SPOTLIGHT
Photos by Erin Marx
South Hadley High School’s student-run newspaper since 1919
BAG IT UP: About 300 volunteers came out on Martin Luther King day to collect goods for the town’s food pantry.
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight, currently in its 98th year, is South Hadley High School’s student-run, open forum publication. Students create all content and make all editorial decisions.
Inside this issue Volume 98, Issue 2 | Winter 2018
3 Appreciations
4-5 News Distractology & Ski Club
Spotlight Editors Kyle Pease Erin Marx Michael Senecal Maddie Mathers
Staff reporters for this issue Michael Senecal Maddie Mathers Evan Levrault Victor Omojola Jarod Fernandes Kenzie Roman
Advisor Mr. B-G
6 Features Coffee Talk
7 Spotlight Shines On
Front cover photos
This cover of Spotlight features photos taken by editor Erin Marx during the Bag the Community food drive in January.
Contact us Facebook: @spotlight153 Twitter: @spotlight153 Sports: @Jungleblogsh Instagram: @spotlight153 Snapchat: @spotlight1919 Email: spotlight153@gmail.com Web: spotlight153.com Phone: (413) 538-5063 Ext. 3512 Address: Spotlight Newspaper South Hadley High School 153 Newton Street South Hadley, MA 01075 2 ABOUT | Spotlight | Winter 2018
A note from the staff We are pleased to bring you the second edition of Spotlight during the 2017-2018 school year. As always, you can get regular updates from the Spotlight social media, listed on the left. Our Snapchat account, @Spotlight1919, is our newest social media offering, and is updated with pictures from school events and sports games. Spotlight would love to publish your work, so if you’re interested in writing stories, please let any Spotlight staff member or Mr. B-G know. We welcome opinion pieces, reviews, poetry,
artwork, comics, photography - whatever your talent or interest is, we want to give it an audience. We’re also happy to help you write a news or feature story if you’d like to attend a sport event, concert, or other performance. We also welcome reader feedback and editorial letters, which may be sent to spotlight153@ gmail.com. A special thanks goes out to our advertisers and Easthampton Savings Bank for their ongoing support of scholastic journalism.
Springtime Appreciations Spotlight reporter Jarod Fernandes asked students and staff members what they appreciate in their everyday life
“My students, especially my student Caiden Duda.” - Fine/Applied Arts Chair William O’Neil “Going out to breakfast.” - Senior Joe Werenski “All the side conversations had with colleagues and students” - Physical education teacher Eric Castonguay
“My family.” - Social studies teacher Travis Chaput “Fast drying clear gloss polyurethane.” - Senior Nate Giroux
“The American flag” - Freshman Caiden Duda
“My life” - Senior Jared Drapeau “Having friends” - Sophomore Moira Mackey “Anodized Aluminium” - Senior Robert Lak
“Being around my family and friends” - Sophomore Cora Graves Winter 2018 | Spotlight | APPRECIATIONS 3
Students learn importance of focus through ‘Distractology’ driving simulator
Photos by Madelynne Mathers
EYES ON THE ROAD AND HANDS UPON THE WHEEL: High school students had an opportunity to get behind the wheel of a vehicle simulator and experience first-hand the dangers of distracted driving.
By Madelynne Mathers After Thanksgiving, many students noticed a large trailer-like vehicle parked outside of the second set of doors at the high school, which was home to the “Distractology” simulator. Assistant Principal Pat Lemieux worked to bring the simulator to the high school to teach students about distractions on the road and how to be a safe and an aware driver in real life situations. The simulator is owned by the company Arbella. Nick Romani Prpich, the official tour manager of Distractology, visits different schools all around the state promoting safe 4 NEWS | Spotlight | Winter 2018
driving. Prpich said he would like everyone to take away the main messages of the simulation experience, which are 1) realize that being a patient driver is important, 2) focus on dangerous signs other drivers send you, and 3) concentrate 100% all the time while driving. Regarding his visit to South Hadley, Prpich said “the students are outgoing and very into the scenarios.” The simulation contains six real-life scenarios showing participants things that could happened while driving. Junior Kiera Desgres was one of the students who drove the simulator. “It was a good experience that really
opened my eyes to the unknown things that can occur while driving,” she said. Other students said that the scenarios were very surprising and realistic, ranging from cars unexpectedly stopping, people crossing the street abruptly, motorcycles blowing stop signs, and cars emerging from your blind spots. Additionally, some of these scenarios incorporated cell phone use by the driver, which only served to drive home the importance of focusing on nothing else but the road in front of you.
‘Twas the ski-son
Ski club enjoys another epic winter at Berkshire East Mountain Resort By Victor Omojola With this past winter’s relentless snowstorms continuing into March, members of the high school’s ski club experienced some of the best skiing conditions in recent memory. The group of roughly 20 students would board a school bus each Thursday after school and make the hour-long drive up to Berkshire East Mountain Ski Resort in Charlemont, MA. The club’s members ranged from
experienced skiers who have been skiing since they were children to newer skiers who have only recently learned to “shred the ‘gnar.” One such student is sophomore Amy Hampson. She began learning how to ski just a year ago, after joining the club. When asked about her favorite part of the club, she said, “Being able to enjoy the mountain freely and have fun with friends.”
Hampson is not the only ski club member who shares this sentiment. “The best part is definitely the fact that it’s skiing with friends without the hassle of planning,” said junior Gavin Lipp, a 3-year ski club member. Ski Club is in its 11th year of running at the high school, and continues to attract more and more students every year.
Photos by Victor Omojola
SHREDDED ICE: Students of all ages get to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and relaxing at Berkshire East Mountain Ski Resort with chaperone Gary Hall, a math teacher at the high school.
Winter 2018 | Spotlight | NEWS 5
Erin & Kyle’s Coffee Talk By Erin Marx and Kyle Pease It’s incredibly common to see students entering school and coming back from
much money are students spending on their
65% of students regularly buy coffee from
drinks?
one of South Hadley’s finest establishments
Spotlight ran a survey to find out what
(Dunkin Donuts, Cumberland Farms, or
lunch with a hot cup of joe in their hands.
students are spending their money on,
7/11). 40% of students bought 1-3 drinks a
There’s nothing quite like the comfort of a
and how much they could be saving if they
week, while 25% buy 4-7 drinks a week.
nice hot drink to help relax, but exactly how
ditched the drinks. According to the survey,
Seniors don’t run on Dunkin
The real cost of your coffee
Contrary to Dunkin being one of the most beloved coffee shops and a clear favorite to South Hadley students, the senior class showed that they have more frugal Dunkin buying habits than expected. A poll ran in the seniors’ Facebook group showed that 51% of seniors who responded to the poll spend (on average) five dollars or less per week at Dunkin Donuts. 22% reported spending nothing there each week. This doesn’t account for students buying drinks at other locations, but it does show that students are making an effort to limit spending at one of the most popular coffee and donut chains in America.
When looking at pricing, a medium hot coffee at 7/11 runs $1.06, at Cumberland Farms it runs $1.06, and at Dunkin Donuts it’s $2.12. It’s fairly obvious when looking at the survey results, that the majority of students prefer Dunkin Donuts (55%) even though it is twice the cost of its other two competitors. If 55% of the students who buy coffee every weekday go to Dunkin, their average weekly bill would be over $10. Thanks translates to over $40 a month on coffee alone. With just a regular medium coffee 5x a week, that is $482.88 annually. This statistic does not factor in the cost of food or fancier, more expensive beverage upgrades that students often are seen with.
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6 FEATURES | Spotlight | Winter 2018
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“Freedom of expression shall include without limitation, the rights and responsibilities of students, collectively and individually, (a) to express their views through speech and symbols, (b) to write, publish, and disseminate their views, (c) to assemble peacefully on school property for the purpose of expressing their opinions. No expression made by students in the exercise of such rights shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy and no school officials shall be held responsible in any civil or criminal action for any expression made or published by the students.”
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Spotlight Shines On is a segment where the Spotlight Media Group as a whole voices opinions about topics relevant to the high school community. These views are shared by the majority of Spotlight editors, and are selected for publication because of their timeliness and importance. We hope they help foster discussion and dialogue. Spotlight encourages readers to share their opinions on these or any other issues at spotlight153@gmail.com.
‘Blizzard bags’: homework in exchange for shorter school year Would you like to receive a blizzard bag from your teacher on the next snow day? You may imagine a blizzard bag to be a cute little bag filled with hot cocoa and sweets, but in reality they are filled with a student’s worst nightmare: homework. A blizzard bag is assigned schoolwork that students must complete on a snow day. The idea is that if a student does the work, the snow day will not have to be made up. Different policies apply for what has to be done in order for the day
to be counted as a snow day. For example, some districts only count the day as a regular school day if 80 percent of students complete the work, while other districts work on a case-by-case basis by assigning absences for students who fail to work on the blizzard bags. Students and faculty members that are for blizzard bags may argue that they allow students to get out of school earlier. Some teachers argue that they help the learning process by keeping new material fresh in a student’s head.
Those who are against the bags say that the purpose of a snow day is to relax and go outside and enjoy the blanket of white on the ground, not work. Others argue over the logistics of it, stating that it would be nearly impossible to inform all students of the assigned work, especially students who do not have access to technology at home. So, what do you think? Should the school use blizzard bags?
Education is the cure for racism & homophobia As we all know, racism and homophobia have been relevant topics in our town for a little while. It is always disappointing to see the nature of some members of the community, and no community is without such members. It’s safe to assume that we already have our opinions about what has been said, done, and expressed by members of our town. But how do we move forward? Many of us are now aware that sometimes our neighbors do not embody the idealistic ideas of perfect community members, but what do we
do? Remain divided and full of malice for the other “side?” We do not believe that’s an answer for anything. Hate, ignorance, and bigotry are in every town, state, and country on the planet, and ignoring this only allows it to continue. Those who are full of hate will continue to be so if ignored, further driving a wedge between them and us. Perhaps the best solution to this problem is not to stay divided, but to educate and talk to those who spread and believe hateful, hostile ideas. Racism and homophobia are symp-
toms of ignorance and toxicity within somebody. By trying to have conversations with these individuals, we have a chance to change their opinions and enlighten them, bettering them, ourselves, and the community. Education is the cure for hate. Having a real conversation can open eyes previously clouded by hate, and free them and our community from the hate that poisons minds.
Winter 2018 | Spotlight | SHINE ON 7
CHAMPIONS: Athletes, organizers, and volunteers came together for the Special Olympics, held in the high school gym.
Photos by Kenzie Roman
2018 Special Olympics