Volume 29, Issue 1

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Vol. XXIX · Issue I

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper · Newton, MA · Established 1984 · June 7, 2012

Community remembers life and contributions of Luke Voss-Kernan Jenny Friedland Editor-in-Chief

networks are expected to support a 2.5:1 ratio of wireless devices to operating people.

Selling naming rights is expected to be the most lucrative aspect of the NSF’s capital campaign, which includes other features such as the solicitation of direct donations.

According to Iacobucci, an important aspect of the naming rights plan is that no locations will be stripped of their previous names. “[The names of already named areas] will all be retained out of respect,” he said.

“Once you name something, you can’t take it away.” Iacobucci said that both the name of the donor and the original name would be included in a location’s title if its naming rights were to be sold.

Iacobucci said that the auditorium at North, which is named after former North music teacher Henry Lasker, was originally a source of worry for many if this plan was to

On an afternoon three years ago, as senior Victor Moisescu biked from the Eliot T stop to Ne wton Centre, ‘10 graduate Luke photo courtesy of Regulus Voss-Kernan brightened the younger student’s day. VossKernan called out to Moisescu, inviting him to join a group of senior friends. “[Luke] said, ‘I like you. My friends are going to like you. Come have a good time with us,’” Moisescu said. “He kept on cracking jokes the entire time, and I felt very included … [and] very welcomed by his actions.”

Voss-Kernan passed away on May 25 at age 19 in Seattle, Washington, but his interactions with members of the Newton community and contributions to South will stand as a legacy for years to come, according to those who knew him.

In a statement released by VossKernan’s mother, his family acknowledged his bright personality. “Refracted in the tears of all who love him is a rainbow of colored light so warm we can only believe Luke is one with the sky and the earth,” she wrote.

“He lived a life that mattered. To many. And in that knowledge we find peace.”

Science teacher Mita Bhattacharya, who taught Voss-Kernan in her biology class, said that if she could talk to Voss-Kernan now, she would encourage him to preserve his personality. “I’d tell him to be who he was because he was fairly unique in the way he conducted himself and his happy-go-lucky kind of approach to life,” she said.

Voss-Kernan passed away while on a dream road trip with friends. Detective Mark Jamieson of the Seattle Police Department said in a recent Boston Globe article that Voss-Kernan was climbing on a fuel tank in a fenced-off area of Gas Works Park, which used to be a gas-manufacturing plant, when he fell just after midnight. The same article reported that a spokeswoman for the King

LANGUAGES, NAMING RIGHTS, 10 5

LANGUAGES, 10 LUKE, 3

photo illustration by Jordie Cohen-Kaplan and Ravi Panse

In an effort to raise money for Newton Public Schools, the Newton Schools Foundation has proposed a plan to sell the naming rights to places in Newton high schools Andreas Betancourt Managing Editor

A recently proposed plan by the Newton Schools Foundation (NSF) to sell naming rights in Newton high schools has provoked intense debate in the Newton community.

The plan, if passed, has the intention of raising $4-5 million by selling naming rights to individuals, foundations and businesses affiliated with Newton over a period of three years beginning later this year. Revenue would go toward funding a $5.6 million technology initiative for the Newton Public Schools (NPS).

Approximately 120 naming opportunities were identified at each high school, most of which were in classrooms. The names of the high schools and their houses would remain unchanged.

According to its website, the NSF is a privately run foundation aiming to “enhance

and broaden community support for public education” as well as to “provide private funding for enhancement, innovation and challenging programs across a student’s K-12 experiences in the NPS.” Rick Iacobucci, the executive director of the NSF, said the money raised would “address funding for the educational technology … essential for teaching and learning in the 21st century classroom.” The NPS technology initiative proposed earlier this year would suffer from a 57% funding gap without money raised through the sale of naming rights.

The initiative, named “Literacy21: Learning Powered by Technology,” includes professional development in technology for teachers, improved network infrastructure and a sustainable funds to be used for future annual needs. These goals are all a part of Vision 2020, NPS’ general strategic plan with goals to be accomplished by 2020. By 2014, for example, Newton high schools’ wireless

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Epilepsy research Junior Avra Liverman organizes dances in order to fund epilepsy research

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9

Global events The Roar looks at how time affects student awareness

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16

College track South’s track program prepares students to run on college teams

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29

NEWS 3 FEATURES 8 EDITORIALS 14 CENTERFOLD 16 OPINIONS 21 COMMUNITY 25 SPORTS 28

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june 7, 2012

special feature

A poem from ...

JOHN LAWLESS

photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

When he is not helping keep South in order as a custodian, John Lawless spends his free time writing poetry. As part of the last issue of the year, Lawless wrote a poem for The Roar I see hope Upon the faces of the younger generation As they ply the corridors of knowledge Unsure of what they seek.

I hear hope In voices questioning the older generation Inquiries of honesty removed form speculation Honing fine the point of an often doubted focus.

I see the future Being challenged by the challenges of youth To divulge its secrets not in thimbles But in overflowing scoops.

I see them At their keyboards or With backpacks weighted down And I wonder how much knowledge Must these children lug around.

I see beneath the cover, the façade That all is well, three dimensions of A person slowly blending into one.

I see hope Inside their fever, feel The heat of passions fire, metal softened In hot embers, polished fine and tempered true.

I see our future Leaders seeking passage through their youth, Seeking help, but not salvation In their quest for future’s truth.

news volume 29

issue 1

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june 7, 2012

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Homework policy passed to reduce stress Hyunnew Choi & Julia Lee News Editors

South Spots South Spots compiled by Roar editors

Step Up Day Eighth graders from Oak Hill and Brown middle schools will be coming to tour South on June 8 after current students are let out of school early. Students who are advisory leaders will stay at school to welcome the incoming students with an orientation.

Summer Reading

The Faculty Council recently passed a proposal that will ban the assignment of homework over four weekends and two vacations of the school year.

According to English teacher and head of the Faculty Council Alan Reinstein, the council drafted the policy to help alleviate some of the stress schoolwork places on students.

“This [proposal] is one way to reduce the level of stress and to send the message to the students that we’re listening,” Reinstein said. “Teachers recognize the amount of homework load that the most conscientious and hardworking students complete.”

In addition to stress alleviation, Reinstein said the purpose of the policy is “to acknowledge the hard work the students are doing and to recognize the benefit to rest in relaxation.”

Principal Joel Stembridge agreed that the policy serves as “an important gesture” from the faculty to the students, showing that the adults understand and appreciate the students’

This year’s summer reading book for all students will be “The Fault In Our Stars” by John Green. The book was chosen for the One School, One Book program, which will hold an event on the book in fall. The event will include specific panel discussions about certain topics in the book and group discussions.

See page 5 for more.

dedication.

“I hope that [this policy] will indicate that we recognize that being a teenager in 2012 and beyond is not necessarily an easy thing to do,” he said. “We’re all still going to work hard when it is time to work hard, [but it is] important as a human being to take a moment, to pause and to be with family to do something that’s not school-related.”

Freshman Sierra Weintraub said that the policy will be beneficial for students because it will help enforce a well-needed respite from work during vacation. “Teachers shouldn’t be able to assign homework over vacation because the whole point of vacation is that we have a break [from schoolwork],” she said.

Senior Andrew Hutner agreed that homework over vacation is counter-intuitive and that the policy is a step in the right direction.

He said that having no homework over vacation would not only allow relaxation, but would also refresh students, which would motivate them to do more work after break. “If you spend a vacation actually relaxing, … then your mind is refreshed when you get back, ... and if vacation is done right, you

Scholarship Award

The class of ‘65 gathered in the auditorium to give the first South Alumni Scholarship Award to senior Paris Caldwell on May 30. The alumni raised funds to provide a $5,000 scholarship this year and plan to award more than one such scholarship each year in the future.

photo illustration by Ravi Panse

should come back ready to work hard,” Hutner said. “The end of the summer is the best example; you’re actually pumped to do work.”

Sophomore Brandon Byun said the proposal is a “fantastic idea,” as it will be advantageous for more than just students. “I think it would be beneficial for actually both the teachers and students,” he said, “because the teachers … have work too, like grading stuff, the teachers would want a break off for their vacation.”

Despite the policy’s potential success, Hutner said that courses that prepare students for standardized exams, such as AP courses, often require studying over vacation in order to keep up with a rigorous course load and would force students to study. “I don’t think the policy will do much, because I have to study for AP tests. The homework I have to do is to study,” he said. “Even if you ban homework, you have work to do.”

History teacher Lisa Soohoo said that while the policy would not entirely eliminate work as a whole, it does offer students the opportunity to participate in activities besides homework.

“I think it can at least help you to know when we set aside specific days that we know that we have more time for other important activities,” Soohoo said. “There’s definitely potential for it to be helpful.” Furthermore, Soohoo said that the policy can be seen as a way for the community to enjoy breaks from work together as a school.

Reinstein said that for work-free weekends to fully serve their purpose as “stress-free weekends,” the school must maintain a stress-free spirit throughout the community and acknowledge students’ hard work together.

According to Principal Joel Stembridge, this policy can only reach its full potential if students manage their vacation time in an efficient manner. “If you use this time well, it’s going to be beneficial, but you can waste these weekends just like you can waste these other opportunities,” he said.

“So, it’s really up to how students use [the policy] that will be determining whether it’s successful or not.”

Reinstein said that ultimately the removal of stress will foster connection and understanding among the school community. “I think it will be a nice thing for the community to feel good about the teachers who know that they’re all in this together,” he said.

‘10 graduate leaves legacy behind LUKE, from 1

County Medical Examiner’s Office said Voss-Kernan died of blunt force trauma.

According to Moisescu, Voss-Kernan’s approach to life will not be forgotten. “He’s energetic. He’s very friendly. He’s amiable. He’s smart. He spreads it,” Moisescu said. “I feel like he left a legacy. Luke Voss-Kernan — that’s a name I’ve talked about before with my friends after Luke graduated.”

Moisescu ran track when Voss-Kernan was captain and said that members of the team will remember Voss-Kernan’s talent and significance to South athletics.

“He’ll be forever a presence on the team,” Moisescu said. “He contributed a lot to the team, points-wise [in addition to] leading by example.”

Voss-Kernan’s personality made him attractive as both a leader and a friend, according to Bhattacharya. “He was a helpful

and friendly soul and easy to talk to. I think he was a popular student,” she said. “[In] that way he was a normal teenager but just [had] a sweet personality by nature.”

Bhattacharya said she finds Voss-Kernan’s passing difficult to accept alongside her fond memories of him. “It’s hard for me to believe because when you think of Luke, he’s always smiling and always happy with life,” she said. “I can’t think he’s not here.”

Moisescu said that a single Facebook post that was written last week emphasized VossKernan’s significant impact on him. “I just saw one post on his wall that said, … ‘I love you, man, with all my heart,’” he said.

“It hit me right there, like, ‘Yeah, I do too.’”

Voss-Kernan’s family will be holding a celebration of Luke’s life from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on June 10. The family will host the event at 65 Gray Cliff Road in Newton Centre.

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june 7, 2012

news

photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Teachers and parents of South students helped out at the South Book Fair, selling “The Fault In Our Stars” for a discounted price of $10 and other various publications for $1 or $2.

“The Fault In Our Stars” chosen for One School, One Book Julie Olesky Sr. News Editor

Members of the English department and the One School, One Book Selection Committee have chosen the novel “The Fault In Our Stars” by John Green as the next book for the One School, One Book program. “The Fault In Our Stars” is the fictional tale of two teenagers who develop a strong relationship as they struggle against cancer together.

English department head Brian Baron, a member of the Selection Committee, said that out of the many aspects the committee considered when choosing the book, one of the most important was whether all students would be able to enjoy it.

“You have to find something that a senior will find challenging and engaging and something that an entry level freshman who maybe doesn’t read so well will be able to enjoy,” he said. “This is the book that … I think kids are going to most enjoy reading.”

Junior Hayley Goldstein agreed that the novel will appeal to students regardless of their reading level. “I think it’s a really great choice for high school,” she said. “It’s kind of funny, kind of sad and a pretty good book for our age levels.”

According to English teacher and Selection Committee member David Weintraub, another important aspect of “The Fault In Our Stars” that the committee discussed was its ability to keep readers engaged.

“We really wanted to use a book that when people would start it, they would also really want to finish it,” he said. “Of all the books we discussed at the committee meeting, [“The Fault In Our Stars”] was the one where we all unanimously came together and said, ‘I read this in two hours’ or ‘I read this in one sitting because I really couldn’t put it down.’ This book really did not feel at all like work.”

In an interview with National Public Radio on Jan. 28, Green said that a major reason “The Fault in Our Stars” is enjoyable is teenagers’ ability to relate to the main characters.

“A lot of times when you read books about young people with cancer, they’re these wise-eyed children with the secret to life hidden inside of them or whatever,” he said. “The truth is that teenagers are teenagers whether they’re sick or well.”

Goldstein agreed that the characters in “The Fault In Our Stars” are teenagers at heart despite their illnesses.

“Even though they do happen to have cancer, they’re still normal, and they still can do a lot of fun things, and they can still lead normal lives. There’s just something different about them, and I feel that we can all relate to that,” she said. “If you want to have a book that the whole school will read and enjoy, they should also be able to relate to the book they’re reading.”

Sophomore Celina Siegel said that in addition to being relatable, the choice for the One School, One Book should be thought provoking, a quality she said she sees in “The Fault in Our Stars.” “You want a book that will fasci-

nate people and bring them together over something they care about, and you don’t want to choose something that’s obscure and already seen as not interesting,” she said. “It’s really important that [the choice] should make you think.”

Siegel said that students will be able to identify with the characters’ struggles more than they have with those of One School, One Book selections of past years, such as “Zeitoun,” a book about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, or “This I Believe II,” a collection of personal essays. “It’s not [about] a Muslim father living in New Orleans [like “Zeitoun”], and it’s not a bunch of famous people looking back on their lives [like “This I Believe II”],” she said. “The characters are teenagers, so in that way, they’re already more relatable.”

Goldstein agreed with Siegel that the choice of “The Fault in Our Stars” signifies a shift from One School, One Book choices of the past. “For the past couple of years we’ve been reading nonfiction books that are kind of more for adults or are kind of dull, but the “The Fault In Our Stars” is a teen novel that deals with issues that teens care more about,” she said.

According to Goldstein, this shift is a step in the right direction for the Book Selection Committee. “[A One School, One Book choice] should be entertaining, enjoyable and actually have some kind of depth and have something interesting going on,” she said. “[Students] want good, satisfying literature that you can just pick up and read and actually enjoy ... This is actually a book that we’ll have fun reading.”

The Roar surveyed 213 students on May 21 concerning their opinions on the new One School, One Book choice

Are you happy with the One School, One Book choice?

29%

I don’t know

29.1% Yes

12.4% No

29.5%

Indifferent

june 7, 2012

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5

WE ARE THE 25%

As part of their last week at South, seniors organized their own Occupy movement, modeled off of the protests happening around the world. Called “Occupy South,” the event included free food, tents for camping out and lawn chairs and blankets for relaxation.

photos by Kylie Walters and Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Naming rights proposal sparks controversy NAMING RIGHTS, from 1

be approved. “When his [Lasker’s] son found out the original name would be preserved, he was thrilled,” Iacobucci said.

Junior Melanie Kim said, however, that even if current names were preserved, “[the addition of donor names] tarnishes the name of the person who was originally supposed to be honored. I don’t agree with that.”

The Newton School Committee (NSC), chaired by Claire Sokoloff, has lent its support to the naming rights plan, as has Mayor Setti Warren, in the form of a memorandum of understanding.

Sokoloff described herself as “enthusiastic and supportive [of the plan]” but nevertheless said that it was not

her first choice. “I would love to be able to fully fund the schools without selling naming rights,” Sokoloff said, “ but we have considerable expenses … relating to the costs of adding teachers for the increased enrollment we have year after year.”

This year, there is a $1.7 million budget gap due to the 200 additional students expected to come to South next year.

Sokoloff said that she is confident in the naming rights plan. “I have grown more comfortable over time as I have been reassured by the NSF and others involved that we will progress cautiously and tastefully,” she said, “and there will be multiple checks and balances in place.”

For any donor to purchase naming rights to a location, he or she would have to be approved by the NSF, the NSC

and the Superintendent.

In order for the naming rights plan to be approved, it must also garner the support of the Board of Aldermen, in which a majority of aldermen must vote to create the revolving funds needed for the plan to move forward. On May 14, when the first public discussion of the plan was held, some aldermen argued the plan commercialized NPS. Alderman Richard Blazar was one of those aldermen.

“I don’t care if you raise $5 million or $25 million,” he said.

“You have to have principles.”

Blazar said he feels that naming rights should be for educators or others who have contributed to learning in LANGUAGES, 10

NAMING RIGHTS, 7

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news

KICKED OUT Students and teachers have conflicting opinions about AP European History’s move to Newton North

graphic by David Gorelik

Joe Joseph

Editor-in-Chief The AP European History senior elective, commonly referred to as AP Euro, will not run at South next year due to insufficient enrollment. As an alternative to taking the course at South, students who signed up for the class can take it at Newton North during A block.

The cancellation of the class has prompted mixed reactions from members of the South and North communities, some of whom said they are disappointed by the removal of a valuable class from South’s curriculum, and others of whom said they are optimistic about further collaboration between students from South and North.

According to history department head Jennifer Morrill, a class needs at least 22 students to run, and only 18 students signed up for AP Euro, prompting the decision to move the course to North. “I’m not thrilled with the outcome because I’d rather this course run at South,” she said, “but I think it’s the best we could do with the numbers that we had.”

History teacher Gregory Drake, who will teach the AP Euro class offered at North, said he believes South’s history department has made the best out of the situation. “In a perfect world, we would have everything at both schools, but anything we can do to have kids take the classes they want to is a good thing,” he said. “It’s good, at least, that kids who are really committed to the class have an opportunity to take it, even it’s a little bit harder for them to do so.”

According to the CollegeBoard website, AP Euro is a class that covers European history starting in 1450, and “introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live.”

History teacher Marcia Okun, who has taught AP Euro at South in the past, said the class is typically filled with students who are highly motivated.

“I think what makes [AP Euro] special — and it’s not just this course — is for the first time senior year, students are taking courses because they want to,” she said, “not just because they will look good on their resume or because they have to take it.”

Morrill said AP Euro also expands on information students learned in earlier years, allowing them to delve further into historical topics.

“A lot of the events that are taught in AP Euro are events that they have already studied freshman year and sophomore year,” she said. “They can go much deeper and really ask questions that perhaps they weren’t

prepared to ask when they were freshmen and sophomores.”

Junior Dina Bedri said she signed up for AP Euro because she wanted to continue studying the topics discussed in her freshman history class. “I really liked freshman year world history because it was ancient history, and it was something completely new to me and more cultural,” she said.

Junior Michael Kenny said he was “really looking forward to [AP Euro]” based on its reputation as a challenging class. “I’ve heard that it’s hard, but it’s very rewarding,” he said.

Upon hearing about the cancellation of AP Euro at South, junior Yaara Yacoby, who had signed up for the course, said she was “very unhappy.”

“I had been looking forward to that class since freshman year,” she said. “It was the only time that a history class offered something that I was actually interested in.”

Bedri said the cancellation made her realize how much she actually wanted to take the course.

“At first it was kind of a social thing; my friends were taking it, so I was like ‘why not?’” she said. “But then I realized that ...

I wasn’t as interested in [the other history senior electives] as AP Euro.”

Kenny said his immediate reaction to the removal of AP Euro from South’s course offerings was frustration with the 22-student requirement. “I think that is a little bit ridiculous that 18 ambitious students who want to take a demanding class should not be allowed the opportunity,” he said. “Eighteen ought to be more than enough to conduct a class.”

In order to take AP Euro during A block at North, students would have to keep their B block free for travel back to South, which Bedri said she would be unable to do.

“I wouldn’t mind [going to North to take it], but I really don’t have time in my schedule for it,” she said.

Kenny said that in addition to scheduling issues, teaching problems could arise if he took a class at North.

“Getting in touch with the teacher is really difficult if I am being bussed from North to South, and here we have J block, whereas there is no option to go and stop by a teacher’s classroom and just make up a test or to talk to them for help or anything [at North],” he said. “I think learning in a class like that becomes much more impersonal and not as enjoyable, and it won’t be as good of a learning experience.”

Despite the negative backlash from students and faculty, both Morrill and Drake said they believe that taking AP Euro at North will be manageable and that there are positive aspects to the class being offered at North.

In response to students who fear that

taking AP Euro at North would be different from taking the class at South, Drake said he will do his best to be understanding and accommodating. “I’m going to be as flexible as I can with the South students,” he said. “I understand that they’re putting in a bit more effort to be in the class.”

In addition to being flexible, Drake said he wants to find ways to make sure the students in his class are able to interact readily through internet resources such as GoogleDocs, an online document editing site, and Prezi, a site that facilitates group collaboration on presentations. “I want to find ways to make sure that it’s not just a class that meets four times a week, that we can really build a community,” he said, “even if it means building a community across the city.”

Morrill said another positive effect is students’ access to additional resources at North. “North is a vibrant community, and [the students] get access to a teacher they might not have known otherwise,” she said. “They’re getting to see into another community.”

Morrill added that this insight into a different community has potential to prepare students for college life.

“I think for seniors that are about to go off to college, [going to a different school] could be a good experience because it kind of takes them out of South and puts them in a classroom in another community, which is going to be their experience at college,” she said.

Morrill said she hopes students and faculty realize that the removal of AP Euro is not a permanent change to South’s curriculum, and that the history department will be reevaluating the decision next year.

“I think [the removal of AP Euro from South is] a really important issue, and there has been a perception that we were canceling it because we didn’t value it as a course. Nothing could be further from the truth,” she said.

“One of the goals of the history department next year is going to be to really look at our senior electives and think about what we are offering and how we can make sure that we have courses that satisfy a broad range of interest.”

Drake said he hopes students and faculty can see past the dispute over where AP Euro is offered and focus on the broader opportunity for fostering community between North and South.

“We live in the same city, and the kids go through the same school system, but they don’t really get to know each other,” he said. “I think it’s a positive thing that now students can work together and get to know each other better.”

Additional reporting by Julia Lee and Julia Smith

june 7, 2012 Four more years Eric Allegro

Stay Classy, America

Yes, he has a low approval rating. No, he has not lived up to the expectations, even though they were way too high.

His crown jewel could be repealed by the Supreme Court, but Barack Obama must, and will, be reelected to the highest position in the land.

Had the expectations and hype for him been lower, he would have been considered an extremely prolific and productive President.

Besides, on the other side lies former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney gunning for the throne in the Oval Office.

Simply put, he is not fit to replace Obama.

The most important item in a reelection bid is the reigning president’s resume, and no President has ever been reelected with a bad first term.

It’s true, Obama did not completely live up to his expectations; however, very few, if any, people in this world could ever live up to the hype and expectations of the incoming President.

He ordered the assasination of public enemy number one: Osama Bin Laden.

He effectively ended the war in Iraq, he repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and he finally reformed health care.

He has already had two Supreme Court placements in which he has instilled a liberal opinion on a mainly conservative court. He bailed out Detroit and the auto industry, which has been paid back with interest in full.

He has, in my honest opinion, done more than enough to be reelected and has probably done more in one term than most Presidents have done in two.

On the other side, Mitt Romney, former head of Bain Capital and former Governor of Massachusetts is gunning for the crown.

Romney’s company, Bain Capital, is one of the reasons he is treated as an economic mastermind. They say that they help other companies make money through investments and thus he can provide a better economy for the US. In my mind, this is false. He made other companies more profitable mostly through massive layoffs. This does, in fact, make the company as a whole more money.

However, this strategy does not translate well to government.

People need to work, even if employing them makes the country as a whole less profitable.

The second issue is his stance on gay marriage.

He flip-flopped from his Governor’s stance in Massachusetts when he was for it; he is now very stubbornly against it.

Not only that, but it has recently become well known that in high school he and his friends pinned a homosexual classmate to the ground and cut his hair off with a pair of scissors.

This is textbook definition of gay bashing, and it shows that he, as a person, is not fit to be leading this country.

Others are entitled to their opinions on this as well, but if the decision were up to me, the man in the seat right now would be getting four more years.

Stay Classy, America.

june 7, 2012

news

7

Meet the faculty: The Roar interviewed the new Goldrick housemaster, Marc Banks, and the new science department head, Gerard Gagnon, on their past and their hopes for their futures at South Marc Banks, Goldrick housemaster The Lion’s Roar: What are you currently doing at Framingham High?

Marc Banks: I am currently an English teacher at Framingham High School, and I’ve been here for seven years. I’m also a class adviser to the current senior class.

I’ve been the class adviser for all four years and was former class adviser of the class of 2008, so this is my second round as a class advisor.

We have a mentoring program called Step Up to Excellence. It’s a mentoring program, and I’m paired with a student who’s a sophomore, and I meet with him throughout [his years in school].

LR: Why did you apply for the Goldrick housemaster position?

MB: After seven years of teaching, I knew I wanted to take the next step, so I decided to see what was at South. What I really wanted was a school that was similar in size to Framingham. I think a large school offers a great opportunity for students to succeed in multiple ways because there are many options. Also, the current principal of Framingham High School was a former principal of South, and he only had good things to say, so I knew it’d be a good fit.

LR: What do your plans as the next housemaster include?

MB: My first priority will be to get to know the students and staff.

There will be new names to learn, but I want to make sure the seniors think that they have a housemaster that knows them and reach that graduation stage [with them].

LR: What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you?

MB: I think a major challenge is getting to learn, for example, the graduation requirements. It’s getting to know

the details of the school because they’re going to be different from the procedures of Framingham. Also, I don’t understand the schedule at South.

LR: What is your impression of South?

MB: I spoke to students the day I was there for my final round of interviews. They wanted to know where I was coming from, the type of personality I have. I asked them questions about the relationship between a housemaster and students.

They want to feel comfortable going to and speaking with the housemaster, and I think my personality lets me connect with students.

LR: What are you most looking forward to working with at South?

MB: I’m looking forward to the schedule at South because of J blocks. I think it’s great that it’s built into the schedule for students that aren’t able to get that help in a different time.

The number of clubs you have at South is very exciting. I love that the students have such an active newspaper, and it seems the basic part of the Newton South tradition. I’m also looking forward to getting to teach and having one foot in the classroom as well as the administration.

MB: I would say that I’m really excited to join the Newton community. Everyone I’ve spoken to was very welcoming. I think it will be a great professional challenge, and I’m looking forward to that challenge. Most importantly, at the end of the day, it’s about the students. I am now in charge of the Goldrick house, and I want to do everything in my power to make sure 100 percent of students make it to graduation day.

Reporting by Hyunnew Choi

Gerard Gagnon, science department head The Lion’s Roar: What is your current position at Needham High School?

Gerard Gagnon: I teach physics. I’ve been there since 1994, and in addition to teaching physics, I’m the director of the marching band and the adviser to the Gay Straight Alliance.

LR: How long have you been teaching?

GG: I started teaching full time since 1993, so 19 years.

LR: After teaching so long at Needham, what made you to come to South?

GG: I love teaching, and I’ve come to realize that I can have a bigger impact on how well a school functions if I can get involved in the administration.

LR: Do you have any specific ideas in mind that would allow more educational opportunities for students?

GG: I’m going be teaching a Curriculum II course in the fall in physics. I know that high-performing schools like South do a great job for high-achieving kids, and sometimes I don’t think that we do as good a job with the kids who are not achieving to the same level. I think it’s important to offer them educational opportunities so that they can experience the life-changing possibilities that education could provide.

LR: Do you have any goals or plans that you would like to achieve at Newton South?

GG: I would hope to really become an active member of the school community by getting to know as many kids as possible and of course working with as many staff members as possible. One way to do that is by increasing the relationship that we have within the department.

LR: How did you hear about the job at Newton South?

GG: Last year, I was in a program that I earned my second masters degree through. It’s called the LLP Program. When I saw the posting on Newton South in the Boston Globe, it just seemed to be the perfect fit for me. On one of [my visits to South] I spend a part of the day working with Mr. Stembridge and Ms. Scott, and they were fantastic. As we talked and interviewed, it became obvious to me that my goals and my values and what I see important as part of the education is very well aligned with their goals and their values, and that’s really important to me.

LR: You’ve mentioned your educational beliefs. What exactly are those beliefs?

GG: As a teacher, I would describe myself as student-centered. I would never underestimate the power of education and the importance of education not just for the best and brightest in the higher level classes, but for all students. I think that this is a place willing to embrace that and actively pursues trying to make sure that we are really reaching all students regardless of what level they’re in, whatever their socioeconomic background is and whatever their racial background is.

LR: Do you have any hopes or concerns regarding your new position?

GG: In the first year [at South], I just plan on doing my best to learn the ropes.

I’m really excited. People ask me, “Won’t this be a tremendous change?” and the answer is yes, it will be. I’m quite confident that it will be an awesome opportunity for me, and I hope that I’ll be able to provide opportunities for growth for the people in my department.

Reporting by Julia Lee

Newton Schools Foundation proposes sale of naming rights NAMING RIGHTS, from 5 Newton schools. Otherwise, he said, “this will teach kids that having money gets you what you want.”

Blazar said he does not believe that the NPS needs an extra source of funding enough to warrant the implementation of the naming rights plan. He said he received many emails concerning the plan and that “plenty of people were against it.”

Principal Joel Stembridge said that like Blazar, he also has concerns about the message that the sale of naming rights might send. “That’s the one thing that I worry about — in the past we’ve

been careful to only name things after educators who’ve made a big impact,” he said. “I think if instead, we named things after people who have lots of money, that could send the wrong message.”

Blazar said proponents of the NPS should also consider the effectiveness of technology in a school setting. “Kids are spending a lot of time on gadgets that aren’t for learning.” Blazar said.

Junior Scott Cohen said that he has similar worries about how students will use technology paid for with funds raised through the sale of naming rights. “As long as the technology ... will be used for necessities before luxuries — not

every student needs an iPad, for example — I’m fine with[the naming rights plan],” he said.

Sokoloff said she has heard a variety of opinions regarding the sale of naming rights, only some of which were similar to Cohen’s. “On one hand, you have individuals who are uncomfortable with what they consider to be commercialization of our schools,” Sokoloff said. “On the other, you have individuals who want to maximize revenue and have no concern at all about naming rights.”

According to Sokoloff, “the predominant view is that while, [the plan] is not necessarily anyone’s first choice, people understand the dif-

ficult financial constraints and are comfortable going forward with the caveat that spaces are named tastefully and mindfully with the values and integrity of NPS in mind.”

Alderman Ruthanne Fuller, who described the technology initiative as “very robust,” said she disapproves of the stigma associated with the idea of selling naming rights but that she is in support of the plan. “I would frame it differently than ‘selling naming rights,’” she said. “It’s been mislabeled. It’s reaching out to the community and talking to people who would be interesting in supporting NPS and the technology initiative and thanking people with a plaque.”

Warren agreed that the sale of naming rights does not have to come at the cost of Newton values.

“Cities and towns that are creative yet remain true to the community [will do better as a whole],” he said. “This is a place where, if we can [reconcile] those two, we can achieve our goals.”

Stembridge said that education must always come first in considering any proposal for the NPS. “It’s hard to say no to or disagree with ideas on how to raise money that will help us with our core mission, which is to educate students,” he said.

Additional reporting by Derek Nie

features volume 29

issue 1

june 7, 2012

page

8

photos courtesy of Jasper Barbash-Taylor and Marlo Stein

Jasper Barbash-Taylor and Marlo Stein spent their second semester at schools in Vermont and Maine, respectively, focusing on building community and developing leadership skills.

Juniors participate in semester programs Parisa Siddiqui Features Editor

On cold mornings, rather than flicking on the thermostat, junior Marlo Stein finds herself putting on five, or even six, flannel shirts, lacing up her hiking boots and setting out into the woods for a natural history class at the Chewonki Semester School in Wiscasset, Maine.

A semester school is an alternative learning institution that students attend for one semester.

According to Chewonki’s website, semester schools offer educational programs that count for full credit to high school students, typically juniors.

Although students take traditional classes such as math and history, semester schools place equal emphasis on taking wilderness excursions, studying the local environment and developing leadership skills.

After spending her first semester at South, Stein said she left for Chewonki in the middle of January in order to experience something new.

“I wanted a different high school experience after spending the last 10 years in the Newton Public Schools system,” Stein said. “I really like the outdoors ... and I wanted to spend more time doing what I love outdoors in a new place.”

Junior Jasper BarbashTaylor spent his second semester at the Mountain School of Milton Academy in Vershire, Vermont.

Like Stein, Barbash-Taylor said the opportunity for a change in scenery and education motivated him to leave South.

“I was unhappy with how ecology and ecosystems, so each I was doing at South and just week we go on a science field trip the Newton suburban life, and to the ecosystem we’re studying,” I wanted a change,” he said. “I she said. “In our free time, we get thought that moving away from to use all the 400 acres of campus Massachusetts was going to be that we’re on, so we go canoeing, positive, and that’s exactly what it running or hiking on all of the turned out to be.” trail around us.”

Guidance counselor HomAccording to Barbasher Turner agreed with BarbashTaylor, at the Mountain School as Taylor that semester schools can well there really is no classroom; offer an escape from the repetirather, “the classroom is just the tive lifestyle at South.

Vermont area.”

“I find kids that [particiBecause semester schools pate in semester schools] have a focus on hands-on learning, Stein broader perspective of what it’s said that they require significant like to be other places ... [outside physical labor. “We have a farm of the] ‘Newton South cocoon,’” he said.

Bar8:30 Natural History bash-Tay9:30 Free Period lor’s mothe r, I l i s a 10:30 Spanish Barbash, 11:30 Ethics described the semes12:30 Lunch ter school 1:45 Work Program program 4:50 Yoga as “like a b o a rd i n g 6:15 Dinner school, but 7:30 Study Hours on a farm.” “[The students] learn at my program, so we go help how to grow their own food, take care of animals … and with the animals, help plant the learn a lot about self-reliance and co- new vegetables or split wood,” operation at the same time,” she said. Stein said.

Barbash-Taylor said he According to Stein, unlike spends two to three hours a day at South, much of the class work participating in a work program. at a semester school is hands-on “We do wood crew, where we and outdoors. She said that at chop down trees with axes and Chewonki, science class is rarely saws, so I have an axe license to spent within the confines of a do that,” he said. “There are variclassroom, but instead out in ous chores, like cutting vegetables the field. “In school, we study

for the school and cleaning and transplanting. It’s a lot of farm work.”

Stein said that her favorite part of the Chewonki experience has been forming friendships.

“I’ve gotten extremely close to these people,” she said.

“I live in a cabin with seven other girls, and I’ve gotten to know them so well.”

Stein added that the community at Chewonki is different from that of South in that it is much more tight-knit. “I’ve never had a group of such supportive people, and this whole community is like that,” she said.

“It’s really amazing to be able to go on a walk with any one of the 41 other people here and just be able to talk about anything with them.”

Barbash-Taylor agreed that the environment at semester schools fosters strong relationships that are hard to make at places like South. “I’ve had good friends back home, but here, when you’re living amongst people in dorms, you just learn to trust them so much more,” he said. “Socially, I’ve learned how to interact better with people ... in every kind of situation.”

A Day in the Life of Marlo Stein

Stein’s mother Amy Stein said she supported Stein’s decision to attend Chewonki because of the opportunity semester schools provide for students to step out of their comfort zones.

“It’s a great time in [a student’s] life to take a big risk and see how much [he or she is] capable of,” she said. “[The students] learn a lot about the environment, and they learn a lot about taking responsibility for the maintenance of their lives.”

Stein said that the most valuable thing she has taken away from her experience so far is a better-developed sense of self.

“I’ve learned a lot about the type of learner I am,” Stein said. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to interact with others too [from] having to live and work and go to school with all these people for four months.”

According to BarbashTaylor, semester schools also foster self-reliance along with independence.

“You become responsible for not only the farm, because you have to do your chores [and] you have to contribute, but you also have to be responsible for yourself, your health [and] your own academics,” he said. “It feels empowering.”

Barbash-Taylor said that his own sense of empowerment developed from initial fear and that he believes the confidence he has gained will help him in his transition back to South next year as well as in his future.

“I came into this just totally scared,” he said, “and now I have a sense that I can do basically whatever I set my mind to.”

june 7, 2012

Dances support epilepsy research Carly Meisel

photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Junior Avra Liverman set up for a dance at the Bishop Mackenzie Center on April 27. epilepsy was [before my diagnosis]; I didn’t know what a seizure was,” Avra said.

“That’s why, when I found out, I was so excited to let people know.”

Macher, like Avra, said that a lack of epilepsy awareness is common. “Knowing what to do when someone has a seizure is something everyone should know,” she said. “It is no different than knowing what to do when seeing a heart attack [or] choking, ... but first aid is not as commonly heard [of] for when someone is having a seizure.”

Avra’s family has rented both the Hyde Center in Newton Highlands and

If you had told me in sixth grade that I would have epilepsy, I would have been like, ‘What’s epilepsy?’ ... And then, all of a sudden, my whole life changed.

- Avra Liverman, Class of 2013 people love parties, so let’s combine all of these things, and let’s make a fundraising dance.”

Boucher said that Avra’s dances are an enjoyable and effective way to raise money. “The dances are a huge undertaking, and she works so hard,” Boucher said. “What she is doing for the [Epilepsy Therapy Project] is phenomenal.”

Avra said that in addition to raising money, she hopes to spread awareness through her dances. “I had no idea what

9

Relationships: I Love You(phemisims)

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.

Features Editor

Watching TV on a school day morning during her freshman year, junior Avra Liverman said she felt completely normal.

Then she experienced her first seizure. “I woke up, and there were a bunch of heads in front of me, some ... who turned out to be the EMTs,” Avra said. “I was in shock. I didn’t know what was going on.”

Shortly after that day, Avra was diagnosed with epilepsy, a neurological disorder typically marked by sudden convulsions. Avra had her second seizure six months later, and from then on, she continued to experience about one seizure each month. Avra now takes 14 pills daily to manage her epilepsy.

Avra said that though she initially found her diagnosis difficult to accept, she has chosen to remain positive, using fundraisers for epilepsy research as an outlet for her energy.

According to Avra, her first reaction to the diagnosis was shock. “If you had told me in sixth grade that I would have epilepsy, I would have been like, ‘What’s epilepsy? I’m not going to have anything. Nothing’s wrong with me,’” she said. “Then, all of a sudden, my whole life changed.”

Avra’s parents, Nancy and Irwin Liverman, said that their daughter has handled her diagnosis well. “Her willingness to be so vocal and expressive about [having epilepsy] has helped a lot of people,” Irwin said. “They start to understand [epilepsy] and not fear it.”

Junior Sammy Boucher, a friend of Avra’s, agreed that Avra has made the best of a difficult situation. “She has really kept her head up,” Boucher said. “It’s inspiring.”

Avra said she has made an effort to maintain a positive attitude. “I had the mindset of ‘I’m going to educate everyone, and hopefully people will be understanding,’” she said. “I also knew that I wanted to raise money to support this cause.”

Avra chose the Epilepsy Therapy Project as her cause and began holding dances to fundraise for it. The Epilepsy Therapy Project strives to accelerate the development of new therapies for treating epilepsy, according to its executive director Kim Macher.

The decision to host dances as a means of raising money was an obvious one, according to Avra. “My whole life, I’ve been dancing. It’s my passion,” Avra said. “So, [I thought], I love dancing, and

features

the Bishop Mackenzie Center in Newton Centre for dances, including Halloween and 1980s themed events. Overall, Avra and her family have raised more than $33,000 to support epilepsy treatments and therapies.

A ticket to each dance costs $18, a price some find too expensive. “People get upset over the price,” Avra said. “But … it’s not easy to live with this disorder, … and I’m not going to stop working until epilepsy is cured,” Avra said.

According to Avra, every dollar counts. “Even if I raise $100, that’s still $100 closer to curing epilepsy.”

Macher said that her organization has benefited greatly from Avra’s efforts.

“We are so fortunate that we are working with her and that she chose us,” Macher said. “Not everybody … goes out and tackles [a] problem head on, and that’s why we think that [Avra] is fearless and determined. She’s a hero.”

Being fearless in the face of an epilepsy diagnosis can be difficult, according to Nancy. “A lot of people are in the closet about their [epilepsy] because there’s a stigma attached to it,” she said. “It’s all about being accepted. We need to accept everyone with whatever challenges they have.”

Although Avra strives to maintain a positive attitude, she said she sometimes feels discouraged. Because she has epilepsy, Avra cannot get her license and must frequently text message her mother when she is home alone. “I might look happy and giggly, but inside there is this girl who sometimes doesn’t know what to do,” Avra said. “[Epilepsy] impacts everything, and it’s always going to be there.”

Irwin said he was impressed by his daughter’s determination in the face of challenges. “Avra is not defined by her condition or her circumstances. I never remember her [asking], ‘Why me?,’ Irwin said. “She was just saying that she wanted to do something [to help].”

Before I knew my boyfriend, we were at the same party, and he was talking to my friend.

They were trying to figure out the most polite way for a girl to say, “I have to go to the bathroom.” He called me over shouting, “She would know!”

I walked over to them and, with the greatest propriety, responded, “She should say, ‘I have to powder my nose.’”

At that point, I had been in a class or two with him, but we hadn’t spoken much.

I’m pretty shy around boys I don’t know.

Anyway, I guess he assumed that I would know the most polite way for a girl to announce her having to pee because, when you don’t know me well, that’s just how I come off — polite, refined, introverted.

I don’t give people my all at first.

When I’m talking with someone new, I work hard not to embarrass myself, never saying anything unladylike or nerdy.

I generally giggle every once in a while, rock back and forth a bit and dismiss myself as soon as possible. And that’s how I was with him when we first spoke.

Except, for some reason, — I generally like to think of it as fate, but it may have had something to do with vodka — I didn’t walk away. I sat down to talk with him, and we never really stopped.

Two weeks later, I laughed with him at some raunchy Zach Galifianakis humor.

Then, within a month or so, I clued him in to my embarrassing weakness for Pitbull (whose sex appeal is undeniable).

A month after that, I let him see me in my glasses. Soon, I kissed him at a party — in front of people! Then, when we were out to dinner, I ate a French fry off of his plate without asking, which even shocked him.

Two months later, I cried in front of him while watching “Braveheart.” After that, I laughed until I cackled and possibly even snorted while we watched the episode of “The Office” in which Michael kisses Oscar.

And, of course, there’s the serious stuff too. Five months or so after that fateful party, I told him how much I loved him.

Then, this past February I cried in front of him, but this time it wasn’t because of a movie.

In April, I told him my biggest secret.

The fact is, despite my resistance, he is peeling away at me, layer by layer. I don’t know how he does it, but now, as clichéd as this may sound, I can be more myself in front of him than in front of anyone else.

And it’s so liberating! I can’t thank him enough.

And the best part is that in 30 countries and thousands of conversations from now, I’ll probably be able to be more direct than, “I have to powder my nose.”

10

june 7, 2012

features

FIGHTING GENOCIDE Junior Tuleeka Hazra organized a daylong session of speakers to promote genocide awareness at South

By Eliza Beth

photo by Yu-Ching Chang

Junior Tuleeka Hazra has devoted significant time to spreading awareness about modern-day genocide in the local community and beyond, culminating in her event, The Day of Remembrance.

A

s a child, whenever junior Tuleeka Hazra heard stories about genocide and war in school, she took note of the constant final message, “never again,” according to her mother, Sharmila Hazra. As Hazra grew up, however, she began to question the validity of that message. “I kept hearing [her say], ‘But if we keep saying “never again,” then why did we have [Bosnian genocide] and why did we have [Rwandan genocide]?’”

Sharmila said.

These lingering questions motivated Hazra to create a genocide awareness program and victim support club at South. Working with the Human Rights Commission, a government organization that promotes human rights, and organizers of the longstanding South event “Days of Remembrance,” Hazra organized a daylong speaker series on modern-day genocide to promote awareness. She asked men and women from various communities who had experienced persecution or were experts on the topic of genocide to come and speak in the lecture hall.

Junior Shawheen Rezaei, who assisted Hazra with the program, said the event allowed speakers to connect their past experiences to present activism.

“They would talk about where they were from, what genocides they had experienced, explain genocide and try and tie it back to today’s society,” he said. “That way, the people watching would have an idea of how to help.”

Speakers at this year’s event included Frank Elbers, who worked at the Anne Frank museum in Germany, and Father Emmanuel Rutangusa, a Rwandan immigrant who lived through the Rwandan genocide and is now a local priest.

Hazra said she hopes that the event will motivate students to not only stand up to adversity as the speakers did, but also to use available resources for good.

“We go to a very successful school and kids are doing all sorts of crazy stuff,” Hazra said. “I want my presentation to be more about empowering students to take what they have ... and do something great with [it].”

World language teacher Viviana Planine, who worked with Hazra to connect her to representatives at the Human Rights Commission, agreed that students should be inspired to become more socially active.

“There are horrible things happening right now, and we don’t know it. That’s what Tuleeka trying to help, to help people feel they are linked to something tangible,” she said. “[They should know that] the change they make,

which is very small, can still make a difference and have a rippling effect.”

The Massachusetts legislature recently passed an educational law stating that secondary schools must cover genocide education and human rights awareness. “We found a niche window,” Hazra said. “It was perfect.”

Besides the timing, Hazra’s age also was advantageous in conveying her message to students. Hazra and her project stood apart from other school run events because it was run by a peer rather than an administrator.

To other students, Hazra was “one of them,” which made many more willing to listen.

“Education doesn’t necessarily have to be taught down,” Sharmila said. “Your peers can teach you. Students will often listen to other students with much more reception.”

Ultimately, Hazra and Rezaei hope to start a club that will continue to increase genocide awareness at South and raise money to help genocide victims and advocates. “[The Day of Remembrance] was sort of a jumpstart for this club we decided to create that’s related to human rights and will hopefully jump-start something at South,” Rezaei said. “So far we have it planned to educate and just help people become more aware of what’s happening in the world around them.”

Hazra and Rezaei said they hope to raise money for Rutangusa, who will return to Rwanda in the fall to support the country’s education system with guidance and supplies.

Hazra and Rezaei plan to fundraise either at the end of this school year or the beginning of next year to raise money for books he will bring to Rwandan schools.

Hazra said she also wants to raise genocide awareness within the South classroom. “We made plans to partner with [the Global Communities program] … to create a curriculum for the human rights unit of the senior class,” Hazra said. “We’re going to get technology to enable video chatting with people around the world who have experienced it firsthand.”

Beyond South, Hazra said she hopes to spread her message across the state by founding an organization called Kahani, Urdu for “storytelling by word of mouth.”

“My mom and I want to develop a speaker series where we have funds that we’re able to pay speakers with and go to schools all around Massachusetts,” she said.

To Hazra, the most important part of the initiative

is genocide awareness.

“We, as humans, when we hear there’s something wrong, we want to help. But if we don’t know there’s something wrong, how can we?” Hazra said. “I’ve learned that the best thing you can do is tell other people [about genocide] because the moment you forget [about it] it’s easy to do it again.”

Hazra said she believes that the speakers at The Day of Remembrance gave a face to genocide, making her message that much more effective.

“There’s a difference between history and our story,” Hazra said. “History is stuff written in books that is very true but not connected, and our story is having a face.”

photo by Yu-Ching Chang

Junior Tuleeka Hazra (left) and Father Emmanuel Rutangusa spoke at The Day of Remembrance, a day dedicated to genocide awareness efforts.

11

june 7, 2012

features

Students organize Pan Mass Challenge team Faith Bergman & Julia Snider Features Reporter, Features Editor

W

hen senior Ben Goldberg was younger, he equated the Pan Mass Challenge, or PMC, a Massachusetts bike-a-thon, to a day of making cards to motivate and congratulate his dad. “I didn’t really know what [the PMC] was,” he said. “I thought it was just a bike ride.”

This year, though, Goldberg said he has decided to create a new PMC tradition. Goldberg and fellow South students said they were inspired by family and past experiences with the PMC to form their own team for the bike ride, which they call Team Diesel.

Every year since 1980, the Red Sox Foundation and New Balance have organized the PMC. The PMC offers routes that take either one or two days.

Money raised by the participants goes directly to the Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The longest route offered is 192 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown.

Goldberg said that as he grew older, his father’s participation in the PMC became more meaningful to him.

“As I learned more about it, I was really inspired by all the people who rode in this event and took so much time to … train and fundraise for it and promote it,” he said.

Sophomore and Team Diesel member Tom Howe is riding the PMC on Aug. 4 and 5. This will be Howe’s first PMC ride, done in memory of his late grandmother.

“I joined the PMC for my grandma [and to] help get better treatment for people, so less families have to

suffer losses at the expense of cancer,” he said. “I’ll try to do it as long as I can. I’ll keep pedaling because I love my grandma.”

Team Diesel member and ‘11 South graduate Maarten van Genabeek, who will also be participating in the PMC for his first time this year, said he is riding in honor of his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer five years ago. “It’s a great way to get in shape, and it all goes towards a good cause,” he said.

Stephen Kaufer, Howe’s stepfather, got involved in the PMC five years ago in remembrance of his late wife.

Kaufer said that riding with a team as Howe intends to can only make the PMC’s positive environment more

Goldberg’s father, Donald Goldberg, who has been riding in the PMC for 14 years, agreed that the youth of Team Diesel will benefit from their own efforts. “It’s great funding towards cancer research, which is one of the major causes of death in this country,” he said. “It’s also a great way to get exercise and meet other people who care to help fund for cancer research.”

Goldberg said he admires his father’s long-term dedication to the PMC. “It’s a huge athletic accomplishment and after you finish it, you really feel like you have accomplished something good,” he said.

Goldberg also said he hopes to follow in his father’s

I’m not going to be in Boston or Massachusetts for the rest of my life, but I would like to train and at least come down in August ... for as many years as I can.

- Ben Goldberg, Class of 2012 enjoyable.

“Even if you’re not an avid bicyclist, it’s a great way to come together with thousands of other people with community support that both makes you feel good and [lets] you contribute very real dollars to a very real cause,” Kaufer said. “I enjoy the camaraderie. I enjoy the feel-good aspect of working with so many other people to raise so much money for something.”

Howe agreed the PMC is a welcoming community. “[The PMC] is a great cause and it’s really motivating,” he said. “When you’re biking you see people holding signs and it’s really inspiring.”

footsteps and remain connected to the PMC. “Obviously, I’m not going to be in Boston or Massachusetts for the rest of my life, but I would like to train and at least come down in August, when the event is, and try to do it for as many years as I can,” he said.

According to Goldberg, continuing the family tradition of the PMC would be ideal.

“I would seriously like to eventually have my wife and kids do it because that’s what my dad did, and it was kind of cool to participate in an event with people in your family, like my uncle, dad and I all rode in it together.”

Meet some of team Diesel: Ben Goldberg

• Senior • 2nd PMC • Why he is riding: family tradition

Tom Howe

• Sophomore • 1st PMC • Why he is riding: In memory of his grandmother

photo by Kylie Walters

photo by Olivia Kennis

12

features

Remembering to keep the present as perfect as the past Lili Kadets

The Quotation Collector

“Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect!”

- Owens Lee Pomeroy Because I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, I must first start out by saying that I don’t like grammar.

I’ve just never been able to grasp some of those complicated tenses. When should I use the subjunctive? What’s the difference between the progressive and the perfect progressive? (I would personally call it the flawed progressive. I’ve never found it perfect.)

I may not be able to understand all of these grammatical complexities, but Pomeroy’s quotation still resonates with me because it speaks perfectly to the conclusion of our school year that is so quickly approaching.

April, May and June are those months of the year when teachers and students alike realize that the remaining school days are numbered. Teachers scramble to assign those last final projects while most of us already have one foot out the door.

And for those few weeks, the present is undoubtedly tense. Most of us are cramming for finals or APs. Seniors are deciding what they’re going to do for the next four years. Saying that students at South are stressed is an understatement.

But with that increase in pressure comes the knowledge that things are going to change for the better; in a few months, the current freshmen won’t be termed “the new ones,” sophomores will become upperclassmen, juniors will throw out their SAT books and seniors will move on. With summer and these new beginnings so close, we’re itching to escape the current overload.

And just as we start looking forward to the future, our perspective on the past seems to shift, and we can begin to reflect on our time at South. Get ready. Soon you’ll be signing yearbooks with “OMG!” and “SMGT!” because things were not actually as terrible as you once thought.

Pomeroy reminds us that when we’re stressing out over subject tests and summer plans, the things we thought were terrible in the past start to seem unimportant. In fact, we often start to feel nostalgic and start missing the past because we’re so tense in the present.

So, as we all move onto bigger and better things, I encourage you to treasure the fond memories of the past. Try to remove some of that present stress by consoling yourself. The world isn’t totally crashing and burning. And if it is, one day you’ll look back on the crash and laugh or at least acknowledge that it wasn’t as bad as you thought it was.

Just remember that your present will eventually become your past. So, over the summer, don’t drown in the moment.

And don’t postpone joy either! Just live in the moment and appreciate it for what it’s doing for you now. When fall comes, whether you’re at South or somewhere else, you’ll hopefully look back on your summer and the end of the school year fondly.

june 7, 2012

WISE decisions T

he Wise Individualized Senior Experience (WISE) is a program developed for fourth term seniors. Seniors participating in the program are allowed to drop certain classes fourth term and spend time on approved projects outside of school. The program, which grants academic credit to participants, encourages seniors to try something new and different or to gain real-world experience in fields of their choice. WISE participants are required to upload several blog posts as updates on their projects and are urged to keep a journal. Although the WISE program offers much independence, teachers Tonya Londino and Marla Wiener advise and guide students in order to help them accomplish their goals.

To qualify, a student must be in good academic standing, propose his ideas to the WISE advisers and secure a faculty adviser to serve as a personal mentor over the course of his project. This year, 43 students participated in the WISE program.

By Sally Stack & Nicole Brooks

Robin Shuster

Shuster taught herself how to play the mandolin and produced a handful of original bluegrass songs. Shuster already plays the violin and the trumpet but said she hoped to expand her musical abilities while learning a new instrument. “It’s really great to be able to be given the choice to decide what I get to do with my final high school days. It’s just a great feeling to choose my final path of learning,” she said. Her songs are posted at www.robinshuster.bandcamp.com.

Dana Cohen-Kaplan

Cohen-Kaplan farmed at the Newton Community Farm for four to five hours a week and worked at the South farm (part of the Sustainable Agriculture Project) for his WISE project.

Cohen-Kaplan said he encourages students to participate in WISE. “[WISE] offers kids an opportunity to pursue a topic that they are interested in or that they might pursue later in life,” he said. “It’s a constructive way to use energy that would have otherwise been squandered.” photos by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

june 7, 2012

features

Adam Goldstein is...

13

Every issue, The Roar randomly selects a student and explores what makes him or her unique.

THE GOLDEN SMILE Senior Adam Goldstein’s radiant personality lights up the hallways, golf course and classroom.

When senior Adam Goldstein was nine years old, he stopped going to summer camps and started playing golf full time. “I would drop [Adam] off at Commonwealth, the golf course here in Newton, at like seven or eight o’clock in the morning and pick him up at five or six o’clock in the afternoon,” Adam’s mother, Janine Bempechat, said. “He just got thrown into a group of whoever happened to be there when he was teeing off there.”

Bempechat said Adam immediately meshed with the golfing community.

“From that young an age he just got to know and became very interested in the adults he was playing with. [The] first day, when I was picking him up, there were these two middle aged women [whom Adam had played with] ... [who] told me what a gentleman he was and how much fun it had been to play with him,” she said.

“He’s just got this gift of getting along with people and getting to know people and it’s served him really well in his golf.”

Adam said his vibrant personality is essential to his success in athletics, and in a game that is largely independent and analytical, Adam’s smile and enthusiasm stand out. “A lot of the golfers that you’ll see are really hard on themselves,” Adam said. “In the groups of kids I play with, I’m the one that talks the most and I’m the happiest on the course. If you ask any of the juniors that I play with, they’re all like, ‘Yeah, that’s the kid that will shoot a really terrible score but will be smiling all the time.’”

Bempechat said Adam is also an incredibly determined athlete.

“It takes a lot of resilience after a difficult hole or a difficult tournament ... to come back the next weekend and put your all into it,” she said. “[Adam] is very resilient and he’s got a really good attitude about struggle and challenge and difficulty and that will do him a lot of good in his life outside of golf.”

Adam’s athletic determination has paid off, with Adam being a two-time Dual County League golf All-Star, winner of the James D. Blum Award for excellence in athletics and captain of the South golf team.

Adam said that his amiability has also helped him reach out to fellow golfers.

“People have really cool stories. It’s really cool to get to know them. That’s also one of those things I got from golf. In golf you’re paired with completely random people all the time during practice rounds, like people that you’ve never met and will never meet again, so I have a really fun time getting to know these people.”

Adam also said he enjoys sharing stories about himself, which are often connected to his identity as a Jewish American. He said he often shares traditional Jewish cuisine or tells stories about Jewish holidays in order to educate others. “I’m very proud to be Jewish,” Adam said. “Especially when I’m golfing, in these tournaments, for a bunch of kids, I’m the only Jew that they’ve ever met. So I feel like it’s my duty to make them like Jews.”

Teachers and students alike have agreed that Adam has a unique ability to connect and communicate with others.

History teacher Kirsten Russell selected Adam to work as a teacher’s assistant in her sophomore global history class because of his intellect and enthusiasm.

“I think people feel comfortable around him, so it’s easy for the other students to accept him in the classroom and not feel either threatened by him or feel like ‘why are you here?,’” she said. “He’s a fun, happy person just by his own nature, so for the students, that makes it fun to be around him.”

Isabel Snyder, one of Adam’s students, agreed that his personality makes him more approachable. “I think that Adam is a great [teacher’s assistant] because he can connect and understand how we learn,” Snyder said.

According to Snyder, in addition to his personality, Adam’s knowledge of and passion for history allow him to excel in the classroom. “He goes kind of beyond what we’re learning about. He looks up other information on it and adds tidbits of information while we’re learning which connects to the global picture which is what we’re trying to do in Global,” she said. “I think that’s really cool.”

As a testament to the bright personality he displays in Russell’s history class, Adam won the senior superlative “Best Personality” this year.

Adam’s girlfriend, senior Ariel

By Kylie Walters and Caroline Zola Kaluzhny, described Adam as “the most popular guy in school.”

“He just absolutely loves everyone,” she said. “Even if you don’t think of him as popular, he’s kind of just friends with everyone. He says ‘hi’ to everyone in the halls.”

In addition to his other awards and accolades, Adam was nominated for the Senior Cup award.

“The fact that out of all the lity #so1 na boys in the grade, Per three were chosen and one of them was me, means that I did a good job if my goal was to make friends with people and make people happy and make people remember me,” Adam said.

He added that he never imagined himself reaching the popularity he has achieved thus far.

“Knowing that this notcool kid in middle school who was chunky and a loser came out on top senior year is kind of a cool thing to think about.”

photo illustration by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan and Kylie Walters

editorials volume 29

issue 1

june 7, 2012

The Cat’s

Meow by the Roar Staff

All the news that’s fit to print ... and then some!

South runs on Dunkin’ After the recently proposed plan to sell naming rights in Newton high schools, the school formerly known as Newton South has been renamed “Dunkin’ Donuts High School in memory of Newton South.” As part of several mandatory renamings, the new mascot will be the “Chocolate Glazed,” and the The Lion’s Roar has been renamed The Donut Hole.

Former Donut Hole managing editor Ari Ebstein said he was delighted with the change. “Now my article about the donut-like nature of man is relevant,” he said. “I’m almost done with my second piece regarding what sprinkles can tell us about the broader cosmos.” Other students said that they were initially opposed to the changes but soon grew accustomed to them. “I didn’t like it at first, especially our school colors being changed to orange and pink,” captain of the track team Pina Coolatta said, “but with all this new equipment, we can afford to take a private jet to meets instead of our old school buses. On the other side of town, in order to compensate for astronomical building expenses, the school formely known as Newton North has been renamed “Starbucks, AT&T, Proctor & Gamble and Pillsbury Doughboy High School in honor of Google Inc.” Administrators are still debating the mascot choice.

Students forced to work after AP After AP Biology teachers announced that their classes would continue after the AP exam, students expressed concern over what they said was an excessive amount of work. “They still want us to go to school even though by taking the AP, we’ve clearly graduated,” junior Polly Peptide said. A fringe group of students, who call themselves the “heterotrophs,” are planning to complain loudly in public for an indeterminate amount of time. Some students have expressed concern over the actions of the heterotrophs. “I know it’s unfair, but these extremist students will just make things worse for themselves,” junior Chucky Darwin said. “If you try to stop them, they put an entire ecosystem of fruit flies in your locker.”

Occupy movement goes South The Occupy South movement, thought to be a playful goodbye prank by the outgoing senior class, took a turn for the worse when administrators found that the seniors were organizing a legitimate protest. “At first we just wanted it to be a joke, but then we realized it was our chance to make our voices heard,” senior Wally Street said. In addition to camping out in front of Wheeler house for three consecutive nights, seniors expanded their territorial holdings to the first floor of Goldrick, forcing the preschoolers to evacuate.

School administrators called in the National Guard when the seniors started pelting the school with cafeteria food, and five seniors were injured as they were forcibly removed.

When asked what exactly they were protesting against, senior Juan Percent said she had no idea. “I was just in it for the free food,” she said.

page

14

Homework policy is a step in the right direction but leaves much to be desired At South, in addition to relaxing and sleeping in, vacations consist of irritated sighs and disgruntled groans that are the typical student response to the seven-page papers or group projects due the week back.

Students and faculty have frequently called into question the value in assigning homework over vacations, arguing that it defeats the purpose of a “vacation,” in which students are supposed to relax, but nothing had ever been done until the Faculty Council passed a proposal that would restrict teachers from assigning work due the day students get back from break (turn to page 3 for the full article). The council said they derived this plan “as a goodwill gesture to students and their families, who experience stress due to our school’s rigorous homework expectations” — stress which tends to amplify in the days leading up to and following vacations.

All teachers will adopt the plan as a “one-year pilot proposal program, whereby no homework will be due on the day of return after each of our specifically agreedupon weekends (one each term).”

Applying to four weekends and two longer vacations throughout the school year, the homework policy encourages students to spend more time relaxing and forgetting the stress of school. At first glance, this policy appears harmlessly altruistic, but looking at it realistically, it may be too ambiguous to play out in students’ favor.

The homework policy is targeted at juniors and seniors, who are known to sign up for more demanding courses such as AP classes, which require teachers to cover a defined curriculum so that students are prepared for the AP exams in May. To achieve this, however, teachers need to assign homework over one or multiple vacations.

This way, students not only learn the material, but also have the benefit of spreading out their learning over a longer period of time. The homework policy challenges this practice, as it suggests that teachers wait until after vacation ends to hastily introduce an unreasonable amount of information to students in less time.

For this reason, The Roar believes that although the homework policy will make vacation more enjoyable, it also has the potential to induce more stress when students return to school and find an overwhelming amount of make-up homework in all of their classes.

Instead of banning weekend and vacation homework across all subject matters, several Roar editors said that they would prefer if only one or two subjects did not assign work at a time.

For example, during Thanksgiving weekend, students would not receive any math homework, but would still have to complete work for other classes. Although this alternative obliges students to do some school-related work over break, it takes on a more realistic approach to diminishing stress by ensuring that the inundation of homework after vacations will not be present in every subject.

The other major problem with the policy is that teachers essentially have the authority to interpret the policy for themselves.

The proposal’s statement maintains that no homework shall be due the day students come back to school, but mentions nothing about the second or third day after vacation. This vagueness gives rise to multiple loopholes and lends teachers the leisure of deciding when deadlines fall.

For example, your teacher assigns the due date of a paper to be the second day after vacation ends. Not only does this decision fall within the conditions of

Editorial Policy

the homework policy, but it also prompts students to start and in some cases, finish the paper over the course of vacation so as to avoid the less desirable option of completing it in one night.

In this sense, the homework policy appears futile in its attempt to alleviate stress. Because students have the choice to start homework early, they ultimately hold the responsibility of interpreting the homework policy to their advantage.

Another ambiguity in the policy is what exactly the word “homework” really entails. The homework policy bans the assignment of homework over various weekends and vacations, but we all know that homework ranges from five math problems to an in-depth poster presentation on a historical event.

The problem arises when teachers abuse this flexibility and contend that a project does not constitute homework and can therefore be assigned. Due to this possibility, students must actively partake in the incorporation of the homework policy in order for it to work properly.

Introducing a policy that limits the amount of homework students receive over certain weekends and vacations requires cooperation.

Under this policy, teachers are unlikely to change their course curricula, especially those who instruct AP classes. The policy also fails to address the fact that students often overextend themselves by taking so many rigorous courses, a factor that induces stress in the first place.

Though the idealistic nature of the homework policy subjects it to deliberate misinterpretation, The Roar acknowledges that it is a step in the right direction. That being said, to what extent it will affect the lives of students can only be determined by the students and the teachers themselves.

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 four 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.

june 7, 2012

editorials

Editor reflects on the power of words to leave a lasting message

THE EDITOR’S DESK Jenny Friedland Editor-in-Chief

As another day of Roar production came to a close late last summer, I sat in a car on my way home, gnawing my fingernails in the backseat as I fretted about a fast-approaching junior year.

Former Editor-in-Chief Danny Gifford gave me a few words of advice, something along the lines of, “As a junior, there isn’t a moment you couldn’t be getting ahead on schoolwork. But, if it’s not due the next day, you’re probably better off enjoying yourself with friends.”

As a girl who plans the minutia of life weeks in advance, I can’t say I always followed Danny’s advice.

But I remembered his words from August all the way through June (and at least tried to listen on more than one occasion).

The funny thing is, I’m almost certain Danny doesn’t remember ever having given me this piece of advice.

Often, the lifespan of words exceeds individual memories of speaking, writing or typing, and a gaffe can be just as longlasting as advice.

Earlier this year, for example, the editors of Suffolk University’s Suffolk Journal wrote an offensive sub-headline for their article “SLI fair a success,” intending it as a newsroom joke that would not be printed.

The sub-headline slipped through the editing process, though, and made it to press.

Anyone can view the unfortunate page with a quick Google search. It’s a relatively extreme example of word use gone awry, but surely we’ve all been in the same position of regret as the Suffolk Journal’s editors.

Similarly to their misuse of words, we are often dishonest in what we say to our friends, and sometimes even too honest in what we say to our “friends.” We tell them “You’ll do fine,” raising their hopes only to cause greater upset in the face of a less-thanstellar performance later on or we make memes that insult our peers in the sole pursuit of moving up in the rankings of hsmemes.com.

On the other hand, I’ll always remember seven words, said by a classmate, that shaped the course of my first day at South in a positive way: “Would you like to sit with me?”

Coming from a private school, I knew only a handful of South students at the start of my freshman year and saw no

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

Editors-in-Chief Jenny Friedland

Joe Joseph

Managing Editors

News

Julie Olesky

Hyunnew Choi Julia Lee

Features

Kylie Walters Caroline Zola

Anqi Gao

Ravi Panse

Opinions

Dipal Nagda Anastasiya Vasilyeva

Dina Busaba Sophie Forman

Emily Ho

Arts Review

Marissa Vertes

David Gorelik Aidan Rose

Distribution Managers Charlotte Levine Elena Ramos

Sports

Yonatan Gazit Tony Yao William Fleisher Tom Howe Ben Tuval

Carly Meisel Parisa Siddiqui Julia Snider

Graphics Managers

James Wu

Section Editors Centerfold

Community

one I knew among the sea of faces in the cafeteria. What my classmate said made a scary day a little bit easier.

Although the scenario might be cliché to some, ultimately, he made me feel welcome in a room of strangers.

Despite his impact, my freshman friend, similar to Danny, probably wouldn’t remember inviting me to join him for lunch if I asked him about it today.

But words aren’t just important to me.

What people say and write plays a key role in defining everyone’s memories, for better or for worse.

For example, a few years from now, long after the class of 2012 has left South’s hallways, the messages we wrote in their yearbooks might be their primary memories of us — whether or not we even remember what those messages said.

Words count. I’m sure the Suffolk Journal’s editors hope their legacy isn’t one of embarrassment over a few words they should have deleted, though it might well be.

I share these editors’ hopes because,

Often, the lifespan of words exceeds individual memories of speaking, writing or typing

Volume 29 The Lion’s Roar

Andreas Betancourt

15

Photo Managers

Dylan Block Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Faculty Advisers Ashley Elpern Brian Baron Paul Estin Thomas Murphy

Business Managers Jordi Batler RJ Hayes

Copy Editors

Rachel Hurwitz Jenny Morris Charlie Yang

try as we might, Roar editors overlook errors too. In fact, we all do. It’s why English teachers tell us to proofread our essays and explicate our readings.

As the first volume of The Lion’s Roar working within South’s new journalism program, we will help define what success looks like for five publications cooperating and developing together.

We’ll need to choose our words wisely when we communicate with other publications, with our advisers and with our readers.

And, as always, we’ll need to hold ourselves accountable for the advice we give and the information we convey, be it to fellow staff members on a summer afternoon or students curious to read about the latest happenings in our community.

Words can wield great power for positive impact or preserve embarrassment for years, and it’s their effect that matters, not the speaker or writer’s recollections.

A reporter writing five or ten or tens of articles each year isn’t likely to remember them all, but he ought to remember that his readers just might.

The Lion’s Roar Volume 29 has approximately nine months remaining to toss words away or sweep them into paragraphs that inform, impact and inspire. I certainly hope we prove our ability to do the latter.

Someone will remember if we don’t.

Join The Roar!

Monday J Block Room 1201 Positions available for writers, editors, photographers, graphic designers and web designers

The Lost BIG I SSUES , L Causes IT TL E I M PAC T Although these three issues made a large impact on students when they were receiving worldwide coverage, students are beginning to lose interest following a short period of intense involvement

Occupy Movement When junior Madeline Emmett visited New York City in the end of 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement was in its height, with people protesting and tents lining the streets. She said that while she witnessed the event, she did not participate, but rather “just went to see what was happening.”

“I was interested in the point that the protesters were making,” she said.

Today, Occupy Wall Street and other Occupy movements across the globe have lost significant popular support.

According to Emmett and other South students, the movement lost its influence due to decreased media awareness and a lack of organization.

Senior Greg Ly said the Occupy movement gained a great amount of attention based on media coverage of the protests.

“Especially in the media and news, it’s covered more [at the beginning] than later,” Ly said.

As a result, once the media coverage dwindled, Ly said he began to lose interest in the activity. “[Media coverage] definitely has a part to why we only participate in the beginning,” Ly said.

According to Emmett, though many of the organized protests of the movement are over, the point of the initial protests was to bring national attention to the cause of the protesters, as Ly noted.

“That’s the whole point of it, right?,” Emmett said. “To make people think about it and make it something the average person becomes more conscious about.”

Emmett added that the Occupy movement itself has weakened in organization, which is only one aspect of it.

“Even though the actual Occupy movement may have died down a bit, the activism has not died out, just that platform,” she said.

Sophomore Tim Newton said that while the message may still be alive, the Occupy movement holds less power due to the weakness of its structure, even if that is just one platform of the movement.

“People still remember [the Occupy movement], but it’s not as prevalent as it used to be,” he said. “I think that the anger is still alive, but I don’t think the movement is as alive.”

What: Protest against social and economic inequality Where: Worldwide When: September 17, 2011 - present

By Dipal Nagda

Kony 2012 2010 Earthquake in Haiti What: 7.0 magnitude earthquake When: January 12, 2010 Death toll: 316,000 Epicenter: Léogâne, west of Port-au-Prince Where: Haiti and Dominican Republic People Affected: 3,500,000

When an earthquake struck Haiti in early 2010, the South community responded with the establishment of a Haiti Relief club dedicated to raising funds for the devastated country.

Today, even though more money and resources are still needed in order to rebuild the country, no such group exists, and many students have lost interest in supporting the cause.

“It takes a lot more effort to raise money months after because people think it’s over,” ‘11 South graduate Sarah Blumenthal, copresident of the South Haiti

Relief Fund, said.

According to Blumenthal, after the earthquake, a committee of South students quickly formed plan for fundraising.

“Initially, in the first stages of the disasters, we stood outside while cars were coming to pick students up and asked parents to make donations,” ‘10 South graduate Molly Weinstein, one of the Haiti Relief Fund presidents, said.

According to Weinstein, though the media’s coverage of the earthquake began to diminish, the Haiti Relief Fund continued to try to

fundraise throughout the 2010 school year.

Students hosted faculty lunches, a talent show and other events. “We wanted to reach out to the community and let them know what was going on,” Weinstein said.

Immediately after the disaster, Debbie Dworkin, a South alumni parent, traveled to Haiti on a medical mission with a group of Christian missionaries as an occupational therapist.

She said she realized, however, that with a corrupt Haitian government, little was actually being done with the money pouring into Haiti.

“South had a great effort to contribute money and do what they could,” Dworkin said. “They did what they could, but the problem was that nobody knew where the money was going.”

Currently, Haiti still needs much funding to rebuild the country.

“I can almost guarantee that most of the wrong things [occurring] before and right after the earthquake haven’t been fixed,” Blumenthal said.

With less national attention, support for the relief efforts has dwindled.

“People are forgetting about it,” Dworkin said.

According to Blumenthal, many people stop helping when they lose interest in Haiti.

“The problem is, once that initial excitement dies down, there’s no glamour in fundraising, and there are fewer people willing to donate.”

Weinstein said she recognized that a lack of fundraising can take a devastating toll on a country’s recovery.

“A lot of us don’t realize that the fall-out period ­— when they’re no longer getting international support — is the most crucial time,” she said.

What: Campaign against oppressive Ugandan leader Joseph Kony When: March 5, 2012 present Who: Invisible Children’s co-founder Jason Russell

The release of the Kony 2012 YouTube video by the activist group Invisible Children sparked an overnight call to action against Joseph Kony, an oppressive leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, which is infamous for its use of child soldiers.

According to South students, once the legitimacy of Jason Russell, one of the main leaders of the phenomenon, was jeopardized, students began to lose interest in the cause.

Freshman Shiri Pagliuso said that the message of the Kony 2012 video spread virally across various social network sites such as Facebook.

“Basically, people share it and you watch and then you want to be one of those people,” Pagliuso said.

“You kind of force yourself to think it’s amazing.”

The Kony campaign planned a worldwide event for April 20, 2012 called “Cover the Night,” the goal being to cover neighborhoods with signs and posters to generate community awareness.

While many South students were initially planning to attend based on a Facebook event, many

actually ended up not going (see pg. 18).

Freshman Rebecca Williams did attend “Cover the Night,” but she still agreed that support for the cause is starting to fade, even within the organization itself. “I didn’t really know what to think,” Williams said. “Right after ‘Cover the Night,’ they sent me a bunch of emails, and then they just stopped.”

Senior Andrew Chen said that overall, the Kony 2012 movement has weakened since its explosive start due to a decrease in awareness.

“The Kony 2012 movement has died down a little bit because you’re seeing a lot less of it nowadays,” he said.

According to Pagliuso, after Russell was arrested on March 15 for public indecency, the Kony 2012 movement declined significantly. Pagliuso said she believed that this decline was undeserved.

“One thing goes wrong and everybody says, ‘Never mind, this [movement] is not good,”’ Pagliuso said. “Everybody kind of goes along with that.”

additional reporting by Anastasiya Vasilyeva photos courtesy of public domain

18

june 7, 2012

centerfold

Global Events by the numbers

The Roar surveyed 213 students on their opinions and knowledge of several global events on May 21

57%

KONY 2012 video released

Students who did not support KONY 2012

March 5, 2012

99%

90%

Students who did not plan to attend “Cover the Night”

10%

Students who planned to attend

Students who did not attend “Cover the Night,” the KONY 2012 event on April 20

1% Students who did attend

Sept. 30, 2011

March 11, 2011

13%

1%

Students who did not know about KONY 2012

Students w ho did not know whe n Occupy Boston be gan

87%

Jan. 12, 2010

Aug. 23, 2005

2%

Students who were not sure if they support KONY 2012

Students who did not know that the earthquake in Haiti occurred before the one in Japan

Haiti Earthquake

Hurricane Katrina

Students who support KONY 2012

66%

Occupy Boston movement begins

Japan Earthquake

40%

59%

Students who did not know that between 1,500 and 2,000 people lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina

Students who correctly answered that the earthquake in Haiti occurred first

june 7, 2012

centerfold

19

Junior urges sustained student activism Marini Lopci

Centerfold Contributor As we bid adieu to our graduating seniors, we begin to wonder where we are headed to next. Many of us will follow in the footsteps of our older peers and further our education at the collegiate level. As we see them off, we can only imagine where they will be going or what they will be doing or whom they will be helping. While we have to wait for our own graduation day to do the two former, we can start doing the last now.

Although the community at South is open to many diverse

causes, it seems as if there is a type of social activism ADD going on. However, instead of a shiny object grasping our attention, it is a new, more “hip” cause to be a part of. While this may be

more than 100 million people knew about the film, and it helped push a resolution through the senate to send troops to the African Union. After the initial surge of Kony 2012 profile pic-

helping out a cause when they could be living the high life during the summer? The thing is, social causes can only continue to exist if they continue to get support, something many of us

While you don’t need to donate your entire summer to a cause, you can simply help out by ... donating a few dollars to your favorite cause. a way to increase the popularity of a cause extremely quickly, it renders previous causes nearly obsolete because of the lack of support, and after a few days, the new cause will be come the old.

Take Kony 2012, for example. In less than a month,

tures and Facebook statuses, they died quickly, and the cause fell from social media. As we begin to enter the summer state of mind, thoughts of the beach, staying up and sleeping in, begin to fill our minds.

Who wants to spend time

are not willing to give because it interferes with our own lives.

We can help, though, and we need to. With upcoming elections throughout the fall, more changes can take place not only in Massachusetts, but also across the nation, during the next six

months, than any other time of the year.

Although you don’t need to donate your entire summer to a cause, you can simply help out by voicing your thoughts on a particular subject or by signing a petition or even by donating a few dollars to your favorite cause.

It only takes a few minutes to do each of these things, and if enough people do them, it begins to add up greatly.

We might not be seniors yet, and we might have the toughest part of our high school careers coming at us this fall, but let’s show people what we can do, step by step.

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opinions volume 29

Perspectives:

issue 1

june 7, 2012

page

20

Seniors reflect on race at South

photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

race.

Only in the past semester, after enrolling in the most diverse class I have ever been in, African-American Literature, have I begun to gain an understanding of how, as a white person, I am inherently in an easier position to succeed at South — and in life. The pressure of representing one’s background and culture is irrelevant to me, but for those with darker skin, it presents a constant struggle.

To begin to understand how white privilege is prevalent in the lives of white people, even in the post civil rights era, we must examine how white culture is the norm in America.

One example of this is something that used to fly over my head all the time. photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan For those of you reading who watch ESPN Miles Meth on a regular basis, you know that Andrew Opinions Contributor Luck and Robert Griffin III are two of the top prospects emerging from this year’s Newton South High School: a procollege football season. Both players are gressive school where racism is frowned great leaders and quarterbacks who often upon, equality is cherished and everyone is come up in discussions between analysts on the same playing field. Right? Had you on sports television. asked me this question just a few months When these analysts talk about ago, I would have wholeheartedly agreed Robert Griffin III, who is black, they menthat South’s environment is the same across tion his footwork, arm strength and other the board for all students, regardless of physical attributes, but they also talk about

some other things. They often call him a “class act” and the thing that now always jumps out at me is all the talk about how “well spoken” he is. When was the last time you heard Andrew Luck or other up and coming white players called “well spoken”?

I know I haven’t.

As a white person in America, I am inherently “well spoken.” My mannerisms, my accent and my word choice are all what the majority of white Americans identify with, feel comfortable with, and thus deem acceptable and worthy of praise.

When a black player like Robert Griffin III speaks in a manner consistent to these white norms, he is applauded and people point out his intelligence and eloquence.

When a black player such as NBA star John Wall speaks with a heavy accent, and uses vocabulary that the majority of white America can’t identify with, he is said to be poorly spoken; I myself have heard a lot of people say he “sounds like an idiot.”

This is just one small example of how being white is often equated with being normal and even intelligent.

When I talk to many of my white friends, I find no outward racism whatsoever. In fact, when I talk about race to

many of them, they respond, “I just don’t think about race that much; everybody is the same in my eyes.” What white students don’t realize is that not having to think about race a lot is a luxury!

Students of color are the minority at South and therefore have to deal with issues of race on a daily basis.

To the white students reading this article, when was the last time you were asked to speak about a topic on behalf of your entire race?

I know I was never asked to do so until enrolling in African-American Literature my senior year of high school. In that diverse classroom, I found that many of the preconceived notions I pretended not to have about other races were exposed through the classroom discussions we have on race.

For the first time in my life, I was put in a position where the majority of my classmates are non-white, and my fellow white students and I were the ones having to speak on behalf of our entire race.

It is a humbling and eye-opening experience to have such a diverse class that is taught by both a black and a white teacher, and I know the lessons I’ve gained will help me in all walks of life.

teacher may not relate to a black student as well as black teacher would. I’m not saying that all African-American teachers can understand the support that African-American students may need at a predominantly white school, but having African-American teachers could create a more comfortable environment for students like me.

Personally, I feel more comfortable and more willing to open up and ask for help when I’m in a classroom taught by a teacher of my race. I also believe students must ask questions in order to succeed. In a classroom full of white students, and with a white teacher, a black student may not have the courage to ask essential questions.

I know this from observation and experience.

In terms of teacher’s opinions, my English teacher Mr. Reinstein has told me that he has trouble relating to his AfricanAmerican students. He feels that if he pushes his underperforming black students, the result may be uncomfortable and ineffective.

“I’ve got a class in which it seems like the several students of color in the class are also the ones who are the most inconsistent with their homework production-and it does bother me that they’re confirming a stereotype of blacks being less capable

than whites instead of contradicting it”, he said, “It’s especially hard for me as a white teacher to confront them about it; I also know I can be pulled by my own stereotypes-perhaps expecting less or not following through consistently-and that complicates things, too.”

Mr. Reinstein and other white teachers are in a tough position and have no real leverage concerning a problem such as this one.

On the other hand, Ms. Sumner, an African-American teacher, often bluntly uses sentences like, “You are not representing us well. Get your work done and do not reinforce stereotypes of people of color.”

Ms. Sumner’s statements have been both appropriate and effective for my peers and me.

The fact that a disproportionate number of black students are enrolled in curriculum II classes draws attention to the need for this type of additional support. African-Americans need to be urged to enroll in more advanced courses and a diverse set of teachers can provide this encouragement.

I also feel that black teachers do not expect less, but rather more from black students. Black teachers have pushed me to enroll in challenging courses, and have

supported me when I have slipped.

Although, my piece focuses on the inclusion of African-American members to the faculty, I think other races will also contribute to a better environment.

The demographics of the faculty should mirror the demographics of the school.

If classrooms are homogeneous in terms of race, then students may have an outlook on life solely influenced by one perspective. If the number of teachers of color remains the same, then students will not be exposed to the other viewpoints that can open up other ways of thinking.

The school system has no control over the types of races that move into Newton, but they do have control over who they hire. If South and Newton Public Schools in general want to provide a richer and more diverse learning experience, there should be an increased interest in creating a more diverse faculty.

photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Ray Farmer

Opinions Contributor Throughout my years here at South, I have noticed that many black students struggle to succeed. This may be for various reasons, but I believe, however, that a more diverse faculty could be a major step in offering better support for students of color.

Although the South faculty prides itself on its overarching values, a white

Turn to page 22 to read another perspective on race at South

june 7, 2012

opinions

21

Popularized cinnamon challenge poses health risks Jake Medoff

and cause breathing difficulties, which would be particuOpinions Contributor larly problematic for people with Doctors and dietitians say asthma or other lung problems. that cinnamon can help lower bad Cinnamonchallenge.com cholesterol, fight infections and warns readers to consult their work as an anti-inflammatory. doctors before attempting the Some say that the smell of cinna- challenge, but according to the mon can even improve memory website, there are more than and cognitive function.

30,000 videos on YouTube of All of these effects come people taking the cinnamon chalfrom just a small amount of cinlenge. namon mixed into or sprinkled Two NBA athletes, Nick over a dish.

Young and JaVale McGee have postBut what can happen if ed a video of themselves taking the people ingest cinnamon in larger challenge on YouTube, and Illinois amounts? Can there be too much Governor Pat Quinn attempted the of a good thing? challenge on television. Inhaling The cinnamon cinnamon n e v e r challenge seems to is a phebe the isnomenon sue in in which these vidpeople eos. Those swallow who take a tablethe chalspoon of l e n g e - Jake Medoff, Class of 2013 cinnaalmost mon in 60 always seconds wind up w it hout t he aid of water. violently exhaling the cinnamon According to several in a cloud of red dust. national news networks, this Tht being said, besides bepractice can be deadly. Those who ing left with a burning sensation oppose the cinnamon challenge in their mouth and the typical reclaim that the human body’s gret that comes with having made mouth cannot create enough a poor decision, the challenge saliva to dissolve a tablespoon of takers seem to emerge unscathed. cinnamon.

Despite the warnings Cinnamon dries out the broadcasted by the media, which mouth, which can lead to chokhas released several stories over ing. the past few weeks about how When an individual coughs deadly the cinnamon challenge violently, he can inhale the fine can be, there have been no deaths cinnamon powder into his upper attributed to the cinnamon chalairways. It might enter his lungs lenge.

Some of these [dares] are fun ... while others are just plain stupid. The cinnamon challenge is the latter

graphic by Sheldon Blake-Waterman

Ingesting cinnamon in large amounts can have serious health repurcussions, such as choking.

Participation in the cinnamon challenge does carry potential health risks, but as long as a participant is aware of these risks, there is no problem with him attempting to swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon.

As teenagers in a world of

social media, we constantly face a barrage of new things to do. Some of these things are fun and cool, while others are just plain stupid.

The cinnamon challenge is the latter.

30,000 YouTube videos glorify the cinnamon challenge,

while poison control phones lines have been ringing off the hook with calls regarding accidental ingestion of cinnamon.

Health risks aside, what is so appealing about trying to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon?

I think I’ll pass.

STUDY OPTIONAL

By Mika Gross

comic by Mika Gross

22

opinions

The visuals of music: going beyond just hearing

june 7, 2012

Senior calls for faculty diversity Continued from Perspectives, pg. 20

Jack Rabinovitch Music’n’Things

I don’t think I have ever found a person who does not like music.

What differentiates people’s taste in music, one of the main things that differs between almost every type of person, is the way that they perceive music.

I, for one, usually listen to music analytically, with my mind taking apart each instrument and voice and then piecing them all back together again, discovering how each tone and timbre relate to each other and unite to create consonance or dissonance, harmony or melody.

However, and I know this for a fact, I think differently from many other people.

Some people may listen to music for the noise of the songs rather than the actual harmonies. For others, all it takes is a steady beat and a familiar or emotional sound to be satisfied.

There are other people who enjoy the music that, if only to them, evokes a vivid sense of visual imagery.

Certain musical groups, most notably Animal Collective, Au, Panda Bear, High Places and Pattern is Movement take an amazing approach towards using their melodies, as opposed to their song lyrics, to convey visuals.

A focus on pure sound rather than a focus on lyricism can radically transform what seems to be ordinary psychedelic rock.

If you would like to ease in to such a style of music, I would suggest Atlas Sound, Deerhunter, Grizzly Bear or Sunset Rubdown to begin with, although even these artists can be intense in their own way.

But, in any case, all of these bands seem to have their music aimed, intentionally or otherwise, at the very edge of musical art, just bleeding enough into visualizations without giving actual sight to their music.

Exotic instruments, such as tablas, sitars, theremins, harpsichords or organs, are all hit with psychedelic studio effects such as phasing, backwards tapes and a high concentration of reverb.

When put all together, the effects of these instruments form music with very complex structure and frequent key and time signature changes.

As a whole, this psychedelic type of music creates a feeling of both solitude and inspiration as well as a rare airiness that induces an appreciation of art itself within those who wish to find beauty in the strange.

In the end, music that inspires visuals can only be appreciated by those who think a certain way.

While strange mixtures of sounds can sometimes become too dissonant and wild or bizarre for some, they can be something very beautiful and inspirational to others.

Finally, as this is my last column of the year, I would like to give a small shout out to a couple of people.

To the seniors that I know and love dearly, you know who you are, I will miss you all very much. I hope you have a great time in college—make sure to come back and visit!

photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Sam Russell

Opinions Contributor A common misconception about Newton Public Schools is that they are safe for all students. Growing up as a student within a minority in the Newton Public School system, I never had an outlet to discuss the racial insensitivity that I felt and experienced in the classroom.

Starting in elementary school, I’ve searched for a way to express myself culturally.

Living in Newton, where only two percent of the current population is black, and attending a predominantly white elementary school made it very difficult to discover my racial identity.

After watching various movies with black characters, my favorite being “Undercover Brother,” I decided I would grow out an afro like one of the movie’s protagonists had.

In school, however, my afro was a target for harassment. My white peers said, “I have never seen hair like this

before,” but the most pestering form of harassment that I experienced was being constantly touched on the head by these same students.

In an attempt to stop the bullying, I asked my teacher,

member.

With a teacher coming from the same racial background as I who could understand my situation, I would have felt more secure and comfortable in my learning

Although the other white students were very likely uncomfortable, as a black student, I felt alienated. “can you tell the other kids to stop touching my head?”

He responded, “If you don’t want your head to get touched, you should cut your hair.”

While I could have changed my hairstyle, it was unfair that he deemed doing so to be the only solution.

A teacher would not ask an overweight child to lose weight to keep from being made fun of.

My teacher’s behavior demonstrates the lack of cultural understanding between me, a black student, and him, a white teacher and faculty

environment. The incidents did not stop after leaving elementary school.

In my eighth grade English class, we discussed “To Kill a Mockingbird” and the segregation of the two churches in the novel. In an effort to describe these two churches, my teacher used the N-word.

Although the other white students were very likely uncomfortable, as a black student, I felt alienated.

Entering high school, a similar and even more personal incident occurred: While in the locker room, a white student called me the N-word in a

Newton Problems newtonproblems I still don’t understand these bike lane rules ... oh well! #newtonproblems 3 Jun

derogatory way.

I was shocked. I did not even have an immediate response. I walked out of the locker room, returning later to confront this student verbally with a group of my friends and tell him how uncomfortable the entire situation made me feel.

If I had a teacher that I felt I could talk to about this situation, maybe it could have been handled a lot better.

While South usually feels safe, there are situations when it does not, at least to a black student.

To reiterate, there was no person that I felt would understand the way I was feeling because nobody I was aware of had ever been in a similar situation to mine. I believe that a more diverse faculty could have better supported me as a black student.

It could also support current and future students of all backgrounds, creating a safer and more empathetic learning environment for those enrolled.

compiled by Sophie Forman newtonproblems We only have a two car garage, and my car gets bird poop on it when I park it outside #newtonproblems 6 Jun

newtonproblems I was too lazy to shave my legs and it’s going to be 90 degrees tomorrow #newtonproblems 4 Jun

newtonproblems So many emails. I’m so popular! Oh wait ... sephora, pink, j.crew, urban outfitters ... #newtonproblems 6 Jun

newtonproblems I’m wearing yoga pants because they’re comfy and I’m lazy, not because they make my butt look good #newtonproblems 5 Jun

newtonproblems My parents took away my mustang because I’m a pedestrian’s worst nightmare. I have to drive my lexus instead #newtonproblems 7 Jun

june 7, 2012

opinions Going out with a bang: the best $450 ever spent

Teaching

Jonah Reider & Murray levy

101

Food ‘n Stuff

The perfect teacher must possess the qualities of patience, kindness and fairness, a balance nearly impossible to achieve in any school

By Jack Rabinovitch & Hannah Karten

I’ve always tried to figure not robots who learn from a out which characteristics truly lecture-style classroom, but make a great teacher, a teacher humans whose brains work in who creates an environment very different ways. where students learn the most This understanding will they possibly can about the hopefully make the learning subject at hand. No, memoexperience more comfortable rizing flash cards and terms and enjoyable for both student does not constitute learning. and teacher. A great teacher Learning is aquiring knowlshould be open to opinions edge about a subject and then and make sure that the stuapplying it to situations that dents know this at all times. may arise at any time.

This means he or she shouldn’t The teacher-student relet a majority opinion stamp lationship is one of equal footout that of a single student. ing. The teacher and student The relationship between both must respect each other teacher and student should for great teaching to occur. be equal weight. Teaching in The grade system and a more open environment general public teaching holds produces the risk that students students will accountbe less able for likely to The teacher is culpable gaining listen or the retake a for even an instant of spect of teacher higher respect for one teachless seers. This riously, student over another. much is but the expected. result The ultiopposite must also occur, mately depends on the student. though; teachers must gain What causes most sturespect from students. Such dents to truly dislike a teacher respect comes from treating is a teacher’s obvious displays the students as equals. A great of favoritism. Favoritism leads teacher is someone who is pato low self-esteem in certain tient with a student, isn’t harsh students. In reality, though, it’s and often puts him or herself not those student’s fault; the in the student’s shoes. What teacher is culpable for even an makes an even greater teacher instant of higher respect for is experimentation with his or one student over another. her class. By this, I mean that Students can easily pick the teachers should try to teach up on minor aspects of the way in different styles, environteachers react to them and can ments and atmospheres. subsequently make assumpTeachers should undertions easily. stand that their students are Some suppositions turn

graphic by Ravi Panse

out to be false, though; for example, the student might interpret a teacher’s action as one motivated by favoritism when actually, it is not.

The best way teachers can avoid favoritism is by devoting equal amounts of time to all students, from those who struggle to learn the curriculum to those who excel. But the notion that teachers should devote the same amount of time and energy to each of their students does not mean they should devote that time in the same way.

For instance, lcetures may be fine for some students, but to others, this style is boring. Those who find themselves bored may end up not learning at all from a lecture. Great teachers should also take note of struggling students and devote more time to helping them improve. Unfortunately, these suggestions can only work under ideal circumstances and require both teachers and students to take their responsibilities in the dynamic seriously.

In truth, teachers often do have favorites and although

23

they are not supposed to show favoritism, students who participate more in class generally receive more teacher attention. Students who are less engaged in class discussions should also be addressed, perhaps even more so, in order to pique their interest, but some kids just aren’t interested at all.

The only way to solve this problem is by compromise. A teacher should understand a student’s disinterest and thus try to teach in more interesting ways.

Experimenting to find a teaching style that encourages students to engage more in class isn’t always possible when working with a class of 20 or so individuals.

Great teachers should let the students know that they can come to the classroom at almost any time and discuss anything regarding the teacher’s subject.

So, although a teacher cannot possibly cater to the needs of every student at the same time, the best thing a great teacher can do is let his or her classes know that students are welcome to discuss their opinions and that teachers will never give up on them.

We all like to end things with a bang, from high school careers to haircuts. This is exactly why I visited L’Espalier, Boston’s most swanky and luxurious dining establishment. Nowhere else can you pay over $450 for lunch and feel like you haven’t wasted your money. Except at Chipotle and Burger King.

As I sat on the plush couch in the elevator on my way to the dining area, I writhed in excitement over what was to come. It was like how Al Gore must have felt before he was elected. Once at my table, I surveyed the atmosphere. I overlooked the proletariat milling about below, whose dining choices were reduced to Starbucks and Max Brenner’s. The music selection was rather vulgar; Frank Sinatra’s “The Lady Is A Tramp” played. Hearing songs about tramps while ordering housebrewed ginger ale is like hearing that you’re going to be the president and then hearing that there’s going to be a recount.

First, a selection of warm breads was carried over. Unlike Herman Cain, none of the breads smelled like Vikings. I chose the rosemary foccacia. It was airy, fluffy, salty, rosemary-y — this was some of the best bread I’ve ever had, an excellent indicator of what was to come.

The first course was like watching “16 and Pregnant” and “Life in Nepal” on adjacent TVs while wearing a zoot suit.

The champagne paired beautifully with the oyster, as did the flavor of the caviar. I slurped this oyster back with gusto.

For my second course, I ate a foie gras terrine with a center of ash-roasted duck along with pickled rhubarb, gelatinous rabbit, duck consommé and toasted fruit and nut bread. This was probably the richest dish I have ever eaten. Richer than Rich Catrambone, but probably about as rich as Richard Nixon.

The duck inside the terrine was phenomenal; the buttery dish was delicious atop the crispy fruit bread. I enjoyed a grey sole poached in butter atop a salt-roasted beet purée, pickled Vidalia onions, shaved rainbow wintergreen and pumpernickel croutons for my third course. This dish was quite delicate in flavor. The croutons were a great addition to the otherwise soft and subtle dish.

Hold my hand on this one. For the fourth course, I was brought a locally sourced sirloin steak atop a wild mushroom and braised beef heart ragoût, served with roasted parsnips and carrots atop a roast potato, onion and shallot purée. The umami of the steak dish was remarkable, both on its own and in the context of the meal. The steak was tender and delicate, yet robust in flavor. Never before had I eaten beef heart, but with the mushrooms, it was phenomenal as well.

After a quick bathroom break, I was treated to Le Grand Fromage. The cheeses were arranged on a gradient from mild to pungent, and from the Italian La Tur to the Vermont-crafted Magic Mountain, they were all amazing.

After a sorbet palate cleanser came one of the best steps along my tasting journey: a caramel macchiato soufflé with chai ice cream and a chocolate bourbon sauce.

It was beautiful.

24

june 7, 2012 arts review

arts review

Arts Review

GOOD CHRISTIAN

BACKLASH ABC’s recently canceled comedy “GCB” received unprecedented criticism from those who fail to comprehend its satirical nature

graphic by Aidan Rose

Marissa Vertes Sr. Arts Review Editor

Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved to laugh.

When I was younger, I would find my humor through shows like “Spongebob Squarepants,” but as I matured, I added new shows to my repertoire. I have recently begun watching ABC’s new comedy“GCB,” short for “Good Christian Bitches.”

I will admit that it is not the most intelligent show, but I love it nonetheless.

The show revolves around former head cheerleader and “Queen Bitch” Amanda Vaughn, who loses all of her possessions when her high school sweetheart husband dies in a car crash with his mistress after being revealed to be running a Ponzi scheme.

With two children and virtually no money, Amanda returns to her wealthy mother in the rich, conservative enclave of Dallas where she grew up.

She quickly learns, however, that the social hierarchy of the town has changed since she left. The girls Amanda used to torment are now social royalty, with the formerly unattractive Carlene Cockburn as the new “Queen Bitch,” ex-beauty queen Sharon Peacham as her chubby, insecure lackey and bullying victim Cricket Caruth-Reilly as a devious business mogul.

Although Amanda has changed her ways since high school, Carlene and the others still resent her and set out to make her life miserable. Creator and writer Robert Harling brings to light the hypocrisy of the GCBs by contrasting their appearance as good, God-fearing individuals with their indiscretions and acts of pettiness.

“GCB” has received a lot of criticism for its content, arguably drawing more public disapproval than any show since “Skins.”

The controversy surrounding “GCB” is actually what put it in on my radar to begin with. After watching all 10 episodes of the first season, I can say that the show is hysterical, entertaining and nothing more than an exaggeration of the types of people living in Dallas.

The show feeds off basic stereotypes of Texans; for

example, most characters in “GCB” say “y’all,” though many real Texans do not.

The most controversial stereotype “GCB” plays with, however, is that all Texans interpret the Bible literally and apply it universally. Throughout each episode, Carlene continually quotes the Bible and disingenuously applies its ideas as part of her façade of wholesomeness.

Sharon, on the other hand, takes a different approach and bases a new weight loss system off of foods mentioned in the Old Testament.

Each episode begins with the main characters sitting at Sunday Mass and revolves around the pastor’s sermon.

I know everyone in Dallas is not Christian, but a large portion of the population (48 percent, according to an article from The Dallas Morning News) is. According to the same article, over 52 percent of those Christians interpret the Bible literally. In other words, the show has a basis in accuracy — despite the complaints from numerous Christian groups that led to its cancellation.

The backlash against “GCB” shows how superficial Americans have become, targeting good-natured humor due to their sensitivity.

But for now, I can only express my disappointment with a mournful “goodbye y’all” to “GCB” — I will surely miss it.

Meet The GCBs!

Carlene Formerly fat and pizza-faced, Carlene was the subject of Amanda’s torment in high school. Carlene has undergone countless surgical procedures and converted to Christianity.

Buy one of her “Condos for Christian Living” coming soon to Mexico!

Cricket Cricket is a powerful business mogul and Carlene’s second-incommand. Cricket’s husband Blake is a closeted homosexual, and she tries to hide his affair with his stable boy, Rusty. Upon hearing that Amanda is back in town, Cricket sets out to make her life a living hell.

Sharon Ex-beauty queen Sharon was the “it” girl in high school.

Years later, she is an overweight housewife and Carlene’s deferential third-in-command. Fed up with her new figure, Sharon decides to start a portioned meals company called “Losin’ it With Jesus.”

community volume 29

issue 1

june 7, 2012

page

25

photos by Jon Stricker

Lee’s Place Burgers, located at 26 Sumner Street in Newton Centre, specializes in burgers but also offers an array of other food selections to its devoted customers, both young and old.

Burger joint appeals to variety of Newton residents Emily Ho

Sr. Community Editor A bottle of “special sauce” stands out among the standard ketchup, mustard and relish lining the counter of Lee’s Place Burgers in Newton Centre.

According to senior Lyonel Walker, this sauce is part of the restaurant’s recipe for keeping customers coming back. “It’s what makes everything taste so amazing,” he said.

But sauce alone does not maintain Lee’s Place Burgers’ business.

According to customers and employees alike, the burger joint’s location and welcoming atmosphere encourage a wide variety of demographics to grab a bite.

Operational Manager Rem Wang said that in the three months he has worked at Lee’s Place Burgers, he has found its employee environment to be “100 percent friendly.”

“I meet tons of people here,” Wang said. “I’ve made a lot of friends here, and we have a fun time.”

Sophomore Sasha Restrepo, who works at Lee’s Place Burgers four times a week, said that employees form relationships with customers as well as with each other. “Everyone is generally very friendly, so it’s fun to crack jokes and see the customers smiling,” Restrepo said.

Both Restrepo and Wang manage the front of Lee’s Place Burgers, taking calls, managing the register, making the restaurant’s famous “special sauce” and interacting with customers.

Restrepo said that Lee’s Place Burgers’ casual atmosphere makes it an ideal eatery for teenagers. “A lot of high school-

ers like to grab a burger and chill there,” she said. “It attracts anyone who is in the mood for a burger.”

Wang said he also notices many teenagers coming to eat at Lee’s Place Burgers, in part because of its relative proximity to Newton high schools. “It’s a good place for Newton North and Newton South,” Wang said. “It’s definitely a great place for all ages.”

[Lee’s Place Burgers] is pretty small, but it’s what you know about Lee’s. It’s a small burger place, not a big chain.

- Chris Keo, Class of 2013 Walker agreed that Lee’s Place Burgers appeals to many different kinds of people. “I think they do a pretty good job of catering to everyone,” he said. “I know a lot of kids go there after baseball games with their parents, and a lot of seniors go there during free blocks and during lunch blocks.”

According to Wang, the type of customers coming into Lee’s Place Burgers depends on the time of day. “In the late afternoon, we see a lot of elementary and middle school kids,” Wang said. “Evening time you see a lot of families, [and at] nighttime we see a lot of high school kids.

There’s all different kinds of people.”

Restrepo said she also notices these

waves of customers. “[On the weekends], a lot of families come in for meals,” Restrepo said. “However, during the week, it’s just people stopping in for some fast food.”

Junior Jacob Jaffe said he falls into the latter category. “It’s quick if you don’t want to sit down at Johnny’s or if you don’t like Panera,” Jaffe said. “I can’t think of a reason why kids shouldn’t go there.”

Junior Chris Keo said there is a key difference between Lee’s Place Burgers, which is owned by a local family, and chain restaurants like Panera Bread. “[Lee’s Place Burgers] is pretty small, but it’s what you know about Lee’s. It’s a small burger place, not a big chain,” Keo said.

Keo said, however, that Lee’s Place Burgers is underappreciated due to its location. “[Lee’s] got stuck with a pretty bad location across from the dry cleaner and near the insurance places, but it suits their personality,” Keo said.

Walker disagreed and said that Lee’s Place Burgers is able to draw in many customers largely because of its Newton Centre location and despite the competition there.

“It’s actually a good location,” Walker said, “but knowing that they do have a lot of competitors around, they just do a good job at getting the word out, like advertising and word of mouth, so that’s why they get a lot of good business.”

According to Keo, Lee’s Place Burgers holds a special place among Newton businesses. “[Lee’s] is kind of small, but I really like it because it’s inviting,” Keo said. “It’s a great burger place, the best in Newton.”

Menu

at a glance ~Hamburger.................$4.75 ~Cheeseburger.............$5.25 ~Chicken Cutlet Roll..$5.25 ~Steak Bomb Sub........$7.00 ~Chicken Parmesan....$6.25 ~Sweet Potato Fries.....$3.75 ~Onion Rings..............$3.25

26

community

june 7, 2012

ONE WORD, ONE COMMUNITY

INDEPENDENCE Every issue, The Roar asks members of the Newton community to expand upon a one-word prompt

Alex Koch

Bianca Ho

Alex Khitrik

Class of 2011 Graduate

Class of 2011 Graduate

Co-Owner of Inna’s Kitchen

In the three weeks since returning home from college, I’ve developed more teenage tendencies than I ever did in my years of high school. I’ve been pushing my curfew, snapping during conversations and leaving my room an utter mess. But college student? That’s a different story.

Independence is the first thing you realize you never truly had at home when you walk into the big bad college dorm.

With your parents gone, a panic overwhelms you like no other. When you eat, where you eat, what you spend money on, where you go — everything, and I mean everything, is completely your reponsibility. You might think you had independence in high school, but you’re sorely mistaken.

You have a home, a roof over your head and people who will most likely feed you. In college, you have is a still underdeveloped brain, two feet and ambition you never thought you had buried inside you just waiting to make decisions you’ll both love and regret at the same time.

The biggest sign of independence is seen the first time you make a mistake. I felt terrible after making my first mistake.

Blaming only myself and having no back up, I was completely alone. I made that stupid decision with no one’s persuasion but myself. And there it was. Independence at its finest. Everything clicked all at once. Walking all sassy-like to the gym by myself, strolling through the dining hall with confidence and making my own evening plans apart from my friends was just the start.

Independence is life. No wonder Susan B. Anthony said, “Independence is happiness.” People around the world have died fighting for their independence, and although my fighting starts at the dinner table, it’s a fight that is necessary. Baby steps to becoming an adult seem childish and often difficult, but with a little help from your friends and a lot of self-control, true independence can become a reality.

To me, the word “independence” has not much meaning beyond being the polar opposite of “dependence.” It’s not so much a desirable state as an apex of choice I’d like to avoid. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in English class, it’s that the situation is always a shade of gray. Though many say with confidence that they are independent, in most cases, it isn’t true.

The reality is, we are all dependent in some way, and we are all independent in some other respects. Be it basic needs such as food and shelter or intangible, unnoticed necessities like human interaction and purpose in life, we are undeniably dependent.

On the other hand, I’d say that I’m personally free from slavery, free from religion and free from taking gym credits to graduate. It’s easy to see our dependencies as weaknesses and our freedoms as strengths, but I think there are detriments and benefits to both sides. Too much of either can be problematic as well — when given the choice, I can never decide what I want to have for dinner or, what I want to do with my life in the next 10 years.

If I never stop depending on my parents for money and help, I may never have my own life. I find the most pleasant place is a modest balance between two extremes, a happy medium in which I can thrive and make what little time I have worthwhile for myself. I’ve accepted that I’m not independent, and I’ve stopped wanting to be.

“Independent” is very much an individual concept. We define it for ourselves, and I’ve defined it as a fictional state that I don’t need to reach.

I am completely consumed by running my business. My responsibilities seem endless. I work long hours with my mother, live in my parents’ basement and have school loans to pay off. I feel I must make my parents proud in return for sacrificing so much to give me and my siblings opportunities we would not otherwise enjoy. And I just got engaged to be married!

Am I independent?

In school, we learn about being independent thinkers, not giving into peer pressure and being true to ourselves.

I think I have always been independent in that sense, but, as an adult, that definition is more cute than meaningful. It just doesn’t resonate with me in any substantial way, the way I feel a good idea should. Independence means more to me than that.

I believe my independence is about claiming control and responsibility over my future. In the past, it was easy to feel powerless over my future and lost without a clear path to follow of my own choosing. But, even when I felt powerless, I was able to move forward by simply claiming responsibility for my choices.

An analogy to the Declaration of Independence comes to mind as I write thisnot the document itself, but what some of our country’s founders meant when they declared independence from England Thomas Paine wrote, “Independence is my happiness.” Our freedoms here and the opportunities they afford us are a huge luxury. Recognizing that allows me to find the independence that is my happiness, even while living in my parents’ basement.

Next issue’s word: HORIZON

june 6, 2012

fun page Columns, rows and squares Each take a digit, falling Between one and nine.

By Andreas Betancourt & Joe Joseph

ROSSWORD

bad haiku by Tony Vashevko & Rob Hass puzzles courtesy of sudokuoftheday.com

EASY: 2

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DOWN:

1. Not bases; substances with a pH under 7 2. An addendum 10 11 12 3. E, as Plato would 13 14 15 refer to it 4. A giant, mythical bird 17 17 16 of prey 5. Grabs onto 18 19 20 6. Clever or skillfull 21 22 22 23 7. Wicked, villanous 8. Its child was a popu25 24 26 26 lar music group in the 1990’s 27 28 11. A Bostonians’ favorite party item 18. A sound made when 14. The sign of subtracACROSS: eating 1. & tion 20. Has a chemical sym- 19. A large building 9. Two stressed sylbol of Sn lables containing a variety of 21. The quirkiest char- retail stores 10. A pronoun 12. Eats quickly, shov- acter in HP (plural) 21. Type of bunny char23. Ususally precedes ing down acterized by floppy ears “vey!”

13. Prefix for half or 22. Singer featured in 24. Two (en español) lesser Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones” 15. Often seen eating 25. Instead; in ___ of 24. The first of the seven 27. Moderator cans of 20 across solfége syllables 28. What Ron Burgun- 26. Chemical symbol of 16. Cross the sea 17. Vocal aspect of the dy urges San Diego to the element named after stay new iPhone “e=mc2” discoverer v

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is here! Take a moment to soak up Word Search Summer some sun and search for summer-themed words

Embarrassing Roar Staff Photo of the Month:

1) Barbecue 2) Beach 3) Bikini 4) Heat 5) Ocean 6) Outdoors 7) Sand 8) Sandals 9) Shorts 10) Solstice 11) Sun 12) Sunglasses 13) Travel 14) Watermelon 15) Waterpark 16) Waves

Brian Baron: bringing joy to generations of The Roar.

Z B Z T K U M X H L C T I N

T B L W A V E S E S R T H I

B A J F R H H O H A F Y O G

Z O Z K K L J O V R Y L A O

F D Z L W I R E T Z J C F C

M O Q T M T L H A O W V B Y

F P J Y S N U Y B B A B C N

Z O C E A N L I Z W T N B G

Y Z S A N D A L S U E Q I S

K R A P R E T A W I R Z K U

S W W W T U D L D C M A I A

E A C B E A G Q D R E Z N E

S H C A E B E N M M L N I N

S G G H R F E H B N O C A K

A F N S A N D S A P N J N P

L K R T Q Y J U R T R K A H

G Y M W N V C N B V E M K B

N Z O B L V Q B E F C D Q R

U X J H X V C O C H I C V G

S R U T O W Q A U I T R B W

U N U K Q Z Q G E Q S N S Z

M S R O O D T U O P L B A W

G Y C Z S Y N Q O P O Z I S

X C H R N X S F G I S U A J

G P N I L T G Q U A O H R E

sports volume 29

issue 1

page

june 7, 2012

28

T I H T I W G N I K C I ST

After struggling last season, the boys lacrosse team improved its record this year

Corey Friedman & Ben Tuval

Sports Contributor, Sports Editor The Newton South boys varsity lacrosse team finished their 2011 season with a record of 2-18; however, this year, the team improved its record, ending the season with a record of 7-11.

Team players and parents said they attributed this season’s success to an increase in team spirit, improved playing skills and the guidance of head coach David McCallum.

“There is a renewed sense

of confidence and a new belief in our team,” senior and captain Jonathan Katz said. “I think we have a larger desire to win as well as a stronger sense of team unity.”

McCallum said he thought highly of the team’s resilience this season.“[The players] were enthusiastic every day. They work hard and never gave up despite the deficits,” he said.

Junior Sam Houston-Read said that another factor leading to his team’s success was a concerted team effort during preseason training.

“More guys played over

the summer, and we [were] more focused on accomplishing our motto ‘Know your job doing your job,’” Houston-Read said. “Everyone’s focused on doing the right plays and being more organized as a team, running the offense and executing.”

McCallum agreed that training played a large role in creating a physically and mentally stronger team.

“You have some guys playing multiple sports but are also lifting outside that, so we’re getting stronger athletes,” McCallum said. “What really gets you to

succeed are fundamentals, conditioning and pure team spirit.”

Katz’s father, Alan Katz, said that the lacrosse team’s new determination has developed along with the arrival of better players.

“The team’s attitude, overall teamwork and levels of motivation seemed to be driving factors in the team’s improvement in addition to a greater level of talent and lacrosse,” Alan said.

Senior and captain Josh Kasten said that the rise in talent is a result of McCallum’s guidance of players’ development

photo courtesy of Sam Houston-Read

Junior Sam Houston-Read played in the DePeter Classic, an annual lacrosse tournament between Newton North and South, on May 23.

throughout their years playing lacrosse.

“Coach McCallum has helped me out a lot as a player,” Kasten said. “My knowledge of the game [has] really expanded over the past three years.”

Katz agreed that McCallum’s perseverance through bad years has led the team to improvement.

“Coach Mac has been a great coach even though we’ve had some tough seasons,” he said.

In addition to McCallum’s support on the field, Katz said that his coach’s role as a mentor off the field has been crucial.

“He’s really doing his best to put us in a position to win and grow, not only as lacrosse players, but as individuals,” Katz said. “He’s been a great influence and mentor to myself and many other players on the team, [and] I believe that as he continues to coach this team, the team continues to work hard together as a unit.”

Katz said that he will miss playing lacrosse at South, and that though the years have been marked by both high and low points, he has enjoyed his high school lacrosse experience. “[I will miss] being part of the team and having great, fun memories with the teammates, with the coaches in games and practices,” Katz said.

Despite hard work and improvement this year, the lacrosse team failed to make the state tournament. The team has been trying to qualify for states for many years, as well as to beat Newton North in the DePeter Classic.

During this year’s DePeter Classic, the team failed to accomplish their latter goal.

South led North at halftime, but in the end, the Lions lost to North 15-8.

Houston-Read said that even in the face of these losses, he believed the team’s primary motivation will bring success in the long-term. “[The] goal is to work as hard as you can, and good things will come,” he said.

june 7, 2012

RUNNING THE

NEXT LAP

graphic by David Gorelik

According to senior track members, South’s athletic program prepares them well for college.

All the [college] teams that I have encountered are all very close, just like in high school - Youssef El Korchi, Class of 2012 because of the unique community she felt among South’s runners. “I’d always been with the same people, ... and I had had the same teammates [and the] same coach for four years,” she said. “It was a really great experience, but I was so used to that way of life and that way of training that at first it felt like I was just popped onto someone else’s team.”

Senior and track captain Youssef

Red Sox once again start off slow out of the gate Guest Column

By Jordan Cohen-Kaplan & Lizzie Fineman

Similar to O’Keefe, Laurence has been in touch with her future coaches since committing to Connecticut College, which has a Division III running program. “They were really willing to give information and answer any questions I had,” Laurence said.

O’Keefe said that despite contact with coaches throughout her senior year at South, acclimating to the environment of a college track team still took time, in part

29

Jack McElduff

Seniors join college track teams with South athletic experience as a strong foundation

A blue and orange uniform has been standard attire for senior and track captain Anna Laurence throughout 12 seasons of high school sports, but come September, blue and white will become the norm.

Laurence said she feels excited to begin running competitively for Connecticut College next school year. “After doing cross country and track for all four years in high school, I couldn’t really imagine not being on a team,” Laurence said. “Running is just such a big part of my life, and I want to continue doing it in college.”

Laurence and other South runners said their positive experiences on the track team have motivated them to pursue running at the collegiate level.

Students at South have the opportunity to run for all three sports seasons on the cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams.

According to girls track coach Steve McChesney, approximately five seniors go on to run competitively in college each year, though he has seen as many as 12 do so in a single year.

McChesney said that these numbers are unsurprising given the preparation South’s track program provides for the rigor of college athletics. “[The athletes] think the jump from a high school program to a college program is this quantum leap when actually we train kind of like a Division III program,” McChesney said. “Kids really do feel like they know what they’re doing, and the step up isn’t that huge. It’s a natural progression. It’s a step that … kids take all over the country, [so] why not have our kids take that step?”

Jonathan Frieze, father of ‘08 graduate Julia Frieze and ‘11 graduate Madeline Frieze, said his daughters were well prepared to run competitively at Wesleyan University and Union College, respectively.

“As far as running track with coaches like Coach McChesney, these kids were way ahead,” Frieze said.

‘11 graduate Kathy O’Keefe said her experience with running in high school also aided in her college search. O’Keefe now runs for Boston College. “I was able to go on visits and was ... able to get a feel for the school by staying with ... athletes from the team,” O’Keefe said. “It really helped to get an inside look.”

sports

El Korchi, who will be running at UMass Amherst next year, agreed that his time running at South made him value strong relationships among teammates.

“All the [collegiate] teams that I have encountered are all very close, just like in high school,” El Korchi said. “When I went to do a visit after practice, [the team] all had dinner together, and they were all really close. I was looking forward to experiencing that again after high school.”

Laurence said spending time with some of Connecticut College’s more experienced runners has increased her excitement about joining their team. “Most running teams seem really close, and they’re almost like a family, which is one of the aspects I enjoy most about running on a team,” she said.

According to McChesney, high school track teams ignite a passion that inspires athletes like Laurence throughout their college years. “[Running] becomes part of their life and not just a pursuit,” he said.

Frieze said that McChesney’s statement held true for his daughters. “They loved track and knew that they didn’t want it to end at high school,” Frieze said. “They knew that they loved running. They were not ready to let it go.”

After a historic collapse last September, Red Sox Nation was expecting a rejuvenated Red Sox team to play with passion and fulfill high expectations. All of the trades and staff changes were supposed to cleanse away the 2011 season, but, as a matter of fact, things may have gotten far worse. In late April, I attended a Red Sox game against the Texas Rangers, a game I expected to be close but turned into an 18-3 loss for the Red Sox. A Rangers fan sitting behind me thought it was best to dispose his beer onto a Sox fan who had been giving the Rangers fan grief about how many World Series Texas has won (a grand total of zero). Fighting ensued, and although both fans were ultimately kicked out of the stadium, the Rangers fan came out on top. This disagreement has, so far, been representative of the entire 2012 Red Sox campaign.

Most South students are unaccustomed to such a woeful start, as the Red Sox have not had a losing season since 1997. People are pointing fingers in multiple directions in response to the team’s underperformance, but only a few stand out to me. Bobby Valentine, the witty and pompous Sox manager who appeared destined to take this team to the playoffs, has this team spiraling out of control. Two of the most important decisions a manager can possibly make involve knowing when to take his starting pitcher out of a game and knowing how to handle the bullpen.

Valentine’s inability to switch pitchers not only affects the starting pitchers, but also those in the bullpen.

The Red Sox’s trade for Oakland All-Star closer Andrew Bailey in the winter seemed to fill the void left by Jonathan Papelbon. That was all before Bailey suffered a thumb injury, most likely keeping him out until the second half of the season.

The Red Sox’s offense has also been unreliable. A week after the Sox scored 13 runs in a win over Tampa Bay, they were held to just six runs over a two-game span against the Texas Rangers. In addition, the Red Sox need to bring up some of their prized prospects like Will Middlebrooks and Ryan Lavarnway to give the team a breath of fresh air.

Fenway Park celebrated its 100th anniversary with a game on April 20, 2012.

The emotional pre-game ceremony (Did anyone else think of “Field of Dreams?”) seemed to all but seal a Red Sox win. But just like the rest of the Red Sox’s season up to this point, the game was a huge disappointment, as the New York Yankees pounced on the Sox’s pitchers Sox players do not seem emotionally invested in games. It would, however, be a grave mistake to rush to judgments regarding the future of the Red Sox. Remember the guys who were here for the championships in 2004 and 2007, the guys who have been through the pain and the glory. It is important for these veterans to step up as leaders not only on the field, but also in the clubhouse.

Recent victories have eased some of the pain, but the Sox are not quite where they want to be yet. Hang in there, South Sox fans. These idiots are busy at work.

30

june 7, 2012

sports

Students plan to hone skills at sports camps Darren Trementozzi Sports Reporter

When freshman Ben Cooper heads out the doors of South to begin his summer vacation, he knows he will be seeing at least one familiar face from school on the soccer field before September.

This summer, Cooper said he hopes to maintain his athletic skills by attending clinics coached by boys varsity soccer coach John Conte at the Needham Soccer Club.

“It’s hard to motivate yourself to practice or workout on your own over the summer so that you can prepare for fall sports,” Cooper said.

Cooper and other students said that although attending a sports-focused summer camp has year-round athletic benefits, the experience can have drawbacks as well.

Among these drawbacks, Cooper said, is the danger of tiring out before the school year even begins.

“When you’re doing a really challenging camp and working so hard all summer, you could burn

out when the season started” he said.

Freshman Adam Goldstein will be attending a basketball camp run by girls varsity basketball coach Sam Doner this summer.

Goldstein said that though summer sports programs do

enough time to work on a lot of skills without it getting repetitive and boring,” Batler said. “I always feel that I have improved a lot by the end of a camp.”

Volleyball coach Todd Elwell said he can see clear progress in athletes that have participated in summer sports camps.

“The improvement is not just a physical piece; there’s also an intellectual piece,” he said. “It’s Sports camps can really amazing the difference that [sendkeep you in shape over ing our kids to camps] has made for us.” the summer Elwell also - Adam Goldstein, Class of 2015 said that sports camps can have a greater effect on demand a lot of their participants, athletes who have the hard work prepares student not played their sport athletes to play in the fall. “Sports since childhood and plan to camps can really [keep] you in begin in high school, like many of shape over the summer,” she said. his incoming volleyball players.

Junior Jordi Batler said “I think volleyball specifithat in addition to keeping her cally, [students] can learn a lot in shape, field hockey summer because they haven’t been playing camps allow her to have concenfor a long time.” trated playing time that pays off Batler’s father, Tim Batler, during the school year. said that sports camps are as much “The great thing about an opportunity for networking as camps is [that] because they are for improving athletic skills. usually three days [long], there is “Camps also help get your

name out there and are great for [teaching] skills and introducing players to each other as well as other coaches,” he said.

Tim said, however, that students must be wise in

he said. “They aren’t all created equal.”

Elwell agreed that some sports camps are more productive than others. “[Before high school], a lot kids haven’t been playing field hockey, so they go to a camp, [and] it makes a big difference,” Elwell said.

Elwell said that the benefits of sports camps can be affected by how long one has b e e n pl ay ing a sport.

“If you’ve got a sport that a kid has been playing for a long time, I don’t think its going to make as big of a difference unless it’s an elite camp,” he said.

selecting a specific s p or t s camp to attend. “You have to do your research on the camps,

graphic by Alex Cohen

Senior captains reflect on South athletic experience

S

By Tom Howe & Kaela Meyer

Hannah Friedman

enior Hannah Friedman was the captain of the girls cross country team this past fall. Friedman ran cross country all four of her years at South. Reflecting on what sports meant to her during that time, Friedman said, “Sports at South gave me a community to be a part of. Being a teammate has not only taught me dedication to and compassion for my sport but also valuable lessons.

I am really glad that sports were a constant throughout my four years here at South.”

Annapurna Ravel

enior Annapurna Ravel was the girls gymnastics captain this year. Ravel said that being captain stretched her abilities and that the team’s ups and downs taught her valuable lessons.

“Sports at South taught me a lot about leadership. As a captain, I had to coordinate things and make sure I was looking out for all of my teammates,” she said. “We went through a series of victories and defeats, but through it all, I made sure everyone’s mentality stayed positive.”

S

S

Jonah Schwartz

enior Jonah Schwartz was the captain of the boys tennis team this spring. Schwartz said he kept up team morale throughout the season. According to Schwartz, South athletes benefit from the effort they put into their sports. “[When] you work hard, you get what you worked for,” Schwartz said. “What you put in is what you get out of it in terms of practice, and they say, ‘If you work really hard, you get somewhere,’ and over the years, [that saying] has proved true.”

Gail Waltz

enior Gail Waltz was the captain of both the girls ice hockey and girls field hockey teams this year. Waltz said she believes that being part of those teams has helped her forge unique friendships and learn the value of cooperation. “Sports definitely taught me how to get along with people and work together, especially with the hockey team,” she said. “I don’t think we would all necessarily be friends with each other[without hockey], so in that way it really made us closer.”

photos by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

S

june 7, 2012

sports

31

2 0 1 2

S I N N

E T

photos by Yu-Ching Chang

The boys and girls tennis teams, instructed by coaches Pat McFarland and Bob Jampol, respectively, practiced throughout their season at the tennis courts across from the field house.

Scoreboard

**All information is as of Tuesday, June 5**

Team

Regular Season Record

Last Year’s Record

2012 DCL All-Stars

Girls Lacrosse

0-11

6-13-1

Siobhan O’Flaherty

Boys Lacrosse

7-11

2-18

Josh Gordon, Josh Kasten, Zach Pawa

Boys Volleyball

14-6

18-5

Peter Haskin, Jordan Lee

Girls Softball

9-11

8-12

Andrea Epstein, Annie McDonald-Schwartz, Joy Yang

Boys Baseball

10-10

13-9

Jesse Feldstein, John Jennings

Girls Rugby

5-2

8-0

N/A

Boys Rugby

1-7

0-5

N/A

Girls Tennis

15-4

10-7

Katie Freer, Lauren Bamel, Mei Kasif

Boys Tennis

7-9

15-1

None

Girls Track

5-2-1

7-1

Lucrecia Agulair, Alekhya Chaparala, Hannah Friedman, Anna Rhatigan, Kyra Visnick

Boys Track

6-2

8-1

Deion Arneaud, Ben Eisenberg, Youssef El Korchi, Ryan Kim, Marini Lopci, Andrew O’Hagan, Jung Park, Ray Park, Allen Shiu, Thomas Stephens

32

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june 7, 2012

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