October final 2016

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The Norwalk High School

Paw Print “How the Bears make their mark”

VOLUME XI, ISSUE I October 2016

IN THIS ISSUE:

In Other News:

News

Go to our website to read about the mold issue on first floor D House effecting ROTC, BCN, The Paw Print, The Little Bear Cafe, and PE

Above the pipes on the ceiling of the BCN Studio. Class rooms were closed on October 19th.

A&E Feature

Riley Robinson Photo Editor

Sports

Orange-brown water comes out of the hot taps of many labs in the Science Wing at Norwalk High School.

When asked how long this discoloration had been present, teachers had varied responses. Mr. Foldeak stated, “At least a year and a half,” and Ms. Slason said “between one and two years.” Mrs. Silva, who teaches biology in Room 104S, reported, “Ever since I moved in here in 2007, we’ve always had this problem.” Silva also added that the discoloration is intermittent, saying, “It doesn’t happen every day.”

The brown color only appears in hot water, immediately after the tap is turned on. The water then runs clear after several seconds. Samples of discolored water are odorless.

Mr. Byron, the Science Department Chair, offered an explanation for this phenomena via email. “When the zinc coating of a pipe wears thin, water can become discolored due to interaction with iron and/or interaction with sediment in the water main.

The longer the water sits, the worse the discoloration may appear.” Slason also agrees that the color is caused by the presence of iron, saying, “We’re assuming that it’s iron oxide and that it’s coming from the pipes.” Slason also expressed concern about the safety of the water, saying, “It’s one thing for the color to run out, but the real thing is, is the water safe once the color’s run out?”

Foldeak, Silva, and Slason all stated that they notified administration about the color of the water. Silva stated, “We’ve notified them quite a few times.”

No teacher who was interviewed knew of any tests to de-

termine the cause of the discoloration, or the safety of the water.

Bryon stressed that the presence of iron sediment is not unusual in labs, and wrote, “With that commonality, it is not necessarily an issue that would require any additional maintenance or water testing.” A student test performed using an at-home water test strip revealed that a sample of the discolored water contained five parts per million of iron and three ppm of copper. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that no more than .3 ppm of iron and one ppm of copper be present in drinking water, much lower than what is present in the labs.

Mr. Singleton, who oversees building maintenance, said, “I wouldn’t drink it, but I would say that it’s pretty much safe.”

Singleton also said that he received the first report of water discoloration only one week prior to being interviewed for this article.

Mr. Bill Hodel, the Director of Facilities and Maintenance for Norwalk Public Schools, did not know about the colored water prior to his interview. He said, “This is the first I’m hearing of this condition.”

Hodel stated, “Generally when science classes do labs they’ll need the cleanest water possible, so they’ll go out and buy distilled water, which is cleaner than anything that will come out of the taps of Norwalk homes or schools.” He added, “They don’t use those sinks that often.”

According to Silva, teachers refrain from using sink water specifically because of the orange color. She said that teachers are either using school-provided distillers or buying distilled water for their labs. Silva buys distilled water with her own money “because it’s faster,” she said. She then added, “We cannot use the faucet water.”

Opinion

The Water of Science

Table of Contents: News................................2 Arts & Entertainment........8 Feature...........................12 Editorial.........................14 Opinon...........................15 Sports.............................22

NEWS

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Student Spotlight: Zarin Halim Hannah Keyes Co - Editor In Chief There are hundreds of kids at Norwalk high School that continue to make a difference everyday.

Whether it is playing a sport, being involved in the music or art departments, participating in student government, creating a club, or helping others within the community, these students deserved to be recognized by their teachers and peers. Every issue, there will be a new student featured in this column who has impacted NHS in extraordinary ways. The Student Spotlight for the October issue is Zarin Halim (’17).

Zarin is special for many different reasons, but a certain detail about her is differing from many, which is the fact that she is hearing impaired, or deaf. She explicitly says, “Deaf people are capable of anything, you don’t need ears to learn!”

Coming into NHS freshman year, Halim was perplexed at the fact that there was no club for American Sign Language, and so she wanted to change this. NHS now has an American Sign Language (ASL) club and it is all thanks to Zarin who is the creator and president.

She has a strong passion to educate others about the deaf community and let people know that those who are deaf “don’t bite.” She goes on to explain that deaf people have a great ability to communicate, this can be through texting, paper and pen, even talking. There should be equal opportunities for everyone and the deaf community only wishes to live in harmony with the hearing community.

From living in Norwalk practically her whole life, Zarin feels that it is not a place that suits her, but rather the city life seems more appealing and exciting. She loves going into New York City and feels that the college experience would be best lived in a city, such as NYC. College is important to Zarin and she definitely plans on going, but is not quite sure exactly where yet. However, she is positive that she wants to go down either the forensics, criminal justice, or international affairs route. She favors Social Studies classes and is currently taking AP Comparative Politics and AP Government and Politics. These classes are extremely challenging, but Halim also considers them her favorite so far.

Zarin also loves English and has been taking honors english classes for the past couple of years and love it because it is another way for her to express herself. Sociology and psychology are also extremely interesting to Halim because she likes being able to learn about people and the way that they are, whether it is socially, mentally or emotionally. From being deaf Zarin says that she is very observant to human behavior and will focus on facial expressions and the overall tone a person will set. She states, “I notice the little things that people don’t see and this can open up a new world, it’s amazing.”

This year, as a senior Zarin is involved in Project Explore and is centering hers around families with deaf children and teaching parents with deaf children how to properly help their child. She plans on having parents with deaf children socialize together, and for the deaf children to socialize with each other as well. Halim says that as a deaf child, it was hard growing up with hearing parents because, “my parents had to teach themselves before they could teach me.” Zarin’s parents were from Bangladesh, a South Asian third world country in which they knew nothing about deaf people. This created a lot of emotion, and Zarin says that she appreciates them trying to give her a better life while also meeting her special needs.

Halim considers herself a deaf community advocate, and always will be. She wants to create awareness in NHS that there is a deaf community right here in Norwalk. NHS wishes the best of luck to Halim in all of her future endeavors.

Coach Tucci in the Hall of Fame Eddie McCabe Reporter This past May, long time Norwalk baseball and football coach, Pete Tucci, was inducted into the F.C.I.A.C hall of fame.

Tucci has been coaching high school sports for twenty-nine years and holds an outstanding 266 wins as a baseball coach and an overall record of 58-72 over thirteen seasons while he was Norwalk High’s head football coach. “It is a great blessing and an honor,” said Tucci.

However, he said he did not get to this point on his own. “As a coach you get into the hall of fame for one reason, you had great players. I don’t care how good of a coach you are, you don’t win without great players.”

Tucci has coached players such as his son Pete, who was drafted into the MLB in 1996 in the first round by the Toronto Blue Jays, and a 2016 graduate Mike Gonzalez who was drafted straight out of high school by the Milwaukee

Brewers. Current varsity starting pitcher Isaac Keehn (’17) says, “He definitely has a legacy, and it’s awesome to have been able to play for him, I am very happy for his induction, he deserves it.”

Before coming over to NHS, Tucci was a coach at Central Catholic High School, which is now known as All- Saints. “I knew Pat Spinola (the athletic director at NHS at the time) and he told me there happened to be openings for baseball and football, so the transition was pretty easy.” The rest was history.

The current Athletic Director, Doug Marchetti, said, “I am extremely proud to be in this program, because I look at our coaches like Coach Tucci and he really does things the right way. He is really just all about the kids not just at NHS but all the kids in Norwalk and I think that adds to his success...we are extremely proud to have him in our program.”

The Norwalk High community would like to congratulate Coach Tucci on his induction and say thank you for all the years of hard work and education you have given our athletes.

Pay to Play Isaac Keehn photo Editor There are many high schools around Connecticut that charge their athletes to play a sport, and last year, there was talk of that same policy being brought to NHS. It is not illegal, and many school districts across the country use this policy as a way to increase money flow towards their athletic programs.

Schools only get a certain amount of money each year for their budget, and when that money is used up and there are still things to be paid for, there are one of two options. Either increase taxes, “and in a community like Norwalk, you get to a point where you simply can’t raise taxes to a point where people can’t afford to live here anymore.” stated Mr. Marchetti, Athletic Director.

The next option is, “to implement a participation fee for athletics and other student activities… that would then increase the money that you would have to run these programs.” stated Mr. Marchetti.

In other communities, where there might be a wealthier population, they might use this pay to play policy more willingly, because they know that the families would be able to afford it. The athlete’s families would then be supporting their programs, rather than other families who don’t participate in high school athletics.

Weston High School uses the pay to play policy. Zach Clevenger, (’17) a student-athlete who plays both baseball and basketball at Weston mentioned that, “It is a $100 charge for each sport you play, and it is used for

coaches, busses, and referees.” When asked what his friends and other athletes thought about the policy he said, “People definitely don’t like having to pay the fee, but it isn’t a financial problem for any family. Plus the school doesn’t want to take more money out of their pockets for these athletic costs.”

Some people believe schools are taking advantage of families by charging these fees. In most cases they are not, but some school’s costs are pretty steep.

For example, Trumbull High School has a $225 a season fee with an $800 family cap, meaning families who have multiple children will not be required to pay over $800.

A 2009 survey by the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors found that thirty three of the responding 169 high schools in the state had a participation fee. Of them, five charged less than $50, sixteen charged $50 to $100, seven charged $100 to $150, and five charged more than $150.

There are many fac tors in play when a town or city is deciding whether or not to use this pay to play policy. The major factor that should be considered is the financial profile of families in the city.

Eddie McCabe, the shortstop on the Norwalk High Baseball team said, “It would be unfair if a student athlete was denied the opportunity to play a sport because of a fee their family was unable to pay”.

It may work well in some areas, but this policy is not for everyone. McCabe also said he feels lucky that he doesn’t have to pay a fee to play baseball at Norwalk High.

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NEWS

October 2016

Bring the Courtyards Back to Life Emma Daignault Reporter The courtyards at Norwalk High School are left deserted during all four seasons. They are not filled with laughter from students at lunch or during a study hall, they are filled with trash and maybe some leaves.

Other schools in the surrounding area allow their students to go outside during their lunch break, including as Brien Mcmahon high school, Betsy Barthold (’18), a student at Darien High school says “We have one big courtyard and we are allowed to go out and use it whenever. There are chairs and this huge bench thingy that people sit on and eat lunch out there whenever if it’s nice weather.”

Kate Tavella (’18) a student at Brien Mcmahon high school says, “we are allowed outside for lunch.”

For the past two years, journalism students have been covering the courtyards and how they still are not in use.

This story has been covered by BCN before, in october of

2014 Principal Roberts stated “courtyards will be opening this spring” This promise has still not been put into action.

Ms.Kelly, an English teacher whose classroom faces out into the D house courtyard. She feels that the courtyard needs “attention again” and how they are “always in the back of our minds” but it should be “in the front of our minds.” Although, “We’re already limited with teacher availability it is doable.”

Mr.Laughton a teacher and former student at NHS said “Both were open they had a security guard in each.” although the courtyards were only for seniors.

The courtyards not being open is nothing new either.

Mrs.Silva, a teacher who has been at NHS for twenty five years said the courtyards has never been open during her career. “Not on my life time that’s 22 years” Ms.Kelly believes that “Just like open end it is a privilege to use courtyards.” She does also thinks that it could serve as a distraction though, “If there is so much as a little window showing my students are staring out the window.”

“There should be a push to treat courtyards better.”

There is potential for these courtyards to be nice again; Not to be filled with trash.

Like Ms.Kelly students and faculty “hope it comes into play”

NHS Plunges into Pool Construction not start until August. In November, the pool was fully renovated.

“One time during practice, the pipes backwashed into the pool. Also, the heater broke many times, and for about

Madison Riascos Reporter The Norwalk-McMahon swim team, Zeus, and the Norwalk Parks and Rec. swim programs have been forced to swim elsewhere after the closure of the Norwalk High School pool. The Pat Spinola Natatorium has been closed due to exposed rebar and corrosion. It has taken months to get fully repaired. Students from the Norwalk High swim team expressed how they feel about the situation.

Katie Czulewicz (’18) and Sandy Remson (’19), both swimmers on Zeus and the Norwalk-Mcmahon swim team, have similar opinions on the situation. Czulewicz stated, “It is kind of annoying that they kept putting it (the construction) off. But we are happy that it is finally getting done, and hopefully it should be finished soon.” The pool has been closed since late June, but construction did

Explore Iceland Olivia Opalinski Reporter If any NHS student has ever dreamed of visiting Iceland, a country filled with geysers and lava fields, now is their chance. Located in the North-Atlantic ocean, this island is only about 40,000 square miles and directly south of the Arctic Circle.

Even with such little space compared to the U.S., it will be hard to find a dull moment. Ms. Engle, a biology and forensic science teacher here at NHS says the group of students going will be going on a glacier hike, seeing waterfalls and geysers, going snorkeling in a glacier river and even visiting national parks, “one of the parks we’re hiking in is where they filmed parts of Game of Thrones” says Engle.

Those attending the trip, which is through the Norwalk STEM travelers program, will be learning about science, technology, engineering and mathematics and will also be exposed to the culture of a foreign country. “When we travel it is not just focusing on those things, we’re exposed to a lot more than that” says Engle. According to the trip’s itinerary, some of those exposures include the nation’s capital Reykjavik, filled with quaint streets, as well as the Blue Lagoon, known for it’s mineral-rich water.

Some may be wondering why people would want to go somewhere so cold. Well, despite the deceiving name, the country’s temperatures are not so different to ours during the winter. Vikings were afraid of their enemies gaining the land they found, so to prevent that they told Norway that the land they found was an “iceland”, and the land nearby was a “greenland”, leading their opponents in the wrong direction.

This excursion will begin the first week of August, which, according to Engle, “feels like a spring day here.” Luckily anybody going along will not have to worry about taking up too much luggage space with a winter coat.

For anyone interested in traveling to this glacier-filled country, Ms. Engle advises signing up as soon as possible, visiting EFTours.com and using the code 1824224Tu to learn more about this exciting adventure.

two weeks at a time, the pool would be freezing cold, which isn’t recommended for swimming,” states Remson, “Now they’re working underneath the pool because it was collapsing into the locker room.”

Czulewicz explains, “The swim team has had to find a place to train to get ready for this season. We have had to be very flexible because practice times can change on a weekly basis, and we are unable to host home meets until the pool is finished.”

Remson indicated that Zeus has practiced at Chelsea Piers, Roton Point, and Staples High School until the completion of the pool construction. The Norwalk High team has practiced at Swim 70. “We are very lucky and extremely thankful that they are letting us use their facility,” informed Czulewicz.

Hopefully the Norwalk High swimmers will have many great home meets and will enjoy Senior Day swimming in their own pool.

NPS Budgeting Matthew Gola Reporter Blinds. Generic window coverings usually coming in the form of rolls or slats held together with a mechanism moved with a chain. As the new school year comes around, and droves of new and returning students are entering old classrooms, it is hard not to notice the blatant change in almost every classroom in the school. New blinds.

While new blinds may seem like a trivial detail overlooked by most students in their first weeks of school, it is in fact a change that opens up the conversation of budgetary decisions at Norwalk High.

Several students had opinions on the installation of the new blinds.

Eddie McCabe, (’17) stated, “I think we should have gotten something more productive than new blinds.

Maybe new books for the library or fixing the wifi.”

Gavin Halsey, (’17) believes, “I personally think the money used on the blinds could have gone to other things.”

Melissa Hawkes, (’18) “ I think the money could have gone to many more important places, but the blinds are still important. If we had extra money in the budget, that is when we should have gotten them.”

The blinds, however, were not the only repairs made at NHS over the summer. One immense project undertaken before students returned in September was the repaving of the parking lot. Per a Nancy On Norwalk article regarding school repairs in the Norwalk area, “Repairs expected at Norwalk Public Schools include work on the pool at Norwalk High and paving at Marvin and Columbus Elementary Schools. Fox Run’s parking lot is also expected to have some paving work done and there might even be paving done in the Norwalk High lot.”

While the information cannot be ascertained at this time, The money for these projects - and possibly the blinds - came from a $2 million dollar increase in Norwalk Public School funds from the state, $1.3 million of which was authorized to go to physical improvements on Norwalk Public Schools. This goes alongside $400,000 that was already authorized by the Board of Ed. While a $2 million increase in NPS funds has allowed for the physical improvement of schools including NHS, and increased funding for Property Services at NHS has already been requested before the school year began, students wonder if the replacement of blinds for almost every classroom in the school was the most pertinent “learning environment” issue.

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NEWS

October 2016

Block Schedule Student vs. Staff Reactions Robert Gummer Reporter There has been a variety of mixed opinions amongst students coming into the school year with the new block scheduling.

Beginning this year, Norwalk High School and Brien McMahon High School both have adopted the 4x4 block schedule. The changes include rotating A and B days, four ninety minute classes, a thirty minute lunch, and less study halls.

The Board of Education has made the decision to reform the old eight period rotating schedule, in May of 2015. This was after numerous high schools in the area, such as Fairfield Warde, Fairfield Ludlowe, AITE, Brookfield and New Milford had experienced success with the modified block schedule.

Vishva Patel (’18) has voiced his opinions on the block scheduling, "At first, I was really hesitant about block scheduling. But my experience with it so far in school this year is positive. I feel that the days go by faster and I really love the idea of open beginning and open end."

However, Patel did mention that one downside is that, “Most teachers aren't doing a good job making classes interactive and interesting for an extended period.”

Not only will teachers struggle to teach for ninety minutes straight, but students will also start to lose their attention and may day dream.

Mark June (’18) revealed, “Last period on any day, I doze off and can’t concentrate. Especially, since I have lunch right before it and the teachers don’t know how to teach for the ninety minutes.”

If a student is absent during a class

they are effectively missing twice the amount of information opposed to missing a class on a seven period schedule.

Factoring in this, the new attendance policy, and the possibility a student may be struggling in a class, will cause one absence to be very harmful.

The block schedule was advertised with the case that there would be less study halls.

Nevertheless, the amount of study halls has not seemed to

decreased, just the fact that they are now called open ends on your schedule if you have them period one or four.

Patsy Libertino (’18) explained that he prefers the block schedule over the old schedule, “I get more work done and have less homework, with more time to do it.” Quenesp Welfare (’18) had similar thoughts and reported, “The day goes by faster and I have less homework.”

Overall, many students have adjusted to the new schedule and have found themselves favoriting one letter day over the

Some might argue that block scheduling is a great way to learn more material and spread Reporter out the class to please students and teachers.

“Instead of having to worry about planning the class out every day, now I can plan out class every two days. It feels as if time is expanding,” Mr. Von Arter stated.

Colleges look for outstanding students, so having four classes a day, can actually give students an advantage. “It is good to have four classes in a row because colleges look for that,” says Mr. Arango said.

Some students argue otherwise. Sean Donaher (’19), says he would rather have a study hall so he could make sure his work was done. “I don’t like either system, neither block nor traditional, but if I had to choose one, it would probably be the old system,” he goes on, “I do like how now I have two days to complete my homework.”

According to the North Carolina Public School’s website, block scheduling can increase students’ grades because of the fact that they have more time to complete homework and catch up in class. Students now have more time at home to complete homework where previously, students had to complete work every night.

Although students have more time to complete home work, they might be uninterested in class. Trying to have a teenager focus for ninety minutes takes some passion and persuasion.

Mr. Sullivan, E-house guidance counselor, stated, “I have not received any complaints from students, everyone is different. The emotions about having four classes a day is relative to the student. Some students might want a study hall to finish work, and some either don’t want it or don’t need it.”

Mr. Karl surveyed his A4 and B4 classes and found that 23/27 students in his A4 class have four classes in a row and likewise in his B4 class with 21/23 students having a full schedule.

Recent studies also show that an average teenager’s attention span is only eight seconds. So, it is reasonable to conclude that most students might have trouble focusing for ninety minutes, especially if students have a full schedule with rigorous courses.

Students with a full schedule might not enjoy sitting through four classes a day, but they certainly have the advantage to finish homework and catch up in class.

Christopher Muralles

New Attendance Student vs. Staff Reaction Hannah Keyes

Co-editor in chief

It is no secret that students will skip classes or not even come to school at all for an abundance of different reasons and/or excuses. Norwalk High School put a new attendance policy into effect this school year, hoping to minimize the amount of absences.

For the 1,700 students attending NHS, who are fully experiencing the new block scheduling for the first time, attendance has become crucial. If a student were to miss a class, they would be missing out on double the amount of work rather than they would have last year, due to 90 minute periods. This can cause one to easily feel lost in class or fall behind in work.

The idea is that a student does not want to reach those ten unexcused or excused absences, otherwise it will result in a loss of credit for the class. Kayla Alvarado (’19) says, “I think it’s unfair because some people could have a weak immune system and get sick often.”

However, it is possible for a student to receive an authorized absence wherein it does not count toward the total amount of absences. Any absence will be considered “authorized” if it includes: an extended illness, student observance of a religious holiday, death in a student’s family or other emergencies beyond the control of the student’s family, mandated court appearance, or educational opportunities pre-approved by school administration.

Marisa Swanson (’18) gives her input

on the matter and says, “Well I think having ten unexcused absences resulting in a loss of credit serves as a motivation to attend school. In turn, students have less makeup work which results in higher grades and test scores.”

Tardiness is also a huge factor. The rules indicate that if a student arrives during the first ten minutes of class without written authoriPh zation from a staff o to Cre dit: member, then the Rile y Ro binson student will be considered tardy. Anytime after ten minutes, it is considered an unexcused absence.

Junior, Natalie Kurek (’18) explains her own personal experience, “I’m kinda frustrated with it because I came twenty minutes late to school, which I accept responsibility for, but I did all of my classwork and was still there for the rest of the period, but I was still marked absent.”

In the end, the new attendance policy is meant to keep students in class, having an undisrupted learning experience. Only time will tell the progress and success that this policy does or does not bring.

Elise Sullivan News Editor It is not an everyday occurrence that a high school policy changes, however this year, the attendance policy at Norwalk H i g h School is an exception.

“After a district committee was convened to research and analyze our policy and others in the state, it appears that Norwalk may have been one of the only ones with an H policy,” NHS Principal, Mr. Roberts explains. Under the former attendance policy, students who missed a certain number of classes would “H,” (be denied credit) and therefore, need to re-take a course to regain the credits; the grade, however, would remain. “Under the new policy, there is no H,” Principal Roberts says.

“Once a certain number of absences have been reached, a student fails the course.”

Starting this September, the NHS

attendance policy also stipulates that a student may have ten unexcused absences for class periods in a full year course, five class periods in a semester length course, and three class periods in a quarter length course before losing credit.

The new policy may have a strong impact on the students and faculty at NHS. Guidance Department Chair, Dr. Sullivan, shares his thoughts on the new policy and its positive effects on the students. “I think the new attendance policy is much cleaner and will be easier for the students to understand and follow.” In the past, numerous students have been tardy to class for a multitude of reasons. Mr. Von Arter, NHS Social Studies teacher, says, “It seems that the additional minute of passing time in between classes this year is helping students get to classes on time, eliminating tardiness.”

The policy may also influence how the teachers run their classes this year.

Mr. Foldeak, NHS Science Teacher, states, “I expect students to come to class on time this year and will closely monitor their number of absences to avoid loss of credit. I have been encouraging my students to get to class on time this year by establishing a routine…each class begins with an engaging activity while I take attendance. If they come late, they miss the initial activity.”

Considering school only started almost two months ago, only time will tell how effective the new attendance policy will be for the rest of this year and years to come.

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NEWS

October 2016

NHS Homecoming Dance Returns Reporter A new year has started at Norwalk High School, and with it comes an exciting and surprising addition. For the first time in five years, Norwalk High School held a Homecoming Dance after the football game on September 30th.

All around the country, thousands of high schools host Homecoming Dances each year. With Instagram, Twitter and other social media sites becoming the new source of “news” for teens, it is easy to become envious when there are cute pictures of Homecoming Dances from high schools around the globe. Never having had a homecoming dance before, students from NHS were curious as to what they should expect. “Hopefully with enough effort from everyone who is working on it, it will be a huge success,” said former student government member Ashley Colman (’17), “and finally the students of Norwalk High will actually have some pride and enjoy a school sponsored event.”

Many students wondered why the dance was being rebooted this year in

The green and white wave of students filling in the Bear Pack provided lots of support for the football players on Friday night. Even though the game was lost to Ridgefield 37-0, NHS kept their pride.

As for the dance, the theme of “green and white,” had the gym decorated beautifully. Green and white lights were hung across the walls, a dance floor was created in the center and green and white balloons were placed on the floor around the gym.

Near the end of the night, the winners of the court were announced. The title of “Homecoming King” was awarded to Eddie McCabe (’17) and “Homecoming Queen” to Edona Jakai (’17). For the juniors, AJ Hall (’18) was given the title of “Prince,” with Jessica Otto (’18) as his “Princess.” According to Mr. Heaslip, the class and dance advisor, 230 students attended. With those students came a profit of $1400 dollars for NHS.

At a school where expectations were practically non-existent, and student excitement peaked, Homecoming was a success. Hopefully this achievement will make for a new tradition here at NHS that students can look forward to every year.

Photo Credit: Laura Mastrianni --

Sabrina Rollings

Caroline Abrams (’18), Mr. Heaslip, and Diana Acosta (’18)

particular. It turns out, that two Norwalk High Juniors, Caroline Abrams and Diana Acosta, are responsible for the return of the Homecoming Dance for their Project Explore. “We got the idea from talking to our advisory teacher Mr. Ireland,” said Abrams (’18), “Homecoming stuck out to us greatly, so we chose to bring it back to the school for everyone to enjoy.”

This dance included a Homecoming Court, with a King and Queen comprised of two Seniors, and a Prince and Princess, both Juniors. Snacks and drinks were served complimentary in the deco-

rated lobby of Norwalk High. “There will be music and the court winners will be announced at the dance,” continued Abrams, “We are hoping to expand homecoming as the years go on.” Future plans include homecoming floats, corsages, and bonfires.

If Homecoming becomes a long-standing activity at Norwalk High, it will join in a long list of other beloved traditions of NHS, including the Bear Pack, the Senior breakfast, the Senior prank, Senior Prom and Junior Prom. Hopefully, Homecoming will be around for years to come.

Effects of Hurricane Matthew Gavin Halsey Reporter

There were also four deaths that were blamed on the hurricane in Florida. Flash flooding is a sparked concern in minds of many, both in and out of the southern Ph states.

“When it first hit Florida as a category four storm, I was worried we were going to have another Hurricane Sandy on our hands, where the whole coastline was going to be taken out. However, looking at the weather reports now and seeing it turn into a tropical storm, I’m not as worried as I was before, ” stated Senior, Matt Gola (’17).

Being prepared is a number one priority in the minds of many americans who want to be ready for whatever is thrown their way. oC ot

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Hurricane Matthew took the world by storm as it caused massive amounts of damage and claimed many people’s lives.

In Jeremie, Haiti, 470 people were reported dead as a result of the hurricane, according to a civil defense official on Saturday, October 8th. The Associated Press was informed by Fridnel Kedler, a coordinator for the Civil Protection Agency, that they still have not been able to reach out to all of the communities affected by the category four storm.“The death toll is sure to go up,” stated Kedler.

Many of the residents who survived this tragic storm, such as Jislene Jean-Baptist, shared their experiences. Baptist said that there was not much left of her one room house where she was raising three daughters and their children. With waist high waters washing away rice and sugar that was sold to support her family, she was left in complete disbelief. “The storm was the most terrifying thing that has ever happened here,” said Baptist.

People close to Jean-Baptist reported the same kind of damage to their houses and communities.

The government reported that 350,000 people were in need of some kind of assistance after the storm. The humanitarian crisis was not this bad since the country’s earthquake in 2010. However, first responders came to the aid of those hurt by transporting crates of food and water to those who needed it most.

“I think the U.S. should send medical aid to Haiti. Medical aid is the most important thing they need right now,” stated Jamie Phillips (’17).

The outskirts of the devastated town were also affected by the storm. Saint Victor Jeune, from the Civil Protection Agency, said that eighty-two more bodies were found in the surrounding area. These numbers were not included in the death toll because of spotty communications.

It was said that more support was coming to Haiti but people were left helpless until the storm had passed.

Donate to support Haitian families affected by Hurricane Matthew at support.wfpusa.org today

Trending Olympics: Rio De Janeiro Avinav Gupta Business Manager The Summer Olympics held every four years are symbols of the unity and peace between the different countries with different backgrounds, cultures and history.

The olympics contain almost every possible sport and provide a neutral state where friendly competitions are held for the first, second and third position. The total number of sportive events outnumber the total number of countries participating by almost a hundred.

The most recent olympic games were held in Rio De Janeiro, also known as Rio 2016. The conclusion of results for this year’s olympics left many spectators in shock, due to the fact that the United States of America brought in more medals than any other countries combined together. With the highest number of forty-six gold medals and the most medals won with a number of 121, the United States of America created a major panic for being the best.

Though getting the most medals is an accomplishment and winning the first rank surprises the world, the same cannot be said for domestic teenagers. From a time of suspense and anticipation, a no-care attitude can be said to have dialed down the olympics’ enthusiasm in the country. The international sports event is a performance that was and still is watched by sitting with the whole family, who is dying for a historic match. For some, the spirit meant directly going to the stadium where the event is being held and seeing first hand how countries compete with each other.

Confirming the reports from Gallup Surveys, the declining numbers throughout

the years have had a sudden drop impact from 2012 and are increasing the gap between the percentages from year to year. Even the die-hard Olympian fans are starting a trend to leave or lowball their interest in the four-year sports event.

The reasons for olympics losing their appeal are major. Due to the bidding on and persuasion of the game, the olympic sport is losing its value as an honest and ethical one. The Olympics held in a country are for everyone to enjoy, but due to their egoistic pride, sponsors have made it into a luxury brand that only a selected group can watch and participate. The reasons why the state of decline has increased need to change. and for that to happen, awareness needs to be present.

6

No More Tech Ed Edward McCabe Reporter In today’s day and age, society is completely college crazy. Everyone thinks that college is the only option after high school and if one does not go to college, there will be problems.

Unfortunately, this is not entirely inaccurate.

It is very difficult to get a job now a days if one does not have a four year college degree. Education is a very valued aspect in society, and if one did not go to college, there is a greater chance that someone else will take that job.

However, this philosophy was not always around. In the past, it was believed that there were a few options after high school. Some people went to college, some people started working immediately, and some people went to trade school. Trade school was where one could learn how to be a mechanic, a plumber, an electrician, etc. This school taught how to perfect this trade so that one could get a job in that field or even start your own business.

This year, Norwalk High School has cut the Technology Education program. This course was where kids could learn how to build and fix things.

Many students enjoyed it. Mr. O’Shaughnessy, who has been teaching at NHS since 1994, stated, “I think it was a mistake for them to take this program away.

Unfortunately, there was little to be done because the department was not getting the funding it needed to continue.”

The department was in first floor E house taught by Mr. Nick Sacchinelli.. When he retired last year, it was decided by the Board of Education, not to continue the program due to insufficient funds.The program was receiving less and less money because it was thought that there was no longer interest in the program. In reality, the Board of Ed wanted to keep moving towards a more academic focus for the school. Some students are better equipped to learn by doing and having hands on experience than just learning in a classroom. Without Tech Ed, it is much harder for those kids to do this.

This course also helped kids decide whether college was the right choice for them, or if they would rather take another path. Now that decision is harder because of the absence of the class.

College is just not for everyone. It is sad that our schools and society today try so hard to defer kids to the college path, because some people would be better off working in a hands on field.

Go to our website nhspawprint.com nhspawprint.com nhspawprint.com nhspawprint.com to view additional articles and to give us your input of what you want to hear!

NEWS

Opinion 2016

Seniors to Seniors Riley Robbinson Photo Editor Both seniors in college and senior citizens have wisdom to share with the Class of 2017.

Alumni from the Class of 2013 were interviewed through email and social media. Emily Rybnick, a biology major at Muhlenberg College, said, “If you have spent your entire life doing something that makes you incredibly happy, there is no reason that it should have to end when you graduate!” When applying to college, Rybnick set Halloween as her personal deadline for submitting her applications. She said this was helpful while studying for midterms, because she didn’t need to worry about multiple things. Rybnick also added, “You do not have to try to figure out the world outside of high school on your own. It is okay to ask for advice or help.”

For Darius Colson, a senior at University of Rochester, the most memorable part of senior year was the stress of the college application process, but also the excitement. He recommended, “Resources are all around you and you should utilize them to your benefit.” Colson also added, “Don’t be afraid of failure! College is about growth, and you won’t grow much if you limit yourself.”

Stephanie Bosworth spent the spring semester of her junior year studying abroad in London and cited travel as benefitting her personal growth. Bosworth said, “One of the most rewarding parts of college was going to England. I cannot convey how awesome it is to study abroad. I definitely learned how to be an adult.”

Michael Morabito, valedictorian

of the Class of 2013, is now at University of Connecticut pursuing a B.S. in finance and a B.A. in economics.

He said, “You can’t always be living for the weekend or some other future point in time. Yeah Mondays suck, but you’ll only have so many more at high school so enjoy them.” Looking forward, Morabito also recommended, “Graduation just marks a new beginning as you take on a whole new set of experiences.”

As well as offering advice, senior citizens described their high school experience and pointed out some differences from over 50 years ago. Alvin Schub is a Norwalk resident who graduated from Norwalk High School in 1968. He was a member of the first NHS marching band during his senior year. Schub said, “At the time, it was unique. I don’t think any of the other bands in the FCIAC were marching.”

Shub recommended that seniors

invest time figuring out what type of college campus suits them socially. He also added, “As you get older, you get smarter, hopefully.”

Mr. Schub’s wife, Irene Shub, remarked that college is very different for women now than it used to be. She said, “Girls were encouraged to go to college to find a husband rather than a career. There was a joke that girls went to college to get their MRS.” She added, “I would’ve been a little more adventurous in the path I was taking after high school.”

If senior year still seems overwhelming, just take it like senior citizen Lena Romeo: “High school? Who even remembers high school?”

Singleton Is Back Mackenzie Lowden CO-Editor In Chief Rumors are definitely not always what they seem to be, especially here at Norwalk High School.

Last year, there was talk about it being the final school year that D House would be put in use, yet, here it is, still standing. However, originally, there was supposed to be no house master. Because the Superintendent decided this, Principle Roberts did not know if it was because of the amount of students or the comparison to McMahon, since they only have four and we have five. As of right now, there are currently 352 students who belong to it.

Mr. Singleton is a former staff member here at NHS. He has recently gone on what he calls, “an administrative scavenger hunt.” However, he is now back in action here at NHS and is thrilled, as he is currently the new house master of D House. He says, “It feels great to be back.”

Giving him a bigger advantage, Mr. Singleton has “had an opportunity to do a lot of administrative work in the district.” This has helped make him a better administrator and definitely more equipped to handle situations, due to the fact that he now has the outside perspective.

Most administrators have only had experience working in our building, giving them a “one-dimensional” thought process on how operations work and how things can impact students and their families, whereas, Mr. Singleton has been on the opposite side, working behind the scenes. He states, “I understand why we do certain things at the district level or why things at the district level may not make sense to a building person, so I have the dual perspective, as opposed to a lot of the administrators who have a one-dimensional sort of career path.”

Because keeping a D House master was not in Principle Roberts budget, he said that “at the end of the year,” the

superintendent said that he “would pay for it.”

While Mr. Singleton has “a little differing of opinion about the house set up as it is,” he also has seniority over most of the house masters here at NHS. He thinks “that all of the persons here are highly qualified administrators.”

Mr. Singleton added that he is simply “happy to be back,” and NHS is as glad as he is, too.

October 2016

7

NEWS

Presidential Election Melissa Hawkes Reporter

With the 2016 Presidential election just around the corner, everybody still has varying opinions on the Republican and Democratic nominees.

When Donald Trump announced his candidacy, Maria Saldana (’18) “didn’t think he would make it to the final stages because of all the racist comments he has said, and it’s shocking that people support him.” Many people did not even think Trump would stick it out through the Primaries, but people knew he was serious when he won his party’s nomination, beating out Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and fellow frontrunner, Ted Cruz, among others.

Since he began his campaign, he has been slammed by many, including Saldana (’18). “Trump acts unprofessional and rude during interviews and he gets angry easily and it’s not okay.”

Despite all of this, 37% of the American population supports him, tailing Clinton by 11% as of October 16, 2016 (according to NBC).

“We’re screwed either way. I feel that both candidates are a bad fit for the country.”

Emma Daignault (’18) Many Democrats originally regarded Bernie Sanders as the favorite democratic candidate, but other disagreed. “I did think Hillary would make it to where she is now because she has more confidence and takes leadership really well, much better than Trump.” said Rachel Joseph (’19).

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When Hillary won over Sanders at the Primaries, the American public knew that she had learned something from her eight years as first lady and four years as the secretary of state. When asked whether he thought her past career would help her, Talon Goulart (’19) said “Yes and no, because she has seen a lot of what goes on in office because of being first lady. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean she’s ready to lead this country.”

When asked which candidate she thought was more prepared for the white house, Saldana (’18) said “I think Hillary, because Trump is a bully.” Clinton too, has received an overwhelming amount of criticism since the beginning of her campaign and then even more when a scandal regarding secret emails sent from her personal email surfaced.

Being opinionated Americans, many strongly dislike both major candidates, so they do not have to vote for either if they so choose. “If I had the ability to vote, I wouldn’t choose any of the candidates but for the sake of the country, I’d choose the lesser of the two evils. I understand the argument against her, that she’s untrustworthy, but while she was in office, she did some progressive things,” stated Matt Gola (’17) There is a candidate on the Libertarian ballot named Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, an author and businessman. Representing the Green Party, there is the option for nominee, Jill Stein. She was the Green party presidential nominee in 2012, as well a candidate for governor.

“Hillary Clinton is a lot more composed and mature than Trump. I think Hillary Clinton has a lot of background that hurt her campaign, but compared to Trump, she is the better candidate,” added Elise Sullivan (’18)

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Talk to you Social Studies teachers about possible Election Day Extra Credit.

A&E

Vikings Jamie Phillips Opinion Editor Vikings is a television show detailing the sagas of Ragnarr Loðbrók, the legendary norsemen that began the viking invasion of the British Isles as well as fathering various other legendary viking rulers such as Bjǫrn Járnsíða, Hálfdan, and Ívarr hinn Beinlausi.

Michael Hirst has crafted a show that will not only please history geeks, but also satisfy the average television consumer thanks to excellent writing, beautiful cinematography, great performances, and a compelling and historically accurate plot.

In terms of performance, Travis Fimmel is an excellent actor who seems to have been made for the role of Ragnarr Loðbrók. Not only is his line delivery good, but Fimmel has perfected his portrayal of Ragnarr in every aspect, from his nordic accent, to his viking esque physical acting. Supporting characters Katheryn Winnick and Clive Standen also give noteworthy performances, giving viewers a glimpse into the mannerisms and speech of scandinavians 1300 years ago. Gustaf Skarsgård, the actor who portrays the deep but somewhat unsettling character of Floki is another example of this shows great act-

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ing. His portrayal of Floki pushes the viewer to feel deeply uncomfortable about his character while also creating an atmosphere where watchers have no choice but to be endeared by his eccentric disposition.

Viking’s writing is compelling and entertaining, as well as historically accurate. Although the time period and Ragnarr Loðbrók’s story are not completely fleshed out narratives, the writers have done an incredible job at using the icelandic saga of Ragnarr Loðbrók as a frame while filling out the story with what historians do know about the time, as well as crafting a creative and engaging plot.

The cinematography is, like many new TV shows, high budget and incredibly well done. Vikings follows the trend that is blurring the line between television and movies. Multiple cameras, great shot composition, and a cold color palette drop the viewer into eighth century Scandinavia, adding to the incredible environment that Ciaran Donnelly has created.

Vikings is exemplary of what television shows are becoming - full length movies that are condensed into a season of episodes. Thanks to compelling writing, excellent performances from the cast, and beautiful visuals of the medieval north, Vikings deserves 5/5 stars.

Speechless Elise Sullivan News Editor Fall is here, which means it is time for an overwhelming amount of new television shows to flood TV channels.

A show that deserves applause is ABC’s Speechless, which follows character Maya Dimeo, played Minnie Driver, a dynamic, take-charge mother who is determined to find a school that will meet the needs of her son JJ.

JJ is played by Micah Fowler, as the role of a teenager diagnosed with cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair, leaving him with no means of communication other than through pointing to words on a computer.

Also along for the ride is the go with the flow father Jimmie Dimeo, played by John Ross Bowie and the other two children named Ray Dimeo, played by Mason Cook, the brainiac son who is fascinated with astronomy and a cute girl in his class, and daughter Dylan, played by Kyla Kennedy, a track star.

It may come as a surprise that this show is a comedy, given its evocative and rather significant plot. The first encounter

Horror Movies Alexis Morelli Reporter Halloween is just a few days away, and with it comes the several horror movie marathons showing on nearly every entertainment TV station.

Stations such as AMC have annual horror film marathons, running anywhere from twelve hours to an entire week of halloween movies and horror films. This is including several of Stephen King’s thrillers, the classic horror films, and the newest scary movies released this year.

Clearly, a large portion of people enjoy watching films made to scare, terrorize, and leave them either on the edge of their seat or pushed back in fear.

According to a paper written by Dr. Glenn Water in Journal of Media Psychology, people are attracted to horror films for their tension, relevance, and unrealism. In short, because they contain features such as suspense and gore, they relate to people’s own fears or cultures etc. They offer ideas that are in many cases unrealistic or unlikely to occur

with the Dimeo's is when they are frantically driving to stop for breakfast, in order to use a breakfast coupon that is three minutes away from expiring. While the mom drives twenty miles over the speed limit in a green minivan in order to use the coupon, almost five car crashes occur. Meanwhile, in the backseat, the kids are screaming fearful for their lives while Maya casually sips her coffee as if nothing is wrong.

One of most memorable parts of the pilot episode is the witty banter that takes place between characters. Throwing phrases and lines back and forth including Maya’s classic English accent and saying, “hello-luv,” in an extremely sarcastic manner.

The warm show captures the life of a typical middle class family that just happens to have a son with an extreme medical disability, through a comedic perspective and sarcastic tone. This witty and sharp comedy evokes a feeling of sympathy and humor in the audience, which will literally leave the viewers “speechless.”

for the average person. Mr. O’Shaughnessy, a teacher at Norwalk High School, explained, “Psycho films, those are pretty scary...The ones that are really scary are the ones that are plausible though.” Mr. O’Shaughnessy recommends watching the movie Nosferatu.

Horror films also trigger physical responses in the human body, creating not only an emotional and a mental movie experience, but also a physical experience. According to Mark D. Griffith’s Ph.D. from Psychology Today, the body experiences an increased blood flow due to suspense along with an increased respiration. Both of these are the body’s preparation to run or escape from something.

Muscles tense as a response to stress and terror, Cortisol, a type of stress hormone, rises, and Dopamine, also known as the “happy” chemical, is released leading to a sensation of happiness.

There is about four more days to enjoy the horror movies that come with Halloween season before the holiday marathons replace the horror marathons, so be sure to get in the yearly dose of suspense and terror while you can!

A&E

October 2016

9

Going Wireless Sick of the Static?

Isaac Keehn photo editor Year after year, Apple has come out with an improved iPhone that has new capabilities and additional features that improve their usefulness and get customers to buy their new product. This year, the new iPhone 7’s big “improvement” was getting rid of the original wire headphones, and replacing them with “AirPods”.

These new wireless headphones are the same design as the ear bud, however the AirPods narrow down to a short branch on the bottom of ear bud. This is a bold move by Apple, that has gathered lots of attention, yet lots of criticism as well. The obvious concern is that one would lose them immediately and one would have wasted the $159 price tags that they come with. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook ensures that the earbuds have been designed in a new way that keeps them in one's ear even better than expected. The AirPods also come with a stylish case that they magnetically secure to. Surprisingly, the cord on the original earbuds actually, “tend to help the earbud fall out, because it applies weight on them.” Said Cook.

For those who do not want to pay the extra cash for the AirPods, they are given a pair of wire headphones that plug into the same port as the charging cable. The iPhone 7 also has the new improvement of water resistance. This is a feature that other companies, such as Samsung and Motorola have already incorporated into their phones.

In addition to the new iPhone, Apple has also introduced the second generation of their watch, known as the Apple Watch Series 2. They are also water resistant, and now have the ability to play Pokemon Go.

Wireless technology is the future, and Image result for Pvris Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook stated that it is all about getting there, “as soon as you can.” Although it may seem unconventional, this is our future and there are only better things to come.

Asha Locke Reporter There are a ton of new artists that come out every day, however there has been few with the sound and success that PVRIS has.

Not Paris, but indeed PVRIS (pronounced like Paris) has an undoubtedly unique sound to them, they are a mix of alternative rock and soft pop, giving a presence of ghosts or something lingering around.

The band is made up with lead vocalist Lynn Gunn, guitarist Alex Babinski, and Bassist Brian MacDonald. MacDonald and Babinski also do many of the keys and synth for the band, while Lynn plays guitar most times as well. As of right now, they have a touring drummer, named Justin Nace.

PVRIS are familiar with the CT area, with their home being Boston, Massachusetts. They recently were on the full Vans Warped Tour in 2015, appearing on the mainstage. This year, they did a one off show in Hartford CT. With their great success on music festivals, such as Lollapalooza in Chicago and Big Ticket Fest in Florida, PVRIS has found themselves on the hot seat of music.

So far, their setlist has comprised of their debut album White Noise. PVRIS has previously released an EP which was released under the name of Paris, and an acoustic EP. Their debut album was released on November twenty second of 2014, and re-released as a deluxe edition with two previously unreleased songs.

PVRIS are signed to Rise Records and are currently writing a new record. They plan to write and record a majority of it in

a supposedly haunted church. For PVRIS it totally goes with their vibe to be surrounded by such an atmosphere.

Gunn has been named as number one rockstar by critically acclaimed magazine Kerrang this year since her entire band has made shockwaves as of now, and they have only been around since 2013. PVRIS had their first North American headlining tour but that wasn’t the beginning of their triumph. They also toured with Fall Out Boy, performed at huge festivals, performed on Jimmy Kimmel, and has sold many many records.

If a person needs someone new to listen to, step outside the box, pick up White Noise, and instantly fall in love.

Are you a cartoonist? Send The PawPrint your cartoons! See Mr. Karl Room 116B

Nirvana, The Voice of a Generation Matt Gola reporter On September 24, 1991, Nirvana released their most ambitious album titled. Nevermind; a record so revolutionary for its time, that it changed the cultural landscape of America.

The early 90’s was a prime time for a change in taste for music listeners in the United States. The 80’s had just passed, and with it went the age of “tyrannosaurus rock”; loud, expensive, and showy ballad performances. The new and young generation of music listeners craved for a more raw sound, something they could relate to. Nevermind was a fitting mouthpiece for this generation.

Nirvana’s sound, at its core, was angsty, frustrated lyrics, accompanied by simple chord progressions and choruses; music anyone with a Stratocaster and an amp could play. For this reason is why Nevermind became so popular. Equally angsty, frustrated, and young teenagers were coming of age and looking for music they could imprint themselves on. Nevermind became that music, it became the new generation.

Kurt Cobain, the frontman for Nirvana and one of its founding members, thrived in the music scene of Seattle, a scene that took great pride in its gritty, artsy, and sometimes avant garde, “garage band” performers. He, Krist Novoselic (bassist), David Grohl (drummer), rode this sound throughout the band’s first album, Bleach. While the album saw critical acclaim in Seattle, because of their small time deal with Seattle’s indie Sub Pop Records, the rest of the country had no way of hearing their sound.

Seattle loved - and still loves - indie music. They appreciated bands that stayed true to their roots and played music in local venues. However, the Seattle music scene did not like major records, claiming artists who signed with major record labels were “selling out,” and did not care about the music anymore. Cobain understood this local social construct, and yet, still sought to refute it.

Cobain’s aspirations, and subsequently the aspirations of the other members of Nirvana, transcended the small vision of most indie artists of the time, such as Massive Attack, Primal Scream, and My Bloody Valentine. Cobain was tired of Sub Pop and yearned for good distribution, marketing heft, and a major record deal. Cobain wanted Nirvana’s sound to be heard around the country. Their record deal with DGC finally allowed this to happen.

10

A&E

October 2016

Meme Crossword Puzzle

To see the answers, go to nhspawprint.com

GC Festival NYC NHS Achievers

As the new school year is under way, some might know that the Norwalk High School Reporter Marching Band has started on their newest production. Placing first at the 2012,2013, and 2014 MAC (Musical Arts Conference) Championships in years prior, the band is working very hard to produce a first place show yet again. With a total 150 plus hours of practice leading into their first show, they are ready to make a comeback.

There are approximately one hundred and eighty members of the band tthis year, the biggest it has been in fifteen years. With them, they have an award winning Color Guard and three time open class medalist drumline who both have traveled to Dayton, Ohio and competed in the WGI World Championships. It was at this event that the drumline received a silver medal in 2014, a bronze medal in 2015 and a silver medal again in 2016 during the indoor season.

“This years show is called ‘Home Sweet Home’ and it’s the play off of the concept of the Wizard of Oz.” says the band director at Norwalk High School, Chris Rivera.

The marching bears will be competing in both MAC and U.S. Bands circuits, with the ladder’s finals taking place at MetLife stadium in Queens, New York and MAC championships taking place here at Norwalk High School. Throughout the season they travel all over Connecticut every weekend to compete in these events, with their main competitor being the Trumbull High School Golden Eagle marching band.

Mr. Rivera goes on to say, “I’m excited for the whole season, because we have a great group of kids, a great leadership team, a great staff, and I look forward to it every day”.The schedule for the upcoming band competitions and events are posted on their website; nhsband.com, if you have any other questions regarding the program you can find Mr. Rivera in his office located in the music wing. Come out and support the Norwalk High School Marching Bears as the embark on their 2016 season.

Gavin Halsey

Riley Robinson

On Saturday, September 24, over 60,000 people gathered in Central Park for the Photo Editoer fifth annual Global Citizen Festival.

Rihanna headlined, closing out the night. The rest of the seven-hour concert was filled with various high-profile artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Demi Lovato, Metallica, Ellie Goulding, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Because Rihanna was thirty minutes late starting her performance, Chris Martin stalled by singing Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” with improvised lyrics.

Entrance to this event was free. Concertgoers earned points to enter the ticket lottery by supporting Global Citizen’s charitable projects. Point-worthy actions included tweeting and emailing government leaders and signing online petitions for anti-poverty initiatives. Winners received two tickets.

Kathleen Mcelaney (‘17) triumphed in the ticket lottery, earning her points by signing petitions to help end world hunger and promote girls education, as well as calling the Italian embassy and emailing the prime minister of Canada.

Rachel Ranieri (‘17) attended with Mcelaney. She said Demi Lovato’s performance was the most inspiring part of the concert, noting, “The festival really focuses on women’s rights and Demi made an awesome speech after her performance about that,” She then added, “[Lovato’s] songs are directed towards girls and women to be more confident so it fit with the theme really well.”

For those who missed out on the annual festival, Global Citizen hosts other free ticket opportunities throughout the year. Volunteers can use points to enter other lotteries, possibly winning tickets for performers such as CHVRCHES and Amy Schumer.

presents...

Yvette Mondok Hungarian opera singer, direct from Budapest!!!

Featuring NHS Students: Sabrina Rollings TJ Boyrer Michael Major Zachary Anderson Lexi Malaterra

Also Featuring Special Guest: Joseph Santaniello Jr.

Gala Fundraising Afternoon Concert Sunday, November 6, 2016 @ 4PM Tickets: $15 on website or at door

Crystal Theatre Performing Arts Center 66 Bayview Avenue, South Norwalk, 06854 More info: www.crystaltheatre.org | 203.847-4850 Bake Sale: Hungarian Pastries, Champagne & Hot Cider!

Season Preview showcasing the casts of “Sleeping Beauty”, “Mother Holle” & “Living The American Dream”

Who are NHS students going to be for Halloween?

A gangster - Kevin Vega (’18)

L L A OW H

Raggedy Anne - Sara Grant (’18)

E E

N T A N

Jacko’-lanterns were once made out of turnips, beets and potatoes — not pumpkins.

A Lacrosse Player Sean Donaher (’19)

A Fall Goddess - Carlos Navarro (’19)

All Tricks And • The annual amount of money spent for Halloween is $8.4 billion.

• 16.2% of people dress their pets in costumes • 94.3% of Americans buy candy for Halloween • 70.9% of Americans hand out candy

Asha Locke (Repor

The return of a new school year comes with the end of summe and the smell of hot chocolate. With fall comes the most colorfu Halloween is easily one of the most spirited times of year. W come this day, they turn into a zombie.

Last year Halloween appeared on a Saturday and we avoide on a school day before, but it is nice when it is not. When it com not want their peers to make fun of what they wear on a day me This is brought up to say that obviously the majority of peo show their creative side. Girls and Boys alike put on outfits insp With the appearance of all of these differences in attire ther a cat without being called derogatory terms, and guys can not become so harshly critiqued what you wear, that most people ar Now, there are some speculations about restrictions and wha as no masks, no clowns, and to follow the dress code. This woul just anything different in general. With that, it could be fun to se School.

Halloween can be a really fun time for NHS, there can be m back to life. Instead of walking around thinking that you are bet angel wings and rock with them.

What is your favorite part about Halloween?

“Halloween is more Irish than St. Patrick’s Day. Halloween’s origins come from a Celtic festival for the dead called “Samhain.” Celts believed the ghosts of the dead roamed Earth on this holiday, so people would dress in costumes and leave “treats” out on their front doors to appease the roaming spirits.”

-Huffington Post

NORW A

“The candy!” - Russell Kwakye (’17)

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HIG H

Scary movies! - Frideriki Koletsos (’18)

Originally, you had to dance for your “treat.”

Pumpkin spice lattes Chris Thompson (’17)

d No Treats

rter)

er, and fall steps in with the sound of crunching leaves ul of holidays, Halloween.

When most days one sees a normal high school student,

ed having it on a school day. We have had this holiday mes people do not know what to wear that day. They do eant for fun. ople here enjoy it and want to dress up for the day and pired by their favorite characters and get spooky. re is a fair amount of ridicule. Girls can not dress up as dress up as a doctor without being called basic. It has re defeated and do not dress up at all. at is pushing it too far. There are some reminders, such ld bring out original ideas that can be fully flourished or ee what comes from the student body of Norwalk High

many characters roaming the halls and the dead brought tter for putting others down, put on some devil horns or

Haunted House

at NHS on October 29th from 7-10pm $7 for presale or $10 at the door Some teachers are offering extra credit!

Be sure to come!

Dressing up!

- Jada Daniels (’17)

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STAFF BOX The Paw Print

E DITORIAL

“Go For It” Mackenzie Lowden CO-Editor

in chief

T

Norwalk High School 23 Calvin Murphy Drive Norwalk, CT (203) 838-4481 The Paw Print would like to thank all journalism students for their work in the creation of the paper.

Advisor Mr. Karl Co-Editors in Chief Mackenzie Lowden Hannah Keyes ______Designers______ News Editor Elise Sullivan Opinion Editor Jamie Phillips Social Media & A/E Editor Sara Roman Business Manager Avinvav Gupta Photo Editors Riley Robinson Isaac Keehn Staff Writers Ainsley Ludger Alexis Morelli Asha Locke Christiana Joyner Chris Muralles De-Aja Cogswell Edward Mccabe Emma Daignault Gavin Halsey Kira Cusik Madison Riascos Maria Saldana Matt Gola Melissa Hawkes Maria Saldana Olivia Opalinski Bobby Gummer Sabrina Rollings

POLICY: Our newspaper reserves the right to edit all submissions for space and clarity. All entries must include name, year in school, and phone number for verification. The opinions expressed in the opinion section are those of the writers, not the entire staff.

his is going to be my first editorial (of many) as Co-Editor In Chief for The Paw Print and I could not be more thrilled.

My goal for this year, is to be a true voice and to be heard by each and every reader we have, but to make a difference that will have a positive effect on all. For the first issue of the 2016-2017 Paw Print, I have decided that this particular topic has yet to be heard and actually taken into consideration. In this case, bashing people’s dreams simply because it is not in one’s interest.

Everyone has their own specific goals they wish to reach by putting in an endless amount of effort towards it. They have their own purpose, intentions and reasons. However, that does not give anyone the right to shun someone else’s dream just because they are not interested.

Journalism is defined as not only “the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information,” but also “the product of these activities,” according to americanpressinstitute.org. But no matter how it is defined, people do not realize that it is much more than just a definition.

Others who do not understand the true meaning of journalism, come to their unnecessary conclusion of it being “boring.” But that is yet another problem with this generation. For example; in my English class, one of the people who sits next to me asked

where I wanted to go to college and what I wanted to go there for with an unsure answer as to where, but to major in journalism. She proceeded to say, “Ew, journalism? That’s so boring!”

If someone is not interested in another person’s goal/dream, they automatically go against it. Now, I am not trying to say that people cannot have their own opinion, but they just absolutely cannot be in such a hurry to bash someone else’s hopes and dreams.

Creativity is a strong suit of many people, and there are several ways of taking advantage of it. In this case, the subject is journalism. It is one to have a number of different useful forms. There is writing, broadcasting, enterprise, database, and the list continues, however, writing and broadcasting are two of the most popular forms; also two courses that are offered here at Norwalk High School.

Imagine not having news channels, informational websites, or any newspaper. Imagine what life would be like without anyone knowing what was going on around them.

That is all taken on by journalists. No awareness and/or warning would be here without them.

Journalism allows people to pursue their own voice, help themselves put their opinion out there, and to spread awareness to others.

This is just one example of thousands of goals people have. If you have a particular goal to reach, do not, by any means, let anyone else’s opinion reflect on yours. Go for it.

Finding Your Identity Hannah Keyes CO-Editor

T

in chief

his is my first editorial as Co-Editor in Chief of The Paw Print and as I sit down to write this, I think back to last year, being only a sophomore, never realizing or even conceptualizing the possibility of being one of the leaders of this amazing newspaper. My high school experience so far has allowed me make drastic strides in developing more as a person and discovering new potential within myself. My hope for this editorial and the many more to come, is that I can shed light on what is important at NHS, while also conveying my opinions in a way that is genuine.

A topic that is relevant to anyone and everyone, especially teenagers in high school, is identity. Developing an identity is a scary and daunting task because it is not necessarily easy to do. Discovering oneself is a grueling process, and although this is coming from someone who does not yet have an “identity,” at the very least I can be able to connect with those who are going through the same problems as me, since we are all on this intense and dizzying ride known as adolescence.

It is important to determine what is and is not of value because it will help one to uncover self proclaimed truths. Knowledge is a way to understand oneself more deeply. Everyone has a basic set knowledge just from simply experiencing life, and this knowledge is furthered from things such as education, influence of parents, or interactions with peers.

Overtime, one will be able to make decisions about themselves for themselves.

A person may have doubts that they will ever understand themselves and feel incapable of finding what truly suits them. The reality is that no one knows exactly what is “perfect” for them, but one can only live and learn, take risks and think, but also feel. This is what will lead to new discoveries.

Adolescence and young adulthood is the prime time for discovery. Though conflict may occur, it is only another obstacle that further shapes one’s self. It is important to remember that it is okay, because life is not simple by any means, and finding an identity is a broad topic that can only be defined by one person, you.

OPINION

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Cultural Death by Dictionary figuratively place themselves on an invisible ledge. This ledge displays the extremity of their dramatic life to the point where they can not possibly survive whatever hardship they are going through, even if their situation proba-

Sabrina Rollings Reporter Every year, new slang appears and finds its way into the urban dictionary, sometimes even the Webster dictionary.

Words like “ain’t” and “yolo” have not only found their way into the hearts of the people, but into their dictionaries as well.

Often, people say words or use phrases that they do not necessarily mean. The new generation, “Generation Z”, has become desensitized to the reality of the terms they are using. More often one will hear, “I’m gonna kill myself”, in a typical daily conversation than hearing someone express their joy for being alive.

Acronyms do not help. Text language fills the heads of teenagers and creates a barrier between them and the real English language. People text “kms” (kill myself) to express anger, stress or other emotions causing them to

bly is not that drastic.

When these texts are sent, no one thinks twice about the potential of someone actually meaning the words that they say. Teens these days have become so accustomed to

hearing people use the words “I’m gonna kill myself” or other words hinting towards thoughts of death, that they have forgotten the seriousness that naturally follows those words.

However, it does not stop there. People actually use the acronym “kys” which means, “kill yourself”. They type it like it is no big deal, but they forget how serious it is. Telling someone to ‘kill themselves’ is not a joke.

In fact, 42,773 people die each year due to suicide. The idea of someone legitimately killing themselves has fled the minds of teens as soon as the acronym became popularized.

In a world where there are 171,476 words in the English dictionary, it is hard to believe that there is not a better way for people to express their feeling without talking about wanting to die. As teens naturally recycle language over the years, hopefully they will filter out the negative and substitute it with something more positive and less deadly.

Power of Pledge Hannah Keyes Co-Editor In Chief

Photo credit: geopolitics.us

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Each day during second period, all students and staff at Norwalk High School stop what they are doing, stand up, and face the red, white, and blue flag putting their right hand on their heart, pledging their allegiance to the flag of the country in which they live. It is a justified and deserving course of action considering the past struggles faced to gain the freedom that the citizens of the U.S. have today. The problem lies in the fact that it is uncertain whether or not pledging allegiance has meaning to people anymore.

The reality of the matter is that in school during the pledge, one can see students looking in all directions, swaying back and forth without a care, or with a complete blank look on their face. It may be possible that performing the same monotone robotic routine every single day has taken away the true meaning of pledging allegiance to our country. The purpose of saying the pledge and listening to the star spangled banner day everyday is to invoke a sense of patriotic pride and to serve as a constant reminder of how our country came to be and

how there are still people out there fighting for our freedom now.

The Connecticut state requirements entail; “Each local and regional board of education shall develop a policy to ensure that time is available each school day for students in the schools under its jurisdiction to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance”.”

However, NHS experiences the pledge and the anthem every single day.

One may wonder how the other surrounding high schools fare. Staples High School does both just like us; but Brien McMahon, Stamford, and Weston High Schools all only do the pledge. If you do the math, over the course of four years in high school, NHS spends a grand total of twenty-four hours listening to the pledge and the anthem.

From a young age, listening and speaking these words of patriotic passion, has just served as “the norm.” Going all the way back to kindergarten, almost nobody knew what it is they were saying, no one actually knew the meaning of the words, and it is most likely that people did not know the reason they were saying it in the first place. Also, after eventually figuring it all out, many people will acknowledge the importance and relevance, but will still think that it is just a routinely occurrence.

It is no longer an act that people want to do, but an act in which they are conditioned to do.

Lost My Faith

Religion is an atrocity, followed by 84% of the world’s population.

When terrorists behead journalReporter ists, they do it to spread their views about the world and how it should work; screaming, “Allahu Akbar,” while committing such acts. This “so called” omniscient and omnipotent God has been the root cause for much destruction in the world; dating all the way back to ancient Rome.

Many believers follow a higher deity because of many reasons; whether it be hereditary, through personal experience, or simply “knowing” that the beauty of the cosmos and evolution of man could not have happened without the power of creation. This is understandable, but do not jump to conclusions without doing some research.

Scientists are hard at work uncovering evidence of evolution, hidden, for millions of years while die-hard christians follow a book, written by desert dwellers two-thousand years ago, that considers homosexual activity an “abomination,” believing in stoning a woman for not being a virgin on her wedding night, and following the same God who sent two large bears to maul children to death for making fun of a prophet and his bald head. An omnibenevolent deity, certainly not.

Everyone who is religious is certainly not a bad person. I believe that most religious people are good people. Volunteering in soup kitchens, youth groups, and charity work are some of many good principles followed and carried out by the religious.

An experiment has recently been done with more than 3,400 people taking the thirty-two question survey about major religions. On average, people who took the survey answered half of the questions incorrectly, even about their own faith. Those who scored the highest, were atheists and agnostics, showing that secularists know more about religion and faith than the people who believe in it.

People may say the reason they believe is because they want or feel the need to. It gives them a sort of solace and guarantee that there is something greater, religion is a necessity for the religious.

From my point of view those who do believe, need to accept the fact that when one dies, nothing happens. Your body disintegrates and is decomposed by organisms.

One should not look forward to holding hands with Jesus, because he will not be there not there. There is no need for religion, there is no need for God, and for those who do believe, open your eyes.

Christopher Muralles

16

Opinion

Relationships Mackenzie Lowden CO-editor

in chief

Looking back now, the evolution of relationships is insane. “You only have to look as far back as the ’90s to start comparing the present to life without texting, dating apps and, as Shakespeare would say, that cursed social media.” (theloop. ca)

Years ago, relationships were taken more seriously and were more genuine than they are now. Now, “men and women often find it difficult to approach someone at a party, let alone announce to the world that they are eager to meet someone. In a larger context, this is a problem that impacts all dating situations: how to seem interested without seeming desperate.” (psychologytoday.com)

There was a time where guys would ask girls out on an actual date, tell them they were pretty instead of “hot” or “sexy,” and walk to their front step when picking them up. However, nowadays, all of that is shunned upon because people are afraid of rejection or being made fun of.

Instead of having a “title,” people will now prefer having a “thing.” Try explaining what that is to someone, and you will then finally come to the conclusion on how ridiculous this generation truly can be at times.

People only care about their image, what they wear, how they look, if

their makeup and hair are “finessed,” and what other people think about them. God forbid someone is different because then they will not fit in or reach this generation's expectations.

When there was no way of contacting each other through technology, everything was done in person.

There was no texting, no social media, and there were absolutely no dating apps or websites for people to meet.

However, people now depend on it all.

On any source of social media, one can and will see a photo or a video of a “cute couple” and automatically think that they are “goals.”.

People complain about wanting a genuine, loyal relationship, but w h e n it really comes down to the point, they are scared in some sort of way and would prefer to keep whatever it is that they have going, on “the low.”

People who worry about what others think of them and your relationship with someone else other than them, need to stop. Color, size, who their friends are, and appearance cannot be the main thing that people look for in a person. It does not matter who they are, one absolutely cannot be ashamed of who they are attracted to or what they want in a person.

People constantly say to leave the past where it belongs, however, when it comes to how people treat each other in a relationship and the effort put into one, the past is where it is at.

Harassment Maria Saldana Reporter Wearing “provocative” clothing should not, but does influence others to catcall or harass women and make them feel uncomfortable or ashamed.

Women should not have to fear being harassed with words that belittle or dehumanize them. Most importantly, people should not blame the verbal harassment on what the woman is wearing or what she looks like. They should not tell the woman that she is “lucky” for receiving the attention, because most of the time, the attention is not wanted.

According to StopStreetHarassment. org, approximately sixty five percent of women had experienced a type of street harassment, twenty three percent had been touched inappropriately, twenty percent of women were followed, and nine percent were forced into traumatic experiences.

The surveys have also found that out of 811 women, 99% had been leered, honked, and whistled at, or have been told sexist comments that had made them feel uncomfortable.

All of these forms of vulgarity are ignored by women, not because they like to be sexualised, but because they are afraid to speak out in fear that there will be se-

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rious consequences. For example, they can be insulted, and other people may tell the woman that it was her fault for what she was wearing. They may tell her that the comment was not supposed to be offensive, and that she should take it as a compliment, even if what the offender said was offensive.

Some female students have dealt with this issue at NHS. They walk anxiously in certain hallways fearful that they will be put into uncomfortable situations by their peers. There have been several incidences, but they are not reported because girls fear that they will not be taken seriously. NHS should not have an environment like this. It is unfair to female students, and action should be taken.

In order for this to stop, people need to realize that harassing someone else will make them feel unsafe. People should not be impulsive and blurt out some offensive slurs at other people because they look attractive.

Instead of telling women or other victims of street harassment that it is their fault that they receive the unwanted attention, the people who commit these acts should be taught not to harass people, or they should learn to treat people with dignity and respect.

(888) 568-8332 State-wide Spanish

October 2016

Need for Sleep Isaac Keehn Photo Editor On average, teenagers spend nine hours a day looking at an illuminated screen of some sort. That is more time than teenagers spend in school and more time than the average night of sleep for a teenager. That does not mean that everything teens do on these screens is meaningless. In fact, a lot of it is quite meaningful and helpful.

Email, social media, and educational aids such as google classroom, are just a few examples of this. The effects that these screens have on our health though, is a whole other question.

There are different types of light which have different effects on our brains. Blue light, which is most abundant during the morning, activates your brain and tells it to get up and start functioning. Red light is more common during the evening time.

It slows your brain down and prepares you When people use their phones or watch TV before going to bed, they are being exposed to blue light, which in turn is telling their brain to wake back up again right before they are going to sleep. This will not only make it harder for you to fall asleep, but it will also impact how alert you feel the next day. This can affect performance in school, on the athletic field, and with family. It is

important to sleep, but it is more important to sleep well.

Sleep is a major factor in one’s overall health. Not getting enough of it has been linked to other health problems like obesity and diabetes. The suppression of melatonin, (the chemical in your brain that helps regulate your sleep) has also been associated with a higher risk of certain cancers.

“Computer Vision Syndrome” is another health related cause of overuse of screens. It has been tested that when people read off of screens, as opposed to reading off paper, you tend to stare more.

More starring, means less blinking, which then means less moisture to your eyes. This will result in dry, irritated eyes. Almost everyone who uses computers has experienced some symptoms of this syndrome.

Computers, cell phones, and TV’s all have their individual purposes. They help us learn, connect, and entertain us. These technologies have helped improved the way we live our daily lives, however, moderation is key. Overuse of any of these devices can cause major problems to our health and well-being.

One should practice not using their phone right before bed, and step away from the computer when their eyes get sore. Using these resources is great, but using them in a healthy way is better.

Opinion

Ocotber 2016

Pay the Parents Riley Robinson Photo Editor

This election season, both major-party presidential candidates are proposing paid family leave, however Donald Trump’s falls short because he left out the dads.

Hillary Clinton’s proposal includes twelve weeks of paid family leave for new parents, with no specification of parent’s gender. Trump’s new plan, unveiled by his daughter Ivanka, proposes six weeks guaranteed paid leave, but to mothers only.

At first glance, this might seem like enough. After all, fathers have no physical recovery after childbirth. Restricting paid leave to only mothers also cuts costs for employers.

However, it would be women footing this bill for maternity leave. The biggest contribution to the national pay gap, a 78.3% difference between men and women, is not that women are less educated, or just tend to pick lower-paying jobs.

The wage gap is really a maternity gap.

When women take family leave while their male counterparts do not, they are passed over for promotions or raises.

By requiring employers to provide paid leave to new moms, all women of childbearing age suddenly become a liability.

There is suddenly a huge incentive for employers to choose the male candidate for a job opening because they do not need to worry about where that employee will be in nine months.

Norway created a new solution to this problem. New Norwegian parents get eight months paid leave to split between the couple, but four weeks are reserved specifically for the father. If the father chooses not to take time off, parents forfeit an entire month of time with their child. As a result, now 70% of fathers take paternity leave according to Gordon Dahl, an economist quoted for NPR. Including men in paid leave programs levels the field in the job market and at home. Because Trump’s plan for paid leave only includes mothers, it actually puts women at a long-term disadvantage. Clinton’s plan includes both parents, and therefore promotes gender equality. When men are encouraged to contribute to child-rearing, women have increased time and freedom outside the home. Society cannot expect women to have an equal shot in the workforce if men are not also taking on equal domestic responsibilities.

Daniel N Minchik DDS

Total Family Dentistry

148 East Ave Norwalk CT 06851 Phone:(203) 866-4532 www.drminchik.com

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To all the parents who get subscriptions To all the teachers that let us interview them To custodians for cleaning up the lab

To all the Parents who have simply made contributions to our little paper

17

No Varsity Gym Edward McCabe Reporter

Three hour practices, conditioning, weight room, and games at least three days a week.

This is the athletic schedule for most varsity athletes. On top of that, athletes have to balance their grades, make sure they eat right and sleep enough to stay healthy, and try to still spend time with family and friends.

W i t h this already crazy schedule, varsity athletes do not have a reason to participate in a gym course to pass high school.

A district in Franklin County Ohio say that they do not. They believe that athletes can be benefitted in other ways. In this small part of the Midwest, varsity athletes are not required to take a gym class to pass, and graduate highschool.

Instead, they have the option of taking another academic course or taking a study hall period, where they can do homework or get extra help in a class to stay on top of their grades. The district allows this, because they know that these kids work extremely hard on their sport and staying fit,

and have realized that they do not need to take a gym class to prove that. They are already doing physical activities much greater than those in a physical education class.

Being a varsity athlete, one can say from experience that while gym class is a nice break away from the classroom, one would much rather spend time in a study hall to stay more on top of my work and keep it from being overwhelming, rather than another athletic activity. Study hall would be much more productive to an athlete’s time than playing ping pong.

P hy s i cal Education is meant to keep people in shape and to teach leadership skills and work along in a group to help kids when they get jobs in real life. The sports these kids play, and being on a team competing at a varsity level serves the same purpose as a gym class.

It actually benefits students more because those leadership skills and working with others is intensified on a varsity team.

Varsity athletes should not have to take physical education to pass highschool. Instead, they should have the option of taking a study hall or another academic class.

18

Opinion

October 2016

Why We’re All Scared of Clowns Olivia Opalinski Unless you have been living under a rock, you have most likely heard about clowns terrorizing cities around America. While they are commonly seen as goofy characters, NHS learned that this is not a laughing matter earlier in the month.

People have been dressing up in clown costumes and scaring citizens in several different states. Reports claim that they have most likely been seen around wooded areas, especially at night. Some people have even said they have tried to lure children into the woods with cash or candy. At this point, people may be wondering why we are so afraid of clowns.

Clowns are meant to be associated with fun, with their giant shoes, brightly colored clothing, and their comedy that truly appeals to young children. This in fact, is where the scary part comes in. Back in medieval times, jesters were essentially the designated fool. They were people hired specifically to act goofy and to make the king laugh. If they were not able to do this, there would

Photo Credit: Wascoclown/Instagram

Reporter

be consequences.

These included people having their faces altered so that they would be physically unable to frown, which is why most clowns today have a painted on smile. This is considered uncanny; something that is strange or mysterious, but in an unsettling way.

There are so many questions that people have when they think of creepy jokers as well as classic scary movie tactics. One of the most famous associations we have with clowns, is Pennywise from Stephen King’s “It.” King is widely known for his terrifying stories that are thought to cause nightmares, even for grown adults. This novel is the perfect example of clowns being portrayed as a phobia of many, and at the same time, being associated with the other eerie novels written by King.

Not to mention the negative associations people have with them. For example, pictures of them in hospitals, which might make one think of insane asylums, which is something we are also known to be afraid of.

Overall, it is really just the unexplainable that people fear when it comes to clowns. If one were actually able to comprehend these shiver-worthy thoughts, they would not be so scared after all. But until then...try not to look under the bed!

Clowns terrorize citizens across the United States

Kill Them with Kindness

impact really is.

These simple acts of kindness that are just over looked as things that are “expected” in society now. It is not a social expectation to be kind to one another. It is a person’s choice if they want to assist another. More often than not people are just going to be oblivious and not care whether these acts are done or not but others become insulted when they are not conducted. The egotism of people is a relentless beast.

The beauty of kindness is that it can be expressed to anyone. Kindness is the most basic version of goodness and the world always needs a little more goodness. In turn helping others can help their world. All that needs to be done in one’s life is to not think of people as inherently bad right off the bat. Try to think of everyone in a more acceptable light after all no one is born evil it is the environment they are exposed to in their world.

What I ask, is that we all start to practice kindness. This little addition to one’s daily life is not difficult to achieve. Avoiding anger is easier said than done, but it is possible. By removing anger one’s sensitivity to things is lessened so one can see situations with an unjaded mind.

From this day on just try, say good morning to your teachers and thank you when a peer passes out an assignment, small actions and words can change the world.

Sara Roman A&E/Web Editor The depravity of kindness is no new occurrence in society, it has been present for years and has no intention of leaving. Not just any person can help another, that is a special trait that only some possess to its full extent. When those small acts of kindness come along they need to be preserved or passed on, or at least more appreciated than they are now.

Saying “hi” or even a smile to someone when one passes them on the street could be enough to lighten up a day. Holding the door open or an elevator or anything, one is taking precious time that one could be using in other means to help another.

A reason for the lack kindness could be from the rise of the digital age allowing easy access to cruelty and hate towards each other. People that say rude things or have the urge to now have the ability to say practically anything of that sort without consequence, so mix that in with lack of empathy from the lack of human contact also a side effect from the rise of technology and one now has a negative influence been created, times that by a thousand or a hundred million and one will see how influential the

Brains Over Beauty the Battle Alexis Morelli Reporter On average, women spend fifty five minutes a day applying makeup, brushing their hair, or working on their appearance. That is 20,075 minutes a year, 334.16 hours a year, or 13.94 days per year.

Overall, studies show that it comes out to at least two years of a woman’s life spent primping. In short, women spend two weeks a year on looking “pretty.” Not including the extra few minutes throughout the day spent in front of a mirror, fixing smudged eyeliner, redoing a ponytail, or spending extra time before going out for the night. This may come off as an extreme amount of time, and it is, however society has set the standard for women that this focus on appearance is necessary.

Women are being fed the idea that physical appearance or beauty is a priority. If they do not meet the status quo of beauty, then they are inadequate. Perhaps this is because of the celebrity role models people look up to.

The people that media places its focus on are not bright scholars, aspiring doctors, or those excelling in academics. The Kardashians are considered some of the most famous people in America, along with Madonna and Beyonce, none of which are famous for their minds.

Women are challenged daily to have the perfect body, the plumpest lips, or the longest lashes. Rarely in society are women challenged to improve their intelligence or increase knowledge.

It is nearly impossible to flip through a magazine without seeing a full page image of a model advertising the newest nail polish color or eyeliner, but it is not often that there is a page with a scholar on it, encouraging people to read the newest novel.

Perhaps people should take a moment to learn the name of someone who made the newest scientific discovery, study some of the new policies the United States has set in place or who some of the new politicians are. Instead of picking up a beauty magazine, read an article in National Geographic.

Instead of complimenting someone’s

smooth hair, compliment their character or how interesting something they said was. Society needs to begin separating themselves from the weight placed on physical appearance and start a new movement of intelligence being the modern trend.

19 19

OPINION Opinion

October2016 2016 October

Student Opinions on Education Page

“World History” Kira Cusick Reporter Every year at Norwalk High School, many important moments in history are swept under the rug; kept locked away in a textbook somewhere no one will ever find it. People ignore what they do not wish to acknowledge, historical content deemed unimportant is stripped from the minds of a generation that needs it the most.

In the face of fear and growing phobia, an uneducated public is the worst thing to be armed with. As part of an educated society, it is the duty of the school to inform students on the ways in which the history of the world has lead us to where we are today.

There is an extremely narrow scope here. World History focuses on two areas, Western Europe and America, and that is hardly half of the world. Nearly every year, the events of the Holocaust are taught, and while it is an event that deserves remembrance, it is not the only genocide that has occurred. There has never been a class in which we discuss The Armenian Genocide (1915-1917), or the Rwandan Genocide, which occurred all too recently in 1994. These heinous crimes, amongst many more, are overlooked and deemed less important than those in Europe.

This attitude is reflected in many aspects of NHS curriculum. For instance, the fact that we only have AP European History as an option for students to take, instead of including AP World History as another option. There are

also no AP classes available for any other geo-specific History course besides European. More needs to be done to integrate different areas of focus into the history curriculum at NHS. This problem also follows students into the ever dwindling Language department, where students can pick from a small variety of European romance languages.

The Brien McMahon High School Global Studies department is a fantastic opportunity for students in the Norwalk community, but it is not an option for everyone.

Changes need to be made so that NHS students don’t get the short end of the stick when it comes to learning about other languages and cultures, as well as history.

In a society that is increasingly Eurocentric, NHS falls suit. Only offering American and European history courses leaves a majority of the student body blind to important historical circumstances that occur outside the borders of the western world.

From a young age, American children are taught that that is all there is. Drawing a dark curtain over the immense historical and cultural value that other parts of the world have to offer. Amidst all this darkness there is one shining light at NHS, and that is the AP Comparative Politics course, taught by The Paw Print’s own, Mr.Karl.

This was the first class that ever steered me away from what I knew to discover more about the world that I live in. It was my first experience diving into South America, Asian, Slavic-European, and African history in a classroom setting. It was like pulling back the hood of a car and seeing all the gears rotate for the first time.

Seeing how each action had an equal and opposite reaction, and how each factor worked together, leading the countries into their present circumstances.

It is clear now more than ever that if we ever wish to mend the world from its current state we must understand how it came to be that way. There is so much more to history than Europe and America, and it is important that that we learn that we are just a small part of a grand story.

Teach the Hard Lessons of WWI Jamie Phillips Opinion Editor 102 years ago, on July 28th, 1914, the world erupted into fire. The first world war began, and with it, a cruel new form of warfare. This day is arguably the most important day of the twentieth century, however, it is all but neglected in the American school system.

Most high schoolers learn that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by some Serbian guy, causing the war that happened before World War II, the “important war”. Students are taught about what trench warfare was and how it caused the war to last so long. Students are not taught about the horror that occurred in those trenches. The school system glosses over the atrocities that both sides committed, and how those atrocities created our modern world.

The school system teaches about WWII for good rea-

sons. It is an important war that explains how the world became what it is today, from literal borders to the less tangible ideological beliefs of a populace. It is easier for students to learn about WWII because it is easily justifiable, unlike World War I. WWII is an epic story of good versus evil, equality versus racism, and liberty versus authoritarianism. WWI is a story of imperialistic ambition, with no “good guys”.

It is for this reason exactly that WWI must be taught in depth. The lesson that all participants learned from the conflict is that modern warfare is not the glorious endeav-

our that it used to be portrayed as. Mustard gas, machine guns, tanks, bombs, and other modern inventions killed without discrimination. Boys no older than thirteen lived in trenches, surrounded by waste and death for weeks or even months at a time. WWI taught the world that war is an awful endeavour that must only be undertaken when absolutely necessary.

This lesson has been all but forgotten in our modern world. Jingoistic Americans call for war with any adversary that presents itself, from Russia and China to the various countries of the middle east. Nationalistic Europeans call for closed borders to ensure “ethnic purity”. Reactionary Russians support Putin in his endless quest for new territory to conquer and new countries to swallow into his sphere of influence.

The horrors of the great war must be taught in order to prevent those awful conflicts, or conflicts like them, from erupting again, no matter how uncomfortable they are to teach.

A Lack of Reading Within Youth Elise Sullivan News Editor It is rare to find students, and/or teenagers, walking down the hallway with an open book in their hands.

It is not rare, however, to see them walking with their eyes glued to a cell phone.

It is not common for teenagers to read for pleasure anymore. According to Time Magazine, “Reading rates fall as kids grow up. Within the past decade, 45% of 17-year olds admit that they read by choice only once or twice a year.” Part of this decline is due to the increase of technological and social media advances that engross

teens. These include; Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Today, children as young as five and six have access to iphones, tablets, and other digital media platforms while children ten years ago would have most likely been reading a novel, such as, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, or the Nancy Drew series. Instead of using technology solely for the purpose of liking, commenting, and sharing, teens should use it for reading.

Reading is essential for growing vocabulary, writing, and other skills needed

for everyday life. Students and teenagers who read more will not only learn and grow more in school, but will be better prepared for the rest of their lives as well. “Research suggests those who read for pleasure demonstrate an intrinsic desire to engage with stories, texts and learning.

Reading for pleasure therefore reveals a predisposition not just to literature, but to the sort of lifelong learning that explains increased social mobility,” stated in the newspaper, The Telegraph.

Another reason that students do not read for pleasure anymore is due to the fact that they only focus on the books that are assigned to them for school.

Norwalk High School Li-

brarian, Ms. Payton, said, “Schools are too focused on the novels that students have to read in a set curriculum. They are assigned books for class, but don’t have much time to read on their own. If students were given more opportunities to read for leisure, they they will develop a love for it.”

If students had more time to read for leisure, they would be able to check out books in the library more often.

The NHS Library has over 8,000 books with genres including Mystery, Classical, Science Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and more. With the large amount of different types of books available to NHS students, there should be something for everyone to enjoy and find pleasure in.

20

Opinion

October 2016

Gender Roles In Modern Society Melissa Hawkes Reporter

For this generation and its most recent predecessors, women wearing pants and men being stay-at-home parents is nothing new, but that has not always been the case.

Masculinity and femininity were once defined by the relationship between a person’s gender and aesthetic. In more recent years however, the relationship containing two separate entities has become more of a conglomeration.

It is not fair to all people to gender inanimate objects and have societal pressure at the same time. Half a century ago, women only wore skirts and dresses, and did not work because they were supposed to stay home for the kids. Now icons like Jaden Smith, Jared Leto, and Young Thug are wearing skirts in pursuit of a new brand of unisex fashion, and “1.9 million American men are stay at home dads” according to the Huffington Post.

Many wonder what makes a shirt a boys or girls shirt and not a unisex shirt? Many argue that clothes have to

be gendered, considering brightly colored and/or patterned shirts inappropriate for boys to wear. Women should not have to pay more for deodorant that smells like flowers rather than “swagger,” or razors that are pink, because that is every woman’s favorite color. If clothes were not gendered, then everyone could wear anything they wanted to and nobody would be there to say whether their style makes them masculine or feminine.

In recent years, there have been more men taking the leap to wear makeup and pursue careers in the makeup business. Jeffree Star has based his whole career around makeup, putting it on other people, reviewing other company’s makeup and creating his own brand and subsequently an empire. Men wearing makeup have been around for decades (whether people knew about it or not was as different story). Men putting makeup on to become drag queens, or even the act of TV or movie personalities applying makeup to look better on camera.

Women comedians have not been around as long as men, but they have been funny for just as long. Men, and even women, have denied themselves the enjoyment of watching women in comedic roles on television and in

movies because they refused to believe that women could be as funny or more funny than men. With comediennes like Lucille Ball, Ellen DeGeneres, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey paving ways for women in comedy in their generations, it is no wonder that women have caught the comedy bug.

Women and men can wear the same clothes and makeup, should be payed the same, especially if one gender has higher priced products, and should have the same career and life opportuniti

Bandwagoning Bobby Gummer Reporter During the playoff season for most professional sports, a huge amount of people will call themselves fans and pretend that they followed a team all season.

This is called the bandwagon effect. Once a team starts finding success, their following will increase bigly. One example in the last few years has been the NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors have been the top selling NBA team worldwide, with Steph Curry leading the merchandise sales. It certainly does not take very long to find a Golden State fan in Fairfield County, or even a Cleveland Cavaliers fan.

A dreadful part of people bandwagoning is when they do not take the time to learn anything about the team and suddenly become “obsessed” with. Most likely, a common bandwagoner will not even know more than three players on their new favorite team.

At the same time a bandwagoning starts, social media gets bombarded by tweets and pictures. It takes forever to scroll down a timeline filled with abundant posts about a game or a team.

Another sad part of a bandwagon uprise is when people will lie about even watched the previous game and try to have a conversation while knowing nothing about what happened.

The worst bandwagoner is the one who does not even know a clue about the sport they are watching.

Contrary, teams love when people start jumping on their wagon because they get more revenue, exposure, and sponsors.

In the end, it is just human nature for people to bandwagon popular trends for the mere purpose of trying to fit in with the majority. Bandwagoning is inevitable but it is definitely a huge annoyance to true fans of a sport.

HW Quality Madison Riascos Reporter Every day, countless high school students get overwhelmed with homework. After a long day of classes, high schoolers have their sports and extracurricular activities.

When students finally get home, they realize that there is still homework to do.

There is no way a student can complete the homework after this and get nine hours of sleep (the recommended amount of sleep for a teenager, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital). The student then rushes to complete the immense amount of homework in front of them.

Because the completion of the homework was a struggle, the work was rushed, and there was not much time spent on quality answers. Instead of teachers giving vast amounts of homework, they should only give one or two pages of homework, which will allow the students to better understand its concepts.

A poll created at Norwalk High School, asked 100 students; “When you have a large amount of homework, do you rush your answers?” The results proved that most students do rush their answers. 80% of students answered yes, saying that their homework is rushed, 20% answered no,

saying that they spend quality time answering questions.

According to this poll, when teachers give a large amount of homework, answers become more rushed. In a survey conducted by the University of Phoenix College of Education, they questioned 1,000 K-12 teachers and found that on average, high school teachers assign about 3.5 hours of homework each week. Personally, I would not want to spend a lot of my time on homework for one subject so answers are quickly written down in desperation for completion. Many students are more worried about completing their homework than giving quality answers. If students rush their work, there is a lower chance of learning from the homework, and the concepts are much less likely to stick with them over time.

Instead of each teacher assigning a ridiculous amount of homework, they should give their students less than twenty minutes of homework. This change will allow the student to focus on what is being taught and on the answers they are formulating.

Therefore, the student is much more likely to understand what they are being taught.

Overall, less homework will help students better grasp the learning material.

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22

Sports

Ready Set Spike Elise Sullivan News Editor

Ready. Set. Spike. The Norwalk High School girl’s volleyball team is working hard in order to have one of their best seasons yet.

This year, the team is headed by new Coach, Karey Fitzgerald and captains, Amanda Beckwith (‘17), Katerina Karaiskos (‘18), and Katie Sciglimpaglia (‘18). The team has not qualified for the state tournament in over 20 years, so the girls are determined to do their best this season in order to reach their goal of making it to the state tournament.

“So far, our record is 2-5. We’re off to a bit of a rocky start but we haven’t been outmatched to any of the teams we’ve lost to,” stated tri-captain, Katerina Karaiskos (‘18). She continues on to say, “Our goal is to qualify for the state tournament this year. To do so, the thing that we need to improve on the most, is probably communication, which is essential in volleyball. As a captain, you have to keep your head up and motivate everybody no matter what the score, which is hard, but a necessity.”

Coach Karey Fitzgerald explained her time as being the coach so far this season and her expectation for the team. “It has been fun and exciting at times as well as trying to overcome the rocky start to the season. I know we have the potential to go far but we need to work hard and give 100% all the time. My expectations of the girls are to work hard this season, play together as a team, be a team player and make positive contributions to the team all season.”

Any team sport comes with things that can be improved. Tri-captain, Katie Sciglim-

October 2016

paglia (‘18) notes, “We want to improve on our communication and getting good passes so we can work on our offense. We have had a rough start to the season, but it is such an improvement compared to where we were last year.”

A key to succeeding at any team sport is working with fellow adds, teammates. Katerina “Teamwork is such an important part of playing volleyball, and on our team, everybody has a role. I get a sense of satisfaction when we put our individual roles together and create something beautiful.”

With hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude, the girls will start to bring home more wins to NHS in no time.

All About The Lady Bears Olivia Opalinski Reporter

“1, 2, 3! Lady Bears Hoo-rah!” chants the NHS field hockey team before they head out to the field. The girls at the start of their season could not wait to see what it had in store.

If you have ever wondered what it is like to play under the lights at Testa Field or to have several fans, including the bear pack cheering you on, just ask any of the varsity players. “I don’t think it’s a lot of pressure” says Shannon McEveney (’18) “It gives us more motivation.”

Whether it was because of captains practices, off-season programs, or tryouts, each team has already grown super close. “I think we have a lot of team chemistry,” McEveney (’18) said. And when combined with team sleepovers, pasta parties, or even mother-daughter gifts it will not be hard to find a friend. “I met some of my closest friends on this team.” McEveney (’18).

All three teams, when already a few games in, had been having great games so far. “We’re 3-0-1 and we’ve been

playing very well together,” said JV player Rachel Nees (’19). Although only the beginning, this energy would

surely last throughout the rest of their season.

With the season going great, head coach, Kyle Seaburg still wishes to improve some things within the program. Recently, Nathan Hale Middle School had their lower field turned into a turf field which is occupied by the JV and Freshmen teams, while varsity is still at Testa. “We all used to practice back in the day on the grass field together” he says, “every day we’d see each other so I think that’s something we’re trying to work on”.

With six practices a week, plus a game, field hockey is a huge commitment and is not always easy with everything else they have on their plate. “It can be hard but having time management can help with school and social life, especially if you don’t procrastinate” Nees (’19).

In the future, Coach Seaburg plans on “getting my players to help the younger players and be the role models that they are.” He also really hopes to “give more kids the opportunity to fall in love with the game.” With that being said, the team advises any future high schoolers wishing to play, to watch the current team’s games to learn more about the sport, get in shape, work hard and to “give a perfect effort from start to finish” McEveney (’18).

NHS Football Strives for Victory Edward McCabe Reporter

The Norwalk High School football season is in full swing and the team is looking to have a strong finish to the season. There are many talented players on the team this year and NHS is extremely proud of our team.

Rising junior, AJ Hall (‘18), is hoping to do the best he can to help accomplish the team’s goals,he goes on to say. “I’m just doing whatever the coaches need me to do this year. So far I have played offence and defence, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Behind AJ and also key players such as Krishtjan Frrokaj (‘17), Marco Monteiro (‘18) and James Makszin (‘17) The Bears are hoping to win one week at a time.

“As a captain, I want to set a good example and show the younger guys what this sport, and playing for NHS is all about,” said quarterback and senior captain, Frrokaj.

“You have to love the game and each other to succeed in a team sport like football.”

The Bears do not exactly have the easiest walk across the bridge either. With many tough teams in the FCIAC, the team is looking for their fans to come out and support at any chance they have. According to Frrokaj, he believes New Canaan will be the Bear’s biggest challenge. “They are ranked number two in the state so I feel like a lot of teams lose before they even play them because kids think about that rank too much. We play them in New Canaan so we need the bear pack to go to that.” Linebacker Marco Monteiro is confident that the team can pull through, and is focused on making sure he does his part. “ I think we’ll be fine. We have a good team this year. I just want to make sure I do my part to help and be the best player I can be for the team.”

The biggest game of the year will take place on our very own Testa Field on Thanksgiving day against our crosstown rivals Brien McMahon High School. “I’m definitely looking forward to the McMahon game the most.” Said Monteiro. “It’s always fun to play them.”

“I’m very confident in my teammates.” Said Hall when asked about the outlook for the rest of the season. “I know that when we all do our jobs and give our full effort every play, we can be dangerous. Our goal is to go 1 and 0 every week.”

The NHS family wishes the best of luck the rest of the way.

October 2016

23

Sports

Boys Soccer Avinav Gupta

Business Manager

Boys X Country Robert Gummer Reporter

This year, with one of the most talented group of athletes, the boy’s Cross Country team is striving for success.

Led by seniors Andrew Goldstein (’17), Vasilios Seitaridis (’17) and Matt Gola (’17) the team is hoping for a promising outcome in states and FCIACS.

One of the top runners, Colin Baker (’18), described last year and their goals for this season, “Last year at states much of our team under performed due to fatigue and injuries. This year we worked extremely hard throughout the summer so we can do much better at fciacs and states.”

Some other key contributors on the team are juniors Quint Bartush (’18), Dale Donovan (’18), Vishva Patel (’18)

and sophomore David Tilton (’19).

Colin Baker added, “Cross country races are 3.1 miles long so typically the team runs around six miles each practice.

It can be brutal some days but we all work hard.”

In preparation for the postseason the boy’s cross country team is participating in the multiple meets in Trumbull, Staples, and New Canaan.

They are also going to race in the 26th annual Woods Trail Run in Theftord, Vermont as well as a big meet at the Van Courtland Park in the Bronx, New York.

Motivated and determined, the boy’s cross country team is excited to show Norwalk High School and their competitors how fast and conditioned they are.

Girls Soccer The season for soccer has already started, and the Norwalk Bears Soccer team is walking hand in hand with other regional teams for the right to compete in the FCA(Fellowship for Christian Athletes).

The boys soccer team has been working very hards and training almost everyday, incorporating that level into their lifestyle for team-building, broadening the view of an attacking brand and soccer skills which are being furnished at every point. Their training schedules is one that demands a lot of focus and attention from their day to day life, and all this is possible because of Coach Laughton who has been coaching and instituting the Norwalk Bears for almost a decade.

According to the Coach “This year’s team is a lot closer with each other and have great attitude towards every game they play, they are a fun group to coach that give it their all. These guy are close to each other that makes them a family ”

The Norwalk High Soccer team has three Varsity Captains Esteven Restrepo (‘17) (fullback), Anthony Hernandez(‘17) (midfield) and Jason Carvajal(‘17) (midfield) who are the backbone of boys Soccer Varsity that also depict and consider the whole Boys Soccer team as one big family of 62 members that trust and believe in each other. “ We’ve known each other forever four years, at school and even outside school we hang out all the time and I think that all this time has helped in developing a trust that benefits the whole team”” Carvajal(‘17) said. Due to their years together on the soccer team they have an insight to how this team works, what can be done to better the performance and how a player’s style will impact the team. With their matches against Brien McMahon High School and Staples High School, the rivals due to the skillset they have and the effect of crosstown rivalry the value of the matches increases tenfolds creating an epic turn of events.

With the Boys Varsity roster comprising of the 9 seniors, the back to back varsity players; Nicholas Ceja(‘17), Dan Cano(‘17), Dan Lepoutre(‘17), Alexis Quiche(‘17), Michael Bober(‘17), and Dakota Casey(‘17) plus Cole Judkins(‘16) (goalkeeper) keep the flow moving and all the players at their toes for the best performance to be given at every aspect of the rummages and games played.

“ We need your energy, we feed on it. Come and support us and see us win” said by varsity captains.

Girls X Country The Girls Cross Country team is off to a good start this fall, with a record of 2-9 and only a few more meets left.

Reporter The head coach, Carlos Rodriguez, has set goals for the rest of the season. He says, “our hopes for the season are always to do well in the fciac championships. Our goal is to come in the top half of the FCIACs” The Addition of fresh faces is also helping. “Freshmen Catherine Sheehan & Kiley Opalinski, sophomores Dixie D’amelio & Dayanara Acuna have run very well this season,” states Coach Rodriguez.

Amanda Doyle (’17) one of the captains for the girls cross country team said, “This season is coming to an end and it was a lot of fun. We have some new runners who made a positive contribution to our team and have promising futures in XC and track.

We’ve had some highs and lows, but the team was encouraging and supportive of each other through it all. This week we are headed for the FCIAC and CIAC championships. Go running bears!”

The running bears have done well so far, Norwalk High wishes them the best of luck for the rest of their season.

Emma Dagnault

With both heads and spirits held high, all of the twenty-two girls on the soccer team A&E/Web Editor go into the rest of their season with the hope to get better with each game.

Thanks to injuries and other occurrences, the numbers of the girls soccer team has reduced, however adjustments were made and the bond between everyone remains unbroken. Though the record is not what the girls were hoping for, it allows them to reflect on things and get better.

Melissa Guzman (’17) and Imelda Lazaro (’17) are the senior captains this year. When asked about what made her stay with the team, captain and four year athlete for the soccer team, Imelda (’17) stated, “I love how we all immediately bonded and we always have our backs on the field and off the field. I also made a hard choice and gave up my field position to play goalie sophomore year because I just had to think about the team and not myself.”

This is Coach Mike Surace’s second season with the girls. Along with him is the new assistant coach, coach Jacoby. With the intense practices, Coach Surace has helped lift the program to really show all the other teams that the girls are as good as anyone else with our without the wins under their belt.

With only one game left in the season, the girls on the soccer team have tried their hardest and done their best thanks to the coach’s, motivation from friends in the crowds and most of all, each other. May their last game be the best one yet.

Sara Roman

N H S * S P I R I T * W E E K