U.Del ends early admission...p. 2 Sophomores adjusting ......... p. 2 Vol. XLVI No.1
New West Essex teachers.......... p.4-5 Roving reporter.......................... p. 7 Caffeine addiction ......................p. 9
Tupac -- alive? ......................... p. 11 Field Hockey beats Montclair...p. 12
West Essex High School, 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, NJ
November, 2006
Extended days result from multiple bomb scares Students unhappy with decision to lengthen school hours celled all after school activities, in- no part in calling the bomb scares. cluding sport games and practices. If the culprit is caught, staying af“It’s a shame,” said sophomore ter school will not be his or her only In an effort to stop the recent Dan Spada about the elongated punishment. Because of the extenbomb scares that took place on days. “It [ruined] everything, in- sive ground search, police officials September 12 and 21 at West cluding sports and extracurricular brought in bomb-sniffing dogs from Essex, school administrations called activities,” he added. the Livingston and Newark Police for extended days, requiring stuAlthough a number of practices Departments and the Essex County dents to make up time lost during and games did occur, they were Sheriff’s Department which led to multiple evacuations. moved to a later time on those two other issues. “I was shocked when I found out days. Students, however, were still The main problem was that the that the entire not very enthusiastic dogs needed recovery time after [junior and seabout this decision. such an extensive search, and nior] high would Dipsey thinks that therefore could not be used if there “I was always taught that in America we would rather have to stay afthe verdict was more were a real threat somewhere else, let 1,000 guilty people get away than punish one inter school,” said nocent person, but since it was instructional time, it harm than help to the according to North Caldwell Fire junior Christina was not so bad,” according to junior Jack Vidovich. students of West Essex. D e p a r t m e n t C h i e f J o h n D ’ Paparella. “The Although she does not Ascensio. e n t i r e We s t play any sports in the fall, If the person responsible is Essex Regional Dipsey still “had the caught, he or she would likely be School District now has to pay for have extended classes, but rather same amount of homework as a required to perform community serthe lack of good judgment of a few a study hall in the auditorium dur- regular day” and “had an hour and vice and would be “made an exindividuals,” she added. ing the extra time. a half less to do it.” ample for others to see and, hopePaparella was not the only one The administration suggested that Vidovich was affected as well, fully, learn that [the recent scares] who thought this action was unfair. teachers provide students with exSophomore Candace Dipsey also tra work to do in the study hall. A believes that the school’s punish- board of education member apment was “unnecessarily extensive.” pealed to the original plan, asking “We shouldn’t all have to pay for one person’s stupidity. “We shouldn’t all have to pay for for an alternative to the hour and a We were in school long enough for it to be called a day, one person’s stupidity,” said half study hall, according to English so there was no real reason to make up time,” according Dipsey. “We were in school long teacher Marion Wychules. Into sophomore Candace Dipsey, who considered the punenough for it to be called a day, so stead, each class period would be ishment to be “unnecessarily excessive.” there was no real reason to make extended nine minutes, adding an up time,” she added. extra hour and a half to October 3 Junior Jack Vidovich, however, and 4. was slightly more open-minded. The extended days were a result While he echoed the sentiment that of a Board of Education decision doing homework until ten o’clock, were not just jokes, and [bomb too many people were held ac- for October 3 and 4. A letter, sent where as if it had been a normal threats] aren’t just pranks,” said countable for crimes they did not home, nearly a week before the school day, he would not have fin- D’Ascensio commit, he did not believe that it hour and a half extension was to ished so late. This was just another was a complete waste of time. take place, postponed and can- consequence for people who had By Victoria Gualtieri ‘09
“I was always taught that in America we would rather let 1,000 guilty people get away than punish one innocent person,” said Vidovich, in response to the punishment. “But, since it was instructional time, it was not so bad.” The lengthened days, however, were not originally scheduled to be instructional time. At first, the students were told that they would not