FBLA Competition Results...p. 3 Mariscal sails to Annapolis....p. 3
Vol. XLVI No.3
‘Atmosphere of Fear?’......p. 4 AP Controversy...................p. 6
Fundraising for Gym............p. 9 Coed Hockey Team............p. 11
West Essex High School, 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, NJ
February 2007
The calculated risk of leaving backpacks unattended by Matt Cohn ‘08
Students awoke on the morning of January 25th to find snow falling, a rare occurrence so far this winter. That night there was an equally strange event: a bomb scare. Although no one at West Essex is a stranger to bomb scares, this marked the first bomb scare that did not take place during school hours. Around 5:30 PM, after a long hockey practice at South Mountain Arena in West Orange, junior Jeff Kayzerman stepped off the hockey bus, innocently putting his backPhoto courtesy by Wessex Wire pack on the curb, and went to get his hockey bag. Then he left, for- A pile of ashes and soot is all that remains of the suspcious backpack getting his black Jansport on the that had installed fear and panic in all who were present. curb. Because he did not have any Kayzerman, was that your back- thing of it.” homework that night, he did not pack they blew up?” He had no Kayzerman heard that someone realize that he did not have his idea what had happened and was had called the North Caldwell Pobackpack until three hours later, confused. Finally, he got someone lice Department to report a suspiwhen he went back to the high to tell him the story. cious backpack sitting on the curb. school and searched without suc“I saw [Kayzerman] outside, and “After hearing the story, I went cess. he asked me where his backpack down to the police station,” said Kayzerman then noticed a lot of was,” said junior Casey Connelly. Kayzerman. “They gave me the dekids walking out of the gym after a “I then told him what had hap- scription of the bag, and it was girls’ basketball game. Some pened, and he looked a little ner- mine. They told me they had Xfriends jokingly yelled, “Hey, vous, but I didn’t really think any- rayed it and saw some electric cir-
cuitry, like the kind found in a bomb detonator. They could not take the risk and had to blow it up,” he added. Was there an actual bomb in Kayzerman’s backpack? “Actually, it was just my calculator,” he said. “They told me that it is difficult to tell the difference between the circuitry of a calculator and a bomb detonator,” Kayzerman said, who added that he wasn’t “that upset.” “They blew up my backpack; I can’t change it. I just kind of have to accept it and move on.” Midterms can be stressful enough when a student is prepared with all his or her materials. However, Kayzerman was in a worse situation. “Well, everything got destroyed, except my papers,” he said. Even though the binders were destroyed, they protected the papers. All in all, Kayzerman was excited about one thing during this wild night. “I think I had the best excuse in the world for not doing my homework,” noted Kayzerman. “The North Caldwell= Police Department blew up my backpack and not many kids can say that.”
Photo courtesy of Michael Shanker
“It felt pretty good to be
Photo courtesy by Wessex Wire The Bomb Disposal Unit arrived at West Essex on the evening of Thursday, January 26, after a call was made to the North Caldwell Police Department regarding a suspicious parcel.
able to tell my teachers that I didn’t have my homework because my backpack got blown up.” --Jeff Kayzerman”
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news
‘Comedy Knight’ coming soon for a much needed laugh by Jack Vidovich ‘08
Students at West Essex have always depended on the reliability of bake sales to raise money for their class. Juniors, however, have decided to try a more unorthodox approach: A Knight of Comedy, which will be held at the Senior High School on April 27 at 7 P.M. Starring juniors Ryan LoganMagnusson and Jared Shababb, it will include ‘master of ceremonies’ Peter Bales and headliner Jeff Norris. Bales, a comedian with a Ph.D. in history, currently teaches the art of stand-up comedy at McGuire’s Comedy Club in Bohemia, Long Island. He has also hosted two radio shows featured on various television networks including Comedy Central, Lifetime, MTV, and VH-1. Aside from being a celebrated comedian, Bales is also the author of How Come They Always Had Battles in National Parks? A runner-up in the U.S. Comedy Festival, Jeff Norris is not only a premier comedian, but also a Black Belt in Judo and the East Coast Champion from 1997-2000. He has taken part in several comedy shows across the East Coast and has appeared in
popular shows like Law and Order and Saturday Night Live. Norris has also done voice overs for numerous commercials including the voice of the “sweet side” in the Frosted Mini Wheats commercial. “The reasons for the [comedy] show are simple,” claims Ryan Logan-Magnusson. “We will raise a ton money and have a ton of fun doing it. If all else fails…, we’re going to have to sell a lot of bagels.” Logan-Magnusson has had a long history with the art of comedy. When he was young, his family owned the Rascals Comedy Club in West Orange. “I basically grew up around it,” he said. Logan-Magnusson was also influenced by the comedic style of Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Bruer, John Pinette, and Kevin James. Despite his comedy based on observation, West Essex has had little effect on his material. “It would seem like a good source,” agreed LoganMagnusson, “but not many people [outside the school] would understand the jokes.” Instead, he draws his jokes from personal experiences and his environment. “You’re not up there to tell the news; you’re up there to make people laugh.” Jared Shababb, star in the West Essex’s fall drama, Robin Hood, also does not claim the school as an influ-
ence on his material, drawing mostly on his “family, friends, and b e i n g Arab.” Shababb, unlike Log a n Magnusson, was influenced by the comedic antics of Jim Carrey. “I have recited Ace Ventura lines since age six,” he said. “I always wanted to be an actor on T.V. and movies.” Shababb also took a more technical approach to stand-up than Logan-Magnusson. “About three years ago I took a comedy writing class in Clifton at Action Theater Conservatory, and the directors of the class were two real life comedians,” Shababb explained. “They helped me get on my feet.” Despite the bright and promising path Shababb faces, his future in comedy is unpredictable. “I would love to continue doing comedy,” concedes Shababb, “but with school and col-
lege approaching, I need to make a decision.” “I would like to pursue comedy during and after college,” admits LoganMagnusson. “The only problem is that comedy is so hit or miss, that I can’t ignore the other aspects of preparing for my future.” “Comedy is a lot of fun to do. I can’t even explain the feeling,” says Shababb. “I just love making people laugh.”
Anonymous bathroom bomb prankster still on the loose by Gena Wolfson ‘07
Frustration continues to grow within the student body and faculty due to new policies put in response to the most recent bomb scare in a series which started in the beginning of the school year. “Why can’t we catch this person, if we’re signing into the bathrooms?” asked senior Allison Candido. The new bathroom policies cause students to feel the effects of the bomb scares even after the evacuations. The administration considers the policy, which may be called an inconvenience, according to senior Jacqueline Rubino, necessary in order to catch those responsible for the continuous threats. As bomb scares continue, the student body’s aggravation with the new rules is growing since the person responsible for the bomb scares is still at large. Candido is not the only person angered by the inability to catch the guilty party. “It’s imperative that [the administration] catch and prosecute the person responsible to the fullest extent,”
said history teacher, Jeff Boyd. Despite the reward offered by the police and constant pressure from the administration for those with information to step forward, the person responsible is still unknown. The administration has resorted to threatening students that it may have revoke
restroom, a faculty member is to inspect the area before allowing the next student in. “Because someone else is leaving bomb threats in the bathroom, I have to pay the price,” said senior Diana Trenk. “Now when I have math, I have to walk all the way to the caf-
“I wasn’t in a rush to leave the building because I was certain it was just another empty threat,” said senior Lauren Collins. even more privileges. “I think the most recent threat [from the administration] to have more privileges taken away is ridiculous,” said sophomore Dina Servidio. “What are they going to do next, take away the bathroom altogether?” In February, the administration restricted bathroom privileges even more. There is only one bathroom in the entire school open for students. After every three students exit the
eteria to use the restroom,” she added. Walking an extra few minutes to utilize the restroom is not the only inconvenience felt by the student body. “Since students can’t use the bathroom in between classes, as well as during the first and last ten minutes of each class, I lose out on educational time,” said senior Alexa Centrella. “In a school that supposedly prides itself on making the most of the time in the classroom, a lot of time is now being
taken away in order to use the bathroom. Is it really so much to ask to use the bathroom in between classes?” asked Centrella. For now, students will have to suffer the consequences, while the person responsible still walks free. Even with new policies in effect, the frequency of the bomb scares this school year causes students to think that evacuating is “no longer a big deal,” according to sophomore Grace Laracy Other students agree with Laracy. “I wasn’t in a rush to leave the building because I was certain that it was just another empty threat,” said senior Lauren Collins. This nonchalant attitude about evacuation could potentially create major problems, according to senior Danny Rickles. “If something were to really happen, I’m nervous that the student body wouldn’t take it seriously,” said senior Katie Crosby. “Hopefully, the perpetrator will be caught and prosecuted,” said Collins. “Meanwhile, I can barely use the bathroom in school, and I keep my coat with me just in case another evacuation takes place.”
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wessexwessex wire - wire-january february 2007 2004
WE students: true Future Business Leaders of America by Steven Kinslow ‘09
Demonstrating West Essex’s competitiveness in a business curriculum, Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, students went to Mercer County Community College to compete in a North-Central Regional event on January 3. The students took tests with multiple choice and essay questions, which were graded for accuracy and writing skills. Days later, advisor Ms. Andrea Mondadori was astonished to find that 15 of the students placed. They
are now preparing to compete at the national level. “I am very pleased with our performance, but we would have done better if our school offered more business classes,” said Mondadori. “Most schools do well in FBLA because they offer more business classes,” she added. The last round of competition will take place March 13th and 14th. The students have been staying after school, studying hard for their ultimate task. The goals of these students are very high, as they hope to do the best of their abilities. Placing first in the
Banking and Financial Systems event, Jason Plawner is one of the top performers on the team. A very dedicated member of the club, Plawner has shown his knowledge and leadership abilities. “Going into the FBLA competition, I had one goal in mind: to place within the top eight,” said Plawner. “I realized that if I placed, I would get to go on an overnight trip and miss school,” he added. “I’ve been asking Mondadori to provide me with some state level sample tests, but I’m mostly relying on what I know to do as well
as I can at the next step.” FBLA is the largest business education student organization in the world. Nearly a quarter of a million high school students, middle school students, college students, faculty, and educators, are members of this business education association preparing students for careers in business. FBLA clubs can be found in all schools and colleges across the country. It has become so popular because it has developed a unique program that encourages students to join the organization.
‘Love for America’ drives WE senior to Naval Academy gin the four-year program with Plebe Summer, a period designed to turn civilians into midshipmen, His love for America and “the according to www.usna.edu. desire to bring out the best of The Naval Academy gives young [him],” drove Jason Mariscal to men and women academic and proapply to the Naval Academy. fessional training needed to be efWith hard work, compassion, fective naval and marine officers in and determination, senior Jason their assignments after graduation. Mariscal has fulfilled his dream After hearing this, Mariscal realand has been accepted to the ized how important it was for him United States Naval Academy. to take advantage of the opportuAfter filling out the long and com- nity and apply. plicated application, answering Every day, as the undergraduate questions college of the regarding naval service, military afthe United filiations, States Naval and receivA c a d e m y ing a nomistrives to acnation from complish its a s e n a t o r, mission to deMariscal velop midshipwas acmen “morally, cepted and mentally, and is now physically,” ac“psyched” cording to as well as www.usna.edu. nervous. A mental and A f t e r physical chalmaking a lenge for seven visit there, weeks, Plebe Mariscal Summer rewas fasciquires all stunated by dents to start the beautiful West Essex senior Jason Mariscal their days at campus on smiles into the camera after being dawn with an congradulated for his acceptance into the Chesahour of rigorpeake Bay, the Naval Acadmey. ous exercise along with and end them the historical long after sunmonuments surrounding the cam- set. pus. “I will be ready beforehand,” said Astounded by the aesthetics of Mariscal, who added that he pushes the school, the equipment, and the himself beyond the limit with trainfacilities for engineering, Mariscal ing. now aspires to study Naval Archi“I hear [that Plebe Summer] is the tecture or Marine Engineering. toughest part of the Naval Academy But before concentrating on aca- to adjust to, but I know that in the demics, all midshipmen must be- long run, everything will pay off.” by Emily Cox ‘07
GLOBAL WARMING
WE sees An Inconvient Truth by Laurie Mittelmann ‘07
Students, teachers, and North Caldwell Board of Education member Angela Gerken came to the library on the first two days of February to watch Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and to discuss global warming, thanks to the Energy Action Coalition. The Energy Action Coalition provided the DVD along with buttons and stickers. It consists of over thirty youth organizations from the United States of America and Canada, which support clean energy movements. The Campus Climate Challenge, which it advertises, encourages schools to switch over to clean, renewable energy and to be the leaders in the fight against global warming. Senior Sofia Buono skipped lunch with her friend Emily Cox to attend the screening 7th period. She is watching the film in two of her other classes but wanted time to discuss the issue with “other interested and motivated students.” “Global warming is all over the news right now, but no one talks about the solutions,” she said. It’s also important to note the “inevitability” of the problem. Encouraging discussion, senior Daniel Coplon questioned whether or not America would be affected first because of its proximity, if Greenland were to melt.
Buono noted that it would not, because the outlines of coasts are universally “dependent on the sea level,” which would rise everywhere. Senior Anthony Dalonges, who believes that global warming is a “serious” problem, said that the “vulnerability of the coasts to be submerged” compels him most. There are tens of millions of people who live in these areas, all over the planet. “Coplon told me to come over and watch the documentary, claiming that it was very interesting,” said Dalonges. “And it was more than that; it was gripping.” People need to join together to combat global warming, according to Dalonges. “I can conserve energy, but as just one person, I will make little difference in the fight,” he said. Gerken suggested that West Essex may some day latch onto the energy efficient movements. “First we need ceilings,” she said. Over 90 campuses across America have already invested to jproduce 530,000 megawatts from renewable resources, which is comparable to taking 63,000 cars off the road, according to the Campus Climate Organization. “While an individual can only do so much by changing his/her habits, his or her voice can inspire phenomenal progress,” Buono said.
In this section: What happened to WE.............4 WE Laugh................................4 Letters to the Editor................5 STAFF EDITORIAL
What happened to the West Essex we knew and loved? Katie Rosenberg, ‘07 It is no surprise that in the last month, articlescoveringWestEssex’sdisruptionshave appeared in the Star Ledger and The Progress, two of the most popular newspapers in the area. The surprise is that it has taken this long to gain that attention. On September 11th, the first evacuation due to “suspicious” materials found in the junior high school locker room sparked a chain reaction of evacuation after evacuation. Since then, the high school community has experienced six bomb scares and another “hazardous” material check. That equals eight evacuations in six months. Students have been questioned; the police have been called; the bathrooms have been locked; and yet, the bomb scares continue. As a result, West Essex is still faced with the same problem. The most obvious first step is to find who is responsible. Logically, the culprit is among us; he is a West Essex student. And since no one knows who’s doing
this, we all must be punished. Still, even assuming that there are different culprits for each different bomb scare, the group responsible would only make up less than 3% of the school’s population. For this reason, the next step is to change the school’s reputation. We are a group of academically motivated students. Last year, the school sent six students to Ivy League schools, as well as a very large number to schools ranked in the top 50 in the country. Currently, West Essex can brag about two Governor’s School students, over 70 National Honor Society members, Merit scholars, and Bloustein scholars.As for athletics, it is home to state championship winning field hockey and football programs, as well as top-ranked lacrosse, tennis, basketball, baseball, and softball teams. Yet, if one were to Google search “West Essex,” the results would describe a school with an “atmosphere of fear.” The students would be represented as “disruptive, disrespectful, and insubordinate.” That kind of press could discourage po-
tential teachers from applying for jobs, and it could even affect the way colleges view the school. The recent breakdown in communication among the administration, students, and facultyisanotherproblemthatdesperatelyneeds attention. Yes, the bomb scares and arrests are serious. But who actually would describe the school’s atmosphere as one of “fear?” Interim Superintendent Donald Merachnik did.Yet he is the only one so far to assess the school as scary. Ask any student at the school if they’ve ever felt scared coming to school, and they would all reply that no one is frightened by the bomb scares. They are only inconvenienced, exasperated, and most painfully humiliated. Our school system has the resources to be a top New Jersey public school. West Essex, despite current unfinished construction and discipline problems, still holds the spot as 34th best public school in the state. And we can still do better. We’ve been asked to come forward with
WE LAUGH drawn by Jen Silverstein, ‘08
information about the likely parties responsible for these scares, but the truth is that virtually no one knows. Whoever is responsible is surely doing a good job of covering his tracks. The bathroom sign-ins have failed to produce viable suspects because of obvious flaws in the system. The extended school days were certainly annoying but not enough to make the person or persons confess. “It’s been a troubled year at West Essex High School,” as Star Ledger staffer Elizabeth Moore wrote in her January 24th article. Moore, you don’t know the half of it. It is troubling knowing whatWest Essex could be, and what it actually has become. It is troubling trying to improve the school, only to watch efforts fall short. It is time to change the reputation of our school back to the acclaimed status it once held.West Essex was the main deal-breaker for families moving into the district. Now, it’s a laughingstock, and as Eyewitness News puts it, a “privileged” district with “inner city problems.”
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wessex wire - february 2007 wessex wire-january 2004 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor: I packed one of my favorite sandwiches (roast beef on multi-grain bread) on January 5 th, but no sooner did I bite into the first half did the front half of the cafeteria begin to rush out of the building. Even though we could not hear the announcement, the rest of us could surmise that this evacuation was yet the start of another bomb scare. It’s not so much the actual bomb scares that worry me; it’s what may happen if this school ever were faced with the real thing. Our situation is the same as the familiar children’s story about the boy who cried wolf. I’m afraid the multitude of fakes will make it impossible for West Essex students to ever respond to the real thing seriously if it were to ever happen. Just a thought, but if the school doesn’t start seriously finding out who is assuming these scares, there may be serious consequences in the future. Amanda Nichols ‘07
Does it bother you that... ... with Daniel Anthony Coplon, ‘07 Does it bother you that teenagers blissfully ignore the responsibilities that come with a driver’s license? This is not the typical column laced with sarcastic comments about how ridiculous our school is but rather a call to action for high school students. Just minutes after dismissal, senior Michael Dragonetti’s car collided with another vehicle on January 10th. A student at Freehold Borough High School, Dragonetti, along with his two friends, James Warnock and Andrew Lundy, and the driver of the second car, Ruth MacArthur, died when the cars burst into flames immediately after impact. The cause of the accident was speeding, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin. The most awful thing about this accident is that these teenagers were at the peak of their lives. High school students have the best years of their lives to look forward to, but all of that can be taken away in a split-second. This fatal crash should be a learning experience. Although most teens regard the rules as stupid, they were put in place for a reason. More than one passenger in the car is very distracting. I’m guilty of breaking this rule a few times, and so was Michael Dragonetti. But as teenagers, we sometimes consider ourselves to be invincible. Blasting music, conducting conversations with couple of friends, and text messaging… Oh, yeah I’m supposed to be driving. This multitasking is the one of reasons why the state has implemented provisional licenses for first-year drivers. I just wish we would be disciplined about the rules. I would hate to see a fatal accident at West Essex. I know that when we get behind the wheel our intentions are obviously to reach our destinations in one piece, but those boys in Freehold had the same intentions. Operation of any vehicle requires responsibility, and teenagers need to understand that. As Valentin said after the accident; “Vehicles can easily become instruments of death.” APPLAUSE AND FLAWS Applause: * To finished midterms * To second semester for finally arriving! * To seniors who recieved the good college news * To the resumption of construction * To the West Essex faculty and staff, who have held out this long * To Mrs. Jameson and the Milestone staff for sharing photos with the Wire * To Guidance for making the college application process so much easier Flaws: * To the recurring bomb scares, and whoever the culprit is * To still having to do work, even as second semester seniors * To the ten-minute rule * To the one bathroom policy * To potholes in the school driveway and parking lots * To the “inner city problems” -compiled by the Wire staff
To the Editor: Contrary to Michael Shanker’s recent article about Netflix, I have discovered the newer and more efficient Blockbuster online movie service. With Blockbuster I can rent the same number of movies I can with Netflix and for the same price, but I also have the option of going to the store and exchanging an old movie right there. This eliminates the two-day wait that Netflix requires. Also with Blockbuster I can rate movies with half-stars. Compared to Blockbuster’s five-star rating system, Netflix doesn’t even deserve a half-star. Andrew Maxman ‘07 To the Editor: I am writing in response to Jaime Blaustein’s article regarding the winter formal known as “Snow Ball.” Although it sounds like a nice idea, the dance just did not seem popular among the student body, according to the survey held by the student council. Despite its formality, planning the event with such a short notice would be a difficult task, and I personally do not think that it would have had either a strong turnout or positive feedback. I believe that by having a winter-formal it would take away from the Junior Prom and the Senior Ball. Not only would the dance not meet its expectations, but also the proximity to the popular class dances would cast an even greater shadow over “Snow Ball.” I think there is a chance “Snow Ball” could become an annual event in the future, but there must be more time to develop the idea, and more planning put into it. It is unfortunate, yet I agree with the decision made by the Student Council, and I hope for everyone’s benefit that more ideas will continue to be passed among the student body in order to enhance our high school experience at West Essex. Jared Prince ‘07
The Official Student Newspaper of West Essex High School A Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown, Gold Medalist Paper GSSPA First Place New Jersey Distinguished Journalism Award 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 (973) 228-1200 ext. 258 2006-2007 STAFF:
Editors-in-Chief Sandra Lucero, ‘07 Katie Rosenberg, ‘07 News Editors Kristin Ricigliano, ‘07 Jared Prince, ‘07 Opinion Editor Helen Wang, '07 Feature Editor Sandra Lucero, '07 Sports Editor Katie Rosenberg, ‘07 Advisor Daryl Corcoran
Staff Writers Jamie Blaustein, ‘07 Mark Cassera, ‘07 Jenna Cirangle, ‘07 Matt Cohn, ‘08 Jenel Conde, ‘09 Dan Coplon, ‘07 Emily Cox, ‘07 Evan Elberg, ‘09 Victoria Gaultieri, ‘09 Heather Jubin, ‘09 Elliot Kartus, ‘09 Steve Kinslow, ‘09 Jeremy Lim, ‘08 Andrew Maxman, ‘09 Laurie Mittelmann, ‘07 Amanda Nichols, ‘08 Jen Silverstein, ‘08 Michael Shanker, ‘07 John Veniero, ‘07 Jack Vidovich, ‘08 Gena Wolfson, ‘07
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 advisor, 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.
In this section: Valentine’s Day, just another day?..................7 Advanced Placement or Added Pressure?...7 Work ethic, is it alive in students?.....................8
‘Accessories gone thermal’: Are mugs the new Uggs?
by Laurie Mittelmann ‘07
Accessories have gone thermal. West Essex students carry vacuum flasks of coffee around school throughout the day and display them upon their desks “as if they’re flower vases,” said senior Laura Umbach. “This generation was raised from snack breaks and juice boxes, so the warm reception of these versatile cups is no surprise,” said Umbach. They keep liquids heated for 24 hours, and cold for eight. “For a student who would like to drink throughout the day, making any class into tea time, this tool is most practical,” she added. And they do. In the average class of twenty students, four on average “flaunt” their drinks. This exhibition is evident especially in the morning, according to Umbach, because students have disposable cups then from places like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts too. “I like that I’m not obligated to carry my disposable cup around school all day,” said senior Kristina Kupilik, who finishes her drink before her first period class. “I feel rude and uncom-
fortable sipping as my teachers instruct.” Kupilik claims not to feel accompanied anymore when walking the halls with these drinks than when walking with friends. It is nothing to show off. She simply needs “a perk” before morning classes. But senior Adam Agins does not advocate convenience with this issue. He attended Governor’s School for the Environment over the summer, and is concerned about the “1.9 billion” cups that Starbucks alone runs through in a year. “The company switched its cups in March to consist of 10% post-consumer recycled fiber, saving a projected 78,000 trees a year,” he said. “But these statistics will never be sufficient to cover the other hundreds of thousands of trees.” Physical Education teacher Susan Leonard considers another environmental predicament with the disposable cups. She witnesses them being left in the student parking lot and in classrooms as “litter” and “a nuisance for the custodial staff.”
“I drink coffee on the way to school in the morning out of the cups because it’s easy to pitch them when I’ve finished the drink,” said Leonard, advocating proper removal of them. She claims that she used to bring a thermos, but West Essex no longer provides “accessible washing facilities.” Agins does not believe that students even need to bring coffee to school. “My English teacher in the beginning of the school year said that she would never feed us,” he said. “It’s true that we do not need to be consuming so frequently. Why not drink at home or during lunch time?”
WINTER FORMAL
Conditions ‘not ideal’ for West Essex Snow Ball by Jaime Blaustein ‘07
After surveying the high school student body, the senior class has decided against holding a winter formal due to “logistics and time strains,” according to senior class vice president Jana Elfenbein. The winter formal, which would have been held on February 16th, will not commence as the officers agreed the event “would not meet the expectations of the student body given the time that is necessary to plan and execute such an event,” according to Elfenbein. The surveys showed that the student body was split on the idea of a winter formal. Slightly more than 50% of students said they would be in favor of the event and selected a budget of $20 on average. Senior class secretary Chelsey Etkin says that, although
the majority of students seemed to be in favor of a winter formal, “the response was not overwhelming” while the “task of planning this event in only three weeks was quite daunting.” “Ultimately, it did not make much sense to hold a winter formal,” added Etkin. “A whole year’s worth of planning and commitment goes into the freshman class’s semi-formal. Three weeks would have meant that the decorations and attendance would be significantly worse than they are at semi.” Furthermore, all three classes are “still looking forward to their three major fundraisers.” The sophomore class will be holding the Tricky Tray in April; the junior class will hold its prom in May; and the senior class will hold its Ball in June. Due to do the aforementioned, the senior class officers
decided that “this was not a missed opportunity, but rather an unnecessary endeavor,” according to Etkin. The officers explored all possible routes in order for the event to run smoothly. They debated calling the event “Snow Ball” to eliminate the connotation of a formal event “so that students were not expecting a gourmet dinner and a night of dancing under a crystal ball,” according to Etkin. Additionally, the event would likely have called for black and white attire with red and pink decorations covering the gym appropriately for Valentine’s Day. “Perhaps future classes will start the school year with the idea of a winter-formal in their sights and will be able to execute it,” said Elfenbein. “This year, the circumstances simply were not ideal.”
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Valentine’s day: just another day in February by Amanda Nichols ‘08
Though Valentine’s Day is considered by many to be the holiday of love, some West Essex students feel that the day isn’t all red roses and chocolates. Some teens feel that this sickly sweet holiday has ruined a perfectly good day in February. “You should show your love for everyone every day,” said sophomore Daniel Spada, “and although people don’t truly understand how to love one another in our society, chocolates and flowers on Valentine’s Day isn’t really a noble effort.” Not everyone is bothered by the message of Valentine’s Day, however. “Celebrating love on one particular day doesn’t take away from the love you feel for friends and family every day, it only highlights it,” said senior Brittany Dee Mueller. “I think it’s fun to get chocolate covered pretzels from my mom and pink frosted cookies from my best friend,” she added. “Still, I understand how finding the ‘perfect gift’ could be stressful.” Junior Arielle Schneck agrees and offers an alternative for those who may be stressing. “I think it’s nice to exchange a small meaningful gift like a mix CD or someone’s favorite candy,” said Schneck, who added, however, that “anything [else] is just overkill for a holiday that was made up by a greeting card company.” Junior Angela Rombola shares a similar sentiment to Schneck and thinks that Valentine’s Day has become “too much.” “I think Valentine’s Day has a time and place,” said Rombola. “I like celebrating with my friends and sister, but seeing people walking down the hall way in school with flowers and gifts is just a little ridiculous.” Other students agree that it has become over done. “I think it’s nice to celebrate love and affection on a special day, but at a certain point it gets to be too much,” said junior Jessica Quick. “What is the point?” Teacher Linda Byles-Smith thinks that Valentine’s Day is “what you make of it.” “If you want to make it a big deal then you can, but if it’s not a big deal to you, then just celebrate
it in the way that makes you happy,” said Byles- don’t stress; it’s just another day in February,” Mueller said. Smith. Former physics teacher, Matthew Morley, adds another interesting perspective. “It seems that most holidays on our calendar have become over commercialized and lost some of their meanings,” said Morley. “If everyone could just think about the holiday’s original purpose, I think Valentine’s Day would be much more enjoyable.” Schneck who believes that Valentine’s Day may be over hyped thinks that it “would be so much more meaningful if everyone would just chill out,” said Schneck, “it wasn’t even February yet when Zales started putting out their Valentine’s Day commercials.” Physics teacher Ryan Gupta shares Schneck’s frustration with this early advertisement. “Who buys diamonds for Valentine’s Day?” said Gupta. “Everyone should stop stressing, but outside pressures make it almost impossible.” Students and teachers agree that Valentine’s Day needs to be taken down a notch. “Go to Shop Rite and get a card, but
AP CONTROVERSY
AP: Advanced Placement or Added Pressure? by Andrew Maxman ‘09
More and more borderline Advanced Placement students have chosen to opt out of the AP class and take its Honors counterpart. These students are trying to reduce the amount of work that AP courses would demand. AP courses generally require more in-depth thinking and more studying before tests. Many students don’t want to log the hours of work required by these courses. “Kids don’t want to have to do all the work for AP classes,” according to senior John Baab. “Also, I think that a lot of seniors have ‘senioritis’ and this gets in the way of [doing] their schoolwork,” he added. Seniors who have already been accepted into college don’t want to work as hard as they could; they are distracted by the thought of the summer and of college next year.
“I already got into college and I don’t have to try that hard this year,” according to senior Gianna Fede. Unlike other schools, West Essex does not provide extra weight for AP classes. Many students don’t think they have a reason to take an AP class because a higher grade in Honors helps their GPA. “I chose not to take AP history this year because I didn’t want to have to spend hours on the weekend doing outlines, and I didn’t want to have to work so hard and not have anything to show for it on my report card,” according to sophomore Chelsea Goodman. Many students share same view. “AP classes may look better for college, but Honors classes are only a step below, and they are weighted the same as AP,” according to sophomore Evan Zimmer. “There is barely any incentive for me to take an AP class. It doesn’t make sense for me to work twice as hard and get the same weight for my
GPA,” he added. These views are reflected even at the highest level. “Any course that is more rigorous and requires more work should be weighted more heavily,” according to Director of Guidance Jayne Bembridge. This attitude has caused a less-than-stellar enrollment in AP classes. There are currently 147 students taking AP classes, only 18% of the population at West Essex. Just five kids take AP Latin and only seven take French. Three take AP chemistry, and seven take AP physics. The number of kids taking AP statistics this year has decreased by 75%. There are, however, some benefits to taking an AP course. Besides the overlooked aspect of learning more in an AP class, there is the option of taking the AP test and placing out of a college course. And AP classes do look better on college transcripts.
wessexwessex wire - wire-january february 2007 2004 8 feature An attempt to bridge gap between students, administration by Sandra Lucero ‘07
Unnaturally frequent bomb scares, the suspension of over 20 students, and the halt to construction is all the outside world can see of West Essex, and it clouds the “good things” we do here, according to student council advisor Andrea Mondadori. In response, the student council will write a Code of Ethics, a student mission statement written by students in order to raise the morale of the student body. Student council president, senior Jaime Blaustein, attributes the disciplinary issues and pessimism in the school to the lack of communication between the students and the administration. The administration doesn’t communicate with the students, and students feel distanced from them. “I feel like we never see any of the
administration around school,” said senior Genevieve Aragona. Students feel the lack of communication not only because of the absence of the administration in the building, but also because they do not explain the reasoning behind the rules enforced in school. “Students do not always know the reasoning behind the policies of the administration, and that lack of communication creates some tension,” said senior Lisa Rickles. The only place the school rules are stated is in the student handbook, but the way the rules are worded doesn’t make sense to the students. The main objective of the code of ethics is to clear up misconceptions and misunderstandings between the administration and students, according to Blaustein.
“A set of rules written by students would be easier to relate to,” said Aragona. Rickles doesn’t think that the Code of Ethics will make much of a difference at West Essex; Blaustein doesn’t expect an immediate effect either. The Code of Ethics will be written to give a positive spin to the rules and because “the student council, and the student body as a whole, agree that the image of our school needs to improve,” said The West Essex school crest is a symbol of what we stand for, and our Blaustein. motto says it all. “Together, we can The administration was inmake a difference.” formed of the new project un-photo courtesy of wikipedia.com dertaken by the Student Council, but they are not involved. InvolvThe student council views the new ing the administration would defeat Code of Ethics as “one change that the purpose of “the rules being stated will contribute to a better environfrom the perspective of an equal ment,” said Blaustein. “We need to rather than from a superior,” said begin the process of improving our Blaustein. school now.”
The pressures of being a senior increase after midterms
months left for seniors to walk the halls of West and social priorities are now replaced with the Essex and four months left for seniors to be pressure and anxiety of waiting. The wait for some seniors. For some, this reality won’t come until is over, but the wait for others has just begun. AlThe pressures of senior year did not come to after they are committed to the college of their though the reality of leaving behind high school will a halt after the holidays, as much as students choice. be at an all-time high at graduation, it’s not would have liked them to. The previous pressures of college applications completely disregarded now. In fact, it is quite possible that there is more pressure after midterms. College applications WORK ETHIC are in, seniors’ midterms are done, but the hardest part of the whole process is here, facing reality. While the majority of seniors are anticipating also agrees that teachers should “require students news from regular decision or deferred appliby Dan Spada ‘09 to eliminate the shortcuts and step away from the cations, some of their peers already know where English teacher Marion Wychules believes students technology.” they are going to spend the next four years of In response to the indictments made by teachers who lack “an innate desire to perform in school.” The outtheir lives. claim that the work ethic is not up to par, junior Ethan side distractions create alternatives for students, which Senior Jana Elfenbein has already been accepted Early Decision to Muhlenberg College along divert students from schoolwork, their homework, and Miller said that “Students at this school consistently academic priorities. “I do not think that education is a show devotion to academics.” Junior Angela with classmate Samir Patel. “Before I was accepted, all I thought about was number one [priority] in students’ lives nowadays Rombola does not believe students take their homecollege and where I was going to end up,” said and that the improvements in technology and pres- work seriously. “I cannot go to bed unless my homesure to achieve in sports are key distractions,” claims work is done, but that’s just me. It depends on the Elfenbein. student and the class,” she added. “It was such a relief to find out that I had been Wychules with passion and fervor for change. Last December, two University of Pennsylvania The ethos of family affects the ethics of education. accepted so early,” she added after hearing back “A number of teachers are at fault as well,” com- researchers, Angela Duckworth and Martin from Muhlenberg on December 1. However, Elfenbein feels that “as time goes by,” mented Wychules who believes that the only ways Seligman, offered reasons for the failing work ethic the reality of leaving hits her “more and more.” to improve learning are a switch to block schedul- of American students. They suggested many U.S. Senior Ted Abbot, has already been accepted ing, and a stricter academic requirements for ath- students are “falling short of their intellectual potento six colleges. It is a comforting feeling for Ab- letes. “It will inevitably get worse before it gets bet- tial” and are not a result of “inadequate teachers, boring textbooks, and large class sizes” and the rest bot knowing that this early in the year, no mat- ter,” Wychules observed. Contrary to Wychules’ views, history teacher of the typical irreverence cited by the so-called reter what happens, he’ll be able to go to colChristopher Benacquista said that “there is a desire formers — but “by the students’ failure to exercise lege. Abbot knows that even while away at college, he’s going to “stay close with all of his to succeed here that makes students and teachers self-discipline.” William Rau, from Illinois State University, and work hard.” When asked if he had lowered his friends.” Though senior Tara Fossetta has been accepted at expectations since he had started his teaching at West Ann Durand, from the State Farm Insurance Comtwo of her schools, she is still waiting to hear from Essex, he responded, “At points, possibly yes. I think panies, recently wrote a paper entitled “The AcaMarist. She feels that leaving West Essex behind will it might have more to do with the fact that some demic Ethic and College Grades: Does Hard Work students who strive to be in honors might not intel- Help Students to ‘Make the Grade?’” which was pub“becomemoreofareality”thanitisnow. For the seniors who are still waiting, the pressure of lectually be an honor student; so therefore, teach- lished in the January issue of Sociology of Education a hopeful acceptance is now overridden by the real- ers, including me, may have to slightly lower expec- 2000. In this article, they mention a 12-year project at the University of Michigan, repeatedly finding “little to ity of leaving behind the security of certain childhood tations.” no correlation between hours studied and grades.” Benacquista does agree, however, that “the ease and high school friendships along with the stress to Although this study was compiled about college stuwith which information can be obtained does not start over in an innovative school environment. dents, it is still completely relevant to the students in require students and adults to have to put as much With the second semester under way, there are four months left of school, which means four months left time and effort into the studying process. It is a prod- high school, waiting to start their journey of good or for the seniors to see each other every day, four uct of the technological world we live in.” Benacquista bad grades at the college of their choice. by Jenna Cirangle ‘07
Students fall short of ‘intellectual potential’
In this section: Jung sidelined with injury................10 Cox plays varsity hockey................11 Wrestling Photo Finish....................12
Fundraising to replace “archaic” equipment by Elliot Kartus ‘09
When West Essex sports teams visit other schools, they play in gyms furnished with padded seats, up-to-date scoring systems, and new scorers’ tables. The opposing players who come to West Essex, however, sit in metal folding chairs, use a possession clock built over thirty years ago by custodian John Hoover, while the bookkeepers and scoreboard operators work on an old wooden bench. Soon, however, this all may change. The West Essex gym may soon be equipped with new chairs, a new sound system, a new scorers’ table, and new scoreboards like that of others schools. Andrea Mondadori, high school business teacher, is leading the fundraising efforts for the new gym items. Aside from teaching, Mondadori also coaches varsity girls’ volleyball and softball, is in charge of the student council and FBLA, and serves as a scorer and timer for the varsity basketball teams. She draws the motivation for her efforts from her personal experience. “I sit on a wooden bench and use wooden table,” according to Mondadori. “The scoreboard is plugged into the bleachers; on one occasion [the plug] came out, and we had to reset the scoreboard mid game,” she added. Mondadori estimates the cost of the new equipment to be around $15,000. “We would like to see this new equipment in our gym by the 20072008 school year,” stated Mondadori in her letter to the parents of West Essex students and to the Board of Education. Mondadori plans to raise the money through donations from families and companies, and fundraisers such as a beefsteak dinner and raffles, according to Mondadori. Scott Elberg, a concerned father of sophomore Evan Elberg, is helping Mondadori with the fundraising effort. Evan is a member of the West Essex basketball varsity teams, and is deeply affected by the lack of equipment. Mr. Elberg also has fundraising ideas. “As parents we should be embarrassed by the way our gym looks and by the archaic equipment,” Elberg said. “We have a responsibility to our
student athletes to do something about it,” he added. “Ms. Mondadori and Mr. Storm, [the interim athletic director], are committed to create a facility that is on par with the other schools in our conference and have fundraising plans that will raise money for a new scorers table, padded chairs, new scoreboards and a new sound system. The effort, however, will only work if we get support from the school, the Board of Education and the community,” Elberg said. Mondadori is already working to involve as many people as she can.
Along with parents like Elberg, other coaches, including Mike Tierney of the boys’ basketball team, Bill Humes of the volleyball team, Tom Kenny of the girls’ basketball team, and Joe Benvenuti of the wrestling
the fall of 2007. Storm has gone above and beyond what might be expected of an interim athletic director. During his first day at West Essex, he surveyed the gym and made a list of improvements he
“Ms. Mondadori and Mr. Storm are committed to create a facility that is on par with the other schools in our conference,” according to concerned parent Scott Elberg, who is helping with the effort.
team, are working with her. At a meeting attended by the head chairs of the fundraising committee, specific fundraising ideas were discussed and will be announced in the future. Mondadori, Storm, and Elberg are all very committed to getting the new equipment in The scorers’ table and gym at West Essex are beginning in considerably out-of-date. The possession clock is over 30 years old, the bleachers are breaking, and the benches are wooden and uncomfortable.
wished to make. He has already had the burnt out bulbs replaced and arranged to have the floor redone this summer. He hopes that in the future more improvements can be made to the gym, including new ventilation and bleachers in addition to the ones that Mondadori has addressed. While Mondadori wants to help the school, she is directly affected by the out-of-date equipment. Yet Storm is only at the school until July and might not even see his efforts come to fruition before he is replaced by a permanent athletic director. Storm’s motivation stems from his belief that we should “make the gym worthy of the student athletes who play in it.” -photo courtesy of Andrea Mondadori
SWIMMING
Swimming deals with late practices
to junior Jason Rosengart. “After the first time, it wasn’t too bad, but it The West Essex swim team be- adds up,” he added. “We don’t get lieves that “practice makes per- home until late, and after a long pracfect.” They would rather the prac- tice in a pool all night, we have to shower. It’s taxing.” tices be earlier, however. They practice during the week- Other members of the team, days at either 8:00 PM or 9:00 however, think that the practices PM, which means late nights for are not that bad. “I actually like them late at these student swimmers. night,” said junior Joe Taylor. “I usually don’t go to bed until midnight anyway, so having practice until then just means I have to get all of my homework and school stuff done earlier in the day, and can’t just leave everything until the last Junior Jason Rosengart, tired from a long minute,” he added. “It practice and many laps, takes a break at the helps me be more effiwall during a 9:00 practice. cient and better at time -photo courtesy of Matt Cohn management.” “It’s tough, and after a while it Some of the swimmers do not gets harder and harder,” according think about the time of the pracby Matt Cohn ‘08
tices, as they enjoy the sport so much. Senior Ted Abbot said that he “doesn’t even notice the late practices because he is too busy working on his swimming.” “I’m sure if there was a better pool slot for us, the school would definitely take it, so in my opinion really late is better than nothing,” he added. Former member of the swim team, junior Rob Hrinuk, who was dismissed from the team after “repeated cannonballs,” says that the late practices influenced him to act defiantly. “I couldn’t take the late practices anymore,” said Hrinuk. “I just started messing around knowing I wouldn’t be able to take the lack of sleep until finally I was dismissed,” Hrinuk added, who has since “gotten great sleep” and all of his work done. All in all, according to the junior Ryan Carney, “late practice is better than no practice,” he added.
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sports
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Girls’ basketball successful, strong leadership and new talent East Orange, however, in the second round. Though December was full of big wins and upsets for the girls, as they entered January undeIt’s been a long time since the girls’ basketball team has seen such success in the early portion feated and in excellent position for the state tourof its season. A solid lineup of four starting se- nament. The Knights are 10-2 for the first time ever in niors, Danielle Bertscha, Carissa Franzi, Erin Bradley, and Brittany Hamker, and sophomore school history under their coach, English teacher Alison Cassera, is bolstered by the depth of the Tom Kenny. The team opened the season with two wins team’s bench. over Weequahic and SumThe season took a mit, which gave them conturn, however, when fidence heading to perenCassera twisted her nial powerhouse ankle, spraining it. Mendham, whom they had With eight wins and never beaten in school hisno losses, the girls tory. The girls were able, prepared to face however, to come away Hanover Park away, with a (find out score) win. with Cassera and In the Holiday TournaFranzi sitting out. ment, the girls beat Cedar Cassera is the team’s Grove in the opening leading scorer. The round. The squad then degame, which they lost feated cross town rival, by just two points, Caldwell, at home in the fiwas followed by a nals, to capture the chamloss against Chatham. pionship. Recently, the team Wins over tough Morris entered the Essex H ills, D o v e r, and County Tournament Parsippany, improved their with a first round bye. record to 8-0 before the They looked ahead to Seniors Carissa Franzi and Brittany Hanover Park game. play the top seed, Hamker and sophomore Colleen Facing Weequahic for the Shabbazz. The girls Caprio jump for the ball in a game second time, but the first were unable to overagainst Weequahic. time without Cassera, the come tough opponent by Evan Elberg ‘09
team looked to bounce back. With a minor disturbance in the game due to the latest bomb scare, which included the destruction of a student’s backpack, no one was allowed to enter or leave the gym. No one in the gym was Sophomore Colleen Caprio warned that the gets ready to hit a foul shot bomb squad against Weequahic. would detonate the bag themselves, so the explosion caused some uproar among players, coaches, and spectators. The game ended, though, with West Essex over Weequahic. The girls continued their winning ways with a blow out win over Summit. The team went on the road to face a tough rival Mendham, but lost the well- fought game. The girls bounced back against Morris Hills with a 55-15 blow out victory. “It was a good momentum boost going into the last few games of the season,” according to Cassera. The team looks to finish the remainder of the season with games against Hanover Park, Parsippany, Par Hills, and Chatham, the results of which were unknown at press time. -photos courtesy of Milestone and Davor
BOYS BASKETBALL
Jung sidelined for season, Knights lose “big man” by Jeremy Lim ‘08
Diving for a loose ball in a game against Parsippany Hills, junior Chris Jung suffered two sesamoid fractures in his right foot. When Jung learned that he would miss the rest of the season, the boys’ varsity basketball team appeared to be doomed. “I’m a pretty competitive person, so it’s hard for me to grab water on the sidelines while my teammates are out there playing,” said Jung. It was just another blow to a team that was already struggling with a 4-6 start even with Jung in the lineup; the team currently has one win since his injury. The Knights stumbled out of the gate in their season opener against Weequahic, falling behind by nearly 20 points before rallying to make it a close game. “That game really encapsulates our whole season,” according to junior forward Josh Sigler. “We haven’t really played with any consistency,” he added. Jung’s injury only highlighted the team’s lack of inside presence in the frontcourt. “[Jung] was probably our best big man, and we don’t have many big men,” according to senior Malcolm Bertram. “Hopefully, other kids will be able to step up.” They have struggled on both ends of the court since Jung went down. “[He’s] probably our most important player because he is our ‘go-to’ big man, can shoot from the pe-
rimeter, and can also guard the other team’s top big man,” according to junior Justin Lisa. Besides losing its key player, the team has also been demoralized in other ways. “The one loss that really killed us was a home game against Hanover Park,” according to Lisa. “We were leading 41-31 with three minutes left in the third quarter, when Park went on a 23-3 run to close out the game,” he said. The team has continued to solider on despite its poor record. “I know it sounds like a cliché, but we just have to try to move on [from Jung’s injury],” Lisa added. One positive aspect of the season has been the team’s chemistry. The team is “very” close, and “everyone enjoys playing with each other,” Lisa said. “That’s one bright spot in our season.” Besides their chemistry, the Knights have confidence that they have the talent level to win without Jung. “We can’t use [Jung’s] injury as an excuse to keep losing,” according to Sigler. “There are reasons besides [Jung’s injury] that we’re losing. I don’t know whether it’s a matter of execution or effort, but we have to play better.” Whatever the reasons for the team’s struggles, Bertram believes that it is definitely not a matter of effort. “All of us are involved in the sport during the off-season, participating in spring and summer leagues,” he said. “No one should question our dedication.”
Senior Kevin Hill shoots from the three point line in a close game against Dover at home. -photo courtesy of Milestone and Davor
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NEW MEMBER
Female on male hockey team earns “respect” by Jenel Conde ‘09
After a long day’s practice of skating, shooting, and defensive drills, the West Essex hockey team freely skates around. A new addition to the team makes this season different from past ones. Senior Emily Cox plays defense on the Varsity hockey team, becoming the first female to
Senior Emily Cox, who plays defense, is the first female member of the typically all-male hockey team to play under coach Mike Giampapa.
play a shift with Mike Giampapa as a coach. Cox started playing “Emily is a much respected player at seven years old with and a very important member of our the Montclair Hockey Club, which consisted team,” according to sophomore mostly of boys. hockey player Chris Hill. “My dad, brother, and uncle played h o c k e y, s o I w a s brought up around the sport,” said Cox. according to sophomore player Chris Hill. “We Despite the fact that Cox is the only girl on all try to do our best and play as a team. Emily the team, coaches Giampapa and Tom Fraioli is a much respected player and a very impordo not treat her differently from any of the other tant member of our team,” Hill added. players, according to Cox. “The boys have been outstanding with her. “I don’t see a reason for the coaches to treat They treat her like any other player on the team, me differently,” said Cox. “If I want to be a and she’s been outstanding with them as well,” part of the team, then I have to play the same said Giampapa. way the others are playing,” she added. Cox has played on a girl’s club hockey team Captains, seniors Dan Coplon and Gary Parr, at Montclair State University for four years. and assistant captains, juniors John Auriemma Each season runs from August to March. When and Jeff Kayzerman, are all open to include Cox she plays with girls, she does not have to worry on the team. as much about getting hurt because they are Cox is not only respected but also admired similar in size. by other players. On the other hand, in West Essex games, Cox “Emily has impressed me with her work ethic has to be extremely alert because of the risk and has earned the respect of the team,” said playing with boys. Coplon. Even though Cox does not get much “When I step onto the ice, I always have to play time, “her perseverance to stay on the team be cautious and keep my head up because of and resilience working hard is admirable,” he the [difference in] speed and physical factors,” added. said Cox. In comparison to previous years, when there By playing on an all-boys team, Cox hopes were no girls, “players don’t act differently,” to “improve her speed, technique, and stamina.”
-photo courtesy of Jenel Conde
ICE HOCKEY
Hockey challenged by “tough schedule” by John Veniero ‘07
With a 7-9-1 record, hockey captains Dan Coplon and Gary Parr keep spirits running high throughout the locker room with hopes of earning a spot in the NJSIAA state playoffs. The team’s schedule is arguably one of the toughest schedules in the conference, as it plays four out of the five top ranked public school teams in the state, including two games against number one seed Randolph. The team started off with a 2-0 record but then suffered six straight losses to Morris Knolls, ranked #4 in the state, Chatham, ranked #3 in the state, and Ridge the best public school hockey team in New Jersey according to the Star Ledger.
“Our team could play mediocre teams and have an undefeated season, but we would rather challenge ourselves and play the best in the state every week,” said senior captain Daniel Coplon. The Knights won a hard earned victory against Westfield, who was ranked as high as 15 th in the state, 3-2 in the Cron Tournament quarterfinals. “If we can play like we did against Westfield, we would be winning a lot more games,” said senior right wing Marc Guido. For the Knights to clinch a spot in the playoffs they must win five out of their next seven games which
Senior and captain Dan Coplon looks for a teammate as he gets ready to pass the puck.
Junior Jeff Kayzerman outskates a Montclair defender for the puck at South Mountain
Junior John Auriemma goes for the puck in a tight win over Montclair to start the season.
include two premier programs, Bridgewater, ranked #7 in the state, and St. Joes, ranked #14 in the state. “We have a tough road ahead to make the playoffs, but if we play our best, it can be done,” said junior Matt Cohn. -photo courtesy of Milestone and Davor
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wessexwessex wire - wire-january february 2007 2004 WRESTLING
sports -photo courtesy of Milestone and Davor
h s i n i F o t o Ph
Wrestling INDOOR TRACK
Increase in size and competitiveness for indoor track who is one of the best sprinters and hurdlers on The four captains of the track team, Martinez, the team. sophomore Elizabeth Toumanios, and juniors Although the runners complain that their pracAmanda Plawner and Ethan Miller, collectively The indoor track team has undergone many changes for this season. Previously composed tices are “tiring and cold,” their hard work pre- “do their best to run track.” They run in one of the most difficult divisions of less than fifteen runners for the past few pares them for the more comfortable indoor atin the state, but they have imyears, the number of team members proved their times since last has increased greatly with this season. year’s freshman class. Sophomore Michelle Coached by junior high school Magno has been cutting her science teacher Stacy Morris, who mile times and “is a persistent has been involved with the track distance runner, following the program for several years, the team footsteps of Jessica Lim,” acis growing not only by size, but also cording to Morris. with “new talents and skills.” The Lim, a graduate of West runners claim she is “inspirational,” Essex in 2006, ran both twoprobably because Morris ran for mile and one-mile races and her own high school track team. qualified for division championThey unanimously say that her ships in previous years. Magno coaching and running experience hopes to reach this level and and strong direction have a posi- The winter track team has grown considerably in size in the past few years. has been working at her running tive impact on the entire team. What began as a small team of a few members has become a team of skills for the past two years. “My speed has greatly increased twenty. -photo courtesy of Milestone and Davor Although the track team from last year, and I am doing better on the hurdles,” according to team captain, mosphere. Because the practice conditions are is not acknowledged in morning announcements sophomore David Martinez. “The practices are much harsher than the meet conditions, the run- for their accomplishments, they have sacrificed winter vacations and practiced daily to reprevery strenuous and successful,” added Martinez, ners are a step ahead. sent their school at meets. by Heather Jubin ‘09
FENCING
“Successful” season for fencers, give “200% effort” Clinton also took first place and won the gold medal as epee. Byles-Smith is “hopeful that [the teams] will The West Essex boys and girls fencing teams started the season off strongly, according to have a successful season, especially since the Coach Linda Byles-Smith. Five West Essex girls’ fencing team is doing better than exstudents medaled in the first ever Iron Hills pected,” as even their losses have been narrow. Invitational Freshman/Sophomore Fencing The girls’ team has been “very competitive”, especially as West Essex generally faces the top Tournament on December 29, 2006. “This is the first year [the tournament] has teams in the state. Although the teams are led by seniors, the mataken place, and we did very well,” said jority of both the boys and girls fencing teams Byles-Smith. The students who earned medals include is comprised of sophomores and freshman. Mike Gartland and Margaret Clinton as Many of the fencers are new to the sport, so it sophomore epee, Mike Vitterito as sopho- is up to the veteran fencers, as well as senior more sabre, Louis Prosperi as sophomore girl captains Rachel Berman and Allie Candido, foil, and Rudi Hughes as freshman sabre. and senior boy captains Matthew Poppola and by Victoria Gaultieri ‘09
Adam Agins, to help familiarize them. Dr. Dmitri Kopylov, a top ranked sabre fencer, co-coaches alongside Byles-Smith. In addition, Mr. Drew Buge, a volunteer parent who assists with coaching, acts as armorer for the team. “We are very grateful for his assistance and expertise,” said Byles-Smith. According to Byles-Smith, the fencing program has grown since she started coaching six years ago, though the teams remain smaller when judged against other schools. “We are a small team compared to many of the schools we fence, but our team always gives more than 200% every time they compete. We are proud of all our fencers for all their effort,” added Byles-Smith.