Redline 2012 - Killingly Public Schools
Transcription
Redline 2012 - Killingly Public Schools
The Redline Volume 13 Issue 5 Killingly High School Guys and Dolls Hits a High Note! March 2012 Fifty Cents When WillaPlenty It End... Making Difference! Go, Big Red! Responsibility, Excellence, Dedication A Time to Celebrate! Redmen Romp Over of Spirit!! Pride By Holly Logan Missing out on Guys and Dolls was like missing out on a big chunk of Killingly High School musical history! “We worked extremely hard, especially our last week before production to make all facets of the production run smoothly,” said Ms. Lacy about the performance. Guys and Dolls had its opening night on the February 9, followed by two more night performances on February 10, 11, and a final matinee performance on Sunday. This was the first musical performance that Killingly has seen in 10 years! With musical performances, dancing, and acting, it took a good four months to rehearse and prepare for the upcoming play. And don’t forget about the orchestral music, technology crew, and behind the Continued on page 5 KHS HBA Looking Good! OUTSTANDING HBA STUDENT Samantha Robinson aw aits her trophy as she stan ds on stage at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida recently. GUYS AND DOLLS or in this case, guy, played by Michael Gleason, and dolls, left Taylor Randolph, and Megan Muraco were shining stars in KHS recent production. KHS Home Builders Association definitely has their act together. The chapter recently returned from the annual International Builders Show in Florida with a Second Place in the Oustanding Student Chapter category as well as the Outstanding Student Award. Pitted against colleges like Brigham Young University, Penn State and Purdue, as well as various technical schools and other high schools from across the country, the team competed in various categories which included production of a full set of blueprints, construction schedule, pricing and green package for a fictitious home during the course of the week. Earning a second was more than a feather in KHS HBA’s cap: no high school had ever placed in the top three Continued on P age 4 AgEd Goes to War! By Nicole Durand Bring o n t he penni es, i t’s war time! Killingly’s AgEd team is currently getting students to participate in penny wars for Operation Fuel: a way to raise money for those struggling to heat their homes. So how does one exactly have a penny war and what does it consist of? “Pennies are worth 1 point, dollars are worth 100. Any dollar amount above that would be worth the amount of pennies that make up that bill. Silver coins subtract points, though, so a dime would be minus 10 points, a nickle would be minus 5 etc,” says Katelyn Slowik, junior, who is in animal science in Vo-Ag. Once penny wars is over, the organization that Continued on P age 6 Real News, Real Journalists By Shannon Eber Some of the career pathways have practical, tangible products that are created by the classes as opposed to just skills that students gain. The business pathway runs the school store. The video tech pathway produces a news program for the school. Accounting and economics students can work at the inschool branch of Charter Oak. Journalism produces the school’s award winning paper, The Redline. “Being a part of the Redline has taught me to write properly,” says current Redline editor-in-chief, senior Amanda Mangasarian. “It has gotten me to widen Continued on P age 3 LENDING A HAND to a good cause were these FFA members who helped put together gifts to stuff in teachers’ boxes as part of the annual FFA Week celebration recently. From left, are Heather Slattery, Jakob Pedini, Marc Glaude, and Katie Molodich. (Redline photo by Nicole Durand) The Champ! KI NG OF CO NN EC TI CU T! Riley Donlon recently fought his way to the top of the heap in the state wrestling finals, earning first place in the 120 pound weight class. From left, are Adam Page, Jeremy Neroff, a nd Ja cob Whitehead. Page 2 *The Redline* March 2012 COMMENTARY Gas Prices? Going up! Do we ever get a break when it comes to money? Now gas prices are another issue to worry about in this economy! With gas supposedly going up to about $5 a gallon, it makes you wonder whether or not buying a new, ecofriendly car or cutting down traveling is the best bet. Some people even now, are paying more monthly on gas, than their own car payment itself. According to the New York Times, gas prices right now are at record highs for the winter, averaging $3.73 a gallon nationally. Once summer comes, who knows how much we will be paying. The gas prices are dependent upon the diplomatic and economic standoff with the Middle East. Not only do people and families have to worry about other payments and bills throughout the year, gas will become another expense that we will have to compensate for, maybe even sacrificing other needs to pay for that Plan Ahead The teen pregnancy rate keeps getting higher and higher. There is an estimated one million teens pregnant in the United States. Eighty-five percent of these pregnancies are unplanned, which is an even greater chance of problems. Teens shouldn’t get pregnant when they can’t support a baby. They can’t support it emotionally, or financially. Yeah , it’s your baby, your decision, your life, but you need to think about what it can affect. Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences in life. The stress of how you are going to break this news to your parents might be even more of a struggle, or finding someone that will be with you throughout the whole time. You have options, depending on your situation; making a choice may be simple or difficult. The situation might be big or it might be nothing at all. About 750,000 teens get pregnant in the United States each year. Nevada, has the highest teen birth rate; 113 out of every 1,000 teens will get pregnant. About 1 in 3 women become pregnant at least once before they’re 20. Planning a baby when you’re not ready will put more stress on yourself. It affects education. Only a third of teen mothers earn their high school diploma, and only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30. It also affects their kids. It’s proven that girls born to teen mothers are more likely to be teen mothers themselves. Boys born to teen moms are more likely to end up in prison. Finish school before you plan to have a baby or be ready before you do. fuel. It’s not just gas that’s rising, oil prices are as well. The current situation in Iran has raised crude oil prices about 20%. When compared to 2008, it is about $4 higher. It’s a possibility that this could happen again for the summer. Hilary Clinton is even getting involved, attempting to make a difference. According to New York Times, she is persuading China, India, and Turkey, which makes up more than a third of Iran’s oil export market, to lower their costs. It’s crazy to think how summer will be, when right now prices are rising in March. However, it’s not even summer yet, where gas prices usually go up anyway. So, how is this going to effect everyone? I’m sure with the recent news of gas prices predicting to skyrocket, the thought is scaring those who drive with gas guzzlers or live in oil fueled homes. Considering that summer is traveling season, there might not be as many vacations or beach trips for those effected by the gas prices. The prices could get worse or we can hope for the best, that this is only a period where gas will be this high and eventually go back down. As for now, enjoy the price while you can, as impossible as that may seem! - Nicole Durand Think Green, KHS! I’m sure you all have noticed the changes in the cafeteria, they are hard to miss. The new food and way of paying by using the account systems. Many of us love the new individual salad options and, recently, the pudding and parfaits. It’s all a major improvement from previous years, but certain things still need to be improved. A lot of the new food options come individually wrapped in plastic containers. It’s nice not having to eat a salad on a tray, but have you ever turned those containers over and noticed the little triangle on the bottom? The salad and pudding containers are recyclable! But, our cafeteria doesn’t have recycling bins. It should. Everything we use goes straight into the trash, when so many of it can be made into something new. The improvements to the cafeteria would be perfect if we had recycling bins. Even one recycling bin would help. Granted, some students still won’t recycle no matter how many recycling bins are put out, but many will recycle, and every little bit helps the environment. Every plastic bowl that isn’t put in a landfill makes a difference. All of the plastic we waste can be put to good use and made into new plastic containers. The students at Killingly High should at least have Samantha Montpelier the option to recycle and be more conscientious about the environment. -Sara Haley The Redline Staff Editor-in-Chief: Amanda Mangasarian Assistant Editors-in-Chief: Victoria Ferland, Sara Morin. News Editors: Nicole Fawell, Shannon Eber Feature Editor: Holly Logan Assistant Feature Editor: Nicole Durand Sports Editor: Janna Mullaly Entertainment Editor: Ashley Chauvin Poetry Editor: Kelsey Zardeskas Column Editor: Sara Haley Staff: Kaitlyn Allard, Kenya Best, Bethany Burke, Christine Diaz, Chelsea Greene, Samantha Montpelier, Chelsea Opperman, Jakob Owen Advisor: Richard T. Martin The Redline is the property of Killingly High School. Copying or reuse of materials contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of school officials in charge of publication. The Redline is an award winning publication of KHS English Department’s Journalism Course. The Redline earned a first place award in both the 2002 and 2003 American Scholastic Press Association’s national competition and second place in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Lohan on SNL? Really? We all remember Lindsey Lohan, the beloved “twins” on the movie Parent Trap, the daughter who switched bodies with her mother in Freaky Friday, and the girl who raced in a Volkswagen that had a mind of its own in Herbie Fully Loaded. Now, most recently known for her substance abuse battles and erratic public behavior, Lohan has been on the news more than the President. Hoping to make a comeback, Lohan appeared on Saturday Night Live (SNL), Sunday March 4, 2012. Lohan poked fun at herself, pointing out what she has done in the past. The producers of SNL even set off an alarm when Lohan stepped off the stage to poke fun at all of her arrests. However, this is nothing to be taken lightly. What Lohan has done to herself and to her fans is wrong. Children looked up to her and then next thing they see is their beloved movie star getting dragged away in handcuffs on the news. What kind of a role model is that? Certainly not one who should host the second highest rating show on television. Lohan hosting SNL was almost a reward to her. Everyone looked at her arrests, substance abuse and erratic behavior as some sort of joke, like it didn’t even matter. The only reason she got the chance to host SNL again is because she’s a big movie star. If it were anyone else who wasn’t as famous as she was, the producers wouldn’t have given it a second thought. Lohan sent the ratings through the roof due to her past history. That’s all the producers cared about. Celebrities like Lohan who were former role models who have committed crimes like she has, should not be allowed on such a highly rated show. Allowing Lohan on SNL was like placing her on a pedestal. What she has done is not something to be joked about, it’s a serious issue and should have been handled differently, rather than rewarding her. - Kelsey Zardeskas *The Redline* March 2012 Page 3 In the News Obama or ....?? By Nicole Fawell The United States Presidential Elections take place every four years to decide who will be the next president. This year happens to be an election year. Although political party does not necessarily ensure a victory for a candidate, the winner of the election is almost always a member of the Democratic or Republican Party. This is because these two parties have a lot of media attention and publicity which allows people to be more aware of the candidate and their platform. Nonetheless, many independent candidates run for president every election year. The Democratic party has as their candidate for the 2012 electi on current president Barack Obama. Barack Obama was a senator from Illinois until he won the presidential election of 2008. He is hop- ing to win a second term as United States President. Competing with Obama for the democratic nomination is Randall Terry; a controversial figure for his conservative views on abortion and LGBT which conflict with traditional democratic views, which tend to be more liberal. “Terry gets my vote because Obama has messed up this country,” says Kelsey Zardeskas. The Republican party has more competition for nomination within the party. Vying for the republican nomination are: Ron Paul, a congressman from Texas; Newt Gingrich, a former politician; Rick Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator; and Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor. The race between them is currently very close but Romney has a slight advantage at the moment. “I’m not a republican but I think that Mitt Romney will win the primary. He seems like a better candidate,” says Emily Klawitter. Whichever candidate wins each of those primaries will have a chance to run for president in November. They will then compete against each other and against any independent candidates who decide to run. For many students at Killingly High, the 2012 primaries and the subsequent presidential election will be their first opportunity to vote in a presidential election. So, if you are old enough to vote, no matter if you are democrat, republican, or other; get informed about which candidates support your personal views and vote! New Payment System Brings Lunchroom Unhappiness By Shannon Eber Cash today, code tomorrow. The system used for buying breakfast or lunch here at Killingly has made that change. It was a rather sudden change that came into effect, with little to no warning, shortly after midterms. The High school and Memorial school began the program on January 25 and the Intermediate school and Central school began the following day. The system was designed to better serve students and comfort parents in the school system in several ways. With this system, parents can be assured that the money they give their children will actually be used to buy breakfast and/or lunch at the school. Students don’t have to worry about losing their lunch money or having it stolen. No one will feel embar- Journalism Continued from Page One my knowledge on subjects at school that I wouldn’t normally pay attention to if I wasn’t a part of it. I like being a part of something that has a final product, like the newspaper.” Many past participants of the Journalism pathway have gone on to major in journalism and have rewarding careers in the field. An example of this is former Redline reporter Christine Peterson, who was on the paper during her senior year and is now a celebrated writer for the UConn Daily Campus. “I was promoted last semester from campus correspondent to staff writer,” Christine says, “I also won writer of the week and writer of the semester.” The product of the Journalism Pathway is a much-read prestigious paper, and its writers are very talented. The Redline has, in recent years, won first place awards twice and second place awards four times in the American Scholastic Press Association’s national competition, meaning that they’ve placed six out of the past ten years. Many of the students on The Redline also become part of the school’s literary magazine, the Westfield Corner, which has become a well-recogni zed produ ct of its own. Recentl y, Westfield Corner was recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), for having an above average ranking. Of the 341 magazines looked at, only 31 ranked. “On the newspaper, I was a reporter and also the editor of the literary magazine Westfield Corner, which I was just recognized by the Board of Ed for,” says Christine. Completion of the Journalism Career Pathway requires students to take three full year classes and one half-year class as well as another half-credit from one of the additional or optional pathway classes. The required classes are Digital Photography 1, a halfyear class, Digital Marketing 1, a full-year class, and of course Journalism 1 and 2, each of which is a fullyear class. Additional classes include Art 1, Graphic Design 1 and 2, Contemporary Issues, Communications and Speech, Digital Imaging 1, Digital Photography 2, and Video Technology. “I enjoyed the experience immensely and would repeat it if given the chance,” says KHS 2010 graduate Cassandra Eber, who was a writer and poetry editor for the Redline during her senior year, of her rassed because they’re on the free or reduced lunch plan, because everyone uses the system and gets their lunch the same way now. Each student has a unique code, the last for digits of their student ID number, which allows them to access a prepaid account containing however much money their parents/guardians have allotted them for food. Student opinions on the syst em varied widely on the issue. There were 90 students total polled about the system. Of those 90, 24 students, about 27%, said that they liked the system. Students had several different reasons including that it was quicker, easier and simpler, more organized, and it eliminated the hassles involved with paying using money. Other students also said they like it because its high-tech, its fun to use, and more similar to the way most people buy food as adults, using credit cards. “I think it’s cool, it just takes kind of long,” says one student on the survey. Opponents to the system highly outnumbered the supporters. Fifty-seven out of 90 students, or 63% said that they didn’t like the new system, about twice the number of students who do. Reasons included that the new system is more confusing, there are issues with codes not working properly or people forgetting their codes, the lines are longer, every- thing moves more slowly, and the input of the code is just an extra, unnecessary step. “It takes way too long,”says one student who replied on the survey, “and it’s not really that efficient. I waited almost 20 minutes for my lunch and ate it all before I paid.” A small number of students who have not tried the new system had no opinion on the topic. They explained that, since they don’t buy breakfast or lunch, the changes to the system make no difference to them. Other students remained neutral to the system, understanding that because the system is new, there are kinks to be worked out and things will improve as time goes on. “We had it at our old school,” says one neutral student. “Once everyone gets used to using it, the lines will move so much faster. As of right now, it’s not good.” It is the hope of students and faculty alike that, should the system continue, all of the issues will be looked at carefully and fixed fully by the end of the year. System errors, time restrictions, and line lengths should be examined closely, so that the solutions developed have the highest success rate possible, making the system a truly easier and faster way of buying lunch. CHECKING OUT THE LATEST EDITION OF THE REDLINE are, left, Amanda Mangasarian, Editor-in-Chief and journalist Christine Diaz. time on the paper. If you like learning about the events of the world around you and you like to write, or if you have strong opinions that you want to share with more people, you should consider following the Journalism Pathway to a productive, interesting, and varying career. Page 4 *The Redline* March 2012 eah!!!! MAKING KHS PROUD were members of the Home Builders Association, who recently earned a second place in the Outstanding Student Chapter category, as well as taking home a second place in the Outstanding Student competition. Picture above, from left, are Mr. Robinson, Mr. Gilligan, Mrs. Beland, Jacob Darveau, Tyler Seace, Samantha Robinson, Randy Roderick, Jerika Gilligan, Jared Hawes, Mrs. Choquette, Patrick Choquette, Brett Birdsall and Nick Davis. KHS HBA Holiday in March? Continued from Page One before. Adviso r Bonnie Beland’s goal was a first. “This is a great achievement for any high school!” she said. Along with a 2nd place award, the chapter earned a cash prize of $1,750. Addi tionall y, Samantha Robinson received the Outstanding Student Award. Students are selected on the evaluation of their academic standing and their level of involvement with their student chapter. Samantha was a key member of the Killingly High School student chapter. She acted as chapter president, created monthly newsl etters, presided over chapter meetings, and coordinated/attended every WEIRD SCULPTURE- Jared Hawes and Randy Roderick pose with a chapter function. Mrs. Beland sculpture they encountered in Orlando at the convention. added that she was also t he chapter ’s bi ggest advocat e, The following students competed: Jerika working closely with the community and industry professionals while helping to keep other chapter mem- Gilligan, Nick Davis, Samantha Robinson, Jacob bers focused and enthused. She has applied to col- Darveau, Randy Roderick, Tyler Seace, Brett Birdsall, leges that include Brown and Rhode Island Univer- Jared Hawes, and Patrick Choquette. For the past few sity and hopes to pursue a career in environmental months, these students fundraised about $15,000 after many hours of hard work. law. By Nicole Fawell Almost everyone has a favorite month of the year. Many people have a least favorite month as well. Personally, my least favorite is March. Almost every other month has something to look forward to; for example, December is cold and dreary but at least we get a week off from school which makes the whole month easier to get through. March really doesn’t have anything to look forward to and that is the main reason why many people, myself included, hate the month of March. T h e weather is still too col d to go anywhere or do anything besides si t around i nsi de, and it is usually bleak and grey out side. Also, March is one of the longest mont hs on the calendar. However, all of this cou ld be dealt with if we had o ne lo ng weekend or a few days off from school to look forward to. The sad fact is that we don’t. March has the fewest days off from school on the calendar; we don’t have a single day off during the entire month! By Victoria Ferland It seems to me that we need a holiday in Put your seatbelt on! Not so fast, you need March. The school should consider giving us a long to slow down! Don’t slam on the brakes! Take it easy weekend for one of the weekends in March or even on this turn! Watch out for the car in front of you! Its giving us St. Patrick’s Day off. Even one day off would your first time driving and your break up the month a bit and make students feel remom or dad is freaking out in the freshed, and help prevent them from getting that burnt passenger seat. These are the kinds out feeling in March. of things that your parent might say It couldn’t do any harm and I think that it to you when you are behind the could actually do students a lot of good to have something to make the month seem just a little bit shorter. wheel of a car. You wish they would March is when I find myself procrastinating and put- just calm down because you are ting less effort into my school work. The month just as nervous as they are. Learning drive can be seems endless and I start feeling burnt out, and I nerve wracking for both you and can’t be the only one. We need a day off or a long our parents. Parents are nervous weekend for students to catch up on sleep and have a because they are thinking about break from school. In the grand scheme of things, your safety. They know all the there is nothing bad that could happen if we got a day risks and this is a scary time for off from school and the potential benefit is signifiboth them and you. Parents play an cant enough that I think we should give it a try. Hitting the Road, at Last! important role in helping you practice safe driving. They are there to help you learn the rules of the road and help us build confidence behind the wheel. If we both control your nerves then learning how to drive will be much easier and we will be able to be safer drivers. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to just take a deep breath and focus on the road. Maybe, try reassuring your parent that you are ready to drive. Act confident behind the wheel. This might make your parent feel a little more comfortable with you behind the wheel. Your first time driving will be scary at first but if you calm down and focus on what you are doing everything will turn out great. *The Redline* Guys and Dolls continued from Page One scenes work that the audience didn’t get to see. Ms. Lacy, who worked as the Director of the play was especially pleased with the audience’s attentiveness during the play. The overall turn out for Guys and Dolls was great! Lacy was also happy with the “transitions between scenes” and the work of her actors. Students and parents alike turned out for the performance and even witnessed some familiar faces within the play. Special appearances by Mr. Rockett, Mr. Walker, Ms. Nye, Mr. Marcoux, Ms. Griffith, and Ms. Colligan were seen in the opening acts of the play and were a real delight to watch. Killingly High students who came to the play to watch enjoyed the singing, dancing, and overall show that was put on. Using words such as “chemistry,” “amazing,” and “perfect” to describe the play, students embarked on a play that took many months to put on and a lot of hard work. “What I liked about the play was Michael Gleason’s acting and Clara’s [Zornado] singing. Job well done all around,” said Jesse Richeeds, a senior at Killingly High. Many students reflected on the highly anticipated dancing that was shown during the play which was choreographed by Hannah Higgins, a sophomore, who also gave her behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on Guys and Dolls. “This was my first time experiencing anything like this. I have been dancing for nine years, but have never done anything with theater. So, when Ms. Lacy asked me to do the choreography for Guys and Dolls, I jumped right on the opportunity,” says Higgins. “I really enjoyed sharing my skills with my peers.” With numbers featuring both men and women actors that showed physical determination as well as mental, it’s no wonder the play took so much planning and preparation. “I really challenged them, but they pulled it off and I am proud of them,” says Higgins of the actors’ dancing performances. “I can’t wait for our next musical!” In addition to dancing, the play featured music both from the actor’s singing as well as a great crew of orchestral music led by Ms. Rodgers and Mr. Ethier. With a band full of a multitude of instruments, as well as Ms. Rodgers on the piano, the play’s musical background was strong and had a great connection with the play. “Having played piano for many years, it was nice to put my skills to work in the pit. Playing with real musicians was very exciting, and different from playing in normal highs school pits,” said Spencer Wainacht, a sophomore, of his musical performance within Guys and Dolls. Wainacht found that the play’s musicians and actors created the right chemistry on stage and liked the way that the music department made the play much different from the movie. “The musicians came there and did their job and did it well without much practice,” said Wainacht. “I hope next year we do an equally, if not bigger musical of which I could be a part.” With so many scenes and musical numbers, Ms. Lacy couldn’t pick one scene that she loved the most because she loved the entire play as a whole. After picking such great actors, musicians, and dancers, it is no wonder she couldn’t pick out one part to the play. “I love the ‘Sue Me’ scene between Adelaide and Nathan Detroit! But I love ‘Marry the Man Today’ too. I love them all!” said Lacy of the scenes in the play. The students, teachers, and parents supporting the play clearly found the play entertaining and remarked on the incredible musical performances by the actors. “I personally thought that the play showed the true, usually unrecognized, talent we have in our school,” said Hannah Guari, a sophomore at Killingly High. But how can you over look them with all that talent? Overall, the students at Killingly High School seemed pleased with the musical, and maybe even a bit surprised! After not seeing a musical in 10 years, it is no wonder that Ms. Lacy was so ecstatic about the final performance of her work of art. “I thought all of the performances were top March 2012 Page 5 Getting into the Spirit LOTS OF GUYS AND DOLLS worked together to make KHS’ recent production a success. Above, the crew who helped make the production a success. PLENTY OF GUYS! From left, 1st row: Nick Crandall, Tyler Beloin, Alyssa Bergstrom, Alex Mason; 2nd row: Cory Zicolella, Matt Lawton, Brandon Martins, David Alvarado SALVATION ARMY was out in force for Guys and Dolls! From left, 1st row: Zach Brower, Savvanah Leffler, Clara Zornado, Kayelyn Seiden 2nd row: Ariana Henriquez, Gabby Reynolds, Nicole Hart. notch, captivating and telling a great Broadway story through acting, song and dance,” says Lacy. When asked about her favorite part about working on the production of Guys and Dolls Lacy said, “My favorite part about working on this production is right before opening night when I tell the performers that my job as Director is done....it’s your show. Break a leg. Then I sit back and enjoy the performances.” With great acting, singing, dancing, props, makeup, and great lighting, it is easy to say a job well done to both Ms. Lacy and Ms. Rodgers and their entire crew of actors and musicians and behind the scenes crew. Page 6 *The Redline* March 2012 FFA Week Continued from Page One will be receiving the money is Operation Fuel. They’re a program that’s part of National Fuel Funds Network. This organization provides assistance to those living in Connecticut who have no other option to pay for energy within their homes. Each group in Vo-Ag has their own ‘money jug’ and by the end of next week, which is also the end of FFA week, the winner will be determined. It doesn’t matter if you’re a sophomore or a senior, or what area you’re in. As long as you’re in Vo-Ag, you can participate to raise money. “Plant Science, Animal Science, Ag Mechanics, and Aquaculture/Natural Resources, have a just to put money in,” says Mr. Couture. “The area that wins gets an ice cream party.” Although this is just a fundraiser, it can get pretty competitive. It’s important to raise enough money. It always feels good to give to others in need. The bigger the turn out the better! “ So far I have been very pleased with how the classes have participated. I think we will be pleasantly surprised with the total,” adds Mr. Couture. “We’re all hoping for a big turn out. Everyone seems really excited by it, and all the classes are trying to one-up the other classes. We’re all a lot more competitive that I thought,” says Slowik. Good luck to the teams, and hopefully by the end of FFA week tons of money will be raised. “Mechanics really wants that ice cream party!” says Dylan Desmarais, laughing. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY - Students involved in AgEd and FFA had their hands full during FFA week recently. Above, sophomores create dream boards. From left are Isaac Desjardin, Dillon Dean, and Adam Page. Below, the results of the pie eating contest! From left to right: 2nd row Kaitlyn Slowik, Amber Hopps, Sam Tickey, Kayla Auger, Madeline Bonfiglio, 1st row Coralee Ford, Melodie Ross, Katie Boswell and Melissa Wood WhooooHoooo! Floriculture students, from left, Heather Slattery, Jeanine Houler, and Kayla Auger were busy sellling flowers during all three lunches. GAME OF STRATEGY - FFA students were given the challenge of popping each other’s balloons. The last person with a balloon won. Page 7 *The Redline* March 2012 KTV is Off to Dallas By Shannon Eber KTV is packing their bags and heading out. This month the class is taking a week-long field-trip to Dallas, Texas. The class will be leaving on March 19 and return on March 24. The trip, paid for through multiple fundraisers over the course of the year, is allowing the students to go to and participate in the Student Television Network (STN) Convention. KTV is a class which meets during A1 in the Video Tech room. They produce a very professionalstyle news show about our school and community under the watchful guidance of their teacher, Mr. Durand. “Its an annual convention that we attend every year, or have since I’ve been here, so this is my 7th trip,” says Mr. Durand. This convention is split into two parts. First, students attend seminars and get instruction and tips from film and video professionals from around the country on a variety of topics. Secondly, the students compete, against other students their age from around the country, in 15 different categories. “Basi cally, t he reaso n I wo rk hard to fundraise and get the students there is because its a great, practical, hands-on, real-world experience that you can’t get anywhere else at a high school level,” Mr. Durand said. KTV has won awards at the Convention during the past three years. This is a big deal because we Ineffective Intervention WKHS ON AIR! Above, Calvin Desjardins and Kyle Liebscher anchor one of the many shows by KHS WKHS programming. usually have only around 10 students go, and they are among roughly 1500 students total. “The competition is tough and its all on-site so they don’t know what they’re doing before hand,” Mr. Durand explained. All of the KTV students are excited for the trip and cannot wait for it to happen. Some are look- By Shannon Eber Intervention, it’s a waste. No one ever does anything. Students who have classes they’re supposed to go to frequently just skip it to hang out with friends in the cafeteria and halls. Students who have nowhere to go use the time to eat, nap, play games, text, and do everything but schoolwork. So why do we bother having intervention? If a student needs extra help or to make up something they’ve missed, that’s their problem. They can arrange with a teacher to do so after school or at lunch. Having teachers who tell us what we need to do and where we need to go throughout all of high school leaves us ignorant and unprepared for the real world. We develop a bad habit of knowing that we can do something at a certain time and have a certain length of time to do it instead of working on it on our own time and learning to do that well. We have so many classes we need to take and credits we need to earn to graduate, but then rather than give us eight periods every two days, four per day, so that we can take eight classes a semester, the administration forces us to take what is, in all reality, a glorified study hall. That doesn’t make sense. Yes, they want every student to graduate, but even with intervention, not much has changed in regards to grades. It’s the students’ attitude that is the problem, not the amount of time provided to them. I n t e r v e n t i o n wastes teachers’ time as well, forcing them to sign up students when they need to do something, supervise the students in their intervention, and check who in their intervention has to be somewhere. Beyond that, teachers must wait for students they have signed up to arrive and then have to supervise them as well. If a student doesn’t go to a classroom or teacher he or she is signed up for, it’s their intervention teacher who gets the blame. Why do we need intervention? The answer is, we don’t. So I say we get rid of it. This will allow students to take an extra class, making it easier to graduate, and it will teach us to be responsible for ourselves. Help prepare us for the real world and eliminate the useless period, intervention. ing forward to the learning experience that the convention will provide; the competition itself holds the attention of others. “I think it will be a good experience and a nice bonding experience for the class,” says senior Danny O’Leary. March is Red Cross Month! By Samantha Montpelier Every year, They held the Red Cross in the month of March. The American Red Cross uses this opportunity to raise public awareness of its services throughout the nation and to raise funds for its programs and services. After declaring war, President Wilson ordered the American Red Cross to raise funds to support its aid to the military and civilians affected by war, as Congress had mandated. In response, the Red Cross held its first national War Fund drive in June 1917 and set as its goal $100 million, a large sum at the time. Under the circumstances, the public response was immediate and overwhelming. Within a few days, more than $115 million was raised.Then in December 1917, the Red Cross held its first “Christmas Roll Call.” People were asked to give a mini- mum of $1 to join the organization’s membership rolls. This drive also proved highly successful, as did an additional War Fund drive and another Roll Call in 1918, the last year of the war. The success caused the Red Cross to repeat the March drive during the remaining years of the war and then to make it the occasion of its annual membership and fund-raising efforts ever since. As part of the tradition, the president customarily issues a proclamation each year declaring March as Red Cross Month. Every year the KHS National Honor Society holds several blood drives. It’s Red Cross Month, so it’s perfect time. This year’s blood drive was held on February 13, however. Students may sign up as long as they are 17 years of age. Then, potential donors Continued on Next Page Past Generations Link to the Future By Sara Morin Have you ever wondered about the past generations of your family? Some people think of their families as boring, but they could be wrong. Over the years times have changed and history has been made. Did it ever occur to you that one of your family members could have been involved in a history making event, such as a war or experienced the civil rights movement? My great grandmo ther Scholasti ca Wasilewski was born in Poland before World War I in the year of 1902. The anticipation of the war and the threat of her father being drafted into the Russian Army caused the family to journey to America. Scholastica immigrated from Poland with her parents to escape the violence of the war and to live a better life. The history and background of your family is very important to who you are and could teach you many life lessons. Scholastica was very innocent and cared about others. She never cursed and was very religious. She was a good samaritan and cared for everyone. She was born on the feast day, a day that each saint is recognized, of the Catholic St. Scholastica. This is the reason why she was given that name. Thi s represent s her family’s deep spirituality and strong belief of faith. I have heard stories from my grandfather and other relatives about how she was never wasteful and saved everything. Coming from her background in Poland and growing up, she was very grateful for the things that she had and knew how much a dollar was really worth. She was very thrifty. She died in October of 1993 on my parents’ fifth wedding anniversary. So I unfortunately never had the chance to meet her. As some of my friends may already know, my full name is Sara Michelle Scholastica Morin. My great grandmother was a very important lady in our family and deserves to be remembered. I am proud to be named after her. I carry her kind spirit and good will which lives on in my name. Page 8 *The Redline* March 2012 Ready, Set, Read! March 2 is Read Across America Day! By Chelsea Opperman As some of you may know, March 2 is Read Across America day. Students and teachers alike, will be tucked away in their own humble abode, reading a good book. Everyone has a different taste in the kind of books they like to read, and it seems like no two people have the same favorite book. “Twisted is my favorite book,” says Tyler Moody. “I like the moral behind it, not too over intoxicate yourself, because horrible things can happen.” “I love anything written by Judy Picoult,” states Ms. Muido. “She’s very good at expressing emotional connection.” A lot of students in our school enjoy reading. It’s a hobby of many. Killingly students and faculty read anywhere from 2 to 10 books a month, making an average of 3.25 books a month per person. So, why is reading is important? “It allows you to broaden your horizon,” says Erica Taylor. “It allows you to take advantage of the characters’ experiences, without making their mistakes.” states Nicole Hart. “It helps you develop a long and strong vocabulary!” says Brandi Gerrish. “It allows you to reassess your own choices, values, and make connections,” states Ms. Muido. Let’s Get Ready to Rumble....erm Read! So, whether you prefer romance novels, comic books, or mysteries, everyone can do their part this month. Dig out a book and read it! Top 10 Book Choices of Teens 2011 Bus Drivers! By Amanda Mangasarian Being a senior in high school, and having my license, I don’t have to take the bus as much as a person without their license, however, those rare occasions when I do have to take the bus, are the most treacherous experience of my life! Not only is it bad for a bus driver to stop short at every stop, but it is quite annoying how when it’s 5:00 A.M. and you’re still half asleep, you don’t want to be pushed to the front of the seat because your bus driver doesn’t know how to drive. Has that ever happened to you? Recently, my old bus driver retired, and to be completely honest he was the best bus driver I have ever had. He never stopped short, never took the easy way out of a bus route, etc. He was a one of a kind bus driver and now that he’s gone there is no bringing him back. When I’m taking the bus, my bus driver not only stops short but also drives like a complete lunatic. Starting to develop a back problem, I confronted her about the issue and asked her to slow down and to stop earlier, because going on the bus was starting to hypothetically “kill me.” As time went on after the discussion I had with her, she still refused to stop driving like that. I was so mad that it came down to reporting her multiple times. It wasn’t just an issue for me, there were multiple people complaining about her driving skills and not listening to us when we told her it is annoying for her to stop short. One girl on the bus, who literally had multiple back surgeries, confronted her about the situation and told her it’s painful to even sit on the bus, never mind be jolted forward. It wasn’t until the girl moved to another household that she finally started straightening up about the stopping short habits she had gotten into. To this day, she still stops short, but not as much as before. Maybe one day being jolted forward will stop, and everyone on the bus will be able to sit on the bus without being in a ton of pain from the bus driver. It’s only a matter of time before I will be able to buy my car and be able to drive to school quickly and safely without having to deal with the treacherous bus or the bus driver. 1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster) 2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic) 3. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Simon & Schuster) 4. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (HarperCollins) 5. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin) 6. Matched by Ally Condie (Penguin) 7. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson (Little, Brown & Company) 8. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (HarperCollins) 9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins) By Nicole Durand 10. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (PenGoogle is saving of your personal life, is on its servguin) Been on Google lately? Well if you go on ers, which is online, leading to open access for those Beware of the Web... Red Cross Month Continued from Prior Page get their blood checked to make sure they are good to go. Not everyone who signs up is. “ I was going to give blood, but I couldn’t because I had low iron,” said Donna Samuel. Some people are disqualified from donating blood because they have diseases that are transmissible via blood. Other potential donors are disqualified because their conditions could endanger themselves. “ I had to go down and check to see if I as able to give blood, but they said I can’t because I have cold symptoms,” Tyler Galbreath said. Individuals who have had ear, tongue, or other body part piercing are allowed to donate blood as long as the needle used in the piercing was sterile. If it were not or if this is unknown, the potential donor must wait 12 months from the time of the piercing. One may not donate blood while one has the flu. But one can donate blood after exposure to someone with the flu provided the potential donor feels and has no symptoms. There is no maximum age limit. Google, in the bottom left hand corner notice the new privacy and terms highlighted in red. So much for privacy anymore on the internet, when using Google now. Recently, Google changed their privacy policy to reinforce date from users and it will be effective March 1, 2012. Di rectl y o n Goo gle’s website, they state the information collected and how it’s used, such as the information you provide on Google+ or a Google account, log information, user communications, and much more. Just when you think Facebook gives out everything about your life, now Google, one of the top search engines will be saving everything you do in their database. Ho wever, i f yo u have Go ogl e instal led o r u sed t he Google Dashboard, personally it can be used to review and control your own information. Google can provide your details with other websites that have your permission. According to cnn.com, Google has every e-mail sent or received on Gmail, along with all your searches, and practically anything you’ve used that involves Google or is Google related. Did it even occur to you that everything who want to hack that data. None of this can ever be undone once the policy is set in place. Even if you’re not logged in, Google can still track what you have searched. Not only is it Google, but Facebook as well. Every site where you put your personal information has it there forever. There are plenty of people in the world who will do anything to hack your data and manipulate it. If all this is happening now, I can’t even imagine what the internet is going to be like in a couple of years? Not to mention, cnn.com states, that Europe has a new privacy proposal, “Right to be Forgotten,” which allows users in 27 countries in the European Union to demand internet companies to delete their personal data. In order to see a change, action needs to be taken to the government against all these sites for the accessibility of all the information we provide on the internet, like Europe. Though, partially it is our fault as well. So as you search through Google and create all these accounts all over the web, be cautious as to what you reveal. Who knows what could happen to it. Page 9 *The Redline* March 2012 It’s Maple Sugaring Time!!! SUGARING UP! Above, large containers store the freshly collected maple sap, before it is steamed off and reduced to either syrup or maple sugar. At right, above, some of the maple delicacies available; below one of the evaporators used to remove water from the sap. (Redline photos by Nicole Durand) By Nicole Durand Bitter nights, and warm, summery days is the kind of whether needed to produce that sweet, goldenbrown maple syrup. During the months of February and March, sugarers are on the run to collect as much sap as the trees will produce. When the nights freeze, and the days are warm, it’s the kickstart for the sap to flow throughout the trees, filling the bucket of clear liquid. When it comes to maple syrup, or anything maple related, leave it to Gary Durand, owner of Fabyan Sugar Shack, to make maple jelly, maple pepper, maple garlic pepper, crème, molded candies, ice cream toppings, cotton candy, peanut brittle, and ice cream with the help of We Like It. Everything is made right inside their own sugar shack, as well as a kitchen within their home dedicated for their products. Freshman Experience By Alexander Stringer Ah February. Yet again, an interesting month. And this year, it is a Leap Year, very exciting. Firstly, I would like to thank the cast and crew of ‘Guys and Dolls’ for an excellent performance. Secondly, I would like to thank the freshmen that worked concessions at the Sunday show. As I said, the play was great. I was there on Sunday. The whole show was very well done. Though I enjoyed the whole show, my favorite scene must have been when all the ‘sinners’ showed up at the Mission. I loved the flow of conversation as the sinners each confessed as to what they had done wrong. The script in that scene was also very humorous, as was much of the play. Once again I will say, very good job to all the cast and crew. Those of you that went to the Sunday Matinee, you may have noticed the concessions stand near the library. This was a Freshman Fundraiser. We were selling tea, water, ice cream (which was donated by a generous Freshman) and other desserts. We were able to raise around $200 dollars for our class funds. It was also a lot of fun to work there. A special thanks to Ms. Nadeau for putting the function together, without her, none of it would have been possible. February was thoroughly enjoyable for me. But, as I am sure you can tell, the highlight for me was working the concessions and attending our school play. The whole day was great. February has been full of spring like weather, snow storms, lots of school work and a very enjoyable play. This is Alex Stringer, and this has been the my February Experience Considering that the Durand’ have about 4,000 trees tapped in Pomfret, it leaves you to imagine the hard work and time it takes to bore a hole in every single Maple tree. Let alone, last year’s winter that consisted of plenty of snow to make the Durand’s buy snow shoes to tap their trees. Once you fell down in that snow, there was no getting back up! “Last year it was a lot of work, with all the snow we got. We also have to deal with squirrels chewing through tubes and trees that had fallen on our lines,” says Gabrielle Durand, Owner’s daughter. “Within our taps, we have 3 main lines, which two of them are vacuumed.” A gallon of syrup doesn’t seem like much work, right? Believe it or not, it takes 40 gallons of sap to make only 1 gallon of pure maple syrup. However this year, with much more warmer days than snowy ones, it has left them with less to work with for double the amount of time. It’s taking about 60 to 80 gallons of syrup just to produce one gallon, this sugaring season. “It’s double the work for content. With the days becoming warmer, it’s harder for us to get more syrup, since the sap isn’t running up and down the trees as much,” says Gabrielle Durand. Once they collect all the sap from the trees that are tapped, then the clear, molten liquid is immediately stored into a tank on Durand’s truck. Which then is it transported back home and transferred right away into another holding tank on the side of their shack. Through the tubes and into the shack, the sap going into the evaporator. Where the smoldering hot flames heat the sap, which then goes into an open boiling pan of 219 degrees. Left is a mere 1 gallon of golden-brown, sweet maple syrup.Though it may seem effortless to run the evaporator, but the amount of wood used during sugaring season is crazy. “So far we’ve used already 15 cords of wood, usually it’s about 16 to 24 cords which heat about 400 gallons of syrup,” says Gary. When it comes down to grading, not only do we have grades in school, but the maple syrup too! Maple syrup has several grades to meet variety of people’s need, when it comes to syrup. At the Fabyan Sugar Shack, the most commonly bought gradient of syrup is grade A, which consists of a medium amber color and is gathered mid-season. However, there’s also a lighter amber colored syrup that’s made in the begging of the season and a darker amber which has the strongest maple flavor that’s processed towards the end of sugaring season. Last but not least there is grade B, which can be used as cooking syrup. “Running the evaporator and the feeling of accomplishing a lot of syrup is what is enjoy throughout this whole process,” adds Gabrielle. “That has to be my favorite part of running this business.” Not only are Durand’s products sold at The Fabyan Sugar Shack in North Grovesnordale, but at the Vanilla Bean, 85 Main, Bill’s Bread and Breakfast, The Golden Lamb, several orchards around Connecticut, and at farmer’s markets during the summer. Early Spring? By Chelsea Opperman Winter, Spring, Winter, Spring. What’s going on with the weather lately? One day it’s nice and warm out, then the next it’s snowing, or cold, frigid and rainy. The weather just can not seem to make up its mind, and it is getting out of control. People seem to be enjoying this spring like weather in January. It’s not too cold, and it’s not too warm. More kids are outside and active this winter, because they can actually enjoy themselves outside when t he weather’s nice, without having to put on 12 layers of clothes. S o m e people don’t like this weather so much though, incl udi ng mysel f. We shoul d definitely have some more snow. Who wouldn’t love to have snow at least one more time this winter? Perso nal ly, I enjo y being o utside sledding, snowboarding, building snowmen, making snow angels, or any snow related activity. “In t his wei rd and warm winter of 2011-2012, various regions have seen their daily highs climb to 15, 20 even 30 degrees above average,” stat es Ti m Ball isty, a weather.com meteorologist. “With temperatures climbing to about 20 degrees above average, several cities in the Northeast and near the Lower Great Lakes will threaten their record high.” “Snow cover is decreasing and spring arrives earlier. Scientists predict that we may be headed for a Boston climate much like that of Charlotte, North Carolina, or Atlanta, Georgia.” according to the New England Boston Aquarium (www.neaq.org). According to the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA) team, “Since 1970, the Northeast has been warming at a rate of nearly .5 degrees Fahrenheit per decade, with winter temperatures rising faster, at a rate of 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit per decade from 1970 to 2000, all changes consistent with those expected to be caused by global warming. 2010 was the warmest year on record.” So, what’s it going to be Mr. Sky? Snow or no snow? Please stop with the mixed weather. I don’t want warm days here, cold days there. It’s spring or winter, not a mixture of both. Come on weather, choose one season and make up your mind! Page 10 *The Redline* March 2012 He’s not a Moose, He’s Not a Goose, He is, He is Why, Dr. Seuss! (and it’s his birthday!) By Christine Diaz “Today you are you, That is truer than true. There is no one alive, Who is youer than you”- Dr Seuss The amazing Theodor Geise or better known as Dr. Seuess was a outstanding writer poet and most known for his children books. He truly was an American idol who’s work will live on. Theodor Seuss Geise was born March 2nd 1904 in Springfield Massachusetts. After going through school, Seuss eventually became an Editor in Chief but almost got kicked out when he was caught throwing a drinking party, that is when he started using the name Dr. Seuss. He entered college in Oxford with the hopes of getting a Ph.D in literature but he met a girl named Helen Geisel and they got married in 1927. After moving back to America with his new wife, Seuss started writing again. He started out with writing for different magazines, he also did advertisements. He made it through the Great Depression by drawing for advertising companies and by working on a comic strip, and soon after became very famous for it. It was soon after this that it was discovered that there were many children who were having difficulty reading because their books were too boring. Suess’s editor pushed him to start writing books for small children, books that were called “Beginners Books.” They were designed to help children learn how to read. He wrote these books for children and they were such a success because he did it all with his unique writing style. 3That was another thing that is so impressive about his books, they were done in such a different art style then people were used to. Dr. Seuss loved to use a lot of fur and feathers flowing in different directions, and everything that has straight lines in real life had rounded or droopy Relationship Status By Samantha Montpelier “ Oh no , I’m single for Valentine’s Day, That stinks.” That’s what every high schooler has been saying these days because it’s Valentines day. Valentines day is one of these days that you either love, or hate. This is aimed t owards co upl es. What do you see when you walk into a store? You see cu te heart pi llows, stuffed animals, o r t he sweet heart candies. A p proxi mat ely 1 b i l l i o n Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year. That’s a lot of love. The modern holiday that unnerves men and leaves women worried about being disappointed. People express their love for others by buying them flowers, chocolates, cards, etc. People really shouldn’t be worrying about relationships. You’re in high school. Focus on work, and keeping your grades up, and not worrying about who you’re going to spend Valentine’s day with, or what they are going to get you. Just think about spending time with your family. You’re family just might get you something because they love you. Forget about the boyfriends and girlfriends, and spend some time with family. Valentine’s day should be like any other day of the year. If you truly love someone, everyday should be like valentine’s day. Valentine’s day is just a day that you get a small gift from the person you love. Any other day can just be like that, all you have to do is just buy something for like two dollars and tell the person you love them. lines in the world of Dr. Seuss. Dr Seuss was a big part of the students in Killingly when they were younger. “When I was younger I didn’t like to read at all,but when I picked up one of Dr Seuss’s books I wouldn’t want to stop reading.“ says DeVaughn Culbert He continues to say, “The way he wrote made reading interesting and it was nothing that I have ever seen before.” Not only was Dr Seuss’s books a top seller, six movies that were based off of his books were produced and became hits too. “Out of all the books that were made into movies it’s hard to just choose one that is my favorite, but if I had to choose I would pick Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat In The Hat.” Dr Seuss wrote ver sixty children’s books which have sold half a billion copies between them. Children loved the crazy characters and the funny rhymes and his work will definitely live on. Talking...A Thing of the Past! By Kelsey Zardeskas “Text me, okay?” Many of us have heard this line more than once, more than twice actually. Texting is all people do nowadays. You text, I text, your mom texts, even your grandmother texts! It has become a new way of life. I bet nobody remembers when you last had to pick up the phone and call someone. Remember when texting wasn’t even invented? Let alone as popular as it is now. We physically had to pick up the phone and dial a number. It wasn’t saved in our contact list in our cell phone. Phonebooks, anyone remember those? Yeah, those were the things that we used to have when we had to look up a number. Crazy right? Well, it may not sound as crazy as you think. As of June 2008, over 75 billion text messages are sent every month compared to just 18 billion in December of 2006, according to www.cellsigns.com. While texting is easy and quick to do, it’s not healthy. Some people rely on texting while they’re in a relationship. Forty percent of texters who are in a relationship or dating believe that text messages play a significant role in their relationships. Many couples rely on texting to help their relationship. Some of the Dolls from KHS recent production of Guys and Dolls: from left , are Kenya Best , Megan Muraco, Taylor Ra n d o lp h , Samantha Rull, and Anna Stevens. Most couples don’t even talk on the phone anymore! It’s easy when you hit a rough spot, but you should still be able to talk to your significant other face to face. For some couples it’s just plain out awkward when they go out on a date because they have nothing to say to each other, or they don’t know what to say because they’ve had a “texting relationship.” It’s scary on how much hi gh schoo l t eenagers rely on texting one another. Nobody ever just picks up the phone and calls anymore, because no one really knows how to talk on the phone without using text slangs such as, “lol,” “omg,” “ttyl” or “gr8” (laugh out loud, oh my god, talk to you later, great). It’s sad when you’re having a conversation with a person and instead of laughing they just say “lol.” Even though it’s fun to text your friends, it’s unhealthy. People should get back to talking on the phone, or better yet talking face to face. Instead of Facebook, you should talk face to face. Instead of texting, talk face to face! The only time people ever talk face to face is at school, but even then they are still texting each other. Talking face to face can help build up your self esteem and can improve your social skills. But, talking is becoming thing of the past. *The Redline* March 2012 Page 11 DST on the Way!!! By Nicole Durand As the last six weeks of winter come to an end, there are noticeable signs that spring is close. There’s a red hue to the trees around, it smells like spring in the morning, and more birds outside singing melodies throughout the day, leaving us with the anticipation of a new season on its way! Not only does spring signify new growth and a time for change in the year, it’s exciting to think that this so-called winter is almost over. The way Mother Nature invaded winter and teased us all with warmer, sunnier days, spring is a time that’s been long awaited for by many. “Of course I’m exci ted for Spring, the warmer weather and everything it has to offer,” says, junior, Vaso Politis. “The quicker winter is gone, the better!” says Valerie Santerre, junior. From several feet of snow, to hardly any this season, it makes you wonder where did winter go? It wasn’t bitterly cold and snow barely covered the ground, but we still had to experience the wind and several freezing days. Although, for some people that’s perfectly acceptable to have such a winter. Others can’t wait for it to be over and done with. “This Winter felt like it was on and off between Spring,” says Politis. “I’m glad Spring is coming, hopefully it will be better weather.” However, when it comes to the first day of Spring, it’s not something everyone knows off the top Home Stretch for Seniors! By Sara Haley Right now must be the worst part of senior year. You don’t yet know what college you’re going to go to in the fall because you’re waiting to hear back from that one college that takes a month longer than the rest to make a decision. There’s almost a whole semester left, and I don’t know about everyone else, but second semester always feels like it goes by so much slower than the first. June feels like it’s an eternity away. I never understood why people dropped out senior year. I used to think people were crazy, it ’s yo ur last year why give up now? But, being a senior, it all m a k e s sense. Your cl asses seni or year mi ght be easy, but nothing else is. Especially, when senioritis kicks in. And, I can’t even imagine how stressed the people are who think they won’t have enough credits to graduate. Then there’s figuring out how you’re going to pay for college. If you’re anything like me, then you don’t want to be $100k in debt when you graduate from college, especially since getting a degree doesn’t guarantee you a job anymore. I don’t want to have that stress over my head, so community college seems like the only option. But, you can’t get your bachelor’s degree from a community college. I thought senior year was going to be so easy, and the classes are, but you feel like you have the weight of the world above your head. At least, that’s how I feel. Whatever college I end up going to though, I still want to graduate. My homework just doesn’t seem very important anymore. None of it is going to help me pay for college or figure out what I’m doing with my life. I don’t feel like I’m learning anything new either, apart from my Trig class. I’d appreciate it if graduation would come sooner. I’m impatient to get out of high school. of their head. Usually finding out the date involves flipping through the pages of the calendar or it just so happens you come across it. It’s not really a date everyone pays attention to, they just want the Seasonal effects to take place. “No I don’t really known when Spring begins off the top of my head,” says Valerie. “I think Spring is on March 20,” says Vaso. Spring brings in the blossoming of new trees and flowers, as well as the baby animals. “My favorite things about Spring, is the baby animals, flowers, and the colors everywhere,” says Santerre. Having said that, it’s not everything the new season indicates. For school, it’s a time of realizing how far we’ve come and how little is left, as well as less time towards those awaiting prom and graduation. “I feel like when Spring comes along, the school year tends to feel a little easier and relaxed,” Time to be Silly! By Kelsey Zardeskas April Fool’s Day originated in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year’s Day to be celebrated January 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year’s day to January 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sendi ng them on “fool’s errands” or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventual ly, the practi ce spread throughout Europe. A p r i l Fool’s Day is a day of exci tement and surprises! Everyone pl ays at l east o ne prank on this day. Some of them are made up pranks, or the most popular pranks. According to www.clarioncallnews.com the top five most popular pranks to play on April Fool’s day are: 1. Boom! Head shot! Post pictures of someone the victim knows all over the intended victim’s room and cover the walls from floor to ceiling. 2. Misplaced. This one takes a subtle hand. Re-arrange someone’s stuff in such a way that things are familiar, but completely disorienting. 3. Sneak attack alarm. Hide an alarm clock and set it for an ungodly early hour. Watch a friend frantically search for the screaming clock. 4. Other door. Place a “use other door” sign on a building somewhere. Watch people run around, frantic because they have no idea how to get into a building, and see them give up. 5. The avalanche. Fill a cabinet with boxes, bottles, plastic bags or the like, to the point of spilling out. Then, just keep an eye on the situation and watch the stuff fly out and crash down on the unsuspecting target. April Fool’s Day is a time of fun, a time of jokes, a time for...paranoia. “I hate April Fool’s Day, it makes me so paranoid!” says senior Marguerite DiMarco. “I love April Fool’s Day! I like how everyone is all giddy and just happy! It’s nice to see other people just happy once in a while. In high school, you don’t see that much,” says senior Amber Hopps. This day can be fun and exciting! Everyone think of a favorite prank to play on a friend! The joke doesn’t have to be memorable, just make someone laugh. April Fool’s Day is a time to be joyful, crazy and silly! says Vaso Politis. “It’s the time where I’m just happy we’re getting closer to summer vacation.” Now that Spring is sooner than later, it’s time to go outside, without worrying about a huge, heavy coat, and enjoy the warm weather. If it’s just sitting outside with your dog or going for a hike, take the time to enjoy the season around you, as well as being grateful to live in a state where we’re able to experience everything this season has to offer! How Fake Now? By Holly Logan It seems like the more and more that we develop technology, the more fake women in the media appear to be. With contraptions like Spanx, push-up bras, and Photoshop, how are we supposed to know what is real and what is not? In this generation, Photoshop is the new way to visually get a complete makeover. Recently, more and more newspapers, magazines, and online websites have began noticing that cosmetic and clothing ads overuse Photoshop on models that were perfectly fine before. R e cently, Procter & Gamble recal led phot ographs of Taylo r Swi ft, a popular country music star, fo r her CoverGirl ads that false adverti sed her eyelashes. Acco rdi ng to ABC News, the advertisement showed the 22 year old with digital enhancement, thanks to Photoshop, that had a line saying that her lashes were amplified due to digital enhancement. However, this isn’t the first time that big rig companies have been caught overusing digital enhancement on popular celebrities, especially women. Kelly Clarkson has had numerous issues regarding digital enhancement of both her album covers and magazine covers. According to the National Mental Health Information Center on CNN, girls are three times more likely to suffer from body image issues compared to boys. And it’s no wonder when magazines, tabloids, and television depicts famous women to be perfect. Probably the worst of all is Victoria’s Secret, who displays numerous models that not only young women look up to, but also older women. A great majority of the models that work for Victoria’s Secret don’t even need retouches, in my opinion, and yet they continuously hack into their bodies and make their pictures look rather deformed and inhuman. The reality of the situation is that men, women, and young adults need to realize that real women don’t look like what the tabloids portray. Real women are your friends, moms, aunts, and aren’t retouched. Maybe one day we’ll actually be able to look at a magazine cover and actually see a real woman. Until then, I guess I’ll just have to retouch all of my pictures. Page 12 *The Redline* March 2012 Spring is Just Around the Corner... By Nicole Durand As the last six weeks of winter come to an end, there are noticeable signs that spring is close. There’s a red hue to the trees around, it smells like spring in the morning, and more birds outside singing melodies throughout the day, leaving us with the anticipation of a new season on its way! Not only does spring signify new growth and a time for change in the year, it’s exciting to think that this so-called winter is almost over. The way Mother Nature invaded winter and teased us all with warmer, sunnier days, spring is a time that’s been long awaited for by many. “Of course I’m excited for Spring, the warmer weather and everything it has to offer,” says, junior, Vaso Politis. “The quicker winter is gone, the better!” says Valerie Santerre, junior. From several feet of snow, to hardly any this season, it makes you wonder where did winter go? It wasn’t bitterly cold and snow barely covered the ground, but we still had to experience the wind and several freezing days. Although, for some people that’s perfectly acceptable to have such a winter. Others can’t wait for it to be over and done with. “This Winter felt like it was on and off between Spring,” says Politis. “I’m glad Spring is coming, hope- fully it will be better weather.” However, when it comes to the first day of Spring, it’s not something everyone knows off the top of their head. Usually finding out the date involves flipping through the pages of the calendar or it just so happens you come across it. It’s not really a date everyone pays attention to, they just want the Seasonal effects to take place. “No I don’t really known when Spring begins off the top of my head,” says Valerie. “I think Spring is on March 20,” says Vaso. Spring brings in the blossoming of new trees and flowers, as well as the baby animals. “My favorite things about Spring, is the baby animals, flowers, and the colors everywhere,” says Santerre. Having said that, it’s not everything the new season indicates. For school, it’s a time of realizing how far we’ve come and how little is left, as well as less time towards those awaiting prom and graduation. “I feel like when Spring comes along, the school year tends to feel a little easier and relaxed,” says Vaso Politis. “It’s the time where I’m just happy we’re getting closer to summer vacation.” Now that Spring is sooner than later, it’s time to go outside, without worrying about a huge, heavy coat, and enjoy the warm weather. If it’s just sitting outside with your dog or going for a hike, take the time to enjoy the season around you, as well as being grateful to live in a state where we’re able to experience everything this season has to offer! The Real Reason? By Ashley Chauvin Why is it okay for you to speak of your favorite sports team, but not okay for me to talk about my religion? Why is it okay for you to talk about the highlight of the game, but not okay for me to talk about what my pastor preached about? Why is it okay for you to tell me that preaching about what I believe in isn’t allowed in school, but okay for you to talk about your favorite t eam’s stats? Being in high school and holding strong to your religion is harder than it seems. Very few classmat es, and even teachers, make stu dents feel comfortable enough to profess their faith in front of others. Among the unwillingness of others, there are many new temptations and obstacles. Although I am very strong in my faith, I have faced countless setbacks throughout my three years in high school. Peers are not as supportive as they should be. Instead, they belittle you until you agree to do the things that they do. When speaking of your faith, many people automatically look at you as though you see yourself as better than they are, but for many this is not true. Instead, it just means that we understand the wrong things we have done and are able to admit to them. Among the many setbacks, there stands the largest: fitting in. Nobody, no matter how old or how confident they are, wants to be alone and made fun of for being different. But, who really decides what’s cool and what’s not? For me, I hold much more respect for people who can stand true to their faith and themselves throughout their four years of high school. Not only because that means they aren’t being someone they’re not, but because they have not let their peers pressure them into changing. Religion to some people, is like sports to an athlete. It’s not just something they believe in or enjoy, but something that has become second nature to them. For the people that find it “cool” to degrade the kid that walks around with a bible instead of a cell phone, stop. People should not look at anyone who proclaims their faith out loud, as “weird” or “different.” Just because you don’t believe in the same thing as them, does not give you the right to tell them what they can or cannot believe in. PLENTY OF ACTION took place on the KHS stage as the drama club produced th e m usica l G uys a nd Dolls. At left, Matt Lawton, left, as Benny Southstreet and Jonathon Keeley as Lieutenant Brannigan. Gotta Love Those Laptops! By Christine Diaz “Are you really using your laptop for homework or are you just fooling around?!” That is the question that almost every teacher asks their students in class. This laptop problem has been going on ever since the day that they came into Killingly High. Teachers here are about half and half about the laptops. Some actually find the laptops very useful, and they use them in their classes, but others think that the laptops are just a distraction for the students, and they don’t like them at all. With all of the tricks that students pick up to hide what they really are doing, it is very easy to trick teachers to make it seem like they really are working, and teachers begin to pick up on that. Another problem that teachers have with the laptop is the difficulty level. With all of the upgrade in technology it is harder for the older generation to catch up and pick up on It. Technology is updating everyday, and it is difficult to learn so some teachers like the old paper and pencil strategy. But sometimes it is good to work with the laptops because in the real world everything is technology based so it is a good way to ease students into that. Of course a brand new Apple Mac l aptop wi th a webcam and tons of fun features is going to be distracting, but at the same time it is a great way to get your work done is a more interesting way than pencil and paper. It is also a good way to prepare students for college. In college it is a requirement to have a laptop for you to complete your work. So the students having these is a great head start. The students in Killingly High have been giving this great opportunity to have these laptops and to get head start to have the responsibility and to use these laptops for getting their work done rather than getting distracted. Page 13 *The Redline* March 2012 Busy Hands are Happy Hands! By Victoria Ferland The students and and teachers in the specialed program recently made tie-die t-shirts. Once a week or twice about twice month they all get together with Mrs. Peterson and they make a craft or do some cooking. These activities let the students know that they can do whatever they set their minds too. “The students really enjoy making different crafts, or cooking some new food every week,” says Ms. Barribeault. The activities that the teachers and students participate in are very hands on. The students look forward to each activity no matter what it is. They recently made candles and cards for Valentines Day. Not only do the students make the crafts but they sell them too. The cards and candles were sold during lunch the week before Valentines Day. Mrs. Peterson has been a huge help in making these fun activities take place. She provides her time for the students and helps them with whatever activity they have decided to do that week. She also goes out and buy the materials needed for the craft or recipe. “I really appreciate all the time, materials, and money that Mrs. Peterson puts into these activities. I know that my students really appreciate it as well. It is very nice of her to do this for them,” says Mrs. Barribeault. These activities keep the students in the special-ed program excited about what they are doing in school. It lets them know that they can accomplish anything they want to. They will continue to do take part in these kinds of activities, with the help of Mrs. Peterson and all the volunteers in the program. WORKING TOGETHER - Above, Mrs. Peterson, left, and Ms.. Baribeault coach students who are working diligently on creating their own masterpieces. Below, Mrs. Peterson, center, and Ms. Baribeault, right, work on their own designs as students work on theirs. (Redline photos by Tory Ferland) Einstein Was a Wonder! By Chelsea Greene Albert Einstein, the first child of the Jewish couple Hermann and Pauline Einstein, was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany. Einstein learned to speak at a late age, he was considered a slow learner as a child, and he showed no particular aptitude for formal schooling. In June 1880, his family moved to Munich where Hermann Einstein and his brother Jakob founded an electrical engineering company. After the failure of his father’s business in 1894 the Einsteins moved to Pavia, Italy. Young Albert remained in Munich to finish school, but moved to Pavia to join his family after completing only one term. Upon reaching Italy, he renounced his German citizenship, possibly to avoid obligatory military service, and became stateless. At about the same time, Einstein “renounced his legal adherence to the Jewish religious community.” In 1 89 5, Einstein took an exam for the Federal Swiss Polytechnic University, but failed the liberal arts portion of the test. Einstein wrote his first scientific paper i n 18 95 on el ect ro -magnet i sm and the propagation of light and heat. He was sent by his family to Aarau, Switzerland to fi ni sh secondary school and in 1896, received his diploma. Though he did not have enough credit to enroll in a traditional university, Einstein did qualify for the Federal Swiss Polytechnic University, in Zurich. Einstein was pleasantly surprised at the liberal education at the Polytechnic and began to discuss his scientific interests with a group of close friends. In 1900, Einstein was granted a teaching diploma by the Polytechnic and was accepted as a Swiss citizen in 1901. Upon graduation, Einstein wrote to many prominent European scientists to ask whether they needed an assistant, he received no replies. He Erin Go Bragh! By Victoria Ferland St. Patrick is the patron saint of the country of Ireland. St. Patrick was held captive in Ireland for six years and was forced to work for the king. He turned to God and was able to go back to his homeland in England. He had planned on returning to Ireland to teach the people there about Christianity. He spent 30 years in Ireland and was able to found more than 300 churches and baptized more than 120,000 people. He escaped murder 12 times during his life and died naturally on March 17, 461. finally accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office, which he held for seven years. Einstein died on April 18, 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey. After a long illness, he died peacefully in his sleep; the listed cause of death was a ruptured artery in his heart. By request in his will, there was no funeral, no grave, and no marker. His brain was donated to science and his body was cremated and its ashes were spread over a near-by river. The four major areas of science that Albert Einstein contributed to are Light, Time, Energy and Gravity. He published four outstanding scientific papers in the year 1905. This year is therefore called Einstein’s annus mirabilis or miracle year. He put forth the following explanations for the scientific community: He explained that light energy came in chuncks or quanta, now called ‘photons’. This explanation changed the way researchers thought about the nature of light. He discussed the Brownian motion that helped in proving the existence of molecules. He also gave forth explanation regarding the dynamics of individual moving bodies. And last, but not the least, he explained the nature of space and time. “I thought St. Patrick was born and raised in Ireland. I did not realize he was forced to live there because of being captured,” says Maddy Bonfiglio. “I know who St. Patrick is, but I’m not Irish so I do not find him to be that important of a person,” says Gabby LaRose. To day, on March 1 7 t h people all around the world celebrate his feast day. It is also a celebration of the Irish culture and history. Most traditional people of Irish decent attend church in the morning and then attend the the parade in the afternoon, along with celebrating with their family and friends. Men in Ireland will wear shamrocks on their jackets and orange, green, and white badges, while women wear green ribbons in their hair. “I usually just wear a green shirt just like everyone else,” says Maddy Bonfiglio The celebration of this holiday first entered into the United States because of immigration in the early 1920s. Today, many people will wear green and watch the St. Patrick’s Day parade on TV. Some people might throw a party or just have some family members over for dinner. This holiday is not made into as big of a deal as in Ireland, where it was originated. “We do not really celebrate St. Patrick’s Dy at my house. We don’t really consider it to be a huge holiday I guess,” says Gabby LaRose. “I do not do anything on St. Patrick’s Day. It just like a regular day to me,” says Maddy Bonfiglio. Even though St. Patrick’s Day is not a widely celebrated holiday in the United States, it is noticed world wide. It is possible that in a few years it could be made into a bigger celebration not only for the people in Ireland, but for everyone around the world. Page 14 *The Redline* March 2012 March is Women in History Month! In honor of Women in History Month The Redline chose a number of famous women to highlight from actresses to history makers. Alice Coachman By Amanda Mangasarian Famer, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Albany Sports Hall of Fame. She attended both Tuskegee Institute and Albany State in Georgia. While attending Tuskegee Institute, she was coached by fellow Hall of Fame Cleve Abbott. When her competitive days were over, she became a schoolteacher and a coach. With lots of dedication and motivation Alice Coachman was determined to succeed as an athlete. Black or white she knew that she could accomplish it. Amelia Earhart By Samantha Montpelier “I’ve always believed that I could do whatever I set my mind to do” -Alice Coachman Name: Alice Coachman Date of Birth: November 9, 1923 Date of Death: June 1993, age 62. Birth P lace: Albany, Georgia Education: In 1938, when Coachman enrolled in Madison High School, she immediately joined the track team. The Madison boys’ track coach, Harry E. Lash, recognized and nurtured her talent. Family Background: Born the fifth of ten children, Alice’s family was poor, and even as a youngster, Coachman had to work at picking cotton and other crops to help her family meet financially. Running and jumping was deemed unladylike and to avoid a whipping, Alice tried to make sure her father didn’t see her doing either. Not having shoes, or access to public training facilities because of segregation policies, Alice Coachman ran barefoot on the dirt roads near her house, practicing jumps over a crossbar made of rags tied together. Coachman received encouragement from her fifth-grade teacher, Cora Bailey, at Monroe Street Elementary School and from her aunt, Carrie Spry, who defended her niece’s interest in sports in the face of parental reservations. Description of Accomplishments: The determination of the American spirt can be seen in the life of Alice Coachman. In London, England in 1948, during the first Olympics held after the World War II, Alice became the first African American woman to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. An athlete, whose competition was restricted by World War II, Alice nonetheless won 25 National Titles. Most of the titles were in Track and Field in the high jump. Alice won the AAU outdoor high jump championship from 1939 through 1948, she also won the indoor championship in 1941, 1945, and 1946. She also won the outdoors 50-meter dash from 1943 through 1947, the outdoors 100-meter in 1942, 1945, and 1946, and the indoors 50-meter dash in 1945 and 1946. Her greatest fame was in 1948 when she won the Olympics woman’s high jump title in a meet also setting an American record 5-6 1/8. This is the year she became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Alice Coachman has been honored with prestigious memberships in eight halls of fame. A few of the halls are the National Track and Field Hall of When Amelia was around 10 years of age she saw her first plane, and she wasn’t too impressed. Earhart attended a stunt-flying exhibition, almost a decade later, where she became seriously interested in aviation. On December 28, 1920, pilot Frank Hawks gave her a ride that would forever change her life. By the time she was a couple hundred feet off the ground she knew she was going to be a flyer. After graduati ng from Hyde Park High School in 1915, Earhart attended Ogontz, a girls’ finishing school in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She left in the middle of her second year to work as a nurse’s aide in a military hospital in Canada during WWI, attended college, and later became a social worker at Denison House, a settlement house in Boston. Earhart took her first flying lesson on January 3, 1921, and in six months managed to save enough money to buy her first plane. The second-hand Kinner Airster was a two-seater biplane painted bright yellow. Earhart named the plane “Canary,” and used it to set her first women’s record by rising to an altitude of 14,000 feet. The world’s most famous female aviator disappeared in 1937. She attempted to become the first woman to fly around the world. With her navigator, Fred Noonan, her Lockheed Electra was last heard from about 100 miles from the tiny Pacific, Howland Island. During her life she achieved many goals, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, in 1928, the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic, in 1932, and the first person to solo from Hawaii to California, in 1935. Barbara Walters By Nicole Fawell Barbara Walters was born September 25, 1929 in Boston Massachusetts. Her father owned several nightclubs and as a result the family was wealthy and could afford a good education for her. Barbara Walters began her journalism career in 1953, when she graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in English. She wrote material for WRCA-TV (an NBC affiliate). She then moved on to writing material for the CBS Morning Show. In 1961, NBC hired Walters as a researcher and a writer for their Today Show. After her report on First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s trip to India and Pakistan, she gained popularity and responsibilities with in the network. She became a co-host on the Today Show, however she was not allowed to ask any serious questions until her male co-host had finished asking his. After serving on the Today Show for over 11 years, Barbara Walters moved on to ABC network to become the first ever female co-anchor for their evening news. However, ratings dropped after the network took Walters so she was removed from her position shortly after. She moved on to ABC News, working for a show called 20/20. She was eventually promoted to co-host of 20/20. She worked with that show for many years until at the age of 73 she stepped down. While working on 20/20 Walters interviewed many celebrities, politicians, world leaders, and other influential people. She became famous for her skilled interview techniques. In 1997, Walters started a show called The View, which features five women discussing their opinions on politics, family and other topics of interest to the public. Barbara Walters influenced to the role of women in the field of journalism. Until she made a name for herself on the news, journalism, particularly on TV, was very male dominated. A sufficient measure of civilization is the influence of good women. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Betty White Occupation: Animal Rights Activist, Television Actress, Comedian Birth date: January 17, 1922 Place of Birth: Oak Park, Illinois Early Life and Career Bett y Whi te grew up as the only child of Horace and Tess White, an electrical engineer and a homemaker. At the age of two, they moved to Los Angeles. In the early 1950’s she starred in her fi rst t elevision seri es called Life with Elizabeth develo ped with George Tibbles. White’s career then took off by starring in her next television series called The Mary Tyler Moore Show. While playing Sue Anna Nivens, White showed audiences that behind her sweet smile is a sharp witty attitude. In a contrast to her character Sue Ann, she starred in the popular show in the 1980s called The Golden Girls, pl ayi ng Ro se Nylu nd, with cost ars Rue McClanahan, Bea Art hur and Estelle Getty. The show was a look at the lives of four, elderly, female friends, with a few good laughs on the side. The show won numerous awards and was top ranked during its seven seasons on air. The show also landed another Emmy Award for Betty White. Since then she has starred in The Proposal featuring Sandra Bullock. Her career then took off again as she was invited to host Saturday Night Live and be in another television show called Hot In Cleveland. Show. *The Redline* Clarissa Harlowe Barton By Amanda Mangasarian “An institution or reform movement that is not selfish, must originate in the recognition of some evil that is adding to the sum of human suffering, or diminishing the sum of happiness. I suppose it is a philanthropic movement to try to reverse the process” - Clarissa Barton Name: Clarissa Harlowe Barton Date of Birth: December 25, 1821 Date of Death: April 12, 1912, age 91. Birth Place: North Oxford, Massachusetts Education: Much of Clara Barton’s education was provided by her older brothers and sisters. While she was still a teenager, she started to teach in Massachusetts. In 1850, she took a break to attend the Liberal Institute of Clinton, New York, an advanced school for women educators. Family Background: Clara was the daughter of Captain Stephen and Sarah (Stone) Barton. Her father was a respected farmer, horse breeder and politician. Although a shy child, she accelerated early in her studies. By the time she was four years old, Clara could easily spell complicated words. Her instinctual gift of nursing started at the young age of 11, when she nursed her brother David through a serious illness. Description of Accomplishments: Clara Barton became a teacher in Massachusetts at the age of 17, Barton founded her own school six years later and after ten years of teaching, felt the need to alter her career path. She then pursued writing and languages at the Liberal Institute in Clinton, New York. Clara Barton opened a free school in New Jersey. The attendance under her leadership grew to sixhundred but, instead of hiring her to head of the school, the board hired a man instead. Frustrated, she moved to Washington D.C. and began work as a clerk in the U.S. Patent Office; which was the first time a woman had received a substantial clerkship in the federal government. Never before had women been allowed in hospitals, camps or on battlefields. Initially, military and civil officials declined her help, although she eventually gained the trust of these officials and began receiving supplies from all over the country. As a result of her untiring work, she became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield.” Officially, she became the superintendent of Union nurses in 1864 and began obtaining camp and hospital supplies, assistants and military trains for her work on the front. She practiced nursing exclusively on battlefields, experiencing first-hand the horrors of war on sixteen different battlefields. Later in her life, Barton continued to search for missing soldiers and also became involved in the suffragist movement. Barton was the President of the American National Red Cross for twenty-two years. The Red Cross’s early work included aiding victims and workers in the floods of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in 1882 and 1884, the Texas famine of 1886, the Florida yellow fever epidemic in 1887, an earthquake in Illinois in 1888, and the 1889 Johnstown, Pennsylvania disaster/flood. Clara Barton was the most decorated American woman, receiving the Iron Cross, the Cross of Imperial Russia and the International Red Cross Medal. Her final act was founding the National First Aid Society in 1904. She retired as President of the American Red Cross at the age of 83 Clara Barton’s two “rules of action” were “unconcern for what cannot be helped” and “control under pressure.” March 2012 Page 15 Eleanor Roosevelt By Amanda Mangasarian “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect” - Eleanor Roosevelt Na me : Roosevelt El eano r Date of Birth: October 11, 1884 Date of Death: November 7, 1962, age 78. Birth P lace: New York City. Education: Attended Allenswood, a finishing school in London, England, from 1899 to 1902. Family Background: Member of longtime affluent New York family. A niece of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States and sixth cousin of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of United States, who became her husband. Her parents died when she was a child. Description of Accomplishments: Even without her marriage to Franklin D. Roosevelt, through whose presidency she revolutionized the position of first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt would have still become one of the greatest women of the 20th Century. As a humanitarian and civic leader, her work for the welfare of youth, black Americans, the poor, and women, at home and abroad has yet to be equaled. Her marriage to Franklin D. Roosevelt (18821945), brought her into the world of politics of which she proved a fast learner. When her husband was Assistant Secretary of the Navy during World War I, she supported the war effort by volunteering for the Red Cross. She was also an active member of the women’s suffrage movement. In the process she became his political surrogate, speaking in his behalf to the citizenry, relaying their feedback to him, and giving her input as well. During this period she also opened the Val-Kill fur- niture factory in New York to provide job relief to the unemployed and became part owner of Todhunter, an all girls private school in New York City. Her t enure (1 93 31945) was the longest only because her husband’s tenure as president was t he lo ngest , but El eanor Roosevelt became the first activist first lady. With press conferences and her daily column she kept the public up-to-date on White House policies; in particular the New Deal (a series of econo mic programs i mpl emented in the United States between 1933 and 1936). She persuaded FDR to create the National Youth Administration (NYA), which provided financial aid to student s and job training to young men and women. Her concern for disadvantaged black Americans, prompted her to work closely with organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and in 1939 she resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution in protest to their preventing black singer Marian Anderson from performing at Constitution Hall. After the United States entered World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt channeled her energies into the war effort. She did this first by mustering up civilian volunteerism as assistant director of the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD), and by visiting U.S. troops abroad. After her role as the first lady was over in 1945, she took her career to a whole new level. She became a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, specializing in humanitarian, social, and cultural issues. In 1948, she drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirmed life, liberty, and equality internationally for all people regardless of race, creed or color. Additionally, she helped in the establishment of the state of Israel and attempted negotiations, with Russia. She wrote several books about her experiences: This Is My Story (1937), This I Remember (1950), On My Own (1958), Tomorrow Is Now (1963). Erin Brockovich By Nicole Durand Erin Brockovich was born on June 22, 1960, in Lawrence Kansas. Brockovich is a legal clerk and environmental activist. She is also president of Brockovich Research & Consul ting and current ly works for Girardi & Keese, which has a focus on personal injury claims for asbestos exposure. Brockovich attended Lawrence High School then Kansas State University in Kansas. Brockovich is known for the case concerning the contamination of water that contained hexavalent chromium, in the town of Hinkley in California. The case ended up being settled in 1996 for $333 million, which is known as the largest settlement ever paid in US history. Her partner in crime throughout the lawsuit as well as others, was her lawyer, Edward L. Masry. Brockovich went around the United States and filed law suits against companies that lied about their water quality. In October of 2001, she wrote a book called, Take it From Me: Life’s a Struggle But You Can Win and ended up being on the New York Times Business Bestseller’s List. Brockovich is widely known as Julia Ro bert’s po rtrayal o f her in the movi e, Eri n Brockovich , in 2000. As of right now, Brockovich is working on a case, in New York, that is effecting the teens in the school. Which Brockovich believes could be related to a chemical spill 40 years ago, in the same area where the Le Roy Junior-Senior High School is. Page 16 *The Redline* March 2012 Tara Dakides Georgia O’ Keefe By Ashley Chauvin By Amanda Mangasarian “Making your unknown known is the important thing” - Georgia O’ Keefe Name: Georgia O’ Keefe Birth Date: Nov. 15, 1887 Date of Death: March 6, 1986, age 98. Birth Place: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Education: Graduated from the Chatham Protestant Episcopal Institute in Williamsburg, Virginia. in 1904. Studied art at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York. Family Background: Her family were farmers. She grew up in both Sun Prairie and Williamsburg, Virginia. Description of Accomplishments: The artistic brilliance of Georgia O’Keeffe revolutionized modern art in both her time and in the present. With her paintings she vividly portrayed the power and emotion of objects of nature. This was first seen in her charcoal drawings of silhouetted bud-like forms exhibited in 1916 that brought her fame. During the 1920s , she explored this theme in her magnified paintings of flowers which to this day enchant people amorously, although her purpose was to convey that nature in all its beauty was as powerful as the widespread industrialization of the period. After spending a summer in New Mexico, Georgia O’Keeffe, enthralled by the barren landscape and expansive skies of the desert, would explore the subject of animal bones in her paintings of the 1930s and 1940s. Just as with the flowers, she painted the bones magnified and captured the stillness and remoteness of them, while at the same time expressing a sense of beauty that lies within the desert. Georgia O’Keefe was married to the pioneer photographer Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946), in 1924. It was at Stieglitz’s famed New York art gallery “291” that her charcoal drawings were first exhibited in 1916. The union lasted 22 years, until Stieglitz’s death. The paintings from the latter phase of Georgia O’ Keeffe’s career concerned a rectangular door on an adobe wall and the sky. These were far less inspiring than her earlier works-which continued to be rediscovered through her lifetime and to the present day. Name: Tara Dakides Birthplace: Laguna Hills, California Birthday: August 20, 1975 Nicknames: The Tarorizor Taradaktle Taraje Known F or: bei ng an infl uenti al wo man snowboarder, pushing female snowboarding competition harder than anyone had before her at that time. Career Achievements: Chalet Girl Motion Picture directed by Phil Trail. Main cast playing herself – 2010 Against the Grain- Documentary film on the life of Tara Dakides – 2009 1st place – Roxy Chicken Jam – 2007 6th place – Roxy Chicken Jam – 2005 Rockstar of the Year – TransWorld Rider’s Poll Nominee – 2004 One of the Top 100 Sexiest Woman in The World – FHM 2004 3rd place – VansTriple Crown, Stop 1, Slopestyle – 2004 Silver Medal – X Games, Slopestyle – 2004 3 rd place – Vans Tripl e Cro wn, Sto p 1, Slopestyle – 200w Reader’s Choice – 2002 TransWorld Rider’s Poll Awards SIA Retailers Choice – 2 002 TransWo rld Rider’s Poll Award Best Freest yle Ri der – 2 002 TransWorld Rider’s Poll Award Best Overall Female Rider – 2002 TransWorld Rider’s Poll Award 1st Place – Vans Triple Crown, Snow Summit, Big Air – 2001 1st Place – Sims World Snowboarding Championships, Slopestyle – 2001 Gold Medal – Winter X Games, Big Air – 2001 Female Snowboarder of t he Year – 20 01 Snowboarder Magazine Best Female Snowboarder – 2001 NEA Awards Best Overall Female Rider – 2001 TransWorld Rider’s Poll Awards Mother Teresa By Sara Haley Name: Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) Born: August 26, 1910 Died: September 5, 1997 Who Was She: A Roman Catholic Nun What Did She Do: She founded “The Missionaries of Charity,” which has started 610 missions in 123 countries helping the poor and sick. Where She Lived: Although she was born in Macedonia, she lived most of her life in India and was a citizen of India. Why She’s Important: Other than helping those in need, she won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Interesting Facts: At the age of eighteen she left home to go to an Irish convent that had missions in India. She spent a few months training in Dublin, and then was sent to India. She was so horrified by the Jacqueline Kennedy Accomplishments: Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters First retrospective show of a woman’s art at the Museum of Modern Art Awarded the Gold Medal of Painting by the National Institute of Arts and Letters Awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor President Ronald Reagan presented the National Medal of Arts in 1985. 1st Place – Sims World Snowboarding Championships, Big Air – 2000 1st Place – Sims World Snowboarding Championships, Slopestyle – 2000 2nd Place – US Open, Big Air – 2000 Gold Medal – Winter X Games, Big Air – 2000 Gold Medal – Winter X Games, Slopestyle – 2000 Gold Medal – Gravity Games, Quarter pipe – 2000 Female Snowboarder of t he Year – 20 00 TransWorld Rider’s Poll Awards 1st Place – Grand Prix, Big Air – 1999 Silver Medal – Winter X Games, Big Air – 1999 Bronze Medal – Summer X Games, Big Air – 1999 Best Freest yle Ri der – 1 999 TransWorld Rider’s Poll Awards 1st Place – Vans Triple Crown, Big Air – 1998 1st Place – Stratton Open, Big Air – 1998 2nd Place – Innsbruck Air and Style, Big Air/ Quarter pipe – 1998 Occupation-First lady of the United States Birth date-July 28th 1929 Place of Birth- Bell port New York, New York Early Life and Career Jacqueline Kennedy was born in Bell Port New York to her father John Bouvier III and mother Janet Lee. The Bouviers divorced in 1940. Janet Bouvier later married Hugh Auchincloss Jr in 1942. In that marriage, two children were born Janet and James Continued on Next Page poverty that she saw outside of her convent, it made her want to help the poor and sick. She changed her name to Mother Teresa after she took her vows, naming herself after Saint Thérèse. One of her sisters already had the name Thérèse, so she changed it a little. *The Redline* March 2012 Page 17 Rosa Parks Kennedy Continued from Prior Page Auchincloss. Bouvier attended the Holton-Arms School, in Bethesda Maryland from 1942 to 1944 and Miss Porter’s School in Farmington Connecticut, from 1944 to 1947. Jacqueline graduat ed from The George Washington University in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French literature. After her graduation, Bouvier was hired as “Inquiring Photographer” for The Washington Times. The position required her to pose humorous questions to people chosen at random on the street and take their pictures to be published in the newspaper alongside selected quotations from their responses. The Kennedy Marriage Bouvier and then John Kennedy belonged to the same social circle and oftentimes attended the same functions. In May 1952, at a dinner party organized by shared friends, they were formally introduced for the first time.The two began dating soon afterward, and their engagement was officially announced on June 25, 1953. Bouvier married Kennedy on September 12, 1953, at St, Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island. An estimated 700 guests attended the ceremony. The newlyweds honeymooned in Acapulco, Mexico, before settling in their new home in McLean Virginia. Kennedy suffered a miscarriage in 1955 and gave birth to a stillborn baby girl in 1956. Kennedy later gave birth to a second daughter, Caroline, in 1957, and a son, John, in 1960. Kelly Clark By Ashley Chauvin Birthplace: West Dover, VT Birthday: July 26, 1983 School: Mount Snow Academy Parents: Terry and Cathy Clark Awards: OLYMPICS2010: Bronze Medalist, halfpipe 2006: 4th, halfpipe 2002: Gold Medalist, halfpipe X GAMES2012: Gold Medalist, halfpipe 2011: Gold Medalist, halfpipe 2009: Silver Medalist, halfpipe 2008: Silver Medalist, halfpipe OTHERFour-time U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix overall winner (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) 2012: 1st, Dew Tour (Killington) 2011: 1st, Dew Tour (Breckenridge) 2011: 1st, U.S Grand Prix (Copper) 2011: 1st Burton New Zealand Open 2011: 1st O’Neil Evolution 2011: 1st Burton European Open 2011: 1st Dew Tour (Killlington) 2011: 1st Burton Canadian Open 2011: 1st Dew Tour (Snowbasin) 2011: 1st, U.S. Grand Prix (Mammoth) 2011: 1st, Burton U.S. Open 2011: 1st, European X Games 2009: 2nd, Burton U.S. Open 2007: 1st, New Zealand Open, quarterpipe 2007: 2nd, New Zealand Open, halfpipe 20 06 : 1 st, Burt on New Zealand Open, quarterpipe 2006: 1st, Burton New Zealand Open, halfpipe By Amanda Mangasarian “Each person must live their life as a model for others” - Rosa Parks Date of Birth: February 4, 1913 Da te of Death: Octo ber 2 4, 2005, age 92. Birth P lace: Tuskegee, Alabama Education: Rosa Parks did not attend a public school until the age of eleven. Before that, she was home schooled by her mother. At age eleven she attended the Industrial School for Girls in Montgomery, where she took various vocational and academic courses. She began laboratory school for her secondary education, but never completed it because she was forced to drop out to care for her ailing grandmother. Family Background: Her parents, James McCauley, a carpenter, and Leona McCauley, a teacher. At the age of two she moved to her grandparents farm in Pine Level, Alabama with her mother and younger brother, Sylvester. Description of Accomplishments: Instead of finding love, she devoted her life to the force of integration. White and black communities were “separate but equal.” There were many that had refused this belief, and Rosa Parks was one of them. She would purposely walk up the stairs of a building, instead of taking the elevator that had been marked “blacks only.” She would return home after a long day’s work thirsty, from her refusing to drink from the “colored only” water fountain. On December 1, 1955, she was once again tired after a long day’s work. She had tried to walk home, as much as possible to protest against the separate but equal theory, but on this day, she was too tired. She had sat down on the bus and been told to move by a white man. When Rosa refused to get up and move, a chain of events hit Montgomery and the work forever. She was arrested and tried, and fifty leaders of the Negro community met to talk about the issue all in one night Among those who attended the meeting was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Together, he and also the community organized the Montgomery Bus bo yco tt that lasted for 382 days. The intent was to continue the boycott until the bus segregation laws were changed. The bus company was hurting due to this, and on December of 1956, the Supreme Court changed the bus segregation laws. The law was proven to be in violation of the constitution. After this, the Civil Rights Movement was created, and led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Rosa Parks was forty-two at the time of the bus incident. She was arrested, fired, and threatened all because of her refusal to get up and move. She has been called the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. Being just an ordinary woman, wanting equal opportunities and rights she helped change the way we think as a country and our attitude towards racism. She has been honored numerous times. She joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1943 and devoted her life to the cause of American Civil Rights and equality, until her death. She also inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. Her most well known quote was “The only thing that bothered me was that we waited so long to make this protest happen...” Accomplishments: Lifetime Achievement Award NAACP’s Spingarn Medal Martin Luther Kings Jr. Award Honorary degree from Shaw College Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize Southern Christian Leadership Conference Annual Rosa Parks Freedom Award Mary Dixon Kies By Amanda Mangasarian Date of Birth: March 21, 1752 Date of Death: 1837, age 85 Birth P lace: South Killingly, Connecticut Family Background: Mary Dixon Kies was of Irish descent, her father being John Dixon in the North of Ireland, according to the Dixon genealogy. Her mother was Janet Kennedy who was the third wife of John Dixon and they were married in Voluntown, CT, August 7, 1741. It would appear that John Dixon was mainly a farmer, as were most of the settlers. Description of Accomplishments: The Patent Act of 1709 made it possible for anybody, male or female, to patent an invention. Because most women did not own their own property, they did not bother to patent their inventions. Mary Dixon Kies was the first woman to break this pattern. On May 15, 1809, Mary Dixon Kies was the first woman in America to relieve a patent from the United States Patent Office. She invented a process for weaving straw, thread, or silk. First lady at the time, Dolly Madison, commended Mary for the improvement her invention had on the hat industry. The time for such an invention was undoubtedly needed. In an attempt to keep America out of the Napoleonic Wars, the U.S. set up an embargo against all European goods. Her invention helped replace the good that had been lost. She was not an inventor but working with hats for an occupation gave her the knowledge needed to contrive such a process for weaving straw. Father works from sun to sun, but mother’s work is never done.... Old Saying Page 18 *The Redline* March 2012 Freda Josephine McDonald By Amanda Mangasarian Name: Freda Josephine McDonald (Goes by the name Josephine Baker taking the last name of her second marriage and using her middle name as her first name) Date of Birth: November 15, 1873 Date of Death: February 22, 1945, age 72. Birth P lace: St. Louis, Missouri Education: Dropped out of school at the age of 12. Family Background: Jo sephi ne Baker ’s mo ther was Carrie McDonald and her father was Eddie Carson. She also had a stepfather, Arthur Martin. Her two siblings were Richard, Margaret and Willie Mae. Jo sephine had fi ve husband’s throughout her lifetime whose names were (in order) Willie Wells, Willie Baker, Jean Lion, Jo Bouillon, and her last husband Robert Brady. She also adopted twelve children throughout those five marriages. The children’s name were: Akio (male), Janot (male), Luis (male), Jari (male), Jean-Claude (male), Moise (male), Brahim (male), Marianne (fe- male), Koffi (male), Mara (male), Noel (male), Stellina (female). Description of Accomplishments: Overcoming the limitations imposed by the color of her skin, she became one of the world’s most versatile entertainers, performing on stage, screen and recordings. Josephine was decorated for her undercover work for the French Resistance during World War II. She was a civil rights activist. She refused to perform for segregated audiences and integrated the Las Vegas nightclubs. She adopted 12 children from around the world whom she called her “Rainbow Tribe.” Judy Garland By Jacob Owen Born: June 10th 1922 Date of Death: June 22, 1969 Birth P lace: Grand Rapids, Minnesota Death P lace: London, England Accomplishments and Awards Born Frances Ethel Gumm, Judy Garland changed her real name for her stage name. Judy Garland was one of the most talented American actress, singer and vaudevillian. Judy Garland won the Juvenile Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award. Shes also won Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the remake of A Star is Born and for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1961 film, Judgment at Nuremberg. At 39 years old, she remains the youngest recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the motion picture industry. Ju dy Garland appeared in Vaudeville with her two older sisters, and was signed to Metro-GoldwynMayer as a teenager. Judy Garland has done o ver a do zen fi lms, and ni ne of which were wit h Mickey Rooney. The most famous of al l her fil ms was, you guessed it, The Wizard of Oz. Life and Background Judy Garland had three children, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft Though Judy Garland has done a lot in her life she had her ups and downs. She had performed her life in insecurity about her appearance. Judy Garland was compounded by film executives who told her she was unattractive and was manipulated on her on- screen physical appearance. Judy Garland made some money, but had fi- Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California with the real name of, Norma Jeane Mortenson. Famous for her acting, singing, and modeling, Monroe was in and out of foster homes as a child, but her career began in 1946 with her first modeling contract with, The Blue Book Modeling Agency. But in order for Monroe to be considered a model, they made her dye her hair to golden blonde. Monroe ended up being one of their most successful models. Monroe has appeared in 29 films, such as The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, River no Run, and The Seven Year Itch. Despite all the media attention on Monroe, Jane Russell who was a co-star, described Monroe as “very shy and very sweet and far more intelligent than people gave her credit for.” Monroe performed “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden. She’s won several awards such as Golden Globe Nomination, David di Donatello (Italian equivalent of an Academy Award), and a nomination for a BAFTA. However, her final film was The Misfits, which was written by one of her many husbands, Arthur Miller. After this, her reputation dwindled and her death was a result of an Awards in the near future In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Many of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the ten greatest female stars in the history of American cinema. Audrey Hepburn Marilyn Monroe By Nicole Durand nancial instability, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. Throughout Judy Garland’s life, she married five times, four of which ended in divorce. Even with all of that go ing on, she had a lo ng struggle with alcohol and drug use during most of her career. On June 22, 1969 Judy Garland died of an accidental overdose at the age of only 47. By Holly Logan “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” -Audrey Hepburn Name: Audrey Hepburn Date of Birth: May 4, 1929 Date of Death: January 20, 1993 Birth P lace: Brussels, Belgium Background: Audrey Hepburn became known for her beauty, elegance, and grace that many actresses strive for to this day. She spent her childhood in a boarding school in England and during much of World War II, Hepburn enrolled at the Arnhem Conservatory in The Netherlands. The Nazi’s invaded her country and Hepburn and her family struggled to stay alive. After the end of WWII, Hepburn pursued her interest in dance and studied ballet in both Amsterdam and London. She starred in small on stage roles until she became big on broadway and then finally on film. She has two children, Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti, who help to carry on her legacy through writing. Accomplishments: Hepburn’s first big break was when she was 22 and starred on the Broadway production of Gigi in New York. After her performance, Hollywood was entranced by the starlet. She went on to film Roman Holiday, with Gregory Peck where she won her first overdose with barbiturates. Famous singer, Elton John, wrote a song about Marilyn Monroe called, “Goodbye Norma Jeane” as a farewell to her passing. Monroe was known as being the greatest female star of all time and also a pop and cultural icon for the world. Academy Award for Best Actress in 1953. Her following role won her the 1954 Tony Award for her on stage performance in Ondine. Hepburn went on to play in a number of famous movies such as Sabrina, Funny Face, and The Nun’s Story. It wasn’t until 1961 that the world was introduced to Breakfast At Tiffany’s, a Truman Capote story, that set the tone for fashion, film, and glamour. The movie is still known to this day as an American classic and brought the “Little Black Dress” back to film. Her role in the film got her a fourth Academy Award nomination and heightened her already booming success. After putting acting to the side for her children, Audrey then began work helping UNICEF, raising awareness for children all over the world. She visited Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making over 50 trips and won a special Academy Award in 1993 for her overseas work. Hepburn died on January 20th, 1993 after a long battle with colon cancer. *The Redline* Grapplers Not Done! March 2012 Page 19 Hooping it Up! By Victoria Ferland The Killingly wrestling 2011-2012 season was another winning season for the team. This year marks the 24th consecutive winning season for the team. The team finished with an overall record of 12 wins and 8 losses. Some highlights from the season include a third place finish at the Killingly Holiday Duals, a fourth place finish at the Griswold Classic, a third place finish at the Eagle Classic, and a third place finish at the Woodstock Invite. Junior, Riley Donlon had a great season this year and managed to walk away as the Class S State Champion at 120 pounds. It was a close 3-2 point win in the finals. Senior, Jacob Whitehead. Finished his career with over 100 wins to join the Century Club of Killingly Elite Wrestlers. He also became an ECC champio n and was a St ate fi nal ist . Timmy Phongsamphahn had a great senior year as well. He lead the team with three individual championships. He won the Griswold Tournament, the Eagle Classic and the Woodstock Invite. He also finished second in the State Championships. In the States Tournament the team placed eighth overall out of 37 different teams. Riley Donlon was named the State Champion for the 120 pound weight class. Timmy Phongsamphahn was a State Finalist for the 106 pound weight class. Jacob Whitehead was also a State Finalist for the 195 pound weight class. Ilya Whittemore placed fourth for the 152 pound weight class. All four of these wrestlers qualified for the State Open Tournament held in New Haven. “I was very happy that all of the hard work finally paid off,” says Riley Donlon. For the ECC Championship the team placed fourth overall. Jacob Whitehead was the ECC Champion for the 195 pound weight class and earned an ECC Small Divisi on Al l-star award. Timmy Phongsamphahn placed third for the 106 pound weight class and earned an ECC Small Division All-star award. Riley Donlon placed fourth in the 120 pound weight class and earned and ECC Small Division Allstar award. Ilya Whittemore placed fourth in the 152 pound weight class and earned an ECC Small Division All-star award. Jesse Credit placed fifth in the 160 pound weight class. Ben Duerr placed sixth in the 132 pound weight class. Casey Noiseux placed sixth in the 126 pound weight class. All of the members of the wrestling team worked hard to accomplish their goals for the season. They all did a great job and are looking forward to next season. Let’s hope it wil be just as good as this one. WHAT GOES UP.....must go in! Gred Phillips gets ready to drop in 2, as Max Graves looks on. (Redline photos by Sara Morin) Hoopster Season Over By: Ashley Chauvin The Redmen Basketball team closed their season at Thompson High on February 21, and ended with a 5-15 record. While the schedule was rough and the opponents played hard, they fell short of their expectations from the beginning of the season. “The biggest disappointment is that fact that this team doesn’t have the opportunity to play in the post-season and it is not due to lack of effort on the kids part. We withstood injuries, a brutal schedule and just bad luck at times and played pretty well all year long,” said Coach Derosier. Senior Night this season was a memorable moment for many. Jeff Clang #15, Chris Pliska #11, Greg Phillips #21, Kevin Ravenelle #14, and Danny O’Leary #33. All played their last regular season home game in their high school career. While the team had to say their farewells to their seniors, they managed to come out with a win. “We have had a lot of great moments this year and since I have been playing basketball at Killingly, but winning our Senior Night has to be the best moment ever for me because not only was it Senior Night, but I had a career high of 37 points and 8 three pointers,” said senior and captain, Jeff Clang. While the Redmen are losing five valuable players, they will hopefully come out on top next season. Derosier hopes that some of his juniors will practice in the off season and come back with great skill and ability to help lead the team next season. With ON THE MOVE! Above, Jeff Clang drives to the hoop in recent action. Below, right, students, staff, parents and friends all donated to the worthy cause of stopping cancer, as evidenced by walls of notes. the school behind them, and their fans attending not only home games, but away, next years team should go far. “I see this team next year doing very well,” added Clang. Coach Derosier would like to say a sincere thanks to all of his boys, for how hard they play every night and try to overcome the adversity that they experienced against some of the outstanding competition that they had to face this season. Congratulations Redmen on finishing another wonderful season and good luck to the seniors in your years after high school. Page 20 *The Redline* March 2012 March Students of the Month! Last month Killingly High teachers recognized 34 students for their outstanding qualities. Here is this month’s list. If you see them, make sure you congratulate them! Student Nominating teacher Comment Lindsey Parent Mr. Sumner Lindsey is an extremely hard working student who never misses any assignments. She is a pleasure to have in class and always comes to class with a smile. Alex Klunk Mrs. Gerardi-Voccio He was also the highest average this quarter out of all my students in all my classes. He works hard, is very conscientious, responsible and respectful and an overall super student. Also, Alex has a deep understanding of geometry concepts and a love of mathematics. Tyler Moody Mr. Walker Aaron Donati Mr. DiPadua He has made a huge turn around in his high school career. He made Honor roll last marking period, and he is wrestling this year. He’s made one of the biggest academic turnarounds of any student I have ever had. For overcoming many obstacles in her life and displaying an enormous amount of determination to earn her high school diploma. Outstanding Achievement in Essentials of Geometry for Semester 1! Tyler Moody Ms. Pond For his strong work ethic and positive influence in biology class. Marquee P ipken Mr. Neal Outstanding effort in Microsoft Word! Chelsea Haelson Mr. Couture Aquaculture 2 – Very hard working student! Martha Ennis Emily Klawitter Mr. Lackner Mr. Messier Fantastic effort in health class. Always contributes to class discussion. For her constant and continued involvement as a dedicated member of the National Honor Society and its events throughout the year. Her enthusiasm does not go unnoticed. Corey P eckham Ms. Baribeault Sebastian Barcomb Mrs. Marcotte Ilya Whittemore Avery Rathbun Mrs. Durand Mrs. Peterson Katie Boswell Mrs. Kegler Kelsey Parenteau Ms. Graveline Hannah Guari Mr. Bourgeois Noah Gebo. Ms. Able Tyler Seace. Ms. Beland Kimberly Day Mr. Wuenscher Corey leads a group of students in their community service project, cleaning tables in the cafeteria up to three times a day. She is also a talented singer who has been working with Ms. Rodgers in the Vocal Fundamentals class since September. He is intelligent, hard-working and friendly. Accepts constructive criticism well. Very responsible. Is a joy in American Citizenship. Ilya has a great work ethic, exemplifies leadership and has volunteered his time to the LMC. Avery is a geometry student, who comes to class each day with enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to do the work that is required to reach success. Every early release day our schedule is disrupted and Katie comes on her own time to take responsibility for the care and feeding of all the animals. After working very hard and getting past many hardships, she recently finished all her requirements for graduation. We are very proud of Kelsey for sticking with it and graduating!!! After graduation, Kelsey looks forward to attending QVCC for the Fall Semester. Conscientious student who produces quality work on a consistent basis. Great contributor to class discussions and agood classmate to her peers. Noah is a great contributor to class discussions, has high academic standards, and pushes himself to excel in my English II class. Tyler is the type of student that is always there to do any job asked of him. He is consistent, reliable, and easy to get along with. Kim’s strong work ethic and determination is a good example for other students. Keep up the good work Kim! Zachary Bernard Mrs. Robey Zachary is a hardworking student who never ceases to amaze me on his quest for knowledge. Tori Weaver Mrs. Lagace Branden Stevens Mrs. Torre Jennine Hohler Amanda Mangasarian Mr. Listorti Mr. Martin Abbey Weber Adrianna Bessenaire Ms. Alleman Mr. Fulco Joey Farquarson Mr. Durand Ryan P arnell Dax Rich Mrs. Guttierrez Mr. Dodge Hollis Smith Ms. Rockwell Nicole Durand Mrs. Guillot Emma Guillot Chelsea Haelsen Mr. Lewerk Mrs. Miudo Tori has done an outstanding job as the Class of 2012 President for the past two years and now as an editor of the Yearbook. She actively participates in planning for both the Class of 2012 and the KHS 2012 Yearbook. She is very dependable and always strives to be a leader who works hard for her peers and advisor. Thank you Tori for all your dedication and hard work. For Branden’s consistently good academics in Entrepreneurship & Marketing, and his dedication to our class business, “Yum-Me.” Thank You Branden!! For going beyond expectations in researching and implementing chemical tests Chemistry lab. Amanda is a dedicated, hard working young lady who is doinga wonderful job as editor-in-chief of The Redline. She takes on extra stories, helps others with their stories and does whatever it takes to get the paper out on time! For her superior effort, class participation, and steady improvement. Adi works well with her peers. She is responsible; project excellence in all that she does, and she is dedicated to doing her best every day. She is a pleasure to have in class, and with her work ethic, I am certain that she will go far in life. Joey has been working tirelessly shooting events outside of normal school hours. He has gone above and beyond my expectations taping many sporting events including boys and girls basketball and wrestling as well as the KHS production of Guys and Dolls. Joey can often be found in the studio after hours editing his work for air on Ch 22 or for DVD distribution. Joey conducts himself in a professional manner, works hard and never complains about the additional workload. Consistent work ethic, thoughtful responses and respect for other students is exemplary. Not only does he do all assignments masterfully, but he reads deeply and independently and conveys his understanding in clear, insightful writing. His creativity extends into drama in which he has participated all four years. An enthusiastic learner who consistently shares his intellectual insight and creativity in Honors English III. He leads his life with integrity and kindness and it is a true joy to be his teacher! Nicole is a pleasure to have in Accounting. She rarely complains and always walks in with a smile on her face. I enjoy her maturity and positive attitude. Dedicated and earnest in her pursuit of improvement. Chelsea comes prepared for class, has insights into the topic at hand, puts in an impressive overall effort. Elizabeth Woodmancy Mr. Marcoux