October 31, 2003 - Niskayuna Central Schools

Since 1974,
Now Weekly
Volume 30 Issue 7
October 31, 2003
Niskayuna High School
NICS holds drive to collect canned food
by Evan Fenaroli
NEWS
Hundreds of students, teachers, and faculty donated over
800 items of food and household supplies to a school-wide
drive last week. The items, donated to the Northeast Parent
and Child organization, were
collected for the thirteenth
annual national Make-A-Difference Day, which was this
past Saturday, October 26.
Created by USA Weekend
magazine, Make-a-Difference
Day is the largest single day
of volunteering in the country where, on the fourth Saturday of every October, millions of Americans give back
to their communities. Last
year, over three million people
volunteered their time to help
their neighbors, communities,
and country.
This year, in the spirit of the
district-wide initiative for all
students, faculty, and staff to
participate in community service, the high school took on its
own Make-a-Difference Day
project. From Wednesday, October 22, through Friday, October 24, hundreds of students,
teachers, and staff members
collected and donated various
items to the school-wide Food/
Household Supply Drive.
Sponsored by the new Service Advisory Board, a committee of administrators,
teachers, students, and community members that assists
in organizing community service activities, the drive was
successful in collecting over 800
items. During the week,
through announcements,
posters, and flyers, members
of the high school community
were urged to bring in at least
one food or household item to
their homerooms.
Unlike previous drives, which
focused solely on food or clothing, there was a tremendous
amount of leeway in what, exactly, students could donate. The
items collected ranged from nonperishable foods, such as canned
vegetables, pasta, and baking
mix, to personal and household
items such as toothpaste, soap,
and toilet paper.
On the Saturday morning of
Make-a-Difference Day, Principal John Rickert and Assistant Principle David Wetzel
transported and donated the
collected goods to the Northeast Parent and Child organization on behalf of the high
school. This organization, with
twelve service locations
throughout the capital district,
helps children who have severe
learning disabilities or who have
been abused, neglected, or
troubled emotionally. The organization provides educational,
residential, and prevention programs to hundreds of troubled
children, and their families,
throughout the area.
In order to help these local
families make ends meet and
improve their holidays, the
Northeast Parent and Child organization relies heavily on donated food, clothing, and supplies. According to Rickert, the
organization was “extremely”
grateful for the items it received
on Make-A-Difference Day. The
donations from the members of
the high school community
helped to curb a recent shortage
of food and household supplies
within the organization.
The goal set by the Service
Advisory Board was to collect
1600 items (one for each student at the high school). While
this goal was not met, Rickert
was pleased with the fact that
over 800 items were collected,
especially since students were
only given three days to donate
them. Commenting on the success of the food and supply
drive, Rickert said, “This is just
one example of how well we
can all pull together to accomplish something positive.”
Photo Credit / Lizi Santillo
DO THE CAN-CAN: The NICS
can drive fufilled half of its goal of
1600 items.
Foreign exchange students join NHS
by Joshua Xiong and Steve Chao
NEWS
Once again, the AFS Inter-Cultural
Niskayuna Chapter has celebrated the
arrival of international studentsfor the
2003-2004 school year in the Foreign
Exchange program. So far, it seems
these students are enjoying their stay
and are immersing themselves in the
cultural exchange experience. Both
Niskayuna students and the visitors
have been enterprising and embracing
in this exchange.
For example, Kyle White, who comes
Photo Credit / Evan Fenaroli
JUST SAY “AMERICAN CHEESE”: AFS students Romero and Eranil smile for the camera.
from South Africa, said that the student
body has warmly welcomed him. He
stated that his impression of the
Niskayuna High School population has
been, “Nice and kindly inquiring. They
are interested in where I come from and
my customs and background, and are
friendly. I can really be myself here and
I don’t have to worry about restrictions.
Everything’s nice and laid back.” Kyle
expressed the overall impression of
Niskayuna and community members as
(Continued on page 2,
AFS)
2
News
October 31, 2002
The Warrior
AFS students at Niskayuna this year
(Continued from page 1,
FOREIGN)
being characterized by beauty.
AFS students have had a chance to experience our activities and assimilate well in
the new environment. AFS students have
attended numerous dances, parties, and
school activities, and have developed optimistic views about the leisure time spent
here in Niskayuna. Because he has an English-speaking background and is a real
extrovert, Kyle has naturally adapted well
and has been able to correspond to his experiences. He says that although he has been
able to fit in, make friends, attend activities such as crew and Drama Club, and
simply have a good time, the quintessential rap played at dances is “just killing
me! You guys need to play more techno…”
Naturally, we could take some pointers
from our AFS friends.
Another foreign exchange student in
the AFS program is Ozlem Eranil. Two
years ago in her homeland of Turkey,
Ozlem’s dad’s friend returned from a trip
to the United States. Ozlem, after hearing all the great stories of America and
how fun it was, knew that she must know
what America
was like before going to
Warrior Photo / Stephanie Lauer
college.
I LOVE NEW YORK: Kyle White, an AFS foreign
Ozlem’s in- exchange student this year, is enjoying his stay
Several Niskayuna High School students have been
terests in- here so far, as can be seen by his choice of attire.
clude crew,
chosen to participate in this year’s Area All-State Music
music, hanging of being asked. No longer is this the case,
Festival, to be held the weekend of November 14 and 15 at
out with friends, as we are in the middle of our second
Glens Falls High School.
and enjoying the month of the school year, and Ozlem has
Students are chosen for this pretigious festival based on
weekends. Un- found many new friends and “loves”
an application they submitted including their 2003 New
like Kyle, when Niskayuna.
York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) solo
Ozlem came to
Ozlem has found living in the U.S. to be a
scores, which had to be a Level V or Level VI (the two
the
United blast so far but still misses her home counhighest levels) as well as a recommendation from a school
States, she was try. To leave your home country, which you
music teacher.
not fluent in the have lived in for over 17 years, is emotionEnglish
lan- ally trying, but Ozlem is doing well. She still
Niskayuna is one of several dozen schools in NYSSMA
guage, so she had misses her friends and family, as well as the
Zone VII, consisting of schools in the counties of Hamilton,
a little trouble city life. Back in Turkey, she lived in the city
Warren, Washington, Rensselear, Albany, Schenectady,
communicating of Izmir and was able to walk to wherever
Saratoga, Fulton, and Montgomery.
with her peers. she wanted to go because they lived so close
Niskayuna once again has a commanding presence in
Now, after living to everything. In other words, there was no
several ensembles, as listed here:
in America for need for a car. Here, in Niskayuna, cars are
over two months, needed to get anywhere.
BAND
JAZZ BAND
her English is
The third AFS student, Mariana
Erin Armenia
Dominic Fallacaro
much better and Romero from Bolivia, says that at first
James Benoit
Jeremy Gold
improving con- she had a hard time adapting. She apChelsea Boska
Patrick Keller
stantly.
preciates the interest and attention that
Evan Fenaroli
One thing that was shown to her, but feels that it is still
bothered Ozlem a difficult procedure to adapt to the transDarin Gregory
ORCHESTRA
was the fact that portation situation in Niskayuna. She
Kendra Lamb
Heather Chan
it was much commented, “Back home, whenever [I]
Kelsey Lamb
Jeffery Chao
harder to make wanted to go to the movies or the mall, [I]
Julia Schnell
Steve Chao
friends. Back in could just take the bus or a taxi. Here it
Alex Goldberg
Turkey, “We all is different; here I have to get a ride from
CHORUS
David Leib
enjoyed seeing someone when you want to do something
Stephanie Blair
Steven Leib
new kids come to fun.” Still, she is gradually adapting and
Jesse Conti
Sylvia Lou
our school and finds the whole experience to be enrichBrittany Hunter
Manuel Possolo
instantly would ing.
invite them to go
This healthy exchange has been nothRachel Katz
Anjana Rajan
to this party or to ing but beneficial. Niskayuna and the AFS
Priya Jayaraman
Kishori Rajan
just hang out.” In students have been able to experience the
Zak Merriman
Timothy Vo
N i s k a y u n a , enlightenment brought forth by this inJay Mobley
Jeremy Wolos
Ozlem had to ask ternational, inter-community exchange.
Adelaide Pagano
Eric Zhou
others to join It has been a very rewarding and enrichLarua Shemo
their group and ing program throughout the years and
Clark Whitney
Jeremy Wolos
hang out instead should continue to prosper in the future.
Musicians honored
The Warrior
October 31, 2003
News
3
Singing groups strike a popular chord
Bel Canto, Studio Singers record holiday album at Fly 92
by Katerina Gross
NEWS
The Bel Canto and Studio Singers choral groups traveled to the Cotton Hills
recording studio last week, Wednesday,
October 22, to record songs for WFLY 92’s
Holiday album. The CD will consist of
various holiday songs sung by local high
school singing groups. It will be sold to
benefit the Children’s Hospital at the Albany Medical Center.
This was the first time since the charitable project’s inception that the
Niskayuna choral groups were able to
participate. Niskayuna had been unable
to record in previous years because of
conflicts and time constraints.
Bel Canto, the select high school ensemble that sings traditional songs, sang
a lovely tune called “Lo, How a Rose Ere
Blooming,” written by Michael Praetorius
in 1609, while Studio Singers, the select
jazz ensemble, sang the Darmon Meader
arrangement of “The First Noel.” Solos in
the piece were performed by Dominic
Fallacaro and Stephanie Blair.
The experience of traveling to a recording studio was exciting for the students
that took part in the event and on the day
of the recording. It was evident that they
liked the idea of being on a real CD. After
a sound check for each group, the final
recordings were made in the studio for
each group with a hanging microphone
and a recording engineer behind a glass
wall. After the final takes for each of the
two groupswere recorded, pictures were
taken by a FLY 92 DJ, and the groups
returned back to the waiting room where
they were elated to see Teddy Grahams
awaiting them. As the students left, it
was clear that they were satisfied with
their performances and were anxious to
see what they actually sounded like on the
CD. Commented senior Julia Burkey on
the performance, “I think NHS is beginning to develop a reputation in the community. First [we had] our performance
at St. John’s last year, and now this. It’s
nice to get our voices out there.” Conduc-
tor Paula Brinkman agreed, saying, “I
was pleased with the way both groups
performed.”
The experience proved to be valuable
to many students, including sophomore
Sarah Walroth, who said, “I think it was
really nice how all of the local high schools
put this CD together for a good cause,
and I hope we can go again next year.”
The same held true for sophomore
Chelsea Stone, who added, “I thought it
was a really cool learning experience. I
had never been inside a recording studio
before, so it was interesting to see how
[the] recording [was] done. It felt really
professional.”
Niskayuna singers will hopefully continue to participate in this holiday experience. Students were also pleased to know
that their singing would earn money for a
good cause. These CDs will be sold locally
at CR Wireless locations in Crossgates
Mall and Colonie Center. FLY 92 DJs will
be visiting the school when the CD goes on
sale and will be selling it in Crossroads.
Ceramics presentation intrigues students
Alfred University graduate gives lecture on ceramic engineering
by Leanne Merrill
NEWS
The Little Theater became
a giant classroom when Andrew Corman, a 2002 graduate of Alfred University, held
a lecture on ceramic engineering on Wednesday October 22. The lecture covered
the definition of ceramic engineering as well as its wide
scope of uses.
Junior Robert Manor, who
listed Corman’s credentials,
introduced the presentation.
Corman pursued a ceramic engineering degree at Alfred University and now travels to
schools, teaching students
about his field of study. He is
on several nationally recognized engineering boards and
is also an avid athlete.
Corman opened the presentation by asking the audience,
which consisted of students of
all grade levels, questions
about ceramics. When asked
what words they associated
with ceramics, the students’
answers were such items as
“pottery” and “hair straighteners.” Corman used this as
a connection to the real definition of ceramics, which are
defined as any “non-metallic, inorganic solids.”
Using an overhead projector, Corman discussed many of
the practical uses of ceramic
materials. He named materials such as glass for the production of windshields and
goggles, glass being a ceramic
which is cooled at a different
rate so that the particles end
up in a less organized fashion,
making an amorphous solid.
Corman also discussed jewelry
making, mentioning gemstones as a ceramic material,
and talked about NASA’s use
of ceramics, such as tiles for
solar panels for space shuttles.
Athletic equipment is made
largely of ceramics, such as
carbon fiber, and various other
materials that make running
shoes, bikes, and skis more
lightweight, durable, and practical. The military uses ceramics for night vision goggles and
insuring the pinpoint accuracy
of missiles, and the police use
Kevlar for bulletproofing. Ceramics also have environmental uses: saving manatees, for
example, by stopping gates
from closing on them and killing them.
Corman defined materials
engineering in general as “manipulating the atomic and molecular structure to create new
things.” He spoke about the
elements and the myriad of
ways to combine them. According to him, materials engineers
basically mix and match elements to create materials for
whatever field of science
they are a part of, his own
being ceramics.
He also mentioned that materials engineers “make
messes.” Some students in the
audience were given an opportunity to make their own mess
by mixing cornstarch and water to create a solid. This demonstrated the process of mixing two things to make some
thing new, as well as making
messes, when the students attempted to play catch with
the “solid” cornstarch.
Throughout the presentation, Corman used several
props to show what ceramic
engineering can produce, such
as a catalytic converter from
a car, a hard drive from a few
decades ago, and tiles from a
space ship. Although his presentation was slightly longer
than the time allotted, his last
few minutes were a very brief
overview of biomedical engineering and its difficulties as
well as information about why
someone would choose to be
an engineer. Sophomore
Matt Conlon, who attended
the presentation, said “It
was a little rushed, but…it
was very well done and he
made engineering seem to
be something useful in the
modern world, which it is.”
Obviously, the energetic
Corman was able to bring
ceramic engineering, a topic
which students may not be
familiar with, to life.
October 31, 2003
4 Opinion
Teenagers need to taste a bite of reality
Our four years of high school are supposed to be a period of growth and maturation, to prepare us for the world beyond. We
stumble, make our mistakes, and succeed.
Ultimately, we learn from our decisions.
Niskayuna is known nationally for producing well-educated,
high-scoring students, but is it
teaching students how to be capable, independent human beings? The disciplinary actions our school enforces are
uncreative and ineffective, and put student
responsibility not in student hands. Cutting
class warrants three detentions, but what
do detentions prove? Cutting class hurts the
individual student, not the school community. We are making our own choices about
our education, and we will suffer the consequences regardless of specific punishment.
Threatening students with an afternoon of
twiddling thumbs does not promote a sense of responsibility
for learning. Similarly, ideas
and self-expression are sometimes limited by adults, in an effort to
protest teenagers fromthings supposedly
above their maturity level.
Perhaps, instead of sheltering kids until
they leave home, adults should admit that
kids already live in the “real world.”
EDITORIAL
Nisky stereotyping shallow
by Anthony Guzman and
David Liebers
OPINION
It would be nice to think
that in today’s society, we’ve
become accustomed to seeing
individuals as the people they
truly are, rather than categorizing them into ethnicities,
cultural backgrounds, or socioeconomic classes. Nonetheless, it is clear that our little
community of Niskayuna is
one of the most stereotyped
in the area.
“Nisky is a bunch of snobby
rich kids, drivin’ around in their
BMWs and wearing their
preppy clothes,” says a student from Colonie. This is one
of the most common, and frequent stereotypes about our
district. But is it true? As a
student from the Academy of
Holy Names put it,
”[Niskayuna] is in the middle
of suburbia, with tall trees and
green grass. That’s rich kid
land.” But does where we live
represent who we are?
Shenendehowa and Scotia are
just a few miles away. It’s ridiculous to think that a mere
change in landscape can cause
the economic backlash that is
supposedly characteristic of us.
Seriously, it’s not like you see
perfectly-cut lawns on one end,
looming skyscrapers on the
other. As for the BMWs we
supposedly all drive, I don’t
see that many when I walk
through the parking lot. Or
maybe the Colonie student saw
the same one over and over.
Technically, yes, our community rakes in one of the
largest income averages in the
area. That is a fact. A quick
glance of an online profile of
our school (found at
www.greatschools.net or http:/
/www.emsc.nysed.gov), it’s
plausible that one may look at
the largely racially homogeneous student population, and
the low numbers in the “Student Socioeconomic and Stability Indicators” columns, and
jump to the conclusion that
our whole school is just a jumble
of rich white kids. However, it
is irresponsible to label an entire student population of
around 1400 people as the
same. We come from different
backgrounds, and we are individuals. Says senior Teddy
Hausler, “It’s hard to think
that a school with so much
diversity can foster such ignorant stereotypes from others.”
Being a student in this high
school for my third year, I can
say that I’ve seen diversity in
all people, whether it is in what
people wear, where thy come
from, or what they believe. Isn’t
this diversity that makes our
little high school lives interesting? Even though our schools
stereotypes are widely accepted as being factual I, and
probably whoever bothers to
read this knows that our school
is a truly diverse place in all
aspects, if you care to look.
We’re more than just a bunch
of kids wearing preppy clothes,
driving our 2004 sports cars,
apathetic to the happenings
of the world. Many would
question whether it’s possible, or even worth persuading, the many students from
other schools that we’re more
than just labels.
Maybe it would be interesting to look at the issue in
a larger scope. Internationally speaking, the United
States is a moneymaking,
capitalist nation, richer than
many others. Consequently,
the US has been stereotyped
as greedy, and overly extravagant. But, within our own
country, we see rural farmers co-existing with greedy
CEO’s. Thus, in our own little
school, we should at least
consider that, we just might
be actual individuals, not a
bunch of rich clones pushed
into one school environment.
Some may argue that stereotyping isn’t even a bad
thing. Practically every
ethnicity and social class has
its stereotypes, and having
money doesn’t seem to be so
negative. Because each group
has it’s own unique distinctions, it is only natural to
point out these differences
and exaggerate them into
partially true, partially untrue labels. But stereotypes
undermine what truly makes
our nation, as well as our
school, great; diversity in, and
appreciation for, every individual- for these are the foundations of peace and compassion between all people.
The Warrior
The Warrior
Niskayuna High School
1626 Balltown Road
Niskayuna, NY 12309
(518) 382-2511, Ext. 351
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/
warrior/
T H E S TA F F
EDITORS -I N-CHIEF : Tae Andrews,
Elspeth Edelstein
NEWS EDITORS : Jesse Conti, Leanne
Merrill, Julia Napolitano, Jeremy
Wolos
ASST . N EWS: Nate Staudinger
OPINION E DITORS: Kishori Rajan, Alec
Wilson
ASST . O PINION: Evan Ballan
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR : Stephanie
Blair, Matt Larkin
S PORTS EDITORS : Jonathan Chow, Lisa
D’Aniello
ASST . S PORTS: Peter Chalfin
M AGAZINE E DITORS: Alice Lee, Anna Yu,
Kathryn Fantauzzi
ASST . M AGAZINE: Anjana Rajan
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jackie Nguyen
B USINESS M ANAGER: Erik Donhowe
ADVERTISING MANAGER : Jonas Chang
GRAPHICS COORDINATOR: Evan Fenaroli
C OPY EDITOR: Abby Alger
ADVISORS : James Edgar, Russell
McDowell
EDITORIAL POLICIES
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome from all members of the
school community. The Warrior
reserves the right to edit letters
for grammar and length.
SIGNED OPINION ARTICLES AND CARTOONS express the opinions of their
creators.
UNSIGNED EDITORIALS represent
the consensus of the paper’s editorial board, which may not reflect
the majority of the students’ views.
THE OP-ED PAGES are a forum for
students’ opinions and ideas.
The Warrior is published each Friday the high school has classes (33
times a year).
For a one-year subscription, send
a check for $25 payable to Niskayuna
High School to The Warrior, Attn:
Subscriptions, 1626 Balltown Rd.,
Niskayuna, NY 12309.
The supernatural finds residence in Nisky
by Anna S. Yu
M AGAZINE
Get this: you may be living
right next to a haunted house
and not even know it. According to retired social studies
teacher Geoffrey Stroebel, real
haunted houses in Niskayuna
and Rexford are a lot more prevalent than we think.
Said Stroebel, “Oh, we’ve had a
lot of people with spirits. A lot of
people have to call ghostbusters to
get rid of them. No joke. It’s wild.”
Niskayuna’s general population
doesn’t get wind of most of these
houses with spirits for an obvious
reason: homeowners are afraid the
spirits will decrease the value of
the house when they plan to sell it.
Apparently, however, these people
confide in or seek advice from
Stroebel, who has a reputation
for his discourses on spirits and
ghosts, and has had encounters
with spirits himself.
Rexford especially is home to
many reputed ghosts. Senior
Hannah Adams lives near an
alleged haunted house. As much
as I’d like to, I’m not allowed to
say exactly where this house is
because of real estate laws.
However, it’s one of the oldest
houses in Rexford, and has been
on the real estate market for several years. Said Stroebel, “Some
people just won’t live in haunted
houses. They’re for sale forever
and nobody will live there.”
Despite living in such close
proximity to it, Adams said, “I
don’t really notice it because there
are a lot of trees around it. I’m not
scared of it or anything.” Adams
has lived in her house for many
years, but she only knows very
little about her neighbors in the
“haunted house”: “I think it’s an
elderly couple but I never really
see people there. I mean, their
lawn is always mowed and sometimes the lights are on, but…I
know they used to have a dog, but
I haven’t seen that dog in awhile.”
Stroebel also pointed out several other haunted housees in the
region. One house by Lock 7 is
reputed to be haunted by a ghost
named Jacob who has an affinity
for rearranging furniture and playing the piano. Another local location known for its ghosts is
Walhalla Farms, which used to
raise bulls. The owner, Jessie
Zoller, was gouged to death by one
of the bulls and now, as legend has
it, her apparition haunts the
grounds and makes dishes in
the main house shake. Saratoga
and Galway are also wellknown for their haunted
houses. “Students are drawn
to these haunted houses,” says
Stroebel. “A lot of Niskayuna
students go to the haunted
sanatorium in Sacandaga just
for fun, to see if anything will
happen.”
I made a visit to some of
these alleged haunted
houses one windy Monday
night with a friend to see if
I would find anything a bit
peculiar. We didn’t see any
ghosts, per se, but at one
haunted house, we saw an
owl swoop down, catch its
prey, and fly away.
Although many people
blow off the idea of the existence of haunted houses,
Stroebel said, “I think most
people do believe in ghosts.
People are into anything
they don’t understand. But
regardless, there’s something
about getting scared. People
love getting scared.
It’s fun.”
Ghouls and goblins wreak mischief and
by Anjali Nirmalan
MAGAZINE
I know that there’s a ghost in the photo
lab darkroom, but no one believes me. Picture the scene: I leave the empty darkroom
to go to the deserted photo room for a few
moments, then return to find that my developing photo has been mysteriously moved
from the stop bath to the fixer. There have
been several repeats of this incident, and it
gets creepier each time. The only reason I
have not confronted this mischievous phantom is that those particular photographs tend
to come out slightly better. How embarrassing it would be to discover a miserable hobgoblin better at photography than me.
However, the eerie constant ticking sounds
and rippling of the chemicals in the completely still darkroom are not the only peculiar occurrences to be observed in our school.
What about the classroom clocks that are
reset over and over and yet are always
running late or early? Or the inhuman wailing that often emits from the heaters? I
personally know more than one teacher who
finds that the best way to stop this is by
dropping a few textbooks onto the misbe-
having device. But to complete the process,
it needs to be stuffed with monkweed, topped
with essence of belladonna, and simmered
slowly. Guaranteed pocket ghostbuster, I
assure you.
This time last year I would have suspected the illusory pool as the most insubstantial being around. Yet, though it may
now actually contain water, don’t let your
guard down! A swim team member has
confided to me that her foot has been
inexplicably grabbed more than once during practice. My suspicions are confirmed.
I won’t be found in that pool with anything
less than a bazooka, man-eating squid or
no man-eating squid.
Then there are the devilish faucets in
the girls’ bathrooms, where no matter how
much you pull and tug, the only evident
moisture is that which drips from the pipes
under the sink. Purely in the interest of
scientific knowledge, I once proposed an
investigation of the boys’ bathrooms for
evidence of a similar phenomenon but a
male friend was quick to assure me that
their bathrooms were quite fine, thank
you very much. The only possible conclu-
sion, then, is a misogynist ghoul. Is this
enough to sue for gender discrimination?
As for evidence of real zombies, merely
observe some of the construction workers
that haunt the vicinity. Sometimes they’re
busy lurching about on the fields, and sometimes they’ve disappeared altogether. It’s
often under the latter conditions that the
possessed heavy machinery moves itself.
At noon, these zombies retreat to their
freshly dug graves, sorry, tennis courts,
until the next tasty golf-ball-chasing student wanders into the newly-installed
quicksand.
Heed my advice and don’t stand under
those loose ceiling tiles, or step in the deceptive puddles that appear from time to
time in the hallways. You never know what
might be getting ready to crawl out of them.
Bees, for instance. An unnatural swarm
has targeted the school, presenting a clear
and dangerous threat. I propose that the
administration move the security level up
to mauve and call in a Defense Against the
Dark Arts master. Surely procuring one
would be a less expensive endeavor than
paying for gallons of pesticides, and would
“I saw dead people” Wicca isn’t so wicked
by Nate Staudinger
bottom of a U-shaped terrain, and
MAGAZINE if one looks hard enough, one
It was the summer of 2000 and can see the highway up on the
my brother Caleb and I were right side and hear the rapids
stranded somewhere in the on the left. But the forest was
Adirondacks carrying a
far too dense to reach either from this point.
100 pound canoe over our
heads, battling fleets of
We had been completely
black flies and trying
alone for about 15 minutes, when suddenly we
to keep our feet on the
flimsy walking-boards
saw what we thought
that separated us from
were our counselors’ red
and blue kayaks bouncthe eternal pits of mud.
And who said summer
ing above the grassline
behind us, and a big
camp isn’t any fun?
Our exciting canoe
green canoe doing the
trip had come to the exsame about 30 feet in front
of us. Caleb and I decided
citing two-mile porwe would sit down for a
tage section, as the
minute, and wait for the
watercourse became
Warrior art /
Lee
parties to pass us.
rushing rapids and ended with Aliceother
Ten minutes passed. Fifteen
the Haunted Waterfall. It was
at this section that a girl had minutes passed. Twemty minbeen murdered, pushed down utes passed. Not realizing what
the rapids by her own family, had just happened, we got up
50 years earlier. Legend had it after a half hour and continued
that she still roamed the area our trek to the campsite. It
wasn’t until we got there and
looking for revenge.
We came to a point in the por- our counselors told us that they
tage that was pretty thin and was had been there for more than
surrounded on both sides by trees three hours, that we realized
and tall grass. The path is at the that we had just seen a ghost.
Julia Schnell
MAGAZINE
My upbringing has taught me
the importance of learning about
the practices of various religions,
whether they are Jewish, Catholic, Hindu, or from any number
of less mainstream religions.
First, I’d like to dispell some
myths about Wicca.
Wicca is not a cult. Cults are
popularly defined as destructive
groups involving a diabolical central figure, and which restrictively control their members.
Using this description, Wicca is
not a cult, but is instead a small
group of people worshipping their
own faith. This fits a much older
definition of the word “cult.”
Wiccans neither sacrifice nor
eat babies. While some Wiccans
perhaps sacrifice relationships
with their loved ones in order to
pursue their beliefs, the most
fundamental belief of Wicca
(known as the Wiccan Rede)
states, “An it harm no one, do
what you will.” In simpler terms:
don’t do it if it hurts someone.
Canibalism and sacrifice both go
against this basic law of Wicca,
so they are obviously not done.
Wicca is not a dogmatic religion, so there is nothing stating
that spell casting is right or
wrong. Not all witches cast spells,
and while some people follow
Wicca only for this ability, they
are most often doing it for the
wrong reasons. Spells in Wicca
are very similar to prayers in
other religions. They also ask
the powers that be for action to
be taken in their favor, although
spell casting seems to carry with
it a certain mystique which
makes it seem more definite or
powerful.
The idea of “Satan” comes from
the Christian Church, symbolizing all which is deemed bad. The
view of Wicca as a Satan-worshipping religion is only valid if
you believe that the philosophies
of the Wiccans are opposite to
those of your own beliefs.
If you are interested in Wicca,
whether for your own practice or
merely to better inform yourself
on the beliefs of others, you will
find a wealth of informative
books on the subject at most libraries or bookstores.
mayhem on petrified, panicking, pupils
doubtless be more beneficial to our wellbeing.
Being the brilliant researcher that I am, I
have also come up with a solution to combat the malicious crashing of the lab’s
computers. After logging in, simply hold
your breath while reciting the Norwegian alphabet backwards and carefully
spin counter-clockwise in your chair
16.75 times. Your computer is 100%
guaranteed not to crash if you follow
these directions, or if it does, it probably
won’t matter to your dizzy senses.
True incident: I once forgot my notes
in my locker and was on the way to a
friend’s house to pick up a copy when I
saw that the school was still open. As in
totally open: very spectral door was gaping wide and exposed to the eleven o’
clock night air. As I walked through the
uncannily silent hallways, I saw not a
hint of life. Yet compared to our daytime
locked-door policies and domineering
hall monitors, I might prefer to attend
school at night, creepy or not.
This incident proves if anything that more
protection is needed in our school: no, not to
fight those convicts who are constantly plotting security breaches, but to combat preying supernatural
forces.
breathing humans, do you? When even video
cameras couldn’t catch them? After all, a
protective amulet in the form of an ancient
rotting Barnum and Bailey sign can’t be
expected to do everything. I’m thinking that
one or two hexagram wards drawn in
mugwort ashes at Crossroads could prove
valuable in the future. Also, don’t forget
district-distributed garlic chains, as well
as saltshakers at each cafeteria table
for tossing-over-the-shoulder convenience. Actually, the cafeteria’s breakfast foods are underestimated. A bagel
with sesame seeds and a dollop of cream
cheese can ward off any predatory
vampireas well, at least the highly allergic ones.
It’s tough being the sole defender
against the advance of evil in our school,
especially with such vengeful spirits
abroad. If I ever don’t return from photography class, you’ll know where to
find me. Just one thing before plunging
Warrior art / Steve Daughtner into the rescue mission: you know how
certain darkroom chemicals occasionally
You don’t really think that all those unex- become thick, dark, and distressingly simiplained bomb threats were caused by living, lar to the blood? Yeah, don’t touch those.
Horror flicks in the Haunted House
by Steve Chao and Josh
Xiong
MAGAZINE
The annual Haunted House
was held this past Saturday,
October 25, 2003, at Niskayuna
High School. Each year the
Haunted House has a different
theme; this one focused upon
movies. The coordinators took
scary scenes from different films
and reenacted them in the D
and E Halls. Where better to
conduct a haunted house full of
scientific disfigurements other
than in the science wings? Portrayed movies included Texas
Chainsaw Massacre, The Ring,
Jason, Psycho, Silence of the
Lambs, Scream, The Blair
Witch Project, and Signs. For
The Blair Witch Project, the students used a video recorder,
while in Silence of the Lambs
they showed a masked
Hannibal Lector breaking out
of his nearby jail cell and preparing to go on another killing
spree. For the movie Jason, a
student dressed up as Jason,
held a machete and blocked the
doorway before letting people
pass. The students also reenacted the eerie scene from The
journey, the seniors, with black
clothing and painted faces, randomly jumped out to spook pass-
Warrior photo / Liza Plotnikova
DON’T BE SCARED: Haunted House guides pose with a big smile.
Ring in which the girl emerges
from the well and then climbs
out of the television. This
reenacment was one of the scariest in the Haunted House.
Throughout the blood-chilling
ersby. Their antics, as well as
the music selections, were very
well planned.
At the close of the Haunted
House, a group of middle school
students were chased through
the corridors towards Crossroads by a huge figure dressed
entirely in black. The students,
while seemingly mortified,
seemed to enjoy the chase. Kim
Fagan, a girl in the group,
exclaimed, “I was crying! It was
so scary!” Matt Panneton and
Jenna Foote stated, “[The
Haunted House] was really
good and a lot scarier than last
year.” Jillian Seimor agreed,
saying, “I thought that it was
the best Haunted House so far.”
Indeed, the senior class outdid themselves with this year’s
festivities.
However,
improvments can always be
made for next year’s Haunted
House, and still more bold and
innovative approaches can be
developed to petrify people of
all ages. Overall, the Haunted
House was a success, and although the sections became
subtly cliched after a few surprises, the entire project was,
as a whole, entertaining, well
planned out, and organized.
Kudos to the senior class and to
all those who contributed.
A Ghostly Survey
Silver recently conducted a random survey of 73 students about their belief in ghosts. Here are the plain results:
Do you believe in any ghosts, spirits, phantoms, or any
other supernatural beings, good or bad?
Do you believe it is
possible to communicate with the dead?
Do you follow any religion, creed, etc.?
Have you ever come in contact with/discovered
traces of a supernatural being?
How superstitious do
you think you are?
Survey conducted by Kathryn Fantauzzi, Alice Lee, Anjali Nirmalan, Katie Sheehan
The Warrior
October 31, 2003
Opinion
5
Orchard Park: driving into controversy
Students have right and need for
extended parking privileges
by Ashley Rubino
OPINION
According to recent reports
and complaints from local residents, parking is again an issue
in Niskayuna. Most recently,
residents are attempting to have
parking banned on Orchard
Park Drive. All those who park
on Orchard Park, including me,
are aware of the issue of parking
space.
If you’re unfamiliar
with Orchard Park
Drive, it’s the street
located near the Town
Hall off Nott Street
East. So far, local residents have been successful in banning
parking on other
streets, such as
Rankin Road. I remember when
students used to park there all
the time, but when residents
complained, student parking
was banned. Orchard Park is
next on the list for “No Parking”
signs. Truthfully, I believe that
people are taking this issue
too far.
I have been approached by one
of the residents and can understand why a person would be mad
if someone was parking on his/her
property all the time. We all would
be upset if people parked on our
properties everyday, but this reaction is a bit extreme. There are
only a few occasions when space is
so limited so that students are
forced to park in front of residential property. Everyone parks
where the trees are located, where
there are no houses. In other words,
it is public property, so I don’t see
why this is an issue. We’re doing
them a favor by not parking on
their lawn. Another issue, as one
resident stated, is that a student
driver almost hit her two-year-old
twins. On the Channel 6 news
report, a woman said that her kids
were almost run over, and she
pointed out the spot where it almost happened, right near the
mailbox. One question: who lets
their two-year-olds play near the
road? Come on, now! That’s why
we have backyards. Another
thing is that these kids have all
their toys in their driveway; but
toys don’t belong near the road,
especially those belonging to
two-year-olds. That’s their fault,
not ours.
Also, in the news report a man
stated, “If students don’t want to
wake up an hour early to take the
bus, then they should go to bed an
hour earlier.” How
can we go to bed
earlier when teachers load us with
homework, which
keeps us up until the
early morning hours?
The school board
plays a major role in
this problem, because
they do not provide adequate parking for students in the school lots.
I have also seen some people come
in and park in the senior lot just to
use the pool, or the track. We need
to remember that the Senior Lot is
for the seniors. The tennis courts
were recently paved and are going
to be used for future parking, but
these will only accommodate approximately 85 or more vehicles.
Since the senior lot currently has
only 160 spaces and the senior
class consists of about 325 students, that leaves 80 seniors without parking spots. Another problem is the way parking passes are
distributed. It’s not fair, because it
is done by lottery. It should be first
come, first serve. The tennis courts
are being moved to the back of the
school, but why didn’t the school
save itself some money and keep
the tennis courts where they were,
and turn the back of the school
into more parking? It’s already
used as parking at football games.
The Orchard Park issue should
be discussed with the school board,
and hopefully they will be able to
see the students’ view on the matter. If that parking gets taken
away, then the students will simply find another spot, which will
soon fill up with cars, and the
problem will just continue.
Parking rules needed in order to
keep drivers and residents safe
by Jon Chow
OPINION
When you drive towards the
intersection of Nott Street Extension and Orchard Park
Drive during the school day,
your lane suddenly narrows.
But no, it is not narrowing as
a result of a sudden shrinkage
of road- it is a narrowing because of the barrage of cars
parked on the side.
A town ordinance must ban
parking in this area before it
gets even worse. First, the
cars are parked halfway in the
road on both sides. This results in a two-lane road being
condensed into one lane road.
Now, the owners of the cars
might think that is okay, but a
slight problem occurs when two
cars going down the road are
traveling in opposite directions.
Both have to stop and one has
to back up, while trying to avoid
the toddlers playing in the
neighborhood and in their
driveways and the juniors who
mindlessly wander in the road.
This problem is only exacerbated when school buses try to
pass through the area without
sideswiping the students’ cars.
Now one might offer the solution of having the students
park further away
from the road. However, this would result in the cars being inconsiderately
parked on the lawns
of the residents,
which not only destroys their turf, but
is also an invasion
of their privacy. After all, who
would ever want a bunch of
strangers to park and tramp
on their lawns every single day?
Of course, they are justified in
trying to ban parking.
Furthermore, parking in this
residential area with many toddlers poses safety issues. While
many of the drivers may be
safe and cautious, all of the
drivers are young and inexpe-
rienced. Driving down the road
every day, I have seen a select
few drivers pull out of their
spots and step on the gas without consideration for any pedestrians or cars that are
around them. They drive too
quickly and too recklessly for a
residential setting and pose a
risk to kids who may be playing games near the road. The
Channel 6 report described
how a student almost hit a
resident’s kids a week ago.
One can argue that she
shouldn’t have let her kids
play near the road in the first
place, but remember that pedestrians, and not cars, have
the right of way.
This issue will be solved with
the creation of the new parking lot, which will come from
making new tennis courts in
the back of the school and
paving over the old courts, an
economically sound decision according the Athletic Department. The new lot will
accomodate 85 more parking
spots and since there are only
25 students on the waiting list
for a parking permit, everyone
in the senior class who wants
to park on-campus will be able
to do so, leaving 60 more spots
to be filled by visitors and staff.
Therefore, with
the creation of a
new parking lot
and, by a ban on
parking on Orchard
Park Drive, everybody will be happy.
All the seniors who
apply for a parking permit will
get them. All the residents
will be able to look out their
windows and see lush green
lawns instead of a barrage of
ugly cars. All the children will
be able to play in their neighborhood without being harassed by inconsiderate drivers. As for you juniors, you’ll
just have to wait until next
year to drive to school.
6
Entertainment
October 31, 2003
The Warrior
Kill Bill is killer
by Evan Ballan
ENTERTAINMENT
“I can tell you with no ego
that this is my finest blade. If,
on your journey, you should
encounter God, God would be
cut.” With these words legendary swordsman Hattori Hanzo
sends the revenge-thirsty protagonist on her way in director
Quentin Tarantino’s latest
movie, Kill Bill.
The movie, a satirical maelstrom of bloodshed and comedy, depicts the quest of one
woman, played by Uma
Thruman, known as “The Bride,”
or by her codename, “Black
Mamba.” Her real name is spoken in the movie, but in one of
the films many quirks, it is
bleeped out on the soundtrack
each time it is spoken. The
Bride is formerly of the elite
killing group “The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad”
(DiVAS), all of whom have serpentine codenames (hence
“Black Mamba”) and are led
by the enigmatic title character, Bill. After deciding to
settle down and get married,
The Bride gets shot in the head
by her own former squad at
the culmination of a bloody
massacre slaughtering her
entire wedding party.
The Bride lapses into a coma,
and is warned by a DiVAS
member posing as a nurse, Elle
Driver, played by Daryl
Hannah, “Don’t you ever wake
up.” The Bride, however,
doesn’t heed Elle’s advice, and
awakens four years later to
learn about the tragedy that
transpired. Furious at the betrayal by her former colleagues, the Bride has only
one thing on her mind: revenge. Upon escaping from
the hospital, she writes the
“Death List Five,” listing the
members of the DiVA squad
responsible for her condition,
and sets off to systematically
kill them one by one. Such is
the entire plot of Kill Bill. Ergo,
as far as plot goes, the movie is
somewhat lacking, but it is
made up for completely in the
breathtaking fight sequences.
The lack of plot allows for the
movie to focus entirely on the
action, resulting in one of the
most intense ninety minutes
ever spen by moviegoers.
Although immensely entertaining overall, the film is
characterized by a seemingly
endless amount of blood and
violence throughout. While
there are several scenes that
border on disturbing (the
film’s opening and an anime
sequence, in particular), most
of the violence is presented in
a light manner, (a severed arm
spewing fountain of blood
throughout the room and
bathing all) causing a vast majority of the violence to seem
Photo courtesy IMDb.com
FEEL MY STEEL : Thurman makes it apparent that she’s had her fill
with Bill and intends to spill his blood as she does with many of her other
enemies in the film.
outright silly.
Another enjoyable aspect of
the film is its music. Each
track of the soundtrack has
clearly been carefully chosen
to fit the point at the movie
during which it plays. The
tunes are often reminiscent of
songs from old kung fu and
western movies, upon which
Kill Bill is obviously based.
Songs like “Battle Without
Honor or Humanity,” and “The
Lonely Shepherd” manage to
create a unique tone that perfectly complements the film.
Kill Bill is also a movie that,
while likely to be eternally
enjoyable, is truly a theater
movie. The visual effects combined with the fight sounds
and music make the theater
experience a unique and unforgettable one.
The only male DiVA member, save for leader Bill, Budd,
comments in one of his few
scenes, “That woman deserves
her revenge. And we deserve
to die.” Unfortunately, at
movie’s end, we don’t find out
if this prophecy comes true.
Kill Bill is only the first of
two volumes, which, though
originally filmed together,
were separated because of
their length, and the presumption that the public wouldn’t
be able or willing to sit
through three hours of
straight killing. Thus, of the
Death List Five, the Bride has
only battled two by the culmination of the movie, leaving
two more henchmen and Bill
for Volume 2. The idea of two
volumes is initially somewhat
trying, as I came to the theater
wanting to see the entire movie,
and I remain confident that I
could have kept going for another ninety minutes, but
Tarantino ends the movie with
a shocking revelation which
served as the perfect cliffhanger
that made me instantly forgive
the division of the film, and
ensured I would be back in
theaters the very day volume
two is released in February of
next year.
The Warrior
October 31, 2003
Sports
7
Volleyball narrowly misses Sectionals
by Lisa D’Aniello
Although this
season’s record was
only one win better
than last year’s
record, according to
Simmons “there
was definitely a lot
more effort this
year.” This is probably because of the
players maturing
as both individuals
and as a team.
“Our record is a
bit deceiving as we
had an extremely
slow start at 1-6,”
explained Bray.
Warrior photo/ Lisa D’Aniello
“But we finished 56 to get to our 6-12 SPIKE IT, BABY: Junior Kefim Simmons uses his height to his advantage
record.” The team to slam the ball over the net and score a point for the Warriors in their last
game of the season last Thursday.
won its first game,
at home against Mohonasen on September win three games is the overall victor. If
8, but lost the next six games, including two teams are fairly evenly matched, the
those against Shenendehowa, Burnt set can last as long as five games.
The team’s two games against Saratoga
Hills, and Bethlehem. Niskayuna then
beat Columbia on September 24, were both losses for the Warriors, but
Guilderland on September 26, were also exciting, lasting for five games
Mohonasen again on September 29, each time.
“We had the skill and talent to be a
Shaker on October 3, and Colonie on
great team,” said Shickley, “but we didn’t
October 17.
The win against Colonie was probably really start playing, and the energy
the most exciting matchup of the season. wasn’t really there usually until the end
“We played for five games,” said Evans, of the game.”
The Warriors improved upon this
“and just managed to pull it out in the
end.” For those not familiar with volley- throughout the season, though. “Our
ball rules, the first team to reach 25 team started slow, but came on strong in
points wins a game, and the first team to the end of the year,” said Bray. “Next
year we hope to play better right from
the start and qualify for Sectionals.”
As the team’s number of wins vastly
increased mid-season, the boys’ goal of
making it to Sectionals looked like it
could be possible. The last two games,
which would have had to end in victories
in order to reach the eight wins necessary for qualifiying, were against Colombia and Guilderland, both of whom
the Warriors beat the first time around.
However, both of the other teams improved significantly, and although the
games were very close, with Nisky often
in the lead, the team just could not hang
on long enough.
Although the Silver Warriors regret
having come so close and not made it in
the end, for the non-seniors on the team
next year offers another opportunity for
success. “We have a lot of young players
Warrior photo/ Lisa D’Aniello
who will be moving up to the Varsity
OUR STRATEGY IS TO WIN: With his team behind by only one point towards the end of Game
team next year,” said Simmons, “so we
Two against Mohonasen last Thursday, Niskayuna boys’ volleyball coach Darryl Bray calls a timeout to give his team a pep talk.
should have a lot of potential.”
SPORTS
Last Thursday, October 23, marked
the end of the boys’ varsity volleyball
season. The team finished with a record
of 6-12, just two victories shy of making
it all the way to Sectionals.
The team was fairly small this season,
with only nine players, more than half of
whom were seniors. Darryl Bray led the
team in his third year of coaching
Niskayuna, and sixth year coaching overall. Bray played volleyball in high school,
and still keeps it up through a league at
the YMCA. His team was the league champion last year. He uses his experience to
try to coach the team to their full potential.
“He really gave us a good push,” said
senior Ryan Evans, who just joined the
team this year after running cross-country,
thinking his 6’4” height would be of more
value to the volleyball team. “If you slack,
Bray will get on you.”
Although the team was full of strong
players, they all had a hard time coming
together. “Each person had a strong attribute,” said senior co-captain Donovan
Shickley, “like Kefim [Simmons]’s middle
hitting or Dan Cutler’s passing, but we had
trouble putting it all together.”
Simmons and Evans, as middle hitters, were major contributers, as well as
junior setters Mike Corey and Craig
Mormino, and outside hitter Shickley.
Simmons was just recently named a Suburban Council All-Star, an honor that
very few players receive.
8
Sports
October 31, 2003
The Warrior
McTague: one of top runners in country
meet at Niskayuna’s home
course she finished second
to Saratoga’s Nicole Blood
by only seven seconds, a remarkably small gap considering Blood recently won the
national NIKE Race
of Champions.
Cross-country
Coach
John
Sharkey has been
coaching McTague
for the past three
years. “Working
with Coach Sharkey
has been great. I
know that he truly
cares about all the
girls on the team.
He wants them to
grow as athletes and
as students,” commented McTague.
Sharing the duties of captain with
senior Sarah Miller,
McTague sets a
Photo courtesy Caitlin McTague
good example for
MCTAGUE, YOU’RE IT: Senior Caitlin
McTague’s academic and athletic success rethe young team,
sulted in her being designated Student Athhalf of which is
lete of the Month.
made up of eighth
graders.
Whether
McTague entered into the s h e i s l e a d i n g i n t h e
fall season with a reputa- s t r e t c h i n g o r o r g a n i z i n g
tion tough to keep up. So p a s t a p a r t i e s , M c T a g u e
far, she is looking stronger demonstrates leadership.
than ever and has been tak- Having been on the team
i n g i n s e v e r a l v i c t o r i e s since seventh grade, and
throughout the season. It is having the number one spot
not only her exceptional on the varsity team since
abilities with the sport of e i g h t h , M c T a g u e k n o w s
cross-country, but her lead- what she is talking about
ership, positive attitude and when it comes to running.
academic capabilities that
McTague’s success this
have earned her the presti- season has helped her team
gious October Student Ath- finish with an awesome 9-1
lete of the Month award.
record, the one loss being to
McTague has raced in ten a team ranked number one
races this season and has in the nation. The wins inditaken first place in eight of cate McTague has a strong
them. The fact that she is team behind her. For the
competing on a regular ba- first time in several years,
sis against some of the top the Niskayuna girls crossrunners in the nation, in country team has proven to
addition to competing in the be a strong force greatly
toughest section in New feared by competitors. With
Y o r k S t a t e , m a k e s h e r McTague leading the way,
record even more impres- the girls are ranked fifth in
sive. This season, McTague’s the state for Class A. Their
5K personal best is 17:35, a goal as a team is to qualify
sub-six-minute mile pace for for the New York State Fedover three miles. In her first eration Meet, which will be
by Robin Bankert
S PORTS
After placing third at last
year’s National Footlocker
Cross-Country Championships,
senior
Caitlin
held in Bowdoin Park mid- contest last year to raise
November.
money for the Peppertree
For McTague and the rest Foundation, and co-editing
of the team, their success is a monthly newsletter last
not only a reflection of their year for B’Nai B’rith, a Jewhard work, but also of their ish convalescent home. In
love for the sport and deter- addition, McTague is a conmination to improve as a t r i b u t i n g w r i t e r t o t h e
group. The teamwork and highly renowned school pasupport is what brings them per, The Warrior.
to the top. “It’s great to have
Although McTague is sad
such a strong team to train that this will be her final
with everyday. The amount year of high school, she looks
of support the girls give each forward to her great future
other is amazing.”
ahead, both academically
Somehow, McTague is able and athletically. She has a
to juggle long runs and tough talent and passion for runworkouts on the track with ning which will stay with
her academic studies and ex- her for years to come. In her
cel at both. When asked how college search, looking for
she balances it all, she said, a n a c a d e m i c a l l y s t r o n g
“Running has helped me pri- s c h o o l w i t h a n e q u a l l y
oritize and manage my time strong cross-country team is
better. I think if I wasn’t on i m p o r t a n t
to
her.
the team my life would be McTague’s last high school
more stressful.”
cross-country season is comMcTague has not used her ing to an end but she has
senior year as a time to slack many more years ahead of
off in school. She has a full her for great success.
course load, including many
Honors classes,
in which she
manages to get
very respectable
grades. Her favorite classes include English
and Latin. “I really like Latin
because
the
class is very
small and we’ve
had the same
teacher for three
years, so we’re
all very close.”
In addition,
McTague is a
member of National Honor Society, and is the
Recording Secretary of NICS, the
community service club. She
has worked on
several major
community service projects, inPhoto courtesy Caitlin McTague
cluding co-chair- STEP BY STEP: Caitlin McTague propels hering the Pet Photo self to victory in a recent meet.