the Arlingtonian - KylePeabody.com

Transcription

WEATHER
Page 9.75
194%
LOW 42 HIGH 55
“vos es stultus’
ARLINGTON’S FINEST NEWS SOURCE
APRIL 2010 VOL. 666 ISSUE 2.37
WORLD
April Fools’ Day
moved to April 5th
because America
said so! USA! USA!
LOCAL
Local man asks for
someone to give him
back his fillet-o-fish.
Arlington High
School ‘Going
Out of Business’
Fiscal Situation, Water
Quality Cited In Memo
by Kyle Peabody
photo by: WE FOUND IT ON GOOGLE
If you have it, you should probably
give it to him.
Budget cuts limit
jokes in The Arlingtonian’s annual April
Fools’ issue
photo by: Richard Racing
LOL! This is a horse! That doesn’t have
anything to do with...anything!
NATIONAL
Study: 3 in 4 people
make up exactly
75% of population
Staff Messiah
ARLINGTON, NY – Don’t call it a
comeback; literally, because it is the exact opposite. Arlington High School, the premiere
high school of the Hudson Valley for over
a century, is closing its doors after years of
service to the local population.
“Everything must go” said administrator
Tom Tiger. “But fear not, because our loss is
your gain! Now is your chance to buy all the
things you hate about school at rock-bottom
prices!” Tiger added.
One unfortunate student, who accidentally knocked over one of the schools old,
non-functional overhead projectors, quickly
learned that there is a strict “you break it, you
buy it” policy in place.
The announcement came as a surprise to
local residents, as the school has a solid track
record of fiscal balance and strong educational
capacity.
“To be honest, I’m kind of shocked”
stated taxpayer Anne Greewon. “I mean, I
know I always complain about and vote down
the budgets, but I never thought it would go
this far.”
D. Hahm Bergelahr, manager and owner
of the McDonalds near the school is concerned about her future sales. “Who will
be the ones making the loud noises in my
parking lot, and having fights in my adjacent
lot? What about the students who loiter in
my restaurant?”
Sayid Yasin, Arlington student and McDonalds employee added “NOOOO!!! Without the school, I’ll lose my job! How am I
supposed to afford my Pokemon cards now?!”
in a frantic, and quite frankly, annoying tone.
Students have also voiced their concerns
with the fate of the school.
“I can’t believe Obama is letting this happen”, said Sean Ellman, a senior at Arlington.
“It just goes to show what a terrible job he is
doing.” He added, “I bet that the unions are
behind this too.”
Sophomore Chris Van Cura added “I just
don’t know what I’ll do without Arlington...I
mean, where am I going to go to school?
Where will I play sports? What about all my
friends? I guess I’ll have to switch to DirecTV
or something.”
According to the Arlington Central School
District website, some items will be sold at
a set price, while others at an auction. Some
of the items listed included:
• Lightly-used curriculum guides –
$29.99
•
“Ergonomic” desks – $14.95 each
•
46-inch flat-panel HDTVs – $199.95
each
•
“Toys ‘R’ Us” chemistry kits – $3.99
- A real steal!
•
Nintendo Wiis in faculty room –
$129.99 each
•
Omer Alptekin’s “Official Alptekin
Bucket” and board-cleaning sponge – $895.95
photo biCurious George
The ‘Going Out Of Business’ Banner at the main enterance will also be auctioned off.
“See that turf football field? Its yours for
$5,999! Buy all three for $10,000! We’ll
even throw in a year of maintenance on us.”
added administrator Jeans Needier.
Even the Arlingtonian is participating in
the liquidation. Lightly used AP Stylebooks
will start at 80% off, while old issues “just
lying around the office” will go for $1 per
1,000 copies. For an extra 79¢, Brian Regan
will personally sign each issue.
Some other items are for auction, and
are without set prices, such as the entire old
section of the building, which was bid up to
nearly $45,000. Other items set for auction
include: the old locker rooms, courtyard three,
and the unfinished auditorium; but none of
these items have received any bids, presumably due tof lack of interest. One student
added “those trashy locker rooms have only
gone downhill since TIME Magazine ranked
them “Top Third World Destination Of The
Decade” last November.”
Ramon Aches, a Nobel-prize winning
economist who studies the fiscal situations of
educational institutions at Harvard University
– Dutchess Campus, said that “[Arlington] has
been on shaky soil for some time now. Things
really started heading downhill when former
Principal Thomas Brooks started new expensive programs, such as “Operation Cleaning
House”, in which the school spent $27 million
for the Ghostbusters to cleanse the school of
“evil spirits that were negatively affecting
we made this one ourselves!
LOOK AT THIS CHART! ITZ GOT
COLERZ AND STUFF!
Glenn Beck sets record for crying on
national television
photo courtesy FOX News
Falsified data reports
up 314159% in 2009
...according to a report from Real Numbers
Inc., who blamed the increase on President
Obama and the Democratic Party.
SPORTS
Favre announces
plan to return to
college football
...wants to “win one more”; remains
‘hush-hush’ regarding minimum 2.0 GPA
Fake Front Page by: Kyle Peabody
student performance.” Another program,
“Operation Arlington Supremacy” in which
the school fought off the Blandings Turtle on
their sanctuary behind the school in order to
build five new athletic fields, one for each day
of the school-week, which carried with them
“extremely high cost”, according to Aches.
At the same time, however, many defend
Brooks’ decision, citing student and faculty
safety; adding that if the school really needed
to save money, they could consider scrapping
the proposal to build a sixty-foot shrine to
honor current Superintendent Frank Pepe
for his decade of service to the district. “I
understand where they’re coming from, but do
we really need a 60-foot shrine? I think 40to-45 feet should suffice.”, said local resident
Harried Parent.
This District business managers estimate
that the liquidation should bring in between
$60 and $75 million. As to what they plan
to do with that money, a source told the Arlingtonian that the District plans to complete
the ongoing construction, and then promptly
demolish the entire structure.”
“We’re almost done building a giant new
section, might as well let them finish.” said
administrator Dr. No, “Worst case scenario
we just get a bigger ‘boom’ when we blow
the whole thing up.
While some are skeptical as to whether or
not Arlington is really disappearing forever,
administrator Frank Forest made it clear that
“Once its gone, its gone.”
McHugh And Nieman Siebold Exposed As
– Trouble In Paradise ‘Scientific Superhero’
by Michael Lei
What a baby.
Copyright ©2010 OnionRing, Inc. No Rights Reserved | NY
McHugh and Nieman in a cheesy smile contest.
by Edith Schmelman & A. Socialist
Staff Sandwich Makers
The best friendship between history
teachers Greg Nieman and Robert McHugh
is fairly famous throughout the school, even
among students who have not had either of
them for class. They claim to be the best of
friends, the ambassadors of the best friendship club, soul mates of best friendship, or
whatever one wishes to call their friendship
since the era of best friendship in 2003. It
is absolutely absurd that they would lie to
their students about best friendship, which
is the most important thing in life. However,
speculation that the two inseparable buds are
not really the best friends that they claim to
be has come up. Suspicious evidence asks
the question: Are they really best friends? Or
is it a charade?
Some are questioning Nieman and
McHugh’s best friendship for many reasons.
Sources claim that Nieman has routinely said
photo courtesy ArlingtonTeachers.com
that Shaun Boyce, Erica Deninger, Michael
Fiege, and Phillip Benante are all his “best
friends ever.” Nieman has reportedly told
his AP US class of his many exploits with
other teachers such as the “vibrant, young”
Fred Nye and the “coolest” Benante. None
of these exploits included McHugh. Now, this
might seem like jumping to conclusions, but
it appears that their best friendship is faltering. Studies also show that best friendship of
AP US History teachers tend to begin fading
after 6 years.
Lately, Nieman has been talking less and
less about McHugh in a positive manner.
Instead of talking about his glasses being
made by elves, he often makes fun of a suspicious pink jacket of McHugh’s. Apparently,
fantasy baseball and unicorns have something
to do with this as well. Conversely, McHugh
reportedly called Nieman a “bully.” Friends,
let alone best friends, are not supposed to call
other friends bullies.
Please Turn to Page 16
Not a Superhero
A recently leaked memo from the Department of Justice revealed that Paul Siebold,
Arlington High School’s very own physics
teacher, had been secretly living a double life
fighting crime.
This revelation came on the heels of news
that several Arlington staff members had
been employed by the Central Intelligence
Agency to organize a swift coup against
Thomas Brooks and Frank Pepe, two of the
highest ranking individuals within the school
district, so that a new administration could be
installed. This turned out to be only the tip
of the iceberg regarding the government’s
involvement with Arlington.
At first glance, Siebold does not seem to
fit the superhero archetype. He has long been
a physics teacher at Arlington, cheerful and
friendly with the students, seemingly living a
normal life. The memo from the Department
of Justice reveals, however, through the wiretapping and bugging of his classroom, much
of Siebold’s eccentricities to be facets of his
superhero powers.
The leaked memo details the history of
Siebold and his colorful background. His
rise to superhero fame started with his job at
Indian Point in the 1970s. Once an engineer
at the nuclear plant facility, Siebold was
forced to drink a vat of toxic waste after his
colleague staged a come-from-behind win in
a best of seven rock-paper-scissors match.
The toxic chemicals that seeped through his
body granted him an unusual combination of
abilities: super strength, supreme knowledge
of the natural world, an uncanny ability to
be witty and to find humor in all situations,
and the power to wear Hawaiian shirts in the
21st century.
After discovering his powers, and leafing
through some comic books, Siebold made the
pact to use his newly-endowed powers fighting crime. Partnering with the United States
federal government, Siebold donned the role
of “Siebs”, crime-fighting extraordinaire.
According to a collection of highly
confidential documents whose unlawful pos-
session we are unwilling to explain, Siebold
is estimated to have saved the lives of approximately 6,022 individuals throughout
the country. When he failed to detonate the
Russian satellite, Sputnik, in the midst of the
Cold War, Siebold was subsequently co-opted
by the government and lost his memory.
Siebold secluded into hiding; it is rumored
that the next few years of life are the source
of inspiration for the loosely-based Jason
Bourne trilogies.
The memo from the Department of Justice states: “Siebold has exhibited nostalgia
for his crime-fighting days. The knowledge
of applying the appropriate amount of force
to pressure points has translated to pushing
blocks of wood and calculating acceleration.”
When senior Roger Cornell heard about
Siebold’s past life, he replied, “I always
knew that there was something odd about
Mr. Siebold’s ability to balance things perfectly. I thought it was his ninja-like stealthy
nimbleness; he called it knowing the center
of gravity.” Upon learning that Siebold actually learned about his abilities from testing
completed by United States government labs,
Cornell added “I always knew this physics
stuff was one big government conspiracy.”
Current and former students of Siebold
that have noticed Siebold’s long absences
from class have often dismissed the string
of substitute teachers to be the result of
Siebold’s personal commitments. It was only
when Siebold returned to class with several
scratches on his face, and at one time, almost
no facial hair after having grown out a beard
for the past five years, in which students
started becoming suspicious.
“I always found it weird that Mr. Siebold
never talked about himself. When I asked
him about anything not related to physics,
he always made a joke and I forgot what was
happening”, said senior Sam Beal.
It is now public knowledge that Siebold
actually shaved his facial hair to provide, as
an old NASA report states, “for the optimal
aerodynamic formation, accounting for air
resistance, in order to complete his air raid
on a small jungle in Cuba”.
the Arlingtonian
APRIL 2010
ESTABLISHED IN 1924
ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
SEVERE BUDGET CRISIS
Major Budget Cuts Looming
9.6% tax increase, $4.9 Million in cuts proposed
by Kyle Peabody
Technical Manager
ARLINGTON–Faced with a $5.5 million
cut in New York State Education Aid, the Arlington Central School District now faces an
immediate fiscal emergency that will threaten
programs and services offered by the district.
According to numbers released by the
District last month, administration is proposing to increase spending by about 3% next
year, with a tax levy increase of about 10%.
Already included in these statistics are the
“Tier One” reductions, which consisted of
$4.3 million in savings and reductions and
were enacted this school year, and the “Tier
Two” reductions proposed last year, consisting of $4.9 million in new reductions and
savings. Additionally, the administration has
listed 29 other items, totaling $10.2 million in
additional reductions and savings.
Specifically in “Tier Two” are $905,200
in cuts, and $4 million in costs shifts and
utilization of reserve funds.
To raise the money needed for this budget,
there are three main categories: State Aid, tax
levies, and “other”. State Aid is forecast to
be $49.7 million this year and assuming that
the “other” revenues are the same as last year
at $4.6 million, the budget would still have
a shortage of about $55,000, which would
need to be picked up by a small tax increase.
INSIDE
Breakdowns of
where the
cuts are
targeted.
This situation is, however, extremely unlikely,
due to New York’s States contingency budget
laws, which would still allow the tax levy to
increase 6.2% this year. Adapting a contingency budget wouuld only result in a monthly
savings of $20 for the average taxpayer.
Administration points out that cuts are
often difficult because Arlington lands near
the bottom of the list in terms of spending
per pupil in the Hudson Valley, at $16,725
per student. However, according to a report
issued last July by the U.S. Census Bureau,
New York State average spending per pupil is
$15,981, which is highest in the U.S..
Budget
information
at a glance.
PAGE 9
KYLE PEABODY/THE ARLINGTONIAN
District administration, along with the Board of Education,
conduct a ‘Community Budget Forum’ at Arlington Middle
School on Thursday, March 25. Over 100 students, faculty, and
members of the community were in attendance at the event.
An Original Mind
COPING WITH ASPERGER’S
Arlington Alumni Discusses Syndrome In New Book
ABOUT ASPERGERS
•April is National Autism Awareness
Month
•Asperger’s Disorder is a milder variant of Autistic Disorder.
•One in 70 boys in the nation have
an Autism diagnosis while only one
in 315 girls are on the Autism spectrum
•Impairments include: peculiar
speech, gross motor behavior, and
circumscribed areas of interest.
•The disorder is named for Austrian
physician, Hans Asperger, who first
described the syndrome in 1944.
•There is no specific treatment or
cure for Asperger’s, however rehab
can be used to reduce symptoms.
Arlington graduate Jesse Saperstein.
by Kevin Lei
Staff Writer
A
n alumnus of Arlington, Jesse
Saperstein begins his autobiography with “Please be forewarned
that you are about to read the observations
and life lessons of someone who entertains
himself by farting in public and conversing in
gibberish with his cats.” Atypical: Life with
Asperger’s in 20 1/3 Chapters is set to be published on April 6th and depicts Saperstein’s
perspective in dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome. A unique individual, Saperstein was
always different at an early age and suffered
For more information visit:
www.aspergers.com or www.autism-society.org
JESSE SAPERSTEIN/THE ARLINGTONIAN
difficulties in social interactions. However,
he has developed an optimistic view on life
and is a model for coping with the debilitating
effects of Asperger’s Syndrome.
Asperger’s Syndrome is a mild form
of autism that is believed to be caused by
genetic defects, but exact causes remain unknown. People with Asperger’s Syndrome
are characterized by problems in interacting
with others. They often have trouble with
interpreting emotions, but are not shy and will
readily engage others in conversations. Those
with Asperger’s Syndrome may have a basic
understanding of feelings and emotions, but
are unable to apply this in real life situations.
The failure to express correct emotions and
display correct behavior is one of the aspects
of the social awkwardness that those with
Asperger’s Syndrome face. Also, Asperger’s
Syndrome causes people to develop narrow
interests in obscure subjects or show repetitive body movements. These interests may
vary, but are always focused on one specific
topic. Speech and language is affected by
Asperger’s Syndrome to cause difficulty in
understanding figurative language although
children with Asperger’s Syndrome are accrue
a complicated vocabulary, but are only able
to use words in a literal sense. Saperstein has
evaded this part of Asperger’s Syndrome and
has developed an acute sense of humor.
Saperstein graduated from Arlington High
School in 2000 and has a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Hobart & William Smith
Colleges in Geneva, New York. While in
college, he majored in English and part of the
Orange Key Honorary Society. He remains
a beacon of hope to others with Asperger’s
Syndrome and is an important speaker of the
autistic community.
In 2005, Saperstein began hiking the
Appalachian Trail. The purpose behind the
2,000 mile trek is to fund raise $100,000 for
the Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation, a nonPlease Turn to Page 8
STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES
Maintenance Problems Plague School
Roof leaks, heating issue a main cocern of students
Staff Writer
Over the past couple of years, particularly during the fall/winter/spring period,
Arlington students have been subjected to
maintenance problems in both the old and
new wings of the school. They have noticed
entire hallways in complete darkness and
entire ceiling panels missing. Between periods, throngs of people must dodge waste
bins put in place to catch dripping water.
They must prepare for varying degrees of
heat, and even no heat, from one room to the
next. These problems and others have caused
an annoying inconvenience for every one of
the 3,650 students who attend Arlington High
School each day.
The most serious of these problems is
OPINION PAGE 4
leaks in the roof. Whenever it rains heavily
or snow on the roof begins to melt, water
leaks into the hallway, catching unsuspecting
teenagers off guard until a trash bin is placed
underneath. These bins have become a staple
of the second floor at Arlington High School,
indiscriminant towards any one section of the
school. Some of these leaks can be attributed
to the new construction projects, but many
occurred before the expansions, as well. As
a result, many ceiling panels in the areas of
the leaks have over time, become heavy with
absorbed water. This weight eventually becomes more than the ceiling frames can bear,
and the panel collapses. The debris is quickly
picked up and taken out of the way, but gaping holes remain in the ceiling for differing
amounts of time.
Others have been affected by heating
Why overweight people
should not be required
to buy extra tickets on
commercial flights
problems. On a normal day, the classrooms in
the ‘100s and ‘400s aren’t the same temperature because the school is uniformly heated
from a central source; there are no thermostats for each room. For students, this means
they almost have to carry around a jacket or
another extra article of clothing because they
do not know how hot or cold an individual
classroom will be. But sometimes, especially
during the winter, there can be little or even
no heat in the older wing of the school. On
one memorable day this past winter, the heat
effectively broke in several classes in the
upper 2100s, forcing classes to change their
location to escape the 40 degree temperatures.
The maintenance issues do not end there.
Some lockers in the main locker rooms do not
work, forcing students to scramble to find a
place to store their belongings during gym
period, or even risk placing their things in an
unlocked locker. A memorable event towards
the end of last year flooded several classes
in the low 1100s, forcing the floors in these
rooms to be torn up.
The effect of these problems is evident
in student moral. Besides being an inconvenience, these problems have also become
an eyesore. “[The maintenance issues] make
this school even more utterly depressing. I
don’t like walking down the hall to see the
roof dripping or driving by the gaping hole
in the wall that we hope will one day become
an auditorium,” voices junior Caleb Plugge.
Students feel like their needs are not being
answered. According to sophomore Clinton
Hastings, “The problems make me feel like
they don’t know the simple things that make
our day better.”
SPORTS PAGE 13
Controversy regarding the
upcoming FIFA World Cup
INDEX
News............................5,8-9
Crossword........................13
Movies..............................11
Recapping the most popular
celebrity prom memories
THE
by Sean Dirscherl
FEATURES PAGE 6
JAZZ FESTIVAL
Arlington
takes title
Second straight win for Admirals
by Matthew Kranis
Staff Writer
On March 13th the Arlington High School
Jazz Machine, under the direction of Richard
Guillen, competed at the 42nd Annual Berklee
College of Music High School Jazz Festival.
The Berklee Jazz Festival is the largest high
school jazz festival in the nation, with over
200 groups and 3,000 musicians performing,
including many of the country’s top jazz
ensembles. In addition to competitions in
vocal jazz, jazz combo, and large ensemble
classes, the festival included performances
by some of Berklee’s top ensembles, clinics
by professional musicians, open jam sessions
for festival participants and much more.
Arlington’s Jazz Machine has competed at
the festival multiple times, including a first
place showing at the 2009 festival. With high
hopes for success the band did not disappoint,
successfully defending their title of Large
Ensemble Class I Champions.
For the competition, the group prepared
a set of four contrasting songs. They opened
their set with Astor Piazolla’s “Tres Minutos
Con La Realidad,” a high energy, up-tempo
chart featuring solos by drummer Matt
MATH TEAM
Admirals
add it up
by Jennifer Garbarino
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, March 10, the Arlington
Math A-team; sophomores Brian Lei and
Kevin Lei, junior Sameer Farooq, and seniors Michael Lei, and Joseph Hess, won the
Sectional Championships for the first time
in four years by beating Spackenkill in a tiebreaker question. After coming in second for
so many years, the win was very exciting for
the team especially because it was the last year
for Kirk Weiler, the math team coach so the
team wanted to win it for him. According to
Weiler, “The entire team, not just those who
won the sectional meet, represent the best that
Arlington has to offer in terms of both character and talent. They all worked hard this year
and consistently brought great attitudes and
humor to meets and practices. I think that the
win itself is a reflection of both the students’
talent and the excellent teaching that is done
on a daily basis here at Arlington by a whole
variety of math teachers.”
Prior to Sectionals, there were five meets
to determine the top teams that would be
invited to Sectionals. Each meet has six,
individual, non-calculator questions and then
either a relay question or a group question.
SuDoku...............................3
Television...........................10
Sports...........................13-14
Opinion.............................2-4
Entertainment...............10-11
Features...........................6-7
Curious George...................2
Athlete Spotlight.................12
Arlingtonian
1157 ROUTE 55, LAGRANGEVILLE, NY 12540 + (845) 486-4860 EXT. 2211
April 2010
Editorial:
Senior use of
free periods
As a school population, the majority
would agree that the administration does a
relatively good job with most problems and
issues it faces.
In general, it makes school more enjoyable and conducive to learning. There are,
however, a number of issues which the school
administration either botches or fails to address altogether. Few others have caused more
problems than seniors and their free periods.
It seems relatively docile on first thought,
and one might question why it would cause
such issues in Arlington High School. Perhaps
it should not be the huge issue it is, but the
avoidance of the question for many years has
magnified it into a problem that must be dealt
with quickly.
The problem itself focuses on what seniors may do and where they may go during
their free periods. If the free periods are at
the beginning or end of the day, seniors may
arrive late or leave early. Currently, seniors
may walk off campus during free periods, attend a study hall, or work for a teacher (CVS).
A number of students take full advantage
of the opportunity to walk off campus in their
last year of high school, but there are many
who feel extremely limited by only being able
to walk. The most easily available food option is McDonald’s, with a few other options
also possible, none of which appeal to some
people. Many believe for seniors who have
cars, this is an unnecessary constraint.
The simple solution is to allow drive-off
passes in addition to the walk-off passes currently available. There seem to be few, if any,
reasons against this rationale.
Administrative fears of increased absence
and tardiness for later periods make little
sense because the same rules for walk-off
passes can be applied here. Passes can easily be suspended or completely taken away
The obvious pattern in all
of these cases is that the
administration treats the
symptom, while overlooking, or more accurately,
ignoring, the underlying
problem.
if people abuse the privilege. Those driving
off campus without a pass are subject to
punishment.
However, many seniors do not have a car
and if they do not want to walk off or do work
in their free periods, there is no place where
they can simply spend time with their friends.
For this reason, a senior lounge is a solution that would deal with most of the problems associated with seniors and their free
periods. With all of the construction taking
place, it is surprising that absolutely nothing
has been done to look into instituting this
oft-stated idea.
Different makeshift solutions have been
tried in the past, both by the administration
and by seniors independently. In the last few
years (before construction increased), seniors
used the band lobby as a lounge, but excessive
noise and messes left by the students led to
their removal from that area.
More recently, the Large Group Instruction room was used, but the presence of
prohibited food and drink ended that plan
quickly. On a smaller scale, seniors use a
variety of different places to hang out. Most
commonly, people walk the hallways with
friends, creating a distraction for ongoing
classes, something the administration tries
to curtail.
The obvious pattern in all of these cases
is that the administration treats the symptom,
while overlooking, or more accurately, ignoring, the underlying problem. Time and time
again, administrators do not look for the reason behind these problems, instead enforcing
stricter and stricter rules in an effort to quickly
put an end to the issues.
But when the underlying cause is not effectively dealt with, the problems will return.
While a makeshift solution may be welcomed
in order to stave off the problem, by their
definition, these solutions will not work well
in the long term.
The two most repeated long term remedies are a drive-off pass and a senior lounge.
If a senior lounge proves to be difficult to
procure in the near future, then the administration should at least look into creating a
drive-off pass.
Many of the potential problems associated with it are easily dealt with and are little
more than excuses to continue avoiding the
problem.
If the administration spent some time
looking into introducing these suggested solutions, the majority of problems might cease
altogether. Perhaps then, the school can begin
moving on from a chronic problem that should
have been solved long ago.
the Arlingtonian
Pro/Con: Should there be a more
stringent process to determine tenure?
by Kyle Peabody
Yes: The current
tenure system only
helps bad teachers
Technical Manager
The current tenure system penalizes the
majority of teachers who take great pride in
their work and exert a significant effort in their
profession, while at the
same time rewarding
those who do not. When
one also considers the
fact that the job security that tenure grants is
virtually non-existent in
the private sector, it is
obvious that this policy
needs to be reformed
immediately.
First, one must understand the current tenure system. Tenure essentially guarantees job
security for teachers,
with a few exceptions,
such as physically harming a student or stealing
from the school. Tenure
is generally granted to
new teachers with approval from the Board
of Education after three
years of service and the
recommendation of the
Superintendent.
In theory, tenure is
supposed to to grant
teachers more academic freedom; allowing
them to offer dissenting views without
the risk of angry parents
getting them fired. There is also an economic aspect, because job security has
value to employees, and providing this
job security has no monetary cost to the
district, but allows them to compensate
teachers with lower pay at the same time.
On paper, this looks like a great idea,
but in practice, it has failed schools in
many ways.
First off, the timing alone creates
problems. During the three-year probationary period, teachers have the incentive to
exert extreme effort in their profession. This
is not where the problem lies. Upon being
granted tenure, the incentive to work hard
is removed. In fact, due to teacher pay being more focused on the more experienced
and retirement benefits, the new incentive is
to do the minimum needed to maintain the
position until retirement. Does this happen
with everyone? Absolutely not; but there are
definitely many individuals who take advantage of this system.
Second, the job security that tenure pro-
No: The benefits
of tenure outweigh
possible problems
vides no longer exists in the private sector.
This is because private firms have realized the
negative implications of such a system, while
also recognizing their need to stay competitive
and dynamic. Public agencies do not have
that need because it is much more difficult to
by Sean Dirscherl
quantify their success in society, as different assessments of
abilities of the district
to educate its students
are highly subjective.
Furthermore, it
would be futile to attempt to address the
tenure issue without
attacking the overall employment policy of
public schools. The entire system is in need
of drastic changes, and now may be the perfect
time to enact such changes, as constituents
have demonstrated sympathy to officials who
are pursing new strategies in an effort to cut
costs and improve service.
A new system could include many different reforms. Change the teacher pay system to
reflect the true value that teachers are bringing
to the school. Who is to say that just because
a teacher has been working for a longer
Though most commonly used for professors
or other academic employees, tenure provides job security for a person, given they
not violate any institutional rules or criminal
laws. Though recently found to have several
bureaucratic flaws, tenure as an established
practice is absolutely critical to companies,
particularly to educational institutions, across
the country.
The intentions of tenure, in this case
teacher tenure, are quite clear. Tenure protects
the teacher from persecution for their ideas,
no matter how new, strange, or even radical
they may be. If a teacher knows their job is
not secure, he or she may be afraid to say anything that might “rock the boat,” and instead
teach middle-of-the-road, non-confrontational
ideas. A teacher with tenure, however, will
not be afraid to say anything controversial.
They are empowered to put forth new ideas;
something necessary in order for education
and society as a whole to progress. If teachers are more concerned with job security than
teaching these new ideas, the progression of
see Yes:Tenure on page 4
Staff Writer
Tenure is, quite simply, an assurance given
to an employee of an organization that he or
she will not be fired without proper cause.
the human intellect would come to a near halt.
But there are arguments against tenure,
many of which state that the practice keeps
bad teachers in place and promotes laziness in
the educational system; the opposite is in fact
true. When a school or college gives a teacher
or professor
tenure, that
ins titution
will be on
the hook to
pay that person for years
to come, regardless of
their performance.
Knowing
this, the
school will
give greater
consideration and
commit more
time to making the right
decision; the
school will
conduct indepth, intensive reviews
of the candidate’s performance,
teaching
skill, and
academic
standing
and respect
within his or
her respective field of study. When a school is
more careful in guaranteeing employment, the
students benefit with more qualified teachers.
The practice of tenure does have flaws,
but these flaws are not a result of tenure
itself, rather the bureaucratic difficulties
that have contaminated it. Some teachers do
fall through the cracks, and bad teachers are
sometimes given tenure without deserving
it. In some cases, even if a teacher does do
something unethical, the amount of bureaucracy involved in terminating the individual
all but ensures the teacher will not lose his or
her job and, at worst, be reassigned. But these
are not problems with tenure itself. Sometimes human error is to blame when tenure
goes wrong. But the biggest contaminant is
pressure from powerful teachers unions that
demand such bureaucracy in their contracts.
The practice of tenure has been corrupted
in isolated situations by external forces, but
tenure itself is not to blame.
see No:Tenure on page 3
CG: Classes fuel senioritis
by Curious George
Staff Monkey
Ah, spring: a time of new life,
romance, warm weather, flowers,
and skipping classes. By this time, senioritis
is already in full swing. Even this article was
left to the last second, and this itself is sort of
fun to write, a testament to how lazy I have
become. I have nothing left to work for in
this prison-like and cell phone-forsaken high
school.
Motivation is at an all-time low, tiredness is at an all-time high, and yet teachers
continue to throw useless knowledge down
our throats. They know seniors don’t care
by now, so why do they continue to assign
homework, schedule tests, and come up with
crafts and arts projects? They are all useless.
They should know by now that approximately
five students in every class do the homework
and the rest just copy it. Essentially the teachers are helping hone the copying skills of the
students…wonderful.
By now, teachers should be teaching their
classes at their college level counterparts.
Screw the worksheets and other busy work
and actually support intellectual discussions.
This way, the weak will be weeded out.
There is nothing more satisfying than proving
someone wrong, so give us the chance to try
and knock each other down a couple of pegs
because God knows how cocky some of us
are, and yes, I’ll include myself, before any
of you say it. If teachers did this then maybe
I wouldn’t dread going to class so much. But
currently, even gym class square dancing is
more enjoyable than most of my classes.
I’m sure being slightly more humble, for
example, I will now consider myself a mere
demigod as opposed to a full-fledged celestial
being, will help in the long run, considering
outside of Arlington High School there are
thousands of kids who are better at sports, better at playing their instrument, smarter, funnier, prettier, and generally more amazing than
any of us. Isn’t it great to feel insignificant?
I’m so sorry I popped the bubble of Arlington
class of 2010 and its notion of being “kind of
a big deal”.
I’m sure that by putting that I was a perfect 10 or kind of a big deal on my college
applications really helped me out. Perhaps
that’s why it is taking upwards of 3 months
to read my application and send back a little
piece of paper that will essentially determine
my future. Hell, if I get accepted to a college
I want something more than just a piece of
paper with a congrats on it, I want it to be
delivered to me personally by a butler, that
would make it something special. With such
significance, I would imagine colleges would
read applications as fast as possible, but they
probably like seeing us squirm until they release the pressure right before spring break,
just in time to either ruin it or make it amazing.
So perhaps colleges are just out there to
ruin us all. They take our money, our time, our
sleep, our innocence, and some more of our
money and give us the power of knowledge;
knowledge and power in the same sentence?
Nah, it can’t be.
I mean going to college will only allow
us to get a better job, be happier what we do,
make more money, and then get a hotter wife
or at least hookups. That last part makes it
totally worth it since there is nothing more
our shallow society loves more than looks
and money. It’s just too bad that the people we
so often deem attractive in high school spend
too much time on their image and not enough
time paying attention and are just going to
wallow in the crap that is a third rate college
and never do anything with their lives. On the
plus side, that does make it easier for us nerds/
geeks/smarty pants to get with those people
THE
2
OPINION
later in life since they will jump on anything
with money. So why am I going to college? To
get a hot wife, that’s why. Sorry Shakespeare,
you just aren’t that attractive.
Arlingtonian
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OPINION
the Arlingtonian
International Olympic
Movement unites countries
by Allie Diehl
Staff Writer
What attracts over 80 countries, 5000
athletes and officials, and millions of spectators? The Olympics, of course! On June
23, 1894, the Olympic Games resurfaced
as an international event through the work
of Pierre de Coubertin, a French aristocrat
and pioneer. Coubertin’s goal was to hold a
series of athletic contests that would create
peace and communication between countries
around the world. This year, the 21st Winter
Olympics took place in Vancouver, Canada.
As a natural dwelling place for ice and snow,
the Vancouver area is home to many of the
finest mountains in the world such as Whistler
Mountain, the site of the alpine skiing. In ad-
Many spectators end up
cheering on athletes from
other countries as well as
their own.
dition, the city itself is also home to BC Place
Stadium, where the hockey games took place.
This year, like previous years, the Olympics
united the world in more ways than one.
Although the Olympic athletes may look
different and speak different languages, they
have more in common than one might think.
No matter which country they represent, the
athletes all know the meaning of hard work
and sacrifice. They all gathered at Vancouver
for the same reason- a chance at winning an
Olympic medal. These similarities and common goals form a bond between the athletes.
They can work to greater understand one
another because of the mutual respect that
comes along with being the finest athletes in
the world. This respect was seen in the final
of the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Snowboarding event. When Canada’s Jasey Jay
Anderson won the gold in what was his last
Olympics, silver medalist Austria’s Benjamin
Karl, didn’t hesitate to pat him on the back
and congratulate him. Actions like these are
not only seen in snowboarding, they can be
found in all the events. It goes to show that
respect and admiration have no borders.
The Olympics not only unite the athletes
but the spectators as well. When the events
begin, people of diverse cultures and ethnic
backgrounds gather in the stands to cheer on
their country’s team and embrace the spirit
of excitement and hope that comes with the
Olympic Games. These people are able to
meet and interact with those from the other
side of the world. Many spectators end up
cheering on athletes from other countries as
well as their own. It does not matter what
country an athlete is from, if they put forth
a commendable effort why not give them
a cheer? The Olympics is also a place for
sympathy. Although they come from different
countries spectators sympathize for athletes
who have faced adversity. When Canadian
figure skater, Joannie Rochette, entered the
rink after suffering the loss of her mother four
days prior, she had the crowd behind her all
the way to her bronze medal victory. It does
not matter what country one may be from, we
are all human and know what it feels like to
lose someone or something dear to us. The
whole world mourned when Georgian luger,
Nodar Kumaritashvili, died during a practice
run earlier in the games. People understand
how hard it is for the families and countries
of athletes to deal with such tragedies.
Not only do the Olympics unite people in
mourning, they also unite people in celebration. People can learn more about the geography and culture of other countries through
their athletes. People from around the world
celebrated Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong
for becoming the first athlete from West Africa to compete in the winter Olympics. With
computer and television resources people
can learn the history and challenges the athletes have faced to become where they are.
Through the Olympics, international athletes
can be looked upon as real people not just as
representatives of their countries.
Spectators are also united in another way,
namely the Cultural Olympiad. The Vancouver Cultural Olympiad is a festival that
corresponds with the Olympics. The festival
showcases modern dance, theater, and visual
art in a thought-provoking way. Again, a
common interest is used to draw connections
between people of different cultures. Every
country celebrates its own form of art. The
festival is a way for international artists to
express their art for the rest of the world to
see and appreciate.
The Olympics have and continue to
achieve Coubertin’s goal of uniting people
and countries around the world. The spirit
of the Games breaks down the barriers that
divide countries and remind them of the similarities that they all possess.
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Palin's stance on
"retard" proves
to be hypocritical
by Kyle Kehoe
Staff Writer
It is well known that Sarah Palin takes a
hard stance toward the use of the word “retard”, mostly due to the fact that she has a son
with Down Syndrome.
Recently however, her campaign against
the use of the word “retard” as a derogatory
term made a stand against White House Chief
of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Last summer, in a
private meeting, Emanuel
called Democrats who attack other
Democrats
“f***ing retards”, because
of their seemingly self-destructive behavior.
In response, Palin demanded Emanuel’s
immediate resignation for using such an
offensive and defamatory word. Recently,
though, she has drawn a great deal of attention from her critics however, by supporting
commentator Rush Limbaugh’s use of the
word multiple times during his broadcast on
February 3, 2010.
Palin claimed that Limbaugh, unlike
Emanuel, was using the word “in satire”
to bring attention to this politically correct
system of ours.
She also claimed that Limbaugh did not
“call a group of people whom he did not
agree with ‘f***ing retards’”. However, this
does not cover up the fact that Limbaugh, a
conservative, addressed a group of Democrats
as “retards”.
This brings into question either Palin’s
honesty, or her sanity. Is she being forced
into supporting Limbaugh because of partisan
politics, or is she simply too idiotic to understand that Republicans and Democrats do
not share the
same political views?
Similar
types of contradictions
plagued her
during the
2008 presidential race.
And in this way, Palin’s hypocrisy often
catches up to her. Either way, Palin has compromised her views on the use of the word
“retard”.
She has crusaded to the disabled community against the nonchalant use of a hurtful
word, but for some distant shot at the 2012
elections, she’s willing to dump everything to
support her party.
That says quite a bit about her character,
especially to Steven Colbert, who has responded to her support of Mr. Limbaugh, by
calling her “a f***ing retard”.
April 2010
3
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is
a disgrace to America
by Stephen Caruso
Staff Writer
Ever since 1993, the U.S. armed forces
have been enforcing a policy that not only
goes against the nature of this country, but
our own national security. Of course, this is
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The policy keeps any
openly gay or lesbian soldiers out of the U.S.
armed forces, and if a gay or lesbian soldier
is discovered, they will be immediately discharged. This is of course not the first policy
about homosexuals in the military. Ever
since the beginning of the 20th century, the
U.S. military’s policy has been to discharge
any of its soldiers who have been found to
be gay. But the times have changed and so
must this archaic policy.
One of the main arguments of those
in support of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (or
DADT) is that openly gay soldiers would
be “harmful to morale”. This is false, if not
an outright lie. Study after study of military
servicemen and women have shown this. A
study by Gregory M. Herek, an associate
research psychologist at the University of
California at Davis says, in his own words,
“The research data shows that there is nothing about lesbians and gay men that makes
them inherently unfit for military service,
and there is nothing about heterosexuals
that makes them inherently unable to work
and live with gay people in close quarters.”
Add in a Zogby International poll that shows
66% of respondents who had served with
gay service members reported no damage
to their own morale, or 64% who noted
no damage to overall unit morale, and one
starts to wonder why this policy is in place.
And this is not all. Many top U.S. generals
and admirals have supported the repeal of
DADT, including Colin Powell, current
Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and former Chairman
of the Joints Chief of Staff General John
Shalikashvili. When even the men at the
top of the U.S. armed forces are against a
policy forced on it by Congress, it is time
that Congress takes notice.
Of course, besides the (false) claims in
support of the policy, there are the effects.
By 2009, DADT had forced the discharge
of 13,389 men and women from the U.S.
Armed Forces. This is enough to man two
Nimitz-class super carriers. Even as the U.S.
fights in two wars, these men and women are
dismissed from the military due only to their
sexual orientation. Also, these discharges
and the accompanying expenses of training
new soldiers to replace the dismissed men
and women have cost the U.S. military $363
million. This is when U.S. military spending
is needed to be curbed in, by any amount.
A fun side note: with the U.S. fighting two
wars in Middle-Eastern countries where
Arabic is a principal language, and the U.S.
military being short on Arabic speakers, it
continues to discharge gay soldiers fluent in
Arabic, 59 to date. While politicians aren’t
known for using logic, there comes a point
when they do need to listen to that little man
telling them “Stop already!”
Finally, besides the necessary arguments
using facts, there’s the simple human rights
perspective. These are men and women who
are being discriminated against by the country they are trying to defend. Those 13,389
men and women all signed up voluntarily
to defend their nation, to which their nation responded by kicking them out simply
because of who they are.
This is coming from the nation that is
supposed to be a beacon of freedom and
democracy in this world, is this not the
tiniest bit hypocritical? If this country was,
God forbid, being invaded by some foreign power, who would care if that soldier
defending the Capitol Building was gay,
bisexual, straight, or any other group under
the sun? Enough is enough. Repeal Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell, if only for the sake of all
this country stands for.
No: The tenure process
has many benefits cont'd
from page 2
And even if tenure was proven to be
at fault, removing it as a practice would
be all but impossible. Being so firmly
entrenched in modern academia, removing tenure would be fought at every step
by both students and the teachers’ union.
Such agreements as tenure are written into
many teachers’ contracts; ending the practice would result in mass faculty strife and
potential teachers’ strikes.
Tenure is not perfect. It is well-intentioned as an assurance for teachers so they
can speak their minds without facing reprimand. It protects teachers from administra-
tors who did not necessarily agree with the
teacher’s ideas. But recently, some flaws in
the system have arisen, leading to discussion over ending the practice. Despite these
problems being more the fault of human
negligence and bureaucratic difficulties
than the practice itself, calls to end tenure
have continued. However, ending tenure
would present even greater difficulties than
it would solve. Even though tenure in the
modern day may have some isolated flaws,
its benefit to educational institutions far
outweighs its faults.
Su Doku of the month
She has crusaded against the
nonchalant use of [retard], but
for some distant shot at the 2012
elections, she’s willing to dump
everything to support her party.
sponsored by the
Arlington Su Doku Club
4
2
OPINION
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
Airlines should not discriminate Should juveniles
against overweight passengers be tried as adults?
by Michael Canavan
Staff Writer
Some weeks ago on a Southwest Airlines
flight bound for Burbank, California, Kevin
Smith, director of numerous comedic films such
as Clerks, Dogma, and most recently, Cop Out,
found himself forced to vacate his seat after
the captain of the plane deemed his obesity a
“safety risk” to other passengers. Smith, upon
his return to the airport terminal, was furious
and directed a long barrage of profane complaints towards Southwest. “You f***ed with
the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!”
The Hollywood director wasted no time in
broadcasting his indignation in every possible
medium available
to him,
including his blog,
various social networking sites, a
series of podcasts,
as well as 24 videos on YouTube. “I
broke no regulation,
offered no 'safety
risk' (What? Was I
gonna roll on a fellow passenger?),”
he later wrote on
his Twitter account
of approximately
1.6 million followers.
In response to
all the negative attention created by
Smith, Southwest
issued a formal
apology but stands
by the decision made
by their personnel
which they say was
done to ensure both
his own comfort
and safety and of
those sitting next to
him. Southwest wanted
to make clear its policy
regarding “customers of size”. If a passenger cannot sit comfortably in a seat with both
armrests down and seat belted then they must
buy a second seat.
However, the flight in question was already
booked to capacity and Smith who typically
buys two seats for himself anyway was not able
to purchase another seat. Hence, he was ejected.
Yet Smith claims he met Southwest’s seating
requirements and when he asked airline officials exactly what safety concern he presented
they refused to elaborate.
Southwest offered to refund Smith’s airfare
in addition to giving him a $100 voucher for
a future flight. However, Smith has refused to
accept the airline’s apology until it admits that
his weight was not the real reason he was forced
to give up his seat. He personally suspects that
he was singled out by an airline employee who
disliked his films and has since vowed never
to fly Southwest again.
The entire incident has forced to the
surface a very serious question that airlines
have been grappling with for years. Are
some people “too fat to fly”? This is a sensitive issue that most have done their best to
avoid. However with one third of the population now classified as obese in America, it
seems that confrontations like the one with
Smith will only grow more frequent.
Part of the problem stems from the fact
that there is no standard procedure for dealing with overweight passengers. The Federal
Aviation Administration only requires that
passengers be able to sit comfortably with a
seatbelt and both armrests down. From there,
every airline is free to set its own policy to
determine who is and who is not too big to
fit in one seat. One course of action that has
been adopted by several airlines is a rule that
requires obese customers to purchase two
adjacent seats and in most cases the cost of
the second ticket will be refunded later. Others like JetBlue do their best to assist their
more rotund flyers at no additional charge.
Obviously this situation needs to change
and new standard regulations must be put
in place. Thus far there have been many
suggestions of what measures should be
taken. Some, including Brandon Macsata,
executive director of the Association for
Airline Passenger Rights, believe that air-
lines must make significant alterations to the
seating arrangements on their planes in order
to accommodate America’s ever expanding
waistline. For example, perhaps create a section of wider seats to be reserved for larger
passengers who will pay an extra fee. Another
option under consideration is a plan in which
a traveler’s fare will be determined by the
total weight of both their body and luggage.
Measures like these may encourage people
everywhere to start losing weight but is it fair
to those who cannot?
As trivial as it may seem there is a deep
ethical dilemma here that sparks outrage
among the fat and thin alike. Many believe
that the policies employed by airlines
for handling corpulent customers
are discriminatory and incredibly insensitive.
Is it fair to force
a person to pay
twice as much
for a plane ticket
just because of
their size? Or to
suffer the embarrassment of
being removed
from their seat
because someone thinks their
stomach is a
“safety hazard”.
The bottom
line is that people
who struggle with
obesity and other
weight issues have
as much right to
fly as anyone else
and that right is
being infringed
upon by many
airlines.
Overweight
people deserve to
be treated the same as other passengers regardless of their size. They should not have
to fear their dignity being compromised every
time they board a plane. Airlines have no right
to profit off a person’s physical appearance.
There are many who cannot help their weight
due to medical or genetic reasons.
So is it right that they be penalized for
something that may be beyond their control?
If a person needs a few more inches of space
to feel comfortable they should have it. Yet,
even with so many harsh new restrictions on
obese people flying, many airlines still claim
to get more angry mail from the cramped
passengers sitting next to overweight people
than from overweight people themselves and
unfortunately for several airlines common
courtesy just is not good for business.
Current system in question
by Kevin Lei
Staff Writer
One year ago, 11 year old Jordan Brown
was charged as an adult for shooting his
father’s fiancée. His attorneys attempted to
have him transferred to a juvenile court, but
their actions were in vain. According to the
evidence, Brown had covered his shotgun
with a blanket and shot the victim in the head.
Brown’s actions were not the result of an
outburst of immaturity, but the cold calculations of a criminal. However, opposition
to this decision has cited scientific research
that promotes the idea of teenagers not being intelligent enough to be responsible for
their own actions. However, if the lack of
intelligence nullifies the crime of murder or
warrants a chance at rehabilitation, then the
law should be changed to include all people
and not only children. It would be unjust to
let Brown get a chance at reformation because
he did not know the consequences when other
adult criminals go to jail for life when the
only facts that separates them are their ages.
Ignorance cannot and is not an excuse for
breaking the law.
The other option of the juvenile justice
system would not suffice since the system is
not allowed to keep juveniles until 21. This
is unacceptable since there is no guarantee
that Brown or any other murderer would be
rehabilitated. The potential for rehabilitation
should be judged on an individual basis and
the generalization that children are more innocent cannot be used for cases as serious and
detrimental as murder. Society’s perception of
childlike innocence from every orifice hinders
the justice system’s attempts to dispense fair
judgments.
Many critics of Brown’s trial also mention the fact that those released from juvenile
prison are less likely to commit crimes than
one from an adult jail. The reason for this is
because the juvenile prisons are more willing
to be forgiving for transgressions. Criminals
are the result of harsh environments or innate
mental defects. Usually the reason is the
former since most criminals have motives
and reasons for their offenses against the law.
Adult prisons are aimed towards punishing
their inmates which does little to reform these
individuals. Statistics that compare these
two systems of justice only point out the
flaws in adult prisons and not the innocence
of children.
It seems that society has the double
standard of giving children a chance at rehabilitation while punishing criminals for
heinous crimes. Children who are capable of
committing odious crimes have forfeited any
innocence and are not much different from
adult criminals.
They are both products of a reckless
society that has allowed the propagation of
an environment that is conducive of immoral
behavior and reckless judgment. Keeping
children separate from adult courts for crimes
similar or equal to murder is a great injustice.
It is foolish to pretend that children who
perpetrate violent actions should be treated
as children.
The fact remains that the juvenile justice
system is more successful at correcting inmate
behavior, so adult facilities should be made
to conform to this system instead of wrongly
labeling juvenile perpetrators of murder as
children.
Yes: Tenure still
has flaws cont’d
from page 2
period of time, they are more valuable?
Should a Physical Education teacher really
be receiving the same pay as AP Science
teachers? There are plenty of energetic,
highly-motivated individuals in the labor
market who are just as, or possibly more
valuable. Also, raise teacher salaries and
cut retirement benefits so that is is easier for
individuals to move in and out of the market,
while still attracting talent.
Eliminate the tenure system entirely.
For the vast majority of teachers who are
excellent at their job, nothing will change,
except that their colleagues who are not will
no longer be employed. This would also
alleviate the issue of politics in deciding
tenure. It is clear that this system is failing,
so it must be eliminated.
Change the standards of education.
There is too much of a focus on grades and
passing standardized tests, and not enough
emphasis on actual learning. Grades are
subjective evaluations, and do not necessarily reflect what the student is getting out
of the class.
Between all 50 states and the federal
government, the United States spends upwards of $1.2 trillion every year on education. That comes out to over 8 cents on every
dollar spent in this country on an annual
basis. Since it is clear that the educational
system is not working, and that the status
quo will not suffice much longer, as countries like India and China begin to surpass
us in fields like mathematics and science,
one can conclude that this money is presently being wasted. Reforming education
at all levels must become a top priority at
the national, state, and local levels so that
we can ensure that our money is being spent
wisely on a system that gives everyone fair
and equal access to high-quality education.
NEWS
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
5
Gym delivers fresh
Arlington students’ band,
Pencil In The Portrait, set to rules for students
compete at Break Contest
by Melissa Cordoni
by Arlingtonian Staff
Staff Writer
In this day and age, with a music scene
that largely idealizes promiscuity, alcohol,
and money, one may be hard-pressed to find
a band that operates off of the sole love of
music and the belief that we are a product of
our environment.
Pencil In The Portrait is a local band
whose core belief is that with positive music
comes the betterment of people. The band’s
current lineup consists of two current Arlington students (Sean Burke, Nick Canevari),
a current John Jay student (Harrison Manning), and a former Arlington student (Josh
Canevari).
Mike Annan of Learning In Progress
describes the band in these words, “The music is constantly changing, yet maintaining
continuity. That's difficult and takes a lot of
creativity”.
The band was formed over two years ago
by cousins Josh and Nick Canevari, under the
name The Grandfather Paradox. In its infancy,
the band had numerous performances, including a show at the now closed Club Crannel.
Then, approximately a year and a half ago,
guitarist Burke joined the band. The three
clicked instantly and began writing.
After piecing together a solid four songs,
the band starting playing shows, beginning
with the school’s own Everstock. From there,
they went on to play with Chasing Daybreak
(Melonte Records) at The Chance, as well as
landing a spot on the Scream: The Prayer tour
where they played at the Platinum Lounge
with over 20 bands. Then, this past summer,
the band decided it was time to record an EP.
The first half of the summer was spent painstakingly re-writing, and re-working songs as
well as writing new material. So in August
of 2009, the band set off to work with John
Naclerio at Nada Studios. Naclerio’s previous clientele includes The Audition, Senses
Fail, Bayside, The Ataris, and My Chemical
Romance. The band recorded for five days
and walked out of the studio with a 5-track EP
entitled When All Hell Breaks Loose.
Fast forwarding to January of the current year, the band has entered a competition
called The Break Contest. This contest is for
a chance to play Bamboozle, a music festival
at the Meadowlands Stadium that is featuring
artists such as Weezer, Ke$ha, Drake, and
MGMT, among many others. The competition
takes in nearly 100 bands, all of who are competing for this top prize. In desperate need for
a bassist, the group recruited long time friend
of Burke, Harrison Manning – adding a whole
new dimension of fullness to their sound.
In early February, the band received the
news that they would be moving on to the 2nd
of the 3 rounds in the competition. The band
struggled preparing for this 2nd round, due to
having one of it’s members attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. However,
after performing, the band was told that they
would be moving on to the final round of the
competition. This show will be held on April
11th at The Chance theater.
While the band has had outstanding support from its fans at past shows, with the
competition being so tight, an even stronger
turnout is necessary.
Even if you have never been to a show,
this is an excellent opportunity to experience
the atmosphere as well as see some of the best
bands in New York. Pencil In The Portrait’s
EP is currently available for listening and free
download on MySpace.
The opening of the new gymnasiums on
the west side of the building came with a
new rule change that has sparked a reaction
from the students of Arlington High School.
Although students may believe this change
came from the administration, it did not. Although the administration strongly supports
the new policy, they are adamant in seeing to
it that the new rule will not affect the students
negatively.
“Students are still given credit for the
class if they are not at second attendance, but
are referred to administration for “failure to
follow rules”. I think in the big picture, this
shouldn’t cause anyone too much stress or
inconvenience. Students are expected to be
in a classroom for the full duration of the
period. Physical Education is no different”
said Executive Principal Brendan Lyons.
This change of students taking attendance
before and after class was issued by the Physical Education department.
“The opening of the new gymnasium provided an opportunity to reflect on the current
practice of monitoring students during the last
five minutes of class”, said David Gatta, the
head of the Physical Education department.
Students may question the reason behind this
new policy and what the department is hoping
to achieve.
When asked, Gatta replied, “The goal of
this initiative is to reduce classroom interruption and minimize traffic in the hallways
during the last five minutes of class.”
For the students who do not appreciate this
new rule, this rule was caused by the students
themselves. If there were not disruptions occurring during the last five minutes of gym
class, the rule may not have been put into effect. The benefits of this new policy include,
according to Gatta, “reduction in classroom
interruptions, less traffic in the hallways during the last five minutes of class, and enhanced
supervision of students during the last five
minutes of class.”
Although there are students that may not
understand this new procedure, they need to
keep in mind that it was issued to create a
better learning environment.
“I ask the students to remember that with
any new procedure, we will work to make
revisions if necessary. I am very interested
in students’ concerns and suggestions. The
Department will continue to seek new ideas
that will improve our program,” said Gatta.
When students were asked what they
thought about the new gym policy, some responses included: “It’s an inconvenience as to
not being able to get to my locker after gym
but all together I don’t mind it that much,”
cont’d page ##
Admiral Players
presents Grease!
Ryan Shields as the handsome and cocky
leader of the T-birds, Danny Zuko, and Jessica Pappalardo as the innocent, sweet Sandy
Hold onto your seats Arlington, as the Dumbrowski. The tough and sarcastic Rizzo,
Admiral Players take you back in time to the leader of the Pink Ladies, is played by Emily
fifties, an electrifyin’ era of poodle skirts, Gutierrez. Rebecca Barry plays Marty, Devyn
leather jackets, and lots and lots of hair gel! Schettino plays Jan, and Melanie Capperelli
Join Danny, Sandy and the whole gang in the is Frenchy. Chris Ireland plays the role of
classic musical Grease on April 16th and 17th Kenickie, second in command of the T-Birds,
Nick Zilempe plays Roger, Dan Sommerfeldt
at 7:30 PM and April 18th at 2:00 PM!
The year is 1958, and it’s the first day back plays Sonny, and Bradley Levine is Doody.
at school at good ol’ Rydell High. What a drag, Lee Anne Taylor plays the role of the disliked
huh? Especially for the Pink Ladies and Thun- English teacher of Rydell High, Miss Lynch,
derbirds! When Danny Zuko, the leader of Fallon Kane plays Patty, captain of the cheerthe Thunderbirds, sees the girl he fell in love leading team and Tim Sacks plays Eugene, a
pompous and
Admiral Players’ Production of Grease!
with over
gullible nerd.
summer vaAlso joincation, Sandy
Performances:
ing the cast
DumbrowsFriday April 16, 2010 7:30 p.m.
of Grease is
ki, he’s not
Saturday
April 17, 2010 7:30 p.m.
Hudson Valexactly the
l e y ’s o w n
Sunday April 18, 2010 2:00 p.m.
same guy
she thought For more information or to order Chris Marehe was. Can tickets call the admiral players’ box no, the radio
personality of
the trials of
office at 845-486-4860 ext. 1423.
KissFM. He
high school
and the ulterior motives of the other Greasers will be appropriately portraying Vince Fontaine, the Radio Personality of Rydell High’s
keep them apart?
"Grease" is a family favorite, made fa- own favorite radio station. Come on down
mous by the 1979 film version, starring John to see your favorite radio spokesman in the
Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. There musical event of the season!
The show is under the direction of Sarah
have been countless tours of Grease around
the world, a very successful production in Combs, with vocal musical direction by
the West End, and a recent Broadway revival Caitlin Dougherty, Choreography by Grace
of the original production. It is the 13th lon- Mihalchik, Orchestra direction by Amy
gest running show in Broadway history. The Kilroy and Costume design by Mary Beth
show's many hit songs include popular favor- Boylan. Come join the Admiral Players as
ites like "Summer Nights," "We Go Together" they perform Grease, and have a hoppin’ time!
You won’t regret it! A fun time is guaranteed.
and "Greased Lightning."
The Admiral Players cast of Grease stars Come on Arlington, Grease is the word!
by Rachel Nathanson
says Corey Lawson, a sophomore
“I don’t like it. If they don’t want us to
wonder, than at least let us out a minute earlier
so we don’t wander the halls,” said McKenzie
Briggs, also a sophomore.
“I don’t mind the process at all and I
will follow it, but I do find it a little of an
inconvenience,” said an anonymous student.
There are many different outlooks on the
new policy. Change is always difficult to be
happy with, but with new rules comes with
new responsibilities.
Staff Writer
Features Editor
Arlington bands play
with guest conductors
I usually guest conduct all-county bands, but
they only meet for a week, whereas here, the
concert band has been playing together since
The 2010 Guest Conductor Concert took the beginning of the year.” He says, “Since
place on March 6 at 8:00 pm in Cafeterias C the music has been prepared before I come in,
and D. The groups that performed with guest it makes it that much easier to work together
conductors were the Concert Band directed by and perfect it.”
The Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble
Darrell Keech, the Symphonic Band directed
by Richard Guillen, and the Wind Ensemble were guest conducted by Darryl J. Bott, a
directed by Joseph Szabo. Each band played professor at Rutgers University, Mason Gross
School of
four selections It was interesting to see someone else’s perspective of the band. t h e A r t s .
Jori Breite He serves
with the
as the assisguest
tant director of the bands, and instructs music
conductors.
The guest who conducted the concert band education courses and undergrad instrumental
was Richard Holod. Holod is the director of conducting. Bott worked as the director of
the music department at Roy C. Ketcham bands at Roxbury High School for 17 years
High School. He also conducts the wind prior to teaching at Rutgers.
As for the concert, it was very entertainensemble, the jazz ensemble, and the ninth
grade band. He began teaching career at El- ing and went very smoothly. Many of the
lenville High School, where he taught 7-12 band students thought so as well. Jori Breite,
grade students. He has since been teaching a sophomore and a musician in the Concert
in the Wappingers Central School District Band, added that she “liked the experience
since 1998. This is not Holod’s first time of having a guest conductor.” Jori continued
guest conducting at Arlington. He worked sharing, “It was a lot of fun, and I learned a
with the concert band four years ago for this lot of new things. It was interesting to see
same concert. Holod said of guest conducting, someone else’s perspective of the band. He
“It is great. There is no attendance, so I can brought new ideas into the band, and I overall
just come in and make music with the kids. just enjoyed it.”
Rebecca Smoller
Staff Writer
6
FEATURES
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
Prom Costs
How to stay on
your prom budget
this year
by Rachel Ellicott
Features Editor
Does prom season have
your purse strings a little too
loose? Between the perfect
dress, the professionally
done hair and makeup, the
rented tux, and the limo/party
bus, the expenses for prom
can add up quickly. In today’s
economy it may seem impossible to create the perfect
prom experience. Here are
a few ways to ensure that
your prom night is everything
you dreamed of, without the
financial repercussions.
>Start shopping with a set
budget. When you know you
have a limit, you are more
likely to stay within that limit. If
you only focus on each individual expense, the price will
add up so be sure to keep
track of your total spending
as you continue to shop. That
way, you won’t be surprised
when your credit card bill arrives.
>Shop local Instead of
having your heart set on buying an expensive, designer
prom dress, try shopping at
local consignment shops, thrift
stores, and department stores.
You might find the same dress
that you would find in the city
for a lower price.
If you shop for your dress
online, try to buy your accessories at the same time so as
to save on shipping costs.
>Don’t Waste $ Rather
than wasting money on professional manicures, pedicures, hairdos, and makeovers, find a friend or relative
who can do the job instead. In
all likelihood you will be able
to find a local cosmetic consultant who could give you a
free makeover that just happens to be on the day of your
prom. For instance, try makeup counters in the mall.
Instead of spending excessive
amounts on a limo or a party
bus, carpool with friends.
Famous celebrity Prom 2010 Styles
prom memories
by Rebecca Smoller
by Maria McNamara
Staff Writer
Many people dream of having the perfect
prom, with the perfect outfit, the cute date,
and wonderful memories to keep forever. A
lot of celebrities have shared their thoughts
and experiences on their anticipated prom
night and all though most people think that
celebrities would have the perfect prom, not
all of them do.
Ciara, the singer and actress, wasn’t much
of a party animal. When she moved to Atlanta
at 8, she remained somewhat quiet. When
prom came, she decided to go, but wasn’t
the heart of the dance. She told MTV that her
experience wasn’t awesome, but it wasn’t the
worst either. She was a little left out because
she felt that everyone was too cliquey for her,
so she partied in “her own world.” She admitted that she did have fun at the proms that she
went to, but,unlike some of her friends, she
doesn’t have the most exciting memories.
Dakota Fanning, teenage actress from
Coraline and Twilight, got lucky and was
able to go to her prom. Most teenage actors
and actresses are to busy to go to prom, but
Fanning, who was currently working on the
sequel to Twilight, was able to go. Being a
famous, rich actress, she could have picked
from any dress, but she decided to recycle
one of her premiere dresses. At 16 years old,
she was able to live like an average teen and
enjoyed the unforgettable experience of going
to the prom.
Nick Lachey, singer and actor, and Vanessa Minnillo, actress and model, revealed to
MTV that they were both disappointed in their
proms. Although Lachey’s was a cheap one
in Cincinnati and Minnillo’s was glamorous,
they both had things that messed up their big
day. Nick Lachey was anticipating the prom
to be a something major, and he will always
think it was fun, but it was a let down. He
told MTV, “You get all dressed up and its
like, ‘This is it?’” Vanessa Minnillo, however,
had one of the most glamorous proms imaginable. The bad part about it was that her date
complained about how much money he had
to spend to make it such a good night. “The
whole point of prom is to have fun,” she
said, but apparently her date didn't think so.
In the end, both of them had fun, but those
two things ended up putting a damper on the
otherwise amazing night.
In a fairly new band called The Rocket
Summer, one of the band members told
Cosmo Girl about his eventful prom. When
Bryce Avery was 16 his band had just put out
their first album, which made for a dramatic
year. Suddenly, everyone in his school knew
who he was, which was weird for him because
he was known to be a quiet kid who kept to
himself. When prom season came, he was
surprised to learn that he had been voted the
Most Talented. His girlfriend was also voted
Prom Queen and they later got married. He
was fortunate to have one perfect night.
Some stars, however, didn't even get a
chance to have a real prom. Teenage actress
Selena Gomez and her best friend Demi Lovato, who didn't want to miss out on the prom,
went to a school that they’d never attended to
crash a prom just to say that they went. Actress
and singer Miley Cyrus didn't get to go at all,
because her schedule was too busy. Those
who were able to go, are lucky. They either
weren’t as famous, or like Fanning, they just
lucked out and enjoyed themselves, no matter
how good or bad their overall experience was.
Top prom scenes
by Amanda Grossjung
Staff Writer
Prom, the quintessential event that excites
many from early on, is the time when a girl
gets all dazzled up in a beautiful gown with
her hair done in a fashionable up-do, while
a guy can look dapper in a rented tuxedo.
From renting a limo to checking the weather,
making sure it does not rain in order to keep
one’s hair in tip top shape, it can be a magical
night. Add lights, celebrities, dramatic scenes
and a little place called Hollywood to get the
perfect prom night in the movies. What makes
a prom really swell? Well, it’s
a mix of different things and
the movies bring the hype
of prom to the big screen
in a big way. There are
many movies that show
different sides of prom and
these are just a few:
Carrie (1976) The
tagline “If You’ve Got a
Taste for Terror...Take
Carrie to the Prom” was u s e d
for this movie and that prom
scene is most definitely not an
ideal situation. On what seems to be
the happiest day of her life, young Carrie
White, a telekinetic teen who is tormented by
her teachers, peers, and her own mother, ends
up dreading ever going out. In this classic
horror film scene a bucket of pig’s blood gets
poured on the poor girl. She then unleashes a
rather frightening terror on the high school.
A lesson to be learned from this movie for
all the future prom
attendees is to look
up if one gets the
title of prom king
or queen. No need
for another Carrie incident. Those
stains would be
killer.
Pretty in Pink
(1986) A tale of
teens from different worlds, Pretty
in Pink, is a classic
1980s romantic-
comedy starring Brat Pack member, Molly
Ringwald, as Andie Walsh. In this movie,
the prom scene is the epitome of high school
drama. As the 80s techo music plays alongside
guys in white and black tuxedos and girls in
colorful over-the-top dresses, Andie must
confront the drama that happens when her
love interest Blane McDonough (Andrew
McCarthy) arrives at the prom too. As we all
hold our breath as the two characters have a
class struggle, the ambiance of the prom is
quite nice.
Prom Night (2008) Unfortunately, here
comes another prom movie with a sour turn
for the worst. Prom is supposed
to be a fun time where everyone just grooves to the beat.
Well, in this remake of the
1980s version, Donna Keppel
(Brittany Snow) must escape
the hands of Richard Fenton
(Johnathon Schaech) who
escaped prison. It is a very
chilling story and hopefully an
unlikely circumstance outside
prom in the movies. Nevertheless this prom scene evokes
more drama and fighting between couples. That aspect of
the movie could have come right out
of a normal high school.
High School Musical 3 (2008) If only
everyone could dance in synchronized motion
at the flip of a hat. At most proms, everyone
joins in to “crank it” like Soulja Boy or jam
to the “Cotton Eyed Joe”, but these kids are
hardcore with the elaborate dance routines
that are known to everyone. Maybe it’s a
secret memo that shows the dance moves.
Nevertheless Troy (Zac Efron), Gabriella
(Vanessa Hudgens) and the gang are fly dancers in this movie.
Of course there are plenty of other movies that show prom at its finest. Prom is a
timeless event that will be shown again and
again because audiences love to see it with
the drama and the sometimes painstaking,
fashion of prom. Everyone also has a soft
spot for Cinderella-esque night that happens
in a teenager's life which is why prom in both
the movies and in real life will be a staple in
a kids life time after time.
Staff Writer
This new Prom season is about feminine freedom. When one looks online for
prom dress styles and what’s in season this
spring, the dresses that come up all have a
lot in common. One of the things that they
have in common is the halter top style. A lot
of dresses have the
t w o
straps that come together under the neck.
Many of them have
sequins or a sparkly
design under the chest.
Some have rhinestone
brooches on the center
chest while others have
mini pearls decorating
the bust line a n d /
or waistline. Most
prom dresses in season are also
made of silk
because
silk is one of t h e
most soft and luxurious fabrics a person
can wear.
Another dress
style that is very
‘in’ right now
is the V-neck
style.
V-necks are
very
fashionable in not
only
t-shirts, but dresses too. Many
dresses with the v-neck have sequins or rhinestones lining the neckline, and complement
the person who is wearing the dress.
Floral designs and other colorful patterns are definitely in season as well. Dresses
jazzed up with colorful, flowery prints are the
seasons’ newest statement. Many long gowns
have different shades of yellow, green, pink,
and orange, lining the material. This type of
decoration is usually found on floor gowns.
Also, bubble skirt shapes and sheath bodices
give special expression to prom party dresses.
Elegant sophistication shows up in rich tones
of pink and sparkly colors with re-embroi-
dered details. See through backs and layered
skirts are also in style this prom season.
More casual prom styles are short or tea
length. The new, cool look for the season is
super sexiness and continues the sensual satin
trend of low scooped backs. Frills and ruffles
add a touch of sensuality to any dress, while
lace evening dresses have made a comeback
this season.
When it comes to shoes, one must make
sure it matches the prom dress color and
style. High heels are very in, especially if
one needs a little boost in their height. For
spring, open
toed shoes
are more
elegant
than
closed
toed;
closed
toed
shoes
give off
a winter
v i b e . Tstrap shoes
are very
much in
style, with
t h e i r
round
ankle
strap
and
unique
long band
d o w n
the middle of the foot. Many
times the band is embroidered
with cascading rhinestones or
shiny buttons. Strappy sandals also add a
beautiful touch to any short or long dress.
When it comes to jewelry, it is important
to not go overboard. Jewelry is meant to add a
small touch to a dress, and wearing too much
can take away from the dress. Crystal and
silver necklaces and earrings can compliment
any color or style of gown. Dangly earrings
are very much in style and will boost the look
of any hairdo. Rings can make a look seem
a lot more fancy and exquisite. Flower rings
are in fashion, especially during the spring
because their light color can brighten up any
outfit.
Prom season this year is about individuality. Floral designs, v-necks, bubble skirts,
frills, ruffles, and sequins are many of the
styles right now, but taking a dress and adding one’s personal style with shoes, jewelry,
and other accessories are what it’s all about.
Man On T
Maria DiBenedetto,
sophomore
“Really good decorations and food, a good
DJ to dance to, and after-parties to go to.”
Ben Salem, junior
“I expect the most stressfful week of my
life, worrying about a ride, renting a tux,
her getting her hair done, having our
parents worrying about everything when
they don’t need to, but finally calming
down as she walks in, in her beautiful
deress and we get in the limo/bus and
go have a crazy and fun evening.”
What ar
expect
for pr
Jeremy Tse, freshman
“i expect prom to be really big with lots of
decorations and cool people. There will be
dancing to techno music and flashing disco
lights with fashionable clothing and people.”
FEATURES
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
The complete history of prom
by Rachel Nathanson
Features Editor
As spring approaches, many high school
upperclassmen are turning their attention to
a little thing we all know as prom. However, while girls are searchi n g
their favorite stores for
the
perfect ball gown
and boys are renting the tuxedo of
their choice, while
corsages are being
picked and exquisite hairstyles are
being formed,
while every boy
and girl are debating who they
are going to ask
to be their date,
does anyone
wonder what the
history of this lavish event beholds?
It is the general belief of historians that proms
were greatly
influenced by
debutante balls,
in which members of the upper class presented their
daughters
to society.
These balls
were highly
exclusive;
not just everybody received invitations. At such balls,
the girls would enter the hall looking stunning
in white gowns and white gloves, escorted by
handsome boys dressed smartly in tuxedos
and matching white gloves. In fact, the word
prom comes directly from the word “promenade”, which was the grand marching of
these debutantes around the dance floor at the
beginning of the ball.
While many historians believe that proms
may have existed as early as 1811, pictures of
prom did not appear in high school yearbooks
until the 1930s and the 1940s. However, the
earliest account of anything resembling a
prom is an entry in an Amherst College student’s journal in 1894. He recounted his experience and
attendance
a t
an early
p r o m
at the
neighboring
Smith College f o r
women. While the student used the
word prom to describe the dance then, it may
have been simply a fancy name for the seniorclass ball held at many colleges during that
time. Prom was important in colleges then,
but would not reach the iconic status it has
today until it reached high schools.
In the olden days, prom was not as big a
deal as it has become in recent years. It has
evolved greatly over the last few decades.
In the 1900s, prom was an occasion that
The Street
re your
tations
rom?
“”
called for tea, dancing and being social. The
students dressed in their best Sunday clothes
and participated in the simple activities. In
the 1920s and 1930s, as high school seniors
began to experience the freedoms of cars and
other luxuries, prom expanded to a yearly
class banquet that included party
clothes and dancing. As the
1950s dawned and America
began to enjoy the pleasures
of a post-war economy, proms
became even more elaborate.
Instead of being held in the
high school gym, many
junior and senior proms
moved to ballrooms
at hotels and country
clubs. Competition between students came into
the picture, and prom
became about finding the
best-looking date, being
the prettiest one there,
having the slickest ride.
The tradition of
prom king and queen
was formed, and furthermore, became
a popularity test.
Being voted prom
queen and king became an important
distinction of popularity. In the 1980s,
proms became even
more publicized
as many movies
began featuring
prom scenes and
portrayed
prom as the
big comingof-age event in a teenagers’ life. The honor of
being voted queen and king of prom intensified. Those who were given the titles were
nearly considered royalty themselves.
Today, proms are expensive, elaborate,
and even more extravagant than they have
been in the past. Recent proms call for stretch
limousines, sparkly dresses, and large, conspicuously decorated ballrooms. These have
become standards for today’s proms.
Many high schoolers think of prom as the
climax of their high school careers. Countless
fun-filled memories can be created that will be
remembered for the rest of one’s life.
The Fact or Myth Corner
by Melissa Vogt
“Everyone’s gonna get there, and it’s gonna
be awkward, and then everyone’s gonna
dance, and then everyone’s gonna eat, and
then everyone’s gonna go back to dancing,
and then there’s gonna be a big blowout
of drama, and then everyone’s gonna go
home.”
Staff Writer
Myth.: Prom is a once in a lifetime experience you will remember forever. Every
year groups of girls, and guys, go together
and have a great time. Prom is not about who
you go with, but about getting dressed up,
gowns, make-up, hair, the whole package;
it is supposed to be a night of magic that
commemorates your years in high school,
and you can do that just as well with your
closet friends as with a date.
In other words,
Prom is like everything else in life, it is all
about attitude. If you
go prepared to have a
great time, you most
likely will; if you go
expecting something to
go wrong or worrying
about your date, something probably will go
wrong. Prom can be
a disaster even if you
have a date, or it can
be a great experience.
Let’s face it, nothing,
including prom, will
ever be perfect (even
with the right guy),
but if you do not let
anything bother you it can be pretty close.
You might even have more fun with a group
than with a date.
On that note, having a date has its downsides. While it can be nice to have a date
(especially with someone you really like), it
can be awful if you said yes purely to have a
date and do not like or even know the person
well. It can turn out to be a disaster. With a
date you spend most of the night focusing
on each other and
it might turn out
you have nothing in
common. Now you
then get to spend
the whole night
making awkward
small talk. This
works the same
way if one of you
likes to dance and
the other does not.
Another downside
is the prom pictures. Twenty years from now
when you look back on the million and one
pictures taken at your prom, do you want to
see you and a guy whose name you cannot
remember, or you and a group of friends
having a great time?
Furthermore, going solo or with a group
of friends can have some advantages. First
and foremost you can dance with whoever
you want, a group of friends or a guy who is
also date-less. A lot of guys show up alone
or with friends, so you might meet someone, end up with a boyfriend, or just find a
new friend to hang with
for the rest of the night.
Not having a date also
lets you make whatever
after-prom plans you
want, and to change them
more easily; you don’t
need to agree on what
to do, or go to whatever
party they promised they
would show up to.
Preparing for prom,
buying the perfect dress,
finding matching jewelry
and shoes, doing makeup, hair and nails, can
be really stressful. Why
add the stress of trying to
find a date? For juniors,
this year is already really
stressful, with college preparation, SATs
and advance placement courses. Prom is an
excuse to blow off steam and have a great
time. For seniors this is their last year and
prom is that one last chance to dress up, hang
out and create lasting memories with the
friends you may not see after high school.
Not to say you shouldn’t have a date, but if
you cannot find one, why deprive yourself
of these experiences?
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8
NEWS
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
Students Clear Wetlands of Pests
property currently reside in the wetland to
the west adjacent to the parking lot where
no Blanding’s
turtles live, they
are threatening
to spread to the
other wetlands
nearby. As a
result, the Enviro-forcers
made it their
goal to eliminate the plant
to protect the
photo by Maribel Pregnall
turtle’s habitat
Junior Sam Plotkin and senior Jon Suh use clippers to eliminate the
as well as the turinvasive species, which is orginally from Asia.
tles themselves. .
On POW day,
with other valuable vegetation that the many
animal species, including the Blanding’s a group of around 40 students and three teachturtles, utilize. This troublesome plant spe- ers from biology classes, the Environmental
cies is especially known to displace native Club, and other sectors of the student body
cattails while providing little to no benefit to geared up in rubber boots and gloves and
headed out to the wetlands after school.
the wetland habitat.
Faculty advisor Maribel Pregnall exEven though the Phragmites on school
claimed, “What an amazing turnout! It really
continued from front page
profit organization that helps teens AIDS
or HIV during the summer. Saperstein’s
describes the experience as a metaphor of
the daily struggles of HIV/AIDS victims and
hopes he will educate others about the disease. His hike has been carefully researched
to the amount of food that is necessary and
the timeline of his journey. Also, Saperstein
had prepared himself by hiking locally and
planning his route through each state. His
motivates himself with the words of Michael
Jordan: “You miss one hundred percent of the
shots you don’t take.”
Saperstein’s upcoming autobiography,
Atypical: Life with Asperger’s in 20 1/3 Chapters, looks to be a motivational narrative of
rising above Asperger’s Syndrome. Though
he is young, Saperstein’s life is in inspirational
story to all people who suffer from autism.
The Arlingtonian got the opportunity to
speak to Sapperstein about his book and life.
Q:How did you cope with Asperger’s in
high school?
A: How did I cope with Asperger’s in high
school? The answer to that question is, “Not
too well, at first” Ninth grade was a particularly brutal transition because I had to deal
with more challenging academic standards,
a new school, and teachers who saw me as
a disciplinary problem. I did a good job of
exacerbating bullying by trying to be a class
clown or making pathetic, unfunny jokes at
inappropriate times. These compounding
problems prompted my parents to take me
to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with
Asperger’s syndrome. .
After my freshman year at Arlington High
School, things started to get just a little bit
better. Getting involved in extra-curricular
activities made an enormous difference and
shaved off the worst of my social problems.
What did make high school unbearable was
a paralyzing naiveté that is common amongst
individuals with Asperger’s syndrome and
was sometimes taken advantage of by my
peers. For six months during my junior and
throughout part of my senior year, I was also
a victim of what we now refer to as, “Cyber
Bullying” because I believed everything
people told me over the Internet. I devoted
part of my book toward speaking out against
cyber bullying and the cowardice involved.
It really does not take much courage to torment who is emotionally-vulnerable while
cowering behind an anonymous screen name.
Q: How does Asperger’s Syndrome currently affect your daily life?
A: That is an easy question to answer.
Even with all of my profound successes over
the past few years…I still suffer from bitterness and anger. I’ve gotten to the point in
my sloth-like maturity to where I am able to
accept responsibility after making a mistake.
But I have yet to get to the point where I am
able to deal with rejection and premature judgments when I feel like I’m making a profound
effort to control my social behavior and know
that it is the other person who has the problem.
I have a profound sense of entitlement and am
thinking, “Alright! I have done my part. Now
you owe it to me to be understanding and give
me a chance.” One of these days I will get
over the sense of entitlement, but am happy
with the progress I’ve made so far. For the
first time in a long while…there is a great deal
ing’s turtles inhabit, Phragmites is competing
by Sam Olyha
Head Copy Editor
On Thursday, March 4, 2010, the Enviro-forcers were at work yet again on their
mission to preserve the endangered Blanding’s turtles that live on school property
with their latest event, Phragmites Out of the
Wetland (POW) Day.
After winning the Lexus Eco Land Challenge for their work with the species, the
group of research class students consisting
of seniors Monica Bendernagel, John Fisher,
Melissa McNamara, Sam Olyha, and Jon Suh
has continued their efforts while pursuing the
Lexus Eco Challenge Final Challenge that is
due toward the end of the month.
Phragmites australis, or the common
reed, are an incredibly invasive plant species
along the Atlantic coast. They are tall weeds
that grow to be about six to fifteen feet tall
with a tuft of seeds at the top. This plant species was accidently introduced into the region
and has since spread rapidly while providing
low quality habitat for native wildlife.
In the school’s wetlands that the Bland-
them.
Pregnall added, “The students looked like motivated
tigers in a jungle! They moved
quickly through the 12 foot high
Phragmites POWING it down
with clippers, shovels, and other
implements of destruction.”
The endeavor proved difficult and slow-going, but at the
end of POW day, the students had
certainly made an impact. They
were able to assist the research
class in removing over 25% of
the invasive species and fill up
over fifteen garbage bags with
the reed.
photo by Maribel Pregnall
However, there is still a great
POW day proved to be quite a success as students
deal of work to be done before the
removed over 25% of the invasive species.
species is completely eradicated
shows that Arlington High School students from the wetlands so there will most likely
want to make a difference in the environ- be more weeding days in the near future.
ment.”
Jacob Lawrence, Going Green teacher,
Armed with shovels, clippers, and other remarked, “It was great seeing so many motools, students hand pulled and clipped the tivated students helping us. Let’s do it again
infringing plants while others worked to bag in the spring!” Be on the lookout for POW 2!
Jazz Festival Cont’d Coping With Asperger’s Syndrome Cont’d
Kranis and violinist Chelsea Hadden.
Next in the set came Benny Carter’s “A
Walkin’ Thing,” a blues tune that included
solos by Kate Corcoran on bass, Savannah
Blum on alto saxophone, and Myles Mancuso on piano. For their third song, the Jazz
Machine featured vocalist Kristen Schaeffer
singing “Over the Rainbow.” Finally, the
band closed their set with Mary Lou Williams’ classic swing chart “Roll ‘Em,” which
included solos from Myles Mancuso on piano,
Lee Fleisher on trumpet , and Savannah Blum
on soprano saxophone.
The Jazz Machine received appreciation
from their audience after their judged afternoon performance with a prolonged standing
ovation starting immediately after their last
song was completed.
The group also received recognition from
the judges, who noted the diversity of their
program as well as their strong soloists and
overall musicality. Freshman pianist Myles
Mancuso received the Judge’s Choice Award,
an award given to one outstanding performer
from each competing group. Myles’ win continued a string of acknowledgement for the
Jazz Machine’s rhythm section, with bassist
Kate Corcoran receiving the award in 2009
and drummer Matt Kranis winning in 2008.
Later that evening the group participated in
a showcase performance including every
first place group of the six large ensemble
classes held at Berklee’s Veterans Memorial
Auditorium, with their performance closing
the concert.
For their championship victory the Jazz
Machine received several awards. In addition
to a championship trophy the band was given
four 50% tuition awards to select Berklee
summer performance programs for students
to use as a means of broadening their musical
horizons. Berklee will also send one of their
professors to AHS to give a clinic to the Jazz
Machine and provide an educational experience for the band.
The Jazz Machine can be seen in several
upcoming performances. On April 17th they
will be performing at the Dutchess Jazz Festival at FDR High School in Hyde Park. In
addition to this they will perform at the annual Arlington Jazz Cabaret on May 12th at
AHS and the Arlington District Jazz Night on
May 24th at AMS. With more performances
to come, the group looks forward to bringing
their jazz to all audiences to hear.
Arlington Art
Students Excel
the exhibit have seriously deliberated a colStaff Writer lege interest or career in the many available
art fields.
“The day couldn’t have gone better … the
On Saturday, March 6th, 2010, Arlington
High School proudly displayed a wide vari- art is displayed wonderfully … parents are
ety of students’ artworks from our very own thrilled … I couldn’t be a prouder art teacher!”
high school art students. This community art says advanced painting teacher, Nyarady.
By taking an Arlington Art class whether
exhibit arrayed a wide collection of skill and
creativity from over one hundred participants it be fine arts, film making, photography,
of seven Arlington Art department teachers. culinary arts, performing arts, and other art
Numerous categories of artwork were repre- classes, several upperclassmen artists have
sented such as photography, digital imaging, aspired to go onto FIT, Boston Art Institute,
painting, drawing, collaging, printing and The Art Institutes, The Culinary Institute of
pottery; all of which were of extraordinary America, and The College of St. Rose, just to
name a few, to pursue their love and passion
aptitude and dedication.
The PTA supplied sweets and treats while of the arts.
Freshmen and
family and
sophomores were
friends adinspired by the
mired sevupperclassmen’s
en months
work.
of student
Though they
artistry.
are not yet aware
With
of the plentiful art
the student
classes Arlington
involveHigh School will
ment and
offer them, getting
volunteer
a taste of the love
service
and caress Arlingof Aimee
ton students and
Nyarady’s
staff have towards
art students,
their diverse art
the disprograms is a gust
plays were
of fresh air.
carefully
These students
crafted and
will rise to become
displayed
some of the well
to ensure
photoe courtesy of Aimee Nyarady
o u t s t a n d - Senior Ashlee Florkowski smiles proud alongside her recognized and remembered artists in
ing artworkartwork at the AHS Art Show on March 6, 2010.
the entire Arlington
handling
and presentation. Though the artwork Community and will proudly display their
stretched through one hall way, from 4:00 designs in future AHS Art Exhibits. Since the
establishment
p.m. to 7:00 p.m.,
of Arlington
crowds continued
Aimee Nyrady High School
to pour in and be
in 1924, the art
overcome with
astonishment with the students’ well present- department continues to expand and deliver
ed art talents. Several of the senior students excellence to their students and the surroundwho were able to display their artwork in ing community year after year.
by Brittany Cornell
“...I couldn’t be a prouder teacher!”
of hope and optimism for the months to come.
Q:What gave you inspiration to write
your book?
During my seven month Appalachian
Trail hike for the Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation, I kept an online journal about my
adventures. It was widely read by the local
community and people kept telling me I
needed to compile all my entries into an
actual book. In my journal entries, I talked
about my obsessions, neurosis, weirdness, and
anger. After my hike ended, there seemed to
be a lot of fear and interest revolving around
autism and the rising statistics. I wrote my
book with one central message in mind. Tolerance and respect must be a two-way effort
or else it will never exist. People with autism
must understand there are going to be social
and legal consequences for certain behaviors. Having autism does not give someone
the excuse to tell a sexually-inappropriate
joke at the workplace. People who belong
to the neurotypical public must understand
something just as important. People like me
can undergo psychotherapy, speech therapy,
holistic treatments, and acupuncture. It does
not matter.
There will ALWAYS be something about
us that is just…a little bit different. Try to
look past these superficial differences and
give individuals a break when you know
they are making a conscious effort. Instead,
open your eyes to the side of autism that can
create outstanding friends, family members,
co-workers, students, employees, and even
romantic partners. Tolerance and respect has
to be a two-way effort or else the results will
be catastrophic.
NEWS
the Arlingtonian
Man makes music on bridge Budget Cont’d
jukeboxes with speakers mounted overhead
to the tower itself..
A sign lists the songs and explains what
part of the bridge you are hearing in each
piece. Look up the selection you want to hear
and press the button.
For those with a fear of heights or bridges,
or who arrive in inclement weather, there are
the Park Radios.
The Park Radios are located in the parks
that flank the bridge, and play the same music
that's at the Listening Stations year-round,
24/7.
The frequency for both Waryas Park in
Poughkeepsie and Johnson-Iorio Park in
Highland is 95.3FM, and you must be in the
parks to hear the music.
The bridge's pedestrian sidewalk is open
from dawn to dusk April 1 through October
31.
Visit www.JosephBertolozzi.com for
free map and info downloads on the Bridge
Music page/
By the end of these meets the Arlington Ateam was in second place trailing Spackenkill
by two points.
Sectionals were held at Vassar College. After the six questions Arlington and
Spackenkill were tied. Both teams then had
to take a tie breaker question in a separate
room. After the question they were told
that the tie had been broken but the judges
did not say who won. The members of the
Arlington A-team figured out that they had
all gotten the same answer, but four of them
guessed. “It was simply the most thrilling
and nail biting of my 9 years at the helm of
this team. Not only was the team trailing the
entire match, but they sent it into overtime
by winning the hardest part of the meet, the
relay event. Then, five outstanding Arlington
students bested five outstanding Spackenkill
students in a single problem face-off that had
my stomach doing flips,” says Weiler. When
it was finally announced that Arlington was
the winner, the team received a giant trophy.
Senior Michael Lei said that “It was especially
satisfying knowing that Arlington could end
the Spackenkill dynasty in Weiler’s last year
as coach.” They could be seen later that afternoon parading it around the school with pride.
After many years of being the coach of
math team, Weiler has decided to hand over
the team to fellow math teacher Kerry Conway, because of time commitments. However
he still will try to come to as many meets as he
can and he will try to keep an active role with
the team. He summed up this last competition
by saying, “I couldn’t imagine a better way for
me to end my career as Math Team coach.”
Math Team Cont’d
Gym Changes Cont’d
continued from page 7
says Corey Lawson, a sophomore
“I don’t like it. If they don’t want us to
wonder, than at least let us out a minute earlier
so we don’t wander the halls,” said McKenzie
Briggs, also a sophomore.
“I don’t mind the process at all and I will
follow it, but I do find it a little of an inconvenience,” said a student who requested that
their name be left anonymous.
There are many different outlooks on the
new policy. Change is always difficult, but
with new rules comes with new responsibilities.
** Some yoga experience required
The national average is $9,666, over 40%
lower than Arlington’s.
Some of the most extreme potential cuts
include closing one or two schools, and eliminating all after-school buses district-wide.
These cuts are considered to be destructive,
and when proposed last year, Superintendent
Pepe stated that they may cause “exceedingly
negative and perhaps irreparable damage to
the School system.”
John Netto, an AHS senior, said that
“While there is indeed some waste that
needs to be eliminated within schools, the
state should look elsewhere first to cut nonperforming programs in other areas before
targeting education”
Junior Basim Khan added “with a contingency budget that still increases taxes by
6.2%, they [the district] are really putting the
‘suffer’ in ‘sufferage’”
Members of the community also seemed
to have a negative overall reaction to the
proposed budget.
During the three “Community Budget
Forums” held by the district, many members
of the public complained about the high tax
increase. From senior citizens to parents of
students, there seemed to be widespread opposition to the spending plan as offered.
James Shuttleworth, a local taxpayer and
frequent speaker at Board of Education meetings, told the Board of Education and Superintendent Pepe, regarding the fiscal crisis the
district now faces, “I hate to say ‘I told you
so’, but here we are.” adding that high pension
and salary costs are the real driving forces in
the spending increases, and that those areas
should be targeted instead of student activities
and extracurriculars.
The Board of Education is scheduled to
adopt a final spending plan to present to the
voters by their meeting on Tuesday, April 6,
in order to hold a public vote on Tuesday,
May 18.
Where the cuts are:
9
“Tier Two” Budget Cut Sectors
The following chart outlines, by dollar amount, where the
proposed “Tier Two” cuts come from
Pecent Budget increase – Last 10 years
The following chart shows the percentage increase in the
ACSD budget in each of the past 10 years
Percent
Press Release
Since last year, Bridge Music, a free
sound-art installation has been open to the
public on the Mid Hudson Bridge. Composer
Joseph Bertolozzi sampled the sounds of the
bridge's girders, spindles, railings, etc and
composed his music using only the sounds
of the bridge itself.
Says Bertolozzi "I just thought it would
be cool to hear what the bridge might sound
like."
After 5 years of obtaining permissions,
sampling and composing, his concept became
a reality.
The Bridge Music installation is also an
official destination on the Walkway Trail
Loop which takes hikers, bikers and walkers
from the Mid Hudson Bridge to the Walkway
Over the Hudson State Park in a scenic circle.
To hear the music, you cross the bridge
on its pedestrian sidewalk and upon reaching either of the towers, you come upon the
Listening Stations, essentially large, free
April 2010
sources: ACSD, Arlingtonian Research
2010-2011 Budget Proposal At A Glance:
Proposed Budget:
State Aid Reduction: $5,513,935
Positions Elmininated in “Tier Two”: 9.8
Total Proposed Budget: $177,372,102
Budget to Budget Increase: $5,105,136
Budget to Budget % Increase: 2.96%
Tax Levy Increase: 9.62%
ADVERTISEMENT
Contingency Budget:
State Aid Reduction: $5,513,935
Positions Elmininated in “Tier Three”: 185.4
Total Proposed Budget: $173,549,618
Budget to Budget Increase: $1,282,653
Budget to Budget % Increase: 0.7%
Tax Levy Increase: 6.2%
10
ENTERTAINMENT
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
‘Dawg’ this, Randy: American
Idol without Simon and Paula
by Amanda Grossjung
Staff Writer
This January, American Idol came back
to the TV screen in full swing for its ninth
season. There were even more contestants
clinging to their self-esteem as they were put
through the trials of auditioning for a coveted
place on the live American Idol stage. Also,
there were celebrities around every corner
like Joe Jonas, Shania Twain and Victoria
Beckham to watch the auditions.
However, this year is a little different
because the crazy Paula Abdul, who made
the audience laugh even though it was sometimes hard to say what we were laughing at,
has not returned. Her zany character made
people question her sanity, but she always
had something nice to say to every contestant.
Whether she left the show for money issues
or something else, it was going to be hard to
fill the place of this loony lady.
Ellen DeGeneres, a comedian who was
the voice behind the forgetful fish, Dory,
in Finding Nemo, was signed to take over
for Abdul. DeGeneres must somehow fill
the place of Abdul and will probably do so
through comedy.
The show needs to keep the upbeat flavor.
When asked what she thought of DeGeneres
as a judge on Idol, Arlington Junior Katelyn
Kardash said “I think Ellen DeGeneres is
good for American Idol because she seems
to take the job seriously, but she’s funny and
is always nice to the contestants.”
Along with DeGeneres, Kara DioGuardi,
Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson returned
to the show. That judging table does seem a
little crowded with four judges and maybe it
is because there are too many of them. DioGuardi, a songwriter/producer who has helped
write songs such as ‘Good Girls Gone Bad’
by Cobra Starship, became a judge in season
eight and is slowly but surely winning over
the hearts of America.
Randy Jackson, on the other hand, already
has America on his side. Although he may
call people “dawg” too much, it is a classic
line now.
As the final judge on the panel, Simon
Cowell can sometimes be rather blunt and
his shirts are a tad too tight, but what would
American Idol be without him? Imagine what
it will be like when Simon leaves after this
season. Cowell is not leaving Idol because
of the money (he is paid over $20 million),
but because according to a media website he
said “I wanted to do something different. I
wanted a new challenge. You want to leave
on a high. I’m very proud of what the show
has achieved.” In all honesty who can blame
the guy?
After eight full seasons, the show has
seen hundreds of contestants, with horrible
performances and then those performances
that can take ones breathe away; maybe it is
his time to leave. As the British show the X
Factor is getting ready to come to the Unit-
ed States in 2011, he will have a lot on his
plate.
It is hard to understand what those zany
judges want sometimes. In their bipolar
attempts at criticism, the judges will tell
contestants to be original and to change a
song. However, if someone attempts to sing
a Mariah Carey song, they are immediately
compared to that singer and usually not in
a good light.
On the other hand, many a contestant
has found that certain songs are not suitable
for change, and only wind up butchering
that song in the process. Yes, indeed it is
confusing, but in a twisted way, most of the
time the judges are spot on.
It is rather curious that only a few seasons ago the judges wanted originality in
the songs as opposed to earlier seasons,
when it was straight up karaoke. Perhaps
it started in season seven when contestants
were able to play their own instruments.
Anyway, for now, American Idol lives on,
and hopefully singers will continue to sing
for America’s vote. The host of the show,
Ryan Seacrest, holds the show together
quite nicely, having been there as American
Idol sent contestants such Kelly Clarkson,
Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and
Chris Daughtry to stardom.
If one is not ready for the big stage, why
not try the American Idol Live Experience
at Disney Studios in Orlando? It is a hoot!
Or if one is ready, auditions come around in
Not Gilmore Girls, but another
Lauren Graham family show
by Rachel Nathanson
Features Editor
On Tuesday, March 2, the new hour-long
drama Parenthood premiered on NBC. Based
on the 1989 movie of the same title starring
Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen, the show
focuses on the lives of an extended family,
the Bravermans.
Some catchy phrases that have been used
in television promotion clips pretty much
sum up the main idea of what this new show
is about. “Parenthood is the one bond you
can never break.” “It's being the bad guy one
minute and the hero the next.” “Parenthood
is saying exactly the right thing at exactly the
wrong time.”
Peter Krause stars as Adam, the eldest of
the four Braverman siblings. NBC.com calls
him “the glue that holds this large and colorful family together.” He and his wife Kristina
(Monica Potter) have two children, fifteenyear-old Haddie Braverman (Sarah Ramos)
and eight-year-old Max (Max Burkholder).
Adam seems like a normal guy; coach of his
son’s little league team, a working man, a
loving husband and father; but he gets a severe reality check when he discovers that his
daughter is not as perfect as he thought and
his son is having some major issues at school.
Lauren Graham plays Sarah Braverman,
a single mother who is taking a great risk in
moving back home where her family is and
starting anew. Her burnout ex-husband is not
a big help in her or her two teenagers’ lives.
Amber Holt (Mae Whitman) is a rebellious
seventeen-year-old who would rather move
in with her shirtless wannabe rock star boyfriend than move away, and Drew Holt (Miles
Heizer) is a shy fourteen year old desperately
in need of the male role model that his father
could never be for him.
Erika Christensen is Julia BravermanGraham, a hotshot lawyer who is so over her
head with her job that she rarely has anytime
to spend with her husband, Joel Graham (Sam
Jaeger), or her daughter, Sydney (Savannah
Paige Ray). A notable scene occurs in which
Julia is singing her daughter to sleep, and Sydney stops her mother and asks if her dad will
sing to her instead. Julia feels as though she is
slipping away from her daughter and the role
of mom due to her job, and feels compelled
to change the way she has been living her life.
The youngest sibling is Crosby Braverman, played by Dax Shepard. To quote the
Chicago Times, “with a name like Crosby,
how could he be anything but a laid-back
music producer who lives on a houseboat?”
Crosby has never been one to commit; in fact,
he twitches at the mention of commitment;
but when his long time girlfriend begins to
pressure him into settling down, he is unsure
as to whether he is finally able to grow up.
Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia play
Zeek and Camille Braverman, the patriarch
and matriarch, respectively, of this massive family. In the premiere episode, Adam
criticizes his father for raising his children to
believe that everything in life is a war. While
Zeek may be strict and unaccepting at times,
he has a soft side that often surprises many.
There may be an even bigger surprise however; Zeek may be having an affair. Camille
on the other hand, is calm and collected, offering her children and grandchildren advice
and comfort whenever they are in need of it.
Parenthood might have potential, if only
the creators will give the show some time to
familiarize the audience with the characters.
There are so many story lines going on at
once, it is easy to become lost or distracted.
However, the acting and chemistry between
many of the characters is believable and
refreshing, as well as entirely realistic. The
events and problems that this family is dealing with are things that occur on a daily basis.
The show is unique and does a good job in
keeping the audience interested with all of its
intriguing plot twists and quirky characters.
Square Enix succeeds again with
the elaborate Final Fantasy XIII
by Phillip Koffman
Staff Writer
Square-Enix, formerly known as
Squaresoft, built their fame and power on
the success of their reknowned role playing
game series, Final Fantasy. With players connecting to the first 3-D game of the series and
its characters in Final Fantasy VII, SquareEnix has been constantly trying to recapture
the formula for success they saw in the last
game. However, since then, the series has had
its share of ups and downs, with the success
of Final Fantasy X and the disappointment of
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. Now, after
almost four years since the release of Final
Fantasy XII, Square-Enix has finally released
the long awaited Final Fantasy XIII.
Many gamers are hesitant about XIII, as
the developing team revealed at E3 in 2008
that Final Fantasy XIII would be the first
multi-platform Final Fantasy, being released
on the Playstation 3 and Xbox-360. SquareEnix, a company that has remained largely
loyal to Sony over the years, has received
much flak about working with Microsoft on a
project this closely monitored by the gaming
community. While true that the 360 does not
have the Playstation 3’s graphic capabilities,
this does not in any way hinder the experience
of the game, and Final Fantasy XIII, while not
being exactly what was expected, does live up
to expectations.
Final Fantasy XIII focuses around the
heroine Lightning. Lightning is a former
soldier of the Guardian Corps, one of the
two divisions of the military. Players follow
Lightning as she starts an uprising on a train,
and quickly picks up the unwelcome follower
Sazh, who views Lightning as his only ticket
to survival. From there the story moves to a
war zone inside of the utopian paradise of
Cocoon, where a young man named Snow
is leading a rebellion against a mass murder
disguised as exile, called the Purge. The game
starts out following a series of three different
subplots, which at a turning point in chapter
two all converge, and the main party finally
unites. This allows players to begin to understand each character’s origins, and instead of
wondering how characters met or know each
other, players lead the characters into these
meetings and alliances.
Final Fantasy XIII branches out from the
standard Final Fantasy grinder role playing
game formula. There is no leveling up, and
experience is now replaced with CP, which
is used to upgrade abilities throughout the
game. Upgrades become gradually available
throughout the story, and the system is designed so only certain upgrades are available
from the get-go, meaning that grinding is no
longer necessary or even feasible, meaning
the challenges of the game cannot be outmaneuvered unfairly. Battles now have a
ranking system, with a possibility of earning
up to five stars at the end of a battle, based
almost entirely on how quickly enemies are
dispatched. Money is no longer earned at the
end of battles, meaning it is that much more
precious when found. Currency is mainly
earned through selling of components and
other items received as rewards after a battle
or found on the field. Shops are not found
in cities and towns any longer, they are
now found at save stations, and as the story
progresses new items and vendors will be
available at save stations.
The early Final Fantasy games had a
simple character growth concept where players would choose the role of party members
in combat, such as warrior, mage and healer.
XIII has somewhat returned to this concept
with the role and Paradigm system, which
allows players to choose a role of Commando, Ravager, Medic, Sentinel, Sabateur
and Synergist. The Paradigm system allows
players to make a set list of roles, and create
a ‘deck’ to alternate through during battle,
allowing a shift in battle style on a moment’s
notice. This works quite well with XIII
real-time battle system, in which players
determine a set list of commands to initiate
once a character’s action gauge has filled.
Players must keep their wits about them
though, as enemies will be attacking while
the gauges fill, so attacks and strategies must
be precisely timed.
Overall, Square-Enix has succeeded yet
again. Final Fantasy XIII does all it promises
to and more. The graphics are absolutely
stunning, even on the Xbox 360, and the
music soundtrack will blow players away.
The storyline is gripping and excellent, and
it would be fair to say the Final Fantasy
Lady Antebellum has
more to offer than Swift
by Sam Plotkin
Staff Writer
In recent years, there have been multiple
examples of what we call in music “genre
crossovers.” These phenomena are somewhat
selfexplanatory, referring
to when
an artist who
i s
clearly
defined
as one
genre
stretches
over into
another. A
“Perfect Day.” While they do play more country than pop, the group does have its share of
melodic hooks in songs such as the hit single
“Need You Now.”
Some of the qualities that make this
album so good are, for one, it is really
easy to listen to. In
other words,
these
songs, while
t h e y
have some
defining country
qualities,
don’t really
have that
signature
country
“twang”
t h a t
photo courtesy of www.the9513.com
Lady Antebellum members Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood.
good example would be post-hardcore act
Sky Eats Airplane, whose electronic beats
and elements brought a new style to screamo
and hardcore. The case of Nashville natives
Lady Antebellum, there is some overlapping
between country and pop.
Now, let us clarify something. Grammy
winner Taylor Swift has also been labeled
as an artist who plays country and pop.
Here’s a fun fact: she does not play country.
There is nothing country about the disgustingly catchy beats and hooks in her song
“You Belong With Me.” Lady Antebellum
(who also won a Grammy in 2010, for Best
Country Group or Duo Performance) actually plays country; their sound bears some
similarities to the Dixie Chicks.In fact, they
tend to heir more on the side of country than
pop. Most of their new album Need You Now
is pretty standard modern country, especially
the songs “Something ‘Bout A Woman” and
seems to drive many people in our region of
the nation away from the country genre.
Another- and this goes back to crossing
genres- is that they sometimes use elements
that are actually known more for their use
in rock music, such as the distorted guitars
and group vocals in “Stars Tonight.”And of
course, a good country album wouldn’t be
without its slide guitars and bouncing rhythms
as in “Something ‘Bout A Woman,” which
is a song for people who love the defining
instrumental qualities of a country song.
Overall, Lady Antebellum’s Need You
Now is a decent effort for a group trying to
maintain its country roots where artists such
as Taylor Swift could not. The group’s use of
solid musicianship and beautiful vocal harmonies make it a pleasure to listen to, regardless
of whether you were raised listening to Billy
Ray Cyrus or Billy Corgan. For Need You
Now: this group gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Epic Albums:Alice In
photo courtesy of www.upvenue.com
Alice In Chains members, including Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell.
by William Vrachpoulous
Staff Writer
The 1980’s and 90’s have spawned some
pretty horrific things (MC Hammer pants).
However, along the way, some pretty awesome artists have came along. One of these
epically powerful artists is Seattle’s metal/
grunge outfit, Alice in Chains. Although
their entire library of music is something to
be marveled at, one album sticks out specifically, and this is Dirt.
Alice in Chains was born in 1987,
founded by vocalist Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell while they were still in
high school. Originally known as Alice N’
Chainz, the band took on several different
incarnations before they became the band
that is known today.
After several years of trying to attract attention from the major record companies, the
metal band was finally signed to Columbia
Records. Dragged into the grunge movement, Alice in Chains recorded their first in
1990, Facelift. This was met with critical
acclaim, and soon after, MTV began airing
the band’s videos.
Facelift, the band’s first full length
album, consisted of 12 songs, including the
well known radio favorite, “Man In the Box”.
After touring for a year, the band returned to
the studio to record the acoustic album, Sap,
which features Heart vocalist Ann Wilson,
Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, and Mark
Arm, of Mudhoney.
To further add to the band’s growing
popularity, the album was released at the
peak interest of grunge, which was soon after
Nirvana’s Nevermind came out.
In September of 1992, Alice in Chains
released Dirt, the album most commonly associated with the band’s name. Dirt features
a lineup of 13 songs, a staggering seven of
which have common rotation on the radio,
and five of which hit the Billboard top 30.
Most of Alice in Chains’ best known
songs can be found on this album, including the songs “Would?” “Down In a Hole”,
“Rooster”, and “Angry Chair”. The dark and
melodic “Down in a Hole” was penned by
Cantrell, and focuses on his consistent failure
with long term relationships and depression.
“Rooster”, perhaps one of the band’s
most well known songs, was also written by
Cantrell, this time for his father, a Vietnam
veteran with heavy mental scarring due to the
atrocities he saw.
Cantrell described the song as “the start of
a healing process” between him and his father.
“Would?”, yet another tune written by
Cantrell, deals with the heroin addiction and
death of his close personal friend, and former
Mother Love Bone singer, Andrew Wood.
After Dirt, Alice in Chains recorded two
more albums, Jar of Flies, another acoustic
album, and the self titled Alice in Chains,
before going into hiatus in 1996.
At this point, Staley had become a miserable, addicted recluse, living a depressed
existence after the death of his much loved
fiancé. During this time, the various band
members either experimented with other
bands, or formed solo acts. Then finally, on
April 20, 2002, Staley was discovered dead in
his apartment, as a result of a drug overdose.
Alice in Chains survives today however,
with the new singer, William Duvall. They
recently released the album , Black Gives Way
to Blue, which had several songs to actually
top the Billboard charts. The legacy of Alice
in Chains will live on for years, as they have
inspired popular bands such as Three Days
Grace (who perform a cover of “Rooster”
live, quite often), Godsmack (whose namesake comes from an Alice In Chains song),
and Staind.
Suggestions for Epic Albums?Email me
at [email protected]
ENTERTAINMENT
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
For Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, all
the magic just gets lost in Underland
by Clarissa Eck
Staff Writer
Ever since the trailer came out in July of
last year, Tim Burton fans have been enduring months of biting their lace-gloved hands
in anticipation for the director's newest film
to hit the silver screen. Burton, one of Hollywood's most unique and successful directors,
has remade Alice in Wonderland, which sets
his film amongst over 20 remakes of this classic children's book by Lewis Carroll. Disney
made one,
Hallmark
made one,
Syfy made
one, Argentina made one,
and so did Japan, and now
Burton adds
his to the
running in of
what at first
seemed to be
a promisingly edgy reimagination
of the charming children's
tale.
In a moment of
cynicism, it seemed that this movie's main
achievement would be to generate loads of
Hot Topic merchandise and lure gullible preteens to the theater. So, after getting over the
nauseating cliché that Burton was applying his
twisted mind to one of time's most beloved
stories, it is possible for one to be self-dragged
to the theater and tried to keep an open mind.
After all, even as an avid fan of the director, there was hope for Alice In Wonderland to
be a good movie. But after seeing it, it was just
overhyped. It seemed promising- it was fun to
be in the crowded theater. to see a Burton film
for the first time, admire his brand of creepiness, and laugh and feel the emotions of the
tragic and charming characters. But, Burton
let many down by the grayish and maddening
"Underland" of his creation.
Although each of the 20 plus remakes do
have their strengths and weaknesses, Burton's
offers many more weaknesses than it ought
to. I honestly never thought I would prefer a
Hallmark Channel original to one of Burton's
traditionally dark and imaginative films. Although the story is complete and operable, and
its characters are consistent and satisfactorily
odd; the acting was deadpan, Wonderland
had lost its whimsical drama and this movie
lacks the tragic allure and affably wry humor
of Burton's earlier films.
www.andreastaats.com
The movie begins with a clip of Young
Alice telling her father about a recurring
nightmare she has, and he comforts her by
saying, "You're completely bonkers...but
I'll tell you a secret. All the best people
are." Shortly afterwards, 13 years later, the
viewer is introduced to the unconventional,
non-corset wearing Alice who is dragged to
a garden party with her traditional mother,
who is secretly plotting for the host's son,
Hamish, to propose to Alice. Personally, my
favorite ten seconds of this movie are when
Hamish whispers secretively to Alice, "Meet
me at the gazebo, in precisely ten minutes."
When Alice arrives, she finds the entire dulleyed population of the garden party facing
the gazebo, waiting for Alice to accept the
proposal complete with the off-key Hamish
on bended knee. These ten seconds come the
closest to Burton's old playful, subtle sense
of humor during the whole film.
Alice politely excuses herself, and running away, follows the white rabbit down
the rabbit hole, where the familiar opening
sequence of Drink Me's and Eat Me's unfold. Alice then stumbles into Underland,
a fearsome place with an overbearing black
jungle of forest where there should be a colorful, albeit oversized English garden. This
foreboding atmosphere starts off the twisted
journey that the viewer may or may not find
to their liking.
So how exactly did this film go awry?
It seemed to be a perfect marriage of
content
to artist, with
a complete
assortment of top-notch
British actors. Plus, a
brand-new
blend of technologies which
enabled Burton to
achieve that creepy
dumpling-like effect
for Tweedledee and
Tweedledum and the
hydrocephalic head of
the Red Queen. Granted,
the visual effects of the film
were engaging and intense,
although the dominant
color seemed to be an unrelenting gray added with
surly blackish-reds and sterile
blues. And let's not forget the
gray-green of the landscape,
the gray-blue of everything at night,
and the whitish gray of the skin tones.
The only color that seemed to stand out
was the electrifying orange of the Mad
Hatter's distracting wig.
Perhaps one of the more disconcerting
paradoxes which made this film "not so great"
was the combination of detailed visuals
and developed character design with
the fact that nearly ALL of the
Romantic drama Remember Me
is a tearjerker with unseen twist
photo courtesy of www.eonline.com
Tyler (Pattinson) and his sister share a moment in this sensitive film.
by Emily Grossjung
Staff Writer
Robert Pattinson. Got your attention? Excellent. Now where to start? Ah, I know, the
beginning…And so the lion fell in love with
the lamb he - oops, wrong movie!
Yes, we all know that Remember Me stars Robert Pattinson but
this time he’s not a mythical creature, with tousled hair. Sure he still
has the tousled hair, but this time he
is completely different. People were
flocking to theaters to see him in his
first big screen debut after Twilight,
and New Moon, and after viewing this movie,
perspectives have changed.
Summit Entertainment’s synopsis was
something like this: “Set in the summer of
2001, Remember Me is an unforgettable story
about the power of love, the strength of family, and the importance of living passionately
and treasuring every day of one’s life”…in
other words, boring!! That is not what draws
people to a movie!
Remember Me is a romantic drama about
life, family, love, and tragedy. The film pulls
each person in because of the cast but keeps
them there because of the story. It starts out
in a memory from 1991, a little girl and her
mother at a subway station getting mugged,
the mother killed. After the little girl’s father,
a cop, takes her home, it fast forwards to ten
years later, when the whole story begins.
The film takes you on a journey through
Tyler Hawkins’ life. Tyler (Robert Pattinson)
is a 21 turning 22 year old. Although not enrolled in college, he attends classes and is a
mercurial smart individual. The first clue we
get of his ideals is in the trailer when he says,
Mia!). After his arrest, Aiden figures out
that Sgt. Craig has a daughter Ally (Emilie
de Ravin - The Hills Have Eyes) and dares
Tyler to ask her out. Soon that ‘dare’ turns
into something else and Tyler and Ally fall
in love. The wonderful spirit (that Ally apparently has) brings Tyler to life again.
But nothing is that easy; Ally’s father,
the cop who hates Tyler, finds out that Ally is
living with Tyler and freaks out, and practically strangles Tyler. An argument with Ally
after all of this leaves Tyler alone. Only when
a traumatic experience happens to Tyler’s
little sister Caroline (Ruby Jerins - Shutter
Island) does Ally return to help, thus rekindling their love.
Remember Me from director Allen Coulter, producer Nicholas Osborne, and executive producer Robert Pattinson is a corky
take on a life in New York City. Although it
is not likely that a story like this has taken
place it is still realistic.
This film is a pivotal role for Robert Pattinson; as his first starring role he is given
that chance to shine and shine he does.
Pattinson portrays the depth and anger that
his character Tyler Hawkins has all with a
beautifully perfect American accent.
Yes, the performances were great but
there were still some imperfections to the film, one
being the transitions between scenes. Throughout
the movie, mainly in the
-Remember Me first half, every time it transitioned, a barren black
screen appeared in front of the
audience showing that the next scene was
moving on to a different time or place. After
awhile it seemed as if parts were missing and
to much had changed between each scene
that was not shown.
The ending was fantastic, completely
surprising everyone in the audience but, how
did it connect to the plot? Here’s the deal
breaker: it did not. It was amazing what was
done for the last scene but it had nothing to
do with the story! No one knew that the date
was an important part of the story so know
one realized what would happen. Therefore
the audience was left with the thought that
the final chapter should have been saved for
a different film. This movie has great acting,
but bad transitions and an ending that didn‘t
connect, so overall the rating is a B.
Gandhi said that whatever you do in life will
be insignificant. But it’s very important that
you do it. I tend to agree with the first part.
“Gandhi said that whatever you do in life will
be insignificant. But it’s very important that
you do it. I tend to agree with the first part.”
Tyler lives in New York City with his
roommate Aiden Hall, played by Tate Ellington, a curly haired ‘dork’ that tries to help
Tyler get back on his feet when he’s feeling
down. At one point, they end up going to a bar.
At the bar, they get involved in a fight that
they were trying to break up. Cops come and
arrest them, but they are eventually released.
Tyler gets on the bad side of the one cop,
Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper- The Bourne
Identity) - aka the same cop from the opening scene.
Tyler goes to jail for the night and is bailed
out by his father, a big shot lawyer Charles
Roth, played by Pierce Brosnan, (Mamma
characters were repellent in their own right.
The Mad Hatter was too bizarre, Alice too
boring, and even the White Queen, supposedly the most righteous, gentle-hearted person
in the story, was a little too wishy-washy and
wistful.
Therefore, the lack of powerful credible
characters compared to the perfect detestability of the selfish, spoiled Red Queen threw the
film out of balance. Honestly, the character I
most connected with was the hulking, flearidden Bandersnatch.
With all this in mind, I still like to think
that the movie, although an overall dud,
had some uplifting elements. Burton was
11
not entirely successful with this film, but I
ask the reader to invest faith in him for the
future. After all, he is the father of such hits
as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare
Before Chistmas, and Batman, as well as
cult classics Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks.
He spurred a reawakening of interest in stopmotion animation with James and the Giant
Peach. Burton's style of film-making has
become much darker and more opaque than
his earlier works. Perhaps it would be best for
the viewer to remove themself entirely from
the fact that Burton made this film, for from
what I can gather, these days his fans are far
too easily impressed.
Reasons to shudder
about Shutter Island?
photo courtesy of www.images.google.com
Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo play investigators in the thriller Shutter Island.
by Emily Grossjung
Staff Writer
Shutter Island is not a “Love it” or “Hate
it” movie – it is more like a film that will
make you say “Hmmm”.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as U.S. Federal
Marshal Teddy Daniels, who gets called out
to a remote psychiatric ward off the New
England shore on Shutter Island (shocking,
right?). The facility holds dangerous maniacs
that are subjected to unique treatments by
the questionable Dr. Cawley and his staff of
physicians, nurses and corrections officers.
Teddy arrives on Shutter Island with his
partner Chuck Aule, played by Mark Ruffalo,
to solve the case of a runaway patient named
Rachel Solondo, who mysteriously vanished
from her cell. Rachel is a dangerous and unstable patient; she was sent to get treatment
because she drowned her three children and
is now under the impression that her children
are still alive and everyone around her are
just her neighbors that live in the Berkshires.
Teddy and Chuck go around asking
questions, but turn up empty. It seems like
no one on the island wants to talk - not the
staff, patients, or Dr. Crawely and his partner,
Dr. Nahring. Certain staff are “on vacation”
when the marshals arrive, keeping them from
questioning.
Also, important records are being kept
from the investigation, making Teddy and
Chuck, two WWII veterans who know what
they are doing, wonder why they are really
there.
As the investigation continues, Teddy
begins to have dreams after Dr. Crawley gives
him aspirin, soon making his dreams turn into
walking hallucinations of his wife, who was
killed during an arson fire a few years prior.
As his mind starts fading Teddy starts to think
that being sent to the island was just a trap and
trusting no one but his partner and himself,
he sets off to find out what is really going on
on the island. While the script was fantastic,
Shutter Island stumbles in the editing department. The transitions between “the real” and
Anyone who likes psychological thrillers should see
this movie.
Ashlee florkowski
“the surreal” are sometimes awkward, as the
mystery unwinds in the second and third parts
of the film.
Overall this movie may have been confusing for some, with the twists and psychological components. But for most, the film
seemed to be intriguing, suspenseful, and
funny at parts.
Even with the actors’ cheesy, fake Boston
accents, and some over the top crying from
DiCaprio, it was an amazing film. In the words
of senior Ashlee Florkowski, “Anyone who
likes psychological thrillers should see this
movie. It does not disappoint.”
12
SPORTS
the Arlingtonian
April 2010
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT
Peabody excels at
World Championship
Arlington crew member, student,
demonstrates excellence at the 2010
Indoor Rowing World Championships
Courtesy of www.row2k.
Peabody (right) standing on the podium receiving his award along with the first place
winner Felix Bach of Germany, and the third place winner, Joshua Weinstein of the
Salisbury school in Connecticut.
by Samantha Moyer
Sports Editor
Arlington Student Athlete Kyle Peabody,
distinguished himself as one of the top rowers
in the world at the 29th annual C.R.A.S.H.-B
World Indoor Rowing Championships. The
event was held on Sunday, February 14, 2010,
in Boston, Massachusetts at Boston University’s Agganis Arena.
An active member of Arlington High
School’s own crew team, Peabody made the
decision this year to participate in a new level
of competitiveness and intensity. Over 2,500
rowers ranging in skill and accomplishment
from Olympic and world-class athletes to
first-year rowers at the club and student level
competed against the clock and eachother
in various categories. Many international
contestants were also present, hailing from
a diverse array of nations including Egypt,
Hungary, Peru, and Angola.
Peabody traveled to Boston, MA, with his
parents and brother, ready to achieve all he
could in the heat which would test his strength
and endurance. With an attitude that “if you
want something, you should go out and get it,”
he was ready to perform at his highest level.
Before a record crowd of over 6,000 spectators, the competitors rowed on Concept2
Model D Ergometers (rowing machines),
vying for the famed “Hammer” trophy.
Peabody came in second place in the Junior
Mens’ Division, finishing with a final time of 6
minutes, 17 seconds, losing only to Concept2
Team Germany’s Felix Bach. Representing
Arlington, Peabody did his school proud. “I
just set my mind on it and made it happen,”
says Peabody, who has accomplished an awesome feat and can be recognized as an athlete
of great talent.
Peabody rowed on the USRowing Junior
National Team last summer, and will be attending Boston University this fall on a crew
scholarship.
Peabody said “I’m really excitied to row at
BU this fall. They have a great, new coaching
staff and a lot of great guys there, where I hope
to be part of one of the best rowing programs
in the country.”
As for his final season at Arlington,
Peabody added “I think that it is going to
be a great spring season for us. We have a
lot of stong guys and I think that we can put
together a legitmate run at some major races.”
Peabody also stated that he will genuinely
miss Arlington. “The school, the team, the
community; everything has been great to me
and has provided me with a plethora of opportunities.”
South Africa to host
2010 soccer World Cup
by Vivek Marthi
Staff Writer
With the FIFA World Cup rapidly approaching, there are many questions to be
answered regarding the readiness of South
Africa in hosting the celebrated event. Jérôme
Valcke, the FIFA Secretary General, revealed
in a recent interview that despite the world renowned competition being only a few months
away, the stadium of Soccer City,
the main arena, is not yet ready and
700,000 tickets have yet to be sold.
These statistics beg the question, was
South Africa really the ideal and
most well-equipped country to host
the World Cup? No, definitely not.
FIFA officials have done their
research well, and knew for quite
some time now that extra effort
would be needed for a successful
debut of the World Cup in such a destitute
country. Out of the ten stadiums which the
World Cup is to take place in, five were to
be constructed from scratch and five others
were to be repaired. A fair amount of stadium
rebuilding and infrastructure work would be
necessary before the World Cup could kickoff.
It is also been clear for some time now that
work is behind schedule, due partly to contractors creating issues, and workers striking
for better pay. There is clearly a lot of work
to be done.
But it was a good choice to have it in
South Africa, for the same reason that it was
not a good decision. Africa is the poorest
continent in the world, save for Antarctica.
However, the revenue and income that will
be generated from the World Cup as a result
of ticket sales and visitors will trigger a dramatic change in the continent’s economy, not
just South Africa’s. This will certainly
help the situation of the government
a n d the people living
there. The fact that 700,000
tickets have not been
sold
yet is not information
t o
be worried about. Though the concerns are
worthy of consideration, the tickets will
eventually be sold.
The explanations are simple. This happens
to be the first World Cup to be held in the
continent of Africa. That itself has an appeal
which will bring many people to witness the
rise of the country and continent as a whole.
The stadiums also incorporate new technologies and innovations not found in the best
stadiums around the globe. The main soccer
field, Soccer City, is a major money maker.
Influenced by the iconic African pot known
as the “calabash”, the newly reconstructed
arena has a distinct African flavor,
and its aesthetic appeal will be
heightened when the stadium is lit
at night. That will truly be a sight
to see and will draw guests to the
stadium and encourage them to buy
tickets. The grass is also a Danish
grass, not used in previous tournaments, and offers more “bounce”
for the surface of the pitch allowing soccer players to be at the top
of their game. In recent years, as
soccer gained publicity around
the world with more people tuning
in to watch the games every four
years, interest in the world’s greatest sport
has grown. As interest grew, the talent found
in soccer players was highly sought after, and
countless new players with undiscovered talent emerged. They will be a spectacle to the
public, and the people will want to see them.
There is no reason for worry. The FIFA
World Cup 2010 will be underway with the
first game, South Africa versus Mexico, on
June 11, 2010. All we have to think about is
supporting our favorite teams, and enjoying
the matches as they come. Arlington alumni continue to excel in athletics
Former AHS students share about their experiences in collegiate athletics
by Emi Suzuki
Distribution Manager
Q: What sport do you participate in and
what position are you?
Kelsey Horton [freshman at Holy
Cross]: I am a forward for the field hockey
team.
Matt Bettina [freshman at Ithaca College]: I play Football at Ithaca College. I play
defensive tackle.
Q: When was the first time you started
playing?
Horton: I began in seventh grade.
Bettina: I started playing football in
eighth grade for LaGrange Middle School.
Q: Do you think that participating in a
sport has changed the way you experience
college compared to your non-athletic peers?
Horton: Yes, because it gives you an
automatic identity in college. It also makes
the transition much easier because you bond
with your teammates during pre-season so
you already have a group of friends coming
into school.
Bettina: Playing any sport at the college
level changes your life. It affects your decision making process 24 hours a day. Football,
like any intercollegiate sport, gives you many
lifelong friends, hundreds of great experiences, and much more.
Q: How does being on the team affect
your academic performance?
Horton: School is definitely harder during the season because when you travel you
miss class and you have less time for homework. That just means you just have to learn
how to balance it all.
Bettina: Being on a sports team can make
things harder academically, especially in college. The workload in college is a lot harder
than that of high school. You cannot get away
with slacking off at all and you really have to
work hard on and off the field all the time.
Q: How are practices different or alike
from those in high school?
Horton: College practices are very different from high school practices; everything
is done at a faster pace and it is much more
intense because every practice is like a tryout
for your spot in the next game.
Bettina: College football practices are
similar to high school football practices.
College practices involve hitting, some
conditioning, mental training, and a lot more
technique-based drills. I feel as though the
practices at Arlington prepared me incredibly well for college practices comparatively
with my teammates. When I came to camp
in August, I knew what to expect.
Q: Do you miss anything about playing
for Arlington?
Horton: I miss joking around at practice.
Bettina: I miss walking out on the field
with all of my high school friends and teammates. I always had a great feeling before a
game or practice when we all stepped on the
field together. I truly miss playing on Friday
nights under the lights at Arlington. I can't
even begin to explain how good that felt.
Call me today to see how much
you can save with
Allstate’s good student discount.
(845) 471-1045
Breck Martyn
696 Dutchess Turnpike
Poughkeepsie
[email protected]
Congratulations Class of 2010!
Discount and insurance offered only with select company and subject to availability and qualifications.Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company; Northbrook, IL © 2009 Allstate Insurance Company.
SPORTS
the Arlingtonian
Live in the moment
Play in the moment
Arlington hosted its eighth annual
sports carnival with proceeds
benefiting the Friend of Jaclyn cause
by Sam Sheridan
Sports Editor
“Live in the Moment. Play in the
moment,” says sophomore Jaclyn Murphy.
This is the slogan of her foundation, The
Friends of Jaclyn, a non-profit charitable
The Sports Carnival was a
great fundraiser. It was fun
for both the kids and the
volunteers. I think all of the
kids had a great time and
really enjoyed all of the different games.
Senior Nick Battistoni
organization. This organization fosters
connections between kids that have pediatric
brain tumors and a college or high school
sports team in their area. The foundation gives
hope to these children and their families,
cause, and raised money for the cause at the
sports carnival.
Sunday, March 7, 2010, the eighth annual
sports carnival was held in the school gyms
from 11am to 3pm. The Athletic Booster
Club welcomed local kids from preschool to
fifth grade to attend different sports stations
being run by council members and student
volunteers. The array of activities included
bowling, lacrosse shooting, a football toss,
field hockey shooting, a basketball toss, face
painting, a bean bag toss, temporary tattoos,
soccer kicking, and throwing the pie in the
face of an Arlington Admiral athlete.
Athletic Council member senior Nick
Battistoni describes, “The Sports Carnival
was a great fundraiser. It was fun for both the
kids and the volunteers. I think all of the kids
had a great time and really enjoyed all of the
different games.”
Student body president and athletic council member, senior Mal Mecca adds “The
sports carnival was really fun and successful
this year. It was a great time for the little kids
and the students volunteering.”
What a success! The sports carnival entertained the kids attending, was a valuable
The sports carnival was really fun and successful this year.
It was a great time for the little kids and the students
volunteering
Senior Mallory Mecca
improving their quality of life through the joy
of athletics. This is precisely why Arlington’s
Student Athletic Council adopted Jaclyn’s
experience for the volunteers, and raised
money for a great cause all at once. Great job
Student Athletic Council!
by Samantha Moyer
schools. It is unlike a lot of other sports. In
our league we are with the same teams week
after week and many of us get to know each
other and become friends.
AHS bowling
state champs
Sports Editor
Seniors Chelsea Assalone and Andrew
Golding competed in the NYSPHSAA (New
York State Public High School Amateur
Athletics) Bowling State Championship. The
event was held at Mardi-Bob in Poughkeepsie, NY. Golding’s team, the Section One All
Section Team, won the championship, while
he individually placing 19th overall out of 66
bowlers. Assalone’s team came in 6th, and
placed 14th individually. The two excellent
bowlers exceeded Arlington’s hopes for how
well they could do; the two were courteous
enough to grant the Arlingtonian an interview.
Q: What preliminary competitions did
you have to go through to compete in this one?
Golding: In order to compete in the State
event, one must have one of the top 3 averages in Section One, or must have the
highest average on the Sectionals days,
which were held on February 13-14 at
Fishkill Bowl. Chelsea and I qualified
because of our averages. I had the first
high average for the boys (222) and Chelsea had the second highest for the girls
(199). We had automatic spots on the
All Section Teams.
Q: What skills have you gained
from your participation on the Arlington bowling team that helped
you reach this point?
Assalone: I have learned that
sometimes you just have a bad
game. It happens to everyone. But
when the next game starts it is important to put the bad game behind
you and to try your best.
Golding: I believe by participating on
the high school bowling team, it refines my
skills. It allows me to practice more often and
focus on the things that I need to work on in
order to improve
.
Q: How do you prepare before a competition?
Assalone: Before a competition I usually just try to relax by hanging out with my
teammates.
Q: What is your favorite thing about
bowling?
Assalone: I like how during our league
we become friends with bowlers from other
Q: What advice would you give to hopeful
bowlers trying to improve their scores?
Assalone: Relax when you are bowling.
When you get aggravated with the way you
are bowling it does not help, it usually makes
it worse. It is important to understand that
everyone has a bad day. If you keep practicing and learn from your mistakes anyone can
get better.
Golding; My number one bowling tip
is practice makes perfect. Bowling is very
difficult for those who are just starting, and
practice is the only way to get better. Don't
put your head down; keep working at it.
Q: How difficult was it for you to
compete along side the numerous other
competitors?
Golding: It was very difficult competing against them, especially when
they were bowling so well. When they
were bowling really well, I felt like I
had to keep up, which caused me to
put more pressure on myself. Bowling is a unique sport; you cannot
play defense, or control what your
opponent’s actions. You need to
focus on what you are doing and
just do your best.
Assalone: Although there were
a lot of girls competing I do not find
it to be difficult. The energy and the
excitement of the tournament help to
ease nerves. I think among anything
else I was more excited going into the
tournament than nervous.
Q: How do you feel about your accomplishment?
Assalone: I am very happy with my
accomplishment. I competed in the state
tournament last year and did alright but this
year I did much better and that is all I could
have asked for.
Golding: I am very proud of this accomplishment. This was the first time the
All-Section boys team had won States for
Section One and I am glad I was apart of it.
I am happy all my practice and hard work
paid off. It is the greatest achievement in my
bowling career.
April 2010
13
Winter Track runs
through records
MacMahon was accomplishing huge feats
on an individual scale as well. The Wednesday before Leagues, she ran a 4:59.99 mile,
breaking the 5 minute qualifying barrier to
compete in the Millrose games in Madison
Square Garden. This incredible achievement
placed her in a race with some of the top
high school runners in the country, and she
performed amazingly. The crowd went wild
as she sprinted across the finish line for a
time of 5:02.72, placing eighth in the event.
MacMahon’s success was an inspiration to her
teammates who watched her from the stands,
cord for the third best time in the country with
a time of 12:00.07, shattering the school record by 16 seconds. The girls’ 4x800 meter relay of Sorna, Sanford, Marko, and MacMahon
also broke the school record by a second with
Not many people know a lot about the
a time of 9:27.6. Other great accomplishments
Indoor Track and Field Team. If anything,
this season include MacMahon’s school and
they know that the team trains outdoors all
county record in the 1500 meter run of 4:36.4
winter. In fact, Indoor Track and Field is the
and Sanford running the 1000 meter for the
most successful Arlington team for the winter
first time and finishing at 3:03.3, the second
season, and has been for many years. The team
best time in school history. School and county
has won more league and county titles than
records were also broken in the shuttle hurdle
all of the other sports teams combined. This
relay run by Alex Cunningham, Chris Holzyear, they were especially successful. Seven
man, Domonique Thompson, and
school and county records were
Nate Pickett, with 31.88 seconds,
broken. Team members placed in
and the 4x200 meter relay, run
Sectionals and States and went to
by Jamarie Ennis, Rudy Thomas,
Nationals, where Jordan Yamoah
Leroy Rouse, and Derrick Hunter
became the best high school pole
with a time of 1:32:28. With an
vaulter in the country.
incredible time of 10:16:47 in the
The season began with the
3000 (which is almost two miles)
usual workouts and smaller
Rachel Sorna broke the school and
meets with everyone finding
county record for that event and
their place on the team. Vows
Justin Decker ran 2:19:00 for the
were made to live up to the Ar1000 yard run, the fastest time run
lington Track and Field "tradition
in the country this season.
of excellence", as Coach Arnett
After qualifying at the highly
likes to call it. The team knew it
competitive
Sectionals, athletes
was in a position as League and
who
placed
or
qualified moved
County champions to defend
on
to
the
state
meet including
their titles.
Nate
Pickett,
Leroy
Rouse, EdAs championship season
die
Merenda,
Jordan
Yamoah,
came thundering in, the stakes
Hayley
McMahon,
and
Rachel
began to grow, but the athletes
Sorna.
States
is
an
impressive
continued to prove how prepared
level for any athelete to reach, but
they were to rise to the chalthe Indoor Track team didn’t stop
lenge. Tensions were temporarthere. Soon, they headed to New
ily relieved as the boys’ team
York City to run in the National
blew away the competition at
Scholastic Indoor Championship.
the League 1-A meet in January,
Once more, Arlington athletes
nearly tripling the Beacon’s seccourtesy of www.ny.milesplit.us
Senior
Nate
Picket
leaping
in
the
55m
hurdles
proved
their mettle as they faced
ond place score of 79. The girls’
the
stiffest
competition in the entire
team dominated as well, with
not
yet
knowing
the
things
they
would
do
in
country.
Junior
Jordan
Yamoah pole vaulted
a score of 207.5 to John Jay East Fishkill’s
the
weeks
to
come.
a
height
of
15
feet,
5
¾
inches, to become
second place score of 120. Whether it was
When
asked
how
she
felt
about
this
winter
the
first
national
champion
in school history.
scoring in numerous events or cheering on
season,
Girls
Team
Co-captain
Rachel
Sorna
Three
Arlington
runners
also
ran an imprestheir hard-working teammates, every person
commented,
“This
season
was
just
really
sive
time
enough
to
make
what
Armory Track
on the team had a huge part in these victories.
exciting.
So
many
girls
had
breakthrough
perand
Field
calls
“The
Silver
Standard”.
These
But Leagues was only the beginning. For
formances
that
they
had
been
waiting
to
have
athletes
included
Allison
Riley
with
a
time
of
the next week the team knocked out their
for
so
long.
It’s
really
great
to
watch
people
19:22.58
in
the
5,000;
The
Distance
Medley
battle plans for the Northern County Championship the following Sunday. The competition that you know have been working really Relay Team, Nate Pickett who ran the 60
was expected to be stiff. Though teams like hard, finally reach their goals.” In the shot- Meter Hurdles in 8.61, and Niki Desens and
Brewster, Beacon, and John Jay East Fishkill put, Krissy Hoover and Niki Desens threw Kristine Hoover in the weight throw.
The Indoor Track and Field team worked
put up one heck of a fight, failure was not an 37’10.25” and 33’7” respectively along with
Rajiv
McSwine
who
threw
41’4”.
In
jumping,
hard,
in all kinds of weather to have such a
option for either the boys' or girls' teams. ArBrianna
Clarke
and
Sam
Olyha
made
it
over
successful
season. Coaches Arnett, Interante,
lington athletes snatched up every point they
4’10”
in
the
high
jump.
and
Ficker,
and all the runners, throwers,
could to earn a score of 191 on the boy’s side
Thanks
to
Aislinn
MacIlvenny
and
Lauren
and
jumpers
are already looking ahead to
and 175 for the girls, once again more than
Marko
moving
up
to
distance
training
from
the
spring
season.
Practice for spring began
twice second place. This was the end of the
sprinting,
the
girls’
Distance
Medley
Relay
of
on
the
15th
and
as
Sorna says “expect great
road for some athletes, but for others great
Rachel
Sorna,
Vicky
Sanford,
Aislinn
MacIlthings
to
come
in
these next few months.
things were to come.
venny,
and
Hayley
MacMahon
holds
the
reSchool
records
will
be broken in bulk.”
Amidst all of this team success, Hayley
by Katie Gruszecki and Josephine
Boyle
Staff Writers
ACROSS
1. 1984 Nobel Peace Prize
Winner Desmond
5. Harangue
9. Sounds made by lions
14. Disagreeable task
15. World’s largest continent
16. Result
17. Paralyzed pate?
19. Paul Anka’s first #1 hit song
20. Real-time, typed msgs.
21. Yankee great Jeter
22. Opportunity to hit (in
baseball)
23. Agree (with)
24. ¿Que ____?
26. Before, in poetry
27. Meas. of the weight of a
proton
29. Femoral ball?
31. Sections of liver
34. Gold, in Spanish
35. Jovial Bovines?
37. Kanga’s baby
38. Cosmetic maker Lauder
39. Silent ringer?
42. Opposite of ext.
43. Wrath
44. Buckeyes of the Big Ten
45. Actress Blanchett
48. “Saved by the Bell” character
Jessie
50. ____ Loa (Hawaiian volcano)
52. Pharm. chain
55. Eye cells for perceiving color
56. Avian intellectual?
58.”____ or lose it.”
59. New York canal
60. Alan of “MASH”
61. Prudential ____ realty
62. Breads with caraway seeds
63. Movable envelope part
DOWN
1.Novelist Morrison
2. E Pluribus ____
3. Rolaids rival
April Fools, by S. Falk, edited by Robert McHugh
4. Computer interface cable
5. Cleared leaves
6. ____thing (definite)
7. World’s longest river
8. “____ the hand!”
9. States of imminent danger
10. Sleep ____
11. As busy ____
12. Operate a scam
13. Not standing
18. 1983 Reagan missile protection
program, abbr.
23. City outskirt
25. Win by ____
27. Flour used to bake bread or
cake
28. Extinct flightless bird
29. Trite
30. Front man of The Blowfish
32. Praise, success, etc., e.g.
33. Footwear
36. 100 yrs.
39. Track and field throwing event
40. More unkind
41. Move clumsily
45. Marie who coined the term
radioactivity
46. South American mountain chain
47. Bar bill
49, Astronaut Armstrong
51. Light
52. Telephone
53. “Livin’ La ____ Loca”
54. Cold weather spell
57. British fliers’ org.
16
ONIONS
the Onion Ring
December 2012
Siebold Cont’d
Students of Siebold know that the desk
that Siebold occupies is full of seemingly
miscellaneous items: rope, rulers, and Slinkys
just to name a few. These items are in fact the
remainders of Siebold’s superhero past. The
rope that Siebold insists is used to teach the
motion of waves and particles is truly a whip
that was the basis for the one used by Indiana
Jones. The out-of-place bowling ball that
Siebold keeps in his drawer to teach gravity
is just another weapon utilized by Siebold in
the past; its shape can be founded imprinted
on the backs of criminals nationwide.
Perhaps the best clue to Siebold’s mysterious past is the electrical Van de Graaff generator that all physics students are subjected to be
shocked by annually. Each year, Siebold lines
up his students and makes them hold hands
so that the electrical shock machine will have
maximum effect. Perhaps frowned upon as
being sadistic, this is a little-known trick the
superhero “Siebs” developed as a part of his
training regiment to build endurance, stamina,
and character.
With Siebold retiring from public education, this may be the last the public hears from
the superhero for a very long time. Have no
doubt, however, that his story will live on.
He will become an urban legend, relaying
his story to a countless number of people via
Omegle and ChatRoulette.
CONSTUCTION OF AUDITORIUM MIRACOUSLY COMPLETE
DUE TO AID FROM CONSTRUCTION FAIRIES AND ELVES
by Saumya Bhutani
Fired
This space
intentionally
left blank
WASILLA, AK – Much to the surprise of
a myriad of students and faculty, Arlington
Principal Brendan Lyons along with head of
construction, [anyone know who this is? If not
I’ll just say construction team] announced the
completion of the new auditorium by the East
wing of Arlington High School. Construction
of the auditorium began in summer 2007
and was set to be ready for use by fall 2009.
However, after slow inconsistent progress,
the majority of staff, students, parents, and
other members of the Arlington community
were dubious of its completion. Most were
expecting a 2042 finish.
Luckily for the community, the construction team was blessed with good fortune as
just a week ago a motley crew of construction
elves and fairies arrived at the construction
site equipped with magical construction
equipment to hasten the process. The elves,
clad in green cloaks with bright red pointed
shoes, and the fairies, wearing bright yellow
dresses and fluttering through the construction
site were definitely an unusual sight for the
rest of the community. “I almost had to do a
double take when I saw them!” exclaimed
junior Sam Plotkin. However the odd visual
was a small price to pay. Construction workers
were shocked yet relieved as the four feet tall
elves along with their palm-sized fairy assistants arrived explaining they only came in
for the most desperate construction disasters.
One construction worker commented, “I was
just stunned when I saw these odd creatures!
It was the weirdest thing I ever did see. But
what do you know? They got right to work
and got the job done.”
That they did, as reports claim that the
elves and fairies began hammering, drilling,
Other questionable occurrences have occurred. Nieman’s AP US History class was
supposed to be visited by a caroling McHugh
before winter break, but this never happened.
Did McHugh “forget”? Or is their best friendship just dwindling?
The most evidence that points to a dwindling friendship was the past trivia competition that several teachers participated in. For
the sixth year in a row, the Arlington team
(McHugh, Nieman, Sam Falk, Marc Ouimet,
and David Moss) came in second place. Since
then, things have seriously changed. The first
sign was when both teachers began teaching
more and emphasizing the topic of women’s
history. This is no lie. Nieman also began
describing things more and more as “disgusting”. Based on people who routinely interact
with this US and psychology teacher, there
seems to be a correlation between when he
uses the word “disgusting” and when he talks
about McHugh.
Perhaps the most damning evidence as to
the end of the bestfiendship is a “bestfriendship bracket” that was recently leaked to the
press. Although Nieman is a number one
seed, there are 31 other AHS faculty and staff
members included who McHugh claims to
also be bestfriends with. Questions abound
as to how the winner of each match would
be decided, and whether all of those involved
actually even like McHugh. Is this an effort
on McHugh’s behalf to garner a new ultimate
bestfriend in place of Nieman, or a ploy to
show undoubtedly that Nieman would win
any bestfriendship competition brought upon
him, thus quelching any naysayers?
An undercover reporter posing as a Domino’s delivery boy was sent to the residence
of McHugh in order to gather more information. McHugh apparently answered the door
screwing, and working diligently. Using their
magical tools and some special pixie dust (actually known to be illegal in the state of New
York...shhh) the elves and fairies did a “bang
up job” in the words of Lyons, quickly accomplishing a feat that most had
deemed imposs i
ble. Senior
construction elf, Terawyn Drywall stated, “My elves and
I were more than
happy to do the job.
We saw a dire situation that called for drastic measures so we came
out and put in
all the time and
effort neces-
e v e n
enjoyed
their
time at
Arlington, claimi n g
that a certain camaraderie
developed between the other
construction workers and themselves. One
construction worker, who wishes to remain
anonymous in order to preserve his dignity,
swooned about one elf with whom he had developed a strong bromance. The fairies were
also valued as their pixie dust curtailed the
construction work immensely, but the other
workers were a bit confused as to why these
female mythical creatures were not simply
making sandwiches for the other workers.
When approached with this question, one
fairy declared her contempt towards the human race, stating this was the reason she and
her fairy sisters chose to live in obscurity.
Despite their differences, all workers,
magical and human, united to help the
community by finishing construction.
The auditorium is now ready for
use.
Students, staff,
and parents are
all very pleased
with the results
and very much
appreciate the help
of the elves and fairies. Senior Monica Wright commented, “I am so glad the auditorium is finally done, just in time for
my last musical at Arlington!” Social
Studies teacher Omer
Alptekin said, “The
elves and fairies
made the right choice
by helping out and giving
the
students at AHS a wonderful
place
to perform. There is no school
more
deserving of such gratitude and
magic.”
Pleased with all the praise, the elves and
fairies are now returning to their indigenous
home in the wetlands of Dutchess County
where they reside in mostly impenetrable
abodes alongside the Blanding’s Turtle. The
Arlington Community is truly thankful for all
their hard work.
Ironically, the completion of the auditorium comes just as Arlington High School
closes its doors forever due to financial difficulties.
wearing a Snuggie with opera music playing
in the background, poorly tipped the reporter,
and slammed the door in his face. The reporter
snuck around to the side of the house, hid in
the bushes, and peered into McHugh’s living
room. Inside, there was a pile of empty pizza
boxes lying in a corner, a 20-inch television
set to PBS, (it was showing Masterpiece
Theater’s “Emma”), an empty dog cage, and
Coca-Cola cans scattered across the floor.
Five minutes later, the phone rang.
When McHugh answered, he seemed perturbed. “No, Greg I will NOT give you a ride
to work. (Pause) Because we’re not actually
best friends, that’s why! Go ask Fred Nye, he’s
your real best friend! Don’t be like what, huh?
You never showed up when I threw our 5-year
best friendship anniversary party 2 years ago!
You’re a lying sack of lies from Liarsburg,
that’s what you are. Goodbye!” He then turned
in a huff and the reporter heard a door slam a
few rooms over. The reporter accidentally fell
asleep and woke up when a car pulled in to
the McHugh residence at approximately 6:05
a.m. Nieman stepped out of the car. Nieman
knocked on the door and McHugh let him
inside. The reporter turned his attention back
to the living room and listened as McHugh
and Nieman quizzed each other on their fake
best friendship. “What is my favorite brand
of toothpaste?” McHugh asked. “Colgate,”
Nieman confidently replied. “No, you idiot!
Crest! Who the heck uses Colgate?!” “I distinctly remember seeing a tube of Colgate out
on your counter when I slept over one night.”
“That was two years ago. I was a different
person then.” The reporter had all that he
needed. He bolted straight from the McHugh
residence to the Arlingtonian office to report
what he had seen. Now the truth about the lie
that is the best friendship between McHugh
and Nieman has unfolded.
sary.” In
fact, the
elves
Nieman and McHugh – Trouble in Paradise Cont’d
Nieman (1)
Margaret (8)
T. Harris (4)
2010 AHS Bestfriendship Tournament
Recycle
Just Do It.
by Sameer Farooq
Staff Brown
Recycling. Everyone seems to think it is
the great solution to our problem of waste. I,
for one, wholeheartedly agree. But I’ve noticed recently that we have an opportunity for
the greatest recycling project ever undertaken,
but we’re not doing anything about it.
What would this brilliant and elegant
strategy be? Why, utilizing wasted asbestos,
of course! Now there may be those who
are skeptical of how well this would work,
whining about such things as inflamed lung
tissue and carcinogens. This sort of rampant
pessimism is hurting the American dream.
I’ll explain.
Only a few years ago, we could stay in a
variety of buildings and have peace of mind,
if some lack of breath, knowing that fire
wouldn’t strike us down. Why? ASBESTOS,
that’s why. Now we’ve opted for longer life
spans and overall health over protecting
our CHILDREN, our children, I say, from
off-chance fires. Disgusting. We are truly a
depraved nation.
But there are always some people who
doubt solid ideas like this by using subjective
notions such as facts and statistically significant data. But even they cannot argue with
the true master stroke of this plan.
If we reinstitute asbestos lining in buildings, material costs will be virtually negligible. For whatever reason, people seem to be
just giving this stuff away. Even our school
has joined in this national hobby of waste.
Leaving it out by the auditorium, all the
while claiming the district is tight on money.
Liars. The only thing we’re tight on is a little
innovative thinking.
Let’s look at this from a school child’s
aspect. Every year, that poor child is marched
outside again and again doing some sort of socialist drill ritual to protect himself from fires.
NO MORE. Now, this child can be carefree
once more, not having to worry about death
from combustion. Mr. Asbestos will have his
back. He had all our backs.
Yet we couldn’t return the favor. We cast
him out. Exiled him. Threw him out on the
streets, condemning him for trying to help. So
he lurks on the outskirts of society, a pariah,
hoping not to be seen, for he will only be
berated and pushed further away.
But I say, be rational and offer protection
to the great people of this great nation. Line
the streets with this miracle fiber. Line the
trees of California and the kitchen and any
other place where fires tend to break out. Let
us be free from the chokehold that fire has
on us. Let us be free to commend that which
only helps. Give us the right to make a choice.
Patrick Henry said “Liberty or death.”
With asbestos you can have liberty and death.
It’s hard to imagine a better deal.
Fiege (1)
Fill out the bracket to select Mr.
McHugh’s new best friend!
Krause (8)
Wright (4)
Moss (5)
Bucklin (5)
Nye (3)
Feight (3)
Weber (6)
Ouimet (6)
Bellino (2)
Dunn/Haile (2)
Lillis (7)
T-Roc (7)
Mr. Brooks (1)
Filor (1)
* (8)
Boyce (8)
Gaw (4)
Hoyt (4)
Hertzog (5)
Polotaye (5)
Tesh (3)
Deninger (3)
Napora (6)
Fox (6)
Dorrier (2)
Falk (2)
Hotaling (7)
Kenney (7)
Maier (8)
Benante (8)
*

the Arlingtonian - KylePeabody.com

Transcription

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