the spartan times - St. Mary`s School

First Edition
THE
February 5, 2016
SPARTAN TIMES
Seniors Spend Time at Local Animal Shelter
By Christina Rasmussen
Teachers and Their
Cars
An average of 28% of high school students between the ages
of 16-18 spend their time volunteering. Whether that be at a
local nursing home, soup kitchen, or animal shelter, a portion
of high schoolers do volunteer in their local community. At
SMH, there isn’t a required number of community service
hours, but seniors Sarah Stueve, Olivia Bromery, Erin Mahar,
and Sophia Kerrins can be found volunteering at the Northeast
Animal Shelter, located at 347 Highland Avenue, in Salem, MA.
All of the girls volunteer weekly and can be found walking
the dogs and playing with them in the play yards. When
animals get adopted, they clean their cages so they’re ready for
the next animal to live in. They also clean up after the dogs and
refill their water bowls. If it’s too busy or cold then they don’t
go outside as much, but they always make time to play with
them in their cages. If all of the dogs have been taken care of,
the girls will help with laundry or cutting up towels into smaller
sizes for cage
cleaning. Can you guess who's car this is?
Submit your answers to
[email protected]
By Sophia Kerrins
...Stueve is
from
Peabody,
and has
always
wanted to
volunteer at
the animal
shelter. “I
wanted to
volunteer
before I was
A dog in the shelter that was recently adopted. The
girls loved taking care of the animals.
First Edition
16 and when I did turn 16 I kept putting it off,
but I’m happy I get this experience.” Stueve
volunteers while keeping up with her AP and
dance classes. “It’s really rewarding to work
with these dogs and then see them get
adopted by great families.” Her first-choice
college has a program that lets you get
involved with animals, so working with
animals is something she definitely plans on
pursuing in the future.
Bromery is from Marblehead, and loves
dogs. She had always wanted to volunteer and
thought it would be really fun too. “My
favorite part about volunteering is knowing
that by being there I am helping them get
homes.” She volunteers while maintaining her
grade point average, work, and sports, as she
runs both cross-country and track.
Volunteering at the animal shelter is one of
the best decisions she’s made and is glad she
decided too. She’s even considering pursuing
something concerning animals in college. “I
wouldn’t want to be doing anything else with
my time.”
Mahar is also from Marblehead, and was
urged by Stueve to volunteer. “I heard from
Sarah that she was volunteering and loved it. I
didn’t have a job and I’m so in love with
puppies that I didn’t see a reason as to why I
wouldn’t volunteer there.” She loves being
able to hang out with the dogs, whether that
be walking them or taking them to the play
yard. She is captain of the girl’s lacrosse team
and also runs cross country, while
volunteering and keeping up with her school
work. “Volunteering keeps you in tune with
the better things in life and is definitely worth
February 5, 2016
your while. If there’s an opportunity to
volunteer at an animal shelter in college then
I will definitely do that.”
Kerrins is from Lynn, and decided to
volunteer this past September when she and
her family adopted a puppy. She decided to
apply online and officially started
volunteering a couple of months later. “My
favorite part about volunteering is getting to
be the first and last person each week to see
the dogs, old and new.” She loves being able
to walk and hold the puppies, and get to
watch them find “forever homes.” She
volunteers while maintaining her involvement
in school clubs and her other job at Brooksby
Village in Peabody. “It’s sad to see some of the
dogs go, but it gives you a sense of fulfillment
in a way. The animals could be living on the
streets, and for a small portion of their lives I
get to help them in some way.” She doesn’t
necessarily plan on pursuing anything with
animals in college, but she still plans on
volunteering in the future.
Each of the girls was nervous before
volunteering. Mahar said, “5 minutes of fear is
worth endless days of helping other people, or
dogs in my case.” Stueve was afraid that she
would get in trouble if she did something
wrong, but each of the girls were placed with
an older mentor to help them and walk them
through their duties and responsibilities.
“They were very nice,” she said. Bromery was
nervous and excited and didn’t know what to
expect, and she couldn’t wait to see the dogs.
“I was more nervous about the maintenance
that comes with the dogs than walking them.
I was also a bit anxious about interacting with
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February 5, 2016
people who would come to visit the dogs,”
Kerrins said. They all agreed that it’s pretty
nerve-racking at first, but once they got the
hang of it, volunteering became the best part
of their week.
Stueve with a new "iend at the shelter. She smiled
as she posed for a picture with the dog.
Bromery and Mahar taking a break "om cleaning
out the cages. They both learned how to properly
work with the dogs.
Volunteering allows you to connect with
your community and make it a better place.
Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you
make new friends, expand your network, and
boost your social skills. The animal shelter
has close to 400 volunteers, so these girls are
meeting new people and getting to play with
dogs at the same time. Kerrins has said,
“Honestly, you don’t volunteer for yourself,
you volunteer for the better care of the
animals in the shelter. It’s really worth signing
up for, in my opinion, I could not picture a
better way to spend my Sunday.” Stueve fell in
love with a dog, Christie, during one of her
work shifts. She wanted to adopt her and
almost did, but Christie, along with her
brother, was adopted before the end of the
night. For those that are nervous to volunteer,
Bromery has said, “There is nothing to be
nervous about. It’s so much fun!”
Volunteers learn a lot of things, both of
themselves and of what they’re doing. Giving
back to your community is valuable in itself,
but helping others also offers many benefits,
especially animals. Each of these girls enjoy
their time spent at the shelter and are more
excited every week. Their determination and
love of volunteering will inspire more
students, and maybe even faculty, to donate
their time volunteering at the animal shelter. First Edition
February 5, 2016
Call to Witness
By Abigail Thomas
According to the dictionary, "witness"
means, "open profession of one's religious
faith through words or actions". That simple
word explains what Andrea Alberti does for
Campus Ministry.
Alberti, campus minister, has been in
charge of Campus Ministry at SMH for six
years. Prior to this, she was a youth minister
for 12 years in Newburyport, four years in
Saugus and four years in Nahant.
Alberti's favorite part about campus
ministry is that the witness of students and
the team inspire her to become a better
person. They help her to continue to serve
God.
Alberti hopes that more of the teachers
and faculty have the opportunity to
experience the love of God through the
witness of students. She says all the time that
she sees Jesus in students.
When she sees 150 students in the lecture
hall early in the morning for Rachel's
Challenge, or when she sees the students at
Hunger for Justice making sacrifices so others
can live. When she sees students worship at
Cry Out or seeing a student helping another
by listening, tutoring, or being there. Those
moments are when she sees Jesus through the
work of the SMH students.
Everyone knows that it is important to be
involved in something. But why? "The key to
happiness is to be a gift of self. We are made
to love. We can only be happy when we are
Chi#ing in the Chapel. Andrea Alberti, campus minister, does
her work in the Chapel before teaching her theology class.
loving. The only way to be our authentic self
is love. We can find happiness not wrapped up
in ourselves," she says.
She has done Hunger for Justice for 26
years. It is something very close to her heart.
It makes a big impact on her because the
sacrifices made, lead to other's lives. Alberti
also runs Rachel's Challenge.
If anyone in the world could come to
speak at SMH, Alberti would want it to be
Pope Francis. His message is exactly what we
embody here at the school. He could teach us
how to love and serve our brothers and sisters
in Jesus's name.
What does it take to change someone's
life? According to Alberti, "...with the grace of
God, something as simple as a smile down the
hallway can have a profound impact on
someone's day and life. When it comes to a
more permanent change, it takes being a
witness to love where people can see the hope
and joy and love of God in our lives."
Her favorite quote is, "The world listens
to witnesses more than teachers, and teachers
only if they are witnesses." Christ put his love
into action. We are called to do the same.
First Edition
Alan Rickman, 69, Leaves
Behind a Legacy After His
Death
By Elizabeth Weeks
Actor and director Alan Rickman passed
away on Jan 14, 2016 from an unpublicized
battle with pancreatic cancer. Rickman's
family kept his diagnosis with cancer away
from the public, so the death of the man who
played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter
series and Hans Gruber in Die Hard came as
a surprise to some of the people with whom
he worked. Actors from Harry Potter like
Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the
movies, were "sidestepped by the awful
news."
The author of the Harry Potter novels, J.K.
Rowling, expressed her feelings via Twitter on
the day Rickman's passing was announced.
"There are no words to express how shocked
and devastated I am to hear of Alan
Rickman's death. He was a magnificent actor
and a wonderful man," she said. Rowling went
on to say that her "thoughts are with Rima,"
Rickman's partner of 50 years, "and the rest
of Alan's family."
Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who
respectively played Harry Potter and
Hermione Granger in the eight Harry Potter
movies, also posted on social media about
Rickman's death. Radcliffe posted a lengthy
tribute about the impact Rickman made on
his life. "As an actor he was one of the first of
the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer
rather than a child... Film sets and theatre
February 5, 2016
stages are all far poorer for the loss of this
great actor and man," Radcliffe said on his
Google+ page. Emma Watson says she feels
"so lucky to have worked and spent time with
such a special man and actor." Watson
reposted many of her Harry Potter castmates' posts about the passing of their fellow
performer.
Rickman starred in many roles, portraying
various personas. His first role was Tybalt in a
BBC version of Romeo and Juliet in 1978. He
had many roles on various BBC shows before
playing the villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard,
released in 1988. After Die Hard, Rickman
has roles in Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991); Robin
Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991); and Rasputin:
Dark Servant of Destiny (1996). In 2001,
Rickman made his debut as the greasy-haired,
black-robed Severus Snape in Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Arguably, his most well-known role was
the seemingly villainous Severus Snape who
was actually just a distraught, heart-broken
man. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban, Rickman starred alongside Emma
Thompson who played Professor Trelawney.
The two starred in six other movies together,
one of them being the romantic comedy Love
Actually (2003), a movie that ties together
many events of the lives of various common
Londoners during Christmas time.
"Alan was my friend and so this is hard to
write because I have just kissed him
goodbye," Thompson remarked in a tribute to
her long-time friend. "He was the finest of
actors and directors. I couldn't wait to see
First Edition
February 5, 2016
what he was going to do with his face next. I
consider myself hugely privileged to have
worked with him so many times and to have
been directed by him."
Senior Class Officer Gives
Insight to Plans for the School
Year
Along with being an actor and performer,
Rickman dabbled in directing. He directed
and co-wrote The Winter Guest with Emma
Thompson in 1997 and A Little Chaos in 2015
starring Kate Winslet.
By Christina Rasmussen
During his career, Rickman won a BAFTA
award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a Golden
Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or
Television Film for his role in Rasputin: Dark
Servant of Destiny in 1996, and a People's
Choice Award for Favorite Ensemble Movie
Cast for Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows - Part 2 (2011) and more. He was
nominated for many awards including a MTV
Movie Award for Best Villain and a Primetime
Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor Miniseries or a Movie.
Rickman has a posthumous role in Alice
Through the Looking Glass as Absolem the
Caterpillar. This last film with Rickman,
which is a sequel to the 2010 movie Alice in
Wonderland, will be released on May 27, 2016.
Expe#iarmus
Professor Snape, played by Rickman, has a wand in the
Harry Potter movies.
Snape's wand was purchased at Harry Potter World in
Florida.
As most people know, Larisa Bogomolov is
a three-sport athlete, participating in crosscountry, basketball and track, is a member of
the National Honor Society, and is the Vice
President of the Senior Class. She is known
for always going the extra mile for her fellow
classmates, and can always be seen with a
smile on her face. I recently sat down with
her to get the scoop on the senior class' plans
for the 2015-2016 school year, and to learn her
reasoning about becoming Vice President. "I
decided to run because a lot of my classmates
had different ideas and issues they wanted to
present to administration. Mostly, my
classmates and my friends motivated me to
run. They're very nice about everything."
The real question is how she balances
everything, while maintaining her excellent
grade point average and many service
projects. "Personally, I'm not incredibly
organized. Sometimes I feel like it’s often
difficult, but you have to make sacrifices for
the things you want to do the most." She is an
avid member of both Rachel’s Challenge and
Student Ambassadors and takes advantage of
all of the service opportunities offered by the
school, along with opportunities outside of
the school. Before entering high school, she
was a part of her middle school’s student
council. She stood as the Vice President,
First Edition
February 5, 2016
Commissioner of Athletic and Religious
Affairs and classroom representative.
She and her co-officers have spent long
hours talking with both Mrs. Buckley and
administration about numerous ideas they
have set for the class. She had no doubts of
returning as Vice President this year; her only
worries were if the senior class thought they
were doing a great job. She has faith in herself
and her fellow officers. “All of the class
officers work well together. We definitely
helped the class a lot.”
When Bogomolov was elected last year,
her initial goals were to start completely fresh
and clean out all of the ideas that were
previously thought of, and to think of new
ideas. “It was actually pretty difficult at first.
There was honestly so much catching up on
each fundraiser, and thinking of new ideas for
Bogomolov, famous for always smiling, poses for her
senior portrait. This was taken overlooking the ocean in
Lynn, MA.
Photo: Katherine Dixon, senior.
fundraisers.” Thanks to Bogomolov, along
with her fellow officers, Prom was moved to a
new location, there are more frequent
meetings for both the officers and the senior
class, and “Homecoming King” was
introduced.
The main goals for this school year are to
decrease the cost of prom and to make senior
year a memorable, fun, and safe one. When
asked if she plans on continuing with Student
Government in college, Bogomolov replied
with, “I definitely am interested in
government and want to major in foreign
relations. You never know where the road will
take you.”
Bogomolov is a# smiles while talking about
the upcoming year. She also explained how she
balances her senior year.
First Edition
February 5, 2016
Robots Take Over
By Sophia Kerrins
"Well, if all goes well, we build a robot,"
says Aislinn McCormack who is the
robotics team captain for a second year. As
leader she plans on expanding the club as
much as possible by the end of this year.
Not only is she the team captain, but she is
quite involved in many other activities that
are necessary to their main goal, building
the robot. "I've played with power tools,
worked with electronics and pneumatics,
troubleshot different programs and parts,
made posters, painted wood on multiple
occasions, done recruitment, organized
meetings, done mostly everything that's on
our portal page, and more," she says, eager
to take part with the formation of the
robot in any way possible. When she first
joined, it was because of her sister Hannah,
who introduced her to the world of
robotics. McCormack has enjoyed being a
part of the club ever since. When asked if
she would recommend this club to other
people she responds quickly, "Heck yes.
Even for kids who aren't "sciency." The
hashtag for FRC is #morethanrobots for a
reason. We end up doing so much more
than building a robot. I've come home with
oil on my arms, metal shavings on my
sneakers and paint stuck to my fingertips.
There's opportunity for a lot of creativity,
community outreach, and practice with
business and accounting applications."
Another member of the robotics team is
John Huynh, who spoke of what roles they
need help with for the following year. "We
do essentially anything STEM related when
it comes to building robots. Roles on the
team may branch off into areas such as
fabricating parts, wiring electronics and
motors, or learning how to drive a robot.
Anyone not interested in the actual
construction of the robot might be
involved in advertising the team by creating
posters or posting on the team's websites."
He has become part of the team more
recently as McCormack, coincidentally,
recruited him. In Huynh's perspective,
about the teams main goal this year, he
says, "Hopefully, we can get more people to
join the team. Right now we plan to do
small projects that would help us prepare
for the next robotics competition." As for
his recommendations why others should
join, he concludes, "Yes, I need more
minions to help me take over the world
with robots. You don't need to be an
engineer to join. You just need open
minded and eager to learn. We also have a
twitter page because we are cool."
In conclusion, the robotics team is a
friendly environment that is open to
anyone with interest. No previous
engineering or scientific background is
needed, just some enthusiasm for the work
and an open mind. This year, Ms. Amber
Patterson is taking over as moderator, since
Sam Lipscomb left SMH. Even though she
was unable to comment on her views for
the team's future, it is clear that both
McCormack and Huynh are extremely
excited and looking forward to a great year
ahead.
Huynh and McCormack prepare for a Robotics
meeting a!er school. They worked hard to make
the Robotics Club possible.
First Edition
February 5, 2016
A Look into the Life
of Gribbins
By Cam Marr
Artie Gribbins sits at his desk, with
another days work behind him. He warmly
greets me as I walk in for our scheduled
interview. Many students view Gribbins as
the man who manages the wi-fi, but I hope
to gain insight into his job as well as who
he is as a person.
Gribbins reveals that this is his
eighteenth year working at SMH. In his
early days at SMH, Gribbins was involved in
scheduling and handling report cards. He
was a computer teacher and also coached
Girls Basketball from 2000-2006.
Graduating from Gordon College with a
major in Business/Accounting, Gribbins
found work in the Beverly/Manchester
school systems where he coached soccer and
basketball.
When asked about what he likes about
having iPads at school, Gribbins says that he
"likes that it gives students the ability to
attain knowledge anytime, anywhere, and
build upon what is being taught." He also
likes how textbooks are updated on a regular
basis, as compared to regular school
textbooks that may be several years old.
Gribbins sees no negatives in regards to
using the iPads in school, and says that
students must learn to use the iPads
responsibly, explaining that working with
technology is a viable part of areas of life
such as college and work, and can be
Gribbins unwinds a!er a long day of work.
He has worked hard to keep the technology at
SMH running smoothly.
extremely beneficial when used properly. It
is this reason that Gribbins sees technology
as playing a huge role in the future of
education.
Gribbins says that he highly enjoys
working at SMH, and that working with
students and watching them grow as
individuals is one of the most pleasant parts
of his job. He also enjoys the working
relationships he has with fellow faculty
members.
While not working at SMH, Gribbins
enjoys golfing and kayaking, and is heavily
involved in the lives of his sons. Gribbins
coaches soccer, basketball, baseball, and
occasionally flag football. He is also an avid
fan of classic rock.
First Edition
Elective Options Prove
Underwhelming to Students
By Elizabeth Weeks
Seniors and juniors - and now sophomores are allowed to take electives. A total of 33 inschool electives are offered, but not all courses
run and some are exclusive to seniors.
"There was an okay amount of electives, but
I found many of them to be geared toward the
sciences and history. I wish SMH had more
options for English and some art options as
well," said junior Jennifer Ogasian, who is
taking Critical Film Analysis and a Virtual High
School course this year. Critical Film Analysis
is a new elective this year taught by Heath
Whelan that has received positive comments
from those who take it.
Some in-school electives other than Critical
Film Analysis include Business, Terrorism in
the 20th and 21st Centuries and Yearbook.
Introduction to Criminal Justice, Correctional
Institutions and Administration and all AP
courses offered at SMH give college credits to
students upon completion of the course, but
not all colleges accept those credits.
A wide variety of VHS courses are available
to students but many do not take advantage of
this opportunity for various reasons. "No, since
I do not like the idea of a virtual learning
experience," explained junior Emma
Panacopoulos when asked if she would take a
VHS course. Panacopoulos currently takes
Creative Writing. "I chose it because I enjoy
writing and nothing else appealed to me,"
she said.
February 5, 2016
Like Panacopoulos, junior Temitayo Falayi,
who is taking economics, found the elective
options underwhelming. "I didn't choose this
elective. It was the only elective that fit my
schedule. There were not many electives that
appealed to me."
Falayi suggested that SMH offer more
interactive classes like culinary class or
photography. Junior Michael Cerulli also
wishes there were more medical electives, and
junior Olivia Bourgeois said, "SMH should
have a college readiness elective, or something
that pertains to the future."
These students either found the elective
options personally unappealing or generally
limited. Despite having the option to take
VHS, some students like junior Alison
Gauthier, were not able to fit it into their
schedules. "But I am grateful that SMH has
electives," Gauthier remarked.
Unsatisfied
Temi Falayi, junior, takes economics.
She took the class because it was the only one that fit
into her schedule.
First Edition
Winter Track Team
Prepared to Jump Any
Hurdle
By Cameron Marr
With winter upon us, many people are in
a more relaxed state, both mentally and
physically. This cannot be said of the SMH
Winter Track Team. The team has been
practicing tirelessly, and has high hopes for
this season. Though the team is 0-2 after
losses to Austin Prep, and Fenwick, they
have not been deterred.
..
...SMH teacher, Heather Straz has reprised
her role as head coach, and is joined by Mr.
Carroll, who is serving as assistant coach.
Carroll believes that the team has
enormous potential, and points out that
there is plenty of new talent on the team.
The team is also bolstered by the return of
Jack Stacey, senior, who has recovered from
a finger surgery that has resulted in his
absence during the last meet against
Fenwick. The season has provided good
results as well, with Ellie Martin, senior,
and James Brumfield, sophomore,
qualifying for States. The team hopes to
win a title, which would be a first for the
Winter Track Team.
Anna Chaput, junior, throws the shot put
ba!. Chaput also ran Cross-Country.
February 5, 2016
Senior Starts Spanish Club
By Casey Walton
De Bernardo smiling as she talks about
her new club. She was excited to share
about it.
Ana de Bernardo, senior, has recently
started a Spanish Club at SMH, under the
guidance of Annabella Dominick, AP
Spanish teacher. De Bernardo, who speaks
Spanish fluently, was excited to begin her
very own club. Their first meeting, which
took place last Thursday brought in eight
people, but she expects more to come as
time goes on. They meet once a month,
either the first or third Thursday of the
month. During the meetings, they listen to
Spanish music and do other activities.
During the first meeting, they made Meals
on Wheels placemats for the elderly, with
Spanish sayings on them. De Bernardo says
that the reason for the club is to, “…inform
high school students about the diversity
that the Hispanic culture encompasses.”
She hopes her club will become a success.
First Edition
Students Give Thoughts on
Dress Code
By Cameron Marr, Darlene Lopez,
Elizabeth Weeks and Abigail Thomas
Recently, our Journalism class has
conducted surveys with the student body.
Selected Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors,
and Seniors were requested to fill out a
survey. Cam, Liz, Abby, and Darlene
decided to survey students on how they felt
about the current dress code policy. As a
group, we settled on a list of questions to
ask, and got some interesting results. When
asked whether the dress code was too strict
or not, 20 kids said "yes," while 22 said
"no." We were surprised by this result, as
we had assumed that most students would
answer that the dress code was too strict.
We were also surprised that students
overwhelmingly agreed that school dress
code is important, with 25 saying "yes,"
while 15 said "no." When it came to the
question of private school dress codes being
easier than public school dress codes, 29
students agreed, while 16 disagreed. The
question of whether the dress code should
be changed or not received 24 "yes" votes
and 17 "no" votes. Concerning the
affordability of uniform prices, 13 students
felt that prices were appropriate, while 21
felt that the prices were too high.
A majority of students who took this
essay chose to answer an open-ended
question asking what they would change
about the dress code. Three students
remarked that they would like to change
February 5, 2016
everything about the dress code, one said
that the dress code should not be changed,
and one student expressed his opinion that
the policy should be more strict. None of
these students expanded on their beliefs,
but the answers show that there are many
sides to the dress code debate. At least 39
out of 80 students surveyed mentioned that
they would like to wear any SMH gear
throughout the week. One student would
like to have the dress code the way it was
two years ago, when students were allowed
to wear SMH sweatshirts every day.
Another student wants the dress code to
be more comfortable in order for the dress
code to be more tolerable. About a quarter
of surveyed students wrote that they would
like more options in the uniform store like
long-sleeve polos and SMH skirts. Having
more dress down days was mentioned by
some students in the open-ended question,
and 69 out of 80 students surveyed chose
"No" when asked if SMH has enough dress
down days.
In the surveys that were given to 80
students there were some questions about
dress down days and different options for
uniforms. When asked if they had enough
dress down days, 70 students said "yes" and
10 said "no." This shows that a majority of
students think that more dress downs are
needed. Another questions was if students
should be able to wear khaki shorts in the
summer. To this question, 63 students said
"yes" and 14 said "no." Another question
that was asked was about selling a different
item was if the school should sell long
First Edition
sleeve polos. 75 students said "yes" and 5
said "no". 75 students out of the 80
students surveyed said they would like to be
able to wear SMH sports gear everyday not
just on Fridays. From conducting the
survey, we also found out that: Lots of
teachers enforce the dress code. However,
some teachers are more lenient than others.
A few teachers don't put dress code as a big
priority. A mix of students have had a dress
code to adhere to in their previous schools.
Having a dress code in their previous
schools could result in not caring about
what their current dress code is. Students
don't always follow dress code. Some people
try to test how much teachers actually care
by wearing something else, such as their
sports jacket, on days when it's not allowed.
Observing the survey results was very
interesting, as we were able to look into the
general consensus towards a major school
policy.
February 5, 2016
First Edition
February 5, 2016
Student Athletes Ready for
Softball Season
By Darlene Lopez
Emma Panacopoulos, junior, has been
playing softball since freshman year.
Panacopoulos is number 8 and plays either
left field or second base.
Panacopoulos started playing because she
had just quit gymnastics and was looking
for a new sport to play and softball
Panacopoulos and Mendez, juniors, discuss the upcoming
seemed fun.
so#ba! season. Last season, Panacopoulos played le# base/
The softball team usually has practices
second field and Mendes played center.
4-6 times a week. When asked if practices
are excessive Panacopoulos said, "Not really
When talking about next season she says
since we have game breaks and they aren't
Panacopolous says she's not sure how it'll
too long."
go because the team currently does not
At school Panacopoulos takes four
have a coach.
honors classes, one AP class, one standard
Mendez says she really thinks the next
class and one elective. The way
season will be an awesome one. She
Panacopoulos balances school and softball
personally has really improved in the sport
is she gets home from practice or a game
since last year and can't wait to further
she'll do her homework as soon as she can
improve.
so she won't be too tired in the morning.
Some of Panacopoulos' hobbies include
From the other sports that
writing, baking, and being with friends.
Panacopoulos has played they have helped
Besides softball, Panacopoulos is part of
with speed. Panacopolous said that softball
NHS.
makes her more stressed especially during
tryouts.
"Everyone's a big family and super
On the other hand, Arlenis Mendez,
supportive," says Panacopoulos about the
junior, said that for herself, softball does
team and their atmosphere. Her favorite
help her. She says, "I love the sport and it
thing about playing is making plays and
happens to happen during my favorite
everyone being super excited about it.
season, spring/summer where the weather
Panacopoulos and Mendez both love
is just right. I love it." Mendez says softball
playing softball and cannot wait until next
really takes my mind her mind off of some
season begins.
stressful issues.
First Edition
February 5, 2016
Boys Soccer Scores to States
By Sophia Kerrins Soccer season is officially over, but the
memories of this year's soccer team are
unforgettable. In a recent interview with
seniors, Jimoh George, Brandon Flores, and
Noah Winston, they open up about they're
last year playing soccer in high school and
their thoughts about the future.
Words that the boys used to describe
their feelings towards the past season
included, but are not limited to; legendary,
unforgettable and emotional. The boys
believe that this past year was one of the
most exciting seasons yet, and they are
extremely happy to be ending their final
year playing soccer in high school on a high
note. The two captains of the team were
Montoya and Esper, who helped lead the
team through the Lynn City Tournament,
EMASS, and North Final. Each game
played showed the team what practice and
teamwork can really help them accomplish.
There were approximately 23 games played
in total with 17 of them won. All the games
won brought only more excitement for the
following games, all the way until the end.
The clearest way to describe each game was
spoken in the words of Winston who said,
"It was a great sense of accomplishment
knowing that our hard work payed off in
the end."
As for their expectations of the season
before it started, the popular answer
seemed to be that the season surpassed
their expectations, which made the entire
year quite special for the team.
All of the players who were interviewed
have been playing soccer for practically
their whole lives and most of them plan to
continue playing the sport in one way or
another. George wants to continue playing
throughout his college career, whereas both
Flores and Winston have decided not to
continue with the sport in a competitive
area, but instead would like to play pick up
soccer with friends.
At the end of the day, every player on
the team, whether a senior or not, has a
year to remember. A year filled with
fulfilled goals and dreams as well as new
friends who helped evolve the game play.
Hopefully everyone will continue to chase
their passion for the sport in one way or
another, and maybe lead the next team to
an ultimate victory.
Boy's soccer team poses for final photo together.
They smiled a!er their successful season.
First Edition
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February 5, 2016
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Editor-in-Chief: Casey Walton
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News: Christina Rasmussen
Opinion: Sophia Kerrins
Sports: Liz Weeks
Copy Editor: Casey Walton
Reporters: Darlene Lopez, Cam Marr,
and Abby Thomas