Denebola, Volume 51, Issue 5

Denebola

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NUMBER 54523

www.denebolaonline.orgNEW!

d

NEWTON SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

VOLUME 51, ISSUE V

TUESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2011

Inside Denebola Editorial: A Backwards Bullying initiative

A2

News Feed

A2

Setti Warren’s Senate Campaign Failure Affects Newton

A3

South Beat, The All Male Acapella Group’s Rise

A6

Google Docs Now available from School IDs

A7

South Students Play Video Games for Charity

A7

Roy Milstein, Newton’s landlocked Surfer

B1

Girls’ Soccer Team Tries to Score Playoff Berth

B1

Ageless Athelete: Athletic Director Scott Perrin

B2

Families of Teachers at South: It’s All in the Family

B4

Putnam Spelling Bee Leaves South Spellbound

B5

Science Stockroom Continuously in Disarray

B7

Teen Voice May bring better enivornment to Teens

B7

Students outline their hands or sign a banner in acceptance of Rachel’s Challenge.

PHOTO BY ALEY LEWIS

Rachel’s Challenge draws mixed reactions

By Andreas Betancourt, Daniel Barabasi, and Rutul Patel

As students and staff filed out of the Field House after the Rachel’s Challenge presentation, there were a wide range of emotions. Some cried, and some walked silently and rubbed their still red and pudgy eyes, reflecting on their pasts, searching for moments in life when they had done harm, while others debated the methods of the enthusiastic speaker Shane Micheel.

Yet, one thing was certain: Everyone who attended the Rachel’s

Challenge assembly left with a new outlook toward bullying and Rachel Scott.

During the assembly Micheel, a speaker and representative from the Rachel’s Challenge program, presented a variety of videos and quotations about and from Scott.

Throughout the presentation, Scott’s idea of “a chain reaction of kindness and compassion” echoed.

It was reinforced in the “challenges” of the program.

Micheel admired the reactions and enthusiasm seen at the as-

South anticipates Homecoming

sembly. “There was a good response from both assemblies, from the young kids and the older kids,” he said. “I was really excited to see the juniors and seniors step up; they seemed moved and impacted by the assembly.”

Chemistry teacher Alan Crosby noticed a similar trend. “The attention paid by students was the highest I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I appreciate the ideas of pro-being nice instead of anti-being mean.”

Shane also respected the involvement of the whole school, not just

the students at South. “Having many teachers want to go to the training was awesome,” he said. “It was not just a student thing; it had also a teacher and community impact.”

The impact was felt by many of the students. Junior Eric Dai said he “felt moved by the presenter. He was a great orator. If I were an emotional person I would have cried. I can’t really say anything negative about it.”

“It was emotional and heart wrenching,” junior Kevin Zhang said. “It brought tears to my eyes.”

RACHEL, continued on page A7

User fees may lead to a drop in student participation in drama programs.

PHOTO FROM DENEBOLA ARCIVES

User fees not being implemented

By Andreas Betancourt

Students are starting to experience the effects of increased club, athletic, and drama fees implemented this year in order to balance out the Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) budget.

These fees were created last year when the Newton Public Schools (NPS) administration was brainstorming options for additional funding neededfor the FY12. The product of

South will play against Bedford the evening of Homecoming.

By Greg Ly Homecoming has always been something the class officers have wanted to do, but in previous years, we just didn’t know how to go about doing it.

This past summer, I approached the Junior Class Officers about the idea, and they too were thinking about having

a homecoming.

We joined forces and have been working since the beginning of the school year.

We met with the administration, especially Principal Joel Stembridge, to discuss the possibility of bringing homecoming to South.

We wanted an event that would connect the entire stu-

PHOTO BY DAN FRECHTER

the Arts Department head at South, parents or guardians of students involved in drama received a letter at the start of the year concerning fees.

The letter included a website where the parents could pay the fees online.

“Fees are supposed to be in effect now, but as far as I know, no payments have been made,” Knoedler said.

If payments are strictly

FEES, continued to Page A7

Teachers’ contracts hoped to be ratified

by October 26 after over a year of negotiations

By Daniel Barabasi

dent body and community together, thus homecoming was born at Newton South High School.

We hope that by establishing this event, homecoming will become a South tradition.

On November 5, after Bedford visits South for a football game, South’s first homecoming will be in Gym B.

their efforts was the user fee, which is commonly known as “club fees”.

These new charges include a $125 fee for membership to an unlimited number of clubs, a $150 fee for every theater production a student participates in, with a $450 cap, and a $300 fee for most sports, a $90 increase from last year.

Football and Hockey have $400 fees.

According to Jeff Knoedler,

A tentative agreement between the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and the Newton School Committee concerning teacher contracts has been reached after over a year of negotiations. Teachers will present the ratification at their meeting on Oct 26.

The current arrangement is a three-year one, and includes

compensations for salary and health care costs.

The development of the agreement faced considerable risk from legislation that could force the state health care pool onto the teachers in Newton.

Optimism about the ratification of the agreement emanates from both parties.

“We’ve reached a deal that

is both fair and affordable and is really going to help Newton for many, many years,” School Committee member Jonathan Yeo said in an interview with The Newton TAB (TAB).

“Mike Zilles and his team have come up with creative solutions that will help both the teachers and the membership.”

CONTRACTS, continued on page B7

Denebola

Editorials A2

Denebola Founded in 1960

Sports

News

Astha Agarwal Daniel Barabasi Andreas Betancourt Robert Wang

Editorials & Opinions

Editors-in-Chief Dan Kats and Jason Yoffe Executive Editor Rutul Patel Managing Editor Helen Holmes Senior Copy Editor Charlie Temkin Faculty Advisor Brian Baron

www.denebolaonline.orgNEW! Denebola enacts a two-fold role in the Newton South community: responsibility to the larger Newton community and the school itself and responsibility to the individuals who contribute to its pages. This tradition extends back to Newton South’s inception in 1960, and the first issue of the newspaper.

As Newton South High School’s official school newspaper, we are engaged in every facet of the school community, which means fair and equal coverage of South’s sporting events, enrichment and art programs, school organizations, and all other aspects of school life. Additionally, Denebola feels it is important to stimulate as well as inform discussion on the essential issues of the day.

Denebola is written, edited, and published by Newton South students. Its publication is entirely supported by advertising; the newspaper receives no funds from the PTSO or similar organizations. Contributions are neither soliticted nor accepted.

Unless stated, opinions are those of the individuals under whose bylines they appear.

Letters from students, faculty, or members of the Newton community should be addressed to the Editors-in-Chief.

Annapurna Ravel (Sr.) Hattie Gawande Jarrett Gorin Tim Newton Daniel Pincus

Centerfold

Julia Spector (Sr.) Melanie Erspamer

Arts & Entertainment

Sophie Scharlin-Pettee (Sr.)

Features

Liana Butchard Jesse Feldstein Courtney Foster Josh Nislick Wendy Ma

25 October 2011

Zach Pawa (Sr.) Nathan Baskin Mike Berman Joe Maher

City of Newton

Global Education

We’re going to be swapping all your water meters. FOR FREE!!!!

Photography

Newton Resident It’s not free; we’re losing a day’s worth of our salaries.

Dylan Royce (Sr.) Dina Busaba Josh Carney Aley Lewis (Sr.) Ray Flint Anna Garik Emma Sander Jonah Seifer

Graphics

City of Newton With this new technology, you’ll save more money in the long-run.

Tim Jiang Lizzie Odvarka Victor Qin

Web Editors

Corbin Krinsky Thibaut Xiong

Copy Editor

Newton Resident It’s not like the new meters are going to be making us use less water.

Production Coordinator

Aafreen Rajani

Adam Barnett

Contributors: Divya Agarwal, Dar Alon, Daniel BenderStern, Nicole Brooks, Michelle Bushoy, Leena Chacrone, Ethan Epstein, Jack Hooker, Alex Kane, Josh Kaster, Peter Klapes, Connor MacBain, Erik Manditch, Daniel Matskevich, Ramya Ramadurai, Daniel Rozenblum, Sally Stack, and Karen Weinstock Special thanks to: Brian Baron, Danielle Betancourt, Krisztina Bukur-D, Michael Flint, Xuemei He, Lana Kats, Michael Kennedy, Amy Mazur, Mary Ann Payne, Nicoletta Pellegrino, Mihir Ravel, Chandrika Samarth, Mindy Scharlin, Hilary Spector, Dave Weintraub

Newton Board of Aldermen

Starting to worry about the funding for our schools...

Newton Resident

I have an idea! Let’s go back in time and not build the most expensive school in the country.

Volume 51, Issue 5

Denebola, The Official Newspaper of Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road, Newton, Mass. 02459

A backwards bullying initiative

In light of the statewide anti-bullying craze, South has been hit recently by initiatives such as Rachel’s Challenge.

As an attempt to “start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion,” the challenge has presented a new, touching story to students through which bullying can be interpreted, however, did not address a new way to revolutionize the issue.

While combatting bullying is not only necessary at South, but also at every other high school in America, the ways that it has been addressed have seemed lackluster at best.

For instance, the challenge displays a touching story, but plans to implement it through the outstanding students in the community rather than those who bully.

The program’s education and impending formation of a club to empower the challenge are based on the model of premiere students being dedicated to the cause.

But the emphasis and education should be concentrated on those people who cause the uncomfortable or sometimes hostile environments in school.

It’s like having drivers who have never received a ticket doing special supplementary courses designed to promote safe driving.

The initiative, and this is not just a flaw in the Rachel’s Challenge Program but also in other past South organizations such Mentors in Violence Prevention, is inefficient and ineffective.

Rachel’s Challenge taught the students in its training session to stand up to or diffuse bullies, but how can they do

that if some of them are the victims?

In order to stop bullying, you have to get rid of the perpetrators, not increase the number of people policing the situation.

According to How to Stop Bullying, one in every four children is bullied.

Why take the minority and have it stand up to a significant majority rather than take 75 percent of the population and

should focus on those who have bullied or who have not been bullied significantly (because one can make a case that everyone has been).

This way, we can actually enrich the community and improve awareness.

There is no reason to tell a victim of harassment how horrible it feels to be bullied.

Thirdly, the initiative should place an extremely strong emphasis on community. Part of the key to eliminating hatred is to get everyone invested in a common goal and have similar loyalties.

No one will want to hurt the environment to that which they are devoted, but the majority, if engaged will want to improve it.

This brings the question of how to foster such a community at South, a school often accused of being a combination of factions rather than a unified body.

One way to incite school pride is through athletics, another through the Arts such as South Stage.

Ultimately, having pride in Newton South will encourage its students to uphold its reputation.

How do you get students to take interest in these events?

The school has the foundation in place to entice students to be involved in a greater student body; it just needs to be implemented more frequently.

Activities such as homecoming dances and pep rallies, opportunities for the entire student body to join and celebrate South, serve as ideal models to serve for a better, safer, more accepting environment.

Why take the minority and have it stand up to a significant majority rather than take 75 percent of the population and transform them into activists? transform them into activists?

Denebola is fully against bullying, and fully supports any curriculum or initiative to eliminate the terrors that come from the trend.

We just believe that there is a more efficient way to make the community a more accepting place.

First of all, in an ideal world, relying on the top students to promote a safe, bully-free community would be easy.

But South students are so involved in other clubs and organizations that forcing many of them into another extracurricular will not produce genuine efforts.

Instead, it would serve as an insufficient attempt to rid South of all sins.

Therefore, the best model is not something that happens before and after school.

Secondly, any program

Join Denebola

Newton Police Department

We will start sending notifications to citizens by email and text.

Annoying Teen Girl OMG! THAT IS LYKE SO KEWL! I’m gonna text my bff jill about this.

Newton Police Chief Matthew Cummings Heading off to Israel for terrorism training!

Achmed the Dead Terrorist Uh oh.

Newton South Girls’ Volleyball Team Made the tournament!

Waltham Girls’ Volleyball Team We lost on purpose...

Boston Red Sox

We’ll get ‘em next year, Red Sox Nation.

Fan John Lackey.

Barney Frank

We need to cut millitary spending.

Newton Resident It’s not like we’ve been saying that for years.

MBTA

There was a suspicious coffee maker present at the Riverside Station. We called the bomb squad. It turned out to be nothing.

Achmed the Dead Terrorist April Fools!!!!!

All information loosely resembles the truth.

Please don’t sue us.

Opinions Denebola

25 October 2011

Opinions A3

That overdone, unnecessary article about college

By Dan Rozenblum

Yeah I know, leave it to Beaver over here to write about the most clichéd topic possible.

I’m really sorry, but it had to be done. I just couldn’t resist.

My editors initially asked me to write about Setti Warren and something or other about the Senate, but con-

photo by aley lewis

sidering that my most intellectual opinions in life are on the question of boxers versus briefs, and considering the fact that I just spent ten minutes simply looking up how to spell Setti Warren (just kidding, Mr. Murphy), I decided to go with this.

I am not here to tell you that this college process isn’t

a big deal or that it’s all going to be okay.

This is the most important decision of your entire life, seniors, so stop kidding yourself.

And, don’t forget you are going to get it wrong no matter what you do or choose. You will not be happy.

You’re going to end up taking all the wrong classes and

your roommate will be named Bertha, or Horace, or maybe Myrtle, and will have a putrid onion smell that no amount of Febreeze will be able to conquer.

Now, I have created a few solutions for dealing with this depressing truth. But before I share them with you, I must express my disbelief at how

everybody has fared without my guidance.

Simply put, ya’ll are goin’ nuts (yes, ya’ll was very necessary).

It’s as if you were all on a plane that crashed on some island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a smoke monster and polar bears, and then you started to travel through time and get bloody noses.

Seriously, pull yourself together. It could be worse. It could be raining (plus five points if you got this reference).

At first, I found the state of hysteria in our senior class amusing. Watching my peers have nervous breakdown after nervous breakdown over something as trivial as the rest of their lives provided quite a laugh for me.

Now it has gotten out of hand. The humor has completely disappeared, and it has been replaced by an irritating, frustrating annoyance (saying three words in a row that pretty much say the same thing makes it sound so intense).

Some kids are responding to the anxiety by filling up long scrolls – yes, scrolls – with just too many potential schools.

(How many is too many? The number of times the Red Sox ordered Popeyes during games this season.)

This is not how to go about dealing with the stress. Freak-

ing out about college is just getting so...normal. And of course we want to avoid that, right artsy kids?

Here’s some solutions for your lost soul.

Proposal numero uno: Hide.

Go to your room, put on your Snuggie, order as many Dominos Cinna Stix as your “specialty chef ” will allow.

Watch Mean Girls, or John Tucker Must Die, or some other movie On Demand about high school kids who suck (also acceptable: Netflixing all three seasons of Arrested Development in a row. It will be the best decision of your life. I promise. Kinda.)

Proposal two: Join the circus.

Proposal three: Win Survivor. This actually is not a proposal – it is my personal plan.

Feel free to tag along, but don’t be surprised when I pull out a hidden immunity idol to send you home.

Proposal four: Just live life, man. This is senior year; we should be living it up.

This is one of the best years of our lives and we’re watching it waste away with college tours, and supplements, and whatnot.

This is a time to do what you love – so go sing a song or play some ball! Or wrestle in a bathtub, if that’s your thing.

Too soon?

Rick Perry abuses use of death penalty

By Hattie Gawande

As Texas governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry’s poll numbers plummet, let’s assess where Perry went wrong.

Governor Perry’s misfortunes began when it became clear that he was fundamentally unable to improvise.

The string of Republican presidential debates over the last two months has shown the world that Perry is at a complete loss when asked to talk on command.

Perry made the following unintelligible attempted jab at fellow candidate Mitt Romney during the Fox News debate: “I think Americans just don’t know sometimes which Mitt Romney they’re dealing with.

Is it the Mitt Romney that was on the side of… against… the Second Amendment before he was for the Second Amendment… was it was... before he was before these social programs, uh, from the standpoint he was standing, uh, for Roe vs. Wade before he was against Roe, uh, Roe vs. Wade...”

Romney’s reply? “Nice try.”

Several of Perry’s political

stances have made his presidential prospects worse.

Perry’s fellow Republican candidates have zeroed in on an executive order that Perry issued four years ago, mandating that all Texas girls receive the Human papillomavirus (HPV ) vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer.

To Republicans, who champion the limited involvement of government in everyday life, government-required vaccines are a major no-no.

Questions were also raised over whether the executive order was in fact issued to benefit the pharmaceutical company Merck, which manufactured the vaccine and has donated almost $30,000 to Perry’s campaigns.

Perry’s other slip-ups include calling social security a Ponzi scheme (the same day former Vice President Dick Cheney called it “a program that a great many people depend on”), calling opponents to in-state tuition for the child of illegal immigrants heartless (drawing boos from his majority-Republican audience), and accusing Ben Bernanke, the federal reserve chairman, of treason (a crime punishable

by death).

Yet what should be the most damaging issue of all has been ignored.

Since Perry became Texas governor in 2000, he has authorized 234 executions, more than any governor in recent history.

It would have been 235 last month with the execution of Duane Buck, an AfricanAmerican man convicted of a double murder in 1995, but the Supreme Court intervened at the last second due to claims that his sentence was racially biased.

Several of Perry’s authorizations came into question, but Perry authorized the killings anyway. On more than one occasion, a defendant was given the death sentence based on circumstantial or faulty evidence.

Cameron Todd Willingham, for example, was executed in 2004 after twelve years on death row, even though he was innocent.

Willingham’s case is particularly alarming not only because an innocent man was incarcerated and killed, but also because there were opportunities for Perry to grant a stay of execution for the

evidence to be reviewed.

In fact, an in-depth analysis of the evidence used to convict Willingham, written in 2004 by scientist Dr. Gerald Hurt, concluded that literally all the evidence presented at the trial was suspect. Perry ignored the report.

Even today, seven years after Willingham’s death, Perry has thwarted attempts to secure Willingham’s post-mortem exoneration.

For seemingly arbitrary reasons, he has replaced 3 of 9 members (including the chairman) of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, which planned to meet to investigate the case.

The replacement chair canceled the meeting, prompting accusations that Perry was interfering with the investigation for political reasons.

It is shocking that a man who claims to love liberty has gotten away with such a grave offense. It is even more concerning that he has gotten this far in the race for the Republican nomination.

Perry’s numbers may be dropping, but this is a case of “too little, too late.”

However upset Americans are with our current president,

the alternative cannot be Rick Perry – a man unable to hold his own in a political debate, a man who, the second he opens his mouth, lets loose yet another controversial and

ignorant comment, and, above all, a man whose morality – at least when it comes to his all too frequent usage of the death penalty – should be called into question.

Do students believe stances on the death penalty play a major role in the evaluation of presidential nominees?

2% Maybe 26% No 72% Yes Has Rick Perry lost his chance at the nonimation?

12% Unsure

21% No

67% Yes 103 students polled.

graphic by annapurna ravel

Warren abandons Newton for the Senate, returns defeated

By Tim Newton

Mayor Setti Warren was a good candidate for public office. If I could vote, I would have put a lot of consideration into supporting his campaign.

But there is a reason why I put my thoughts in past tense.

After watching Warren abandon his city in favor of greener pastures in Washington, I felt betrayed.

And when Warren dropped out of the race, settling back into his hometown, I saw a once noble public figure as a self-interested quitter.

Warren went for the Senate seat in an effort to beat the controversial Scott Brown in a campaign directed towards preserving local funding Brown aimed to eliminate.

While I can’t argue that Warren’s morals are skewed

in this matter, he did disrupt much more, we are suffering funding from the state and Jan. 1, 2010, Warren promised his mayoral term, one that he like the rest of the country federal government. the citizens of Newton to promised to serve in full. from a lack of revenue and In his inaugural address on “make difficult choices in the Though he months and years Did Setti Warren harm Newton in pursuing a seat in gained much supahead to preserve the Senate? port from voters, what’s best about his financial backour city while ing was not very living within our Yes strong, racking up means and not No a reported $22,777 over-burdening Maybe in debt. our current taxMany of his suppayers or future porters applauded residents.” his decision to step He then said, down, feeling that “I recognize that Warren had unsome will opfinished duties in pose each and Newton. every decision I And he most make. But doing certainly does. nothing is not an W hile Ne w ton option.” has a signifiTr u e , d o i n g cant amount of nothing was not wealth among its an option. And residents, a great he had done school system, something for a 103 students polled. diversity, and so while; he was our graphic by annapurna ravel

mayor.

Then Warren made a decision contradictory to his campaign, ignoring his promises to Newton.

By entering the race, Warren clearly displayed that he would rather break his promise and be in Washington, D.C. as a Senator than be our mayor in Newton.

This decision was not only a slap in our city’s face, but also an irresponsible decision to continue to hold the local post, while his sights were clearly elsewhere.

I had a great amount of respect for Warren, but with the recent turn of events, my faith in him was shaken greatly.

I now second-guess any decision to put him back in office after many hypocritical decisions and broken promises.

Denebola

Centerfold A4

Centerfold A5

25 October 2011

iMourn: Steve Jobs’s Effect on South Students In honor of the late Steve Jobs, DENEBOLA wants to take a moment to reflect on the role Apple plays in the lives of South students

iPoll

An Apple a day keeps viruses away

By Julia Spector First of all, I am no tech guru. I can operate a computer about as well as the average person.

I am no computer genius, and if you asked me the difference between Oovoo and Skype, I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you (although I’ve heard Oovoo is pretty awesome).

But, dear reader, this lack of tech-knowledge is exactly why I am qualified to tell you that Macs are the best invention since Nutella.

Just to set the record straight, my family has always used PCs, so I know what the “dark side” is like. So listen up!

Macs are unbelievably user-friendly. They are a visual learner’s best friend.

You never have to hunt through tabs endlessly to figure out how to perform a simple computer function.

You simply drag and drop, which allows control that you cannot get with a PC. On Macs, everything is spelled out. There aren’t any mysteries; there aren’t even a lot of wires to connect.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the only wire on my Mac desktop is the one connecting the monitor to the outlet in the wall. My keyboard, printer, and mouse are all completely wireless!

Multi-tasking is also a huge benefit on Macs. As a kid whose top computer priorities were Neopets, Webkinz, and the occasional word document, PCs fit the bill.

But as I got older and found

myself juggling more activities, I found that a PC just didn’t offer me the same multi-tasking ease a Mac did.

By simply pressing a button, I can jump from activity to activity in the blink of an eye. When I write an essay, I can change my mind about sentence syntax a billion times simply by pressing “command-z.”

As someone who loves to write, and as a student who needs to write for school, the ability to edit quickly is not simply a nice feature, it’s a necessity.

Macs are also like the Lamborghinis of the computer industry.

Yeah, yeah, it’s a superficial observation, but seriously, Macs are beautiful machines.

They’re sleek and shiny. Even the keyboard and mouse are sleek.

They have fewer annoying blinking lights than PCs, as

blog writer Dan Warne for NineMSN pointed out.

The blinking lights are massively distracting when one is trying to focus on an essay rather than a flashing light.

You know when a computer is on, and you don’t need a million blinking lights for proof.

For me, though, the best part about Macs is that they don’t get PC viruses. My PC crashed at least twice before I finally made the change to a Mac. I lost all my files, from Word documents to JPEGs. That just doesn’t happen with Apple products.

I don’t deny that a major pitfall of Macs is how expensive they are. But take it from someone who fell victim to multiple computer crashes, you can’t put a price tag on security.

Then there’s the division of Macs that fit in your hand.

Keeping it PC: Why Windows dominates

iPods have revolutionized our social lives and the way we listen to music.

Think about it: Without the original iPod, we wouldn’t have the iPhone or iPod Touch, which not only puts music in our hands no matter where we are, but has also started the “app” craze, which allows us to use things like Facebook, AIM, and Skype all the time.

Even if you don’t like Mac computers, you have to admit that the iPod has changed the way we live our everyday lives.

Macs have something for everybody. Whether you’re a musician or a photographer, a businessman or a journalist, there’s an app for it.

So the next time you’re at Best Buy, choosing between a Mac and a PC, pick the Mac. It’ll be one of the best choices you ever make.

By Rutul Patel

Are you a Mac or a PC? Think about it for a minute.

Do you prefer the Lion OS or Windows 7? Do colorful windows or white apples better define you? Does the lack of a right-click button f rustrate you or is it no big deal?

Depending on your answers, you pretty much know where your allegiance lies. It’s a pretty cut and dried answer. Personally, I find Windows 7 more userf riendly.

Some people say that PCs are archaic and that Macs are the future; however, those people have no idea what they’re talking about.

No disrespect to the late great Steve Jobs, but what ’s so great about Macs? If you

look at it logically, Macs are overpriced, complicated, and without right-click buttons!

Sorry. I’ll keep coming back to the right-click button. It ’s my biggest complaint.

Seriously, who got up at Apple’s research and development meeting and said, “You know how we can be different f rom PCs? We should take away the rightclick button.”

“Think about it, instead of a dedicated right-click button, we’ll make the user press the command key every time. It’ll be incredibly inefficient, but so totally not mainstream.”

We’ve all used Macs forever, since they seem to be the only computers in school, which purchases them in

bulk for a reduced price.

Has anyone else noticed that Macs are ridiculously slow? The cheap white computers we use in school take forever to boot and even longer to load web pages. In addition, I don’t recall using a Mac without it crashing.

In school, the only good Mac desktops are the silver ones, which might as well be made of silver. The price tag on these bad boys is a whopping $1,199.

What is it about Macs that makes them so expensive? PCs do the exact same thing and have a right-click button!

Are there endangered pandas in China that are laboring away at Apple products, cranking up the price?

Does the Apple headquarters really require another

photo by julia spector

photo by julia spector

golden statue or Steve Jobs?

Is there a genie living inside every Mac who is ready to grant you three wishes?

You’re spending $1,200 for a machine that may or may not be a little bit faster than a PC. Also, remember that this is without any of the software.

If you want Microsoft Word and all those other goodies, you’re going to have to part with a lot of cash.

The high-end PCs, on the other hand, cost $899.

That’s a solid $300 that you can spend on anything in the world.

But besides the fact that Macs are unnecessarily overpriced, they also have an issue with complicating simple tasks. I went years without knowing how to take screenshot on a Mac (It’s Apple+Shift+4. You’re welcome).

Fur thermore, though Macs are certainly less susceptible to viruses than PCs, they still suffer f rom some of their own, and as use of them increases, so will their viruses.

Although my opinion is heavily influenced by my childhood spent using PCs, I stand by my belief that they are the simplest machines in the world. You can learn all the tricks in operating a PC in one sitting.

They’re unbelievably user-f riendly. And if you ever get lost with a PC, you can hit the dedicated rightclick button and select the help option for a pretty paragraph explaining everything. Simple.

DENEBOLA polled 152 students online about the role Apple products play in their lives on Oct. 8.

Have you used an Apple product before?

5% No

95% Yes How many Apple products do you have at home?

7% None 11% Two 17% Three

55% Four or More

10% One

iProducts

By Karen Weinstock

Do you prefer Apple or PC products?

photos from internet source

The iPad was released in 2010. Much larger than the iPhone, it acted like a mini computer. The device came complete with video chatting, Internet connection, and even calendars and notepads. One of the more notable features was its ebook reader, practically a touch-screen Kindle in color.

The iPhone was introduced in 2007. The revolutionary device was only 1/3-inch thick with an easy-touse touchscreen. Unlike previous phones, the iPhone contained no dial pad. All operations were handled via the touchscreen. This device was a cross between an iPod and a phone. It offered owners the advantage of both machines in one package.

The original iPod was a revolutionary music device because the idea of a small, portable and easy to use music device was fairly new and revolutionary. With the introduction of the iPod, Steve Jobs told the world about the three major breakthroughs that his new product presented: its portability, firewire, and its 10-hour re-chargable battery.

The first Macintosh computer might as well have been a large box with a screen. The year was 1984, and the Macs were made available to the general public. They soon developed into the machines we know today.

36% Prefer PCs

64% Prefer Macs

Arts and Entertainment Arts and Entertainment A6

Denebola

25 October 2011

South Beat, the rising acappella: Have you heard?

By Ramya Ramdurai

What is that noise? The booming, thumping, thrumming sound of the band room’s bongos; the squeak of Nike sneakers marching to fight down the theater hallway; and the jingle of automatic pen-filled bags swaying with the walk of an overwhelmed student...in short, it is the sound of war.

Oddly, this sound has never been heard in connection with South’s two acappella groups.

Earlier in October, auditions for the first established South acappella group, the Newtones, took place on the hallowed ground of the chorus room.

Students anxiously awaited their auditions outside the room, rehearsing and rerehearsing their song into the equally anxious ears of antsy friends.

On the much-anticipated judgement day, the new members inc lude David Rabinowicz, a junior and present member of Newtones, but Rabinowicz is not just a man of one group.

South Beat emerged as a true powerhouse about three years ago with a dashing performance at Choirfest that captured the hearts of many a female student.

Since then, they have grown in popularity and prestige with each performance, showing

there is sometimes no such thing as excess testosterone.

The Newtones, having collaborated with stars such as Ben Folds and Sarah Bareilles, have been widely acclaimed for many years now.

Known for selectivity, competition and professionalism, the Newtones have made a name for themselves all over Newton.

The camaraderie between the “Newtones-ians” is well known and coveted by many South Arts students, and serves as a testament to the unifying nature of good music.

While both choir groups have come to be loved by all South students, they are only just becoming equal in their legitimacy and legacy.

The name students throw around by “those who recognize the high testosterone level of the group,” as junior Keegan Stricker said, does not actually speak to the seriousness of the group’s work ethics or standards.

In fact, for performances, the all-male group generally goes by the name “South Beat.”

Their name, South Beat members Rabinowicz and Stricker insist, does not affect their treatment or opportunities.

South Beat does not have an advisor, however, and because of such, is not allowed to practice in the chorus room,

photos by aley lewis

By Sophie Scharlin-Pettee

When senior Adam Macalister was a freshman with scheduling conflicts, the world was unaware of what beautiful artistry the young man could create.

After spending much time talking over his options, Macalister decided to take photography and ceramics classes to fill up his free blocks; little did he know these seeminglyminor choices would end up shaping his life.

“I didn’t have any strong inclination towards either of them. I really just took them because I had friends taking them and they sounded like fun,” Macalister said.

Three years and several Scholastic awards later, Macalister fervently pursues the arts in all aspects of his life.

Currently taking AP Art and Senior Project Photo, Macalister has taken advantage of the arts courses South offers and used them to develop an ever-growing passion.

Unique artists, such as graffiti artist Shepherd Fairey, have

a room that Stricker said “shouldn’t be cut off from a group that wants to practice acappella.”

Also, it is only Newtones that is called to represent the school at events such as the first home football game and last year’s November pep rally.

Not discounting the truly amazing work of the Newtones and their worthiness of every honor and opportunity they receive, it seems fair to say that South Beat does not get the same treatment.

What’s curious, though, is the lack of tension and contest between the two groups.

In some cases, members double up and are active participants of both coalitions.

The coexistence of the two acappella groups is almost utopian in its harmony. “Newtones and South Beat work together, and get along very well,” Rabinowicz said.

This beautiful unity surpasses any competition or feeling of unfairness that either group holds and creates a well of strength in the arts at South.

Both student-run groups do South proud with their ambition and perseverance to be the best that they can be, as well as effortlessly representing the versatility of our students.

The enthusiasm and zeal that new and old members bring to their groups is seen in their passionate performances, which one can even find on YouTube, if they know where to look.

The trans-coalition peace and love between these two groups, as well as between the talented participants, epitomizes what South music has always stood for: acceptance and simplicity.

Hear that? The vibrant resonance of the Harambee

South Beat members meet every week in the Orchestra room, the allmale group made up of students from all grades (above); South beat senior Jonah Reider is the music director, though all members work together as a functioning, cohesive group without a leader (below).

choir, the sloping syllables of the Madrigals’ Mandarin song, the fantastic jazz of some kid during his lunch block, the speakers blaring with Lady Gaga before chorus teacher Ben Youngman, smiling, shuts it off...

In short, the sound of the theater hallway.

It is there every day in the rush to class, the student body sometimes cursing those singers who get songs stuck in our heads; yet unknowingly we are hearing and passing through a beautiful concentration of diversity and talent—a concentration that should never be taken for granted.

other passion to action and is very involved in environmental activism.

“I’ve been a part of the environmental club at South since I was a freshman. I’ve joined and co-led several other other larger scale environmental activist groups, I’ve gone to many demonstrations, talks and conferences including Powershift in D.C. last year,” he said.

At South, Macalister currently takes the British Literature course and the Contemporary World class. “I’m really interested in both literature and politics and current events,” he said.

As for college, Macalister holds his dreams and expectations in a firm, steady grasp.

“I definitely plan on going to school for art. I’m looking exclusively at schools in New York City, like Cooper Union, School of Visual Arts, Parsons, and Pratt,” Macalister said.

Though unsure of which arts field he hopes to explore, Macalister certainly knows where his priorities lie. “I really want to be in a school focused

on the arts so that I can devote the majority of my time and effort to art. I also want to be in a community that has as much appreciation for the arts as I do, and to be around artists who will inspire and push me further,” Macalister said.

Definitely planning to pursue the arts as a later-in-life hobby, if nothing else, Macalister’s experiences have led him to enjoy discovering new passions in all areas of his life.

“I just love doing stuff. I like to get out and go exploring and do things and see things I don’t normally do or see,” Macalister said.

Macalister is a prime example of what taking your hopes into your own hands can lead to, or even just how finding out about new things can lead to life-long passions that otherwise would have been left undiscovered.

South offers a variety of available arts courses, and taking new classes can lead to experiencing the world in a different light. Perhaps having a slightly more filled schedule can pay off, after all.

Art Focus: Adam Macalister

inspired Macalister in his efforts to discover the arts.

“Shepherd Fairey is a newfound love... something about his personal aesthetic that’s very bold and compelling, combined with an unavoidable and powerful concept, really captivates me,” Macalister said.

He is such an inspiration for this South senior that his style has begun to bleed through into Macalister’s own works. “He was one of the driving reasons I began doing a style of stencil art that I’ve completely fallen in love with,” Macalister said.

However, Macalister eagerly promotes the idea of individualistic styles.

“It is difficult working from inspiration, though, because you want to explore and express your own aesthetic, but it’s all too easy to follow your inspiration and for your work to turn

photo by aley lewis

into an attempted extension of someone else’s work, which is very limiting as an artist and uncompelling to an outsider,” he said.

Macalister explores many mediums of the arts in his daily life, especially dabbling in photography and the visual arts.

This South senior has taken his pursuit to the next level by creating his own basement darkroom that he uses in his film photography explorations.

As well as the Arts, Macal-

ister has an eye out for social activism and the ongoing changes occurring throughout the world.

“I’m really interested in current events and politics. I make an effort to stay up date, go to events and talks relevant to what’s happening in the world.

I’ve had brief introductions to working in politics, and I enjoy having discussions about what’s happening in the world,” Macalister said.

Macalister has taken this

Students wheelthrow all day for “Empty Bowls” charity soup supper: Thursday, Nov. 3 from 6PM-8PM

Denebola

News A7

25 October 2011

Club fees may be ignored

FEES, continued from page A1

The banner on which students signed their acceptance of Rachel’s Challenge.

photo by aley lewis

Rachel’s Challenge at South

CHALLENGE, continued from page A1

assembly the students. “I thought it was inspiring,” sophomore Jelen Kupcevic said. “It makes you think before you blurt stuff out.”

While some in the audience were wiping tears from their eyes, there were others who were reading deeper into the situation and found some flaws.

“I thought it was very moving, and I was really touched by the whole story, but I don’t think it was completely necessary,” freshman Ahaana Singh said. “It was a good assembly but it didn’t focus on bullying.

We didn’t really learn much about bullying. The class assemblies were also a bit unnecessary.”

The idea that bullying was not the center of a presentation that was anticipated to follow the state’s anti-bullying measures resonated with many members of the audience.

“The messages of kindness and that a little act can go a long way were really important but were overshadowed by all the other things,” senior Ariel Kaluzhny said.

The core of the presentation, however, was appreciated by even the most skeptical of viewers.

“I think its a really important conversation to have, and I’m glad the school had it,” Science

“I thought it was very moving, and I was really touched by the whole story, but I don’t think it was completely necessary. It was a good assembly, but it didn’t focus on bullying.”

-Ahaana Singh ‘15 teacher Linda Krauss said. “I, however, thought it was overly emotional and didn’t really spend enough time on the issue at hand, which is bullying. For me it felt more like a memorial to this undoubtedly lovely woman rather than a unified program to encourage

students to think about their behavior towards others.”

Some details were also left out by Micheel, which made people doubt the presentation as a whole.

“Rachel died in Columbine and the two young men who were the perpetrators were driven to those extremes because they were outcasts who were mercilessly bullied,” Krauss said. “I was surprised and somewhat disappointed that the presentation was about bullying we never talked about [the boys].”

After the assembly, a Rachel’s Challenge banner was available in the cafeteria for students to sign, and Micheel held a meeting for the Creating a Caring Community Club with the idea of leaving behind a group of students who would continue the Challenge’s message at South.

During the meeting, Micheel recommended projects to create a better community at South, including those to help assimilate new students and increase kindness on social media sites.

enforced, there is always the concern of a drop in participants who play minor characters. But Knoedler said South Stage has always f rowned upon the quitting of students after they have been given a minor role.

Knoedler, who attended a meeting at the beginning of 2011 to discuss drama participation with the NPS administration, understands the need for the fees. “[I agree with the fees] if [they] help the program from being cut, and keep more teachers from loosing their jobs. The nightmare scenario would be me standing at the door with a clipboard, checking to see if everyone has paid.”

Even so, there is still a waiver system in place for students

who are not able to pay the club fees.

Other unexpected problems with the fees have also arisen for South Stage. “The fees are for all participants, but that includes stage crew and stage managers... tech people work on every show... some days on multiple shows,” Knoedler said.

Harley Greene, a junior who was been involved in many plays at South, as well as being on Ski team, says that he knows a few students who said they won’t be acting in any plays this year due to the fees, and if they were to be enforced, “...definitely many more [students] wouldn’t try out, for sports, clubs, everything.”

“I think it ’s a little too much,” Ana Daurio said, junior and volleyball player,

of the $300 fee. “It makes me hesitant to join other clubs.”

Junior Janice Cen agrees: “Students shouldn’t have to pay out for their extracurriculars. It’s not fair.”

Others, like Taekwondo (TKD) club captain Inyong Chung, have stronger feelings. “Club fee payment is a horrible idea because it offers no benefits for students.”

While Chung thinks that club participation will not go down as a result, NPS shouldn’t take advantage of students participating and being active.

Club fees aren’t in effect for TKD club yet, and Chung hopes he will never have to pay.

“The last thing anyone wants is for students to not be able to participate,” Knoedler said.

Screenshot of Halo, one of the games that Buys and his team played during Extra-Life.

photo by rutul patel

South Students game for charity

By Rutul Patel

A screenshot of a Google Docs word document.

photo by rutul patel

Google Docs now avaliable from school ID

By Astha Agarwal

Students and faculty can use Google Docs this year to collaborate with classmates and complete assignments outside of school.

Google Docs is an online word processor that does not require saving or downloading any content onto a computer, but simply stores everything on a Google account. Many students already use Google Docs with personal Gmail accounts, but the new system allows for easy collaboration between students and teachers through the NPS system. As a result, South students and teachers are able to share documents with other students and teachers throughout NPS. The program can be accessed from the South website as well as the NPS website.

Students can log in using accounts created by NPS [studentID@newton.k12.ma.us], and teachers can access the docs using their SMS login information.

Junior Elena Byun, a student in one of Chinese teacher Yihua Qin’s classes, used the program to complete a group project last weekend. “We didn’t get a lot of class time to work on it [so we worked on it at home],” Byun said. Google Docs helps students work around the time constraints that they face in completing their schoolwork, she said.

In addition, Google Docs facilitates communication between students and the teacher outside of school. If both teacher and student are online, they are able to chat

through the Google Docs. “It was a lot easier to talk then rather than during a J block.

Some people don’t have free blocks and [are busy during] J blocks, so chatting with a teacher on [Google Docs] is really great,” Byun said.

Instructional Technology Specialist Brian Hammel believes that the program helps students working in groups to balance group work with each other. “I’m encouraging students working in groups to get away from the habit of having one user at a computer doing all the work, with the rest of the users simply observing but not really engaged in the work.

In my own classes, I have seen a significant improvement in the quality of group work since I started using Google Docs with my students last year,” Hammel said.

Histor y teacher Jamie Rinaldi uploads class notes to a Google Doc so his students have easy access to them from home. Sophomore Hanna Berga, a student in one of Rinaldi’s History classes, finds these documents very useful. “I haven’t missed class yet, but if I do, I have a smaller chance of falling behind because now I can find information from the class discussion online,” she said.

Senior Tali Levin-Schwartz has been using Google Docs in History teacher Ashley Elpern’s Contemporary World class. Levin-Schwartz‘s favorite aspect of Google Docs is she is able to make sure her partners are staying on top of their work, as well.

Levin-Schwartz hopes that in the future the program will expand to some of her other classes. “My Spanish teacher is considering using the Docs for our class, which will be beneficial for the classroom community since it helps us collaborate on assignments outside of school,” she said.

“I expect that there will be a steady increase in the use of Google Docs throughout the year. It is one of those technology tools with a small learning curve,” Hammel said.

Chemistry teacher Alyssa Vachon looks forward to using Google Docs with her students. She used them very often last year, when advising the Class of 2011 class officers.

Vachon and the class officers were able to easily share documents for the prom budget, ticket sales, and every other aspect of planning, with each other as well as housemasters, counselors, and other faculty.

Since NPS has created accounts for all students and faculty, her students do not have to create Google accounts, so she plans to begin using the program very often.

“With the NPS version of Google Docs, all this initial setup has already been completed. To share a document with a student or teacher, all I need to know is their name, and their account pops right up,” Hammel said. “I think that Google Docs is the most important and useful technology tool that we have introduced into the classroom in the three years I have been working at South.”

A group of South students played video games for 24 hours straight this weekend for Extra Life, an annual charity event run by the non-profit organization Child’s Play.

Gamers get together to play video games for a continuous 24 hours while being sponsored by members of their community. The money is then donated to children’s hospitals all around the country. This was the event’s fourth year and it raised $1,100,000 nationally, more than all the previous years combined.

“It feels really good to raise funds for a good cause and give back to your community.

Depending on your level of effor t in making the event successful, you can really make an impact on a cause you believe in,” junior Conrad Buys said.

Buys was the mastermind behind South’s chapter of Extra-Life this year and enlisted the help of junior Max Hausle, seniors Paul Levine, Gil Avaromovtich, Hadara W hite, Josh Rubin, and North junior Alex Zarbrecky.

To raise awareness for

the event, most of the participants wore costumes the Thursday and Friday prior to the event.

Buys was dressed as Luigi f rom the Mario Brothers series; Levine wore a Street Fighter Snuggie; Hausle dressed as S anta Claus; W hite dressed as Spyro; and Avaromovitch wore a Minecraft Creeper head.

“Video games have always been a part of me, especially through my childhood when I was sick and couldn’t do much [else.] So video games are a way that I can give back to those kids that really need the money,” Levine said.

The gamers got together on October 15 at Buys’ home and began playing a wide array of games.

They played everything from Call of Duty to Halo and many computer games like L eague of L egends, Magic the Gathering, and Minecraft.

Buys describes the event as a calm and fun gatheri n g o f f r i e n d s . “A l l t h e participants met up in my basement and chilled, set their stuff up, played, and talked,” he said. “Since we [are all friends] the experience was really enhanced.

Plus, we could complain

Join

together in the wee hours of the night.”

After the 24 hours were up, Buys and his team raised $396 and donated those e a r n i n g s t o t h e B o s t on Children’s Hospital.

“Although it onl y got to be tenuous when there were three hours left and I almost fell asleep in my chair a few times, it was really fun and I plan on doing it next year,” Levine said. “[I plan] to reach an even higher goal.”

W h i l e t h e e ve n t r u n s once a year during the early weeks of October, people wishing to donate to this charity can do so at any time. Buys invites people who want to donate or join the event to message him for more details.

“I’ve done the walk for hunger a couple of times before, and while I’ve always enjoyed it, it wasn’t my charity event of choice. As a gamer and not a huge sports person, I can more easily relate to a gaming marathon than a walk or a telethon.

That’s the reason I put so much effort into Extra Life and made such a bigger difference than I would have made if I had done a walk,” Buys said.

Advertising A8

Denebola

25 October 2011

Denebola

Sports 25 October 2011

Sports B1

Girls’ Soccer tries to score playoff berth

By Erik Manditch

Since its 0-3 start, the Newton South Girls’ Varsity Soccer team is looking to make it into the postseason. Though the team features many underclassmen, a strong finish would result in a winning campaign in 2011, catapulting the team into the State tournament.

Along with the excitement stemming from the possibility of hoisting a championship banner in the Field House, there is an abundance of hope for the future due to the team’s youth.

One of the issues the team had to deal with out of the get-go was the lack of experience and chemistry on the team, which was a result of many underclassmen making the cut.

The young players earned their spots on the Varsity roster fairly, but regardless of skill level, they are still new to the high school level and have to learn quickly. “ The main challenge in the beginning of the season was just learning how to work together as a team,” senior and Captain Mikayla Bogart said. “It was such a new and young team with very few veteran players, and especially few seniors; we needed to adjust and adapt to new teammates and how to work together.”

Other teams in the Dual County League (DCL) had an advantage because they had veterans practicing together, while South had rookies learning the basics of Varsity Soccer.

“[The underclassmen] really stepped up and have been doing a great job filling in, especially when playing opponents that may be bigger, older, and stronger than them. They have been doing great,” Bogart said.

However, what South lacked in experience and chemistry, they made up for with talent.

An 0-3 record is to be expected from an inexperienced team, but the Lions are starting to come together as one.

This is in large part due to leadership and play-making from the upperclassman, along with a boost from the underclassmen including six freshman, three of whom obtained starting roles.

“I think the six freshman this year have had a huge impact,” senior and goalkeeper Emma Friedman said.

“It took all of us on our team a little while to get accustomed to how they play, but at this point in the season, they are having a huge impact for us.”

A key for the Soccer team as they enter the final stretch of their season will to keep up the momentum that has fueled them over the past few weeks.

“Our defense has improved significantly, and I think that has contributed to our team’s recent success,” Friedman said.

A strong finish to the 2011 season would also bode well for the future.

With many players returning next year getting significant playing time at the varsity level now, the team can only get better and better.

Sophomore runs to front of XC team

By Sally Stack

Allen Shiu, a sophomore on the Newton South Varsity Boys’ Cross Country team, has drastically improved since his freshmen year.

Now one of the top runners on the team, Shiu is ready for yet another another successful season.

Shiu has been running since sixth grade. He first took up the sport because it was the only fall sport offered at school for his age. Five years later, Shiu is still at it and hopes to continue running in college.

Shiu was on the Cross Country team last year but did not possess the same star qualities that he does today.

“He used to not run ahead of the pack,” senior and Cross Country Captain David Wortham said. “Allen has definitely gained a lot of confidence as a runner since last year.”

Shiu’s confidence and determination is putting him at the front of the group on a regular basis.

This gain in confidence may be due in part to a general gain in team strength.

“Last year we had one person who always won,” Shiu said. “Now we don’t have him, so it’s more of a team effort.”

The focus has shifted away from one star runner to many great runners, building unity and team strength.

Shiu and his team members train every day during the season. When Shiu runs for training, he does either a 10- or four-mile run.

When the team does not run, he does a specialty workout called a Fartlek. The Fartlek consists of intervals of intense running, followed by short bursts of light running.

These training runs and intense workouts keep the team in peak physical condition both mentally and physically.

Shiu has stayed in good shape this year, which is also contributing to his success.

“Allen has a really good work ethic,” Wortham said. “He works really hard, which helps us work really hard.”

While at the Fifth Annual Ocean State Championships in 2011, Shiu placed seventh overall in the country, with an estimated 5:28

PHOTO BY THIBAUT XIONG

second mile.

Shiu gives the sport his all, which has recently shown in his outstanding results.

“His success is a model for everyone on the team,” freshman and Cross Country runner Daniel Goldstein said, “Because we should all try to do our best, like Allen does.”

Cross Country is both a team and an individual sport.

The race depends on the individual, while each place a runner takes goes towards the overall team score.

“Shiu is emerging as a leader,” Wortham said. “Because of his speed and the fact that he is a talented underclassman, people look up to him.”

With the effect Shiu has had on the team, it looks like he could be in the running for a captainship next year.

“Allen is the number one runner on our Cross Country team. As a sophomore, he follows in his family’s legacy,” Athletic director Scott Perrin said.

“His brother, Emerson Shiu, was a great runner for us, as well.”

Allen Shiu has emerged as one of the top runners at South two years into his high school career.

His motivation and talent will carry him far in the high school circuit, and maybe even on to the next level.

The team as a whole seems to have a bright future ahead of them, with athletes like Shiu developing not only into outstanding runners, but leaders as well.

PHOTO BY MILSTEIN

Milstein: Newton’s landlocked surfer

By Zach Pawa Senior Roy Milstein stares at the clock; there are five minutes left in the last class of the day on a Friday.

The teacher has long since lost him to the thought of overhead glassy surf.

He is unable to sit still and begins rocking in his seat.

The second hand slowly makes its final trip around the clock, and right on queue, the bell sounds; it is 1:55.

Roy springs to his feet, bag already packed, and races out the door. He sprints through the corridors of Newton South and makes his way to the parking lot, where his friend awaits him, car packed and ready to hit the road.

This is a typical Friday for Milstein.

A surfer since a young age, Milstein grew up in Israel where he developed his passion for surfing. Now living on the East Coast, Milstein continues to surf frequently. The locations of his favorite beaches range from Cape Cod to Rhode Island; he travels up and down the coast of New England to feed his addiction.

Surfing on the East Coast is something that takes passion and determination. Every day, Milstein checks the surf reports, web cams, and swell charts, trying to determine where the next good surf will appear. For the most part, his predictions end up being wrong, causing him to show up at a break with the waves gone. Surfing on the East Coast is a difficult task, but not having easy access to the ocean makes it even more difficult.

“It is definitely hard surfing here,” Milstein said, “But it is a gratifying experience.”Always looking for a chal-

lenge, Milstein has surfed directly after multiple hurricanes this fall. He was able to surf Irene, Katia, and a number of tropical depressions and storms.

These hurricanes and storms are what keep the East Coast attractive to surfers. The hurricanes create sizeable waves up and down the coast, attracting surfers from all over the world.

After Irene, Milstein and a fellow surfer traveled down to Cape Cod. When they arrived, the swell consisted of solid chest-high waves. Milstein was slightly disappointed because the hurricane did not live up to all the hype.

Along with the medium-size surf, the water was utterly freezing, which but uncharacteristic for late summer surf.

This made the surf session slightly unpleasant.

“Irene was somewhat of a let-down,” Milstein said. “But that is the way it goes up here.”

Another hurricane Milstein had the pleasure to surf was Katia. This hurricane was not nearly as publicized as Irene because it stayed off shore.

These off-shore hurricanes often create the best swell. Milstein traveled down to Rhode Island, surfing a wave at Matunuck. Here he encountered head-high waves, although he missed the best surf of the day by only a couple hours due to school.

When hurricane swell is not on the horizon, Milstein often surfs more local spots. Sometimes he travels down to Scituate to surf a rocky point with his friend Senior Sam Caggiano. As a novice surfer, Caggiano loves to surf and learn from Milstein, and the two take out long boards and glide across the forgiving waves.

Another break that Milstein surfs is The Winthrop Jetty. Only 20 minutes away from Newton, this is often a good place to go for a quick surf session.

“The surf is not as consistent as Rhode Island,” Milstein said, “But sometimes you just need to get in the water.” According to local surfers, Winthrop is best in the winter with the Noreaster swells. Surfing in Winthrop is quite the experience; with the airport only five minutes away, planes are constantly flying directly over your head.

It is something you don’t experience at most breaks.”

While surfing on the East Coast is often a struggle, the payoff can be phenomenal. Along with good waves comes a group of dedicated surfers.

“The relationships you build out in the lineup are unlike anything else,” Milstein said. “There is a mutual respect, along with a shared passion.” At each place you travel along the East Coast, you meet a variety of people, but they all share the unique obsession of surfing in the ice cold, inconsistent waters.

Milstein plans to continue surfing as long as he can. He surfs most of the year, excluding winter, in order to progress as a surfer. Traveling to Israel each summer, he is able to enjoy warm and more consistent surf. Then, he travels back to New England and its frigid water.

“Surfing on the East Coast is a love and hate relationship,” Milstein said.

“While that cold water is truly horrible, it cannot keep me away from the waves. It is my love for surfing that brings me back to the beach each weekend.”

NSHS 7 vs. Waltham 34

PHOTOS BY ALEY LEWIS

Denebola

Sports B2

By Alex Kane

Pittman, a new addition

After going 1-10 last season, the South Varsity Football team has a new face on the coaching staff.

Defensive Coach Michael Pittman, father of senior and starting running back Michael Forman, will be replacing the now-retired

Defensive Coach Anthony Principe.

Previously a coach at Cathedral High School, Pittman was hired by Athletic Director Scott Perrin and the football coaching staff over the summer.

During his 20-year coaching career, Pittman had also coached in the

BY RAY FLINT

Pawaful: Fantasy Football

By Zach Pawa

I am going to use this first paragraph to state a couple of facts. Calvin (MEGATRON) Johnson is a freak.

The Bills and the Lions? Snooki is gross. REDZONE. Don’t worry, your car will never be towed this year.

Thank the Lord football is back.

It’s getting to be that horrible time of year. It’s hard to really look forward to anything, besides weekends, and let’s face it, weekends would be nothing without football. My weekends revolve around it. I come home on Friday, and while most people are just beginning to relax, I begin pumping out some good ol’ fashioned homework. The idea is to get all or most of your homework done between Friday at 1:55 and Sunday at 1:00 (the start of the first games).

With the football season back in action, so are fantasy leagues around the globe. For anyone who doesn’t know what fantasy football consists of, basically you have anywhere from eight to 10 friends and each picks football players to make up a team.

Each week you play a friend in your league, and how your players perform week-to-week determines the amount of points you receive. At the end of each week, the person who has accumulated the most points wins his/her matchup. Simple.

Fantasy can bring out extreme emotions in the user. A long hookup between Mike Wallace and Big Ben can bring joy to the owners of these players, and often times, disgust and fits of rage for opposing players.

While I do not find myself engulfed in the outcome of my week, for some it can severely dictate their moods. So what is so intriguing about fantasy football?

I have come up with a couple of hypotheses. Fantasy football seems to come at very crucial times for students. The draft, which takes place in late August or early September, is directly before the start of school.

This is something to look forward to at the end of the summer, when all you have been thinking about is the fact you can count on two hands the days until school starts. It brings hope to a dark time.

Football kicked off on Thursday, September 8, two days after the start of school. So you’re back in school, and although it is the first week, you have a football game to watch on Thursday. Nothing reduces the pain of the beginning of school like a little football.

Just the mere day football takes place on is brilliant. Sundays, usually the least enjoyable day of all, are made endurable with football. You get to put aside that English paper that has been hanging over your head all week for another couple of hours and enjoy the happiness football brings to us all.

Finally, another great thing about fantasy is the competition created between friends. There is no greater feeling than beating a friend who is highly confident in his team. The rest of the week, you get to walk around school and subtly remind him of his recent loss. It is satisfying, and brings a sense of hope to Sundays.

Fantasy owners everywhere know the joy it brings. Without it, our fall and winter would be empty, consisting of a nearly endless cycle of homework and school. A beacon of hope in the long grueling school year, a shot at being a champion, and yelling with joy is what Fantasy Football is about. I want to leave all of you with a couple words of wisdom from Scott Richard Hansen: “Why watch one game, when you can watch them all?”

25 October 2011

PHOTO BY THIBAUT XIONG

Will the Red Sox win in 2012?

By Dan Kats Every day I get bothered about believing that the Red Sox were (and are) able to win a World Series.

Some people, whom I do not call fans, decide to focus on the negatives and to go around saying that the Red Sox are horrible. Sure, they’re not perfect, they had an unimaginable collapse, and they made some mistakes. I still believe they have it in them to win.

Theo Epstein: The good and the bad.

I’m not saying that I’m happy with everything that’s going on; I’m not.

In fact, I’m curious about several things. For starters, I’m furious with Theo Epstein for the way he acted; he really shouldn’t have explored leaving Boston while still under contract.

I understand that he got a promotion in Chicago, and maybe the citizens of Boston are calling for a new general manager, but we cannot forget that this is the man that is the youngest General Manager in the game, but happens to have two World Series rings in the last decade. This guy knows what he’s doing, and he’s very good at it (I guess that’s exactly why the Cubs wanted him, considering their overdue for a championship).

Yes, he signed Julio Lugo, Hideki Okajima, Scott Atchinson, Brendan Donnelly, Brad Penny, Nick Green, Marco Scutaro, Ramon Ramirez, John Lackey, Adrian Beltre, and, my personal favorite, Daisuke Matsuzaka. He did also trade Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Peña.

Obviously, most of the these are complete flops; you may make a case for Scutaro and Beltre being good signings, but I am convinced both have hurt the team. Scutaro has been simply average, while committing too many errors for even a high school player.

Although Beltre was phenomenal offensively (I still don’t get how he managed to crush balls out of the park from his knees), he made as many errors as Scutaro, but he also broke five of Jacoby Ellsbury’s ribs and did the same to Jeremy Hermida.

To me, having Ellsbury along with an average infielder is better than having Beltre with an average outfielder. This year, Ellsbury exploded and was one of the stars on the team, even stirring up MVP rumors. He had incredible offensive, defensive, and baserunning statistics, while Beltre only put up impressive offensive statistics.

Don’t worry, now I’m going to talk about Epstein’s successful signings.

He traded for Beckett and Low-

ell; he gave up Hanley Ramirez in the process, who is a selfish player, while Beckett and Lowell are both leaders. He signed Jason Bay, Jose Iglesias, Billy Wagner, John Smoltz, Alex Gonzalez, and Adrian Gonzalez. Most of these signings were short-term, but affected the team regardless.

The long-term ones (Beckett, Lowell, and Gonzalez) are a huge part of the reason why the Sox were such a threat for the past several years. What I find most impressive is Epstein’s ability to find talent in the veterans of the league. For example, his signing of Billy Wagner was doubted, but he performed incredibly well for any player, let alone for one his age.

Terry Francona: Tito leaves; it’s going to be hard to overcome.

Fine, I’ll admit it, Terry Francona had problems that certainly didn’t stop the collapse of the Sox. But, how can he be blamed as much as he is?

Obviously, I’m no ballplayer and I don’t know how to run a clubhouse, but how can a manager have such a big impact on the behind-the-scenes stuff? It’s not like the players are four year-olds that need to be watched so that they don’t climb onto a chair and fall off.

These players are adults who can live on their own, so why do they need a manager watching them nonstop? To my knowledge, a manager’s job is to sit in his office, research the opposing teams, make the line-ups and overall game plans, and deal with any issues the players have. If the players weren’t getting along or were eating, drinking, and playing videogames during games, how is that his fault?

Was he supposed to leave his research and deal with issues that most adults are expected to deal with themselves? Was he supposed to leave the game he was managing and go into the clubhouse to yell at the players? No. Someone else, perhaps DeMarlo Hale, should have done that. But to me, the players have to be able to control themselves.

It is completely fair to blame a parent if his/her four year-old kid attacks some other kids in a park, but it is not fair to blame a parent if his/her nineteen year-old kid attacks someone in college. His title is “manager,” but he is not supposed to watch his players like a babysitter; he is supposed to control and manage the game that they play.

Come back next month!

In our next issue, I’ll talk about the players and who needs to get better for Boston to see a trophy in 2012.

National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Arena Football League (AFL), and other professional football leagues.

“I had spoken to coach Pittman on previous occasions and I believe he understands the game very well, and I love watching him coach,” Perrin said.

During his own career, Pittman played for Fayetteville State College and Boston State College, followed by a career in the AFL, and had a trial in the U.S. League.

Head Coach Ted Dalicandro was very involved in Pittman’s hiring process.

“I had known Coach Pittman personally before, and I believe he is a great coach and teacher, and his aggressive style of coaching will really help develop a strong defensive team,” he said.

Pittman and Dalicandro’s main goals are to increase aggressive play and create turnovers.

After last year, Perrin and Dalicandro felt that some changes needed to be made in the coaching staff and the football program in general.

When coach Principe retired, Pittman was chosen due to his strong ties to South and extensive experience.

Dalicandro hopes that Pittman can develop a more aggressive defensive unit, and, while the team does not have the record it would like, Pittman and the coaches believe this is due to having a young team this year, with very few seniors.

“My goal is to build an aggressive defensive team and make smart plays,” Pittman said.

While South has struggled this year the future looks good. With a surplus of underclassmen and talent, this year has been deemed a rebuilding year. South must now look to the future, and the incorporation of new coaches should have a positive effect on the team’s record.

Pittman has implemented a 3-5 front, consisting of three linemen and five linebackers, as opposed to the more common 4-3 front.

“I really like coach Pittman’s style, and I think his style is very different from coach Principe’s,” junior and defensive lineman Lucian Cascino said.

According to Forman, he likes having his dad as a coach.

“I’ve always found it important to be self-motivated. My father had signed me up for football, but I was never extremely pressured to play,” he said.

With Pittman’s experience, South’s young defensive line will benefit and improve.

“I believe Coach Pittman will be able to build a powerful defensive line and really get all the younger players ready for this year and years to come,” Dalicandro said.

With a new defense in place, it is now up to the team to execute the coach’s plans, and bring home some wins.

With the new coaches like Pittman, this should be more than possible.

PHOTO BY RAY FLINT

Ageless Athlete: Scott Perrin

By Ray Flint

Born in Boston, raised in Newton, and a graduate of South, Scott Perrin is undeniably a local at heart. While Perrin no longer coaches at South, he has been the Athletic Director for five years.

During his f reshman year at South, Perrin played both Freshman Football and Lacrosse. During his sophomore, junior, and senior years at South, Perrin played both Varsity Football and Lacrosse.

Perrin also wrestled for one year, but stopped after being knocked unconscious, resulting in a concussion. Perrin says it was not much of a sacrifice, though, because his focus was more on football and lacrosse, and he was “using wrestling to stay in shape.”

He then went on to Curry College where he played four years of Varsity Lacrosse. After graduating, Perrin said that he “didn’t coach or do anything for a while.”

Instead, “[he] spent ten years in the corporate world.” Perrin was quick to note that during those 10 years he still played club lacrosse, and continued to play until he was about 30 years old.

After he stopped playing lacrosse, Perrin says that he “did different things. [He] ran for a while, [he] lifted for a while, [he] would try to play tennis.” For a long time, before becoming South’s Athletic Director, Perrin says that he was addicted to Bikram yoga, a form of yoga which is practiced in a room of 105 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity of 40 percent. Perrin says that Bikram

yoga was really great: “in my opinion, it is just the greatest yoga you can do.”

Perrin says that the thing that he misses the most is coaching high school sports. “I don’t coach anymore, and I really miss having my own team and being able to influence kids in that way.” Perrin says that while many things can be taught inside the classroom, some things can’t be. It is the coach’s responsibility to instill certain values in athletes. “I feel that you can get more out of kids when you take them out of the classroom and put them in an environment where a lot of different things can happen,” he said.

Perrin says that sports provide great lessons, and that sports force you to live in the moment, to act and react.

“You can’t focus on the future, you can’t focus on the past, you have to focus on what’s in front of you,” Perrin said. “When you get knocked down, you have to get up.” It is this immediacy that Perrin said teaches you lessons that stick with you for the rest of your life.

“When you give something your all, and you can live and focus and be in that one moment, and recover quickly and not dwell, that’s living,” Perrin said. “As a coach, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your players are able to experience that for themselves; as a coach you get to teach your players life lessons, and that’s why I love what I do.”

Now overseeing the entire Newton South athletic program, Perrin is able to stay very much involved in sports, the thing he enjoys most.

Features

25 October 2011

Denebola

Test your sight!

answers:

Happy Holidays

By Dar Alon and Michelle Bushoy

Haber, Kestenberg, and Leikin looking swag near an elevator.

photo contributed by allie haber, nicole kestenberg, hannah leikin

View From the Top: Allie Haber, Nicole Kestenberg, Hannah Leikin

25,45,6,29,56,8

photo from internet source

See article on B4

“Gather ‘round children; zip it.

Listen.” First things, first — for all of you who are still stuck on Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy it is time to graduate to Watch the Throne.

Though forever loyal to MBDTF, the soundtrack to our junior year, it is not only encouraged but necessary for all of us to move on. And so we did.

We added Jay-Z into the mix, and we couldn’t be happier.

To be honest, the big shtick about high school is to learn to move on and adapt.

So, por ejemplo, if your classes are way too hard and stressful, do yourself a solid and just switch down.

We’ve all been there and it’s totally acceptable. It’s worth it, and you’ll love yourself later for it.

After all, the true motto of Newton South High School is “Whatever Works”; as in, “Whatever Works” in order to keep your boat afloat in the tempestuous waters of NSHS. To further our point, if your dad Joel (that’s a very popular name), happens to bestow upon you extra Katy Perry concert tickets, despite the fact that you cannot name a single

song of hers, say yes!

It’s okay to subject yourself to a night of screeching tweens and their moms.

Also, apparently you don’t dress up like freaks on leashes for this type of performance…who would have known…? See picture above for proof.

Embrace the experience and it’ll be dank, even if your pal Dave was turned down at the door.

To be honest, the big shtick about high school is to learn to move on and adapt.

Your other palz, however, are totally fair game. To put it simply, it’s a good idea to surround yourself with people whom you actually enjoy spending time with.

It’s kind of pointless to waste all these years with people whom you don’t care about and visa versa.

By practicing what we preach, our friends have actually become our

family (even if we are the only girls in the friend group).

Hi guys! By the way, if you’re curious, Holly is a senior and Joseph does go here.

Additionally, don’t safely assume the Baby Mama Benz is a sleek ride.

Girl’s got it goin’ on, but she’s falling apart on the inside.

With all due respect, she might want to consider getting a glove compartment, door handle, and armrest.

Love her, though, and many thanks for shuttling us around before anyone else except Nicole had a license.

Also, it’s important to note that when life hands you oranges (You mean lemons, Nicole?) yet kind of squirts you in the face with them, it’s crucial to just relax and essentially be down with Mao- even if the apocalypse is happening just outside your window. 2012!

Speaking of the new surveillance, it is official: Big Brother Stembridge is watching you.

So watch yo back. Shout outs to Orwell, Smurfs, Watson, R.I.P. Sherlock, Jake’s B, The Professor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dan Berg, Professor Slugworth, Dave, and BOB.

Faculty Focus: Lily Eng Shine

By Leena Chacrone

Working for 12 years as a history and psychology teacher at South, Lily Eng Shine is one of the most known, and most visited, teachers in the school.

Pass by her room during J-block and you are sure to find sophomores crowded around her desk. Eng says they find her room a comfortable place where they can hang out.

“I have a good relationship with my students, [and] I am a good resource for them,” she said. Her four teaching assistants for just two freshman classes confirm this fact. In fact, in her G Block linked history class, two assistants come every day to help in the classroom.

Although she has taught more than 1,400 high-school students over the course of her career, she has not forgotten any of them. “I remembered [my students’] names by the second day of school,” Eng says.

She has such an exceptional ability to associate a face to a name that she keeps all her students in her mind.

Eng also has a unique capacity to recognize her students’ handwriting.

Features B3

One can sense Eng’s passion for her job by the way her eyes sparkle when she’s excited about a subject. And she doesn’t hesitate to bring her psychology experiments to her linked history classes.

She keeps a model of the human brain on her desk for her psychology class.“I never really set out to be a psych teacher. Though, like many of my students, I am intrigued by the brain and human behavior,” she said. “I love my job. It’s never boring.”

Eng believes that one of the most intriguing aspects of teaching is that it’s one of the few jobs that is different every day.

According to Eng, a student who leaves a lasting impression on her could be the funny kid or the “sweet and quiet [one who] devel-

oped” into a mature person.

Eng still wishes to become a food critic for The New York Times. “It’s still a dream,” she said. While she lived in New York, Eng and her husband made a list of cheap but good eats around the city. Her favorite food, of course, is a classic New York-style cheese pizza.

Prior to South, Eng taught at Brookline High School for a year, and then at middle school in Beijing during a study abroad.

Though she teaches psychology, Eng says that history is her true passion. “I’ve always loved history—to know and understand the past, to better understand the present, [and know the] actions of a few and their impact,” she said.

In addition to her job as a teacher, Eng is also a club leader for the Dreamfar Marathon team. She has been leading it for three years, and she describes it as a program to train students who have never run before. The motto is: “we finish what we start.”

Spoken like a true historian, Eng says her golden piece of advice for her all her students is to “know thy self.” One thing is for sure, South students surely know and love her. photo by aley lewis

Are holidays the reason our school system is lagging? Are too many vacation days to blame? South students seem to have varying opinions on the topic.

Twenty-five days in our school year, which makes up almost a month, is dedicated to holidays and week-long breaks that many deem unnecessary.

One in four students interviewed believe that the Newton Public Schools system takes off too many days for the holidays.

“We definitely have too many vacation days, duh. It feels as if the day we come back from vacation a week later we have another day off!” freshman Malia Keo said.

On average, the 10-month school year has about 2.5 vacation days per month.

“Teachers are out of wack, if there’s no routine, there’s no way students are going to be able to successfully complete a school year to the best of their abilities.”

Keo said.

Other freshmen, Ellie Yorke, Hannah Rabinowitz, and Gabi Tiraspolski, disagree.

“I don’t think we have enough vacation days because there are so many different religious aspects in each holiday which should be accommodated that. Of course, we shouldn’t have a vacation for month-long holidays, but more holidays important to religion should be observed,” Yorke said.

“No, teachers aren’t behind in schedule, because they plan for the days off so they can’t be behind if they were already on the schedule,” Rabinowitz said when asked about teachers’ performance and scheduling due to the days off for holidays. Studies show Rabinowitz is correct.

A school in Georgia with only four days a week and a large quantity of planned vacation days shows that the scores of writing tests and graduation rates have improved greatly. Freshman Gabi Tiraspolski still seems to have differing thoughts.

“Of course, I’d love if we could have more and more vacation days.

Though I feel like each time we go on day-long vacations, I forget the new material I just learned,” she said.

A few South students agree that instead of having multiple day-long vacations, it would be more beneficial for students to have a longer summer.

“I’d rather have a longer summer.

I spend my time during the summer completely relaxed, while on these one day holidays I’m still stressed over work, so I’d prefer a longer time of relaxation over stress,” Suzie Kaufman said.

However, Haley Eagle and Paneed Jalili feel otherwise. “I think that we should keep the one day holidays because it’s more important to have breaks in the middle of school than a few days of summer that would go unnoticed,” said Haley Eagle said. “I catch up on sleep and try to ‘healthy’ myself up for school when it starts up again and I also catch up on homework…I think summer is boring.”

Kaufman adds, “I think it’s a little tough for me to get adjusted to high school when I have all these mid-week holidays interfering with school. Also, I would prefer these holidays be on Fridays or Thursdays so I can go places such as Cape Cod. When I have vacations on Wednesdays, it’s kind of pointless because I’m stuck at home.”

“I really like it when vacation days fall in the middle of the week. It provides much necessary stress relief,” freshman Katie Doran said.

“I don’t really mind when we have vacation days; I just like having more free time. I’m really indifferent on which day of the week I have a day off of school from,” Hannah Lass said.

Most South students can agree that some vacation time is necessary.

However, some students feel as if the amount and timing of the vacations is detrimental to their learning.

Denebola

Features B4

25 October 2011

Teachers at South: It’s all in the Family

By Courtney Foster

It’s rumored that once an ecstatic student went running up to English and theater teacher James Honeyman to tell him that another teacher in the school shared his last name.

Honeyman was curious, and the student took him to

photo contributed by lisa honeyman

the room of this otherstrange Honeyman.

It was a less than thrilling moment when he found that he had been lead to his wife’s familiar math classroom.

At South, stories such as that of the Honeymans are not rarities.

In fact, an astonishing number of South faculty members

have a workplace in common with their spouses, parents, or children, which in some cases is a luxury.

“We have the same vacations, so it’s easy to spend time together,” math teacher Lisa Honeyman said of her husband. “We can drive to and f rom school together sometimes, depending upon

our schedules.”

Physics teacher Richard Drurey came to South last year, and this year his wife, chemistr y teacher Suzey Drurey, joined him. They, too, are discovering the benefits of working in the same location as their spouses.

“There are many conveniences,” Drurey said about his wife’s employment at South. “ We can come into work together, we can eat lunch together, and it is easier to share or discuss any common worksheets or scheduling information. We [also] have the same days off.”

Physics teacher Alex Kraus has a similar experience teaching at the same school as his mother, biology teacher Jordan Kraus.

For Alex Kraus, the most useful part of this arrangement came from the start. He was able to have a much smoother transition to the South teaching environment with his mother’s assistance.

“My mother offered me a large amount of advice and support in the first year or two of my employment as I adjusted to the school, the system, and the curriculum,” Kraus said.

However, there are a few

downsides to this teaching situation for some families that have not dissipated over time.

“When you work together, it is hard to leave your job behind,” Honeyman said. “Even at home we still talk about school a lot — too much.”

Kraus has had difficulties as well, some beginning on day one of his career.

“I think I was under more scrutiny when hired because my mother worked here,” he said.

“Occasionally it can be stressful. Certainly when there are things in our family life that are upsetting or emotionally trying, it can require focus and diligence to keep that out of the workplace and to interact in a solely professional manner.”

Now that Kraus no longer lives with his mother, this is much less of a problem.

“Certainly this [stress was more common] during the period of time in which I moved back to my parents’ house as I finished my master’s degree,” Kraus said. “There is much less of this now that I have my own home, and we can catch up during lunch breaks about what’s happening.”

The Drureys have been

particularly successful at keeping school a mutually positive experience.

The only problem they have encountered so far relates to childcare.

“We have kids that are on a different school schedule [than we are],” Drurey said.

“For example, our kids have Thursday and Friday off for Rosh Hashanah, while we have [only] Thursday off.”

Clearly, it takes patience and understanding for South faculty couples to get along seamlessly while on the job.

“We understand the ups and downs of the job and are conscious of how that can affect moods at various times of the year,” Honeyman said.

Overall, though, the community aspects of working at South are valuable beyond compare.

“I must say that on some level it is exciting to have her working here,” Drurey said of his wife. “I can get in touch with her any time I need to and in a funny way, it brings home closer to school.”

Alex Kraus shares Drurey’s viewpoint: “One of the things that is most special about Newton South is that it is like one very large extended family.”

Colorblind: an entirely different view

By Courtney Foster

Pollock also believes that type of chemical experihe still sees the colors, al- ment which requires one A s a c h i l d , c h e m i s - though in a way which is to observe different colors tr y teacher Alan Crosby unlike that of his peers. of light, and I have never dreamed of being an air“I think it ’s not that I been able to do that experiplane pilot. can’t see colors,” Pollock ment.”

Although childhood am- said, “it ’s just that I see Crosby, howe ver, has bitions are most commonly them differently and have found himself to have extra squelc hed by an honest trouble telling some colors vision abilities that those parent or a petulant sib- apart.” who are not colorblind do ling, it was Crosby himself Crosby has trouble seeing not. who was forced to admit the same colors as Pollock, “I have great night vision,” that in realit y, he could and his perspective on what Crosby said. “I am always never fly a plane. Crosby it means to truly “see” a color astonished when people was colorblind, and by law is similar. stumble around in the dark colorblind people can never “ I t d e p e n d s o n w h a t because they can’t see anybecome pilots. you mean by ‘see,’” Crosby thing.”

According to the article said. “It ’s identifying the The U.S. National Li“Color Blindness” from the c o l o r t h a t ’s t h e t r i c k . b r a r y o f M e d i c i n e s a y s U.S. National Librar y of Some people ask me, ‘If that “most people are able Medicine, “color blindness yo u d on’t s e e i t a s re d , to adjust to [color blindis the inability to see certain what do you ness] withcolors in the usual way.” see it as?’ To If there is a test of iuc ut l t dy i of -r Because it is a “ lifelong m e , t h a t ’ s at school where d i s a b i l i t y. ” condition,” people such as a n i r r e l Crosby will never see colors e v a n t q u e s different colors P o l l o c k and have never seen them tion because falls on a map corre- clearly before. that is how into this Sophomore Jason Pol- I s e e r e d ; spond to different categor y. lock did not realize that h o w e v e r , I things, then I just “ I f t h e re he saw colors differently can identify ask the teacher to is a test at until it was pointed out to it as the red school where clarify what the different colhim by a medical profes- which other sional. people see ors on a map map represents, “I found out that I was normally.” correspond colorblind probably when I O bviously, to different was six or seven years old at every person things, then a my yearly doctor checkup,” w h o i s c o l I just ask the Pollock said. o r b l i n d i s i n s om e w ay teacher to clarify what the C r o s b y h a s a l w a y s affected by his or her con- map represents,” Pollock k n o w n o f h i s c o l o r - dition. said. blindness due to the For Pollock, the effects For Crosby, it has been a w a r e n e s s t h a t i t w a s are surprisingly minimal, necessar y in certain cirp a s s e d d o w n t h r o u g h except when others point cumstances to find creative h i s f a m i l y. out his con- ways to compensate for his “As far as I d i t i o n t o colorblindness.

I found out that him. know, it’s ge“One learns adaptation,” netic,” Cros“[My col- Crosby said. “One learns to I was colorblind by said. “My probably when I orblindness look for other things with maternal is] not a big which to differentiate cerwas 6 or 7 years d e a l , ” Po l - tain objects. For instance, I grandfather had it.” old at a my yearly l o c k s a i d , am very good at determinT h e U. S . “ but when- ing a distinction between doctor checkup, National ever people different shades—which Library of f i n d o u t may be why I have better Medicine t h a t I ’ m night vision than most says that colc o l o r b l i n d , people.” or blindness they ask me All in all, color blindis caused by “a problem annoying questions such ness is just another reason w i t h t h e c o l o r - s e n s i n g as ‘ W hat color is my hat?’ why people such as Polg r a n u l e s ( p i g m e n t s ) i n Then if I get it right, they lock and Crosby are truly certain nerve cells of the claim that I’m ‘not really unique. eye, ” and ac knowledged colorblind.’”

“Colorblindness is viewed that red-green colorblindFor Crosby, the conse- as being a handicap,” Crosby ness is “the most common quences in his everyday life said. “I can’t be a pilot or type.” are more apparent. fly for the militar y, and Evidentl y, this is tr ue “From experience, things colorblindness gives my life amongst South students don’t always stand out to certain restrictions. and faculty. me like they do to other “Anyhow, life is not fair.

“There are certain colors people,” Crosby said. “If This is how I am, and there that I can’t tell apart dark a person comes into class are still things I can’t access. greens, reds, and browns,” with dyed hair, I often don’t So what? I can get over it, Pollock said. “Certain shades notice until I hear other because not everybody can of blue and purple are hard students talking about it. do everything. People really to tell apart, also.”

A l s o, t h e re i s a c e r t a i n are not the same.”

“

”

—Jason Pollock ‘14

“

”

—Jason Pollock ‘14

photo contributed by aley lewis

Mixed curricula educate

By Nicole Brooks

Students f rom different curriculum levels teaching each other creates a different learning experience for the class than a single teacher.

According to several students, when I teach their peers, it can be much easier to learn, because students can better understand each other’s needs and points of view.

“I like being in a mixed curriculum class because it’s a diverse environment and you meet people with different strengths,” Global student and sophomore Khashayer Dashti said.

Students also tend to be more patient with their peers and often do not mind repeating or explaining information in different ways.

In addition, with students teaching, examples of the material can be used in a more relatable setting that the learner understands.

While many teachers have a set way of teaching, students are given the opportunity to learn with different tecniques. Students think differently than their adult teachers, which gives them on different take on explaining a concept to a fellow student.

The student doing the teaching also can benefit. “I think it’s very effective for Honors students [to teach

the class]. I had to learn English grammar by teaching it,” Global English teacher David Weintraub said. “If I had to learn it for learning it, it would not have been that proficient in rudiments of grammar.”

Reciting and explaining material students know refreshes it in their heads so that the information is understood in a more practical way.

“Teaching lets us further understand what we’re learning because we have to explain it in a way everyone can understand,” Global student Yasmine Hashemi said.

A student doing the teaching allows teachers to help the students that might need extra help and one-on-one instruction.

In all school settings, teachers are outnumbered by their students and could use the assistance. “[Usually] I would plan a class geared toward one curriculum. [Classes where Honors kids lead the class] are much much more about having Honors students learn about how to take a different kind of accountability,” Weintraub said.

The extra time would allow teachers more time to do their jobs well.

For instance, instead of just scoring or grading work, the teacher would be able to write individual and helpful comments to the students

so they will know how to improve in the future.

Teachers also use this time to plan even better classes, because teachers need time to plan how they are going to teach the material effectively. “[It requires] more thinking, planning, revising, development of lesson plans. it forces you to think about how best to meet individual students’ needs,” Weintraub said, regarding class planning.

W hile there are many positive aspects to students teaching other students, it is not all good. Some Honors students said they feel as though they are not learning as much.

“I think it’s an interesting idea because the problem with Global is that Honors kids don’t get as much out of it conceptually as if they were in a standard Honors class,” Global student and sophomore Jackson Fried said.

He does, however, have positive comments on the system. “The fact that we lead the class [means] that we get a good set of leadership skills,” Fried said.

W ith both positive an negative aspects, the Global student-teaching system certainly is unique.

S tudents invol ved are given a different learning environment that can really help them fully understand everything in the class.

Denebola

25 October 2011

Arts and Entertainment B5

Moneyball a home-run blockbuster hit

The Fashion Files

By Helen Holmes

photo from internet source

By Jack Hooker and Josh Kaster

Drama-filled and based on the eponymous novel, the film Moneyball, is inspired by true events. Baseball is looked at through the eyes of not only a former player, Billy Beane, but also a Yale graduate, Peter Brand.

When the Oakland Athletics loses all of its star players, the city of Oakland depends on Beane, the general manager, played by Brad Pitt, to step up to the plate.

In 2001, the Oakland A’s lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and were hungry for another playoff run.

Not knowing what the next year would bring, the A’s were nothing else but excited.

That is, until they lost their three best players—Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, and Jason Isringhausen—because of the A’s low salary cap.

Desperate for filling in the positions they had lost, Beane takes a trip to the Cleveland Indians. As Beane sits in the Cleveland General Manager’s office, his eye catches Brand, Jonah Hill’s character.

Instead of using the traditional way of scouting that baseball managers have been using for years, Brand uses a statistical technique called sabermetrics, which finds better or equal players for less money.

Beane proceeds to take great interest in Brand and persuades him to join the Athletics. In a quick transition, Beane makes Brand the Assistant General

Manager.

The two of them were the only ones on board with the idea at the time, due to its not using the traditional scouting method; the action is so extreme that Beane goes as far as firing his Head-Scouting Manager and trading their best player for virtually nothing.

With Beane’s method the A’s go on to win 20 straight games, the most in baseball history.

Moneyball is not only a movie that appeals to sports fans; anyone that hopes for a well-written story line should enjoy it.

Alongside lead actor Pitt, Hill stands out because of his carefully-thought out character development.

He changes from a quiet, passive baseball analyzer to

an outgoing character that inevitably ties the movie together.

Jonah Hill does a great job coming out of his comfort zone from his previous comedies, like Superbad and Get him to the Greek.

Moneyball showcases his unexpected ability to not only crack a few jokes but to make a hugely serious impact, contributing to what makes this movie what it is.

Hill even spent some time with Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein to relate to his character.

On September 15, Hill threw out the first pitch for the Red Sox game.

Moneyball is admittedly over two hours, though there is never a dull moment from director Bennett Miller and

the writer of the book Michael Lewis.

It was a very good movie, though, unfortunately, history cannot be rewritten and the Oakland A’s did end up losing in the game that decided who would be going to the World Series.

The National Post has rated it 3.5 out of five stars, saying, “Moneyball is a solid, often hilarious story, though it does sink into corn syrupiness a few times.”

Moneyball is now the second movie at the box office with the earning of $22.76 million five days after it was released.

That said, this movie is definitely worth skipping homework, putting off doing your chores, and setting aside the violin, for. It may be a cliché, but this is a homerun.

displayed the various levels of the character, beginning with a monotone reading of the difficult words and their humorous uses in a sentence, before moving to a climactic breakdown that involved screaming on top of a desk.

Dober and Levy demonstrated beautiful stage chemistry that is only rarely present in productions.

Junior Nathan Matzka added an intimidation factor to the stage as Mitch Mahoney, a “comfort counselor” to eliminated contestants who is doing his court ordered community service hours. The participants in the spelling bee added another level to the performance.

Each contestant had his or her own problems. For instance, politically active Logainne Schwartzand Grubenierre, played by junior Alex Conrad, faces a challenge in her overbearing gay parents, who instill within her the belief that she must always be a “winner.”

In the musical number that displayed her situation, “Woe Is Me,” Conrad belted out some truly impressive notes, showcasing a voice unique and powerful, especially for a high schooler.

Equally impressive was sophomore Jessica Dagg’s

performance as Olive Ostrovsky, a friendless child whose parents do not attend the bee.

Dagg’s hopeful attitude mixed with a powerhouse voice, especially in songs such as “The I Love You Song” and “My Friend, The Dictionary.”

Another sophomore Jeremy Oshins portrayed William Barfée, a smart but awkward student with allergies and a famed spelling technique called the “Magic Foot,” in which Oshins happily sang and danced about within a song of the same name.)

Oshins and Dagg provided the show’s chief romance between nerdy contestants, adding a further level of humor to the production.

Junior Emily Ho as Marcy Park demonstrated countless abilities, ranging from dancing to playing the piano, in her song, “I Speak Six Languages.”

Ho embodied the “perfect child” excellently, making the character’s decision to not live up to expectations even more powerful than the script suggests.

Another early frontrunner, Chip Tolentino, played by sophomore Andrew Hardigg, was also a disappointment in the Bee, as his pubescent excitement over the appearance of a girl in the audience causes

distraction.

When Hardigg returned to sing “M.U.E.” (abbreviated for public review) after being eliminated, the audience was entirely gleeful, laughing and cheering at his every word.

Another junior Sean D i m a rc o a l s o p ro v i d e d limitless laughs, performing as the perhaps less-gifted Leaf Coneybear, the second alternate for the Spelling Bee who makes it far in the competition despite a distracted attitude and an apparent lack of knowledge of spelling.

In his solo number, “I’m Not That Smart,” Dimarco gained the audience’s sympathy and love for a silly character, and, in the process, did not waste a moment of his stage time.

He consistently had audience members rolling in the aisles.

The production, to put it simply, worked.

The humor, combined with the talent of everyone involved, ranging from actors to costumers to set designers and crew to the orchestra (conducted by music director Matt Stern), truly brought the script to life.

South Stage has set the bar high for the rest of its 20112012 season, but after this production, it seems anything is within reach.

Putnam Spelling Bee leaves South spellbound

photo by julia spector

By Daniel Bender-Stern

Every year, South Stage brings in director Nancy Curran Willis to direct the fall show. Curran Willis, as a professional director in the Massachusetts area, always has a lot on her plate, often balancing multiple shows at once.

Yet she consistently makes the return to South Stage to work with Newton South’s budding stars. After South Stage’s successful production of Hairspray, many South students anticipated its next big musical.

Therefore, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee had some big shoes to fill, and it certainly did. The story is fun, suspenseful, exciting, and consistently hilarious. The

basic premise is a bunch of oddball kids participating in their county’s spelling bee.

But the plot is made exciting when you consider the interactions away from the microphone, as well as each character’s individual history.

The show opened with adult event-runner Rona Lisa Perretti, played by senior Hannah Dober.

Dober expertly tackled the high musical notes required from the character, such as in “My Favorite Moment of the Bee,” but she also briefly took on other roles, such as a contestant’s absent mother in “The I Love You Song”.

Rona’s partner in running the spelling bee, Vice Principal Panch, was expertly played by junior Alex Levy, who

I’ve operated my whole life on a rewards system—do what you don’t want to do first, and once you get it done, you can do something that you do want to do.

An example: when I get home f rom school, I like to have a snack and do my homework so I can spend the night hours watching episodes of Game of Thrones online until I pass out on my keyboard and awaken at four in the morning with my eyelid stuck to the D key (it’s happened).

Unfortunately for my GPA, sometimes I get home, snack, and watch TV; the homework part just doesn’t happen.

The same is true for my wardrobe — oftentimes, I’ll awaken to sore limbs and a room temperature of around 15 degrees and think to myself, the last thing I want to do today is wear heels and eyeliner and strut.

I just want to curl up in the fetal position in a sweatshirt and cry about my life.

I’ve also realized over the course of this column and my self-made career as a fashion risk-taker that some of my outfits just aren’t reasonable for the average, sensible human. So, for the everyday layman, here are my brand new (as in I just thought of them during J block) rules for Being Fashionable, Even When You Simply Aren’t Feelin’ It. 1. I don’t care if you’re an Amazon woman, if your pants don’t fit you you’re still going to look sloppy.

I implore everyone to go out and buy a nice pair of slimfitting black jeans, because it is impossible to look bad/not classy whilst wearing them.

Also, they take zero effort.

2. Say you have A block free, so you don’t set your alarm thinking that you’ll get up at like 7:15 and still have time to look adorable. Yeah, I don’t think so.

Most often, you’ll wake up at 8:15 with drool on your pillow. A number one makeup necessity: mascara. I don’t know what happens, but when I put on mascara I go from looking like a sleepy sheep herder to a fresh, wide-awake doll faced lady. Don’t blame me, blame science!

3. For the love of God, no crop tops with low waisted pants. Ever. I’m serious. This only looks cute if you’re Britney Spears circa 2001.

4. Maybe I’m just prissy and unreasonable, but in my personal opinion, sloppy sweats are never okay unless you’re alone or working out.

It was okay in middle school when everyone wanted to show off the Bat Mitzvah swag they’d gotten over the weekend, but hello, some of us were unpopular and didn’t get invited to that many and had to shop at Limited Too with our moms. Get over it.

I just want to curl up in the fetal position in a sweatshirt and cry about my life.

5. Being clean goes a long way. It sounds basic, but it’s so important. This means no stains, clean hair, deodorant, and brushed teeth.

I don’t know if y’all have seen any pictures of Lindsey Lohan recently, but chica has obviously been indulging in the red wine and cigarettes.

Excuse me, but ew.

In conclusion, not everyone has the energy to totter around in heels and dress like a 60’s flight attendant, and I feel that.

All I ask of you is a little effort and some toothpaste.

Global Education Denebola

Global Education B6

25 October 2011

Arab Spring limiting Israel’s options, room to maneuver

By Daniel Matskevich

On Sept. 10, Egyptian protestors attacked Israel’s Cairo embassy, forcing 80 people, including the Israeli ambassador, to evacuate. Egyptian Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack “a severe injury to the fabric of peace with Israel.” The incident was largely triggered by a cross-border Israeli raid that accidently killed five Egyptian police officers and is symbolic of how the recent turmoil in the Middle East has shaken up more than the Arab nations in which it has occured.

The future of Israel’s foreign policy, created during the 1979 peace accords to maintain allies in the region, is now in serious doubt. For over three decades, Israel has sought to maintain respectful, if not friendly, relations with its neighbors, especially Egypt and Turkey. Now those relationships, as well as the entire Middle East status quo, are unraveling.

Hosni Mubarak’s support of Israel was the largest pillar of the country’s foreign strategy. Peace and friendship with Egypt provided Israel with legitimacy in the eyes of other Arab nations, military safety on its southern border, and the ability to blockade Gaza. Now that Mubarak has been deposed, it is unclear whether Egypt will continue to maintain friendly relations. There are already indications that it will not, or that it will at least seek modifications to the relationship in its favor.

The1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty

Egyptians demonstrate outside the Israeli Embassy in Cairo on the night of August 20. The building is surrounded by Egyptian soldiers standing on top of armored vehicles.

ing that Egypt would only honor its side of treaties when the other side achieved their own, “in letter and in spirit.”

Relations with Turkey, the second Muslim country to recognize Israel and probably its most important Middle Eastern friend after Egypt, are also worsening. After Israel refused to apologize for its 2010 raid on a largely Turkish aid flotilla bound for Gaza, which resulted in nine deaths, Turkey downgraded its diplomatic relations with Israel by recalling all of its envoys above the rank of Second Secretary, a low-echelon title, and ending cooperation between the two countries’ militaries.

“Israel…has misused many of the chances that were given to [it],” Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, said, “and… [sees itself as] above international laws and human conscience.”

As ties with Turkey and Egypt weaken, Israel is further angering the Arab world by rejecting the Palphotos by jonathan rashad Ahmed al-Shahhat, the Egyptian who climbed atop the 24-story Israeli Embassy and replaced its flag with Egypt’s, is congratulated upon estinian bid for statehood returning to ground. Previous attempts to climb the embassy were repelled by Egyptian soldiers and police, and efforts to set the Israeli flag at the United Nations. alight with fireworks were also unsuccessful.

Though the bid will almost included provisions that Israel withdraw militarily from Palestine and recognize the “legitimate rights” of its inhabitants. Its failure, from an Egyptian standpoint, to adhere to these stipulations is increasingly being discussed in Egypt as an impetus for renegotiating what is widely seen

in the country as a humiliating legacy of its dictatorial past. In September, Egypt’s Prime Minister said that the treaty with Israel was not “sacred.”

However, Egypt’s foreign minister said a week later that his country would “respect its obligations,” but then added a generalized caveat, say-

certainly fail, Israel’s enemies are growing more numerous as its allies fade away, and it is increasingly losing room to maneuver with regard to Palestine.

Because the Arab public is significantly more pro-Palestinian than most Middle Eastern autocrats, the Arab Spring is making it increasingly unlikely that the Arab nations will continue to tolerate Israel and its actions vis-à-vis the Palestinians. Newly democratic nations may do away with their accommodation of the country along with the rest of their former autocratic systems, and countries remaining autocratic may be pressured into opposing Israel in the hope that doing so could take the place of the economic, social, and political reforms that their publics demand.

Israel’s position is becoming increasingly untenable, and it may very soon find itself back in its 1948 position: without regional friends, and with many enemies. The difference is that these potential enemies are now much more powerful, as the various Arab nations have gained on Israel in many categories in the last 60 years. Though the chances of its being defeated in a war, or there being a war, remain slim, the future of the Middle East is not nearly as clear as it seemed a year ago, and Israel’s place in it is even murkier.

Obama and Arab people responsible for al-Qaeda’s recent defeats

By Dylan Royce

Ten years ago, Islamic extremists hijacked four airplanes and destroyed the two largest towers of the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon. The U.S. responded with invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as a worldwide counterterrorism intelligence campaign, but by 2006, al-Qaeda seemed to be winning. U.S. forces were mired in combat across the Middle East, its military was overstretched to the point where National Guardsmen were being used for combat duty and public opinion in the Islamic world seemed firmly set against the U.S. But by 2008, the situation had begun to reverse. Iraq, which had seemed on the verge of disintegration two years ago, was now, if not strong, at least secure. Al-Qaeda’s attacks, in Iraq (where, it must be noted, they had no presence before Hussein’s fall created the chaos that permitted it) and elsewhere, had killed far more Muslims than foreign “crusaders,” firmly turning public opinion against the perpetrators. The organization then suffered (in the first half of 2011) two blows that may prove to be the fatal wounds – the death of Osama bin Laden, and the Arab Spring. President Obama deserves most of the credit for the former, and at least some of it for the latter.

Bin Laden was killed in a compound in Pakistan on May 2 by a team of Navy SEALs. Obama, apparently, was responsible for the nature of the mission. Seeking hard proof of bin Laden’s death, which a remote strike could not provide, the president pushed for a helicopter raid that ended up going well: the only

American casualty was a helicopter.

But Obama did more than create the mission – he saved it.

The initial operation plan called for only two helicopters to minimize the chance of their being spotted

by Pakistan. The president, worried by the lack of backup but not very concerned about Pakistan potentially interfering, asked for the addition of two more – foresight that proved to be critical. When one of the two assault helicopters stalled and crashed, the SEALs who were meant to take it out just got on one of the backups.

Were it not for Obama’s prescient decision, bin Laden would have probably still been killed, but a “Black Hawk Down” situation could also have unfolded. While Pakistan would almost certainly have returned the stranded SEALs, the entire fiasco would have been severely damaging to our relations with Pakistan and our international prestige. It also could have been dangerous for those stranded.

Before addressing why Obama deserves some of the credit for the Arab Spring, it is necessary to explain why the uprisings are such a tragedy for al-Qaeda.

The attacks of Sept. 11 were more than simple acts of terrorism – they were the first step in a sophisticated plan. The attacks were meant to trigger a heavy-handed American response that would result in American invasions and occupations throughout the Islamic world. Such overextension would result in the exhaustion of the American military and economy while simultaneously uniting Muslim opinion against the foreign invader.

When U.S. global power collapsed,

its client dictatorships would fall with it. Al-Qaeda would step into the vacuum and use Muslim unity to found the caliphate. Thus, the U.S. was never the primary target of alQaeda – the secular or pro-Western dictatorships and monarchies of the Middle East were. The U.S. simply had to be defeated before they could be.

As explained above, the plan initially worked perfectly, but by 2007 it was falling apart. The Arab Spring shattered it entirely. Al-Qaeda had always assumed that the only way to overthrow secular dictatorships was through religiously motivated terrorism, and that if Muslims were

When it is not the only resistance and its ideology is not the only alternative to autocracy, people will choose democracy and modernity over backwards fundamentalism. able to choose their government, it would be fundamentalist. Therefore, al-Qaeda presented itself as the only hope for the Muslim world in its battle with the pro-Western autocrats and a fundamentalist state as the only alternative to repressive autocracy.

The Arab Spring proved both assumptions incorrect. Two of the three overthrown dictators so far were toppled primarily through nonviolence, and secular democracies seem to be springing up in their wake. (Though Islamist parties may well win a large proportion of votes in the upcoming elections).

Thus, the Arab Spring did not really damage al-Qaeda at all (in fact,

it has granted it increased freedom of operation in Yemen and, perhaps, Libya), but it destroyed its ideology, the most important thing a terrorist group has. Now that another, better path is clear, people will be less inclined to follow al-Qaeda. When it is not the only resistance and its ideology is not the only alternative to autocracy, people will choose democracy and modernity over backwards fundamentalism. These are not just the sentiments of a Western liberal – they are facts proven by the events unfolding in Tunisia and Egypt.

But why does Obama deserve credit for the wonderful Arab Spring? Obviously, the vast majority of it goes to the people who risked and sometimes lost their lives in the protests of Tunisia and Egypt and the battles of Libya.

The Tunisian revolution was carried out with what appears to have been absolutely no American or international support or intervention. The Egyptian revolution also seems to have been largely free of foreign intervention. However, the Egyptian military’s close relations with its American counterpart and its desire to retain American funding may have played a role in its unenthusiastic support of Mubarak and the decision that it may have made to remove him (it is still unclear what exactly transpired during Mubarak’s final hours in power).

But the Libyan revolution clearly owes its success to the international community. Without the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) airstrikes, it is quite likely that Gaddafi’s initial assault would have driven all the way to Benghazi and squashed the revolt then and there. And no one deserves more credit for NATO

intervention than Barack Obama.

While the U.S. did play a smaller role in the campaign than it has in past ones, it still did more than any other country.

Britain, France, and the United States led the intervention, and Obama led his country. Despite popular and Congressional opposition and attacks on him from both parties, Obama forged ahead at a time when people were worried about the public debt and an expensive adventure was the last thing they wanted. He braved Congressional resolutions that condemned his actions and made symbolic refusals of funds for the conflict.

(Admittedly, these were mostly his own fault, since he probably acted unconstitutionally, in contravention of the 1973 War Powers Act. It is unclear why he declined to seek Congressional approval for the war; perhaps because he thought that the Republican-dominated House would refuse it for political reasons.)

Ultimately, Obama was vindicated, as the rebels are now almost victorious and the entire endeavor was quite cheap: there have been no casualties and the final price tag will probably turn out to be about the same size as that of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. I would argue that the freedom of 6.4 million people and a massive blow to al-Qaeda is worth a boat.

Between bin Laden’s death and the Arab uprisings, much has changed in the last year. Al-Qaeda is now on the brink of defeat, as evidenced by its conspicuous failure to do anything on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. And the largest share of credit for this goes to the Arab people and Obama.

25 October 2011

Science stock room issues

By Robert Wang

As the year drags on, the Science Department is falling behind in the management of the stock room.

Without a full-time aid, preparing, managing, and disposing of chemical materials for labs becomes an extra burden for science teachers.

According to chemistry teacher Alan Crosby, there are Science Department members at South all summer long because they need to catch up on organizing the stock rooms. Even though everyone does as much work as possible, the Science Department still falls behind without an aid.

Crosby points out that “it takes a lot to maintain the equipment, [such as] restocking and making solutions,” and while there have been years when there has not been an aid. One is currently working part time for five hours a week.

Over the past 37 years, laws involving the management of waste have tightened, and disposal has become more costly as a result.To minimize cleaning certain waste materials, teachers have cut down on demonstrations. “For some labs hazardous waste does still exist, and teachers have to deal with that,” Chuck Hurwitz, Science Department Head, said.

With the addition of the disposal expense, along with normal lab equipment expense, the Science Department has had difficulties hiring a full-time stock room manager.

Hurwitz discussed the impacts of these ne w Environmental Protection Agency laws on science teachers. Teachers have to understand laws, as well as science, due

when given the opportunity.

Not only is finding an aid difficult, but the costs of training time also must be taken into account. Each new person that comes into the job must familiarize, and this process is inefficient. According to Hurwitz, “the job has had decades of inconsistency.” The Science Department has been attempting to make the job more attractive, so people who apply will want to stay.

When the budget is tight, the request for an aid is sometimes not adequately funded. Hurwitz has to present the case to the principal and assistant principal, along with the Budget Department. Hurwitz says that there are “years where we didn’t have the funds on time.” This means that it would be impossible to hire an aid on such short notice that year.

Without an aid, the equipment is not maintained, and labs for large numbers of students become an issue.

Crosby mentioned that “certain labs are unable to be run this year due to the number of students.” Without the proper management of chemicals, certain labs are skipped, which has a significant impact on the course.

Crosby believes that “even in tight budget times, the Science Department needs at least a part-time person.”

The funding for the Science Department has to cover not only the aid, but also lab equipment. Hurwitz discussed the issue of fume hoods, and the budgetary problem with replacing them. With the cost of four fume hoods at $3,300 total, and only a $12,000 budget, which is spent almost completely every year,

The Science Department plans to hire an aide for the stockroom.

to the strict storage and disposal regulations.

The heart of stock room issues lies not in the access of chemicals, but rather the constant management of the room. The qualifications of a stock room manager are important factors for finding the right person.

High school students are not eligible for the job, because they would come into contact with caustic chemicals, and would have to be constantly monitored.

With only a five-hour per week payroll for a budget, the job is not stable for those who are qualified.

People who work as the stock room aid often transfer to another job

photo by aley lewis

there are significant problems with disposing and replacing them.

According to Hurwitz, “everything in the budget needs to get done, so something else would not get paid for.”

Hurwitz does not “want other departments to suffer financially because of this,” since the Science Department takes a significant proportion of the budget.

Hurwitz is attempting to possibly reallocate the expenditures for an aid. “For the last seven years, the book money has been allocated from somewhere else” he said.

Despite the budgetary issues, the necessity for an aid is apparent in the management of stock rooms.

Student catches MCAS error

By Connor Macbain Michael Safran, a junior at Newton North, found an error in the grading of last years MCAS test, raising the scores of approximately 70,000 sophomores statewide.

In addition, 11 fewer schools and four fewer districts missed their target set by the No Child Left Behind Act. Safran was reviewing his answers for his sophomore Math MCAS when he found a discrepancy between the answer book and the answers marked on his results.

Upon noticing the error, Safran logged on to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website to investigate the scaling process that the MCAS scores undergo.

He found that his score, with one incorrect answer, should have been scaled to a perfect score, but an older scaling chart had been used to calculate this year’s results, so the results were off.

On Wednesday Sept 28, Safran reported his findings to the Education Department via telephone, then started his day at North.

While Safran was at school, his

father reported the error in person to Jennifer Price, the principal at North.

Later that day, Safran was pulled from Biology class to receive an important phone call from Governor Deval Patrick, who wanted to personally thank him for uncovering and reporting the error.

When asked about receiving the call, Safran said “the fact that G o v e r n o r Pa t r i c k c a l l e d t o personally thank me was spectacular; he did not need to take the time to call a 16 year-old kid from Newton, but he did, and I truly appreciate that.”

While this correction may have given him a scaled perfect score, it also moved 3,251 students up a level to either proficient or advanced.

Of all the parties affected by the error, only one other person noticed: Sean Bevan, the principal of Westwood High School.

Beavan reported the error the same day as Safran, but was unavailable to comment on his experience.

“I was not looking for the perfect 280 score... I had a question about the score and decided to push that question,” Safran said.

Denebola

News B7

New history department head

By Divya Agarwal

ing his first Curriculum-Two class at the beginning of last year.

There was a wide range in the learning styles of the students in his class, which made him realize that teaching everyone the same way would not work.

His new system was designed to be manageable for all students, regardless of if they are challenged by math, analyzing word problems, staying interested in a class that moves too slowly for them, or test anxiety.

“Maybe a student’s math-phobic and you have a unit with a little more math in it, they don’t get it, but the test happens anyhow and so they feel demoralized, depressed, they don’t do well on the test, they don’t get it, but they have to move on anyhow because the class is moving on,” Crosby said.

C ro s by ’s m o d u l e s c a t e r t o the needs of all students, because they require both learning hands-on and reading a textbook. According to Crosby, students do not know how to read a textbook as well as they should.

“What I would like is for my students to ask questions about what they’ve read and allow us to have a much deeper conversation, a more meaningful conversation because they have already developed a baseline understanding and have their own curiosity about the subject matter,” he said.

By making sure all his students have the ability to pass every module, Crosby is hoping that students become more selfconfident and develop a love for science in the process. “I’d like [chemistry class] to be a positive experience, an enjoyment of science, an enjoyment of the class, an enjoyment of the learning experience, and an enjoyment of becoming a better student,” Crosby said.

“I am related to the original Chef Boyardee,” Jennifer Morrill, the new History and Social Sciences Department Head said.

A Harvard graduate who studied English and literature, Morrill brings to South 16 years of teaching experience.

“I love working with students and getting to know them each year,” said Morrill.

“She knows how to balance student teacher interests,” History teacher Jamie Rinaldi said.

Morrill finds History a fascinating, yet difficult to make clear to students.

“It’s hard to teach in a way that makes it memorable to them so that they will remember it 20 years from now,” Morrill said.

“She was considered the best teacher at Newton North last year, we are lucky to have her” Vice Principal Mary Scott said.

There are only a few places Morrill would have left North for and South was one of them. Morrill said to the community, “Thanks for giving me the chance to be here, there are so many amazing people doing creative things, and I want to support.”

She looks back at her years of teaching as she comments, “Full time teaching is difficult. I don’t want to forget how hard it is.”

Impressed with the students and faculty, Morril appreciates the school’s tone. “Everyone is hard working,” Morrill said. “It’s very energizing.”

Growing up in Boston, Morrill spent her childhood weekends in Newton climate, so she feels a special connection to the city.

As the social and political soil have become increasingly complex, Morril feels that understanding History is now that much more important.

With the upcoming election, she hopes for her US history students to gain a better understanding of the rhetoric.

Morrill notes that as a high school teacher, people tell her that she’s making a great sacrifice. However, she feels glad and privileged.

“There are so many people around the world in other communities who are struggling, and we are fortunate to be here. There is no better job,” Morrill said.

Morrill reminds her students that hard work is worth doing, but they should not sacrifice the present. “Balance is everything,” Morrill said.

based on gender, weight, drinking history, use of medications, and family history of alcohol problems,” Chris Fortunato, Dean of Students at Harvard Kennedy School and Newton Teen Voices’ advisor said.

“It tells you your average and top BAC and your blood alcohol level after you describe your drinking.”

While the website is designed for teenagers, it is completely accessible to anyone in the community.

Given the site’s content, it is still a viable tool for adults because of the services it provides.

Rather than advise students to quit alcohol intake, the site provides facts and statistics about the tolls drugs and alcohol.

“It’s not like any other alcohol programs,” Davidoff said. “Most alcohol programs are like ‘don’t drink, it’s bad for you.’ This one is for giving you the real results. It’s not opinionated, it’s completely anonymous to show you, [for example], that you could’ve ended up in the hospital.”

Although eCheckup is the first project the group has completed, it is expanding its program to several

other issues, as well. The Newton Teen Voices’ philosophy is to advocate, advise, and organize.

The first step that the group takes is surveying Newton high school students to find out what changes they would like to see in Newton.

After selecting an issue, Davidoff and the other students in the group search for feasible solutions to the problem.

Once approved by a commission of teachers and youth police officers, Teen Voices directly advises the mayor and the Youth Commission on ways to improve and implement changes within Newton.

This has been Newton Teen Voices’ first years, and has proved to be a learning experience for the group.

Davidoff believes that the websites have been their “prototype” as they decide where they hope to take the project in the future. “We’re setting down the fundamentals of our group,” Davidoff said.

The group is looking to expand its program to additional high school interns interested in making a difference in the community.

the factors that led to the recent agreement. “I felt that there was a transparency and an open dialogue, [which] was really remarkable,” he told the TAB. “I think it really allowed for both parties to see things from both points of view.”

As a bargaining chip, the members of the teachers’ association

agreed to waive a pay increase until Oct 15 with the understanding the teachers would receive the missed pay increases after the 15 if an agreement was not reached.

By Oct 26, the contract will hopefully be ratified and the issues with the teachers’ contracts will be settled.

photo by aley lewis

Crosby follow-up

By Dan Kats After a successful first year, the Science Department is continuing the new Curriculum-Two Chemistr y method developed

by Chemistr y teacher Alan Crosby.

The class breaks f ree f rom traditional lecture-style classes by using Student Centered Modular L earning (SCML), which is a combination of the Keller Plan and Peer-Led Team Learning. The main difference between SCML and traditional lecture-style classes is that the students learn at their own pace and choose when to take quizzes.

“Students who want to learn and who want to excel are doing really well,” Crosby said.

“They have gone through and learned—become competent, as I call it—more chemistry than they’ve ever had an opportunity to do before in years past because the teacher led classroom moves at one pace.”

Grades are calculated based on how many chapters, “modules,” each student passes. Once a student finishes the required work, which consists of reading, notes, worksheets, and labs, he/she takes a one-page, double-sided test. If the student achieves “proficiency,” a score of 70 percent or higher, he/she receives one point towards his/ her grade and can move on to the next module. The modules do not all consist of reading and doing worksheets that are based off of the notes; Crosby always adds a few modules to each term that are simply research projects.

Using projects, Crosby excites visual learners, while still making sure they learn the required material.

Crosby came up with the idea of SCML after a week of teach-

Teen Voice aims to bring a better environment for teens in Newton

By Astha Agarwal

In an attempt to change the lives of thousands of his peers throughout the city, junior Tiki Davidoff is working as part of a Newton Teen Voices internship.

This program is sponsored by the Mayor’s Youth Commission and aims to discover and implement solutions to daily problems that Newton teens face.

The first project that the Teen Voices group has been working on is a website for students that have experienced alcohol. The site is aimed as a resource to learn how alcohol intake may affect their lives.

Upon entering the Alcohol eCheckup site, students are given a unique personal identification number that can be used to log into the site whenever they want.

Before creating the account, students must complete an anonymous questionnaire including personal information, family history, drinking and smoking habits, and knowledge of exercise.

“The site provides an individually tailored report for each student

Teachers’ contracts may possibly be ratified

CONTRACTS, continued from page A1

“ We’re eager to present the new proposal to the general committee,” he said. “I feel that the organization has worked hard for what the leadership believes is a good contract.”

According to Mike Z illes, President of the NTA, the recent clarity in negotiations was one of

Advertising B8

Denebola

25 October 2011