state champions!!! - Trinity High School
Transcription
state champions!!! - Trinity High School
the pioneer Volume 1 Issue 8 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT No. 45 MANCHESTER, NH 03104 The newspaper of Trinity High School 581 Bridge Street * Manchester, NH 03104 STATE CHAMPIONS!!! Laguerre leads Pioneers over Memorial, 50-25 By Nick D’Intino Pioneer Editor Coach Mike Fitzpatrick. Many throughout Trinity know Mike Fitzpatrick, as he was an assistant coach for the Pioneers only a year ago. Furthermore, Coach Fitzpatrick is the father of Trinity sharp-shooter Cormac Fitzpatrick. This game had plenty of storylines; however, none of them mattered when 3 p.m. rolled around on March 21. In front of a sold-out Lundholm Gym at UNH, Memorial won the tip-off, and the championship had begun. Led by three-pointers from Laguerre, Fitzpatrick and junior point guard Phil Hayden, the Pioneers led 134 after the first quarter of The last time Trinity High School was able to raise a boys’ basketball championship banner was 1985. The last time the Trinity boys’ basketball team was able to cut down the nets was 1985. The last time our boys were able to embrace at center court with tears of joy was 1985. That is, until this year. Anticipation throughout Manchester couldn’t have been any higher as the city got set for the first intra city match-up for the Class L Boys’ Basketball Championship since 1973. The Trinity Pioneers, led by Coach David Keefe, faced off against the Memorial Crusaders, led by See CHAMPIONSHIP, Page 9 Defining what THS is all about By Joe Walsh Pioneer Staff I t’s been said many times before that Trinity offers a sense of community and family that cannot be found anywhere else. It affects just about everything Trinity does. In every class, at every sports practice and game, at every club and organization, qualities are exhibited by everyone involved that are Inside this issue: Congratulations, seniors The school year is over now, and 100% of the seniors were accepted to college. Find out where they will be headed in the fall. See page 20 not seen anywhere else. It’s hard to find someone who exhibits these qualities more than the man that the Class of 2009 has dedicated their yearbook to, Mr. Bill Sheehan. He graduated from Trinity in 1979, going on to graduate from Saint Anselm College before entering the insurance industry, where he worked for many years. “But I just became disenchanted with it all,” he says See SHEEHAN, Page 20 George Heck Many know him as the friendly guy who drives our sports teams to their games, but there is a lot more to George than many think. See page 7 New Campus Minister Mr. Malinowski may be 2008-09: Year in Review Speaking with Power By Kellen Fitzgerald Pioneer Staff Mark Natale / Pioneer Staff Trinity basketball players celebrate with the Class L championship trophy after defeating Memorial, 50-25 at UNH’s Lundholm Gym. When asked what some of his greatest accomplishments were, Mr. Dick Powers, replied, “I don’t think I’ve had a great accomplishment.” If you relied on what Mr. Powers said about himself, you would be incorrectly led to believe that he was just a typical man. Not only has Mr. Powers become like one of the faces on Trinity’s figurative Mount Rushmore, he has affected hundreds, maybe even thousands of people’s lives just as he has affected the lives of those at Trinity. Joe Sullivan of The See POWERS, Page 9 Trinity students speak for voiceless By Mark Natale and Alexa Serrecchia Pioneer Staff On Jan. 21, 113 students and 14 chaperones left Trinity High School for the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. After the 10 hour bus ride, the buses stopped at Elizabeth Seton High School for the girls to sleep for the night. The boys on the trip stayed at DeMatha Catholic High School. Following breakfast and a quick bus ride to Washington, D.C., the buses dropped off the students and chaperones at the Verizon Center for the 2009 Youth Rally and Mass for Life. new this year, but he has done a great job adjusting and has accomplished quite a bit this year. See page 2 900 Degrees Kaitlin Fitzgerald reviews 900 Degrees, a sit-down pizza place, which is Mark Natale / Pioneer Staff Trinity students stop to make funny faces with Bishop McCormack in Washington, D.C. while waiting for the March to start. Only a small number of the Trinity marchers gained entry into the arena because there were only a few seats left. Fifty-eight others were left to either attend another Mass or to sightsee in D.C. until the March began. While waiting for the See MARCH, Page 9 located on Dow Street in Downtown Manchester. See page 19 sports Athletes of the Year Dylan Clark, senior, and Karima Gabriel, junior, were chosen out of the many excellent Trinity athletes for their outstanding athletic performances this year. See page 18 Nonstop texters According to Sarah Ruggiero, our generation relies too heavily upon our fingers to do the talking. See page 4 Page 2 The Pioneer Opinion/Editorial A newspaper? Isn’t that old-fashioned? W hy a newspaper? In today’s world The Pioneer will look to be as student of electronics and broadcast media, involved as possible. Feel free to send letters why would Trinity take what some to the editors, articles you’ve written or even consider a step back, switching from an onartwork that you are proud of. If you disagree line newspaper to a print newspawith an article, feel free to use the per? First Amendment to your advanEditorial Well, there is a certain aspect tage – remember, the paper is for of printed newspapers that is iryou, not us. replaceable by technology. The Growth is something that is goprestige of newspapers such as The New York ing to be essential to the newspaper. Times or The Wall Street Journal is what keeps After returning just four people from last newshounds coming back day after day. year’s journalism class, the program could People don’t read newspapers because have started a downward spiral. they are the most convenient or because they However, the students have responded provide up to the minute news. Newspapers and currently there are 20 students in intro provide detail, quality, and a sense of profesto journalism, the first step before advanced sionalism. journalism. After working all last year on an online Now that we have people to write the newspaper, we decided that it just wasn’t news and a way to provide it to you, all we right. have to do is give you a reason to read it. Out of the more than 400 students enAnd that should be the easy part. rolled at our school, few knew of the newsEach issue will include a sports section paper and even fewer actually read it. with standings, game and team coverage, as At the end of last year, we were faced well as athletes of the months and in depth with a decision – the online paper wasn’t analysis of upcoming games. working, and the journalism program wanted The Arts & Entertainment spread will be something to attract more readers. a place for readers to check out reviews of Together, we came to the conclusion that upcoming albums, movies and even hints the best way to get students and faculty to on places to take your boyfriend/girlfriend read the news was to actually put it in their without emptying your wallet. hands. The Pioneer will be a newspaper that alRoughly once a month for the rest of the ways has you, the reader, in mind and is sure school year, The Pioneer staff will provide to have a little something for everyone. you with news from all different aspects of the school. We will be covering everything from Adviser’s Note: This editorial was originally sports and clubs to social events and assempublished in the first issue of The Pioneer in blies. But we are going to need your help. September 2008. The Pioneer Editor-in-Chief Chad Graff Editors Nick D’Intino Sam Goodnow Alexa Serrecchia Ryan Mitchell 2008-2009 Staff Loren Bostic Ashley Carter Mari-Briege Dunn Kaitlin Fitzgerald Kellen Fitzgerald James Horn Tiffany Keenan Pat McLaughlin Sam Monohon Mark Natale Alison Patev Amanda Patev Kiersten Photiades Benjamin Seifert Jeff St. Jean Chelsea Turner Pedro Serratos Vela Sean Van Anglen Kristen VanUden Joe Walsh Advisory Mrs. Terri Greene Henning, adviser Mr. Denis Mailloux, principal Mr. Steven Gadecki, assistant principal Mr. Patrick Smith, dean of students newspaper@trinity-hs.org Opinions expressed in signed and unsigned letters to the editor, opinion pieces, and columns are not necessarily those of The Pioneer, its staff, or Trinity High School. If you do not see your side of the argument, we invite you to submit a letter to the editor via e-mail to newspaper@trinity-hs.org Want to support The Pioneer newspaper and keep up with the news at Trinity? Read us online at www.trinity-hs.org. Or, have The Pioneer delivered to your home for a yearly rate (7-8 issues) of $20. E-mail us at newspapersales@trinity-hs.org for more information. 2008/2009 Campus Minister thriving at Trinity A Again, a success. fter Mr. Nelson And, as if he needed to add announced that he to his list of achievements this would be leaving, year, he orchestrated perhaps the biggest concern was the the most difficult assignment question of who was going to of all – the replace him. March for Life. Now, six Editorial Of all of the months into things that Mr. his job here at Mal has done Trinity, our new in his first year as Campus Campus Minister has more Minister, his best work thus far than exceeded expectations. has been Mr. Malinowski’s job continustarted with a bang in August when he met with administra- ing the tradition tors and senior leaders before of atthe school had even started to tendance plan the freshman orientation. Needless to say, Mr. Mal came at the annual up with twists that proved to March for everyone that he was more Life in than ready to fill Mr. Nelson’s Mr. Mal Washington, shoes. D.C. Then, before the pep rally, His door is always open Mr. Mal designed the ‘I can, and seems to have more people you can, we can’ canned food hanging out than places to sit. drive. Students have grown to The food drive inspired have a great relationship with students to take matters into him and many view him more their own hands and fill the as a mentor than a teacher. shelves of the food bank that The Trinity community is had become bare. blessed to have him and he is By the end of the drive, each student had brought in an sure to bring a great close to the year. average of more than 10 cans. Small school shows off its big pride and spirit T to be when the brackets were rinity is known across released. the state for being the And then it was the boys little school that could. turn. They trailed in both the Our school of fewer than quarterfinals and the semis 500 kids gives more than before completely disman2000 cans for the canned tling city rival food drive. Our Editorial Memorial, 50-25 volunteer hours in one of the most double those of dominating chamstudents in schools four times our size. We travel pionships in recent memory. But it didn’t stop there. 500 miles to march three The little school that miles for something that we could had as many fans - if believe in. not more - in every one of But this winter, Trinity those aforementioned games did something else better than the schools Trinity than any other school – play played. Each time, the fans sports. brought with them the pride, Of the three major winter spirit and tradition that is so sports (boys’ hockey, boys’ often emphasized at Trinity. basketball and girls’ basketAt each game, fans from ball), Trinity won a playoff across the state packed the game in each. arena, some to take in a game The hockey team upset and others to root their team fifth-seeded Exeter before to victory. But it was Trinfalling to eventual champion ity and its fans that stood tall Pinkerton when the Astros netted the game-winning goal above the rest, win or lose. The fans at these games with 3.5 seconds reaming. helped motivate these players Then the girls’ basketball and showed the whole state team advanced to the chamthat it doesn’t matter how big pionship, where they hung in there with one of the best New or small a school is. Well over half of the school was at most Hampshire girls’ basketball of these games. teams ever assembled, the It’s moments like these Winnacunnet Warriors. The girls avenged a regular that set Trinity apart from every other school and show season loss to second-seed why Trinity students are rePinkerton in the semis – a ally something special. place they weren’t expected 2008/2009 The Pioneer Page 3 Opinion/Editorial Trinity: Commitment to school, community S ummer is almost here, and the observation that I often hear is, “You must really be happy to be rid of those kids!” I don’t know what the experience is at other schools since I have always been safely ensconced in the Trinity Community, but we actually like having the “kids” around. Sure, we are all a bit tired right now. We can use a break from work and are ready for a change in routine, but (and I know some of you will think I am lying or crazy) we really love teaching these kids. It’s not because the families are rich or that the students are all geniuses. It is, in part, because we choose each other. Teachers choose to be here when they can earn more and work less in other school systems. Parents choose to pay tuition above and beyond their taxes, and some of them really do struggle to do so. Students choose Trinity when they know they will be asked to work harder than ever for their grades. Like any good relationship, we choose to be together and we choose to beat the odds whether that involves our outstanding sports teams, our First Robotics Team, the many other activities and accolades our students are responsible for, their 100% college D ear Alumni and Friends, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, my name is Michael Connell. I am a graduate of Trinity High School, Class of 1990. Currently, I serve as the development/alumni director at Trinity. In this dual role, I am constantly trying to find ways to connect with our alumni. This newspaper is just the first step in that process. Along with mailings we will be updating our Website. We are hoping that this Website will not only be inviting for all users but also functional for all alumni. The Website will enable the user to find other alumni and update information that will help us to keep you informed of upcoming events. I hope that these improvements will make it easier for all of us to not only attend the events but also inspire some to get involved with planning and creating the events. From the phone calls and encounters I have had with many alumni, I know that many of us would like to be involved. I welcome any and all suggestions and help. We all have had a unique experience, and I would like to think that most of us had a positive Denis Mailloux From the Principal acceptance rate or incredible college scholarship awards. We choose to work harder, strive for more and, together, set the tone for an experience that will follow these “kids” for the rest of their lives. I am writing this piece not in anticipation of what our alums would like to read or to get them to “connect” with the school and make generous donations. I really want you to know what any teacher here will echo. There is magic here. I claim no responsibility for it, but I am lucky enough to witness it. Teachers come into school early, leave late, readily give our students extra help, lead activities, participate in service activities with the students, etc., etc., etc. They Mike Connell Office of Development experience while they spent their four years here. That being said, there is no better way to show your appreciation and pride for your school than giving back. There are, of course, many ways to give back, but I think the most important is to simply get involved, whether it is coming back for homecoming, coming to watch the team you once played for carry on the tradition, or spending the evening connecting with fellow classmates at the Thanksgiving social. We all share a bond that is hard to put into words. I look forward to many years of serving Trinity as well as you my fellow Alumni. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns that you might have at mconnell@trinityhs.org. pride spirit t r a d i t i o n. T r i n ity H igh S chool never stop. The students respond to their teachers’ commitment with a level of achievement and participation that is the equal of any school. They reciprocate naturally, giving back to the community that has nurtured them. The central point of all this is that Trinity High School stands for a level of commitment to our school, our students and our community that is without equal. One of the tragedies of our society today is that children grow up without tangible evidence that they are of value to anyone. It’s hard to feel valued if no one gives you their time. All of us at Trinity are proud of all that our schools stands for and for all its students achievements, but what we are most proud of is the fact that every Trinity student knows what it means to be in a community where people take time to work together, to help each other and to commit to each other through the time they spend supporting each other. Academic preparations alone are cold and empty. It’s the heart that guides us. It tells what is worth pursuing and doesn’t let us lose sight of the people who bring meaning to our lives. Trinity students learn that lesson. Save the Date: THS turns 40 1970….the Beatles release their final album, the floppy disk is invented, Monday Night Football makes its debut and Trinity High School opens its doors. In honor of our 40th anniversary, Trinity High School will have a year-long celebration during the 2010-2011 academic year. Stay tuned for details about the festivities! If you would like additional information or if you want to help play a role in the celebration, please e-mail us at 40@trinityhs.org. As our Class of 2009 leaves us and goes out into the world, they bring with them an understanding of what it means to value others and to care about them. They will lead with their hearts, minds and spirits. The world can’t help but be a better place for that. Denis Mailloux, Principal, Class of ’72 Page 4 The Pioneer Opinion/Editorial You’re in high school and you’re definitely not in love V alentine’s Day is approaching, and it’s just one more day that the countless couples at Trinity stare into each other’s eyes and say “I love you”, all the while blocking lockers and doors and emergency exits. To all of you, I say, get a grip. You’re a fire hazard, and you’re most certainly not in love. You’re in high school, and you haven’t found your “soul mate”. You aren’t going to spend the rest of eternity together. That’s a Hallmark fantasy. I mean, come on, let’s face it: your relationship has issues, as every high school relationship does, and you’ll probably be broken up in a few weeks, a month tops Minded, there are a few relationships where the people involved are able to maintain space, and therefore they are generally fairly successful. However, for most, it seems you can’t even maintain balance without holding the other person’s hand. What is this, preschool? But then again, it couldn’t be preschool, because when you’re tired from taking up the space of two people walking down the halls, you stop and take a break to make out, conve- Joe Walsh Opinion niently blocking the maximum amount of lockers possible. It never stops, and most don’t even come up for air! It seems like it would be in the best interest of all parties involved to get snorkels surgically implanted into the sides of their faces. And while all this is happening, people have to wait to get to their books. Of course the couples never look up to see if people are waiting, but they are. But let’s be totally honest: what could you possibly say to break something like that up? Maybe “excuse me, I need to get my books, and I’d prefer them sans-saliva.” Even though you think you’re in love, you’re not. Maybe you’re infatuated, maybe you have issues with being alone, or maybe you are trying to make someone really angry by blocking their locker and/or access to emergency exits during a fire drill! I personally don’t know, maybe you should go to therapy. All I can say is that you are not in love. You’ve probably only been dating for a few months, and although the thrill of it all may not have worn off by now, it will. Give it time, and while you’re waiting, please refrain from making out in front of lockers, and cut back on the hand holding. Instead, try a friendly conversation. You may even discover that you have absolutely nothing in common with this person you barely know, and therefore you’ll save yourself a whole bunch of time and energy. You could still keep on doing exactly what you’ve been doing if that’s what you both want; you just wouldn’t be under the false pretense that you are in love. If you feel the urge to stop me in the hall and tell me that I am completely clueless because I’m not in a relationship, please refrain. I’m in high school. I’m not in love. And neither are you. Time for nonstop texters to rethink their social habits I had never attended a birthday party as frustrating as this one. It was my best friend’s Sweet Sixteen, yet only two out of the seven party-goers (including myself) seemed to be paying attention to the birthday girl. This was not to be blamed on the obnoxious attention seeker or the self-pitying wallflower who always finds a way to kill the mood of the party; the object competing against my friend for attention was the omnipresent cellular telephone. The theme was casino night, and all the girls were assembled around the dining room table, chatting and laughing as my friend’s step-dad patiently taught the group how to play Texas Hold ‘Em. However, as I glanced around the table, it looked like the other girls were more interested in their enV’s and Voyagers than participating in the card game. Every bout of laughter was interrupted by the raucous buzz of an incoming message, and much of the conversation was about the insignificant drama being passed around from phone to phone. Sarah Ruggiero Opinion Not even a rousing game of Rock Band could pry the cell phones from these girls’ hands. Instead, several of the girls sat in cliques on the other side of the basement, refusing to contribute to the social atmosphere. I thought this behavior was incredibly rude. Did they have somewhere else they would rather be? Were the 160 characters displayed across a touch-screen really that more intriguing than a boisterous party fueled by “That’sWhat-She-Said’s” and double chocolate cake? I knew the obsession with texting was a problem for teenagers, but the level of absorption on that particular occasion made my brain sizzle. Texting can be a helpful and convenient means of communication, but when teenagers start texting more than talking, they become socially inept and communicatively lazy. Making a phone call doesn’t require an incredible amount of energy and effort, and it’s much more meaningful than sending a text message, which is by default, void of inflection and emotion. If you can only manage to discuss serious matters via text message, you’ve got a problem. You’re not always going to be able to deal with the heavier stuff by taking the easy way out. There are certain things that need to be said or discussed in person, like major arguments, breakups, important revelations, apologies, or even making the first move with a crush. Here’s a revolutionary idea: put your cell phone away and actually pay attention to the people around you! Face to face communication will never go out of style, and it doesn’t cost $59.99 per month on a two-year contract. 2008/2009 A time to look back to the good old days A Pat McLaughlin t this now seemed time like an hour. Opinion there When the is a disorder only thing that rapidly infesting mattered was havthe seniors of Trining fun. When five ity High School dollars seemed like a and no, it is not million. When Toys “senioritis.” R’ Us overruled the In fact it is the mall. exact opposite, for This was a time the sake of this before the internet or article let it be called the AIM, before X-Box 360 or “College Warrior Complex.” PS3, remember...four square, Ask anyone in the (snazhoola-hoops, Happy Meals, zy) class of ‘09 and they will running through sprinklers, tell you that they have never getting the front seat was a been more busy or stressed. huge deal, cartoons like-Hey Between planning for Arnold or Doug or what next year and college apabout Legends of the Hidden plications in addition to Temple, Gloabal Guts, Doueverything else that needs ble Dare, and Are You Afraid to be done, lives have been of the Dark, who could completely consumed. forget Snick, or teenage Even though this anxiety mutant ninja turtles, scooby seems completely underdoo, and the Power Rangers, standable, would it be totally climbing trees, the ice cream absurd truck, to step building aside, forts, and take spinning a look at around the big till you picture? get so It is dizzy senior you fall, year, laughand it ing so would be hard you a shame almost if come pee your spring, pants, you reallaughized you didn’t enjoy what ing so hard you did pee your you actually had. pants, indoor recess playing Every year on the senior “7-UP,” field trips every retreat, it seems as though other week, all decisions the majority of seniors walk were made by “eeny-meenyout these doors at the end of miney-moe,” mistakes were the day in tears. fixed by a simple “do over,” Could this be because Pogs, abilities were discovthey have finally absorbed ered because of “doublethe reality of the situation, dog-dares,” Pokemon cards, that they will never walk and our only perception of through these halls again, high school was through never be with these people Zach Morris, A.C. Slater, as one group, and that the Kellie Kapowski, Lisa past four years are now just Turtle, Jesse, and Schreech. a recent memory? Remember? “Warriors,” maybe it It was simple, it was fun, wouldn’t be a bad idea to and it made sense, and it cerstop the foot that is in midtainly can’t hurt to look back stride and just appreciate and keep things in perspecwhere your standing, prepare tive. So as everyone goes for the future but don’t forback to the last minute SATs, get to enjoy the present. the agonizing essays, and So what is the proposed the rest of your future, don’t remedy to this “College forget to enjoy the moment Warrior Complex?” because what you do today Put yourself in a time will soon be just another one when two minutes from of tomorrow’s memories. ...don’t forget to enjoy the moment because what you do today will soon be just another one of tomorrow’s memories. Do you own a business? Would you or your employer like to support The Pioneer and advertise at the same time? If so, consider purchasing a business ad. You can find information under “Newspaper” at www.trinity-hs.org. Or, e-mail us at newspapersales@trinity-hs.org 2008/2009 The Pioneer In Memoriam THS mourns great loss Staff Reports Trinity High School lost a beloved guidance director, friend, and mother on Dec. 4. Mrs. Cynthia Raczka was 55 when she passed away after a sudden illness. Mrs. Raczka was born to James and Margaret Christensen on August 10, 1953 in Minneapolis, MN. She attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover and earned her B.S. and M.S. from the University of New Hampshire. She then received her M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina. Mrs. Raczka worked at Trinity for the past 34 years, starting as a teacher in the science department. She then became guidance director and continued serving that position up until her death. Mrs. Raczka was a loving wife and mother who remained a devout Catholic throughout her life. She was known to others as someone who had a passion for education and loved interacting with Trinity students. Mrs. Raczka’s family includes her husband of 22 years, Ronald E. Raczka; two daughters Meredith Ann Raczka, Trinity Class of 2006; Michelle Marie Raczka, a current junior at Trinity. She also leaves behind her mother, Margaret Christensen; one sister, Ann Christensen; one brother, Jeffrey Christensen; nephews, nieces, and cousins. The wake was held on Monday, Dec. 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory. The Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. at St. Catherine Church. Burial followed at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Friends and family gathered at Trinity High School following the burial. Memorial contributions may be made to the Guardian Angel Fund, care of Trinity High School, 581 Bridge St., Manchester NH 03104. Page 5 Mrs. Cynthia Raczka 1953-2008 Cindy had three favorite things in life; they were her family, Trinity, and her faith. If you knew her you knew these were equally held close to her heart. Cindy spent much of her time at school and with her family. I have spent countless hours with her over the past several years, and I have been fortunate to work alongside her and to see the many sides of Cindy: compassionate friend, loyal coworker, and proud mother. It was not uncommon on any given day for Cindy to share how proud she was of her daughters. While we talked about many things, these were the conversations I will remember most because she would light up when talking about them, and you could see the pride and love in her eyes... She will be missed every day here, and I am certain in our own ways that we will all work toward keeping her memory alive and continue the work she so valued. God’s Peace to all who knew her, Ms. Theressa Risdal, guidance counselor Not easily forgotten The Trinity community and family lost one of its beloved members when Mrs. Cynthia Raczka passed away on Dec. 5 due to a sudden illness. At Trinity, her title was Director of Guidance. But to the Trinity family, she was so much more than that. Mrs. Raczka went far above the call of duty for any teacher or faculty member. She served over half of the school as a friend first, guidance counselor second. She thought of others first and came in to Trinity during most Christmas vacations to mail away applications and make sure that each student had the best shot he/she could to succeed in life. You see, this was not a job that Mrs. Raczka dreaded going to. In fact, this was not a job to her. This was her sanctuary. Mrs. Raczka is someone who is irreplaceable. Not just at Trinity, but as a person. She grew close to so many Trinity family members and helped even more become the Editorial students and community, because nothing is guaranteed. It’s moments like these that people appreciate the people that surround them and the lives they are so lucky to have. And it’s moments like these that Trinity does what it always does, something that separates it apart from any other school. It comes together as one family to mourn the loss of one of its dearest members. This is what separates Trinity from any other school and this is what Mrs. Raczka fell in love with for 34 years. She loved the opportunity to mold thousands of students into adults and to prepare them for college and their lives after high school. She handled each student differently, treating each like her own son or daughter. To her, her family didn’t end with her two children; it expanded to the entire school. Trinity High School was her family. It was her community, and it was the place that she loved for 34 years. And that is what she will be remembered for most. She handled each student differently, treating each like her own son or daughter. people they are today. Her loss came as a shock to the entire Trinity community and is a loss that will never be forgotten. Anyone who has ever worked with her can remember her jolly laugh or the way she would always smile and say “hi” when you walked by her in the hallway. And while her death came as a shock, it also came as a reminder. A reminder that life is a fragile thing, something that can be taken away at anytime. And while her loss is devastating, it helps to remind us to cherish the time that we have with our teachers, For more than 30 years you have been my colleague, my travelling companion, my friend and family. I can never forget the trip we took to London. Even then, you had to call Trinity with plan A and plan B for hiring a new science teacher that summer. Together, we rode the rails on a tour of the scenic railroads of New Hamsphire. I remember you telling me that Ronnie asked you what you were doing that day. You told him you were going with Betty to ride the Conway Railroad. He thought that was fine since you were going with me. As Ecclesiastes says, “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die... a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance... a time to seek... a time to love... and a time for peace.” I will miss you, my friend and adopted sister. Love Betty (Kudrick), Trinity math teacher Page 6 The Pioneer 2008/2009 News New staff members join Trinity ranks Staff Reports Mr. Leonard If an athlete who excels in more than one phase of the game is considered a “dualthreat,” then what would Trinity’s new faculty member, Mr. Leonard, who teaches three classes and manages to find the time to be an assistant coach and Trinity’s athletic director, be called? How about busy? Mr. Mr. Leonard Leonard started at Trinity long before any of us (students, at least) were even alive, back in 1981. And he probably would have stayed here for more than the four years he did, if it were not for football. But Mr. Leonard wanted something more that he couldn’t have at Trinity for a long time – a head coaching position. “I left for a public school so that I could become the head football coach over there [Manchester West High School]. I knew that Coach Gati (Trinity’s head football coach from 1979 - 1988) had this program secure for a while, and I couldn’t turn down that opportunity,” he said. More than 20 years later, and after teaching stints at West High School, Manchester Central High School and McKelvie Middle School, Mr. Leonard has a similar job to the one he was looking for at Trinity. He is an assistant coach on the football team and has been for three years. Not only that, but Mr. Leonard is embarking on his first year as an athletic director, taking over for Mr. Patrick Smith, who served as the AD for the last decade. “It is a challenge to be half-teacher and half-athletic director. Every day, I encounter something that I wouldn’t have expected,” he said. That seems pretty fitting considering he has four jobs at Trinity, plus the job of being a full time father of two children, Ashley and Mike, both Trinity students. Mr. Perry Mr. Perry is teaching his first full time year at Trinity and could not be more excited. Even though it may be his first full year in the classroom, Mr. Perry is certainly no stranger to teaching. Being the outdoor enthusiast he is, Mr. Perry taught rock climbing back in Colorado, while washing windows (or as he Mr. Perry likes to call it, “glass scrubbing”) on the side. The outdoors were originally something that drew him to New Hampshire, where he attended Dartmouth College. He loves to rock climb, ski, and paddleboard. You can see Mr. Perry this year teaching geography and history, while also coaching alpine skiing and outdoor track. Ms. Levine After 23 years of working in Manchester public schools, Ms. Ivy Levine decided to retire, but only from the public education. Ms. Levine now joins Trinity as a Spanish teacher teaching six Spanish classes of varying levels. After attending Central High School, Ms. Levine went to University of New Hamp- shire in Durham, where she received her B.A. and then proceeded to earn her master’s degree at Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Even though she completed her student teaching at her alma Ms. Levine mater, Ms. Levine took on a full-time teaching position at Manchester West High School, where she taught until last year. “I decided to retire from the Manchester public schools due to the change in the school I was in and the city not supporting education well enough,” said Levine. “I wasn’t burnt out. I still loved teaching. But I just wasn’t as happy as I should be and felt that it was time for a change.” That change was coming to Trinity. Spontaneously, Ms. Levine called Mr. Patrick Smith, dean of students and Ms. Levine’s former student at West. A week later, Ms. Levine heard back from the school that she would be considered for hiring. Ms. Levine was an active faculty member at West. “I brought back the language club and was class adviser for my first graduating class of ’89,” said Levine. Ms. Levine said she feels very welcome by the faculty and the students, who are very friendly. “It’s a change, but I think it’s a change for the better, and at this point in time, I am happy with the decision I have made,” said Ms. Levine. Like many of the long-time Trinity staff members, Ms. Levine has gotten involved with the school extracurricular activities as well as with students in class. Ms. Levine is here at Trinity not only teaching, but as a member of the Trinity community. Mr. O’Leary Mr. Dan O’Leary, Trinity High School’s new part-time Latin instructor, is a Boston College graduate, Vietnam veteran and longtime teacher. Mr. O’Leary was born in 1948 right outside of Boston, in Somerville, Massachusetts. After growing up in the Somerville area, Mr. O’Leary attended Boston College, where he majored in philosophy and German. Following his graduation from BC in 1968, Mr. O’Leary was drafted into the military and spent a year serving in Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam, Mr. O’Leary went on to receive his master’s degree in English from Boston State College, now a part of the University of Massachusetts. Currently, Mr. O’Leary resides in North Sutton, N.H., where he previously taught at Kearsarge Regional High School. After teaching English and Latin at the high school full time for 32 years, Mr. O’Leary retired in Mr. O’Leary June 2007. However, when Mr. O’Leary was contacted by Trinity about teaching Latin on a part-time basis, he was tempted to return to what he loves. “I missed teaching,” said Mr. O’Leary. “I missed the day-to-day contact with students and colleagues.” Mr. O’Leary is also an adjunct instructor at SNHU, where he teaches English. Due to the fact that he only works part-time here at Trinity, Mr. O’Leary hasn’t really gotten involved with much outside of the classroom. “When I taught at Kearsarge I was involved in a lot, though: student council, senior leadership…things like that.” Because Mr. O’Leary teaches at Trinity part-time he is usually only at school during the fixed mods: D, E and F, during which time he teaches Latin 1, Latin 2 and Latin 3. Mrs. Lennan-Morf Mrs. Gail Lennan-Morf is the new Spanish level one teacher at Trinity and teaches part time for mods D, E, and F. “That’s a fun course to teach,” said Mrs. LennanMorf. A graduate of Keene High School, Mrs. Lennan-Morf Mrs. Lennanwent to Morf Suffolk University in Boston, M.A. and earned her B.A .and M. Ed. She then went to Morelia Mexico and earned her master’s in Spanish. Mrs. Lennan-Morf just retired from public school teaching after 31 years. She taught the last 21 at Merrimack High School. At Trinity she is now active with Campus Ministry. The owner of a 23-year-old cat said she loves to volunteer for school dances and activities too. She stays busy as a eucharistic minister at St. Elizabeth Seton in Bedford. “The absolute truth is I always wanted to teach at Trinity when I retired, and something was available,” said Mrs. Lennan-Morf. “And I absolutely love it.” Welcoming new guidance to the Trinity community By Sam Goodnow Pioneer Editor Few professionals adhere to students’ needs as closely as guidance counselors do, and few careers are as stressful but also rewarding. According to Trinity’s new guidance counselor, Mr. Ronald Losier, the time is worth the effort. “I’ve been doing guidance a long time,” said Mr. Losier, “and I love it.” Mr. Losier has been a guidance counselor in Whitefield, at Groveton High School, and at Berlin High School. Mr. Losier graduated from Berlin High School before going to St. Michael’s Col- lege in Vermont, completing a bachelor’s degree in English. He taught for four years in South Windsor, Connecticut and then returned to his alma mater, Berlin High School, to teach. He completed a master’s program and earned dual certification in administration and guidance and counseling at Plymouth State University. From there, Mr. Losier’s future lay in Milan Elementary School where he became an elementary principal, and he has now found himself in Trinity’s own guidance department. A veteran in guidance counseling, Mr. Losier took on his fourth guidance counseling job here at Trinity. Pioneer Staff Photo Trinity’s newest addition to guidance, Mr. Losier, sits in his office ready to meet with students. Since Mrs. Cynthia Raczka’s death in December, Ms. Theressa Risdal has filled Mrs. Raczka’s position as guidance director. Mr. Losier was hired for the position of guidance counselor. “We are very lucky to have [Mr. Losier] join us,” said Ms. Risdal. While Ms. Risdal continues with the M-Z section of Trinity students, Mr. Losier has taken A-L. “That way, we stay with students for four years. It gives us an opportunity to really get to know them,” said Mr. Losier. Mr Losier can usually be found in his office in the guidance department. ”I certainly want the student body to know how pleased I am to be here,” said Mr. Losier. “I have an opendoor policy, so I’m always happy to help.” Trinity faculty and students have put in an effort to get to know Mr. Losier. “It’s been a very easy transition, very largely due to the help of the staff. They have given me a great deal of their time. I have been welcomed. Also the cooperation of the student body has made it easy,” said Mr. Losier. Meetings can be scheduled with Mr. Losier at any time. Already, Mr. Losier has met with most juniors to discuss college plans. It seems the class of 2010 will not be the last class that Mr. Losier sends off to college. “So far I’ve really enjoyed Trinity—it’s a wonderful group,” said Mr. Losier. 2008/2009 The Pioneer Page 7 News The Pioneers’ trainer goes above and beyond By Kaitlin Fitzgerald Pioneer Staff The younger of two children, Mrs. Hollingworth grew up with her older sister in northern New Hampshire. A natural born athlete, she played field hockey, basketball and softball during her high school years. She was also able to flex her artistic and musical muscles during her years spent playing clarinet in her high school band. Coming from a very small high school, Mrs. Hollingworth approached college life at Ithaca College in New York. “I went to Ithaca without knowing a soul,” Hollingworth said. Yet, she showed willingness to become involved and took on the various opportunities presented to her. While attending college, Mrs. Hollingworth not only involved herself with rowing for a collegiate level crew team, but she also found the time to head up a major organization on campus, all the while still volunteering with various other organizations. “I met lots of people and tried out some new things, like crew. It opened my eyes to a lot of new opportunities that I would not have sought out if I didn’t have to branch out on my own.” Mrs. Hollingworth’s thirst for new experiences and opportunities extended far beyond the boundaries of Ithaca, NY. Mrs. Hollingworth is a seasoned world traveler, having been to South Africa, Greece, England, Ireland, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Alaska. She has also been on the obligatory backpacking trip through Europe for six weeks and has made a month-long road trip across the United States with a friend. “My backpacking trip to Europe Courtesy of Amy Hollingworth Mrs. Hollingworth and her husband atop Mt. Kilimajaro, the highest peak in Africa. also taught me a lot about life. It was an amazing experience where I learned a ton about how other cultures live, she said.” Mrs. Hollingworth recalls that her experiences of travel and cultural immersion have undoubtedly shaped her life and cultivated within her a new sense of appreciation for culture, nature, lifestyle, and adventure. “It was constant action and decision making at every turn. Sometimes I can be hesitant when it comes to decision-making, but I couldn’t be this way on my trip if I wanted to get anywhere and see anything,” said Hollingworth. Mrs. Hollingworth has a passion for not only seeing the world around her but, more importantly, for being a part of it. She assures that if you ever bump into her in some exotic country, she will not be the tourist looking aimlessly at the sky with a Polaroid camera draped around her neck and a fanny pack cinched around her waist. “I walked on the Great Wall and ran a race in a Typhoon,” she said, “I went bungee jumping, sailing, flew over Cape Point and have taken a boat ride to where the two oceans meet… My husband and I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro – the highest peak in Africa.” Although a self-proclaimed lover of pizza “and ice-cream too,” Mrs. Hollingworth has spent much of her adult life doing a different kind of traveling, running 26.2 miles at a time. Despite the fact that she does not consider herself a “true runner,” Mrs. Hollingworth has completed six full marathons since the fall of 2006. “I decided to train for a marathon because I thought it would be a good challenge, and I needed the extra focus to help with my training discipline,” she said. Her first marathon was the Cape Cod Marathon in the fall of 2006. “I decided to run the Cape Cod Marathon because one of my other friends was running it, and I thought it would be nice to have others there to cheer me on – since they were going to be there to cheer her on.” Despite her amateur status and nonchalant attitude, Mrs. Hollingworth completed the race with an impressive time of 3 hours 55 minutes. Her finish at the Cape Cod Marathon earned her a spot on the starting line of the hypercompetitive Boston Marathon later that year, where she ran a time of 3 hours and 40 minutes, requalifying herself for the race the next year. Since, Mrs. Hollingworth has continued to run an impressive two marathons per year, finishing with competitive times that have continually qualified her for Boston. Whether it be bungee jumping in South Africa, wrapping someone’s ankle, or watching A ‘good ole’ Disney Pixar movie” with her husband, it is clear that Mrs. Hollingworth’s openness to experience has not waned since her college years. “At times it is challenging, but it is always interesting. Everyday is a new experience. I never know what the new day will bring,” she said. Mrs. Hollingworth is a woman who is cool in temperament, kind in demeanor, and so painstakingly modest by nature that many of her tremendous stories and achievements remain untold. Although she prefers the sunlight to the limelight, Mrs. Hollingworth is a woman who has achieved much, traveled far, yet told little. However, don’t let her fool you; there is much of her story that is yet to come. “The plans are still in the works, but we are working on an around-theworld trip…shhhh!” George Heck: the man behind the wheel By Alison Patev Pioneer Staff F . or 13 years, bus driver George Heck has become a familiar smiling face to Trinity athletes. When a team is traveling to a different school, you can bet that Heck will be driving the bus. Raised on a farm in southeast Pennsylvania, Heck was a three-sport athlete, participating in football, basketball, and baseball, the only three sports his high school offered. His school was even smaller than Trinity, with only 87 students in his graduating class. After graduation, Heck, whose childhood ambition was to become a farmer, wasn’t keen on the idea of higher education. He spent four years in the Air Force as a bomb site technician before finally deciding to pursue electrical engineering at TriState University in Indiana. Until 1990, Heck worked for the Minuteman Missile System as an engineer manager at GTE in Massachusetts. An employee for 25 years, Heck took early retirement in 1990. A year later, he applied for a job as a bus driver. It was an appealing job to Heck. “I like kids and I like driving,” he said. He started out driving for the Bedford School District, and, in 1995, took a job driving buses for Trinity teams. Over the past 13 years, Heck has grown to be one of Trinity’s biggest fans. “I developed a real rapport with the people at Trinity,” says Heck. “I get the feeling that what I do is appreciated.” His allegiance to the school was shown several years ago when he was almost forced to give up driving for Trinity. Heck’s new boss told him that if he still wanted to drive for Trinity, he had to take new bus routes in Goffstown. Heck, although he was against the idea of driving routes in Goffstown, loved driving for Trinity so much that he took the Goffstown routes just so he could continue to drive Trinity teams. Heck has a collection of caps and shirts that he wears, depending on the team he is driving for. For hockey, he says, he has a Trinity hockey cap and shirt he wears to show support. Heck is often seen Alison Patev / Pioneer staff sporting his George Heck takes in a Jan. 6 girls’ basketball Trinity Piogame at Winnacunnet. The girls’ lost, 85-50. neers jacket, which he laughing. found on sale and had specialIn addition to this dily embroidered with the name ploma, Heck has garnered all of his favorite school. kinds of signed balls and let“He is an honorary ters from teams thanking him Pioneer,” says Mr. Patrick for his continued support. He Smith, Dean of Students and estimates that he has been to the girls’ varsity basketball almost 1,200 Trinity games coach. to date. This was shown four years When asked how he feels ago when Heck received an to be so well-loved and rehonorary diploma at a 2004 spected, Heck said: “It feels Sports Awards Night. good. I feel all the time that “They put a cap and gown kids respect what I’m doing on me!” remembers Heck, and coaches, too.” Heck, who confidently admits it is not hard to learn to drive a bus, claims that only one thing will keep him from driving for Trinity, “and that’s if I stop breathing.” This steak-and-potato-loving bus driver also admits that basketball is his favorite sport to watch because it is all action. “But I like almost all of them,” Heck apologizes, referring to all of the other Trinity sports. When he’s not driving, Heck spends time with his “hobby at the moment,” woodworking. He’s always had an interest in carpentry and says that if he weren’t a bus driver or an engineer, he would definitely be a carpenter. As well as creating objects out of wood, Heck is also very involved with his grandsons. Both play basketball, so Heck goes to as many of their games as he can. Hopefully, he says, the two boys will attend Trinity, so he can drive them to all of their away games. Page 8 The Pioneer 2008/2009 News Dow: Trinity alum shines in Beijing By Sam Goodnow Pioneer Editor peting well enough to racewalk in the Olympics, but she acewalking is no easy had been just shy of feat. It is different, qualification. yet just as challeng“I’d competed at ing as running because while that level, just not racewalking, the walker must at the Olympics. In have one foot on the ground anything, you are just at all times while the other that competitive as an knee must be straight when athlete. It’s always a the heel comes down. dream,” said Dow. United States Olympic Just like all of racewalker Joanne Dow has the other Olympic been practicing this specific athletes, Dow had form for fourteen years now, to adjust herself to and her efforts finally took her competing in another to the 2008 also coached at St. country. She had to Joseph’s Junior High and St. focus on her race Benedict Academy in Manand not think of the chester. negatives such as the Dow’s interest in race different food and walking is a progression from change in sleeping the fitness class that she was time. instructing fourteen years ago The weather Since the commencement of for August 21 was her racewalking career, Dow’s anticipated to be hot, talent has been displayed in but Dow woke up to many races of varying distance pouring rain on race and competition. day. Dow racewalks different dis“I set pretty realtances depending on the race, istic goals for myself, but the Olympic qualifying and I made those race and the Olympic race on goals. I certainly did Jeff Salvage / www.racewalk.com not expect to PR with August 21 were both 20-kiloTrinity High School alumna (’82) and Manchester native JoAnne Dow all of the variables,” meter distances. racewalks during this summer’s Olympic Games in Bejing, China. Twenty kilometers is said Dow. roughly 12.4 miles, just under One way Dow My coach and I had seen it a few days prepared and centered herself before the distance of a half-marathon. before. And then, when I looked at my the race was through prayer. In 2004, Dow set her 20k personal time, it was like, oh!” said Dow. record of 1:32:55, and she was satisDow prays often in her training as Dow had already competed in fied with her Olympic trials time of well as before, during, and after races. 1:35:11, which was a minute ahead of elite races and knew a few of the U.S. Dow’s training can rack up a total of Olympic track athletes from previous the second place finisher. When she more than 60 miles a week and she deevents. crossed the finish line at 1:34:15 at votes a lot of time into working out. She went to China almost two National Stadium in China, Dow had “I do more than just walking. Well, weeks before her family arrived to racewalked her third fastest career it’s my job, too, so the majority of my support her for the race, so she hung time. day until I coach is spent on it,” she “That’s not bad at my age and to do around with some of the athletes she said. after 14 years. It was good to leave on knew, as well as new teammates too. During races, Dow’s mind basiDow had wanted to compete in the cally remains on one of two courses: a high note,” said Dow. “I was very, Olympics before this year and had very happy with my time.” in prayer or in mathematical mayhem. racewalked in more than one qualifyFinishing in 31st place overall, Dow She uses the same prayer for training ing trial. had also set the U.S. women’s interas she does for her races, and it was She had thought in 2000 and in national racewalking record. “I didn’t a central thought during her Olympic 2004 that she was capable of comeven know what it was until the race. performance. R “Elite race walking competitors like JoAnne Dow make the sport look effortless...” “I just had this goal in my mind, and so any negative thoughts I would just pray them away,” said Dow. “I’ve got this great prayer I learned at a parish mission. ‘Come Holy Spirit, come now, come as you wish.’ ” Dow repeated this prayer in her Olympic race as well as in the qualifying race and a lot in her training. “I know I’m not in control here,” said Dow, referring to the prayer. While one half of her mind allows her to let God take control, the other half is calculating paces and strategizing to pass the competition. Dow said she usually breaks 20k races down into more manageable 5k segments, but she did not use this strategy in the Olympics. “I think a lot about my pace and my coach—what he says. Mostly I am just focusing on what my pace should be and what I want to do. There is math going on in my head,” she said. As an Olympic event that only the elite could ever hope to compete in, racewalking has proved to be more than just regulated form. “I love it. I do. I really enjoy challenging myself and achieving something,” said Dow. Elite race walking competitors like JoAnne Dow make the sport look effortless, but only those elite athletes know how challenging and rewarding it can be. “Invisible Children” bring hope to THS By Alexa Serrecchia Pioneer Editor There is a new club to get involved in this year as the Invisible Children Club makes its Trinity High School debut. If you were here last year, you may remember the overnight lock-in that about 70 students participated in. It was put on to raise awareness about Invisible Children in Northern Uganda and what they are going through. “I felt that it was very important to make IC more than just a one-night event and transform it into something much greater that has an epic impact on the children of Northern Uganda,” said Kaitlin Fitzgerald, senior, and also the main student in charge of Invisible Children Club. Fitzgerald hopes that the club will not only help to rebuild schools in Northern Uganda, but also to raise awareness in the community about human rights issues. If you are not familiar with Invisible Children, it is a nonprofit organization that tries to give the children in Northern Uganda a better education by trying to create a stronger and better learning environment for the students. Also, Invisible Children tries to introduce new economic ideas to improve the community. The children of Northern Uganda see horrific sights of people being killed every day from the war between the Lord’s Resistance Army in the Sudan and the Government of Uganda. There are children without parents, who struggle all day to find food and shelter for the evening—many do not have time to worry about an education. However, many of the children have great aspirations of becoming doctors or lawyers among other professions. “The Invisible Children Club is a club is a Trinity High School Club that is dedicated to raising awareness and pioneering creative and effective fundraisers in order to contribute to the Invisible Children organization’s efforts to rebuild schools in Northern Uganda that have been devastated by war,” said Fitzgerald. There are a few different ways for you to get involved with this club: you can attend the announced meetings, stop by and see Mr. Malinowski, cmapus minister. for more information, or find Kaitlin Fitzgerald and talk to her. You can even contact Kaitlin on the Trinity High School Invisible Children Facebook group, which was set up by students (it is not an official Campus Read The Pioneer throughout the year at www.trinity-hs.org Ministry/school group). Mark your calendars, because, “The central event will be held on October 1, when our Invisible Children “roadie” will be coming to Trinity HS to host a screening and speak to us about the organization and the cause,” said Fitzgerald. The idea behind the new club is to help these children. “We want to go beyond awareness into action,” said Mr. Malinowsk. “They need schools to adopt schools in Northern Uganda. We want it to be a grass roots sort of effort, not just Campus Ministry,” said Mr. Mal. 2008/2009 The Pioneer From Page One CHAMPIONSHIP Continued from page 1 play. From then on, it was all about defense as the Pioneers held the Crusaders to only 11 points in the first half. Trinity led, 22-11, heading into halftime. The Pioneers came out in the third with no plans of letting Memorial comeback. Senior captain Dylan Clark, Zach Ibanez and the Madol brothers took turns shutting down Memorial stars Jason Chevrefils and Jeff Sowa. the Pioneers maintained control of the low post game. Meanwhile, Laguerre scored 16 second-half points as the Pioneers came away with the championship, 50-25. As for Laguerre, he finished with 26 points, outscoring Memorial by himself. As the final seconds wound off of the clock, the familiar MARCH Continued from page 1 March to begin among 200,000 other marchers, the Trinity students and chaperones were met with surprise visits from Mr. Andrew Nelson, former Trinity Campus Minister and current seminarian, and Bishop McCormack of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. Mr. Malinowski, Trinity Campus Minister, had been looking forward to attending the March since he learned POWERS Continued from page 1 Manchester Union Leader wrote in his column “As I See ‘Em,” “Every community has a roster full of people who will forever be called coach, not because someone can’t remember their name, but because someone can remember a lot of good times.” This statement embodies what Mr. Powers is all about. Mr. Powers, whose official title is Assistant to the Athletic Director, was born in Manchester, and attended Bishop Bradley High School (now Trinity) as a member of the class of 1963. Mr. Powers, although humble about his accomplishments, was a three-sport varsity athlete and a member of Bishop Bradley’s football, basketball, and baseball teams. During his time at Bishop Bradley, Mr. Powers was a member of the 1961 Class L state champion baseball team, the 1961 Division I state champion football team, and the 1963 Class L state champion basketball team. “I thoroughly enjoyed my high school experience,” Mr. Powers said. “I think I was fortunate to be a part of athletics for several different teams. I enjoyed that immensely.” He continued on to at- Page 9 shouts of “I believe that we have won” by the Pioneer faithful could be heard ringing off the walls of Lundholm Gym. The Past It’s been 24 years since the last time the Pioneers could call themselves basketball’s state champions. However, in no way is this due to lack of talent. Within those 24 years, Trinity has had some of the best players that New Hampshire has ever seen. By only going back five years, you have your perfect example: the ‘Dream Team.’ You all know the story; the 2003 Pioneer basketball team started five players, four of whom went on to play Division I basketball in college and the fifth, Division II. However, they couldn’t win a championship. This year, there were never any egos when Trinity took the floor, and that’s what made the 2008-2009 Pioneers so special. Each and every player assumed a role and conquered it, making this group a team in every sense of the word. The Early Rounds The Pioneers’ road to the Championship all began back on March 11. At 7 p.m., the Pioneers made it clear that they were a force to be reckoned with as they beat sixteenth seeded Keene by 30 points, 73-43. Trinity’s next test was Saturday, March 14, at McHugh Gym against eighth-seeded city rival Manchester West. Led by Besfort Styla, who played the entire game battling a wrist injury, West shocked the home crowd, coming out on an impressive 11-0 lead. However, Fitzpatrick was more impressive. Netting seven three-point- ers on the night, Fitzpatrick sparked the Pioneer’s offense. When the game was over, West’s early lead had all but been forgotten and the story of the night was that Laguerre had scored his 1,000th point and the Pioneers walked away with another win, 55-41. Semifinals For three quarters, the Broncos played the best game the Pioneers had seen all year. Down low, Alvirne’s Ryan Sweeny and Brennan Donnelly, who finished with a combined 28 points and 15 rebounds, were in complete control of the game. As the third quarter got underway, things didn’t look any better for the Pioneers. With three minutes left until the fourth quarter, Alvirne maintained their ten point lead, 42-32. As the third quarter ended and the fourth quarter started, the Pioneers began their comeback. Led down the stretch by an impressive 10 points from Laguerre and seven from Richard Madol, the Pioneers came roaring back to tie the game on a Fitzpatrick trey that sent the Trinity student section into an absolute frenzy. The score was now 58-58 with 2:30 left to play. Soon to follow Fitzpatrick was Laguerre, who hit his own three to give the Pioneers the lead with 2:10 left on the clock. The Pioneers never looked back, finishing off the game with a score of 64-59. Laguerre led all scorers with 24. Richard Madol added 14 and both Clark and Valentine contributed seven. After the game, Clark’s response was simple and to the point. “Let’s finish it this time,” he said. that it is a Trinity tradition. “It was a way to let the new administration here in Washington know that issues pertaining to life are ones that we still care about and that millions of people across our country take seriously,” said Mr. Malinowski. Students and chaperones were excited about the opportunity to express their views and stand up for what they believe in. “I love going on the march because although we endure aching feet, bitter cold, and little sleep, the memories you take away from it last a lifetime. When you stand up for a noble cause you form a strong bond with the people around you,” said Sarah Tarr, a sophomore. Mr. Paul Pearsall, father of 2008 Trinity graduate Lauren Pearsall and junior Dan Pearsall, was proud to support the movement and be a chaperone for the fourth time. “To see the number of young kids take a stand that I believe in makes me very proud,” said Mr. Pearsall. Many chaperones believe it is important for students to get involved. Ms. Amber Byron, history teacher, and first-time attendee, agrees. “It’s always important for people to be passionate about an issue because that’s part of what our government is,” said Ms. Byron. Another first-time attendee, Mrs. Pamela Moriarty, parent of freshman C.J. Moriarty, reflected on her favorite moment of the March. “My favorite moment was cresting the hill near the end of the March route and looking back to see the thousands of participants still marching behind us. It really showed me what we were a part of,” said Mrs. Moriarty. After the March for Life, students and chaperones went to sightsee in Washington, D.C. before meeting at Union Station and getting on the buses to head home around 7 p.m. “As I got closer to leaving, I realized that it’s more about giving voices to the ones without,” said Emma Scarito, a freshman. tend Boston College Business School as a member of the class of 1967 on full scholarship. At BC, he was a member of the varsity football team. “I wasn’t a great athlete by any means,” said Mr. Powers. “But, I was fortunate to be on some excellent teams.” Although Mr. Powers claims that athletics was not his forte, he says that his forte was the love of the game. “I just wanted to be a part of it,” said Mr. Powers. “It didn’t matter what sport or position it was. I just wanted to play and be a part of it. I think that’s the only thing I give myself credit for.” After college, Mr. Powers began teaching social studies and coaching in 1968, first at Bishop Bradley (which turned into Trinity in 1970), then at Manchester West High School, followed by Salem High School. Mr. Powers served as Bishop Bradley’s assistant football coach from ’68 to ’69 and served as Bradley’s head football coach from ’70 to ’71. Mr. Powers also served as Bradley’s baseball coach from ’68 to ’72 and guided his team to the state tournament during all the five years he coached, including a Class L state title in ’69. Subsequently, he coached JV basketball and served as Bishop Bradley’s (Trinity’s) Athletic Director. “Although that’s not the same thing I focused on as a youngster, it [teaching] was something I thoroughly enjoyed. I used to get very involved,” said Mr. Powers. Leaving his teaching profession in 1979, Mr. Powers went into the insurance business. “I think my biggest regret is getting out [of teaching] when I did,” he said. Still remaining involved, Mr. Powers served as a high school football official from 1979 to 1987. With a Boston College business degree, varsity athlete and coaching titles, and insurance employment under his belt, it may seem that Mr. Powers had it all, but even considering his many accomplishments, Mr. Powers had his setbacks. “Like everyone, I have regrets. I made poor decisions, poor choices,” said Mr. Powers. “But you gotta pick up, move on.” Mr. Powers’s accomplishments are scattered across the board, but Mr. Powers reminds us that not everything is what it seems. “I would say that nothing’s ever quite as good as you think, and by the same token, nothing’s ever as bad as you might think,” said Powers. “I see people destroy themselves Right: Mr. Powers is shown in a 1962 Bishop Bradley yearbook picture. The caption reads, “Leading scorer, Dick Powers, adds two more to his total.” Below: Mr. Powers poses for a recent THS photo. Pioneer staff photos over something silly, like losing a game. But there are bigger things. There are more important things.” Although Mr. Powers has had the opportunity to know countless athletes, students, and coworkers in New Hampshire, there are still qualities about him that have yet to be discovered. “I’m not sure I know everything about me. I would say that I have more concern and feeling than I might let on. I can see their perception being otherwise,” said Mr. Powers. Throughout his life, Mr. Powers has learned many lessons. However, one lesson in particular he believes is worth sharing. “Never get so high that you think no one can be without you,” said Mr. Powers. “But never get so low that you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Despite his humility, Mr. Powers has led an accomplished life and as a result, has much to share. His contributions not only to Trinity, but to New Hampshire as well, have not gone unnoticed. “Mr. Powers was basically here when the building was built and he’ll probably be here when the building falls down,” said Trinity Dean of Students Mr. Smith. “His years and years and years of educational experience make him priceless to our community. He has a genuine concern for kids and how they do in school and athletics.” Page 10 The Pioneer News 2008/2009 The blond kid with a killer three I By Sam Goodnow Pioneer Editor f you were to search the name “Zach Stevens” on Facebook, more than 294 possible persons would appear in the results. If you are a part of the Trinity High School Network, however, the first Zach Stevens on the list would be a fairly tall, blond, and slightly goofy sophomore who has an apparently “killer 3-point shot” and is, according to many of his classmates, “the man!” Students asked to describe Stevens in one word give answers varied from “funny” to “nice” to “wicked awesome” (even though that is obviously not one word). Stevens would call himself charismatic. “Last year, someone called me charismatic. I heard Pioneer yearbook staff Obama was charismatic, and Stevens shoots a free throw at a November SportsZone league game. I heard I was. What does that mean?” said Stevens. league game. Even though the In addition to playing basWhile Stevens may not men’s league game against ketball, Stevens also enjoys know all of his vocabulary, the undefeated Ball Hawgs being a fan of the game. he does know that he has was a loss for the Gamecocks, “I am the biggest Celtics strong beliefs. He can argue 70-43, Stevens still played fan. Well, not the biggest, but his points quite well, too, all a tough game, scoring 19 I am a big fan,” said Stevens. while eating a spontaneous points. In fact, Stevens claims meal of Burger King. Actu“I’ve never seen anyone that he would choose to be ally, he had not yet eaten his as dedicated as [Zach],” said Paul Pierce if he could be two Junior Whoppers because Trinity basketball player Kaanyone in the world. If he he was taught not to eat in had to choose to be front of others. And a non-basketball even when I insisted he “I’ve never seen anyone as player, Stevens would should eat, he was too choose to be Bill concerned for the welldedicated . . . He’ll be [at the Gates. being of my car to dare “Of course I’d be eat inside of it. Bill Gates! He’s got SportsZone] one the weekends He was incredibly all that money,” said courteous throughout Stevens. for, like, nine hours.” the meal. He even ofIf he could be any fered his tomatoes to woman, Stevens did --Kaleigh O’Neil, senior me. He finds tomatoes not hesitate to choose absolutely disgusting. who he would be. If anyone ever needed to leigh O’Neil, a senior. “He’ll To Stevens, it makes sense to find Stevens after school, be [at the SportsZone] on the be Jessica Simpson because there is a 99.99 percent weekends for like nine hours. “she’s beautiful.” chance that he can be found at It’s ridiculous.” Stevens may appear to be SportsZone in Derry. Stevens still finds time just a regular Trinity sophoUpon entering the to get all of his school work more, who happens to be a SportsZone, Stevens first done as well. He has to keep varsity shooting guard and greets every person in sight, those grades up for when he loves dogs, Jessica Simpson, which is not weird because “goes somewhere out there, and Junior Whoppers without every person there knows who like Duke. That would be tomatoes, but he is more than Stevens is. cool.” that as everyone who knows And they should, because If Stevens could choose him has seen. he spends the majority of his his future, he would major in He has an unprecedented free time there working on his sports management and even- passion for basketball and basketball skills. tually own the SportsZone. works hard no matter what. On Mondays, Stevens For now, he just spends And even while being so not only practices for hours his time practicing his daily competitive in athletics, in Derry but also plays in a routine, which includes Stevens always makes sure he men’s league with a group of shooting a series of shots and is a nice person, even to his Trinity students. hitting three in a row before competitors. And even though he shoots moving to the next position. Everyone knows who he for hours before the game, If he misses, he starts all over is, and he certainly knows he isn’t too tired to play the again. everyone. Stevens greets game. “I started when I was like everyone that he knows and “My confidence in the two years old. My dad got always receives a salutation game comes from my prepame a Fisher-Price hoop, and back. ration,” said Stevens. I couldn’t leave it. It’s like, “I just try to be who I am, In fact, Stevens was the I was in my walker shooting and people seem to like me,” leading scorer in the men’s threes,” said Stevens. said Stevens. For all the latest and greatest Trinity news, visit www.trinity-hs.org Kristen VanUden / Pioneer staff This unidentified student uses class time to catch up on his z’s rather than his homework. Running on Empty Why Trinity students keep hitting snooze By Mari-Briege Dunn Pioneer Staff Look into a classroom at Trinity High School and you’re likely to spot a student dozing off in class. What is it that is robbing students of their precious sleep? Students are kept from going to sleep at an early hour for many reasons. “Homework, but usually myself because I just don’t go to bed,” said Audrey Gladu, a junior, one of many students not getting nearly enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens need between eight and a half and nine and a half hours of sleep each night, but 85 percent of teens get less than eight and a half hours of sleep per night. “I don’t get enough sleep, I just can’t fall asleep at night,” said Callan Leonard, a sophomore. Josh Hughes, a freshman, chooses to wake up at 4:30 each morning. “I don’t like sleeping. I think it’s a waste of time,” said Hughes. Gerid Paquette, a sophomore, blames his lack of sleep on his schedule. “I’m very tired during the day. I have football and driver’s ed right after.” Many students go to bed late because of homework. “I always have a lot of homework to do and I don’t get enough sleep,” said Taylor Levesque, a sophomore. Homework isn’t the only reason students are up late. “Facebook,” said Laura Hagan, a senior, citing a reason why she is up so late. Tyler McDonough, a junior, goes to bed between midnight and 1 a.m. and wakes up at 6 a.m. “I sometimes fall asleep in my classes, but I just can’t go to bed early,” said McDonough. Many students experience the negative effects of sleep deprivation. According to the NSF, it can impair the ability to pay attention, think, and make decisions. It can also affect one’s moods and motivation. “I get too tired at night so I wake up early to do my homework,” said Chelsey Serrano, sophomore. Some students, like Serrano, are waking up before the sun. Serrano goes to bed at 9:30 p.m. and wakes up at 4:30 a.m. “I am very tired during the school day because sometimes I have to wake up early for choir,” said Billy Smarse, freshman. The NSF found that coffee and soda during the day affect sleep, as well as long naps, big bedtime snacks, room temperature, noise, and electronics. “I take a lot of naps during the day so I’m really tired. It’s hard to wake up and get through the day,” said Jake Castricone, a junior. The NSF suggests napping smart. Keep your nap between 20 and 30 minutes in a restful, quiet place. The NSF stresses planning out your sleep schedule. It is important to schedule a nap at the right time. Too early and your body might not be ready for more sleep. Too late and it might affect your nighttime sleep pattern. “Go to bed. Do your homework and go to bed. Sleep deprivation causes Trinity students to not only be grouchy, but to do poorly on tests,” said Ms. O’Gorski, psychology teacher at Trinity. So how do you get more sleep? The NSF suggests prioritizing your schedule around sleeping. Keep your room cool, quiet and dark. Keep your daily schedule constant. Don’t exercise, eat, or drink before bed, and avoid soda, coffee, chocolate, and tea late in the day. So next time you think about eating that late night snack, grabbing a coffee after school, or taking a nap when you get home, keep your sleep in mind. Would you rather be wired now or at 3 in the morning? Think about it. 2008/2009 The Pioneer News Parenteau, Trinity alumna, works on groundbreaking research in medical field By Brian Dunn ’08 Special to The Pioneer “I’ve always wanted to do something inventive – like Dr. House,” said Dr. Nancy L. Parenteau, Ph.D. Dr. Parenteau, Trinity High School alum from the class of 1971, was referring to the work of Dr. Gregory House from the hit TV series, “House M.D.” Before Dr. Parenteau’s renowned work within the medical field, she attended Immaculata High School for her first three years of high school. It then merged with Bishop Bradley High School and became Trinity, where Dr. Parenteau spent her senior year. Dr. Parenteau gained interest in science while in high school. She claimed that she had always been interested in science, but was never sure about going into the medical field. After a summer job at the local Elliot Hospital, she decided that it wasn’t the work for her. She wanted to be inventive. She was involved in high school from yearbook to Latin Club, to the Thespians (the drama team) where she was a proud “living prop.” Her most memorable moments from her high school years were having teachers believe in her and running between classes during winter with the school uniform on. Students took classes at the two Catholic high schools in Manchester – Immaculata and Bishop Bradley. Immaculata, present-day McDonough El- ementary School, and Bishop Bradley, present-day Trinity High School, were within walking distance, but proved difficult for girls in the winter with their plaid skirts and blazers. Dr. Parenteau enjoyed Immaculata because she could speak up in class, but the merge between the all-girls school and Bishop Bradley, the counterpart all-boys school, in 1970 taught her how to deal with people in the real world. How much has Trinity changed since the time that Dr. Parenteau walked the halls of Trinity? Quite a bit. Immaculata and its counterpart, Bishop Bradley were the center of the parochial system of Manchester. She was always reminded that it was a religious school because of faculty that consisted of nuns and brothers. Dr. Parenteau was surprised when she heard that none of the teachers or faculty at Trinity now are nuns or brothers. She questioned the religious identity of the school. She was amazed that Trinity celebrated masses regularly, both on holy days and on Wednesday mornings in the chapel; she was very pleased to hear that Trinity had withheld its Catholic identity over the years. After high school, Dr. Parenteau attended the University of Vermont for undergraduate school, and then Georgetown University where she earned her Ph.D. in Anatomy, Cell, and Developmental Biology. She went on to fulfill her goal THS elects McCain in mock election By Alexa Serrecchia Pioneer Editor Courtesy Photo Parenteau as she appears in her Trinity yearbook, 1971. of being inventive with science and helping others apply it. Dr. Parenteau has recently developed a skin product for Organogenesis Inc. that is used for treating burn victims and can help diabetics with ulcers, people with poor circulation, or people with leg wounds. She has also provided a breakthrough with stem cells and organ regeneration. Her mission to be inventive has been fulfilled through her dedication to the field of medicine. Dr. Parenteau now writes textbooks and works to help others apply science through her podcast, “The Applied Biologist,” available on iTunes. Referring to writing textbooks, Dr. Parenteau said, “It’s fun. It’s about using information to figure out what it [science] means. To learn it on the job is pretty risky.” Even with her recent groundbreaking work in the medical field, years ago Trinity offered Dr. Nancy Parenteau a solid steppingstone in her educational career. Page 11 On Monday, Nov. 3, Trinity held a mock election outside the cafeteria for students, faculty and staff. With 220 students and 37 teachers and staff participating, all but one Republican candidate won. Sen. John McCain beat Sen. Barack Obama 149116, Sen. John Sununu beat former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen 178-80, incumbent Jeb Bradley beat Rep. Carol Shea-Porter 160-87, Mrs. Jennifer Horn beat Rep. Paul Hodes 172-48, and Gov. John Lynch was the only democratic victor, beating Sen. Joseph Kenney 161-78. Ralph Nader received 13 votes, Liberty Sue Newell received four votes, and there were 34 other write-in votes between all of the races. Ms. Byron, history teacher, suggested the idea of holding a mock election to the administration, and to her students. “I think it is important for kids to get used to what the voting process is all about,” said Ms. Byron. Trinity students and staff agree that the mock election was a way to raise awareness about the issues. “You’ve got to know what is going on in the world, even if it’s just a school election,” said Wesley Baird, a senior. Students and staff also agree that it gave students a feel for what voting is like. “It helps them think about the issues. It makes you engaged in politics and prepares you for when you can vote,” said Eileen Parodi, a senior. To Ms. Byron’s pleasure, many students spent the day Monday asking her if she had counted the ballots. She said it was good that they were concerned. “I think it brings it into the life of future voters, and they feel like they have a voice,” said Troy Butler, a sophomore. With about half of the student body participating, many enjoyed the experience. “It felt cool because you can’t do it in real life,” said John Strampfer, a junior. According to students and teachers, there are many reasons why it is important to vote. “It is easy to lose sight of the fact that, as Americans, we have a right to vote, unlike in some places where they don’t. It’s something to cherish,” said Ms. Trachim, math teacher. Many felt that even though most students cannot vote in the real election, it certainly still affects their future. “It is our future, not yours. We have to choose our fate,” said Laura Dickey, a sophomore. December ice storm leaves many powerless for a week By Mari-Briege Dunn Pioneer Staff Trinity High School students woke up Friday, Dec. 12 to find that school was canceled due to an ice storm that hit New Hampshire the previous night, resulting in a statewide emergency. At the its peak, over 400,000 homes and businesses were left without power. Many students were without power as ealy as Thursday night, experiencing cold and boredom. “It was the worst experience of my life. I couldn’t do anything,” said Richard Corning, a junior from Londonderry. Josh Polombo, junior from Nashua was without power for five days. “I spent too much time with my family,” said Polombo. Many students admitted that without power, their families really got under their skin. “I was with my sister for way too long,” said Karin Parodi, freshman from Auburn. Even Hunter Viscarello, a freshman from Manchester who lost power for only 18 hours, still felt bored. “Losing power is one of the most boring situations possible,” said Viscarello. “We were without power for six days. It was the longest six days of my life,” said BroEmma Pratte / Pioneer staff gan Goss, a sophomore Above, a downed power line blocks a from Merrimack. roadway in Goffstown after the DecemMany students and ber ice storm. their families relied on generators to provide erator, however. power for their houses. “We have a generator, but “The temperature of our it’s older than my dad and it house was so unbearable spews gas and sparks so we that we made my dad buy a decided not to use it,” said generator from a guy who was Sarah Borque, senior from selling them for double what Raymond. they’re worth. We totally got Many families who lost ripped off, but it was worth power decided to head someit,” said Alyssa Cassidy, a where warm. junior from Bedford. “We lost power for an Not everyone used a genentire week and had to stay in ‘08 storm vs. ‘98 storm By Chelsea Turner Pioneer Staff The ice storm of 2008 started on Dec. 11, and at its peak, left 322,000 people without power. The storm of 2008 left over five times as many people without power compared to the Great Ice Storm of 1998, which left only 55,000 PSNH customers in the dark. “Storm damage was three times as bad as anything PSNH has ever faced in 82 years of service,” said a special report issued by PSNH on Dec. 19, 2008. Most Trinity students failed to remember much about the Great Ice Storm of 1998, but Trinity faculty recalled the storm all to well. “What I remember most of the storm of 1998 was how pretty everything looked covered with a sheet of ice. I don’t remember it taking this long for the power company to get things up and running,” said Ms. Kudrick, math teacher. Mr. Larsen, art teacher, said that the Great Ice Storm of 1998 hit Northern New Hampshire much worse than Manchester. “It seems to me, then, that the amount of damage and that the number of people affected in 2008 makes this current storm a far greater natural disaster than was the storm of 1998,” said Mr. Nelson, english teacher. four different places,” said Nicole Connolly, a junior from Deerfield. Most students found the power outage to be an incon- venience, but sophomore Rita Pratte was an exception. “The blackout reminded me of how simple life could be,” said Pratte. Page 12 The Pioneer News 2008/2009 It’s much more than just her passion for fashion By Sam Goodnow Pioneer Editor T he average runway model is 5 feet and nine inches tall, weighing a negligible 110 pounds. The average 5 foot seven inches female should weigh 120 pounds. In seventh grade, Ashley Joncas weighed 170. “It was just awkward,” said Joncas, the Trinity junior known for her tasteful and extravagant attire. Joncas easily pulls off any clothing type, her look varying from day to day. “It’s hard to sum up,” said Joncas. “It changes with my mood. Some days it’s bright, sometimes edgy.” Joncas is a fairly quiet, studious girl who can often be seen sitting in the halls just scribbling away on a drawing pad. So why does such a keptto-herself girl dress so boldly? “[My fashion] almost talks for me because I’m not naturally loud. It speaks for me.” But the reason behind Joncas’s dress code is more than a way of being bold, and it is so far from just being an attention-seeking method. From a very young age, Joncas aspired to fit into the fashion world. “I started with Barbies,” said Joncas. “I had a hard time fitting in because I was a little chubby. I went to school with 26 athletic students.” St. Thomas Aquinas in Derry is a small school with a graduating class each year of about 25 students. Joncas’s class was 27, 26 of whom were athletically inclined and much more in shape than Joncas. “I was just the chubby creative girl who stuck out,” said Joncas. Joncas explained that the other kids could easily find clothes that fit them. “I never wanted to go to the mall because I would just end up crying. Now I’m from the basics to more extravagant in my wild and extravagant looks because I’m makitems. ing up for lost time,” said “A lot of my time Joncas. goes to my job,” said By the end of eighth Joncas, “but it’s fun. grade, Joncas had had I thought, ‘Okay so I enough of it. like clothes, but could “It took two years, I be in a store for six but I was able to lose 50 hours surrounded by pounds,” said Joncas. them, helping cus“It surprised a lot of tomers?’ And I think people.” it helped me realJoncas’s fashion sense ize it’s what I really has increased from the want.” days when she played with Joncas takes her job Barbies, and now that she seriously. It isn’t is able to wear practically just an after school anything she wants, Joncas job; it’s her way of has taken advantage of it. furthering herself into “I spent three-fourths the world of fashion. of my life in the same “Working with look because that’s all that Ashley Joncas has hundreds of drawings like all the people I work would fit.” with is fun. They are this one, pictured above. Joncas aspires to be a While her background fashion designer. all really enthusiastic may be little known to the about clothes—mayin pen and pencil. students at Trinity, what be not to my level “I actually carry them is more public is Joncas’s inthough!” credible talent for art. She has around in my purse, just in Apparently, organizing hundreds of drawings that she case.” and arranging clothing for her Her colored pens rehas done, many of which are job has transferred into her ally were in her black leather landscape or fashion design. bedroom. She has an amount purse, which matched her Joncas can sketch a new of clothing that may seem uncurrent outfit of course. Every necessary to any other person, outfit in just a couple hours, day, Joncas’ outfits are careand the drawing looks ready but Joncas makes use of each fully put together, from the to be sewn and sold. Her depiece from the ordinary to the shoe to the shirt, from the signs are runway ready-looks outrageous. skirt or dress, to the bag. that could easily be trans“I had to put rolling racks “I kind of think of outfits ferred to what many fashionin my room because clothes as an art piece. With the right able girls would wear. were like, exploding out of elements to an outfit, you can “If I had to sum up what I my closet,” said Joncas. Her think up, it has to be Victorian make it perfect—like a perfect bedroom is neatly arranged, painting.” meets The Matrix,” said Joperhaps even more so that the If Joncas had her life the nas. “I try to mix old inspired constantly frazzled Forever 21. way she wanted, she would be with modern ideas to make “So, my room is my closet something that someone today successful enough to start her now. You walk in and there’s own label, which she would would wear.” clothes everywhere, but it’s name Ashley Nicole. The line organized,” said Joncas. The drawings that Joncas would carry not only incredcreates are neatly stored in More numerous than any other ibly tasteful women’s clothing type of clothing in Joncas’ a portfolio, awaiting future but children’s and plus-size publicity. continuing closets are dresses. Joncas has entered fashion clothing as well. “They are great! It’s just “I know from personal design contests and is awaitone piece…you look good and experience that it’s really difing the response of a parit’s just easy.” ficult to find something that ticular contest in H&M. The What would a department fits and still looks fashionwinner gets a trip to Sweden store’s worth of clothing be able,” said Joncas. and is able to visit the H&M without shoes for every outfit? Joncas has already gotten headquarters. Joncas has bragging rights, her high-heeled foot into the The pieces in Ashley’s with over 200 pairs of shoes. door of the fashion marketing In addition to the clothing portfolio are organized by similarity, a method not unlike world. She works at Forever racks, she has a wall for just 21, a chic clothing and acces- her shoes. It’s a shopaholic’s modern designer collections. Joncas’s portfolio is drawn sory store that sells clothing heaven. But Joncas is no shopaholic. “I see them as sort of a collector’s item. Some people collect stamps, I collect them and happen to wear them on a daily basis.” This fashionista lifestyle may seem an expensive way to waste the hard-earned money that Joncas earns at Forever 21, but Joncas claims to be a bargain hunter. Her most expensive item is a $600 leather trench coat; of course she didn’t buy it at that costly retail price! “My main thing when I’m shopping is I’ll go to the sales rack and then look around. If there’s something I really like, then I’ll spend because I know I’ll use it,” said Joncas. Joncas has one sister who is a Trinity graduate of 2008. Her parents neither commend nor denigrate their daughter Ashley for her passion for fashion. “Once in a while they’ll think its funny, but it’s my passion. I mean other kids’ passions are like sports and their parents support them,” said Joncas. “I think you should find what you’re passionate about and just go for it full force—whether it’s fashion or basketball.” Joncas has emerged a strong young lady from her struggles and confidently speaks her accomplishments. For her junior year honors American Literature class, she wrote a “This I Believe” essay on the topic of thriving from a not-so-advantageous childhood where she was able to overcome her disadvantages as an overweight child. “All the people who pass in the hall just see the girl in the outfit, they don’t know the back story,” said Joncas. Now next time you see a fiercely fashionable junior sketching in a drawing pad, you know that there is more than wanting attention for owning such a look. Joncas owns her story, her fashion, and talent, and it makes her unique without any effort. First knocked out by champs in national tournament By Mark Natale Pioneer Staff On May 14, the Trinity Robotics team, Checkmate 40, packed its trailer and started the long drive down to Atlanta to compete in the 2009 FIRST World Championship in the Georgia Dome along with 348 other teams from across the world. This year was the fifth year in a row that Checkmate 40 made it to the World Championship and was their most successful, advancing to the semifinals in its division. The team included driver Joe Usenia, shooter Megan Uberti, and human player Alex Gadecki, as well as the team mentor, Trinity physics teacher Joe Pouliot. During the qualifying matches, Trinity quickly realized that it was among an elite class of robots when their autonomous mode (a 15-second portion of the match in which the robots are controlled by a computer program and not the driver) was one of just a few in the world that could score points. “Our autonomous was dead on. We scored seven balls in the first fifteen seconds [every time],” said Mr. Pouliot. After finishing the qualifying rounds in the tournament with an impressive record of six wins and one loss, Checkmate 40 was ranked sixth in its division, allowing the team to be an alliance captain (teams select an alliance of two other partners that they stay with for the rest of the tournament) and select what teammates it wanted to compete with. “We picked 1332 (Collbran, Colo.) for offense and 1902 (Winter Park, Fla.) for defense,” said Uberti, a senior. Checkmate 40 won its quarterfinal matches easily, 106-92 and 91-70. However, when the team ran out of firepower when it reached the semifinal matches for the Galileo Division. “The final matches are definitely more intense than the qualifying matches, but our mentors remind us to treat them the same and take it all one match at a time,” said Uberti. The team met the eventual World Champions, consisting of teams 67 (Milford, Mich.), 111 (Schaumburg, Ill.) and 971 (Mountain View, Calif.). Checkmate 40 and its alliance lost in its semifinal matches, 126-97 and 117-78. “We had our highest seed ever (6 out of 87 teams in the division). We chose excellent partners; we were just over- whelmed by the [eventual] World Champions,” said Mr. Pouliot. This was the second year in a row that the Trinity Robotics team faced the alliance that would eventually become World Champions and also the second year that the champions have come out of the Galileo Division. The semifinal finish was the best finish that Checkmate 40 has ever had at the World Championship and one of the smoother competitions that Trinity experienced this year. “For once, our robot had virtually no difficulties,” said Uberti. 2008/2009 The Pioneer Page 13 News Memory of Loughlin lives on at THS By Nick D’Intino Pioneer Editor “Everyday promptly at noon, they [the Germans] would shell a crossroad about a quarter of a mile from our company position. Our guns were well in place near a grove of trees, and our foxholes were as usual entrenched tot the rear of the guns. Interdictory (harassing fire) was about all the action we had at the time. The German battery was to our left front, and during their first barrage, we all hit our holes. The shells screamed over our position and were high enough to clear it with ease. No doubt before withdrawing, they had zeroed in on this particular Alsace-Lorraine landscape. This continued on a regular basis. It lasted three to five minutes but always at noon. Perhaps they thought hot chow was brought up. After a week or so of this, nobody bothered to run for cover. Then it happened. The same scenario. Noon. Barrage started. This time some gunner was off on his deflection range. I heard not the soft fluttering of shells passing over, but the heart-stopping screaming whine of an incoming shell. It passed through the trees. I vainly tried to hit the Courtesy Photof Loughiln as he appears on the back cover of his book, Memoirs of World War II. ground. It landed no further than twenty feet from me. A dud.” Excerpted from Memoirs of World War II by Martin F. Loughlin, published in 2001 by Vantage Press. This is the story of the Honorable Martin F. Loughlin. Mr. Loughlin was born in Manchester, on March 11, 1923. After growing up in the Manchester area, he went on to attend St. Joseph’s Regional High School for Boys. During his time there, he maintained very good grades while still finding time to play basketball, as well as his life long passion – tennis. Thanks to two double promotions in grammar school, Mr. Loughlin graduated high school in 1940—at the age of sixteen. After spending a year at St. Anslem’s College, Mr. Loughlin decided to enlist in the military. He served for three years (from 1942 to1945) in the 318th Cannon Division during World War II, receiving the Bronze Star for bravery. This was an experience that his wife said was one of his great prides. He later went on to write a book about his exciting and lifechanging time spent in the military entitled, Memoirs of World War II. Upon returning home, Mr. Loughlin went back to St. A’s and received his bachelor’s degree. He then went on to attend Suffolk Law School in Boston, where he met his future wife, Margaret. After marrying in 1950, Mr. Loughlin passed the New Hampshire bar exam (1951), only to then be recalled into the army during the Korean War. He was stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia where he served for another year as a Judge Advocate defending his fellow U.S. soldiers. Mr. Loughlin returned home from the service to find that his wife had given birth to the first of what would be seven children. Now with a family to support and a law degree, Mr. Loughlin began to search for a job, but he had trouble finding a law-related position. Therefore, he initially went to work at a sheet metal factory before being hired by the city prosecutor. As his knowledge of the law grew, Mr. Loughlin went on to join his friend Jim Broderick at Jim’s father’s law firm. He worked with them until 1963, when he was appointed to the superior court by Governor John King. After serving on the Superior Court for sixteen years, Mr. Loughlin was then appointed to the U.S. District Court by President Jimmy Carter, where he served for another sixteen years until he received another promotion to the Federal Court. After a long career, Mr. Loughlin finally retired in 1995, but still practiced law as a consultant at the Nixon Law Institute. In the year 2000, Mr. Loughlin suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side. However, he didn’t let this stop him from living life. With the help of rehab, Mr. Loughlin was still able to go into work a couple of days each week. On March 7, 2007 Mr. Loughlin passed away, only three days shy of his 84th birthday. Mr. Loughlin received two honorary awards. He was the first recipient of the St. Thomas More Award, which was given to him by the Catholic Lawyers Guild of New Hampshire, and he also received the Justice award from St. Anslem’s College. While Mr. Loughlin was alive, he was an avid tennis player, entering into and winning many state tournaments. His wife also said that he loved to read and was a very charitable man. He was often very busy, but he always found time for the two things that were most important to him in life, she said – his family and God. When Mrs. Loughlin was asked what she thought her husband’s greatest achievement was, she hesitated then answered, “His greatest achievement was so many things.” This statement couldn’t be truer; the Honorable Mr. Loughlin was a student, a soldier, an athlete, a husband, a father, a lawyer, a judge, a devout Catholic, and so much more. He saw each and every experience in life as a journey, a chance to learn, and by approaching time this way, he was able to achieve so much more than any of us can ever hope. Economy affects students at home, school, in community By Mark Natale Pioneer Staff As the nation experiences a bear-market economy, some Trinity students and their families are starting to feel the effects of the economy by way of holiday shopping and travel decisions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) hit its lowest point since March of 2003, on Nov. 21, 2008, following a temporary surge in the market after the election of Presidentelect Obama. This collapse in the stock market has sparked a $700 billion bank bailout plan funded by the government and consequently, citizens’ tax dollars. The failing economy has also sparked a steep fall in crude oil prices. The price per barrel of crude oil has fallen to well under $60 per barrel. The drop in oil prices has directly related to the shrinking cost of gas at the fuel pump. Some Trinity students are experiencing more freedoms because of the lower fuel prices. “Now that I have my “As the prices have come down, license, I am a lot more I simply don’t have to worry aware of the cost of gas.” about how expensive the gas --Nick Nalette, junior is. Gas prices are no longer a big deal for me, travels and shopping of some and I hardly ever think about Trinity students. them,” said Brendan Lynch, a “We usually fly about two senior. to three times a year, but the Other students are still past couple years, it has only careful about keeping an eye been once or twice a year,” on local gas prices. said Joey Moran, a freshman. “Now that I have my “When I go to the mall... license, I am a lot more aware it’s only if I know that there of the cost of gas, and the is a really good sale because decisions I make with my clothes are so expensive now, driving have an immediate and I don’t want to spend $50 impact on my wallet,” said on a pair of jeans,” said Erin Nick Nalette, a junior. Duffy, junior. Even as gas prices fall, Other students remain some local Manchester hopeful that the market and residents are careful about economy will turn around. where they are driving. The “I think the economy is Manchester Transit Authority near its lowest point and that (MTA) experienced a 20 peras the new administration cent increase in monthly riders takes over in January that from Jan. 2008 to Sept. 2008. it will reverse and start to The falling economy has become better,” said Brendan also affected the holiday Newcott, a junior. Chelsea Turner / Pioneer staff Senior Jon Gaffen enjoys a turn at Guitar Hero during Campus Ministry Mayhem at Trinity on Sept. 19. Page 14 The Pioneer 2008/2009 Sports Pioneers end successful season with semifinal loss By Nick D’Intino Pioneer Editor The second seeded Trinity Pioneers took the field Saturday, Nov. 15, against the fourth seeded St. Thomas Aquinas Saints of Dover in the Division V semi-final game. After having beat St. Thomas just two weeks earlier in a 27-26 overtime thriller, the Pioneers hoped to certify their rebirth as a football program by reaching the Championship game on Nov. 22. As the two teams took the field at 1 p.m. at Gill Stadium, the weather looked as though it would make for a sloppy game. With heavy rain and wind, both teams struggled to get their offense going in the first half. The Pioneers (7-1) won the coin toss and were first to receive the ball. However, Trinity had trouble moving the ball in the bad conditions and soon punted away to St. Thomas (6-2). A good portion of the first half proved to be much of the same as both offenses struggled. However, the St. Thomas Saints struck first, when quarterback Jack MacNevin completed a 31-yard pass to Paul Brown that brought the team within Trinity’s 5-yard line and set St. Thomas up for its first touchdown of the game. As the second quarter winded down, three consecutive turnovers in three successive plays, two by Trinity and one by St. Thomas, proved to by a Sam Goodnow / Pioneer staff Brothers Sean (3) and Connor (5) Lyons hug, while Ricky Fosher (34) looks on, and the St. Thomas Aquinas football team celebrates their 21-15 victory at Gill Stadium on Nov. 15. perfect example of how both offenses were playing sloppy and seemed to by struggling. Heading into halftime, St. Thomas Aquinas led, 7-0. As the third quarter got under way, the weather seemed to be improving and with that came a revival of both teams’ offenses. With seven minutes left in the third quarter, Trinity returned a punt to the St. Thomas 35 yard-line and from there Trinity drove into the red zone. Skinner finished off the drive with a 2yard touchdown run and sophomore Connor Lyons added the two-point conversion. Trinity led 8-7. However, the Saints fought back. Starting at its own 10yard line, the Saints used most of the third quarter moving the ball the length of the field, ultimately scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. The Saints converted the two-point conversion attempt to make the score 15-8. On Trinity’s ensuing drive, the Saints defense put up an impressive stand, forcing the first Pioneer punt of the half. With good field position, St. Thomas took a two-score advantage, marching deep into Trinity territory, and scoring with five minutes remaining. St. Thomas had the lead 21- 8 and Trinity’s offense had to hurry to get something going. That was when Lyons started to take over the game. The Pioneers, led by two completions from quarterback Jake Castricone to Lyons, went on an impressive fastpaced race down the field. The drive was capped off by yet another completion from Castricone to Lyons, this one an 8-yard touchdown pass. After a failed onside kick attempt by the Pioneers,the Saints regained possession and ran down the clock. With only one time out remaining, there wasn’t much Trinity could do. The Pioneers’ hopes for a Championship disappeared. However, in no way was this season a disappointment for Pioneer football. Only two short years ago, Trinity’s football program seemed to be in shambles. After failing to win a single game in their 2006 Division I season, Trinity decided it was time for a change. The first step towards this change was the hiring of Head Coach John Trisciani. Coach Trisciani immediately began in-school recruiting and revived the attitude surrounding Trinity football. Spending last year playing an independent schedule, Coach Trisciani and the entire Trinity football team, worked to rebuild the Pioneer name. Coach Trisciani instituted an attitude of hard work, determination and toughness. Rather than running complicated offenses, the Pioneers were going to run the ball straight through the opposing team’s defensive line. Despite the semifinal loss, it is clear that the Trinity football program has been reborn. Eight Pioneers made the Division V all state team, including Tyrell Skinner (RB), Connor Lyons (RB), Mike Roy (OL), Rick Fosher (TE), Jake Castricone (S), James Horn (CB), Jared Butler (LB), and Josh Hughes (LB). Five of the eight all-state members will be elligible to return next season. With the returning players having played under Coach Trisciani for three years, the Pioneers hope they can make a run at the title next season. Despite loss, Trinity boys’ soccer ‘ends season on a high note’ By Nick D’Intino Pioneer Editor “No one will want to play us in the playoffs,” said boys’ soccer Captain Craig Jameson in an interview back in September, Central found out exactly why. Finishing with a record of 5-11, the Trinity boys’ soccer team headed into the playoffs with the 13th seed and were set to face off against Central on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Gill Stadium in the first round of the playoffs. After having 7 out of their 11 losses in the regular season be by only one goal the Pioneers felt they could compete with 3rd seeded Central. As soon as the game got under way, the Pioneers began to control the tempo. Fighting hard and showing a desire to take an early lead Trinity kept the ball on Central’s side of the field for the first 5 minutes of play. Five minutes was all Captain Craig Jameson needed to score. After fellow Captain Ben Lessard crossed a ball into Central’s box, Jameson was able to tap the ball past the goalie to give the Pioneers an early 1-0 lead. One goal proved to be plenty for the Pioneers. After the goal, Trinity fell back and played conservative soccer for the rest of the game. Concentrating on their defense, which was lead by solid play from Captain Mike Lonie, the Pioneers were able to keep Central from scoring the entire game. With only seconds left in the game, Central had a free kick at the top of Trinity’s box. However, the Pioneers’ goalie, freshman Hunter Viscerelio, was able to keep the ball out of the net and preserve the shut out. As the whistle blew for the end of the game, the Pioneers—their players, coaches and fans—stormed the field, celebrating the biggest upset of the tournament. After having played one of the best game’s in recent Trinity soccer history, the Pioneers had to immediately switch their focus to Merrimack another top team in Class L. As the game got started on Oct. 31 at Merrimack High School, things began very similar to the Central game. Trinity immediately began to control the ball; no sooner had the game started then Lessard blasted a shot past Merrimack’s goalie to give the Pioneers another early 1-0 lead. However, this time, the opposition fought back. Merrimack, last year’s Class L champions, battled back, scoring two goals and taking the lead, 2-1. Once again, though, Trinity proved that they were better than their 5-11 record. Late in the first half, senior German Linares was able to overcome a frantic scramble for the ball in Merrimack’s Emma Pratte / Pioneer Yearbook Staff Trinity goalie Hunter Viscarello (right) punts a ball in a recent game as Trinity defender Mike Lonie (left) runs down the field. box and tap in the second goal for the Pioneers. Heading into halftime, the score was 2-2, and Trinity looked to have a fighting chance. However, as the second half got under way, the Pio- neers didn’t have anything left in the tank. Merrimack went on to score two goals and won with a score of 4-2. Despite the loss, Trinity’s upset of Central was more than enough to end the season on a high note. 2008/2009 The Pioneer Sports Page 15 Nothing but negative as tests remain positive By Ryan Mitchell Pioneer Editor Pioneer staff photo The senior girls pose with the Class L runner-up trophy after losing to Winnacunnet in the championship, 53-41. Warriors end Pioneers’ run By Alison Patev Pioneer Staff At the beginning of the playoff tournament, Trinity girls’ basketball head coach Pat Smith said that to be successful, “We need to come ready to play.” The Pioneers came ready to play. Trinity upset secondseeded Pinkerton in an extremely close semifinal game, sending them to the state championship game for the first time since 2005. The Pioneers, who were not expected to even make the semifinal game when the tournament schedule was released, advanced to the championship game, facing off against top-seeded Winnacunnet, a young team that had taken the state title for the past two years. “I think we went further than everyone expected us to and we had to work really hard and come together as a team to do it. I’m really proud of all the girls for all the work they’ve put in,” said senior captain Sam Monohon. In their first round playoff game, the sixth-seeded Pioneers played eleventhseeded Alvirne. Although the game started off close, turnovers by Alvirne and excellent defensive anticipation from Trinity resulted in multiple opportunities to score for the Pioneers. In the third quarter, Trinity came out ready to put the Broncos away for good. Senior guard Sam Currier controlled the defense with many steals that lead to Trinity baskets. The game ended in a Trinity victory, 71-47, allowing the Pioneers to move on to the quarterfinals. “Trinity… came to play, and we had trouble matching their intensity on defense,” said Ashley Tomaswick, Alvirne senior. In the quarterfinals, Trinity showed equal intensity as they had the game before. The Pioneers had been expected to play third-seeded Merrimack, but the 14th seed, Nashua South, upset the Tomahawks in their first round game. The Panthers couldn’t touch Trinity from the start. The tenacious Pioneer defense caused difficulty for South, who couldn’t break the Trinity press. Currier stepped up again, accelerating the game with several three-pointers and excellent defensive play. The game ended with a Trinity win, 64-38, advancing the team to the semifinals. Parking wasn’t the only thing that was tight at the girls’ semifinal game at Southern New Hampshire University. Trinity played Pinkerton, a team they had lost to earlier in the year, 56-43. Throughout the entire game, the score was incredibly close, the Astros matching the Pioneers’ intensity. Both teams’ defenses were so tough that the score at the half was a low 19-13, with Trinity leading. The equality of play was shown at the end of regulation time, which ended in a tie, 35-35, sending the game into overtime. After four additional minutes, the Pioneers finished with the lead, 45-44, sending Trinity to the state championship for the first time since 2005. Trinity’s incredible playoff run ended in the championship game. The Pioneers went up against a powerful Winnacunnet team. Trinity tried hard to match the strong play of Winnacunnet, but could not get through the Warriors’ tough defense. At the half, Winnacunnet had the lead, 25-15. Second half play saw the Pioneers scrambling to catch the Warriors. The game ended in a Winnacunnet victory, 53-41. Monohon led the Pioneers, scoring 11 points. Gabriel was the second-leading scorer with 8 points. “I’m very proud of the girls’ efforts,” said Smith. “Against a team like Winnacunnet, ten to twelve things have to go right. Only six to seven did for us.” stripped from US Olympic track athletes for steroid use. Athletes I once idolized, such as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, have now been accused and convicted of steroid use. Even baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez has now admitted to using steroids…who’s next, Tom Brady? Well, maybe not, but how about German Fernandez? me to ask myself, who’s next? Ex-Patriot Larry Izzo, who has recently signed with the Since the 1980s, steroids Jets, is set to testify in the have formed a gap between Barry Bonds steroid case, the faithful, loving sports faalleging that he was sold stenatic, and the immoral, greedy roids by trainer Greg Anderprofessional athletes they so son and instructed on how to admire. use them. As a fan, I find myself How about Jamaican yearning for an athlete or a sprinter Usain Bolt? Bolt has team to attach to and to root only run the 100 five times for but struggling because of but has already posted two of the hurt steroid use the fastest times ever. has caused me as a reportedly didn’t I feel cheated on, lied to, and it Bolt fan. even warm up before I feel cheated on, Olympic semi-fistings... I hesitate to be the fan his lied to, and it stings. nal 100 meter victory I always try to be I once was, I no longer even in which he posted a careful, I try to play it 9.92, not his fastest on the safe side. It’s want to hop on the band wagon, time, but quite a feat ridiculous. I mean nonetheless. afraid that the athlete I am I can’t even watch Jamaica also has the Tour de France about to adhere to is another a notoriously libanymore! I hesitate eral doping policy, one of...them, the steroid users. so liberal that at the to be the fan I once was, I no longer even 2008 Beijing Olymwant to hop on the pics Bolt didn’t even bandwagon, afraid that the Last spring, Fernandez, know how to fill out doping athlete I am about to adhere to a long distance track athlete forms at last year’s Olympic is another one of…them, the finished his high school career Games. One notable effect of steroid users. at the California state meet steroids is that they cause the First steroids were only with a 4:00.29 mile/ 8:34.23 teeth to become crooked. for the two-ton weight-lifttwo mile double, running the This caused suspicion, ing buffs and the enormous fastest times in the country when multiple, female Jamaibodybuilders. They were for both of those events, and can sprinters showed up at unthinkably large, cattle like breaking a California state Beijing with braces. And it’s figures, with superhuman record in both of them on the not like Bolt couldn’t use a set strength. Then steroids spread same day. himself. to the track athletes, cyclists, Fernandez, now a freshSo who’s next? Lebron and swimmers. man at Oklahoma State James? Randy Moss? David In 1983, the East German University, has broken the Ortiz? Who knows. This is women’s swim team used an- World Junior record/Collethe suspicion that keeps me abolic steroids to win 10 out giate record in the mile twice, from going back for more, that of 14 Olympic gold medals in the second time in an astonkeeps me from immediately women’s swimming, while in ishing 3:56.5. Fernandez is following a rising superstar. 1988 Canadian Ben Johnson one of many rising American It’s a fear, a caution, that tested positive for anabolic track athletes, preparing to has become almost instincsteroids after winning the 100 take world and the steroid era tive. I want to believe, but it meter dash in world record by storm, but is he one of the seems that I no longer can. I time. In the past year alone, same? Is German Fernandez am afraid. I am a fan in the six gold medals have been a cheater? All of this, leaving steroid era. Courtesy Photo / Mr. Joe Mitchell The Trinity swim team poses for a picture after a city swim meet. the team from left to right: sophomore Kathleen Lamontagne, sophomore Abby Mitchell, senior Kerianne Lamontagne and sophomore Amy St. Germain. Page 16 The Pioneer Sports Senior skaters set example By Mark Natale Pioneer Staff Following an upset victory over the fifth-seeded Exeter boys’ ice hockey team, 6-1, in the first round of the NHIAA boys’ ice hockey tournament, the 12seeded Trinity hockey team lost in the quarterfinals in a thriller against the Pinkerton Astros, the eventual Division 1 champions, 5-4. After dropping five straight games, including an 8-3 loss to Manchester West, Trinity beat cross-town rival Manchester Memorial, 8-2, to finish the regular season and secure the last seed in the NHIAA tournament. Trinity walked away from its first round game against Exeter with a 6-1 victory. Seniors Barry Kendall and Tom Gagnon had two goals apiece and freshmen Tyler Theoudoulou and Connor Merrick scored to contribute to the win. “[The win was] huge, absolutely enormous. The seniors deserve it and they have earned it,” said Coach Mike Connell. After the first period in the quarterfinal game against Pinkerton, Trinity was down 2-0 after keeper Cory Kolden was beat on a shot to the left Time to get ‘pumped’ Ryan Mitchell Opinion Sam Goodnow / Pioneer Editor Trinity hockey players console each other after a 5-4 loss to Pinkerton Academy in the NHIAA hockey quarterfinals. side and on a shorthanded goal when Kolden was caught out of the net. Trinity scored at 1:51 in the second period on a shot by junior Josh Polombo, assisted by junior Jim O’Connor, and play had to be halted as a fish landed on the ice, thrown by a Trinity fan. “I was glad to see our fans were into it,” said Polombo. At 15:45, Pinkerton scored on a shot fired between the legs of Kolden and went to the locker room up 3-1. In the third period, senior Jeff St. Jean scored at 1:51 to bring Trinity within one goal again until Pinkerton scored on another shorthanded breakaway at 11:15. Barry Kendall brought Trinity back into the game by scoring two goals-- a shot over the right shoulder of the Pinkerton keeper at 6:54 and a power play goal at 11:54 to tie the game at 4-4. “It was chaos on the bench, and everyone knew we had the momentum and knew we could win the game,” said O’Connor, a junior. After a hooking penalty, Trinity looked to burn off an- other Pinkerton power play, but with 3.5 seconds left in the game, Pinkerton scored on Kolden to finish the game and send Trinity home, 5-4. “It’s the worst feeling in the world,” said Kolden of the last goal. “All I thought about is what I could have done to not let it happen.” Coach Connell is optimistic for the team next year. “I think the seniors set an example for the seniors next year. They started a tradition of never quitting. I think they’re going to be all right,” said Connell. The impact of fans in sports By Chad Graff Editor-in-Chief When players walk onto a court, it’s one of the first things that they notice. It’s what gives a team true homecourt advantage. It’s the fans. Fans play just as big of a role in many games as some players do. They do anything it takes to distract the other team or get in there head. Think about. Everyone can name a couple of examples. Look at the Cameron crazies. They had someone strip down to a blue speedo behind the hoop every time an opposing player would be shooting a free throw. Or, in a more local sense, look at high school sports in New Hampshire. When the Trinity boys’ basketball team walked onto UNH’s Lundholm gym for the Class L championship, the first thing that they noticed was the fans. “The atmosphere was crazy. It was tuned up even more (than the previous two championships). You see the crowd and you try to ignore it and you can’t put it all out of your head. The fans were 2008/2009 Mark Natale / Pioneer Editor Trinity’s student section chants after a block at the Class L Championship game at UNH’s Lundholm Gymnasium. Trinity won the game, 50-25 over Memorial. It was the first intra-city Championship agme in more than 25 years. going crazy and you just have to calm yourself down,” said senior captain Dylan Clark. “It was unbelievable out there. It’s a great feeling to play in front of that many people.” But it’s not just the atmosphere or trying to get into the opponents head. “Fans make you try harder. They give you more adrenaline. In football, the fans would get me pumped up, and I’d want to go out and hit people,” said Connor Lyons, who made the New Hampshire all-state teams in both football and baseball. But more than anything, when people look back at a big game years from now, what they remember most is the atmosphere. They remember looking up at thousands rooting for them, and thousands rooting against them. “We had been there before, so we knew what to expect in terms of fans. You just have to stick together and try and block out the fans. If you can’t do that then you’re in serious trouble,” said Clark. It’s the beginning of December. The temperatures are dropping into the teens and the sun is beginning to set at four p.m. leading many to ask me why I am becoming more and more excited every day. The answer? Because on December 19th our boys’ basketball team opens their season against city rival Memorial. Though this is only my second year at Trinity, right now, nothing could get me more pumped than the approaching basketball season. The time of the year when five players become celebrities and the taunting of rivals such as Manchester Central and Bishop Guertin becomes mere silence, the time of year when the Celtics are your second favorite basketball team and you know well in advance that you will be busy on Friday night. And that’s just the regular season; don’t even get me started about the playoffs. The seemingly imminent domination and the feeling of being in a crowd alongside a hundred fellow students, shouting, cheering jumping up and down and of course every so often yelling at the referees can just never be replaced. With the absence of Salem in the regular season schedule and the strength of players such as junior standout Jordan Laguerre and senior forward Richard Madol, the team seems to have a very bright future ahead of them. Behind Laguerre and Richard Madol is sharp-shooting junior Cormac Fitzpatrick, senior Dylan Clark, and sophomores Zach Stevens and Madol’s younger brother David. A set of potential sixth and seventh men that makes me excited, to say the least. If there has ever been a season when this team can go 18-0, I think this is it. One thing that is for certain is that the Dec. 19’s game against Memorial is not one to be missed. It’s the Pioneer’s opening game as well as the day Christmas break begins, so there is no reason not to put more than a hundred of our students in the stands. To me it’s less of a basketball game and more like an early Christmas present, something I would never miss out on. 2008/2009 The Pioneer Sports Page 17 The great debate: Is running a sport? Running is a to hit it back just as Chad Graff recognized sport by fast. Opinion both the NHIAA and Try running the Olympic comwhile trying to put mittee. a 10-inch ball in an I don’t care. 18-inch hoop that’s raised Guess what else is a 10 feet. recognized sport by the When you can do all of Olympic committee. Let’s these and still believe that begin with canoeing, pingjust running is tougher, pong and sailing. There’s then I’d be happy to run also badminton, archery, with you. equestrian, orienteering (I’m You see, running is a not even sure what that is), korfball training method. It is something that (I don’t even want to know what that you do to get better at your particuis), chess, bridge, boules, bandy, net- lar sport. But now that we live in a ball, pelote basque (feel free to laugh society where everyone gets their at any point), wushu, tug of war, way and we have to tiptoe around roller sports and my personal favorite feelings, running is a sport. And so is lifesaving. I can’t even make this up. walking. Lifesaving? Seriously? Is everyRunning is something that people thing that can be made a competition do as a hobby, and as much as it may a sport? Why not race-crawling? We not seem like it, I have a great deal of can line up all of our precious tworespect for runners – just not the ones year-olds and have them compete who walk around thinking they’re in the Olympics. Take that, China some crazy athlete because they can – now you can legally use your unrun. derage children in the Olympics. Running is not a sport just beBut the point is, if running is a cause you can make it a competition. sport, then so is walking, and so is These days, you can make a competicrawling, and so is eating (if you get tion out of anything. Imagine what the chance, check out Joey Chesnut life is going to be like if everything – the guy’s insane) and so is sleeping. that is a competition is a sport. After a while it gets pretty ridiculous, I can already see it. wouldn’t you say? “Next on ESPN, watch the world Before you give me the talk series of grass growing, followed by about how running is so hard and I the bingo championships, and later, wouldn’t know because I don’t do it, check out the annual rock-paper-scisstop yourself – save the breath. You sors shootout.” think running is hard? Really? If you’re one of the few who still Try running with a football in believe running is a sport, then have your hand while 11 people are runfun watching bingo on ESPN. But I ning at you trying to take your head don’t want to hear about how your off. sport is so difficult, because as you’re Try running after a yellow ball laughing at me for not thinking runthat was just hit at 100 mph and has ning is a sport, I’ll be laughing on the enough spin to bounce over your inside because my grandma does the head, and while you’re running, try same sport as you. Running not a sport? Federation Athlete of Ryan mitchell Maybe you could tell the Year awards that Ben Comen that running he won in 2001 and Opinion isn’t a sport. 2002. I read about Comen a few Even better than that, years ago in a Rick Reilly you could tell the recently article. widowed Alicia Shay that Comen, at the time, was a the sport she loves and the junior at Hanna High School sport that her late husband, in Anderson, South Carolina. marathoner Ryan Shay, died He was the slowest runner in competing in wasn’t really America that year, finishing a 5 a sport and that he died dokilometer race in a lengthy 51 ing something that simply minutes. anybody could have done. Comen suffered from cerebral palsy Of course, the work ethic he and could hardly run a quarter mile showed running more than a hundred without falling flat on the ground. The and fifty miles a week, pushing his worst part of this being that every time body to its limits, similar to hundreds he fell, his disability prevented his of other runners, is something that brain from being able to send signals takes willpower that can be displayed to his arms fast enough to break his by almost any individual, right? fall, so most of the time when he did Even easier, tell me. I run 6 days fall, he would hit the ground, falling a week, at times while most others are flat on his face. still sleeping or turning the lights out Now, do you think that as he to lay down to bed. crossed the finish line, knees, hands, Tell me I’m not an athlete, rip my head, ankles bleeding profusely, that sport to shreds, and you know what, you could tell him that what he just tell all of my teammates too. competed in wasn’t really a sport? I’m at every basketball game I As you stood there, watching grown can make, but if the day comes that men cry after the race more than this I finally reach my biggest goals as a kid ever did, could you tell him, “Well runner, I don’t need 250 of my peers Ben, you know, you may have just put behind me cheering. yourself through more physical and Surely, no one will “storm the mental pain than I ever have in my en- court,” some of my closest friends, tire sports career combined, but I mean coaches, and family might hug me, you really didn’t need any congenital but for the most part I will be out of ability to do so, so sorry pal, but your the spotlight, thinking about my hard not really an athlete.” work and unaware of the vanity that Or maybe you could tell Hicham El success in most other sports encomGuerroj a 3:43 miler (a world record), passes. after he became the first man to ever As someone once put it, “The true win two Olympic Track Gold medvision of a champion is bent over, als by doubling in the 5k and 1500 at drenched in sweat, at the point of Athens in 2004, that he wasn’t really exhaustion, when nobody else is lookan athlete, and that you’d probably ing.” You know something about that have to take back his subsequent vision seems familiar to me, but I just International Association of Athletics can’t quite put my finger on it. Lyons duo remains dominant on the field By Mark Natale Pioneer Staff “They’re baseball-savvy. That’s what you can’t teach. They play [baseball] the way it’s supposed to be played,” said Trinity baseball coach Ed Poisson. He was referring to the center field-left field, senior-junior duo, Sean and Connor Lyons. Since first picking up the bat and ball in their T-ball years to becoming starters just a few games into their respective freshman seasons, Sean and Connor have grown to be integral parts of the Trinity baseball team. Sean is a second-year captain on the team this year. However, baseball isn’t their only sport. Both entered Trinity playing soccer their freshman year but switched to play for the football team for their respective sophomore years. Sean, a senior, who signed a 50% scholarship with Northeastern University to play baseball earlier this year, had a scare in this year’s football season when he broke his leg in a game halfway through the season. “[The scholarship] was the first thing that went through my head. I was wondering if I would ever be the same again,” said Lyons. Lyons also said he would have tried out for the boys’ basketball team this year had it not been for his injury. Younger brother, Connor, a junior, is also being heavily recruited by NCAA Division 1 teams to play baseball for them. “I’m looking to stay in Boston. If I can, I want to go to [Boston College]. BC is my priority,” said Lyons of his scholarship opportunities. “Both are DI baseball players,” said Poisson of the two. According to the duo, sibling rivalry has slacked off in recent years, but there has always been a lingering competition between the brothers. “I think that’s where we get our talent. [Sibling rivalry] made us who we are today and the competitors who we are,” said Sean. “I definitely noticed when Sean made the district team as an 11-year-old. That’s what really made me want to go into sports,” said the younger Lyons brother, Connor. Both, too, have high hopes for the baseball team this year and their goal for the season is to win the state championship. The team made it to the state championship two years ago, but lost to Merrimack and last year made it to the quarterfinals of the playoffs. “We have a definite chance [to win this year],” said Sean. Brother, Connor, agrees. “We almost made it freshman year, and last year was just a disappointment,” said Connor. “We graduated one player last year. Hopefully, we’ll be in the top four [at the end of the regular season].” The boys started the season with a win over Concord, 1-0, in which Connor singled to left field in the bottom of the seventh to score the walk-off Mark Natale / Pioneer Staff Above, Trinity senior Sean Lyons throws warm-up pitches in between innings to catcher Nick Nalette in a game against Pinkerton on April 22, Trinity won 9-4. winning run, Sean, from third base. “It was a relief to see the ball go over the third baseman’s head and made it easy for me to jog in,” said Sean. Connor was equally excited about the win. “It was definitely a good lunge forward for the team and for my confidence at the plate,” Connor said. Page 18 Boys’ Athlete of the year Captain of the boys’ Class L championship basketball team and captain of the very strong Pioneers baseball team, Dylan Clark is our pick for boys’ athClark lete of the year. Clark was a leader on the court, always putting up good numbers and playing team defense. Clark is also the ace pitcher for the Pioneers baseball team, along with a pick for last season’s first team All-State team. Clark has certified himself as one of the top pitchers in Class L. The southpaw’s fastball is offset by his wicked curveball, making him a huge danger for batters. With an astonishing .19 ERA, Clark is looking to bring the Pioneer baseball team deep into the playoffs. Clark will be continuing his baseball career at Elon University in North Carolina next year on a 70 percent scholarship. The Pioneer would also like to send out honorable mentions for the boys’ athlete of the year to the following: Junior Connor Lyons, who led the football team in both rushing yards per carry as well as receptions, with eight. Lyons is also a standout on the baseball team, making first team All-State last season, to go with a .350 batting average this season. Jordan Laguerre, a junior, was named Mr. Basketball and Player of the year for Class L. Laguerre led the team in scoring in the championship game with 27 points , outscoring Memorial singlehandedly. Laguerre also netted his thousandth point during the regular season. Finally, junior Jake Castricone, the quarterback for the football team and a solid shortstop for the baseball team, is our third honorable mention. Castricone is the quarterback in Trinity’s double-wing offense. Castricone made first team All-State this past football season at the safty position and recorded the second- most tackles on the team. Girls’ Athlete of the year With impressive play throughout the regular season and playoffs, Karima Gabriel was able to help lead her team to the girls’ basketball championship game. Gabriel The 6’2 center dominated down low and was always a threat to score when on the court. Gabriel also collected many of the team’s rebounds. Gabriel was a first team all-state selection her sophomore year, along with this past season. Her career at trinity was marked by scoring her thousandth point during the last home game of the regular season. Just a junior, Gabriel was able to set the standard for girls’ class L basketball. Already receiving letters from Division I colleges, Gabriel is only expected to improve throughout the offseason and through next season with the Pioneers. Gabriel not only dominates on the basketball court, but also on the volleyball court, helping her team reach the playoffs, only to be defeated by thirdseeded Salem. The Pioneer would also like to send out honorable mentions for girls’ athletes of the year to the following: Gillian Gravel who is a standout in both soccer and softball. She recently helped the team to a dominating win over Keene, 11-1. Sam Currier, who was a captain on the soccer team and was a leader on the girls’ basketball team. Currier played point guard for the basketball team and recorded a two-goal game on the pitch. Sam Monohon, who led the girls’ basketball team in scoring during the championship game with 11 points. Monohon was an all-state honorable mention selection and a Pioneer selection for girls’ athlete of the month in March. The Pioneer Sports 2008/2009 Spring sports updates Baseball team enters NHIAA tournament as #1 After a red-hot ending to their season, the Trinity boys’ baseball team ended its dream season abruptly with a 12-3 loss to Alvirne in the NHIAA semifinals. The loss put a wrap on a 19-3 season—the best finish for Trinity in years. “Tonight, Dylan [Clark] wasn’t sharp, Garrett [Cole] wasn’t sharp, and our hitting wasn’t on. Put those three together, and you get a 12-3 loss,” said Trinity coach Ed Poisson. The Pioneers, an annual powerhouse, got off to one of the best starts in school history and suffered losses in the regular season only to Keene and Goffstown. The boys flew through the first two rounds of the playoffs, winning games against Pinkerton, 8-1, and Timberlane, 3-1. Senior Dylan Clark, who will attend Elon University on a baseball scholarship next year, had a no-hitter going through six innings of the first round game against Pinkerton until it was broken up by a single in the seventh. Clark and fellow senior Garret Cole, who will be attending UMass Lowell, led the team in pitching throughout the year. Fellow senior Sean Lyons, coming off a serious leg injury from the fall football season, was a solid reliever behind the two. The team was led by the offense of junior Connor Lyons and brother, Sean, and senior Ricky Fosher. Also contributing to the team were senior Dave Danielson and junior Nick Nalette. Team chemistry was a focal point for the team this year. “There was very good team chemistry and out morale for the season was high and we knew we had a good shot at the title and everyone wanted to win,” said Fosher. Even after the loss, the team was able to keep spirits up, as former Trinity athletic director Patrick Smith and current director Gary Leonard made their way through the dugout, shaking the hands of each player individually. “We may have lost, but we lost as a team. There weren’t any arguments in the dugout, and, even in the end, I feel that our team was able to crack a few jokes and stay positive towards each other,” said Danielson. Trinity boys’ tennis loses in first round of tourney The Trinity boys’ tennis team wrapped up their spring season with an upset loss to the #6 seed in the NHIAA tournament, Concord, 3-6. Trinity, the #2 seed in the tournament, won the first few games of the match with junior Adonios Papanikalou scoring the first win and seniors Ben Arguin and Matt Anctil following directly after. The boys, who were led by Arguin and fellow senior Tony Collins all year, had made the NHIAA tournament of eight teams as the #2 seed after finishing off the regular season with a 131 record. “[It was] the best season Trinity’s had in a while,” said Papanikalou. The boys had surprised many in the state by their success, after entering the tournament as the #8 seed last year. Their only loss came at the hands of the #3 seed in a hotly contested match in which Trinity lost 5-4. “It was a disappointing way to end the season after how consisten we played all year,” said Anctil. After losing their former coach last year, Mr. Andrew Nelson, coach Brian Hashem stepped up and filled the vacant hole and improved upon what the team had accomplished last year. The boys began their season with an explosive start and even after their loss only loss to Salem, they picked up right where they left off and won the remainder of their matches. “Our loss to Salem served as a wake-up call for us, and I thought the way we responded showed how much character we had as a team,” said Anctil. Even after the disappointing loss, the team was still satisfied with how the season had gone overall. “Although we didn’t do as well as I would have expected in the playoffs, I really think we showed that Trinity was a powerhouse this year,” said Arguin. Arguin was also impressive in the state singles’ finals, finishing his tournament with a loss to the state’s #1 seed. Softball finishes season with loss to Alvirne After a disappointing start to the season, the girls’ softball team finished the regular season on a hot streak, going 3-2 in their last five games before falling to #2 seed in the NHIAA Concord in the first round, 9-1. The girls, who were coached by Assistant Principal Steve Gadecki and language teacher Laura Chenette, finished their season with a 6-13 record, the best finish for the team in years. “In my first three years on varsity softball, we won five games total and never made the playoffs, but this year we all had the same goal in mind… and made the playoffs for the first time in four years,” said Alie Thomas, a senior. The Pioneers were led by seniors Thomas and Ellen Connell, as well as junior catcher, Gillian Gravel. The girls became city champions with wins over intra-city rivals, Manchester West, Manchester Memorial, and Manchester Central, the final win coming against Central in an extra-inning game that the Pioneers won, 2-1. “I think that we exceeded everyone’s expectations, especially by becoming the city champs. It was amazing how we really came together as a team,” said Gravel. After the regular season, the Pioneers were 15th in the standings and were paired with Concord for the first game in the playoffs. Although the girls lost, they were still happy with the way the season had ended. “I think the season was very successful. We went out as a team to unite and become one team and we did that. We wanted to win games and make it into the playoffs. We did that too,” said Nicole Connolly, a junior. The returning members of the team are looking forward to next year, and have high hopes for a successful season. “We are really going to miss out seniors, but we have a great group of girls coming back. I hope to once again be the city champs and make the playoffs again,” said Gravel. 2008/2009 The Pioneer Arts & Entertainment Page 19 Another hit from the drama club 900 Degrees heats up By Kaitlin Fitzgerald Pioneer Staff By Alexa Serrecchia Pioneer Editor In the McHugh Gymnasium on Thursday, May 14, Fri. May 15, and Sat. May 16, Trinity High School’s drama club put on a production of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Mark Natale, junior, directed the show. The cast included sophomores Corrine Dolan, Daniel Hunt, Alexis Kittle, Rita Pratte and Natalie Kfoury as well as juniors Ben Gibbons, Tricia Gaudet, Cairreann Leighton, Brady Manning, Allison Parent, Jessica Parent and Sarah Ruggiero. Mo Gibbons and Danielle Jaskiewicz were the only freshmen. The play consisted of 26 skits separated by blackouts. “The show was very different from what we usually perform. It strayed from our usual preference of comedy but it allowed us to explore a new genre and acting style,” said Allison Parent. The show started off with a skit called “Yes! Of Course I Can!” in which the cast portrayed enthusiastic kindergarten students expressing their abilities to draw, read, dance, sing, and perform many other simple and fun tasks. The play continued on with different skits of these kindergarten students as adults learning lessons as grown-ups that they had already been taught in kindergarten. All of the cast members had roles in multiple skits. Some members also had certain roles that they favored over others. “My favorite role was Howard because I liked that scene better than the others,” said Ben Gibbons. The skit “Howard” consisted of Gibbons and Natale. As a boy, Gibbons had always said the part of Pioneer Yearbook Staff Photo Members of the drama club sit on stage during the first skit, “Yes! Of Course I Can!”on opening night of the three-night performance. the Our Father “hallowed be thy name” as “Howard be thy name,” and, therefore, he had always believed that God was named Howard. The moral of this skit was to never let anyone tell you that you are wrong. “My favorite was my role in ‘Problems and Inconveniences,’ because it had such a great message,” said Manning. The “Problems and Inconveniences” skit also included Ben Gibbons and Natale. Manning’s character was upset over being fed the same meal of wieners and sauerkraut at work every day. Natale performed Manning’s actions as Manning narrated them. Little did Manning know that Gibbons was a Holocaust survivor who saw wieners and sauerkraut as a feast. Gibbons told Manning that there is a difference between an inconvenience and a problem, and that life is full of inconveniences that we just have to deal with. The lessons of the skits varied, some of which included, standing up for what you believe in, never letting anyone tell you that you can’t do something, using your imagination, learning to let go, thinking for yourself, tak- ing part in life and not worrying, because no one is perfect. Natale not only directed but also performed in 16 of the 26 skits. Natale was able to direct the show and cast himself in multiple skits, an unsual task that not many directors take on. “I thought the shows went well. I’m really proud of the cast for pulling it all together in the end, even though we had serious problems over the course of rehearsals and such. Overall, it went better than I had expected it to,” said Natale. The Gibbons and Parent siblings graced the Trinity stage with their talents in almost as many skits each as Natale. Sophomores Kittle, Kfoury, and Pratte showed off their acting skills on the stage for the first time. “This was my first show with the Trinity drama club and it was quite the experience,” said Pratte. Ryan Kehoe, junior, accompanied on the piano. For the first two nights of the show, despite a few lapses with lines and the distracting open-curtain set changes during the blackouts, the Trinity drama club impressed on stage once again. Pizza is often lumped to gether with Chinese food and chicken tenders in our minds as being cheap takeout; however, one of Manchester’s most unique dining spots, 900 Degrees, is far from being your average “pizza joint.” Crisp, thin crust, wood oven-baked pizzas are the main draw here, though the limited options of salads and Italian appetizers earn high marks as well. The restaurant is a long rectangular room with a beautiful open kitchen and sprawling wine bar. The stainless steel accents and the granite countertops that appear throughout the otherwise rustic feeling dining room provide for a more uptown feel to this millyard eatery. The noise level is high, as the dining room is open air and the windows remain undressed. The service was lacking in some areas, namely attentiveness, but my overall service experience was pleasant. The hostess quickly sat us down, as the dining room was virtually empty around 5 o’clock in the evening. It took our server quite a while to initially come over to our table and greet us, so much so that when she did eventually arrive, we were ready to place our order. Despite the initial wait, after placing our orders, I was surprised to see the pizzas delivered a short time later. I ordered the red pepper pesto pizza ($13.95) which joins the menu along with entrees such as a margherita pizza, a fire roasted BBQ chicken pizza, and a florentine pesto panini, along with a create your own pizza option. The crust was very thin, but the dough was both soft enough, yet cooked enough for the crust to crackle when folded. The pizza was topped with red pepper pesto, grilled chicken, goat cheese, and arugula. The flavors of the arugula and the pesto in particular really complemented the wood-fired flavor infused into the pizza. The pizza is neapolitan style, meaning it is very thin crusted. One pizza, although large, is comparable to two or three thicker crusted pizza slices. However, if you are looking for something lighter one pizza would be sufficient for two to share. In terms of aesthetics, the pizza is brought to you by the server and placed on a stand beside your table. I felt that this somewhat detracted from the upscale feeling of the dining experience and would have much rather had the pizza on the table rather than being constantly bumped into by passers by making their way to the restroom. Situated in the millyard parking lot, directly behind the building that was formerly home to Tiny Totland, 900 Degrees is certainly in an obscure location. Even being very familiar with downtown Manchester, I found myself circling the vicinity of the parking lot several times before I was able to find the actual entrance. However, there is ample parking, even on a busy weekend date-night or event night at the Verizon. The combination of the uptown, metropolitan atmosphere, reasonable prices and bold Tuscan flavors make 900 Degrees a perfect spot for a date night on the town, or simply a casual dinner out with the family. 900 Degrees proves to Manchester that there is much more to pizza than the infamous Alley Cat or Cesarios. I would easily make a repeat visit and certainly recommend that this new uptown eatery make its way into your downtown dining circuit. 50 Dow St Manchester, NH 03101 www.900degrees.com Commercial Street Fishery: Worth the adventure By Kaitlin Fitzgerald Pioneer Staff Finding Commercial Street Fishery can be difficult, especially for an unfamiliar downtown Manchester diner. CSF is tucked away in the old mill buildings directly across from the WMUR studio. To enter the restaurant, you must enter the mill building itself and follow a long hallway to the actual entrance. The inside creates the sense that you are in an upscale eatery in a posh seaside city. The dining room gives a beachy, lofty, yet upscale feel. Tall ceilings and oversized windows allow for a large open-air feel. I was greeted by a very friendly hostess and was seated promptly. We sat in an oversized leather booth next to sheer draped windows. After only a few minutes, our server came over to greet us. She stamped the white butcher paper, covering the table with a CSF logo and then wrote her name as if we were in one of those kidfriendly restaurants. The staff was welcoming, professional, and knowledgeable, and the service was prompt but never intrusive. CSF does what few other restaurants are able to do, like take everyday seafood dishes and turn them into well thought out, creative, and bold dishes. I began with the clam chowder ($7), which I was hesitant about as I am not a huge chowder fan. However, I was delighted to find that it was wonderfully thick and creamy with a bold smoky flavor, with large chunks of potatoes and plenty of clams. I then had the yellow fin tuna ($28) with toasted barley, shiitake mushrooms, grilled radicchio, and a red wine reduction sauce. This dish was phenomenally presented and masterfully executed. The tuna was perfectly complemented by the bold and rich seasonal flavors of the radicchio and the shiitake. The toasted barley added a palatable texture to the smooth dish. I ended with the “graham central station” ice cream ($4), from local creamery Blake’s. The desert was simple yet decadent and tastefully presented. My dining experience was not only a welcomed escape from the monotony of the local chain restaurant circuit but also an incredibly refreshing dining experience. The cool, calm atmosphere, welcoming and skilled service, and the fusion of the bold, exotic, and familiar flavors served to create an unparalleled experience. The entrees are slightly pricey, so CSF is not a target destination for a diner with a thin wallet. However, it is certainly worth making the trip to this downtown eatery and spending the extra dollars for a special occasion or simply a relaxing and delicious culinary escape. Page 20 The Pioneer The Back Page 2008/2009 And they’re off! But to where, exactly? Matt Anctil: University of Michigan Ben Arguin: University of MassachusettsLowell Wesley Baird: Keene State College Sean Becker: University of New HampshireManchester Marissa Belair: High Point University Michael Boire: University of Maine Ashley Boivin: Bentley University Deeanna Bouchard: High Point University Sarah Bourque: University of New Hampshire Katie Briefs: Xavier University Caitlin Buckley: University of New Hampshire Thomas Caito: University of New Hampshire Sarah Castelot: Colby-Sawyer College Alyssa Chambers: Mesa State College Hillary Cirka: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Dylan Clark: Elon University Garrett Cole: University of MassachusettsLowell Tony Collins: Merrimack College Ellen Connell: University of Virginia Matthew Coryea: Clarkson University Ryan Cowette: Virginia Polytechnic Institute Samantha Currier: Plymouth State University Samantha Danico: Saint Anselm College David Danielson: University of New Hampshire Laura Des Rochers: Hesser College Nick D’Intino: Endicott College Lynne Dionne: Colby-Sawyer College Evan Doyle: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Kayla Doyle: Simmons College Stephen Driscoll: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Vanessa Duguay: George Washington University Andrew Dwyer: Manchester Community College Kaitlin Fitzgerald: College of Charleston Kellen Fitzgerald: Fordham University Patrick Fitzgerald: Colby College Emily Fontaine: Northeastern University Sean Foote: Bryant University Ryan Foster: University of Maine-Fort Kent Ricky Fosher: Saint Leo University Sarah Franklin: University of New HampshireManchester Katie Fuhrman: Cape Fear Community College SHEEHAN Continued from page 1 of his time in the business. “It wasn’t enough.” He worked in investments for several years and with FEMA for one year. Then, four years ago, he made the decision to return to Trinity as a math teacher. He found that Trinity was the best fit for him. “It’s the only job, as I suppose you do have to call it a job, which I’m excited to get out of bed and go to in the morning,” he says of teaching. “The closeness of the teachers and the students, we really do work as a team.” Mr. Sheehan gets up every morning at five o’clock in order to be at school at six to open the doors to students. After which time, he can usually be found in his office, grading papers and planning lessons for the day. He says he draws his inspiration from a variety of different teachers. He lists them off, new and old, and mentions their dedication and accomplishments. “Six of the teachers here today have been here since I Komot Gabriel: University of Hartford Jonathan Gaffen: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Thomas Gagnon: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine Ann-Marie Gaudet: College of Saint Joseph’sVermont Claudia Gaulin: University of Ottawa- Canada Samantha Goodnow: Fairfield University Danica Goss: Salve Regina University Casey Goulet: Wentworth Institute of Technology Chad Graff: University of New Hampshire Gregory Gratiano: Curry College Peyour Guguay: Xavier University of Louisiana Laura Hagan: Massachusetts Maritime Academy Megan Hannemann: Quinnipiac University Elizabeth Hebert: Saint Michael’s College Scott Hebert: Manchester Community College Zachary Ibanez: Suffolk University- Madrid, Spain Craig Jameson: Endicott College Kimberly Johnson: Southern New Hampshire University Amanda Jolicoeur: Manchester Community College Michael-Ali Kelekci: Wagner College Barry Kendall: Assumption College Kerianne Lamontagne: Assumption College Chelsea Landry: Chestnut Hill College Ashley Leonard: University of New Hampshire Alysha Lesieur: Western New England College Benjamin Lessard: Saint Michael’s College German Linares: Siena College Kyle Long: New Hampshire Technical Institute Michael Lonie: Curry College Timothy Lussier: Southern New Hampshire University Brendan Lynch: Plymouth State University Sean Lyons: Northeastern University Richard Madol: University of New Hampshire Bethany Majkut: Merrimack College Andrea Masuku: Anna Maria College Emily Martin: University of New Hampshire Nathan McCormick: University of Dallas Jaskiel McDowell: Nashua Community College Patrick McLaughlin: Bridgton Academy was a student. Mr. Mailloux was my homeroom teacher, Mr. Gorski was my English teacher. I’m just putting in my time; we’re all just putting in our time for you guys,” he said. But he doesn’t just stop when the school day ends. He attends many Trinity sports games to cheer on his students. “There may be a time when I don’t see a student excel particularly in the classroom, but I can still make the effort to see them excel on the field,” he said. He’s also become incredibly involved in the Trinity community itself. For the past 12 years, Mr. Sheehan has been on the board of trustees for the Kevin McHugh/Trinity High School Golf Tournament, held annually in August. But perhaps his most wellknown position is that of student council advisor. He is famous in the Trinity community for leading assemblies in games and chants, but what many don’t see are the huge amounts of time and effort he puts into such events. During Trinity Week, it is not unusual for Mr. Sheehan Sara McSmith: Southern New Hampshire University Jake Meehan: Bryant University Hayden Mitchell: College of the Holy Cross Samantha Monohon: University of Massachusetts- Amherst Matthew Myers: University of New Hampshire Thomas Newell: Elmira College Megan O’Brien: Springfield College Hanna Ogilvy: Bentley University Kaleigh O’Neil: University of New Hampshire Eileen Parodi: Wellesley College Alison Patev: Stonehill College Amanda Patev: Johnson & Wales University Tyler Pepin: Middlebury College Julianne Petty: Salem State College Mallory Phaneuf: Mount Holyoke College Robert Pitt: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Christi Pratte: Rivier College Max Rahill: Catholic University of America Colin Robb: Providence College (Deferred for 1 Year for Hockey) Krista Rochussen: Boston University Michael Roy: Utica College Nicole Salvato: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Studies Patrick Seabrook: United States Merchant Marine Academy Emily Seitz: Simmons College Patrick Sheppard: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Jolynn Silva: University of New Hampshire Tyrell Skinner: University of Hartford Jeffrey St. Jean: Bryant University Alie Thomas: Merrimack College Sean Trainor: University of New Hampshire Chelsea Turner: Northeastern University Megan Uberti: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joseph Usenia: Wentworth Institute of Technology Nathaniel Valentine: University of Hartford Cathy Vetrone: University of New Hampshire Natalie Viola: Academy of Art University Lauren White: Fisher College Alexsandra Wiciel: Catholic University of America Natalie Wilson: Nichols College to arrive at school at his usual time to open the doors and then not leave until 10:30 at night. “I met Mr. Sheehan when I first came to Trinity, and I knew he was something different,” said sophomore Abby Mitchell. “It was not until I joined student council this year that I found out what he really goes through.” You might think with the amount of time and effort that he puts into these activities, he must grow tired of the role; however, he sees it as one of his favorites. Pioneer staff photos “I guess I’m still a kid at Above left: Mr. Sheehan prepares for freshman orientation last August. heart,” he said. “So I love Top right: Mr. Sheehan, left, dressed as Santa, poses for a picture with a doing things like student little girl in the Trinity cafeteria. council and teaching and Bottom right: Mr. Sheehan takes a turn grilling hamburgers before a Trintalking to the kids.” ity football game. He organized a group of “Trinity tailgaters” to tailgate But one has to realize, before every home football game. that to the class of 2009 and many more, Mr. Sheehan four years ago. haven’t taught, I’ve talked to has become more than just They started together as in the halls or at the games, so your average teacher. freshman, and, over the years, I’m pretty close to this class.” “He is a leader and a menmost members of that class So to the class of 2009, tor to me. His high expectahave gotten to know Mr. and to Trinity as a whole, Mr. tions set the stage for greatness Sheehan. Sheehan is more than just a and I owe him for my own “For some, I’ve taught teacher. success here,” said Student them as sophomores, some as “He still deserves the Council President Katie Briefs. sophomores and seniors,” he title of Mr. Trinity, even to Both Mr. Sheehan and the said. “Some I haven’t even this day,” said senior Lynne Class of 2009 entered Trinity taught at all. But the ones I Dionne.