The Wessex Wire (March 2018)

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

Vol. LVIII No. 3

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

TheWessexWire.com

March 2018

Alumnus makes history as N.J. attorney general Gurbir Grewal, Class of ’93, is the first Sikh American to hold title in the country.

By Maddie Galligan ’18 Governor Phil Murphy appointed West Essex graduate Gurbir Grewal as New Jersey’s attorney general, and he is the first Sikh in American history to fill this position.

Grewal, the son of Indian immigrants, is also the first south-Asian attorney general in the state of New Jersey.

“I think it sends a powerful message that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like in this country, because you can be part of the government, you can be part of institutions, you can give back and you can succeed,” Grewal said. “That’s just the beauty of the country we live in.”

Despite having come this far in his career, Grewal faced many hardships in order to achieve his current position.

PHOTO COURTESY OF N.J. Attorney general’s office

Grewal shares intentions for office via phone interview.

“The hate and intolerance has been prominent my whole life, including in high school,” Grewal said. “At an early point, that shaped me. It made me more resilient and more empathetic.”

Grewal hopes that holding this

position will send a message to minority groups that with commitment and hard work, any goal is attainable.

As attorney general, Grewal has specific issues he would like to address that directly affect the

Time’s Up pin in support of the movement.

Many celebrities brought activists as their dates; Actresses Laura Dern, Amy Poehler, Susan Sarandon, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Emma Watson, Michelle Williams, Shailene Woodley and Angelina Jolie all brought feminists and activists, including Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of Restaurant Opportunities Center, and Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. The actresses and their dates spoke about the importance of the Time’s Up Movement during red carpet interviews.

While celebrities have helped the movement gain momentum, there are still complexities.

Although many people were pleased to see activists occupy-

ing the carpet, many victims of sexual assault were noticeably absent. Harvey Weinstein’s accusers even claimed on social media that they were not invited to the Golden Globes.

“Not only I wasn’t invited to the #GoldenGlobes: nobody asked my opinion about #TIMESUP,” Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse Weinstein, tweeted on Jan. 8. “Guess I am not POWERFUL or HOLLYWOOD enough.”

Accusers and their supporters were upset to see that while they were not invited, celebrities such as Kendall Jenner who attended used their time on the red carpet to self-promote.

People were also angry to see James Franco, who has been accused of sexual harassment, win an award. Franco, who wore a Time’s Up pin on the carpet,

West Essex area, as well as other regions across the state. He plans to focus on the opioid crisis and the recent increase in the death toll by overdose.

The state will work on treatment, education and prevention efforts to keep opioids off the streets and reduce the number of New Jersey citizens and families affected by opioid use.

Prior to his appointment as attorney general, Grewal served as a federal prosecuterand Bergen County prosecutor and has since worked his way up.

While a student, he was involved in clubs and activities that focused on civic engagement. Grewal was a member of Junior Statesmen of America and WECARE, the latter of which he founded with his peers during his time at W.E. Grewal credits part of his success in his career to the experiences and opportunities provided to him by West Essex.

“Meeting like-minded, civically aware high school students across the region helped foster at an early point in my life that I wanted to major in political science and go to Georgetown, where I did

foreign service and government related studies,” Grewal said.

“At an early point in my life that showed me what was out there.”

Grewal wanted to be in a position where he could advocate for underrepresented populations.

While some people choose to go into public service for religious reasons or other moral convictions, Grewal said all of these things influenced him to take this career path.

“As someone whose parents immigrated to this country, and someone who’s been afforded so many benefits as a result of that, I’ve always had a desire to go into public service to give back,” Grewal said.

“Anytime West Essex alumni achieve something to be proud of, I always view it as a reflection of our school,” Principal Caesar Diliberto said. “The fact that he continues to be involved and talk to our students shows that he is proud to have gone here and gotten those experiences as well.”

Grewal lives with his wife Amrit and three daughters in Glen Rock. The Georgetown graduate obtained his law degree from the College of William & Mary.

Celebrities wear black to take a stand against sexual assault

By Danielle Schwartz ’20 The 2018 Golden Globes on Jan. 7 were about more than just the usual awards and high fashion.

Hosted by Seth Meyers, this year’s Golden Globes provided a platform for celebrities to publicize the Time’s Up Movement.

The Time’s Up Movement was founded on Jan. 1 by women in entertainment to bring attention to inequality and injustice in the workplace. The goals of Time’s Up are to hold wrongdoers accountable, support victims for speaking up and create equality for women in the workplace.

In light of the rising number of public sexual harassment accusations, celebrities have been using their platforms to demand change. Nearly everyone on the red carpet wore all black or a

In This Issue:

4-6

Opinion

How would legal weed affect schools?

8 & 9 Testing

illustration by Grace irwin

was called out for his actions of preying on people who have no power. Scarlett Johansson said about Franco, after the allegations about him were made. “I want my pin back, by the way.”

Students reject case for testing

7 , 10 , 11 Features

Celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Rachel Brosnahan, Elisabeth Moss and Laura Dern also used their acceptance speech-

see TIME’S UP on Page 3

Mr. West Essex hopefuls flex

The Wessex Wire: News

March 2018

Page 2

Clubs present innovation at trade show Students talk FCC with expert

By Alexa Dratch ’18

By Lauren Czachor ’20

We s t E s s e x ’s u p d a t e d

AP US History students and various history classes took an in-class field trip to the library on Dec. 22 to listen to Dr. Napoli, a Duke University professor of public policy, speak on the FCC’s decision to repeal Net Neutrality.

Napoli looked to provide students with an understanding for the students on the idea of common carriers, companies responsible for providing telecommunications facilities. He began by playing the sound dial of the Internet, a former carrier of the Internet, aloud to the students, which was unfamiliar sound to many.

“I see the total confusion on your face,” Napoli said.

He used this to divulge into the discussion of the FCC’s rejection of Internet service providers, the once current carrier. He deemed them unsuitable, further justifying the decision for the repeal.

Students were curious whether the FCC’s decision would remain in place or if there is room for a possible revision. Napoli spoke of the long history of FCC decisions eventually being shut down in court.

“It would not surprise me if there was a few hurdles we still need to overcome before

International Marketing class showcased their original food company, WE-Eats International, at Virtual Enterprise’s national trade show on Jan. 18.

The class met up with students from around the country to sell products from their virtual company and talk face-to-face with the student businessmen and businesswomen they’ve been working online with since the beginning of the year. The 10-student ensemble wore suits and carried briefcases with $1,000 of virtual money and treated every deal as if there was real money involved.

Run by the company the class uses for their virtual business, Virtual Enterprise, the trade show welcomed over 200 students and teachers that filled Fairleigh Dickinson University’s gym. The day-long event gave prospective businessmen and women their first look into running a business beyond the classroom.

The class is made up primarily of seniors and is taught by business teacher Cathy Collins. Students are given a specific position in WEEats International depending on their personality and what they apply for. Senior Nicole DeCeglie was given the position of Benefits

Photo Courtesy of Andie Steinberg

The International Marketing class displaying their food company, WE-Eats on Jan. 18 at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Manager, which gives her the responsibilities of setting up 401(k) documents and completing the marketing plan.

“The class is usually fairly casual but as soon as we were at the trade show we all kind of felt like business partners,” DeCeglie said.

“Learning how to run a business and how to work with other businesses is something I didn’t expect to learn so early in my life.”

Along with learning the positives of running a business, students also learn about the less glamorous aspects—punishment and firings included. Senior Tristan Simpson was fired from his Payroll Manager position a month into the school

year for failing to pay employees and taking personal profit from the company.

“Thankfully I’ve been rehired to the company, but for a second I was scared I would fail the class,” Simpson said. “Now I know to pay more attention and to take my job much more seriously.”

The International Marketing class has plans on returning to Virtual Enterprise’s trade show in April to compete against other student businesses, hopefully taking home a victory. The creative aspects of the class is starting to attract attention, and International Marketing has plans on expanding next year, as well.

this can go into place,” Napoli said. “The decision is arbitrary and capricious.”

Dr. Napoli urged the students to become involved in the issue.

He suggested contacting Internet service providers directly to voice complaints or choosing a new provider altogether.

Wit h t he help of histor y teacher Caitlin Jozefczyk and Supervisor of Social Studies and World Languages Laura Drago, Dr. Napoli was able to contact the students using Skype through a computer screen within Duke University’s library.

“It was special because we were integrating technology with the Skyping,” Drago said. “I thought it was very enriching for the students to experience that.”

School administrators said that students should all be wellinformed about what went into the FCC’s decision, along with how it could affect regular people’s lives.

“More and more today we’re seeing the importance for students at the high school level to see beyond the textbook,” Drago said.

“Things going on in the world today and in our society can be related to what is in the curriculum.

Kids are able see the relevance of what they’re learning and how it impacts the school directly.”

Will Trump lead the U.S. to war with North Korea?

By Shaun Goodman ’19 With the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, relations between the U.S. and North Korea seem to have devolved into a macho competition to see which country is bigger and better.

On Jan. 3., Trump took to Twitter to sound off on North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un, stating that “my nuclear button is much bigger than his, and mine actually works,” affirming that he views himself as the alpha male of the entire country. With every irrational tweet, Trump aggravates the risk of nuclear war. Whether North Korea is bluffing or not about their nuclear arsenal, it is irresponsible for President Trump to tweet emotionally rather than have thoughtful and diplomatic discussions with North Korean leaders to resolve this conflict.

Occasionally, North Korea gains notoriety for their boastful military parades where they show off their military equipment. These performances present uniformity and an array of colors which make the parades dazzling. One could almost fall in love with the spectacles. But behind all of the propaganda and the impressive formations, many individuals see these showings as a threat to the free world. They believe Kim Jong Un is inviting conflict and challenging other nations.

Despite his criticisms of Kim Jong Un, President Trump seems to support efforts to flaunt America’s military might, even proposing a parade that would showcase the country’s sophisticated weaponry.

According to a CNN Politics article from November, there are several instances where North Korea has held actual missile testings. Last November, North Korea launched their “Hwasong-15,” which spent 53 minutes in the air and over 2,800 miles of land. According to U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, North Korea has the ability to hit “everywhere in the world.”

Before people just shrug off the possibility of a nuclear war between the United States and North Korea, ask yourself this: What’s stopping North Korea? And even then, if your answer is the United States government and military, wouldn’t our country’s interference suggest that a war has already begun? In the meantime, let’s hope that President Trump will not make any controversial moves that could surely escalate this conflict to a more serious level. Trump’s button tweet does not seem like a comforting start.

News Commentary “North Korean Leader Kim Jung Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! ” - President Trump

Photo courtesy of wlodi (CC by 4.0)

Nuclear war WON’T take place

By Alex Rosenfeld ’20

A war with North Korea is not happening, regardless of how big the president’s button is. While repeated missile tests, a false alarm in Hawaii and President Trump’s repeated Twitter bursts have led to heavy speculation and some fear, an actual war is near impossible.

Thanks to the actions and words of President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the current state of North Korean affairs is a bit like two goofy kids in a sandbox playing with their toys. But, if one looks at history, it’s obvious that nothing serious will come of either one of their threats.

The Korean conflict is a tricky, confusing subject. Even though the Korean war stopped in the 1950s, the result was a military stalemate, leaving the issues of the war not completely resolved. But no American, Chinese or Korean troops are duking it out on land or in the sea. The best analogy I can come up with is the Korean War is like Pompeii; the volcano blew up spectacularly but is now almost completely silent. This volcano has no intentions of erupting anytime soon.

Just take it from General David Petraeus. He served 37 years in the United States Army, served as Army Commander on assignments in the Middle East under numerous Republican and Democrat presidents, was director of the CIA under Obama and was on Donald Trump’s list of potential candidates for Secretary of State. He said in an ABC News interview that war with North Korea is “not likely.” Bam. There you have it.

Besides, there are already enough safeguards in place and people in the way just in case the president attempts to launch nuclear weapons. On Nov. 20, U.S. Air Force General John Hyten, who serves as the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (the command that decides whether or not to launch missiles) stated that his and his men’s job would be to push back against nuclear options and provide alternate solutions to problems.

Despite all the ships sunk and planes blown up and soldiers murdered with axes, fighting with North Korea has never escalated to the levels it did between 1950 and 1953. And even if a certain Chief Executive decided to launch nukes anyway, the Department of Defense would stop him. Therefore, while the peninsula remains locked in a stalemate, war is not on the horizon.

Photo courtesy of WLODI (CC by 4.0)

Nuclear war COULD take place

The Wessex Wire: News

March 2018

Page 3

Colabelli and Cherny: Educators of the Year Faculty and staff honors their colleagues at PTO luncheon.

By Sam Spero ’19 Science teacher Daniela Colabelli and guidance counselor Lauren Cherny were awarded the West Essex Governor’s Educator of the Year and West Essex Governor’s Education Services Professional of the Year, respectively on Monday, Jan. 15.

Ms. Colabelli has been teaching at West Essex for six years and was ecstatic when she heard the news about this award. She was surprised because this was her first teaching award.

“I didn’t believe that I won,” Ms. Colabelli said. “I thought they were joking when they told me about this.”

Ms. Colabelli is known for making her class fun and for getting her students more interested in science.

Outside of the classroom,

photo courtesy of westex.org

Ms. Cherny and Ms. Colabelli accept their awards with Principal Caesar Diliberto on Monday, Jan. 15.

she will then move onto the state category next.

A new award was granted not only to teachers, but also to guidance counselors, nurses and other contributors around the school.

Ms. Cherny has been a guidance counselor for seven years at West Essex, focusing on developing a reputation as an approachable person that students can talk to and one who can help solve their problems at school.

“I was so appreciative for such a recognition,” Ms. Cherny said. “I want to thank whomever nominated me and their support and belief in me.”

The staff at West Essex nominates one another for Teacher of the Year in an anonymous poll. In addition to the two winners, over fifteen nominees were honored at the luncheon on Jan. 15.

Ms. Cherny and Ms. Colabelli received an apple shaped crystal plaque, a certificate, flowers and a West Essex blanket.

“We all work so hard,” Ms. Cherny said. “We all deserve this.”

she dedicates her time to the National Honor Society and helping the community. From pl an n i ng i nte rge ne r at i on a l proms or field trips to cheer up

terminally ill children, she is always willing to help. After winning this award, Ms. Colabelli will now apply for the Essex County Teacher of the Year. If she wins,

TIME’S UP

from page 1

-es to talk about women’s rights and sexual misconduct in the workplace.

“Many of us were taught not to tattle,” Dern said in her acceptance speech for the Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture for TV award. “It was a culture of silencing and that was normalized. I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell their truth but, to promote restorative justice. May we also please protect and employ them. May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new north star.”

Dern and other actresses’ speeches were powerful, but the most memorable speech of all was given by Oprah Winfrey as she accepte d t he Cecil B. deMille Award for her outstanding contribution to the world of entertainment.

“We all know that the press is under siege these days,” Winfrey said. “But we also know that it is the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and injustice, to tyrants and victims, and secrets and lies.”

Winfrey’s speech left many in the audience in tears and

started a social media craze of supporters posting and tweeting #OprahForPresident.

Host Seth Meyers contributed to the Oprah for president call by joking that he convinced Donald Trump to run for president, and perhaps his jokes would make Oprah run as well.

Though she might have the support, Winfrey said in an interview for the March 2018 InStyle Cover that she would not run for president.

At least three women chose not to wear black to the Golden Globes. Barbara Meier, Meher Tatna and Blanca Blanco walked the carpet in colorful gowns.

Meier explained that she thinks wome n shou l d be able to wear w h at e v e r t h e y want, although she does support the movement.

The mess age of the Time’s Up Move m e nt h a s been adopted by t hos e in ot her professions as well. Important figures in politics and news media have also spoken out against sexual misconduct in their respective workplaces.

So far, there are no plans for the Oscars to have any protests similar to those at the Golden Globes, but the movement has successfully established the expectation that award shows will acknowledge historically marginalized groups.

Alumnus congressman returns to share his perspective on politics with seniors

“” It was a culture of silencing and that was normalized.

—Laura Dern

photo from archive and courtesy of Josh Gottheimer

Gottheimer during his successful bid for his first term in Congress.

By Danielle Schwartz ’20 Congressman Gottheimer shared his experiences from his time at West Essex as well as those as a member of the House of Representatives during a special presentation from the alumnus (‘93) on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

Seniors, students in student government and students in AP US Government & Politics classes attended the assembly. He also answered questions that students prepared in their classes.

Gottheimer said he came to speak to West Essex students because he loves his alma mater and he wanted to thank West Essex. He said he believes strongly that his high school education contributed to his inspiration and

ability to become a congressman.

“Once a proud Knight, always a proud Knight,” Gottheimer said.

Gottheimer emphasized how anyone interested could get involved in his field. He said students looking to pursue a career in politics should read about issues, volunteer locally or federally and intern. According to Gottheimer, writing, reading and analyzing are important skills students should work on, as he commonly has to read proposals and react quickly. Gottheimer said students can always call his office if they are looking for internships or ways to get involved in campaigns.

History teachers Christopher Benacquista and Jason Freda said they were happy to see their former classmate speak.

“In high school, he was heavily involved in student government and social service,” Mr. Benacquista said. “He was a tireless worker and I’m sure these attributes are going to pay dividends as he continues his career in the House of Representatives.”

“I was especially happy to see him give a clear, realistic view of what it is like to be in the US House of Representatives,” Mr. Freda said. “It was also refreshing to see a politician so dedicated to ‘working across the aisle’ with Democrats and Independents to put N.J. and the country ahead of any particular political party.”

“I loved his points and thought it was insightful and meaningful,” Laura Drago, Supervisor of Social Studies and World Languages said.

On thewessexwire.com

See our coverage of the Parkland shooting and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas student activists’ response.

Roundtable and Wire earn top honors

By Chase Morrone ’20 Two West Essex publications, The Roundtable and The Wessex Wire, have received top honors from a national student press association for their work in the 2016-17 school year.

The Roundtable, advised by English teachers Virginia Dunphy and Tom C ollins, earned a Gold Medal designation from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, with special recognition for their artistic ability.

This year was the third year in a row that the Roundtable won a gold medal from the association.

The Roundtable was also awarded a First Place Special Merit award by the American Scholastic Press Association. Alumni Isabel Parzecki and Emi Brito (both Class of ‘17) of the Roundtable were named by Columbia for their skill and perspectives in writing.

“I am very proud of the work that the students have done this year,” Ms. Dunphy said. “I deeply appreciate the corroboration with the art department, helping us including pieces made by West Essex students.”

The Wessex Wire, advised by English teacher Chris Hermosilla, won a Gold Medal award for overall excellence in coverage, writing and visual presentation.

Other categories included overall strength of writing and layout/ visual presentation.

The paper last earned a Gold Medal distinction in the 2015-16 school year. The Wire also received two first place awards in the state from the Garden State Scholastic Press Association: Editor-in-Chief Michael Sessa for editorial cartooning, and Micaela Weiss (Class of ‘17) for layout and design.

CORRECTION: In the December

2017 issue, a story featuring quotes from students responding to news reports of sexual harassment and misconduct in film, media and politics included a quote incorrectly attributed to sophomore Joe Masini.

The quote in question was from sophomore Michael Franchino.

The Wessex Wire regrets the error.

Opinion

March 2018 Issue 3

The Wessex Wire Page 4

Caring for Schools need to have rational conversations about weed the earth: not a joke

By Michael Sessa ’18

Staff Editorial It has become something of a West Essex staple for students to approach assemblies and presentations about the environment with contempt. Last year, students punctuated every sentence spoken by a pair of visiting scientists with derisive applause that had to be shut down by the principal. Most recently, a viewing of the documentary “Food Inc.” elicited considerable mockery from some students.

Why is it cool to reduce the health of our planet to ridicule?

What is so funny about degrading scientists?

Though there are legitimate intellectual debates to be had regarding the means by which we combat climate change, that dialogue is underpinned by irrefutable scientific realities.

NASA data shows that global temperatures have warmed nearly 1.5 °F in the last century, and a report from the World Wildlife Fund shows that Earth has lost half of its wildlife in the last 40 years. NASA says that sea levels will rise 1-4 feet by 2100; the Arctic is likely to become ice-free by mid-century.

Before you make that “I could really go for a hamburger” joke after the next assembly, consider that there are real consequences to our actions—that there is suffering happening on our watch.

High school is a goldmine of comedic material; perhaps we might have the decency to hold the survival of our planet and its inhabitants in higher regard.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who was inaugurated on Jan. 16, has pledged to make the sale and consumption of marijuana legal as soon as possible. If approved, a bill introduced last May

by Senator Nicholas Scutari would legalize recreational consumption of marijuana products statewide.

Adults aged 21 and over would be able to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, 16 ounces of solid cannabis-infused products, 72 ounces of liquid marijuana tinctures, drinks and oils and seven grams of marijuana concentrate.

Murphy, who previously served as America’s Ambassador to Germany following a 23 year career at Goldman Sachs, has framed the push for legalization as an economic tonic—estimates from the Roseland law firm of Brach Eichler say New Jersey could raise upward of $1 billion in the first year of recreational weed sales—and though financial prospects have certainly broadened support of the initiative, Murphy and his adherents owe much of their plan’s popularity to meteoric shifts in American consensus about the drug.

Evolving Opinions An O c tob er 2017 Ga l lup Poll showed that 64 percent of Americans say cannabis should be legal—a record high. Spurred by advancements in the medical marijuana industry, as well as massive success in a number of states who have already legalized weed for recreational purposes, Americans have adopted a new, considerably friendlier outlook toward marijuana.

The same poll showed that for the first time, a majority—51 percent—of Republicans support legalizing weed. Seventy-two percent of Democrats support legalization, as do 67 percent of independents.

The Wessex Wire A Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Paper The Official Student Newspaper of West Essex High School 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 (973) 228-1200The ext. 258 Wessex Wire:

illustration by michael sessa

While this revolution propels America into what many students the Wire spoke to call a new era of judicial equity and common sense, it puts schools in a particularly awkward position: How does the education system evolve in a time where science—and public opinion—have turned their backs on dated drug policies? How do schools adjust their curriculums when marijuana becomes legal?

“The disciplinary procedures would obviously stay the same, but I’d assume the education would have to change to reflect legality,” Principal Caesar Diliberto said. “I would entrust our own teachers to develop that curriculum.”

Student Assistance Counselor Anthony Emering, though a proponent of modernizing the educational approach to marijuana, said he has concerns about its perception among students. “Legality starts to send a message that diminishes the health effects,” he said.

“Curiosity is part of the human condition, but there are a lot of practical and real risks we need to teach about.”

Mr. Diliberto echoed that same message, alluding to changes in marijuana’s potency and delivery.

“It used to be said that you can’t overdose on marijuana,” he said.

“That’s not the case now when you can get your hands on a bag of Gummi bears.”

It is worth noting that, despite the abundance of emerging methods to consume marijuana, it

remains impossible to overdose on cannabis—in fact, a person would have to consume roughly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to do so.

Agreeing on the facts Factual distortion is at the core of what is nationally an ill-advised and misguided American approach to teaching about weed.

For years, schools have towed the federal line on marijuana; weed is considered a Schedule I drug alongside heroin and LSD—a classification that erroneously suggests it has no medical purpose and is extremely addictive.

Schools have supported that War on Drugs approach to the supposedly face-melting psychosis of marijuana with little success—and understandably so.

Students said that efforts by adults to deter marijuana consumption often read more like comedy than reasoned dialogue; multiple students expressed concern that scare tactics actually diminish the validity of the authority figures that promote them.

Both Mr. Diliberto and Mr. Emering suggested, however, that such laxity about marijuana could have consequences.

“There is a real danger to minimize the risk,” Emering said, citing statistics about addiction.

Mr. Diliberto expressed similar concerns about marijuana’s increasing ubiquity.

“Teenagers are programmed

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

Opinion Editors Emily Johnston ‘18 Danielle Tabatneck ‘18

Photography Editor Ally Schachtel ‘19

Features Editors Opinion Alyssa Cristobal ’18

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

Online & Social Media Editor Shaun Goodman ’19

Contributing Staff Josie Berger ’20, Lauren Czachor ‘20, Amy Grunther ‘20, Gabrielle Kesh ’20, Chase Morrone ‘20, Megan Osborne ‘19, Frankie Rizzo ’19, Alex Rosenfeld ’20, Danielle Schwartz ’20, Sam Spero ’19

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

Faculty Adviser Mr. Hermosilla

Changing the conversation Though there are risks associated with consuming marijuana, students said the education system needs to do a better job accurately communicating those drawbacks.

The honest distinction that marijuana is markedly safer than most drugs is an important one.

Acknowledging that reality does not, as some suggest, promote marijuana consumption; rather, it encourages honest conversation about safely navigating encounters with weed.

The rift between reality and general adult positioning on marijuana is a crisis of legitimacy for educators. Students need to be able to trust that the information adults provide them is true; without that trust, the education system cedes its moral and factual authority.

There is plenty schools can do to initiate unbiased dialogue about weed. Having stigma-free conversations about frequency of use, types of products and consumer responsibility allows for informed decision-making and a rational analysis of weed’s downsides.

“Can you imagine a time when people will have their hookahs sitting on the coffee table?” Mr. Emering said.

Yes, actually—and schools have an obligation to try to imagine it too.

The Wessex Wire Editorial Policy

News Editors Maddie Galligan ‘18 Grace Irwin ‘18

Jordan Flusser ’19 Caroline Quinn ’19

physiologically to rebel,” Mr. Diliberto said. “The things that are available to teens are dangerous.”

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.

Page 6

Illustrators Alyssa Cristobal ‘18 Grace Irwin ‘18 Emily Johnston ’18 Michael Sessa ‘18

Several photos in this issue are used under various Creative Commons licenses.

For more info and full licensing details, visit creativecommons.org.

March 2018

Page 5

The Wessex Wire: Opinion

Shock horror videos need to leave Tide Pod

By Emily Johnston ’18 As the brother of Jake Paul, Logan Paul furthers the family business of being a horrible person by making a video displaying true horror: “We found a dead body in the Japanese Suicide Forest.”

It sounds far-fetched, but Paul thought uploading this video to his 15 million subscribers was a good idea. No one in his team or his editors told him this would be a bad idea. Paul instead, decided that promoting this content as a shock factor would garner the most views, disregarded moral values and posted the video.

“Buckle the f*** up because you are never going to see a video like this again,” Paul said at the start of his video. Words that not only prove that he does not care about what he is doing, but that he sees no wrong in his actions.

Paul idolizes the “savage,” which he describes as a person who does not care for society’s standards. He dubs his breed of savages, “Mavericks.” An antisociety YouTube gang might be interesting if it was going against restrictive societal standards, but his view of breaking the normal is smashing plates in his apartment and placing dead fish on a Japanese taxi driver’s car without him noticing. Paul, despite what you believe, you’re not breaking boundaries; you’re just being a nuisance.

What constitutes right from wrong in the YouTube community is based off of audience and a set of morals. Most YouTubers understand that if one’s audience is

full of young children, one would want to direct them to have good moral standards. That is why for a man like Paul, whose fans range from 10-14, one would not expect him to promote such obnoxious behavior.

“I can’t even imagine some of the conversations some parents have had to have with worried or frightened and upset kids all over the world,” YouTuber Zoe London said through Twitter. She followed this tweet with a list of emotional distress hotlines.

Despite international backlash, Paul’s main audience is unbothered, defending the star. Of course, some fans disagree with his actions, but the large majority defend him. This is most likely because Paul uses manipulation tactics in his videos, calling his fans the best in the world. This creates a mob mentality (remind yourself: the majority of his audience are impressionable kids), and whenever conflict comes his way, his fans defend him. He is taking advantage of young minds and teaching them how not to react when someone one loves does wrong.

What Paul should be teaching his fans is that the dead should be respected. Especially when visiting a country that is not one’s own, respect is necessary.

“It’s really disrespectful to the person who took their life,” Senior Sarah Blake said. “How would you feel if it was a family of yours that committed and it was posted online?”

The promotion of shock horror delegitimizes other YouTubers

Challenge: opinions?

Students talk about the trend of eating Tide detergent pods.

By Danielle Tabatneck ’18 and Emily Johnston ’18

illustration by emily johnston

who use the site as an expression of their art. At one point in time, YouTube’s “Featured Videos” option focused on content that the site felt deserved to see a wider audience, but today’s “Trending page” is all about numbers.

It is up to the YouTube community and the company itself to make sure content like this does not get promoted. Lately the website has been cutting back on monetized content, prioritizing family friendly videos. However, their strict standards missed Paul’s video. Though YouTube disabled his Google preferred (the

ad program that runs on the top YouTubers videos) and cancelled his future YouTube Red prospects, millions were exposed to a disturbing image. The company has to do better—not make up for it after the fact.

As society becomes hyperaware, entertainers like Paul will be pushed out of the spotlight.

Let Logan Paul be a lesson to all uploaders who push dramatics in order to obtain views: the era of clickbait is over; people wish for honest content now. And posting dead bodies for views? It will ruin careers, not boost viewership.

Unrealistic love overpowers on Valentine’s Day Pop culture influences people to believe false ideas of love.

By Danielle Tabatneck ’18 Whether it’s being appreciative for having loved ones, or being unsatisfied and wanting a significant other, Feb. 14 brings a mix of emotions in all people. Valentine’s Day allows individuals to recognize every form of love in their lives, from either family, friends or significant others.

Looking back to elementary school, Valentine’s Day was an exciting day of appreciating your loved ones and handing out Valentine candies to other students at school. It was thrilling to know that we would go home with a bag of goodies and cute letters to read from friends. What ever happened to this positive perspective of the Valentine’s Day? When asking students about

their opinions on Valentine’s Day, there is a mix of individuals who appreciate the holiday and others who find the holiday pretty miserable. People tend to blame their negative opinions of Valentine’s Day on the perfect idea of love that is shown through relationships in movies or couples posting together on social media.

“Social media creates unrealistic standards that are not true to reality,” junior Sadye Boshak said.

“This makes Valentine’s Day a sore topic for some people.”

An example is known as the “Nicholas Sparks Effect,” where the author writes dramatic and passionate love stories that are eventually created as movies. Those who have seen or read his stories may have an unrealistic conception of love and how relationships work.

“Romantic love, the love the media portrays, is always passionate, never boring and arrives at a coasting point where everything is happily ever after,” health and physical education teacher Michael

Markey said. “The dilemma is that a real relationship is often mundane and ordinary.”

Not only does Nicholas Sparks create this idea of a perfect relationship, but pictures of couples online has the same effect. Seeing a constant stream of happy couples gives the impression that relationships are perfect, when in reality, nothing may be considered “perfect.” These posts create an unrealistic example, which should not be used to create the definition of love, since love will always remain unique within every relationship.

“Social media makes Valentine’s Day seem impractical, so I can see how it may alter student’s perspectives on the holiday… almost like it makes people a hopeless romantic,” senior Natalie Guerra said.

The effect of movies and social media on students is overwhelming and is not fully understood until it is taken note of. Pop culture speaks to our emotions and tells us how we should live and what relationships should feel like. These

effects are emphasized as the date approaches Valentine’s Day. “Relationships constantly evolve and most people need to navigate growing together, and at times that may be messy, which is why the idea of happily ever after is so dangerous,” Mr. Markey said.

Students need to understand that the way they view love as a result of social media and movies is simply not ideal; these examples should not be used as a comparison to themselves and their own lives. People should spend their time recognizing all of the love in their lives rather than worrying about having a perfect movie romance. Without this realization, people will continue to think poorly of Valentine’s Day rather than understanding the main purpose of the holiday, to recognize and appreciate all forms of love.

It is one thing to hope for more love in one’s life, but it is another to wish for a specific kind of love that was once seen in a Nicholas Sparks movie.

“If someone eats a Tide pod, it is natural selection.”

Kevin Chmielewski ’18

“I think it’s stupid.

Why would people choose to eat something not edible?”

Kayla Blum ’20

“It’s kind of dumb that people are eating something that they know will kill them.”

Ross Feundler ’19

“I think it’s terrible that people are eating detergent for fun.”

Amanda Siera ’20

March 2018

Page 6

The Wessex Wire: Opinion

A conversation between a feminist and a non-feminist

By Megan Osborne ’19

The wage gap:

What we personally believe: Megan Osborne: Feminism is supposed to empower women, but instead it’s constantly victimizing women and bringing men down in the process.

Olivia Giordano: I am a New Age feminist and I support feminism because women are not equal to men in today’s society.

Women are held to higher standards in society than men, and I think that’s wrong.

Feminists discuss the inequity in the salaries between men and women of equal standing in the workforce.

Breastfeeding in public:

Megan:

There is a growing debate between mothers and those who find breastfeeding uncomfortable in public areas.

Another thing feminists try to fix is the wage gap between men and women. Feminists believe women are getting paid less than men in the workforce. This isn’t always true. There are even fields where men get paid less than women. Take the modeling industry, for example. According to Time Magazine, model Kendall Jenner gets paid $22 million where male model, Sean O’Pry, according to Forbes Magazine, only receives $1.5 million. Jenner and O’Pry are top models in the industry. If feminists are going to argue that women are being paid less than men, they need to realize that there are exceptions. A $20.5 million difference from the highest paid female model to the highest paid male model is a lot.

Also, there is more to take into consideration when receiving a salary. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act amended the Fair Labor Standards Act, aiming to abolish wage disparity based on sex. The argument that the wage gap is a serious issue is extremely exaggerated, especially when there are exceptions.

Megan: Personally, I think breastfeeding should be done in the bathroom only for privacy for the mother and the child. I understand that when a child needs to eat, they need to eat. But, some things would be better done in private places. Breastfeeding is normal. Sex, using the bathroom and bathing is also completely normal, but they are done behind closed doors.

If a mother were to expose her full breast, then it would be considered indecent exposure and offensive to those around. It’s disrespectful to put your child’s needs over the unsolicited opinions others.

Olivia: Olivia: I do not think that women should be shamed for showing their breasts in public. When swimming, for example, women have to wear something over their chest to cover their nipples. It’s no problem if a man were to take off his shirt and expose his. I find this to be an issue because everyone has nipples. The fact that men have the right to show their nipples in public and women don’t seems unfair. Many people do not want to see a woman’s nipple in public. This goes along with how a woman should not have to go somewhere privately to feed her child. If one does not wish to see a woman breastfeeding in public, then they should turn away. It’s time that people start to reconsider what they find “offensive” because at the end of the day it is just someone feeding their child.

Photo Courtesty of Open Clipart-Vectors (By Public Domain)

Have an opinion?

Visit @thewessexwire on Instagram and Twitter to share your thoughts.

According to a 2014 study by American Progress, an independent nonpartisan policy institute, dedicated to impeoving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive idea, women are making 79 cents for every dollar that a man makes for the same job. It does not make sense to pay someone less than their co-worker just because they are the opposite gender. TV host Catt Sadler, a former employee at E!, quit her job in December 2017 when she found out one of her male coworkers was getting paid more than her. The gender pay gap is a very real thing.

Many female celebrities have spoken out about their unequal pay, and they deserve to be paid the same amount as their male coworkers, if not more, depending on how well the show is doing and how relevant their character is.

DIBY: Testing schedules reveal the flaws in late policies The school late policy fails to take morning struggles into account.

By Sara Amil ’18

Photo By aLexa Dratch

Sara Amil praying to the attendance gods that she will stay under the maximum of 10 lates.

Before the end of junior year, having unexcused lates and absences didn’t bother me because they did not really affect me. Yet when I and many others began AP testing, I realized how obnoxious the policy truly is. Students who have a test that day are required to attend their other classes and “learn” during those periods prior to or after these tests.

The midterm schedule is another attendance policy that irks most students. In past years, students could leave early or come in late if they did not have a test. Now, the policy has changed so if you miss a block of the allotted “testing” period, even if you do not have an exam, your absence will not be

excused. It counts as a late.

The most frustrating of all is that the new traffic pattern causes an increase in lates for students.

Everyone who drives to West Essex in the morning knows about the struggle with the traffic light, and if you pass through North Caldwell on your way to school you’ve experienced the cursed “yield triangle.”

One would think that traveling to school should not take a long time in the morning (especially when you live five minutes away), but for some reason it takes up to 25 minutes. The traffic is a problem for all when unexcused lates come into play.

While they may not seem all that bad, unexcused lates can add up. Ten unexcused tardies result in a detention, 15 tardies result in an E-DASH and 20 tardies result in a Saturday detention. Worst of

all, for a senior, exceeding ten lates means no senior service.

The student handbook says, “Tardiness is recognized as being unavoidable at times. Therefore, tardiness to school or to class will be permitted four times before disciplinary procedures will be invoked by the Assistant Principal.”

The policy is understandable, but when you leave your house on time and half the senior class is late as well due to insane traffic into the school, one would think that the school would excuse the absences, but apparently not. And especially during midterms, any extra study time should be taken advantage of.

These lates and absences might just be the bane of my and many other seniors’ existence, but as a student of Wessex High it’s something to just expect, so here’s a heads up to all the underclassmen because this policy doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

March 2018 Issue 3

Features

The Wessex Wire Page 7

Mr. West Essex: Straight out the Shore

By Alyssa Cristobal ’18, Alexa Dratch ’18, Jordan Flusser ’19 and Caroline Quinn ’19

Paul Filipow

Q: What is your favorite Italian food?

A: “DiGiorno frozen four cheese pizza.

It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno.”

Q: Who is the leader of the group?

A: “The Greek god himself, Christopher Alexander Tsakonas.”

Giacomo Palescandolo

Q: How would you describe what we should expect in the show this year?

A: “‘Lots of awkward silence and clapping—not at the same time.”

Q: Go-to tanning place?

A: “Anywhere Sang goes.”

Mike DiGiacomo

Q:What is your motto or nickname?

A: “DJ Mikey D, Digiacs, The King of Sting, The Italian Stallion—just a few of my favorites.”

Q: Describe yourself in three words.

A: “Yourself in words.”

Chris Rodriguez

Q: Who is your ride or die?

A: “‘It’s completely Paul. #FF baby.”

Q: Who of the cast is most Italian?

A: “Giacomo Palescandolo. If you look up ‘Italian’ in the dictionary, a picture of Giac shows up.”

Alex Franchi

Q: What is your favorite Italian food?

A: “Sangillo’s creatine.”

Q: What is your go-to tanning place?

A: “I like to go to Michael’s, get the cheapest paint roller I can and just go to town with a can of orange paint.”

. r e v e an h t r e n n w a t e n d n e a th t u o Back k .. . c ’ e e r h o c Sh y e Come s r s Je r i e a h e T ‘ d f o o s i t p s e a c y l n o d n First a March 22.

Heath Kalb

Q: What is your nickname?

A: “White Jesus or Arby’s because I have the meats.”

Q: Describe youself in three words.

A: “Sexy, articulate and sexy.”

Ant Sangillo

Q: Who’s the better Ruvo?

A: “None of the above.”

Q: Who are you worried about most in the competition?

A: “No one. I am a lion.”

Mark Lachenauer

Q: First thing you do when you go DTS? A: “Jump in the ocean and pretend to be a dolphin.”

Q: Who is the sweetheart of the cast?

A: “Ben is an absolute dreamboat.”

Nolan Yezhov

Q: Favorite hobby?

A: “Shredding guitar in my house at max volume while Gould School students walk home from school.”

Q: First thing you do when you go DTS? A: “Take a deep breath and say ‘Good morning ladies.’”

Ben and Max Ruvo

Q: Favorite song in the club?

A: “‘No brainer... ‘Fergalicious.’”

Q: Describe yourself in three words.

A: “Ben or Max?”

March 2018

Page 8

The Wessex Wire: Standardized Testing

With elimination of the PARCC looming, stude

By Michael Sessa ’18

Standardized tests are controversial. Students, parents and educators alike have largely opposed tests they say have become increasingly inauthentic gauges of proficiency. The PARCC test, specifically, has seen intense criticism; Governor Phil Murphy has even announced plans to eliminate the test. But why is there now such a pronounced and forceful rejection of a testing regime that has existed for years? What, if anything, can be done to dissolve that disenchantment?

The Wire spoke to administrators and over 100 students to get some answers.

The Purpose of Testing

While there is little consensus regarding how to effectively assess students, most people the Wire spoke to agreed that some form of evaluation is necessary. Ryan Gupta, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, noted the importance of collecting data and analyzing trends in steering educational goals. “Standardized testing is the only way for students to see how they perform versus other students across the state or country,” he said.

Mr. Gupta also spoke about how PARCC, the standardized assessment currently used in New Jersey, compares to former tests. “PARCC actually provides more information to students,

teachers and parents than any standardized test we’ve ever had,” Mr. Gupta said. “The information we received back from HSPA was meaningless. Now we can see specific strengths and weaknesses each student has in several different categories, as well as how he/ she compares to other students in the school and the state.”

Mr. Gupta said, however, that tests only paint a partial picture and are meant to be viewed alongside grades, input from teachers and counselors and extracurricular involvement.

“Standardized test results are simply additional pieces of student data,” he said.

“ ” “ ”“ ”

I do not think they are an effective way to assess students because not all students are good test takers so it’s not fair if there are some really good test takers and some that are not.

—Melanie Turano ’19

My future should not be dictated by a test I take for six hours out of 180 day long school year.

—Kiana Bronder ’20

In such a stressful environment, most students can’t show their true abilities and will not succeed.

—Yasmin Cardoso ’20

The Staunch Opposition Despite the merit of collecting data and plotting trends, most students opposed standardized testing. In a poll of 132 students, 41 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement “Standardized tests adequately reflect student knowledge and ability.” Another 36 percent said they “strongly disagree.” Only 23 percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with that statement.

Students listed everything from time limits to the pressure of exams to disparate test-taking ability among classmates as the origin of their opposition. Many said results are essentially void. Mr. Gupta suggested that the rollout of recent tests in such a technologically connected society allowed criticism to proliferate unlike in the past. “I believe the controversy over PARCC exploded because of the Internet, social media and because of its dramatic increase in the level of difficulty,” Mr. Gupta said. “Because it was so challenging and the source of so much anxiety among students and parents across several states,

the PARCC assessment became the ‘posterchild’ for everything wrong with standardized testing. Anti-PARCC websites and posts were everywhere and it definitely impacted our communities.”

Standardized tests have also received considerable backlash for their connection to teacher ranking and performance review. When asked to respond to the statement “Standardized tests adequately reflect teacher ability,” 71 percent of polled students either disagreed or strongly disagreed. The consensus among students the Wire spoke to was that a teacher’s effectiveness is simply too multidimensional to adequately assess statistically.

Mr. Gupta suggested that the haze of controversy surrounding and resentment for tests such as the PARCC is enough to disqualify them as effective assessors of teacher ability. “It would also be great to see teachers not being evaluated based on assessments that students may or may not take seriously,” Mr. Gupta said.

An uncertain future: What While the PARCC assessment is set to become a graduation requirement next year, newly elected New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy, has said he will look to eliminate the test completely, ending what he calls “the era of high stakes, high stress standardized tests.”

Mr. Gupta said that New Jersey will likely engineer its

“

own state-mandated assessmen like’ questions and probably re similar format from what we se said. “Regardless of the new n sessment will be very similar Students favored more enc

Good teachers and good students can have bad test d much emphasis is being put on a single test, as opp weighing a student’s progress through years of instr

—Governor Phil Murphy, campaign website

March 2018

Page 9

The Wessex Wire: Standardized Testing

ents sound off on ills of standardized testing Increasing Difficulty of Exams Much of the opposition to current tests, as Mr. Gupta noted, has to do with their rigor.

Though Mr. Gupta said he has never believed in any “brand” of test, he does believe “in tests that are challenging and that assess the content and skills that are taught every day in West Essex classrooms.”

“We always teach to the state standards, and PARCC assesses those same standards,” Mr. Gupta said. “So for West Essex, I believe

“ ”“ ” “ ”“ ” “ ” I️ don’t feel prepared for tests such as the PARCC.

—Natalie Carnovale ’20

We are not prepared for the PARCC at all and know nothing for it.

—Marisa Defranza ’19

days. Too posed to ruction.

The tests never reflect what I learned in my classrooms.

—Marianna Picallo ’20

It’s impossible. It’s like nothing we have ever taken before.

—Hailey Vincelette ’19

I don’t think it’s that difficult. It’s just that you have to think in a different way than you think normally in your English class or your Math class.”

—Julia Parzecki ’19

Test Results and Student Effort Illustration By Michael Sessa

t will replace the PARCC?

nt. “It will borrow ‘PARCCemain an online test with a ee with Pearson,” Mr. Gupta name, I believe the state asto the PARCC.” compassing assessments as

PARCC is a valid assessment and our students are prepared to handle that type of test.”

Students overwhelmingly rejected the assertion that standardized tests assess skills taught in the classroom. Many students said the content on the PARCC test, in particular, is abnormally difficult and often foreign.

Other students said that while tests such as the PARCC may not mimic what goes on in the classroom, they are not unreasonably challenging.

opposed to any test at all. Many said a year’s worth of grades should be enough to make conclusions about student preparedness, and objected to replacing the PARCC with any form of assessment at all. Some proposed more holistic reviews such as group work, projects or essay writing.

For more from students and administration as well West Essex’s detailed test score reports, visit

thewessexwire.com

Though West Essex boasts a number of academic achievements encompassing everything from teacher quality to exceedingly high AP test scores and graduation rate, its performance on the PARCC test has been less than impressive.

Of eleventh graders who took the English exam in 2017, just 33 percent met or exceeded the grade level expectation.

55 percent of Algebra I students met or exceeded expectations, as did just 38 percent of Geometry students and 30 percent of Algebra II students.

While there are certainly a number of factors that impact student participation on such tests, there is good reason to believe that some West Essex students, like many across the state, are not trying particularly hard. Though 70 percent of polled students said they do give their best effort when taking a standardized test such as the PARCC, the 30 percent remainder is notably high for a school with the standards and achievement record of West Essex.

Mr. Gupta said that, given the preparation students receive at West Essex, there is no reason to blow off a standardized test. “Except for special cases, all students should take PARCC and do their best,” he said. “It is just like any other challenge.

You can face it or avoid it. To sit in a classroom

and do nothing for hours and then later receive test results that mean nothing is absurd to me.

Why not try your best, see what your strengths and weakness are and represent your school the way you should?”

Since the PARCC test has not yet become a graduation requirement—it will become one for the class of 2018—multiple students told the Wire they saw little incentive to expend much energy in taking it. Already shrouded in criticism, the test proved more a chance to express dissatisfaction with the direction of corporate education than to realistically assess student ability.

Mr. Gupta, though understanding of opposition to testing, said students should represent their school in a fair and genuine light. “When I see other districts ranked higher than us because of PARCC scores, the competitive person comes out in me,” Mr. Gupta said. “I know our students are better academically than what PARCC shows because SAT scores, AP exam results and college acceptances prove it. The fact that a magazine or media outlet will rank us lower academically because many of our students clicked through the test in 10 minutes or didn’t take the PARCC seriously infuriates me. That is simply not who West Essex is.”

Page 10

The Wessex Wire: Features

March 2018

Joey Ploscowe puts the finishing touches on his piece in class.

photo by ally schachtel

photo by ally schachtel

Isabella Valle works on her artwork.

Artists use their talent to guide their future

By Grace Irwin ’18

Rather than playing sports or obsessing over videogames, senior Joey Ploscowe has proven himself unlike the average teenager.

His talent for drawing comics is apparent in both the final picture and the creativity of each original piece.

Spending most of his day with a pen and pad in hand, Joey can draw just about anything. “My biggest inspirations come from the movies and shows I watch,” Ploscowe said. “I will often see something on screen and think ‘Hey, why not draw something like that?’” Ploscowe said. “I love horror and science fiction movies and will often try and portray something dark and disturbing like these movies do. Really, I can gain inspiration from anywhere as long as something catches my eye.”

Joey is a member of the National Art Honor Society and takes AP Studio Art. “Joey is a strange cat, and that’s why we love him,” art teacher John Atura said.

One of Joey’s favorite pieces depicts the fear of ghosts and bathing. Mr. Atura chose the ghost drawing to be entered in an art show on Jan. 29 at Kean University. Joey’s art was also featured earlier this year in a Maplewood gallery as part of an AP exhibit.

“He surprises me with every piece of art,” senior Nicole Kendall said.

Joey is the friend that brings light to any situation. His constant positive outlook and

random thoughts leave everyone laughing.

Whether he’s making up a bizarre “Would you rather?” or uncovering hidden gems on YouTube, his contagious laugh and hilarious personality can brighten anyone’s day. “Joey may not be able to stand up, walk or speak, but he makes some damn good drawings,” senior David Kolesar said.

Besides drawing, Joey’s favorite thing to do is watch movies. His favorite part of watching movies is uncovering the story they tell. “I like to see unrealistic things play out on screen,” Ploscowe said. “I also like how a movie can make you feel scared, thrilled, sad or whatever the director wants you to feel.”

“Joey’s cool and definitely into his artwork,” junior Aidan Pero said. “Kid’s like a cheeseburger living among hamburgers.”

Joey dedicates most of his time outside of school to his art. “All of my drawings start with some sort of vision I get in my head,” Ploscowe said. “I begin by planning out many compositions, eventually I pick the one I think is best. Once all this is done, I will begin sketching out my drawing with pencil. After I am happy with my sketch I will work into it with black ink, and then color it with markers.”

Joey plans to pursue a career in art. He has not decided where to attend college next fall, however he plans to take his talent for drawing comics and pursue a career in animation or the film industry.

By Ally Schachtel ’19

While growing up in Brazil, junior Isabella Valle looked to her grandmother for inspiration. Isabella would sit and try to copy her, imitating various techniques that molded her into the artist she is today.

“My favorite kind of art is idealistic, which is when a piece has different meanings depending on who is looking at the piece, so there isn’t a just one set purpose for a drawing or painting,” Isabella said.

“It can speak to every person in a different way, and no one has the same view on it.”

Throughout her years at West Essex, Isabella has taken Drawing and Composition I, Studio Art II and III Honors, and looks forward to taking AP Studio Art next year.

She is also a member of the National Art Honor Society.

Isabella specializes in drawing portraits.

They range from celebrities to her friends and family. Her favorite portraits so far have been of West Essex 2017 graduate RJ Bell before a wrestling match and James Caldwell senior Sophia Bendriss.

Isabella’s process begins by thinking of the basic idea of what she wants to draw and then outlining it on paper. She then fills in the outline with ink and slowly adds new details that come to her in the moment. Isabella prefers pens and charcoal to markers or paint. Most of her art is left in black and white for dramatic effect.

“When I’m not drawing portraits, I take into consideration what is going on in my personal life and try and create a story about how I’m feeling on the paper,” she said. “I kind of just go with the flow and hope that it turns out to be something I actually 0like.”

“Isabella is a drawing machine,” art teacher Mr. Atura said.

While Isabella is unsure if she she wants to pursue art in college, she knows that she definitely wants to do something with art in her future job.

“Pursuing a career in art is a difficult and competitive field to be successful in,” Isabella said. “An artist must have a creative and unique mind, different than anyone else, but despite the unlikely odds, I think that I will be able to succeed in this field.”

Isabella sells some of her pieces through social media platforms. They range from $50 to $250, depending on the size, and she sells them to people all around the world.

Whenever she is not doing school work or in the pool practicing for swim team, she spends all of her time drawing. For at least a few hours each night, she works on some type of art. Her projects may take just hours or up to a couple of days to fully complete.

“You can always find Bella with a pen and paper no matter where she is,” junior Marisa DeFranza said. “She finds inspiration out of things in everyday life”.

Troiano honors family tradition of suiting up

By Gabrielle Kesh ’20

If you don’t know his name, you definitely know his style. Freshman Dean Troiano, also known as “the boy in the suit,” has been confidently wearing his renowned outfits to school for three years. Dean embraces his iconic look and loves to stand out in a crowd of people.

When people ask why he dresses this way, Dean responds, “It’s just my thing.” It turns out this is not only Dean’s ‘thing’, but also a longstaning family tradition.

“I would say my family has really inspired me to wear the suit everyday because it is a tradition and it represents professionalism,” Dean said.

What a lot of people don’t know is that Dean’s family has a lot of history with the suit trend. It started

with two of his grandfathers back in the 1930s who were required to wear suits as a school uniform.

Dean’s grandfather later grew up to own a successful carpet company.

Dean’s dad follows in his father’s footsteps by wearing a suit to his job everyday. Currently, he owns a construction management company. Since the suits have brought such great fortune to his elders, Dean believes the suit will bring him great fortune as well.

“I feel very confident doing an assignment or test in a suit and I hope the suit will lead me to a successful career,” Dean said.

Dean receives many questions about his bold look. Specifically the students are curious about how his suits affect his daily life. He doesn’t mind the questions, and he is happy to answer anything a student

is wondering regarding his outfit.

“As far as the suit goes, I always get asked the same three questions,” Dean said. “How long does it take you to change for gym? Do you wear suits at home? How many suits do you have?”

It takes Dean four minutes to change for gym, just like any other student. Dean does not wear the suit at home and wears clothes that any other kid would wear. In total, he owns eight full piece suits, 15 dress shirts, three pairs of dress shoes and roughly 30 ties.

“It really is and was the best thing I have ever done, and the only negative side is that we spend a ton on dry cleaning,” Dean said.

In his classes, Dean’s teachers take notice of his suits as well.

His English teacher, Diane Gray, respects Dean for his confidence.

“I think it’s great that he’s not influenced by the opinion of others,” Ms. Gray said. “I admire his uniqueness.”

What Dean loves most about his fashion statement is that it makes him a self-assured person. His peers expect him to wear the suit and he works hard to keep up his reputation. His close friends are supportive of his choices.

“He’s a refined gentleman that expresses himself through his formal business attire,” freshman Philip Seaver said.

Dean does not care for any negative opinions about his ensemble.

His plan is to keep wearing the suits throughout high school although he is not sure what his plan for college will be.

“Not every kid is going to understand what I do, but the suits

PHOTO BY ALLY SCHACHTEL

Dean Troiano dressed up for school.

are something that have helped me become very confident and who I am today,” Dean said. “I think they could definitely help other people as well.”

March 2018

Page 11

The Wessex Wire: Features

Reduce phone usage with these tips ‘Babies’ reveal harsh truths of parenting

By Amy Grunther ’20

By Jordan Flusser ’19

It’s no secret that teenagers and even adults are addicted to their phones, but taking a break from them is much easier said than done.

Apprentice editor Amy Grunther is guilty of phone addiction and often uses her phone as a crutch in awkward situations, but knows it’s too much. To limit the amount of time spent on the phone, she tried three different techniques. This is what happened.

Greyscale

Since changing the color of the phone does nothing to the functionality of it, I did not think that making the color black and white would stop me from wanting to watch YouTube videos, look at social media or text my friends. But I was wrong. The second my phone turned from bright, happy colors to dull greyscale, its appeal was completely gone. Looking at the mundane black and white colors made me sad and bored and almost bothered my eyes. The vibrancy of Instagram posts, Snapchats and YouTube videos was gone. Another reason that this kept me off of my phone was because it was kind of embarrassing. I was worried that people would think I was a weirdo for having this setting on my phone. I became self conscious that people would think I had some type of strange fetish for a greyscale phone. This stopped me from going on my phone as much in public places and stopped it from being a crutch during awkward interactions. Overall, if you are looking for a way to take the appeal away from your phone without affecting its functionality, this is the perfect technique.

Charging in a Different Room

I often have a hard time falling asleep at night because my mind won’t shut off, and after this experiment, I think that my phone has a lot do with my sleepless nights. I tried charging my phone in a different room at night to see if it would help me sleep better, and I fell asleep in less than five minutes. I felt more relaxed and calm throughout the night and any drama that might have occured on social media was not on my mind as I slept. This technique pretty much did nothing for me during the day, but it helped me sleep and feel more energized.

Baby fever has taken over West Essex, and by babies, we mean robotic babies. Starting this year, seniors all over the school can be spotted holding their baby carriers and tending to their “child” during and after the school day.

Between diaper changes, feedings and late night tantrums, students are learning the responsibilities and consequences of taking care of a child.

The physical education department introduced this new extra credit health project using RealCare simulation babies, which are meant to mimic live babies.

Each student who chooses to participate spends two eventful days with their baby, taking them to class, to work, to practice or anywhere else they may need to go.

After hearing about this project being done in other schools and doing careful research, physical education teacher Bettina Plesnitzer decided to test it out with the seniors this year.

“For the students that opt to sign out the baby, they have it for 48 hours and their responsibilities range from full time care, feedings, changings, rocking, burping and more,” Ms. Plesnitzer said. “Upon returning the baby, students will sit with their teacher and receive a printout assessing them on their level of care while the baby was with them.”

The RealCare software that comes with the babies allows educators to evaluate how students react in certain situations regarding the baby’s care. Students wear a wristband that wirelessly tracks their level of care, recording things like temperature and proper positioning of the baby.

The physical education teachers have the ability to turn off the babies during a certain time period for sports or other extracurriculars. However, the robotic babies remain on throughout the night to mimic sporadic night time feedings.

The physical education and health teachers introduced this project in order to teach the students responsibility and how to fully care for something. Ms. Plesnitzer said she wanted students to learn how a major change in their life like having a baby would impact their day-to-day scheduling and plans.

“It was the worst experience of my life,” senior Nicole Kendall said. “I thought I would sleep through it but it actually woke me up. Still can’t wait to have my own kids though!”

“I think it can [be effective] if students take it seriously and if it’s taken the right way,” English teacher Virginia Dunphy said.

“In another district I worked in it went well and I remember them saying how difficult it was to have a baby in their life. I remember babysitting them at lunch time for the kids who didn’t want to bring them to their labs.”

Some prospective participants are up to the challenge while others recognize and shy away from the responsibility that will come with caring for an infant or child.

“I am looking forward to seeing what it is like to wake up at different times to a crying baby and see how I respond,” senior Frank Lagreca said.

“I was going to do it but then I saw everyone struggling so much and decided it wasn’t for me,” senior Bailey Schuster said.

Though the project is currently optional, teachers hope that once they acquire more babies it can be used as a required senior health project in the future.

“From what I’ve heard, when the students return the babies they are glad that their responsibilities have concluded,” Ms. Plesnitzer said. “Most do not anticipate how challenging the care and responsibility of an infant truly is. Some students handle the caretaking better than others, but overall we’ve found that our students are really realizing the purpose of the project.”

Changing the Passcode

All I can say about this was that it was quite annoying. Everytime I wanted to go into my phone, I needed to type “mynameisamyandthisisannoying.” I often made typos and found myself typing the passcode multiple times. I spent a good five minutes just unlocking my phone. Despite the extra effort, this did not really stop me from using my phone much because, for me, going on my phone is worth typing a long passcode. The only time that my passcode really stopped me from using my phone was in class when I was not supposed to be using it. Typing in the passcode without my teacher seeing was difficult, so I found that I was not on my phone during class. Overall, I feel that this technique just increased my phone use because I spent so much time unlocking it. It helped me stop using my phone in school situations, but it did not do anything else except frustrate me.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRATCH

Senior Ian McLaughlin has to care for his baby while completing classwork.

&

Arts Arts

Culture

March 2018 Issue 3

The Wessex Wire Page 12

Hitting the books by day, building a Fort (by) nite

By Shaun Goodman ’19 Gone are the days of going outside in the sun or playing cards with your friends. Now, for better or for worse, the wave of electronic entertainment and socializing has come crashing in. The newest phenomenon in the gaming world of XBOX, Playstation and PC is the co-op survival game that is free of charge, Fortnite. This game has consumed many students’ lives and has become a favorite after-school or weekend activity.

Early this year, Fortnite was commercially released as a freeto-play game. Anyone with the right console or computer is able to download and play Fortnite.

Most students gravitate to the game-mode, Battle Royale, which is player-versus-player with up to 100 players in one individual server. Whether you play solo, in a duo with one extra teammate or in a squad with a full group of four, the objective is to be the last man (or team) standing.

The game starts off with every player on the “Battle Bus,” a flying bus that travels over the island game map. The players then pinpoint where they want to land and then jump off the bus to skydive or hang glide down to the ground.

Once on foot, players search for materials and weapons so that they are prepared for combat. On the top right corner of each player’s screen is the number of people still in the game, one’s kill count and the map which eventually shows a white line that directs players to where the gameplay area is safe from the storm. If players do not

charts by DAN LAIBLE

follow the line, they will be caught in the incoming storm. At the end of the game, the untouched circle is usually small, as it has shrunk over time from its initial size which covered the whole map at the beginning of the game.

The threat of being killed forces players to stay vigilant while they are knocking down trees and looting houses for needed supplies.

They also have to make sure they have enough time to outrun potentially lethal storms.

Many players adopt their own strategies to win a Battle Royale game, whether it is to attain the best arsenal or avoid fighting until late in the “Hunger Game”esque battle.

“You can mold the battlefield to your advantage,” senior Dom Monaco said.

A popular strategy is for players to build; the game allows players to construct protective forts and use three tiers of blocks to shield from

an imminent attack.

At the beginning of the game, players have to consider where the best spot to drop will be in order to be in the best position to win.

Students at West Essex say their favorite places to drop are Tilted Towers and Pleasant Park. These places are often highly populated with users, even if the Battle Bus is not flying on a path near them.

Still, some students are proud to take on the challenge of facing many players all concentrated in one area.

“First off I wipe Tilted Towers,” senior Patrick Reilly said. “Then I move to the circle and cop that Victory Royale.”

Though areas such as Lonely Lodge and Loot Lake are less popular, they might be more strategically sound if a player wants to last the whole game, as players can usually accumulate great supplies and weapons there without fearing an early and unexpected encounter

with other players.

Another key reason why the game has been a go-to activity for students is likely due to its social opportunities. Friends who have the same console, XBOX or PS4, can play together in Duo or Squad mode. It is as simple as adding your friend on the system and setting up a party with them so you can be on their team. Being able to play alongside your friends adds to the excitement when ambushing another team or finding a glowing chest full of supplies to ration out to one’s comrades.

“The adrenaline rush from a Victory Royale with my squad is the greatest feeling I have ever felt,” Reilly said.

Although it seems that almost everyone plays Fortnite, about 40 percent of the school has still never even tried it.

“I don’t really know what it is but I always see pictures of people winning on my Snapchat stories,”

senior Julia Schmulewitz said.

Even if someone does not like video games or has never played one, almost everyone has found something to like about Fortnite.

Details such as knowing how to build a fort or use a jump pad pale in comparison to the excitement of playing.

“It is one of a kind and its demographic ranges through all ages, junior Jimmy Zhang said. Even with all of the fun online things to do these days, Fortnite has become one of the primary pastimes of West Essex high-schoolers.

From Fortnite themed clothing apparel to social media accounts that display Fortnite highlights, people are not holding back from expressing their love for the game.

The halls of West Essex are full of passionate conversations about the game and people eager to share their personal game experiences with others.

“It’s an epidemic,” Reilly said.

HQ’s rise to popularity reveals its issues A new trivia app’s appeal declined just as fast as it initially skyrocketed.

By Sara Amil ’18 HQ Trivia is a perfect case of something being popular for a “hot sec.” There have been other trivia games that grew in popularity, such as Trivia Crack, but for some reason HQ gained popularity at West Essex overnight.

So what made this game so addictive? It might be the allure of winning money, but upon realizing the actual cash prize players typically get, much of the appeal is lost.

Those who do win are frus-

trated that they can not claim their prize if they do not reach the minimum prize amount ($20).

“It doesn’t always work, but it’s an intense trivia game that I’m really obsessed with,” senior Alex Apito said.

The increased popularity of the game means that the money won each game is reduced. More players means the game slows or glitches. These glitches sometimes skips a question on the players’ behalf and eliminates them from the game altogether.

“I deleted it because it’s stupid,” senior Natalie Guerra said.

The glitches coupled with the small cash prize is pushing players away. People do not want to wait around anymore for the app to load when they know it is almost inevitable that they will lose that the game is too time consuming.

The notification that the game begins often precedes its true start and then after staring at a blank screen players have to wait for the countdown to finish.

The game is also inconvenient for players because it only occurs twice a day. It is live at 3p.m. and 9 p.m., so users do not choose when they can play.

“I like being able to play games on my phone whenever I am free,” junior Emily Torchia said. “HQ comes on when I am busy.”

On top of the wait times, many of the hosts delay the start by giving shout outs to certain users and making jokes.

The only time players get hyped up anymore over the game is typically on Sunday nights. On sunday nights the prize amount is increased; the largest cash prize so far was $25,000 for 15 questions

Photo BY ALEXA DRATCH

Students gather around to play HQ and attempt to win.

correct.

While the increased prize money might seem appealing initially, it attracts more players, creating more opportunity for the game to glitch.

Despite this attempt to bring back players, West Essex students increasingly find themselves swiping up on their phones to ignore the daily notification that HQ is about to start.

March 2018

The Wessex Wire: Arts & Culture

Page 13

When fandoms attack: The rise of the entitled

By Dylan Lepre ’19 Everyone is a fan of something.

Whether it be a movie, video game or sports team, everyone loves to be a part of something. With the development of the Internet and the sheer quantity of entertainment available, people usually have no problems finding someone else to share their favorite show with.

Websites such as Reddit host many of these fandoms where fans can share pictures and videos from their favorite types of entertainment along with the occasional ridiculous theories about random characters or events in different franchises that could connect.

But, what happens when fandoms attack?

In October, McDonald’s began offering a limited time item called Szechuan sauce. Szechuan sauce is a famous sauce in the show Rick and Morty which has been airing on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim since 2013. Hundreds lined up in front of McDonald’s in order to get their hands on the coveted sauce.

However, McDonald’s neglected to tell eager fans that the sauce was only going to be sold for a limited time.

When fans found out, their happiness quickly turned to anger and violence. At one Los Angeles property, hundreds of patrons rioted inside a store, eventually requiring

Arts Commentary the presence of the Los Angeles Police Department. However, the events that transpired are just a symptom of a larger issue.

While actual rioting is not common, verbal attacks in fandoms occur frequently. One only has to look at the response to “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” to understand this.

The film was highly anticipated, but upon release found itself part of an intense backlash. While many had legitimate criticisms of the movie, a small part of the fan base attacked the film and its director for “furthering social justice warrior agendas.” A social justice warrior is a term used to describe someone who expresses progressive values with a sometimes overbearing approach.

Fanboys argued that the film featured too many women and thus was too political. While most likely not the intetion of the filmmakers, these allegations also put a damper on an escapist series like “Star Wars.” Ironically, the fandom only has itself to blame for making its favorite movie so political.

Indeed, this sort of fan backlash is common when fans don’t get their way. At the conclusion of the

Illustration by Alyssa Cristobal

Though fandoms can be a source of community and belonging, they often set their expectations too high.

show, “How I Met Your Mother,” fans were angry at how the showrunners decided to wrap things up.

In a USA Today article released right after the show’s 2014 finale, the author attacks the show for failing to deliver on its promise to fans.

Fans believe that they are entitled to the ending they think something needs. When something becomes popular, who controls it? Fans would think that they should have

some say in the creative process, and their anger at not receiving what they want can lead to the destruction of a franchise’s reputation.

“Star Wars,” for example, was a film that went against the grain of what fans wanted and they pushed back because of it. It’s quite easy to go to the comments of different reviews of the film and see hyperbolic comments about how the series is dead and how the director does not

know what the fans want. It always comes back to what the fans want, but satisfying every fan is impossible.

The concept of fandom is one of unification, but it can also lead to entitlement. Of course, this isn’t to say fandoms are awful. While they do provide a sense of belonging to fans and bring joy to many, it may be time to reassess how good these fandoms are in relation to the quality of the content and the direction of these shows and movies.

By Hayley Brener ’19

the past year, “The Greatest Showman,” “The Fate of the Furious,” “Moana” and “Pitch Perfect 3” were the top four favorite movie soundtracks in a poll of 100 students here at West Essex.

“The Fate of the Furious” album is popular even among people who haven’t seen the movie. Artists like Lil Uzi, Young Thug, Post Malone, Migos and Lil Yachty attract a lot of attention.

Having popular artists in a movie soundtrack can help bring in new audiences to the movie, especially when trying to appeal to the same type of audience.

“I already knew every song in the ‘Fate of the Furious’ album before I saw the movie,” sophomore Rachel Quinn said.

The contributions of LinManuel Miranda, “Hamilton’s” composer, to Moana’s soundtrack helped it become an instant hit.

Children and teens who have seen the movie enjoy the soundtrack but adults are more intrigued by Miranda’s work.

“I know it's kind of childish but I love the songs in ‘Moana,”’ junior Hayley Scheer said. “They’re so catchy.”

Within the “Pitch Perfect” soundtrack, the cast sings covers of popular songs like Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” and Avicii's “Wake me Up,” attracting many other viewers. It's no surprise that the movie based upon a group of girls in an acapella group has a remarkable soundtrack. Since it is the third “Pitch Perfect” movie, fans who have seen the previous movies are expecting this kind of soundtrack.

“I honestly love the ‘Pitch Perfect’ versions of songs better than the original songs,” junior Brooke Ivler said.

Another notable soundtrack belongs to is “ The Greatest Showman.” It was written by the artists who wrote the music for the movie “La La Land” and music for broadway show, “Dear Evan Hansen.” The musical features famous artists like Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman and Zendaya. Fans who adored Zac Efron’s singing in High School musical were eager to hear the songs from this new musical. Overall, these new albums bring a sense of style and fun that West Essex students can’t get enough of and make the movies even more exciting.

Movie soundtracks capture students’ hearts

Clockwise from top left: 20th century fox, universal, disney

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox, Universal and Disney

These are some of the soundtracks that exploded onto the scene in 2017.

While the events on screen are what attracts most viewers, the audience often leaves a movie with a stronger memory of the music. Good luck getting “Let it Go” out of your head after seeing “Frozen.” Many popular movies have soundtracks that are used to make the audience feel a certain way or set a mood. Around the time a popular movie comes out, the soundtrack typically appears at the top of the charts, attracting viewers to the movie.

What makes certain movie soundtracks so popular is that they contain catchy songs that people remember and will then associate with the movie. Many people associate songs with the certain scene it was in and often tend to listen to it afterward. The music industry and movie industry can profit off of one another in this way, making soundtracks a powerful addition to films. “‘My Heart Will Go On’ always reminds me of the Titanic,” junior Ali Gann said. “I always think of that scene when I hear the song.”

Popular soundtracks from

March 2018

The Wessex Wire: Sports

Page 14

Fencing: A winning approach to ‘physical chess’ Girls swimming finished with historic season

By Shaun Goodman ’19 Even though fencing is popular among the members of the team, the sport is still overlooked at West Essex High School by many students.

“Unless you know about it, and you know how cool the sport is, you are not exposed to it until you get to high school, which I think is a major problem,” assistant coach Jozefczyk said.

Fencing intertwines both the physical and mental aspects of sports into what team members call “physical chess.”

“You have to kind of think about how you’re going to trick the other person into thinking that you are doing a certain move, and then think three moves ahead,” Ms. Jozefczyk said.

People tend to downplay fencing, as a sport for nerds or people who do not play the “bigname” sports such as football or basketball.

“Fencing isn’t just a sport for nerds, it is a sport for kids who want to learn strategy but who also want to become stronger,” junior Teddy Press said. “It requires a lot of brainpower to do well and it’s a hard sport that I think deserves more recognition.”

The West Essex fencing team competes in a top division that includes elite teams from different schools such as including Newark Academy and Livingston High School. While the team does work on conditioning, the main focus of their practices is footwork and technique.

By Michael DiGiacomo ’18

Photo courtesy of SaraH Candido

The West Essex fencing team dueling against tough competition at nationals.

“Once we do footwork we break down into the three different weapons and they do blade work and then they’ll have individual bouts with each other,” Ms. Jozefczyk said.

This year, the fencing team made several improvements from the year prior. The boys won a match this year which broke their losing streak, and both the boys and girls were successful at the state

championships. The girls team as a whole placed 25th out of 52 high school teams and the boys ranked 45.

“I would describe this season as one of growth, development, and expansion,” Press said.

The team is deteremined to become more competitive beyond a high school scene. But for now, the team is focused on trusting the rebuilding process.

“A bunch of fencers have started to attend private clubs to take lessons in order to improve during the off-season,” Press said.

At this steady pace of progress, the fencing team could possibly become a top tier team.

Although fencing does not attract the large crowds, the sport remains an ideal outlet for West Essex students who want to challenge both their body and mind.

Coach Cirello crosses 50th win benchmark

heart and always brings energy to the team,” captain Brielle Krause said. “Coach Cirello is an excellent role model for young women, who leads by example through her positive, yet disciplined attitude.”

Coach Cirello takes pride in watching her athletes improve and appreciate the game of basketball.

Cirello finished the 2017-18 season with 59 wins to her name, but her focus remains on building a consistently program.

Cirello has guided her teams to victory over her five years as a varsity head coach.

By Josie Berger ’20 On Friday, Jan. 4, Coach Maria Cirello achieved her 50th basketball win as a coach. The game was played against Verona, and West Essex won 33-32.

Coach Cirello was a basketball coach at Verona for two years before becoming coach at West Essex. When Cirello told her team about the win, it was a casual announcement, but she could sense her team’s excitement.

As a coach at West Essex, Cirello believes the best part of coaching is seeing the athletes develop their basketball skills over the course of the season.

“One of my favorite parts of coaching is seeing the girls improve and work together,” Cirello

Wise Words: Coach Maier

Photo courtesy of Anne James

Coach Maria Cirello yelling out a play at the senior night game.

said. “The girls are great and I can’t say enough about them. They

make it enjoyable.”

“Coach Cirello is dedicated, has

“The body can always go further than the mind thinks it can.”

The girls swim team surpassed expectations by making it all the way to the North Jersey, Section 2, Public C state sectional fina, finishing with a 9-6 record.

Their greatest accomplishment of the season came on Feb. 13, when they defeated Caldwell in the sectional semifinal. Unfortunately they lost the sectional championship to Bernards High School on Feb 15.

Assist ant co ach Kat h le en Turnbull expressed her feelings about the team’s success.

“We hadn’t beaten Caldwell in 17 years,” Turnbull said. “That wasn’t our state championship meet but it felt like it to us. It’s been so long since we had beaten them. To beat them was our state championship meet. Anything after that was an added bonus.”

At the semifinal meet versus Caldwell, senior Andrea Echo finished first in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly and sophomore Isabella Data placed first in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle.

The 200 freestyle team of Data, juniors Isabella Valle, Jackie Taylor, and senior Sofia Valle, took first place. The 400 freestyle relay team of senior Emma Bossaert, Data, Echo, and Taylor won the last race that ultimately gave them the victory.

“Our girls this year made a name for themselves and put themselves on the board,” Turnbull said.

“Going into the final meet, I said, as much as I would like you to win for me, I just want you guys to be happy. I’m proud of your season, you’ve done so much. I want them to see this season as a victory for them.”

This year’s team was lead by seven senior captains: Echo, Bossaert, Sarah Falkin, Dory Moss, Katie Barth, Alexis Pero and Sofia Valle.

This group of girls lead the Aqua knights victory over Caldwell in the semifinals. The last time they did this, most of the students were not even born.

“They were just excellent,” Turnball said. “They work really well together. Everything trickles down from our captains to the rest of the team.”

“The team did really well this season, both the girls and the boys, Bossaert said. I’m so happy I was able to have such an amazing season in my senior year. We truly worked hard for it and accomplished so much. We had a great group of swimmers this year and made memories that we will never forget.”

The Wessex Wire: Sports

March 2018

Markey succeeds in his first season as the varsity wrestling head coach The wrestling team rallies behind coach Markey’s enthusiasm and determination.

After days of anticipation the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Minneapolis in Super Bowl LII. Both teams put up an impressive offensive display, setting a record for most yards in a Super Bowl.

It was the Eagles’ first ever Super Bowl win.

The team and fans were nervous, as they lost their starting quarterback Carson Wentz in Week 14 to a torn ACL in a game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Boys basketball struggles to win At a record of 5-18, the boys basketball team has ended their 2018 season. The team is led by head Coach Bill Humes, assistant Coach Michael Llauget and captain Ian McLaughlin. The boys went into the season confident, but have not lived up to their goals.

“Our record does not represent how hard we work,” sophomore Aaron Gonzalez said. The boys have been playing since November, working to improve their game. Unfortunately this has not shown in their record.

Senior Heath Kalb led the Knights with 85 total field goals while junior guard Scott Barlow led the team in three pointers, making 33 total this season.

With only four seniors graduating this year, the young players provide a strong foundation for next year. They have one year under their belt together and will come back and redeem themselves after a disappointing year.

Winter Olympic highlights

By Chris Tsakonas ’18 Photo courtesy of Michael Markey

Head Coach Michael Markey coaching Carson Barry before he gets ready for his match.

for the team.

“Social media is a great avenue to start interest in the program and give mini insights into who we are and what we are doing,” Markey said.

“We would love to pack the stands for every match, but people have to know about us before they come check us out.”

The wrestling team has always

competed at their highest standards, but Mr. Markey hopes to bring the team to a new level.

Going up against some extremely tough competition this year, Markey hopes it can turn into a season where they begin to get viewed as a top team in the state.

His wrestlers are buying into his philosophy. “Once the team gets energy, we roll and there’s no stop-

ping us,” freshman Jack Ruane said.

Markey said many wrestlers come in with little to no experience, but that does not stop them from becoming talented. “The old saying is it’s not how you start it’s how you finish,” Markey said.

“In our program we have seen guys start with very little experience and end their career as an elite wrestler.”

Eagles fans rejoice after historic SB upset

By Quinn Delehanty ’19

Updates on winter sports

By Quinn Delehanty ’19

By Dan Laible ’18 Before the season, the wrestling team hired physical education teacher Michael Markey to the head coaching position.

He hopes to promote a new culture while bringing in new philosophies. Markey’s an eager coach ready to bring the wrestling team to the top.

Markey began as an assistant coach for West Essex back in 2009 under Greg Ruggiero. This year, the two switched roles, leaving Mr. Markey in the position he has been waiting for all of his career.

“I want to be able to compete with the best wrestling teams in the state and it just so happens New Jersey is one of the best wrestling states in the nation,” Mr. Markey said.

Markey excelled in both football and wrestling in high school and continued to play both sports through college.

“I was adamant about playing football and wrestling in college and TCNJ was one of the few schools that would let do both,” Markey said.

“Rutgers was one of the schools big on me wrestling as well as Clarion, but I could not play football.”

Markey said excelling at both football and wrestling helped his career athletically and led into coaching careers in both sports.

Wrestling has become an important part of his life since becoming head coach, and he hopes that the team will begin to draw more attention.

Markey created an instagram account for the team to highlight its wrestlers and generate fan support

Page 15

“”

“Doug Peterson had the ballsiest play call of anyone I have ever seen. Junior A i d an Pe ro said, “Fourth and 1 and he pulled out the Philly Special and my jaw hit the floor,” junior Aidan Pero said. This put them in the best possible situation to come out on top.

Following the victory, fans took

to the streets climbing poles, publicly drinking and generally disturbing the peace.

The fans couldn’t have been more excited and this is how they choose to show it.

Along with many ot hers, C o ombs made his way to Philly to witness the happiness, the excitement and the legacy of the Eagles.

“The amount of joy in the air

The amount of joy in the air was infectious.

- Michael Coombs

was infectious,” senior Michael Coombs said. “I cried my eyes out for days after the win and seeing that amount of celebration was overwhelming.”

West Essex students were filled with happiness at loss of the Patriots.

Most viewers expected the Patriots to win, so seeing the underdogs come out on top was exciting.

“It was a huge win and it means a lot to Eagles fans everywhere,” senior Justin Maestoso said, “This is the beginning of the new era.”

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, the United States struggled in comparison with past American teams, finishing with a lower medal count than usual. They lagged in the standings behind winter sports powerhouses such as Norway and Germany.

The U.S. won their first ever cross-country skiing gold in dramatic fashion when Jesse Diggins sprinted from third to first at the end of the race. The men’s curling team, led by four-time Olympian John Shuster, upset Sweden in the gold medal game to win the first ever U.S. gold in Olympic curling.

Several teenagers have found incredible success: 17-year-olds Red Gerard and Chloe Kim both won gold medals in snowboarding events this year. The figure skating world was taken by storm when 18-year-old American skater Nathan Chen performed.

While the United States Olympic team as a whole failed to meet the high standards Americans have come to expect. the success of these young athletes shows that a bright future is on the horizon for Team USA.

March 2018 Issue 3

The Wessex Wire Page 16

Girls track hopes to carry success into nationals

By Heath Kalb ’18 The girls track and field team has continued their success this winter season with a second place finish in groups and a trip to Nationals coming later this month.

The Lady Knights competed in the Group State Championships on Friday, Feb. 16 at the Bennett Center in Toms River, NJ where they placed second overall, 4.25 points behind Rumson- Fair Haven. Senior Reanda Richards became a group champion after finishing first place in the 55m hurdles. She was also third in the 800m. Julia Geiger tied for fifth in the high jump. The 4x400 relay of Alexia Perez, Gabriela Karch, Vivian Onnembo and Reanda took second place.

Sophomore Jenna Chan received a wild card (one of the top times outside of the top six) to move on to Meet of Champions in the 55m hurdles.

On Feb. 20, the girls competed in the Eastern States Championships at the Armory in New York City.

There, Richards ran a personal best 8.17 seconds in the hurdles to place fourth and qualify for nationals. The girls 4x400 ran a season best time of 3:59.51, and by breaking four minutes now qualified for the championship division

Senior Gabby Karch hands off the baton to freshman Vivien Onembo.

at nationals in a few weeks.

“This whole season has been a great time and I hope we can continue our progress at Nationals,” senior Alexia Perez said.

The coaches are very proud of their team’s effort and attribute the

Photo courtesy of Anthony Emering

recent success to the work ethic of all the athletes.

“The girls pour everything they have into each race, and it is great to see them rewarded for their hard work,” Coach Tim Cullen said.

The girls track team also finished second in the team race and won two of the six relay events on the track at the Group 2 State Relay Championships on Saturday Jan. 20 at Toms River, NJ. The Girls shuttle hurdle relay

team of Jenna Chan, Gabriela Karch, Julia Geiger and Reanda Richards won the Group 2 State Championship in that event and also broke the meet record running the fastest time in meet history at 32.50 seconds. The Girls 4x400 meter relay team of Gabriela Karch, Alexia Perez,Vivian Onnembo and Reanda Richards also won the Group 2 State Championship.

As of right now, senior Reanda Richards is ranked highly in the state in multiple events. including being fourth in hurdles and tenth in the 800 meters. The 4x400 team, which also includes Alexia Perez, Gabriela Karch and Vivian Onnembo, are ranked 40th in the nation.

On Saturday Feb. 24, the same 4x400 team finished third at the meet of champions which is the highest finish ever for any track event in school history at the meet of champions. Richards also finished seventh in the 55m hurdles that same day.

“It’s a great feeling to know that we’ve made history” senior Reanda Richards said.

Pe r e z , R i c h a r d s , K a r c h , Onembo, Chan and Geiger made the New Balance Nationals and will be competing from Friday, March 9 until Sunday March 11 in New York City.

Off-court chemistry proves valuable for girls basketball team Seniors led the team to 15-9 record in Coach Cirello’s third year as head of the program.

By Frankie Rizzo ’19 After a 20-5 season last year, the Girls Basketball Team continued their winning ways. The team is led by captains Brielle Krause and Lilly James.

They finished with a record of 15-9, with their season coming to an end Monday with a 50-27 loss to Sparta in the first round of the NJSIAA Section 1, Group 3 tournament. Of these 15 wins, 11 came from conference play. As a result, the Knights finished the season at third place in the Colonial Division “Our performance as a team this year is great,” said junior Emily Torchia said. “Seeing everyone work together to achieve the same goal really puts a smile on not only our faces, but the coaches as well.”

Torchia mentioned how playing in the program for the past three years has allowed her to connect with the current players. Captain Brielle Krause agreed that the team’s time spent together off the court has led to improvement on the court.

“As a leader it is important that we unite the team,” Krause said.

“We love hanging together and it certainly does show on the court with our chemistry.”

This is a team that also consists of junior Sabrina Krasner, a three year varsity player. She currently has a total of 113 points, 35 assists, 61 rebounds and 45 steals. In only her a junior season, she is making her mark on the team this season, with still more to come next year.

“It feels good that I am really helping the team’s performance next year,” she said. “It feels even better when I realize I still have another year to play on such a great team.”

The team has contributed from every level. Whether it’s a freshman playing varsity or a senior,

Coach Maria Cirello speaking to her players during a timeout on senior night.

they all play a role for the team.

While the Knights had a good season overall, they fell short in

the postseason, losing in the first round. Nevertheless, it is clear that a consistent winner has been cre-

Photo courtesy of Anne James

ated, and the Knights will be able to build on their promising future next season.