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Newtonite
◆ Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 • Volume 91, Club Special
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Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460
Club Day displays vibrant student life MALINI GANDHI Famous for its screaming students stationed at tables overflowing with colorful posters and candy, Club Day is not only a fun, energy-filled event, but it also plays an essential role in helping students become involved in activities, according to science teacher Michael Hazeltine, who oversees all clubs at this school. According to Hazeltine, Club Day has been a revered tradition at this school “for as long as I can remember.” The event consists of dozens of tables set up by student clubs in a mismatch fashion throughout the cafeteria. Hazeltine noted that the event benefits experienced older students involved in clubs as well as freshmen. “Club Day allows upperclassmen to showcase what they have been doing and to demonstrate the amazing activity that is going on every afternoon at North,” he said. “On the flip side, freshmen are exposed to the huge number of wonderful opportunities offered here.” Many upperclassmen officers of student groups find Club Day to be a vital part of their organizations and have creative ways to advertise their groups. Senior Eli Sadovnik, the chief technical officer of the Ligerbots, this school and South’s robotics team, said that Club Day allows Ligerbots’ leaders to “engage with a wider prospective audience and obtain lots of recruits.” The Ligerbots traditionally don red
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Jay Feinstein
Forehand flick: Sophomore Alex Gekas practices Ultimate at Cabot Elementary School. Ultimate is one of the clubs presenting at Club Day.
and orange tie-dye shirts and parade around the cafeteria with their robot. And giant robots are just the beginning. The cafeteria is filled with other creative, unconventional student displays during Club Day. Sadovnik cited the music blaring from the Defense of the Ancients club’s video game screens and the steaming liquid nitrogen ice cream at the science team’s table as highlights, while junior Eliana Gevelber noted a dance group she observed breakdancing. The energy-packed atmosphere of Club Day is a particular draw for students looking to get involved in activites. Sophomore Sammi Giang said that attending Club Day last year as a freshman gave her a taste for the wide variety of options at this school. “The event is very exciting, and is really good for freshmen trying to find out what they are interested in. The hectic, energy-filled atmosphere of the event literally pushes you into each table,” Giang said. Guidance department head Beth Swederskas also emphasized Club Day’s role in allowing students to pursue opportunities. “Because Newton North has so many clubs and organizations to offer, Club Day is a great way for students to find out about clubs and talk to people involved in the clubs at the same time,” said Swederskas.
Extracurricular activity fees lower budget gap HILARY BRUMBERG Since the day a slightly shorter and more impressionable version of junior Amiya Seligman entered this school two years ago, she has been drilled with one of this school’s most common maxims: “Try new things. Get involved. Make the most of the opportunities here.” And she has. Seligman has risen through the ranks of Model United Nations and is now an under-secretary general. She is also an active member of the girls’ Ultimate Frisbee team. However, along with all other students who participate in clubs, Seligman is now required to pay $125 to participate in Model U.N. and Ultimate. “It seems unfair to push students to try new things, while placing a price behind it,” Seligman said. Two years ago, the School Committee was facing a $4 million budget deficit, so
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it added fees for participation in schoolsponsored non-athletic extracurricular activities, according to Sandra Guryan, deputy superintendent and chief administrative officer. Involvement in unlimited clubs costs $125 and participation in drama productions costs $150 per show, depending on the student’s role. At the first or second meeting of clubs this fall, advisers will hand out notices from the Newton Public Schools notifying students and parents of the fees and explaining how to pay them, according to Cindy Bergan, assistant superintendent for secondary education and special programs. Students can pay the fees online, by mail or in person at the NPS’ Office of Business and Finance. Fee waivers can be attained at the Office of Business and Finance. Club advisers will send rosters to
science teacher Michael Hazeltine, who oversees clubs at this school, and he will send them to the Office of Business and Finance in November. Then, the Office of Business and Finance will use the club rosters to keep track of who has paid and follow up with the students who have not paid, Bergan explained. Bergan does not anticipate any resistance to the activity fee. “People pay,” she said. “It’s not really an issue.” Last school year was the first year student activity fees were collected from students, and significantly fewer fees were collected than the district had estimated. It was estimated that 2,000 students would pay the fee last year, but the fee was collected from only 282 high school students. Guryan attributes the gap between the estimate and reality to students adjust-
ing to paying the fees and a miscount of the number of high school students who participate in clubs. Due to “tighter controls of fee collection,” it is estimated that 810 students between the two Newton high schools will pay the fee this year, generating $101,250 for the NPS, according to Guryan. This account will go toward paying the stipends of club advisers. Hazeltine explained that the student activity fee is counter-productive for many clubs. For example, Orange Shield, whose sole mission is community service and fund raising, is subjected to the fee, Hazeltine said. “As a group, they raise less money per student than they would pay in the activity fee,” he said. “It would do more good to disband the club and have the parents donate the money to a local charity.”
Students share passions GLORIA LI AND PERRIN STEIN Club Day is a time for students to showcase their passion for the clubs they lead. Through energy and excitement, students convey what makes the clubs they participate in special.
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symposium Officers of clubs reflect on how participating in clubs has shaped their high school experience. Senior Maggie Amatucci said she began participating in Italian club when, as a freshman, she went to a meeting with a friend. “Italian club is the only club I have participated in because there is a great group of people involved, and I had a lot of fun, so I wanted to devote my time to it,” she said. Senior Zach Rosenof devotes his time to the science team, to the tennis team and to the debate club. All three of these clubs have shaped his high school experience, he said.
In the debate club, Rosenof said he has “learned to think in a whole new and better way. By arguing both sides of each argument, I learn that no issues are black and white and that opinions mean nothing.” Last year, juniors Paulina Rozenberg and Jenny Cronin started Fashion for a Cause. Through the club, Rozenberg said she is able to combine her interests. “I don’t think there is anything I love more than the art of fashion, except maybe being able to help others do something I love,” she said. When she auditioned for Forté her freshman year, senior Katherine Swager said she had no idea that eventually she would become the director. Swager said that through Forté, she has been able to improve her singing and make new friends. “It’s really nice to belong to something,” she said. Through participation in clubs, students explore interests and discover new passions, which they showcase at Club Day.
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Maliha Ali
Discussion: Juniors Emmett McClearly, Paulina Rozenberg and Katie Bubelo examine photographs during a meeting of Fasion for a Cause.
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