Volume XIII; Issue 12
Friday, February 13, 2015
cavchronline.com
Your winter driving 101 U
John Robbins ‘15, Scott Kroeger ‘15, Bella Zampeiri ‘16, Contributors
nique realization was made in a split second. Hannah MacLeod, ‘15, had lost control of her vehicle. She was sliding down Wheeler Road in Hollis towards the oncoming traffic on Broad Street. Luckily, the senior managed to avoid any serious injury by turning into a snow bank to her right. This incident is one of many that can occur while driving in the winter. 6.3 million weather-related car accidents occur every year in the United States. On top of that, inexperienced teen drivers are at greater risk of accidents than adults. This year, there are a lot of first-time drivers taking on snowy conditions at Hollis Brookline High School. Last year was a very devastating winter for the community, with nearly a dozen serious accidents on the roads. Winter driving can be dangerous if taken lightly, which is why drivers, especially teens, should be cautious. In the halls, students and teachers
were asked about safe driving tips.
Anthony Micelli, ‘16, said, “Pay attention. Don’t downshift on ice or snow if you drive a standard.” Doing so would cause loss of traction and cause the vehicle to lose control. Even history teacher Becky Balfour shared some advice,“Give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going.” “Drive with snow tires, and allow extra distance for breaking,” added School Resource Officer Rick Bergeron. “Buckle up, smile and have a good safe time,” said Matt Fothergill, ‘15. Out of many New England states, New Hampshire seems to have a lower rate of winter driving fatalities/accidents. This may be true, but consider the fact that there have been many accidents in the past couple of years. When you journey onto the frozen roads, you are putting your own life behind the wheel. Tires and speed are major factors when dealing with winter weather. Do NOT anticipate that winter/seasonal tires will benefit your safety on the road. There are plenty of people who have crashed with those specific types of tires. Drive with cau-
Photo Credit: John Robbins ‘15 tion. “4-wheel drive does not make you invincible,” said Wes Mansfield, ‘15. Driving any 4-wheel or all-wheel drive car does not mean the vehicle will not lose any traction. It is important to always drive with caution, no matter what kind of car you own. . “Take it slow,” said Tommy Johnson, ‘15. Speed is a major factor when it comes to driving in harsh winter conditions. If you’re planning on “winterizing” your car for this upcoming winter,
A walk with the Woods
here are some helpful tips to keep you and your passengers safe on the road. First, you will want to schedule a maintenance checkup on your vehicles tires and tire pressure. Wipers, oil, breaks, lights, exhaust, belts and hoses, and ignition should also be looked at with the maintenance checkup. There are many dangers in New England winter driving. And an ill-prepared, new driver can have valid reasons to worry. However, there are ways to slip through storms and ice unscathed, at any experience level, provided that the right steps are taken.
HBHS Chemistry club teaches future scientists
Johnny Robbins ‘16, Contributor Are you tired of learning about a bunch of old people who did things ages ago? Do you want to learn more about what surrounds you currently? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Contemporary Issues is the class to take. Contemporary Issues is a class offered here at Hollis Brookline which is taught by Lucas Woods. This class analyzes current events both in the community and around the world everyday. According to Woods “The class teaches students to be good citizens and be more aware of the world they live in.The class offers real material that relates to the world and gives students a different classroom experience”. The class dynamic is largely discussion based. Many students who take the class find themselves engaged in deep conversations regarding what is affecting the world today. Evan Porter ‘15 said “ I love this class so much that I come in during my Options”. Many students would agree that the class is fun to take, but a significant part is because of Woods. Woods is the “icing on the
Photo Credit: Johnny Robbins ‘16 cake”. He transforms a social studies class into a fun and engaging learning environment with his own twist on teaching. Woods is able to relate with students while having a good sense of humor. This class is highly recommended to any Junior looking to fill up their schedule for next year with a social studies class that offers a great, engaging, and insightful class. - See more at: http://cavchronline.com/5315/ features/a-walk-with-the-woods/#sthash.kswPUyYz.dpuf
It’s baby time in human relations
Mr.HBHS: The boys are back
5 2015 things to do in
Katryn Thibeault ‘16, Staff Writer
As high school students reach their final year, excitement about graduation and continuing with the rest of their lives takes over. But as some people forget, high school can be some of the best years of your life. . A lot of people forget some of their experiences, or do not make enough of them. So, to provide an alternative, here are some small activities that will help you remember your high school years. 1. Take a selfie with your favorite teacher. Take a picture with the teacher that helped you the most in school. You will always remember them, whether they had an impact on your life or they are just the funniest teacher you ever had, so take a selfie. Remember the good times in high school. 2. Go on a road trip with your friends. There is nothing better than hanging out with your best friends. But why not make an unforgettable memory by taking a road trip? You live by a schedule while you’re in school. Everyday you wake up, go to class, nap and repeat. Why not go out and take a spontaneous adventure? Take a ton of pictures and make the trip unforgettable. 3. Go to school events. This is a big one. Even if you have only the slightest interest in going, GO. There is nothing anyone can hate more than regretting a decision that they had made. Whether it’s Prom or not, choosing to go to a school dance will either make or break your high school experience. It’s not middle school, so it’s not that awkward, and you can always get food with your friends after. 4. Make a playlist of the songs you played the most. Take the songs that you played in high school and put them on one mixtape CD. This can be a fun project for you and your friends. This CD can bring you memories from your high school days for as long as you keep it. It will be a fun collaboration of your favorite songs. Twenty years down the road you could jam out to your favorite high school hit songs. 5. Visit your favorite colleges. As a senior you will be making the hard decision as to where to go to college. But one of the main factors to deciding where you go is deciding whether or not you like the campus. “ I had visited about four colleges before I found the right fit. Either the campus was too small or too big. Or the layout of the building was weird. It took me a while to find the right one, but I am glad I visited them before making my decision,” Dylan Conlon ’15, said. This is a great way to fing out where you want to go in life. 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
How to make resolutions stick Lily Navaroli ‘15, Staff Writer
The world celebrated another rotation around the sun and, to commemorate this event, many people make a list of ways they’re going to change their lives during the upcoming year. Sadly, only about 8% of people who make New Years’ Resolutions actually stick to them--and of the ones that don’t, they usually fail within the first week of the new year. The problem is, more often than not, people aim for unrealistic, daunting goals--setting themselves up to fail, rather than to succeed. Instead of making a list of nonspecific goals, it often helps pick smaller targets and take the goal step-by-step, building your way up. Choosing to change your entire way of living all at once probably won’t work. Instead, picking one area to focus on nearly always ends up making more progress.
Break it up. Instead of saying you’ll get in shape or quit smoking, make it something you’re more likely to accomplish--going for a walk, or bringing a healthy lunch to work or school.
Make a solid plan, so you know exactly what kind of changes you want to make, but also have room for change. If you’re successful, you can adapt or add to your resolution in order to surpass the original goal you set for yourself. Partnership is one of the best ways to guarantee progress on a goal--a friend who wants to accomplish the same thing can create friendly competition, and help to motivate you. Don’t set a specific date--then, you don’t give yourself the opportunity to fail, which is a natural part of the process to achieving any goal. Give yourself some flexibility and don’t be so hard on yourself. Avoid making 100% resolutions so you have some wiggle
room, while not giving yourself too much in the process. If you slip up, don’t give up or tell yourself that you’ll try again next year. Brush it off, and remember, defeat is a learning opportunity. It gives way for readjustment, and is part of any process. It usually helps to anticipate some problems. Identifying a complication before it happens will make it easier to and cope with. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help and share your stories with friends and family. They may have their own experiences with something similar, or can give you insight or ideas to better help you reach your goal. And partnership is one of the best ways to guarantee progress on a goal--a friend who wants to accomplish the same thing can create friendly competition, and help to motivate you.
To be continued...
Check before you check out Bella Zampeiri ‘16, Staff Writer
As you walk down the hallways of high school day to day you start to notice new clothing trends coming and going. Students can take a short drive to any mall, outlet, or big-box store, to go on a shopping spree. The styles change often, so frequent trips are made. Having the opportunity to buy new clothes and other material possessions is a luxury. But do we ever consider where our clothing and store-bought items are made? Where the new dress came from? That great pair of jeans? In more cases than we realize, these clothes come from sweatshops that mistreat workers and use children for labor. A National Labor Committee report suggests that children as young as eleven years old are sewing clothes for Walmart, Hanes, J.C. Penney, and Puma in Bangladesh. Some of the children work fourteen hours a day and often seven days a week. When we buy these items it usually doesn’t occur to us to check where it was made. We could be unintentionally buying things that contribute to the horrors of child labor. Walmart is convenient, it’s a local store where you can buy just about anything at very low prices. But is this convenience worth it? Walmart is one of, if not the most dominant companies in the world, it is known for its use of awful labor practices. Walmart’s products come from places like China, Ne-
pal, and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, garment factories have burned to the ground, killing hundreds of people. One of the factories lacked enough exits for workers to escape the burning. It’s not easy finding out where clothes were made and under what kind of conditions the workers made them. Most clothing labels say “Made in China” or “Made in Vietnam”, very few labels read “Made in America”. None of the clothing labels tell us if the clothing was made in a sweatshop or made by children. The best way to find out where clothing comes from is using the internet. Several web sites, including Fashion Revolution and Green America:Living Green: Sweatshop-Free Clothing, provide information about how and where clothing is made. There is also an app called “aVOID” that informs you when you are online shopping about the con-
Photo Credit: Bella Zampeiri ‘16 ditions of clothing factories. This app uses data from an organization called Active Against Child Labor. Another way to be proactive is to check the tag of your clothing at the store. If it is a country where you are aware they use poor working conditions try to purchase something else with an American Tag. By buying things with a “Made in America” tag or label, you are supporting your country in more ways than one. Not only is buying American made products helping our economy but is also supporting healthy and fair work conditions. Next time you’re going shopping, remember which stores support poor working conditions and child labor. Instead of shopping at a bigbox store like Walmart, try shopping at a local small business and remember to check the labels.