Volume 26, Issue 5

Newton South High School

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Newton, Massachusetts

December 18, 2009

Finalist for the 2009 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Award Volume 26 Issue 5

www.thelionsroar.com

Early admissions take over classes, halls, minds Ellery Berk & Delphine Rodrik Copy Editor, Managing Editor

Last Friday morning, a senior English class started with a different routine.

“Can we write congratulations on the board?” a girl wearing a black scarf asked before the bell rang.

“Sure, why not?” the teacher replied. “Who got in?”

Black Scarf listed two names. “And we’re sure no one’s been rejected, right?”

She nodded, already scrawling “congrats” in red bubble letters.

Seats slowly filled, and the teacher began. The first item on the day’s agenda read, “Congrats!” The two college-bound girls blushed at the class’ polite applause.

“I think we should talk about this,” the teacher said when the class settled. “Do we want to congratulate people at the beginning of each class? Or will that make people too uncomfortable?”

After a 20-minute debate, the class agreed not to publicly acknowledge acceptances, as some students might feel uncomfortable.

ADMISSIONS,10 10 LANGUAGES,

Speaking Out

photo by Hallie Boviard

Trading puffs for pinches: More students use dip Liam O’Flaherty Sports Contributor

spoke with Paul Stein, the Deputy Superintendent and Jen Price, [the principal at North].”

The sophomore English curriculum devotes much of the first quarter to studying the Bible. Using the textbook, “The Bible As/In Literature,” sophomores read literal text selections. The curriculum is designed to study the Bible on a strictly literal basis with no religious implications, according to English department head Brian Baron. “We don’t want to push religion on kids,” he said.

Summers originally objected to reading the text in mid-September. “I told my English teacher that I was an

As he walked into a freshman house party, Peter* expected to be bombarded with the smell of beer and alcohol. He didn’t expect to find a graveyard of empty Poland Spring bottles, half-filled with a brown liquid. Although the pungent, wintergreen scent was sickening, he took a pinch of tobacco from a borrowed tin. He made a mental note: first, line gum, then, periodically suck saliva between your teeth and spit the residue into an empty bottle.

Peter sat in a dentist’s chair three years later, awaiting a two-hour gum reconstruction, his first of three. But even after hours spent at the dentist and a compromised gum line, Peter still can’t stop. “I’m addicted. I tried to stop, but just couldn’t,” he said.

Whether it’s because of the influence of peers, older kids or baseball all-stars, an increasing number of male students are using smokeless tobacco. With cigarette use declining and smokeless tobacco use increasing, statistics show that kids are trading puffs for pinches.

The National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that the percentage of high school males using smokeless tobacco has increased from 9.9 in 2004 to 13.4 in 2009.

Although 13.4 percent represents a substantial portion of high school boys, some say it is different at South.

“Yeah, the majority of the guys I know do it or have done it,” senior Scott Lueders said. “I would say that the percentage is higher at South.”

Mansour, a cashier at the local Tedeschi, noticed the large amount of tobacco he was selling. “A lot of kids are buying [smokeless tobacco]; we have to restock frequently,” he said.

Despite the growing trend, Drug and Alcohol Counselor Rich Catrambone and Curriculum Coordinator for Health and Wellness Gwen Smith “haven’t noticed the trend,”

LANGUAGES, BIBLE, 10 7

LANGUAGES, DIPPING, 10 30

photo by Jenn Mountain

Members of South’s Gay Straight Aliance (GSA) discussed their experiences during the D Block presentation for TBGLAD Day on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Started by history teacher Robert Parlin, the GSA was the first public school affiliate in the country and has added to an increasingly accepting environment. See page 8 for more.

Requirements lifted, discussion continues Meryl Hayes

Sr. Centerfold Editor After much consideration, South administrators recently relieved sophomore Jack Summers of his requirements to read portions of the Bible in English class. Summers refused to read the literal translation of the Bible excerpts used by all sophomore English classes because he is an atheist.

To come to a conclusion, Principal Joel Stembridge solicited advice from many members of the Newton Public Schools community. “I talked with the department chairs.

I talked with a lot of faculty members about it too. I also

insideroar Study hard, party hard: Students find the

right balance

see page 10

Blurring the line: How technology affects cheating

see page 16

South Style: The Roar’s photoshoot with seven students see page 24

Knock out: An inside look into the world of a boxer see page 29

News 3 FUN 7 Features 8 Editorials 14 CENTERFold 16 Opinions 20 Arts 24 Sports 28

2 advertisements

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JOIN US Monday J Block Room 1201

december 18, 2009

news

“Tut, tut, child! Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.”

-Lewis Carroll page 3

volume 26, issue 5 • december 18, 2009

Stabbing bullying in the back South South Spots South Spots Spots

Compiled by news editors

Giving Animals a Voice South students recently formed an Animal Rights Club. So far, members of the club have attended a protest on Nov. 7 that advocated against the use of monkeys in Harvard’s research labs. The club plans to raise money for animal shelters and to visit the shelters in the next few months. Students interested in joining can speak with sophomores Adam Macalister and Savannah Norman or come to meetings during Monday J Blocks in the ceramics room.

Advisories Give Back Sixty-five South advisories participated in the annual Holiday Gift Drive that took place from Dec. 8 to Dec. 16. The goal of the gift drive was to provide holiday gifts for the children at the BromleyHeath housing development in Jamaica Plain. Advisories that chose to participate received a child’s name, their age and their wish list including items such as new clothing, books and toys. The advisories were able to fulfill the wish lists of 60 children.

Trancendentalist South Junior Hyun Lee has founded South’s new philosophical club: the Transcendentalist Club. Members will keep journals and discuss transcendentalist beliefs during Wednesday and Thursday J Blocks in room 2107. English teacher David Weintraub is the club’s adviser.

rayna golub & emily breuer News Editors

The Massachusetts Legislation has proposed a bill suggesting that schools throughout Massachusetts be required to report all bullying incidents that they discover to the police. Because South already has this agreement in place, this bill will not influence South as heavily as it will with other Massachusetts schools. “[The Newton Public Schools] are already doing what the ADL wants to make a standard practice,” Housemaster Donna Gordon said.

The agreement between South and the police department currently in place is “we inform the police and [in return] they inform us [about bullying incidents],” Gordon said.

Episodes that occur in school are reported to the police. The police have control over incidents that are caught online, at night or on the weekends and they report the incidents to South.

Although South already has a procedure for dealing with bullying, cases of bullying involving South students still happen. One anonymous South student had an alarming incident happen to her last year.

“My bullying experience was not believable at first because I didn’t think that it was actually bullying until I took a step back and felt like I was in danger.

I didn’t feel safe and I needed to get an adult or someone that was responsible,” she said.

During a secondary incident that occurred to the same student, the bullies were caught and sent to a house office.

“Someone mentioned through someone else something that scared me.

They said they were going to find me and beat me up. I told my parents and they called the police,” the student said. “It all happened because I stand up for what I believe in. I think that by the time it got to the authoritative level it was out of my control and into the hands of someone else who could control it.”

By then, the bullying had stopped, and the victim felt safe again.

Along with face to face bullying like

Bullying by the Numbers In the 2008 Newton Youth Risk Behavior Survey …

19%

of students reported being bullied in school

9%

of students reported being in physical fights in school

16%

of students reported being in physical fights outside of school

15%

cyberbullied

of students reported being

photo illustration by Danielle Stubbe

A recent bill has been proprosed to the Massachusetts Legislature suggesting that schools be required to report all incidents of bullying to the police. this case, cyber bullying is also a common type of bullying.

Over the years, there has been a dramatic increase in cyber bullying.

“Technology has moved faster than the laws. Young people know more about technology than the police,” South Prevention/Intervention Counselor Rich Catrambone said. “Parents and the police are catching up, however.”

Bullying face to face used to be a more serious problem. However, with the growing number of people who use the Internet, cyber bullying has developed as the more significant problem over the years.

“Cyber bullying has become a 21st century nightmare,” Catrambone said.

One reason that cyber bullying occurs so often is because kids think that they are safe on the Internet and that they cannot be caught and punished if they cyber bully. To deal with cyber bullying, students are encouraged to ‘copy, block and report’.

“We try to teach the kids to copy the threat, block the bully and report to an adult,” Catrambone said. It is important that students have at least one trusted adult at school.

“We really hope that every kid is connected to an adult,” Catrambone said.

Many South students feel that cyber bullying is a problem because one cannot necessarily tell if they are actually being bullied.

“I haven’t seen [cyber bullying] as seriously, but it’s hard to distinguish when people are serious and when they are joking because you can’t see their reactions,” junior Sam Zoloth said.

Senior Marissa Leavitt agreed with Zoloth. “I think that over the Internet, bullying can be misinterpreted because people don’t know the degree of bullying.

You can’t sense sarcasm, so people can deny it,” she said.

For many students, learning from

kids their own age has more of an impact on their actions than learning what to do in a typical classroom setting.

At South, along with many other schools, there is a Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program. This program encourages students to teach other students how to stay safe in all kinds of situations.

“It is our role to educate and inform,” Gordon said. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can apply to be an MVP and teach middle school students. Oftentimes, after seeing first hand bullying accounts, people feel more strongly about taking a stand in ending what they believe is wrong.

“I joined because my sister did it,” senior Estie Martin said. “She’s an ‘07 graduate, and some of her friends were directly affected by domestic violence so it was important in my family, and we had talked about it.”

Despite programs like MVP, Gordon admits that bullying cannot be completely prevented.

“If it’s done outside of school we can’t prevent it,” Gordon said. “However, we can make kids aware that it is a crime.”

Not only are there nationwide programs like MVP to educate people about bullying and lower the statistics, but there are also smaller ways that bullying incidents can be reduced.

“I think that if people just try to understand other people’s situations they won’t feel the need to bully,” senior Cody Siroka said.

Leavitt has a similar opinion. “If everyone felt more confident with themselves, people wouldn’t feel the need to bully others,” she said.

As years pass, the forms of bullying change, yet no matter what it looks like or how it is done, it is always intolerable. “[Bullying] is inappropriate and unacceptable. It is just downright mean,” Gordon said. “We need to work with each other to resolve these issues.”

4 news

december 18, 2009

Revamped and refurbished, SLIC opens its doors Shan Shao News Editor

A great increase in student enthusiasm has allowed for greater student and teacher utilization of the Science Learning and Instructional Center (SLIC) in Room 3104.

This year SLIC is open during 26 out of the total 28 blocks in the week for any students that wish to work on science with teachers, peer coaches (science TAs) and classmates. SLIC also contains many science textbooks and new computers available for students to use.

SLIC was established in the fall of 2007 “with the idea that peer support is one of the most effective means for improving student learning,” according to its website.

Students would be able to go to SLIC and work with classmates or receive one-onone guidance for their science classes.

SLIC was the original vision of science teacher Alan Crosby, who is the current overseer of the center.

“Something I’ve wanted to do ever since I [arrived at South] was to develop a student support center for the science classes. I think students need a place to work together with science,” Crosby said. “Science can be difficult and, spending more time with it, especially in a nurturing and helpful environment, breeds success.”

In the past two years, however, lack of staffing has prevented SLIC from being as effectively used as Crosby had hoped.

“Staffing was always an issue,” Crosby said. “In the past we had 6 blocks where SLIC was occupied by teachers and the opportunity for students to use it was much lower. Teachers didn’t even feel confident recommending SLIC [to their students] because there was a high risk that there … would be no one to help them in the blocks that they were free.”

This year SLIC has become much more popular due to a tremendous increase in the number of students interested in becoming peer coaches. More than 15 juniors and seniors work in SLIC as peer coaches. The student-run SLIC was first opened to students this October and has rarely been empty.

“The reason it’s successful now is that it’s staffed. There’s someone there all the time … We’ve got enough help that students can show up any block and find someone there.

And that’s really the key,” Crosby said.

He believes it is beneficial for students to receive help from other students who have gone through the same classes.

“Someone who has been through the class and succeeded is able to better guide students through the learning mechanisms,” Crosby said. Once a week, the SLIC staff meets with Crosby to touch base with him on how things are going in SLIC, bringing to him any concerns they may have about a particular student. Sophomore Marissa Rodenstein is a student in Crosby’s honors chemistry class and claims SLIC is her second home.

“I kind of live in the SLIC room,” Rodenstein said. “I come here for all my studies and sometimes during J Blocks or if I have a free [block].”

Rodenstein finds the individual support that the peer coaches at SLIC provide helpful. “I find it really helpful to get one-onone help with the TAs because, in a class of 25 kids, you can only get so much individual help. The [peer coaches] can really walk you through a problem step by step if you don’t really understand it, and they tell you the key ideas to remember,” Rodenstein said.

Sophomore Jack Summers goes to SLIC

photo by Noel Hwang

SLIC has been refurbished this year with new computers, and offers peer tutor help for students of all grade levels and science classes. to receive help for his chemistry assignments students] half a point of extra credit for goand thinks it is helpful to receive aid from up- ing to SLIC. I was trying to get them into the perclassmen that have already been through habit of going to SLIC and using the resources the class he is currently taking. there. They don’t get extra credit any longer, “It’s helpful to come here and talk to but I think a lot of them are developing the someone who has gone through the course habit of going there,” she said. before and steer me in the right direction,” Junior Adam Isselbacher is one student Summers said. of Cifuni’s who has developed this habit.

Currently, the target students for “I went to SLIC for the first time in SLIC are freshmen and sophomores, mainly order to get extra credit on my old test and because mostly juniors and seniors run the also to receive help on the next upcoming center. test that would be a big part of my grade,” “Our target audiences are freshman he said. “Since then I’ve been coming back physics and sophomore chemistry because to receive more help. There are a lot of textthe juniors and seniors who work there have books and computers [at SLIC] and there’s all had freshman physalways a [peer coach] ics and sophomore if you have any “A lot of people are coming there chemistry,” Crosby questions.” said.

Isselbacher has here consistently so I think Upperclassmen, seen a great improvehowever, have also we’re making progress. But ment in his grades been able to make use this is the first year we’re do- since using SLIC. of SLIC. “Overall I think Senior Gina Lu ing this, and not everything [SLIC] is a pretty good finds SLIC a quiet and program because, afcan be perfect.” resourceful place to ter going to SLIC, I got JOLIE YU study and goes to SLIC a 90 percent on my PEER COACH, CLASS OF 2011 right before her AP next test, compared to physics tests to work my 55 percent [on the with the many of the peer coaches who are first test]. So I definitely improved with the use her fellow physics classmates, as well. of SLIC and its resources,” Isselbacher said.

“I think going to SLIC is more efficient Students who go to SLIC for help aren’t than going to the library. [My friends and the only ones benefiting from the center.

I] get together there to study and do group The peer coaches themselves are learning work,” Lu said. as well.

“But at the same time, because I go to “The students who are rendering asSLIC, I never go to J Blocks with my physics sistance get a lot out of [SLIC] too,” Crosby teacher anymore. I think it’s easier to go to said. “They review material that they’ve seen SLIC and work with peers because you’re before, which puts it back in their mind so it kind of all in this together. The teacher knows doesn’t get forgotten. And they have to rethink the concepts really but your classmates are the material in a way to help other people the ones who really go through the same get more structured and organized about struggles as you.” that material, which really helps their own Senior Mika Braginsky, who works in thoughts get more organized as well.”

SLIC as a peer coach, believes that one of the Science teacher Patrick McFarland ways the center can be improved is by raising agreed with Crosby. greater awareness among students on the “SLIC is good for students receiving existence of SLIC. help and the students giving help. It’s amazScience teacher Alyssa Cifuni tries to ing what you learn when you teach; teaching make her students aware of SLIC by giving really exposes the small misunderstandings them an incentive to go there. that come to the surface when you try to “There was one test where I gave [my explain something to someone else,” Mc-

Farland said.

Junior Jolie Yu, a peer coach at SLIC, believes her work at the center has helped her improve in her own science class.

“I’m taking AP biology this year, and when I’m helping students who come to SLIC, I teach them how to write more concise answers. It helps me be more concise when I’m answering questions for my own class,” Yu said.

Crosby thinks the increased popularity SLIC has received this year comes from an increase in enthusiasm as well as staffing.

“The key is student enthusiasm, both from students who are willing to offer help and from students who are happy to work with someone to learn,” he said.

“Every day we have at least one student showing up every block to get their questions answered and their work done,” senior Hasith Vidanamadura, an SLIC peer coach, said.

Some students, such as sophomore Antonia Nichols, said that there are sometimes too many students in the center and that they would like to understand things more fully when leaving. Cifuni, however, believes SLIC has been a tremendous success so far and will continue to improve in the future as the system becomes more permanent and the SLIC coaches get more used to it.

Yu agreed with Cifuni. “[The peer coaches] try our best for everyone that comes. A lot of people are coming here consistently so I think we’re making progress. But this is the first year we’re doing this, and not everything can be perfect,” Yu said.

“Before the end of the year, we will have a review process and try to formalize the system, as in if we’re going to make any changes and how we’ll reorganize things for next year,” Crosby said.

Many students hope that SLIC will be here to stay as a part of the South science department in the years to come.

“I’d like to see that SLIC is here next year, benefiting the people who need help,” Isselbacher said. “People have free blocks all the time and going to SLIC is a great way to get extra help. It’s a really good resource that anyone taking a science class could use, and more people should really start using it.”

december 18, 2009

news

5

Roar sparks discussion about METCO, task force formed tricia ho News Editor

Despite Tom Mountain’s loss in his race for the Newton School Committee, students at South continue to debate whether the METCO program’s merits outweigh its financial costs, a debate that Mountain sparked when he announced that METCO is not worth keeping without adequate funding.

In a Roar article from Oct. 9, Tom Mountain stated that Newton should end its participation in the METCO program within four years unless the city receives more funding from either the state or the city of Boston. “I want our schools to focus more on academic excellence, less on celebrating diversity. I think [antiracist, multicultural education] is a denunciation of a common American culture and heritage,” Mountain said in the article.

The article had such a strong impact on METCO students that some began to worry about their place at South.

“I had to reassure some [METCO] students because they were kind of fearful, like ‘What does this mean? Do we have to leave?’”

METCO counselor Katani Sumner said.

The next issue of The Roar included three opinion articles written by students in response to Mountain’s opinion.

One of the articles, written by junior Camille Brugnara, supported Mountain’s beliefs on METCO. “There was a very enthusiastic and energetic response among students,” Sumner said. “I think it was the most well-read issues I’d ever seen of The Roar.”

On Nov. 24, during advisory, teachers read excerpts from the Mission and Purpose Statement of METCO to their advisories to clarify some misconceptions that resulted from the response articles.

“We wanted to have a quick response to some of the articles and some of the confusion around METCO, the origin of it, the history, the purpose and so on,” Sumner said.

A small task force of administrators, teachers and students, chaired by Goldrick Housemaster Henry Turner and English teacher Emma Leslie, has been formed to continue the conversation on issues of race and race relations beyond METCO as South moves forward.

Several conversations have arisen among students, METCO students and Newton residents alike, in response to the articles.

“I’ve been talking to people about how they felt about it,” senior Daunasia Yancey, a METCO student, said. “It’s really important to really think about where opinions like that come from.”

Biology teacher Joanna Vrouvlianis also heard her students react to the response articles. In fact, one of her classes spent an entire block discussing the topic. “They were trying to support their friend, because their friend is Jenn. They were upset by some of the things Jeffrey [Alkins, a junior who wrote an article opposing Mountain,] had said … but it ended up becoming more about METCO,” she said.

“It wasn’t a harsh conversation at all,” she added. “I was actually very proud of them.

It was a very mature conversation.”

photo by Olivia Kennis

METCO students and counselor Katani Sumner discuss the Nov. 6 issue of The Roar.

Yancey approves of students speaking up about their opinions on the METCO program. “I think that it’s good that people have brought up these different opinions, because now the whole school can have a dialogue about it. I think that a lot of people do have these feelings but they don’t want to say anything. It’s good that Jenn and Camille did say what they felt because everyone does have their own opinions, but we should be able to talk about it and educate each other,” she said.

Sumner agrees with Yancey that students should continue to show their opinions. “I would rather that people just write their opinions hopefully so that we can have a dialogue about it,” she said.

“It’s good for us to talk about it openly.”

For senior Kodia Baye-Cigna, also a METCO student, the articles did not have much of an impact, in part because she is

friends with Jenn Mountain.

“At first I was kind of upset because what I took away from the article was that her dad just wanted to get rid of METCO because he no longer wanted to see his money going towards [METCO],” Baye-Cigna said.

“But then I talked to [Jenn Mountain] and apparently … he didn’t say it necessarily in that context.”

Sumner said that though some students may worry that the METCO program’s place at South is less secure than before, no one person can suddenly get rid of the program on their own.

“I think even if [Mountain] had won, it wasn’t going to be easy for him to get rid of METCO,” she said. “I think Newton has always been very supportive of the METCO program, so one person on the school committee is not going to flip everything overnight.”

6 news

december 18, 2009

Chorus and orchestra come together

Comparing Obama and Warren Robin shuster • robin’s rebuttal

O

photo by Emily Malec-Brown

photo by Emily Malec-Brown

Conducted by chorus teacher Ben Youngman (center), South’s chorus and orchestra performed Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria” on Dec. 10.

alex wang

News Contributor For the first time in over three years, South’s orchestra and madrigals joined in a performance of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” on Dec. 10.

The idea for the concert was proposed by new orchestra conductor Adam Grossman and chorus teacher Ben Youngman.

“It was a great way for us to work together and bring the chorus and orchestra together,” Youngman said. “The biggest reason why we haven’t done something this big is because when you have 125 plus musicians together, it’s harder to coordinate … it requires sacrifice from a lot of people.”

It is also difficult since there are not quite enough students in madrigals to cover the concert. More students had to be brought in from other classes, making rehearsals tough. As a result, there were been minor changes in rehearsals.

“For the first time I’ve been at South, we

have had a couple of extended rehearsals and open rehearsals,” senior and concertmaster Taichi Fukumura said.

“They [both did] an amazing job. It’s really hard to cue that many instruments and singers all at the same time, and Mr. Youngman is fantastic at it,” senior Taryn Valley said.

“Mr. Grossman is doing miraculously and the achievements this orchestra is accomplishing now is already something I would never have believed would be coming from this group,” Fukumura said.

Junior Oliver Baverstam thinks that the combination of the two musical groups was beneficial the sound of both.

“Working with the orchestra is definitely a good idea. I sing tenor, and having an orchestra support us just makes us sound better,” he said. Valley agreed.

“I like working with the orchestra. It’s harder to deal with that many more kids, so sometimes it gets chaotic, but it’s really interesting the way the orchestra practices versus how the chorus does, and it’s really

amazing when everything works together and sounds good,” Valley said.

“It is like a goldmine of new musical ideas and concepts that pour out from these encounters between different groups,” Fukumura said.

Although these combinations of music groups spark creativity, it is unlikely that such a joint project happen take place again soon.

“We have nothing more planned for this year … we can’t pool resources for multiple times in a year,” Youngman said.He is still unsure of when the next combined concert may be. He thinks there may be one “every couple of years.”

Although performers will not get a chance to work with other music groups again this year, it was still a “unique and special idea,” Fukumura said. Baverstam agreed, calling the concert a “fantastic idea.”

“It’s really great that the South community [was] behind it,” Youngman said. “[The concert was] definitely worth the sacrifice.”

South reacts to drop out commission zhuoshi xie News Reporter

A recent Massachusetts state commission proposed that the legal age for a teenager to drop out of school be raised from 16 to 18. If passed, it will be implemented in April of 2010.

The proposal was based on a study by Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies, which found that the government spends over $100,000 on each high school dropout. In Massachusetts, the 3.4 percent dropout rate constitutes about 10,000 students, amounting to over $1 billion.

Students can legally drop out of school when they reach 16, and at 14 with superintendent permission.

South’s dropout rate is under one percent; however, when asked, most teachers and students who expected the rate to be between 5 and 15 percent.

Many students, such as senior Beverly Fu, are against the proposition.

“I feel like two years doesn’t make that much of a difference,” she said. “If someone drops out at sixteen, they must have their reasons to do that.” Junior Hyun Lee agreed. “[Forcing kids to stay in school is] a stupid

thing to do,” he said. “If people are going to drop out at sixteen, they’ve already given up, and it’s pointless to keep them in school.”

But French teacher Megan Weston feels that the two extra years “give kids a better chance to get back on track.”

Principal Joel Stembridge added that at 16, students are too young to make such a decision. “Most 16-year-olds are not thinking 10 years down the road,” he said. “They’re thinking about how to get through their current life, not how they will get through in 10 years.”

But Bryan Corfman, who would have been a senior this year, considered the consequences carefully before he dropped out of South as a sophomore.

Corfman is now a worker at a technological company. “I thought long and hard about the different outcomes before making any decision,” he said.

After dropping out, Corfman obtained a General Education Diploma (GED) and began to work full time. He does not regret his decision. “I didn’t feel like I was learning,” Corfman said. “We did the same thing over and over. It felt like I was doing the same work I had done years ago.”

Some think students who do drop out

should be offered other options.

“I think it would be a good idea to provide for students who want to have an alternative way of learning. School is not meant for all kids,” history teacher Deborah Linder said. Math teacher John Cascino noted that some social aspects of school that could contribute to a dropout. “The way academics are organized don’t match up [with the student] so they don’t succeed,” he said.

“Also … if you’re unlike most of your peers and you’re picked on because of it, going to school can be such an unpleasant experience that you drop out.”

The Massachusetts Department of Education listed factors such as racism, rigid schedule, teacher expectations, lack of community support and excessive use of suspensions as reasons for students to drop out.

Though he feels he made the right decision for himself by dropping out of school, Corfman does not recommend it.

“I had my reasons for dropping out, and I don’t think it’s applicable to the vast majority of people,” he said. “[For me] staying in high school and going on the traditional path felt like a sure way to be trapped in corporate grind.”

n Nov. 3, 2009, a young, charismatic, black man operating a grass-roots campaign, canvassing thousands of doors, was elected mayor of Newton, Mass. It was hard for me not to compare Setti Warren’s campaign to another, one that maybe the whole country, no, to which the whole world was paying attention. On Nov. 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America. A young, charismatic, black man operating a grassroots campaign, canvassing thousands and thousands of doors, was elected president.

I have put much thought into this comparison and am hesitant to discuss it because it doesn’t seem to be quite politically correct. There are several questions I’ve been thinking about. First, did Warren’s election have anything to do with Obama’s? In other words, was the road paved by one charismatic black man for another? Don’t get me wrong; I truly believe in Setti Warren’s support of fiscal change, just as I believed in Obama’s message of change regardless of race. Warren’s compassion is found in his efforts and his dedication to his hometown. But this question is still present in my mind. Is it important for us to make a distinction, is it okay for us to make this distinction and is it a coincidence that this example is becoming more prevalent? (I haven’t even mentioned our governor, Deval Patrick.)

As those of us who have gone through the Newton schools system know, Newton puts much emphasis on racial understanding, diversity and tolerance. Should I be thinking about these questions, or does the sensitivity I have make these questions irrelevant? This comparison is right in front of our faces.

Could our education and understanding of racial issues be masking the significance of Warren’s triumph? Newton’s emphasis of racial understanding is obviously a massive step forward in overcoming racial intolerance. But is there ignorance in overlooking a large-scale racial triumph just because of previous education?I understand the significance of Barack Obama’s election, as did much of the world’s population.

I have asked a question about race, but ultimately I wonder what race has to do with it. We know that race was significant with the election of Barack Obama, so the two levels of conversation are: one, did the election of a black president pave the way for Setti Warren, and two, are we afraid to talk about it? If we did, what would we say?

Two candidates, sharing attributes physically, intellectually and socially were both elected almost a year apart. Their similarities include running a campaign involving students and volunteers working together to elect a candidate in which they truly believed and spreading broad ideals including progress and change. I do believe there is one simple answer to my original question. Warren and Obama both had new, hopeful ideas, and they both ran great campaigns. Even if the election of Barack Obama prompted Setti Warren to run for mayor of Newton, I would not find there to be a problem. I completely endorse the idea that one intelligent and qualified person can prompt another intelligent and qualified person. Newton schools have taught us to look past race, and our ignorance may represent some promise for the future.

december 18, 2009

7

news

Discussion continues, despite administrative decision BIBLE, from 1

atheist and that I did object to reading the Bible.” Summers’ English teacher assured him that they would “get through [the unit] as quickly as possible.” As the class progressed, Summers said that no accommodations had been made. “I didn’t really come out to my parents or to anyone else about having an issue until we started reading the Gospel of Matthew.”

After Summers spoke with his mother, she brought up the issue with Principal Stembridge. “We first asked them if Jack could switch to another English class that had a different curriculum,” his mother, Marjorie Summers, said. “We then found out that all of the sophomore classes cover the Bible, so there was no elective for him to take.”

After the meeting, a decision was agreed upon to allow Summers to retake two Bible-related quizzes he initially objected to taking. “I was allowed to retake [the quizzes] and I was going to be presented with alternate material that wasn’t the actual Bible. It was sort of like a Cliffnotes version.” However, Summers’ English teacher suggested the quizzes be negated from his final term grade. Going forward, Summers thought he would be receiving a secularized version of the texts. “I think there were some miscommunications. We talked about attaining some secularized version of the Bible or even just a summarized person, just not

the actual Gospel of Matthew,” he said.

Nonetheless, Stembridge defended However, Summers never received these his decision. “I think from time-to-time, translations. “So I just ended up readstudents are concerned about [the curing the Gospel of Matthew.” In Summers’ riculum], mostly religious beliefs,” he English class, students’ major grades for said. “When that happens, my job as the the Bible unit came from two quizzes and principal is not to make a quick determian analysis of a religiously inspired piece nation, but to listen carefully and to help of art. In the end, Summers did not have the student craft a solution.” to retake the two quizzes and opted to Summers has already received reacanalyze a non-religious work of art. tions from his peers. “Just today when I This was not Summers’ first experience talked to my friend who’s Christian, we got learning about religion. Last year, Summers into an argument,” he said. “It wasn’t huge, encountered a problem with the history but still, it was an argument over whether c ur r ic u lum. or not this was an “I slacked off “I think the religion can be taught in acceptable point to when we were take. He believed learning about other ways than forcing me to read that I do need to Islam and JudaBible.” the holy texts. People take that very, read the ism and ChrisSummers and tianity. I didn’t very literally and very personally.” his mom both said really do all they were satisJACK SUMMERS the work, but fied with the way CLASS OF 2012 I didn’t come South’s administraout and say … ‘I have an issue with this.’” tion handled the situation. “Hopefully they Summers believes there are other ways to will come up with a way of addressing this teach students about religion. “I don’t have a in the future,” Summers said. “But for the problem learning about religion, but I think first time, I think [the way they handled the religion can be taught in other ways than the situation] was definitely acceptable.” forcing me to read the holy texts. People take Marjorie echoed her son. “I think that I that very, very literally and very personally.” was very impressed with the team listening Stembridge’s decision in regards to to Jack’s concerns and trying to be flexible Summers’ request has generated widewhen coming up with an accommodaspread discussion over the controversy. tion.”

While some support Stembridge, others English teacher Julie Stonehill, fear his decision will “set a precedent at however, believes reading the Bible is an South.” essential part of South’s English curricu-

Word Search

lum. “I completely support the English curriculum,” she said. “It’s so important for students to read the Bible as literature.”

Stonehill, a South graduate, said that her experience learning about the Bible as literature prepared her for college, where she majored in English. “It made a huge difference for me,” she said.

While English teacher James Norton sees both sides of the debate. “If someone loses the opportunity to learn about something that could be valuable to them, it’s unfortunate,” he said. “At the same time, I believe people need to be taken holistically. You need to go on a case-by-case basis.

Stembridge is not concerned that this ruling will set a precedent. “I don’t see this as a firestorm of students wanting to skip out on knowledge,” he said. “This is an individual student who came forward.

I did for this student what any student would want me to do, which is to take them seriously and listen carefully. I’ll do that for any student that comes forward, but I would hope South students would not come forward with such a request without having done some self-reflection.

You can’t come just because you don’t want to do the work.”

History department head Marshall Cohen agreed with Stembridge. “I’m sure it’s a case-by-case thing,” he said.

However, Summers said his actions will encourage others to voice their opinions. “If all goes well, hopefully more kids will speak out,” he said.

By Hallie Boviard

Unscramble these holiday related words and then find them in the Word Search. Happy Holidays everyone!

Columns, rows and squares Each take a digit, falling Between one and nine. bad haiku by Tony Vashevko and Rob Hass

4

5

7

3

6

2 8

4

2

6 9

1

8

1

1

7

9

3

2

7

4 7

5

puzzle courtesy of sudokuoftheday.com

5

2

4

R C T B B X U I E K S E I S F H

T A U B H J P P M S D N A N B S

L R A F A S I C B R H N A S N T

Y O U B N O K K R E T N D T V O

Q L I S N E A K I A W O O A R C

E S S R U E D O C C D T O R L K

K I N I K E A L U I K E N H D I

W N O T A Y A D U N N B Y E F N

A G F T H U R E S S R O U A O G

N S L L S R G T Y S F S J D S N

Z E A E D G B O T W A K K S N I

A P K S R D C A O M L I N H O K

A O E E E B R R T E L T L R W C

L P S R F B E S L M H T E E M O

A C N S U N I P K D A L D E A T

S P O D E R S I T Y A E I S N T

D R W F H U D P J U S S E E B H

H A F C R E L Z Z I W T R S A R

A P L P S I E T O F I E D C L H

N T A S Q L H I S R G M O U L A

1) SMARHCTIS 2) HHNAKKU 3) DRDEEIL 4) FLKNSWAOE 5) GNITSCKO 6) TSNAA CSLUA 7) SCROLA 8) PSRETNSE 9) SNMAONW 10) ZKWNAAA

N 7 K I L I C I O U S B H P D L

U W E L L S T N E S E R P O A I

features

“It’s the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”

volume 26, issue 5•• december 18, 2009

-Albus Dumbledore

page 8

COMING OUT : ‘IT’S JUST NOT THAT BIG A DEAL’ photos by Danielle Stubbe

Junior Harry Neff, technology education teacher Jennifer Stephens and history teacher and Gay Straight Alliance adviser Robert Parlin have all come out to the South community.

Emma Chad-Friedman

But you can be openly gay in, say, the art hallway [and] chorus and theater communities.”

Still, this environment is vastly differWhen junior Harry Neff came out ent from the one Shafer experienced nine during his freshman year, he never worried years ago, when he acted in South’s theatre, about how it would affect his high school “It’s just a fact about me” was the Editor-in-Chief of The Lion’s Roar experience.

Neff believes that at South, coming and participated on the speech team, and “I felt it wouldn’t be such an issue,” out has become a “non-issue.” still couldn’t come out. he said. “That was an incentive that I could “People are kind of over it, they Part of the reason for this change, do it.” don’t really care [if students come out] – according to Parlin, is that now being gay Neff said that coming out at South “is not for better, not for worse – they’re just does not have to just not a big deal for most people.” But this like, ‘OK,’” he said. be a student’s total wasn’t always the case.

But students Class of 2000 graduate Lucas Shafer, also said that accep- “I was class president, I was on identity, but just now openly gay, didn’t notice anybody tance varies across dif- the baseball team, the football another aspect of his or her life. coming out when he was at South nine ferent social groups. team, track, state-champion “We’ve years ago.

“Certain cliques had more people “It just seemed like something that are more accepting diver. I could be all those who’ve come out wasn’t being done,” he said. than others,” senior Shafer’s and Neff ’s differing experiMara Sahleanu said; things, but there wasn’t any to their friends, ences mirror a trend of acceptance that “not that the ‘others’ room for me to be who I was.” but who are just comfortable being is becoming apparent across the United would ever admit MICHAEL KENNEDY gay as one side of States. to it.”

ENGLISH TEACHER their identity,” he From 1982 to 2006, the percentage Neff experisaid. “They may of people who considered homosexuality enced isolation from be athletes, [or] they may be in the drama acceptable increased from 34 to 54 percent, certain groups upon coming out. according to a Gallup Polls survey by USA “[It] put me on a path that I couldn’t club.”

Neff said that after coming out, “I felt Today. control socially,” he said. “There are people The survey indicated a correlation who I might have been friends with now that compelled to make it a part of my personality. But then sophomore year I stopped between youth and tolerance, as 62 percent I’m not because I’m out.” trying to be seen a certain way, and now I of people ages 18 to 29 considered hoNeff said he’s also spoken with kids mosexuality acceptable, compared to 36 who “told me they are gay but don’t want to just do what I want to do and [being gay] is percent of those over 80 years old. come out because of their social standing.” just a fact about me.”

With the country as a whole becomThis makes sense to senior Aron ing increasingly accepting, both students Acceptance versus Tolerance Milberg. and teachers are becoming more comfortAlthough Neff feels that he is gener“If you’re friends with the right able coming out as openly gay. ally accepted at South, English teacher people, being openly gay isn’t a big deal,” “No one ever came out when I first Michael Kennedy, who is openly gay, noted he said, “[but] if you’re friends with worked here,” said Gay Straight Alliance ‘brodudes’, chances are you can’t come out. that there is a distinction between acManaging Editor

(GSA) adviser and history teacher Robert Parlin, who has been at South for 17 years.

“Now, I would guess many would say they know more than five gay people [at South].”

ceptance and tolerance. “People who are merely tolerant may want to push back at a time,” he said.

And people did. Last year, Kennedy was one of two teachers who received homophobic threats, as someone drew intricate and threatening pictures on his classroom whiteboard.

He viewed the incident as a personal attack rather than one against his sexual orientation.

Parlin acknowledged even in a progressive society such as America, most people internalize homophobia, himself included.

“I am sometimes afraid to hold my husband’s hand in public,” he said. “There is some part of me that says ‘that’s not an OK thing to do.’”

Kennedy agreed.

“If you think you are not homophobic you are wrong,” he said. “Until you admit to your homophobia, you are part of the problem.”

Kennedy himself only came out over the past 10 years.

“When I was in high school, I was class president, I was on the baseball team, the football team, track, state-champion diver,” he said. “I could be all those things, but there wasn’t any room for me to be who I was.”

Parlin said that this built-in homophobia can lower people’s self esteem, including his own.

“It’s challenging to not ever wonder if gender or sexual orientation affected an exCOMING LANGUAGES, OUT, 10 11

december 18, 2009

features

9

One School. Four Students.

99 Problems.

By Libby Carberry & Rachel Leshin Every issue The Roar follows four students, one from each grade. Each has unique difficulties that distinguish their lives from their peers. This issue, each student talks about their plans for the holidays.

Names have been changed to ensure confidentiality.

Nina

Cody Mom and Dad have decorated the Christmas tree and family members from as far as Las Vegas and Florida fill the kitchen and living room, but freshman Cody retreats to his room to escape his family like any other day.

The holiday season is not “that big of a deal” for Cody, especially since he is an atheist and does not enjoy spending time with his family.

“I just never was a big holiday celebrator,” Cody said. “I get presents and I’m pretty much thankful just for that.”

Cody feels that his middle-child status contributes to a not such a holly jolly Christmas.

“I’m in the middle so it’s sorta the normal thing, like the younger gets a lot of things and the older gets a lot of things. I don’t think I get as much as them,” Cody said.

All of the factors in Cody’s holiday season do not discourage him.

Cody says that his holiday experiences are “okay, not that good not that bad.”

Rather than family, Cody’s friends take the forefront during the holiday season.

“Seeing my friends who don’t go to South is the best part [of the holidays] because they go to boarding school so I don’t get to see them at all,” he said.

Cody does not dwell on his holidays’ spiritless flavor. “There isn’t much holiday spirit,” he said.

As the clock strikes twelve on Christmas Eve, sophomore Nina sits in a midnight mass ceremony alongside her family at a community church in Boston. This fairly new tradition always kicks off a fun, family-filled Christmas for Nina.

On Christmas morning, Nina and her 19-year-old sister wake up early, waiting anxiously at the top of the stairs. “My dad plays ‘joy to the world’ or something, and we run down the stairs,” Nina describes. “That’s what we’ve been dong since we were old enough to celebrate.”

She recalls that Christmas took on a different meaning when she was younger.

“I remember really clearly staying up the entire night and not being able to sleep,” she said. “Now it’s like, you go to bed, you fall asleep … it’s not like this huge rush to get downstairs anymore.”

Nina spends Christmas Eve with her parents, her sister and her grandparents, but reserves the majority of Christmas Day for her immediate family.

“We used to drive down to see our cousins, but my dad, sister and I would all rather stay at home and be lazy,” she said.

After a day of hanging around, Nina and her family get to work in the kitchen. “We’ll always cook a really good meal, and then sit down at the dining room table and eat it,” she said.

“When I think of Christmas, I don’t think of what happened on that day,” she said. “I mostly think of the tradition and the tree, and the presents and stuff like that.”

Jack

Elise Divorce can cause the holiday season to transform from the perfect family time to an upsetting reminder of parents who have separated.

However, junior Elise, whose parents divorced when she was in seventh grade, spends her Christmas with the whole family together. “My parents get along really well, it just didn’t work out in a marriage way,” she said.

In Maine, where she usually spends Christmas with grandparents, aunts and uncles, it is her “kind of crazy” grandmother that can sometimes lead to family issues during the holidays. “My grandma really struggles with it because she really hates that my parents got divorced, so there’s some tension there, but we get over it,” Elise said.

Grandma’s “overwhelming” tendency to blow problems out of proportion does cause some stress, Elise said, but the family as a whole remains calm. “I think everyone is stressed out during the holidays, but usually we’re able to accept the stressfulness and enjoy ourselves anyways,” she said.

Elise looks forward to this year’s holiday season in particular, predicting Christmas will be a more positive holiday than most. “In my family, it really depends on how everyone is doing in their personal lives,” Elise said. “This Christmas I think we’ll have a good time.”

On Christmas Eve, Jack typically finds himself in a movie theatre with his family, full with Chinese food. Born and raised Jewish, Jack spends eight days, typically one to two weeks before Christmas, celebrating Hannukah with his family.

“Every night we’ll light the menorah,” Jack said.

For some families, reuniting with relatives can be an added source of stress or tension. For Jack, however, “there are no family feuds.” “[Hannukah’s] a good time just to be with family, in addition to celebrating the festival of lights.”

While Jack feels that Hannukah has become “Christma-tized,” Jack is not particularly bothered by the commercialism of it all. “Even though it is heavily advertised and stuff like that, [Hannukah and Christmas] are both still about the giving spirit and stuff,” he said.

With the spirit of giving in my mind, Jack believes that the holidays “make people more thankful.”

As he has gotten older, Jack has been able to see gift-giving in a different light.

“Before, [getting gifts] was more like an expected thing ... if you didn’t get your gift or something like that, you’d be angry,” he said. “[Now,] you’re more appreciative and you complain less.” graphic by Besty Lee

10 features

december 18, 2009 Wet pie crust emulates holidays

Study hard by day, party hard by night

Ariel Kirshenbaum • Senior Column

W

elcome to the holiday season, the time of year sensibly named as such since it is neither any of the four seasons, nor does it contain the years three most important holidays: Pi Day (March 14), What if Dogs and Cats Had Opposable Thumbs Day (look it up, I swear!), and, of course, my birthday (May 15-DoN’T FoRgeT iT!).

I will do everyone a favor and note the FDA approved exact dates of the “season.” It starts at 8:67a.m. the day after Halloween, when your dentist office starts playing Christmas music, and it goes straight up to the day you finally run off that last calorie of pecan pie, which happens to be the day right after never.

If someone ran up to me right now and threatened to rub a pickle on my eyelids if I did not explain the holiday season to them with a single story, I would probably describe what happened the day after Thanksgiving. I went to the sink to get some water.

After turning on the faucet, I watched in horror as the water streamed over two pieces of pumpkin pie crust, lying abandoned on the sink bottom. (Here comes the moment that I believe so fully encapsulates the holiday.)

I immediately slammed off the tap and saved the two crusts, in an identical manner as I would save kittens from a burning building. Now, whether or not I knew the abandoner — the empty souled person who had slurped up all the creamy pumpkin pie insides and then left the crust to die, die, in the sink — is not important.

What is important, however, is that I then proceeded to eat them. Both.

I know what you’re thinking: Dat Ariel chick STAYS cute. You might also be thinking that eating out of the kitchen sink is not sanitary, especially considering my mom had earlier that day emptied turkey guts in there. But that’s beside the point.

So pie (no actually, pi) is clearly the best part of the holiday season. And the worst part of the holidays is the day when you must tell your teacher that your bubbly presence will be missed the week before break.

So anyway, you’ll be leaving a few days early for the break, which conveniently does not actually begin until Christmas night. Your atrocious early departure is due to your parents rudeness and foolishness for deciding Grandma and Grandpa are more important than school this year.

However, the need for such a loving family reunion will go unseen by your teacher, since you will be missing the year’s most important classes: watching Santa Clause III, and of course, Elf. Speaking of Santa, I was the most fervent believer in the third grade. I also proudly kept that title in middle school, though the reaction quickly changed from “Oh look, Ariel’s so cute!” to more of “Ariel, stop digging tunnels in the playground for Santa’s elves, and go play with the other children.” I actually, in all seriousness, believed in Santa almost until my Bat Mitzvah.

Judge all you want — Jews can be just as faithful to muh main brother S. Clause as anyone.

(S.C. if you’re out there, I still believe. CaLL mE!)

photo illustration by Dan Hurwit

Students that take higher level classes find that parents set less guidlines for partying.

Ali Meisel Features Editor

Casually talking to his friends about the party he had attended the previous weekend, Junior Robert* never expected his parents to be listening in on the conversation.

“I accidentally called my parents and left them a minute-long message saying how drunk I was,” Robert said.

But Robert’s appearance at parties complements his appearance in three advanced courses. He is not alone. Many students that are throwing parties on the weekends are also throwing study parties during the week, blurring the line between the “book worm” and the “partier.”

While Robert’s parents were “disappointed,” Robert thinks his high achievements in school appeased them. “I do get good grades, so they don’t care that much,” Robert said.

Junior Allison* also takes advanced courses and finds that her good grades are what allow her to go to parties. Her parents remain oblivious to the “bad things” that happen at parties and permit her to attend.

“There’s no reason for [my parents] to be suspicious of me, because I still do well in school and am still successful in other things,” Allison said.

But she has had to make sacrifices to maintain an active social life. “I think the assumptions are true; having a social life is detrimental to your schoolwork.” “[Schoolwork and partying] is kind of hard to balance because it’s what I want to do versus what I have to do,” Allison said.

Senior Noah* also finds that the ability to balance advanced classes and a strong social life has made his parents more lenient about partying. Noah’s parents know what happens at parties, and their primary concern is that he is safe.

“We want to make sure that Noah makes smart choices, and we absolutely trust the choices that he makes,” Noah’s stepfather said. In terms of what happens

at parties, drinking is “okay in moderation, as long as he is smart about it.”

Most students go to extreme lengths to hide drug usage from their parents, but Noah was very upfront.

“The first time I smoked was junior year, and [my parents] were very chill about it,” Noah said.

Keeping up with his part of the bargain, Noah, who takes four AP classes, makes sure to devote enough time to ADMISSIONS, from 1 “Your friends and family can congratulate you,” a student said. “It’s not worth it if it makes even one person upset.”

This week as more colleges release the first round of decisions, conversation throughout South sounds the same.

In the hall, a girl in blue hugs another in brown. Blue Shirt shakes visibly. “CONGRATS,” she shouts. Their chatter carries down the hall, where two others hug. Neither smiles. “It’s okay,” a girl in green whispers, and the girl wearing a hood says nothing.

In class, the boy in stripes taps his fingers on his desk, his legs shaking. He faces forward, but he doesn’t see the board. A girl in yellow greets him. He doesn’t respond. She taps his shoulder. He looks up and apologizes.

“How are you?” she says. “Nervous,” Stripes responds. “Really nervous.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” she smiles.

In homeroom, students discuss rumored rejections. “He got rejected?!” a girl carrying a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee asks. “That means doom for the rest of us!”

After lunch, more news breaks. “If she didn’t get in, there’s no way I’m going to college,” a girl says to a group of her friends.

One student checks his decision on an iPhone during class and high fives his friend. “I just got into college!” High-Fiver says. The class erupts into cheers and the boy tries to mask his tears with laughter as he runs from the room.

In other classes, seats are left empty.

Some students nervously waiting for their

homework. “Saturday night, I’ll usually go out to a party, and on Sunday I’ll do some work,” Noah said.

Although Noah believes that his parents “would feel differently” about his partying if he did not do as well in school, Noah’s stepfather said that partying is “irrelevant in terms of academic achievement … we just encourage him to prioritize; to think about what’s the most important thing, and what can give at the margins.”

Junior Eliza*, who takes four honors classes and one AP class, keeps her parents more in the dark about the partying in which she partakes.

“They think I’m a lot quieter than I am,” Eliza said. “They know I socialize with people who drink and stuff, but I don’t think they know that I am participating. They would be angry, very angry, if I came home and was drunk … you just have to get around it,” she said.

According to Noah’s stepfather, parents such as Eliza’s “don’t trust their kids to make good choices because they don’t think that their kids are mature enough … [all situations are different], and it’s not one size fits all.”

Eliza said she makes sure to maintain the balance between schoolwork and partying, in part to keep her parents from watching her every move. “[My parents] understand that I take responsibility for my school work and that I understand the consequences if I was to get out of hand socially and put off all of my academics,” Eliza said.

“I’ve heard the assumptions [about only partying or only being smart],” Noah said, “but smart people know how to have fun.” *Names have been changed to protect students’ identities. decisions haven’t come to school at all.

Other students still waiting for their decisions come to school in sweatpants and glasses. “I didn’t get any sleep last night,” Messy Bun says, fiddling with her hair elastic. “I’m so anxious. I got my teacher to postpone my test.”

At a library table, a boy in a navy blue sweatshirt laughs nervously. “If I don’t get in, my break is going to suck.” His friend looks sympathetic. “I haven’t even applied anywhere early, but I’m so nervous for everyone else,” she says. “I can’t believe I have to wait until April.”

By the Goldrick entrance, a girl takes out her car keys. “I can’t stay today,” she tells her friend with a purple binder.

“I promised her I’d distract her; she finds out at five.”

Purple Binder grimaces. “Oh yeah; I’ll be over after with cookies.” Car Keys laughs half-heartedly. “We can eat in celebration or help her eat her feelings.”

Only one rejection letter hangs on the Wall of Shame. Students giggle.

In the Wheeler hallway, a boy in a parka spies his friend from across the hall and picks up speed, tackling him.

“Congratulations!” he exclaims. “I’m so happy for you!”

Outside the Senior Commons, a girl clasps her notebook to her chest and smiles sadly. Her friend gives her a hug. “You shouldn’t be too upset,” she says. “I know it seems like a big deal right now, but you’ll do great at whatever school you go to, and you’ll love wherever you end up.”

december 18, 2009

features

Conservatives find silver lining Jessica Bolter & James Wu Features Editor, Features Contributor

When the Conservative Student Organization hung flyers around the school to publicize its creation in 2007, most of the flyers were ripped down by the next day. In the prominently liberal environment of South, conservative students have to fight to have their views represented.

Senior Mika Braginsky founded the Conservative Student Organization, known as the CSO, to give students in this minority a place to discuss their views. “I thought the CSO would encourage political diversity and more rich discussions on political issues,” Braginsky said.

History teacher and CSO faculty advisor Paul Estin, who describes himself as “libertarian,” said he understands that “it can sometimes be difficult to have a minority viewpoint when political conversations do occur.”

Though the CSO provides an afterschool forum for discussion and debate, conservative students still struggle to escape the uncomfortable conversations that arise in classrooms.

“Being a minority, you have to argue your points, because there are certain things about minorities that everyone assumes,” Braginsky said. “The most irritating thing about it is that there are some history teachers who are prone to putting their political views into their teaching.”

Estin tries to minimize student discomfort when talking about political views in class. “In the classroom, I like to get my biases in the open, whenever they’re relevant, but I try to stress that students should feel free to speak their minds,” he said.

History teacher Deborah Linder, whose political views “lean to the left,” also tries to make her classroom a comfortable environment for all. “I let [my students] know the perspective from which I’m teaching so they can realize I have a bias and I’m open to other opinions,” she said.

“I let them know that my way is not always the right way,” she said.

Junior David Melly, leader of the Liberal Student Union at South, thinks that conservative students can benefit from being in a liberal environment. “Because they are the minority opinion [here], they are challenged to have support and evidence to back up their opinions.”

Braginsky is eager to take on this challenge. “It can be difficult if I’m one of the few people making an argument against many people, [but] I sort of enjoy that,” Braginsky said.

But Sophomore Jessica Shrayber finds the challenge of defending her minority beliefs less enjoyable. During history class discussions, “I’m one of the few on the Republican side and I’m always arguing for that side,” she said. “A lot of people are negative about what I say and say negative comments to me.”

Linder tries to make students like Shrayber feel that their views are respected in her class, and also tries to balance out the ratio of conservative views to liberal views. “Sometimes it’s fun to play devil’s advocate,” she said. “Too often in Newton

schools it’s the side not taken.”

Conservative senior James Terech, who moved to Newton from Texas two years ago, believes that South’s liberalism can be good for conservatives like himself.

“I’ve changed my views a lot … I’ve been a lot more open, a lot less narrow-minded since I moved here,” he said.

Freshman Jake Medoff, a self-described “neutral -conservative,” also feels that he has benefited from the political scene at South.

“There is not any discrimination at all, which is a good thing,” Medoff said.

“I don’t feel that it is that difficult being conservative.”

All political differences aside, conservative and liberals alike value the importance of education.

“The most important thing is to be informed,” Melly said.

Linder agreed. “I love having well-informed conservative students in class - it makes the class a better place for both [conservative and non-conservative] students.”

“I love having well-informed conservative students in class ... it makes the class a better place.”

DEBORAH LINDER HISTORY TEACHER

photo by Dan Hurwit

History teacher Deborah Linder encourages open discussion on politics in her classes.

Coming out, moving forward

COMING OUT, from 8

perience,” he said. “I never wonder if that happened because I’m a man. But I may wonder if that happened because I’m gay.”

“The Final Frontier”

Parlin also noted the difficulty of changing genders, which he referred to as “the final frontier of acceptance.”

He views the increase in openly transgender students and teachers as a sign that South is moving in the right direction.

Technology education teacher Jennifer Stephens came out as transgender last January and was surprised at how positively South reacted.

Although Stephens has taught at South for 12 years, she only recently met a transgender student. Stephens said that her story could help students who are struggling with their identities to come out too.

“That’s probably one of my biggest concerns, [that] students would feel com-

fortable enough with themselves if they want to come out,” she said. “I’m kind of a role model even though I didn’t ask for it.”

Stephens views her experience as a reflection of South’s positive environment.

Each generation, she believes, is becoming more accepting than the previous one.

“For students, transgender is probably not viewed as a big deal,” she said; ” for adults, probably not yet.”

Stephens also said that changing genders from female to male is more accepted than from male to female. “Males have a problem with [transgender],” she said. “More than anything, it potentially could threaten their masculinity. That’s my guess.”

But Kennedy believes that the media is helping to reshape gender roles, noting that sitcoms help to integrate homosexuality into daily life.

“The media creates a greater influence that South takes advantage of,” he said. “Every time I turn around, there’s another gay character [on TV] and I say ‘yay!’”

Stephens thinks that the diversity at South also contributes to its accepting atmosphere.

“There are groups of people who have experienced discrimination from where they came, or their relatives may have,” she said.

She recalled the anonymous letters she received after coming out.

“Even the worst one in there,” she said, “could also be considered the most positive. It read: ‘Although I don’t agree with this because of my religion, I think you are a courageous person for doing this.’”

Even so, Kennedy insists that South hasn’t yet reached its final frontier of acceptance.

“We do the PC thing well,” he said, “but we aren’t completely comfortable.

When students own the process – when students bring up these issues, when straight allies say at prom, ‘let’s have a special moment for gay students to have a dance on the dance floor,’ – that’s when we’ll be there.”

11

Relationships: Defining the open relationship

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every issue The Roar publishes a different anonymous student’s perspective on relationships.

The views expressed in the “Relationships Column” do not reflect the official views of The Lion’s Roar, nor are they intended as a guide or source of advice for others.

Open relationship; some call this “slutty,” just because it means you can hookup with different people, but I don’t.

Being in a so-called “open relationship” doesn’t mean we’re just each other’s main hookup buddies; we do everything included in a relationship besides PDA. We leave out the hand -holding in the hallways, kissing in school. It’s not like we don’t want to do that, but we hold back.

We were already extremely close friends before we started hooking up, and we centered around a tight knit group of friends. If two people in the same friends group start going out, then break up, it almost always causes other friends to choose sides.

Being in an open relationship means we don’t share everything we do with other people and we don’t talk about our relationship unless we’re alone together.

When someone asks if we’re going out, I say yes and no. Yes, because we both like each other, we both enjoy each other’s company, we call each other and talk before bed, we cuddle on the couch while watching movies. No, because we don’t have the official title.

To the naked eye, we’re just two friends. We don’t care what other people write us on “the relationship list,” the list that everyone secretly adds to when a new couple comes to be. I’ve done the whole relationship thing, I’ve done the whole love thing and frankly, right now, commitment is not my number one priority.

We’re in the same boat, and that’s why our relationship works so well. We hang out when we want to, but don’t feel the necessity to see each other all the time.

This way, we can put more effort into the other aspects of our lives and not worry about what the other one will say when we don’t call them until 11 p.m.

At first, I wasn’t really comfortable with being in an open relationship. But once we started talking about how we like each other but there are other things in our life that are more important and we’re not in a place to be in a relationship right now, I became at ease with the idea.

In my past serious relationship, my boyfriend and I were together all the time.

I always felt obligated to spend as much time with him as I could possibly muster. I definitely didn’t mind that, as I said before, that was my first experience with being in love. It was a great relationship and I’d definitely be up for finding that someone again. But I think it’s important to experience all different types of relationships.

Not all people are right for a single obligatory relationship; being in an open relationship allows me to figure out what’s right for me. I’m just lucky to have found someone like me.

12 features

december 18, 2009

Up close and personal: a look at the class presidents

In light of the recent freshmen elections, four Roar reporters talked to your class presidents to find out about their goals, inspirations and favorite Disney Pixar movies.

By Joe Joseph, Rachel Leshin, David Rabinowicz and James Wu

Freshman Yoonchan Choi time?

Q: What’s your favorite book of all

A: Crime and Punishment with Mr. Jampol.

Q: How have you made improvements to the class of 2010? What are some things you have done?

A: Well, when we were freshmen, we didn’t really do anything spirit-wise, so one thing we worked on was getting more involved in school activities. This year, we planned the pep rally, and are planning winter prom.

Q: What are a few adjectives that you would use to describe yourself?

A: Helpful, friendly, relative, and inclusive.

Q: What is your favorite Disney Pixar Movie?

A: The Classics. “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2”..

Q: Of all of South’s sports teams, which one do you like the best?

A: Indoor and Outdoor track.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?

A: My grandparents, because when I was little, I grew up with them, when my parents were working in Germany. My grandparents raised me, and they taught me that if you work hard and be optimistic, you’ll always succeed.

’13

Q: “A few months ago, when you were running, did you picture yourself actually being the president?”

A: “Well in the beginning, I just tried it because it seemed like it was a lot of fun, and I thought I could do a good job as president, and as it went on, I gained confidence because I got a lot of help from friends.”

Q: What is your favorite Disney Pixar movie?

A: “Finding Nemo”.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?

A: I don’t have a single one that I look up to ... I feel that the people around me inspire me to do what I

do ... especially my close friends and family. During the elections it was my friends who inspired me to keep at it.

Q: What are a few adjectives that you would use to describe yourself?

A: Flexible, adaptive and openminded ... and also, I say things with minimal censorship. I do what I want to do. If I have something to say, I say it, and if I have something I want to do, I’ll do it.

Q: “Team Edward, or Team Jacob?”

A: “Taylor Lautner shirtless is definitely something you don’t want to miss.”

’10 Senior Chen Cao

Sophomore Amanda Magier Q: What would you say is the best thing about being president?

A: The fact that it’s my job to make sure everyone is having a good time.

Another thing I love is that I have a lot of control, and that if there’s a problem I have the power to fix it. And weirdly enough, I’ve actually started to like all the pressure of it!

Q: What is your favorite Disney Pixar movie?

A: “The Incredibles”.

Q: If you could live as any person for one day, who would you live as?

A: I guess my grandfather. He survived the Holocaust, came to the U.S. to start a new life, and overcame adversity. It would be interesting to know more about how he dealt with it all and just to feel all of his emotions.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?

A: My Uncle Ronnie is one of my biggest inspirations. He was the president of the American Medical Association and also fought cancer. He passed away about a year ago.

Q: What are a few adjectives that you would use to describe yourself?

A: Loud. Fun. A little stubborn.

Competitive.

’12

’11

Q: Which aspect of South needs to be changed most?

A: The school is very competitive and I think it’s great that every kid is trying to be the best … [but] kids have lost that sense of community in high school. It’s gotten to the point where Newton South is more of an institution where kids come to learn and then go home every day … where school should actually be like a second home.

Q: If you could go out to dinner with anyone from any time period, who would it be?

A: I want to say Barack Obama.

Also, Michael Jackson in the Thriller days of Michael Jackson.

tion?

Q: Who is your biggest inspira-

A: Amrita Rao. She’s like my older sister. I’m really grateful for all the opportunities she’s given me. She’s really guided me through high school.

Q: What is your favorite Disney Pixar movie?

A: “Toy Story” or “The Incredibles”.

Q: What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?

A: Competitive, president-wise, I want our class to be the dominant class in the school. Determined … Anything involving the class, I like to put 100 percent of my effort in.

Junior Ashan Singh photos by James Wang

december 18, 2009

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hether you’re young or old, musical or just want to be musical, it’s never too late to start learning an instrument. I’m Hunter Holmes, I’ve been teaching guitar and drums for well over 20 years in the Newton-Wellesley area. I have many, many references.

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You could say I specialize with young kids, 8-12. My gift is knowing how to hold a child’s interest, which is often done through humor, creativity and sometimes with my natural ability to change my speaking voice. When they’re having fun, I’m having fun and the learning part feels more natural and actually becomes easier.

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editorials

“YEAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”

-Aaron Belowich

page 14

volume 26, issue 5 • december 18, 2009

upgrade/downgrade

White Christmas?

It’s December, and there’s no snow. We should be worried about global warming — Santa might drown — but it’s okay; as of Dec. 21, we only have two years left before the world ends anyway. So let’s embrace this beach weather while the apocalypse approaches us: buy a Christmas palm tree, and light your menorahs by holding a magnifying glass under the sun.

Who needs snowballs when you can throw rocks instead? Two years to go— UPGRADE

CONGRATS!!!!!!

We hear you got into college. We know you’re in the class of 2014. We might want to congratulate you, but it looks like you beat us to it. All college acceptees must memorize the proper Facebook etiquette. Rule One: ALWAYS update your status with the name of the school to which you were accepted no longer than 30 seconds after you find out.

As an “optional” supplement, post all the other schools to which you are applying, rating their prestige on a scale of one through five. Also post your GPA and SAT scores (two Subject Tests required). Rule Two: If any of your friends get into college, post their names and the colleges to which they were accepted in capital letters, multiplying the number of friends accepted by their average GPA to determine the necessary amount of exclamation points.

Rule Three: disregard the above two rules. Most of us have to wait till April, and it sucks. Early arrivals — DOWNGRADE

Parent teacher conferencecs Two weeks of parent-teacher interaction is never a good thing, no matter how early we get out from school. The in-depth midterms we receive only for selected classes make the situation even worse. We know that we are “trying, but failing.” We are well aware that we do “not bring a calculator to class.” We do “ask to leave class frequently.”

Yes, we think our “placement should be reviewed” — and now our parents do, too. We’re glad they let us know. Midterm madness — DOWNGRADE

Increase in new technology, cheating policy should be redefined Newton South’s “Students’ Rights and Responsibilities Handbook,” has clear guidelines for teachers and administrators to follow regarding traditional instances of cheating.

The Handbook suggests that teachers “discuss plagiarism, cheating and forgery.” But as technology increases, students are finding new ways to cheat (see centerfold, page 16) and the Handbook fails to address the myriad of ways students can blur the lines surrounding cheating.

To respond appropriately, South must redefine cheating and make a clear distinction between using technology to study and using it to cheat.

Students caught cheating are left with uncertain punishments.

It has been left up to individual teachers and department heads to decide to what degree they will discipline the students.

Without a firm policy in place, teachers are left to interpret the rules on their own, some choosing to create a syllabus explaining the consequences of cheating and others choosing not to hand one out at all.

Students are then left to create their own definitions, giving themselves leeway to copy others’ homework once in a while or look up summaries of books on Sparknotes.

To remedy the unclear definitions surrounding cheating, each department should have a unified cheating policy that encompasses the emerging technology in their field.

Department-wide policies could then outline the different

degrees of cheating and the specific punishments for each action, could mitigate many unclear punishments.

Currently, teachers try to counter students’ use of online resources by giving daily reading quizzes in English, for example.

Although the intent of these quizzes is to encourage reading, many students find these quizzes overbearing and stressful. These quizzes might even give students a larger incentive to use technology that could identify important ideas that they may have missed on their own.

If teachers had a unified and firm policy that covered all of the means of cheating in their field, they could devote less time in class to countering the effects of that technology. Teachers could spend more time on class discussions and answering complex questions that students might have about the readings.

Teachers should touch upon the key symbols and themes that students would not learn through Web sites. A larger emphasis on analysis and a smaller focus on preventing Sparknotes may lead students to use the technology less frequently. More time could be devoted to answering questions instead of counteracting what is undefined.

Arguing for a comprehensive cheating policy may appear obvious. And we think it should be an obvious action for the school to take.

Although we recognize that no policy can completely prevent cheating, it could discourage students from abusing resources that

they may not classify as cheating.

A policy may encourage students to think twice before handing over their math homework to a classmate or translating a Spanish essay on a translation Web site. Even if students don’t heed the warnings of a stricter cheating policy, at least teachers would be informed of a firm course of action that would follow these offenses.

Why does it matter if we cheat? Cheating seems to be the slightly easier route to academic success. When you have three tests to study for, maybe that one homework just isn’t as important to do. Maybe cheating on one assignment appears to be the appropriate way to handle an overwhelming amount of work.

Although cheating is not always treated as a severe offense in high school, allowing even the most minor offenses to go unnoticed could encourage a future of cheating, where it has the potential to be detrimental to our integrity and our academic careers.

Cheating hinders our learning and personal growth. Beyond high school, cheating results in severe punishments, such as expulsion from college or being fired from a job.

One of South’s purposes is to prepare us for life in the outside world. The real world does not tolerate people who get around the rules by cheating and we think that South must make sure that it instills this belief in its students.

A stringent and clear policy for all methods of cheating might be a temporary burden to us now, but it could set students on the right path to take in life.

Editorial Policy The Lion’s Roar, founded in 1984, is the student newspaper of Newton South High School, acting as a public forum for student views and attitudes.

The Lion’s Roar’s right to freedom of expression is protected by the Massachusetts Student Free Expression Law (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 71, Section 82). All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Lion’s Roar in no way reflects the official policy of Newton South, its faculty, or its administration.

Editorials are the official opinion of The Lion’s Roar, while opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Lion’s Roar. The Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submitted content, to reject advertising copy for resubmission of new copy that is deemed acceptable by student editors, and to make decisions regarding the submission of letters to the editors, which are welcomed.

The Lion’s Roar is printed by Seacoast Newspapers and published every three weeks by Newton South Students. All of our funding comes from advertisers.

In-school distribution of The Lion’s Roar is free, but each copy of the paper shall cost one dollar for each copy more than ten (10) that is taken by any individual or by many individuals on behalf of a single individual. Violation of this policy shall constitute theft.

15 editor’s desk

december 18, 2009

Best of both worlds

THE EDITOR’S DESK Hallie Boviard Editor-in-Chief

Chopping down the Christmas tree.

Lighting the Hanukiyah. Decorating two Christmas trees. Saying the Hanukkah blessings. Watching A Christmas Carol. Watching the Rugrats Hannukah special. One day of presents. Eight nights of presents.

This is my world. A little bit of both. My dad was Christian and my mom is Jewish.

So ever since I can remember I have mixed both cultures, well more Judaism than Christianity.

I mean I celebrate Christmas and Easter and have gone to Easter Vigil once in my life, but I am at the temple at least once a week.

I go to Midrasha, which is Temple Beth Avodah’s version of Prozdor, and I attend the occasional Friday night Shabbat service.

Oh, and I definitely had a Bat Mitzvah and we definitely did not play Snowball.

This year I went to the Hannukah service and I have never seen a more packed synagogue.

All of the regular seats were filled,

and people were dragging in extra chairs. the Chesnut Hill Mall) eat at either CheesePeople were standing and a buzz was filling cake or Charley’s and reminisce over the the room. old days when my brother did not want to My cousin, who is not Jewish, came sacrifice his only dollar for presents. with my mom, brother and me to experiWe laugh, and this tradition will forence something different than what she ever be fondly ingrained in my mind. normally does.

Yeah I celebrate Christmas, but not in We lit about twenty menorahs together, the same way. The only time I went to Mass and that is what I will remember. was in Hawaii, at midnight. I kept falling Saying the three asleep, because of the prayers together, while “What is really important time difference. watching an entire table when I was is the traditons you have, awake,But light a huge room is I saw a Hawaiian what will stick with me not necessarily what you hula dancer performing forever. a traditional dance with actually celebrate.”

My grandmother leis and a grass skirt.

HALLIE BOVIARD has taken me and my It was beautiful, CLASS OF 2010 brother shopping for calm and serene. This is my mom’s eight Hannukah gifts every year what I will remember. since I was one.

The weekend of Thanksgiving, I went It used to be that she took us because to cut down a tree with my cousins, who are neither my brother nor I could drive and around my age. neither of us had any cash, since we were in I was not wearing the best shoes for elementary school every penny seemed like this endeavor, it was raining and it was eight a million bucks. in the morning, yet a part of me was still Now we do it because it is one of the excited for this classic tradition. only times that just me and my brother and Every year we search for the perfect my grandmother can share together. tree. Right height, right shape, right smell, We go to both malls (the Atrium and right feel.

We look and look, and somehow every year we magically find the best tree to decorate with the thousands of ornaments and lights and place next to the mini faux tree adorned with “Star Wars” and Barbie ornaments.

This year when we cut it down, we had to walk through mud and slush. Once we finally chopped it, we carried it, my cousins, my aunt, my uncle and me.

We had to walk through barbed wire with it, careful not touch it or scrape ourselves. This is true dedication, and I will remember this.

These traditions will stick in my mind more than the fact that I celebrate both holidays. The quirky things my family does makes me unique. Without these I would not be who I am today.

Even though these rituals seem silly or childish, I love them in spite of this.

Hold onto those childlike inhibitions and embrace all of it. What is really important is the traditions you have, not necessarily what you actually celebrate.

Happy last night of Hannukah! Merry Christmas in seven days! Better yet, Merry Chrismukkah. Holla and thanks, O.C.

Volume 26 The Lion’s Roar Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper The Lion’s Roar 140 Brandeis Road Newton, MA 02459 srstaff@thelionsroar.com

Hallie Boviard

Managing Editors Emma Chad-Friedman

News Julia Spector Emily Breuer Rayna Golub Patricia Ho Shan Shao

Features

Frank Chung

Marsha Patel Delphine Rodrik

Section Editors Centerfold Meryl Hayes Josh Kruskal

Arts

Rachel Leshin Libby Carberry

Caroline Rosa

Jessica Bolter Ali Meisel Gil Metser

Joseph Busaba Allie Glickman Julia Gron Molly Weinstein

Graphics Manager

Opinions Leah Cotton Danny Gifford Grace Hyun Julia Miller

Sports

Aaron Belowich Mel Fineman Olivia Larkin Victor Moisescu

Photo Managers

Betsy Lee Estie Martin

Dan Hurwit Danielle Stubbe

Business Managers

Faculty Advisers

Web Staff

Copy Editor

Brian Baron Ashley Elpern Lily Eng Thomas Murphy

Zhuoshi Xie David Altman Josh Garvin Avnish Kumar

to join The Roar Happy

Editors-in-Chief Sascha Bercovitch

All we want for Christmas is you..

Jillian Gundersheim Lily Konowitz Ellery Berk Zack Hausle

Distribution Managers Jenn Mountain

Holidays!

Love always,

The Roar Monday J-Block Room 1201

17

16

98%

A ( NEW ) LOOK :)

of high school students have let someone else copy their work.

AT CHEATING With the advent of new online resources such as Sparknotes.com, students and teachers are reevaluating the role of the Internet in a classroom setting.

By Josh Kruskal Spanish teacher Jennifer Hee was working with a group of students in the library when she observed a student using Google Translate, a free online translator that is very accurate.

The resource surprised Hee not only because of its accuracy but because of how easy it was for a student to enter a block of text and click one button for a translation.

“I started thinking about if this is an ethical dilemma or not for student to use this,” she said. “I actually had one student ask me, ‘Is this cheating?’ and I didn’t really know how to answer them.”

Hee now thinks that translation Web sites can be useful tools as long as students use them responsibly.

“If you’re going to write something completely in English, throw all of it into Google Translate and it [comes] out in perfect Spanish, that is cheating,” she said.

“I think there’s a difference between doing something like that and looking up one phrase … or finding a word … and using software to help with that. That makes a lot more sense to me, and I wouldn’t consider that cheating at all.”

Hee added that if such Web sites are abused, however, they can hurt a student’s ability to understand material and figure out answers for themselves.

“I’m really on the fence about [online translators]. I feel like the

cons outweigh the pros because it’s a shortcut to learning. I think I’d rather see a student take the time to try to produce something themselves and make mistakes than have them hand in a 100 percent correct paper translated by software, where I feel like they haven’t learned anything.”

No rule at South bars the use of Internet resources students

I actually had one student ask me,‘Is this cheating?’ and I didn’t really know how to answer them.”

Jennifer Hee

Spanish Teacher

may use not to cheat but to gain am advantage over others. The Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook issued by Newton Public Schools does not provide a definition of cheating, though it does encourage teachers to “discuss plagiarism, cheating and forgery at the beginning of each academic course and talk with students about the academic and ethical reasons for avoiding these behaviors.”

With no clear definition for cheating, however, teachers have increasingly relied on students to

draw the line for themselves, and this line is even blurrier when it comes to the Internet.

English teacher Alan Reinstein sees Internet-based resources, such as the popular study-guide Sparknotes.com, as tools that can help students improve their performance.

“I don’t discourage the use of Sparknotes if students use it responsibly; in fact, I often encourage the site, especially for students who are struggling,” Reinstein said. “I think Sparknotes can be an incredibly effective resource if the student uses it as a supplement … [It] shows that they want to understand what they are reading.”

Reinstein pointed out that Sparknotes can also be helpful for students who have missed classes. “I encourage students to use Sparknotes if they are behind in a book,” he said.

“Sparknotes is great in that sense that the student can catch up. The student doesn’t get credit if he or she didn’t do the assignment, but I’d rather they use Sparknotes to catch up and be prepared for the next day of class than fall behind.”

But Reinstein also stressed the importance of using Sparknotes only as an addition to class homework.

He is well aware that some students opt to read Sparknotes summaries exclusively, without even opening the CHEATING,10 18 LANGUAGES,

95%

75%

of cheating high school students said that they had not been detected.

of college sudents have admitted to cheating.

90%

of students believe that students that cheat are never caught or have not been appropriately disciplined.

Source: U.S. News and World Report

The Mind of a Cheater S

enior Erica* “doesn’t cheat often,” but has “definitely cheated more than once.”

Junior Trevor* didn’t know some of the vocabulary words on a Spanish test so he “pulled out the text book and looked up the words under the desk.”

Sophomore Julia has copied homework “once or twice when [she hasn’t] gotten around to doing [it].”

Freshman Dave has copied homework before “when he has a lot of work and no time to do it.”

These students do not represent a select few at South.

In an online survey of 245 students, 82 percent reported

By Emma Chad-Friedman & Meryl Hayes

that they had cheated, by either copying, text messaging or plagiarizing.

Stress, competition and demanding schedules are just a few motivations for students to cheat. And with varied faculty enforcement of a policy that deals

“We’re afraid of failing.

We know the consequences if we don’t do well and we’re trying to get around it.” only with certain cases, students continue to cheat in between the lines, ignoring the consequences.

History and psychology teacher Sean Turley sees cheating in most cases as a “desperate attempt to relieve stress.”

When teenagers are under pressure, he explained, they are more likely to act in ways they would normally consider immoral.

This concept is referred to as the Yerkes-Dodson law of arousal.

“It happens defensively … when you believe there’s no other way out unless you take a short cut,” Turley said.

When Erica cheats, it is usually a reaction to her parents’ expectations.

Failing, Erica said,

means failing to bring home the expected grade or anticipated college acceptance.

Science teacher Joanna Vrouvlianis believes that most of this stress results from students’ overloaded schedules.

“They’re so loaded with extra curriculars and AP classes,” she said. “Even kids who are just taking straight curriculum I classes [are] overloaded and trying to cut corners somewhere.”

But school psychologist Tracey Murphy said that the need to satisfy external demands from teachers and parents drives students to cheat, even more than the desire to cut corners. “[Students] don’t want to fail, and they’d rather choose a route that guarantees success, at least paper success,” she said.

For this reason, Erica sometimes “secretly [looks] at someone’s paper and [gets] the answer” during a test.

“I know that it’s wrong and that I one should just study for myself,” she another. said.

“Students “It’s hard for kids to succeed look around the room on tests all the time,” Erica said. and say, ‘I’m competing “We’re afraid of failing. We know for spots at such and such the consequences if we don’t do universities with them, and well and we’re trying to get around people like them all over the it.” world, and I need the best grade I According to Vrouvlianis, the nature of the college search MOTIVES,10 19 LANGUAGES, leads students to compete with

*Names have been changed to protect students’ identities

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december 18, 2009

New technology blurs the lines of cheating CHEATING, from 16 To encourage students to rely more upon the actual assigned reading, Reinstein said he has geared many of his in-class assessments towards a more text-based format.

“My reading quizzes include questions that you can only answer by doing the reading. Most of the questions are specific,” he said. “Sparknotes should not replace the assignment.”

Students receiving mixed messages from teachers regarding the use of online learning material have had trouble determining what is and what is not allowed.

Sophomore Jonah Ryan-Davis said that students enrolled in his global history and English class were required to sign a form promising that they would not cheat.

His teachers however, did not mention the use of online resources.

He was surprised when his English teacher handed out a print-out version of a Sparknotes Web page describing the book the class was studying.

“One of my teachers actually printed [the Sparknotes review] out and brought it to us,” Ryan-Davis said.

While he does not believe his English teacher was directly encouraging the use of the Web site to supplement reading, he viewed the lesson as a gesture towards accepting alternatives to traditional studying.

Junior Jocelyn Weiss said that in previous years, many of her teachers have addressed the issue of cheating as a whole but have remained ambiguous in regards to the use of Web sites like Sparknotes.

“No one’s really addressed Sparknotes, but I don’t think that’s cheating really. If you’ve read the book [Sparknotes] just sums it up and categorizes things,” Weiss said.

“As long as you’ve read the material, Sparknotes can help support what you already know,” she said.

Weiss said that many students who are unwilling to put the effort into reading a book resort to getting summaries online.

She said that this approach, while not necessarily damaging to grades, does hurt a student in the long run by affecting their ability to process text.

“I think some people may just use Sparknotes and not read the actual text, which can be a problem,” Weiss said.

Because the Internet is constantly evolving, Weiss said that it is difficult for a teacher to create a comprehensive policy regarding the use of online resources.

She thinks that because many teachers won’t address the issue, many students have chosen the easier option and use the Internet to replace reading.

“I think [as a generation] we’re a lot lazier now,” Weiss said.

“I think that some of us just get so much work that … sometimes it’s just too much to handle. But other people are just lazy and don’t really put effort into work anymore.”

Using a Web site to supplement reading is not against school rules, but directly copying material off the internet is another

matter.

Senior Alicia Chui, who took AP Biology last year, said that many students in her class used pre-written online lab reports to help them with their own work.

Chui did not copy any work, but used the labs as references to help her write more effectively.

“I think people looked at them when they were kind of stuck on their own lab reports. I’m not sure whether anybody actually copied from [those] lab reports,” she

“I think [as a generation] we’re a lot lazier now. I think that some of us just get so much work that … sometimes it’s just too much to handle.”

JOCELYN WEISS CLASS OF 2011

said. “There might have been some people who used it to directly copy but I think most people would have just referenced it.”

Plagiarism is against school rules and is a suspendable offence which many teachers take seriously.

No rule, however, forbids students to use pre-written papers to understand concepts or develop a better sense of what a teacher expects from a particular assignment.

“I’m not sure if [our teacher] ever found out about the lab reports,” Chui said. “I know there was an incident where kids found out about test questions. [My teacher] was getting test questions from [the Internet].”

Chui also pointed out that most students in the class were aware of the labs because of a private Facebook group that most students enrolled in the class had joined.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole class knew about the labs, at least. I just don’t know what percentage actually used them,” she said.”

Traditional cheating in many forms has persisted at South and has evolved with the advent of new technology.

Senior Nick Sobel thinks that cheating using cell phones, graphing calculators and other portable devices is not widespread but occurs nonetheless.

“It’s not necessarily a big problem, but I do think it occurs more than teachers think it does,” Sobel said.

“I know people who have entered equations into their calculators or have something on their iPod or something like that.”

Sobel said that these forms of technology do not encourage cheating, but make it easier for students to get away with doing it.

“I think if people are going to cheat, they’re going to cheat. Technology just allows those people who are going to cheat anyways to get themselves an extra advantage,” he said.

The Roar polled 249 students on cheating and asked: Have you ever cheated before?

Yes - 81% No - 19%

If so, why did you cheat?

Didn’t have time to study 30%

Didn’t know the material 28% Other - 11%

Parental College expectapressure - tions 14% 17%

Which of the following do you consider to be a form of cheating?

centerfold 19

december 18, 2009

Stress, competition leads to cheating MOTIVES, from 17 can get.’”

But Murphy insists. “It’s more a matter of cutting corners than it is getting ahead of classmates.”

With the combination of extracurricular activities, tutoring, test preparation and the “massive amounts of homework for each subject,” Director of Guidance Robert Pomer believes students have “more homework than time to do it.”

Julia has copied her friends’ math homework a couple of times when she was “really busy with homework that night and didn’t get around to it.”

“I got the points for that day,” she said, but she later redid the homework to prepare for her test. “It was a momentary need to get it done.”

Whether students cheat to relieve themselves of one of their many stresses or to impress parents and colleges, science teacher Jordan Kraus identifies the gradedriven culture as the source that promotes cheating. “Because [students] don’t step back from the situation, the grade is the end product. The learning isn’t the end product for whatever reason.”

One reason may be that colleges and universities do not ask students to demonstrate their understanding of skills, concepts or ideas, Vrouvlianis said. “Instead, they look at letters on a piece of paper and make determinations based on that.”

But according to Turley, colleges may be using misleading methods to find the most knowledgeable students. Instead of testing a person’s knowledge, Turley says, the college application process tests the ability to “spit back information.”

In hopes of reducing cheating in his classes, Turley encourages both his world history and psychology students to think critically about the texts they read and formulate opinions. Turley also requires his students to support their opinions with evidence in order to minimize the likelihood of students passing off other ideas as their own. Still, Turley looks for repetition of answers when he grades his students’ responses.

“It’s very hard to steal an opinion on a historical event,” he said. “We are going to live in a world where people can just hold their phone and look up facts … it’s upon us as teachers to ask students questions that draw upon ideas and opinions so that they really can’t cheat.”

Turley said, however, that online resources can enhance students’ understanding of difficult topics.

Vrouvlianis also invites her students to read online biology labs and use the resources the Internet provides, as long as they cite the borrowed information properly.

“Most of the ideas in a professionally written paper are not the author’s own,” she said. “They are just properly cited … that is the goal.”

For Kraus, that is not enough. She believes South must set firm regulations that classify the different forms of cheating and the severity of each. When Kraus “rubbed elbows with” teachers from schools in eastern Massachusetts, she found that many “take a harder line than South does.”

Kraus has encountered a number of incidents in which students were caught cheating, but left without a defined punishment. Kraus points out a flaw in South’s code of conduct, which states “teachers should make the school policy regarding plagiarism

clear to students.”

Once the teacher, after consulting with the department head, has determined that plagiarism has occurred, the teacher will inform the housemaster, and the parents will be notified.

In the policy, the punishment for cheating varies on the number of times the offense has occurred.

When Kraus caught students cheating, she had to treat their acts as first offenses, even when discussions with other teachers suggested differently.

“It’s so difficult for faculty to act on cheating situations at South that many just look the other way if it’s not a huge research paper or something that teachers can prove beyond shadow of a doubt,” she said.

Students also look the other way, Kraus explained, when she talks about cheating in the first week of school. “So much is being thrown at you and it’s boring and you don’t want to listen until it impacts you.”

Julia agreed. “Everybody has heard it so much that nobody really listens and it almost just passes by,” she said.

But not all students understand where their teachers draw the line between a severe form of cheating like plagiarism and a minor copying of homework.

“I bet there’s not one student in school who hasn’t been in the position of having one crumby homework assignment that they forgot to do last night and they ask their friend if they can copy it,” Kraus said.

They don’t see it as cheating, they just see it as surviving.”

But how can students and teachers come to an agreement on what classifies cheating if teachers haven’t done that amongst themselves?

While Kraus said, “[copying homework] is cheating, but its not earth shattering cheating,” math teacher David Deutsch said that it is harder to determine because “students working together to complete their homework is not cheating.”

When asked if they present a cheating policy to their classes, the teachers varied in their responses.

Deutsch said he does not need to because he knows they do not cheat.

Vrouvlianis said she “[goes] over an honor code policy that they sign I go over the repercussions of cheating” Turley said he does not address cheating at all.

The next course of action, according to Kraus, is to put “a mechanism in place that differentiates minor infractions and egregious infractions.” But clearer codes and clearer punishments will not stop students from cheating, she said.

“I don’t think that most kids stop because they’re caught. They may stop in this classroom or for a while, but most don’t get why this was detrimental. They learn to avoid the punishment,” she said.

She highlights peer pressure as the best discouragement. “It’s like smoking; the best idea is to never start, but probably the best way to really be motivated to stop is [from] peer pressure.”

Like smoking, the benefits of cheating wear off quickly, leaving students with the lasting effects.

“At the end of the day, a year from now, five years from now, no one will care whether you got an “A”, a “B” or a “C” in high school biology or chemistry,” Kraus said. “But the kind of person you are, and the integrity, is life long.”

opinions

“‘Never’ is just ‘reven’ spelled backwards.”

-Dr. Gregory House

page 20

volume 26, issue 5 • december 18, 2009 Julia Miller Opinions Editor

Sleep: five letters put together in such a glorious way that I’m tired just thinking about it. Speak of this luxury to half the students at this school, and you will receive blank, glossy-eyed stares and questioning looks, accompanied by the occasional chuckle.

But say it to me, and my eyes will light up at the thought of lying down in that comfy, warm, splendid bed that no number of adjectives could thoroughly describe.

I will look forward to the effortless horizontal position all day long. And when I get there, at 11 p.m. on the dot, nothing will stop me from achieving that peace of mind. Not even homework.

After reading this, some of my fellow students would begin to shake with anger. But I will interrupt you with nine minutes and 55 seconds left to go. I do my work — no worries — but if I have an exceedingly large amount, and I work hard all afternoon, I am by all means going to bed without finishing.

Here’s why: after seven hours at school, there is only a certain amount of work one can do before the brain shuts off. For me, that usually happens around 11. If I try to do any work after that, my Spanish homework would be completed in French, my art homework would be drawings of logs and my math would be upside-down exponents.

At this point, a courageous battle against fatigue with just the stars — and the other howling, non-sleeping werewolves — to accompany me is not worth it. My work would be done incorrectly anyway. Another reason: numerous studies show we need a certain amount of sleep.

Most teachers will accept late work. Plus, one zero for homework isn’t the end of the world and probably won’t affect your final grade all that much.

Why would you sacrifice your health for a good grade in the first place? Still not convinced? . Maybe you’re just a little tired. At this school, the competition for good looks and good-looking report cards is fierce. We stack on the AP and Honors classes to impress our peers and get no sleep trying to do the work.

All it usually does is make us look like over-achievers. I understand that

Sweet dreams (or not)

photo illustration by Noel Hwang

harder classes give more work and that it’s important to finish it all, but staying up until 4 a.m. every night of the week is ridiculous, and in all seriousness, very unhealthy.

So get some sleep; stop turning our formerly renowned “prestigious” high school into a school full of droopy-eyed, drooling zombies, and let’s bring back the excitement and school spirit we once had. (It was definitely there — I know it.)

But now, my friends, it’s 10:59, and while some of you will continue working all night, I must leave before the clock strikes the hour, off to my comfy, warm, splendid –

Nick Glavin

Opinions Contributor Why do homework at night instead of right after school?

Exhaustion. Sleep deprivation.

Drowning in homework. Repeat. Yep, we all know the feeling, and most of us get stuck in that never-ending cycle. But is it due to procrastination, or was it meant to happen? It’s a little bit of both.

Because of the enduring stress that’s already present at South, our free time is limited. And with extra curricular activities, you’d be lucky to have a little time to yourself to re-

member what free time really means.

Seven-hour school days packed with the awesomeness of education can really take its toll on students. After a long day, I don’t see how anyone could go straight home from school to do even more schoolwork. Yeah, it’s true that we’re growing up and need to be more responsible, but within reason. Everybody needs a break.

Your break could be watching re-runs of “Spongebob,” pimping out your Farmville, playing your favorite video game or simply just LANGUAGES, 10 HOMEWORK, 23

photos by Dan Hurwit

december 18, 2009

opinions

Wellness widely missed Peter Haskin

Opinions Contributor “Mens sana in corpore sano” – a sound mind in a sound body. This I learned in Mrs. Lanckton’s second year Latin course last year. While Latin and other academic classes certainly focus more on “mens” (the mind) than they do on “copore” (the body), we here at South are lucky to have a knowledgeable and helpful Wellness department take care of the other half.

So maybe it isn’t so nice to have dry sweat caked on your body all day after being forced onto an exercise bike at 7:40 a.m. on a Monday morning.

Maybe rock climbing harnesses aren’t the most comfortable things in the world. But while you complain about these discomforts, remember what the other half of the student body thinks of Wellness.

I haven’t had the opportunity to dress up for the famous square dance hoedown yet, but I hear it’s pretty fun.

And I happen to know that my brother was quite pleased to be able to squeeze in an hour of weightlifting into his busy schedule during

resistance training class as a junior. Even the less athletic would admit that CPR training can truly come in handy.

So after the Newton Public Schools’ Wellness departments received a grant of more than $1 million last year from the Federal Department of Education, I find it odd that we struggle more than ever to fund such a crucial part of school. I don’t seek to blame the mayor, the School Committee or the principal. The problem is societal.

We simply do not realize the value of having well-funded health and wellness programs in our public schools. South has built one the best of these programs in the state over the last decade; the curriculum, the teachers, the equipment and the grant prove it.

Instead of devastating South’s Wellness department, couldn’t we have

found an alternative to keep our worldclass health programs the way they were?

In this country, “phys ed” didn’t really exist until halfway through the 19th century. Even a century later, gym classes consisted of little more than jumping rope and “calisthenics,” a fancy name for jumping jacks and side bends. Over the last 20 years, teachers, coaches and especially doctors and those who study child development began to take note of the direct correlation between physical activity and improved learning ability in the classroom. I am writing this to let anyone who will listen know that there is at least one kid out there who misses those awesome floor hockey games we used to play in middle school gym class.

At South, we are blessed to a have a more integrated Wellness curriculum: Volleyball, CPR training, pilates and many other activities complement each other beautifully to make up the class we call health and wellness. Not only does it give us a break from chemistry and AP Euro, but it also exposes us to knowledge that my dad didn’t acquire from doing crunches twice a week in his junior high gym class.

Please, Newton: Rethink your priorities when it comes to scholastic budget cuts. It was your school system that taught me “Mens sana in corpore sano,” and I can’t deal with such blatant contradictions..

photo illustration by Leah Cotton

Pouncin’ on announcin’ Ari Ebstein

Opinions Contributor

There are a lot of things I don’t do. I don’t ride the bus because my parents love me. I don’t attribute names to my various stuffed animals because I prefer real friends. I do, however, think sarcastic, abrasively petty points are best made in limerick. Without further ado: Dear Newton South P.A. speaker, I know not if thou aren’t a teacher, though perhaps if you were, and of this I am sure, you’d want to shove a cork down your loud squeaker.

It seems not a large botheration, That instead of a full education, I receive daily squawks about knick-knacks and knots, without the slightest reservation.

You come on all day and declare, Ignoring my ireful glare, That “Volleyball is next week! See our young girls compete!” unaware that I don’t freaking care.

And interrupting my song (Lady Gaga), Is “Sign up one and all: Nicaragua!”

‘Course, Prague is in spring, and up next Beijing, but still no announcements for Narnia?!

Yet before I receive my harsh scolding, Of you citing my ego’s quite swollen, I respond to your “Ari, it’s no biggie — not sorry,” with, “Well so’s a glass shard in

my colon!”

Indeed, though my grievance is petty, It can get me hot, bothered and sweaty To be aroused from my sleep by a terrible shriek, “You’re needed in the main office, Betty!”

And don’t try to slip me the guilt card, Or say I’m an insensitive blow-hard, I’m quite well debriefed, now for goodness grief, let me get back to my Mario Go-Kart!

It just seems to me that you don’t know, The meaning of words “apropos.”

Send the DTeam on drills, include school spirit thrills, and voila! I’m drowning in woe.

Yet the chief source of my ranting eruptions, Comes not from classroom interruptions, Or the untimely cry of “We’re one and nine!” but the bureaucratic P.A. box corruption!

Indeed, I believe it last week, (Accustomed to more mundane shrieks,)I heard a chap found a camera – and

with unfairest of karma – it was he and not I got to squeak!

See, I guess at the core of my gloom, Is that in that majestic P.A. speaker room, Sits a seat I could fill, and with the shrillest of shrills, hear my deep baritone go “BOOM.” With sincerest apologies for lyrics bordering on tasteless born from a necessitation to rhyme, Ari Ebstein

photo illustration by Olivia Kennis

21

Getting the girl, with luck and a bit of charm Mike Zissman • Senior Column

A

s I have mentioned in my previous columns, I’m not exactly a ladies man. Nine times out of 10 I would rather be watching “Justice League” than trying to work my charm. So naturally, it should come as a surprise that I managed to find myself a girlfriend.

How did I do it? Honestly, I don’t know. I tried all the obvious techniques.

First, I broke her crayons, then I tried making fun of her at recess and when all else failed I asked if I could carry her books and smiled bashfully.

Usually, a bashful smile is enough to make any girl melt, but not this time.

I tried and tried, but I couldn’t find a way to attract her. I decided to put it all on the line and tell her how I felt.

Boys, telling a girl exactly how you feel is rarely a good idea. In fact, I highly recommend being as cryptic and conniving as you can to make sure that the object of your affection has absolutely no idea you like her.

That way, you never have to admit you have feelings, and you can go on being the red-meat-eating, sports-cardriving, awesome men that you are.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, I was talking with the girl of my dreams, discussing the virtues of the latest episode of “Glee,” when I decided that the time was right. I had spent a week’s worth of math classes through every possible situation in my head. I had planned out every detail. I was ready for anything.

All I had left to do was put Operation Embarrass Myself into action.

Step one of my plan: change the subject. It sounds easy, but it certainly isn’t. “Glee” is my favorite TV show, and I am very passionate about it. Once I start talking about Quinn’s pregnancy or about how Mr. Schuster is the perfect man, I have serious trouble stopping.

Instead of making a smooth transition to a more romantic subject, I used the extremely popular and even more awkward, “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” Let me reiterate that we were already talking when I said that, making me look like even more of an idiot than usual.

I came up with some pretty awesome lines like, “I think you’re really cool,” and, “I kinda like you.” The moral of the story is that by some miracle she found my awkwardness adorable. Just when I thought I had girls all figured out, she tells me that the way my palms were sweating and the way I couldn’t look her in the eye was cute. How about that?

I felt pretty cool. I had a girlfriend. I was awesome. I was fly.

When my friends asked how it went, I told them I had acted like a cross between James Bond and George Clooney. I think they believed me. Ever since then, I’ve woken up every morning with a smile.

I sit down with a bowl of my favorite cereal, look at the dancing leprechaun on the box, chuckle and realize that I was much more lucky than I was charming.

22 opinions

december 18, 2009

Sickly reasons to come to school

Exposing the damned lies

Ravi Panse

Opinions Contributor

Mika Braginsky• Au Contraire

M

ark Twain is said to have quipped that “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”

While the quotation is most likely misattributed, its point is no less valid – people misuse statistics so commonly that it’s often hard to find them reliable, useful or relevant.

Putting aside differences in ideology and policy, let’s agree on the importance of analyzing statistical evidence, of being able to tell when statistics lie to us.

Sometimes the actual numbers in statistics are wrong.

This problem, fortunately, is comparatively easy to recognize. The key is to test whether the given numbers are reasonable.

A 1995 article in an academic journal claimed: “Every year since 1950,

“Whether in political ads, polls, studies or anywhere else, what seems like a reliable stastic is often a lie.”

MIKA BRAGINSKY CLASS OF 2010

the number of American children gunned down has doubled.”

It doesn’t take any research or expertise to prove that this is blatantly false.

Even assuming that only one child was gunned down in 1950, doubling every year would mean that in 1980, over a billion children would have been gunned down — more than the entire population of the United States.

In this case, the writers made an honest mistake, miscopying the statistic from another publication.

The sentence should have read: “The number of American children killed each year by guns has doubled since 1950.”

It can be much more difficult to separate truth from fiction when the data is right but misleading.

The most common example of this is in implying that one observation causes the other because there is a correlation between them.

Just because two variables show a strong relationship does not automatically mean that one causes the other.

There are many trivial examples: the more firemen there are at a fire, the more property damage it inflicts.

Does this mean that firemen cause property damage? More likely, more firemen are sent to bigger fires, and bigger fires are more destructive.

Some instances are more subtle. For example, an argument against adding fluoride to the water supply is that countries that do so have higher cancer rates. Does fluoride cause cancer?

The hidden factor at work here is that only industrialized countries — wealthier countries — add fluoride to their water.

Wealthier countries tend to have LANGUAGES, COLUMN, 10 23

It’s a Friday morning, and I wake up with a headache, a stuffy nose and a desperate need to get back to sleep. Am I sick? Well, maybe a little. I don’t care, though. I don’t even bother to check my temperature. I pack up my things and head to school.

I hear reports from everyone from the school nurse to the President emphasizing that swine flu has resumed its campaign for world domination.

Going to work when you don’t feel well will only quicken its spread.

I agree with that statement, but it’s not always easy to live by. There’s a gray area in which I find myself walking from class to class when perhaps a bed would suit me better.

My A Block teacher notices at least a half dozen sniffling kids using copious amounts of tissues. At first I’m relieved that I’m not the only one, a potentially awkward situation indeed, but then something turns the feeling sour.

The week before Thanksgiving, certain classes had enough mildly ill students that they seemed like medieval quarantines. To me, school is a rather irritating place where I spend hours taking notes on everything from logarithms to appositive phrases.

But it has grown on me over the years; it allows me to interact with people I otherwise wouldn’t. Some of the things that I learn are useful and maybe even cool.

But it was terrible that day. I sat in my seat. And I tried not to sleep — except in history, where I actually did fall asleep.

Mr. Thompson was not amused.

Simply put, going to school that day was a waste of my time; I didn’t accom-

graphic by Michele Abercrombie

plish anything academically, and I wasted precious time I could’ve spent resting.

But for you, the reader and even for me, the reasons to go to school and not learn anything are still there.

Personally, when I’m slow to get up in the morning, all I need to do is remember the “N” policy, and I know I have no choice. I’m sure everyone reading this is familiar with it: students get an “N” after three “unexcused” absences, “unexcused” meaning without a (carefully forged) doctor’s note.

I don’t have a car or a driver’s license, so if I want to go see a doctor, I would have to get my mom to miss work and drive me to the hospital. I would have

all die.

And because the Mayans are trying to kill us, I say that we attack them back in our class slogan.

Let’s take back 2012 with a slogan makeover.

“The Mayan calendar predicted it … now, science has confirmed it … but we never imagined …” Let me stop you right there. As convincing as John Cusack is, I doubt we can have him around every time we say this to someone, and it is graphics by Max Simon not nearly as cool when a bunch of hunch-backed teens say it.

Let’s take the idea of the Mato be. yan Calendar. “The Mayans.” That’s Despite all of our best efforts, “12” a good start, but not nearly catchy enough, is not a rhyme-able number, and our best so let’s add our own type of flavor: “2012: efforts were for naught.

The Mayans can’t mess with us.”

“20-1-2, this is how we do … – do That’s good, but mess is such an ugly what? Though my grammar is untrained, word, so we should add a beautiful, sweet I do believe that this slogan is not a word that will allow us to portray our proper clause. idea and still be cool (because that is very Now, instead of chanting our class important for sophomores): “2012: The slogan with our heads held high to the Mayans can’t f*** with us!” Now, that is a scary seniors, I am stuck in an awkward beautiful slogan! conversation, fearing that I will be asked But there is one more thing we need: for the “stupid sophomore’s” slogan and sweatshirts. No slogan is a proper class scratched in the stomach when I have slogan if it doesn’t have a sweatshirt in its no response. honor.

I think it is time to embrace our You can leave checks made out mediocrity and defy the certain knowl- to me, Jordan McAfee-Hahn (keep the edge that we will have only one summer hyphen), in the 1200 bathrooms under the of post-high school freedom before we toilet.

Watch out, class of 201-2, the end of the world is coming for you

By Jordan McAfee-Hahn

Let me get one thing straight: I am a PROUD sophomore, class of 2012. There is no feeling in the world like walking through the halls too old to be with freshmen and too young to be with upperclassmen. We’re 2012, high school graduating class of the apocalypse.

And despite the seemingly undeniable fact that this wave is inevitable, we sophomores continue our daily lives, with a pit in our stomach all day because of that history assignment that we didn’t do.

When we had to pick a class slogan this year, I was completely ready. I was willing to vote for the slogan that would skyrocket our already downtrodden name to glory. But alas, it wasn’t

to wait in the lobby for a little while until my doctor emerges with his white coat and stethoscope, inspects my sniffles for five minutes, delivers some groundbreaking news (I have a cold), finally gives me some medicine and tells me what a brave boy I was. I would then skip back to the car with a doctor’s note, a sticker and a huge selfesteem boost.

The problem is I’m not five anymore.

While the “N” policy does have its merits (I don’t think I’ll ever be late to class again) it’s also the reason I often say, “Forget a note, I’m going to school.” I really don’t see why a note from a parent won’t suffice.

Oh well. At least I’ll get plenty of time to rest over break.

december 18, 2009 HOMEWORK, from 20 catching Zs, nobody should feel like school is their life. But what comes after the break? You’re stuck starting homework around 8 p.m.

There’s always the occasional, “Oh, I’ll finish my homework during my free block tomorrow.” I’m sure that you couldn’t actually finish your homework with your friends around you in a free period.

So now you’re stuck contemplating whether or not to put off your work and sleep. Y ou could stay up and complete your homework like a good student or give your body a rest and go search for those Zs that aren’t so common in the South community. Staying up to do your homework late at night would entail too many lost hours of sleep for the next day.

Health specialists say teens should be getting eight to nine hours of sleep each night. That requires going to bed at 10 p.m. if you get up around 6 a.m. In this kind of stressful environment, that doesn’t seem so likely.

With only eight hours to yourself after school, considering you don’t have any outside activities, there isn’t much you can do.

You’re tired, you want to get your mind off school, and COLUMN, from 22 people who live longer, and cancer mostly affects older people.

Of course, this doesn’t prove that fluoride is necessarily safe — just that it’s not necessarily unsafe.

Quite often, statistical lies aren’t simple misinterpretations but intentional manipulation of data. A pollster can influence his survey to say pretty much anything he wants.

Compare, for example, the survey question, “Do you support the attempt by the United States to bring freedom and democracy to other places in the world?” and the question, “Do you support this country’s unprovoked military action?”

Even if questions are worded very carefully, all sorts of bias come into play in choosing a sample of people to ask.

Probably the most famous example of sampling bias happened in the 1936 presidential election between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alfred M. Landon.

Literary Digest, a popular magazine, conducted a poll of likely voters and concluded that Landon would win with 57 percent of the vote.

To everyone’s surprise, Roosevelt won in a landslide with 61 percent.

The problem with the Literary Digest’s poll was that it only asked its subscribers, people in the automobile registry and people in the telephone directory.

Not a very reliable poll, in my

opinions you’re hoping for a break. Let’s say you get home at 5:30 p.m. after a long sports event.

Just as you get home, the clock starts ticking down the minutes you have to finish that project or that 4-page paper. It’s a tiresome, demanding schedule that students need to learn to cope with and make sacrifices for to benefit them in the long run.

It’s all about time management, really. Some work well under stress; others have anxiety attacks — I know I do.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to having a reasonable and responsible plan to dealing with your duties. If that means taking a nap, grabbing a bite or just trying to find those few moments of relaxation before jumping right into the work, so be it. You’re running your responsibilities, and it’s a time to find balance and maturity.

If doing all your work when you get home allows you to have a free evening, go for it.

If you need the rest from a long day, go for it. Have a manageable schedule to fit everything in.

Unfortunately, school comes first; that’s just the way it is. Keep in mind that this is high school, and nobody’s holding your hand anymore — unless your parent still makes you hold their hand while crossing the street. It’s all good. opinion.

Although the survey contacted about 10 million people, far more than are included- in most surveys today, the sample was heavily biased towards wealthier people, skewing the results.

Misleading with statistics is a favorite hobby of politicians, who often pick whichever statistic better fits their claim and ignore everything else or use deceptive wording.

In 2001, the Democratic National Committee ran a TV ad accusing President Bush of wanting to put “more arsenic” in drinking water.

In reality, the outgoing Clinton administration had proposed reducing the maximum allowable amount of arsenic in drinking water from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion.

President Bush was considering changing the maximum to 20 ppb instead of to 10 ppb to reduce the cost burden on small towns. He was still advocating for a 60 percent reduction and was by no stretch of the imagination trying to add more arsenic to the water.

The examples are endless, since almost all politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, use these sorts of tricks on a regular basis.

Whether in political ads, polls, studies or anywhere else, what seems like a reliable statistic is often a lie. In fact, 87.3 percent of statistics are made up with no evidence whatsoever.

Freshmen Ariel Kalotkin, Dipa Nagda & Ally Dellheim

Go sledding together

Sophomore Abby Rice

Sleep in and watch TV

Junior Alex Soltoff

Play board games

Senior Towon Staveley

Go on the computer

Math Teacher Andrew Kelly

Watch 90210

By Leah Cotton photos by Dan Hurwit

23

arts

“I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

And I plan on finding out what that is.”

- Derek Zoolander

page 24

volume 26, issue 5 • december 18, 2009

Style Focus on dec. 3, The Roar photographed seven fashion forwad students on school grounds and asked them about their unique personal styles.

Photos by

Harry Neff & Danielle Stubbe

december 18, 2009

arts 25

Hye- Jung

For more photos log on to The models: Hye-Jung Yang

s rt /a om .c ar ro ns io el th w. w w

Shoes-Urban Outfitters Pants- American Apparel Shirt- Martin and Osa Jacket- Urban Outfitters

Adam Macalister ADAM

Shoes- Urban Outfitter pants- Urban Outfitter shirt- hootenany’s hat- Urban Outfitters

Rebecca Fleisher Laura Haime

Emma Stern

Sean Dimarco Pat Walsh

Rebecca

Boots- Target Tights- Urban Outfitters Dress- Yard sale Belt- Borrowed from Mom

personal stylE:

Casual LAURA

personal style:

boots- Zara shirt-marshalls skirt- forever 21 necklace- so good jewelry sweater-hand-me down from great aunt tights- target

Contrasted

Fashion in the Hallways of South

by Harry Neff When we were searching for models for the personal style: fashion shoot, we weren’t look ing for kids who fell under a single particular style, but for kids who seemed involved in their own distinct personal styles. In a school where academic, social personal style: and extracurricular activities seem to absorb all energies and leave few of them left for much else, it is rare and inspiring to see kids who dedicate time and effort into expressing themselves through fashion.

When we spotted these kids walking in the hallways, we were looking for individuals who sent a message with what they wore, for people who used dress as a visual extension of their points-of-view and passions. At the end of the day, who you are and what you do is more important than the way in which you dress in high school ... but looking fabulous while striding to your next class definitely makes the affair a whole lot more fun.

EMMA

Boots- Tannery Skirt- Garment District Vest- Urban Scarf- Urban Renewals CoatH&M

Eclecticool

Bold & Elegant personal style:

Sophistigrunge

26 arts

Beyond

Pig Roast: A Baken-ets tasting Jonah Reider & Jake Abramson • Food

P

ork rinds, or BAKEN-ETS, are flavored deep-fried pork skins. Main ingredients include fat, MSG and salt. Pork rinds are ethnic, kosher, healthy snacks that will bring you joy during the upcoming holiday season. With a rich taste, they are a versatile food that can be enjoyed straight out of the bag or incorporated into your favorite dish.

For a “lite” taste, you can drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over your rinds to create a simple yet sophisticated fresh salad. If you prefer soups, add hot water and stir — yum, a tasty pork broth.

For a southern classic, simply deep-fry the already deep-fried boar, and you’ll end up with a morsel even Paula Deen wouldn’t touch. Mmmmm, deep-fried deep-fried pork rinds.

To please a connoisseur like me, it’s best to use the deep fried pigskin to simply garnish your favorite dishes. There’s nothing like a fresh crème brûlé with a little sprinkled pork rind on top. The snack accents the aromatic nutty flavors of both a freshly seared steak and hibiscus flowers especially well.

Everything until now was written before I had ever eaten a single pork rind.

After trying pork rinds, I came to the conclusion that they are the most disgusting, vile things I had ever voluntarily laid upon my virgin tongue.

Upon opening the bag I felt a tingle go down my spine. The child within me died. After I ate about four crisps, I felt worse than terrible. Rather, I would have been happy to feel terrible. It was as if an acre of pigs were grazing on the lining of my stomach. The merciless pig epidermis had ravaged my taste buds. I felt like something was growing inside of me, like a baby alien was about to pop through my chest. Eating pork rinds was the biggest professional sacrifice I’ve made for the sake of this column.

Not all detest the fried swine crisps, however. Junior Dan Lawrence, a rabid rind fanatic, just loves the stuff. “I can’t get enough of my rinds,” he said with a cannibalistic grin. Nevertheless, most people will agree with me. BAKEN-ETS don’t just taste bad. They make you feel bad about yourself. I asked sophomore Jake Abramson about his experience with pork rinds.

“Me and pork rinds have a long history.

Yesterday, things were real bad. I had nowhere to turn, so I tried a pork rind.

Then the deep fried goodies that had been a brother to me stabbed me in the back,” he said, crying and vomiting.

“Anyone who knows a pork rind, or anyone who even resembles a pork rind, should be put into a U-Haul truck and shipped away,” senior Ari Shvartsman said. So heed my advice and never let a fried hog membrane touch your mouth. Pork rinds take the funny out of everything.

Don’t let me catch you rinding.

Sophomore Abramson eats a pork rind (right).

december 18, 2009

photo by Jonah Reider

South Stage: Students take on roles in professional productions Madeline Schulman played Anne outside South Stage (above). Schulman said professional theater has helped her grow as an actress.

Allie Glickman & Elissa Spinner Arts Editors

photos by Emily Malec-Brown

“There’s a really great environment,” Schulman said of proffessional theater.

Madeline Schulman Role: Anne Show: “Anne of Green Gables” at Weston Friendly Society Gabe Goodman Role: Geoffrey Exley Show: “The Overwhelming” at the Company One Allegra Borak Role: Ensemble Show: “Carousel” at the Turtle Lane Playhouse

A walk by the callboard in the 9000s reveals to any student the number of productions and rehearsals within South Stage. What students can’t see on the board are the professional productions that some students work on outside of South.

In June, junior Gabe Goodman, who has appeared in two South Stage productions, decided not to audition for “Burial at Thebes” in order to create more free time for himself. “This idea sort of went down the drain,” Goodman said.

Goodman received an audition notice from Company One, a local Boston theater, for a new show called “The Overwhelming,” a play about an American family who moves to Rwanda.

“They happened to be looking for a 17-year-old boy, and I was attracted to the idea of auditioning for a character who was in my age group,” he said.

After a preliminary audition and three and a half hours of callbacks, Goodman was informed that he had received the role.

Junior Madeline Schulman and sophomore Allegra Borak are two other students in theater productions outside of school. All three said they have noticed strong differences between the atmospheres of outside productions and of South Stage. Schulman decided to audition for “Anne of Green Gables” at the Weston Friendly Society of the Performing Arts and received the part of Anne.

“There’s a really great environment.”

Schulman said. “Since it’s a community theater, all the adults in the productions have regular jobs and do theater just because they love it. There are people from three generations of a single family in the cast,” Schulman said.

Borak is in the ensemble of “Carousel” at the Turtle Lane Playhouse and said she appreciates the opportunity to be a part of a professional community. “There’s nothing more satisfying than performing with real working actors and being in a live professional show,” Borak said.

Goodman saw a difference with the Company One atmosphere hindered his development. “There’s not much of a sense learning together when [acting] outside of school, but individually, every time I went to rehearsal I felt like I learned more about myself,” Goodman said.

Jeff Knoedler, head of South’s art department, also said that different productions offer unique learning opportunities.

“I assume community and profes-

sional theaters care less about education and process and are more focused on production. Actors learn the techniques of acting in class and demonstrate them in productions,” he said. “What they learn in productions is the result of trial and error or specific direction from the director. A director with a tight rehearsal schedule won’t have time to teach an actor how to act.”

Schulman finds the opportunity to explore different sets of characters in outside productions educational. “I had mostly been playing characters older than myself at South, so being a child onstage was a challenge,” she said. “Any theater experience can help you as an actor.”

Borak said that some parts of working in outside productions are more difficult. “You have a paying audience paying much more to see a professional show and the run of the show may last for weeks.

You need to make sure that every performance is consistent,” Borak said.

Another challenge these student actors face is fitting in homework with rehearsals that can sometimes run until midnight.

Borak, however, said she finds ways to manage her time. “Sometimes I don’t manage to stay on top of everything in school while doing a show [but] I’ll usually do homework at school, in the car and backstage during a rehearsal or a performance,” she said.

Goodman was even sick during the opening week of his show, but he didn’t let this keep him from falling behind. “I know I have to get everything done by a certain time if I want to come home and go to sleep, and so I do my best to get homework done before rehearsal, whereas I could otherwise procrastinate and drag it out,” he said.

Schulman struggled not just to stay on top of her work but also to balance her rehearsals of “Anne of Green Gables” and the South Stage show “Burial at Thebes.”

“The month of overlap of both rehearsals was really hard,” she said. “The days when I had both rehearsals were really tough because I would go home from one rehearsal, eat and immediately go to the other.”

Borak, Goodman and Schulman all agreed that what they’ve learned in other theater productions has helped them in South Stage productions.

“Outside theater has helped me a lot with school shows, because professional shows are really just heightened versions of school shows. Both require a solid amount of time, practice, dedication and teamwork and that’s why I love doing both,” Borak said.

december 18, 2009

From the stage to the stadium

photo illustration by Danielle Stubbe

Junior Tanya Lyon (above) is in the musical and plays field hockey, She is one of many students who juggle both sports and theater.

Olivia Larkin Sports Editor

There are distinct differences between the 9000s and the 5000s, the area by the art and theater classes and the area by the field house, at South.

Like students at most high schools, different groups of South students decide to act in theater or play sports. Though there is distance between these two hallways and sometimes between those who participate in either activity, an increasing number of students have chosen to participate in both the dramatic and athletic worlds of South.

Junior Tanya Lyon thinks that her involvement in both field hockey and South Stage since her freshman year has helped her become more well rounded.

“I feel more like myself in theater, but field hockey has helped me grow,” she said. “I absolutely adore the sport, and it has helped me learn about an aspect of the school that I would have been, for the most part, deprived of.” While Lyon admits her preference for theater, she recognizes the many positive results that have come out of doing both.

Like Lyon, many South students find themselves more passionate about one of the two after-school worlds that they participate in. “Sports are something that I grew up with while theater is something that I really enjoy,” freshman Kitty Crowley said. “As I get older, theater is becom-

South. RiCharde, too, credits both theater ing a bigger part of my life.” and football as outlets through which he Many talented students have found can meet many different people. it difficult to participate in both sports and “The biggest difference [between theater in school. Though Crowley ran in football and theater] is the people — how cross-country this past season, she had to we interact with each other,” RiCharde drop both basketball and soccer since she said. entered high school. “I still want to be acLyon, however, sees more similaritive, but I probably won’t do as many sports ties than differences between students throughout high school,” Crowley said. “I who play sports and those who do theater. think that I’m going to stick with theater.”

“Both have the same Junior Jake hierarchies: the really Light, the lead in “Sports are something talented theater people this winter’s production of “Sweet Charthat I grew up with while and the varsity players,” she said. “[Both ity,” has not participated in school theater is something that I activities] are pretty competitive, but they sports since playing really enjoy.” both generally have lacrosse his freshKITTY CROWLEY the same really warm, man year so that he CLASS OF 2012 funny people.” could audition for Though RiChmore shows. Light arde has enjoyed participating in both explained that becoming involved with theater and football during high school, theater exposed him to new people. he said the activities were sometimes “Before I became really involved in difficult to balance. “Because I do both, theater, all of my friends were sports kids; sometimes I feel like I fall behind ... DoI had the same best friends since preing both theater and football has given school. Now … my [group of] friends has me opportunities to perform in many also expanded a lot,” Light said. Though different ways,” he said.

Light no longer plays sports for school, At a high school that offers many he finds time to stay connected to the different activities, some students feel athletic world through pick-up basketball becoming involved in a variety of differand football games and even hopes to try ent after-school activities is worth the out for the football team next year. stress. “It gives you a better idea of what Senior Mike RiCharde has played the school is all about, if you try a lot of football and participated in chorus and different things,” Crowley said.

South Stage throughout his four years at

Dancing with her feet, teaching from her heart Julia Gron & Alexandra Nesson

Arts Editor, Arts Contributor “The doorbell rings and in come the little ballerinas so eager to rush into the studio, all dressed up in their tutus and ballet slippers and bows,” South parent Naomi Fisher said, describing the frequent guests at her door. “They’re eager to dance, but first they run over to give ‘Miss Arielle’ a hug.”

These “little ballerinas” show up because senior Arielle Davidoff, Fisher’s daughter, teaches dance from her home to younger children.

Davidoff has been dancing since she was in third grade but has more recently taken up a teaching position for herself. Lessons

take place in the Davidoffs’ basement studio, allowing her to be totally independent in her teaching. The program, ‘Miss Arielle’s Dance Studio’ was passed on to her by South graduate Esther Lyon, who started it in 2006.

Ever since then, it has become a “commercial success,” according to Davidoff ’s mother. “[Davidoff] really teaches because she loves dance, loves children and loves to teach.

She always has,” Fisher said. “[Dancing is a] necessity for her.”

Davidoff has become an inspiration and a source of opportunity for kids who don’t have enough money to take classes at professional dance centers.

Teaching has “[helped] me grow as a leader and a teacher,” Davidoff said. “[It is] valuable to me wherever I go.”

Davidoff is continually preparing for class, interacting with the parents of her students and sorting out other details necessary to run the program.

Despite the hard work, her brother Aaron said “she enjoys what she’s doing.”

Her mother agreed. “We get a lot of joy from having the dancers over,” she said.

Davidoff and her family aren’t the only ones who take pleasure in her teaching.

“If I didn’t have Miss Arielle I wouldn’t have fallen in love with dancing,” sevenyear-old Shoshi, one of Davidoff ’s students, said.

Check out the next issue of The Roar for another dance teacher profile.

arts 27 Sports Horoscopes, part one Ari Shvartsman & Ben Weissman• Horoscopes

S

pring is the season in which love is in the air. The flowers, the rain, the sun. It brings out the best in all of us.

That being said, it’s winter. That’s why you need our help. We are your guides, and we will help you make decisions, as affiliations to a sport can degenerate this ability.

Using our combined specialized knowledge of sports and relationships, we offer you some stereotyped pieces of advice.

Everyone is destined to be on one of the following 12 sports teams. If you aren’t, consider social exile.

Track/Cross-Country This month, stick to what you know.

The moons of Saturn are aligned, meaning you have no chance of getting with someone in another sport. The appearance of Mars in the eleventh house strengthens already existing incestuous relationships.

Most Compatible With: Other track/cross-country kids.

Avoid: Football kids. They can still beat you up no matter how fast you can run the mile.

Swimming Push deep into the water and get more than just your feet wet. This is the month for great risks. Just remember, neither you nor your partner can breathe under water.

Most Compatible With: Skiing. A match made in heaven (for reasons beyond your current state of awareness).

Avoid: Ice Hockey. This is obvious.

They play on frozen water. Blasphemy!

Field Hockey This month is ideal for asking that special someone out. Your dream boy is almost yours. But don’t worry. If he says “no,” it’s just another loss, and you’re used to that by now.

Most Compatible With: Volleyball.

They’re kind of the same team but they win.

Avoid: Soccer. Do you really want someone to hold their slightly better record over you?

Ice Hockey Do you know that girl you really want to puck? Don’t even think about it.

Short, Jewish girls are never in the mood when Uranus is nearby.

Most Compatible With: Golf. Stickhandling is key to a good game.

Avoid: Swimming. If your ice melted, you’d suck even more. You guys are mortal enemies.

Volleyball You guys are awesome and amazing at everything. Keep up the good work.

Most Compatible With: Your coach.

Avoid: Field Hockey. Those girls spend most if not all of their free time plotting your downfall.

Golf

You guys are boring. Play it relatively safe. Or you could throw a party.

Most Compatible With: Hockey. You know why.

COLUMN, 10 28 LANGUAGES,

sports

“I dropped a guy getting a hot dog. A few holes later, he was O.K. But it was awful.”

-Chris Berman

page 28

volume 26, issue 5 • december 18, 2009

Sports horoscopes, part two Ari Shvartsman & Ben Weissman Basketball This is your season for true love, no matter what. Even if you truly only love yourself, it’s time to accept and act on that.

Don’t forget – if you’re not dribbling your balls, no one is!

Most Compatible With: Soccer. (Ball control!)

Avoid: Golf. Golf balls are much, much smaller than basketballs. Jealousy makes for a terrible relationship.

photo by Dan Hurwit

Bruce MacLean was one of six former athletes and four former coaches inducted into the new South Hall of Fame on Nov. 27.

Ten inducted to new Hall of Fame Victor Moisescu Sports Editor

To honor South’s athletic history, Athletic Director Scott Perrin has created a school “Hall of Fame.”

The Booster Club hosted an event on Nov. 27 at the Newton Marriot to honor the 10 members of the inaugural Hall of Fame class.

The inductees of the 2009 Hall of Fame class included the following six athletes: Bruce MacLean (’63), Mark Young (’64), John Passarini (’66), Nick Parnell (’69), Katrina Antonellis (’86) and Seth Hauben (’01).

In addition to these six studentathletes, coaches George Winkler, Don Sutherland, Judy Kennedy and Art Kojoyian were also inducted.

“It was a great night to honor [the] people who began the history of South’s athletics,” Antonellis, a former star basketball player, said.

The inaugural inductees were chosen because of their exceptional performance, dedication and teamwork during their tenure at South. “Exceptional athletic ability and service to the community were some of the criteria we kept in mind,” Perrin said.

Perrin and head football coach Ted Dalicandro had been planning to create the South Hall of Fame for the past few years. “This is one idea that we came up with [that we] thought would be a great step in creating some athletic tradition at South,” he said.

The event was celebrated by former South athletes and coaches throughout

South’s 50-year history. nisced about her time at South: “It was “We finally have a history and tradi- an amazing time period … Newton was tion of athletic leadership and talent to wrap very willing to be receptive to trying [new] our arms around,” Booster Club president things.”

Jonathan Frieze said. “It was a wonderful Since South’s inception in 1960, the vibe and feeling, because we had 50 years of athletic program has grown dramatically athletics and leadership present.” with an increase of student participaDalicandro tion on more sports agreed. “I was proud to “[The athlete] should be teams. “When I started be part of something 1969, the sports a person that has gone in special,” he said. that were included Unlike a profesabove and beyond the for women were field sional Hall of Fame, hockey, basketball and in which athletes are sport, someone that made tennis,” Kennedy said. chosen based purely on a great difference during The school’s poptheir accomplishments ulation has constantly their tenure at South.” changed over the past within the sport, a high school Hall of Fame ishalf-century, shifting TED DALICANDRO largely based around the the athletic dynamic of FOOTBALL COACH athlete’s contributions to the school. the community.

Despite student’s increasing athletic Athletes and coaches are chosen not interest, South faces the same rivals it did only because of outstanding statistics or years ago. “Though Lincoln-Sudbury was awards. “[The athlete] should be a person always a rival, there was no one you had who has gone above and beyond the sport, an easy game against,” Antonellis said. “It’s someone that made a great difference dur- the same as now, very competitive.” ing their tenure at South,” Dalicandro said.

Current coaches and athletes have George Winkler, one of South’s legmuch to learn from these former Lions. endary football coaches who later became “So much great history was present. I was the athletic director, brought many benstruck by the deep passion people have eficial changes to South’s athletic program, for South and the sports they played or such as involving more women on sports coached while [here] at South,” Dalicandro teams, inductee Judy Kennedy said. “It said. “I left [the event] with the impression was a very exciting time to be involved, that athletics is so much more than just because women were getting involved playing a game.” in competitive athletics and were being The Hall of Fame will be located in recognized and accepted as legitimate the lobby outside the field house and will athletes,” Kennedy said. honor each inductee.

Kennedy, who coached field hockey, “This is the first year,” Perrin said. girls’ basketball and girls’ tennis, remi“We hope to begin a tradition.”

Frisbee It’s the time for golden living dreams of visions, mystic crystal revelations and the mind’s true liberation. Yes my friends, it is time for peace.

Tell your mom you just aren’t going to get that haircut she’s been bugging you about. You’re a free spirit who is most at peace on your own. Your scent will help you maintain this solitude.

Most Compatible With: Are you kidding? (Shrubs and trees perhaps.)

Avoid: Everyone. You guys aren’t even a sport. You’re just a club. Boo hoo!

Skiing

Your love life will experience slippery slopes this month but the heated pool back at the lodge is ready to save you. So, grab your pole(s) and keep your head up.

Most Compatible With: Swimming.

The opportunity for innuendos is just too appealing.

Avoid: Frisbee … ski team is practically a club itself. Don’t willingly drop yourself down to club status.

Soccer The entry for basketball applies pretty much verbatim for you. However, if you are on the boys’ team you might as well just quit now (South is plenty embarrassed already without your help).

Most Compatible With: Basketball.

Avoid: On the contrary, avoid Basketball. No hands!

Lacrosse Hey bro what are you sup to!? Nice shorts man. Yo, you want to go to that party? Yeah man! LAX-ative!!!!

Most Compatible With: Football.

Grrrrrr! SPORTS! Avoid: Track. Your big egos will simply be unable to handle their communal spirit.

There you have it.

If you follow our advice (when applicable) you will be able to achieve maximum personal happiness.

You will probably reach some level of enlightenment as well.

Remember, the path to enlightenment is full of many hardships but your athleticism and strict adherence to the MIAA guidelines will aid you.

december 18, 2009

sports 29

The Ring Leader Peter Haskin Sports Reporter

Throughout the hallways of South, junior Sam Dorfman is known for his wide smiles. At the Nonantum Boxing Club (NBC), he knocks those smiles off his opponents’ faces.

Dorfman has been training at NBC two to three nights a week for the last three years. But until Oct. 30 of this year, he had never competed in an exhibition match.

“It was just [a] fun [night],” Dorfman said of his first fight. More than a dozen of Dorfman’s friends from South came to cheer him on as he took on North sophomore Leo Saporta.

The “fight night” was a fundraiser for the widow and family of deceased Newton resident, Jeffrey Beatrice. As well as featuring several exhibition matches, the event catered food and held a raffle ticket contest.

The club “tries to hold fight nights every month or two to keep [their] boxers busy,” trainer and established boxer Marc Gargaro said. “Sam was training pretty well, and I asked him if he was interested [in participating].”

Gargaro said he paired Dorfman with Saporta mainly because of proximity in age and size, but both boxers admitted to feeling a bit tense before the match.

“Originally, I was a little nervous because I did not want my friends to see me get my a** kicked,” Dorfman said.

But once the punches started flying, it was a different story.

Junior Dan Sazer, one of Dorfman’s supporters at the fight, said Dorfman settled down in time for the match. “I was impressed,” Sazer said. “I didn’t expect Sam to be a good boxer, but he definitely was.”

Exhibition matches have no winners, but both Dorfman and Saporta were happy with their own and each other’s performances.

“Sam’s strength is definitely counterpunching,” Saporta said. “If you punch him, he’ll punch you right back.”

The crowd was satisfied with the fight as well. “Sam Dorfman is a funny kid, and boxing is fun to watch. You put the two together, and it was [a great night],” Sazer said.

Dorfman’s coaches were proud of him as well. “Sam is fun to have here in the gym because he likes to keep things active.

As a boxer, he is still very young, but he’s got fancy footwork,” Gargaro said. “He’s hard to hit in the ring because he’s pretty quick.”

Gargaro has stressed the importance of conditioning and the ability to fight through three rounds with Dorfman as an area for improvement.

Although the popular boxing reality show “The Contender” sparked Dorfman’s first interest in boxing, he has come to find greater importance of the sport in his life.

“I said ‘Hey, I’m not the biggest guy … It’s good to learn how to defend myself.”

Initially, Dorfman’s mother was “skeptical” about him taking up boxing, but his family has since embraced the sport.

“I thought it was great,” Dorfman’s father, Mark Dorfman, said of his son’s decision to take up boxing. “I checked out [NBC], and it was all about safety … they focused on physical fitness and discipline.”

Dorfman’s father cited soccer and football as sports that are “just as dangerous” as boxing.

Sam and his father agree that participating in a sport outside of school has both its ups and downs. “Yes, it is difficult to cross town [to get to NBC], but the club has done a great job.” Still, “boxing would be great to have as a school sport,” Mark Dorfman said.

One advantage Dorfman sees to boxing outside of school is the many new friends he has made from across Newton through his involvement at NBC. Dorfman said that it felt “a little awkward” fighting Saporta, with whom he has become friends, but that it did not bother him during the match.

Saporta too, felt uninhibited by his relationship with Dorfman during the fight, because “it was just a fun thing.”

Dorfman’s future in boxing is undecided, but he said his next step is to “get [his] boxing passbook so [he] can have an official record and fight in amateur tournaments.”

In the meantime, Dorfman saves his right hooks for the punching bags - for the most part, at least.

“I try to make it [to NBC] three nights a week, but I’m always practicing on my friends at school,” he said with that same smile he walks around South with every day.

photos by Olivia Kennis

30 sports

december 18, 2009

Tae kwon do Club gaining popularity, talent Conor O’Brien Sports Reporter

A year after founder, main supporter and former principal Brian Salzer left South, the Tae kwon do Club continues to gain popularity, taking on a more prominent role in the school’s extracurricular community.

With an increased population this year, the club is looking to expand its programs and activities both in and out of school to accommodate the new members.

Since the club’s introduction, it has grown from 10 members to over 30, with seven students certified to teach the newer ones.

Two years ago, as the club began to emerge, the main challenge co-founders Hyun Lee and Shervin Rezaei faced was

interest and attendance. “I had never done any Tae kwon do [prior to joining the club], but [Lee] said he needed members to be sanctioned as a club, and the next thing I knew, I was one of the founders,” Rezaei said.

Difficulties have always been prevalent for the club, Rezaei says. “We are constantly having problems trying to secure a specific place to practice, and we are always being pushed out by tryouts or other practices. We also had to fund uniforms for new members with our own money which has been difficult,” Rezaei said.

Wellness teacher Michelle Coppola helped mitigate some of the club’s problems when she stepped in as new adviser.

“After [Principal] Salzer left we have gained the support of Coppola, and with her support we have been doing really well,” junior Joon Chung said.

Junior Clement Su added that, in addition to numbers, the level of commitment has risen significantly this year with the addition of so many new members. “In the past years we had around 10 kids who would sometimes show up and sometimes not. This year we have a lot more kids who all seem to be interested and consistently show up to the club,” Su said.

Rezaei also added that, along with increased commitment, improvement has also increased. “Before, we would always see general improvement, but now … people are really improving quickly,” Rezaei said.

Su, who has been a member since his freshman year, also said that the

photo by Dan Hurwit

The Tae kwon do Club is gaining members despite the absence of former principal Brian Salzer.

Tae kwon do Club has evolved into an environment where people can both have fun and increase their knowledge of the sport. “It’s become formal enough to teach people effectively [and] people still seem to enjoy it,” Su said.

Rezaei agreed. “It’s a disciplined environment where everyone is able to just put the day behind them and focus.”

Though the Tae kwon do Club hopes to perform for the school at some point this year, most of the members have no prior experience and are not ready to perform publicly.

“For a lot of the new kids, this club is the first experience with Tae kwon do and real exercise in some cases,” Chung, a third year member, said. “There are always competitions we are looking at, too, in

addition to school performances,” Rezaei added.

While exercise may not be the club’s ultimate goal, “Tae kwon do is great exercise, and it will really help these kids become more active,” Chung said.

Su also emphasized the physical aspect of the club. “It takes a lot of strength to do Tae kwon do, especially in the lower body. I think it will really help these kids to get in better shape.”

With the sudden increase in popularity, veterans of the club are enthusiastic and hopeful for the future. “The club is really starting to grow, and it’s exciting to see the change,” Rezaei said.

As for the club’s ultimate goal, Su explains, “We just want to show people some really cool martial arts.”

The rise of dip: Younger athletes are chewing tobacco DIPPING, from 1 Catrambone said. “I don’t see it in the halls.”

The reason this trend has been overlooked may be the same reason it has flourished. “[Using smokeless tobacco] is easier to do. There’s no smoke or lingering smell,” senior Vincent* said.

Although the health risks that result from dipping almost equal those of smoking, they are far less known. “Smokeless tobacco is being substituted with the false impression that it’s safer,” Catrambone said.

Smokeless tobacco contains 28 carcinogens, which cause cancer in the oral cavity and pancreas, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Use is also associated with recession of the gums, gum disease, tooth decay and leukoplakia, a precancerous lesion in the mouth.

But students still follow role models.

Vincent, who has played baseball on various AAU teams and for South, said he started because he “saw older baseball players doing it.”

Vincent, Peter are just some of the many students that have tried dipping to connect with peers, a connection Catrambone believes is partially responsible for use.

“Groups of kids that are friends support each other in the habit,” he said.

But for Vincent, the influence of

older kids was only part of the reason he they’re not immediately affecting me, I started using. don’t care,’” John said.

“Younger kids seeing players who This attitude, which negates the they idolize [using tobacco], and thinking long-term effects of smokeless tobacco, is that it’s cool,” he said. one that four-year varsity catcher Lueders Kids of all ages see professional fervently disagrees with. Lueders has helpbaseball players like 2008 American lessly watched his older brother struggle League MVP Dustin Pedroia, 2006 Home with addiction.

Run Derby winner Ryan Howard or even “He can’t even study without packRed Sox manager Terry Francona using ing a lip; that’s his stress mechanism,” he smokeless tobacco. said. Seeing his brother become addicted Although baseball is to smokeless totrying to clean up its image “Kids do it for the relaxed bacco has been an by banning smokeless toexperiimage that says, ‘I know eye-opening bacco in the minor leagues, ence for Lueders, young baseball fans are the side effects, but since who vows to never influenced from the mothey’re not immediately af- try a pinch. ment they start watching Catrambone their favorite major league fecting me, I don’t care.’” recognizes that most players chewing tobacco. don’t have a first“Seeing players do it every night makes hand look at the effects of dipping. He said me think if they don’t have cancer by now education is the next best option. then I won’t get it,” Vincent said. “[South needs] better anti-tobacco Another aspect that motivates athprograms, resources and funding,” he said. letes to dip is that, unlike smoking, it does Gwen Smith, who administers the not have cardiovascular effects.

“At risk” homeroom surveys, agreed.

John*, a senior and lacrosse player, “Vivid knowledge and info is needed to started smoking this summer. make kids understand how harmful things However, when John noticed that are to their health,” she said. immediate effects to his lungs prevented By targeting youth education, the him from participating in athletics, he anti-tobacco campaign has substantially quickly switched to dipping. “I know the reduced the number of teen smokers. side effects [of dipping], but also that However, the lack of hard facts about they are not immediately affecting me in smokeless tobacco has allowed some adosports,” he said. lescents to rationalize their use.

“Kids do it for the relaxed image “Kids take [using smokeless tobacthat says, ‘I know the side effects, but since co] lightly because they don’t realize how

harmful it is,” Lueders said.

The campaign has been so effective that not only are kids becoming disengaged with smoking, they have developed a stereotypical view of smokers.

“They’re grimy and gross,” Peter said. This universally accepted stereotype has prevented many would-be smokers from taking their first puff.

However, because the equivalent implications are not associated with “dipping,” more high school boys are using smokeless tobacco.

Girls, like Jade*, on the other, hand find it “disgusting.”

“I wouldn’t kiss a boy who dips.”

But girls’ repulsion isn’t enough to put boys off from this habit.

When the materials are easily accessible, as in Peter’s and Vincent’s cases in which their friends provided them the tins, the habit keeps going.

Vincent has already noticed this trend continuing in lower grades and predicts that it will continue even after the infamous “sultans of Skoal” graduate. “A lot of sophomores now pack lips. They got influenced by the older athletes,” Vincent said.

Vincent and Peter have both put off quitting a habit they know is harmful. Peter said he would “quit before college” and Vincent said “cancer would be the only thing that would make me stop.”

When asked what advice he would give to future smokeless tobacco users, Peter responded: “Don’t start.”

december 18, 2009

sports 31

Girls’ Hockey

Boys’ Hockey

Alpine Skiing

Boys’ Basketball

Girls’ Basketball

Last Year: 3-16

Last Year: 2-16-3

Last Year: 3rd in DCL

Last Year: 11-9

Last Year: 16-4

Captains: Jenny Epstein, Jesse Eysenbach and Madeline Reed

Captains: Gabe Feldstein, Mark Karetskiy and Max Vasiloff

Captains: Ethan Landzberg and Alex O’Hagan

Captains: Kendall Burton and Ally Leipzig

Coach: Jeff Reed and Meg Lloyd

Coach: Matt Beck, Jon Poutas and Chris Ryeberg

Captains: Rachel Davidson, Evan Pierce, Drew Pinta and Zeba Race

Coach: Joe Killelea

Coach: Sam Doner

Quote: “Our Goals are definitely to keep on improving.”

Quote: “Our goal is to make the tournament, as tough as that may be.”

– Jenny Epstein

– Gabe Feldstein

Quote: “We feel confident to be ranked first in the league this year.”

– Drew Pinta

Quote: “We’re going to play better overall team basketball, and specifically, team defense.”

– Ethan Landzberg

Quote: “We are looking forward to a very successful season.”

- Kendall Burton

By Olivia Larkin

By Olivia Larkin

By Nathan Baskin

By Austin Pollack

By Säm Mozhgani

Coach: Sean McQue

Jenny Epstein

Peter Franco

Girls’ Hockey

Wrestling

Kendall Burton Girls’ Basketball

photos by Dan Hurwit and Danielle Stubbe

Boys’ Indoor Track

Boys’ and Girls’ Swim

Wrestling

Last Year: 7-1

Last Year: 6-5

Last Year: 11-5

Captains: Ross McDonald, Steven Murphy and Yuji Wakimoto

Captains: Ben Chelmow, Sam Forman, David Han, Julia Lytle and Julia Mandehr

Captains: Peter Franco and Tamir Zinger

Coach: Matt Capstick

Coach: Ethan Treat

Quote: “We lost the backbone of our team ... so everyone in the program now needs to step it up.”

Quote: “We have a large senior class and are looking forward to making this year the best it can be.”

Quote: “We’ve got a lot of hard workers and a lot of dedication on this team.

Quite a few kids put in extra time over the summer.”

– Ben Chelmow

– Bill Fagen

By Nicholas Hurney

By Peter Haskin

By Albert Chang

Coach: Alan Rotatori

Boys’ and Girls’ Gymnastics Last Year: 0-7; 4-5

Girls’ Indoor Track Last Year: 9-0

Captains: Carlos Morales, Sarah Berman, Ariel Kirshenbaum and Cora Visnick

Captains: Mary Kate Cronin, Melanie Fineman, Christie Lee and Elizabeth May

Coach: Eduardo Morales and Greg Beaupre

Coach: Steve McChesney

Quote: “This year we have a lot of new strong freshman and a strong [returning] base from last year.”

– Cora Visnick

By Nathan Baskin & Katie Freer

Quote: “We have a lot of talent and a lot of kids who are excited and ready to compete.”

-Mary Kate Cronin

By Ashton Andrews

32 back page

december 18, 2009