1997-98 MOR Issue 3

I O C Scheduling

Mehrun Etabari MOR Staff

Ataskforce iscurrentlyin vestigating an issue that di vides Oyster River students, faculty, and parents in opin ion: AlternativeScheduling.

Thedebateoverwhethero not to make the switch t blockschedulinghassparked strongreactionsintheORHS community. At the end o anuary,alleyeswillbeonth taskforceastheyreleasethei findingsandmakeaproposal regardingtheissuetothefoe ulty.

In a full block schedulin system, class periods woul bt;longerinordertoprovid moreclasstimeforextende projects. Due to the longe classperiods, not allperiod would fit into one day, an classes wouldnotmeeteve day.

The task force, with abou ightpermanentmembersan severalpart-timemembersin eludingstudents, faculty,an community members, i headed by Mr. Tappan an Ms.Smith. Theyhaveinves ligatedalternativeschedulin mostly by visiting about I other high schools with th block system. The school include Biddeford Marshwood, Concord Hanover, John Stark Hanover,andChamplainVal ley High School in northen Vermont. Despite its grea distance from Oyster River, ChamplainValleywasvisite because of its reputation o having a highly successful blockschedulingsystem. Th task force also conducted an OREW forum on altemativ scheduling in early Decem ber.

After investigating thes schools,thetaskforceleame Scheduling--seepg.4

WillWalkmans Be Banned?

JoeBeland MORStaff

Willportable cassetteand CDplayersbe walking out the doors? A proposal to ban walkmansfromORHScamebeforetheBobcatLeadershipTeamandtheSenatelastweek. AssistantPrincipalBryanLaneraisedthisissuetotheadministration.

After livelydiscussionfrom manypoints of view in the BLT meeting, Mr. Cairns referred this issue to the Senate and promised tobringthemattertothegeneralfacultymeet0 inglaterinJanuary.

TheSenatevotedtotum thewalkmanissueovertotheSenateSchoolRulesCommittee. They willpublicize the problem in the studentbodyancigatherinformationbetween now and the end of the semester, mid January. The Senate wiII make a recommendation at its January 15 meeting. The faculty will also discuss the matter and make arecommendationtothemanagementteam.

"The worse case scenarioisthat students Walkmans--see pg.4

Fall Champions Honored Fiesta Time for French, Spanish Students

Joe Beland

MOR Staf

The first fall sports awards were held on December 2nd. This was the first time that therewasafallsportsawards, rather than an annual sports awardsfeaturingalIoftheseasons. The general consensus

was that the sports awards wentfairlywell "Ireallyenjoyed themoresped upformat," said soccer aurieWitham ORStaff extraordinaire Marc

OnDecember9thstudentswere Hubbard. greeted with "jbienvenido!" and

Thereweres�memixedre- "bienvenue!". Thisyearslevel3 actionstothernght,however. and 4 foreign language festival One notable downfall �as wentverywell.Thereweremany that there was no food prior plays going on throughout the tothefestivities."Iwasreally evenin as well as food in the bummed that there was no food before the awards becauseitwasatimewherethe playersandparentscouldso-

cializewithoneanother.The

serving of food cr�ated a

positiveandlaid back atmo-

sphere,"saidScottHoward

Another aspect of the fall sports awards that some people were opposed towas · the breaking oftradition, ··I was extremely disappointed thattheyearlysportsawards has been broken upinto different nights. It has been a longtraditionthatIwantedto Awards--see pg.4

cafeteriaandtherewereafe. culturalvideosondisplay.

Even with 11 classes par ticipating,SenoraModernfel that it was completely orga nized. "It [the festival] wa very successful, parents an studentsseemedveryhap y.'

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Star-Crossed Lovers' Story Staged

Erin Carter

C b dR 1. h MOR Staff os y an aynes 1g tup stage...

Romeo and Juliet--so it's been done once or twice. but the crew at OysterRiver performedwithpowe1fulemotion andspirit.

Brian Raynes and Kristen· Cosbyplayedtheleadingrole inthelastfallplayoftheirhigh schoolcareeronSaturday,the performance was without. "BeingaseniorRomeowould be my pivotal role," Brian stated. He plan to continue pursuingtheaterint collegeymaking it his minor. "I loveitsomuch,I refuse to quit.'

Last summe Brian participated in th Hackmatackthe ater. Hewasals number, years senior di rected play.

The play aired Thursday-SaturdayDecember35. Friday nigh was a "disaster' as Cosby explained it. Firs the fireplac scenery fell hit tingJulietandth nurseinthehead. "It was amazin that Kristen an Emma didn't react at all,they didn'teventumaroundthejust kept saying their lines," said astonished viewer Laurie Kraft. The second upset was duringafightwhenRomeogot a sword in his eye and was

forcedtobreakShakespearean repetition and yelled, "get it outofmyface!" Theplaywas fantasticSaturday,"I felt that the dialogue was extremely dirticultandhandledwell. The passion shown by Emma Weisman, Kristin Cosby ans Robert Eggers in that performance was extrsordinary," stated Mr.Lane.

Mrs. Alexander has pro-

netted over $700.00 and the scenerycost $60 and the platform around $200.

Mrs. Alexander also commentsonhowfunnythenurse and Capulet were. Emma Weisman,Ashley Mills and RobertEggers,will befamiliar faces in theater of Oyster River. "thereis alot of potentialinthefreshmanclass,each actorwasoutstanding," stated awed Abbey Cooley. She also commentedthatthe sword fighting and the dancing scene were not as action packed as they should of been.

TheFrostSaw)erHouse heforert·nmations Colonial Mansion

Restored as Luxury Inn

KevinPemberton MORStaff

Theworldmovesincycles. Nightandday,life anddeath, andrecently,therestorationof whatisnowTheThreeChimneysInn.

ducedalonglineofotherplays andshewasimpressedbyhow well the cast worked together andastonishedbytheirability to handle lines that were so difficultandemotion-packed. It is estimated that the play

�-1iently, the scenery '!Ifwasstark;ifyoucan see people running around doing organization and scene hanges it takes away from the performance," said r.Lane on Saturay nights show. Packedwithhumor

emotion to give you goose bumps,and thepassion when Romeo wooedJuliet,theplay was missing nothing except the balcony kiss, which was madeupthreeembraceslater.

Penguin Powered Unity

Devin Foxall MOR News Editor

Bluesy vocals,goldentrombones and hot sax were all present at Thursday's jazz band assembly. Although the jazzbandboastsmanyall-state membersandpromisingfuture inductees,their main strength lies in their penguin powered unitythatechoesamusicmore tightly knit then anything beforeseenin OysterRiverhistory.

,Each fiber that ran through the band would draw and weave itself together and become the muscle needed to drivealifetime'sworthoffeelingsandemotionsintoanhour long performance.

Manyofthesefeelingscould be transformed through the feedom filled muse of Jazz.

"It's ajazz freedom,freedom of the mind, freedom of the

soul... just freedom of everything. Creation and endall at the same time." believes sax player Chris Brandon.

Hardly untamed, the band found. a perfect balance between strength and control. Thebandcouldbendandcontorttheirtalentswiththesame easeandflexibilityofaRomanian gymnast.

Part oftheband'sflexibility comes from a philosophy broughtoutbysaxplayerJeff Spires. "Everything's got a rhythm,youjusthavetoknow whichsongtolistento. Above all,you have to put your personalityintojazz."

Like an experienced barkeep, the band could quickly serveupavarietyofailingtonics, ranging from aVandross brand elixir to a stout brew doneMozartstyle. Likefaithfulpatrons,theaudienceindis-

criminately drank all thatwas given to themlikepost-marathonGatorade.

Oneofthemostexcitingand powerful moments of jazz is the solo where the musician playswhatevercomestomind. The solo is a chance for deep personal discovery and creative improv. What goes throughthemindofthemusician is reflected in their music.

Spires thinks of a perfect day. "It was a nice summer, and I was swimming. Suddenly I realized that l didn't wantthismomenttoendandI thoughtto myselfthisis what I'm going t�think about. It's sosurreal. Surrealismiswhat you'vegottothinkaboutwhen doingasolo. AndItrytopass thaton to theaudience."

Tenor sax player Josh Concert--seepg.4

For the past '6even years, Jane andRonPierson,andan incrediblydedicatedstaffhave beenworkingtotransformthe old Frost-Sawyer house on Route I08intooneofthemost elegant bed and breakfasts in thestate.

thatarebrandnew,besidesthe plumbingandelectricalwork, are the cellar located in the barn and the terrace outside. The barn was sagging, so we had to lift it outofthe ground and dig the cellar six feet deeper. Theterraceisbuilton totheoutsideofthehousefor outdoor dining."

Many of the workers who helpedprepare theinn for the openingwerestudentshereat OysterRiver. JoshSmith,aseOriginally ----------nior, drew theimageof the inn which now

built by the Hill family in 1648, the homestead is theoldestofits kind standing Durha.m.

stiII 10

It dents here at Oyswas originally used for millt Ri " er ver... ing masts for --------TallShips. Gundalowswould loadthe woodfrom theTown Landingadjacenttothehouse, and float it back to Portsmouth. The Hill family also gavelandtothecommunityto start a school, which would eventually become The University of New Hampshire. Thehousewaslater occupied alternatively by two familiesthe Frosts and the Sawyers. Twoofthechildreneventually married,andthehousestayed inthe family untilthe 1960's. From there, the house traded hands with owners and real estate companies. Thehouse was thenoccupiedby14 college students, until being bought by Ron and Jane Pierson.

"Whenwe started,theproperty was all overgrown with grassandweeds,"saysheadof advertising and public relations, Stephanie Burns. "We'velandscapedtheformal gardensandrestoredthebarn. Becauseofits age,certainrequirementssetbytheDurham Historical Society had to be metduringrestoration,butwe wantedtomaintainthehistorical inte ·t · Theon! thin s

were stuappears on all of their pamphlets andadvertising. OR graduates Amos Goss, M i k e

Merenda,ChrisMerenda,and MeganSmithwereamongothers who helped in the repair, landscaping,andrenovationof the grounds. "We want to work withthe high school by offering studentslearning opportunities and jobs," says Bums.

Theinnhas25 rooms which caneachaccommodateseveral people. Each room is outfitted with a canopy bed and a fireplace. INthemoreexpensive rooms, otherluxuries includingjacuzzisareavailable. The cost of the rooms range from $140-$180 per night. Therestofthehouse consists of two fine dining rooms, a tavern,twoconferencerooms, and a smaller dining/function room.

"I'mreallyexcitedaboutthis pieceofproperty,"saysowner, Jane Pierson. "I think it's reallygoingtohelpthecommunity. AsidefromtheNewEngland Center, all of the hotel businesseswasgoingtoPortsmouth. I can only see good things in the future." The ThreeChimneysInnisscheduled to have a grand opening onWednesda , December29.

"You shall know the truth. andthe truth shall set youfree."

Tuesday. Occcmher 23. 1997 -Jesus Christ Mouth ofthe River

''Manyoftheworkerswhohelpedpreparetheinn for the opening

Oral Historian Concerned forOR StudentBody

JamieRenner

MOR Staff

CindyCohen,abright,probing,concernedOralHistorian, broughtapictureofherancestors to Oyster Riv�r High School this winter to accompany a story about their strugglesduringWorldWarII.

Duringapresentationinthe high school library, far from Germany, far from 1945, she discussedtheexecutiohofher family by the Nazis. She passedphotocopiesofthefamily picture to the group-she volleyedtostudentstheheart ofherstoryonpaper.

Whileshespoke,herpicture wasdestroyedbymembersof theaudience;hergrandparents nowhadblue-inkhorns,darkenedfaces,evileyebrows,and obscenitiesetchedacrosstheir chests. Part of the Oyster Rivercommunityrejectedher anecdote;partofthecommunityrejectedher.

Afterstudentsfiledoutofthe library,CindyCohenfoundthe ruinedpicture.

"Myinitial reactionwasn't anger," she commented. "I wassad, startled, upset." The incident invoked her to dig deeper into the roots-the halls,theclassrooms-ofOyster River High School, and pose the question: "Do studentsknow how to welcome anoutsider?"

Shespokespecificallyabout herself as the outsider, but pointedoutthattheconceptof rejection and the term "outsi'der" applies even more closelytoteens. "Dostudents reject each other?" she questioned. "Dostudentsfeelsafe h h h h ere mt ewayst att evare

uniqueanddifferent?"

''Thejobofanoralhistorian istoteachhowstoriescanbe expressedinvisualways." It seems the story of a student, anattitude,surfacedinavisual way: strayinkonherpicture.

nitymember'sactions?

''.Yes," shesaid, "inasmall community, ideally, people should careabout what their othercommunitymembersare doing. If they didn't, they wouldn'tbeacommunity."

FederalGovernmentsForces TaxChangeonN.H.

Kevin Pemberton MOR Staff

Taxes. A wordmost teens regard as belonging to the world of adulthood. The taxation

"Taxes.Aword

In an interview, she hinted thatthesubtle,sometimesunseenundertones-ofsocietyare

So,ifOysterRiverstudents don'tfeeltheneedtotakeresponsibility for each other's ____________ actions, isOysterRiverHigh

Schoolstillacommunity?

"Oh, Iguessnot. I'mcontradictingmyself."

-Cindy Cohen

often the heaviest and mbst dangerous. "Iftheattitudesare here, it's good that they surface. We need to question what's going on in these peoples'lives. Theirattitudes needtobechallenged."

But, by whom? "The community,"sheelaborated,"you, Oyster River."

Do students feel like they need to take action against theirowncommunity? Isthere evenacommunitytofix?

"No;" said, inan-interview, seniorEmilyBonaccorsi,"it's �omyjobtostoppeoplewho areruiningtheschool. Someoneelsecould."

Is Oyster River a community?

"Yes," Bonaccorsi responded, "Oyster River is a community."

In an ideal community, should people take responsibilityfor their other commu-

Severalstudents,wheninterviewed,fellintothesamecontradiction; despite feeling no responsibilityinbeingacommunity member, students felt thatOysterRiverwasacommunity.

"Well,thereisacommunity here," commented Assistant PrincipalBryanLane,"butdifferent peoplefeelitatdifferentlevels." Studentsfeeldifferentamountsofresponsibilityinbeingapartofsolutions tothisschool'sproblems.

"Unfortunately," Mr.Lane added,"theonlytimeyoucan measure'community'_isinthe face of great adversity." Mr. Lane spoke about how sad eventsand tragedies seemto pulltogetheraninstitution. Isthepicturedefacingatragedy?

"No," said senior Rachel Gooze, "but it's a warning. Kidsneedtore-examinetheir part in this community. We need to start feeling responsible for being a part of the solutionstoproblemsherein school.

Sheadded, "Acommunityis built by individuals taking responsiblity for the outsiders."

mostteensregardasbelongingtotheworld ofadulthood....''

submits manykidstoanendlessbanter about the high taxes that preceedaqualityeducationin NewHampshire.

OnDecember 18, theNew Hampshire supreme court ruledthatthe currentsystem offundingeducationbyproperty taxes was unconstitutional. 90% of educational fundinginNewHampshireis generated by local property taxes. The

several surrounding districts stating that property taxfunding is not ccn<titiutimal.

Theissue oftaxeshas always beenapoint

property poor communities. TheDecember 18rulingwas madeinreactiontoasuitfiled bytheClaremontSchoolDistrict and system seemsasforeign as the Botwania jungle to most teens. However, living in Durham, Lee, and Madbury

0 j dissention in the Oyster River community, and the phenomenally high taxes causesmany residentstovotedownschoolimprovement bonds and other propositions thatwouldraise taxes. InFebrury, thecommunity willvoteonthebondfor improvement of the high school, atacostof 12.5 million dollars. This estimate doesnotin­

court gave the statelegislature until the end of I998 to change the system to create more equal fund-

"90% of educationalfunding in New Hampshire is generated by local property

clude the cost of a new auditorium. At this point in time it is not known how the mg. ta "xes...

Therearenospecificguidelinesintherulingbythecourt about how to change �he tax structure.

Thecurrentsystemcreatesa large descrepacy in funding betweenthecommuniteswith largepropertyvaluesandmore

state will preceed in changing the tax system, 01 howthesechangeswillimpacl the population of Durham, Lee,andMadbury. Itisclear, however, that this groundbreaking ruling will drastically change the way education is funded in New

ing computerlab, a common spot to find students during their free periodsputtingthe finishingtoucheson a report orproject.

The increased interest in computershasresultedinmore successfor the computer department. ThedepartmentcurrentlyoffersIntrotoComputers,Pascal,BusinessApplications,andPagemakercourses, and computers teacher Mrs. Sheldonwants·to seethedepartmentexpand. Shewould like to offera new course in webpagedesignnextyear,although she has not proposed thistotheadministrationyet. Shewouldalsoliketooffera Nowhereisthismoreevident courseinusingentrepenuerial thaninourschool'sburgeon- software. Mrs.Sheldonwould

alsolikethe numberofcomputersavailabletostudentsto beincreased.

Undoubtedlyoneofthefastestgrowingcomputerfieldsis theinternet. Althoughonlya fewyearsold, theWorldWide Webisnowusedforentertainment, business,and, ofcourse education. InapollofORHS studentsconductedforthisarticle,70%respondedthatthey frequently use the internet as a resourcewhenassignedresearchprojects. Mrs.Sheldon agrees that the internet is an exceptionalresourceofinformation. However,'·she does believe that problems arise withtheinternetwhen"people are s1.1rfing places that they shouldn'tbe."

Tuesday,December 23, 1997 "Stillachieving, stillpursuing, learn tolaborand towait."

MouthoftheRiver -Henry Longfellow

''Dostudents knowhowto welcome an outsider?"

Walkmans

frompage 1

Joe Beland

MOR Reporter

can't use walkmans from 7:00 am to 2:30 p.m. Mr. Lane doesn't want to see walkmans at school during school hours, at all. Students would be allowed to use their walkmans while they arc on the bus, but oncetheyenterthebuildingthey have to immediately put their ·walkman in their locker," said Senate moderator GregEvans.

Mr.Lanecitedseveralstatisticsaboutdisciplinaryandtheft problems related to Walkmans. "We have had twenty-three cases over the last couple of years of thefts, many fights, someofthemphysical,"heexplained.

Tracking down these theft � cases has occupied numerous staffhoursininvestigationsand meetings, some of them with irateparents. Ononeoccasion, Mr. Lane had to call to Circuit City to get identification numberstoprov_etoaparentthathis childhadstolentheWalkmanin hispossession.

Although thestudenthandbook declares that students are responsible to secure their personalbelongings, manyparents hold the school responsible to trackdowncases of theft.

The 1997StudentHandbook

declares: "'Walkman' type players only are permitted at school. These must be used withheadphones,andareNOT tobeusedduringch'lsses, study hall, in the library, or during detention "

SallyTorbert, asenator for thesophomoreclasssaid"Ifyou reallywanttogetridoftheproblem inclasses,youhavetodiscouragethestudentsfrombringing them in the first place. If walkmans are not completely banned it would be too temptingforkids toabusethem."

Many student senators expressedconcernsthatsomestudentsare\uningoutofclassdiscussions by tuning on their headsets. Some said that studentsplayheadsetssoloudthat itcanbeheardelsewhereinthe room.

"Somethingdefinitelyhasto be done. Everyone at Oyster River has the need andrightto learn. Anything that interrupts or takes awaythatright should be discontinued," said Emilia Parker, afreshmansenator.

Examples werecited of disrespecttoteachersandpeersby studentswearingWalkmans. In theholidayconcertbytheband and chorus, five students were disciplined for wearing Walkmans.

"I thinkthatif we [theband] aregoingtotakethetimetoplay

fortheschoolandtakethemout of class they should have the decency to listen," said Scott Howard,band member.

Atthefacultymeeting,some teachers expressed concerns aboutdeprivingstudentsoftheir "personal freedom."andinvadingtheirpersonal"space."

"Thewalkmanisamajorpart oftheworld,anditisimportant for people to use walkmans' properly,incontext,andbybanning walkmans it's saying students are incapable of using technology correctly. By in large,whathappensintheworld reflects on what goes on in school. A major goal of the school is to make the school experiencesimilartotheoutside world. This is so that students will have an easier time movingfromschoolintotheoutside world. If we tamper with the school environment, it's going to beharderfor the students to adjusttotheoutsideworld,"said Mr. Gasowski.

The Senate School Rules Committee willmeetshortlyto makeaplanforinvestigatingthe Walkmancontroversy According to committee chairperson Mike Casey, "this issue is just atthebeginningstages,andthe school r�les committee will be examiningthisissuethoroughly throughout this upcoming month."

AwardS= Concert====

Scheduling-==

MehrunEtabari MOR Reporter

thatblockingisvery advantageous for disciplines such as English, Social Studies, Science, and Art. A prolonged periodwouldallowmoretime for group debate and discussion, lab activities, and large in-class projects. However, the task force has found that somedisciplinessuchasMath andForeignLanguageseemed to prefer shorter classes that meet every day to ease leaming and comprehension.

"There is a debate at all of thoseschoolswhetheritisbest to cover larger amounts of material or to limit the material somewhat in the favor of in-depth studies," says Ms. Smith.

one held for the grading system, wiJI be held January 7. There,aquestionnaireswillbe distributed to every student. Also, a parent questionnaire may be distributed. In addition, thetaskforcewilllookat thestaffingand financialconsiderationsofanewschedule.

Afterstudyingalltheinfonnation they will have received, the task force will make their recommendations to the faculty and administration at the end of January. The final decisionwillrestwiththefaculty and administration, and although a change to full block scheduling would likely take more than a year, a limited schedulingchangecouldbein effectbyFall 1998.

Thetaskforceislookinginto more options than just a full block system. They are also studyingthemeritsofahybrid system, in which some class periods would be blocked while others are not. This wouldallowlongerperiodsfor classeslikeartandshorterperiodsforclasseslikemath,but this system is very complicatedand"aschedulingnightmare," says Ms. Smith.

Thegirls'crosscountryteam was also acknowledged for their tremendous achievements of their third straight championship by receiving plaques,aswellas$2000from agenerousparent."Iwasvery surprised to receive such a generous donation. It really shows that people truly care about what we do," said juniorrunner Kaitlin Gregg.

The night was capped off

Tenor sax player Josh Winslow thinks of another world. "Ithinkaboutthiscosmicotherplanet whereit'sall happyandbeautifulandit'sso perfect and cosmic, it brings youto anotherlevelin music. That's whereit'sallgoingon, everything is one and in tune andthere, there, there."

Brandonthinksofaphantom place. "It's directly through the core of the Earth, on the other sideoftheplanet. It's a party and it's happenin', but it's a phantom party. It never happened but it's still there. It's a celebration, without a specific location."

The talentedpipes ofsoloist Helen Straus would defrost even the most bitterest of Scroogesinto a lover of jolly St. Nick. Accompanying her wasJoshWinslowonthetenor saxophone. "I really had to match mysolo with hervocal partstomakeeverythingflow along. I have to have the melodyinmymind yet bring it tomyowndegree. Weboth influence each other, its pow-

withaslideshow,featuringall ofthepreciousmomentsofthe fallseason."Theculmination of the evening was the slide

and weavein between us. It's likeacross mojonation."

Nearing the end Winslow's mantra took full force. "You've got_to feel and massageeachbeat,eachnote,each delicate sound like it was the band'sliferhythm." Suddenly, out of every golden sax and lacqueredclarinetwoulderupt a pop and explosion as if it wereDecember 31, 1999, and our country wasbusydancing and hopping its way into the new millennium.

The show endedin an eruption of c}pplause that floated themerryandproudf1eartsof the band away in its frothy wake. Tomorrow the cafeteriawillbefilledwiththenoisy clutter of school children, but tonightbelongedtothem.

erful, notes and rhythm flow graduate with. It was kind of depressing, a tradition has beenruined,"saidJesseSmith Thesurpriseofthenightwas that the boy's soccer received plaquesfortheirClassIchampionship. Prior to the evening the team thought that they wouldhavetofundtheplaques themselvesbecausetheboosters cut the funding for the championship plaques before the season. Sophomore Brett Wyman commented, " I was reallysurprisedthatwegotthe plaques. I thought we were going have to pay for them ourselves, which really irritatedmebecauseinpastyears theboostershadfundedeverythingandfinallyafteradecade· theboys' soccerteam wonthe championship and they were g.oing to get shafted out of a plaque."

During lunch, with enough concentration, one can hear their harmonious music still echoing from concerts past. Andwithaflick ofthe baton, the band will strike up and again fillthecommunity with thebeautifulsoundsofMozart floating through the cool Decembernight.

show,itwasinspiring, aswell as entertaining," said soccer player DavidCohen.

The debate is also harvesting opinions among ORHS students. Many believe that we should keep our scheduling system the way it is now. "It's hard to keep your attentioninoneplaceformorethan anhour,andtocomebackand start upagainafteradayoff," says Junior Chris McClain. Sophomore Jenn Pazdon agrees. "Varietyisgoodinthe day," she says. On the other side of the issue, many studentsbelieve weshouldmake theswitchtotheblocksystem. "Less classeseachday means less homework each night," says an anonymous Sophomoremale.

Despitetheresearchalready conducted by the task force, their job is far from over. A senate forum, much like the

Thepossibilityalsoexistsfor a system in which classes wouldbeblockedforonlytwo days a week. However, accordingtoMs.Smith,thetask force has ruled out recommending thesystem current_ly in place at Portsmouth High School. There, students take about four classes a semester which meet for long periods everyday. Thismakesthestudents complete a one-year class inhalf a year.

From th\: McDonald's of Lee, Epping & Raymond

On The Spot

WhatIsYourHolidayWish?

te �.the ight. .who rthof ,,Jetthey rorld. esm �the jthe ythe dad gave upon 1the igni>ical inin tthat cold, The htto gion dre"let :fore ranEvthat they :the !pre·rep;that fwill ·the and 1optour

Horoscope

Sarah Coyne & LaurieKraft , MOR Staff

Capricorn- Youwillachieve greatsuccessduetoaminor changeinyouroutlookonlife.

Luckydays: 25,276

Aquarius- Takeadvantageof opportunities and try new thingsthatmaycomeyour way. Luckydays: 9,4,24

Pisces- Luckindefinitelyin storeforyouintheupcoming weeks. Luckydays: 21,1,9

Aries- Yourpositiveleadershipskillscanprovetoberewarding. Luckydays: 3,30, 17

Taurus-Donottryandoutwit your families and others aroundyou. Luckydays: 9, 18,27

Gemini- Don'tletsomehair spoilyourdinner.

Cancer- Weseegiftsaplenty inyourfuture,maybealittle fruitcakealso. Luckydays:

19,25,27.

Leo- KingoftheJungle? I thinknot. Getoffyourhigh horse andrealizeother's opinionsarejustasgoodas yourown.Luckydays: I,9, 12.

Virgo- Youarethemaster ofyourowndestiny. Don't letotherspressureyou or pushyouaround. Whatyou donowcanaffectyouinthe future.Luckydays:4,6,17.

Libra: Thingsarelookinga Iittle rocky for you now. Makesureyoure-evaluate thepeoplethatareimportant toyouandletthemknow howspecialtheyare. Lucky days: 2,17,21.

Scorpio: Ifafriendleftyou foravacationthings aren't goingwell.Luckydays:22, 9,11.

Sagittarius- Don't worry aboutdecidingwhattodo withyourlife rightaway. Luckydays: 22,28,31..

Goin' Down to South Park, Gonna Ha'-Ze l\llyselfa Time

Rich Reynolds MOR Staff

SouthParkwasborninDecemberof1995whenaFox TVexecutivepaidtwobroke animatorstomakeacartoon whereJesusChristandSanta Claus Kung-fufighteach other,called"TheSpiritof Christmas". TheTVexecutivethensenttapesallover Hollywood. Bootleg�were quicklyproduced,andspread throughoutthecountry.

Thecreatorsofthiscartoon,MattStoneandTrey Parker, turned downoffers fromnearlyeverymajorstudiobeforeacceptingComedy Central'soffer.Whatstarted outasafairytaleanimated withconstructionpaperis nowknownasSouthPark,_ andisoneofthemostpopularcomediesinthecountry.

Thisshowhasfourmain keymeathometohisstarving characters; Cartman,Stan, Kyle,andKenny. Theseanimatedyoungsterswillsurprise youwiththeircolorfulvocabulary.Therearealsomanyother charactersthatpeoplewilllike. Chef,forinstance,ismany people'sfavorite. Hegetsall thewomen,andusuallystarts singinglikeBarryWhite.

Manyofthisshow'sepisodesseemtohaveamoral messagebehindthem.Forexample: theepisodewhere Stan'sgrandfatherwantsStan tokillhimreflectstheongoingcontroversyinthiscountryoverassistedsuicide. An otherexampleistheepisode wherethemutantturkeysand thepeopleofSouthParkgoto war. In the end, Starvin' Marvin(thelittleEthiopian kid)gottotakeallofthetur-

family.

AlthoughmostpeopleprobablyenjoySouth Park,and findittobeoneofthemost entertaining shows onTV, thereisstillsomepeoplewho don'tagree. RayCelantano commentedthat "I'veonly seenacoupleofshows,but basedonwhatI'veseen,it's approachtowardshumoris quitejuvenile. Thatmayexplainit'spopularity." However,mostpeopledon'tshare thesesentiments.Inaclassof 16students,only oneindividualsaidthattheyhadnever seentheshow.

ItishardtosaywhatthefutureholdsinstoreforSouth Park,butifyouwouldliketo watchit,itisonComedyCentralonWednesdaysandSaturdaysat1Opmandon.Sunday morningsat2am.

brate with my riends and family in weden arid all of my riends here at the -Erika Sjoling

"To solve all of my friends problems."

Kristen Cosby

"To have some friends"

-Dave White

"To have all the apples in the world!"

Emma Weisma

The OysterRumor Exposed

their silence regarding the Oyster River Pornography Stop and Casino.

Pemberton MOR Staff

Kevin

throughouttheschool.Watch- Located inthe depths ofthe ing, one can't help being re- school's basement, access to minded of all those nature the pornography complex is

Do yourememberback in documentaries we watched in limited toa secretpanelinthe elementary school whenallof Biology. Every time a fresh- backofanunused locker. The the kids would play the tele- man scampers down the hall Classof200I operatesthePorphone game? They'd all with those beady little eyes, nographyRingthroughtheuse gatherina circleand laugh at one can'thelpwonderinghow of the library's access to the awhisperedphrasethatstarted many more are lurking in the internet,downloadingtheneeoutas"Maryhadalittlelamb" dark. essary "goods" during their and ended as "Mary's fat and Whilerunningthegauntletof lunch and free periods. The spits on lambs." It appears swingingoversizedbackpacks Casino is run by the "Freshsome things ne\'.er lose their andpotbelliesprotrudingfrom menHallCrapsPlayers",who novelty. irresponsibly worn tank tops, are also members of theclass Giggling at misunderstood anyoneandeveryonecanpick of2001. Theycan bespotted phraseshasnowbeenreplaced upthe latestgossip. Everwon- duringtheirfreeperiodspracbythebizarreinterpretationof der about the police cars ticing their profession by the some student's weekend tale, parked outside theschool ev- water fountain in their homeand its circulation throughout ery day? What about thehid- townhall.

the school. The story that den agenda of the infamous Thecongregationofstudents

the good and bad times of their lives Apparently, whether or not the good or badtimeinquestionisstillthe same event it was when it reaches the other side of the pod doesn't matter. "Never believe a word you hear at OR," says junior Cheryl Humphrey. ·""99% of the time, it'sjust arumor."

"I think that people worry toomuchaboutotherpeople's business," says senior Eben

Dorr. "If they just kept to themselves, the school would bealotmoreproductive" Mr. Dorr'swordsareindeedinspirational, but will lose their meaningwhenyourfriend interruptsyoureadingthisarticle to tell you about Jane's latest fling. Maybethenexttimethe kids at the elementary school decide to play the telephone game, we should bring them upheretothehighschooland showthemhowit's done.

A Screaming Good Time "Scream

DonMcCullou h MorStaff

AHHHH! The crowd started out in Senior Hall as FreshmenHallcrapsplayers? everydayin thehalls,feeding bouts and screams at the "Billy's visit to Granny" not What are the secrets of the offofotherpeople'slivesasif ovie screen as hollers of uncommonlyendsupinFresh- Freshmen whose computer tokeepholysometwistedSab,men Hall as "Billy blew his monitorsshutoffeverytimea bath, has yet to be explained. 'Look out behind you!" and Grandmother away with a teacher walks by? Why is Although a reason regarding 'Run away!" burSt out from shotgunandwascommittedto there a cover up in effect by thisphenomenonhasyettobe eople's terrified lips. With a mental institute." the faculty, denyingtheexist- discovered, sophomore Don fewlaughsandgiggles, the Eve_ryday kids swarm ence of a basement in the McCullough comforts us by pening night of Scream 2 amearound. through thehalls, waiting pa- school? Allofthesequestions offering these words of wistiently with ears perked for can berationallyansweredby dom: "Ithink that people that At Hoyts Cinema in traces ofastrayconversation. takingasingletripthroughthe start rumors have mad prob- ewington,NH,alinestarted Theygatherwhattheycan,and Oyster River hallways. As it !ems and are insecure about O format theticketboothas fill in any necessary details. turns out, the Durham police themselvesandtheirbody." orkers had to sadly tell the They scamper from clique to departmentpicksupapay-off Like 673 peas in a pod, the isappointed customers that clique, spreading rumors every afternoon in return for studentsofOysterRivershare he sequel of Scream is all

--; sold out for the eve�ing.

Peoplethatdidgetintothe

movie like myself could onlygetinbyonewayand that was by calling ahead andreservingtickets. Judgingbythesizeofthecrowd, thiswasamovieofhighexpectations.

Itwassocrammedinthe theaterwewerefortunateto findseatsnexttoeachother. As the lights dimmed and thepreviewspassed, all the throwing of popcorn and starburst wrappers died downand excitementfilled the air. Everybody was wondering how anything could evercomparetoWes Cravensmasterpieceofthe original Scream well, here's something that most people would not dare to say. Everyone's question was soon answered as Scream 2 went above and

2" Review

beyondit's duty ofscaringthe holyghostoutofeve·rybody. It surpassed tµe first.

Now this shouldn'tberight. Sequels can't do that. Or can they? This movie sure proved thattheycould. Theplotofthe movie was evenmorecreative ·thanthe first, andas themovie progressed everybody was a suspect. Who could the killer be? Itcouldbeanybody- even the dumb witteddeputy Dewy. As fingers were pointed the story continued to progress. Wouldallyourfavoritecharacte�sfromtheoriginalstayalive toseethe killer? Whoknows?

Don't worry for all the peoplewhoaren'tdiehardfans of blood and gore. The occasional bit of comedic relief is included for the weak ofheart. (or stomach.)

A couple of years after the firstkillingsastorywasprinted by the always loved reporter GailWeathers. Thisbookwas adapted to a movie which depicted the events of the originalScream. Thiscreative-little twistaddedaneeriesenseofreality tothestory.

Themoviecreditsrolledand people got up and left. When we turned the comerthere was a huge line leading to the theater. Not tothemovie Flubber or Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,buttoseethebrilliantmastermindprojectofWesCraven. People were talking about this movie for months before it cameout, anditmetthesovery high standards of everybody.

Mouth

tge

Then e safer ts save ,thing, Then be as billon ·eceipt I thing 'tsand ,o nright ,rotec,th arc pracsighs thave d and ytuck .bleto They fluffy >con�fora >lake rotect small 1e ice :leftly madntage overy Erupt >right >ythe e off :h :d?

ofthe River

Surfing the Sludge

Why kids are really on the internet...

Devin Foxall & Dylan Brown MOR Editors

An interesting thing happenedtomeyesterday, inthe library. I was waitingfor the computerwhileayoungbuck of a freshman, with well developedforearms,was busilyhackingawayat the keyboard. "Ummm areyoualmostdone?"Iaskedin my most friendly of voices. He musthave been an Alabama fan because his face turned the color of crimson tide. With a flustered look he exclaimed"Sorry, but I just can't tear myself awayfromthekeyboard."

"Oh"I said withacooldry twinge of sarcasm. ImmediatelyI rushed into the bathroomtothrowup,fullyaware of the uncanny phenomenon that has slithered its way into our once innocent

and virgin library. Initially computers and the internet were installed to aid in the growth of a child's mind, but now a new type of growth has been poppingup.

As if in a hunt for the holy grail,kidswanttolearneverythingaboutalittlewordbeginning with "s" and rhyming with chex. Catch mydrift? InthesamewaythattheTrojan horse was given easy access, theinternetwasfirstper-

went out is always a winner. Another technique that deservesrecognitionistopretend that you were looking for something completely different. Some of the more original lineshavebeen: "I was still confused about thatonequestiononthe TAP survey. Mutual. what was it?? Stimulation?"

"Mychem. project is onlubricants, honest."

'Tm looking into orderingawifefromRussia."

Another"TAP"SurveyThat Doesn'tHoldWater BrianTaylor MorStaff

What'sthedeal withbottled water? Lately,itseemstome thatabout50% of the female population of Oyster River High School cannot be seen without their little bottle of Poland Spring ( or whatever kinditis) waterbytheirside. WHY? Somebody please informmeofavitalpieceofinformation that I seem to be missing.

for a moment. If the average bottled water drinker drinks two bottles a day for a week, that'salmost$15.00going to waste every week. That's amazingly about $780 a yea spentonwater. $3120goneto wasteinatypicalhighschool career.

ceived as an unexpected gift. Butoncenightfell,seemingly endlessdemonsracedoutand startedwreckinghavoconthe fragileadolescentmind. These demonscarriedwiththemsuch names as Dr. Easy Pants,

Ormype1:sonal favorite: "I meant to type in "Napoleon's empire" but accidentally typed "hot sex."

This has been going on for toolong, I've reached my climax ofanger. No longer will I wait around for some sexuallyrepressedfreshmantoget his cheap thrills off a library computer screen, while I wait bitterly in the background. As a dedicated student, I have countless projects and assignments that require me to use the internet as a productive tool,andnotas mysilicon girlfriend.

The children of BustyBettyandDirkDiggler. America have found a new With experience, students way to pollute themselves become more adapt at avoidsincethedawnoftheinternet. ing detection. Anentireclass Notbylookingupsuchtrivial couldbededicatedtoteaching facts as Gary Coleman's their crafty ways of avoiding height or Mr. Belvedere's thelibrarian'sgaspofdisgust. weight,butbyspelunkingfor Quicklyshuttingoffthemoni­ something a bit more adult. tor and retendin the ower

By nowyoumust have figured out that I've got a big bonetopickwiththeseunderdeveloped underclassmen. HopefullyI'vegottenmypoint across, for my busy schedule hascaughtupwithmeandI'm starting to go blind. Besides, I still needto dom re ort.

Water,WaterEverywhereandNotaDroptoDrink

failed to activate that watergofigure.

You know the feeling, ad A little droplet trickles out it it, the white slime that slowly.Yougotolapthesmall athers on your tongue and puddle then notice theglob of warms your throat. Cotton pre-chewed gum inches from outh, the thick kind that yourownmouth. Tempting?I ausesyourtonguetobecome don'tthinkso. Inangeryourip ermanentlystuck totheroof offthe spout, protesting to the f your mouth. So what is idiosyncrasiesoftheschooland our first impulse after hint- your own greediness; if your ng this distress after gym going to have to survive the lass or during practice? Of wrathofcottonmouthEVERYourse like any human, you BODY WILL HAVE TO. ould find a water source. Have you been wondering echnology has created an where those spouts went? It ccessible thirst quenching wastheaveragestudent,maybe ystem that requires for you even the high honors stude�t, o onlybend overandpush a who likeany sanepersoq sufuite large and obvious but- fering the burning sensation on. OysterRiverhascaught that surrounds their mouth afoldofthetrendandinstalled ter a bag of salt and vinegar ater fountainsin their hall potato chips, whojust wants a ays. Justwhenyouthought drinkofwater. ou were saved and you use The world is mostly water. ourlastbitofenergytopush Your own body is 97% water own on that button you re- but Oyster River school, now emberthatOysterRiverhas accredited, cannot get a work-

First of all, let me get the point out thatI aminno way against the drinking of waler or againstwaterin anyway. I am however, against the people who continually go to the store to purchase water that is in a bottle. I am also againstthepeoplein our own school and community who don'tseemtorealizethatyou don't have to buy extra water whenwehaveourownsecret ·source. I probably shouldn't be letting this out of the bag, but guess what people, there are certain designated spots around the school and your home where you can obtain thissubstanceknownaswater forfree. Yes,that'sright,free. It'sknownaswaterfromyour taporthe water fountain. Now picture this. Say that onedayMary takesathermos from home and brings it to school. Sheheadsdirectly to the water fountain and proceedstofillherthermos. Congratulations, Maryjust saved herself $1.00 each time she completes this rather rare transaction.:Think about this

the test. The student returns fifteen minutes later. When prosecuted, the student can onlyreplythetruth-thatthey hadtowalktotheotherendof

Since I'm so open minded aboutthissubject,let'slookat the most common argumen proposed bythe bottledwate drinker whenconfrontedwith thissensitiveissue. Everytime I get the same response, " Bottled water is so muchbetter quality and it tastes bette too." Givemeabreak. There have been numerous studies done that prove that bottled waterisnobetterforyouthan tapwater. Let'slookatyetanothersidetothisneverendin insanity. Ifth�rehastobeon excusetodrinkingbottledwaterthat hasto bethemostidiotic excuse ever, it has to b theonewhentheysay,"It'sin this easy to open and resealable bottle." As farAs know, anytakehomereusabl \thermosdoesthesamejob. I I'mgoingtobespending$1. a pop for each time I want re-sealable and easy to ope bottle,ithadbetter sayCocaCola Classic in bigletters on theside.

Before I finish, I have on final question. If the tap a yourhome or the waterountain at your school suddenly switchedtodispensingorang juice, would you be making runstothestoreforit? Ididn't thinkso.

"T.he world is

tofindaworking waterfountain. mostly water. Yourownbodyis 97% water but

How about faucets? They are unworkable also. People need to wash their hands for various reasons, some we don't even want to knowabout. For

ing waterfountain. Inthemiddleofclass,doyou hear a familiar smacking sound drift theotherhallway ing from the back of the room? You recognizethe sound of a student trying desperately to gather any spit to save histastebuds from drying out and fall­

Oyster River school, now accredited, cannot get a working •.vaterfountain." example: friend )'OU had ing off. The English teacher glaresback,headsturn,aweak armssoreslikea white flagin surrender. Apatheticallyquiet voice begs,"canI get a drink of water?" Recalcitrant, the teacher excuses the student, realizingthatthe waterfountainisfivefeetfromthedoor. Sheremindshimtohurryback so not to miss the last part of

soap and scrub away the artwork. Arush ofreliefcomes nowthattheevidenceisgone, yougotothe faucetstowash awaythe blue soap. Youturn the handle, empty. You rush to the next one, tum it, nothing. You continue down the line,yourealizeindespairthat the waterin thesinks, likethe water fountains, has been wronglyactivated. Yousprint upstairs to find one working faucetoutofthesix. Thelunch bell rings, you are left with a hungrystomachandanaching heart.

scribbled onyourlefthandthe name of your crush, with a heart around it, during trig. During lunch your lover-boy asks to sit to the seat left of you. Youremembertheobsessiveevidenceonyourlefthand as mustard from your sandwich streaks downyour arm. Inurgencyyouruntothebathr I th r urh

Bootsandshoesofhundreds ofOyster River feet trudge·in snow, slush and ice, puddles gatheronthefloorandthewar versuscustodianshasthewinter wellinthelead. Consider thepossibilityofforgettingthe worth-less sinks completely, squatting and rinsing you hands in snow excretion of yourfellowstudentswhocare moreabout yourhygienethen thel:'.dministration.

"Laughteristhe essenceofthe humansoul"

"Theinternetwas

firstreceivedasan · ·rt" unexpecbngg1 ...

Erin Carter OR Staff

11/Jouareeternitlj'shostage, Acaptiveoftime.,, -r3orisPasternak

Are the students at Oyster River High School Arc these kids crumbling bcnc,1th the weight of the work loa<l, tear curricular activities?

These questions ,m: lougb to answer, bccau<::e not all students Wtlrk care about these types of problems. People bow c:.lowu to everyday p and in different situations.

Once a student gets tuough their freshman year, stress becomes Everyom: knows how it feels when you have t,vo tests, one project, due the next Jay, and you don't have enough time to du it becausc ol Many people wish there were more hours in the day.

"There's lll)t enough time in tht day because yon have to balanc1 family tifJ_le, talking on the phone, and sleep, which is the last th\ng ti commented, junior, Shannon Kelly.

After a recent surYcy of a sample population of the school shows studcnl'i at Oystc.r River arc far from stress free. On a scale from : and 5 being "stressed tu the point of feeling sick" the avcrngc was 3.: Aaron Barry, ajunior, said lhal he was tired lately because of lhc for a solutionto his problem, he said that teachers should "give 10thc period to get work done."

This suggestion probahly won't fly with mosl tcachcl's, so what Jo to escape stress?

l'vlrs. Perry said that each teacher should assign one half hour of she did realize that it dose take some students longer tu du the wo1 suggestions on how to kc-ep away from stressful situation Perry c.:or is good, get the work done on time so it doesn't work up." \1rs. plenty of warning hy making month long homework cakndars I\: "A lot ofstress you bring to yourself."

A sophomore, Meredith McNally commented " I feel slrcsscJ, but donc l don't lbink teachers should pile on work al the end of a quar

On avernge an Oyster River student has 1.44 hours of home, interesting to sec that a student with an A average has 2.58 hours average has 1.92. Sn it docs pay off if you spend mnrc lime 011 you People have different ways of dealing witl1 their stress. Som responses to this questionon the survey were: hit things, listen to mm and play sports. Unfortunately some people respon<le<l that they rt alcohol to escape reality.

In the sun·cy sludcnts were also askc.d to rnlc how much Ibey like between 1-10, IO being "J Ion' school", and 1 being "I hate school laking this survey that the average O.R. student doesn't rcall) like sci rating was •+.-41. The average for an A student was -l.8-i and the aYc 3.33. People with lower grndcs seem to dislike school more than the:

"Dost thou love life? then do not squander time, forthat isthe stufflife ismade of."

-Benjamin Franklin

)t'hatqoestimemean 1°rout

"Something we don't have anymore" Kate Nichols

"It always goes by too fast" Luke Dubois

Shannon Kelly

ster River High School pressed too hard'! lhc weighl of Lhc ,nirk load, team sports and other extra · ,\'Cr, because not all students work at the same pan·, or cvc11 People how c.lowu lo everyday pressure al <liffereul times .ir freshman year, stress hccomcs a pa11 of everyday life. 1 you have twu tests, one project, and all your homework vc enough tinu: to do it because ofa sport or play practice. : hours in the day.

day because you haYc to balancl' everything, homl'work, md sleep, which is the last th�ug thal is valued 011 my list," � population of the sch00I shows that it is evident that the )lll stress free. On a scale from 1-5, I being "stress free", >f feeling sick" the average was 3.3. 1c was tired lately because of th<.� \\"t)rk load \\'hen asked 1id that teachers should "give 10-15 minutes at th<.· end of ly with most teachers, so what do teachers suggest as \\'ays : should assigu ouc halr hour of homework per night, but >me students longer lo do the work. \\'hen asked lo give from stressful situatiuu Perry commentcJ "Looking ahead 1e so it doesn't work up." '.\1rs. Perry gi\'cs her students th long homework calendars Perry also cuunncntcd that !lf.I r commented " I feel stressed, but I know I'll get the work pile on work at the end of a 4.uarler or near vacation." tudcnt has '.!44 hours of lmmewurk per night. It was ith an A a\'cragc has 2.58 hours and a student with a C lff if you spend more time on your homc\vork. dealing with their stress. Some of the more cmruuon 1rvey were: hit things, listen to music, watch T.V., walk, rn11 me people respon<lc<l that they resort lo ilkgal drngs and asketl to rate h�>w much they liked st:hool. The st:alt'·was hool'', and 1 being "I hate school." It was evident after O.R. student Jocsn't rt�all) like school. The average schonl n A student was -UW and the average for a D student was :m to dislike school more than the higher achicn:r.

"Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time Plans that either come to nought, or halfa page ofscribbled lines"

�Pinfl Floyd

st one season

part in at \ea cnool SP()("

60% of oyst�r River st��;:;�st:�:rns pr:c�c=K�v 9e;�/t in_sports . over d sports. Mos t once a wee . OR atn\et1c of scnool sponso�es or meets at1ea�ever, oave Nicnols�tes time day, and n�;t;tteenager's ti rn s�o�� tearn "teach�oa::�ter in scnool requires a I tnat being on a t"rn ost atn\etes director, fees "\Is " He addS tna te cornrn ented ent s"'1 · t atnle ' t rn anagern . ons," . r tnree spor . ct scnool, bU during tne1r seas ngers O'Brien, a sen1�uld negatively im�atirn e, so you goof JennieMe thin\< tnat sports"'! ou have tons� other senior " tnat "you wou�ot playing you fee�1�eirn ilyBonnocors�,��ecause I focus. wnen you ar� et your wor\< , don : sports I dobet e ff and dont g "wnen \rn doing o , grees tnat, athlete, a ,,

tS

•

STUDENT SENATE UPDATE

School DistrictBoard. Inorderforthehighschooltomeet the needs of its students, it is necessary to maintaina facility that can accommodate the growing student population and provide a safe, comfortable,andfairlearningenviron-

GREGORY EVANS

Senate Moderator

Ah, vacation: a time to reax, spend time with family, nd become angry over the act thatthehighschool is on robation from the NEASC. hat? That'sright,probation. hy? You guessed it, space eeds. We'renottalkingabout ASAhere,folks. We'retalk·ng about perilous walks hroughthehallways,thelack f doors on bathroom stalls, ndtheever-presentCO2vioations, nottomention shortageof classrooms.

Recently the Senate passed esolution J01 which exressestheviewoftheSenate oncerning the proposed hanges to the high school. heresolutionisprintedhere. lease take amomentto read ·t. !t passed with a vote of hirty-sixtozeroonDecember 1rst.

"We, the Oyster River high choolSenate,herebyendorse heplan inits entirety, for the igh school renovations and xpansion as proposed by the yster River Cooperative

ment. We have arrived at the same conclusion as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges-the OysterRiverHighSchoolwill soon become unable to maintain its high standard of educationwiththeexistingphysical condition ofitscampus."

In other Senate news, the new Senateforumsreceiveda warm welcome from the fac-

ulty. After requesting input from all faculty members involved in the forum process, theoverwhelmingmajorityof responses were encouraging.

A few changes will be made tospecificcases,butthebasic conceptoftheforumishereto stay. Thenextforum will be on January

seventh. Thetopicis alternativescheduling options for ORHS in future years. As always, this is also an opportunitytodiscuss student concerns. If time allows, and you feelstronglyconcerning any Senate issue, pleaselet yourforum senator know.

Other issues addressedbytheSenate included a proposed banonpersonalstereo devices. No finalac-

tion has been taken. The Senate and the facultybothwillhave input in late January before any decision is made. Again, if you feel strongly aboutthisissue,letyoursenatorsknow.

TheSenate's next meetingis onJanuary 15. Asalways,our meetings are open to all students and faculty. There are norefreshmentsordoorprizes, but input is always welcome. I hope to see you then, and haveagreat vacation.

Editorial

The Smart Seal'sAdvantage

Jamie Renner MOREditor

We shouldall come to school wearing only paper l;iags. Then maybeour favoritejackets wouldn'tgetstolen. Weshouldalsoleaveourwalletsathome. They would besafer there.

Don'tdrive.

Watches,jewelry,andanythingthatwasn'tboughtat Zylas save fortheprom.

As amatterof factdon't leave your house, don'tbuy anything, and simply sitnakedmeditating on your hemp-woven rug. Then you will have no fear of vandalism or larceny. You will be as contentas acow.

Or asmallsheep.

"TheRealWorld:" Whenyouaccidentally dropadollarbillon thestreet, someoneisgoingtopickitup. Whenyoudropareceipt someonemaypickitup,too-lesttheythinkthatsmallshinything couldn'tpossiblybeaGoldCard. Thestreetsarefulloftheftsand thehallsof Oyster River,unfortunately, havetheir share, too.

It's not fun to have something stolen; in fact it's downright phooey. Butawaytoavoiditisto engageinpreventativeprotection.

Preventativeprotectionis like preventative medicine; both are curingthevictimbeforetheyareplagued. Bothareancientpractices whoseresultshaveburgeonedinsmall,happy,randomsighs ofreliefovertheglobe;peoplefindwhattheythoughtmighthave been stolen, but then realized that those items·were locked and safe.

Usually,humansdonotmakethemselves vulnerable. Theytuck theirpridedeepintotheirsoul'spocketssonobodywillbeableto touch it. They selectively speak to harness information. They lockhousedoors to protect valuables.

There'ssomethingsereneaboutasleepingpolarbear;thatfluffy energymiserjust isn'tgoing to work for food. It'sgoing to conserveenergyandjustrestbyabreakintheoceanice,wailingfora seal to surface for air. The smart, fluffy fiend is going to take advantageofthesealatit'sweakestmoment, whenitcan'tprotect itself,whenitismostvulnerable.

Comparehallwayswigglerstopolarbearsandyourselvestosmall seals. Before you surface for air, check for shadows on the ice surface. You have an advantage because you can see the deftly waitingfuzz-robber long before it can see you. You have an advantagebecauseyou arethinking ahead. Youhave anadvantage because youarefocused on prevention, not the moroserecovery ofanbriskattack.

Flapyoursea-wingsandglidetoanotherhole. Asafehole. Erupt from the waterandslideontotheice, safely baskinginthebright bronzesunlight:Putalockonyourlocker. Thenyoucanenjoythe afternoonwithouthesitation.

Dyl

A pene libra com of a veto• busil the "Um mosl my voic, been bee, turn crim flust clair just awa· "C twin ate!) roon of n that into and tiall: inter aid chilc new bee11 Amt way sinc1 Not fact hei� Wei! som

Mouth ofthe River

"Ah, vacation: a time tQ relax, spend timewithfamily,and become angry over thefactthatthehigh school is on probation from · the NEASC. What?

That's right, probat. Wh ? " IOn. y....

Jt to ould Mr. 1spi'.heir dinticle atest ethe hool 1one hem and e �the y. It ight. can )Ved fthe ttive ovie as a iller ,ven !Wy. the ·ess. 1ractlive ws? the fans cca,f is !art. the nted ,rter was de:1g1ittle freand hen was the,ber !i/aoasven. this e it (ery >dy. >Vie ,n5 5 me ualthe the !rs, for n g as the Seour

Everyone has heard ofthe 1.Q., the "intelligence quotient"-that magic number thatsupposedlydeclaresaperson to have a certain mental ability measured in points. Janemight lookatherresults, anI.Q.of 120,anddeclareherself to be five points smarter than her brother Jeff who has a115 I.Q.

Sometimes students can develop low self-esteem by merely hearing this magic number. "I'monlya 100 I.Q. Average. Run of the mill. I guessIshouldn'texpectmuch ofmyself." Ifthestudentstops makingaseriouseffort,grows silentinclassdiscussions,and makes way for his or her faster-movingfriends,theI.Q.

Faculty Forum Richard Tappan anew definition ofSmart.

numberbecomesaself-fulfill- pointofview,isfarmorelikely ingprophecy tousehisorherbrainpowerfor This i.s the dangerof mis- the good. Those around us understanding standardized whoflyinto ragesoversmall tests orof taking them too se- disagreements, orwhostrike riously. Most educators with out violently and regret it a little experience with stu- laterhave low emotional indents realize that attitude can telligence. Theyhavenotdebring aboutamazingresultsin velopedtheskillsofworking students whose potential through confrontations conaccording to a simple I.Q. structively. The boy who score may have seemed shot his classmates in Kenrather limited. tuckyhadlittleability toex-

Only twoyearsagoabook presshisfeelings came out that has confinned in a way that would defuse what common sense has told hisanger. Cases �fdomestic good teachers long ago. The abuse and roadrage are also book, Emotional Intelligence signsoflow emotionalintelby Daniel Goleman declared ligence.

that it is aperson'semotional Our E.Q., just like our intelligencemorethantheraw I.Q., can improveif wegive

intellectual ability that is the it some training and positive best indicator of a person's experiences. When a child successin life. whoisangryorhurtismerely

A person who can control silencedbythegreaterforceof his or her temper, listen, see · anadultauthorityfigure,heor things from another person's she doesn't learnhow towork

out the problem. The child yearns for power over others sohecangetbackattheworld -------------

peopledon'thavemeaningful conversationsoverdinnerwith their parents. Neglected or bullied, they see in video

games, movies and T.V.

thousands of examples of people who lash out and

settlescoreswithexplosive action. Such patterns of

behavior are hard to change; they demand im­

mensepatiencetohelpotherswho have none.

ciety."

Walkingdown the hallway, there are various signsasking for our help during the holiday. At OysterRiver, alarge majorityofthestudentshave eitherdecidedtoparticipatein theHolidayHelpersprogram, giftwrapping, orfooddrives. However,thereare somethat havemissedtheaspectofgiving toothers during the holiday.Insteadofgivingtheyare taking, in-other words, stealmg.

AsIcontinuewalkingdown the hall, I recall a quote that apparently a minority in our schoolhas not heard of- 'Itis more blessed to give than to receive.'

The average student spends about thirty hours a week at school. Itwouldseemsafeto

0

velopment healthyindividu­

for thepainhe feels. Eventuallyanyweakertargetsatisfies theneedforrevenge.

Asabookreviewersaid of Emotional Intelligence, itgivesus"anentirelynew way of looking at the root causes of many of the ills

ofourfamiliesand oursociety."

I believe that schools need to prepare teachers moreandmore tonurturethe emotionalintelligenceoftheir studentsasthemostimportant factor in the development of healthyindividualsandacivil

Oursocietyhasbeendoing apoorjobatdevelopingyoung people'sE.Q. Somanyyoung society.

The "Faculty Forum" and "Student Opinion"sections ofthis paper werecreated t0. offer thefacultyandstudentsa place to speak, in written words, to the rest ofthe ORcommunity. Eachissue will bring twonew commentators. Ifyouareinterested incontributing, please see any editor.

Student Opinion Stealing Dampens Holiday Spirit

say that school is our home away from home- simply because we spend so much time here, not necessarily because weenjoyit. Sinceitislikeour second home, itwouldbenice if we treated it like our home

"People are supposedtobegiving, notstealing..."

why about the thief's motivation. I can remember

steal someone else's possessions. Iama victimofhaving variousbelongingsstolenand, quite frankly, I am tired of hearingaboutotherunsuspectingvictims. Notonlydomany take a personal offense, but theyalso wonder andfamily. Follow the virtues that many of us havebeentaught from day one:

Don't lie, don't talkbackAnd don't steal.

This bringsmeto thecoreof theproblem. At Oyster River thepercentageofkleptomaniacs is on the rise. Freshman year, I recall various complaints about people having objectsstolen,butitwasnever something that wasaconstant issue. Yetforthepastyearand a half, a week doesn't go by withouthearingthatsomeone's lunch or sports equipment of some sort has been stolen. I

numerous occasions from last year, involving incidents occurring in the girl's locker room. Lots of us ran to Ms. McPheetoreportlostclothing or money From last year alone,around120dollarswere stolen imagine what the klepto bought with that cash. Discmen and jackets out of hallway lockers seemed to be hotitemsamongtheboys. The mania has hit both genders, primarilygirl,howeverthereis anothertargetcategory-it'sthe 'richkids'orthe 'snobs'.

am curious as to why, people In a small suburban school need to be so dishonest and like Oyster River, everyone

knowswhodriveswhatSaabI mean car-and who shops where. By now; many of the kleptos know who the kids with theniceski jackets, expensive running sneakers, high-tech discmen, or-good lunchesare. Whydoesthisin- . justice happen in this small school? The answer still remainsunknown.

With this question thereis a simple solution; yet vyry inconvenient. A lock. Out of 374 lockers, only 66 Jockers areprotectedbythisannoying device. It is a sad commentary onsocietytoday thatata high school of less than 800 people need to worry about keeping stuff safe, probably frompeoplethattheygrewup with.

The sad news is that charity amongaminorityinthehome ofOyster Riveris quite questionable. Ifinditveryhardto believe that when the kleptos were young their parents encouraged them to put a pack of gum in their pocket with-

out paying. In most cases, if you tried this approach you werescolded. Thatwaswhen you wereyounger.

I amseventeen andalthough I_mayhavetriedthatmagicact when I was three or four, I wouldn't even ponder the thoughttoday.

Think about it- it's the holiday season. People are supposed to be giving, not stealing, especially from their home. The realityofthepun · ishmenthere, is asuspension. In the real world, the punishment will cost you a lot more time. If you are one of the people [a.k.a. kleptos] that I havemadereferenceto,please next time you walk down the hallwayandseesignsforhelping during the holiday, think abouthavingitbeginatschool. I strongly suggestactingupon thequotementionedinthesecondparagraph,especiallyduring the holiday season. Also, towhomeverhasbeenstealing the lunches along the bottom hall, how was the ham sandwich?

ITuesday, Decemb�r23, 1997

Mouth oftheRiver

'' E m o ti o n a l

intelligence...the

most important

faCtOr in the de-

f

alsand a civil so-

;e t. e lt .I, r e y k e 1 n ) ) j s j s r r s ) < r s r

ORHS Hockey Gives Opponents CheeringA Statement: the Cold Shoulder 1st Male Cheerleader

MOR Staff

A new season, a new team, and a good outlook for this year. The returning coaches for Varsity, Griffen Ric�ards and assistant coach Sean Matile, feelenthusiasticabout this year's hockey team. After the loss of last year's key seniors, it will be hard work.

"Yes, it is hard to lose eight good players; especially all state members Matt Whittier and Chris Merenda."

Infillingtheopenplaces, he feels that Scott Howard and Christian Quint will do well.

Returning from last year to help in coaching the bobcats, Matile says, "I feel this year thatwehaveatalentedincomingclasstofillintheopenslots

for last year's seniors."

CaptainJesseSmith agrees, "Wehavesomefreshmanand sophomores stepping up and playingabigroleintheteam's success."

To start the season, thevarsity team suffered a 2-I loss to Exeter. Smith commented that "We got shocked and we realized what we needed to do."

"In response to Monday nightsgameColinBurkesaid "Ithinkweshouldhavebeaten Exeter, we have that potential." Thefirstgoaloftheseasonforthebobcatswasscored by Derek Fox. Varsity goalie Senior Daymon Steer had 10 saves.

Theteamquicklyrebounded Wednesday, withasuccessful 12-2 win over Somersworth.

Fox went on to score four more becoming the leading scorer of the season. Commented Smith, "Fox's goals havebeen a greatstart. They havereallyboostedtheteam." Steerhad18savesonWednesday.

Says Richards, "It has been hardforSomersworthtogeta few wins under their belt, so we wont lose sight over this win."

One intense momentcame whenBurke,inthelastperiod ofthegame, tookaleg check to the knee by Exeter's captain. Afterassistancefromthe trainer he left the ice for the remainderofthegamedueto his injury He played in Wednesday'sgamebutleftaftertwoperiods.

RobertB. Heuchling &AbiB. Green MOR Staff

Amongstthemanyflapping skirtsoftheORcheerleading teamonemaynoticeonepair ofblue pants. However itis notthepants thatarecausing astir,itisthenewsophomore member of the team who wearsthemthathaseveryone talking.

Chris Vissing is Oyster River's firstevermalecheerleader,andtheownerofthose pants. Hejoined with more reason thaneveryone else. "I uoined because I wanted to make a statement, but it also looked like fun... People comeuptomeandaskifsome kidbetmeandI'mbeingpaid to dothis, but I'm not," says Chris.

Chris first had the idea to �ointhedaybeforethesecond try out. "I didn't tellanyone except a few friends. I just showedup atthetryoutslike everyone else." He asked some male friends if they wanted tojoin with him, but they all declined and a few tried to convince him not to do it. "At first some of the members weren't thrilled I was trying out, but now they'refinewithit."

"I was worried at first that he was trying out as a joke. It'sobvioushewasn'tbecause he works really hard." comments team captain, Paula Buffington.

"Otherschoolshaveboyson their team, yet our school

seems soagainstit. Hereit's not a normal thing to do, I think it should be." says Chris. Many schools in the area have had male cheerleaders, includingDoverand Monadnock.AsamalememberChrisdoesn'thavetoperforminthedanceroutine. He performsthebasiccheersand actsasabase,oralifter,when the teamperfonns. The base positionrequiresmoremuscle becauseoneisrequiredtolift anothermember,ormembers, oftheteamintotheair. "AJot of people think he made the team simply because he's a guy, buthe's talented. Hedeserves the position." says Bufffington.

TheNationalCheerleading Association'ssummercampis always lacking in male participants but not in interest. Many Universities inHawaii and southern states offer full scholarships to male cheerleaders. Thecoach,knownas "Coach Connie" to the athletes, sayssheis happyChris wanted to participate. "(At Oyster River) cheerleading isn't really a respected sport andsinceChrisisamalethen he has two obstacles to overcome."

Atthefirstboy'svarsitybasketball game Chris donned a bobcatsuitbutdidnotparticipateinthecheers.Atthegirls home varsity game Chris cheered with the rest of the team. Whether OR will accept the idea ofa maleplayingafemaledominatedsport ornotremainstobe seen.

In 1992, gymnast ad Brown under-grad any Cohen filed Cohen vs. Brown University, the highest profile Title IX class-action suit in history.

Benjamin Halleck

MOR Staff

For those unfamiliar with TitleIX,itisalaw mandating equal access to educational ( and by association, athletic) programsformenandwomen inanyschoolreceivingfederal funds. Title IX originated at BrownUniversityin1971and Brown has since been the groundsofothergender/�ports related controversy.

Cohenandotherplaintiffssuggested thatTitleIX's mostviableinterpretationwastogive female students preferential treatment until schools had athletic programs that mirroredenrollmentratios.

Puttingthisdemandonhigh schools and collegesis unfair because schools simply don't have the budget flexibility to fundallconceivablewomen's sports programs, and it is unjustifiable to cut men's programs until there are as few men in parti<.:ipation as women.L�ftwi!houtanyother

options,itisclearthatTitleIX isindesperateneedofreevaluation. To say that the goal of Title IX should be to have sports rosters that reflect enrollmentisaresultoflaziness and inabilityto further examinetheissue.

In the days before Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby, whenblacksweredeniedparticipation in athletics, many thoughtthatitwasaninjustice simplythatblackpeoplewere denied participation in athletics. The true issue is that talented black athletes were denied participation in athletics, not just black people. Just as in the case of blacks, it is not unfair that women are denied participation in athletics, but

ratheritisthattalentedfemale athletesaredeniedsuchopportunity. Unfortunately, talentis notsomethingthatthegovernment or any athletic director can qualitatively determine, makiog it near impossible to incorporateitintoTitleIX.

Talent aside, willingness to participate should be the factorthatdetermines whoisdeserving of playing at varsity level in eitherhighschool or college athletics. At Brown, where enrollment is nearly 50% men and 50% women, intramural athletics (with unlimited rosters) are composed of 89% male and only 11% femaleparticipants.Whydoes this Jackofenthusiasmon the females' part deserve 50/50

numbers at the varsity level? Itdoesn't Clearly,menplaya more active role in athletic participation, and in all fairness are more athletically inclinedthantheir femalecounterparts.

Withthetwoissuesoftalent and ' participationinmind,what isfairabout matching athletic rosterstoenrollmentratio�?To dosois in directcontradiction to Title IX's basic principle: equal access. Equal access should mean that every able andwillingathletehastheopportunity to play sports at a high school and/or college level.Otherwise,ableathletes ·of both sexes will IJe denied athletic participation on the grounds offalseequality

DevinFoxall NewsEditor

Since the dawn of time, omings atORHShaveceneredaroundthreethings. The mell of freshly baked punkmeyer's,thefirstbiteof cheese bagel, and one presneemore powerful than the thertwo combined.

Eachmorningthispresence nters theschool. Apresence hatthreatenstoruintheminds f the student body quicker han listening to Hanson. A resence which, unless conained soon, threatens to disantle the school in a thick ray haze.

FortunatelyI have come up ith a plan to do away with his devious force. A plan so imple it makes the act of hewing gum seem complex. et's bring nap time back to he highschool.

Ah yes the wonderful arefree days of Kindergaren. So restful, so peaceful. rom these orange painted alls comesoursaviorriding n the frothy wake of warm pplejuice.

In all its glorious splendor hegreatgoddessofsleepwill

Commentary Corner

comedrifting down the halls.

A feather pillow in one hand and a pee-resistant rubber cot in the other. With a silent motherlykissalltiredstudents willsoonberestingpeacefully m their designated homerooms.

Today, students are bogged down with overflowing amounts of stress. The days can be crammed with varied duties,obligationsandresponsibilities. Having a nap time willgiveeachstudentonehour of the day to putallthisaside

a student's brain capacity be gins to drop faster than Dir Diggler's pants. After awhil theirincoherentramblingsbe gin to makeRAPmusic see intelligent (pleasedon'tshoo me). Is this the school w want? Ofcoursenot. Who knows, students ma discover great bursts of ere ativity in their dreamy hour Oftentheanswertoaproble ordilemmawillberevealedi adream. Asthegreatphiloso pher TR. Wetrieb once said "It is upon the sleeping hou thatonewillreceivedivinein tervention in the form of newfoundspirit." Naptimewouldalsoservea awayofraisingmoneyforou underfunded school. Man scientific companies pa peopletoallowthemtomoni tor their sleep. Some pay i therangeof$50,000amonth If we had-all 700 of our stu dents participate in a nin month nap time experiment we would raise-over 315 mil lion dollars. Enough to bu every member of the mat teama newprotractor.

and succumb to the gentle stickinessofarubbermat.

Naptimewillalsohelpboost student performance. Everyone knows that a well rested studentperformsbetterthana tired one. With lack ofsleep,

Inmy dreamIsee aschoo wherethestudentsdon'tloo like they've just sat throug aninehourlectureonthehis tory of dirt. A school wher the students don't stumbl aroundlikemyuncle onNe Year'seve. Forwhenthewin dowsofsleeparecleansed, th studentswillseethingsasthe truly are: infinite.

KaitlinGregg OP/ED Editor

On the shortest day of the year, darkness replaced day stealthily, triumphant in its conquest of afternoon hours onceruledbysoccerballsand pedestrians.

Tous, theshiftingofseason, thenaturalprogressionoflight to dark, is automatic. Noone botherstowonderwhetherthe light will return. We know it will. We understand that the shorteningofthedaysinmerly duetothe tilt of theearth, not to any otherworldly forces. However, many civilizations throughouthistory thought of the return of light as a gift They knew no better than to assume that their gods lay at the bottom the cycle of death and rebirth ingrained within the earth.

In today's world, all the mystery has been removed. The shortening of thedays is merlyaninconvienence,nota sign. Wenolongerconnectthe changesinouterlightwiththe inner light ofa person. However, it is no coincidence that Christmascomesfourdaysafter the winter solstice. Jesus is the light given to the earth

GivePeaceA Chance, orat Leastthe Benches

Abi Green MOR Editor

This year the class of '98 has introduced a new place to sit duringtheirfree periods; the benches at the topofthestairs.

Thissimplearea of the corridor has become a safe haven for senior free periods free of the librarian's stem glances.

Some administrators have

ronment of the surrounding classrooms. To help combat thisproblemthebencheshave

"I wasthefirstto expressmydiscontent withthe new bencharrangementand mademyfeelings very apparentto anyadministrator whowould r t II 1s en...

felt, however that this sanctuary for relaxation has interfered with the learning envi-

b e e n movedtoa more remotelocation near the music room.

Iwasthe first to express my discontent with the newbench arrange ment and made my feelings

very apparent to any administrator who would listen. There seemed to be little sympathy expressedwiththeexplanation

that schoolis aplace for educationandanythingthatinterfereswiththatshouldbeeliminated.

In_a last resort, I spent a free period in the new bench designatedarea and to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Because classes wereinsession in the surround

a teacher or even worse, a freshmantopass.

This area is far from my

''Tomysurprise Ithoroughly enjoyedmyexperience. Because classeswere in sessioninthe surrounding areas,wewere able tobeloud withoutfear of t. " persecu ion...

ingareas, Wf! were able to be loud without fear of persecution and we did not have to move every three seconds for

locker which doesposeabit of a problem. But I am willingtooverlook that. In conclusion, I thank theadministrationforfinding afeasiblesolution to a serious problem. I know some of you are sti11 skepticalofthe new arrangement but I ask

you to be open minded and give it achance. Chooseyour battlesanddon'tmakethisone of them.

by God. He isthe spring, the rebirth.

Hanukkahisalsoaboutlight. ItisaboutthelovingGodwho wouldkeeponeday'sworthof oilburningforeightdays,letting his children know they werenotaloneinadarkworld.

For centuries, changes in light signified more than the shortening of days, and the seasonsweren'tmarkedby the changing of sports and ad campians. This change gave peoplea timetorefelcetupon what light meant, upon the lightwithinthemselves signified.

When the musical GODSPELL was written in the'70's,manypeoplefeltthat religionwasmadeupof cold, inexplicable doctrines,. The musical's creators sought to show people that religion taught light, warmth, and reality. It urged people to "let their light so shine before men." This message transcends religious realms. Ev'eryone needs to realize that they contain light, that they have something to give the world.

Ifthis holiday season representsanythinganymore,itrepresentslight. Itremindsusthat lifeiscyclical,thatthesunwill leave and return, just as the light in our lives grows and wanes. It alsogivesusanopportunity, achancetheletour ownlightfillothers.

''Afterawhile theirincoherentramblings begin tomake RAP music seem intelligent(please don'tshoot me)"

Commentarie epresent onl he views of th uthors. Theyd ot reflect th pinions of th ntire editoria taff or of th· e encourag tudents to re pond to ou omments in th ormof '' Letter othe Editor."

GirlsB-Ball EvenAfter 4; KowalBeats BradyWith 6.8

Jesse Smith MOR Staff

Left

prised many peoplesofar, and hopefully we will surprise people all the way tothestate

With6 seconds left in a tie tournament." commented segameJulieKowal steppedto nior Meaghan McNally thefoul line. With the pres- The bobcats have recieved sure of the crowd, her strong scoring from Kowal as tearr,ates, and the chance to well as senior Kendra Oxford. sealthe bobcatssecond vie- Thecatshaveabalancedteam, toryoftheseason,shecalmly fromtheforceinthe middleof sank the second free throw Marissa Caron,tothespeed and and the lady 'cats prevailed ballhandlingofCasey Hopkins 48-47. they seemtohavewhatittakes

The win boosted their to reach their goal of a birthin record to 2-2 and marked the statetournament. their best start in the coach Coach Nichols credits early Nichols' era On sinking the success to versatility and team game winning shot the depth, as the second unit has humble Kowal stated " I playedanimportantrolesofar. Athletic shouldn'tget allthepraise,it Asforexpectationson therest was a team effort". Despite of the season coach Nichols

lowexpectationsforthesea- stated " Because of increased CCQ

A I d

sonfromthelocal papers,the confidence, I think we have a Boys'Soccer: teamhas started off fast and realistic chance to reach the JamieRenner: that has created an optimis- tournament this year."

a eS

Portsmouth Herald's "Player tic outlook. "We have surof theYear"

Gymnastics Team.·

Leaping into_Their

ROUtine

1stTeamAll-StateNHIAA

Portsmouth Herald All-Star Team

aily Democrat

BostonGlobeAll-StarTeam

Globe All Scolatic

Foster's Daily Democrat DreamTeam

Christian Quint: .IstTeamAll�NewEngland IstTeamAll-StateNHIAA Portsmouth Herald All-Star Team

Foster's paily Democrat DreamTeam

Boston GlobeAll-StarTeam

MarcHubbard: Foster's Daily Democrat DreamTeam Honorable Mention All-State NHIAA

Boston GlobeAll-State

Kristin Cosby: Boston GlobeAll-State

JoycylnTheriault: Boston GlobeAll-State Boston GlobeAll Scolastic All-New England Girls' Soccer Meri Watson: All-State NHJAA Foster's Daily Democrat DreamTeam

Ayshe Woodward: Foster's Daily Democrat DreamTeam

J:

MORStaff

'fiberghan is expceted to be a vital addition to the team this year.

ThefirsthomemeetatNESA willbe onJanuary 17. "I think this will encourage people to cometothemeets and increase school interest in this sport."

Goozeexplains.

Thenew additionstotheteam thisyear areAmandaGourgue, Hilary Porsche, Audrey Gray, andJill Crawford.

The state meet this year will beheldinSouheganon February 21.

Justin Fimlaid: 2ndTeamAll-StateNHIAA

Portsmouth Herald All-Star Team

Cross Country: Kaitlin Gregg: BostonGlobeAll-State ElizabethJackson:

OR SwimmersWon'tGive OpponentsTime toBreath

enjamin Halleck OR Staff

FieldHockey: Michelle Waleryszak: Foster's Daily Democrat DreamTeam In only its second year at OR, the gymnastics team is optimistic."Ithinkwewillbe a strong competitor." says seniorcaptainRachelGooze. Withthe loss only oftwo seniors from last season the teamhopestohavecontinued success. "Last year was a building year.· We have all improved a lot." comments Gooze.

In any sport, when a team as dominated like Oyster iver has in Swimming, certain expectatiqns, are placed. There is usually littledoubtthatateamwill 3-peat as state championsafterdefendingtheir titleonce. Many ofyou notinvolv_edwithsports would believethatwinning with such consistency would alleviate pressure, but the opposite is true. Unfortunately after a team has perseveredthroughmultiplechampionshipcampaigns, emphasis is taken offof the team's accomplishments and Leavesthepublicinattentiveuntiltheyareupset. Thisyear, theOyster River swimteamhopes to maintain thedynasty

that they have managed to build over the last twoyears. Withoutlast year's highscoringseniors,theteammayface some difficulty this season. Regardless,theyareconfident thattheycanstepupasaunit.

theydidn'trelysolelyontheir mostvaluableleaders. Hopefullythisyear'ssquad,withthe addition of a few new members, can utilize their experiencecanproveOysterRiver's cymcswrong.

1997"I have sworn upon the altar ofGodeternalhostility against everys

Mouth ofthe River form oftyranny over the mind ofman." -ThomasJefferson

Freshman Allison

l he :k, he le. ,ve nd :et Dn 'or ho he at :e :w of 1n )0 :Jr ts ISIR es ,s, e nd .h .Ir, of to by pys ch rat ita nnle. ge lt. ;ts a lS, :m 1is �r, e untel ts)d he drg .9.

Bobcat Sports

Boys' B-Ball: Looking for FirstWinTonight

MOR Staff

Oyster River boysBasketball is back for another competitive season. Mike Casey, Aaron Ward, and MattHarmonywillhelptry to avenge last years heart breakingsemifinalloss.

The firsttwogameshave resulted in losses. Oyster River plays Timberlane in amustwingametonightin their home opener. If the boys lose tonight it will be hardtorecover.

The latest loss came by the hands of arch rival Bishop"youcanrecruitthe whole team"Brady. O.R. played strong and close in the first half, winning the first quarter The boys couldn't hold off the overpoweringBradyinthe secondhalf. "We stayedright withthemfortwoandahalf quarters. Wweren'tintimi-

dated, we didn't backdown," Coach Don Maynard commented onthegame.

TheGreenGiantsexploded for IOunansweredpointsand never looked back. Oyster River played with heart and pride but the final score (76 48) didn't depict this in the end. Brady's start forward, BillyCollinsplayedextremely well, scoring upwards of 40 points withtendunks.

The first loss of the season washandedoutbySaintThomasAquinas.O.Rwasflatin the first quarter and fell to a nineteen point deficit. The secondquarteryieldedacome back for theBobcats, and by halftimeO.R.wasonlydown bysix.

InthesecondhalftheSaints proved that they owned the board. St.Thomasopenedup thescoreanddidn'tletthegap close. Thefinalscorewas73-

61.

St.Thomasaccumulated27 offensivereboundsbytheend ofthegame. CoachMaynard commented that 27 offensive rebounds "isanastronomical amount. Wedidn'tboxouto goafter the ball."

Oyster River has a very young team this year Maynardisonlyreturningtwo starters from last years team andinallfourplayers. "This year's team has lots o younger players. They're inexperiencedbutskilled,"commentedMaynard.

"Monday's game is extremely significant. We cannot afford To go into Christmasbreak0-3,"saidMaynard.

Theboysneedyourfansupport, show visiting teams tha O.R.H.S. isn't a fun experience. Be loud, be fair, be there.

WinterWon't Chill IndoorTrackFever

New Coaches, New Athletes, New Season

SportsSchedule ThroughJan. 10 Casey Reynolds

MOR Staff

December:

23Tues. Boys Fresh man Basketball vs. Timberlane 4:00. Boys JV Basketball vs. Timberlan 5:30. BoysVarsity Basketball vs.Timberlane7:00

27 Sat. Indoor Track Mee vs Exeter, Pinkerton, Sanborn, Spaulding, West Timberlane. At UNH l:00. GirlsVarsityBasketballTour nament 6:00 &7:30

28 Sun. GirlsVarsityBasket ballTournament 6:00& 7:3 29Mon. Basketball Tournament 3: &4:00

30 Tues. Boys Fresh manBasketball vs.York l :00. GirlsVarsityBasketballTour nament 3:00 &4:00

January:

3 Sat. Swimming/Divin Team vs. St. Thomas Conantl :00 at UNH. Indoo Track Meet vs. Central Nashua,Timberlane, Trinity, Salem, Conant ConvalatUNH5:00. Varsit Hockey vs.Winnacunnet5:

MOR Staff

The revival ofWinterTrack atOyster River may be eminent. With two newcoaches, a slew of enthusiastic underclassmenandatalentedupperclass, the team is looking forwardtoaveryexcitingseason.

Coach Cathy O'Brian, a

One of the major strengthsoftheteamliesinits youth. Katie Evens, a freshman,saidthatsheisexcitedfor the season, however, she

grumbled "we really need m o r e people. "

N i C k Lanzer, another freshman, C O mmented that he is running "to getin shape for spring track."

indoor track: the lack of oxygen, the noise, andthefluores­

cent lights that g,ve you a headache." However, she said, "it is still totally worth it."

6Tues. Varsity Ice Hocke vs. St. Thomas 7:00. JV le Hockey vs. St. Thomas 9:15

5 Mon. Varsity Ice Hocke vs.Winnacunner5:00. JVle Hockey vs. Dover9:15 formerOlympian,commented "theteamdidgreatintheirfirst meet, everyone put forth a solid effort. We are all psychedtocontinueimproving for the rest ofthe season."

7Wed. Swimming/Divin Team vs. Exeter, Keene 6:3 at UNH. Girls JV Basketball vs. St. Thomas 5:30

8Thurs. Girls Fresh man Basketball vs. Ports mouth 4:30. Boys Freshm Basketball vs. Portsmout 6:00

9 Fri. lndoorTrackMeeta UNHTBA

Manyof the athletes involved in

The athletes actually don't spend much time at the track, most of theirtrainingis done outside, even as the season grows

10 Sat. Swimming/Divin Team vs. Milford, at UN 1:00. 'Boys Varsity Basket .d " SI e ... winter track also runduring other

Joyceln Theriault, a three season runner, commented that "Winter track is not highpressure, we areallouttohave fun andget a taste of racing." Thomas Nazzaro,Asophomore,agreed with Theriaut. "Even though we aren't the bestwe still enjoy running." he said. The only detriment to the seasonseemsto be theindoor ·trackitself. KristenCosbyjokingly commented "I love the

vs. Conval 7:30

"The athletes

actually don't spend much timeatthe track. Mostof

thetrainingis doneout-