February - Barnstable Public Schools

Volume 48, No. 3
Insight
Barnstable High School, Hyannis, MA 02601
Fashionistas of BHS
By Molly Marcotte
Staff Writer
Spring is just around
the corner and after a long,
cold winter slipping into some
adorable spring attire can feel
great. But that doesn’t mean
you need to let all your favorite
winter styles fall by the
wayside. Being trendy
and wearing all the
best designs isn’t
necessarily what
being
stylish
is
about-it’s
about
finding
styles
a n d
pieces
t h a t
work
for
you,
regardless of
the current trends or
season.
“I
love
colder
weather because I love
interesting
textures
and
layering,” said Fashion Design
teacher Abby Faye. Faye noted that this spring is set
to bring palates of bright colors
mixed with neutrals in lots of
flowy, breathable fabrics that
“will lend themselves to warm
weather layering.”
Fashionistas agree
that a leather jacket is a great
piece for cooler weather.
But senior
Emily Leavitt thinks leather
has a place in all seasons
and is looking forward to
incorporating it into her
own spring fashions.
Like Leavitt and
Faye, if you have a favorite
cold weather style, don’t leave
it back in
the winter months
just because the trend report is
saying something else is
“in” for the spring season. In
fact, trends, if adhered to too
closely, can actually have negative
effects on fashion.
Senior Alex Fasewski added, “If everyone’s wearing
the same thing, I make a conscious effort not to
wear that.”
Fashion is meant to induce creativity, not
suppress it. If you spend all your time and
money buying into a trend simply because
it’s trendy, then that is all you will be: trendy.
Faye believes that “just because you are not
trendy doesn’t mean you’re not stylish.”
Being able to finesse upcoming
trends and translate them into your own
personal look is an important component
to being stylish.
“It’s important to have your own
individual style,” said Leavitt. “It
helps you discover yourself.”
Senior Meghan Woods said “I
think it’s important for people to
have their own individual style
because it allows them to express
themselves without having to
explain it in words.” Woods was
awarded the best dressed senior
superlative.
continued on pg. 12
Senior Emily Leavitt shows
off her style.
photos by Molly Marcotte
Boys
Hockey
pg. 23
February 2013
Security
Systems
Tighten
By Grace Elletson
Staff Writer
Since
the
school
shooting in Newtown, Conn.,
many schools around the United
States are faced with the choice
to heighten security in not only
elementary schools and colleges,
but high schools well. Barnstable
Public Schools are no exception.
Quickly responding to the
December tragedy, Barnstable
High School has already made
changes that tighten the school’s
security.
The most recognizable
change is the buzzer that has
been placed to the right of the
doors by the main entrance. BHS
was the only school in the district
without one before the Newtown
incident, Principal Patrick Clark
said.
Instead of walking into
the main lobby and checking in
with someone at a desk, visitors
are directed to the first, “drivein” window at the main office.
Students, parents, faculty and
even the superintendent will
be asked to be identified before
entering the school. A formal
student ID is only mandatory
for students coming from
community service, Clark said.
“When a tragedy like
Newtown occurs it forces you to
check your to-do list, being the
disaster that it was,” Clark said.
The district had been meaning
to install a buzzer in the high
school and it was installed days
later due to heightened security
after the Connecticut shooting.
In addition to this
buzzer system, all the doors
around the building will be
locked at all times after 7:40
a.m., with a routinely morning
door check. “It’s a reminder
for all of us not to be sloppy...
leaving doors open... those kinds
of things are an issue for our
security system,” Clark said.
The
school
wide
camera system, which monitors
hallways, is being revised and
updated. Mr. David Kanyock,
who manages lighting and
heating as well as security, is
giving the system a timely checkup, analyzing camera resolution
and angles. This especially
includes the outside of the
building and in the parking lots.
Ellen MacDonald,
the secretary at West Villages
Elementary school, recalled
that the buzzer they’ve had has
been in place for 10 or 12 years.
“I probably know 90 percent of
the people entering, the other ten
percent I don’t know. It is helpful
to a certain degree. But I know
that if someone wants to get
into the building, they will get
in.”
Some students have
mixed emotions concerning the
changes within the school. “I
don’t think we’re going to slow
down anyone wanting to come in
with a door bell,” eighth grader
Sean Smith said.
continued on pg. 12
Seniors Find Financial Guidance
By Jillian Cahoon
Staff Writer
If you saw the Field
House on Friday, Feb. 1, it did
not look as it usually does.
There were a myriad of booths
scattered between two curtains to
teach students financial literacy.
Barnstable High School seniors
participated in the Credit for Life
fair sponsored by Cape Cod Five.
The fair was brought to
Barnstable after Principal Patrick
Clark was contacted by Cape
Cod Five. The program had a
good reputation in other schools
around the Cape, like DennisYarmouth Regional High School.
The fair gives students a real life
experience in their finances at age
24.
Even
though
the
program is similar to real life
financial decision making, it is all
done “in the safety of the school,”
said Mrs. Kristen Harmon, event
organizer. Students are able to
make decisions with their money,
even though they may end up in
debt. Though they may end up
in debt, it’s not real, but teaches
them the lessons they need if they
were to end up in debt. It models
the decision making that students
will have to make in their futures.
These are decisions students may
not be thinking about at this stage,
but that are important in college
and beyond.
“It gives students the
opportunity to spend or overspend
without penalty,” said Harmon.
continued on pg. 12
photo by Molly Marcotte
Senior Chris Bartley practices his perfect handshake.
Inside Insight: Pro v. Con: Gun Control pg. 3 Tips for Healthy Living pgs. 14 & 15
2
Students Need
Life Skills
opinion
There’s a field trip coming up and you have to pay a fee
in order to go. Feeling mature and independent, you decide to use
your own money. The only problem is: you have no idea how to take
money out of your bank account. If you ask your parents they will
most likely accost you for not knowing how to do it in the first place.
Older generations always complain that people of our generation don’t
have any common sense regarding life skills, and that it is “assumed
knowledge”, but many of us were never taught any of it.
Parents can’t teach us everything we need to know before
graduating high school and many teenagers are not very willing to
listen to their parents when they’re trying to teach them. If topics such
as how to do laundry, get a bank account, balance a checkbook, file
taxes, fill out W2 forms, get college loans and financial aid, etc., were
taught and tested in a classroom, students are more likely to listen and
pay attention. BHS did a great job with initiating these kinds of life
skills we need as adults with the Credit for Life fair for the seniors on
Feb. 1, where they were involved in everyday financial scenarios one
would encounter in adulthood.
Seniors were advised to dress up in business attire and sent to
the field house where they met with adult volunteers who played out
various scenarios for the students. Everyone was assigned an income,
depending on the career that was selected for them according to their
preferable major, and were put through activities, such as buying a car,
paying for car insurance, health insurance, food, and managing their
credit score and savings with the income they were given.
However, learning these life skills would benefit everyone,
not only the seniors. As freshmen and sophomores, students start to
worry about getting a job and saving up for a car. Having a class that
teaches these things at a younger age relieves them of stress later on.
Many juniors and seniors already have jobs but most likely have no
idea how to fill out a W2 form, or even know what a W2 form is.
Although economics and personal finance is offered, it is a
history class and only for grades 10-12. Ms. Kate Scholes, economics
teacher, said that her students are shocked when they see the numbers
involved in personal budgting and this is normal because most 16 and
17 year olds don’t pay bills.
In addition, next year a new math class called “financial
algebra” will be offered for seniors. According to the Program of
Studies, “Students will see algebra at work within the most critical
areas of finance - investments, credit, automobile expenses, insurance,
income tax, household budgeting - while gaining confidence in
working with common algebraic functions. In addition, students will
develop the decision-making skills they must apply and use to become
knowledgeable consumers, savers, investors, users of credit, money
managers, citizens, and members of a 21st century global workforce
and society.”
However, an additional life skills class should be offered for
underclassmen and should count as a personal development credit,
which would benefit students immensely and prepare them for what
they will experience after high school. It should be a mandatory
semester class, split into two levels for freshmen/sophomores and
juniors/seniors. It is a great opportunity to have students from all
different levels integrated into one class. Freshmen and sophomores,
however, need different skills than juniors and seniors do; Freshman
don’t tend to worry about paying for college or getting a credit card as
much as a senior would, so it wouldn’t make sense to have both grades
in the same class.
Not having these important life skills can cause stress because
we want to learn them, but no one has ever taught any of it to us.
As teenagers, we like being independent and having the ability to do
things on our own.
Our generation should be taught these skills in school because
we want to learn them, and we want to be able to live as adults without
worrying about things we were never taught at a younger age.
Insight Staff 2012-2013
Editing Staff
Editor-in-Chief:
Jillian Cahoon
News Editor:
Emma Gauthier
Op-Ed Editor:
Ana Coutinho
Features Editor:
Richie Carter
Sports Editor:
Mark Russell
Arts, Etc. Editor:
Will Crosby
Photo Editor:
Molly Marcotte
Business Manager:
Cian McEneaney
Senior Staff Writer:
Zoe Calianos
Reporting Staff
Afton Andreadis
Mary Anglin
Russell Brillant
Alexandra Devine
Grace Elletson
Jenny Griffin
Cate Harrington
Emily Penn
Liam Russo
Claire Sawayanagi
Contact Insight at:
[email protected] or visit us on Facebook
Adviser: Michele Netto (508)-790-6445 x 205
illustration by Claire Sawayanagi
Community Service:
Will This Be Graded?
By Liam Russo
Staff Writer
The application for National Honor Society is perfect.
It’s in pristine condition with recommendations completed, and
every question filled out except
one dreaded section: “Service and
Community Activities Participated In.” Panic arises and you start
to brainstorm anything and everything possible that even remotely
relates to the community. After
reading over what you’ve accomplished in your high school career
the realization that very little has
been done hits home.
Why is this section the
most dreaded part of the application to fill out? Why is it so hard to
come up with hours and projects
for the community that one has
participated in over their years in
high school? Students have been
informed little to nothing at all
about what can be done in their
community to make a difference
and change needs to be brought to
BHS.
Students need to be
taught what can be done to participate in such activities. From the
first day they step foot into Barnstable High School, they should
have a plan as to what type of
service they would like to work
on and should have a schedule
on how they can achieve these
feasible goals. By logging and
tracking their community service
hours with a counselor each year,
students will be prepared and
confident when they fill out any
community service questions on
any type of application.
But helping out the community shouldn’t end up revolving around how you can benefit
yourself. Community service
shouldn’t be an activity that is
done to appear as a well-rounded student on an application, but
should be something that you’ve
actively put time into and are
proud of.
The community service
clubs at this school have unfortunately not been adhering to the
standards of many other schools in
Massachusetts. In the beginning
of the year I joined a community
service club within the school and
was unsatisfied when I found out
that there was a lack of leadership
and efforts to change the community were being avoided or forgotten. It has become more of a
hang out to meet friends and not
an active service club. The students talk about what they plan on
accomplishing, but nothing ends
up being achieved. If you never
noticed the brown paper bags in
each homeroom for the food drive
this past December, I wouldn’t be
“Community
service shouldn’t
be an activity that
is done to appear
as a well-rounded student on
an application,
but should be
something that
you’ve actively
put time into and
are proud of.”
surprised. No announcements and
no flyers made it to my homeroom
and I was uninformed as to when
and why there was an empty paper bag in my class. As it gathered
dust and cob webs, I found that
barely any homerooms participated in the food drive. And for
the homerooms that did, no one
came to gather the goods and no
deadline was set as to when they
needed to be collected by.
This is just one of many
examples as to how students are
uninformed about the opportunities to participate in the community within the school. Next year,
the community service class for
seniors is getting dropped because
“students should earn their hours
on their own time.” Without a
community service class, this limits the ability for students to earn
hours within school and some
students have no other means of
earning them. We shouldn’t be
taking away options in which
students can earn hours, but we
should be promoting them. It’s
hard enough for students to find
opportunities outside of school,
but without any programs within
the school, very few students will
be able to get hours on their own
time and the community will be
hurt because of it.
We should not simply
ask students to give back, but we
should require it of them. Many
of our students have so much and
there are so many who have so
little. We need to make community service part of BHS by creating opportunities on campus both
during school and after school:
perhaps an extended block now
and then or 15 minutes dedicated
to the community before or after
school each day that can add up
throughout the year. Perhaps we
could even come together around
a school wide service project.
Imagine what we could do if we
were all working towards the
same goal. One of our 21st Century Learning Expectations is to
collaborate with others and our
environment to contribute to students learning, so shouldn’t we be
following it?
Community
service
is a muscle that needs to be
exercised regularly and is slowly
deteriorating each year in schools
across America. Our high school
is shaped by our community
and with the correct guidance
and opportunities, students can
be proud of what they have
accomplished for the community
in their time at Barnstable High
School.
opinion 3
Snapshot:
What is your favorite snapchat face?
By Emily Penn and Afton Andreadis
Staff Writers
“The Housemaster”
--Tom Bushy
Housemaster C
“Dirty”
--John Doherty,
Senior
“OMG!”
--Kathryn Lawler
Sophomore
“Where am I?”
--Ryan Bourque
Sophomore
“Befuddled”
--Erica Pusateri
Senior
“I’m thinking”
--Shane Macneil
Senior
“You are NOT excused”
--Zack Brooks
8th Grader
“Rawr”
--Spencer O’Connor
Junior
Pro Gun Control No Gun Control
By Mark Russell
Staff Writer
In the wake of the Sandy Hook
Elementary school shooting on Dec. 14,
the conversation for greater gun control
has grown louder throughout the United
States. After 26 innocent students and
teachers, 20 of them below the age of 10,
were gunned down by high powered assault
weapons, shouldn’t there be an effort
to these guns out of the public’s hands?
People will often jump to say
that this regulation violates the Second
Amendment of the Constitution but really,
what is the point of having a gun that can
shoot up to 300 rounds a minute? You cannot
legally hunt with it. Using it as “self defense”
makes it seem like you are preparing for
your house to be surrounded by an army of
criminals. Really, if there is a need for these
types of weapons in the hands of the public,
we have much larger problems as a country.
The United States has the highest
rate of violent deaths due to firearms in the
entire world, with 88.8 out of 100 people
owning a gun. You don’t have to look
further than six months ago to realize that
the United States has had three deadly
shootings. In Colorado a man walked into
a movie theater at the premier of the new
Batman movie, and gunned civilians down
as they began to watch the movie. Then
at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, on August
5, a man walked in and gunned down
several members before taking his own life.
Those are three examples of violence
caused by automatic weapons, often times
with high capacity ammunition, allowing
for the shooters to fire repeatedly without
reloading the gun. But what is the purpose
of even owning one of these weapons?
The Second Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution states: “A well-regulated
Militia, being necessary to the security of
a free State, the right of the people to keep
and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
However, why not abolish the weapons
that do the most damage? The weapons
being used in these massacres are military
grade firearms and should not be allowed in
public, especially when these events keep
happening. We need to establish a ban on
assault type weapons and the magazines
that would go with them, and initiate
government buy-back programs to take even
more guns off the street. This document
was created in 1776. We are no longer in
need of a militia to take on the British.
However, change can be made
without requiring a bill. We could look to
our neighbors to the north, Canada and
across the Pacific to Australia and Japan.
In Australia the National Agreement on
Firearms prohibited assault rifles, in addition
to stiffening licensing and ownership rules.
Australian citizens must cite a genuine need
for the gun that they want to purchase, as
well as undergo a firearms safety course and
a rigorous background check. In countries
such as Britain, Norway, and Japan, police
officers do not carry guns, because there
is no need, while in the United States
police carry both a handgun and a rifle.
In response to the massacre at
Sandy Hook, the vice president of the
National Rifle Association, Wayne Pierre
said, “The only way to stop a bad guy with
a gun is with a good guy with a gun,” citing
the lack of mental health reform and violent
movies as the reasons for violent shootings.
Additionally, the NRA proposed putting
an armed security guard at the entrance
of every school across the country. But
really, adding more guns in a school area
does nothing but increase the problem. You
know how to really stop a bad guy? Take
away the gun, take away the bullets and
see if he can still shoot up an entire school.
By Mary Anglin
Staff Writer
When a tragedy as in Newtown
occurs, it is easy to wonder why we
have guns in the first place. Tragedy can
temporarily blind you with a sadness that
is hard to forget, but there is no reason to
make a rash, lasting law change that will
affect people all over the United States.
Many believe enacting these tighter gun
control laws will rid the world of violence,
when that isn’t necessarily the case.
Like anyone else, I empathize
with people affected by any tragedy.
However, I also feel strongly that further
restrictions on gun ownership would be in
vain, for it would not solve the problem.
When I hear about something as terrible
as a mass shooting, I know the shooter is
probably not an upstanding citizen who
always follows the law and is a responsible
gun owner. Someone deranged enough to
fire a gun at innocent people is not someone
who will follow a simple gun control law
or a new regulation. By adding restrictions
on gun ownership, we are only hurting
the people who own guns for legitimate
reason such as protecting themselves. A
criminal has a much easier job of hurting
people if he is the only one who doesn’t
feel the need to obey laws. Certainly more guns are never the
answer, but law cannot change the minds
of determined delinquents. One month
after the school shooting at Sandy Hook
Elementary, parents who formed a group
called Sandy Hook Promise expressed
concern and sadness over the loss of
Newtown residents and articulated
what they wanted for school safety in
the future. The group conveyed its goal
of preventing this type of event from
happening again, which interestingly did
not include unnecessarily changing gun
laws such those New York is pushing for.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
is in favor of tightening New York’s gun
control laws. Cuomo would like to match
California, whose laws are very strict
when it comes to weapons. In addition
to expanding the definition of an assault
weapon, background checks would be
required for buying ammunition as well as
weapons themselves. Again, a law like this
isn’t going to stop criminals from getting
what they want; it’s only going to become a
hassle for responsible people. While being
interviewed on a radio talk show, Cuomo
said, “Confiscation could be an option
for existing assault weapons.” However,
he quickly withdrew this statement when
there was a stir about this. If I were a gun
owner, I would be concerned, too. How
could someone so easily take away what
has always been constitutionally yours?
Not only has the right to bear arms
been in effect since 1791, but it has given
Americans a sense of security that cannot
be yanked away from them in an instant.
The reason America is considered such a
great country because of the freedom we
have compared to others. If we question
the original amendments and start to overedit them, I think we’ll become a different
country, overwriting the original intent
and fixing something that was not broken.
I want safety for schools and
people in general. But, I also want
realistic regulations. Maybe we should
pay more attention to the person rather
than the gun he’s holding. The question
isn’t “Do you want peace?” Because
of course we do, but rather: Will more
restrictions on gun ownership really stop
the violence that has been going on for
years? Regardless of the peace I want for
my generation and the next, it will not
be achieved by unfairly changing a law
made for people who have no regard for it.
4
opinion
An American Inauguration
By Zoe Calianos
Staff Writer
On Jan. 21, it was
below freezing in Washington
D.C. I had gone through two
rounds of security. I had waited
in line for over two hours. It
was past lunch time. I was
packed elbow-to-elbow on the
Washington Mall with strangers.
There were tall people in front of
me. I could barely see anything.
But none of that mattered.
There were flags
everywhere and a sort of buzzing
in the crowd, an excitement. We
were all there for one reason.
When Pres. Barack Obama
stepped into view, a noise
of a magnitude I have never
experienced erupted from the
audience. I looked at the faces
around me, and I realized that
I have never felt so American.
Coming from a strong
Republican family, I was doubtful
at best that the inauguration
would affect me. By the time we
arrived at the green in front of the
Capitol Building, I had already
been outside for about four hours
and managed to set off the third
security alarm of the trip with my
Cape Cod bracelet. After we got settled in
our spot, I noticed someone in
front of me pointing up to the
rooftops. Sure enough, situated
on each rooftop surrounding us
were guards from the Air Force.
As if I wasn’t shocked enough
by that, the man next to me
then kindly informed me that
there were also snipers lurking
in most of the windows. I didn’t
know if I felt safe or scared.
We Love...
26 Acts of Kindness
In the wake of the
national tragedy that occurred
at Sandy Hook Elementary in
December 2012, NBC News’
Ann Curry tweeted an idea
designed to encourage kindness
in our society--she proposed
that everyone perform 26 acts
of kindness to honor the lives of
students and teachers killed in
the shooting. Imagine the impact
that this could have. In the wake
of national tragedy, it is so easy
to be discouraged and lose faith
in humanity; many questions
arise as to how a person could
even consider acting in such
violent and disturbing ways.
But rather than focus on the
unknowns and the things we can’t
change, I believe that it is moral
campaigns like this one that will
make the world a little brighter
in a time of such darkness.
These acts can be
anything--helping a neighbor
bring in their groceries, offering
to cook dinner for your family
one night, even just a smile in the
hallway can have an enormously
positive impact on someone
photo by Mary Conway
BHS students Zoe Calianos, Briana Casey, Alicia Pierozzi, and
Emily McMahon pose in front of the Linocln Memorial.
We had waited in the park
for about an hour and my snacks
were starting to dwindle, when
finally a row of black town cars
and police sped by. Then came
another, and another. The crowd
rose to its’ feet and everyone
cheered. The fun was beginning.
We watched as Supreme
Court justices, members of
Congress, state representatives,
and other politicians descended
else’s life. Tragedy brings about
devastation, sadness and grief
but it is how we react as a nation
and society that will define our
future. So...will you take the
pledge to perform #26Acts?
-- Molly Marcotte
Teacher Absences
the red carpet clothed stairs of the
Capitol and took their seats. Malia
and Sasha Obama came out clad in
purple pea coats. Michele Obama
stepped out and screams of “She’s
fabulous!” filled the air. Finally,
Vice President Joe Biden came
out, accompanied by multiple
people, including both the House
and Senate Sergeants at Arms.
And then, it happened.
Pres. Barack Obama stepped out.
The crowd exploded. Every person
within miles was clapping and
cheering for their president. There
was a palpable wave of energy
that rolled through the crowd.
Then, New York Senator
Charles E. Sheumer took the
stage. He likened the theme of
this year’s inauguration – Faith
in America’s Future- to the
“improbable” completion of the
capitol dome. He emphasized
America’s resiliency and strength.
After his speech, we
were lead in prayer by civil
rights leader Myrlie Evers.
Introducing the president was
Lamar Alexander, a Senator from
Tennessee. He, quoting George
Washington, said “The peaceful
transfer of power is what will
separate our country from every
other country in the world.” And
to be honest, that’s what it was.
The swearing in of both Vice
President Biden and President
Obama
was
surprisingly
simple and surprisingly serene.
It was not until Obama
began his inaugural speech that
the calm was disrupted. He talked
about our rights: life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. He
talked about America’s limitless
possibilities and how far we have
come. He alluded to Dr. Martin
The Little Things...
Starbucks Cups
No need to feel guilty
for buying a coffee from
Starbucks every day, then
throwing out that once used paper
cup anymore. Starbucks recently
found a solution that benefits
both the environment and the
coffee drinker. The new, reusable
and recyclable coffee tumbler
is being sold at all Starbucks,
and I purchased one for just $1.
With these cute and eco friendly
coffee cups, you can ask the
brewer to fill up your cup. When
you pay, you receive 10 cents
off your beverage for helping
the environment. The Starbucks
coffee sleeve also fit perfectly on
the tumblers. Hurry to buy one,
because the Starbucks next to
Trader Joes is almost all sold out!
-- Claire Sawayanagi
We Don’t Love...
Most students would
be thrilled to see a substitute
teacher in one of their classes.
I would normally be elated
to have the block off from
learning a new lesson. But not
when it’s the same teacher for
the fourth time in two weeks.
Teachers
who
are
constantly pulled out of class
to attend meetings, develop
curriculum and attend workshops,
however important this all may be,
are hindering students more than
helping them. These may be paid
excused absences, but teachers
are still gone from the classroom.
I talked to a few of
my teachers, and they all have
mentioned the same thing; there
are only two teacher in-service
days this year. During these inservice days, while students sleep
in late, teachers are hard at work
again developing curriculum
and making sure that students
are able to get the most out of
the time they spend in class.
In my non-professional
opinion, two doesn’t nearly seem
like enough days for a department
to improve dozens of courses
that last an entire year. Maybe,
the most all-around beneficial
solution is to add a few more inservice days in the school year.
If there are more of these days,
teachers will be in the classrooms
when students are in the
classrooms. Teachers won’t be in
meetings and workshops, they’ll
be teaching in the classroom
where they’re needed most.
-- Emma Gauthier
Library Passes
I’ve
noticed
that
whenever I ask for a pass to the
library, my request is always
followed by a, “No sorry, not
now,” or an, “I’m not allowed to
send kids down to the library at
this time.” I’ve approached those
doors too many times only to meet
a stern-faced teacher on library
duty, scrutinizing over whether or
not my library pass was authorized
or not. My pass has been held up
to the light, the teacher tilting it
back and forth, trying to discover
some inaccuracy in the illegible
scribble belonging to my English
teacher. With a grunt, they let me
in. Is the library now becoming
some sort of forbidden land?
I can understand how
some students would take
advantage of a situation by
Luther King Jr. and reminded us
that we are all created equal. He
said that although we may not
all define liberty in exactly the
same way, we are required to act.
His speech was a call to action.
It was a call to improve and a
call to learn and a call to change.
When he spoke, it felt
like it was coming, not from the
man standing on the platform
somewhere in front of me, but
from beneath me and around me.
His voice boomed and rose and
fell in sync with the hearts of those
present. It was impossible not to
be swept away. It was impossible
not to hear and feel the fervent
support of the people. It was
impossible not to acknowledge
the power behind his words.
I have never, in my life,
felt that sort of emotional response
to a speaker. Standing there, in
front of the Capitol, listening to
our president, it all made sense.
There was no talk of policies or
debts or jobs. There was no health
care or fiscal cliff. Sheumer said it right,
“…no matter how many times
one witnesses this event…its
innate majesty…that sacred,
yet cautious, entrusting of
power from we, the people,
to our chosen leader…never
fails to make one’s heart beat
faster.” There was just faith and
passion and determination for
the country we share. In those
moments, it didn’t matter who
I was, or even, who he was. We
were only Americans. We were
Americans; and we were proud.
the quick, imaginative, phony
excuse to get out of class for a
half hour to go play pinball on
the computers, but what about
the students who actually need
the time in the library to get class
work done? As a student with a
finicky printer, the night before
an assignment is due I have no
clue as to whether my biology
lab will print half in black ink and
the rest in pink. Therefore, being
able to print assignments in the
library is crucial to a student with
technological difficulties, but
what happens when your access to
the library computers is denied?
It seems that homeroom teachers,
and other teachers, have been
given instructions to NEVER
send kids to the library. This puts
them in an awkward position, too.
In my eyes, if a student
genuinely needs to access the
library for academic reasons
at a reasonable time, then by
all means the student should
be allowed access. Forget the
sign in sheet, the next thing you
know they will be asking to take
fingerprints of you and your
fellow classmates at the door.
-- Grace Elletson
news
Falacci Proposes
Changes to Gov.
By Molly Marcotte
Staff Writer
Senior Andrew Falacci
has recently proposed some
changes to the way students
contribute to and change things
around the school and the
entire education community at
Barnstable High School.
Student
government
currently exists in three separate
entities: class officers, Student
Council, and TGA representatives.
But Falacci suggests that there is a
better way to organize a cohesive
student government.
“I do think it’s a
good idea in
theory, and I
hope it works.”
--Emily Thompson,
President of Student
Government
As stated in his formal
proposal, Falacci intends the new
student government to serve as
a “civic minded atmosphere” in
which “students’ opinions are
projected clearly [and] voices are
heard collectively.”
Falacci
hopes
that
a more centralized student
government system will serve
as a civics lesson for students at
BHS. His interest in the nittygritty of policy making began
when Falacci attended Student
Government Day last year. Falacci
was surprised to see how easy it
could be for student governments
to make changes to school related
policies and legislation, and hopes
that there will be an increase in
student participation under his
restructured system.
But Falacci wants to
make it clear: “Nothing is going
to change,” he said.
Under his plan, everyone
who is a TGA representative,
class officer and/or student
council member will still hold
those positions. The TGA
representatives and 25 members
of the student council will serve
as the student legislative branch.
The president and vice
president of each class will sit in
the executive cabinet; secretary
and treasurer will hold their
positions but will not be required
to attend Student Government
meetings. Principal Clark will
still oversee all the discussions
and propose new issues for
debate. The students will debate,
discuss and vote on student issues
at their monthly meetings held in
the junior/senior cafeteria
However, there will be
a new position implemented:
Student Body President. The
individual who is elected as the
Student Body President will
also sit in the executive cabinet
5
and will do the most one-on-one
discussion with Principal Clark.
Anyone in grades eight through
12 can run for the position, but
consequential special elections
will be held if any class officer
positions vacate.
The
student
body
president will serve as the main,
unified voice for all of the student
government. Falacci says that
the biggest challenge the student
body president will face will be
“preserving the essence of student
policy and voice.”
Falacci was not alone
in his efforts to propose this
new form of government. He
first had to pass a vote by the
Student Council, which he did,
unanimously. But his biggest
struggle is not behind him - both
Falacci and Student Council
advisor Katie Carey agree that the
biggest struggle will be keeping
photo by Alexandra Devine
interest and participation rates
Falacci
has
emerged
as
a
definite
leader
of
our
class, and is conhigh in years to come.
tinuing
to
develop
ideas
and
work
to
achieve
them.
“I think any club at BHS
has the potential to succeed with
“I do think it’s a good be occurring soon.
the right students and motivation
idea in theory,” said Thompson, Carey added that she
behind it,” said Carey. “Andrew
“and I hope it works.”
believes that Falacci has the right
just has to get the right people
But Falacci is confident idea and “that the more voices
behind him.”
that students will step and be and the more students involved,
Student
Council
involved and enthusiastic about the better your school’s going to
President Emily Thompson is
changing and refining student be.”
slightly skeptical to the idea.
policy at BHS. He hopes to have
She suggests that the number of
the system implemented and
students involved be decreased,
running smoothly by mid March.
and the number of times the
Keep an eye out for information
organization meets per month be
regarding the Student Body
increased.
President election, which should
Gym Requirements Cause Schedule Change
By Richie Carter
Staff Writer
There are approximately
1960 students enrolled at
Barnstable High School, 521 of
whom take traditional physical
education courses. When the 2014
to 2015 school year rolls around,
the number of students taking
gym classes will quadruple. Due
to a change in class requirements,
all students will be required to
take a physical education class.
In addition there are
numerous rumors going around
about what type of P.E. activity is
going to take place during rotating
TGAs next year, “Nothing has
been decided. Anything said
right now is a rumor,” said Maria
Pierozzi, Head of the Personal
Development Department. “We
are in the precontemplation stage.
We know what a challenge this is
going to be, to come up with an
activity that will keep everyone
safe and active.”
Pierozzi stresses the
she and the teachers of within
the
Personal
Development
Department have the students
in the forefront of their minds
as they begin to informally plan
what the TGA activity will be.
Both in regards to safety but
also, “we would like to make
something meaningful, where if
you have to do it you won’t mind
so much.”
BHS’s
deficiency
in offering yearly physical
education courses according to
Mass Core and state law has lead
the to a stop-gap measure being
put in place as the new schedule
is developed during the coming
year.
A scheduling committee
made
up
administration
representatives and teaching staff
with input from Student Council
will, during the latter part of this
year, shape the schedule to meet
MASS Core requirements.
According to Principal
Patrick Clark the committee “is
in a good place” to get a new
class schedule ready for the 20142015 school year. The current
A-F, six course rotating schedule
will likely change and expand
to a seven-course schedule to
accommodate the gym class
requirement.
Mass Core is a series of
state recommended guidelines
designed to prepare students
for college.
Between the
requirements set by MASS Core
and state law, students will be
taking a gym class in the coming
year.
“We are in the
precontemplation
stage. We know
what a challenge
this is going to be,
to come up with
an activity that
will keep everyone safe and
active.”
--Maria Pierozzi,
Head of the Personal
Development
Department
“Mass Core provides
really enriching ingredients that
will make Barnstable special,”
said Clark, “the purpose of
schedule review is for the
students, to offer the complete
school experience.”
Clark also expressed
his desire to keep BHS students
competitive with students from
other high schools as they go
out into the world, while at the
same time pursuing their interests
through
BHS’s
enrichment
courses.
The other Mass Core
graduation requirements BHS
will be adopting are four units
of math, two years of the same
foreign language, three units of
lab-based science, and one unit
of the arts.
Students will be
required to take at least one math
course each year of high school,
including senior year.
According to Head of
Guidance Jennifer Clark, it will
most likely be the freshman class
of 2016 or 17 that will have to
meet these math requirements;
however, in the interim, guidance
counselors will be pushing
students to schedule in the extra
math course on their own.
Jennifer Clark is looking
forward to the scheduling changes
as, as “it’s going to bring a world
of opportunities for students.”
On what potential new
gym courses the future holds,
Pierozzi wants to ensure that
every student will be able to find a
class they will enjoy. Informally,
ideas of a broad health, from
fitness combinations to the very
specific Child at Play, where Child
Development students learn about
the development of children’s
motor skills, dance classes, and
even a class for the marching
band to focus on movement rather
than music. Right now these
are just ideas floating about and
nothing close to official. Pierozzi
wants students to know that if
they come to her with something
feasible and safe she will take the
idea into consideration.
“Change is scary; for
people, they want to know how a
big change is going to affect their
life. We looked at every type
of students’ schedule to see that
they get not just what they need
but what they want. This is now
the right way to change,” Pierozzi
said.
6
Clorox Grant
Falls Through
photo by Mike Gyra
Although BHS didn’t win the the Grant, Czajkowski has hope
that they can transform the space without it.
By Will Crosby
Staff Writer
Despite not earning the
$50,000 grant from the corporate
supergiant
Clorox,
science
teacher Michael Gyra and the
school district administration is
still adamant about improving
the Barnstable United School’s
courtyard.
Gyra,
the
grant’s
major proponent, was glad the
community came out to vote
each day. “Thank you to those
who participated, it was fun to
give our best. I congratulate the
schools that did win—they had
some great projects.”
“Not receiving the
grant was a little disheartening,
but we have several options for
fundraising,” said Superintendent
Mary Czajkowski. Czajkowski
then went on to explain that while
funds have not yet been allocated
for the project, they likely will be
in the coming fiscal year.
The project started when
Czajkowksi asked Gyra to have
several student work days to clear
the debris and vegetation from the
overgrown courtyard last fall.
“It was neat to see kids
help out, on a school that wasn’t
even theirs,” said Gyra.
The project has been
on hiatus due to the colder
weather, lack of funding, and
the loss of the grant. But spirits
remain high. Czajkowski wanted
to acknowledge that she is in
true “awe of the students and
staff who gave up time to ‘go to
school’ on a Saturday to help with
the project.”
So, what is next for the
courtyard? Fundraising is an
option that the BUS (Barnstable
Untied School) administration is
very much open to. But someone
needs to spearhead the project
with Gyra busy here at BHS. “Mr.
Gyra stepped up for this project.
He will certainly be the person we
look to to provide assistance. We
always welcome his help,” said
Czajkowski.
“The
space
has
tremendous potential to be a
park where students and staff
can gather, learn, socialize, and
recreate.” said Gyra
What the project needs
now is someone to manage all
the funding and volunteers and be
able to keep tabs on the project as
a whole.
The next step is to
complete a proposal for work
needs. It then needs to be
approved, funds allocated, and
the workforce called to action,
said Czajkowski.
The Mystery
of Snowdays
By Will Crosby
Staff Writer
To most, when the snow
begins to fall we imagine days off
from school, enjoying hot coco
by a warm fire, or sledding on the
massive hills on gold courses. But
to Superintendent Czajkowski,
snow storms often lead to early
mornings and tough decisions.
“I usually check the
news the night before, but
decisons are rarely made at
night,” said Czajkowski. When
she wakes up at 4:15 the following
morning. She contacts the Dept.
of Transportation who will let her
know if the routes are clear, and
safe for buses to pick up students.
Then the Head of
Facilities will decide whether
the buildings and sidewalks can
be cleared in time. After several
calls to other school systems,
Czajkowski makes the call. “I try
to make it by 5:15, so we have
plenty of time to let the students,
faculty, and bus drivers know.”
Fiscal Failure
By Richie Carter
Staff Writer
In between cries of
outrage from politicians, massive
media hype, and a very worried
public, the Fiscal Deal came
through, 21 hours after the U.S.
technically jumped over the cliff.
Congress had 507 days to come
to an agreement or move the
deadline they set for themselves.
Instead, the situation was eerily
similar to that of a class of seniors
handing in a large essay, lots of
excuses, and procrastination to
the point where an all nighter
becomes necessary.
News Analysis
So the great calamity of our age
was narrowly avoided, right?
Sorry, but not by a long shot. If
negotiations had stalled and the
emergency measures were put
into place, spending cuts and
raised taxes would immediately
be put into place. This raising
of the taxes is mostly from the
expiration of Bush and Obama tax
breaks. The government would
effectively shave $560 billion of
the national debt. Certainly this is
nothing to sneeze at, however, this
reduction of debt would come at
grave cost to America. Our GDP
would drop by approximately
4 percent, according to expert
analysis. This would halt any
current economic recovery and
send us right back into a recession
on par with that of 2008. It would
leave an estimated two million
people unemployed. This is just
a few months after it was said the
election would be decided on a
few hundred thousand jobs.
But hey, we proved to
the world we aren’t lemmings
who will willingly cast ourselves
into the abyss. Sort of. The way
the process was set up allowed
Congress to record its actions as
taking place before or on January
1.It was really an idiot proof
system with the media creating
massive hype about going “over
the cliff” and really causing some
unneeded panic.
The end result of the
fiscal cliff deal is that most
Americans will be paying more in
taxes. According to news reports
from Forbes and Bloomberg, 77
percent of households will have
their taxes raised. Those on the
lower earning scale will face a 1.1
percent increase, middle incomes
1.3 percent, and the upper tiers
2.5 - 4.5 percent. For most people
this means an extra $1,635 out of
pocket come tax time.
Now we aren’t out of
the woods yet. In the next few
weeks,
prepare yourself for
another bombardement of media
paranoia as the debt ceiling
deadline approaches in early
March. Hopefully, this Spring,
Congress will raise the debt
ceiling for the 77th time. Not
because they enjoy exorbitant
debt but because the alternative
is quite bleak. Our nation hit the
current debt ceiling on December
31, and for those not sure what
the debt ceiling is, it is the limit
on how much our government
can borrow. Think of it like a
credit card with many unpaid
bills on it. The government will
need to negotiate out how much
of a raise it can afford on its card.
The Treasury is using
what it calls “extraordinary
measures” to keep us afloat in
interim because it can’t borrow
news
photo from Google
Congress struggles to find
solution as budget deficit grows
closer.
any more money.
There is
much speculation on what will
happen if the ceiling isn’t raised
and what, with the little money
available, the Treasury will
spend money on. Some believe
that President Obama will enact
the 14th Amendment, which,
in theory, would allow him to
supercede Congress and order
the Treasury to keep borrowing
rather than default on our debt. It
would be a bit of a risky gambit
on the president’s part. Anytime
a president increases Executive
power there tends to be fierce
resistance. If the Supreme Court
ruled in favor of a presidential
intervention in debt, then the a
stranger idea is for the Treasury
through a loophole to mint a $1
trillion platinum coin and deposit
it into itself. Truly a brilliant
solution except for the minor
factor of inflation. The Weimar
Republic anyone?
In the end, perhaps all we
can hope for is that some solution
or compromise will take place.
Otherwise, a lack of money could
paralyze our federal government.
There is a slim chance of seeing a
partial government shutdown.
Chain Stores Coming
To 132 in Hyannis
By Claire Sawayanagi
Staff Writer
Cape Cod is on the verge
of getting it’s first Whole Foods
Market and Kohls.
Whole Foods intends
to take over a commercial space
at the Southwind Plaza on
Iyannough Road in Hyannis, in
the building which originally
housing Borders bookstore until
its close in 2011.
Cape residents can
expect to see a grand opening
sometime after the summer of
2013. According to the Whole
Foods website, Whole Foods
searches for areas that have at
least 200,000 people within a
20 minute driving radius, and
an area that has a large number
of college-educated residents.
Cape Cod meets the majority
of the criteria. Also, this natural
and organic food retailer would
provide 175 part-time and fulltime jobs to the area, according to
the Cape Cod Times.
In October 2012, the
department store Kohls signed a
lease with the Southwind Plaza
to take over the former Stop &
Shop building, located next to
Old Navy. Stop & Shop left the
55,000
square-foot building
in July for a larger facility Stop
& Shop constructed nearby on
Route 132.
Additionally,
the
Southwind Plaza is planning on
recruiting other stores next to
the old Stop & Shop location.
The plaza has approval to build
an 8,000 square-foot building
between the former Borders
building and Sam Diego’s, to be
used for retail and restaurants.
More than five million
people visit the Southwind Plaza
annually, so with these new grand
openings, we should expect many
more seasonal residents and
tourists coming to the area.
New chain stores emerge in the
Southwind Plaza in place of
Borders and Stop And Shop.
photos from Google Images
news
Hot Button Issue:
By Will Crosby
7
Stories to Watch in 2013
Staff Writer
2012 was a great year.
But now that it is past us, and we
are well into the new year, what
can we look forward to? Well,
here are a few ongoing stories to
follow throughout the course of
2013.
for new creative and innovative
ways this movement will protest
the big banks and corporations.
to try again? This could go either
way and is definitely something
to look for in the coming year.
help bail out the rest of Europe’s
suffering countries.
Obama’s Second
Term
Gun Control
Africa
Gun control has been
a huge issue in politics over the
last last decade or so. Usually it
will show up as a smaller segment
on the news, but ever since the
Sandy Hook shooting, the gun
law talks have been drummed up
once again. Groups of people who
want change are arguing against
those who stay true to the Second
Amendment. It will definitely be
a key issue this coming year. Stay
tuned to the talks in and out of
Congress, as well as speculations
from local news stations.
Somalia is a substantial
threat for 2013, and the countries
near it. This governmentless
country spawns radical muslim
groups and the infamous Somalian
Pirates, who may cause shipping
problems in Africa. AIDS
continues to be a humanitarian
struggle, but be on the lookout
for new treatment methods and
possible cures to help relieve the
believed thirty million afflicted.
World Affairs:
Europe
Syria’s civil war rages
on. The US is concerned it could
affect its neighboring countries,
possibly causing a major conflict
to erupt. Egypt is back on track,
after its 2011 debacle with its
former president Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt should see economic
growth, and new peace treaties
with neighboring countries, as it
has already done with Israel (to
protect its Christian minority).
Iran is still subverting attempts
to investigate its hold on nuclear
weapons. In 2013, the US and
United States politicians
battled it out for most of 2012 for
the Presidential seat. President
Barack Obama is back for his
National Issues:
second term in the White House,
but will it be a repeat of the last
The Occupy
four years? Stayed tuned to his
Movement
proposed policies, including his
stance on gay rights, climate
change, and the promises from
the inauguration that he will
bring to the table. 2013 could be
a great year for Obama to get the
US back on track and becoming
the economic powerhouse it once
photo from Google Images
was.
Activists at Occupy Wallstreet
parade through the streets.
Many people reported
the movement had somewhat
dwindled after the massive
hurricanes that swept up the East
Coast. But they were wrong.
Reports that thousands of dollars
have been raised for a new
movement have made their way
into recent news articles. The
Occupy Movement could come
back bigger and stronger than
ever in 2013. Be on the lookout
Internet Security
and Copyright
Enforcement
In early 2012, the
internet was hit by the Stop
Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. It
was the government’s way of
enforcing internet restrictions on
copyrights and rendering many
popular sites “illegal”. It didn’t
go through, but is Congress going
Russia is back on the
friendly side. Teaming up to help
settle the conflict in Syria will
be an effort, as well as standing
against the nuclear threats in
Iran and North Korea. Greece
could begin accepting the Euro,
helping to bail out its economy,
though this could cause Europe’s
economy to pull the US back
into a recession. Germany is an
economic powerhouse, and could
Middle East
photo from Google Images
Iranian Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad approves nuclear
program.
Europe hope to get weapons
inspectors into Iran to find out for
sure.
Asia
China is economically
booming and could overtake
the US as the world’s largest
economy. The US hopes
to withdraw troops from
Afghanistan this year, concluding
the war that began in the wake of
the September 11 attacks in 2001,
and hopes to finish withdrawing
by the end 2014. North Korea
has its new leader since 2011,
but Kim Jong Un does not seem
interested in changing North
Korea’s communist ways.
8
news
Kerry’s Senate Seat Attracts Candidates
Special Election Set for June 25
By Russell Brillant
Staff Writer
Just when we thought
election season was over,
Massachusetts is facing yet
another political showdown for
senate.
A special election is held
when a lawmaker leaves office
mid-term. Rather than the sitting
governor appointing a new senator
(who would likely belong to his
or her party), a special election
is held to fill the seat, and the
governor appoints an incumbent.
And on Dec. 21, when President
Barack Obama nominated long
time Massachusetts U.S. Senator
John Kerry as Secretary of State,
an open Massachusetts U.S.
Senate seat became avalible.
Not long after Kerry’s
confirmed nomination back in
Dec., did a number of names begin
coming out of the woodwork
announcing possible runs for the
vacant seat.
Since then, several
questions circulated throughout
the media. Which potential
candidates have been rumored
to run for the seat? Who would
temporarily fill the seat between
the time Kerry became Secretary
of State and the time the special
election is held? Would Scott
Brown join the running for
yet another senate campaign?
Today, there are still a plethora of
unknowns, but many answers as
well.
Friday, Feb. 1 Scott
Brown announced that he would
not be running to fill Kerry’s
vacant seat, after Kerry was
confirmed by the Senate to be the
next Secretary of State earlier that
week. “I was not at all certain that
a third Senate campaign in less
than four years, and the prospect
of returning to a Congress even
more partisan than the one I left,
was really the best way for me
to continue in public service at
this time,” Brown said. “I know
it’s not the only way for me to
advance the ideals and causes that
matter most to me.”
As of Feb. 14, the
Democratic Party
has two candidates, and the
Republican Party
has three.
Without Scott Brown
running, as of Insight’s press
deadline, and after a scramble
to find runners, Republicans
have three candidates from their
party in this race. State Rep. Dan
Winslow, Douglass Bennett,
and former Navy SEAL and
businessman, Gabriel Gomez.
Bennett, who according to
Masslive.com, is known for his
Tea Party ideals, is surrounded
by questions, and his visions
have been compared to the
unfamiliarity of fellow republican
Ron Paul’s. Additionally, the
Washington Post stated recently
that
potential
Republican
candidates include former Gov.
William Weld, former Lt. Gov.
Kerry Healey, and Tagg or Ann
Romney. However, the Boston
Herald reported on Feb. 4 that
Healey and Tagg Romney
will not be running for senate.
Former state Sen. Richard Tisei,
another GOP prospect, stated
that he would not be running,
commenting that “timing is
simply not right for me.”
Democrats, who have
held the Massachusetts Senate
seat for over half a century,
excluding Scott Brown’s Special
Election win last year following
Senator Ted Kennedy’s death.
John Kerry held his seat for 28
years, and Kennedy held his
for 47. Their party has two
proposed candidates in this race
so far; Congressman Stephen
Lynch (D-South Boston) and
Congressman Edward Markey
(D-Malden). These two will face
off in the April 30 primary with
the special election set for June
25, along with whomever else
may enter the race.
Earlier this month, Gov.
Deval Patrick selected his former
chief of staff, William “Mo”
Cowan, to replace John Kerry in
the Senate until a special election
in June. The New York Times
stated that Patrick was looking for
someone who would not run for
the senate seat later, and Cowan
photos from Google Images
Now that Kerry has officially taken the Secretary of State position, only time will tell as to who, and what party will take over
Kerry’s vacant Senate seat. Top left, Democrat Stephen Lynch,
top right, Democrat Edward Markey, bottom left Republican
Doug Bennett, bottom right Republican Dan Winslow.
was a perfect choice. Cowan later
stated that, “This is going to be a
very short political career.”
Overall, there are still
many uncertainties in the 2013
Massachusetts Special Election,
which is just four months away.
Rumors as to who may enter
the race are still in supply, but
nobody can be sure of who
Massachusett’s next state senator
will be.
News Notes From Barnstable and Beyond
By Cian McEneaney
Staff Writer
Local News
Tobacco Ban: The Barnstable
Board of Health unanimously
voted to ban tobacco sales in local
pharmacies on Jan. 15. Cigarettes,
cigars, pipe and chewing tobacco,
along with all other forms of
tobacco, even electric cigarettes,
are now banned from all local
pharmacies and chains, like
CVS and Rite Aid. The ban also
affects local supermarkets like
Stop and Shop and Star Market.
The board discussed the issue for
several years, and it was placed as
a top priority for the first time
this month. None of the local
pharmacies have objected to
discontinuing their tobacco sales
since being notified.
-Barnstable-hyannis.patch.com
State News
“Pay What you Want”
Panera: Panera opened another
Panera Cares restaurant, this time
in Boston. These “pay-what-youwant” restaurants have already
been established in Michigan,
Illinois and Oregon in order to
help bring public awareness to
hunger in the U.S. Customers
walk into the restaurant and are
greeted by a “welcomer” who
politely explains that the food
is not free, and that they are
encouraged to make the right
choice regarding what they pay
before placing their order.
-Bostonglobe.com
Pilgrim
Plant Trouble:
The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant
in Plymouth was shut down on
Jan. 10, after the recirculation
pumps, used to adjust the plants
power levels, stopped operating.
The plant remained offline until
Jan. 16, when engineers fixed the
initial problem. But on Jan. 22,
the plant was shut down again to
investigate a minor leak in one of
the four safety relief valves. The
plant will remain offline until the
problem is analyzed and repairs
are made. Before these incidents
the plant had operated for 230
consecutive days. As of Feb.
11, the plant is still running on
generators, but poses no threat
to workers as they continue to
troubleshoot the problem.
-Capecodtoday.com
-Myfoxboston.com
National News
High School Graduation
Rates Rise: Recent studies
have shown that the nation’s
high school graduation rate is
the highest its been since 1976.
Officials say this is a reflection
of the struggling economy and
a greater competition for new
jobs. Additionally, the dropout
rate has decreased since 2011,
allegedly because most students
who didn’t receive their diploma
in four years took an extra year
of classes to earn it. About 3.1
million students earned their high
school diplomas back in 2010,
with 78 percent graduating on
time, which is the best percentage
since the 1975-76 academic year
with 75 percent.
-The Miami Herald
Increase
in
School
Shootings: A school shooting
took place at a Texas community
college on Jan. 22, as a result
of an altercation between two
people. Both involved in the
shooting were wounded and
hospitalized along with a student
with a medical complication
and a school custodian who was
caught in the crossfire.
-Huffingtonpost.com
On Jan. 31, a 14-yearold boy was wounded with non
life threatening injuries after a
shooting outside Price Middle
School in Atlanta, Georgia.
The shooter was disarmed and
taken into custody just minutes
after the incident by an off duty
Atlanta police officer. Police are
not disclosing any names and
say they do not know how the
shooter got his firearm or what
his motives were.
-Reuters.com
International News
School Dropout Convicted
of Money Laundering
in Hong Kong: A 22-year-
old Chinese delivery man was
convicted of laundering HK$13
billion
(USD$1.68
billion)
through the bank of Hong Kong
on Jan. 2. Middle school dropout
Lou Juncheng was accused
of laundering around HK$50
million a day over the span of
eight months, ending in 2010.
Juncheng told the court that he
was acting on behalf of a family
friend, Uncle Pang, who asked
him to open the bank accounts
and to set up a company called
Ace Creation Development
Ltd. after his mother died the
same year. Juncheng claims he
knew nothing of the money flow
through accounts in his name.
-Bloomberg.com
Boeing
Grounded:
Regulators around the world are
trying to figure out what caused
battery malfunctions in the
latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner
last month. This unexplained
problem caused the batteries
to catch fire on two different
Japanese airliners, one of which
made an emergency landing.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon
Airways operate over half of the
new dreamliners delivered by
Boeing, and focus is on Japan and
what steps are taking to adhere to
safety concerns. The new airliner
will return to service as soon as
the airline finds a solution, and
when Boeing can successfully
demonstrate the batteries on the
plane are safe for flight.
-Bloomberg.com
news
9
Community Service Classes Cut
By Emma Gauthier
Staff Writer
Barnstable High School
is in the midst of an academic
revamp with major changes
coming in the next few years.
Amongst them are a new schedule,
different course offerings, and a
new set of curriculum guidelines,
known as Mass Core standards.
In order to make room for these
state expectations, Community
Service will no longer be offered
as a course for next year’s seniors.
Mass Core, a set of
academic requirements that
all Massachusetts high school
students must meet in order to
graduate, sets a high prerogative
for more math, English, science
and history classes within high
schools. Additionally, Mass Core
requires students to take classes in
other “core” fields, like languages,
the arts, business, technology
and/or health, according to the
Massachusetts Department of
Education website.
With so many standards,
community service was a casualty
of an advancing education
system. According to Principal
Patrick Clark, “space would not
be possible [for the community
service class] with Mass core
requirements.”
However, it’s “not that
it’s not important,” Clark said. He
explained that community service
is an excellent way to figure out
career paths, better preparing a
student for “college and career
photo contributed by Colleen Kadar
Senior Jason Eddy, second from right, poses with ELL students
who he helps do their schoolwork for his community service.
readiness” by having certain
ideals in mind. As for now, Clark
hopes students will find a way to
fit community service into their
lives, even if it isn’t a part of their
regular school day; an aspiration
Ms. Jennifer Clark, head of
guidance, agrees with.
“Community
service
should be on your own time.
Students should be using class
time for academic work, and
community service on their
own time,” said Jennifer Clark.
She goes on to explain how
community service shouldn’t
have a grade attached to it, but
should be a student’s “individual
encouragement, and not an
academic course.”
But,
for
many
Barnstable
seniors
taking
Community Service, their own
encouragement was what made
them want to take the course in
the first place. Mackenzie Ryder,
senior, says she had always
been eager to take community
service. “I remember in ninth
grade thinking, I can’t wait to be
a senior and have Community
Service as one of my classes,”
Ryder said.
Another
community
service student, Terrence Mudie,
senior, said that he truly enjoys
his work at the Barnstable
Fairgrounds Golf Course, where
he builds birdhouses and does
chores around the course.
“Everyone who works
there appreciates what we do,”
Mudie said.
Senior Tayler McBarron
Goin’ ‘Lectric
BHS Now Home to Electric Car Charger
By Afton Andreadis
Staff Writer As a part of its efforts
to “go green”, and with a little
help from a town-wide grant,
Barnstable High School has
installed an electric car charger
in the staff parking lot. The
high school’s charging station,
along with three other locations
throughout the town of Barnstable,
is open to the public for anyone
who wishes to charge their
environmentally friendly vehicle.
The
Massachusetts
Department of Energy Resources
chose Barnstable as one of
25 towns statewide to receive
a $4,000 grant to install the
charging station, due to the
growing number of electric cars
in the community. The Barnstable
Town Hall, the North Street
Comfort Station, the Barnstable
Country Complex and BHS
are now locations for charging
stations, which are places where
anyone can leave their electric or
hybrid car safely and have it be
charged either partially or fully for
around $1.50-$3.00 per charge.
Richard Elrick, the
Energy Coordinator for the
town of Barnstable explained
that Barnstable High School
was chosen because of its
accessible location, but also in
part because science teachers
could use it as a resource for
their lesson plans for educating
their students about the stations,
electricity, and going green.
BHS has successfully
made its efforts in “going green”
over the last 10 years as a part of
the Green Communities Act. The
school has updated its mechanical
systems, installed solar panels,
and done its fair share of
recycling, and with this new car
charger installed, BHS is keeping
the “green” scene in action.
Electric
cars
are
“developing in leaps and bounds”
Elrick says. “Most of the new
electric vehicles are hybrids, like
the Toyota Prius.” Hybrids, like
the Prius and the Chevy Volt,
require both fuel and electricity
to power them, but newer electric
cars, which are powered solely on
electricity, are being introduced to
the hybrid markets. “Electric cars
are excellent for people who have
shorter commutes. Each charge
is limited to no more than 100
miles,” says Elrick. One hundred
miles may not seem like much at
first glance, but for only $3, these
cars are both environmentally and
economically friendly. However,
if one has to drive long distances
every day, he or she may fare better
economically with a regular car.
According
to
both
Elrick and the charging station
companies, these chargers are
extremely safe to use. They are
equipped with breakaway safety
cables and technology which
allows them to shut off the flow
of electricity at the other end
of the cord, preventing electric
shocks. The charging stations in
Barnstable are powered with 240
volts, which is equal to 40 amps of
service. That means it only takes
eight hours to fully charge a car.
New phone apps are expected to
be on the market with information
on where to locate these charging
stations, much like the gas station
locator apps many people have
on their smart phones today.
More and more people
throughout the United States are
looking into purchasing electric
cars. In fact, eere.energy.gov
predicts there to be 1.2 million
cars on the American roads
by 2015. With the increased
conflicts in the Middle East
and the growing amount of
greenhouse gases fuel-based cars
are emitting, electric cars can be
an affordable and safe alternative
to the gas-powered vehicle.
said that although it was her
guidance counselor who talked
her into taking community
service, she’s happy that she did.
“I work at the Hyannis library
on Mondays and Tuesdays...and
when I travel there I act more
professionally, which I think has
helped with my social skills,”
McBarron said.
All three students feel
they, as well as their supervisors,
reap important benefits from the
service placements. McBarron
sees community service as a
breather from the conventional
school day.
“It’s a nice break in the
day to relax and do something
for someone else rather than
stress about college applications,
or homework, or whatever else
I would be doing in school,”
said McBarron, “plus, it’s a
nice reminder that there is a life
outside of school.”
Ryder
said
she’s
learned the value in herself
after taking community service.
Her supervisor, Mr. Thomas
Mulligan, a teacher at Hyannis
West Elementary, tells her every
week how thankful he is that
she’s there, and how much of an
impact she has on the students she
works with.
Community
Service
Coordinator Ms. Colleen Kadar
supports and understands the
direction in which the school is
evolving, but said she is sad to see
the program go. Kadar believes
community service has great
value for a high school student.
“It puts students outside of high
school life, [and serves as] an
opportunity to see themselves
in another way. I think it’s lifechanging for many students.
[They] discover their value
to others, and the value to do
something selflessly,” Kadar
said, adding that it’s an epiphany
to students that they can make
someone else’s day better.
Even though there won’t
be an official community service
course, Guidance Counselor
Karen Gauthier said “one credit
or two credit internships will be
offered next year” and are very
similar to the present community
service class.
Ryder qualifies Patrick
Clark’s feelings about being
college and career ready through
the hands-on experience she
acquires during her community
service blocks. Ryder said that
community service is a gateway
to what she wants to do later in
life: work with special needs
children.
“Without this course, I
may have never found my dream,”
Ryder said, “Taking Community
Service has made me realize how
important my presence is, and
how much I offer.”
10 news
news11
12
BHS Fashionistas at
Their Finest
Continued
from pg.1 Having classic pieces that
are always in style are key to have in
your wardrobe. Blazers, cardigans and
casual dresses are great pieces that can
be worn in any season and can be used
as canvases and building blocks for any
trend. Classic peices allow fun, different
trendy peices to stand out and make an
outfit truly
unique--it’s the little things like a chunky
necklace or a metalic cuff that take an
outfit to the next level. “Accessories are
a great way to personalize and enhance
your style,” said junior Chrissy
Crocker.
And style is
not
something
that
should be limited by
gender. Stylish junior
Scott Girvan said
he loves expressing
his personal style
through
military
pieces
and
scarves.
“I
like
to feel good and
look good,” said
Girvan. “Plus,
dressing well
impresses
people around
you.”
Senior Pat Besse
added “It also
goes a long way
in earning respect
and making first
impressions.”
Besse was awarded
the superlative of
best dressed male in the
senior class.
If you are looking t o s p i c e
it up for spring and incorporate some
trendy looks into your
style, stripes, chevron and
chambray are set to be big
for both genders this spring.
Emerald is Pantone’s
predicted color of
the year for 2013.
Be on the
look out for some
of the coolest, most
creative looks at
annual
fashion
show on April 11,
6:30 p.m. in the
Performing
Arts
Center.
continued
Security
Changes
photo by Grace Elletson
photos from
Google
Leapord and chevron
make this outfit super
chic.
photo by Molly Marcotte
Best Dressed Senior Meghan Woods
shows off her fashionista flair.
With these new security provisions, if you want to enter the
school, you’ll have to ring the buzzer and show ID.
Continued from pg. 1 lockdowns aren’t solely for
However,
despite security purposes. They serve
varying opinions, most students as a check up for the PA system
recognize the importance of as well as working door latches
heightened security at BHS. “I and other discrepancies. Clark
like it, it’s a little confusing described the previous lockdown
but it’s good,” freshman Taylor this fall as, “an orderly and
Parmenter said, referring to the effective lockdown considering
the 2000 plus people under this
new process.
Another important roof.”
Clark
feels
these
issue to go along with the new security changes is the practice heightened security changes at
of lockdowns. “It can be a reality BHS are positive measures taken
check for some schools that to only further ensure student
need to start practicing,” Clark and faculty safety. “ We’re
said. Lockdowns are practiced understanding the high priority
annually, and until concern for safety from parents who have
comes up for another, lockdown expressed appreciation. The
drills will continue once per school is paying attention and all
school year. He expressed that has been well received.”
Credit For Life a Success
Continued from pg. 1
Clark said that the fair
is an “overall financial reality
check”. Students have a salary,
where they must decide how and
where to spend their money. It
teaches them what life costs, with
cars, food, insurance, housing,
clothes, and health needs. It also
shows them how to budget having
fun with eating out or going on a
vacation. They have to “weigh
decisions in comparison” said
Clark, as well as be “assertive
and professional in conducting
themselves”.
Students overall had
positive comments about the
Credit for Life fair. Senior Tori
Delaney said the fair was very
helpful with learning how to
budget money and “showed
you the big picture in life.”
Delaney learned that you “have
to be careful what you spend your
money on.” Senior Kevin Hardy
said he found it to be “stressful”,
and hard to find what you want
to spend your money on. In the
future, Hardy said they should
be “more direct in homeroom on
what it is.” Hardy’s favorite part
was Reality Check, which mocked
the gamble that is presented in
life, where students either won or
lost money. Hardy said he learned
how to be a “better consumer”
and how to better save his money.
Senior Brandyn Huynh said that
the fair was a “great experience
to show us how our lives will be
working in our career.” Huynh
said students should have “a
credit card to swipe at booths
to keep track of their money
electronically.” Emily Thompson,
senior, learned that you “have to
be frugal in some aspects of your
life.” Students overall feel they
should keep doing this program
because they don’t have a class
to show them how to budget their
money.
The Credit for Life
Fair was a national event that
happened in other states and other
parts of Massachusetts. Cape Cod
Five decided to bring it to Cape
schools after they saw it in other
schools, and thought it would be
helpful to Cape students. It was
an opportunity to “pay it forward”
said organizer from Cape Cod
Five, Patricia Walsh. Cape Cod
Five has sponsored the event for
three years, and is additionally
endorsed by the State Treasurer’s
Office of Massachusetts, and
received money through the
Cobb Fund. However, it wouldn’t
be possible without the support
of Principal Pat Clark, Cape Cod
Five, and about 50 members of
the community.
Many
community
members volunteered their time
for the event. Cape Cod Five
worker Denise Jones volunteered
for the program for a “chance
to get out into the community
and help the kids.” She said
that it is an “eye-opener” for
what monthly living will be
for students when they get out
of college. Valerie Romero, an
employee at Starmarket, got
involved after her manager told
her about the program and asked
her if she wanted to get involved.
As a former student of Barnstable
High School, Romero wishes she
had the fair went she attended the
school.
photo by Molly Marcotte
Senior Kelly Ferguson visits the Savings & Retirement booth at
the Credit for Life Fair.
In the future both Patrick the volunteers continue to remain
Clark and Cape Cod Five hope to involved. Clark said it went
keep the program running. Clark “very, very well,” and students
said he is considering it as an left saying it was an “excellent
annual event, as long as Cape experience.”
Cod Five continues to offer it, and
features 13
ALP: Questions Answered
By Liam Russo and
Mary Anglin
Staff Writers
You’ve been asked
to deliver a letter to the main
office in ALP. The shock hits you
immediately. No one who has
ever walked up into the darkness
of the ALP staircase has come out
alive. You bring your flashlight
and a bodyguard and slowly but
surely make your way up to the
2300’s. When you open your
eyes, you see classrooms full of
energy and enthusiastic teachers.
Bright lights and beautiful
artwork fill the walls with a view
into the Astro Park like no other.
Then it really hits you: how could
I be so clueless?
ALP, which stands for
Alternative Learning Program,
was originally created 15
years ago for students with
different needs than a traditional
classroom. Classes max out at
15 students to promote a smaller
classroom setting. Whether it is a
physical, emotional, behavioral,
or intellectual difference, ALP
gives students the opportunity to
learn in a smaller atmosphere.
The smaller environment allows
for a “family-type setting,”
said Alik Taylor, the program’s
director for the past two years.
As for classes, ALP has
the same four core classes as the
rest of BHS: English, history,
math, and science. One teacher
will teach the same subjects for
all levels and ages. This allows
teachers to work more closely
with the same kids. Teachers
also work together using ITI or
Integrated Thematic Instruction.
English and history teachers
may work together using ITI
to link their lessons together,
such as doing a project on the
book Huck Finn in English and
also teaching about the 1800’s
in history. By differentiating
instruction, students are taught
the same idea in a variety of
ways. Teachers working together
enhance the lesson for students.
For enrichment classes, such art
or gym, students travel together
outside of the upstairs program.
“ALP is just like mainstream,
on a much smaller scale,” Taylor
added.
“People who
don’t take ALP
seriously make a
worse image for
us. Don’t judge a
book by its
cover.”
--Michael Vasquez
“I learned a lot about managing
different styles of learning,” said
Martha Rockwell Swindler, who
formerly taught English in ALP
for nearly nine years.
The most common
misconception about ALP is that
it was only created for students
who aren’t motivated to learn or
don’t see themselves graduating
high school. But in reality there
are very few kids in the program
who even fit this category. Stories
or rumors about what kind of
people go to ALP circulate, but
teachers and students want to set
the record straight. Many just
need a little more one-on-one
time than a typical classroom
offers, or some extra support in
their life.
“People who don’t take
ALP seriously, make a worse
image for us. Don’t judge a
book by its cover,” said Michael
Vasquez, junior and student in
ALP for three years.
Taylor explained the level
system used in ALP which is
created to reward the students
rising up academically and
behaviorally and disciplining
students who do not. The seven
levels allow students to gain
rewards or freedoms, such as
approved iPod usage, homework
passes and participation in field
trips.
“Without
ALP
I
would’ve dropped out. I used to
be a straight F student but now I
get A’s,” said Vasquez.
Some students believe that
none of the former ALP students
go to college, but in reality there
are numerous success stories of
students who graduated from
the program. One student who
graduated from ALP is now the
manager at Hy-Line Cruises and
photo by Mary Anglin
One of the many murals in ALP, painted by previous
students, pictures a tree of life in which the founding teachers are
the roots who created the tree.
is attending UMASS Dartmouth
to earn her associates degree in
business management.
ALP is a program that
is often overlooked as a place
where “unmotivated” students
go. Instead, ALP should be
highlighted as one of the hidden
gems in our school. “Alternative
education in all shapes and sizes
is necessary in every school,”
said Swindler.
Health and
14
Feeling S.A.D. this Season?
By Mary Anglin
Staff Writer
Dark mornings, freezing
fingers, and sluggish schoolwork
can leave you in a funk that is at
its worst this time of year. It’s past
midterms, vacation, and report
cards, and the last days of winter
drag on as we try to make it to the
start of that spring sunshine. A
more severe case of this seasonal
funk is called Seasonal Affect
Disorder, or S.A.D.
According
to
Mayoclinic.com,
S.A.D.
is
defined as a syndrome of
recurrent, annual depression.
Symptoms include anxiety, mood
change, oversleeping, fatigue,
little motivation, and limited
sociability. This is thought to be
caused by the changes of light
we receive during seasons, as
someone can receive too little or
too much light. Because of this,
S.A.D. is not limited to the harsh
winter months, but also those
blazing weeks of summer.
Seasonal
Affect
Disorder also takes a toll on the
body chemically. Webmd.com
explains that a brain chemical in
our body called serotonin, which
controls mood, is at low levels
without sunlight. Little or no
exposure to the sun can change
mood in a negative way, leaving
you feeling dreary and dazed.
Melatonin, another chemical,
affects sleep patterns and mood
also. This is where a change in
sleep is caused, whether you
feel tired all the time or actually
oversleep every day.
These winter blues
are common, but especially
in locations further from the
equator, those who already
suffer from depression, and those
who have a family history of
depression. Feeling down and
out of character may be a good
time to see a doctor, because
Seasonal Affect Disorder isn’t
necessarily something to brush
off your shoulder. Schoolwork
and grades can fall, a job seems
too troublesome, withdrawing
from friends, and harmful
thoughts shouldn’t be taken too
lightly because there could be an
underlying problem. However,
there is a literal bright side to take
with this disorder.
Light therapy is a
successful and practical type of
treatment that is used by some
people with S.A.D. As a common
treatment, light boxes are even
placed at public places such as big
schools. This portable artificial
sunlight can be bought over
the counter without a doctor’s
prescription.
If light boxes aren’t
for you though, there are other
remedies to help S.A.D. Some
basic tips to try include opening
your windows and shades when
you’re home and going outside
or going for walks every day.
Exercise is important to relieve
stress and anxiety, which are
common symptoms of Seasonal
Affect Disorder.
Simply dreading winter
and actually being diagnosed with
this particular disorder are two
different things, but if you feel
like you’re really being affected
by Seasonal Affect Disorder, talk
to your doctor or nurse and see
what else you can do to regain
your summer state of mind in
these drab, frigid couple months
of winter.
Stress Can Affect Health
By Emma Gauthier
Staff Writer
Let’s take a look at your
schedule this week. Monday:
Chemistry project due. Tuesday: Math and Chemistry tests.
Wednesday: Three chapters of
notes to outline for history, and
Drama club rehearsal. Thursday:
Spanish oral report, Key club
meeting. Friday: Group project
due for English, and you have
to babysit your neighbor’s kids
after school. On top of that, you
have regular homework for all of
your subjects, basketball practice,
scholarships to fill out and college applications to wrap up.
The problem is you
procrastinated. Those tests are
creeping up pretty fast, and you
haven’t even cracked open a book
to try and research your project.
You become moody and irritable,
worry about everything, and are
constantly sleepy over all of this
built up work, with practically no
time to do anything.
Face it, you’re stressed.
Stress is the natural
reaction to events that make
you feel threatened, or that
upset your body’s natural order,
according to psychologytoday.
com. In threatening situations,
stress causes that infamous “fight
or flight” reaction, triggering
hormones like adrenaline to race
through the body.
In small doses, stress
is actually healthy. It keeps you
motivated, and even protects you
by keeping you alert and focused.
But too much stress, or chronic
stress, can be harmful to your
health, mood, relationships and
motivation.
Psychologist
Connie Lillas, Director of
the Interdisciplinary Training
Institute, uses a driving analogy
to explain how differently people
cope with stress, according to
helpguide.org. She categorizes
people as having either a “foot on
the brake”, “foot on the gas”, or
“foot on both” reaction to stress.
Those with their “feet
on the brakes” tend to have a
more withdrawn or checked out
stress reaction, and oftentimes
feel very little energy or emotion.
People with their “feet on the
gas” feel the exact opposite—
they respond by acting irritable,
agitated or even angry. They tend
to be overly emotional, and have
too much energy.
Those with their “feet
on both” feel a combination of
the two, essentially freezing on
the outside, but being extremely
agitated on the inside.
“[Stress]
shuts
everything down, the process
of thought, everything,” Sophia
Sarhanis, Psychology teacher,
said. When people are stressed,
an increase in cortisol, a hormone,
is released through the adrenal
gland. This excess cortisol affects
many key parts of the body, most
notably the heart and brain, with
extreme damage.
Other common stress
symptoms can seriously affect
your body, mind and behavior.
Being overly stressed can lead
to memory problems, poor
judgment, anxiety, aches, pains,
nausea, dizziness, headache,
isolation, procrastination and
even drug use, according to the
Center for Disease Control.
When it comes to
eradicating stress, according
to Sarhanis, the first step is
to vocalize the source. By
acknowledging where the stress
is coming from, the person can
talk through what makes them
stressed, and work on ways to
avoid becoming stressed in the
first place. The best people to
talk to are those that you trust,
Sarhanis said, whether that be
professional help or a peer. But,
by avoiding the stressor, it creates
a “snowball effect, which creates
anxiety,” Sarhanis said.
Other alternate methods
for stress relief are incredibly
common, and can sometimes
be the most effective. Simple
changes like eating well, sleeping
more and routine exercise are
all mood-boosters, that in small
ways make an impact on how
people handle stress, said Patricia
Tucker, RN/NP and BHS school
nurse. “Spending time with
friends, hobbies, yoga, avoiding
triggers if possible, any kind of
exercise and taking good care
of yourself” are all the most
effective ways to deal with stress.
If none of these strategies work,
seeking professional help may be
the best option, Tucker said.
Barnstable students are
certainly feeing the effects of
stress. Meagan McNair, junior,
feels that her immense course
load, and her extracurricular
activities are the root of her stress.
“I get home after [basketball]
practice at six, and I have to eat,
take a shower, and by the time
I sit down to do my two to four
hours of work it’s 8:45 or 9:00,”
McNair said. “By then...all I can
do is stare at my homework...and
sometimes I just have to go to
bed. Overall, junior year is very
stressful.”
Stress isn’t just a problem
at Barnstable, it’s a national issue
as well. Some schools have taken
extra measures to try and combat
student stress.
According to a Feb. 3
Associated Press article, a school
in Mount Prospect, Ill. brings
in puppies, or therapy dogs, for
students to pet in between classes.
Other high schools, including
some in California, Minnessota
and New Jersey are instituting
breaks in between classes,
serving as a high school version
of recess. Other measures include
homework free nights, and yoga
classes. Some high schools in
Maine have even turned a few
classrooms into “wellness rooms,”
hosting massage therapists and
other stress reduction treatments
on students with parental consent.
By the N
5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, 8 cups of water per day, 10 teaspoons of s
full, 200 muscles used to take one step, 2,000 calories per day is the average human
d Wellness
Warding off the Winter Weight
By Zoe Calianos
Staff Writer
It seems like a fact.
Winter warrants weight gain.
Between
holiday
cookies,
Panera runs with friends, and
the infamous I’m-bored-so-I’mgoing-to-eat-a-snack syndrome,
it is hard to avoid it. That is, until
that first 65 degree day of the
year when beach season begins.
With the first glimpse of sunlight,
Cape Codders shed their sweaters
and scarves for outfits a little
less forgiving. Believe it or not,
spring is fast approaching. Start
preparing now with these tips to
healthy eating.
First, when it comes to
vegetables, color matters. Deep
oranges, yellows, and reds are
especially good for you. Lisa
Casey, nutritionist, said, “The
richer the color, the higher the
antioxidants.” Antioxidants are
chemical compounds in food
that help fight cancer, aging, and
disease. They can be found in
berries, artichokes and apples.
To help the vegetables go down,
Robin Bergeron, BHS food
service teacher, suggests cutting
them and putting them in baggies.
Then, they become a quick snack
or an easy add-on to a school
lunch. Liz Ells, junior and healthy
eating advocate, said that she
and her family have a vegetable
every night with dinner. “We like
to saute or grill the vegetables to
liven up our meal,” said Ells.
Second, fresh is best.
“Foods that are not canned or
processed are always healthier,”
said Casey. Fresher food not only
tastes better, but also contains
more vitamins and minerals than
processed food. Vitamins such
as A,E,C, and thiamine begin
to deteriorate once a fruit or
vegetable is picked. If that piece
of produce is picked weeks before
it shows up at the supermarket, it
has lost much of its nutritional
value. Fresh fruits and vegetables
are available at local farmer’s
markets (more common in the
spring and summer). Right now,
there is one at Mahoney’s in
Falmouth. They can also be found
in the non-packaged produce
section of the grocery store.
Third, go whole grain.
gets about four to six hours of
sleep a night and is usually very
irritable the nights she gets less.
While most teenagers can agree
that sleep is
great,
whether
it be from copious amounts
of school work,
working a job or
just staying up
late they rarely
meet the requirements for a good
night’s sleep. “I’m
usually up late doing
homework or because of work,”
said senior Jeff
Clark, who gets
between six and
seven hours of
sleep a night.
Without
sleep,
the
ability to learn, concentrate and
problem solve is hindered. Sleep
deprivation affects your health,
weight, complexion motor skills
and most notably your behavior.
Having a bad day can simply
mean you didn’t get enough sleep
the night before.
Ways to help cope with
being sleep deprived are often
misconstrued. Most teens drink
coffee in the morning to help cope
with that morning drowsiness.
While it can help wake you up
in the morning it can also be
harmful when drank in copious
amounts or drinking without a
meal, according to Vendola.
“Between school, dance
and homework I get about five
hours of sleep a night,” said senior
Jess Hanf on her increasingly
busy schedule.
Hanf also stated that
without her coffee, she is easily
upset, agitated, gets migraines
easily and she just feels better
after her coffee.
“It makes me happy,”
said Hanf, who drinks two to
three coffees a day due to lack of
sleep.
Teens too often revert
to drinking energy drinks like
Monster or Red Bull to help get
them through the day. Senior
Mot Malaythong, who drinks
two to three Monster energy
drinks a day said that he feels
better after drinking them when
he’s tired and that they wake him
15
“Whole grain is an important
part of a healthy meal, and, when
paired with a lean choice of
protein like turkey or tuna, makes
a great school lunch,” said Casey.
Whole grain wraps or breads also
keep the stomach full much longer
than their white counterparts. This
is because the process that creates
white flour strips wheat of much
its vitamins B and E and almost
all of its fiber. Fiber is hard for
the body to digest, therefore it sits
in the stomach longer, keeping
the consumer full. “Whole grain
helps keep you full, is better for
you in the long run, and reduces
your sugar intake, said Ells.
Fourth, remember baked
is best. “By ordering baked,
broiled, or grilled foods instead
of fried, you cut your calories
and reduce your fat intake,” said
Casey. Fried foods are proven to
cause a number of health problems
such as clogged arteries and
raised susceptibility to infection.
However, stir fries which include
meats and/or vegetables, contain
only a little oil are a great healthy
alternative.
Most importantly, to
be healthy it is not necessary
to completely cut out all snack
foods. “People don’t realize
that everything is good in
moderation,” said Bergeron.
While focusing on vegetables
and protein is suggested, a little
chocolate here and there is not a
bad thing. In fact, dark chocolate
contains strong antioxidants that
make it nutritiously valuable in
moderation.
In Bergeron’s food
service class, the students learn
about interpreting labels and
determining proper portion sizes.
“Kids should know what they’re
eating,” said Bergeron. She and
her class run the BHS Bistro.
“Students need to make
good choices. That’s the bottom
line,” said Bergeron. It is not
about cutting out all sugar or all
carbs. It is about moderation and
portion control. Enjoy food, but
remember that healthy choices
made now will pay off when
bathing suit season rolls around
again.
up. Malaythong stated he gets
anywhere between five and six
hours of sleep a night and that he
could actually fall asleep earlier
when he didn’t drink Monster.
While these seem to
have an effect, they have a high
concentration of caffeine, which
when consumed has been linked
to serious medical conditions
such as heart palpitations and
strokes.
“Energy drinks are
understudied and overused by
teens.” said Vendola. “Safe
consumption levels have not been
established.”
Although energy drinks
can help give you a quick energy
boost, there are much safer
ways to deal with that “2:30
feeling” depicted in energy drink
commercials.
Vendola’s suggestions
to get through the school day if
you’re sleep deprived: hydration
and nutrition are key, drinking
plenty of water and frequent
snacks (particularly snacks with
protein in them) throughout the
day will help without subduing
to the sugar rush from energy
drinks. And despite popular
opinion, naps are not the best
way of dealing with a lack of
sleep. Taking naps after a (near)
sleepless night throws your sleep
cycle off, making it harder to get
to sleep the following night.
“Getting a good night’s
sleep is a matter of common
sense.” said Vendola.
Seriously, Go to Sleep!
By Cian McEneaney
Staff Writer
A lack of sleep, just like
a lack of air or water, is detrimental to your mental and physical
health. During sleep, important
body functions and brain activity
occurs that help keep you healthy,
and skipping sleep is actually
quite harmful to your body and
even deadly. On average, adults need
between seven and eight hours of
sleep a night, while teens need
nine hours or more just to properly function throughout the day.
This doesn’t always happen. Senior Tayler McBarron said she
Numbers:
According to Webmd.
com, during puberty, teenagers’
melatonin secretion is delayed
causing them to fall asleep later
at night and sleep through the
morning, conflicting with school
schedules. This contributes to
occasional and even clinical sleep
deprivation. Making school start
later would mean teens could
potentially do better in school and
get a good night’s sleep.
“Tests have shown that
high schools with later start times
have periodically have higher test
scores and less absences,” said
BHS nurse Kathy Vendola.
sugar in a can of soda, 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is
intake, 3,500 calories in a pound, 55 million tons of apples sold world wide per year.
16 features
MVP: Small Steps Make a Difference
By Jenny Griffin
Staff Writer
The push to stop
bullying is not a new issue to
Barnstable High School students.
Throughout the years, countless
steps have been taken in the right
direction to reduce the bully to
victim ratio. However, bullying
isn’t exclusive to the bullies
and their victims, but it also
includes the many witnesses
who experience bullying second
hand. The Mentors and Violence
Prevention Club at BHS is making
an effort to train students to be
active bystanders and to speak up
when they see something that is
not ok.
Started in 2009, the
MVP club was a collaboration
between
the
Independence
House and a small group of
teachers who wanted to keep the
themes of Challenge Day alive.
Lauren Titus, who is not only
the head supervisor of MVP but
the prevention, education, and
outreach coordinator for the
Independence House, explained
that the club educates students
on teen violence, sexual assault,
gender stereotypes, and being an
active bystander.
The purpose of the
Mentors and Violence Prevention
club can be simply summed
up in their mission statement:
“Train students to be active
bystanders who promote healthy
interpersonal relationships and
prevent forms of oppression.”
Students are recruited
into MVP through teacher
recommendations,
and
are
required to attend a day long
training event that is run by
current members of MVP. The
training curriculum is adapted
from Northeastern University
and it takes a full school day for
students to learn everything they
need to know about bullying.
Members of MVP are
not just students who think that
the addition of this club on their
transcript will help in their well
roundedness, but they are students
who have been recognized as
leaders in the community who
have the potential to make a
difference. However, if a student
is interested in joining and think
they fit the criteria of being in
the group they can “self-select”
themselves to become a member.
The original group from
2009 consisted of 10 students
photo contributed by Lance Kuntzman
but now has expanded to 18.
MVP
members
pose
with
a
$10,000
Verizon
Grant
to
fund
their
efforts
to
prevent violence within
Katherine Anzola, senior, is one
BHS
and
the
community.
of the original MVP members. The clubs efforts have
“The goal of MVP is to unrealistic hope, we advocate our fellow students on what “active not gone unrecognized. On
enable students of BHS with the position of active bystanderism, bystanderism” truly means.
“It’s a life skill kind of January 11, the Independence
tools to be able to recognize signs encouraging our peers to take thing which makes you think House received a $10,000 grant
of violence and the confidence to action when they see violence.”
Other members, such as about what to do if you or from the Verizon Foundation in
take the initiative necessary when signs are obvious thus preventing senior Erin O’Day, echo Anzola’s someone you know is in a bad order to continue the effective
strong position on the bullying situation,” said Leslie McKinnon, violence prevention work at BHS.
and intercepting it.”
junior, who joined MVP this MVP also has some
Anzola explained how epidemic.
“We raise awareness to year. Other new members agree.
upcoming plans of outreach
bullying and violence are going to “The club gives a voice and awareness which remain a
occur regardless of our presence; this issue and show how to help to those who sometimes feel that surprise, but will hopefully be in
however, MVP students are others.”
The club also has some they don’t have one,” said Gabe view of the whole BHS student
trained to make the situation better. “Rather than expecting new younger students who Rourke, sophomore, also a new body within a few months.
violence to stop occurring, an are eager to learn and educate addition to the MVP team.
Alumni Profile:
Holly McCarthy Takes the Stage
photo contributed by Holly McCarthy
McCarthy shines in a professional headshot.
luckily, you’ve got other things
going for you,” Holly McCarthy
By Jenny Griffin
recalls her history teacher telling
Staff Writer
her. That “other thing” was a
passion for theater.
“Well, Holly.. history
McCarthy, a 2002 BHS
might not be your thing. But,
graduate, knew exactly what she
wanted to do when she entered musicals and equally hilarious
the adult workforce. After years and uplifting tales like ‘The Diary
of acting in drama club shows and of Anne Frank’”
local theaters such as Harwich In her third year of
Junior Theater as well as Cape working for the company, she
Rep Theatre, McCarthy found her took on the “less travelly, higher
niche. paying job” as their production
After graduating from coordinator, where she lived and
BHS, she attended Plymouth State worked out of a Connecticut
University, earning a bachelor’s hotel. After this job dwindled
degree in acting and writing. down, McCarthy found herself
McCarthy admitted that majoring bouncing around the country until
in such artsy topics didn’t go she finally settled back on Cape
without ridicule. Cod.
“If you decide to major in either In the summer of 2010,
of these things, be prepared to McCarthy and her partner,
listen to people constantly telling Chris Compton, founded the
you how useless your degree whimsically titled “Theatre
will be,” she said. However, Under the Stairs” company. The
McCarthy is proving her doubters duo had different reasons for
wrong. She now runs her own their creation. Compton wanted
theater company. to adapt and direct shows, while
Not only did McCarthy McCarthy wanted to perform
participate in many school shows in them. They knew they had
at Plymouth, but she also honed something special when their first
skills in other fields of theater show “Medea” was an instant
such as costume design, make- sold out hit.
up, lighting, directing, stage “In general, we try to
management, and pyrotechnics.
provide audiences with high
After
McCarthy quality, low calorie performances
graduated, her “useless” degree at ticket prices they won’t mind
contributed to opportunities paying,” said McCarthy. TUTS
theatre geeks dream about. She not only puts on “organic black
immediately landed a job touring box” shows, but full scale family
the country with an educational performnces on the main stage at
theatre company. “I toured for Cotuit Center for the Arts. about a year and a half doing Past
productions
both swash-buckling Spanish include “Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland”, and an original
show called “Frog: A Modern
Fairytale,” which was critically
acclaimed as“hilarious, magical
fun for the whole family.”
One thing McCarthy
loves
about
these
larger
productions is the opportunity
to cast a dozen kids ages 10-18.
“Working with kids is incredible,
rewarding,
frustrating,
and
constantly silly. I’ve learned
more from directing them than
I have in any other projects I’ve
worked on”
TUTS is slated to
produce
another
original
childrens’ show this summer
called “Lulu’s Lemonade Stand”,
which promises to be filled with
whimsy and hilarity. In addition,
their first ever holiday show,
which is being produced in
partnership with Coutuit Center
for the Arts, will grace the stage
December 2013.
As of right now, there
are no shows to be directed,
casted, or produced by TUTS.
With this lull, McCarthy will
be teaching acting classes
specifically designed for students
ages 13 to 18. Classes take place
at Cotuit Center for the Arts on
Monday evenings. Registration
and information details can be
found at artsonthecape.com or by
calling 508 428-0669.
features17
In Memory of Cate Quinlan Mitchell
“While collecting evidence to submit to NEASC, I came upon Cate
outside of main guidance. As I tried to gather the evidence by taking a
picture of the flyer posted on the bulletin board, Cate, in her Vanna White
fashion, posed in front of the bulletin board obscuring the information
I was trying to gather! After a few failed attempts to remove her from
the frame, I decided to make Cate part of the evidence. So Cate, a much
willing participant and a prettier version of Vanna, held her own court
posing quite naturally and becoming three-dimensional with each wall
mural; hence, the pictures that many of you have had the opportunity
to see - Cate scaling skyscrapers, Cate riding in a hot air balloon, Cate
opening a locker, and Cate being the third mask in a Drama Club mural.
The 2700s will never be the same.”
--Ms. Jeanne Jones
“I will forever remember Cate for
her character and for being one of
the first to welcome me into the
BHS family. The junk food and
jokes she so willingly supplied
will be missed at our daily “lunch
dates”.
--Ms. Kaitlyn Oberg
“Ms. Mitchell was deeply caring. She cared about us, and struck a perfect
balance between letting us be and engaging in a way that was meaningful
and heartfelt. She came to all our football games and offered to chaperone
a fan bus to B-R this year when Dylan and I were scrambling to find a
faculty member willing to give up their Friday night. Ms. Mitchell didn't
begrudgingly accept a request, she heard us talking and gladly offered to
help us. It was the little things like that and cutting out newspaper articles
and pictures of and about us that conveyed her heartfelt admiration and
care. I think anyone who sees the pictures and cut-outs of members of her
homeroom that she took the initiative to put on the door to her classroom
would understand how much she cared.”
--Nick Peabody, senior
“Many years back, I shared a room with Cate. I didn’t really know her well,
but immediately I understood how devoted to her students she was--Cate
was kind to her core. Though she wanted her students to excel academically,
there was something about Cate that wanted them to learn about the simple
joys in life as well. Really, the little things were much more important than
a test or a quiz. One memory is still so clear to me: it was the year’s first
forecasted snow, and two girls from Jamaica sat in Cate’s class, eyes focused
on the windows. From my desk in the back, I saw the flakes start. Cate saw
them too. And then she stopped the class--no need for poetry terms at this
point. Cate asked the two girls if they’d like to go outside, experience snow
for the first time. They were over-joyed. Cate, her class and I watched the
girls play like the children our students still are, out in the perfect snow.
This memory is perfect for me. It is my perfect Cate moment--there was
nothing more poetic than watching the joy she gave to those girls. That was
Cate.”
--Mrs. Brooke Styche
“Cate was a dear colleague and friend. She was an extremely kind and
caring person who always provided support to her students and fellow
teachers. What may be less known about Cate is that she routinely
practiced random acts of kindness. For instance, on several occasions
when she was ahead of me in the Dunkin Donuts drive through line, I
drive up to the window to find she had already paid for my coffee. In
short, Cate always had a smile on her face and viewed the world and
our students in the most positive light possible. Her positive presence
will remain at BHS through our memory of her.”
--Ms. Catherine Richards
“Ms. Mitchell was an observant, insightful person who could see into and
through people. Her students knew her as a teacher who inspired them
with her compassion and her sincerity.”
--Mr. Ed O’Toole
“Ms. Mitchell was an inspiration to all of her students. She taught us to love everyone in
our life fully and to never let an opportunity pass us by. Not only did she care about us
as students, but she made sure that we were cared for in other aspects of our lives. She
took a personal interest in our endevours and offered any help she could give no matter
if it meant sacrificing our time. Her passing is a devestating event and does not yet seem
real. She will be forever missed by many and remain in the hearts of the individuals she
knew. “
--Olivia Leger, senior
“Ms. Mitchell was someone who I could look forward to seeing every day. She
was like a friend to us. I know she told her family about our TGA because they
said they had been waiting to meet me at her wake.”
--Paul Revere, IV, senior
“Ms. Mitchell and I shared a classroom for the last three
years here at BHS, and in that time we became good
friends, enjoying daily chats about family, work, and
world events. One of my fondest memories is the day
we decided to go together to score our scantron sheets
on the old scantron machine in the English department
office. It was the end of the year and our plan was to
be efficient by working together! So, since the score
sheets must be placed in the machine one at a time, we
decided one of us would put them in and the other would
catch them coming out. However, unbeknownst to us
the extension piece to the exiting side of the machine
was missing, and before we knew it, the score sheets
were shooting out across the room and we were on our
hands and knees scooping them from the floor. Laughter
ensued! We couldn’t believe that our best laid plans had
gone so awry. All we could think of was the episode of “I
Love Lucy” with Lucy and Ethel at the conveyor belt in
the chocolate factory. After that day, we started calling
each other Lucy and Ethel. She insisted that I was Lucy,
but I was sure she was. Unlike Lucy and Ethel, we did
get the hang of the speed and coordination we needed to
complete our task. But we never did agree on which of
us was the real Lucy...”
--Ms. Carol Carlson
“I will always remember Cate’s genuine warmth and caring. When we
arrived at BHS four years ago as new eighth grade staff, Cate was at our
doors welcoming us, and offering to help us in any way she could. Her
gift of true friendship continued to mean so much to us. I will miss her
smile, her wit, as well as her total devotion to her students. Cate Mitchell’s
legacy of kindness and acceptance will always remind me of what should
be paramount in our profession.”
--Ms. Ann Everson
“I’ll always remember what you did for
me! Like when I didn’t want to go to lunch
sometimes, you would let me stay up here
with you, or when I was having trouble in
the open responses, you would be there to
help me. We would do the introduction and
conclusion together because no one could do
it alone. But now I stop and think, now who’s
going to help us? Who’s going to be there for
us like you were? Well I think I can answer
that, no one. I don’t think there is anyone like
you. I will truly miss you, I already do. I look
at your desk and your stuff is gone, it hurts.
I tried pinching mysef to wake up, but it’s
real. I really did love you! Rest in peace Ms.
Mitchell. We’ll miss you.”
--Fernanda Valle, sophomore
“I knew Ms. Mitchell well for years, and never once did I hear
her utter an unkindness about a soul - period. She had the gift
of seeing the best in everyone.”
--Ms. Mary Gagnon
18
features
Cheap Eats:
Common Ground Cafe
By Cate Harrington
Staff Writer
When I stepped into
the Common Ground on Main
Street Hyannis, I felt like I had
been transported into a forest. It
seemed the entire restaurant was
made out of a tree. The friendly
waiters escorted us to a little
booth carved into the side of the
wall and covered in leather. There
were little lights hanging on the
walls and the décor was unlike
any other restaurant I have ever
experienced.
The
waiter
then
informed us of the freshly baked
muffin and soup of the day. The
menu had a variety of smoothies,
wraps, sandwiches, soups, and
salads from which to choose.
Everything on the menu is under
$10, which is helpful for many of
us who don’t have a lot of extra
money to be spending on food.
The Common Ground
is well known for their delicious
smoothies that come in an array
of different flavors. They have
the classic fruit smoothies such
as mango, cherry, raspberry and
blueberry, but they also have
specialty smoothies that consist
of peanut butter, peanut butter
cup, and mint carob chip. All
fruit smoothies are just $5 and
specialty smoothies are $6. I
ordered a strawberry smoothie
that was ready in a few minutes. It
was delicious and tasted of fresh
fruits.
They also had many
other beverage choices consisting
of cold drinks, hot teas, hot drinks
and an espresso bar that has
Organic Yerba Maté and coffee.
I had trouble deciding
on my meal order, because there
were so many mouth watering
choices. Chef, garden, greek and
chicken caesar were the types of
salads offered. The salads range
in price from $3.75 to $7.95.
The
wraps
and
sandwiches are another main
attraction of the Common Ground,
along with their smoothies.
Some of the wrap choices are:
the tuna wrap, turkey wrap,
vegan hummus wrap, and the
chicken Caesar wrap all priced
at $7.25. There is a huge variety
of sandwiches from roast beef to
tuna melts to grilled cheese and
everything in between. The prices
ranged from $3.75 to $9.25. I
eventually decided on the chicken
caesar wrap.
Our
meals
arrived
accompanied by freshly baked
bread and corn chips. The chicken
caesar wrap was overflowing
with fresh vegetables and grilled
chicken. My mom got a salad
that she was very satisfied with as
well. The meal was very filling,
healthy, and satisfying. The
service was excellent.
Celtic and Isrealic folk
music played in the background
setting a relaxing and peaceful
atmosphere. I read about the
background of the restaurant and
the people that work there from a
pamphlet on the table and a page
of the menu. The employees are
a part of a community outside of
the restaurant that focuses on love
and respect for one another.
The
menu
states,
“Community, as we use the
term, means those who love one
another so greatly, that they are
one of heart and mind holding
all things as common property,
living together, taking their meals
together, devoted to one another
because they are devoted to the
One who saved them from death
and misery.”
The booklet also talks
about “a brand new culture”.
These community members left
photo by Cate Harrington
Delicious and nutrious food at the Common Ground Cafe.
their old lives so they could start
over in this new culture. They are
very dedicated to their culture and
to one another.
The booklet also states,
“The meals we eat together are
simple and nourishing, not driven
by ‘health fads’, but simply made
from whole, fresh foods.”
The dress of the
employees was different than the
usual waiter/ waitress attire. The
waitresses had on long dresses
and the waiters collared shirts
making it feel as if they had just
come of the set of a movie from
the colonial days.
Many
people
are
skeptical to dine at the Common
Ground because they are afraid
the staff will try to press them
into conversations about their
community and beliefs. Though
there were pamphlets on the
tables for customers to take, no
one even talked to us about our
beliefs or the way we lived.
The
relaxing
atmosphere, rustic setting, food,
drinks and service all combined
to produce a new and unique
dining experience. Next time
you are on Main Street and are
looking for an inexpensive,
quick, and healthy meal, stop by
the Common Ground and check it
out for yourself.
The Common Ground
is open Monday-Thursday 10:00
am to 9:00pm, Friday 10:00am3:00pm, and Sunday noon to
9:00pm. The Common Ground
is closed on Saturdays for the
Sabbath.
the 1800’s. Or, if you’re looking
for something more hands-on, the
Cape Cod Museum of Natural
History in Brewster is a 17,000
square foot building filled with
exhibits, many of which are
interactive, on aquatic and land
species, and history of the coastal
changes found within and around
the Cape.
Cape Cod also has its
share of quirky attractions one
may not find anywhere else.
The Cape Cinema in Dennis is
an old-fashioned movie theater,
which was built in 1930. It shows
various kinds of films, ranging
from historical documentaries
to modern Indie films, and
everything in between. And let’s
not forget about that fabulous
Fresco-painted ceiling! This
attraction is great for a rainy-or
snowy Sunday afternoon. Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institute is
another great attraction located
at the far end of Falmouth. Grab
some lunch at the Captain Kidd
and enjoy an afternoon filled
with insightful information and
cutting-edge marine technology
any Cape Cod kid can enjoy. Or,
if you wish to see Cape Cod as
if you were a seagull flying up
above, why not climb some of
the Cape’s highest towers: Scargo
Tower in Dennis or the Pilgrim
Monument in P-Town. From
those heights, you will be able to
view the Cape from a whole new
angle.
I know, Cape Cod
is not known for its wild and
crazy nightlife during the offseason. However, one should
not underestimate the evening
attractions the Cape does have,
even during the winter. The Lanes
in Mashpee Commons is a brand
new bistro with a built-in upscale
bowling alley, and it is attracting
both kids and adults throughout
the Upper and Mid-Cape regions.
Grab some dinner with friends
and then school your pals with
your striking skills on the alley.
Treasures of the Off-Season
photo from google images
The National Seashore is beautiful, even in winter.
By Afton Andreadis
Staff Writer
Throughout the summer
months here on Cape Cod, I
often get asked by a tourist what
I do for “fun” during the winter.
Sometimes I respond with “Oh,
nothing really. It can get kind of
boring here”, while other times I
simply say, “Cry”. In fact, even a
few tourists are surprised by the
sheer fact that people actually live
here during the off season. Many
Cape Codders (myself included)
have admitted to ranting about the
extreme boredom we encounter
during these long winter months.
However, Cape Cod is filled with
hundreds of places to go and
attractions to visit, even in the
dead of winter. Don’t believe me?
Read on as this guide takes you
on a journey throughout the Cape,
and soon your schedule will be so
full you won’t even have time to
utter the word “bored”.
Let’s face it. Cape Cod
has a mild winter compared to
much of the country. Since our
temperatures rarely drop below
freezing, why not begin this
itinerary with the unique outdoor
attractions the Cape has to offer?
The Cape Cod National Seashore
is a sight worth experiencing year
round. The National Seashore
covers over 43,000 acres of
dunes, forests, beaches, and
other wetlands and is a great free
attraction where one can spend
a Sunday in the abyss of nature,
exploring and enjoying the
surroundings that encompass it.
Heck, they didn’t make a national
park out of this place for nothing!
If you’re not up for the
drive but still want to enjoy an
afternoon outdoors, the Cape is
home to over 100 public walking
trails, and Barnstable alone has
at least a dozen. Spend a day
having a picnic at the Long Pond
Sanctuary, or get a workout hiking
the hills of the West Barnstable
Conservation Area. And if those
aren’t enough, remember there
are at least 98 more trails to
choose from; so go exploring.
If it does happen to be
one of those days where stepping
outside for a few moments results
in frostbite, have no fear! Cape
Cod is home to just as many
indoor attractions as there are
outdoor. There are hundreds of art
galleries, interactive museums,
playhouses, and even a 1930’s art
house cinema which shows films
rarely found anywhere else.
With its rich landscape
and bountiful history, the
Cape truly is an artist’s mecca.
Barnstable alone is dotted with
dozens of art galleries, such
as the Tao Water Art Gallery
in Barnstable Village and the
Cahoon Museum of American
Art in Cotuit. For all of you
couples looking for a new way to
spend a date, Heritage Museums
and Gardens in Sandwich has
something you both can enjoy.
This unique museum is comprised
of three galleries, automobile
exhibits, a vintage carousel, and a
garden that engulfs the premises
once the weather warms.
For the history buffs like
myself, Cape Cod is filled with
dozens of historical societies,
natural history museums, and
other attractions that may strike
your fancy. In almost every town
on the Cape there is a historical
site you can visit free of charge
and uncover rich history about
the very places you drive by
every day. In Barnstable alone,
five out of the seven villages have
historical museums dedicated
to their specific villages that are
open to the public year round. If
you want to spend a day off of
the mainland, a short ferry ride
will take you to the Nantucket
Whaling Museum, which is
a
world-famous
attraction
dedicated to the whaling era the
Cape and Islands endured during
photo from google images
Bowling is a great way to spend
a rainy day.
Bowling not for you? How about
some laughs at the Barnstable
Comedy Club? The Barnstable
Comedy Club in Barnstable
Village houses some of the
Cape’s funniest comedians, and it
is one of the only comedy clubs
which welcomes kids under the
age of eighteen. An evening at
the Comedy Club will not fail
to leave you laughing there, and
during the whole ride home.
Cape Cod also has hundreds of
restaurants, half a dozen skating
rinks, movie theaters and more
which surely will not disappoint
the night owls.
Sure, Cape Cod may not
be as exciting in the winter as it
is during the summer months, but
hey, it is far from boring! So next
time you find yourself whining
about there being nothing to do
during the seasonal slump, open
your eyes and your mind to the
endless activities this island has
to offer. Enjoy!
features
19
Mama Marcotte’s Cooking Corner
Smoothies, Snacks, and Salads
New Year’s resolutions usually involve eating better. These recipes can help you stick to that promise and keep you
fueled throughout the day. They even taste great, too!
By Molly Marcotte
Smoothies
Staff Writer
Frozen Fruity Smoothie
Contributed by Cassandra Kornhiser
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
This smoothie is loaded with
proteins and good
fats and will keep you fueled all day.
With lots of fruit, this smoothie is a
refreshing option for breakfast or after
a workout. Adding spinach or carrots
is a great way to incorporate more veggies
into your diet.
Ingredients:
1 bananas sliced and frozen
1/8 cup oats
1/8 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup milk
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup ice
½ cup vanilla yogurt
splash of orange juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen raspberries
Add-ons for you health nuts:
1 hanfull spinach leaves
1 carrot (chopped)
Directions: Blend it!
Gluten-Free
Baked Oatmeal Casserole
Bake this on Sunday night and you’ve
got breakfast for the week. Cut them
into little squares and voilà: a filling
breakfast treat that will hold you over
until lunch.
Ingredients
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup raspberries {any berries
work}
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch
slices
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F and
generously spray the inside of
a 10-1/2 by 7 inch baking dish
with cooking spray and place on
a baking sheet.
Directions:
Put oats in blender
and blend until
they’re powdery. Add
remaining ingredients
and blend until there are no
more chunks of frozen
banana. Garnish with
fresh banana slices if desired.
2. In a large bowl, mix together
the oats, sugar, baking powder,
cinnamon, salt, half the walnuts,
half the strawberries and half
the chocolate. (Save the other
half of strawberries, walnuts
and chocolate for the top of the
oatmeal).
3. In another large bowl, whisk
together the milk, egg, butter and
vanilla extract.
Add the oat mixture to prepared
baking dish. Arrange the
remaining strawberries, walnuts
and chocolate on top. Add the
banana slices to the top then pour
the milk mixture over everything.
4.Gently shake the baking dish
to help the milk mixture go
throughout the oats.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until
the top is nicely golden brown
and the milk mixture has set.
For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a
tablespoon or so of extra brown
sugar.
Black Bean Avocado Salad
Delicious, fresh flavors really spice up
this salad. Avocados are a great sourc
e of fat and beans a good source of protein.
This salad is great for spring and makes
for an interesting dish to bring
to a party.
Snacks
Zucchini Oat Dark Chocolate
Cookies
These cookies are still a treat, but
they’re better tasting and better for
you than any store bought cookies
out there. The applesauce is a great
substitute for butter and the oats and
nuts are great sources of protein.
Plus you’d never guess that there’s
zucchini in these, which makes for
a great way to sneak in a serving of
veggies.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ cup applesauce
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
1 cup quick oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 2/3 cups dark chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, oats, cinnamon
and baking soda in a bowl.
3. Beat applesauce and sugar
until combined. Add the egg and
the extract, beat until combined.
4. Gently fold in zucchini.
5. Add the dry ingredients
followed by the nuts and
chocolate chips.
6. Place 1 inch cookies on
greased tray and bake for 9-11
minutes.
Salads
Ingredients
Two 15-ounce can black beans
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 small shallots, diced
1/2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large avocado, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
Directions:
Drain the beans thoroughly and rinse. In a large bowl add the beans and toss with lime juice,
cilantro leaves, diced shallot, and ground cumin. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Peel and slice an avocado, and serve the beans at room temperature, with chopped avocado
on top or mixed throughout the salad. Makes 3-4 servings.
Blue Cheese Honey Walnut
Salad
Bulgar and edamame are great
healthy ingredients to add to any dish
wherever you can. This salad will
make for a delicious lunch or a great
side dish at dinner.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large yellow onion, thinly
sliced
2 cups seedless red grapes,
washed and cut in half
2 cups edamame (I did a quick
steam-in-the-bag variety)
1 cup uncooked bulgur or other
grain
¾ cup walnuts
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water
fresh baby spinach
crumbled blue cheese
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Heat oil over low heat. Add
onions and saute on low for about
30 minutes, stirring occasionally,
until onions are soft, golden
brown, and almost sweet tasting.
2. While onions are still cooking,
pour bulgur and 2 cups water into
a saucepan; bring to a boil and
cook for 15 minutes, until most of
the moisture has absorbed and the
grains are soft enough to eat. Let
cool for 15 minutes.
3. When onions are done, stir into
the bulgur so the oil is absorbed
by the grains. Season with salt.
4. Combine grapes and edamame
in a large mixing bowl. Add
cooled bulgur and walnuts. Whisk
water and honey; pour over
mixture and stir well. Add fresh
baby spinach and crumbled blue
cheese just before serving.
features
The Practice of “Posting Up”
20
It’s Not a Choice, it’s a Lifestyle
By Russell Brillant
Staff Writer
Hallways at BHS are
full of what could be called
“character”:
from
teachers
looking for kids wearing
headphones or hats, to couples
who seem to forget they’re not
in a private setting. However, the
most noticeable characteristic of
our hallways has to be the act of
“posting up”. Most commonly
performed by young men,
this act is almost shrouded in
mystery. Nobody knows where
the term originated, although
UrbanDictionary.com credits its
origin to drug dealers “posting
up” on street corners.
Teachers wonder why
areas next to their rooms are
chosen as post up hotspots, while
passing students wonder why
these people cannot just go to class
like everybody else. After dealing
with this so-called nuisance for
so long, BHS deserves to be
educated on “posting up”, the
culture it represents, the students
who partake in it, where they do
it, who they do it with, and why.
The first post up clique
to be profiled can be found
outside Ms. Netto’s room,
directly across from Mr. Gyra’s,
at the beginning of the 2700’s.
This group of junior studs
consists of Andrew Ho, Anthony
Debarros, Andrew Haskell, and
self-proclaimed trendsetter Justus
“Chooch” Chaffee. Chooch says
that he posted up there because
his locker has been up there since
freshman year, and that because
he is such a “well liked person”,
the clique formed. He also noted
that “We post up there and we
get to see my best friend, Ms.
O’Berg.” And although nobody
can be sure if Ms. O’Berg feels
the same, the rest of BHS should.
For it truly is a blessing to witness
this group every time there is a
need to walk by that end of the
2700’s.
Ms. Netto’s room is also
plagued by another group, this
time of seniors, just prior to C
block. Often times Ms. Netto can
be heard attempting to coax these
boys into her class. The group
consists of, among others, seniors
Nate Dumont and Omar Pearson.
Their influence brings in different
people daily, and they are always
funny.
Although many are not
aware, posting up is a highly
regarded culture at BHS. It
requires a lot of finesse and
expertise. There is probably a
no greater expert in this art than
Master Lucas Probst. Often found
posted up in the 1500’s, across
from Mr. Gorrill’s room, Probst
shows great execution of posting
up. Next time you find yourself
in that area, look for Probst’s
signature post up pose, consisting
of one leg bent with the bottom of
his foot pressed against the wall
behind him. Take it from Probst,
BHS, “Guys who post up, get
girls.”
If size does matter, the
largest post up clique at BHS
is comprised of some truly
influential people.
Consisting of many
recognizable names like seniors
Students at Barnstable High School “post up” in the Main Lobby after school.
Eddie Herrera, Dakota Perilli,
Nado Thompson, Vitor Costa,
and juniors Will Sanchez, Elias
Herrera, Michael Lawrence, and
many others; this super clique
convenes in the lobby directly
following the end of the school
day. The culture of posting up
is definitely shown through this
post up group. Eddie Herrera
said posting up gives him the
opportunity to “see friends when
they walk by,” while Perilli
described posting up as a way
to “represent with your clique.”
Elias Herrera noted that posting
up (as he so often does, with many
different people in many different
locations) is a way to ensure
“you’re not in class when the bell
rings”, as if that were a crime.
Perhaps that advertises posting
up’s most negative drawback, at
least from a teacher’s perspective.
So after almost a
month of in-the-field research,
countless interviews, and first hand post up experience, Insight
has determined the following:
Cliques often form because of
locker locations among friends.
Posting up offers a way to interact
photo by Russell Brillant
with friends before or after class;
a way to see people throughout
the day that otherwise you may
not. There is an art to posting
up. And lastly, although there
are differences in the groups
and locations of posting up
throughout BHS, all groups share
two common goals; socializing
and representing.
10 Questions with
Tajah Bailey
By Alexandra Devine
Staff Writer
1. Q: If you could have a super
power, what would it be?
A: To read minds, so I could
read my mom’s and know
what she’s making for dinner.
2. Q: What is your least
favorite word?
4. Q: If you could eat one type
of food for the rest of your life,
what would you eat?
A: Apples. Apples are dank.
5. Q: If you were stranded on
a deserted island and could
only bring three things, what
would you bring?
A: I don’t like the word
cheese- it just gives me a
weird vibe.
A: I would bring my phone,
my panda hat and probably
my elf shoes- you can’t wear
the panda hat without the elf
shoes.
3. Q: If you could have any
animal as a pet, what would it
be?
6. Q: If you won a million
dollars, what is the first thing
you would buy?
A: An alpaca.
A: A segway.
7. Q: If you were an accessory,
what would you be?
A: A necklace because I
always want people to feel
good and look pretty.
8. Q: What would be the first
thing you’d do if you were the
President of the United States?
A: Bring back Twinkies.
9. Q: If you could be any
celebrity, who would you be?
A: K dollar sign A... a.k.a.
KE$HA.
10. Q: If you were a type of ice
cream, what flavor would you
be?
A: Cookie dough.
photos by Alexandra Devine
Tajah Bailey- certified mind reader, alpaca lover, and apple eaterworks it for the camera during an Insight photoshoot.
features21
Get to Know Your...
Holly Brockman
Johnson
Robert F. Kingman
Substitutes
Samantha Neary
Bob Campbell
Max Fater
This is Ms. Samantha
Neary’s first year subbing, and
her favorite subject to sub for
is English and psychology. Her
favorite part about subbing is
getting to know more than one
class. She added “getting to build
relationships is nice.” The most
challenging part is the students
taking out their cellphones
immediately after seeing they
have a substitute, she said. When
Neary was younger, she went to
Grazing Fields Barn in Bourne
to ride horses as a hobby. She
played volleyball through high
school at BHS and college. Neary
is looking forward to meet new
students this year, and her favorite
food is cherry pop tarts.
Mr. Bob Campbell has
substituted at BHS and Nauset
High School for five years. His
favorite class to sub for is the
Special Education class. Prior to
retiring, he was the house master
for house B for many years. His
favorite part of subbing is seeing
kids and the changes in students
over time. He says, “It gives me a
reason to get up in the morning, to
come and see everyone.”
While at BHS, Campbell
was also a teacher for SPED,
and a coach for track, football,
and weight training. Working
in algebra is a challenge for Mr.
Campbell; he said he has not
even thought about algebra in 50
years. He loves Italian food, and
the color purple. Campbell said
he enjoys surfing, skiing, and just
being active.
Mr. Max Fater has been
subbing for five months, and loves
getting to know the students.
His favorite subject to teach is
Spanish, and says he is “bastante
bien” at it. A challenge for him is
the ELL class and teaching the
students how to speak English,
because it is so crucial. Another
challenge is doing the crossword
every morning. Fater sails, and
has sailed to New York from Cape
Cod recently. His favorite food is
Thai. Fater is excited for the NBA
basketball playoffs, and if he had
a time machine, he would go back
to 1991 and get season tickets to
the Chicago Bulls. Someone he
would not like to have lunch with
is Eli Manning. Fater graduated
from BHS in 2008.
By Claire Sawayanagi
Staff Writer
Ms. Holly Brockman
Johnson has been subbing since
mid December, and her favorite
subject is English. She enjoys
being able to teach students, and
said “It’s what I love to do.”
Johnson said that a challenge is
that for the first few minutes of
class, the students have trouble
acknowledging that she is the
teacher.
Johnson adores reading
and writing; To Kill A Mockingbird
is one of the books she enjoyed
reading with her class. She is
a fiction and nonfiction writer
outside of subbing, and a theater
critic for the Cape Cod Times.
Her hobby is to read, write, and
sail. Ms. Johnson moved here
from Kentucky, and her favorite
This yogurt loving sub,
Mr. Robert F. Kingman, has
been at BHS for 41 years and
has been subbing for 10 years.
He was originally a physical
science teacher at BHS. He loves
long term subbing; however, a
challenge is getting up in the
mornings. Kingman used to be a
golf coach at BHS, and currently
golfs at Cummaquid Gulf Club. If
he could have lunch with anyone
in the world, Kingman says “my
wife, Lauren,” who is currently
an administrative assistant for
House D.
From being at BHS for
over 40 years, Kingman has been
through many principals. He says,
“I still enjoy bring in the high
school and its atmosphere.”
22 sports
Henson is a Flash
By Ana Coutinho
Staff Writer
Determination,
focus
and resilience are just a few of
the key traits track athletes need
to persevere in their sport. Hours
of training and rigorous workouts
enable track runners to get even
a millisecond faster than their
original time. For junior Amanda
Henson, the most difficult aspect
of running track is mentally
preparing herself for the other
opponents.
Before
coming
to
Barnstable,
Henson
was
homeschooled from halfway
through second grade until fifth
grade and then attended Trinity
Christian Academy for sixth and
seventh grade.
“Being homeschooled
was great because an average
school day would be about four
hours because I could go at my
own pace. We would take lots
of cruises because we weren’t
confined to allotted vacation
times,” said Henson, “But I’m
happy that I’m at Barnstable for
high school.”
Henson tried out for
track in eighth grade and made
varsity and now runs track yearround. Her coach is her father,
which is great because no one
knows her better as an athlete or
a person, said Henson.
“We have a mutual
understanding of how things
work and we’re always on the
same page, which I might not get
with any other coach,” Henson
said, “My dad is very open to my
ideas and respects them.”
However,
because
Henson’s dad is her coach, he is
strict, said Henson. “Every day
I do the same stretching routine.
[It] will usually will consist
of starting with my ankles and
working my way up through each
muscle group until I reach my
neck.”
So far, Henson holds
Barnstable High School’s record
for the 55-meter dash at 7.26
seconds, the 100-meter dash at
12.20 seconds, and the 200-meter
dash at 23.34 seconds. Also, on
Jan. 19 Henson broke the record
of 7.42 seconds with 7.37 seconds
at the East Coast Track and Field
Championship in Providence, RI.
In addition, Henson
finished in third in the 55-meter
dash with 7.28 seconds at the
Massachusetts
State
Track
Coaches Association Elite 24
Meet at Reggie Lewis Track
and Athletic Center on Jan. 28,
according to the Cape Cod Times.
“The 55 is my favorite
indoor event, but the 100m and
200m are my favorite outdoor
events. Last year as a sophomore
I was the state champion in the
200m.”
Henson also placed ninth
in New England in the spring of
2012 and her long term goal is to
be in the top three at nationals.
Henson’s close friend
and teammate Amanda Remie
said, “We’ve done track together
since eighth grade and we always
knew each other, but last year
was when we became really
close friends. She’s an incredible
athlete and such a down-to-earth
girl that puts her heart and soul
into everything she does, so I
definitely believe that she will be
extremely successful in the future
and become an Olympic athlete.”
In the future, Henson
wants to continue running track
and would like to attend the
United States Naval Academy in
Annapolis, MD.
“We actually visited
USNA for my brother, but I
just fell in love. My family
has a military background and
leadership has always been my
strongest attribute. I started
talking to the coach there on a
daily basis and things just fell into
place,”said Henson.
Besides
running
track year-round, Henson also
powerlifts competitively. She
has a world record in the raw
powerlifting federation for bench
press and also competed in the
Junior Olympics and won the
gold medal, said Henson. Raw
powerlifting refers to lacking in
photo contributed by Amanda Henson
Barnstable track star, Amanda Henson, holds all three records
for the 55-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter dash.
gear, which is supportive material
to help you lift more.
Henson said, “I’m so
blessed and thankful for my talent
on loan from God.”
Girls’ Basketball Continues to Win
By Cate Harrington
Staff Writer
The Barnstable High
School Girls’ basketball team has
had a tremendous season so far
despite the loss of some of its top
players.
When standouts Olivia
Costello and Rogetta Donalson
graduated last year, some fans
questioned whether the team
would be as successful this year,
but it seems to be as good as ever.
Head coach George Bent
had three main goals for the team
this season: to make the state
tournament, to win the OCL,
and to win every game at home.
Bent knew the team would
have to adjust its style of play if
they wanted to reach their goals,
so Bent along with assistant
coach, Paul Tilton, emphasize
defense and a fast running game.
“I wanted to turn us into
a running team this year. Liv
and Rogetta were a big loss,
but if we could get the fast
break down, we could get more
points this season,” said Bent,
The Raiders got right
to it winning the first seven
out of eight games. The team’s
practices consist of “fast-paced
and intense drills,” according
to sophomore Molly, Bent’s
daughter. Molly said practices are
hard work but still fun because
of the friendly competition
among
team
members.
Even though practices are
intense and filled with running,
the girls and coaches still manage
to have a good time. Senior
Captain Hailey Johnson said
she enjoys practices as well as
the company of her teammates.
“We know how to have
a good laugh and make practices
fun for each other,” said Johnson.
Coach
Bent
and
Coach Tilton have also turned
the team’s focus to defense.
The coaches have adopted the
motto, “Offense wins games,
defense wins championships,”
said
by
Barnstable
Volleyball coach Tom Turco.
The team has done well
so far and owes a lot of their
success to Molly. She leads the
team in points and assists. When
asked about the amount of points
she scores, Molly said individual
stats don’t matter and she just
wants the team to keep winning.
Sophomore
Margot
Rice is also key to the team’s
success. She helps put points
on the board for the Raiders as
well as getting steals and assists.
“I love playing with
Margot, especially when we are
running the fast break because
she pushes the ball and keeps
her head up,” said Molly.
There
are
many
other girls on the team whose
contributions may go unnoticed to
the blind eye, but are clear to both
Coach Bent and Coach Tilton.
Junior Meagan McNair
is among these players. George
said that McNair is the hardest
worker at practice and is pleased
Junior Meagan McNair takes the ball at a Barstable vs. Dennis-Yarmouth game.
with the way she has been
playing.
Teammates Bent, Rice,
and Johnson all agree in the fact
that McNair is the energy and
motivation of the team.
“Meg is a pulse of
energy,” said Rice, “You can
tell when she’s not there.”
“You
can
tell
she
is
enjoying herself and wants
to be there,” added Molly.
One of the reasons
the team is doing so well is their
relationships with one another off
the court. The team often goes out
to eat before late games and kills
time before practices together.
“My favorite part
about being on the team is
my teammates,” said Rice.
Rice also added that
she wouldn’t enjoy basketball
as much as she does if it
weren’t for her teammates.
“I personally love basketball,
and having my friends around is
icing on the cake,” agreed Molly.
photo by Cate Harrington
“Everyone has each
other’s backs both on and off the
court,” added Johnson.
The
Raiders
have
guaranteed themselves a spot in
the state tournament. They plan
to go into each game focusing on
winning each quarter. The team
is taking it one game at a time as
they journey to the ends of their
season.
sports23
Boys Check Top Competition
By Grace Elletson
Staff Writer
The Barnstable boy’s
varsity hockey team has quickly
gained speed into the season. The
team attained deserved attention
after winning the Nate Nickerson
Invitational Tournament, against
Catholic Memorial, as well as
winning the OCL title and Old
Colony League title. Despite a
rough patch in the ice after losing
three games, the boys seem to be
pulling through.
As of Feb. 14, the team
was ranked eight in the state, as
well as 18 on the ESPN Boston
area rankings, and has 11 wins,
three losses and three ties. As
for the key to their success,
varsity coach, Scott Nickerson,
commented that a solid team
defense, as well as strong players,
such as senior Max Willman,
senior
Eric
Rogorzenski
and junior Connor Fries, are
substantial to winning games.
“We went away from
that, the last couple of games...
we’re working on power plays
and man advantage,” Nickerson
stated. “If you can win in those
situations, you can win most
games. We need to take advantage
of our opportunities.”
Nickerson made clear
that the team’s goal was to at least
be able to reach the the semi finals
in the South Division, which the
team has been able to do in the
past three years. The team’s goal
is to go farther into the state
championship, even to be able to
push through to the state finals.
“Our goal is to improve
every year, and I think we’re
capable of it,” Nickerson stated,
confident that the team will move
forward.
Throughout the Super
Eight tournament history (the
Massachusetts tournament that
decides the state champion)
Catholic Memorial, Barnstable’s
opponent in the Nate Invitational
tournament, has won the state
champion title more than any
other high school.
As for Willman he said
his role as captain is to motivate
his fellow players to reach their
goals. “I’m stepping up in big
games,” he said, “I want to help
my team win.” Despite the upward
climb, the team has had to struggle
with losing many key players
as last year’s seniors went off
to college. Nickerson explained
that last year’s team was very
experienced and that this year
they would have to rebuild a lot of
new skills with new players rising
within the ranks.
“We lost a lot of kids,”
Nickerson said, “But the kids
new to the team have played
well above and beyond what I
was expecting.” This includes
Eric Rogorzenski and Connor Fries face off against Marlborough on the ice.
players such as the young goalies:
sophomore Dylan Campbell,
sophomore
Jake
Kaczynski
and junior Kevin Huska, who
Nickerson said were key parts to
their defense
Nickerson also noted
that the seniors are doing well
and working hard, many taking
on different roles on the team.
Willman, said, “There’s a little
bit [of pressure] but it’s not
too bad. We still have a couple
seniors left and they’re all pulling
their weight.” After coming off
of a very successful football
season as well, coach added that,
“Leadership from the boys has
photo by Mark Russell
been very good.”
The team’s strategy is to
play consistently throughout the
season in order to make it to the
finals. “It’s consistency more than
anything else in order to compete
with the best,” Nickerson said.
NHL Lockout is Knocked Out
By Jillian Cahoon
Staff Writer
Hockey fans all over
the country suffered a long
three and a half months of
waiting for the NHL owners
to reach an agreement with the
players over a new collective
bargaining agreement. Though
they finally reached the long
awaited agreement on Jan.
6, was it too little too late?
The season, a 48-game
sprint to the Stanley Cup, seems
to be short and overrated. So
why couldn’t the two sides
reach an agreement for so long?
History teacher and hockey fan
Michael Petze, said he thought
NHL Commissioner Gary
Bettman was being “inflexible”
when he dealt with the players.
The
union
representative
Donald Fehr was also strong
willed.
All in all, the players
and the union were both strong,
and wouldn’t compromise.
Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs was
characterized as the lockout’s
leader. However, he claims that
was the last thing he wanted
coming off a championship in
2011. He said a new, redesigned
collective bargaining agreement
was necessary to put the game
on stronger fiscal ground.
Senior
hockey
fan
Marissa
Gallant
said
it
was
“disappointing
and
aggravating for the fans and
the players and embarrassing
to the sport” since there was
a previous lockout in 2006.
So what did die hard
hockey fans do without their
beloved NHL? Petze said that
he watched hockey online,
but it was difficult to find.
Senior hockey player Domenic
Giovannone said he watched
college hockey and the KHL,
an international hockey league
in Eurasia, where many of the
Fans express their grief over the elongated lockout.
players played during the lockout.
Not only did the lockout
affect its players and loving fans,
but it also hurt the businesses
surrounding the arenas. They
no longer had the business they
rely on to make a profit. Since
no one was going to games,
no one needed to go to the
restaurants around the arenas.
With all this aside,
NHL fans should be happy they
reached the decision when they
did, or the season could have
been lost in total. There are
announcers to listen to again,
and players to watch. “It will be
good to see Mr. Dumas in his
Bruins shirt again,” said Petze.
Hockey fans everywhere
are thrilled their teams are on
the ice. But, unfortunately, for
whichever team wins the Stanley
Cup, “it won’t be as important
photo from Google
because it is like a half season,”
said Petze. However, Gallant said
that it will be “extra exciting”
because of how short it is and
how important each game is.
Owners also know they
have something to prove to their
fans. Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs
gave fans a $5 doughnut shop
gift card when they entered the
parking lot and left a T-shirt at
every seat for the first game of the
season. Fans received a selection
of free concession items and
discounts on team paraphernalia,
as well.
24sports
Honesty in Sports
Integrity of Athletes Corrupted by the use of Steroids
By Mark Russell
Staff Writer
Since the start of the
new year many great athletes
have become caught in scandals
regarding steroids and other
performance enhancing drugs
(PED’s). It is at this point where
the American public must make
a decision: allow these players to
get away with it or crack down
and promote a clean game.
Lance Armstrong, a
seven-time winner of the Tour
de France and a stern critic of
substance abuse, finally came
clean, with his own use, after a
battle with authorities, resulting
in the elimination of his victories
and tarnishing his image as an
American hero. Even the way
Armstrong confessed to his use of
PED’s was sleasy. I mean come
on, Oprah, how about infront of
the grand jury that investigated
you for years?
However, as with every
case, there is a catch. Armstrong
raised nearly a five hundred
million dollars through his
“Livestrong” campaign, acting
as a beacon of strength as he,
himself, overcame cancer. Yet,
even this image was built upon
photo from Google
Armstrong ponders his mistake at a recent Congressional
hearing, in which his titles were revoked.
the image of being an athlete in a
drug tainted sport. I believe that
people would still fogive him.
Then on January 29, Ray
Lewis supposedly did steroids to
recover from his torn tricep. The
soon-to-be Hall of Famer is no
longer looked at in the same light.
After being acquitted on murder
charges in 2000, Lewis settled
out of court with the families
of the victims for millions of
dollars. Yet, on the field he talks
about how much he loves people,
recites verses from the Bible
and then comes down on others
who question his integrity. My
question to him is, why do you
get this moral high ground? Even
if you were acquitted, why did
you feel the need to settle out
of court with the families of the
victims?
Now Lewis is being
accused of using steroids,
including deer antler pills and
spray that would boost his
recovery time greatly. Although
Lewis has never tested positive, he
and many other athletes continue
to attempt to beat the system with
new chemical enhancements.
Even more recently, in
the wake of Lewis’ results many
more athletes have been revealed
to have used these substances
such as baseball player Alex
Rodriguez, golfer Vijay Singh,
and members of the National
Champion Alabama Crimson
Tide have been cited as users of
these banned substances.
The integrity of sports-
especially-baseball and cycling, is
virtually gone. I say let the players
dope. They know exactly what
the drugs do to their bodies, so
why not let them pump chemicals
into their systems? The results
would be unreal, it would be like
1998 MLB season all over again,
with dozens of people shooting
for Mark McGwire’s single
season homerun record. The Tour
de France would be done in half
the time as athletes speed over
the mountains and go even faster
than ever before.
It might sound crazy,
but why not? Play to win the
game and the team with the best
chemist wins. This would draw
much more interest as players
hit 600 foot home run or run 100
yards in eight seconds. But there
is a catch, from that point on, no
player can be looked up to by
little kids as a role model.
If everyone does it
then there are no debates for the
Hall of Fame and no need for
asterisks around records, just
a changeover to the full blown
Steroid Era. Or athletes could just
return to the integrity that defined
sports starting with the Greeks in
the first Olympics, but that may
prove to be more unlikely.
sports 25
Raiders Conquer the Cold
Barnstable Sports Programs DominateWinter
photo by Richie Carter
photo by Mark Russell
Senior Max Willman celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal.
Junior C.J. Botello takes down an opponent
during the Barnstable Super Quad.
photo by Cate Harrington
Junior Meagan McNair inbounds a pass against
Dennis-Yarmouth.
photo by Molly Marcotte
Junior Colby Blaze takes a free throw while his teammates
look on.
photo by Richie Carter
Sophomore Mark Monroe fights from the bottom as he tries to get to a
dominant position.
photo by Cate Harrington
Senior Rachael Butler competes in the 200 Individual Medley.
26 arts, etc.
Students Head to Symphony Hall
By Zoe Calianos
Staff Writer
In April, two students
from Barnstable High School
will perform at the All-State
Music Festival. All-State includes
several days of practice and a
grand performance at Symphony
Hall in Boston. To qualify for
All-State, one must be in ninth
to twelfth grade, practice up to
four hours a day, memorize three
to four songs, survive a rigorous
audition at Southeast music
festival, obtain a high enough
score, and then try out again.
Sounds extreme, right? Not to
Joe Egan, junior, and Alex Pratt,
sophomore, both of whom have
qualified to play at All-State.
For their debut at
Symphony Hall, Egan will play
the trumpet and Pratt will play
the baritone saxophone. There are
four different groups to audition
for at All-State: chorus, jazz band,
wind ensemble, and concert band.
The musicians arrive in Boston
a few days before the concert to
practice together. “We practice
from first thing in the morning
until about eight at night,” said
Egan. On the last day, all the
parents come to Boston to see
their children play.
Before All-State, Egan
and Pratt performed at All-Cape,
Alex, on the saxaphone, and Joe, on the trumpet, practice together during class.
a collection of the best musicians
from about 75 schools Capewide. All-State is the next level.
“It’s the pro bowl for music;
America’s Cup for sailing,” said
Egan. The songs get progressively
more challenging from Southeast
and All-Cape to All-State. By the
time one reaches All-State, “They
are not just an average person in
a band; they really enjoy music,”
said Egan.
Pratt, a newcomer to
the music festival scene, said, “I
didn’t expect to make it; I was
very surprised.” Pratt recently
participated in his first Southeast
festival and is excited to move
photo by Zoe Calianos
on to All-State. The part he is
most anticipating is performing
at Symphony Hall. Pratt said he
has seen it in pictures, but never
actually been there.
Egan first picked the
trumpet because it wasn’t “girly”
and was the “next coolest thing
after the saxophone” which his
older brother, Richard, already
played. Since then, he has played
in All-Cape, church masses and
funerals, the Cape Cod Symphony,
and brass Christmas groups. Egan
owns three trumpets, a flugel, and
a pocket trumpet. The latter was
a Christmas present this year. It’s
a trumpet the size of a lunchbox
that has all the same tubing and
pitch as a full-size trumpet.
What does one listen
to when preparing to perform at
Symphony Hall? “I listen to pop
and rock, like Ke$ha and Lady
Gaga,” joked Egan. In reality, he
said, he listens to the songs he
is going to perform so that they
get stuck in his head. It helps
him understand the arrangement
of the instruments. At All-State,
Egan will be performing Aurora
Awakens, March, and Molly on
the Shore.
The majority of students
who perform at All-State intend
to continue with music after high
school. For Egan, this means
playing in college. For Pratt,
this means that he is considering
teaching music one day. In the
next month, both Egan and Pratt
will be practicing frequently and
feverishly for All-State. “[But] in
the end it’s about playing music
and having a good time,” said
Pratt.
Gauthier vs.
the Guitar
By Emma Gauthier
Staff Writer
“All right, class, we are
going to be starting the blues unit.
To start us off, we are going to
listen to Muddy Waters’ single
Rollin’ Stone. Notice that he’s
playing the twelve bar blues in
the key of E,” said music teacher
Andrew Vince.
I knew I was in trouble.
Not only did I have no idea who
this Muddy Waters guy was,
but I didn’t have a clue as to
what “twelve bar blues” he was
referring to, or what this “key”
concept was. I thought this was a
guitar class, not piano.
The last time I had even
touched a musical instrument was
probably in fifth grade, and it was
a ukulele. All I can remember
about playing it was how to tune
it — by saying the phrase “my
dog has fleas”. Now, as a junior, I
couldn’t believe what I had gotten
myself into. Learning the basics
of any instrument, let alone the
guitar is hard.
Looking back, I am
more than grateful my good
friend David Palmer, sophomore,
was taking the same class, and
was kind enough to answer my
silly questions, like what’s a riff?
What does it mean if it’s ‘sharp’?
What’s the difference between a
chord and a measure? Do your
fingers always hurt this much?
And I was thankful that Vince
had a high tolerance level for my
musical awkwardness, and lack
of instrumental knowledge.
As I attempted to learn
guitar, Palmer and Vince both
taught me a few basics that I
needed to consider: One, tuning
a guitar is not the same as tuning
a ukulele. Two, music requires
much lingo unknown to the
normal world. And finally, three,
pray that your fingers are flexible,
you have long arms and the skin
on your fingertips is resilient.
When Palmer suggested
I tune my guitar before playing it,
I must have looked at him like he
was crazy. To my dismay, my dog
couldn’t have fleas, considering a
guitar has six strings compared to
the ukulele’s four.
After turning those shiny
knobs, which I later learned were
called tuning pegs, on the tip of the
guitar for a few minutes, Palmer
graced me with an automatic
tuner, which was a small, gray
piece of plastic with a screen
and a needle that determined if
the note I was playing was too
sharp or too flat. If the note being
played was too sharp, you had to
turn the peg down, and if it was
too flat, you turned the peg up.
Once I was tuned and
ready to go, Palmer defined some
terms for me. I learned that a
fret is a key, and each fret on the
Emma gets advice by BHS band teacher, Mr. Vince, on her guitar skills.
guitar had a different set of notes.
Measures are sections of songs
where you play specific notes.
Depending where you started on
the neck of the guitar, the higher
or lower the sound was. A chord
is two or more notes that sound
simultaneously, and happen at
once. It was all starting to make
sense. Sort of.
After I had a general
understanding of musical jargon,
Vince instructed me to hold the
guitar properly by sitting with
a straight back and maintaining
excellent posture, commenting
that posture is “essential”. It was
like giving the guitar “a bear
hug” in his terms, but it made my
right arm tired. However, it was
manageable, and I felt like I was
getting the hang of things.
Then Vince gave me a
finger exercise to work on, which
involved the first four frets at the
top of the neck. Lining up all four
fingers on the first four frets of
the thick E major string, I was to
alternate which fret I held down,
and play the note and continue
down the line, doing this with
each finger, on each string.
Here was where I
encountered a slight problem. I
quickly learned that my fingers
don’t stretch that way, and that
I wasn’t pressing down hard
enough to get the desired sound.
Both times after attending Vince’s
Guitar two class, my fingers were
purple and imprinted with deep
lines from the strings. My aching
photo by Claire Sawayanagi
fingers made turning on light
switches, opening doors, and
pushing down on hard surfaces
unpleasant for days. Apparently,
it takes about six months for the
fingertips to callous, and then
they stop hurting every time you
go to press down on a string.
I always remember
thinking playing the guitar was
an easy skill to master. But after
two lessons, I barely managed
to place my fingers correctly, let
alone play any kind of note. I
was so impressed and envious of
the other students. While I don’t
think I’ll ever amount to the next
B.B. King or Jimi Hendrix, I can
attest to the hard work and sheer
talent that goes into playing such
an instrument.
arts, etc. 27
Let’s Play A Board Game
By Will Crosby
Staff Writer
Score: 4.5/5
Optimum Players: 2-4
Playtime:30-45 minutes
When it comes to board
games, not many people gravitate
toward those set in the Medieval
French countryside. But building
castles, robbing travelers, and
farming lands is a fun and
competitive way to spend 45
minutes. Carcassonne is a game
designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede,
and was first published back in
2000. Carcassonne is a game of
tiles. Players take turn picking
up tiles at random, and placing
them to create a map. Each map is
unique, and players control what
it looks like and how it is formed.
There are four basic
types of terrain. Roads, castles,
cloisters (monasteries), and
farmland. Each tile may have two
or more of each. For instance, you
could pick up one with farmland,
and a road going through it, or a
tile with a castle, road, and some
farmland. The tiles you place
must go together where you place
them: road connecting to road,
farmland to farmland, etc. In that
way, the game is like a puzzle
that often develops into some
crazy designs. If no one picks up
a road tile for a while, the castles
and farms will often grow quite a
bit. There is no board you place
them on, so the final “board” you
get after placing every tile will be
unique.
Scoring the game is the
fun bit. Each player gets eight
“Meeples”, they are little man
shaped wooden pieces, of the
same color. Each player places
one on the scoreboard at zero.
Now you place these on the tile
you place on your turn, in a castle
to control that castle, or on a
road to control that road. Castles
School
Crossword
Carcassonne is a game of strategy, so think before you place.
and roads are completed when a
road has two ends, and a castle is
surrounded by walls. There is a
handy sheet on scoring, so I won’t
go into the little details of it here.
But, you get points for completed
roads, cloisters, and castles
during the game and you score
the farmland and uncompleted
roads, cloisters, and castles after
the last tile is placed, which is the
end of the game.
Carcassonne has several
expansions, another boxed game
that adds to the base game.
Unfortunately, it’s a case of “how
many expansions can we create to
make money?” So this means a lot
of them are awful. I recommend
staying with the main game, it
has plenty of tiles and can provide
hours of fun. If you really want to
add to the experience, start with
The River, which adds a river that
photo by Will Crosby
divides the board. From there,
play/buy expansions at your own
risk.
Carcassonne is a really
simple game. You place tiles,
score, and have a great time, all
within an hour. It’s one of the
easiest game out there, and one of
the most brilliant, because of its
unique play style, art, and design.
a good game.
Across
1. Black or blue?
3. Auditorium
5. TGA
7. Soccer, Football, etc.
10. Chinese, Greek, etc.
13. Our past
15. Glorified Chalkboard
16. Above the library
17. Next up: Little Shop
20. Finger painting
21. Passport
24. Common Clarkism (2 Words)
25. Potato twists (2 Words)
27. Midday meal
29. Vehicle storage (2 Words)
30. Algebra, Calculus, etc.
32. Eating palace
33. Morning announcements
38. Sports facility (2 Words)
39. ________ Masters
42. Elementary lockers
43. Find your safe zone
45. Late to school
Down
1. Lined or graph?
2. Don't pull (2 Words)
4. Entrance task
6. Eno's gradebook
8. Often greasy
9. ______itus
10. Never locked
11 Work to be done at home
12. Sweaty stinky place (2 Words)
14. Homework givers
18. How stuff works
19. Must pass MCAS
22. Knapsack
23. Mr. Lytle or Mr. Titus
24. Part of Personal Development
26. SHHHHHHHH
28. _______ Astro Park
31. 2400 is perfect
32. Coppee Shop treat
34. Stars
35. Big yellow truck
36. Yellow sticks
37. What you're reading
38. Turf
40. MIA
41. Sir Lancelot
44. Upperclassmen transportation
First five people to bring this completed to 2702 get a prize!
28
Little Shop:
Big Cast
By Emily Penn
Staff Writer
Have you ever heard
of a plant that feeds on human
blood and flesh? In Little Shop
of Horrors, Barnstable High
School’s spring musical, expect
to see that and much more. This
show follows Seymour and
Audrey, two young teens who
work in a flower shop. Seymour,
who is secretly in love with
Audrey, obtains a mysterious
plant that leads to the mystery of
the play.
The show opens on
Thursday, March 14. According
to Ed O’Toole, Drama club
advisor, the show is off to a great
start in all aspects.
“I’m sure everyone will
enjoy it,” said O’Toole. Including
chorus members, the show has 70
on stage actors. There are only a
small amount of lead roles, but
all are double casted. O’Toole
is very confident with the leads
and has a balance of both new
and returning theater members.
“We have some new blood,”
said O’Toole, referring to Will
Moore and Devin Wisarski, both
playing Orin, the dentist. Gabe
Fater, senior, who is also new and
Virginia Ohlsen, junior, will be
playing the part of Mushnik.
Danielle Parkka, senior,
will be playing the lead role of
Audrey. Having played many
leads before including Belle in
Beauty in the Beast and Mary in
It’s a Wonderful Life, Parkka has
much experience.
“Being a lead never stops
being exciting, but it’s always a
lot of hard work,” Parkka said.
“It’s thrilling to be on stage with
other people who share the same
passion as I do.” Parkka said this
lead will be especially difficult
for her due to Audrey’s Brooklyn
accent, which she has been trying
to not only master talking in, but
singing in, too.
According
to
the
other actress playing Audrey,
sophomore, Isabella Macallister,
Audrey is very submissive, and
scandalous. Macallister has been
given her chance to shine as this is
her first time having a significant
part in a Barnstable High School
theater production. “You will
laugh and cry,” said Macallister
of the comedy.
The role of Seymour will
be played by both Charlie Nash,
junior, and Johnny Robinson,
The cast rehearses a musical number together before the big show.
sophomore. Seymour is a naive,
innocent boy with a sad life. As
an orphan, he is hoping to create
a better life for himself.
Seymour is head over
heels in love with Audrey, but
Audrey has no idea. Robinson
said that this has always been
one of his favorite shows. “The
fact I get to do this play and
be the lead is incredible,” he
said. According to Robinson,
“Seymour rises to fame, but with
deadly consequences.”
Nash also played John
Proctor in the Crucible earlier
this school year. Seymour is the
polar opposite of John Proctor,
who is the tragic hero and very
uptight, so Nash said he is excited
to play such a different part. This
is his first lead in a musical. “I’m
very excited to have my first solo
in a show,” said Nash.
Macallister
believes
the casts’ biggest challenge is
the musical aspect of the show.
Getting the music to blend in the
group numbers can be difficult to
do. There are two group numbers
with the entire cast involved in.
“It’s so technical and requires a lot
of practice to get each individual
part right,” Macallister said.
Celebrity Stalker:
American Idol Goes Downhill
By Jillian Cahoon
Staff Writer
American Idol is a
show that made stars known
to the world, including Carrie
Underwood, Kelly Clarkson,
Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry,
and most recently Phillip Phillips.
However, recently it seems that
the judges’ feuding and making a
comedy show is more important
than the talent it’s supposed to be
focusing on.
The first episodes this
season show with a dramatic
decrease in ratings. I predict the
ratings dropping even more after
seeing what happened in those
first episodes.
The first two minutes
of the show opened with Phillip
Phillips singing his hit “Home”
on stage in an empty auditorium.
It made me feel like maybe it
was the same show. But soon,
the mood changed. Nicki Minaj
and Mariah Carey began fighting
like high school girls, while a
contestant walked in the room.
The two superstar judges didn’t
even acknowledge that there was
a contestant in the room, and the
two continued their bickering. I
feel as though the show has lost
sight of what the point was. Keith
Urban brings some sanity to the
judging panel with his talent and
sweet personality. However, it is
overshadowed by Nicki Minaj’s
rude comments and diva attitude.
She gets Mariah Carey worked up
arts, etc
photo by Kayla Crook
This show has plenty
of special effects in store for the
audience. O’Toole plans on using
dry ice and having the dentist,
Oran, riding a motorcycle. By the
end of the play, the entire theater
will be taken over by plants. “We
are planning an ending that will
bring down the house,” O’Toole
said confidently.
After the press night on
March 13, Little Shop of Horrors
will run March 14, 15, 16, 21,
22, and closing night will be the
23. All shows will be at 7pm and
tickets will be sold at the door for
$10.
Seeing
Stars
photo from Google
photo from Google
Nicki Minaj (right) and Mariah Carey (left) fight for air time on the latest season of American Idol.
and the two don’t stop fighting. I
don’t know if it is fake, or if it is
their choice in judging, but it is
annoying.
Every episode Nicki
Minaj has a new wig and a new
crazy outfit to take away from
what truly matters. The constant
flirting that Nicki Minaj throws at
every guy who auditions makes
me think it’s a dating show and
not a singing competition. Also,
they seem to be focusing more on
people with no talent, rather than
people with talent.
It seems so over the
top and is losing sight of what
truly matters. It doesn’t show as
many of the inspirational stories
of beautiful, talented singers. It
has quiz shows with annoying
contestants who are auditioning
for the show to make it on TV,
and they let them. It makes a joke
of almost everything said, like
someone with the nickname “The
Turbanator”. He was a Middle
Eastern man, and them making a
joke about his race was over the
line. They used graphics to make
it replicate those used in The
Terminator. Also, when Nicki
Minaj and Mariah Carey were
fighting they used dialogue comic
graphics like “POW!” to bring
more attention to the fight.
The new American idol diva feud
between Mariah Carey and Nicki
Minaj makes me want Paula
Abdul and Simon Cowell back.
Who would have thought that
it would be to the point where I
am desperate to see those two
back on the show? Carey and
Minaj’s fighting make Abdul and
Cowell’s bikering look normal.
American Idol, if you
want your fans back, I suggest
you remember why people watch
your show. It is to see talent and
dreams of regular people come
true, not to watch two superstars
fight.
Is that rapper 2 Chainz
teaching students in the 2600s?
Nope, that’s just French
teacher Mr. Fadner Pierre!
photo by Claire Sawayanagi
Do you know anyone at BHS
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