Remembering Rob - Edwin O. Smith High School
Transcription
Remembering Rob - Edwin O. Smith High School
The Oracle Edwin O. Smith High School Volume XXVIII, Issue II Storrs, Connecticut February 2007 CWE Preps Students Remembering Rob for World of Work Fallen E.O. Smith Alumnus Honored by Sister by Amber Hoyt Some of you don't know about Specialist Robert W. Hoyt, who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq on December 11th, 2004 from a roadside bomb. He was only twenty-one years old. He went to Edwin O. Smith High School and graduated in 2001. He was on the football and track team. He was also in a rock band with Tom Hoyt and Steve Pozzato while they were in high school. He was a great soldier, brother, son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. I would only know because he was my brother. by Amanda Eichner Cooperative Work Experience, or CWE, is a highly successful program at E.O. Smith. The CWE program is approved by the state of CT and has been around since the school first started. Students enrolled in CWE are eligible to receive credit for both an academic and a work component- up to 2 credits if they are working approximately 8 hours (or more) per week. Although when the program started the curriculum was much different from today, the conceptual design of helping to prepare students for the "world of work" has remained the same. The content of the CWE class is made up of six main ideas for learning: Career Readiness, Career Acquisition, Career Retention, Integrated Learning and Life Skills, Technology and Information, and Economics. Included are lessons in work ethics, money management and banking, government taxes and legal work forms, home owning, loans, and mortgages, current workforce issues and trends, and other similar topics. The components of this full-year course are essential to high school students' future decisions in the adult world. Moreover, there is a lot of beneficial guidance that is freely given by the CWE coordinators. One of the CWE coordinators, Ms. Casarella, has been teaching the program for over 12 years at E.O. Smith. She provided some statistics about the numbers of students in the program over the past few years. Since 2000, CWE has served nearly 700 students and provided paid internships for more than 160. A majority of the students have had competitive job placements for which they earned credit, and some have been hired through the contacts made while in the program. Ms. Casarella points out that it is important to realize that a high percentage of CWE students move on to attend a post-secondary institution. The true "Co-op" experience is one in which Ms. Casarella or Mr. Martin, the other CWE coordinator, is involved in the development of the student's placement. The internships that have been developed through the program this year are in such places as Visual Hair Designs, Juniper Hill Facilities, the EOS LMC, Fast Lane/Sweet Sensations, and the Mansfield Discovery Depot, among others. see “Freeman,” page 3 Oracleinside l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Connecticut Youth Forum................2 A Visit from Spain.............................2 Emphasizing PBIS Values................3 The Real Super Bowl is the ADs.....4 State of The Union is About Show...4 The Presidents Speak........................5 Around...............................................6 and Around........................................7 and About...........................................8 Spotlight: Mrs. Ferris......................9 Kiss Me Kate a Hit..........................10 Chorus Doing a Cabaret Event.....10 Andrew Callahan’s Sports.............11 Q of M: What to do with a Snow Day?.......12 My family has countless memories of him. I remember playing in the backyard with Rob and my two other siblings, Tom and Ginger. During the winter we went sledding and in the summer we went tubing down the river. I'll never forget Rob's smile and his sarcasm. As I got older, Rob would start to jokingly choke me and tip me over. Before he left one day for Iraq, I asked him why he always beat me up and he told me he didn't want to see me get hurt by anyone while he was away. When he left we all knew that there was a possibility of him dying over there, but it never crossed our minds once because he was such a strong and great person. See “The Iraq War,” page 3 The Wormwood Hill Pond All-Stars: These guys were on the pond battling it out with some of E.O. Smith’s other pond hockey teams, such as the Bone Mill Pond Canadiens, during the recent spell of cold, snow-free weather... perfect stuff for pond hockey. Then came the snow day, but not the snow. See Question of the Month: What did you do on your snow day? L-R: Mike Terlalis, Greg Dione, Kevin Kochis, Kyle Enderle, and T.J. Kramer. 2 SchoolOracle Groups The Spanish Exchange Great Discussions, A Visit from Los Burgaleses A Great Experience Connecticut Youth Forum By Aubrey Haboush On Tuesday, January 9th, the Connecticut Youth Forum was hosted by Classical Magnet in Hartford. I wasn't late, but there were enough people already in the Classical Magnet cafeteria that when I entered on my own I felt suddenly shy. This wave of self-consciousness was for nothing, because the girl I sat next to began to talk to me shortly after I took my seat. It is amazing how easily one can fall into a conversation with total strangers at a Youth Forum meeting despite coming from completely different schools, towns and backgrounds. When you attend Youth Forum, there is a sense of unity among all the students. Gradually, the semicircular arrangement of chairs became filled with students and laughter accompanied the many animated conversations. For the most part, everyone sat with their schoolmates staying in their comfort zone, but then Pat took the microphone. Pat is one of the enthusiastic coordinators of the CT Youth Forum, who started out the Forum with "props". Props is when he'll call a group up based on a criteria like "underclassmen" and that group will have to stand up and give props- a series of snaps, claps, leg-slaps, and pointing- and then take a seat near strangers and receive props from the others. After Pat got things started, the remaining tension subsided and we got ready for an open discussion. Ebony got up and introduced the topic: What Parents Don't Understand. Ebony got us to lay down the ground rules for our open discussion by asking, "Does anyone want to tell me how you want to be treated?" and we discussed what showing respect entails. Then, until 5:30 pm we discussed the topic of "What Parents Don't Understand". The discussion touched upon a wide range of topics and opinions. Many students spoke, each with unique experiences and understandings of parent-child relationships. We ended discussing risk-taking and when to go by parental advice. Pat took over from Ebony to wrap up the meeting with a few Forum announcements about future meetings and activities. By six all of us restless students were on our way back to our homes and routines, maybe with a broader understanding of our peers. My experience at the Connecticut Youth Forum definitely gave me a sense of having spent the afternoon well. I reflected upon speaking in the Forum at times and meeting new people, as well as getting a better understanding of other teens and a sense of unity through experience. The Youth Forum atmosphere is one of open and intellectual discussion and friendly acceptance. When you talk at a Youth Forum you learn a lot about your peers and start to appreciate people's differences and be aware of similarity. Membership in the Youth Forum icludes invitations to the four Connecticut Forums held at the Bushnell. The last panel for the discussion ‘Saving our World’ included Tim Robbins and Rory Kennedy. The next one is scheduled for Friday April 27th at 8pm for “A Funny Thing Happened”.... an evening of comedy. If you would like to learn more about Youth Forum or possibly attend one, see me, Maggie K-Shaw, or Anna Green -all sophomores. By Belinda Littlefield On Sunday, November 26th, 2006, teary farewells were exchanged as luggage was loaded into vans that would transport the Burgaleses to the airport. Mere hours earlier, the "despedida", a traditional Spanish farewell party, was filled with laughter, food, and the clicking of cameras. Fond memories have to sustain both Burgaleses and Americans for the five months until they reunite on Spanish soil. On their first day of school in America, the Burgaleses participated in a scavenger hunt that would help to familiarize them with the school. The scavenger hunt was won by a group of four; three of the four ran in and out of three rooms before finding the right one. The fourth one followed at a slower pace, content to let her teammates rush to the finish line. Over the course of a week, Spanish students accompanied different hosts to experience a greater variety of classes- classes which they actually enjoyed and, to a point, understood. At the end of a week, they were unintelligible from other EO Smith students, hanging out in the library and chatting with their friends while doing schoolwork. Beyond the classes that they chose to attend, each Spanish student was required to spend a minimum of three class periods interacting with the Spanish classes; activities included discussing current issues, reciting tongue twisters, playing telephone, and learning Spanish card games. English and Spanish were both used in the course of these activities; some of the results were rather amusing messages. For example, at the end of playing telephone, the phrases were usually in Spanglish. During one of the Spanish classes, a reporter took pictures and gathered information about the exchange. A few days later, the front page of the Broadcaster was graced by a picture of two Burgaleses as well as an article about the Burgos-Connecticut Exchange. The student hosts organized activities outside of those planned by the exchange teachers; miniature golf, cosmic bowling, trips to different cities, an American football game, etc. In the course of their visit, students took pictures of everything: the food, the sites, and their friends- both old and new. The exchange teachers organized several field trips ahead of time, allowing the Burgaleses to really experience the American culture in general and Connecticut culture specifically. The Burgaleses were given tours of UConn, the Dairy Bar, and other local sites; the highlight of the planned fieldtrips, however, was the one to New York. Highlights of the trip included meeting the daughter of the king of Spain. Infanta Elena is not an actual princess because she's not the heir to the throne; "infanta" is simply a term that means the daughter of the king. Many of the host parents found it ironic that the Spanish students, who'd never before had the opportunity to meet any member of their own Spanish royal family, had only been given that chance here in America. Infanta Elena was kind enough to chat with her fellow countrymen and to pose for pictures with the group. Later, one of the students called her mother in Spain to tell her that she'd met Infanta Elena while her friend jokingly said, "Es una mentira!" ("It's a lie!") in the background. Arriving at school at ten that night, the tired students were hurried home for a good night's rest in preparation for another field trip the next day, this time to the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Butterfly Conservatory in Massachusetts. The last day of school, immediately before Thanksgiving break, caused sadness among the Burgaleses because the freedom of the school- which included eating, drinking and even sleeping in class- was unknown to them. The four day Thanksgiving break stretched ahead of both Burgaleses and Americans. Thanksgiving is a holiday that the Burgaleses had only heard about in the course of their studies on American culture. Some host families took their students to family gatherings while others stayed home to enjoy a day of food, family, and football. At the conclusion of the day, the Spaniards were returned to their beds satiated and tired. The conclusion to their three week stay loomed before them; the night before the despedida had many hosts helping their exchange students to pack. It was a late night for most students as they exchanged anecdotes and answered questions about their very different cultures. Despite the late hour, sleep was fleeting and the next day dawned far too soon for many. Delaying as much as possible, the students arrived at the site of the despedida with smiles on their faces. It was the first time in four days that they'd been reunited as one group. Every seat was taken as students snacked on breakfast foods while chatting about their Thanksgiving experiences as well as catching up with the students that they hadn't had as much opportunity to interact with. Eventually, César, the exchange students' teacher, told them that it was time to go. What followed was a procession of crying as luggage and student alike were loaded into the vans. As the vans prepared to pull out, the exchange students passed their passports to their hosts in a last attempt to delay their departure. Reluctantly, the passports were passed back through windows to their owners with promises that they'd see each other in five months. The students didn't want to leave, and the hosts didn't want them to go. The vans left to the musical accompaniment of a Spanish song about kitchen utensils, which the Burgaleses had taught a few of the hosts. Both the hosts and their families trailed the vans as they pulled out into the street; continuing to wave even after the students couldn't possibly see their farewell. It's now February and in less than two months the horizons of the Burgaleses and the Americans will once again be one- but this time, the Americans will be the exchange students. 3 Freeman Gets On the Job Training Through EOS Work Program One great example of this program is Billy Freeman, a junior at E.O Smith, the subject of this month's CWE profile in the Oracle. He has been serving in a paid internship on the UConn campus in the UConn motor pool. During the process of obtaining this job, Billy says, "Mr. Martin had helped a lot with finding a job that I liked". This program is E.O. Smith Junior Billy Freeman has made the most of a Cooperative Work Experience opportunity at the UConn Motor Pool. not only defined as finding a job for credit but learning to make mature decisions in finding a job that holds interest for the student. When was the last time you heard a student saying they love their job? "I love my job and what I do", Billy admits about his internship. Billy describes what he does, "There are a lot of tasks that I do, but I mainly fix broken machinery for the UCONN ice rink". Billy is one of the over 20 students enrolled in CWE that has benefited from the internships that the class offers. His internship will last the entire school year and will help him build a resume as he continues toward a future in a mechanical industry. Fortunately, the CWE program is not about choosing and then getting any job that is simple, but it's about finding a position that can hopefully lead to greater success after high school. A PBIS Senior Project by Kali Harnad For my senior project, this year, I am learning about our school's new positive school climate program called PBIS. Part of my senior project has been the weekly name drawing videos as well as my own research on the topic. Basically, PBIS is a program designed to change school climate to be more positive and to create more of a community throughout the school with students and teachers. Since this program has been implemented in EO Smith, I think many positive changes can already be seen. The Reach for the Stars cards that EOS teachers have been giving out are to thank those individuals who are seen doing some positive actions in our school. This is not to say that if you haven't received one that you are not doing good things. Because of my ties to PBIS, I have talked to many student groups such as Student Congress, PNH, and the new PBIS student committee. Talking with these groups, I have heard good feedback and some great new suggestions. It also seems that many other students at EOS are excited with this program as well. Even if the cards may not be the highlight of your week, the fact that so many people of you are receiving positive acknowledgements sends the faculty at our school great messages. A better environment doesn't happen quickly, but what we've seen this far is nothing but improvement throughout the school. I'm sure that the EOS community will continue to grow and become even better. The Iraq War: E.O. Smith Alumnus Remembered by Sister, Others in Presentation It's been two years since Rob has been gone and it doesn't feel like he even died. I do realize that he isn't coming back, but I'm glad he made a great impact in my life. I have many writings on him and have been interviewed twice by The Chronicle and once by a local radio station. This year in Mr. Bowen's politics class we were going to be talking about the war in Iraq. Mr. Bowen pulled me aside and asked how I would feel about this discussion. I gave him the okay. In fact, I volunteered to bring in some of Rob's belongings and pictures from his time in Iraq. I shared Rob's story with my classmates. Afterward, Mr. Bowen suggested I could have a presentation about Rob for the school. I presented on December 12th in the E.O. Smith Library Media Center. I wanted more people to be aware of a town hero that should never be forgotten for what he did. I believe it is important for others to know about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan because it impacts everyone's life everyday. Many soldiers are getting killed and not very many people like Amber Hoyt reads a passage in honor of her brother Rob at a presentation she arranged in his memory. Even though Rob is gone, I have noticed in the two years since that he will never leave me. He has done so much for me. Rob's death has made Tom, Ginger, and myself closer than we were before. Although I'm only a freshman and still have a lot more growing up to do, his death has changed me. I realize you can't change the way people run their lives but you can change yours by making a difference in the world. Also, you have to work for what you want to change in life and you shouldn't keep your feeling about others inside until it's too late. I wrote an essay in the seventh grade about how Rob is my hero and a great brother. At that time he was alive. I was planning on mailing it to him for Christmas, but that day we got a notice from the military that he was killed in action. Instead, at his wake I laid it in his casket. Ms. Shenkle, Shep Stearns, and Ms. Loughran look I hope the war ends soon and everyone through some of the photos and mementos on display at will be safe once again. I want to thank the presentation honoring Rob Hoyt. everyone who went to my presentation on to talk about it. Rob volunteered to go to Iraq, and December 12th, it meant a lot to me. Mr. Bowen, Sergeant Felix Delgreco did as well. Felix I don't think I would have even thought of preDelgreco was another solider killed in Baghdad, senting to the school about Rob. Thank-you for Iraq on April 9, 2004 by a roadside bomb and helping me organize it. I hope everyone who was small-arms fire. Both were based out of Bristol killed in the wars will rest in peace and the other Army National Guard. Even though Rob died, we families to get closure on their loved ones deaths. still keep in touch with his buddies from his unit. Just be thankful for the military to be serving for Not only are they great people, but they are also a our country and remember those who don't make part of Rob. it back home alive. Coming in April Cool It: a Week Long Teach-in on Global Warming Please See Mr. Pirrie if you have ideas/speakers Commentary The Oracle 4 The Super Bowl: “State of the Union” For many these days the game A Bunch of plays second fiddle to the other Humdrum Pomp and Super Bowl: The bid for the Circumstance best new commercial The Super Bowl is over…and yeah, Tony Dungy became the first African American coach to win the big game and now people will finally stop harassing Peyton Manning about choking in the playoffs. But who really cares? Unless you're from one of the cities involved in the battle to be played on the gridiron, you're probably a casual fan, not caring who wins. With 58% of viewers responding to a survey cited by CNN, saying that they would rather miss some of the game than any of the ads, and with 58 percent also saying they talk about the commercials at work on Monday compared to just 47 percent who talk about the game on the next day, it is clear that the Super Bowl is a battle, not fought on the football field, but on the televisions of the viewers, estimated to total well over 100 million. It is the battle of the commercials, and for an average of $2.6 million for a 30 second spot (that's a whopping $87,000 per second!), advertisers are banking on the largest viewing audience every year to market their products and services. But is the fortune they spend to get such exposure really worth it? Well, the Super Bowl has evolved from being the premier attraction to being a mere second to such commercials, which consumers have hyped up. CNN states that the Super Bowl's ratings would actually go down if the commercials were taken out. Because of this hype, advertisers must be careful not to disappoint viewers, and possible customers. They must compete to produce the funniest and most creative commercial to win the favor of the customers, or Nishang face the stigma of the lame, boring, unoriginal status that would be attached to their name and to their products. That is why companies who approach the art of Super Bowl advertising as if it were an opportunity to expose themselves to a larger audience using the usual marketing techniques usually fail; the cost of the advertisement spot usually costs more than the increase in sales in these cases. To make an effective Super Bowl commercial, as Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, and last year's Godaddy.com, the companies have to pander to us, the consumer, and subconsciously, we will remember the name or product of the company whose ad is funny, contains sex appeal, or appeals to the emotions. In the side-by-side comparison pictured below, for example, taken from a study conducted by FKF Applied Research, "you can see how the brain is much more engaged while watching the Doritos Live the Flavor commercial as compared to the Emerald Nuts ad featuring Robert Goulet3 which never got off the sideline." While a USA Today study revealed that 7 of the top ten most popular ads were from Budweiser (rocks paper scissors, hitchhiker, Carlos Mencia and the immigrants, and the stray dog at the Clydesdales), Doritos, Snickers, FedEx and Coca Cola were also frontrunners in capturing viewer attention. Super Bowl ads are really a risk for most companies. Nobody knows what the people will find funny or emotionally appealing year in and year out. That is why 41% of companies said that advertising in the Super Bowl is not worth it, compared with only 37% who think that it is worth it, according to a CNN Money poll. The only companies that can afford the advertisements and possible losses are the ones that are most successful (Budweiser and CocaCola, for example, who aired a combined 14 advertisements, costing $36.4 million). This is because they are so big that they have money to blow on airing multiple commercials (odds are that at least one will be a hit). These ads don't increase sales of your Fortune 500 companies, but serve to keep their name in the mind of the consumer, which is what marketing is all about. Start-ups like Godaddy.com gambled, and were lucky with their success, as many such smaller companies end up wasting their available cash. In the end, the winner of the Super Bowl is the best team, while the winner of the viewers' attention is, for the most part, the best (or biggest) Peyton Manning finally won the big one this year. But, for many the game was more about companies. the next big Coca-Cola ad. Gupta The State of the Union Address consisted of continuous and albeit predictable applause, false appearances, and Republican stubbornness. For forty-nine minutes, the President with the lowest approval rating in American history advertised his agenda for the New Year. The address began with his artificial congratulatory remarks of Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the House, but soon moved on to the trademark "stay the course" slogan, and finally ended with a politically incorrect "Thank you for your prayers". President Bush's speech mainly consisted of waving the 9/11 flag, condemning the Islamic culture for not accepting democracy, and tax cuts to increase the national debt, which was made complete by that little grin he always flashes to try and melt the American public. Truth be told, I barely watched half of the State of the Union Address. It's not the fact that I was too busy to watch it all; midterms had just ended that day. No, I found Bush so boring that I decided to do homework instead. That's right folks; I stopped watching the good old television to study my Latin poem. I just wanted to get that off of my chest. For the part of the speech that I actually watched, the Mexican border issue was by far the most comical. The President used phrases such as "secure our border" and "funding new infrastructure" to distract Grace Americans from realizing that a fence is being built on the Mexican border. Moreover, he stated that the fence would allow Border Agents to chase down terrorists. That's right folks! Thanks to the president, we now know that AlQaeda is operating in Mexico so the border must be secured to save American values! Oh, and why don't we put every Mexican citizen on the no-fly list while we're at it? But let's not worry about the unprotected seacoast in the West and the Canadian border because those are completely safe Even though the President's speech was the main spectacle of the night, the supporting cast was also quite amusing. For instance, Vice President Cheney looked very (how should I say this) peaceful during the President's speech. He was all smiley and kept staring and gesturing at random people. Speaker Pelosi was also distracting because she kept blinking continuously throughout the speech. She must have gotten up to 50 or 60 blinks per minute, which could have made a nice physics problem, if I do say so myself. "If a ladybug was on Pelosi's eyelids going at a speed of 60 rev/min and the eye had a radius of 1 cm, what would the ladybug's linear speed be?" Oh yes, and the pan-out shots of the audience were quite humorous. During the speech, the camera would constantly pan out to people like Hillary Clinton and John McCain and for the most part, it seemed as if they were sleeping. However, I soon realized that most of the audience was probably reading the speech manuscript in their laps, resulting in squinty eyes and a coma-like state. However, I'm sure that some of the congressional members needed to catch some shut-eye, especially after Congress passed a resolution to work five days a week instead of three. Now for the fine print stuff! I would like to acknowledge the Oracle staff for all they do, my parents, FDR, Meaghan (sorry I can't spell your name) for really helping me with the editing, the E.O. Smith community and Sasha Baron Cohen for risking his life just so he could expose how Americans really are. I know that I may not be the most unbiased person, so I'm putting this disclaimer into my piece (because Mrs. Loughran taught me that truth matters and Mr. Luft taught me that propaganda is propaganda). These aforementioned opinions are not necessarily the viewpoint of anyone associated with The Oracle, school community, or the state of Texas. These comments are not to be taken seriously. I acknowledge that the President has done some great things for the nation and has a harder life than any another American. I mean, working 180 days a year is hard Lu 5 e an ’s er Th hm nt orn es de C Fr resi sP as Cl with Ha Young Kim It seems like yesterday when I came off the bus at 7:10 A.M. thinking, "This is it. I'll be staying here for four years." Back then the school seemed so strange and just plain humongous. But time sure went by fast, and half the school year was gone in no time. Now with all these months, I no longer find myself being lost in the winding hallways or accidentally going to the wrong class thinking it is the right one. Recently, I experienced the beauty of midterms, and among all, I became the Freshmen Class President. One of my favorite things about this year is the members of our freshmen class. For those that are wondering who the officers of 2010 are, they are: President Ha Young Kim, Vice President Nick Carbone, Treasurer Don Mcmenemy, and Secretary Jesse Mehrhoff. The advisors are Mr. Trotochaud, Ms. Stewart, and Ms. Iacobellis. One thing that is common between us is that we are enthusiastic and full of ideas for our class. But sadly, most of the dates for any possible dances and other school events are already taken by the other classes. For now, we are focusing on raising money. So far, things have been going smoothly. Some of the fundraiser ideas we came up with are EOS "flavored" ice cream, water bottles and other things related to school spirit. Remember, these are just ideas. When we raise money, the money will be used for various things. Some will go to benefit those who are in need and some will go straight into our class account, which will later be used to pay for Prom, class trips, and other events. One thing that I dislike is that our meetings are too short. We meet on Tuesday mornings before first class starts, and we communicate with each other through email as well. In addition to that, it is a little scary to come in late for Ms. Archibald's Latin class after the meetings. If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, you are more than welcome to join us in our meetings. You can also try the EOS home page, where we have a special corner. We are also planning to form subcommittees. You can ask any officer or advisor for more information, and we'll let you know when the date is for the first subcommittee meeting! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the year. by Minerva Ranjeet The President’s Corner Ben Lewis Student Congress President Holla atchya E. O. Smith. As March quickly approaches, it signifies that winter is coming to an end. Or what was of winter. It is the first time since I can ever remember when school didn't have any type of cancellation due to snow... well, at least until the day this article is being laid out... it is a snow day, finally. Unfortunately, this means the winter sports season is coming to an end. I would like to compliment all of the fans who went to the basketball games to give E. O. Smith such a home court advantage. As an E. O. basketball player for four years, I am proud to say we have the greatest fans. The student section was packed to the max for almost all the games. In case you missed out on the full experience, the boys basketball team will be hosting a game in the first round of the CCC tournament. I would like to give a shout out to the seniors. I hope you have only been receiving college acceptance letters and good news for the future. Senior Projects are coming up and hopefully most of us have started. Continue to enjoy the rest of the school year. It goes by fast. It isn't too late to join a team or participate in an activity or club. Try and make the most of the rest of the yearbefore you know it your high school career will be over. Recently, Student Congress has been very busy trying to increase school spirit. We hosted a spirit event before the last home basketball game. The event was well attended and students enjoyed free games and prizes. Also, Student Congress organized the Senior Valentines. Seniors were raffled off to spend a day with their “valentine” and both seniors and their valentines enjoyed a pizza party during lunch. Currently, we are planning many exciting events such as spirit week during March. Ideas are still being generated, but if anyone has any suggestions feel free to let me know. Students can also mark down May 4th in their planners as the official date for Field Day. Many of you have not experienced a Field Day because last year it was cancelled due to poor weather. Some of the favorites from previous years have been the blow-up obstacle courses, the infamous pie eating contest, and Mr. DeLoreto in the water tank. I am very pleased to announce this year during CAPT testing days, the first one Tuesday March 6th that Juniors and Seniors will be dismissed at 11:04. This has been a change from previous years where all students were required to stay in school, and classes were twice as long. In fact, many classes changed locations. I remember going on a scavenger hunt to find my English class, which ended up in the language hall. Anyways, I hope you had a great vacation. We can now all look forward to the last day of school! The Semester Six E.O. Smith’s Unofficial Student Poll Who are your favorite Comic Strip Characters: #1 Calvin & Hobbes #2 Dogbert #3 Snoopy #4 Jeremy Duncan (Zits) #5 Rat (Pearls Before Swine) #6 Huey Freeman (Boondocks) The Oracle Edwin O.Smith High School Staff and Writers: Nishang Gupta, Krista Rogers, Aubrey Haboush, Andrew Callahan, Anna Green, Danielle King, Belinda Littlefield, Grace Lu, Amber Hoyt, Ha Young Kim, Ben Lewis, Amanda Eichner Faculty Advisors: Marilyn Archibald and John Hodgson Special Thanks to Mr. Tom Pelletier for his photo contributions 6 Around.... Newly elected Congressman Joe Courtney visited E.O. Smith in January. Parker Sikand serves up the big ace during an epic atrium ping pong battle. It’s take care of a baby season in Child Development class. Ms. Wilson-Holton presents this year’s Sweetheart of the Year to Mr. Nassar, math teacher. Dr. Pivarnik, recipient of a single valentine. ...and around.... Senior Jacob Gogarten was in good company during the Drama Club’s performance of Kiss Me, Kate earlier this month. Ms. Higgins shows some studends a little technique during a scapbooking workshop on Activity Day. E.O. Smith’s raging new surf club sets up on the beach, er, snow for a group shot after meeting on Activity Day. Real Hockey: Senior Pete Dwyer, 22 points in 20 games for the Panthers this year. E.O. Smith’s finest.... After trying their luck fishin’ from the dock for a bit, these chaps decided they’d be better off-- and warmer-- lacin’ up and shooting pucks. Word is EOS tennis sensation Andrew Bruhn, far right, is not quite as slammin’ on the blades... but he’s out there. 7 8 Amber Hoyt proudly shares memories and mementos of her brother at her presentation earlier this year. Kate Moynihan won Senior Valentines for a day. Dane Loree and Ben Lewis had a nice lunch with her. It was all part of a fundraiser. Trust fall. Real Hockey: Senior Pete Dwyer, 22 points in 20 games for the Panthers this year. The E.O. Smith Robotics Team was at it again over the past several weeks, working like mad to make a robot for an upcoming competition. The project had to be shipped last Tuesday, which made for some all-nighters during the run-up. Good luck! ...and about. Spotlight The Oracle Flip Over This: Mrs. Ferris chats with the O by Anna Green Oracle: So, I hear you did the back flips at the winter assembly. Where did you learn to do that? Mrs. Ferris: Well, I did gymnastics from about age twelve to age fifteen. It was mostly in middle school, on the regional YMCA team. Oracle: Why did you quit? Mrs. Ferris: Well, there just came a point when I was older than all the girls on the team. Gymnastics is mostly a sport for young people with small bodies. I did coach in high school, though. Oracle: Where did you go to high school? Mrs. Ferris: I went to high school in Michigan. Oracle: Was it a small school? Mrs. Ferris: No, it had about 2000 kids. It was in the suburbs, and there were three high schools with about 2000 kids each. Oracle: And then, where did you go to college? Mrs. Ferris: I went to Michigan State, and then I transferred to Washington state. Oracle: Majored in science? Mrs. Ferris: Yes, in biology. I went to col- lege on a pole-vaulting scholarship. I didn't do track much in high school, because it really wasn't a sport for women for a long time. My pole-vaulting coach was moving from Michigan to Washington, and I followed him. I was an All-American Vaulter. Oracle: So when did pole-vaulting become a sport for women? Mrs. Ferris: I think it was 1997 or '98-it was in the Olympics in 2000. Women just weren't considered strong enough to do it. Oracle: And what did you do after college? Mrs. Ferris: Well, I lived in Costa Rica for a while. I just wanted to travel. I taught there. Oracle: So you speak Spanish? Mrs. Ferris: Yes. Oracle: You teach physical science, right? Mrs. Ferris: Yes. Oracle: What exactly is that? Mrs. Ferris: It's an introduction to physics and chemistry. There's only one section of bio being taught this year, so it will have a ripple effect; next year the chem sections. We did this all because of the standardized testing; we need to give four years of science. Oracle: And finally, how did you get roped into doing the back flips at the assembly? Mrs. Ferris: Well, Mr. B knew that I could do them because I did some at the pep assembly earlier this year. He got in touch with his wife, who is in the Language Department. So Mrs. B was going into the Latin IV class and mentioning that Mrs. Archibald did gymnastics in high school. The idea was that Mrs. Archibald was supposed to be doing the back flips, but I don't think many people caught on. Alumna Sings National Anthem at Gubenatorial Inauguration Is singing for the Governor at her Inauguration something she expected to do when a student at E.O. Smith? Amanda Jordan didn't answer at first. She had just come from the shower. How did this all happen? When did she graduate from Smith? How old is she? Well, at EOS she joined the chorus as a freshmen and sang with that elite group for four years. She was chosen for the chamber choir as a sophomore. Any musicals? She sang in the chorus of "Fiddler on the Roof" as a freshmen, but that was her only 'Broadway' experience. For football games and girls' varsity basketball games she always sang the National Anthem. So much better than the recorded version, so much more personal. Amanda is 19 years old and graduated from EOS in 2005. Did Governor Rell hear her at the EOS sports arenas? Not exactly. She was introduced to Governor Rell about three years ago by a friend and fellow member of the Mansfield Fire Department. Why did Governor Rell choose Amanda to sing the National Anthem at her inauguration on January 3rd? Amanda explained, "The Governor told me that every time I sing, the Governor always cries." The Governor did have tears in her eyes at the Hartford ceremony. Presently Amanda is studying nursing at Manchester Community College with the hope to transfer to the certified nursing program at Three Rivers College in Norwich. What kind of music does Amanda sing? Her repertoire consists of country, pop, and classical. She has recently been asked to join the Country Music Association of Connecticut. Any special engagements ahead? Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz has requested that she sing at all her ceremonies. When to expect the CD? Amanda is in the process of making a demo CD to send to New York and Nashville. 9 The Teacher and The Fiddler: Connection with a Country Legend Shares Civic Message with Students E.O. Smith Social Studies teacher Tim Bowen and world famous musician Charlie Daniels before a show last summer. Daniels is best known for the 1970’s classics “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “The Legend of The Wooley Swamp.” In 2000 I had the pleasure to meet country/rock star Charlie Daniels from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. In a random act of kindness, a friend was willing to introduce us. From that moment on, a couple times a year I visit back stage with Charlie and his band while he is on tour. Charlie is not only an entertainer of country, rock, bluegrass, gospel and blues, but also active in voicing his opinions through his Soapbox Forum on his website www.charliedaniels.com. This forum is an avenue for Charlie to speak about world and domestic issues as well as telling about the everyday simple pleasures in life and his love for entertaining fans for over 40 years. Upon learning that I teach high school, Charlie agreed to interact with our students by answering questions students may have about issues in our country and the world. Every week or so my students investigate current events and his Soapbox Forum, and then create questions that I email to him. His responses have been enlightening. Despite his busy Charlie points out... that as citizens, our students need to be civically minded members in society by exploring multiple sources for news and communicating with their elected officials. schedule Charlie is more than happy to respond. Last year in speaking with his road manager, he learned that I was "the teacher from Connecticut" and he said that Charlie really looks forward to getting our questions and responding to them. Charlie points out to my students that his perspective is only one of many and he does not claim to have all the answers. He continues in saying that as citizens, our students need to be civically minded members in society by exploring multiple sources for news and communicating with their elected officials. To my knowledge we are one of the only schools in the United States that interact with him in this fashion. Since Charlie is such a proponent of free speech it is not surprising that he has recently won the "Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award" from the First Amendment Center/Americana Music Association. Overall, the communication between my students and Mr. Daniels has been a great experience. Last year I photographed my World Civilizations students who were emailing him and they all autographed their names on the pictures. In May, I gave him the pictures and he was just delighted and responded with an autographed picture of himself to my students. In my room (205), there is a Charlie Daniels bulletin board that has this photo, many pictures from concerts, excerpts from his website and recent responses to my students. I encourage anyone who is interested to stop by and check it out. If you are interested in becoming involved with emailing questions, please see me. My students are thankful for this experience and Mr. Daniels stated that it is an honor to take part in interacting with my students. In addition to touring, recording, writing books, fundraising for good causes, maintaining the Soapbox Forum, entertaining our troops stationed in Iraq and other places in the world, Charlie takes the time to email us. It is truly impressive that he assists in educating our students. 10 Arts & Leisure The Oracle Brush Up Your Shakespeare: Chorus to go Kiss Me Kate Sets the Valentine Mood Cabaret: February 28 Event a Charity Benefit by Danielle King Come join the Chorus as they perform a '20s, '30s, and '40s cabaret. This show is like a musical; it is full of dialogue, choruses and solos. This is not only a fun event; it supports two good causes as well. Half of the money earned will go to the Willimantic No Freeze Shelter and the other half to a local family whose house burned down recently. To have an enjoyable evening and also to help the community, come and support the Chorus Cabaret. It will be Tuesday, February 27th and Wednesday, February 28th at 7:00 pm in the atrium. Tickets are $10 and must be bought in ADVANCE. Come see Ms. Rowe in the Chorus Room for tickets and information. There is a seating limit of 80 seats each night so come buy your tickets today! Hope to see you there! See you there! February 19 27 March 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 17 19 20 26 28 29 30 31 WINTER VACATION BEGINS Boys Swim Team at Windham World Language Honor Society Induction CAPT for freshmen and sophomores CAPT for freshmen and sophomores CAPT for freshmen and sophomores Progress Reports Daylight Savings Time WORLD LANGUAGE WEEK begins Latin Exam E period (9:30-10:05) Chorus Fly-up Concert World Language POT LUCK BANQUET CAPT for freshmen and sophomores CIAC Open Diving at Yale CIAC Open Swim at Yale CAPT for freshmen and sophomores Winter Sports Awards PD Day - No School Music Department Coffee House All Connecticut State Music Festival All Connecticut State Music Festival All Connecticut State Music Festival April 4 6 9 12 13 14 15 16 23 30 Poetry Recitation Contest - East Haven Spanish Exchange Leaves for Spain French Exchange Leaves fro France Third Marking Period Ends Good Friday PD Day - NO SCHOOL Music Trip to Williamsburg Music Trip to Williamsburg Music Trip to Williamsburg Music Trip to Williamsburg SPRING VACATION BEGINS “Cool It: A week Long Teach-In on Global Warming Senior Project Presentations Upside Down and ComingUp As many of you know, the first two weekends over the past couple of months that span age in February saw performances of Cole Porter's gaps and academic differences that never would well loved musical Kiss Me, Kate. Complete have occurred because our paths never cross the with a cast of over thirty and a sizeable pit, the regular academic school day. And it takes a musical ran wonderfully through all five shows. great deal of focus and self-motivation from This was my first high school drama experience, each individual to make sure that costumes and and starting with after-school rehearsals in set changes are all covered. It's hard to gage November it was apparent just how devoted this how much time and effort goes into a show by group of students is which is why, when asked every single person before actually doing a show to write a short article for the Oracle about my yourself. We got used to each other and became experience doing the show, I knew immediately what I would write about: the people involved. Of course everyone who is willing to spend their afternoons on the stage learning new songs and new choreography must love doing shows, and the show was wonderful, but what made the experience for me was the people involved. I knew that, although a junior new to the program, I wouldn't have a prob Julie Stein and Jacob Gogarten in the musical Kiss Me, Kate, a parody of lem joining drama because I have a lot William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. of friends who participate in the drama program, but I was still a bit a team, making us excited for the shows and unsure about whether or not everyone who had even more psyched after receptive audiences full already been doing drama for years would welof friends gave such positive feedback about the come me with open arms, but any anxiety was show. soon quelled. Looking back on the past couple of months, I Although corny, it's true: the drama students would have to say that the long rehearsals after are a great group of people. It's pretty rare to school were well worth it due to the friends and find a dedicated group of students who is willing fun that the show brought me. I think that many to stay after official practice ends - voluntarily other drama students would join me in saying to make sure that everyone is doing the dances thank you to everyone involved in the show and correctly and that people are making their also to everyone who came out to see the show entrances. Many bonds have also been formed for making the experience worth-while. TheSports Oracle How the Colts Bucked the Final 1% Once again streaming blue and white confetti was shown on my television screen and I could only stare in amazement as the Colts celebrated down in Miami after capturing their first Super Bowl victory since moving to Indianapolis. The Colts had overcome the NFL's three best defenses on way to achieving their ultimate goal, while their own defense showed some real resilience in controlling their opponents running game while ballhawking almost every opposing quarterback's ill-advised throw. The Colts are a tight-knit group who in the past year have suffered a lot of real life tragedies (the suicide of Tony Dungy's son; the death of Reggie Wayne's younger brother) and a few crushing defeats (44-17 at the hands of Jacksonville and 21-18 to the Steelers in last year's playoffs) all of which made them stronger and able to make their remarkable postseason run. They started the game of their lives on a bit of a sloppy note, but even if Super Bowl XLI wasn't one of the best of all-time, nor most exciting, it had some very key and entertaining moments that caused the game to go decisively in the Colts favor, 29-17. Fourteen seconds into Super Bowl XLI and the Bears had already jumped out to an early 7-0 lead with the first ever kickoff return for a touchdown to start off a Super Bowl. Devin Hester with his amazing speed, ability to read blocks and lightning quick feet, had his teammates jumping for joy in the South Florida drizzle coming down on Dolphins Stadium. However, the Bears euphoria would not last, as Hester's touchdown return would end up counting for over 41% of their points for the entire game. The Bears missed too many opportunities early, had too many offensive miscues and their defense could simply not get off the field. After Hester's dazzling return, Peyton Manning and the Colts received the ball at their own 30-yard line and would have some miscues of their own. On the offense's first play from scrimmage, which had been hand picked and practiced for nearly two whole weeks beforehand, Colts tight end Dallas Clark ran a different route from what he was supposed to, and Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher nearly caused an interception. Five plays later and only eleven yards gained, Peyton Manning made his only risky throw of the night, which ended up in the arms of Bears safety Chris Harris. The Bears now had the ball at their own 35. However Tyrannodreadful Rex came in and went three downs and out. The teams would trade touchdowns later in the quarter and the score after the first was: Bears 14 Colts 6 The Colts were driving at the start of the second quarter and were starting to put together strings of plays without many mistakes or turnovers. The Bears defense thrives on turnovers and had led the league during the regular season with 44; most of them leading to points. Also, the defense was absolutely dominant in terms of yards allowed for more than half the season. No opposing team in the Bears first ten games had managed more than 300 total yards. However, after a couple significant injuries, each of the Bears following opponents gained more than 300 yards and two of them topped 400, including the Colts. The Bears lack of consistent pressure up the middle was a contributor to this stat and proved costly in their loss to the Colts in the Super Bowl, recording only one sack on Peyton Manning. The Colts reached the redzone with eleven minutes left in the half but were stopped short after Bears outside linebacker Lance Briggs made a play on Joseph Addai who caught a Peyton Manning pass over the middle four yards short of the first down. Adam Vinatieri kicked a 29 yarder and cut the Bears lead to five. The Abominable Grossman then went at it again, going three and out, giving the ball back to the Colts offense. This also put his defense back on the field, Andrew Callahan which had only received three minutes of rest. Manning went to his no huddle offense and perfectly mixed in run with pass, pounding the rock with Dominic Rhodes and then throwing short passes against the Bears Cover Two defense. Rhodes eventually found the end zone and put the Colts up by two. The remaining six minutes of the half featured two clumsy Bears drives with two equally faulty Colts drives. The Bears drives ended as follows: a lost Wrecks Grossman fumble and the other ending in a Brian Maynard punt after, you guessed it, the offense went three and out. The two Colts drives ended in a Brian Fletcher fumble forced and recovered by Bears cornerback Charles Tillman (one of the best single plays of the game), and a missed Adam Vinatieri field goal which closed out the end of the half. Colts 16 Bears 14 The Colts had figured out the Bears defensive strategy and knew they just needed to play keep away to wrap this one up. There was actually a stretch from the 9:14 mark in the second quarter into the third quarter in which the Colts ran 32 of the 36 total plays. At one point, the Colts had run 65 plays to just 23 for the Bears. Overall, the Colts would run 81 plays to the Bears 48 and gallop away from their opponent in the second half. The half opened with the Colts taking the ball from their own 38 yard line down to the Chicago 14 with a heavy dose of rookie running back Joseph Addai who would end up with ten catches and 143 all-purpose yards. That drive alone ate up half of the third quarter and although it only ended in a field goal, the Bears would now have to score a touchdown to take the lead and their margin for error shrunk to almost nothing. Adding to all of that, it had now been 56 minutes since Unsexy Rexy had been on the field. Course, no one would have been unable to tell judging by the Bears offensive series. They would have just thought that some old bitty had won a contest to play quarterback for the Bears during the Super Bowl. First down from the Chicago 32 yard line with seven minutes left in the third quarter, Grossman goes back to pass and finds Thomas Jones over the middle for a first down. Then, Queen Rexibeth II finds Mushin Muhammed for nine yards bringing the Bears to a 2nd-1 on the Colts 45 yard line. Maybe a Bears comeback is on the horizon? Or, maybe, Wrecks starts to look like an old bitty like I said. 2nd and 1 and the old bitty goes back to pass but, her cane has gone missing causing her to trip and fall for a loss of eleven yards (and then touched down by 300 lb. Anthony "Booger" McFarland). 3rd and 12, Queen Rexibeth II botches the snap and falls on the ball like it's a bloody live grenade losing another eleven yards. 4th and 23. Bravo. The Bears had a real chance at leaving Miami with a win after limiting the Colts offense to only a field goal when they drove down at the beginning of the second half. However, that drive (if you want to call it that) turned in by their fourth year quarterback really did them in. The Colts would kick a field goal to go up by eight and the Bears mustered their final points of the game in response, with a 44-yard field goal by Robbie Gould with 1:18 left in the third quarter. Later in the game, the Colts defense would pray upon a Bears offensive tendency which they had gameplanned and waited for all game. Rex likes to throw it deep on first down. So whadda ya know? Kelvin Hayden INT return for a touchdown on the Bears first drive of the 4th quarter, which was followed by a Bob Sanders interception on the Bears next possession, once again on a deep route. These two plays were the tongue-lick and stamp on the Colts championship package. Now, each team will look to the off-season and see what they need to do to improve. One suggestion for the Bears: How about a Rexorcism? Colts 29 Bears 17 11 Callahan’s Current NBA Top 10 1. Dallas Mavericks 42-9 - Devean George is subtly contributing in a big way for the NBA's best team while Dirk is shooting 90% from the line and Jason Terry continues to spread it around and be money from three. 2. Phoenix Suns 3912- Steve Nash may have secured a third straight MVP last week simply by sitting out. Without him, the Suns struggled to beat Portland, then lost at home to both Atlanta and Chicago. 3. Utah Jazz 33-17 The Jazz have won four straight games by a total of 14 points, which is a testament to their execution and toughness down the stretch. Mehmet Okur has become one of the league's best clutch shooters. 4. Houston Rockets 32-18- The Rocket's have become what they weren't the last couple of years. Consistent. Tracy McGrady is in a groove and the 89year old Dikembe Mutombo continues to get it done. Just imagine if they had kept Rudy Gay… 5. Detroit Pistons 31-18- Chris Webber is fitting right in with the Pistons, perhaps the most unselfish and hottest team in the NBA. 6. San Antonio Spurs 33-18 - The Spurs' annual rodeo road trip isn't going so well and their age is starting to shine through. But they still are the Spurs. Expect them to get hot late and play in some fantastic games down the stretch. 7. Cleveland Cavaliers 30-21 - That's more like it. The Cavaliers are starting to put it together as LeBron James has been getting better support from the reserves, including Sasha Pavlovic. 8. Los Angeles Lakers 30-22- The Laker's Andrew Bynum has really started to come into his own this season and could turn into something very special. He's certainly not the next Shaq but it will be interesting to see how the kid produces in the postseason. UConn’s Ben Gordon, leading scorer for the re-emerging Bulls. 9. Chicago Bulls 29-23-Tyrus Thomas has stepped into the starting lineup and given the Bulls some good minutes. The Bulls have a tough stretch in late March but get to play five out of six at home with Detroit, Cleveland, and Denver coming to town. 10. Washington Wizards 28-21 - Gilbert Arenas promised 50 points in the final game of his "Team USA Redemption Tour" in a home contest against Portland (which is coached by national team assistant Nate McMillan). Arenas scored nine. Nice goin' Agent 0. 12 Question of the Month TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY This Month’s Question of the Month is “What did you do on the ONE snow day we’ve had this year.” However, because we accidentally took all the pictures for this piece in VIDEO mode and don’t have the software handy to freeze the action, we had to ask some celebrities to fill in. The Snow Miser from The Year without a Santa Claus Frosty the Snowman Well, I don’t really remember... that was the day I was born. I got up at the crack of dawn, called and woke my brother up, and then I went and made icicles. The Heat Miser, Brother of the Snow Miser and also from The Year without a Santa Claus Get away from me. Shaun White a.k.a: The Flying Tomato Champion Snowboarder Dude? ...are you really asking me that question? Mark, Snow Plow Driver Um, I just took the day off that day. Justin Lamb, Class of 2003 I cruised home from college (Boston U.), got into bed, heard my mom say “no school,” rolled back over and crashed Rob Gagnon, EOS class of 2003 I’m a college kid. I sleep until 2:08 every day. until 11:00, then my brother Teddy and I Snow days do not matter. got up and had us some cocoa. Snow Was there a snow day? days are the best, eh Ted? Mr. Murray, English Teacher I went surfing, of course!