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JUNE 2011
MUSIC
THE PAW PRINT
One Time In Band Camp
Jillian Winters
things band gave me will never leave. From some of the closest friends I have made, to knowing how to do a correct push up, to knowing when to joke around and when to be serious, to having anxiety when I am not ten minutes early to a rehearsal. Those are the things I will take from my first day at band camp, and those are things that will cause me to look back and remember the four years I spent in Norwalk High School and the four years I spent on Andrew’s Field. Photo credit: nhsband.com
The sound of drums could be heard halfway down the street while the line of cars was even longer down the road. You step out of your car into a sea of students, looking around at all the new faces; a group of tough looking guys convened around the “Chilly Jilly” trunk of their car, a girl running around screaming for her pencil back, several other kids looking back at you with the same frightened, wide-eyed expression while a greying, hunched over man in a green polo stood in the back watching over all of it. It was the first day of band camp. The first day of what would be your life every day, September to November, for the next four years. To this day, I can still remember my own first day as an incoming freshman. With stories of push ups, laps, and a frightening man who only knew how to scream and could not survive without coffee, it was safe to say, I was a little afraid. Putting on a nametag that read “Jillian Winters-Flute-9th”, I made my way out onto the large slab of pavement known as Andrew’s Field. From a fellow flute player forgetting her flute, to another running two laps almost immediately after the day began, to a senior yelling at me to “get in the echelon”, I did not think I would ever return back to that horrid place. Yet, the next day, at 8:45 AM, I found myself situated on the same ‘field’ doing it all over again. While the people in band, myself included, might be referred to as crazy by some because of what we endured every day, I do not think any of us, given the chance to go back, would choose not to do it. My name may not stay in the minds of future band students, but the lessons and
Photo Credit: Luke Porco
Rocking To My Own Beat Although there are many things to enjoy outside of high school, there is one thing throughout my high school career that is above all others: music. Whether playing music or listening to it, it is always enjoyable. “L-Dogg” My guitar playing began freshman year through lessons, which also increased my interest in rock music. Bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen and others interested me and freshman year was also the year I went to my first concert, which was Van Halen at Madison Square Garden. In a camp for music called “Summer of Rock”. I made friends through that camp including one person who was in the band with me that I am still very close with. In the camp, we formed bands and played songs we knew and we got to write a song and at the end of the two week program, we played a concert in front of family and friends. Since then, playing and “Whether playing music or listening to going to lessons during sophomore and junior year it, it is always enjoyable.” made my interest and skill Luke Porco ’11 grow. Listening to more bands and going to concerts
Luke Porco
was a great experience. Returning to the camp the next year and joining the advanced program, was similar to the first year, however, it was only one week and we had to write all of our songs instead of doing covers along with it. Playing music has helped as an activity and skill that is done outside of school. It is an activity that has keep me busy and also to have fun doing.
What’s On Your iPod? 2008-2011 2008
2009
2010
2011
Disturbia By: Rihanna
Fallin For You By: Colbie Calait
Empire State of Mind By: Jay-Z
Rolling In the Deep By: Adele
Viva La Vida By: Coldplay
I Gotta Feeling By: The Black Eyed Peas
Airplanes By: B.O.B
Blow By: Ke$ha
Hot N’ Cold By: Katy Perry
You Belong With Me By: Taylor Swift
Love the Way You Lie By: Eminem ft. Rihanna
More By: Usher
Love Lockdown By: Kanye West
Poker Face By: Lady Gaga
Break Your Heart By: Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris
The Show Goes On By: Lupe Fiasco
THE PAW PRINT
LOOKING BACK
JUNE 2011
PAGE 3
A Roast of the Norwalk High Paw Print Staff James Welch
Expectations vs. Reality Paula Araujo
“Paula Dean” Let’s just say that when I was younger and envisioning what my life in high school would be like, I was completely inaccurate about my predictions. Looking back, it was probably because we do not realize the harsh reality of what is really out there and the struggles of growing up. Regardless of what happened these past four years, I feel as though I am finally becoming content with the way things turned out. The reality of what has unfolded before me, I could have never even imagined. I had heard so many glorious things about high
“Regardless of what happened these past four years, I feel as though I am finally becoming content with the way things turned out.” school, like “They will be the best four years of your life.” “You’ll make lifelong friends or maybe even meet love of your life.” So, naturally, I walked through those doors that first day of freshman year feeling optimistic. I quickly found out, it was not at all what it was perked up to be. Just even more broken promises, more of these so called “best friends” didn’t last forever, and the workload that lead to loss of sleep. Maybe it was all just wishful thinking. So the following years, I would walk through those doors everyday with a somewhat cynical feeling. Hoping that, maybe, things would get better. Thankfully, high school didn’t turn out to be anything like what you see in the movies either. There was no Regina George insight. I leave high school with this quote from the show One Tree Hill as my mantra. “You can choose to blame your circumstances on fate, or bad luck, or bad choices. Or you can fight back. Things aren’t always gonna be fair in the real world, that’s just the way it is. But for the most part, you get what you give. Let me ask you all a question, what’s worse- not getting everything you wished for, or getting it but finding it’s not enough? The rest of your life is being shaped right now, with the dreams you chase, the choices you make, and the person you decide to be. The rest of your life is a long time, and the rest of your life starts right now.”
that every week he had no idea what to write about and had to beg people to give him an idea. No one actually liked him so we had to just ignore his annoying ways.Spending late nights at Norwalk High was not the ideal thing to do on Wednesday and Thursday nights, but we mostly came just for the pizza. In fact, I am pretty sure that the only reason we came was to eat the pizza. The work was just secondary. But the greatest journalist ever was most definitely yours truly. Not to “toot my own horn”, but I strongly believe that each one of my articles contained New-York-Times-worthy substance and a plethora of awesomeness that made anyone want to read them. I mean seriously, I am James Welch. What do you expect? All joking aside, the paper was by far the most interesting thing in the school to be a part of. I do not know who I would be today if I had not taken journalism. It has shaped the way my life has turned out now. It definitely helped how I landed my job at ESPN as a sports writer. It will forever be remembered as the best times spent at Norwalk High. Photo Credit: Eric Scatamacchia
In about ten years, I find myself picking up a Paw Print in the attic and reminiscing of the times in journalism. T h e r e would be plenty of articles to “100% Natural” look back on wondering what we were thinking while writing. For example, the article “Oyster Mess” by fellow journalist Brendon Prescott is considered to be the worst article ever written. Now the owner of a babysitting business, Prescott did not intend for the article to be so bad, but it was funny at the time to put in the paper. We may never know what was running through his head (no pun intended). The self-proclaimed “God”, Matt Cranston also had his fair share of oddities. He said a total of five words in class, but he somehow found the way to get over three hundred words in every article. Eric Scatamacchia was the troublemaker of the class. He consistently wrote about drugs and alcohol and constantly suggested ideas for the feature such as “teen sex” or “teen drinking.” The editors were seen as higher beings according to the staff writers and folks, they were right. Brian Manby was a great writer for the paper, but his articles averaged about seven hundred words an article. Kevin Lawrence had a different problem. It seemed
The Paw Print’s Biggest Fan: Danny Barrand
Dear Editor, This is my last letter that I am going to write for the Paw Print and this is also my last year here at Norwalk High School. I would like to take a moment to reflect on my high school years. It’s been a lot of fun from meeting new people to participating in clubs like The Drama Club, Key Club and Build On for a little bit. I have met lots of cool teachers including my favorite Mrs. Lasko. She inspires me for my love of computer technology and has taught me lots of things. I have had a lot of fun at events such as Prom, Color War and Pep Rally. Overall, I feel proud of myself. I have gotten really good grades and made it into the High Honor Role. I decided to wait a year on college and explore around to see what lies ahead of me. Whatever I may chose, Norwalk High has helped me to get that far. My advice for next year’s seniors would be to work hard, don’t let senioritis hit you, and have some fun along the way. Sincerely, Danny Barrand, Class of 2011
Journalism Late Night Memories • Making the most epic headlines possible • 5:00, the computers are all shutting down! • Getting pizza sauce all over the keyboards • Mr. Karl laughing at our taste in music • Skimming through articles and finding silly lines • Matt Brown blasting “Party In The USA” • Ordering large pizzas and getting all smalls • Looking for open bathrooms • Going home
excuses for why an article is late • My magic carpet was at the cleaners • I did hand in an article, can’t you find it? • I didn’t know how to approach the article • Bad quotes! • Wait . . . we have an article due today? • The computer crashed right before I hit save, honest! • Every single person I was supposed to quote didn’t email me back • I was too busy on Facebook. • I was sick the day before
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ANGRY BEARS
JUNE 2011
THE PAW PRINT
Bright Idea: Kill my Nesquik and Raise Prices it was taken away because students were just buying chips inside the cafeteria for 50 cents. There are only two things that had changed from four years ago in the cafeteria, the prices of the food, and how terrible the pizza is. Four years ago the pizza was actually decent until they had changed ingredients to make it taste like cardboard. As soon as you take a bite of out the pizza now, all of the cheese comes off instead of staying on the pizza, which it did when I first arrived at NHS. Also, pizza was a $1.75 instead of $2.25 when I was a freshman. $2.25 for a slice of pizza that is not edible is a waste of money. I can go to a pizza place down the street and pick up some legitimate pizza for around the same price, probably even cheaper. There was no ten cent tax four years ago so a bottle of water was $1.00. I do not know about everybody else but I do not like to carry around 90 cents extra in my pocket when I can have a dollar that I can buy something useful with. Hopefully in a few years they will revert back to the ways where the lunch food tasted decent and they sold things that are appealing in the vending machines for cheap.
Photo Credit: Bargainez.com
James Cooksey “Big Head”
When it comes to the food being sold at Norwalk High School in the cafeteria and vending machines, we all know it is not the best out there. But four years ago during my freshman year, the cafeteria food and what was inside vending machines was much different than it is now. First off, there were three vending machines in the cafeteria, one for fruit drinks, the second one for snacks, and the third one was Nesquik Milk. As the years came and went at NHS, so did the vending machines. Freshman year I was able to buy Nesquik and fruit drinks for a $1.25 until those vending machines were deemed “unhealthy” and stripped from the students. Then the snack vending machines had stopped selling Doritos and started selling “baked” chips, which are much healthier for 75 cents until
Don’t Complain, Falling Milk Builds Character
Top 10 Mr. karl Phrases
Neha Patel
“Nay Nay” Photo Credit: Ashley Cortes
A common form of precipitation in the NHS stairwells is Byrne Dairy milk cartons.
It is hard to hate a place where rats have been running rampant in the stairwells, making students scream spontaneously. A school where unlocked bathrooms are a rarity, and lack of tissues or graffiti stalls are commonplace. A cafeteria that has had birds pooping on students while they are trying to enjoy their meals. A place where blue slushies and chocolate milk ruin your new clothes when they are thrown down the stairs. These ridiculous things make Norwalk High School feel like a second home. Without the excitement of all these things, our four years of high school would be boring. When we go off to college, we’ll be the only school to say our school was built by a jail constructor, that we’ve had Slip n’ Slides in our yard, and our classroom locks were glued shut for a senior prank. Looking back on the past four years of high school, I’m proud to admit I am an NHS senior. People tend to concentrate on negative things and don’t appreciate all the wonderful things this school has to offer. Color Wars, Spirit Weeks, spring musicals, sports games, the Bear Pack, and different school activities are what make NHS special. The connection we have to our class and our teachers will never be understood by anyone else, and I can honestly say I’ll miss everything about the school and the people in it. We will be leaving everything NHS has to offer behind with nothing but our memories to comfort us. Now is the time to remember our friends, fights, accomplishments, and failures because the good and bad together has helped us grow as people. With each other, we’ve gradually matured into adults, a huge change since the day we stepped into the school for the first time as freshmen. This is the last time we’ll all be together as a class, and honestly it is a scary thought. For the past four years, we’ve been safe in a world that we know like the back of our hand. Now, we’ll be thrust into a new place with new people, new rules, and new surroundings and our character will be put to the test. No matter what happens, we can all at least have a little comfort in the thought that we were once proud to be the Norwalk High School Class of 2011, regardless of all the silly things here.
1. “FOLKS!” 2. “Ladies and gents...” 3. “You are wasting the budget we don’t have!” 4. ““Where did I put my coffee?” 5. “Well.....” 6. “What has gotten done?” 7. “Go, leave...” 8. “(Insert student name), BAD!” 9. “Your rough draft, should be a final draft.” 10. “ Where is it?”
Top 10 Banned aRTICLE Topics 1. 2012 2. Facebook/Twitter 3. Texting 4. Stress/College 5. Crowded Hallways 6. Death Penalty 7. Cafeteria/School Lunches 8. Senioritis 9. Harry Potter 10. Youtube
Less Than Perfect Timing Nick Milliman “Milli”
Coming into the 2010-2011 school year, I had one thing to look forward to besides getting into college, and that was the spring sports season. For all my four years at Norwalk High School, spring has been the most riveting time by far. With much of my time being occupied by practice and games and the challenge of getting better each and everyday. Unfortunately, recently I suffered a season-ending injury that will definitely alter some of plans moving forward. The injury occurred during the fourth game of the year, against Darien. There was a pass ball and I got the sign to move to third. When I came to a sudden stop at third, I felt my knee give out to the point of being forced on one knee. I continued to practice and play in three more games of the season, until I was forced to give my knee a rest. I went to the doctor to get it checked out, and I got the unfortunate news that there was a tear. Ironically, this is the second time I had surgery during my high school career. The second time occurred during my junior year and prohibited me from playing winter sports. Since the injury, I have started a physical therapy program to improve my knees strength as
much as possible before surgery. In the physical therapy center, I do a number of leg exercises with lightweight, to improve the muscles strength around the knee. However, even though my high school sports career has come to an end, I still have hope of playing again in the future. The rehabilitation period for an ACL injury is seven to twelve months, depending on how well your knee responds to the surgery. For me it is the second time operating on this knee, the other time being in 2007. The positive for having your knee operated on a second time is obviously the fact that you know what to expect going into surgery. I know how dedicated and persistent I have to be in order to improve my knee’s strength as fast as possible. The rehabilitation period will obviously run into college, but I feel that it may be a blessing in disguise. Living in a real college environment means unlimited access to team facilities and workout centers. That means I am able to workout my knee as much as I want with the assistance of personal trainers. Injuring my knee means that I might have to take my freshmen year off in college. The process used to take your freshman year off is called RedShirting. Overall, I will be taking this next seven to twelve months to improve my knee as well as my attitude on life. There will be a significant amount of change in my life, but I know one thing will stay the same, the high hopes of once again being able to play in the future.
SPORTS
THE PAW PRINT
JUNE 2011
PAGE 5
Staying On Track At NHS Brendon Prescott
Roles Across NHS Sports Clifton Prophete “CP3”
By middle school, most students know what sports they want to play when they enter high school. It may be the sport they have been playing for years, or it may be a new experience. Whatever the case, high school sports are a great way to start off your freshman year. It gives you a base of friendship that you would probably
Pop Warner Memories
At the age of nine years old, I received a sign up sheet from Norwalk Pop Warner football. At this point in time, the team I would play on was determined by weight and I was, for a lack of a better word, big. In the fifth grade I would have been placed in the group with the largest eighth “Pacman” graders that were in existence. The concept of being too big to play football flabbergasted me. It seemed to me that the way the league worked made it so the biggest and possibly the best kids in the age group unable to play on an equal playing field. Who is to say that a larger child has developed more and could possibly just be a large, but not quite in charge uncoordinated goofy kid a.k.a. me. It took me ten full years of life to reach the size inside that was on the outside. Growing into your body is something you cannot speed up. More than half of my life has been spent as a ‘rolly polly olly’ and that is still how I see myself, although I am a much different person now. How other people see me is something I may never know. However through four years of football and high school the case of being left out had been forgotten for quite some time. I now have taken this ‘too big’ body and made something of it. Finally after thirteen years of being too big or too uncoordinated were over, freshman football began. My size was something to be proud of and used to push myself to the top of the competition. I now have taken my size and brought myself all the way to the collegiate level. Many things can occur as a child to corrupt your hopes dreams and self esteem, but in the end these play a non-pivotal role in your life, and are very often forgotten.
C h a mp i o n s h i p s o f N HS Mike Corasaniti “Piazza”
In late May of 2007, the Norwalk High School baseball team defeated St. Joe’s in the FCIAC Championship game for the schoolís third baseball title in twenty years. That fall, the Class of 2011 entered NHS and the school has never come close to any such glory since. To be clear, I am not specifically calling out the baseball team (who has held the best record of any NHS team over the past four years). I am talking more generally, whereas in my four-year tenure as a bear I have never been able to watch as one of my schools teams make their respective sports championship game. Who knows, maybe I just ooze an aura of bad luck. Norwalk High supports twenty-five different sports teams. That means by the time graduation rolls around in late June, I will have been a part of a school that has gone
through 100 different seasons of sports. Not to ignore fantastic individual efforts over the past four years, but statistically, in a nineteen-team conference like the FCIAC, this school should have won at least five different championships. Since I stepped foot in this building for the first time, no team has made it farther than the semi-finals of their conference tournament. So what does this mean? Just look at teams like the NFLís New England Patriots who suffered from years of mediocrity before their three championships and perfect season. The Norwalk High School Bears (and Lady Bears) are not only just due for glory, but they are mathematically and spiritually destined for greatness. Gone will be the streak of 100 championship short seasons. Fresh will be the days of victory, constant victories at Norwalk High School. Do your part Norwalk High. Practice hard, play harder, and have some pride in what the green and white actually represents. I will do my part and get my bad luck butt out of the building.
Evan Opdahl
Photo Credit: Sharon Cadden
have never experienced. Coming into high school, the first sport I played was football and the experiences that you go through day in and day out at practices and games are ones that will forever be in your memory. Your role on a freshman team to some may seem very pointless, but it is the foundation for the upcoming years as a player moves up to J.V and Varsity. As a freshman, I remember looking up to the juniors and seniors and thinking that they were gods. As the year went on and ended, I became a sophomore. At this point I was just happy not to be a freshman anymore, but I began to see that my role changed in lacrosse. Although we had some stand out seniors, I was looked at as a leader. The following year as a junior, I was at my peek and the leadership role was placed on my shoulders. So I quickly jumped at that opportunity and embraced my role that was given to me. I was offensive leading scorer on my lacrosse team and had led my team to a winning season. This year, as a senior, I always have the thought of what the freshman think of me and if they look up to me. My role this year was extremely different from freshman year and with more expectations. Time flies, and now it is my last season of high school lacrosse, and I will have to repeat this whole process again, when I enter college. Roles changes are part of growing up and high school helps transform students into leaders and carry on task that they never could.
from the rest of society, we are ridiculed, praised, questioned, and sometimes verbally persecuted by Nathan Hale Middle School students. We pay no attention. We laugh and perhaps utter a few witty rebuttals but keep on running. I cannot pinpoint why exactly the runner’s gene has seeped its way into my system but I do not question its validity inside of me. I do not run for the joy of a nice five miles after a long hard day at school but rather to connect with my inner self and others. Running is not just a sport, it is a release. It allows those who truly understand its meaning to become a part of something truly bigger than them. I have the privilege of being transformed into one of those people. While it seems the phrase “run Forrest run” has finally gotten old, Forrest Gump teaches an inspiring lesson. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. I was lucky enough to find a home.
Photo Credit: Sharon Cadden
I hear the gun. As I sprint out of the starting line my heart is racing, my adrenaline pumping. Rounding the first turn I make a move to pass the competitor in front of me. It pays off. By the end of the first lap I “Meet The Press” begin to feel the pain in my legs. A burning sensation that can only be felt by those who truly have the guts to push themselves to that point envelops me. My breathing gets heavier and my body screams “STOP!” I do not listen. As I finish the second lap I manage to cough up a slight sigh of relief. Through all the pain and suffering, a cynical smile escapes from my mouth. Only six more laps to go. Before I joined the track team, I was a timid and immature kid. As a transfer student, the idea of mingling with others and developing new friendships frightened me. Choosing to run cross-country during the fall of my sophomore year was the best choice I ever made. I have ran at a million courses, all of them the same; painful, long, and exhausting. I have taken the long journey down Strawberry Hill Road, braving the ups and downs of its treacherous hills with every heart pulsing step. I have been too afraid of losing to ever give up. I have grown as my stride grew longer. Our team is a society of rejects. Ousted
Senior Questions Of 2011 What Has Changed Most?
“The color of the lockers.” “More school spirit.”
Favorite Class and Why? “Physics because we had Couture, he’s crazy.”
What Will You Miss Most? “My class. Class of 2011” “Friends made over the four years.”
Best memory at NHS? “Never knowing if security or the cop will stop the people leaving for lunch.”
Describe NHS In One Word “Dynamic!” “Memorable” “A Trip”
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Feature Photos and design: Paula Araujo & Stephanie Canales
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Awards given by: The Head Editors
Why Journalism......is it The Late Nights or The Stress? Matt Cranston
For the last three years I have been a part of the NHS newspaper, the Paw Print. Over these three years I have written over fifty articles, edited another hundred, and spent countless hours “Scatamooch” working on numerous editions of the newspaper. With the abundance of work that has to be done in a small amount of time, I find myself asking, why do I take journalism? The answer to this question is not simple. When we are in a time crunch for a deadline and have tons of work to do I think of how easily I could drop the class and not have so much stress. But, the reasons why I have not given in to these thoughts are the freedom that is given with the Paw Print and the pride I take in my work. Journalism is not a normal class. In journalism, the class is run by students who are allowed to express themselves freely and dictate how the class operates. It can be whatever you want it to be. Students can choose what to write about, how they want to contribute to the paper, and how they will present their work. Unlike your Hamlet essay, the work you do in journalism is read by hundreds of people. This privilege is powerful and when used correctly can have a profound effect on others. Once you get a taste of this power it is hard to let it go. I am proud to say that I am a member of the Paw Print. I take pride in the work that we produce and the time that goes into it. I spend countless hours working on the newspaper because I want it to be the best possible product. I am sad to say that my time as a member of the Paw Print is coming to an end. Although I will not have a hard time parting with the endless late nights, piles of articles, and insane amount of stress, I will miss the power of being on the Paw Print. As I finish my last article ever I would like to thank Mr. Karl and all of the other Paw Print members who have made my experience with the newspaper unforgettable. I have memories that I will hold forever and work that I will be proud to show off for the rest of my life.
Eric Scatamacchia
Photo Credit:Nataly Monsalve
Looking back over my past three years as a high school journalist for the Paw Print, I have come to ask myself why do I do it? The late nights for weeks on end, unbelievable amounts of stress, and amount of time taken out from out of school activities “Cranies” may seem unwanted by most high school students. Though as I look back, I can proudly say that I will miss Mr. Karl’s Journalism class at Norwalk High School the most. A class run by the students became the class that was perfect for me. Since my first day as a sophomore walking into my first period class, it was always stressed to me how this class was unlike any other that you will take. Your work costs the school close to $1000 each issue and by one student not doing their work, it affects the entire production of the newspaper. Doing the math, over my three years as a journalist for the Paw Print, the pride I ahve had in my work along with the work of my classmates, has cost thousands of dollars unlike any other class at Norwalk High. The class pushes you to your limits and makes you proud to do the work that you do because you always are anticipating the finished product of a fresh newspaper right out of the box. Journalism is a class where I was able to express my leadership abilities in a comfortable surrounding. It always gave me an opportunity to go above and beyond what I had intended to do in the first place. What other class has your work cost close to $1000 and sometimes requires 15-hour schooldays multiple times a week. To some that may not sound appealing, but to me it was something that I would proudly come to school for each day. Along with the role of a leader, being a journalist and eventually the head editor of the Paw Print gave me a place in Norwalk High School. You became the news and would feel proud to see students, teachers, parents and local townspeople reading something that you put so much time and effort into. In all, it may just be something that my fellow editors and I enjoy doing. Working late hours for no pay, putting extra stress on our teenage lifestyles, sacrificing free time to meet our deadline, picking up the slack of other students and sometimes being criticized by others may just be something that only certain people can handle. Yet as my senior year comes to a close and I send the newspaper to print one last time, I will know that I always gave it my best.
THE PAW PRINT
FIRSTS
JUNE 2011
My First Day at Norwalk High School
PAGE 9
Being awake all night did not hinder my anxiety before getting ready for my new beginning. Running though my mind were thoughts about what to wear, whom will I sit with at lunch, and how to get to all of my classes? “MearBear” I thought my parents, both Norwalk High School Alums, would be able to tell me how to get to 214 D, but they were driving to Michigan to send my oldest brother off to school. This did not help the anxiety. I was lost before I even got into the school. For me the big question in the morning is what to wear. Rumor had it that NHS did not have a strict dress code, unlike the one at Nathan Hale, but I guess you cannot believe every rumor you hear. So being that it was the end of August and extremely hot out I thought it would be a good idea to wear short and a cute tank top, well until I got into school. As I was on my way to school with my longtime babysitter, Maggie, staying over with me, I remembered everything one of my brother’s friends told me. “THERE IS
NO FOURTH FLOOR AND MAKE SURE TO WALK ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE STAIRS GOING UP FROM LUNCH.” Walking through the long hallway, still unsure of how to get to 214 D, my homeroom, I saw some familiar faces, but plenty of unfamiliar faces. I got into my homeroom to see that one of the girls is wearing the same shirt as me, which made me a little comforted. Our homeroom teacher, Miss Goodson at the time, told us it was just a half day, so no lunch. The pit in my stomach slowly decreased because I still had one more day before I had to worry about the dreaded lunchroom. I turned out of the D House hall to proceed to my next class and I hear, “Hey girl your outfit is inappropriate write your name on this list,” from a security guard. I immediately felt my heart drop to my stomach. I thought to myself I am already in trouble on my first day. My gullibility got the best of me that day, but fortunately, in the end, I did not get in trouble. The first day at NHS will be a day I could never forget. But that day taught me to not always listen to rumors and most importantly hide from security guards when you have short shorts or dresses on.
Skipping Class: Take 1
First Expectations
Meredith Pramer
Walking down the hall way, feeling the rush of getting caught but not caring, and walking through those E house doors defined freshmen year for most people. As for me, it defined the feeling of freedom, but with freedom comes responsibility that most people do not think about. “Steph” Skipping a class, everyone has done it at least one time by his or her senior year, and I remember the first time I skipped a class. I did not think it was a big deal because it was gym. My friend who was an upper classmen talked me into leaving to go to Burger King. I always thought skipping class to go eat was stupid but I was really hungry that day and since the vending machine didn’t work till after lunch I thought why not just leave during lunch. As we were walking towards E house and I remember my heart pounding. My biggest fear was to get caught. I knew if my parents ever found out, I would be dead. We got closer and closer to the door until bam, I open the doors and walked right out. I had that feeling like I was so alive and then I let out a sigh of relief when we walked out side and no one was there. While walking to Burger King I kept thinking ‘what if my mom drives by?’ or ‘what if someone ask me why I am not in school?’ or even worse what if my brothers saw me! They would never let me live It down. Walking through the doors of Burger King felt great. I felt safe for once and at that point I was not even hungry anymore. I also kept remembering the one thing my dad would always tell me, “No matter what any one tells you to do in High School, use your judgment and be careful. Please do not disappoint me.” I felt horrible and that day I went home with nothing but guilt in the pit of my stomach. My friend told me it happens to everyone who skips for the first time, I was hoping he was right. A week later a letter came in the mail, I think you know what happened next. My dad gave me a long speech about how he was disappointed in me and I was grounded for two weeks. After that, I told myself it would not happen again and I never wanted to feel that overwhelming fear come back into my life again.
Stephanie Canales
When we were freshmen, the world of Norwalk High School seemed so big. We would turn around in circles with oversized backpacks, trying to find our way around the building using the colors of the houses as our guide. “KSTH” Now we carry tote bags and almost empty backpacks and can find our way around this school with our eyes closed, taking short cuts to avoid traffic. Norwalk High at the end of 2007 was a very different place. Freshmen were scared out of their mind hiding from all the screaming and running in terror that we did not see in middle school. Going through the stairwells was a dreaded time and you would never walk on the side touching the railing for fear of getting gum in your hair or pegged by a slushy, or hit by some other food item. This was a time where in-school suspension did not exist in high school and open end seemed like a dream to us. A time where some of us were tiny enough to be stuffed in lockers, and afraid that we actually would be. In late 2007, MySpace was cool and Facebook was just starting to get popular. You had bragging rights for having a smartphone and were decent enough for having a flip phone. A time right before the Ugg epidemic kicked in and girls got their clothes from Limited Too, Aeropostle, and Abercrombie and boys still had their moms shop for them. From 2007 to 2011, things have surely changed in our small world. We have gone from fearing for our lives to owning the campus and dreading high school for an entirely different reason. Now it is time for us to embark on entirely different journey. One where we begin to venture into the real world and start our real lives.
Kristin Harris
Top Ten Norwalk High ìEventsî 2008- 2011
1. Being a Bear during Spirit Week.
6. Bird and Mouse in the Cafeteria.
2. Coming to school on a saturday for Campus Cleanup.
7. Dodging slushies and food in the stairwells.
3. Les Miserables.
8. Crickets in third floor A House.
4. Fighting for class pride during Color War.
9. Seniors throwing eggs in the hallways.
5. Losing your voice during the pep rallies.
10. Recycling bins in the air.
PAGE 10
JUNE 2011
FRIENDS/RELATIONSHIPS
THE PAW PRINT
Relationships on the Edge Before College
As seniors prepared their college applications and got ready to “Captain Duck” enter their post-high school education, there were many things on their minds. For all those single ladies and bachelors, there was one less thing weighing in on their conscience. Many seniors currently hold relationships. As the May 1st college deposit deadline approached, many people were asking “What will we do?” Some couples decide to part ways while others are determined to make it work. Then on the rare occasion, like myself, both partners wind up in the same place.
Dylan Byrne
Come fall, Kingston, Rhode Island will be my new home as I am going to the University of Rhode Island. I originally looked at the school in September because my girlfriend had liked the school when she saw it. Expecting little, I fell in love with the school and it quickly became my number one choice. Although we have both decided to go to the same school, it was more by chance than anything like a mutual decision. We b o t h knew we liked the school but never really talked about it much because we both felt the stress of the application process. We had talked about going close to each other and making it work, but considered going to the same school a long shot.
Times Change And So Do People Kevin Lawrence “King Softy”
Change is one of the events that everyone is bound to experience at one point in their lives. Throughout growing up I have experienced numerous things in my life, which have become subject to change. While some physical changes such as height and looks are bound to occur, immaterial objects are also susceptible to change. Change in things such as interests in activities and personality all impact one of the most important things that a person can have in their early life, the group of people you hang around with. As I made the customary venture through my elementary and middle school years I started to see how things around me were changing. While I managed to pick up one or two new good friends over these years, I began losing friends that I had
become used to having around. High school is when kids really start to see changes in the group of friends they hang around with. Once kids are forced to start making their own decisions on how to live their lives, some end up making the wrong ones early. Some stop caring about school and start picking up bad habits while others just seem to stray off from their pack of friends. Unlike most other people, I was lucky enough to keep the majority of my core group of friends that I’ve been associated with since elementary school. Along the way I added new friends but at the same time I lost contact with ones who I used to actually consider my best friends. Even though I lost friendships with some people I still don’t regret ending them because if they were your true friends than you would always be able to work things out with each other in the end.
Senior Questions Of 2011 Best memory at NHS? “The Talent Show”
“Recieving the Kevin Eidt Memorial Scholarship”
Favorite Class and Why? “AP Euro because Mr. O made that class interesting” “Entrepreneurship, I made so much money”
What Has Changed Most? What Will You Miss Most? “The teachers that I “The attitude of the faculty became close with and seems more positive and my counselor” interactive” Describe NHS In One Word
“Variety” “Bears” “Diverse”
One night, while we were just talking and again avoiding the topic for the most part, she mentioned she had chosen her school. I went into a small frenzy because I had made the same choice earlier that evening. We had made our decisions completely separate of each other and yet wound up in the same spot. Support has been on opposite ends of the spectrum however. Some people think I am ruining my “college experience” while others think it’s the cutest thing they’ve ever heard. Whatever the outcome, I’m happy we’re going to URI together. This whole incident has raised the question “Is this a sign of good things to come?” I like to think so.
Top 10 Matt Brown Moments
1. Breezystock
6. Facebook Videos
2. “I’m a vegetarian”
7. Talking about the “Lonely Island”
3. Pronouncing “Russell Westbrook”
8. Pep Rally “Dougie”
4. “Party in the USA”
9. Mispelling “Lawrence” and “Corasaniti” on tickets.
5. His love for SNL
10. His situational raps
Friends Come and Go, But I Stay Strong Nataly Monsalve
“Cabbage Patch” The first day of freshman year was coming to a start , as I walked the halls, many new faces greeted me as if they were familiar. The smile on my face came to a hault as I realized that most of my closest friends were no longer attending school with me. I had a maximum of four close friends attending school and a huge group of accountancies that made it no more comforting. The start of freshman year was through the eyes of a lonely freshman. A couple of months later, My group of friends were assembled by about nine or ten of us, and a huge amount of everyday faces. Life was good, we were like a family; super close, and willing to do anything for each other. The summer of sophomore year , For my birthday I found myself in Venezuela for two months, learning everything the culture had to offer, but the down size was I started to slowly drift from my friends. Sophomore year quickly approached, and I could have sworn that my friends were my friends for life, but that changed. As I found myself involved in the Norwalk
High community; choir, drama club, community service and anything I could do. My closest friends were found all over the country and under the grounds of cemeteries due to illness they experienced. Soon towards the end of the year I was, two friends down, but two gained. The process of high school was soon realized. The start of junior year, most of my friends were still running through the fields with me, and that’s when everything went down hill. My group of friends started to fall apart. My joyful party friends were expelled, my blonde went crazy, and my moon started to really drift. The
closest friends took different paths, and left a void in my heart, which left me with really only a couple friends, I could really trust. As I became a senior I learned a lesson that only the close friends stay through the thick and thin and only the ones who care bother to call you when you aren’t in school. Friends come and go, but I will forever stay strong.
THEN AND NOW
THE PAW PRINT
JUNE 2011
PAGE 11
My Cool Expectations Ashley Coto “Ash”
As an incoming freshman ready for high school, all sorts of images come to mind. Wide hallways and big lockers, cute guys, and really pretty girls. There were the jocks, the football team, and the beautiful cheerleaders that stuck with them. I was ready for a complete reform as I stepped into what I thought would be a world made complete with guy drama, hard homework, and dorky nerds. Stereotype after stereotype created an image that was never truly fulfilled. At Norwalk High School, I was visualizing something from the show Lizzie Mcguire, but soon reality destroyed the fiction. It started out with construction. The lockers were color coded, and the hallways seemed much too crowded and tight. The look was elementary and just plain tacky. In addition to the lack of space, there was the very strict four minutes of passing time. With four minutes of time I can still remember cutting it close navigating myself from period one English to period two typing. My locker was worthless because, even if my books did fit, it was much too far out of the way for me to be able to make a stop. My book bag was a cute red Life is Good tote which introduced me to the term: “freshman backpack”. For heavens sake it looked like I was going to Florida for a week! Aside from the difficulty and time it took me and the rest of the students to adjust to high
school, it lacked the free roaming time in which movies would glamour. In Lizzie Mcguire passing time was when you caught up with your friend, or when you would keep watch for Ethan, the best looking guy in school! When calculating what I thought was going to be a complete reform, I failed to remember the fact that I would still be in class with a majority of the same people, something that decreased the gap of difference between middle school and my new life. The expected cool, older students were mostly from band, but far too out of my league to even talk to. (Something that seems like a concept very different today.) I was living a life that was not glamorous, or even close to the reform in which I had created mentally for myself. Field hockey, a cram packed schedule, a part time job, and being owned by Mr. Smith, I came to the realization that time was of the essence. Glamour and gossip, stereotypes and groups were not priority because every second counted. I have painted a true image of what high school really is and it is one far more valuable than my past expectations. Freshman year is very crucial because it includes new people in a new environment, with loads of expectations. Mental pictures are deceived and reality takes over creating the clear picture. My painting is finally complete and I can cross Lizzie Mcguire out. I will remember Norwalk High School and all of its truths. As time is coming to an end there is a new beginning, and I look forward to the opportunity of being a freshman again in college. With new expectations in mind I look forward to see how similar they are to the ones I created for high school.
four years of change Maria Valdovinos “Mary”
In the fall of 2007 I started to attend Norwalk High School. It was my freshmen year. I was so exited of being in high school, but I was also very nervous. I thought that it was a really big school and used to get lost in the halls in my first two or three days. After those days I could easily
arrive to my classes without a problem. I didn’t really know many people but as time passed I started to meet new people. People whom since then still talk to me; even though some of them drop out of school, they still talk to me as if they see me everyday. High school is a good experience for anyone. Most people who drop out of school now wished they never did. As time passed during those years, I met new people and made new friends. People who came into this country without speaking English the same way I did now can have a conversation with me in English even though sometimes we do speak span-glish. Some of them became really close friends to me and we had fun with each other. Four years have passed and now I’m a senior waiting to graduate. I feel the same way as when I first walked into Norwalk High. I am so exited and nervous at the same time. I feel exited for the reason that I am going to college, and can’t wait to go there. I feel nervous because I hear some people who graduated said that after high school nothing is the same anymore. Some people say that after they graduate they never talked or hung out with the people they used to before when they were in school; but I know that true friends are forever.
My handwriting has always been an issue—while attempting to be neat, there is simply too much on my mind, which usually results to chicken “Tevin, the Creator” scratched pen marks that always looks kind of horrible. As easily to camouflage as a means of producing better work, my handwriting has always acted as an insightful flashback to when I could barely write my own name. Starting at the assumed self-taught age of around 5, I remember writing the horrible big curly letters, which arranged from a swirl that resisted to be confined between the lines of my paper. Even after penmanship classes as a required course at my elementary school on the island of Grenada, one would guess I never excelled at these classes. In fact, I was good at these classes and actually wrote neat. Interestingly, my handwriting reflects much more about myself than any other exhibited characteristic. While I am capable of writing perfectly straight, akin to the “youwrite-like-a-girl” comments, I choose to recline on my usual too lazily slopdriven handwriting, legible only by me. It is that one lazy trait about me that simply said: I don’t really care. I chose to write sloppily because I thought it never mattered. And now, it seems like it won’t ever with all incorporation of computers that re easily being integrated to every part of school. Who knows, maybe I’ll never have to do any handwriting in college or ever in the future. Likely or not, the answer is unwritten… or written so ineligible I can hardly read it.
Tevin Christopher
Senior Questions Of 2011
Best memory at NHS? “Junior Prom”
Favorite Class and Why? “Open-end”
“Meeting the love of my life”
“History-in-the-making, you get to do your own thing”
What Has Changed Most?
What Will You Miss Most?
“It’s easier to ‘H’”
“Our loving staff”
“My level of interest”
“Mr. Mecca”
Describe NHS In One Word “THE BEST!” “Fun”
Sytles of Clothing Have Come and Gone Jamel Brown “Mel”
When I first arrived as a freshman here at NHS the scene was very different from what it is now. The way students wore their clothes and the different styles I saw as a freshman varied throughout my four-year tenure here. As an incoming freshman it was very important that I dressed to impress. The fact of the matter is that I wanted to be
cool. As a freshman I was looked upon as the future of NHS. In the future I saw being cool and dressing to impress as the main thing. Wanting to fit was my main focus, and in order to fit in I had to dress like what I thought were “the cool people”. Becoming a sophomore was the turning point in my fashion career. It was like I went from wearing what other people wanted me to wear to wearing what made me comfortable. I realized then that being what was considered “cool” was not important. I was always cool no matter what I wore.
As a freshman, I would have never thought that I would be the one to wear what is considered “preppy”, or clothing that actually fit. I guess it is safe to say that when fashion changes it changes the people along with it. Now that I am a senior and looking back at freshman year I know now it was not worth it and it does not matter anymore. I now can focus on my education rather than if I am fashionable or not. Thirty years from now it will not matter what jeans I wore, how popular I was, what my hair looked like, or what sneakers I wore. What will matter is what I made of my education and where it takes me in life.