December 2009 - Barnegat Township School District

Barnegat Township High School
V O L U M E
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I S S U E
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D E C E M B E R
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One donation,
three optimistic futures
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Spread some
creative joy
3
The Powder Puff
three-peat
2
Donating toys
for joy
4
Presidents and
family trees:
4
projects at BHS
Hot video games
hit the holiday
season
3
Bengals lacrosse
gets a head start
3
Mr. Bruno: history teacher and
millionaire?
4
of the New Jersey Blood Center, who emphasized the necessity of giving blood with alarming
statistics and a heartwarming video montage.
Students were very eager to help out
By Hillary Scarbrough
with the blood drive. Junior Lacey Schifkovitz
any people often say, “You cannot change
said, “I wanted to help out, so I thought it was a
the world, but you can change the world of one good idea.”
person.” With the help of Barnegat High
Although many students knew doSchool’s annual blood drive, 105
nating blood would help others in
pints of blood were collected to
need, many contemplated actually
change the lives of three strangers
going through with it. One student,
per donation.
who was not up for donating blood,
The Barnegat High
was junior Michelle Ferrara, who
School blood drive was held on
simply stated, “I don’t like blood.”
November 23, instead of its usual
In the end, Barnegat High
springtime drive. In order to creSchool’s
annual blood drive was a
gather in the new gymnasium
ate awareness about the change in Students
success. Many generous students
to participate in the blood drive.
date and importance of the drive,
and teachers donated a goalthe Optimist Club, led by Dr. Saxton and Mr.
breaking amount of blood to save numerous
Pandolfo, held an assembly. The assembly fealives. The outcome of the blood drive truly demtured a song performed by members of the Opti- onstrated Barnegat High School’s generosity and
mist Club, and a presentation by Lynne Russell
compassion for those less fortunate.
M
Juniors turned
seniors
By Shelby Tonneson
THE ROAR
2009-2010 STAFF
Advisor:
Miss Greco
News Editor:
Hillary Scarbrough
Sports Editor:
Tom Erb
Entertainment
Editor:
Sam Oden
Features Editor:
Marena Hollingshead
Reporters:
Lou Buscio
Bryant Costello
Ryan Fogarty
Brittany Iveson
Devin Pollina
Shelby Tonnesen
Head of
Photography:
Sydney Basore
Layout/Design:
Meghan Wilson
S
enior year is always full of fun
and excitement; from senior trip
to graduation, half-day schedules to “senior bragging rights,”
there is no doubt that senior
year is one of the best years of a
student’s high school career.
For Barnegat High School students Dan Eorio and Matt
Velez, senior year seemed so
exhilarating that they decided to
make it come sooner and graduate a year earlier.
“I plan on going to
Stockton for two years to get
my general education courses
done, and then transfer to the
University of Central Florida to
study forensic science,” said
Eorio, who does not regret the
decision of graduating a year
early. For both Eorio and Velez,
it was a simple decision to
graduate early. “You get a head
start on everything,” said Velez,
from college, to a career, and
even life.
Although both students are eagerly excited to receive their diplomas from Dr.
Saxton in June, Eorio and Velez
agree that they will miss senior
trip, prom, and graduating with
their peers whom they have
spent almost all their school
years with. “I’m going to miss
senior year with my friends, but
I’ll still be in contact with them
and I can always come back for
prom,” said Eorio.
In order to graduate
early, both students had to meet
with their guidance counselors
to see if graduating was an appropriate action. Both were
approved by their counselors as
well as Dr. Saxton, and are each
taking an additional English
class to meet the requirements
of a high school graduate. As far
as SATs go, both Eorio and
Velez took them and plan on
taking them again sometime in
December.
Velez plans on going to
Stockton College after graduating from BHS, just like Eorio.
He hopes to major in business
administration while Eorio
plans on studying forensic science. Together, their parents
support their decisions to
graduate early. However, their
friends have mixed feelings.
“My friends see it as cool but
weird,” said Velez.
Regardless of their
friends’ feelings, Dan and Matt
will be receiving their diplomas
with the Class of 2010.
away. To be approved to park, juniors have been
writing letters to Dr. Saxton explaining why they
By Shelby Tonneson
should be given a parking space.
Although only a few are being apulling into school, you might find that the
proved,
many
feel it is not fair that only a select
parking lot is containing more cars than usual.
Barnegat High School still does not allow juniors few are allowed to park when it was made clear
to park, yet some have found a way around this that juniors are not permitted to this year.
“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” said
new rule. As of now, over five juniors are
“legally” parking in the lot and bringing up some junior Cameron Nasace, who has had his license
for almost a month. “Everyone is pulling excontroversy.
As of now, if juniors want to park in the cuses out of the air, ‘my grandma is sick, my
mom can’t drive me’― my excuse is I have my
school parking lot, there must be a medical exlicense and I want to drive to school.”
cuse in order to not have their vehicle towed
To park, or not to park?
P
THE ROAR
Barnegat High School
December 2009
Volume 6, Issue 4
touchdown by
Amanda LeutbeBy Ryan Fogarty
cher. “The team
worked hard but
n November 18, girls from all grade levels came together to
the seniors were
participate in the 2009 Powder Puff football game. There were
just better. We
three games played on this chilly night: freshmen v. sophomores, plan on bringing
juniors v. seniors, and the winner of those two games faced each home the chamother in a final game.
pionship next
The
year as seniors,”
first game was
said junior team
a battle. All of
coach Mr. Karp.
the fans reThe
ceived their
final game kicked
Junior Powder Puff girls with coaches Nick SanGiacomo and Mr. Karp
money’s worth
Photo by Brittany Iveson
off with the reinof entertaining senior
ment. The
champs against
game was all
the freshmen
squared away at
underdogs. The
0-0 during the
strong seniors
first half. After
were lead by
the coaches
captains Tilah
discussed stratYoung and Kate
The sophomore team huddles up during
egy, the second half
Wilson. Altheir game against the freshmen.
was under way, with
though the inexstill no score. The
perienced freshgame went into overtime. The freshmen team was in need of a big men made it to
play to put them on top. Freshman Erin Frank received the hand- the finals, the
off from quarterback Stephanie Cotton, and rushed the ball for a seniors were still
touchdown. The freshmen team found their way into the finals.
Senior girls pose after their third victory in a row.
too tough to handle.
The reigning senior champions had some major competi- Senior Catherine
tion from the junior class. The juniors were led by captains
Keough scored the game- winning touchdown, crushing the freshMeghan Wilson and Shelby Tonnesen. Each team left everything men team. The seniors claimed their third Powder Puff Champion the field, but in the end, the seniors came out on top with a
onship. As for the underclassmen, there is always next year!
A Powder Puff three-peat
O
Meyer skis his
way to the pros
By Bryant Costello
Bengals lacrosse
gets a head start
Barnegat’s own junior Anthony Meyer is now a
By Lou Buscio
sponsored skier for the sporting equipment line, Protec. He has been skiing since age four, but was only
recently sponsored at the end of last season.
He has yet to race while being sponsored,
but raced in over 15 non-sponsored events; he won
four while placing in the top 10 for the others. The
site where most of his skiing takes place is on the
mountain of Killington, in Rutland, Vermont, since
he dislikes the Poconos and other closer mountains.
“Rutland has more trails, steeper slopes, fresher
snow—meaning fluffier—and just overall a more
thrilling experience,” said Meyer.
Being a pro skier is not all fun and games; he
has suffered many injuries, such as a broken wrist,
nose, and left arm. “The one time,” said Meyer, “I
was skiing down the mountain, and I slipped on a
patch of ice and ended up running straight into a tree
breaking both my legs.”
Even though he is sponsored, Meyer has not
always liked skiing. He began enjoying it at about age
six when he finally became experienced enough to
ride most mountains.
The upcoming ski season begins as soon as
snow falls. Meyers’s first sponsored race is tentatively
scheduled over winter break in New York.
This year, the Bengals lacrosse
In this winter league, the
head coach will not be able to help
out with the team, but he will be
able to attend the games. The only
coaches that can help with the team
are the assistant coaches. Over the
winter the Bengals will be playing
schools such as Brick, Toms River,
Old Bridge, Ocean, and other high
schools from northern New Jersey.
team is getting a head start on their
2010 season. Last year the boys had
a tough season with a final record of
Each of the players paid
1-16, but the returning players
190 dollars to participate, but the
thought of an
boys are
idea to make
believe it
sure that does
will be
not happen
worth it as
again.
it them
grow as a
Junior
team. “It
Sawyer Bradley
will grow
and Seniors
our team’s
Matt Valez and
chemistry
Dave Frank are
and will
getting their
help build
team started
communication on the field and
early by meeting on weekends at
mostly just give us a look at how our
Good Sports Indoor Sportsplex in
team is going to play tougher on the
Howell. Bradley said, “This was a
field and what kind of success we
good idea for us because we needed can have this season,” said Valez.
something to get us all tougher and After the winter league, the boys
practicing early so we could get a
hope to play as a team and have
better attitude towards the 2010
their best spring season yet.
season and hopefully win more
games.”
THE ROAR
Barnegat High School
December 2009
Volume 6, Issue 4
The making of A
Bengal Photo Scavenger Hunt
By Devin Pollina
Do you think you know your way around Barnegat High School? Then test your
knowledge and name the locations of these pictures! (Answers located below)
2.)
3.)
4.)
Hot video games hit the
holiday season
By Tom Erb
When it comes to Christmas presents,
many teenagers hope to find video games
underneath the tree. No matter which system you have you will be able to find the
new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or Madden
10, two of the most sought after games this
holiday season, for your console. These
games hit the video game scene harder than
any other.
Call of Duty has been known as the
most anticipated game of the year. The
manufacturer, Infinity Ward, spent five
years perfecting the game and the latest edition is the most exciting. With new features
and a massive multiplayer buffet of game
modes, this is arguably one of the best Call
of Duty’s of all time.
Madden 10 is an NFL based game
that has been out
since August, but
is in high demand
for the holidays.
The fight for every
yard begins with
new features like
the interactive
injury system
which allows you
to make key personnel decisions.
Photo Courtesy of Google Images
Also, the game
features online
co-op to play with others on the Internet.
Check out your local retail store to
find these games; GameStop in Waretown
and Best Buy in Manahawkin have both on
their shelves. But, with a steep price of $60
each, you might just want to put these
games on your wish list.
Spread some
creative cheer
By Marena Hollingshead
Want to give your friends a great
By Sam Oden
T
he holiday classic, A Christmas
Story, was this year’s winter production at
Barnegat High School. The play was performed from December 17 to 20, after
about a month and a half of rehearsing.
Here is your inside scoop and behind-thescenes action as to how the play came to
be.
“I wanted to do something different, but keep the tradition of having a
Christmas play,” said Mrs. Debari, Barnegat High School’s drama teacher and play
director. In case you missed it, here is the
storyline: Ralphie, a young boy growing
up in the 40s, dreams of owning a Red
Rider BB gun. He sets out to convince
the world that this is the perfect gift. But
along the way, he runs into opposition
from his parents, his teacher, and even
Santa Claus himself.
Many know A Christmas Story
from its original movie version, but the
play version has some differences from
the film.
“It’s similar to the movie, so
people know the storyline, but what
makes it different is the stage flow. Unlike
the movie, we were not able to take five
different scenes and then put them all
together. We worked really hard to make
it the best it could be compared to the
movie,” stated sophomore Alex Golden,
who played the lead role of Ralphie. He
added, “My goals were to please the audience, keep their attention, keep them
laughing, and meet the expectations of
the movie.”
This play was unique, in the way
that it involved some of BHS’s faculty.
Mr. Keffner, Mr. Gagnon, Ms. Woolsoncroft, and The Roar’s very own Miss
Greco played important roles in the production of A Christmas Story.
So why should’ve students gone
to see the play?
“To see me,” said Mr. Keffner,
“I’m the best part!”
gift for Christmas, but don’t have
much money? Homemade gifts are
always a hit for holidays and they are
usually more appreciated than generic store bought gifts. These creative handmade gifts are sure to be
loved by your friends this holiday
season.
Photo Album: Compile pictures of
your friends and yourself in a scrapbook or photo album. It is a great
way to look back on fun memories
and show your creative side. You
can make your own scrapbook with
a photo album, using photos and
any other crafty touches you want to
add. This can include stickers, ribbon, or glitter, and all can be purchased at a craft or dollar store.
Tie-dye Tee Shirt: This is a colorful gift to make for your friends, and
is a lot of fun at the same time. It
only takes a few supplies to create a great tee shirt that friends and family will love.
Plus, they will think of you each time they wear it! All you need is a white tee shirt,
rubber bands, fabric dye, and a bucket. Craft stores usually carry kits that will include these supplies and several shirts can be made at once.
A Movie Basket: Do you have a friend who just
can’t get enough of movies? This idea is sure to
win the Oscar! It is a basket that is filled with
movies and treats that are loved at the cinema.
Throw in a DVD, a box of candy, and packages
of popcorn. When you have the items compiled
and set up inside the basket, wrap it in cellophane. Then, tie a big red bow around it and
voilà! You have a great gift.
Answers: 1. downstairs A hallway, 2. D hallway, 3. main foyer, 4. downstairs C hallway
1.)
Christmas Story
THE ROAR
Barnegat High School
November 2009
Volume 6, Issue 3
Donating toys
for joy
By Brittany Iveson
On Christmas morning,
most kids expect to wake up
with a cluster of presents
stacked beneath a tree. Unfortunately, for some families,
that is not always what happens as the area beneath the
tree remains bare. Due to the
awful economy, many families
cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars every year on
presents for their children,
which is why the Barnegat
High School Student Government Association ran a toy
drive to support families in
need during the holiday season.
From December 1 to
17, the SGA worked with Sergeant Jarrin by collecting a
great amount of diverse gifts
for all age groups. Specifically, the Student Government
advisor, Ms. Del Pizzo, said
that they “targeted high school
students because they are the
age group that usually receives
the least amount.” There
were a variety of gifts that
were encouraged to be newly
purchased including makeup,
sports equipment, iPod accessories, and more.
Last year, the Toy
Run Foundation had close to
1000 toys donated and this
year’s goal was to reach 1100.
They tried to achieve this by
placing boxes in all of the
teachers’ classrooms and afterschool functions such as the
winter play. The SGA motivated students to contribute
by offering extra credit from
several teachers.
The fundraised gifts
went to families recommended by local churches.
The churches sent out invitations to these families, allowing parents to go to the Saint
Mary’s Recreation Center in
Manahawkin on December 19.
Each family was allowed to
select five toys per child. The
recreation center was decorated with holiday ornaments
that lit up the room, putting
everyone in the holiday spirit.
Leftover gifts will be delivered
to children in hospitals such as
the Toms River Community
Medical Center and SOCH.
The Voice
of the
People
By Devin Pollina
Happy Holidays
B.H.S.! As we head
towards our winter break, we are interested to find out what students want for
the holidays.
Mr. Bruno: history teacher
and millionaire?
By Marena Hollingshead
On October 27, Bar-
Presidents and
family trees:
projects at BHS
cloud.
Another project causing a stir in BHS is Mrs. Hoyt’s
“Family Tree Project,” which
is less factual than the
By Sydney Basore
“Presidents Project,” but more
he word “project” conjures ancestral! The project was
based on the
up many images,
novel, Beloved
from haphazardly
and students
assembled posters
were asked to
and last minute
make a family
research on
tree for the
SparkNotes, to
characters in
rolls of scotch tape
the novel. Mrs.
and getting three
Hoyt said she
hours of sleep. But
decided to do
the hysteria surthis project
rounding projects
because
like Mrs.
Junior Tanisha Jodice’s family tree was
she
Koovits’s
another impressive project for Mrs. Hoyt’s class.
wanted
“Presidents
her stuProject” and Mrs. Hoyt’s
dents
“…to
understand
the
“Family Tree Project” have
difficulty
for
former
slaves
reached unprecedented levels
trying to trace their families…”
that put other projects to
There were impressive family
shame.
The “Presidents Pro- tree projects littered all around
Mrs. Hoyt’s room, but one
ject” includes biographies on
stood out in particular.
eighteen presidents of your
Amongst the many 2-D reprechoice compiled into one
binder. The bios include many sentations of family trees, towdifferent aspects such as child- ering over the others was junhood, policies, legacy, etc. This ior Rachel O’Boyle’s project;
may sound simple, but Koovits she made a 3-D family tree
claims students run into prob- that overshadowed the rest –
lems with “organization” and literally! Rachel said the tree
“time management.” Though took her a week to make, using
they have three months to do cardboard, paper mache, wire,
the project, most students still and a few of her neighbor’s
leaves to put it together. She
encounter major procrastinaalso said that “time managetion issues. Kim Tichenor, a
junior who did the project last ment and creativity” are very
year said, if she “…could give important when doing this
project.
one tip to students doing the
As you can see, there
project, it would be, to start
is
always
a fascinating project
early!” Koovits also said the
being
made
in our school, givproject “…really teaches stuing
students
the opportunity to
dents how to research.” So to
express
their
learning in creaall the students doing the protive
ways.
ject this year, there is a silver
lining on this presidential rain
T
negat High School’s
very own history
teacher, Mr. Bruno,
was a contestant on
ABC’s hit game show,
This issue’s question: What is your top
Who Wants to be a Milgift that you want for the Holidays?
lionaire? Bruno described the atmosphere on
Mr. Dalon, Teacher – “Golf shirts,
the show to be very laid back and enjoyable; take of trying to hold on to them [the lifelines] until I passed
LED taillights for my truck, and Call of
that is, once all the legal
$25,000…hindsight
Duty: Modern Warfare 2.”
issues were sorted out. He
is 20/20.”
Zack Colasanto, 12 – “A Velocirapwas in isolation with eight
Mr. Bruno thought
tor.”
to ten other people for six
his experience on
Jared Urquia, 11 – “A cutout of Taylor
hours, meeting with protelevision was a
Lautner.”
ducers, crew, and attorvery good one. He
Stephen Kakascik, 10 – “A $189 tenneys before taping started.
found the “behind
nis racket.”
Bruno said, “The producNicole Jimenez, 09 – “I want to get
the scenes” workBruno’s souvenir check from
tion crew and Meredith
my industrial bar [piercing] done.”
ings
of
a
television producWho Wants to be a Millionaire?
Viera [the host] are very friendly.”
tion
to
be
fascinating. He
Despite the inviting atmosphere
even
offered
to
go
back
on
the show, but
Upcoming Events!
Bruno was disappointed to lose on the
was
turned
down
due
to
the
rules of the
Jan. 1 – School closed, New Year’s Day
$15,000 question about an island in
Jan. 18 – School closed, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
game.
The
advice
that
he
would
give to fuLake Michigan. He did, however, still
Jan. 19 – Literary Magazine
ture
contestants
is
to
“relax
and
enjoy
the
walk away with $5,000 and did not use
Book Drive begins
moment.”
Jan. 20 – National Honors Society
any lifelines. He said, “I made the misInduction Ceremony