The Barker

Volume XVI Issue 1

Wednesday, Novembner 27, 2013

TURKEY DAY TRADITION CONTINUES

BY AMANDA O’BRIEN & ERICA TERRANOVA Sports Editor & Opinion Editor

It’s that time of year again; the time when families ready themselves for Thanksgiving, the leaves fall, and the most highly attended sports game of the school year rapidly approaches. Some families stay in for Thanksgiving, awaiting their turkey, potatoes and gravy. Hardcore Westerly townsfolk, however, get their wind-gear on, grab their favorite blankets, put on extra layers, and trek toward the football field for the most popular local sports game of the year.

The rivalry between Westerly and Stonington, which began in 1911 and has lasted over a century long thus far, returns to the gridiron once again. This year’s Westerly versus Stonington Turkey Day game is here!

The football team has been preparing since the first day they stepped into the work-out room for summer sessions. This takes countless hours of dedication, and many summer mornings which would normally be spent on sleeping in, going out with friends, or on other activities. most days after school are spent at practice as well. Soon, they will be taking all their hard work and dedication to the field.

Hype for the game begins near the end of October. At this point, students are bombarded with signs reading, “Buy Turkey Day Shirts!” Before the shirts are ordered, designs for the shirt are drawn and voted upon. This year’s design, drawn by Junior Bella Malvinni, features the Westerly Bulldog with boxing gloves, and a punching bag shaped like the Stonington Bear hanging from the goal post, an emblem of victory and encouragement for the football team.

Shirt sales start and every student hears, “There will be a pep club meeting this Monday;” the excitement begins. Both T-Shirt and pep rally videos play through the foyer, reminding everyone of what is to come.

As students step into the gym, searching for friends to sit with under their class’s banners, the Rally begins. The fall sports athletes chatter in both the boys and girls gym locker rooms, lined up for their entrance. Last but not least, the senior football players prepare to be escorted by senior pep club members.

The festivities begin when the each senior athlete walks out into a roaring gymnasium. The seniors prepare for their last Rally and their last Turkey Day Game, during which the students roar with excitement for the upcoming game, and with laughter at

the videos of the interviews of the players. The band, flag, and dance line all perform their separate routines. The cheerleaders then perform and the football team highlights are played. This is accompanied by moving speeches by senior football players, who, in the past, have caused quite a few to go watery-eyed.

At 10 a.m. on November 28, 2013, the Bulldogs will step onto Stonington’s Palmer Field ready to start the game off. The four senior captains (Scott Ligouri, Matt Moretta, Tom McGuire, and Charlie Elliot) will proudly walk together to the middle of the field for the coin toss.

The Westerly team has had to make uncomfortable transitions due to the absence of the school’s home bleachers, which were constructed throughout the season. Their Senior Night game was their first game sporting the new and improved bleachers.

NEW BLEACHERS SUPPORT HOME TEAM

However, the team had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Stonington soil, using the venue for Westerly “home” games. There is no doubt that the Dogs have taken in this foreign territory and will make it their own in a victorious game hosted by Stonington.

The entire Westerly Community is looking forward to Turkey Day and the opportunity to cheer their team to victory. Already, students, most of whom are regulars of the Dawg Pound, are adorning their new Turkey Day shirts in support of the home team. Senior Captain Tom McGuire briefly stated, “It’s gonna be a good one.” With a lot of support from the students and community members, the team is bound to play a great game, even regardless of wins or losses.

Go Dogs!

Enthusiastic Response to Upcoming Quebec Trip

by ALEXANDER BERARDO Editor-In-Chief

Photo by Kyra McCormick

The finished new bleachers tower over the footprint of the old. Greeted with enthusiam from WHS sports fans, the new bleachers are a huge success.

New bleachers take shape before the end of season

BY JOE MELLO & ERICA TERRANOVA Staff Reporter & Opinion Editor

So, as we all know, the 2013 Westerly Bulldog Soccer and Football seasons came upon us in September and October. The question on everybody’s mind, “where are our bleachers?” Why did we need new bleachers? When asked, Jamey Vetelino, our Athletic Director, what the situation was about the seats which were home to our fans, and Dawg Pound.

Another question people have asked is why new bleachers are needed. According to the school’s athletic director, Jamey Vetelino, there were a number of issues, one of these being a lack of access for those with physical disabilities. Not only obstacles like this, but there were also some constructional problems. The bolts which held the bleachers together were worn out. If the bleachers were to continue being used, the planks would need to be readjusted every week. A number of codes had been violated by the old bleach-

ers, especially the area underneath the bleachers.

It was bad enough that some people have even been injured. The gaps in the bleachers had caused a number of injuries in small children. The railings were horizontal, and people would put themselves in harm’s way by trying to climb on them. “So, the bleachers had served their purpose for many years,” said Vetelino, “but at this time we felt that the serious risk of injury due to their design and materials far outweighed the benefit they were giving the school system and community.”

How are these bleachers different from the old? Thicker and stronger steel planks were used to build the underside of the new bleachers, meaning they will better be able to hold up sports fans alike for an even longer time. Blue risers will help to decrease the amount of injury by covering Photo by Catherine Montalto the gaps between each step on the bleachers. DeGround crews work to place the new press box atop its spite all these great additions to safety – no, there

See Bleachers on page 8

platform on the bleachers. Although, the box is larger in length, it is only a single level as opposed to the old two level box.

Over forty students enrolled in foreign language classes will have the opportunity to travel to Quebec City, Canada this February.

The trip, which lasts from February 14 to February 17, 2014, comes at the climax of the famous Winter Carnival held in the city.

Students will have the opportunity to experience Carnival, but will mainly partake in numerous hands-on experiences that demonstrate Quebec’s unique culture.

Founded in 1608, Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America. It has been a stronghold of francophone culture for over 400 years, and thanks to the diligent preservation of its old city, students look forward to an authentic cultural experience.

Mrs. Canty, who teaches both French and Spanish, has been to Quebec City twice. She believes the city will provide students with a strong cultural experience, “What I like most is the old European feel – you really do feel like you’ve left North America,” she explained. “Also, the people are very friendly, and you feel like you are in a small town even though it is quite a metropolis.”

The trip has been organized and planned through Jumpstreet Tours, a Montreal-based organization with experience in leading student tours to cities like Quebec and Montreal.

Upon arrival in Quebec City, students will be immersed in Quebecois culture with a visit to a “sugar shack” (a building in which maple syrup is made). While there, they will eat a 17th century meal, dance, and make their own maple products.

Following their visit to the sugar shack, students will ride on dogsled through a maple grove.

The tour of Quebec City continues the next day with a trip to the Museum of Civilization, which ties together the past and present history of Quebec. With this new context, students can better appreciate their walks through Vieux-Quebec, the historic part of the city that goes back several centuries.

One highlight of the trip is the visit to Place Royale, the site of the founding of Quebec City and French culture in North America.

As the trip takes place during the Winter Carnival, students will be able to tour the grounds of Carnival, which are primarily on the Plains of Abraham, a large park in Quebec City and the site of the fa-

See Quebec on page 8

Fall and Winter Fads for 2013 Fashion Season

BY LIBBY CASTALDI Fashion Editor

Every season brings new weather, and new weather calls for new trends! Fall is the most important season of the year in the fashion industry which means more styles are released and carried through the rest of the seasons.

New York fashion week is the chance for designers to discharge their most recent visions on the runway.

The biggest trend for fall and winter on the runways is fur; fur coats, fur vests, fur trim, fur bags, fur everything! All designers from BCBG to Vera Wang have incorporated it.

Although this cozy material has dominated fashion shows, leather is another trendy textile for the season. Saint Laurent embraced this look in their NY fashion show. Outside of the runway, leather can be worn in many other ways than just a typical jacket. Wear it incorporated in a skirt, dress, or headpiece to take a step out of the box.

However, fabric is not the extent of new fads.

Colors, patterns, and styles can be altered each season to determine what is “in”.

White is a huge color on the runway right now, and is worn in so many different ways and styles. In fact, Chanel and Elie Saab put many models in white down the couture runway this season.

On the other hand, burgundy and other deep

reddish-browns are a to-die-for trend this fall.

Whether its pants, nails, or a handbag, this color will always look great!

Calvin Klein presented monochromatic fashion one-after-another in the fall collection. Coupling a blue pair of shoes with a dress in a slightly different color used to be a fashion sin, but it’s a risk worth taking this year!

As far as patterns go, BCBG re-introduced mixing prints. Mingling stripes with polka dots used to be a “don’t”, but now pairing a plaid with a paisley is beyond acceptable!

Generally speaking, colors and prints are easy to figure out, but style is a different story. Some designers really enjoy toying with shapes, silhouettes, and

quirky details.

Christian Dior experimented with geometrical cut-outs on the chest plate and upper back to show off the collar bones and shoulder blades without being overly revealing. This should be a general rule for women: Show off pretty parts of your body without presenting too much skin.

Banana republic is a huge fan of any style that is cinched at the waist. This is a common silhouette in women’s apparel anyways, but it is emphasized this year.

Try transforming any outfit with a belt at the smallest part of your torso. Whether it’s skinny or thick, it will accentuate your shape while looking conservative at the same time.

Along the same lines of modest dress, the mini skirt has been replaced my something much less revealing: the maxi skirt. This revolution for girls across the nation is altering the way they dress forever.

Carolina Herrera created so many beautiful designs with skirts and dresses that reach the floor.

They elongate the body and create an illusion that one’s legs are much longer than they actually are.

Less and less gowns are going down the runway lately. Combining separates in playful, stylish ways is an easy way to look trendy. Céline showed mostly separates in her collection and all of her designs were amazing! Cropped blouses with high wasted shorts,

See Fads on page 8

Fashion

Arts & Enteratinment

Sports

Opinion

Hair Care

Catching Fire takes flame

Unified team defeats faculty

Work Habits Needs Improvement

p. 4

p. 5

p. 6

p. 7

School & Community

2 The Barker Wednesday, November 27, 2013

New band director N e w ‘b r in g your own devi ce’ p o licy is a huge success rocks WHS

BY KIP SMITH Copy Editor

As the 2012-2013 school year came to a close, Westerly High School saw a temporary change of band directors, beginning this year. The former director, Mrs. Daley, has taken a year’s leave of absence for personal and family reasons, and plans to return next fall.

Taking the place of a band teacher like Mrs. Daley is no easy task. Under her leadership, the marching band performed on Main Street USA in Walt Disney World in early 2013, and also in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Additionally, the band earned the title of “Best High School Band” in Mystic’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2013. Both the jazz band and concert band were adjudicated as “Excellent” in both Rhode Island and national competitions.

In her place, Mr. Boisclair ran band camp over the third week of August, teaching the marching band “Do You Love Me”, “Twist and Shout” and “I Got You (I Feel Good),”as well as the field shows associated with the songs.

In the middle of September, Westerly High School hired Sarah Ferry as the new band director.

Ms. Ferry began learning trumpet at 12 years old, and received instruction from George Kent and her high school trumpet tech from the Blue Devils. She continued her education into college, expecting to be a high school band teacher after graduating from URI. Ms. Ferry said that after college she “became the pit instructor for Bishop Hendricken’s indoor competitive drumline…taught the color guard at

Woonsocket High School, Jazz band at Narragansett High School, and the summer band at Narragansett High School.”

She also attended camps with The Cadets, A Drum Corps International corps from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Due to her experience in the field, Ms. Ferry adjudicates trumpets and brass in South Kingstown’s Broad Rock Music Festival.

Students were initially wary of meeting their new band director because they were unsure of what would change and what would remain the same.

Adjusting to the change in directors – and learning a new piece of music simultaneously – presented some challenges. Regardless, the concert band, jazz band, and marching band all prevailed and learned their material.

Drum Majors Kip Smith and Vinny Kubicsko introduced the new director into the band. They explained the current songs, the size of the band and each student’s capabilities and strengths.

Upon arriving to the band, Ms. Ferry quickly organized herself among band students and improved upon the show tunes, replacing “I Got You” with “Build Me Up Buttercup.” She had her students learn the new song in a week.

Under her direction, the marching band learned new pep band songs including “Smoke on the Water”, “Land of a Thousand Dances”, “Don’t Stop Believin’”, “Gonna Fly Now” and many other iconic songs that crowds generally recognize. The ultimate goal of the pep band is to work with the Dawg Pound and other fans to emphasize the pep at all

a m o n g f a cu l t y and st udent s

See Band on page 8

The Barker is a publication of the Westerly High School, 23 Ward Ave. Westerly, Rhode Island, 02891, USA. Publication offices are in Room W219 in the Ward Building.

Serving the needs of the student population since 1999.

Published monthly during the school year and subject to prior review by the school’s administration.

Printed and produced in conjunction with The Westerly Sun. All material contained herein remains the property of The Barker.

Editors-in-Chief

Barker Staff

Alexander Berardo Catherine Montalto

Klara Reisch Jillian Schreier

Reporters

Taylor Barrese Olivia Ferraro Mary Hurley Max Kreckel Joseph Kuzmic Bennet Lani Joe Mello Ainslie Meyers

Section Editors

Elizabeth Castaldi Jacob Gross Ruedi Hauser Amanda O’Brien Erica Terranova

Copy Editors

Hannah Heidtman Kip Smith

Director of Photography Gianna Brimlow

Director of Video

Julianna Morrone

Columnists

Emilio Guido Emily Pereira

Photographers

Joseph Caster Kyra McCormick

Advisors

Mrs. Tallardy Mr. Zemanek

Special Thanks to

Mr. Ruscito The Westerly Sun

Photo by Gianna Brimlow

Westerly students take advantage of the new Bring Your Own Device Policy by utilizing various mobile devices during class. Most students are in favor of this innovative new policy.

BY HANNAH HEIDTMAN Copy Editor

With the introduction of a new school year and another new freshman class, Westerly High School also has introduced several policy changes. Some of these changes have been well-received, and some have been met with controversy and displeasure.

One new policy enacted with the start of the current school year is the “Bring Your Own Device Policy.” The policy allows students to bring electronic devices into the classroom and use them – at the teacher’s discretion.

In previous school years, electronic devices were allowed within the school “provided that during school hours the device remains turned off.” Last year, at teachers’ discretion, electronic devices were allowed into the classroom on occasion.

The use of phones and other devices was not allowed in while in the lunchroom or crossing between classes because it was against policy. However, the new “Bring Your Own Device” policy allows the use of electronics during lunch periods, while passing between classes, and now more regularly in classrooms across campus.

Now, seeing students taking notes on an iPad or tablet, reading on a Kindle or Nook, or using their phone for teacher-approved apps is commonplace.

The overall consensus on the new policy is positive. Mrs. Pucci, an English 3 teacher, said, “I am happy with the new policy because I like students to use Poll Everywhere and the Merriam Webster Dictionary app. It puts the internet at students’ fingertips, which is useful in class as long as use is monitored.”

Use of electronic devices at lunch and between classes also has provided an outlet for students to relax and socialize with one another. The policy may also benefit the learning experience by acting as a more secure and supervised outlet to access the internet and communicate.

Senior Sierra Way said of the new policy, “It is the best thing. I take notes on my tablet so I’m not carrying around five hundred pounds of notebooks in my bag every day!”

Tablets also help students improve their time efficiency. As lockers tend to be difficult to access during six-minute crossing periods, students do not need to worry about making as many trips to their lockers, and also have fewer notebooks and books to carry around with them.

Junior Ruedi Hauser thinks the new policy “allows students to consolidate and conserve and ultimately reduce physical and metaphorical weight that classes put on us.

For me, being able to keep my notes electronically in one place helps to keep me organized and sane when classes become demanding.”

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Teachers have begun to allow the use of electronic devices in classes more frequently as well. Uses within the classroom vary from taking polls to viewing real-time responses to a teacher’s question. Programs that allow students to answer questions anonymously via text message may help students to participate more in class, as it removes the concern of being wrong in front of their classmates.

Another benefit of the policy is being able to use dictionaries through apps rather than hauling large books back to the desk.

Students in English classes like Ms. Pucci’s install apps like the Merriam Webster Dictionary app for use in class, and even students in language courses install apps that help in-class translations when use is allowed.

Junior Kip Smith believes “phones can be great to use in class and may provide an enriching experience for students when used in a constructive effort.” As long as use is regulated, the use of cell phones and other electronic devices for topics related to the given discussion can be a great tool.

Although the wording has changed only slightly in the student handbook on this issue over the past few years, the perspective on electronic devices and their potential merits has shifted. The new policy has been successful and well-received thus far, and hopefully will continue to remain a success and strengthen the learning experience at Westerly High School.

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School & Community

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 The Barker 3

COMMON CORE F o r e i g n e x c h a n g e s t u d e n t brings authentic Italian STANDARDS INIflair to WHS experience TIATIVE EVOKES MIXED REACTIONS

BY ERICA TERRANOVA Opinion Editor

BY JULIANNA MORRONE Video Editor

On July, 1st 2010, Rhode Island voluntarily adopted the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

These standards are designed to create statewide commonalities within the curriculum to ensure equity among the students’ knowledge and skillsets.

Rhode Island is one of the forty-six states to adopt the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is lead by governors and education commissioners, who are represented in organizations such as the National Governors Association and the Council of State School Officers.

Students, teachers, parents, administrators, and experts are encouraged to provide input on how to develope and improve the standards to best prepare the students for entering into college or the workforce after high school graduation.

The Common Core Standards focus on the curriculums of mathematics and English language arts to ensure consistency in expectations. In the years 2015 and 2016 students and teachers in Rhode Island should expect the standards to be fully implemented. However, many changes have already taken place in most schools across the state.

Westerly High School,for instance, has aready begun to implement the changes in order to advance towards the ultimate goal of achieving an education plan fully emerged in the Common Core State Standards.

Teachers and administrators at Westerly

High School have been “rewriting” the curriculum during teacher common planning periods according to WHS Principal Steven Ruscito. Principal Ruscito also stated, “a big chunk of the re-write will take place on January 2nd and 3rd, two days added to the winter break for students.”

According to the initiative, teachers will continue to have the freedom to devise lesson plans and lead classroom instruction targeted towards the needs of students. The teachers will need to adapt to the commonality of the curriculum, which could be a major change.

Principal Ruscito stated that the teachers will be taught how to incorporate the new methods in their classrooms.

Students will also begin to experience the changes set forth by Common Core Standards if they have not already. For instance, the statewide test is intended to change within the next year or so. Since 2005, students in Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (since 2009), have been taking the NECAP assessment. By next year, students in Rhode Island will be taking the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) test.

Reactions to the Common Core Standards are varied. According to Senior Class Officer Olivia Obertello, the statewide effort to develop and establish a single set of educational standards for grades kindergarten through twelfth is “curbing creativity and excellence, and standardizing everyone in a negative way.”

Principal Ruscito stated that the Common Core State Standards “create, for the first time in the nation one standard instead of fifty states with fifty different standards.”

For yet another school year, Westerly High School welcomes a number of foreign exchange students. One of these students is Mariagrazia Morelli, a senior. Her native country is Italy.

She was born in the region of Puglia, which is the “heel” of Italy’s boot-like shape. Puglia is home to many beaches, much like Rhode Island, and gains many tourists during the warmer summer months. Her family currently resides in town of Pesaro, in the region of Marche, which is located around the center of Italy.

Mariagrazia participated in a foreign exchange program to improve her English, create new experiences, and to learn about different cultures. Many students have tested their knowledge of the Italian language and culture with her, improving what they already know.

Back home, her friends call her “Mery,” but here, she’s fine being called Maria. She has three brothers: Antonio, the eldest, and two younger twin brothers, named Francesco and Lorenzo. She also lives with her parents and two dogs, named Cleopatra and Cesare.

Mariagrazia describes herself as a bit timid at first. Once you get to know her, however, she is very sociable and loves to joke around.

Maria appreciates the beaches here. She also enjoys going to school at Westerly High School as Italian schools are very different from American schools. Schools in Italy typically don’t have offer sports. They also don’t offer music classes like Choral Music or Guitar Workshop.

While she likes being in Westerly, if she could go anywhere in the world, she’d travel to Tibet, to meditate with Buddhist monks, and to be isolated from the world.

Her personal interests include playing guitar, drawing, scouting and kayaking – and these are only some of the similar interests that we offer in the area. Already, Mariagrazia has reached out and participated in a number of electives and after-school activities. She participates in school athletics, as well as Westerly High School’s Vocal Ensemble, directed by Mr. DeAngelis.

Photo by Mariagrazia Morelli

Foreign exchange student, Mariagrazia Morelli, brings a taste of Italy to Westerly High School.

When asked about what sports she plays and follows, Maria loves to play rugby, and plays it back in Italy. She also enjoys rooting for Italy’s National Rugby team. Since the sport is not offered here, she has taken up soccer. She also participated in Powder puff.

As for more miscellaneous interests, her favorite movie is “the Sixth Sense,” and her favorite TV show is “Pretty Little Liars.” Her favorite song is “Nothing,” by the Script. She is also a dog lover.

If she could only eat one food for the rest of her life, it’d be pizza! This may seem a bit odd when she tells you she’s allergic to tomatoes.

Mariagrazia, however, is just fine eating white pizza.

If she could be a superhero, Maria would call herself, “the Daredevil.” Her superpower would be the ability to sense when someone is lying to her.

When she is older, Maria aspires to become a film director or a doctor. However, when she

was younger, she wanted to become the President of Italy! Within the next ten years, she sees herself in Hollywood, filming an award-winning movie.

Since this is Westerly, the question must be asked… Does Maria like soupy? However, when she was asked, she replied, “I do not know. I’ve never eaten it in my life!” This is surprising, as soupressata is known to be fairly popular in the region of Puglia. Hopefully this soon will no longer be an issue, as there are so many soupymaking families and stores in town.

Mariagrazia is a kind, funny girl, who loves to enjoy herself. There is no doubt that the marks she leaves on Westerly High School will be those of fun memories, and lots of smiles.

Not only she, but all of the foreign exchange students are bound to offer a different experience in our high school careers. They’re eager to learn more about our culture and more than happy to teach us about theirs. Benvenutti a tutti!

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4 The Barker Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Fashion

MENS FASHION HAIR CARE Enter your favorite cookie recipe to win!

BY JACOB GROSS

BY EMILY PEREIRA

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Columnist

Could sweater weather be upon us once again? It seems so Westerly High School. For all of the fashionforward guys out there, here are a few ways to keep up with the trends this fall.

As Charlie says every day, “Keep it classy, Westerly High School.” A great way to accomplish this is to choose a classic sweater with your outfit in the morning. Whether the print is plain, flashy, or downright crazy, you can never go wrong with a sweater.

After you choose the sweater of the day, it’s time to focus on the pants. If the day lends itself to a vibrant sweater, it’s never a bad idea to pair it with plain trousers. Don’t be fooled by the term “plain”, however, because plain can very well mean burnt orange, maroon, or navy.

Unless you want it to, classy doesn’t have to come with a Madison Avenue price tag. Some great stores to check out are H&M, American Eagle, J. Crew, and good old T.J Maxx.

Wool blazers have seemed to migrate from the streets of Milan and Paris to the hallways of high schools across America. Blazers are a great alternative to a pea coat or a windbreaker on days of presentations or when you need a confidence boost.

It would be a real challenge to find a classier presentation outfit than a deep royal blue blazer with a matching bowtie, a light pink shirt, chocolate brown corduroy pants and a weathered brown leather messenger bag. Putting a twist on the

classic shirt-and-tie outfit is sure to impress.

Crossing on a cold day in the last days of fall can be a drag, but think of it as a perfect opportunity to dress to impress with a dark gray wool blazer, denim shirt, maroon pants, and big scarf to top it all off.

On the warmer days of fall, however, spice it up with a tweed blazer, plaid shirt, khakis, and a geometric tie. Although it may sound unorthodox and finding the right combination may take some time, it’ll be worth it when the compliments come rolling in.

So far, the extent of outfits have been relatively detailed and take effort in the morning, but what about the days when you wake up late or just feel like being comfortable?

In this case, you can never go wrong with a flannel and pants of your choice.

An alternative for days when f lannel isn’t ideal would be a sweatshirt and deep-colored corduroy pants.

Accessories can truly make or break an outfit, footwear included.

This fall, oxfords are everywhere. Virtually any outfit under the sun can be benefited by the right pair of oxfords. However, we can’t forget about the classics, like Converse or a nice pair of loafers. For days when you’re feeling particularly bold, equestrian boots are a great way to spice up an outfit.

Clothes can be a great confidence boost and make a cold fall day a little bit more enjoyable.

Most high school girls wake up in the morning wanting to spend the absolute minimum amount of time possible on their hair. Let’s face it, who would want to wake up hours before school so their hair looks like a million bucks? There are countless ways to have glamorous hair without the hours of prepping.

Teenage girls feel hair care is not a huge priority in their day to day lives, but we should all put a stop to that. Having strong, healthy hair is as simple as using treatments.

Before conditioning and after shampooing your hair, the best strengthening product by far is the Redken Extreme Cat Protein Reconstructing Treatment Spray. This key product will help reconstruct your inner hair, protecting it and making the hair strong.

You can easily find it online or at most hair salons for $12 to $20.

In the shower, you should also deep condition your lovely locks with any deep conditioner. Pureology has an incredible deep conditioner, Hydrate Hydra Whip, which will take care of replenishing dry, damaged hair. Its peppermint scented!

Deep conditioning your hair once every one to two weeks will keep your hair hydrated and increases its manageability.

Even though girls dread this ritual trimming you hair is imperative every eight to ten weeks, but who said you had to butcher it all off? Trimming your hair even an inch allows you to grow your hair long and strong. If you do not trim your hair as its growing, you will end up with horrendous dead ends, and consequently, chop it all off just to repeat the cycle again.

Heat can also be your worst enemy when it comes to hair care. Using heat styling tools should only be done once to twice a week as it is particularly harmful, even with the use of a heat protectant. You might be thinking to yourself, yeah right, I straighten my hair daily. I cannot emphasize to you enough the second day rule for hair; it will instantly become your best friend.

The second day rule is great for the conventional lazy girl. It allows your hair a break from the heat and

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SNEAKER HEADS

BY EMILIO GUIDO Columnist

Athletic sneakers are no longer soley being used for sports. Since the rookie year of Michael Jordan in 1984, and the first pair of Nike Air Jordan were worn, athletic sneakers have been worn and portrayed dramatically different.

Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players to ever live, brought athletic sneakers to fame. Because he was an icon and a tremendous basketball player, his sneaker line, Air Jordan, became lucrative and has produced over ten million sneakers in America alone with thirty different models.

He wore the shoes from his sneaker line on and off the court for promotional purposes. During the beginning of his career, athletic shoes were worn only on the playing field and when he wore them on the “street,” the people of America fol-

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lowed his trend-setting actions. Wearing athletic shoes on the street has become a major infectious style.

This birthed the “sneaker society” -- a society in every state across America and even in China, where teenagers and young adults invest money into purchasing the rarest and most sought after athletic shoes ever produced.

These teenagers and young adults that make up these societies are called “sneaker heads.” They know everything there is to know about any sneaker that has ever been released. The collection of athletic sneakers, also known as kicks, has become a hobby for teenagers in the last decade more than ever before.

See Sneakers on page 8

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013 The Barker 5

Catching Fire takes flame GIANNA BRIMLOW Photography Director

The girl on fire is back! The Hunger Games trilogy continues with the long awaited sequel Catching Fire, starring the Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen.

Catching Fire picks up right where the 2012’s Hunger Games left off. Katniss and Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson, are forced to embark on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts after they defied the Capitol’s inhumane rules and both won the last Hunger Games.

Their newfound popularity has inspired rebellion within the districts. President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland, plots a plan to eliminate them by having both compete in the Quarter Quell, a version of the games which is held every 25 years.

The Quarter Quell is much different than the previous Hunger Games. Winning victors are chosen to come back and compete, but only one will survive. The game is now much harder, as the tributes must compete against trained killers who have already won the games once.

Katniss and Peeta’s only hope is to defeat the other victors and win once again to ignite the flames of rebellion in Panem.

This science fiction film is directed by Francis Lawrence and is stocked with A-List celebrities including Liam Hemsworth and Elizabeth Banks. Some new cast members include Alan Ritchson, who plays Gloss, and his sister Cashmere, played by Stephanie Leigh, both representing District One in the 75th Hunger Games. Sam Claflin is set to play the most anticipated role, the swoon-worthy victor from District 4, Finnick Odair.

Many WHS students are very excited about the upcoming sequel. Elena Monroe excitedly states, “I can’t want to see this movie! I’ve read all the books and I’m in love with the series. I just wish it didn't premiere during homecoming.”

This sequel premiered November 22, which is coincidentally the same night as the homecoming dance. Catching Fire is predicted to

Top Tens

Rad Tunes

BY BENNET LANNI

BY AINSLIE MYERS Reporter

Reporter

1. Kiss Land The Weekend 2. B.O.A.T.S II #MeTime 2 Chainz 3. Magna Carta Jay Z 4. AM Arctic Monkeys 5. Wrecking Ball Miley Cyrus 6. Royals Lorde 7. Berzerk Eminem 8. #NWTS Drake 9. Tennis Court Lorde 10. Wake Me up Avicii

make nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box office when it premieres in November and is definitely one of the must see movies of the fall.

Many excited fans are buzzing about the Catching Fire soundtrack. A lot of big-name artists are featured in the album like Ellie

1. Tesselate Alt-J 2. Unlucky Skin Shakey Graves 3. A Stillness The Naked and Famous 4. Sunset The XX 5. New Slang The Shins 6. Lofticries Purity Ring 7. The Great Gig in the Sky Pink Floyd 8. Flapper Girl The Lumineers 9. Junk Kitten 10.Sleepy Head Passion Pit

Goulding with "Mirror,” Imagine Dragons with "Who We Are," Lorde’s new song "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," and so much more.

So grab your bow and arrow, Catching Fire is hitting theaters soon and you better be ready for it.

Hot fall TV shows dominate Miley Cyrus turns many

BY OLIVIA FERRARO Reporter

As the days get shorter and you’re wondering how to spend your evening hours, try bundling up and settling down with these hit TV shows.

American Horror Story brings a familiar sense of terror back to the small screen with its new season, Coven. The new season can easily be described as a combination of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Nightmare on Elm Street, and Coven is going to be just as gruesome and disturbing as the past two seasons have been.

With an unusually large number of deaths for an unusually small cast, the new season promises to have plenty of supernatural elements and monsters. If you’ve just decided to tune into American Horror Story, don’t worry about frantically catching up; each new season has a new storyline and new characters played by a handful of the same actors.

While shows like True Blood and The Walking Dead are also a part of the horror genre, AHS has an eerie factor that is not com-

monly found on TV. Watch American Horror Story Wednesdays at 9pm on FX. The Walking Dead rarely disappoints, and the season four premiere surely packs a punch. While it’s difficult to tell if the gore looks horrifyingly gruesome or incredibly fake, the show itself is full of jaw-dropping moments.

The show’s evil clearly roots from its writers, with three characters in the season premiere either dying or turning into walkers. By the fourth episode, the total number of deaths has risen close to a dozen, if not more than.

Arguably enough though, these deaths are what make the show great, and without them the show would lack general conflict.

Watch The Walking Dead Sundays at 9pm on AMC. The CW has a number of shows returning for a new season this fall season, including Supernatural, another horror show about two brothers who take up the family business and hunt demons. Picking up right from season eight’s cliffhanger with plenty of nerve-wracking moments that give a preview to how suspenseful the rest of season will be, the final

season has hit the ground running.

As far as drama/horror shows go, Supernatural has plenty of sarcastic comic relief similar shows seem to lack, which could be one of the possible reasons it has been on air for so long.

Watch Supernatural Tuesdays at 9pm on the CW. The new season of Vampire Diaries has taken a new turn with the main characters heading off to college in hopes of finding a somewhat normal life, only to find their paranormal problems have followed them.

The new episodes have plenty of deaths and suspenseful near-death experiences that have catapulted it to the top and remain the most-watched show on the network.

The Vampire Diaries spin off series, The Originals, also proved to be very successful after its recent season premiere. Showing the lives of the original family of vampires set in New Orleans, the series begins with a backdoor pilot and has already shown potential to be as popular as Vampire Diaries.

Watch The Vampire Diaries Thursday at 8pm and The Originals Tuesdays at 8pm on the CW.

heads at VMA’s

BY TAYLOR BARRESE Reporter

For the past few months, Miley Cyrus has been an extremely popular topic. Cutting and dying her hair was the beginning of her sudden gain of both negative and positive attention. Changing her hair and clothing style was a clear sign of rebellion.

Miley has constantly been compared to her character on the old TV show, Hannah Montana. Trying to rid herself of this title, she drastically changed her look. Her new album, Bangerz, was released on October 4th.

One of the most popular songs on her album, Wrecking Ball, is currently number 3 three on Billboard’s top 100 songs.

Miley has recently been on the cover of several different magazines and came out with a documentary on MTV. The big question everyone is asking is, “Why does Miley keep sticking her tongue out?” While being interviewed by Ellen DeGeneres, she explains it is just a nervous habit and she is trying to stop.

A few months back at the VMA’s, a wide majority of the general public got to see how the new Miley performs. Wear-

ing a latex bra and underwear continued her trend of wearing as little clothing as possible.

The vulgar performance with Robin Thicke did nothing but add to the hate and negativity Miley is still dealingl with.

In Miley’s documentary, The Movement, she explains that there is a reason behind everything single thing she does.

She claims none of her recent activities were just her acting crazy. It all adds up and contributes to the movement she is making.

After slowly gaining back adoration from fans, In Touch Weekly just released their monthly magazine claiming Miley has admitted she “needs help.”

Once Miley saw the headlines, she mocked the magazine by making the cover her profile picture on twitter. Even though Miley’s album has been a success, her new personality has attracted unwanted attention.

Every celebrity has enemies, but Miley has gained more than here fair share. People have judged her solely on her appearance when they should really be judging her music. Besides the fact she changed her look and personality, her music

See Miley on page 8

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Sports

6 The Barker Wednesday, November 27, 2013

WHS Fall Sports Wrap-Up

Another World Series For Boston MAX KRECKEL Reporter

AMANDA O’BRIEN Sports Editor

BOYS SOCCER Coming into the Fall Sports season this year, no one was expecting much.

However, each team proved themselves worthy of attention.

Beginning with the boys soccer team, they lost seven starting seniors, but quickly made up for it with a couple underclassmen. Senior Captain Rob Trebisacci commented "Our season started off poorly due to the lack of varsity experience on the team but a lot of young players started to get comfortable as time passed.”

While the team never had a set starting lineup, they were able to move into positions and dominate games which were thought to be a lost cause.

One of the most shocking games came in the middle of the season. Westerly played number 5 seed, Mount Saint Charles and shockingly won 5 to 1.

Trebisacci also commented “Although we fell short of playoffs, we were in every game and even beat Division 1 Chariho.” While Westerly’s rival may be Stonington, in both Boys and Girls soccer, Chariho is a highly awaited game.

When asked about the formation and play the Bulldogs used, Trebisacci explained “The formation we play is unique to the division and not many other teams play it. The diamond midfield we have tends to a more possession style of play. Also, while most teams use a sweeper on defense, we play with a flat four which is more difficult and needs constant communication so that offside traps can occur.”

Senior Andrew Pappadia also commented “Finishing was a big problem this year for us. We could always gen-

erate plenty of opportunities but we just couldn’t score.”

In a final statement Trebisacci said “All in all, the seniors of 2014 prepared the program for success in the future."

GIRLS SOCCER While the boys team failed to make the playoffs, the one team who did this fall sports season happened to be the Girls Soccer Team.

The girls also lost crucial players in their starting lineup, they were able to shift players around to be successful.

All throughout the season, the formation of the Lady Bulldogs shifted from game to game.

Some games, they would substitute an entire team out and switch from an offensive to a defensive approach. At other times they switched from a diamond back, four midfielders, and two forwards, to a diamond back, three midfielders, and three forwards.

Senior Captain Jessica Lawrence commented “I think this season went great. Our team became very close at the beginning of the season which had its benefits. We all worked well together and that showed on the field.

We had a strong offense and defense and as soon as we got the hang of our plan of attack, it started working right away.”

When the team finally had a formation that continuously worked, they stuck with it and ended up sixth heading into playoffs. Lawrence commented “We ended up in sixth this season and the last time that happened was nine years ago.”

Not only did the Lady Bulldogs finish sixth, but they were also the only Westerly Fall Sports team to compete in playoffs. The girls made it past pre-

liminaries, beating Narragansett four nothing.

Lawrence stated “The playoffs were a big step for the girls team. The game against Narragansett was a big success because we played them last year at the same time and had to go into overtime to win the game. This game, however, was much different and our team really came together to win.”

As the Lady Bulldogs advanced into the quarterfinals, they suffered defeat at Burriville on a cold and rainy, Halloween afternoon.

Lawrence concluded “ The quarterfinal game was a tough loss but we tried our hardest and it just didn't work. Overall, the girls soccer team had a very successful season and I couldn't be more proud of this team.”

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY This years Girls Cross Country team struggled a little along the way due to injuries, however they powered through. Senior Captain Catherine Labriola commented “We started out the season strong but then some runners were injured and it was hard for us to compete.”

The team may have not been as successful as years past however, Labriola also said “Overall our season was pretty good. We didn't qualify for the state meet with the dual meets like we usually do. But luckily we all came together as a team and family during the class meet and qualified.”

The team will continue to grow and as a final statement Labriola said “Despite all the ups and downs with injuries and all Jackie and myself couldn't be more proud of the great, hardworking group of girls we had this year.”

Holiday Decorations

The Boston Red Sox, once more, are World Series champions and the city of Boston has a baseball season to remember. The Red Sox rejuvenated the spirit of Boston and proved the resilience of the city after a state of shock permeated throughout the city from the marathon bombings in April.

Unity of the 2013 Sox plays a big role in why this championship supersedes the 2004 and 2007 championships. Moreover, outstanding managing by John Farrell coincided with outstanding offensive and defensive performances, in making the Red Sox champions. The Boston Red Sox and the city of Boston surely deserved the Commissioner’s Trophy, more so than any other city.

On April 15th of 2013, two bombs went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing 3 people and injuring nearly 300. Nearly everyone in Boston felt the devastation of these atrocities.

Later, on April 20th, the Red Sox were back in town wearing jerseys that read Boston rather than Red Sox, to face the Kansas City Royals. In order to commemorate the victims of the bombings, Neil Diamond visited Fenway Park and performed his iconic song “Sweet Caroline,” which is played at every home game.

In addition, a speech by David Ortiz which was not quite fit for FCC airways breathed new life into Boston’s pride. From that day on, a jersey that read “Boston Strong,” with the area code 617, hung in the dugout as a symbol of Boston’s tenacity. Throughout the rest of the season, “Boston Strong” became the slogan of the city. It was as though, The Red Sox felt a moral obligation to revive the spirit of Boston.

With the amount of overpriced pretty boys on the 2012 Boston Red Sox, the team looked a bit too much like the New York Yankees. As a result,

the general manager of the Sox, Ben Cherington, traded players like Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett, to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When 2013 came along, new faces such as Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, Mike Carp, Stephen Drew, Shane Victorino and more, proved they were worthy to wear a Red Sox uniform. In order to symbolize the grit, determination and toughness of this new team, players began growing beards, and so did the rest of Boston.

In addition to the new players, former pitching coach of the Red Sox and manager of the Blue Jays, John Farrell, came back to manage this new club.

Ultimately, the clean shaven John Farrell brought the bearded ballers together and lead them to the top of the division and eventually the World Series.

Early in the season, it was apparent that the Red Sox meant business.

Thanks to Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, and Dustin Pedroia’s batting averages of over .300, the Sox scared other teams with their outstanding offense.

Every player pressured opposing pitchers by finding a way on base.

Also, Jon Lester’s impressive record of 15 and 8 and ERA of 3.75 made him a fierce opponent for batters, and although Clay Buchholz spent some time on the disabled list, he won 12 games and lost only 1.

As for closers, Boston’s Koji Uehara earned 35 saves and established himself as the best in baseball. His infamous splitter left batters swinging their bats a foot above the baseball. When batters did make contact, gold glove winner Dustin Pedroia made extraordinary plays to rob hits. The Red Sox dominated inside and out.

In the post-season though, David Ortiz made all the difference. Throughout the post-season, he earned a batting average of .353 and an astonishing .688 in the world series.

He also hit 5 homeruns including a grand slam off Joaquin Benoit in the 8th inning of game 2 in the ALCS to tie the game which led to Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s walk off into left field. Big Papi came up big in the post-season, especially the World Series and deserves the title of 2013 World Series most valuable player.

Ultimately, the Red Sox were an extremely deserving team in an extremely deserving city. The Commissioner’s Trophy earned by the Sox, rejuvenated Boston after the horrible tragedies of the marathon bombing.

Now that the season has ended, many of Boston’s bearded brothers will go on the market as free agents. However, the 2013 World Series winning beards will forever remain special to Boston.

Unified team soundly defeats the faculty JOSEPH KUZMIC Reporter

On Wednesday, October 23rd, more than 900 students and teachers jam-packed the Federico Gymnasium, anxious to watch the Unified Volleyball Team face the Faculty of Westerly High School.

Students ranging from grades 9-12 rushed down the hallways during the Advisory period to view one of the most gruesome rivalries of Westerly High School: Unified vs. Faculty.

The Unified program is a program in which students with special needs train and compete to face other students from other schools.

But this event meant more to the Unified team than playing other schools in the district.

They were squaring off with the teachers who have been instructing them ever since they entered Westerly High School.

While the students flooded the bleachers, the teaching staff and the Unified team prepared.

The Unified team definitely looked ready to demolish the faculty as harmless trash talk was exchanged and jokes were being made.

The stage was set for the ultimate showdown.

The faculty reeked of revenge from the loss to the Unified team during the basketball game last year, as the Unified team sought to easily win the volleyball game.

The entire gym echoed with chants from the enormous Dawg Pound.

The energy only ascended as the Unified team performed flawlessly, thoroughly dismantling anything the faculty through at them.

As the game continued, everyone in the stands were on the edge of their seats.

The leads changed every so often but the energy of the gymnasium excited the Unified team and victory seemed inevitable.

By the end of the Advisory period, the Unified team had successfully reached their goal. They had beaten their archrivals once again!

But this was not the only plus that emerged from this competitive yet playful gathering.

The entire school came together as one, not separated or divided by grades but as a unit.

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Opinion

LEFT vs Right

Obamacare: fiasco or success?

BY KLARA REISCH

BY JILLIAN SCHREIER

Left

Right

For the past few years, the president has been campaigning for a new health care program, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Nicknamed “ObamaCare,” this act was signed into law in 2010, but this date marks only the beginning of long yet enduring four-year sequence of policies and reforms. For many, this act feels downright unconstitutional and violates the principles of a country “run by the people.” For others, an expensive and risky health care program is not a feasible option for a country jeopardizing an economic nosedive. Although viable concerns, the success of America has hinged upon taking risks in the past.

By implementing ObamaCare, we continue our endeavor to conquer challenges and increase the quality and spread of our health care systems.

In 2010, a series of reforms and policies began to initiate the new health care program. Around 32-50 million Americans in 2011 did not have health care; ObamaCare hopes to decrease this number and provide substantial health care to as many as possible.

With the implementation of policies in 2010, children were now secured under their parents’ umbrella of medical insurance until the age of 26, advancing them time to eventually pay for insurance on their own. The new policies also forbade insurance companies from denying insurance to children with a pre-existing condition, which meant that children who had a pre-existing illness could not be refused coverage. Insurance companies now had to spend at least 80 percent of their premium insurance payment on medical services, rather than wasting frivolous dollars on advertising and promoting. Preventative care and testing also became free with the implementation of ObamaCare. Although the health care costs of preventative care still need to be paid for, the cost of health care will balance out because many more people are getting tested, and in effect, this will decrease the outrageous medical bills computed after preventative measures fail to be taken and more serious and expensive illnesses need required attention.

ObamaCare is one of the most debated issues in today’s politics; the Individual Mandate, perhaps the single-most debated element of ObamaCare will be put into law in 2014. On March 31st, 2014, everyone in the United States will be required to receive health care or will be required to pay an assessed tax. Those who do not qualify for Medicaid, those whose work coverage is too expensive, or those who are covered already, will have to buy insurance through online health insurance marketplaces. The rich will find themselves paying greater taxes into Medicaid. Those whose income exceeds $200,000 will pay 2.35% on their income for Medicaid. The health industry, the wealthy, the pharmaceutical industry, the hospitals, the insurance companies, and even the tanning businesses will pay a greater tax into Medicare and Medicaid. Many Americans are furious at the new health care reforms and mandated taxes. Although many protest the new taxes and necessities, insurance companies are not allowed to inflate their prices or deny anyone with a pre-existing condition availability to insurance. Many Americans today with a pre-existing condition in the workforce cannot leave their employer or company because their insurance is funded by their company, and other insurance agencies would not have admitted this individual under their policy with a pre-existing condition. With the new policies implemented by ObamaCare, more Americans have the mobility to move throughout the work force and stimulate the deplorable economy.

Before jumping into the conclusion that ObamaCare means the downfall of our constitutional health care system, exploring the concerns of our previous health care dilemmas may shed insight into the true nature of our country’s previous system. In 2005, approximately 28% of the United States population possessed inadequate health care coverage. Those who did not or could not pay for health insurance ended up leaving the hospital a crippling burden of charges.

How did the hospital cope with these extra fees? Like any other business, they transferred it onto the paying customers. With the rise of ObamaCare, taxes and other expenses may go up, but in reverse, the raw cost of health care will go down.

We have all heard the slogans, first in 2008 and recently in the election of 2012: “Yes we can.” For the past few years, the president has now been asserting this notion by revolutionizing our healthcare system. In the next few years, monumental changes in health care will be occurring, good or bad. From the questionably empty promises delivered by the president in the past, did the United States not “Vote for Change?” Eventually, the nation is going to expect some results. Although outright disapproval by the Congressional Republicans has been scattered across the states, ObamaCare is a large, nationwide implementation that– like any large degree of reform– is going to expect some opposition. It was the words of Obama which stated, “If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.”

In the middle of large reform that has America questioning the future of our health care systems, we can only hope that we are travelling and will continue to travel down the right path.

Signed into law by Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012, the Affordable Care Act, better identified as ObamaCare, has dominated news headlines as of recently. Legislators originally composed the law to reform the United States’ healthcare industry and help provide affordable insurance to the 32 million who lack the services. Furthermore, politicians originally hoped ObamaCare might also reduce growth in healthcare spending. However, even though the motives behind the bill seemingly represent positive entities for the nation as a whole, the exact factors which politicians currently hold to the Affordable Care Act benefit a specific and exclusive social class. As a result, the act casts several obstructions to the society.

ObamaCare requires the insurance of United States’ citizens to contain ten essential coverage plans, including maternity and newborn care.

The logic behind this requirement lies in the idea that, if more people buy insurance and pay for these ten coverage plans, than the overall cost of insurance should lower throughout the nation in part of a higher percentage of people paying premiums. Nevertheless, this logic currently proves to contain several detrimental flaws.

First of all, since a high percentage of insurance plans fail to follow in line with this requirement, the millions of people who buy their own private coverage may have to purchase a new plan. These new plans may come at a higher cost because the insurance companies may charge more in order to cover all ten essential coverage requirements.

Furthermore, any citizen who fails to purchase insurance by March 31, 2014 fails to qualify for Medicaid. At that point, these individuals will be fined a particular rate, increasing annually. If companies decide to use this penalty in order to offer a more cost-effective outlook, they may begin to retract company sponsored insurance and instead promote their employees to purchase their own coverage plans.

One of dominant aspects of ObamaCare incorporates the idea of making insurance both available for those who cannot afford plans and lower the overall cost of the entity. Despite this, recent figures calculated by Forbes Magazine prove the law to have a greater impact on middle class citizens than expected.

According to Avik Roy, of the Manhattan Institute of Policy Research, ObamaCare in the average state, “will increase underlying premiums by 41 percent. As we have long expected, the steepest hikes will be imposed on the healthy, the young, and the male.” In order to provide the funds necessary to aid in offering widespread insurance to the less fortunate, middle and high class citizens may face premium increases and end up paying higher taxes to support the program.

Granted, one of the nation’s true goals should be to work on the situation of the poor, the government must still keep in mind the situation of other citizens in the society. Forcing citizens to pay for essential coverage plans they do not need causes disruption in the peace of the society and may make that social class feel targeted by the government. Similar to how the American colonist felt when the British Parliament imposed stamp taxes on imports in order to supply funds for England’s economy.

For instance, a single male may fail to see the necessity for his insurance policy to offer maternity and newborn care. Instead of paying for the insurance which specifically conforms and individualizes to his needs, he gets forced to pay higher premiums for unnecessary coverage. In theory, the bill has revoked some of his freedom of choice.

The dilemma with the Affordable Act Act does not lie in the overall purpose of the law, but rather in the way politicians currently execute the specifics of ObamaCare. A prosperous society needs to promote bills which have a balance between varying social classes; bills which both benefits those in need and allow middle class and high class citizens to not feel an injustice has been placed against them. Also, although an act which creates this balance may not perfectly favor both sides, it still needs to come close.

The Affordable Care Act favors one side too greatly at the current moment to receive general acceptance among the American people. However, the law has strong potential. Certainly, it may not be a matter of completely annulling the law to settle the current obstacles at hand, but rather a necessity for great compromise between the government and the American people to create the most prosperous plan possible.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 The Barker 7

WHS Work Habits policy needs improvement This fall, a new grading policy called “Work Habits” took effect in our school, with the intent to more effectively score students on several learning skills that administration hopes to promote. Originally, Work Habits existed as a four-point scale that assigned specific numerical values to each level of proficiency within Work Habits. Soon after its inception, however, Work Habits ignited controversy.

Questions arose over its inconsistent percentage value of the overall classroom grade (ranging from 1% in the math department to 20% in the language department) and the implications of its maximum and minimum grades (a student could score no higher than a 95, and no lower than a 50). Ultimately, Work Habits was revised for the second quarter by creating a five-point scale and allowing for a traditional maximum of 100 while retaining the 50-point minimum. Although the new version of Work Habits is an improvement over the first version, it is the Barker’s position that it can – and should – be further improved.

In principle, Work Habits is a well-intentioned initiative. Encouraging the students of Westerly High to develop the skills that help them learn throughout their lives is certainly worthwhile. Unfortunately, the policy itself had a few flaws from the outset. The four-point scale graded students in a fairly rigid manner, with four specific numerical grades associated with each of the four proficiency levels: 95 for exemplary, 80 for proficient, 65 for developing, and 50 for beginning. The score of 95 was, under the original version of Work Habits, the highest grade a student could earn for meeting and exceeding expectations. For students who typically earned 90s on other assignments, this limitation could bring their grades down. Similarly, the score of 50 was the lowest grade a student could earn for Work Habits.

Technically, a student could receive a score of 50 for not exhibiting any Work Habits skills at all (if his teacher did not force him to complete an assignment). In essence, these minimum and maximum grade limitations distorted students’ quarter one grades once Work Habits was factored in.

Another source of confusion was the variation in weight

of Work Habits among the different departments. While Work Habits played a role in the grading of every class, some departments used it more than others. For instance, the math department factored it as 1% of the quarter grade because a good deal of emphasis is placed on the process – learning and using formulas and logic to find solutions to problems. That type of work is hard to measure against Work Habits because there is little room for interpretation.

In other departments, such as the language department, Work Habits made up as much as 20% of the quarter grade. In foreign language classes, more emphasis falls on the in-class participation, which is precisely what Works Habits measures.

The new Work Habits rubric now contains a fifth level of proficiency to allow students to achieve a grade which more accurately represents their work. When assessing students, teachers will first decide under which level of proficiency the student best fits. The levels increase by increments of 10 (instead of 15) to more accurately score a student for the work completed. From lowest to highest, they are beginning (60), developing (70), approaching (80), proficient (90), or exemplary (100). The new Work Habits also allows for more flexibility in each student’s assessment.

For example, if a student received beginning scores in all categories but one, the teacher may add 2.5 points to the baseline of 60 to better reflect each category’s score.

While the new rubric solves many of the original problems, one issue that remains is the lowest grade being a 50.

The fact that a score of 50 is given even if a student does not hand in his work continues to concern students and teachers alike. The issue raises questions over fairness, and whether the work ethic and “work habits” our school hopes to promote will factor into a student’s drive to complete an assignment. The very nature of allowing each student to begin with a score of 50 reduces the failure rate and inflates the success rate artificially.

See Rubric on page 8

Talking Heads The Barker asked, “What do you think of the new grading policy?”

“I don’t like it at all.”

- Morgan Harris, Senior

“No... Just no.”

- Kameron Wilcox, Senior

“It’s better than it used to be. It was awful before!”

- Morgan Wilmot, Sophomore

“It’s better than the old one.”

- Sierra Natale, Freshman

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Bleachers from page 1

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are no special seats with backs or cushions. All the same, we can expect to be able to enjoy our beloved sports events safely, and for a long time. The longevity of the bleachers without required repairs is expected to be about twenty years, if not more.

With proper maintenance, it should last even longer. Jacob Marra, a Junior, agrees. “The new bleachers look great! The old bleachers made me a little nervous, the new ones make me feel a lot more safe. They’re a real improvement over the old ones.”

Now that the home side bleachers have been renovated, this begs inquiry of what is to become of the visitors side. According to Vetelino, reconstruction of the visitors’ side is not on the table at this time. It is an idea that will take some planning and budgeting, one can be sure, but the main focus was and is for the larger, more frequently used home side. And right now, the bleachers seem to

be holding up very well, having hosted a number of sports events, such as the football team’s last couple games of the season, probably the most popular being their Senior Night game.

Most of the students of WHS seem very pleased with the reconstruction of the bleachers. “The new bleachers are very nice. I think that they were conveniently finished ahead of schedule,” says Alex Sadler, a Junior. While some were upset that many a home game were relocated due to the construction, it seems that most students are fairly pleased with the new bleachers, and find them to be worth it. Some anonymous sources disagree, stating, “The bleachers were an unneeded expenditure considering the current state of the arts program.” However, this change is certain to provide a safer, more pleasant environment to enjoy future sports events for years to come.

mous Battle of Quebec.

Sophomore Joe Bodnar noted, “I’m most exited to see the ice sculptures and the ice hotel,” both of which are traditions in the Winter Carnival.

Snow sculptors from all over the world create huge works of art from the abundant Canadian snow. An ice hotel is constructed each winter and accommodates visitors, while an ice palace is built primarily for the festivities of Carnival.

After dinner in Vieux-Quebec, students will watch the Defile du Carnaval. The large parade travels through the streets of the city at night, marked by the resounding music and colorful lights. Students then have the opportunity to explore the Carnival sites with friends.

Michelle Hanssen, a junior who has also organized fundraisers for the trip, shared her interests as well. “I’m excited to go dog sledding and check out the ice palace as well,” she said.

Following their immersion into the Winter Carnival, students spend the next day exploring both natural and man-made wonders of Quebec.

They will tour the 275-foot tall Montmorency Falls, a waterfall taller even than Niagara Falls. Additionally, students will visit an indoor mall and amusement park, as well as ride in giant inner tubes down snow-covered hills.

After a last morning in Vieux-Quebec, the trip will conclude, and the students will return home. Mrs. Canty hopes students will realize that it may not be as hard as they thought to find new and interesting travel opportunities.

“My main hope for this trip is that students will gain a broader understanding of what the rest of the world has to offer,” she added, “and to realize that it is up to them as the next generation to improve the perception that other countries have of the U.S.” Student response has been very enthusiastic, with over 40 students signed up for the trip. There will be five chaperones accompanying the students: Mrs. Canty, Mrs. Steverman, Mrs. Vasquez, Mr. Hellner (Mrs. Vasquez’s husband), as well as a fifth still being sought. The trip has not yet met its capacity for participants, but is near that peak.

In response to that, Nike, Air Jordan, Adidas and other famous athletic companies have been remaking old models of their shoes worn by famous athletes and reselling them to the current sneaker heads of America. When companies bring back an old pair of shoes the shoe is called a retro.

New, popular, and promising athletes, mainly in basketball, have been sponsored by famous athletic companies and given their own sneaker line to change and improve the “sneaker culture.”

Since another season of basketball is approaching all the big name stars are adding another pair of shoes to their lineup.

For example, Kevin Durant has already released the KD VI. LeBron James has released his eleventh pair in his signature lineup and Derrick Rose has released his fourth pair of kicks in his sneaker lineup.

A few images of the Kobe 9 in its development stage have been released, but nothing more. People will definitely be talking about this upcoming discharge soon. There is a lot of hype over these releases and the future color and style of these new models.

There will also be some reoccurring color combinations that have bred a lot of excitement and sold very well in the past. For instance, Kevin Durant has already released a pair of his VI’s; sporting the color arrangement of his Alma mater, Texas.

In the past two years, the KD IV and V “Texas Longhorns” have been a favorite for a lot of Durantula fans. Another style that will have sneaker heads killing each other for (not literally of course) is the “Aunt Pearl/Think Pink” color way.

This firsthand design has been an outrageous

skirts, or pants are super popular at the moment!

All of these trends look great when one wears them on the daily, but can you mix them together?

The answer is yes! Combining styles, prints, and colors is the perfect way to look well dressed.

In order to succeed in picking these combos, one must understand the power of juxtaposition. For example, wearing a feminine rose colored dress doesn’t mean you can’t accessorize with studs and leather to change the look completely.

Cynthia Rowley understands this concept completely. In fact, she basically invented it. Rowley pairs

leather with extremely girly silhouettes and colors.

The key to looking put together and stylish is to take runway fashions and convert them into something that is ready-to-wear. During this conversion don’t forget to incorporate your personal style and preference!

Looks this fall are different than any other year and take fashion to the next level. Designers are becoming more, and more adventurous. Keeping up with seasonal trends from designers will promise compliments and envy among one’s peers and the public.

Quebec from page 1

Fads from page 1

Miley from page 4

success with its explicit details and messages. The “OKC Away” color way has also done well in the past few years. While Durant is growing as a player and as a celebrity, OKC and his sneaker line are growing too.

For LeBron James’ signature shoe line, there is a lot is that is going to be expected from both Heat fans and sneaker fans. There have previously been some images leaked for the “Miami Nights” color way that will be making its first appearance in the last two years. An abundance of heads will be eager for that specific release.

Another coveted color way will be the “Floridians,” created for Miami’s old ABA team.

A design that made itself a name in the house holds of sneaker heads were the “Corks” that made its debut on the LeBron X. A color way that we also haven’t seen since the LeBron IX is the “Cannon,” which is considered a tremendously rare sneaker. People who couldn’t get their hands on those are hoping not to make the same mistake this year if LeBron releases the same color way for his XI’s.

Sneaker heads will also be thrilled to see what Jordan has planned this year. We will have high expectations for Jordan to release some remarkable retros and new color combinations.

This year will be huge for sneakers and I will be here to bring my readers top notch information about upcoming releases and what is hot in the sneaker community! I will also be providing in depth performance reviews for new models releasing this year. So stay tuned with us for more sneaker news in a year that is for the record books.

Hair from page 4 extra time on your fluffy pillow in the morning. To ensure your hair is clean, use any dry shampoo.

On those days when you have zero energy to style your hair, a pony tail will do the trick, “A pony tail is such a timeless hairstyle, just dress it up and it instantly becomes a formal, polished, day to day look,” said Brent Borreson, a Redken Exchange Facilitator.

Easy ways to revamp a pony tail include back combing, braiding, and wrapping sections of hair around the elastic. Back combing the top of your head and then smoothing the outer layer of hair adds sky high volume to a simple pony tail. Adding tiny braids throughout your hair gives the sleek look an abundance of texture. Believe it or not, models have been using sleek ponytails on the runway more and more, creating a trend which is convenient and easy for girls to replicate in a matter of minutes.

Similarly, sock buns create a chic look that will go with virtually any outfit for any occasion. Adding a headband braid, or a French braid following your

hairline, can add a distinctive flare to the oversized bun.

If you are looking to change your hair color, bold colors have never been more “in” for this fall. The latest and greatest hair colors include bold reds, such as auburn and coppers. Dying hair different shades of red and then glazing over with a demi-permanent treatment creates a stunning, unique look.

Ombre hair is making a comeback, with a dramatic shift in color, such as brown to blonde, or auburn to yellow. Make sure if you decide to dye your hair with this technique, have a professional hairdresser do it for you as it is a difficult technique to accomplish.

Never before have the greatest styles and hair colors been so simple to accomplish. With heatless stylesyour hair will remain healthy and beautiful.

Even better, with a few hair pins and elastics the simplicity of the hair styles cost virtually no money at all.

has also been affected.

Although the genre is still the same, her music is greatly affected by her choice of lyrics and music video ideas. Wrecking Ball has been number three on Billboard for the past 10 weeks; despite the fact that Miley is naked in the music video.

The nudity of the video attracted a great deal of hate for the popstar to attest with, but she claims to have a reason behind the idea. When interviewed a second time by Ellen DeGeneres, Miley clues everyone in saying the entire album is about her now ex-fiancé, Liam Hemsworth.

After realizing this, Miley explains being naked in the Wrecking Ball video demonstrates how Liam figuratively stripped her of love. In the same interview, Miley shares her feelings with the world about how it wasn’t painful to break up with Liam.

Miley claims she is in a good place and very happy with her life at the moment. After Miley cut her hair, people wondered how long her and Liam would stay together. Cancelling the engagement only brought more publicity to Miley, leading to her comeback.

Rubricfrom page 7

Promoting proper work habits among our school’s students is necessary to help students develop the skills they need for future academic tasks. However, there must be a carefully-maintained balance between bringing attention to work habits and scoring students accurately for using them. If the school establishes a way to ensure students cannot take advantage of the “given” 50, then Work Habits may operate in the most effective way possible.

Band from page 2 sports games.

Ms. Ferry will also be working with the concert and jazz band after school, one day per week.

She encourages all students who know an instrument to join for adjudication, a band trip, and upcoming concerts this school year.

Mr. DeAngelis, the chorus teacher, currently teaches the concert band and jazz band during the school day, as no teacher was hired for the position. The students in both bands are currently preparing for their winter concert and several other performances in the upcoming winter months.

All three bands hope to increase in size by inviting any students who know an instrument.

Commitment is limited to one day per week and will be rewarded by a day trip with the band.

HOLIDAY Enter your favorite cookie recipe to win!

CONTEST

Contest starts Nov. 21st Winner Announced Dec.18th

with a feature article in the Great Taste Section Top 10 finalists will take part in a bake-off and need to submit cookies for tasting by VIPs.

1st Prize: Cuisinart Elite 12 Cup Food Processor 2nd Prize: USA Pan Non-Stick 6-Piece Bake Set 3rd Prize: Nordic Ware Cookie Press, Round Rack & Cookie Sheet

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