The Wessex Wire (June 2017)

The Wessex Wire The Student Newspaper of West Essex Regional High School

Vol. LVII No. 6

65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, N.J.

June 2017

TheWessexWire.com

Students display award-winning talents in art show

By Lara Del Vecchio ’20

the National Art Honor Society assembly, attracting all attendees of the assembly to view the show.

Students of all levels of Studio Art classes contributed their work, along with artwork from AP Art, Drawing and Composition, Fashion Illustration and Computer Graphics/Multimedia classes.

Students in practical and industrial art electives, including CAD, all levels of woodworking, from Wood I to Advanced Wood Carving, participated.

The National Art Honor Society contributed work as well, in addition to helping put the entire

Artistic talents across a wide palette of media dazzled students, faculty, family and other attendees at West Essex’s annual art show, held this year on May 11 in the high school library.

The featured work varied from surrealism, handcrafted wood work and abstract art, to self portraits, fashion collections and still life drawings. Art pieces made throughout the entire year were used in the art show for everyone to see.

The event was held directly after

event together.

Freshman Sydney Fishman, one of many students who had paintings on display, said she enjoyed Studio Art I and having the opportunity to showcase her work, especially as an underclassman.

“I worked really hard on my comic book painting, and I was really proud of it so I was excited to show it to other people,” she said.

Art teacher Ms. Rizzi, one of the teachers involved in running the show, emphasized the importance of students showcasing their art, instead of just submitting it for a

See ART SHOW on Page 3

Photos by alexa dratch and courtesy of Ms. dunphy

Student artwork from throughout the year impressed the crowd.

School faces realities of aging Chromebooks Administration is working towards a fix for the repair process of devices.

By Michael Sessa ’18 and Dan Laible ’18

Nearly two years after West Essex implemented its 1:1 Chromebook initiative, a number of students report aging devices. A combination of natural wear-and-tear and appreciable student abuse has left many Chromebooks physically mangled and sinking into a technological slump.

In This Issue:

While student reception to the introduction of Chromebooks has been largely positive, the devices’ lengthy repair process has evoked less friendly reviews.

Although there are not yet official plans in place to accommodate maturing Chromebooks, the school is continuously looking for ways to improve the repair and distribution processes.

Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, all West Essex students received a Chromebook. In the statement of vision listed on West Essex’s 1:1 initiative webpage, the school cites meaningful student engagement and equality of access as their goals.

“We believe the opportunity for

4-6 Opinion

each student to have their own device will result in an overall enhanced educational experience, better student organizational skills and expansion of learning and sharing beyond the walls of the traditional classroom,” the school states.

Since that introduction more than 20 months ago, however, several students have reported technical problems with their Chromebooks, as well as dissatisfaction with the amount of time it takes the school and its outside vendors to service devices that are experiencing problems.

The repair process, Director of Technology Mr. Burrows explained, is often a joint effort between three parties: the school’s technol-

Students overvalue well-roundedness

8&9

Player profiles

ogy department, an insurer and a repair facility.

“If the issue does not require additional parts, we will fix it in house,” Mr. Burrows said. “If the issue is due to a manufacturer’s defect or accidental damage, we submit a claim to our Chromebook insurance company.”

After the school submits a damage claim to their insurance company, the insurer must then accept or reject the claim before sending the defect to a repair facility.

Upon completion of repairs, computers return to the school where West Essex’s technology department performs their own quality check to ensure the problem has been adequately resolved.

Outstanding athletes recognized for talents

The lineage of substantive repairs, however, means that in the interim, many students are left with replacement devices that sometimes are themselves not fully functioning— or, in some cases, left without a device at all—for extensive amounts of time.

While Mr. Burrows estimated the typical turnaround on out-of-house repairs to be about two weeks, he noted that “this also depends on [the insurer’s] workload and if they have necessary parts on hand.”

In most cases, Mr. Burrows said, Chromebooks are returned within the two week window.

Several students the Wire spoke

7-11 Features

See REPAIR on Page 2

Fidget spinners cause chaos

The Wessex Wire: News

June 2017

Page 2

Students donate blood to Red Cross to help patients in need

By Josie Berger ’20 The Key Club worked with the American Red Cross encouraging students to donate blood for a charitable cause at the annual blood drive in the gym on April 25.

This year was the school’s fourth year taking part in the blood drive which was even more successful than last year.

Over 100 students donated blood, which ended in a total of 60 pints of blood donated. There were also 10 student volunteers who talked with the students donating, signed them in and kept them distracted during their recovery.

Sophomore Issy Eisen donated blood for the first time this year and said it was a complete success.

“It was overall a good experience and I will definitely do it again next year,” Eisen said.

Once the donor students arrived in the gym, they checked in and were given a packet to read over which explained the process of donating. While reading the packet in the waiting area, the nurse spoke with each student asking them

photos by ally schachtel

(Left) Junior Victoria Rak donates blood with support from junior Danielle Kohler and Red Cross nurse; (right) Red Cross volunteer readies supplies.

background questions to make sure they were eligible donors.

Once they were given the OK, they laid on beds and donated blood, then received orange juice and snacks to regain lost sugars.

Key club adviser Ms. Fernicola administered the blood drive this year and hopes to continue to help

REPAIR | from Page 1 to said that navigating the repair process was often a challenge, pointing to long waits and faulty loaner devices.

Junior Natalie Guerra said that the second time she turned her Chromebook into the library for repair, “it took about a month to even get a loaner,” adding that “I was able to take one of the big Dell laptops to borrow, but they had to go back at the end of the school day and were very heavy.”

There are currently 40 loaner devices available at the high school—a number Mr. Burrows says the school hopes to increase “in the near future.”

While some students have sought alternatives to the inconvenience of the current repair process by bringing in home computers, school policy mandates that all repairs must be performed through the district.

“Students are not allowed to make repairs themselves or have the device serviced by an outside company,” Mr. Burrows said.

With some students worried about reduced battery life and physical breakdown of their Chromebooks, the Wire inquired about plans to update or replace Chromebooks in the future.

Mr. Burrows said proposals are in the works, but have not been formally confirmed.

“At this time only ideas have b e e n t h row n a rou n d ,” M r.

Burrows said. “I would like to try and get us on a three year refresh cycle where certain grade levels will get new machines every year.”

Principal Mr. Diliberto is involved in developing plans to manage Chromebooks as the current ones begin to wear down.

“We wouldn’t replace all the Chromebooks at once,” Mr. Diliberto said. “We would cycle in new ones beginning with the seventh grade and any replacements.”

In its End of Life Polic y, Google lists the Auto Update Expiration date for the Acer C740 Chromebook—the device the school provides to its students— as February 2020.

In the policy, Google states that “when a device reaches Auto Update Expiration (AUE), it means that the product model is considered obsolete.”

Education customers using devices that have passed their AUE date will no longer receive full support from the Google Cloud and Google for Education teams.

Mr. Burrows noted that while the “typical lifespan of these devices can be anywhere from three to six years,” usage and condition often play a role in expiration.

Device performance and battery life—which Acer claims as nine hours—rely heavily on upkeep and degree of usage.

Mr. Diliberto attested to that message.

“Administration and the IT Department are always looking for the most efficient ways to repair and distribute Chromebooks,” he said. “At this point, the most efficient method for repairs and replacement is prevention by taking better care of the devices.”

its success. “This was my second time doing the blood drive, but it has been going on for three or four years and continues to be successful,” Ms. Fernicola said.

Many students tend to be nervous and anxious before donating blood. Student volunteers helped keep them calm during the pro-

cess, holding hands and giving encouraging remarks.

Once the blood is donated and properly packaged up, there are five steps in order for the blood to be delivered to hospitals.

The blood that is donated is then processed by being spun to be checked for any impurities it

Students’ questions regarding the importance of the PARCC test are answered.

a 4, which is defined as having “met expectations.” Similar to the AP scoring, the 1-5 score is determined after everyone has taken the assessment and the scores have been scaled.

might have. The blood is then stored for a maximum of 42 days before it is delivered to hospitals and distributed to its patients.

The blood drive has been a success for the past four years and the school hopes to continue its record by having more student participants moving forward.

The truth behind the PARCC test

By Danielle Schwartz ’20 PA R C C ( P a r t n e r s h i p f o r Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) test has been taken by West Essex students since 2015, but students still have many unanswered questions about the new state test. Mr. Gupta, West Essex’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, answered some of the fundamental questions students have been wondering.

Q: Does PARCC count? How does it count for each grade?

A: For current sophomores, juniors and seniors, the PARCC is used, along with alternative criteria including the SAT, PSAT and ACT, as a graduation requirement. If students pass any of these tests, it is not necessary to take the PARCC. Current freshmen are required to take the PARCC in order to use as an alternative criteria as a graduation requirement. Passing the PARCC Algebra and PARCC ELA 10 is mandatory for graduation for all 8th grade students and younger.

Q: What score is needed to pass the PARCC? A: To pass PARCC, one must get

Q: Which Math and English levels are tested on PARCC? A: The ELA PARCC tests English 9-11. The Math levels tested on PARCC are Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. After taking Algebra II, students are finished with math PARCC testing.

Q: If students are doubling up in Math courses, which Math PARCC do they take?

A: Regardless of the number of math courses a student is taking, everyone only takes one Math PARCC test per year. The class that comes first is always tested.

For example, a sophomore taking Geometry and Algebra II will take the Geometry PARCC. Q: Can students refuse to take the PARCC? Are there any consequences for refusing?

A: Students are able to refuse the PARCC, just like they were always able to refuse old state tests like the HSPA and the NJ ASK. Now that the PARCC is a mandatory graduation requirement for certain grades, students in the 9th grade and younger are unable to refuse the PARCC. Aside from graduation requirements, there is no consequence from refusing the PARCC. However, West Essex

PARCC Poll

We asked students how they approved taking the PARCC test this year.

6%

16%

78%

100 freshmen, sophomores and juniors were polled.

I completed the test with my best effort.

I completed the test, but not to the best of my ability.

I refused to take the test.

poll by Grace Irwin ’18 and Maddie Galligan ’18

is rated by its students’ test scores, which affects the value of homes in the community.

The Wessex Wire: News

June 2017

Page 3

News around the world

ART SHOW | from Page 1

graded assignment.

“Being able to show off their work gives students a goal to work towards,” Ms. Rizzi said. “Instead of just showcasing their talents, students have a goal to make their work the best it can be for many others to see. Being able to show it off creates an opportunity to showcase their improvement and what they learned throughout the year.”

The teachers who attended the art show were left feeling proud of their students, yet sentimental about the goodbyes they will soon have to exchange.

They said that they are both sad because it was the final farewell to their talented and dedicated seniors, but also excited to see what the young and open-minded underclassmen have to bring to the table in years to come.

Everyone who attended the

show had enthusiastic reactions, and the pieces featured all received positive feedback.

One specific piece that stood out to many students was senior Isabel Parzecki’s portrait of her younger sister, Julia, which was made with charcoal.

“There were many pieces where the artists really thought outside of the box and created very original and unique art,” sophomore Bella Valle said.

Not only does the art show display fine art done by very talented artists, but also award-winning artists.

Ms. Dunphy won awards for combining art from West Essex students with the RoundTable articles in the Literar y Art Magazine Critique.

The art students at West Essex who submitted their original work finished with a gold medal, with the visual scoring 382/400 points.

By Grace Irwin ’18

Comey fired by President Trump

Photos by Alexa Dratch and courtesy of Ms. Dunphy

Works from AP Studio Art, Fashion Illustration and Wood Carving sit on display racks in the library.

FBI director James Comey w a s f i re d by Pre s i d e nt Trump on May 9 due to concerns over the FBI’s investigation on the possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

According to the New York Times, the dismissal had relieved “great pressure” on him, the president said, and he called Mr. Comey “crazy, a real nut job.”

Since the Clinton email scandal, Comey has the image of having a biased stance, causing him to lose the trust of President Trump and other government officials, ultimately leading to his dismissal.

Suicide bombing: a tragedy in Manchester

Duct taped to the Wall, STEM club does it all

By Maddie Galligan ’18

What better way to raise money than to have students pay to duct tape a teacher to a wall? The STEM club’s Wall to Wall fundraiser gave students the chance to do just that: taping club adviser Ms. Wall to the cafeteria wall during lunch on April 25.

“I don’t think there’s any other teacher that trusts their students like I trust mine with something like allowing them to duct tape me to a wall!” Ms. Wall said.

Rolls and rolls of tape of different colors and patterns were cut up into 1 meter pieces and sold by the piece to stick to Ms. Wall. The Wall to Wall fundraiser was first organized last year, and the STEM club has kept it up because of its huge success. The fundraiser’s goal was to raise money to help fund remodeling the courtyard and making it more appealing for students to spend time there, according to

STEM club president and junior Grace Pagano. This year, the STEM club raised $70 from their efforts, and though they technically fell slightly short of their goal, members said they are still happy with the outcome.

“We’re putting the money toward our native plant sanctuary,” Pagano said. “The sanctuary will have all different kinds of flowers and plants that are native to New Jersey and will be located on campus. We’ll use the money to buy seeds, plants, soil and other tools required for maintenance.”

This fundraiser in particular is more successful than others done in the past. “We generally profit more with this fundraiser because it’s very different,” Pagano said.

“Ms. Wall has a lot of students who love her and would love to spend money taping her to a wall.”

Students who aren’t in STEM club also show their support in the fundraiser. “This is one of my

A suicide bombing killing 22 occurred on May 22 at the Manchester Arena in London.

22 year old Salman Ramadan Abedi was identified as the attacker after detonating an explosive at the arena’s exit.

According to the New York Times, the attack was recognized as the deadliest attack in the UK since the London bombings on July 5, 2005.

Through the investigation, the British police have identified a car that could be “significant” to the bombing. The white Nissan Micra was located in the center of Manchester and is being scrutinized by detectives for possible relation to the bombings.

Paris climate accord policy causes backlash

Photo by Alexa Dratch

Members of the STEM club load on the duct tape as Ms. Wall looks on.

favorite fundraisers that I see in school,” junior Bailey Schuster said. “It’s pretty funny seeing a teacher taped to the wall. My friends and I always buy a piece of tape from them.”

Because of its success, the club

members said they plan to continue doing this annually in the future. It’s a fun way to raise money for school improvements, and with a name like Wall, they said, it’s hard to resist taking advantage of the opportunity for a great pun.

According to the New York Times, a group of 30 mayors, three governors, more than 80 university presidents and more than 100 businesses are negotiating with the United Nations despite Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

U.S. companies and city representatives are in the process of making a plan to meet the United States’ greenhouse gas emission goals.

Under this accord, greenhouse emissions will be cutdown by almost 26 percent.

Since the 2015 accord, there are 195 countries committed to this effort.

Opinion

June 2017 Issue 6

Science cannot be ignored

In one of the Trump administration’s most sharp policy reversals yet, the US exited the Paris Climate Accord on June 2. In a speech from the Rose Garden, President Trump called the 2015 pact a “draconian” international deal that imposed unfair environmental standards on American workers and business.

The decision to abandon the Paris Climate Accord is not only a rebuke of heads of state, corporate executives and members of Mr. Trump’s own staff, but a denouncement of broader scientific truth.

While Trump has a long history of climate change denial, the administration’s attitude toward energy and environmental precautions is more emblematic of an overarching politicization of science, which is inherently nonpartisan.

Despite overwhelming climatological consensus, repudiation of man-made climate change remains alarmingly common among American politicians as well as their constituents. Although some climate skeptics simply lack the knowledge to take an educated stance, for many, that skepticism stems largely from political association.

The rejection of climate change is not just incompatible with the basic tenets of the science on which it relies, but discordant with reasonable political discourse. Climate change is a singular issue; while it has implications on various realms of American enterprise, these implications exist regardless of political affiliation.

Climate change is not about Democrats nor Republicans, but about a collective human entity. The widespread condemnation of Trump’s recent action from political leaders, business executives and environmentalists around the globe only substantiates that fact.

Earth’s current planetary health undoubtedly propels America into a new era of technology, but that impetus has the potential to revolutionize the era. Environmental innovation harbors unquantifiable potential; America cannot let partisan politics obscure that opportunity.

Staff Editorial

The Wessex Wire The Official Student Newspaper of West Essex High School A Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Paper 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 (973) 228-1200 ext. 258 2017-2018 STAFF: Managing Editor & Special Projects Editor Chris Tsakonas ’18

Editors-in-Chief Daniel Laible ’18 Michael Sessa ’18

Art Director

Alexa Dratch ’18

News Editors Maddie Galligan ‘18 Grace Irwin ‘18

Opinion Editors Emily Johnston ‘18 Danielle Tabatneck ‘18

Photography Editors Ally Schachtel ‘19

Features Editors Alyssa Cristobal ’18 Jordan Flusser ’19 Caroline Quinn ’19

Arts & Culture Editors Sara Amil ‘18 Dylan Lepre ‘19 Junior Editor Hayley Brener ’19

Online & Social Media Editors Melanie Montesdeoca ’18 Shaun Goodman ’19

Sports Editors Michael DiGiacomo ‘18 Heath Kalb ’18 Quinn Delehanty ‘19

Faculty Adviser Mr. Hermosilla

Illustrators Michael Sessa ‘18 Sofia Valle ‘18

Contributing Staff Monica Barker ’19, Josie Berger ’20, Lara Del Vecchio ’20, Amy Grunther ’20, Gabrielle Kesh ’20, Olivia Lieberman ’19, Hannah McCrone ’19, Chase Morrone ’20, Megan Osborne ’19, Frankie Rizzo ’19, Alex Rosenfeld ’20, Danielle Schwartz ’20, Samantha Spero ’19

The Wessex Wire Editorial Policy

The national-award winning Wessex Wire is published with supplemental updates to inform, educate and entertain the approximately 1,200 students of West Essex High School, faculty and community. Unsigned editorials are the consensus opinion of the editorial board and do not always reflect the views of the adviser, staff, administration and/or board of education. Signed editorials reflect the view of the person whose name appears in the byline.

The Wire serves as a forum for the expression of ideas and opinions of students, staff and community members. We urge readers to write letters to the editor on pertinent matters of concern. Letters must be signed; however, anonymity will be granted if necessary upon request. Members of the editorial board reserve the right to edit all letters to the editor for length or libelous content. Students, faculty or members of the community with an interesting experience or strong opinion on any subject are also encouraged to write or contact the Wire at thewessexwire@gmail.com.

Several photos in this issue are used under various Creative Commons licenses. For more info and full licensing details, visit creativecommons.org.

The Wessex Wire Page 4

Students should value being happy over well-roundedness

By Michael Sessa ’18

Intended to operate as a bridge between scholastic ambition and outside-of-the-classroom application, the idea of “well-roundedness”—the Wire found—is, for many students, emblematic of inauthentic education rather than a means of achieving academic and extracurricular balance.

While West Essex stresses the importance of student-driven ambition, a number of students speaking on the matter said they often felt torn between pursuing a passion and making enrollment choices that might appear more beneficial on a college application.

Though classifications vary, well-rounded students typically participate in a collection of in and out-of-school activities meant to demonstrate competency, ability and dedication throughout differentiated disciplines.

Although these terms are often mutually agreed upon, controversy persists regarding their application. Frequently, students say, chasing the esteem of being well-rounded morphs into a pursuit of artificial interests struggling to meet the precepts of an ideal college applicant.

Guidance counselors Ms. Van Syckle and Ms. Cherny both said that students should not feel pressured to take courses purely to bolster a college application.

“We don’t promote ‘looks good on your resume,’ ” Ms. Van Syckle said. Well-roundedness, she noted, is more about finding balance than meeting expectations.

“Somebody else’s expectations are out of your control,” Ms. Van Syckle said.

Ms. Cherny echoed the importance of that balance, saying that she does not want students “to be somebody else.” “[The guidance department helps] students embrace their interests,” she said. “Don’t do it because you should do it; do it because you want to do it.”

Many students said, however, that the drive to pursue what is important to them is often marred by an educational culture that nurtures outcome over experience. Junior Samantha Luk said she ended up in a senior physics class solely for its implications on her college application.

“If I didn’t take physics, I could have taken something that I really wanted like AP music theory or forensic science—I have wanted

Illustration by Michael Sessa

to do that since middle school,” Luk said.

“High school is a time where you’re supposed to venture out and explore what you love,” Luk said. When it comes to scheduling, however, Luk said there is often pressure to give precedence to classes that are said to read well on college resumes.

That stream of thought—abandoning personal interests in favor of practicality—was prevalent among many other students.

Junior Sara Kalb said that while “we shouldn’t have to” cede passions for the purpose of academic eligibility, “in reality, we need to.”

In an educational landscape defined by grade point averages and test scores, students find it challenging to establish when embracing those interests is advantageous and when those interests might be placing them at a disadvantage.

When asked about the burden and stress of achieving the dubious balance between academia and extracurriculars, Ms. Van Syckle suggested that pressure comes from exterior forces or self-imposed expectations rather than from the actions or tendencies of the school.

“I hope that doesn’t come from us,” Ms. Van Syckle said.

Furthermore, both Ms. Van Syckle and Ms. Cherny emphasized the consequential role academics play in the college application process. Ms. Van Syckle noted that academic performance can contribute to 75 percent of an admission decision and Ms. Cherny stressed the importance of creating a “robust resume.”

The terms of this balance can, quite honestly, feel nearly impossible to achieve.

The duplicity of well-roundedness—mandating academic and

individualistic achievement in congruence—creates a dizzying haze of expectations.

If it is possible for college preparedness and the pursuit of a passion to happily coexist among the confines of curricula, that message is certainly getting lost.

“Individuality is pretty hard to achieve when you’re hyper aware of the expectations of prestigious schools,” Kalb said.

While the origin of this expectational failure remains in contest, the psyche of the student body does not. Many students still feel constrained by the edicts of resume-building, and some find themselves fighting a losing war of passion against practicality.

“If you forget that you’re a college applicant first, and a person second, you’re already behind,” Kalb said.

Although West Essex’s socioeconomic climate favors high expectations, those expectations must be tamed with realistic standards for success. The pinnacle of the well-rounded student may very well be a beacon of achievement and ability, but it is unavailing if it obscures the opportunity to embrace personal strengths.

Opportunity, Ms. Van Syckle said, must always be informed.

The school provides choice, but guides students in a direction that is most advantageous for them.

“Everyone should have the choice; not everyone should choose it,” Ms. Van Syckle said.

While fostering practicality is undeniably the role of schools, tonal improvements are needed when it comes to bridging the gap between personal happiness and the expectations of others.

Practicality should not have to usurp passion.

June 2017

Page 5

The Wessex Wire: Opinion

Move-Up Day keeps students afloat Students take advantage of this day to be prepared for the future school year.

By Gabrielle Kesh ’20 West Essex gets an exciting glimpse into the future on Move -Up Day. Anxious eighth graders take their first steps into high school while seniors take their last steps out. Students receive their new schedules, meet their teachers and find friends in their classes.

Teachers are given 10 minutes to explain their course before the bell cuts them off. In all of the madness of Move-Up Day, it’s easy to overlook how beneficial the whole process actually is. It is a great

process that works positively, and the spirit of the day gets students excited for the next school year.

Move-Up Day makes the transition to the following school year an easier process. Finding out our classes and teachers for the next year relieves school stress.

Knowing what classes I have before summer allows my time off to be relaxing. If there was no Move Up-Day, school would constantly be on my mind during a time period where I am supposed to be on a break. I am not alone in the sentiment that I would be more anxious and nervous without Move-Up Day. “It helps me prepare for what my schedule will be like,” freshman Francesca Apito said. “If I found out my schedule on the first day of school, I would be completely overwhelmed.”

The day supplies students with the opportunity to fix messed up schedules as well. The insight received from it allows students to decide what kind of schedule will help me succeed. Students are not usually thrilled with their original schedules, therefore, Move-Up Day allows the student to make any necessary changes.

“If I have any scheduling issues, Move-Up Day is a great opportunity for me to fix them before I get back to school,” junior Danielle Kohler said.

Move-Up Day is not a common day that many other schools take part in for their students. For almost a decade, allowing a day dedicated to giving students their schedules has been very successful.

Giving people the opportunity to have insight on their future classes is a helpful and enjoyable process.

I have another idea that could benefit the students of West Essex positively, like Move-Up Day has.

A day for students to try different electives and find which one suits them best would be beneficial. It would be easier to choose electives with a better understanding of the class. This year I picked electives based on what I thought sounded good, but had no idea what I was actually in for.

In all of its chaos, Move-Up Day is very effective and makes the start of the school year an easier transition. It calms students’ nerves and makes scheduling issues more convenient to fix. If we incorporate the idea of this day into other aspects of West Essex, more students will find themselves looking forward to school events. Moving into a new school year is hard, but this day makes it easier.

How did you feel about PBAs this year?

By Chase Morrone ’20

“I wish the deadlines were extended.”

Jimmy Zhang ’19

“They’re all crammed and we don’t have enough time to finish them.”

Alex Notte ’18

Photo By Alexa Dratch

A student studies for multiple AP exams in the school library.

AP exam attendance policy deserves revision

By Grace Irwin ’18 For some students, the first two weeks of May are the most relaxing as we approach the peak of spring weather—but for others, these two weeks are known as AP hell week. After countless days running on minimal sleep and cramming for the biggest tests of the year, by the end of any AP exams, all you want to do is go home, burn your hundreds of flashcards and flop onto the couch for the next decade.

At West Essex, during the weeks of AP exams, students head down to the multi-purpose room (better known as the wrestling room) or the study hall of room 514 to take their exams while the rest of the school continues on in a regular school day. The bell system is turned off to avoid disruptions, but AP students taking the exam

are expected to return to class and continue on with instruction once finished with the two or four hour test. Or alternatively, students will pull their way through morning classes and then head into an afternoon AP testing session.

E ls e w here in Ne w Jers e y and across the country, however, schools, including Mountain Lakes, Chatham and West Morris, allow their AP students to come into school and leave after their exams, or come in late if scheduled for an exam later in the day. This is excused, giving them a chance to review the material or relax. This policy seems most fair and is well deserved for the students taking these exams. If half-days are given during midterms, why should this be any different for AP exams?

“Some people are in a lot of AP classes and really need the free time during the day,” said Evin

Lathrop, who took six AP classes this year. “It is unfair that we are expected to return to class and do more work. We should be able to go home and decide how to use our time.”

Student Council members and students came together to review the current policy but this did not come to pass.

“The administration physically cannot condone missing class by allowing excused absences, so we tried to make up for it by giving an excused lunch period after a morning exam,” Junior Class President Julia Schmulewitz said.

I propose that students should continue to talk to teachers, parents, and the administration about the idea of excused absences for students during AP exams. Some may bring up the issue of busing and the dismissal of the rest of the school, if transportation is an

issue for some, they can simply be administered a study hall for the remainder of the day, the equivalent of being excused early.

It should be simply put that students can be signed out or check in late excused the day of their designated exams. Most students come in only for their exams anyway, so this proposed policy would allow them to do this without penalty.

For now, it is said that the current policy cannot be changed, but with enough support from students and parents, the policy eventually will be overturned. Get together, and get talking; start a petition, express your opinions to the board and keep the conversation alive. AP exams deserve the same scheduling as midterm exams, as these exams are arguably of equal or greater importance.

The push for change needs to continue.

“I really liked how they were spaced out and the amount of work.”

Pat Coyle ’18

“Definitely a lot of hard work, and difficult to stay on top. If you let them fall back, they’ll hit you hard.”

Luke Dignazio ’19

June 2017

Page 6

The Wessex Wire: Opinion

School and parents’ worries over TV aren’t necessary Information provided to parents suggests to monitor the sensitive topics their children are being exposed to.

By Danielle Tabatneck ’18 An email regarding the new TV series on Netflix called “13 Reasons Why” has been sent out on April 27 to parents of the school district with the intended goal to increase parental awareness over what their children view on TV and to be in tune with the interpretations sensitive teens may get from the series “13 Reasons Why.” The show tells the story of a high school girl who commits suicide and sends out 13 tapes explaining her reasonings behind why she took her life. The tapes are then sent to the 13 people who she at-

tributes to her death. Some adults are concerned that if insecure teens watch this show, they will interpret the main character’s actions incorrectly and take it to heart.

This “warning,” passed along from NJ’s Youth Suicide Advisory Council, simply gives the impression that parents should look to stop their children from watching shows relating to any dark or gloomy topics. It is understandable why parents think it is best to keep their children from viewing shows regarding topics like suicide, but it is good for people to be exposed to information that they typically do not want to learn about.

Adults are under the impression that if TV shows or certain topics appeal to teens’ emotions, that they will always take it negatively.

However, learning about how the world works and about uncomfortable topics is simply a major factor of growing up and becoming mature.

Being teenagers, we are begin-

More on “13 Reasons Why” on page 12: Does “13 Reasons Why” glorify suicide or start a conversation about it?

Read two opinions on the show to find out more. ning to be exposed to certain aspects of life that are new and different. Even though adults may think differently, this is a good change that helps teens grow as people and gain their individuality when it comes to the way they think and the knowledge they are informed about.

We are meant to experience the world to see and learn beyond what is taught in a classroom on our own terms. Learning more and being exposed to more, even from a TV show, contributes to teens’ understanding about the world overall.

Parents should be involved in their child’s life, but not to the

Photos courtesy of Netflix and Generation Bass (CC By-ND 2.0)

point where their children are being protected from harsh realities.

Censoring what students say, do and watch will contain everyone’s opportunities to learn about what they want.

Being kept in a sheltered bubble

of what adults want teenagers to learn will not lead to any growth as a unique individual. Teens need to learn and be aware of every aspect of life—the good and the bad—in order to fully understand the real world without a filter.

By Emily Johnston ’18

This generation wastes their youth when they should treasure it.

By Sara Amil ’18 Does it bother you when teens act like adults? There are many who are guilty of doing this, both around West Essex and the world.

Granted, it can be annoying to be thought of as younger than you are when you so badly wish you were older. Life may seem better once you graduate college, but is it really worth the hype?

Plenty of adults wish they could flip a switch and go back to their younger years, so why rush through them? There is an overwhelming push from social media to grow up sooner than you might be ready.

S ocial media constantly shows teenage celebrities maturing rapidly, and this influence is rubbing off on teenagers.

Kylie Jenner moved into a giant mansion, traveled the world and was a proud mother to multiple small dogs soon after she turned 18. Lucky B. Smith, a male model who recently turned 18, is now expecting a child with his 26 year old girlfriend. Call me crazy, but a girl buying herself a Range Rover for her sixteenth birthday

Photo by emily johnston

Juniors Danielle Candela and Sara Amil parked in Candela’s new BMW, her first car as a 17-year-old.

is a tad extreme, as YouTuber Amanda Steele did.

These influencers from social media may cause people to act older than they are, or it may be TV and movies. Truthfully, I’m unsure when or where it started, but I do know that it is something more prevalent today than ever.

Walking around the halls of West Essex, you can see that our lives are not too different from social media stars (except for our lack of children). Whether it be disrespecting teachers, students’ attitudes or being decked out in Cartier jewelry, students here seem to believe they are older

than they are. Maybe it’s just me, but these things seem a little intense for teenagers to have or be doing. Why rush through youth?

There are only so many years to feel young, and after you graduate, there is an insane amount of responsibility weighing down on you. That’s the truth.

No matter how stressed you think you are, I can promise you that it will only get worse as you grow up. With the amount of stress and pressure on me now, constantly wishing I could go back to my crayon days, I can only imagine how intense and difficult adulthood will be and wonder why anyone would voluntarily rush to get there.

“Roasting,” in the quasi-playful teasing sense, first became a concept at the Friar’s Club, an exclusive New York club where celebrities and comedians traded barbs with each other. Comedy Central then monetized the idea by having celebrity roasts where the public gets to watch washed-up celebrities laugh at each other. Then a revolution happened and the public latched onto roasts in the form of “roast circles” where friends poke fun at each other.

B u t n o w, r o a s t i n g h a s transformed into brutal statements poking fun at anything and everything.

While these jests are meant to be in good fun, students are vying to have the title “savage”—and this only comes from being nasty.

Savage roasts come from someone who does not care about what they say and are just being mean to be mean. Think of a mix between Blair Waldorf and Gordon Ramsey, multiply it by 10—and you have a savage roast. Examples are things such as “The sound of your voice makes me want to stick a needle through my tear duct.” These statements are meant to hit hard or dig at insecurities.

Being savage fills West Essex with insults at every corner.

Students could be doing common things such as wearing jewelry, but in order to be savage, people will mock them for wearing it. If everything one does can be mocked, is a roast even a harsh joke anymore or plain bullying?

Several students who have been roasted, whether it be online or in person, all shared the same sentiment: roasting is bullying.

Findings from a 2008 study by Dr. Thomas Ford and Mark Ferguson for Western Michigan University indicated that roasting has negative consequences at the psychological and macrosociological (society on a large scale) level, citing that it enforces negative stereotypes and prejudice.

Ford and Ferguson also said when social cues are present, the mind views jokes in a different light, taking on a fantasy mindset.

Often times with roasting (as the majority of roasts are sent online), the social cue of a joke is missing and one views the harsh words without a filter.

This causes the recipient to feel the full force of the joke and leads to a negative impact on them psychologically.

I’m not trying to sound like I can’t take a joke—believe me, I love roasting when it’s in a loving manner. But when people take it to a higher standard and just point at a random thing on a person, calling it a name and saying “roasted,” I cannot stand behind that. It is just not funny.

There is no point in making fun of someone without a cause. If a joke is meant to hurt, not help, one should reevaluate their values. To change roasting from poking fun at someone you love, to poking fun at someone you do not love fundamentally changes the practice from good to evil. And in doing so, people ruin the fun for all.

From left:“Tapes” by Generation Bass (https://flic.kr/p/9f3bfi)

TEENS: You’re not 30 years Your roasts hurt old, stop acting like you are

Features NO SPIN ZONE: Fidgets are out of control June 2017 Issue 6

By Ally Schachtel ’19 These days, instead of seeing kids glued to their phones, you can find them glued to their fidget spinners. The new toy has dominated the market and can be found in practically any convienence store you walk into.

The fidget’s popularity with students has led to some backlash —especially since many students have been using them as more of a toy and not a tool to help focus.

“It’s like having a phone out in class; they’re not doing anything to help the students learn or stay focused,” Assistant Principal Mr. Macioci said.

The toy was created to relieve stress and help kids with ADD, ADHD and autism. It allows the hands to keep moving, so an individual is able to focus more on what they are doing. According to the Chicago Tribune, the brothers who created the toy, Matthew and Mark McLachlan, have already made over $4 million in revenue.

The spinners are priced from as little as $4 all the way up to $45, with various types of metals and styles for purchase.

While there is not yet any science proving that fidgets help with

focusing on tasks, many students in the school feel that they help them pay attention.

“I forget that I am even using one after a while because I get so engaged in the class conversation,” sophomore Alexandra Gann said.

“I get upset when I come to school without my spinner because it is so much easier to focus when I am playing with one,” senior Nicole Leone said.

But many teachers and some students find them more of a detriment to student’s learning than an asset because of how distracting they can be.

“I do not feel that at the high school level fidget spinners are necessary,” biology teacher Ms. Careri said. “Students do not need them to maintain concentration and focus in their classes.”

“They’re pointless and have no use,” junior Anthony Sangillo said.

Administrators said that fidget spinners are considered a toy and banned them, but that hasn’t stopped students from using them.

These wild toys have spun their way right into the principal’s drawer. Apparently, in the middle school anyone seen using a fidget spinner is sent to the office for disciplinary action. Starting

in November fidget spinners were banned from all classrooms, studies and electives.

“There’s nothing wrong with the spinners if they are used with discretion,” middle school Principal Mr. Popat said. “We have found that our students do not yet know how to exercise such discretion in the classroom setting.”

While there is no hard proof yet, students say they see the benefit of fidget spinners for educational purposes. They allow students to focus and engage more in class without getting distracted.

“I used to sit in class and either zone out or look at my phone,” junior Bailey S c hu s t e r said. “But now that I play with my spinner I stay more engaged in the class discussion without getting distracted like I used to.”

The Wessex Wire Page 7

PHOTO BY ALLY SCHACHTEL

Fidget spinners have become a giant trend and have taken over classrooms throughout West Essex.

Seniors can’t get enough of college gear trends

By Olivia Lieberman ’19 and Samantha Spero ’19

Photo courtesy of Carly decker

Seniors Karly Blume (left) and Carly Decker show off their college apparel.

In the past, getting into college consisted of a cake and a few congratulatory hugs, but recently, the celebration has taken a new turn.

Students are now surprised with a setup of balloons, accessories and most importantly: clothes.

College clothes aren’t just normal T-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants anymore. They have become more and more creative, whether it’s with cool rips and cuts, zip ups, ties, laces, crosses or even stylish accessories.

On May 1, Decision Day, these clothes are showcased all over at West Essex. Whether decked out in fun leggings and cut up T-Shirts or beads and hats, the seniors showed their spirit through new clothes.

“I like how there can be new, different styles of college clothes,” senior Nicolette Waldron said.

“I don’t personally wear those

clothes, but a lot of girls seem to really like them,” senior Ralph Marotti said.

Not only do the seniors love getting cool new shirts, but the underclassmen also like the idea of fun, new styles of college clothing.

“I am literally picking my college based on if there’s cool clothes or not,” sophomore Mia DeMeola said. This new trend is not only found in West Essex, but also the entire country.

Syracuse University sophomore Remi Lubcher started her own brand, “Snipped and Styled,” that has gained almost 10,000 followers on Instagram. Lubcher’s designs have been seen in magazines such as Seventeen and Cosmopolitan, and have also inspired many other girls to start their own businesses.

A sophomore from the University of Florida, Gabby Finkel, has a company called Tailgate Tees by Gabby. Finkel offers fun and creative alternatives to

the plain, boxy T-shirts that college bookstores typically sell. This new trend is clearly spreading across the country, as more companies continue to pop up selling cool and trendy college apparel.

This trend has become so popular, students at West Essex have started their own businesses. Senior Carly Decker and freshman Gillian Wolf created their own Instagram called “C&G tees,” where they cut the shirts themselves. Among their many styles are zip up T-shirts and lace-up shirts, both of which are becoming a huge hit.

“It’s really cool watching my sister come up with new designs,” sophomore Ellie Decker said.

“They just started and already have over 100 followers, and they’re hoping to keep growing. My sister is hoping to bring the trend to Hofstra next year.”

West Essex students are really loving this new trend, and can’t wait to continue the fun styles next year.

Student-athletes spark new era June 2017

The Wessex Wire: Player Profiles

Page 8

Underclassman stars Ruvos return to We and shine on baseb

By Megan Osborne ’19 and Frankie Rizzo ’19

Will is a varsity athlete for the football and lacrosse team. He said that football was his number one sport this past season. Will finished the year with nine touchdowns and started at the linebacker/safety position on defense as a sophomore. His lacrosse highlights include two goals, two assists, 4 points and 30 ground balls. Will loves the feeling of playing under the lights on Friday nights against cross-town rivals. Sports changed him as a person because it showed him how to work as a team, he said, and he made tons of friendships throughout the way.

Name: Will perez Grade: sophomore Sport of Choice: football, lacrosse

Name: Jessica Coia Grade: Freshman Sport of Choice: Volleyball, Basketball, Softball

Jessica has already been on varsity for volleyball, basketball and softball. She ended her basketball season with 46 rebounds and 38 points. Her basketball team received the title of undefeated conference champions with a record of 13-0 and a record of 20-5 overall in the season. If Jessica could play a college sport, she said would choose basketball. Her volleyball season was also a success and she likes meeting people who share the same love for sports.

Name: Mike Ruane Grade: Sophomore Sport of Choice: Wrestling, Lacrosse Ellie has been a starting varsity field hockey player since freshman year. This year she was nominated as the Essex County Player of the Year. Ellie said she was the leading scorer with 37 points and as a Freshman, she scored 11 points. Her goal is to hopefully go to a Division 1 college for field hockey. Ellie loves playing field hockey and feels Coach Cosse’s team dynamic teaches the players leadership and how to be a good person.

Mike is a varsity wrestler and lacrosse player, but he prefers wrestling, where he is a two year varsity starter in the 120 pound weight class. He finished the season with a record of 19-9, placing third in the district and fourth in the county. He was injured early this year for lacrosse, but ended the season with two ground balls. He said he loves getting his hand raised after hard-fought wins. Mike loves the friendships he made during his sports career because it made him a stronger person.

Name: Ellie Decker Grade: Sophomore Sport of Choice: Field hockey

Name: Lindsay Fusco Grade: Freshman Sport of Choice: Soccer, Lacrosse Jack is a varsity midfielder for the Lacrosse team.

This past season he finished with 8 goals and 6 assists, totalling for 14 points. He also tallied up 11 ground balls on the year. His favorite part of the game is the fast paced play it brings. Off the field, Jack has an outgoing personality and loves to talk with others. He said lacrosse has changed him as a person because it taught him all types of competitiveness.

Lindsay has always loved playing soccer and lacrosse. This year she was given the opportunity as a freshman to play on varsity for both squads.

Lindsay has had a successful year as an athlete here at West Essex. In lacrosse, Lindsay scored 11 goals and her team made it to the sectional state finals, which was one of the team goals. Lindsay said she hopes to pursue her love for lacrosse and play in college.

Name: Jack Cerza Grade: Freshman Sport of Choice: Lacrosse

Junior brothers Max and Ben Ruvo transferred back from Seton Hall Prep.

By Quinn Delehanty ’19 and Jordan Flusser ’19

Right in the midpoint of the third marking period, when tests are piling up and classes are moving along rapidly, West Essex received two new students. Junior brothers Max and Ben Ruvo, who have spent their previous high school years at Seton Hall Prep, joined the West Essex student body and were able to adjust to a new school, schedule and team very quickly.

The Ruvos are not completely new to this environment. They grew up in North Caldwell and attended West Essex Middle School along with their triplet sister, Holly Ruvo, who now goes to Mount St. Dominic. They walked into a new-but-not-so-new school already knowing many familiar faces.

“It was hard to leave my old school, but I already had friends here from going to the middle school,” Ben said.

“Everyone was really welcoming and the teachers were nice, which helped with the transition.”

West Essex is a very different school than Seton Hall Prep, especially since it is public and a co-ed school. They said it was exciting to be able to go to a school with girls after being strictly with boys all of high school.

Aside from having familiar faces around the halls, Max and Ben were quick to join the West Essex baseball team, a sport they are both very passionate about.

Injuries affected their plans to play at Seton Hall, they said, so coming to West Essex was an opportunity for them to continue playing.

“I got a call from someone who used to coach them saying that they were thinking about coming back to West Essex and it was probably a week or so before they came, so it all happened pretty quick,” varsity baseball Coach Johnson said. “For a tough situation, they’ve handled it very well.”

The Ruvos agreed that being a part of a team was most helpful in their transition to the school. “It helped create a bond with some of the students and Coach Johnson has helped a lot with the process,” Max said. “We felt a part of the team and accepted early on.”

Both Max and Ben are standout players whether batting or playing in

the outfield, and have contributed a lot in a short period of time. Coach Johnson also said Max and Ben have had a great impact on the team through their skills and mentality.

“They are everything we would want and more,” Coach Johnson said.

“Forget the fact that they’re extremely talented, they dedicate themselves to the program, and are ‘I’ll do anything you need Coach’ kind of kids. They’re all in.”

The Ruvos have the second and third most hits on the team, closely behind senior Zac Balz.

They have two of the highest batting averages: Max with .475 and Ben with .432, elevating the level of play and success of the team greatly. Coach Johnson said that in his opinion, the Ruvos gave the team a leadoff batter (Ben) and a power hitter (Max).

“Any time that you can plug some-

“

Everyon really wel and the t were nice helped wi transition —Be

Max hitting a home run this season to help

a of WE sports with excellence The Wessex Wire: Player Profiles

June 2017

West Essex ball team body into the lineup the team is impacted,” Coach Johnson said. “And if that somebody has a twin that you can plug in as well, it definitley changes the whole dynamic.”

Their teammates embraced the Ruvos and did their best to make them feel welcome. “We were really excited to have them on the team,” senior Shane Smith said. “ They are both very talented players and have made a difference for us this season.”

C oming back to a new school is never easy and despite the stress of school and sports, the Ruvos have found their place in the West Essex student body.

“I hope to continue playing baseball collegiately because I’m not ready to stop playing yet and want to continue my career,” Max said.

Richards’ success leads to records and victories

By Heath Kalb ’18

ne was elcoming teachers e, which ith the n. en Ruvo

”

p his to their success this season.

Page 9

Photos courtesy of Max Ruvo

Ben looking to steal a base during a game this season.

Anyone walking the halls of West Essex who’s unaware of junior Reanda Richards should get used to her name—because they could be walking the halls with a future track-and-field Olympian.

Richards put her name on the map at the Penn Relays in late April when she came in third place in the 400m hurdles. She amazed and dazzled spectators as she proved to be one of the fastest high school female runners in not only the state, but also the country.

Richards attributes her success to the practice she puts in six days a week throughout the year.

“My passion for running and hard work seemed to pay off that day and I hope it continues into the future,” Richards said.

Richards developed her love of running while growing up in the small dual-island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, where she was surrounded by runners, including her older brother.

Unfortunately, his brief yet successful track career came to an end after an injury.

Richards will be representing Saint Kitts and Nevis in the world under 18 championships for track and field in Kenya this summer.

Her accomplishments aren’t limited to the 400m hurdles; she considers herself a middle distance runner and has unprecedented success in multiple events. Since she moved here with her family two years ago, Richards has claimed eight school records to her name.

These records include the 4x400 meters, the 400 meter Intermediate Hurdles, the Long Jump and the Sprint Medley (200, 200, 400, 800), in which Richards ran the 800 meter anchor leg. In particular the Jump and the Sprint Medley team including Richards set a meet record at The New Balance National Championships and therefore are the reigning national champions.

Long time varsity track Coach Emering had high praise for the rising senior he playfully nicknamed the “St. Kitts killer.”

“She has zero ego and is very coachable,” Coach Emering said.

“She was able to adapt and thrive here at West Essex even after recently moving here from a dif-

Photo courtesy of Mr. Emering

Richards hurdles her way to victory against some of the top competitors at her age level and event in the region.

ferent country.”

E m e r i n g s a i d h ow a f t e r Olympian Sydney McLaughlin, from Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, Richards is shaping up to be the next biggest name in the state for female track and while it may be astronomically hard to qualify for the Olympics, Richards has a legitimate chance.

In addition to her coaches, Richards teammates also enjoy their time running track with the star.

“Reanda might seem shy but she really is funny and nice and probably one of the hardest workers I know,” junior Christina Cammarata said.

Richards’s 4x400 teammate, junior Alexia Perez, felt fortunate to be her teammate in relay events.

“She helps us with our relay times and makes us all look better because she’s so fast,” Perez said.

Richards feels the same way about her teammates and is appreciative to be on track with them.

“I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such welcoming and talented teammates,” Richards said.

“They’ve made my time here very enjoyable.”

Richards’ achievements have garnered a great deal of attraction from colleges across the country.

“I get letters from colleges all the time, as well as coaches coming to see me essentially every time I run,” Richards said. “All of the attention brings pressure because I have to start looking into my future and what I really want.”

The coaches and players around Richards are expecting another great year next year with her being one of the leaders of the team.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she keeps breaking more and more school records through next year” Mr. Emering said.

Richards is grateful of her time here at West Essex and hopes to continue adding to her already illustrious high school track and field career.

June 2017

Page 10

The Wessex Wire: Features

Ninja Warrior takes course head-on

By Dylan Lepre ’19

Tyler Behrle pulls himself along the peg board, a notoriously difficult obstacle in the Ninja Warrior community. Sweat is already dripping down his forehead. With a final heave, Tyler completes the obstacle, officially winning the 2017 Junior National Ninja League.

For the past two years, Tyler has been involved in this type of crash course known as a Ninja League. Popularized by the TV show “American Ninja Warrior,” the course has taken on a life of its own with different gyms that create their own courses for young “ninjas” to take on.

Tyler remembers the exact moment he realized he wanted to take on the courses.

“It started out on the G4 Network and it aired one day right before Christmas right before winter break,” Tyler said. “I sat in my basement with my mom and I realized that I loved it.”

The next step was to begin training. Purchasing a cheap set of pull-up bars and attaching them to his doors got him started. From there he slowly expanded to different kinds of training that involved agility and upper body strength.

However, for Tyler, the grand achievement in terms of training was the building of the obstacle course in his backyard.

“I was watching season seven of the show and they did a back story on one of the competitors who had his own course in his back yard,” Tyler said. “I turned to my dad and

Sophomore Tyler Behrle works hard to train and master many different types of courses to prepare for competition.

asked if we could build one. He said sure.”

From there, Tyler began competing. His first competition was at the Brooklyn Zoo. He thought that he would be seeing courses from the show. Instead, it was much different than he could imagine.

Tyler continued to get better and better leading him to eventually compete in the Junior Championship. He did not finish the course, but completed more than anyone else crowning him the winner. However, to Tyler, the Ninja Warrior community is not just about competing: it’s a family.

“The whole Ninja Warrior com-

munity is really built around helping each other out,” Tyler said.

One example is Ninja 4 a Cure, a foundation for breast cancer created by one of Tyler’s friends, was embraced by the Ninja community and promoted by many people who were on the show itself.

“He made a bunch of shirts and all the money for the shirts went to breast cancer,” Tyler said. “It’s a really great cause.”

In addition to Ninja Warrior, Tyler also played freshman baseball last year and continues to play for West Essex as a catcher. Michael Dibartolo is one of the many who admires the work ethic that Tyler

Photo BY ALLY SCHACHTEL

always brings to the table.

“He is a nice kid who is always putting in extra reps,” Dibartolo said of Tyler.

One of Tyler’s fellow Ninja Warriors, Zach Day, has kind words for Tyler: “He’s an outgoing and excited kid.”

Tyler, himself, said he believes that participating in Ninja Warrior competitions has made him a better baseball player as well.

“I can throw farther than ever before and have more endurance,” Tyler said.

Being a Ninja Warrior has changed Tyler’s life in more ways than simply athletics. He has be-

come a happier person and wants other people to get involved in this rapidly growing community and sport. He even has advice for those interested in joining Ninja Warrior.

“Try it. Get in there and try it,” Tyler said. “Reach out to people who do this. Before I started I was watching ninja videos on YouTube.

There was some YouTuber who had a backyard course and I emailed him and he gave me tips for the course. It just helps to reach out to those in the community already.”

Tyler plans to continue his journey to get onto the TV show. In the meantime, he’s enjoying the climb to his goal.

Wong said.

Another standout trick is one he performed recently on a group of seniors. Wong asked someone to pick him up and to make sure everyone could see his legs were fully off the ground.

After they put him down, he told them to once again pick him up, but this time they would not be able to.

“I looked him in the eye just for a second, and then I told him, ‘OK, you can pick me up.’

With all his strength, he tried to pick me up, but my legs and feet just stayed on the ground,” Wong said.

Wong performs in the hallways between classes, at lunch and anytime he can for anyone who is willing to participate. He has gathered crowds, and when he performs a trick every single person is engaged and left feeling like they were just at a show.

“When I see him I’m like, ‘Woah, that was cool! How did you do that?’” sophomore Billy

Garofalo said. “He will come up to me in the hallway when I’m least expecting it and just do something completely insane.” ¨It’s crazy what he can do,” freshman Alexa Devlin said. “I really don’t understand anything about his magic. All I know is that it gets me every time.”

Even teachers are amazed at what he can do.

“He has a lot of talent and his tricks are very impressive,” teacher’s aid Ms. Buonomo said.

Wong hopes that he can eventually make a career out of his magic. It is something he has wanted for as long as he can remember and something that he is willing to work toward. Just like athletics, academics or music, magic is a skill that requires practice and concentration and can fulfill people’s dreams—just like Wong himself.

“If I could, I would love to travel all over the world,” Wong said. “And by doing magic, I can achieve my goal.”

Wong wows the school with magic

By Caroline Quinn ’19

Sophomore Jordan Wong shows off his tricks to other students.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER BEHRLE

A lot of people know the kid who does magic around the West Essex halls, but not everyone knows who he actually is. Sophomore Jordan Wong is the man behind the magic, and he never fails to blow people’s minds. His tricks range from simple to over the top, and he has performed them for students and teachers of all grades leaving them in awe and earning himself the reputation of the high school’s very own magician.

Wong has been doing magic for four years. He learned his tricks from books and DVDs, along with learning from different people that he has met.

He has also taught himself and created tricks of his own.

Wong’s favorite trick is called “Here Then There.”

“It’s a card trick where I place your chosen card into your hand, and it suddenly appears in my hand, which is above your hand,”

June 2017

Page 11

The Wessex Wire: Features

WE history is a little sketchy

By Alyssa Cristobal ’18

PHOTO from google maps

Mapping out the 2016-17 school year

By Olivia Lieberman ’19 and Samantha Spero ’19

Trump Election 40°52’27.7”N 74°16’09.9”W

Lip Dub 40°52’28.7”N 74°16’06.2”W

Leading up to the 2016 presidential election, everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats awaiting the nation’s next leader. Two weeks before the national election, West Essex held our own “mock election” in the cafeteria.

Students had the opportunity to vote on candidates for the president and vice president, as well as issues like the gas tax. A kooky pen was offered in exchange for student participation at the voting polls. The results were the same here and nationally: Donald Trump prevailed and won the majority of the electoral vote on Nov. 8. Many students showed their patriotism by participating and showing their excitement around school.

Streamers and glitter filled the air as West Essex held its first very own Lip Dub on Nov. 23. The video features popular songs, including “Classic” by MKTO and “Magic” by B.o.B., while the camera travels across the campus. The video films through the school, beginning with the auditorium and ending at the turf. It showcases the important aspects of West Essex, such as the school’s sports teams, societies and clubs. Of course the highlight of the video was Assistant Principal Mr. Macioci’s killer dance moves in the gym. For its first time ever, the Lip Dub was a success; students and staff all enjoyed watching the video on YouTube once the editing was done.

“The Little Mermaid” 40°52’25.9”N 74°16’10.3”W

Field Hockey TOC Win 40°52’19.7”N 74°16’02.6”W

Masquers at West Essex has always been a hit, but this year they exceeded expectations with their production of “The Little Mermaid.” Presented from March 9 to March 11, the auditorium was packed to the brim. When the cast sang “Under the Sea” and “Part of Your World,” the audience went wild. The childhood and broadway classic evoked feelings of nostalgia from the audience and kept everyone entertained. Some major cast members included senior Caroline Lanfrank as Ariel, senior Michael Gaccione as Eric, senior Kira Shababb as Ursula, senior Michael Gonzalez as Sebastian the crab and sophomore Elaina Ragusa as Flounder.

There were minutes left on the clock, but that didn’t stop the field hockey team from scoring the winning goal.

Playing against Eastern High School at Kean University, Senior Lia Sinisi shot the ball, and to the audience’s amazement, it went straight in. She got the stroke. The team ran to each other at the end of the game and embraced in a huge group hug, which was followed by tears and happiness. The girls knew in that moment that they were leaving that field with a win. The game ended with a score of 2-1. Along with the rest of the team, Sinisi celebrated the TOC Win on Nov. 18 with Coach Cosse and the entire West Essex community.

People talk; it’s human nature.

Through this, rumors spread.

Fact and fiction become blurred through the recycling of storytelling. The purpose of this column is to get to the bottom of any floating rumors; help everyone get a clearer view of how the world really works.

Welcome to Reality Check.

To begin our journey, let’s start at home base. Was WE sketchy? The Wire met up with sources who were at West Essex during its dark times around 2005-08.

“Physically [West Essex] was in the middle of construction,” biology teacher Ms. Dolce said.

She described cinderblock walls, exposed ceilings with visible wires and concrete floors. Socially, the school needed some work done as well. “Behavior wise, it wasn’t so great… The police were a pretty consistent presence here,” Ms. Dolce said.

“During an anthrax scare my friend’s backpack got blown up,” Physical education teacher and former student Mr. Logan said. When alumnus Jeff Kayzerman ’08 left his backpack on the sidewalk following hockey practice, the bomb squad was called in to perform a controlled detonation of the bag’s suspicious contents: a calculator.

The next day Kayzerman had a better excuse than “my dog ate my homework” as to why he couldn’t hand in his biology homework.

While detailed information could not be confirmed, Ms. Dolce alluded to another former student’s actions prompting a large scale lockdown in 2006-07. Mr. Logan remembers a SWAT team visiting the school when he was a junior.

Both Mr. Logan and Ms. Dolce said things started to turn around in 2007 when Assistant Principal Ms. Hoebee arrived. “When Ms. Hoebee got here she did a good job with handling the disciplinary issues with students,” Mr. Logan said.

Ms. Hoebee claims the introduction of immediate consequences established a proper classroom culture within the school. “It was very helpful in establishing that this is a school, not a social place,” she said.

It’s crazy to think our beloved West Essex could have been in such rough shape just a few years ago. Realize we are lucky we only perform fire drills once a month and our biggest construction issue right now is backed up traffic due to mural restoration.

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Arts Arts

Culture ‘13 Reasons Why’ creates conflict among viewers June 2017 Issue 6

The Wessex Wire Page 12

Show attempts to highlight hard truths about teen life

How series glorifies suicide as solution is problematic

By Hayley Brener ’19

By Danielle Tabatneck ’18

The Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” teaches an important message on how words and actions are powerful and can impact people.

The story lets people know that their actions have consequences and to treat everyone kindly.

Before Hannah killed herself and sent around the tapes, the students did not realize the impact they had on her. Leaving the tapes lets them know how they negatively affected her and helped them to potentially change.

“I liked the show because it taught a good message about how to treat people the way you want to be treated,” sophomore Kayla Bowie said.

Hannah leaves her tapes to show that everything people do and say will affect someone and can push them one step closer to hurting themselves.

Everyone fights their own battles that others are unaware of. No one knew what was happening to her so one little incident was all it took to finally push her over.

Some people believe she committed suicide for attention and that the show glorified suicide, however this was never the writers’ goal. The gruesome content makes suicide unappealing to people who are watching. The graphic scene

was meant to show real-life occurances—not to encourage it.

People who watch the show should be aware of suicide and also realize what Hannah was going through.

High school students can benefit from watching the show because it demonstrates that bullying cannot be ignored.

Others say Hannah blamed her suicide on the 13 people on the tapes. She wanted the people on the 13 tapes to know what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes.

They had no idea Hannah was suicidal. They learned to think twice before acting and realized that just because someone seems fine, it does not mean they are.

“Suicide is not often discussed but this show brought attention to it in an educational way,” junior Olivia Ranucci said.

“It was very realistic,” sophomore Ryan Rusignuolo said. “It made me realize how much others can influence someone else.”

“13 Reasons Why” takes this tough topic and presents it maturely for a high school audience.

Students should be aware of the negative impacts suicide can leave on others.

Hopefully, people will become more aware of their actions and how easily they can hurt someone.

Photo courtesy of krzysztof pedrys (Cc By-sa 2.0)

The show “13 Reasons Why” is a obsession for teens and has an intense and dark light to it. The show glorifies suicide and makes the choice of self-harm seem more of an option for people than it should be. Suicide is a part of reality that should be taken care of and shared to the public gently.

The show informs viewers about real-life situations they should be aware of, but in a way that does not encourage it. Specifically, the TV show includes real high school situations many students face revolving around bullying over social media. The main character, Hannah’s, reaction to the bullies was to commit suicide and leave tapes behind to inform the 13 people as to why it was their fault for her actions.

A problem behind this reason for her suicide is that many high schoolers can relate to her situations. Therefore, the show used common situations that teens are in today, but took the effects of this bullying to another level, since it is all pointed at one girl.

“The show was good, but it seemed to show suicide as a solution rather than a problem,” junior Gianna Gambino said.

Some thought the series should not have used these experiences as

a way of leading a person to make a life-ending choice.

The show did not take the topic of suicide seriously enough for some of its viewers, and instead comes across as confusing for the impressionable watchers.

Life lessons regarding treating others with respect and not taking others for granted take place, but Hannah constantly blames her death directly on people around her. This brings across the wrong message to sensitive teens who are watching the show. It portrays Hannah putting all of this guilt upon the shoulders of fellow teens, which is not the way to handle it.

The series tends to show the complex emotions characters have with Hannah’s death throughout every aspect of the show. The story’s dark tone of blame and revenge sends dangerous messages to viewers and leads them to continuously try to understand what and how the characters are feeling, without any direct answer.

“13 Reasons Why” can easily be interpreted poorly by teens who are not ready to be exposed to the ideas behind a young girl taking her life.

Suicide is a sensitive topic and needs to be emphasized with care, which the show did not because of the insensitivity it portrayed regarding Hannah and her life.

Trends surface as summer approaches “Tapes” krzysztof pedrys https://www.flickr.com/photos/redhand/1531547528/in/photolist/

By Amy Grunther ’20

Beach day trips. Sleeping until 11 a.m. Hanging out with friends all day. Summer is approaching and students cannot wait. But being the fashion lover I am, an aspect of the sunny season I cannot forget is the summer fashion.

Based on the clothes that stores are currently selling, fashion magazines are advertising and celebrities are wearing. It’s not suprising that these are some of the new trends for the warm weather.

While many types of chokers have been created over the years, the most popular of all will likely be the beaded choker. Many high school and college students have started businesses, such as Beads for Better and Summer Love Designs, where they sell these dainty and elegant necklaces for reasonable prices.

Unlike the harsh black chok-

ers that were in style last summer, beaded chokers give girls a soft look and are very easily customized.

Next up: off-the-shoulder tops.

It all started with cold shoulder tops, and then the trend graduated to shirts that fall completely off the shoulder.

Coming in all different styles, off-the-shoulder tops can be worn with shorts, jeans and just about everything. They give an outfit a more formal look without being uncomfortable or too dressy. They show off the collarbone and shoulders without being too scandalous.

A big clothing craze I have seen popping up all over lately is sheer tops. Lacey bralettes have been popular for some time now, but finding something to wear with them is often difficult. The sheer top is the perfect fix for this problem.

The tops are completely see-

through, making it easy to style with a bralette because the bralette is clearly seen. Because of how thin they are, sheer tops are perfect to beat the heat while still being stylish. Sheer tops can be worn in many different ways depending on a person’s taste.

While girls’ trends are talked about more often, guys’ summer trends cannot be overlooked. First made popular by Vineyard Vines, pastel shirts, shorts and pants have been trending for the past few summers, and I predict they will be very prevalent this season as well.

While many guys’ clothing can be drab colors, such as navy, black or grey, pastels give an outfit a summery feel and lighten up a guy’s look. These fun colors make a guys’ outfit appear vibrant and bright.

Sperrys are another trend that I predict will be very popular for boys this summer. With a similar

Photo courtesy of @Beads4better on Instagram

These chokers are one of the few new trends that are hot this summer.

look to winter moccasins, Sperrys have taken over the guy’s summer trend shoe scene. While still being very comfortable, Sperrys look formal and are ideal for any casual, yet nice event.

They are lightweight and perfect for humid summer nights. Coming

in all different colors, Sperrys match every outfit.

Whatever your favorite trend is, I think we can all agree that this summer promises to be both fun and the most fashionable one in years. So get out to those stores and pick up some of these new trends.

June 2017

The Wessex Wire: Arts & Culture

‘Bachelorette’ catches up with times Arts & Culture Commentary

‘Thrones’ gears up for intense finish

Drawing of Rachel Lindsay handing out her first rose.

airing for a long time with a single non-white lead, the public has not been shy in voicing their thoughts on the situation. An extreme case of this criticism was seen in 2012, when the show was sued for alleged racial discrimination, though the case was eventually dismissed by the judge.

Despite an obvious dilemma regarding the lack of diversity, show representatives dodge taking responsibility for the clear imbalance. In a USA Today article written in response to the announcement of Rachel Lindsay as the next Bachelorette, ABC Entertainment chief Channing Dungey claimed the problem stemmed from the lack of diverse candidates in the show overall. Because the next Bachelor or Bachelorette tends to

Illustration BY Sofia valle

be a runner-up or fan favorite, the article implies that this is what is to blame.

With the announcement of Lindsay as the newest Bachelorette, she feels as if the pressure is on to now maintain this balance. The newly named Bachelorette finds herself feeling an additonalweight on her shoulders An interview with “Hollywood Reporter” shows that Lindsay “faces the potential of breaking yet another franchise barrier if she were to pick a black man as her winner,” according to reporter Christina Schoellkopf, and is feeling pressured to do so.

This season is also supposed to be the “most diverse group of contestants seen since the franchise’s 2002 launch,” Lindsay said in her

“Women Tell All” interview on March 6, 2017. Lindsay also made it known that she has been given an overwhelming amount of support from the public.

The lack of diversity has not gone unnoticed, and people from all over support the show’s decision to be more inclusive.

According to US Magazine, “there has been a huge spike in casting” since the announcement of the newest Bachelorette. Once the show airs, it will be more obvious as to whether or not producers really did try and make casting more diverse or not.

Tune in to see ABC’s “The Bachelorette” making (very delayed) steps toward diversyfing throughout the majority of this summer’s Mondays.

Pall places in music history.

“It just reminds me of summer,” freshman Cameron Kinsella said.

“I felt like wherever I went down the shore I always heard that song.”

“Closer” may already be a dream for all our music lovers out there, but hearing it live at Coachella is definitely the fantasy they would kill for.

“24K Magic” (Bruno Mars, 2016) It seems every two years, Bruno Mars hits the jackpot. He earned a Grammy in 2012 for Best Pop Vocal Album, in addition to releasing “Uptown Funk.” His 2014 Super Bowl Halftime Show is the second-most watched in history, and he finished 2016 strong with the album 24K Magic. But the lead single of the same name is also not one to be ignored.

“My favorite summertime song is ‘24K Magic,’” freshman Bardhyl Gashi said. “That’s my go-to song right there.”

As Mars’s attempt at recreating the 90s R&B from his childhood, while also throwing in a modern twist, he succeeded in making a damn-good summertime jam.

West Essex’s favorite songs for beach days

It’s obvious that sunshine and music go hand in hand. The beach simply isn’t complete without it, and so here are some of the students’ picks.

By Alex Rosenfeld ’20 “XO TOUR Llif3” (Lil Uzi Vert, 2017) Kicking off our list is what’s been hailed as the greatest hiphop single of 2017 so far. Released Feb. 26, Lil Uzi Vert’s “XO TOUR Llif3” amassed millions of plays and heavy social media attention within hours, resulting in a successful commercial release.

“I love this song,” junior Matt Russo said. “It reminds me of the times I have with my summer friends doing stupid stuff.”

So far peaking at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, “XO TOUR Llif3” is Lil Uzi Vert’s highest charting single as a solo artist.

“Despacito” (Luis Fonsi ft. Justin Bieber, 2017) Justin Bieber is used to success.

His name practically drips with it. But JB now has a new accom-

SHOWS TO CATCH UP ON FOR SUMMER

By Dylan Lepre ’19

By Sara Amil ’18 Whether they watch it or not, the majority of West Essex students have heard of the television series “The Bachelor” and its spinoff “The Bachelorette.” The original show first aired in 2002, but in a combined 33 seasons since then, many viewers have criticized the show for a perceived lack of diversity. Since their inception, the two shows have only ever featured one non-white Bachelor, Juan Pablo Galavis, who was Hispanic.

It’s hard to believe that such a popular show has never featured a black lead. That is why many viewers were shocked when the producers announced Rachel Lindsay, an African-American woman, as the 2017 Bachelorette.

“I think it’s great that they picked her because I loved her in the last season and they needed to make a change about the diversity on the show,” freshman Tara Smith said.

In Januar y 2016, AB C Entertainment Group’s president Paul Lee said he “would be very surprised if the Bachelorette in the summer wasn’t diverse.” Lee must have been in for a shock that year, because the 2016 Bachelorette was Joelle Fletcher, a Caucasian brunette from the prior season.

Seeing as the shows have been

Page 13

plishment to add to his list: back to back number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

“I like ‘Despacito’ because it’s new and it’s almost summer,” senior Gab Rosamilia said. “I like the beat and how it’s English and Spanish, so I feel cool speaking a different language.”

“Despacito” is the first Spanishlanguage hit since 1996 to hit number one. Bieber’s other top hit of 2017 (alongside DJ Khaled), “I’m the One,” has slipped to number three.

“Closer” (The Chainsmokers ft.

Halsey, 2016) Released July of 2016, “Closer” is the summertime hit taken to perfection. The Chainsmokers and Halsey recieved Grammy nominations for Best Pop Duo/ Group Performance and became an instant classic. “Closer” cemented Andrew Taggart and Alex

“Ex’s and Oh’s” (Elle King, 2014) Released almost three years ago, Elle King’s debut single is showing no signs of age. Receiving two Grammy nominations and the honor of being multiple pissed off girlfriends’ ringtones, “Ex’s and Oh’s” is the definitive song for blasting while on the way to the beach. “‘Ex’s and Oh’s’ is the song me and my friend would listen to as we biked around down the shore,” sophomore Sammie Haas said.

So if you find youself with the convertible top down and the volume up, “Ex’s and Oh’s” playing on the radio, make sure you put some sunglasses on, don’t look back and enjoy the warm weather shining down on you.

“Body Like a Back Road” (Sam Hunt, 2017) Sam Hunt has been on a roll for the past two years with hit after hit. He returns this year with the head-nodding hit “Body like a Back Road.” A fun road song, it’s perfect for a long drive on the highway. It’s a song that will be stuck in your head all day.

Magic, battles, death: The king of TV returns for its second to last season. The show has been an absolute ratings hit since it debuted in 2011. This dark fantasy epic tells of the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos as many different houses vie for control of the Iron Throne, the monarchy of the country. It follows several characters including fan-favorite Daenerys Targaryen (played

by Emilia Clark) and Jon Snow (played by Kit Harrington) as they struggle to survive in their violent world.

‘Orange’ returns for next season

The hit Netflix show returns for its fifth season in June.

Continuing to follow the life of Piper Chapman as she navigates the prison life, the fifth season promises a return to the crazy cast of characters from previous seasons. The series has received multiple Golden Globe awards and Emmy award wins. It has been a huge hit for Netflix and was one of the shows that turned Netflix into a premier original series site.

‘American Gods’ off to strong start This has already been released (so not exactly a summer debut), but it’s so good it needed be on here. Adapted from Neil Gaiman’s book of the same name, this show focuses on an impending war between the Old Gods of ancient mythology and the new Gods like Media and Technology.

Featuring pitch-perfect casting in line with the descriptions from the book and a weird, enjoyable story, this TV show is already a hit that will run weekly throughout the summer.

On thewessexwire.com make sure to check out more reviews of “The Inhumans” and “Preacher”

June 2017

The Wessex Wire: Arts & Culture

Page 14

Photos From marvel Studios, disney, Universal Pictures

New summer movies to watch out for

By Hayley Brener ’19

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (May 5) Peter Quill and his Guardians are working for the Sovereign, a powerful alien race, in order to protect their batteries from invaders. After they find out that Rocket has taken the items they were supposed to guard, the Sovereign send their armada to seek revenge.

From left: https://sonypicturespublicity.com/; http://pirates.disney.com/; http://www.themummy.com/; https://www.universalpictures.com/

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” (May 26) When deadly ghost sailors, led by evil Captain Salazar, escape from the Devil’s Triangle, Captain Jack Sparrow has little hope. The only way for Jack to survive is by finding the Trident of Poseidon which requires him to fake an alliance with a brilliant astronomer in the British Navy.

“Transformers: The Last Knight” (June 21) Optimus Prime is gone and humans are at war with the

Transformers. The secrets to saving the world is buried in the past and hidden in the history of the Transformers on Earth. An alliance between Cade Yeager, Bumblebee, an English lord, and an Oxford professor works to save the world.

“The Mummy” (June 9) Main character Nick (Tom Cruise) and his partner uncover an ancient princess who was buried beneath the desert. She wakes up in modern times and brings evil and hatred so strong no one can believe it.

“Everything, Everything” (May 19) Maddy, an imaginative 18 year old, is trapped in her insulated house due to an illness where she can’t go outside. Olly, the boy next door, will do anything to be with her. After only talking through texts and gazing through windows, they decide to risk it all to be together for just one normal day.

“Spiderman: Homecoming” (July 7) After his thrilling experience Peter Parker begins to embrace his new identity under the watch of mentor, Tony Stark. He tries to go back to his normal daily routine but his powers are needed and put to the test when the evil Vulture comes and threatens everything and everyone he cares about.

“Baywatch” (released May 25) This action-comedy film portrays lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (“The Rock”) and new lifeguard Matt Brody (Zac Efron) as they uncover a criminal plan which could put the bay at risk.

“Despicable Me 3” (June 30) Gru and his family return for a triqual where Gru and Balthazar Bratt, former child star, become enemies while Gru tries to stop Balthazar from dominating the world. In the movie, Gru also meets his twin brother, Dru, who he never knew about.

“The Dark Tower” (Aug. 4) Based on the acclaimed novels

by Stephen King, Roland Deschain is the last gunslinger in his world on a quest to reach The Dark Tower, the pinnacle of time and space, but finds this task difficult to complete. Along the way he confronts Walter Padick (Matthew McConaughey) and a young boy named Jake (Tate Taylor). The two form a bond, but he soon realizes that his journey to the tower is a solitary one and he might have to give up everything to complete it.

“47 Meters Down” (June 16) Sisters Kate and Lisa’s trip to Mexico was supposed to be fun and adventurous, however this proves not to be the case. After persuasion, they go diving in shark infested waters. Everything goes wrong when their cage breaks away from the boat, sending them to the ocean floor with a limited amount of oxygen. The two then have to face this issue and struggle to survive.

“Cars 3” (June 16) Legend Lightning McQueen is pushed out of the spotlight he grew used to when newer cars are getting more attention. This doesn’t stop him though. Lightning McQueen will do anything it takes to prove to the new cars that he is still the best.

“The House” (June 30) Scott (Will Ferrell) and Kate (Amy Poehler) are desperate to get money for their daughter’s college tuition after losing it all.

With help from friends, they start an illegal underground casino in their basement, but it was a lot more to handle than they originally thought.

“Dunkirk” (July 21) Taking place during the beginnings of World War II, this film depicts a true story where Germany goes into France to trap allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk.

The movie shows the soldiers’ attempted escape.

Say goodbye to Victoria’s Secret bikinis

The discontinuation of Victoria’s Secret Sales ruins swimwear for girls everywhere.

By Sara Amil ’18 and Ria Shah ’19 It’s no secret that there has been a devastating loss in the realm of bikinis; Victoria’s Secret has completely stopped the sale of their bikini line after the summer of 2016. With heavy hearts, teen girls everywhere trudge along to summer ’17 with a closet full of last year’s colors, styles

and patterns.

“I’m bummed out that they won’t be selling them anymore,” senior Gloria Hussain said.

Now that the famous brand is gone, where will girls find relatively cheap, but cute, bikinis? Sure, Triangl is an option — if you want to spend over $90 on a bikini plus a ridiculous Australian shipping fee and so is Kiini Bikinis— but don’t even get us started on these prices.

When did buying a simple bikini become such an expensive and complex matter?

After hunting all winter, there seem to be alternative websites that aren’t quite as pricey as Triangl or

Kiini, two other popular swimsuit online stores.

Moana or Midori Bikinis are two online brands that have both solid and patterned bikinis for those searching, but their prices are still not ideal. Moana Bikini charges $80 for just the top, and to purchase a set it costs around $120. These prices, while they are cheaper than some other places, are not exactly a steal.

“It’s insane because Victoria’s Secret has always been my go-to place and now it’s hard to find stuff online that’s good material and a price I can actually deal with,” sophomore Mary Fant said.

Then came the Instagram flurry of free bathing suits from Sunny Co., which was not only a major scam, but a chance of hope that once again ended in complete devastation. The situation resulted in a sad apology from the founders and a relentless amount of jokes from social media.

“Honestly, I knew the thing had to be a joke when I scrolled past it on my Instagram about 30 times in 10 minutes,” sophomore Denise Domerstad said.

Photo by Sara amil

When searching for swimwear this summer, Victoria’s Secret disappoints.

The scam was no surprise to those who saw the promotion, but it was still dissappointing.

Customers affected by the Victoria’s Secret situation felt this loss a little closer to heart, and discovered that the worst of their nightmares had come true because they now needed a new go-to store for cute bathing suits.

“It is annoying because I love Victoria’s Secret bathing suits,” junior Sarah Iannuzzi said.

Now, as the summer approaches, the search is on and there seems to be no end in sight.

After asking around, there is a sufficient number of places to hunt for cute bikinis this summer.

Everything but Water, Ripcurl, Bloomingdales and Pacsun are just some of the places you can look.

While these alternate stores are great, nothing will ever be able to replace the Victoria’s Secret bikinisized hole in the hearts of teen girls.

June 2017

The Wessex Wire: Sports

Westbrook solidifies his case for NBA MVP

By Michael DiGiacomo ’18

The race for the NBA’s coveted MVP award this year has been a dramatic back and forth battle between two outstanding performers, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Both players had extraordinary seasons by posting unimaginable, almost video gamelike stats in nearly every game they played.

Unfortunately, only one player can walk away with this respected title. However, just by viewing the stats alone, it’s clear that Westbrook is more deserving of being crowned this year’s MVP. Westbrook went into the 201617 season with a chip on his shoulder after his former teammate and 2014 MVP, Kevin Durant, joined the Golden State Warriors in the offseason. Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder gave up a 3-1 lead in the playoffs to the Warriors, which made the departure even more painful and personal. Durant decided to not tell Westbrook about his final decision before announcing it to the public. Everyone anticipated how Westbrook was planning to inflict vengeance on Durant and the entire league—but no one knew he’d achieve such greatness.

A player hasn’t successfully averaged a triple double since the 1961-62 NBA season. A triple double is achieved when a player records double digit numbers in three different statistics, while playing an exhibition game. For example, a player would need to have at least 10 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in one game to

earn this accomplishment.

Most players are lucky to do this once a year, but Westbrook set a record by accomplishing this feat an incredible 42 times. It was widely believed to be impossible for another player to obtain 40 triple doubles again.

The next closest player this season was Harden with a total of 22 triple doubles, which would have been impressive in almost any other NBA season. Westbrook acquired a triple double in more than half the playable games. Breaking a record that was considered unattainable and had been standing for 55 years earns Westbrook the respect for producing better individual performances than Harden.

You’d think Westbrook would be a shoo-in for the MVP award after breaking historic records, but there are more factors to the decision than just statistics.

Basketball is a team sport, after all; therefore, a team’s success at the end of the year is crucial for votes, since the most valuable player impacts his team’s final record. The Thunder finished the regular season as the sixth seed in the highly competitive Western Conference.

The Rockets would end up winning eight more games than the Thunder during the regular season, and would beat them four games to one in the first round of the playoffs. Some people believe Harden is automatically the better player than Westbrook and the clear cut candidate for the award, since the Rockets beat the Thunder in the playoffs. However, determining each player’s value based

“Westbrook” by erik Drost (cC By-ND 2.0))(flickr.com/photos/_aldu/2108741603/

By Dan Laible ’18 Many fans immerse themselves in the draft for months leading up to the draft, anticipating who will be joining their team in the next fall. These players will either help their team in the future or could become a bust in the eyes of their respective teams.

Best Picks: Chad Kelly (Quarterback) Denver Broncos: The final pick in the 2017 NFL Draft could possibly be the biggest sleeper this year. Selected to the Denver Broncos with the 253rd overall pick(Mr.Irrelevant), he is clearly not the 253rd best player in this draft based on what he showed

in his time at Ole Miss. If Kelly is able to prove he can stay healthy and consistent an entire season, he may be able to eventually become a valuable quarterback in this league.

Jonathan Allen (D-Line) Washington Redskins: This guy has the potential to be a game-changer for the Redskins and produce for them right away.

He was a potential top five pick and is a steal at pick 17. He can be one of the best players in the league in a few years and many teams may regret not picking him earlier.

Reuben Foster (Linebacker) San Francisco 49ers: Reuben Foster was perceived as the top defensive player on some boards at the end of the college football season. Though, many problems arose from a diluted drug test sample at the combine as well as getting kicked out after a confrontation with a hospital worker.

If Foster can clean up his act off the field, he will be a dominant player for the 49ers for years to come.

Spring Sport Overviews

Freshman girls lacrosse scores

By Heath Kalb ’18

Photo courtesy of Erik Drost (cC By-ND 2.0)

Russell Westbrook attempting a layup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

on the final score of a TEAM game would be improper judgement.

Each time the two played against one another in this year’s playoffs, Westbrook had the highest amount of points, rebounds, assists and steals a majority of the time. Harden only recorded more points than Westbrook twice and more assists only once out of the five times the two of them faced off. Even though the Rockets won the series, it’s clear that Westbrook outperformed Harden by posting triple doubles in four different games. The Rockets would end up losing in the next round of the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs in six games.

With a chance to keep the series alive, Harden was given the final possession of the game to score the winning basket. Unfortunately, his

shot would be rejected before the ball could even be released from his hands. This could have been a moment that would have created a greater story to Harden’s special season.Russell Westbrook had the entire NBA universe watching him this season and managed to perform under this immense pressure.

The public watched with prying eyes to see how the betrayal of his best friend and former teammate would impact his game.

He surpassed everyone’s expectations and transcended the point guard position in the NBA with his aggressive and dexterous style of play. Westbrook has clearly proven time and time again that he was the best player on any NBA court this season.

The best and riskiest picks of the NFL Draft Young and exciting players will get to join their respective teams this coming year.

Page 15

Risky Picks:

Evan Engram (Tight End) New York Giants: This was a very talented tight end class, and Evan Engram was one of the top players at his position. Many thought he wasn’t worthy of a first round pick and saw him more as a early to mid second round pick. The Giants also have needs at other positions they could have filled, like their O-line.

It isn’t that Engram won’t be able to help the Giants, as much as other positions of need they could’ve filled and better value players they could have taken.

CJ Beathard (Quarterback) San Francisco 49ers: Beathard was a good QB for the University of Iowa, but he won’t be able to keep up with all that the NFL will throw at him. With below-average arm strength and playing against teams with no complexity to their defense, it will be difficult for Beathard to make the transition.

Mitchell Trubisky (Quarterback) Chicago Bears: The Bears traded up one pick to grab Trubisky with the second pick.

They traded multiple of their own picks to move up to get this quarterback that the team they traded with(49ers) probably would not have even picked. Trubisky could turn out to be a franchise quarterback, but so far he is extremely unproven.

Wise Words: Coach Linsalato “If you give your best effort in anything that you do, you cannot lose.”

The freshman girls lacrosse team had a successful season winning 14 games and losing one. The team was dominant throughout the season as they won eight games by at least 10 goals. They also beat Westfield a score of 7-5 who consistently has a very impressive girls lacrosse program as coach Cappello puts it.

Cameron Kinsella shined on the field this season as she led the team with 62 goals, although Cappello said the team was well rounded and there were several impact players who contributed to the team’s success.

This was the best record in Cappello’s stint as the freshman coach and was impressed with his players’ performances this season.

“This is one of the stronger teams I have ever coached and I’m proud of what all the athletes accomplished this year” Cappello said.

The success of the freshman team has excited the whole program’s coaching staff as they feel they have three more years of success with the talented class of 2020.

“I think our programs future looks very bright,” Cappello said.

Baseball team hits a home run

By Chris Tsakonas ’18 The varsity baseball team finished 14-11 overall with a 10-6 conference record for the year. The Knights varsity baseball season came to an end on May 26, when they lost a playoff game to Roxbury 8-4. The highlight of the season came on May 23, when the Knights won a state sectional game at Old Tappan, 3-2.

“Winning the state game was huge for us,” Coach Johnson said. “It was a really big upset and it showed us that if you reach your potential at the right time, you can beat anyone.”

Offensively, the Knights were led by senior Zac Balz, who batted .456 and had 31 hits and 23 runs on the season. Juniors Ben and Max Ruvo also had a substantial effect on this year’s team, hitting .455 and .474, respectively. The Knights’ pitching was also solid throughout the year, led by Oliver Ortman (2.25 ERA) and Ian McLaughlin (2.69 ERA). David Kolesar led the team in strikeouts, recording 44 over the course of the season.

With the 2017 campaign behind them, the juniors seem poised to make even more progress next spring.

June 2017 Issue 6

The Wessex Wire Page 16

West Essex’s successful varsity spring sports

Golf drives their way to championship Softball hopes to bring success to next season

By Michael DiGiacomo ’18

The varsity golf team had a very successful season, placing 4th in a highly competitive SEC American Conference. The Knights finished the regular season 12-6 after facing some of the best teams in Essex County.

Squaring off against Seton Hall Prep, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Newark Academy, Millburn and Montclair proved to be a brutal schedule, but the players were still up for the challenge. Varsity Coach Regan was very pleased by the outcome of the season, considering all of the circumstances.

“Since moving to the American Division, our record in the division was sub .500,” Coach Regan said. “This season we had two very big wins over Livingston, Newark Academy, MKA (twice), and a very big win over the county, conference and Group 3 Section 2 winner, Millburn.”

The team was able to go a perfect 6-0 facing off with the conference teams by posting some very low scores. However, when asked about the highlights of the season, Regan mentioned other impressive achievements.

“The highlights of the season were qualifying for the state golf tournament on May 5,” Regan said. “With an 8-4 record at the time, we met the .600 winning percentage requirement to play in the Group II Sections I and II tournament at Bowling Green Golf Club in Oak Ridge,” he said.

On May 15. the team traveled to the State Sectional tournament and played on a cold and windy day.

It was not a greatest day to play

By Quinn Delehanty ’19

golf, but they fought through the weather hazards to post the lowest score in Group II Section II. “We waited for the scores to come in, it was becoming more apparent that we had a chance to win, Regan said. “When they announced us as the winner, it was the best feeling for the players who worked so hard to achieve their goal.”

Regan gave all the credit to the players for their efforts. Some of the team’s top golfers include Seniors Will Reif and Adam Scheckman. Reif is a four year letterwinner in golf and has played in every single match scheduled since his freshman year.

He won the MVP for the 2016 team, state qualifier as an individual in 2016 and the 2016 SEC American individual champion.

Will had the lowest average of any golfer over the last two years.

He made it to the First Team All SEC American Conference for the past two years.

Scheckman was another player on the team that had an honorable mention for the 2016 SEC conference, and may have a chance at another one. He obtained three year varisty letters for the golf team. Scheckman has been the solid #2 player on the team for the past two years. Adam was selected to 2nd team All SEC conference this year.

Due to the loss of all of the upper classmen to graduation, the 2018 West Essex golf team will experience some growing pains.

But with the solid foundation of players on the newly formed JV team, headed by new JV coach Semay and the golf team plans on developing players on the course and competing successfully again next year.

The girls’ softball team has had an incredible 2017 season. The team is archived by seven seniors who have created a strong bond over four years of playing together, record of 22-6.

The team is in a hard conference making their record that much more impressive.

After being predicted to go far the girls lost on May 26, ending their season. After making it to the sectional final, the girls lost to Old Tappan, getting down 5-0 in one inning.

The team has said and the chemistry from the friendships carries into the chemistry on the field.

“Our success is due to our positive attitudes and bond throughout the team” said sophomore Julia Vardiman.

The girls said they are willing to give their all for each and every member of the team every game.

The softball team spends almost every day of the week with each other. They have multiple games a week and when they are not playing in a game they are practicing.

It is a dedicated group of girls who are open to getting better every day.

In the county tournament the girls made it to the final on Saturday May 20th. They played an extremely tough opponent, Mount Saint Dominic and lost by a score of 3-0.

“We focus on one game at a time” said junior Lily James.

The girls spend the two hour game, focusing, giving all their time and energy to those moments

Boys Lacrosse

Girls Lacrosse

Baseball

Softball

Goals

Goals

Home Runs

Jake Evangelista - 25 Pat Dingwell - 11

Jordyn Thies - 57 Allie Weinstein - 52

Max Ruvo - 3 Oliver Ortman - 1

Home Runs

Photo courtesy of Brendan Huelbig

Senior Will Reif was the 2016 SEC American champion on the golf course.

Photo by Megan Osborne

Senior Amanda Garofalo catching a fly ball.

on the diamond.

“Overall we had an incredible time. The girls really bonded and got along.

Looking back at the four years, we’ve accomplished a lot,” Coach Mondadori said. Although this season may unfortunately be over, the underclassmen say they are excited to prepare for their 2018 season.

Student-athletes lead teams in their respective statistics

By Dan Laible ’18 Stats are always a big part of the game and many student-athletes strive to gain as many statistics as possible. Though it is not the entire part of the game, these stats contribute to their team’s success.

Athletes such as Jordyn Thies, Max Ruvo and Bridget Betley contrivute greatly to their team and are leaders in many stat categories.

Though many of these athletes are seniors and will be graduating, there are new exciting young players coming up.

Assists

Assists

Pat Dingwell - 14 Zack Kearney - 11

Allie Weinstein - 16 Julia Russo - 13

Ground Balls Tommy Drago - 51 Will Perez - 30

Points

Jordyn Thies - 68 Allie Weinstein - 68

Julia Vardiman - 4 Gemma, Huetter, Rodriguez - 2

Runs Batted In(RBI) Runs Batted In(RBI) Max Ruvo - 23 Zac Balz - 20

Alexa Vardiman - 28 Madison Gemma- 23

Hits

Hits

Zac Balz - 38 Max Ruvo - 35

Alexa Vardiman - 36 Julia Vardiman - 33