The Wessex Wire (January 2016)

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

Vol. LVI No. 3

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

thewessexwire.com

January 2016

New female wrestler ready to take the spotlight on the mat

By Anthony Gagliardi ’16 Many wrestlers have come through West Essex, looking to make greatness with their performance on the mat. The competition is constant in this male-dominant sport, but this year a new face is ready to take on the training and competition: senior Natalie Melendez.

Coming from West Orange, this is Natalie’s first year putting on the West Essex singlet.

It is also only the second time in school history that a female wrestler is taking on the challenge to be part of the allmale team. Brenda Ruggiero was the first female wrestler in West Essex history during the 1996 season, having a background in judo.

Natalie said she is excited to have a strong wrestling season as a Knight, and is prepared to prove herself.

“I know what I signed up for, and I am ready to take on the challenges that come with that,” Melendez said.

“I want people to treat me just like everyone else and give me a shot to prove what I have to offer.”

Teammates and coaches of Melendez have accepted the addition of Natalie to the team. “She’s one of us, so you have to throw out your perspective that this is a male only sport,” Coach Ruggiero said.

“This is a grueling sport that requires a certain appeal and lifestyle,” Athletic Director Mr. Minnella said. “You have to love it or else it will never last, and I think this shows just how much Natalie cares about this sport.”

Melendez started her wrestling career during the seventh grade at West Orange Middle School, where she says a simple phone call inspired her to try out the sport.

“My two friends called me a PHOTO BY couple nights before tryouts COURTNEY PAPPAS and convinced me to join,” Melendez said. “I just said, ‘Why not? I have nothing better to do anyways in the winter,’ and I ended up falling in love with the sport.”

She trained and competed in both seventh and eighth grades, proving that she was committed to the sport. As high school came around, she was determined to stay with the team.

During her freshman year at West Orange, Melendez said, she started being treated differently than her other teammates. She said her coaches were not pushing her the hardest she could go, and See MELENDEZ on Page 2 usually left her on the sidelines during training.

In This Issue:

3-4

Opinion

Diagnosing Senioritis

8-9 Arts

PHOTO BY ALEXA DRATCH

A student wearing a Harry Potter shirt on Dec. 3 models with her admission ticket in the high school library.

The fandoms awaken at West Essex ComicCon

By Daniella Ignacio ’17, Melanie Montesdeoca ’18 and Alexa Dratch ’18 West Essex High School held its own version of ComicCon for the first time ever on Thursday, Dec. 3, in the high school library.

The event, modeled after similar famous nationwide conventions in San Diego and New York, was a celebration of students’ favorite comic, TV movie and video game characters and universes.

District librarians Ms. Rich and Ms. Spinella partnered up with the Fairfield and Roseland Public Libraries to plan the event as an approach to encourage students to read more books.

“We just wanted everybody to have a good time,” said Ms. Rich, who was dressed up in solid blue with a red cape as “SuperLibrarian” along with Ms. Spinella.

“These are things that students love, different genres of stories, but they’re all visual and fun. People love these characters.”

The room was busy with at least 50 students and volunteers from the middle and high schools.

During the convention, the library was completely transformed, with a number of fandom-based activities set up in a variety of stations ranging from a Captain America archery challenge to arts and crafts tables in which attendees could create comics and assemble characters from various shows and fan universes, such as “Super Mario Brothers,” animated web

Tackling feminist movement

10-12 Sports

FIND MORE ONLINE Visit thewessexwire.com for more comments and sights from ComicCon! series “Bee and PuppyCat” and long-running sci-fi TV series “Doctor Who.” Visitors took part in physical challenges By participating in events, fans won raffle tickets to enter into a drawing for various prizes, including movie theater passes, DVD boxsets, mugs and more.

“I love the event, it’s really cool,” seventh grader Isabelle Smith said.

“I really enjoyed it. I’ve been to conventions but not to ComicCon. I really do enjoy and love going to them.”

The National Art Honor Society contributed to the event by offering their talents through painting students’ faces and, along with the Art Club, creating backgrounds that students could take pictures with. Along with the fun decor and activities, there were tons of comic/ movie/TV inspired treats, including pretzel stick “Lightsabers,” “Zombie Brains” popcorn and “Yoda Soda.”

Students who attended said the ComicCon was an opportunity to express themselves in ways that most average school functions couldn’t.

Ms. Rich and Ms. Spinella, along with the Fairfield and Roseland volunteers, said they hope to make ComicCon an annual event.

Ex-rivals unite on hockey team

Page 2

The Wessex Wire: News

January 2016

News happening around the world

By Anthony Gagliardi ’16

Saudi Arabia reignites long-lasting turmoil

Tensions between the two Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia and Iran is on the rise following Saudi Arabia’s execution of 47 men on Jan. 2, including Iranian cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Shortly after the executions that broadcasted the prisoners’ heads being decapitated, the Saudi Arabian embassy in Iran was attacked by Iranian protesters. Nimr al-Nimr was a cleric, known well among the young people of Iran. His death has risen tensions between the two powerful Middle Eastern countries, who are on opposing sides in regards to fighting in Syria and Yemen.

MELENDEZ | from Page 1

Melendez decided to continue participating in the sport, working hard to stand out. During her junior year, Natalie and her family moved from West Orange and to Roseland. Due to her late arrival into the school year, she could not get medically cleared in time in order to participate on the West Essex team, causing her to sit out a whole season.

As a senior, Melendez came back and joined the team’s roster.

Melendez is currently wrestling at the 126 weight class. Even though it is her first year as a wrestling Knight, she has already gotten used to the training routine.

“West Essex as a whole is much better organized than West Orange, and wrestling here is has a strong structure,” Melendez said. “The coaches are always looking out for you to get better, whether you’re a novice or a veteran wrestler.”

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Earthquake strikes northeast India A 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit the western capital city Imphal in the Manipur state early morning on Jan. 3. Due to poor infrastructure, multiple buildings collapsed, leading to 11 fatalities and close to 200 injuries. The cost of damage has totaled $100 million, leaving thousands of families homeless and displaced.

The earthquake was additionally felt in Bangladesh, with up to 30 people injured due to falling debris due to damaged buildings.

North Korea threatens world with bomb claims Seismic activity was reported on Jan. 5 with an epicenter off the coast of North Korea, signaling to neighboring countries that the waves were unnatural. Following the reports, North Korea announced to the world that they had successfully developed and tested a hydrogen bomb, causing an uproar from countries all over the world, along with the United Nations. After analyzing data from the waves, researchers are certain that the waves were not from a hydrogen bomb, but rather from a bomb with much smaller power.

Students help guests bring in holiday cheer with breakfast

By Ceana Cuello ’16 Every year on Dec. 17, West Essex holds a breakfast for the surrounding senior citizen community. They come to enjoy a homemade breakfast from students of the culinary classes. The senior citizens come hungry and leave happy, stuffed and full of holiday spirit. The event always draws in a big crowd. This year there were over 150 guests who attended the breakfast.

“I’m excited because my children came here so I’m a big West Essex fan and I come every year to this event,” said Thelma Jacangelo, a guest from Fairfield. “It brings back such good memories.”

Ms. Maw, the Culinary Arts II and Food and Sports Nutrition teacher spent weeks preparing for this event making sure it all came together smoothly. Ten years and counting, Ms. Maw has prepared and organized this event.

The students that take Ms. Maw’s classes prepared various types of breakfast foods for the guests to enjoy, such as crumb cake, blueberry muffins, quiche, fruit and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

“Seeing the old people so happy makes my day, and so much hard work and effort are put in that some students were here at 6 a.m.,” senior Anna Marie Lunney said.

The event started when the guests received warm welcomes from both the faculty and students, who then assisted them into the cafeteria decorated from top to bottom in holiday decor.

For most of the breakfast, the guests conversed and ate amongst

PHOTO BY SAMMI MAZZELLA

Senior Anthony Scaglia ushers a senior citzen into the cafeteria to enjoy a homemade breakfast from students of the culinary classes.

themselves, and then later on enjoyed performances by the dance team and instrumental and choral music groups. The dance team danced to the well known holiday song “Let it Snow” along with a tap solo to the song “Jingle Bells” and “The Nutcracker”. The chorus also performed “Family Christmas,” “Hallelujah” and other holiday favorites. These entertainers performed dances and songs to bring life to the holiday spirit. Towards the end of the event, all the attendees received goody bags full of homemade cookies and other goods to bring home. The guests attending this event made it such a success with many of that at-

tended eager to come back next year for another fun morning here at West Essex.

“I love that as a high school we are able to reach out to and provide an afternoon of smiles and fun for the senior citizens,” senior performer Dina Kolesar said. “ I hope our performance was able to add to their enjoyment!”

“The senior citizens that come to this event think the students are so polite and can’t believe they make all these amazing foods for them,” Ms. Maw said. “Even the students feel that this event is one of the most rewarding things they’ve ever done. I’m glad it was such a success.”

Opinion

January 2016 Issue 3

The Wessex Wire Page 3

Real ‘cost’ of AP exams Advanced placement classes are called ‘advanced’ for a reason.

The rigorous courses and demanding homework sometimes makes students question if an AP-filled schedule is actually worth it. This stressful workload does not last as long as the duration of regular classes though, because the AP tests in May usually end the course early. These tests can be extremely rewarding in that they provide college credits if a certain score is received.

However, if a student does not feel they can earn a certain score on AP exams, they are still required to take it for AP weighting in their GPA. Students are put in a position where they feel obligated to take a test they are not confident completing. When a student receives an AP course contract, it states in bold font “It is expected that if you enroll in this AP course, you will take the appropriate College Board examination in May.” If the test is not completed, the student receives honors weighting in their GPA, completely negating a whole year of dedicated AP work. This causes some students- who are aware they clearly have no chance of passing the more difficult exams- to pay over $90 per test and sit in a room for an hour and a half either blankly guessing or sitting still, solely for AP weighting.

It is unfair to make students suffer through a test they do not want to take and pay for an exam they will perform poorly on, simply to have a GPA that should reflect all the work they did throughout the year. Regardless of each student’s performance on these tests though, the more students that take AP tests, the better the school’s reputation is for having “AP participation.” On a macro level, these numbers are impressive, considering the number of students that take these tests for their GPA. Whether a student takes an AP test should not be at the expense of a student’s wallet or brain.

@chrissyteigen: “Extremely

fine with any unfollows, would prefer it over your ignorant rants but I’m prepared either way. Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

11/27/15

Staff Editorial

The Wessex Wire The Official Student Newspaper of West Essex High School A Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Paper 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 (973) 228-1200 ext. 258 2015-2016 STAFF:

Managing Editor Tatum Pappas ’16

Editors-in-Chief Brianna Crummy ’16 Julia Maxman ’16

Art Director Courtney Pappas ’16

News Editors Anthony Gagliardi ’16 Cathryn Kessler ’16

Opinion Editors Jordan Alworth ’16 Jewels Gutowski ’16

Features Editors Julie Rosenberg ’16 Isabel Tabs ’17

Sports Editors Kirk Geller ’16 Caitlin Morrissey ’16

Arts & Culture Editor Patrick Glenn ’16

Research Editor Jake Wolf ’17

Copy Editors Gianna Aktas ’16 Ceana Cuello ’16 Junior Copy Editor: Daniella Ignacio ‘17

Contributing Staff Alexa DeMary ’16 Jessica Cunha ‘17 Michael DiGiacomo ’18 Alexa Dratch ’18 Dan Laible ‘18 Melanie Montesdeoca ’18 Sharon O’Donnell ’18

Photo Editors Maddie Gering ’16 Sammi Mazzella ’16 Jules Moskowitz ‘17 Advertising Editors Sammi Mazzella ’16 Jaime Petrocca ’16

Adviser Mr. Hermosilla

The Wessex Wire Editorial Policy

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

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

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

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF ALEXA DEMARY

Celebrity status does not relate to quality of words

By Jordan Alworth ’16

Nine individuals were wounded and three lives were lost as a direct result of the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting on Friday morning of Nov. 27. The event shook up the nation and reignited dormant fears. It was another absolute tragedy inside our own borders. Following the news, Chrissy Teigen, model and wife to singer John Legend, resorted to Twitter to express her take on the situation. Teigen tweeted, “Every time sh*t like this happens, John and I immediately make another donation to planned parenthood.”

Teigen received a fair dose of negative backlash after the impetuous comment. One user tweeted back, “It would be wonderful if you could promote this as quickly as you promoted donating to PP (planned parenthood)," providing a link to the crowdfunding page dedicated to raising money for the family of the officer killed in the shooting, according to E! News.

The model’s response: “Oh f**k off, nothing is ever enough for you, is it? How about you donate?"

Yes, everyone has a right to have and share their own opinion, but could the thought behind and timing of the statement have been better? An even bigger yes.

Personal beliefs aside, all sensitive situations, especially ones involving death, should be regarded with a certain degree of respect. Teigen showed none. Given the elevated platforms celebrities have, they should be much more cautious of

what much they say and how they chose to present it to their often millions of followers.

Social media has facilitated a collision between pop culture and politics. The two worlds serve society in two different ways, and for the most part they should remain separate. Celebrities now more than ever take to Twitter and Instagram to post their support or lack thereof for candidates and other political issues. Whether it be Kim Kardashian’s selfie with Hillary Clinton, with a caption telling followers she is voting for her, or any other form of promotion, I hesitate to call it a good thing.

Celebrities have an ever increasing pull on society, and with that added responsibility they should be aware of the impression they have on others.

“If Kim Kardashian thinks something, all of her followers will think the same. Her perspective influences millions of people who will vote in the next election,” said senior Max Lehr.

Pop stars have turned into figures of admiration for the younger generation, and with that, new voters could become the victims of this pop culture-political jumble.

It is important to be educated on what is going on around the world and to develop your own views, which may or may not match those of your celebrity role model.

“It gets people involved and interested in the topic even if they may not have the same opinion,” said senior Miranda Lichtenstein.

I cannot deny that any level

of celebrity association with a cause does lead to often needed increased attention. For example, Angelina Jolie is the Goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency and Matt Damon is the co-founder of Safe-Water charity, which works to develop clean water programs for countries, according to suggest.com.

Helping others is one thing, but commenting on a topic with very limited knowledge or understanding is another. When Kim Kardashian tells you (possibly one of her 54 million Instagram followers) to vote for her husband, Kanye West, when he runs for President in 2020, remember: 1) Who it is doing the promoting and 2) Who it is that’s being promoted.

Celebrities are not necessarily the people I would call “qualified” to be advising the nation. E! News has even created a whole subpage of its website, “Pop & Politics,” to compensate for this trend. Features include, “Michelle Obama’s famous friends” and “Celebs endorse Hillary Clinton.”

Celebrities are just like everyday people in that they too have opinions and they too have the right share them. But, what you and I don’t have are millions of people analyzing everything we say and do. This is where the average individual and celebrities differ. With power comes responsibility, so all I ask is that those in positions of elevated status and influence, take the time to think before they speak; a kindergarten lesson that should never be forgotten.

January 2016

Page 4

The Wessex Wire: Opinion

Think before you speak for your own benefit

By Brianna Crummy ’16 Everyone always has something to say, even if they do not know what they are saying. With the election coming up, every single incident presented to the public becomes politicized (even red coffee cups). When people begin to debate, arguments start flying in from left field. It is almost comical that people think they understand what they are talking about when they truly don’t have a clue. I am not claiming to always be correct or to have every answer, but people should probably think twice before going off on a rant.

I can understand people’s eagerness to join the conversation, but make sure you have done a bit of

research first. There is nothing worse than listening to somebody’s bigoted rant or idealized fantasy with no support to back it up. As a society, we have a tendency to repeat the things we want to believe.

It is so natural for us to associate with somebody else’s sentiment, regardless of whether or not they have a sound basis.

The 2016 presidential race has heightened society’s ability to criticize and even celebrate. As soon as a candidate makes a remark, anyone with the slightest bit of an opinion voices it automatically as a response.

There is no better example of this than Donald Trump. Mr. Trump is on the giving and receiving end of public opinion. He can stand in front of a crowd spewing

complete lies and utter ignorance while still receiving applause, while at the same time getting such harsh backlash that any argument he presents is ripped to shreds. This past December, Trump has proposed a ban on all Muslims wishing to enter the United States. This suggestion was very similar to the one made at the beginning of his campaign, explaining his plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico to keep out any immigrants.

Donald Trump is more than entitled to this opinion. The true problem is that the reasoning behind his beliefs has no sound evidence. He makes claims that appeal to the American public, which gives him such great power.

It is even worse that the people of

our country are willing to support this man that makes such outlandish claims.

A lot of the support rallied for all of the candidates comes from our ability to obtain information.

It is so simple to go online or to check a newsfeed and see all of the latest claims immediately posted.

This is so often the case with our generation and this is the way our beliefs and notions of the world are formulated.

The ugly truth is that the majority of the time, younger people do not even have opinions of their own. They interpret what ithey have read online or what their parents say and repeat it as their own ideas. It is so easy for us to have criticisms but so difficult to back them up because of our lack of

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: IZZIE CAINE, HARRY GOLDSTEIN, RACHEL HAMBURGER AND AMANDA WASSERMAN

Seniors deserve new opportunities

By Tatum Pappas ’16

The best part about senior year is figuring out where you will head off post graduation. After the stress of applications is over, it is a complete waiting game, but once accepted — then what? We work so hard in high school to get into the college of our dreams, but post-acceptance, the point of school becomes increasingly pointless to seniors, hence the term “senioritis.” By the end of December, there is already a large number of students who are deadset on where they want to go and their time in school seems to more or less be a bust.

So here’s a proposal: If everything is figured out and you know where you want to go, the school should allot more time to allow you to decide how to spend your last few months at home.

Picking your college, is sort of the first step into “the real world.”

In order to truly put their best feet forward, students should be able to do more of what they want the second half of senior year. They should be able to give back to the community or learn more about what they may want to major in

through different specified classes.

This year's senior class is not only academically strong, but motivated, and we should be allowed to use that to give back.

“I am so excited about being accepted to Cornell, but I don’t plan on taking my foot off the gas pedal until after midterms,” senior Izzie Caine said. “However, I really want to give back and do community service.”

Spending 18 years of your life in a small community like ours, we have a remarkable support system. It is important to not only be thankful for those people, but to truly do something to prove your gratitude.

“If I had the opportunity I would love to spend my time where I went to preschool, Temple Agudath-Israel, and volunteer there,” said senior Harry Goldstein, who just committed to Emory University. “It’s nice to go back to the place I started at.”

Another way to spend time, is taking advantage of classes or programs that are truly beneficial to an incoming freshman. Choosing a major is not only extremely difficult, but also stressful. To have a preview of what you want to do

as you are entering into college would lessen stress during your freshman year.

“I would love to have the opportunity to take some business courses,” senior Victoria Luongo said. “My schedule never has had space to do so, but now that I am going to Penn State, I wish I could know a little bit more about this field and explore my options.”

Some students have spent their weekends of high school volunteering at different organizations.

When a student has a passion to do something so often it should not be a burden to find time to do so, but instead encouraged and enabled by the school.

“I always help out at University Hospital and find myself looking for more time to go there. I would love it if I could help out on the weekdays,” said senior Kylie Donohue, who was just accepted to Notre Dame University .

There are so many opportunities for what students could do with their time once they decide which college they will attend. It would not only be a useful end to senior year for the students, but it would also benefit the community and their future endeavors.

life experience. When our parents and grandparents complain about our government’s functionality, at the very least it is informed by the fact that they have lived over half of their lives in this country — they have somewhat of an understanding of how it should work. It is so simple for us to sit back and agree with them, when in reality we can’t even relate to half of the things they are talking about.

It is important to keep informed and have a better understanding of the world around us. As a society we have a responsibility to be knowledgeable when exercising our freedom of speech. We need to take into consideration the fact that misinformed people make misinformed decisions that can lead to sheer disaster.

It’s my turn to complain

By Patrick Glenn ’16 Does it bother you that people just don’t stop complaining about their workload and school related activities?

With all the activities that student bombarding thems elves wit h, there are very few who are approaching their studies and extracurriculars with a more manageable outlook. I, personally, have had it up to here (my hand is up really high) with people constantly venting about how much “stuff ” they have to do.

Let’s get this straight: We all have hours of school work, sports and other after school activities on our to-do list. However, these are all choices made by OURSELVES. We are the ones who decide to flood our schedules with hours upon hours of work, so let’s not pretend that someone else made these decisions for us. It’s time to put the ownership on ourselves and take on our responsibilities. Of course, there is outside pressure, whether it be siblings, parents or other people in our lives that add an undo burden through expectations. However, it’s always been my experience that the greatest pressure upon the shoulders of high school students and people in general is the one they put on themselves.

So, I won’t rant, I won’t go off on a tangent talking about how we shouldn’t be stressing for (ultimately) meaningless assignments and assessments, and say how it will all in the end work out. But I will give some words of encouragement and soft suggestions.

We are, as a collective student body, highly motivated and driven

PHOTO BY JORDAN ALWORTH

Pat Glenn is befuddled by the students who create their own burdens.

to reach our short term and long term objectives. Whether that be acing a midterm, building up a resume, or achieving acceptance into a highly competitive university, we all have goals in mind that we strive for each and every day. These goals are important for keeping us on track, giving us an attainable objective to help us remain focused. Unfortunately, there is a flipside to this ultra motivated methodology: We become too high strung and every little assessment becomes the be-allend-all of our high school careers.

Let me return to my original point, which is that people complain far too much about the volume of assigned work they are given. We all need to recognize that while this work is important for our academic success, our sanity is more important. Forgive me for sounding too preachy, for I myself need to follow my own advice. I’m just trying to preserve the psyche of every GPA obsessed, resume beefer-upper (if that’s not a word, now it is).

So, work hard in class, build up a respectable body of work, but don’t ruin yourself in the process.

Have faith that a few poor marks and disappointments won’t ruin your chances for prosperity.

Features

January 2016 Issue 3

The Wessex Wire Page 5

Volunteer opportunities span the globe

By Jewels Gutowski ’16

in the village of Babu. She even helped build toilets for the people in the village.

While staying in Fiji, she and the other students on the trip stayed in a base camp, where she slept in a room with no roof, but just a net to keep out bugs and a tarp for when it rained. Despite spending most of her time volunteering, there was still time for her to experience the country’s culture and try some fun activities. She went hiking in the sand dunes, kayaking and exploring to see a rare species of neon colored fish.

Mason said her community service trip was very gratifying and to her, volunteering was enjoyable. “It was the best experience of my life,” Mason said. “Knowing you made a difference and feeling the sense of appreciation from the Fijians was the best part.”

Katie De Brabanter PHOTO COURTESY OF HALLE MASON

Mason hugging one of the Fijians she met while doing community service in Fiji.

Halle Mason

Even though volunteering nowadays may seem like a chore, there are so many opportunities to have fun while doing it. Senior Halle Mason embarked on a two week community service trip to Fiji in the summer of 2015. Mason eared roughly 40 hours of community service with the program Rustic Pathways, which offers community service trips for teens all across the globe aimed at various interest groups, including what Rustic Pathways describes as adrenaline junkies, animal lovers, aspiring doctors, athletes, environmentalists, photographers, sight seekers and more.

Mason visited schools and helped young students practice their English and story writing. She also painted classrooms and a mural, her group’s mission being to improve the overall quality of the school.

“I would definitely recommend a service trip like this to everyone,” Mason said. “I think it’s a great experience that everyone should partake in.”

Mason also helped repair and create sanitation systems

Junior Katie De Brabanter skipped right over her local volunteering opportunities and took her efforts to Key Largo, Fla., with The Road Less Travled, where she spent three weeks helping local scientists and conservationists reconstruct an underwater coral reef nursery last summer.

“Summer service programs are the best way to give back to communities in need while exploring different cultures,” De Brabanter said. “These kinds of trips combine volunteering with adventure.”

De Brabanter spent a total of 52 hours completing 14 different dives to explore the coral reefs and took several fish identification classes. She also became a certified scuba diver by doing open water dives with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). It was mainly an environmental service trip, which is perfect for people with a passion for marine biology. For all of her time spent on the trip she received a Presidential Scholarship Award, which recognizes individuals and groups for volunteer hours earned over a 12-month period or over the course of a lifetime at home or abroad.

De Brabanter loved the trip so much that she is planning to embark on another trip this summer, but this time she will be flying to Hawaii., For students interested in a community service based

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE DE BRABANTER

De Brabanter scuba diving while on a trip in Key Largo, Fla.

trips, now is the time to sign up. Not only does it look great on college applications, but “it is an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience and I definitely recommend that people try it,” De Brabanter said.

...And other worthy causes are right in our backyard

By Sammi Mazzella ’16

Alexa Baskinger ’16 “I like to play with the animals because it is something I am passionate about,” said Baskinger, who spends her time volunteering at Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter.

The shelter is always looking for another helping hand to clean up or simply just play with the animals. Baskinger specifically helps with cleaning up after the dogs and making sure they have enough food and water. She helps train dogs that have once been abused to feel safe again when around humans. She helps the dogs to have normal behavior.

Andrew Rubinich ’16 Josh Kupferberg ’19 Rubinich sp e nds t i me participating in a youth group, works as a CCD teacher, and an altar server. Being a part of the church gives him opportunities to do activities like volunteering at soup kitchens and helping raise money for special causes at fundraisers. “I choose to be involved for the sake of community and friendships,” said Rubinich.

“Youth groups foster such a great sense of community brought together in spirituality and its impotant that young people get to experience that.”

As a national organization that helps children and teens with disabilities, The Friendship Circle is always in need of extra support. As such, Kupferberg first began working with the group in seventh grade and has been volunteering with the organization ever since. He spends time with children with a variety of disabilities to hang out as friends.

He does activities anywhere from sports, to scootering, to music with kids from 8-18 years old. He has also volunteered at walks and and summer camps for the kids offering his time and compassion.

Brandon Heinz and Esha Parikh ’16 Heinz and Parihk created a program in December with Bethany Church located in West Orange. This program allows West Essex students involved in National Honors Society (NHS), Key Club and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to go to the church and help younger children. The West Essex students would assist with academics specifically. Brandon Heinz worked hard to get the program approved by the board at West Essex with Esha Parikh’s help. “We have to look at it as less of an opportunity to get community service hours and more of a way of us to build opportunities for others,” Heinz said. “The work is really rewarding in ways that can not be directly seen on a college application.” Currently, Heinz, Parikh and other students from West Essex go to the church twice a week to help out. Their intention is to create a happy place for the kids to go and hopefully put a big smile on the face of a younger student. In the future the two would like to expand the progam to help more children and serve the community in other ways.

Page 6

The Wessex Wire: Features

January 2016

Mom, twerking is a dance move

By Cathryn Kessler ’16 Burned into our generation’s memory like an awful tattoo, we all had to experience our parents outdated trends from an early age. From the agonizing road trips filled with your mother blasting an unnecessary amount of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, to never understanding why your dad would wear unnatural looking fanny packs throughout Hersheypark, our parents’ trends always subconsciously didn’t make sense.

You have probably lashed out on your parents by saying “Mom, Dad, you are embarassing me” at some time if your life after witnessing them do something or say something that makes you cringe.

There will always be a disconnect between children and their parents as a result of new trends. No matter how in depth or how clear our explanations may be, our parents will never understand the world we live in. The trends that are now defining our new day and age are beginning to seem like a foreign language to the people that gave us life.

So to all parents out there, I will do you a favor and shed some light on how trends today operate as I try to pull you out of your confused glory days. Here are the most misunderstood scenarios that parents will never understand.

Music with little to no lyrics

This may or may not be characterized as hyperbole, but most of us have had the common argument with our parents about what music to play in the car or just in general. Our generation, with the use of technology has adapted to enjoying the “techno” or “electronic” genre of music. These songs are created with a combination of many sounds that create many catchy tunes, with less lyrics than normal. Although this music is very easy to dance to and is pleasing to the ear to most of us, it tends to lead our parents to yell “turn that garbage off ” or “you’re killing brain cells by listening to that music.” But look on the bright side: this music does many of us a favor since we don’t need to hear our parents sing.

No matter how many times you tell your parents that they can’t hit the high notes in their favorite Van Halen song, they’re still going to think they can. So no more scarred eardrums: From our parents singing, to walking in on Lambo jamming out to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”

by Cindy Lauper, music with no lyrics would serve justice to everyone.“Nothing like a good techno song to fist-pump to. Too bad my parents will never get that joy.” senior Dante Petullo said.

You cannot zoom in on Instagram

Have you ever shown a picture to your mom on Instagram and her first reaction is to enlarge the picture? She will sit there for ten minutes trying to enlarge the screen in order to get a better view of the picture but the image just will not change size. Parents will also try to double tap a photo to try to get it to zoom in and not only do their efforts fail, but this method results in you liking a picture you maybe did not mean to like. Unfortunately, you can not zoom in on Instagram and parents just do not seem to catch on.

“Whenever I show one of my older relatives a picture on Instagram, they try to zoom in, even though I always remind them it does not work like that on this app. The worst is when they zoom in by double tapping and accidentally ‘like’ a photo,” sophomore Nick Sylvestro said.

As more and more adults start to use technology and the social media that comes with it, a certain level of education on the apps needs to be gained.

Excessive phone use

The biggest difference between our parents’ Generation X and our Millennial generation is the speed of communication. Although it is common household etiquette to never use phones at the dinner table, parents will never understand why our generation is so invested in phones. To us, it is obvious: the speed of communication through cell phones help relationships and further improves our networking skills, but to our parents phones are just a black hole of antisocial behavior. Their childhoods were composed of phone calls to community house phones to reach friends, or, moreover, to them talk in person.

Now parents are just jealous that we get to bypass that embarrassment by calling a personal cell phone or shooting a simple text message. This jealousy is also rooted in the fact that they simply can’t use a phone like we can. “My parents do not get that if I am the middle of making a great Snapchat story, I cannot just put my phone down. My creative juices are flowing and I have to record at the moment,” senior Alberto Gonzalez said.

Reading the newspaper is going extinct

It is obvious that print media is in its death throes. Our children will one day ask us,“Wait, dead trees transformed into paper with words stamped on them that told you what happened the day before and delivered to your house every morning?! Mom, stop telling lies! ” A conversation like this in the future is inevitable because majority of breaking news will be on the internet. This very newspaper that everyone is so intrigued to read, may one day go extinct. “I can’t remember the last time I saw a newspaper. I do not understand why parents would read a newspaper when can access anything they want on the Internet,” freshman Ali Gann said.

By Maddie Gering ’16 Although parents may never admit it, they treat each of their children differently. We all have that one sibling that can get away with anything and always get what he or she wants. And if you’re lucky, then that child is you. There are three different classifications of a child: Golden, Silver or Bronze.

The three different classifications don’t reflect how much your parents love you. It reflects how strict they are with you and how much you can get away with. First and most importantly is the Golden Child. In your parent’s eyes you are never wrong no matter what the situation is. In every fight with your siblings you always win. There is no doubt that you get most of what you want. Being the golden child means that the spotlight is always on you. There is no doubt that your siblings are envious of your prestigious title the Golden Child.

“I am definitely the Golden Child,” senior Amanda Wasserman said. “I am the oldest in the family and I think that I am the favorite. My twin sisters have to fight for the title of silver and bronze.

The favoritism switches from time to time.”

Next down the line is the Silver Child. Being the Silver Child means that your parents are a little bit

stricter with you. They are often hounding you to do better and act more like your siblings. You can still get away with a lot because the attention is usually not focused on you. Being the silver child means that you are in the middle most of the time.

Although you are not at the top of the sibling pyramid, you are not stuck at the bottom either. Even though you are not the Golden Child you are the next best thing.

“Out of all my siblings I think that I am the Silver Child. My sister Sheri is definitely the Golden Child and Kevin is the Bronze. Although if you asked them they would probably say otherwise,” senior Kerri Astorino said.

Lastly, is the Bronze Child. If you’re the Bronze Child chances are that you are always being blamed for sibling fights and that you are often getting in trouble. Being the Bronze Child can be a blessing in disguise. The attention is usually focused on your other siblings more so than you so you can often get away with things. If your parents do catch you though, chances are you will get in trouble.

Typically in a family the Golden Child is the oldest sibling, the bronze is the youngest and the silver are the siblings that fall in between, but this is not always the case.

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF SHARON O’DONNELL

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: IMAGES OBTAINED FROM CLIPARTPANDA.COM, CLIPART PANDA.COM, EMOJIBASE.COM, INCYTMARKETING.COM

The ultimate struggle: being any child that is not golden

January 2016

Page 7

The Wessex Wire: Features

Uber things Uber does

By Julie Rosenberg ’16

What else can Uber do?

Flu Shots

• Doctors usually enforce patients to go and get a flu shot to keep them from the contagious illness and now, so is Uber.

On Thursday Nov. 20, Uber offered a one day opprotunity for people to get a flu shot delivered right to them. A certified nurse would be brought by way of Uber to the person ordering a flu shot.

Uber Puppies

• Uber Puppies was run for one day this past August. It allowed people to buy 15 minutes of playtime with puppies for $20. The offer was only available in the Pennsylvania region where Uber teamed up with the PSPCA (Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The goal of the operation was for people to become interested in adopting some of the dogs brought to spaces with Uber Puppies.

Food Delivery

• UberEATS, available in most major cities, delivers food directly to your location when you need it with just the click of a button on your Uber app. The service is now looking to move to other areas and hopefully we will see it around West Essex soon.

Who Can Be an Uber Driver?

Minimum Age 21

• 2000 or newer vehicle, but in some cities requirements are different.

• Pass Background Check • Have a CDL (Commercial Drivers License)

Hours

• Uber drivers make their own hours and decide what times work for them.

Stats

• Uber is the highest growing driving job. It has had a 400 percent growth from 2013-2014. This is compared to a 16 percent increase in taxi drivers and a 9 percent increase in bus drivers.

• Average earnings per hour for an Uber driver is $19 per hour. This is high compared to $10 per hour earned by taxi drivers and $14 earned by bus drivers.

For N.J. Key Club treasurer, work is gold Bobbie Boettinger spends countless hours working for Key Club, all to honor one special man.

IPHONE IMAGE OBTAINED FROM APPLE.COM

By Jessica Cunha ’17 Starting her first day of kindergarten, a young girl is in tears as she looks at the space next to her mom, noticing that someone is missing. Her name is Bobbie Boettinger, and even though she is upset, she knows that her dad’s service to the U.S. Army National Guard is even bigger than himself.

Looking up to him all her life, Boettinger knew that one day she wanted to positively impact people’s lives just like her father.

Flash forward 11 years, and Boettinger is now a junior and the treasurer of the Key Club for the District of New Jersey, participating in events almost every weekend to benefit a community in some shape or form. As treasurer, she is expected to create a budget for the service year, send out monthly financial reports to

the board along with dues reports and process registration for big events such as Fall Rally and District Convention.

Boettinger first became aware of the club at a very young age because her grandfather used to hold the position of District Administrator. At only 2 months old, she attended her first Key Club meeting and ever since, she hasn’t been able to stop.

“As I got older I began to understand it more,” said Boettinger. “I saw the difference that teenagers were making in the world and from that point I knew that I wanted to do the same.”

The District Key Club is a timeconsuming organization, and Boettinger has had to make sacrifices in order to compensate for it. One of them is not being able to attend her junior prom, a huge part of the high school experience.

“It is hard being a board member because many sacrifices have to be made,” she said. “Most weekends I am not home due to Key Club and honestly, I do not even remember when my last free weekend was. I have learned how to prioritize and figure out what is most important and going to help me in the long run to succeed.”

However, Boettinger would not have it any other way. She loves giving back and recommends everyone try to contribute something to their communities, even if it’s small.

“If a student really wants to get involved in service organizations, they should definitely join one of the many clubs we have here at West Essex,” said Boettinger. “But don’t treat it like it is just some club to put down on a college application, it is so much more than that.”

Junior Gianna Cielo, Co-Vice President of the Key Club at West Essex, could not agree more. She feels that this organization has given her perspective on a world outside of her own.

“I like being able to not only make a difference locally but internationally as well,” Cielo said.

“It’s so cool that it’s a student-led organization and just a fun way to give back to others with friends.”

The community that evolves from this organization is a major reason why Boettinger keeps on participating in it, year after year.

Even though she had the opportunity to go to California, she knows that the reason why it was so memorable was because of the people that surrounded her.

“I got to make friendships with people around the world, compete in a talent show and sing in front of an audience of 2,000 people” said Boettinger. “It’s such a cool and rewarding experience.”

The relationships and friendships that Boettinger has formed with others is the main reason to her success. Junior Alexa Vardiman has known her since she was only 5 years old and has always seen this potential in her.

“She always has been responsible and her warm personality makes her a trustworthy person that people feel comfortable being

around,” Vardiman said.

Even though it is a lot of fun, Boettinger never wants the meaning of what Key Club is all about to be lost. She is extremely passionate about community service and does this to ensure a better life for future generations.

“As Key Clubbers we have eliminated tetanus from third world countries,” said Boettinger. “We are literally saving lives every day.”

A lot can be learned from the way Boettinger chooses to live her life. Everyone should find what they are passionate about and never look back.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOBBIE BOETTINGER

Boettinger makes a speech at the Key Club District Convention in 2015.

&

Arts Arts

Culture The verdict on feminism: the jury is still out Opposing sides debate on the practice of the social movement

By Julia Maxman ’16 When women are young, they

are encouraged to act like Disney Princesses who are known for their extravagant ballgowns and for waiting for their princes to rescue them.

On the other hand, they are also taught about “girl power” and that girls are able to achieve anything boys can. These ideals can conflict because one maintains the stereotype of women being submissive to men, but the latter influences women to defend and work for their equality.

THE MOVEMENT’S ROOTS This is a simplified version of the modern debate and discussion surrounding feminism, which is broadly defined as the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men. While the rise in the feminist movement has been more prevalent in the last decade, strong independent women fighting for their rights have been present throughout history. The grounds of feminism though, and the principles it preaches have received backlash from “anti feminists.”

The earliest known women that exhibited feminist values date all the way back to Sacajawea, who proved the capabilities of the female mind when leading Lewis and Clark (and holding a baby the whole way). In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a proponent of women’s suffrage and drafted “The Declaration of Sentiments,” one of the first steps in progressing women’s rights. In the early 1900s, Margaret Sanger was one of the first prominent feminists who worked to advocate for the legalization of birth control and opened the first birth control clinic in the United States. By the 1970s, feminist Gloria Steinem promoted

abortion and criticized pornography, for the sake of upholding women’s rights. It was women such as Sanger, Stanton and Steinem who were catalysts in this cause.

“I think feminism is taking a positive shift in the past year or two. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, many feminists were often (unfairly) seen as radicals and labeled “feminazis,” history teacher Ms. Blanchard said. “ In the past few years, there has been a more conscious shift to represent feminism as an inclusive group wanting to simply promote equal rights and equal access.”

The Wessex Wire Page 8

Celebrities show support

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE While the feminism platform was formed with the best intentions to advance women in society, some argue that it is beginning to promote a standard other than its original intention. According to The National Review, anti-feminists challenge a “socially engineering society that gives special privileges to women

and special punishments to men.”

Now, many believe feminism has transformed into a basis of hypocrisy in which women can play the “blame game.” This dissention is not only evident in culture, but among West Essex’s student body as well.

Students here at West Essex also run along the same lines of debate over feminism, with some questioning the current state of the movement’s goals and objectives.

“I’m a fan of the raw notion of feminism, but unfortunately it is not always practiced the way it should be,” senior Marissa Inga said. “Most feminists only want equality, and that’s completely just, but I just can’t stand hypocrisy, and unfortunately there’s a lot of room for it.”

While a feminist fights for equal pay for doing the same work as men, others argue the basis of feminism encourages the dehumanizing of men, a Twitter campaign known as #WomenAgainstFeminism.

This trend began because many, including women, believed that feminism was hypocrisy in that while women are demanding equal rights, it is still an expectation that women should be “treated like ladies.” According to the Women Against Feminism Facebook page, the rationale for this anti-feminism movement is that feminists are playing the “victim card” and should fight their own battles without oppressing men. However though, this does not stop the driving force of feminism.

“I think feminism is important for women and I think more people need to be aware of its effects,” junior Molly Neal said.

Regardless of whether one promotes the actual cause of “feminism,” the equality of women is a movement that has been ongoing for centuries and will continue until the status of men and women will be equal politically, in regard to their pay as well as on a social level.

While the true basis of feminism remains controversial, women’s rights is still a prominent cause worth bringing to the forefront.

weekend in theaters, the movie broke box office records with $238 million in sales. “Jurassic World” was number one of the ranking list, even months after the release back in June. This PG-13 movie earned more than $650 million.

Turning the tables, 2015 has left behind an array of top trending songs from many well known artists. The year was defined by songs produced by Drake, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Adele. All five artists had their album and songs reach the top of

the charts. The four minute song mashup of 2015, “DJ Earworm 50 shades of pop” features the 45 most popular songs of the year.

Some include, “Cool For The Summer” by Demi Lovato and “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap. The song features mini clips from all 45 songs, of all different genres collaborated into one.

With everything happening from movies to music, celebrities have been at the root of it all. 2015 was jammed packed with “hot” celebrity moments. Bruce Jenner,

now known as Caitlyn Jenner, shocked the world in her Vanity Fair cover last June.

Many were aware that her transition was happening due to the interview with Diane Sawyer, but we never knew exactly when it would occur. Her transition was first seen on social media outlets, with the headline “Call me Caitlyn” spread everywhere.

She also made her debut on her new reality TV show, “I am Cait,” in July.

Who knew the Mets had it in

MODERN FEMINISM More recently, the movement has been active in designing clothing to showcase the cause, as well as putting forth famous feminist figures to advocate the development of platform. This includes the “This is what a feminist looks like” t-shirt campaign championed by Emma Watson as well as Beyonce’s hit song “Run the World (Girls)” which while catchy, reiterates the message that women can “run the world’ and men “disrespect us, they won’t.”

Feminism in pop culture has been extremely prominent in moving this cause along. Taylor Swift, who connects with women of all ages through her heartfelt and inspirational lyrics claims on feminism that “it simply means you believe women and men should have equal rights and opportunities,” encouraging her fans to believe in themselves and not let gender prejudice hold them back from their dreams. Famous figures such as Swift have given young girls the empowerment they need to stand up for their rights as females.

“” My biggest thing is to teach not to focus on the aesthetic. It’s really about who you are.

— Jennifer Lawrence

“” “” We have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.

— Beyonce

Men: I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation.

Gender equality is your issue too.

— Emma Watson

Looking back at 2015: the best in film, television, music and sports

By Gianna Aktas ’16 With 2015 coming to a close, there have been many lights flashed on celebrities and the media. From hit movies like “Jurassic World” and “Furious 7” to top Billboard hits and the birth of Caitlyn Jenner, this year in regards to pop culture has been many things, but “boring” isn’t one of them.

As many people know, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was released on Dec. 18. After the first

them to make it all the way to the World Series? After nearly three decades, the Mets finally made it back to the top, making it to the World Series. Though they did not take home the trophy, they still had a great season.

With everything in the limelight, 2015 was a year to remember. The year had many highs, leaving a lasting impression on the people following these moments.

This year is going to be difficult to forget, but who knows what 2016 will have to offer?

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January 2016 Issue 3

January 2016

The Wessex Wire: Arts & Culture

Page 9

‘Force’ awakens and gives ‘Star Wars’ a new hope

By Michael DiGiacomo ’18 THE FORCE IS BACK! Director J. J. Abrams’ highly anticipated installment of the seventh episode in the award-winning intergalactic franchise, “Star Wars,” debuted to audiences around the world on Dec. 18. Before the movie’s release, people were skeptical as to whether or not “Star Wars” could be revitalized after witnessing George Lucas’ disappointing prequels to the original trilogy. Fortunately, Abrams rejuvenated the thrill of the warmhearted, action-filled spectacle that most of us remember from watching the original trilogy.

The plot of “The Force Awakens” centers around the search for the last Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker.

The oppressive successor to the Empire, the First Order, wants to extinguish the last of the Jedi, since he’s the Resistance’s most valuable asset to win the war. Viewers quickly meet the audacious scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley), who goes from a young girl living on a desert planet with no family to the most worthy challenger to face the First Order.

Ridley portrays her as someone who doesn’t really understand her true power and what the future entails, which makes her character very relatable. Her unwavering self-confidence and humorous oneliners on their own make the movie worthy of its success.

Another character to look out for is Finn (John Boyega). Similar to Rey, there’s not much mentioned about Finn’s backstory. However, his intentions and morals are evident throughout the film. Early on, Finn experiences a sudden character change that draws sympathy from the audience instantly. Boyega’s reactions to the rollercoaster swirls

PHOTO COURTESY OF DALE JACKSON (CC BY 2.0)

With Darth Vader out of the picture, the “Star Wars” franchise replaced its world famous villain with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a terrorizing and intimidating character in his own right.

Staff Review of adventure come off as realistic, given the unbelievable events that transpire. His interactions and overdramatic facial expressions reveal Finn to be that regular guy who was randomly placed in the middle of this sci-fi universe, which makes him such a fun-loving character.

“The Force Awakens” does a better job of incorporating in depth character development rather than the previous six episodes. Specifically, the audience sees Kylo Ren as a person, instead of just a faceless evil Sith Lord like Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” series.

It took a total of six episodes for fans to discover and understand Vader’s backstory and reasoning for becoming the dominant force of the

dark side. In “The Force Awakens,” however, we already see Kylo’s face and learn a little bit about his history and his intentions for turning against the Resistance and for the Dark Side.

Another reason why Finn, Rey, Poe and Kylo all shine in this movie is because of the presence of the old cast members. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are back playing their original roles as Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, respectively. The famous robot duo of C-3P0 and R2D2, copilot Wookiee Chewbacca and even the legendary spaceship The Millennium Falcon are all back to not only give nostalgia, but help the newbloods weave their way into the series.

Han Solo and Chewbacca welcome Rey and Finn to the adventure through witty dialogue exchanges and untimely circumstances. At

first, the newcomers appear as weak individuals who don’t know exactly how to approach certain predicaments. But after collaborating with the characters from the past, they become stronger people.

In terms of visual effects, “The Force Awakens” amazes with laser beams, explosions, lightsaber battles and sound effects that explode into the cinema. The technological production value has improved significantly since the last episode in 2005. One of the coolest effects in this movie is when sparks fly off the sabers as they strike.

The lack of CGI, compared to the prequels, makes the story feel more realistic with the use of practical effects. A movie can never be flawless, but the negatives for this film were minor. The new Starkiller base of the The First Order, or the Death Star 3.0, doesn’t feel as threatening as the original. Yes, it’s

two times the size, and the effects from Starkiller looked incredible.

However the emotional build for its destructiveness wasn’t elevated enough. Also, the chrome suited Stormtrooper, Captain Phasma played by the future oscar nominated actress Gwendoline Christie, should have had more screentime.

With graphics ahead of its predecessors and fresh new faces, “The Force Awakens” comes close to having its audience feel as if they’re actually in the universe of the story. When the final credits appear on the screen, audiences will be asking the force for the next film to the new trilogy.

4.5 out of 5 stars

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Beloved ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ continues on strong after a decade

By Courtney Pappas ’16 It’s been on television since 2006, it’s been a favorite for moms and then their children- “Grey’s Anatomy.” This medical themed show is on its 12th season and is still as popular as ever.

This was director Shonda Rhimes’ first big television series that truly captured many people’s hearts. In 10 years and 12 seasons, countless tears and tons of laughs, “Grey’s Anatomy” is a show that seems like it will live on forever.

“My mom has been watching the series since it came out, and then I started watching it in Netflix a few years ago,” said senior Alexa Baskinger. “Now we watch it together every Thursday.”

What fans of “Grey’s” love most, they say, is how Rhimes creates stories that can affect people’s lives and mirror issues that are going on today. “Grey’s Anatomy” is one of

three shows that premieres every Thursday for “TGIT.” In all three shows, including “Scandal” and “How To Get Away with Murder,” her primary message is to promote women and minorities as powerful figures which is not seen sometimes in reality.

“The entire world is skewed from the white male perspective.

If you’re a woman, they have to say it’s a female-driven comedy,” said Shonda Rhimes, “If it is a comedy with Latinos in it, then it is a Latino comedy. ‘Normal’ is white male, and I find that to be shocking and ridiculous.”

Rhimes is a black woman who proves that she can have strength, and she is working to start a trend in others. The appeal of the show may come from how they affect and relate to many viewers lives. And it clearly seems to be working. They are sharing events that happen in people’s everyday life.

“‘Grey’s Anatomy’ knows how to punch you in the emotional gut, tear your heart out and make you go through entire Kleenex boxes in one sitting. And that’s why we can’t stop watching it!” Sydney Bucksbaum from EOnline.com said.

After so many seasons, characters have come and gone but the show still thrived. Viewers have fallen in love with the relationship between Christina Yang and Meredith Grey.

The two girls are the perfect example of a women’s friendship and have showed viewers how women can depend on each other and not a man.

“I love how the show proves women power. I feel like most shows always play the men as the hero but in Grey’s, us girls are the leaders,” said junior Liz Schechter.

The continuous appeal of “Grey’s” comes from the way it is has mirrored society over the last 10 years.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PUBLIC PHOTOS (CC BY 2.0)

In 12 seasons, ‘Grey’s’ has had a revolving door of cast members, but fans contiue to stay loyal to ABC’s staple series.

As different events arise, they tell a similar story on the show.

Viewers have seen hospital shootings, plane crashes, terrorist threats and other infinitely relatable events.

As long as the show continues to relate to the viewers, the longer it’ll

still be the show that generations continue to watch.

“At this rate, there seems like there’s no end to the show,” said senior Paige Innarella. “If they came this far, I can’t imagine them stopping any time soon.”

January 2016

The Wessex Wire: Sports

Page 10

Social media sites start new controversy in sports As colleges discuss banning players from using their online accounts, the penalties behind their possible mistakes need to make a larger impact

By Kirk Geller ’16 In a world dominated by technology and social media, one poorly conceived Tweet, Insta or Snap can be misinterpreted and damage the careers of the most powerful athlete in any given sport. Despite what some might be led to believe, communication on these kinds of social media is not protected under the First Amendment as a right, and players can be penalized for any action taken out through their social media accounts.

Some coaches have tried to ban their players from using their accounts in order to protect them from their own self. Athletes from major universities such as Clemson and Florida State have been banned from using any form of social media in-season for the past few years.

While some schools choose this path in order to keep their players safe, it is not the popular choice for most schools or journalists. Jeff Long, chairman of the college football playoff committee and current athletic director at the university of Arkansas, tweeted that he doesn’t agree with banning players from using social media.

“I don't believe in this approach.

College is [just] about Ed [education] & preparing young people for life, social media is here to stay,” Long said.

Long isn’t the only college administrator that has attempted to

take action against social media bans. University of Washington head football coach Chris Petersen began to suspend his players from using their accounts when he coached at Boise State, but removed this action when he was hired at Washington, saying that social media is just “part of the way we live now.”

The actions of coaches at the collegiate level have some people wondering if banning students as early as high school would help them remained focused also.

Some athletes may feel the need to comment or post their opinion, which could lead to different types of punishments if not taken correctly. Still, with the young age of these players, it may not be the coach’s responsibility.

“I, as a coach, don’t have the right to try and ban my players from using their social media accounts,” Coach Mondadori-Llauget said.

“In my eyes, at their age it is still the parents’ responsibility to monitor their kids, not mine.”

Many parents try to keep tabs on their kids accounts by joining the social media sites themselves, but, with their daily responsibilities, they can easily lose track. With no one watching every move they make on social media, teenagers can make decisions that will hurt them in the future. Athletes such as Clay Matthews, Stephanie Rice and Larry Johnson have all had their careers affected by their acts

regarding social media.

Matthews was discovered to be apart of creating a Facebook page called “White Nation.” The page was an inside joke between some players on the team and assistant coach at USC Todd McNair, who is African-American. The main issue was that Matthews posted a photo of an African-American child in handcuffs. While no punishments were handed out and the controversy has since been settled, the present issue possibly hurt Matthews when he entered the NFL draft and became an undrafted free agent, even though he has enjoyed a highly successful career at Green Bay. Rice and Johnson’s issues revolved around homosexual slurs and hurtful comments. Rice, a successful Olympian, was criticized for her comments and became a hateful figure in the eyes of her fans. Johnson’s career was negatively impacted in a great way. He also posted critical comments about his head coach at the time.

The main problem in our community today is that many professional athletes make comments on their accounts that they are not penalized for. Officials just let it go for many reasons, whether it be the popularity of the athlete or because they want to avoid any controversy that could result from enforcing penalties on the player.

Anthony DiMoro of Forbes conducted a study in July that dis-

PHOTO BY COURTNEY PAPPAS

Seniors Matt Jones and Dante Petullo appear to be focused on their Twitter and Instagram profiles, not their obligations as players on the field.

covered one fifth of internet users in the United States were expected to have Twitter accounts by the end of 2015. This projection would increase the amount of Twitter users from 15.2 percent in 2012, and is projected to increase to 24.2 percent by 2018.

DiMoro took a poll on Twitter to further his research, asking casual sports fans whether or not a player’s actions on Twitter would affect how the fan viewed not only the player, but the team itself. His poll found that some people would automatically turn away from the team because of the respect they would lose for the player.

Others said it would depend on the nature of the tweet, comparing a comment about major topics such as racism, crime or politics to a player’s response.

Interacting with fans on any topic is a major part of what players

do on social media.

A good amount of fans said that they set the bar low for player’s actions on social media, hoping that whatever the athlete tweets is only an improvement on how they view the player as an individual.

Ultimately, some of these players in college are still just teenagers going to schools where they face unimaginable amounts of pressure. While no tweet or post that contains indecency can be excused, they are people who are still learning the world and thinking with their hearts instead of their minds.

These bans and suspensions from social media are what these players need to protect themselves from harsh criticism. By keeping their players off of social media, coaches and administrators are allowing their players to learn from the important people in their lives, coaches, teammates and family.

Winter track starts ’15-’16 season off with high success

By Daniel Laible ’18 One of the most unheralded, but successful, sports teams at West Essex is Winter Track. From shot put to the 4 by 400 meter relay, the team is very strong on all fronts.

On Jan.3, during the Essex County Relays, the girl 4 by 200 meter runners destroyed the winter track school record and almost beat the spring record by 0.18 seconds. Alexia Perez, Gabriela Karch, Hailey Blum and Reanda Richards are number one in their section and 13th in the state for the girls 4 by 400 meter relay.

“I love the team spirit and how we support each other in everything. It’s a close-knit family and it’s all so much fun,” Perez said.

The team overall has improved immensely from past years and

hopes to win the state sectionals as a team. The boys team has experienced great success this season as well, breaking three school records already and running their way to unexpected new heights.

The 4 by 400 meter team in particular, led by juniors Liam Fost, Drew Lepre and Anthony Steets, as well as senior Isaiah Rodriguez, have noticeably improved.

“As a team, we are looking very strong compared to last year,” Steets said. “We have multiple runners and relays ranked very well in the state, and are running better times compared to last year.”

This season, the team has undergone a significant transformation.

Many of the team’s leading runners are younger than usual, and long-time head coach and West Essex counselor Mr. Emering is

no longer the head coach, allowing chemistry teacher Mr. Cullen to take the reins.

“My favorite part is seeing student athletes, regardless of ability level, discover they are able to do things they thought were previously unattainable,” Mr. Emering said.

“Mr. Cullen has done a masterful job at organizing and prepping the team.”

While some track athletes originally join the team to stay in shape for other sports that they might play, many student-athletes consider track an essential sport that has shaped part of their identity.

One of the major draws for athletes is the close-knit culture of the team.

“My favorite part about winter track is the family aspect. Many friendships can be created, and

as the season goes on, everyone gets closer and closer,” Lepre said.

“There is nothing that makes me run harder or faster than seeing and hearing my teammates cheering for me as I run down the last 100 meters of a 400 meter race.”

The winter track team is growing and the talent levels will only increase as more years pass. With different runners maturing and new freshmen joining, the track team has built itself to stay successful for years to come.

The Wessex Wire: Sports

January 2016

Page 11

1st hockey co-op season proves format’s worth West Essex joining forces with James Caldwell High School brings new confidence to the team returning from a difficult 20142015 season

By Isabel Tabs ’17 For many years, West Essex has had a huge sports rivalry with James Caldwell High School.

However, both schools are now forced to leave their competition behind and defeat it together as they will be taking a face off not head to head anymore, but together as one.

For the first time ever, West Essex has formed a hockey cooperative with the Caldwell-West Caldwell District. In other words, James Caldwell High School has combined with West Essex High School as one team.

“Caldwell has contributed some very good players and has made us a better team,” said captain Connor Leach.

The story behind the co-op goes back to March, when James Caldwell parents approached the West Essex Board of Education proposing this cooperative because Caldwell didn’t have enough students to form their own hockey team. The Caldwell Parents for

“”

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANK FERRANTE

West Essex Ice Knights begin their second co-op season with James Caldwell with new hopes of success for this season.

Ice Hockey has been fighting for this since 2014, but Caldwell claimed it wasn’t in the budget.

At the Board of Education meetings, Caldwell parents said they would fully fund the season’s expenses.

On March 23, the West Essex Board of Education, along with

Superintendent L o n g o , M r.

Ma c i o c i a n d Mr. Minnella, approved the proposal. The schools together applied for the co-op w it h t h e r a tionale that hockey players in JCHS didn’t have enoug h players to form their own program and they wanted an opportunity to play on a high school

Caldwell has contributed some very good players and has made us a better team.

—Connor Leach

team. On June 13, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) approved it.

Despite the school’s rivalry in other sports like football, the coop was fully supported by players.

The team’s coach, Marc Gregory, was very supportive of the co-op.

“I am very excited about the newly formed co-op with James Caldwell High School,” coach Gregory said.

The West Essex community, parents and players, welcomed freshman Peter Andolino, junior Max Lewicki and senior Mike Nichols to the team.

“West Essex has been extremely

welcoming,” said Caldwell student Mike Nichols. “It’s been a great opportunity to be able to play with them.”

The players are feeling very welcomed and Coach Gregory has even bonded the players on and off the ice. Both schools have worked together on two successful fundraising events. They have also traveled to West Point together to watch a high-level collegiate game between West Point vs. Robert Morris University hockey game.

“I hope it’s a positive experience for the West Essex and Caldwell students,” said Athletic Director Mr. Minnella.

The team is very confident that the Caldwell players will be beneficial to their success this year. With only a few games into the season the team and coach has seen an improvement. As of mid-January, the team’s record is 5-6-1. which is fairly impressive considering they struggled to a 4-15-2 record last season.

“I’m very excited I am able to receive the opportunity to play hockey as part of a high school team,” said Peter Andolino.

Even though there are only three players from Caldwell, West Essex redesigned their jersey. In the corner there is a patch for James Caldwell, but the majority of the jersey is West Essex based remaining red, white and black.

“Caldwell may be our enemies, however they’re family on the ice,” said sophomore Pat Coyle.

Fresh faces create different atmosphere for start of WE wrestling season

By Patrick Glenn ’16

be getting hot at the right time,” Jones said.

The West Essex Wrestling Despite barely being over .500, Knights begin their new season the team, and especially its senior with a change of format. Many leaders, have not lowered their of the seasoned and battle-tested expectations for the season. “Our wrestlers have moved on. In their hopes and our objectives as a team place is a new crop of boys who will are to beat anything and everylook to continue the success from thing that gets thrown our way, year’s past. With many talented and to win the county, sectional wrestlers to replace from last year’s and district tournaments.” squad such as Marc McDonald, the The team’s varsity roster includes team will have many challenges a load of young raw talent, including two freshman in Billy Garofalo ahead of them.

The team are still getting their and Mike Ruane, as well as several bearings as of now. Their record other sophomore and juniors. One of 3-2 illustrates that the team is of those juniors is RJ Bell (126), overall young and inexperienced. who is receiving the first varsity While the starting varsity lineup experience of his career. The chaldoes include a few seasoned con- lenge of raising his game to the tributors, there is a large portion of next level has been daunting, yet this year’s team that is just getting rewarding for him.

“It has been a tough challenge there first varsity experiences.

Senior leader and experienced but being a part of the varsity team wrestler Matt Jones believes that has taught me a lot about commitwhile the squad is young, it has ment and perseverance,” Bell said. great potential to find increased However, there are also three first success throughout the rest of the year varsity starters in Ryan Coia (Heavyweight), Joe Gambino (182) winter season.

“With a young team it’s hard to and Frank Hunter (220). Hunter, get off to a great start, but we are receiving some varsity time last quick learners and with our great year as a junior, believes that the coaching staff it looks like we will team is getting better each and

every day.

“With a lot of guys receiving varsity experience for the first time, the beginning of the season can present a big challenge,” Hunter said. “However, with more practice and matches, every individual is getting better, and through that, we are definitely collectively improving as a team.”

Having a lot of young wrestlers with little varsity experience, Jones and Hunter, as well other upperclassmen, have put certain obligations on themselves to help their younger teammates.

“It’s a big responsibility to teach them the ways of the program and make sure they retain the teaching they receive, but it’s also very gratifying and new to be looked up to as a leader and big-brother type,” Jones said.

The older wrestlers are being looked upon to set an example for the guys who are just starting out. For some, it could mean their first season of wrestling, while for others, it could possibly be the first time they are part of a team. Being a part of a team means relying on your fellow teammates and trusting that they will always have your

back. The veterans on the team will be asked to provide a comfortable scene in the locker room and during tournaments.

Coach Markey will lead the new team into the season with high hopes and new lessons to learn.

While nervousness may have arose at the start of the season, that sense has vanquished with many matches complete.

With the bulk of the season to look forward to, the West Essex wrestling Knights look to make

continuous improvements and work their way to the top. Their current group of wrestlers are boys who are inexperienced and new, but willing to learn any lesson that will help them obtain their goal.

The consensus in the locker room is that with more and more experience, the younger wrestlers will begin to feel more comfortable in their positions, and ultimately help the team make noise in the ensuing matches and tournaments during the season.

Wise Words: Coach Llauget “Regardless of the sport, it’s not about the wins and losses, it’s about the process. Do things the right way and the winning will take care of itself.”

January 2016 Issue 3

The Wessex Wire Page 12

Cirello ushers Lady Knights into hopeful era

By Caitlin Morrissey ’16

There are plenty of new faces that flood the basketball court every day after school. Some of those faces are the 17 young and talented freshman girl basketball players, new to the school and nature of high school athletics.

But, among those new faces is someone who has been around the sport her whole life, and knows what makes a successful and competitive team: new head coach Ms. Maria Cirello.

Following her first season as a new girls soccer varsity assistant, Ms. Cirello comes to the program having been a high school star at Paramus Catholic high school, a four-year starter in both soccer and basketball and a two-sport athlete in college.

“Playing two sports in college was a very challenging and rewarding experience,” Ms. Cirello said.

“Working with the same people every day for one, two, three years in college really teaches life skills: teamwork, pride and loyalty to name a few.”

Her new presence on the girls basketball team has pumped new blood into an already excited lineup of athletes.

“Coach Cirello is a very positive and energetic coach, which is something the program needed. She has turned the program around, we are heading into the

right direction,” senior Cristina Morelli said.

Coach Cirello has loved sports, especially basketball, from a young age, so after her successful college and high school campaigns, she embarked on her coaching career, beginning as a graduate assistant for her former college program.

“In high school, my coach really emphasized loyalty, discipline and teamwork, and in that time, I learned how important it is to set goals and develop relationships with your teammates —There are only five people on the court,” coach Cirello said. “By playing in college and in being a graduate assistant, I better understood the fundamentals and the feel of the game, and got to understand it from a coach’s perspective.”

She later went on to coach freshmen and varsity teams for Essex County foes Glen Ridge and Verona. It is through her past experiences that she hopes to bring a wealth of knowledge to the West Essex basketball program. “I love the strategic aspect of the game,” coach Cirello said, “and seeing the team and the girls develop as the season progresses.”

Cirello has really enjoyed coaching at the high school level because of the relationships she is able to develop with her players. “I like to see them as individuals, not just basketball or soccer players and seeing them everyday, in the hall-

ways, in my own classroom allows this to happen,” said coach Cirello.

Coach Cirello embraces the school spirit and appreciation for sports abundant at West Essex. “I think one of the most important ideas I’ve come to understand in my past few seasons coaching at West Essex was the culture of sports at the school,” coach Cirello said. “Everyone, regardless of level, strives to be the best they can be, and wants the win at the end of the day.”

The girls basketball team returned this season, wanting to improve a 17-10 record from last year. “There is a strong core of true varsity players on the team, and they have really uplifted each other in the early months,” said coach Cirello of her team, “the seniors especially, they have really set the wheels in motion with their excellent leadership.”

“There are plenty of opportunities for people to take advantage of this season and I look forward to building the program,” said coach Cirello. The team currently holds a successful record and won the West Essex Holiday tournament for the third year in row after trailing 20 points behind Caldwell.

“A come-back win like this happens when everyone believes in each other, believes in themselves, and has that ‘refuse to lose’ attitude.

Every person on that court was determined to win and did not settle

PHOTO BY MADDIE GERING

Coach Cirello brings new atmosphere of leadership to West Essex coaching.

for anything less,” coach Cirello said of the victory. “If we can play a full 32 minutes with the type of

intensity and toughness that we did in the 3rd and 4th quarter, it is going to be a fun season.”

Intramural basketball scores big as rosters grow in 2016

By Jake Wolf ’17 Being on any high school sports

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL DE FRANZA

A growing number of West Essex students are playing intramural basketball.

team is a huge commitment. The responsibilities pile up quickly: practices every day after school, not being able to go away on vacations and a competitive nature.

Many people enjoy sports but would like a more relaxed atmosphere. That is why intramural basketball is growing in popularity in West Essex High School.

Intramural sports started in colleges for people who wanted to take part in athletics, but either decided not to join a collegiatelevel team or did not want to have to deal with the full commitment a varsity team demands.

Intramural games are played at West Essex Middle School on Friday nights.

One of the most appealing aspects for the players of intramural basketball is the wide variety of competition. Some students say

that they enjoy the laid back culture of the game.

“It’s an opportunity to play basketball in a stress-free environment,” junior intramural player Evan Haas said. “You don’t have to take it seriously, you can just enjoy it.”

Other intramural athletes find the sport as a way to be extremely competitive while still having fun.

Junior Cole Morrone is focused on winning as many games as possible, also known as “getting the W.” “You see the W. You take the W. You take a bite from the W. You are the W,” Morrone said. “It’s all about the W.” Senior class president Evan Snerson is currently the longest tenured player in the league. He is also a varsity fencer, meaning he does not have time to play basketball on the school team.

“Intramural basketball provides an organized, fun, competitive

league that only takes up a couple hours (at most) per week. People can play the sport they love without taking too much time out of their busy schedules,” Snerson said. “I found the intramural basketball league and loved it. It has the competitiveness of an actual league without the daily rigor of a varsity sport.”

This sport has increased over the last couple of years, going from 31 players in the 2013-14 school year, to around 50 players joining this year.

Recreation Director Michael Colitti, along with the rest of the Roseland Recreation Department, organizes the league. Private school students are also welcome in the league, as long as they live in North Caldwell, Roseland, Fairfield or Essex Fells.

“It’s a grind, man,” Snerson said.

“Every Friday, you leave it all out on the court. It sets the tone for the upcoming weekend.”