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Vol. 4, Issue 3
WHS Prom
NIKOLE MAKUCH
Dancing in the moonlight.
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Prom King- Shawn Ossola & Prom Queen- Miriam Salas.
NIKOLE MAKUCH
Prom court left to right: Danielle O’Brien, Katy Michael, Matt Altig, Alex Espinoza, Will Britt and Evan Heck.
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By Vidhi Udeshi & Nikole Makuch Watertown High School seniors celebrated a special year with a posh and a very elegant prom, which was held at the Black River Valley Club on Saturday, May 21, 2011. The prom theme was “Dancing in the Moonlight,” and the venue truly represented a moonlit night with white balloon arches, a lighted wall, twinkling lights and twinkling stars. Ashley Kirch, a WHS senior, said that the dance was “Everything I thought it would be.” This was evident by the wonderful turnout, and by the fun that participants were having. Everyone looked wonderful: the young ladies were breath-taking in their beautiful gowns and their elegant hair do’s, and our young men did not disappoint. Each one of them looked quite dapper in his tuxedo. Refreshments were provided by the Mr. Craig Orvis and his staff. Music for the night was provided by DJ Shamrock. Miriam Salas was named the Prom Queen and Shawn Ossola was the Prom King for the Class of 2011 A good time was had by all, and special thanks must be given to our chaperones, our food service workers, and the staff of the Black River Valley Club. There is little doubt that prom created wonderful memories that will truly last a lifetime.
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Marijuana: the Facts That People Overlook By Taylor McCown On April 20th of this year, (a day, which apparently was known as “marijuana day”) I was walking down the streets of Ottawa, Canada. I found myself walking against a crowd of hundreds of people, who were marching in support of the legalization of marijuana. Many people in this crowd openly smoked weed, seemingly unaware of the consequences. As people waved flags with the images of pot on them, Canadian citizens ranted and screamed in support of the legalization of marijuana. When fighting this crowd, it suddenly occurred to me that pot usage is far too high. Based on the National Survey on Daily Use and Health, an average of 3,695 adolescents used marijuana for the first time this year, and an average of 563,182 adolescents use the drug daily in America alone. The fact that this is a problem is seen in the
fact that there are substance abuse treatment programs for children ages 12-17 and TEDS (Treatment Episodes Data Net) has reported that over half of the children in these programs were treated for marijuana substance abuse. With these statistics, it seems safe to assume that marijuana is a drug that affects minors more so than other drugs. This is a dangerous statistic because studies show that heavy marijuana users are more likely than non-users to be diagnosed with schizophrenia later in life. A recent study found that people, who had used marijuana more than 50 times before the age of 18, had a threefold increased risk of developing schizophrenia later in life.” (British Medical Journal, 325:1212-1213, 2002) As if these statements are not disturbing enough, our very own city, Watertown, New York has alarming statistics as well. “A recent study states that almost thirty-eight
percent of the local youths either are addicted to drugs or have used a drug in the last month”. The drug abuse statistics in Watertown have increased by leaps and bound over the last few years. In the recent years, organized drug trafficking has taken hold in Watertown. The youths of the city are thus finding it easy to procure drugs as they are available almost everywhere at cheap rates.” As a student in Watertown High School, I believe that pot usage is far too high. It seems that students seem to ignore the dangers associated with this drug. In fact, a single joint contains four times as much cancer-causing tar as a filtered cigarette. Many people will argue the facts. It is believed that marijuana can help cure cancer when in fact scientific research has not yet confirmed that marijuana benefits those with cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. More research is still being done
on this topic. It is also believed that pot is less dangerous than smoking cigarettes. This is also a falsehood. Weed is much worse than cigarettes. One joint affects the lungs as much as four cigarettes. Marijuana can also decrease one’s sense of time and coordination. In 1998, nearly 77,000 people were admitted to emergency rooms suffering from marijuana-related problems, an increase of over 373% since 1991. The longer these facts are ignored, the more people are putting themselves at risk of serious health problems. Parents should not be afraid to talk about marijuana with their children. The longer they put off talking about drugs, the greater chance their child has of becoming a user. If someone is in need of help or has questions, they can call the National Clearing House for Alcohol and Drug for information and referrals at (800)-729-6686.
Watertown Football Players: Can They Do It Again? By Mason Phillips This past season, Watertown Cyclones football players impressed many people from other towns and teams. The Cyclones showed what their made of. . . In August,
before going (6-4) in the season the team set a difficult goal that would be extremely hard to achieve: to win Sectional Finals. The team set this goal because it knew that it had the talent, including captains, quar-
The Cychronicle
terbacks Tyler Augliano; center Brock Williams; and wide receiver Caleb Bettis. The team pushed through an exciting season, losing to a very good Indian River team at Indian River during week 4 of the season with a score of (50-32). The next week, the team played Carthage at Carthage. The final score was (40-20): Watertown came out on top. For the first time in many years the Cyclones had finally won the friendship cup back. The friendship cup is a trophy that is presented to the winner of the Watertown vs. Carthage football game. The winning team gets the school name and year that it won engraved in the trophy. The Cyclones got through the rest of the season until Sectional Semi- finals during which they met Indian River once again. The teams were playing on Carthage’s turf. They gave it their all and came up on top, with a score of (42-22). It was a birthday present for Coach Williams, as the game was played on his birthday. Now the Cy-
clones were on their way to the Sectional Finals in the Syracuse Carrier Dome. They were playing against a sensational Whitesboro team. The Cyclones season ended with a rough loss with a final score of (5514). After a great played season, there are several seniors leaving. As seniors leave, more and more shoes need to be filled at different positions. Major positions being left empty include that of quarterback and running back. These positions will be filled by Mason Phillips at quarterback and Diamond Williams at running back. Both of these students will be juniors in the fall and know each other very well, which should help them play well together. There will be changes, but this new upcoming Cyclones football team is ready for next year. The first step to getting prepared is by simply hitting the weight room harder and harder each and every day. As Coach Williams says, “It all starts in the weight room.”
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Senior Trip: Excursion to Herhey Park By Marianne Lentine This year’s senior trip was very much fun. Hershey Park is a place for everyone with its wide variety of rides and entertainment. And with all of the roller coasters, water rides, and chocolate world, there was plenty to do. There are aggressive thrill rides for the adrenaline junkies, as well as, moderate and mild rides for those who are not too fond of crazy roller coasters. I will admit that my friends and I couldn’t resist going on some of the kiddy rides, like the merry-go-round, just for laughs. Personally, I love heights so I thought going over 100 feet in the air on the Sidewinder and Ferris wheel was great. I would have gone on the Fahrenheit coaster,
which goes up to 127 feet high, but the line was ridiculously long. That was the only downside; quite a few of the rides had an hour and a half wait in line. The Great Bear might give you a headache as it has you flipped upside down throughout the whole time, and the line had an almost two hour wait, but it was well-worth it. Don’t bother trying to stay dry in the Boardwalk area because even if you are just walking around, you will get splashed with water one way or another. The Roller Soaker ride allows each rider to dump up to four gallons of water, whenever they choose, on the people walking below. However, the unsuspecting victims are
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section so we ended our trip with Chocolate World. Once inside, visitors can go on a free tour that illustrates how the chocolate is made. The tour ends at a gift shop, where you can buy gifts and souvenirs, including gigantic chocolate bars. On the six hour bus ride back home, everyone was pretty much passed out with exhaustion. I can definitely say though, that the trip to Hershey Park gave the seniors who went a lot of great memories to look back on.
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given a chance for revenge with several big water guns that can be directed back at the riders. Needless to say, my friends and I had a lot of fun with that. The Boardwalk also has one of the tallest splash-down rides in the world called the Tidal Force. Riders slowly ascend up to 100 feet, and are then dropped down to create a giant splash that, as I personally found out, can reach nearby onlookers. My group didn’t have enough time to check out the zoo
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The Phone Call That Might Save a Life By Brendan Cooley Although I had never really considered the idea before, our recent Mock D.W.I. made me realize that underage alcohol consumption has more to do with a parentchild relationship that I could ever have imagined. Parents definitely need to talk with their teenagers about drinking and must truly consider what they would do if their teenage son or daughter called home for a ride after drinking. Would they simply go and get their child and feel blessed that their child was safe or would they leave their child to fend for himself to teach him a lesson? The wrong answer could result in the scenario that Watertown High School juniors and seniors were exposed to on the day before prom. On May 13, 2011, Watertown High School offered students the opportunity to watch a “Mock D.W.I. Incident”. This was for juniors and seniors to raise their awareness of awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving before the upcoming prom. This program was a re-enactment of a real live D.W.I crime scene. The actors and actresses in this event were played by some of Watertown High’s own students: Katy Michael, Sarah Glover, Emily Kirch, Jack Wiley and Matt Cleaver. The event started with two crashed cars full of bloody occupants. Police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel soon followed. After the scene was thoroughly investigated, Matt Cleaver, Jack Wiley, as the driver, is led away by police. who played as a victim in this event, was zipped up in a body bag and taken away by of the students present the true dangers of hearse. Although there had been chatter driving under the influence. It has been throughout the presentation, this was a proven that alcohol is the number one most breathtaking moment for many of the stu- abused substance by high school students. dents and teachers watching the event. Statistically about seventy percent of high There was no avoiding the fact that the end school students have consumed alcohol. So result of this accident (and crime scene) what does that mean when young students could be death, and many students were are driving? Well, a D.W.I. is when your Blood forced to open their eyes to this very real fact. Alcohol Concentration (BAC) goes above a The Mock D.W.I. was followed by a .08. A DWAI is anything from a .05 to a .07. Alslideshow, which was presented by our though for teenagers under 21, the Zero TolSchool Resource Officer, Scott McIntyre. erance Law is in effect. This law states that This slideshow further demonstrated to all any driver under twenty-one who is pulled
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over with a BAC of .02 to .07 can be penalized. This penalty can result in a one hundred and twenty dollar fine and a suspension of your license for six months. If pulled over a second time, penalties can result from a year suspension of your license of a suspension that continues until you reach twenty-one years of age. Drinking and driving is a hazard to anyone on the road, whether it’s the drunk driver, the people in the car, or other innocent drivers out there. This risk is especially doubled when it is a teen in the car. It’s said
when teen drivers, who have the “invincible” attitude, combine that attitude with alcohol, there is sure to be a disaster. The best thing anyone can do is to not drive drunk: stay where you are or call for a ride. And parents make sure to have that discussion with your child. No one is advocating teenage drinking; however, if your child is going to drink, he or she needs to know that it is acceptable to call home. Remember, that call and the ride that follows, may save your child’s life and the lives of other innocent people.
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Firemen deal with the victims of the mock DWI accident.
Mock DWI: The Tragic Reality of Teen Drinking By Danica Kellar It is summer time: the time for partying. Whether it is out in the open or not, there is going to be alcohol present at most parties. Many teenagers find drinking a cool thing to do; while in reality, it could be potentially dangerous and could lead to big trouble. Did you know that if someone under the age of twenty-one gets caught drinking and driving, that individual will lose his or her license for six months? That doesn’t seem like a great deal of fun, does it? Consider not being able to drive for six months; that could really put a damper on your summer fun. Drinking and driving is also very dangerous.
Of all of the car accidents that involve teenagers, who have been drinking and have chosen to drive, fifteen percent fatal. How is the knowledge that you caused someone to get hurt or to die fun? How much fun will it be to sit in prison after you are convicted of manslaughter fun? This truly is something that we must consider before choosing to drink. We also have to imagine the damage that alcohol can cause when an individual has consumed too much alcohol and has no control over his actions. Imagine the possibility that someone might take advantage of that person because he or she is too
drunk to protect herself (or himself). Remember, that drinking lowers our ability to think and it also impairs our judgment. So, when we are drunk, we may not be able to control our actions. For women, this may mean that although they may choose to go to a party alone, they may find that they are unable to protect themselves: after drinking too much, they may find themselves going home with someone that they cannot trust. Twelve percent of all teenage girls say that they had unprotected sex after drinking alcohol. That is definitely not a choice that teenagers should be making. Drinking alcohol may be more of a pain
than an enjoyable activity. Remember, drinking and driving may result in one’s having no license for six months. Fatal car accidents are also associated with drinking and driving, and these could result in a prison sentence. Unwanted intimacy and even pregnancy could also be some of the lasting effects of drinking. So, the old idea of alcohol being part of fun in the sun doesn’t always make sense. Teenagers can have fun in the summer by getting a job, going to amusement parks, or going to the beach. Parties can be held without alcohol. Summer is the time to have fun and to be safe.
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Firemen work to remove victims of the accident from the car.
The body of the victim is covered.
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Round Up: The Cyclone’s Year in Sports By Mason Phillips Watertown High School had a very thrilling and electrifying year in sports. Starting off the year in fall sports, the football team began the exciting year. Coached by Vince Williams, the football team had a very successful season. With a rough regular season, the boys end up losing to a sensational Whitesboro team in the sectional finals. The team played unbelievably strong, with talented players like Tyler Augliano. After having a great season, Tyler had tough choice between colleges.. After a lot of thought, his final decision was to go to Cortland. Also, during the fall, the boy’s soccer team did very well, having a regular season record of (13-5). Coach Heckman doing an excellent job, bringing the boys to a first place finish in the Frontier League Playoffs. And the girls did equally well: Coach VanNostrand coached the girls to a Frontier League Tournament win. The cross country team had a great season. Coach Burns is very proud of his runners. Girls’ tennis, coached by Coach Morrison, had an exciting season. The team
had two underclassman make it to sectionals: sophomores Alex Smith and Taylor McKinney. Coached by Coach Peters, the girls’ swim team had an exciting year: thirteen hardworking girls made it to sectionals. To finish up fall sports, field hockey suffered a rough season with no wins Winter was also a very interesting and exciting season in sports. Coach Ginger, coach of the undefeated Cyclone swimmers, had several swimmers make sectionals. Only one made it to states: George Labarr, who put in the time and effort to earn his place. Both Coach Gingerand his team were very proud of him. The boys were able to claim the title of Frontier League Champions. The volleyball team also had a magnificent season. Coached by Mrs. Robin Boomhower, the team ended with a season record of (14-3), and won the Frontier League tournament. After having a slow start, the boys’ basketball team finished strong. The boys just missed sectionals, and Coach Britton and the team hope to improve next season. Coach Adams, coach of the wrestling team, is
very proud of his boys. Although the boys ended the rugged season with a (3-22) record, they gave exceptional effort. To end winter sports on a difficult note, we must consider the girls’ basketball team had one win in the regular season. Coach Levine plans to make some changes and hopes to have a much better season next year. Ending the year off on a great note, the girls’ lacrosse team made sectional finals by going head to head with Carthage for the third time of the season. Unfortunately, they lost to the Carthage girls for the first time this season. They all wanted to go to states and gave all they had to make it there, especially, captains Maureen Keggins and Sophia Capone. Maureen got accepted at Albany University early this school year. She had to choose between the University of Massachusetts and Albany University. She will be studying Criminal Justice at Albany and of course, playing lacrosse. As for Sophia Capone, she will be attending Harvard to play lacrosse. The Cyclones Golf Team, coached by Coach VanNostrand, had seven boys make sectionals. Boys’ Track
and Field had eight boys make sectionals throughout the season, with Coach Gaede in charge. As for the girls, ten girls make sectionals. Boys’ tennis had seven boys make the first round of sectionals, and then only three advance to round two. Boys’ Lacrosse had a better season this year with new head coach, Brian Navarra. Coach Navarra played at Nazareth College, and led the Cyclones to sectional semi-finals. The Cyclones lost to an unbelievable Jamesville-Dewitt team (number one team in the state). As for boys baseball, Coach Covey led the team to the sectionals, but they lost to a genuine West Genesee team in the sectional quarterfinals. To finalize the season and year in sports, the girls’ softball team was seeded last in the division. Coach Hynes and the team fought a hard season with only one win (vs. Carthage). The girls lost in the Frontier League Playoffs against a number one seed IHC team. Congratulations to all Cyclones sports teams! Also, A good luck to all senior athletes attending college and playing college athletics!
Tri-County Art Show 2011 By: Nikole Makuch On May 19th 2011, students from school districts all over Jefferson County School competed at an art show held in the State Office Building. This included many different types of art mediums, including photography, painting, drawing, and sculpture. Many students from Watertown High had the opportunity to display their work in the show and many of students earned honors. Among the winners was Kaitlyn Chase, whose photography portfolio placed third. Jake Ratigliano also placed third in drawing and painting. Christina Deren and Amanda White received first
Forever a Cyclone
place for their individual photography pieces. Tiffany Holder, Logan Macy, Katie Ulmen-Smith, Nicole Sheetz, and Nikole Makuch received second place for their individual photographs. Foreign Exchange student Julie Peterson was also able to compete and her piece placed third. Each student participating in the art show worked hard in order to be able to submit a piece for the art show. The Watertown students are especially grateful for the assistance that they received from their art teachers, including Mrs. Hayden, Ms. Bucci, Mrs. Ellsworth, and Mr. Sovie.
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America Needs Lessons in Diplomacy By Aiden Gnadt Ever since the Second World War’s armistice, our nation has considered itself the lone protector of freedom and democracy. In the Cold War that followed, this statement may have had some truth. Even the invasion of Afghanistan was a justifiable action, considering the events of 9-11. However, when does invading and interceding in other country’s affairs start to become the problem and not the solution? Our war on terror is not only personal, it is a global issue. Every time a foreign despot commits revolting and unethical actions against his or her population, the U.S. feels the need to make things right. The sentiments of this feeling are understandable, but there comes a time when it is not our place to interfere. The United Nations were established to tackle issues, such as evil totalitarian dictators, and since we are a member we should leave the final decision up to them. It is not our
choice to invade places such as Iraq, without the full support of the U.N. Speaking of which, The Iraq debacle should never have happened. In October of 2002, our Congress voted on a resolution that granted George W. Bush” full military discretion in anything having to do with Iraq”. This is explicitly unconstitutional. The war power clause in our Constitution clearly states that only Congress has the power to “Declare war, grant letters of marquee and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water” Giving the power to make war to one man because of some spur of the moment legislation does not erase the framework of our Constitution. The covert operation that resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden is a prime example of how the United States can be too forward, diplomatically speaking. We raided Osama’s compound without explicit permission from the Pakistani govern-
ment. We brought unauthorized armed soldiers onto foreign soil because the end seemed to justify the means. Although asking permission would have undoubtedly tipped off the people in the compound, barging in like we did seems to be almost an act of war. Also, Bin Laden was not a soldier. He was a horrible man, but he was a civilian and therefore protected by the Geneva Convention. His death may have been just, but it was still a war crime. If the same incident were to occur on American soil, there would be a massive outrage. Osama Bin Laden was a terrible man, and no doubt deserved what he received. The fact of the matter is it was not our place to give it to him. This is far from the first time that the United States has violated the Geneva Convention. The Iraq bombings, the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, and the water boarding incidents at Guantanamo are only a few instances when the United
States Military blatantly ignored the articles of this convention. The My Lai Massacre may be the most notable stain on our track record because American soldiers killed over three hundred civilians, most of whom were women and children. This event was utterly horrific and unforgivable. Can we declare war on terror, and then use it whenever we enter a difficult situation? How does this make sense? The United States has grown comfortable being a world power, but being a world power is not a license to wage war with reckless abandonment. Additionally, when engaging another country in war, we are not above the standards to which we hold the rest of the world. Our country should proceed with more caution when interfering in foreign affairs, and use military force as a last resort. Truly, a lesson in diplomacy could prove itself useful to the “Home of the Brave.”
The Music Industry and How It Is Changing By Daniel Meyer Music is a very important part of many people’s lives. Singing, dancing and playing an instrument are all a part of the process of creating something truly unique. In a way, producers do the same thing, but all on their own. Without a conductor, an orchestra couldn’t play in unison and harmony; without a vocalist in a band, there would be no words to express the song. The truth is, however, that with a computer and a few extra tools, anyone can create as elaborate a sound as the professionals. One major positive to being a producer is that you don’t need anybody else in the creation process. No band, no head boss, no sound engineers- - whatever you want to make or create, you can just go for
it. A great example is Derek Vincent Smith, voted best producer of 2010, and who has out four albums and five expanded play collections (recordings too short to be considered albums, but too long for a single). His first album that came out “Taking Up Your Precious Time” was released for free. In fact, every single song he has come out with has been free and will continue to be without charge. The reason why he does this is unclear, but people speculate that Derek does it simply for the passion of creating music for people to hear, not just for the money and fame. With many new and improving technologies, producers now have access to very powerful and expensive sound equipment and mixers. Luckily, people have come out with smaller, more affordable
Remembering Our Teachers By Armando Lopez Recently, it seems like teachers across America have come under fire. Although at one time, teachers were individuals to be honored and respected, it seems that they are now the targets of critics everywhere. The truth is that it may be time to re-think our opinions of these professionals and stop all of the nonsense. Let’s face it. We didn’t make it to where we are today based solely on our decisions. All of us have at least one person we can thank for bringing us to our current positions in life. It could be a parent, a neighbor, a close friend, basically anyone.
Teachers are especially a great example. They teach us how to read and write, how to formulate mathematical, and scientific formulas, among other things. Without teachers, there would be no future doctors, scientists, or presidents (no smart ones anyway). Teachers play a huge role in our lives, even if we don’t realize or appreciate it. They are pretty much giving us the traits that we will take toward to our future careers. They help us to decide what we want to do with our lives. With this being said, we should all thank at least one teacher we have for putting in the time to help us.
mixers for people just starting out. One example is the Akai-Mpd 26. For the low price of 200 dollars, this device seriously boasts the cheapest, but most user- friendly equipment. There are also a number of computer software and programs that are now on the market. With such amazing tools and equipment for the music industry, it’s hard not to wonder where such creativity and originality originates. In fact, the ideas and customs of traditional mainstream music industry are being seen less and less every day. With the
demand for producers at a dangerously high rate, dance clubs, radio stations and social events are going to make some dramatic changes or else their businesses and companies will not be able to supply the general public’s wants and needs. So if you are looking for something to spice up your day or maybe a chance to show some creativity and development, just look to the future of music and all its glory: the producers! Get out there, get a mixer and you’ll be making what only can be described as “pure nirvana.”
A Taste of My Future By Tevion Cappe Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend at Milford, which is the preparatory school that I will attend in the fall. I will never forget this weekend because it opened my eyes to the fact that the football that I will be playing in preparation for Division I Football is nothing like the game that I played in high school. It was a totally different level of play. During my high school years, I found that many students played football because it was something to do. At Milford, that is not the case. Each player that will be on my team wants to further develop his skills and wants to play as much as possible to show off his talent. There is very little fooling around, and everyone plays with a much higher intensity than I have ever experienced. My life at Milford will not be easy. Everyone rises at 6:30 a.m., eats breakfast, and
must be ready to practice at 8:30 in the morning. Those practices were not much different from what I experienced while playing football for Watertown High school; however, the daily schedule will be very different as we will follow a Division I schedule. I also realize that I will have to enter school in the fall in good condition because there will be no time for me to work on conditioning alone once school and regular practices begin. One advantage of the weekend was the fact that on Monday after our introductory weekend, college coaches from every Division I school were present to watch us do our drills and to see how we participated as part of a team. The weekend was, therefore, not only an opportunity for me to see what school will be like next year, but also a glimpse of what my future might be if I work hard and give my all.
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Ninth Grade Team Teaching benefits freshmen By Michaela Castillo Starting next September, a change is taking place at Watertown High School. The WHS administration has decided to team several teachers together in order to better teach incoming ninth graders. This idea, which is similar to the one used at Case Middle School, will pair several teachers from different departments together. But unlike the plan used at Case Middle School, students will not be grouped together, only teachers. The reason for deciding to group only the teachers and not the student was so that ninth grade students will be able to meet and interact with different people
As Mr. Lloyd Peck, Principal of Watertown High School, explained, “It would be like going back to elementary school, if we grouped students together for the entire day. We want students to be able to meet new people, not stay with the same people every day.” It is almost important to note that the new ninth graders will only have teamed teachers during their freshman year. For the rest of their high school career, they will have teachers, who are not associated with teaming. The motivation behind this idea is to provide a strong academic support structure for all ninth grade students, and to ease the transition between Case Middle School and
high school. Another motivation is to encourage interdisciplinary teaching, and to help ninth graders earn all of their possible credits during their freshman year. Because, as Mr. Peck also explained, ninth grade is one of the hardest years for students, and it is when some students seem to decide that they want to drop out when they reach the age of sixteen. The school administration was the one who came up with the idea to team teachers together. Apparently the administration asked several teachers if they would like to be on teams to teach the incoming ninth graders. These teachers volunteered and decided with who they would like to
work. There are three teams: the purple, the yellow, and the white team. Mr. Peck says that letters or numbers were not chosen to represent the teams because it might make students feel inferior to other teams. For example would you want to be on team A or team C? On the yellow team, there will be Mr. Hopkins, Mrs. Akins, Ms. Reichart, Mrs. Shear, and Mr. Jones. On the white team there will be Mrs. Thurston, Mrs. Garrabrant, Mr. Vrooman,and Mrs. Harrienger. The purple team will include Mrs. Lawrence and Mr. Bedard. The names of the other teachers, who will be moving from Case Middle School to the high school, have not yet been announced.
Class of 2011 Valedictorian and Salutatorian By Vidhi Udeshi Although many of our seniors have little to worry about at this point in the school year, two of our soon to be graduates have an extra task with which to deal. These young ladies are planning and writing two very special speeches because these young ladies are, in fact, our valedictorian and our salutatorian. Bridget Hovendon, the daughter of Walter Hovendon and Teresa Leavery, has been named the WHS class of 2011 valedictorian, while Sophia Capone, the daughter of the late Thomas Capone and Dollie Capone is the WHS class of 2011 salutato-
rian. Both of them have exerted their blood, sweat and tears to achieve success and are “very excited at see how things have turned out after four years,” said Miss. Hovendon. Bridget, the president of National Honor Society, Captain of the Varsity Tennis and Volleyball teams, member of Whiz quiz, Key Club, Select, Math League and Science Olympiad, has an academic average of 98.83 percent. Miss Hovendon is also an active member of Wind Ensemble, where she plays first chair trumpet. And believe it or not, she volunteers through her church. Sophia, president of Student
Council, Captain of Varsity Soccer and Lacrosse and a member of National Honor Society, Key Club, Foreign Language Club and Book Club is not far behind with an academic average of 98.15 percent. Both of these young ladies indicated that the key ingredient to their success was time management. “Look for what’s more important and make sacrifices,” adds Miss. Capone. Even though both the seniors are very thankful for the solid education base that they received at Watertown High School and will always consider Watertown their home, they are thrilled to start a new chap-
ter in their life by going off to college. Miss Hovendon will attend Gannon University in the fall. She will participate in the Physician Assistant Program; a five year honors program that combines one’s Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree. After graduating, Bridget plans to practice health care and will travel to do humanitarian work. Miss Capone will attend Harvard University in the fall. She has not yet decided on her area of study, but plans to explore the humanities and social sciences. She will also play lacrosse. Her long term goals include attending graduate school and traveling abroad.
Mrs. Atkinsons First Year as Assistant Principal By Nikole Makuch After making the transition from English teacher to assistant principal, Mrs. Leslie Atkinson admits that this year has turned out even better than she could have imagined it would be. Although she en-
tered this year with excitement, even she could not have anticipated how much she would experience and learn every day. Over the past year, Mrs. Atkinson has been able to build relationships with students whom she never had the chance to teach
and to maintain the bonds that existed between her former students and herself. She acknowledges the fact that she will miss this year’s seniors deeply, but is looking forward to watching the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen as they grow and develop. One of the major differences between teaching and being an assistant principal involves the number of students with whom Mrs. Atkinson has contact. While she was teaching, she only encountered about one hundred and twenty students and had the opportunity to really get to know those students on an individual basis. As a principal, Mrs. Atkinson deals with over one thousand students and doesn’t really have as much opportunity to truly get to know these individuals well. Upon reflection, Mrs. Atkinson felt that this year’s efforts to help freshman transition from Case Middle to the high school were very successful, and says that these
efforts will continue this in the coming years. There will also be freshmen teaming, to further help the freshmen have a better high school experience. Mrs. Atkinson hopes that these changes will lead to an increase in graduation rates and a decrease in the number of students who choose to drop out. When I asked Mrs. Atkinson if she would consider returning to the classroom, she told me” I miss teaching a lot, but being assistant principal has given me the opportunity of a lifetime. I, myself, am a product of Watertown High School, and my time spent here as a student was invaluable. I owe this district everything. I see this as an opportunity to start repaying that debt.” She also told me that she would consider moving to the position of principal one day when she is completely ready. As for now, she advised me that she was working with “a group of extremely talented people who are very good at teaching me the things I need to know.”
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