December - TheTigersRoar

December Issue 2008
Volume IV Number 3
The Voice of Ridgefield High School
The Crucible
Homecoming Events
Argentinean Exchange
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The Tiger’s Roar
December 2008 Issue
Contents
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The Crucible
Homecoming
News Round Up
Outreach
The Novel Club
Argintinean Exchange
The Cat’s Meow
The Change of a Generation
Hall Talk
Kids in the Hall- Obama’s Victory
Basketball
The Fight for RBA MVP
Boys’ and Girls’ Hockey
Wrestling
Boys’ Indoor Track
On the Cover: Crucible cast members: Back: Caroline Burke,
‘09, Greg Newman, ‘10, Maeve McMahon, ‘12, Grace
Hardin, ‘09, Grant Rosenmeyer, ‘09, Front: Ryan Duncan,
‘10, Madison Missinne, ‘10.
Photo Courtesy of Ms. Sherry Cox
The Tiger’s Roar is the student magazine of
Ridgefield High School
700 North Salem Road
Ridgefield, CT 06877
Co-Editors:
Amy Ablondi, Alexa Pugh, Victoria Shih
Artistic Director
Assistant Opinion Editors
Amy Ablondi
Dana Droller
Features Editor
Jordan Evans-Boyajian
Antonya Gonzalez
Senior Photographer
Assistant Features Editors
Lauren O’Neill
Jessica Harriton
Associate Photographer
Kadie Maher
Tom Bruno
News Editors
Sports Editor
Alyssa Grossbard
Jake O’Brien
Tara Formisano
Adversting & Business
Associate News Editor
Coordinator
Kaitlyn Gerber
Tom Bruno
Opinion Editor
Tony Blum
Advisor: Mr. Tom Mattausch
The Tiger’s Roar
News
December 2008 Issue
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Visual and Performing Arts
Department Presents The Crucible
By Kadie Maher
Steady, slow drumbeats shook the auditorium as the victims of pride stumbled
toward the gallows at the conclusion of
RHS’s 2008 fall drama production. The
RHS Visual and Performing Arts Department’s presentation of The Crucible by
Arthur Miller received overwhelming
reactions from the school and town.
Director Ms. Sherry Cox had reserved
the auditorium months before for Nov.
7-9 and had prepared well ahead of time
to perfect the production.
The play, a classic for literary fans
as well as for theater audiences, follows
the horrors of the Salem Witch Trials,
with several editorial adjustments for
dramatic purposes. The show opens with
a distraught Reverend Parris (Ryan Duncan, ’10) pacing beside the bed of his
daughter, Betty (Madison Missinne, ’10),
who seems ill. The reason for her dormant state is unknown to the viewer at
first, although references to supernatural
causes are tossed around by townspeople
Giles Corey (Ben Bass, ’09), Ann and
Thomas Putnam (Maeve McMahon, ’12,
and Greg Newman, ’10), and Rebecca
and Francis Nurse (Caroline Burke, ’09,
and Jake Smyth, ’10).
Motives Revealed
The plot develops to reveal the
motives of Abigail Williams (Grace
Hardin, ’09), who has previously had
a love affair with John Proctor (Grant
Rosenmeyer, ’09), a farmer who has
had trouble regaining the trust of his
wife, Elizabeth (Danielle Dietzek, ’09).
Reverend John Hale of Beverley (Chris
DeMarchis, ’09) is called upon to solve
the mysteries of Salem. When the situation intensifies and the characters start to
panic, individuals begin accusing each
other of witchcraft. One such character,
Tituba (Nicole Morris, ’11), the slave of
the Parris household, escapes execution
by claiming to want to go back to God.
Tituba then proceeds to feed more names
to the corrupt government of Salem.
When the characters enter the courtroom, Judge Danforth (Max Singer,’09),
reveals the instability of the judicial
Mary Owczarak, ‘11 and Danielle Dietzek,
‘09 as Mary Warren and Elizabeth Proctor.
Photo Courtesy of Ms. Sherry Cox
system. He claims that there are only two
people affected by witchcraft: the witch
and the victim. Since the witch will most
likely not accuse himself or herself, the
court must value the claims of victims
above all else. Judge Hathorne (Stephan
Amenta, ’10), a dominant figure of the
actual Salem Witch Trials, finds himself
believing in all of the hype of the town as
well. When prominent figures of the town
are accused, society must choose whom
to believe. Those accused could die as
martyrs.
Demanding Effort
Members of the theatre department
worked tirelessly on the production. Auditions were held the first month of school.
The selected students were cast shortly
after, whereupon they jumped into the
demanding rehearsal schedule. Rehearsals
were time consuming but rewarding. Early
on, actors experimented with different
postures, voices, and even hairdos to fit
their parts. Jokingly yet firmly, Mrs. Cox
warned the boys not to cut their hair until
after the play. Long hair was more common in conservative Puritan society.
To truly experience the Salem lifestyle,
the cast took a trip to the site of the trials.
The group toured the homestead of Rebecca Nurse, among others, and, ironically, ended the rainy day with a dinner
at the Witch’s Brew. Overall, the trip was
an immense success, especially for actors who were lucky enough to research
their specific characters. They returned
to Ridgefield with a fresh perspective on
the story and ideas for set additions and
changes.
After weeks of improving rehearsals, the crews were introduced to the
production. The tech crewmembers, led
by Benjamin Wasserman, ’09, familiarized themselves with the sound cues and
lighting effects of the show, while the
stage crew memorized the set changes.
Mrs. Lyndsy Amenta assisted with
the costumes, and many other parents
and adults of the town helped with the
building of the set. The cast, crew, and
additional volunteers worked especially
hard the week of Election Day to perfect
the production.
Opening Day
Finally, it was opening day. The first
two performances were planned for the
eighth and eleventh graders. Due to the
curriculum alignments with the Salem
Witch Trials, the administrations of RHS,
ERMS, and SRMS gave the students the
privilege of attending the show. Three
other show times were open to the public
on Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8,
at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Nov. 9, at
2 p.m.
While the shows appeared flawless
to the viewing eye, those participating
in the production were impacted by the
constant intensity. Stephen Mark, ’10,
who played Cheever, a clerk of the court,
explained the unique characteristics of
The Crucible, stating that it “had a much
darker tone. Performing in comedies
and musicals has a completely different feel. The happy, comical, frenzy of
energy hits you in the face as you walk
into rehearsal, whereas The Crucible was
undoubtedly fun, but also emotionally
draining.” Regardless, the drama of 2008
has certainly set high standards for RHS
productions of the future.
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The Tiger’s Roar
News
December Issue 2008
The Tiger’s Roar
News
December 2008 Issue
RHS Enjoys Homecoming Festivities
By Rebecca Lantner
and Alison Schonberg
For students of all grades, Spirit Week
was a chance to exhibit tiger pride and
to dress up in hilarious costumes with
friends and classmates. Some of the
themes included wearing pirate attire,
sporting pajamas in the hallways, dressing up as superheroes, wearing college
apparel, twin day, and a day to wear
individual class and school colors. The
number of students that participated
was outstanding. Over the course of the
week, the anticipation of the weekend’s
events reached new heights as the students waited anxiously for the Homecoming football game and dance. It was
particularly exciting for members of the
freshman class, who found the entire
week to be an interesting new experience
in their lives as high school students.
Maya Salamon, ‘12, thought of the week
as “the most fun week of high school so
far!”
The Homecoming dance was held at
8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. That evening,
freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior
girls dashed from their cars, jackets over
heads, so as not to let the rain and wind
counteract the hours it had taken to perfect
their hair and makeup. The guys sauntered behind them into the well-lit student
center, immune to the storm, unbuttoning shirt collars and loosening ties. 1332
tickets were purchased for the homecoming dance, the most ever in the history of
RHS, which is more than three-quarters
of the school’s student population. The
students, exuberant from pre-homecoming
parties, chatted excitedly as they greeted
friends and classmates. Among the girls,
compliments were flying; dazzling dresses
of every color verified the theme, Viva Las
Vegas. After surrendering their tickets and
passing the breathalyzer test, the students
were led into the gym. The DJ blasted hits
like “Womanizer” by Britney Spears and
Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold,” and soon the
whole student body was dancing.
“The dance was so much fun!” recalls
Emma Byrne, ‘12. “I loved the music and
the atmosphere. It was really exciting!”
Then it was time for the DJ to announce the Homecoming court. The students who had not seen halftime at the
previous night’s football game waited
in anticipation as the Lord and Lady
of the freshman class were announced:
Alex Tuccio and Michelle Cook. Next,
the DJ proclaimed Bobby Wendel and
Amy Weaton the Duke and Duchess of
the sophomore class. The Prince and
Princess of the junior class were Richie
Hume and Kristen Liederbach. Finally,
Hunter Wallach and Amanda Hoecker
were declared Homecoming King and
Queen. All four couples paraded around
the gym, smiling and waving like royalty
as their adoring classmates applauded.
The DJ cranked up the music once
again, and the students continued to
dance in groups and couples. But all too
soon, the clock struck eleven, signaling
the end of the RHS Homecoming dance.
Upon their exit, students were given
dice as a token of remembrance of their
wonderful night at Viva Las Vegas.
Dan Pin, ‘09 dressed in the “Salute your
Seniors” theme.
Left to right: Brianna Giordano, Sandra Longo, Erin McCarthy, all ‘10
Photo By Nick Lanzetta
Photo By Tom Bruno
Bonfire
Football Game
Spirit Week
The fire turned blue with the addition of pinecones.
Photo By Lauren O’Neill
The Tigers get ready to score at end of first half.
Patrick Gramling, ‘09 shows off team and Tiger
pride.
Photo By Tom Bruno
Liz Martland, ‘10, Scott Wilson, ‘10, and Jordan Evans-Boyajian, ‘09,
show their class colors on Class Day.
Photo By Tom Bruno
Photo By Lindsay Clouse
Left to right: Kristin Jumper, ‘11 Catherine Pin, ‘11, David
Konopka, ‘12.
Photo By Lindsay Clouse
Pep Rally
The RHS cheerleaders show off their stunts.
Photo By Laruen O’Neill
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The Tiger’s Roar
The Best Buddies Club marches in the parade.
News
Parade
December 2008 Issue
The RHS band marches in the Homecoming Parade on Main Street
Photo by Lauren O’Neill
Photo by Lauren O’Neill
The Tiger’s Roar
News
December 2008 Issue
Top right: Jeff Shuldman, Anna Hastings and Patrick
Lobb, all ‘09.
Photo Courtesy of Jeff Shuldman
Top left: Sasha Baskin, Maggie Bowlby, Mel Bresnan,
Amy Ablondi, Carolyn Tusa and Paige Wilson, all ‘10.
Viva Las Vegas Dance
Photo By Sarah Shin
Left: Emily Damon, Ellen Heinke and Nicole Morris, all
‘11.
Photo By Sarah Shin
Bottom right: Jenna Kaplan and Lauren Bonistalli, both
‘09.
Photo By Sarah Shin
Bottom left: Katie Korres, Jessica Petty, Ally Koron, Stacia Smart, Morgan Lehman and Maggie Corry, all ‘12.
Photo Courtesy of Maggie Corry
Top (left to right): Jeffrey Arias, ’09, Elija Sanon, ’11, Curtis Henry, ’12, Kenny Farward
’09, Freddy Mendez, ’09, Eugene Choi, ’12, Jeremy Lewis, ’09, Sarah Shin. ’10. Bottom
(left to right): Gessica Santana, ’09, Icka Robles, ’12, Tiffany Otero, ’09, Cindy Reid,
’10, Stephany Vargas, ’10, Korayma Diaz, ’11, Garensha Sanon, ’10, Maria Ojeda,
‘09.
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Shin
Nathan Marsili, ’11, and Alejandra
Giler, ‘10.
Photo By Sarah Shin
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The Tiger’s Roar
News
December 2008 Issue
Model UN Wins Four Awards at Conference
The Ridgefield High School Model
United Nations Club attended the
Brown Simulation of the United Nations
(BUSUN) conference at Brown University between Nov. 14 and Nov. 16. Students involved included Amy Ablondi,
’10, Molly Bower, ’09, Maddie Cullerton, ’09, Garret Graham, ’09, Samir
Kumar, ’09, Charlie Mellinger, ’11, Jon
Milord, ’09, Kelly Moran, ’09, Hashim
Pasha, ’12, Dan Pin, ’09, and Jamie
Weil, ’09. As always, the delegates
involved were challenged to come up
with solutions for some of the world’s
greatest problems, including topics from
the historical decolonization of Africa
to an economic future without oil in the
Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Although the club participated in this
same conference last year, it was an event
of many firsts, including a first conference for three delegates. Ms. Theresa
Fischer, longtime advisor of the club,
retired from Model UN at the end of last
year and Ms. Tara Newmark has taken
her place. After nearly fourteen hours in
five committee sessions, four representatives of RHS Model UN showed superior
debating skills. At BUSUN, the club
won an unprecedented number of awards
for the number attending. Molly Bower,
‘09 (delegate of the Press Corps), Samir
Kumar, ‘09 (representing Brig. General
Yeshayaho Gavish on the 1967 Historic
Six Day War: Israeli Cabinet) and Kelly
Moran, ‘09 (representing the Daimyo of
Satsuma Han on the Pacific Overture:
Seige of the Black Ships) all won Best
Delegate of their respective committees.
Additionally, Garret Graham, ‘09, won a
comendation representing Parviz Fatah,
the Minister of Energy, in the joint crisis
committee- Iranian Cabinet.
Model UN is looking to do just as
well in the next conference it is attending: the Ivy League Model United
Nations Conference at the University of Pennsylvania in January. In the
meantime, Model UN will be holding
a number of fundraisers to support this
costly trip.
NHS Holds Annual Blood Drive
By Alexa Pugh
Ridgefield High students stepped
forward Tuesday, Oct. 28, to contribute
to the National Honor Society’s annual
blood drive. The event, sponsored by
the Red Cross, was a success due to the
collaborative effort of the nurses and the
student, parent, and faculty volunteers.
The NHS members and parents
helped 80 donors check in and find their
stations and ensured that students stayed
smart and healthy after giving blood.
Sarah Kwalwasser chaired the NHS
blood-drive project with the help of Ms.
Theresa Fischer, faculty advisor to NHS.
The team included sign-up chairs Vivian
Tsou and Caitlin Corbett, food chairs Rachel Bangser and Sasha Nicolella, phone
chairs Logan Angel and Yvonne Durbin,
and set-up chairs Curran O’Connell and
Clare Bozso. Food, which was either
donated by local businesses such as
Dimitri’s or provided by students, was
available for the participants. A total of
58 viable pints of blood were collected,
and NHS hopes to repeat its success with
another blood drive in March.
News
December 2008 Issue
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Science Electives Face the Chopping Block
News Round Up
By Amy Ablondi
The Tiger’s Roar
By Kaitlyn Gerber
Recently, the decision was made for
the removal of several science electives
from the usual curriculum. Students
now will not have the option of taking
Anatomy and Physiology until the 201011 school year, while the fate of another
course, Genetics, depends entirely on
whether enough students sign up.
Although the choice was partly
influenced by the budget, it was also a
result of declining student interest. “It’s a
shame,” said Ms. Marjorie Guerin, head
of the science department at RHS. “At
present, because biotechnology hasn’t
run for a few years, we may not have any
biology electives next year.” Her fear,
she continues, is that once the courses
are removed, students will forget about
them entirely, so that the next time they
are offered, students will not enroll.
Ordinarily, a course needs to have at
least 10 students in order to officially
be considered a class. In the case of
Photo By Jordan Evans-Boyajian
Photo Courtesy of http://www.gillelan.com
Science electives in general have
diminished in the last few years. Aside
from the two classes listed above, another course, Science Research, faces an
uncertain future. Science Research is a
unique course in which students choose
a topic of study, and, led by a mentoring adult, can explore and research a
specific problem or subject matter. “The
course is very self-directed,” explained
Ms. Guerin, “and provides students with
an introduction to what research is all
about.” For several years, the science
department has unsuccessfully attempted
to change Science Research, currently
a one-semester course, to a full-year
course, but as Ms. Guerin said, “we can’t
do it unless we have enough student
interest,” and few students know about
the course’s existence.
Overall, biological science electives
face a rather unfortunate fate. As Ms.
Guerin put it, “we are now at the highest
enrollment…and it’s a shame that we
can’t offer more science electives.”
POWER: For the Equal Treatment of Women
By Holly Walker
Matt Morris and Shea Crescenzo, both ‘09, relax after giving blood during the NHS/
Red Cross blood drive on Oct. 28.
Anatomy and Physiology, however, the
11-student-count still was not enough to
spare it.
Rebecca Howell, ‘09, who is currently
taking Anatomy and who wants to become
a doctor, disagrees with the decision to cut
back the Anatomy course. “It’s an important class for students who want to major
in medicine,” she said, “and most of the
people in that class want to be doctors of
some kind.”
The Political Organization for
Women’s Equal Rights (POWER) is a
non-partisan, independent organization.
Its mission is to foster and inspire young
women to promote and defend their civil
rights, according to Maggie Curran, ‘11,
press secretary for the group.
This past month the club discussed
and debated the many controversial issues that surround the sexual harassment
of young girls, according to Maggie.
Worldwide Issue
“Women all around the world of
all different cultures, religions, and
races have faced these situations,” she
explained. If a victim gives consent
under duress, is it still considered sexual
harassment? What constitutes sexual
harassment and has it been overly exaggerated in school and in the workplace?
These are the questions POWER set out
to answer.”
At one meeting the club organized a
line debate to help answer questions and
to inspire conversation about this con-
troversial issue, according to Maggie. The
mediator presented a clear statement, and
based on that statement, members agreed
or disagreed and discussd their reasons for
their positions.
Harassment Defined
All members agreed that sexual harassment crosses the boundary lines of
men and women. Though less frequently
portrayed, harassment can be perpetrated
by women. This discussion called for a
clarification of the definition of sexual
harassment, and resulted in a definition of
sexual harassment as any unwanted sexrelated behavior toward someone, including touching and suggestive remarks.
Is continued poking an act of sexual
harassment?
One member stated that sexual harassment is “any act that makes you flinch in
an uncomfortable way.” So from poking to
grabbing, any action of unwanted behavior
can constitute an act of sexual harassment.
“In some cases the emotional abuse
is even more severe than the physical
abuse,” one member decided.
Another member stated her clear beliefs
when she declared that less severe cases
should be handled discreetly and that victims should “not make a big deal of it.”
After continued communication of this
situation, the group agreed that it is impossible to “generalize these situations; it
depends on case by case scenarios.”
This country has such strict regulations and laws on sexual harassment and
assault because it is a prominent issue in
many communities. It is “such an important and focused issue because it is a line
that has been crossed too many times,” in
the words of one member.
Speak Out!
According to Maggie, POWER urges
women to speak out for their rights and
to talk about their standing in their community.
“The club encourages all teenagers to
protect themselves and others who may
be in a situation where rights are violated
and abused,” Maggie explains.
“Protection under the law stimulates
justice, but conversation and awareness
stimulate the movement of people and
ideas to a safer community,” she said.
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The Tiger’s Roar
Feature
December 2008 Issue
Stressed out? Want a Lollipop?
By Jordan Evans-Boyajian
When walking from the third floor
G-wing past the science workroom,
students enter a narrow hallway before
reaching the B-corridor. On the left side
of this corridor is a room with a giant
pink whale hanging from the ceiling
inside. It also has lollipops and comfortable chairs. A woman with blond hair
and a warm smile occupies the room
during school hours. She is Ms. Leslie
Brown, the RHS Teen Talk Counselor,
and she is available for students of all
ages and grades in RHS to talk about
their problems and stresses in high
school.
What types of problems? All types.
Students with stress issues branching from family to school to friends to
anything else can come and speak about
these issues. Anyone can go to Ms.
Brown at any time during the day. “It
is a safe place to just let loose and talk
about what is going on in their lives,”
Ms. Brown says. “Students can sit back,
suck on a lollipop, and discuss what is
bothering them.”
Students always have stress in their
lives. For instance, a student and a friend
can go to Ms. Brown and talk out their
issues with each other. If students are
having a conflict with their parents they
can discuss it and even have Ms. Brown
help them talk to their parents. If someone close dies, there is grief counseling.
This can be done in groups, which may
help to make a friendlier and more comfortable atmosphere, or alone if that is
Photo Courtesy of http://th01.deviantart.com
The Tiger’s Roar
Photo By Jordan Evans-Boyajian
what the student is comfortable with. Ms.
Brown invites kids to join group sessions:
“Group sessions with people who have all
sorts of issues talking together. There are
groups of freshman boys and girls who
come in and talk about the hardships of
starting school, and children of divorce
that talk about what is going on in their
lives.” If a student is having trouble with
substance abuse, Ms. Brown is in school
and can counsel and support the student
who is struggling.
Ms. Brown is not here on her own,
but as a part of the Kids in Crisis program. “Kids in Crisis is a non-profit
agency located in Cos Cob, CT that offers
free, round the clock crisis intervention
counseling and prevention programs for
children and their families along with
short term respite care for children and
teens,” Ms. Leslie Brown says of the Kids
in Crisis helpline and program.
She is the Teen Talk Counselor they
have provided for RHS. Teen Talk
Counselors are people who have earned
a masters in social work, have been a
social worker, or have a few years of crisis
experience. Counselors like talking to kids
about anything and are able to handle a
crisis should it occur. During school she is
available, but what about after school?
After school there is a twenty-four
hour helpline where there is always
someone available. Teen Talk is at East
Ridge Middle School, New Canaan High
School, Weston High School, and Western Middle School in Greenwich.
There is help around the clock, for all
students. Don’t think there is no one
there to talk to, because with the Kids in
Crisis Program there is always someone
available.
Ms. Brown has a message to all
RHS students: “I can’t stress enough
that anytime you or someone you know
needs help with issues large or small,
long term or short term, that myself or
the Kids in Crisis 24/7 Hotline [203-327KIDS(5437)] is there to help you sort
through your difficulties. My hope is to
help students manage their crises before
they become too big for them to handle.
Please drop by room B325 (to the right
of the ramp leading to the G-wing) to say
hello if I have not been into one of your
classes yet to meet you personally. Lollipops are always available!”
To contact Ms. Brown, students can
email her at [email protected], or
call her at (203)-438-3785 ext. 1210.
The 24-hour Helpline is (203)-327-KIDS
(5437).
December 2008 Issue
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Writer’s Circle: For Aspiring Novelists
By Shompa Choudhury
Ms. Leslie Brown, RHS Teen Talk Counselor, and her whale in room B325.
Feature
There’s good news for everyone at
RHS who loves to write. Writer’s Circle,
one of the newest clubs at RHS, is for
aspiring novelists and for those who are
passionate about writing.
President and founder of the club,
Julie Toich, ’11, says, “I started this club
because I like to write and I was disappointed that the high school did not have
a club for those who like writing novels.
Writer’s Circle is like an editorial club.
I needed to put in a lot of effort to form
this club.”
Members of this club work on writing
novels and present their work for discussion at meetings. The others provide
constructive criticism so that each member can become a better novelist. Ms.
Teri Kovacs is the advisor of this club,
which meets on Thursdays after school
in room C222.
Unique Club
Emily Rayfield, ’11, the club’s treasurer, explains the difference between
this club and others like LIT Club and
Lodestar: “LIT Club is like a book club
while Lodestar involves writing pieces
like essays, poems and short stories for a
publication. Writer’s Circle is very different from these clubs because we focus on
writing novels, not shorter pieces, and the
works are not intended to be published.”
Instead, Writer’s Circle involves sharing ideas and perspectives. Julie adds, “We
plan to organize several writing workshops
which will be intended to help members
improve certain areas of their writing.
Sharing Ideas
Nicole Gutter, ’11, Secretary of
Writer’s Circle, shares, “I joined Writer’s
Circle because I wanted to share ideas
with my friends. After joining the club
and taking notes on the discussions as a
secretary, I was inspired to start working on a novel myself. You don’t have to
be working on a novel to join the club.
You can join and simply discuss others
people’s work. I encourage more people
to join because that will make the discussions more constructive. Besides, it’s a lot
of fun!”
Catherine Pin, ’11, agrees, “I love
discussing my work at the club because it
is such a comfortable atmosphere there.
Also, I’m glad that none of it will be
Writers’ Circle members gather for their weekly meeting. From left: Emily Rayfield, ‘11,
Julie Toich, ‘11, Lillie Jane, ‘12, Elise Fernandez, ‘11, Nicole Gutter, ‘11, Josh Pilch, ‘10,
and Alexa Goldstein, ‘10.
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Shin
published. Otherwise, I would be too terrified to share my work.”
Value of Writing
According to Alexa Goldstein,‘11,
public relations officer, the Writer’s
Circle is a wonderful way to pursue passion in writing. It is an effective method
of acquiring perspective and feedback
from peers in a non-classroom setting.
Ms. Teri Kovacs, club advisor, adds,
“Since so much of a student’s time is
spent writing only what is required for
school, it is nice to see there are kids
out there who havea passion to express
themselves with the written word.”
Jordan Evans-Boyajian,‘09, vice
president, agrees. “Unless one is passionate about what he or she is writing,
the work itself will be superficial and
lack depth,” she says. “Some people do
not even recognize their love for writing
because for them it is simply restricted
to academic essays. Writer’s Circle is an
opportunity for everyone to explore the
field of writing and to actually realize a
true passion for sharing ideas through
writing.”
Other members feel participation in
the Writers’ Circle can improve the quality of their lives.
Julie Toich, ‘11, president and Founder of Writer’s Circle says, “Writing is
awesome because it takes you away from
everyday school life into a new world of
imagination.”
Estefani Sosa,‘10, shares that some
people believe that writing is important
only to those who want to become authors, journalists or editors. Instead, writing is the most effective form of communication, she feels. Communicatiton
and collaboration are the most important
qualities one must possess to be successful in any field.
“Our meetings are relaxed,” points
out Ms. Kovacs. “The kids are self-sufficient, and they offer their opinions and
insights in a professional, friendly manner. I encourage anyone who is interested
in novel writing to come by and see what
it’s all about.
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The Tiger’s Roar
Feature
December 2008 Issue
The Tiger’s Roar
Feature
The Argentinean Exchange
By Alexa Pugh and
Victoria Shih
Barbalarga stayed
with Maggie Bowlby,
’10, Bruno PascutThey take a siesta after lunch and
tini with Sam Lipson,
eat dinner at 10 or 11 p.m. Their school
’10, Melisa Carballo
includes students from kindergarten
with Kelly McGrath,
through high school, and a regular school
’10, Agustina Ortiz
day ends at 1:30 p.m. As we are heading
with Tori South, ’10,
into winter, their home town is getting
Alejandrina Tapia with
ready for summer. But they also love
Ashley Jackman, ’10,
New York City and meeting new people,
Victoria Garcia and
and they value friends, family, and havJuliana Martos with
ing a good time. While their day-to-day
Jessica Soyak, ’10,
lifestyle differs from our own in many
Arantxa Garcia with
ways, the Argentinean exchange stuAllison Collins, ’11,
dents who were in Ridgefield between
and Emanuel PerMonday, Oct. 27 and Tuesday, Nov. 11
diguez with Matt Bernhad the chance to experiment with being
hardt, ’12. Two teachpart of American culture and living the
ers from the school,
lifestyle of a Ridgefield High School stuSeñora Lorena Alias
dent. At the same time, the RHS commuand Señora Manni de
nity benefited from the views of ArgenPaul, accompanied the
tinean teenagers who share many of the
students on the trip.
same interests as teens everywhere.
Unique
All of the Argentinean exchange students outside the MetroThe Students
Experiences
politan Museum of Art in New York City.
Eleven students from Colegio EucarísPhoto Courtesy of Maggie Bowlby All of the students
tico Nuestra Señora del Carmen, in San
agreed that their interfield for two weeks to gain perspective
Rafael City, Mendoza, Argentina, known on America, its people, and its lifestyle.
est in coming on the exchange trip was to
simply as Colegio del Carmen to its stu“learn about [the] culture, customs, and
Rocio and Florencia Moreno and Micaela
dents, stayed with host families in Ridgelifestyle of the United States” and to “improve [their] English.” They experienced
American life by living with American
families, attending RHS with their host
students, and going on a variety of field
trips in Ridgefield and to New York City.
Three days after arriving in Ridgefield,
on Thursday, Oct. 30, the students took
a trip to the city with Mrs. Janice Rocha
and Mrs. Kim Nash, both Spanish teachers at RHS. They visited the Empire State
Building, Rockefeller Center, and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. On another
trip with their teachers to New York
City on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Election Day,
the students saw Wall Street and visited
the Statue of Liberty. Like many RHS
students, the Argentinean students found
New York to be exciting and engaging.
Visiting some of America’s most famous
landmarks and locations, including Times
From left: Argentinean exchange students and teachers Sra. Lorena Aliías, Sra. Mannie
Square and Broadway, was definitely
de Paul, Emanuel Perdigues, Micaela Barbalarga, Agustina Ortiz, Alejandrian Tapia,
one of the most exciting parts of the trip
and Melli Carballo after traveling.
“because we got to see historic, imporPhoto Courtesy of Maggie Bowlby tant, and famous places,” as one student
From left: Jackie Farrall, ’10, Meli Carballo, Florencia Moreno, Jessica Pollack, ’10, Tori
South, ’10, Ashley Jackman, ’10, Rocío Moreno, Bruno Pascuttini, Alejandrina Tapia,
and Agustina Ortiz in the Student Center.
Photo Courtesy of Maggie Bowlby
enthused.
Their trip also happened to coincide
with two distinctly American celebrations: Halloween and Election Day.
Although unfamiliar with the custom,
the students dressed up in costumes,
attended Halloween parties, and enjoyed
the festivities. They expressed excitement to have been in America on such a
momentous Election Day for the selection of America’s first black president.
Sharing Culture
RHS Spanish classes enjoyed special
presentations from the students about
their daily lives at home in Argentina,
their culture, and their home city of San
Rafael. Ridgefield students were able to
practice their Spanish-speaking skills
with native speakers as they asked their
Argentinean counterparts questions
about the Argentinean view of America
and about life in Argentina. Just as the
exchange students acquired an understanding of American customs, Ridgefield students were able to gain insight
into lifestyles and opinions other than
our own.
Adjustments
Spending two weeks in a different
country living with strangers, strange
customs, and a strange language forced
the students to make adjustments to
what they perceived to be a normal day.
One of the first things that the students
noticed that was drastically different was
the setup of the school and the school
December 2008 Issue
13
teenagers go out for ice cream, walk
through town, or just spend time with
family and friends. Evenings, however,
begin later; the students remarked that it
is not uncommon for Friday and Saturday
night parties to begin at midnight and last
until 6 a.m.
Parting Thoughts
What were their final impressions of our
community? After two weeks in America,
the Argentinean exchange students said
that their ideas of the American people
had changed somewhat between the
time they stepped off the airplane at the
end of October and the time they left for
home at the middle of November. While
some of the students initially thought that
Americans might be “more closed-minded” and less receptive to interacting with
foreign exchange students, they were
pleasantly surprised to find that “after
living 15 days [in America], we changed
our way of thinking. We think that everyone here is very nice and we learned
more from them than we had imagined
[we would].”
Teacher’s Perspective
Señora Rocha, Spanish teacher at
RHS, sees the project as a unique and
enriching opportunity for the students of
both countries.
Offering her perspective on the
program’s benefits, she said, “Each side
could see both the differences and the
similarities between the cultures. No matter where you go, teenagers are teenagers.”
Continued on next page
day. The RHS building and student population are much larger than those of their
school in Argentina, where students ranging in age from kindergarten through high
school all share the same school building.
Another difference is that a uniform is required for all students at Colegio del Carmen. Daily routines also differ between
the two countries; while lunchtime in the
United States is considered to be around
noon, in Argentina, lunchtime is approximately 2 p.m., after the school day is over.
The students also found that the early
dinnertime of this country required them
to make another big adjustment during the
15 days
they were
here, as
they had
been accustomed
to eating
as late as
10 or 11
p.m. Social life in
San Rafael
also differs
somewhat
from that
in Ridgefield. Like
many of
us, during From left: Jessica Soyak, ’10, Rocío Moreno, Vicky García, Florencia
the day on Moreno, Juliana Martos, on New Street for Halloween.
Photo Courtesy of Maggie Bowlby
weekends,
14
The Tiger’s Roar
Feature
December 2008 Issue
What is the Cat’s Meow?
By Jordan Evans-Boyajian
Beginning Sept. 24, RHS students
have been excited to read colorful packets spread all over the school with the
name The Cat’s Meow printed on top in
bold black letters against a blue background. With headlines in their “RHS
Debut!” like “Buffalo Chicken Put on
Endangered Species List,” “Language
Department Offers Class in ‘Bro’,”
“Confirmed Reports Reignite Hunt for
‘Da Snitch’,” and many others, students
and faculty alike could not help but open
the pages of the packet to read further.
The articles within are written with a
convincingly true twist, although readers
all know that they really are false. Each
article’s unique humor brings smiles
and laughter from the students as they
read. And for those too impatient to read
full articles, the newspaper even contains advertisements for entertainment:
“Adopt a Kindergartner,” “Want to Look
Cuter? Wear a Tie,” and “Need Love?
Try Online Dating.”
The Cat’s Meow is edited by Curran
O’Connell, Clay Baldo, Connor Boyd,
and Ivo Stoop, all ’09. When asked why
they made The Cat’s Meow, Clay answered, “We did this because we wanted
to give some fresh perspective on the
everyday school stuff. We intend to poke
fun at certain things in a non offensive
way.”
The second issue of the satirical
newspaper graced RHS hallways on
Thursday, Nov. 13, with similarly hilarious
headlines of “Gang Colors Fly at RHS,”
“English Department Offers AP Class in
Sparknotes,” and “RHS Library Voted
Most Selective Club in Tri-State Area.”
References to AIM and Facebook made
the issue accessible to all students, and
satirizing common student gripes about
the library made for an excellent follow-up
issue. Will we see these as often as we see
the Tiger’s Roar? “We’re trying to release
the paper monthly, but it is a rough time
frame.” Curran O’Connell said.
On a final note, Clay Baldo also
commented that, “We are very open
to humorous opinion so people should
check out our Facebook group and send
us any articles they have written or ideas
they want to see in The Cat’s Meow.”
Keep looking around the school for a
copy, because you are sure to get a good
laugh out of it.
Cat’s Meow Editors Curran O’Connell, ‘09, and Clay Baldo, ‘09
Photo By Lauren O’Neill
Argentinean Students Visit Ridgefield High School
Continued from previous page
Just as Señora Rocha elucidated, the
universality of people’s experiences and
emotions was the prevalent theme of
the exchange. The participants demonstrated an effort to remove the pretense
and prejudice often created by culture
gaps and language barriers to expose that
“we’re all the same.” In broadening their
perspectives of the world’s many cultures, students made quick friends with
their visiting exchange students: “I think
a lot of friendships were created and that
they are continuing to communicate.”
Benefits of Exchange
Señora Rocha, speaking to another of the
exchange’s merits, also added, “We don’t
see many people from Argentina in this
part of the world.” She further explained
that the Hispanic cultures most familiar to
Americans are generally those of Mexico
and Puerto Rico, so exchanging with
Argentina provided the opportunity to be
exposed to a rich and unique culture that is
lesser known in the United States.
“I think that they will see that family
life is very important and that school is a
bit different,” she remarked. However, Señora Rocha indicated that the differences
between the cultures proved trivial in
the students’ ability to form friendships
and connections.
The exchange provided a practical
example of the similarities between
people of all national backgrounds. Students were linked from tastes in music
to academic interests, by common aspirations to shared experiences, and even
by something as simple as Facebook.
Señora Rocha hopes to see this success repeated in exchanges for years to
come.
The Tiger’s Roar
Opinion
December 2008 Issue
15
The Change of a Generation
By Holly Walker
Let it Begin…
Conversation shifted in the hallways
of Ridgefield High School the week
leading up to Eletion Day. Discussions
that once would have entailed the latest
gossip, drug exploitations, and sports
victories turned to include controversial
politics. Students demonstrated an interest in politics and their future
government that is rarely seen
outside of the classroom as
our future senators, congressman, and politicians took
their place in debates. This interest was not solely restricted
to the campus of Ridgefield
High School, but traveled
across the youth of a nation.
Past Elections
For the past three decades,
the American youth has voted
at distressingly low levels.
Though political analysts had
predicted a high number of
young voters in this election,
the stereotypical fear that
young people are irresponsible, indifferent citizens
emerged. Melissa Dahl,
health writer for MSNBC
News, reported the concern:
“There’s always that niggling
fear that young people will do
what young people are known
for: flaking out, slacking off
and failing to show up when
it counts.”
Tuesday’s polls, however,
showed a change in youth
voting. Forty-six percent
of the youth voted in this
election, a proportion unseen
since the 1972 election, the
year that the voting age was reduced
from 21 to 18. From the youth society,
65 percent voted democratic, drastically
swaying the results of the presidential
election. Democrats should recognize
the political shift since the Reagan election, in which the majority of the youth
voters voted Republican. However,
an unparalleled campaign, a promise of
change, and the hope of a better future
captured millions of new voters and
inspired them to cast their ballots for a
Democratic president and government.
Obamania
Barack Obama’s powerful and successful campaign targeted the youth by relying
on internet websites such as Facebook and
Myspace as well as the bloodline of young
people to gain support. Obama called for
change from the people and the youth
of the United States. He stimulated the
hopes and dreams for a better environment and a more peaceful world. He
encouraged equality and promises unity
for this country. But most importantly,
Obama spoke “the language of possibility, which is the native tongue of the
young.” In record numbers, the young
showed up at polling stations to cast
their votes.
It seems the youthful
president elect engaged the
younger Americans to voice
their opinions and declare
their presence. Orlando Patterson considers this moment
in American history “the
transmission of power from
baby boomers, who have
for so long consumed the
nation’s assets and attention,
to a younger generation from
whom so much has already
been taken, in social security and resources.” On both
sides of the party line, this
is a time in American history when the youth is being
called forward. The “Barney”
generation is growing up and
taking its place beside the
baby boomers to form one
nation.
Stay Present
Over the past three
decades, youths have been
marked with a reputation of
being indifferent towards
their nation’s politics. We
have been called unreliable,
inconsistent, and unresponsive. We have been deemed
Photo Courtesy of ready2beat.com
careless voters without allegiance to our country. This is
a time of change for us. It is a call to stay
present at the polls and to vote in elecLet The Tiger’s Roar know
tions that will shape our government. It
what’s on your mind. Email us
is a call to stay present in conversation,
at [email protected]/
understanding that education shapes our
with letters-to-the editor, op/ed
ideals. It is a call to stay present as a
pieces that you’d like to see pubyoung society, recognizing that we can
command the attention we deserve.
lished or just general comments,
Talk Back!
ideas or suggestions.
16
The Tiger’s Roar
Hall Talk
By Viv Loca
Q. I know that I am a lesbian. I haven’t
come out to anybody except for the girl
I tried to kiss. She rejected me. I cried,
and now I have decided to take out my
problems with my sexuality by sleeping
with many guys. How do I come out to
everyone?
A. This is something a lot of people
may have issues with. My best advice
would be to let everyone know who
you are. My best advice would include
getting tested for STDs because as you
said you have been sleeping with many
guys. Sleeping with guys is your way of
expressing anger and hurt that should not
be within you. It may be difficult and it
may take time to tell everyone, but once
everyone knows, you will have other
options. Who knows, you may just find
the right girl. It is okay to cry when you
are rejected but it is not okay to continue
Opinion
living a lie. Be you, and people will love
you and accept you either way. Health
teacher Ms. Maggie Meriwether and the
school’s outreach counselor, Ms. Leslie
Brown, are both available. I suggest and
encourage you to stop by and have a chat
with either of them.
Q. I slept with my best friend’s boyfriend
and I’m really super afraid of being
caught. I know it was a humongous mistake but I couldn’t help myself and I want
to do it again. Please, help me!! What
should I do?
A. Lesson one: If you’re afraid of being
caught, then you should not be doing what
you are doing. Your best friend? I don’t
even think so. Best friends don’t do that to
each other and you wanting to do it again
only proves that you cannot be a friend
and that you can’t respect the boundaries
that should not be crossed during a friendship. What you did is wrong and what you
want to do is wrong, and I suggest that
you tell this “best friend” what is going on
because no one deserves to be taken advantage of like that. As for her boyfriend,
December 2008 Issue
he is disgusting and has no respect.
Q. My parents found some pot in my
room and I walked in on them smoking
it later. Don’t you think it’s unfair that
they would punish me for something that
they do? (Please don’t say that they have
to be slapped like in every other column.) How do I bring this up with them?
A. I can’t say that they were right in
their actions; you, however, were wrong.
There is no reason that anyone should
feel the need to use pot, nor to use his or
her parents’ use as an excuse as to why
it should be okay. If you want to talk to
your parents, then be mature about it and
just as you questioned me, you can question them. Have an open mind; don’t
be disrespectful. Let them know how
you feel about the situation and try to
come to an agreement with them so that
neither of you smoke pot anymore.
Keep the questions coming. E-mail
any questions to rhsgossipfolks@gmail.
com. Questions can be submitted anonymously.
Scenes from Halloween
Stephan Amenta, ‘10, Ryan Duncan, ‘10, Steve Tobin, ‘09, Annie Wendell, ‘09
Photo By Lauren O’Neill
Taylor Byerly, ’11
Photo By TMatt
The Tiger’s Roar
Opinion
December 2008 Issue
17
Kids in the hall:
Election REsults
By Jordan Evans- Bojajian
The United States elected Senator
Barack Obama as President on Nov. 4.
He will succeed President George W.
Bush in January, when he is inaugurated.
Obama ran against Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee. During
the last week of the race, the polls were
definite, but when Election Day came,
they did get close in many states. The
final popular vote percentage was 53
percent to 46 percent for Senator Obama,
and the electoral votes were 364 to 163,
also for Obama. Obama has plans to
cut taxes on the middle class, to reverse
some executive orders made during the
Bush administration, and to help lower
the cost of college tuition to make it
more affordable.
Shown here are RHS student reactions to the question:
What is your opinion of the man that
America elected the next president?
Gessica Santana, ‘12
“I think Obama being elected is going to
be a good change for the United States,
because he is going to turn the economy
around. It’s going to be a challenge, but
I believe he can start the change. He’s
going to cut taxes for the minority and
the prices for college are going to be
reasonable for those minority and others
who cannot afford it. I think Obama
as our new president is something the
country needed.”
the war in Iraq, unlike McCain. Both
candidates are terrible. Ron Paul 2012!”
Lucy Freeman, ‘10
“I support Obama over McCain, but I do
not think he is actually the best candidate
for the job. However, I am hopeful that
America will make a turnaround and be a
great, respected country once again.”
Edwin Raymond,’11
“Obama is a terrible socialist who will
ruin our country. He says he wants free
healthcare, but how does he plan on paying for it when 1,500 people are dying a
day from smoking? We can’t use government money, because there is none. How
does he plan on lowering the taxes on the
middle class, when we have to pay for
them? The tax break will be negated and
it will raise. He may put them on the rich,
which would lead to them putting all their
money overseas, like during the Carter
Administration. He also is one of the
senators who voted to force the mortgage
companies to give people with little or no
credit mortgages. This is the prime reason
why our economy is in the hole. The only
redeeming quality is that he wants to end
Jahmar Greathouse, ‘11
“Obama stands for the well-being of
the middle class. He will reverse the
mistakes of our recent president, George
W. Bush. He will help the majority,
who were once the minority. Obama is
a representation of change. He’s cool!
Plus he is rockin’ at basketball.”
Paolo Barone, ’09, and
Emily Markus, ’10
“We think, as Europeans from Germany and Italy, that electing Obama as
president of the United States will bring
positive changes, not only in America,
but also across the ocean to our home
countries. Obama himself, with his victory, proved that change is possible.”
18
The Tiger’s Roar
Sports
December 2008 Issue
New Coach Heads Boys’ Basketball
By Alex Howard
One of the major changes this year to
the boys’ basketball team is the addition of a new coach, Mr. Carl Charles.
After a 4-16 season last year he is
hoping to have a dramatic turn around.
This will be very tough to accomplish
after losing Adam Carranza, the team’s
leading scorer, to graduation. Adam was
also nominated for the FCIAC Central
Division and Holiday Classic AllTournament Teams. Some other players
lost are Grant McGrath and Lee Haberlein, both of whom were stellar guards.
Grant led in assists and Lee was a great
defensive player and second on the team
in assists. Sean O’Dea is another key
loss as he was one of the main offensive
threats. For the upcoming season, players to watch will be seniors Tim Bruns,
who was nominated to the FCIAC-
SWC Underclassman All-Star Game, Pat
Blumling who was nominated Player to
be Watched, Andrew Klavana and George
Cooper. The juniors will consist of Doug
Del Bene and Jordan Hewett. Some super
sophomores who will have playing time
will be Tommy Jordan and Bryan Galvin.
Hopefully this year we will be able to see
a large improvement and win a lot more
than four games.
The girls’ basketball team was able
to accomplish a lot last year including
an overall record of 15-8. The team also
made it to the Class LL State Tournament
but lost in the second round to Lauralton
Hall. Coach Katie Smith hopes to continue
the team’s success from last year. It will be
hard after the los of last year’s star, Jamie
Bertilson. She set an RHS school record
with the most points in a varsity game,
45 points against Norwalk High School
on Feb. 26, 2008. The key players for this
year’s team will be seniors Kristin Anda,
Mel Andrea and Alexa Darling. The
juniors will be Abby Searfoss, Brooke
Antonitis, Lisa Fox and Tori Hastings.
Keep your eyes on this team as they
look to win big in the state playoffs.
Photo Courtesy of http://www.ncaabasketballbettingline.com
The Fight for RBA MVP
By Jake O’Brien
The Ridgefield Basketball Association, better known as the RBA, is one of
the most fabled and admired divisions of
basketball in today’s age. Through the
years, countless numbers of basketball
prodigies have been shown the way to
stardom through this league. With the
RBA season right around the corner, a
new slate of players is ready to take the
court, meaning that one question will be
Photo Courtesy of http://web2.mgc.edu
looming from now until the end of the season: who will be this year’s MVP? After
endless nights of studying game film from
years past and comparing stats, I managed
to narrow down the field to the 10 most
likely MVP candidates for the 2008-09
boys RBA season.
Mike Brandon
Mike captained his first team last year
and made a good run in the playoffs. His
team was known as Brandon’s Bandits,
and he helped to lead them with a solid
15 points per game. His high game of the
season was an astounding 42 points in
which it was apparent that he decided not
to share the ball. Mike was a late bloomer
to the RBA as he only began playing in
sixth grade, but that did not stop him
from dominating game after game. When
asked about predictions for this upcoming
season, he said, “I predict a championship
and 20 points per game.”
Jimmy O’Dea
Better known as the star wide receiver
of the football team, Jimmy put up mon-
ster numbers last year as he had the third
highest number of points in his class,
averaging about 20 points per game.
Although his numbers show him to be
a definite candidate, he still has yet to be
given a basketball nickname and would
now prefer to be called “No Nickname
O’Dea.” Jimmy’s basketball skills were
first exposed when he began playing in
the RBA during the Biddy Ball years.
After dunking the ball at age seven, he
was kicked out of the league and was
finally able to return his sophomore year
in high school. Jimmy would also like to
announce that in regards to this upcoming season, “It’s on like Donkey Kong.”
Matt White
Known as “The Chosen One.” The
name says it all.
Brian Gibbons
Brian Gibbons, a.k.a. Gallup, was
overlooked by many in his early high
school years of RBA. Constantly
benched and ignored, he was determined
to turn his game up a notch and became
one of the league’s most terrifying play-
The Tiger’s Roar
Sports
December 2008 Issue
19
ers. When I tried to interview him, he
Mike Treschitta
22 points per game. His personal motto
refused to remark unless I called him
Mike Treschitta, better known as
towards the RBA is, “Go balls deep.”
“Ocho Cinco.” After finally giving in to
EMPTY, is one of the most powerful figWhen asked to elaborate, Sturges said
his demands, I found that last season,
ures in the RBA. Last year he averaged 15 that it is a reference to his ability to hit
he averaged an amazing 18.6 points per
points per game, and was a key player on
deep three pointers.
game, and his high game of the season
Steve Coulter’s squad as it made a great
Jack Walsh
was 32. As a child he was recruited by
run through the playoffs. Though Mike
Well known throughout the league
the RBA and taken away from his family has always been a devoted RBA player, he because he has captained a team since
at the young age of 10. Without a mother decided to forgo his RBA season freshman sophomore year, Walsh is a force to be
or father to properly raise him, Gibbons
year and instead played on the high school reckoned with. At six feet tall, this guard
is known for having attitude problems.
team. When asked why he did this, he
has been well trained in passing and
When asked about his predictions for
said, “My head wasn’t in the right place. I
scoring since his early years of RBA.
this season, he did not talk about stats
Although
or wins.
his team
Instead,
last year
he simply
was below
replied,
par, the
“Expect a
experience
couple of
has made
brawls in
Walsh demy games.”
termined
Geoff
to come
White
back this
Arguseason
ably the
and win a
best point
championguard in the
ship.
RBA, Geoff
Jason
White is no
Nadel
stranger to
Jasonbasketball.
Nadel is
Just like
another
most of
candithe other
date who
candidates,
stepped his
Geoff has
game up
been playlast year.
ing in the
Along
RBA since
with his 15
elementary
points per
school. This
game, he
jump start to Prospective RBA MVP’s: Brian Gibbons, Mike Brandon, Mike Treschitta, Mike Sturges, Jack Walsh and
is known
Jimmy O’Dea, all ‘09.
playing in
Photo Courtesy of Jake O’Brien for his
the RBA has
quick feet
helped White
and stelin more ways than one. In fifth grade he
learned from that experience that the RBA lar ball handling skills which all began
won the RBA Championship, so he has
is the only league I will play in.”
to develop back in his beginning years
the experience and knowledge to lead
Mike Sturges
of RBA at age eight. Although he has
this year’s team to another one. He is
Mike Sturges has been a household
not yet earned a name for himself, he
also one of the RBA greats who decided
name in the RBA since he first began
has announced that he would like to be
not to play high school basketball and
playing back in the Biddy Ball Era. He
called “JJ” in reference to Duke great JJ
instead to play in the more competitive
has earned the nickname “Sturgeon” for
Redick. His prediction for the upcoming
RBA league. All of this makes White
reasons unknown. Last year he averaged
season is “a championship blowout from
one of the top contenders for this year’s
17 points per game along with a season
my squad.”
MVP.
high of 35. Although his season average is excellent, it should be noted that
in the playoffs, Sturges led his team with
20
The Tiger’s Roar
Sports
December 2008 Issue
Kickoff to Boys’ Ice
Hockey
By Matt Mastrogiorgio
The Ridgefield boys’ ice hockey
team hopes to redeem itself after a tough
overtime loss to Tri Town abruptly ended
the 2007-2008 season. Facing a difficult
schedule and hoping to overcome losing
over half of last year’s team, the Tigers
will begin their new battle on Dec. 17
when the puck drops at Glastonbury.
Led by second year Coach Shaun
Gallagher, the Tigers will be built around
four strong senior players, Colin Scott,
David Fuchs, Jake Hyatt and Mike Richards. Scott and Fuchs are also captains
of this year’s team. There are thirteen
players returning from last year’s team of
twenty five, among them will be junior
goalie T.J. Zandri who will get the starting job this year, as well as juniors Sean
Kelly, Peter Rosencrans, Shane Lovallo,
and Mike Deprima, and sophomores
Hunter Alicea and Matt Flanagan. The
Tigers will unfortunately be without
junior standout defense man Duncan Morrissey due to an injury, but they hope to
get him back later in the year.
The Tigers face an incredibly difficult
schedule this year. Five of the first six
games of the year will be played against
division one powerhouses while the other
game is against a very promising Trinity
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Catholic team. The season will start with
two away games at Glastonbury and East
Haven, followed with the home opener
against New Canaan, and then a tough
match up against a soon to be fierce rival,
Trinity Catholic.
After falling in both FCIAC’s and
CIAC’s last year to New Canaan and Tri
Town respectively, the varsity boys will
begin a new season with a clean slate and
are hoping to pick up where they left off
last year. When the Tigers play to their
full potential there are few, if any, teams
that can beat them. The Tigers hope to
do their talking on the ice and, if all goes
well, a possible FCIAC and CIAC belt
could belong to our school as seniors
Colin Scott, David Fuchs, Jake Hyatt and
Mike Richards hope to leave the school
with a bang. This whole year is going
towards one thing, playing at the Yale
Whale for the state championships.
The Ridgefield girls’ hockey squad
kicks off its 2008-2009 season soon and
hopes that to bring in a successful record and improve from last
year. The girls are led by Coach
Paul Fabbri, who has been brought
up in conversations as one of the
greatest men to have ever lived.
Fabbri hopes to use some of that
awesome talent and ability to bring
in some wins for this girls hockey
team as they shoot for the state
title on March 3, 2009 at the Terry
Conners Rink in Stamford.
The Tigers begin their 20082009 season on Dec. 6 with the
Shelton Jamboree, which will be
followed four days later by their
home opener against North Haven
on Wednesday Dec.10 at 3:30 p.m.
at Winter Garden Ice Arena in
Ridgefield. In fact, the girls’ first
Sports
four games of the year are all at home,
as they square off against FCIAC rivals
Trumbull and New Canaan on Dec. 13 and
17 respectively, and then finally Greenwich on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 8:50 p.m.
The Tigers will battle their way
through a tough schedule this year
and when the final buzzer sounds
on their season finale on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at New Canaan, the
girls will have surely clinched
a berth in both the FCIACs and
CIAC tournaments, followed by
possible title runs in each. FCIACs commence on Feb. 21 with
the quarter finals, followed by the
semi finals on Feb.25, and then the
final showdown on Feb. 28 at Terry
Conners Rink.
The season is almost underway
and the girls have high hopes this
year. A possibility of a title runs as
well as bringing a solid reputation
for girls’ ice hockey to Ridgefield
High School is the primary concern. Be there on Dec. 10, when
the Tigers embark on that journey,
and show some school pride.
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December 2008 Issue
21
Ridgefield Tiger Wrestling
By Alex Howard
Last year was a decent year for
Ridgefield wrestling with a record of
about .500 on the season. But, this year
is going to be tougher for Coach Gary
Tiger. He graduated many top seniors including state champion Alex Blank. The
captains this year will be seniors Dave
Herron and Robbie Sherwood.
“With a tough season ahead, I’m glad
to have them as my captains because
they are going to give their all every
match,” said Casey McKnight, ‘10, AllState Academic Award winner.
Some of the top kids wrestling this
upcoming season will be Colin Paulish,
‘10, and Travis Tiger, ‘11, as well as the
two captains.
Coach Tiger based the upcoming
season on this: “We might not have the
Photo Courtesy of http://www.wrestling-practiceplans.com
is some serious dedication, effort, and
practice.”
One thing the team is already doing is
putting in the effort. Most of them have
been lifting weights after school since
September. Coach Tiger noted various
other activities the team is partaking in,
such as running, wrestling in tournaments, shedding a few extra summer
pounds if necessary, and starting to eat
healthy.
“It is a tall order for us to accomplish
but it is what is going to make us able
to compete with the other schools,” said
Casey McKnight.
stars we did the past few years, and we
might not be the most experienced team,
but what that means is that this is a chance
for a lot of less experienced guys to step
up. We have potential to do reasonably
well this year, and what it is going to take
Boys’ Indoor Track
By Ryan Brand
Kickoff to Girls’ Ice Hockey
By Matt Mastrogiorgio
The Tiger’s Roar
The RHS boys’ indoor track team
is looking to have a strong season this
winter. The team’s captains are seniors
Mike “Iggy” Ignatowich, Tim
Beckert, Troy Shephard, and
Austin “VO” Von Ohlson. Although the indoor squad lost
its strongest middle distance
runners, Nick Nelson and
Chris Wilson, their top sprinters, Connor McCarthy, ’10,
and Austin Von Ohlson, ‘09,
are returning and looking to
have another solid season. In
last year’s state competition,
McCarthy and Von Ohlson
placed first and second respectively in the 50 meter dash
at the state meet, and Nelson
came in sixth in the 600 meter
event.
The individual members
of the Ridgefield team compete in
the 50-meter, 300-meter, 600-meter,
1000-meter, 1600-meter, 3200-meter,
high jump, pole vault, long jump, shot
put, and 55-meter hurdles. Team events
include the 4x100-meter relay, the 4x200meter relay, the 4x400-meter relay, and the
Sprint Medley Relay. The team’s top distance runners are Richie Hume, ’10, and
Christian Kearns, ’10, and the best middle
noted that the dark horses for high finishes this year are Mike Ravert for middle
distance, long distance, and hurdling, and
Jamie Dowling for hurdling. Thomson
also cited the 4 by 800 meter relay as one
Photo Courtesy of http://www.openplans.org/
distance runner is projected to be Mike
Ravert, while McCarthy and Von Ohlson
lead the sprinting contingent.
Team member Colin Thomson, ’09,
of the team’s most
promising events
because of the way
it was run during the
outdoor season. Last
year, the team came
in second at the
Class LL meet in this
event as well.
This year, qualifying meets will be
held at either Staples
or Wilton, and the
team will compete in
invitationals at the
Armory in New York
City or at Cox Cage
at Yale. The State
Championship Meet
will take place at the Hillhouse in New
Haven and FCIAC Championship will
be at Staples High School.
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The Tiger’s Roar
December 2008 Issue
The Tiger’s Roar
December 2008 Issue
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The Tiger’s Roar
December 2008 Issue