Volume XIII; Issue 17
cavchronline.com
Friday, March 27, 2015
OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLAY! Sarah MacEachen ‘16 Copy Editor
On Friday, March 20, the Hollis-Brookline High School auditorium was filled with students, parents, teachers, and other community members gathering to witness Oklahoma!, the school’s latest musical. The musical is directed by Theater Arts teacher Elyse Tomlinson, marking the near-end of her 15-year career at HB. Following last year’s musical masterpiece, Anything Goes, Tomlinson managed to wow her audience once again. Lights dimmed as Erin Hattamer ‘15 stepped onto the stage. Hattamer’s portrayal of her character, Aunt Eller, captured the crowd’s attention instantly, without needing to even speak. Hattamer’s entrance was soon followed by the vocal talents of Ben Goodman ‘15 who stretched his baritone voice to reach tenor notes. Other lead roles were played by Jacob Scali ‘15, Maddie Kutcha ‘17, who was the perfect love interest, Kayne Robert ‘16, who maintained his menacing stance throughout the production, Ava Occhialini ’17, who stole moments with her flirtatious acting, bold voice, and who made the character someone you can’t help but fall in love with. Eric Pratt ’16 showed several audiences his abili-
ty to sing--even with a gun to his head. Bradley Simpson ‘16 caused the laughs after laughing. The cast worked tirelessly on choreography featuring dance true to the play, and even lassoing territory folk, done by Scail ’15 and Chris Lazich’ 15. Members of the Hollis-Brookline band and other musical community members formed a note-perfect pit band. Directed by Julie Carbone, HBHS’ choir and dance teacher, the band was a pleasure to hear and never missed a beat. Tomlinson has built a legacy here at HB. She is adored by her students and pushes them to be the best they can be. In the final scene of Oklahoma!, she has outdone herself and ended the musical, along with her HB directing career, with a show-stopper. Tomlinson never fails to impress, and her final musical is no exception.
All Oklahoma! photo credit goes to Leslie Eisenberg
The road to repeat Jack Shields ‘16 Assistant Sports Editor
A
fter reaching the summit of their sport for the second time in three years, the boys’ lacrosse team hopes to continue their success into the 2015 season. The road to repeating will be an arduous pursuit as they move from Division III to Division II. The boys are intent on returning another banner to the gym as they square off against tougher competition. The team won their previous two championships by coming through in the clutch. Overtime game-winning goals clinched the team’s two titles; this season they are looking to do the same. Michael Buxbaum ‘16 explained how the team will perform moving up a division and what they have to do to win another championship: “I think it will definitely be more of a challenge, but
we still have a lot of talent and if we work hard enough we can bring another championship home.” The senior class players on the team have been a part of the two championships and will bring the veteran leadership the team needs to succeed. This year’s team is led by a group of strong and experienced players mixed with a core group of young talent.
Captain Joe Brooks ‘15 summed it: “Clearly the ultimate goal is to once again make it to another championship. For us to reach that goal, we have to focus on our team as a whole. We need every player to fill their role, and maintain focus throughout the season. If every individual commits themselves to the team for the next three months we will reach our final goal. ” The Hollis Brookline lacrosse team has won two state championships in three years. The taste of victory will last forever, but the most important thing they have learned is how diffi-
Courtesy photo cult it is to win. On the road to repeat, adversity will shadow them; simply playing through will be the most im-
portant thing. This year’s team looks to be the perfect group to repeat their past in a new division.
Transgender at HB: Part 1 Julie Christie ‘15 Editor-in-Cheif
To the tall, long-haired, skirt-clad woman, she was just that: a woman. But until her sophomore year, it was to the men’s room she went to change for gym and go to the bathroom, all because she had a penis. Jeremy Brook may be her birth name, and she may be physically male, but Beauty Searle is one of many people in the world who identify as transgender. Some may understand the term as a person with gender dysphoria or dissociative gender identity disorder, but the simplest definition boils down to this: “A person who expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person’s sex at birth.” – Merriam-Webster “While it is a bit more complicated than this, the simplest way to put it is that I am a male-to-female transgender,” explained Searle. At seventeen, Searle has managed to become a proponent for transgender awareness in her home city of Stamford, Connecticut. When she first understood what it meant to be transgender and knew that she identified as such, she had no community to go to.
When Searle first came out, it was to her then-girlfriend, who assisted her in telling her other friends and family. “It was all with varying degrees of acceptance,” said Searle.
Her brother was very fast to accept Searle and her gender identity, becoming a source of support for Searle in years to come. Searle’s brother treated her no differently than before, and the only change was to the pronouns and the terms he used to identify his sister. “My mother had a much slower time accepting it, even though it’s roughly been two and a half years,” said Searle. “My mother still has not entirely understood it, and my father doesn’t at all.” When Searle finally decided to become public about her gender identity, she was faced with situations that not only included bullying, but also the social dynamic of changing rooms. When she flat out refused to change in the men’s dressing room, Searle worked with her school’s administration and guidance department to set up an arrangement with the school nurse that allowed her to change in a single bath-
room.
In a 2014 telephone interview, Searle opened up about what it was like to be considered male by society, but identifies as female. “It’s difficult because it’s having people see you in a way that isn’t you. Any time that my parents use the term ‘son’ it still makes me uncomfortable.” Once Searle understood her gender identity and knew she was transgender, she struggled with the stress of still being treated male. She quickly decided to come out and get the acceptance she could rather than keep up with an identity that made her uncomfortable and unhappy. Searle has extensively studied the realm of gender identity and believes that it is not a disorder. “It’s a part of a person,” she explained. “It’s no more of a disorder than sexual orientation because it’s just a defining factor of a person.” This is part one of a series on transgender students in high school. Parts two and three will focus on two students from HB that are transgender.
“I didn’t really have anyone who had shared the experiences or had a background upon which to lean,” said Searle. Searle realized that the best way to change that was to create the community herself and become the person that others could approach with their personal experiences, questions, and for support.
Photo Credit: Julie Christie ‘15
Summer job options Liam Flaherty ‘16 Staff Writer
It’s almost that time of year! Every spring, thousands of high school students around the country apply for summer jobs. Whether it’s a small fast food joint or a large supermarket, a job is a great challenge for a teenager to take on. Jobs look great on resumes, add experience, and can also provide a nice income for kids who may need some extra cash.
you are applying for. If a student gets the job that he or she applies for, it could be very beneficial to them. A work schedule would add structure to the summer and also provide some good money. “I’m excited to have a little income so I don’t have to borrow money from my friends all the time,” said Eric Wing ‘16. Some parents even like to see their kids get a summer job. Nathaniel Lindsay explained his sit-
Hollis Brookline guidance counselor Julie Sullivan describes that “one’s ability to maintain a job indicates to future employers and admissions reps a strong work ethic, integrity, punctuality, time management, communication skills, and ability to get along with others.”
The Cavalier Chronicle is produced by Hollis Brookline High School students. The articles published represent the views of the staff and do not represent Hollis Brookline High School, HBHS faculty, or administration. As this publication is intended to be a tool for learning, please bring any concerns related to the newspaper to the attention Adviser Lin Illingworth. She can be reached at lin.illingworth@sau41.org
It’s important to apply in the spring because many other kids also apply when it gets close to summer. The earlier the application is filled out and in the hands of the employer, the better. Handing in a summer job application at the right time can show your motivation and drive for the position that
Photo Credit: Liam Flaherty ‘16
uation: “I applied to a few places this weekend. My mom made me. She thinks it’ll keep me out of trouble.” A summer job for a high school student can be so much more than money. It is a good way to soak in great work ethics and thinking. A job would allow a student to make money, grow as a person and gain experience in the modern, working world.