Paw Print - Schodack Central School District

Nov./Dec. 2014
The Voice of Maple Hill High School Students
The One that Stole the
Show
Best and Worst of 2014
by Alysa Kelly and Julia Keyoskey
by Amanda Kern
As we roll into the new year, we not only look forward to the future, but
reflect on the past. With a variety of trends, movies, books, music, and tv
shows hitting the entertainment world this past year, everyone was bound
to create their own opinions. After surviving another year of learning, experiences, and growth, here is a list of the best and worsts of 2014 for the students at Maple Hill High School:
Favorite Movie
1. Mockingjay
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. The Fault In Our Stars
Worst Movie
1. Dumb and Dumber Two
2. Sharknado
3. Ouija
Honorable Mention- Starving Games
Best and Worst of 2014 continued on page 2
If you were looking for a laugh then you
should've been at the King of the Hill. It
was a time full of laughs, interesting and
unusual talents, and spiffy outfits. "I originally thought it was a male beauty pageant. I thought the boys had to wear
dresses and wear makeup," said Junior
Kerry Golden. The boys didn‟t have to
wear dresses or makeup, but the show
did consist of three rounds: talent,
evening wear, and an interview question. “It was really fun to do and it was
great we could raise money for the
sophomores,” said Gabe Dingman, one
of the contestants. There was a total of
12 guys competing for the title. The
competition was stiff, but only one came
out on top.
You wouldn‟t guess that John Paul Kulpa
is on the quieter side after seeing his
King of the Hill continued on page 9
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
F
YI
Benefits to
winter
Charitable
Chili with a
Kick
Ho
ay
d
i
l
Recipes
Ferguson
Kwanzaa
Adopt-a-Family
Hanukkah
Christmas
P. 2-10
ws
e
N
p. 31-38
The Real
Hunger Games
p. 11-17
A
&E
Yesterday &
Today
Winter Fashion
Frozen
p. 18-30
O
io
n
i
p
Crop Tops
Christmas
Book Choice in
School
p. 39-41
n
s
S
rt
o
p
Chuckles & the
Bowling Gang
Never Surrender
– Sepowski
Friess & Miller
p. 42-46
The Paw Print Editorial Staff
Editors-in-Chief:
Kassidy Berger & Audra Colliton
Section Editors:
 FYI: Peter Aitken
 News: Skylar VanAlstyne
 Opinion: David Maurer
 A&E: Alysa Kelly
 Sports: Kerry Golden
 Contributors: Gabe Dingman,
Grace Goodall, Amanda Kern, Julia
Keyoskey, Lauryn Krupa, John Paul
Kulpa, Christina Malthouse, Kelsey
Pascetto, Hunter Sanchez, Dominic
Sinacore, Damon Whimple, Katya
Wilson
Paw Print
Editorial Staff 2013-2014
The Paw Print
Editorial Staff
would like your
input to the
school newspaper this year. If
you see news
happening, want
to write a feature or sports
story, or take
some photos,
please let any of
us know.
Keep current about school events!
Follow @MapleHill_HS on
Twitter!
The Pawprint is now on Twitter too– follow
us @MH_ThePawprint
See Calendar of Events for
December & January on p. 47
See Chartitable Chili with a Kick for the
Annual Chili Contest banter round-up on p. 7
Page 2
FYI Columns
Hoops Against Hunger
by Peter Aitken
Maple Hill will host its 6th annual Hoops Against Hunger Basketball
Game on Friday, December 19 at 7 PM. Students and community
members will be able to watch Schodack Central School District‟s
Co-workers face each other off in a competitive (but friendly) basketball competition. Plus, there will be half time activities for you to
participate in! Admission is $3, or $2 or with a canned good donation. With December being a cold month, there is no better time
to step into the gym, warm up and be entertained. It‟s also perfect
timing to hold this competition for such a good cause especially with the holidays around the corner. Countless families within Castleton are in need and are counting on you. With your support, we can help The Anchor eliminate hunger this holiday season. Which team will win? See you Friday!
Meet the players:
-Mr. Agostinoni -Mr. Derby -Mr. Bennett -Mr. P. Austin -Mr. D. Austin -Mr. Hanrahan
-Mr. Streeter -Mr. Morse -Mr. Porter -Mr. Ashby (HS) -Mr. VanDerbeck -Mr. Flach
-Mr. Frese -Mr. Murphy -Señora Racz -Mrs. Austin (Post) -Mrs. Young -Ms. Skalij
-Mrs. Maier -Ms. Flood (HS) -Mrs. Brewer -Ms. Hill -Mrs. Bergman-Caulkins- Mr. Chevrier
A Very Hairy Christmas
by Julia Keyoskey
Have you noticed all the facial hair? Many men all around the country didn't shave any of their facial hair during the month of November. But what
exactly is No-Shave November?
When No-Shave November started in 2009, there were only 50 official
participants. The campaign has grown so large that in 2014, over a million
dollars was raised for the cancer society.
Due to Chemotherapy and many other drugs, cancer patients usually lose
their hair. According to www.no-shave.org, participating in No-Shave November is a unique way of raising cancer awareness, especially prostate
cancer. The concept of this hairy month is to donate the money that you would usually spend on shaving and grooming.
Many people participated in this, both men and women, but probably did not know what not shaving was actually
for.There was much anger towards the ice bucket challenge because most people didn't understand why they were
pouring ice water on themselves. The same anger comes with No-Shave November.
“Movember”, a non profit organization which is aimed towards the concept of No-Shave November, says the goal of
not shaving is to literally "change the face of men's health." Movember also holds a charity event in order to "increase
early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths.
Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to
adopt a healthier lifestyle."
Participating in No-Shave November is a great way to get involved, but make sure you know why you're not shaving.
Page 3
FYI
Are there Benefits to Winter?
by Christina Malthouse
Besides catching snowflakes and creating snowmen filled neighborhoods: the white crystals that fall on lawns have other positive aspects. A 200 pound person can lose up to 400 calories in just thirty minutes from shoveling heavy snow. Winter sports
are also a big hit for losing weight, giving a sense of well-being, and helping out the economy. People do not have to actually
do any winter sports though in order to lose weight. The cold temperatures alone impact the human body in beneficial ways
too. There are many benefits that come down with the fallen snowflakes that include environmental benefits as well as benefitting the people themselves. Snow should be seen as a positive creation this time of year, rather than taking on any negative
connotations.
Losing weight before summer and getting ready for swimsuit season may
be harder than losing weight in the winter. Most seem to think the opposite because studies show that people tend to eat more in the winter and
are comfortable in their baggier clothes to cover things up, but there is
an alternative to this statistic. The dropping temperatures can stimulate
particular fat cells in the human body called BAT cells (Brown Adipose
Tissue) that actually help the human body burn the bad fats. These cells
are more commonly found in babies, but researchers discovered that
they also exist in adults. Prominent areas for these cells are near the upper chest and neck. There was an experiment done in
2009 that showed adults gained these cells after being exposed to 63 degree weather for two hours every day during a six
week period. The conclusion of this experiment showed that the individuals had 5% less body fat. Therefore, those exposed
to these cold temperatures during the winter could lose quite a bit of weight by burning more energy.
There are other methods to burn more energy during the winter as well. Sports during the winter season such as skiing,
snowboarding, ice skating, and much more are all a beneficial source to burn calories and stir up adrenaline. In 2011, Americans participating in winter sports burned more than 332 billion calories. The activity builds muscle mass and burns more calories than doing a similar activity in the summer time. Not only are physical effects visible, but psychological effects are visible
as well when doing these sports. Endorphins and adrenaline are released into the body during the activity which improves the
well-being and contentment of the individuals.
Companies that are not usually running during the other seasons are making more business and creating jobs. There is a need
for people to plow roads and run ski resorts. Also the money spent on snow equipment helps circulate money within the
economy. Another positive benefit to having snow is that the ski resorts do not need to create as much snow, which saves
them a decent amount of cash. These economic benefits are what keeps the economy moving through an entertaining and
peaceful wintery season.
Food prices also stay low when there is snow on the ground protecting the plants. The
snow helps insulate the soil and maintains the moisture and temperature levels that the
soil needs to prevent the plants from completely dying. The snow also replenishes the
water supply to certain extents depending on how it melts. There are other environmental benefits that are seen as more artsy and more toward gardening. For example, evergreens can be utilized for several different gardening techniques. If in need of mulch, one
can just go outside and take some evergreen branches and use them to protect their
plants. During the winter, evergreens also look much livelier with their effervescent green
color. The snow enhances this green quality that they have, making the landscape look
visibly attractive for people, artists, and photographers to appreciate.
There are usually two ways people look at winter. It can be a cold, gloomy, and lifeless, or a wondrous sight of vibrant snowfall with so many fun and amazing benefits. Snow is not just a term used for white fluffy stuff in the winter time, but it‟s also a
word used to describe the elegant crystals that falls upon soil and glisten with positive impacts.
Page 4
FYI
Latest Info from Guidance
Compiled by Damon Whimple,
courtesy of Guidance Dept.
Hudson Valley Community College is offering online
courses for the spring semester at a reduced rate through
the College in the High School program. Students who are
interested in enrolling in a course should see the guidance
office for the registration form. Registration is due by
Dec. 19. Payment is due by Jan. 2. Classes run Jan. 20 –
May 8.
Seniors can submit their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid ) beginning Jan. 1, 2015. Most colleges
recommend completing and submitting the FAFSA by Feb.
15, 2015. Early completion gives students the best opportunity to qualify for federal funds.
Kiwanis Chicken BBQ
by Hunter Sanchez
What can $9 buy you? At a movie theatre it would likely provide a water bottle, but at Kiwanis Club‟s Chicken Barbeque, $9
gives you a sensational meal. To be specific, this meal consists of a hearty helping of cole slaw, a potato and a delicious half
chicken.
This meal is important, but what the event provides and how it provides this is the real story. At each barbeque, over 50
volunteers from Kiwanis Club and the community come together. It is not uncommon to see Mr. Bennett braving the cold to
cook chicken while Maple Hill students like Dylan Fletcher fervently work the assembly line putting meals together. Throughout the day there are a total of four different pick up times for pre-ordered meals; 12:00, 1:00, 4:00 and 5:00 pm. Pre-order
isn‟t the only way to go, however, walk ins can
come into the Castleton Firehouse and purchase meals, or special order if they prefer double cole slaw, potato or chicken.
The day can start as early as 6:00 am for those
getting the grills ready, but this work culminates
to a crowning achievement by 5:00 pm. In the
span of a near 12 hour day, thousands of dollars
are raised. This money is taken by Kiwanis Club
and is used to fund their service projects that take place almost every month. The club participates in Adopt-a-Highway, The
Glover Run, and funds the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and The Anchor. In fact, The Anchor receives contributions directly from
the Chicken BBQ from whatever food items aren‟t sold.
This coming February will see the next Kiwanis Chicken Barbeque. To pre-order meals, look in The Advertiser for Kiwanis
Club‟s ad or check Schodack Central School District‟s website. While picking up dinners, Key Club will also be selling baked
goods if you want to add a dessert to your meal. So what will you do with $9 this February? Buy a water bottle at the movie
theatre, or a filling meal that will help your community?
Page 5
Congratulations to the Students of the Month:
In an effort to recognize outstanding achievements of our students, Maple Hill High School presents each month a
Student of the Month Award. Students may be nominated for this award by any staff member, a representative of
a community organization, a parent or another student. Students may be nominated for a single outstanding
achievement, for service to the school or community or for significant improvement in school. Each month one
student in each grade, 9-12, is selected for this award by a faculty committee after a review of all nominations. For the month of October, 2014, the students selected to receive this recognition are:
Freshman: Kassidy Berger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Berger, was nominated for being a dedicated, well-rounded and truly ambitious student. Here at Maple
Hill Kassidy is Vice-President of the Freshman Class along with being a member of
key club, SADD, cross country, swing choir, and is co-editor and chief of the school
newspaper. Outside of school she is involved in Girl Scouts and enjoys writing. In the
future Kassidy plans to go to RPI to study Biomedical Engineering and work on stem
cell/cancer research.
Sophomore: Jonathan Carlin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Carlin, was nominated for being a focused student who challenges himself. Here at Maple Hill Jon runs
cross country, wrestles and is on the track and field team. Outside of school he enjoys spending time with his family and being outside. Jon plans to go to college and is
considering a career in Pharmacology.
Junior: Alex Pomykaj, son of Mr. John Pomykaj and Ms. Mary Beth Pomykaj, was
nominated for working hard, being focused and making a positive contribution in
class. Here at Maple Hill he participates in cross country, wrestling, and baseball. He is also a member of Ski Club and excels in his Art classes. Outside of
school Alex enjoys spending time with friends and family. Alex plans to study business in college.
Senior: Shelby Gipp, daughter of Ms. Noelle Gipp, was nominated for bringing her
„A‟ game to class and tries to find solutions to any problem that may arise. Here at
Maple Hill she participates in tennis and is trying out for the bowling team. Shelby is
the Treasurer of the International Club and is a member of chorus. Outside of
school she enjoys being outside and spending time with friends. Shelby will be attending HVCC and plans on studying Liberal Arts.
The faculty and staff wish to congratulate these students on being selected October
students of the month for their respective grades.
Page 6
FYI
Charitable Chili with a Kick
by Peter Aitken
A delicious smelling medley of mysterious meats, peppers, onions and spices wafts through the building, even stinging
the eyes from the spiciness. This smell lingers through the air from the moment students step in, until the moment
they step out. Fortunately, this year students were not tortured at school with a smell that never fails to make their
mouths water and leave them wanting to sample whatever mystery is brewing in the faculty room throughout the day.
The infamous chili contest was held on Tuesday, November 4 (a Superintendent's Conference Day). It was a day that
students were grateful they had no school anyway. When there‟s eight or nine delicious chili crocks stationed in the
faculty room, the smell dissipates throughout the entire hallways of Maple Hill High School in no time and makes it
hard for students to focus. The tables turned and this year, Mr. Frese, the event organizer, had a hard time focusing
when he walked home empty-handed. Miss Flood, the 2014 Chili Contest Winner put her cooking skills to the test
and the twenty or so judges (teachers) liked what she had to offer. While Mr. Frese thought her Jalapeño Popper Turkey Chili was worthy of being used by the Rensselaer County Highway Department to fill potholes, her other fellow
competitors begged to differ.
When I asked Mr. Frese why he started the Chili Contest he said, “just for fun and a way of socialization amongst the
teachers.” Little does he know that the contest has turned into something much bigger than when it first started eight
or nine years ago. Despite the friendly competition, it‟s really the bigger picture that people go home with at the end
of the day. Take the champion‟s words for it, which were noted in her Academy Awards-like Acceptance Speech,
“This is an extraordinary honor, but what counts the most are the food donations that everyone brought in for The
Anchor and our families in need.” Each year, the teachers bring in food items to help eliminate hunger within the
Schodack Community. This year alone, Mrs. Wood shipped three huge boxes of spaghetti and pasta sauce down to
help the 20-25 needy families, which is constantly increasing especially during the colder months.
Back to the spotlight on this year‟s winner, or the multiple winners (in
her mind). In fact, she credits not only the chefs in the high school, or
the runner up, Mrs. Wollner, but also her mom who is responsible for
passing along the “tricks of the cooking trade.” Although Mr. Frese
would like to add that Mr. Vanderbeck screwed up the vote tallying and
feels that people were disenfranchised, Miss Flood is truly deserving of
her bragging rights. Don‟t take it personal Mr. Vanderbeck, Mr. Frese
has only won twice within the eight or nine years, and is craving those
bragging rights. Even Miss McGann had something to say about the chili
contest. “Miss Flood‟s chill was awesome and totally deserved to win,
but I'm really impressed with Mr. Frese‟s bravery in entering the contest every year in spite of his inevitable and humiliating defeat year after
year.” Nevertheless, the third place winner, Mr. Frese, would like to
announce that he still won something: best male chili.
With all joking aside, none of this would be possible without the man in
charge, Mr. Frese. His desire and effort in putting this together every
year is evident and most certainly goes a long way. Without him and all
of his supporters, there would be twenty five more hungry families and
emptier shelves down at The Anchor.
Page 7
FYI
Do You Know Your Animals?
Compiled by Grace Goodall
A. called a Clowder
B. the world‟s strongest animal
C. can grow as large as 22 feet long
D. one of the loudest animals on the planet
E. they know that the world is round and they
can calculate angles
F. they will die if they don't mate.
G. tongue wraps around head when retracted
H. turn red when they are cooked because the
heat breaks down all of the pigments except
astaxanthin
1) the Pistol Shrimp
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Female Ferrets
Woodpecker
Honey Bees
the Copepod
a group of cats
South African Earthworms
8) Lobsters
Answer Key
1) D
2) F
3) G
4) E
5) B
6) A
7) C
8) H
Ask Nancy
by Gabe Dingman
Q. Why are Seniors always so mad?
R. Our spirits were crushed a long, long time ago.
Q. Our spirits were crushed a long, long time ago.
R. I‟ve never had that problem, but chances are everyone else is cooler than
you so...
Q. I hate everyone.
R. This isn‟t a question, but same though. Usually it‟s always the same person, so you
should just hold in your anger towards that one person until after graduation then really let „em have it, verbally of course (wink wink). Until then just sit quietly in class
and roll your eyes each time their hand goes up.
Q. How cool is Mr. Porter?
R. The limit does not exist.
Q. What do freshmen have to look forward to
when they become seniors?
R. Moving up higher on the totem pole.
Page 8
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES ARE JOKES.
FYI
The One that Stole the Show (continued from cover)
by Amanda Kern
performance onstage. The show kicked off with the talent portion and his would be ribbon twirling. That‟s right, John
Paul would be twirling ribbons around onstage. He started out with his back towards the crowd as the song, Eye of
the Tiger, began. As the song picked up, he grabbed the ribbons off the floor and started. This way and that, up and
down the ribbons went. He twirled the ribbons in circular and what seemed to be random patterns. Every which way
the ribbons went as he tried to keep beat with the music. The music came to an end and the ribbons were tossed in
the air. With that, his performance was done. “I thought John Paul was hilarious. I was dying laughing because he took
it so seriously. His outfit topped it off, it was the cherry on top,” said Kerry. His ribbon twirling was good, but would
it be good enough to beat Alex Konig‟s or Bryce Perry‟s singing, Noah Roberts‟ exceptional juggling, or Anthony Butler‟s talent of eating grilled cheese while solving a Rubik‟s Cube?
Once each contestant showed off their talent, they would all come out dressed in evening wear. Each came out with
their own style. Some had on a suit, others were looking fine with a nice dress shirt and tie, while a few sported the
dress shirt and vest look. The third option is what John Paul chose for the evening. He walked out wearing dress
pants and a burgundy red dress shirt with a black tie and vest. Just like the rest, John Paul looked swell for the evening
wear portion of the show.
With two rounds down, there was only one left to go: the interview question. The competition was narrowed down
with the announcement of the six contestants who were to be interviewed. Both the talent round and evening wear
were enough to propel John Paul to the final round. It all came down to this. If he provides a unique answer and one
liked by the judges, he would be a shoo-in as a top contender for the win. When his turn arrived, John Paul excited
the crowd as he proposed to reopen the Stewarts on Main Street if he were the mayor of Castleton. Although his
answer was one that pleased the crowd, would it please the judges? How would it match up to Zach Frese‟s answer
about what bugs him the most about politicians today or Noah Roberts‟ answer to what one thing was that he would
change about himself?
Now the anticipation awaits. Would the combination
of all three rounds allow John Paul to win? Before the
winner is revealed, they announce the runner ups.
Now the moment everyone has been waiting comes,
time to see who would be crowned the winner. Drumroll please…….. and he does it! John Paul takes the
crown and the title of King of the Hill.
“It was rigged. I should‟ve won. I don‟t cur what anyone says,” said Gabe. Despite the expected bitterness
that came with losing, Gabe also congratulated everyone on a good job. The contestants made the show
worth seeing and hopefully into a new annual event.
MORE PICTURES ON p. 17
Page 9
FYI
Best and Worst of 2014
By Alysa Kelly and Julia Keyoskey
Favorite Actor
1. Tie- Adam Sandler and Zac Efron
2. Tie- Seth Rogen and Leonardo DiCaprio
Honorable Mention- Robin Williams
Favorite Actress
1. Jennifer Lawrence
2. Jennifer Aniston
3. Tie- Angelina Jolie and Shailene Woodley
Favorite Male Artist
1. Sam Smith
2. Adam Levine
3. Tie- Luke Bryan and Drake
Honorable Mention- Ice JJ Fish
Favorite Female Artist
1. Ariana Grande
2. Beyonce
3. Taylor Swift
Favorite Band
1. Five Seconds of Summer
2. One Direction
3. Tie- Maroon 5 and Fall Out Boy
Favorite Book
1. The Fault in Our Stars
2. Tie- The Great Gatsby and The Hunger Games
Trilogy
3. If I Stay
Favorite Song
1. “Jealous”
2. Tie-“Anaconda” and
“Take Me to Church”
3. Tie- “Tuesday” and
“Shake it Off”
Worst Song
1. “All About That Bass”
2. “Anaconda”
3. “Lifestyle”
Page 10
Favorite Fashion Trend
1. Leggings
2. Yoga Pants
3. Scarves and Sweaters
Worst Fashion Trend
1. Saggy Pants
2. Crocs
3. Socks with Sandals
Favorite App
1. Trivia Crack
2. Instagram
3. Twitter
Worst App
1. Flappy Bird
2. Trivia Crack
3. Facebook
Favorite TV Show
1. “The Walking Dead”
2. Tie- “Arrow” and “Supernatural”
3. Tie- “Grey‟s Anatomy” and “Pretty Little Liars”
Worst TV Show
1. Tie- “The Walking Dead” and
“Pretty Little Liars”
1. “Honey Boo-Boo”
2. “Family Guy”
News
The Hunger Games Becomes Reality
by Christina Malthouse
What‟s freedom and where does it rest in the world
that we live?
People every day ask themselves this question. There
is no simple answer, but people can realize when
freedom is being restricted. People not only in Thailand, but also in China are struggling with their government leaders. There are arrests of multiple ages
and bans of the beloved Mockingjay, Part I movie that
viewers are enjoying all around the world. Unfortunately these few areas are being
detained because of the usage of
the three finger symbol.
It began on May 22, 2014 when
Thailand‟s government imposed
martial law preventing their civilians from having freedoms. These freedoms included protesting
verbally or visually. Right now,
the military leaders have been
running Thailand and they are
being disrespected by mainly the
younger generation of the country. First, the three
finger salute was seen in the movie theater by three
students and later proceeded into the public during
the speech of Thailand army leader Prayuth ChanOcha. When this happened, the students were immediately arrested and detained in an army camp for
“attitude adjustment” which took up to a month of
time. These students were just the start of more riots
to come.
John Sifton who works for the Human Rights Watch
thinks that if the government is afraid of the youth rising
up with imitation of the movie then that shows that a
change is necessary.
Censors were all over the country‟s news media. There
was a limited right to public assembly and therefore critics and opponents were arrested including journalists,
academics, and activists. China reached the news and similar actions were taken. The officials in China especially
Hong Kong have experiencing
protests where people are
voicing their opinion about
receiving more democracy.
They too have put the release
of the “Mockingjay” off until
next year in the entire country
of China because they do not
want to risk having prodemocracy activists stir up
trouble.
One of the detained students spoke, “The three-finger
sign is a sign to show that I am calling for my basic right
to live my life.” With this right being taken away in now
two countries will it continue is the question. How limited is the world becoming and where does the power
rest? This issue should not be taken lightly. Human rights
are being taken away every day and if it does not stop
what will the effects be for us in the future?
The military tried to restore order. They banned the
movie from playing in two of the Bangkok movie theaters, but some students counteracted against this
action. Hundreds of tickets were bought by students
who planned on giving the tickets away in order to
organize opponents against the military. Despite these
riots Prayuth states that martial law will continue until
there is a right time to put an end to it. The issue of
human rights becomes debated too. Human rights
activists criticize the government from banning the
symbols of protest. Matilda Bogner, a United Nations
human rights official, said, “These actions are part of a
pattern of human rights violation.”
Page 11
News
With Liberty and Justice For Some?
by Skylar Van Alstyne
It feels like a lifetime ago when civil injustices were being dealt with by famous names: Martin Luther King,
Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. Every child in America is taught about these names and the great fight they put up for
the equality of all men, no matter what race. We believe their cause
has been liberated, but has it really?
We live in a nation in which many children routinely recite the
Pledge of Allegiance morning after morning, putting their hands over
their hearts, swearing by this flag.
“...with liberty and justice for all.”
We live in a nation in which everyone knows things that are
morally “wrong”, yet don‟t understand what that really means. In
which point are things wrong anymore?
Michael Brown. It has become a household name in the past
few months. A black, unarmed teenager shot down by a white police
officer numerous times, after he robbed a convenience store. Immediately, riots took to the streets, starting off peacefully but progressively becoming violent as police began to intervene with curfews
and tear gas.
The streets calmed down as Brown‟s wake came and passed
and a glimpse of justice began to shine through. Only to be smothered by a sign that we have pushed our nation back into the past.
Officer Wilson, the man who shot Michael Brown, would
not be convicted of any crimes. At all. He shot an unarmed teenage
boy many times, killing him. Yet, he got no punishment for killing
someone? Some believe that the self defense “card” is enough, but if
he really needed self defense, shooting a man in the leg would be
enough to stop him.
Ferguson is too far from home for most people around here
to recognize. They don‟t fully understand it. Well, that no longer has to be a problem. About a week after this verdict, a white, Staten Island police officer, Daniel Pantaleo, got off with no charges after choking a black man, Eric Garner, to death. Officer Pantaleo reported that he was trying to take down Garner who was illegally selling loose cigarettes. An outburst of riots, not only in Staten Island, but also Washington D.C., as far out as California and as close
to home as Albany came to the streets. Cries of Garner‟s last words rang out, “I can‟t breath,” and, “It
ends today,”. Officer Pantaleo apologized for his actions adding in the amount of remorse he had for
what he had done. But that wasn‟t enough. Garner‟s
wife spoke out saying, “Hell, no. The time for remorse for the death of my husband was when he was
yelling to breathe.” Many others cried out about the
social injustices of these decisions and how equality is
still not evident.
Could that really be true? After all these
years, after all of Martin Luther King‟s work, after
everyone's‟ work, we still don‟t have justice?
Maybe justice for some, but not all.
Page 12
10
News
Every Child Deserves A Magical Christmas Morning
by Grace Goodall
Eighteen years ago, the principal at the Maple Hill Middle School, Tom Rabone had a
thoughtful idea to start something that would later change lives. With the help of The
Schodack Business Association, Fran Owen, Pat Wood, and Jen Sober, the “Adopting”
idea
Adopt a Child has served approximately 115 children/families in the community this
year. Usually there is about three or four wishes on the wish list. Local families, staff
members from SCSD, businesses and clubs all contribute. Even girl scout troops and
school clubs help. The Castleton Kiwanis and the local Quilters club also donated grocery store gift cards for the adopted families.
Families that would like to buy for another family on the list, do
not know who they are buying for. They try their hardest as
Christmas heroes to buy everything the children desire on their
lists, while also fulfilling needs like warm gloves and socks. People that are on the Free and
Reduced lunches get asked if they need help first. Then the working families that are still
struggling during the holidays get forms to fill out. High School social worker, Wood said,
“This really is a community effort making sure that all of the kids in our community are actually touched.” Wood herself has adopted a child before. She enjoys helping the community
and the people in it in any way she can.
The presents that are bought do not get wrapped. In addition to buying the gifts, the shoppers are encouraged to
buy wrapping paper so the families can see the presents and then wrap them before giving them to their children. If
the parents do not like what was bought for the child or children, the adoptees usually include gift receipts with the
presents. This cause is worth contributing to just to see the
smiles on the children and the parents‟ faces when they get
what they wished for. “Every child that is put on our list will
be adopted one way or another,” Wood stated.
A Different Kind of Cruise Ship
by Damon Whimple
Have you ever imagined standing over top a large cruise ship,
300 ft high? Have you ever imagined a skydiving simulator in the middle of the ocean? Have you ever imagined driving bumper cars while
floating on water? What about a professional aerial acrobatic show
while you eat dinner?
These are just a few of the activities you can stop imagining
about and begin to take part of on the new Royal Caribbean Ship,
Quantum of the Seas.
This futuristic ship offers many things that no other cruise ship has even thought about. A skydiving simulator, iFLY, by Ripcord? Yes. A ride in a capsule 300 ft above the ocean, the North Star creates thrilling views? Check.
The Two70 Degree dining room, with views of the ocean during the day, and thrilling performances at night? Cant
beat that. Newly Designed rooms including two floor rooms. Doesn't that feel like home? Also, a robotic bar allows
cruisers to select a drink, watch robots make it, and then enjoy it. No need for people for that job.
Maybe its just me, but it feels like a vacation in a vacation to me.
Page 13
News
More Than Just a Cube
by Kerry Golden
Does it seem like everywhere you turn you see a student at Maple Hill playing with a Rubik‟s Cube? If you
answered yes, then you probably have run into someone enrolled in the Topics elective. Topics, a math class taught
by Mrs. Balogh, is designed to keep students engaged in mind challenging math problems, but in a fun way. One such
fun challenge is the Rubik‟s Cube. Lately, it seems as if students throughout the school are constantly twisting and
turning the many layers of the colored cube in hopes of successfully completing the puzzle. By the end of January, the
students enrolled in Topics will have to be able to complete the Rubik‟s Cube
in front of Mrs. Balogh for their midterm exam! The more kids become involved in Topics, the more students are focused on solving the “mystery” of
the cube.
The first prototype of the Rubik's Cube was created by a Hungarian
professor named Erno Rubik in 1974. Rubik, a professor of architecture in
Budapest, designed the cube as a way to teach his students about spatial relations in a new and exciting way. Rubik‟s idea was to create a puzzle that was
impossible for his students to solve. The original cube design was not a perfect square, and was made of wood with only four white squares and a few
black dots.
In 1975 Rubik made some changes to the cube by making it square
and adding colored stickers. In 1979, Rubik brought his patented “Magic Cube” to the Nuremberg Toy Fair where a
toy specialist by the name of Tom Kremer saw the potential of the cube and agreed to sell it to the rest of the
world.
In 1980, the Ideal Toy Company took over the distribution of the “Magic Cube,“ changed its name to the
Rubik‟s Cube, and the popularity of the cube exploded. Since then, according to Rubiks.com, it is estimated that approximately one in seven people have played with the cube, and 350 million Rubik‟s Cubes have been sold all over
the world making it the best selling toy of all time.
Now, 40 years later, the phenomenon has landed in the hands of the students at Maple Hill. Junior and topics
student Elizabeth Roberts said, “It is addicting because you want to memorize the patterns as fast a possible, so you
can just complete the cube for the first time. It‟s a puzzle, and you just want the satisfaction of finishing it because it
is technically math, and everyone wants to feel like a genius.“ Roberts also went on to add, “It‟s also a better option
than continuously looking at the screen of your phone, and equally fun.”
Topics student, Amanda Kern, stated, “If a Rubik‟s Cube is messed up, I like to fix it. It bugs me if it‟s messed
up.” Many readers can relate to Kern‟s obsessive need to fix the cube. No where is this obsession more evident than
in Mr. Porter‟s Physics classroom. Within the classroom, there are two Rubik‟s Cubes on the main lab table. However, they are almost always in the hands of a student, and returned only when
the cube is solved. Seldom do you see Mr. Porter‟s Rubik‟s Cubes unsolved
due to the compulsiveness of the students to manipulate them and return
them to the table as completed puzzles. Some students even take the challenge of solving Mr. Porter‟s larger and more complicated 4X4 Rubik‟s Cube.
Regardless of where they may find the "Cube,” Maple Hill students have become crazed on solving the “Cube.”
If you really think about it, Mrs. Balogh is a lot like Erno Rubik. She has challenged students to learn something new that involves a great deal of effort.
"The goal for me is for them to get out of this is that they can do anything.
The important math things aren‟t actual math…”
See Rubik’s Cube continued on p. 15
Page 14
News
Rubik’s Cube continued from p. 14
“...They are developing skills to persevere, just to keep working at it and to not give up and not say this is too hard
for me,” stated Mrs. Balogh. “It also shows you how things move. Like there is visual stuff you can learn from that,
especially for me. I‟m not good with stuff like that, but once I did it, I understood.” If you really want to learn how
to solve the Rubik‟s Cube and add to the “fever,” talk to your Guidance Counselor about adding Topics to your
schedule next year!
Bashing Conservative Beauties?
by Skylar Van Alstyne
The President of the United States will constantly
have eyes surrounding every aspect of his life. There is
almost no such thing as privacy in Barack Obama‟s world.
And why should there be? As the political head of one of
the strongest nations in the world, people everywhere
will be watching his every move. But should that be the
same for the First Lady? What about the First Children?
Apparently, eyes are on the First Children, Malia
Obama, 16, and Sasha Obama, 13.
Elizabeth Lauten, a communications director to
Representative Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, seemed to
watch the two girls a little too closely with too much
negativity.
After the annual Turkey-Pardoning Ceremony at
the White House, which was
broadcasted on T.V., Lauten
took to Facebook to comment
on the girls‟ “class,” or lack of
it.
“Respect the part you
play,” Lauten wrote. “Then
again, your parents don‟t respect their positions very
much, or the nation for that
matter, so I‟m guessing you‟re coming up a little short in
the „good role model‟ department.”
Lauten later adds how the Obama girls should
dress classier as well, “...dress like you deserve respect,
not a spot at the bar.” These outlashes on social media
drew quite a bit of attention from Congress members
and civilians alike.
No matter what their position was, every Representative, Congress member and political leader
agreed that these public out lashes were extremely
inappropriate. They believed that Lauten was entitled
to her opinion, but the public criticism of the two
girls was extremely uncalled for. White House
spokesman Josh Earnest adds in that it‟s, “Pretty
much common sense that the first daughters should
be off-limits to criticism.”
Many people also wondered what Lauten was
thinking, not only criticizing the two girls, but at this
time of year: Thanksgiving.
Lauten did call back
her actions, deleting her post
and talking about the judgmental feelings she had.
“When I first posted on Facebook, I reacted to an article
and I quickly judged the two
young ladies in a way that I
would never have wanted to
be judged myself as a teenager.” She went on the personally apologize to Malia and
Sasha, the Obamas and even
everyone who read the post and was offended by it.
The entire drama was
extinguished when Lauten ultimately resigned from her job.
Page 15
News
Emmaus House Burning
by John Paul Kulpa
Tuesday, December 2nd was a tragic date for dozens of immigrant families, as the services of the Refugee and Immigrant
Support Services of Emmaus, or RISSE, were set to flames. The
fire, at 240 W. Lawrence St., started at around four o‟clock in
the morning. And the suspicion surrounding the cause of the
fire, due to slashed tires and an absence of volunteers when the
fire occurred, raises even more concern for both the RISSE
group, and the families it supported. This troubling case has left
little evidence as to what happened, and unfortunately, police
seem to be at a loss.
The Emmaus House, as it is more often referred to, is a program that helps and assists refugee families and immigrants adjust and build a new life in America. It supplies huge amounts of
help to people new to America, by providing English and Computer classes,
homework help for children, instructing people how to fill out forms necessary for a successful life in America, and other things to help point immigrant and refugee families in the right direction. The Emmaus House even
provides medical care, living arrangements, and everyday needs, if the family
is in need. Run through the Emmaus United Methodist Church, this service
is life changing to the hundreds of families it has helped throughout its seven
years of existence. Pastor G. Ewart Morris, along with many other church
officials, scrambled to help provide the services to the hundreds of people
that frequently visit the facility on a daily basis this Tuesday, after the horrible event. Church members and volunteers struggled to keep control and order throughout the chaos. "We are in a holding pattern right now, as this is a
big blow to the program," Morris said. With volunteers doing all they can to aid those in need, the police officers are
working hard in order to discover the cause of the fire, and whether or not there was vandalism involved.
Unfortunately, this seems to be the case, as the little evidence that has come up points towards that of someone
intentionally damaging the Emmaus House. With the fire starting at around four o‟clock in the morning, a time where
no workers nor residents were at the house, it was first believed that the fire may have been a cause of some malfunction in the house. However, when fire fighters arrived to fight
the blaze at five o‟clock, it was found that the fire started in the attic
of the house, ruling out the likeliness of an electrical fire, or cooking
accident. This brings some suspicion, and generates the first idea that
maybe the fire was intentional. With this, firefighters discovered two
vans belonging to that of the Emmaus House, were found with
slashed tires, and other visible signs of vandalism, parked in the
driveway. "It would be very strange that the tires would be slashed
and the fire happen at the same time and not be related," Church
sexton Craig Middleton said. The vans were parked alongside the
right side of the house, which is the section that sustained the heaviest fire damage, leading more and more to the idea that someone was trying to cause harm to the Emmaus House,
or people involved. "We certainly cannot ignore it. It is a part of our overall investigation," said Deputy Fire Chief
Joseph Toomey about the connection between the vans and the fire. With church officials unaware of anyone with a
motive, and the uncertainty regarding the entire event, it looks to be a difficult job for all involved.
See Emmaus continued on p. 17
Page 16
News
Emmaus House Burning cont. from p. 16
With mystery surrounding the horrible accident, volunteers and officials are doing all they can to help the people that are without the services that the Emmaus House had previously provided, while police
and firefighter officials search for an explanation to the fire. Programs
have resumed at a temporary location at St. Vincents and the vans are
back on the road, but according to the RISSE website, the fire is still
being investigated and damage is being assessed. Since insurance cannot cover all materials lost including the computer lab and office,
RISSE is looking for generous donors.
King of the Hill Pictures!!!
Page 17
Arts & Entertainment
Disney is Not Letting Go of Frozen
by Gabe Dingman
Disney‟s Frozen came into theaters on November 27, 2013
and has since become a worldwide phenomenon. Catchy songs like
“Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?” and “Let it Go” amongst others
could be heard almost anywhere you go. Since it‟s original release,
the movie has generated over 1.8 billion dollars across the
globe making it the fifth highest grossing movie ever, and highest
grossing animated movie ever. It‟s safe to say Disney has struck a gold
mine that it will likely be cashing in on for a long time.
So what comes next for Elsa, Ana and the gang? A better
question would be, what isn‟t coming? As of now several projects are
either in the works to expand the world of Frozen or are already happening. If you were to travel to any Disney theme park, character
look alikes would be roaming right down the middle of Main Street,
USA and there would be daily opportunities to see a sing-a-long show.
However, if traveling to the Magic Kingdom isn‟t on your to do list,
there are also opportunities to see everyone‟s favorite Ice Queen
closer to home. Disney on Ice already created a rather stunning show
using the movie‟s characters. The production is touring North America now, and is even stopping in Albany from December 17-21. Or you
could visit a local movie theatre this January and sing your little heart
out to the sing-a-long which by the way, you can already purchase on
DVD and Blu Ray.
As if that‟s not enough, Disney is even in the midst of creating
a live Broadway production of the show. Of course that is still in early
development, but it would not be a stretch to say such a production
could even rival that of Wicked when it comes to reception. Lastly,
but certainly not least, Idina Menzel (Voice of Elsa) herself recently
told the media that a sequel is without a doubt happening in the near
future.
It‟s apparent that Frozen has become more than just a movie
to the people of the world. People have come to know and love the
characters and will buy or watch just about anything to do with the
franchise. I think its safe to say that the future for the people of Arendale is an open door of possibilities (pun intended).
Page 18
Trainor Tops the Charts
by Julia Keyoskey
Many have heard the #1 hit song “All
About That Bass,” but how much do you
know about the 20 year old pop singer? Meghan Trainor has taken the world by storm.
"All About That Bass" may be her first hit,
but there are so many more to come.
Meghan Trainor, born in Massachusetts with a very musical family, has been
writing songs since she was 11. A family
band was started when she was a young girl,
but she obviously grew into the star she is
today.
This artist is refreshingly different.
Her timeless music, which makes us all think
of a 50‟s Sock Hop, is unlike anything other
artists are coming out with today.
Meghan Trainor has been seen a lot
lately, singing on the season finale of Dancing
With the Stars, and also performing with
Miranda Lambert on the
See Trainor continued on page 21
Arts & Entertainment
One Direction and Danny Devito
by Hunter Sanchez
Sumo Wrestlers! Chimpanzees! Marching Bands! Danny DeVito! No, not a Hello Goodbye album, but the contents of One Direction‟s video for their single “Steal My Girl”. One
may wonder what the “It‟s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star and a
popular boy band have in common, but DeVito answers at the beginning of their video. “We‟re here in the name of art. We‟re here
to commit ourselves to a higher form of expression,” says DeVito.
Set in the California desert, DeVito
plays the band‟s director as Zayn is Mystery,
Niall is Light, Liam is
Power, Louis is Danger
and Harry is Love.
Dancing through most
scenes DeVito tells the boys to partake in holding back sumo wrestlers,
tribal dancing and singing with a rather well accessorized chimpanzee. Ecstatic to be working with one of Hollywood‟s oldest greats (69 years old
to be exact), members of the band and DeVito himself took to Twitter
while filming. “Cant believe that Hollywood Royalty @DannyDevito is in
the steal my girl video! What a legend!,” Tweeted Niall.
Many report of the idea behind this move in exposing One Direction to an older audience and Danny DeVito to a younger one. However,
DeVito himself weighed in on his decision to partake in the video as RTÉ.
ie would report. “I have many, many young kids in my family who would
beat me up if I didn‟t do (it)...” said DeVito. And while he may have been
compelled to appear in the video, he did have great things to say about it. “It was a ball… It was reminiscent of the
days when you saw the Beatles go somewhere and there were always packs of people following them.”
Page 19
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Arts & Entertainment
Let It Snow
by Lauryn Krupa
Welcome to Gracetown; a place where the magic of Christmas
blasts through the town along with an ill-timed storm that forces many people to change their plans for the holidays last minute. Join the three authors, Maureen Johnson, John Green, and
Lauren Myracle throughout their interwoven stories of the
magic of Christmas all wrapped up
into one miracle of a tale, Let it Snow.
The Jubilee Express leaves the station
when a young girl named Jubilee, who
most people call Julie, is suddenly canceling all her plans with her boyfriend
Noah when she hears her parents
have gotten involved in a Flobie fight.
Her parents have collected Flobies,
little Christmas figurines and village
pieces, for many years and became
entangled in a fight that established
them as part of the Flobie 5.
ers? The only thing needed to be welcomed into the
Waffle House is the game, Twister. While Jobin‟s
parents are away, him and his friends decide to take
the car, Carla, out into the storm, with Twister under his arm. Feelings against the cheerleaders by the
Duke become revealed the closer
they get to their destination and Jobin
begins seeing the Duke in a whole
new way. Follow along with the ultimate showdown between the three
friends, the twins, and the college students to see who wins the ultimate
prize. Will the ultimate prize be the
cheerleaders? Or will the blizzard create a whole new outcome?
Self-absorbed Addie always needs attention. Whether it be from her
friends, family, or newly established ex
-boyfriend Jeb...Yes, the very same Jeb
Embarrassed by her parents obsession
Jubilee met on the train who said he
with the small figurines and Christmas
was going to see his “kinda” girlfriend
village pieces, Jubilee boards a train to
after she had cheated on him. Addie
spend Christmas with her grandparknowing it was a mistake right after,
ents when she meets Jeb; tall, handreminisces with her friends over her
some, and love-struck by a girl within
problems. While once again focusing
the confines of Gracetown. Join Jubilee
on herself only, Addie forgets a huge
as she handles the change of plans,
favor for her friends, Tegan and Dortrain, blizzard, and a group of Ambers and Madisons on their
rie, that sends her on a difficult course to find the
way to cheerleading regionals. When the train plummets into a teacup pig, Gabriel, in the final story within Let it
snow bank from the blizzard, Jubilee finds herself leaving the
Snow, The Patron Saint of Pigs. Will Addie let down
train to go to the Waffle House, a place where she‟ll meet the
her friends once again or will she be able to find the
tin-foiled man and Stuart; a sweet guy who‟s heart was shatGabriel? Addie is forced to face the very reason she
tered by a cheerleader. She‟ll find herself questioning everything was forced to break up with Jeb and why he never
she does and wonders how Noah really feels about her. Will
showed up at their Starbucks. Follow along as charJubilee stay with him? Or will she make Stuart happier than he
acters from throughout the previous two stories
was before his devastating breakup?
intertwine together as a grapevine of secrets and
messages forgotten are revealed.
Meet JP, the Duke, and Jobin; 3 best friends from Gracetown
who find themselves racing against college students and twins to
the Waffle House to get A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle. The
cheerleaders, from the same train as Jubilee, seem like the ultimate prize for JP and Jobin, and the Waffle House‟s hash
browns for the Duke. Is it worth it to go out in one of the
worst blizzards that has hit Gracetown just for some cheerlead
Page 20
Arts & Entertainment
Trainor continued from p. 18
CMAs. Appearing on Jimmy Fallon was also a good way
to show herself to the world.
Although Trainor's debut album, Title, isn't out yet, it can
be preordered on iTunes and Amazon. The album will be starting
off 2015 on a good note. Officially in stores on January 13th. Her
hit singles have already hit the iTunes charts.
Title, not only the title of her album, but one of the best
songs on the album is about a girl telling a guy she likes that if he
doesn't give her the title of his girlfriend, she'll be leaving. Another great song is, "Dear Future Husband" is so upbeat and almost
funny due to all of the comic humor put into the lyrics. Slowing it
down some, "Close Your Eyes" also has a similar message to "All
About That Bass" which tells girls to embrace themselves the way
they are.
Although Trainor doesn't consider herself a feminist, she
is a great role model to girls of any age. We need more artists
who tell young girls that they shouldn't want to be anyone but
themselves. Meghan Trainor is at the start of a hopefully long
career.
This breakout star has announced her first North American tour. This tour kicks off February 11 in Vancouver, making its
way to U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York
before wrapping up in Nashville. Take advantage of her North
American tour and see this influential talented star for yourself.
Not Just Another Summer
(A Book Review of Jenny Han‟s The Summer I Turned Pretty)
by Amanda Kern
Just like every other summer, Isabel (Belly) heads down to Cousins
Beach with her mom, Laurel, and older brother, Steven. Each summer the
trio stays with Laurel‟s childhood best friend, Susannah Fisher, and her two
boys, Conrad and Jeremiah, in their beach house. Conrad is the older of the
two and the one Belly has had her eye on forever, while Jeremiah is the
youngest and Belly‟s friend. With the combination of the two and Belly‟s
brother Steven, Belly has found herself on the outskirts for as long as she
can remember. The only time she gets to partake in their fun is when they
do the annual Belly Flop, in which they ambushed her and throw her into
the pool. She‟s usually hanging with her mother and Susannah watching movies, but not this summer. Something‟s changed and so has Belly. This summer she‟s turning sixteen. This summer Jeremiah is teaching her how to
drive. This summer she gets to join the boys at Clay Bertolet‟s big Fourth of
July bonfire. She finally gets to be involved in the boys‟ fun and
maybe have some fun of her own. At the bonfire, Cam, a boy who is
Summer continued on p. 24
Page 21
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Arts & Entertainment
Girl’s Winter Fashion 101
by Alysa Kelly
When there's winter there's cold, and when there's cold there's brand new
fashion.
The beautiful, frosty snow does not only mean a winter wonderland, but a
runway for all sorts of warm, unique, and wonderful styles.
Starting up the lineup this November were the ever so cozy oversized
sweaters. Collected in every shade of gray, cream, and taupe, this piece is sure to
end up in every girl‟s closet at least once or twice this season. Plus, while you're all
knee deep in the glistening snow, a cute pair of thigh high socks or adorable leg
warmers will be sure to spice up your brown and black combat boots. Whether the
heel rises a little higher than normal, or a couple of buckles are added to bring out
the look, the snow will be sure to melt away immediately. Even a soft pair of sweater leggings would be the perfect choice to add to your wardrobe this toasty season,
in any print or design you could imagine.
It's no surprise that fluffy infinity scarves have made their rounds again, going
perfect with any solid color sweater or hidden under the newly improved bomber
jackets. Flannels are still running strong, as
well, and making the more "lazy" days much more stylish when worn with skinny
jeans or some leggings. Shift dresses are also making a rapid comeback this sparkling season, along with the continuously popular skater skirt which accentuates
the waist ever so perfectly. Even the soft pants are bringing on the heat, or in
our case the chill, this frosty time of the year, pulling away from the so highly
praised tight fitted pant look.
Some colors to really look out for this season are definitely emerald
green, burgundy, blush and anything on the more neutral side.
As far as accessories go, statement necklaces are still adding some pop
to our outfits, especially in turquoise stones and iridescent metal. Knuckle rings
are also becoming a hit, adding a new edge to the everyday finger jewelry. While
head wear is even taking a turn for
the best as fashion hats, beanies, and headwraps are being added to almost
any type of style.
As far as fashion goes, however, it is up to the trendsetter within
you to determine what you walk out of the house in every morning. Your
style is all dependent on you and whether you go along with norm or add
your own twist to your appearance, nothing should stop you from wearing
you, except for those blistering winter days that we sometimes just can't
control of course.
Page 22
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Arts & Entertainment
Men’s Winter Fashion -- A Real Take
by Hunter Sanchez
Google Men‟s Fashion. Now go through a couple links until you find a parade of men prancing down a catwalk
in what looks like fabric covered boxes, XXL coats draped over slim, fit bodies and pants baggy then tight in wrong
and awkward places. Let‟s be clear, this is Men‟s Fashion, not Men’s Casual or Business Wear.
Fashion as seen in these shows is art. Art meant to inspire more practical designs for daily wearing, but still art. So for
the purpose of understanding the difference this will be a split article between Men‟s Artistic Winter Fashion and
Men‟s Realistic Winter Fashion.
Artistic
There are winter days where having a blanket with me would be quite nice, so don‟t knock these styles completely. Perhaps the largest similarity between Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry and Emporio Armani is the shift to black on
black with white trim. Burberry (picturing models with Fashionable blankets) incorporates the most white into their
designs of the three mentioned. These designs are meant to be seen as the art they are, but their trends will be sure
to transfer to what men across the world will be wearing.
Realistic
The real draws inspiration from the artistic. Black and white
seems to be a staple of this season along with heavy leather
jackets. Some crazier designs have worked their way into the jackets of Dolce & Gabbana‟s winter wear, but nothing
to the extent of what‟s present on the runway.
Page 23
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Arts & Entertainment
Summer continued from p. 17
staying in Cousins Beach for the summer, catches her eye. They immediately hit it off as they reminisce about a Latin Convention they
both apparently went to in eighth grade. From then on, the two start
to spend more and more time together. The bond between the two
arises some curious and jealous looks from Jeremiah. Despite Belly‟s
summer fling, she still has feelings for Conrad. As the summer comes
to an end, she starts to realize it's now or never. Will Belly tell Conrad? Will Conrad return the feelings?
Upcoming Music
Featuring: Echosmith
by Kelsey Pascetto
Echosmith is an American indie pop band formed in February
2009 from Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. The band is composed of
nothing but siblings: Graham, Sydney, Noah, and Jamie Sierota.
Echosmith signed to Warner Bros. Records in May 2012. They are
best known for their hit song
"Cool Kids" which reached
number 13 on the Billboard
Hot 100. Echosmith unveiled
their new single and official
music video "Come Together" in early June 2013. The
band's debut album, Talking
Dreams, was released on October 8, 2013.
Echosmith has also released severala bunch of
different covers, such as "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons, "Lights" by Ellie Goulding, "Set
Fire to the Rain" by Adele, and "Princess of
China" by Coldplay and Rihanna. In April 2013, Echosmith
was named one of the "100
Bands You Need To Know"
by Alternative Press. On May
31, 2013, Echosmith released
their new single on YouTube,
“Come Together”. This song
reached 1,743,955 views on
YouTube.
The group grew up in a musical household playing multiple
instruments throughout their
childhood. The band says that
a range of rock artists including Coldplay, Echo & the
Bunnymen, The Smiths, U2,
Joy Division, and Fleetwood
Mac influenced them while
growing up and encouraged them to make music together.
Echosmith‟s youngest member, Graham (15), plays drums. The only
female member of the group, Sydney (17), is the lead vocalist for
the band, often contributing on keyboard and tambourine. Noah
(18) plays bass and sings back-up vocals for the band. The oldest
member, Jamie (21), plays guitar and sings.
For the second year in a row,
Echosmith will once again play
for Vans Warped Tour in
2014. Echosmith made their
late night TV premiere in June
2014, performing "Cool Kids"
on Conan and the Teen Wolf
after show, Wolf Watch. On
June 10, Echosmith released
an acoustic EP, titled Acoustic Dreams, which
features acoustic versions of four tracks off
Talking Dreams, in addition to one new track
titled "Terminal". Leading up to the release, the
acoustic version of "Cool Kids" was premiered
on the group's YouTube channel on June 3.
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Arts & Entertainment
Yesterday and Today: Kinks and Hollows
by Audra Colliton
Yesterday: Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks released Arthur in 1969 as an early rock opera, although several critics do not believe it to be a rock
opera. This album was very different for its time. While the Beatles worked on Abbey Road with songs like “Octopus‟s
Garden” and “Sun King” (a song inspired by one of John Lennon‟s dream with a ton of mixed language which was really
obscure) and the Who worked on Tommy, a rock opera about a dumb, deaf blind boy who is good a pinball, the Kinks
decided to sing about their home and the history of Britain. This album is a trip, truly.
The first song is upbeat and is named “Victoria” about Queen Victoria of Britain. Ray Davies voice acts as an
entrance to the album with lines like, “I was born, lucky
me” (sarcasm) and “For this land I will die” along with “Let her
sun never set”. I think the Kinks made this song perfect because
its historical along with great chords and excellent percussion.
The song also lists out countries, wealth, and the hemispheres all
into one beautifully arranged song. I love it.
“Yes Sir, No Sir” is accompanied with horns and Ray Davies McCartney-esque voice he uses from time to time on this
album. The song has a complaining tone when it starts, giving the
song a miserable tone with lines such as, “Permission to breathe
Sir” and “Permission to speak, sir”. Its related to the British army,
so soon after the beginning, the lines become rigid and instructive, of that of a sargent. Ray returns to the complaining, and then
the song takes a surprising turn into with a burst of really good
rhythm, which turns into more instruction like, “Everything is in
its place, authority must be maintained” and calms down, excluding the percussion and horns, which are full blast during this section, with lyrics like “Let them feel they‟re important to the
cause” and “Give the scum a gun and make the bugger fight/And
be sure that deserters are shot on sight”, with the last two lines
sung in a really reptilian manner in my opinion. The song returns to a complaining tone, with lyrics such as, “Please let
me die sir, I think this life is affecting my brain.”
“Some Mother‟s Son” is really emotional. Its painful to listen to, let alone imagine if it happened to you or your
mother. Its about how mother‟s find out that their sons were killed in battle. The first lyrics are blunt and to the point,
“Some mother‟s son lies in a field, someone has killed some mother‟s son today” and the tone of the song is mournful.
The Kinks use so much imagery that its impossible to not imagine it. First time I listened to it, I cried. With songs, I‟m
not usual emotional. This is probably the saddest song you‟ll ever encounter. Lyrics such as, “And then his friend calls
out his name, He stops his dream and turns his head, a second later he is dead” reiterate this pain. There is a part
where it gets a little upbeat when the song reminds everyone that “the world keeps turning and all the children have
gone away.” A powerful anti-war song that gets me choked up every time I listen to it.
“Drivin‟”, the next song, reintroduces a positive beat and feeling. They mention war among several nations
right at the beginning, but the song‟s bass and guitar, along with Ray Davies‟ voice gives the song a relaxing, carefree
atmosphere instead of a mournful song that makes you want to cry. Lyrics like “All the troubled world around us seem
an eternity away” and “Drop all your work, leave it behind, forget all your problems” makes the song so much more
carefree, right after a devastating song. This song gives the album emotional balance, but also makes you think about
ourselves, and how we don‟t truly concern ourselves with the lives of soldiers. We see it on television and let it pass.
See Kinks continued on p. 26
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Arts & Entertainment
Kinks continued from p. 25
“Brainwashed” is the next track and its fast, but tears apart the common person‟s position with lines such as,
“All your life they‟ve kicked you around and pushed you around til you can‟t take any more” (“They” are aristocrats
and bureaucrats) and “to them you‟re just a speck of dirt but you don‟t want to get off the floor” just spit in the face of
workers but proves a great point: we‟re promised so much, but the gap between us all is so vast that we are meaningless to the economy and can easily be discarded.
“Australia” is awesome. Its in the same mood as “Victoria”, but in British history, Australia was a penal colony,
a place for convicts and criminals. But the Kinks make it sound like heaven with “Australia, no class distinction” and
“Everyone walks around with a perpetual smile on their face”. Then, for the rest of the six minute song, its just a wonderful jam, with a lovely guitar solo and the horns and even some piano to accompany it all.
“Shangri-La” has, not a joyful tone, but more of a content tone. The guitar is minimal, along with minimal horns.
The lyrics seem to be happy at first, warming up as he sings, “You‟ve reached your top and you just can‟t get any higher” and “You need not worry, you need not care, you can‟t go anywhere”. The song seems so content, but it really
shows discontent with lines like, “Too scared to think about how insecure
you are” and “Life ain‟t so happy in your little Shangri-La” with Ray Davies‟ voice taking on a McCartney-esque sound pointing out the imperfections in their content mood with their shangri-las, and the song settles
down, returning to the content, carefree chorus.
“Mr. Churchill Says” is rambling, with a drunken-like guitar to pair
it with maracas. This song returns to World War II when Churchill was
making several speeches for war support. Its carefree, repeating several
things Churchill said like an American repeating things from our fireside
chats. Then, an air siren enters the song, causing the singer to become
more serious about it all, and it starts with the lyrics “Did you hear that
plane overhead? There‟s a house on fire and someone‟s lying dead” so the
guitar becomes seemingly more alert as well, and the chords become
quick and precise instead of languid. Then the song ends in a war chant.
“She‟s Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina”, on the surface seems a
very different song from the rest of the album and the theme, but this saccharine sound is only a cover. Struggles with
poverty are clearly expressed by the lyrics, but on the first listen, you‟ll be singing along, not realizing the true lyrics of
the song, especially with the seemingly happy tone, accompanied by a kazoo.
“Young and Innocent Days” returns to a softer, calmer mood, and it sounds heavenly. Its a song that will dig up
memories from childhood. I wouldn‟t call it sad, but reminiscent and with the soft “ahhing”, its a relaxing song about
time‟s movement through one‟s life, quicker than we even realize.
“Nothing to Say”, Ray takes up his McCartneyesque voice yet again, expressing not only being an adult,
but discontent. There is also a disconnect between generations and a feeling of inability to return to blissful ignorance.
“Arthur” is the finale, the last song in this album.
This song is the complete conclusion. It goes through
everything, from poverty/working class, how people are
used, discontent with the challenges in life, and how time
always seems to quickly pass away. The mention of his
“Shangri-la” and the idea of children going off to a new
horizon (possibly an allusion to “Australia”). Its the perfect conclusion to this album, and, although it is a bit repetitive, its catchy, holds true meaning and its simply
a great song to end an album that expressed discontent, sadness, happiness, and ignorant bliss in the British
Empire/ Britain. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Page 26
Arts & Entertainment
Today: The Hollows, Hall of Mirrors
The first song is “Pilot (All the Kings Horses)” the guitar is constantly strumming until and the vocals seem detached, as if coming from inside a tunnel. Its an awesome sound, combined with synthesizer. Its somewhat romantic
and the guitar solo is great with the constant. “All the kings horses and men could not fix you”. I don„t know how to
exactly explain it, because the sound is so dimensional and eerie, and I love it. It seems to taper off near the end, but
then it returns with a completely different sound, chanting and rather medieval, chanting, “All the kings horses and all
the kings men couldn‟t put humpty together again”.
“We‟ve Got to Get Out of This Town” starts out slow and the riff is superb in the beginning. Then it stops
and gets a more electric sound to the guitar, fuzzy and awesome. The vocals on this track sound as if it is on a radio,
and “the birds singing sound like bells ringing clear and loud”. The chorus is basically a warning, going back to the title
and I have no words for it. The singing temporarily stops, to allow another guitar solo, to allow the instruments to express the feelings evoked from this song. The chorus comes back and it ends abruptly.
“The Flaming Frontier” sounds more natural, almost whispering, featuring insults like “he has a face for the radio”. The lyrics come out like a spiraling staircase, always surprising you with where it turns next. The rhyming in it is
awesome. “Don‟t shed a tear/shed a skin” which leads into the showdown that occurred with the atrocious person
described by the song. The chorus is repeated until the end of the song, with shouts.
“Shot to the Head” starts out with a beat that is metallic almost, and the vocals echo detachment and lyrics
such, “I‟ll learn how to live without you” and the guitar is
more pronounced as well as more acoustic rather than electric. It reminds me greatly of The Wall by Pink Floyd, with the
restless mood, depression of it, and detachment from the
world.
“Afterimage” sounds happier with the instruments,
but if you listen to the lyrics, (like the Kinks) the lyrics are
rather dark and gloomy. Lyrics like “not as good as it used to
be” and “iconic is this year‟s most obvious word” reflect the
true meaning of the song. The guitar solo in this part becomes
darker and then it is just the keyboards and the vocals. Then
the guitar returns and its simply extraordinary. There is a second guitar solo, which is more extensive than the previous
one, and there is “ahhing” and “oohing” in the background,
which gives it a lighter sound yet again. The sound of waves
can be heard at the end too.
“Retrospector” is sweet sounding, and romantic, but
the vocalist doubts his chances with the person he is trying to
impress. My favorite lyric is “a daisy chain of hypocrites waste
their lives away” and there is the reminder, that, after she is
called a cliché, that “love is oh so blind”. It looks back in the
middle of the song, where the lyrics explain that he was once with her and it was unpleasant, then there is a return to
the chorus, which makes me believe that, although the experience was unpleasant, he would like it again.
“Electric Chair” is more mysterious, with the vocals somewhat restrained, and the guitar along with the synthesizer is the source of the mystery. The mention of “Shangri-la” comes very early in the song. The song becomes
lighter sounding, but lyrics like, “I‟m not evil, I‟m not bad… staying in here isn‟t fair” is also reminiscent of The Wall for
me, reminding me of the protagonist‟s (in the concept album), desire to be free, but is unable to escape his self-created
enclosure. The ending has a fuzzy sound, an increase in percussion which is repetitive and adds to the piece, along with
a repeating beat, electronic and crazy.
“Disappearing Act” is softer, and the lyrics are filled with doubts about love. Its soothing, and its kind of a break up
song, in a sense, with a sadness to it, because they both like other people, but the person he likes loves someone else.
Lyrics like “My real sweetheart is lost at sea, and lives in my memory”.
See Hollows continued on p. 28
Page 27
Hollows continued from p. 27
Then the vocals become louder than they were, like they are actually whispering in your ear (wear earbuds
when you listen to it, and you‟ll see what I mean!)
“White Knight” has a sashaying rhythm to it, and lyrics like “I feel like a blind man watching a silent movie” are
artfully added in, and the white knight element is reluctant, but promised by the lyrics. Around the 2 minute mark, the
instrumental changes from the rhythmic guitar into a more percussion influenced segment, then transitions to calmer
strumming then, lead by a few keys on the keyboard, the song goes back into full swing, and I find the changing of the
song simply lovely. The lyrics reflect other feelings and my favorite bitter lyric is “loving you is as easy as giving a cactus
a massage”, but it returns to the chorus of “I can be a white
knight if you want it”, showing weakness in his confidence.
“Black Magic” is another dark sounding song, mentioning bombing with the air raid shelter and “Helter Skelter”, a song by The
Beatles on The Beatles (otherwise known as the White Album)
which supposedly inspired Manson. Its soft and the lyrics creep
up upon you in a most remarkable way. And the vocals get louder when “you‟ve seen the fire/you‟ve seen my desire” comes
about, and the person in question takes up a regal image, although the person truly has no confidence, “Falling like rain”. The
mention of the desire to read their obituary is also mentioned
before the song returns to the chorus. Its a rather different song,
and it is also the longest, at ten minutes, with an extensive instrumental segment from the four minute mark to the ending of
the song. Its like the long period of instrumental in the song
“Layla” by Eric Clapton, but it has a darker, sharper and rougher
edge to it that causes you to become extremely pensive and like
the name denotes, it is magic.
“Séance” is the final song on the album. The lyrics and repetitive
lyrics bring the moment to its crisis in my opinion. The vocals
and keyboards are the most pronounced in this song, unlike the
other songs which had the guitar and percussion more pronounced. Like “Arthur” this song is a conclusion to everything else. It tackles the unfixable situation, especially because there is no solution to any of it, almost T.S Eliot-esque
(read “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” to really understand what I mean), and the uncertainty of it all is really why
this conclusion works so well. The ending is the loud clashing, like the breaking of a mirror (which reminds me greatly
of Tommy by the Who, with his mother breaking the mirror, creating more problems, strengthening the Cult around
Tommy).
Like I always write to you, listen to it! I
found it really difficult to explain Hall of Mirrors
and Arthur because music isn‟t something you
can simply explain. Its an experience (Are You
Experienced?) that only you can have, which may
evoke different feelings than my own, exactly the
thing I love about it. So, here are the links to
Hall of Mirrors and Arthur. Enjoy.
Page 28
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Arts & Entertainment
Creative Writing Corner
Submitted by
Kelsey Pascetto
For this section of
The Pawprint, student
work will be
showcased. Please
submit your short
stories, poetry and
artwork to Miss Flood
or a member of our
Editorial Staff.
Irish Draught Horse
by Katya Wilson
It was a warm day in the heart of Ireland. There was a
lot of green open grass land all around. There were also
walls made of rocks for different parts of the land.
There was a nice big house with a barn in the back.
There was a big gray castle that someone looked after
it. The person lived right next to the castle. The two
people were neighbors and were good friends. The
neighbor let his horse out in the field. The horse was an
Irish Draught Horse. He was a dappled gray, but mostly
white. He was about 16 tall. Most of his body was filled
with muscle. The muscle showed more so on his back
legs, front legs, his chest, neck and head. The Irish
Draught horse had a beautiful white mane and tail. At
first the horse was eating grass. Normally at shorten
time he would visit the neighbor next door when he is
at the castle or his house. In the meantime, he walked
and ate some more grass. The Irish Draught Horse
started to trot and picked up the canter. Once he got a
good and fast canter, he went for the stone wall. He
jumped the first stone wall and had more power and
speed for and jumped the next one with the power and
speed he had. The last jump was a good distance away.
At that point the Irish Draught Horse was in a full gallop. He had his feet guide him to the last jump. His head
was up high with his ears forward. When he got to the
jump he cleared it and galloped to the castle were the
neighbor was. The neighbor gave him a pet on the neck.
Then the neighbor took out a brush that he cares with
him every time the horse comes for a visit. The neighbor
brushed the Irish Draught Horse to look pretty and clean.
The neighbor let the horse eat the grass. Before night fall
the horse went back to his house. He galloped and
jumped over the first jump and had to slow down into the
canter. He jumped the other two jumps and slowed down
to a trot and then a walk. Then his owner let him walk
for a little bit to cool off. After, the owner took his Irish
Draught Horse into the barn for the night.
Page 29
Arts & Entertainment
Creative Writing Corner
One Wish
By Amanda Kern
The tree stands in the corner, adorned with ornaments and lights. Beneath,
presents are piled high. All within reach save one, the one she really wants.
Outside snow slowly drifts to the ground, making it look as if the world
were a snow globe. The sun filters through her blinds as she wakes. It‟s
Christmas morning, the only morning in which most are a morning person.
She‟s lured to the kitchen by the smell of pancakes and bacon. She‟s greeted with cheerful faces and gleaming smiles, as if nothing‟s changed. Despite
herself, she smiles back. It's just not the same anymore, it never will be. As
a kid, Christmas was full of magic and excitement and happiness. But now,
to her, the magic's gone, the excitement is no longer there and as for the
happiness, well let's just say it's hard for her to find. They all slowly drift
into the living room, everyone finishing breakfast at their own pace. The
presents look even more inviting now that it‟s time to open them. One by
one the presents are unwrapped. Christmas paper litters the floor. Looking
around, she seems to have received all the items on her list. But one‟s still
missing, the one she would trade each and every present for; for her family
to be whole again. She masks her sorrow behind a halfhearted smile that‟s
passed off as joyful. She knows she‟ll never get it, knows it‟ll never happen
in a million years, but that doesn‟t stop her from wishing.
Artwork above by Helena Mueller
Page 30
Artwork
to the
right by
Tina Moak
For this section of
The Pawprint, student
work will be
showcased. Please
submit your short
stories, poetry and
artwork to Miss Flood
or a member of our
Editorial Staff.
Holiday
A Cookie For a Cookie
by Amanda Kern
With the approach of the holiday season, how could one not be filled with joy? As the calendar changes
from November to December, an array of holiday items and decor can be seen on store shelves. Jingle Bells, Deck
the Halls, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer can be heard throughout the stores and on almost every radio station. Walking down the streets in the evening, one can feel the holiday spirit as house after house is adorned with
an assortment of decorations that light the night. From blow up snowmen to reindeer and Santa‟s sleigh to nativity
scenes, each house is uniquely decorated. Circular evergreens with bright
red bows adorn doors.Through windows, dazzling trees (which the kids
probably took forever to pick ensuring they had the perfect one and then
watched as dad cut it down) stand decked with family ornaments, garland,
candy canes, and lights all topped with a star or angel. With the holiday
spirit in the air, children can‟t help but to get excited. Their eyes widen
whenever they see a toy or item they so desperately claim they need to
have. Their heads are filled with thoughts of what they will find waiting for
them under the tree Christmas morning. Some even try to find where
mom and dad stash the presents, hoping to get a peek of what they‟re
getting. Children help make and decorate cookies which they then set out
alongside a glass of milk. As night falls on Christmas Eve, they try their
hardest to stay awake long enough to catch a glimpse of Santa, but can
never seem to keep their eyes open.
“It‟s a time to get to see family that I don‟t get to see often and spend time with them,” said Sophomore,
Emily Roloson. In addition to family, the holiday season is filled with happiness, good times, and of course, food, lots
of food. Hours are spent in the kitchen preparing the many wonderful dishes that accompany the holiday season.
During the month of December, houses are filled with the delicious scent of holiday baking, from cookies to pies to
homemade chocolates. The recipes come out and the days are spent with flour everywhere. Cookies are baked
using old family recipes while new recipes for some are tried. Either way, batch after batch comes out of the oven
making mouths water. So many cookies, yet nothing to do with them all. Now would be the perfect opportunity to
throw a cookie swap party.
Why might one host a cookie swap? It gives them the chance to get to together with friends and family during the sometimes stressful holiday season and it can cut back on the baking so that one doesn‟t have too many
cookies and has a variety. A cookie swap can also be a good way to add to one‟s collection of recipes. In order to
make the cookie swap happen, some planning must first be done.
First thing‟s first, pick a date and send out invites. Make sure the guests have enough of a notice and time to
reply. With this, determine how many cookies each guest should make, there should be enough for the guests to
take some home and for sampling. Once that is done, it‟s time to pick out which cookie to bake. It would be best
to find out what each guest is planning on making and then choosing from there, that way there is a variety of cookies to choose from.
"My favorite cookies to make are the cut out cookies," said Emily.
Ask each guest to make copies of their recipe so that on the day of the party, guests will be able to exchange recipes and expand their collections.
Now it‟s time for the big day. To prepare, make sure there is a table to put the cookies on and platters. In
addition to the cookies, offer some snacks and drinks for a break from all the cookies. Don‟t forget to have plates
for guests to put snacks and samples of cookies on. To make it easy to identify which cookie is which, make display
cards and set them up in from of each batch. On the cards, the cookie type could be written, or both the cookie
type and contributor. Another idea to add to the party is to create a packaging station in which guests could wrap
See A Cookie for a Cookie continued on page 32
Page 31
Holiday
A Cookie for a Cookie continued from p. 31
up the cookies they plan to take home in cute boxes. The station could have just the boxes or other items such as
labels and ribbon to make the boxes look fancier or more festive.
Once all the preparation is done, the party can get underway. With everything prepared and ready to go, it‟s
time to wait for the guests to arrive. One after another guests arrive with beaming smiles on their faces and cookies
in their hands. Each one is greeted with a smile in return and a hug. The table quickly fills with delicious looking
cookies. After working hard to get the party together, it‟s finally time to relax and unwind. Enjoy the party, talk and
laugh with friends, and enjoy several different kinds of cookies.
Hosting a cookie swap may seem like a lot of work, but at the end of it, one gets to eat a variety of cookies, hang
out with friends during the busy holidays, and collect a few new recipes to try out. Holiday baking is a must with the
holidays just around the corner and the holiday spirit coming in full swing. Use old family recipes or discover new
ones on websites such as http://www.hersheys.com/pure-recipes.aspx, http://www.marthastewart.com/359016/
christmas-recipes, or http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/holidays/christmas . "One of the things I enjoy most about
holiday baking is getting to spend time with my aunts, mom, and sister. And eating the cookies of course," said Emily.
My New Years Resolution for 2015 is……..
“To be nicer.”-Savannah Huskie
“To eat healthier.”-Heather Nolan
“To get in shape.”-Alex Konig
“To work out more.”-Aine Hardaker
“I want to go to the gym at least five times a week for the year.”-Max
Jenkins
“To get more sleep and to get jacked.”-Peter Aitken
“To not be fat.”-Anthony Belardo
“Be more understanding and helpful.”-Jeremy Rossetti
“New Year‟s resolutions are kind of b.s. because they never actually
last.”-Jake Long
“I think that most people give them up after two weeks, so it’s
pointless.”-Garrett Renslow
“If you stick to your resolutions, that creates a great sense of fulfillment. Mine is to stop drinking soda.”-DeAysia C.
“They are pretty lame because I never keep them.”-Peter Merhige
“My New Years resolution is to make it through an entire track season.”-Skylar Riccardi
“To have a better year than the year before.”-Maddie Bryda
“I want to get into college.”- Eleanor Haase
“To break more records.”- Sarah Friess
“To try to be a better boyfriend to Kerry.”-Greg Roe
“To be a better basketball player.”-Stefanie Wood
“To eat healthier because I need more healthy food.”-Mario Vazquez
“To eat healthier.”-Kerry Golden
“Be nicer to people.”-Kristin McInerney
“To be able to run.”-Sabrina Sepowski
“Be nice.”-Aine Hardacker
“Be able to control my anger and emotions.”-Kayla Hanrahan
“I want to enjoy the last half of my Senior year.” -Shelby Gipp
“Become healthy” -Matt Crawford
Page 32
Holiday
“Get my crap together.” -Bella Nelson
“Figure out what I want to do for college.” -Lindsay Mannion
“Go to bed early and have better time management.” -Elizabeth Roberts
“To come up with a New Year’s Resolution.” -Alex Pomykaj
“To get ripped.” -Bryce Perry
“To work out more.” -Kerry Golden
“To ride a dirt bike with Damon.” -Max Jenkins
“Get ripped.” -Alex Konig
“Win a dance battle.” -Anthony Belardo
“Go riding more.” -Maxwell Chittenden
“I don‟t have a New Year‟s Resolution. I don‟t make them.” - Mrs. W
“To get PR’s in track”- Kayla Carlin
“To shoot a bigger deer than last week.” -Kris K
8 Super Strange Christmas Facts
Compiled by John Paul Kulpa
1. Lord Pierpont wrote the song “Jingle Bells” in the 1850s to play for his Boston Sunday school class during
Thanksgiving as a wayHe may not be in the gift giving business for the big bucks, but Santa still needs money to keep
his operation rolling. (And to pay for the elves' dental plan. Those elf unions are ruthless.) Thankfully, Santa's wealth
surpasses even Scrooge McDuck's money bin. Forbes compiled a list of the world's richest fictional people and St.
Nick topped it with a net worth of infinity. This beats the world's current net worth record holder, Mexican investor
Carlos Slim Helu, who only topped out at a measly $74 billion. No wonder Santa's so jolly.
2. It's hard to go more than five minutes without hearing the familiar tune of 'Jingle Bells' running through
your head during the month of December. The truth is that you should have been hearing it in November. According
to Mental_Floss Magazine, composer James to commemorate the famed Medford sleigh races. Kids and adults loved
the song and eventually changed the lyrics to fit Christmas. No word on whether the original lyrics contained the line,
"Dashing through the snow, in a one-turkey open sleigh."
3. If you thought making children believe in one Santa was hard enough, be thankful you don't live in Iceland.
Their Christmas tradition has 13 "Yuletide Lads" who either leave presents or pull pranks for children during the 26
day holiday season as a reward or punishment for their behavior. For instance, Grýla is a horrifying old woman who
kidnaps children on Christmas if they have been naughty. Though technically that's really more of a present for the
parents.
4. Every year, post offices across America, Canada and other parts of the world are flooded with letters from
kids addressed to Santa Claus. The Canadian Post Office receives so many that some postal workers started answering the letters. As the demand increased, the postal service set up a special zip code for Santa as part of their annual
"Santa Letter-writing Program" literacy initiative. The zip code? H0H 0H0, of course.
5. The Christian celebration of Christmas is meant to praise the birth of Jesus Christ, but churchgoers might
want to check the date before they wrap up a fruit cake and put a bow on it for Our Lord and Savior. In fact, early
theologians put Jesus' birthday all over the calendar, from November 18th by one Alexandrian bishop to March 28th
by the anonymous "De Pascha Computus" document found in North Africa. The truth is that the Bible doesn't specify
a date or time of Jesus' birth. Dec. 25th was chosen in the fourth century, most likely because it was also the day of
two similar pagan holidays that influenced the formation of Christmas-- the birthday of Mithra and the Feast of Saturnalia.
6. The man who inspired Santa and practically the entire Christmas holiday may portray the beauty of giving
and helping children in need, but Catholics in seven countries recognize him as much more than just the patron saint
of kids. According to legend, the real Saint Nicholas did such good deeds as giving money to a man's daughters so
they could avoid a life of prostitution and rescuing three children from a crazy butcher. The book 'Saints Preserved:
An Encyclopedia of Relics,' also reveals that jolly ol' St. Nick is also the patron saint of unmarried women, prisoners,
thieves and pawnbrokers. (Apparently Santa's "naughty or nice" list was a bit more flexible back in the day.)
See Christmas Facts continued on p. 34
Page 33
Holiday
8 Christmas Facts continued from p. 33
7. Of course, if you knew what the name "mistletoe" actually meant, you'd be less inclined to stand under it.
The quasi-parasitic plant has a "symbiotic relationship" with a bird called the mistle thrush. The bird eats the berries,
digests the seeds and then leaves droppings which eventually grow into new mistletoe plants. Which explains why the
Germanic word for "mistletoe" literally means "dung on a twig."
8. Few things say Christmas more than those sugary sticks of red and white deliciousness. There was a time,
however, when they weren't red and white.(Although we imagine they were still pretty tasty.) The familiar Christmas
treats started popping up around the 17th century as Europeans started using trees to celebrate the Christian holiday
season and made special foods to decorate them with. Candy canes first appeared around 1670 when a cathedral
choirmaster would hand out the all-white confections to children to keep them occupied during Christmas mass.
While no one knows exactly who gave candy canes their stripes, one (unproven) theory has it that the "J" shape was
once meant to stand for Jesus and the three stripes represent the Holy Trinity. (Red is meant to represent the blood
of Christ.) Chew over that the next time you bite into a tasty candy cane.
The FW
http://thefw.com/christmas-facts/
Peppermint Meringues
by Lauryn Krupa
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 4 dozen
 2 egg whites
 1/8 teaspoon salt
 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
 1/2 cup white sugar
 2 peppermint candy canes, crushed
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.
2. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar,
continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the cookies.
3. Bake for 1 1/2 hours in preheated oven. Meringues should be completely dry on
the inside. Do not allow them to brown. Turn off oven. Keep oven door ajar, and let
meringues sit in the oven until completely cool. Loosen from foil with metal spatula.
Store loosely covered in cool dry place for up to 2 months.
Page 34
Holiday
What is Hanukkah?
By David Maurer
Most of Maple Hill, and indeed America, celebrates Christmas this time of year. But to the people of Judaism,
this time of year is very different, for they celebrate Hanukkah. Many people know Hanukkah as that holiday where
people light candles for eight days. But there is more to the tradition. There is a set of days where huge amounts of
tradition occur.
Hanukkah occurs on a set of eight days that starts on the 25th day of Kislev. Kislev is the last month of the
Hebrew Calendar. The Hebrew Calendar is set up differently than the Gregorian Calendar (the one we use) which is
why Hanukkah starts on a different day every year. The celebration doesn‟t begin until sundown, when the Hebrew
Day begins. The 25th day of Kislev is usually around either late November or early to mid December. This year Hanukkah will start on December 16th.
Hanukkah is mainly known for the Menorah, a candle holder that holds 9 candles, one in the middle and four
candles on either side of the main candle. Over the course of the celebration one candle is lighted per day by the
central candle. This is meant to symbolise the Jewish Legend of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. The legend tells of a
Menorah that was fueled by kosher oil. The Menorah had oil for only one day, yet lasted for eight days. During those
days, family get together and share gifts and eat, all while the Menorah sits in the back.
One of the games that children often play during Hanukkah is Dreidel. There is a pot with coins or
Gelt (candy money) and the Dreidel which is a top with four labeled sides. These sides are labeled with different
symbols in Hebrew:
‫ג‬Gimel
‫נ‬Nun
‫ה‬Hey
‫ש‬Shin
Each symbol corresponds to a result of the game, Gimel meaning the player takes all of the pot,
Nun, the player takes one coin, Hey, the player takes half, and Shin, the player takes nothing. The game is traditional
in that it was used by ancient Jews to hide the fact they were studying the Torah, which was forbidden when the Seleucids, a rival group, occupied Judea during the time of the Temple legend.
Most people outside of Judaism think of Hanukkah as the most important of Jewish tradition because it lasts eight
days. This is not the case, as the Passover is much more important to Jewish tradition. But this does not negate the
fact that Hanukkah is celebrated throughout the world as the second largest holiday during this time of year. Though
most people celebrate Christmas during this time, it‟s always great to remember the other holidays and their significance to the people who celebrate them.
Christmas Fun:Teacher Style (Created by Kerry Golden)
Every Christmas, Who...
1. Hides a pickle in their tree for their kids to find?
2. Bakes cinnamon rolls?
3. Reads their kids The Night Before Christmas?
4. Watches their mom attempt to make french toast?
5. Cuts down a tree?
6. Has an Italian feast on Christmas Eve?
7. Gets donuts from the bakery?
8. Bakes Italian delicacies (Bon Bon Cookies and Struffoli) with their Uncle?
9. Drives for Target?
10. Goes to his Brother in Law‟s with his kids?
Name Bank
A. Mrs. Croft B.Mr. Frese C.Mr. Agostinoni
D.Mr. Bacon E. Mr. Hoyt F. Mrs. Delaney G. Mrs. Colwell H. Miss Flood I. Mr. Porter J. Ms. Debardelaben
Christmas Fun Answers are on page 36
Page 35
Holiday
Where are you Kwanzaa, Why Can't I Find you?
by Gabe Dingman
“Huh”
“Umm I don‟t know”
“Isn't it like Christmas for African Americans?”
These are all statements that one could hear when asking about what seems to be one of the season‟s most
forgotten holidays. Kwanzaa has been nationally recognized since 1966 and has since served as a time to celebrate
West African heritage in America. Although this sounds like a noble holiday that all should know about, but the truth
is few people know the first thing about Kwanzaa.
So, why did Kwanzaa come about? It came about during the Black Nationalist movement in the 1960‟s as a
way to connect African Americans with their roots as well as each other. Even the word itself comes from an African
phrase, matunda ya kwanza, which translated from Swahili means “first
fruits of harvest”. Interestingly enough Swahili comes from East Africa
which was not nearly as involved in the slave trade as the west.
Kwanzaa's founder Maulana Karenga found the phrase perfect for the
holiday as it represents Pan Africanism.
Each year Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26-January 1
and is often celebrated alongside of other holidays such as Hanukkah or
Christmas. Each day during the celebration is used to recognized a different aspect of West African heritage in the U.S.: collective work, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Common decorations that could be seen include corn and a candle holder with 7 candles
for each day.
Although this is just a small summary of Kwanzaa and the meanings behind it, there is still a lot to be learned about the holiday. However, whether it‟s known by all or not, Kwanzaa
will continue to unite the African American community.
Christmas Fun Answers from p. 35
Name Bank
A. Mrs. Croft B.Mr. Frese C.Mr. Agostinoni
D.Mr. Bacon E. Mr. Hoyt F. Mrs. Delaney G. Mrs. Colwell
Answers:
1. F
2. A
3. C
4. I
5. G
6. B
7. J
8. H
9. E
10. D
Page 36
H. Miss Flood I. Mr. Porter J. Ms. Debardelaben
Holiday Opinion
What is the meaning of Christmas?
by Audra Colliton
What is the true meaning of Christmas, influenced or uninfluenced by religion? Does it really mean anything?
Or is it just a time of complete indulgence and excessive spending to feed the greed of our materialistic peers and children? It is something I wonder about every year at this time.
With radio channels blasting carols since November and a neglect of Thanksgiving with mostly Christmas ads
supporting materialism and all of our obligations to get something special for everyone we love, it seems as if that we
are blinded by our own greed because of Christmas. The desire for a good deal, especially sought by parents and relatives during this time of year (sorry to break it to you so abruptly, but Santa Claus is fake), there are a number of good
deals to be had.
Black Friday, a day that starts off the Christmas season with numerous people stampeding and trampling other
shoppers for slightly lower priced items like televisions, laptops and gaming consoles, is the Holy Grail of this quest for
Christmas gifts at low prices. I find it very disheartening that,
as a people, Americans are so preoccupied with gifts that
we don‟t look at the real meaning to this holiday. To show
how our greed has consumed us, since 2006, there were
seven deaths and ninety-eight injuries on black friday.The
site I found this information has an advertisement for a shirt
that says “I survived Black Friday 2014”! How atrocious is
that? Aside from these shocking actions of some human beings, Christmas for several people is not entirely about gifts.
For Christians, it is the birthdate of Jesus. It is to
celebrate the beginning of Christ on earth. From the Bible
itself, in 1 John 5:11, “... God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son.” It was always (in the sense Jesus was receiving presents and God was giving his only Son, later
doomed to death for the eternal life of humans) a giving holiday, with God giving his son, and with the wise men bearing gifts to the son of God. It is also a family holiday in the sense that Mary, Joseph and Jesus spent their time together
in more humble settings. However, several of our traditions inseparable with Christmas are not Christian, but Pagan.
Pagan traditions, like our Christmas tree and the origins of Santa Claus derived from spirits traveling in the sky to Father Christmas from England (who did NOT bear gifts at first) to our gift bearing Santa Claus. Midwinter celebrations
were common before Christmas celebrations and in agricultural societies, the time for tending crops and harvesting is
over, and dark days begin. What other month of the year could use more happiness than in December, a cold, gray
month? Pretty much none, unless you live here where winter takes up residence until April. And gift giving didn‟t become common until the 1800s, when Queen Victoria of England led the way, by giving gifts to her children and spouse
on Christmas Eve.
So, what is the true meaning of Christmas? I believe it‟s whatever you make of it. It can be a religious holiday,
full of Bible verses, hymns and reverence for Jesus and the Lord if you view it as such. It can be a miserable time after
you‟ve had enough of hearing Christmas commercials, seeing Christmas ads, and developing a hatred of the taste of
peppermint from excessive consumption of candy canes. But, personally, its a time to come together with the ones
you love, enjoying their presence and sharing jokes.
Presents can be present, but are they really important? I don‟t think so. Its a wonderful addition to Christmas,
with the excitement and happiness that could be had with the opening of it and discovery, but these things don‟t last.
Watching people unwrapping presents can be enjoyable as well with a smile that reveals thankfulness along with happiness for themselves.
I‟m not against presents in the slightest, but its not what I remember. What I remember from Curley Christmas (a celebration with my mother‟s side of the family), Christmas Eve, and Christmas itself is what happens and how
much I laugh. Smile. Grin.
see Meaning of Christmas continued on p. 38
Page 37
Holiday
Meaning of Christmas continued from p. 37
When my Aunt digs out her annual “grills” from her stocking and keeps them on for the rest of the night, or
when they all break out into Disney songs or even when one of my uncles sing “Eternal Flame” terribly, adding random choreography to it that makes us laugh so much our sides hurt. When we circle a Christmas tree, looking for the
pickle ornament (An American, not German, tradition) and someone finally finds it, jumping up and down in victory.
Seeing my sister open a present I searched for carefully.
I love Christmas because it is a time where life is fun and joyous. I don‟t appreciate the materialism that has
taken over the airwaves, our televisions, and even ads on youtube, but its just a side effect to something that everyone
loves, from Santa Claus to family time, because playing on this love is proven to be profitable. I have been lucky with
Christmas because of my surroundings, and how enthusiastic my mother is about the season, from decorating our
house from roof to basement with Christmas,to cookie baking, to the antics of Curley Christmas, I‟ve had it all, and I
cherish every moment of it (hopefully you do too), although sometimes I may be irritable about it.
Page 38
Have something to say? Put it in print!
Share your opinion pieces with The Pawprint.
Opinion
War On Christmas
by David Maurer
Tis that time of year again. The time where we celebrate family, the love of gift giving, and candy canes. But there is
one certain thing that happens every year that only someone who watches Fox News would be aware of. That would
be the “War on Christmas.” Every year, people like Fox News hosts Bill O‟Reilly and Sean Hannity watch with fervent
eyes for anything that would even attempt to remove Jesus Christ from Christmas. And when they find their prey,
they pounce.
As most of you know, Christmas was originally meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Messiah of Christianity. But
over the decades as we have entered the 21st century, we have seen a secularization of Christmas, to the point where
people of other, or no faith are celebrating it too. This has led to people, especially those in the secular community, to
begin campaigns to make Christmas more secularly inclusive. Many right wing Christian talk show hosts, primarily
O‟Reilly and Hannity, have claimed that these campaigns are infringing on their religious freedom, which may be true
and have named this crusade the “War on Christmas”.
Although Christmas is a Christian holiday, the true origins of Christmas, the historical one, tells a far different story.
One event that Christmas occurs close to is the Winter Solstice. This isn‟t a coincidence. Many Pagan faiths had holidays for the Winter Solstice. Most of these holidays were to celebrate a rebirth, as the day is the shortest day of the
year. During the fall of the Roman Empire and into the Dark Ages, the newly formed Catholic Church had the issue of
many Pagans that weren‟t Catholic. The church made December 25th the birthday of Jesus. No where in the Bible
does it clearly define when Jesus was born, but many Biblical Scholars believe it to be anywhere from March to May.
This means that the Church just made up the date that we celebrate today. The reason they chose the 25th was to
incentivize Pagans to convert to Christianity.
So what does this have to do with the “War on Christmas?”
It shows that Christmas is not only celebrated by Christians,
but by some Pagan Religions as well some of which still exist
today. This means that Christmas should be treated as a secular holiday, due to the fact that the Winter Solstice traditions can, and have, integrated their worldly beliefs into
Christmas. This evidence coupled with the facts of Jesus‟ birth
gives Christians no right to call this time of year theirs.
The “War on Christmas” doesn‟t really exist in the minds of
the secular minority behind the campaigns. To them, and me,
the War on Christmas is nothing more than a bunch of right
wing ideologues who have nothing better to do than proselytize others into believing something that has been proven
false. This is why people are campaigning and why Christmas
should be changed to secular status on the holiday list.
Things change with the passage of time, like when Thanksgiving was made secular from it‟s Puritan origins. Christmas
should be no different. As society becomes more inclusive of
peoples faiths, or lack thereof, so should its holidays, and like
it or not, Christmas is one of them.
Page 39
Opinion
Cropped or Not What's the Big Deal?
by Alysa Kelly
Crop tops or no crop tops, is that really the issue?
Fashion always creates a major controversy when it
comes to being acceptable or not. That's not to say
that everyone has their right to an opinion, but what's
the big deal that some stomach is showing?
Everyone should be allowed to wear whatever they
want. Girls are allowed to wear short shorts and Vnecks, so what is the big deal with a crop top?
Religious and personal morals come a long way for
these common opinions, but if we're going to allow
skin in some areas, what's the difference with others?
Of course, I'm not trying to support any butts hanging out in our wardrobes or other areas being revealed, but I do
find it to be complete nonsense for someone to say that it's inappropriate to wear a crop top on your own free time.
Along with crop tops, I've heard issues risen about having cuts or designs in the backs of shirts. Whether you like the
style or not, it shouldn't be anyone's concern especially since it is just your skin that is showing.
Some may ask, how short is too short for a crop top? However, that is
really up to the person wearing it to choose. Girls are allowed to wear a
bikini in front of thousands of people on a beach, so, what makes it such an
issue to walk around with a crop top?
Whether it's worn in the warm sun over the summer on the beach, or
dressed up with a cute high waisted skirt or pants and a sweater during
any other season, what makes it such a crime?
I, for one, am a firm believer in freedom of expression especially when it
comes to your clothing and wardrobe. So, the next time you start to discredit the beloved crop top, try and remember all of the other things that
could go wrong with an outfit besides showing off an innocent stomach
that does nothing but maybe reveal a belly button.
Page 40
Opinion
Books In Class?
By Grace Goodall
Students often complain about having to read a
certain assigned novel from their English teacher. Sometimes a little too often. I agree with
these other students, not just because I am one
of them, but because I see the Pros and Cons
of forced reading. I would read more if the topic of the book was what I enjoy reading. Most
students were raised differently than others
and their parents have strict ideas to what their
children should be reading. In our history,
things were much different in public and private
schools. Children and young adults know what
they are interested in reading. Some, that is not
at all and others it is mysterious adventurous
novels.
Parents usually have rules in their homes and in
general for their kids. Some shelter their children from bad language and do not like them to watch movies with graphic word choice. In addition, children read
what they want. That means if they are given the chance to choose what book to read, that will make them want to
read more in the long run. At one time in our history, students were allowed to pick any book they wanted to read
for an amount of time during class. Just the visual of the teachers watching the students engaged in their books, would
be enough for the curriculum.
Not many students enjoy reading books in class that they are forced to read. If they were given more options to what
they are allowed to read, more students would read. Some books are necessary to put in the curriculum, that are related to history or what we are learning in class. We should take a vote in the beginning of every year to see what are
the most votes to what books each grade want to read and then those are the books that we have to read.
Which books
would you want
instead?
Page 41
Sports
Team USA 3rd at Motocross Des Nations
by Damon Whimple
The Motocross Des Nations was held recently, a worldwide 3 moto format race, which consists of 3 different races.
Countries compete against multiple other countries, looking to
take home 1st place. This year the MXoN was held in Kegums,
Latvia.
Tough racing occurred as it was a brutal sand track and
the location and chilly weather made things very hard. Individually,
Team USA had a
rough one as their
3 chosen riders for
the three different
classes, all crashed at one point leading to hanging it all out to place as
well as they could. At the end of all three moto formats, France came
out on top, followed by Belgium, and rounding off the podium was the
United States.
Next year‟s Motocross Des Nations will be held in Ernee, France and
Team USA will be looking to capture their 23rd overall win! USA has
the most wins, but has not gotten a win in the past three years.
Chuckles and the Bowling Squad
by Lauryn Krupa
Last year, bowling was welcomed into the Maple Hill High School Community. The bowling team marked a
new point for Maple Hill with a team mostly composed of seniors. Chuck Thomas, also the groundskeeper, chose to
take the lead as head coach of Maple Hill‟s first bowling team. “Bowling has been a sport that I've competed in for
the better part of my last 20+ years. I felt that my knowledge and experience in competitive matches would be valuable to the student that wanted to take this sport seriously and become a more competitive bowler,” said Chuck.
The 2014-15 season seemed to begin the same as the year before with an entire new bunch of students
ranging from 7th to 12th grade. This year is like beginning all over again, but Chuck was up to the challenge.
“Coaching is something you do because you
have a passion for that particular sport or activity. Its
hard to explain that drive a true coach has to make his
or her team better every day. Most coaches will tell
their players it doesn't stop when the game/match is
over, for us that's when the work begins, there's always a way to be better then you were today,” said
Chuck with great enthusiasm.
“I need to remind myself that last year we
competed against a lot of young teams (juniors/
sophomores) and we had a large group of seniors. We
were extremely competitive which was kind of a false
representation of just how tough this sport can actually
be. We‟re young now this year, so add that to the
more experienced…”
See Bowling continued on p. 43
Page 42
Sports
Bowling continued from p. 42
“...teams and a more competitive conference (colonial) our record doesn't show how good we really are,” said
Chuck.
This season has not been as successful as Chuck had hoped but he continued to keep his hopes soaring high
with numerous goals for the rest of the season. “To be better, as individuals and as a team. We‟re competitive; we
just need to find a way to finish and get those wins,” said Chuck. Coach Thomas wants to help the sport to grow
within the school and community and believe that the younger kids will get involved in the bowling program; the better the team will be down the road. He also wishes to do better this year in sectionals than the team did last year.
Chuck also plans on continuing as coach of the bowling squad while Maple Hill has the sport. “I'd like to think
I‟ll be around for a while; coaching is hard because ultimately you have to perform! We're responsible for how well
our team competes, were we prepared/ not prepared? That, at the end of the day falls on the shoulders of the head
coach. We‟re a young program and sometimes people forget "Rome wasn't built in a day"...We will be successful and
the good news is that were heading in the right direction!”
Never Surrender
by Skylar VanAlstyne
Time is slowly ticking down. Beads of sweat roll down every brow on the field. A little gasp of air is quickly released
when the opposing team‟s best player gets a hold of the ball. One by one, she gets by every teammate on the field until you are the only one left standing between her and the goalie.
They live for these moments. Athletes, that is. Those moments that make or break you. The ones that make you
sweat with fear and anticipation. The ones that make games memorable. No matter what sport, win or lose, all athletes live for those moments. Losing isn‟t an athlete‟s worst nightmare. Not even close. Being taken away from their
sport, their passion. That‟s their worst nightmare.
Sabrina Sepowski knows all too well about this situation. The senior from Maple Hill High School is well known for
being a huge soccer fan on and off the field. Being a natural born leader, all her teammates look up to her and enjoy
being around her. That is why the approaching fall soccer season excited many, especially Sepowski.
See Never Surrender continued on p. 44
Page 43
Sports
Never Surrender continued from p.43
Nothing brought the girls together more than home
games. Their peers from school would come out and
support the team. There‟s something about defending
their home field that made it so special. That was no
different from their fourth game against Coxsackie Athens. Time was ticking, and one quick moment changed
everything.
The only thing the girls
saw was Sepowski on the
ground cringing in pain.
“The game stopped and
she was taken out right
away,” close teammate
Junior Amanda Kern tells,
“we literally fell apart after that. None of us knew
what to do without her.”
The girls never realized
just how serious her injury was.
“My knee was in the opposite motion of my body,” Sepowski explains, “It ultimately blew out my ACL.” ACL
tears are common, yet extremely painful and hard to
heal. Surgery is usually the answer, or else a person
needs to completely rest the knee without adding any
weight to it for a long period of time. Choosing what
surgery to undertake is a huge decision within itself. “I
could either take part of my hamstring to form into a
new ACL, transfer a cadaver's ACL, or take part of my
patellar tendon to form into a new ACL,” Sepowski
explains. Having hamstring problems in the past, she
ruled that option out right away. She made sure that
her decision would ensure her soccer career in the future. “I got surgery removing part of my patellar tendon
to turn into my new ACL and my doctors explained
that I should be back to playing in April,” Sepowski
adds, “but I‟m healing at a slower pace than the average
person. I‟m progressing everyday though, so I‟m going
to stay hopeful.” That positive attitude keeps the senior
going and also adds to the long list of admirable qualities
she maintains.
How bad can ACL tears be if so many athletes sustain
them? Dr. Tarek O. Souryal, M.D., speaks about ACL
tears and their effects on athletes.
Page 44
“When an ACL tears, it does not heal,” Dr. Souryal explains, “Unlike most other ligaments, the ACL never has
the opportunity to mend due to its position and role in the
knee -- it's very much like a rubber band. That's why this is
a forever kind of injury. It used to end athletic participation
both on the professional and recreational level.” This type
of injury is hard for an athlete to
get back to their regular self
again without surgery. “Now
with arthroscopic surgery and
proper strengthening and rehabilitation techniques, the future
is much brighter. National results show a 96 to 98 percent
return to sport.” This keeps a
positive outlook on an otherwise horrible injury. But Sepowski isn‟t out of the woods yet.
Her resting and staying off the
knee is key in these next
months of healing.
“The worst part was not being able to play my last year of
soccer with my team,” Sepowski says, “ I felt as if I missed a
lot of the season. They are like my family and I love every
moment that I spend with them.” The amount of love Sepowski has for her teammates is only overpowered by the
love her teammates have for her. “Even though she was
hurt, she supported us in every game. She never truly left
the team,” Kern says. Another teammate, Junior Lauryn
Krupa, goes on to say, “Sabrina brought us together in a lot
of ways. Her being hurt, hurt all of us because we were losing a key part of our family.”
Stopping Sepowski will need a lot more than just a sports
injury. “I‟m still on a premier soccer team and I plan to support all of them throughout my recovery as well. When I‟m
capable of playing again, I will.” Her fire for the sport will
never be put out. Her passion has no limits and nothing will
be able to stop her. “I plan to play in college, and I hope the
college I play at is Clarkson!” Her teammates and peers in
school support the talented senior and know that she will
reach her goals. Being a good student and great soccer player has also propelled her into being a great role model and
a fantastic inspiration to athletes around her.
Sports
Miller and Friess Sign Letters of Intent
by Kerry Golden
It takes hard work, dedication, and passion to
be a true athlete. Many high school athletes will participate in high school sports for
four years, but then never touch a
ball or run again after graduation.
Unlike many athletes, the talents
of Tommy Miller and the speed of
Sarah Friess, have paved the way
for them to pursue both academics and sports at the Division I college level.
On November 12, 2014,
seniors Tommy Miller and Sarah
Friess signed their letters of intent
to play sports in college. With their families, coaches,
teammates,and friends in attendance, these two fine
athletes put their names on the dotted lines committing themselves to Division I college teams. Tommy
Miller signed to play baseball for Siena College, while
Sarah Friess signed to run track for Holy Cross. Both
athletes were thrilled at the amount of people that
came to support them, as well as the amount of media
that came to cover the
event. Recently, both
Tommy and Sarah discussed their
thoughts on participating
in sports at the collegiate
level.
Tommy Miller,
who has been playing
baseball for 12 years, will
begin his fourth year as a
Varsity player for the Maple Hill Wildcats this
spring. Tommy has enjoyed his time here at Maple
Hill, but expressed his enthusiasm for his future at
Siena College in Loudonville when he stated, “It is really cool to play at the College level because it is a
more competitive league.” Miller has received many
baseball accolades, and in 2014 was named Co-
With a long baseball resume, Tommy was faced with the task
of finding a college that had both an academic and baseball
program that was a good fit for him. Miller
stated, “It was difficult to choose between
different schools, but Siena was close and a
competitive school and good at baseball.”
While location was not his main focus in
choosing a school, Miller feels that it will
be nice to be close to home. When asked
about what he anticipated to be his greatest challenges while playing baseball at the
college level, Miller thoughtfully replied,
“Adjusting and making sure to
keep players off balance while I pitch.”
Tommy will leave Maple Hill with many great baseball memories and thankful for the lessons he has learned from Coach
Frese. According to Miller, the greatest lesson that he learned
is, “You have to work together and the closer you are with
your team, the better you work on the field.” Tommy Miller
will leave Maple Hill as one of the best pitchers in Maple Hill
history. However, Miller does not want to be remembered in
terms of wins and losses. What he would really like is to be
remembered as someone that was a
hard worker, but at the same time a
very competitive athlete.
Very much like Miller, senior
Sarah Friess is looking forward to participating in athletics at the college
level. Friess has been running for
Coach Golden since freshman year,
and can‟t wait to hit the track again in
March.
Friess has been to the State
Championships twice for the 100 meter dash, and once for the 200 meter
dash. Friess is also no stranger to awards.
Last spring, Friess was undefeated in the Patroon
Conference and Sectional Competition for all four of the
events she ran: the 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter
relay and 1,600 meter relay. She also finished first in the
State…
MVP of the
Canonica Classic, was voted to the Patroon Conference All star team, as well as voted the league See Letters of Intent continued on p. 46
MVP.
Page 45
Sports
Letters of Intent continued from p. 45
qualifying competition for the 100 meter and 200 meter,
and placed 9th in the 100 meter and 15th in the 200 meter in State competition. Like Miller, she was named
track MVP and voted to the Patroon Conference All-Star
team, as well as MVP of the League for the 2014 season.
Sarah Friess has signed to run for the College of Holy
Cross located in Worcester, Massachusetts. “It is going
to be fun to be able to run for a college,” Friess stated
excitedly. She went on to explain that her decision to
attend Holy Cross was easy, “It wasn‟t that hard because
it was my first choice and they offered me money. Location was also very important because I want to
be close to my family.” Friess will leave many accomplishments behind. She is the current record holder for the
100 meter, 200 meter and part of the record holding 400
meter relay team. Friess, who is a girl of very few words, said that the greatest lesson she learned while at Maple Hill
was to “run” and “win.” When asked what she would like Maple Hill to remember about her as an athlete, Friess
simply replied “I am fast.”
Tommy Miller and Sarah Friess have made Maple Hill proud. It is not often that a school has two fine athletes such
as Miller and Friess representing the small District of Schodack at Division I Colleges. Both Miller and Friess are quiet, hard working students. They both recently received the MVP award for soccer and were elected to the Patroon
Conference First Team All-Stars for soccer. In addition, both Miller and Friess fill the void between fall and winter
sports as members of the Maple Hill Bowling team. Tommy Miller is undecided regarding his major, but wants to do
something along the line of business, while Sarah Friess will seek a degree from Holy Cross in accounting. Regardless
of school, major or sport, one thing is for certain, Tommy Miller and Sarah Friess are sure to achieve success in all
they pursue. Congratulations and good luck in the future, Tommy and Sarah!
Page 46
D ECEMBER 2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
ACT
Testing
14
15
MHHS
Winter Concert
Auditorium
16
Gingerbread
Craft Workshop
Troy Library
17
Disney on Ice
(7pm)
Times Union
Center
18
19
20
Hoops Against
Hunger (7pm)
21
Pancake Breakfast
Hayes Rd, East
Greenbush
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
Holiday
Hoopfest
High School
30
31
NO
Christmas
Day
27
SCH OOL
New Year’s
Eve
J ANUARY 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
Fri
2
3
Washington
Lights in the Park
Ends
9
10
ACT
Testing
New Year’s Day
4 Castleton
5
All-You-Can-Eat
Breakfast (8-12)
Every 1st Sunday
6
7
8
11
13
14
15
12
Sat
16
17
Monster Jam at the Times
Union Center
(Starts at
7:30pm)
18
Pancake Breakfast
Hayes Rd. East
Greenbust
19
Martin Luther
King Jr. Day
NO SCHOOL
20
21
Linkin Park w/
Rise Against
7pm Times Union
22
23
Maple Hill
Fun Night
6pm
25
26
27
28
29
30
2nd Quarter
Ends
No School
REGENTS TESTING
24
SAT Testing
Page 47