the Gaels - Roxbury.org

Roxbury
Review
the Gaels
October 14, 2011
Volume 10, Issue 5
Roxbury High School
1 Bryant Drive, Succasunna, NJ
NJ cracks down on bullies;
new laws in public schools
By CHRISTINE MAYER
always done well. “We are proactive students and find out if it was intentional
Managing Editor with programs like Rachel’s Challenge bullying or not. This is really not any
Effective this past September, the
New Jersey Department of Education
has changed 13 statutes in its
Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
(HIB) law, affecting every public
school district in the state, including
Roxbury. The changes are “probably
a response to that poor Rutgers kid,”
said Roxbury High School principal
Jeffrey Swanson, referring to the
suicide of Rutgers University freshman
Tyler Clementi one year ago in
September 2010. The new changes are
intended to “strengthen standards for
preventing, reporting, investigating,
and responding to incidents of bullying
and reduce the risk of suicide among
students,” according to nj.gov.
Of course, anti-bullying laws in New
Jersey schools are nothing new. In
September 2002, legislation required
each school to adopt an HIB policy,
something Swanson said Roxbury has
and have always been thorough in
preventing acts of bullying.”
According to the state website, the
new or modified statutes have changed
the definition of HIB and district staff
functions, including the addition of
a school Anti-Bullying Coordinator,
policy and procedures for dealing with
HIB, training requirements, and public
reporting. In Roxbury, “every incident
of alleged HIB is addressed the same
way as it was last year. This behavior
is not tolerated. The difference is [that]
there is a great deal more paperwork,”
said Student Assistance Counselor
and new Anti-Bullying Coordinator,
Jennifer Kenny.
New HIB policy also involves new
Assistant Principal Dominick Miller.
“If a report [of alleged HIB] is made,
Mr. Miller calls the parent of the
victim. Once this is done, I then begin
to investigate the report. I interview
different than [what] we did last year.
Once the investigation is done, Mr.
Miller decides on any consequence,”
said Kenny. The Student Code of
Conduct outlines these consequences,
which are basically the same as last
year. The new policy also encourages
education about bullying to prevent it
from happening again.
Some students are under the
impression that even saying the word
“bullying” is cause for some one of
these consequences. Kenny clarified,
saying, “It is not that you receive a
consequence for saying ‘bullying.’
Unfortunately, if the word is said, we
have to look into it right away to make
sure it is not being said in a serious
way. Some students think it is amusing
to say the word, knowing that the law
has been put into effect.”
See BULLYING, page 2
Photo by Emily Feld
YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT On September 24, 2011, the Roxbury
High School Marching Gaels hosted the third annual Roxbury Classic.
The University of Massachusettes college marching band performed
at the end of the competition as an exhibition.
Extended scheduling impacts portion of freshman class
By JENN KIM
every day, students switch from one some freshmen would have difficulty and two ending times, adding more provided over the summer; we spent
three days working on adjusting our
using A and B days. The core classes said, “I was concerned about the
There are currently 10 teachers who thinking to structuring lessons in an
that would alternate, called linked freshmen going from two to three were chosen to be a part of this pilot 84 minute period.” In addition to the
courses, would be science and math, homework assignments every night program. There are two math and summer training, the administration
and English and history. For example, to seven to eight assignments. Also, science instructors, as well as three is providing the 10 teachers with
a student may have World History on they would be moving from about 73 English and history instructors, and time to work together and share their
A days, but English on B days. This minute classes to 40 minute classes.” they will teach extended periods for information with each other in order
form of scheduling would not interfere Furthermore, extended periods would students in B-levels, A-levels, as well as to continue to improve their extended
with any elective classes.
increase learning time by decreasing Honors levels. According to Swanson, class times. Patricia Sikorski, a history
One reason that the administration the extra time students take to move “The supervisors of departments instructor for the pilot program, said
wanted to switch to extended periods from class of class. In addition, for picked
innovative,
hardworking that the teachers trained for the longer
was that many of the freshmen had the time of two periods, there would teachers.” One of the history teachers classes by “really just utilizing the
block scheduling in Eisenhower be one start up time and one ending involved with the pilot program,
See SCHEDULE, page 2
Middle School, causing concern that time, rather than two start up times Roxanne Dome, said, “Training was
News Editor core subject to another everyday adjusting. Principal Jeffrey Swanson instructional time.
For the 2011- 2012 school year
at Roxbury High School, the
administration has implemented a
pilot program using extended periods,
also known as block scheduling, for
a portion of the Class of 2015. This
form of scheduling is different from
the previous ones because, rather than
having the traditional nine 40 minute
periods in a school day, some 40
minute classes are combined to form
a longer 84 minute period. However,
instead of having the same classes
RHS welcomes former history
teacher as new assistant principal
By SAMI MOORE
Editor-in-Chief
INSIDE
A new face arrived at Roxbury
High School in September; Mr.
Dominick Miller became the new
assistant principal. Miller was hired
over the summer and officially
began working on September 1.
Miller, a former history teacher, has
ten years of experience in districts
including
Wildwood,
Mountain
Lakes, Pompton Lakes, as well as
Roxbury’s own Eisenhower Middle
School. For the last two summers,
Miller has served as the principal of
the summer school program at RHS.
Miller has also coached football, field
hockey, basketball, wrestling, boys’
lacrosse, and baseball in an array of
Photo by Emily Sugrue towns, including Roxbury. Miller has
WELCOMING A FAMILIAR FACE Former Eisenhower Middle School a bachelor’s degree in history and a
history teacher Dominick Miller is the new assistant principal for the master’s in teaching from Farleigh
2011- 2012 school year.
Dickinson University, and a Master of
News
Page 3
Opinions
Page 8
Student Council officers Through babysitting,
o p t i m i s t i c a l l y l o o k children show editor light
forward to tackling new of life.
year.
Arts in Administration from Georgian
Court University. Of his new position
in the administration of Roxbury High
School, Miller said, “I want things to
go as smooth as possible. I want to be
a positive member of the community
in school and outside of school. I want
to establish positive relationships and
respect among students and teachers. I
want students who have a problem to
able to come up to me and talk.” He
feels his overall job is to “lead staff and
students, and ultimately be a resource
for everyone.”
As a former middle school teacher
and long time high school coach,
Miller is a familiar face to many at the
high school. Seeing students through
the eyes of a coach as well as a teacher
has made him enjoy seeing the kids
“setting a good example through
good sportsmanship or being good
examples in the hallways.”To create
his ultimate goal of achieving a level
Features
Page 10-12
New beginnings in teen
life are affected by the
ever-changing modern
world.
Entertainment
Page 15
of openness between all his students
and himself, Miller visits lunch periods
and drops in on classes. “I am here for
everyone”, he said. As a teacher at
Eisenhower Middle School, Miller had
approximately 160 students, and now
is responsible for over 1,600, whom
he feels he will “help make good
decisions instead of bad decisions.” He
feels it was a “natural progression” as
he went from coaching and teaching to
ultimately becoming a vice principal.
Miller’s eventual goal is to become
a school principal. “I can learn a lot
from [Jeffrey] Swanson. Of his time
at Roxbury so far, he said, “I hope, in
my short amount of time here so far, it
has been established what is expected
of the family here.”
Miller advised that he is known for
being an iPod and cell phone taker,
and will take them if seen when they
should not be.
Sports
Page 20
E d i t o r n e g a t i v e l y MSG Varsity covers
reflects on new smurf football game against
movie compared to 90s Randolph.
cartoon.
NEWS
Page 2
October 14, 2011
Post-Its greet freshmen on first day
By SIERRA MCENIRY
Senior Staff Writer
On the first day of school, hundreds of different colored Post-It notes were seen on lockers in the
freshman class hallways. Each Post-It note had an encouraging saying written on it, and this Post-It
note idea was put into action by junior, Samantha Lienert. She found the idea on a website called
givesmehope.com, which features user-posted stories about what gives them hope. Lienert said, “I saw
a few posts about how people saw a random Post-It notes saying something like ‘you’re beautiful,’
and it made their day, so I thought it would be great to do on a much larger scale.”
Rather than put up one Post-It note, Lienert’s idea for a larger scale came to life when she, along
with a couple of her friends, two other juniors Jacqueline Gould and Jessica Luisi, wrote out hundreds
of quotes onto the Post-It notes and stuck one note on every single freshman’s locker. Gould said “The
reason why we did it is to let the freshman know that high school isn’t going to be so bad. We wanted
orientation to be comfortable for them instead of scary.” This message was sent across to freshman
Tiffany LaRusso who said, “They could help kids who were really scared for school because it helped
calm them down when they were at their lockers.” Another freshman, Karley McDermott said, “They
gave us confidence for the first day of high school.” Confidence is one of the effects Lienert, Gould,
and Luisi hoped to have on the students. Senior Billy San Filippo agreed that the Post-It notes were
helpful, and he said, “I think they are a nice touch and welcoming to the new freshman. It gives them
a kind of welcome from the whole school and starts the day off positively.”
The messages on the Post-It notes included a variety of quotes, either from famous people and
others from anonymous sources. “The messages were meaningful, positive, and fun,” said Luisi. She
continued, “A lot of freshmen don’t want to be there because no one likes freshman, and the Post-Its
are a positive note for them and make them feel like someone cares.” Other upperclassmen agreed
that someone cared about the freshmen. Senior Rosemary Durso said, “I think it is important to make
freshmen feel welcome because in a couple years they're going to be the upperclassmen running the
school, and we want to set a good example.”
As for whether or not the Post-It note idea were a success, Lienert says, “Yes, I think it was a success
because I still see some Post-It notes hanging up and I see some inside the freshman lockers.” Luisi
agreed that this project was a success and added that she would do it again. In the future, Post-It notes
may once again decorate the halls. Lienert said, “I guess everyone will have to wait and see.”
NEWS BRIEFS
US Army Field Band featured in free concert
On September 12, the Roxbury Arts Alliance and the Roxbury
Recreation Department co-sponsored a free concert event featuring the
United States Army Field Band, The Volunteers. The show’s original
venue was the Roxbury High School auditorium, but due to flooding, it
was moved to the Eisenhower Middle School auditorium. Free tickets
were obtained through the recreation department at Horseshoe Lake,
or at the door. Army bands have been present since World War II, the
first being The First Combat Infantry Band, dubbed “The Million Dollar
Band.” The group, The Volunteers, was founded much more recently
in 1981. The band contains six members at all times. The ensemble has
performed in all 50 states as well as in other countries, including Canada,
Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Belgium. The Volunteers blend American
music, such as rock’n’roll, standards, country, jazz, and patriotic music
into their performances.
— EMILY SUGRUE
Activity fee eliminated for new school year
In the spring of 2011, the Roxbury School District received additional
state aid from the Department of Education, and the district was directed
to use it in a way beneficial to taxpayers. On July 25, 2011, the Board
of Education decided on using some of the state aid to eliminate Pay to
Participate, also known as the mandatory activity fee. The Pay to Participate
policy stated that in order for a student to be involved in a school sport
or extracurricular activity, he or she would have to pay a $100 fee. The
activity fee was temporarily eliminated this year in order to help cut back
on the payments that the parents in the Roxbury School District. Because
the elimination of Pay to Participate is, to date, only for the 2011- 2012
school year, the Board of Education's next budget plan will determine if the
activity fee will be implemented for future school years.
Photo courtesy of crownheights.info
9/11 REMEMBERED Ten years after the attacks on the World Trade
Center, the memorial finally opened in New York City on Ground Zero
on the anniversary.
SCHEDULING
methods the district has focused on
through the Differentiated Instruction
training these past few years.”
Swanson said, “The teachers must
use the class time best.” He added
that the teachers must be productive
in their classes, rather than waste the
time given. For example, “giving the
students time to complete homework
would not be a good way to use the
time,” said Swanson. Dome added,
“We have the full support of the
building administrative team and
each other, and that combination
has resulted in a very positive and
supportive environment in which to
make this initiative a success.”
Last year, many of the current
freshmen were given extended
classes, and their ASK 8 scores for
the math portion had “astoundingly
BULLYING
One important aspect of the law is
greater attention to cyber-bullying.
Roxanne Dome, history teacher, said,
“With today’s technology, there are
more ways to bully someone than
ever before. The bullying can occur
24/7 due to the various social media,
and once the words and/or pictures are
out there, they are out there forever.”
Swanson said, “Even problems that
start on the Web will eventually end
up here, so we have to deal with them
with the same attention we give to
bullying here in school.”
There is debate whether or not these
policies will actually have an impact
on bullying in school systems. Dome
said, “There will most likely be a few
demo cases where students who are
guilty of bullying another student will
have to face the consequences that the
legislation provides. As word spreads
that so-and-so has been punished for
his or her bullying actions, others
will become more aware of their
own actions and this will serve as a
deterrent.”
History teacher Dirk Kelly offered
a real life experience to support this.
He said, “At first, I did not think
they would help, and then I had a
conversation with a friend of mine
whose child was having serious
problems in school. She was getting
Continued from page 1
good results,” according to Swanson.
Approximately 150 students from
Eisenhower Middle School received
advanced proficient scores and
Swanson said, “Kids do better because
the way they learn is being addressed.”
Dome said, “Student reaction has been
very positive. The freshmen are used
to the extended periods as that was
their schedule at Eisenhower Middle
School last year.”
Sikorski believes that this scheduling
should be given to the rest of the high
school in future years because she
“think(s) the instruction and learning
are more cohesive.” She adds, “It will
be nice when the entire school is on the
same schedule.” Dome said, “The 84
minutes goes by very quickly, and I am
enjoying teaching in the extension.”
Continued from page 1
into fights with people who were
convinced by another to fight her.
When the law went into effect this
year, the nonsense stopped. So, I think
they do help. I think the laws might be
necessary to protect children who have
become apprehensive about going to
school. However, like most laws, it all
depends on how they are enforced to
determine if they are effective.”
It appears that students have a
different perspective than teachers.
Senior Adriana Tinaj said, “In the
long run, it’s only going to hurt. In the
future, there will be no Anti-Bullying
Coordinator to solve your problems.
You have to learn for yourself.”
Sophomore Chris Nitto said, “These
new policies will probably antagonize
bullies and lead to even more
bullying.”
Some wholeheartedly agree that
these new policies are necessary to stop
ongoing bullying that is often justified
as part of growing up. Dome said,
“We teach children ‘sticks and stones
may break my bones, but names can
never hurt me.’ That is preposterous!
I’ve heard people say that a certain
amount of ‘kidding’ is part of growing
up. There is a big difference between
‘kidding’ with a friend and bullying.
Often, those who see this as a rite of
passage, or just part of growing up are
those who were bullies themselves.”
Senior Dominick DiPaolo disagreed;
he said, “Kids don’t mean what they
say. These laws sort of take away
freedom of speech. You can get in
more trouble for something you meant
as a joke. These laws won’t change
anything.”
Regardless of opinion, the new
policies are in effect, and many
remain optimistic. “What’s somewhat
frustrating is that it was necessary to
enact these laws in the first place,”
said Swanson, but he is hopeful that
the policies will help. Kenny agreed,
and said, “I would like to think the
law would help.” However, she also
said, “My concern is that [while] we
can give consequences, and [remain]
hopeful they [the bullies] learn from
them, unfortunately, some do not.”
Dome said, “This piece of legislation
provides another avenue to increase
awareness, tolerance, and hopefully,
one day acceptance. This legislation
has the potential to save lives and
will definitely improve the school
climate.” Swanson said, “We are all
now even more aware of what we
always have been. We now expect
more from students and teachers to
prevent incidents of HIB.”
— JENNIFER KIM
Peer leaders welcome freshman with dance
On September 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Roxbury High School
peer leaders sponsored a freshman dance in the dining hall. The dance was
open to all members of the freshman class, with an incentive to mix Mount
Arlington students, new to the school district, with their Roxbury peers.
The peer leaders decorated the dining hall for the event, also selling snacks
and refreshments for a dollar each. Roxbury graduate Charles Marabondo
served as the DJ for the event.
Not only do peer leaders welcome freshmen to high school in September,
but they also continue to hold monthly follow-up meetings during freshmen
gym periods throughout the year. Held in the media center, the outreaches
consist of character and team-building activities, and drug and alcohol
awareness lessons, as well as creating a time to seek advice.
— GABY LARACCA
Photo by Melanie Orr
WELCOME TO HIGH SCHOOL On September 14, the Peer Leaders organized a welcome dance
exclusively for the Class of 2015.
NEWS
October 14, 2011
Page 3
INTRODUCING YOUR 2011-2012
GENERAL STUDENT COUNCIL,
CLASS OFFICERS
OPTIMISM FOR 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR
GENERAL STUDENT COUNCIL
SENIOR CLASS OF 2012
Dear Roxbury students,
We are the General Student Council officers of the 2011-2012 school year, and
we would like to introduce ourselves. Billy San Filippo is President, and Katlyn
Houtz is Vice President, Crista Cattano is our Recording Secretary, Lexi Mortillaro
is the Corresponding Secretary, Sara Patterson serves as our Treasurer, and
Chris Klein is the Sergeant at Arms. We are excited for the school year and
have many things planned. With the help of our advisor Ms. Kaine, we hope to
host many fun activities that everyone can participate in. Some of the things
that are happening soon are homecoming and powder puff game. Homecoming
is being held in October this year, with the Pink Out! Pep Rally on the same day.
Homecoming ballots will be sent out shortly, and each grade can nominate their
prince and princess. November is when we will have the Powder
puff game, which is expected to be great! Both juniors and seniors are excited
to get out there and show what they’ve got. To find out what’s going on in and
around the school all year long, you can check the bulletin board outside the
cafeteria, where each grade has a section. If you have any questions you can
ask any one of our officers. Good luck to everyone on a great school year!
Sincerely,
Your General Student Council Officers
Hey Seniors!
Finally senior year has arrived, and we know everyone is as excited as we
are! Senior year brings lots of excitement and fun activities that we believe
will be great. We have plenty of senior apparel that will satisfy many and there
will be lots of events such as our Senior Hosted Tailgating party on October
21. We hope many will make an effort to come and enjoy the exciting events
that will take place during the tailgate. Come for food and fun! In order to make
this final year of high school worthwhile, all we ask is for your support and
participation in our senior events, starting with hallway decorating! Our theme
is summer- who wouldn’t want to help out? Also, we need some assistance in
planning our senior prom. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated! We are also
going to put the final touches on our senior trip. The winner of the class-wide
poll is a day at an amusement park! It’s our last year, so come on out and
help make it memorable!
Sincerely,
Your Class Officers
SOPHOMORE CLASS OF 2014
Dear sophomores,
Ready for a great year, sophomores? During this 2011 through 2012 school year,
we, the class of 2014, are primarily building up our treasury. We will be doing much
fundraising in order to acquire money for proms, our senior trip, and a senior
class gift to the school. We are currently holding a Yankee Candle Sale- orders
are due to the main office by October 21! This fundraiser only directly benefits
our class as a whole, so why not? Let’s give this all we’ve got! Last year, we
raised money from a freshman clothing sale and a Valentine’s Day carnation
sale. We have grown and matured from last year and will hopefully have more
success with everything that we put on. Our class officers meet about every two
weeks, so if there is anything you’d ever like to bring up with us, please feel free
to contact one of us and attend a meeting. We are open to all ideas! Our ultimate
goal is to augment our treasury and have an overall great year!
Sincerely,
Your Class Officers
Michael Grant- President
Emily Rohlfs- Vice President
Cynthia Zheng- Treasurer
Emily Sugrue- Recording Secretary
Jessica Strauss- Corresponding Secretary
Fernando Cunha- Sergeant of Arms
Nick DeFuria, President
Summer Bourlier, Vice President
Lindsey Schmidt, Treasurer
Kristina Przitulsky, Recording Secretary
Francesca Riegler, Corresponding Secretary
Danielle Terreri, Sergeant of Arms
JUNIOR CLASS OF 2013
Hey junior class!
This year is going to be the best yet with prom and many fundraisers ahead!
Your new representatives are Allison Cadden as President, Melissa Kowalski
as Vice President, Kim Caruk as Treasurer, Jenn Kim as Recording Secretary,
Jade Turnner as Corresponding Secretary and Allison D’Abbraccio as Sergeant
at Arms. Currently we are planning various fundraisers to help with the cost
of prom such as a polar bear plunge, various sales, faculty clothing sale, a cake
decorating contest and many more! These are ideas, so don’t go crazy. Prom
is also in our sights! We don’t have a theme just yet, but we will decide shortly.
We are also deciding to have a prom committee or not. If we do, you can find
information on it on our class bulletin board outside the cafeteria. You can
also talk to Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Baker (our class advisors) for information.
The class bulletin board will also be a resource to find general information on
everything going on in our class. Remember, your class representatives are
only representing you; they will not do all the work. So get involved and make
this year the best yet!
Sincerely,
Your Class Officers
Page 4
NEWS
October 14, 2011
Roxbury recognizes students’ summer experiences
Jesse Mann:
Dylan Castanheira:
Senior nannies neighbors in London Soccer player
By CHRISTINE MAYER
And exactly how that culture differs from the
Managing Editor American one she grew up with, Mann said, travels to England
Senior Jesse Mann’s bucket list: go skydiving, “Compared to New York City, London has a
write a book, live in a foreign country; one calmer vibe. It is cleaner, the people are nicer,
down, two more to go. Not many seventeen- and everybody is just doing their own thing.”
year-olds get the opportunity to live abroad for She said, “The fashion is incredible, with both
several months, but Mann is one of them. She girls and guys dressing immaculately. The girls
travelled to London, England in mid-July, and are really good at dressing for their [bodies] and
plans on staying there for five months, until the they have this unreachable confidence that is
winter holidays. Mann is living in the capital city such a drastic difference from home.”
with her U.S. neighbors and their two younger
As for an important part of any culture, food,
daughters.
Mann said, “The food gets an unfair rap in the
Mann’s family and her neighbors have been States; it’s actually really good. They have no
close since she first babysat their children as a preservatives, and all of the meat is naturally
fifth-grader. Her neighbor is a professor at Drew raised. There is a massive Middle Eastern
University and the director of the London study population in London, so there are Indian,
abroad program, and Mann has always wanted to Arabian, and Lebanese restaurants on each and
travel with him. “This [summer] is the third time every street. It feels so decadent for me, but it’s
the family has gone for the program, and for the everyday food for Londoners.”
past year or so, we’ve been talking about how
“From a student standpoint, the history is
to get me over there with them. They needed so vibrant. They have buildings that are four
a nanny, and
times as old as
I wanted the
our
Declaration
experience,”
of Independence.
she said.
I am thoroughly
Originally, the
enjoying
the
trip was planned
museums
and
for next fall, and
palaces
and
Mann intended
government
to deter her
offices; there is just
college plans
so much behind this
for a semester,
country,” she said.
something she
For many, such
said,
“Didn’t
a culture shock
faze me at all.”
would be difficult
However, last
to deal with, but
March, Mann’s
not for Mann. “At
neighbor was
the same time,
Photo courtesy of Jesse Mann
asked to go
I’m looking after
to London a BRITISH HOSPITALITY Senior Jesse Mann poses with American children
year early; this English guard during her time in London as a nanny.
so there is still a
summer and fall
familiarity of home
instead. Mann
that I haven’t lost,”
said, “It was never a question of if I wanted to, she said.
only how we were going to do it.” However, “I
“After a tumultuous junior year, London
was nervous about making it work with school; I was exactly what I needed; to get away from a
was actually concerned about missing marching school scene that didn’t offer me much, and to
band, and almost didn’t come to London at all,” explore the world and myself. God gives us what
she said, “But after tons of sorting out, we finally we need, when we need it. It came down to a
had a plan, and I was ecstatic. I couldn’t pass up leap of faith, I suppose. I just had to go for it. I
an opportunity to live and study in London.”
have completely fallen in love with London, and
When asked about her initial reaction to the England, for that matter,” Mann said.
famous city, Mann said, “There was just so much
When asked if she would ever return to London
to take in. It was a whirlwind of learning the in the future, Mann said, “In part seriousness
‘tube’ and bus system, how to shop, even how to and part fantasy, I am already thinking of how
work the oven and washing machine. But, as soon to get back here after school! Even to be able to
as that was taken care of and daily life began, it visit would be great. We’ll see about that when
felt normal. I loved the culture immediately and the time comes, but this city and culture are
wanted to soak it all in.”
definitely part of my life now.”
Melanie Orr and Sami Moore:
Echo yearbook editors attend conference
By JULIA O’BRIEN
and went to different classes. We focused on the
Features Editor basics, but in a different way. It really made you
Senior Melanie Orr has been busy this past go back in your head and think about design. I
summer improving her skills and design plans actually learned a lot about journalism there too.”
for the Roxbury High School Echo yearbook. Orr’s award stemmed from an assignment given
She is currently the Editor-In-Chief of the Echo to all students at the conference. She worked on
yearbook, and it is no wonder—she spent part this assignment with Moore. “We won an award
of her summer at a week-long conference for for our work at the conference, not specifically for
yearbook design and layout, which resulted in her our yearbook. We basically had five days to work
on this packet
returning home
to think of a
with an award
way to design
for her work at
a yearbook. We
the conference.
had to think
“I went to the
of
layouts,
Gettysburg
designs, ideas,
Ye a r b o o k
themes, [and]
Experience
developing,”
(also
known
said Orr. With
as GYE) at
this
awardGettysburg
winning project,
College
in
both girls have
Pennsylvania,”
taken their ideas
said Orr. Orr
back to Roxbury
attended this
High
School.
conference
The two seniors
with Roxbury
will apply their
Review Editornew skills in
in-Chief Sami
the 2011-2012
Moore, another
Photo courtesy of Sami Moore
edition of Echo,
R o x b u r y
senior
who ECHO TAKES GETTYSBURG Seniors Melanie Orr and and the theme
participates in Sami Moore attended the Gettysburg Yearbook Experience used in their
assignment may
the construction this summer and won an award for their Theme book.
be used as the
of Echo at
school. From themes, to layouts, to idea building, Echo theme this year. Orr said, “As of now, we’re
Orr spent much of her experience learning the pretty sure it will be. Nothing is definite yet, but I
proper ways to create a yearbook. “I learned so think it will be. I think the whole yearbook team
much. I was so lucky to have had the chance [to is going to be able to work [with this theme] on
go to GYE],” said Orr, “I learned the process the yearbook.”
By SAMI MOORE
Editor-in-Chief
Junior Dylan Castanheira, Roxbury’s own
Varsity Boys’ Soccer goalkeeper, has been to
England about “six or seven” times this past
year, usually for three weeks. “I have spent
about a total of two months in England in the
past year.” Castanheira, 16, plays with kids
who are normally around 17 or 18 years old in
England.
In England, Castanheira was constantly
playing soccer, training, or working out.
Castanheira had to wake up at seven a.m., and
he got to training at seven thirty, then went
through two hour workouts from ten to noon.
During the morning trainings, Castainheira
would do goalkeeper training with professional
trainers, or practice with the other players.
Afterwards all of the players would eat lunch,
and then lift weights or go back out onto the
soccer field. After that, the players would then
shower, change, and go to a meeting to discuss
the upcoming games. “I lived in an apartment
with the other players and our supervisors,”
said Castanheira.
“It is a good experience. I get to meet new
people, and see what else is out there. I like to
leave Roxbury, and experience a new culture. I
love soccer, so it is an easy decision to go,” said
Castainheira.
Castanheira has been offered a contract by
Ipwich Town F.C., but the soccer team wanted
Castanheira and his parents to move to England
because he is a minor. Castanheira’s parents
and Ipwich Town F.C. are trying to negotiate.
Years before Castanheira was training in
England, he broke his leg in the summer after
seventh grade and had to get three surgeries.
Castanheira said, “the doctors had many doubts
about me playing again.” In the beginning of
eighth grade, Castanheira was waiting to be
picked up by his mom and got exciting news
Photo courtesy of Dylan Castanheira
GOALKEEPER EXTRAORDINAIRE Junior
Dylan Castanheira poses wtih Glen Letheran.
Letheran is a retired professional goalkeeper
for a team called Leeds United, and is now
a scout from Wales.
when she arrived. “She just got off the phone
with my coach saying the Liverpool scout,
Glen Letherem, wanted to come and see me.”
Castanheira’s trainer, James Morris, knew the
scout and was able to help Castanheira advance
in the soccer world.
In high school, due to his injury, Dylan
Castanheira was unable to play soccer during his
freshman year, and missed eighteen months of
soccer. During his sophomore year, Castanheira
went to England, and missed three weeks at
the end of the season. Castanheira was on the
Varsity team the first year he played soccer for
Roxbury High School. “I was the backup goalie
for Stephen Gratziani,” Castainheira said about
his sophomore year on the team. Roxbury High
School’s varsity soccer coach, Gary Irwin, said
“Dylan is a good athlete, and a good kid. He
uses his experiences to help benefit the team.”
Castanheira looks up Tim Howard, the
goalkeeper for the English team Everton, and
the United States national team, and ultimately
looks to play soccer in the future in England.
He does not have a specific team he hopes to
play for, just to hopefully play in England.
Brendan Riefberg:
Lacrosse player commits to U of M
By SAMI MOORE
will read about him a lot this coming lacrosse
Editor-in-Chief season.” Gallagher ultimately plans on visiting
Senior Brendan Riefberg, varsity defense Riefberg at U of M once he starts playing in the
and long stick midfield for boys’ lacrosse, has spring of 2013.
Riefberg said, “Having the opportunity to
made a verbal commitment to the University of
Michigan, and will officially sign during National play at such a prestigious university and to be
Signing Week in November. Riefberg’s lacrosse coached by one of the best is incredible. It made
experience began at age 12, and he served as my ultimate decision really a no-brainer. I’m
Varsity captain both junior and senior years of excited to call the University of Michigan my
new home. Futurehigh
school.
wise, I would
“Lacrosse has
like to be a major
something that
contributor to the
just
brings
Michigan squad as
teammates
early as possible.
together. I have
Ultimately, I’d like
made so many
to win a National
long-lasting
Championship.”
friendships, and
Aside from the
playing lacrosse
athletic program and
as been the
campus, academics
catalyst
with
were also a focus
that.” Roxbury
of his college
High School’s
search. He said,
varsity coach
“I want to further
last year, Bryan
my
education,
Gallagher, said,
succeed in the
“Besides being
classroom,
have
6’5”, he has
an all-around great
great leadership
college experience,
skills and field
graduate, and be
awareness.
successful in the
Being a coach,
working
field.
it is important
Photo courtesy of Brendan Riefberg
The academics at
to
have
someone who LACROSSE KING Senior Brendan Riefberg, number U of M are truly
is able to get twenty four, plays for the team Tri - State All Stars besides unparalleled and
an
outstanding
other athletes the Roxbury Varisty Gaels lacrosse team.
education was what
ready to play,
but also someone who can joke around. Brendan my family and I were looking for the most.”
He leaves Roxbury with two words that will
possesses both these abilities.”
This summer, Riefberg played on the Tri- “always impact his heart”: “Go blue!”
State All Stars, a travel team which gave him
the opportunity to “play against the best talent EDITOR’S NOTE: The Review staff
and be seen by the best coaches in the country.”
randomly chose students to be
He embarked on many college visits throughout
the summer, and University of Michigan was featured in this spread. We realize
his final stop. “As soon as I stepped on campus, some students are not represented
I knew it was home. Just the atmosphere and and we apologize. If you or someone
surroundings alone sold me”, said Riefberg. you know would like to be featured in
Gallagher, who wishes Riefberg good luck, said a future edition, please contact us at
that, on and off the field, Rierberg has a good [email protected].
head on his shoulders and said, “I hope that I
NEWS
October 14, 2011
Sports Medicine Club
Page 5
Film Club
Advisers: Jason Tannenholz and Dave Hughes,
Special Education Department
Adviser: Joe Koch, Athletic Trainer
Contact: [email protected]
Contact: [email protected], dhughes@
roxbury.org
Meetings: Every other week
Student Leaders:
President Ashtin Helmer
Vice President, Max Grant
Treasurer, Taylor MacEwen
About: “The club offers students who are
interested in a career in health care to listen to
lectures on first aid, injury evaluation, wellness
exams, nutrition, rehabilitation, sport psychology,
return to play decisions etc. Students are required
to volunteer a minimum of 20 hours of their time
during the course of the year dedicated to either
school service in which they can assist in the high
school athletic training room or volunteer at a
health care facility such as a physical therapy clinic
or hospital.”
!
D
E
LV
Meetings: “The first meeting has not been
scheduled yet, I first need to meet with our student
founder, Cyrus and discuss how the club will
operate this year. If all goes well, I’m hoping for
the first meeting to be in the first week of October.
We will meet twice a month from 2:30 to 3:30.”
–Tannenholz
Student Leaders:
Cyrus Segura, junior, student founder
About: “The Roxbury film club is a group of
students that enjoy discussing and making films. We
concentrate on the creation, writing, production,
and editing of short digital films. The films are
shot here at Roxbury, using only Roxbury staff and
students. The club also discusses famous directors
and filmmaking techniques.” - Tannenholz
O
V
N
TI
GE
THE CLUBS OF
ROXBURY
HIGH SCHOOL
Key Club
Adviser: Nicole Barbato, History Department
Contact: [email protected]
Meetings: Approximately every 2 weeks on
Wednesdays at 2:15 in the Dining Hall
Student Leaders:
Alyssa Weickert, President
Allison Law, Vice President
Monika Szumski, Recording Secretary
Josh Raymundo, Corresponding Secretary
Buddy Sherrer, Treasurer
Maddy Leckie, Editor
Anthony Patane, Sergeant-at-Arms
Publicity: Sarah DeStefano
Builder’s Club Liaison: Niki Patel
K-Kids Liaison: Janine Wasek
Historian: Eleni Tzaneros
Webmaster: Kim Tran
About: Key Club provides many great service opportunities for students and
brings them closer to their school and community. This organization is the oldest
and largest service program for high school students. It is entirely student-led at
every level and is a great way to teach the core values of community, leadership,
and responsibility. –Courtesy of a Key Club international flyer handout
Prime Time Roxbury
Adviser: Deb Burleigh, TV Production
Contact: [email protected]
Meetings: About every week
About: “There will be student leader positions
if we can get enough participation. Prime Time
Roxbury produces a district television show that is
aired on Cablevision. We have a new episode each
month that covers events in all of our schools. We
also will be filming for the MSG Varsity Network!
Students have the opportunity to use the cameras
and report on important issues in our schools or
highlight special events and assemblies. It is a
great opportunity for students who are interested in
the media and television industries.”
Page 6
Varsity ‘R’ Club
October 14, 2011
NEWS
Echo Yearbook Club
Advisor: Gary Irwin, physical education teacher
Advisors: Lisa Hudlow, Art Department, Elizabeth Berger, Accounting
Contact: [email protected]
Contact: [email protected], [email protected]
Meetings: every other week before school
Meetings: Tuesdays after school from approximately 2:30 to 3:30
Student Leaders: Danielle Wilk and Brittany Feith
Student Leaders: Melanie Orr
About: Yearbook Club offers students the ability to work on the annual "Echo"
yearbook that the students of Roxbury High School can receive at the end of
each school year. Yearbook offers the unique opportunity to edit, produce,
and sell the yearbook. A yearbook holds the memories of each year, so by
being able to help work on the 2011 - 2012 "Echo" yearbook, students will be
able to add their opinions and personal touches to a book they will always
have. Yearbook needs both journalistic and creative students to help produce
this year's book. Yearbook is looking for photographers, students to create
layouts, students to write, etc. Members of yearbook club also have to sell
advertisements to help pay for the book.
Debate Team
Advisor: Elizabeth Heddy, English Department
Contact: [email protected]
Student Leaders: Zheila Vizueta and Caty Boylan
Meetings: Every Thursday 2:04pm until 3:00pm from late October until April in
the LCR or Media Center
About: Northwestern New Jersey Debate League competes six times a year on
Fridays in February, March, or April.We compete against seven other teams in
our league including Pope John High School, Dover High School, Sparta High
School, Jefferson Township High School, Mt. Olive High School, and West Morris
High School. Roxbury Debate Team hosts one of the debates at the high school.
We utilize the Media Center to host a breakfast and league meeting. We then
debate the national topic in front of classes for four periods.
General Student Council
Advisor: Shari Kaine, English Department
In Memory of
Nick and Nagy
To the Roxbury
Community,
High
School
We want to take this opportunity
to thank the wonderful people in the
Roxbury HS community for the many
kindnesses, prayers, donations, and
other expressions of love that were
extended to our daughter, Amanda
Rydell Nagy, her husband Chris, and to
us during this difficult time. Amanda
fought a valiant fight and she was
courageous and positive to the end as
she battled Stage IV Melanoma. Your
graciousness, loving spirit, and deep
affection for Amanda (you called her
Nagy) was evident in so many ways,
and it is clear to us why she loved her
students, her athletes, her colleagues,
her friends, and the staff at Roxbury
High School so much.
We will never forget your many acts
or the final tribute – that overwhelming
memorial service crowd at Horseshoe
Lake Park – there had to be over 1,000
of you there. That was an amazing
sendoff and an incredible tribute
to this wonderful and much-loved
daughter, wife, sister, friend, teacher,
coach, teammate, and truly beautiful
person. Thank you from the bottom
of our hearts for loving and caring for
our daughter.
Carl and Carol Rydell
The Class of 2012 lost an
amazing friend this summer.
Nick, you will always be
remembered for your brave
fight. This issue is dedicated
to the memory of Nick Russo
and Amanda Nagy
Contact: [email protected]
Meetings: Monthly. Next meeting is October 14 during 2nd period
About: The General Student Council is in charge of activities that affect the
student body as a whole. In addition to that we work on programs that really
try to involve or benefit the community. Our basic goal is to achieve a positive
student environment in the school and to create a change in the student
body when needed. Each year the activities we do increase as we become
more aware of what the students are really seeking to make their high school
experience the best it can be.
Roxbury Review Newspaper
Advisor: Peter Flynn, English department
Contact: [email protected]
Meetings: About one week every month
Student Leaders: Sami Moore and Christine Mayer
About: The newspaper is run by student editors. “It takes talent, dedication,
and teamwork to produce one of the best high school newspapers in the state.
Fortunately, we have many of those students here at Roxbury High School. If
you like to write and enjoy working together to keep your classmates up to
date on the important issues affecting you and your classmates, please come
join our team.”
OPINIONS
October 14, 2011
Page 7
Ten Years Later:
We have risen stronger as a nation
If almost any adult in the United devastating
and
infamous
States was asked where they were that day would turn out to be.
We, as a country, built ourselves
EDITORIAL
back up from that tragic day and
saw ordinary people rise as heroes.
on September 11, 2001, they
Most adults witnessed this
would be able to describe
at the time. Most kids
exactly
where
they
did not.
were standing, what
We are the
they were doing, and
who they were with
when they heard the
terrrible news. If any
teenager was asked
that same question,
they would all say
the same thing: “I
was in school.”
They would say
school is thier
only memory
from that day
until an adult
told
them
what
was
happening.
Most
of
us were
young
and had
no idea
h o w
generation growing up with the
changes without the past experience
to know exactly what is changing.
We find it normal to see security
guards everywhere, to have to go
through body scanners to board a
plane, and to always be cautious of
everyone and everything. We are
the generation affected the most.
We will never again be able to
walk on a plane and fly. We will
never experience the absence
of the Homeland Security
Department. We will never be
able to check certain books
out of a public library without
looking over our shoulders.
We have grown up living
in a country so scared,
justifiably, of having another
September 11 that we are
overly cautious of every
single persons’ moves.
That is scary to think about
for teenagers. Because of
the actions of one radical
group, our way of life, of
relating to each other, is
forever modified.
One positive element
did rise from the ruins
however: unity. Every
anniversary thousands
of people gather in New
Yor, of every religion,
race, color, and creed,
to remember the day
everything changed.
We are a stronger
Roxbury Review
2008 Garden State Scholastic Press Association
Best Overall Newspaper, Division A
N.J. Distinguished Journalism Award
2007 CSPA Gold Medalist
Member, GSSPA, CSPA, and NSPA
“A news sense is really a sense of what is important,
what is vital, what has color and life - what people are
interested in. That’s journalism.”
~Burton Rascoe
1 Bryant Drive Succasunna, NJ 07876
(973) 584-1200, ext. 758
[email protected]
Printed at Redmond Press, BCMS, Route 53,
Denville, NJ
Roxbury Review would like to dedicate this issue in the memory of Nick Russo and Amanda Rydell Nagy
Editor-in-Chief:
Copy Editor:
Sami Moore
Brittany Saul
Managing Editor:
Christine Mayer
Faculty Adviser:
News Editors:
Peter Flynn
Jenn Kim
Emily Sugrue
Senior Staff Writers:
Features Editors:
Sierra McEniry, Carolyn
Julia O’Brien
Taglienti
Sam Smith
Opinions Editors:
Emily Feld
Photographers:
Paul Poliviou
Tim Burns, Melanie Orr, Jim
Arts & Entertainment Editors:
Smith,
Sam King
Gaby Laracca
Sports Editors:
Contributing Artists:
Erik Henricksen
Melissa Kowalski, Cara
Brendan Byles
Peslak, Kim Tran
Front page art by Kim Tran
The Review encourages readers to write expressing their opinions about the
content of this newspaper as well as other issues of concern. Letters can be
e-mailed to [email protected] and should be no longer than 150 words. Letters
will be edited for style, grammar, and punctuation.
The opinions expressed in the Roxbury Review are those of the staff and editorial
board alone, and do not reflect the views of either the administration, adviser,
or Board of Education.
nation, a better nation, a truly
United States.
But this unity is flawed.
How many times have we seen
another person being judged
because of their skin color?
How many times have we seen
people arrested on the whisper of
suspicion because of their beliefs?
How many times have we argued
over the question of personal
privacy because of an almost
paranoia? We are scared of
being attacked, yet
we are making it
so
others feel threatned by our
comments, our judgements,
and our fear of reliving
history.
September
11,
2001
affected us in more ways
than just heightened security
and unity. It also put a sense
of judgment,
fear, and
anxiety
around
us.
With the passing of the tenth
anniversary, most of us have learned
to accept the changes. We are the
generation that changed from this.
We are the kids who had to learn
about it, who had to rise above it.
We came out as a stronger nation.
We will continue to live with the
memory in our hearts forever.
Every day people turned into
saviors, rescuing hundreds of lives.
We watched these men and women
come out and stand as heroes.
That day will always be a tragedy. It
will continue to be a day filled with
sorrow. It will also be remembered
as a day that great honor, courage,
and strength were shown.
As young as we were, we
understand that our nation was
impacted greatly that day. Whether
we knew someone involved or not,
we watched the Towers fall and
every year we have remembered
how those people showed their
courage, how they saved lives of
others, and sacrificed their own.
Those heroes will always be
remembered for everything they
stood for and everything they did
for our country. The nation rose
up again that day, beating the odds
and surpassing the attacks. We will
always honor those heroes, the
men and women who died to help
a great nation overcome a great
tragedy.
Art by Melissa Kowalski
History teacher weighs in on
teachers’ health benefits
By DIRK KELLY
History Teacher
Teachers are compensated three
ways: time off, salary and healthcare.
This year as a result of Governor
Christie, Senator Sweeney and
Assemblyperson Oliver, the teachers
of NJ will be
paying
an
additional
1.5% of our
total salaries
to
our
health care.
Additionally,
Gov. Christie
just passed a
KELLY
plan in June
to tax teachers
a percentage of the total healthcare
costs over the next four years. This
plan will force NJ teachers to pay up
to 35% of their healthcare costs by
the fourth year.
As you can imagine, I am against
these measures. I am not a raving
lunatic who does not understand
the economic crisis that our
politicians have placed the great
state of NJ. But the policies of Gov.
Christie have attacked the teaching
profession on multiple levels.
Gov. Christie and the Legislature
have capped the amount of
percentage raise teachers can get
for their salary guides at 2%. He
and the Legislature have removed
the negotiation of healthcare from
the negotiations table. So we get
a raise of 2% but have to pay 1.5%
back to the town for our healthcare
benefits.
This to me is wrong! Teachers
are being punished for the corrupt
government and the mismanagement
of the state by the Governor and
his minions. That the teachers are
bankrupting towns and the state by
doing our jobs is unconscionable.
The state of NJ has “borrowed”
billions of dollars from the state
pension plan and refuses to pay any
of the money back to the pension
system. As a result, the “great and
benevolent” governor has said that
NJ cannot operate business as usual
because the state cannot afford the
healthcare and pension costs of
teachers. Therefore teachers must
pay! The problem is we do pay
into our pension system (8%) and
yes we do pay taxes in the state.
NJ has consistently the highest
scores in the nation on standardized
tests. Teachers play an important
role in that process and but the good
governor wants to degrade that
system. The question you have to
ask yourself is why?
Is it good fiscal policy? Not
really when you think of the long
term effects on American society
as a whole. Is it class warfare?
Where only the wealthy can afford
schooling for their children and the
rest of the population would get an
inferior education thus locking the
poor into working for the rich, well
educated aristocracy. Or is it just
plain greed hidden under the cloak
of cries to “lower taxes?”
It appears to me that teachers
and the teaching profession are
under attack. The leadership is
approaching teaching as if it were
a business. It in some ways is.
Teachers paying 1.5% back for
their benefits is the beginning of
the degradation of their overall
benefits.
Look forward to more monthly teacher columns in The Review in later
issues! If any teacher would like to write a column please email us at
[email protected].
OPINIONS
Page 8
October 14, 2011
Life lessons learned from children
By EMILY SUGRUE
News Editor
“While we try to teach our children
about life, our children teach us what
life is all about.” A few months ago,
I came upon this quote by chance
and it has not left me since. Just the
same, the kids I babysit came into my
life by chance,
and I have not
left them since.
I don’t think I
could if I tried;
each and every
moment I have
spent with
them is etched
onto my heart.
Looking back
SUGRUE
on the past five
years I have
known Bridget and Clara, I never
cease to be amazed at this one major
fact: All along, I thought I was helping
them grow, that I was doing them
the favor. In reality, though, those
two little girls have made me into
the person I am today. I found so
much within myself because of them.
I can remember being ten years old
and seeing them for the first time; I,
an awkward sixth grader, and the two
of them, barely old enough to walk,
did not seem a likely match to anyone
on the outside. But from the moment I
laid eyes on them, I was hooked. I was
completely and utterly entranced by the
twin girls who resembled each other
in both personality and appearance
but were at the same time completely
different. Bridget’s smooth, chestnut
colored hair fell just beyond her ears.
Bangs cleanly lined her small forehead,
and her eyes shone the brightest blue I’d
ever known. Clara had cottony golden
blonde curls that hung gracefully around
her face. Her eyes, although blue like
Bridget’s, had a greener tinge to them.
I recall noticing the way their thick
eyelashes hit their soft, unblemished
skin when they blinked; it highlighted
their features in a way that captured the
innocence of their existence.
Possessing the distinct chubby legs of
a baby on the verge of
becoming a toddler, the
two of them toddled
around endlessly with
a determined spirit
that I hope they never
lose. Their prattle,
not yet decipherable,
was meaningless in
a literal sense, but so
charming and binding
that I could not help
but lose myself in
it. From those early
days on, they had me
completely hooked.
Moments that may have
seemed insignificant to
Bridget and Clara are
the same moments that
I will never forget.
Waking them up from
their afternoon naps,
their hair disheveled
and clothing crooked
from moving in their
slumber, they’d slowly
blink their eyes open.
The room around them came into view
and I could watch as they recognized
me; it came like a burst of sunshine.
They smiled up at me with an uncanny
happiness, a kind that made you want
to capture the moment and never let
go. I wish everyone could feel the
joy a smiling baby warms into one’s
heart. After I had them out of their
cribs and filled with a snack, the
learning experiences began, and as it
turned out, they weren’t the only ones
learning. I helped teach them how to
eat; they built my patience. I’d spend
afternoons asking them to identify the
colors of the rainbow; they taught me
to see the light in life. I made them take
turns during games and stressed the
importance of sharing; they allowed
me to share a maternal instinct that I
although I am not blood related to them,
one of my answers to those questions
might instill a little piece of me inside
their personality and opinions that they
will harbor for life. They made me feel
so whole, knowing that I was helping
to mold the people they’ll grow up to
be. The countless hours I have spent
with them over five years will always
Brandon
Manalo,
freshman
“Good grades
and to have
fun.”
Sarah Keir,
sophomore
Photo by Emily Sugrue
be a part of
me, and I
do hope they’ll feel the same when
they grow old enough to reflect.
Bridget and Clara are five and a half
now. They attend kindergarten at
the same school I hold many fond
memories of. Each time I see them
now, they no longer want to show me
their new Mr. Potato Head; instead,
it’s their new backpack or school
folder. It’s unfair, I always think, that
I’ll never be able to go back to the
moment when they were smaller than
the backpacks they now sling over their
tiny shoulders. It’s promising, though,
to know that I hold a piece of their past,
their present, and I will continue to float
into their futures for as long as possible.
I’m confident “as long as possible”
means a long, long time, because as I
said- I couldn’t let them go if I tried.
I believe every single person comes
into your life for a reason. I have
several of these people in my life, and
Bridget and Clara are two of the most
prominent. They unknowingly gave
me a gift; a gift I could never repay
them for. Because of them, I know that
the most beautiful scene one could
ever witness is the unfolding story of
a happy childhood. The most beautiful
sound one could ever hear is a child’s
laugh, a sweet melody. While I thought
I was helping them, they were the ones
helping me. Emmy loves you “Bidgie”
and “Rara”, Never change, You are
perfect, and I will not allow you to ever,
ever forget it.
What if you could be a superhero? Whom would you choose to be?
By SAMI MOORE
WHAT IF?
Arts & Entertainment Editor
If I could be a superhero,
I would not necessarily be
a hero. If I had my choice,
I would be Rorschach from
Watchmen. Rorschach is a
comic book character who
was created originally in the
80s. Whether he is a hero or
a villain is undecided, being
he posses the qualities of
both. I’m sure Rorschach
would not be the typical
superhero choice for most
people. However, I really love
the character he plays. He is
my favorite of all characters
because he is a very real in his
ways. The world is not a very
nice place, and Rorschach has
seen the true face of society.
He has the best of intentions,
but goes in the oddest of ways.
One side could easily say he is
a murder, but he murders for the
good of New York City, where
he spends his time roaming the
streets. As a child, Rorschach was
abused and was constantly in-andout of foster homes. As he grew
up, he also grew a much distorted
view of society.
Rorschach joined a league of
people who wanted to bring justice
to the city. Rorschach never just
randomly go on killing spree. His
first time actually committing a
murder was when he heard the
story of a man abducting and
killing a little girl. All of his violent
ways and tendencies are inevitably
for what he views as good for the
society.
your goals for
this year?
“To get all A’s
in my honors
classes and
make the
baseball
team.”
didn’t know I obtained. I watched their
accomplishments, their “firsts”, their
difficulties, and their unyielding sense
of determination in which they tackled
growing up. Each smile, each laugh,
each tear, even each dirty diaper- they
all built up to magical lessons Bridget
and Clara blessed me with: Life is
beautiful. Treasure the little things
about those you love. Every day is a
new day, a new start. If you live your
life as though you
have nothing to regret,
no standards to live up
to, and an with the idea
that only happiness is
possible, you can feel
just as much joy as an
innocent, someone
who has not been
tainted by the harsh
world. You just have to
allow yourself to see
it through their eyes.
As the girls grew older,
my adoration for them
only grew stronger.
I found myself
looking into the eyes
of a “real” person,
someone I could
have a meaningful
conversation with. At
about age three and
a half, their endless
“But why?” question
stage hit, questions to
which I answered with
abandon. I figured,
Photo by Emily Sugrue
By SAMANTHA KING
Student on
the Street
Q: What are
Editor-in-Chief
Superheroes; at one point or
another, we have all dreamed
of being one. If I could be any
superhero, I would be the “Princess
of Plunder,” the one and only
Catwoman. The romance between
herself and Batman was always
foreshadowed, which for some,
like myself, make her even more
exciting. Another factor that, as a
female, would make me want to
be Catwoman is her outfit. It’s not
as revealing as Superwoman’s,
yet still is always going to be in
fashion, since it is black. It will
always be worn, and always be a
classic symbol - which will make
her memorable, something that all
superheroes ultimately strive for.
If I’m going to be a superhero, I
am going to be memorable. The
original Catwoman wore high
heels and long eyelashes just add
to the ensemble.
One of the main reasons, though,
that I want to be Catwoman would
be the fact that she is such a strong
woman. She always has her own
agenda, and is not afraid to go after
what she wants. I respect that. I
think that all females should be like
that, and Catwoman is the epitome
of this. Everything that she wants,
she will always go after – which
made her very controversial. She
had a rocky past, and that did
not stop her. Though she may
be a female, she was strong. For
all of her endeavors and always
fighting, I would be Catwoman in
a heartbeat.
“Get good
grades and
work towards
college.”
Max Grant,
junior
“Graduate
high school
and going to
college.”
Omar Santos,
senior
“To do well in
school.”
Becca Befumo,
freshman
“Beat
Randolph, get
good grades,
pass finals.”
Drew Skarbnik,
sophomore
“To get better
at cheer.”
Kristen Montan,
freshman
Compiled by Brendan Byles and
Sami Moore.
OPINIONS
October 14, 2011
Page 9
D o m e s t i c v i o l e n c e b e c o m i n g Editor writes about
new fashion statement
benefit of planning day
By CHRISTINE MAYER
Managing Editor
There aren’t a lot of things that get me
angry, like really I’m a pretty mellow
person. But
the other day
on my email
home page I
saw an article
that really
disturbs me.
The headline
read “Black
and blue is
not the new
MAYER
black” next
to a picture
depicting a bruised model pulling
the cord of an iron with her teeth.
Apparently this model was asked by the
photographer to do “a bruised Barbie
shoot,” to sell a clothing line.
Wait, what?!
The writer of the article was
scandalized, sort of like me, at the
photographer for his glamorization of
violence and abuse. This might sound
like an overreaction (some people are
probably rolling their eyes and saying
“that’s not what the picture was about”).
But he’s not the first photographer to do
so and many are reacting just as strongly;
even the article said, “Only a few weeks
ago, we were talking about a Salon ad
with a photo of a bruised model. And
before that, a handful of high fashion
campaigns featuring women being
beaten, bruised, and impaled. Domestic
violence, it seems, has become the
surefire way to get your fashion spread
to stand out.” Domestic violence, as a
selling point, as a way to gain attention;
how does that sound like a good idea?
I don’t know about anybody else, but
bruises are not glamorous and they
definitely don’t make me want to buy
clothes. But that’s not even the point:
some of the fashion world believes
battered women are not only acceptable,
but fashionable and inspiring. The only
inspiring thing about domestic abuse
is if the woman is able to stand up
for herself and leave her relationship.
Maybe one reason this article really
got to me is because I had spent the
previous night watching a movie
called “Enough” about an abused wife
(forgive me for using another female
as the example, I concede there are
men abused in relationships as well)
trying to escape her murderous husband
and save her child. It seems like a
simple thing to do right, I mean half of
America’s married couples get divorced
and separated easily enough. But it is
not nearly as easy when one person
doesn’t want to end the relationship.
The main character in the movie was
chased across the country; she had to
give up her job, her home, her identity.
Afraid for her life, no lawyer could give
her guaranteed protection. The best
that could be done was a restraining
order, which only really comes down
to a piece of paper. There is no easy
way out from an abusive relationship.
It is a trap with no obvious escape.
Fortunately, the character in the movie
was able to live her life normally,
eventually. But there are many others
who aren’t so lucky. There are enough
problems in society today, just turn on
the news. Why does fashion, something
that should evoke happiness and
motivation, have to dwell on the painful
stuff too? Why can’t it celebrate the
good, instead of idolizing the bad?
By SAM KING
Arts & Entertainment Editor
When I finally came to face the
summer, I had to also face the amount
of things I now had time to do. During
the school year, my mornings were
occupied in the classrooms and halls
of Roxbury High School; but with my
new found
freedom I
was able to
do whatever
my heart
desired
w i t h i n
twenty-four
hours for
over two
months.
KING
There were
of course
the obvious things I planned to do
daily: sleeping, showering, eating,
television, and spending time with
my friends. In the beginning of
the summer, at least one of those
things were not getting done daily
because I just could not seem to find
the time. I lacked a schedule or any
organization. It lead me to become
extremely overwhelmed and frankly
overbooked.
How was I going to fix my
problem? I had over two months to
spend on myself, but I couldn’t even
manage to do that. My solution was
simple: make a daily schedule. It took
nothing more than thought and basic
organizational skills.
Another question may be: what
are the benefits of actually having
and sticking to a daily routine? On
some days I certainly felt repetitive
and predictable, but with that I knew
everything would get done. While
looking back on my days, it felt good
to know I actually accomplished
something and didn’t just sleep away
my summer, like so many of us seem
to do.
Staying organized during the
summer didn’t only benefit me right
then, it is also paying off for me
right now. Making a mental schedule
helps me maintain a way to get all my
schoolwork done. I realistically plan
out mentally when I am going to get
my work done the minute I receive
an assignment. I know in advance I
am going to want to have time to be
social, to relax, and to be with my
family, therefore I build my school
career around that common mold.
The only plan that fails, is the one
you fail to plan.
While planning is certainly
beneficial, it is not constructive
to live life down to the minute of
a schedule. Life happens and no
schedule is set in stone. Who is to
say when something will happen or
an event will pop up? It is definitely
important to stay organized, but not
to the point a routine has taken over
your life. A routine is simply there
for guidance, not to place additional
stress to the shoulders of those who
do not need it.
When at my mothers house in
Landing I would be awake by ten a.m.,
and when I was at my fathers house
in Hackettstown I would be home to
my mothers by ten a.m. each morning.
It would only be obvious to start off
my schedule there. While flipping
through the channel guide of morning
television that I was so unfamiliar to,
I found Bernie Mac was on for an
hour. That would have me from 10
to 11 watching BET and drinking my
morning French Vanilla coffee. I then
allowed myself a half hour to shower
and get ready for whatever activities
that afternoon may hold for me. By
11:30 I would be back in my living
room situated to watch Paula Deen
on the Food Network.
Before I knew it, it would be noon
and I was ready to spend a summer
day knowing I have accomplished
what felt like so much in just two
hours.
I was then free to do what I pleased
for the day. There was rarely a day
left a wild card for me over the
course of this summer, unlike so
many previous years that I would
accomplish seemingly so little.
3 Tips for Staying Organized
Photo from www. changingmenchanginglives.org
1. Use an assignment book or an agenda
2. Make a homework routine
3. Be prepared for the next day
Editor reflects on importance of SAT, impact on future
By EMILY FELD
Opinions Editor
One test.
That’s what your college career
rides on. After all the work you’ve
done, the homework you’ve
accomplished,
tests you’ve
studied all
night long
for-your entire
college career
rides on one
test. That
seems a little
unfair, doesn’t
it? Well sure it
FELD
is but what else
can colleges
accept you by?
They don’t know you as a person.
They don’t even know what you
look like.
Yo u r g r a d e s , y o u r
extracurricular activities,
they all factor in. But when
it comes down to it all-good
SAT scores will get you in.
What if you’re a bad test taker?
I know a lot of people who are
excellent students but cannot
take a test for their life. In some
of my classes, I’m one of those
students. I do fine on projects
and homework and essays but I
cannot take the test and do well.
It’s a process that I’m in the middle
of figuring out. Because there has
to be a secret to taking a test just
be right?
Most people would probably tell
you to just be prepared because
that’s all you can be. And you
can take the class, go online and
review, and even form study
groups. But you’re alone when
you take the test-no teacher, no
classmates, no online review to
guide you. They tell you to relax
because it’s not a big deal. It’s a
big deal, a huge deal. Your future
is riding on this one test. How
can colleges expect that this one
test can describe what kind of
student you are? They don’t know
what you’ve done to save the
community or how well you did
in your English class.
Maybe they shouldn’t. Maybe
t h e S ATs a r e a n u n b i a s e d
way to get to know a student
without ever meeting them.
How can a college decide to
accept you based on numbers?
I understand that a college need
some way to decide on whom they
accept but is testing really the right
way? How can one measly test tell
how well a person will excel at
college? How can one test say all
that? It doesn’t make sense to me.
This test is supposed to give an
idea to colleges on how well
you can do. It’s a stupid test.
Good grades, extracurricular
activities, good friends, those
are the things that will help
them determine if you are right
for their school. Not some test
that after you take and graduate
won’t matter anymore.
It’s just a stupid test that
stresses high school students out.
As a junior, I unfortunately have
to take the SATs this year. In
fact, I’ll probably end up taking
them more than once, as most
kids do. So in that regard, the
SATs are okay. You can take the
test as many times as needed.
But who honestly wants to sit
through a now 4 hour test more
than twice? I know I don’t. A
lot of students can’t focus on
one thing for even that long;
how are they supposed to take
a four hour test that their college
acceptance is dependent on.
It makes no sense how
one test could be the reason
you are accepted or not.
I took the PSATs last year and
they were completely pointless.
They don’t even have the writing
portion of the test on it. How
could they prepare you for a test
if part of the test is missing? The
best way to prepare for this test
is to take an SAT prep couse.
I took one and it was really
boring. Two hours a night,
two days a week of SAT prep.
Plus, the SAT prep classes are
really expensive. As well as it
costs money to take the test.
The SATs are a pointless,
stressful test that high school
juniors and senior are required
to take to be accepted in to
college.
After high school, it will
serve no purpose to you and
will honestly be a waste of
your time afterward. I believe
there are so many other ways
to determine a student’s
analytical skills and practical
concepts. The SATs are just
another way to stress out high
school students and to put
importance on somehting that
will only be important for a
short amount of time. There is
no other way to put it. One test
that can make or break you.
Just one tedioius, tiresome
test. After high school, it
won’t help you.
It will help you get into
college, but it won’t help you
stay there. The SATs show
that you can take one test, not
that you can maintain grades
and stay in college. Why is
there such an important on
that test from colleges then?
Photo from www. writinginterventionproject.org
Roxbury Review
Page 10
Teens find self reformation
through music, fashion
By SAM SMITH
Features Editor
The new school year is just around the corner, and she
is dreading her dismal return. She plops herself down on
her bed and wonders what could possibly make returning
back to school any better. All of a sudden she bolts up
and look in the mirror. She then thinks to herself that it
is time for a change. She needs something to liven up
her spirit and rejuvenate her mind. She walks outside
and takes a look at the world that surrounds her. Things
are changing so quickly, from the type of music that is
popular to the type of clothes that people are wearing. It
is so hard to keep up with this ever-changing world it is
nearly unbearable, but she pushes that aside and steps into
the spotlight that society has created for her. She recreates
herself into the person she has always wanted to be.
The new school year is a new start for everyone, and
everyone has a different way of welcoming this new
beginning. Some ways can include new fashion, new
music, or just hanging out with different people. When
the new school year begins, many students want to
change the way they are perceived. This mostly has to
do with how fast the times are changing. “In the blink
of an eye, the times can change around you,” said Mrs.
Marilyn Waters, the former fashion teacher. In high school
there is so much pressure to keep up with the world that
surrounds a person. It can also be because teenagers are
always craving change.
One great tool an individual can use to change is her
fashion. Just by one look, a person can grasp an idea of
what the interests of the other are; ranging from music to
fashion to people. Fashion is a great way for someone to
put themself out there and get noticed. If a person wanted
to change the way she is are perceived by others,
clothing is a great place to start. However, it
takes an enormous amount of courage to wear
the clothes that make the individual wearing them
feel good rather than what society tells them to
wear. “The people with a positive attitude show
themselves through their clothes,” said Waters, “while
others just want to be accepted; they just hide behind the
clothes they wear.”
Although clothes are a great tool to use, one has to be
careful because clothes can say so much about a person.
“You can tell the standard of someone’s values by the way
they dress. When walking down the hall way you can tell
who takes their values into consideration and who doesn’t
think twice about what they wear,” said Waters. When
someone gets dressed in the morning and steps outside,
everyone’s first judgment of them is based on what
they’re wearing. This is highly important because the first
impression of a person is the most
important.
Another way to stir up ones
personality is music. “Music is a
great
way to let what’s inside of you out,”
s a i d
Lori Lynch, the head of the Roxbury
choir
program. Music can be a great tool to
u s e
to change how one is perceived because
it is a
universal language; everyone understands it. “Music can
bring what’s inside of you, that you were afraid to show
before, to the surface,” said Lynch. Music sometimes
doesn’t change how other people look at an individual,
but how an individual looks at herself.
Fashion and music are just two of the many ways a
person can change how they are looked at. Everyone
has her own different way of bringing on change, and
some changes are bigger
than others. For example,
sophomore Ed Quinn said,
“I’ve changed myself by just
trying to get more sleep for
the new school year.” When
asked what changes she’s
noticed about students who
have returned from summer
break, sophomore Samantha
Bucherer said, “Other students
seem to be more tan, much happier, and
a lot less focused.” This shows that although change
can sometimes be a good thing, it can also be a bad
thing as well. Other changes, however, can be a bit more
drastic. “I think I’ve become much happier and friendly
towards other people. I don’t change for others, and I’ve
focused more on bettering myself and my lifestyle,” said
Bucherer.
The question still lingers why do teenagers put
themselves through all of these drastic changes? When
asked, Bucherer simply answered, “We put ourselves
through so much because we as teenagers thrive off of
acceptance.” In the mind of the typical high-schoolgoing teenager, acceptance can mean everything. If an
individual is not accepted, it is hard for them to function.
“I think that teens, specifically in high school, do change
their personality so people see them for who they want to
be rather than who they really are,” said Quinn. So, as an
individual who goes to high school, it can be hard to cling
onto the values that make a person whom they really are
and whom they want to be, but with the right tools it is
possible.
Newdevelopmentsintechnology
influence adolescent behavior
By JULIA O’BRIEN AND SAM SMITH
Features Editors
Teenagers today seem to be incapable of functioning
properly without their technological devices glued to their
fingertips. Around every corner, a teenager is using some
kind of device, whether it is a laptop, a cell phone, or an
iPod. Technology has progressed over the years, and its
Art by Cara Peslak
business has boomed in the last two decades. Modern
teenagers have grown up in a generation where the world
has been easily accessible, and it is debatable whether this
privilege has been detrimental or not.
Back in the day, when Roxbury High School students
were toddlers, the technology world was just getting started.
The technology that we have today almost appeared to be
almost as far-fetched as the plot of a futuristic sci-fi film.
Sophomore Andrew Zamora said, “Back then [when he was
a child], there was more integration between technology.
It was more for corporate jobs, and not everyone had a
computer in their home.” Looking back at his childhood,
junior Andrew Nichols said, “Everything has become more
efficient and has progressed to be a better device or have
a better operating system.” Sophomore Cynthia Zheng
said, “When I was little, the TV. and computer weren’t as
adamant.”
T h e
advancements
in technology
have been shown
to cause dependency.
M a n y
teenagers, and adults alike, seem to have become dependent
on the efficiency and accessibility of modern technology.
How many teenagers and adults are there that do not own
a cell phone, iPod, or PC? Is technology only detrimental
to the teenagers and adults who let it affect them? The
answer is not so simple. Zheng said, “I couldn’t function
without my cell phone because I text people, and it’s easier
to reach people, like my parents.” However, junior Angela
Thomas said, “I can function without any technology. I
don’t see the need for it.” Technology has a reputation for
causing laziness in people. When people abuse technology,
Nichols said, “[They] get lazy. They have such easy access
to everything in the world. For example, in school, people
plagiarize.” Zheng said, “Technology cuts off social
interactions, and people sit behind a screen half the time
[when they are at home].” Sophomore Frankie Formisano
added, “Now, it seems that teens don’t get out as much.
They just sit at home on Facebook.” In summary, even
teens see this dependency trend in everyday life. Zamora
sees it as a simple question: “How many phone numbers
do you know by heart?”
Other teenagers see technology as detrimental because of
the exposure and easy availability it creates between people.
Nichols said, “Certain technology has been detrimental
to society. For example, Facebook is so intrusive on
everyone’s business, and everyone’s information is online.”
He later added, “It [social networking] results in bullying
because it’s another way to bully someone without anyone
else knowing.” Sophomore Christina Harrigan agreed, and
said, “People can say things they wouldn’t say to your
face over the internet.” Also, there is a miscommunication
between teenagers when it comes to communication via
typing. “You can be rude or come off as rude, and people
take things the wrong way,” said Nichols. Zamora said,
“It’s difficult to get your point across because a sentence
can be interpreted many different ways, and there’s no
eye contact.” Formisano agreed, saying, “You really don’t
know what they’re trying to say, and you don’t get the true
meaning of what they are saying.” Zheng said that social
networking is detrimental because “you can see what
everyone’s doing.” With just a click of the mouse, someone
can get to know another person without him or her knowing
or the two actually meeting face-to-face.
Technology has impaired driving as well. Driving is
dangerous, especially for new and inexperienced drivers,
and the urge to answer a text or phone call heightens the
risk for an accident. “Teens are glued to their phones,”
said Nichols, “and there are many teenage accidents due
to texting and driving.” According to a June 2010 article
in the New York Post, 28 percent of driving accidents are
due to driving while texting and driving while talking
on the phone. The tragedies that correspond with cell
phone-related car accidents have resulted in legal action.
Driving with a cell phone in hand is now illegal in the
state of New Jersey, as well as numerous other states, and
people who break this law can be heavily penalized.There
are also revised Graduated Driver’s License restrictions
which are enforced to help protect teens from driving
while distracted.
The world that teenagers live in today revolves around
all different aspects of technology. The uses of technology
vary and its purposes range from homework to social
networking, to corporate affairs. Although technology
does increase the proficiency of some businesses and tasks,
the controversy over its positives and negatives remains
prevalent.
New Beginnings
October 14, 2011
Page 11
‘This Modern Love’:
Teenage relationships evolve
with generation,culturechanges
By JULIA O’BRIEN
Features Editor
The light brush of a hand sends the butterflies that hide
in the stomach surging. One touch sends nervous electric
pulses through the purple blue veins to the center of the
soul, where they surprise the heart with the sweetest
shock it has ever known.
The overwhelming sensation of feeling loved can make
the heart blossom like Eden. A new relationship can be
categorized as something that is beautiful, something
that is exciting, and quite often something that is downright scary. Throughout the course of a student’s high
school career, he or she will experience one, if not
several, new relationships. Though teenage love can
be viewed as “practice” for the real deal, opinions on
teenage relationships differ not only by person, but also
by generation. Throughout the past several generations,
the rules of teenage dating have been revised and
replaced by a whole new way of interaction between
the sexes.
There are many risks when entering a new relationship.
Both students’ hearts are on the line, and can be hurt at any
time. To put the trust of one’s emotions and heart in the
hands of another is a risk a lot of teens are willing to take
if it means being with the person they like. For teenagers,
this feeling of union between someone and the person she
likes can invoke all sorts of emotional responses. Junior
Sammi Eisdorfer said, “Entering a new relationship is
definitely exciting. It can be exciting but scary sometimes
because you put yourself out there. You’re basically giving
someone your heart and saying, ‘Here’s what I have to
offer, take it or break it.’” Senior Summer Bourlier said
that when entering a new relationship with someone, the
experience can give a person “butterflies,” and that it is
“cliché”. Bourlier added that it is, “Just like the movies.”
Technology from the past decade has played a major
role in the way teenagers date and communicate with
each other. There are cell phones and social networking
websites, and in general electronic communication has
modified romantic relations.
A
statistic on match.com says that
one in
five relationships now begins online.
A
s
simply stated as this statistic may seem, it says a lot about
how much technology has played a role in relationships,
and how far American culture has come. Eisdorfer said
that “technology changes a lot in relationships,” and
that “Facebook and texting” are examples of some of
the causes of change. Back when high school students’
parents were their age, dating was not as simple as the
click of a mouse or the thumb of a phone key. English
teacher Cosmo Lorusso said, “There’s no commitment
like there used to be,” and that when he was in high
school
he, “Actually went on dates, like to the
movies or bowling. I don’t see kids do
that. Friday nights you went out with
your girlfriend, and Saturday nights
you went out with your guys.” In
comparison of dating when her
p a r e n t s were her age and now, Bourlier said,
“I don’t think they [relationships] are the same at all.
When teenagers are in relationships, they share a lot about
themselves with each other. Sometimes, when teens share
a lot about themselves with someone now-a-days people
take advantage of that.” Relating generations to one
another, Eisdorfer thinks that relationships in her parent’s
generation are similar to those of her generation. She
said, “In both my generation, and my parent’s generation,
a relationship is about spending a lot of time with that
person. Either way, you’re going through your teenage
years together. You’re coming of age together.”
With new technology and modern teen culture customs
that alter the way teenagers interact romantically, are
teenage relationships worth it? Bourlier believes that
high school relationships are a good thing and they are
beneficial to discovering what students will and will
not put up with in a relationship. Bourlier said, “High
school relationships help you discover who you are and
what you want in a relationship. It also teaches you how
to act in a relationship.” Lorusso met his wife in ninth
grade homeroom, and has been with her ever since.
He has experienced eight years of dating and 25 years
of marriage with his wife. “I think relationships are
healthy because you have to learn how to coexist with
someone. Sometimes you learn you can’t coexist, and
that’s okay too. It’s all part of the lesson,” said Lorusso.
Eisdorfer agreed that high school relationships are a
lesson and said, “Yes, there are negatives [to high school
relationships], but everything negative that comes with it
[a relationship], you will be able to learn from, so it’s all
positive in the end.”
However, Bourlier also believes that for most high
school students, the definition of a relationship is skewed
by physical intimacy. “I feel that people [my age] only see
it as sex and not as something sentimental. Relationships
are supposed to be sentimental, sacred, and special.” She
later added, “A lot of kids my age are pressured to do
that [have sex] and they think that is the only way the
relationship can work. Most teens lose sight of what a
relationship should be.” Eisdorfer thinks that the physical
aspect of a relationship is a “big part of relationships in
high school,” and that if a relationship is “based on just
that, there is no way the relationship is going to work.”
Agreeing, Lorusso said, “I think teens have to separate
the physical part from what a real relationship is. The
relationships that last are the ones where you are friends
first. My wife and I are best friends.”
The age-old question ‘can teenagers experience true
love?’ is a topic that does not have a definitive answer. Its
answer depends on the opinion of the individual. Lorusso
feels that teenagers can experience love. “They definitely
can. I think they are mature enough to feel what it is. Girls
probably feel love more because they are generally more
mature. Guys are more physically attracted. Girls are
more emotionally involved and boys are more physically
involved,” said Lorusso. Eisdorfer believes love is a
See NEW LOVE, page 12
Social norms in young society
advance through parties, t.v., internet
By SAMI MOORE
Editor-In-Chief
Teenagers
today’s
society
are
nothing like they
once
were
in
past
generations.
The decades in which
one’s parents, or even
grandparents, grew up in are
vastly different from today.
There are new “social norms,”
as Hannah Viparina, senior,
put it.
“Sweet 16’s” and prom are
memories and moments
that, at one point, were
all viewed only as special
occasions. Now, they have
now seemingly to become an
expectation.
Roxbury, just like many
other high schools, has
both a junior and senior
prom where students are
invited to attend a formal
dance with others in their
grade and their dates. For
these special occasions,
the price tag can add up;
b e t w e e n what one is going to wear,
the boutonniere or corsage, transportation, and extras.
in
Christine Chipko, senior, said, “People
spend a ton of money on prom, such as
[purchasing] an expensive dress and [renting]
a party bus. It’s that money that I will use for
my college books.” Monika Szumski, senior,
agreed,saying, “The amount that people pay for
dresses is insane.” According to prettyprom.com,
teenage girls, on average, spend between$300 and $800
on prom.
A “Sweet 16”, at one point in time, was just another
birthday; a moment to celebrate a license, a permit, and
a whole new set of rules and freedoms that come along
with the age. Now, they represent over-the-top parties that
teenagers find necessary, planning everything, including
the invitation, venue, guest list, theme, and much more.
Sophomore Natalie Wasek believes that people have
“over-hyped parties” because “ they want to maintain an
image, and, with the hype of the party or prom, they can
be whatever it [the hype] makes them.”
English teacher Sherri Kaine deemed the way teenagers
now celebrate proms and “Sweet 16’s” as “over the top”
and “way too much.” For these reasons, Kaine pondered
that it may have to do with reality television, saying,
“what society and the media portrays as acceptable and
[as] reality encourages teenagers.”
Following what Kaine said, on January 18, 2005, MTV
premiered the show “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” which
documents the trials, tribulations, and ultimate outcome
of one planning a coming-of-age party, whether it is a
“Sweet 16”, Quinceañera, or 18th birthday celebration.
The show even broadcasted celebrities, such as Bow
Wow, Sean Kingston, Aly and AJ, Chris Brown, and
Soulja Boy, planning and throwing large scale parties.
The show ended, after 61 episodes on June 15, 2008.
However, MTV often shows reruns. The show has caught
a lot of criticism and attention throughout the years, and it
is often considered the cause of the “Sweet 16” craze.
Another one of the new social norms relates to
technology. Facebook has taken the world by storm, ever
since creator Mark Zuckerberg started it in 2004. As of
2005, there are 800 million active Facebook accounts;
according to Social Media Today, in April 2010, it was
estimated that 41.6 percent of the U.S. population had a
Facebook account. Compete.com ranked Facebook as the
most popular social networking site. Facebook features
many different ways to connect with others, such as
posting photographs, sharing a status, writing on another
person’s wall, and adding friends. According to jsky.
com, 75 percent of teenagers have a Facebook, and 25
percent are on Facebook constantly. Given the statistics,
more than a majority of teenagers are on Facebook, and it
has become a social norm. Freshman Taylor Torpin said,
“Facebook has become a social norm because everyone
can stay up to date on social activity and talk to each
other.” Other social networking sites that more and more
teens are using include formspring.com, tumblr.com, and
twitter.com.
The previously mentioned reality television has become
a hype within teenage society. One of the most popular
teenage targeted reality shows, especially in Roxbury, is
“Jersey Shore”. MTV’s “Jersey Shore” follows ItalianAmericans, Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio, Nicole “Snooki”
Polizzi, Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, Jennifer
“J-WOWW” Farley, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi
“Sweetheart” Giancola, Vinny Guadagnino, and Deena
Nicole Cortese. Popular sayings from the show, including
“Yeah, buddy!” are now heard throughout the halls of
Roxbury High School. Students also mimic the way the
characters act and dress.
Our society has morphed from what it had been 20,
even 10, years ago. The norms that are now acceptable
have not always been in place. Kaine, on the topic of
tooday’s society, noted that,“It’s crazy, the world we live
in today.”
in Teenage Life
Art by Kim Tran
FEATURES
Page 12
NEW LOVE
mature emotion as well. She said,
“It’s really rare, but it’s a very mature
feeling, and you have to be mature to
experience it. If someone thinks she
loves someone else, when she truly
does, she’ll know.” Bourlier added, “It
depends on the person, because people
can be more in love with the idea that
they are in love than actually being in
love with the other person.”
Continued from page 11
This modern love that teens are
experiencing in the new millennium is
defined by the new methods of contact
between males and females. The
morality and sincerity of relationships
formed via electronic communication
are preferences individuals must
decide for themselves. Is it a high
school custom, or just a phase modern
teenagers are going through? The
most important thing to remember is
that high school is just one chapter
in the book of life, and there will be
numerous relationships for some, or
like in Lorusso’s case, just one very
special one for others. It does not matter
which generation a person grows up in,
because, though ways to find love may
change, love is an eminent constant
that links all generations together.
October 14, 2011
Advances in technology
(the volkswagen beetle)
Model Type: 1100
Deluxe
Year: 1950
Things You Should Know from this generation:
Interesting Fact:
Has a horsepower
of 25
1) What quote IS NoT from Jersey Shore?
a) “The cabs are here!”
Model Type: Type
3 1200
b) “It’s T-Shirt time!”
c) “Wuddup Broski?”
Courtesy of www.dosomething.org
Year: 1967
2) What is SpongeBob’s favorite hobby ?
a) Riding his bike with Squidward.
b) Sandboarding with Sandy.
c) Bubble blowing with Patrick.
Courtesy of Clipart
3) What is a popular club in North Jersey?
Interesting Fact:
Starting with
this car, Volkswagen added
steering that
absorbed shock.
a) Casey O’Tooles.
Model Type: Type 2
Super Beetle
b) Confetti.
Year: 1971
c) Karma.
Courtesy of www.Tee2i.org
4) What is the snake in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?
a) Basilisk.
b) Slytherinite.
c) Diamond Back.
Courtesy of www.opensubtitles.org
Model Type: Type
3 Super Beetle
Interesting Fact:
this model was
the first with an
ignition key buzzer warning.
Answers:
1.C 2.C 3.B 4.A
Year: 1985
wanted
Interesting Fact:
In the eighties,
only the convertible beetles
were being sold
in America.
Model Type: Standard Beetle
Attention all writers, photographers, and artists:
Year: 1997
Have you ever wanted to be featured in a school publication?
Interesting Fact:
The beetles were
no longer being
manufactured in
America, Germany,
or Mexico.
The Roxbury Review is welcoming contributing writers,
photographers, and artists to submit their material to the
school newspaper.
Any essays regarding your opinion, point of view, or
stories from a specific
event that has impacted your life are welcome to be
submitted.
Model Type:
Standard Beetle
Year: 2012
Interesting Fact:
The horsepower
ranges from 170200.
OPINIONS
October 14, 2011
Page 13
Youth group mission trip leaves lasting impact on editor
By SAM SMITH
Features Editor
Whenever I would come back to
school from summer vacation I would
always hear about those life changing
summers my peers had. The stories had
always varied; whether it was that they
had met some
boy, saw an
amazing
concert, or
traveled far
away on
an exotic
adventure. I
was always
subjected to
the fact that I
SMITH
would never
have one of
these summers; that I would just hear
the stories that were a result of them.
As this past summer drew to a close, I
realized that I had not only had a life
changing summer, but an eye opening
one as well. To my surprise it wasn’t
because of any of the typical reasons
that I was used to hearing, it was
something much deeper that I know I
will carry with me for the rest of my
life. The beauty of it is that I didn’t
have to travel half way across the
world or pay an insane amount to have
that summer I had longed for so much,
all I had to do was cast my fears aside
and climb into a van with my youth
group to a camp called Mtn. T.O.P.
I had been hearing about this trip ever
since I had joined my youth group
several years ago and it always sounded
like a lot of fun. Up until the point where
it was time for me to leave my home for
a week to start on our fifteen hour drive
to Tennessee, I was extremely excited
to go on this trip. But when the time
came and I was standing in my church
parking lot at 5 am with my youth group
and I had never experienced such an
overwhelming feeling of anxiety and
fear of the unknown in my entire life. I
had no idea what kind of people I would
be working with, what shocking things
I would encounter, or what the camp
atmosphere itself was like. As usual, I
was hoping for the best but expecting
the worst. After all we were going to
Tennessee during a heat wave to do
all kinds of manual labor outside. Not
to mention we had to wear long pants
the majority of the day to prevent any
type of injury, so I wasn’t expecting
to enjoy myself very much. Little did
I know that this trip would change
my whole outlook on life and that I
would never be the same again. As
I stepped into that van that was jam
packed with junk food and sleepy
teenagers, I was taking my first step on
a journey that would change me forever.
The camp atmosphere itself was
one of the many aspects that made
that week so special. There were so
many different things that were so
fun for everyone, whether you were
a counselor, chaperone, or a camper.
My favorite camp experience was
the first dinner the night
everyone arrived. When I
was lining up to walk inside,
I was surrounded by people
from churches all over the
United States. The first thing
I noticed was that there
was blaring music coming
from inside and I couldn’t
help but wonder what was
going to happen next. As
everyone walked in, the
music got louder and louder
and then the counselors
came into view. They were
dancing all over the place
and yelling with excitement
and that’s when I knew
that I definitely belonged
at this camp. Another cool
part about camp was all
the games we played such
as octoball, which was a
game invented at camp that
everyone played during their
downtime. The last part
that completed the camp
experience was how close
everyone had gotten within
the mere hours that we had
arrived. It had only been
about four to five hours and
I had already met people I
knew I was going to miss
when the week was over.
The next day we set out to
our work sites and I got to
know the people in my group
more. There was one boy I already knew
from my church, Steven, who I knew to
be very quiet. The other two kids in my
group were from Palm Beach, Florida.
Their names were Emily and Josh
and once I got to know them I knew
we would become close friends. The
last person was Bob, from Ohio, who
came to be one of the most inspirational
people I had met all week. He was our
group leader and we all came to find out
that he was far from the expected. Bob
was a convicted felon and a former drug
addict, but you would never suspect
because of how nice and hospitable he
is. Bob taught me the first lesson on my
trip that week. He told me and everyone
else in the group his story; about how
much suffering and pain he had gone
through due to his addiction and life in
jail. Before he was in jail he was living
on the streets because he had no money
because it was all spent on drugs and
alcohol. He was an empty man and
he was plummeting in a downward
spiral. He told us that after he was
released from jail he completely turned
his life around and did everything he
could for others. He was the sexton
at one time. It was beat up but the
family didn’t mind at all. They actually
seemed happier than any of the people
I knew from home despite their living
conditions. At the beginning, her two
grandsons were staring at us from a
distance but by the end, they were
helping us out every chance they got.
The family we were working for lived
on a farm and afterwards the two little
boys showed us around. They took us to
trailer with their mother, whom we
were building a wheel chair ramp for.
This job seemed especially important
to us because this family had been hit
with every hardship you could possibly
imagine. To me, it felt like the least we
could do was finish this job for them.
This job in particular had resonated
with me for many reasons, but one in
particular was what they had said to me
on the last day of working there. I was
show their dog who was nursing baby
puppies and then they took us to the
creek in their back yard. They talked
with us about how long they had lived
there and about their cows and other
aspects on the farm. The thing that they
said that stuck with me the most was
that we were basically the only people
they really got to talk to all year. It
amazed me how much these people had
opened up their home even though we
had only worked for them for one day.
Our next job was at the house of two
middle-aged twins who lived together,
Jerry and Terry. Right of the bat they
were willing to talk and work with us
in a way that was so hospitable it was
hard to believe. They lived in a rundown
helping
everyone else load our tools back into
our van when Jerry came up to me.
“You kids don’t understand how much
hope you’ve given us over the years.
We would’ve never thought any of
this was possible and then you guys
came along and showed us that there’s
always hope.” When he said this to me,
I realized right then that I had found my
purpose, it was to make people smile.
That week wasn’t one of the best weeks
because of where I was in particular, it
was because of the people I had met.
My grandfather had this saying, “we
may be poor, but we aren’t broke,”
which I think applies to the people I
had met in Tennessee that week. They
lived in poverty
and in conditions
that you and me
would never have
imagined, but
they are definitely
the happiest
people I had ever
met. No matter
how much they
didn’t have, they
never longed for
something they
didn’t have; they
were satisfied
with what they
had. I think we
could all learn
something from
these people.
We h a v e s o
much compared
to them and yet
we are never
satisfied; there’s
always that one
thing that we are
always longing
f o r. S o j u s t
remember that
somewhere out
there, someone
has less than you
so embrace what
you have.
Photo by Jim Smith
for his church, which is the grounds
keeper, and he also became a youth
minister as well. I found his story to
be inspiring because he completely
turned his life around despite where
he came from. Most of all, he proved
people wrong and he showed them
that he could do whatever he set his
mind to no matter what anyone said.
The first family we worked for was
very shy at first. They didn’t come
out of their house much except for
the grandmother, who couldn’t wait
to talk to us. By the time we were
done working we had basically heard
her whole life story. Their house was
small even though there had to be at
least six or seven people living in it
Photo by Sam Smith
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Page 14
October 14, 2011
The Summer Set shows maturity with new album
hoping to be taken more seriously.
This 11 track album, entitled
Arts & Entertainment Editor “Everything’s Fine” is represented
On July 19, Arizona pop band by the symbol of a frowning face.
The Summer Set released their The idea of a frown was an original
latest and much anticipated album, of bassist Stephen Gomez and was
“Everything’s Fine.” There are very quickly accepted among everyone in
few negative comments that could be the quintet. It is a sarcastic statement,
made on this album from the songs, a statement representing something
to the art, to the concept. Altogether, relevant to every member of the band,
it has proven to be a well thought- and one that fans can easily relate
out album by the young members to. It simply shows that, although
everything may
seem fine on the
outside, we all
have a reason
to frown at the
end of the day,
and this album
really
tackles
that
concept.
Lead vocalist
of The Summer
Set, Brian Dales,
was in a public
relationship with
actress Chelsea
Kane,
who
had a leading
role in shows
such as Disney
channel’s
“Jonas L.A.,”
for a long period
of time. Dales
had
written
Courtesy of absolutepunk.net a song about
“IF I CRASH I’LL BEGIN AGAIN” The Summer Set Kane on their
kicked off new album as an attempt to have a more previous album,
like
mature sound. They have an east coast tour and will be “Love
playing Crocodile Rock in Allentown, Pennsylvania on This,” entitled
“Chelsea.” The
October 24.
By SAMANTHA KING
song chanted the lyrics “Chelsea,
Chelsea, tell me you love me.” The
couple’s strong bond, however, did not
withstand the test of time. It is clear
just by listening to the lyrics on songs
off of “Everything’s Fine,” that Dales
was heavily affected by the breakup.
On the first track, “About a
Girl,” he looks back on past
relationship saying he will always
love said girl, in this case Kane.
The band puts many personal
aspects into this album. All of the
members are around age 25 and
are just growing up. They still
experience the things, such as love and
heartache, their target age group does.
I would much rather listen to music I
can relate to than something irrelevant
to me. This album is something very
real; one of those things is that there
is at least one song on that album to
match up to your mood or situation.
There are upbeat songs that leave
you craving to dance around your
living room screaming every lyric,
like “Must Be The Music.” From
there you can take on the calming
love song “Someone Like You.”
Fans of the band have really
grabbed and ran with the concept of
“Everything’s Fine.” Kids have shown
up to shows with masks of the frowning
logo. The idea of those masks inspired a
photo shoot of the band with the masks
covering their face. It represents how
people hide behind a fake smile and
mask every day, including the faces
behind the music we listen to everyday.
The fans have also formed a fan
blog, packed with posts of everyday
struggles and the majority of the
posts end in “but, everything’s fine”
grasping the sarcastic meaning the
concept. The band has this blog listed
as their official website on their twitter
account, making it visible for all to
see and submit. www.everythingsfine.com also contains a widget
showing tweets with the hash tag of
#everythingsfine. The beauty of this site
is that it forms a sense of community
within the fans and the band.
The Summer Set released a video
for “Someone Like You” where they
attached a camera to Dale’s head
and followed the plot line of him
on a date with his dream girl. The
two spend the day traveling around
a modern city together. The scenes
change back-and-forth from their date
together to the band in a loft dancing
and playing to this playful tune.
While they are maturing as people,
their music is collectively maturing
as well. Their earlier music could
be described as a pop-mess on a
train going nowhere. Every song
contained the same catchy tunes and
cliché lyrics. It is understandable and
excusable for a first album, because
they were just reaching adulthood
and were eager to get music out there,
and looked passed their standards.
Where this CD differs from past
music of The Summer Set, it also
encompasses a sadder, more downtune sound. In the past, you would
not be able to find a sad note, but
“Everything’s Fine” would not be itself
without the sadder songs. They are
absolutely unforgettable and leave you
in a state of deep thought, reflecting on
your own hardships and unhappiness.
Thus far, The Summer Set has been
on two tours since the making of
“Everything’s Fine.” Last spring they
were the opening act for All Time Low
on The Dirty Work Tour. While having
a short set of only five songs every
night, they managed to play their old
fan favorites and took the opportunity
to play new song, “Someone Like You.”
The fans responded very positively.
For the first time in their career,
the band is embarking on their first
headlining tour. This series of eight
shows is starting in Tucson, Arizona
and ending in Towson, Maryland. The
show will be supported by the opening
acts of the Downtown Fiction, Allison
Park, My Girl Friday, and Plug In
Stereo. “Everything’s Fine” has been
a huge milestone for The Summer
Set as a band, and a tour of their
own contributes to the experience.
This record has far surpassed the
expectations set by everyone for The
Summer Set. As you go through, track
by track, no two songs sound exactly the
same; most songs actually containing
a variety of different sounds. It is fair
to say they went out on a limb and
tried new things: it was a risk that paid
off well. There is an absolute different
musicianship you get while listening
to “Everything’s Fine” as opposed
to earlier music by The Summer Set.
This music brings you on an honest
journey. You experience the beauty
of young love. You then swerve into
the pains of heartbreak. By the end,
it has left you trying to find yourself
after you feel as if you are completely
lost. The moral of the journey is
that, through it all, everything’s fine.
Racial mistreatment of African-Americans extensive in ‘The Help’
By CAROLYN TAGLIENTI
Senior Staff Writer
Three women sit in a cramped
kitchen. Two exchange stories of
mistreatment at work, and one does
not talk much at all. She listens,
and records their every word in a
spiral notebook. This notebook will
become a story that sparks a fire in
Jackson, Mississippi, a story that
features racism and unjust behavior.
It is the account of the mistreatment
of African-American maids in the
1960s. Writer Skeeter Phelan, played
by Emma Stone, is the main character
in 2011s summer smash “The Help.”
“The Help” had the packed theater
enthralled from the very first minute
to the final moments of this twoand-a-half-hour movie. After Skeeter
spent her whole life with a maid
who mysteriously disappeared, and
witnessed the offensive ways in
which her white friends treated their
hired help, she decides to write a tellall book filled with interviews from
maids titled “The Help,” revealing the
true struggles that they face on a daily
basis. These women would suffer
in silence, afraid to speak out about
unjust ways they were treated in fear
of losing their jobs, which were hard
to come by for African-Americans in
this time. The treatment included being
refused simple rights, such permission
to use the same toilet as the family
giving them work and being treated
as a second-class citizen for a pay
that barely fed their families. Aibileen
Clark and Minny Jackson, two maids
tired of staying silent, decide to
participate in the novel by sharing their
stories with Skeeter, although there are
clear laws and consequences against it.
Skeeter is a recent graduate of the
University Of Mississippi, and is not
content to live the life her friends
are now leading. She is independent,
energetic, and ultimately a very likeable
character. Pro-segregation housewife
Hilly Holbrook, played by Bryce
Dallas Howard, infuriates Skeeter with
her negative views on the hired maids
and treatment of African-Americans in
general. Hilly flawlessly portrays the
girl you love to hate. Throughout the
movie, you’ll find yourself cheering
along with Skeeter and the maids as
even the smallest of victories are made
against Hilly and the clan of closed
minded housewives backing her up.
The harsh and upsetting subjects
of racism and mistreatment were
lightened by scenes that made me laugh
out loud. The center focus in most
comical scenes was Minny Jackson.
Octavia Spencer’s performance made
Minny my favorite character. She was
defensive and had a hard shell, but
Courtesy of lionandlamblove.org
“YOU IS KIND. YOU IS SMART. YOU IS IMPORTANT.” In a southern American setting, African-American
women are simply ‘the help,’ and housemaid Minny Jackson keeps a constant reminder that everyone is loved
and important.
underneath she was hilarious, talkative,
and sometimes she even got a little
crazy. On the contrary, her best friend
Aibileen was much more reserved.
She carried herself with pride, but was
worn out, showing the same attitude
that many African-American maids
developed over years of mistreatment.
Historically accurate events in the
movie reminded me that this was
not entirely a fictional account, and
situations like these really did occur.
“The Help” was a heartwarming
story, filled with love, courage,
and a desire to make things right.
Movies such as “The Help” are not
found often enough, and I strongly
recommend watching this film.
Roxbury Review 9th Annual Scary Story Contest
Got an idea for a
good scary story?
You could end up in the
November issue and
see your name in print!
Anyone can enter!
NO LATER than Wednesday, November 9th
Please submit entries
written in good taste
(no profanity or graphic
violence)
no longer than 500 words
to [email protected]
or
drop it off in room M213
October 14, 2011
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Page 15
‘Smurf’ movie remake shames original cartoon
By GABY LARACCA
cartoon of this generation,
The Smurfs, produced by Sony
Pictures Animation, was released to
hopeful cartoon fans on July 29, 2011.
Unfortunately, fans of the previous
1980s animated television series on
which this film was based must have
been ‘blue’ after catching this flick at
their local theater. Although the movie
trailer claimed that The Smurfs were
suppose to be “smurftastic,” the movie
was not all that it was ‘smurfed’ up
to be. The movie trailer was bluffing
when it was said that “The Smurfs are
back and better than ever.” This motion
picture contrasts from the original
cartoon series in manner, picture,
language, and quality. This predecessor
definitely put its parent cartoon to
shame when it was finally released.
The original cartoon was based on
comic strips by Belgian illustrator,
Pierre Culliford. “Peyo”, as he was
otherwise known as, claimed that he
wanted to teach lessons to children in
a humorous but meaningful way. In
this wish, he succeeded. The cartoon
was meaningful, kid-friendly, and
heart-warming to millions of viewers
of all ages. Now, a good percentage
of those viewers from when the show
was still on television are now adults
and have children of their own who
are experiencing the Smurfs in a much
different, less ‘kid-friendly’ way.
Although The Smurfs is not a
little blue folk is immortal to
this day. Most young adults
and older children have seen
re-run episodes and enjoy the
never-fading cartoon legend
while many of these ‘cartoon
lovers’ greatly disapprove
of the new film version.
Commonsensemedia.org, a
media rating site that helps
parents be aware of what
their children are watching,
claims the old cartoon is a
“parent’s favorite” and is
“unforgettably lovable.” While on the
other hand, the site says the new movie
is “inappropriate”, “smurfly awful”,
and that 27 percent of all parents and
educators who commented on The
Smurf review web page said that
inappropriate language is a major issue.
In the original cartoon, the word
‘smurf’ was used to make up words
such as ‘smurftastic,’ ‘smurffy,’
or ‘smurfabulous.’ These were
expressions the Smurfs used as
compliments and as praising phrases.
The Smurfs movie uses the word to
replace curse words or insults which is
a message that most parents do not want
their innocent, young children to pick
up on. At one point, a character named
Grumpy Smurf goes to the extent of
saying that the villain in the movie
is a “Smurfing Smurf” which defined
by adults and teens, has an obviously
Arts & Entertainment Editor this miniature society of these
inappropriate meaning. While as the
language in The Smurfs is an issue,
the other heaping 73 percent of
Common Sense Media commentators
disliked the movie for other reasons.
One of the reasons is the movies
highly predictable, paper-thin plot.
Every moment of the movie was
painfully droning to the point where the
entire theater, even the young children,
knew what was going to happen in the
following scene. The movie starts
off in the Smurf Village, but then a
portal pushes the Smurfs into New
York City. There, the blue folk live
with a young married couple, played
by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma
Mays, in a dreary, cramped apartment.
From then on, every moment of the
movie feels like a repeating ‘smurfly
terrifying’ nightmare of predictable
movies past. Seeing the almost
vacant theater with several sleeping
children was not much of a surprise.
The film was a total bore to almost
all the theater attendees. The jokes
that were weaved into the movie
were not exactly what one would call
funny. In fact, they lacked any bit of
amusingness and were tacky beyond
help, not just to adults and young
adults, but the expressionless child
viewers in the theater as well. The
genre of this movie is supposed to
be a family comedy; this proves that
whomever wrote the back-of-the-case
film description was slightly confused.
Some portions of the movie also
seemed as if the producer was trying
to add a suspenseful, action touch to
the flick but the farthest of the action
in the theater were viewers leaving to
refill popcorn and soda containers. It
was a surprise that this movie was not
Courtesy of 3pwallpaperz.org
the least bit comical because comedy
actor, Neil Patrick Harris, played one
of the main roles as Mr. Winslow,
the owner of the apartment that the
Smurfs temporarily occupied. In
all, it was a terrible surprise on how
disappointing the movie was based on
the great standards of the old cartoon.
This movie earns a big, two thumbs
down for anyone who enjoys funny,
exciting, or wholesome movies. In
fact, this just isn’t a good movie, at all.
Most people who already wasted their
time and money would much rather
see re-runs of the original Smurfs
cartoon. This flick is just disappointing
and would not be something to watch
more than once if at all. For adults
with children who want to see this
movie, it would be a good idea to
bring a book or iPod to stay occupied
and not fall asleep in the theater.
Crime television shows illustrate real life lessons
preventing casualties. The most famous to easily distinguish what a person is are aiming to inform and entertain an is to assist as an adviser and filter.
By SAMANTHA KING
thinking or feeling though their facial
Arts & Entertainment Editor of the characters lies in the everglades expressions or body motions. Although audience of particularly mature viewers. These shows hold importance
On any prime time cable television
channel, any day of the week, you
are bound to catch at least one crime
program, whether it is factual or
fiction. There is not a night of the
week where you cannot expect to
see highly popular law enforcement
shows that vary from “CSI,” “Cold
Case,” or “The Mentalist” to
informative shows such as “48 Hours
Mystery,” “Dateline,” or “COPS.”
One of the most popular shows is
“CSI,” or Crime Scene Investigation.
Something unique about this series
in particular is that there are a variety
of different settings, all holding their
own casts and plots. Of these settings
are Las Vegas, New York, and Miami.
“CSI” has become so widely known
for unique murder cases and few
miniseries of killers within the series
itself. “CSI: Las Vegas” featured the
case of the “mini killer,” a middle aged
woman who would recreate scenes as
miniature dioramas. All of the projects
she had made were extremely precise
to each detail, and were typically
recreations of murder scenes of her
victims. Another thing “CSI” is well
known for is the cast of stars that are
both loved and hated. “CSI: Las Vegas”
has always a great cast displaying a
crime team who know how to work
together well, while solving and
of Miami, Florida, Horatio Caine. Of
all the characters, Caine sticks out due
to his discreet ginger hair, sunglasses,
and the hushed tones he speaks in.
“CSI” is a fantastic CBS show that sits
with tight ratings and dedicated fans.
Where shows such as “CSI” hold
a more playful and imaginative
storyline, informative shows such
as “COPS” holds a similar, yet
completely different purpose. “COPS”
is an investigative reality show where
they track down criminals, and show
the police procedures with an arrest or
thorough investigation. Many of the
most common crimes relate to alcohol
or drug abuse, a huge issue nationwide.
“COPS” is of the most successful,
because it is the most relatable to
the American viewer. It is engaging
to watch other people in situations
similar to your own, or situations you
have witnessed. “COPS” has been
running for lengthy a 24 seasons
long, making it the longest running
show on Fox. Another hook would
be the fact there is no set location for
the recording of “COPS;” it could
take place anywhere in America.
While some crime shows focus on
hard cold fact, others such as “The
Mentalist” take grasp of other key
signals in detective work, which made
its début in 2009. The lead of the show,
Patrick Jane, or Jane for short, is able
this is certainly a crime show, it is
seemingly more modernized compared
to others. It is well organized, and not
over dramatic. The CBS series allows
you to follow more into the beloved
Jane. He was once married with a
daughter, until the two were murdered
by serial killer, and antagonist, Red
John. They spend much time on the
show trying to track down Red John.
No one is to say which show tops
the others in entertainment value.
No matter if the program is true-lifebased or set-based, it is key that they
Some may disagree with the
necessity of having such shows
placed so frequently on air, or aired
at all. However, there is much
significance in these segments that are
typically an hour long. While some
shows are extremely vivid, detail
oriented, and occasionally downright
disturbing, they all have a purpose.
Before viewing a show including
gore or obscenity, there is a standard
message to serve as a reminder that
viewer discretion is advised and
some images may not be suitable for
children. The target of these messages
because they give realistic images and
video to present the true evidence and
harsh realities of today’s society. It is
no secret that crime rate has increased
and has grown more complex over
time. It is said the best way to learn
from something is to do it. Of course,
most people will never commit a
crime such as the criminals presented
on these shows; but, by viewing the
moral mistakes it is easy to learn
from. It is generally hard for an
average person to witness aggressive
media as presented in these shows
and not take away any sense of woe.
The Fashion Corner
Autumn is a prominent season in the fashion world; fall fashion week is
held two seasons before the fact. Although fashion is ever-changing,
the general formula for the season’s style remains constant. Each year,
the fashion fall scene is a mixture of old favorites and new trends.
Below are some of the tried-and-true staples of the season, as well
as some chic trends circulating within the fashion industry. Mixing
and matching is a convenient way to incorporate some of each.
Fall Favorites
for Boys
Fall Favorites
for Girls
Work
Boots
s
Scarve
Courtesy of forum.cheatengine.org
“THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS THE EVIDENCE” After 10
seasons and 214 episodes, CSI: Miami remains a widely loved and highly
rated show. Among the shows awards are People’s Choice Awards and
two Emmys.
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Courtesy of bespoken4.org
nnies
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Shirts
Chain
s
Page 16
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
offers Harry Potter
fans magical online experience
By JENN KIM
answer the different clues that were
News Editor given each day. Because there were
seven days to complete the challenge,
After the release of the final film in each day’s clue had something to do
the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter with the corresponding chronological
and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” Harry novel. However, because the site
Potter fans from all over the world only accepted one million people for
were depressed to see the famous story early access each day, the challenges
come to an end. However, on June 23, were shut down after 143,000 people
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry were registered. After the challenge,
Potter series, made an announcement the accounts of the early beta testers
on her YouTube channel introducing began activating slowly from midher new project with Sony, called August to late-September. Fortunately
Pottermore. "I'm thrilled to say for me, I was one of the million
I'm now in a position to give you fans chosen to have early access!
After waiting numerous neversomething unique. An online reading
experience unlike any other. It's called ending weeks, I finally received my
welcome letter in the middle of
Pottermore. It's the same story but a few
September.
Once
in
crucial additions; the most important
Pottermore,
they
one is you," said J.K. Rowling.
me
experience
Pottermore is a new web-interactive l e t
Potter books
Harry Potter reading experience. the Harry
certain
In Pottermore, fans can purchase by highlighting
e-books as well as audiobooks, but moments in each
also go through the Harry Potter chapter and giving
series chapter-by-chapter as an actual a vivid illustration and
wizard. They will be given a chance hidden objects for me to
to be sorted into Gryffindor, Slytherin, collect such as miscellaneous
Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff and they trinkets, chocolate frog cards, or
will be given their own personalized money. Each illustration was
wands. In Pottermore, they will be beautifully drawn with an abundance
allowed to visit certain events and of color, and I enjoyed seeing someone
moments in the Harry Potter books, else’s portrayal of a specific scene.
and J.K. Rowling will give away many Aside from the illustrations, I enjoyed
deep secrets that she withheld from the J.K. Rowling’s secret background
public for an immense amount time. information on certain moments,
Before the Pottermore website goes characters, and settings in the novels.
As well as following the chapters in
public this October, J.K. Rowling
gave one million fans around the the Harry Potter novels, I was able to go
world a chance to join Pottermore shopping in the wizard shopping area,
and have early access to the much Diagon Alley, and use money from my
anticipated Harry Potter site as beta virtual bank account at the wizard bank,
testers with the Magic Quill Challenge Gringott’s, to purchase school books,
that ran from July 31 to August 6. In school supplies, potions ingredients,
the Magic Quill Challenge, fans were animals (cats, owls, or toads,) and
asked to go to the Pottermore site and most importantly, a wand. In order
for the wand to “choose the wizard,”
I answered a short questionnaire,
and received my 10 ¼ inch, English
Oak, Dragon core wand. It was a
very exciting moment for me, but
not quite as exciting as getting sorted
into a Hogwarts house. After finishing
another questionnaire, I was sorted into
Hufflepuff. J.K. Rowling provided a
lot of information on all of the houses
in Hogwarts, especially Slytherin,
Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, because
these houses were not mentioned as
heavily as Griffindor in the novels.
In addition, each registered account
can use their wand to perform spells and
eventually participate in Wizard Duels
to earn points for their houses. Another
way to earn points for houses is to brew
potions successfully. Each account is
allowed to send friend requests to other
Pottermore accounts and even send
each other gifts! Whether I was casting
a spell or reading about the history of
Hogwarts, I loved having early access
Courtesy of animacenter.org
to
the
world of
Pottermore.
Although
Pottermore has a lot of activities
for fans to get busy with, Pottermore
was originally created for fans of the
Harry Potter books to experience the
iconic stories in a brand new, different
way, not really all fans in general. So,
I am very excited for the opening of
Pottermore, and, like J.K. Rowling
said, “I’ll hope to see you soon.”
October 14, 2011
Demi Lovato ‘rises like a
skyscraper’ with new album
By EMILY FELD
Opinions Editor
On September 19th, Demi Lovato
released her new, inspirational album
entitled “Unbroken.” The album,
featuring hit song 'Skyscraper' is
a mix of pop and soul as most of
her previously released albums.
Her songs feature artists Missy
Elliot, Timbaland, Jason Derulo,
and Iyaz. While her past, younger
sound is definitely apparent on the
new CD, it seems that Lovato is
conforming to the mainstream hit
of teen-party music. Songs such
as “Lightweight” and “Love of
a Daughter” carry old sounds of
Lovato while “All Night Long”
adds a mature, party twist to the CD.
Demi went through personal
struggles involving self-inflicting,
self- esteem, and eating disorders
earlier this year. Her song
'Skyscraper' refers back to these
struggles and how she will rise
up, become stronger, and continue
her career. She went through a lot
emotionally and physically, resulting
in a worried fan-base and a public
outburst that landed her in the AllGirls Chicago Rehabilitation Center.
A lot of people have said that
Lovato is a bad role model because
she struggled with many diseases and
inner-self issues while she was part
of Disney Channel, a popular child
television network. To apologize
to the public and fans, she admitted
her mistakes and is learning from
them. She is admitting her flaws,
as well as her problems to the
world and working hard to accept
herself as she is. Most celebrities are
now trying to be perfectly thin and
pretty, even if it costs their mental,
emotional, or physical health. Demi
is speaking out and becoming an
activist towards these celebrities and
common girls who are struggling
with the same problems she is
gradually recovering from. People
also said that because she tattooed
“stay strong” on her wrists, she is
now a bad and irresponsible person.
The tattoo is simply there to remind
her to always keep fighting and
believe in herself. Had she not gone
to rehab, she might not even be
alive today. Her strength to continue
and recover is remarkable. She
even recorded a new album and is
going on tour starting June 1, 2012.
Demi has even gone so far as to
start a support movement. ‘Love Is
Louder Than The Pressure To Be
Perfect’ can be seen written across
the hands of young women and
celebrities supporting those in need.
Demi started this after leaving rehab
to remind her that she will always
have the love of close friends and
family that helped her through her
dark times. This message will help
young girls everywhere struggling
to be reminded of the love and
compassion they are given. It will
also inspire others to help and show
total support. Demi is speaking out
and helping the great percentage
of American teens that have the
same problems that Demi once had.
Demi has risen above her struggles
in order to produce a CD within
just a few short months of being
released from rehab. She has taken a
stand as a role model not only in the
music world, but also as a regular
person. She is rising above her
inner demons to come out on top.
Roxbury Drama Department’s Fall Production
Father of the Bride
Thursday November 3rd
and
Friday the 4th
7:30 pm
at RHS
Tickets are $10
SPORTS
October 14, 2011
Page 17
Girls’ soccer strives for county championship
By ERIK HENRICKSEN
with a score of one to nothing, with and improve every day, and to work
the only goal coming off of an assist hard and concentrate on our goals
Sports Editor
from Kayla Anderson to set up Alexa throughout the season.” The teams’
atmosphere is a big part of the success
for this season, “Everyone came
together this year and we’re like a
family, and everyone gets along.”
Madison Temples is returning as a
senior this year for her final season as
a Roxbury Gael. “My personal goals
are to improve me skills, and to have a
great team record this year.” The team
has showed a lot of fight after starting
out 0-2 to fight back to a winning
record to still have a shot at conference
champions.
Temples added, “Our team has
spent many hours on and off the field
preparing for this season. We have
bonded as a whole and have become
great friends.” The captains for this
year are Tanya Kazanjian, Rebecca
Dobbins, Kayla Anderson, Brittany
Casola and Madison Temples. “This
year as a team we are very close,
and the freshman are friends with the
seniors and the juniors are friends with
the sophomores.”
Junior captain Brittany Casola said
about the team, “We (team) have
been training hard and giving (our) all
during practice.” Casola has been on
varsity since her freshman year, and
Photo by Tim Burns this is her first year as team captain.
“The game I am looking forward to
TOTAL CONCENTRATION Senior Alexa Migton eyes up the ball after is our ‘get real for teal’ game against
fellow senior Kayla Anderson passed her the ball. After the pass, Migton Morris Catholic. We are raising money
scored the only goal of the game.
for ovarian cancer and it should be a
The Lady Gaels soccer team started Migton for the lone goal of the game, fun game.” “Our team strengths are
the year on a high note going four to give Morris Catholic their second working together. We have chemistry
and two already. The team is on a loss on the season, and bumped them from off the field that carries onto the
field,” said Casola.
four game winning streak, shutting down to 5-2-1.
Another captain for the Lady
out the past two teams that they have
Senior Kayla Anderson said, “(I)
played. They beat out Morris Catholic want to make a difference on the field Gaels is Senior Rebecca Dobbins.
“My personal goal for this season have been on throughout high school.
is to improve every day and make a We get along great, and it reflects on
Photo by Tim Burns
POWERHOUSE Senior Madison Temples uses her lower body strength
in order to kick the ball. Temples is one of the captains on the team this
year.
difference on the field when it’s game
time.” Dobbins made an impact in the
Parsippany scoring a goal to add on to
the 5-0 defeat. Dobbins added “The
team is different than any other team I
the field. We succeed the best when
we keep the ball down and play out
wide.”
The girls soccer team looks to
advance in the county tournament.
Boys’ soccer picks up consecutive wins after slow start
By BRENDAN BYLES
Bossard and Ryan Kelly. The team
also includes returning players such
as juniors Dante and Enzo Petrocelli,
Dylan Castanheira, Dylan Hammer,
Brett Tarleton, Mike Katzenberger,
sophomore Scott Sclar. The team
also features fresh news faces such
as seniors Brian McMyne, Tyler
Alford, Tyler Johnston, juniors Doug
Morgan, Mike Bruno, sophomores
Richy Castro, Bardi Meta, Matt
Feliciano, Chris Flores, and Gino
Sports Editor
Constanzo. Everyone on the team
Veteran head coach, Gary Irwin,
has their mindset on improving upon
will once again lead the Boys Soccer
last year and making it to states.
Team. Irwin sets the team’s goal
“Hopefully this year we will have a
simple, but high by saying, “Our
winning season and improve on last
goal is to win every game we play.”
years record. We want to get Roxbury
The team’s captains are senior John
soccer back to its former standard.”
Vanderhorn and juniors Griffin
said Dylan Castanheira. Ryan Kelly’s
goals are to, “have a winning season
and win states.”
The team’s greatest asset at the
moment is its ability to work well
and keep a level head. “I feel like
were starting to work well together
as a team. Our communication on
the field is now a lot better.” Said
Griffin Bossard. The team also feels
that their defense and ball movement
is really looking well. “Are back four
is quality. We are very organized and
move the ball well.,” said Castanheira.
Right now the team doesn’t think that
they have one true weakness. “Our
record needs to improve, but I have all
the confidence in the world with this
group that it will,” said Irwin.
The team suffered a tough 1-0
loss to Mendham on September 12th.
“I feel like we were the better team,
but they got the lucky bounces,” said
Castanheira. The team then took on
Morris Knolls on September 14th, but
came up short again losing 1-0. Then
on September 16th, the team lost 0-2
to a very tough and skilled Delbarton
team. The team earned its first win of
the season against West Morris. Dylan
Photo by Sami Moors Hammer and Scot Sclar each scored
CASTANHEIRA, TO THE RESCUE Junior Dylan Castanheira makes an goals, while Dante Petrocelli and
important save as he flies through the air to punch the ball away. Roxbury Brian McMyne each earned an assist.
Dylan Castanheira made 7 saves.
lost their game 2-1 against Randolph on September 28.
Team
Photo by Sami Moore
BEAT THE OPPONENT Senior Ryan Cullen tackles a Randolph offender
while on defense during the September 28 home game.
On Thursday September 22, the
team defeated Morristown 2-0 and
extended its winning streak to two.
Scot Sclar and John Vanderhorn scored
and Dylan Castanheira made 2 saves
to earn a shutout.
Two days later, on Saturday
September 24th, the team made it a
three game winning streak with a 2-0
win over Mount Olive. Dylan Hammer
and Tyler Alford scored goals each and
while Ryan Kelly and John Vanderhorn
each had an assist. Dylan Castanheira
made 5 saves.
On Monday, September 26th, the
team faced Parsippany Hills. Dylan
Hammer and John Vanderhorn each
scored goals and Ryan Kelly had two
assists to lead the team to 2-1 victory
while Dylan Castanheira made 7 saves
to extend the teams win streak to four.
On Wednesday September 28th,
the team took on Randolph at home.
At the half the team was down 2-0,
but came back in the second half to
make it 2-1 after John Vanderhorn
scored. However, the team wasn’t
able to score again and the final score
was 2-1 Randolph. Dylan Castanheira
made 10 saves. The team’s next home
game is October 18th at 4 P.M. against
Delbarton.
Upcoming schedule for Roxbury
Boys’ Soccer
Girls’ Soccer
Field Hockey
Football
Volleyball
Next Home Game
October 18
October 24
October 19
October 20
October21
Time
4 P.M.
4 P.M.
4 P.M.
7 P.M.
7 P.M.
Opponent
Delbarton
Morristown
West Morris
West Morris
Morristown
SPORTS
Page 18
October 14, 2011
Volleyball looks for success with new coach
By BRENDAN BYLES
Sports Editor
The Roxbury Girls volleyball team
will be sporting new uniforms and
headbands to carry on Amanda Nagy’s
spirit. Coach Elizabeth Grasso is
enjoying her first season coaching in
Roxbury after originally coaching at
West Morris Central two years ago.
“I’m proud to be part of the program
and Coach Nagy’s spirit really shines,”
said Brasso.
The team features
returning players such as seniors
Brianna Kropp, Tia Thompson, and
Julia Tobescu, as well as juniors Erica
Figurelli and Taylor Kornman. The
team also includes a core of newcomers
such as juniors Jenna Sarinelli, Sara
Patterson, Meaghan Watrous, Megan
Weaver, and sophomores Sara Steiner,
Olivia Rohlfs, and Katherine Cygan.
Overall, the team wants to improve
on their record from last year and
make it to States. “Our goals are to
have a winning record and make it
to States,” said Tobescu. “Make the
state tournament, improve on last
year’s record, and continue to improve
everyday,” said Coach Brasso. “Work
together. Winning isn’t everything,
but having the will to win is,” was
Brianna Kropp’s response, which
shows that the team has a strong sense
of dedication to each other as well
as the game which seems to be their
greatest asset. “This year I think our
team works well together compared to
last year,” said Erica Figurelli. Coach
Brasso also said, “They have a positive
competitive spirit and enjoy both the
sport and the team.”
The team is also working hard to
improve their consistency as well as
gain more experience. “We’re trying
to raise the bar every day and gain
more experience,” said Brasso. “Our
consistency needs to improve,” said
Tia Thompson.
The team suffered a tough loss to
Randolph on September 9, but kept a
positive attitude through out the game.
“I’d take I’d take that game over some
of the ones we won any day,” said
Kropp.
The team’s positive attitude paid
off and they defeated Pope John on
September 12. The team won the first
set 25-15, but lost the third set by a
close 24-26. The team then rallied
back in the third set to win 25-20 and
defeat Pope John.
The team then suffered tough losses
to Mendham and Morris Knolls on
September 14 and 15. “I think we just
need to get used to each position we
play because people have been injured
and come and go so peoples’ spots
have changed so we just need to get
used to it,” said Kropp.
However, they quickly bounced back
and earned a win against Voorhees
on September 19. The team made a
come back in the first set to win 27-25
after being down 21-9. They lost the
second set, but bounced back to win
the third set and defeat Voorhees. “I
feel as though we played as a team
and picked each other up. We can do
great,” said Figurelli.
The team has hit a rough patch down
the stretch with losses to Sparta, West
Morris, Morristown, and Vernon. “We
have the skill, but we need to work on
our mental game.” said Kropp. The
team hopes to continue in its next home
Photo by Sami Moore
game on Monday October 17, away at
the Warren Hills gym beginning at 4 SERVED UP Juniors Erica Figurelli gets ready to serve the ball during
their game against Vernon.
pm.
Fall cross country paces for groups championships
By JULIA O’BRIEN
Features Editor
CO JOE
RN ’S
ER
Roxbury High School’s cross country
boys’ and girls’ teams are expecting
an exciting season. There are 23 boys
on the boys’ cross country team and
14 girls on the girls cross country
team. For boys cross country, Coach
Brendan Donegan said, “Out of the top
seven runners from last year, only two
remain. We lost five from graduation
last year.” For Donegan, this year he
would like to see his boys make the
group championships. Donegan said,
“Ultimately, our goal is to make the
group championship by placing in the
top five in sectionals.”
There are eight boys fighting for the
top seven line-up this year. “There’s
Logan Macrae who’s a junior returning
from the top seven last year. Danny
LaManna, a sophomore also returning
from last year’s top seven. Moving up,
we have sophomore Paul Poliviou,
sophomore
Mike
DiDomenico,
Mike Koch, and sophomore Joey
Moreira.” Donegan also says there
are some “newbies” joining the line
up. “The newbies are senior Alan
Gage, junior Richie Janitschek, and
sophomore Matt Levine,” Donegan
said. Concluding, Donegan said, “I’m
excited for this year. We finally have
a team that can be together for three
straight years (from sophomore year
to senior year). The last time this
happened was in 2005.”
Joining the cross country staff this
year is English teacher Laura Myers.
This is her first year coaching cross
country, and Myers said she has spent
two years “coaching the RHS winter
and spring track teams,”and that she
is “definitely excited to be coaching
cross country.” Myers continued and
said, “The top eight varsity runners are
freshman Alyssa Anderson and Olivia
Viparina, sophomores Allison Brosko
and Marisa Wardamasky, juniors
Jessica Carroll, Taylor MacEwan,
and Danielle Cruickshank, and senior
Ashleigh LaManna.”
As for right now, Myers said the goal
for the girls’ cross country team is, “To
get better every week. I want to keep
everyone healthy. We’ve had a few
injuries already, so we want everyone
to get better.” For runners to look out
for this season, Myers said, “There is
an all-star freshman, Olivia Viparina,”
and she later added that, “She just got
back from being injured.”
As far as meets go, the season
has just begun. Donegan said, “On
September 10, we ran the Roxbury
Invitational, and I think we ran it very
well.” There was also a meet at Central
Park at Greystone on September
21 where Roxbury versed Randolf,
Mendham, and Morris Knolls. Myers
said that on Saturday September 24,
the cross country team will meet at
Garret Mountain Park in Patterson
New Jersey.
The cross country team will be
returning to Greystone for a meet
on Tuesday, October 27 for a
NJAC meet. For all who want more
information on meets and upcoming
events, the schedule for the Roxbury
Cross Country team can be found on
www.nwjerseyac.com
Meet Joe the athletic trainer of Roxbury High School
By JOE KOCH
Athletic Trainer
Who is “Trainer Joe”?
Joe Koch has been the athletic trainer for Roxbury High School for the past 14 years.
Where is “Trainer Joe” located?
Mr. Koch’s office is located just before the weight room on the right hand side.
Why does “Trainer Joe” like being an athletic trainer?
As an athletic trainer I love the challenge of trying to figure out what the injury is and how to fix it!
What are some things “Trainer Joe” does throughout the day?
Some examples of what an athletic trainer does during the course of their day are:
1. Evaluate injuries
2. Provide first aid and immediate care of injured athletes
3. Treat injuries with therapeutic modalities such as ice, heat, or electric stimulation
4. Supervise rehabilitation or therapeutic exercises for injured athletes
5. Prescribe sound nutritional advice
6. Prescribe pre, in-season and post season strength and conditioning programs for those programs that are interested
7. Supervise graduate students from accredited athletic training programs
8. Supervise a sports medicine club
9. Assist with the creation of policies with regard to emergency action plans for injuries, concussion management,
hydration etc.
10. Document all treatments and encounters
What is an athletic trainer?
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation
of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of emergency,
acute, and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations, and disabilities.
Athletic training is not the same profession as personal training. And certified athletic trainers work with more than
just athletes – they can be found just about anywhere that people are physically active.
How does one become an athletic trainer?
To become certified athletic trainers, students must graduate with bachelors or masters degree from an accredited
professional athletic training education program and pass a comprehensive test administered by a board of
certification. Once certified, they must meet ongoing continuing education requirements in order to remain
certified.
In order to practice as an athletic trainer, one must agree to abide by a code of ethics. A board of certification
requires that all credential holders abide by specific standards of practice.
Want more information?
For more information regarding athletic training please check out the website link below:
http://www.nata.org/athletic-training
SPORTS
October 14, 2011
Page 19
Field hockey sets sights on county tournament
By ERIK HENRICKSEN
shirts with name of family members
that are fighting breast cancer or
have lost their battle, and we’re also
playing with pink field hockey balls,”
said Urban. The team will be playing
Randolph later in the season and
proceeds from the game will go to a
breast cancer association.
Dana Melchers is one of the Junior
captains along with Julie Brodhecker.
“We have been communicating well
on the field and we recently beat
Morristown, an undefeated team.”
Dana Melchers scored a goal in the
loss to Morris Knolls in a tight game
of two to one. “We (captains) show
our leadership by motivating our team
to try their hardest and be the best that
they can be.”
Junior Michelle Bacchetta will
return for her second year on varisty.
“Our captains show leadership by
getting everyone pumped, and also by
working hard and helping the younger
playes.” Bacchetta also added, “(We)
want to go far in states and in the
county tournament.”
Coach Dianne Naugle has a lot of
trust in her senior goalie. Naugle said,
“We want to advance in the county
Photo by Erik Henricksen tournament and return to a winning
HANDLING THE BALL Junior Megan Daurmen stickhandles the ball up record.” The team will continue their
season Tuesday at Mendham at four
the field during their 2-1 loss against Morris Knolls.
when they continue on their journey
two goals per game. “One of my
Sports Editor personal goals is to get really far in
the county and state tournament”, said
The field hockey team opened the Urban. She has been a varsity goalie
season with a four and five record. since her freshman year, and been a
They have won three of their last four, captain for the past two years.
winning their game against Parsippany
The team will be supporting breast
six to nothing. Senior Captain Allie cancer throughout
breast cancer
Urban has let up an average of only awareness month. “We have black
Photo by Erik Henricksen
TAKING CONTROL Junior Dana Melcher sprints down the field fighting
for the ball against Morris Knolls on September 15th.
to get to the county finals and on the
bigger plans in the state tournament.
Allie Urban added, “What’s different
this year is that there are only four
seniors. Most of our varsity team
graduated last year, which means
a majority of our team are younger
players.” With varsity being a very
young team, the older players will
have to lead the way this year and
help adapt the younger players to the
intense atmosphere.
Editor reveals how to succeed in Fantasy Football
By ERIK HENRICKSEN
Rodgers led the Packers to a Super
Sports Editor Bowl ring last year and has showing no
signs of slowing down after throwing
It is that time of the year again
for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns in
when everyone sits by their computer
week one. Calvin Johnson, wide
on Sundays during football games to
receiver on the Detroit Lions, was the
see how their fantasy team is doing.
number 5 ranked receiver this year, and
Although Adrian Peterson was the top
for the first time has a quarterback to
ranked preseason player on ESPN, I
get the ball to him, Mathew Stafford.
look for number six ranked Ray Rice
But look for number 80 from the
of the Baltimore Ravens to be one of
Houston Texans, Andre Johnson, to
the most explosive players this year,
have an “All Star” season after going
being second ranked in total yards in
for 95 yards and a touchdown on only 7
the NFL after three weeks. Rice started
receptions in week one. Although Cam
the season with a bang, scoring two
Newton was the number one overall
touchdowns on thirteen rushes and
pick in the draft, I do not believe he
three receptions.
will be much of an impact as others
The top ranked quarterback for the
such as Julio Jones on the Atlanta
upcoming season is Aaron Rodgers, as
Falcons who was drafted 7th overall.
he should be. He will be representing
Jones impressed coaches during the
the green and yellow of the Green
preseason with 10 catches for 157
Bay Packers for his 7th straight year.
yards. The Falcons will be lead by a
very dangerous offense with help from
Roddy White and Harry Douglas. One
thing everyone forgets about in the
fantasy draft is the defense, which can
be a determining factor for your team
going 9-6 and going 6-9. The Chargers
defense had by far the best week one,
allowing only 187 yards total and only
28 yards passing.
Also look for the Oakland Raiders
and New York Jets to have one of the
most complete defenses in the league.
In week one the Raiders allowed only
38 yards rushing and the Jets caused
an interception, four sacks and a
game changing fumble. Overall this
season has a lot of potential playoff
choices, but I see the teams with the
best chance at a strong postseason run
and a chance at the Lombardi Trophy
are the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore
Ravens and the New York Jets.
Top Quarterbacks
Top Wide Recievers
1. Aaron Rodgers, GB
2. Michael Vick, PHI
3. Tom Brady, NE
4. Philip Rivers, SD
5. Drew Brees, NO
1. Andre Johnson, HOU
2. Calvin Johnson, DET
3. Greg Jennings, GB
4. DeSean Jackson, PHI
5. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
Top Kickers
Top Running Backs
1. Sebastian Janikowski, OAK
2. Stephen Gostowski, NE
3. Mason Crosby, GB
4. Neil Rackers, HOU
5. Josh Brown, STL
1. Ray Rice, BAL
2. Adrian Peterson, MIN
3. Rashard Mendenhall, PIT
4. Peyton Hillis, CLE
5. Michael Turner, ATL
Top Tide Ends
Top Defenses
1. Jason Witten, DAL
2. Antonio Gates, SD
3. Jermichael Finley, GB
4. Aaron Hernandez, NE
5. Jimmy Graham, NO
1. Packers
2. Ravens
3. Steelers
4. Chargers
5. Jets
Photo Courtesy of Nfl-Football-odds.org
DROPPING BACK Green Bay’s quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepares
to throw a pass during the regular season.
Girls’ tennis aims
for improvement
By ERIK HENRICKSEN
Sports Editor
The Roxbury girls’ tennis team has
opened the season with a rough patch
dropping their first seven matches.
The captains for the team are Seniors
Elizabeth Dunphy and Danielle
Howe. Danielle Howe said, “We’ve
had a lot of cardio practices to build
up our endurance on the court. We’ve
also done a lot of baseline hitting
and volley practicing.” The team
had a tough match against Hanover
Park suffering a 4-1 loss, and Junior
Mansi Parikh got Roxbury’s win, for
her second win on the season, the
other coming against Morris Knolls.
Sophomore Sarah Keir said, “We
are looking forward to the Morris
Knolls match because it is a very
even match.” She also added, “I think
the team is very close this year, we
all know each other pretty well and I
think we get along pretty well.”
Senior Captain Elizabeth Dunphy
said, “The game we look forward
to the most is Pequannock, because
they are very compatible with us.
We love how into the games we can
get to pull out a win.” The team this
year is very young, and the team
has been, “Very welcoming for the
freshman to be able to create a good
atmosphere.”
The team will continue their
season on Monday in Morris Hills
when they try to pull out their first
win of the season.
SPORTS
Page 20
October 14, 2011
ROXBURY GAELS FOOTBALL
Football aims for state championship
By SAMI MOORE
Editor-in-Chief
The 2011 – 2012 Varsity Gaels
Football team will be coachd by Head
Coach Cosmo Lorusso, with this
season marking twenty five years of
coaching under his belt. The assistant
coaches include Frank Dekmar, Steve
Donnelly, Brett Douglas, Frank
Misurelli, Kevin Poggi, and Justin
Spargo.
The Varsity Gaels has fourteen
seniors this year. Ryan Michaels
wears jersey number one, Brendan
Reifberg number eight, Mike Stormo
number 21, Marcus Morris number
24, Vince Noren number 27, Anthony
Salierno number 32, Pablo Hernandez
nuber 36, Alex D’Arminio number
52, Nick Galgano number 55, Chris
Klein number 63, Anthony Giordano
number 65, Kevin Cadet number
71, Charlie Romero number 77, and
Christian Ojeda number 84. As for
these senior, Coach Lorusso said, “As
a group, the seniors are hardworking.”
Out of the seniors, Ojeda was the only
one with starting experience, but all
the seniors are, according to Lorusso,
“improving.” The captains on the team
are Michaels, Riefberg, Klein, and
junior Kyle Adams.
As for the goals this season, Coach
Lorusso said that the goals are always
the same: the opportunity to win
conference championships, make it
to state championships, and to keep
getting better as a team. Michaels,
who plays left halfback, said, “My
goal for the season is for us to win a
state championship. That has been
my dream and my goal since I began
playing football when I was six. You
watch older guys play on Friday nights
when you are a young age and cannot
believe that one day that will be you,
and it is really surreal that I’m the one
out there playing that little kids are
looking up to. I really don’t have any
individual goals for this season; I’m
not the kind of player who is concerned
with stats and how many touchdowns
I score or how many yards I run for. I
am just focused on one thing and that is
getting back to giant stadium. My goals
change from week to week. I intend
each week to make as many big plays
as possible to help my team to victory.
I am a leader on this team and I try my
best to get the guys to feed off of my
energy. I am a very passionate about
this sport and I play with enthusiasm
and I hope the guys respect me for
that. I’m the kind of guy who will
never leave my teammates behind, and
I will never quit on them. This team is
on a mission. This team is destined to
do some special things, I can feel it. I
love my teammates.”Lorusso feels that
Quarterback Riefberg is “emerging as
a key guy,” along with Michaels and
Stormo who are playing key roles in
the current season. Lorusso said that
junior Kyle Young is becoming a key
role in many different ways, such as
offense, defense, and kicking. Donald
Panciello, also a junior, Lorusso feels
has “the potential to be one of the best
backs in the county.”
The first game for the Gaels was on
September ninth, in which the Gaels
won verse Vernon. Even though they
were not on their own turf, the Gaels
won with a final score of 16 – 13. In
this game, junior Kyle Young made
school history for the second longest
field goal. Young ended the first half
of the game with a 41 yard field
goal. Young is a quarterback, safety,
and kicker on the team. About the
feat, Young said, “I think it’s a great
accomplishment and it feels great. I
hope I get an opportunity to kick the
longest field goal in Roxbury history.”
Young, who feels that he always goes
“one hundred percent” and makes sure
his “teammates can count on [him],”
has a personal goal of making “a
positive contribution each week to
help my team win.” Lorusso feels
that Young has the potential to kick
the longest field goal if the moment
happens to come up in a situation.
Panciello and Brendan Riefberg
both rushed for first-half touched
downs. Panciello scored on a nine
yard touchdown in the first quarter,
and Reifberg then made a fifteen yard
touchdown in the second quarter,
giving the Gaels a 13-0 lead. Before
the second quarter ended, Young made
his history making field goal. In the
end of the game, Panciello ended with
76 yards on 14 carries, giving up one
touchdown in the third quarter and one
in the fourth quarter.
On September 16, MSG Varsity
came to Roxbury for the Randolph
verse Roxbury game. The rivals played
on Roxbury turf, but the aired game
resulted in a Roxbury loss with the
final score of 30 points for Randolph
and 14 for Roxbury. During this game,
in the first half, Roxbury took the lead.
First, Panciello scored on an eleven
yard run, which resulted in a seven
to three lead. With seven minutes and
thirty seconds left in the first half,
Riefberg passed the ball to Stormo,
twelve yards away. Stormo caught the
ball, and Roxbury was still in the lead
14 to 10. After the second half, the
final score of the game was 30 to 14,
leaving Roxbury as 1 - 1 – 0.
The third game in the season, another
home game, resulted in another
Roxbury win. The game, in the rain,
was on September 23 verse Mendham.
The game was another important game
for Young, who enabled the Gaels to
their 15 to seven win. Young was the
quarterback later on in the second
quarter. He scored an eight yard run
in a little over three minutes left in
the game, and then added a two-point
conversion carry for the go-ahead
points which resulted in a one point
lead, with a score of eight to seven.
Stomo then returned an interception
twenty yards for a touchdown. The
weather conditions were the reason for
the position switches, that helped earn
the win for Roxbury. Junior Shaun
Spitzer became center due to the
position switches.
The position switches were
ultimately what helped the Gaels
come out victorious. At first, young
ran 14 times for a total of 74 yards in
the second quarter. Then, when Young
fumbled the ball, on one the second
fourth-down play, Panciello recovered
the ball for a one-yard advance and
a brand new set of downs. On that
drive, Young ran six times for a total of
43 yards, while Panciello carried eight
times for 22 yards; Panciello ended the
game with 17 for 38 yards.
This game, for Young, was like déjà
vu. Last season, in the game against
Mendham, Young was a hero later on
in the game. He kicked a game-tying
field goal with only three seconds left
in the game. In the second overtime,
he kicked a 40 yard field goal, and
then won the game for Roxbury with
another 40 yard field goal that resulted
in the victory for Roxbury.
Galgano feels that Delbarton will
be the Gaels’ biggest competition this
year because “they are returning a lot
of starters from last season.” Young
believes, like Galgano, that Delbarton
will be their biggest competition for the
same reason. Michaels agreed with his
teammates by saying, “Last year, they
came into our house and dominated us
for the state of New Jersey to see on tv.
I know we all want revenge and that is
going to be an exciting game for sure.”
While, Lorusso thinks that everyone in
the conference is going to be the team’s
biggest competition because the team
“is one of the toughest conferences in
the state.”
The author, coach, and English
teacher said, “Every game, we have to
be ready.”
Photos by Sami Moore