Shady Side Academy

Volume 101, No. 5
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Pittsburgh, PA
SNEWSE
HADY SID
College Choices
Please, see
page eight
SSA salutes Ms. Gray
By Billy Rutherford
Photo by Jack Wolf
David McCullough ‘51. Renowned alumnus and American historian visits the new Archival Gallery.
McCulloughheadlinesquasquicentennial
By Rob Belles
In a day that began with breakfast
and ended with an alternative rock concert late in the evening, Shady Side
Academy’s 125th Anniversary Celebration/Untucked Concert was certainly
one for the ages.
The day began with breakfast. David
McCullough, Shady Side Academy class
of 1951, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
and recipient of the Presidential Medal
of Freedom, was the honored guest.
Mr. McCullough is the author of
1776 and John Adams, along with many
other award winning histories. He has
lectured at many universities and has
been honored to speak at the White
House.
After breakfast, he walked from
McCune Dining Hall to the Richard E.
Rauh Theater, where I was able to interview Mr. McCullough.
Mr. McCullough, the man of prestige that he is, says he has been blessed
by a wonderful education, one chapter
of which was spent at our own Shady
Side Academy.
“I don’t think there is any question
that the education at Shady Side impacted how all of us express ourselves,”
Mr. McCullough said of his education.
“We were certainly drilled in writing the
English language in a clear, sensible way
with nouns and verbs and sentences, and
we also had to take public speaking.
“So it was a great grounding, and
particularly I think because of Mr.
[Innis], who…not only insisted that we
read good writing, but that we used our
taste or judgment in knowing what we
liked in what we read, to know what we
liked in how we wrote. And one of his
great admonitions was, ‘Don’t tell me,
show me. Don’t tell me that somebody
was strong and handsome, but at the
same time devious, but show me that
somebody was strong and handsome,
but at the same time devious.’”
He said that there was “no doubt”
that his English teachers had an impact
on his career as a writer because he went
on to Yale University and majored in
English.
Not only was English important to
Mr. McCullough, but the arts were as
well.
“I loved the fact that here at Shady
Side, the arts were never the ‘parsley
around the main dish,’ they were a part
of the main dish.” Mr. McCullough,
who is also a painter, said that he was
very grateful for his education in the arts
here at Shady Side.
Having benefitted from both an illustrious career and his time at Shady Side
Academy, Mr. McCullough gives this
advice to the student body of the Academy. “Character counts heavily. The
Greeks said that character was destiny, and I think that was part of the
spirit of learning that our teachers
had been groomed and fitted as teachers. And I feel that from what we have
seen from the history of our own time
and from what I have experienced in
writing the history of other times
that that bears up very well. Now I
know that there are other forces in
history besides the individual and
they have to be understood as part of
life, the rather great undercurrentsepidemic diseases or financial bonanzas, which very often have little
or nothing to do with the individual.
But by and large, character does
count.”
Mr. McCullough also went on to
give advice to the teachers of the Academy as well. “You can’t just pour education into somebody’s head. You can’t
inject it as with a needle, or ingest it as
a pill; you have to work at it. And so in
reading, it isn’t just a question of ‘have
you read that book’, but ‘have you
concentrated as you were reading’.”
After this media session, Mr.
McCullough went outside to the lower
level entrance to the Hillman Center for
the Performing Arts, where he cut the
ribbon to the new Archival Gallery named
in his honor. Shortly after this, he
returned to the podium in Rauh Theater,
where he addressed the filled theater.
The speaker was introduced by President of the Academy Thomas N.
Southard and F. Walter Jones, Mr.
McCullough’s former history teacher,
professor emeritus of SSA. In his address, Mr. McCullough answered various questions such as ‘What do you
think should be done differently in education?’, and ‘How can we restore the
love of learning in today’s generation?’
After all of the questions were answered, and many laughs and a few
standing ovations later, Mr.
McCullough’s wife was called to the
stage. There she was given a gift on
behalf of the Academy and Mr.
McCullough was given a commemorative plaque in honor of the Gallery’s
opening.
A reception followed on the Mary
Hillman Jennings Plaza in Mr.
McCullough’s honor.
The 125 Anniversary celebration
continued as The Untucked Carnival
began inside the Roy A. McKnight
Hockey Center. The carnival had something for all ages. A joyous rendition of
“Happy Birthday” was sung by all to
SSA.
After the carnival, the floor was
cleared for the Untucked Concert, featuring the band State Radio, an alternative rock group from Boston, Massachusetts.
The group received much applause
at the concert, which raised least $15,000
dollars in donations to benefit Global
Links, an organization that collects surplus medical supplies and sends them to
third world countries.
(Please see Untucked, Page 3)
“Do you want to teach English or
Theatre?” asked Peter Kountz, President of Shady Side Academy in 1990.
“Both,” boldly responded Mary
Beth Gray, a newly hired teacher caught
in the grey area between departments.
“English or Theatre?” retorted a determined Kountz.
“Theatre,” Ms. Gray said, starting a
nineteen year career in drama at Shady
Side. From the children’s homecoming
play and the fall play early in the year to
musicals and senior one-act plays in the
spring, Ms. Gray has been a pioneer of
performance at SSA.
Ms. Gray’s own acting prowess was
on show in 1969 in Twelfth Night at
Seton Hill University.
Her son, Matt Fisher, who now
works in the Middle School and coaches
football, acted in West Side Story and
three other productions at SSA.
Ms. Gray used her past experience
to play a hand in molding Christian
Borle, a future Broadway actor who was
in The Boys Next Door at SSA and later
starred in Legally Blond in New York.
She also directed current faculty member David Chottiner, who had a lead role
in Godspell in 1998.
Ms. Gray witnessed first-hand the
transformation of theater at Shady Side
when the Hillman Performing Arts Center was erected in 2004. “It’s not an
auditorium anymore—it’s a theater!”
Ms. Gray exclaims, speaking of the
theater in Hillman more than twice the
size of its Memorial Hall counterpart,
which used to house all SSA performances.
Although primarily involved in theatre, Ms. Gray has taught English electives, fulfilling her request to Mr. Kountz
to remain involved in both fields.
Ms. Gray has endorsed other interdisciplinary activity at SSA. The art and
music departments were merged five
years ago and have created a wonderful
cumulative sense of “synergy,” as Dan
Brill puts it. “Ms. Gray is quite a
character,” says Veronica Lee, who
worked on the sound crew this year.
“We’ll miss her happy spirit!”
As Jay Deal and Roman San Doval
gear up for their senior one-act play,
animatedly depicted by Ms. Gray as a
“Who’s on first?” “What’s on second”
“I don’t know’s on third” baseball spectacle, a long road comes to an honorable
end for a long-time member of the SSA
community.
Strut your stuff! Mary Rooney and Todd Berglund on the runway.
Prom Fashion Show
By Olivia Seecof
Photo by Jack Wolf
Untucked. Capital Road warms up the crowd for State Radio in the McKnight Hockey Center.
Girls, start finding a dress, and guys,
start getting fitted for a tux because Prom
is quickly approaching. As the end of
school draws closer, upper classmen
and those lucky underclassmen know
that there is one final SSA dance they
will attend this year. The Junior class
officers along with the Prom Committee
have been working diligently to make
sure this year’s prom is the most spectacular Shady Side Academy has ever
had.
Junior class Secretary/Treasurer Alli
Rath said, “There have been about eight
of us who have only eaten, slept, and
planned prom for the last seven months.
We think it will be one of the best proms
ever.”
The Prom Fashion show was filled
with about 25 models, paparazzi, tea
and finger sandwiches, and a large assortment of raffles and silent auction
items. The Ben Roethlisberger signed
football and autographed James Harrison
jersey were two of the big hits at the
auction.
Walking down the runway at the
Pittsburgh Golf Club in a pink and black
Betsy Johnson dress and Martha Washington themed hair, Junior class President Mahima Chablani said, “I can’t
wait until prom actually happens!” This
was the feeling that filled the room as the
girls twirled in their dresses from E.B.
Pepper and Max Alto, and the guys put
on their sunglasses to go with their tuxes
from Top Hat Tuxedo.
(Please see Prom, Page Five)
2 Opinions
Shady Side News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Chichicastenango revelations Tweeting into our lives
By Zack Myers
By Justine Kim
The sky was a brilliant blue with streaks of white
painted at odd angles, while powerful shafts of
sunlight reflected off the crooked albeit majestic
mountains of Chichicastenango, Guatemala. I shifted
my gaze downwards and immediately saw the conflicting scene. Sprawling lines of the indigenous
villagers awaited the group of Americans (not all of
whom were certified doctors, by the way) to diagnose and treat their coughs, head pains, diarrhea,
worms, fungus, and facial cancer growth amongst
other ailments. I was traveling with a group of
missionaries, focused on providing medical care, –
one doctor, two other adults, and three high school
students.
The next six days were simply repeated scenes of
the one above in different locations – other isolated
villages, churches, and even once at a prison. Each
clinic and routine was relatively the same.
Of course, a sly seven-year old boy repeatedly
sneaking back through the lines for a lollipop is
different than and preferable to an imprisoned murderer lying about sight problems to obtain a pair of
glasses with which he would later fashion into what
I’ve been told is called a “shank,” or a homemade
knife. But overall, we spent our time speaking with
mothers worried about their children’s deteriorating
health and at times their own, diagnosing the pain in
stomachs, heads, extremities, distributing medication and vaccines, and teaching the villagers about
healthy diets and habits.
I helped all of these people and managed to use
my five years of Spanish, but what did I learn? I
witnessed the effects of living a life without the
accommodations we, the Shady Side Academy community along with the other members of the first
world, are used to. I learned what it means to be
grateful and how easy it can be to take for granted
many of the things present in our lives.
For example, how often do we appreciate the simple
luxuries in life like toilet paper, air conditioning, running water,
guardrails,
cellphones, cars outfitted with a roof and
doors, etc. Generally
speaking, never. After spending a week in
Chichicastenango, I
promised myself that
I would routinely
voice my gratitude.
However, two
hours into the flight
to Pittsburgh, memories of driving through
the rain on a muddy
and terribly narrow path and almost falling off the cliffside,
taking cold showers, having to light a fire to keep warm
at night, seeing the hordes of children pestering tourists
for “lonch mooney” simply became memories. They were
no longer worries of mine now that I was back in the
United States. Ashamed of my fickleness, I continued to
remind myself. But again, time passed and I forgot.
Do not simply take away a sense of obligation
towards the impoverished and needy, but remember to
be grateful and voice the appreciation every so often.
With gratitude, will come a sense of respect for the
people and materials around you. Then perhaps,
assembly periods will eventually cease to be
synonomous with lectures on respect for the school,
teachers, peers, and outside community.
I do not wish to see an entire generation of people
repeating “you don’t know what you have until it’s
gone.”
Now that the song has been sung throughout the
past, we should take the lesson and insight to heart and
live life with gratitude and without regrets, a motif
commonly found in senior sages.
Bring sensible gun policy to America
By David Jimenez
The past few months in America
have produced an unusual and frequent
amount of gun violence: the tragic shooting of three Pittsburgh police officers on
the North Side, a violent attack on a New
York immigration center, and senseless
rampages in small town Alabama and
North Carolina. This as well in the wake
of two significant anniversaries: the two
year anniversary of the Virginia Tech
shooting and the ten year memory of the
Columbine shooting.
Inevitably, these events have forced
many Americans to reconsider the issue
of the Second Amendment and the right
to bear arms, as partisans on the left and
right use these tragedies to “prove” their
point. Many of these commentators
make a strong point: tragedies and triumphs do not exist on their own and can
directly relate to our own government’s
policies and laws. The truth, however,
lies in the center and the violence only
shows again why America needs to re-
turn to a sensible gun policy.
As a starting point, one that many
liberal extremists fail to recognize, the
Second Amendment is not about hunting or an Eighteenth Century social artifact; it is about the right of responsible
citizens to protect their families. In
communities across the country, from
rural Kansas with the closet police department miles away, to a Newark public housing project terrorized by street
gangs, many good people must depend
on themselves for their own security and
welfare.
For even the most horrid people, a
weapon is deterrence: in a society where
guns are common, burglars, rapists, and
other scum will less likely commit crimes
for fear of their own survival. This is not
something theoretical but confirmed by
empirical evidence: Washington D.C.’s
draconian handgun ban, which was recently overturned by the Supreme Court,
almost immediately reversed the trend
of declining murders from 1976 and
Objection to petobjectification
After millennia of brutal enslavement, when bovines had been forced to
drag our plows, pigeons required to
carry our messages, goats sacrificed to
please the gods and their livers extracted and read for divination, it looked
like the era of full emancipation for our
fellow living creatures was finally here.
It seemed as though animals were being
recognized for their intelligence and
abilities, not just objectified for their
cuteness to please our perverted aesthetic sense.
It appeared as if a new period of civil
rights and equality had at last dawned
on this planet.
Like our children, pets are finally
given industrial quantities of anti-depressants. The full-fledged avalanche
of marketing (a.k.a. the selling of fried
air) has finally reached the fish tank,
and more is spent on cat hygiene than
for deodorants in France. Dogs go to
school and learn how to be productive
members of society, and snakes and
alligators will soon have the right to a
fair trial before being transformed into
a purse or a pair of shoes.
All of this was true until the despicable decision made by the SSA News
editorial board to set back the gains
achieved through decades of sacrifices
by activists and to reduce our beloved
four-legged (or two-winged) companions to mere shells of cuteness. The
“cutest pet” contest supports pets being valued only for their level of exterior
aesthetic conformation and denuded of
any intrinsic worth.
As my cat said yesterday: “meow,
meow, meow, meow,” which can be
translated to, “I do not find it agreeable
that a pet’s appearance remains the
most important criterion by which its
pet-ness, its pet-ability and even its
right to be considered a normal and
acceptable pet are judged.”
I am appalled by the editorial board’s
decision, and I invite all pet owners to
protest the SSA News’ blatant push of
their pet re-objectification agenda by
just sending in pictures of ugly –but
highly intelligent-animals.
Guido Giuntini
made the city America’s “crime capital.” This is not advanced statistics but
common sense, for how can we ever
hope to end the violence in our communities if people will not be able to defend
themselves and their families at short
notice? If faculty had concealed weapons at, say Virginia Tech or Columbine,
couldn’t someone have stopped a rapid
massacre?
On the other hand, there is far cry
between the right to bear arms and an
extremist, total access to weapons. The
Founding Fathers were not absolutists
and sometimes recognized the need to
abridge rights and liberties for the sake of
the community. As Supreme Court
Justice Stephen Breyer rightfully noted
in his dissent in District of Columbia vs.
Heller, “[Did] the Framers [intend] to
guarantee a right to possess a loaded gun
near swimming pools, parks, and playgrounds? That they would not have
cared about the children who might pick
up a loaded gun on their parents’ bedside
table?” Handguns are one thing, but do
citizens really need AK-47s for selfdefense?
The Second Amendment is reserved
for the sane and responsible among us,
so how can implementing waiting periods, requiring civilian reports for stolen
weapons, child locks, more extensive
background checks, and stopping those
trying to build apocalyptic militias by
buying a dozen guns each month be a bad
thing? When organizations like the NRA
put some vague, hypothetical, and unlimited “right” over sensible and reasonable restrictions on guns, they are not
only wrong: they are putting innocent
human life at risk.
Many have said we should completely separate events in society to
policy; such kind of reflection is playing
politics with the lives of victims. While
this emotion is understandable, it is even
more naïve and dangerous to “hear no
evil, see no evil.”
We must not only hold memorials,
funerals, or vigils but think of how our
laws and government can better stop
these events from ever happening again.
Violence will always be part of the
human condition, but only if we implement a sensible gun policy that recognizes the balance between the individual
and community and rights and restrictions can we ever hope to sleep easier
and safer at night.
Garry
Trudeau’s
March
“Doonesbury” cartoon satire of Twitter, the newest social networking site to
hit the web, confirmed that Twitter had
gone mainstream.
For those of you who have never
twittered, tweeted, or twoted, Twitter
is a rather simple micro-blogging site
where a user can input up to 140 characters to create a text message that can be
shared with that user’s friends. The web
site has built a cult-like community of
over five million people, known as “followers” in twitterverse.
With its rapid rise to the top of the
Internet (it’s the number three most
active social networking site behind only
MySpace and Facebook) Twitter seems
to have found a niche.
Twitter takes social networking to
the next level of immediacy by keeping
its members in constant and seemingly
endless contact with one another minute
by minute.
Like anything that has witnessed
such explosive growth, but without much
room for research and evaluation, Twitter has been met with both praise and
backlash. Some people laud the site as
the evolution of communication, while
others see it as just another step in the
dehumanization of Generation i.
On the upside, Twitter has been credited with providing a revolutionary means
to communicate in a viral manner with
large groups during times of crisis and
emergency.
Research reported in New Scientist in
May 2008 found that messaging systems
like Twitter did a better job of getting
information out during emergencies, such
as the shootings at Virginia Tech, than
either the traditional news media or government emergency services. More recently, during the California wildfires, fire
departments effectively used the website
as a tool to help locate and save those
trapped by the fires.
On the downside, the use of Twitter
to stay in constant contact can be viewed
as the final step in the decline of verbal
communication between human beings.
Whether someone is communicating line
by line and minute by minute via the
Web with their family and friends, or
replacing verbal communication time
with texting when sitting face to face,
Twitter is clearly having a less than
positive impact on human socialization.
Jennifer Anniston recently broke up
with her boyfriend, singer John Mayer,
because of his addiction to Twitter.
As a close friend of Anniston’s told
Star Magazine, “John suddenly stopped
calling her or returning her emails and
when she would finally catch up with
him, he’d say: ‘I’ve been so busy with
work. I’m sorry I haven’t had time to call
you back.’ Jen was fuming. There he
was, telling her he didn’t have time for
her and yet his page was filled with
Twitter updates.”
After all, does anyone really care about
hearing how you found a parking space,
or if you have a headache, or what you had
for lunch? One Twitter member sent over
610,000 Tweets in just 19 months. That
is 32,105 message per month, 1,070 message per day, or 45 messages per hour,
assuming you don’t sleep. Clearly this
person is a “Twitterholic.”
No situation better demonstrates the
dichotomy surrounding Twitter than
what happened on the website during the
November 26 Mumbai attacks when
Pakistani terrorists killed over 170 people.
As soon as the attacks started, eyewitness tweeters warned the world what was
happening and set up blogs to coordinate
rescue attempts. Eighty tweets were sent
every five seconds. As Twitter user
“naomieve” wrote: “Mumbai is not a city
under attack as much as it is a social media
experiment in action.”
Then something went wrong on Twitter. The amazing rescue efforts that were
being conducted through the website fell
into chaos as false rumors bombarded the
website and caused all of the pertinent
information to become useless. There
were even reports that terrorists used the
site to help aide their efforts.
As blogger Tim Mallon put it, “I
started to see and [sic] ugly side to
Twitter, far from being a crowd-sourced
version of the news it was actually an
incoherent, rumor-fueled mob operating
in a mad echo chamber of tweets, retweets and re-re-tweets.”
So, what is Twitter and social networking in general? On one hand, it
seems to be a means of communication
with almost limitless potential if it is
used in the right way. On the other hand,
it is causing a shift from verbal communication to texting, more easily liable to
false rumors and lies.
I guess only you can decide which
one it is for you.
Wiz Khalifa Review
By Sal Abd Salim Nast
It has been five years since Pittsburgh
rapper Wiz Khalifa came on to the scene
and dropped his first mixtape, “Prince of
the City.” Since then he has released four
other mixtapes, an album, and his debut
album with Warner Brothers is scheduled
to come out some time this year.
People who have listened to his last
mixtape, “Star Power,” are divided on
the direction that Khalifa has been taking. Similar to T-Pain, Khalifa uses the
auto tune feature on many of his songs.
If you were not a fan of the last
mixtape, then this one will simply make
you angry. His songs have become more
radio friendly, with catchy choruses and
a very pop radio feel to them.
It seems as if the rapper has run out
of things to talk about. The subjects of
the songs are the same as the songs on his
last mixtape and it seems as if this
mixtape is just a continuation of the
Designed with
Adobe Pagemaker 7.0
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previous one.
The production
of the songs is
really good, and
it is a shame to
see him put them
to waste by not
doing anything
innovative with them.
If this had been his first mixtape, it
would have been a great start to a career,
but instead we are left with disappointment and wonder why Wiz Khalifa does
not work up to his full potential. Instead
of separating himself from the rest of the
competition with amazing lyricism, he
uses the same formula that many artists
in the music industry use for their music.
Notable Downloads: Boarding Pass,
Dreamer, Sky High, and Hollywood.
SID
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Published by Shady Side Academy
423 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 TEL: 412-968-3000
The Shady Side News welcomes responses and opinions from students, faculty,
and readers. All letters must be signed. News reserves the right to edit for content
if libelous statements are involved. If necessary, letters will be edited for length.
Editors-in-Chief.........................................Justine Kim, Lizzi Diggs, Olivia Seecof
News Editors............................................................Anna Sabo, Zack Myers
Features Editors ................................................Jeremie Kim, Pooja Tripathi
Opinions Editors........ ......................................David Jimenez, Noah Schoen
Sports Editors....................................................Billy Rutherford, Jen Cozen
Photography Editors........................................Kimberly Flit, Nick Gasbarro
Art Editor .................................................................................. Nick Barnes
Faculty Advisors.............................................Angela Irvine, Suzanne Belles
Shady Side News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Opinions3
Dialogue needed in the Middle East
By Noah Schoen
Photo by Graham Ashworth
Mathematicians trample the competition
The math team finished seventh in their section, and qualified
for finals in the Western PA Math League. They finished sixth
in finals, and had two outstanding performers--Josh Lee and
Brinda Vijaykumar, who were SSA’s highest scorers and tied
for seventh individually in Western Pennsylvania.
Book Review:
Handle With Care
By Lea Brown
Author Jodi Picoult, famous for her
angsty, poignant novels that nearly always deliver a trademark shocking ending, has gained quite a fan base over the
past few years.
Her best known novel, My Sister’s
Keeper, has become a classic. However,
Picoult seems to have bottomed out
with her newest book, Handle with Care.
Dubbed “My Sister’s Keeper, Part 2”
by many, Handle with Care delivers a
similar plotline without the poignant
writing and sympathetic characters.
It tells the story of Willow, a young
girl born with osteogenesis imperfecta,
most commonly known as brittle bone
disease, whose mother, Charlotte, files
a wrongful birth suit.
The novel subsequently examines
the fallout of the case, including its
effects on the oldest child of the family,
Amelia, and its effects on Charlotte and
her husband Sean’s marriage.
The problem I have is not with the
book’s similarities to My Sister’s Keeper.
It is the fact that Picoult seemed incapable of writing a single sympathetic
character. Throughout my reading of the
novel, I felt no compassion or empathy
towards them- I just felt irritated.
The mother in particular grated on
my nerves, with her self-absorption and
blatant neglect of the older sister.
However, that was not my biggest
issue with the book. The most problematic aspect of Handle with Care was its
ending. The blatant attempt by Picoult
to shove in her trademark “shocking”
ending was completely unnecessary and
made me want to throw the book at the
wall after I had finished reading.
I won’t say that altering the ending
would have completely changed my
thoughts about the book, but it might
have helped.
I will say one positive thing about
Handle with Care- I could not put it
down. Irritated though I was with the
characters and the ending, the book was
enthralling. The descriptions of pain
and limitations that Willow experiences
are particularly heart-wrenching, and
the entire court drama aspect of the
novel is fascinating.
The story was also meticulously
researched, judging by all of the (presumably accurate) information about
osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease that
not many people are aware of.
All in all, Handle with Care, despite
its flaws, is a good and interesting read,
but is certainly not up to Picoult or her
fans’ standards.
Untucked
(Continued from Page One)
According to David Chottiner, Director of Programs, “Global Links goes
to places like UPMC and other area
hospitals, where they collect supplies
that these places for one reason or another, can no longer use but are still
sterile. They then pack up and send
these supplies to third world hospitals
that are in desperate need of them.
“On a side note, each student involved with Untucked went and did
fifteen hours of community service with
Global Links (they did this separately,
not as one big group).”
Ticket sales for this year’s concert
were amazing.
“Usually we sell about 900 tickets,
and this year we sold about 1400-1500
tickets,” said Mr. Chottiner. “Maybe
this was because the concert, this year,
was free with an R.S.V.P., but there’s no
definite way to tell. Hopefully, the concert can remain free in the future, and
attendance will keep on increasing.”
Mr. Chottiner also said that a certain
amount of money was given to Untucked
from Bayard, and that is what allowed
the concert to be free.
Overall, the day offered a myriad of
events and opportunities for people of
all ages. The 125th Anniversary Celebration may have concluded with the concert, but our legacy as Shady Side Academy continues.
Twenty-one days into the Israeli
campaign in the Gaza Strip, on January
16, 2009, Dr. Izzeldin Abuleish spoke
to a group of 130 Pittsburgh area Jews
at an Alternative Voices on the Gaza
War program via telephone from the
Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza.
Dr. Abuleish, a Gazan native, had
put in a valiant effort to contribute to the
event, waking up early in the morning
because of the six hour time difference
between his home and Pittsburgh and
battling with faulty technology before
finally securing the connection. He
spoke of the tense and violent situation
in Gaza at the time and told us that he
prayed daily that his family would be
safe.
Four hours later, Israeli tanks shelled
Dr. Abuleish’s home. Three of his eight
children were killed, and a fourth was
critically injured. A niece also perished.
Dr. Abuleish’s story is just one of many
that have inspired worldwide sympathy for the Palestinian situation after the
unbridled violence in Gaza.
On January 17, Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire in Gaza, ending the brutal campaign that left over 1000 Palestinian civilians and Hamas militants dead.
Tension towards the end of a 6month ceasefire between Palestinians
and Israelis sparked the Gazan offensive. Israel accused Hamas, the elected
government of Palestinians living in
Gaza, of breaking the temporary peace
agreement by building tunnels to smuggle
weapons into the area to be used once the
ceasefire ended. Israel also saw the
tunnels as a threat to their own soldiers;
in the past, Hamas has taken Israeli
troops prisoner and used them as valuable bargaining chips. Israeli troops
killed six Hamas militants in a raid as a
crackdown measure, and the Palestinian
leadership responded with intense and
elevated levels of rocket fire into Israeli
towns and villages.
In late December, Israel became fed
up with the consistent attacks into their
country and launched a full-blown military campaign in an attempt to severely
impair or destroy the ability of Hamas
to fire their Russian-made Katyushas.
The latest chapter of the Arab/Israeli
conflict always seems to be one of violence. One of the primary problems
between the two peoples is the lack of
proper dialogue and negotiation to hash
out territorial situations for a possible
two-state solution and to settle other
disputes.
Both Israelis and Palestinians have
refused to come to the table because of
various “preconditions” for talking.
Israel has insisted that Hamas renounce its archaic and racist charter and
publicly recognize the State of Israel as
a legitimate body, something Hamas
says they are not willing to do. Israel has
also demanded an end to rocket fire into
the south, especially in ravaged towns
such as Sderot where life is marred by
constant sirens ordering beleaguered civilians to enter missile shelters.
The Palestinian requirements are
similarly stringent. Hamas would like to
see Israel promise to remove some or all
of the settlements that religious Israelis
have established on land originally belonging to Palestinians. Some of the
settlements have been built on territory
that Israel gained during the 6 Day War
in 1967; the Palestinians wish to return
to the borders in existence before the war
took some of their land away. Similarly,
they have sought the “right of return” for
all Palestinian refugees who fled or were
expelled during 1948. They have also
called for the controversial Wall to be
torn down, which has reduced suicide
bomber attacks in Israel but also deliberately separates Arabs from their crops
in some places.
Both sides have quarreled over the
possession of Jerusalem, a holy city for
Jews, Muslims, and Christians. At the
moment, Israel holds all four quarters of
Jerusalem, including the Islamic holy
site Al-Aqsa Temple. Due to limited
mobility, Gazans and West Bankers are
unable to pray at the temple.
Whatever some Israelis hope or believe, a Palestinian state is now inevitable. It is time for both Israelis and
Palestinians to put their preconditions
for dialogue aside and begin negotiations
for this second state. The prerequisites
set by both sides have crushed hopes of
“It is time for both
Israelis and Palestinians to put their preconditions for dialogue aside and begin negotiations for
this second state.”
their leaders sitting down and forming a
peaceful resolution. Change has never
come easily in the volatile Middle East.
Solutions for this conflict will not be
reached until those with power (the
Israeli government and some combination of the PLO leadership in the West
Bank and moderate Hamas leaders) are
willing to swallow their pride and work
together to deal with the matters at hand.
It would be asking far too much of both
nations to try, before entering negotiations, to settle issues that have been
argued over since the inception of the
State of Israel. The hypocrisy lies in the
fact that while leaders vow never to
negotiate until their conditions are met,
these conditions will never be satisfied
(or sacrificed) until negotiations occur.
On Monday, April 14, Dr. Izzeldin
Abuleish traveled from Israel to Pittsburgh, this time to speak to 300 members of the community in person about
his anguishing experiences. In the same
room where I had heard his muffled voice
through the telephone three months earlier, Abuleish lamented the inability of
leaders to channel the will of their people.
Recent polls have shown that over 70%
of both Palestinian and Israeli citizens
support a two-state solution. Despite
these staggering numbers, Hamas and
the Israeli government have done little to
follow through on this state of mind.
Dr. Abuleish also cautioned against
moving towards peace without respect
for even your most hated opponents.
Without this effort to acknowledge the
legitimacy of the other’s argument, even
negotiations will not be enough to stem
the tide of violence and close-mindedness
that always seems to permeate from the
Palestinian/Israeli conflict.
The best and worst of the NFL draft
By David Jimenez
Best Pick #1: Jets trade up to
select Mark Sanchez
Despite the official statements, Jets
management recognized their quarterback situation could not be determined
by a training camp battle between unknowns Kellen Clemens and Brett
Ratliff.
In a blockbuster New York-style
trade with the Cleveland Browns, the
Jets, after promising free agent signings
to shore up their linebacker and defensive end corps under new coach Rex
Ryan, found the final puzzle piece with
USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Many questions remain over
Sanchez’s experience with only sixteen
college starts, but his maturity, locker
room presence, use of an NFL-style
offense, arm strength, and success against
very difficult teams in a high pressure
California media market impressed
scouts.
Like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco of
last year, Sanchez will probably not be
asked to perform passing miracles; with
a strong defense and running game (further bolstered by third-round pick Iowa
State tailback Shonn Greene), Sanchez
can mature slowly and patiently as a
starter.
The Jets did not, however, address
their lack of wide receiver depth, and
rumors still remain over a possible trade
for the always rebellious Plaxico Burress.
Nevertheless, the Gang in Green has
something to look forward to this fall.
Worst Pick #1: Oakland skip WR
Crabtree for Heyward-Bey
In another risky move by the always
eccentric owner Al Davis, the Raiders
skipped over WR Texas Teach Michael
Crabtree and WR Missouri Jeremy
Maclin, touted by most experts as the
draft’s top receivers, for Darrius
Heyward-Bey of Maryland, who was
projected in most mock draft as a middle
to late first rounder.
With arguably the league’s strongest
arm, quarterback Jamarcus Russell desperately needed a deep ball target but
Heyward-Bey, who ran the fastest 40
yard dash at the combine, pales in comparison to Crabtree and Maclin, who
both caught more touchdowns last year
than Heyward’s three college seasons
combined. With his weak catching and
route running skills, Heyward could
easily become this draft’s top bust and
he will certainly not be the offense’s
quick fix.
Best Pick #2: Green Bay rebuilds
Defense to support Rodgers
Even with the relatively weak NFC
North and QB Aaron Rodgers’ strong
debut season, the Packers failed to make
the playoffs and had a mediocre 6-10
record, mainly due to poor defense and
special teams.
Switching to a 3-4 defense, ownership made aggressive first-round picks
for Boston College defensive tackle B.J.
Raji (who has struggled with academic
and disciplinary issues but registered
eight sacks last season) and USC linebacker Clay Matthews in a trade up with
New England.
The Packers will need these two
prospects to start and succeed soon in
their division: Chicago’s acquisition of
Jay Cutler, Detroit’s Matthew
Strafford, and Minnesota’s Percy Harvin
will make the schedule more competitive.
Worst Pick #2: Denver ignores
team needs for Moreno
The Shanahan era is over in Denver,
but new coach Josh McDaniels, who
mentored Tom Brady and Matt Cassel,
is off to a rocky start. The Jay Cutler
soap opera and Brandon Marshall’s legal problems already added to the trauma
of the team’s late season collapse.
In a surprise 12th pick, Denver failed
to repair the league’s third worst defense
or try to pick up quarterback Mark
Sanchez or even Josh Freeman and instead acquired the explosive UGA running back Knowshon Moreno. While
certainly highly talented, Moreno enters into a six-man running group that
signed three free agents in the offseason
after a host of injuries.
There may be some upsides to this
choice: Moreno is skilled as a receiver
and will work well in McDaniels’ offensive scheme, and Denver did pick up
some strong late-round defensive prospects.
However, GMs and coaches will still
be wondering why management passed
over star players like Brian Orapko,
Malcolm Jenkins, or Brian Cushing.
Wild Cards
Pat White (drafted by Miami,
Round 2) - He broke every conceivable record in WVU football history,
but his status in the NFL remains
unclear: will he make a successful
transition to wide receiver like Heinz
Ward did, become another player in
the Dolphins’ Wildcat scheme, or remain a mobile quarterback in the physical model of Michael Vick?
Steelers O-line - To the surprise
and disappointment of many first round
mock drafts, Pittsburgh acquired defensive end “Ziggy” Hood of Missouri
rather than a center or offensive tackle to
repair one of the team’s few weaknesses
in their Super Bowl run last year. With
reliable backup Byron Leftwich off to
Tampa Bay, can Big Ben still withstand
the sacks?
Trading Down- Given the economic recession and relative poor
quality of this year’s draft, many
teams, such as New England, San
Fransico, Dallas, and Cleveland, focused on signing late-round prospects,
hoping to pay less for long-term
dividends. Will another sleeper like
Tom Brady arise from the flock?
4 School News
Shady Side News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Seniors shown dark
side of college freedom
Choral
Picure
Expected
Photo by Jack Wolf
By Anna Sabo
Yo le Canto Todo el Dia. Concert choir serenades the crowd with their Latin rhythms and beats.
Strings and choir rock the house
by Jeremie Kim
The Seniors Honors Choral and
Strings Concert was held Wednesday,
May 6, in the Rauh Theater. This concert included multiple selections from
the Chamber and Concert Choir, the
String Orchestra, and a number of solo
performances.
This concert seemed to have a variety of themes ranging from Irish traditional songs and classical to 60s pop hits
and jazz.
The night began with a traditional
Irish song titled “Parting Glass,” sung
by Tory Bruch, Devon Roeshot, and
Jemila Adoki.
The main theme of this concert, next
to honoring the seniors, was one of
goodbyes. “The hardest goodbye to say
is the one to Mrs. Mary Beth Gray,”
said Dr. Dan Brill, who dedicated the
song “Love is Here to Stay” to her.
The String Orchestra opened the
concert with three selections, including
a movement of a symphony, a Bach
cantata, and a compilation of songs by
Santana with a guest appearance by Rob
Stokes on the drum set. The “Santana in
Concert” was a hit and the audience
participation “was better than the students’,” according to Dr. Brill.
Choir groups then sang a wide variety of songs including “Hallelujah” from
the movie “Shrek,” songs sung in Spanish, French, and Italian, and a traditional
Scottish song about Loch Lomond.
A large amount of the program consisted of solo/ensemble groups. These
numbers were greatly appreciated by
the audience as well. Pieces by classical
composers Bach, Vivaldi, and Chopin
were performed, as well as “The Lion
Sleeps Tonight,” “Better Self,” “Leader
of the Band,” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love
Again.”
After recognizing the seniors within
the three groups that performed that
The seniors of Shady Side Academy
slowly trickled into the Kountz Theater
halfway through seventh period April
23 for what most expected to be just
another assembly.
The Form VI students appeared
nonchalant despite the spreading rumor
that the topic of discussion would be on
college and date rape.
The presentation then began with
the introduction of Katie Koestner, a
young, small, and meek-looking blonde
woman. She quickly grabbed each
senior’s attention as she began with a
comical and witty story of her first few
weeks of college.
However, the room suddenly became completely silent as she then very
powerfully relayed the unbelievable and
frightening story of how she had been
sexually assaulted during her freshman
year in college and then shared with the
senior class her emotions and thoughts
during this terrible moment in her life.
She explained the adversities she faced
as a victim and gave advice to the seniors
about how to keep themselves and others safe from such crimes while attending college.
After the special assembly, the senior class felt forever changed.
Katie Winokur commented on
Koestner’s presentation, “I couldn’t talk
for two hours after… it was that upsetting.”
Despite the emotional turmoil hovering over the seniors afterwards, everyone now feels much safer and more
prepared for college and ultimately the
real world.
Sonum Bharill said of the experience,
“Her story was extremely moving…
although I’m a little afraid for college
now; I know that I will definitely feel
safer because I know what can happen.”
concert
“ This
was super
awesome.
”
- Sophomore
Christian Harchelroad
night, Dr. Brill extended an invitation to
the seniors that attended the performance to sing with them the traditional
senior recognition song “Lonesome
Road.”
Congratulations to all the performers and especially to the seniors, Anna
Brill, Alice Curry, Andrew Ellis, Basyl
Stuyvesant, Jessica Hirsch, Anna Sabo,
Adnan Agha, Sean Hannon, Katie
Winokur, Vince Ciampaglia, Megan
Achille, and Brinda Vijaykumar, who
made it through all the years.
Photo by Kathy Malone
Physics, Phun, and Phries. Freshmen find time to ride the
Jackrabbit after a heavy dose of science at Kennywood park.
Science Parkin Fellows chosen The three-letter word
Olympiad
By Mahima Chablani
By Kelly Casey-Latterman
By Niteesh Sundarum
Fifteen Shady Side students participated in the annual Science Olympiad
State Tournament on May 1 at Juniata
College. SSA’s team competed against
over 35 other high schools.
This year was especially significant
because it is the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pennsylvania Science Olympiad.
Out of the twenty-three events that
were offered at the tournament, Shady
Side placed in one event. Sophomores
David Franklin and Madhav Iyengar
won fifth place in the event “It’s about
time.”
Their achievement is particularly
impressive considering they were competing against many seniors who had all
taken advanced or AP science courses.
The top two schools in the middle
school and high school division all advanced to the national tournament which
was held on May 15-16 in Augusta State
University.
Even though the team did not advance to nationals or do as well as it had
in the some past years, Coach Stephanie
Montemurro still thought the tournament was a good learning experience and
that our team will be better prepared for
future tournaments.
The middle school team, however,
won second in the state and is advancing
to nationals. Other than being comprised of students from our middle
school, this team also includes four freshmen from our senior school: Max Kaplan,
Atif Wulandana, Peter Kann, and Chris
Leech.
The senior school team would like to
extend its congratulations to these freshmen who won a number of medals, and
wish them good luck at the national
tournament.
The team would also like to thank the
club’s co-captain and only senior, Charles
Rosenthal. We will miss Charlie and
wish him good luck next year.
With finals, commencement, and
prom approaching rapidly, it seems as
though summer is upon us. The Parkin
Fellows are gearing up to embark on their
summer international service and environmental projects.
History teacher Dan Coyne says,
“The immersion into a new society is an
educational opportunity that benefits
the Shady Side students as much as the
communities they are working with.”
This year seven students have been
granted the opportunity to embark on a
Parkin Fellowhip through the generosity of alumnus Fred Parkin ‘59. Speaking about the students, school head Jeremy LaCasse says, “Parkin
Fellows…well, they’re great!”
Four sophomores and three juniors
will be traveling to six different countries
this summer to take global initiative.
Sophomores Shannon Achille, David
Jimenez, Jamie Kurke, and Giovanni
Zenati will be traveling to Thailand,
Peru, Tanzania, and Armenia, respectively. Shannon will be working on an
organic farm teaching children and giving
swimming lessons, while David is going
to help build a school and teach. In
Tanzania, Jamie is also planning on building and teaching. Giovanni is taking on
new projects that include working in tree
nurseries and spreading environmental
education.
Of the three junior fellows, Tory
Bruch will help with AIDS education
and assist in a hospital in Malawi in
order to prepare for the Yale Global
Action conference. Kelly CaseyLatterman is going to be part of the
construction of a pre-primary school
building in South Africa, and Jeff Shogan
will be working in a rural orphanage in
Thailand.
We wish each of these Parkin Fellows an excellent trip and look forward
to their presentations in the fall.
Res Life. The girls of Morewood go all out for a game of
Sardines: (Back) Nicole Wei, Kayleigh Gregory, Raediah Lyles,
Shannon Achille, Adele Pultan, Megan Achille, and Pooja Tripathi.
I fell asleep during the SATs. Hilarious, right? In an attempt to make my
flight to Colorado on time, I sprinted out
of Upper St. Clair High School to immediately cancel my scores. After taking
numerous timed practice exams, how
anticlimactic, even ironic, that my endurance failed me on the day of the test!
Today, juniors and seniors are consumed by this three-lettered acronym,
S-A-T, as they go through the stages of
the competitive college process. Interestingly, America has had a sort of national obsession with the test since the
1900s.
Sure enough, the acronym SAT
speaks for itself: It started out as a
standardized aptitude test. In 1900, the
formation of the College Entrance Examination Board prompted New England boarding schools to follow a uniform curriculum.
The exam consisted of essays in
many subjects, including Latin, Greek,
chemistry, and mathematics. By World
War I, Robert Yerkes, a Harvard University professor, administered an IQ test
known as Army Alpha to approximately
two million army recruits. This test
served to select the most intelligent
members of society, who were deemed
capable of becoming officers for the
army.
After the war, Princeton University
psychologist Carl Brigham, Yerkes’
partner, modified the army test and
administered it to Princeton freshmen
and applicants of Cooper Union of New
York. By 1926, his version of Army
Alpha, now called the SAT, was administered to high school students and later
required by candidates of mostly all the
Ivy Leagues, starting with Harvard
University, as well as schools of the
University of California system. Under
rigid time constraints similar to those of
today, the test began to favor mentally
dexterous and speedy individuals.
On April 2, 1943, the Army-Navy
College Qualifying Test was administered to over 300,000 high school seniors around the country. This proved
to America that standardized tests could
be given on the same day, in uniform
test-taking conditions.
Despite this rich history, it seems
like the entire test-taking process has
swerved from its initial purpose of standardization. While it started as an objective measurement of intelligence, it has
now become a chaotic race to find the
most credentialed tutors and efficient
classes to improve a student’s reading,
writing, and math skills. Granted, outside of the swirl of dropping dollars and
sifting phonebooks, there certainly are
students who fare well on the test out of
pure intelligence. Yet, the testing process has undoubtedly become a privilege
for wealthier people. Many colleges are
therefore making the test optional, as
not all students have the same means to
prepare.
This has enabled many students,
such as junior Frankie Costa, to enter the
college process with assurance. When
asked about his main worries in taking
the SATs, he remarked, “Hogwarts
doesn’t require the SAT for admission.”
Furthermore, it should be obvious
that no four-digit number can reflect our
true human character. Math teacher Joe
Felder asserts that the test gets “too
much emphasis.” He feels that the effort
students “do day-to-day in each of their
classes carries much more weight.”
Similarly, History teacher Matthew
Weiss feels that the SAT has only a
temporary impact on our lives: “I feel
like I’m a person with a fair number of
friends. I know a lot about my friends,
as well as their parents, siblings, children, likes, dislikes, and hobbies. Yet, I
don’t know any of their SAT scores, or
even where they went for college. While
the SAT was important to them at some
point, it did not create who they were
and who they are today.”
However important or unimportant
the SAT may be, juniors around America
connect through an invisible bond around
this three-letter word. Junior Daniel
Rua, a five-year victim of the SAT, has
been struck by this mass culture, as he
is frequently seen frolicking the hallways of Shady Side Academy cheering,
“The SAT is where it’S AT!
Shady Side News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
School News 5
Band Trip: The City Never Sleeps
By David Steiner and Haley DeJulio
Photo by Graham Ashworth
Ligonier Camp. Gena Bradford-Tume, Morgan Polley, Aurelia
Henderson, Olivia Seecof, and Kelly Casey-Latterman pose outside
the cottage they resided in during their first ever weekend retreat.
Christian Fellowship
By Olivia Seecof
The Christian Fellowship club went
on their first retreat to Ligonier Camp
and Conference Center in Ligonier, PA
the weekend of April 24.
Five members of the club and faculty members Dr. Graham Ashworth
and Audrey Ashworth attended.
We participated in a team high ropes
course that involved five different elements that increased in difficulty from
crossing a wire holding on to a rope, to
jumping from a wood plank to a suspended tire and back to a wood plank.
The two seniors on the trip, Aurelia
Henderson and Gena Bradford, went
first and let the other teams know the
most difficult and most fun elements.
The rope course promoted team-
work and demonstrated how sometimes
you have to depend on someone else to
make it through a difficult task.
We spent time in a cottage playing
games like Monopoly and Taboo and
enjoyed tasty treats, likeOlivia Seecof’s
turkey sandwiches with ketchup.
The Ashworths led multiple Bible
studies and religious discussions, to stick
with the Christian theme of the trip.
Even though it is cliché, we held a campfire, roasted marshmallows, and sang
songs on the last night to conclude the
retreat.
The new presidents of Christian Fellowship, Kelly Casey-Latterman, Morgan Polley, and Olivia Seecof plan to
make this retreat an annual event.
Summer trends,
fashion search 2009
ByPoojaTripathiandLynnNguyen
As we put away our books for the
summer, fashionistas around the world
are opening their closets, which are full
of the newest trends for summer; and no,
we’re not talking about Ray-Bans however classic they may be.
The most recession conscientious
clothing has been found in collections
full of what is now called “Depression
Chic.”
Many designers have been putting a
modern spin on the iconic 1920’s flapper style in order to achieve a look that
includes layers, fringe, and darker
neutrals.
Marc Jacobs put his own twist on
this trend by incorporating a prairie look
that includes straw boater hats and small
floral prints.
Last year’s Roman gladiator-themed
looks have transitioned into a more Grecian and feminine draped style for 2009.
These flowing maxi dresses and gowns
can be found in light airy colors such as
lilac or sea foam green and have been
spotted in collections by Marchesa, Yves
Saint Laurent, and Carolina Herrera.
The constantly evolving geometric
patterns have now taken on three dimensional forms in collections by Dolce and
Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, and Calvin
Klein. Polka dots have also made a
comeback and are one of the most prominent prints of the season. They can be
found in Marni’s entire spring collection.
The last trend worth noting is the
grungy but edgy Trash and Vaudeville
look done by Alexander Wang, Balmain,
and Proenza Schouler. Models rocked
the layers of distressed denim, leather,
lace, and industrial zippers on the runway.
This look is achieved by pushing the
limits of modern fashion and taking risks
in order to appear put together without
trying. This “I don’t care” attitude
incorporates perfect summer ensembles
that need an extra kick to push them
forward into the sphere of high fashion.
One last reminder from junior Frankie
Martellotti before you hit the summer
streets: “Always remember if you’re
having trouble picking out an outfit, no
matter what occasion it is for, just think
to yourself: what would Joey Hoffman
wear?”
Photo by Charlene Blair
Service With A Smile! Juniors Judd and Karl Bruch helped
patch up a porch in Braddock on April 25 as part of the
Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh day of service. Volunteers from
all around Pittsburgh helped rehab over 80 sites in the greater
Pittsburgh area. Other Service Learning projects this spring
have included the Scouting for Food Drive and the Spring Blood
Drive, which took place on April 28.
The Shady Side Academy bands had
the incredible opportunity on the weekend of April 17-19 of hearing a jazz
legend perform at the world renowned
Iridium jazz club during the annual band
trip, which was to New York City this
year.
“One of the top five trumpeters in
the world,” says band director Stan
Nevola when speaking of jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.
Sandoval is a multi-instrumentalist,
exhibiting his skills on the flugelhorn,
piano, and auxiliary percussion in addition to the trumpet during this particular
performance.
This was just one of the numerous
highlights of the trip, however. Various
other activities included navigating the
vibrantly lighted Times Square and shopping on Fifth Avenue, eating at some of
the nation’s finest restaurants in Little
Italy, purchasing two-dollar shirts in
Chinatown, and visiting Ellis Island and
the Statue of Liberty.
While indeed an unforgettable getaway, this was far more than a vacation.
The Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band had
what is called an adjudication. In music,
this occurs when a band is critiqued
either by a music educator or a professional in a specific genre of music.
In this instance, the Concert and
Symphonic Bands played for Curt
Ebersole, a former recipient of the New
Jersey Master Music Teacher Award,
and the Jazz Ensemble and Combo
played for the organist from Yankee
Stadium, Edward Alstrom, who also
happens to be Mr. Nevola’s roommate
from college.
“What does it mean to be a professional?” asked jazz pianist, guitarist,
and bassist Alstrom when he was introduced. “It means you’re from out of
town,” he replied in a comic response to
his own question.
Despite many of the players missing
from the symphonic band because of
other activities, all of the bands played
well. Mr. Nevola is disappointed with
this, but he is happy with the number of
Fashion
Show
Photo by Stan Nevola
Lady Liberty. Adi Krupski, Naveen Menon, Aaron Budd, Josh
Silver, Alexander Brown, Max Kaplan, David Steiner in NYC.
freshmen who went on the trip, which
was more than the number of juniors and
seniors combined, and because of this
Mr. Nevola says that he feels very
comfortable with the future wellbeing of
the bands.
Mr. Alstrom complimented the Jazz
Band saying, “You are better than half of
the professional music in New York
City.”
Every May, the seniors are recognized in many different ways as they
prepare to graduate from Shady Side. In
the band program, this takes the form of
the Senior Honors Instrumental Concert, which was held this year on May
14. Senior band members received spe-
cial awards, like the John Philip Sousa
Band Award and Louis Armstrong Jazz
Award, for being outstanding leaders
and loyal members of the program during their time at the Senior School.
In fact, all of the seniors were featured in solos. Logan Handelsman, in
particular, was featured in the Adagio
from Clarinet Concerto K. 622 by
Mozart, and Robb Ruffner performed a
piece he wrote for the jazz combo titled
Howdy Rowdy. There was really something for everyone, and pieces ranged
from the classic Sousa march, Stars and
Stripes Forever, to Rhapsody in Blue by
Gershwin. This final concert of the year
was one of the best yet!
Man on the Street:
What T.V. show character do you most resemble, and why?
By Jen Cozen
(Continued from Page One)
Each model wore at least one prom
outfit and one casual outfit. Some girls
knew they would never wear their dress
again, but some of the girls liked the dress
choices so much that they decided to
wear more than one.
Alli Rath modeled a silver and black
dress designed by Lynn Nguyen, a member of the Junior class. Mitchell Mason
and Vinnie Merlot both enjoyed a quick
dance at the end of the runway in their
casual outfits to spice up the traditional
fashion show.
Now that the fashions have been
revealed, it is time to start thinking about
the extravaganza itself. The theme of
prom this year is “Seasons in the City,”
and it will be taking place on Monday,
June 1.
The menu will include food that represents each season, and the decorations
are expected to be beautiful. Heinz Field
will be rocking, as the DJ is from Diesel
night club, and supposedly has an outstanding light show.
Something new this year is the professional photographer. Couples should
arrive on time because the photographer
will only be there for an hour, and you
don’t want to miss this photo op.
Couples can stand at the top of the
stadium facing outward so that in the
background of the picture there will be
the skyline and Heinz Field.
Prom committee member Ali
Gumberg said, “It is definitely something that deserves to be framed and
hung in the family room.”
Tickets will be on sale between May
11 and May 27 in the student center for
$110. Couples will also have to pay for
their picture in advance. Everyone is
looking forward to Prom 2009, and in the
words of Vinnie Merlot, “Prom should
be awesome. Everyone come. Thank
you and goodnight.”
Daniel Rua
Danny says he is similar to Stephen
Colbert of the Colbert Report. Alex
Brillman concurs with this comparison because Danny is “always sure of
himself, he’s funny, and he
has…glasses.”
Michelle Greene
“I resemble Adrian Monk because I am a germaphobe and wash
my hands all the time. Also, Peter
from Heroes because he only uses
his power for good and questions
the status quo all the time.”
Benjamin Ross and Frankie Costa
“Whilst I hate to admit that I actually
portray such a neurotic person, I am
most like George Costanza of the 90s hit
sitcom Seinfeld,” says Ross. “At the
same time my good friend Frankie Joseph Costa Jr. resembles the likeness of
Jerry Seinfeld of the same show.”
Sam Leff
“Louis Stevens from Even Stevens
on the Disney Channel,” says Sam.
“Not only do I resemble Shia LaBeouf,
but I have pulled many of his zany
antics. Also, coincidentally my best
friends name is Twitty and my other
friend I call Beans!”
6 Sports
Shady Side News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Zheng leads the pack
Get your game face on! The Varsity Baseball squad poses for a team picture before an away
game. The whole team is looking forward to an extremely successful WPIAL playoff finish.
Photo by Judy Hannon
By Nicholas Barnes
Little as the general populus may be
acquainted with it, Spring Backpacking
2009 nevertheless maintains a devoted,
albeit scant, constituency. The regimen
consists of biweekly forays, Monday
and Wednesday afternoons, into on and
off-campus woods for light hiking and
merriment.
This season marks the first under the
leadership of biology teacher Elyse
Zheng, who replaced Dudley Parr following his departure at the end of last
year. While Mr. Parr will be remembered
amongst Backpackers for his sporadic
ornithological musings and joviality,
Mrs. Zheng possesses an evident alacrity for the outdoors that renders her a
highly satisfactory successor.
As the Backpackers augmented their
skill, they have grown increasingly adventurous and intrepid in venturing to a
plethora of locations during the season.
Traversed were the Far Fields and adjacent dog park and latticework of trails,
the grounds of the Middle School, Frick
Park, Schenley Park, and various other
locales in the greater Pittsburgh area.
Save several days of light rain earlier in
April, atmospheric conditions were cool,
pleasant, and conducive of good cheer.
Backpacking is not a competitive
sport. No glory or prestige awaits even
the most dedicated backpacker. There
arenoletter-winners in this sport.Instead,
the intent of the sport is to sate the desire
for the wild, to cultivate an appreciation
of the natural. The atmosphere is one of
familiarity and intimacy; imagine the
denizens of the dark-paneled halls of the
Old Boy’s Club flushed out into the
Great Outdoors. A jocular feeling of
intimacy pervades the expeditions.
Let it never be said that the student
body lacked an opportunity for proverbial Good Clean Fun.
Baseball team swings for the fences
By Sean Hannon
The Shady Side Baseball team is
having its best season in recent memory.
The team finished the regular season
with a record of 18-1 and won their first
section championship in seven years.
The team has been ranked #1 in WPIAL
AA for most of the year by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Tribune Review, and MSA Sports Network, and is
looking to go deep in the WPIAL playoffs and make it to States for the first
time in a long while.
The team’s success is due in large
part to the pitching staff of Coach John
Cappa, led by the Giel brothers. Tim is
one of the best pitchers in the WPIAL
this year, leads the WPIAL in strikeouts,
and is at the top of the WPIAL for wins
this year. He has thrown a no hitter and
a combined no-no with Matt, and will be
pitching at Columbia next year. Tim has
broken the team’s record for strikeouts
in a season, and he has also been hit by
the most pitches in a season. Matt is a
leader in wins in the WPIAL this year,
leading the team in saves, and he is
undefeated.
The Giel duo, along with Sean
Hannon and freshman Ben Hartz, have
made the SSA pitching staff one of the
best in the WPIAL. Sophomore Zach
Sufrin and junior Joel McCullough have
also pitched some quality innings for the
team.
Pitching alone, however, cannot win
games; it takes hitting, and the team had
plenty of that. The Nickel brothers and
Hannon, who bat 1-2-3 in the order, have
led the hitting attack this year for Shady
Side.
Tim Giel, Zach Jones, and Hartz
provide the power in the order for the
team, with powerhitting catcher Spencer Spovoda always available off the
bench. Matt Giel had a home run this
year as well. Scott Royston, Bo Stewart,
Zach Sufrin, and McCullough round out
the line up for SSA and have been very
productive, combining for game winning
hits and many extra base hits.
Coach Bobby Grandizio said of the
line-up as a whole, “We really don’t
have any weaknesses. If the middle is
not hitting well one game, the bottom of
the order picks them up and vice versa.”
Grandizio continued to stress the
depth the team has this year, saying,
“This year I know that if someone gets
hurt, we have someone to step in and be
successful. Garrett broke his foot and is
out for the year, and we lost Andy, but
Joel and Sufrin have stepped in and done
very well. It is also nice to know that we
have someone with the speed of Scott
Majesky on the bench to pinch run, and
someone like Sammy Colletts who has
a knack for getting on base in pinch hit
situations. I think Sammy has the best
on-base percentage on the team. Also,
Grant Foley has done a nice job after
being called up from JV pinch running
and being a utility player.”
Like Coach Grandizo said, Sufrin has
done a great job filling in for Andy Lewis,
who is no longer with the team. Hannon
says of Lewis, “Andy is one of the best
defensive catchers in SSA history and
was on track to make the All Section
team and possibly be an All WPIAL
team selection. It is really disappointing
to lose such a valuable asset and leader
of the team.”
Defensively team members have been
solid with a few errors here and there by
the outfield. Tim Giel said, “Other than
a few mistakes this year we have done a
great job fielding. Scott and Bo do a great
job defensively in the middle and Zach
Jones is one of the best first basemen
around. He rarely makes an error and he
is a big target to throw to which helps.”
Hannon echoed Giel’s comments,
adding, “Last year when the ball was hit
to third, all I could think about was
‘please don’t make an error,’ but this
year I have confidence in our third
baseman, whether it is Tim, Joel, or Bo
to get the job done.”
Coach Harry Fleishman also added,
“The catchers really have done a great
job behind the plate. They give our
pitchers confidence to throw any pitch
in any situation because the pitchers
know the catchers can block it.”
The team is having a season to remember and hopes to continue its success deep into playoffs!
Photo by Suzanne L. Belles
Forehand! Senior Luke Racek crushes the ball during a match.
Boys’ tennis to playoffs
By Justin Hunt
With only sophomores Ben Cohen
and Justin Hunt as returning starters,
how the boys’ tennis season would end
was a question mark. But with the
leadership of senior captain Craig
Pentrack, the tennis team once again
competed strongly in section play, ending up with a section record of 10-2 and
an overall record of 12-2.
The team also welcomed talented
freshmen Vivek Nimgaonkar, Justin
Carter, and Aaron Budd, all of whom
made a strong impact on this season.
The team also recorded impressive
victories against Pine Richland and
Sewickley Academy. The lineup
throughout the season was consistent at
singles with Vivek Nimgaonkar at number one, Ben Cohen at number two, and
Justin Hunt at number three. First and
second doubles, on the other hand,
changed throughout the season, with
only Justin Carter and Aaron Budd
continually starting.
The two doubles positions have been
hard to fill because of the depth of this
year’s team, made up of seniors Craig
Pentrack and Luke Racek, juniors Michael
Anthony, Nandeesh Prasad and Asher
Saperstein, sophomores Sam Miller and
Boys’ LAX aims for Hershey
By Peter Deiseroth
Frisbee females fly
By Alli Rath
One on one! Juniors Zack Myers and Ben Cohen go head to
head. They need to keep up the hard work as they enter playoffs.
Averback, and Caleb Wilson. Juniors
Ben Cohen and Mont Pooley are offensive threats that have been racking up
goals.
The attack consists of senior Andrew Viehe, junior Peter Deiseroth, and
sophomores Paul Wechsler and Matt
Viehe. With the help of SSA alumnus
Mike Lewin (’03), the attack is still
working to produce the high numbers
that they are capable of.
Viehe stated, “We’re still working
the kinks out, and mastering timing of
ball movement and being vocal. If we can
continue to improve in these areas, we
will be in good shape come playoff
time.”
The seniors went out in good fashion
by embarrassing Upper St. Clair(10-3)
with a score of 10-5 for their senior night
at Grandizio Sports Complex.
The team faced their most heated
game of the year on Tuesday, May 5, at
Sewickley Academy. This historic rivalry is one enjoyed by all who have
attended either Academy.
Photo by Nick Gasbarro
The 2008-2009 Shady Side Boys’
Lacrosse team is currently holding a
record of 6-6. They are 3-2 in the highly
competitive North section, and have
secured their spot in the WPIAL playoffs with a win against Pine Richland.
Shady Side is not only part of the
WPIAL, but also a member of the
MSLCA. This league consists of top
ranked squads from Ohio, Michigan,
and four teams from the WPIAL. These
four teams were selected in the late 70’s
to join the league in hopes of finding
better competition outside of western
PA. Shady Side continues to compete
with some of the best teams in the
country, allowing them to play the highest level of high school lacrosse available.
The Shady Side defense is an experienced group of jaw banging upperclassmen, led by senior captains Beau Bergman
and Michael Fisher. Juniors Jeff Shogan
and Tanner Jones join Bergman and
Fisher at close defense, while Chris
Farrell and Zack Myers are key contributors to the defense as “Long Stick
Midfielders.” The defense has been
fantastic thus far, holding all teams but
one to under ten goals.
Senior Captain Jason Deal leads the
midfield with a tenacious work ethic and
strong moves to the net. Accompanying
Jay on the midfield are seniors Samuel
Peter Donahue, and freshmen Alec
Brown, Naveen Menon, and Jimmy
Grote.
The Shady Side team also met success at the individual tournaments. In
singles, Vivek Nimgaonkar finished third
at sections, while Ben Cohen finished
fourth. In doubles, Vivek Nimgaonkar
and Justin Hunt won the section, while
Justin Carter and Aaron Budd finished
fourth.
From the section tournament, the
team of Hunt and Nimgaonkar went on
to finish third at WPIALS. Head Coach
Tom Mercer says of this year’s team,
“Although many of the players are underclassmen, they have performed very
well.” On a different note, Mercer
added, “We are ready for WPIAL playoffs. We hope to get another shot at rival
Fox Chapel, as we did last year.” WPIAL
playoffs start Tuesday May 5 against
Penn Trafford, and the team looks to
advance far.
Last year, the boys’ team finished
second in the WPIAL and advanced to
the quarterfinals of the PIAA tournament. The Shady Side team, however,
lost four seniors and junior Chris Mengel,
who left to train at a tennis academy in
Florida.
On a cold and rainy day in the middle
of April, the nascent Shady Side Girls’
Frisbee team prepared for battle. Their
first battle to be exact. While warming
up for what would be the first game of
Ultimate Frisbee for the season, Captains Kelly Casey-Latterman, Alli Rath,
and Jenna Mates received word that
Butler High School’s team had forfeited,
no doubt in fear of the impressive Ultimate skills the Shady Side girls were
rumored to possess. Or maybe it was
because Butler had no school that day.
Either way, the Girls’ Frisbee team
chalked up their first win. After Butler,
the girls elected to stay behind and
practice in the rain and mud, scrimmaging the boys’ team and gaining crucial
game play experience.
The girls put their inherent athletic
ability and weeks of hard practice to the
test in their first real game at Pine Richland.
With experienced players CaseyLatterman, Veronica Lee, Mates, and
Rath leading the team, the Girls’ Frisbee
team made a strong showing, eventually
losing when the game was called after
over two hours of play.
The girls went on to lose their next
three games, with each game being better
played and a closer match. They notably lost to Alderdice by only three
points, and made a strong performance
against Hampton, one of the strongest
teams in the league. All the girls on the
team know that their first true victory is
within sight.
Although the Girls’ Frisbee team
consists of many new players, the girls
are learning quickly, and every one on
the team is a stupendous athlete, contributing to the team’s defensive skills.
Casey-Latterman said of the team’s
potential, “We have a great group of girls
this year. There is a lot of natural talent,
and everyone’s working hard and learning fast. I’m really looking forward to
the rest of the season. I think we have
some real potential.”
—Are you a freshman, sophomore,
or jounior looking for a great new sport?
Think about joining Ultimate Frisbee!
Email Mr. Weiss for more information.
Shady Side News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sports 7
Shady Side Girls’ Crew rows to victory Undefeated
girls’ track
outlasts
competition
By Tess Rosenbloom
At around 4:00 P.M. each day, Shady
Side’s crew team arrives at the Steel City
Rowing Club’s boathouse, located in
Verona, Pennsylvania. Across from the
building is the Allegheny River, where
the team practices with the help of the
club’s coaches in addition to faculty
member Rachel McCool.
The association, which was founded
in 1997, is a place where people of all
ages can go to learn to row competitively
as well as for the enjoyment of the sport.
The club has had fifty rowers who
have become national champions in addition to another five who have represented the United States in multiple
world competitions.
In Steel City, the separate participating schools compete as one large
team. Some of the schools that practice
along with Shady Side include the Winchester Thurston School and the students of Shaler School District.
“Being with people from other
schools is a great opportunity and makes
rowing at Steel City a lot of fun,” says
Lauren Laufe, who has been rowing with
the club for the past two years.
Steel City is equipped with experienced coaches including Sheila Lindsey,
the assistant head coach. Sheila, who has
been rowing since 1994, was a member of
the varsity crew team at the University of
Louisville. The team there is one of the
top twenty crew teams among colleges.
“When I rowed in high school, my
coach was not very friendly,” says
Sheila. “I wanted kids to have a positive
experience with rowing and learn to love
By Kimberly Flit
Row Row Row... your boat! SSA Girls’ Crew Team rows down the Allegheny River during an
afternoon practice. From right: Shaler student, Jenna Hebert, Maria Natoli, two Winchester Thurston
students, Mikaela Brown, Liz Roll, Rachel Otto, and Winchester Thurston student.
it as much as I do, so I decided to become
a rowing instructor.”
The most recent crew competition
took place April 18 in Mercer, New
Jersey. The race, an overall success, was
a first for many of Shady Side’s novices
to experience what it is like to row
competitively.
“I was nervous about racing for the
first time because I didn’t know what to
expect. But I realized that all the practices have paid off, and eventually I
became comfortable during the race. It
was a very exciting day,” says Mikaela
Brown, ajunior and novice rower.
“SSA students are very athletic, and
I believe that Steel City will make it to
the finals this year,” says Sheila.
The Midwest Scholastic Championships finals take place in Cincinnati, Ohio.
If Steel City qualifies there, they will
move on to the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championship also in Cincinnati.
The crew team also did well in a race
in Butler County on May 3. Melissa
Smith, Lia Farrell, and Lauren Laufe’s
JV 4 boat got 6th place in heats, Jenna
Hebert and Maria Natoli’s novice 4 boat
got 1st in heats and 5th in finals, and Tess
Rosenbloom and Rachel Otto’s novice 4
boat got 4th in heats.
Additionally, Ali Gumberg and Shannon Achille’s 8 boat got 1st in heats
and 2nd in finals, Melissa Smith’s double
boat got 4th in heats, and Lauren Laufe’s
double got 5th in heats.
Run! Jump! Throw! Go-Go- Go!
That’s right, Shady Side. The Girls’
Track team has done all this, and with
a record of 11-0 has made it to WPIAL
Championships.
In case you haven’t had a chance to
see the impressive Girls’ Track team,
here is a recap of some of the most
impressive events of the season so far.
Kelcei Edmonds (Form III) will return to the 4 x 1 relay for WPIAL
individual qualifiers after an injury that
caused her to miss four meets. Raediah
Lyles (Form VI) broke the shotput and
the javelin records, and now holds the
school record in all three throwing events.
This is the first time in Shady Side’s
history that the Girls’Track team can
participate in the pole vault and has a
record of 11-0. Pretty amazing, right?
Coach Susan Whitney, when asked
what she thought of the Girls’ Track
team this year (and had been coach of the
WPIAL Champions Girls’ Cross Country), said, “Come on out and cheer on
the Girls’ Track team to the finish!”
As Junior Devon Roeshot says,
“This year the team gained so many new
faces that made the season that much
more fun....hopefuly we will be able to
remain this strong next spring!”
Softball on sudden winning streak
Photo by Nick Gasbarro
By Ally Bernstein
Lax it up! Maria Macpherson prepares to catch the ball with
defenders from Vincentian on her back in SSA’s 14-4 victory.
Girls’ Lacrosse team
meets great success
By Jen Cozen
On a dark and stormy…afternoon,
the Shady Side Girls’ Lacrosse team
stole the dignity of the Ellis Tigers, with
a convincing victory. As the initial
whistle blew, a whirlwind of snow descended upon the field, but the varsity
team was still able to grab an early lead.
Throughout the season the girls have
been able to secure similar leads and, for
the most part, sustain them for the entire
fifty minutes.
The team stands alone at the top of
the section with an 8-0 section record.
In addition to Ellis, they have had
other significant victories over North
Hills, Butler, Vincentian, and Greensburg
Central Catholic.
The team’s biggest win, however,
was that over Fox Chapel. The girls
grabbed an early 10 to 1 lead and never
looked back. Though the game was predicted to be close, the Indians defeated
the Division 1 Foxes by the score of 20
to 6.
Junior Hannah Brown reflects on the
season saying, “We started bonding the
first day and it was clear that we were
going to be a great team on and off the
field. We faced adversity from competitive and aggressive teams, and in the end
we conquered them all.”
Captains Piper Person and Maria
Macpherson, the epitomes of pure
muscle and lacrosse talent, have led the
girls to victory this season. Maria
Macpherson credits the team’s recent
success “to our shorter, tighter, and
more aerodynamic skirts.” Piper Person
contributes much of her success and that
of the team to Abigail “Cum Laude”
Wilson III. “Just being around Abigail
makes me smarter on and off the field,”
says Piper. “Thanks Abby!”
Along with the new skirts mentioned
above, wearing mid-calf socks seems to
be adding to the team’s achievements,
especially those of the juniors.
Abigial explains that “The recent
trend of mid calf socks has scientifically
been proven to expand the arteries so
blood flow is increased in the gastrocnemius, thus enhancing athletic performance.”
Whether it is the skirts, socks, or
simply playing ability and team work,
the girls’ lacrosse team has experienced
great success thus far.
The girls are looking to close out the
season with two victories, earn a top
seed in the WPIAL tournament, and
potentially win a WPIAL title.
We used to lose. But now we win.
Our team had its first victory of the
season against Apollo Ridge after a
two year dry spell.
Although that win was monumental, the team kept it up and conquered
Cornell High School in both games of
a double headder. The score of the
second game was 18-0.
A three game winning streak is
impressive for the team, but our record
is still 3-13.
Even though we don’t win all the
time we are a very close-knit team of
fourteen girls who laugh and joke
around with one another. We do not
let continuously losing lower our confidence or self-esteem.
“Even though we aren’t exactly
amazing, we still have fun and work
hard on the field. Winning isn’t everything,” says senior Becky
Tisherman.
Our wins can be credited to our
discovery that it only takes twentyone outs to win a game.
This newly found attitude along
with the experienced players and the
five new varsity members are what
get our team through the tough ones.
Photo by Jack Wolf
Throw and catch. Coach Matt Fisher gives a pep talk to the team.
Senior captains Aurelia Henderson
and Sara Tisherman lead the team
with enthusiasm and sweet skills.
Without an actual pitcher though,
it is hard to play consistent competitive softball, but because of the vigor
of our players in the field we continue
to make outs.
There will always be errors and
balls hit into the holes of the outfield,
but as a team we know the fundamentals and get them done well.
As coach Frank J. McCarthy III
always says, “Throw and catch ladies, throw and catch.”
Our bleachers have been sparse
this year, so we hope to get more fans
at our games next year.
Boys’ Frisbee aims for Ultimate goal
By Eric Rabe
It is raining. The game is too close
for comfort. Our opponent throws
the disc deep for an end zone catch.
Phil Stahlfeld quickly spots the
disc and puts his crazy skills to the
test, determined to get to the disc
first. He jumps backwards, facing the
disc, and swings his right arm out,
snatching the disc right from our opponents’ hands.
An awestruck player shouts,
“That kid must be eight feet tall!”
Ajay Kanak, with his usual enthusiasm, screams, “Go Phil!” With the
satisfaction of skying three people
just as tall as he is, Phil makes a
downfield pass.
This is just one of many exciting
plays made by the Shady Side Academy Varsity Ultimate Frisbee Team,
who have been having an exceptional
season under the leadership of coach
Matt Weiss.
In Ultimate Frisbee, the goal is to
move the disc downfield to ultimately
catch it in the end zone.
Photo by Suzanne Belles
Catch me if you can. Senior Phil Stahlfeld requires four guards.
Seven starters face opposing teams
from all over the greater Pittsburgh
area in this fast-paced game of flicks,
hammers, and hucks.
Team members must constantly
throw the Frisbee to move it forward,
avoiding the eager hands of the opposition.
Currently, the Shady Side team
record is 7-2, and we should be going
to the playoffs, so come see one of our
epic games before the season ends!
8 News, etc.
Shady Side News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Seniors stake their college claims
By Justine Kim
Photo by Lindsay Kovach
The cream of the crop. Cum Laude inductees smile proudly.
Cum Laude 2009
By Billy Rutherford
Countless hours of studying yielded
the highest academic honor at SSA for
the twenty-four new members of the
Cum Laude Society. These seniors were
selected as the top twenty percent of
their grade, in terms of class standing.
The new members were inducted by
Cum Laude Secretary Scott McClure,
Wednesday, April 22.
Guest speaker Charlie Cheever ’99
addressed the audience, speaking of his
life after SSA and the importance of
prioritizing what matters most.
An innovative man, Cheever joined
the Facebook team as an engineer and
manager (he designed the Wall-to-Wall
application) before the company took
off to become the staple of internet
connection it is today. Recently, Mr.
Cheever and two friends have launched
their own technology initiative.
The new members of Cum Laude,
listed alphabetically, are: Anna Brill,
Eric Bucklew, Jonathan Chu, Andrew
Ellis, Brooke Gladstone, Sean Hannon,
Aurelia Henderson, Josh Kalla, Justine
Kim, Ellie Labate, Josh Lee, Alex
Petredis, Christian Petredis, Luke Racek,
Liz Rosenberger, Scott Royston, Rob
Ruffner, Ethan Schneider, Madison
Snow, Bo Stewart, Becky Tisherman,
Rehka Toshok, Victoria Vercellotti, and
Abby Wilson.
Congratulations to these dedicated
students.
Cutest pet contest results
Maggie enjoys walks around
the neighborhood, sausages,
and chasing imaginery objects.
In an effort to raise money for the
Humane Society, the Animal Advocates
club sponsored a Cutest Pet Contest.
Entry cost one dollar per pet photo. A
fierce rivalry soon erupted between pet
owners, teachers and students alike for
the title of overall winner.
Librarian Reed Williams was overheard saying, “Nothing is cuter than my
pet mice!”
Forty-seven contestants entered and
the winners were chosen by Head of
School, Jeremy LaCasse. The category
winners are as follows:
Cutest Dog: Toby Vuchinich
Cutest Cat: Lacey Tony
Cutest Exotic Pet: Pepper Williams
Overall winner and Best in Show,
Maggie, a West Highland terrier, who
belongs to English teacher Sherri
Hallgren’s family, was awarded a Petco
gift card and bragging rights. Congratulations to Maggie and Ms. Hallgren!
Word Puzzler game
By Nicholas Gasbarro
To complete the puzzle, write the two-word answer to each clue in its
corresponding blanks. The last word of an answer is the first word of the next.
___Case____
3.___Done___ ____In_____
2.___Out____
___Done____
1.___Strike___ ____Out____
SHADY SIDE ACADEMY
423 Fox Chapel Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Answers:
4.____In____
Clues:
1. Three misses in baseball
2. Exceeded
3. Finished
4. _____ _____ of emergency
5. Reserve college
6. Money transfer firm
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
_______Union______
5.___Case___ ___Western__
1._____Strike________
2.__________________
3.__________________
4.__________________
5.__________________
6.__________________
6.__Western__ ___Union___
4
Non Profit Org.
Pittsburgh, PA
US Postage
PAID
Permit No. 609
The college process officially begins during the winter of
junior year when we are assigned counselors and taught how
to navigate ourselves through the college search. There are, of
course, exceptions including the eager freshmen who begin
their college visits prior to entering high school, but for the rest
of us, the excitement of a life beyond Shady Side Academy is
instilled at the end of our third year.
Statistically speaking, the Class of 2009 met disappointment at a slightly larger scale than students in preceding years.
Those students born in the years 1990 and 1991 are not, in the
least, less intelligent or competent than previous generations.
On the contrary, the astronomic number of applications of
this year’s graduating class nationwide put students at a
disadvantage.
According to college counselor Tom Colt; “Over the past
three years we have seen record numbers of students nationally applying to college. This year, at the very most competitive colleges (Ivy League schools, Stanford, Georgetown,
Northwestern, Duke, etc.) it was as competitive as ever, if not
MORE competitive than ever before. Some approximate
admit rates for specific colleges this year: Harvard 7.3%, Yale
7.5%, Stanford 7.6%, Brown 10.8%, Georgetown 18%,
Cornell 19%. The downturn in the economy may have
impacted admissions in a few ways. State schools across the
country generally saw record numbers of applications since
the total cost to attend a public institution is generally more
Megan Achille – Univ. of Pittsburgh
Adnan Agha - New York Univ.
Umbreen Ahmad – George
Washington University
Laura Allen – Univ. of Richmond
Daniel Ament – U. of Pittsburgh
Brittany Andrews - University
of New Mexico
Anthony Balouris – Drexel Univ.
Laura Baran – Bates College
Joseph Bartolacci – University
of Chicago
Saxon Baum – Miami U. of Ohio
Beau Bergman – Uni. of Denver
Sonum Bharill - Villanova Univ.
Daisy Block – Syracuse Univ.
Genevieve Bradford-Tume –
Lehigh University
Anna Brill – American University Honors College
Jennifer Briston – DePaul Univ.
Martel Brooks – St. John’s Univ.
Eric Bucklew – Ohio State University Honors College
Jonathan Chu – Vassar College
Vincent Ciampaglia – Univ. of
Alabama at Tuscaloosa
Samuel Colletts – Lebanon Valley
College
Meredith Crimmins – George
Washington Univ.
Alice Curry – Denison Univ.
Meaghan Cutrell – Duquesne Univ.
Jason Deal - Ohio Univ.
Alex Dowd – Allegheny College
Andrew Ellis - Elon Univ.
Emily Farber – Mount Saint Mary
College
Michael Fisher – College of the
Holy Cross
Alexis Georgiadis – Carnegie
Mellon University
Timothy Giel – Columbia Univ.
Matthew Gilson – Allegheny
College
BrookeGladstone–CarnegieMellon
University
Taylor Glenn - Duquesne Univ.
Matthew Goldstein - Univ. of
Michigan
ShivamGosai–GeorgeWashington
University
Kelly Grote – Trinity College
Logan Handelsman – Vanderbilt
University
SeanHannon–Univ.ofNotreDame
BushraHashmi–AlleghenyCollege
Aurelia Henderson – Carnegie
MellonUniversity
Jessica Hirsh – Capital Univ.
Dane Johnson – Univ. of Pittsburgh
Nancy Jones - Univ. of Vermont
Zachary Jones – Univ. of Delaware
Joshua Kalla – Yale Univ.
Paige Kiliany – Carnegie Mellon U.
JustineKim–CarnegieMellonUniv.
Ian Knepshield – Augustana
College
Melanie Labate –U.of Notre Dame
affordable than that of a private college/university. Some
colleges which were particularly hard hit by the economic
downturn may have been factoring in a family’s ability to pay
more than in the past when making offers of admission. As
always, Shady Side students did well in the process, many
being admitted to one of their top choices. The students who
fared well in the process were those who truly took ownership
of the process in a variety of ways: turning materials in well
ahead of deadlines, proof reading materials slated for submission (and asking for assistance in this area), giving careful
thought and time to application essays, registering for standardized tests on their own, taking an active role in planning
college visits, and asking for appropriate support from the
college counselors, parents, advisors, teachers, coaches, and
peers.”
The college process may have been stressful, it may have
lowered or raised the self-esteem, and it was definitely a lot
of work, but in the end all students will undoubtedly succeed
wherever they are. There were, of course, a few lessons learned
along the way: discipline and responsibility are a student’s
two best friends, college information sessions are the same at
every school, and on a slightly different note it is possible to
get rejected from a school for being overqualified. As exciting
as it may have been, the college process is finally over (for the
seniors).
College choices are printed with permission and are subject
to change. Congratulations Class of 2009!
Meredith Lackey – Franklin and
Marshall College
Benjamin Lawrence – Colorado
College
Joshua Lee – Columbia Univ.
Samuel Leff – Colgate Univ.
Kevin Lemon – Carnegie Mellon U.
Raediah Lyles – Shippensburg U.
Maria Macpherson – Villanova U.
Scott Majesky – California University of PA
Sara Mangold – Furman Univ.
Michael McDonald – Loyola
College of Maryland
Alison Mears – Fairfield Univ.
Michael Mitrakos – Ohio Univ.
Sara Murali – George Washington University
William Nickel – Johns Hopkins
University
Craig Pentrack - Univ. of Chicago
Piper Person – Univ. of Richmond
Garrett Peternel – Franklin and
Marshall College
Alexandra Petredis – Vanderbilt
University
Christian Petredis – Penn State
Schreyer Honors College
Brett Provance - Providence Col.
LukeRacek–CarnegieMellonUniv.
Eva Raimondi - Fordham Univ.
Elizabeth Rosenberger – Rutgers
Univ. Ernest Mario School of
Pharmacy
Charles Rosenthal – Carleton Col.
Scott Royston – Vanderbilt Univ.
Robert Ruffner – Case Western
Reserve University
Mollie Russo-Parrish - Univ. of
Arizona
Patrick Ryan - Case Western
Reserve University
Anna Sabo – Univ. of Pennsylvania
Amanda Saenz - Syracuse Univ.
Roman SanDoval – College of
the Holy Cross
KatieSasinoski – Duquesne
Univ. Honors College
Jared Scheck – Denison Univ.
Ethan Schneider – Tufts Univ.
Brendan Scott – Furman Univ.
Edward Sheerer – Kent State
Univ., School of Architecture
Sarah Shelby – George Washington University
Mark Simon – George Washington University
Peter Sinnott - McGill Univ.
Madison Snow – Vanderbilt Univ.
Marina Soffer – George Washington University
Alexandra Spence - King’s College London
Phillip Stahlfeld – Lehigh Univ.
Alexandra Stevens – Michigan State
University
Carter Stewart – Vanderbilt Univ.
Gregory Stofman – Northeastern University
Basyl Stuyvesant – Bowdoin
College
Craig Timoney – Bentley Univ.
Rebecca Tisherman – Connecticut College
Sara Tisherman - Connecticut
College
Rekha Toshok – Carnegie
Mellon University
Victoria Vercellotti - Univ. of
Pittsburgh
Andrew Viehe – St. Lawrence Univ.
Brinda Vijaykumar - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kathryn Vincett – Amherst College
Christopher Wei - Kimball Union
Academy - Post Graduate Program
Bella Wholey - Duquesne Univ.
Abigail Wilson – Johns Hopkins
University
Caleb Wilson - The Kiski School Post Graduate Program
Katherine Winokur – Univ. of
Miami
David Wolf - Indiana Univ.
Bloomington
Erik Von Zentgraf – Clarion Univ.
Photo by Suzanne L. Belles
Seniors take the Prize Day. Awardees Scott Majesky, Vincent
Ciampagla, and Kevin Lemon enjoy the fruits of their labors.