01 Front Short article.qxp - Edwin O. Smith High School

Transcription

The Oracle
Oracle
yearth
Storrs, Connecticut
March 2009
30
Edwin O. Smith High School
Volume XXX, Issue II
Green Teens Idea Wins Grant in
National Competition
Compost Cafe Project Seeks
to Reduce Waste at Lunch
By: Jessie Mehrhoff
“The Compost Caf. Project” is an initiative being
launched by the Green Teens to reduce waste in our
cafeteria. The project has three phases: the first
involves composting lunch preparation scraps, the
second adds general cafeteria waste to the compost,
and the third the Styrofoam we use with environmentally friendly and reusable lunch-ware. The group
wanted to implement the first part of the project this
coming spring, but we were unsure if we would be
able to afford the costs associated with launching The
Compost Caf. Project. Then we discovered The @15
Challenge while looking at Youth Venture’s webpage
(Youth Venture is an organization committed to helping youth around the world launch social change
groups in their communities).
On October 31st the Green Teens submitted a plan
to Youth Venture, hoping to win $10,000 in Best
Buy’s @ 15 Challenge. Over 75 teams submitted
lengthy applications in hopes of being chosen as one
of the 30 finalists. After the 30 finalists were chosen,
the rest was up to voters. The 15 teams with the most
votes would each win $10,000 to help make their idea
a reality. The top 15 teams were chosen based on the
impact their project would have, their creativity, and
the sustainability of the project. People voted either
on line or by text message.
Voting started on December 1st. E-mails were sent
town, and informational voting cards were passed out
to members of the community. E. O. Smith was a
great place to advertise the cause; each day the voting
video aired the group got over 300 votes in the span
of a few minutes. Since our group was consistently
just above 15th place, every vote counted; we could
go to bed in 8th place and wake up in 14th!
The competition ended on January 9th at midnight.
Green Teens finished in 12th place with a total of
5,910 votes—this meant that we had won one of the
coveted $10,000 prizes! Needless to say, we were
thrilled.
Now that we have won $10,000, cost, which was
one of our biggest hurdles, will not be as much of an
issue. We will have the money to get the compost
bins, switch the cafeteria supplies, and use leftovers to
launch The Compost Caf. Project in other area
schools.
Our cafeteria is a great place to implement environmentalism. Based on estimates from other Mansfield
schools that already compost their cafeteria waste,
about 75 lbs of food waste is thrown away per week.
All of soil collected from the compost will go back to
the school to be used in departments like Ag and
Science. We couldn’t think of a better use for the
cafeteria waste than to give something back to the
Earth and to our school. Thank you all so much for
your support.
out to friends and family, posters were hung around
Oracleiinsiide
Depot Internships Exciting..............2
French Students Welcome Guests...2
A Successful Unified Hoops Season.3
Accompished Music Alum Visits.....4
An Interesting Hobby.......................4
“My Favorite Year” A Great Show..5
Around...............................................6
About.................................................7
Commentary: Inauguration...........7
A Concert Odyssey........................8-9
Books: Thoughts on Twilight..........9
Interviewing Alums on Staff.....10-11
Welcoming Mr. Robichaud............12
A Look at Sports.......................12-15
Q of M: Talk Show for a Night:
Who Would You Interview?...........16
The E.O. Smith Drama Club has revitalized its fall production of Animal Farm, which it was poised to take
to the Connecticut Drama Association competition at Ridgefield High School over the weekend. The club’s
plays have done well in competition in years past. The top two plays in the Connecticut competition will
earn spots in the New England Drama Festival, to be held here at E.O. Smith on April 18, 19, 20. It is the
festival’s first appearance in Connecticut in fifteen years.
SchooOracle
l Groups
The
2
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Dinner for Haiti
Depot Campus
Internships Lead to (Roots of Development)
Passionate Learning
By Ha Young Kim
By Justin Bassett
Each student at the Depot Campus is successfully enrolled in an internship as the 2nd semester gets underway. These internships – or Learning Through
Internships (LTIs) – are for 12 hours a week and involve a mentor at the internship
site. While an LTI is just one facet of a Depot plan of study, it is the part that students find to be the most exciting. Justin Bassett, who began attending the Depot
last spring, had this to say about his LTI:
E.O. Smith’s Depot School is full of different internships. I am an intern
at The Healthy Alternative Market and Deli in Mansfield, where my mentor is
Sarah Zelonka. Sarah started the business over a year ago to provide a tasty and
healthy menu to customers, as well as a variety of organic, healthy, and “smartchoice” products. The Healthy Alternative menu mainly consists of vegan/vegetarian items. The Healthy Alternative is a great place to go when you’re trying to
maintain a healthy diet, or for those that are into sports to stay fit
It’s great getting to go out and intern there. I really enjoy being able to
work in the kitchen and make all sorts of different foods. I even came up with my
own recipe for an item and it’s actually pretty good if I do say so myself! It’s a
wrap that has hard-boiled egg, arugula, avocado, goat cheese, honey mustard, and
a bunch of other good stuff in it.
I did a project for Sarah as part of my learning plan, which was to “price
out” her breakfast menu and determine how much profit she makes per item. It
was a challenging project because there are a lot of details in figuring out the cost
it takes to produce an item on a menu – but it was great to be able to help her out
in her business.
If you visit the Healthy Alternative on a Tuesday or Thursday between
10-4, Justin will be there and will be happy to make you one of his gourmet wraps,
or any one of the tasty items on Sarah’s menu. In addition if you bring in this
coupon at any time, Sarah will give you $1 off the sandwich item of your choice!!
(The Healthy Alternative is located on RT 44 next to Grand Union)
Other students at the Depot are placed in a wide range of equally exciting
internships, with many amazing mentors from all around the local community:
Student
Justin Crosthwaite
Stephen Ferriss
Jagade Eaddy-Boykin
Derek Rhodes
Amber McWilliams
Amber Allard
Jacqui Rohan
Brittany Dupuis
Haleigh Gelineau
Katrina Mahoney
Shannara Roy
Taylor Watts
Galen Riordan
Cody Dunston-Jones
Ashley Desloge
Business
Mentor
Wrana Excavation
Rick Wrana
Gianelli’s Pizza
Troy Allen
Villari’s Martial Arts &
Hawk Manufacturing
Jameson Bak
Elegance Edge
Dawn Smith
Mansfield Emergency Services
Jim York
Mansfield Discovery Depot
Anne Tucker
Southeast Elementary School
Holly Harakaly
Kidderbrook Montessori
Veronika Myers
Jorgenson Theatre
Susan Tolis
Hurlbut Photography
Thomas Hurlbut
WILI 98.3
Jen Sanguedolce
Windham Hospital
Sharyn Matthews
Windham Arts Collaborative
Jane Homick
Windham Hospital
Marge Voght and Kate Starky
Justin Bassett poses for a thumbs up with his internship mentor Sarah Zelonka,
who helps Justin learn the ins and outs of running the business at Healthy
Alternative Market and Deli in Mansfield.
The World Language Honor Society consists of students who have demonstrated
enthusiasm as well as skill for one of the languages offered at E. O. Smith—Latin,
French, German, and Spanish. WLHS meets throughout the school year and sponsors many fundraisers. One of these events took place this month. On February
6th, WLHS sponsored a spaghetti dinner in the E. O. Smith Cafeteria. All of the
money raised went to support The Roots of Development, a non-profit organization on a mission to improve living conditions in Haiti.
The Roots of Development’s director and co-founder Chad Bissonnette is a former student of E. O. Smith. He visited the village of Gran Sous on the Haitian
island of La Gonave. Haiti is known to be the poorest country in the western
hemisphere and for good reason: the residents of Gran Sous live a life that many
people can’t imagine—no electricity, dirty water, starving children who cannot
remember when they have last eaten, and dark nights filled with animals’ piteous
cries for food. After Chad returned home, one night he woke up and realized that
he couldn’t leave the friendly, gentle Haitian people to live in such dreadful conditions. Soon, he founded this nonprofit organization and works hard everyday to
assuage the poverty in Gran Sous.
So far, the Roots of Development has been successful with its plans to help the
community access important developmental resources. The mission of the organization is to help impoverished communities in Haiti obtain the resources they need
to sustainably manage their own development. Already, the major problem of
unsanitary water conditions was dealt with by inserting pipelines to provide clean
water. The results were immediate—the community overall is healthier and reports
less diarrhea and headache problems. Now the organization is raising money for
step two: providing sustainable health care. This organization is unique in its “sustainable approach,” which consists of teaching the villagers problem solving so
that after the organization leaves, the villagers will be able to deal with problems
by themselves.
The Roots of Development is also on a big campaign that started on February
st
1 and will end on March 31st . The goal is to get 200 people to commit to donate
$20 a month for a year to maintain the sustainability in Haiti. Go to www.rootsofdevelopment.org for more information or to become a donor.
WARNING: becoming a donor may require you to give up FOUR Starbucks a
month.
French Students
Welcome Group From
the Lycée Edouard
Herriot in France,
Prepare for Return Visit
The students involved in the French exchange recently hosted a group of students
from the Lycée Edouard Herriot, a high school in Ste-Savine, France. While the
students were in the U.S., they visited New York prior to traveling to Connecticut.
While in Connecticut, they spent around a week and a half doing various day trips
as well as coming to school with their hosts. The group saw such sights as the
Newport Mansions and the Pequot Museum, and participated in group activities on
the weekend. Many did activities such as apple picking and trick-or-treating, since
the stay coincided with Halloween, a holiday celebrated only by small children in
France.
When the E.O. Smith students travel to France in April they will be visiting
many places in Paris, such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and other must-see
sites, but they will also be taken on excursions with their host family. Troyes,
where most of the students reside, is a small suburb approximately an hour outside
of Paris and is relatively similar in size to Mansfield. The E.O. students, as all
exchange students, will be exposed to certain cultural differences, which they were
given a taste of when they hosted, and will be given a chance to utilize the French
skills that they have acquired over their high school careers. The trip will begin
on April 24th, and is bound to be a great experience for all, especially considering
the range of experiences and cultural knowledge that was shared throughout the
French students’ stay in the U.S.
3
Here’s a pic from Latin Club Flapjack breakfast on December 6th. Raised app $400
Front row: Emily Trotochaud, Janella Cuyler, Sabiha Madraswalla, Mrs. Archibald
Middle Row: Elise Ursin, Brenden McMahon, Anna Green, Santa Claus
Back Row: Max Phillips, John Giardina, Rachel Rosen, Casey Stone-Pirrie, Grant Losapio
Unified Basketball
Enjoys Fine Home
Finale
The Unified Basketball Team and the Girl's Freshman Basketball Team combined
for 177 points in their game in late February after. It was an offensive barrage
with everything except giant 360 degree dunks (though Joey Dombrowski and
Ryan Murphy had some decent jams.) The team concluded its home season on
March 12 when over seventy students from E.O. Smith and visitin East Hartford
the two participated.
There was a special ceremony for our 9 seniors: Sarahann Cooper, Katie Jubrie,
Shelby Little, Joey Dombrowski, Josh Dougenik, Clarissa Enes and David
Mitterling. Also honored were special athletes Kendra George and Brian Tortora,
who both are turning 21 and played in their last home game. The cheerleaders,
Pep Band and Dance Team also performed to make the send off special.
The season concludes with a regional tournament at Tolland High School on
March 19th.
Lidiya Selikhov plays a duet with Bibi Mama from the
back of the auditorium during the winter concert.
Special Olympics
Track & Field Begins
March 28th
The Mansfield/Tolland Special Olympics Track & Field Team will start practicing
on Saturday, March 28th here at E.O. Smith High School. If you would like to be
on the team as an athlete or a unified partner/volunteer, contact Mrs. Doiron in the
P. E. Department or Donna Clauson at 423-0638. Events include: softball throw,
shot put, standing long jump, 100 meter dash and "unified" 4x100 meter relays.
Partner training will take place at noon on March 28th in the Cardio room.
Practice for special athletes and partners follows from 1:00-3:00. Practices are held
on Saturday afternoons from 1:00-3:00 on the EOS track (or in the Back Gym if the
weather is bad). The State Meet is June 6th & 7th at Southern Connecticut State
University.
Sophomore Hannah Reilly,
far left, and Joey
Dombrowski cruise up court
with the ball during a recent
game with East Hartford.
Senior Clarissa Enes, near
left, follows with her own
rush up court. Below, several of the E.O. Smith teammates pause for the national
anthem.
4
Spotlight
The
Oracle
Oracle
yearth
30
Accomplished Alumnus Pays Interview with a
Birdwatcher
a Visit to Music Students
E.O. Smith music students were privileged to
piece was going to be. When some of my friends
welcome distinguished music alumnus Craig Knox,
were off doing other things, I went home and pracClass of 1985, who graciously contacted band direc- ticed. It takes that, what you've heard before, hard
tor Jim Nardine, then visited this week after perwork and commitment. And you have to love what
forming at UConn's Jorgensen Center for
you are doing."
After his graduation, Knox spent years playing in
Performing Arts with his Center City Brass Quintet.
The humble, humorous Knox spoke with students
various ensembles, both as principal tuba, or as a
about the path he took from Mansfield Middle
guest. In 2005, he reached his goal of becoming a
School band member to his current standing as the
full-time principle tuba with an acclaimed orchestra.
principal Tuba for the world reknowned Pittsburgh
Always one to share his talent and love for music,
Symphony Orchestra.
Knox has enjoyed learning much
He also shared some of
about teaching his craft over the
the lessons he has
years, and has held teaching positions
learned along the way,
at Kent State University, California
then offered a few tips
State University-Hayward, and the
in a session with brass
San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
players.
He is now Adjunct Professor of Tuba
Knox started his
at Duquesne University, and is an
musical journey as a
Artist Lecturer of Tuba at Carnegie
young classical guitar
Mellon University. Both schools are
student: "I played the
in Pittsburgh.
guitar for several years.
In speaking of finally breaching the
Then one summer, I
threshold of what it takes to earn a
was eleven I believe, I
spot with a symphony at the highest
was at a summer music Craig Knox ‘85 is now Principal Tuba for level, Knox shared another important
camp. There were all the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
lesson with students: "As time went
Below, Knox shares some fundamentals
of these talented kids
on, I knew I was getting closer,
who were playing in an with EOS brass students.
because I would frequently be a
orchestra, and I was
finalist among 200 or so applicants.
glued. I went to every one of their rehearsals and
Then I had to take a hard look at what it was that
sat in the front row. I wanted to play in a group like was keeping me from getting that final call. I came
that, which isn't something you really do with classi- to realize that for so long I drove so hard to play
cal guitar. And, I was so into the music. So when I
perfect music, and sometimes it became too much
got back to school, I took up a brass instrument. I
about proving what I could do rather than what I
ended up with the tuba soon thereafter because, I
could share. I had to focus on the reason I got into
don't know, it just appealed to me."
this in the first place, my love for music and playing
While in high school, Knox played here at E.O.
music. If you just focus on playing "note perfect"
Senior
Charlie Colwell Has
an Interesting Hobby
By Spencer Hamlin
Spencer: So Mr. Colwell, how did you first become interested in bird watching?
Charlie: Well, at the age of 10, my parents abducted my
sister and me and took us to Australia for 6 months on
their sabbatical. There, I was surrounded for the first time
in my life by birds that truly freaked me out—like the
Northern Lapwing that refuses to go away when you’re
trying to play cricket with your mates, or the Southern
Cassoway which stands 6 feet tall and has a gigantic blue
and red wattle.
Spencer: Woah, Colwell, what is a wattle?
Charlie: A wattle is a decorative flap of skin used for
courting.
Spencer: Okay, word.
Charlie: My sister started recording the species she saw,
and I was inspired to do the same.
Spencer: Very nice. What sorts of bird watching adventures do you embark on nowadays?
Charlie: Well, for the past six years, I’ve taken part in the
Storrs Christmas Bird Count, which is a census of the total
individuals in the Storrs area, conducted in mid December.
For the past two summers, I also conducted my own
research in the Costa Rican rain forest.
Spencer: Tell me more about that study.
Charlie: I selected two study plots, one located in undisturbed rain forest and the other in regenerating forest that
had been converted to pasture about fifteen years ago. I
wanted to figure out how the compositions of bird communities compared in the two forest types. In this way, I
would accrue a better understanding of the importance of
regenerating forest in the context of its more “pure” counterpart.
Smith, and was fortunate to get a chance to play in
UConn ensembles while receiving Tuba lessons at
the university. "That was a great experience for me,
and I was fortunate to have it," he says. "They had
such a good program there, and I was a kid playing
with people who were further along than me."
Knox attributes challenges such as this to his success, and encouraged his audience to put themselves
in situations like this in all walks of life, music related or not-- to surround themselves with talented
people, let go of their ego so they can learn, and
strive to reach new heights.
Upon graduation from E.O. Smith, Knox auditioned and gained acceptance to the prestigious
Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he
became the school's one resident tuba player. There,
he studied with the Philadelphia Orhestra's Principal
Tuba Paul Krzywicki, and even had opportunities to
play with that accomplished orchestra as early as his
freshman year, when the injured mentor called on
Knox to substitute for him.
"I practiced really hard," Knox told the students.
“I knew for a long time that I wanted to audition for
Curtis. For two years, I knew what my audition
music, it comes off that way--and it is missing
something. But, when you settle down and try to
tell the story, in a way, of the music, when you play
simply to share beautiful music with an audience, it
is then that you truly reach that next level. That is
what I found. And, when I went back to doing that,
people noticed, and I became a much better player.
I think this is really true of other things in life, as
well. When you are passionate about what you do,
this is when you are at your best."
In addition to his many tours and five recordings
with Center City Brass, which he co-founded in his
first year at Curtis, Knox has played as Principal
Tuba of the Sacramento and New World (Miami)
Symphonies, and has been the guest tuba of many of
the finest orchestras throughout the United States.
After sharing his story and answering questions
for most of an hour with band students, Knox graciously shared some fundamentals of sound brass
playing with the brass students before heading off to
UConn to share more of his knowledge with some
masters level students.
Knox's quintet can be heard at
centercitybrassquintet.com
Spencer: Isn’t it dangerous venturing into the forest like
that all alone?
Charlie: It was frightening at times; what with the
prospect of venomous snakes, treacherous slopes, and
man-eating plants omnipresent (farcical). But I prevailed. I
did suffer one ailment: the sting of a Bullet Ant (this is
true). These ants can reach a length of three centimeters
and their sting causes unyielding, excruciating pain for six
hours. I wanted to die, but I persevered.
Spencer: Do you have any words for any bird watching
protégé that may be reading?
Charlie: Follow your dreams! Never let anyone hold you
down! Take flight (pun very much intended)!
Spencer: Easy there, Colwell. Thank you for your time
and wisdom.
Arts &Oracle
Leisure
The
5
Oracle
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Drama Club s My Favorite year
draws rave reviews
By Lauren Messeck
During the first weekend of February, our own E.O.
Smith Drama Club took to the stage with the dynamic
musical production “My Favorite Year.” Benjy Stone,
a comedy writer, draws us back to 1954 and brings to
life the world of 1950s television. We are now the
audience of “TV’s hottest show: the King Kaiser
Comedy Cavalcade,” quite similar to our modern
Saturday Night Live. When Benjy’s hero, the actor
Alan Swann, is hired as a guest star, no one is prepared for the drunken man who arrives. A story of
humor, drama and romance, My Favorite Year left the
audience laughing, and perhaps a bit misty-eyed.
Corey Welden starred as Benjy Stone, and Allan
Martin as Alan Swann. Benjy’s fellow comedy writers
were played by Chad Dominique (Sy Benson), Rachel
Busuulwa (Alice Miller), and Nick Sibley-Jett (Herb
Lee). Andrew Bryce played the somewhat domineering King Kaiser, star of Comedy Calvalcade. I,
Lauren Messeck, played K.C. Downing, Benjy’s love
interest. K. C.’s boss, Leo Silver the producer, was
played by Connor Tracy. Finally, Shayna Marmon
(Belle May Steinberg) and Alex Hunt (Rookie
Carroca) played Benjy’s mother and stepfather, two
outrageous residents of Brooklyn, New York. The
large supporting cast delivered excellent performances, mastering their numerous dance numbers and
infusing the production with a unique energy.
This musical presented several challenges, including
the choreography of multiple swordfights. Thanks to
the extraordinary efforts of our “techies,” Jen, Jenson,
Scott, Sabiha, Hannah, and Aurora, our show became
far more than a dress rehearsal. A production of this
scale demanded the efforts of many—thanks to all
who contributed!
Congratulations to the Drama club for a performance that has proven to be one of our favorites. This is
certainly a year to remember!
“My Favorite Year was a rousing, rolicking
riot...” --special to The Oracle by Mr. Paul Murray, English Teacher
...I had more fun watching that show than I’ve had
in some time. Long winter? No, just a really good
show. I laughed; I got misty eyed; I got scared; I
wanted to shout out; I clapped before anyone else
except maybe my wife who was enjoying it right
beside me. It was a fabulous production. The big
dance scenes were magnificent. The music was jaunty
and bright and well played. We sat fairly close to Mr.
Clark and he was having almost as much fun as
everyone else while he kept a close eye on what was
going on. I wish I could play the piano like that!
Kudos to the musicians and their director. Kudos to
the actors, and the singers and the dancers and the
tech crew and to all the behind the scenes people. It
takes a lot of effort to make a show like this happen
and if it weren’t for the powerful force behind it all,
Ms. Grunko, it just wouldn’t happen this way.
Everyone involved did a top notch job on Friday
night. It must be one of the most fabulous feelings in
the world to put a show on like that, and to see the
audience love it so. Hold fast to that one troupers.
Keep it in your life. Some of you are bound for bigger
stages. Break a leg. I want you all to know what it
means. Parents are delighted and proud of the ones
they know on stage, of course. Teachers, too, are
tremendously pleased to see students they know up
there on stage putting some of what we teach to such
good use. But it goes beyond pride for many of us.
We see bright, young people eagerly and selflessly
working for an end in concert with a large group of
people: following directions, helping each other, overcoming little differences, a myriad of little problems
and some pretty good sized problems, like the fire???,
with dedication and effort from every person. Some of
us are thinking, “My God, it could work. The world
could work. If we all learned to pull together like this,
to put forth this kind of joyous effort, the world could
be beautiful place for a lot of people.” Mohandas
Ghandi said, “The difference between what we do and
what we could do would suffice to solve most of the
world’s problems.” The E.O. Smith production of My
Favorite Year shows that. The inspiration a show like
this provides carries a lot of us with its momentum.
We are more motivated to do our little part in making
the world work. The humanities often have that uplifting effect and your show was a stellar example of
that.
Some particular highlights, and by no means all of
them. Alice, played by Rachel Busuulwa, was wonderful! Funny lines delivered well, terrific facial
expression, and such presence! Benjy and King and
Sy, played by Corey Weldon and Andrew Bryce and
Chad Dominique were terrifically impressive: funny,
believable, powerful at times and thoroughly enjoyable. Well done. Belle and Rookie, played by Shayna
Marmon and Alex Hunt were again both wonderfully
played. K.C., played by Lauren Messeck, you are too
a goddess! And Tess, played by Rachel Surridge, who
also danced marvelously in about thirty two different
roles was great. And the singing and the dancing and
the moving of props and the stage managing and the
camera working were all wonderful. And the Maxwell
House, some of us almost remember those days, - I
mean Maxford House Girls, Althea, Emma, and Bibi
were a smash hit in their dancing coffee cups. And
Alan Swann played by Allan Martin was unbelievable. Jimmy Stewart, Carey Grant, David Niven all
rolled into one. It was all absolutely wonderful and I
extend to you all my most heartfelt congratulations.
Were there any glitches, and lines missed or mumbled, or mikes that didn’t work? Who cares about that.
Half the audience was either laughing or gasping, or
clapping throughout and many of us were wishing we
could be up there on the stage, too. Imagine a high
school that puts on a musical of this caliber. That was
a really good show and I can’t wait for next year’s
musical. If you missed this one, either as a potential
performer or crew, don’t miss the chance next year. It
will be a moment that sticks with you forever.
6
Around...
The always outstanding Calliope group performs at the winter concert, above. At
left, students practice their strum in guitar class in preparation for a future Battle
of the Bands championship. Below, Ms. Dodd’s Geometry class takes break for a
candid photo while a guy works out a proof on the board. And, below left, Mr.
Orenstein works the morning sign-in station.
Mr. Henrichon and his health class circle up for an activity.
Ryan Proulx prepares gourmet pizzas for a mid-day
restaurant, provided
occassionaly for the
faculty. The restaurant is a chance for
culinary students to
put their food studies
to work. At right,
Mr. DeVito and Ms.
Meshanic just can’t
believe how darn
good the pizza is.
The class hopes to
host two more
restaurants this
spring.
Senior hockey players Rosie Hilding, James Mora, and Jake Reilly visited a
second grade PE class at Southeast School and shared some of their skills,
then gave low-fives as the kids left class.
ComOracle
mentary
The
7
On the
Inauguration…
A photo break in Degnan’s English 11.
...and about.
Eight years ago, we elected as our president the man we most wanted to
have a beer with. On January 20, 2009, we inaugurated the designated driver. And truth be told, his election was all but inevitable.
When Barak Obama launched his campaign two years ago, he spoke of
hope and change and a new way forward. As the campaign progressed, his
words solidified into policy: a greener America with hundreds of thousands
of new jobs, paid for in the finest Robin Hood fashion. By November 2007,
it became apparent that he was the only real competition for that juggernaut,
Hillary Clinton, who shared most of his ideas but
was more of a hawk and ran more aggressively.
However, her aggressiveness proved too much for
the American people after eight years of heavy-handed tactics and partisan mind-games. Obama’s promise of no attack ads (a promise he lived up to remarkably well) was a refreshing change of pace. When
Clinton tried to Swift-boat him with her infamous
“3AM” ad, Obama became the lovable underdog, an
image that carried him to June with twice the number primary and caucus electoral votes that Clinton
Connor
had.
Obama began doing battle with Republican nominee John McCain (another underdog) in May, when
Clinton’s campaign started to collapse. Having had
the nomination for weeks, McCain had had plenty of time to do his research
for his own attack ads, many of which resembled old Clinton favorites.
Obama was nailed on everything from the factual (lack of experience in foreign policy, and public office in general), to the fictional (he’s a secret
Muslim), to the frivolous (his middle name is “Hussein”). Obama countered
those slams with some of his own, raising concerns about his opponent’s age
(highly advanced), temperament (short), and public appearances (gaffe-tas-
Tracy
Garrett Suave.
Jack Sundberg reads a few jokes to Moises Lam in the LMC.
tic). When McCain nominated Sarah Palin (who has Obama’s charisma,
without the ability to speak in public or basic intelligence) as his running
mate, Obama began to direct criticism at McCain for lack of judgment, criticism that was soon taken up by members of both parties and may have
eventually sunk McCain’s campaign.
In short, Obama got lucky, and he knew it. He ran for president in a year
that the Democrats were almost guaranteed the office. Mitt Romney, the
only Republican who had a chance was seen as an “anti-underdog” for being
so well funded and well organized, and many of his voters were siphoned
off by the highly charismatic (and Colbert-approved) Mike Huckabee. The
only really strong Democrats were Clinton and Edwards, who were either
too strong or too weak for an American public still smarting from the BushKerry election of ’04.
However, Obama didn’t win his campaign solely on luck; he also knew
how to take advantage of good fortune. He walked a somewhat middle road
in his policies, taking a refreshingly liberal view on the problems of the neocons. His slight shift towards center gave him a huge amount of support,
creating the most effective fund-raising machine ever launched in history, a
machine that allowed him to campaign in – and win – traditionally
Republican states, including Colorado and ¼ of Nevada. His 338 electoral
votes are a testament to his ability to unite America in a way that it hasn’t
been since Reagan. We offer our best to our new President, and hope he can
deliver that change.
As Warmer Weather Approaches, Memories
of a Musical Odyssey on a Warm Evening in
Boston Whets the Appetite for More
8
By
13 September 2008 - Boston, MA - WFNX
Disorientation
Boston on a Saturday evening is nothing less than
exhilarating. Late in the afternoon at the Riverside
station for the Green Line T train, fans in Red Sox tshirts sprawled across the platforms, heading home
from an afternoon game, some getting rested to go
back to the next game later that evening. Others there
were joy travelers, college students, and business men
and women. We, the three of us, were heading
towards the harbor for a show at the Bank of America
Pavilion. The air was still that of a breezy late summer day.
Having never ridden the train before, we were slightly confused. Standing on the platform, trying to figure
out which lines we had to take and at which stations
to disembark, we wondered if we would make it to
the show in time for the opening bands to perform.
“As long as we don’t miss The Kooks,” my friend
kept repeating.
On this mild September evening, the New England
urban metropolis was being graced with the likings of
the bands Does It Offend You, Yeah, Anberlin,
Alkaline Trio, The Kooks, and, the main act, Flogging
Molly. Rogue Wave, an indie band native to
California, whose style is similar to that of The
Kooks’, was going to be on the bill, but dropped from
the performance bill at the last minute. But none of
the rest of the bands mattered. We were only going
for The Kooks.
My only prior knowledge of these bands was Hot
Topic t-shirts and my friend’s iPod playlists. Flogging
Molly was the only band whose music I was familiar
with. After a brief flirtation with the band Dropkick
Murphys (themselves from the streets of Boston), I
had experienced Flogging Molly and their “Drunken
Lullabies”. Mostly, I was on this trip for a joy ride.
The day was slightly cloudy, but by the time we had
navigated the confusion of transferring from the red
line to another, it seemed to be clearing up. We got off
a few blocks too early and every person we asked
seemed not to know that the Bank of America
Pavilion even existed. At this point, we were beginning to worry. But we kept walking in the direction a
couple of people pointed us to. With the downtown
skyline receding behind us and sparsely scattered yet
fancy apartment complexes rising in front of us, we
could just make out the tip of the white tent, The
Bank of America Pavilion. Loud music shook from it
and we thought that we had already missed the first
band. It was well past five o’ clock, the time the show
was set to start. It turned out, though, that it was only
the pre-show speaker rambling that was meant to keep
the patrons entertained in waiting.
The Pavilion was completely comprised of nicely
spread out seats with a white tent overhang. Despite
my distaste for concert seating, it was comforting and
serene in the Boston evening. Outside of the stage
area was a small village of concert merchandise and
$10 hot dog stands. The bathrooms were still suprisingly intact. Just outside of the fenced-in concert, a
puzzle of roads and buildings splayed across outer
Boston. It was surprisingly spacious for an urban setting. The New England Dodge Center was far more
cramped with car lots and bridges than this. Sitting
from our seats, we could see a bit of the harbor and a
clipping of the city. Not only was it peaceful, but it
was a lovely view.
Soon after our arrival, the show opened with Does It
Offend You, Yeah, a rock band straight from the
United Kingdom. From that point onward, my friend
and I started saying that yes, it does offend us. They
themselves. A British man took to the stage with a
were unique, that is a positive. Though the place was
vulgar mouth and obscene jokes.
still pretty empty (no point in showing up early if you
“I know the seats are bothersome,” he said with a
have a guaranteed spot for the night) there were some
smirk, “so for this next band I want you to let them
diehard fans standing at the back, singing and dancing feel warm and welcome and get close to the stage!”
wildly. The group of tipsy twenty or something year
Security wasn’t happy. There was a giant rush to the
old girls at the end of our row seemed to be enjoying
stage and red security shirts flashed everywhere, trythemselves also. Most famous for their techno-rock
ing to stop the large amount of people streaming to
song “We Are Rockstars”, Does It Offend You, Yeah
the stage. We just narrowly escaped being sent back
played a short set with elongated beats and songs for
to our seats. The front three rows to the right of the
ecstatic young fans. Lead singer James Rushent’s
stage had been empty throughout the entire show, so
voice seemed strangely
we duped the security
out of place for the
guards by telling them
style of music and
that we had been there
somehow, the rest of
all along. It was dirty,
the band did too.
but it worked. My
Following the techno
friend was determined
fiends was a slightly
to see The Kooks up
more popular band
close in person and I
who just recently hit
was happy going
the top of Alternative
along for the ride.
Rock charts with the
The Kooks was yet
song “The Feel Good
another band from the
Drag”, Anberlin. They
United Kingdom with
were mediocre, but
an indie rock sound.
nonetheless entertainMost of the set was
ing. The bands so far
piano and acoustic
had been a bad omen
guitars, but it was
for the lead singers.
soothing to listen to
Stephen Christian’s
and fun to dance to. In
voice was not out of
the front row, kids
With just three band members, Alkaline Trio makes good
place, just bad sound- music and really gets the crowd involved in the show.
were taking turns siting. Anberlin perting in an empty seat
formed well, though, and just as Does It Offend You,
at center stage, including my friend. I stood listening
Yeah had, there was a row of fans directly in the front
calmly and realized that this music wasn’t as bad as I
that seemed to know every single word. Despite the
originally thought it would be. The Kooks most wellnegative presence that was the vocals, it seemed that
known album is the 2008 release Konk with the single
people were beginning to enjoy their night.
“Do You Wanna”, a song about unmentionable nightThe night was starting to dim and the onstage lights
time games. Just like Alkaline Trio, Luke Pritchard,
lead singer, had a voice that was in tune. The rest of
were becoming more noticeable. A punk rock parody
the band was just as good. They seemed like they
of “These Boots Were Made For Walking” played
through the speakers,
and soon it was
Alkaline Trio’s turn.
In my opinion, they
were one of the best
of the whole show.
They were into
crowd participation,
asking the crowd to
sing along to certain
parts and telling the
nearly full Pavilion
what the lyrics were
when everyone
seemed mostly lost. I
wasn’t sure whether
this was because of
the thick smell of
Guinness hanging
With some talent behind their instruments, The Kooks, a band from the United
over the crowd or
pure lack of knowl- Kingdom, play an upbeat Indie style perfect for a festive summer night in Boston.
knew what they were doing. Every time anyone from
edge of this band’s music. I was hoping for the secthe band came even an inch from the edge of the
ond. Even after five tries to get “…love for fire…”
stage, girls cooed and shrieked in passion and excitefrom “This Could Be Love” correct, the band still
ment. One girl, in her early twenties, was holding up a
seemed determined to keep us going no matter how
provocative sign asking the band if they wanted to.
quickly people were dropping from the alcohol. For a
three piece band, Alkaline Trio was doing a wonderful “Seaside” was by far the best song of the set, a purely
acoustic song about love and the ocean. They were
job.
onstage for nearly an hour, until they had to get off.
Boston WFNX, a radio station, was sponsoring the
After meeting The Kooks, we thought about leaving.
show along with the Boston Phoenix, a local paper of
We had quite a ride home and no one was particularly
sorts. So, of course, radio characters came out
interested in staying for the main act, Flogging Molly.
between sets out of promotion for the bands and for
Instead of getting cooler, the night had gotten warmer. There was no moon,
but the sky was clearing. The Pavilion was filled to the rim, but everyone had
someone squeezed into the space at the front. Only the back section of the
Pavilion was slightly vacant with a group of concert goers sitting here or there.
We decided to stick around for just a bit longer. It turns out that Flogging
Molly was worth staying a little longer for. Every which way people were
attempting lazy “Irish Jigs” and “skankin’” (Google it), falling over the seats
Flogging Molly was worth the wait. The feature band for a reason, they
set the place rocking and put a fine finish touch on a good evening of
music.
and each other. We joined in with our own attempts as the all-Irish band
played songs from the latest album “Float” and made jokes poking fun at
American politics.
“This tie isn’t for the Republicans,” band member Dave King pronounced
while pointing to his red tie, “this is for your Red Sox.” The crowd went wild.
At the peak of Flogging Molly’s set, we stole away into the streets of Boston,
catching a train as soon as we departed from the Pavilion. The night’s bands
had a rough start, but had turned out fantastically as the concert progressed. I
had started out clueless, but ended up going on a five day binge of nothing but
Flogging Molly and Anberlin. I had been pleasantly surprised by the goings of
the evening. Sitting on the train we were mostly silent, but whenever we
talked it was about one of the bands. Once we hit Fenway the train was packed
to the brink with Red Sox fans returning home after a big game and the few of
us from the show by the harbor. These are the glories of Boston.
Rating: 4/5
A Busy Season as EOS
Musicians Visit and
Compete in Fesitvals
Meanwhile, Benefit Concert
Involving 150 EOS Students
Gets Standing O, Raises
Funds for Local Charities
By Kelsey Dutta
Many band, orchestra, and chorus kids from our school have been traveling
around Connecticut lately, participating in festivals (and not the kind that
involve clowns, cotton candy, and Ferris wheels). These are the kind that
involve three hours straight of making music, a dinner break, and then three
hours more. People audition to get into these things. It's very competitive.
The Eastern Region music festival was held on January 9th and 10th. People
from our school performed at Jorgenson in the regional band, chorus, and
orchestra. Some of those who made the cutoff for the Eastern Region will go
on to audition for the All-State festival on February 7th. The New England
music festival will be held on March 19th-21st.
The Music Department also tried somethin new this year, and it was a rousing success. In an effort to raise money for local charity, instrumentalists and
vocalists performed together at Storrs Congregational Church on March 6. The
full chorus and chamber orchestra performed "Magnificat," by John Rutter,
and the chamber choir performed Vivaldi's "Gloria" with the chamber string
orchestra. Magnificat has six movements and Gloria has thirteen; both over 15
minutes long. And what a job the groups did with the performance. Said Mrs.
Cathie Rowe, our Choral Director, “Their performance was stunning. Mr.
Nardine (Band Director) and I actually got to listen, while Mr. Chaurette did
the conducting, and we were truly touched when the students received a ten
minute standing ovation--which, as a completely non-biased person, we think
they deserved!
The performance earned $745.00 for EACH of the beneificiaries (Stacey
Stearns Family, No Freeze Hospitality Center and WAIM)-that is over
$2300.00~and filled four tubs with food goods and $71.00 for the church food
pantry.
Books:
9
Romance’s Twilight
Three years ago, Harry Potter would have been the cause for such hype as this. But
now, instead of a fantastical flick of witches and warlocks it is a romance and battle of
vampires and humans. Wands are no longer needed because of extravagant immortal
powers. Is it because of the dreaded (or anticipated) end to the seven book series or is it
because of the change of tide in American Pop Culture? Either way it goes, Twilight
seems to have taken over, and possibly not for the best.
When I think “literature,” I think of Ernest Hemmingway, Jack Kerouac, and other
famous figures in the world of adult fiction. When I think “young adult fiction,” I think
Dawson’s Creek on paper. Never before teenage literature did I think teenagers could get
into such dramatic shenanigans. Most recently, I found myself in the middle of the woods
of Forks, Washington quietly singing “S.O.S.” to myself and hoping that someday a vampire would save me from myself. But who could think that’s true? Somehow, I feel as
though young adult literature steals from us what we used to know as reality. Some faithful readers seem to think that nothing but the book could ever be real.
“He’s hot and he’s a vampire,” was the response an interviewer got from a girl being
asked what she thought about Courtney Love attempting to set up actor Robert Pattinson
(Edward Cullen) with her very own daughter. This somehow made me question, “Is this
girl serious? Does she think this man is really a vampire?” She had shown no sign of her
face of a light joke or that she was only implying a pseudo vampire. Oddly, it seemed as though she thought the dramas of
Twilight to be real. I was stunned. How far could romantic fiction
really take someone?
In Chuck Klosterman’s Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs
Klosterman spends nearly a whole chapter ranting about the
effects falsified romance has on a person, mainly women. It is not
Twilight he curses about (his book precedes Twilight by a few
years), but the movie When Harry Met Sally. He blames that, and
the actor John Cusack, and the band Coldplay. Together, he
Alex
asserts, they are the reason why he will “never satisfy a woman.”
Because of John Cusack and Coldplay’s softly spoken words, people have learned not to want the normal in relationships, but whatever they see in Hollywood. Believe it or not, this can be damaging.
Every relationship is fundamentally a power struggle, and the individual in power is
whoever likes the other person less. But When Harry Met Sally gives the powerless, unrequited lover a reason to live. When this person gets drunk and tells his friends that he's
in love with a woman who only sees him as a buddy, they will say, "You're wrong. You're
perfect for each other. This is just like When Harry Met Sally! I'm sure she loves you she just doesn't realize it yet." Nora Ephron accidentally ruined a lot of lives.
(Klosterman 9)
Remy
People are hard wired to believe that everything will work out perfectly. I’m not saying that when Harry Potter began to slowly trickle into the hands of kids that instantly
they went about waving jagged sticks and believing their chocolates would turn to frogs.
That is too far from normal, everyday life to be believed. Twilight, though, has enough
Is the Twilight series just the latest fad... and does it blur the line between what
is real and what is not in a way that is not so good?
fact and normality in it for it to be almost reasonable.
Contrary to the popular opinion of girls my age-- and as a matter of personal thinking- Twilight was poorly written in simple sentences and obvious endings. Stephanie Meyer,
a Mormon woman and mother in Arizona, wrote the book from a dream she had. She
decided one day to become a writer. That was in 2003. The first book in the series,
Twilight, was published in 2005. It took nearly two years to gain any credentials amongst
the teenage crowd. Sometimes, I find it quite complex how things come and go so quickly from the disease of fast fame and pop culture.
Twilight is not the only thing to have hit so hard. Groups like the Backstreet Boys and
Spice Girls were popular in my childhood,and even after their “revival” remained things
of the past. It is almost scary that I do not hear a word about N*SYNC unless it is someone slandering them. Now it’s nothing but theJonas Brothers. Easily (and possibly soon)
the Twilight series could become the next thing in line.
Pop Culture is a strange thing, in art, in music, in anything in general, even Politics.
Barrack Obama has found his way into the whole picture the same as George Bush did.
Vampires are fresh, vampires are new, vampires could be the next step to blind romance
and fads. Pop Culture can be a frightening thing when it comes to what becomes famous
and why. Sometimes, we have to ask if slowly, but surely the teenagers (and adults) of
our nation could be losing there sense of reality. Are we losing sense of a line between
what is fantasy and what is real? Vampires may be the way to go. But with these questions looming, I still wonder one thing: Do you think Edward Cullen would ever go for
a girl like me?
No Place Like Home: As E.O. Smith
Celebrates 50 Years, We Catch Up with Some
Alums Who Are Now on The Staff
10
Several E. O. Smith faculty and staff members are also E. O. Smith Alumni. On the
occassion of the school’s 50th Anniversary,
we decided to catch up with them and ask a
few questions. Here’s what they had to say:
Ms.
Stephanie
Harrington
‘86
Special
Services
Teacher
What is your fondest
memory of E. O. ?
My fondest memory is
my friends, field hockey
and my classes.
Where did you go after
attending E. O.?
I attended FPC in N.H.
and returned to UCONN
for my Masters of Arts
Why did you come back to E. O.?
I came back because it was close to my current home and
family and I had positive memories and experiences here.
What changes have been made since you left?
The building is completely different and the number of students is considerably larger.
Do you have any advice for students who are graduating
this year?
Enjoy your future and don’t forget your past.
Mr. Andy Luft
‘81
Social Studies
Teacher
What is your fondest memory of E. O. ?
Fondest memory: spring of
senior year. The baseball
team went to the semifinals
in the state tournament the
farthest any E.O. Smith
baseball team has ever gone.
attending E. O.?
I went to UCONN for a
semester and a half and then
dropped out of college. I
then worked at Chuck’s Steak house for 6 years as a bartender. I sold stereo equipment for Sounds Great. I worked
at Margarita’s in the Civic center as a waiter and bartender
where I met my wife. Eventually I worked for my Uncle at a
rotogravure mill called M.S. Chambers in Baltic CT. Then I
was transferred to Richmond Virginia. After the plant went
under, I moved back to CT and went back to school at ECSU
to become a teacher. I student taught and got a job at Lyman
High School in Lebanon CT and also coached Girls basketball and girls tennis. I taught there for 7 years.
I came back to E.O.Smith in 2002 mostly because it was a
large pay increase and also had many good friends on the
staff
Smith has grown quite a lot since I was here. There was no
Willington and we graduated about 225 students then. The
new building and fields are completely different, and also it
was much more lenient but the times were also different as
well.
this year?
With the cost of education don’t waste your parents or your
own money to just to get away and have fun. If that’s what
you want to do get an apartment and a job it’s much cheaper.
Mr. John Hodgson ‘85
School Counselor
Ms. Sarah Mische ‘87
School
Counselor
memory of E. O. ?
Field hockey memories –
pasta parties, games, and
especially our final tournament game senior year
(although we lost).
attending E. O.?
I went to UConn for a
year, then to work for an
insurance company for 14
years. I finished my degree
at Eastern, then got a
Master’s at UConn. I stayed
very local – Manchester,
Coventry, now Storrs!
Why did you come back to
E. O.?
I completed my school
counseling internship here in ’05-’06 so I knew it was a great
place to work and that the students are great. This is also my
community and I am happy to work in a capacity to support
my community. Also, the commute to and from Hartford (to
my former school) was wicked!
We had open campus all four years. It was also a much
smaller building, and fewer students (graduating class about
193). Some of the teachers are still here, and calling them by
first name now is interesting.
this year?
Know that E.O. Smith is always your school, and that we
support you even after graduation. You don’t have to come
back and work here, but you can visit!
Mr. Fitzgerald ‘66
Physical Education Teacher
Hanging out with my teammates from the soccer team.
Where did you go after attending E. O.?
I went to ECSU. I went to teach P.E. at the International
School of Stavanger in Stavanger, Norway for 8 years.
The job – there was a job opening and I needed a job.
With the development of cell phones with cameras, no one
takes a shower in the locker room.
this year?
Life is like a box of chocolate…
The people. I have many fond memories of time with people here. For example, I was a pretty challenged Latin student, to say the least. But, Mrs. Archibald humored me, and
I went through three years of Latin with five other guys (no
girls!). If I saw them today, we’d still tell stories about some
of those days. I still joke around with Mr. Csere, and Ms.
Foley, now my colleague in guidance, was a great history
teacher. I even got to be FDR and negotiate from a wheelchair for three days in a simulation. How could I forget
that?! Ms. Hart even tried her best to explain Algebra 2 to
me. I also had great athletic experiences here, whether playing on some really good
soccer teams for Coach
Blomstrann, a bad baseball team that went 1-19,
or the hockey club team
that was run entirely by us
kids (can’t get away with
that anymore).
attending E. O.?
College, then Colorado.
I taught social studies in
Denver for quite a while,
and did lots of skiing and
hiking in the Rockies.
While there, I completed a
master’s degree in counseling psychology, and
here I am.
Why did you come back
to E. O.?
I came back here in
1997-- thirteen years after
graduation -- to help my
family out with some
stuff. I still knew some
really great people at E.O.
Smith. They happened to
be hiring a school counselor, and fortunately they gave me
the opportunity.
Where to begin? When I was here, we had 750 students.
We now have about 1200, so it was much smaller then. We
used to have two buildings. The North Wing was over
where Ag Ed puts their Christmas trees. You had to walk
about a hundred yards outside to get to English. It could be
brutal in cold weather. Being a high school kid, I never knew
where my coat was… but I was always wide awake when
English started! Cell phones did not exist, so we couldn’t
text anyone in class… we just had to call everybody when we
got home—from the main phone in the kitchen. Or, if we
were lucky, there was one in the den.
this year?
Challenge yourself to set out on your own, either now or
later, and experience a different environment. Deal with the
first six months to a year. It can be daunting and lonely at
times when you are trying to get going. Meet people, participate, and work (whether in a job, or in school, or both).
Shannon Rose ‘92
Depot Campus Advisor
Senior prom.
ECSU
I had an opportunity I couldn’t refuse (Teaching part-time in
the Afternoon Program).
I grew up.
this year?
Always listen to your heart—it’s never wrong.
Mrs. Sam Higgins ‘61
Library Aid
Either Advanced Biology with Mr Cohen or English with
Miss Dorothy Andrews. They were both outstanding teachers and it was really fun and challenging to go to their classes.
I went next door to UConn upon graduation. Kept moving
north in 195 - first Storrs Grammar School, then EO Smith,
then UConn - and still EO Smith!
I don't know why I came back really. I was working at
Parish Hill High School where my children were students
and I saw an ad for a job here and I decided to apply for it. I
think at the time they paid a little more money here but I
know at first I was kind of sad to leave the familiarity of
Parish Hill.
Everything has changed! The size of the school, the size of
the building; when I was here there were almost no athletic
possibilities for girls - no teams, we could only play half
court basketball in gym, we HAD to take a shower and the
teacher stood next to the shower (gang showers) with a clip
board and checked off if we took a shower. There were outside doors in each classroom but we never would think of
opening one - the principal would call home if we did and
that would have been a BIG deal! Girls were not allowed to
wear pants to school and boys could not wear denim. You
would have clothes for school and clothes for after school
and there was no overlap. There was certainly more respect
for teachers and administrators - it was before Watergate
and the Vietnam War and we - for the most part - respected
authority and didn't question what we were told to do.
this year?
Don't be afraid - always be willing to learn new things learning is so much fun and never gets old. Respect yourselves and don't let anyone take advantage of you - laugh a
lot and learn a lot.
Ms. Cassandra Rowett ‘01
Physical Education Teacher
My fondest memories
are from Cross Country,
Indoor and Outdoor Track.
Our team was like a family. We worked really hard
to accomplish all of our
goals as a team but also
laughed even harder
throughout it all. It’s so
nice to see Mr. Guerra still
leading the girl’s team in
laughter and success.
attending E. O.?
After I left E.O. I went to
Abilene Christian University in Texas.
I returned to Connecticut from Texas because I met my
husband who is also an E.O. Smith Grad. When I moved
back to CT, I always envisioned myself teaching here.
After three years of teaching at different schools, I finally
got a call last year that there was an opening here.
I was in school when all of the renovations were happening. I had English class with Mr. Barnes in the North Wing,
Math with Mr. Kern in the now foreign language wing,
geography with Mr. Niederwerfer in a portable classroom,
and Chemistry with Mr. Blomstrann in the now Tech Ed
room. We ate lunch in the “cafetorium” and were allowed
to go across the street when we were juniors. We even had
to wear hard-hats in some classrooms! When I first started
teaching here, I was most surprised to see that the track has
still NOT changed! The same cracks in the track that I ran
over are still there, only bigger!
this year?
Keep going: Keep on going and the chances are you will
stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something
sitting down.
Ms. Ryan-Gidman ‘86
English Teacher
memory of E. O. ?
I absolutely loved
Fraulein Theis’ German
classes - not only for the
gift of foreign language,
but for her rigor and high
expectations. She set the
bar higher than any other
teacher did - including
ones in college. The
German exchange program
was dynamite, too, both
the travel abroad and the
hosting experiences here.
We formed lasting connections to people from other
countries, and I am delighted that all four World
Languages today continue
that international tradition.
Traveling abroad is the single-most life-altering,
mind-expanding endeavor
young people can do. I am
grateful and proud to be
part of a school that thinks
so, too.
I went to Williams College for four years. After interning
at a magazine in Boston, I then taught English in Japan. I
worked for a publishing company in NYC for two and a
half years, and then I got my master’s degree from Harvard.
I was looking for jobs mostly in suburban New York and
Boston. But I happened to reconnect with my high school
boyfriend, who was living around here, at about the same
time that a job opened up at E. O. Smith. My high-school
boyfriend is now my husband and the father of my daughter.
You CAN go home again, as it turns out!
this year?
E. O. Smith can be sort of an intellectual bubble. The real
world has a lot more extremes, of wealth and ideas, and it is
important to get out there and open your eyes to them.
Every generation of teenagers thinks that they personally
invented hell-raising. I have to say, though - I am pretty
sure E.O. students from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s
perfected juvenile delinquency to an art form. When teachers (or alumni) who were here back then tell you that kids
were swinging from the rafters or enjoyed illicit substances
right on the front lawn, they are not being hyperbolic. It
was a crazy time - but oddly enough, the best SAT scores to
ever come out of EOS and some of our most accomplished
alumni attended during those years, so...
Dan Sgro ‘88
Special Services Aid
memory of E. O. ?
For the entire last
semester of school when
the senior class broke
away from their social
cliques and became a
whole lot friendlier with
each other. Also, the class
trip to Block Island.
attending E. O.?
University of Maine,
Orono and Humboldt
State University,
California (where I met
Pam). I have also traveled
to Dominica, Costa Rica,
Africa, Mexico, Europe
and all over the US. I
have driven cross-country
18 times. I have lived in
North Carolina, Idaho, California, Oregon, Colorado,
Maine, and Alaska.
I have always loved Mansfield and would like to become a
full time teacher.
It hasn’t changed all that much.
this year?
Travel.
Mr. Seth Horila ‘99
11
Instructional Technology Specialist
memory of E. O. ?
I’d have to say working
with the school’s technology while a student in the
Library Media Center
under Peter Salesses. I
also received a full-year
assigned parking space my
senior year since I was a
student worker, which was
very convenient. Mrs.
Stone’s Contemporary
Issues class (1998-99) was
a great experience. We
made the best out of our
temporary classroom in the P.E. storage area during the renovation.
I attended Eastern CT State University to complete a
degree in Computer Science.
I continued to work at E.O. Smith after graduating in
1999. I worked part-time as the school’s computer technician until August of 2001. After which, I worked in the
Superintendent’s office until May 2003 when I returned to
my previous position in the IT Department.
E.O. Smith hasn’t changed too much; mainly the building
has changed since I was a student. The North wing and former language wing are all but a distant memory. No more
x-periods, junior open campus, and the lunch periods were
moved an hour earlier. Six marking periods were reduced
to four. Technology-wise there are a lot more computers
than there were in my high school days.
this year?
Enjoy the remaining months of your senior year as they
will quickly pass. Whether your post-secondary plans
include going onto college, travelling or entering the workforce, develop a list of goals to carry you through life.
Tom Pelletier ‘75
Building Maintenance and
Yearbook Advisor
I went to a culinary program at MCC and then to the
Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY to train as a
chef.
I worked as a chef at Sturbridge’s Publik House and ran my
own catering business for 20 years. I also was an assistant
coach for various levels of the EOS basketball teams.
After so many years and such long hours taking took their
toll on my health, I had to stop the food business, and so I
retuned to EOS as a head custodian. I like doing something
different every day, and working with different people. I
wanted to be close to home, enjoy the good work environment and the excellent health benefits at EOS.
Mainly the size.
this year?
Do what you like and like what you do.
12
TheSports
Oracle
Oracle
yearth
30
"E.O. Smith, I Think We've
Bagged Ourselves a Keeper"
New Athletic Director Brings Contagious Energy
By Andrew Callahan
It is rare, ladies and gents, that you find
something in this paper written by myself that does
not in one way or another turn into a piece centered
around my own personal commentary. But after
conducting my first interview ever, I hope you find-just as I did-- that there was no better person in the
school I could have conversed with to soak and fill
in the Sports section. I give you Mr. Steve
Robichaud, our new and fun-loving Athletic
Director.
Oracle: Mr. Robichaud how are things?
Mr. Robichaud: Things are goin' great, I gotta tell ya.
Oracle: Excellent. So what would be your dream
breakfast?
Mr. Robichaud: Ha-ha, wow that's a good one. Well
you know I could go for almost anything but really a
solid breakfast, meat and potatoes kinda deal, Bacon
and Eggs- especially sunny-side up, OJ, pancakes,
you name it. Just get me one that's got the good stuff.
Oracle: How'd you get roped into being the Athletic
Director here at Smith?
Mr. Robichaud: Well pretty much my whole life, I've
been involved with athletics. I really, really enjoy and
love athletics. I played sports in high school and college, I've coached sports, been an assistant coach, you
name it. Now about five or six years ago I decided to
go back to college and get a degree in Administration.
So I got my degree and began working as the assistant
principal up in Woodstock and this past summer I
heard about the position that opened up here. It was
almost a spur of the moment kind of thing, but it was
closer to home so I applied and was hired. And it's
been really great.
Oracle: Nice. So what sports did you play and coach
back in the day?
Mr. Robichaud: In high school I played football, basketball and track and in college I just played football.
After I finished with school, I went on to coach football.
Oracle: So what's your alma mater and what position
did you play in college?
Mr. Robichaud: I went to Springfield College and
played outside linebacker in our 5-2 defense.
Oracle: Cool. So how would you rate your experience
so far at E.O. Smith?
Mr. Robichaud: It's been very, very positive. I've had
many really great experiences so far working with
people here and am looking forward to even more in
the future. I really enjoy the kids, my co-workers and
to me it's like it's not even a job. I love athletics and
we've had some fantastic games this year. We're just
looking to improve and take it day by day.
Oracle: Sounds great. So with a recent and pretty big
In his first year of competitive high jumping, Ben
Nollet was outstanding in finishing second at the
Class L meet by jumping 6’2”...then he went to the
state open and WON the thing by clearing 6’6”!
effort towards improvement (in the form of the referendum) now turned down, where do we go from here?
Mr. Robichaud: Yeah, as you know the referendum
was defeated, which was too bad. We're still looking
at a track we can't use, tennis courts in disrepair, and
some fields that are in pretty rough shape. As I said
we really just have to take it day by day and see what
we can do in the meantime. Do we look for maybe
some temporary solutions? Look to attack the projects
one at a time in hopes of a long term solution? I just
don't know yet but we're going back to the drawing
board and give it our all once again.
Oracle: Alright, so I'm sure many people have had
this on their minds at sometime or another, but can
you comment on the beginnings of "Panther Fever"
and that whole bit?
Mr. Robichaud: Ha-ha, sure. Well I'm always looking
Spotlight Interview:
Mr. Steve Robichaud
to have fun and it was something that popped into my
head one day and we really just ran with it. We're
doing our best to contain the spread of the infection
but word has it, Panther Fever is likely to head right
into the spring.
Oracle: Thanks for the heads up. So what kind of
impression have you gotten from the student body and
is there anything you'd like us to chip in with or
improve upon?
Mr. Robichaud: Oh you guys have been just fantastic.
Of course with a lot of the fall and winter sports
there's a lot of appeal because for the most part they're
spectator sports. I'd say just keep up the good work
and really try to come out and cheer for our boys and
girls playing in the spring. We've got some really
Liz Moynihan takes a shot in a game against
Windsor. The girls team went 16-7 and reached the
second round of the Class L tournament.
good teams coming out and there's no reason not to
cheer them on, see them compete and enjoy the nice
weather.
- At this point during my interview Mr.
Robichaud received a phone call. He asked politely
that we stop for a quick second so he could take the
call and so I nodded, slumping back down in my
chair. I began to look over the mess I had scribbled in
my notebook but couldn't help overhear the conversation going on between Mr. Robichaud and the caller. I
quickly learned the caller's name was Joe and that Joe
had contacted Mr. Robichaud to talk about the referendum. Repeating nearly word for word what he had
told me only a short while ago, our new athletic director assured Joe that everything was going to work out
and we were going to take things day by day. Joe
needed a little more reassurance than I had, so they
chatted for the next few minutes. During these minutes I began to realize what the most important parts
of my interview so far had been and I wasn't thinking
football or sunny-side up eggs.
Throughout the entire interview and all of my experiences with him, Mr. Robichaud had always
remained three things: Upbeat, positive and resolute
with his duties. Except when recalling memories, Mr.
Robichaud always spoke by saying "we", keeping listeners as though they felt a part of something special,
a team. Even though it has been over 30 years since
he suited up playing football for Springfield, Mr.
Robichaud to this day, sticks to the lessons he's
learned through athletics, lessons he says "can't be
duplicated anywhere else". Sportsmanship is also
paramount to the man, as evidenced by the new signs
in the main gym and by the way in which he conducts
himself on a daily basis, even through times of defeat.
When asked about the referendum he replies with an
understanding that the proposal's defeat isn't the end
of the world and as always, it's about taking things
day to day and giving it all you've got. And he does
all of this with a positive energy that is without a
doubt contagious.
After getting Joe to change subjects and
laugh a little, Mr. Robichaud hung up the phone,
beamed at me, and said he was ready to resume the
interview. I fumbled through my last question, which
I admittedly made up on the spot, and after receiving
yet another stellar answer, was soon on my way. He
gave me a pass to the library and during the following
days I was able to squeeze a couple more fun facts
out of him, that I've listed for you below (although
I've yet to learn how he feels about the nickname
"Robocop"). So if you see Mr. Robichaud in the hallway, feel free to give him a high-five because he'll be
coming at you with all he's got and a great big smile
to go along with it.
Senior James Mora races up ice in a game against
Simsbury. Mora scored six goals in the second half
of the season to help lead the team to the CCC South
Semi-Finals and their first state tournament appearance in ten years.
Badly Injured in
Football, Dobbs
Gets Up To Join
Wrestlers as
Leader
13
An Inspiring Interview by Connor Tracy
with a Captain of E. O. Sports
Recently, I sat down for an interview with the captain of the EO Smith wrestling team, a good friend
of mine with an inspiring story.
Oracle: So, Dan, let’s do this. For our readers who
may be unaware, who are you, and what makes you
notable?
Dan: Well, my full name is Dan Dobbyn. I am most
well known by the nickname “Dobbs”. I’m the senior
captain of the wrestling team and am renowned by
GET IN THE WAY OF 85 MPH SLAPSHOTS? “SURE, I’LL DO IT.”
Sophomore Jason Young, center, found himself in an interesting situation this year, when his hockey playing friend, C.J. Pearson, approached him about playing goalie mid-way through the season. Seems that the
team, which co-ops with Tolland and Windham, only had one goalie. They were putting a board in front of
the second goal in practice. Having never played before, Young accepted the challenge. The coaches
scrounged up some gear, and Jason started getting in the way of flying pucks. To his credit, Young was a
quick study, taking over in JV games within two weeks. Not surprisingly, Young got off to a rocky start, giving up six first period goals to Rockville-Manchester.. But, several weeks later “Younger” stopped 34 pucks,
then four out of five shooters in a game deciding shootout to beat that same Rockville-Manchester team ,
5-4! He soon found himself suiting up for each Bucks varsity game in case starter David Azinheira of
Tolland got hurt. On February 25 , Jason made his varsity debut, playing the third period against WindsorEast Granby. Yeah, the first shot went in, but Jason also made five big stops. Not bad for a guy who had
never played when we rang in the New Year! Well done, Jason!
The ‘Six’burgh Steelers: A
Steelers Fan Reminisces On a
Thoroughly Satisfying Season
By: Tyler Walters
coaches and peers as someone who goes all out at all
times.
Oracle: Word on the street is that you almost couldn’t
wrestle this season.
Dan: Yes, that is true. During a football practice
before the first game at Farmington, I shattered my
shinbone and dislocated my ankle because I got tackled during a running back drill. I had to be taken out
by ambulance.
Oracle: Sounds painful.
Dan: Yeah.
Oracle: Can you give us any details, or was it just
like, WHAM and you blacked out?
Dan: No, I was screaming for like forty-five seconds.
But once they got my cleat off and my foot elevated,
the adrenaline just took over. This caused the coaches
to believe it was just a dislocation at worst.
Oracle: But they were wrong, weren’t they?
Dan: When the doctors at Windham Hospital showed
me the x-ray, they told me I wouldn’t be wrestling
until April. I had a two-hour surgery; they put a 4½inch plate in my leg with six screws. It should have
been seven, but as the doctor put it, it was “corn
flakes” where it would have gone.
Oracle: Wow. Butby mid-winter you were cast-less
and ready to wrestle. How’d you do that?
Dan: Well, the initial report was way off. I still could
have not come back, but when they gave me the air
cast and no crutches, I started to seriously think about
making a comeback. I started weight-lifting and light
conditioning with the team. I did foot and ankle exercises daily after I was cleared to walk on my own [i.e.
no cast or crutches] and then I was cleared to wrestle.
By the way, I’d like to thank the team for keeping me
motivated, and for naming me captain when you guys
thought I couldn’t return. Also, I’d like to thank
Gina, the trainer, for all her help with the foot.
Oracle: And that brings me to my final question: The
team. How’s did your season go, and what are you
guys up to?
Dan: We did great. We set a new team record for
regular season wins, and were undefeated at home.
This had a lot to do with our 103-pounder winning a
match against Wethersfield, breaking the tie. Several
of our guys did well at Class M and the State open
tournament, and we worked really hard to get there.
Oracle: Thanks for your time Dan; I’ll let you get
back to working on your Senior Project Paper.
Dan: No prob.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers caught word that they
had the toughest schedule in the NFL, they decided to
go out and win the Super bowl . Now before I begin, I
would like to say how very pleased I was to see the
Eagles take on the Cardinals before AFC
Championship game got started at 6. It was nice to
see both teams playing with true effort and not worrying about the pain they
would endure if they
were to reach the next
round of play. Had the
Steelers crushed the
Ravens before the NFC
Championship game, I
think there would have
been a lot less football
and a whole lot more
NFC thumb sucking. In
that game, the Eagles
rallied back from an 18
point deficit at halftime and gave themselves a one
point lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.
However, Cardinals’ rookie running back Tim
Hightower locked up a spot in the Super Bowl for the
redbirds with an 8 yard touchdown reception out of
the backfield in the final tics.
The Arizona Cardinals walked off the field with the
NFC Championship trophy in hand, crossing their fingers that the football gods would side with the
Baltimore Ravens. It turned out that the gods did
indeed side with the Ravens, but there was still one
problem… they were facing the Steelers. The
Pittsburgh Steelers started slow, teasing the Ravens
with a couple of field goals and then pounding a 65
yard TD pass from Big Ben Roethlisberger to
Santonio Holmes down their throats. They capped the
game off with a 40-yard interception return to the
house by safety Troy Polamalu and a paralyzing blow
by hard hitting safety Ryan Clark. The crushing blow
by Clark that eventually sent Ravens’ running back
Willis McGahee to a nearby hospital, forced a fumble
that put the icing on the cake for the Black and Gold.
Not to mention it made every player watching on the
Arizona Cardinals, except for Kurt Warner, wet their
pants. Sources say Warner missed the hit, as he was
preoccupied with crying in the corner after Polamalu’s
interception return.
Then came the place where dreams were made—
where the last teams standing can say, “We’re finally
here”. The game that every team plays for all year, the
game that every player trains and works to be a part
of, the game that every player in the NFC kneels
down beside their bed to pray that the Steelers won’t
make it this year. The Super Bowl. The Arizona
Cardinals shocked America by taking down Atlanta,
Carolina, and Philadelphia to make it to Tampa Bay,
Florida for Super bowl XLIII. The Steelers strutted
their way into the Super Bowl by taking down a couple of red-hot teams in the form of the Baltimore
Ravens and the San Diego Chargers.
Just like they had against the Ravens, Pittsburgh
ended their first drive settling for a field goal after
reaching inside the Cardinals’ 10 yardline. The teams
then exchanged touchdowns putting the score at 10-7
in Pittsburgh ’s favor. After a costly Roesthlisberger
pick in the final three minutes of the half, the
Cardinals drove down the field looking to go ahead
before half time. Veteran quarterback Kurt Warner
had his eyes on the pay dirt. Facing an all-out blitz at
the six yardline, Warner took the snap and completed
his pass to linebacker James Harrison for an incredible 100-yard touchdown. Kurt then realized that his
team colors were not white, yellow, and black and
that the touchdown he had thrown was bad thing for
his team. The Steelers entered halftime with a 17-7
lead and the strong smell of victory filling their nostrils.
In the third quarter, defense prevailed for both sides
as a Jeff Reed field goal was the only source of points
during the whole 15 minutes. As the Steelers entered
the 4th quarter with a now 13-point lead, I started to
believe that the margin of victory wasn’t satisfying
and needed to be smaller. It was the first time in my
life I chanted, “SAFETY! SAFETY! SAFETY!”
when the Steelers were the ones struggling in their
own endzone. Of course, a safety was called and the
Cardinals were back in the game. With just under
three minutes left, the Cardinals found themselves
down only four points but still in desperate need of a
touchdown. On the second play of the drive Kurt
Warner tossed a 64 yard TD pass down the middle to
star wide out, Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals finally
had a lead as the scoreboard showed just 2:30 remaining on the clock. But I think you know how this one
ended. Under the guiding hands of Big Ben, the
Steelers marched down the length of the field and
capped off their game winning drive with a 6 yard
touchdown reception by the MVP, Santonio Holmes.
Holmes had 4 receptions for 73 yards on that drive
alone and wowed America with one of the greatest
catches in the history of the game. The Steelers held
onto their 27-23 lead as LaMarr Woodley sacked Kurt
Warner with four seconds left, forcing him to fumble
and seal the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl victory.
14
THE Dream Dunk Contest
By ...well...Andrew Callahan
With the NBA All-Star Weekend having passed
recently, it’s only fitting that a portion of the sports
section be dedicated to the best event to take place
during any of the All-Star weekends: the slam dunk
contest. Instead of recapping and/or talking about the
winner (Nate Robinson) or giving some sort of commentary (Dwight Howard should have won), I’ve
decided to write to you the reader about what my
dream dunk contest would entail. It would take place
on none other than Dunk Island, Australia (a very real
place) and the participants would be as follows:
Myself, LeBron James, Rudy Gay, the Geico Gecko
and Larry Nance- winner of the first ever NBA slam
dunk contest back in 1984 and currently a 50 year-old
drag racer. Here we go.
*
*
*
Greg Gumbel: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and
ored, Nance fires up his car and prematurely takes off
right for center court and the exact spot where the
Gecko is standing.
Splat! You guessed it, bye-bye Gecko. Nance, completely unaware of the flattened reptile, gets out of the
car, takes off his helmet and spreads his arms ready to
accept the ovation fitting for a former champion. The
place is silent except for the cavemen being led away
in handcuffs trying vigorously to clap with their hands
behind their back. Disgusted at the prospect that he
had come all the way down to Australia for this,
Nance leaves and hails a cab.
After the dust settles and the reptiles are scraped
from the court, the contest finally gets underway.
With only LeBron, Rudy and myself left, we each get
two dunks in the first round and the two highest scorers will move onto the finals. Thankfully I have paid
each of the five judges
(Michael Jordan, Magic
THE CONTESTANTS
Johnson, Larry Bird, and E.O.
Smith’s own Jason Donahue
and Kevin Ericson) a handsome amount to award me
with perfect scores despite
that I can’t grab rim and own
a puny 19 inch vert.
The first round is spectacular. Rudy and LeBron trade
incredibly athletic and impossible dunks as I glide down
the court pulling off the most
Andrew
ordinary lay-up in the history
Rudy Gay
Lebron James
of basketball. With each of us
Callahan
tied at 50 following our first
girls, good evening and welcome to the first annual
attempts, the crowd is anxious to see what Rudy and
Drew’s Dream Dunk Contest here on Dunk Island.
LeBron will pull out of their enormous pockets to try
This is your host Greg Gumbel streaming to you live
and move onto the finals. I elect to go first as everyon none other than CT’s favorite sports radio station,
one knows what’s about to come anyways. However,
97.3 DREW out of Storrs. I’m joined by my partner
in the midst of flying down from one end of the court
Dick Vitale, who will most certainly blow out his
to the other, I decide to spice things up a bit. At the
vocal cords by the time this one’s over. How we doin’ three-point line I pull a hesitation move to my right
tonight Dick?
and blow by the invisible defender, heading into the
Dick Vitale: WE’RE DOING ABSOLUTLY
lane. Here another invisible defender attempts to set
DUNK-TASTIC HERE BABY! CAN’T WAIT FOR
me up for a charging foul but I spin to my left, follow
THE DUNK CONTEST DOWN UNDER TO GET
with a delicate finger roll and crash to the floor drawSTARTED!
ing the and-1 foul. The crowd goes nuts. I can hear
Greg Gumbel: You sure are emphatic my friend.
Dick Vitale shouting at the top of his lungs and the
The lights have dimmed and we’re now ready for the
judges put up 10’s across the board. LeBron and Rudy
introductions…
shake their heads but hey, whose dream dunk contest
is this? Yeah, it’s mine.
(The voice of John Mason, PA announcer for the
LeBron edges Rudy by a single point and moves on
Detroit Pistons and the very best in the business,
to meet me in the finals. Mr. Donahue was the lone
booms overhead)
Mason: Goooood daaa-aay mates! With the last few judge to put up a “9” after Rudy completed his dunk
Kangaroos removed from the premises, it is now time that included standing behind the basket, tossing the
to bring to you the stars for tonight’s contest! Leading ball over the backboard, catching it on the other side
off, standing at a punishing 6’ 8” 264 lbs. from Akron, and slamming it home with a between the legs windOhio, long live the King…. LEBRON JAA-AAMES!
mill dunk. Everyone in the building was certain there
was going to be a 3-way tie at 100 points apiece but
(A round of applause ensues although the crowd is
worrisome over James’ fragility- rumor has it LeBron Donahue had other ideas. So it’s the King and I in the
considered not competing during his flight, due to an finals with only one dunk left to go. Let’s just say, his
highness is about to be dethroned…
earache)
Mason: Next up, the 6’ 9” 222 pound, high-flying
LeBron gets to go first and the crowd is on their
kid from Connecticut… RUH, RUH, RUH, RUUfeet. He brakes out in a dead sprint from the far baseUDYYY GAY!
line, holding the ball under his right arm and at the 3point line, begins his take off. This is ridiculous. No
(Applause is accompanied by chants of Rudy! Rudy!
one had ever attempted a dunk from this far out and
Rudy! - Yes, like from the movie)
Mason: And now the moment you’ve all been wait- yet, the closer LeBron got to the basket, the more it
ing for… standing at 5’ 11 ¾” 177 lbs. the high
seemed he was going to make it. But of course, he
school senior out of Storrs, CT… your friend and
wasn’t going to. Stretching the ball out as far as he
mine… ANDREEEEW CALLAHAAAN!
possibly could, King James missed the dunk but
somehow caught the tip of his fingernail on the rim.
(Thunderous applause and the screeching of over a
He falls to the hardwood and begins writhing in pain.
thousand Aussie girls can be heard bouncing off the
The whole place is hushed and as the doctors walk
walls of the arena as I take in all in stride)
Mason now concludes the introductions by introLeBron off the court with what has been diagnosed as
ducing the Geico Gecko. However, after hearing his
a “minor boo-boo” the judges inform me that I will
name called, the Gecko narrowly avoids death
need to make a single dunk in order to win the combecause of the considerable number of Australian
petition or it ends it a tie. Thank god for that 19 inch
cavemen in attendance hurling all things close to them vert.
down at the Geico mascot. From water bottles to popI start out just as James did, sprinting from the far
corn, soft pretzels, parts of their seats and even their
baseline with the ball tucked under my right arm. I
therapist from that old commercial, it was amazing
decide it will probably be best to close my eyes and
how the Gecko escaped the fury of the cavemen.
just hope for the best and as I’m now at the free throw
Meanwhile Nance, excited to speed from the locker
line. I take two small steps, jump and close my eyes.
room in his new racecar while he’s introduced, gets
Reaching out with my free hand I grab what feels like
impatient after not hearing his named called for quite
the bottom of the net and pull myself up. Eyes now
some time. Livid at the thought that the first ever
open, I am face to face with the rim and have nothing
NBA dunk contest champion was not going to be hon- else left to do but slam it home. Swoosh…
The cheerleaders were a steady force giving the
Panthers the edge at games.
Kate Moynihan, above, was 5th in the 1600 meters
and 9th in the 1000m at the Class L Meet.
Meanwhile, Rachel Stewart finished 3rd in the 600
meters and 8th in the 300m. She went on to place
9th in the 300m at the State Open.
Chris Newell has an opponent right where he wants
him. The Panther wrestlers continued their quick
rise, going 22-9 and finishing 14th in Class M. Nate
Nadeau was 3rd in his weight class,while Alex hunt
was 5th in his. Nadeau went on to compete at the
state open.
Tyler Olander wows the crowd with a dunk against
East Hartford. Olander and his young team ran into
top-ranked Trinity Catholic in the state tournament.
Bracketology:
The Study of March Madness
Sweet Sixteen Edition
By: Dr. Drew Ph.D. Mentally Unglued University
To be perfectly honest with you, it's all a real big
crapshoot. My Cinderella pick is the doormat for your pick
to win it all, my shoe-in for the Final Four is the object of
your upset special and your well-thought out, prepared and
calculated predictions mean just as much as wacky aunt's,
who picked her winners based on how cute the mascots are.
March Madness is also yet another time of year when the
"experts" on TV, looking to inform and guide the rest of us,
prove that the only thing they're so adept at are the things
that we are already: getting lucky, being subject to bad
breaks and looking smart, but only after the fact. It simply
cannot be understated how many factors come into play that
affect and determine the outcome of a game. These factors
which, are impossible to foresee and/or evaluate over one
another, make it positively silly to predict the winner of a
Terrence Oglesby and his Clemson Tigers were a disscontest, no matter what the sport. And to pick 63 of them? apointing bracket buster in the first round. I had them
Ha! The odds of getting them all correct are over 9.2 quintil- in the Elite 8. Thanks for nothing, Terrence... my
lion to 1!
scream was louder than yours.
But you know all of this already. We're in the sweet
sixteen. You've survived the most electrifying and ridiculous four days of college basketball ever seen, until next
March. You've screamed, cried, rejoiced, cussed, held your breath, ripped your bracket in two, exhaled, talked to the
inanimate object known as your TV asking why on God's green earth did Terrence Oglesby decide to make you look
like a fool for picking Clemson in the elite eight, and exhaled some more (Okay, so maybe I was the only one talking
to their TV but, moving on). Each and every bracket should have at least one X or red mark signifying its' owner
messed up at some point while the sixteen sweetest teams in all the land were being determined. From here some will
pray like hell their luck turns around while others hope to keep on cruising as the sweetest are whittled down to the
most elite and then the Final Four. But I'm going to change the game around a little bit. If you're like me, you believe
things are better when there's more information at hand and at this point may or may not be in love with your original
picks. So, given how the first two rounds have turned out, I am handing you a clean slate and invite you to select all
new winners from the rounds here on out. Once you've done so, see if your pool manager will accept your picks within
the new format and when they laugh in your face, don't sweat it. Just enjoy the madness for what it was meant to be,
we've only got two weekends left.
Callahan’s
Power
Rankings
15
NBA Power Rankings
1) Los Angeles Lakers
2) Cleveland Cavaliers
3) Orlando Magic
4) San Antonio Spurs
5) Boston Celtics
6) Utah Jazz
7) Houston Rockets
8) New Orleans Hornets
9) Atlanta Hawks
10) Portland Trail Blazers
The Professor's Picks :
Louisville over Arizona
Louisville over Kansas
Kansas over Michigan St.
Koby and the Lakers won at San
Antonio and Houston last week. Last
year they reached The Finals. Can they
get there again... and win?
NHL Power Rankings
UConn over Purdue
UConn over Missouri
Missouri over Memphis
Pittsburgh over Xavier
Pittsburgh over Duke
Duke over Villanova
North Carolina over Gonzaga
North Carolina over Syracuse
Syracuse over Oklahoma
If Thabeet can stay out of foul trouble, the Huskies
should stay in the mix.
Mizzou is on fire, and Leo Lyons is one of
the main reasons. Lyons and teammate
DeMarre Carroll are tough inside, and
the high flying Tigers hit the tournament
fresh off a Big 12 Tourney
Solid. After all the talking and bracket busting,
expect Hansbrough and the Heels in the Final Four.
1) Detroit Red Wings
2) New Jersey Devils
3) San Jose Sharks
4) Washington Capitals
5) Boston Bruins
6) Calgary Flames
7) Pittsburgh Penguins
8) Vancouver Canucks
9) Philadelphia Flyers
10) Chicago Blackhawks
New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur earned his NHL
record 552nd career win this week in his home
town of Montreal. After missing 50 games with
a torn bicep, the 36-year-old Brodeur is in top
form at 14-5-2, and in spite of tough losses in
Boston and Philly this week, has his Devils in
top form heading toward April.
16
Question of the Month
If you were to host a late night talk show for one night, who would be your guest?
Alex Salai, Sophomore
Brenden McMahon, Sophomore
Erica Tremko, Freshman
George W. Bush
(see what he’s up to now)
Ronald McDonald
(can’t stand him)
Barack Obama.
Mr. Hebert, Teacher
Jensen Rawn, Sophomore
Jimmy Rogers, Senior
Ken Lay, former Enron CEO
Jack Black. He’s the man!
Ernest Hemmingway... and I would clear the
way for him.
Julia Callahan, Junior
Nitheesha Nakka, Freshman
Stacy Haddad, Senior
Mr. Liebman.
Edward Cullen
He’s so hot!
Rascal Flatts... said while drooling.
Nick Briere, Sophomore
Tyler Walters, Senior
Denee’ Jackson, Junior
JD Salinger (First interview ever!)
Andrew Callahan and James Harrison
Barack Obama

01 Front Short article.qxp - Edwin O. Smith High School

Transcription

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