June 2011 - WA Ghostwriter

GHOSTWRITER
Westford Academy
Priceless
June 2011
Vol. XIV No. 2
Working on a Wish shines while getting messy
Anastasha Echavarri
Staff Writer
event was inside because I
think if the event was outside
it would have had a better turn
out,” said English teacher Janet
Keirstead.
Despite the unexpected rain,
the event
overall was a
success—and
although the
main purpose of
the event
was to
raise
money
for the
foundation, everyone
really
just came
to have a
good time
and to be
together.
Along
with
near future and have one last
wish before they go but their
parents do not have the money
to grant it. Some wishes include
going to Disney World, swimming with dolphins, or even
something as simple as owning
a pink dollhouse.
Some of the main contributors at the event include Towers
as well as a neighbor of Sulka,
continued on p. 9
Photo by Anastasha Echavarri
Photo by Anastasha Echavarri
To end the last few months of
their high school years, Michelle
Powers and Kate Sulka worked
together
on
a
Senior
Project that
helped
raise
money
for the
Make
a Wish
Foundation.
Their
project was
called
“Working on a
Wish”,
and the
event
Mark Lucey getting funky.
itself occurred on May
throwing pies at administrators,
20th.
Ways to raise money for there were several other attracthe event involved a raffle, gift tions as well. Participators such
cards, and even the opportunity as theater arts teacher Michael
to throw cream pies at several Towers played musical chairs
administrators of the school while Ware and Parent played
involving Principal Jim Anto- ping pong at the other end of the
nelli, Assistant Principal Adam cafeteria. Some students played
Goldberg, Deans Michael Parent toss-across with friends in the
and Robert Ware, and guidance corner, and some even played
parachute in the center of the
counselor Mark Lucey.
The event was supposed to room with Keirstead and history
be held outside, however, due to teacher Christopher Connole.
difficulties with the weather, the “The administrators that
event was moved inside to the were having the pies thrown at
them were a huge help because
cafeteria.
“It’s unfortunate that the
they brought in most of the
crowd,” said Powers.
Through games, raffles, and
pies, Powers and Sulka hoped
to raise $6,500 dollars for the
Make a Wish Foundation, and
they indeed accomplished their
goal.
The foundation is a cause
that raises money for children
with terminal diseases. Make a
Wish gives money to the families
of children who will die in the
Adam Goldberg with a pie toupe.
Furcillo set
to address
senior class
Abby Cianciolo
Staff Writer
Graduation day: the ending
point of the year for every high
school senior. It marks the end
of the high school story and the
beginning of the future. Hundreds
of students, parents, teachers,
family, and friends gather around
to witness the conclusion of the
most momentous year for any
high school student.
The most momentous event
of that day, however, is the
student graduation speech. This
year, senior Jillian Furcillo will
be delivering the speech for her
class.
Furcillo has been anticipating the speech for quite some time
now. Even before the speech was
announced, she was hoping to be
chosen. She knew in her heart that
she was passionate about it.
“I wanted to give the audience another look on school. I
wasn’t always the best student
or the ideal person to give this
speech, so I wanted everyone to
see how far I have come and how
Westford Academy has helped
me,” says Furcillo.
Over the last month or so,
Furcillo has been preparing for
this day. The process began when
she had written her speech and
went in front of a panel of judges
to give her performance. Soon
after, she was called in for a
continued on p. 9
Concert to benefit Live for Liv Organization Britton
rises above
On June 22 from 12-3pm, the
Live for Liv concert will be held in
the PAC of Westford Academy. At
the event, money will be raised by
the class of 2012 to help support
the Live for Liv Organization.
The Live for Liv Organization
is a group that is working against
domestic violence and working
towards a more peaceful society.
Just created last year, the organization is hoping to raise enough
money to help get the word out
for their selfless cause.
Auditions for those performing at the concert happened May
18th and 19th. Performances in the
PAC will consist of singing and
dancing. At the event, the graduating class of 2012 will be raising
money for the organization by
selling lanyards, T-shirts, and even
food as they are the sponsors of the
event along with English teacher
and class advisor Lynn Bonakdar.
The ideas for the event itself
started all the way back in fall.
Junior at WA, Christina Hughes
came to Bonakdar for help and
guidance so that this could take
place. As class advisor, Bonakdar
thought it best to turn this into a
project for the class of 2012 so as
to get as many people involved
in this as possible.
The general theme for the
concert is all about the positive of nature and the ability to
enjoy life. The music that will
be performed is going to be
uplifting and positive so as to
honor Olivia Marchand’s life.
One year after the death of
Olivia Marchand, students and
teachers alike are still commemorating her death.
“At first I started this to remember her. I was friends
with her and this concert was
going to be for her, she was so
outgoing, and kindhearted,”
said Hughes.
Hughes realized, however,
that the event would be even
better if it was working towards
not only remembering Olivia
Poster Courtesy of Christina Hughes
Anastasha Echavarri
Staff Writer
Poster for Live for Liv concert.
College Destinations
Page 6-7
Marchand, but also supporting
groups that would help prevent
the tragic event that took her life
in the first place.
“I’m only a junior now. I’d
like to make the concert an annual thing. I can do it for at least
another year,” said Hughes.
After being only a little
over a year since the death of
Marchand, several are excited
to make the concert into a permanent event. With any luck,
the Live for Liv organization
will aquire the money it needs to
further prevent domestic abuse,
and Olivia Marchand will be
remembered. However, she is
not the only one to remember.
“This is a chance for the
community to come together
and to help each other through
difficult times. Westford Academy has suffered terrible losses
over the past two years, and we
all need to come together," said
Bonakdar.
New Grinding Ban
Page 3
Aditi Patel
staff writer
Elizabeth Britton is an
intelligent and artistic senior.
Known as Lizzy by her peers
and teachers, she is adored by
them all. Britton is also the
valedictorian, or the student
who achieved the highest
GPA of the graduating class of
2011. It is a great and elusive
honor.
Britton said that she didn’t
think that she’d be valedictorian when she started high
school, although it had been
a dream of hers. She has always been a hard worker in
school.
So, when she found out
that she was valedictorian it
felt surreal.
Britton describes her selfmotivation and hard work as
the cause for her academic
success.
“At heart I’m a shameless
nerd and I really enjoy school,”
said Britton.
continued on p. 9
Top Sports Feats '11
Page 12
Opinion & Editorial
Editor Pears down WA
WA Ghostwriter Staff
Catherine Pears and Anna Raboin: Editors-in-Chief
Alexander Lee: News Editor
Samantha Upperman: Features Editor
Sameer Kini: Sports Editor
Kyle Auger: Sports Editor
Ethan Walsh: Arts & Entertainment Editor
Janet Fonden Advisor
Catherine Pears
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Kyle Kucaj Advisor
Ghostwriter Mission Statement
The Ghostwriter strives to inform, entertain, and address the issues in the Westford Academy
community with integrity. It is our mission to accurately deliver relevant news, represent the
voice of the students, to celebrate the successes of the school, and to engage the community in
debate and discussion.
The Ghostwriter, as a student newspaper, keeps in mind these goals:
* To increasingly utilize aspects of multimedia in stride with current trends in professional
media and journalism
* To deliver fair unbiased coverage of school and community news and events
* To keep integrity, respect, and ethics at the forefront of our reporters' and editors' mind
Letters to the Editor
Submissions are welcome from all WA students and faculty. All submissions must be
signed, but we will publish anonymously by request. Ghostwriter reserves the right to edit
submissions for length and clarity. Contact us at [email protected].
'Little things' make a big difference
Anna Raboin
Co-Editor-in-Chief
As a class of 400, we started our journey together in elementary school. Now, with a walk
across a stage, the journey will end together. People have grown and changed in tremendous ways;
friendships, personalities and values have constantly shifted to shape the people we are now. Being
a part of this group of students has made me realize that the things that we often get bored of and
complain about are the things that make us who we are. I will take the little things I learned here at
Westford Academy with me into the real world.
Photo by Leah Bowness
Any experience that has helped or hurt you
has shaped you in some way. Teachers who graded too harshly
or seemed impossible to appease have prepared you for
those intimidating college professors. A friend who turned
into an enemy has provided an oppurtunity to make a new
friend, and has helped you realize what kind of people
you should be with. Midterms, projects, and school-wide
tragedies have helped you grow into a capable and ready
young adult.
This boring town that we seniors are just dying to leave
has been our home for the past eighteen years. Westford is
where you met the peers who you will never lose contact
with. Endless and unforgettable dog days in the summer
have been spent at the Stone Arch Bridge, Edward’s Beach
and Kimballs. As anxious as I am to start a new life in
Rhode Island, I know I will always feel some sort of longing to
be roaming around Nab or the town common with my closest
friends.
People will never stop changing. I loved coming back to
WA after the summer to find students completely different after just a few short months. I have
gotten to know my classmates through the way they change, and I feel connected with my class
because of that. There is no telling what you all will become after you enter college, but I wish
every one of you experiences that will help you grow into an even better person. Even though
I may not know every member of the Class of 2011 personally, I will miss all of your familiar
faces. I thank you all for helping me become the person I am, whether it was through a positive or
negative experience.
June 2011
As a newcomer to WA
this year, I had the ability
to observe the school and
student population from a
different perspective. Coming
into the school, I only knew
about five people- none of
which were in my classes;
I decided I wasn’t going to
play any sports- although
I’d played one every season
my freshman through junior
years; and I was set on
coasting through my classesbecause how could a public
school possibly be any harder
than a private school?
Looking back, there are
definitely some things I was
wrong about. First of all, my
grades dropped. Westford
Academy’s reputation is not
without support. Although the
restrictive “rubric” system
was frustrating- as I was used
to a setting where we called
teachers by their first names
and homework was to watch
the cows
on Gibbet
Hill and
reflect
on our
emotionsmany of
my classes
were
demanding
and
engaging.
In fact, as
someone
who
wanted
(and still
does)
to be a
journalism
major in college, I had never
actually taken a journalism
class. But after coming to
WA, I had that opportunity.
Finally I was in a class where
I was asked to step up and
ask questions that I wanted
answers to. The one thing I will say
about academics here at
WA is that where there are
low expectations, there are
low results. In my classes
where I felt that the teacher
was surprised when students
had completed homework
assignments, I didn’t feel
ashamed of not doing my
homework. That is the one
difference coming from a
private school; all of the
students here clearly have the
ability, the teachers just need
to raise the bar.
Coming from a
private school with a total of
less than 400 students, I guess
I was bound to be surprised by
the division amongst students
at WA. At a small private
school, it’s very difficult to
form exclusive “cliques”
because your clique would
have to be about the size of
your grade, but here those
groups are apparent. And
even more surprisingly, there
isn’t much obvious animosity
between groups. At least from
what I could tell. The people
I became friends with did
not hang out with each other,
yet there wasn’t the "middle
school feeling" of “we can’t
be friends if you’re friends
with her.”
Overall, for the
one year that I was
at Westford
Academy,
the one
person who
impacted
me the most
was my
guidance
counselor,
Mrs.
Photo by Leah Bowness
Page 2
McLaughlin. I
remember asking
her, in our first
meeting, how
many students she
had because there
was no way that a guidance
counselor who had roughly
70 students would measure
up to my previous guidance
counselor who only had about
20. I was shocked at how
she seemed interested and
involved in my life at WA. I
expected someone who gave
the bare minimum to her
students, but once again, I was
proven wrong.
Thanks, WA for showing
me that a book really can
never be judged by its cover.
Surfing for more news? Make sure to check
Good luck guys. It’s been fun.
out
waghostwriter.com!
Sound Bytes:What are you excited about for summer?
"SSPA."
"My trip to Alaska."
"Not being in school."
"Being outside."
-Kelly Champine
Sophomore
-Joe Nallen
Freshman
-Ariana Viscione
Senior
-Kristen Dugas
Junior
News
Page 3
June 2011
2011 Apple Blossom Parade blooms into flowering success
sion Services contributed to the
support of their facilities. The
then governor of Massachusetts,
However soon the tradition
disappeared for many years and
then was brought back in 1968
When
May starts
to come
around and
we see the
apple blossoms beginning to
bloom we
all know
what that
meansthe Apple
Blossom
parade
and carnival. I think
for most
teenagers
in West ford can
remember
those days
watching
the parade,
jumping up
and down
for candy,
and being
fascinated
by the floats
strolling
along the
street.
Alandra Bain and Stephanie Sullivan enjoying their moment in the spotlight.
This year's Apple
Blossom Festival is
the 43rd annual Kiwanis sponsor celebration. Many James M. Curley, addressed the by the efforts of the Westford
people, especially the little kids crowd to announce a queen, Kiwanis and has since been a
and teenagers, do not know the thus starting the tradition of tradition up to 2011 as we know
history behind the parade and the queen and the princesses it today.
festival. It all started back in May or back then ‘maids of honor’. At this year’s parade, held on
1935 with the apple growers in In the next year the festival had May 14th, the air was cold and
Westford and the Massachusetts expanded to include the thirty the threat of rain was imminent,
Department of Agriculture, the eight towns comprising of the but the laughs and screams of
the children seemed to make
State College and County Exten- Nashoba Apple Belt. the dreariness of the day fade
away. Along with all the floats
in the parade, the Apple Blossom
queen was announced. This year
the honor
was given
to Lauren
Uram, and
she was
awarded
a $500
scholarship. Other
nominees,
or princesses, include:
Photo by Missy Madsen
Missy Madsen
Staff Writer
Molly Klinka, Alissa D’Angelo,
Jackie Lawlor, Stephanie Sullivan, Melissa Templeton, Sarah
Goode, Jillian Furcillo, Mary
Fitzsimmons, Chelsey Walter,
Rachel Secrist, Rachel Weinstock, Shannon Mills, and Alandra Bain. One of the most exciting
and lively parts of the Apple
Blossom Festival is the arrival
of the carnival. The carnival is
not only a place to go for rides
and eat over-priced food, but
for the teenagers it is a place to
hang, have fun, and stay out late,
screaming your head off rides. The highlights of the carnival
are the fireworks display held at
nine at the carnival on the evening
of the parade, and also of course
the famous ride-the zipper. The zipper is clearly the most
popular ride at the carnival and
the most thrilling with its over
half hour wait to even get on the
ride and being completely flipped
upside down and forward with no
warning at all-obviously a fun
time.
Well the carnival has now
past, but as the apple blossoms
bloom, summer is well on its way,
and this time next year a new
queen will reign and the parade
and carnival will be alive once
more.
Check out the Ghostwriter at
www.ghostwriter.com
Find Articles on News, Sports,
Arts, Music, and Features
News
Page 4
June 2011
2012 grinding ban to take effect Stars shine at DECA
Abby Cianciolo
Staff Writer
Laura Holguin
Staff Writer
On May 9th 2011, the school
committee approved the new
rule that prohibits students from
grinding at school dances and will
now be added
to the student
handbook
n e x t y e a r.
Adam Goldberg added
that he is willing to speak
to any student
that has any
questions
about this
new rule, and
Goldberg also
stated that this
type of sexual
dancing does
not represent what WA stands
for.
The school committee and
WA have worked together to control the behavior at school dances.
Any student caught grinding will
receive a warning; the student will
be asked to stop and his or her
name will be written down. If the
student is caught again, he or she
will be asked to leave the dance,
and their parents will be notified
that his or her child has left the
school dance due to inappropriate
behavior.
Keeping in mind that the
majority of students dance this
way, faculty and chaperones will
give everyone on the dance floor
a fair warning. They will also take
serious measures and go to the DJ
Booth, stop the music, and stop the
dance all together asking everyone
to leave if students continue to
grind after the first warning. If
the student is asked to leave for
multiple dances, then they may
not be allowed to attend dances
altogether.
Faculty, parents, and even
students have complained about
this ban, administration does
not doubt that the number of
people attending these dances
may decrease immensely. If it
is seen that the amount of students attending these dances has
plummeted, the school will find
other ways
to bring
students
together
and other
ideas for
fundraising
for clubs
such as
DECA and
SADD.
If
school
dances are
stopped
altogether, Adam
Goldberg added, “If we stop
dances for awhile we’re fine with
not having dances for a period
of time. We can find other ways
of having social events here at
school that are not dances, that
will bring students together.”
Administration has also considered having an alternate place
for students in the building to be
during dances due to students
feeling pressured to dance this
way at dances. Lastly, starting
next year Administration will
work on how to apply this rule
including prom and cotillion.
Some students at WA are
completely against the new
rule. Sophomore Sam Kelly
said, “Nobody is going to go
to dances next year, that’s so
stupid, and they aren’t going to
raise any money for the school
this way.” "Any student caught
grinding will receive a
warning; If the student is
caught again, he or she will
be asked to leave the dance."
feeling uncomfortable due to
grinding at school dances. Also,
the school has received complaints from adults chaperoning school dances, stating that
they cannot attend or chaperone
school dances anymore due to
feeling uncomfortable from the
behavior that is seen.
The school is planning for
the dean to speak to the students
and show them videos off of
YouTube to present an example
of appropriate dancing that will
be allowed at school dances.
Starting next year, faculty and chaperones will be
in greater number, watching if
grinding is taking place. If they
see grinding they will go onto
the dance floor and pull students
aside if needed.
Keeping in mind that some
students are strongly against
Do you believe in magic?
Well the Westford Academy
DECA club sure does!
This year on Apil 25-28,
twenty-two students from WA
qualified for the International
Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida whose
theme was magic. These were 22
DECA competition.
“It was an incredible experience. I met so many people from
so many places that I wouldn’t
have met otherwise,” says
MacMaster, a first year DECA
member.
Juniors, Alexis Jacobson and Richa Kaul brought some girl power
to the
students
Orwho made
lando
it past the
scene.
MassaThe
chusetts
duo
DECA
placed
competi1st in
tion on
the
April
United
30th.
States
Here,
and 2nd
members
overall
of DECA
in their
competed
Buyin the
ing and
national
Merevents in
chantheir spedising
cific catKaul and Jacobson accepting award
team
egories.
The competition there is ex- event.
tremely stiff. In total, there were “Just the memory of hearing
over 15,000 students, advisors, my name called and knowing we
business workers, alumni and placed makes me cry tears of joy
judges. There were DECA mem- all over again. Definitely one of
bers from not only the United
States, but other countries includ- the best experiences of my life,”
says Kaul.
ing Germany and Canada.
Even with the intense compe- Jacobson agreed with Kaul,
tition, a few members from WA “It was an incredible time.
made it far in the ICDC competi- One of my favorite things about
tion. Junior, Mustafa Buxamusa nationals, though, is meeting
made it to the finals in his indi- people. You meet people from all
vidual event of Buisness Service over the country and the world, as
Management. Sophomore, Nick well as people from WA who you
MacMaster made it to the finals, might not otherwise really talk to.
placing in the top 20 for his event It’s such a great experience and I
of Automotive Service Marketing. Both placed first in their can’t encourage people enough
categories at the Massachusetts to join DECA next year”.
Photo Courtesy of Richa Kaul
Dances to be drastically different
News you need to know Basinas has presidential class
Hello Westford Academy! This is another addition of “News you NEED to
know,”,spring addition. In this
series, I chronicle essential
news tidbits of the season- not
necessarily the news dubbed
important by CNN but news
considered pivotal by the
Westford Academy student
body. So without further ado,
let’s begin:
5. Jose Bautista recordbreaking power
In 2010, left fielder Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays
hit fifty-four homeruns. Not
only was this shocking due
to the fact that no player had
hit over fifty homeruns since
AROD and Fielder did in 2007
but it was also unprecedented
due to the fact that in Bautista’s
previous six years in the MLB
he had only hit a combined
seventy-four homeruns.
As a result, Jose Bautista
was one of the biggest surprises to the 2010 baseball season. Despite his extraordinary
performance, Bautista still had
his doubters; no player in the
MLB was more defamed than
Jose Bautista coming into the
2011 season.
Analysts predicted Bau-
tista to hit anywhere from
twenty five to forty homeruns, but no one expected
even close to a repeat.
However, Jose Bautista is proving them direly
wrong thus far into the
2011 baseball season. He
currently stands at nineteen
homeruns in only forty
games and is batting an
astounding .343. Even more
so, Bautista is currently
on pace for seventy-four
homeruns, twenty more
than his previous total.
Jose Bautista has now
permanently shut down his
doubters and is a early runner for the American League
MVP.
4. Pokerstars, Full-tilt
Poker, Absolute Poker US
indictment
On April 15th, known
to the Poker community
as “Black Friday,” the US
federal government shut
down the three largest
online poker sites in the
world: Pokerstars, Full-tilt
Poker, and Absolute Poker.
Their website domains
were seized and major leaders of each company were
arrested. The legal grounds
by which they were indicted
have been hazy to say the
contined on p. 9
Ryan Creegan
Staff Writer
Students often don’t realize
the work that goes into many
of their fondest memories from
high school. Student government is often the linchpin of
these pivotal events in their
young lives.
Senior Class President
Christie Basinas who has been
in student government for three
of the last four years recently
shared how much of a role these
volunteer representatives actually play. Everything from prom to
class trips takes months of planning, calls to different venues,
and countless hours of shopping around for the best prices.
All of this to save the students
they serve money and allowing
more to attend these important
events.
“Almost at every turn she
demonstrates her leadership...
Whenever we needed someone to take an initiative she
never shied away,” said Sean
O’Leary.
Those in student government aren’t the only ones
who have a say in the matter
though.
“If people want to come to me
with ideas, I’m more than happy
to hear them,” said Basinas.
She often stressed how student government isn’t something
for the benefit of the school or
administration but for the students. She works with people to
try to put the ideas of students
into practice, while realizing the
limitations of her position.
“That’s what a class officer’s
job is, you’re the voice of a
people,” said Basinas.
Basinas also highly recommends running for office. She
describes it as something far
off from what is portrayed in
the media about high school
government. It thankfully
lacks the “heavy campaigning” that is often portrayed.
There are no giant posters, or
bribes with cookies but just
the speeches and the issues
of the candidates in front of
their peers.
Photo Courtesy of Christie Basinas
Alexander Lee
News Editor
Class President: Christie Basinas
Ethical C.A.F.E. Practices
Conservation International
Shared Planet
Fair Trade
Starbucks Coffee
Company
174 Littleton Road
Westford, MA 01886
Linda Murphy
Store Managaer
(978)-392-5926
Lyman leaves WA
Tanvi Verma
Staff Writer
Photo by Tanvi Verma
though, of what she’s leaving
behind in terms of the impact
that she’s had on students.
Carol Fernsten-Lyman is re- “I’ve taught special edutiring from Westford Academy cation for most of my career.
after 17 years as a special edu- My best experience was with
cation teacher.You’ve probably the special needs students,
seen her
watching
around
them
the
make
Guidprogance
ress and
hallmove
way beonto
fore, or
bigger
maybe
and
you’ve
better
had the
things
pleain their
sure of
lives,”
being in
said
one of
Lyman.
Carol Lyman smiling for the camera
her classes.
She’s been
When asked
hugely influential to new teach- about why she decided to
ers in her department.
teach special education in “This is a huge loss for the stead of a traditional subject
department, she’s been here for like English or math, Lyman
such a long time. She’s a role responded, “Well, when I
model and...A good resource was a kid, I used to be the
for the newer staff to go to... person who would support
She’s a very knowledgeable others...There were kids
and dedicated employee here,” with learning problems in
said Patricia Demins, a fellow the classroom and I used to
colleague and friend of Ly- be drawn to those kids and
man.
help them in any way I could.
As a special education It just seemed like a natural
teacher, Lyman has a lot of progression once I got to colexperience with the kids here lege.”
at WA.She’s grown close with She’s lived here in Westthe staff, having taught here for ford for 32 years, and having
17 years. She is very aware,
continued on p.9
News
June 2011
Brown says goodbye to students
Michelle Thompson
Staff Writer
Merri Brown, teacher of
Child Development II and the
preschool at Westford Academy
is retiring at the end of this school
year. The preschool teacher has
been working at WA for fifteen
years, and has taught not only
the preschoolers but also the
high school students enrolled
in Child Development II and in
earlier years, those students in
Child Development I. She has
created a close bond with the
high school students, who in
essence, she teaches to take over
her preschool class.
Brown first came to Westford Academy when the job, previously held by biology teacher
Jeff Haight’s wife, opened up.
She had worked as a preschool
teacher at Roudenbush before
coming to WA. She thought
that working at WA as a Child
Development teacher and working with the preschoolers would
be a great opportunity because
she could work with both the
preschoolers and the high school
students.
“It’s always very exciting,
not only to watch the preschool
kids grow, but also to see the
high school kids grow and get
comfortable in the classroom,”
said Brown.
Working at WA has also
helped Brown with becoming
closer to the whole community.
Brown has had students who
have gone through her preschool
class and then gone through the
Westford school system and
visited her as students who at-
tend WA. She has had an impact
on the whole community by
teaching not only the preschool
children, but also the high school
kids.
“Meeting the families has
also been really special,” said
Brown.
Brown has created a wonderful preschool experience
for her students who choose to
participate in the WA preschool.
They learn a lot, not only from
Brown but also from the students
who work with them everyday.
course selections next year and
the preschool will no longer be
running. Many students have really enjoyed taking the class and
working with the little kids, but
this will be the last year anyone
can take it.
“It is going to be a loss for
the community; the preschoolers
are able to learn from the high
school students, but the high
school students also really learn
a lot from the preschoolers, “ said
Brown.
One of Brown’s favorite
times working at WA
was in her first year
here. Her son was
a senior at the
time and she was
able to enter into
his environment
and see him in
school. She remembers having
her son tell her
about the school
and help her get
used to the way
things are done at
Westford Academy.
Another favorite part of the job
working in the
preschool has been
working with the WA
Merri Brown in her office.
Coming to the prestudents. Brown would
school at WA is difprobably not have gotferent from a regular preschool, ten to experience working with
but the students benefit a lot.
both age groups in a different
“I’m very proud of the pre- program, so the WA preschool
school and the level of education is truly unique.
that we are able to provide them “I’ll mostly miss the inwith,” said Brown.
volvement with the high school
The Child Development II students,” said Brown.
class will be eliminated from the
Photo by Michelle Thompson
Page 5
Two thumbs up fo
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Taylor Dean
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Adam Ciampi
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Massachusetts
College of Art and
Design
Michael Gower
Manning Liu
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Elizabeth Randall
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Maclane Walsh
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Allan Woitowicz
Northeastern
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Massachusetts
Institute of
Technology
Alex Bernard
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Brian McCormick
Michael Myers
Michelle O’Donnell
Anusha Prasad
Tyler Santos
Erinn Scammon
Michael Stent
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Rohan Venkatesh
Bryan Widmann
Mark Wilkening
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Community College
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College of Liberal
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William Goodwin
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Ryan Auger
Anthony Benassi
Jesse Bernstein
Kylee Bomal
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Danielle Ciulla
Ryan Cobb
Thomas Coppinger
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Liam Doran
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Calida Khut
Emily Lane
Allan Loiselle
Krystal MacNeil
Matthew Makuch
Nicholas Mariano
Victoria McCarthy
Randi Medley
Connor Mendes
Megan Messina
Nicole Messina
James Payne Jr.
Connor O’Malley
Alexa O’Neill
Brian Oden
Thomas Pontes
Tyler Neptune
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Karya Bowen
Timothy Norton Jr.
Ross Roy
Kelsey Trulson
Springfield College
Andrew McKinney
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Alexander Coe
Suffolk University
Mary Boutet
Hannah Estabrook
Felix Zambrano
Tufts University
Paul Perrone
Anushi Shah
Rachel Weinstock
Eric Zhang
University of
Massachusetts,
Amherst
Nathan BernerPotts
Alexandra Brearley
Daniel Burkhardt
Isabella Chen
Tiffany Chow
Ryan Crawford
Sean Cullen
Bria Doherty
Brett Gavin
Anne Hickey
Ryan Imbriaco
Kenta Kawasaki
or the Class of 2011
Manu Kumar
Lauren Lavallee
Robert Loftus
David Mackey
Mark Mastandrea
Mark McKenzie
Lauren Miranda
Shannon Mulkern
Courtney Poon
John Ryan IV
Phoebe Taffel
Patrick Tansey
Stephanie Tseng
Allison Varney
Adrienne Viarengo
University of
Massachusetts,
Dartmouth
Rebecca Barthelmess
Jamie Thomas
Alexander Tom
Jessica Williams
University of
Massachusetts, Lowell
Marissa Asa
Trevor Buckingham
Elissa Chao
Kevin Daly
Daniel Fenerty
Kevin Fossey
Tyler Harrison
Aastha Kodia
Daniel Kwon
Johnathan Lawson
Joshua Lin
Kevin McManimon
Molly Proudman
Solomon Say
Patrick Semeter
Anant Verma
Michelle Welch
Zhou Xiao
Wentworth Institute
of Technology
Stephen Britko
Mikayla MacDonald
Alexander Lepore
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College
Matthew Rogers
Westfield State
University
Katherine Bush
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Kellie Flynn
Michael Mizzoni
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University
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Community College
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University
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Mark Hennessy
Alexa Jelley
Dustin Parks
Jessica Smith
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Katherine Greer
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Emily Raczelowski
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Hampshire
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Andrew Le
Arts & Entertainment
WATA seniors make major decisions Get out this summer
June 2011
Page 8
A senior’s choice for what
to pursue after college is usually
not an easy one. By their senior
year they certainly have some notion of what they want to pursue
in their lives, but the choice is
not always an easy
one. This year, three
Westford Academy
seniors made the
choice to pursue theater arts and acting
at the college level.
These students are
John Manning, who
will be attending the
University of Connecticut, and Teresa
Langford and Caleb
Cedrone, who will
both be going to
Boston University
this coming fall.
These three students have been involved in Westford
Academy Theater
Arts for many years,
starring in a number of main stage
productions including Cedrone as
the Phantom in Phantom of the
Opera, Langford as the Bride in
Blood Wedding and Manning as
Billy in Chicago. All three were
named to the all-star cast at this
year’s state festival for their roles
as Casca, Cassius and Brutus
respectively in J. Caes.
The three soon-to-be college
students will each be attending
conservatories, which will consist
of very small classes of between
12 to 20 students from all around
the country. The fact that the
incoming class from a national
pool of applicants at BU will
consist of two students from WA
is “very impressive” describes
theater arts teacher Michael
Towers. “I’m very proud of
them,” he said.
They have all made a life
and career choice that will be
ment business,” said Towers.
“Although I’m certainly incredibly supportive and happy when
a student makes a bold choice to
pursue a career in the arts.”
These students have been
prepared by their experiences
in WATA for what lies ahead of
them. Over the course of their
careers at WA, they have been involved in anywhere
between 15 and 30
production teams,
read dozens of plays
and seen even more.
They are amongst
some of the most
well-read and wellprepared students
from around the
country, according
to Towers.
“I’m definitely ready,” said Cedrone. “Prepared
to do this for life? I
don’t know... [But]
I know that I have
a want and an urge
to be trained in such
a well renowned
school.”
The fact that three students
from Westford Academy have
made this choice is about average for the school, usually
producing anywhere from two
to four theater major students
a year. As said before, two of
these students will be going to
the same college.
“If [there] were many more
[of us] I would be scared to be
lost amongst ‘those WA kids’,”
said Cedrone.
"I know that I
have a want and
an urge to be
trained in such
a well renowned
school." ~Cedrone
very difficult to continue with
for their entire lives. This is
because when someone is involved in theater arts or film
on the career level, there isn’t
consistency in terms of paychecks.
“In the entertainment business, it’s not about how hard
you work, and that’s a very
difficult thing. We’re taught all
of our lives and it is reinforced
that hard work will determine
success. Unfortunately, that’s
not the case in the entertain-
Samantha Upperman
Features Editor
Sometimes summer vacation can get boring. Here are
some fun places to go during
the summer:
Rockport, MA
About an hour drive from
Westford, this small town is a
Good Harbor Beach. Good
Harbor Beach has soft sand and
clear water. As a word of advice
though, get there early because
even on cool days, Good Harbor
Beach gets crowded fast.
York, ME
A little over an hour away
Photo by Samantha Upperman
Ethan Walshe
Arts &Etertainment Editor
from Westford is
an amazing place
in Maine called York
Beach. York Beach consists of
two beaches, Short Sands and
Long Sands.
“I love York Beach! I go
there most summers,” said freshman Mikayla Viscione.
By Short Sands, there is an
arcade and many stores to shop
at. Long Sands is more popular
than Short Sands. After a long
day on Long Sands, you can get
ice cream at a restaurant right
off the beach called Sun N’
Surf. They have large portions
that do not cost a lot of money.
York Beach is a great place to
visit over the summer.
A lighthouse in York, ME
great place to go for a day trip
to the beach.
There are many beaches in
Rockport, but the best beach
to go to is Old Garden Beach.
There are picnic benches to
eat lunch at that have a beautiful view of the ocean. Old
Garden Beach is smaller and
less crowded than some of the
other beaches in Rockport so
there is always space to lay out
a towel and have a great day at
the beach.
Gloucester, MA
Near Rockport is another
town with a beautiful beach.
Gloucester has one of the best
beaches in Massachusetts,
One Acts display talent Passing on the bigger picture
Poster by Dylan McCusker
Aditi patil
Staff Writer
honors kids do it, and this year
the NAHS was a perfect fit.
In total, the Memory Project
has created more than 30,000
portraits from schools in the US,
Canada, and England.
Pobuck first heard of the
Memory Project from a CNN
special she was watching four
“They are displaced either
because of economic issues,
war, or family hardships,” said
Recently, the National Art
Pobuck.
Honors Society participated in
This highlights the meaning
a charitable organization called
of the Memory Project. The self
The Memory Project.
portrait may not seem like a big
The Memory Project is an
deal for children living in the
international program in which
US, since the average child has
students from schools in the US,
a fair amount of possessions.
Canada, and England draw
But to kids who have literportraits of children who are
ally nothing, a portrait of
underprivileged or living in
themselves is a personalized
unfortunate circumstances.
memory that they will likely
The children WA drew piccherish forever.
tures for were living in an
Kids of all ages receive
orphanage in Indonesia.
the portraits. Each child has
The Memory Project is
their individual reacrun by a man named Ben
tion. Teenagers are deSchumaker. While on a trip
scribed as taking their
to Guatemala, Schumaker
portraits and opening
met a man who had grown
them in private places.
up in an orphanage. The man
On the other hand,
explained to Schumaker
the younger kids are
how he had nothing to redescribed as opening
member his childhood by.
their portraits proudly
This inspired Schumaker to
and showing them off
start the Memory Project.
to everybody.
“I had always enjoyed
Usually the students
doing portraits in high
get a thank you letter
school, so I thought it could
from the kids. But this year,
be pretty powerful to get art
Schumaker’s parents were
students involved in making
in Indonesia and the students
portraits for the kids,” said
made a video. They were
Schumaker.
dancing, singing songs, and
The WA students
saying thank you.
received pictures of kids A girl receives a portrait from a student
“The children were so exfrom around the world
cited and appreciative. Eswho have been orphaned,
neglected, or disadvantaged. years ago. Immediately, she was pecially this one little girl who
Then they drew or painted the inspired by the idea. Every year, was dancing,” said Pobuck.
child’s portrait and sent it back to the National Art Honors Society “Now the whole thing keeps
the child for them to keep. Many does something for charity, and going thanks to teachers like Mrs.
students from WA participated this year it was the Memory Pobuk who help their students
Project.
participate. I’d like to thank
in the project this year.
The students who drew the Most of the disadvantaged her and the students at Westford
portraits had to be at an advanced children are left with almost Academy for having such a
skill level. The AP students nothing to call their own. This valuable hand in the effort,” said
couldn’t do it since all their means not only do they have no Schumaker.
work was going to a portfolio. possessions, most of the time
Two years ago, Pobuck had the they have no family.
Photo by Ben Schumaker
scars leave brilliant traces.”
The entire show was set in the
The Westford Academy hermit’s cabin in Alaska. There
Annual ‘Evening of One Acts’ were little details hidden in the
was on May 18, 19, and 20. This set that made it all the more
two and a half hour performance believable. There were cans
showcased the directing skills of of food stacked up in a corner
three seniors: Hannah Estabrook, as well as a small oven; it was
Mark Fingerhut, and Hannah wonderfully elaborate.
Caldwell. Being a Black-box Another fantastic technical
show, it exclusively displayed element was the lighting choicthe acting of only sophomores es. Whenever Rosanna gave a
dramatic monologue, the lights
and freshmen.
Brilliant Traces by Cindy would turn red. Whenever Harry (the hermit) gave a dramatic
Lou Johnmonologue,
son is
they’d turn
a show
blue.
about a
The mood of
young
the show itbride-toself was conbe that
fusing,
flees
as was
from
probher marably inriage and
tended.
drives to
There
Alaska
would
from
be draArizona.
matic
She enbursts
counters
of anger
a hermit
or sadand the
ness foltwo emlowed
by a
bark on a
light,
somejourney
what comic
of emoscene. This
tional
effect was
chaos.
Poster for Evening of One Acts.
enhanced
“You
more by the fact
know when,
that
Nick
Nudler
(playing
like, you’re growing up and you
Harry
the
Hermit)
and
Renée
think ‘What’s gonna happen
Craig
seemed
deep
into
their
when I die’? That’s what this
characters.
Watching
them
play is. It’s answering and asking all of those questions,” said onstage was like watching a
relationship grow.
Estabrook.
The set was the first thing The second show was The
that the audience noticed. On Father Clock by Walter Wykes,
the wall was inscribed, “Let my directed by Mark Fingerhut.
Continued on page 9
Tanvi verma
Staff Writer
One Acts display WA talent
Continued from p. 8
It is a show about two actors
and a stage manager who have
been abandoned by their director and forced to put on a show
anyways.
It has a deeper meaning
about religion...It’s something
that most people have never seen
before, it’s a really interesting
show”, commented Fingerhut.
When the audience enters
the black box, the sight of the
actors milling around trying to
get set for the show and the harried stage manager trying to get
things together greets them. The
audience is a part of the show.
They’re a part of a show that’s
about people trying to put on a
show. It’s unique and refreshing
and very different from a typical
performance.
The set of the show reflected
the overall mood of the show,
chaotic and confusing. Things
were strewn about. The central
focus of the show, the actual
father clock, was in the far corner of the black box. A couch,
upon which most of the action
occurred, was in the dead center
of the room.
If one can see the overlying
metaphor of the show, about God
and his people, then it’s a very
powerful and thought-inspiring
show. However, if you don’t
pick up on the very obvious
metaphor, then it’s just confusing and difficult to follow.
It’s absurdist theater, it’s not
intended to make sense, it’s just
intended to make the audience
think and think hard.
The acting of Emily Borst
(Snub), Emily Brown (Stage
Manager), and Chris Noran
(Flub) was commendable.
All three were engaging and
very energetic, they threw him
around the set and gave themselves entirely to their respective parts
The last show, the Dumb
Waiter by Harold Pinter and
directed by Hannah Caldwell,
is about two ‘hit men’ who
are trapped in a basement and
deeply confused about the coming and going of a dumbwaiter
in their room. The actors, Aaron
LaBarre, Zak Dictakis, and Matt
Higgins all evenly shared the
two parts over the course of the
six performances.
The show was the most
enjoyable of the night, in my
opinion. The show opens with
an airy and comic feel to it, enhanced by jazzy elevator music
playing in the background. The
two men have a very funny
friendship and it was light and
easy initially. The two characters were in costumes that
reflected their personalities.
Ben (Aaron LaBarre) was in a
more crisp and put-together attire than his goofy counterpart,
Gus (Matt Higgins).
However, there was an
overlying eerie mood. Ben
had quick solo moments where
the lighting would cut out and
he’d be alone in the center of
the black box. These moments
intensified this strange suspenseful feeling in the midst of
the light comedic atmosphere
of the show. These moments
of suspense all seem to come
together and to a climax by
the end of the show. The actual message of the show is
very morbid, but it’s hidden
under layers of comedy. It’s
somewhat similar to the Father
Clock, in that sense.
Overall, the evening was
fantastic. Looking at all of the
elements (the set, lighting, acting, sound, etc.), one can tell
that there was a tremendous
amount of effort put forth into
these shows. The directors
should be proud that they’re
leaving WA with work that has
such a resounding and thoughtinspiring impact.
Jillian, but her father’s memory
has helped her through.
“He has inspired me to be
a better person and has shaped
me into who I am now. I want to
speak on behalf of him as well
as myself,” Furcillo adds about
her father.
The influences of her father
will be a key subject in her
speech as well as other experiences at WA that have helped
her.
“In my speech, I will be
reminiscing on everything
that has happened to me here
and how WA has helped me in
my personal experiences and
struggles through the years,”
says Furcillo.
With almost no public
speaking experience, Furcillo
is quite anxious about graduation and speaking in front of so
many people. She is hoping it is
heartfelt and memorable.
“I hope everyone understands where I am coming from
and remembers my speech. I
don’t want it to be one those
speeches people sit through and
can’t wait until it’s over,” says
Furcillo.
There is one area she hopes
stands out the most to the audience.
“At the end of my speech, I
mentioned how each of us is not
promised a life without adversity but we all have the ability
to overcome those challenges.
This is what I want my audience
to remember always from my
speech,” says Furcillo.
Furcillo set to speak at graduation
Continued from p. 1
second interview with her revamped speech. Furcillo was
then chosen as the class speaker,
working with the English department to make sure her speech
was perfect.
This tremendous honor left
Furcillo ecstatic.
“When I was chosen, I was
really excited because I was so
proud of myself. It was a lot of
my hard work over the past two
years, and it all paid off,” the
graduation speaker added.
And these past two years
have not been easy for Furcillo.
When she was a sophomore, her
father, Donald Furcillo, passed
away due to medical problems.
It was a very difficult time for
Working on a wish
shines while getting
messy
Continued from p. 1
Helen Harde. Towers donated
over $100 towards the foundation and paid for everyone in the
room so that they could throw at
least one pie at an administrator.
Harde donated even more.
“She told Kate that she
would match whatever we happened to raise at the event. Now
we reached our goal of $6,500
mostly because of her,” said
Powers.
Back in winter, Sulka and
Powers had a clear picture as
to how they wanted to end their
last year in high school. Ideas
for this were confirmed during
their English class. Inspiration
for the event was easy to come
by.
“Kate loves the idea of the
foundation— and especially
since we both love little kids
we decided that we wanted to
help them anyway we can,”
said Powers.
Hopes as to whether or not
events such as this will occur
in the future is up to the seniors
in the years to come. During
prom pictures at the common,
Lucey commented on how it
would be great if this event
turned into an annual project
and hopes that others will take
up the challenge in the future.
As of now, 208,012 children have had their wishes
granted by the Make a Wish
Foundation. Despite the fact
that these children will die
of terminal diseases does not
change the fact that with the
help of people such as Powers
and Sulka, these children are
living the rest of their lives to
the fullest knowing that there
are people out there who truly
care and are willing to fight for
their happiness.
June 2011
Britton rises above
will be attending the University
of Pennsylvania next year. This
Instead of trying to impress will be a whole new world for
others with her grades, she set Britton, and her classes will be
goals that would make her happy filled with talented kids from all
and met those standards. Work- over the US.
ing to her goals makes the suc- “On some level, my high
school achievements will be a
cess fulfilling and rewarding.
According to Britton, her different part of my life. I hope
favorite and best subject is art. though, that this is some indicaShe is passionate about it and tion that I will succeed next year
dedicated most of her time and and further down the line,” said
Britton.
effort to it, too.
Before
The students
leaving
in advanced art
WA, Britclasses are paston imsionate about
parts some
art, and it was
wisdom
this environonto other
ment that alyounglowed Britton
er high
to be a successschoolers.
ful artist.
Britton de “I got to
explore my own Elizabeth Britton, the valedictorian. scribed that
she always had
interests rather
a
full
and
taxing
schedule, but
than absorb material chosen by
she made sure that it was made
others,” said Britton.
Despite it being a proven up of predominately classes that
fact that Britton is extremely she enjoyed and didn’t mind deditalented, she remains a modest cating herself to. She made sure
that she took art and music every
person.
“I don’t really think of my- year. Britton even took AP Art
self as valedictorian, like I have twice, both in junior and senior
so many friends who are so much years. She preferred humanities
smarter than I am. It was really over math and science, so she
took more of those classes.
strange,” said Britton.
Now that Britton is graduat- “Find what you want to do,
ing, she feels as if she is done what you’re passionate about,
with a big chapter in her life. She and do it well,” said Britton.
Continued from p. 1
Photo by Aditi Patil
Page 9
Lyman retires from WA
Continued from p. 5
been a teacher here for 17
of them; she’s noticed a lot
of changes in the kids here
at WA.
“I think the culture’s
changed a lot...I think I look
at this group of kids as much
more sphisticated and in-the
know. And that change has
taken place in a way that you
wouldn’t notice at first. Kids
have changed a lot.”
She’s not taking a break
yet, though, Mrs. Lyman
intends on traveling
and
studying realty and getting
her realty license. She’s also
looking forward to spending
time with her grandchildren.
As for the far future, she’s
not entirely sure as to what
her plans are. She’s sure that
she will miss her peers greatly,
though.
“I think I’m going to miss
the people...It’s like a big family here.” said Lyman.
News you need to know continued
continued from p. 1
least. Established as a clause in
Bush Doctrine, the law stated
that it was illegal for banks to
knowingly transfer money to
online poker websites.
Operating since the early
2000s, the businesses had been
booming, reporting huge profits
each year, and for the most part
the US government had not
seemed too interest despite the
potential criminal activity.
However, in April of 2011
Daniel Tzvetkoff brought up
charges against these three
websites, and as a result the
FBI took action. Now, the state
of online poker seems precarious.
3. Dominique Straus Kahn
It seems as though in our
society, political scandals are
a run-of-the-mill ordeal. Last
year, it was John Hancock who
unexpectedly fled to Texas with
his Latin-American Lover.
The year before it was Rod
Blagojevich who corruptly sold
state positions for money.
This year it was the French
Politician Dominquez Straus
Kahn who on May 14th of this
year is alleged to have sexually
assaulted a maid in the Sofitel
New York Hotel.
Reportedly, Straus Kahn
exited a bathroom naked when
the maid was in his room, and
tried to force her to have sex with
him. He then hurriedly fled the
hotel only to be arrested boarding his plane back to France
Straus Kahn, who had been
a very successful businessman
in France, had actually posted a
higher approval rating than current President Nicolas Sarkozy
and was expected to defeat the
incumbent in this year’s coming
election.
Instead, Straus Kahn may
receive up to twenty years of
jail-time.
2. Rapture was a bust
Over the past twenty years,
some Christians have been proposing that on May 21 of 2011,
the apocalypse was set to begin.
A day dubbed as “Rapture”, on
this day God and Jesus were
supposed to come down to the
earth and save those people truly
devout to them.
There was also supposed to
be five earthquakes to ravage the
earth, ultimately culminating in
the destruction of the world in
2012.
However, as May 21 came
and went nothing happened; in
fact, it was quite the beautiful
day in Westford.
Family Radio and its leader
Harold Camping, the people who
most strongly professed this
theory, are left with nothing to
show.
1. Osama Bin Laden Dies
However, the most significant bit of news occurred on May
2, 2011. That day marked the
killing of Osama bin Laden.
He was killed in a military
raid called “Operation Neptune
Spear”. A team of twelve navy
seals rode in helicopters to a
Pakistani mansion where Bin
Laden had supposedly been living for several years.
Bin Laden and his family, over sixty people, had been
tracked by satellite and high-tech
cameras for three years after the
CIA had received a tip.
When president Barack
Obama came onto CNN that
night to give the American People
the celebrated news, the sincere
elation of the masses spoke for
themselves.
It was a great day for America
and democracy itself.
Page 10
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Because it’s not just the policy.
It’s
t s the people.®
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800-225-1865
www.fredcchurch.com
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
- Dr. Seuss
Hats off to
Westford Academy
Class of 2011
The PCA’s Westford Teen Arts Council celebrates 11 years showcasing young musicians with
rock, acoustic, and classical concerts produced by and for teens, eighth grade and older.
Thank you for your support!
Fill your life with art!
June 2011
Sports
Page 11
June 2011
Farewell to the sports triple threat All hail, King Corn
Senior Molly Klinka started
off her freshman year on the
varsity field hockey team and prepares to leave
We s t f o r d
Academy
while she’s
still on the
field. With
her incredible talent for
the game as
well as other
many aspiring traits,
one wonders
how she became the
person she
is today.
Starting
in the 3rd
grade, Klinka joined her
first basketball team, and
ever since
Klinka showing her field hockey skill
then has been
involved in sports.
“Well my whole family is very field and give it my all the entire
athletic. I mean my brother plays time and not have to come off the
sports and my younger sister plays field having not done anything,”
sports as well and we like to be said Klinka.
active and outside so it was a fun
Over the years, Klinka adway to make new friends and to mits that she has changed in
get to know people when we were several ways. Several teachers
younger,” said Klinka.
and friends all acknowledge the
Klinka currently plays three level of maturity she has as well
sports throughout the year. Her as her acceptance and kindness
coaches have noticed her raw tal- towards most everyone.
ent and leadership-like qualities
“Molly is a person with really
that although most seek, many high integrity that’s committed
of us lack. RaeAnn Gembis, to whatever she does. She’s
coach of the Varsity Field Hockey really honest with herself and
team, points out Klinka’s star-like with other people. She has high
qualities.
expectations for herself and
“She had a lot of talent right her teammates and has a lot of
from the beginning and was very people that respect her a great
mature on the field as a freshman. deal,” said Gembis.
She really showed a lot of leaderHaving spent so much time on
ship skills and blended right in the field, Klinka reflects back on
with upperclassmen and has been the times in her sophomore year
a strong player for us over the where her teams, both lacrosse
years both on and off the field,” and field hockey, have made
said Gembis.
it to different tournaments.
Klinka prefers to play offense In field hockey her team won
in lacrosse but plays defensive in a tournament and in lacrosse
field hockey. Despite this, she has her team made it to the semimanaged to score 18 goals in field finals—farther than her team
hockey along with 14 assists—all has ever made it before.
The opportunities were made
possible by the integrity, closeness, and strength of the teams,
as well as the guidance from
Gembis in field hockey.
“She’s pushed me to
be a better field hockey
player and to work hard
and to always try your
best and to do all you
can and to look out for
my teammates at
the same time…
I really have had
more faith in myself because of her.
She is quite a role
model for me,”
said Klinka.
Now as the year
comes to a close,
so does Klinka’s
high school career.
She’s made countless friends and
connections with
the school and
looks back on the
opportunities that the
school has offered her.
“I’ve done a lot of growing up
and have seen a lot of things…
and I hope that WA has prepared
me for what I am about to face
both in and outside of college,”
said Klinka.
Klinka leaves the school thinking of WA and those in it like a
home and like a family. Deeply
integrated into the heart of the
school and especially the sports
program, Molly is going to
miss everyone but is ready and
excited to go to Northeastern
where she’ll be in the nursing
program.
“Westford Academy has been a
great support system. Everyone
in school including the staff and
guidance and the students are
always people that you can count
on. There’s always someone
you can talk to if you need to.
They’re always supporting you
at the games and you know no
matter what. When it all comes
down to it—they’re going to be
on your side, no matter what,”
said Klinka.
By Asad Kihimani
Staff Writer
said Cornelius.
With the spring sports season,
Cornelius said that the baseball
team has done well this year.
Corn, King Corn, and Prog
are some of the names he is
known by at Westford Acad- “We’ve got a lot of good
players, mostly seniors. So yeah,
emy.
Senior Mark Cornelius, we did well this year. It would
a student-athlete for the WA have been disappointing if we
Ghosts, plays football, bas- didn’t,” said Cornelius.
ketball, and baseball for the Cornelius said that WA
tied for the DCL title two years
school.
He made the varsity teams ago and made it to the playoffs
for all three sports in sophomore last year. This year, they are
aiming to once
year. In
again be the
basketDCL chamball, he
pions.
plays the
Cornelius
position
hopes to
of guard,
play basin football
ketball or
he plays
football
wide rein college
ceiver
next year.
and in
“I’m
baseball,
n
o
t
sure
he pitchwhich
one
es, plays
yet.
It
kind
outfield,
of depends
centeron what
field, and
school I go
a little bit
to,” said
of first
Cornelius.
base.
He is mostAlso, he
ly
looking
at
was one
the
University
of the
of New Hampcaptains
shire and BentCornelius
looking
to
secure
a
WA
win
of the basley University,
ketball
but
the
college
he
will definitely
team this season. Overall, he is
go
to
is
still
undecided.
Howtalented at all three sports.
ever,
it
is
definite
that
this
is
Cornelius has been playing
King
Corn’s
last
year
as
a
Grey
basketball and baseball since
he was very young, sometime Ghost.
around kindergarten. However, “It’s fun playing all three
he only started to play football sports. I enjoyed every minute
of it, and it’s gonna be different
in his sophomore year at WA.
“I love all three, but basket- when I’m only playing one,”
ball is probably my favorite,” Cornelius explained.
Photo Courtesy of Victor Cheerio
made while she was in defense.
However, Klinka states that she
really has no specific goals each
time she’s playing.
“I really just go out onto the
Photo Courtesy of Molly Klinka
By Anastasha Echavarri
Staff Writer
Westford Grille Giveaway
The Westford
Academy Ghostwriter is
running a giveaway on
June 6th and will be
Westford's Own Golf Professional
giving away TWO
the first time he played. He day. He focuses mainly on
says that he and his family chipping and putting but also
Westford Grille
Though our student body were “terrible” and that they
works
on
the
driving
range
for
mainly focuses on football, “had no idea what we were at least two hours. He works
giftcards for the
basketball and baseball cham- doing”.
diligently,
trying
to
improve
pionships, the golf team was However, amidst the his golf game with every
person who posts the
arguably the most successful rather unremarkable perfor- stroke.
sports team of 2010-2011. They mance, Luther says that he With his leadership,
quietly posted the best record discovered his true passion Luther hopes to lead next
10th and 20th comment
in the DCL this year and were for golf in these free eighteen year’s golf team to another
also DCL champions.
holes.
on an online article that
Though the
No player deserves more “I do remember one shot championship.
team
will
be
drastically
difcredit for their victory than I had that day; it was a long ferent in 2011-2012, given
day will receive the free
team MVP, Lance Luther. Over par three I took out what I the fact that nine of sixteen
his freshman and sophomore think was a three wood. I members are graduating,
prize.
years, Luther had shown great absolutely killed that shot, Luther promises more sucpotential in golf, but this year
By: Alexander Lee
News Editor
as a junior his game really came
together and led the golf team
to the DCL championship.
However, Luther had not
always been so adept at golf.
He says that the first time he
handled a club was when he
was twelve or thirteen. At the
time, he was vacationing with
his family and his hotel stay
included a free 18-hole round
at a local country club.
Luther wasn’t a prodigy
it was awesome to see that
ball fly through the air for so
long. After that one swing I
was hooked to the game. I
wanted every one of my shots
to be just like that one, to fly
forever and get close to the
pin. So, ever since then I have
dedicated myself to become
as great as I can,” he said.
Luther has truly lived up
to his word. He practices at
Butterbrook Country Club
every Tuesday and Thurs-
cess.
“I still feel that every
team in the DCL will look at
their schedule next year, see
when they are playing WA
and dread having that match
with the ghosts. There is a
reason why WA golf is one
of the most winning sports at
the academy, and I guarantee
next year’s team will not disappoint,” he says.
Page 12
Athletes we will miss
Sameer Kini
Sports Editor
Boys:
1. Mark Cornelius – The
top athlete WA loses this year
is without a doubt Mark “King
Corn” Cornelius. Cornelius is
an elite three-sport athlete, as he
dominated football, basketball
and baseball. As a receiver, he
was known for having incredible hands. In basketball, he
was a scoring and rebounding
machine, leading WA to the 2nd
round of the playoffs. Cornelius
will truly be missed by WA when
he graduates.
2. Mike Mizzoni – Mizzoni
has truly made his mark on WA
in his four years. As a defensive
lineman for the football team,
he inspired fear in the hearts of
opposing quarterbacks with his
size and strength. Not only was
Mizzoni a dominant force in
football, but he also was a phenomenal wrestler. His notable
achievements this year were
knocking off the number one
heavyweight and number ten
heavyweight in the state. WA
will be losing a true talent as
Mizzoni graduates.
3. Peter Russo – Russo flies
under the radar as a studentathlete WA will miss. A threeseason athlete, Russo has excelled in his roles on the soccer
team and both winter and spring
track. In track, Russo excels at
the 400m, and the team will
surely not be the same without
him. WA loses a leader in Russo,
as well as a phenomenal athletic
talent, and he is truly one of the
top athletes leaving WA.
Girls:
1. Emily Raczelowski –
Raczelowski, also known as
E-Razz has been a superb
athlete over her four years at
WA. Her strength is crucial
to her success as one of the
best throwers this school has
ever seen. Not only does she
run both indoor and outdoor
track as a relay hurdler, she
has broken numerous school
records with her mammoth
shotput tosses reaching nearly
37 feet. Raczelowski's ability
will not be matched for years
to come.
2. Rachel Secrist – Secrist’s
ability as a three-sport athlete
clearly qualifies her as one
of the top athletes WA loses
this year. As a multiple sport
captain, Secrist’s credentials
speak for themselves. She is
talented at all the sports she
plays for the school, which
are soccer, basketball and
lacrosse. Her valuable versatility is essential to all of the
teams she plays on, and for
this reason, WA loses a huge
talent in Secrist.
3. Molly Klinka – Klinka’s
leadership makes her one of
the top athletes WA will miss.
As a captain of both the field
hockey and lacrosse teams,
she was among top goal scorers. Despite her talent she is
not selfish, among one of the
most beloved atheletes in
histoy and her truly impact
has not gone unnoticed.
Sports
June 2011
Concussions, not just in the NFL
The numbers, deaths and Westford athletics
Kyle Auger
Sports Editor
"I've had times where I
walked up to the line, where I
know the play, but don't know
what to do," said Oakland Raiders tight end Tony Stewart, who
was a repeated concussion
victim.
Although brain injuries
are a prominent issue in the
NFL, the problem has also
become apparent in high
schools and colleges.
Just at WA alone, there
have been 12-15 concussion cases in this school
year. Luckily, WA is on the
forefront of the technology
of diagnosing, treating, and
recovering from concussions.
“We use what’s called
the impact program…it’s a
tool we have to use to monitor
your recovery when you do have
a concussion,” said trainer Bill
Bombaci.
After using this program,
victims then go through a 2-3
week process that includes
visiting a doctor, retaking the
test, and doing various light
workouts.
Having personally gone
through the recovery process, I
feel safe about the way concussions are found, treated, and
tracked through recovery. My
case was lengthy, and Bombaci
was willing to do whatever was
necessary to bring me back to
health. I believe knowledge
about the seriousness of concussions is relatively unknown, and
I think that the campaigns by
colleges, high schools, and the
NFL are helpful in the diagnosis
and recovery of concussions.
ing. This conclusion is another
good sign for Westford Academy
as the football teams are equipped
with Riddell helmets.
Also, the increase in national knowledge in brain injuries in sports has brought along
an increase
in concern
from athletes' parents.
“There’s certainly more
awareness
to it, here
at Westford
Academy…
We are very
proactive
about concussions, we
would sit kids out… and Billy
[Bombaci] has been doing it
here for a long time, the baseline
test,” said Athletic Director Dan
Twomey.
Concussions are not preventable. However, they may
be completely discovered and
treated using technology, and
with leaders like Twomey and
Bombaci forging the way, great
things seem to be on the horizon
for concussion research and treatment.
Hopefully with more people
like them, concussions will be a
minor injury problem.
"Just at WA alone,
there have been
12-15
concussion cases in
this school year."
Even though there are studies and research being done to
find a way to treat concussions,
these injuries are still giving
sufferers long-lasting symptoms,
including headaches, sensitivity
to light, sound, and fatigue. The
even more long terms effects are
obvious in the NFL where there
have been various brain damagerelated deaths.
These deaths have been a
leading cause for high-cost research that has been highlighted
by a study at Virginia Tech where
they rated the effectiveness of
helmets. They concluded the
Riddell Revolution Speed was
the safest, given a five star rank-
The best of the best in a year of athletic achievement
record was broken in indoor
track when Emily Raczelowski
hurled a shot put nearly 37 feet,
while in the process of becoming state shot put champion.
Not only were records
broken, but many
teams continued the
Academy’s winning
ways.
Starting with
the swim team,
the girls team finished 2nd in the
MIAA Division
1 State Meet as
well
as the
Photo by Peacock Photography
It has been quite the year
for Westford Academy athletics.
The successes and achievements
country all made the MIAA
Section Finals, an impressive
accomplishment for the teams.
Other teams that qualified for
the MIAA Tournaments were
Mizzoni pins Elvis Johnson of Weston
of both individual
athletes and entire teams have
surely not gone unnoticed. Since
the beginning of the fall season,
student-athletes have clearly
been striving for the best, and it
is reflected in their results. This
trend started earlier in the year
and continued throughout all the
seasons. WA and its athletes have
broken numerous records,had
many dramatic wins, and many
succeeded in postseason play.
The fall season created a
strong foundation that left WA
sports with a bright outlook for the
rest of the year. Two teams took
down DCL titles, and many teams
qualified for tournament play and
were section finalists. Prominent
teams such as girls' soccer, volleyball, cheerleading and boys' cross
boys' soccer, field hockey, and golf. In
addition to these solid performances, two teams went above
and beyond to earn the title of
DCL champions. The seemingly
underdog golf team took the
DCL title, as did cheerleading
with their high-flying ability.
The mood set by the teams
from the fall continued to the
winter season, where the Grey
Ghosts experienced another
windfall of both individual and
team successes. An astonishing
number of records were broken
by WA athletes this winter,
spanning from records in indoor
track to those in the swimming
pool. The swim team happened
to set seventeen new school
records, and the team even set a
new state record. Another state
Another notable achievement
from the winter season was not
accomplished by an athlete, but
by a coach. Ed Scollan, coach of
the boys' basketball team, won
his 300th game of his career this
year, which truly is no small
feat. Hats off to Coach Scollan
on his great achievement. The
winter season was truly one to
remember for WA.
As the spring season closes,
WA has quite a bit to be proud
of. Many teams qualified for
postseason play and state records were broken. Teams such
volved. There was also a historic
achievement for junior Brendan
Sullivan, who broke the state pole
vault record with a vault of over
15 feet, 7 inches. Overall, the
spring was incredibly successful
for WA.
With all said and done, Grey
Ghosts had an amazing year in
the world of sports. With many
seniors leaving, all teams will
need to rebuild for next year,
but hopefully the success experienced this year will continue and
even flourish into more victories
next year. Every student athlete
DCL.
Moving
to wrestling, the team finished 2nd in the DCL
and sent several
wrestlers, including
senior heavyweight
Mike Mizzoni, to the
State Championship
meet. Turning towards the slopes, the
boys' alpine ski team
won their league for
the second straight
year, and the girls
finished fifth in the
state championship
race, as did the boys.
Most teams also quali- Coach Scollan with David Keele and captains Matt Ellis and Mark Cornelius
fied for postseason play, includ- as the boys' and girls' tennis should be satisfied for piecing
ing boys' and girls' basketball, teams, boys' and girls' lacrosse together such a memorable year
indoor track, girls' ice hockey, teams, boys' baseball team, and which will not be forgotten.
wrestling, boys' and girls' swim- the track team all qualified for
ming, boys' and girls' alpine postseason play, a significant
skiing, as well as gymnastics. accomplishment for all those inPhoto by Victor Cheerio
Sameer Kini
Sports Editor