Basketball Legacy

GARNET&BLACK
FEBRUARY 2012
THE NEWSPAPER OF RYE HIGH SCHOOL
Married at Rye High
A fascinating enigma to students, Rye’s teacher couples give a new
meaning to the term “high school sweethearts”
The Meros
By Courtney Colwell
As any couple will attest to, it’s difficult to remain
discreet in a small school like Rye High. Fortunately or
unfortunately, this rule applies not only to the student
population, but also to relationships between the teachers
as well.
Perhaps one of the most well known faculty couples
at Rye High is Mr. and Mrs. Mero, members of the English and French departments respectively. Despite assumptions to the contrary, the two did not actually meet
at Rye High, but in college. As Mr. Mero remembers,
“She was working in the food court and one day I
The Dowlings
walked in and saw her standing there, wearing a paper
hat.”
Mrs. Mero had a boyfriend at the time, but Mr. Mero
was both patient and determined. Later on, when Mrs.
Mero reported that she and her boyfriend had broken up,
Mr. Mero “took her number” and they “lived happily
ever after.”
The best part about working together at the school,
Mr. Mero claims, is that he “gets to see her all the time”
and the worst, perhaps fearing retribution, “is nothing.”
Mrs. Mero’s foreign language colleagues jokingly
add, “they keep each other well balanced nutritionally.”
Science teacher, Mr.. Dowling, and history teacher,
Mrs. Dowling (formerly Ms. McCarthy) also met before
coming to teach at Rye High. The two were party guests
at a mutual friend’s house on the east end of Long Island
one summer. Now, years later, Mrs. Dowling reflects
that the best part about working with her husband is that
she gets to “nag him about what he’s wearing.”
All joking aside though, as fellow colleague Mr.
Marsh says, “The Dowlings are the most humble, nicest,
people you will ever meet and are both a pleasure to
work with.”
All four teachers, inspiring individuals in their own
right, have come together to form two adorable couples
that stand in our hallways proudly. G
Basketball Legacy
Junior Mike D’Antoni talks about his father, Michael D’Antoni Sr.,
the head coach of the New York Knicks
By Axel Hufford
Junior Mike D’Antoni grew up around sports. Son of
a former NBA player and the current New York Knicks
coach, Mike attributes his athletic passion exclusively to
his father.
“He definitely got me started playing basketball, but
he never pressured me into playing any particular sport.
He just taught me to be a good person in the long run,”
explains D’Antoni.
According to Mike, his father made him a better person both on and off the court, and spending time with
current Knick superstars like Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and the newly discovered Jeremy Lin is
certainly another perk.
A shooting guard and vocal leader on the Rye High
School Varsity Basketball Team, D’Antoni says that his
father frequently speaks to him and his teammates,
Inside:
coaching them on chemistry, offensive positioning and
overall performance. Although the team has faced several obstacles this year, D’Antoni pledges “I really think
we are getting much better.”
At the professional level, Coach D’Antoni’s Knicks
have also faced quite the rollercoaster of a season. After
a difficult slump in which the team won just 2 of 13
games, the coach’s son remained positive.
“I believe the Knicks just have to get used to playing
with each other and then everything will fall into place,”
commented Mike, explaining that “it's hard for the players to have back to back games, which is very tiring.”
His predictions were correct, because after starting
Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin, the Knicks are back on
track to make a playoff run.
What connects Mike’s athletic passions with his
father’s professional successes? “Just one thing,” he
answers. “Hard work, on and off the court.” G
Molly Jordan’s op-ed on the bond
page 2
Studying abroad in High School
page 3
Mike D’Antoni got the love of basketball from
his father who he sees as an inspiration
Peter Adams reviews the Grammys
page 4
2
News
Op-Ed
GOP Nominee :
Anyone’s Game
We Need
the Bond
Building ten additional
With consistently fluctuating results, the identity
of the front-runner for the Republican Party is still classrooms is not a
luxury, it’s a necessity
up in the air
By Mary-Bailey Frank
With the 2012 Presidential election looming on the
horizon, the Republican Party is still in need of a strongly
supported candidate. While Ron Paul can still be considered viable, it is the competition for the candidacy among
Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum that
has led to indeterminate results, with each of these three
candidates enjoying time as the front-runner.
Due to an early victory in the Iowa Caucus on Jan. 3 rd,
Rick Santorum seemed to be the favorite early on. Yet,
merely two weeks later, Mitt Romney dominated in the
New Hampshire primary, winning more than 39% of the
vote. However, Romney’s lead was also displaced relatively quickly, when Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary by an unprecedented 40% of the vote. Having each secured a victory, the election, as junior Anna
Norman phrased it, “could be anyone's game.”
The issue these results seem to pose was expressed by
junior Lizzy Emanuel, who commented, “The oscillating
support among candidates is hurting all three of their
campaigns. Whoever wins is not going to have the full
support of the party.”
The candidates themselves do not seem to be too concerned with dividing party support, for Romney, Gingrich, and Santorum have openly pitted themselves
against each other. The February 7th results, which were a
sweeping victory for Rick Santorum, were a surprising
loss for Romney. Santorum won in Colorado, Minnesota,
and Missouri, and some speculate that Romney’s loss
may have been due to his attempt at discrediting Gingrich.
Rye student Kristina Kotyza explained Santorum’s
unexpected win with the idea, “When candidates pit
themselves against one another, it just makes them look
bad.”
Inversely, some feel that the competition is natural,
and, as Lizzy Emanuel observed, “Mudslinging won’t
really change opinions at this point.”
Lizzy’s comment seems to have some credence, given
the results of the Feb. 11th caucus, where Romney, despite his antagonism towards Gingrich, won with 39.2%
of the vote, placing him, for the second time in the race,
as the leading candidate.
Currently, many republicans believe that Romney is
likely to win the vote. Junior Kristina Kotyza stated that it
boils down to whose campaign is the most appealing,
remarking “Mitt Romney will win the primary for three
main reasons- his take on the issues of china, the economy, and foreign policy. His policies are what the country
needs right now.”
However, if the past is in any way indicative of the
future, the victor is not set in stone. Newt Gingrich, Rick
Santorum, Mitt Romney, and even Ron Paul are all likely
candidates, but, as Kristina noted, it all comes down to
who is most viable “in the eyes of the voters.” G
Mitt Romney
By Peter Adams
By Molly Jordan
There is no question that Rye’s science facilities
are outdated, but as our continuously high test
scores prove, student motivation and faculty passion
have so far compensated for what we lack in functioning lab sinks and properly wired outlets. There
is a bigger problem though, one that cannot be desperately sidestepped for much longer: overcrowding.
Popular AP classes in every subject are already
pushing the envelope with thirty students, and many
more students are shut out of their top choice classes
because of size caps. Hiring a few more teachers
wouldn’t help, because they wouldn’t have anywhere to teach. There aren’t enough classrooms, and
worst of all, more kids are coming. If new classrooms aren’t added, administration will have no
choice but to keep bumping up class sizes.
The building is already operating at 104% capacity, and within ten years there are expected to be
almost 2000 kids in the school, about 300 more than
there are now. Without more space, projections
show class sizes hovering closer to 35 or even 40 in
the next several years, and teacher’s can only do so
much. Classes that large would be unmanageable
and individuals would not get the attention they
needed. Also large classes tend to rely more on fastpaced, lecture style teaching as opposed to the hands
-on and group work that really inspire students.
Rye High school is currently ranked 12th nationally out of open-enrollment schools, but that status
will cease to be attainable if class sizes continue to
grow and teaching quality consequently decreases.
According to Susanna Cronin, a thirteen-year real
estate veteran at Coldwell Bankers, if the bond fails
to pass, the consequences will add up over time.
Cronin explained that the “affects of large class sizes and ill-equipped, unusable, science labs may not
appear immediately, but will filter through the system and result in lower grades and achievement
levels.” She predicts that the negative impact would
most strongly appear in 5-10 years.
Our high school’s success is intrinsically tied to
home values in the community. Rye’s public school
system is one of the city’s main appeals, if not foremost appeal, to homebuyers. If the quality of education goes down or is perceived to have dropped, the
number of home sales will not decrease, but the
value of sales will. Therefore, every homeowner in
Rye should be invested in the success of the local
schools. If the bond passes, an average Rye resident
(with a $1.2 million home value) would experience
about $250 in tax increases. The financial impact of
that tax increase is negligible when compared to the
potential for home values to plummet by the thousands.
As Cronin emphasized, “Even though 11% of the
tax base in Rye send their children to private
schools, they too will be hurt by lack of funding in
the public schools, by a direct hit to the equity in
their home value.”
The building addition and updates, talk of which
was postponed in 2008 because of the financial crisis, are long overdue. Passing the bond is no longer
an optional luxury. Regardless of opinions, for
many Rye High School seniors, this bond vote is a
first opportunity to exercise their civic duties as
voters. Current students of age, who know first-hand
what the situation is like in the building and can
accurately, imagine what it would be like with a
couple hundred more students, have a responsibility
to register to vote and make their opinions heard.
Hopefully, Rye High School voters can help make
this bond part of our legacy. G
School
3
Studying Abroad in High School
A slowly growing trend in Rye is proving that taking a semester abroad is
no longer just for college students
By Kirsten Colwell
semester in a town called Neuchâtel in
Switzerland, where she attended NeuchâAt a high-achieving school like Rye tel Junior College-- a Canadian school on
High, students often find themselves with Swiss soil for grade 12 students. Reflectlittle time to spare. We rush from class to ing on her decision, Emily shares that she
class, and from after-school meetings to has “wanted to go since [she] was a kid.”
practice. We fall into comfortable, daily “I really just wanted some adventure, and
rhythms, rarely considering life outside luckily, my parents were both really supthe “bubble.” A select few students, how- portive,” she adds. Having lived with a
ever, have sought opportunities outside of Swiss family, Emily was able to fully
Rye. In matriculating to secondary integrate herself into the local community
schools abroad, these students strove for and improve her French. “I was exposed
to new customs, new
foods, and new ideas;
I've grown culturally
and personally,” says
Emily. In a short six
months, she traveled to
Paris, Milan, Amsterdam Krakow, Bruges,
and Budapest, among
other places. “I learned
something new on each Freshman Sarah Breckenridge was one of forty kids from around the
trip,” remembers Emily; world who attended a four month program in Lenk, Switzerland.
“When I was in Poland...I
visited
the ing from all over the world, Sarah attendSince the world we live in is increasAuschwitz and Ausch- ed school daily from eight to noon, and ingly interconnected, these students have
witz-Birkenau concen- then skied for the remainder of the after- gained valuable insight. Our lives are
tration camps. It was an noon. “At the end of the semester,” adds ultimately affected by what happens poextremely difficult ex- Sarah, “we were all required to complete litically in the Mideast and the fate of our
perience, but one that I a Swiss Report, a full summary of Euro- economy is tied to the health of the Eurogrew a lot from.”
pean history, geography, culture, educa- pean Union. We can learn about global
Likewise, freshman tion, and sport.” Sarah’s completed report politics in the classroom, but there is no
Breckenridge took her 2 1/2 months to write and was substitute for hands-on experience. EmiWhile studying abroad in Switzerland, Senior Emily Sarah
spent
four
months in 70 pages long. “The whole experience ly and Sarah have no doubt gained a richLiddy (left) found some down time to ski the Alps.
Lenk, Switzerland last showed me that I could push my bounda- er understanding of the world than many
unique academic and cultural experienc- winter. After learning about a program ries academically and socially. I made of us at home. G
es.
from a family friend, Sarah immediately friends that will last me a lifetime from
Senior Emily Liddy spent this past applied for a spot. As one of 44 kids hail- all over the world.”
Cheating on the Common App
Researchers have found that huge amounts of international students
are falsifying information on their applications to American colleges
By James Mackenzie
Essays, applications, and letters of
recommendation all make up the exhausting college admissions process. Junior
Bailey Frank remarked, “I am just starting the college process, and it already
seems overwhelming at times.”
Since competitive colleges like Harvard University sometime accept less
than 7% of applicants, every extracurricular, academic, or athletic achieve-
ment can make the difference between
acceptance and rejection.
In US colleges, having a substantial
amount of diversity and international
representation is seen as a point of pride,
and an estimated 10% of students at Harvard University are international. On average, more than 8% of college student
bodies are made up of international students.
However, a recent study by consulting
company Zinch China reported that a
Data suggests Chinese applicants to American colleges are falsifying
up to 90 % of information on their applications.
staggering 90 percent of Chinese students
applying to US schools falsified some
aspect of their application. These falsifications include everything from posting
false grades to having others write their
personal essays or common apps.
University responses, or lack thereof,
to this scandal have been thoroughly underwhelming. The departments seem unequipped or unwilling to make any major
effort to counter the cheating.
Senior Luiza Almeida remarked, “I
am appalled that the colleges have been
so lax in response to the scandal- one
would think they would be as outraged as
I am that people are cheating the system.”
One reason for the lack of retribution
on the part of the colleges was suggested
by Susan Dickinson, an RHS guidance
counselor, who stated, "Colleges here like
to have an international factor on their
campus. The international student is appealing to them".
However, the situation may not be as
simple as colleges turning a blind eye to
fraudulent applications in order to boost
the numbers of international students. In
fact, a more plausible reason is simply
monetary concerns.
Most international students cannot
qualify for financial aid at American colleges, and therefore are generally forced
to pay college tuition in full. In fact, more
than $16 billion in national revenue is
generated from international student enrollment.
Even in light of this scandal, cheating
is hardly a unique phenomenon, especially in the US. Just last fall, it was discovered that a group of Long Island high
school students paid to have college students take the SAT and ACT tests on
their behalf.
"The College Board says organized
attempts to cheat do not happen frequently, but there are about 2500 suspicious
cases in the course of the year," says
Dickson, “Of course, those are only the
instances when students get caught.”
The college selection and application
process is one of the most central parts of
the student experience. If cheating continues to grow in prominence, then colleges
will eventually be expected to address the
issue. For, as Luiza remarked, “Cheating
is seriously not cool.” G
4
Arts & Entertainment
Coriolanus
Grammys 2012
Arts Editor Peter Adams reviews and reflects on his first
Grammy viewing experience
One of the Bard’s Lesser-Known
Plays Gets the Big Screen
Treatment
MOVIE REVIEW
TELEVISION REVIEW
By Peter Adams
The only phrase I can honestly apply to the 2012
Grammys—having never actually watched the ceremony in previous years—is that it is an uneven but pleasantly underwhelming viewing experience. Like any
other big awards show, the Grammys are elaborate in
spectacle, light on offense, and sitting dangerously
close to the borderline of being interminable.
There were few surprises and only small scandals at
the line-up, as audiences were treated to some Glen
Campbell oldies, a Paul McCartney Beatles tribute with
a six man guitar solo, and the first Beach Boys reunion
in the past hundred million years. Additionally, Bruce
rocked the opening, Bruno Mars called back to The
Temptations and told people to “get off their rich asses”, and The Foo Fighters shredded through their awesome barnburner “Walk” from Wasting Light.
That’s not to say everything flowed smoothly; I’m
still trying to recover from watching whatever it was
British vocalist Adele was the big winner of the night, taking home six Grammys
this years’ show, perhaps for the better. Brit soul-singer
Adele unsurprisingly won big for her lauded sophomore album, 21, and her performance of the admittedly
overplayed “Rolling in the Deep” was strong, despite
the young singers’ recent vocal complications; LL Cool
J was a surprising and surprisingly serviceable host,
putting in plenty of effort and charisma to a rather
thankless task; the inevitable Whitney Houston in memoriam was handled with class and sensitivity, as Jennifer Hudson’s stripped back rendition of “I Will Always Love You” was quite beautiful. Other notable
performances of the night included the Civil Wars,
heading for the equally satisfying Taylor Swift singing
“Mean”.
A distinct flavor of nostalgia was also weaved into
Nicki Minaj was doing. The rapper starlet’s poor
choice of song (I’d never even heard of “Roman Holiday” before) and worse choice of presentation
(Attempting at religious offense? Or just terrible?) was
the low point of the night. Katy Perry looked like an
alien prostitute and sounded worse, and I still can’t
stand the sight of lip-syncing Chris Brown, despite his
evident ability as a dancer. After winning the Grammy
for ‘Best New Artist’, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver gave
an ungrateful acceptance speech that came off as pretentious and awkward instead of inspiring as it should
have been.
This years Grammys may have failed to pleasantly
surprise or dazzle, but the show certainly could’ve been
worse. G
By Peter Adams
T.S Elliot once proclaimed “Coriolanus” to be Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, even above “Hamlet” and
“Macbeth” in its power to coarsen political discussion
and provoke. Despite such appraisal, the play has faded
into relative obscurity. That is, until now.
Ralph Fiennes’s directional debut Coriolanus is a
movie of stark bleakness, unabated ferocity, and devastating betrayal. Shot in modern Belgrade, Serbia (though
the stated setting is “A Place Calling Itself Rome”), the
film has an aesthetic of disparity and depression; the
streets are littered with garbage and stray dogs; the sky
hanging overhead is constantly clouded and grey.
War rages across this desolate landscape between the
forces of Roman general Caius Martius (Ralph Fiennes)
and his much-hated Volscian nemesis Titus Aufidius
(Gerard Butler). The battle scenes, shot by The Hurt
Locker’s cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, are bruising
and intense, but the real thrill of Coriolanus comes from
the prideful general’s diatribes and dialogues. Fiennes’s
Martius is fit to burst with resentment and hubris, and
his masterful performance has the fiery intensity to
make the otherwise cold and impersonal character more
memorable. As a director, Fiennes has also done an impressive job of assembling a bravura supporting cast.
Vanessa Redgrave is fantastic as Martius’ will-driven
mother Volumina, and Brian Cox adds the most personality to the mix as the sharp-tongued senator Menenius.
The usually shrug-worthy Gerard Butler, who’s always
been limited to gruffness and shouting, fits perfectly into
the role of the coarse Volscian general.
Despite the modernization of the visuals, almost all
of the original Shakespearean dialogue is in tact down to
the line, largely to the film’s benefit. “Coriolanus” is
infamous for being one of the Bard’s least personal and
introspective plays—there’s hardly a soliloquy to be
found, so it’s a small miracle the Fiennes has managed
to execute the narrative with such powerful emotionality
and snappy pace.
As I walked out of the theater, the woman behind me
laughed and said, “Still not as bad as South Carolina
politics.” A witty quip, and a testament to both the lasting power of Shakespeare’s political implications and
Fiennes’s immense talent both on camera and behind the
scenes.
Grade: A-
G
“There’s An App For That”
Explaining the obsession with the millions of apps available
for Apple products
By Dillon Kelly
Less than twenty years ago, the word
“apple” meant little more than a red or
green fruit. Now, Apple is the world’s
most technologically advanced company.
Almost everyone owns a portable Apple product- whether it’s an iPod touch,
iPhone, or iPad. Due to the exponentially
growing market of Apple products, exposure to the diverse world of apps is unavoidable.
In the past five years, gaming apps on
iPods and iPhones have become so commonplace that, according to a study from
Columbia University, consumers spend
more than 9 hours a week using apps.
There are three factors that dictate a
successful app: A simple design that is
appealing to the eye, short-term memory
management, and cleverly managed and
efficient response time. Top selling apps
that exhibit such qualities include Doodle
Jump, Angry Birds, Temple Run, and
Words with Friends.
The app Temple Run, although based
on a simplistic and monotonous gaming
style, was the number one selling app for
more than three weeks. Despite involving
little more than a man running in a
straight line, sophomore Alison Keough
claims she can “play Temple Run for up
to 2 hours a day.”
Words with Friends, a word game
similar to Scrabble that allows users to
play against their friends, made headline
news when actor Alec Baldwin was
kicked off a flight after refusing to stop
playing the game during takeoff. However, Alec Baldwin is not alone in his obsession, as Words with Friends has more
than 12.5 million active monthly users.
Teacher and Words with Friends user
Mrs. Charles remarked, “Words with
Friends is a very fun app and a good diversion in boring meetings."
The overwhelming success of apps is
undeniable. By 2014, Apple predicts the
app industry will generate over $34 billion in revenue. Ranging from dictionaries to navigators to restaurant finders,
Apple’s app variety is unprecedented and
unmatched. In the words of Raleigh
Barnes, “buyers won’t have to wait long
for the next big app to come along.” G
Words with Friends is one of the
most addictive apps available.
Profiles
5
Student Profile:
Student Profile:
Lauren
Creadore
Matthew
DeGraw
Senior Lauren Creadore has worked tirelessly inside and outside of
school to advance herself in the math and sciences.
By Grace Leishman
Lauren Creadore set a record at Rye
High School, and didn’t even know she
was doing it. This year she became the
first student at Rye High School to ever
take both AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC at the same time. And this is only
one small point on a long list of impressive accomplishments Lauren has
achieved as one of Rye’s most dedicated
scholars.
Rather than relax after a trying junior
year, Lauren journeyed to Massachusetts
Institute of Technology last summer,
where she enrolled in a college calculus
class. After covering a hefty amount of
material, Lauren returned to Rye with a
goal of moving from Calculus AB into
Calculus BC, the most advanced math
class taught at Rye High School. However, the guidance department told Lauren
that in order to enroll in Calculus BC, she
would also have to take AB even though
she had already covered the material over
the summer. Even though her request was
denied, Lauren did not hesitate to take on
the challenge.
Commenting on her unorthodox
schedule, calculus teacher Mr. Valinoti
said, “She is driven to succeed. She
knows what she wants and is willing to
sacrifice to achieve her goals.”
Lauren’s driven attitude isn’t limited
to math. She has been wholeheartedly
dedicated to Science Research—her favorite class—since her sophomore year.
As what Dr. Zung calls a “highly selfmotivated, determined, caring student,”
Lauren has busily pursued her research in
the science of psychology. For three
years she has been working on uncovering the effects of implicit stereotypes on
subjects’ performance on various tests.
In layman’s terms, Lauren is studying
how common stereotypes like “all Asians
are good at math” and “girls are bad at
math” actually impact said groups’ scores
on tests. She has been meeting with her
mentor, Dr. Kathleen Schiaffino, the
chairwoman of Psychology at Fordham
University, to perfect her tests and interpret the data she’s collected.
And Lauren fosters a similar dedication and drive in volleyball. As a senior
captain, she led this year’s team through
a challenging season. Sophomore teammate Kelsey Chapderlane characterized
Lauren as “motivational…a great captain
whose decision making bettered the team
as a whole.”
Overall, Lauren Creadore has become
an outstanding contributor to Rye High
School’s success. Moving forward, Lauren hopes to extend her experience as a
biomedical engineer in college. G
Senior Matt Degraw, recently nominated baseball captain, has made
his mark in both sports and academics.
By Grace Leishman
In Rye, a student-athlete isn’t exactly a rarity. However, with obvious academic pressures and a high level of athletic competition, it is not as common to
come across a teenager that excels in
both sports and academics. Matt
DeGraw, a senior at Rye High School,
exemplifies such a teen.
Picking up football and baseball as a
mere five year old, Matt has had quite
some time to master each sport. He attributes this early passion for athletics
to his parents, both of whom had
“successful careers as student athletes”
at California’s Stanford University.
Now, thirteen years later, Matt has
made his mark in Rye athletics. He contributed to the Varsity Football program
as a punt returner and kick returner during both his junior and senior years.
Similarly, Matt has been a critical part
of Rye’s Varsity Baseball team. Coach
Michael Bruno has nominated Matt as
one of this year’s senior captains due to
his “tireless dedication during the season and off.” Bruno went on to say that
Matt’s skills and winning attitude will
“lay the groundwork for the success of
future Garnet teams.”
Mrs. Short, Matt’s AP Language and
Composition teacher of last year, appeared equally awed by Matt’s persistence and passion. When asked about
this student, Mrs. Short sat speechless.
After a moment to think she admitted,
“I just adore him.” According to Mrs.
Short, it’s Matt’s “motivated and impressive personality” that makes work
“so enjoyable for [a teacher] and the
rest of the class.”
As if working year round as a commendable
student-athlete
wasn’t
enough, Matt donated his time during
the summer of 2011 to the Jenifer
Estess Laboratory at Columbia University. For two and a half months he researched ALS, a crippling illness better
known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Matt
acquired a genuine interest in the lab’s
progress, saying that he was “so impressed with how close they’d come to
discovering a cure.”
Matt DeGraw has somehow found a
way to successfully juggle studies,
sports, and community service. Longtime friend Jack McCartney joked about
Matt’s “great” sense of humor, but did
confidently stated that Matt has always
been a hard worker and a loyal friend.
G
6
Science
“We Drink Water”
A few professional snowboarders have started a movement against the unhealthy energy drinks
By Alec Hufford
has developed called “We Drink Water,”
to challenge the increasing popularity of
energy drinks. Surprisingly, this movement has been led by professional snowboarders, some of the very people who
have benefited from the energy drink
sponsorships.
The “We Drink Water” movement
began in 2011 when Bryan Fox and Austin Smith, two successful professional
snowboarders, wrote “Drink Water” next
to the energy drink logos on their snowboards. They explained on their website
that they started to feel uncomfortable
about how effective these companies had
become at encouraging young people to
consume their product: beverages consisting of caffeine, sodium, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and even some mystery
chemicals. Soon thereafter, support broadened
The X-Games, a recently developed
for the Drink Water
Olympic-style competition, attracted a
cause.
viewing audience of more than 35 million
“Energy drinks” genpeople this past year. The X-Games were
erally refer to beverages Pro boarders Austin Smith and Bryan Fox started
designed for cutting edge adrenaline
that contain substantial the Drink Water movement. .
sports, like snowboarding, skateboarding
quantities of caffeine,
and motor-cross. One of the largest target
along with other chemicals, that together so like many companies that market to
audiences is teenagers.
are designed to increase energy for the kids even though they shouldn’t, the enAs with almost every television prouser. One factor that has begun to worry ergy drink companies target a demogram, advertisements are unavoidable –
some consumers is the idea that energy graphic that can greatly impact the sale of
whether in commercials on ESPN itself,
drinks could potentially have adverse their product.”
or painted on competitors’ helmets and
effects on the human body.
Ms. Rabine, a foreign language teacher
boards. Red Bull, Monster, and Rock
According to Ms. Kaminer, Rye High at Rye High School and an avid snowStar, all increasingly popular energy
School’s health teacher, “they are not boarder, agrees that there likely is a
drinks, are major sponsors for the Xregulated by the FDA, and are actually strong correlation between energy drink
Games and other youth-oriented events.
considered supplements, not a food or sponsorships and the increased usage of
Recently, however, a new campaign
drink.”
these products.“Actually,” she says, “last
Without any oversight, ques- week I saw a commercial for Red Bull
tions arise over whether energy with a snowboarder, and it made me redrinks truly provide the benefits member when I used to teach 5th grade.
they advertise. Dr. Karrie Hene- Back then all of my students used to chug
man of the University of Califor- Red Bull right before they went on the
nia-Davis, states that “there is slopes, and they actually started to think
limited evidence that consumption that they needed it to do well in other
of energy drinks can significantly activities. I don't actually know the health
improve physical and mental per- effects, but I used to think, as the 5th
formance.” She adds that, because graders were chugging it, ‘This can't be
there is so much caffeine and oth- right, this isn't okay.’”
er potentially harmful ingredients
The We Drink Water campaign is a
in these products, adolescents first step towards awakening consumers
“may need to avoid consumer to the need to question their growing relienergy beverages” and “caution is ance on energy drinks.
warranted even for healthy
“Real energy, fueling your body
adults.”
properly with food and getting enough
For Ms. Kaminer, the focus on rest, is what is necessary in school and
energy drink advertising toward sports,” Ms. Kaminer stresses, “not
the youth market is especially ‘energy’ drinks.”
“disturbing,” since “caffeine conEventually, the FDA might even regusumption in children and teens late energy drinks, in light of their advershould be limited.” She adds that tised impact on the user’s physical condi“children and teens are some of tion. In the meantime, in the words of
The refrigerated shelves at Jerry’s are lined with energy drinks like Monster.
our most powerful consumers, Smith, just “drink water.” G
Sleeping More Efficiently
Scientists are unlocking the mysteries of our sleep cycles and using their research to help
people make the most of the hours they get
By Rebecca Jordan
After getting eight hours of sleep,
Freshmam Allie Pankoff said she “felt
more ready for the day.” Many of her
peers, however, are not so lucky. Fellow
freshman, Tim Hardis also looked back
on his morning. After getting only five
hours of shuteye, he recalled, “I didn’t
feel awake. Like in the shower, I literally
fell asleep.”
Upperclassmen especially, have to put
sleep second to doing homework for their
rigorous courses. Managing work for her
four AP’s often leaves Senior Maddie
Kinker with only six hours or less of rest.
In the morning, she “feels sleep deprived” and can tell she’s “not getting the
nine hours fifteen minutes of sleep” that
she knows is recommended per night.
Not everyone is aware of how many Z’s
they need, though.
Unfortunately, the people that need
sleep the most are getting it the least.
Most teenagers need about eight and a
half to more than nine hours of sleep per
night. Not only do students balance activities and classes, but as teenagers, the
sleep-inducing hormone melatonin is
produced later at night. This makes it
harder for high school age kids to fall
asleep, and naturally causes them to wake
up later. In some states, like North Carolina, schools have begun to start the
school day later, at around 9 AM, in order to meet the needs of their students
and help them perform better.
Getting the ideal amount of sleep
helps students pay better attention
throughout the day and receive higher
grades. Athletic ability is also increased
with more sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in
America poll, more than 25% of students
fall asleep in class and are not able to
perform on the same level as their wellrested peers.
Biology teacher, Mrs. Pizzuto, noted
that sleep isn’t just important for the
quality of teenagers’ academic performance. “Sleep is important for everybody because it helps maintain homeostasis.” she said. Students who don’t get
enough sleep often face emotional troubles like depression and will gain weight
more easily. And Mrs. Pizzuto doesn’t
“want to deal with grumpy teenagers!”
If it isn’t possible to get the required
hours of sleep, teenagers can still make exercise daily, and avoid stimulants close
the most out of what they do get. Three to bedtime (that means no caffeine after
Brown University students invented a dinner). By unwinding, keeping the lights
smart alarm clock, called Zeo, after they low at night, not napping too much, and
got sick of burning the candle at both waking up to bright light, students can
ends. Using a headband with tiny sen- also help themselves fall asleep and wake
sors, Zeo monitors the sleeping brain as it up more easily. Losing just a couple
goes through the four stages of sleep: hours of sleep a night still contributes to
REM, light, deep, and waking sleep. an irreversible sleep debt that wears down
When woken up during waking sleep, the human immune system, so if possible,
one feels fatigued. However, Zeo wakes hit the hay! G
its user up when he is the
most energized, at the end
of REM sleep. This alarm
clock also helps educate
its user by providing a
graph of his sleep cycles
and a conclusion on the
quality of sleep received.
Impressed by this useful invention, Mrs. Pizzuto
stated, “It would be great
to know how much sleep
your body needs. Can I get
one?”
Even if a student
doesn’t want to invest in
this gadget, it is important The Zeo alarm clock comes with a sensored
to set a regular bedtime, headband that tracks a user’s sleep cycles.
Sports
Sports Recruit
Showcases
Attending special camps and tournaments has
become the norm for the college
athletic recruitment process
By Michael Gilbert
Many student-athletes from Rye and
around Westchester County participate
in showcase camps and tournaments to
get their names out to college coaches
and recruiters. Certain colleges and recruiters organize these camps in order to
observe high school talent from across
the country.
Outside-of-school teams also facilitate this process by taking players to
compete in showcase tournaments all
over the country. The teams are very
selective, and have extensive tryouts.
Lacrosse has a large number of such
teams. Rye junior and lacrosse goalie
Peter White has played for Head Heart
Hustle, Superstar, and Moonlight lacrosse showcase teams, and participates
in tournaments during the summer and
fall. Scouts come to watch from programs all over the country. “These teams
have good reputations and if you play
when your team is playing well, colleges
will be there and notice,” said White.
As for the girls side, Maddie Kinker
is familiar with the inner workings of
such tournaments. Girls tournaments
include the Champions Cup, Vail
Shootout, Capitol Cup, and All-Star Express. There are also many camps, such
as the Duke Elite Goalie Camp, Polar
Bear Lacrosse Camp, and Elite
180. Kinker played for the Connecticut
Lacrosse Futures, which participated in
many of those tournaments.
The tournaments she participated in
during the fall were at specific colleges,
like Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth to
name a few. Compiled information is
handed out to coaches present, and there
are designated areas for them to observe
the action.
“The camps I went to helped me gain
exposure to the colleges I was interested
in. I had the opportunity to talk to the
coach, stay in the dorms, meet a few
players on the team, and get instruction
from the coach,” said Kinker.
Baseball is another sport with a multitude
of
different
showcase
teams. Teams such as the Westchester
Nationals and the Westchester County
Clippers all take cream of the crop athletes to participate in showcase tournaments like the Perfect Game showcase in
Georgia. Junior Max Meyerson, sophomores Griffin Tutun and freshman Tim
Senior Maddie Kinker used showcase tournaments to help get herself recruited to Middlebury as a
lacrosse goalie.
Degraw are all familiar with how these
showcases work.
Meyerson, who has played travel
baseball for a few teams, and practiced
with Pro Swing, Mt. Kisco’s Summer
Select team, said of such teams, “They
are a good way to increase your skills,
and hopefully get noticed by some college scouts.” The Westchester Nationals,
formerly the New York Nationals, feature baseball players from Rye, to Fox
Lane, to schools in the Bronx and Connecticut. They participated in 6 showcases during the fall season.
Although the camps and teams can
hopefully lead to recruitment and scholarships, there are some drawbacks. Schedules are incredibly rigorous. They can conflict with summer jobs
and vacations. Also, many of the showcase teams and camps are quite expensive. A typical three day camp can cost
anywhere from $350 to $800, and there
are high fees to play in tournaments as
well.
Therefore, the camps give exposure
to kids whose parents have disposable
incomes, and make the recruitment process much more difficult for kids who
cannot afford such camps. The camps
and tournaments provide great practice
and experience for student-athletes, but
do raise some ethical questions about the
increasingly competitive college recruitment process. G
Rye Dance
Goes Varsity
Under the leadership of Mr.
Marsh, a committed group of
girls is bringing competitive
dancing to Rye
7
Is Byram Hills the
New Harrison?
Reexamining Rye’s biggest rivalry
By Brandon LaBella
very seriously.”
Senior Ben Meyers summed it up best
by saying, “Every game against Byram
Hills comes down to the wire. Every win
is special. Neither team likes each other
in any way.”
The atmosphere in the jam-packed
gymnasium was tense. The visiting team
had just pulled ahead of Rye with one
minute left in the game. Then, junior
guard
Mike
O’Neill drained a
three-pointer
to
give Rye the lead
once again. The
bleachers shook
with a chant of
“Defense,
Defense.” However,
Rye let in an easy
basket and trailed
behind until another junior guard,
Max
Twyman,
shot the game
winner with five
seconds left, leaving the Rye side
of the bleachers “Beat Byram” signs adorn the gym walls prior to the
roaring. This in- boys basketball game against Rye’s biggest rival.
tense last minute of
the boy’s varsity basketball game on JanThe rivalry is no different for winter
uary 18th epitomizes the blossoming rival- sports. Junior Mike Garofalo, a starter on
ry between Rye and Byram Hills of Ar- the varisty basketball team, said, “Every
monk. The two teams seem to be going year we circle our calendars for the
head to head in almost every sport.
Byram Hills match-up, because they have
In the fall, Lindsey Welhoelter scored a crazy fan base that always lifts the ina game-winning goal under the lights at tensity of the game.”
Byram Hills, propelling the girls’ soccer
This year’s basketball game-saver
team to a 2-1 victory in overtime. The Max Twyman said of his game winning
boys’ soccer team has also had tight shot: “Hitting a game-winner is special,
games against Byram Hills for the past but hitting it against one of our biggest
several years, with their most memorable rivals made it even better.”
moment coming in 2009 when thenRye’s athletes have clearly started to
senior Juan Chang ripped an overtime view Byram Hills as their biggest rivals,
goal during a torrential downpour.
and Athletic Director Mr. Castagana
It was no different in girls’ tennis. seems to be on the same page. “In a numAfter being co-league champions with ber of sports there is a big rivarly beByram Hills in 2010, Rye’s main mission tween Rye and Byram hills because the
for the 2011 season was to seize the title communities and the make up of both
for themselves. The league championship schools are similar,” said Castagna. “In
meet at Byram Hills was tied up until the last five years, all of our games have
senior captain Molly Jordan hit a rocket been really close and those tense matchfirst serve to take the match, and a 4-3 ups lead to rowdy fans.”
team win over the Byram Hills Bobcats,
There is no doubt that the Ryemaking Rye the Conference 3 League 1 Harrison football tradition will remain
champions.
strong, as the two towns are neighbors
“In tennis we’ve beaten Harrison and football is one of the few sports
handily for the past few years,” said Mol- where the Byram Hills’ team does not
ly Jordan, “Byram Hills has consistently quite match-up (they have only beaten
been our toughest competitor and I think Rye one out of the eight times that the
that’s true across the board, especially for teams have played since 1929). As far as
girls sports. Rye and Armonk have simi- other sports go, Harrison is taking a back
lar sports cultures, especially when it seat to the Rye-Byram Hills rivalry. G
comes to taking girls’ athletics
By Holly Secon
Everybody knows Mr. Marsh as the math
teacher who sings and dances up and down the
hallway. Soon, they will know him by another
title: coach of the dance team.
Also the head of the Dance Ensemble, Mr.
Marsh has made it his mission to make both
groups great, but the two are not to be confused. The Dance Ensemble is a huge club that
meets every few weeks and will put on a show of
student- and Mr. Marsh-choreographed dances in
the spring. A select few members of this club
chose to step up their commitment by joining the
new Rye High School Dance Team, namely,
Abby Regan, Abby Higgins, Mary Kate Moseman, Brianna Scully, all officers, as well as Elana Spitz, Jamie Listokin, Sarah Schreib, Amelia
Haddad, and Kathleen Nicholas. Mr. Marsh
wants the Dance Team to incorporate an advanced level of dance into Rye High School that
has been missing.
Junior Abby Higgins explained that even
though she loves Dance Ensemble and is looking
forward to their upcoming performance, she
likes the Dance Team more because, “it offers
more opportunities to dance.” The team is a
more intense experience for those who are truly
devoted to dance.
The Dance Team meets for practice every
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from
6:30 until about 7:30, when it ends and the girls
go change into their normal clothes. They have
not only shown their routines at the Pep Rally,
they appear almost weekly during halftime of all
home boys’ and girls’ basketball games.
In fact, varsity basketball player Mike D’Antoni not only enjoys the dance performances, but
feels the team adds to Rye spirit. He said, “I feel
like it really gets the people going. The Dance
Team draws a big crowd that then stays and get
pumped for our game.” G
8
Sports
Senior Paige Martin (center) runs track hurdles during an indoor winter
track meet at the Armory in New York City.
By Don Tice
We all see the track board in the
cafeteria, yet the sport is an enigma
for students who don’t participate. The question is; what really is
Winter Track? Track is an extremely popular winter sport where students compete in various track and
field events. In addition to running,
winter track offers athletes the options shot-put, pole vault, long
jump, and hurdles. There are opportunities for all types of athletes
to thrive in this competitive, yet
fun, environment.
Winter track not only offers different distances and events, it also
involves both individual and team
accomplishments. Some athletes
run by themselves, while others
compete in relays. With meets often
lasting seven hours, there is a lot of
time to hang around with friends
and bond as a team.
Runner Brandon Labella says,
“My favorite part of track meets is
running my event and having the
chance to hang out with teammates
during downtime. It’s nice to see
practice pay off, as I am very happy
with both my individual results and
the team results.”
And practice is no joke. Every
winter weekday practice lasts from
3 to 5 o’clock. Practice is customized fore each athlete’s own
events. Runners run sprints, jog the
track, or take long distance runs
while non-running competitors, like
shot-putters go through their own
practice.
While many people medal in
their events and are one of the top
finishers, there are a few track athletes who have really stood out. Ellie Friedmann has been having an
outstanding season; breaking records and setting new personal
bests. Ellie’s best 1500m time so
far this season is the second best
ever for Rye High School. She is
tied for third for the fastest ever
3000m, and holds the senior record
for the two mile run.
While Ellie sets records by herself, other members of the track
team set records as a group. The
team of Aaron Matthias, Thomas
Mayo-Smith, Taylor Love and Joey
Viger broke the 4x4 relay record
and are looking to break a few more
before the season is over.
With the season nearing an end,
the seniors are trying to break as
many records as they can and cherish the few remaining moments of
winter track. G
&BLACK
GARNET
THE NEWSPAPER OF RYE HIGH SCHOOL
Editor-in-Chief
Molly Jordan
Managing Editor
Celia Palmer
Page Editors
News & Features
Mary-Bailey Frank
School and Local News
Axel Hufford
Arts & Entertainment
Peter Adams
Sports
Don Tice
Michael Gilbert
Profiles
Kirsten Colwell
Brandon LaBella
Health & Science
Grace Leishman
Alec Hufford
Op-Ed
James Mackenzie
Contributors
Photography Editors
Kelly Bonaventura
Catherine Hedge
Advisor
Jane Citron
Photo by Natalie Bird
Winter Track Success