May - Weston Public Schools

Wildcat Tracks
May 2011
James Reohr
STAFF WRITER
Cam’s Automobile
School in Waltham, MA went out
of business in mid-March due to
bankruptcy, and WHS students
have reacted with surprise to
this news. Cam’s was a driving
school that taught students from
all across the Greater Boston
area and was especially popular
among Weston High School
students.
Students who were
enrolled at Cam’s Driving School
when it declared bankruptcy will
be reimbursed for 30 percent
of the fee that they originally
paid. Nevertheless, this news
has been an inconvenience to
all Cam’s customers, and many
are unhappy with this small
reimbursement.
“My experience with
Cam’s has been a hassle. Trying
to get reimbursed for the money I
paid was difficult. I didn’t see the
Ilan Agar
Cam’s driving school closes
closing of Cam’s coming at all
because the owner had covered
up the company’s financial
problems pretty well,” said Craig
Shytle, a sophomore at Weston
High School.
Other students
expressed similar concerns that
they had encountered when
they were enrolled at Cam’s
Automobile School.
“I had paid for the entire
driving course at Cam’s and I
had scheduled all of my lessons
as well. Once they went out of
business, all of my lessons were
cancelled with a small refund for
the money I had already paid,”
said Quinn Daly, a sophomore
at Phillips-Andover Academy
and a former student of Cam’s
Automobile School.
Fortunately for many
students, individuals who went
to Cam’s Auto School are
allowed to keep the driving and
classroom hours they had already
obtained as long as they have
proof of these hours. Many of the paying customer in mind while
people enrolled at Cam’s are now running his business,” said Anna
going to other driving schools,
Sabatino, a former employee
such as Bay State Driving School and driving instructor for Cam’s.
or Wellesley Driving
School.
“It was pretty
frustrating when
Cam’s closed as I
had to register with
another driving school
and lost the money I
had paid for Cam’s,”
said Clarence Ng, a
sophomore at Weston
High School.
Driving
instructors from Cam’s
Auto School noticed
A sign posted on Cam’s Automobile School’s door. PHOTO / cw56.com
the decline in quality
and financial stability
”He would criticize instructors
at the driving school prior to the
in front of other instructors and
declaration of bankruptcy.
also talk behind their backs. Very
“I soon discovered that
poor business sense and lack of
Cam’s was not professionally
respect.”
run, and the owner, Mr. Fred
“He started paying
Lovely, did not have the best
checks to his instructors,
interest of the instructors or the
including myself, with
Chinese protesters arrested
meant to testify at Zuoren’s trial, but was
threatened by Jasmine sent out informaprevented from doing so (as was every
tion regularly about how harmful it could
STAFF WRITER
other witness) by the police. As a result of be which makes me realize that jasmine is
the police violence, Ai needed two holes
what scares them the most.”
On April 3, famed artist Ai
drilled
in
his
head
to
remove
30ml
of
fluid
Having thrown his support behind
Weiwei was arrested as part of a recent
from
his
skull.
jasmine,
Ai
sealed his fate and is now one
sweep by the Chinese government against
Ai’s
most
recent
arrest,
however,
of
the
26
people
arrested as a result of the
civil disobedience. Historically critical of
is
thought
to
be
in
reaction
to
the
“Jasdemonstrations,
joining
another 30 that
the oppressive government, he was taken
mine
Revolution.”
Inspired
by
the
recent
“disappeared,”
and
a
further
200 who have
by authorities while attempting to board
revolutions
against
autocratic
governments
been
placed
under
something
akin to house
a flight in Beijing to Hong Kong, and his
in
North
Africa
and
the
Middle
East,
proarrest
as
a
result
of
the
rallies.
Weston
studio was later raided.
democracy
protestors
in
China
flooded
the
High
School
students
reacted
with
concern
One of China’s most prominent
about
the
arrests.
artists, known in particular
“The Chinese governfor his work on the design
ment’s
reaction to the jasmine
of the Olympic Bird’s Nest
revolution
is just one more of
Stadium and his current
many
examples
of the clash
exhibit of ceramic sunbetween
the
ability
for people
flower-seeds in the Tate, Ai
worldwide
to
become
more
Weiwei is also an outspoinformed
on
world
issues
and
ken critic of the communist
the
frequent
denial
of
freedom
regime. As such, Ai is no
of speech these people are constranger to governmental
fronted with. Hopefully these
harassment and police
arrests will be used as further
brutality.
proof for the much needed
One example dates
international attention towards
back to August 12, 2009,
addressing these human rights
when police entered his
abuses,” said senior Meghan
hotel room at 3 a.m. and
Harwood, co-president of
beat Ai before detaining
Pro-democratic artist Ai Weiwei.
PHOTO / independent.com Weston’s Amnesty International
him for the day, preventchapter,
ing him from going to the
While disappearances and
streets
in
peaceful
demonstrations
starting
trial of Tan Zuoren. Tan Zuoren had been
arrests
are
fairly
common
place in China,
on
February
20.
The
Jasmine
Revolution
in
charged for “inciting subversion of state
Keith
Richburg
of
the
Washington
Post
Tunisia
inspired
many
to
take
to
the
streets
power” when he spoke out against the
points
out
that
the
arrests
of
Ai
and
the oth
At
first,
as
Ai
posted
on
his
shoddy construction of Sichuan schools,
ers
“appeared
to
mark
what
human
rights
Twitter
account,
“I
didn’t
care
about
the
which had killed many when they colJasmine Revolution…but officials who are groups and others called a new and more
lapsed during an earthquake. Ai was
Quidditch
Quidditch team in the works for
next fall.
Page 6
Senior Spread
WHS class of 2011 decides on
their plans for next year.
Pages 4-5
insufficient funds in the bank
account. After this happened
twice, I looked for another job
and got it. However, I stayed on
for a few additional months to
finish driving with the kids who
had signed up to drive with me.”
Sabatino was not
surprised when Cam’s closed.
“The registry came into
the office in mid-March 2011
and abruptly shut them down
due to fraud. Cam’s was taking
money from customers knowing
full well he would not have been
able to fulfill their requirements
because of money owed to
instructors, creditors, landlord,
etc.”
Cam’s Automobile
School shows that a business that
is not properly managed can go
wrong very fast. As long as the
driving laws remain the same,
driving schools will always be
around because of kids who
want to try and get their licenses
before they turn 18 years old.
sinister phase in China’s ongoing, and typically cyclical repression of dissidents.”
In the past, the detention of activists on a large scale preceded major events,
such as the Olympics, or the Nobel Prize
ceremony, and ended once the event had
ended. There is no major scheduled event
however that sparked this sweep of detentions. Instead, as Nicholas Bequelin, a
China researcher for Human Rights Watch,
told the Washington Post, “this is not a
crackdown in the classical cycle of tightening and loosening. This is an effort by the
government to redraw the lines of permissible expression in China, to restrict the most
outspoken advocates of global values.”
Viewed as such, there has been a
noted backlash against the Chinese government from the rest of the world for the arrest of Ai, which has begun to represent the
overall issue of what is becoming a more
oppressive China. The EU, UK, and USA
have all petitioned China for the release of
Ai, while artists such as Anish Kapoor raise
awareness by dedicating their artwork to Ai
Weiwei. In a press conference Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, called China’s
opposition to democratic rights a “fool’s
errand” and called their record on human
rights “deplorable.” China responded by
stating that its record on human rights is
objective.
Regardless, Ai, one of the great
artists of China’s whereabouts are still unknown and China’s government is showing
no signs of changing its stance on his arrest.
Burqa Ban
Burqa ban in France sparks
controversy.
Page 2
In & Out of WHS
May 2011
Page 2
Apps violate users’ privacy
Lina Kim
STAFF WRITER
Recent lawsuits have
been filed against Apple and
other application companies,
including Pandora and the
Weather Channel, after a Dec.
2010 article in the Wall Street
Journal described how many
apps take user information
without consent. A federal
investigation is underway
on whether these companies
and applications violate the
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
and whether legal action can be
taken against alleged “computer
hackers.“
“Hopefully this will
bring about a big change in the
industry and make companies be
more responsible in what data
is being collected,” said Ginger
McCall, an assistant director at
Electronic Privacy Information
Center, in the Wall Street
Journal.
Every phone has a
unique identifier that gives the
advertising company important
information about the user, such
as how frequently a person uses
the app, when he/she purchased
it, Apple account information
etc. With this information, the
company can access more secure
and personal information, such
as gender and financial statistics.
This feature is present in iPhones,
Blackberries, and Androids,
yet many are unaware that their
personal information may be at
risk.
Despite this, Apple CEO
Steve Jobs said to critics of the
iPhone that he believes that Apple
A Student displays an Iphone
has not been using this feature to
access personal information.
“We haven’t been
tracking anyone,” Jobs said. “The
files they found on these phones,
as we explained, it turned out were
Meredith Braunstein
STAFF WRITER
On April 11 the French
Constitutional Council instated a law
prohibiting Muslim women from wearing
face-hiding burqas and niqabs in public
places. Controversy has ensued in
response to this decision over whether the
law is a violation of human rights.
The penalty for breaking
this law is a fine of 150 Euros (about
$214) and possibly public service
classes. Approximately 2,000 women
are expected to be affected by this law.
President Nicolas Sarkozy believes that
the burqa represents the treatment of
women as second-class citizens, and goes
against the values of France.
“In our country we cannot accept
that women be prisoners behind a screen,
cut off from all social life, deprived of all
identity […] The burqa is not a religious
sign. It is a sign of subservience, a sign of
debasement,” said Sarkozy in an article
on Times Online.
Many other countries and
organizations have taken a strong stance
on the burqa ban. In France, 82% of
people polled favored the ban, and
majorities in Germany, England, and
Spain are also in favor of it. Still, there
are many opponents of the ban. A poll in
the United States revealed that two out of
three Americans opposed it and Amnesty
International has urged France to get
rid of the ban, arguing that it violates
European human rights law.
“Women in France have the right
to freedom of religion and expression and
must also be free to protest when the right
is violated. [The burqa ban] puts France
to shame- a country that prides itself on
the human rights it claims to promote
basically files we have built
through anonymous, crowd
sourced information that we
collect from the tens of millions
of iPhones out there,” said
Steven Jobs to CBS News.
Currently, a new
system has been added to
Android phones so that the
user can toggle the level of
information that is shared on an
app. It can go from “bogus” to
phone.
Despite this, for
many WHS students, this
aspect of smart phone usage is
disconcerting.
“It’s wrong how they
take your information, and
people should be aware that their
information is being stolen,” said
freshman Enzo Cerutti. “The
easiest way to protect yourselves
is to obviously not buy a smart
phone, but since people aren’t
going to do that, try to check
what information goes in and
out.”
Other WHS students
believe that both user and
company are to blame.
“I feel like it’s definitely
ridiculous how they do that. But
I guess it’s also our faults too,
because we are the ones who
put it in, in the first place. It’s
our own ignorance that starts it,
and those companies are merely
taking advantage of it,” said
senior Ally Richlen.
Others argue that
PHOTO / Molly Hickey
there are benefits to giving
“empty” to “trusted,” allowing
an application access to this
the user to decide whether the
information.
app is secure. Of course, not
“I don’t see anything
all phones have this yet, but
wrong with companies taking
there are other ways to protect
location [and information] to
personal information on a cell
produce ads. They are relevant to
what people want, and without
all those features, there is no
point in having a smart phone,”
said freshman Maria Barrow.
One way for students
to protect themselves from the
unintentional leak of personal
information is to change the
phone’s settings. “If you want
to protect yourself, go into the
security of your phone and make
sure that apps and companies
have minimal access to your
information,” said sophomore
Lexi Abrecht.
According to CNET
News, the best way to protect
one’s information from apps
depends on what kind of mobile
phone is used. For iOS users,
read the pop-up that comes up
and decide whether or not this
app has permission to access
your information and location.
For Blackberry users, the
BlackBerry Analytics service,
which apps use to access usage
data, can be turned off. This
is done on an application-toapplication basis. Of course,
if additional information on a
phone is desired, it’s best to read
the forums about that specific
type of phone.
France bans burqas
and protect, freedom of expression
Students at WHS believe that
tension.
included,” said Europe and Central Asia
the government does not have the right
“I think this is a discriminatory
Program Amnesty International Program
to interfere in a voluntary expression of
act. [France] is punishing people for
Director John Dalhuisen on www.
religion.
observing their religion. To me, it’s an
humanrightsblogucf.com.
“I feel people should be allowed act of religious intolerance. Any type of
Members of the WHS
to wear what they want, especially if it
religious conflict will be made worse,”
community agree with the claim that the
is an expression of their religion,” said
said history teacher Kay Cottle.
government is overstepping its boundaries
sophomore Ian Delany.
Students agree that the law
by prohibiting what many consider to be a
Women in France who will
specifically designed against Muslims is
part of their religious beliefs.
personally be affected by the new law
increasing the “islamaphobia” that has
“I think France is trying to be
have strong opinions about the law they
been felt since 9/11.
secular, but [wearing burqas and niqabs]
claim violates their basic laws.
“France is giving in to social
is an expression of religion, so I don’t
“I am prepared to go to the
pressures and prejudices against Muslims
think it’s a state’s
that have heightened
right to prohibit
since 9/11, and it’s not
this because it’s not
right. If women want
harming anyone,” said
to dress a certain way
history teacher Robin
for religious purposes,
Wanosky.
it’s their right,” said
On the
sophomore Jahan
first day the ban
Bokhari.
took affect, a protest
Despite this,
occurred outside
some Weston High
Notre Dame Cathedral
School students are
against the ban. While
against Sarkozy’s
two women were
strong message, but
arrested, police say it
also understand the
was for unauthorized
basis and concern of
protest as opposed to
his argument.
wearing burqas and
“It is wrong
niqabs.
[for the government]
Adding to
to tell people how
the debate is activist
to live, but it is
A Muslim woman wears a burka
PHOTO / morallowground.com
Rachid Nekkaz of
degrading for women
the group Hands Off
to be forced to wear
European Court of Human Rights and
My Constitution, who wears a mask and
burqas in public,” said junior Sarah
I will fight for my liberty. What is the
carries checks for the 150 Euro fine. He
Connor.
state going to do-send a policeman to my
has auctioned one of his homes to provide
The debate over whether the ban
front door to give me a ticket every time
money to pay fines for women found
is a violation of freedom of religion, as
I go out?” asked Kenza Drider on www.
wearing the forbidden clothing.
well as the anti-Muslim sentiment being
thesun.com. Drider plans on continuing
“I would like to send a clear
felt as a result over the ban, has been
to wear her burqa despite the presence of
message to President Nicolas Sarkozy that
noticed far beyond France. The world will
the law.
we can do what we want. We have rules.
have to wait and see how France reacts
Other critics of the ban believe
We have a constitution and everyone has
to the heated criticism it is currently
that it is not only violating basic rights,
to respect it,” Nekkaz said on CNN.
receiving.
but that it is increasing political-religious
In & Out of WHS
May 2011
New plane means new potential
Margo Cox
STAFF WRITER
When Weston High School
students break for vacation, many jet off
to historical or tropical locations around
the globe. Boeing, one of the largest
aircraft manufacturers in the world, has
just introduced a new airplane, the Boeing
747-8 Intercontinental, that has the
potential to change the way people fly.
“The 747-8 is Boeing’s answer
to Airbus’ A380, which is a plane so large
they have to say ‘super’ in their call sign
to warn other pilots of wake turbulence.
Despite the multiple delays Boeing has
had with the design and certification
process, Boeing has come out with a great
airframe,” said senior and licensed pilot
Philip Kretschmer. “They have taken
the old 747-400 design and through the
use of composites, new engines, and a
new wing, they have been able to make
a plane that is more fuel efficient than its
predecessor.”
In response to today’s
“bigger is better” mindset, the 747-8
Intercontinental is the biggest passenger
plane that Boeing has ever built. Its
wingspan is 224 ft. 7 in. and it is 63.5
ft. long. The 747-8 measures in at
250 ft. long, which is 18 ft. longer
than the previous 747-400 plane. It is
approximately the same length as six and
a half school buses.
“I would enjoy traveling on such
Nicole Poritzky
STAFF WRITER
a large plane because the increase in seats
particular airplane, an empty plane means
makes the interior feel more spacious,”
the company could be losing money.
said senior Lisa Kojima.
Because the 747-8 has more seats than
Taking off from the runway
say the 787, there is a higher chance that
at Paine Field in Everett, Washington,
seats will be empty,” Kretschmer said.
the plane’s first test flight took place on
“Also, in today’s market people would
March 20. It flew to 19,000 ft. and at
rather have multiple flights per day to a
about 288 mph.
destination with a smaller airplane than
“This is a great day for the
only one flight with a larger plane. This
747-8 team and for all of Boeing,”
allows the passengers to have greater
said Elizabeth Lund, vice president
flexibility in scheduling their flight.”
and general manager of the 747-8
program, in a statement after the
successful test flight. “What an honor
it is to see such a beautiful airplane
fly.”
Despite the size increase,
which enlarges the passenger
capacity to 605 seats, the 747-8
Intercontinental will provide a more
comfortable ride.
“From my limited knowledge
of airplanes, this new plane will
have larger windows, lower cabin
altitude, and lower cabin noise, which
A Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental
will hopefully increase passenger
comfort,” said senior Allyson
The large size of these types of
Pemberton.
planes present other problems, some of
This newest addition to the
which were unanticipated. On April 12,
Boeing collection takes a risk in assuming 2011, the jumbo jet Airbus SAS A380
that large numbers of people will want to
from Air France clipped the tail of a
fly to far off destinations. The seats need
smaller Delta commuter plane, causing it
to be filled in order for the airline to make to spin 90 degrees on the tarmac. While
a profit.
no one was hurt, the consequences could
“The usual total profit for a
have been much worse. This brings up the
flight is less than $1,000, so when seats
question of how large planes, such as the
that cost over $1,000, as it does for this
747-8 Intercontinental, are going to fit on
the airport runways and how much harder
they are to maneuver.
“For the pilots themselves, the
only disadvantage would be that ground
operations, like taxiing and parking,
become more difficult with such a large
plane, but I am sure that the 747-8 has
multiple cameras that give the pilots realtime video of their ground surroundings,
which helps a lot,” Kretschmer said.
Another concern is the aircraft’s
impact on the
environment. Even
though it is so large,
the 747-8 has been
designed to be
environmentally
friendly. Boeing
claims that this
plane burns 11
percent less fuel per
passenger.
“It provides
economics that are
just unparalleled in
PHOTO / instash.com
the industry,” said
Kevin Roundhill,
a regional director of product marketing
for Boeing, in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer
article.
The Boeing 747-8 looks to fly
onto the aircraft scene with Boeing’s
proven experience beneath its wings.
Maybe you will find yourself on this
super-sized jet in the near future.
Cupcakes are the sweet new fad
Georgetown Cupcakes after having studied fashion and finance
through college. According to
their website, they promote their
bakery as “DC’s destination for
gourmet cupcakes.”
The cupcakes at
Georgetown Cupcakes are pretty
pricey, going for $29/dozen.
This does not seem to faze many,
as the shop sold around 25,000
cupcakes on Valentine’s Day
weekend alone.
Over the past couple
of years cupcakes have become
more than just a delectable dessert, and have evolved into both
an upscale treat and an artistic
form of expression. Cupcakes
have developed into a trend and
are featured in reality television
shows, in magazines, and in a
general craze for cupcakes that seems to be
catching fire even here at
Weston High School.
“Until this year,
cupcakes weren’t really
a big thing. But now,
with so much talk of all
these shops that only sell
cupcakes, it’s turning
into this whole popular
trend,” said sophomore
Tyler Toledano.
Most people
want aesthetic items,
whether they be a slick
Apple laptop, a tiny
Blackberry, a jacket full
of swag, or any other hot
item that is appealing to
the eye. The same desire
now applies to cupcakes.
“[The way the
cupcake looks] is half
the appeal. The better it
looks, the more I want to A cupcake
eat it,” said freshman Liz
“I had a cupcake from
Reidel.
[Georgetown Cupcakes], and I
On “DC Cupcakes” a
definitely recommend that people
reality show, Katherine Kallinis
and Sophie LaMontagne, sisters, go there if they’re in the area,”
said senior Nicky Buenoventura.
opened up a bakery called
Other nationallyrenowned cupcake shops are
Crumbs (first appearing in New
York City) and Sprinkles (in Los
Angeles).
“I went to Sprinkles and
ate the best cupcake I had ever
had. It was vanilla with chocolate
frosting,” said sophomore Beorn
Brueckner.
Many students believe
that you do not have to go that
far away to eat great tasting and
Page 3
ies I want to visit. A lot of them
are in the mid-west, but several
are in the Boston area too,” said
junior Victoria Piccione.
Some of these shops include 5 Bites in Wellesley, Sweet
located in Back Bay, Newbury
Street, and Harvard Square, and
Kickass Cupcakes in Somerville.
“I had a carrot cupcake
with gold on the top at Sweet on
Newbury Street. It wasn’t real
gold; it was edible gold,” said
junior Laura Beaudry. “The top
of the cupcake
was really tasty
and creamy.”
In terms of
how they look,
cupcakes can be
as extravagant or
as simple as one
desires.
“[Cupcakes]
give you pallets
to create different designs.
When we want to
make cakes, we
make cupcakes
instead because
they’re easier to
decorate,” said
cooking teacher,
Margaret Irwin.
One local
cupcake shop,
PHOTO / Lauren Avery Treats Cupcake
Bar in Needham,
beautiful cupcakes, however.
has its own interactive cupcake
“I watch Phantom Gour- bar where customers can design
met and recently they’ve featured their own cupcakes. This along
a ton of cupcake places. I have
with their less expensive prices
a list in my room of all the baker- sets them apart from other shops.
“The interactive cupcake bar is really pretty simple,
but it’s a lot of fun,” said founder
of Treats, David LaLiberte. “The
customer picks his/her flavor
cake (gold, chocolate or marble)
and then the customer chooses
a frosting (vanilla, chocolate or
cream cheese). Then the customer chooses three different
kinds of candy and [the worker]
can either mix it into the frosting
or the customer can do it him/
herself.”
LaLiberte opened his
shop because he wanted to open
something original in Needham
that would be fun for kids and
that had the possibility of catching on.
“I believe [the cupcake]
is just a great individual desert
that was kind of lost for a long
time and is being re-discovered,”
LaLiberte said.
While these cupcakes
from Treats are relatively simple,
there are professionals who create more complex cupcakes, like
those on “Cupcake Wars” a show
on the Food Network that pits
bakers against each other to create better recipes and appealing
designs.
The way food is displayed has a significant impact
on people’s desires for it. While
cupcakes are one example of
this, there is also frozen yogurt
from “Pinkberry” and “Red Mango” that has recently increased
in popularity as well. Healthy,
smaller portioned, good-looking
deserts are simply the new big
thing.
Page 4
Ilan Agar--Brown University
Katherine Anderson--University of Vermont
Gueve Ataie--Northeastern University
Lauren Avery--Cornell University
Emilia Barron--Syracuse University
Sivana Barron--Bowdoin College
Olivia Barrows-University of Massachusetts, Boston
Daniel Bendetson--University of Michigan
James Bendetson--Tufts University
Jonathan Birjiniuk--MIT
Peter Birren--Kenyon College
Victoria Bissainthe--Sacred Heart University
Brandon Blaesser--Yale University
Patricia Blanchard--Endicott College
Emily Blaszyk-Perry--Fairfield University
Mir Bokhari--Universityof California, San Diego
Craig Bown--University of New Hampshire
Nicole Brenner--Wesleyan College
William Brewer--University of Vermont
Ian Bromfield--Boston University
Julia Bruce--Harvard University
Nicholas Buenaventura--Villanova University
Lydia Burrage-Goodwin--University of South Carolina
Zachary Burrage-Goodwin-University of South Carolina
Emily Burress--Amherst College
Isabella Caballero--Colgate University
Casey Cadden--Fairfield University
Jessica Campo--University of South Carolina
Zachary Cannon--University of Maryland
Gregory Carlson--University of Redlands
William Caro--Skidmore College
Tiffany Chan--University of Pennsylvania
Robert Charpie--Bates College
Perri Chilton--Santa Clara University
Timothy Chiu-Lin--Undecided
Jae Ho Cho--University Pharmaceutical College
Jae Yong Cho--University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Stephanie Chui--Fairfield University
Alexandra Clark--Hobert and William Smith Colleges
Congrats S
Gregory Cohen--Tufts University
Dean Concannon--University of New England
Ryan Coote--Villanova University
Margaret Cox--Dartmouth University
Robert Crockett--Trinity College
Jason Dagres--Trinity College
Sarah Dale--Roanoke College
Clare Devlin--University of Vermont
Margaret Dillaway--Harvard University
Hannah Dodson--Stanford University
Paul Donahue--Boston College
Eric Doyle--Northeastern University
Irene Droney--Simmons College
Ruth Dubilo--Northeastern University
Anna Duffey--Gettysburg College
Kerry Ecker--Wake Forest University
Andrew Edelman--Bentley University
Karthic Epker--University of Michigan
Cian Favat--University of Colorado, Boulder
Ruth Flack--Drexel University
Diana Flanagan-Columbia University
Naomi Garlick--Lafayette College
Julia Gilberto--Assumption College
Madelaine Gold--Vanderbilt College
Matthew Gorelick--Johns Hopkins University
Jonathan Greb--Brown University
Douglas Greenberg--University of Wisconsin
Lindsay Greenberg--Laboratory Institute of Merchandising
Jessilee Gross--Champlain College
Michael Guappone--Connecticut College
Henry Gula--Santa Clara University
Stefanie Hagopian--University of New Hampshire
Charlotte Halloran--Tulane University
Leif Harder--Dartmouth College
Meghan Harwood--Colby Colleg
Sara Hassan--Boston University
Nicholas Hattabaugh--Miami Un
Andrew Ho--Brandeis University
Katherine Hochberger--Loyola U
Emma Honeyman--Washington U
Francesca Howe--Emory Univer
Allison Hupalo--Washington and
Spencer Iuliano--Trinity Univers
Clarence Johnson III--Bowdoin C
Elvin Johnson Jr--Norwich Univ
Athina Kalemos--Boston Univer
Elliot Kardon--Tufts University
Max Kardon--Amherst College
Alexander Kaye--Washington Un
Sarah Keane--Trinity College
Bijan Khaksari--George Washing
Alden King--Louisiana State Un
Haley Knapp--Cornell University
Remy Knopf--University of New
Lisa Kojima--Princeton Universi
Michael Kollard--Babson Colleg
Erica Korff--University of New H
John Kotsiopoulos--Massachuset
Erika Koutrakis--Boston Univers
Anton Krasinski--Marshall Univ
Phillip Kretschmer--Union Colle
Laurel Kulow--University of Sou
Erica Kwiatkowski--Grinnell Co
Cheryl Lang--Boston University
Gregory Lanzillo--Tufts Univers
Seniors!
e
ge
niversity, Ohio
y
University, Maryland
University, St. Louis
rsity
d Lee University
sity, Texas
College
versity
rsity
niversity, St. Louis
gton University
niversity
y
w Hampshire
ity
ge
Hampshire
tts Bay Community College
sity
versity
ege
uthern California
ollege
sity
Andrew Lee--Unreported
Dongkun Lee--Rutgers University
Frederick Lee--Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Seung Eun Lee--Carlton College
Katherine Linde--Wesleyan University
Nicholas Littas--Northfield Mount Herman PG
May Liu--Undecided
Teresa Luk-Curry College
Max Lurie--University of Miami
Janel Lynch--Wheelock College
Laura Malone--Goucher College
Connor Maloney--Boston College
Robyn Manley--Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Rajar Manoharan--Unreported
Jason Mazzella--Yale University
Lindsay McCabe-Colby College
John McDonald--Tufts University
Adam McGean--Unreported
Marina Mikael--Wellesley College
David Miller--University of Miami, Ohio
Micaela Mone--Providence College
Ebony Moore--Curry College
Stefanie Moreno--University of New Hampshire
Vincent Nardone--Muhlenberg College
Nicholas Neu--Syracuse University
Nolan Neu--Holy Cross University
Thomas Neufeld--Duke University
Kyle Nickerson--Dartmouth College
Sarah Ober--Holy Cross University
Matthew O’Connor--Emory University
Nicholas Packs--Tufts University
Daniel Park--Harvard University
Nicholas Peacher--Washington and Lee University
Allyson Pemberton--Vassar College
Nicholas Perls--Tulane University
Page 5
Sally Plank--University of Michigan
Shameek Poddar--University of Pittsburgh
Seena Potter--University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amos Pownell--University of Colorado, Boulder
Carl Provenzano--University of California, Santa Barbara
Oliver Pucker--Brown University
Taylor Reeves--Louisiana State University
Rachel Regent--Boston University
Molly Reid--Emmanuel College
Kimberly Remis--Skidmore University
Kristen Richard--Becker College
Alexandria Richlen--Lesley University
Karen Rodriguez--Bridgewater State University
Matthew Rosencratz--University of Montana
John Saylor--Northwestern University
Jeffrey Shaer--University of Maryland
Azeema Shaikh--Unreported
Jonathan Silberburg--Fairfield University
Ezekiel Silverstein--University of Michigan
Sara Spalvieri--Unreported
William Spector--Brown University
Adam Stewart--Tulane University
James Stranberg--University of Vermont
Ryan Szeto--University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Jillian Tam--Lynn University
Eben Timko--Tulane University
Alina Tomeh--Smith College
Kristina Wagner--Yale University
Blake Wang--Vanderbilt University
Thomas Wells--Bowdoin College
Dana White--Bowdoin College
Ashley Williams--University of New Hampshire
Chaicath Wiyarand--University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Peter Wynant--University of Miami, Ohio
Jenna Yogel--University of Delaware
Dale Ziobro--Denison University
Wildcat World
May 2011
Page 6
Weston student succeeds at NHD Project
Ilaria Santangelo
student could have completed the project: Tulloss said. “For this part of the project,
Poster board, Website, and research paper. I didn’t have to think about content very
STAFF WRITER
Caleb found success through the creation much; I could be more creative.”
National History Day (NHD)
When
is a national academic competition for
reflecting on
students in sixth to twelfth grade focusing
National History
on themes, problems, legacies, and past
Day, many students
events in history. Here at Weston High,
reminisce about the
freshman honors history students are
seemingly neverasked to complete a project and get the
ending work, the
opportunity to try and advance in the
countless revisions,
competition. “Debate and Diplomacy”
and the late nights
was this year’s theme for NHD. Freshman
spent putting
Caleb Tulloss advanced to the state contest
final touches on
with his NHD project.
the project. Both
Ninth grade Honors World
teachers and
History students start their journey with
students are well
NHD in October, and finalize their project
aware, though, that
in January. Teachers divide the workload
the more time and
into multiple steps so that it is not too
effort put into a
overwhelming. In order to compete at a
project, the more
high level, the students are required to use
rewarding it will
five primary and five secondary sources,
be. It is especially
find relevant quotes, annotate and analyze
important to spend
each quote, and find a way to incorporate
time on the quality
this information into their projects in
of the information
a compelling manner. Freshman Caleb
in addition to time
Tulloss focused his project on the Korean
and effort.
War negotiations.
“Success
“I researched the Korean War
at NHD all starts
armistice negotiations because I felt that
with gathering
these negotiations had a large impact
quality sources. Caleb Tulloss displays the website he created
PHOTO/Ilaria Santangelo
on society, and the consequences can
Having varied
still be felt today. In 2010 there were a
types of primary
of a website.
number of conflicts between North and
and secondary sources sets the stage for a
“My favorite part of NHD was
South Korea, and so I wanted to know
good project. The second key to success
designing an animation that shows the
the history of fighting on the Korean
is structuring your analysis in a way that
progression of the war. I did this using
peninsula,” Tulloss said.
clearly relates to the theme,” said history
There were three ways in which a the skills I learned in Graphic Design
teacher Kim Young, who is Tulloss’
with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Flash,”
Drama festival sets the stage for WHS success
Megan Moran
teacher.
At first there were 14 WHS
projects that qualified to move on in the
National History Day competition. Now,
Caleb is the only student from Weston High
School left. Each year more then half a
million students construct entries. The ones
chosen then proceed on to compete in a
series of contests. First there are regionals,
then states, and finally nationals.
Tulloss advanced to the state level
with the quality of his project.
“Judges were impressed by the
depth of his knowledge and about the topic
and his use of multi-media visuals. He
used both video and photo primary sources
effectively and created an animated map to
illustrate key ideas,” Young said of Tulloss.
Contrary to the belief of some
students, National History Day was not
created to stress them out. Instead, it gives
students the experience of participating
in a large research project, and it allows
them to have the opportunity to show their
understanding and depict their knowledge of
their topic.
Caleb’s project highlighted the
difficulty of relations between North Korea
and South Korea and why they have been
at odds for so many years. In doing so, the
project presents conflicts created by the
indefinite separation of the two Koreas, the
tremendous loss of lives, and the political
tension created between the two sides.
Now Tulloss is preparing himself
for the state level by putting the final
touches on his revised website.
STAFF WRITER
The theater company
over the course of the spring has
been extremely busy, putting
on two separate shows, one of
which went to the Massachusetts
High School Drama Guild
Festival Finals held in Boston.
Their original play, “The Lie
That Binds,” earned them a
number of awards at this final
competition, including an Acting
Award, Set Design and Sound
Design Awards. The ensuing
musical, “The Hot Mikado” was
a huge success as well.
The “Lie That Binds”
is a play is about a family in
which the father is running
for governor, and the storyline
revolves around the middle
daughter discovering secrets
within the family as the story
progress.
Sophomore Grace
Harper played the middle
daughter, Ellie, and that role
ended up winning her the
Acting Award. She enjoyed the
entire process of the play, from
beginning to end, because of
those with whom she acts and
director John Minigan.
“One of the things that
makes the Theater Company
so successful is Mr. Minigan’s
flexibility to allows the actors
[the students] to explore acting
in a really great atmosphere,”
Harper said, “and getting to
hang out with the other cast
members and meeting students
from other schools was really
fun.”
Another student,
sophomore Jessica Ober, agrees
with Harper concerning the
writing process of “The Lie That
Binds.”
“One thing that is
successful for the theater
company is that he [Minigan]
allows our ideas to come through
and develop even more. He
allows us to make the show our
own.”
The Theater
Company has much to be
proud of considering that
The cast taking their bows they have qualified for the
State Competition four years
consecutively, as well as in many
previous years.
“I think one of the
main reasons the play worked
well this year was that the
actors/writers really kept using
their acting ideas to solve their
writing problems. They created
a story that meant something
to them--about the moment in
your life as an adolescent when
you start to see the flaws in your
parents and have to decide what
impact that change will have.
Whenever there was scene or a
plot-point that wasn’t working,
they were very good at finding
solutions from the three weeks
of improvisation we did to start
the process,” said John Minigan,
director of drama at Weston
High School. “I also thought that
they [the cast] created a really
strong family dynamic and that
the performers in the play’s
central family worked very well
together. That gave the whole
PHOTO/Glenn Harder
ensemble a lot to play against.”
The Massachusetts
High School Festival includes
115 one-act plays, both original
and already famous plays, such
as Shakespeare, organized on
three levels: preliminary, semifinals, and state. At each level,
awards are given for excellence
in acting and technical design.
Only two schools are chosen to
represent Massachusetts at the
New England Drama Festival, an
honor WHS has achieved in past
years but not this one.
After having been
successful through two rounds,
the state competition was held at
the Back Bay Events Center [Old
John Hancock Center]. WHS
performed in the second session
along with Westford Academy,
Hamilton-Wenham Regional, and
Sharon High Schools.
“My favorite memory
was simply getting to perform
the play the students wrote in
front of so many other schools:
kids from more than 20 schools
saw the play. I also loved our
hosting of a semi-finals round.
I think Weston kids and parents
did a great job of having a
festival day that didn’t feel
like a competition. And, of
course, finals round is always
a blast. People who mostly do
sports probably have a hard time
understanding how supportive
drama festival generally is. Kids
love to see their peers from
other schools do great work and
really support that, so, while it is
a ‘competition,’ it usually does
feel more like a ‘festival’,” said
Minigan.
The spring musical
quickly followed the drama
festival, and it took place on
Friday May 6 and Saturday May
7. It was titled “Hot Mikado”
and the story revolves around
a villager who is claimed by an
older woman as her lover, so
he runs to his true girlfriends
village, where a faceoff ensues.
Given that this
production so closely followed
the success of “The Lie That
Binds” the show had to come
together more quickly than usual.
“My favorite part of
being in this production was how
quickly the show came together
after worrying for many weeks
if we were ready to perform. The
entire cast and crew just had so
much energy and enthusiasm,“
said sophomore Katherine O’
Connor.
For all who participated,
whether they were cast or crew,
the theater company allowed
them to learn and act in a
comfortable environment.
“The theater company
gives me an opportunity to
be part of something where
everyone constantly cares for
each other and is friendly,” said
actress Mikayla Cramer.
It is hard to deny that
the theater company was very
successful this 2010-2011 school
year as exemplified by the
booming success of their spring
season. Even though there are
many graduating actors, we look
forward to the next season of
entertainment.
Wildcat World
May 2011
Page 7
Weston students travel to Europe over Break
Jackie Tayabii
century history of the region.
Topics of these meetings
included World War II, the Cold
War, and the collapse of Soviet
control in Eastern Europe.
“It was very
educational, and a lot of the stuff
that we saw connected directly
with what we had learned,” said
sophomore Tyler Toledano. “We
barely scratched the surface of
the things we saw.”
that were of special interest
to them. It was fun, but not
STAFF WRITER
necessarily a vacation.
“It’s important to know
Over Spring Break,
that it was not just a trip. We did
seven Weston High students
a lot of background preparation
and two faculty members had
before we left. The kids all came
the opportunity to travel across
with different interests, but I
the globe and experience new
think they all found things that
cultures in Amsterdam, Prague,
they enjoyed on the trip,” said
and Berlin. Armed with Ipads,
history teacher Jim Murphy.
the students spent the 8-day
Students could choose
journey working on
from a variety of
individual projects
topics for their
and witnessing
projects and were
what they had
able to use Ipads
spent weeks
to assist in their
learning about
research. Examples
in class. Overall,
of these individual
the responses to
projects include
both the program
a focus on foods
and the trip were
from the region,
overwhelmingly
globalization,
positive.
and the various
“I
languages
completely loved
encountered in the
going on the Prague
region.
Spring trip. It was
The program
nice getting to
Students pose in front of Stalin monument in Prague
PHOTO/Melissa Hill also benefited
experience three
The trip was not only
from a small group size, which
different cultures and learning
educational, but it was also a
allowed the participants more
about the historical importance
singular opportunity to take in
opportunities to experience the
of each place,” said sophomore
a place that few of their peers
culture. For example, tickets
Kaitlyn Gordon.
ever will, as the students had the to the Anne Frank house are
The students, with
rare opportunity to see historical extremely difficult to obtain, and
guidance from Mrs. Alcock and
sites and locations unavailable to the students would not have had
Mr. Murphy, had consistently
the average tourist. Also, they
this chance had they been with a
met to learn about the 20th
worked on individual projects
larger group. The reviews about
this rare experience are stellar.
“I know a lot of kids
enjoyed their experience on the
Prague Spring trip. If I had gone,
I think I’d most enjoy seeing
the St. Nicholas cathedral,” said
sophomore Abby Hirsh.
This Praguian cathedral
dates back to 1283, when the
place of worship was erected as a
parish church. The characteristics
that make it one of Prague’s main
landmarks, such as unique vaults
and a robust dome, were added
in the 17th century.
While the favorite
attraction was the world famous
Berlin Zoo, other popular
attractions were, the Terezin
concentration camp, the Berlin
Wall and Radio Free Europa.
“The students got to
hear about what a previous
Cold War organization [Radio
Europe] is doing now. To hear
them talk about their work – the
importance and danger – was
really interesting,” Murphy said.
The Prague Spring
program met with success during
its second year. The trip was
unable to run last year due to a
volcano eruption that hindered
flight plans throughout Europe.
This year, it is one of five global
education programs that were
offered and allows students
to visit a foreign nation, learn
Quidditch team to join Weston
Madison Garland
about different cultures, and visit
historical sites while missing
only a few days of school.
“It was really amazing
getting to visit Prague,
Amsterdam, and Berlin. All
three places were beautiful, and
over the course of eight days
there couldn’t have been better
weather,” Gordon said. “I would
definitely, without a doubt, go on
the trip again.”
WHS students can
expect to hear a lot about the
Prague Spring program in the
near future. Plans are already
in the works for an information
session before the school year
ends, and applications will be
accepted as early as September.
“Our hope is to keep the
program to about 8-10 students
per year,” Murphy said. “You
never know what will develop,
but the fact that it’s open to
students throughout all four years
of their high-school experience
makes it a possibility for the size
of the program to increase.”
Hopefully, more
students will be able to partake in
this opportunity in the upcoming
years. Students from the program
share the belief that the trip was
a success, and their experiences
abroad have given them a unique
perspective after their return to
Weston.
rumored to be the snitch on the Weston
original sport; it’s not in the Olympics.
Handbook, the IQA is “an academicteam.
It’s just copying Harry Potter”, said
and physical health- oriented nonprofit
STAFF WRITER
The game, according to the
freshman Newton Montenegro.
organization dedicated to promoting and
content
of
the
novel,
is
played
on
flying
Other
fans
of
Harry
Potter
are
governing a real-life version of the sport
Juniors Grace Huckins,
broomsticks,
and
one
question
seems
to
excited
about
WHS
starting
a
team
for
of Quidditch from J.K. Rowling’s Harry
Alexandra Rigobon and Lily Fishman,
arise
again
and
again
among
the
curious:
this
beloved
sport.
Potter novels, and utilizing the game to
students at Weston High School, are
What
about
the
broomsticks?
“[Starting
a
Quidditch
team]
inspire youth to lead more physically
starting a club that is sure to raise a few
“I
think
it
would
be
hard
to
play
would
be
amazing.
It
would
be
the
active and socially engaged lives” (http://
eyebrows: these students are starting
properly
because
they
don’t
have
flying
epitome
of
nerd
culture.
I
mean,
it
would
www.internationalquidditch.org/rules.
a Quidditch Team called the Weston
broomsticks,
but
if
they
find
a
way,
go
for
be
cool
to
have
something
that
‘geeks’
html).
Wockies.
it,”
said
junior
Monica
Mikael.
would
be
into
that’s
a
major
thing
in
this
The game started in 2005 at
For those of you who don’t
The
game
is
played
with
three
school,”
said
freshman
Parker
Shaw.
Middlebury
College, but there were no
know, Quidditch is the most famous
chasers,
two
beaters,
a
keeper
and
a
But
no
matter
which
way
organized
games
until 2007, when the
sport is the World of Harry Potter.
seeker.
For
those
of
you
who
are
less
you
hear
more,
the
team
captains
feel
first
official
game
was played against
Harry Potter as a character is a
‘wizard-savvy’,
have
not
read
the
book
confident
in
their
decision
to
start
a
team.
Vassar
College.
Since
then, over 1000
worldwide multi-media franchise.
or
seen
any
of
the
films,
first,
crawl
out
“I
think,
as
a
whole,
our
schools
across
the
world
have asked to
The book franchise, from which
of
your
hole
and
know
that
a
chaser
is
join
the
association
with their
he is drawn, has grown to gigantic
a
player
who
tries
to
catch
the
quaffle,
own
teams.
The
teams
can pay
proportions, as each distinct novel has
the
main
ball,
and
throw
it
through
for
a
membership
and
attend
been made into a film version. There
meetings to discuss the game,
are Harry Potter toys, candy, and even the goal hoops. A beater throws the
‘bludgers’
at
chasers
to
make
them
the rules and the future of
a clothing line. But now, Quidditch, the
fall
off
their
brooms.
A
keeper
is
like
a
Quidditch.
most famous sport in the Harry Potter
goalie,
protecting
the
goal
hoops
at
all
The idea for a Weston High
world, has leapt from the pages and
costs.
And
the
seeker
chases
after
the
School team started when a
onto college and high school fields.
snitch,
a
person
dressed
in
all
yellow,
few high school students were
The fact that Weston is
and
tries
to
grab
a
small
ball
attached
watching college students
starting a team is not entirely a
to
them.
playing Quidditch on YouTube.
fresh idea as not as there are over
The
entire
game
is
played
“We’re all huge Harry
100 active high school teams in the
with
brooms
between
each
player’s
Potter nerds and thought it
Northeast alone. The sport is played
legs,
which
adds
an
element
of
would be cool to run around in
on 5 continents, in 12 countries and
difficulty
and
athleticism.
The
game
capes,” Fishman said.
in thousands of schools and colleges
ends
in
one
of
two
ways.
If
the
snitch
This year, the team plans to
Middlebury
Quidditch
team
PHOTO/middblog.com
across the world. Closer to home,
is
caught,
the
game
ends
or
whoever
have
an informational meeting,
generation
is
pretty
enamored
of
Harry
Wellesley and Wayland High School’s
scores
the
most
points
when
time
expires.
tryouts,
and
practices.
But, unfortunately,
Potter.
So
far,
we’ve
seen
a
lot
of
both have teams registered on the
The
sport
is
met
with
both
praise
won’t
be
able
to
see
the
team play against
interest,”
said
Huckins.
International Quidditch Association
and
ridicule.
The
fans
of
Harry
Potter
anyone,
as
they
need
to
register
as a full
The
Weston
team
is
registering
as
a
website www.internationalquidditch.
books
and
movies
are
wild
about
the
fledged
team
on
the
IQA
website.
forming
team,
and
a
small
fee
is
required
org.
But when they finally get decked
to join the International Quidditch
“I was stumbling through the sport, most players on the teams being big
fans
of
the
franchise;
however,
some
are
out
in
capes
and the Weston Quidditch
Association.
The
$100
required
will
Internet and came across a Quidditch
more
skeptical
than
others
about
whether
garb
of
champions,
be sure to cheer them
hopefully
be
raised
in
bake
sales
and
the
website, and being a Harry Potter
or
not
it’s
a
sport
at
all.
on
as
you
imagine
them
flying after the
players’
contributions.
fan, clicked on the link. And then it
“I
don’t
like
it.
It’s
not
an
snitch.
According
to
the
Official
Quidditch
just evolved,” said Rigobon, who is
Opinion
May 2011
Page 8
School fundraisers need to consolidate causes
Mark Fishman
STAFF WRITER
Most of us take
Weston for granted. I am not
just referring to the education
we receive, or the wealth of
opportunities that we have
to explore in our school and
community, but the numbness
with which we approach the
numerous options for us to give
back to those who aren’t as
fortunate.
Our community is great
at donating our time and effort
towards making life better for
those outside of Weston. The
number of ways that individuals
take leadership in setting up
fundraisers and other ways to
contribute is astounding. But
along with the abundance of
opportunities to help others
in need arises a paradox: the
greater the involvement of the
community is, the smaller the
motivation of the individuals
is to contribute to the greater
causes.
What I mean by this is
that people become numb when
faced with more opportunities.
With more ways to contribute,
we become less aware of the
importance of each individual
cause. The problem models the
basic laws of supply and demand
in everyday life.
I’m sure most people
who buy from the frequent bake
sales after school outside the
cafeteria don’t even know what
cause they are supporting. Most
people probably don’t know, or
even care, if their actions are
supporting Haiti, Uganda, Japan,
or any other country that relief
is being provided to. We have
raffles and concerts and Relay
for Life, as well as badminton
and basketball tournaments, and
the average person eventually
tunes out the importance of these
individual causes.
I don’t mean to say
that all of these fundraisers are
worthless. The problem is just a
loss of awareness in those who
participate in them, a decrease in
general care for the causes. The
fundraising should not stop, but
it should be consolidated.
The best way to lock
up the attention and increase
the awareness of the people
who participate, or are deciding
whether to participate, is to
consolidate the efforts into one
advantage of the opportunity that or not. There is no second
event. Relay
chance, which forces people
for Life
to make a decision about
is a great
their participation, which
example.
usually is favorable in terms
The event
of contribution.
raises an
So no, don’t cut the
enormous
fundraisers. Just try to make
amount of
them more meaningful. I
money, and
am completely behind the
not only
causes that they represent,
because
but for most people, it’s
it is a lot
hard to donate time and
of fun and
money to efforts that are so
encourages
spread out over the course
cooperation
of the year.
between
Like many other
all who
things, we take these
participate.
fundraisers for granted.
Relay for
A conscious awareness of
Life is also
the issues they are trying
successful
to support is needed, but
because
the organizers can also get
it only
more out of the participants
happens
by making events more
once a year.
distinctive, something that
With a raffle
the community clearly
or bake
recognizes as a big event
sale, people
and worthy cause. As a
know
community, we can make
A student selling Best Buddies wristbands
Photo\Catherine Cebulla our efforts and time more
there will
always be
meaningful and efficient,
they have at the moment, but
another one later on in the year,
and reap the benefits for greater
with Relay for Life, people know
and therefore might not take
causes.
that they are either contributing
Weston students are on a race to somewhere
Kristi Wagner
to do and there was no way I was going
to get all of it done before 7:33 the next
morning, there was abundant stress, times
when I didn’t know if I could do it all.
The title of the movie was “The
Race to Nowhere”, and while I respect the
writers and all who took part in the movie
and see some merit to the argument they
propose, I have to disagree that it applies
to all of us. There is no doubt that we are
in a race; that is for sure, but we are racing
to somewhere. This work leads us to
higher things.
The race part of the movie is
one I can attest to. I am graduating soon
go to rowing practice where another race
Perhaps it will ease at some point, but there
begins.
will always be something to worry about so
STAFF WRITER
I have been successful in high
why waste time and energy worrying more
school rowing over the past four years
than necessary.
On a cold day in January, I sat
since I began crew as a freshman, but
So yes, it’s a race; that’s
with my mom and two friends as well
my success did not come easily. Yes, it
undeniable, but I do not think that it is going
as many other parents, students and
is true that being tall helps in crew and I
nowhere as it implies in the film. In fact, I
administrators in the auditorium to watch
was born to be tall. But my height only
would be extremely upset if all of the work
the movie: “A Race to Nowhere.” After
took me so far, and getting to the place
that I have put in for the past four years is
the film, there was a panel and discussion,
where I am today has taken determination, taking me nowhere. But, I know that it is
but the discussion did not end that night.
perseverance and a lot of hard work. I
not. I am going to attend an Ivy League
Instead, it continued into many of my
have worked harder on rowing than
school next year and will row for one of
classes and was the prevalent topic of
anything else in my entire life, and I
the top division one rowing teams in the
conversation around Weston High School
have failed a lot. While I have achieved
country and I believe that, through all the
for a few weeks.
overall success, I haven’t met many goals hard work, diligence, tears and certainly
The movie depicted schools in
and along the way I have been
the support of my parents that I am going
America,
very stressed out, lost a lot of sleep somewhere.
most of
even. I have felt overwhelmed
And I also know that I am not the
which share
innumerable times over the years
only one. I look around at my classmates
a similar
Last year I was not only going
and realize that this school demands and
profile to
through the academic turmoils
breeds excellence and no one can deny it.
Weston High
of SATs, ACTs, APs and college
We are fortunate to have this chance to go
School, to
searching that all of my classmates
somewhere and we should take it.
have spun
were, but I was also trying to get
out of control
recruited to college and row
in terms of
internationally.
their focus;
I was about as
featured
stressed as one can get,
students were
Editors-in-Chief
and throughout it all I also
so stressed
injured myself, just to add
out that they
Meredith Braunstein, Mark Fishman
to the list of things I could
weren’t
Editors
worry about. However, I do
eating,
Megan
Moran,
Halle O’Conor, Nicole
not think that anyone, my
sleeping, or
Poritzky, Sindhu Sreedhar, Jackie Tyabji
friends, family, or teachers
experiencing
noticed a difference. I
any kind of
Photo and Graphics Editor
A student stressed from the work he has PHOTO / riinsuranceblog.com.tif was still as happy go lucky
happiness.
as ever because of the
They were
Meredith Braunstein
and these past four years have been the
opportunities that lay ahead of me.
making themselves sick and in the worst
race of my life. Everything at WHS is a
I knew all of this would take me
cases, some were even taking their own
Faculty Advisor: Peter Banker
competition, and everyone wants to win.
somewhere.
lives.
Those that don’t want a part of that stop
Life in this community
As I watched the movie, I felt
Staff Writers
competing. They make that choice. My
is stressful; we are among people
badly for these teenagers, but I could
Ilan
Agar,
Margo Cox, Danny Dinno,
race though, has been slightly different
who are going somewhere, but
only sympathize for them; I could not
Madison Garland, Lina Kim, James
that the race of many of my classmates.
many of us know that it’s not
empathize. Sure, at times high school has
Of course I go to school just like everyone going to happen without hard
Reohr,
Ilaria Santangelo, Kristi Wagner
felt so stressful that I did not know how I
else and take the same classes and do
work. That’s what it takes to
was ever going to finish all of my work.
the same work, but then after school I
excel. There are no shortcuts.
There were nights that I had piles of work
Wildcat Tracks