The Wessex Wire (February 2012)

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

Vol. XLVI No. 4

West Essex High School, 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, N.J.

February 2012

Alumnus screens documentary

by Alex Schwartz ’12

There was a showing of the documentary, “Follow the Leader” at West Essex on Feb. 3 during lunch periods.

The film is produced and directed by West Essex alumnus Jonathan Goodman Levitt. The story follows three conservative high school students who are determined to one day be political leaders as they generate political opinions and ultimately vote in the 2008 election.

Throughout the film their opinions change as they mature and begin to think on their own. It examines the political socialization of young people.

Moreover, the film stresses the need for discussion and debate of current issues as well as political leaders in order to determine political opinions and understand what’s going on in the world around us.

Instead of presenting opinions or political beliefs, “Follow the Leader” simply encourages discussion.

“Our goal is to point people in the direction of discussing things that might not even be in the film,” said Levitt. “The idea is to have a national

campaign where we are getting people to consider the realities of our political system.” The documentary presents characters that not everyone is going to agree with, but portrays them in a non-judgmental manner.

Everyone sees the movie differently,” said art teacher Eileen Dormer, who taught Levitt at West Essex and arranged for the screening.

“We want to provoke people to ask.

Change is going to take a lot longer if we don’t have discussions,” said Levitt.

Senior Ciku Wathika said, “The movie showed that changing your viewpoints doesn’t make you a hypocrite. I liked the fact that it was of people from all sides of the spectrum, and we were able to see different perspectives.”

The film will not officially premiere until the spring. The eventual plan is to create an entire event, with a study guide and discussion included. Levitt took close notes of the different reactions and responses of the West Essex students, which he will use to help create future programs. “Reactions that come out of the film are going to form what we do going forward.

SEE DOCUMENTARY PAGE 2

News Briefs

Blood Drive

Reported by Steven Czachor ’12 and Sam DiGrande ’13

West Essex will hold its third annual blood drive on Friday, Feb. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. After having approximately 90 people turn out for the event last year, the school is hoping for more to donate blood. “We have set a goal of at least 135 people,” said Ms. Paula Frisch, the school nurse. Students 16 and wish to participate must get parental consent.

International Day

The Spanish Club will be hosting International Day on April 27. This annual event is something the whole school will be able to take part in.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in the festivities, feel free to contact Mrs. Raquel Williams, the Spanish Club Adviser.

Robotics Club

Members of the Robotics Club, Will Qawasmi, David Inga, David Shields, James Lovey and Deanna Daly recently competed in the Zero Robotics Finals in Cambridge, Mass. This competition required them to send a coded command to the ISS (International Space Station). They beat all the members in the round robin competition, but came in third place out of accumulated points.

Inside This Issue:

8

Features

The alter egos of Mr. Davis

Graphic by Krista Liotti

Photos courtesy of contestants

Senior boys, clockwise from top: Marco Glinbizzi, Mike Jones, Gregg Sgarlata, Tom Filipow, D.J. Hamker, Alec Miller, Mike Lentine, Lee Shearin, Chris Boss, Tommy Caprio and Stephen O’Neill.

Mr. West Essex to be crowned

by Ryan Rinsky ’12

The fourth annual Mr. West Essex

competition will be held on Feb. 29 in the auditorium. The emcee for this year’s event will be senior Ryan Towey, while seniors Allie George and Alexis Miller will be escorting the contestants throughout the show.

With most show information being kept confidential, one can only wonder what this year’s seniors are planning to do. This year’s competitors are Mike Lentine, Tom Filipow, D.J. Hamker, Lee Shearin, Tommy Caprio, Chris Boss, Alec Miller, Marco Glinbizzi, Mike Jones, Stephen O’Neill and Gregg Sgarlata.

According to Andrea Mondadori, there will be a new event in the show that will remain a secret.The other events will include swimwear, formal wear, a talent segment and a question-and-answer portion.

“It will be a great overall experi-

11

Sports

ence and I will be able to perform alongside my favorite player, number five, Mike Lentine, which makes me extremely happy,” said contestant Mike Jones.

At the end of the day, the question still stands: who will be Mr. West Essex? Senior Omar Aly said, “It is going to be a well fought battle, but I think that Tommy Caprio will come away with the crown.”

Sophomore James Panzarino said, “I think Alec Miller will win. He’s a really funny kid.”

The winner people don’t normally think about is Mrs. West Essex.The battle of the girlfriends of the contestants could prove to be vicious this year. This list of potential Mrs. West Essex’s have wanted this opportunity to brag about their men for quite a while.

Will it be Andie Silverstein, Val Panza, Allie George, or Krista Liotti? Or will Alexa Perillo take it home for the second straight year?

The competition gets heated in intramural basketball

Documentary FROM PAGE 1

much laughter,” said Dormer, who was excited to see the work of a former student. “I taught John in seventh grade writing. I knew then that he was going to do something amazing.”

Some of the major discussion points of this “creative documentary,” as Levitt called it, are sexism, racism and different political leaders. Levitt said, “The documentary will provide an opportunity for people of different communities to get involved and for people to continually have these discussions.”

Photo by Sam DiGrande

We’re thinking about coming up with an interactive event for the future,” said Levitt.

Students discussed their reactions to the characters in addition to different current political issues both during and after the film. “I was delighted with the degree of engagement that the students had. I was surprised that there was so

The Wessex Wire

President of ENHS, Marco Glinbizzi, helps stack the 633 books that were donated to Paterson School No.7’s library.

ENHS donates books to Paterson school

by Sam DiGrande ’13

Paterson School No.7 was affected

by Hurricane Irene 2011. Their library took on massive flooding, and a large number of their books were lost. English National Honor Society (ENHS) students of West Essex participated in a book drive for Paterson School No. 7 throughout the months of November and December. Ms. Macaluso and Ms. Zuppa collected books from their English classes as well as the rest of the school. They then delivered these 633 books to school No. 7 on Friday, Feb. 10, and experienced the children’s reactions first hand.

In addition to delivering books, the ENHS students came bearing awards.

Fifty-two kids in grades five through eight had participated in a poetry contest judged by ENHS members.

During the breakfast held in appreciation for West Essex’s donation, all who participated in the contest were presented with a medal and a certificate. Later in the day, students who placed first, second or third also received a plaque in recognition of their hard work.

During the breakfast, ENHS mem-

bers had a chance to sit down and talk with the students. Friendships were made and it was clear that their presence was very much appreciated.

“All these books came out of somebody’s house. These children don’t have books in their houses,” said Dr. Cadia, Paterson School No. 7’s principal.

Through conversation, one very big idea was formulating. An eighth grade student envisioned working with West Essex on a joint community service project. As a leader in the eighth grade student government at No. 7, she took the initiative to get all the West Essex students’ email addresses, and promptly emailed them soon after ENHS departed.

The Student Council President spoke of the many community services projects she and her fellow classmates had participated in. Her list included donating and bagging food at a food pantry, spending time at a nursing home and running a toy drive in which they filled shoe boxes with toys and donated them to children in need.

Ms. Macaluso hopes to continue to foster West Essex’s relationship with School No.7, and looks forward to working with them on an upcoming community service project.

Page 2

West Essex’s “High School Musical” Students excited to perform Disney’s “HSM”

from his peers.

After three days of open auditions, West Essex Students will perform a total of 102 middle and high school their version of Disney Channel’s “High students tried out for “HSM.” School Musical,” (“HSM”) on March The show will be about two hours long, with one 15-minute intermission.

22-24.

The six leading roles include Troy The show will continue the tradition of (junior Joey LaVarco), Gabriella (junior having four performances, including a Saturday matinee.

Marisa Malanga), Chad With the posi(senior Tommy Keegan), tive response from Taylor (senior Krista Liotti), last year ’s “Beauty Sharpay (senior Gina Morand the Beast,” Sorrello) and Ryan (senior Jesse rentino is hopeful tp Asche) along with 10 other reach the same level supporting roles. of success.

“I think it follows pretty “We hope to have closely to the movie,” said an equal to or greater director Ms. Sorrentino. attendance at each “There are a few more show,” said Ms. Sorsongs added, which is what rentino. normally happens when

“It’s all removies are transitioned ally cool and reinto stage shows.”

Juniors Joey LaVarco and ally scary at the The play focuses on Marisa Malanga practicing a same time,” said the relationship between scene together in “HSM.” LaVarco. “AudiTroy Bolton and Gabriences have very ella Montez, who meet when forced to sing karaoke together high expectations, and I hope they are impressed with my decision to bring at a New Year’s Eve party.

Gabriella is a new student at East my own personality to the character High, and the two strangers reunite and still honor Zac Efron’s original interpretation in the movie.” again at school.

Troy, the captain of the school’s “I’m so excited for the musical,” basketball team, is the opposite of said junior Marisa Malanga. “The the academic star Gabriella. When amazing, talented and huge cast this Gabriella needs a partner to audition year combined with our fantastic for the musical, Troy volunteers for director is going to make this show the part despite criticism he receives really incredible.”

by Regina Walter ’13

Photo by Geena Martorana

February 2012

Skylr: Sit back and relax

by Daria Forte ’13 and Jack Boyd-Dias ’12

Skylr the Master Hypnotist made his way to West Essex to hold a night of hypnotic funny business on Monday, Feb. 6.

Skylr has the ability to access the human subconscious, an area of the mind more prone to accepting ridiculous suggestions.

When in a subconscious state of mind, a person is essentially showing who they really are on the inside.

While a relatively reserved and timid person may normally be quiet in a social setting, this same person may be the life of the party under hypnosis.

The conscious mind controls the subconscious mind in everyday reality. By removing that barrier or lessening its effect, a person may find themselves taking the ridiculous suggestions that Skylr gives his subjects up on stage.

Senior Gregg Sgarlata accused

someone of stealing his purse, which had make-up in it for his “face.” Junior Jon Hilaire stood up in his seat and shouted about a fire burning down the whole school and that everyone needed to evacuate immediately. Sophomore Marisa Racamato and junior Laura Lobefaro started arguing about who was the smarter person. Sophomore Rob O’Neill yelled to the whole crowd that the Giants were a bad team, which had the crowd boo-ing him. Senior Stephen O’Neill chased freshman Jenna Cecere up and down the aisles, acting as a road runner.

Being under hypnosis is equivalent to a full night’s sleep. “It took me about an hour to fall asleep which normally takes me 15 minutes and I kept waking up every two and a half hours,” said Hilaire.

“I was having weird dreams in between and was overly tired the next day.”

Overall, the show helped the Student Council raise $5,400.

Opinion

February 2012 Issue 4

Editorial

Cartoon by Vittoria Contuzzi

The stress, cramming and pressure to succeed during midterms has now passed, but the school’s new midterm policy must be changed for the future.

Every student has their own way of handling the midterm strain, but the new midterm policies are making this task almost insurmountable.

When West Essex switched to the new midterm schedule about three years ago, the anxiety amongst the students skyrocketed. The new policy placed three 90 minute exams on each day. The new guidelines lead to unbalanced schedules and more hassle. Fortunately, the school allowed students to mend their schedules, changing exams around so they were not forced to take three exams in one day. Some students preferred to load up one day with three exams in order to have a free day to study and relax. Still, others liked to spread the workload evenly so that they could have ample time to prepare for their tests.

West Essex students did not have the same luxury this time around. The school has enacted a new policy that calls for the students to show up to each period’s exam site and does not allow students to modify their schedules.

There are many things wrong with this policy. Each class simply does not require a midterm. There is no reason for a midterm in Child Development or Culinary Arts, for example.

This new policy has created a plethora of problems for many students.

Gone are the possibilities of altering schedules to one’s needs. The policy should be reconsidered so that future students can enjoy the same benefits that past students once knew.

The Wessex Wire The Official Student Newspaper of West Essex High School A Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Medalist Paper 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 (973) 228-1200 ext. 258 2011-2012 STAFF:

News Editors Sam DiGrande ’13 Julie Kayzerman ’12 Features Editors Mikayla Cimilluca ’12 Griffin Glenn ’13 Arts & Culture Editors Nicole Del Mauro ’12 Regina Walter ’13 Fact Checkers Vittoria Contuzzi ‘13 Anthony Bertoldi ’13

Editor-in-chief Ryan Towey ’12

Managing Editor Spencer Satz ’12

Opinion Editors Alex Schwartz ’12 Lee Shearin ’12

Advertising Editors Chloe Butler ’13 Jake Roseman ’12

Sports Editors Ed George ’12 Paul Haramis ’12

Section Apprentices Victoria Agrifolio ’14 Molly Dickman ’13 Zoe Elfenbein ’13 Sam Gilbert ’13 Gaby Roth ’13

Copy Editors Daria Forte ’13 Maddie Levin ’12 Adviser Ms. Lo

Photo Editors Jackie Fusco ’12 Valerie Panza ’13

The Wessex Wire Page 3

Contrbuting Staff Jack Boyd-Dias ’12 Vin Cosenzo ’12 Steven Czachor ’12 Krista Liotti ’12 Ryan Rinsky ’12 Shannon McGlynn ’13 Geena Martorana ’14

Wire Editorial Policy The national award winning Wessex Wire is published with supplemental updates to inform, educate and entertain the student body, 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 free 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.

News flash: the war is over

The Iraq War ends, but no one seems to notice

by Ryan Towey ’12

Picture the scene. It is August 1945.

The hard-won World War II is finally over. Americans everywhere take to the streets, flags streaming from windows across the country. One could not escape the news that the Japanese had been defeated and peace had been restored to the world.

Picture a new scene. It is December 2011.

The Iraq War is over, and the nation’s soldiers are finally returning home. The news stations and newspapers cover the end of the war, but few people are really watching or reading. When one finally does hear word about the end of the war, there is barely a reaction. When my AP Government and Politics class begins to discuss the fact that the Iraq War is over, the room was quiet until someone asked, “It is?”

“The end of the war hasn’t received much attention because it hasn’t ended with a big surrender or an end to hostilities,” said history teacher Mrs. Beth Vaknin.

As a passionate student of history, I have always paid attention to the news and world events, but even I found myself relatively unmoved by the end of a war that spanned nearly my entire memorable life.

“After the first year or two, public outrage died down and it really became a ‘silent war,’” said senior Michael Malanga.

The fact is that the Iraq War barely touched our everyday lives. Our grandparents’ generation endured World War II, making great sacrifices for the overall war effort. They bought war bonds and planted victory gardens. They volunteered to help

prepare items for shipping to soldiers overseas. Men everywhere enlisted and women took their places at work. Our parents’ generation, too, took action during the Vietnam War, although in a very different way. Vietnam gave rise to unprecedented protests and discontent.

The Iraq War moved our generation to no such lengths.

“If your class were facing a draft in June instead of college, there would be more protests,” said Vaknin.

When the war began, we were too young to have much of an opinion on anything, so I will give us an excuse there. But when the time of war continued to expand, we still had little to say. Words of support and protest were both conspicuously absent. We still went to school every day, and there was little talk of volunteering for the army. We barely even spoke of the war itself.

“When [the war] first started, I believe it was discussed frequently,” said senior Stephen O’Neill. “When the status quo didn’t change, it was no longer much of a topic of discussion.”

This was a silent war, for all intents and purposes, and that leads me to believe that we are a silent generation despite the many notions that we communicate more than any generation before us. That scares me.

Our American soldiers were home for Christmas, and we barely had a word to say.

For the sake of our own future, we must speak up next time in either support or protest, or we will find our nation repeatedly slipping into war without a word from the people for whom it’s being fought.

February 2012

Page 4

The Wessex Wire

Why Cupid is not the bad guy Halfway there, but don’t peak

West Essex shouldn’t be anti-Valentine’s Day

by Nicole Del Mauro ’12

The roses, the chocolates, the cards filled with romantic poems and, for many, the feeling of wanting to jump off the nearest building.

That’s right, we’re talking about the holiday of love that gets a lot of us hating ourselves and the gender of our desires.

Valentine’s Day has so many high school students dreading Feb. 14 every year, and I can’t seem to figure out what’s worse, the day itself or everyone’s attitude.

The concept behind the holiday is simple: Let the important people in your life know how much you love them.

“Valentine’s Day isn’t just about your significant other,” said senior Alyssa Chaplin. “My sisters and I exchange gifts every year.”

Now, I know all the hopeless romantics reading this are finding it ridiculous to imply that Valentine’s Day could be spent with anyone else besides that special someone.

All of the single hopeless romantics reading this are reminding themselves of the sickening thought of happy couples eating by candle light while they spend Feb. 14 alone in front of the TV with a few cartons of Chinese food.

Anyone feeling sorry for themselves for not having a date on Valentine’s Day is just creating a reason to be upset over something completely

to tear this wall down.

This is your life and your life only. If you Mid-terms have come and gone and quit now, you’re only setting yourself up for the New Year seems to have passed us a life where when faced with the slightest by without a hitch. A lot of us have given hint of adversity, you give up. Look at up on those resolutions we always put off yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, for next year, and many of us, especially “Do I have what it takes? Can I get through seniors, have given up on our few remain- this?” Look yourself straight in the eye and ing high school months. make the statement, “I will finish this year I comout strongly, in pletely uneverything I do, derstand for nothing can your constop me except cerns. There myself.” does not re Don’t take the ally seem to highway. It’s the be any reaeasy way. Take son to keep the scenic route, up the hard the road less travwork. So elled. Sure, there why would will be some someone bumps in the even want road, maybe an to consider obstacle you’ll Cartoon by Vittoria Contuzzi putting any have to get by, more effort but in the end into school than they have to? you will come out the other side a better, Because you can gosh darn it! You are more accomplished, well-rounded and the only thing stopping yourself from experienced individual. finishing out this year strong. You are It is easy to take the highway in life, but the only thing stopping you from leaving we will not grow as human beings or as West Essex on a good note. You built the individuals if we do so. Don’t give up and wall that stops you from putting effort do not sell yourself short. This year isn’t into your education. You have the power over, so finish it out strong.

by Jack Boyd-Dias ’12

Simple steps for studying success

by Daria Forte ’13

Cartoon by Vittoria Contuzzi

Boyfriends take their girlfriends out to dinner, girls cry over how cute their new teddy bear is and Dad tries his hardest to make up for all the times he made Mom angry. How can a day meant to focus on your loved ones irritate people so much?

Senior Abby Haba can find no joy in the holiday whatsoever. “It’s a dumb day created by Hallmark to make money.”

For some, Valentine’s Day can be nothing more than a reminder of what they don’t have.

It can only be thought of as the single person’s hell. This logic is beyond skewed, implying that the holiday cannot be celebrated with someone you love other than a person you’re dating.

insignificant.

“I’d rather buy myself chocolates to eat than have to give them away to someone else for the sake of love,” said freshman Ariana Daly.

One day of the year should not make you feel bad about yourself or stop you from having fun because you can’t celebrate with a girlfriend or boyfriend.

The concept of choosing a single day to show love for those in your life is absurd to begin with. People in legitimate relationships are (hopefully) in love with each other all the time, so what changes in the middle of February? Nothing. To them, and to everyone else dating, flirting or yearning, Valentine’s Day is truly just another day.

I’m the type of person who either gets distracted easily when doing my work or gets so into the zone that it’s difficult for me to stop what I’m doing. The moments when I do get distracted, however, leave me hopeless when trying to get back into the studying groove. For those who experience something similar to this, these few simple tricks may be able to help you for future tests or completing work on time.

Tip #1: Music. You would think that listening to music and reading at the same time would totally distract you from actually understanding the material. But, as long as you listen to the right music, you can zone out the world and just focus on the work that’s right in front of you. I would recommend songs by Colbie Caillat or slow beat songs by Eminem and Bruno Mars.

Tip #2: Make studying F.U.N. I’m sure most of you have heard the F.U.N. song from “Spongebob Squarepants.” This acronym can relate to studying. Studying together with “FRIENDS” is a great way to learn the material you are studying.

Sharing knowledge is always a plus.

“U” can play games with a person or persons to make studying even more

enjoyable. Junior Rachel Lazarovitch plays the memory game for vocabulary review, which is similar to the “I’m going on a picnic” game. “You memorize the definition to a word and once you get it, you move on to the next word. Once you get the next word, you go back to the first word and say the definition, then say the definition to the second word and keep on going,” said Lazarovitch.

You can study “NYWHERE” you want, as long as it’s in a quiet atmosphere, preferably at someone’s house.

Tip #3: Learning tricks from other people. Sometimes, other students may have better ways of studying than you do.

It doesn’t hurt to ask them how they study.

It will only make you a better student.

Junior Cece Campanile came up with a memorizing strategy. If she wants to try to memorize equations for math or science, she writes them down on post-it notes, places them all around her room and every time she walks by one of them, she stops to look at it and tries to memorize it.

Although these strategies are not guaranteed to help everyone, it doesn’t hurt to take the risk and try something new. If you don’t try, you’ll never know what works best for you.

February 2012

The Wessex Wire

Move kids, get out the way How students can skillfully avoid a hallway of horrors

by Vin Cosenzo ’12

less things like making cafeteria lunches healthier, we should invest in one of those nice old crossing guards to assist students trying to turn in the hallways.

Another dilemma that is found quite often in the hallways is the dreaded “talking circle,” where people are walking in the hallway and have to fight around the

Walking the hallways of West Essex is always an adventure. From the pushes and shoves in the 400 wing, to the pile ups in the 700 wing, one must always be on their toes on the watch for just about anything. Each day brings new messes, and new obstacles that students must overcome. A change needs to be made.

Blame could be placed on the construction team who designed the wonderful school we call ours. It was a great idea to make the school one big level and make one main hallway that is virtually impossible to avoid when getting from class to class. But, we must not stop with Cartoon by Vittoria Contuzzi the blame there.

We could also consider the fact that the freshmen are no circle of death just to get to their class. longer in the deserted middle school, but Then, once the battle is won, the people instead crammed in the high school. of the talking circle give the person the In order to fix the hallway epidemic, stare of death like they just murdered we must instill some new rules to help their dog or something. Also, to those the flow of students move at a better pace. who stop short in the hallway to say hi to First and foremost, some sort of turning their BFF and then turn around and say system must be devised. Trying to make a sorry for nearly trampling you: Guess left into the cafeteria is nearly impossible what? Apology not accepted. without getting trampled unless you have I think the only just way to solve the a lead blocker, or some sweet juking skills. above problems is to establish a rule that Instead of wasting budget money on point- states that any student who feels the need

to stop in the middle of the hallway to talk is susceptible to any elbows or truck sticks that may be thrown their way. The students barreling their way through their hallways will not be punished, but instead rewarded.

We can put those pointless cameras into use by using them to capture exquisite moves in the hallway and use the footage to create our very own top 10 plays of the day. This way students will be motivated to walk at better paces, and in an organized fashion.

There could be many solutions to the hallway problem. From my suggestions to the numerous ideas of students, the theories are endless. “There should be four different bells for each grade, so there’s less traffic in the halls,” said senior Corey Cecere.

Something must be done in the near future to stop the traffic in the hallways.

It’s only a matter of time before one poor soul gets trampled, and left in the dust.

Maybe that’s what it will take to get the attention of someone who could make a change. Until then, keep your eyes peeled and minds sharp, for it could be any of us that wind up as that poor soul.

Page 5

Does it bother you...?

by Lee Shearin ’12

Does is bother you that people make such a big deal about their birthdays? I don’t hate birthdays as much as single women who are rapidly approaching mid-thirty and are desperate to settle for a man for fear of their ever dwindling biological clock, but I would say that I’m disturbed by birthdays.

Why am I celebrating the fact that your parents either made the narcissistic choice to have a child or threw caution to the wind and forgot about contraceptive methods?

I know I was a mistake baby, but we use the term “welcomed surprise.”

Birthdays are like a congratulations for surviving. We give presents for those who make it to sixteen, so why don't we heckle the dead and taunt them for not making it? Next time I gain a year (God willing) I will frolic gaily through a cemetery taunting each grave stone I see.

One birthday that holds value is 17 because it makes you "free" in New Jersey. LIES. This just means that your parents have a new errand boy. Other notable birthdays are 18, which makes you an adult, and 21, which makes you a real adult. No one cares that you turned 14. Here's a popsicle; now shut your mouth.

I also hate being wished a happy birthday because, inevitably, I will make the awkward mistake of saying, “You too.”

Unless you are someone that shares my birthday, this gets weird.

So relax about your birthdays, because one day these fun filled festivities will become painful reminders of a life most likely horribly wasted.

Bullying leads soldier to commit suicide Even the military cannot escape the casualties of bullying

by Steve Czachor ’12

Bullying has become an inescapable part of society and is apparent in countless facets of everyday life. It is visible in schools, the work place and even in the United States Military. On a routine October night in Afghanistan, the effects of bullying reached Army private Danny Chen.

On Oct. 3, 2011, Chen, 19, had concluded his shower and had forgotten to turn off the water heater. The action angered the soldiers in his battalion so much that they pulled him out of his bed, dragged him across the floor and pelted him with rocks. After this they ordered him to perform pull-ups with a mouthful of water, not allowing him to spit it

out. During the entire ordeal, they hurled various ethnic slurs at Chen, the son of Chinese immigrants.

Hours after the torment, Chen was found dead with a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

According to his relatives, this incident was the conclusion of endless hazing against Private Chen, reported the New York Times.

On Dec. 21, 2011, the eight soldiers who participated in the assault were charged in connection with the death.

“This type of action is not acceptable in any situation, especially in the military.

Soldiers who are not supportive and accepting of each other have no business in our military. War is one time when literally all that you have is the person

next to you,” said senior Ben Einhorn.

There is no doubt that actions toward the prevention of bullying have received more awareness in recent times. In Jan. 2011, Governor Chris Christie signed into law an act concerning harassment, intimidation and bullying in school setting. Despite these latest efforts, bullying seems to still be prevalent. Are these actions making a difference?

“I wouldn’t say that the new HIB law is making a significant difference. Bullying is still going on but some people are starting to be more aware of what they say and do. It is making a slight difference, but bullying is not something that is easy to get rid of,” said senior Paul Kurimella.

The fact of the matter is that no one law can eradicate such a heinous action.

It has to be a conscious and collective effort by children and adults across the globe. It must begin with proper upbringing. The correct values must be instilled in children so that they are tolerant of people from all walks of life. These laws and movements definitely put kids on the right track since they encourage appropriate behavior and discourage bullying, but the effort must begin at home and at an early age.

“The incident with the soldier who killed himself is awful,” said junior Javier Chaveste. “When I think of the military, I think of soldiers who are professional and act the right way. This just shows that bullying can occur anywhere. We all just have to try our best to be nicer to each other.

February 2012

The Wessex Wire

Page 6

Arts special feature: The best and

The memories of the true pop legends of the millennium

by Val Panza ’13

“Here’s a little bit of old school for ya that goes a little something like this…” The opening line of “Aaron’s Party” was a classic millennium song we all remember. Before we were all rapping to Drake and singing along to Taylor Swift, we had those crazy idols that sang our favorite pop songs. Aaron Carter’s hit albums like “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” and “Oh Aaron” were definitely favorites, but let’s not forget other sensations like Hilary Duff, ’N Sync and Britney Spears.

Duff was the star actress of “Lizzie

McGuire,” and a pop singer as well. Her most commonly known songs, “Why Not” and “So Yesterday” were always on the radio and the tunes every girl was familiar with. She seemed to be a young celebrity who was a positive role model for our generation.

Junior Christina Burke said, “I really liked her [Duff] because she was also in movies and had her own show, so she was everywhere. I thought her music was so good and she was older than me so I always wanted to be her.”

It’s hard to forget ’N Sync, the singing, dancing and outright ador-

able boy band of the decade. To the typical tween girl, these kids were simply perfect. When the band broke up in 2003 and Justin Timberlake went solo, it seemed other boy bands couldn’t compete with their legendary cuteness.

Then we must remember the forever famous Britney Spears. Spears’ career sparked a whole new world of belly shirts and highlights.

Her two earlier albums, “…Baby One More Time” and “Oops…I Did It Again” were released when young kids were constantly listening to Radio Disney. She soon rose to be

the queen of pop for our generation, having fans across the nation always wanting to hear smash hits such as “Lucky” and Stronger.”

Sophomore Mike Mulroe said, “I think Britney Spears is really hot, but that could just be me. I always looked up to her in the deepest and darkest times.

She was always there for me.” “‘Oops…I Did It Again’ was probably one of my favorites,” said Mulroe. “She was just so amazing.”

Spears has remained in the music scene and is still popular on the radio. It’s nice to know that a piece of our childhood is still around.

The toys we had in the past, and what they taught us

by Ryan Towey ’12

Furby They were furry, they could talk and they were really creepy. Furby was a toy designed as some type of owl-like alien species. After their introduction in 1998, Furbies earned the trust of children before unveiling their true evil nature. “I had several,” said junior Jeremy Rosen of Furbies. “They were the most annoying toys one could ever buy.” Furbies were programmed to speak “Furbish” and would grow to speak English over time. While adorable on the outside, they became extremely demanding, constantly asking, for example, to be fed. They also had a habit of speaking spontaneously without any prompting from their owners. There have been reports of Furbies lighting up in the middle of the night, still demanding to be fed. Moral of the story: never trust a toy.

Beanie Babies Beanies Babies, small toy animals stuffed with plastic pellets, were major collectibles popular among children and zany middle-aged women in the 1990s.

“My cousins and I had a ton [of Beanie Babies],” said junior Christina Burke, “and we would make trades all the time.” The creators of Beanie Babies had people on their toes for years, mostly because they would retire certain lines of Beanie Babies, resulting in an immediate increase in demand. The ironic thing is that there was absolutely nothing special about Beanie Babies, but the advertisers told us they were cool, so we believed them. We would go on believing advertising for the rest of our lives.

Hot Wheels Hot Wheels, a line of toy cars prevalent since the late 1960s, were still going strong in the 1990s and early 2000s, and they were simply pure fun. During our childhoods, Hot Wheels began to be broken up into series, becoming increasingly colorful and decorated with decals. For tiny things made out of metal, they certainly managed to entertain. Hot Wheels also developed the technology to put the cars on track systems. “The loop-the-loop was the best type of track by far,” said senior Jim Fiore. Hot Wheels really prepared our generation for the road, teaching us to expect awesome new cars each year and to crash into things without any consequences.

Tamagotchi Tamagotchi was probably the first product that taught children of our generation how to take care of something. Tamagotchis are essentially just tiny, digital pets contained in an egg-shaped device. Interface with the Tamagotchis increased in complexity over time, including buttons to medicate and give attention to one’s Tamagotchi. They do age, and can die from starvation. They can also produce offspring. Senior Adrianna Farina said, “[Tamagotchi] was basically like my child. I always brought it to school because I had to take care of it.” Therefore, Tamagotchis were the first products to give us a sense of loss and parental anxiety. Sounds fun.

Cartoons by Grace Barretti

Polly Pocket Nothing could be more seemingly innocent than Polly Pocket, the tiny doll and her rubber accessories that became popular from the outset of the 1990s. Still, what were parents thinking? With her tiny accessories, Polly Pocket was secretly a danger to children.

Junior Meg Doelp said, “I had two Polly Pockets in a special Polly Pocket purse. I accidentally swallowed the pants from one of my Polly Pockets.” After some investigation regarding the potentially hazardous size of Polly Pocket, the owners decided to make the dolls and their accessories larger. That’s where our generation learned the idea that bigger is always better. It has served us well.

February 2012

The Wessex Wire

Page 7

d worst of the 90s and millennium

Our horrendous childhood fashion mistakes everything. We were clearly wrong.

Another item worn by most were denim jackets. They are very stiff, especially in the shoulders, giving the person wearing it an extremely broad upper body. The worst was when these jackets were worn with jean pants as well.

This just made one look like they were wearing a bag made of denim, and needless to say, it looked horrid.

While rocking the “frosted tips,” guys used to wear tear away pants.

As if the front of their hair spiked and dyed blonde wasn’t enough, they had to wear sweatpants with at least 15 buttons on each

by Jackie Fusco ’12

When we, as high school students, look back on the clothes we used to wear, we may feel a little embarrassed and willingly volunteer ourselves for the television show “What not to Wear.”

Gauchos used to be worn by the majority of girls growing up. They predate Hard Tails and Solos, but these pants decided to flair out all the way from the waist down.

Gauchos came in all different colors. Most wore them in black or brown, because back then we thought brown was a neutral color that went with

side. The time it took to button and unbutton all of these was probably longer than just going to the bathroom and changing from sweats to shorts. The snapoffs were completely unnecessary. They were mostly worn to recreation sports, but were also seen in the hallways at school to make what people thought would be a “cool” fashion statement.

Kids wore zip off pants as well, which were similar to the tear away pants. Instead of snapping all the way off, these pants had zippers on the knees that would change

Photos courtesy of students featured

West Essex students sporting their stylish childhood attire.

H0\/\/ 3mb@rr@$$!ng: Online names of our past

by Regina Walter ’13

We all had an embarrassing screen name.

These were the names we once lived by.

These were the names that at one point gave us our online identity, but these are also the names we hope to never revisit.

Why we chose the things we chose is still a mystery to most. “I chose burniinuppforjbx as my screen name at the end of seventh grade because of my love for the Jonas Brothers at the time,” said junior Laura Lobefaro. “That was the only one that I felt was respected enough by all of the other JB fans, and I just thought I made the letters look cool.”

Junior John Giuffre said, “I used to want to be a chef because my dad owned a restaurant. So my screen name was TheJrChef.”

Sometimes we had to leave out a letter or two to make the screen name work, but that just made the name seem even cooler in our minds.

Then there were the ever-so-famous name generators. By simply inputting a few key words, this tool would create the best screen name possible. Obviously, those words we chose were the best representation of us.

The internet was a world that existed far beyond our everyday lives.

Before everyone had cell phones, instant messaging (IM-ing) was the best way to talk to friends. It was just as appealing to us as texting is to us now. It’s also where all of the modern lingo started.

Though IM-ing was great at the time, it left us with a terribly embarrassing scar on our reputations.

“My screen name was potcheese07 when I was five. My mom and aunt made that one. That was my nickname. I also had another one called littlefishie08 when I was eight. I made that one,” said junior Ali Vizzone.

Half of the people who I inquired

for this article wouldn’t even admit to their past screen names. It really makes me wonder: how embarrassing must these names be that people wouldn’t even reveal them?

Others have chosen to keep their real name a secret, but even without a name, their screen names speak volumes. Zoratheexplora808, cuddlerose95, caligirl97, sportchix1003, catcherfreak25, soccrgirl765, bsktballQn667, duckonduty, insert your screen name here. The list seems to go on and on.

Hopefully by now, you have moved on to a more adult email address. But for some, they are forced to hold on to that embarrassing screen name they once had.

“My screen name was jabbers620,” said senior Jamie Blumas. “I made it when I was 10 so I decided to use my initials. I still use it today and I guess it’s become a part of me.”

them into shorts. At the time, they seemed convenient when the young students started to get hot during recess. The only problem was the part that zipped off had to be shoved into the small pockets of the pants, leaving bulges on each thigh. Luckily, we do not see these anymore, and for the sake of all kids everywhere, I hope they’re no longer available at clothing stores.

There were so many unfortunate trends of the past that I cannot possibly name them all. Girls with leggings under skirts, guys wearing long denim shorts cleverly nicknamed “jorts” and the ever so charming jean overalls are just a few more examples of our youth’s deadly fashion sins. Despite all the lovely aspects of our childhoods, the fashion is something we should never want to look back on.

February 2012 Issue 4

Feature

The Wessex Wire Page 8

Facing adversity, Nucera remains committed to West Essex

worker. “She’s outgoing, friendly, nice to she’s unbelievably tired and falls asleep all teachers and helpful. She really has a early.

Ms. Donna Nucera, West Essex custo- positive outlook,” said substitute teacher Hoping to stay at West Essex for the entire school year, Nucera would like to wait dian of 11 years, was diagnosed with breast Don Albanese. cancer last February, exactly 20 years after “She seems dedicated to her job. She until the summer to finish her next round of chemoshe overcame her previous battle with the c o m e s t o therapy. disease. This time, the cancer is present in work every Photo by Alex Schwartz day and en“ T h e both breasts. medi Every day Nucera can be seen around joys what cine, in West Essex, whether it is working with she does,” plain the custodial staff, taking care of incom- said head English, ing shipments or driving a school bus. She custodian Brisucks. refuses to slow down her fast pace of work, an Shanley.

Although It takes and even asked, “Would you like to walk everywith me while I finish sweeping?” when I the support is helpful, thing out approached her for the interview. of you,” After missing six months of work dur- every day is s a i d ing chemotherapy treatment, Nucera was still a chalNucera. eager to return to the school. “It’s good to l e n g e f o r D e be back. Looking at four walls every day Nucera, as she is forced spite facgets you after a while,” she said. ing all Nucera relies on constant support from to deal with

these the West Essex faculty and administration j o i n t Ms. Nucera poses with her “Losing is not an option” bag chalto power her through the day, which she pain and as she sits at her desk. lenges, finds painful and extremely tiring. Despite n u m b Nucera the pain, she still manages to enjoy her job. ness in “It’s a great place to work,” said Nucera. her feet and hands. It is especially difficult never stopped being her happy, jubilant “Everyone has been so good. Mrs. Longo for her to walk on the hard hallway floors. self. This is, in part, due to the kindness of and the board members were wonderful “I’m hanging in there, but these floors are her co-workers at West Essex. She enjoyed really horrible. After a period of time, they constantly receiving letters from the faculty to me.”

Faculty members at West Essex know really hurt,” said Nucera. Typically, when members during her recovery, including Nucera as a strong-willed, wonderful co- she gets home after a long day of work, from Mrs. Caren Maw and Mrs. Norma

by Alex Schwartz ’12

Minchin, who sent her letters every week.

“Those letters got me through my hard times. I’m alone. I’m a widow. So it was really nice to have everyone supporting me,” she said.

After her diagnosis, Nucera lacked the sick days needed to take time off in order to recover, but was able to receive them through the generosity of the West Essex faculty. “I was approached by the administration to see if teachers wanted to make a sick bank specifically for her. The teachers were very generous and willing to give one or two of their own sick days for her to recover,” said teacher Beth Vaknin, who is also the West Essex Education Association President.

Assistant Principal Juliann Hoebee gave Nucera a special blanket from when her sister had breast cancer. Instead of requesting that it be returned, Hoebee told her to keep it, and, in turn, to pass it on to someone else in need of comfort dealing with breast cancer. “She has an incredible inner strength and a genuineness about her that allows her to fight through every day,” said Hoebee.

Small acts of caring, like Hoebee’s, keep Nucera’s spirits up and make her grateful. “I keep a positive outlook,” said Nucera. “I keep a smile on my face every day.”

The many faces of Mr. Davis

The multiple doppelgängers of the “eyes of the school”

The Big Show

The Taxmaster

King Henry VIII

Photos by Val Panza and Sam Gilbert: Photos Courtesy of steamcommunity.com, marileecody.com and allwrestlingsuperstars.com

February 2012

The Wessex Wire

Page 9

Battle of the burgers: The real burger king

by Griffin Glenn ’13

When asked the question, “What is the most appetizing meal?” One word immediately comes to mind: burgers.

Burgers are, without a doubt, one of the best foods ever conceived by man.

And the best places to find a good one are restaurants specializing in the art of the burger.

Before taking an in-depth look into the best burger joints around, we must first examine its contents to discover what makes it so exquisite. Is it the beef, the bun, the cheese, the ketchup or even the special sauce? Or is it the breathtaking combination of them all that makes it so amazing? All signs point to the second choice.

The best local places to find a truly magnificent burger are Elevation Burger, Smash Burger and Five Guys.

These are obvious choices, but which one is the greatest?

Elevation Burger, located on Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair, tops the list for a multitude of reasons. Not only do Elevation Burgers taste fantastic, but they are also organic. With natural beef from grass fed cows, and fresh cut fries, Elevation provides the consumer with a healthier meal in comparison to the competition. But the thing that really fires it over the edge is the elevation sauce. When frequenting Elevation Burger, a safe order is the Elevation Burger. The contents include double meat, double cheese and elevation sauce. With an affordable, great tasting burger, elevation is my clear cut winner.

(4.5 out of 5 burgers)

A close second is Five Guys, formerly located in Montclair, but is now opening

up on Bloomfield Ave. in Caldwell. Five Guys, a nationwide chain, is your standard burger spot. Five Guys has great, various sized burgers and exceptional fries. They have Hamburgers, cheeseburgers and bacon burgers. However, they also have these in smaller sized “little” burgers for those who have a smaller appetite. Five Guys various add-ons for the burger, which I highly recommend. The service at Five Guys, however, is probably the best. They are fast, and they give you free peanuts while you wait. Senior Jim Fiore said, “The food service is so impeccable that it makes you want to keep coming back every day.” (4 out of 5 burgers)

The third best is the legendary Smash Burger, located on Bloomfield Ave. in Glen Ridge. The unique thing that Smash Burger brings to the table is

their variety. They have an eclectic group of burgers. But the thing that sets it apart from the others is their milkshakes. Their milkshakes are king. They use thick, delicious ice cream that gives their shakes a taste that is second to none; an excellent flavor choice would be either chocolate or vanilla. Another fan favorite is the Smash Fries. Senior Tucker Noel said, “Smash Fries are a gift from a greater being. I don’t understand why Harold and Kumar didn’t go there instead.” Not to mention, their Smash Sauce that may not be as good as Elevation’s, but it is not too shabby. One of my favorite parts about Smash is that when one is finished, one can simply leave their food at the table without the hassle of cleanup. (4 out of 5 burgers)

Let’s do it again: weekend activities Spot the Fs New and exciting things to do with friends

by Jack Boyd-Dias ’12

Friend 1: “What do you want to do?”

Friend 2: “I have no clue” How many times has this conversation happened between you and your friends? The fact of the matter is that suburban teenage society has become quite dull and we have been resorting to the same old activities, day in and day out. This is our youth; we should be having the times of our lives, experiencing new things and expanding our boundaries.

But what should you do? My personal recommendation would be to do something verging on the line of legality. I’ve noticed that through all my somewhat illicit escapades, the best stories and best memories are born from actions that are frowned upon by authority figures.

That being said, there are some great activities you and your pals can do that won’t land you in the big house. The following list is not of criminal nature but still is a heaping load of fun-filled activities to do with the good old chums when you don’t know which way is up or down.

Hiking: This may seem a tad bit dreary, but with the right people and the right mentality things get crazy real fast. Eagle Rock Reservation provides hikers with awe-inspiring scenery and breathtaking views of

the New York City skyline. If you’re looking for an adventure, hiking is for you. If you’re feeling dicey, try to get lost. Put yourself in a “Man vs. Wild” situation with your buddies and survive in the woods for a couple of weeks or months, depends on how you’re feeling. The bonding Photo by Ed George

Jack Boyd-Dias surveys the land while on a group hiking trip in West Orange. power that a simple hike can create is astounding and after it’s all over you will feel closer to your friends than ever before.

Paintballing: This perhaps one of the most exciting and thrilling activities out there. It does, however, put a dent in your wallet. Running through

the forest, paintballs whizzing by your face is exhilarating. Pinned down in the trenches with the pals, no retreat, no surrender, you will find out who your friends really are. It’s the most satisfying feeling to watch your paintballs hurtle towards the enemy smashing into their faces, leaving them face up on the ground wondering, “Why?” The woods in Fairfield can provide you with the proper isolation for paintballing. Make sure no civilians or cars are in the area or a lawsuit will be on your hands.

Sledding: Hopefully it snows because sledding is where it’s at this winter. Speeding down a hillside at untold speeds, with the danger of crashing, is not only an adrenalin rush but an experience everyone should practice. The Essex Fells Country Club provides the perfect conditions for sledding and just a short drive away for most people.

Race your friends. Build jumps. Do whatever reckless thing you can think of that might land you in the ER. If there is no risk, then there is no reward. Have fun, and don’t be safe.

Break an arm, a leg, a clavicle, when you look back on it, you’ll say to your friends: Friend 1: “Hey remember when we got lost in the woods for three days?”

Friend 2: “Ha ha, yeah that was awesome. Lets do it again.”

by Val Panza ’13

I dare you to count every “F” in the given paragraph below. I guarantee you won’t get it right. No, this is not one of those impossible trick questions, so the least you could do is give it a try. Once you’re finished reading, I’ll tell you the secrets and the answer, but first, take the challenge. Start counting the number of “Fs” here: Once upon a time, in a land far far away, lived the Knight of West Essex. He was always glistening in a suit of shining armor and traveled the lands for thousands of miles. After years of traveling, he finally reached his destination of the Fairytale Castle, and found his princess.

They did not live happily ever after, for she was his first wife of many. The end.

So, what was your final tally? In that paragraph, how many “Fs” did you see?

If you got 10, congratulations, you failed.

There are actually 16 “Fs” in that whole paragraph. So you were almost twice as wrong. Don’t feel bad though, I polled 50 West Essex students and teachers and only four people got the correct answer (and guess what, none of them were teachers!)

English teacher Ms. Macaluso said, “I can’t believe I only found 10! That’s pathetic!” Want to know the secret? Well, what you most likely did was pass over the word “of.” What many people don’t realize is that the brain does not process the word “of” when it is concentrated on sounding out the letter “F.” Your brain passes over the letter “F” because it is pronouncing “of” as “ov.” It’s interesting how no matter how hard you concentrate, you are guaranteed to miss at least one of the “Fs” in the story.

February 2012

The Wessex Wire

Page 10

The widespread -ings of West Essex Ways to not pick up someone

ter planking became nothing but obsolete.

Owling is the act of propping oneself on top

by Zoe Elfenbein ’13 of a ledge or surface in a perched position looking far into the distance. People can Tebowing Although the Denver Broncos were owl on tops of houses, on tree branches or eliminated from the NFL divisional even on tops of bathroom stalls. The most playoffs against the New England Pa- critical element to perfecting one’s owling triots, the Broncos left a notable legacy stance is their gaze into the far off distance. must mimic realafter the 2011 season, that had little O w l e r s by glowering to do with football. Tim Tebow, the life owls at some object Broncos’ rookie quarterback, was best far away from remembered for praying in a squatted them for long position with his head lying on his fist periods of in especially close games. Accordtime without ing to tebowing.com, tebowing blinking. If can be defined as “getting down one perfects on one knee and praying, even their owling if everyone else around you is stance, ondoing something completely lookers might different.” This phenomconfuse you enon swept across the nawith actual owls. tion as people began Don’t be alarmed; to post themselves take this only as a tebowing in uncompliment to your expected places stellar owling stance. on the internet.

Bradying Planking

After the Gi Planking can Photo by Sam Gilbert ants recently be defined as clinched the Sulying face down on the ground with palms against the sides of your body in perbowl title and the Patriots were various places. Whether it’s lying flat in left in the dust, a new trend began the middle of the street or lying flat in to emerge: Bradying. Towards the front of a famous landmark, planking is end of the Giants vs. Pats game on an activity for everyone. Often, people Feb. 5 quarterback hunk Tom Brady who plank post pictures of themselves got easily frustrated when players online to show off their planking skills. didn’t catch his passes or after he Points are awarded to plankers who got sacked by New York’s defense. find the most original and unique spots When expressing his frustration afto show off their skills. In order for a ter getting hit, Brady would remain person to maintain a solid plank, he or sitting on the floor, back arched and she must remain still for long periods head hung in shame and desperation. of time until their rigidity is evident to People mimic this depressed stance in attempt to start a new trend while the people around them. at the same time ridiculing the New Owling Owling soon took over as the new fad af- England Patriots’ quarterback.

by Shannon McGlynn ’13

Now that Valentine’s Day is over, everyone needs a little love. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Knowing this, it’s unfortunate that people use extremely creepy and uncomfortable pick up lines in order to find that special someone. Using these pick up lines result in nothing but extreme embarrassment.

“Good thing I brought my library card because I’m checking you out.”

Easily, the creepiest pick up line I’ve ever heard. It’s not going to do anything but make someone run away and possibly even call the police. `“If you were a booger, I’d totally pick you first.” Not only is this pick up line creepy, but it’s downright disgusting.

Why would someone ever want to be compared to a booger?

“I may not be a genie, but I can make your wishes come true.” Well, for starters, I know you aren’t a genie.

Also, if a guy ever said this to me, I would respond by saying, “Okay my

wish is for you to get away from me because you’re a pathetic creep.

Thank you!” ”Am I dead? Because I could swear you’re an angel.” This pick up line is just weird. I’m pretty sure you aren’t dead. Also, by a guy calling me an angel makes me feel like he’s my father, which adds for some extra creepiness.

“If I could arrange the alphabet, I would put “U” and “I” together.”

Nice try, but unfortunately you still are going to sound like a pedophile.

Maybe try getting the alphabet right before saying it to me. It was clever but if a guy ever said that to me, I would probably just laugh in his face and pretend like that didn’t just happen.

“Do you have a band aid? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.” I’m just wondering why this person would be falling for me. Do I know you? These pick up lines are a good way to make yourself sound like a creep.

Essex Fells

Fairfield

“I say gravy because I’m a true Italian, duh.”

-junior Genna Salvatoriello

“Sauce. Gravy is the brown stuff you put on your mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, not pasta.”

-junior Matt Garvey

Roseland

Graphics by Shannon McGlynn

“I call it gravy because my grandparents call it gravy and it just stuck with me.”

-junior Carmen Carnevale

North Caldwell

“They are two different things. Sauce is used for pasta while gravy is for more traditional meat products.”

-senior Evan Grau

February 2012

Page 11

The Wessex Wire

Swim program making a splash

by Spencer Satz ’12

In the winter sports preview (issue 3), Senior James Lovey promised to resurrect the swimming program by bringing home more wins. It was this determination that helped Lovey take home the county title for the 500 yard and 200 yard freestyle, qualifying for states in both events. With Lovey setting the example, the swim team approached the year with a new mindset.

Coach Jake Taylor, aided by Ms. Toni Ann Cavallo is trying to make the team more serious by making

practices more difficult, along with dry land sessions on Monday nights.

“Many swimmers have taken advantage of this opportunity and we are seeing their hard work transfer over to their performance in pool as well,” Cavallo said.

“The swim team is working well together,” said Taylor. “Everyone is realizing that practice actually helps.”

Senior Mike Leonardis leads the boys’ team along with Lovey. They have a record of 2-8 with wins against rival Caldwell and West Orange. Freshman Tim Barth has played a major role in the boy’s success.

“It is good to have a skilled freshman come in with a passion for swimming. He is a high level swimmer who always works extremely hard and is very dedicated to the sport,” said Taylor.

Barth will join Lovey at states after qualifying for the 200 yard individual medley. “It is great that Tim has the opportunity to swim Photos courtesy of Chris with an Plunkett and Ally Barth

Intramural Standings Pink Panthers: 5-1 The Decisions: 4-1 Gerths: 3-3 Lakers:3-3

experienced senior [Lovey] that is encouraging and a positive role model in the program,” said Taylor.

The captains of the girls’ team, who have a record of 2-8, are seniors Rachel Ferrante, Melissa Blottman, Dana Silverblatt, Emma Alscher and Sara Jo Notte.

Ferrante said, “Being on a coed team, the boys are constantly pushing us to work harder and vice versa.

We’re all really close and are always encouraging each other.”

Blottman said, “I think the team has a lot of potential, and Coach Taylor even hopes to send the boys relay team to states this year.” The 200 Medley relay consists of junior RJ Carillo, sophomore John Alscher, Lovey and Barth.

In the county tournament, the boys’ 200 freestyle relay got third overall, along with Barth placing fourth for 100 backstroke and the girls’ 200 freestyle relay getting fifth.

Regardless of individual achievements, each swimmer plays a part on the team. “We have a total of 40 swimmers in the program and each swimmer has the ability to play a role in our meets,” said Cavallo.

Just as Lovey guaranteed, the wins are beginning to come for the swim team, and with each victory, a precedent is set.

By changing their mindset, the swim team has reached new landmarks, putting them in place for success in years to come.

As Lovey said in our last issue: soon, the fans will get what they want.

Upcoming Schedule Tonight, Feb. 17 The Pink Panthers play The Decisions at 6:30 p.m. With a win, the Panthers will secure first place. After The Panthers vs.

The Decisions, The Lakers will take on The Globetrotters, who are still searching for a win, at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 24 The Blue Barracudas, desperately needing a win to clinch a spot in the playoffs, Globe Trotters: 0-5 will face off against the Globetrotters at 6:30 p.m. If The Decisions defeat the Pink * The Gerths hold the tiebreaker against Panthers on Feb. 17, they must win their the Lakers for third place because they final game against The Gerths at 7:30 p.m. defeated them earlier in the season. to take the top spot in the playoffs.

Blue Barracudas: 2-4

Photo by Ed George The girls’ and boys’ fencing team have experienced success this season. Captained by senior Brian Chen, the boys’ team is 4-6. The girls’ team, led by seniors Devon Gardner and Alisha Lewis, is 6-5. Junior Dominique Ruszala, Gardner and junior Dave Kosoy all won best of their category at districts this year.

Intramurals: more than a game

by Julie Kayzerman ’12

It is no surprise that sports are near and dear to the soul of West Essex. Recently a new trend has been set, highlighting the most dedicated and competitive athletes of all, with the coming of the fifth annual intramural basketball league. Organized

by Mr. Matt Rollins, six teams compete against each other in 40 minute games every Friday night at the middle school gym in one of the most heated and anticipated competitions West Essex has ever seen.

There has been a lot of hype following the start of the intramural season. The students typically coach themselves and decide substitutions and game strategies as a team. The intensity is no joke. “Last year we lost in the semi-finals to a senior team, we’ve been working hard all off season and we hope to bring home a championship this year,” said senior Jim Fiore.

Unfortunately Fiore’s team, commonly known as The Decisions, had a setback in their first game, losing 54-47 to their long time rivals The Pink Panthers, led by senior Michael Malanga. Team captain of The Decisions, senior Sahil Amin said, “We are still installing the offense and trying new defensive schemes. Come time for a second meeting with The Pink Panthers, I see a different outcome.” They have recovered well so far, as their record stands at 4-1 after a buzzer beating three-pointer by Fiore in overtime to beat The Lakers 42-39.

The two teams are scheduled for a rematch tonight. Malanga said, “It’s definitely a big rivalry because Vin Cosenzo and I played on Sahil’s team last year and decided to start our own team this year. The second game against The Decisions will be another close and intense game but we will use our size and strength advantage.”

The Pink Panthers were dealt their first

loss at the hands of Team Gerth, 37-31.

This was a debilitating defeat for The Pink Panthers, who now must win their final game against The Decisions to secure first place in the playoffs. For Team Gerth, this was an enormous victory which propelled them into third place with one game left.

The Lakers also had a huge win against The Blue Barracudas, lead by junior Mike Fritz, all but securing a place in the playoffs. The Globe Trotters, made up of mostly freshman, still hunt for their first win of the season.

There are certain players to watch as the end of the season nears. For Team Gerth, the play of seniors Corey Cecere and Lee Shearin will certainly decide their fate, along with lone big man, junior Ryan Lerner. For The Lakers, Jay Russo and Drew Kessler will rely on their outside shooting, as well as their speed and athleticism on the fast break. The Blue Barracudas will depend on flare and sheer will to carry them through the playoffs. Watch out for players such as juniors Matt Garvey and Nick Gareffa to play a major role in their playoff run. For The Globe Trotters, their hopes to capturing a win lie on the shoulders of freshman Joe Cuozzo. The season is coming down to the wire, and it promises to be a legendary ending.

Each team is out for the same goal, to take home the intramural basketball championship. It will be a battle of blood, guts and team chemistry. The Pink Panthers and The Decisions seem to be the favorites to win this year, but there might be a dark horse rising amongst the other teams that are currently competing for a playoff spot.

Support your fellow intramural basketball Knights on Friday nights to find out. “There are a lot of big rivalry games this year, all I know is we’ve been preparing and we’re ready,” said Fiore. “Expect greatness.”

February 2012 Issue 4

The Wessex Wire Page 12

Knights build momentum before states Ryan Rinsky ’12

The Knights opened the season at home against Glen Ridge on Dec. 16, and controlled the game on their way to a 10 point win. Junior Erik Maher led the way with a 21 point effort. They then traveled to Belleville and played a tough game in which they led most of the way, but were unable to get the victory. After a loss to Arts High School, the team’s record stood at 1-2 heading into the annual Holiday Tournament at Caldwell College.

The Knights played two very similar games in the Holiday Tournament, first against Cedar Grove on Dec. 27 and then against cross-town rival Caldwell on Dec. 29. In both games, they trailed for most of the game and had a comeback attempt that came up just short in the end. Senior co-captain Tommy Caprio led the way against Caldwell with 18 points. Against Cedar Grove, senior co-captain and leading scorer Mike Lentine had a monstrous 33 points.

The Knights then had two home games to follow up the Holiday Tournament. After losing their first one to Weequahic, they then faced Golda Och. After a long battle, including a four minute stall tactic to begin the fourth quarter, the Knights prevailed 42-40. Two days later, the Knights played against Montclair Immaculate Conception

and with a strong performance by Lentine (21 points), the Knights won 64-54 to improve their record to 3-5.

Since then, the Knights are 7-5 and their record stands at 10-10. During this run, the Knights had an instant classic victory over Cedar Grove. Down by two with 30 seconds left, Caprio went to the free throw line and tied it up. After Cedar Grove made one of two free throws, the Knights had the ball down by one. Then, junior Nour Aly stepped up and knocked down the game winning shot at the buzzer to win.

They were also able to defeat Arts, who previously beat them by 3, the second time around. The Knights controlled the entire game and came away with a victory. The team then lost in the first round of the Essex County Tournament against Weequahic on Jan. 28.

In their first round of states, the Knights will play at Madison, the two seed, on Feb. 28 as the number 15 seed. However, Coach Bill Humes is optimistic about their chances at an upset. “I am very confident going into states. I think we’re playing really well. The defense is very tough and teams struggle to get good shots off. Offensively we’re executing very well and getting good looks at the basket,” said Humes.

The Knights plan on keeping the momentum going in order to make a deep run into the state tournament.

Player spotlight: Mike Panzarino

Tournament. Head coach Greg Ruggierio and assistant coach Mike Markey condition Freshman Mike Panzarino is an up and the wrestlers so they are prepared for tourcoming star for the high school wrestling naments where they have to wrestle four or team. In his first year, Panzarino has five matches. “My coaches always put our impressed many with his performance. team in line for success,” said Panzarino.

Senior captain Anthony Pompei said, “He’s Heading into districts, Panzarino plans extremely tough for a freshman.” on placing in the top three. This would Panzarino developed a passion for then allow him to go on to Atlantic City wrestling when he watched his brother to wrestle for the state title. Districts are at the young age of six. He now has the being held on Saturday, Feb. opportunity to show what he can bring 18. Placing in the top three to the mat at the varsity level where in Districts is a tall task for he wrestles at the 106 pound any wrestler, expecially weight class. a freshman. However, “After talking to the he plans on taking the upperclassmen same approach into and my coaches this tournament, as I felt less he did evnervous ery other Photo courtesy of Mrs. Jaci Panzarino and more match this determined,” said Panzarino. The family- year. Panzarino said that all like atmosphere on the team helped ease he thinks when on the mat is, “Never Panzarino’s nerves earlier this season, give up.” resulting in a starting spot. Panzarino used Panzarino is not your typical freshthis opportunity to exceed expectations man who goes out on the mat thinkwith a 20-9 record this year with six pins. ing that all they have to do is not get “Panz is the man, he wrestles like he’s not beaten too badly. As a young wrestler a freshman,” said junior Joe Velardi. on the varsity, Panzarino has expe He showed this after placing first in the rienced great success. No wonder Mount Olive Tournament and seventh in when asked what it was like being a the Mustang Classic. Most recently, Pan- freshman on the varsity, all Panzazarino placed third in the Essex County rino had to say was that, “it’s fun.”

by Mikayla Cimilluca ’12

Winter track sprinting toward the finish line

by Paul Haramis ’12

The winter track season is very different than the spring. All of the meets take place indoors and the track itself is different since it’s 200 meters, which is half the size of the 400 meter outdoor track. This means sharper turns and shorter straightaways which makes it harder for runners to gain speed.

“Since there is a smaller track, the curves are sharper which causes most people to run slower, so it is harder to run a good time in the winter,” said senior captain Mike Steets.

Due to the unseasonably warm weather the team has been able to practice outside. Head Coach Tony Emering said, “The weather gave us a chance to work harder outside and the results speak for themselves.” This season, many runners have set personal bests by breaking their outdoor times.

The team recently competed in the North 1 Group 2 Sectionals. Sophomore Dan Kenny came in 10th place in the 3200

meter and seventh place in the 1600 meter, setting a personal best and breaking the school’s sophomore record with a 4:36.88.

He was a couple hundredths of a second from qualifying for Groups.

Freshman Farukh Bhatti came in eighth place in the 55 meter. The boys 4 x 400 relay team (Bhatti, Steets, junior Andrew Crosby and sophomore Justin Steets) came in eighth place as well. Steets qualified for Groups by placing fourth in the 400 meter.

Junior Mike Realbuto also qualified for states in the shot put by finishing fifth with a personal best throw of 48-0-1/2 inches.

Sophomore Carlysa Oyama qualified by placing third with a school sophomore record in the 1600 meters with a time of 5:16.86. She won first place in the 3200 meter as well with a time of 11:42.63.

Emering has been pleased with the team this year. “I couldn’t ask for much more,” said Emering. The team is looking to take their success into the spring. Emering said, “With all the success we’ve had in the winter, we’re very excited for the spring.”