Spring2024
Letter from the Editor
Bryanna Liu ’26
Flowers blossoming, bees buzzing, hummingbirds chirping, sunshine lingering–despitethethecharmingtranquilityofMotherNature,Villagirls remain hard at work. From a fantastic performance of Seussical to Sisters 1st qualifying for the prestigious FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas,Villablossomswithremarkableaccomplishments.
This year’s Collage Concert was no exception. Withcolorfulspringoutfits,eachperformershinedon stageastheysharedtheirexceptionaltalentswiththe Villa community. As a performer myself, it was an extremely gratifying experience to be able to perform for the school. Music in its nature is intended to be appreciated by its audience, and I wouldn’t have wantedtosharethenightwithanyother.Throughout the program, other students shared outstanding performances, from singing and dancing to classical piano performances. In addition to the performing arts, a stunning display of a variety of artworks created by Villa’s own artists were showcased throughout the Auditorium, so that the night ‘blossomed’withcreativityandtalent.
With pollen allergies and final exams approaching, the spring season can feel overwhelming. Yet, it is extremely important to find timetoappreciatethelittlethingsinlife–evenifthat means saying a simple ‘thank you’ to your mom or making her breakfast this Mother’s Day, making her heartblossomwithlove.
This issue attests to the nature of the Towerette writers’ ‘blossoming’ throughout the spring season, with reviews on books, movies, restaurants, and more. Stay tuned for the next and final issue of thisschoolyear,featuringtheseniorclassof2024!
"Behold, I am with you until the end of the age."
Matthew 28:20
VOL.55,NO.5
Photos from Villa instagram
Seussical: From Seed to Truffula Tree Current Events
Gemma Hong ’27
Atthesametimeflowersareblooming,soareVilla students’talentforperforming.Thisyear’sspringmusical –- Seussical –- was absolutely incredible, thanks to the Villacastandcrew!
No flower blossoms without starting as a little seedling, which is how all members of Villa Performing Arts began. During spring break, I reached out to several cast members through email for their insights on how theygrewduringtheprocess.
You may think that amazing actors are always on top of their game, but that is not true. Even the most experienced actresses spoke about their troubles with theirparticularroles.
Erin Jacobs ‘26 (Cat in the Hat), mentioned how shestruggledwithmanagingtheshow:“Itdefinitelycame with a hat full of responsibility. [...] I would always joke about my world full of props, hat and coat changes and multipledifferententrancesfromalldifferentsidesofthe stage.”Playingsuchanexuberantcharacter,inherwords, required a lot of responsibility, and Erin ingeniously workeditout.Sheexplainedhowshehand-wrotealistof her entrances, cues, and props and was even given time tomapouttheshowforherself.Eventhoughittookalot of repeated mistakes and guidance, Erin is delighted that itallcametogether!
Laurel Hamilton ‘24 (Mayzie) expressed her troubles memorizing her songs and differentiating between them due to their similar melodies. But with a lotofhardworkandrehearsing,Laurelmanagedtopullit off wonderfully: “I would repeat the lyrics backstage before I went on, so I wouldn’t forget anything and practice my blocking while Kiera sang ‘Alone in the Universe.’” Despite her troubles, Laurel put up a beautiful performance!
Cierra Wolckenhauer ‘25 did an incredible job as Sour Kangaroo, but not without difficulties. She mentioned that she had to manage rehearsals with her busy schedule, consisting of two jobs and school work. “Schedulingwasdifficult,”sheexplained,“especiallysince we weren’t sure when we would be called. It took a LOT of hard work to stay on top of rehearsing the dance numbers,learninglines,andpracticingthesongs.”
Kiera Vowells ‘27 (Jojo) did not disappoint with her lead role in her first year at Villa Walsh. She expressed how gratefulsheisforthewelcomingandaffirmingcommunity
at Villa. As an actress of six years, Kiera explained that theater can be competitive, so she was nervous toseewhatotherpeoplethoughtofherbeingcastas a lead. “However,” she said, “This cast accepted me and encouraged me through every step of this process. I learned so much from this show and the peopleincludedinthiscommunity.”
Everyone’s hard work paid off: the show was fantastic! Laurel said that her experience doing the Villamusicalhelpedhergainconfidenceandbecome a better performer. The shared love for performing on stage made the experience wonderful and an amazinglearningopportunity.
If you’re thinking about doing the play next year, you definitely should! Claudia Aragon ‘24 told me she had been doing the Villa musical for three years and she doesn’t regret one bit of it. She had so much fun growing with the others and is super proud of how everyone learned to make an amazing performance. Laurel also expressed how grateful she was to be in the Villa musical: “I truly had the best fewmonthsofmylife.”
If you are planning on joining next year’s musical, Laurel wants you to know to jump into it andgiveitallyou’vegot,evenifitmayfeelawkward. She says, “I always find all my favorite character choices through doing really stupid stuff that is so embarrassing, and it ends up becoming funny and one of the best parts of discovering who you’re
Finally,Erin wantseveryoneto alwaysremember …”IT’SPOSSIBLE… ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE!”
Photo by Cierra Wolckenhauer ’25
Trending This Season: A Mother’s Day
Reflection on Mother-Daughter Relationships
Ava Sansano ’27
As Mother’s Day approaches, it's time to turn the tables and show our moms the appreciation they deserve. It is easy to forget to reflect on the constant support and wisdom that has shaped us girls into the young women that we are. Because I am not a mom, I can't say what that experience may feel like, but I can explainwhatamother-daughterrelationshipisfroma teen perspective. As this holiday approaches, it’s easy to show your mom some extra love, but don't our moms deserve that extra appreciation all the other daysoftheyear?
Moms provide the first girl-to-girl relationship a daughter experiences, setting the tone for every relationship to come. Girls, because of the way we thrive, long for someone to emulate, and that’s when we look to our mothers. It starts when you want to put lipgloss on just like her, hoping you can stand as tall and as proud as she does. Now, we put on a full face of our own makeup and beg for our own pair of heels. As we grow up it is easy to fall under the influence of other people, but when we were younger it seemed like the world revolved around our moms. Welookeduptoourmomsandthoughttheycoulddo everything and anything, but now it is so easy to normalize their “job” and expect more of them. As daughters, how can we fix this? How can we change our perspective of our moms to show them more appreciation?
As a young woman, there is no relationship I value more than the one I have with my mom. Moms are our biggest built-in support system and they have natural protective instincts. This is important to remember because both of these facts are the root of amother-daughterrelationship.Asateen,itiseasyto put your mom second, but there is no reason you should because we have every reason to look up to our moms. Moms have undeniable wisdom: time and time again she will probably be right. As a teen, it can be frustrating when your mom tells you, “trust me on this one, I was your age once” because we feel it's important to experience it ourselves to learn our own lessons. At the end of the day, your mom's opinion is probably the most accurate since your mom knows youlikenooneelse.
Villa Voices
Sometimes as teens it's easy to feel embarrassed about having a relationship with your mom, but there is no reason you should be. Mothers are responsible, and have courage in an extremely special way. When our moms show us that they have courage it inspires us to have that drive as well. Valuing each other individually in a mother-daughter relationship is important too. Sometimesitisscarytogotoyourmomandtalkto her because you are scared she will think less of you. Moms aren’t here to judge you though. It may be easy to say your mom is a built-in bestie because you have the opportunity to share everything, talk freely, and act in a friendly-competitiveway.
It is easily said that being a mom is the hardest job because our moms wear so many hats. One of those is being an educator. It is often thought that educators are only found in the classroom setting, but moms educate like no other andteachlessonsthatyouwouldn'tbeabletolearn from anyone else. You can ask any woman in your life for a piece of advice or a lesson they learned fromtheirmomandIamsureyouwillhaveaquick response. As an example, on the spot, I decided to ask that exact question to a fellow student, Kiera Vowells ’27, who immediately replied with these thoughtfulwords,“Mymomalwaystoldmemybest is always good enough, she always reminded me that my best may be different than my sister’s best ormyfriend’sbest,andthatisabsolutelyokay!”Itis wisewordslikethesethatweshouldneverforget.
This is your sign to write your mom a note from the heart this Mother’s Day and appreciate all thegiftssheblessesyouwitheveryday.
The Secret Tea Room: Don’t Keep it a
Sabrina Pasko ’26
Do you need a perfect spot to take your momforMother’sDay?I’vegottheplaceforyou.
My own grandmother asked me and my mothertoattendtheSecretTeaRoom,housedina small mansion which sits in the Reeves-Reed ArboretuminSummit.
Although I’ve been to a formal English tea before, this spot was different. Surrounded by flowers and greenery, guests of the Secret Tea Room can look out tall windows, natural light shining in. The owner himself, an English native, stoppedbyeverytabletoexpressawarmwelcome and explain the Room’s service. The servers too were accommodating and allowed for a pleasant experience.
They brought floral pots full of infused flavors; I tried five teas, all with different personalities. My favorite: oolong, a black tea. That was only part of my experience… my stomach startedtogrowl.
The server brought a three-tiered stand to our table, each level categorized: toasts with cucumber, cheese, egg, and other sandwiches at the bottom; scones in the middle; and lastly, French pastries and desserts at the top. I ate the rainbow of pastries, like a double chocolate cake; carrotcake;andmacarons.
A pianist inside played classical pieces, accompanied by thesoundofspoonsstirringsugarintoteawhichaddedtothe symphony of senses. If you know me well, you know “Clair de Lune” is a favorite of mine. I decided to make a suggestion to the pianist who, with almost no time to spare, began to play thesongthatmademySecretTeaRoomexperienceevenmore satisfactory.
This experience has taught me something: don’t underestimatethepowerofthoseboxesofteaatShopRite;it’s as if you can taste the sight of flowers and feel new personalities.
Secret
Photos by the author
Reviews
That Thing You Do! A Review!
Katie Treacy ’27
Are you looking to get your groove on? Or possibly have a totally tubular time? Look no further than That Thing You Do! DirectedbyTomHankswith its stunning visuals and captivating music, this period film is the perfect movie to watch with just about anyone. The film was released in 1996, set in the early 60’s. That Thing You Do! offers an inside look into the music culture of 1964. The film focuses on Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott), fresh out of college and working full-time at his parents’ appliancestore.
Guy is called to action when the lead drummer of the Wonders (formally the One-ders), breaks his arm jumping over a ticket meter. Guy saves the day and plays the drums spectacularly at their small-town talent show, earning them a score of “Wicked.” The band’s fame soars, their hit song “That Thing You Do” propelling them into stardom. Their talents continue to blossom as they move to California to pursue their dreams of performing on stage and selling out their music. Who knew they maderecordssosmall?
With a new manager and a binding contract with Play Tone, the boys grow apart and conflict arises when they realize maybe fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. While the band is backstage it seemseverythingthatcangowronghas.Thingslook desperate for Guy until something amazing happens andhisdreamsseempossibleonceagain.
Despite their humble beginnings, the band proves anything is possible with a bit of luck and a lotofperseverance.Guy’scourageandboldness
show that sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith. I really enjoyed watching as they bloomed despite all odds. Give That Thing You Do! a shot and I guarantee that this four-member boy band with their matching suits and groovy tunes will leave you One-derstruck!
Book Review: If We Were Villains
Katherine Ziwot ’25
Are you a fan of the theater? Looking for a goodmysterytosolve?Looknofurther: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is the perfect mix of ShakespeareandAgathaChristie.
OliverMarksisfinishingaten-yearsentence foranunnamedcrime.Onhisfinalday,heisvisited by the detective who put him in prison; he’s coincidentally retiring that same day. For the past ten years, this detective had a feeling that the conclusion of Oliver’s case was not the full truth. So, as a sort of retirement gift, the detective asks for one final conversation to recount everything thatleduptoOliver’ssentencing.
Before his imprisonment, Oliver had attendedaprestigiousfineartscollegewithonlysix other aspiring Shakespearean thespians. As friendships between the group formed, Oliver noticed how their personalities on stage strangely coincided with their personalities off stage. A seemingly harmless yet controversial casting switched the typical leads with supporting characters.Tensionssoonrosebetweenthefriends andtragedystruck.
Although the result may seem obvious, the story'sjourneyalongthewayisanythingbut.This page-turningmysterywillkeepyouentrenchedina delightfully dark-academia-themed novel, hanging onto every twist and turn. From within the bloodshedandmystery,aheart-wrenchingstoryof love and disaster emerges, making this novel impossibletoputdown.
If you do read this book, I suggest making yourself a hot cup of tea, grabbing a blanket and some tissues, and setting your phone to “do not disturb”, because you will not want to be interrupted once you begin!
The Old Stone Union Church: Small Town History
Spring break is a time for rest and relaxation, whether that be on the white sand beaches of the Caribbean, the rolling hills of the Italian countryside, or the familiarity of your own living room couch.Thelatteristrueforme,ahomebodyduringthemajorityofthebreak.
I was inspired by my own will to remain stationary, and began a thorough, historical investigation of my hometown of Long Valley, NJ. One of the locations that repeatedly caught my eye was the Old Stone Union Church at 6 Fairview Avenue. I had passed this location hundreds, if not thousands of times before, but I had never cared to think of it as anything more than a pile of rubble. This seems preposterous in retrospect, as anyone new to the area would pass by this buildingandhavesomesenseofcuriosityinstilledwithinthem.Despitethemysteriousnaturethat surroundsit,ittookmenearlytenyearstofindanysenseofsignificancewithinthesite.
Built in 1774 to replace a log structure constructed some 30 years prior, the Old Stone Union Church sits in the center of town. It was once the most modern building in the area, with its stone walls towering over the smaller cabins of the time. The church was built to house two separate congregations. One congregation was the Evangelical Reformed Congregation, and the other was the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. Due to the town’s population being relatively small, all handswereneededtoaidintheconstructionofthenewstonebuilding.Rumorhasitthatacontest wasmade.Whomeverarrivedonsitewiththemorning’sfirstloadwouldhavehishorse (...continuednextpage)
and ribbons. A young man by the name of David Welsch gathered large stones, prepared his wagon the night before, and won the competition. He later becamethetown’sjudge.
The congregations separated in 1832, and efforts to maintain the main building have proved futile. The town’s historical society routinely mows the grass around the headstones and tends to other simple maintenance tasks. During my visit I was surprised to find some of the headstones written in German. It is obvious, though, due to the fact that Long Valley was originally named German Valley, for the town’s main settlers. The name was changed during WWII, due to the precarious, hostile relationship between the US and Germany. As I entered the physical church, I noticed what a severe state of disrepair the building was in. I did notice numbersscratchedintoaselectfewstones,butthey wereillegible.
The Old Stone Union Church, with its simple construction and its interesting history, stands as a reminder of the people who built the town of Long Valley, NJ. Three centuries later and the families of some of those buried on the site still remain in the area. Millions of small towns around the country havesitessuchasthisthatinstillwithinusasenseof pride -- pride to be living in a town with such historicalsignificance,nomatterhowsmall.
Old
Stone (cont.)
Photos by the author
Self-Portraits and Other Life Skills in 7/8/9 Art
Ellie Treacy ’24
Mrs. Lagana is thrilled that her 7th, 8th, and freshman classes have all completed or are currently in the process of finishingtheirdrawnself-portraits–-thefirstmajorproject of the new year! They analyzed their faces in the mirror and did their best to replicate their facial features on paper using either pencil or charcoal, which can be very challenging. Mrs. Lagana taught her students how to incorporate value into their self-portraits to recreate 3-dimensional form. They spent a lot of time perfecting their drawings, which has prepared them for their painted self-portraits –- they will eventually trace themselves onto canvasasastartingpointbeforetheybeginputtingpainton canvas. These drawn self-portraits will be featured in Villa Walsh’sCollageConcertandArtShow.
Even though this project can be very difficult, Mrs. Lagana’sstudentshavelearnedalotabouthowlighthitsthe face, as well as about shadows, with trial and error. They also have gained skills when it comes to spatial reasoning and proportions. Mrs. Lagana believes these skills are very important for students to improve upon, as they will utilize them for the rest of their lives. Being confident in different art mediums as young adults will help them in their future professionsregardlessoftheirmajorsandcareerchoices.In the short term, her goal is to encourage her students to focus on their unique personal vision, and she aims to give them the tools and guidance to be comfortable using art materials.
Next up in Mrs. Lagana’s art class is a group critique of each student’s work. During these critique sessions, students present their work and talk about their processes and inspirations. There are critique sessions twice a year, and in the upcoming sessions, students will share their self-portraits. Especially at the beginning of the year, this is a great way for students to get to know one another and become more comfortable in class. They will also be required to write a short artist statement -– a paragraph describingtheinspirationbehindtheirpiece.
(continued next page …)
ArtworkbyKatelynHadzima’27
ArtworkbyOliviaBarsemian’27
Arts Update - 7/8/9 cont.
Ellie Treacy ’24
Mrs. Lagana is already planning for another project -– a music painting –- in case there is extra time before the year comes to a close. Unlike the portrait project’s rigid guidelines, this project affords students more flexibility to explore other artistic areas and lenses. They are required to pick a song and to use the imagery already present in the music video as inspiration for their piece. They have the option to use watercolor, pastel, or acrylic, and they also have the option to determine the size of their piece.
Additionally, five of Mrs. Lagana’s freshman art students -- Annie Rionda, Ava Sansano, Emily Murphy, Katie Treacy, and Olivia Barsemian -–created pieces that were selected by the Blackwell Street Juried Student Exhibit to be featured at their show. Mrs. Lagana and our school community were thrilled that these young artists were given this special opportunity. Around 300 of 600 pieces were chosen, so it was a selective competition and a wonderful opportunity to spread Villa artists’ creativity.
This is a great example of Mrs. Lagana’s main goal for her class: to encourage students to create their own vision and to put it out there, whether it’s at Villa’s Art Show or in a local art Show, like the Blackwell Street Juried Show. She hopes her students walk away from her art class with a love for creativity and spreading their unique styles among the community.
ArtworkbyJulianaKenworthy’28
ArtworkbyHaileySimmons’28
Spring into Art
Johanna Aguilar ’26 contributed to this article
As we enter spring, we can consider the many accomplishments recently achieved by the art students: Mrs. Cheifer is proud to report that five of her students -- Angelina Santorelli ’26; Lizzie Kandziolka ’25; Annie Connor ’24; Bernice Fernando ’26; and Brianna Hetherington ’24 -- were accepted into the Blackwell Student Juried Art Show, housed across four floorsoftheMorristownCountyCourthouseatriumfromApril8 to May 1. Although not in Mrs. Cheifer’s art classes, Clara Ainsworth ’25 also submitted to the show upon Mrs. Cheifer’s urging,andwasaccepted.Inadditiontobeingacceptedintothe show, Bernice earnedanhonorablementionaward.
AP 2-D Art & Design students have been creating amazing art pieces centered around “guiding questions” to build their art portfolios for eventual submission to the College Board (see images, right). Avery Poruczynski ’25 is focusing on how electronics prevent living life to the fullest in nature and physical activity. Cece Maione ’25 is interested in imagery that interprets mental illness. Sarah Chambeau ’24 is examining Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork for insights into his life as artist, friend,andbrothertohelpherlearnaboutherownlife.
Mrs. Cheifer considers AP 2-D Art & Design a significant addition to the Villa Advanced Placement offerings. Although it requires a lot of work, the course lets students explore any subject they are passionate about. It also keeps Mrs. Cheifer on her toes, both inspiring her other coursework and honing the necessaryskillsandtalentsofheryoungerstudents.
All of Mrs. Cheifer’s classes started off doing ceramics in January; despite its challenges, ceramics is one of Mrs. Cheifer’s favorite art projects. The final art pieces were beautiful, and Mrs. Cheifer is looking forward to “blowing away the competition” at next year’s Blackwell Art Show with Villa’s ceramicscreations.
Spring coincides with Art & Design and Advanced Art classes work outdoors to photograph each other as part of unique digital art projects. Art & Design students will use Photoshop to create complicated frame animation inspired by categories,including sustainability and mental health, devised by UNESCO. Advanced Art will use Photoshop to create digital art depicting visual movement using multiple images. This medium isquiteachangefromAdvancedArt’spreviousportraitprojects, which included charcoal, quilling, collage, or palette knife painting.
Stay tuned for a final senior issue of Towerette that will feature all of Mrs. Cheifer’s talented seniors. In the meantime, clickheretofindoutmoreabouttheremarkablecreativityinAP 2-DArt&Design,Art&Design,andAdvancedArt.
Annie Connor ’24
Avery Poruczynski ’25
Cece Maione ’25
Sarah Chambeau ’24
Moderator Mrs. Pasko
Editor Annie Connor
Managing Editor
Bryanna Liu
Design Manager
Laurel Hamilton
Editor Ellie Treacy
Editor Katherine Ziwot
