The Wessex Wire (December 2016)

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

Vol. LVII No. II

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

December 2016

TheWessexWire.com

Senior defies all stereotypes with fashion Steven Collini spreads message of individuality through fashion and design.

By Grace George ’17 While most students have been cramming for tests and fitting in college applications, senior Steven Collini has been focusing on more than just school. He has taken a risk by straying away from the norm of West Essex and designing his own clothing line called Wolf, as a branch of his larger brand, Tree.

Steven made his first shirt midway through his junior year and has continued to use clothing as his medium of expression. He makes each article of clothing by hand, and each branch of his brand is inspired from a specific painting of his.

Steven said he rejects the idea of setting limits and placing labels on a single style. With the brand name being Tree Steven creates separate “branches” each month that are inspired by his personal paintings, emphasizing the diversity of his style.

This specific branch of Tree includes shirts, sweatshirts and shoes of all different styles. He strives to create bold, boundary-pushing styles that people want to wear.

On Nov. 1, Steven hosted his own fashion show in the Fairfield

Park, showcasing his original designs.

While his passion is to design and sell apparel that reflects his own attitude toward societal norms, Steven said his fashion shows are more of a social experiment for him than a platform to display his label.

During lunch that day, he made an announcement in the cafeteria inviting everyone to come and experience something new.

“The reason I did the speech at lunch was to share a way of looking at the world so we as seniors can enjoy our last year together,” Steven said.

A crowd of around 30 people came to see Steven’s original clothing line in action that evening.

After a spotlight malfunction, Steven improvised with car headlights to illuminate the darkrunway. Star Marching Knight drummer, Michael Bachmann, played a steady beat as students from West Essex and neighboring towns alike walked the runway in “Wolf ” apparel.

“It was a fun experience,” said senior Zac Balz, one of Steven’s models. “The clothes were a good balance between being comfortable and stylish.”

Once all the models finished, Steven performed a short dance for his audience following a heartfelt speech to those who follow and support him.

“Thank you guys so much,” Steven said. “This is my dream and

I will never forget this.”

Steven said his main objective is to help his fellow seniors find beauty in the world around them and view their peers beyond their social status. He encourages the senior class to befriend people “on the other side of the wall” and learn from each other’s varying perspectives and thoughts.

Steven plans to pursue his passions by attending college for art and business, but he also is determined to continue his fashion show social experiments. “They can only get better from the first one,” he said.

Steven continues to venture into the world of fashion with designing and creating his own clothes.

“Having a closed mind is bad,” Steven said, “In college we will all realize this but why not realize it senior year.”

Council. Class Council consists of representatives solely from one grade while the Student Council embodies representatives from all four years. No matter which specific title or council, everyone works in tandem.

“It is definitely a team effort,” junior Class President Julia Schmulewitz said. “We all contribute a lot and put in our own ideas and decide what will be best for all of the kids of the school.”

The council makes decisions involving school events, such as the designs on Spirit Day shirts.

Similar to a sport or a club, Student Council meets frequently to discuss student relations. “We try to meet twice every marking period, as well as before any big school events,” Student Ambassador and junior Shaina Barreto said.

The members recently attended Leadership Conference which helped strengthen their leadership skills among peers.

Student Council members are required to attend certain school functions to show their support and lend a helping hand, includ-

Photos by Alexa Dratch (right) and alexandra codella

Student Council upperclassmen share their goals

By Alyssa Cristobal ’18

Every year each class holds an election to see who will take on the roles in Student Council and represent the student body in order to make the school year the best it can be. But many students didn’t fully understand what these positions actually entail. Student Council means business, business to make sure the fun events each year holds will run smoothly and will be successful.

There is very little difference between Student Council and Class

In This Issue:

4-6 Opinion

Are people today losing common courtesy?

8-9 Holiday

ing Back to School Night, Mr. West Essex, Film Festival and the Fall and Spring Plays. The council members also coordinate fundraisers to fund important events such as Junior Prom and Senior Project Graduation.

The Junior Tricky Tray last year raised $22,000 for prom and other school activities.

“A lot of the things we do the advisors let us take the role. They feel more like supervisors than advisors,” Class Council Treasurer Max Prince, a senior said.

The council is mostly student-

What to give this holiday season

led and most ideas are made up by the students and the advisor just approves it.

Student Council members try to discuss and ratify any issues their classmates bring to them.

The locks in the girls’ bathroom near the cafeteria have recently been repaired, thanks to the Student Council members bringing the issue to the attention of the administration.

“Being part of Student Council is a very fun and rewarding experience,” senior Vice President Louis Galarowicz said.

12 & 13 A&C

House Party app takes over WE

The Wessex Wire: News

December 2016

Page 2

Trump triumphs, Clinton fails to break glass ceiling

By Jessica Cunha ’17 After months of this unconventional election season, on Nov. 8, millions of Americans flocked to the polls to finally put a stop to the clash between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. In the end, Trump prevailed, despite previous predictions and polls that had Clinton with a substantial lead.

Filled with scandals, email hacks and name-calling, both candidates were polarizing figures to both the general public and their peers.

Senior Alexa Vardiman believes that Trump symbolizes a positive, different direction for the country.

“I’m happy because I felt we needed change and am confident with the decision,” Vardiman said.

Sophomore Ellie Decker, didn’t care for either candidate, but believed that Clinton was more qualified. “I hated both but I hated Hillary less because I thought she would have surrounded herself with better people,” Decker said.

Before the actual election, West Essex held its own mock election in October, where 700 students participated. Compared to the national results, the high school poll had a similar outcome. Out of the students who voted, 64 percent sided with Trump. Even though the national results were much closer, Trump managed to pull out the electoral vote, reaching the required 270, but narrowly failed to receive the popular vote by around two percent.

However, in New Jersey, Clinton was victorious. New Jersey is assigned 14 electoral votes, smaller than other states like Florida, which is why her winning this region was insignificant in the long run. In our state, and in most states, there is a “winner take all” system that rewards electoral votes to the winning presidential candidate. Each state is assigned a certain number of votes and candidates tend to vie for these states, especially battle ground areas.

A shocking revelation during the distribution of electoral votes was the fact that Trump managed to turn states like Michigan that are normally blue, red. This obvious divide during the entirety of this election represents the public’s reaction to Tuesday night.

In Washington, D.C., citizens stood outside the White House early the next morning, protesting againstTrump’s presidency. It was only the start of of a number of protests all around the country that have gained a ton of media attention and have lead to many important discussions.

Numerous Trump supporters criticized the move, saying that these demonstrators are just childish millennials that should accept the outcome.

Trump himself responded to this

For two takes on the Trump protests, see Page 6 of Opinion. on Twitter, accusing the protesters of accepting payment. “Just had a very open and successful presidential election,” Trump wrote. “Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. It is extremely unfair!”

Clinton supporters and Never Trumpers became outraged over the past week when news started circulating of stories across the nation where people of color and those of different religions were being discriminated against, especially in schools.

One of the most shocking cases came from the University of Pennsylvania, Trump’s alma mater, where an African American freshmen was threatened to be lynched over a Groupme message. Trump has been active on Twitter, but failed to respond to these hate crimes until his 60 Minutes interview, in which he stated that he heard of very few instances of this, but would tell those individuals to stop because he wants to unite the entire country.

Trump was not the only one in hot water. Some criticized Clinton for not delivering her concession speech right after the election, but the next day, she did speak to the public. Clinton started off with hope for the future of the country, talking about working with Trump instead of against him, while also thanking all those who supported her over the past couple of months.

Meanwhile at Trump headquarters, Trump delivered a victory speech that many thought he would never have the opportunity to give. He chose to end on a unifying note, which differed from previous statements made at his rallies. This early morning speech signified the end of a truly taxing election season.

Even though the focus has been on the chaotic presidential election, the U.S. representative for the N.J. 11th congressional district was also up for grabs. This individual is vital because he serves as the voice for those in his district and plays an important role in pushing for legislation that matters to them.

Essex County voters were faced with the choice between previous representative, Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen, and his challenger, Democrat Joseph Wenzel.

Wenzel has b e en previously criticized Frelinghuysen for endorsing Trump throughout his campaign, even commenting on it to the Daily Record.

On the other hand,

Frelinghuysen has capitalized on the fact that Wenzel is a newcomer with little government experience, utilizing this knowledge as evidence of his incompetence.

New Jersey voters decided to put their faith in Frelinghuysen.

Wit h anot her Republican a d d i t i o n t o t h e Ho u s e o f Representatives, this adds to the party’s control over both the House and the Senate.

We s t E s s e x a l u m , J o s h Gottheimer, successfully ran for N.J. 5th congressional district representative for the Democratic party. This is his first time ever as a congressman.

The Democratic Party no longer has control over any of the three branches of government, leaving many who lean towards the left concerned for the future. Their concern stems from the fact that Trump will now have an easier pathway to turn his policy plans into law. Critics believe that this uncertainty has only added to the divisiveness this country has become accustomed to due to the nature of these campaigns.

Sophomore Alexis Lombardo said she’s just happy all the madness has finally come to an end. “A lot of people were surprised about who won,” Lombardo said, “But I’m just glad that it is over and we can focus on new things now.”

Which party do you belong to?

Other: 7 Don’t Know: 19 Republican: 53 Democrat: 21

Are you happy with the results of the election?

Indifferent: 21

Yes: 55 No: 24

Based on a 100 student survey.

Poll Conducted by Caroline Quinn ’19

Illustration by Sharon O’Donnell

The Wessex Wire: News

December 2016

Page 3

Internet hackers disrupt small businesses News around the world

By Grace Irwin ’18

The east coast of the U.S. and west coasts of Europe underwent a mass cyber attack on Friday, Oct. 22. More than 77 sites were breached, losing companies up to $110 million. The source of the attacks are still unknown, but the FBI is working on tracking down the group responsible.

A middle-man company, Dyn, was breached with a specific malware, enabling the electronics of thousands and spreading a virus.

Dyn is an internet performance company, working to make sure that websites are reached when requested and protecting online infrastructure for sites of small or home businesses. The malware reached cameras, printers, routers, and other small devices. “It’s scary to think that people can hack into system with only a small virus,” said sophomore Patrick Delehanty.

As this year’s election concluded, many worry that the hackers attempted to interfere with the polls.

“People are always saying that the

election was going to be rigged, but with these hackers, maybe it actually was,” freshman Sophia Hug said. Others argue that the election was doomed from the start. “The election was always rigged because the electoral college is biased” senior Danielle Vacca said.

Despite the worry, direct electron recording systems ensures that all votes are confidential and unchangeable. “I’m sure they they can try to hack, but as long as they can’t reach the voting booth they can’t change the information,” said Ms. Martin, technology coordinator for the school district.

When installing viruses, hackers leave codes in internet ads, unprotected websites or any form of internet service users can click.

Once the malware is installed, the server can begin to collect information such as passwords and simple key strokes.

“Most people click on something online and don’t notice it until the damage is done,” said Mr. Young, district technology supervisor.

The hacking incidents have also

By Danielle Tabatneck ’18

Immigration reform

Photo courtesy of maryland gov pics (CC by 2.0)

The public’s fears of hacking disruptions of the election were unfounded.

brought light to question of whether or not technological advancement is really beneficial or hurting society. “Physically we are in the aspect that we’re shriveling up and

becoming weak sitting in front of screens all day,” junior Oliver Irwin said. “You know it’s getting bad when crisis hits over mere breaches of an internet system.”

Poetry festival sparks newfound appreciation

By Sophia Colitti ’17

“Governor Votes Early” by Maryland GovPics (CC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/televisione/26422944030

Almost 40 West Essex upperclassmen were invited to attend the 30th anniversary of the Biennial Geraldine R . Dodge Poetr y Festival on Oct. 21 in Newark.

The Dodge Poetry Festival is funded by the Arts and Education Programs of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and its purpose is to inspire and offer insight to poetry lovers.

There are generally 14,000 to 17,000 audience members every two years who listen to an array of writing styles and topics.

Renowned poets such as Billy Collins, Martin Espada and Robert Hass presented their literary works to the public, including high school students from all over the country.

The four day festival was primarily held at NJPAC in Newark, and there were satellite venues nearby where poets spoke as well.

For many West Essex students, Billy Collins was the most anticipated author, since he wrote “Questions About Angels,” one of the summer reading books for AP Literature and Composition this year. Collins was accompanied by poets Rickey Laurentiis and Angel Nafis in the first set of readings, which every West Essex student attended. The integrative nature of the festival allotted time for the students to have a Q&A session with the poets, where students asked questions about writing improvement, the poet’s works and personal views.

Many who attended said they achieved a deeper understanding

Immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally viewed the election as crucial. The estimated 11 million illegal immigrants were worried because Trump during his debates, Trump talked about mass deportations whereas Clinton supports immigration reform according to a November article from ABC News. Gloria Alvarez, a 39-year-old woman, explained that other immigrants including herself, revealed their stories in the hopes to persuade voters to keep the interests of immigrants in mind. Even though the immigrants were unable to vote, their pre-Election Day efforts made a difference to voters since they convinced people who normally would not have gone to vote at all, to vote for Hillary.

China’s oil demand China is an important driver of oil as well as other important commodity markets. Over the last year, China has consciously been moving away from an energy-intensive economic growth to a servicedominated economy, according to a November article from Forbes magazine. The country’s energy consumption has come down significantly because of this fundamental shift. China is also likely to reduce its carbon footprint drastically over the long term, and this is expected to impact the demand for oil from the world’s most important energy consumer.

The International Energy Agency expects China’s oil demand to grow at 1.2 percent annually over the next 25 years.

Katie De Brabanter meets one of her favorite poets, Billy Collins.

of the poet’s mindsets through the conversations and it made for a far more comfortable experience.

Senior Katie De Brabanter, who is enrolled in AP Literature, had the chance to meet Collins after his reading. “I love him. He is one of my favorite poet and he makes me so happy,” De Brabanter said.

T h e e nt hu s i a s m t h at D e Brabanter had, like many others, was undeniable and made the trip special on personal levels.

Ms. Macaluso, who teaches AP Literature and Composition, said she thought the festival was a success. “It awakens a sense of excitement in me for poetry, which

Photo courtesy of Sophia Colitti

is difficult to teach and is generally something that students don’t like.

I am revived again by the festival,” Macaluso said.

The West Essex students split into groups with chaperones Ms. Macaluso, Mr. Fardin, Ms. Rich, Ms. Casais, Ms. Berthelot and Mr. Collins. Each group went to a desired reading on any of the satellite locations for the second half of the trip.

If students grew hungry, there were plenty of food trucks outside of the venue that offered Cuban food, tacos, cheesesteaks, empanadas, and breakfast foods. Senior Louis Galarowicz particularly

enjoyed eating the food from the trucks. “I had a nice Portuguese grilled cheese sandwich. It just made the festival that much better,” Galarowicz said.

Ms. Macaluso said it was a rare and enriching learning experience for the students. “This year was less spoken word poetry than it has been in previous years” she said. “It brought a more formal feel to the atmosphere.”

Students who attended the Dodge Poetry Festival said they were enriched by the written word.

“It gave me new perspective on poetry and I would love to go back again” Senior Lisa Giuffre said.

What is NATO? NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a political and military alliance that consists of 28 independent member countries from Europe and North America, according to the group’s website. It is a major international institution that makes all of its decisions by consensus. Every member country, no matter how large or small, has an equal say in discussions and decisions.

NATO’s greatest responsibility is to protect and defend its’ territories and populations. Georgia, the largest non-NATO contributor to the war effort, has lost 31 soldiers in Afghanistan and 435 were wounded since 2010.

Opinion

December 2016 Issue 2

After one of the most controversial elections in the history of the country, Donald Trump has emerged victorious. However, rather than Hillary Clinton, the real loser of the election were the social media users. This election saw the outbreak of a number of fake news stories, some of which had an effect on voter perceptions of the candidates.

Facebook in particular saw a sharp increase in lies spread about the candidates in an attempt by their critics to drain their support. Some of the stories that surfaced the internet that are completely libelous are stories that claim Clinton had sold weapons to ISIS and a hoax claiming that Pope Francis endorsed Trump.

These fake stories were outlandish enough to take away attention from real news circulating about both candidates. According to Buzzfeed, 20 of the most-viewed bogus stories on Facebook were more successful than 20 of the top-performing stories from established sources such as the Washington Post or New York Times.

Malicious fake news stories dominated people’s news feeds rather than those that are factual and credible.

As one of the most powerful media brands in the world, Facebook needs to take responsibility for advertising false news stories about the election and also be more aggressive to prevent this from continuously happening.

However users need to be able to discriminate between news that is false and news that is serious.

People need to be aware of how to fact-check information rather than believe anything they read online; people’s ignorance may have gotten Trump elected as Pope Francis was an “advocate” for him.

Allowing Facebook to be polluted with false news, only damages our democracy. Instead of society being in control, the ignorance and gullibility of users are letting the Internet control us.

The Wessex Wire Page 4

Staff Editorial

The Wessex Wire The Official Student Newspaper of West Essex High School A Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Paper 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 (973) 228-1200 ext. 258 2016-2017 STAFF:

Managing Editor & Special Projects Editor Daniella Ignacio ’17 News Editors Melanie Montes ‘18 Junior Editor: Grace Irwin ‘18

Features Editors Micaela Weiss ‘17 Junior Editor: Maddie Galligan ‘18 Sports Editors Michael DeFranza ‘17 Dan Laible ’18 Mia Oyama ‘17

Editors-in-Chief Jessica Cunha ’17 Isabel Tabs ’17 Jake Wolf ‘17

Art Director Jules Moskowitz ’16

Junior Opinion Editors Michael DiGiacomo ‘18 Heath Kalb ‘18

Photography Editors Alexandra Codella ‘17 Alexa Dratch ‘18

Arts & Culture Editors Grace George ‘17 Olivia Ritter ‘17

Advertising & Social Media Editor Lizzy Cimilluca ’17

Online Editors Megan Boeckel ‘17

Illustrators Sharon O’Donnell ‘ 18 Amanda Margiolas ‘17 Joey Ploscowe ‘18 Michael Sessa ‘17

Faculty Adviser Mr. Hermosilla

Contributing Staff Sophia Colitti ‘17, Alyssa Cristobal ‘19, Jordan Flusser’ 19, Emily Johnston ’18, Dylan Lepre ‘19, Michael Sessa ‘18, Danielle Tabatneck ‘18, Chris Tsakonas ‘18, Zoe Stern ‘17

The Wessex Wire Editorial Policy

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

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

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

Illustration by Amanda Margiolas

Manners still matter!

Society is losing sight of simple common courtesy because technology is dominating our generation.

By Isabel Tabs ’17 The other day I was doing the typical “senior dash” to the parking lot. As I carefully, yet rapidly attempted to cross the road, a car accelerating up to 50 miles per hour attempted to cut me off and I knew for sure that driver wasn’t putting his foot on the brake. Obviously I made it to the other side, but that’s not the point. Everyday people, including me, struggle to understand people’s motivations and their disrespectful actions.

We live in a culture and society where technology means everything. Heads are mimicking the direction your phones go while you Snapchat pictures of strangers participating in strange behaviors.

Now I’m not saying I don’t do these things because trust me I’m a Snapchat addict, but this technology has made us more selfish and separate than ever before.

“When students walk into my classroom, about 60 percent of them are looking at their phones and 40 percent say hi to me,” math teacher Ms. Capen said. “It really kills my vibe.”

These students often move from class to class glued to their screens; They don’t want to look up to their peers and have a conversation, instead they are incessantly checking their latest text or Instagram notification. This 21st century

addiction compelled 80 percent of teens to check their phones hourly and 50 percent of them feel addicted, according to a study done

by Common Sense Media.

This digital dependence is forcing our society to be less aware that we all need to have common courtesy for each other. Mutual respect for peers, adults and family members is not only necessary, but it’s also expected.

With such a fast paced lifestyle, people tend to forget to use their manner and now how to react in social situations.

“What is common courtesy?” freshman Grace Weiss said.

People that have grown up in modern society are technology gurus, but have trouble communicating without the guidance of text messaging.

“Face to face conversation is so meaningful,” English teacher Ms. Dunphy said. “In my AP classes I find that topics about philosophy are the best things to debate because there’s no right answer and my students don’t feel the need to go to Google to find the answers.”

Good social skills often translate into good relationships. Proven studies done by the American Camp Association show that kids that go to sleepaway camp are able to facilitate and foster relationships better than those who don’t go to camp mainly because they go sev-

eral weeks without technology. The skills that these kids acquire from going to sleepaway camp include being able to find people with common interests, listen to their bunk mates more carefully and understanding emotions. Although this may seem impossible in our society, this was all done without the access to social media and texting.

In the workforce, more employers prefer to hire English majors versus business majors because they have better communication skills according to a USA Today article from July. English majors spend a lot of time thinking, reading and talking, which is critical when gaining customers or advertising a product.

“Family dinners now consist of catching up on social media, rather than holding a conversation,” senior Hailey Blum said. “iPhones are just attacking our youth and our manners and gestures suffer from it.”

Many actions can be taken to prove that you are courteous. Never underestimate the value of a “thank you.” Go that extra mile to hold the door open for someone even if it makes you late to class- sorry teachers! We need to be able to recognize doing things for their intrinsic value.

Our society is on the cusp of a social revolution. If we continue relying on technology to preserve relationships people will begin to feel more isolated and the next generations will be filled with ignorance and a greater lack of respect for each other will emerge. Stop texting and start respecting!

Page 5

The Wessex Wire: Opinion

December 2016

Trump’s Cabinet selections signal clear danger for the environment

By Emily Johnston ’18 The Paris Climate Change Agreement came into full effect on Nov. 4, 2015 in the 196 countries that signed this accord, making this the first treaty on the road to combating climate change. This is great news for environmentalists; however, since our next president does not believe in climate change, the future of our country as being environmentally friendly is questionable.

Climate change is an important issue of the 21st century, as shown by the myriad of documentaries (Before the Flood by Leonardo Dicaprio, Cowspiracy), debates and references in pop culture to the scientific phenomenon. The effects of this issue will cause mass migration, disease, sea level rise, droughts and increased storms and floods, according to NASA. If emissions of carbon dioxide continue at the same rate, CBS says

regions in our country such as central and southern Florida will lose a significant amount of land due to sea level rise. According to National Geographic, this will displace about 13 million American citizens on U.S. coasts. Within the near future if we do not reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide, the effects of it will reap across the nation harshly.

“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive,” said Donald Trump on his Twitter feed in 2012, showing Trump’s stance. Not only is this highly offensive to Chinese citizens, but this tweet proves that Trump is uninformed on the importance of climate change. Climate change will affect us all, and is not a hoax. When unchecked, the problems society will face will only get worse so our nation cannot afford to lose time.

The problem is not just his disbelief, Trump also says he wants

to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency in almost every form. Trump recommended Myron Ebell, a known denier of climate change, to head his EPA transition team. Although this will not erase the Obama Administration’s climate regulations, it will postpone our country from progressing towards a green future.

With no progress being made on an executive level, then, state governments and everyday citizens must now step up to the job.

States should follow the examples of California and pass acts such as the California Environmental Quality Act, passed in 1970 right after the EPA was formed, and sets a statewide policy of environmental protection. States should also set regulations for businesses and put tax money towards sustainable energy sources, like the wind turbines set to be built off the coast of New Jersey. These state level regulations and plans combat the national

government and keep the country progressing, instead of regressing.

It is sad that a man in Trump’s position is willing to take away all the progress environmentalists achieved last year in Paris by signing an agreement to lower emissions of carbon dioxide, but with persistence the country can overpower these viewpoints and return onto the track of alternative energy. With no executive decisions supporting regulation against fossil fuels, the transition to alternative energy sources will be bumpy, but Americans can make it work by going green.

Everyday citizens can decide to do simple things such as limit their meat consumption, use energy efficient cars, cut down on unnecessary waste such as single-use water bottles and sign petitions heading towards sustainability. All it takes is a simple Google search to figure out what you can do to become as eco-friendly as possible.

How important is climate change to you?

“It is very important because we need to save the polar bears because they are so cute.”

“Do you know what’s happening to the earth right now!? The polar ice caps are melting and sea levels are rising, which is killing all the animals. We need to protect our wildlife.”

Matt Stout ’17

“There is only one percent of fresh water left, and it’s going to run out, but at the same time the world is gonna overflow with water.”

Josephine Slauce ’20

Illustration By Joey Ploscowe ’18

What makes a sport, a sport?

By Michael DeFranza ’17

Sports are one of the most used activities in the world to stay in shape and interact with other people physically. The question is how can society determine if an activity can be given the label of “sport.” People do all different things, from playing basketball to lifting weights in the gym to maintain physical stamina, but some of these aren’t typically deemed as a sport.

This leads to an argument from enthusiasts that participate in the debateable activities. Some popular activities that West Essex students partake in are borderline sports such as cheerleading, dance

and marching band.

Others mention activities like dance and cheerleading and argue for those activities to be sports. It is believed dance is a form of art and nearly four years ago a federal judge ruled cheerleading as a sport. This brought a motivation from active dancers to prove that it truly is a sport.

The feelings of these should-be athletes are affected because they continuously hear that they aren’t part of a sport; rather, their passion is simply a hobby.

Sophomore Sofia Russo is a participating cheerleader for the school and she doesn’t think the team gets enough recognition as a sport or in general. “I get upset

because it is a sport and people don’t realize what we have to do and people have the wrong idea of what we have to do on our team and prepare for halftime,” Russo said.

Senior Briana Serpone dances for a competition team and admitted to her dancing as a form of art.

She does think though the way she prepares for her dancing makes dance a sport. “The conditioning I do for dance should make it a sport because other sports prepare similarly,” she said.

It happens to be that one of the top watched sports in America is NASCAR racing according to ESPN. The fact that NASCAR doesn’t involve any actual physical

activity of moving and working your body to improve your health puts into question why it is considered a sport.

Now go back to the activities that are borderline sports, they most likely involve a higher fitness level than NASCAR. These activities that have been underlooked match the amount of physical activity and passion from its players to the activities that are called sports.

The school’s marching band has had some recent success the past few months and hopes people start looking at band as a sport.

“They can think what they want, they wouldn’t know until they try it,” sophomore James Lynch said.

“If we don’t start living sustainably, we are all going to die.”

Chris Duthie ‘19

“I like to go to the beach, and in the future my kids and I want to be able to swim in the ocean.”

Gianna Cielo ‘17

Page 6

The Wessex Wire: Opinion

December 2016

Two takes on the anti-Trump protests The protests are warranted and should not be condemned.

By Michael Sessa ’18 In the aftermath of the Nov. 8’s presidential bombshell lies a battered constituency: Americans from both sides of the political spectrum wrought with anger and ready to prove a point.

Since Election Night, cities across America have rung with protest. From New York City to Los Angeles and even to the hallways of America’s high schools, thousands bandaged their emotional war wounds and brushed off the dust to protest the election of a man who—and this is the condensed version—vowed to institute a Muslim registry, promised to appoint “ultra-conservative” Supreme Court justices to overturn marriage equality and abortion rights and is currently being accused of sexual assault by at least 13 women.

Although created by Americans with noble intentions, signs declaring “Not My President” and “Love Trumps Hate” quickly became the punchline of some perverted anti-American decree that accused protesters of being “sore losers” who just want to whine. While America does need to do some serious venting, those condemning anti-Trump protests participate in a feigned patriotism that ridicules those most involved in the political process. Their opposition is a denial of years of American progress born out of civil defiance. It is a calculated effort to silence the voices of America’s most vulnerable by telling them that no one is listening. It is perhaps

the most un-American response one could have.

The byproduct of a sentiment that the only way to take political action is to vote, those opposing antiTrump protests have taken to Facebook and similar sites to demand that Democrats and the non-Trumpsupporting right “get over it.” Perhaps the only thing more delusional than thinking a Facebook post will actually elicit a change of heart is believing that the democratic process ends as of Nov. 9.

Given the unanswered calls of the electorate that won Trump the presidency, there is something puzzling about a movement intent on suppressing the cries of the similarly oppressed who do not support Trump.

The protests of those who advocate for the rights of women, immigrants, Muslims and the LGBT community mirror the same grassroots campaigning that won Trump the White House, yet these protesters now face baseless derision from a community that hates the message they promote.

It is easy to champion American democracy when it works for us. Our character as a nation, however, does not prove noble in times of inactivity, but in times of upheaval.

Being American is to vehemently support the rights of our fellow Americans, even when we disagree with everything they have to say. American patriotism is supporting protests as the foundation of democracy, freedom and (often) positive change.

The protests of the past few years have been like dandelions blown in the wind. They scatter, take root and grow; each new movement is another dandelion sprouting from the cracks in the democratic bedrock of the American conscience.

Photo By Isabel Tabs

Protesters gather in Madison, Wisconsin on Nov. 11, 2016 against president elect, Donald Trump.

The protests are a waste of time. People need to stop whining and respect the outcome of the election.

By Chris Tsakonas ’18 In the wake of the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in major cities across America to protest the election.

The most prominent of these protests took place outside Trump Tower, with demonstrators holding signs reading “We reject the president-elect” and “Not my president.” Some protesters turned violent, clashing with police in Oakland, Calif., and Portland, Ore. While I am also concerned that the author of “Think Big and Kick Ass” will soon control thousands of nuclear weapons, I personally feel that these demonstrations are pointless and a colossal waste of time.

Trump will be President now.

I know that isn’t what millions of sane Americans want to hear right now, but it’s happening. The former host of the Celebrity Apprentice, is the next Commander-in-Chief, and these special snowflakes on Fifth Avenue aren’t going to do anything to change that. (That reminds me: do these people have any clue how much traffic congestion their obnoxious shenanigans are causing?)

People are mad at these protesters and their anger warranted.

Now, I understand why these protesters are unhappy: How are Americans supposed to get behind someone who fired Gary Busey? To be fair, Trump has also made numerous controversial statements over the course of the campaign, including a Muslim ban and a border wall, but that’s besides the point.

Being upset that your candidate didn’t win isn’t a good reason to take to the streets. We have elections for a reason: to ensure that everyone has a say in who runs the country.

Now that the election is over, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to throw a collective temper tantrum and vandalize innocent cities. Maybe the Electoral College is an outdated and corrupt institution that has singlehandedly stolen two elections from the democrats in my short lifetime, but you citizens don’t have the power to change that it’s too late to do anything about that now.

I mean for God’s sake there have been anti-Trump protesters to pose threats and harass GOP electors according to the Washington Times.

If you think Donald Trump’s immigration policies are a disaster that will send vulnerable and harmless people back to third world cesspools, then oppose them in a productive, respectful manner.

If you feel that a ban on Muslim immigration to the United States will backfire in the form of increased ISIS recruitment and Islamophobia, then help start a movement dedicated to stopping the ban.

Call your congressman. Cut the whining and get moving.

Does anyone know the Wi-fi password?

By Grace George ’17 Does it bother you that our school does not provide its students with free personal Wi-Fi? In a society that has deep roots in technology, it is ridiculous that there is such limited access to internet in a public school. Now that Chromebooks are in the mix, we know the school server has Wi-Fi that supports everyone. I mean, Starbucks allots free Wi-Fi for its customers; it cannot be that hefty of a request for the school.

Yes, I agree that kids should get off their phones and get outside more, but the reality is that this is a technology world. People spend a majority of their days on the phone

More DIBY on thewessexwire.com: Anger over everyone’s wrong election predictions and not all of it is for social media.

Students need to check their emails for work purposes or to see if they got into college. What if you want to check your Genesis really quick before class? No one is going to whip out their Chromebook between classes, further intensifying the awkward clumsiness of the hallways. What if someone is about to lose a streak on Snapchat? I know that is social media, but it is also a serious dilemma.

Cellphone companies are certainly not helping the issue either.

With ridiculous plans and constant price raising, it is very common to

find that most students have cellular data turned off on all apps to save their parents from a $15 fee for going over their data. The only provider that gives a reasonable price for data is Sprint, and God knows that never works anywhere.

It just seems like everyone is trying to deprive the world of simple cellphone pleasures.

Anyone can say that students should get off their phones, but the truth of the matter is that our generation’s screen obsession is not going away anytime soon. It’s inevitable that students will be on their phones whether it’s for serious reasons or study hall boredom and I think that the school should lend us all a hand and lessen the consequences for that. Students are allowed to go on their phones, so why can they not enjoy them to their full capacity while they can?

Photo By Isabel Tabs

Features

December 2016 Issue 2

The Wessex Wire Page 7

A difference of four years: freshmen vs. seniors

By Alexandra Codella ’17

It’s a known fact that seniors tend to believe that they “rule the school.” Everyone goes through the phase of being an awkward freshman, and they look forward to it being their turn to be in charge of the school.

Most students recognize the drastic transformation they make between their freshman and senior years. Along with confident attitudes, the seniors enjoy many privileges that freshmen look forward to having. These are some of the most prominent differences between the two grades.

Football Stands

vs.

Freshman Brooke Schatz

Senior Shane Smith

“I always stand in the back row of the bleachers with all of the freshmen as the seniors yell at us to cheer.”

“I love standing in the front of the crowd yelling chants to the underclassmen during the football game.”

Transportation

School Spirit

vs.

vs.

Freshman Aaron Gonzalez

Senior Dean Girardo

“I have to wake up really early because my bus comes at 7 a.m. It is always so cold on the bus.”

“Being able to drive to school is so much better because I can wake up later. I now wake up at 6:45 a.m., and I used to wake up at 6:15 a.m.”

Freshman Sophia Hug

Senior Jordyn Thies

“We all are afraid to participate, and no one gets into the pep rally when you’re a freshman.”

“When I was a freshman, I barely dressed up. This year I walked around the school with a horse on a stick, all decked out in black.”

Lunch Seating

Backpacks

vs.

vs.

Freshman Tommy Drago

“I have to walk all the way to the cafeteria for my pre-ordered sandwich.”

Senior Liz Schechter

“I like sitting at the round tables in the cafeteria. It is a lot more convenient for you to get your lunch.”

Freshman Lorenzo Jandoli

“My backpack is always so big. It becomes hard to shut because I keep all my books and folders in it, and I never have time to go to my locker between classes.”

Senior Vin Salvatoriello

“I keep only my Chromebook and one pencil in my backpack, so I carry a pretty small backpack.”

December 2016

The Wessex Wire: Holidays 2016

Page 8

Your personal holiday guide for th

The best of Christmas blockbusters

Illustration by Grace George ’17

Presents and trees are great, but one of the very best parts of the holiday season is making hot chocolate and settling down to binge on “25 Days of Christmas.”

By Olivia Ritter ’17

1. “Elf ” (2003)

“Elf ” is a holiday classic for everyone. If you somehow don’t know the story, Buddy the Elf, a human who made his way to the North Pole as a baby, sets out to find his real father in N.Y.C.Wearing his signature green elf uniform and bright, yellow tights, he works to spread Christmas cheer.

2. “A Christmas Story” (1983)

Ralphie Parker, an imaginative 9-year-old, is desperate to get his first gun for Christmas. “A Christmas Story” first introduced the infamous leg lamp and the dangers of licking a frozen pole.

3. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964)

Along with an elf dentist, Rudolph tries to find where he belongs (Hint: it’s leading the reindeer on Christmas Eve). Not a holiday season goes by where you haven’t had that song stuck in your head.

4. “Home Alone” (1990)

Kevin McCallister is a young boy who was left at home by himself as

his family jets off to Paris. He learns how to combat two men with some crazy pranks. How could anyone go a Christmas season without seeing at least one of the “Home Alone” movies?

5. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) Watching the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes on Christmas day is a staple. The story of the evil Grinch’s plan to take away the ever-joyful Whos’ Christmas is one that will never get old, no matter your age.

Christmas time comes with tradition, happiness and delight for those who celebrate the holiday.

For those who don’t celebrate, it can seem as though they are missing out on the occasion. However, Jews around the world and at West Essex have their own customs for the annual break from work and school that are just as enjoyable.

While Christian families are huddling around their Christmas trees celebrating the most joyous of holidays, Jewish people have forged their own traditions.

Because of this, it has almost become expected of Jewish students and their families to go on vacation during winter break.

Students of the Jewish faith can be seen exploring exotic vacation hubs across the world this year, including junior Evan Katz, who is going to Costa Rica this Christmas break with his family.

“My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas so we usually go on vacation during it,” Katz said.

“It’s a fun annual vacation to look

8. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) Though it can go from Halloween to Christmas, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is definitely classified as a holiday season staple. As the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, Jack the skeleton seeks a new challenge: taking over Christmas.

9. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989)

If a serious holiday movie is not

6. “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) what you want to spend the seaWhen George Bailey, a respectable man, gets himself into financial trouble, he gains the attention of an angel who helps him to see how the world would be if “George Bailey” did not exist. Whether or not you’re into black and white movies, this is one that you can’t miss.

7. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965)

Christmas is just not Christmas without Charlie Brown, like every other holiday. In the end, all of Charlie Brown’s friends gather to finally appreciate how hard he’s worked to make

Home is not the only place people go for winter break

By Heath Kalb ’18

Christmas great.

forward to and it makes our Dec. 25 feel just as special as everyone else’s.”

Sophomore Ross Fundler partakes in this tradition as well.

“I can’t wait for winter break every year,” Fundler said. “This year my family and I are visiting San Francisco instead of staying home and being jealous of all my friends who celebrate Christmas.”

For those Jewish students who don’t go on vacation, another tradition exists that is more local.

With nearly everything closed on Christmas day, options for Jews are limited to two classics—Chinese food and the movies.

Sophomore David Kumar takes part in this tradition. “It’s really fun going for chinese food with my family or friends, but the best part is seeing the highly anticipated movies that come out on Christmas,” he said.

Although it’s the most wonderful time of the year for the vast majority, just remember that Christmas break is just as fun for those who don’t get presents from Santa Claus.

son watching, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” follows a bizarre family’s crazy Christmas celebration.

Chevy Chase and his dysfunctional family in this movie are guaranteed to make you laugh until you cry, which is necessary in the days leading up to winter break.

10. “The Santa Clause” (1994) Though it is the last on this list, “The Santa Clause” is the perfect Christmas classic. Tim Allen plays a divorced dad that discovers that he is Santa Claus.

Don’t skip this one the night it’s on 25 Days of Christmas!

Boyfriend Girlfriend No one can deny that a person who smells good is the best kind of person. Getting your girlfriend perfume is a present that will benefit both the gift giver and the gift receiver. Whether it’s a sweet or serious fragrance, she is bound to use it until it runs out. They feel confident and your nose feels good; everyone’s happy.

Sweaters are the ideal gift for any boyfriend.

This gift is bound to be your boyfriend’s go-to jacket and winter outfit staple. Whether it is a Patagonia fleece or a Vineyard Vines shep shirt, they are guaranteed to wear it at least twice a week. Plus, they’ll love to snuggle up and pretend to feel your warmth.

Plain yet stylish, L make for great ad any cold day. The and are good for warm during cold the ice. Not to men buy for someone w to the company’s

December 2016

Page 9

The Wessex Wire: Holidays 2016

he most Wire-ful time of the year What you think

Which version of “All I Want for Christmas” is your favorite?

9% 7%

3%

106 students polled

81%

Mariah Carey Justin Bieber Michael Bublé “Glee” Cast

Poll compiled by Sara Amil

Hanukkah Harry takes on the winter festivities

Friend

Sister

By Isabel Tabs ’17

If your brother has a more laid back style, a sports jersey of his favorite team is a perfectly acceptable gift.

Boys love having new jerseys to wear during games or the next day when their team wins. Since jersey styles change and players get traded, there will always be a new jersey they have their eye on.

Brother

Love Your Melon hats dditions to an outfit on ey match every outfit r keeping your noggin d days on the slopes or ntion, it’s a gift that you while also contributing s cancer foundation.

Sunglasses are a classic present to buy your friend. Since they come in so many varieties there will always be room for second and third pairs. If you don’t feel like dropping $200 on a pair of Ray-Bans, stores like PacSun, Urban Outfitters, and Macy’s have comparable sunglasses in a more reasonable price range.

Breaking news: Hanukkah Harry and Santa Claus decided to team up this holiday season going from door to door and chimney to chimney delivering gifts for all of the children. With these with two prodigal holiday heros, the spirit of “Christmas” break can be celebrated by all.

Jewish people do have a “Jewish Santa” and they do get to decorate a “Hanukkah bush,” their version of a Christmas tree. But, this holiday season we can deck the halls and eat matzo balls to celebrate Harry and Santa’s coexistence.

An unfamiliar face to most, Hanukkah Harr y resides in Israel remaining on the top of Mount Sinai, where he goes for an occasional dip in the Dead Sea. Hanukkah Harry made his first public appearance on Dec. 16, 1989 as a guest host on “Saturday Night Live.” Ever since then, he has become a global phenomenon, allowing all the Jewish kids to have have a holiday hero that equals that of their Christian friends.

Obviously Christmas has been considered the more predominant December holiday. In elementary school we had Christmas parties.

We have off on Christmas Eve and Christmas every school year and

it’s a federal holiday. But times have changed. The Jewish population in America has been progressively rising and it now stands at a whopping 1.6 percent.

With the help of his Maccabees, Abraham and Yakoob, Hanukkah Harry is able to efficiently travel to those many Jewish kids and fill up on the gelt and grape juice that families leave.

However, this year Hanukkah Eve and Christmas Eve fall on the same day. People better not shout or cry because Hanukkah Harry and Santa Claus are both in town.

The domination of Harry in Jewish pop culture has emerged as a brand name to amplify the celebration of the festival of lights.

Continuing on with a long Jewish tradition is the Mensch on a Bench. Moshe looks over all of the kids in a house to assure they are behaving; For their food behavior Moshe will give them a present.

Similarly the Elf on a Shelf is one of the Christmas spirit exhibiting similar duties at Moshe. The Mensch on a Bench is Hanukkah’s answer to the Elf on a Shelf.

So whoever said Hanukkah is inferior to Christmas, well think again. Maybe this year’s SantaCon will spread the love and men in orthodox beards will appear in blue velvet suits.

December 2016

Page 10

The Wessex Wire: Features

Beading is their name, better is their game Juniors team up and bead jewelry to raise money for charity.

By Maddie Galligan ’18

A common pastime turned into something much bigger than itself: juniors Sarah Falkin and Julia Schwartz joined forces and created their very own business, Beads For Better, in which they make different types of beaded jewelry to sell.

Falkin and Schwartz have been good friends for years, and turning their friendship into a business partnership as well has proved beneficial to the community.

“After having the idea to start a business, it seemed right to work together. It is also more fun working with your friend!” Falkin said.

“Like many great ideas, ours started accidentally,” Schwartz said. “We stumbled upon beading and realized that it is actually fun.

It was only a few hours after beginning to bead that we had the idea to start a business.”

Items that Beads For Better sells include bracelets, necklaces, chokers, rings and other beaded products. The crafty duo started up their business about six months ago, and have already sold over 300 orders and made over $5,000.

Perhaps the most special part of their business is that all proceeds go to Project Morry, a youth development organization that provides

Photo courtesy of @beads4better instagram

Juniors Sarah Falkin (left) and Julia Schwartz work the Beads For Better stand at the Millburn street fair on Nov. 6.

underprivileged kids with the opportunity to attend camps, develop their education and improve time management and public speaking skills. It has school gatherings as well as summer intensive programs where kids come together and enjoy activities that better their leadership abilities, such as building pyramids and bridges or solving visual puzzles as a team.

The inexpensive yet trendy jewelry can be seen modeled by many students.

Food for thought

By Micaela Weiss ’17

The holiday season is simply the most wonderful time of the year.

There’s nothing but the best of music, activities, apparel, weather and, most important, food. No matter which holiday you celebrate during the season, food traditions are a reoccurring theme for all.

From appetizers to the last licks of dessert, there is love and history in every bite. Each table is filled with its own unique dishes depending on your heritage or religion.

“Every Christmas, my family makes struffolis,” senior Amanda Margiolas said. “This is my alltime favorite family recipe that I wait all year to make.”

The Neapolitan dish is made up of balls of dough that are deep fried, doused in honey and dressed in sprinkles. This Italian dessert is inspired by her family’s pride in where they originate from, so they keep the tradition alive every year.

Cultural backgrounds seem to have heavy influences on the food traditions families embrace.

“I look forward to my Grandma’s spanakopita, which is a Greek dish.

It has filo dough, spinach and feta,”

senior Sophia Colitti said. “The holidays make my family love Greek food even more.”

For most people, including junior Lexi Pero, Thanksgiving is “the best food holiday for sure.”

A holiday that began with Native American foods, such as deer and oyster, has shifted to the notorious turkey, stuffing and pie trio.

While most meals are similar, the unique twists on dishes are what make the holidays so special.

“I always look forward to my Dad making turducken. It’s a chicken in a duck in a turkey,” freshman Austin Blume said.

Ambitious creations, such as the turducken, allow for new traditions to be made that aren’t necessarily tied to family roots.

For culinary teacher Ms. Maw, her family is adamant about keeping food customs alive. “I do not like turnips or creamed onions, but they are on the table every year because that’s my Dad’s tradition,” Ms. Maw said.

The holiday season has an admirable way of enriching our appreciation for the foods that celebrate our cultures and religions. What special tradition will you start or continue this holiday season?

“I love the jewelry I got from them, and I think it’s really cool that they have this whole business by themselves,” junior Lizzy Stout said.

Their primary source of advertisement is Instagram, where they have their customers direct message them @Beads4Better if they want to make a purchase. However, this isn’t their only means of making sales; Smith & Company in Caldwell sells their merchandise as well.

The two girls also partake in craft shows, where they showcase their work to different audiences.

Since the business started expanding almost immediately, the girls said they felt a little overwhelmed with responsibility. To take some of the workload off their shoulders and make production more seamless, they began training other workers to bead jewelry.

“While we probably won’t continue Beads For Better when we are

in college, we hope that our interns can take over and keep what we created alive,” Falkin said.

The future looks bright for the company and what it can do for the community. “We plan to continue beading and selling jewelry this year, and our goal is to ultimately continue donating to Project Morry,” Schwartz said.

Beads For Better has seen a lot of growth and success so far, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

December 2016

Page 11

The Wessex Wire: Features

Is it Berenstein Bears or Berenstain Bears?

By Alexa Dratch ’18

Photos by isabel tabs

Namyotov, Pavlovich and Podvey working hard to prepare for the season.

Girl power in the rink

By Melanie Montes ’18

Society has always told boys and girls to stick to what they’re supposed to do. People may always say how girls shouldn’t be allowed on the football team because it’s an all-boys sport, or boys should get rid of the dream of being a professional ballet dancer because it’s a “girl thing.”

Whenever a brave soul decides to try something different that others in their gender have not, sometimes even their own friends look down on them.

This is not the case for the new female recruits that will be present in the 2016-2017 ice hockey lineup. If you ask anyone, they can surely voice the similar opinion that the students and faculty put a high emphasis on sports at West Essex.

For a school that takes sports so seriously, the three girls will be making a historic debut on the allboys ice hockey team.

Junior Grace Pavlovich moved from Wheatley High School in Long Island to pursue her passion for the game. Hockey has been drilled into her since she was five.

“My older brother used to play, and I fell in love with it,” Pavlovich said.

She plays for the New Jersey Rockets travel team and moved here because the commute was easier. Since freshman year at Wheatley, Pavlovich has been playing varsity hockey.

Pavlovich said that because she is a girl, many people don’t take her seriously, especially the guys.

“There are always going to be obstacles because I’m a girl, like playing against other teams, and the boys going after me because

they think I’m the weakest link,” she said.

Playing on an all-boys team has its downfalls. “I have been teased and had issues in the past, but I just don’t let it get to me,” Pavlovich said. She plays defense on both the JV and varsity team.

Coach Gregory means business during the tryout process. He evaluates the players’ strengths and weaknesses over a four-day period.

This year Gregory did not cut any of the 37 players.

According to Gregory, a student’s grade doesn’t determine the position they’re equipped to play.

“Grade cannot play a factor in what team someone plays on. At the same time, upperclassmen are always given the first opportunity to win positions on the varsity level,” he said.

Another new female athlete in the rink is sophomore Catherine Namyotov, who holds a defensive position on the varsity team.

Namyotov has been playing since she was 10.

“I played boys hockey for a year and then switched to girls hockey.

I train with my travel team two to three times a week,” she said.

Despite Namyotov’s hectic schedule, she’s always looking for ways to improve. “I have always had to try to work harder to match with any team,” Namyotov said. “I am looking to improve in all areas, such as aggressiveness.”

She doesn’t believe in the notion of being classified as a “stereotypical girl.”

“I’m not sure what the ‘stereotypical girl’ is, but most people I know find it very cool that I play hockey,” Namyotov said.

Varsity defenseman Justin Ajmo is excited for this change and looks

forward to the season with the female athletes. “I’ve never played with a girl before, so it’ll definitely be interesting,” he said. “I’ve played against girls, but I’ve never played with girls.”

Ajmo and the hockey team would appreciate a large fan section to attend their matches, considering only 40 people went to the league championship game last year.

“We need more of a fanbase to get us hyped up,” Ajmo said.

The season began on Nov. 28 in Warinanco and end with the NJSIAA State Playoffs from Feb. 20 to March 7.

Sophomore Hannah Podvey is no stranger to the skills of being a goalie. In fact, Podvey has been doing this for eight years.

“I always went to the ice rink to watch my cousin’s games and watching her play made me want to try. Ever since I stepped foot on the ice, I’ve loved it,” Podvey said.

In the sport of hockey, there is no way of getting better without practice, which Podvey religiously dedicates her time to.

“I practice at least five days a week for the high school and my club team, which helps me get prepared for a game,” she said.

Podvey believes that just because someone’s a girl, it doesn’t mean there are limitations.

“I’m a hockey player. Many girls play different sports that are also male-dominated,” Podvey said.“The organization I play for now has close to 200 girls on it.”

Podvey, along with the other female athletes, believes that times are changing. With this improved mentality, female athletes will be arising much more often in the future for male-dominant sports.

The ideas of conspiracy theories and urban legends sound pretty ridiculous to most. Depending on how superstitious you are, you could believe anything you hear or disregard anything that isn’t true fact.

Yet some conspiracies have literal evidence to back them up.

This sounds as far-fetched as the theories themselves, but the more you look into them, the more creeped out you get.

If you’ve ever heard of the Mandela Effect, you either think it’s the dumbest thing in the whole world, or you’re so creeped out by it that it gives you shivers. For the uninformed: the Mandela Effect is the idea that groups of people misremember the same event the same way, according to the website DebunkingMandelaEffects.com.

The Mandela Effect’s namesake comes from the theory of Nelson Mandela’s apparent death in prison. Thousands of people remember the announcement of Mandela’s passing while he was in prison and even remember watching the funeral service on TV. The amount of people who have literally no recollection of this is startling.

Another example of the phenomenon is that some people swear that they read the “Berenstein Bears” as a kid, while others are 100 percent positive that they read the “Berenstain Bears” (which is the correct spelling).

Arguably the most unsettling example of the Mandela Effect involves the song “We are the Champions” by Queen. While you may think the song ends with the iconic line “We are the champions of the world,” it doesn’t. Although this line is said twice in the song, it isn’t the ending of the classic song

that many people recall it to be. It actually ends with “‘Cause we are the champions.”

If you’re rethinking your entire life, the Mandela Effect has done its job.

Students have extremely varying opinions on this crazy idea. Some students think it’s a complete sham.

“It’s so fake. It would be super creepy if it was real, but I know it’s not. It’s just for the internet to get freaked out,” junior Nicole DeCeglie said.

On the other hand some students fear for their sanity, like freshman Stevie Convertino, who expresses freely how much the Mandela Effect freaks him out. “It’s crazy,” he said. “It makes me question everything in my life.”

Unlike conspiracy theories (which most of the time have some telltale sign of truth, making it possible), urban legends are only that: legends.

One of the most famous urban legends comes from right here in N.J. The Jersey Devil is a flying bird-like creature with hooves.

It’s allegedly been spotted across southern N.J., specifically in the Pine Barrens.

Similarly with the Mandela Effect, student reaction is extremely varying. Sophomore Jimmy Lynch isn’t falling for the legend one bit.

“I don’t believe it at all,” he said.

“It’s physically, literally impossible.”

But junior Danielle Kohler isn’t as optimistic. “I’m completely terrified,” she said.

While something like this can’t be proven, since there is no real proof, it still makes you wonder how someone could’ve possibly made up something so ridiculous.

While conspiracy theories and urban legends may just be a bit of fun to joke about with friends, they really do make you wonder.

Illustration by michael sessa

&

Arts Arts

Culture

December 2016 Issue 2

The Wessex Wire Page 12

Vine has looped its way six feet into the ground

By Olivia Ritter ’17

After three long years of sixsecond, never-ending loop videos, the era of Vine has come to a bittersweet end. Gone are the times of pointless memes acted out by our favorite Vine celebrities and random second-long sensations.

Twitter, the previous owner of Vine, announced on Oct. 28 that the six-second video service would be shut down within the coming months. Its hundreds of thousands of fans have been left in mourning over the beloved app.

“How am I supposed to stay updated on my memes?” senior Liam Fost said.

Vine’s frequent viewers depended on the app to give some comedic relief. “This makes me so upset,” senior Sophie Moyer said.

“I watched Vines all the time to make me laugh.” Vine was the most entertaining form of social media; nothing could beat laughing to the point of tears at a video that only took a tenth of a minute to watch.

“Most of the funny things of the Internet are on Vine,” freshman Mia Servidio said. Looking back at most of the memes and sensations of past years, most of them

FIND MORE ONLINE! Visit thewessexwire. com for tributes by Megan Boeckel to the most memorable Vine fan favorites!

Illustration by Sharon O’DonneLl

originated on Vine.

In its glory days, Vine was not limited to bringing laughs to its fans, it brought success to a number of “Vine stars.” These names include Shawn Mendes, Cameron Dallas and Lele Pons. Because of

their popularity on the seemingly pointless app, Mendes’s songs are on the radio, Dallas was cast in the movie “Expelled” and Pons wrote a book, “Surviving High School.”

Besides Vine’s power to get a teen singer famous with some

‘Walking Dead’ is revived in Season 7

English lovers unite

By Daniella Ignacio ’17

An evening of poetry, art and song, West Essex’s annual Fall Showcase took place on Nov. 16.

At this celebration of creativity, some of the school’s best poets and musicians took to the cafeteria to exhibit their talents. Ms. Ruiz, Mr. Hermosilla and the National English Honor Society organized the event, with NEHS president and senior Isabel Parzecki hosting for the night.

“It’s a place where students are really able to showcase talents that they won’t be able to show in English class,” Ms. Ruiz said. “It’s nice to see all these other components of literature come out from my students.”

With last minute performances by seniors Steven Collini, Michael Gonzalez and Veronica Grezcek, a comedic song by senior Liam Fost and teacher presentations by Ms. Perez and the sophomore English staff, the night was filled with laughs and good times.

Throughout the night, a variety of acts entertained an audience of students, teachers and parents.

Some students read poems that had great meaning to them, such as senior Catherine DiGangi, who recited “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, a poem her family loves.

Others presented original works, including sophomore Teddy Press, who wrote and performed “Stone.”

“I love that Showcase is such a loving and caring environment,” Press said. “I feel like it’s an amazing opportunity for students to share their talents as well as hear others and become inspired through it.”

Some other standout musical acts included freshman TJ Viola, who sang Dragonforce’s “Starfire,” and junior Maddie Feldman, who took the stage three times to play guitar and sing songs such as “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage the Elephant.

The highlight of the night, however, was the final act. Several 10th grade English teachers performed “Closer” by The Chainsmokers, introducing themselves as “The Kite Runners.” Mr. Hermosilla led the ragtag band with his vocals and acoustic guitar with Mr. Collins on claves and kazoo and Mr. Myerson on the bongos, xylophone and kazoo. Ms. Maier and Ms. Ruiz joined in on the female lead together with egg shakers.

NEHS began hosting Showcases in 2015, when they wanted to create a fundraiser to increase appreciation for literature and support charities like B ook Aid International. Inspired by

short video, it allowed names like Logan Paul and Cody Ko to become recognized worldwide by teenagers. Random people, whose names were previously irrelevant, were making small careers out of their looping video sensations.

Vine’s ability to make people famous by chance, be used seamlessly for advertisements and still attract millions of people per day was astonishing in the world of social media. It was unprecedented that six-second videos could sweep the teenagers of the world.

But, was Vine’s demise expected?

Many of those same people who owe their careers to Vine doubted the app and left it in recent months to explore other opportunities or simply because they lost faith.

The rise of Vine in 2014 and 2015 attracted almost every teen-

ager. But, recently, the trend was petering out. Vine was just another app on your phone, taking up space. “It was dead to me a long time ago,” senior Lexi Cosenzo said. “I deleted it for storage.”

Following the announcement of Vine’s end, many Vine stars who had retired from the app long ago stepped forward. According to NBCNews.com, when Viner Brittany Furlan, who boasted nine million followers, was asked via Twitter if she saw this coming, she responded, “Yes.” Vine star, Logan Paul, critiqued how Vine “could have placed a little more emphasis on the creators.”

As Vine meets its end, Snapchat grows in popularity. Contrary to Vine’s quick and easy videos, Snapchat offers personal looks at celebrities’ lives. A Snapchat story is a more intimate way to find out what people are doing.

The irony in Vine’s demise is that it is the doing of its owner, Twitter.

As Snapchat takes control, Twitter is losing popularity.

As disappointing as it is to say goodbye to a once-favorite social media platform, Vine is not the first to be tossed aside, and, certainly, it will not be the last.

Hit show’s popularity is rekindled after mediocre Season 6.

By Michael DiGiacomo ’18

Photo courtesy of KATie de brabanter

Senior Isabel Parzecki reads a poem as her act for the Showcase.

Masquers’ Coffeehouses that lasted until 2014, they began with a Spring Showcase that revitalized the event for a new generation.

Ever since, Showcases have become a staple for artistic West Essex students.

“You get a really big creative boost from Showcase,” junior Emily Johnston said. “After coming to each Showcase, it’s always easier for me to write a poem or create art. Even if I don’t perform, I still feel inspired.”

The next Showcase, a Spring Showcase, will take place in March.

If you love and appreciate good art and poetry, the Showcase is the spot for you.

Remember when we thought zombies were the biggest threat during an apocalypse? Well if you haven’t already seen The Walking Dead’s season 7 premiere, on Oct. 23, director Robert Kirkman,reminded us just how menacing humans could truly be.

Millions of Americans were covering their eyes, not in fear of a zombie, but from the sight of the show’s newest villain, Negan.

Not one but two very lovable characters were viciously murdered caused by the chaos from this dystopic society. The main character, Rick Grimes, was pressed with the impossible choice of saving the lives of his survival group or cutting off his son’s arm.

Watching Rick plead and cry as Negan stood over him yelling the count down while he made his decision was horrifying.

The second episode focused

more on characterization by introducing a new person, King Ezekiel, to further enhance the story’s plot.

King Ezekiel’s persona is unique because he’s a ruler of a kingdom and has a tiger as a pet. Not a typical character to find in a zombie apocalypse, but he’s definitely entertaining and most likely an emerging fan favorite.

The following week featured the imprisonment of Daryl Dixon, a former member of Rick’s group.

Daryl’s reluctance to willingly join Negan’s gang in the light of his mistreatment truly highlights his toughness. Seeing Daryl enslaved and helpless will most likely bother many fans who love to see him kick ass, but all of the suffering will hopefully lead to a “crowd pleasing” revolt.

The most recent 90 minute episode was needed to fully capture the inequitable regulations and demands Negan places on Rick’s group. Negan declared all of the guns, medicine and mattresses belong to him, and threatened the group with bashing them with Lucille, his bat. Many fans find Negan despicable but it appears he is here to stay.

‘Saint Pablo’ tour blesses New Jersey: “Kanye West” by Diego Quintana (CC BY-SA 2.0) (flickr.com/photos/cosasnotansimples/5587991590/)

December 2016

‘Saint Pablo’ curses N.J. Kanye West’s “Saint Pablo Tour” was scheduled to come to Newark on Dec. 16. In a fit of outrage, however, West stopped 15 minutes into his Sacramento show and proceeded to cancel all later concerts, depriving New Jersey of seeing the most talked about tour of the year.

This cancellation, while abrupt, (and rude, quite frankly), did not come out of the blue. West had a tumultuous week, feuding with Beyonce and Jay-Z. This coupled with news of Kim Kardashian West’s Paris robbery and the exhaustion he has had from working on his fashion line have sent him over the edge. I still pray to Yeezus, but in times like these I do kind of miss the old Kanye.

—Grace George ’17

The Wessex Wire: Arts & Culture

Masquers stars impress in ‘Almost, Maine’ production

What are you falling for this season?

By Zoe Stern ’17

Marvel introduces a new kind of superhero

“Almost, Maine” focuses on eight vignettes, an epilogue, an interlogue and prologue all taking place in the mythical town of Almost, in the state of Maine.

The most-produced play in North American high schools, according to The New York Times, is set on a Friday night at 9 p.m. when the Northern Lights are lighting up the night sky and messing with everyone’s emotions.

“Almost, Maine” is different than other plays as each scene includes different characters, but seven actors rotate through the roles. It focuses on varying perspectives of love: falling into it and falling out of it. Balancing between the genres of comedy and romance, the play had you tearing up from sadness and crying from laughter.

“Each scene basically is its own

small play,” director Ms. Rizzo said.

Even though the actors were not given a longer time to develop the character, she said, vignettes keep the viewer engaged and focused on what the outcome of the scene was after it ended.

“Almost, Maine” pulls a viewer in and makes one feel as though they are a person living in Almost watching from the outside. It is perfect for high school students, who can easily portray awkward characters without feeling uncomfortable. An actor who is willing to express himself openly and candidly is perfect for this role.

“The challenge with ‘Almost, Maine’ was helping each student become different people and embody them in different ways,” Ms. Rizzo said. “Which I think each actor really mastered.” She added that she wouldn’t have asked the cast to change anything.

4.5 out of 5 stars The cast includes seniors Julia Miller and Daniella Ignacio, juniors Paige Wasserman, Matt Uhlendorf, Samantha Luk and Sarah Candido, and sophomore Teddy Press.

Actors Wasserman, Press and Miller did an excellent job representing even the most abnormal characters, including best friends who turned out to really enjoy each other’s company and a man who falls in love with someone with a heart outside her body.

The set was brilliantly designed.

With the design and the help of hard-working stage crew, the play flowed easily from scene to scene.

Through the excellent acting by the cast and stunning set design, the play lived up to and exceeded all expectations.

West Essex is in the House

By Jake Wolf ’17

Page 13

The accessibility to multiple video chat rooms has allowed students of all grades West Essex is in the House, but to interact with each other and make new is it here to stay? The newest social friends. Someone can join any room they media craze is House Party, an app want as long as it’s not locked. It has been a that allows its users to video chat great way to unite our otherwise cliquey and with up to seven friends. The app divided school. was only introduced to the school “House Party is an awesome app and allows this year, but take a look at a West me to talk to all my baddies at the same time,” Essex student’s phone, and chances senior Jaaffar Seddiki said. “Well, only seven are they will have notifications that at a time, but I make it work.” their friends are “in the house,” Junior Madison Venditti agrees with signifying that they are online and Seddiki, saying “I really like how you can use available to join a video chat. the app to talk to everyone all at once.”

“I like how you can talk to more Despite the app’s popularity, not everyone than one person,” senior Tommy enjoys chatting on it. Senior Joe Torter refuses Marano said. “You can hop into to download the app after trying House Party random people’s conversations and out with his friends. it is really fun when they are having “I joined a chat on my friend’s House Party a deep conversation to interrupt it.” account and I felt extremely uncomfortable One of the unique features of and out of place,” Torter said. “Honestly, there House Party is that, unlike other are a lot of kids I just don’t want to chat with, group video chatting apps such as in the nicest way possible.”

Skype or Oovoo, you don’t need Freshman Tyler Goldberg started out as a to be invited to join a friend’s fan of the app, but has already deleted it off of conversation. Users can join any his phone. “I liked it because you can interact conversation that their friends are with more than one friend at once instead of in, as long as the conversation is just facetiming one person, and I liked how not locked. They can also see who everyone can join, instead of how Oovoo was all of their friends are on with, and much more restrictive,” Goldberg said. “People can “wave” at people, asking them will get annoyed with it because it is laggy with if they want to talk. a lot of ads.”

These features allow users to House Party is the latest fad in a series of make new friends through House social media trends, but will the app be more Party, as they can simply join other like Instagram, an app that has been successful chats, even if they are not close with for years, or Vine, which has recently been shut the people in the chat. Simply swipdown due to its fading popularity? ing the screen will change the chat Various students, including Goldberg and Photo courtesy of Corey saccente to another group of people that are Principal Diliberto and Mr. Markey participate in a House Party Venditti, have already deleted the app, leading talking on the app. However, there with students. many to believe that it is just a matter of time is still a sense of privacy and safety, before West Essex gets over House Party and because you cannot just add anyone as a friend, you must request them. moves on to the next app that will grab everyone’s attention.

Additionally, if you want to have a private conversation, you can lock “It’s kind of like Bubble Struggle at West Essex,” Torter said. “The app the room to prevent other users from joining the chat. itself will remain, but the hype will definitely die down.”

“Doctor Strange” is quite possibly one of the best Marvel movies since “Iron Man.” Funny, visually stunning and wellacted, this film has all the requirements of a great movie. The story centers around Stephen Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, a neurosurgeon who is always up for a challenge. His arrogance leads him to a car accident where he disables his hands. He spirals into depression and decides to turn to Eastern medicine to try and cure him. He meets the Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton, and learns the art of sorcery, tapping into a magic within him.

However, he soon has to fight Kaecilius, a fallen sorcerer, for the future of his planet.

The best aspect of this film is the mind-bending visuals.

Cities turned upside down and travels through space and time are incredible, while also being emotional.“Doctor Strange” furthers the Marvel universe while also creating a great movie as well.

—Dylan Lepre ’19

‘Trolls’ is more than just a kids movie Dreamworks paid homage to the ’90s troll doll fad with the new animation “Trolls.” The movie follows the troll princess, Poppy, and her quest to find her friends, who were taken by the Bergens, the monsters that feed on trolls to possess their undying positivity and happiness.

With the help of a neurotic, negative troll, Branch, Poppy learns the value of her friends and appreciating her fellow trolls’ differences.

Like early 2000s phenomenon “Shrek,” “Trolls” catered to large audiences. Kids were entertained by the singing and excitement of the trolls while also making me, a senior in high school, laugh uncontrollably in my seat.

More than anything, the music in “Trolls” shines. The trolls use their everlasting love of singing to do renditions of such classics as “True Colors,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “September.” This had the adults in the room up on their feet.

“Trolls” is a refreshing new animation that not only holds amusement for kids but people of any age.

—Olivia Ritter ’17

December 2016

The Wessex Wire: Sports

Page 14

The miracle workers at West Essex do their magic The trainers work hard to keep athletes on the field and help them recover from injuries.

By Jules Moskowitz ’17 Trainers John and Kevin tirelessly attend to student-athletes behind the scenes. They are nothing less than the backbone of our athletic program. John Mascola and Kevin Gramata are a tremendous help to high school and middle school student athletes. The two trainers work hard to ensure that athletes of all levels are getting healthy and back on the field after any injury, big or small.

Trainer John (TJ) has worked in West Essex for 16 years. Prior to becoming a trainer, he graduated from Rutgers University in 1995, majoring in Biology.

“Originally, I wanted to be a sports physician, but when I became a student trainer, I enjoyed it, so I stuck with it,” TJ said. Being an athletic trainer exposes TJ to different, challenging situations everyday, “no two days are the same,” TJ said. For TJ, the toughest part about his job is having to help

athletes in high pressure situations.

“I really trusted TJ and TK to help me recover.” junior Vin Salvatoriello said. He dislocated his shoulder while playing football in August. He was desperate to get back to playing.

“TJ diagnosed it on the field,” Salvatoriello said. “His rehab helped me get back on the field quicker than I thought.”

Kevin became the school’s second athletic trainer in 2014. He graduated from Montclair State, majoring in athletic training. As an athlete himself, Trainer Kevin (TK) knew he wanted to become a trainer after suffering from injuries as a student-athlete.

“I used to do a lot of rehab with my dad who was a physical therapist. His help influenced me to get involved in sports medicine,” said TK. His job gives him the satisfaction of knowing that he’s helped injured athletes strive once they are able to return to play. On the contrary, TK says that the toughest part about being a trainer is telling an athlete that they aren’t able to play due to their injury.

“Since my freshman year, I’ve depended on the trainers; fully trusting them to get me back on the football field,” senior captain of the football team Brian O’Neill said.

Photo by Jules Moskowitz

Trainer Kevin and trainer John help athletes heal and return to play.

“The coaches are so grateful for how quickly the trainers get athletes back on the field,” junior Julia Russo said.

“I think they do an outstanding job of helping the hurt players recuperate from their injuries, on behalf of the coaching staff, we appreciate their dedication to the student athletes,” Coach Glenn said.

Behind the scenes, TJ and TK ensure that every kid is able to healthily play any particular sport.

“When I had shin splints, I knew I could count on the trainers to ease the pain and help me recover,” freshman Vito Benevenga said.

Thanks to their endless hours including during school, after school until practice is over and

various hours throughout the weekend, injured athletes return to their healthy selves.

Even when the trainers room is filled with two hurt volleyball players, one nose-bleed, three concussions and 10 wrists to get taped, trainers John and Kevin make sure to give everyone their undivided attention and help.

Marching band triumphs NFL awards and predictions The countless hours of practice help lead marching band to championship win.

By Jordan Flusser ’19 The West Essex Marching Knights were crowned Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Group 2A Champions as t he y to ok f i rst pl a c e i n Harrisburg, P.A., following an undefeated season. The Knights had a fantastic score of 94.405 and won caption awards including Best Music, Best Visual and Best Percussion.

The Knights’ season consisted of seven total tournaments: five regular season, the Tournament of Bands Chapter 10 Championship and the Atlantic C oast Championship. The y were seeded first out of 38 and placed first in the Chapter 10 Championships, which was held here at West Essex. To top it off, the Knights won the ACCs for the first time in the school this season.

“We wanted to really do it right and outdo anything that had been done here at West Essex. The kids have worked incredibly hard,” high school marching band director Mr. Fabrizio said.

After coming in 9th place last year, he and the band were determined to take their performance to the next level. In only his second year, Mr. Fabrizio led the Knights to a successful season and says he cannot describe how proud he is of everyone involved.

The students were excited about their victories this season, especially the seniors who have been working up to winning the ACCs all four years. “All of the hard work paid off when they announced ‘and in first place with a score of 94.405... West Essex High school in Harrisburg, P.A.’ I’m very honored and proud to have been able to lead the band this year and work with all of the great band members,” junior drum major, Spencer Cowen said.

The band faculty started planning for this year’s show last February, to ensure they would make it the best it could be. They started rehearsing the show in June and came back half way through the summer to continue practicing.

“Our band functions on pride, passion and intensity,” Mr. Fabrizio said. “We try to do everything at the highest possible level, whether we are in a competition or not.” Playing in front of the audience at football games is also important and they treat each performance as if it were in front of the judges.

Dan

Mia

Jake

Mike

Super Bowl

Raiders

Cowboys

Cowboys

Patriots

MVP

Ezekiel Elliott

Ezekiel Elliott

Derek Carr

Matt Ryan

DPOY

Lorenzo Alexander

Aaron Donald

Von Miller

Marcus Peters

OPOY

Demarco Murray

Julio Jones

David Johnson

Tom Brady

ROY

Carson Wentz

Dak Prescott

Ezekiel Elliott

Dak Prescott

December 2016

The Wessex Wire: Sports

The mediocrity of the NY Jets and Giants

from top left: “Rashad Jennings” by Keith Allison(CC BY-SA 2.0) (/www.flickr. com/photos/keithallison/15357256265)

By Dan Laible ’18

There used to be a time where Sundays, for many people, were the best days of the week. Now, however, they are just more a depressing additive to the school week to come.

Football in N.J./N.Y. is composed of some of the most die-hard fans, many of them being at West Essex.

I personally hate Sundays now, because the Jets provide a depressing period of time from 1 to 4 p.m. with homework waiting to be done after that.

Let’s start with the Giants. They paid $200 million out to players this past offseason they thought would be giving them a huge boost on both sides of the football. Olivier Vernon was expected to come here and dominate right from the get-go, but has only been able to secure five and a half sacks so far this season. After comitting to pay Vernon $85 million over the next five years, the team expected more production from their supposed star pass rusher.

Rob Zapparrata, sophomore Giants fan, is not satisfied with how the Giants have been playing.

“The Giants haven’t been doing well this season and aren’t living up to the expectations that the fans hold them to,” he said.Though they have been doing well enough to stay in the playoff hunt, Giants fans always want more.

Many Giants fans, like Rob, expected a big year from their team, but have been disappointed so far.

The Giants are 8-3 as of right now, but considering that they have won two Super Bowls in the past 10 years, they have very high expectations. With the amount of money they spent this past offseason the Giants really need to step it up if they want to satisfy their fans.

The Giants have become an unpredictable team, making ques-

from Bottum Right: “The Cubs celebrate” Arturo Paradavila(CC by 2.0) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/apardavila/30630040172)

The Chicago Cubs won the 2016 world series in a thrilling fashion after a 108 year drought.

This marks the longest championship dry spell in professional sports history. The series went seven games and was exciting till the very end. Game 7 on Nov. 2 went into extra innings and was ultimately won with Cubs second baseman and World Series MVP Ben Zobrist’s go ahead RBI double in the 10th inning.

Freshman Tanner Newby and former Chicago native was ecstatic that the Cubs won. “My family and I grew up Cubs fans and we have been waiting for this all of our lives.

Game 7 was insane and was the best baseball game in our lifetime up to now. We were all witnessing history that night,” Newby said.

NFL Power Rankings The NFL season is coming to its end and these teams have been battling to top this list.

By Dan Laible ’18

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison(CC BY-SA 2.0)

The New York Jets and Giants have been struggling these last few years and their fans are not happy about it.

Commentary tionable moves like giving huge contracts to Janoris Jenkins, Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison and drafting Eli Apple in the first round of this year’s draft. The Giants have a legacy to live up to and need to find ways to start winning now if they want to satisfy their fans.

I don’t even know where to begin with the Jets. It all started with the “Butt Fumble” back in 2012 which has led to an insurmountable amount of ridicule. This is where the Jets began to go downhill and the team started losing a lot more than winning. With this also came the fall of Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan, in which both seem to be questioned by many as to whether

or not they should even be in the league anymore.

The point is that the Jets have had too many seasons where they lost more games than they won.

Even last year, with the acquisitions of Brandon Marshall, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Darrelle Revis things were finally starting to look up. Until they lost in an elimination game (you can still hear the crying of Jets fans in the distance) and have now started the season at 3-8 to make things worse.

As a Jets fan myself, I cannot stand the lack of urgency the Jets have. Most of the players they have drafted these last few years have either turned out to be busts or have already been released from the team.

Jace Amaro, Dee Milliner, Quinton Coples, Geno Smith.

Any of those names ring a bell?

These are four players drafted in first two rounds since 2012. They can all be classified as busts due to their lack of production and inability to provide anything for the Jets.

The Jets have drafted a quarterback each of the last four years and none seem to be able to take over the team right now and provide a winning team. In order to become a competitive team, they have to find their quarterback of the future, and that certainly is not Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Jets and Giants fans both have to suffer the same torture every Sunday. It is time to stop the madness and demand for better results. This is New York, New Jersey and West Essex we are talking about, there’s no room for any teams that are disappointing in this town.

Cubs end historic drought of 108 years

By Heath Kalb ’18

Page 15

Other members of the West Essex community can relate to Newby and Cubs fans everywhere. Junior Thomas Fabiano is a fan of a struggling professional sports team with a current championship dry spell.

“As a die hard fan of the Brooklyn Nets who have never won an NBA championship, I know I’d be going crazy if the Nets won,” Fabiano said.

Throughout the 2016 MLB playoffs, fans of both the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians were anticipating a historic playoff run. The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908 and the Cleveland Indians haven’t won since 1948. The city of Cleveland itself has not won a championship in professional sports since 1964 other than the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, which dubbed the city “Believeland.”

Both teams attempting to cre-

ate history certainly made the anticipation and popularity of the series to skyrocket over previous years. The television ratings were unheard of, as Game 7 had over 40 million American televisions tuning in, the best in decades according to USA Today. This is unprecedented for a sport known for its decrease in popularity.

The extreme anticipation for the series was also shown in the absurd ticket prices. The average ticket price for Game 7 on the secondary market was $2,700 with some tickets going for well over 15,000 dollars according to CNN Money.

“It’s good for the city, you can tell the fans really wanted them to win,” junior varsity baseball Coach Mr. Llauget said. “Of course I was rooting for the Cubs, you almost feel bad for them after such a long drought.”

The triumph of the Cubs was celebrated by the team and its fans in a parade across the city.

The parade drew a record crowd of around five million people according to city officials. This marks the 7th largest gathering in human history!

After over a century of waiting, Cubs fans finally got their title.

Wise Words: Coach Logan “The greatest tragedy

as an athlete is to have anyone else’s athletes supersede your own.”

1. Cowboys 2. Raiders 3. Patriots 4. Giants 5. Redskins 6. Falcons 7. Chiefs 8. Broncos 9. Eagles 10. Seahawks 11. Steelers 12. Dolphins 13. Lions 14. Vikings 15. Cardinals 16. Bucs 17. Chargers 18. Panthers 19. Packers 20. Bengals 21. Bills 22. Ravens 23. Texans 24. Titans 25. Saints 26. Rams 27. Colts 28. Bears

December 2016 Issue 2

The Wessex Wire Page 16

Overtime goal seals historic TOC field hockey win

By Quinn Delehanty ’19 West Essex field hockey made history with their first ever win in the Tournament of Champions final, on Nov. 18, and they were able to break Eastern’s five year Tournament of Champions (TOC) win streak.

The team was on track to this victory with their run through states.

The field hockey team won the State Championship against Rumson High School by a score of 5-2 on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Junior Julia Russo and sophomore Ellie Decker each scored 2 goals, while junior Ashley Iannuzzi and senior Lia Sinisi each scored one goal. Freshman Tara Smith had four saves to help the win.

“It was one of the best feelings I have ever had, my chills were incredible,” Decker said.

The win Saturday earned the team the number one seed in the TOC. The TOC is a tournament played between the five Group State Champions.

The Knights defeated Bishop Eustace 5-0 in the semi-final of the TOC. Decker had two goals, Russo and Ashley Iannuzzi also had goals to assist the win. Sinisi also scored a goal, helping her reach 100 career goals.

During the TOC final the Knights defeated Eastern by a score of 2-1.

During overtime Lia Sinisi made a stroke to secure the win for the team. Forward Sarah Iannuzzi scored a goal in the first half to tie up the game after Eastern had scored.

Smith had 11 saves on the day.

“The win was a dream come true,” junior Sarah Iannuzzi said. “We left our blood, sweat and tears on the field. We have worked extremely hard since Aug. 10, it feels so surreal. Words can’t describe how happy we are that we are able to give our coach a TOC championship.”

During late October and early November, the field hockey team also won the sectional final and the county final. The team had a lot of wins this season, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped working. This is one of the best seasons of field hockey the school has ever seen.

During the season, the Knights lost one game to Oak Knoll, leading to their final record of 20-1 in the regular season.

“We always play for each other and play like we have nothing to lose,” Sinisi said. Coach Cosse always pushes the team to improve, which helps their game a lot.

Photo courtesy of Lisa Manuzza

The field hockey team runs onto the field to celebrate their victory and title of State Champs.

The 2016 team chose the quote “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise,” she said.

This was their quote for the season because they knew nothing would make more noise in the state of New Jersey then winning the TOC. “They’ve done everything in their power to put them in the position they wanted on Aug.

10,” Coach Cosse said. Cosse had high hopes for her team this year and they did nothing but exceed her hopes.

This year the varsity team is planning on sending six seniors off to play in college. In the fall of 2017, Lizzy Cimilluca is attending University of Iowa, Jamie Chebuske (Northeastern), Lia Sinisi (Michigan State), Jordyn

Thies (University of Pennsylvania).

Both Amanda Garofalo and Gianna Distasi plan to play at the next level and will make their decision in the upcoming months.

This season Coach Cosse won her 400th field hockey game, beating Ms. Alimi’s record this season.

“If anyone deserves this win it’s Cosse,” Sarah Iannuzzi said. “She is the best.”

Football team works hard to win conference title

The Knights gain a conference title and the first seed in playoffs.

The Marching Band takes home the Atlantic Coast Group 2A Title

By Mia Oyama ’17 The Knights defeated Baringer 41-6 to secure their title as Conference Champions on Oct. 28. It is the team’s first conference win since 2013 and gave them the first seed for states.

“It’s a huge testament to the work ethic of the kids,” Coach Logan said. “It’s good to be back at the top but we still have bigger fish to fry. Our goal is to move on and win the section.”

The team put in a lot of hard work to win the game and the conference. The game put them on a three game winning streak, helping their confidence.

“It’s great we won the conference and good to keep the momentum going into the playoffs,” sophomore Will Perez said.

During the game, quarterback Zach Lemanski scored the first touchdown with a two yard

See page 14 for details Photo courtesy of Milestone Yearbook

Coach Benacquista helps get the team ready to play hard and win.

sneak. Senior Drew Lepre caught a 70 yard pass from Lemanski to score another touchdown. Will Perez scored a 33 yard and 22 yard touchdown, while Anthony Sangillo and Dorian Gashi both scored one touchdown. Senior Brett Reo added six field goals to help the win.

Plays that helped the Knights

were two sacks by Daniel Searle, fumble recoveries, and an interception by Phil Lutz in the endzone. Barringer was only able to put up one touchdown against the Knights. Captain Brian O’Neill got hurt the first offensive drive and was out for the game.

“For the most part we stayed healthy,” Coach Benacquista said.

“The past two years we got banged up as the season went on. This year the seniors did a nice job of leading the team.”

Overall, the team played well cohesively. A key component to the success of the team was the leadership and well being of the varsity athletes.

“It is definitely nice to be the first seed,” Benacquista said. “But we know that teams will be gunning for us so we need to be our best every week. I think our team has been getting more confident every week. Since we have such a

young team every win helps boost our confidence level.”

Being the first seed gives the team confidence and homefield advantage throughout playoffs.

“We’re having a great season so far,” said Reo. “We’re looking forward to the playoffs and I’m happy we are winning my senior year.”

In the first round of playoffs, the Knights defeated Nutley by a score of 40-0. Sophomore Will Perez had four touchdowns, sophomore Luke Dignazio and junior Anthony Sangillo also had touchdowns for the win.

The Knights were able to keep their confidence high and move on to the semi finals.

During the second round of playoffs the Knights were defeated

by Parsippany Hills by a score of 13-37. Will Perez and Drew Lepre both had touchdowns for the Knights and Brett Reo had an extra point.

Overall, the football team had a successful season. Their friendships and leadership roles helped them capture the title of Conference Champions for the first time since 2013.