EDITION 10.indd - East Lyme Public

TheViking Saga
Volume 44, Edition 10
Januray 25, 2011
In This Edition:
ELHS students travel to
Puerto Rico
4
by
k.roberts/saga
Book Room Faces
Water Damage
7
d.gaffey/saga
East Lyme’s Best
Rides
8
Año Nuevo en Puerto Rico
submitted by r. pivirotto
Ryan Pivirotto’s
Skating Talent
Kiersten Sinko
How many high school
students can say they spent their
New Year’s abroad on a terrace
of a resort? Not many, however,
approximately 13 students from
East Lyme High School were
able to spend their New Year’s
this way in Puerto Rico.
“It was such an honor. I mean,
I missed my family, but what
better way to spend New Year’s
than with your friends in Puerto
Rico? Especially spending it
inside a different culture and
learning what they do,” said
junior Miranda Mugovero.
Although the trip was
originally planned to be from
December 27-31, a snow storm,
however, cancelled the initial
flight, causing the trip to be
rescheduled. Vamanos Tours,
the company that planned the
by
d.gaffey/saga
School Boy
Steeze...
On the back:
Who do you think
will be the best
dancer at Winter
Ball and why?
www.thevikingsaga.org
ELHS students take a dip into a waterfall during
their trip to Puerto Rico over holiday break.
trip, worked tirelessly to make
the trip dates only be moved
back to December 31-January 4
of the new year.
“The fact that the tour
company was able to change
our itinerary last minute was
absolutely amazing, they didn’t
have to do that. The fact that they
were able to push our itinerary
around yet keep everything the
same, that impressed me,” said
Spanish teacher Kelly Burton
“My whole family is from
Puerto Rico, and I’m glad our
(continued as Puerto Rico on Page 4)
Test Your Luck for Luxury
Class of 2011 teams up
with Class of 2013 for
luxury raffle fundraiser
11
k.sinko/saga
Caeleigh Jennings
The Class of 2011, wellknown for its successful events
and fundraisers, have now
joined with the Class of 2013 to
execute a luxury raffle featuring
a grand prize of a BMW 328I.
In addition to the car,
prizes include a $10,000 travel
certificate, a Samsung LED
HD TV, a Macbook Pro and
a $500 ticket master gift card.
All of these prizes will be given
away at the drawing held on
February 11. Tickets are being
sold for $50 apiece and can
be purchased from senior and
sophomore senate members.
“Once we got the permits
we realized that we needed help
selling tickets so we joined with
the sophomore class and the
senior grad party,” said Class
of 2011 president Karen Hays.
Originally, the Class of 2011
had taken this fundraiser on all
by themselves.
“It was a really good
opportunity to benefit both
classes,” said Class of 2013
senate member Laura Kastner.
The Class of 2013 senate is
helping to sell tickets and get
the word out about the raffle.
In return, the Class of 2013 will
share a portion of the profits.
“It makes it a much larger
fundraiser when we band
together as two classes,”
said senior class advisor
Nadine Barnes.
The majority of the money
raised will go to the Class of
2011, while the Class of 2013
and the senior graduation party
will each receive a portion of
the profits. The money will be
used to pay for graduations,
class trips and the senior dinner
dances for each class.
All interested should contact a
Class of 2011 senate member or
a Class or 2013 senate member
to purchase a $50 ticket and a
shot to win the grand prize.
East Lyme High School, 30 Chesterfield Road, East Lyme, CT 06333
2
opinion
january 25, 2011
Talk Less; Say More
editorials by Kate Kielty and Emily Mooradian
n.maddux
Accepted?
by
Emily Mooradian
As college decisions roll
around, seniors check the mail
box and inbox every day in
both eagerness and nervous
anticipation. And in the midst
of those acceptance letters
being ripped open, a flood to the
Facebook news feed is almost
guaranteed, where one can
find countless “I GOT INTO
_____!!!!” statuses littering
the web.
There’s absolutely nothing
wrong with being excited about
getting accepted to college.
In fact, not being excited is
borderline concerning. In
this day and age, exhilarated
Facebook statuses regarding
college have become a sort
of rite of passage; to relish in
the collection of ‘likes’ and
encouraging,
congratulatory
comments garnered is just one
of the many perks of being
accepted to the schools of
your choice.
But there is another reaction
to getting into college that is just
as common and just as public,
but 100 times less positive.
Whether it’s heard around the
halls or seen clogging up the
internet, it’s there, the ever
present downer who has to say,
“I got into ____, too bad I don’t
want to go there because it’s
my safety!”
I have accepted that college
acceptance, and inevitably
rejection has become something
of a public ordeal, like it or
not. However, the spouting off
about acceptance letters and
scholarships in an ungrateful,
tactless manner needs to go.
With the exception of
perhaps immediate family and
friends, people are only really
interested in hearing about
the colleges you are excited
to be accepted to. The big
bulky acceptance letter in the
mail box shouldn’t really be a
topic of conversation if it’s not
to a school you’re seriously
considering attending.
I understand that all
students need both safeties as
well as reaches, in addition
to colleges within range; it’s
nearly impossible to get by in
the college application process
without applying to at least
one of each. But it’s extremely
inconsiderate to publicly deem
a school as a “safety,” “back
up” or “last resort.”
While you may not think
it prestigious enough to be
your top choice, there are
undoubtedly students out there
who see the same college as
Outside The Classrooms:
compiled by
Kate Kielty and Emily Mooradian
Cheating
their favorite, first choice school
or even as their reach.
For every student not
interested in a school he or she
has been accepted to, there are
students crushed by the denial
or deferral letter that came in
the mail, or students who felt
pretty great about getting into
their top pick until they learned
their classmates think it’s only
worthy of being a last resort.
An acceptance letter or
scholarship is a wonderful
opportunity, regardless of which
school it’s for. If applicants
are honestly not interested in
the schools they have been
accepted to, they need to quit
gloating about it and, instead,
be mindful of other applicants.
Politely contacting the office of
admissions to let them know
can free up that spot for students
truly interested in that school.
Outside The Classroom
compiles statistics and
quotes from ELHS students
about various topics. The
information
and
data
published in OTC’s is
gathered from Saga surveys
that can be accessed at
www.thevikingsaga.org.
Out of 76 students who took a Viking Saga survey...
What do you think about cheating at ELHS?
- 79% have copied homework - 8% have gotten answers
“Teachers aren’t really in touch with “Everyone does the occasional
- 18% have brought a
from an outside source
how students are cheating. If the glance at someone else’s quiz
prohibited “cheat sheet” of
during an exam (the
teachers knew how the students did it, to make sure they got the right
information into an exam
internet, texting, etc.)
they would be surprised at how many answer.” -junior boy
- 41% have copied answers off - 14% have plagiarized
people they catch.” -freshman boy
of other students around them a paper
“There are people who have
- 58% have read Sparknotes
- 16% have done none of “Kids go to great lengths just so that been caught cheating, and are not
instead of a book
the above
they don’t actually have to do the work punished because they are “good
students”... It’s ridiculous and so
themselves.” -sophomore girl
Have you ever cheated on Have you been ever caught
unfair that everyone else works
“It’s too easy, I got through four years
schoolwork?
cheating?
hard for grades, and those people
of high school doing it without any
cheat.” -senior girl
20% have
punishment.” -senior boy
not cheated
14% have
been caught
1
2
80% have cheated
86% have not
been caught
“I know it’s not a good thing, but with all of the stress and work we have
to do, copying a few answers isn’t the worst thing possible.”
-junior girl
For more responses from East Lyme High School students check out our website www.thevikingsaga.org
1
The information and data published in ‘Outside the Classrooms’ is strictly for informational purposes and The Viking Saga does not encourage or discourage any of the views presented.
2
the viking saga
opinion
january 25, 2011
b.grimwood
Paradise Lost
by
Kate Kielty
One of my favorite songs
is the Counting Crow’s cover
of “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni
Mitchell. The classic, which is
still heard on radio today, relates
a relationship to destroying
nature, or “paving paradise to
put up a parking lot.” While the
song was first heard 40 years
ago, the lyrics remain powerful
as a branch of the federal
government called the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) is
destroying yet another paradise
in Nevada by rounding up wild
horses, raising eyebrows and
tugging at heartstrings across
the nation.
Every day out west, a team
of BLM employees and pilots
surround groups of wild horses
with helicopters. The goal?
Round up 12,000 horses and
burros (donkeys) this year to
transfer out of the wild and into
holding facilities, where they
will be broken (trained) and
then sold to the public to avoid
the horses overpopulating
the land.
There are so many issues
with this process that it is no
wonder activists across the
country are digging their heels
into the ground outside the
White House. Video footage
taken by witnesses in Nevada
show the helicopters spooking
the horses into a state of panic,
sometimes flying low enough to
knock them to the ground. By
the time the horses are stuffed
into a pen with the others,
they are exhausted, worn-out,
susceptible to injury and scared
for their lives.
When the horses are taken
into overpopulated facilities,
they are given no room to
move and resources are
limited. According to CNN,
approximately 100 horses died
due to these circumstances last
year. There are too many horses
being pushed in and, due to the
recession, not enough will be
adopted out.
Even though this battle has
been fought over for a year,
the BLM remains adamant that
they are saving these horses
from starvation as water and
food in the horses’ natural
environment is limited; a
statement that activists claim is
false. Allegedly, the BLM want
the land to breed cattle and
allow for the construction of a
gas pipeline.
If the BLM is so sure that
these horses need to be moved,
they would take the horses’ real
well-being into account and
follow the advice of the many
activists currently advocating to
create a wild horse sanctuary.
In 1971, the government
signed a contract saying they
are responsible for taking care
of the horses as an “American
treasure.” Yet, by subjecting the
animals to such unnecessary
torture and estrangement from
the life they have always known,
we are doing just the opposite.
Letters to the editor:
In response to Emily Mooradian’s editorial, Race’s Place, in Edition 9:
Reading Emily’s January
11th editorial on affirmative
action made me question
the legitimacy of some
schools’ admission methods.
I feel fortunate for being a
studious minority, not for
being automatically favored.
Sure, I’m not hurt from this
“affirmative action” approach,
but considering a minority’s
credentials higher than those
of a Caucasian student plainly
because of their race doesn’t
make much sense to me. If it’s to
the point where my “majority”
friends feel disadvantaged
because of their race, then
something’s going wrong.
Say an admissions officer
has two applications in his hand.
Both are virtually identical,
but one comes from a white
male, and the other comes
from a Hispanic female. The
admissions officer has to make
a decision in picking one or the
other, and chooses the girl. This
is what I thought affirmative
action consisted of. If this is not
the case, which is what I’m now
understanding, then I’m a little
offended if admissions teams
were comparing me to other
students, saying “Oh, well her
grades are lower then this guy’s,
but she’ll add to our campus’s
diversity more.” It makes sense
(at least, more sense) if they felt
a minority was a good match
for their campus, and chose this
person over someone else with
the same credentials if a choice
like that had to be made. In any
case, colleges’ main admission
factors should come from
what they see in the writing,
academics, and activities –
not demographics.
Sincerely,
Senior Carmen Ladipo
Agree? Disagree? We want to hear from YOU!
Email us your letters to the editor, suggestions or story ideas at
[email protected]
3
Editorial Staff
2010-2011
Editors-in-Chief
Kate Kielty
Emily Mooradian
News
Christine Durkee
Features
Mike DeFaria
Sports
Bryan Swenson
Entertainment
Ally Sloss
Managing
Samantha Lyall
Website
Kiersten Sinko
Media
Raj Thanabal
Advisor
Jeff Beale
Staff Writers
Page Burns
Kat Cook
Stefanie Duda
Billy Fritz
Dan Gaffey
Caeleigh Jennings
Kelsie Lane
Kaytlin Murphy
Alice Navarro
Ben Ostrowski
Kaley Roberts
Francis Shields
Zoë Smallidge
the viking saga
4
news
january 25,2011
Water Damages Literary Classics
A leak causes severe water damage
in the ELHS book room
by Kaley Roberts
After a half-day, students returned to
bed and faculty reported to professional
development. That same afternoon, next
to the boys’ bathroom in the A-wing, a
disaster occurred.
On December 10, a water leak damaged
$7,846.81 worth of literary classics in East
Lyme High School’s English department
book room
ELHS’s heating unit was the cause of
the leak. The freeze stat, a part of the unit
that helps moderate temperature, failed
temporarily, and allowed temperature
within the unit to plummet. Thus, the water
spinning through coils in the unit froze,
expanded, and broke through the coils.
The ice then thawed and the water gushed
from the roof, through the book room
and into special education teacher Beth
Provost’s room.
“All hands were on deck,” said head
custodian Mike Hewitt. “The leak happened
in the morning –when one of the teachers
saw water in the girls’ [A wing] bathroom,
I was the first response. Then everyone was
called to help out.”
“The custodial staff was truly
impressive,” said Principal Michael Susi.
“Water soaked Ms. Provost’s room, but by
Monday morning it was
completely clean and
the wet [ceiling] tiles
had been replaced.”
The books, however,
were a different story.
Despite much of the
English
department,
along with a custodian,
cleaning the room
without
hesitation,
many of the classics
were beyond rescue.
Water blurred their
pages and rendered the
text unreadable.
“If we could wipe
off the cover and if the
k.roberts/saga
pages inside the book
were not yet wet, we The ELHS book room after suffering the recent
tried to save it,” said water damage.
English department head
Pamela Nowak, acknowledging the few not yet been purchased,” said Mr. Susi. “We
books that were saved. “The Great Gatsby have to send a claim to our insurance.”
and the American Lit. anthologies [took]
While the leak was far from ideal,
the biggest hit,” according to Nowak.
Mr. Susi recognized that it could have been
“Mr. Susi allowed me to purchase the far worse.
books that would have caused the most
“Between the English department
damage to the curriculum,” said Ms. jumping into action and the custodial and
Nowak who has already replaced $553.76 maintenance team’s hard work, a disastrous
worth of books. “So no one should be situation was turned around,” he said.
greatly affected.”
“Because of their efforts, [the leak] had no
“We will replace the books which have real effect on the way the school runs.”
submitted by k.sinko/saga
Senior Jessica Boggs holds a starfish on
a boat ride through the La Paragua lake
during the recent trip to Puerto Rico.
the viking saga
(Puerto Rico Continued
from Front Page) trip wasn’t
canceled entirely so I can
experience it. I wanted to
learn about my culture, it’s
kind of important to me,”
said Mugovero.
The only change to the
itinerary was missing a mall
shopping experience on the first
day. Other than that students
experienced many highlights
of Puerto Rico including the
El Yunque Rainforest where
the students swam in the
waterfalls, a boat ride in La
Paragua to view the different
types of fish and the students’
favorite, the Bioluminescent
bay tour in the evening.
“They didn’t have to change
our whole itinerary for us, we are lucky that
they got to reschedule the activities. Our
days were action packed the whole time,”
said Burton.
“My favorite part was definitely
being the first to jump in to the waterfall
since everyone else was afraid to do so,”
said Mugovero.
“These trips, just like the Chile or
Argentina trip, are actually putting to use
something that you would learn in a text
book into a natural environment, and you
learn without realizing you’re learning.
It was constantly educational the whole
time,” said Burton.
After returning from Puerto Rico two days
after everyone else at ELHS, going back to
the school the next day was much harder
for Burton and her 13 voyaging students.
Nevertheless, not one student complained
after having such a memorable experience.
news
‘ F r e s h ’F a c e s
Meet the newly elected freshman officers
by
Stefanie Duda
Freshman speeches and elections took place the week before Holiday Break. Freshmen
then voted in their Freshman Academy classes for the officers that they wanted to see
represent them. On Monday, December 20, the freshman officers were announced. The
results were Claire Jasper as president, Erin Concannon as vice president, Juliet Ealahan
as secretary and Sahil Pallan as treasurer. Jasper ran alongside two other freshmen,
Concannon against one, and both Pallan and Ealahan ran unopposed.
The Class of 2014 senate has already held one fundraiser earlier in the year, selling
T-shirts for Spirit Week, earning the class $370.
“For freshmen I think we’re doing pretty well. We started the year on T-shirt sales, and
to our surprise we made a very good profit,” Jasper said. The officers, as well as the rest
of the freshman senate, hope to continue on their profitable path.
Sam Horner, a member of the freshman senate said, “I think that we have strong leaders
that can accomplish a lot and will help our senate and class. All together I believe that
with the officers appointed we can make the most out of the rest of this year.”
Meet the Officers
s.duda/saga
Name: Claire Jasper
Position: President
Goals for the year: “We’re going to try to
do a good amount of fundraisers. It would
be great if we could get our savings up to
$1000. We want to try and get everyone
more enthusiastic about Spirit Week for the
fall, too.”
s.duda/saga
Name: Sahil Pallan
Position: Treasurer
Goals for the year: “I think one more
major fundraiser and a few more small
fundraisers would be a really good idea.
We have a Zumbathon later in the year, and
we’re really excited about that.”
s.duda/saga
Name: Erin Concannon
Position: Vice President
Goals for the year: “I hope to see everyone
getting along, supporting the class of 2014,
and encouraging everyone to participate
in all of our amazing fundraisers we have
coming up.”
s.duda/saga
Name: Juliet Ealahan
Position: Secretary
Goals for the year: “We’d like to get
a good head start financially so when it
comes time for prom and all that we won’t
have to worry about spending.”
january 25,2011
5
News in Brief
by
Zoë Smallidge
Niantic Streetscape
The town of East Lyme is focusing
on renovating Main Street in downtown
Niantic by putting the Niantic Streetscape
Enhancement Project into full action,
aiming to give Main Street a landscaping
makeover. The East Lyme town planning
department has secured a state grant for
the construction. The construction plans
include new crosswalks and sidewalks,
a bicycle parking area and new
curbing. Also, there are smaller-scale
items needed to complete the project,
including new benches, trees, planters,
streetlights and trash cans. The cost
necessary for these specific materials is
approximately $250,000. The project is
encouraging and accepting donations,
whether it is only a few dollars or the
sponsorship of an entire streetlight.
Preset monetary donations range from
$1-$15,000. All information regarding
donations, donation forms and details
about materials that the streetscape
project would like to purchase can be
found at www.discovereastlyme.com/
nianticmainstreet.
Salem Sidewalk
The town of Salem plans to install a
sidewalk along the stretch of main town
buildings on Route 85 in Salem, in order
to make the road more easily accessible
to pedestrians. A grant of $130,000
was given to the town from the state
Department of Transportation to build
this sidewalk. The plan is to have the
1,000 foot sidewalk extend from Salem
School to the library and Town Hall.
Route 85 is a busy road due to the
fact that it connects many neighboring
towns, so it is often viewed as dangerous
for people to walk along the stretch of
the town buildings. Eliminating this
obstacle will make town functions more
efficient, such as Salem School’s yearly
evacuation drill, which involves all
students and faculty walking from the
school to the Town Hall while police
block off a large section of the road. The
town’s Public Works Department has
already started designing the sidewalk,
and there are hopes to have the project
completed by summertime.
the viking saga
6
january 25, 2011
Bust a Move
Ahn Ngyuen
Losing control, it is something most people
strive to avoid, but when it comes to senior
Anh Nguyen, it is exactly what he loves most
about dancing.
Nguyen is known
around ELHS for both
his free-styling and
break dancing, and
high school dances
are the perfect place
for him to show off
his moves.
“They are not too
crowded and people
are a lot more open to
watch,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen began
dancing in eighth
grade when he saw
a Michael Jackson
concert on television
and learned the famous
“moon walk.” He has Ngyuen strikes
been dancing ever
since in hopes to one day match his idol’s
awesome abilities.
Ngyuen is ready to go, so keep your eyes
open. Winter Ball is just around the corner
and no one wants to miss the opportunity to
see Nguyen nail the moon walk.
Kevin Seery
features
This year’s dancers to watch at
Winter Ball
by Kat Cook
Rachel Merry
Senior Kevin Seery came into the dancing
Senior Rachel Merry has a broken
scene last winter due to his notorious washing machine to thank for her success
impression of Beyonce’s Single Ladies, on the dance floor.
but this Winter Ball, he is out to add some
When Merry was four she accompanied
new moves to
her mother to the
his repertoire.
local laundromat
While this
after her washing
dancer has no
machine broke, and
formal training,
it was on that trip
Seery describes
to the laundromat
his
dancing
that she decided to
abilities
as
sign up for dance
“professional.”
lessons at The
To him, a strong
Dancer’s
Edge
sense of style
next door.
and flow are the
Through dance,
best
qualities
Merry has had
a
dancer
the
opportunity
can have.
to adopt various
For those who
personas – as
aspire to dance
an eighth grader
k.cook/saga
k.cook/saga
like Seery, he
she wore black
suggests
that
a pose.
Seery shows off his moves. lipstick, an afro
they
“drop
and “a shirt of
it low.”
tattoos” to dance a number along to
So this Winter Ball do not be alarmed Marilyn Manson.
if you see a young man sporting stunna’
I am not sure if Marilyn Manson would
shades and droppin’ it real low. Chances be allowed to attend Winter Ball, but I am
are it is just Seery on the dance floor sure if worst came to worst, Merry could
showing off his freshest moves.
at least show us how to break it down.
Learning from Experience
by
Zoë Smallidge
One of the best ways to gain knowledge
about any given topic is to experience it
yourself, and the students in East Lyme
High School’s Human Development
classes did just that. For their midterm
exams, they took part in internships related
to the course.
“Most of us are going to observe or teach
lessons in elementary school classrooms,”
said senior Shanelle D’Alessio, a Human
Development student. “The internships
provide a very valuable experience,
especially for the many students who are
interested in a teaching or medical career.”
“It’s a variety of kids. It’s an honors
course, a full-year, University of
the viking saga
Connecticut class, and [these internships]
take it a step beyond,” said Human
Development teacher Freda Gianakos. “It’s
what they call an ‘early college experience’
class,” said Ms. Gianakos.
For the course’s midterm exam,
the students had to participate in two
internships and complete a total of 40 hours
of time in the internships. As a reward for
the students who went above and beyond
the required 40 hours, Ms. Gianakos said
she may consider using the additional time
and effort as a source of extra credit for
the course.
“I have them look at different venues
for education,” said Ms. Gianakos. “A
few of these places include Flanders
Elementary School, the Friendship School
in Waterford and the Children’s Museum in
downtown Niantic.”
“I have had kids who have gone into
the hospital and they actually shadowed in
labor and delivery, oncology and medical
technology,” Gianakos continued.
Sydney Dubreuil, a junior in the class,
said, “The course prepares us for the
internship experience, providing us with
the knowledge we need.”
“The internships let us connect and
apply what we learn in the classroom to real
life, especially what we’ve learned about
childhood development,” said D’Alessio.
“It makes it more than just a normal class,
and we get to learn beyond the textbook.”
features
7
january 25, 2011
Cars that Keep it Classy
Walking through the two high school parking lots, there are not too many cars that stick out as “hot.” If you
look past the ocean of Volvos and SUVs, you may see the eye-catching whips of seniors Zach Caldwell, Colin
Hecklinger and junior Timmy Farina.
by Dan Gaffey
1. Zach Caldwell
It would be nearly impossible to
mistake Caldwell’s ride: this senior drives
a lime-green ’92 Jeep Wrangler YJ.
“When I was 15 years old, I traded my
dirt bike for it,” said Caldwell. “It didn’t
run when I bought it, but I spent two years
fixing it up.”
Caldwell used his sense of humor
when fixing up his jeep by installing a
custom horn. Rather than the conventional
blaring sound, his horn makes a whimper
sounding noise.
“I love it. I hate it in the winter, but
it makes up for it in the summer,” said
Caldwell. “It’s unique and different, just
like me.”
2. Timmy Farina
Drivers often feel a strong emotional bond
with their vehicle. Farina’s car, nicknamed
the “G-mobile,” is a 1990 maroon Ford
LTD Crown Victoria. His parents got it
for him as a surprise for his 16th birthday.
When he got it, the car did not run, but after
spending time with his father repairing the
entire engine he got the car to start.
“It didn’t take long to fix the car up,” said
Farina. “All she needed was a little TLC.”
For those who do not know Farina,
he is a big kid with an even bigger heart.
When driving the G-mobile, which is about
the length of a truck, Farina can be seen
wearing a smile as wide as his car.
submitted by z.caldwell
3. Colin Hecklinger
Quite possibly the coolest car belonging
to a student is owned by senior Colin
Hecklinger. Hecklinger’s white Cadillac
Caprice is rarely seen but when he decides
to break it out, the mint green interior with
white wall tires will make any student do a
double take.
“It’s just a smooth ride,” said Hecklinger.
“It’s the bee’s knees, man.”
Much like his car, Hecklinger is a cool, classy
kind of guy. Hecklinger digs an adventure and
riding in his vintage Cadillac makes any drive
seem a lot cooler.
“The best is midnight driving in the summer
with the top down,” said Hecklinger. “Straight
ridin’ with a girl is the best feeling ever.”
Avoiding Winter Blues
submitted by t.farina
submitted by c.hecklinger
1.
2.
3.
How to stay sane during the winter months
by Francis Shields
Go Bowling
Basketball Games
Watch a Movie
Put away the shovels and snowshoes
and hop into the lanes for a good time.
Bowling is a great way to forget about the
dismal conditions outside and have fun for
a few hours.
The best spot in the area to hit the lanes
is Family Bowl in Waterford; they have
fair prices and an inviting atmosphere.
The alley is set up to resemble the 1970s
and the music is always real funky and
bumping loud.
In addition, they offer a dual bowling
experience with the traditional ten-pin
structure, or a duck pin structure with
gutter guards so even the worst bowler
can succeed.
Sick of watching those seven foot giants
on the television and want to see some
real basketball?
Then come to an East Lyme High School
varsity basketball game where they will
show you how it is really done. Star seniors
like Angel Ortiz, Spencer Loomis and Zach
Bartlett always guarantee for an awesome
game to watch. The games are high energy
and can get you out of the zombie-like state
of the winter months.
In addition, you can help support the Vikes
and even get a discount by participating in
the white outs. This is a sure fire way to put
some excitement into your life during the
long winter.
If the high energy environment of a
basketball game is not for you, try to sit
back, relax, and watch a movie. Before you
break out the Netflix, make sure you have
the simple necessities including: blankets,
hot chocolate and popcorn. Some movies
that help me get back into a summer state of
mind are The Sandlot and Transformers.
A summertime movie in the winter helps
you get through the tough times of the year
and makes you look forward to the warm
summer months ahead even more.
You can also support a local business
and check out Niantic Cinemas where the
best new movies are always on display for
your enjoyment.
the viking saga
8 january 25, 2011
From
Swenson’s
Sidelines
by
Bryan Swenson
2010 was a wonderful year for
privilege of beloved players: Ohio State
Buckeye Terrelle Pryor for pawning
rings and awards in exchange for tattoos,
Auburn Tiger Cam Newton and his
father for attempting to embezzle money
and Minnesota Viking Brett Favre for
sexual harassment.
No doubt these three players are
accomplished quarterbacks. However,
there is more to an athlete than, well,
being an athlete. When all eyes are on
them, there is not much room for error,
both on and off the field. If people hold
high expectations for their performance,
they should hold high expectations for
other aspects of their life as well. So
where do the exceptions start?
Unfortunately, I have seen it in some
high school sports: players get caught for
doing anything from drugs to stealing.
The punishment from a school’s point
of view would be severe, but the team’s
point of view does not match up.
If the player is valuable to the team,
then there certainly are excuses made for
them. However, as important as winning
is, holding to one’s own principles and
rules is more important. Every player,
benchwarmer or not, is valuable to the
team in one way or another.
A team may dominate its sport every
year, but they will always have a scarred
reputation (true or exaggerated) if team
members are trouble-makers.
Who will have respect for players that
break the rules with no consequences?
They may be a stars on the field, but
that stardom will eventually wear away.
Athletes’ playtime is limited, but the
character they choose to be will have an
impact on their lives forever.
It is not right for these players to be
allowed chance after chance, excuse after
excuse. Everyone needs to be treated
equally on and off the field because they
are part of their team, so they represent
their organization through everything
they do.
the viking saga
sports
Sophomore
Speed Machine
Sophomore
Ryan
Pivirotto
speed skates his way around the
East Coast
by Page Burns
Many people would confess that they are
fascinated by speed, and commonly fulfill
their desire by driving excessively fast in
their own car. Sophomore Ryan Pivirotto
withholds that confession, but fulfills his
need for speed by shooting 20 miles per
hour around a rink on speed skates.
The goal of speed skating is to go as fast
as humanly possible. Although reaching
top speeds is difficult in itself, the category
of control takes tremendous effort.
“Going fast is the fun part, but the cross
overs into the turns are especially hard to
control because that is where you get your
speed,” said Pivirotto
When he lived in Michigan, Pivirotto’s
parents tried to get him into the sport,
but because of his strict commitment to
ice hockey, he didn’t gain interest until
recently. Captivated
by
the
speed
skaters
competing
in the 2010 Winter
Olympics, Pivirotto
decided it was time
to start. In March of
last year he found
Dave Moneypenny
the coach of the
Mid-Atlantic Speed
Skating Association
(MASA), and took
his first strides into
the sport.
“My first time, I
was worried about
adjusting to the
skate blade since it
is thinner than on
hockey skates,” said
Pivirotto. “I ended
up not having any
problems. Everyone
was surprised at how
Ryan Pivirotto
well I did.”
Pivirotto trains the pack.
twice a week in Shelton or at Trinity
College. At practice, Pivirotto skates
numerous laps around the rink focusing on
his skating technique.
Spanning from Massachusetts through
Pennsylvania, Pivirotto travels the East
Coast once a month for competitions. Each
competition is a series of races which result
in an overall placement.
Previously, Pivirotto skated in four races
in Boston leading him to a second place
finish overall. By continuing to compete
this way, he hopes to qualify for Nationals
and Junior World Trials in 2011. Even in
this type of nerve racking situation Pivirotto
continues to stay in control.
“I don’t get nervous, but I do get lots
of adrenaline. At the starting line I think of
what I have to do, and as soon as the gun
goes off, I just skate,” said Pivirotto.
Pivirotto’s idol is Claude Gilbert, a five
time reigning National Champion speed
skater. His success has inspired Pivirotto to
follow in his footsteps.
submitted by r. pivirotto
(left) in black speeds ahead of
sports
january 25, 2011
9
Shred Sesh
I hit the slopes to try to learn how
to snowboard
by Billy Fritz
After watching countless “Challenge
Austins” on the Day Two Morning Show I
decided that it would be fun to do my own
challenge: learning to snowboard.
I have skied a few times and would
consider myself an average skier. Every
time I go skiing I see snowboarders sitting
around blocking the trails and then when
they decided to get up and go down the
mountain, they zoom down with no effort
at all. I always thought if these clowns can
snowboard so can I. Wrong!
I packed my bags and headed to New
Hampshire with my uncle, a 20-year
snowboarding veteran. He took me to a
small mountain called Crotched Mountain.
He considered it to be a “beginner’s
mountain.” This title just fueled my
fire to prove that I would be a natural
at snowboarding.
We got to the mountain and clipped our
boots in and embarrassingly boarded the
magic carpet-a conveyer belt that brought
us to the top of the bunny slope. Once at
the top I took a glance down the practically
flat slope and was
ready to prove
to everyone that
snowboarding is
a piece of cake.
Ten feet later, I
was back-flat on
the ground.
After spending
five minutes trying
to stand back up, I
was sure that I hit
an icy patch or the
wind blew me over
and that I would
be able to shred no
problem this time.
Unfortunately
b. fritz/saga
the next two runs
went the same
way-fall, get up, Despite valiant efforts, Billy still ended up eating
go about 15 feet, some snow on his way down the slopes.
repeat. But finally
on the third run I made it to the bottom get a face full of snow about two dozen
times. I must give credit to any person
without falling!
With adrenaline pumping, I decided I who can make it down the mountain and
could handle going up the lift to the top of whoever has enough patience to stick with
the mountain. In the end I made it down snowboarding, because I could not. This
the mountain, but not without stopping to challenge was accepted, and destroyed me.
You Want the NFL...
Here You Go
The Saga reviews the 2010 season
by
2010’s Most Exciting Player Award:
Actually given to two players on the
same team. Whether you like controversial
quarterback Michael Vick or not, the man
ignites crowds and leaves defenses in
pieces with both his arm and legs. Vick was
the NFL’s 34th leading rusher (676 yards),
first among quarterbacks. But he can pass
too (3,018 yards).
Vick throwing to DeSean Jackson
became lovingly common to Eagles fans
and annoyingly familiar to Philadelphia
opponents. Jackson entertained the country
with his speed, agility, punt returns and
antics in the endzone. In Week 15 against
the Giants, with no time on the clock and the
game tied, Jackson returned a punt for the
game-winning touchdown, capping a huge
comeback win for the Eagles. Together,
Vick and Jackson were one dynamic duo.
Most Outrageous Play:
Easy. Patriots – Packers, Week 15. With
the Patriots down 10 in the first half, the
Packers squib kicked the kick off. The
bouncing ball was picked up by Patriot’s
6’4”, 313 pound lineman Dan Connolly
who rumbled forward…and kept going.
And going. The 71-yard return was the
longest by a lineman in NFL history, and
Ben Ostrowski
the most outrageous play of 2010.
The Next Star:
The next great NFL quarterback will
be Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams.
Bradford led the Rams (7-9) to six more
wins than last year, leading his team to
within one game of the playoffs, compiling
3,512 passing yards (12th in the NFL) and
18 touchdowns along the way. Bradford
set the rookie record for completions in a
season, and thus will have the experience
moving forward to become an elite NFL
quarterback. Expect him to break more
records in the years to come.
the viking saga
10
january 25, 2011
entertainment
The Rockin’ Continues
Rock for the Ribbon is back
this January
by Alice Navarro
What better way to kick off the new
year than with a rock concert to benefit a
great cause? The second annual Rock for
the Ribbon concert on January 28 is the
perfect way to do just that.
“It features many talented students who
don’t often get recognized,” said senior
Kiersten Sinko.
A wide variety of acts will be performing,
including acoustic, a capella, band and
piano performances. ELHS favorite,
senior Joe Lussier, and the crowd pleasing
band Hands Down will be returning to
the concert.
“I like performing for a really good
cause,” said Lussier.
Some of the newer talent this year
includes an acoustic set by senior Sawyer
Marchand and sophomores Johnny B.
Good and Noah Feldman. Students should
also keep ears open for a promising duet
between Sinko and alumni Tom Rando.
“I wanted to do Rock for the Ribbon
because I have had a lot of friends suffer
from cancer. I want to be there to support
them,” said Sinko.
Along with the
assortment of new and
undiscovered
talent,
the concert underwent
other changes this
year, one of which
was new management.
The concert is being
produced and directed
by
senior
Elena
submitted by f. wilson
Felitto and junior
Abbey Hancock.
Hands Down, who performed at last year’s Rock
“Elena is very for the Ribbon, will be one of the acts featured in
driven and extremely
the concert this January.
dedicated
to
this
concert. You can tell it
MKCC’s pediatric cancer facility treated
is a cause close to her heart,” said concert Felitto as an infant when she was diagnosed
advisor Ray Campbell.
with acute monoblastic leukemia.
The preparations were grueling, including
“They have also treated several of my
“anything and everything you can imagine,” relatives throughout the years,” said Felitto.
said Felitto. Aside from auditioning and “I wanted to do anything I could to help
selecting the acts, there were also meetings them, as they have helped me in the best
and a dress rehearsal to coordinate in order possible way.”
to pull off a smooth show.
Topping last year’s medley of
The most important change, however, is Addison Station, Lunchbox Culture and
extremely personal for Felitto. While last Jake Carpenter will be tough, but Felitto
year’s proceeds were donated to the Terri is confident.
Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation, this
“I am really proud of the fact that
year they will be donated to the Memorial this concert showcases the best of ELHS,”
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, or MKCC. said Felitto.
Bringing a Little Taste of New Haven to Our Neighborhood
Ray’s New Haven Style Pizza is
a winner
by Kaytlin Murphy
After 15 frustrating years of searching
for a pizza as good as the ones my parents
grew up with in New York, they finally
gave up when they found none of the pizzas
in the area up to par. But right as their
fading hopes halted their mission, Ray’s
New Haven Style Pizza opened its doors
in October in Niantic, and my parents were
there in a New York minute.
Growing up in New Haven, restaurant
owner Ray Raney became accustomed to
making thin-crust pizzas while working in
his father-in-law’s restaurant. After 14-anda-half years in the pizza making business,
Ray has now opened his own restaurant
at 211 Main Street in Niantic. Nestled at
the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and
Main Street, Ray’s is primarily a takeout
restaurant, although some customers may
the viking saga
enjoy its casual dining experience with serves subs, salads, calzones, cannolis and
great views of the Long Island Sound.
stuffed breads. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.,
“This is a very family-run business; seven days a week, it is a must to stop in
everyone’s treated with respect and a and try a delicious piece of what my family,
smile. I’m happy to be here in Niantic and the rest of Niantic, has been missing.
and
everyone’s
welcome,”
said Raney.
For $14 and $1.50 extra for
toppings, thin crust pizza lovers
can enjoy an authentic New
Haven style pizza. From toppings
ranging from the regular cheese,
the more outrageous clam or the
popular Ray’s Choice buffalo
pizza, you will not leave hungry
or unsatisfied, for your taste
buds will be craving that burst
of flavor unavailable at any other
pizza joint in the area. I myself
k.murphy/ saga
devoured three juicy clam topped
slices only to be stopped by my Ray’s New Haven Style Pizza brings
great pizza and other Italian food to
stomach’s maximum capacity.
Along with pizza, Ray’s also Downtown Niantic.
entertainment
These Boys Have Steeze
Steeze, a group dedicated to
making rap and hip hop songs.
In early December, BellamyFairley created original beats on
his home computer. Soon after
the beats were made, he recruited
Hilyer to rap over the tracks.
While the tracks were good,
Hilyer and Bellamy-Fairley
thought they could use a little
more. So, they invited Ghirardi
into the group and they all
collaborated to write music
and lyrics.
d.gaffey/ saga
“I’ve grown up singing,”
Juniors Anthony Hilyer and Stavros said Ghirardi, “but when I got
Ghirardi are two of the three steeziest together with Anthony and
Raekeem it was a much different
school boys at ELHS.
experience. Everything just kind
of clicked.”
by Dan Gaffey
Hilyer and Bellamy-Fairley
Steeze (adj) – the slang term used to initially utilized their study halls to create
describe one’s style and ease.
beats and write new material – an effort
Not many people can claim they have to stay true to their group’s “school boy”
such a quality, but juniors Anthony Hilyer, name. However, they faced some major
Stavros Ghirardi and sophomore Raekeem setbacks and were forced to take their jam
Bellamy-Fairley boast that they are quite sessions off campus.
the opposite.
“We asked if we could use the practice
The three have recently formed the rooms,” said Hillyer, “but they turned us
‘steeziest’ rap group to ever hit the halls down. That was a big upset.”
of ELHS. Together, they are School Boy
With no space in the school, Hilyer
january 25, 2011
11
Three ELHS students form new rap
sensation, School Boy Steeze
decided to make his own room a recording
studio, eventually taking their music from
the bedroom to the internet.
Hilyer posted some of their material
on his Facebook page. “To The Top” was
posted and received instant attention with
over 500 views in a matter of weeks. With
all the attention, including some unexpected
negative feedback from peers, School Boy
Steeze decided to post yet another song
on Facebook.
“There’s always going to be haters
out there,” Bellamy-Fairley said. “We just
gotta keep doing big things and brush them
off our shoulder.”
Despite critiques from some “haters,”
the group has true talent. Ghirardi, who is
very timid about singing in front of people,
takes control of the microphone in their
debut single “To The Top,” and makes sure
everyone hears him.
Along with great vocals, School Boy
Steeze writes songs with meaningful
lyrics. One of the songs to be released on
the group’s first demo expresses Hilyer’s
personal hardship about his hospitalized
uncle in a heart-pounding, fast-paced
freestyle dedicated to his family.
The rap group plans to release their
demo in February, offering a taste of what
they have recently been working on.
Confessions of a
Bookworm:
Confession Number 10: If I could have a conversation
with anyone, it would be with Mark Twain. The 19th
century author satirically criticized the United States’
attempt to “reconstruct” the South through a children’s
story
about an adventurous 10-year-old; I’m sure any
by Ally Sloss
The entertainment
conversation with him would be witty, entertaining and
incredibly poignant.
world from a nerd’s
Although I would be fine with any verbal exchange
eye view
with Twain, I really want to know how he would feel about
the changes that are being made in the novel that catapulted
him to satirical genius, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The novel chronicles the journey of a young southern boy, Huck Finn, from the
Antebellum South with his companion Jim, a refugee slave. As a result, the “n-word” is
used to describe African Americans throughout The Adventures - 219 times to be exact. It is the use
of this profanity that has fueled controversy since its original publication, and is now the catalyst for the book’s change.
Next month, NewSouth publishing company will release a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in which every “n-word” will
be replaced with the word “slave.” It will also change a 19th century slur for a Native American.
The change has created quite a commotion amongst all readers – both for and against the change. While I will not get a chance to hear
what Mark Twain has to say about the change, I certainly feel it completely undermines all that Twain hoped the novel would achieve.
Twain’s intent was not to use these derogatory words to insult or demean; he used them to accurately portray just how awful society
was for these minorities. Eliminating these slurs will not protect the new generation of readers. It will just eliminate their ability to
accurately grasp the racism that plagued the country before, and after, the Civil War.
I cannot have a discussion with Mark Twain; at least let me hear what he really has to say in his book.
the viking saga
12
back page
Who do you think will be the best
dancer at Winter Ball and why?
january 25, 2011
“Haley Balon
because she can
really tear it up.”
- seniors Sam
Modzelewski and
Sam Daniels
k.kielty/saga
“Will Spang because
he has the spirit of
East Lyme.”
-senior
Brandon Purstell
k.kielty/saga
“Hunter Muir
because he’s
steezy.”
-sophomore
Josie Roosli
k.kielty/saga
“Jordan Miele
because his hips
don’t lie.”
-senior Kevin Seery
k.kielty/saga
“Obviously me
because I’ve been
practicing on Just
Dance 1 and Just
Dance 2...”
-senior
Shannon Craddock
k.kielty/saga
“Mr. Laconti
because he’s a
stone wall.”
-senior
Sawyer Marchand
k.kielty/saga
“Meatball because
he can drop it like
it’s hot.”
-senior Vik Grillo
and junior Alex
Bridgman
“Nate Whipple
because he’s
not human.”
-senior Tori
Christiansen
k.kielty/saga
the viking saga
k.kielty/saga