Paw Print - Schodack Central School District

October 2014
The Voice of Maple Hill High School Students
Spirit Week: Putting Pep in Your Step
Halloween:
A Booming Business
by Skylar VanAlstyne
At Maple Hill High School,
Spirit Week is arguably the
best, and most entertaining
week of the year. For both the
students and faculty, funky and
funny days are chosen to serve
as themes for the outfits of
participants. Each theme is imposed to boost school spirit
and build up to the much anticipated Pep Rally. This year,
participants had some crazy
ideas for the given days and displayed much enthusiasm for the week.
by Grace Goodall
Superheroes and Villains are back
again this year! As the dead crawl
from the graves, will children
dress as zombies or their favorite
fantasy characters to walk around
their towns and collect candy?
Some choose Cat in the Hat and
gumball machine costumes, while
others take a more current vent
approach gruesome terror of reality, the Ebola safety suit costume.
Most celebrities have already
picked out their costumes for halTo kick off spirit week, the very famous and recycled ―Twin Day‖ gave a lot of
loween parties. One famous coupeople unique ideas. Many students found friends and decided on wearing similar ple even dressed as gorillas. Othcolors. Other stepped it up and bought new clothes for the occasion. And then
ers as butterflies, brides, etc. As
there were few who went above and beyond demonstrating school spirit. Among people stroll the aisles of Party
those was Junior DeAysia Cerrone, who twinned with your‘s truly. DeAysia ex- City and Walplains, ―We wanted to do something creative instead of being normal and wear- Mart searching
ing the same type of casual wear. So we were genies,‖. Many comments were
for the best cosmade on the costumes, most of them having to do with the jingling that mocked tumes for Halour every movement. DeAysia also adds, ―It was a lot of fun, like always, and I‘m loween, what will
super excited for next year.‖ The first day was a success, boasting a solid number end up on top?
of twins with exemplary spirit.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
F
YI
ee
ow
l
l
a
n
H
-Students of
the Month
-Costume
Ideas
-Spirit Week
-Decorating
-Breast Cancer
& Domestic
Violence
Awareness
Month
-Horror Films
p. 2-13
-RHPS
p. 34-40
See Spirit Week continued on p.10-11 See Halloween continued on p.2
ws
e
N
-ThinkPads
-Ironman
-3D Printer
-Mr. Bigglesworth in
Yearbook
p. 14-17
A
&E
-Netflix
-Book
Reviews
on
i
pin
O
-FBI & Tech
s
S
rt
o
p
-Re2pect
-Church &
State
-Origin of
Fall Sports
Weekend
-Creative
Writing
-Individual
Classes vs.
Whole School
-Fall Sports
Wrap-Ups
p.18-31
p. 41-43
-Music
p. 44-50
The Paw Print Editorial Staff
Editors-in-Chief:
Kassidy Berger & Audra Colliton
Section Editors:
 FYI: Peter Aitken
 News: Skylar VanAlstyne
 Opinion: David Maurer
 A&E: Alysa Kelly
 Sports: Kerry Golden
 Contributors: Gabe Dingman,
Grace Goodall, Tabitha Hogan (not
pictured), Amanda Kern, Julia
Keyoskey, Lauryn Krupa, John Paul
Kulpa, Christina Malthouse, Kelsey
Pascetto, Michela Rossetti, Hunter
Sanchez, Cody Seeberger, Dominic
Sinacore, Damon Whimple, Katya
Wilson.
Paw Print
Editorial Staff 2013-2014
The Paw Print
Editorial Staff
would like your
input to the school
newspaper this
year. If you see
news happening,
want to write a
feature or sports
story, or take
some photos,
please let any of us
know.
Keep current about school
events!
Follow @MapleHill_HS on
Twitter!
Halloween continued from Cover
According to the National Retail Foundation‘s annual Halloween Consumer spending survey, Halloween spending is expected to hit 7.4 billion dollars this year. The costume for Minions from Despicable Me has been the
most sought over on Google. This includes costumes, decorations and candy. Costumes and makeup for Halloween night have not changed in price extravagantly,
There are not as many changes in Halloween traditions as there are
in other holidays. In the Elementary school, children dress up for a
halloween parade and express themselves in silly ways. Parents
come and watch their children have a good time. In 2005, the children were dressing as superheroes and villains and other cute genuine costumes. Now, children are dressing a tiny bit more graphic
and gory than they used too. Halloween is supposed to be scary, but
not nightmare scary at school. More and more new ideas are being
thought about different costumes. The scarier they get, the more
nightmares occur on this freaky cursed night.
Page 2
FYI Columns
November
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
Meet the
Coaches Night
4
No School for
Students
5
6
7
HS Quarter
Ends
8
SAT
9
10
11
Veteran‘s Day
No School
12
13
Report Cards
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
HS Emergency
Drill
26
District Closed
27
District Closed
28
District Closed
29
30
Defeating Breast Cancer, One Step At a Time
by Peter Aitken
Breast Cancer, like all cancer, is scary and usually unforgiving. As we all know, October is breast cancer awareness month and several initiatives have been taken to spread awareness.
For those who are unaware, breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of
breast cells. This cancer is usually caused by an abnormality in genetic
material and if left untreated, can spread throughout the body. And yes,
even men can be afflicted with breast cancer too. Although this horrible
cancer still exists, thankfully, breast cancer deaths have been on the decline (since 1989). Around 40,000 women die of breast cancer each year
which means about 3% of all cases are fatal.
Shining a light on breast cancer today, brings hope for a better tomorrow and we are grateful to have our very
own, Mrs. VanVliet (high school English Teacher), that does just that. For the past four years, Mrs. VanVliet has
been taking part in the breast cancer walk in Utica and more recently in Washington Park (in Albany), but she
doesn't do it alone. With the help of her Key Club members and 15,000 other participants, she walks every October to remember her grandmother and sister-in-law, who were taken too soon by breast cancer. When I
asked her if the walk was a rewarding experience, she didn't hesitate when responding, "Yes. It will raise awareness...and maybe they'll find a cure."
So next October, let's all put one foot in front of the other and be a part of the 15,000 participants who walk to
find a cure for Breast Cancer. As Mrs. VanVliet says, "Everything you do makes a difference."
*All facts credited to BreastCancer.org
Page 3
FYI
Latest Guidance Info
Compiled by Damon Whimple,
courtesy of the Guidance Dept.

Students interested in a future career in the health fields,
a Health Education Symposium is being held 11/12/14 (68 PM) at the Albany Medical College Huyck Auditorium.
A panel of health professionals will be discussing their
paths into the medical field. The evening is free, and students should register at http://hesamc2014eventbrite.com

11/12, HVCC will be at MHHS for an Instant Admission
Day. Seniors interested in applying to HVCC should sign
up in advance for this opportunity. The application fee is
waived for seniors who participate in Instant Admission
Day.

11/18, MHHS will be hosting a Financial Aid Night starting
at 6:30 pm. A financial aid expert will be presenting on
the financial aid process as well as provide information
about the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student
Aid). All are welcome to this event.

Register by 11/06 for the 12/06 SAT and by 11/07 for
the 12/13 ACT.

11/09, there will be an Athletic Training Program Showcase at Springfield College (9:30am-1:30pm). Information
about Athletic Training majors and careers will be presented from perspectives of students, educators and professionals in the field. Up to 15 colleges with Athletic
Training programs will be in attendance. There is a $25
charge for students to register - no charge for parents or
guardians. Register at springfieldcollege.edu/ATshowcase.

Seniors: be aware of any upcoming Early Action or Early
Decision college application deadlines. Early deadlines
range from November 15th to December
15th. Transcript request forms must be to guidance at
least 5 school days prior to the application deadline. Many colleges have a January 1st deadline which falls
during the winter break. Transcript requests for a January 1st deadline must be submitted to guidance by December 17th. Having applications, essays and recommendations completed by Thanksgiving is a good goal to have
Page 4
King of the Hill
This year the sophomore class (class of 2017)
will be holding King of the Hill as a class fundraiser. King of the Hill is an event that hasn't
been done at Maple Hill for (at least) six years.
It‘s a male beauty pageant with
three parts involved in it:
formal/evening wear, talent,
and interview questioning.
The following 12 gentlemen
will compete in the
pageant:
Bryce Arno
Alec Yager
Nick Butler
Connor Hall
Zach Frese
Gabe Dingman
Dylan Rossiter
John Paul Kulpa
Patrick McGuane
Cole Cioffi
Alex Konig
Anthony Butler
The winner will get a special prize along with a
crown, a sash and the title, "King of the Hill".
The date of the pageant will be held on
November 14, 2014 at 7 pm in the HS Auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door. There is
a $5 entry fee for students and $15 for families
of three or more. Go and cheer on your friends
and support the sophomore class!
FYI
Warming Hearts, Stitch by Stitch
by Grace Goodall
How do you spend your free time? Mrs. Wood and her friend, Karen Casey, a retired employee from Maple Hill, make quilts and donate them to children. These lovely 40 inch by 45 inch hand sewn
or machine made pieces of art go to Hospitals and Shelters.
Eighteen months ago, Karen Casey, also known as the Chapter
leader for the Quilt Guilds and Mrs. Wood, our very own school
social worker, saw an ad in the Quilt and Fabric magazine at the
same time. Karen then went onto asking Mrs. Wood to join her in
putting this idea into action. After three months of planning, developing and fundraising, they started producing and delivering the
hand-made quilts. These two ―partners in crime‖, with the help of a
few quilt groups and individuals from Castleton, NY to Northville
Guilds, send the quilts out.
Mrs. Wood has meetings or goes out to lunch with the quilt guilds
every 3-4 months. There have been 450 quilts sent to hospitals and
100 to St. Paul‘s Shelter so far. Many more are planned to be donated. All of the money, and any other donations to the fund are recycled back into making the quilts. When
the sad time comes and one of our best staff members at Maple Hill retires, Mrs. Wood would still like to
keep paying it forward to the families and children in need. ―I feel like children and families that get to take
the quilts home after they leave the hospital or shelter should feel more surrounded by love so they heal
quicker,‖ Mrs. Wood explains. She has also made a personal connection between herself and a sweet woman
from Stephentown, MA. This lovely woman machine quilts for this good cause and she re-uses even the
smallest scraps.
Although this is a great way for individuals to spend their free time, not many do. ―I would love to have
more worker bees‖, as she calls the helpers. She needs more help taking the material and cutting it into kits.
"Karen and I are the only ones who do this.‖ Mrs. Wood
would like to some day have a funding stream to be able
to buy several rows of fabric and color code them.
Making quilts could be a good way to complete community service. Whether for English or Key Club, making
quilts for children and families in terminal situations may
be a life changing event. Mrs. Wood is going to set up a
date and a meeting where any one that would like to pay
it forward will have the chance. Help warm the hearts of
not only those who make the quilts, but also those who
receive them.
PagePage
5 5
Congratulations to the Students of the Month:
Congratulations
to the
Month:
In an effort to recognize
outstanding achievements
of ourStudents
students, Maple of
Hill the
High School
presents each month
a Student of the Month Award. Students may be nominated for this award by any staff member, a representative of a community organization, a parent or another student. Students may be nominated for a single outstanding achievement, for service to the school or community or for significant improvement in school. Each
month one student in each grade, 9-12, is selected for this award by a faculty committee after a review of all nominations. For the month of September, 2014, the
students selected to receive this recognition are:
Freshman: Alaina Rossetti, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Rossetti, was nominated for being a kind-hearted, friendly freshman who genuinely cares about others‘ feelings. She is a hardworking student who wants to do her best. Here at Maple Hill, she is involved in SADD and SCCP. Outside of school, she is involved in
Synchronized Swimming, which she trains for an average of 15 hours a
week. Alaina does plan to go to college after high school.
Sophomore: Logan Brodowski, daughter of Ms. Celene Perry, was nominated
for being a polite, respectful, and kind student. She feels that she is getting a good
education here at Maple Hill and enjoys her English class. Logan is hoping to start a
Nature Club here at school. Outside of school, she likes to dance and does so at
Robin‘s Dance Academy. Logan has an interest in alternative medicine and spends
time studying it outside of school. After high school she wants to become an herbalist. Logan plans to study biology in college after graduation.
Junior: Trevor Dorward, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Dorward, was nominated
for spending much of his summer vacation in a classroom taking the New York
State Certified First Responder course. He completed his studies and took the Regional examination along with the New York State exam in mid-August and passed
with flying colors. Trevor has participated in Lacrosse and Cross Country here at
Maple Hill. Outside of school, he will be putting his certification to use not only as
a volunteer with the Ambulance, but also as a first responder with the South Schodack Fire Department. He also likes to hunt in his spare time. Trevor plans on joining the military as part of the Military Police and ultimately, he would like to be involved in Federal Law Enforcement.
Senior: Sarah Friess, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Friess, was nominated by
one of her peers for her hard work on and off school property. She excels greatly
in her academic projects and actively participates in Soccer, Bowling, Track, along
with being a member of National Honor Society and Yearbook Club. Outside of
school, she plays on a travel soccer team. Sarah plans to attend college and study
accounting along with being on the college track team.
The faculty and staff wish to congratulate these students on being selected September students of the month for their respective grades.
Page 6
FYI
Capital Region Teen
ReaderCon
The Scariest Viruses of 2014?
November 8, 2014 @TeenReaderCon (Twitter)
Six illnesses you should be more scared of catching
other than Ebola:
http://TeenReaderCon.weebly.com
Shenendehowa Middle Schools
970 Route 146
Clifton Park, NY 12065
Sign up with your English Teachers by 10/31 if
you are interested in attending and taking the
bus from Maple Hill to get there!
Check out the authors that will be there:
by Tabitha Hogan
1) The Flu: this virus can spread up to six feet
through sick people‘s coughs and sneezes. Over
75,000 people catch it every year and there are
3,000 - 49,000 annual deaths.
2) Enterovirus: 10,000 - 15,000 people catch it
every year. You can get it from touching an affected person or surface. So far, two children have
been killed from it this year.
3) Norovirus: 19,000,000 - 21,000,000 people
get infected a year. There are usually 570 to 800
deaths a year from it. It spreads from contact with
an infected person, contaminated food, water, or
surface.
4) HIV: About 50,000 people a year are infected.
In 2010 after HIV infection lead to aids about
15,550 people die a year. It spreads through bodily
fluids and contaminated through shared needles.
Jay Asher
13 Reasons Why
Eric Devine
Press Play
Patricia McCormick
Sold
Jackie Morse Kessler
Rage
...and Joseph Bruchac and Steve Sheinkin
5) RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection): About 1.5 million people are infected a
year. Almost every child gets this virus before the
age of two. It can be very severe to senior citizens. 14,000 people over the age of 64 die from
RSV annually.
There are plenty of ways to prevent from getting sick.
Some of these ways include never touching your
mouth, nose, eyes, or ears without washing your
hands. Also, wash your hands before you touch food.
Encourage family members and friends to sneeze and
cough into their elbows. Also, avoid sharing personal
items like towels, razors and pillows. Always get the
proper amount of rest, and eat right so your immune
system is as strong as possible to fight off any kind of
viruses, or germs that have the potential to enter
your body.
PagePage
7 7
FYI
October: A Woman’s Month to Stand Strong
by Skylar VanAlstyne
If any group of women were asked what the most crippling fear or threat against women was, breast cancer and
domestic violence would be among the top. October is both Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. With support and fundraising events for both, hopes and spirits were raised in order
to improve numerous lives.
Breast cancer walks take place all over the country during the month of October. Shirts, hats and other items are
usually sold during these events to raise money for the cause. In Albany, New York, the annual Breast Cancer
Walk took place in Washington Park on October 19, 2014. As always, the walk was a huge success with 712
teams and 15,323 participants who raised $353,434.72 (Making Strides of Albany, NY). With such a good cause
and such strong support behind it, there is no wonder a whole month is
dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness.
Domestic Violence gained even more attention this year. With numerous
women expressing their discontent about treatment, mainly domestic
abuse, some men took to the streets. Wanting to better understand his
fellow peers‘ pride and issues, Frank Baird created ―Walk a Mile in Her
Shoes‖ foundation in 2001, but it finally got its well-deserved limelight this
year. Groups of men across the country decided to walk a full mile in women‘s‘ high heels. With posters and donations to show support, money was raised to end domestic violence and also bring some laughs and happiness
into an otherwise upsetting topic. Some posters displayed sayings such as, ―The pain I feel is nothing compared to
hers,‖ and ―One in six American Women are victims of sexual assault,‖ These showed the seriousness of the issue as well as compassion these men have for women. With support groups and foundations for the cause, October is also a month dedicated to a serious, yet preventable problem.
Support and dedication doesn‘t end there, however. Senior Savannah Huskie decided to make these both school
wide topics as well. She asked the students and faculty to wear purple on October 16 for domestic violence, and
pink on October 23 for Breast Cancer. When asked about her decision, Savannah explained, ―I want everyone to
know about these causes because not enough students are aware. I support both causes and hope that the more
people know, the more support and prevention there can be in the future.‖ With school-wide support, Maple
Hill students are brought into the global awareness of these issues.
Warning: Ebola
by John Kulpa
Fevers, joint and muscle pain, weakness, lack of appetite: all things that come to mind when thinking of countless
common and relatively harmless illnesses. But to tens of thousands of people worldwide, these words can be the
difference between life, or death. The Ebola Virus has spread throughout West Africa like wildfire, and the trail of
dead bodies left behind are rising exponentially. With a death toll of over 2,850 people and new cases coming up
nearly every second, EVD (Ebola Virus) must be contained, and eliminated for the safety of all people worldwide.
This disease has caused both world leaders, all the way down to everyday citizens to take action, and with many
disagreeing on the necessary steps to take, madness has broken out, as the number of people affected
See Ebola continued on p. 9
Page
Page88
FYI
Are You Up For the Challenge?
by Alysa Kelly
Maple Hill High School is a now offering a variety of internship opportunities for students interested in science, business, marketing, and trying something new.
There are multiple opportunities that include working
with elementary school children through Smart Kids, building a solar panel boat in the garage, or managing
production and actually making microbial fuel cells for MicrOrganics Technologies at the Middle School.
These opportunities are a great way for students to get involved
and will only benefit them in the future. Considering that science
in the real world is sometimes overlooked these days, these internships will allow Maple Hill students to apply what they learn
in school to a more professional level.
Internships like these will make students stand out from the
crowd while applying for colleges, and provide them with new
information that they have never even come across before. Plus,
it is a great way for students to earn school credit.
All of these internships provide you with the opportunity to be in charge, take a more hands on approach,
and see what the real world is really like for the first time. Even one participant, Elizabeth Roberts, said
that, ―having these different science internships at our school have provided great opportunities for students like myself to take science to a whole new level.‖
Amazingly enough, these organizations are still looking for interested young minds, so, if you‘re up for the
challenge, contact Mr. Bacon for more details on how to get involved.
Ebola continued from p. 8
continues to rise. With world health, peace, and economy at stake, the WHO (World Health Organization) has
done all it can through providing aid, specifically to countries who have been locked down.
―The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has the potential to alter history as much as an plague has ever done,‖ says The
New York Times. And do not take this quote lightly, as it is all too real. With almost 5,000 cases over the past six
months, and still the lack of a vaccine, times have become desperate. What makes this different than any other disease outbreak that the news tells us we should be afraid of? Or different than the 19 other Ebola outbreaks over
the last 40 years? One complication is that throughout those 40 years, the population of Africa has grown by 300
percent, the largest increase being in the slums of major cities. When before it was easy to isolate villages with the
virus, now with it spreading faster, and more people travelling from city to city, most likely unaware that they are
this seriously sick, it is nearly impossible to pinpoint one location saying this is where the virus is. Another huge
See Ebola continued on p. 10
Page 99
Page
FYI
Ebola continued from p. 9
...threat with this, is travellers coming from the area going outside the country. Once the virus makes its way out of
the continent, and into another, the threat level will go up an extreme amount.
Of course, this is not the only other complication. Many fear that the virus will mutate, and eventually be transmittable by air. This is, at the time, a worst case scenario, but a sooner approaching reality. At the time, EVD is only
transmittable through body fluids. Ebola, as many other viruses, is notable for not replicating the same every time.
What this means, is that if the virus were transmitted from one person to the next, the virus could be genetically
different than the original. The obvious problem with this is coming up with a potential vaccine. With little to no
chance of the virus ever being genetically the same, from person to person, the thought of no vaccine, no definite
medicine is terrifying. The terror here is no definite knowledge. More cases of the Ebola virus have been transmitted human to human more times in the past four months, than most likely occurred in the last 500 to 1,000 years,
but why? What causes this? Knowing that we don’t know is one of the scariest parts. And the fact that we
know that it can change and mutate, and we will be forever “chasing” this disease, is even worse.
With all these unknowns, and so many questions left unanswered, it is understandable why the general
public is so scared. With all of this bad, it is always important to look on the bright side of things. Both Asia
and Europe are on high alert, and while no cases have been confirmed, the threat level still remains high.
For now, the virus is being contained, and the rest of the world awaits for news of the virus finally dying.
The outbreak will be followed by nearly every form of news, so to stay up to date on the disease and ways
to stay protected, there are many places to look.
Spirit Week continued from Cover
Following the common ―Twin Day‖ was the new addition,
―Tuxedo Day‖, where students were asked to dress up in
formal wear. Tuesday had its own sense of spirit. The Seniors all decided to be funny and oppose ―Tuxedo Day‖ by
dressing down and wearing pjs and sweats. Taking it to the
next level, Senior Tommy Miller showed up with a little bit
of ―monkey business‖. Tommy, along with 2 other friends,
wore onesies, consisting of a monkey, superman and batman. When asked, Tommy explained, ―We got told to
dress down so we decided a onesie would be a good idea,‖
goofy while many others were dressed to the 9s. For Tommy, it was a little bittersweet because he enjoys Spirit Week.
He says, “It’s fun to dress up and mess around for a week,” and he was a little sad that it is his last one. But after a formal, yet casual day, the following Wednesday really upped the ante.
Wednesday. The infamous Color Wars. Probably the second most spirited day of the entire school year. Each grade,
given its own color, decks themselves out to win the most points. Its no mystery that the seniors always win, but nevertheless, its always fun the participate. Freshmen are orange, Sophomores are green, Juniors are yellow and Seniors
are purple. All that is seen on Wednesday were these four colors. Among the action was Junior Alysa Kelly. Alysa is always known to impress during Spirit Week, but Color Wars is easily the most spirited. She even states, “I like to go all
out for Spirit Week because its one of the best weeks of the school year! So i decided to wear yellow from head to toe,
wearing a bandana, tee shirt, tutu, bead necklace and even striped tights.” When asked why she enjoys Spirit Week so
much, Alysa replied, “It’s always so much fun picking out my outfits and seeing what everybody else wears. I’m really
looking forward to next year, especially since I’ll be a senior. I’m glad I’ll be one of the big kids in school, however, it
will be bittersweet sice it will be my last Spirit Week ever.”
See Spirit Week continued on p. 11
Page
Page10
10
FYI
Spirit Week continued from p.10
Seeing this type of school spirit is the reason Spirit Week is so much fun, and Color Wars on Wednesday was a hard act
to follow.
Thursday was decided to be “Country/Western Day” for all those country people out there. The school was basically a
huge table cloth painted in all sorts of flannel. Most of the outfits were pretty predictable, consisting of a flannel with
some boots, however, some stood out. Seniors Anthony Belardo and Jake Long were among those who dared to be
different. Anthony sported a fine cowboy hat and a tucked in shirt with some nice jeans while Jake taped a empty milk
gallon onto the top of a hat, creating a “1 gallon hat.” Anthony enjoyed wearing western apparel and overall likes Spirit Week. He describes how, “Spirit Week is great because it encourages school spirit, its as simply as that.” Country
Day was pretty low key, since it followed the eventful Color Wars and lead into the biggest day of them all: Pep Rally.
Friday: Not only the best day of every school week, but by far the best day of Spirit Week. Class shirts had been created and were now being worn. The Freshmen gave a good creative effort and kept it “Fresh” with some nice red camo.
Sophomores kept up their great creativity in their class shirts with their cute “Sophsmores”. The Juniors added some
“Trill” to the school and made sure that no one could kill their “Vibes”. The Seniors knew that it was it for them and
gave a great effort creating a great class tank: Th15 Is It. The hallways were plastered in posters, mostly made by the
seniors because all other posters were torn within 5 minutes of being put up. After
the shorten school day let out, all grades proceeded to the gym and had fun during
the Pep Rally. Each grade participated in events and showed their class spirit. For the
Student Council President, however, not everything was all fun and games. Jake
Long told, “I hosted the Pep Rally with Max Jenkins and Jeremy Rossetti. I also participated in the relay race, which was only half completed. I enjoyed the pep rally for
the most part, but at times it was irritating trying to get everybody’s attention. Overall, it was fun.” The Senior also added, “Spirit Week is very enjoyable for me. It is fun
because there is a sense of competition among grades in addition to the school wide
unity. We have fun competing with one another despite being brought together as a
school,”. Jake is sure to miss Spirit Week next year, but he is glad for having as much
fun as he did this year.
With all that being said, Spirit Week was wrapped up for Maple Hill High School.
Each day had its own twists and turns and interesting turns outs among the students. The
most popular days will
probably
always be
Pep Rally
and Color
Wars, however, who
knows
what's in
store for
next year’s
days?
Page 11
FYI
Do you really know your teachers?
Page 12
News
Be active in your community.
Become Involved
What to do...
Key Club, Newspaper Club, Science Olympiad, Recycling Club,
Student Council, Weight-lifting Club,
SADD, and many
more. Even join a winter sport.
Volunteer at The Anchor (Mondays 6-8 pm) (518) 732-4120
Located behind the Riverside Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing.
Use the driveway that comes up from Rt. 9J.
Recycling Club
Key Club
Have a passion for going green? If so,
this club is the perfect fit for you (and
your resumé)! We recycle paper every
Thursday. Help Maple Hill start a composting program and
be a part of some
other new upcoming
projects and exciting
projects. Ideas are
always welcome to
help make Maple
Hill a greener place. Let’s make our
community as environmentally friendly
as possible! As Peter Aitken for more
details!
Want to be a leader? As Gandhi said,
“Be the change you want to see in
the world.” Key Club is an international community service club that takes
charge of several
service projects
throughout the
year. Help run the
chicken BBQs or
dress up as animated characters
for Albany Lights in
the Park. We meet every Wednesday
in Mrs. VanVliet’s room. Ask Michaela
Mueller or Mrs. VanVliet for more
details!
Page 13
Advancing Technology: ThinkPads Arrive at Maple Hill
by John Paul Kulpa
You really have to be living under a rock to not have
noticed that all the teachers have gotten a new toy.
The Lenovo ThinkPad is a hybrid laptop tablet that
has just as of this year been introduced as a new tool
to all the teachers. So far, the transition has been
great, and this is the first of many steps in modernizing the high school. But what were the steps that
lead to this decision, and what will come next?
While the first couple of
days with the new ThinkPads
may have been a little
rough,the kinks are being
straightened out and teachers are now getting more
comfortable. The ThinkPads
have features that include a
touch screen, a keypad, a
small size for easy mobility,
and all the previous benefits
that the desktop computers
included. All of these features are the first step in the
new transition out of the age
of paper, to the future
where everything can be
done through modern technology. As of now, this
transition has been easy and for the most part, with
little problems. The ThinkPads run on Windows 8,
along with all other computers in the school.
Of course, with making a move this big, there is expected to be some issues with starting with the new
devices. After speaking with many different students
and teachers, it seems the biggest complaint is difficulty when they connect the ThinkPad to another
device, mainly a smartboard. At times, when connecting the two through an input cable, strange distortions to the screen occur, with little hint to why.
For instance, the display may appear on the smartboard way to small, or only showing half of what is
being shown on the ThinkPad itself. Also, when trying to show a clip or video, some teachers have had
struggles with the audio, as it may be silent. Fortunately, there is a person in the high school, that has
this all covered.
Page 14
Math teacher Mr. Ryan‘s role has been redesigned to help with this transition. After teaching
many math classes to the likes of Freshman
through Seniors, Mr. Ryan has cut back his teaching duties, in order to be in charge of the new
ThinkPad system. As the teachers experience the
new ThinkPads, it is important to have someone
who is knowledgeable about technology at the
forefront, in order to reduce complications
and promote efficiency. With the teachers being
the ―guinea pigs‖ for the ThinkPads, when more
are integrated into the system, be it for students or
any purpose, it will be even
more important to have
Mr. Ryan help with the
ThinkPads. His new role
will be greatly appreciated.
Why now? Why make the
decision to switch over to
the digital world this year?
Well, take a look around
you. You are surrounded
by technology at all times,
and the way that technology is headed, shows that it
will continue to be this way
in 10 years when all of us
high schoolers are looking for a career. Basically,
technology is a major part of our lives, and
MHHS wants to help its students learn to embrace technology, and find out how to use it as a
tool. With more modernization expected to
come, partly in thanks to New York‘s push for
technology in education, the sooner the better to
help our teachers learn how to use the devices.
With many positives surrounding this idea, and
the few lingering negatives, that are often easily
fixable, the 2014-15 school year is a great year to
implement technology and start taking steps towards a more modern high school. All students
and teachers are eager to see how the technology will play out alongside the year as time ticks
by, and with an open mind, a willingness to work,
and new technology, this new year is looking to
be great.
News
You Needn’t Fear, the 3D Printer is Here
by Peter Aitken
Standard prosthetics, that is, artificial body parts made from expensive material, is seemingly a thing of the past, thanks to the 3D printer. If you aren‘t familiar, the 3D printer is a piece of technology that is
shaping the world for the better. Whether you want a phone case, a
wheelchair ramp, or even a prosthetic limb, consider it done with the
help of the 3D printer. It all starts out with a simple design of your
desired object (made on a computer aided design file). Then, layer by
layer, the 3D printer creates the object.
Netflix Going Big
Time
by Hunter Sanchez
Few words can aptly describe
the success Netflix has had in recent
years with online streaming of movies
and television shows. This success has
been seen, not only with programs
Netflix has purchased the rights to,
but also with their original television
shows such as Orange is the New Black
Not only does the 3D printer save time, it saves money-and tons of
and House of Cards. With experience
it. For one specific family, it has saved them over $60,000. Anastasia
in original programming, Netflix has
Rivas, a 10-year-old child from North Bergen, NJ, was born with amnow set its sights on a new ventureniotic band syndrome. Long story short, her left hand never had the
original movies.
chance to fully develop
While not the most original
and therefore, it could not
idea, Netflix‘s first original movie will
be utilized. The 3D printbe a sequel to the film Crouching Tiger,
er was able to create a
Hidden Dragon which was released in
prosthetic hand with a
2000 and won an Oscar. Looking furprice tag of only $2,000
ther ahead Netflix has also talked to
compared to a standard
movie star Adam Sandler who has
$60,000 prosthetic arm.
agreed to star in and produce four
Not to mention, the numoriginal films that will exclusively be
ber of prosthetics Anastareleased through Netflix.
sia would have to go
Along with the preparedness of
through (while she grows). Now, Anastasia can do something every
Netflix in this movie venture, the time
child wants to do: play. In fact, she even enjoys bringing the groceries
may be especially prime for this move
in from the car, and the 3D printer has allowed her to do just that
as movie theaters have recently been
(and more). Rest assured, Anastasia‘s inspiring story is just one of
suffering. Perhaps this is because theaseveral that are yet to come thanks to this innovative machine. In fact,
ters charge more than $10 per ticket
Anastasia‘s hand is one of only 200 prostheses that have been printed
and additionally a small fortune for
for people who are in need of limbs.
drinks and a snack. This past summer
was the worst for theaters since 2005
As stated before, prosthetics is just one of countless things the 3D
and this downward trend may continprinter is capable of creating. Hanging lights, bathing suits, shoes, cofue if prices also continue to rise.
fee cups, camera lenses, guitars and even guns are just a few other
When compared with a cheaper and
items that 3D printers can make. Get this: acccording to Parade Magmore relaxed night at home, theaters
azine, within the next ten years, we might even see surgeons use 3D
may be in trouble and Netflix may be
printers to build organs for transplants and to harvest new nerve
near their next jackpot. Netflix has
cells! Pretty fascinating, huh?
prepared and picked the perfect time
to add original movies to their busi3D printers are so high tech that it may seem impossible to lay your
ness and beginning on August 28th,
hands on one. Believe it or not, you can own your very own for only
2015 Netflix will officially be a movie
a couple hundred dollars. It‘s safe to say that we, including our walmaker.
lets, are in good hands for a while now that the 3D printer is here.
Page 15
News
Anything is Possible
by Christina Malthouse
The mile in gym class may seem exhausting trying to make the cut off for some, but imagine multiplying
that by 26.2 more miles. Until someone has attempted to accomplish the Ironman Triathlon, they can‘t understand how sweat-draining this experience could be. Not only do these triathletes complete a full marathon of
running, but also 112 miles of biking and 2.4 miles of swimming. Swimming comes first to ensure that nobody
drowns due to fatigue, followed by the scenic bike ride and topped off with a sweaty run.
Originating in Hawaii, a group of athletes that participate in biathlon (running and biking) competitions
frequently discussed ways to raise the endurance needed to compete. At the time they started discussing this
idea, they were at the awards banquet for a swim club in Hawaii. In conclusion, an Ironman Triathlon was established in Hawaii. The gun went off at seven in the morning and lasted until the competitors finished within
the 17 hour cutoff. The first man to finish the Ironman Triathlon in history had a time of 11 hours 46 minutes and 58 seconds. Some train for more than thirty hours a week for seven
months in order to be prepared for an event like this.
In 1982, one average 23 year old woman, Julie Moss
attempted to test her personal limits physically, emotionally,
and mentally taking on this challenge. She became an inspiration to others with her incredible athletic ability.
ABC television recorded the effort she put forth throughout the competition, but an unfortunate event occurred when the finish line was just 20 yards in front of her. Julie‘s legs could not hold her any longer. With just
20 yards to go and holding the first place position she pushed herself past her limits by crawling through pain to
reach her goal of completion. This goes to show that this competition is not just a form of physical activity to
get the iron man status, but a personal reward of pushing limits a new potential is discovered. She never expected to win or even try to be the fastest she could possibly be, but the Iron Man helped her discover a more
competitive side of her that she had never experienced before. Losing first and being placed as second only a
few seconds away from the finish line was a little disappointing, but Julie was a good sport and was happy just
to have gotten the opportunity to experience the Ironman Triathlon. Julie Moss‘s story is influential, it impacted not only her, but the others that were around watching. The determination she expressed to finish the race
has placed Julie Moss as the second person ever in the Iron Man Hall of Fame.
The athletes who won the latest Iron Man Championship that was hosted on October 12th also had to
come equipped with that same determination as Julie Moss. The ranking is below:
Placed
Men
Country
Time
Women
Country
Time
1st
Sebastian
Kienle
Germany
8:14:18
Miranda Carfrae
Austrailia
9:00:55
2nd
Ben Hoffman
USA
8:19:23
Daniela Ryf
Switzerland
9:02:57
3rd
Jan Frodeno
Germany
8:20:32
Rachel Joyce
Great Britain
9:04:23
Mirinda Carafre is known for running with quick speed which her husband is jealous of since she beats
his time any day. Every time Mirinda does the marathon (running) portion of the competition she beats
(advances?) her own time. This is her third win as of this year and became the 33nd finisher in this years October Ironman Triathlon event.
The fastest time completion of the competition was 8 hours 3 minutes 56 seconds. The 140.6- mile...
See Ironman continued on p. 17
Page 16
News
Mr. Bigglesworth Makes the Yearbook
by Hunter Sanchez
Ever read through a yearbook? And by read I mean really read, through every quote and every picture description. If you have I would say you‘re rare, because in a school like Schenectady High there are
over 2,000 students that have professional photos displayed. For the most part these are in the portrait section of their yearbook, all uniform and stuck together.
This wasn‘t to the liking of one senior,
Draven Rodriguez, who wanted a yearbook
photo that was uniquely him and this would
include his rescued cat, Mr. Bigglesworth.
Draven‘s ideal photo was him and Mr. Bigglesworth surrounded by lasers. However the
school wasn‘t as in love with the picture as
Draven was. The school refused to place this
photo in the senior portrait section and principal Diane Wilkinson said, ―...you want to
think of all the kids who want to have a professional shot that looks consistent in that area,‖ as her reasoning for rejecting the photo.
This would seem like the end of
Draven‘s dream photo, but in all actuality, it
was only the beginning. Rodriguez quickly had
a petition circulating and his cause started to attract the attention of Time and Cosmopolitan magazine, as well
as from Tumblr who contacted Draven about sponsoring his personal page. After his cause had attracted so
much attention, Principal Diane Wilkinson offered him a deal to still include Mr. Bigglesworth in the yearbook. Principal Wilkinson would bring in her own chihuahua to pose
with Draven and Mr. Bigglesworth that would be displayed on the principal‘s page along with a message about animal rescue/adoption. It wasn‘t the original photo Draven had in mind, but when asked if he was
disappointed with it, he said, ―Not really. I mean, it would have been
nice, but the picture is still going to be there, and I ended up with
something better.‖
Checks have already started to arrive at the school for the purpose of
rescuing animals and all such proceeds will go to the Animal Protection
Foundation in Glenville.
Ironman continued from p. 16
...journey is a display of physical and mental strength. Endurance is what
this competition is all about and one‘s limits will be tested, but its an
experience that will affect the rest of an individual‘s life knowing what it
takes to accomplish a triathalon like the Ironman. Without attempting
this course in Hawaii, no one running on a mile on the track for gym
Page 17
Arts & Entertainment
50 Years of Oompa-Loompas, Chocolate
Treats, and Golden Tickets
by Kassidy Berger
Do you remember the first time you saw or read Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory? I bet it wasn‘t 50 years ago,
when it first came out! Did you know that this year marks
the 50th birthday of Roald Dahl‘s instant classic? Of Roald
Dahl‘s 21 children‘s books, you most likely would recognize
these: James and the Giant Peach (1961), Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory (1964), Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970), Danny
the Champion of the World (1975), The BFG (1982), The
Witches (1983), Boy (1984), and Matilda (1988). But did
you ever pick up on some hidden questions that Dahl poses
in his stories?
For instance, in The Witches, is Dahl really stating
that women should not be trusted? And in many of his novels, fat-shaming is very obvious. Remember Bruce Bogtrotter from Matilda? He was the kid who was forced to eat an
impossible amount of chocolate cake in front of the entire
school by Ms. Trunchbull. In Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory, poor Augustus Gloop got stuck in the pipe in the
chocolate river! When the BFG stole a girl from her room,
was it supposed to be acceptable?
But let‘s not forget the good things Roald Dahl gave
us. Eight films were made from his books (Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory was made twice, 1971 and 2005). Plus,
his books are really sweet for kids to read. Kids also don‘t
think about the questions that were brought up. They just
read and believe, and that‘s wonderful. Who wouldn‘t be
ecstatic to get a golden ticket or the ability to move stuff
with your mind? Dahl‘s imagination is magical to kids, even
after 50 years and counting.
Last month Dahl would have celebrated his 98th
birthday. How crazy is that? Almost as crazy as some of his
made-up words, as you can see below:
The Vocab of Roald Dahl
Gobblefunk
(GOB-bul-funk)
Jumpsquiffling
(jump-SKWI-ling)
Muggled
(MUG-ulled)
Whoppsy-whiffling
(WOP-see-wiff-ling)
a made-up language
very large
confused
super-awesome
Page 18
Arts & Entertainment
Beware: You Never Know What the Demons Will Want Next
By Alysa Kelly
If you haven‘t already heard, Annabelle has been
stealing the souls of many. As a spin off from the
highly rated film The Conjuring, this movie has created a lot of horrifying discussion. Interestingly
enough, both films are based on true stories; creepy,
right? Even worse, the story behind Annabelle is
even more terrifying.
If you aren‘t already afraid of dolls,
this movie will be sure to make
you want to run away from any
doll you see. Of course, not all
dolls are possessed like poor Annabelle, but they have the potential to be, don‘t they?
Now, like any horror film, the
movie begins in a lovely town,
with caring people, and a perfectly
normal neighborhood. Mia and
John just moved in to their cute
little home, waiting for the arrival
of their new baby girl, Lea. After
finding the perfect gift for his wife,
John surprises Mia with the rare,
vintage doll that will top off the
collection that she already owns.
However, viewers soon discover
that her amazement won‘t last
long. The scene turns cold after
Mia wakes up to screams next door. Not only is the
night silent, but Mia knows that something has gone
terribly wrong. Sending her husband to check up on
things, Mia becomes impatient and decides to go and
see for herself, no matter how soon to delivery she
may be. Finding her husband covered in blood, she is
ordered to go back inside and call the police. With
not even a few minutes upstairs, Mia begins to hear
voices in the room next door: Lea‘s room. Fearing
for her life, Mia is attacked and forced to go to the
hospital. Eventually, the police arrived to investigate
the scene. Oddly enough, they discovered the brand
new doll removed from the shelf and plastered in
blood. Thankfully, Mia, John, and their newborn
daughter, Lea, all survived the horrifying attack; however, that was only the beginning of it.
Once Mia returned home from the hospital, things
were never the same. She no longer could look at the
doll, let alone handle being in her daughter‘s room for
too long. In addition, many mysterious events were occurring in
their home after the attack with
no reasoning behind them. The
family was eventually forced to
move, allowing all hell to break
loose. Believing that the doll was
the culprit of all things going
wrong for the family, Mia asked
John to throw it out. And yet,
when they were unpacking bins
in their new home, the doll miraculously reappeared. Believing
everything would go back to
normal, Mia decided to keep the
doll and let go of everything that
happened in their old home. But
as any viewer of a scary movie
would say, nothing is ever as it
seems.
Now, what happens to the family
at the new house is up for you to discover because
there is no point for you to see Annabelle if I gave it all
away. Although the film may be rated R, I recommend
anyone who is interested in a scare this October and
is old enough, or has someone old enough to accompany them, go and see just how evil Annabelle really
is. Plus, you can discover all of the terrible things she
brings to Mia, John, and Lea, along with those who
crossed their paths. Just beware, you never know
what Annabelle plans on doing next.
Page 19
Arts & Entertainment
Netflix for Dummies
by Gabe Dingman
Netflix has thousands of different TV shows and movies.
With so many titles to chose from, it can sometimes be
overwhelming to choose what to watch. Just deciding
whether to watch a movie or a series can be a bear of a
decision. But never fear, there is something for everyone, from movies far before your time to shows that
are still running. As far as TV shows go, there are a few
musts.
waiting to be watched, one after the other. But where to
begin?
If you're looking for a laugh the obvious answer is
Parks and Recreation: you‘re sure to laugh until it hurts as
Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and friends (Aziz Ansari,
Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Rob Lowe
and Adam Scott) balance their personal lives with work
as part of the Pawnee City government.
If you’re looking for a good laugh you have to check
out Bridesmaids: a hysterical tale of a woman, Annie
(Kristen Wiig), who seemingly can‘t do anything right.
Whether you‘ve seen it or not you won't be disappointed.
You can't go wrong with a movie that has Kristen Wiig,
Melissa McCarthy, AND Maya Rudolph.
If it’s more of a dramatic thriller you‘re in the mood for, then look
no further than Supernatural. This
puts a strange and scary twist on
classic family values. Old wives tales
and ideas you thought you knew are
brought to life. You‘re sure to be on
the edge of your seat as all 9, going
on 10, seasons unravel.
For you science buffs, Cosmos is
where it‘s at with hundreds of episodes about The Final
Frontier. The show features astrophysicist Neil
deGrasse Tyson as viewers explore the past, present,
and future of our universe.
Start with the classics like The Breakfast Club, a right of
passage into your Netflix career. It‘s a classic tale of real
struggles that teenagers can and will face. On top of that it
has probably one of the best scores of all time! Really, it
doesn‘t get much better than Don‘t You.
For those who like a good scare try
the Blair Witch Project. Regarded as one of
the scariest movies of the century, you
won‘t sleep well for nights as you ponder:
was that real? Not to give away too much
but it will send chills down your spine.
As for love stories you can‘t go wrong
with Brokeback Mountain, although a little
controversial it‘s really one of the most
real and sincere love stories of all time.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger have
such chemistry, its almost scary. Just try it out and if it‘s
not for you than its not for you.
Sing your heart out to Grease. It could be under the
classic label too, but lets face it, who doesn't know at least
For drama Kings and Queens, Gossip Girl couldn't be one song by heart? So as far as musicals go its kind of just
a better fit for those of you looking for a little drama to an easy decision. Spend some time with Sandy, Danny,
spice up your life. It follows a tight group of friends and The Pink Ladies, and The Burger Palace boy!
the twist and turns of their daily lives.
Lastly, try to avoid obviously bad movies unless of course
you‘re a fan of B and C budget movies. Don‘t forget,
The 90’s Netflix is full of blasts from the past. One
what's been listed is not even a fraction of what's available.
show that should be on your ―To Watch‖ list is ―Saved
You‘ve got to make some decisions of your own based on
by the Bell‖. It follows students from middle school all
the way through high school. Everyone has seen the re- what you like, but also try something you wouldn't normally watch, and you may find your own taste. Hopefully
runs, everyone can relate to somebody on the show.
this will get you started and from there, Netflix will lead
you. Remember: It‘s not just a compilation of some movAs if binge-watching the endless TV shows on Netflix
doesn‘t occupy enough of your time, then there are the ies and TV shows; Netflix is a way of life.
endless movies Netflix has to offer. Each of them just
Page 20
Arts & Entertainment
Booms and Busts of the Fall 2014 TV Premiere Season
by Julia Keyoskey
The Fall season is a time for the leaves to change, weather to turn chilly, and the new TV premieres to dazzle us. Many networks will air their new shows after weeks of commercializing. After the first episodes, networks and producers can tell if the show will be a hit or a miss depending of the ratings and viewer reviews.
With that being said, here are the hits and misses of the 2014 Fall TV premiere season:
Hits:
Misses:
How To Get Away With Murder
Stalker
How To Get Away With Murder is a new show that
premiered on ABC. Shonda Rimes, the producer of
Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal has done it again with
her newest show. This hit new drama follows the
personal and professional life of Annalise Keating.
Keating is a criminal law professor at Middleton
University. A group of her best students are chosen to work at her law firm where she teaches
them, in fact, how to get away with murder.
Despite the amount of interest this show received,
the reviews were not nearly as good as the producers had hoped. Stalker is a new drama series about a
victim of stalking. This show also follows the story of
the detectives in the ―Threat Assessment Unit‖ who
investigate these crimes. This show got negative reviews by Rotten Tomatoes as well as USA Today because "[it is] chuck full of perverted subjects and ugly
storylines, making it hard to watch even for those
who like to watch." If you have an interest in this
show, check it out and see for yourself.
Gotham
Bad Judge
If you enjoy Batman, which most of us do, you
might be interested in seeing Gotham. Gotham, the
newest crime television show, explores the story
of James Gordon, the detective assigned to Bruce
Wayne's parents murder case. This show takes
place before Bruce Wayne becomes Batman,
therefore giving a great backstory to the already
popular Batman movies.
Bad Judge, a new comedy on NBC, follows the life of
Rebecca Wright, a very harsh judge in Los Angeles,
who spends her time partying and displaying reckless
behavior. She will then be judged by Robby Shoemaker, a boy whose parents have been put in jail by Rebecca. This show got bad reviews by Rotten Tomatoes because ―[it] is benched by stale jokes and a lead
performance that lacks conviction." Go watch Bad
Judge for yourself and decide if the critics are right.
Page 21
Arts & Entertainment
Can You Hear Them?
by Lauryn Krupa
In the small town of Cryer‘s
Cross, Montana, everyone knows
everyone, cars are left unlocked
with keys in the ignition, doors
and windows are left unlocked,
and people ride horses around
town... that is until the first student mysteriously disappears,
leaving behind distraught friends
and family and an empty desk in
school. Nobody seems to notice
the empty feeling of her desk in
class besides Kendall, a senior
haunted by her OCD. Every
morning before school, Kendall repeats the same routine
in the classroom, turning the wastebasket to hide the
dent, straightening and ordering the dry-erase board
markers in color order, adjusting the curtains, lining up
the desks in the proper position, and checking the window locks for security. Nobody has ever complained or
even noticed. The only thing that helps to keep her OCD
in check is dancing and playing soccer, even with the small
numbers Cryer‘s Cross can scrounge up.
Adventure Awaits Quentin Jacobsen
(A Book Review of John Green‘s Paper Towns)
by Amanda Kern
What would you do if the fabulous, captivating
Margo Roth Spiegelman, your neighbor who you‘ve admired from afar, mysteriously showed up at you bedroom
window one night? Well if you‘re Quentin Jacobsen, you
would go along with her plan. Decked out in all black, looking like a ninja, Margo Roth Spiegelman requests Quentin
Jacobsen‘s help one night. After some debate, Quentin
complies, not knowing what he is really agreeing to. Margo
and Quentin are about to right some wrongs, but before
they do, they have to buy a few items including some catfish, shaving cream, Vaseline, and a dozen tulips.
Once they have all the supplies they will need, they
embark on an all night adventure that takes them all over
the city. Just before dawn, the two return home from their
excursion and go their different ways. Quentin hopes that
the next day things will change, that Margo will actually talk
to him at school, but what changes is something different;
Margo isn‘t at school. After school, Quentin realizes that
she didn‘t simply skip school to sleep, but to go on another
adventure as her car isn‘t parked in her driveway.
After a few days of Margo missing, her parents suspect that she has run away again and go over to the JacobAfter the first disappearance, a new family joins the small sen‘s to see if Quentin has seen her or knows where she
town and authorities first think to link the disappearance might be. Mrs. Spiegelman tells them that Margo always
to the new guy. Everyone soons settles back into normal leaves vague clues that can never be followed. Shortly after
everyday life until almost instantaneously, another student the Spiegelmans leave, Quentin and his friends, Ben and
is gone. Kendall‘s OCD is sent on overdrive with horrific
Radar, are playing video games when Quentin notices that
scenes of what could have possibly happened to her
Margo‘s window shade has been pulled down and taped on
friend. Soon, a buddy system is set in place forcing Kenthe back of it is a Woody Guthrie poster, the first of many
dall to confront the bitter new student.
clues Margo left.
Desperate for answers, Kendall sits in the desk where her
friend used to sit, noticing that it was the very same desk
that the other student who disappeared sat in. As soon as
Kendall sits in the chair, her OCD starts working her
brain; something isn‘t right about the desk, when she realizes that new graffiti has been engraved. It looks as if it
was 50 years old so she must be imagining it...or is she?
Soon Kendall begins hearing the voices of the missing calling out to her for help and leaving messages scratched
into the desk. Through the gripping and haunting story,
learn the secrets of Cryer‘s Cross and just how far it‘s
residents are willing to go to keep these secrets buried. In
her plot-twisting novel, find out who is behind the disappearances in Lisa McMann‘s Cryer’s Cross.
Page 22
After realizing it‘s a clue and a
clue for him, Quentin and his
friends try to figure out what it
means. Discovering clue after
clue, Quentin, with the help of
his friends, embark on an adventure, this time one to find
Margo Roth Spiegelman. The
more clues he finds, the more
he realizes he doesn‘t know
who Margo is. Will he find out
who the real Margo is? Will he
be able to discover where Margo mysteriously disappeared to?
Arts & Entertainment
Upcoming Music
Featuring: Mumford & Sons
by Kelsey Pascetto
With Mumford & Sons on the quick uprising of the music scene, people are connecting all over the world by the
mutual music. Mumford & Sons are a British folk rock band, formed in 2007. Mumford & Sons recorded an EP, "Love
Your Ground", and performed in the UK and the United States. Their debut album, Sigh No More, was released in
the UK and Ireland in October 2009 and February 2010 in the US. The album reached number one in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and eventually peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and the Billboard 200 in the
US. On 1 December 2010, the band received two Grammy Award nominations, one for Best New Artist and the other for Best Rock Song
"Little Lion Man". At the 2013 Grammy Awards, they sang "I Will Wait"
and Babel won the award for Album of the Year. In 2013 the band won a
Brit Award for Best British Group.
On September 20, 2013 however, the band announced they were going
on hiatus for a "considerable amount of time.‖The band uses bluegrass
and folk instrumentation, such as a banjo, upright bass, piano and mandolin. Much of Mumford & Sons' lyrical content has a strong literary influence, its debut album was inspired by William Shakespeare's Much Ado
About Nothing. The track "Sigh No More" includes lines from the play
such as Serve God love me and mend, For man is a giddy thing, and One foot in sea and one on shore. The song "Roll
Away Your Stone," title alludes to Macbeth; the song includes the line Stars hide your fires/And these here are my desires which borrows and pares down Macbeth's line in Act 1 Scene 4:Stars, hide your fires,/Let not light see my black and
deep desires. In an interview, Mumford was quoted as saying, "You can rip off Shakespeare all you like; no lawyer's
going to call you up on that one.‖
What is bluegrass?
It‘s a kind of country music influenced by jazz and blues and characterized by virtuosic playing of banjos and guitars
and high-pitched, close-harmony vocals.
For more information about this band go to http://www.mumfordandsons.com/
Extra! Extra! Read all about the Newsies
by Kerry Golden
Proctors Theatre, in Schenectady has brought a series of shows to the Capital District that have provided the public with a taste of Broadway right here in our own backyards. In mid-October, I had the opportunity to attend Newsies, the 2012 Tony Award winning musical from Disney. Newsies is based on the real
life Newsies strike of 1899 in which Kid Blink and David Simons, both newsboys, led orphan boys and runaway children on a two week strike against newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Hearst. Inspired
by the trolley strike, ―newsies‖, led by young rebel Jack Kelly, and the brains of the operation Davey, join together to form a union to fight Pulitzer and Hearst when they raise the distribution price of newspapers ten
cents per every hundred. Newsies depicts the exploited, child newspaper sellers of New York City, and follows their plight as they set out to fight for chance and battle the
See Newsies continued on p.27
Page 23
Arts & Entertainment
Yesterday & Today Album Edition: Halloween:Yesterday: Welcome To My Nightmare
By Audra Colliton
What other artists truly remind us of halloween (maybe the Misfits,
perhaps the Ramones, and maybe David Bowie)? Alice Cooper is the
personification of Halloween: on stage, he performs beheadings, has
snakes, all sorts of crazy outfits, leather whips and among other
things. And the makeup is classic. So, Welcome to My Nightmare. Released in 1975 with eleven songs and only thirty-eight minutes
(relatively short for an album) its definitely worth a listen.
―Welcome to My Nightmare‖ is the first song and starts out softly
and slowly, with some slight tapping and little guitar, that is almost
harp like. Then it gets groovier when he gets to the lyric ―Welcome
to My Nightmare‖, oddly enough. His voice gets a little deeper, and
more mysterious. There is an awesome sax player and I can‘t explain
it. The lyrics invite you to sing. Its a rather easy song to sing along to
because he sings clearly and slowly (by slow, I mean not Ramones
paced or Misfits paced).
―Devil‘s Food‖ is the next song and starts out with more percussion and guitar. The lyrics are a bit suggestive (yeah,
he‘s talking about a woman and whatever). He sings as if he assumes the role of a vampire or a sponge, draining the
life out of someone. There‘s an echoing effect on the music so its like he is falling as he sings. Then the song fades
into a guitar riff and this creepy sounding man, talking about spiders that are poisonous and he is obviously mad. This
is a transition to the next song, ―Black Widow.‖
―Black Widow‖ is this really weird song about how the black widow spider could rule the world. When his maddening speech ends, Alice starts whispering, ―These words he speaks are true, we're all humanary stew if, We don't
pledge allegiance to The Black Widow.‖ Its a song about how ruthless this spider would be as a leader, with great
guitar, and with lyrics promoting cannibalism and love for this horrible leader. The song ends with the same words it
began with, which are sung more forcefully than when they first arrived.
―Some Folks‖ is more of a club like song, with a do-dah-do kind of beat created by the piano and snapping. The lyrics
are random but eerily touch you. ―Some folks live for no reason, some folks die without a warning.‖ It picks up when
Alice sings ―Baby come on and save me now‖. More saxophone and guitar, where needed which goes along perfectly
with the saxophone. A bang of a drum starts the chorus. He is repetitive and maniacal with his lyrics, which just
makes his lyrics seem that much more amazing.
―Only Women Bleed‖ is a really soft song, with some soft guitar and synthesizer in the beginning. Alice does not alter his voice to sound creepy or weird doing this song. I love it because its simple and goes against abuse of women
(Domestic Violence awareness month). Alice Cooper is a good person (He has a couple of daughters and a loving
wife), and is one person who really stands up for women in this song, which describes abuse verbally and physically,
and you can‘t help how bad you feel for the woman he describes in this song. It picks up when Alice sings, ―Black
eyes all of the time don't spend a dime clean up this grime And you there down on your knees begging me please
come watch me bleed‖. The song ends softly, just as softly as it began, with ahhhing in the background. The first time
I heard the song, I think I cried.
―Department of Youth‖ is more upbeat and happy. It is directly towards the teens and some lyrics strike true today,
such as ―We walk around and bump into walls a blind delegation yeah‖. When Alice gets to the chorus, children are
backup singers which adds a nice touch. There‘s a chorus where the kids try to mimic Alice‘s growling and its just
Page 24
Arts & Entertainment
fun to listen to. ―We‘re the Department of Youth, We‘ve got the Power‖.
―Cold Ethyl‖ is a song about necrophilia. Look that up and have fun with it. Like any Alice song, you know its
creepy. But, because I am writing for a school newspaper, unfortunately, cannot tell you what necrophilia is, but if
you look up necrophiles on Google, you‘ll figure it out pretty fast. Hint: ―If I live 'til ninety seven you'll still be waiting in refrigerator heaven.‖
―Years Ago‖ is the weirdest song on the album. It has a child-like tone to it. It reminds me of the twins from The
Shining. It has a very old feeling to it as well. Alice sings about how is torn between childhood and adulthood. Its like
demented carnival music, with voices and whistling. Creepy. ―I‘m a little boy, no I‘m a great big man no let‘s be little
boys.‖ This song fades into ―Steven‖, which is the song about a little boy. The two songs mesh together perfectly.
The beginning of ―Steven‖ is like the Halloween theme. Then a weak, little voice whines along with a sad sounding
piano. The voice is nervous and worrying. One lyric is ―You've only lived a minute of your life I must be dreaming
please stop screaming.‖ Alice uses his actual voice when he responds to the repetition of his name, which gets louder. The song is ominous and rather dark, which makes it more halloweenish and that much better. The movie
theme like piano continues in the background, which just makes it ten times more freakish. And, as always, the guitar section is superb. The tempo rises and falls, and with the beat, Alice‘s chilling child voice and whispering, its just
eerie.
―The Awakening‖ is only one verse, but it is so perfectly executed that it makes no difference. Alice describes the
scene as he wakes up, and then discovers he killed his wife. Just plain strange and completely Alice. ―These crimson
spots are dripping from my hand, It makes feel like a man.‖ The song is soft, with piano that slowly rises in tempo
with the use of bass to create low points which makes goosebumps rise.
―Escape‖ is probably the most normal song on the album. Upbeat with guitar and percussion up front and center
with Alice‘s voice leading the way. Alice reveals how he hides behind makeup in the first line ―Paint on my cruel or
happy face and hide me behind it.‖ And how he tries to be an individual although he realizes he is. ―So I escape I get
out when I can escape anytime I can.‖ I think everyone can relate to the feelings expressed in this song, ―Come on
nobody wants us around here anyways.‖ On our way to become an individual, we all compromise or even lose ourselves in the process.
Today: Black Veil Brides We Stitch These Wounds
By Kassidy Berger
One thing that is great about Halloween is that you can be anyone
or anything you want to be without anyone saying you can‘t. Black
Veil Brides‘ We Stitch These Wounds is a perfect example.
The first track, ―The Outcasts (Call to Arms)‖, is about 30 seconds
long but has been paired with the second track to make one song
(The Outcasts & We Stitch These Wounds). It begins with creepy
background music that automatically tempts you to want to listen to
more. Then comes the robot-voice over telling the listener about
what the song is about.
―We Stitch These Wounds‖ has a really interesting beginning, with a
xylophone-ish instrumental part followed by guitar (and lots of it).
The rest of the song is energetic and very fast beat. The lyrics ―Liar,
liar, liar‖ scream (pun intended) Halloween.
See Y&T continued on p. 26
Page 25
Y&T continued from p.25
―Beautiful Remains‖ is another
spooky song for Halloween. It does suggest suicide, but the fear this song can
give off makes it fun to listen to, and like
―The Outcasts‖, it makes you want to
listen to more.
―Children Surrender‖-just the
title leads somebody to think horror, and
the lyrics of the song don‘t disappoint.
―Sink your teeth into forever‖ can be interpreted as giving up on your fight, which
the band repeatedly discourages. The
tempo of this song makes your heart race
as some parts and keeps you hooked to each lyric.
Track number 5, ―Perfect Weapon‖, starts loud and never really stops. When the lyrics are sung, the song
gets slower, but when the screaming happens the beat gets faster. It is interesting to hear the changes. Its almost
like the song has unstable emotions.
A more popular song of theirs, track number 6 is ―Knives and Pens‖. The intro to this song is more mysterious than chaotic. The song was originally recorded for Sex and Hollywood, Black Veil Brides‘ EP, but was rerecorded for this album. The lyrics ―conscience begs you to do what‘s right‖ really speaks about personal struggle.
This particular song would probably not remind someone of Halloween, but is still spooky at some parts.
Again, track number 7 was originally recorded for Sex and Hollywood but was also released on this album as
well. ―The Mortician‘s Daughter‖ has the most different beginning than any other song on this album, which includes
acoustic guitar. This track is a ballad that a lot of people could relate to. Not as much Halloween-wise, but this song
has a different feel to it.
―All Your Hate‖ embodies the same message as in the title, stating ―We learn from all your hate, we are
lost in your mistakes...we learn.‖ Empowerment to rise above is what this song promotes, and in a way, so does
Halloween. Halloween is one night a year that everyone‘s true colors shine, and when it comes down to it, why be
anyone but yourself?
―Heaven‘s Calling‖ is definitely more on the controversial side, which may be why it‘s such a powerful song.
The screaming in this song is at times hard to decipher but it doesn‘t take away from the lyrics because it is repetitive enough to understand it.
The title of the tenth track speaks of strength and courage. ―Never Give In‖ tells the listener that they have
power to make bad decisions but that they also should never use it for harm. I like the message of this track because it is full of encouragement to not do these things and that when ―all life seems lost‖, you should ―fight against
all odds‖.
The title of the eleventh track, ―Sweet Blasphemy‖, would most likely give you some thoughts about it before you even listen to it. Yeah, another controversial one. It opens with a longer guitar intro and leads right into
lyrics describing anti-Christian beliefs. I wouldn‘t say the message of this one reminds me of Halloween except for
people being rebellious in different ways on Halloween (ex. costumes).
The last track, ―Carolyn‖, also promotes the message that you‘re not alone. My favorite lyrics from this
song are ―Those times in life we learn to try, with one intention of learning how and when we'll die, but we can't
listen‖, which means to me that you can‘t dwell on certain things that get you down and live the life you were given.
Through all 12 tracks and 42 minutes of We Stitch These Wounds, Black Veil Brides has managed to instill fear,
mystery, and fascination, which is so perfect for Halloween.
Page 26
Arts & Entertainment
Newsies continued from p.19
ruthless leaders of big business.
At first, I was slightly apprehensive to attend this show. I was not really in the mood for what I believed
would be another cute, happy go lucky, Disney play. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of history that was
intertwined in the play, and at how much I learned about the early distribution of news. Play writers Bob Tzudiker
and Noni White do an outstanding job of portraying the exploitation of street orphans by big businesses through
song and dance. The upbeat music and choreography helped the audience to share in the newsies hopes for a better life and escape from the hardships of the streets. Choreographer Christopher Gattelli guided this predominantly all-male cast through fast paced dance routines that incorporated a large amount of gymnastics that thrilled the
audience and led to large amounts of applause. One of the best dance routines was a tap dance number entitled
―King of New York,‖ which was performed by the Newsies and one of the four female characters, Katherine. The
musical numbers, nineteen in all, were a variety of seriousness, humor, romance and fun. Actor Dan DeLuca, as
Jack Kelly, and actress Stephanie Styles, as Katherine, had strong voices that covered a large range of notes with
volume and power that gave the audience goosebumps when they belted out long powerful notes that captivated
the passion and power of their character. Overall, the acting and dancing of the entire cast was nothing short of
what one would find on Broadway in New York City.
Proctors holds nothing back when it
comes to the ability for shows to
bring
scenery that make the price of the
ticket worthwhile. Scenic designer
Tobin Ost creates the feel of the
streets of New York City by erecting metal scaffolding with New York
City projected on a screen in the
background. The height of the scaffolding, and the clothesline hanging
below gave the audience a true feeling that Jack Kelly and his sidekick,
Crutchie, are looking down upon
the city from the rooftops of the
tenements as they plan and dream of
a better life. One of my favorite parts of the special effects was used when Jack Kelly was drawing on his newspaper and the large screen behind him projected the image of his drawing for the audience to see. These drawings
enabled people to understand the thoughts and feelings of Jack that may not have been expressed in words.
The only negative part of this Broadway show experience were the technical difficulties experienced in the
first hour of the play. At first it seemed as if some of the actors‘ microphones were not turned up. I then heard a
slight buzzing sound. Shortly after, an announcement came on informing the audience that the play would stop due
to technical difficulties, and would resume shortly. All actors left the stage, but within ten minutes, the situation
was fixed and the play resumed without a hitch. By the end of the play, I had completely forgotten the small interruption in the production. The direction of Jeff Calhoun, and the talent of musical director James Dodgson kept the
audience so engaged in the events of the play that one could not help but to laugh and smile with the characters,
and tap your foot along to the music.
As a student of journalism, I found the play Newsies to be an exciting adventure in theater and learning. I
learned how important poor, street orphans were to the early distribution of news. As they fought to deliver the
headlines, these strong, perseverant ―newsies‖ became the headlines as they sought change for what was right. Disney provided just the right mix of childhood fun and adult humor to keep audiences of all ages thrilled by this
Broadway show experience. If you cannot go see the show for yourself, I recommend renting the theatrical version
starring the Dark Knight’s,Christian Bale. The news on Newsies - step right up and go see it!
Page 27
Arts & Entertainment
Jason Aldean 2015 Tour
By: Tabitha Hogan
Did you miss the Jason Aldean concert August 29th At Saratoga performing Arts center? No worries. Jason Aldean
has decided to extend his tour into 2015. The second part
of the tour will start in Greenville South Carolina on February 12th 2015. He will be coming to Connecticut and
Pennsylvania. Jason has chosen Tyler Farr and Cole Swindell as his opening acts. Tyler Farr is best known for his
singles ―Redneck Crazy‖, ‗Whiskey In The Water‖ and ―A
Guy walks into a Bar‖. Cole Swindell is best known for his
single ―Chillin it‖ and has opened for Luke Bryan on several
occasions. Cole is also from the state of Georgia just like
Jason Aldean.
We were able to do that, but there were a few places
we weren't able to hit on this run."
Jason Aldean has revealed the first 23 cities he will be
performing in.
2015 Burn It Down Tour Cities:
Greenville, South Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
N. Charleston, South Carolina
Bossier City, Louisiana
Tupelo, Mississippi
Nashville, Tennessee
Toledo, Ohio
Jason is an American country singer. Since 2005 he Peoria, Illinois
has released 6 albums and 21 singles. Some of these singles Cedar Falls, Iowa
include but aren‘t limited to "Why", "She's Country", "Big
Wichita, Kansas
Green Tractor", "The Truth", "Don't You Wanna
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Stay" (Sung with Kelly Clarkson), "Dirt Road Anthem", "Fly Little Rock, Arkansas
Over States", "Take a Little Ride", "The Only Way I
Bozeman, Montana
Know" (Sung with Luke Bryan and Eric Crunch), "Night
Spokane, Washington
Train", "When She Says Baby" and "Burnin' It Down". The- Eugene, Oregon
se singles have reached number one on the hot country
Grand Rapids, Michigan
songs or country airplay charts. 8 more of his singles have Louisville, Kentucky
reached top ten on the same charts. The reason Jason is
Ft. Wayne, Indiana
extending the tour is as quoted by the Rolling Stone Coun- Corpus Christi, Texas
try Website is ―The tour is doing well, so you want to ex- Beaumont, Texas
pand it and hit some cities that you didn't hit on the first
Charleston, West Virginia
leg of it — that's the biggest thing," Aldean tells us. "Every Hartford, Connecticut
year you try to hit the major markets, for the most part.
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Page 28
Arts & Entertainment
Gone Girl Movie Review
By Kerry Golden
Are you in the mood for suspense? Do you love Ben Affleck? If so, the new movie Gone Girl might be worth
both your time and money. Through a series of unexpected events, the four and a half star movie is able to hold
the audience‘s attention and keeps them on the edge of their seats for 2 hours and 25 minutes. The movie begins
with the the fifth anniversary of Nick and Amy Dunne, played by Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. After returning
from a visit with his sister, Nick Dunne discovers that his wife is missing. As the case starts to unfold and capture
the attention of the media, Nick begins to crack under pressure. With more and more investigation, the police, as
well as the public, begin to question Nick‘s involvement in his wife‘s disappearance. Through the rest of the film,
flashbacks from Amy‘s diary occur, read in voice-over by Amy herself. However, do her entries tell the truth? This
contrast between Nick‘s actions and Amy‘s diary causes the audience to question who to believe. The confusion of
who to believe, the concerned husband Nick, and the diary of the unhappy wife Amy keeps the audience engaged in
the film as each new twist and turn causes their emotions and alliances to continually shift.
Based on the best-selling novel Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, this movie is one of the best mystery and psychological thrillers currently in theaters. Director David
Fincher does an excellent job of creating suspense as he
causes the audience to question not only how well did
Nick and Amy really know each other, but also causes us
to examine and question how much we really know anybody. Ben Affleck seems at ease in the lead role as Nick
Dunne. He appears confident enough for the audience to
question his involvement with his wife‘s disappearance,
yet also has a sense of charm that evokes our sympathy
when the film switches emphasis as our perception of
Nick goes from criminal to victim. As for Rosamund Pike
(Miranda Frost in Die Another Day), her performance as
Amy brings you deep into the mind of a psychopath. The
surrounding cast of Carrie Coon (Nora Durst in the
HBO series The Leftovers) as Nick‘s sister Margo, provides
the film with humor, while Tanner Bolt, Nick‘s defense
attorney played by Tyler Perry (Madea in Madea’s Family
Reunion), gives the film contrasting seriousness. Together
the entire cast blends well as they elicit a variety of emotional responses from the audience. There is only one
small drawback: the ending. I guess it all depends on how
much you expect the movie to stray from the book. If
you have read the book and liked the ending, you will be
quite pleased with the movie. However, if you go to the
movies to watch a story that has a happy, logical ending,
you may leave the theater with a feeling of dissatisfaction.
One thing is for sure though, Gone Girl is well worth the
price of the ticket, if you decide to take part in the suspense.
Page 29
Arts & Entertainment
Creative Writing Corner
Gypsy Vanner
by Katya Wilson
It was the darkest night ever.
There was nothing in the sky. No
star in sight, but there was a big
full moon. The full moon gave off
a bright light that filled the sky.
There was a field full of hills and a
few trees. Some of the trees
where on the edges of the field
and a few of the trees where on
the field. At the edges of the trees stood a tall beast of beauty. He had a
pinto look of black and white from head to toe. His main and tail was black
and white, but the feather-like fur on his feet were the color white. He
was very tall and had beauty written all over him. The beast of beauty
was non other then the Gypsy Vanner. His feet moved with grace in
every step of the trot. Then, in a split second he changed his gate from
a slow trot into a quicker canter. There seemed to be a balance with
his feet and the ground. As he let loose into a full gallop, he let his feet
guide him across the open
Autumn Speaks to Me
field. At some point, all
four feet were off the
by Amy Maurer
ground when his feet met
in the middle before
The summer day has come to an end,
stretching out. When the
the cold breeze I call my friend,
Gypsy Vanner came back
leaves fall upon their face,
to a walk, he was near the and in the wind they will blow,
front of the gates where his all their colours they will show,
owner was and his owner red, yellow, orange but not green,
Darkness
by Katya Wilson
the rustling sound is so serene,
and I smile as I fall asleep,
I know the next day will surely keep,
the way that fall speaks to me.
Darkness,
The color of a black
crow
The scary feeling after a horror
movie
The silence after nightfall
Page 30
For this section of The
Pawprint, student work
will be showcased. Please
submit your short stories,
poetry and artwork to Miss
Flood or a member of our
Editorial Staff.
Unknowned
By David Maurer
Unknown,
Or Known?
Questions,
Or Answers?
Objection,
Or Faith?
6 billion,
or 6,000?
Rational,
Or Not?
Freedom,
Or Subservience?
Love, or Hate
Reality,
Or Spirituality?
Science,
Or Religion?
Thought,
Or God?
Known,
Or Unknown?
You Decide...
Arts & Entertainment
Student Artwork
Artwork below by
Alaina Rossetti
Artwork above by Tina Moak
Artwork above by
James Farrell
Artwork above by
Antonya Truesdell
Page 31
Artwork to left
by
Isabella Sofia
Artwork below by
Matt Crawford
Artwork below by Sarah Hull
Artwork below by
Aric Coster
Page 32
Halloween Section
How to…Decorate for Halloween!
by Julia Keyoskey
Cute Couples Costumes
by Kelsey Pascetto
If you‘re the type of person who hates going out to the halloween stores to buy the cheap decorations, you should
probably take the time to learn some new creative decoration ideas. These adorable and cost efficient decorations will
be tons of fun to make
and sure to catch people‘s attention!
1. Pacman couple
2.Thunderbolt and
electrocuted girl
couple
1. Make a rainbow
crayon pumpkin
 Get a white
pumpkin
 Super glue crayola crayons (without
wrappers) around the top of the pumpkin in the order
of the rainbow
 Point a hair dryer at the top of the pumpkin in order
to melt the crayons down the side of the pumpkin
2. Glow in the dark ghosts
 Gather a good amount of gallon milk jugs
 Cut out black construction paper faces to glue on
the front of the milk
jugs or draw on the
milk jugs with black
sharpie
 Cut holes in the
back of the jugs, fish
the lights through the
holes and keep the
jugs in a row
3. Spooky treats
 Peel clementines
to look like pumpkins
and cut celery to
make green stems
 Peel bananas and
cut in half to look like
ghosts
 Push chocolate
chips into the bananas
to look like faces.
3. Cookie
Monster
and
cookie
couple
4. Nerds
couple
5. Nacho cheese
chips couple
Source and for more
ideas: http://
www.popsugar.com/
love/Halloween-Couples-Costume-Ideas
-2012-25249725?stream_view=1#photo31929451
Page 33
Across: 4. Blackcat 5. Broomstick 8. Costume 12. Fangs 14. Haunted
17. Werewolf 18. Scary
Down: 1. Halloween 2. Ghost 3. Vampire 4. Bat 5. Bones 6. Candy 7.
Mummy 9. Boo 11. Treat 13. Spider 15. Apples 16. Owl
Page 34
by Julia Keyoskey
Halloween Section: Games
Halloween Section: Games
Page 35
Horrors on Halloween: Horror Movies Worth the Watch
by Christina Malthouse
Halloween is approaching, if you aren‘t one to go trick or treating anymore
sit down and watch a movie. You can do it at your house with friends and family or
go to the theater, just don‘t forget the popcorn and additional yummy snacks that
suit your preference. Whether it is one of these picks or another horror of your
choice, get ready for some scares to celebrate the holiday.
Satan’s Little Helper is a horror movie that takes place
on Halloween when a kid‘s satanic video game comes to
life. There is a comedic cast that puts their best foot forward in making the movie entertaining and revealing.
Dolls is a movie taking place in Europe where a storm hits and a group of people decide to share a toymaker‘s shelter with his wife that has an obsession
over dolls. In order to please his wife‘s obsession and his cynical creativity they
make dolls that kill people. Director Stuart Gordon made sure some gore was
included to give viewers a movie that wouldn‘t disappoint.
A killer comes out only at night in the movie The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Picking off people to kill, but leaving a girl alive carries suspense that will
keep the watchers waiting for what‘s to come next. The people of Texas were
not prepare for the bloody lesson they are now faced with, but unraveling the reasons behind the killer and
who he actually is giving people something to question.
A thriller like Stonehearst Asylum gets its name from the asylum a character stays in during the
1900s. While being trapped inside and taking orders from lunatics running the asylum this character finds relief through the seduction of another patient. This movie
is more affectionate and filled with compassion than most horror movies, but it creates an interesting twist on the mystery.
Demons take possession over girls during a teenage Halloween party. The
movie is called Night of the Demons. It includes red all over teens from being
sliced up. Although the movie may sound gory it nails the spirit of Halloween that
you will enjoy.
Sleepy Hollow is one of the most entertainingly bloody movies there is. Yes
it is the story of the headless horseman featuring Johnny Depp, but it is a wellconstructed movie although it may not be all that scary.
Are you looking for a comedic scary movie? Well, The Frighteners may be
right up your alley. With Michael J. Fox as the star, the movie has someone seeing
dead people and ends up working with the ghosts. The deaths of the living look they are natural, but really
aren‘t which leaves up to the main character to find answers.
May is the name of a movie and the main character within who had grown up with social withdrawal and a poor self-esteem. This is corrected on Halloween when she finds her inner confidence in who
she is and actually starts to murder people. To find out how it ends and if she changes for the better,
watching the movie would be great. Horror is inhabited throughout the plot in different ways and gives the
movie a unique quality.
With likable actors, blue skeletons, and scary clowns The Houses October Built is a must see.
There‘s a group of people that are traveling around looking for the best haunted house ever constructed.
This movie is jam-packed with suspense of disbelief which continues to weird out its viewers with horror.
Page 36
Halloween Section
Rocky Horror Picture Show
by Audra Colliton
Because we are heading towards Halloween and Rocky Horror Picture Show
is such a halloween tradition (and is
heading towards its 40th anniversary in
2015), I thought it would be proper to
write an article on my favorite musical.
This movie is the strangest, cheesiest
movie you will ever see. It is R rated,
and for a good reason. But its just ridiculous and everyone needs to see it,
even just one time.
Its stars are Tim Curry as Frank-NFurter, Patricia Quinn as Magenta,
Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss (this
movie started her career), Barry
Bostwick as Brad, and Richard
O‘Brian as Riff Raff, among others.
This movie is about transexual
Translyvanians, especially Dr. FrankN-Furter, a scientist/ transvestite
who creates Rocky for himself. He
is insane, but his fabulous manners
and voice for the whole movie is
completely lovable. Janet and Brad
find his castle on a rainy night, looking for help with a flat tire. What
they received was more than they
asked for, or ever wanted.
So, why am I telling you about this
corny, ridiculous musical and telling
you to watch it? Here‘s why: live
theater performances. I recently went to the one at
the Palace Theater. With these performances, you
bring props, like newspaper, rice, toliet paper, confetti, rubber gloves, cards, water guns, candles/
glowsticks, noisemakers, toast, party hats, and even
bells. Rice is used in the opening scene, which occurs
at a church (if you could believe it). Newspaper and
water guns are used during the raining scene in the
beginning when Brad and Janet walk to the castle.
Glow sticks are also used in the raining scene. Rubber gloves are used
when Frank-N-Furter is using his.
The noisemakers are used when
Frank-N-Furter gives his speech on
Rocky. Noisemakers are used after
the speech to celebrate his success.
Confetti is thrown when Rocky and
Furter link arms. You can find it all
on the RHPS website. The best part
is when Brad says, ―Great Scot‖
and toliet paper flies in the air,
falling all over the seats and people watching the performance.
The audience participation lines
that are completely obnoxious
and sarcastic also make this performance hilariously fun as well.
Then you have several people
that go in full out costumes, like
men wearing little golden short
shorts and shoes that Rocky
dons in the movie. Full out lingerie like Frank-N-Furter. Magenta‘s maid costume or Riff
Raff‘s costume. And sometimes
even Columbia‘s glitter covered
romper.
So, find a place that has these
performances and go! It is so
much fun and I can‘t recommend
it enough! I absolutely loved every second of the night at the palace and its even
better when you bring along friends. But don‘t reveal that you are Rocky Horror Picture Show virgins, you will be paddled. Have fun (if you want)
and give yourself over to absolute pleasure!!!
Page 37
The Mystery on Hallows Hill
by Amanda Kern
As you read the mystery story, try to figure out who committed the
murder!
It‘s the perfect fall day, I notice as I walk out of the office. It is neither too hot nor
too cold and the air is crisp. It‘s Sunday, early afternoon and I just finished working
some overtime. I find my keys and unlock my car. After I start the car and change
the radio station, I pull out of the parking lot and get on the highway. On the way home I can‘t help but notice how
the trees are changing colors, from green to yellow, orange, and red. The changing of the season always puts me in
a good mood. I was looking forward to having Mr. Cooper‘s, delicious apple pie and my mom‘s homemade cheesecake later tonight.
The stop light turns green and I turn left onto Hallows Hill. My house is the seventh one on the right. The
light blue mansion I call home slowly comes into view, but something seems off. The closer I get, the better I am
able to see that there is yellow caution tape surrounding it. Something definitely isn‘t right, why would there be
caution tape up? I finally reach my house and pull into the driveway. Getting out, I notice the police car and officers
standing by.
I make my way over, ―Excuse me,‖ I say to the taller officer, ―Could you please tell me what‘s going on
here.‖
―I regret to inform you, but your butler was murdered earlier this afternoon.‖
―My butler? Mr. Cooper? This can‘t be true, I saw him this morning before I left.‖
The officer ran a hand through his short, brown hair before responding, ―I‘m sorry, but it is true. We got a
call about an hour ago.‖
―How could this possibly happen?‖ I question the officer, baffled that this was actually happening.
―It seems as if the victim was poisoned. We do not know for sure yet just what happened, but since we
found no trace of blood when we inspected the scene, we suspect he was poisoned.‖
―We do not know who did it. Do you, by any chance, know anyone who would want your butler dead?‖
The shorter, slightly bald officer asks me.
―Off the top of my head, I can‘t think of anyone.‖ I answer trying to think if I might know who would‘ve
done it. I start to walk back to my car to collect my things.
Now that I think about it, my mom could be a suspect. She always thought he stole her precious diamond ring, but I doubt
she’d kill him because of it. Besides, if it were her, how could I possibly turn my own mother in? What about the maid, could
she have done it? What would her motive be? They were always arguing whenever I saw them. Who else is there? Maybe
the gardener. She always seemed to be a little jealous of him and how he recently got a raise.
I pull a pen and one of my notebooks out from the front seat. I am curious as to who did it and I can't sit around
and wait until the police figure it out. I decide to ask around to see if I can figure out the mystery myself.
I walk into my house, hoping to find my first suspect. I walk through the mudroom and to the kitchen, but find no
one. I take a left to see if anyone is in the living room, but again there is no one. I take the stairs leading upstairs to
the bedrooms. I pass the first two doors and open the third. Walking in, I find my mom making the bed. She stops
once she sees me.
―You‘re home. Good. I have some news for you.‖
―Let me guess, Mr. Cooper is dead?‖
―Umm, yes,‖ she says taken aback.
―The police outside told me what happened. They don‘t know who did it though. That‘s why I came to find you.‖
―Me? I don‘t know who did it,‖ she says a little too hastily.
―Actually, I came to ask you where you were when he was killed.‖ I reply calmly.
―You actually think I killed him?‖ she asks a little offended.
―No, I‘m just trying to find out who did. Now, where were you around noon/one o‘clock?‖
―Well, I arrived here probably about two hours after you left. After putting my dessert for tonight in the fridge, I
went to check on the laundry. Once I did that, I came up here to take a bath and relax. When I went back downPage 38
Halloween Section: Creative Writing
downstairs later, I found Mr. Cooper dead in the kitchen! I was so
shocked I couldn‘t move until the maid and gardener came in.‖
―That‘s all?‖ I ask as I jot down some notes in my notebook.
―Yes,‖ she replies.
I thank her and then walk back down the stairs. Onto my next suspect--the maid. I reach the living room, but don‘t see her. I make my way past
the kitchen to the laundry room and find the maid folding a load of towels.
―Good afternoon, Ms. Daniels,‖ I greet her.
―Good afternoon. How was work?‖ she asks being polite.
―It was work. I hear it‘s been an eventful day here today. As you know, the
butler was killed.‖
―Yes. How sad,‖ she says with sympathy.
―It is very sad. I‘m here to see where you were today when Mr. Cooper
was killed, around noon and one?‖ I question, cutting to the chase.
―Let‘s see, I helped him with the preparations for lunch, then I had to run some errands.‖
―Errands? What kind of errands?‖ I ask, curiously.
―I stopped at the grocery store to pick up something the butler needed for lunch, then I went to the bank. Before
coming back, I made a stop at the post office. When I got back, I found your mother in the kitchen with a look of
disbelief on her face. That‘s when I saw that he was dead.‖
I write some information in my notebook, ―Thank you Ms. Daniels. Have a good rest of the day.‖
Two down, one more to go. I walk to the front door and walk around the house. The backyard is starting
to fill with leaves. I continue, walking towards the garden. Just as I suspected, Mrs. Bradley is checking on the
plants. I walk over and she smiles when she sees me.
―Good afternoon, did you hear about the butler?‖ Mrs. Bradley asks as I approach.
―I did. I‘m still in a little bit of shock,‖ I reply.
―I can‘t believe it either.‖
―Well, I asked everyone else in the house, so I need to ask you as well. Where were you today between
noon and one?‖
―I had gone to tend to the garden. I checked on the plants and flowers to make sure none of them needed
water. Then I decided to pick some of the ripened fruits and vegetables to have with lunch. After gathering a good
amount, I headed back inside. When I walked into the kitchen I found Ms. Daniels and your mom hunched over Mr.
Cooper,‖ she informs me. ―I couldn‘t believe my eyes.‖
―It is hard to believe,‖ I agree. ―Well, thank you for your time. I will let you get back to the garden.‖
I turn around and start walking back towards the front. As I walk, I write down the information I gathered
from the gardener. Now that I have heard all three stories, I begin to look over my notes. As I read, something
sticks out. I close my notebook and walk over to the officers.
―Officers,‖ I greet, ―I just got done
questioning three likely suspects: my mom,
maid, and gardener. After carefully inspecting
my notes, I know who committed the
Answer: The maid. She claims she went to the bank and the post office when she ran errands, but both the bank
and post office are closed on Sundays.
Page 39
Halloween Section
Too Old For Halloween?
by Skylar VanAlstyne
Nothing excites children more than Halloween. Picture this: dressing up in costumes of superheroes or movie characters, running around with friends late at night and getting lots of free candy.
Sounds like paradise, right? Some might agree, but others, as teenagers, may feel that they have
outgrown this holiday and everything it includes.
Out of a random selection of students, classic Halloween activities were put into question and
were determined if they were too childish for this Halloween season. Here are the results from
this poll on how many students would participate in these activities this year:
Page 40
Have something to say? Put it in print!
Share your opinion pieces with The Pawprint.
Opinion
On the Nature of Church and State
by David Maurer III
There are, in this country, certain laws that
protect individual citizens rights from the majority.
These are the first ten amendments of the constitution, commonly known as the Bill of rights. The first
of these amendments guarantee the freedom of
speech, religion, press, and the right to peaceably assemble. Unfortunately many Americans, particularly
in the South, believe that these rights only apply to
white Christians. These beliefs are expressed in their
political beliefs, and some of the actions of these politicians are outright unconstitutional.
Take the instance of Winter Gardens, Florida.
A man by the name of James Thoreau was attending
the local city council meeting in the Town Hall. The
council (pictured below) told the people to stand for
the invocation and pledge. Now you might be wondering what an invocation actually is. The invocation
is a sectarian prayer. Remember how we are guaranteed freedom of religion? Not in this case. The city
council stopped the whole process because Thoreau
did not stand with them. The council would give in
and allowed him to sit for the invocation, but not the
pledge. Thoreau was escorted out of the council hall
by Winter Gardens Police. The whole incident was
caught on video and the Winter Gardens City Council has since replaced the invocation with a moment
of silence. Things might seem hunky-dory now, but I
beg to differ.
The fact that these rules were in place defies
the very principles that this country was founded upon. The fact that people are being forced to stand
for a prayer, regardless of what faith it preaches,
is theocratic oppression. This issue is one of the
reasons why many, even today, believe that the
United States is a Christian nation.
This is not at all the case, in fact the opposite is
true. The United States is a secular nation.
The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bay
and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary (or Treaty of
Tripoli for short) is treaty between the United States
and Tripoli signed in 1793 (4 years after the ratification of the constitution). In the English version of the
Treaty there is a preamble that states:
―As the Government of the United States of
America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity
against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen
[Muslims]; and as the said States never entered into
any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan
[Mohammeden] nation, it is declared by the parties
that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall
ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing
between the two countries‖
This was put in to tell the Muslim nations at
the time that the United States was NOT founded on
Christianity and that its laws were not based in
Christianity. This proves that the United States is a
secular nation founded on secular values, and makes
it completely un-American for someone to deny this
fact.
So, if you‘re having a conversation about the
U.S. and they say that America is a Christian Nation
of Christian people with Christian values (Sarah Palin), you can tell them that they are completely wrong
and correct them on their error. Its always great to
make sure everyone has their facts straight, especially
in this world of endless facts. And maybe, they will
become more American in the process.
Page 41
Grade or the School as a Whole
by Christina Malthouse and Alysa Kelly
Whether you would like to admit it or not,
the meaning behind Spirit Week has made a drastic
change for the worse. It is clear that both students
and teachers alike would agree. Indeed, Spirit Week
began like any other year, a lot of excitement and
enjoyment for everyone. However, much controversy was going on under the radar. The week started
off with a bunch of crazy twins roaming the hallways,
followed by sharply dressed students in their suits,
ties, and lovely dresses on Tuesday. Wednesday consisted of an assortment of orange, green, yellow, and
purple scattered throughout the classrooms, while
Thursday everyone showed off their inner country
with cowboy boots, hats, and of course, their flannel
shirts. And to end the week with a bang, there was
Spirit Day.
Spirit Day left a sour taste in most people‘s
mouth once it was
all said and done,
rather than serve
as a day to celebrate the school‘s
pride and support
the student athletes. Even English
teacher Mrs.
Strock would
agree that, ―we‘ve
lost sight of the
true purpose of
Spirit Week.‖
Many teachers
would even say
that it seemed
more like a war
or battle between
the grades rather
than a spirited
competition.
Some of the signs
that were hung up
throughout the week were very degrading, but the
words that were shared between the students were
even more deteriorating. Spirit Day is a time to celebrate school spirit, not class division. Of course, it is
Page 42
okay to recognize each grade as their own, but it is
extremely unnecessary to use that reasoning to tear
other classes apart. Plus, Miss Flood goes on to say
that, ―animosity was rampant throughout the
school,‖ and exclaimed that the pep rally was,
―complete chaos!‖ Even worse, the freshmen were
completely ignored at pep rally and certain teams
were booed instead of encouraged. Not one grade
was at fault for these indecencies, let‘s be reminded,
but in no way, shape, or form was it acceptable. We
believe that changes certainly need to be made for
next year if we want pep rally and Spirit Week to
continue at Maple Hill.
We don‘t think Spirit Week would be itself
without some friendly competition, but we do need
to bring back more school spirit. We think it would
be a great idea if all of the sports teams created posters for the others to be hung up around the school
during Spirit Week. Plus, we could continue to incorporate even more activities, similar to St. Baldrick‘s Whipping Childhood Cancer, that support charities important
to the members of our
school district.
Now, we aren‘t
saying that Spirit Week
was a total bust. Everyone still had a great time
at the other events, including the bonfire, the
dance, the fields, and
even dressing up for the
other days. We just believe everyone should try
and remember the main
goal of Spirit Week: to
come together as one in
celebration of the school
that connects us all. If
you are interested in being heard and voicing
your opinion for future Spirit Week‘s, Miss Golden
and Mrs. Colwell encourage you to attend Student
Council meetings to make some of your favorite
events like this even better.
Have something to say? Put it in print!
Share your opinion pieces with The Pawprint.
Opinion
Is Technology Moving too Fast for the FBI?
by John Paul Kulpa
Where is the line of privacy versus safety
drawn today? This has been a huge topic in the news
for a couple years now, and in its latest development,
it seems that industry leaders Apple and Google (among numerous others) have made privacy of
higher value. That‘s great right?
Wrong, says FBI director James
Comey, and this could have a
much larger effect than anyone
expected. Just how far will these
Silicon Valley giants go to protect
your privacy? Are our cell phones
above the law?
With both companies
most recent releases of new cellphones, a major goal was to ensure privacy to its users from the
government. With the recent
scandals of the NSA (National
Security Agency) and phone tapping, many American citizens were feeling as if their
personal lives were being invaded. A huge sense of
distrust was exchanged from the US government and
its people. With many seeing it as a violation of their
freedom. And to some extent, that is correct. The
fourth amendment of the Bill of Rights states that,
―The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and
no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or
things to be seized.‖ Now, when the framers of the
Bill of Rights wrote this, it‘s safe to say that they were
not thinking about cell phones, but many interpret
this to go through all the different mediums of possession. So what cell phone companies did was encrypt their latest smartphones in such a way that
would prevent law enforcements from being able to
access certain data unlawfully. Sounds good. The
problem with this is that it does not allow law enforcement to gain access to them at all. Legally, an
officer is allowed to search anything you own, including a cell phone, with a court ordered warrant, and
now, it is nearly impossible
to do. This could pose a legitimate threat to National
security, as with this promise
of privacy, comes a giving up
of a huge amount of protection from criminals, hackers,
and terrorists.
"I like and believe
very much that we should
have to obtain a warrant
from an independent judge to
be able to take the content
of anyone's closet or their
smart phone," says FBI director James Comey. "The notion that someone would
market a closet that could
never be opened -- even if it involves a case involving
a child kidnapper and a court order -- to me does not
make any sense." Here, Comey expresses his ideas
on the situation through this analogy, and helps show
how if this were any other situation, how profound
and out of place these ideas would be. The basis of
this idea is that the government can‘t get in, no matter what. And while this will not affect a large majority of people, there are the criminals, terrorists, and
hackers who can take advantage of these encryptions,
and put huge amounts of people in danger. "What
concerns me about this is companies marketing
something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law," says Comer. James Comey
acknowledges that ―the post-Snowden world has
started an understandable pendulum swing, maybe
that pendulum swung too far.‖ Is he right?
Page 43
Sports
Why Be Drab When You Can Be RAD??
by Alysa Kelly
Color Me Rad visited the Upstate New York area for the second year in a row
this October on Sunday the fifth, Filling Saratoga State Park with a bunch of great people
and a battlefield of colors! Approximately 10,000 runners took part in this fun run on
the beautifully sunny, Sunday morning, all dressed in white from head to toe, along with
their sunglasses, bandanas, and blast of color.
Color Me rad takes place all over the country throughout the year, and provides
an opportunity for those who enjoy running just for the fun of it. Throughout the race
itself, several color stations are set up to throw yellow, blue, red, and purple colored
cornstarch at the runners, so, by the time they reach the finish line their entire body and
hair will be just like a mosaic rainbow.
The main goal of the race is for people to just have a fantastic and entertaining
day filled with friends and laughter. Interestingly enough, ever since 2012, Color Me rad
has been sharing colorful radness to communities all over in a similar fashion to the
Hindu Festival of Colors every beginning of spring. In addition, about $15,000 of the
proceeds made were given to the Special Olympics of New York this year.
The amount of participants has skyrocketed over the years and the amount of locations has increased as well. A runner for two years now, Junior Kerry Golden also explained that, ―Color Me rad is a whole different running experience! It is so much fun
and it makes the 5K fly by! I look forward to it every year and it seems to be more fun
every time I run it!‖
It doesn‘t stop here, however. Color Me Rad is sure to continue to amaze people
over the years. So, if you are interested in joining the party, stay posted to their website
http://www.colormerad.com for upcoming races near here in 2015. Just be prepared because the color fun never ends!
Page 44
Sports
Not Just Ballin’… Volleyballin”
By Gabe Dingman
The girls volleyball team wrapped up their regular season with a clutch win over
the Coxsackie Indians. After a long and hard fought season, the Lady Wildcats prevailed winning the Patroon Conference. Recording only one loss from Greenville early in the year, this
loss only fueled the white hot team‘s fire. As the season progressed, the girls trailed Greenville
in the conference, but that all changed when Taconic Hills edged out Greenville in a close
match. This gave Maple Hill‘s Coach Bacon and the team the chance they had been waiting for.
Weeks had gone by since the Wildcat‘s only loss. They were on their own court and they were
ready. A match that was speculated to be too close to call was nothing of the sort. The Spartans left with their heads down after a complete 3 games to none shutout. This sweet victory
returned the lead in the conference to the home team and pushed the girls to work even
harder. They played the remaining games stronger than ever: pushing all the way until the end
of the regular season. The girls now face Sectionals and are eager to face whatever may come
their way. Junior setter, Alysa Kelly, boasts that if the team plays with the same intensity as in
previous matches, the possibilities for Sectionals and beyond are endless. Great work this season, ladies and Coach Bacon!
Update: Girls Volleyball Sectional run comes to an end on Tuesday October 28 in a 3-1 loss
vs. Fort Edward.
Page 45
Sports
How Did All the Fun Begin?
by Kerry Golden
Did you ever wonder how Fall Sports Weekend started? Is
it a coincidence that it is tied into Spirit Week, or was that
actually planned? Has this week of fun always been part of
the Maple Hill tradition? Spirit Week is most students‘ favorite week of school. I love the themed days, color wars,
spirit assembly, sports activities and the general feeling of
excitement and camaraderie that fills the halls of Maple
Hill. Laughing and looking through past Spirit Week pictures raises the question, ―how did it all start?‖ In a quest
to find answers, the devoted Jim Canonica seemed like the
perfect place to start. As former Maple Hill Athletic Director, physical education teacher and
varsity baseball coach, Canonica
was and still remains a huge part
of the Maple Hill community.
―Coach‖ as he is fondly called by
most, is the man that responsible
for organizing Fall Sports Weekend.
The first ever Fall Sports
Weekend was held in 1992. According to Coach Canonica, the
weekend consisted of Varsity, Junior Varsity, and modified boys and
girls‘ soccer, the Kiwanis Glover
invitational, and a Varsity girls tennis tournament. When asked what
gave him the idea to have a Fall
Sports weekend, Coach replied, ―I
wanted to have all the athletic
teams involved in a tournament on
the same weekend. I also wanted
to give the school and Schodack
Communities a chance to see all
of our teams participate on the same weekend.‖ One
might think that organizing such a weekend is an easy
chore. However, Coach recalls it to be a much bigger challenge than he originally thought. Coach recalled all the help
he needed in the organization of the first weekend, ―First
and foremost I needed the help from the coaches, faculty,
administration, secretaries, parents and the community.
Remember, we didn‘t have a Booster Club in the beginning.
We had to coordinate all of the activities, from scheduling
officials, sending invitations; seeking donations from the
Page 46
community, businesses, etc.‖ This challenge was
made even more difficult due to his limited free
time as Coach since he was carrying a full teaching
load at the high school and acting as Athletic Director after school hours. As our interview progressed,
Moving away from the sports aspect of the weekend, Coach answered some questions on all of the
activities that surrounded Fall Sports weekend. I
was surprised to learn that the weekend was kicked
off with an outside Pep Rally and bonfire on Friday
evening in the high school parking lot. Coach recalled, ―We didn‘t have Spirit
Week, but the Pep Rallies
were great!‖ It was later
learned from varsity soccer
coach Sheila Golden that each
team was announced during
the Pep Rally and ran through
a tunnel created by the students. Coach Golden recalled,
―It was great! Teams would
compete against one another
to see who could wear the
craziest outfits, or do the best
dances when they were announced. It was similar to
how grade levels compete
now during your Spirit Week
assembly.‖
What happened to the
Friday night Pep Rally? The
answer to this question came
from Coach Golden, ―The
Pep Rally was replaced by the
actual Homecoming dance. The dance used to be
held on Friday night. Having the dance on Friday
eliminated the need for chaperones and custodians
to come in on Saturday. However, the Friday night
dance caused some problems for some of the
teams.‖ I could not imagine what types of problems
a dance would cause, so I probed on and was surprised at what I learned. According to Golden, ―It
was difficult for the kids on Cross Country and J.V.
girls soccer to go to the dance as they had to be up
Sports
early and at the school by 8:00 a.m. for their game or race. It seemed unfair to those athletes.‖ Eventually, with
some prompting from the coaches and students, the dance was moved to Saturday. Coach Golden also recalled
that Spirit Week used to be held the first week of December, and a Spirit tree would be placed in the lobby for
all sports teams to decorate. Coach Golden, a 27 year teacher at Schodack stated, ―I do not know exactly
when, but somewhere along the line someone had the idea of moving Spirit Week to the week leading up to
Fall Sports Weekend, and I think that has worked well.‖
Although I never did find out exactly when Spirit Week started, I did gain more insight as to how our Spirit Week and Fall Sports Weekend tradition evolved. Coach Golden recalls, ―I can remember one year arriving
at 7:30 a.m. to a soccer field covered in fog so thick that you could not see. From somewhere deep inside the
fog I heard a voice. I had no idea what to make of it as I was the only one there. Then, like Jesus descending
from heaven, Coach Canonica appeared from the fog. He told me that he was walking the field making sure everything was okay and tripped over the corner flags. What was he was looking for – I don‘t know. What I do
know is that I was not surprised that Coach had arrived much earlier than me, I think 5:30 a.m., because that is
the kind of person he is - hard working with energy that would make coffee nervous.‖ Regardless of how it
started, Spirit Week is fun for all students, and the Fall Sports Weekend is not only fun for the community, but
a big money raising event for our Booster Club. Fall Sports Weekend not only benefits our athletes, but our
entire community and as Coach Canonica expressed, ―It brings them all together on a beautiful fall weekend.‖
Page 47
Sports
Soccer Season Updates
by Lauryn Krupa
JV Boys
Heading into Fall Sports Weekend, the boys were 11-1 coming out of a huge win over Coxsackie. Their first
game was up against tough competition where the boys pulled out of the game above Albany with a 2-1 win.
The boys JV team came out of Fall Sports Weekend in second place behind Ichabod, making their overall
record 12-2 heading into their last game at Greenville on October 20. Looking back on the overall accomplishments of their season, goalkeeper, Freshman Lucas Bordeau said, ―We did pretty well this season. I
would say I think our team matched up very well with our competition and we reached a physical level that
couldn‘t be matched.‖
JV Girls
The girls came into the weekend with a 7-6-1 record. The girls began Fall Sports Weekend by playing Albany where they came out on top with a win. They would play against catholic Central and take a hard defeat
1-0, settling as runner-up in Fall Sports Weekend. Reflecting on the season, Eighth grader Caroline Lafferty
said, ―With our low numbers we had a great season even though we had so many injuries.‖
Varsity Boys
Going into Fall Sports Weekend, the varsity boys only had 2 tough losses against Coxsackie and Greenville.
The next game against Coxsackie, the Wildcats came back to fight for a 2-0 win. The boys would play
Hoosick Falls for their first game at Fall Sports Weekend and were able to pull out on top with a 3-0 win.
They would move on to play a team who they haven‘t beaten in years, Ichabod Crane. ―We won the Maple
Hill Fall Sports Weekend for the first time in years and the last time the team won at Fall Sports Weekend,
they won states,‖ says Junior, Greg Roe. The boys won with a 2-1 victory in sudden death overtime, a big
win for the Wildcats. On October 20, the boys again rallied with Greenville to decide who Patroon Conference Champions will be. Greenville came out on top in a 2-0 victory claiming the title Patroon Conference
Champions. The Wildcats were seeded number 3 in Section 2 and faced St. Johnsville at home for the first
game of the 2014 Sectional Season. They advanced with a 4-2 win over St. Johnsville on Saturday Oct. 25.
They hosted Mayfield at home on Monday October 27 to win the Sectional Quarterfinals 3-1. The boys‘
season came to an end Wednesday night in Johnstown with a 1-0 loss against Conference rival, Greenville.
Great season boys and congratulations to Coach Gillespie for recording his 599th career coaching victory
during the game against Mayfield!
Varsity Girls
The Lady Wildcats went into Fall Sports Weekend with a 6-4-1 record. Their first game was against Albany
where in sudden death overtime, the Wildcats lost 3-2. They faced Cambridge on Monday. The Wildcats
were not able to recover from their loss Saturday and fell again 2-0 to Cambridge bringing their record to 7
-7-2 to end the season. The Wildcats were able to come back for the win against Greenville to conclude the
season. Sectional seeding will begin soon. When asked who had the smelliest feet on the team, Eleanor
Haase replied, ―Amanda Kern‖ without a second guess. Looking back as a senior for her last Fall Sports
Weekend, Haase said, ―It‘s kind of sad that it‘s almost over, but I hope we do well.‖ Regarding the low numbers the girls have struggled with throughout the season, Eleanor said, ―It‘s set us back but hopefully for
Sectionals we can overcome that and play to the best of our ability.‖ Her goals for sectionals are, ―to go as
far as we can... a patch would be nice.‖ The Lady Wildcats were seeded 9th in Section 2 and traveled to
Lake George for their first Sectional game in the 2014 bracket on Saturday October 25.Their season came
to an end with a 3-1 loss to Lake George.
Page 48
Sports
Paying RE2PECT 2 Jeter’s Career
by Dominic Sinacore and Miss Flood
At this point in time the name Derek Jeter has become a household name, whether you know every
career stat or have just heard of him. Derek was born on June 26, 1974 in Pequannock, N.J. and grew up in
Kalamazoo, Michigan until getting drafted to the Yankees out of high school. Derek has played shortstop on
the Yankees since he came to MLB in 1995. Over the past 20 years that he‘s played, he has accumulated
multiple awards and achievements such as 12 season MVP awards, he won the Gold Glove Award fro Shortstops multiple years in a row, the Hank Aaron Award in 2009 and the Commissioner‘s Historic Achievement
award in 2014. Jeter rounds out his career with 1,311 RBIs overall and 260 home runs. He is the Yankees‘ all
-time career leader in hits (3,465), doubles (544), games played(2,747), stolen bases,(358), times on base
(4,716), plate appearances (12,602) and at bats (11,195). Derek is also the second highest paid player across
all sports with a net worth of about $185 million dollars. This 2014 season is the last for Derek as he is retiring at the end of the season, not because he isn‘t well enough to play anymore, but simply because it‘s the
right time. In a press conference, Derek said, ―Parts of 20 seasons I‘ve played in New York and 23 counting
the Minor Leagues. So I think I‘ve done it long enough. I‘m looking forward to doing other things in my life.
This is a difficult job. I put everything into it each and every year. It‘s not a six-month season. It‘s 12 months.
But the idea of doing other things is what I‘m looking forward to.‖ Rather than treating this like an ending,
Jeter sees it as the beginning of the next chapter
of his life.
This is very detrimental to the Yankees,
not only because he is a great player, but because of the fact he is the team‘s favorite player
and often brings the team together in times of
despair. In and interview with Katie Couric in
September, past Yankees manager Joe Torre reflected on Derek‘s character, ―He‘s really
gleaned the respect from other players based on
the fact that he doesn‘t stick it in their face.
When he does something positive or hits a
home run to win a game, he trots around the
bases,‖ said Torre. ―He shows his excitement, but it‘s not geared that, ―I‘m better than you are, ha ha ha,.
He‘s a very responsible individual.‖ Perhaps this is why Jeter was given the longest goodbye, as the entire
season was known as his farewell tour.
Gifts were presented to Jeter at every stadium along the farewell tour, which was difficult for this
humble man to swallow. Even the Boston Red Sox presented him with a special second base that had Yankees‘ pinstripes and his No. 2 on it, a metal sign form the Green Monster that said ―RE2PECT‖ and was
signed by the 2014 Red Sox as well as a $22,222.22 check to his Turn 2 foundation.
On Sunday, September 7, 2014 New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio officially declared it Derek Jeter
Day. At Yankee Stadium, the Yankees presented their captain with a 10-day trip across the Tuscany region
of Italy, a specially designed Derek Jeter Waterford Crystal, a collection of his All-Star Game patches and a
new massage machine. They even presented him with a check worth $222,222.22 to his Turn 2 Foundation
which works to create and support activities and programs that motivate young people ―to turn away from
drugs and Turn 2 healthy lifestyles.‖ According to their website, the Foundation strives to promote and reward academic excellence, leadership development and positive behavior in children in hopes to create leaders of tomorrow.
See Jeter continued on p. 50
Page 49
Sports
Tennis Update: Season Concluded
by Skylar VanAlstyne
What seed were you on the team?
Courtney Unser: 1st Seed
Kayley Fountain: 2nd Seed
Your team won Class C/D Sectionals, what was the experience like?
Courtney Unser: It was pretty amazing because last year we
lost in the finals so it felt good to finally win.
Kayley Fountain: It was pretty scary, but we pushed through
and won.
What is the difference between the two different Sectionals?
Courtney Unser: The team sectionals, I was the first seed and it was how it normally is but in Individual Sectionals, I
played with Kayley.
Kayley Fountain: Courtney and I played a doubles team together in the Individual Sectionals instead of playing alone.
How did you do in both Sectionals?
Courtney Unser: We won the team Sectionals, so that was good, but were got put up against Emma Willard for the
doubles and we played hard.
Kayley Fountain: We won the team sectionals, and Courtney and I put up a strong fight in
our doubles match and had a great time.
How did you do throughout the whole session?
Courtney Unser: The whole season was really good, we were like one, big, tennis family.
Kayley Fountain: I had a good season, I won a lot of my matches and the team had a good
record.
How does it feel to be the first fall sports team to capture a Sectional title this
year?
Courtney Unser: We rock!
Kayley Fountain: It feels awesome!
Jeter continued from p. 45
Even Gatorade altered their logo for the Yankees vs. Orioles game for the first time ever in honor of Jeter.
All Yankee dugout coolers, cups and towels featured altered No. 2 logos in place of Gatorade‘s G.
Yankees fans will never forget Derek Jeter‘s last bat at Yankee Stadium on September 26, 2014. Although it looked like they would cruise to a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, pitcher David Robertson
gave up a two-run home run and a game-tying single to tie the game up. While Yankee fans were disappointed, Jeter was up at bat after Jose Pirela hit a single and Brett Gardner with a sacrifice bunt. He sealed the
deal with a story-book ending opposite-field single, scoring Antoan Richardson and giving the Yankees a 6-5
win. This walk-off single will go down in history as the cherry to top off the sundae of a career that Jeter had.
In a press conference, Jeter reflected on his career, ―The thing that means the most to me is being remembered as a Yankee. I have to thank the Steinbrenner family for giving me the opportunity to live my dream.‖
Page 50