Students feel effects of the economy

thepioneer
Volume 1 Issue 6
Inside this issue:
A passion for fashion
Junior Ashley Joncas
has dedicated her life to
fashion.
Already
sketching incredible
outfits,
Joncas
hopes
to one
day pursue her dream
of becoming a fashion
designer.
See page 3
The newspaper of Trinity High School
April 2009
Students feel effects of the economy
By Mark Natale
Pioneer Staff
As President Barack
Obama’s economic stimulus
plan prepares to make its way
to the homes of the American
people, some students are still
feeling the effects of the bearmarket economy.
“I try not to worry about
the economy, but it is hard
not to,” said Kaitlyn Telge, a
junior.
Even though the economy had a recent upswing
when it experienced a bull
market from late March to
early April, it hasn’t improved
enough to bring families
out of their frugal spending
habits.
“Basically, it’s only the
necessities now, and there’s
nothing we can do about it,”
said Mo Gibbons, a freshman.
Other families have had
to cut back on their luxury
spending.
“My family doesn’t go
on vacation anymore at all
because of not having much
money,” said Shaelyn Cole, a
sophomore.
“I was supposed to go to
[Los Angeles] for dance, but I
can’t now,” said Nicole Fell, a
freshman.
Some students are being
taught the value of a dollar by
their parents and learning how
to spend smartly.
“My parents are really
trying to teach me about the
value of a dollar and what it’s
really worth,” said Mat Myers, a senior.
“My parents haven’t been
hit too hard considering my
mom has shopped with
See ECONOMY, Page 5
Trinity Week
Haunting in Conn.
Joe Walsh reviews what
he calls “The best movie
out right now.”
See page 10
Are we obessed?
Are teenage girls
becoming unhealthily
obssessed with the sweet
and charming Edward
Cullen of the hit book
series Twilight?
See page 11
Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are becoming more popular by
the second, but what exactly do they do to your
body and how many Red
Bulls will it take before
you have a fatal caffeine
overdose?
See page 6
Photo collection
Check out some of the
best pictures from every
day and every event during Trinity Week.
See page 12
SPORTS
Boston Marathon
Sam Goodnow, MariBriege Dunn and Kellen
Fitzgerald give a firsthand account of what it
was like to be standing at
the finish line of Boston’s
most famous race.
See page 8
The Lyons brothers
From T-ball to top NH
high school baseball
prospects, Sean and Connor were born to play
baseball.
See page 7
THS at a glance...
5/5 - Band and Chorus
Concert
5/12 - Noon dismissal
5/14 to 16 - Drama production
5/19 - Installation
ceremony for NHS officers
5/20 - Academic awards
night
5/22 - Senior retreat /
noon dismissal / prom
Chelsea Turner / Pioneer staff
Seniors Tony Collins (left) and Craig Jameson (right) compete in the Trinity Idol held during Trinity Week. The duo finished in third place.
Phiten: A fashion
statement, or science?
By Jeff St. Jean
Pioneer Staff
Does the popular necklace known
as a Phiten actually work? The necklace, worn by many athletes, is supposed to help athletes preform better
and heal injuries faster.
But whether or not that actually
works depends on who you ask.
Most doctors say that there is no
actual evidence of the necklace being
able to enhance your body’s performance in any way.
“There’s just no way the chemical
structure of the body can be influenced by magnets that small. It’s all
superstitions with no scientific basis,”
said Dr. Orrin Sherman, chief
See PHITEN, Page 5
Tim Moreau / Courtesy Photo
Megan Uberti (left) and Joe Usenia (second from
the right) help guide their robot in Atlanta.
First knocked
out by champs
By Mark Natale
Pioneer Staff
Mark Natale / Pioneer staff
Freshman Mike Beaudet prepares for batting practice at a recent practice. Beaudet
is one of many baseball players that
wears the popular necklace.
On May 14, the Trinity Robotics team,
Checkmate 40, packed its trailer and started
the long drive down to Atlanta to compete in
the 2009 FIRST World Championship in the
Georgia Dome along with 348 other teams
See FIRST, Page 5
Page 2
The Pioneer
Opinion/Editorial
Graduating senior
class united as leaders
W
e’re down to six
can lead and that they are
weeks. And no one
united as one.
knows
These seniors are
that better than
well on their way
Editorial
the class of 2009.
to successful lives
The senior
outside the doors
class has less
of Trinity, thanks in
than 15 days remaining in
large part to the faculty and
their high school career. And
fellow students that they have
for most of the seniors, that
spent the last four years with.
hasn’t even set in yet.
But most importantly, the
In two weeks, the seniors
seniors need to soak it all in.
will be going on the senior
When the seniors sat in the
retreat, just hours before the
bleachers during freshman
prom.
orientation, they listened to
Just one year ago, the
administrators tell them how
class of 2009 was brought on
fast the next four years would
the junior retreat in an attempt go.
to bring the class
And the four
together.
years did just
By the end of
that.
the retreat, Mr.
In four years,
He gave the
Nelson called
the seniors have
the class the
everything
class a mission seen
most divided
from the start of
that he had ever
campus ministry,
to unite and
seen. He gave
to a Class L state
lead Trinity as championship;
the class a mission to unite and
from Ms. Canaseniors.
lead Trinity as
van to Mr. Carseniors.
nevale; from “We
Now, a year
have a library?”
later, the class
to alumni hall
that earned a negative reputa- studies and, of course, from
tion for three years is nearing
chalk boards to smart boards.
its graduation.
Now, the seniors are just
And while the senior class
days away from looking back
made a turn-around in the eyes at Trinity, not looking ahead
of many this year, (from bring- to Trinity.
ing in more cans than anyone
So seniors, soak everyduring for the pep rally, to
thing in for the upcoming
organizing a successful fashion weeks and remember the chalshow, to leading the school in
lenge that Mr. Nelson gave
the battle of the classes during you – stand together and lead
Trinity week) this is the time
Trinity. Because, after all, this
for the class to show that they
is your last chance.
The Pioneer
Editor-in-Chief
Chad Graff
Editors
Sam Goodnow
Alexa Serrecchia
Ryan Mitchell
Staff
Nick D’Intino
Mari-Briege Dunn
Kellen Fitzgerald
Jeff St. Jean
Sam Monohon
Pat McLaughlin
Mark Natale
Amanda Patev
Joe Walsh
Contributers to this issue
Sarah DiCroce
Corrine Dolan
Nicole Fell
Sarah Ruggiero
Tim Moreau ’08
Advisory
Mrs. Terri Greene Henning, adviser
Mr. Denis Mailloux, principal
Mr. Steven Gadecki, assistant principal
Mr. Patrick Smith, dean of students
[email protected]
April 2009
Time for nonstop texters to
rethink their social habits
I
had never attended a
birthday party as frustrating as this one. It was my
best friend’s Sweet Sixteen,
yet only two out of the
seven party-goers (including
myself) seemed to be paying
attention to the birthday girl.
This was not to be blamed
on the obnoxious attention
seeker or the self-pitying
wallflower who always finds
a way to kill the mood of the
party; the object competing
against my friend for attention was the omnipresent
cellular telephone.
The theme was casino
night, and all the girls were
assembled around the dining room table, chatting
and laughing as my friend’s
step-dad patiently taught the
group how to play Texas Hold
‘Em. However, as I glanced
around the table, it looked
like the other girls were more
interested in their enV’s and
Voyagers than participating
in the card game. Every bout
of laughter was interrupted
by the raucous buzz of an
incoming message, and much
of the conversation was about
the insignificant drama being
passed around from phone to
phone.
Not even a rousing game
Sarah Ruggiero
Opinion
of Rock Band could pry the
cell phones from these girls’
hands. Instead, several of
the girls sat in cliques on
the other side of the basement, refusing to contribute
to the social atmosphere. I
thought this behavior was
incredibly rude. Did they
have somewhere else they
would rather be? Were the
160 characters displayed
across a touch-screen really
that more intriguing than a
boisterous party fueled by
“That’s-What-She-Said’s”
and double chocolate cake?
I knew the obsession with
texting was a problem for
teenagers, but the level of
absorption on that particular occasion made my brain
sizzle. Texting can be a helpful and convenient means of
communication, but when
teenagers start texting more
than talking, they become
socially inept and communicatively lazy. Making a
phone call doesn’t require an
incredible amount of energy
and effort, and it’s much
more meaningful than sending a text message, which is
by default, void of inflection
and emotion.
If you can only manage
to discuss serious matters via
text message, you’ve got a
problem. You’re not always
going to be able to deal with
the heavier stuff by taking
the easy way out. There are
certain things that need to be
said or discussed in person,
like major arguments, breakups, important revelations,
apologies, or even making
the first move with a crush.
Here’s a revolutionary
idea: put your cell phone
away and actually pay attention to the people around you!
Face to face communication
will never go out of style,
and it doesn’t cost $59.99 per
month on a two-year contract.
Adviser’s Note: Sarah Ruggiero is a junior at Trinity currently enrolled in the
Introduction to Journalism
course.
Is chivalry an old-school concept?
O
ne of my guy friends
and I shuffled
through the hallway
after school. We had just
finished our extracurricular activities and were now
walking to our lockers. Being
the old-fashioned optimist
that I am, I assumed that
when the young man reached
for the door handle, he was
opening it for me.
Unfortunately, I was
mistaken. In fact, I was dead
wrong. So wrong that I actually collided with him as we
tried to cross the threshold at
the same time.
Taken aback, I excused
myself although my manners
were not the ones lacking.
The “gentleman,” now thoroughly embarrassed, stepped
aside and held the door open
until I passed through. He
mumbled an apology for his
lapse of etiquette as I rolled
my eyes.
Such behavior is pretty
common for today’s teenage
boys. Many courteous practices, like giving up a seat,
offering to carry something
heavy, or even holding doors
seem to have gone out of
style. Chivalry is becoming
obsolete.
Why is this? It is directly
Corrine Dolan
Opinion
related to the media, and how
womanizers and skirt-chasers are shown in a positive
light. Read the lyrics to any
rap song and you’ll see why
teenage boys are being fed
false ideas about what is
acceptable treatment towards
women.
Now, I’m not going to
launch into a rant telling the
boy who forgot to hold the
door that he’ll grow up to
be a wife beater, but I would
like to pose the question:
How would you feel if a
stranger treated your mother
or sister with anything but
the utmost respect? You
would probably hope that
a stranger could at least be
polite enough to hold a door
or offer up their seat. Why
wouldn’t you do the same?
Of course, the guys are
not the only ones at fault.
If you want respect, first
respect yourself. By dressing,
speaking, and acting in a certain way, you are portraying
a message. Whether or not
you realize it, your clothes
may be saying, “I’m trashy
and don’t deserve respect”
or “I’m classy and should be
treated like a lady.” Actions
speak louder than words.
Maybe it’s the way I
was raised, but I was taught
to expect a certain level of
decorum from my acquaintances. All of my friends,
including the guys, respect
me as much as I respect
myself. If your friends or
boyfriend aren’t showing you
that respect, find someone
else. It’s not worth sacrificing
your dignity.
It doesn’t mean you’re
“whipped” or a flirt if you
hold the door for a lady. It
just means that you have
some respect for her. Girls
appreciate that. Honestly,
manners cost you nothing but
a second of your time. Why
are they so rare?
Adviser’s Note: Corrine
Dolan is a sophomore at
Trinity currently enrolled in
the Introduction to Journalism course.
Opinions expressed in signed and unsigned letters to the editor, opinion pieces, and columns are not necessarily
those of The Pioneer, its staff, or Trinity High School. If you do not see your side of the argument, we invite you to
submit a letter to the editor via e-mail to [email protected]
April 2009
The Pioneer
News
Page 3
It’s more than just her passion for fashion
By Sam Goodnow
Pioneer Editor
T
he average runway
model is 5 feet
and nine inches
tall, weighing a
negligible 110
pounds. The average 5 foot
seven inches female should
weigh 120 pounds. In seventh
grade, Ashley Joncas weighed
170.
“It was just awkward,”
said Joncas, the Trinity junior
known for her tasteful and
extravagant attire.
Joncas easily pulls off any
clothing type, her look varying from day to day.
“It’s hard to sum up,” said
Joncas. “It changes with my
mood. Some days it’s bright,
sometimes edgy.”
Joncas is a fairly quiet,
studious girl who can often
be seen sitting in the halls just
scribbling away on a drawing
pad. So why does such a keptto-herself girl dress so boldly?
“[My fashion] almost talks
for me because I’m not naturally loud. It speaks for me.”
But the reason behind Joncas’s dress code is more than
a way of being bold, and it is
so far from just being an attention-seeking method.
From a very young age,
Joncas aspired to fit into the
fashion world.
“I started with Barbies,”
said Joncas. “I had a hard
time fitting in because I was a
little chubby. I went to school
with 26 athletic students.”
St. Thomas Aquinas in
Derry is a small school with
a graduating class each year
of about 25 students. Joncas’s
class was 27, 26 of whom were
athletically inclined and much
more in shape than Joncas.
“I was just the chubby
creative girl who stuck out,”
said Joncas.
Joncas explained that the
other kids could easily find
clothes that fit them.
“I never wanted to go to
the mall because I would just
end up crying. Now I’m more
21, a chic clothing and
extravagant in my looks
because I’m making
accessory store that
up for lost time,” said
sells clothing from
Joncas.
the basics to wild and
By the end of eighth
extravagant items.
grade, Joncas had had
“A lot of my time
enough of it.
goes to my job,” said
“It took two years,
Joncas, “but it’s fun.
but I was able to lose 50
I thought, ‘Okay so I
pounds,” said Joncas.
like clothes, but could
“It surprised a lot of
I be in a store for six
people.”
hours surrounded by
Joncas’s fashion sense
them, helping customhas increased from the
ers?’ And I think it
days when she played
helped me realize it’s
with Barbies, and now
what I really want.”
that she is able to wear
Joncas takes her job
practically anything she
seriously. It isn’t just
wants, Joncas has taken
an after school job; it’s
advantage of it.
her way of furthering
“I spent three-fourths
herself into the world
of my life in the same
of fashion.
look because that’s all
“Working with all
Ashley Joncas has hundreds of drawings like this
that would fit.”
the
people I work with
one, pictured above. Joncas aspires to be a fashion
While her background designer.
is fun. They are all remay be little known to
ally enthusiastic about
the students at Trinclothes—maybe not to
Joncas’s portfolio is drawn
ity, what is more public is
my
level
though!”
in pen and pencil.
Joncas’s incredible talent
Apparently,
organizing
“I actually carry them
for art. She has hundreds of
and
arranging
clothing
for her
around in my purse, just in
drawings that she has done,
job
has
transferred
into
her
case.”
Her colored pens remany of which are landscape
bedroom. She has an amount
ally were in her black leather
or fashion design.
of clothing that may seem unpurse, which matched her
Joncas can sketch a new
necessary to any other person,
current outfit of course. Every but Joncas makes use of each
outfit in just a couple hours,
day, Joncas’ outfits are careand the drawing looks ready
piece from the ordinary to the
fully put together, from the
to be sewn and sold. Her deoutrageous.
shoe to the shirt, from the
signs are runway ready-looks
“I had to put rolling racks
skirt or dress, to the bag.
that could easily be transin my room because clothes
“I kind of think of outfits
ferred to what many fashionwere like, exploding out of
as an art piece. With the right
able girls would wear.
my closet,” said Joncas. Her
elements to an outfit, you can
“If I had to sum up what I
bedroom is neatly arranged,
think up, it has to be Victorian make it perfect—like a perfect perhaps even more so that the
painting.”
meets The Matrix,” said Joconstantly frazzled Forever 21.
If Joncas had her life the
nas. “I try to mix old inspired
“So, my room is my closet
way she wanted, she would be now. You walk in and there’s
with modern ideas to make
something that someone today successful enough to start her clothes everywhere, but it’s
own label, which she would
would wear.”
organized,” said Joncas.
name Ashley Nicole.
The drawings that Joncas
More numerous than any
The line would carry
creates are neatly stored in
other type of clothing in
not only incredibly tasteful
a portfolio, awaiting future
Joncas’ continuing closets are
women’s clothing but chilpublicity.
dresses.
Joncas has entered fashion dren’s and plus-size clothing
“They are great! It’s just
as well.
design contests and is awaitone piece…you look good
“I know from personal
ing the response of a parand it’s just easy.”
experience that it’s really difticular contest in H&M. The
What would a department
ficult to find something that
winner gets a trip to Sweden
store’s worth of clothing be
fits and still looks fashionand is able to visit the H&M
without shoes for every outfit?
able,” said Joncas.
headquarters.
Joncas has bragging rights,
Joncas has already gotten
The pieces in Ashley’s
with over 200 pairs of shoes.
her high-heeled foot into the
portfolio are organized by
In addition to the clothing
similarity, a method not unlike door of the fashion marketing racks, she has a wall for just
modern designer collections.
world. She works at Forever
her shoes. It’s a shopaholic’s
heaven. But Joncas is no
shopaholic.
“I see them as sort of a
collector’s item. Some people
collect stamps, I collect them
and happen to wear them on a
daily basis.”
This fashionista lifestyle
may seem an expensive way
to waste the hard-earned
money that Joncas earns at
Forever 21, but Joncas claims
to be a bargain hunter.
Her most expensive item is
a $600 leather trench coat; of
course she didn’t buy it at that
costly retail price!
“My main thing when I’m
shopping is I’ll go to the sales
rack and then look around.
If there’s something I really
like, then I’ll spend because I
know I’ll use it,” said Joncas.
Joncas has one sister who is
a Trinity graduate of 2008. Her
parents neither commend nor
denigrate their daughter Ashley for her passion for fashion.
“Once in a while they’ll
think its funny, but it’s my
passion. I mean other kids’
passions are like sports and
their parents support them,”
said Joncas. “I think you
should find what you’re passionate about and just go for
it full force—whether it’s
fashion or basketball.”
Joncas has emerged a
strong young lady from her
struggles and confidently
speaks her accomplishments.
For her junior year honors
American Literature class, she
wrote a “This I Believe” essay
on the topic of thriving from a
not-so-advantageous childhood where she was able to
overcome her disadvantages
as an overweight child.
“All the people who pass
in the hall just see the girl in
the outfit, they don’t know the
back story,” said Joncas.
Now next time you see a
fiercely fashionable junior
sketching in a drawing pad,
you know that there is more
than wanting attention for
owning such a look. Joncas
owns her story, her fashion,
and talent, and it makes her
unique without any effort.
Page 4
News Briefs
The Pioneer
News
Txtng nd
drvng: G2G
Student politcians take to State House
On Apr. 3 and 4, the Trinity Youth and Government team
participated in the state conference in Concord.
At a meeting on Mar. 21, Brady Manning was selected to be
a committee chair in the Senate, and Maddy was selected a cochair in the House committee for the conference.
The conference broke up into small groups and discussed
the bills that the students submitted. The bills were then sent to
mock Senate and House committee, where the best bills were
sent to the governor to be passed or vetoed.
By Kellen Fitzgerald
Pioneer Staff
Penance Service highlight of Lent
On March 31, a penance service was held at Trinity in the
gym. Students were given the opportunity to participate in
confession.
The set-up of the service differed from past years. This year,
the priests spoke with students at different stations in the gymnasium. In past years the confession stations have been private
in class rooms or curtained areas.
“I thought it was too open. If you walked by some one you
could practically hear people confessing,” said Alison Patev,
senior.
Many students felt the same about the atmosphere of the
penance service.
“It was awkward having it so open. I feel like on top of having to whisper, everyone could hear what I was saying,” said
Vanessa Popovich, sophomore.
Underclassmen host fundraisers
On Saturday, April 18, the freshman hosted the annual
Freshmen Class Yard Sale, making $2,700. The Yard Sale is the
freshmen’s biggest fundraiser of they year and freshmen class
advisor Mr. Brian Flaherty was very proud.
“Not only was the yard sale a great success, it was also a
great class bonding experience,” said Flaherty.
At the same time as the Yard Sale was the Sophomore Bake
Sale. The bake sale was also a success, and left yard sale goers
feeling satisfied.
“It was great, we acquired a lot of baked goods that were
definitely appreciated in our efforts to make money,” said
sophomore class president Gerid Paquette.
April 2009
Senior Fashion Show
On April 16 the Trinity seniors strutted down the runway
modelling casual and formal apparel. Eileen Parodi claws
in her feline get-up, above. John Gaffen, below, works the
runway in his formal wear. The seniors raised money for
the prom on May 22, 2009.
Students show off at International Fair
On Monday, April 6, the McHugh Gymnasium was filled
with over 400 spectators throughout the night to witness the
third annual International Fair.
The International Fair included 43 Spanish and French
projects combined that ranged from Flamenco dancing, to Frida
Kahlo (a Spanish artist) and even to the French Alps.
The students in Mrs. Chenette’s Spanish II class had approximately three months to plan for the fair and complete their
projects.
“It took a lot of planning and getting together on weekends
and going to get dance lessons,” said Lia Nawn, a freshman.
Even the teachers were impressed with the students’ work.
“I thought they did excellent. I was blown away. [I was]
very impressed with the effort and creativity,” said Mrs.
Chenette.
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Supports The Pioneer
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At 55 mph, a driver paying
attention to his text message
instead of his driving would
travel 80.6 feet per second
down the highway.
This being a concern of the
New Hampshire Legislature,
on March 24 by a vote of 176149, the House approved a
bill banning the action of text
messaging while operating a
vehicle.
The bill also bans the use
of two hands to type on any
electronic device while driving.
Although the bill passed
through the House, the Senate
voted 15-9 to put the bill on
the table.
“A parliamentary move
that effectively kills it,” according to the Associated
Press.
The bill is sponsored by
Nashua Democrat David
Campbell. Under his bill,
text messaging while driving
would result in a $100 fine,
despite the fact that talking
on a cell phone while driving
would be permitted.
Because of the action, or
lack thereof, of the bill in the
senate, the bill is not likely to
be acted upon before lawmakers adjourn this month.
Those opposed said the
issue of text messaging while
driving is already covered by
the state’s “negligent driving
law,” that includes eating, use
of any electronic devices, putting on makeup, fiddling with
a car stereo and other typical
distractions.
Supporters feel that it will
take a situation-specific law
to decrease the number of
drivers distracted by text messaging.
“I think they should [pass
the bill]. It will not kill you if
they make it, but it may kill
you if they don’t,” said sophomore Abby Mitchell.
A new survey released by
Nationwide Mutual Insurance
shows that one in five drivers
are texting while driving, and
that figure increases to one in
three for people aged 18-34.
Skeptics doubt, however, that Campbell’s bill
(if passed) can cause this
daunting national number to
dwindle.
“This legislation seems
to be completely mundane
and unnecessary and perhaps
on another level, beyond the
scope of what the government
has the constitutional power
to control.” said senior Vanessa Duguay. “This is another
example of law makers with
good intentions, but are out
of touch with reality. Just because one shouldn’t be doing
something doesn’t mean the
government has to slap a law
on it.”
April 2009
FIRST
Continued from page 1
from across the world.
This year was the fifth
year in a row that Checkmate 40 made it to the World
Championship and was their
most successful, advancing
to the semifinals in its division.
The team included driver
Joe Usenia, shooter Megan
Uberti, and human player
Alex Gadecki, as well as the
team mentor, Trinity physics
teacher Joe Pouliot.
During the qualifying
matches, Trinity quickly realized that it was among an elite
class of robots when their autonomous mode (a 15-second
portion of the match in which
the robots are controlled by a
computer program and not the
driver) was one of just a few
in the world that could score
points.
“Our autonomous was
dead on. We scored seven
balls in the first fifteen seconds [every time],” said Mr.
Pouliot.
After finishing the qualifying rounds in the tournament
with an impressive record of
The Pioneer
From Page One
We were just overwhelmed by the
[eventual] World
Champions.”
-- Mr. Pouliot
six wins and one loss, Checkmate 40 was ranked sixth
in its division, allowing the
team to be an alliance captain
(teams select an alliance of
two other partners that they
stay with for the rest of the
tournament) and select what
teammates it wanted to compete with.
“We picked 1332 (Collbran, Colo.) for offense and
1902 (Winter Park, Fla.) for
defense,” said Uberti, a senior.
Checkmate 40 won its
quarterfinal matches easily,
106-92 and 91-70. However,
when the team ran out of
firepower when it reached
the semifinal matches for the
Galileo Division.
“The final matches are
definitely more intense than
the qualifying matches, but
our mentors remind us to treat
them the same and take it all
one match at a time,” said
Uberti.
The team met the eventual
World Champions, consisting
of teams 67 (Milford, Mich.),
111 (Schaumburg, Ill.) and
971 (Mountain View, Calif.).
Checkmate 40 and its alliance
lost in its semifinal matches,
126-97 and 117-78.
“We had our highest seed
ever (6 out of 87 teams in the
division). We chose excellent
partners; we were just overwhelmed by the [eventual]
World Champions,” said Mr.
Pouliot.
This was the second year
in a row that the Trinity Robotics team faced the alliance
that would eventually become
World Champions and also
the second year that the champions have come out of the
Galileo Division.
The semifinal finish was
the best finish that Checkmate 40 has ever had at the
World Championship and one
of the smoother competitions
that Trinity experienced this
year.
“For once, our robot had
virtually no difficulties,” said
Uberti.
Tim Moreau / Courtesy
Photos
Above, Joe Usenia (left) and Alex
Gadecki (back)
gets help moving
the teams robot.
Below, Gadecki, the
teams human player,
prepares for a throw
in the recent robotics
competition held in
Atlanta.
“My parents are really trying to
teach me about the value of a dollar
and what it’s really worth ... (I have)
cut back on going out and about with
friends and try to just (spend) time
with friends at people’s houses instead
of a movie or getting a bite to eat.”
Phiten
Continued from page 1
of sports medicine at the New
York University Hospital.
But many professional athletes seem to think differently.
Phiten necklaces were
actually made to help relieve
pain and soreness while playing sports.
There are several types of
Phiten necklaces, but are all
made with the same aqua-titanium material.
In order to get the titanium
into the necklaces, Phiten
found a way to put titanium
into water, giving it the name
aqua-titanium. The fabric that
makes up each necklace is
then dipped in the aqua-titanium.
According to the Phiten
web site, the necklaces were
designed to enhance your performance while wearing it by
balancing your energy flow.
By properly balancing
your energy, the necklace
should alleviate discomfort,
speed up recovery, and counteract fatigue.
Phiten necklaces were
first brought to the public eye
by Major League Baseball
pitcher Randy Johnson, who
discovered them in Japan.
Almost all major leaguers,
including Red Sox ace Josh
Beckett, who is sponsored by
Phiten, along with Yankees
pitcher Joba Chamberlin, now
wear the necklace.
Many golfers, tennis
players, and other professional athletes also wear the
necklace. Phiten also sponsors
PGA Tour golfer Sergio Garcia, and professional tennis
player Lleyton Hewitt.
Page 5
-- Mat Myers
ECONOMY
Continued from page 1
Mark Natale / Pioneer staff
Dylan Clark shows off his phiten necklace at a recent baseball practice.
Clark is a captain on the team that is considered a contender for the
state championship.
Professional athletes are
not the only people to wear
the necklaces, however.
They seem to have caught on
among younger athletes in
the high school and the youth
sports arena.
For these young people the
attraction is not necessarily
one of performance enhancement.
This group seems to think
of Phiten as a fashion accessory. This could explain the
many varieties of the necklace
that exist.
coupons for as long as I
can remember,” said Alexis
Kittle, a sophomore.
Students, themselves, are
also feeling the effects of
the economy when it comes
to spending.
“If I see something I
want, I either need to buy it
myself or save up, where I
might have gotten it easier
before,” said Kittle.
“I have had to cut back
on my shopping. I love getting new clothes and things
like that, but I have had to
limit myself,” said Telge.
Some students have been
finding alternative ways of
entertainment.
“[I have] cut back on
going out and about with
friends and try to just
[spend] time with friends at
people’s houses instead of
a movie or getting a bite to
eat,” said Myers.
Students, too, are having
trouble in the job market.
Some students are having
trouble either finding jobs
themselves, or keeping
jobs that they have recently
acquired.
“I’m having trouble finding a job,” said Cole.
Some students are working more hours to meet their
financial needs and wants.
“I personally have had to
request more hours to help
out my financial needs,”
said Myers.
Many students are having
trouble paying for gas or
their cars because of a lack
of money.
“Having two drivers has
its ups and downs,” said
German Linares, a senior.
“I try not to buy a lot of
gas,” said Cole.
Other students remain
hopeful that the economy
will improve.
“The economy nowadays
is pretty bad, but I think that
it is on the upswing now.
I just can’t wait until my
stocks go up, that’s all,” said
John Duffy, a junior.
Page 6
The Pioneer
Healthy Living
April 2009
Energy drinks: Is it really worth the boost?
By Amanda Patev
Pioneer Staff
The lifestyle behind
the figure
By Samantha Monohon
Pioneer Staff
Why don’t French
women get fat? It’s not
because of the great pastries, breads, extravagant
3-course meals, or the wine
which accompanies them
all. French Women Don’t
Get Fat, by Mirielle Guiliano, explains this phenomenon in her autobiographical
book depicting the lifestyle
of French women.
As an exchange student,
Guiliano travelled to America. When she returned
to France, her family was
astonished by the weight
she had put on.
In the rest of the book,
Guiliano tries to get herself
back into the French lifestlye and away from the bad
habits she had learned in
America.
French women eat for
pleasure rather than to simply consume food. There’s
no need to closet binge eat
when eating what you want
is accepted by everyone.
Another key to their
healthy lifestyle is that
French women don’t wait
until they’re hungry. They
eat large, multi-course
meals so that they are never
left feeling unsatisfied.
While Americans rush
to find the closest parking
space, no matter the wait,
French women walk to
wherever they’re going.
They don’t do vigorous
exercise because it’s not
something they enjoy; they
just walk throughout their
day.
Where as many Americans go grocery shopping
once a week and buy
frozen processed foods,
French women go shopping every day for foods
that are fresh and in
season; therefore, insuring
both taste and nutrition.
The book shows that
neither a diet nor an intense
exercise routine is necessary
to have a healthy lifestyle;
it’s all about just doing and
eating what you enjoy.
“I heard that you’d die after six Monsters,” I overheard
a sophomore in my class say.
But according to www.energyfiend.com, a person 165
pound person would have to
drink 140.77 cans of Red Bull
to kill them due to caffeine
overdose. It would take half as
much Monster to kill a person
of the same weight.
Whether this statistic is
completely accurate or not, it
proves that an energy drink
can kill you, that is, if you
drink too much. While drinking 140 Red Bulls in one sitting is extremely unlikely, just
a few of these or any other
energy drink can have side
effects.
We’ve all seen the commercials: “Energy drinks have
as much as 12 teaspoons of
sugar in them.” Some people
believe that this commercial
for 5-Hour Energy is making
this up, but it’s true. Monster
Energy (16 ounces) has 54
grams of sugar in it. That is
11.38 teaspoons! One 8.3ounce can of Red Bull has
Pioneer Staff Photo
5.69 teaspoons of sugar in it,
and Jolt Energy (23.5 oz.) has
19.81 teaspoons of sugar in
it! The energy drink with the
most sugar in it is Rockstar
Guava (22 oz.), with 21.5
teaspoons of sugar in it!
Caffeine is in energy
drinks. Monster Energy has
160 mg of caffeine in it.
Red Bull has less, with 80
mg of caffeine in it. Many
other energy drinks, including Rockstar, Jolt, and Full
Throttle, have more than 100
mg of caffeine in it. Even coffee, which is considered to be
extremely caffeinated, has 100
mg of caffeine, which is less
than most energy drinks.
While caffeine boosts
energy for a short period
of time, caffeine wears off
quickly and causes a crash,
making us more tired than we
were before. It can also cause
the jitters, insomnia, dehydration, headaches, increased
heart rate and blood pressure,
and in extreme cases, heart
palpitations.
Since it acts like a stimulant, caffeine is also addictive
as well, creating withdrawals
and cravings for those who
are frequent consumers of the
drug. People become addicted
to the adrenaline rush it gives
them.
Athletes: don’t be fooled
by advertisements claiming that energy drinks boost
performance. Drinking energy
drinks before sporting events
can prove to be harmful.
These drinks cause dehydration and could even cause
heart problems, especially
if the heart rate is already
elevated.
Also beware of drinks
with ephedrine in them as
well as caffeine. High school
officials in Burbank, Calif., banned energy drinks
last year when two student
athletes who had consumed
drinks with ephedrine
fainted. When mixed with
caffeine, ephedrine can
cause deadly heart problems.
(http://www.articlesbase.
com)
Taurine, guarana, and ginseng are all other ingredients
in these drinks. These catalysts
speed up the effects of the caffeine and sugar, or are sources
of caffeine themselves.
So drinking energy drinks
won’t kill you, they’ll just
make you a little more energetic. Unless you decide
to drink over a hundred Red
Bulls. Then you’re just crazy.
Don’t forget to read the fine print
By Samantha Monohon
Pioneer Staff
1: It’s important to know
the difference between a serving size and how much you’re
actually eating. The serving
size is often different than the
amount of servings per container, therefore, you could be
consuming more than twice
the amount of food you think
you’re eating.
2: “DV%” stands for percent daily value and is based
on the nutritional needs of a
2,000 calorie diet. According
to the FDA, a food containing
below 5% of your daily needs
isn’t worth eating and a food
containing more than 20%
isn’t healthy. Therefore, one
should aim for foods that fulfill 5% to 20% of their daily
nutrional requirements.
3: Ingredients are listed in
descending order according
to how much of it is in the
food. Also, some ingredients
may not be included in the list
because the FDA deems it to
be an insignificant amount of
food or because the food was
Nutrition facts shown are from a Chocolate Chip Clif Bar.
made in a store or by a small
manufacturuer who may have
added ingredients.
4: The allergen statement
is very important to look at
when you are either allergic
to something or just trying
to cut something out of your
diet. It’s like a cheat-sheet to
the ingredients. Beyond the
very small and cramped writing that the ingredients are
listed in, you often can’t even
pronounce half the words.
Jumping straight to the allergen statement is an easy way
to see the foods that could
potentially be bad for your
health or for your intended
diet.
5: If you’re trying to stick
to a strictly organic diet, you
need to look for the certification on the wrapper. If the
product just says “organic”
or “all-natural” without being
certified, it could contain arti-
Pioneer Staff Photo
ficial or unnatural ingredients.
*Another quick tip to know
is that the nutrition facts listed
before and including sodium
are better when they’re in
smaller amounts whereas the
following facts are good for
you even in larger amounts.
April 2009
The Pioneer
Sports
Page 7
Lyons duo hopes to lead team to state champs
By Mark Natale
Pioneer Staff
“They’re baseball-savvy.
That’s what you can’t teach.
They play [baseball] the way
it’s supposed to be played,”
said Trinity baseball coach
Ed Poisson. He was referring
to the center field-left field,
senior-junior duo, Sean and
Connor Lyons.
Since first picking up the
bat and ball in their T-ball
years to becoming starters just
a few games into their respective freshman seasons, Sean
and Connor have grown to be
integral parts of the Trinity
baseball team. Sean is a second-year captain on the team
this year.
However, baseball isn’t
their only sport. Both entered
Trinity playing soccer their
freshman year but switched to
play for the football team for
their respective sophomore
years.
Sean, a senior, who signed
a 50% scholarship with
Northeastern University to
play baseball earlier this year,
had a scare in this year’s football season when he broke his
leg in a game halfway through
the season.
“[The scholarship] was the
first thing that went through
my head. I was wondering
if I would ever be the same
again,” said Lyons.
Lyons also said he would
have tried out for the boys’
basketball team this year had
it not been for his injury.
Younger brother, Connor,
a junior, is also being heavily
recruited by NCAA Division
1 teams to play baseball for
them.
“I’m looking to stay in
Boston. If I can, I want to go
to [Boston College]. BC is my
priority,” said Lyons of his
scholarship opportunities.
“Both are DI baseball players,” said Poisson of the two.
According to the duo,
sibling rivalry has slacked off
in recent years, but there has
always been a lingering competition between the brothers.
“I think that’s where we
get our talent. [Sibling rivalry]
made us who we are today
and the competitors who we
are,” said Sean.
“I definitely noticed when
Sean made the district team
as an 11-year-old. That’s what
really made me want to go
into sports,” said the younger
Lyons brother, Connor.
Both, too, have high hopes
for the baseball team this year
and their goal for the season is
to win the state championship.
The team made it to the
state championship two years
ago, but lost to Merrimack
and last year made it to the
quarterfinals of the playoffs.
“We have a definite chance
[to win this year],” said Sean.
Brother, Connor, agrees.
“We almost made it freshman year, and last year was
just a disappointment,” said
Connor.
“We graduated
one player last year. Hopefully, we’ll be in the top four
[at the end of the regular
season].”
The boys started the season
with a win over Concord, 1-0,
in which Connor singled to
left field in the bottom of the
seventh to score the walk-off
winning run, Sean, from third
base.
“It was a relief to see the
ball go over the third baseman’s head and made it easy
for me to jog in,” said Sean.
Connor was equally excited
about the win.
“It was definitely a good
lunge forward for the team
and for my confidence at the
plate,” Connor said.
Trinity sports teams just
aren’t making the cut
Sarah DiCroce
What is the point of givpretty badly) to get to the
ing your all at tryouts if, in
point of a blowout, but either
Opinion
the end, you know nobody
way, the players deserve to
will even end up being cut?
finish the game.
Year after year, Trinity
A solution to this problem
sports teams continuously
is to start making cuts here at
hold tryout sessions, but
Trinity.
rarely do they ever actually
The cut players will then
cut anyone.
have some motivation and
Besides a few infrequent
can work toward making the
exceptions, everyone who
team next year. A cut might
tries out usually makes the
also give some people a realteam--even the person
ity check.
The world is turning into a place
who ended up walkMaybe they will
ing eight out of ten
realize that sports are
where everyone is always trying not their calling, and
sprints and even the
person who has never
they can branch out
not to offend anyone
even played the game
and discover somebefore.
anyone. But in my opinion,
thing that they do
I know this is brutally
keeping someone on a team
excel at. And then there are
honest, but we are in high
and sitting that person on the
others who just want to play
school now.
bench the whole season is
to have fun.
Players who do not try
just as hurtful as if they had
Well, there are options for
their best or are not even
initially been cut.
them also. Join a rec team.
remotely skilled at the sport
It’s not only a waste of
So in the end, it can be a
deserve to be cut.
time for the individual who
win-win situation.
I understand that Trinity
never plays but also for the
Trinity sports teams will
is a small school and somecoaches and the rest of the
be stronger and consist of the
times limited on the number
team.
more skilled and motivated
of players it has, but most
There is also continuous
players, while those who do
of the time this is not even
frustration coming from the
get cut can put their efforts
the case. I feel that if Trinity
skilled players who have a
towards getting better or
wants to be taken seriously in passion for the game and
finding something that better
anything besides basketball
want to win but are constant- suits their abilities.
and occasionally some other
ly slowed down by novices.
boys sports, they need to start
What is even worse is
Adviser’s Note: Sarah
making cuts.
when the coach actually puts
Dicroce is a sophomore at
The world is turning into
all the bench players in durTrinity currently enrolled in
a place where everyone is
ing a blowout. The team has
the Introduction to Journalalways trying not to offend
either worked hard (or done
ism course.
Mark Natale / Pioneer Staff
Above, Trinity senior Sean
Lyons throws warm-up pitches
in between innings to catcher
Nick Nalette in a game against
Pinkerton on April 22. Trinity
won 9-4.
Left, Trinity junior Connor
Lyons prepares for an at bat
in Derry. The Lyons brothers
are off to a good start to the
season, on their way to another
All-State caliber season.
Tiger Woods is
golfing again
By Jeff St. Jean
Pioneer Staff
with a torn ligament in his
left leg and suffered a double
stress fracture in that same
He’s back. Tiger Woods,
leg just two weeks prior to
the best golfer in the world
the U.S. Open.
is back, and so is golf. Golf
Woods, as most of you
without Tiger Woods is like
already know, went on to win
peanut butter without jelly,
the U.S. Open in a playoff
Halloween without candy, or against Rocco Mediate, at
well, you get the picture.
times using his club as a
Tiger Woods is golf.
cane, grimacing after every
Don’t believe me? Take a
shot, but continuing to play.
look at the TV ratings with
But the way he went out
and
before havwithout
ing surgery
Golf without Tiger
Woods.
was astonYou
Woods is like peanut ishing, causwill see a
ing me to
butter without jelly, want Woods
remarkable difback in the
Halloween without
ference.
game even
Just to
more.
candy.
give you
To further
an idea of
emphasize
how big golf is with Woods,
my point, on the final day of
look at the TV ratings for the The Masters, many fans were
final round of the U.S. Open. waiting for Woods to make
They were significantly
his signature comeback run.
higher than ratings for the
But after it was evident that
NBA Finals Game 5, which
this would not happen, many
was airing at the same time
fans left and didn’t even stick
on ABC.
around to see the first threeGolf was flat-out boring
man playoff since 1987.
without Tiger Woods; it just
Never in my life had I
lost its spark.
been a fan of Woods, but
With remnants of Curt
after watching him do that,
Schilling and his bloody sock playing through an injury
of 2004, Tiger Woods played that bad, and winning I bethrough the 2008 U.S. Open
came a fan for life.
Page 8
The Pioneer
Sports
April 2009
Boston Marathon a hit again
Former Trinity cross country star competed in the
grueling marathon with more than 10,000 others
By Sam Goodnow and
Kellen Fitzgerald
and Mari-Briege Dunn
Pioneer Staff
On April 20, 2009 the
313th Boston Marathon attracted runners from all over
the world to compete, or even
just to finish, the grueling
26.2 miles that has been run
so many times before.
In this year’s race, a Trinity graduate of the class of
2006, Heather Cirka brought
herself to the marathon start
in Hopkinton, Mass.
Heather Cirka was a cross
country and distance track
runner when she attended
Trinity High School, so it
seemed to be a logical progression for her to continue
running in college.
Cirka was the 474th female
finisher out of 9,342 competing women.
She was the 4, 696th
finisher in the overall field of
22,849 with the official time
of 3 hours, 20 minutes and 8
seconds.
“I had to fight for a spot
the whole race, which was
exhausting. It never really
opened up,” said Cirka. “I
would run it again.
Cirka had run the Manchester City Marathon in November, at which she qualified
to the run in Boston.
“I ran five minutes faster
than in Manchester, and I also
felt like I had a lot of juice
still in my tank at the end,”
said Circka.
The Boston marathon
is known for its beginning
in Hopkington with a down
hill—a misleading start to a
race that has strenuous hills,
the most infamous of which is
Heartbreak Hill. Heartbreak
Hill is an incline for over .4
miles, approximately 20 miles
into the race, when the runners are working their hardest
to stay strong and think about
finishing hard.
“The hills were tough.
I took them gently, I really
didn’t care about pace right
then,”said Cirka.
It has been 26 years since
Boston has seen an American
male take first place when
Greg Meyer finished with
2:09:00, and it had been 24
years since Lisa LarsenWeidenbach and two other
American women swept the
top three spots.
This year, Ryan Hall for
the men’s race and Kara
Goucher for the women’s
were crowd hopefuls for
American wins.
Both finished in third place
in their races. Hall’s lead in
the first half of the race did not
prove to be the best strategy.
Once Ethiopian Deriba
Merga (2:08:41) and Kenyan
Daniel Rono (2:09:32) took
the lead away. Hall finished
with a time of 2:09:40.
The women’s race was
much closer than the blow out
finish of Merga in the men’s
race.
Traditionally a miler,
Goucher had only run a marathon once before Boston.
The pack ran a slower
pace than normal, sticking
together for the beginning, but
an acceleration at mile 23 left
the top three women working
hard together.
Goucher finished third,
clocking in at 2:32:25, finishing only behind Kenyan
Salina Koseigi (2:32:16)
and Ethiopian Dire Tune
(2:32:17). The women’s finish was a difference of one
second, versus the men’s win
of almost 45 seconds.
Boys’ Athlete to
Watch
Trinity’s ace pitcher, Dylan
Clark, is looking strong so far
this 2009 season.
Clark is a two-year captain
and a pick for last season’s
first team All-State team certifying him as one of the top
pitchers in Class L.
Clark has proved himself
at the plate, hitting two home
runs against Timberlane Regional in just the second game
of the season.
On the mound, Clark’s
fastball is offset by a wicked
knee-buckling curveball that
gives him an outstanding
repertoire.
Only letting up one run in
his two starts and 12 innings
total is a testament to his
ability to pitch and shows just
how promising this southpaw is looking for the 2009
season.
Clark, along with the rest
Clark
of the Trinity baseball team,
is expected to have an excellent and very exciting 2009
season.
Clark will also look to continue his baseball career after
Trinity at the University of
Elon on a 70 percent athletic
scholarship.
Girls’ Athlete to
Watch
After opening the season
with a 13-0 win over Timberlane Regional, the Trinity
softball team is starting off
strong.
The Pioneers, lead by captain and pitcher Alie Thomas,
are looking towards an exciting season.
Thomas, a utility player,
has a strong arm and can play
any position on the field.
The Pioneer softball team
opened up on a good start,
winning one of its first three
games.
The victory over Timberlane just goes to show the
potential of the ladies and
shows how overwhelming the
Trinity softball team can be
for their opponents when they
are on the top of their game
and playing as a team.
Jeff St. Jean / Pioneer Staff
Bruins goalie Tim Thomas comes off the ice after warm-ups before a game against Montreal on April 18. The Bruins won 5-1.
Boston: the “hub” of
professional sports
By Jeff St. Jean
Pioneer Staff
With the Red Sox
season getting underway,
and the Bruins and Celtics
starting the playoffs it’s a
great time to be a sports fan
in Boston.
The Bruins and Celtics
finished their seasons in
first and second place in
their conferences.
The Bruins finished
first in the Eastern Conference for the first time since
the 1989-1990 season and
owned the second best
overall record in the NHL.
The Bruins are led by
Vezina Trophy candidate
Tim Thomas, who recorded a 2.10 goals against
average, and a .933 save
percentage.
Bruins captain Zdeno
Chara, a Norris Trophy
hopeful, given annually to
the NHL’s best defenseman, recorded his best
offensive year in his NHL
career with 19 goals.
The Bruins have drawn
a classic first round playoff
match up with the Montreal
Canadiens for the second
year in a row.
The Celtics finished off
the regular season second
in the Eastern Conference
and were set to play the
Chicago Bulls in the opening round of the playoffs.
But the Celtics will be
without team leader Kevin
Garnett for the playoffs.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers announced that Garnett
will be shutdown for the
rest of the season due to his
knee injury.
Without Garnett this
season, the Celtics were
still able to win, they lost
just seven games without
him but gave up 8.7 more
points per game and scored
6.2 points less per game.
With the loss of Garnett
and Ray Allen’s playoff struggles, the Celtics
chances for a repeat as
NBA Champions are diminishing.
The Red Sox season
began with a win back on
April 7th against the Tampa
Bay Rays. Since then, the
Sox have struggled and are
currently fourth in the AL
East, with the Toronto Blue
Jays leading the division.
With over 120 games
remaining in the season,
the Red Sox have plenty
of time to get to the top of
the AL East and make a run
at their third World Series
since 2004.
With the postseasons for
two of the most successful
teams in sports that call
the TD Banknorth Garden
home, there is no telling
what the future has in store
for them.
The hopes are high for
bringing the Stanley Cup
and NBA Finals trophy
back to Boston, with the
Bruins as a one seed and
the Celtics as a two seed.
Thomas
With Winnacunnet coming
up on May 6th, the Pioneers
will be tested.
The softball team is looking for a very successful 2009
season along with good play
from upper classmen including Thomas.
Mark Natale / Pioneer Staff
Ricky Fosher prepares to hit, as Sean Lyons gets ready on the
basepaths during a game against Pinkerton. Trinity won, 9-4.
April 2009
It’s playoffs . . .
can’t anybody
get it right?
A
most credit for
Chad Graff
couple
a great playoff
of weeks
system. But
Opinion
ago, the
somehow, colNBA playoffs
lege football
began. And
doesn’t find
a couple of
a need to
months from
switch.
now, they will
With the
end. Are you
BCS, we have
kidding me?
a computer
Could the NBA
choosing who
playoffs be any
should play
longer?
for the championship and the
And that is only the begin- title of greatest football team
ning. It seems like every play- for the season. Seriously? A
off for nearly every competicomputer? I understand that
tive sport at every level has
we’ve grown a little depensome sort of flaw in it.
dent on technology, but now
College football has the
we can’t pick who the two
BCS, the NHIAA baseball fibest teams are on our own?
nals involve one game and the Or better yet, pick the eight
NHL playbest teams
offs involve
The NBA playoffs and let them
hockey.
settle it on
The NBA are like the guest that the field.
playoffs
That,
are like the
you invite over and however,
guest that
is not the
you invite
than you realize that NHIAA’s
over and
problem.
everything
they have no intention They let
is going
baseball
great until
of leaving.
teams across
you realize
the state
that they have no intentions of settle it on the field – in one
leaving.
game. Anything can happen
Don’t get me wrong, I love in one game, especially in a
the NBA. But why do we
sport like baseball. That’s why
need a best-of-seven opening
the MLB plays a regular searound series? Especially with
son of over 160 games. That’s
the time off these athletes get. not even including playoffs!
The NBA playoffs are nearly
Yet, for some reason, the
as bad as the BCS.
NHIAA feels the best baseball
How does Division I
team in the state can be detercollege football not get the
mined in one game. Show me
hint to move to a tournament
a baseball player who doesn’t
playoff system. The Division I have a ‘bad game’ at the plate
sub-division has a playoff that at least half the time and I’ll
works with great success. And show you someone who plays
college basketball gets the
T-ball.
Mark Natale/Pioneer Staff
Trinity junior, Nick Nalette swings at a pitch during a game against
Pinkerton on April 23, in Derry, Trinity won 9-4, improving to 4-0.
The Pioneer
Page 9
Sports
Baseball
Softball
04/15 vs. Concord W, 1-0
04/17 at Timberlane Regional W, 11-0
04/20 vs. Nashua South W, 2-1
04/22 at Pinkerton W, 9-4
04/24 at Spaulding
04/27 vs. Exeter
04/29 at Merrimack
05/01 vs. Dover
05/04 at Goffstown
05/06 vs. Winnacunnet
05/08 at Manchester West
05/11 vs. Londonderry
05/13 at Nashua North
05/15 vs. Salem
05/18 at Keene
05/20 vs. Bishop Guertin
05/21 at Manchester Memorial
05/27 vs. Manchester Central
05/29 at Alvirne
04/14 vs. Timberlane W, 13-0
04/15 at Concord L, 3-0
04/20 at Nashua South L, 16-4
04/22 vs. Pinkerton L, 2-1
04/24 vs. Spaulding
04/27 at Exeter
04/29 vs. Merrimack
05/01 at Dover
05/04 vs. Goffstown
05/06 at Winnacunnet
05/08 vs. Manchester West
05/11 at Londonderry
05/13 vs. Nashua North
05/15 at Salem
05/18 vs. Keene
05/20 at Bishop Guertin
05/21 vs. Manchester Memorial
05/27 at Manchester Central
05/29 vs. Alvirne
Boys’ Tennis
Girls’ Tennis
04/15 vs. Central W, 6-3
04/17 at Timberlane Regional W, 9-0
04/20 vs. Nashua South W, 9-0
04/22 at Pinkerton ppd.
04/24 vs. Spaulding
04/29 at Merrimack
05/01 vs. Dover
05/04 at Goffstown
05/06 vs. Winnacunnet
05/08 at Manchester West
05/13 at Nashua North
05/15 vs. Salem
05/18 at Keene
05/22 vs. Manchester Memorial
04/15 at Central L, 9-0
04/17 vs. Timberlane Regional L, 8-1
04/20 at Nashua South L, 8-1
04/22 vs. Pinkerton ppd.
04/24 at Spaulding
04/29 vs. Merrimack
05/01 at Dover
05/04 vs. Goffstown
05/06 at Winnacunnet
05/08 vs. Manchester West
05/13 vs. Nashua North
05/15 at Salem
05/18 vs. Keene
05/22 at Manchester Memorial
04/15 at Kearsarge Regional L, 18-9
04/17 vs. Plymouth Regional L, 14-9
04/21 at Manchester Memorial L, 10-6
04/20 vs. Pembroke L, 12-7
04/24 at Hollis Brookline
04/29 at Derryfield School
05/01 vs. Kennett High School
05/04 at Derryfield School
05/06 at Laconia
05/08 vs. Monadnock Regional
05/11 at Gilford
05/13 at Hopkinton
05/15 at Stevens
05/18 at Milford
05/20 at John Stark Regional
05/27 vs. Kingswood Regional
05/27 vs. Kingswood Regional
Boys’ Lacrosse
Page 10
The Pioneer
Arts & Entertainment
Jewell & the Beanstalk:
A diamond in the rough
By Ryan Mitchell
Pioneer Editor
Jewell & the Beanstalk is
located in a unique section of
the east side of Manchester.
While Jewell & the Beanstalk
does makes it’s home on the
East side’s Somerville Street,
the neighborhood immediately strikes you as being part
of the West side, and due to
the fact that I wasn’t driving
(or paying attention), it had
me fooled.
But, this was only the
first thing that surprised me
about the restaurant. From the
outside, it appeared to be an
old, average restaurant with
no parking, but upon entrance,
I had never found myself so
mistaken. As I opened the
door, I was suddenly looking
into a quaint, unique, bohemian restaurant that seemed
more like a living room full
of people to me than a restaurant. It was one of those
restaurants where everyone
you see is a “regular,” and
everyone seems happy to be
there.
The front was filled, so we
were told to seat ourselves in
the back. In the back was an
empty room that was separated from the front by only
a large doorway, but at the
same time had a much different vibe. There was a back
door that you could come and
go through. The back was
much less crowded, and the
walls were dressed in home
made, wooden art pieces and
wooden knick-knacks. There
were three or four tables, none
of them matching, and only
about five other people there
to join us.
By the time we were
seated and ready to order, it
was already about 1 o’clock
so Jewell & the Beanstalk’s
famous breakfast was not an
option.
Suprisingly, though, the
lunch menu actually appeared
more than adequate.
I ordered the butternut
squash bisque ($3.95), the
Whole Lotta Love Wrap
($6.75): apples, bacon, walnuts, herb cream cheese, and
mixed greens, and a ginger
soda ($1.50). The service
was extremely quick and the
waitress was young and very
friendly. Every table also had
Trivial Pursuit cards on it that
helped make the wait seem a
lot shorter.
Overall, I really enjoyed
my food. The bisque was very
good and had just the right
amount of flavor, and the
blend of different tastes in my
wrap worked perfectly.
Meals came with either
bread, pasta salad, or regular
salad. I got the bread with my
meal, and it was very enjoyable.
Could it have been the
atmosphere and the quick service that really helped me enjoy my food so much? Quite
possibly. The food was really
good; it wasn’t spectacular,
but by the time I was eating,
I was already so impressed
with Jewell & the Beanstalk,
that I couldn’t help but love
the food. It was a restaurant
where, I could just sit in and
hang out at on a Sunday, I
didn’t feel like I had to be
anywhere else when I was
there. It was very relaxing and
had a really nice atmosphere.
It was a place you could take
anybody, to catch up on things
and eat some really good
food.
I will be going back in the
near future and this time, for
breakfast.
Jewell & the Beanstalk
793 Somerville St
Manchester, NH 03103
(603) 624-3709
www.jbeanstalk.com
A book with a new take on God
By Joe Walsh
Pioneer Staff
It seems like lately the
only books I read are the
ones assigned to me for
classes, and even then I’ll use
Sparknotes whenever possible. So when a friend told
me to read The Shack, I was
more than just skeptical, I
was way too lazy to read an
entire book. All that time it
takes to read, all the interesting things I could be doing.
Then I actually started
reading it. You know that
saying, “You have to read the
first one-hundred pages of a
book before it gets interesting.”? This is will absolutely
not be true when reading The
Shack. The book starts out
with a level of interest that
wasn’t expected. Then it just
gets confusing.
The main character, Mack,
loses his daughter to a serial
killer. She’s a young girl, and
the trauma rocks the family to its core. That much I
understood, but then it got
weird.
God sent Mack a note
telling him to go to the
shack where the only bit of
evidence in his daughter’s
case, a bloody dress she had
been wearing, was found.
God sent him a note? All I
could think was, “This guy
took the wrong pills, I need
to stop reading before I
waste any more time.”
Then he goes to the shack
and he meets God, Jesus,
and the Holy Spirit.
God is a large Black
woman who cooks a lot, Jesus is an Arab carpenter, and
the Holy Spirit is an Asian
woman. Needless to say, the
book caught my interest.
The rest of the book went
Come Support Trinty’s
Band and Chorus on
Tuesday, May 5th at 7
PM in the gym.
fast. It only took me a few
hours or so to read. The
topic, however, was pretty
heavy. The holy trinity
works at the shack, which
has ‘magically’ transformed
from a rundown old cabin to
a just-like-new kind of cottage, to try and explain life
to Mack and to renew his
faith. He’s baffled with the
question of how God could
let such evil be present in
the world, seemingly just
watching with all the power
to do something about it.
Over all the storyline
was very good in The Shack.
It’s not the kind of story
that makes you feel like you
are reading the bible, which
many people think before
they read it, thus leading to
an expectation that you’ll
read a few pages and stop.
The Shack reads like a
novel, an excellent novel.
April 2009
What distracts you most
from your studies?
“Mostly, my good
looks.”
--Nate Provencher,
sophomore
“I don’t really have any
distractions.”
-- Jason Bouchard,
freshman
“Zacchaeus Horn, he’s
cute, and funny. We’re
engaged to be married.”
--Emma Scarito,
freshman
“The nice weather, lately.”
--Troy Butler, sophomore
Connecticut story
is slightly haunting
By Joe Walsh
Pioneer Staff
It’s hard to find movies
that are PG-13 and are still
scary. In fact, it is nearly
impossible. However, The
Haunting in Connecticut was
still slightly scary
The plot starts with the
frustrated family of a teenage cancer patient looking
for a new home in northern
Connecticut to be closer to
the hospital where the boy
receives treatment.
They find low-cost housing
with plenty of space, perfect
for what they need, but there’s
a catch: for years there have
been claims that the house
is haunted (yes, it does seem
corny and overdone, but
whatever, just go with it).
The family moves in and
the boy takes a room in the
basement, where a door along
one wall does not seem to
open.
As time goes on, he
begins to see things, playing
the hallucinations off as a
side effect of his new cancer
treatment.
More time passes and
he begins to realize that the
house really is haunted, and
the evil spirits inside the
house are communicating
with him.
His personality begins to
change a bit, and his family
begins to fear for his safety,
and their own as well.
Overall, the movie wasn’t
incredibly scary.
There were a few times
when everyone jumped and
a few times when suspense
wass high, but overall the
plotline wasn’t incredibly
unpredictable and the ending
was overdramatic.
If you’re looking to be
scared, look elsewhere, but if
you want to see a movie right
now, this is probably your
best option.
The only movies out right
now are the Hannah Montana movie and Coraline 3D.
So as far as I’m concerned,
it wasn’t scary but it was the
best option out there.
As long as you aren’t
expecting to pee your pants,
you won’t be let down by
The Haunting in Connecticut.
April 2009
Inspector
Gadget
Ryan Mitchell gives us
the scoop on the latest
technology.
as seen on www.ITrush.com
Out of all of the cool
gadgets you can buy today , I know I’m not alone
when I say that my favorite is definitely the Ipod. I
love my iPod Video, and I
use it every single day.
Along with listening to
music, what I love about
the Ipod Video is that you
can also watch your favorite TV shows or movies.
The only downside to this
is the screen. The screen
is rather small, sometimes
making it hard to enjoy
videos as much as I would
really like to. Well,
EZgear may just have the
solution to my problem:
Video Goggles.
The video goggles are
meant to be plugged into
the iPod and will project
the iPod image through
the goggles creating the
illusion that you are ten
feet away from a sixty
foot screen.
The goggles actually
work very well, and the
picture is extremely clear.
When I was watching
a movie through them,
I didn’t feel like I was
using some crazy contraption, I actually felt like I
was watching a movie.
That is all very cool, but
the downside is that not
only do the goggles run
directly off your iPod
battery, they will usually
cost you between $150
and $300.
Even though the video
goggles are a really fun
thing, this is way too
much money to spend. If
I were to have a pair of
video goggles I would
probably only use them
on occasions such as long
car rides, or a plane ride,
etc.
For the frequency of
use they would certainly
not be worth the cash in
any way, shape, or form.
Even though the video
goggles are very cool,
they are very expensive,
and certainly not worth
the price.
The Pioneer
Arts & Entertainment
Page 11
Are we falling in love with fiction?
Screaming. Squealing.
OMG’s. These are the usual
noises you hear when you
mention the name Edward
Cullen. In case you have been
living under a rock and don’t
know, Edward Cullen is one
of the main characters in the
hit teen book series Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer.
He is sweet, charming,
and what every teenage girl
wishes their boyfriend was
like. He is a “vegetarian”
vampire, and despite what
some girls believe, he is a
fictional character.
Don’t get me wrong, I love
the Twilight series and its
characters. If you’ve ever read
the books, you can’t help but
fall in love with the character of Edward Cullen. He is
the perfect, overprotecting
boyfriend to the main character Bella Swan. She is the girl
who always seems to have
the worst luck, but in the end
Edward saves the day.
There is a difference
between loving the charac-
Nicole Fell
ter and being
people seeing
convinced he is
Twilight that first
Opinion
going to swoop
day it came out,
into your life
you most likely
and make it like
witnessed an
Bella’s. This is
example of this
the difference
obsession. The
most girls do
moment actor
not seem to see.
Robert PattinThis love for
son, who plays
Edward Culthe character of
len has gone
Edward in the
way too far. It
movie, walked
has become an
onto the screen
unhealthy obsession.
all I heard was screaming.
If you don’t think this has
I sat there in amazement,
really become a hang-up,
listening to girls young and old
head over to Facebook.
scream for this fictional charThere are over 500 groups
acter. I could not figure it out.
on Edward Cullen. If that is
How can one be obsessed with
not an obsession, I do not
someone who does not exist?
know what is.
Sure the character of
This fixation became even
Edward is great, but believworse when the Twilight mov- ing he is real? It is absolutely
ie was released on November
impossible. It really is time
21, 2008.
for a reality check. Edward
Fans lined up all night to
Cullen is and will always be a
be one of the first people to
character in a book.
see their favorite vampire on
Most obsessions fade; you
the big screen.
would think that this Edward
If you were one of the
Cullen obsession would too.
Trinity Snapshot
Have any comments
or suggestions?
Joe Walsh / Pioneer Staff
The THS Drama Club will be performing their newest play, titled All I
Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, on Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday nights May 14, 15, and 16 at 7 O’clock. Admission is $5.00, and
tickets can be purchased from any Drama participant before the plays, or
at the door on the night of the event.
Time is
running out!
Order your
Trinity Yearbook
today!
Email us at:
[email protected]
Unfortunately the obsession
does not seem to be fading
anytime soon. To add to it, the
second book in the Twilight
series, New Moon, is being
made into a movie, and will
be released into theaters on
November 20, 2009.
There was controversy
before filming began on New
Moon as the book follow-up
to Twilight features much less
Edward. Most fans did not
like this idea one bit. Rumors
spread that the writers were
planning on rewriting the
story so that Edward would be
featured more, though no one
has confirmed it.
I am not saying that you
can’t like Edward Cullen. I
am just saying that you should
know the line between
liking him and having a
creepy obsession.
Adviser’s Note: Nicole Fell is
a freshman at Trinity currently enrolled in the Introduction
to Journalism course.
Page 12
The Pioneer
April 2009
Trinity Week 2009
All photographs taken by Alexa Serrecchia and Emma Pratte
Monday
Friday
Decade Day
Battle of the Classes
Dunk Competition
Live Band Night
Above: Mr. Connell leaps to victory over Mr. Larsen during
their sumo-wrestling battle. Other contests of the battle of the
classes included a tug-of-war, an egg toss, a pie eating contest,
and an obstacle course.
Above Left: Senior Mat Myers shows the school how to dunk a basketball during the schoolwide Dunk Competition on Monday. Jason “White Shadow” Gibbons and Greg “The Finisher” Wells also came to Trinity to show off some cool tricks and teach students about the
dangers substance abuse.
Top Right: Juniors Emily Kirouac, Katy Trengali, Hayley Brown, Camille Zielinski, and
Caitlin Collins were all decked out for Decade Day.
Bottom Right: Students rocked out to a local band that played at Trinity on Monday night.
The drummer, Don Tibbetts, is a Bishop Bradley graduate.
Trinity
Thursday
Tuesday
Apparel
Dance
Above: Trinity students danced the night away on Thursday night with songs from numerous decades. Other entertainment included sumo suits and a velcro wall.
Movie Night
Dodgeball
Tournament
Above Right: Sean Lyons, senior, winds up to throw a ball during the school-wide dodgeball
tournament.
Top Left: Karima Gabriel, junior, shows off her Trinity apparel while gearing up for the
Dodgeball tournament.
Bottom Left: Sarah Tarr, sophomore, along with other Trinity students wait in line to get
some ice cream on Tuesday night while enjoying Yes Man in the cafeteria.
Trinity Idol
Karaoke Night
Hypnotist
Above: With the help of a special delivery team and a few
onlookers, Dylan Clark delivers his newborn baby while
under hypnosis. Dylan named his baby James.
Wednesday
Far Left: Sophomore Angela Berube dances to
a second place finish in the Trinity Idol competition. Senior Nate McCormick took first place
and Craig Jameson and Tony Collins took third.
Left: Jolynn Silva breaks it down on the dance
floor during Karaoke night. Many students
and teachers joined in the fun singing songs
from all decades. Teacher participants included
Mr. Smith and Mr. Sheehan seranading Mrs.
Henning with “My Girl,” and Mr. Mal and Ms.
Byron with “Summer Nights.”
Right: Sophomores Emily Hinton and Amanda
Jenks are all dressed up as twins. Many other
Trinity students dressed up for the occasion as
well.
Twin Day