Coginchaug Regional High School Student News
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received. Although A Revolution they the slogan was changed,
By Lizzie Whitaker
In recent years companies such as Victoria’s Secret have received a lot of backlash due to their “Perfect Body Campaign.” The advertisement features a group Victoria’s Secret models posing in lingerie and the slogan “The Perfect ‘Body’” across the image. The recoil was rooted in having 10 extremely thin and tall Victoria’s Secret models representing perfection. The company later changed the slogan to “A Body for Every Body” after the extreme criticism
the picture stayed the same. It still featured the tall and thin supermodels misrepresenting the idea of an underwear style that works on all body types. Companies such as Dove and Aerie then launched campaigns of their own firing back at Victoria’s Secret. Aerie, an American Eagle sister store for lingerie started Aerie Real in 2014. This campaign features unretouched models of all shapes and sizes as the focus of their advertisements. Their mis-
February 17, 2017 sion statement revolves around empowerment and embracing all aspects of a person and all people. This is atypical because most ads based on body image revolve exclusively around women embracing their curvy figures. Those ads become just as exclusive to women born with a thinner frame as ads that feature super models do to curvier girls. This is not the case with Aerie real. Aerie’s campaign highlights all figures. Aerie’s statement featured on their webpage is, “#AerieReal started as a
continued on page 4
The original advertisement released by Victoria’s Secret received immense criticism.
The ad features a new slogan that was re released after backlash from the media.
Volume 23, Issue 3
Photo courtesy of Kevin Frayer, Getty Images
Global Climate Change:
The (Non-Alternative) Facts By Taylon Fay
Now before you scan this article and assume it’s another politically charged, falsified account of how “liberals want to save the fuzzy polar bears in the arctic,” conservatives are “money-hungry brutes who don’t care about the future,” how “climate change has been perpetuated by the Chinese” or some other ridiculous statement, think again. Politics and science mix about as well as oil and vinegar. This article is the cold, hard, and very real facts about climate change, and whether you vote blue, red, green, purple or beige is about as relevant to science as Britney Spears is to 2017. Climate change has been on the rise since the 1880s during the heat of the industrial revolution. However, due to the heavy reliance on man made goods, it has seen an incredible spike in the last decade. In fact the last three years have consecutively been the warmest years in recorded history, and if that doesn’t say something then I quite frankly don’t
know what will. There is no doubt that before the 1880s the climate “fluctuated” warm and cold a few centuries at a time, but to use this as an excuse for why climate change is a so-called hoax is preposterous. Over the last 400,000 years, the CO2 level never exceeded 300 ppm. However, since 1880, CO2 levels have increased exponentially from about 175 ppm to the current level of 405 ppm. The vast spike in CO2 levels is due mainly to the exponential spike in the human population. Carbon dioxide is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere, and because it naturally remains in the atmosphere longer than other gases, it is trapping solar energy at higher rates than the Earth is naturally accustomed. To those of you who decided to take a nap during biology class because it was “lame,” those figures mean nothing. But you can do this experiment yourself. Take two bottles, one filled with regular air and one with CO2. Heat both bottles
continued on page 2
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February 17, 2017
Volume 23, Issue 3
Global Climate Change: How It Directly Affects Everyone on the Planet Yes, even you, Mr. Trump. OpEd, By Rick Sorensen
In the fallout of the 2016 United States presidential election, an issue in which much progress had been made under the Obama administration now finds itself in the crosshairs of Trump’s reform: Global climate change. It is most certainly controversial, and inevitably destructive, yet most people fail to grasp the significant threat it poses to much more than just the fuzzy polar bears. Climate change could lead to the destruction of thousands of societies worldwide, displacing and likely killing millions of people. Furthermore, the last people to drown will be the first to starve, as major blows to the world’s ecosystem would severely disrupt the food chain. By the facts, the situation is undeniably critical and there really is no time to waste. One of the biggest threats to the environment, and thus to our society, is the melting of the polar ice caps contributing to the rise of global sea levels. If the sea level continues to rise as it is projected to, it could have fatal consequences to many rural and major metropolitan areas alike. To start, if the sea level were to rise just five feet, which at the current rate is quite possible within the next 100 years, Atlantic City will be 62 percent underwater. Furthermore, New Orleans will be 88
percent submerged, and Miami Beach, the location of Trump Towers II, at 94 percent, according to an article released by the New York Times in April of 2016. That’s over a half a million people displaced from their homes, and that’s just a fraction of it. Roughly 10% of the population of Earth lives in an area susceptible to sea level rise and will likely be dramatically affected within the coming centuries. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in an article written by the New York Times, “human-driven global warming” is the most significant threat to the polar bears, claiming that without “decisive action to combat global warming, the bears would almost certainly disappear from much of the Arctic.” Here’s why this matters: polar bears are at the very top of the food chain. If they were to be driven to extinction, it could lead to detrimental consequences for the rest of the marine ecosystem. With no more polar bears, their main source of food, the Ringed Seal, would flourish. An extreme spike in the seal population could lead to a sheer drop in the populations of the 72 different fish and invertebrate species on which they feed. According to the World Wildlife Fund, seafood is the “largest traded food commodity in the world.” There are just
Photo courtesy of Josh Haner, New York Times
about 3 billion people on Earth that “rely on both wild-caught and farmed seafood as their primary source of protein.” To put that into perspective, that’s roughly 11.5 million times the number of condos in Trump Tower New York (for you, Mr. President), 10 times the population of the United States, and just under half of the entire population of the world. And that’s just those who will be directly affected by the death of the polar bear. Global climate change is not necessarily global warming. It does not mean the planet as a whole is getting warmer (even though it is). Rather, it means that the climate itself is changing, catalyzed by human carbon emissions. Damaging storms will become more frequent, flooding more common, droughts more prolonged, and entire populations of organisms threatened. As a society, the very structure of our existence is based upon what we experience from day to
day. Our lives are governed by the climate. We have built ourselves on what we know, and what we know is changing, though not for the bet-
ter. The issue at hand is the single most significant threat to life as we know it. It’s not too late yet, but if we don’t take action soon, it will be.
The Facts continued from page 1 with any sort of incandescent bulb for around 30 minutes, then measure and compare the two temperatures. You will see a significantly higher temperature in the CO2 filled bottle for the very simple reason that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and naturally traps heat. The major misconception is that climate change is primarily caused by pollution, and while pollution certainly adds fuel to the fire, it is much less of a reason than the simple fact that there are too many of us around now. The global population since 1900 has grown from around 1.5 billion to about 7 billion today. To put that into perspective, there are about the same number
of people living in China today as there were living on the entire Earth in 1900. Climate change has also been a highly debated topic over the last few years mainly because of its apparent relevance to politics. However, contrary to popular belief, most republicans actually do believe in climate change. The major discrepancy revolves around how relevant an issue it is, and where it lies on the laundry list of problems the United States has. To read more of the climate change editorial, Global Climate Change: Local Effects What We Can Do See crhsnews.com
crhsnews.com
February 17, 2017
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Class Act: Parents’ View By Emily Mallinson Parents of the Coginchaug boys basketball team are feeling uneasy about the new CIAC Class Act Initiative. Many parents believe the fans have a huge impact on their son’s play: “I think the boys need to hear the crowd,” said Meryl Vallone, mother of sophomore Thomas Vallone. “They perform better with the cheering.” Although many parents support the idea of creating rules for the fans to follow, it is the inconsistency that makes them weary of this new policy. Despite Coginchaug’s heavy monitoring of the CIAC Class Act Initiative, that is not the case in all Shoreline schools. “I think it would be much more effective if it was in all of the Shoreline schools and enforced and monitored consistently. It’s useless if it’s not across the board,” said Lisa Onofrio, mother of junior Peter Onofrio. Regardless of the evident flaws with the new initiative, there are beneficial changes trying to
be made. The CIAC rules state, “Spectators will cheer positively to support their team, will not cheer negatively against the opponent.” As a parent attending the games and taking part in the cheering, Mrs.Vallone concurs and feels as though the team responds better to positive cheering: “They play better with a loud and positive cheer section.” A common concern many of the parents possess is how the CIAC Class Act will affect attendance at the games. If the initiative affects the student body, then fans are less inclined to attend the games. “I understand the students/fans are still in the school and need to uphold core values, but I believe the players get excited when the crowd cheers for them,” said Ana Jameson, mother of junior Hunter Jameson. “If the supervisors are too strict, they will take the fun out of the game, and there would be little attendance.”
Students vs. Class Act
By Brandon Johnson
The new Class Act Initiative is aimed to steer students away from yelling derogatory chants against the other team, but instead it’s oppressing the students so they chant more “ethical” things. There is a lot of passion in sports, for both players and fans. Fans can express that through cheering and yelling, but students can’t be themselves if they’re told how to cheer, when to cheer, what to cheer, etc. The students want to create a positive and thrilling atmosphere. When students get ‘hype,’ players feed off of that. “The cheering from the crowd gets the team pumped and excited to play the game,” said Coginchaug senior Kyle Handy. “When we are limited as to what we can
say [in the crowd], we aren’t emitting that same energy to the players, which can be discouraging.” A student section cheering could be the difference between a fastbreak dunk and a fastbreak missed layup. Players on the court hear it all, from angry parents to a group of teens acting like fools; it’s part of the environment, and they are taught to ignore the stands and focus on their teammates and coaches only. Students want to leave it all out there and have a great Friday night at their home court. If the CIAC Class Act Initiative continues, students may feel less inclined to attend. This means less money for Coginchaug and fewer people to support the team.
Players Miss Out for Crowd’s Behavior Under the CIAC Class Act? By Emily Mallinson
Although it may be assumed that the CIAC Class Act Initiative only affects the fans, many athletes on the Coginchaug boys basketball team are feeling the impact of the new standards. Last year, the Coginchaug boys basketball team was seeded 11th in Class S, yet made it to the championship at Mohegan Sun. The boys were influenced greatly by the crowd. “The crowd was one of the biggest parts of us going to the state championship,” said basketball alumni Jake Sapia. “Our motto last year was ‘army of one,’ and the
fan section was a part of that army,” added Walter Wyskiel, last year’s small forward. This year, on Tuesday, Jan. 10, the boys played Old Saybrook. At the end of the third quarter, the team was down 29-43, but a number of the student fans left the game out of frustration for the new Class Act rules. The players were aware of the issue in the stands. “Since the Class Act initiative has been put into effect, many people have stopped coming to the games or left early because of the teachers enforcing the rules and keeping them from cheering,” said Mac-
Guire O’Sullivan, a junior on the team. The energy in the gym was despondent. Many believe that players feed off of the energy that the crowd provides, and that it is a vital part of the game. Players also said that one of the best parts of high school sports is being able to play on your home court/field with your fans cheering you on. “In some games, it takes the crowd out of the game, which takes away our home court advantage,” said junior player Peter Onofrio. “When playing, we like to have a loud crowd on our side because that’s what playing home is all about.”
It’s a lose-lose situation. Seniors have looked forward to leading the chants and attending the games with their friends for their whole high school career. “I think there are certain things that we saw as younger students that we looked forward to as the upperclassmen, and now they’re trying to take that away from us,” said senior Lauren Donnelly. Until the students collectively meet with the teacher supervisors, there is going to be an inconsistency within the initiative standards. Kyle Handy pointed out, “We have the staff there to tell us what we can and cannot do. That is a problem too because at one
game, you’re allowed to do something, and the next week that same thing you can’t. There is a theme of inconsistency with the Class Act.” A common area of annoyance that the students shared is the lack of com-
munication and say they had in the decision to become a Class Act School. Senior Trey Minor said, “There wasn’t any agreement or compromise between the student body and those who enforce the Class Act.”
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Continued from page 1 By Lizzie Whitaker ting ready for a shoot and spark and has ignited a movement. It’s not all about flaws or curves; it’s about what’s beneath the skin. #AerieReal is about loving the real you. #AerieReal is about empowerment. Share your spark!” This hashtag gives anyone the opportunity to share their story via social media. On Twitter or Instagram everyone is invited to tag their photo with this hashtag, which then links the user to everyone else that has used this tag. This creates a community of empowerment where people can give advice to one another and embrace who they are. This is an extremely powerful movement that has the ability to use social media in a positive way and to reinforce the importance of loving who you are. In 2006 Dove launched a campaign entitled Campaign for Real Beauty with a video called “Dove Evolution” which featured a time lapse of a model get-
posing for a photo, then the retouching that goes into that photo to create an advertisement. This video went viral, along with the campaign. The campaign emphasizes the importance of loving your body with their slogan, “When it comes to your body, love the one you’re with.” Their vision is to make beauty less of a priority in the modern world. Their mission statement is, “We believe beauty should be a source of confidence, and not anxiety. That’s why we are here to help women everywhere develop a positive relationship with the way they look, helping them raise their self esteem and realise their full potential.” This movement is important for young girls to know about. Campaign for Real Beauty should have more publicity because self esteem and confidence seems to be lacking in society, due to such influential media sources setting beauty standards.
February 17, 2017
Volume 23, Issue 3
Impact the Media has on Body Image By Natalie Labasi
In today’s society there is a lot of pressure placed on teens and young adults to look a certain way. A majority of people in these age groups strive to have the “perfect body” seen in advertisements and the media. This mindset is not only damaging to the minds and self-esteem of these people at such a vulnerable age but it is also damaging to society as a whole. If you have ever looked through a magazine or catalog it is quite noticeable that there is a difference between these models and the average American. In a recent survey taken by 98 students at Coginchaug, 54 percent of students agreed that the models in advertisements do not match the American ideal while about 40 percent believe they do. In the same survey, students were asked whether or not they were comfortable with their physical appearance; about 83 percent said they were. In a follow-up question, students were asked if they have ever felt pressure to change their appearance as a result of the media, and 45 percent of these students said they had. Although this is still less than 50 percent, why were a majority of students comfortable with their bodies, but many still felt pressure to change? Magazine covers almost always feature a good looking male or female models and celebri ties with few, if any, flaws: very thin females with “perfect” skin and almost no blemishes; men flexing their “huge” muscles or abs. An argument can even be made whether or not these are actually the real bodies of said model or if it is all the work of Photoshop. Many studies have shown that a young person’s confidence is most often influenced by images they see in the media; in fact, about 70 percent of students who participated in the survey were more influenced by the media, and not their peers, when it came to wanting to look like the “American ideal.” Since the majority of those looking through these magazines are in a vulnerable state in the life where a person will do whatever necessary to fit in, the media proves to be very influential. This is why you will see teenage boys working out at the gym every day and girls dieting at such a young age in order to lose weight. Many are comparing themselves to unrealistic images they see in advertisements and the media almost everywhere they look. At such a young age, looks should be the last of their worries, but in today’s society, it seems as though it is something everyone is worrying about.
Constant Search for Virtual Validation By Lizzie Whitaker
Social media is an indomitable force in the modern world, the rapid technological advances in society impacting teenagers. For a dangerous number of teens, self-worth is determined by the number of likes you receive. Social media has become almost inescapable, accessed 24/7. In a survey of 98 students at Coginchaug, 93.88 percent of the people surveyed said that they have a social media account; these individuals experience the effects, both positive and negative, of our changing world. For teenage girls, the ideals set forth on the “perfect body” and what you “should” look like have left a dangerous number of young girls feeling unsatisfactory in society. Many social media accounts claim to be dedicated to fitness, yet are trending based on unhealthy fads and an
obsession with thinness. Claire Mysko, expert on body image, leadership and media literacy, states, “While social media is not the cause of low self-esteem, it has all the right elements to contribute to it. Social media creates an environment where disordered thoughts and behaviours really thrive.” So many teens look to social media and idealize images that may have been digitally enhanced or altered, and this idea of perfectionism thrives in society through social media. The world of social media has more recently been linked to eating disorders in the youth population. According to Time Magazine, “Earlier this year, psychologists found robust cross-cultural evidence linking social media use to body image concerns, dieting, body surveillance, a drive for thinness and self-
objectification in adolescents.” Models are put on a pedestal for their beauty and size and followed by millions of people on social media. They do not fully grasp their impact on youths. Victoria’s Secret Angel (elite model) Candice Swanepoel have 10.6 million followers on Instagram, and famous supermodel Kendall Jenner has 73.4 million followers on Instagram. One of Kendall Jenner’s most recent posts on Instagram features her butt as she bends over in a silk dress. Provocative photos of these women’s bodies set a negative example for young people. Young followers feel the need to mold to this standard where it is okay to post images of this sort, and put their bodies on display. Social media is not just a negative outlet for users, there are many ways that social media has a
positive impact on society. The promotion of a healthy mind, body, and soul does not have to be crawling with unattainable goals and altered images. There are accounts, such as The Twitter Diet that are inspirational and encourage young people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Twitter Diet, tweets healthy diet and exercise routines, and allows followers to share their personal stories via their account. It is important that this aspect of social media is highlighted in society, and encouragement among others in the online community becomes more prevalent. Social media is gaining popularity exponentially and is having an increasingly negative effect on our nation’s teenagers. It is important to understand this impact on adolescents with developing brains. Those who are susceptible to peer
Photo from “Dove Evolution” Campaign for Real Beauty. Photo from Dove.com
pressure, and extremely high expectations are comparing themselves to models and idealized beauty icons every time they scroll through their feed. These comparisons evoke body image concerns and an array of insecurities that can lead to anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. It is important that we take action and make social media a positive outlet for all users and encourage less shallow ideals throughout the internet.
crhsnews.com
Depression: WhatBy Charlotte is it Really? Devers
February 17, 2017
Bipolar Disorder Stigma By Megi Zaclli
Depression. Picture it. What comes to mind? Is it someone crying? Someone who has cuts on their wrists? Or is it someone who’s captain of both their sports teams? Someone who was voted “Friends With Everyone” in the superlative section of the yearbook? For Coginchaug senior Lauren Donnelly, these questions have shaped her view on the misconceptions of mental illness and have defined what Depression really is. At the age of 17, Donnelly is among the 3 million adolescents who suffer from Depression and the stigma associated with it. She was diagnosed in November of her sophomore year and began treatment immediately. Along with attending cognitive therapy once a week, she was prescribed a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor or SSRI. When she realized that the original prescribed dosage wasn’t working, it was increased, and she’s been on it ever since. She recalls that the seventh grade is when it all started. “I remember thinking it was just me being upset about little things like my grades or boys,” she said. It wasn’t until about two years later that she realized what was actually going on. “Most people didn’t understand or were uncomfortable with the
situation which made me feel embarrassed and ashamed.” As a result, she stopped letting people in and pretended as if everything was okay. She noticed that when people can’t relate to something, they tend to not care about it. It wasn’t until she was asked, “You’re on medication, how are you still depressed?” that she realized just how uneducated most people are on the topic of mental illness. “It’s as if they just assume that medication is going to make you happy again, or in order to be depressed in the first place, you have to be suicidal.” For her, and many others, it’s simply like “being in a fog.” It becomes difficult to address even basic thoughts let alone things such as school work or interpersonal relationships. Despite the challenges she faces, Donnelly still succeeds in all aspects of life, named a captain for cheerleading and softball while maintaining her grades and volunteering with youth cheerleading. “It’s tough because it’s something that people won’t fully understand unless they actually go through it,” she said; however, she strongly believes that there needs to be a baseline understanding of what mental illness actually is and the ways in which it affects people.
Bipolar disorder is a variety of extreme mood swings that include emotional highs and depressive lows. Seen mostly in school, if an individual seems to feel low then happy after a short amount of time, they claim to be “bipolar.” Many people misuse the word claiming they are bipolar because of a small mood shift. Manic Depressive Disorder is the same thing but has a different name because of the severity of the episodes. People with bipolar disorder are occasionally known to have “mood episodes”; this is where people tend to misinterpret the effects of the disorder. People use the word as an adjective rather than a noun. Suport: People can be heard in the school halls stigmatizing bipolar disorder which in the end makes it even harder for those on the way to recovery. As a community, we should be speaking words that encourage people to heal and recover. Advice: - Use respectful language. - Do not refer to people as “crazy” or “psycho”. - Educate yourself on mental illness. - Learn more about the struggles that a person goes through and help create empathy instead of fear. - Be careful with what you are promoting on social media. - Discover the source of an article, and find out if it’s credible.
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Anorexia: Down to the Bones By Sydona Tregoning Anorexia Nervosa is a prevalent issue in the United States that needs to be paid more attention. A survey conducted by the National Eating Disorder Clinic in 2011, showed that 80 percent of children as young as ten years old found themselves wanting to be thinner. Many people believe that Anorexia can be cured by simply telling someone to eat more, but that’s not the case. More often than not, the source of the disorder stems from underlying issues. One victim of the disorder was current senior in high school Megan Roberts*. Her obsession with trying to become thin began at fourteen years old, as a result of envying thin girls who are praised on social media. The calorie restriction that spiraled into her dramatic weight loss started with a calorie counting app she had found from a friend who was into working out. “Every day I would try to progressively eat less and less,” Megan admitted.“It made me view myself as a number on the scale rather than my self worth.” The disorder blinded her from the fact that her body was shutting down. This was a result of catabolism and her heart beginning to shut down due to the insufficient amount of calories she was consuming. “Eventually, doing simple things such as walking up stairs was extremely exhausting, and I didn’t even realize that it was a result of starving my body,” she explained. Due to feeling constantly *Name changed for privacy
cold and wanting to hide the weight loss from her parents, Megan wore sweatshirts and baggy clothing. After months of successfully hiding the fact that she was withering away, her mother started to question the lifeless face that was turning to just skin and bone. “I yelled at her and told her I didn’t need help, but the fact that I was skipping dinner and being constantly exhausted told her enough,” Megan said. A week later, Megan had her first therapy session; however, it wasn’t until she found an Instagram page, over a month later, that helped her decide to fight for growth. “I came across an Instagram page of someone who had also had an eating disorder. She had posted a transformation picture, and she explained how the weight gain gave her her life back,” Megan said. She realized that being skinny and destroying her body wasn’t worth the lack of energy and happiness. To Megan’s luck, she did not have to be admitted to a hospital, and she met with a nutritionist to slowly increase her food intake. “During my recovery, every ‘fear food’ I ate felt like a small victory in getting my health back,” she said. “Although I would like to believe that two years later I am fully recovered, I know I will always have thoughts in the back of my mind telling me I shouldn’t be gaining weight,” Megan said. “I will always have some type of body image dysmorphia.”
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February 17, 2017
Wizards are Coming Doolittle at Paula8413@ aol.com for tickets or information. Project Graduation will provide, for the 28th year, a safe and supervised allnight event for graduating seniors to celebrate their achievement from RSD13. This year’s event will be held at the Sports Center of Connecticut in Shelton. Project Graduation is 100 percent parent-organized and is financially supported through the generosity of families, businesses, and organizations around the community. Support is always welcomed and appreciated: P.O. Box 81 Durham, CT. Support the Class of 2017 by cheering on The Dribbling Devils as they take on the Harlem Wizards!
Volume 23, Issue 3
TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
**Submitted by the CRHS Project Graduation Committee On Tuesday, April 18, CRHS Project Graduation will host the Harlem Wizards who will bring their slamtastic tricks and alleyoop style basketball to the CRHS Maynard Stender Gymnasium. The funtastic community event will be a night of laughter, smiles, and fun for your entire family. Your hometown team “The Dribbling Devils” will play the Wizards; head coach of The Dribbling Devils will be none other than Robin Watson of “We have a ballgame here.” Ticket sales begin online on March 6 at www.harlemwizards.com and at local ticket sales locations that will be posted on the CRHS Project Graduation facebook page; contact Paula
BUY YOUR
COGINCHAUG YEARBOOKS NOW!
*ORDER ONLINE* HTTP://COGINCHAUGYEARBOOK.WEEBLY.COM/
PRICES WILL INCREASE AFTER FEBRUARY 24
Guys and Dolls By Erin Hassmann
Who will be crowned This year’s school musical is the famous Guys and Dolls! The choreographer for the play is CRHS alum Kayleigh Crocetto. Check Mr. Coginchaug 2017? the Music Department website for more information and pictures: https://sites.google.com/site/crhsmusicrsd13/home Come see for yourself on Show Dates: March 30, March 31 and April 1 at 7:30 p.m. March 17 at 6:30 p.m. Photo of the Hot Box Girls by Emily Stanwood Seth Azevedo Marissa Bizzario Sydney Brant Hailey Byrne José Cadena Paige Copeland
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Megan Decker Charlotte Devers Adam Doolittle Lauren Fairchild Taylon Fay Kyle Fontaine
Jack French Erin Hassmann Brandon Johnson Josh King RaAnna Kurek Natalie Labasi
Emily Mallinson Griffin Murphy Jack Murphy Jeremy Orozco Liv Preneta Lexi Raffles
Mason SarroTwickler Brendan Sirois Chris Solomon Ricky Sorensen Cam Stockdale
Contact Us Sydona Tregoning Lizzie Whitaker Brendan Wiknik Megi Zaclli Adviser: Ms. Rebecca Suchy rsuchy@rsd13.org
The Devil’s Advocate is the official student newspaper of Coginchaug Regional High School, located in Durham, CT, representing the towns of Durham, Middlefield, and Rockfall. The DA is a proud representative of Regional School District 13; however, this publication is student-run and does not assume to reflect the views of RSD13 administration or staff.
Email: crhsdevilsad@gmail.com Twitter: @crhsdevilsadv Facebook: Devil’s Advocate Coginchaug Phone: 860-349-7215
crhsnews.com
February 17, 2017
Indoor Track Shorelines: Better than Expected
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By Lauren Fairchild The Shoreline Conference Indoor Track Championship, which took place on Saturday, Feb. 4, had a better outcome than the girls and boys teams had expected. The diligent practices and long meets of the indoor season flew by, according to a majority of the girls team. About a week before Shorelines, captain Allie Alsup said, “One day we were making individual and team goals and planning out our season, and before we knew it, we were completing those goals and getting ready for the championship meets.” In the past two indoor track seasons, the girls expected and achieved a
first place finish at the Shoreline Championships. Although this season’s team had hard-working athletes with firm ambitions, the girls knew that it probably wasn’t possible to win Shorelines this year due to the loss of key team members from previous years. After an exciting meet, the girls ended up finishing in fifth place and the boys with an impressive third place finish. Certain athletes helped to push the teams to their success with their outstanding races: Allie Alsup finished second overall in the 1000M run, Ashley Dana finished second overall in the 1600M run, Sean McMaster finished
On the Ice
By Lexi Raffles & Adam Doolittle
The girls indoor track team finished fifth at Shorelines while the boys placed third. PHOTO BY JEN SCHULTEN first in the 1000M run, Peter Schulten finished first in the 1600M run and Max
Sartor finished first in the 55 hurdles. Many athletes competed
at the CIAC Class S State Championship on Feb. 14, postponed from Feb. 11.
Indoor Track Class S Championship Qualifiers
Cooper Berry Riley Carey Derek Labasi Dan Lee Jon Lombardo Flynn Molkenthin Max Sartor Pete Schulten
Alexandra Alsup Emma Bournival Makayla Cesario Colleen Coogan Colby Courchesne Carolyn Cumello Katelyn Cummings Ashley Dana
Megan Decker Ella DiBernardo Lauren Fairchild Aubrey Figoras Tyra Hultgren Natalie Labasi Samantha Loffredo Mary Kate Schulten
Olivia Tawa Lyndsey Taylor Adrianna Wimler Ashley Woodward
*CIAC Class S State Championships Tuesday, Feb. 14
Snow Stalls Cheer Season By Jeremy Orozco
Kyle Roberts skates through two defenders. PHOTO BY LEXI RAFFLES
Trojans
Tigers
With a record of 6-7 the Trojan ice hockey team is nearing the end of the 2016-2017 season. Due to injuries, the team has not been able to perform as well as they had hoped; senior captains Jack O’Brien and Chris Blanchard have been sidelined because of season-ending injuries. Looking at the positives, Hunter Boileau has returned to the ice after being out from a back injury.
The Daniel Hand girls ice hockey team’s season is quickly coming to an end with a record of 10-5-2. Coginchaug has two athletes that are a part of the team, sophomore Skylar Rascati and freshman Carina Mancini. Skylar is an offensive left wing while Carina is first-year goalie who came back to the ice in January, following a knee injury.
The CRHS cheerleaders’ last competition was on Jan. 28; they had high hopes for their competition at Central CT State University on Friday, Feb. 10 but could not get to the competition due to the snow storm. On Jan. 28, seniors Katrina Anderson, Marissa Bizzario and Lauren Donnelly along with junior Amanda Potvin and freshman Gabby Caporossi finished in first place for top gun. The cheerleaders’ senior night will be on Feb. 20 with the boys basketball team who is playing Valley. Their next competition, NECA, will take place at East Haven High School on Feb. 25, and the cheerleaders will hope to place better than their first two
competitions. Top gun will also compete in a stunt group division. Their states competition is on March 3. Senior Lexi Raffles says, “We will be aiming to get top ten in the competition.” With these big competitions in the coming weeks, it is a big help that Jenni Chadd is coming back from a foot injury. Raffles claims, “Jenni is one of our top tumblers and is also Senior Marissa Bizzario flies in a basket an important toss at a basketball game at CRHS. flyer for the PHOTO BY JEN ZETTERGREN team.”
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February 17, 2017
Volume 23, Issue 3
Final Stretch for Boys Basketball By Chris Solomon After a shaky 5-4 start, the Coginchaug boys basketball team went on a four-game winning streak to propel them into third place in the Shoreline Conference and place them at a higher ranking in Class S for the CIAC tournament. These wins came against the likes of Old Lyme, Morgan, Portland and HMTCA, averaging roughly 14.5 points over each team. On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Coginchaug Blue Devils traveled to take on Shoreline Conference rival, the Cromwell Panthers. The boys got off to a slow start, trailing by as much as 8-0 in the first quarter. The offense was eventually sparked by Hunter Jameson who took the ball to the basket and got the and-one foul shot after the layup. In the second quarter, the boys were able to hold back the deep threats and went on a 20-4 run to put them up 28-16 at the half. The Cromwell team and fans began to get fired up in the second which even-
tually came down to the team cutting the game down to an 8-point game; however, the boys were able to stay calm under pressure, and thanks to an extra effort by Jameson, J. Murphy and Brandon Johnson, were able to come out on top over the Panthers by a score of 54-39. With this win, the boys were able to hold on to third place in the Shoreline Conference rankings and ninth place overall in Class S. The boys final five games of the regular season are all against opponents who the boys have previously played this season. They came out successful in three out of the five of these matchups and now look to close out the regular season on a six-game winning streak. These wins will prove to be very important for the boys trying to boost their rankings in both the Shoreline Conference and the State tournament where they currently sit at No. 5 and No. 10 respectively.
Swim Season Update By Brendan Sirois With a current record of 4-4, the boys swimming and diving season is coming to an end. The boys have one more home meet against Haddam-Killingworth on Feb. 15, and one more away meet against Sheehan High School on Feb. 21. The team looks to compete in the upcoming post-season tournaments. If their record qualifies by
the end of the season, they will compete on Feb. 27 for SCC Qualifiers, Feb. 28 for the SCC Diving Championship and March 1 for the SCC Championship. For the CIAC State Championship, Lyman Hall-Coginchaug would compete on March 11 for the Class M Trials, March 15 for the Class M Championship and March 18 for the State Open.
The CRHS girls basketball team raised over $300 at their annual Pink Out night. PHOTO BY JEN ZETTERGREN
Shaky Midseason with Many Lessons to be Learned
Between Thursday, Jan. 19 and Thursday, Feb. 2, the Coginchaug Lady Blue Devils basketball team went through seven very competitive games and fell short in many; however, these losses offered the girls lessons that will hopefully help them the next time they face most of these Shoreline Conference opponents, whether it be in the regular season or post-season. During this span, the girls lost four games (two to conference opponents), all of which were competitive from the beginning to end, with no loss greater than 11 points. The girls were either leading or close to leading at one point in the fourth quarter but were not able to come out on top. Thanks to the technology of today, the girls are able to look over their past games to view where everything went wrong and make notes as to not make the same mistakes. The games the girls did
By Chris Solomon win, on the other hand, were very impressive. They first took on the Morgan Huskies on Tuesday, Jan. 24, who the Devils have not been able to beat since 2012. The girls crushed the Huskies and came out with a 55-21 win over the once-dominant Shoreline rival. On Saturday, Jan. 28 the girls hosted their annual “Pink-Out� game against Portland, at which they raised awareness--and over $300--in the fight against breast cancer. The game had a very competitive first half, but the girls exploded on the offensive side of the court in the second half. The girls came out on top 60-41, and three players (Lane, Halligan and Benbow) combined for 48 points. Their final win in this span was over Valley Regional, who the girls previously only beat by a score of 55-54. This game was much different, as the girls quickly pulled away
from Valley and never looked back. They came out on top 58-37; this time four players (Lane, Halligan, Benbow and King) combined for a total of 52 points. Following this difficult span, the girls hosted the Cromwell Panthers on Tuesday, Feb. 8, seeking redemption for their 26-point loss on the road. The Panthers got off to an early lead, and the Devils were not able to keep up with the high scoring. The girls fell 41-74, bringing their record to 9-8. The final three games of the girls season consist of two road games against teams they have previously defeated, and they will wrap it up at home for their last game on their senior night against Morgan. The girls will look to finish the season strong and hopefully come out with a 12-8 overall record as they look to prepare for the Shoreline and CIAC State tournaments.