Winter 2009

The Panther Tracks
January 2010
Page 1
Issue 1
MHS spirit stick takes world wide odyssey
by Kevin Oliveira
EDITOR-IN-CHEIF
Until this year’s pep rally,
the infamous spirit stick had
been notably absent from the
halls of MHS for quite some
time. Two years to be exact, a
time when MHS students grew
puzzled to exactly what had
happened to the stick. During
this hiatus, the stick has quietly
been making its rounds across
the U.S. and overseas, taking
it to some of the most historic
events of these last two years.
From inaugurations, to publicity stunts, to hostage situations,
the stick was there. These are
the some of the accounts of its
journey.
January 20th 2009
After sightseeing around
the world for a year, the stick
IN
S
I
H
T
E
U
ISS
found its way to Washington
D.C. just in time for one of the
most historical moments of this
century: Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration. Thanks
to an anonymous friend, likely
Aretha Franklin’s hat, the stick
managed to get a front row seat
to the president’s inauguration
ceremony, as well as appearing
on TV several times. For the
stick, this was just the first of
many historical events at which
it would manage to make an appearance.
by Somali pirates. In addition
to taking all of the valuables
aboard the boat, the pirates
took two hostages. The first being the ship’s captain, the second being the stick. Both hostages were held for three days
until a Navy sniper managed to
take out the pirates and free the
captain and the stick. The story
made headlines worldwide, but
being an inanimate object, the
stick was left out of all but a
few news articles and YouTube
videos.
the stick took Kanye’s offer to
attend what would turn out to
be one of the most memorable
pop culture moments of the decade. During the award show,
Kanye and the stick made a bet
over who would win “Best Female Video.” The stick chose
Taylor Swift, Kanye chose
Beyoncé; the loser of the bet
would have to walk on stage
and interrupt whoever received
the award. When Kanye lost
the bet, he was furious, but carried through with his end of the
that having the stick around
would help him find his way
into the limelight. In a planned
hoax, Richard made it seem as
if his son, Falcon, had climbed
into a large balloon and floated
away. Immediately calling all
the press and local authorities
he could, Heene quickly found
the nation’s attention. In the
large, saucer shaped, helium
balloon was not his son Falcon,
it was none other than the stick.
During the live coverage across
April 9th 2009
Early in April, the stick
made a decision to join another
of its many friends on a fishing trip. The plan was to spend
a week on a boat in the Atlantic and have a great time, but
things didn’t go quite according
to plan. Four days into the trip,
the stick’s ship was hijacked
September 13th 2009
While out one night at some
of the higher end night clubs of
New York City, the stick managed to encounter Kanye West.
The two hit it off from the start
and Kanye invited the stick to
join him at the MTV Video Music Awards which were to be
held the next night. Naturally,
bargain.
October 15th 2009
In a strange series of
events which cannot legally be
disclosed, the stick managed to
find itself in Fort Collins, Colorado. The stick had been taken into possession by Richard
Heene, an eccentric aspiring
reality TV celebrity. He thought
various national news networks, it appeared as if something had fallen from the balloon. Many feared that it was
Falcon, but the falling debris
was simply the spirit stick being dislodged from the balloon
and plummeting thousands of
feet to the ground.
Page 2
Pages 4 & 5
Page 7
College Step by
Step
Feature tribute to Varsity
Football Team
France Advances
After FIFA Folly
By Lauren Noronha
Panther Football:
A Season to
Remember
MHS Toys for Tots
Charity Drive
By Emily Katsikas
By Mickey McGuire
Page 3
Page 8
Dessert Theatre is a
Success
By Eva Kotsopoulis
Its Not All About
Salad
By Kevin Oliveira
By Eric Casey
Page 6
Parents Overreacting to Obama Speech
By Elizabeth Sauer
Feature:
Album Reviews
By Julian Coelho
& Mickey McGuire
Page 2
News
Issue 1
January 2010
Swine Flu Scare College Step By Step
Sarah Guernelli
TRACKS STAFF WRITER
In the past year, people have been
diagnosed with H1N1, an unfamiliar
bout of influenza causing a nationwide scare. It originates from people
travelling outside of the United States
to different countries and coming into
contact with infected animals, usually
pigs.
Swine
Flu is most often diagnosed
during the late
fall and winter.
The chances of
illness are high,
but death rates
are much lower
now. In recent
years, the frequency of the
virus has been
much higher.
According to
the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, “from December of 2005 to now,
thousands of cases have been reported
worldwide.” Lasting about seven
days, H1N1 lasts as long as the seasonal flu and is as contagious.
The symptoms of H1N1 are similar to those of the regular seasonal influenza. These include fever, fatigue,
body aches, and loss of appetite, chills,
and coughing. Others have reported
runny noses, sore throats, nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea.
Ways to prevent the swine flu
include taking precautions when interacting with other people. It is also
suggested that people thoroughly
wash their hands, bundle up in the
cold weather, and carry hand sanitizer
as often as possible. The CDC recommends both the seasonal flu vaccine
and the H1N1. Studies have shown
that children and pregnant women
that come into contact with the disease should expect it to last 2-3 weeks.
Due to this evidence, healthcare officials have set a goal to vaccinate at
least 159 million Americans. Pregnant women, families with children
under the age of
two, people in the
medical profession, elderly aged
65 and over, and
people with serious medical conditions are top priorities to receive
the vaccine. This
vaccine is the best
way to prevent the
virus. Given two
ways, the injection is the inactivated virus and
is given right in the
arm and is approved for all ages over
six months. The nasal spray however
is approved only for healthy people
ages two to forty nine who are not
pregnant. As the “flu mist” is the live
weakened version of the virus, it may
have adverse effects to the receiver.
Marlborough Public Schools and the
surrounding areas have started to vaccinate during school hours, using both
the injection and spray.
The general consensus about
H1N1 in the future is unknown, but
health officials are positive about their
ability to minimize the effect that the
virus has on the American population.
Lauren Noronha
NEWS EDITOR
It’s 2009 and the college
game is becoming more and
more competitive. It’s become a cut-throat process that
plagues the lives of high
school juniors and seniors. Researching and
visiting is the first step
in your journey through
the game, sorting out
your career ambitions
soon after. Translating their interests into
their course load can
give students ideas
about how to jumpstart
the college search by
narrowing down their
choices based on majors offered, size of the
college, and cost of tuition. Selecting
a
college is typically focused on the academic,
social and physical environment. While a college may seem ideal in
academic standings and
physical appearance it may be
too big or have too dense of a
student population.
In order for young adults
to make it to the top, a college
education is a necessity to survive in today’s society. That
makes the search a top priority in those final two years of
high school. Today it’s based
on scores, grade point averages, recommendations, essays,
and extracurricular activities.
Letters of recommenda-
tion have only recently become
more frequent in determining a
student’s status of acceptance
into certain schools. Students
with high averages in certain
subjects can have a lower GPA
because of classes where they
do not excel so the use of letters from teachers they know
and respect can help to propel
them into a higher standing
in the eyes of admissions officers.
Scores are measured from
the Scholastic Aptitude Test
(SATs) or the American College Test (ACTs). Playing a
large part in the college process for year’s prior, they began to lose their significance
when Ivy League schools determined that grade point averages are more important.
Today there are a wide
variety of options open to
students. There are community colleges, trade schools,
four-year facilities, and the
Ivy League. With all those
available, everyone has the
opportunity to go. The acceptance process includes
early action, early decision,
regular, and rolling admissions. While it may seem to
be a lot of work, the early
deadlines can definitely be
worth the stress if you are
positive of your first choice.
With the economy the way
it is, state schools are seeing more and more competition due to their lower
costs. With private schools
having a lower number of
students applying, the acceptance rate is much higher for those who can afford
it. Financial Aid is always
available to students who
quaify. Students of varying
backgrounds and ethnicities
result in a diverse population
of different cultures and opportunities.
Hopefully by April of senior year, the college process
should come to a close. By
then the acceptance or rejection letters will be in hand and
students should be making
their final decisions. Come
September, high school seniors will be college students.s
at the school of their choice.
MHS Toys For Tots Charity Drive
Emily Katsikas
TRACKS STAFF WRITER
The holiday season is
upon us, which means its time
for the annual charity drive.
Around Christmas time, students at Marlborough High
School can participate in
the Toys For Tots Foundation toy drive simply by
donating a new unwrapped
toy to any of the locations
around the school. Boxes
are found in the front and
house offices.
Colonel William L.
Hendricks started Toys for
Tots in 1947 after his wife
created a few homemade
dolls and had nowhere to
donate them. With no organization like it, the Hendricks took it upon themselves
to create one. He and a group
of Marines from the Los Angeles area collected and distributed nearly 5,000 toys to
less fortunate families in the
area that year. From 1947 to
1979, the Marines collected
and distributed new and used
toys. During drill weekends
in October, November, and
December the Maine Corps.
began refurbishing the used
toys. The goal of the Marines
is to bring hope and to boost
the self- esteem of the chil-
have strictly collected and
distributed new toys only.
In August 1991 the work
of the Marines was finally
recognized as a charity supporting Toys for Tots. The
operation had actually started
2001.
The Marine Corp. and the
Foundation was satisfy many
needs, by providing toys to
not only unfortunate children,
but to other local Marine units
whom had dealt with major
dren. The hope is that donating toys to the disadvantaged
children will help them grow
to be responsible, caring citizens and help them to eventually do the same for others,
as the Marines did for them.
From Christmas time 1980 to
the present day the Marines
in September 1991, and has
been a success ever since.
The foundation spread to all
50 states in 1996 by the commander of the Marine Corps.
Reserve. Toys for Tots had
celebrated its 10th anniversary as the support and fundraising for the charity grew in
cut backs. Not only did the
Maries collect toys they also
paid for the creation, publication, manufacturing, and distribution of the toys. In 1991
the Secretary Of Defense had
approved the Toys for Tots as
an official mission of the Marine Corp. reserve.
Celebrities were more
than willing to donate their
time and faces to the cause,
nearly doubling the collection. Toys for Tots Foundation has been on the “Gold
Star List” and also nominated
as the “America’s Best Children’s Charity.” The whole
point of Toys for Tots is to
“bring the joy of Christmas to
America’s needy children.”
First Lady Nancy Reagan,
Tim Allen, John Wayne, and
Billy Ray Cyrus are just a few
of the faces who have greatly
helped out the organization
by donating over 400 million
toys to over 188 million needy
families all over the country.
For the last 62 years Toys for
tots has been bringing smiles
to the faces of children at the
most special time of the year.
Progressing forward from one
small county to a nationwide
phenomenon.
Donations are always
welcome and greatly appreciated. A few dollars makes a
huge difference in the life of
that one child.
Entertainment
Dessert theatre is a success
by Eva Kotsopoulis
TRACKS STAFF WRITER
Once a year, Marlborough
High’s most avid thespians venture from the constraints of their
usual, everyday extracurricular
activities to take part in an annual
dramatic and comedic spectacle
known as Dessert Theatre. The
2009 performance was bursting
with hilarity and comic genius in
two of its triad of plays, “Check,
Please” and “Dreamcatcher.”
“Check, Please” demonstrated the horrors of blind
dating, featuring an assortment of quirky characters
such as 6-year-old boys,
crazed sports fans, schizophrenics, and people who
were just flat-out creepy. If
you were one of the fortunate audience members at
a Dessert Theatre performance, perhaps now you’ll
think twice before accepting
that set-up with “that wicked
cool guy I met once.” If you
were, for one reason or another, unable to attend, you
just may have to learn from experience on this one.
“Dreamcatcher”
centered
around a boy who suffered from
instantaneous collapses into sleep.
The wild cast accurately depicted
family members, a foreign principal, and a snappily dressed, pipesmoking timekeeper named after
multi-surface cleaner, was uproarious, and blended together to
create a most amusing potpourri
of characters. With a few wellplaced accents thrown into the pot
you have a comedy gumbo ready
for serving!
Dessert Theater is not only
for those who enjoy a good
chuckle. Nay, it also appeals to
the dramatic soul which yearns
for loss, wickedness, evil boarding school mistresses, and terribly deprived schoolchildren. For
those who enjoy the depth and
intrigue of dramatic theater, “A
Little Princess” would have been
quite a highlight of the performance. Do not be fooled by the
seemingly light-hearted title; the
play followed the tale of a girl,
Sarah Crew, whose beloved father
left her in a boarding school as he
was called away to the jungle. At
first, life was tolerable in school,
though Miss Minchin’s rules
made things substantially less
free and exciting. Creativity of
any kind was not welcomed in
school, yet things were not as
bad as they could have been.
Things took a sudden turn
for the worse, though, when
Sarah received word that her
father has died of jungle fever. The play continued to
travel alongside Sarah and
her struggles of poverty, and
the looming threat of life on
the street.
Thanks to the efforts of
seniors Hannah Hall and Dan
Stevens as well as teachers
Ms. Crugnola and Mr. Henry,
this year’s edition of Dessert
Theatre proved to be nothing
less than a success. Dessert
Theatre is performed annually, so
even if you missed your chance to
support Marlborough High’s up
and coming actors and actresses,
the opportunity will be present
once again next fall.
It’s not all about salad
by Kevin Oliveira
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It is a typical assumption that a vegetarian diet is
a bland collection of organic
salad, fruits, nuts, and tofu.
Though salad can be an easy
and quick way to make a
meal, it isn’t a limiting factor
to a veggie’s diet. In a modern country like America, the
options for those
who try to maintain vegetarian
and vegan diets
have increased
almost exponentially. No longer
should
anyone
have to be hesitant of giving up
meat in fears that
they will have to
eat boring and
tasteless meals.
In Marlborough
alone, there are a variety of
options, whether it be buying food to prepare at home
or going out, for vegetarians
to eat.
When it comes to options
for eating out, most restaurants in Marlborough offer
at least one tasty vegetarian
meal. Sub and Pizza places
are always a great choice for a
quick tasty meal for less than
$10. Nick’s Roast Beef and
Subway both offer multiple
vegetarian sandwiches as well
as tasty non-vegetarian sandwiches for a friend who eats
Issue 1
January 2010
Page 3
meat. Sal’s Pizza offers tons
of toppings for their award
winning pizzas and calzones,
many of which, like broccoli,
mushrooms, black olives, and
feta cheese, can combine for
an excellent veggie pizza.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a
new fast food restaurant that
offers cheap burritos, fajitas,
and burrito bowls all with
vegetarian varieties. If Chinese is your taste, Yummy
Kitchen, like most oriental
take out restaurants, offers
vegetarian platters or individual items like white rice and
spring rolls. When ordering
take out, watch out for fried
rice, which doesn’t always
implicitly mention meat, but
often times does contain pork.
The Super Buffet on Route 20
offers a huge variety of food
for those looking to eat at
more of a sit down restaurant.
Since it’s a buffet, you can
just pick and choose what you
want, and exactly how much
of it you want.
If preparing food at home,
finding quick and easy to make
vegetarian food is as simple as
going to Hannaford’s or Price
Chopper. Both supermarkets
are conveniently located in
Marlborough and have specific sections with a good
selection of vegetarian and
vegan food. Most meat
substitutes will have
some sort of stamp or
logo approving that it
does not contain animal products. Brands
like
Morning
Star,
Amy’s, and Garden
Burger are known quality veggie brands that
are all available at both
Hannaford’s and Price
Chopper. The upside of
a meat substitute is that
as long as you don’t
tell your carnivorous friends
they’re not eating meat,
they’ll never notice.
Regardless of what your
opinion on vegetarianism is,
one thing that should never
prevent a person from going veggie is the lack of options. In Marlborough, and
all across America, the food
offered to the vegetarian
population is becoming more
varied by the day. From fast
food to meat substitutes, being vegetarian no longer revolves around salad and boring health foods.
This beast
by Samantha Maurice
TRACKS STAFF WRITER
For most teens, music is a
form of expression. Some teens
take it a step further and create
their own music, such as the local band This Beast.
Russell Weed and Jake
Schlehuber created the band in
the summer of 2008, featuring
Weed as lead guitar and Schlehuber as drummer. Shortly after,
Dan Terrasi joined as rhythm
guitarist. The newest member to
the band is Alex Skarin as vocalist. The movie, School of Rock,
was a major influence for the
starting of the band. The movie
influenced to want to play the instruments they play now. Weed
started playing the guitar at age
9. Schlehuber started to play
the drums when he was 10. Terrasi started strumming the guitar when he was 12. Unlike the
rest of the band members, Alex
has only been practicing his vocals for a few months. The band
members usually get together at
Weed’s house or Schlehuber’s
house to practice and to perfect
their songs. The uniqueness of
this band is that they do not cover
songs, they create their own.
The band played on Field
Day last year, and received
many compliments for their talent. When the band played, they
played without Skarin due to the
fact that he was not a part of the
band at the time. For only three
band members playing instrumental music, the crowd loved
them. “I think that if the band
continues at the rate they are going at, they will get far in the music industry,” Says Karen Liliana
Lara Guzman. They do plan to
play this upcoming field day with
all of the band members, so be
sure to listen to them when they
have the spotlight up on stage.
This past April, This Beast
put out their first demo. The 4
original songs are featured on
the demo are amilliontwentycents; Figs, Grapes, and Walnuts; Mokey in the water; Sati.
The name of the band came from
one of Weed’s cousins. “My
cousin Joe made up the name,
This Beast, not knowing that it
would turn into this.” Weed says.
The band is currently working
on perfecting two new songs to
their liking. They are also hoping
to get gigs at different cafes or
bars. If you are looking for a new
metal band to listen to, check
out This Beast at www.myspace/
thisbeast666. Be prepared to be
the next biggest fan.
The Panther Tracks
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Kevin Oliveira
OPINION EDITOR
Elizabeth Sauer
NEWS EDITOR
Lauren Noronha
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Kevin Oliveira
SPORTS EDITOR
Eric Casey
The Panther Tracks is the student newspaper of Marlborough High School, 431 Bolton Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts, 01752.
The paper is published and distributed multiple
times throughout the year. Readers are invited to
submit guest articles and letters to the editor. Letters should be put in Karen Bento’s mailbox in the
main office or sent via e-mail at kbento@mps-edu.
org. The staff reserves the right to edit letters, which
must have the writer’s name and class. Publication
of opinion pieces, letters to the editor, or other articles does not signify agreement of the Editorial
Board with individual writers’ opinions. If you are
unable to submit your articles to Mrs. Bento’s mailbox or do not have access to a computer you may
contact one of the editors listed above.
The Panther Tracks Staff would
like to congratulate the football
team on their historic season
Page 4
Photos Courtesy of Scerra Photography - http://www.arrecs.com/
12 - 1
Division 1B
Champions
Photos Courtesy of Scerra Photography - http://www.arrecs.com/
Page 5
Opinion & Editorial
Issue 1
January 2010
Page 6
Parents overreacting to Obama’s student speech
by Elizabeth Sauer
OPINION EDITOR
This September, President
Obama gave a speech addressed
to students across the country.
The speech was intended to motivate youths to stay in school and
strive for their goals; expressing
that through hard work and dedication anyone can be successful
and establish themselves as an
effective member of society. The
speech was simple, direct, and
uplifting. The tone of the speech
channeled JFK’s inaugural address with a “ask not what your
country can do for you, ask what
you can do for your country” sort
of feel. The spirit of the speech,
however, failed to reflect the attitudes towards it prior to its release.
Obama’s address to the
young population caused a literal uproar in the conservative
sphere. Conservative critics and
parents alike claimed that the
address was an attempt by the
president to promote socialist
ideology and brainwash young
students to support the Obama
agenda. Conservative critics’
accusatory assumptions went as
far as comparing the president
to Hitler, arguing that his course
of action mirrored that of the
German dictator in the beginning of his regime. The uproar
was caused when parents had
the understanding that their children would be forced to view the
ment for student to write letters
to Obama on how to help him
with his presidential course of
action. It wasn’t until after opposition to the address that Obama
decided to release the content of
his speech prior to its live broad
cast. Along with this unveiling,
speech, which at the time they
had no idea of it’s content. It
was suggested by the executive
that this speech be aired to all
school age children, live. Along
with this request was an assign-
the administration revoked the
recommendation for students to
write a letter to the president; instead changing the recommended
assignment for students to write
a letter to themselves about how
go against students.
Getting stuck in the hallways is a huge factor for students. “Some hallways are hard
to pass through, like the third
floor is always difficult.” says
Guzman. The hallways are always jam packed with students
traveling to their destination.
You have the slow walkers, the
ones that stop and talk in the
middle of the hallway, trying to
fit through a one-way door and
on coming traffic to deal with.
It is quite an obstacle to over
come. Traffic can always be a
problem, but can never be used
as an excuse to tell the teacher.
Locker trips are another issue. It is hard if your class is in
the science wing and your locker is on the first floor, but your
next class is in the history wing.
Traffic is problem number one
and getting to your locker without being late is problem number two. Its uncomfortable to
carry so many books and binders all at once so locker trips are
convenient to drop off belongings and pick new ones up.
Many teachers are very
strict when the bell rings. If you
are not in the room it will go
right into the computer as tardy.
Some teachers make you go
back to your previous class to
get a pass for proof, other wise
it will not be tolerated. Students
try to come up with true excuses
so that it will not harm them in
the long run. One or two tardy’s
is okay, but when they start to
add up, it can become a serious
problem for high school students.
by Eric Casey
SPORTS EDITOR
they can achieve their personal
goals.
The amount of controversy
stirred by this broadcast was ridiculously unnecessary. There is
nothinwrong with the president
attempting to uplift students and
encourage them to stay in school
and contribute to society, however the way that this was handled
showed a lack of professionalism
and even a side of sneakiness on
the part of the president. Truth
be told, the president should
have released the content of the
speech to parents prior to their
children’s viewing of it. Bottom
line, Parents have every right to
be totally aware of the types of
ideologies that their children are
being exposed to. I don’t blame
parents for getting up in arms
over this, if they were unaware
of what the speech entailed then
their anxiety is justifiable. Also,
the speech should not have been
made mandatory, parents should
be able to make the decision of
whether or not they want their
child to watch the address. It is
their right to expose their children to the broadcast but it is
also their right to prevent them
form viewing it.
However, Obama did eventually release his address’s content. So this should have stopped
the complaining by those who
were previously affected. Nonetheless, many conservatives continued with a series of temper
tantrums in opposition to the
event. This uproar in the conservative community is probably
stemmed from harsh feelings after the election. The losing party
of any election is notorious for
finding ridiculous reasons to oppose their political enemies. The
right needs to cease their continual complaints about trivial
things that are not a literal concern. To put it quite frankly, if
this were John McCain or Mitt
Romney giving this speech the
same people repudiating Obama
would be singing the praises of
the elephant talking to their children. The point of this effort was
supposed to be about the children in the classroom; however
the children in the extremities
of the conservative sphere and
in the executive branch became
the main focus. Hopefully this
reaction by the right will not mirror attitudes over the next four
years.
One might ask, “Why do the
people of North Korea put up
with this?” The simple answer
is because they don’t know any
better. Only a handful of people
are allowed leave legally each
year. The majority of its citizens know next to nothing of the
outside world, most aren’t even
aware man has stepped on the
moon. Those who know enough
to speak up against the government are quickly thrown in pris-
Il make him out to be more than
mortal.
One can see the carnage with
their own eyes simply by going
on Google Earth. Massive work
camps stick out like sore thumbs
among the mountainous terrain.
The capital city of Pyongyang appears to be deserted, with empty
pools and car-less intersections
dotting the landscapes.
One must admit it is a tricky
situation for our government
to handle. Sanctions do not work
on a government
that does not care
about its own
people. The other
obvious solution,
military
force,
would be just as
difficult.
North
Korea’s army has
over one million
servicemen, and
even more loyal
citizens at their
disposal.
In a recent
speech to the
United Nations,
President Obama
called for more
international involvement
in
America’s attempt
to spread democracy and freedom around the world. As good
as that sounds, it is still only
talk, but for North Korea’s 23
million people, let’s hope this is
the beginning of the end for Kim
Jong-Il and his tyrannical government.
Attendance issues North Korean catastrophe
by Autumn Evers
TRACK STAFF WRITER
The new school year has
started, and on that note many
students are happy to be back.
However, the same question always hovers in the air among
students each year, “How will I
be able to go to my locker and
get to my class on time within
four minutes”. This has always
been a question that can be
heard, complained about and
will always remain a traditional
issue for students.
Many students worry about
getting too many absences by
not getting to their classes on
time. Four minutes is not a great
amount of time for a student to
do so much in so little. There is
a lot that goes on within those
four minutes such as: gathering
belongings and leaving the previous class room, talking with
the teacher, a quick trip to the
locker, traffic in the hall ways,
meeting with a friend real quick
and making it on time to your
next class. “We need more time
in between classes to get to the
next period.” said junior, Karen
Guzman.
Being late for class can go
against a student when it comes
to passing a grade. The rule has
always been that if a student is
late twice to a class, it counts as
one absence on their attendance.
When a student gets too many
absences on their report card
from attendance, the student can
loose credit and perhaps repeat
that class next year or stay back.
Attendances can really hurt and
Throughout America’s history, the government has taken
pride in spreading the ideals of
democracy and freedom across
the globe. These attempts are not
always popular with the public.
But, in the last 120 or so years,
when crimesagainst humanity were being committed, the
odds are the United States didn’t
choose to
sit back and
watch from
afar.
S a d l y,
partially
due to politics and partially due to
its secretive
regime,
a
crisis brewing in North
Korea has
been largely
ignored for
the past 50
years. Millions have
died
and
many more
liver in constant fear of
their
government. The nation’s de-facto
leader, Kim Jong-Il, has complete control over all aspects of
the communist state, and the majority of the before-mentioned
deaths were a direct result of his
prison camps and famines due to
his control of the agriculture of
the country.
on camps, along with their immediate family.
The reason North Koreans
don’t know any better is due to
the government-run schools,
which teach the youth of the
country from an early age that
North Korea is paradise, and
mythical stories about Kim Jong-
Page 7
Sports
January 2010
France advances
after FIFA folly
by Eric Casey
SPORTS EDITOR
One touch of a hand created
shockwaves across the soccer
world as France defeated Ireland 2-1 in a playoff showdown
deciding which would advance
to the 2010 World Cup.
A
ball
chipped over the
Irish defenders in
extra-time landed
at the feet of offside Frenchmen
Thierry
Henry,
bounced off his
outstretched hand
and to the feet of a
waiting teammate
who scored. Most
of the Irish, seeing both offences,
had already given
up on the play.
All four officials
missed both offences. After
the game, Henry admitted that
he indeed touched it with his
hand, saying, “I will be honest. It was a handball, but I am
not the referee. I played it, the
ref allowed it.” A recent poll
discovered 80% of French citizens feel that the win was “un-
Boy’s Soccer
by Rodrigo Noronha
TRACKS STAFF WRITER
manding the game be replayed.
FIFA later denied the request.
American
sports
leagues like the NHL and NFL
have used video replay for
years now, but some soccer
fans are hesitant to bring electronics and long video reviews
into “the beautiful game.” The
movement has grown since the
handball however, and many
people, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, are now
calling for replay in order to
prevent future incidents like
this.
FIFA’s denial of the
request to replay
the game was not
well received in
the Emerald Isle.
“If (the current) result remains, it reinforces the view
that if you cheat,
you will win.” Said
Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern to
The Sun, while Irish
coach Giovanni Trapattoni commented:
“(FIFA president)
Sepp Blatter goes
on about fair play
– let him reflect on what happened last night. Where is football going if a team is cheated
out of fair play? Where are we
going if this decision stands?”
The 2010 FIFA World
Cup kicks off in Johannesburg,
South Africa, June 11th.
The Marlborough High School
Varsity Soccer season ended November 11th, with a disappointing 2-0 tournament loss to St. John’s. This year’s
team finished the season with 9 wins,
7 losses, and 4 draws compared to last
year’s finish with 13 wins, 3 losses,
and 5 draws. The team was relatively
young, and had only seven seniors on
the roster and four of which were regular starters.
Even though they did not finish
as well as last year, this year’s team still
had a lot of good players and played
some really good matches. Players
like senior goalkeeper Gilberto Alvarenga, senior defender Henry Ceja, senior midfielder Jorge Gamboa, senior
forward Gui Chaves, junior defender
IsaacAlvarenga, and junior midfielder
Brenden Matthews all played well
this year. The team also had memorable games against Hudson High and
Framingham High. The team played
two games against Hudson, they won
one and tied the other, but both results
were great considering Hudson is a
rival school. They also drew a 1-1 tie
against Framingham at Kelleher Field.
This was a great result as the Framingham team is always one of the top
teams in the state. They had a 1-0
lead during the game and lost the win
the coaching staff as well. Week by week
the staff has provided the team with film
of the upcoming opponents as well as
scouting reports. The players were held
responsible to dissect this information
and apply it to game day. This was most
apparent heading into opening night
2009 against Central Catholic (Lawrence, MA).
Central Catholic is one of the top
teams in Eastern Mass and was viewed
as a challenge by the host Panthers. It was
the first game of the season and emotions
were running high because of this. This
emotion helped to carry the team to victory 14-0. The team was led by senior
running back AC Carter (16 carries, 145
yards) as well as an aggressive team effort on defense that resulted in a shutout.
Going into the game, the motto was
“Meet you at the ball” and the Panthers
followed through on that. This victory
gave the team the confidence that they
can beat any team if they put their heart
into it.
Algonquin was the next test for the
Panthers. The team had a bone to pick
because former offensive line coach
Dutch Holland departed Marlborough to
coach at Algonquin. While this was not a
league game, it was significant and a possible trap game after they pulled off a major upset over Central Catholic. A strong
showing on both sides of the ball resulted
in a 37-7 victory for the visiting Panthers,
who improved to 2-0. Evan Purvis had
a tremendous game on offense and special teams. The senior returned a kick 78
yards for a touchdown less than a minute
into the game. He was not finished. Near
the end of the half, Purvis also scored on
a 21-yard reverse.
To round out their non-league
schedule, the Panthers defeated Doherty
at Kelleher Field 21-6 and Shrewsbury
on the road 28-13. These two games
were both battles that helped to prepare
the team for their first league game
against Gardner. Marlborough would
go on to dominate their league schedule,
outscoring opponents at a clip of 145 to
63. However, clinching a league championship against Milford would not be
a simple task. Marlborough would go
on to win the game 28-19 but as senior
Mike Joseph would say, “A lot of eyes
were opened tonight.” The team had a
21-0 lead at halftime but Milford would
eventually cut the deficit to nine. While
the Panthers would win the game and
the league, they still had their eyes on the
Super Bowl.
After escaping a potential trap game
loss against North Middlesex by winning 14-10 to move to 9-0, Marlborough
headed into Week 10 against Leominster
with a target on their back. Leominster
needed a victory against Marlborough
to make the playoffs. There was nothing at stake for Marlborough except for
preserving the undefeated season. However, it was important to make a statement and win against a perennial Central
Mass powerhouse. They would win an
overtime thriller at a hostile Doyle Field
22-0. Leominster controlled the ball for
almost two-thirds of the game but the
defense came up with big stops late in
the game when the team needed it the
most. AC Carter paced the offense with
122 rushing yards and two touchdowns
including the one that would seal the victory in overtime. Senior quarterback AJ
Scerra converted two crucial two-point
conversions in the 4th quarter and in
overtime. Without the offensive line, this
win would not have been possible. They
performed as one cohesive unit and had
their best game of the year. This win was
the ultimate high note for the Panthers in
a season full of success.
As the team prepared for the playoffs, they looked to continue to improve
and set higher standards for themselves.
A 41-9 win over rival Hudson at the
Morgan Bowl was certainly the best
way to do that. The Panthers wanted to
make a statement and that they did. The
seniors would finish undefeated in their
high school career against their rivals the
Hudson Hawks. On this day, Hudson
stood no chance, as Marlborough took
a 34-3 lead at halftime and never looked
back. The win was led by the efforts of
award winners AC Carter (MVP), AJ
Scerra (Offensive MVP), Neal Vigeant
(Best Lineman), Tyler Redding (Patrick
McNeil Award) and Adrian DeJesus
(Defensive MVP).
From the first day of practice to the
final day of practice, the coaching staff
has preached knowing your assignment,
blocking, tackling and protecting the ball
as well as the motto “Show me, don’t tell
me.” This was key in the first round of
the playoffs. The #3 Panthers took on #6
Nashoba in the first round on December
1st at Tyngsborough High School, a neutral site. They defeated Nashoba 21-7.
AC Carter once again led the offensive
attack with 127 yards and 2 TDs. He also
led the team in tackles with 9.5. The game
was in hand after a 25-yard touchdown
run from junior Adam Scerra with a little
under 3 minutes left. This win placed the
Panthers in the Super Bowl against #2 St.
deserved.”
A dramatic blunder
like this in such a high-intensity
situation has raised many questions about video replay, FIFA,
and sportsmanship in general.
Ireland launched a protest immediately after the game, de-
Issue 1
with less than three minutes to play. “It
was a great game, we just made one
mistake”, said senior forward Bryan
Rodrigues. There was also the victory
against Worcester South in a thrilling
first-round play-off game. The Panthers were down 1-3 and came back to
win the game with a final result of 4-3.
It wasn’t all fun and games for
the team this year. There were also
some bad moments for the team. A
3-0 loss to Westborough at home was
not a great result, especially since it was
a league game. There was also a 1-1
tie with Quabbin, at home that was
slightly disappointing and a hit to their
morale. There was also the Marlborough-Hudson brawl during their first
encounter. The team lost their composure during their win and players from
both teams were sent off. “There was a
point in the season where we seemed
to be falling apart due to conflicts with
each other, however we overcame all
of this to make the playoffs,” Stated senior forward Bryan Rodrigues. There
was a chance the playoffs were out of
reach, but near the end of the season
the team was able to gain enough
points to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
“This season was definitely a learning
experience for the younger kids and I
hope next year’s team will have a great
season”saidseniorforwardBryanRodrigues.
Panther football: A season to remember
By Mickey McGuire
TRACKS STAFF WRITER
In 2009, the Marlborough High
School Panthers football team established themselves as one of the best teams
in the state. Led by twenty-two seniors,
the team battled through the regular season to come out undefeated (11-0 (5-0))
heading into the playoffs. By winning the
Central Mass Division 1B league championship, the Panthers earned their first
playoff berth since 1980. Despite reaching an already respectable accomplishment, the team remained focused on the
number one goal set in the offseason, to
win a Super Bowl. They would come
up short, losing to St. Johns in the Super
Bowl. However, with a final record of
12-1, the team is without a doubt one of
the greatest in MHS history.
In 2008, the Panthers started off the
season by losing their first four games.
After coach Sean Mahoney asked the
team what was in their soul, the team
finally came together and won five of
their final seven games including a 34-0
romping of Hudson on Thanksgiving.
This final stretch of 2008 proved to be a
sign of things to come for the Panthers.
Led by captainsAC Carter,Adrian DeJesus, Neal Vigeant, AJ Scerra and Mike
Kahale the team dedicated themselves
in the weight room and at various camps
over the summer. The turnout was as
strong as it’s ever been. A winning attitude was born.
This past season, the team scored
339 points and allowed just 136. This
display of offensive and defensive efficiency can be attributed to not only the
hard work of the players on the team but
Johns on the following Saturday. After
the game, head coach Sean Mahoney
said “It’s fun to play in December…It’s
great to win in December.”
Marlborough had not played in the
Super Bowl for nearly three decades.This
was the biggest game most of the players
would ever play in. The game would be
played at John F. Coughlin Field on the
Worcester State College campus on December 5th and the field would be full
of snow at below 20 degrees. The game
between two of the top teams in CMass
was a battle from start to finish. Junior
Matt Carlman had the game’s lone score
in the first half with a 22-yard field goal
with 1:52 left. The Panthers led St. Johns
3-0 at halftime. However, St. Johns
would come storming back to outscore
the Panthers 21-7 in the second half en
route to a 21-10 victory. Turnovers were
for the most part the cause of this defeat.
“Turnovers killed us, it was the game,”
senior captain AC Carter said.
While the Super Bowl loss to St.
Johns was a disappointment for the
Panthers, the team held their heads high
after the game. While the initial reaction
was disappointment, the team was proud
that they had such an incredible season
at 12-1 (most wins in a season in school
history) and competed with such a great
team in St. Johns. Senior Captain Mike
Kahale said, “Through hard work in the
weightroom in the offseason, we were
able to have a great season even though it
didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to.”
This past year provides hope for the future of the program and the seniors have
set an example that the underclassmen
can follow for years to come.
Page 8
Album Spotlight
Issue 1
January 2010
Blueprint 3 delivers Raekown’s sequel stands out
by Julian Coelho
TRACKS STAFF WRITER
Even though Sean “Jay-Z”
Carter is a solidified veteran in hiphop and an established artist, The
Blueprint 3 only seems to be the start
of a new beginning for him under
his new label, LiveNation. like Kid
Cudi and Drake and old time friends
in Pharrell and Kanye West on his
album with his sense of originality
and self-confidence could only result into a superb album.
Sean goes straight to the point
with “What We Talkin’ About”, addressing the reality of what has been
created by his figure. He relates the
impact he has made with the reality
he has spoken. He leaves the gossip
and the rumors behind and provides
everything he has into his music
to succeed in a positive influence.
The chorus by Luke Steele sounds
too soft with the strong indications
made through out Jay-Z’s verses.
Instead of having a short 30 second
introduction track like many others,
he starts off the album with a little
history lesson to what
he has truly
done to the
music industry.
J a y
thanks his
fans at the
end of the album with the
track “Thank
You” ; it’s
him again
speaking
more upon
the
influence he has
brought
while thanking his fans
and doubters which sets this song
to be a focal point .At first, Carter
implies that what he has offered
isn’t much to what the hype has perceived it as: “For I have applied logic
keys, keys open doors.” Later on, he
thanks those who have doubted his
work as he compares others music
as damage comparable to 9/11. His
pain and anguish was never relieved
until this moment and having karma
effect those against him is exactly
what he talks about and excels in
doing so.
Even though his attempt to
destroy the use of Autotune never
made a huge impact, Death of Autotune (D.O.A) recognizes what Jay-Z
self-confidencehas contributed to he
music industry. From skinny jeans
to commercial dances, he shows
no pity towards popular trends and
displays how heavy and popular
his own trends are. Using a 1970’s
sample with a gritty guitar and clarinet places the exclamation point on
this song.
The single that has been on the
radio for quite awhile now, Run This
Town, changes direction from the
previous tracks and brings in Rihanna to set the tone in the motivational
chorus, while Kanye West adds a
verse. Lyrically, Jay-Z disappoints
with plenty of repetitive boasts:
“Get y’all black tees on, all black
everything. Black cards, black cars,
all black everything.” You can’t expect much more from a single that
is heavily played on every radio station, but with Rihanna’s sensational
words and voice, that reinforce the
album’s theme of self-confidence.
The latest single Empire State
of Mind, that has been released has
been a favorite on the radio. It brings
another fabulous female singer, Alicia Keys, to the spotlight but with
more meaning and feeling by Jay-Z.
He puts his hometown New York on
the map and represents to the fullest
of capabilities. Keys inspiration in to
the song; not just for New York, but
for everyone who is trying to catch
their dreams.
Jay-Z brings along the newest
member of his RocNation label, J.
Cole, and shines the light on him.
Again, Jay-Z is on a tangent but
does not fail on giving praise to
those who have done well and have
been successful in the music industry. J. Cole picks up his slack and de-
fines the back story to the difficulties
of becoming the next star and gives
thanks to Jay-Z for the opportunity
to gain some limelight.
The last song on the album,
“Young Forever,” Jay-Z brings a
new member of Kanye’s label, Mr.
Hudson. Hudson uses him to establishes the sound from the Alphaview
sample used in the track. Throughout the album, he speaks about how
he is moving onto better fortunes
and new beginnings. He shares a
message to keep persevering, but
stay young and have fun while doing so. The soothing sample is the
futuristic feeling that creates a reminiscent feeling with the lyrics enforcing memories.
For fans who expected the old
Jay-Z, take his word and “buy [his]
old album.” Listeners will not be
disappointed as Jay-Z blends the
past with the future into an album
that is a new beginning for the rapper and his label. Cater has already
release11 platinum records to date;
From the rapper himself: “Men lie,
women lie, but numbers don’t”, and
from those who appreciate lyrics to
those who want to blast some music
out of their stereos, this album has
that perfect combination that Jay-Z
never ceases to disappoint.
By Mickey McGuire
TRACKSTAFF WRITER
This past fall, Raekwon of
the legendary rap group Wu-Tang
Clan released Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt 2, the sequel to his
1995 classic Only Built 4 Cuban
Linx. The album is flying off
store shelves across the nation
and has been quite successful on
iTunes also. Diehard fans and
new fans alike have been awaiting the release of this album for
almost a decade—Raekwon decided it was finally
time to answer the
bell. The album was
recorded from 2004 to
2009 and a lot of work
went into making this
album one that will be
remembered for years
to come. It appears
that the hard work has
paid off via a 22-track
gem and yet another
classic album by one
of the Wu-Tang Clan’s
finest.
It would not be
fair to attempt to judge
this album and definitively give it a rating.
It would be much
more valid to say that
this is one of the best rap albums
that have been released in the past
five years. It features fellow WuTang members Inspectah Deck,
Ghostface Killa, Method Man,
GZA and Masta Killa as well as
production from RZA. Some
of the tracks bring recollect the
days when the group first started
working together. Tracks such
as House of Flying Daggers and
Cold Outside are prime examples
of this early 1990’s reminiscence.
There is also a track, Ason Jones,
commemorating deceased band
member, Russell James (ODB).
You can really feel the emotion
that was put into the track. The
general theme of the album is
the same style that Raekwon has
made a living off of for the past
fifteen years.
The album tells a story loosely described in the final track of
the album Kiss the Ring. The
tale of crime told from the point
of view of a Mafioso crime boss.
In his first album, Only Built 4
Cuban Linx, the general idea was
that the criminals were trying to
escape their lifestyle for something better. In the original’s
sequel the characters in the story
embrace their life of crime.
The album features many
strong tracks and unlike other rap
albums, there is no reason to skip
through tracks. The lyrics are
clever but simple and to the point.
At many points of the album, you
will be amazed at some of the lyrics that are laid down, prompting
you to press the rewind button.
Based on listening to this album
as well as past Raekwon albums
it appears that his idea of putting
together a song is quality over
quantity. He would rather leave
the listener begging for more
rather than boring the listener
with an eight-minute track. The
incredible production of the album is credited to legendary producers RZA, Dr Dre, Pete Rock,
The Alchemist and J Dilla among
others.
You’re going to get more out
of listening to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt 2 than you
are going to get out of
reading a review for it.
What makes the album
great is the energy that
Raekwon and everybody involved with the
album has contributed.
The lyrics make you
think and allow you to
picture the story that is
being described. The
production keeps you
interested and you will
be bobbing your head
from the beginning
until the end. Your experience will be better
if you listen from the
beginning to the end
without skipping any tracks but
some people enjoy just listening to a few tracks. The strongest tracks on the album include
House of Flying Daggers, Cold
Outside, Mean Streets, Broken
Safety and New Wu. The album
leaves fans of the Wu-Tang Clan
hoping a reunion is in the near future and it leaves fans with hope
that Raekwon as well as the other
members can still perform a decade after they first stepped onto
the rap scene.
A proud supporter of the Panther Tracks
176 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough