Issue 3 FINAL - Plainfield Public Schools

PLAINFIELD PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
ISSUE #3
T H E
PA N T H E R
A D V O C A T E
DECEMBER 2009
“Just Don’t Hit on Me.”
I issued a survey to 100
“I can’t believe that gays are even al- unsuspecting PHS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
lowed in this school.” About 5% of the students to get an idea of
how our school views the
U.S. adult population is considered to
be
homosexual,
as
according
to
the
alternative sexualities.
SCHOOL/LOCAL
1-4
NEWS
National Census Report of 2000. It is
also estimated by the Kinsey Reports
1) How do you feel about
(two psychological books on human
CLUB NEWS
5-6
gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
sexual behavior that came out in the
late forties and early fifties) that one in transsexual/transvestite
every ten teenagers is either partially or people?
SPORTS
7-10
exclusively homosexual. With more
45% were completely
American homosexuality than ever, the accepting
amount of intolerance and prejudice is
astounding, especially among the ‘new 24% weren’t comfortable
ENTERTAINMENT
10-12
generation’-our generation.
5% weren’t tolerant
http://appraisercentral.com/
“[Homosexuality shouldn’t be
16% didn’t care
accepted because] it shouldn’t be looked at as a
INTERVIEWS
13-15
good thing.” The definition of homosexuality has
been grotesquely skewed. In popular religious
2) Do you think
“People need to grow up
belief, it is viewed as a sin or even as a disease.
homosexuality is morally
To some people it means girls that act like boys, ‘right’?
and learn to accept
EDITORIALS
16-19
or boys who dress like girls. The most common
people for who they are.”
knowledge of homosexuality is that it is when a 28% said yes
person engages in sexual activity with a person of 27% said no
MUSIC NEWS
the same gender; this definition, although technically correct, could not be more
20
44% didn’t care
shallow. When I asked an anonymous source what being a lesbian meant to her,
she replied, “...I’ve been with guys. It’s not the sex that matters, I don’t like guys,
I never have. I just like girls.”
3) Should homosexuality
SPECIAL POINTS OF
“We feel how we feel.” Too many people are simply uneducated on what homobe accepted more by
INTEREST:
sexuality really is. The word ‘gay’ is tossed around so carelessly that to be anything PHS students?
from a little socially awkward to being effeminate can condemn a person to harsh
• South Park? Facebook
55% said yes
ridicule. It’s normal human behavior that people fight what they don’t know, as
Approved
stated in the Idiot’s Guide to Psychology.
9% said no
“Plainfield High School is not very open to homosexuality. Students need
• One Click, One Crash,
34% didn’t care
to be given more awareness about homosexuality.” Students should be educated
Your Death
about homosexuality in neutral environments such as sexual education classes or
advisory programs. They should be taught with more than a few sentences
• Grow out your mo for
and a hushed sense of taboo surrounding it. Most importantly, acceptance
“I
don’t
think
it’s
‘wrong’
Movember
of all people should be encouraged, regardless of sexuality, even if it differs
to have certain feelings
from your own beliefs.
• Tumult on Turkey Day
for anyone, it’s just
“I think it’s wrong [to be homosexual], but that’s who they are
and
should
be accepted.” With more education and tolerance of homosexu• Not out of the woods yet
natural.”
ality, Plainfield High School could be a safer, more comfortable place to be
for all of its students, not just the majority. Homosexual people are absolutely no different from anyone else, and should not be treated criminally for feelings which they can’t help,
EDITOR IN CHIEF:
and they can’t ignore. If we all made the decision to open our minds before shunning the unknown, then
MARCUS TICHENOR
maybe some of the hate surrounding us would be put to rest.
Article by: Lauren Curley
LAYOUT EDITORS:
ENERIKO FERRAJ
“We should not hate them, beat them, or pressure them. They are human beings who
RON BENOIT
are no different from us. We have to accept and respect their beliefs.”
BECKAY DEMUTH
SOCIAL NEWS
Page 2
South Park Inspired? Facebook Approved.
Article by: Shell-bell
South Park is said to have promoted a hasty new holiday, “Kick a Ginger Day.” It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
http://media.southparkstudios.com/img/content/season9/911.jpg
“In conclusion, I will leave you with this. If you think that the ginger problem is not a serious one, think again!” Eric Cartman walks down from the
front of his fourth grade class after his captivating, completely bogus
speech about “ginger kids.”
Cartman argued that people with red hair, freckles, and pale skin
are disgusting, inhuman, have no souls, and are unable to survive in
sunlight. Of course, none of this is true; however, he has his peers convinced. As redheaded kids walk the halls of South Park Elementary, they
are taunted and harassed because of their looks by the “regular kids.” To
receive a taste of his own medicine, Cartman’s friends play a prank on him
so that he realizes what it feels like to be teased for being “ginger.” After
being knocked out in his sleep, Cartman is bleached, freckled, and has his hair dyed by Kyle, Kenny and Stan. Cartman starts a support
group for “gingers” to get the justice they deserve.
http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=8353ba5a-d1b3-426f
So, I’m sure you understand where this is going. South Park makes a funny episode
knocking people with red hair, everyone laughs, the end. Well of course until some smarty
pants makes a Facebook page called, “Kick a Ginger Day”, which becomes an instant hit.
With 5,000 members from all around the world, the page is successful in conveying the
“joke.” After all, it is a joke of course, right?
Well, I’m sure the Facebook page was only meant to be a joke until some kids took
it seriously. On November 20, 2009, kids began ganging up on red-headed students by kicking and abusing them as a way of celebrating “Kick a Ginger Day.” That’s funny, huh? Not
for one student in Los Angeles.
A twelve year old student attending A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas was
beaten on two separate occasions on Friday, November 20. A group of seventh and eight
grade students took it upon themselves to bash this innocent redheaded student because the
internet told them to.
Authorities said that the injuries that the boy obtained are not serious. The boys
responsible for the incident have not been arrested.
Last year, Aaron Mishkin, a student in Canada also experienced such taunts as he
walked the halls of Nanaimo High School. “I became trapped trying to get through this press
people, and that's when they kicked me from behind and I fell over,” said Mishkin. His legs
were bruised, and so was his self-esteem.
Aaron Mishkin, a Canadian student who was harassed for having
red hair, pale skin and freckles on
of
November 20, 2008 as a result of
“Kick a Ginger Day.”
Fifteen year old, Katie Marshall was also victimized on November 20, 2008. Marshall is a student at New Westminster secondary, also in Canada. “I was just walking down the halls and then a bunch of random people started kicking me and I had no idea why they were kicking me. I started running away and then suddenly one of them said something like, ‘Oh, I'm going to kick you. You have no soul, so you probably can't feel pain either.’ ”
Whether or not these events were acted on in affect to an episode of South Park or not, they are unacceptable. Nobody deserves to be beaten by their peers, even if it’s just getting kicked as you walk down the hallway, or being verbally harassed because you
have red hair, pain skin and freckles. Bullying is a problem in every school, anywhere. Bullying leaves people hurt, so don’t kick a
“ginger”, love a “ginger.”
SCHOOL NEWS
Page 3
…Semi-Colon Capital D
Article by: Zak Nadeau
Rrmmmm, Brrrrmmmm, phones going off by the hundreds. On
average there are three to six hundred SMS (short message service) texts
sent by any one person, per day. There around nine hundred students in
Plainfield High School, about 90% of those students are able to text. Texting is a popular and fun thing to do, but many teachers and students agree
that it does disrupt class, and takes time away from education; however
some students say texting could become useful for their schooling.
Many students admit to texting in class, and say they never get
caught. Sean Reece, a senior here at PHS, said he texts all the time in
class, and rarely gets caught. He also stated that it isn’t much of a disruption as long as students’ text and then put their phone away right when
they are done. Students might not think it is a problem but many teachers
have noticed that student grade averages have been dropping since texting
became popular. Mr. Parkinson, a math teacher stated that he has caught
between five and ten students texting just this year.
Courtesy of Zak Nadeau
Many students see teachers as old and out of style. The truth is many teachers are in with the latest trends. Many teachers do
in fact text daily; however, they mostly text before and after school and really try to avoid texting during classes if possible. Students
should follow this example. If students were allowed to text for twenty minutes before school starts and as soon as school ends, it
would provide them time to talk and when school starts they can focus more on their work.
If texting continues in the school, administrators could place mobile phone jammers in every class room, bathroom and hall.
Mobile phone jammers use radio frequencies to interfere with cell phone signals. Mr. Bitgood, the assistant principal suggested that
there be a “cell-phone free day.” During that day everyone would not be able to use their phone and classes could take note on how
long it takes for students to go crazy. These are two good ideas to help stop cell-phone usage during school, and it is clear that some
action must be taken before the problem gets to out of control.
Some students suggest positive action to help control and possible involve texting into the school curriculum. Dean Roussel,
a junior told about a previous teacher in another school who once promoted texting. He would ask a question and the first student to
text it back would get extra credit. This process did not only educate these students but brings a whole new look at texting in school.
Other students here at Plainfield suggest that texting could be used in various ways to help students better their education, and life at school. Many
schools are implementing safety precautions using texting. When a school
goes into lock down all the students are notified on their phones via text
messages. Texting can also be used to keep students up to date with school
news. Short articles summing up a current event could be sent to students to
keep up to date, this would help the school use less paper and have fewer
announcements. Texting could be a useful tool for students who are out of
school sick. They could have their assignments texted to them and they will
miss less work.
Courtesy of Alexis Griffin
There are many different outlooks on texting and how it affects
schooling. Some say it is a disruption and should have serious punishments.
Others state that it could be very useful to keeping students up to date on
what is going about at their school. It may be a while before there is a plan
of action to solve this “problem.” In the mean time, keep on sending those
semi colon capitol D’s.
LOCAL NEWS
Page 4
One Click, One Crash, Your Death
Imagine yourself driving with one hand, looking down at your lap, and texting with your other hand. Don’t you think not seeing your death coming would be the
worst way to die? Making the wrong decisions while driving is one of the biggest
mistakes you could ever do. One of the leading factors of death is caused while texting and driving. According to the Associated Press, they reported that 5,870 people
died while texting and driving. There is also a drastic number of 515,000 people who
were injured in accidents involving texting and driving. Because of all of these accidents occurring with texting while driving, it is now illegal to use cell phones while
driving. If you are pulled over for using a cell phone you could be fined up to five
hundred dollars. If I was in this situation, I would rather wait to text my friends when
I am done driving so I don’t get hurt, killed, or have to take a big chunk of change out
of my pocket for my illegal action.
http://i.ehow.com/images
The addiction and desperation to text 24/7 has become worse throughout the
years. In the article “Texting While Driving a Road Hazard”, Julie Scharperer interviewed Heather Hurd and she exclaimed, “I drive a stick shift and sometimes if I’m
texting with two hands
and have to shift, I just
rev the engine.” Heather
Hurd has a true desperation for texting and she is not only putting her life in danger, but everyone on the roads also. Inexperienced drivers do not understand the danger they are putting on themselves or others. In the article a man named
Walter states, “I think it’s a good law, but I don’t think it’s going to stop
people from texting. I’ll be more careful about it, especially if I see an
officer.”
Recently, on October 20, 2009, Melissa Ann Miller was killed
in a car accident involving her cell phone. A couple of us in Plainfield
were close to this girl and worked with her at Better Valu in Canterbury.
One day we were with this girl and the next she is gone. You never know
what will happen when you step into a car. I was taught from this experience that I will never text while driving again. Texting while driving is
one of the most surprising and lead causes of deaths. My advice to you is don’t text and drive because who knows if you will see the
next day.
On September 21, 2009 there was an incident involving an eighteen year old in a pick up truck and a fifty-six year old couple on their motorcycle. The woman and man both lost their left legs in this accident. David, the young man, went through his windshield and hanging off the front of the front end of his truck. David’s cell phone
was open so police officers assumed he was texting and driving. This case is still
under investigation. The Dover couple both lost their left legs and are going to be
troubled in obstacles they take on in life from now until they pass away.
Starting September 2009, there were fifteen states and the District of
Colombia that enforced the banning of texting while driving. These states were:
Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Guam, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and
Washington. Then Colorado and North Carolina banned texting while driving
December 2009. As of now we have eighteen states that have effectively stopped
these ridiculous texting while driving accidents. In January 2010 three more
states; Illinois, New Hampshire, and Oregon contribute to try and make our roads
safer for other drivers on the road. Hopefully the other twenty-nine states ban
texting while driving to better the safety of not only young adults but everyone
else on the roads.
http://skirt.com/files/xinha_images/8265/get_the_msg.gif
mississippiinjurylawyerblog.com/Avoid-texting-while-driving
Article by: Kayla Charlwood
CLUB NEWS
Page 5
Dem Divine Debaters
Article by: Okirene Jarref
http://www.mtlsd.org/mellon/images/debate%20club.jpg
How do you feel about how your school is represented? Lucky for you, there
is an elite group of students who fight for what they believe in. They are wise, they
know what they are talking about, and they are always ready to argue! They are Plainfield High School’s own Debate Club.
Debate Club is held every other Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. It is run
by Mr. Mariano and consists of quite a few students including Jared Chamberland,
Josh Shed, and Marcus Tichenor. They practice topics that are relevant to school
listing all the pros and cons of each topic and making sure there is no bias. They also
have practice debates to make their arguments more appealing and make sense. It also
helps with developing persuasive speaking and writing skills.
The Debate Club recently participated in a competition at Westhill High
School in Stamford, Connecticut for The Connecticut Debate Association. There were
29 High Schools competing there that day including Greenwich and Stamford, Plainfield being the only school from Eastern Connecticut.
At this competition the rules are simple: each team picks two of its best debaters and they debate another team of two.
Each team is given a single topic and must take turns listing the pros and cons. The winners that gave the most persuasive argument
are determined by a judge. Each round is approximately 64 minutes and the topics can be anything the officials choose. The topic
Plainfield had to argue for and against was “Should Iran comply with the UN-sponsored uranium exchange agreement.” PHS did
well at this competition and gave it their all and it was an honor for our school to have taken part in such an event.
“It’s educational but it’s fun. You learn stuff and have fun doing it, plus you get to argue,” stated by Marcus Tichenor about
the club. I believe it’s true. For anyone who isn’t involved in a club or sport and likes to make compelling arguments and have a
good time, then maybe Debate Club is right for you. This has been Eneriko and that’s about it.
Donate to Decembeard - Counter Cancer
During one of the first weeks of December, Plainfield High
School’s Facial Hair Appreciation Society shall be hosting a
fundraiser known as Decembeard. Students will have the opportunity to purchase and wear novelty beards and/or moustaches during the passing time between classes during school
hours. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Locks of
Love foundation, a group that donates hair for cancer patients.
The Facial Hair Appreciation Society is aiming to raise at
least $500 for this charity, and plans to conduct similar fundraisers in the future for Marchstache, taking place in March,
and other facial hair related months. A table will be set up
both in the morning when students arrive at school and during
all lunch waves.
Plainfield High School’s Facial Hair Appreciation Society
has two goals: admire awesome facial hair and cure cancer (or
at least help cure cancer). The Society meets on Thursdays
after school at 2p.m. in Dr. Wu’s room 1204. Meetings are spent planning fund raisers, googling over-the-top and completely fantastic facial hair, and exchanging hair maintenance tips. The Society was founded after a petition was circulated around the school by
Seniors Tim Lynch and Tyler Coutu. The petition acquired over a staggering 100 signatures including Mr. Worth, Mr. Bitgood, and
Mr. Faulkenberry.
To clear up a very damaging misunderstanding, the Facial Hair Appreciation Society is not a society for people with facial hair,
it’s a society to appreciate it. Having facial hair is not a prerequisite for becoming a member of the club. In fact, the Society currently
boasts two female members and several other hairless faces. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns with or about the
Facial Hair Appreciation Society, please direct them to either Tim Lynch, Tyler Coutu, or Marcus Tichenor.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44091000/jpg/_44091258_beards11416.jpg
Article by: Marcus Aurelius
CLUB NEWS
Page 6
Grow Out Your Mo for Movember!
When someone makes the commitment to participate in the popular No Shave November, he or she refuses to shave for the
entire month of November (although female participants in NSN are discouraged). Although popular, no one has created a benefit
group to really get people to participate and dedicate themselves. That is where The Movember Foundation charity comes into play.
Movember is a world-wide recognized organization founded in 2004 by a group of men located in Australia, who donate the money
raised to men’s health issues. The idea came about in 2003 when a few locals in Fitzroy, Melbourne, wanted to develop a similar
active community as that in women’s health issues. Upon discussing ideas, they thought of bringing the moustache back!
For one month, November, men are to put aside the razor and grow a “mo” (Aussie slang for a moustache). These men,
called Mo Bros, will raise money through various ways to benefit charity. There are a set of rules these Mo Bros must follow. Rule
number one is that all participants must start on November 1st with a clean
shaven face. Rule number two is that once started, each participant must
grow and groom a mo according to rule number three. Rule number three is
the three guidelines to grooming your mo.
-There is to be no joining of the mo to the side burns; that’s a beard.
-There is to be no joining of the handlebars on the chin; that’s a goatee.
-A small complimentary growth under the bottom lip is allowed (aka
the tickler).
Now there are two ways to become involved. If you are a Mo Bro, you
could start or join a team, or act as an individual. Being a Mo Bro, you’d
collect donations and contributions while your team, or you alone, grow
your mo. As a Mo Sista (female participant, does not grow a mo), you can
join a team and collect donations to support your team or any Mo Bro.
The beneficiaries of the United States branch of the Movember
charity are the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The Movember charity also has sponsors that help support the
cause. Some of the major sponsors include Pepsi Max, Wahl home products,
and Shave Dermalogica. This year, the U.S. alone has raised just over two million dollars. Worldwide, an official total of about thirty one million dollars has
been collected to benefit the Movember charity cause.
At the end of the month of November, the charity holds Gala Partés in
major cities across the world to thank the Mo Bros and Sistas for their donations
and celebrate some of the fantastic mos that have been cultivated on participant’s upper lips throughout Movember.
“As an organization, we have a goal to change the attitude men hold
toward their health. The moustache is the symbol by which we generate the necessary awareness and funds in order to be able to achieve this goal. It is a simple
and effective way to
achieve our number one
objective – awareness. The appearance
of a new moustache opens up conversations, making the Movember participants a walking billboard, promoting men’s health for the whole month. “
- Movember Foundation website.
More and more participants join the cause each year from all over
the globe. the Movember Foundation has grown from a couple men in a bar
discussing how they could further men’s health awareness, to a couple hundred thousand participants raising millions of dollars to support the cause.
With the month of Movember now behind us, lets hope bigger things come
about for the eleventh month of 2010. I know I will be leaving No Shave
November for Movember! Help fight the cause and donate!
All statistics and information taken from: www.movember.com.
http://thestockmasters.com/files/u1/
http://www.fifthandlast.com/
http://www.philth.ie/images/
Article by: Adam Main
SPORTS
Page 7
Getting Even With the Red Men and Tussling With Eagles
Article by: Hailey Griffin
Taken by: Norwich Bulletin
As time galloped onward towards the most climactic point in my volleyball career, I began to
feel a sudden compulsion for revenge. It was the 9th of November, the day the Plainfield girls’ volleyball team was set to play Killingly High in the first round of States. Killingly beat Plainfield at Killingly
and stole our well deserved spot as ECC small division champions, just fifteen days earlier. Our team
was determined to put are all into winning this game and regaining our dignity on our home court. The
first game was won by a total of 10 points, 15-25. The second game had been won by an even greater
amount, 14-25. The final match which would win the game ended shortly being a blow out of 8-25.
Plainfield had stripped Killingly of their cocky spirits they had when entering the gym and let them
leave in shock. The Plainfield volleyball team was now 17-5. Unlike our games
during the regular season, we did not have practice the next day. My team
Taken by: Norwich Bulletin
would travel to East Catholic High and fight for the spot in the quarterfinals.
You could imagine my surprise when invading East Catholic with my full intentions to triumph,
to find myself entering a school almost a replica of a church. Busting through their entry way with my bag
loosely rapped around my shoulder and my facial expression meant to intimidate, I read a perfectly hung
sign saying, “Do whatever He tells you”. I didn’t know what to think of it at first,
so I continued my way around the school and down the stairs to find the gym. Instead of banners representing their accomplishments and goals I saw holy markings and signs that made me feel somewhat uncomfortable and watched. Each
teammate grabbed a ball from the basket, ignored the religious distractions, and
put her mind set for a win. Their record of 17-4 along with their lengthy players
had somewhat disheartened my team and gave us the pre-game jitters. The first
game we had come short 10 points for a win, 15-25. In the beginning of the second
game our supporters became more vibrant and cheered us on to a win of 25-11.
Going into the third game we had let our guard down and lost to a score of 15-25. One more win for the
Eagles and they would send us packing. We put our all into the fourth game, diving every which way, and
striking the ball back to our best ability. Yet, the fourth game was our final game in the states, the season,
for our seniors, and in the year 2009.
The Eagles went on to play RHAM in the quarter finals and had lost brutally. RHAM had then
progressed to the semifinals to beat Jonathan Law. In the State finals RHAM went against Joel Barlow
and RHAM came out victorious. The State’s medium division girls’ volleyball champions, who had
beaten all other teams 3-0, by no surprise, were RHAM.
Taken by: Mr. Langlois
After our loss we were led to a spot along the out of bounds line to discuss what had just happened. Everyone was aware of the efforts that every player had contributed to the game. It brought a tear
to the eyes of the seniors and to the coaches who had stood by and lead them through the rough and intoxicating times. It had even brought a tear to the others who realized that the people
they have looked up to weren’t going to be there next year for another go at it for the
title. Coach Arremony came towards the circle of mute and disappointed girls prepared to give a speech. He recognized all of our seniors for their talents and unique
personalities. He transformed our depression into babies giggling at a game of peeka-boo. He made us realize that we should be proud of how far we had come compared to the years before. We had outshined all other years by having a 17-6 record
and by being ranked 9th out of 27 teams in the medium division. We all had a very
impressive year: Kayla Robitaille leading with 80 aces, Taylor Smith leading with
183 digs, Hailey Griffin [myself] leading with 218 kills, Denise Vergato leading
with 28 blocks, and Stephanie Charron leading with 482 assists. Of course, we went
to school the next day saddened by the fact that there will be no more volleyball this
Taken by: Mr. Langlois year. We all turned in our uniforms and attend the volleyball party rewarding us
with our chevrons and Ps. Some of us are reuniting on the basketball team or the
track team or simply just in the classrooms. Except, all of us are more than eager to rejoin on our volleyTaken by: Norwich Bulletin
ball court in the year of 2010 and once more better our record and abilities.
SPORTS
Page 8
Plainfield vs Griswold:Tumult on Turkey Day Part 1
Article by: Shawn Thomas
As the nights grow darker and the weather grows colder, the tension of the
Plainfield Panthers and the Griswold Wolverines football teams start to build. That
familiar feeling of anxiety and excitement is back for both teams going into their
last week of the season. Both teams are coming off of tough losses last week, but
neither the past or future matter with this very hostile rivalry coming up.
Plainfield is coming off of two tough losses at the hands of the NFA Wildcats, and the Windham Whippets. The Panthers played pretty strong in both games
and were more than capable of earning victories, but a few mistakes and some momentum shifting plays made the Panthers lose their groove. Although the Panthers
lost both games, there was definitely progress made. This being the most crucial
game of the season, they need to make as much progress as they can. Last Thursday night Griswold had a faceoff with the Fitch Falcons. The Falcons went on to
win the lopsided affair 34-7.
Plainfield’s season has been pretty lack luster considering that the senior class as freshmen seemed to have a lot of potential to win
this year. The class of 2010’s freshmen football team went 6-1 and seemed to dominate every team they played. The Panthers this year play
hard and play with a lot of heart, but don’t always seem to execute the right way. Now that Thanksgiving is approaching, both team’s records can just be thrown out the window and forgotten because every year, no matter the talent of either team, the Thanksgiving game is
always competitive to say the least.
With Plainfield moving up and Griswold staying in the small division, the Wolverines had a pretty successful season. Going into
Thursday’s game they are 5-4 coming off of two losses to New London and Fitch. With that said, they have won the last five meetings between the two teams. Last year’s game being the best by far. A back and forth affair came down to a last second, desperation pass from
Sean Brackett to Andrew Gardner in the end zone for a touchdown to end the game.
The play itself left a very bitter taste in the mouths of the Panthers and will be remembered for years to come. Plainfield has the
opportunity to get some revenge over Griswold this Thursday as the two teams face off yet again. “We love it even though we’ve been on
the losing end the past few years, but it’s a great rivalry and always has been,” Plainfield football coach Pat Smith stated about the upcoming game. I’m sure that when its all said and done, this years game will be one to remember.
Plainfield vs Griswold:Tumult on Turkey Day Part 2
Over the past six years, the Plainfield vs. Griswold high school football rivalry has really been
taken to a new level. With numerous back and forth games the bid on Thanksgiving Day has been
thrilling to watch every year. This year was another amazing game that ended with Griswold on top
yet again.
The Panthers jumped out to an early 6-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Jeff Buchert to
Josh Randeau for forty-one yards up the left sideline. Failing to convert the two point conversion
gave Griswold a chance to take the lead right back. Griswold came right back with Rob Foisey taking the ball into the end zone from thirteen yards out. The next Plainfield drive was unsuccessful.
Unable to score, the Panthers hoped that their defense could hold the Wolverines to anything less
than a touchdown. Griswold’s Tony Velasquez had other things on his mind. Looking to redeem
himself from the fumble on the first Griswold drive, Velasquez ran in an eight yard touchdown to
cap off a six play, seventy-five yard drive
On the next Griswold offensive series, Velasquez fumbled again and set the Panthers up to try and
cut the deficit. However, Buchert threw his first of two interceptions. The very next play,
Velasquez took the handoff right in between his tackles all the way down the field for a touchdown
and gave the Wolverines a 20-6 lead. On the second play of the Panthers next drive, Buchert hooked up with Randeau again for a fifty-five
yard touchdown to cut the Griswold lead down to six going into halftime. Already tired and beat up, the Wolverines and Panthers had to
get themselves ready for a very important second half, and the last half of their high school seasons.
The Panthers returned the kickoff to start the second half but went three and out and gave Griswold the ball. Velasquez made
another huge play running in a forty-six yard touchdown and putting Griswold up by two scores. Less than a minute later, however,
Buchert found a wide open Nik Ververis for a sixty yard touchdown. After this play, Griswold struck again with Velasquez running in
another touchdown, this time from three yards out. The touchdown took some steam out of the Panthers, but not for long as Buchert again
found a wide open Ververis for a seventy-eight yard touchdown. Plainfield failed to convert on the two point conversion, leaving them
down by eight.
A quick fumble by Velasquez gave the Panthers the opportunity to make a come from behind victory. Griswold linebacker Alex Bawza squandered the opportunity for Plainfield with two sacks securing the victory for Griswold. Much similar to other
years, this was a hard fought battle that came down to the last two minutes of the game.
“They’re a good football team,” Griswold coach Glenn LaBossiere said. “They’ve had a very tough schedule this year,
so their record is very deceiving. They can play, and we knew that. It was a battle all day, I’m just glad that we took it. But hats off to
Plainfield, it was one heck of a game.”
Article by: Shawn Thomas
SPORTS
Page 9
When Can You Pick Up Your Skateboard?
Article and Interview by: Dan Trombley
Skateboarding became Americas younger crowd past time in the 1950s. The
first skateboard was more like a scooter; it had a handle on the front of the board. When
the handle broke off the “scooter,” skateboarding was born and in full swing. People
liked skateboarding because it felt like surfing, and surfing was very popular in the
1950s. The younger crowd liked the way you could curve into hills. Skateboarding was
popular on and off through 1965 to 1985. Every time a new product came out, everybody wanted to skate again. The best product for skateboarding was the urethane wheel,
still used today; it has brought skateboarding back into style. The first skate park was
built in Florida in 1976 and more followed up North. In 1978, Alan Gelfand invented the
"ollie" or a no hands aerial and skateboarding progressed even further bring tricks in to
the sport.
Pro skateboarders came out of nowhere to make their sponsors popular. The
first big names in skateboarding were Jay Adams, Tony Alva, and Stacy Peralta. These
three guys were the skateboarding idols of the 1970s. These three kids were also featured
in the movie Lords Of Dogdown, a movie on the beginning skateboarding era. We all
know Tony Hawk. Tony Hawk is probably everybody’s childhood idol. Some other big names include Rob Dyrdek, Paul Rodriguez
also known as P-Rod, Ryan Sheckler, Chris Cole, Danny Way, and a giant list that could fill this page. Skateboarding has grown so
much in the last forty years it is almost unbelievable. Whether you are skating rails at your local skate park or having a session at an
empty pool, you are making the skating scene grow.
Before all these skate parks were around today, people would go and skate in empty pools. Everywhere you go, you see
skate parks, big fancy skate parks, just imagine how it was forty years ago. Because skating options were limited, street skating became popular. You can either skate rails and curbs, or you can go skate your local skate park. Skating rails would be known in today’s age as street skating. Skating at the skate park would be vurt skating. Vurt skating became really popular when people skated
empty pools. This is the reason we now have skate parks. Skateboarding today is a little different; you don’t here about skating pools
too much now a days.
Skateboarding Terms For Dummies
Buttery-trick that was landed smoothly
Whack- stupid or funny
Steezy- a trick perfectly landed
Trick terms:
Backside-when you spin in the direction you are facing
Frontside- when you spin in the opposite direction you are facing.
Rocket-when you do a trick and it goes strait up and down
Varial-when a rotating trick spins 180 degrees
Goofy-when you stand on the right side of the board
Switch-when you do a trick the opposite way
SPORTS/ENTERTAINMENT
Page 10
Bowled Over
Commentary by: Dean Roussel
www2.pictures.zimbio.com
If practice makes perfect and perfection is never losing, then four teams received not a penny for their efforts. In this year of
NCAA college football, not one, not two, but five teams went the whole season without being handed
a
single loss. This is an amazing accomplishment for all six teams. The teams (as ranked 1-5, according
to
the AP Poll) are the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Texas Longhorns, the Texas Christian University
Horned Frogs, the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Boise State Broncos. The Florida Gators lost in the
championship before the bowls, to Alabama, then they dipped to number 5 in the rankings. Imagine
what it would be like to win twelve straight games, every game you play that season, and still only be
considered the sixth-best team. (such as Boise State.) Furthermore, if you are a member of one of
these teams, you gave your effort to a point where it was almost perfect, and then found out you would
not even have a moderate chance to be competing for the national title.
The postseason in college football is just a bunch of bowl games in which each team who
wins feels accomplished because they won. There’s no real winner to the season, and at the end of
every season, when the Bowl Conference Series selects a real number one, That team shouldn’t rejoice
so much because all they had to do in their postseason is win against one team. The solution to this
dilemma is very easy. All the league would have to do is follow over to their father league, the National Football League, and create a playoff series. This way, in the NFL rookie players would al“Sorry Tony Pike, your
ready be used to having a competitive spirit in every game. Every game would be a must-win instead
of
team is merely number
just one game in an opponent that isn’t so evenly matched. There would only be one winner to the
season, and one postgame parade. That is because only one team would have the honor of saying they four. Our apologies.”
won a bowl game. Forget all the sponsors, forget all the special moments. This college football nation
would have a far greater time, from east to west, watching each team play each game like it was their last. Only one team would have
perfection and only one team gets paid off for their efforts. That’s the way the game should be played.
New Moon Rising
Review by: Beth Carlton
This vampire romance story has drawn many people to the morbid genre and has
created a new wave of vampire novels and movies. Many people were pleased with
this new movie, but not everyone. Ron Benoit had this to say: “The movie is best
suited for fans of the Twilight saga. For the general populous it’s not that great.”
Others said that they preferred the book over the movie and that the movie had many
parts that were not accurate to the story. The votes of the fans overrule the haters,
however, and it shows by the amount of success this movie has achieved. “In my
opinion it was pretty good. The storyline was more interesting than Twilight, and it
was pretty suspenseful,” stated Emma Walsh, a student here at Plainfield High
Left: Dakota Fanning, Right: Kristen Stewart
School, “Team Jacob!” Even more success is still to come, as it is said that sequel
movie Eclipse is almost done being filmed in Vancouver. According to eclipsemovie.org, there are reports that there are only a few minor scenes left to film including some romantic scenes between Bella and
Edward. This movie will be coming out in June of 2010 and many people are looking forward to it. It is sure to be as successful if
not more-so than New Moon. The whole storyline is extremely interesting and creative bringing many different styles into one plot.
Almost everyone has heard of this saga by now, and if you haven’t, then you should really check it out. This movie will be in theaters for a while so hopefully you will take the opportunity to see this amazing film. You will not regret it.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twilight_saga_new_moon/
The story of Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, is most thrilling in Twilight’s sequel New Moon. It is also the third-biggest opener in Hollywood history
making $142.8 million dollars in its opening weekend. With the screenplay, written
by Melissa Rosenberg, this movie has sprouted into masterpiece with characters
including Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, and a new installment Jane played by
Dakota Fanning. The 130 minute film brings out an array of emotions with the many
scenes of love, loss, and suspense. This number one movie of the year has brought
fame to many of the characters and brought new roles for them in upcoming movies
this year.
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 11
2012: We Were Warned This was a Disaster
Review by: Ron Benoit
Gordon worries about his relationship. He feels like something is “pulling us apart.”
Just as Gordon finishes speaking, a quake splits the store in half right between him and his significant other, which pulls the two parts of the store in opposite directions.
All the lead characters within the movie survive scenarios that anyone else in the world
could not. Some of the scenes are so unbelievable, you are sitting in awe. Emmerich certainly
pushes "suspension of disbelief" to its limit. During the last second escape from being crushed by
a falling object, the main characters take a one in a million chance to survive. It makes all four
"Indiana Jones" movies look like documentaries. Who cares for the laws of physics, we’ll just
invent new ones to save the hero! John Cusack has roled in many phenomenal films, but in this
movie, he had no character to portray. He portrays another failed husband trying to keep his children in his life. Mommy, on the other hand, is happy with her new rich husband. As for Oliver
Platt, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, and Danny Glover all fine actors, were lost within characters lacking even a hint of humanity or depth.
The thing that was extremely disappointing about 2012 is that it's almost entirely lacking of any interesting back-story or
substance whatsoever. There's very little mention of the Mayan calendar or any of the prophetic wisdom that has foreseen the supposed end of days. Many people vaguely familiar with the 2012 “End of the World” phenomena would probably like to know more
about it. The fear and curiosity about this mysterious year (which is now only two years away) is almost entirely removed from this
film. That would have and could have made this film closer to a ten if our brains weren’t scrambled by the overdone CGI and special
effects bonanza. They try to cram so many explosions, eruptions, earthquakes,
and natural disasters into two hours that I might be a little desensitized to the
real thing if it ever happens. After a while nothing felt realistic or interesting
about it at all.
It's entertainment and that’s it. After seeing this film, it won’t scream
“I’m horrible” and you won’t remember anything memorable from 2012, but
watching this film will help the cause. What is the cause? The excessive
amount of scrilla they budgeted Roland Emmerich to spend on their special
effects budget. Don't say you weren't warned.
Photos Courtesy of IMDB.com
Story: There really isn’t much of a story. It’s exactly what was predicted; the Mayan calendar ends on December 21 and all breaks loose with mass destruction on a global scale.
Acting: Woody Harrelson and John Cusack are the only two who seem to give their best effort to the film.
Amanda Peet and Thandie Newton leave little to be excited for given their past roles in Oscar winning films.
Direction: Roland Emmerich is best known for his action and disaster films. But with his films come suffer
clichéd dialogue and scientific and/or historical inaccuracies.
Visuals: The CGI is phenomenal and it explains the enormous cost producing the film. The explosions and
destruction of buildings with other buildings makes your mind ooze with visual enjoyment.
Verdict: There’s more humor than anything. I wouldn’t recommend watching this movie for the plot, but
rather, for the CGI. It’s a rental, but only if you get it from Redbox or Netflix. It’s not worth a six dollar rental.
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 12
Not Out of the Woods Yet
Article by: Etan Dradeb
Pro Golfer, Tiger Woods, received minor injuries when he was backing out of his driveway on the morning of November
th
27 . When he was backing out, it was said that he first hit a hydrant then the front end of his car went into a tree. Woods released a
statement saying that he was falling in and out of consciousness after hitting the tree. The air bag in Tigers car did not deploy because he was not traveling faster than 33 miles per hour. Wood’s wife Elin Nordegren acted “courageously” by getting Woods
safely out of the car. This all happened at two o clock in the morning, the whereabouts of where Woods
was going is still unknown
Immediately after the accident Woods was rushed to the Health Central Hospital. There he was
treated for facial lacerations. They released him soon after his arrival with “minor injuries.” Tiger was
lucky enough to get of this accident with minor injuries because this could have been a lot worse. The
police have confirmed that the accident was not alcohol-related. He was charged with reckless driving.
Much is still unknown about the case because Woods has yet to accept an interview with the
press. The only time Woods has talked since the incident was on his
Tiger Woods
website. There he posted a couple of quotes, one being, “Although I
understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently
circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.” Woods also went on to say that he wants
this case to remain private. The only problem with keeping the case private is that he is a major
celebrity, and soon enough all the details will be known. Until this point Wood’s has been an all
around great guy, on and off the golf course. If he doesn’t speak about this case publicly then his
image will take a major hit.
Rachel Uchitel
Tiger Woods was supposed to host a golf tournament
on Thursday, December 3rd. Well he has now officially withdrawn from this tournament because
of the injuries sustained from his accident. Woods came out to say, on his website of course, “I
am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week.” Woods has participated
in this tournament for about ten years now. So this accident couldn't have come at a worse time, or
is it the accident that is really keeping Woods from this tournament? Could it be that Woods does
not want to come out publicly and try to let everything cool down before he does? Either way
Elin Nordegren
Woods will be a huge loss in this tournament.
So the question remains, where was Tiger going at two o clock in the morning? Was he
going to the store on black Friday, or is Wood’s in fact having an affair? There have been many rumors going around that Tiger
Woods and Rachel Uchitel are having an affair. Rachel is a thirty-four year old VIP event organizer in New York City. These rumors
have started even before the accident happened. They both have came out and said that nothing is going on between the two but it is
still very suspicious. So was Tiger going to Rachel’s house in the middle of the night? We might never know.
Information From:
Tiger Woods: http://www.aolcdn.com/aolr/red-cares-tiger-woods-400a120706.jpg
Elin Nordegren: http://www.foxnews.com/images/329750/0_62_nordegren_elin_120707.jpg
Rachel Uchitel: http://cdn.okmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/racheluchitel-225x206.jpg
Information: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/tiger-woods-hurt-car-crash/story?id=9191395
INTERVIEW
Page 13
Hungry, Hungry Homeless
Interview and Picture by: Ash Bagel
Around the school, before the Thanksgiving weekend, you may have noticed boxes placed outside of each classroom. In the boxes a
student or faculty member could place in non-perishable food items. I sat down and interviewed the two women who were in charge
of running the food drive. The food drive was conducted by Mrs. Harmon and Ms. Razza, two teachers who work in the special education program, and their students.
How long have you been teaching in the Plainfield district?
Mrs. Harmon: Seventeen years.
Do you enjoy working in the special education program?
Mrs. Harmon: Yes, very much so.
What kinds of things do you do throughout the day?
Mrs. Harmon: I teach interpersonal skills and meet with kids and provide support.
Ms. Razza: I teach interpersonal skills. I do individual therapy to provide support to the kids.
Have you ever conducted a food drive before, but not necessarily here at Plainfield?
Mrs. Harmon: No, this was my first year.
Ms. Razza: At a previous job we had a big project. We asked for donations, we put together baskets and delivered them.
What is the main goal you were trying to achieve with the food drive?
Mrs. Harmon: Our main goal is just to get as much food as possible for project PIN, which is People In Need. It’s for people who
need a bit of assistance because of the economy... we’re just trying to reach out and help as much as possible. (The St. Paul’s Episcopal Church) in Plainfield acts as a food pantry. They were having some trouble with donations so we asked what they needed and we
wanted to see what we could do to help.
Where do all the goods go after they’ve been collected?
Mrs. Harmon: We collected the food and then we loaded all of the cans into a bus. We took about fifteen students to the local food
pantry in Plainfield. Once they got the food, they put together baskets and gave them to people who needed it.
How much food was collected in total, was it what you expected?
Mrs. Harmon: This was the first time that we had constructed a food drive here at Plainfield High. We really didn’t know what to
expect. It started out slowly with the food and then it picked up quickly. We stored it in this little room... day by day the amount of
food just kept going up. The amount of food was amazing. The Plainfield Food Pantry was able to make more than 174 baskets from
the items collected.
What is the most popular food item that comes in?
Mrs. Harmon: We got a lot of canned vegetables, which was
good. Project PIN puts together baskets for people and they
use fresh vegetables. But, sometimes they have to supplement.
They give fresh potatoes but sometimes they have to give the
instant mashed potatoes instead.
Are there any other projects like this going around the school?
Mrs. Harmon: Not yet, but in December the school is going
to be supporting the local woman’s shelter in Danielson. We’ll
be making baked goods and receiving donations from people.
The money received in donations will be used to go shopping
for the women and children.
INTERVIEWS
Page 14
He’s a Cool Guy?
Interview by: Mariah M
There’s a new teacher in town and his name is Mr. Jordan. I had
the wondrous chance to sit down with this nifty dude. Not many
students know much about him, but they should. So for your
privilege, here is a really cute Q and A… Aye?
How old are you?
I am around thirty four.
How tall are you?
6’4”.
What shop do you teach?
I teach graphic design.
How long have you been teaching?
This is my first year teaching.
What’s your imaginary friend’s name?
MC Escher.
Do you have any other friends?
No.
Do you have a weasel?
No. I never caught on to the weasel
phenomena. I guess it passed me by.
Do you know what a jackalope is?
Some sort of mammal.
Do you prefer Mac or PC?
I prefer Mac.
Do you enjoy your job?
Yes, very much so.
Have you ever been a shop teacher at any previous high
schools?
No, this is my first year teaching at any school.
What college did you
attend?
Eastern Connecticut State
University.
Where did
you go to
high school?
Plainfield
High School.
Do you think the world will end in 2012?
Mine’s not.
How have the students at PHS been treating you so far?
Pretty well, they’re all nice kids for the majority.
What was your inspiration for becoming a graphic design
teacher?
I took a graphic design class in high school.
Why did you choose Plainfield high school?
The job was open and they hired me.
What is your favorite vacation destination?
I don’t vacation.
Are you involved in any clubs in school?
Yes, tech ed. club. Better known as slot car club.
What do you do in this club?
We build tracks and race slot cars, it’s awesome. We have a
great group of students in this club.
When Can You Pick Up Your Skateboard?
Interview by Dan Trombley
“Zak Nadeau is a sophomore at PHS. He skateboards all the time
and he is always enjoying life, which is why I chose him for the
skateboarding interview.”
Zak my good sir, when did you start skateboarding?
I started skateboarding in the 5th grade.
What was the brand of the first skateboard you rode?
Zoo York.
Do you use this skateboarding company today?
No.
What skateboard do your currently use?
Worship skateboards are the best.
Is this your favorite brand of skateboards?
Yes, absolutely.
What was the first trick you have ever landed?
A kick flip.
What is your favorite trick to do?
Backside flip (which is a backside 180 kick flip).
What is the hardest trick you have had to learn?
Umm I don’t know, I would have to say one I haven’t learned yet.
What is the scariest moment of your skateboarding hobby?
The scariest moment was probably the first skate contest at Norwich
skate park.
Do you like to have street sessions over skate park sessions?
It depends on the street spot, but skate parks are usually better.
If a biker was to go into the
skate park, what would you be
thinking?
Well, I would be thinking, let
me get a ride on your pegs.
Do you think the skating
scene has grown over the last
few years?Definitely, yes.
Are you currently sponsored
by any company?
No, but I wish.
Where do you like to buy your
skateboards?
CT BMX AND SKATE
SHOP!
How much money do you
spend a year on skateboarding?
Just fifty to one hundred dollars on boards to truck setups.
What do you have to say to the new skateboarders out there?
Have fun and keep trying and don’t throw your board, because it’s
not the boards fault you suck.
INTERVIEW
Page 15
Deck the Halls with Paws and Monopoly
Article and pictures by: Kimberly Caouette
One day a year you get to walk down your schools halls
to find something amazing. The first hallway could be themed
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or another could be Space
Invaders. You see all this amazingness around you, and all the
students are in a perky mood. Everyone wants to win the satisfactory of being the best hallway in the school. Seniors have to win,
while no one expects anything from the freshmen. This year,
there has been some controversy between the seniors. It seems
that everyone had agreed to do a Monopoly themed hallway that
would incorporate the town of Plainfield into it. It seems that
some of the senior class officers decided without the senior class’
opinion that they would go ahead and do a “Panther Pride” theme
instead.
Well the day came and the hallways were jazzed up. The
freshmen came in with Atlantis. They had blue ribbons and
streamers everywhere. They had a student dress up like a
mermaid, and you could pose and take pictures with her.
The sophomores came up with board games. They had
everything hanging from the ceiling, from dice for yahtzee,
to game pieces and a twister board. The juniors came in
with Sesame Street. They had a big bird in a nest, with
rainbow streamers everywhere. But all of that can’t compare to the 2009 hall decorating champions, the seniors!
The seniors had an orange and black filled hall with paw prints on
the floor, and a homemade panther hanging from the ceiling. They
covered the lights with orange paper, and we had all the senior
athletes names up to show. The hallway was too good to ignore,
and the seniors
took first place.
The juniors took
second, while
freshmen got
third. Overall the hallways were incredible and the seniors made a
good decision; no one can hide that panther pride!
EDITORIAL
Page 16
America Will Never Truly Be The Same
Commentary by: Mary Dixon
The place you call home is the place you are supposed to feel safe and secure. For most of the residents on Fort Hood Army
Base that is exactly how it was, until November 5, 2009, when a psychiatrist for the army, Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire on
the base in Killeen, Texas early that afternoon. Not only did he brutally take the lives of thirteen innocent people and injured more
then thirty, he completely shattered the security blanket of everybody else.
After reading over twenty articles I finally came across the perfect one. Published in the New York Times on November 12,
2009, “Scarred, Fort Hood Survivors Move On” grabbed my attention. Written by Campbell Robertson and Serge F. Kovaleski it
provided the honest truth of how the residents of Fort Hood are coping with the situation and how they truly feel just days after this
horrific incident. Pfc. Mariano Alvarez told New York Times, “Everyone sees a military base as a safe haven, but that was stolen
from me,” he later continued to say, “Knowing that any moment my life could have been taken away hits you pretty hard. I feel helpless, and I felt helpless at the time because I couldn’t do anything.” As I continued to read the article I continued to hear the same
thing over and over in my head, how is it fair that one person can change so many lives in such a negative way? Answer is, its not
fair at all, not even a bit.
It truly breaks my heart that someone
this country is supposed to trust could actually turn on his
own people. America never will be truly the same; we
will always have questions in the back of our minds that
will never honestly be answered. You can continue to ask
yourself days on end what the motive was, or why Major
Hasan did this but I honestly think those questions will
always be there. Hasan took some of the most precious
things in many people’s lives away. Many people will
forever be distraught, confused and in pain. He is in a
The memorial that now stands at Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas.
hospital bed breathing on his own while Americans try to
piece back together their lives and remember the great
memories they had before all of this spun out of control.
http://www.working.com/2207668.bin?
size=620x400
The Fort Hood Shooting will forever be a part in history but, sadly it is not going to be the only horrific tragedy that comes
to mind. When you go to www.google.com and type in “Shootings in America” you will get results of Virginia Tech University,
Columbine High School, and the Fort Hood shooting. This massacre is being added to the devastating list of shootings that have
killed many and left more emotionally scarred. Killeen,
Texas will now be connected to Littleton Colorado and
Blacksburg Virginia forever and not in a positive way.
Shortly after the shooting happened and I gathered all of the facts, my eyes were widened to the truth that this can happen
and can happen again. The part that truly concerns me however is that this can happen anywhere, at any time. The questions that may
linger in some minds are probably, Are we ever truly safe? Can you walk down the road and feel one hundred percent confident that
this will not happen to you? If you were to ask me whether or not he was a terrorist I would simply say that, it is not the most important thing in this case. You have to remind yourself that this situation can not be reversed and it can not be taken back. Thirteen innocent people are forever gone and too many lives to keep count of are completely changed. You might feel better knowing the truth
but will you ever truly have complete closure?
November 5, 2009, might not mean anything to you and six months from now you might not even remember that it happened, but America as a whole should focus on the fact that whether it is one person being changed by this or thousands, this tragedy
has an impact one way or another. We should all join together to raise the knowledge to this and do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. Bottom line is that one person can’t do it alone; it is simply, the responsibility of everyone in every
community, all around this country to fix this.
EDITORIAL
Page 17
Justice Might Finally Be Served!
Article by: Mary Dixon
http://www.callus.com/separatedatbirth/khalid.jpg
On the morning of September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 lives were abruptly taken as a direct result of terrorism on the United
States. Eight years after this devastating day, the mastermind and his four alleged helpers are finally going to be tried for their crimes
and justice might finally be served. After hearing that the terrorist would be held on trial most people were probably thinking, well it
is about time. However for some the relief quickly turned to anxiety when the government released the news that the 9-11
trials are going to be held in a Manhattan courthouse just blocks away from where the
nightmare of this day took place. Everybody has a different perspective and opinion on
theses attacks but it’s safe to say that whether you knew someone that was killed or simply just watched the nightmare unravel on your television set, you cannot deny that this
tragedy has become a permanent part of you. A Marist College Institute opinion poll
was taken in November and the results revealed that over forty percent of New York
residents feel that holding the trials just blocks from where the attacks had taken place,
now commonly known as Ground Zero, increases the likelihood of another attack on the
city. Even though it has been years since this horrific day occurred it is still extremely
clear that people are still not completely healed or recovered from this tragedy.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is a forty year old man that was born in Kuwait, and is believed to be the number three al-Quida leader, he is considered to be one of the most
deadly men alive and a confessed suspect of being the mastermind for the September 11
terrorist attacks. Nearly a year and a half after these attacks took place Mohammed was
finally captured in Pakistan on March of 2002. He is not being held in just any prison he
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man that is is a detainee at Guantanamo Bay Prison located in Cuba but owned by the United States.
Investigators were certain that Mohammed was responsible for the attacks and then in
the alleged mastermind of the September
December of 2008 he confessed to his alleged crimes. The lawyers for Mohammed and
11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
his alleged helpers has been said to be chosen soon. Their lawyers will a small group of
experienced criminal-defense attorneys. One of the big reasons he is not being convicted
as of right now and will be held a fair trial in Manhattan is because people believe that he was tortured prior to his interrogation resulting in him saying what the investigators wanted to hear. In this particular case Mohammed and his alleged four helpers will not
be the only ones targeted. The website www.slate.com published an article stating “the defense will attack the CIA, FBI, and NSA,
demanding information about wiretapping and signal intelligence and sources and method.” The trial dates for Mohammed and his
alleged fellow helpers has not officially been released to the public. The set date for the trials may not become public knowledge
until shortly before the trials take place. By doing this the government hopes to minimize anxiety and stress of New York residents
about having the terrorist in Manhattan.
As many people know the news is constantly changing
so for more information on the 9-11 trials, new laws relating to
terrorism and the closing of Guantanamo Bay Prison visit the
following websites: www.washingtonpost.com,
www.nytimes.com and www.worldnews.com.
http://www.noraracing.com/
e107_images/newspost_images/911-01.jpg
As of January 2009, Guantanamo Bay Prison is the location of a little over two hundred prisoners. One of Obama’s first
missions after being elected for president is to close Guantanamo Bay Detention center permanently. President Obama has ordered
that this prison be closed by January of 2010 however the exact date for this closing has not been verified and due to legal issues the
estimated date of closure continues to change. Although it has only been a short time after President Obama has taken office, he is
clearly showing that he is taking some proper steps to try and make this country a better environment. One of the changes that will
most likely have a very significant impact is that unlike our precious president, Obama has banned the use of torture in all terrorism
interrogations. Even though very little detail is being released at
this time people should reassure themselves that the United States
is not just brushing the 9-11 terrorist attacks off of their shoulders
and that people are continuously trying to change the way this
country is ran.
EDITORIAL
Page 18
Sunday at the Casino
Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, is usually not the place to find people with anything short of a “win big or
go home” mentality. But, on November 6, 2009, the venue, specifically the Mohegan Sun Arena,
was stomping grounds to 5,000 of the most lip-pierced, hair-dyed, skinny-jeans-wearing teenagers
the casino had held in a while. Why? Because three good friends of mine, the aforementioned
mob, and I had the pleasure of seeing Taking Back Sunday, All-American Rejects, and Anberlin.
On that Friday night spectacle, Jake Dunphy, Kiira Huhta, Lexie Bushey and I took the last seats
in the house.
Making our way into the parking lot was tricky because so many people were trying to
get in: it took us fifteen minutes to find a parking space even though doors didn’t open until 7:30
and it was scarcely 6. After we struggled out of the car and the elevator, we went to drop Kiira’s
little brother off at KidsQuest. That casino is a maze, I tell you! After that, we window-shopped a
bit and I duly noted who was and wasn’t here for the concert. It was quite the sight to see teenagers clad in band tees cluttered in the same place as older gamblers. Immediately after looking at
albums and even after my brother Jake and I made fools of ourselves racing up the escalators, we
knew it was time to enter the arena. $5 sodas in one hand, tickets to nosebleed seats in the other,
we got ushered into our section.
The stage seemed like miles away, but we could hear the noise loud and clear. No one in my group besides me knew Anberlin from their elbows. I was lucky I had a seemingly nerdy man next to me who looooved (with four O’s) that band. At 8:00 sharp,
the punk band from Winter Haven, Florida, took the floor. Anberlin was riding off the success off of their 2008 release, New Surrender. They opened up with “Disappear” and I was already feeling the energy Anberlin had produced to the crowd. As the set moved
on, including their new single “Breaking”, and a cover of New Order’s old hit “True Faith” (in which they came up a bit short of
energy). Everyone in the stands knew by the electronic riff it was time for Anberlin’s last song, “Feel Good Drag.” The song hit
number one on Billboard’s alternative hits list in April, and everyone on the floor was jumping around: Meanwhile, I squirmed in my
seat about thirty feet high. Joy.
After more expensive soda (yum), Lexie, Jake and I bet on what the All-American Rejects
would open their set with. As it turned out, front man Tyson Ritter and company opened up with
“Move Along”, their supposedly-feel-good hit. Tyson then lost his shirt and hat really quick, to the
benefit of the 3,500 or so girls in the audience, but he was prancing around the stage announcing
that everyone in the audience looked mighty fine to him. The band was truly interactive always
getting us involved, and they were also promoting their new album When The World Comes Down.
Their set list included “Dirty Little Secret,” “Fallin’ Apart,” and “Swing Swing.”
If Anberlin’s energy was driven by the crowd, it was apparent that the Rejects were driven
by purely playing music. They seemed to enjoy every second of their ridiculous set, and including
the audience made it all the better. Although I was not a big fan of the Rejects, I couldn’t deny that
they knew how to put on a show. After the last song, “Gives You Hell,” which was all over the
radio last year, Tyson bid the crowd farewell, and the crowd clamored with a chant of “A-A-R!”
“A-A-R!” Tyson, still clad in red pants (which I believe was to raise money for an AIDS charity
organization) and suspenders, admitted he loved Connecticut and played two more songs off their
new album. The lights went back on. The next set was going to be unforgettable. Although I had
seen Taking Back Sunday back in 2007 at Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance’s Project Revolution, there was a reason so many
people were there for Taking Back Sunday.
I was asked by my crew for a few sodas, and I was the one who had to go and order them. I was at the soda vendor when I
heard front man Adam Larazza’s voice boom through the speakers. I was so bummed from the fact that I missed the band playing
“Set Phasers To Stun” and “You Know How I Do.” As soon as I struggled into my seat, Adam wanted us all to scream “Hey! Hey!”
and by a couple repetitions, I knew we were all singing the prelude to the band’s first single off their new album New Again, titled
“Sink Into Me.” As the set went on, I was surprised by how little energy Adam had compared to how much energy the crowd had.
Thirty feet below me, a circle pit was brewing: unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the fluorescent Rent-A-Cops to stop that
‘reckless behavior.’ Nevertheless, Adam seemed a bit transparent and his mic-flipping tricks were old hat to someone who had already seen it for an hour before, more than two years ago, but bassist Matt Rubaro was all over the place and I loved it. Adam announced that Matt had won $1200 playing slots earlier. Okay, so maybe that was why he was so hyper. They performed all of their
old singles like “Cute Without the E,” “A Decade Under The Influence,” and lastly “MakeDamnSure,” the song that put them in the
eyes of MTV. Then, silence. The lights turned back on in five seconds, and most noticeably there was no screams of “T-B-S!” or
“Encore!” That’s where Taking Back Sunday came out flat. Although every band performed with its own unique style, and I found a
great new band in Anberlin, I ate my McDonald’s feeling a bit sour on Taking Back Sunday’s lack of energy and the fact that the
Rejects, although not as talented, had more stage presence and a better entertainment. I guess some concerts just don’t have a fairy
tale ending.
consequenceofsound.net/
theywillrockyou.com/
Article by: Dean Roussel
EDITORIAL
Page 19
Where’d Ya Go Appendo?
Commentary by: Beckay Demuth
So I bummed around my house, medicated myself with Theraflu and went to sleep at about 8:00pm because
I was way too tired and cramped to stay awake, but the cramps gradually worsened. At 11:00pm I went
downstairs and told my mom to crush me some Midol because unfortunately I have difficulty swallowing
pills. Then I realized that the Midol and Theraflu both specifically said on the front of the bottle not to take
with other products that contain Acetaminophen. I tried so hard to fall asleep and I couldn’t so I went downstairs and woke my mom up. Then we sat in my living room thinking about what could be wrong with me;
at this point I was just crying because I hate physical pain, honestly, it’s my biggest fear. Then my dad woke
up. It was near 2:30am when I was admitted to Day Kimball Hospital; luckily there was nobody in the waiting room.
After I got signed into the emergency room, a nurse checked my vitals and put me in a room, where another
nurse gave me an IV and ran tests. It took a while though because apparently I have small veins and they
couldn’t find a spot to poke me with the needle. By 6:00am, I felt better and the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with me so he sent me home. Of course he didn’t believe that I was really in pain because I was
smiling, and I don’t know how to judge pain by a chart, and I could tell that it made him mad. When I got
home, I slept for two hours, but woke up because the cramps returned. So I sat on my couch all day drinking Ginger Ale, vomiting,
and crying…just a little bit though, because I just wanted to feel better and enjoy my day off. I refused to go back to the emergency
room, but eventually I was barley able to walk, the pain migrated to one spot of my stomach and I couldn’t handle it anymore.
So my brother Shane drove my mom and I back to the Hospital around 2:30pm, and the waiting room was packed this time. It
didn’t take too long though, it was probably a half hour until I got in, and then I sat on a hospital cot behind a curtain for like an
hour, and I was angry because nobody was doing anything for me. Then a nurse told me that I needed a cat scan to check for Appendicitis, and I had to drink those nasty drinks that they give you for cat scans. In the mean while I was observing the things happening around me and sadly the guy on the other side of my curtain had a nail stuck in his eye; there was also an old fellow who fell
down, but I guess they were both okay. Later on they moved me into my own personal room, and did more exams, then they wanted
to take blood samples again, but couldn’t find a vein at all. So the nurse pricked my finger and squeezed blood out of it for about
fifteen minutes but barley got enough to fill a tube. Then I laid in bed, in pain until 6:30-7:00 until I had my cat scan. I was given
Morphine through my IV…it didn’t work at all, so I was given more and it still didn’t work. Nothing worked for my pain, nothing
at all. I was depressed laying in bed because my day was ruined, and I had to miss a driving class and I love my driving classes!
Eventually I had my cat scan and forty-five minutes later the doctor came to the conclusion that I had appendicitis.
Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix caused by blockage
of the appendix. For those of you who don’t know, your appendix is
useless and located on the lower right side of your stomach. I wasn’t
worried when they said I needed surgery to have my appendix removed, because it wasn’t a major problem.
It was around 9:00pm when I was in the pre-operation room and
my anesthesiologist thought that I didn’t have legs, although she was
touching them at the time. I was like oh great; I have idiots working
with me. I don’t remember anything after that. Then I woke up.
Then I moved into room 105, a room where my grandma previously stayed when she had arm surgery; I remember visiting it. I slept
all day; I tried to eat the soup, popsicles, and juice that was served to
me. I ate half the popsicle and got nauseous. I continued to sleep; the
morphine still didn’t demolish my pain, so I was very upset. Then my
family came to visit, and I began to feel better. I ate chocolate ice
cream, and I walked around the hospital. My surgeon checked up on me, and released me from the hospital at 9:00pm or 10:00pm,
I’m not sure. I just wanted to sleep. I spent my next week sitting in a chair while my mom waited on me hand and foot. I didn’t like
it too much, but obviously crushed antibiotics and Percocets mixed in pudding are my favorite. I was weak, at times I couldn’t
move at all, and at times I couldn’t breathe, but I survived. I promise to never complain about stomach pains again…until I have a
baby.
http://blstb.msn.com/i/59/
http://www.doctorsecrets.com/your-
Haha! You have a useless Appendix. On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, after a slow day of school work, and week of arduous
coughing, a stuffy nose, a high fever, and headaches, I dragged myself home. I was just a little bit excited because we didn’t have
school the next day and I was like, oh hey, I’m going to have a lazy night because I can sleep in tomorrow. So I didn’t shower, and I
didn’t attempt my homework because I had already planned out a schedule in my head for that Wednesday. Not only was it a lazy
night, but my symptoms of “Swine Flu” finally decreased; but new symptoms appeared, simple symptoms. I had cramps and was
basically just like, ughh great, I hate being a girl.
MUSIC NEWS
Page 20
Steven Tyler’s Life is Going Down The Drain...Again!
Article by: Nick Whatshisname
In this section you will find out about music artists coming out with new albums, rumors, and ratings. You will also see if your
favorite artist or singer is on tour, has stopped making music, or is in trouble with the law.
With Aerosmith out with a new album, The Chum Bucket, and back
on tour, it seems that all is well. With one of the greatest rock gods
of all time still alive, Steven Tyler, we can’t help but think that the
legendary lead singer of Aerosmith is doing better since his days of
drug abuse during the good ol’ 60s and 70s. To the other band
members, that’s not the case. Drummer Joey Kramer said ,“ Steven, he isolates more and more all the time—I don't know what it
is. I know he’s made some not so great choices and he’s got some
negative influences around him now. I love the guy. I just want to
see him get some help.” On the internet, rumors are swirling
around that Steven Tyler is using drugs again. His favorite and well
known is heroin. Guitarist Brad Whitford says, “ This guy has a
tremendous history of drug abuse, and you have to be suspicious
that this is something that’s probably going on with him. I have a
feeling we might be looking at someone who’s just really struggling
very badly.” Whitford also added that Tyler’s behavior has been “more erratic and unreasonable.” Tyler’s new memoir, Hit
Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top, is about Tyler’s drug moments with the band while on tour. It includes commentary from all of the band members including Steven’s thoughts. With this memoir coming out in late November, we might
be able to see the other side of a great rocker. We can only hope that Tyler can get his head straight look in the mirror and tell
himself to act right.
Eminem Pushing “Relapse 2”
Famous rap artist, Eminem, is starting to work on some new material for next year. But he doesn't want it to come out too early.
Eminem will release Relapse: Refill, which is basically the same album as before, but includes five, never-before heard tracks,
including, “Taking My Ball” and “Forever.” “I got back with Dre and then a few more producers, including Just Blaze, and
went in a completely different direction which made me start from scratch. The new tracks started to sound different than the
tracks I originally intended to be on Relapse 2, but I still want other stuff to be heard.” Relapse: Refill will release December 21.
2009, which will make a great Christmas gift for any Eminem fan. Relapse 2 on the other hand, will come out in middle 2010.
Viewer Discretion is Advised
On November 22, it was the night of the American Music Awards, one of the biggest award shows in America. All was well
with performances by Coldplay, Mariah Carey, and Adam Lambert. Gasp! Oh My God! Adam Lambert! He’s awesome! He
wouldn’t do anything bad, right? Wrong! When it was Lambert’s turn to show off on stage, he did something that gave off a
rage to the thousands of viewers. During a song, Lambert grabbed a male back-up dancer and simulated oral sex, had a passionate kiss with a male keyboardist, and stuck up his middle finger at the end
of the act. I know what your thinking. He’s gay and he was just expressing himself right? Well that wasn't the thought to the 1,500 complaints
received by ABC after the show. Lambert said on CNN, “ It wasn't to piss
people off, it was to promote freedom of expression. Adrenaline is a
crazy, crazy, crazy, feeling. Some of the things I love most about performing is when your up there and all of a sudden, you just have these
feelings, this rush just comes over you.” It is unknown if ABC will be
fined by the Federal Communications Corporation since the act was aired
at 11pm, which is out of the FCC’s time slot (6am-10pm). Hopefully they
don’t, but it looks like Lambert might be paying up for his act.
Information and pictures obtained from www.billboard.com