aid. This past year, the U.S. gave Israel around 3 billion USD, under the condition that 74% of the money be spent in buying American military defense equipment, training and services. Israel also receives aid from American corporations and personal contributors, as many people are concerned with attacks from Palestine. Some Americans are disturbed that America supplies this much aid to Israel, like Senior Gus Fessant-Eaton, who states, “The United States needs to cut foreign aid to Israel until serious talks for a two state solution happens and Israel stops settling in the West Bank: currently Hamas is only supported because it’s the only group that takes action for the Palestinian people, even if it is terrorism, and will lose the support of the Palestinian people if Israel allows independence”.

In 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu became the Prime Minister of Israel, a right wing politician who many Arabs disliked for several anti-muslim policies he pushed. Throughout the 2000s, death tolls rose and tensions increased, including a re-occupation and withdrawal of the West Bank. Hamas, a Palestinian organization with a military branch, was formed in 2005. While Hamas represents many of the interests of the Palestinian people, they also have anti-Semitic sentiments which make their attacks extremely personal to many Israelis. This year, the Israeli Defense Force officially launched “Operation Project Edge”, to respond to rocket from Hamas. The death toll has hit over 2000 in Palestine, and somewhere around 70 in Israel. Senior Lena Copperman spent the first semester of her Junior year abroad in Israel, and tells the Fling, “I talked to some Israelis about the conflict, and there was a mix of perspectives. A few were saying that we should keep fighting until the Palestinians surrender, but most just want peace as soon as possible. Really all of the Israelis were overall concerned about what was happening on both sides.” While numerous ceasefires have been called, none have last more than a couple days, and any long-term peace agreements appear unattainable.

Farewell to Capone

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he biggest discussion in the Highland Park community last year was about our previous Superintendent, Timothy Capone. It was a fully inclusive discussion that involved all members of the Highland Park community. The conversation in our schools largely revolved around Capone’s decisions and the changes that were being made to our school district.

Students joined parents and staff at Board Meetings, and the Highland Park Education Association organized public demonstrations on Main Street that made its way to the NJ.com news website. As time went on, the community’s sense of confusion and frustration in regards to Capone’s actions were soon replaced by a unified clarity; they wanted his resignation.

It’s a sensitive topic that some were reluctant to discuss. However, many more were eager to join in on the discussion and it encouraged several community members to become active participants in the Highland Park BoE Meetings. Attendance at Board Meetings increased drastically; parents found themselves surrounded not only by teachers and staff, but by students as well.

Michelle Fan Capone has been criticized time and time again for the lack of communication between himself and the community. It was his poorly-received decision to lay off nine staff members, two of them active Union members, that especially confused and upset the community. Many believe it was done on purpose. “He fired all possible opposition when he got rid of the union reps,” says Gus Fessant-Eaton ’15.

Why were these staff members laid off, and so abruptly? What were the reasons behind this decision? Laying off the Union President seemed to be a very obvious anti-union sentiment, and the justification for such action left parents and students alike displeased and unconvinced. “As a result of the actions Capone had taken, a few teachers and personnel have left the district,” Student Board Rep Vivek Puduri ’15 confirmed. Capone’s decisions had ultimately disruptive consequences. Unsatisfied with his explanation for the layoffs, nearly 400 community members attended the Board of Education meeting in November 2013 in protest.

THE HIGHLAND FLING, OCTOBER 2014

The Highland Park community could not find valid justifications for many of Capone’s actions, and were not given any, either. The ranks of displeased, frustrated parents and staff only grew with every passing board meeting. Hundreds assembled together in June 2014 on Main Street to demand action in regards to the Superintendent and his decisions. Looking back on the past year, it seems the separation was inevitable.

The Board of Education held a Special Meeting on August 18, 2014. It was on this night that the separation was made official; the agreement was written out by the President of the BoE, Daniel J. Ross. Superintendent Capone’s employment officially ended August 31st. He was paid $112,766 as part of the agreement. The cost of the separation and the employment of an interim Superintendent were to be covered by the budget created for Capone’s salary, which was explained in the document detailing the split. “The Board anticipates no negative impact on the current year budget as a result of the separation,” said Ross.

Now that Superintendent Capone has officially resigned, it feels like the issue is over, dealt with; we’re finally done. But our Interim Superintendent, Israel Soto, voices additional concerns. At a recent Board Meeting on September 8, 2014, he brought up scheduling issues, and the lack of specific staff members.

So the discussion continues.

“We have much work to do,” says Mrs. Kimberly Crane, an art teacher at Bartle Elementary and president of the Highland Park Education Association. “We need to put our schools back together.”

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news

The Rise of ISIS

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he Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (a.k.a. ISIS) has recently topped most news channels. However, few understand how the strife between the United States and the infamous terrorist group began. ISIS originally emerged as a splinter group of Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group that plotted the 9/11 attack on the twin towers. The relationship between them was described as “a matter of mutual interests [rather] than of shared ideology.” In February of 2014, Al Qaeda destroyed any ties with ISIS after the preceding months of internal turbulence with its counterpart in the region. Within the timespan between June-August, ISIS proceeded to cause unrest by using a variety of attacks to seize control of the vast majority of the region.

ISIS employed many tactics in its arsenal, mainly focusing on surprise attacks to inflict maximum casualties and instill fear before withdrawing to avoid heavy losses.

One of the most successful raids included the assault on the prison of Abu Ghraib, which housed many detained senior members of terrorist groups. The assault freed approximately 1,000 inmates. After taking control of two major cities in Iraq, Mosul and Tikrit, the Pentagon decided that it was time to act. In late June, the U.S. government added 300 troops to the existing troops stationed in Iraq, bringing the total of soldiers in the region to 800.

Maverick Lin & Jake Callahan Another major attack by ISIS included the attack on Jonah’s tomb, a mosque that is one of the few religious sites in the city of Mosul. ISIS destroyed it after disallowing worshippers from entering. On August 19th, 2014, a video posted on YouTube showed the beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley; in the video, the groups threatened to kill another U.S. journalist.

A month later, ISIS went through with the threat and beheaded journalist Steven Sotloff. After believing that the worst was behind, the beheading of a third innocent (a British man named David Haines) caused the United States government as well as governments worldwide to take immediate action. In the video, the executioner warned Britain to end its relations with America or have another death on their hands. The United States began a new air strike operation, targeting ISIS strongholds and targets. So far, the United States and her allies have conducted at least 227 airstrikes in Iraq and 59 airstrikes in Syria.

ISIS’s main goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate, which encompasses an Islamic state led by a supreme religious and political leader. The United States and fellow allies will do anything to prevent that from happening.

Some people might wonder how ISIS pertains to the daily lives of American citizens. ISIS represents a global threat. If this

flag of terror The black banner reads, “There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.”

extremist group continues to expand, they will begin to exert influence over global affairs, ranging from economic policies to social behaviors. If ISIS manages to convert certain countries which hold significant economic value in the global network, economic repercussions will reach every corner of the financial world and affect

the daily lives of Americans. Furthermore, innocent people in ISIS controlled regions will be placed in danger. ISIS has already shown its ruthless nature by executing innocent people. However, it is still up to debate on the certain procedures to deal with this growing threat.

Recap: Spirit Week 2014

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pirit week is a tradition among many high schools all around America. Yet, at Highland Park High School, it’s a whole other level of intense competition among the classes. This year, spirit week was composed of many twists and turns, but in the end, the seniors emerged as the winners as in previous years.

Monday, October 6, marked the beginning of Spirit Week. Over three hundred students could be seen entering school in cozy pajamas, loose sweats, and fluffy robes. Several students, like Sendy Martinez ’16, even felt compelled to bring along a favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal. The juniors, with the highest percentage of participants, took first place.

However, their victory was short-lived as the Seniors and Sophomores quickly caught up, pushing them back to third place, with the freshmen wrapping up in fourth for Superhero Day. Despite the competition, all grades showed their Owl spirit. For example, Monica Aspy ’17 dressed up as Link from the Legend of Zelda. Simon Garcia ’16 showed off his superpowers dressed up as Wonder Woman. Spirit was not just demonstrated by students but also by the staff. Mr. Gold, for example, was dressed up as Tony Stark (Iron Man).

The third day of spirit week was Crazy Hat Day, and students could be seen with an assortment of hats, ranging from winter hats to sports visors. Some students even went so far as to wear hats/headbands that lit up.

The following day was Decades Day, in which each class dressed up to represent their specific decade. The Freshmen represented the 70’s, the Sophomore the 80’s, the Juniors the 90’s, and the Seniors the

Sendy Lin 60’s. Students wore tie-dye, flannel, plaid, tunics, and more. Seniors stole the win with the most participation.

As any other year, the ultimate and most intense day of spirit week was Friday: Color Wars and Spirit Hall unveiling. Each class wore their designated colors and had a selected group of volunteers design their spirit hall the previous night according to their assigned decade. The Seniors had the best spirit hall out of all the classes; it included features and significant events of the 60’s such as the treaty of the Vietnam War and man’s first step on the moon in 1969.

As usual, the pep rally wrapped up the day by recognizing the sports teams for their accomplishments and having the classes compete in a series of events, including the hula-hoop challenge, human pyramid, and the tug-of-war. Overall, the winners of spirit week were the Seniors; Sophomores came in second, Juniors came in third, and Freshmen came in last. President Chris Zhou was satisfied with how spirit week progressed and was glad to see the “participation, especially from underclassmen.”

FRESHMAN FERVOR The class of 2018 shows support for their pep rally team.

On Saturday, the Owls played Keyport for the homecoming game and came close to winning with a score of 12-14. During the time of the game, Student Congress as well as student helpers busily decorate the Homecoming Dance, which would begin shortly after. President Zhou said, “The dance took a lot of planning, probably 2-3 weeks in advance.” However, the preparation paid off because everyone certainly enjoyed it.

SENIOR SPIRIT 15 Spirit Hall decorators celebrated their final hallway with a tribute to the 1960s.

OCTOBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

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opinion Butt Off

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naconda is a euphemism for penis, and Nicki Minaj’s hit song yields the power of female body image to all the “Anacondas” of the world. Essentially, she validates the false right of men to establish ideals of beauty and marginalize every woman who fails to fall within the confines of these standards. Lyrics like “He keep telling me it’s real; that he love my sex appeal; Because he don’t like ‘em boney; he want something he can grab” saddle women with a responsibility to please men, to provide them with a lush body with which do as they please.

Now that’s just wrong.

Sadly, Minaj’s song exhibits a new trend of body-shaming in the media which increasingly confiscates the right of self-determination from female individuals and places it in the hands of the rest of the world. Rising alongside the ideal of willowy slenderness characteristic of runway models, an archetype of the perfect woman with wide hips, a large bust, and a small waist threatens to disrupt the playing field even further. The number one song on the Hot 100 Billboard charts, “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor, hides behind a thin veil of body-justice, but promotes the idea that body image relies on external factors, like male approval, rather than internal self-reflection. Trainor urges women to love themselves, to celebrate their curves and the “boom boom that all the boys chase”. But why can’t women love themselves because they are independent, compassionate, kind, and hard-working?

Why can’t we celebrate because we love ourselves, not because other people do?

Jana Choi Trainor’s lyrics go so far to say, “Yeah, my mama she told me don’t worry about your size. She says, ‘Boys like a little more booty to hold at night.’” If my mom were to affirm my worth through the channel of male approval, my blood would boil. I’m not trying to discredit sexual attraction between two people, but a woman’s job is not to stimulate pleasure in men. Not every woman is going to have a big butt, or a tiny waist, or an hourglass shape, or a thigh gap. These pillars of beauty which inspire hashtags with hundreds and thousands of “perfect” bodies sway young women to believe that they must satisfy standard criteria to be considered attractive and sexually appealing.

These pop culture sensations are not easy to ignore. By sexualizing women’s bodies and portraying an entire sex in the eyes of the other, they endanger the psyche and sexual health of a generation of youth who grow up with these influences constantly swirling around them. Unbelievably, even Jennifer Lopez, a 45 year old mother of two, contributes to society’s tumble down a slippery slope with the recent release of “Booty” feat. Iggy Azalea. Not even attempting to disguise the intentions of the song, “Booty” encourages men to take the women they see, because it’s their prerogative. Lopez directly addresses a male audience, crooning, “The way she moves; I know you want her; She like the fire, get you right; That’s the lightning in the thunder; You wanna meet her, you wanna touch her; Hold on tight for the ride; Cause you know you’re gonna love her.”

What’s noticeably lacking here? What about this anonymous woman’s consent?

The unnamed woman, whose only defining characteristic is a large butt, subordinately serves the dominant man who Lopez addresses, because he wants her. Lopez, the mother of a 6-year old little girl, promotes rape culture by removing the involvement of a woman’s voice in sexual relationships.

She rewards the male viewer with this affirmation of his supremacy and her scantily clad, gyrating hips in the song’s music video.

Moreover, this genre of pop culture raises questions about progress America has made in the fight for LGBT rights. While champions of the cause have succeeded in turning the tides of legislation, the LGBT community continues to be sidelined by popular culture, especially songs like “Anaconda”, “All About That Bass”, and “Booty” which restrict sexuality and positive body-image to the heterosexual framework. Each song adopts a hyper-sexual male view of female bodies and reflects ignorance by completely disregarding gay and lesbian relationships.

selves. They normalize a culture of male dominance from the female perspective, communicating that this type of behavior should be the norm. They contribute to the break-down of feminism and make it okay for women to judge each other, on top of the scrutiny from men. Every society is guided by popular culture and its musical influences. Unfortunately, this does not bode well for burgeoning generations of youth. In a time when the biggest aspiration a girl can have, according to the music scene, is a big butt, one has to question the future of our society.

DOES THIS MAKE MY BUTT LOOK BIG (ENOUGH)?

My anaconda don’t... care.

Perhaps the most disheartening message of this trend is that Minaj, Trainor, Lopez, and Azalea are all women them-

Better ChocoLATE Than Never.

It’s never too late to buy chocolate.

TO JOIN THE FLING

If interested, fill out the pink slip located on the bulletin board next to the main office and hand it to Mr. Roche in Room 110.

THE HIGHLAND FLING, OCTOBER 2014

Support the Class of 2016 Please Contribute to Our Fundraiser

by Purchasing Delectable Chocolates

5

opinion JAKE’S TAKE

MAVERICK’S MINDSET

On the Ground

Drones Only

Jake Callahan

Maverick Lin

I

t is a popular opinion that using air strikes to defeat the greatest threat America has faced in the past decade would be a more peaceful and more efficient way to defeat ISIS. However, this is untrue. This battle can only be won by a combination of soldiers’ effort as well as the destructive power of airstrikes. The thing is, sending troops to fight this battle may be a costly endeavor, but there is no price for freedom. Two innocent American journalists were killed without due process in Iraq. This is an unacceptable act of terrorism and must be stopped before more innocent American lives are taken. Speaker of the House John Boehner has said himself that at some point, America needs to use troops to defeat this threat. ISIS is an organized group of barbarians killing anyone whom has any relation to America. This can be seen through David Haines’

beheading. Additionally, ISIS is taking away religious freedoms in the region.

This can be seen through their capture of 140 schoolboys from a school in Syria.

After their capture, ISIS proceeded to force the children to learn about radical Islamic theology. Furthermore, they captured and destroyed a religious site (Tomb of Jonah) because they did not want anyone believing in a different religion than that they support.

Day by day, ISIS continues to take away freedoms in the Middle East. The United States of America is a country that desires freedom for the whole world; but how can this be achieved if we allow a group in the Middle East to continuously take freedoms away from innocent people? The only way to cure the ISIS pandemic is to use maximum force to fully eradicate the disease and its symptoms.

editorial board editor-in-chief managing editor layout editor news opinion feature arts sports

Jana Choi Sarah Cheng Jisu Jeong Rebecca Chant Amita Shukla Shana Oshinskie Tia Wangli Annie McCrone

advisor

Brett Roche

I

SIS grows stronger by the day. The situation in Syria continues to spiral out of control. A recent poll shows that 73% of the people approve of the United States’ airstrikes in Syria and Iraq. Furthermore, 60% of the people oppose the sending of American boots on the ground. I am completely at peace with the idea of no boots on the ground.

Looking back at the War in Iraq, Americans undoubtedly feel no obligation to engage in another long and drawn out battle. Recent estimates place the total cost of the War in Iraq around $2 trillion of taxpayer money. Another crucial factor involves the number of fatalities among American soldiers, which totals around 4,500 deaths. That is 4,500 families who lost someone in the war.

Although the fight against ISIS is undoubtedly a turning point in the war on terrorism, the United States must find a way to reduce the number of lives lost.

And they have. The new era of warfare has begun.

This new battlefront no longer involves soldiers prowling around with M16s or M9 Berettas, using the cover of the darkness to seek and destroy targets. No. This modern warfare involves the use of hightech equipment, such as drones. The enemy will have no target to shoot at, no target to fight. Obama understands this and will use this as an advantage. He will not risk any more American lives to fight ISIS. By issuing airstrikes, he will be able to severely cripple ISIS operations and infrastructure by destroying high value targets. Owen Fessant-Eaton ’15 at agrees with Obama: “We should not engage ISIS on the ground. The harder we try to fight terrorists, the more terrorists we will produce.” I firmly believe that keeping our troops home remains America’s safest yet most efficient way in combating this rising extremist group.

writers, illustrators, & photographers Gab Rosenthal, Camryn Kozachek, Michelle Fan, Sendy Lin, Jake Callahan, Maverick Lin, Jamie Atschinow, Adelina Branescu, Olivia Estes, Dawn Park, Olivia Bridges, Eli Copperman, Elisha Eanes, William Chen, Amiri Tulloch, Warren Yee,

the official newspaper of highland park high school highland park, new jersey 08904 . thehighlandfling@gmail.com . issuu.com/thehighlandfling . facebook.com/hpfling OCTOBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

6

feature Childhood Revived

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Shana Oshinskie n anthropomorphic aardvark and an up-and-coming rap artist have one very important thing in common: the children’s show Arthur.

Arthur, however, transcends its label as a children’s show.

It is the second longest-running animated show on television (after The Simpsons), and the ninth longest running children’s show overall, surpassing both SpongeBob and Rugrats.

Beyond its duration, Arthur has received tremendous critical acclaim, winning 6 Emmys and being nominated for an additional 39.

The number of new episodes and awards contribute only slightly to the legacy Arthur maintains. Google tracks it as one of the most talked about children’s shows on the internet. An unofficial Arthur Read Twitter account has 25 thousand followers, eclipsing Elmo and Big Bird’s accounts by far.

Numbers alone do not make up all the evidence for Arthur’s legacy. Eighty percent of Highland Park High School students watched Arthur as a kid as well. Michelle Fan, ’17, one of those individuals and a self-professed Arthur lover, describes what made the show special for her: “I think one of the things that really stood out to me as a kid, even if I wasn’t fully aware of it at the time, was the diversity in the show. The characters were so different from each other but they were all so interesting. I especially loved the episodes that talked about other counties and cultures because it made me feel so connected. As a little kid I figured I could just learn everything from Arthur, and I’d be set.”

“Wonderful Everyday” blends the lyrics of “Believe in Yourself” with melodic background voices, spiraling synthesizers, and jazzy trumpets. It is studded with an all-star cast of producers and musicians, including Wyclef Jean and Jessie Ware. It has also received plenty of attention: Buzzfeed, Reddit, Rolling Stone, and US Weekly have all covered or reviewed the song.

Not every review is favorable though—a lot of hardcore Arthur fans think that the song does not pay proper homage to the original theme song. The melody and lyrics of the original song appear sporadically through “Wonderful Everyday”, and the final verse, though related to Arthur’s message, bears little similarity to “Believe in Yourself”.

This recent trend of traditionally younger pastimes being tweaked with and reused is happening with fierce intensity. Adventure Time, SpongeBob, and Disney movies are all still popular among teenagers now not only because of their content, but also because they provide the familiarity of a simpler time in everyone’s life.

However, the popularity of the song also depends heavily on its creator, Chancelor Bennett, better known by his stage name, Chance the Rapper.

Another piece of evidence proving Arthur’s lasting relevance to all ages is the newest remix of the Arthur theme song, “Believe in Yourself”. Chance the Rapper, an up-andcoming rap artist, released his latest EP, Sox, five months ago. The premier track, “Wonderful Everyday”, has amassed almost 2 million plays on SoundCloud and an additional 750,000 from the various versions on YouTube.

A Tale of Two Halloweens

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Adelina Branescu & Olivia Estes

alloween, also known as Hallow’s Eve, has been around for quite some time. A plethora of advertisements for costumes and talk of candy surrounds us every day. On October 31st, children are seen parading the streets in their creative disguises. The Fling talked to two Highland Park residents to hear their opinion on this very popular holiday.

The Fling found Luke McCarty (‘18), sitting at a crowded lunch table munching on an apple and sandwich. He was eager to answer our questions. Later that day, The Fling found Mr. Sclafani outside on the turf, eager to lecture his students about respect and to order them to do another round of push-ups. He didn’t mind taking a break to answer The Fling’s questions.

Where did you grow up, and did you celebrate Halloween?

Luke McCarty: I grew up in Highland Park. Yes, I did do Halloween.

TS: Oh absolutely make them. Buying them’s like cheating. You can’t buy ‘em—make ‘em!

What was your favorite candy when you were a kid?

LM: Hershey’s chocolate bars.

TS: Well, I don’t eat candy too often, but M&Ms (laughs).

Okay, so do you go trick or treating, or do you give out candy?

LM: I still go trick or treating.

TS: Actually, a little bit of both. I got out with my son Dominic. But see, my house is the only one people want to go to. Everyone in town goes to my house. It’s worth walking from here to where I live. I give out sacks of candy.

Sounds fun. If you could change anything about Halloween, what would it be?

What’s the coolest costume you’ve seen anyone wear?

LM: I would really like it if adults who gave out candy didn’t go to bed so early. They get upset if you go to their house later in the night. Like, come on, it’s Halloween.

You should have expected it.

LM: Okay… so… I really liked the people with those suits all in one color. Yeah, those are pretty cool.

TS: I wish people gave out healthier things, not just candy, which isn’t really good for you.

TS: Coolest costume? My cousin Mark wearing a mummy costume. I thought that was pretty cool. Oh, and my son TJ. He went as The Joker [from Batman].

In the end, what do you think the purpose of Halloween is?

Mr. Tom Sclafani: I did celebrate Halloween. Of course.

Free candy! I grew up in Brooklyn.

Do you prefer making or buying costumes?

LM: Um… I enjoy making them, but usually it’s a lot of work and I end up buying costumes.

THE HIGHLAND FLING, OCTOBER 2014

LM: Well, originally it was a religious day, but now it’s so kids can get candy.

TS: To have fun!

Chance, only 21, has already had a tremendously successful career. Rolling Stone and NPR chose his most recent mix tape, or album, Acid Rap, as one of their top 50 albums of 2013.

Like many of the most successful rap artists, Chance had a difficult upbringing, in Chicago’s South Side. Among other events, Chance witnessed his best friend’s fatal stabbing. The tragedy inspired the song “Missing You” from the EP “10 Day”, an album written and recorded while on a 10 day suspension from school. He also volunteered in President Obama’s campaign and began creating his music on the laptop he was given at its conclusion.

Chance has a small but dedicated fan base in Highland Park. Micah Gartenberg ’16 explains that he listens to Chance’s music not only because his voice is different from almost any other artist, but also because he is relatable in a way that most others aren’t. “I can connect to the fact that he’s so young,” Micah says, “and the fact that his lyrics are more about everyday life than most mainstream rappers who get caught up in themselves and their fame.”

The combination of Arthur and Chance’s fan bases along with the “nostalgia factor” create the almost universally loved “Wonderful Everyday”, a song lauded not only by critics, but also by Highland Park students. When it comes down to it, though, the song is not just admired for its creator or its inspiration, but for its relatability to young people. In the hook of the song Chance proclaims “It’s a simple message, and it comes from the heart. Oh, believe in yourself, for that’s the place to start”, a message of self-love and encouragement taken directly from “Believe in Yourself”. The end of the song fades out with a powerful message of what it means to be young and resilient in the face of difficulty: “I’m gonna get by when the going gets rough, I’m gonna love life ‘til I’m done grown up, and when I go down I’mma go down swinging, my eyes still smiling and my heart still singing.”

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feature

Halloween Blondies

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Jamie Atschinow & Camryn Kozachek

veryone looks forward to different parts of Halloween, from trick-or-treating to dressing up in crazy costumes. But what happens when the costumes are all put away, paper turkeys start appearing in store windows, and you still have a pillowcase full of candy bars left? Iris Liu ’18 confesses, “It sits in my closet until I have to throw it out.” Rather than letting it go bad, put leftover Halloween candy to a more exciting use. If you’re in the mood for a soft, sweet treat, try out this recipe for blondies. You can easily sell these delectable baked goods at a school bake sale, or if you’re taking the SAT this fall, keep them for yourself as a post-test reward.

If you don’t have a knack for baking, don’t worry. There are plenty of other ways you can keep your leftover candy from going to waste. Halloween candy can be donated to the troops through programs like Operation Shoebox and Operation Gratitude. Or you can always follow in the footsteps of Gabi Glueck ’17 who, when asked what he does with his leftover candy, simply said “I eat it.” No matter what you choose to do with your extra sweets, know that now you have, at your dispense, a variety of great options! When it comes to your leftover Halloween candy, don’t follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Reyes ’16, who claims “I usually throw it out.” Repurpose all those sweets for fun that last beyond October 31st.”

Serves 16 Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes Prep Time 15 minutes Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 12 fun-size Snickers candies, quartered (feel free to exchange this for any other type of candy bar)

Directions Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-in. square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated; fold in the Snickers.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the blondie cool completely in the pan. Using the overhangs, transfer the blondie to a cutting board and cut into 16 bars.

OCTOBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

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feature

Club Roundup: 2014-2015 Olivia Bridges Are you a new freshman? A recent transfer student? Interested in developing a new hobby? Whichever category you may fall into, clubs at Highland Park High School are eager to increase their membership and meet your enthusiasm. The choices are as good as endless, with offerings about learning science, dancing the day away, building set designs and robots, saving the world one fundraiser at a time, and even perfecting your ping-pong talent. If any appeal to you, talk to an advisor or a club member about joining. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Dead Center – Literary Magazine

The Albadome - Yearbook

Mathletes

Advisor: Ms. Marionni

Advisor: Ms. Krubski & Ms. Marionni

Advisor: Mr. Moore

Meetings: Mondays, lunch, room 206.

Meetings: Fridays, lunch, room 108.

Meetings: Wednesdays, room 136

“The Dead Center Club is coming back from the dead! Our staff is planning on creating an annual literary journal and holding monthly coffee houses/open mics at the high school library. If you are into any of the arts and want to help resurrect Dead Center, come join the club. If you want to perform or just be an audience at a coffee house, talk to me or Mrs. Marionni in Room 206.”

“The thing about the yearbook, is that its a piece of history. The reason it takes too much time and love is that we capture all the little moments of the year - the team captain’s pep talk before the winning game, the late nights of debate at RUMUN, and the exuberance of spirit week. Yearbook is about putting together text boxes and pictures, but its also about compiling a story that is worth telling.

“Mathletes is a club about promoting critical thinking through mathematics. People interested in solving complex math problems with basic knowledge in Precalc, Geometry, and Algebra II should join, as well as people interested in eating free pizza. Competitions are once a month on Wednesdays in Mr. Moore’s room where he will take us on a bus to another school to compete. To join, contact Mr. Moore for a signup sheet.”

-Anna Minakhina ’16

Amnesty International

-Jana Choi ’15

-Thomas Li ’16

Robotics

Chemletes

Advisor: Ms. Wilson

Advisor: Ms. Maharana

Advisor: Ms. Stephen

Meetings: Wednesdays, after school

Meetings: Fridays, 2-5pm, HP Public Library conference room

Meetings: Thursday, 2:50-3:30 pm, Room 262

“Amnesty International works towards gaining justice in countries around the world by letter writing and raising awareness. Anyone interested in human rights should come join!”

-Lara Perez-Curran ’15

Ping Pong Advisor: Ms. Holman

“ No matter what you are interested in there is something for you to do. If you like building things, or problem solving, or art, or digital design, or photography, or public speaking, or creating presentations, or finances, or math, or writing, and definitely science.

The process of creating a robot, building it, testing it, and presenting it are all very involved and if you really dedicate yourself to the club you can learn more, and about all different things, than you would have ever thought. We want Highland Park Robotics Club to get a reputation as a school that is a really strong competitor in robotics competitions - how cool would that be?”

-Hailey Conrad ’16

Meetings: Tuesdays, after school, gymnasium “Play ping pong? Tuesdays after school in the gym, the magic of table tennis is brought to the eager wielders of paddles. Come forth for weekly practice and occasional tournaments! Brought to you by Ms. Holman of the Teen Center, Amar Venugopal, and me.”

Competitions: NJ SeaPerch Regional, Panasonic Creative Design Competition

-Shu Chen ’15

Hands Forward (TBA) Rina Mischel ‘16 and Olivia Bridges ‘16 wish to start a community service club focusing on ameliorating the livelihood of fellow New Jerseyans across the state. Nothing is concrete as of yet, but if you are interested in the prospect of joining such a club in the future feel free to voice your support to either student!

“Chemletes is for students that wish to compete against schools in our division in chemistry. Students take a 25 multiple choice question test once a month.

It’s just like mathletes, but with chemistry. Any kids who want help with chemistry should join, as well as kids who want help taking tests. Practice for tests and zone in on chemistry skills!”

-Ms. Stephen

Tech Crew Advisor: Mr. Presty “Tech is about being creative and having fun. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge you have coming in to the club. You have to be dedicated; it is a big time consumer. Other than that if you’re really enthusiastic about it, it’s really fun. There’s carpentry, which build the sets, lighting, sound, props and costumes. During the musicals we also have a pit, who provide the music.”

-Samuel Lee ’15 and Ethan Bull ’17

Questions for Guidance

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ur school’s guidance department has recently experienced a total revamping: with the transfer of Mr. LoBianco last year to the middle school, and the departure of Ms. Longo the second week of this school year, things have certainly been hectic. Longo and LoBianco have been replaced by Ms. Melissa Hayes and Ms. Kristen Alpaugh. For those of you who still haven’t really figured out what’s going on, the Fling met with Ms. Alpaugh to discuss how they got here and where they want to go from here: What led you to counseling?

Ms. Alpaugh (KA): I worked in public relations before attending graduate school for counseling. I always knew that I was meant to work with students and I am especial-

THE HIGHLAND FLING, OCTOBER 2014

Amita Shukla ly interested in the college and career aspect of the job. It was the best decision I ever made to switch careers.

What are some resources at the guidance office that most students don’t know about/don’t take advantage of?

Career interest inventories are excellent resources to see how your personalities and abilities can translate into possible careers. They offer great insight and can help narrow down possible majors. NJCAN.org has many of them.

Any advice for those applying to college this fall?

Stay organized! Keep track of all application and

scholarship deadlines, transcript requests, and teacher recommendations. Your counselor will help you with the process; we welcome you to stop by any time for help.

When you go on college tours try to sit in on a class, go to a sporting event, speak to a professor, and eat in the cafeterias. Trying specific things like that will give you a better perspective on what the school is really like.

You have a unique chance to revamp the guidance department. Are there any changes or improvements you’re going to make?

Definitely increasing technology. If anyone has suggestions about what they would like to see in the guidance department, we welcome your input!

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arts

All Aboard the Hype Train

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ook out, Nintendo fans, the hype is about to fire up! This year, famous gaming company Nintendo will launch various new games that have captivated awaiting fans since first hints of their release. Since 1989, Nintendo has entertained us with video games and familiarized us with its iconic characters, like Mario and Kirby. Now, they continue to excite us as they launch updates about the latest new games that will come out this year and in 2015. Whether the news arrives from Facebook or Twitter, every bit makes our expectations for these game soar. It has excited quite a number of our students in Highland Park!

Those that enjoyed playing Nintendo’s previous games will also enjoy playing updated remakes that contain new installments. Pokemon introduced a remake of their old games with Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Pokemon fans who loved the Ruby and Sapphire versions will enjoy the upcoming 3D game with new “mega evolutions” and updated character design.

Make sure to get it on November 21st!

Dawn Park

Meanwhile, Legend of Zelda will not only be reinvented for the 3DS, but will feature a new sequel for avid gamers, calle A Link between Worlds.

New from the franchise is the all-star game, Hyrule Warriors, which introduces new characters and brings back the classics for even more fun.

Hillel Adiv ’15 says, “The new games are a popular series and its new installments will probably make it look great. I think they’ll be better than the old ones, so it makes a good balance.”

With these “new games”, Nintendo has successfully hyped fans by tying old and nostalgic ideas into new and updated reboots.

But the game that sparks the most hype is none other than Super Smash Bros 4 (SSB4). The original Super Smash Bros has been popular for many years and its other versions, Super Smash Bros Melee and Super Smash Bros Brawl were huge successes; it is no surprise that many people are excited for the fourth edition.

From classic character veterans such as Mario and Link, to newcomers including the Wii Fit trainer and Shulk, new surprises fill fans with high expectations. “To me, the games are appealing because there are classic characters that are interesting. I also think most of the characters are pretty cute,” comments Nicolas de la Cruz ’15, “I’m also expecting SSB4 to be something big and crazy.”

SSB4 not only has a variety of gaming modes from classic brawling to all-star,

but also brings back mini games with new updates along with an online tournament against other gamers. The 3DS version was released on October 3rd, allowing gamers a chance to finally take it for a spin. Jacob Patterson ’16 shares his experiences, “So far, it’s great. It’s better than SSBB. I’m definitely getting the Wii U version when it comes out.”

The Wii U version will release on November 21st and until then, everyone can only eagerly anticipate new updates and new surprises.

The Maze Runner Has Run to the Big Screen

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n 2007, speculative fiction writer James Dashner published a well-known novel, The Maze Runner, which received great reception from both book critics and readers. Kirkus Reviews described the novel as “Hard to put down, [it] is clearly just a first installment, and it will leave readers dying to find out what comes next.”

A few years later, director Wes Ball adapted the book into a movie with fresh actors: Dylan O’Brien (The First Time), Kaya Scoldelario (Skins), Aml Ameen (Kidulthood), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Phineas and Ferb), Will Poulter (We’re the Millers). Overall, critics have given it positive reviews with Rotten Tomatoes rating it at 63% and commenting, “With strong acting, a solid premise, and a refreshingly dark approach to its dystopian setting, The Maze Runner stands out from the crowded field of YA sci-fi adventures.” Yet does the movie bring out the same adventurous appeal and setting as did the book, or will this go into the pile of disgraced movie adaptations movies like Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and The Last Airbender?

Many people have considered the book and film to be structured in a similar style as the Hunger Games and Percy Jackson franchises, since they all are action-adventure novels with a main character participating in a special event or tournament. However, the movie itself is not only different from those books but also has a very nice premise and setup. The story follows sixteenyear-old Thomas, portrayed by O’Brien, who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is. Soon, he learns that he has been delivered to the middle of an

Eli Copperman intricate maze, along with a slew of other boys who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth — all while establishing a functioning society in what they call The Glade. As the movie goes on, viewers see and learn more about the maze, about Thomas and the rest of the boys, and about why this unusual society is forming. The only flaws with the movie are that it can get a bit confusing at times and leave out some important scenes from the book, but those can just be considered nitpicking since the execution makes it worth the watch.

If the movie’s connection to the book’s premise is well put together, then so are the characters. The main character, Thomas, at first has no idea why or how he got into the maze area but becomes more developed through flashbacks. British actress Kaya Scoldelario plays the pretty (and only) girl left, Teresa, and plays the part beautifully.Other characters with compelling features include Alby (Aml Ameen), the kind but serious leader of the Gladers, Newt (Thomas Sangster), the main gardener who always follows orders, and Gally (Will Poulter), the seldom bad tempered 2nd in command and antagonist. Others like the main Runner, Minho (Ki-hong Lee) and Chuck (Blake Cooper), the youngest Glader, might be forgettable at first, but become interesting over time and assist in explaining more about the maze itself and the Gladers’ inability to leave. However, without their development and personality, the characters would have been nothing The movie received a $34 million budget for its production, and it was put to good

use. The visual effects are one thing that people will love about this movie, from the design of the maze itself, to the design of the interior, to the design of the Grievers (nocturnal maze monsters that resemble a mix between scorpions and blade legged spiders). The concept designs were made by designer Ken Barthelmey in post-production, and he did his job very well. Not only were the visuals just eye-popping, but the cinematography by Enrique Chediak was also very beautiful and gorgeous to get into, even if it did look slightly generic.

So far the movie appears great but there are a few flaws it contained, such as the confusing plotline. At the beginning, the boys do not clearly tell Thomas much about the maze or why they are not allowed out, which is eventually explained later on.

Also, as interesting and fun to watch the characters on screen, they don’t feel developed enough. Finally, there are some differences between the movie and the book, like the absence of some periphery characters.

Overall, The Maze Runner is a superb film with a nice connection to the book, with the exception of some plot holes. It contains well executed maze events, beautiful effects, and some very interesting characters. For those who loved the original book

by Dashner or any recent action-packed adventure film like Oz:The Great and Powerful or How To Train your Dragon 2, then this is will not be a disappointment.

But one question remains: Will the book’s sequel, The Scorch Trials, be as good as the first?

OCTOBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

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arts

Album Review: V Elisha Eanes

PLAYLIST Tia Wangli & Amita Shukla For a lot of us, this is the busiest time of year. This airy alt-indie playlist is the perfect musical replacement for the unwinding you don’t have time to do.

Maroon 5, a widely-known American pop band, released their fifth studio album in late August. This was a source of excitement for their avid listeners, who expected laid-back instrumentals and techno rhythms, such as those from the single “Sunday Morning”. Fans were shocked however, when hit with the catchy tunes and faster tempo of V. Scan the QR code to listen to the entire album on YouTube.

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“Two Weeks” - FKA Twigs

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“Take Me Home” (Acoustic)-Cash Cash ft. Bebe Rexha

“Lego House” -Ed Sheeran “Float”-Pacific Air “Bloom” (Eklo Remix)

-The Paper Kites

“Belong to the World”

-The Weeknd “Goddess”-BANKS “After the Fall”- Kodaline “Octa Hate”-Ryn Weaver

“Animals”: Another popular song, this has already found its way into Kia commercials, and can be seen for a limited time on Youtube’s “Trending Now” page. The talented singer warns his lover that he is currently in pursuit of her.

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“In Your Pocket”: Sad to say, this song is a drag and filler for the album with its repetitive lyrics and basic message. Levine lazily informs his girlfriend that he knows she is cheating.

“New Love”: Although “New Love” flows smoothly into verse, chorus, and verse again, it also becomes another song to skip rather than to listen to. With an anti-climactic chorus, it just does not have that bouncing feel the band’s older albums have displayed.

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“Unkiss Me”: This song is set at a considerably slower pace than the others in the album and is a great song to slow dance to when a heart needs to be unbroken.

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“Sugar”: Reminiscent of a Katy Perry hit, “Sugar” is asking for a little sweetness and not much else through its mellow guitar chords and a high-pitched chorus.

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“Leaving California”: In this tune, Levine desperately begs his significant other not to leave with a promise not to let go of her.

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“The Wire”-HAIM

“Maps”: Kicking off the album, this song contains a lot of the band’s trademarks such as a peppy beat and Adam Levine’s smooth vocals.when hit with the catchy tunes and faster tempo of “V”.

“Coming Back For You”: This song has the potential to appear on the season finale of a television drama. It hasn’t made a big wave, but it is catchy enough to keep devoted fans coming back to it.

“Feelings”: This song is in the same category as Maroon 5’s more modern songs. With the shallow lyrics of today’s pop songs, and the trademark grooving instrumentals that has brought the group its fame, this is a decent song to mix up in a club.

“My Heart is Open”: Another slow jam, this song features Gwen Stefani in a sweet duet with Levine. The chorus in “My Heart is Open” contains piano chords that resemble “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey and breaks your heart with its simple harmony.

While V shows newer trends that imitate modern chart-toppers, Maroon 5 still manages to keep some vintage style in play. Chris Zhou ’15 says of “Maps”: “It’s got the classic Maroon 5 flow. Adam Levine is incredible.” Zhou went on to say that while he does not follow the band religiously, he tends to pick up on their songs whenever he sees them on iTunes top 100.Overall, the new album is a skip and a hop away from being on every teen’s iTunes list, but doesn’t quite make the cut. With trendy songs and even trendier techno rhythms, Maroon 5 tossed what we thought we knew about their style out the window.

“The Love Club”-Lorde

WHAT IS THE ALBADOME? “Out of My League”- Fritz and the Tantrums

“Such Great Heights”-The Postal Service “Under Control”-Parachute

“Stars and Boulevards” -Augustana

THE HIGHLAND FLING, OCTOBER 2014

Photos of the craziest moments A snapshot of friendship a history of the year Of winning games Of school pride Of teamwork of us.

the yearbook is OUR OWL SPIRIT

Purchase an albadome because it is worth it.

See Mrs. Krubski in room 108 and visit www.albadome2015.blogspot.com for more details

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sports Rutgers Joins the Big 10

Sugar Rush

Amiri Tulloch

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two year dream became a reality for Rutgers athletics this past summer.

In July, Rutgers sports took a monumental jump that had ramifications all around the New Jersey sports landscape: The university left the storied but outdated Big East to join the Big Ten, the oldest conference in the NCAA’s (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division 1.

Rutgers’ move to the Big Ten, which was announced in 2012 and made official two months ago, propelled Rutgers athletics into the national spotlight and provided New Jersey sports fans and residents another reason to watch and support the Scarlet Knights. The move to the higher-profile Big Ten also raised the allure of playing for Rutgers, and certainly made the university a more intriguing destination for aspiring athletes.

“Instead of New Jersey athletes leaving for other schools,” said Highland Park teacher Kyle Harper, “the Big Ten prestige can make those athletes want to stay in New Jersey. Highland Park athletes should absolutely consider playing for Rutgers – it’s the Big Ten.” Rutgers, who is being joined in their move to the Big Ten by Maryland, also likes the new conference because of an especially juicy incentive: money. Although finance may not be the most important reason for joining the Big Ten, Rutgers will gladly accept the upgrade in revenue from ticket sales and TV contracts.

“Big Ten teams, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, each received $24.6 million [in 2011]. The Big East paid its schools $6 million during that time under the terms of the current TV deal,” wrote The Star-Ledger’s Tom Luici in 2012.

“I think it affects the way New Jersey views Rutgers’ sports teams,” said Cameron Petkov ’16, a center and defensive tackle for Highland Park High School’s varsity football team. “People are more eager to see Rutgers play against better teams.”

Though the monetary gain for Rutgers in the new conference is clear, athletic showmanship is still needed for a truly seamless transition to the Big Ten. Rutgers’ sports programs have not experienced renowned success in recent years, a fact that has been mentioned by critics of Big Ten expansion, who believe Rutgers and Maryland (another mediocre athletic university) do not belong in the same conference as strong athletic universities like Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

To combat their new, bold opponents, Rutgers once again hopes to take advantage of the Big Ten’s prestige when it comes to recruiting high-school prospects. From homegrown athletes to out-of-state players, Rutgers is looking to convince prospects that playing for the Big Ten-approved Scarlet Knights is the formula for athletic success.

Nevertheless, the increased competition is making New Jersey residents more interested in watching Rutgers’ sports programs. Rutgers’ football team, the program that benefits most from the football-intense Big Ten, serves as the perfect example of growing interest in the Scarlet Knights.

A record 54,774 fans packed High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey two weeks ago to see Rutgers’ Big Ten-opening game against Penn State; the demand for tickets throughout the rest of Rutgers’ home football schedule has increased as well.

Rutgers’ appeal is far more magnetic in Big Ten than in the Big East, and every sports program in the university benefits from being labeled as a member of a top NCAA conference.“It gives more publicity to Rutgers,” said Petkov. Although Petkov said that he was not interested in playing college sports, he added that the move to the Big Ten “makes [Rutgers] more appealing.”

However, after one finishes analyzing the competition, recruiting, and money, Rutgers joining the Big Ten can simply be considered a way for the university to showcase their athletic virtues to the country – and to their own state.

“Moving to the Big Ten,” Harper said, “is the best thing that could have happened to Rutgers sports.”

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Warren Yee

n Halloween, many people think about scary, spooky figures, but the main thing on kids’ minds is trick or treating. Being able to eat a lot of free candy on Halloween sure is a special treat, but what about side effects of eating too much sugar? Candy gives you cavities, leads to high blood-sugar levels and sometimes obesity. Therefore, from an athlete’s perspective, eating all the candy, is unintelligent, right?

Taking into account the harmful side effects of candy, one would think that most high school athletes would consider Halloween harmful to their performance. The Fling spoke to several Highland Park athletes, who shared their views on the notoriously sugary holiday. Chris Zhou ’15, captain of the boys’ varsity soccer team, says, “I don’t think binging on a lot of candy will hurt one’s performance as a soccer player immediately. But, in the long term, all that candy will be harmful to one’s health and is a poor decision.”

Mateo Juliani ’16, also a varsity soccer player, agrees with Zhou. When asked the same question, he says, “No, binge eating on candy once a year won’t make you run slower the next day, unless you eat too much candy and get sick.” Even for athletes, health is about balance. So while you won’t see our athlete owls gorging in chocolate after Halloween, they won’t hesitate to accept a Hershey bar every now and again.

Moving Up: Girls Soccer in the Blue Division

S

Annie McCrone

TARTED FROM THE BOTTOM NOW WE’RE BLUE!” reads the back of the Girls’ soccer team’s sweatshirt, which plays off of Drake’s song, “Started From The Bottom”, to tell the world that the team has moved from the Gold Division to the Blue Division. The Fling met with the team’s coach and captains to talk about how this move has changed Highland Park High School girls’ soccer.

Coach Ruck explains that every year teams have the opportunity to apply to move up (or down) a division. From best to worst, the divisions are as follows: red, white, blue, gold. He explains, ‘Three years in a row of being at the top of the Gold Division - it was time to start challenging ourselves and move up to a better division and get better games.’ Unfortunately, the initial application was denied so the team had to appeal the decision. The appeal was accepted, and now the team plays in the Blue Division.

Why move up? Why not stay at the top? Ruck emphasizes that playing against bad teams and winning does nothing to help Highland Park Soccer. There’s nothing to be learned, and so the players don’t grow: “[It’s] just like if you’re an honors student and you take a basic level class. It’s too easy for you. You can sleep through it.” Ruck firmly believes that everyone needs to be pushed in order to achieve their full potential, and the girls weren’t being pushed in the Gold games. The team’s captains are happy that the team moved up because, according to Sophia Gillerman ’15, “Now we’re actually working for our wins.”

Pre-season played a tremendous role in preparing the team for tough competition. “Sophie Gillerman took an active role in the three captain’s practices a week,” said Ruck. These captains’ practices really helped the athletes get into shape in August. Additionally, the team started practice the first week of August as opposed to previous seasons where sessions began in the second or third week.

Due to the team’s small numbers, a few serious injuries could really have been detrimental to the season. There are currently two girls who have torn their ACL and three who have injured their ankles, but Ruck believes the captain’s practices have kept the injury bug at bay. The girls begin every practice with the infamous ‘3/4s’, which consists of

GO FOR THE GOAL Emily Zarra ‘15, Angela Mishky ‘15, Sophie Gillerman ‘15, and Amelia Wilkerson ‘17 brought their A-game for a 3-1 win against New Brunswick on 9/27.

running around the field three times in 4 minutes and 15 seconds. From there it’s an intense mixture of fitness and ball movement for three hours every day.

In terms of achievements, it’s unrealistic to go from winning the Gold Division to winning the Blue Division in one season. Since winning the league is no longer a goal, the team needs different methods for measuring their success. Therefore, Ruck hopes to perform better in the second half of the season. In other words, as the team faces opponents, some that they may have lost to, for the second time, they want to attain a better outcome than before. For example, the girls lost to Mother Seton 2-1in their first match, but tied 1-1 the second time around. In terms of the quality of soccer that Highland Park plays versus that of the other Blue Division teams, Ruck believes that the team has potential: ‘We’re not ready for the elite,’ he articulates, ‘but I believe we’re better than the middle.’

A new division means new challenges both physically and mentally. Ruck notes that a single mistake in the Blue can cost a game; that’s something that the girls didn’t experience in the Gold, and may not be mentally prepared for. The captains also bring up the issue of numbers: “We have no people,” says Sarah Stuckey ’15, “there’s no room for injuries or mistakes, and that’s a big challenge.”

Interestingly enough, Ruck feels that the intense aggression associated with the Blue Division hasn’t really been present. But the captains disagree. ‘They [other teams] will push you over,’ says Kiara Weinstein ’15.

It’s evident that the team has grown, and their growth has been exponential with their entrance into the Blue Division. The captains say that the team is nicer, in better shape, and plays better soccer than in previous years. As opposed to ‘kick-and-run’, the team focuses on possession and passing-and-moving techniques. The captains note that the team has had good and bad games this season: ‘I think it takes us a while to warm up during the game, and if we could just do that earlier, than we’d be [better off],’ says Angela Mishky ’15.

In the future, the team aims to stay in the Blue Division and become more competitive. Ruck explains that it’s hard to set goals for future seasons because he doesn’t know what the numbers or skill levels will be like. The Fling asked the captains, as seniors, what advice they’d give for next year’s team. While the importance of wanting to win and being in shape were mentioned, Sarah Stuckey brought the interview to a perfect conclusion: “Bring it.

Because you’ve got big shoes to fill.”

OCTOBER 2014, THE HIGHLAND FLING

12

sports PLAYER PROFILE

Name: Maverick Lin Grade: Senior Sport: Tennis

Name: Elizabeth Girvan Grade: Freshman Sport: Soccer William Chen

Maverick Lin

The sounds of rackets smacking the balls and sneakers scraping on hard courts are nothing new to tennis player Maverick Lin ’15 who has been playing since the 5th grade. Next year, he will head to upstate New York to play tennis for Cornell University. The Fling met up with him to ask about his tennis career.

How did it feel to get accepted into Cornell for tennis?

When did you start playing tennis and why did you continue to play?

Why did you choose Cornell over other schools?

I started playing tennis with my dad when I was around eleven, which is late compared to other tennis players. I would practice with him on the weekends and play a lot with my friends. After a while, I started to attend junior tournaments and did really well. I enjoyed the competition and it was really fun so I decided to drop my other activities and focus on tennis.

A lot of people don’t like Cornell because of its upstate New York location. But I felt that it was really the place for me. I think that the coach’s philosophy and approach to training will really help bring my game to the next level. Cornell also has one of the top schools in the country in engineering and the campus is just beautiful. Not many schools have about 150 waterfalls in a 10-mile radius. I think that the isolation only adds to the beauty since it creates an environment where everyone quickly becomes a part of a close-knit family.

How often do you practice and how do you balance that with schoolwork?

During the school year, I usually spend 3-4 days each week practicing on a tennis court.

Each practice session lasts for around 2-4 hours. I also attend cross country practices on the days that I don’t play tennis. Time management is an issue for many athletes because they have to spend extra time practicing sports. For me, balancing school work and sports isn’t that hard because I usually have a schedule planned out.

What is your greatest tennis achievement?

Winning the 2013 state tournament is probably my greatest tennis achievement because usually in tennis you are usually only playing for yourself; however, in high school tennis, you are representing your teammates, coaches, and school, so it felt good to bring back the title for Highland Park.

I definitely felt relieved. One of my goals was to get into a top school with a great tennis program and it is a huge relief to realize that all the years of hard work and dedication really paid off.

You took a year off from public school and were home schooled for a year.

Why? And what was it like?

I took a year off because I wanted to see what playing sports full time was like and just how good at tennis I could get. I was curious to see how I would perform at tournaments that I would not have been able to attend if I was in school.

What is a goal that you have for the upcoming tennis season?

One of my goals this year is definitely help the team become better. We’re really looking forward to competing for a state championship, but I am really excited about what our team can do this year. We have a really strong base and we are looking to improve and see how high we can jump.

The Highland Park Girls’ Soccer team recently welcomed one of the newest members to their team: Elizabeth Girvan. Starting soccer at the age of 4 and competing in tournaments nationwide, Girvan undoubtedly feels comfortable playing under pressure. Scoring 9 goals and 3 assists, she already established herself as one of the leading players on the team. The Fling met up with Liz to gain a deeper insight into the life.

When did you start playing soccer? And why did you continue?

I started when I was around 4. I really enjoyed playing soccer because it was fun and really exciting. The exhilaration of scoring goals was also another reason.

Do you have any goals for the upcoming season? Any personal goals you would like to share?

This year is our first year in the blue division, so obviously we would like to play well. As a team, we would like to compete well in both GMCs and States.

What is the most challenging part of soccer and why?

The most challenging part of soccer is working together with others. It’s a balance that you have to strike: you have to make sure you communicate as well as encourage your teammates.

How much do you practice? And do you do any kind of additional fitness?

Everyday of the week. We have a game or practice during the weekdays, and on the weekends I usually juggle or shoot around.

I also tend to do ladders and sprints around the track. Also, just playing soccer can improve your fitness since you’re running so much, which is what I prefer to do.

You look pretty relaxed when you play.

What goes through your head during games? And what is it like playing for Ruck?

There’s a lot of random things going on in a game. When I’m playing, I just try to focus on what’s going on. For example, where I need to be, who has the ball, and so on.

Ruck really cares about the team and wants us to improve and win. He encourages us to try hard and believes in our abilities.

Describe an embarrassing athletic moment.

Definitely whiffing a kick and falling, which has happened who knows how many times.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?

There are a lot of great memories and achievements, especially because it’s a team sport. But one of the most memorable was winning the national championships with my club team.

Do you have any hobbies outside of soccer? And do you have to make additional sacrifices to be an athlete?

I like to play guitar and longboard when I’m not on the field. Playing the guitar is really relaxing. And yes. I usually have to skip hanging out with my friends either to go to soccer or to do homework because of a game the next day. I also do not have that much time to practice guitar because I’m too busy with soccer.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I see myself as a 24 year old… As well as playing soccer professionally. Soccer has been a passion for my entire life and it would be great if I could play soccer for a career.

Trick or Treat: Sports Edition ow well do you know the world of sports? Guess if each sport is real or made up!

reckless drivers, bad weather, and street construction.

Equestrian Vaulting – this sport involves competitors, usually in teams, performing gymnastics and dancing on horseback.

Turtle Climbing – Dr. Seuss’ Yertle The Turtle takes a very real form in this sport, in which individuals are tasked with stacking and climbing turtles.

Road Rage Competition – in this competitive sport, individuals must complete a driving course in an allotted time where they must overcome obstacles such as

Botaoshi – this translates to ‘pole bringdown’. Two teams are charged with lowering a pole which starts perpendicular to the ground to 30 degrees.

THE HIGHLAND FLING, OCTOBER 2014

Extreme Ironing – in this sport, people take ironing boards to remote locations or on dangerous expeditions and then iron items of clothing.

Deruga Anawana – this sport originated from the Native Americans, and translates to ‘the painted one.’ A team chooses one member to paint, and they must paint every inch of that member’s body.

Zorbing – the sport of rolling down a hillside in what is essentially a hamster ball.

Chess Boxing – this is a hybrid sport, which alternates between rounds of chess and rounds of boxing. A match consists of a total of 11 rounds: 6 rounds of chess and 5 rounds of boxing.

Answers: real, fake, fake, real, real, fake, real, real

H

Annie McCrone