WRHSmedia :: Hawk Headlines

Warped Tour

Ever wonder how those Cross Country runners can possibly do an activity that is considered punishment for most other sports? Find out what exactly makes them tick in Anatomy of a Cross Country Runner. Page C1

HAWK

Where can you find Woodland English teachers and screamo bands in one place?

Warped Tour, of course! Read a teacher’s perspective of the craziness on page B2.

HEADLINES

Woodland Regional High School

Volume ix, Issue i

135 Back Rimmon Road, Beacon Falls, CT

SEPTEMBER 2009

Trip Prepares Students Let Us Eat Cake! for Contemporary World

By Brooke Dragon

Courtesy of Lisa Olivere / WRHS MEDIA Woodland’s Contemporary World Issues class poses for a group shot outside of the United Nations in New York City, NY.

By Alyssa Klancic On September 17, 2009 the students of Mrs. Flaherty’s Contemporary World Issues class visited the United Nations located in Manhattan, New York.

Contemporary World Issues is a course available for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The purpose of this class is to teach students how different nations work together throughout different situations such as the human rights of women and children, the financial systems in different nations, and the requirements to maintain a healthy world population.

The students that went on this trip to the United Nations had a wonderful experience. The purpose of this trip was to reinforce what the students had learned in their classes about the United Nations.

While on this field trip, the students were given a detailed tour of the United Nations. Due to the amount of time that the tour took, the students were only able to observe a presentation on human trafficking.

Deborah Flaherty, teacher of Contemporary World Issues, felt that the presentation added onto an already good trip.

“The presentation was kind of like an extension of the trip so to say. It added on to what was already a good trip,” Flaherty stated.

The trip to the United Nations was a great learning experience for those that attended. It gave the students involved in the Contemporary World Issues course to learn more, and obtain a hands on experience that will not only help them in this class, but serve as a great memory for years and years to come.

The Region 16 Wellness Committee met on several occasions last year in order to produce a new wellness policy that was more suitable for Region 16.

The previous wellness policy had gray areas, such as what you can and cannot bring for a lunch or snack to school. Now, areas are clearly stated in black and white.

The new policy was presented and passed in the spring of 2009.

Areas in the previous policy that were adjusted in the new policy included modifying physical education classes, clarifying approved school foods, limiting classroom celebrations, and making other minor changes.

The change that has students throughout the region talking regards to what students can and cannot bring to classroom celebrations. Instead, students are able to celebrate in other ways than eating junk food.

Found at Region16ct.org, a list of non-food related activities is available to be viewed by parents and teachers.

Some of these activities include making deliveries to the office, dancing to music in the classroom, teachers performing special skills such as singing or playing instruments, having art time in class, or giving a spelling test to the rest of the class. These options may not excite the children the way a homemade chocolate cupcake with vanilla

icing excites them, but the Wellness Committee feels it is the best choice for the students.

“The first change relates primarily to the elementary schools,” stated Mr. Agostine in a letter to the faculty, parents, and students of the Region.

No need to worry Woodland students, you will not get busted for Advisory parties and the Annual Foreign Food Festival will still be held.

Another gray area in the previous policy was the question of which foods and beverages can be distributed to the general student population.

The principals of each school use their discretion when it comes to questionable items.

Foods and beverages that are distributed to the general student population must come from a store that has a food vendor license ( i.e. a grocery store) and that is commercially prepared, wrapped and unopened.

Individually wrapped would be best for these types of foods.

Victoria Biello, Region 16 Director of Food Services, has not yet received much feedback from the changes in the new wellness policy.

As for the 2010 Wellness Committee, “We will meet at least once this year to assess the impact of the modifications and to tweak certain areas if necessary with board approval to follow,” said Biello.

For the updated Wellness Policy, check Region16ct.org.

Suggested Alternatives to Food • Make deliveries to the office

• Birthday child performs a special skill for the class

• Teach class for a short period of time • Eat lunch with the teacher or principal

• Have “free choice” time at end of the day or end of class lesson

• Private lunch in classroom with a friend

• Read to a younger class

• Be a helper in another classroom

• Fun physical activity for entire class with birthday child leading the activity

• Play a favorite game or do puzzles

• Listen with a headset to a book on audiotape

• Walk with the principal or teacher • Read a special book to the class

• Give a spelling test to the class

• Dance to music in classroom

• Work on a special craft

New Security Systems Installed at Woodland

By Nikia Halim

Inside this Issue

On the first day of school Dr. Arnold Frank, the principal of Woodland, addressed each of the classes about a new security system. This system has been up and running since September 14, 2009. Needless to say, it is causing some controversy at WRHS. Many at Woodland believe that the new security system will help keep the students and staff out of harm’s way.

At 7:40, all the doors, excluding the front doors, in the building are locked. Therefore, all of the students and staff parked in the upper levels need to walk down to the main entrance and get buzzed in. The doors remain locked throughout the school day, till 2:05. At this time, the doors are unlocked and remain unlocked till the school closes.

The teachers will eventually receive a card. This card will be swiped next to the front door, and will then be able to enter the school. They will no longer need to be buzzed in by the office once these cards are given to them.

The new security system is necessary in order to keep the students and staff safe. It is also an evil for those students that park on the upper parking lots. Therefore, Dr. Frank regards it as a ‘necessary evil’.

“It is something you need in a pro-modern world,” stated Dr. Frank.

Taylor Byrne, Senior at Woodland, feels that the new security system is a good idea. However, she feels that the school should

News

include another buzzer.

“It’s a good idea, safety wise, but during the winter time it is going to get annoying to have to walk down to the front office.

They should make a buzzer at the door to the library too.” Byrne stated. However, many individuals feel that the new system is keeping the school safer. While it may be a hassle walking from the upper parking lots, the students and staff are safer than they were last year.

Many feel that the security system should be updated in other ways. Some have suggested that new cameras should be placed in others places. This is again another idea rather than getting buzzed in at the main office. Many feel that these cameras would prevent students from checking every time they enter and leave the building.

These actions may be a minor inconveAlyssa Klancic / WRHS MEDIA nience, but they upgrade the security sysA bove: Ray Donaghy, Woodland Physical Education teacher and Athletic tem of the school.

Trainer, swipes his security card at the Media Center doors.

Paul Geary, teacher at Woodland, would rather have a primitive measure of security something that might occur,” Geary explained. rather than a reactive measure of security.

Regardless whether it is winter or not, many of the seniors at “It is a sad sign of times. I feel safe here at Woodland, but it is better to have a primitive measure than a reactive measure to Woodland are less than thrilled with this new security system.

Feature

It’s a new year and with that comes new teachers. Turn to page A4 to get the scoop on the newbies.

Won’t you be my neighbor?

Turn to page B1 to learn about the quirky new language teacher.

Lifestyle

Sports

Read the story of the people you have only heard rumors about - The Homeschooled.

Find out the truth on page B1.

The undefeated girl’s Cross Country team returns for another season. Find out all you need to know on page C1.

Want more of Woodland?

Check out www.wrhsonline.net!

This Month Online The New WRHS Online is here...

Breaking news and feature stories that can’t make the paper are published online. Don’t forget to tell us what you think of the new site!

News Section Commentary School News News

A1 A2 A3 A4

Lifestyle Section Commentary Reviews Lifestyle

B1 B2 B3 B4

Sports Section School Sports Local Sports Woodland Athletics

C1 C2 C3 C4

Commentary Twins Face Off on Online Grading Policy A2

HAWK

Hawk Headlines

Volume IX, Issue I

September 2009

HEADLINES

Journalism Staff Alyssa Klancic

The pen is mightier than the sword as two twins duke it out for bragging rights and verbal dominance. Fists fly, tempers run wild and insults are hurled like stones when journalists go:

News Editor

Theresa Gillette Lifestyle Editor

Ali Walsh Sports Editor

Jared Mikulski Managing Editor

Shannon Magrane Layout Director

Rachael Conti Photography Editor

James Amato Journalism Director

Woodland Regional High School 135 Back Rimmon Rd. Beacon Falls, CT 06403 Unless signed by the Hawk Headlines Staff, pieces that appear as Commentary are intended to reflect the views of the individual author.

The staff however, does accept and encourage Letters to the Editor in response to any published articles. Submissions can be edited for grammar by the staff but not for content.

Letters are encouraged to keep to a maximum of 250 words.

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please send it to Woodland Regional High School, Attention: Journalism Department.

If you would like to place an ad in The Hawk Headlines please contact our business department at 203-881-5551, ext. 227.

Letter from the Editor

By Alyssa Klancic

WRHS Media News Editor When I started journalism my freshmen year, I just thought that it would be a typical class. I thought that I would learn to become a better writer, and that would be it. I never expected to fall in love with the course. I never expected that amount of work that I gave myself.

Being a journalist is so much more than someone who writes the occasional story and collects facts. It is something that requires attention from every fiber of your being, It is something that you eat sleep and breathe. It’s a love and hate relationship.

My first class is one that I will never forget. We sat down and Mr. Amato walked into the room after us. Once the basic first day of school necessities were completed, we worked on our handshakes. What does a handshake have to do with being a journalist?

One might be surprised. A handshake says a lot to the interviewee. It tells if you are nervous or not.

Once the handshakes were covered, Amato went over the basics so we could start to write. I never thought that I would have to dress a particular way when I went on an interview. I enjoyed learning about it though.

It opened my eyes. I was able to see what I signed up for. The option to drop the class came up, but by then it was too late for me. I was hooked on the class.

The rest of the year the class covered various types of media. First, we covered print. Print was okay for me. I enjoyed writing; however, I had trouble with layout. It is something that takes a lot of patience. It takes a lot of time, but the product at the end is worth it.

Radio and video were covered in the second semester.

I am now a junior and the News Editor for Hawk Headlines. I can say that being a part of the staff is nothing like being in Journalism 1.

It is nothing like anything I have experienced before. From watching the Managing and Lifestyles Editors scream at each other down the hallway to staying after school until all hours of the night, this extracurricular is truly a job in itself. It is stressful and sometimes a pain in the butt.

However, I do not regret my decision. I knew what I was getting myself into when I accepted the position. I know that only success comes from hard work. I enjoy my new position and my new co-workers.

With this letter, I wanted to show that journalism is not an easy course. It is a lot of work, and it takes a lot of dedication.

However, I will make it my goal for the year to put out an amazing newspaper and continue the award-winning, high-quality, dedicated legacy that is the Hawk Headlines.

By Tina Diurno

Point

Students and parents of Woodland Regional High School are now able to view their current grades online.

Every two weeks, teachers are to update the student’s grade to Edline.

Edline is an online website that allows parents and student to keep up with their classes, homework and now grades.

Many are wondering what could go wrong with the system. The answer is nothing.

With the grades being online, progress reports are no longer being sent home by the school. Having the updated grades put on Edline every two weeks is a more reliable way of letting parents know their child’s grade.

By updating the student’s grades every two weeks, it will give parents less stress and now they will be more aware of their child’s academic progress easily.

Parents are given their own username and password, making the process of seeing grades very simple.

A parent that has an Edline account does not have to worry about keeping up with their child’s tests and quizzes that are sent home. He/ She can retrieve the grades right online.

It could also provide discipline for the student. Students are not always aware of their grades, which makes keeping up with classes a challenge. Logging into Edline to receive grades is a non challenge.

Every two weeks is much shorter than waiting for progress reports to come out. Having a parent to discipline a student every two weeks for their grades can make a difference. Seeing a grade online could motivate students to get a higher grade. Many students always want to do their best and seeing their grades will motivate them even more.

Students’ ability to see their updated grade can result in a higher grade.

An active student at Woodland may have trouble making time to see their teacher about their grade. Logging into Edline is much quicker than making an appointment and will result in students knowing their grades at virtually any time.

If progress reports were given out, students might feel too much pressure to get their grade up before the report cards. Being able to bring the grade up sparingly throughout the whole year will give a student less pressure.

Sophomore Loryn Young agrees it will help her this year. She said, “It is really going to help me get my grades up by seeing my updated grades every two weeks. It will show my progress and it gives me a better chance of bringing my grades up.”

Students agree, and not having the grades updated every two weeks will result in stress and pressure which is one thing students do not need.

Having a progress report sent home will only update you four times year. Having the grades updated every two weeks is much more than four progress reports.

Teachers have no problem with this new system either. Italian teacher Mrs.Athan thinks that, “It is beneficial to both students and parents because it’s convenient considering everyone’s busy schedules. Most students and parents are always using the computer, so having grades available online is helpful for them.”

Having this new change during this school year will bring a much bigger difference in many students’ grades.

By Kelly Diurno At the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, Woodland Regional High School has decided to take a different approach to distributing progress reports.

Instead of progress reports being sent out a few weeks before the actual report cards, grades will appear on Edline every two weeks.

Edline is an online website that allows parents and students to check their progress. The classes, homework, and now grades are posted so the students can check their assignments and maintain their averages.

At a quick glance, grades being put on Edline may sound like a beneficial decision, but, when thought through it seems to be less beneficial than expected.

It is not guaranteed that every single student has a computer at their house, let alone internet access.

If a student does not have a computer at their house, there will be no way for them to access their grades.

If a student does not have a computer available at their house, a form can be filled out to have their progress reports sent home.

Even though progress reports will be online, it will not necessarily increase the students’ averages. With grades being updated every two weeks, students may feel under too much pressure to bring up their grades which may ultimately result in low grades.

The internet is not always reliable especially depending on what internet service you use. There might be outages in a specific area that will make it difficult for parents to get online and check the grades.

The internet does not always work quickly. Parents that have kids who play sports and participate in afternoon activities find it hard to check their child’s grades. With tasks such as running errands and cooking dinner, parents cannot have the time. Once the day is over, many are too exhausted.

Woodland Junior Sharon Mastrobattisto agrees that putting progress reports on Edline is not a great idea.

“My mom doesn’t even know how to use the computer, let alone Edline,” said Mastrobattisto.

For parents like Mastrobattisto’s, Edline is certainly not a helpful way of informing her about her daughter’s grades.

Woodland Junior Nikia Halim thinks, “The grades being put on Edline will just put more pressure on the students to get things done.”

Halim also says, “What is two weeks going to do? Not that many assignments are going to be given out in the span of two weeks anyway.”

Grades being updated to Edline every two weeks may be too soon. With weeks ranging from A weeks to E weeks, not that many assignments are going to be handed out and put into grade books.

If grades are going to put on Edline for years to come, then they should be updated every 3-4 weeks. This will help students to feel under less pressure, hand in more assignments, and do well in school.

2

Point

Woodland Offers UConn Course

By Alyssa Klancic Woodland Regional High School offers a number of college classes available to any juniors or seniors ready to take on the work load.

Individual Family Development was recently added to the list of college courses. This class is taught by Mary Ellen Denley. Denley teaches Child Development and The Preschooler as well.

Individual Family Development is a Uconn course offered at Woodland for a fee of $75.

After the $75 is payed, the students will try to pass the final exam, as well as the class, in order to receive three college credits.

Although this course is from UConn, the college credits may be transferred to any college a student chooses to attend. Anyone who decides to take Individual Family Development will learn social, biological and physiological

aspects of how people develop in life from an infant to an adult.

“This course is learning about a person’s development and how the world influences it,” stated Samantha Savvidou, junior at Woodland.

Savvidou is currently taking this class and enjoys Denley’s teaching.

“I am taking this class because it gives useful information that can be applied to the everyday life while receiving college credits,: stated Savvidou.

Individual Family Development requires 40 internship hours. Interning can be consisted of watching a children’s television show, observing a middle school dance, or interviewing a social worker.

Any activity that involves a student to visually see why a person acts, develops, or thinks they way that they do, is acceptable for internship hours.

While the internship hours can be entertaining,

there is also a lot of college level work involved.

“The reading is really long and difficult but that is expected because it is a college level class, although we have not yet received much homework….yet,” stated Savvidou.

Woodland security guard Mrs. Abney recently spoke about her experience of being a probation officer to the Individual Family Development class.

Her experience as s probation officer taught her why people often do troublesome things.

For instance, a young boy who grows up teased with five siblings and a single mother compared to a young boy whose parents are married and have steady jobs, are going to have different outlooks on life. A child’s background affects the way they develop into an adult.

“I like this class because learning the different stages of life and how a person grows mentally, emotionally, and physically interests me,” stated Karissa Renkewith, Woodland senior.

Olivere Races for Congolese Women

By Alyssa Klancic

profit organization that helps these women rebuild their lives. They offer several different The War in the Democratic Republic of the programs that provide these women with Congo has been raging since August of 1998. the skills that they need to be able to run a It has been devastating to the entire population. successful household.

These programs include literacy training, However, while the men suffer on the battlefield, economic understanding, leadership training, the women and children suffer at home.

Women for Women International is a non- and citizenship and rights training.

Women for Women is always looking for sponsors. The price for sponsoring a woman is $27 a month, and the money goes directly to that woman to help her pass this program.

Once the woman finishes the program, the money from the sponsor stops coming.

Lisa Olivere, humanities teacher and department chair at Woodland, ran in a race that was held on Saturday, September 26th which supported the Women for Women organization.

Photo courtesy of womenforwomen.

“I found out about the race through Runner’s Women for Women helps Congolese World Magazine. I had already known been women like these rebuild their lives after familiar with the organization due to an they are destroyed by civil war.

autobiography I had read by Zainab Salbi. I wanted to help women be able to get back on their feet,” Olivere stated.

Before the race, Olivere sent flyers to most of Woodland’s faculty. The flyers that she sent out to the faculty members explained what the organization is, and what the donations would be for, as well as, where they could place their donations if they had any.

“I reached out to the faculty member’s of Woodland for support, and the feedback that I received was amazing. In the short time that the flyers have been out, I have raised enough money to put two women through this program,” Olivere stated.

Olivere mentions that Women for Women is a very important organization that means a lot to her. She’s thrilled that she was able to raise a lot of money to help support a few women.

If you would like to sponsor a women do not hesitate. Visit womenforwomen.org for more information.

Greece & Italy

A3

Hawk Headlines

Volume IX, Issue I

September 2009

Europe Gets Taste of Woodland Way “We may almost say that a new life begins when a man once sees with his own eyes all that before he has but partially heard or read of.” – Goethe

Clockwise from top: Samantha Savvidou, JulieAnn Iwinski, Josh Fitzpatrick, Danielle D’Angelo and Christina Genz pose inside the Coliseum; the ruins of the Oracle of Delphi; the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens, Greece; view of the Tyrrhenian Sea from the island of Capri; The Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy at dusk.

Legend says that one who throws a coin into the fountain will return to Rome; an ashcovered street in the ancient doomed city of Pompeii.

All photos courtesy of Paul Geary

By Paul Geary This past June, a fortunate group of Woodland High School students and teachers saw with their own eyes what they had only partially heard or read of.

As part of a school sponsored trip through EF Educational Tours, newly graduated seniors Danielle D’Angelo, Josh Fitzpatrick, and Christina Genz, along with juniors Julie-Ann Iwinski and Samantha Savvidou visited Italy and Greece for ten days. They were joined by faculty members Paul Geary, Meghan Hatch, Michele Papa and Christopher Tomlin Leaving New York City on June 24th, just two days after the school year ended, the fearless wanderers first travelled to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris (whose Terminal five served as the backdrop for the music video of U2’s 2000 hit Beautiful Day), where, after a short layover, it was on to the Eternal City - Rome - where the Woodland contingent spent two days.

They visited such classical sites as the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain and St. Peter’s Square. They also left the country for several hours and ventured into Vatican City (which, as your Region 16 education should have taught you by now, is asovereign nation, separate from the rest of Italy), and saw the Vatican museum and the almost incomprehensible beauty of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Another Italian highlight (besides the endless helpings of gelato) was visiting the doomed city of Pompeii.

Buried in ash, and consequently frozen in time, by an AD 79 Mt. Vesuvius volcano eruption, touring the ancient city gives visitors a glimpse into life during the height of the Roman Empire

that no museum could completely replicate. Perhaps the most jarring of artifacts are the several hardened ash casts made by Pompeii citizens suddenly buried in ash over 1900 years ago.

An overnight sea trip across the Ionian Sea brought the traveling Hawks next to Greece, and its ancient mythical sites.

The students and teachers travelled three hours, via bus, up the Parnassus Mountains, to visit the actual Oracle of Delphi, familiar to readers of Greek myths and viewers of 300 alike.

All that remains today are ancient ruins of marble temples and columns, but the view of the valley from the site of the oracle shows why the Greeks thought this to be the holiest of sites several thousand years ago. After a night in the quaint mountain village of Delphi, the increasingly weary yet steadfast travelers finished their European jaunt in the city of Athens, home to the world famous Acropolis and Parthenon.

The Parthenon, built in the 5th century BC in honor of the goddess Athena, was truly a sight to behold. One marvels at the sheer size and beauty

of the structure, even covered in modern-day scaffolding as the Greek government restores its greatest assets.

The trip slowed down considerably once they reached Greece, allowing for time to explore Delphi and Athens. This allowed both students and adults to immerse themselves, at least for a day or two, into the ancient culture of these most historic of countries.

When asked about her thoughts of the whole trip, Iwinski enthusiastically labeled it an “unreal experience,” and espoused the benefit of being immersed within the culture.

As top notch as Woodland’s World History and World Language departments are, there is no substitute for actually being there in person.

The culture of the people fully emerges and a

greater understanding of other ways of life is reached. A lesson in a classroom simply cannot replace standing on stone that may have felt the blood of ancient battles, the stomping of the mighty Roman legion or the infamous romps of Emperor Nero.

Hatch felt that reading the Greek myths could not compare to the feelings she felt while in fully emersed in the culture.

“When I was out in the middle of the sea, it felt like I was in the middle of a Greek myth,” she stated.

Hatch went on to say that the Woodland students displayed “exemplary behavior and represented Woodland in an honorable way.”

They truly spread the Woodland Way to another part of the world.

School News

A4

Magrane’s Brain:

Summer Work

Hawk Headlines

Volume IX, Issue I

September 2009

Woodland Welcomes New Teachers

By Shannon Magrane Every year just before the students of Woodland Regional High School are set free for the summer, they are given two of the most dreaded entities: final report cards and summer work.

While the teens scurry home and begin to plan their first night of freedom, their summer work either stays in the backpack, gets thrown in the garbage, or finds its way into the pile of not-so-important todo’s.

One may ask, “What is summer work?” Andrea Gaetano, head of the math department, says, “It is what you make of it.” And that it is.

For some teachers, summer work is simply a way to keep their future students’ minds fresh and lively.

For others, it provides a glimpse of what the upcoming school year will bring. But for the students, the majority of them that is, summer work is a pointless, dismal attempt teachers make at ruining the fun of youth.

Believe it or not… teachers are not giant fun sucking insects. They do not assign summer reading, essays, dialectical journals or math packets to keep teens awake for three days straight before the first day of school. They are not promoting all nighters with a BFC Monster by a teenager’s side. They do not aim to ruin the summer.

Don’t forget what they have to do as soon as 40+ students hand in their work: whip out the red pen and carefully grade each one.

Now, I have only come to these conclusions after a couple years of experience and growth. As a senior at Woodland, I decided my summer would be different this time around. I made a calendar breaking up all of my work evenly.

As my mom has suggested to me more than 50 times throughout my high school career, “Just do a little at a time!” Its good advice and an excellent plan. And it worked… for a little.

As per usual, I followed my base instincts and procrastinated like crazy. Every time I sat down to do some work. I thought to myself, “Wow, I really do NOT want to be doing this right now. I might actually vomit...” And, of course, I got up and made myself a nice summer snack before laying out in the sun.

Eventually, I fell into the endless trap of friends, family and vacations. Before I knew it, school was starting in two weeks.

So I did what most high school students would do and saved every ounce of work I had left to do until the last minute. I occupied my time with more important things such as watching superb reality television shows and checking my Facebook every hour, where I was only reminded of the work ahead of me with 100 “summer work BLECHHH” statuses.

Eventually I succumbed to my pile of work and laughed in the faces of those who had and entire room full of packets and books.

I’ll be honest - I ended up getting precious little sleep the week before school. But I forced myself to sit down and read book after book after book and and I finished it all (well, most of it).

The truth about summer work is it could be better but it could be worse. On one hand, we could get no work at all and let our brains rot like the fruit salad someone accidentally left outside after the 4th of July picnic. Or we could be assigned a five day field trip to a freely chosen foreign country and have to hand in nothing but a picture.

Then on the other hand, we could be given five 1000 page books to read or a mandatory partner project with the most annoying kid in school. As Paul Geary says, “There’s got to be something better.”

James Belinsky

Nicholas Piotrowski

Alissa Becker

By Kelly Diurno / Tina Diurno A new school year at Woodland comes with not only new opportunities, but new teachers.

This year, Woodland has six new teachers, including an intern English teacher from last year.

Megan Hatch started interning at Woodland during the 2008-2009 school year. When Kevin Gardner, a full-time English teacher, left, she replaced him. It gave her the opportunity to teach freshman and senior English classes.

After interning last year, Hatch thought that working at Woodland was great, and that she was blessed to have this opportunity.

“My internship allowed me the incredible opportunity to work closely with both administration and a wide variety of teachers and departments,” said Hatch.

“I realized that WRHS is a very special place full of very special people and I wanted nothing more than to be able to continue working with them and learning from them,” stated Hatch.

Prior to being a teacher, Hatch worked in restaurants and managed a cabaret in New York City.

One year before becoming a teacher at Woodland, Hatch spent her time working on farms in the Andes Mountains and the coastal jungles. She also participated in earthquake relief in Peru.

Working alongside Hatch in the English department is Nancy Manning.

Nancy Manning

Meghan Hatch

Manning is going to be teaching at woodland for a year, replacing Mrs. Drakonikis.

Before coming to Woodland, Manning taught English classes at Post University, which is located in Waterbury, Connecticut. She also taught English classes at Tolland Middle School and Seymour High School.

When asked about how she likes Woodland, Manning replied, “I love how the staff has welcomed me in as a new family member and how well the students are interested in their education.”

Aside from teaching, Manning enjoys reading, writing, and cheering for the New York Giants.

Also new this year to the English department is Alissa Becker.

Woodland is not entirely new to Becker; she began working at Woodland in the 2001-2002 academic school year and then went on a maternity leave.

Becker teaches ninth and eleventh grade English classes.

In her free time, Becker enjoys playing tennis and skiing.

In Becker’s future, when she is done teaching, she hopes to have a private rescue shelter for abandoned dogs.

James Belinsky, the only new teacher in the Math Department, is eager to start off the new year right.

Belinsky teaches Algebra I and Algebra II. Prior to teaching at Woodland, Belinsky worked for a medical software company outside of Boston.

In Belinsky’s free time, he enjoys traveling.

Joseph Rodgers

Rodgers is the only new teacher in the Foreign Language Department.

He is a one-year teacher, replacing Mrs. Degenarro. She is on a maternity leave for the 2009-2010 school year.

Before working at Woodland, Rodgers has had many different jobs. From 1968-1972, he was a soldier. He worked for the CIA from 1972-1976.

From 1976-2002, he worked as a United Nations Interpreter.

His most recent job is being a teacher. He’s been a teacher since 2002.

At Woodland, Rodgers teaches Spanish and Italian.

When he is not teaching, he likes listening to music, playing Frisbee, and hiking on the beach.

An interesting fact about Rodgers is that he has worked in about 20 different countries, and has written songs that have been recorded by four Grammy nominees.

The final new teacher at Woodland this year is Mr. Piotrowski.

Prior to working at Woodland, Piotrowski was a software developer and an ASE certified auto technician.

At Woodland, he teachers Introduction to Engineering, Digital Electronics, and Architecture.

He enjoys working at Woodland.

In Piotrowski’s spare time, he enjoys boating, hiking, fishing, and skiing.

These new teachers add on to the diverse nature that is found throughout the Woodland staff.

Prospect Volunteer Serves and Protects

By Andrew Cullen The desire to serve and help your community is strong, especially in the new Prospect resident Brian Locatelli. Before he moved to Prospect he served in the army. He is now a volunteer in the fire department.

Locatelli is a new member of the volunteer fire department in Prospect. Locatelli signed up in March of 2009. The fire department is constantly getting new recruits, and since Locatelli signed up another twelve people have been recruited.

Locatelli is trying to pass his probation period.

This includes a one year span in which the volunteer must take a fifteen week class. He must also hand in a fingerprint scan, and a basic application.

During Locatelli’s probabtion period he took a class from April to July. This class gave him the certification needed to respond to a buidling fire.

A building fire is classified as any kind of structure that actually has fire in it. Before he was certified he could only respond to oil spills and car accidents.

Thankfully, though, there are not many structure fires in Prospect.

Upon signing up for classes a fireman must decide which of the two parts of servce he wants to join. Locatelli decided to join the firefighting part of the department, but he could have chosen to join E.M.S.T., or the Emergency Medical Response Team. The E.M.S.T. respond to the accident with ambulances and transport any injured people to a hospital.

All parts of the department are volunteer. Volunteer means they are not paid, but are also not required to respond to all emergency calls. Sometimes there aren’t any calls to respond to, but another day there could be several. Locatelli attempts to respond to a few a week.

Once a call is placed for an emergency anyone who is available gets there as soon as possible. To save on time the firefighters communicate using walkie-talkies. Also, only a few people go past the firestation on the way to the call. It is these peoples’ jobs to drive the firetruck. Anyone not near enough

Jared Mikulski/ WRHS MEDIA

Above: Prospect’s new firehouse on Route 68 is the muster spot for volunteeer firefighters like Brian Locatelli. to the station carries their gear in the back of their car which consists of pants, jacket, gloves, and a helmet.

Locatelli, along with the rest of the volunteers, is glad he is able to help his community and keep it safe.

Gay Straight Alliance Opens Doors to Students

By Melissa Sobireski Woodland’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) held its first meeting on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009.

There was an energetic and welcoming vibe from senior co-presidents, Theresa Gillette and Holly Herdman, as several new faces were seen at the first meeting. Miss Meghan Hatch, the new advisor of the GSA, along with the co-presidents, was there to discuss the purpose and goals for the year.

“My goal is to help the GSA grow in strength. I hope we can all become closer. I want to be able to do a fundraiser, go to the True Colors Convention and have the Day of Silence. I hope someone will be willing to continue it after this year,” said Herdman.

Safe environments will be strived for in order for students to support one another and to learn how to prevent homophobia. Another purpose is to educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues. The GSA’s belief is that solutions should be found to fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.

During the meeting, everyone introduced themselves to the rest of the group. The diversity of the people involved was shown in the simple activity of saying what grade you are in and the activities you enjoy. All cliques were represented from self-proclaimed “band geeks” to studentathletes.

The GSA already began discussing the two events they hold each year: the Day of Silence and the True Colors Convention.

On the Day of Silence, students take a vow of silence to stand against LGBT discrimination.

Each year at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, the True Colors Convention is held. Students of all sorts can be found there participating in a variety of things such as discussing problems and plans for their future. The next True Colors Convention will be held from March 12-13, 2010.

The GSA discussed ways to raise money to lower the cost of the entrance fee at the convention.

At the end of the meeting, the story of Matthew Shepard was shared.

Shepard, a Wyoming native, was the victim of an anti-gay hate crime in October of 1998. His

mother, Judy, wrote a book called, The Meaning of Matthew, in memory of him.

The book discusses the life he led all the way up to his tragic death. It was discussed by the GSA to have a year-long read of the story to unify the group.

The co-presidents hope that all who attended the first meeting continue to come throughout the year.

The GSA holds a meeting on the second Wednesday of every month and always welcomes new members.

H

H aw k H e a d l i n e s LifestyleB1 Woodland Regional High School

Volume ix, Issue i

From The

Lifestyle Desk:

By Theresa Gillette

WRHS Media Lifestyle Editor

Letter From the Editor As my senior year begins, I have become overwhelmed with school work, extra-curricular activities, maintaing my status as number one in my class, and trying not to strangle the managing editor of this paper, Jared Mikulski. I love him to death, but honestly, how many times do we have to scream at eachother in front of the entire Student Council before he realizes I am always right?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not cocky but arguing with Jared should be dubbed a varsity sport at Woodland. (And if you think I am joking, please sit in on one of my AP lit classes with Jim Hart and Blaskey, I mean Kilcourse, and try to debate that point.)

So, I get that you don’t really want to hear about all of my stress, success and from timeto-time failure. However, I will use myself to tell you how senior year is by far the most difficult year of a student’s entire educational career.

First off, I have been a senior for 31 days and I have already filled out a college application and an application for $20,000, been hounding teachers for letters of recommendation and writing the all-important college essay. However, I still have yet to choose for sure the college that I will be shipped off to in under a year and will spend the next four years of my existence at. In addition to this, I have yet to decide a major.

My dad keeps telling me that this decision will come with time. Well, time is pretty slow, because I have been trying to decide for 16 years now, and have come up with nothing.

Another thing that racks my brain is this god-awful amount of homework that I have waiting for me each night when I come stumbling home from school at 7 p.m. after laying out the paper.

And after the first two days of school, no matter how much I love the class, the homework got old. It really does give meaning to the popular Facebook phrase, “Good grades. A social life.

Enough sleep. Please choose two.”

Hands down, the scariest part of being a senior is the reminders that in one year, the life that you have known for 17 or 18 years is about to be ripped from your grasp and there is nothing you can do about it.

A week ago, my best friend and someone who has made a signifigant impact on my life could not sleep because of this thought. He drove to the school, parked his car, and took the processional walk of graduation that the class of 2010 will take in June.

Afterward he called me and I will never forget the statement he made to me: “When you get to the front of the courtyard, it is as if you’re entire future is staring you in the face. It has got to be one of the scariest and real moments of a person’s life.”

So class of 2010, I can complain all I want about my grades, my class, and even Jared, but I will remember that we are taking this journey together. If I recieve the honor of being valedictorian, I will be proud to stand up in front of you and represent the class of 2K10.

SEPTEMBER, 2009

omeschooled at ome in Woodland

By Shannon Rafferty

Beep-beep. Beep-beep. Dave Uhl’s alarm clock begins to sound.

Its 9 o’clock on a Monday morning--a school day--but he slowly rolls out of bed, not a care in the world He makes his way downstairs and walks into his kitchen where his mother has been kind enough to leave out some workbooks with the day’s lesson. He quickly gets to work hardly wasting a minute of his seeming endless time.

“It took me a lot of will power for me to get my work done when no one was home,” said Uhl. “But if I didn’t do my work, then I would have to do it that night so I decided to get it over with in the morning.”

For seven years this was the daily routine of Dave Uhl being homeschooled was a natural daily cycle that was about to change.

Uhl recently enrolled in Woodland Regional High School and is now part of the class of 2013.

“I went to public school in kindergarten and fourth grade, but for some reason my mom thought it was best for me to be educated at home,” said Uhl. More and more parents today are pulling their children from public school and teaching them at home for one reason or another. According to National Center for Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov) one of the most popular reasons is the fact children can be some of the biggest bullies or negative peer influences.

To protect their children, some parents opt to teach their kids themselves.

However there are other positive aspects of being homeschooled. Students can learn at their own pace, not have to worry about the pressures of keeping up with the rest of the class. In this way parents can monitor learning strategies and pacing and adjust the pedagogy appropriately. Also, with the freedom of being home-schooled, parents not only teach the material but can also bring the material to life by visiting museums, historical sites, and other prominent places.

There are times that occasionally parents will change their minds and reenroll their children in public school. Sometimes schedules change, sometimes extra support is needed, or sometimes students are reintroduced at a specified grade level.

Now Uhl is ditching his pajamas for schoolbooks and his workbooks for teachers. And he is happy with the change.

“I like public school better than home school,” said Uhl who is currently enrolled in several Woodland honors classes as a freshman.

Although this is Uhl’s first year in public school, other Woodland students, like juniors Grady Gavigan and James Cahrah, have also been home schooled.

Gavigan was home schooled from fourth grade to seventh grade and like Uhl, he found the transition to public school and the new workload easy.

“The transition from home schooling back to public school was not that hard,” said Gavigan. “Home school was harder, but I liked it better. You didn’t have to get up as early.”

For Cahrah, the transition to high school was more difficult and he found the public school curriculum lacking.

“Home schooling was hard. Stuff we had to do was more challenging,” said Cahrah.

But home schooling does have one major benefit for students--sleeping in.

These extra few hours of sleep may hold the key to education and success.

It is a common held belief that getting efficient hours of sleep contributes to better grades.

But home schooling is not just all sleeping and hanging around in pajamas, there is actual work involved.

For Uhl, work involved hours of workbooks that he and his mom would go over. And then there’s the Iowa Test which tests a students aptitude and ability and helps determine curriculum. Uhl took almost five days to complete the test.

Most of the children home schooled today seem to miss out on the social aspects of a typical high school career like participating in extra curricular activities like clubs and programs. And the hardest part of being homeschooled, says Uhl, is the fact that he didn’t get to see his friends that much.

“I met my friends mostly through sports,” said Uhl. “I played baseball and basketball.”

Theresa Gillette/ WRHS MEDIA

Above: Dave Uhl makes the trasition from homeschool work to homework.

The Name is Rodgers... Mr. Rodgers

By Ali Walsh

CIA agent, UN translator, and Woodland Spanish teacher?

The new addition to the Foreign Language Department has a lot more experience than the classroom.

The name is Joseph Rodgers, and he has a very interesting story behind him. He has shared his Spanish abilities with the United States government, translating seven languages for government officials and military officers. But Spanish is not the only language Rodgers speaks fluently. Other languages include English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Polish, and Portuguese.

This multi-lingual man has an amazing talent for understanding and speaking more languages than most people.

Rodgers entered the military after graduating college with a teaching certification. He did not do a lot of teaching before having to perform his duties for his country.

He served in the Vietnam War, mostly translating for the officers instead of defending the front lines. He interrogated and worked as an agent in Headquarters instead of fighting in combat. His abilities were a huge asset in communicating with enemies as well as allies.

Rodgers’ experience with language did not just come with the job. Growing up overseas, he was experienced in different European cultures, which included the languages they spoke.

“Once you learn three or four languages, learning more becomes a lot easier because you know what to look for,” explained Rodgers. “It’s like singing.

Once you are able to sing one song well, it’s easier to be able to sing many songs well too.”

After the war was over, Rodgers attained a job

with the CIA and worked there for about five years. He completed top secret assignments and used his love of languages to, again, translate and communicate with foreign-speaking cultures.

His work for the CIA soon came to an end, and he began working for the United Nations in New York.

He translated different languages. The job allowed Rodgers to speak his favorite languages, Spanish and French, instead of ones like Russian, which were a little more tricky. The job also allowed him to live in his home state, Connecticut. This job gave him many opportunities that worked to his benefit. His favorite part of the job was something different than he was used to.

“I liked having a job that promoted peace, instead of war,” said Rodgers.

After 30 years, Joseph Rodgers retired from the UN. But work life was not over for this skillful translator.

With a teaching degree on the backburner, Rodgers wanted to pursue the job he did not get to experience. It may seem strange to some for one with such a history of exciting jobs to want to teach high school students, but Rodgers had a great explanation.

“People have dreams. Mine was to teach,” explained Rodgers. “I love helping and working with the students and staff, and it’s something I always wanted to do.”

Rodgers discovered the small town of Beacon Falls and Woodland by an ad on an educational website. The ad asked for a Spanish teacher to substitute three classes for Spanish 4 and AP levels.

“More advanced foreign language classes are my comfort level,” explained Rodgers.

Rodgers answered the ad and agreed to stay for

the one year in which they needed him.

Rodgers does not have the normal life of a high school Spanish teacher, but it is definitely an interesting one to learn about. The experiences he has been through have been adventures that he will never forget, and adventures that many people will not ever experience.

“I’ve lived a good and interesting life and I am proud of it,” said the proud UN retiree.

Rachael Conti/ WRHS MEDIA

Above: Rodgers, new Spanish and Italian teacher at Woodland, teaches Spanish I.

Concerts Summer Country Concerts: A Mega Hit

B2

continued on B4

Volume IX, Issue I September 2009

totally warped dude It seemed like a good idea at the time, I knew other kids were doing it; how bad could it be? However, it was my first time and well, there’s always a sense of fear when you do something for the first time. But what the heck, I figured I was old enough to make my own decisions...

By Paige Christensen Summer finally became real when all you could feel was the wind teasing us along with sweet music and a fired up grill at the Comcast Music Center. And, at least for the country fans in this valley, the 2009 IGA Country Megaticket solidified it all.

Presented by Live Nation, the country line up started with Brad Paisley, Grammy award winner “Best Male Country Vocal and Instrumental Performance” along with Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne.

“Brad Paisley’s great energy made it easy for him to connect with his fans making every song worth watching,” Said Brad Fanatic, Molly Ensero.

Paisley was on fire onstage playing many of his older hits like “Mud on the Tires,” “Then” and “Whiskey Lullaby” as well as tunes from his recent album Time Well Wasted.

Paisley played for a crowd that went across the spectrum from old-school country fans and the new generation of youngsters.

Yet Paisley wouldn’t have been able to hit it off so well with the crowd if his starting acts Jimmy Wayne and Dierks Bentley didn’t pump up the fans before hand.

Alyssa Marti who has seen Brad Paisley live for at least four summers thought this was one of his best tours. “Brad really knows how to put on a great show,” said Marti, “This year was just about the best with Jimmy Wayne and Dierks Bentley opening for Brad.”

Just as Bentley crooned into the show, he definitely delivered the “hot summer sun”, not only pumping out the energy, but delivering to the ladies with songs like his 2006’s hits “Come A Little Closer” and “What Was I Thinking”. Bentley also directed his focus to the crazy lawn fans singing his recent top hit “Sideways.”

The Country Mega Ticket continued with Rascal Flatts with Darius Rucker on June 26th. Rascal Flatts jam packed the Comcast Theater with people waiting to hear what they had in store for them.

However, the band did not live up to the crowd’s expectations.

Even pairing with performer Darius Rucker who put on a rock solid performance and gave a confident clear stage to Rascal, they still were not able to connect with the audience.

After Rascal Flatts filmed their music video “Bob That Head” on the 2008 Megaticket Tour and stated on Good Morning America that Connecticut was by far their best concert of the year, they left the crowd wanting more.

“After the fabulous performance Rascal Flatts put on last year I couldn’t miss this years concert,” said Junior Crystal Steinfeld, “Yet this years performance put Rascal Flatts to shame.”

Rascal Flatts did however get fans on their feet singing to the classics “Fast Cars and Freedom,” “Stand,” and “What Hurts the Most.” Although fans were expecting to hear some of their new favorites from the new CD release Unstoppable.

“I recall about two or three songs out of the ten they might have played actually being from their new CD,” said Senior Alyssa Maggorie, “Even though I love their old stuff, I would have really enjoyed hearing the new.”

Rascal Flatts called their tour the Unstoppable Tour and didn’t even play the main song on the CD “Unstoppable”.

Rascal Flatts had no reason but

Hawk Headlines

I was going to Warped Tour 2009.

By James Amato It happened innocently enough--my black-clad, skinny jean-wearing, hard-rocking, emo-screamo-techno-fan son wanted nothing more in this mortal world than to see his obscure rock idols playing their greatest hit and screaming obscenities at the crowd. And he wanted to do it in person. YouTube videos be damned; he wanted to experience the chaos first-hand. And, he added, that his own band (i.e. a group of kids that get together, bang on things, and scream into an amplifier) would understand how to act on stage.

Oh, and he added that if I did take him, I would be the coolest dad ever.

I bought the tickets on LiveNation.com that very day.

It wasn’t the hardest decision to make; I knew a few of the bands that were going to be there and even hoped to see a few new acts. I did a little research and grabbed a band list off warpedtour.com. Just glancing at the names on the sheet reminded me of a race horse: Therefore I am, Monty Are I, brokenCYDE--just to name a few.

Some of the band names read like a list of felonies: Attack Attack, Switchblade Killers, and I Set My Friends on Fire. And a few others just left me wondering--Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Alexisonfire (which I still can’t figure out if “Alex is on fire” or “Alexis on fire” is correct).

Recovering from the band name language barrier, I Googled “Warped Tour” and found a lot of great sites that helped me understand what I was in for. For instance, How to Survive Warped Tour (Wikihow.com/Survive-Warped-Tour) gave me a load of information on things like wearing sneakers, staying hydrated, bringing extra bottle caps, avoiding death and disfigurement in a mosh pit, and getting free stuff. I was ready for anything.

The day arrived sunny and glorious. The parking lot was packed bumper-to-bumper. Street vendors shouted over each other selling hot dogs, chili, and t-shirts. The excitement mounted as the crowd ambled closer to the Comcast theater, and the cacophony of several bands playing at the same time at ear-shattering levels reached the street. We had arrived at Warped Tour.

We did not get there early enough to catch Escape the Fate, one of the bands my son wanted to see, but I made up for it by allowing him to wander the grounds of Warped Tour with his best friend.

Unsupervised. Amid the crazed masses. Alone. Although I retained the “coolest dad ever” title, my wife, however, awarded me another title – “dumbest son of” . . . well, you get the idea.

It took a while to figure out the staging and how to find the bands you wanted to see. Scheduling your day is a multi-step process.

First stop is the huge inflatable schedule where you can check out the lineups for each stage, jot down your own notes, or buy a printed schedule for two dollars – a great bargain, if they had not printed the wrong times for the bands. Then you head to whichever of the Teacher Attends Warped Tour, continued on B4

Photo from warpedtour.com

Blink 182 Makes a Comeback

By Shannon Magrane

After a five-year tour hiatus, Blink-182 kicked off their Summer 2009 Reunion Tour. The SoCal group joined Weezer at a sold-out Comcast Theatre on August 29.

I was told Chester French kicked off the show, but I had nei-

ther seem them or ever heard of them. Most attendees, like myself, were being pushed out of the tailgating parking lots by the Hartford Police on their horses.

By the time Taking Back Sunday blessed the stage with their presence, the crowd started to jump around and feel the music. The band set it off with “What’s It Feel Like to be a Ghost?” followed by three songs from their album New Again released this summer. Adam Lazzara, lead vocalist, charmed the crowd with his strong singing and famous microphone swinging.

Weezer launched their set with an innovative cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath transforming into their hit “Hash Pipe.” They then went on to perform 12 of their classics dressed in yellow hazmat suits dancing and jumping around stage on a trampoline, working up the crowd. Rivers Cuomo, guitarist, single-handedly strummed the strings on his guitar for the acoustic performance of “Island in the Sun,” but called on the crowd for help with the “hip, hips.” The group came back on for their final performance of a cutting edge “Should I Stay or Should I Go” (originally by The Clash) cover. And so they parted the stage.

The crowd anxiously awaited the reunion of Blink-182 on stage. Some fans even began the show before Blink came on by chanting “What’s My

Photo by Calvin Engel

Age Again?” and “The Rock Show.” Soon enough, the three entered the stage and kicked off the show with “Dumpweed,” followed by a few juvenile jokes and “Feeling This.”

Then, before playing “Down,” Mark Hoppus, bassist, offered an emotional tribute to Adam Goldstein, a good friend who passed just a day before the concert. After all, it was the South Carolina plane crash last year and the near death of Travis Barker, drummer, and Goldstein which led Blink to settle their differences for the summer reunion tour. A moment of silence was held, and everyone’s lighters went up in the air.

Anyone who attended the show undoubtedly felt the extreme emotion and energy. “When I saw Mark [Hoppus] shed some tears, I almost cried myself,” said Eric Phelan, a sophomore at Xavier High School. “It felt awesome to be there supporting them though.” Blink definitely felt the love too.

They thanked the massive crowd, one of the largest of their entire tour, for being there and helping them through it.

So the show went on. Tom Delonge, lead vocalist and guitarist, lightened the crowd with dirty jokes, and Blink finished the show with 11 more songs.

Despite Barker’s emotions and skipped drum solo, he hit the drums with smashing intensity. The group as a whole had an undeniable bond which was portrayed through their music. After playing “Anthem Pt. 2,” Blink couldn’t deny the crowds need for more. They finished the show with a groundbreaking encore of “Carousel” and “Dammit.”

Even amidst Hurricane Danny and the loss of a good friend, Blink and Weezer did not fail to deliver a memorable show. The interesting combination of two very different bands could have caused an awkward transition or a random crowd. But collectively, it was the bands’ energy that created a captivatingly unique atmosphere.

Reviews

B3

Hawk Headlines

Volume IX, Issue I September 2009

Funny People Lives Up to its Title

Nine Disappoints

By Mike Tully

What do you get when you combine a great comedy actor, Adam Sandler and an excellent storyline? You get the comedy Funny People which came out this past summer.

The overall plot of the movie was awesome. Long time comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) learns that he has a deadly disease and only months to live. George then befriends a local comedian named Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) who at first he doesn’t get along with. The two of them met at a comedy club. George liked Ira’s act and asked if Ira could write some jokes for him.

However, both of them didn’t know that they would become best friends.

George then realizes he is cured of the disease. However, before he learns of his success fighting this disease, Laura (Leslie Mann) the girl he always loved, meets George and they both begin to talk. However, Laura already has a husband and children and didn’t want George back after how he hurt her emotionally.

It was a long and grueling yet enjoyable movie. I was unprepared for a comedy movie to be over two hours long. The length of this movie probably was the biggest turnoff for me.

The comedy content was too spread out and it often seemed to be more of a drama rather than a comedy.

The acting in Funny People was very good and the comedy although it tended to be crude, it was very humerous. The writer/ director Judd Apatow created some awesome jokes that often characterized the comedians inability to obtain a date. Other actors like Jonah Hill, Aziz Ansari, and Aubrey Plaza played great stand-up comedian roles and had me laughing.

This film also was full of specialguest appearances with stars like Eminem, Ray Romano, James Taylor, and Sarah Silverman.

If you have a lot of time to spare, and you need a good laugh, prepare for a long movie, sit back, and enjoy Funny People.

Nine Disappoints

By Shannon Magrane The new animation “9” hit theaters September 9 with a fresh story of a postapocalyptic world. While the chronicle was intriguing to say the least, the development and characters left viewers slightly disappointed.

This sci-fi world lies in ruins after a war between mankind and machines. Instead of the typical 21st century apocalypse, “9” takes place in an early 20th century ruin, giving the film a unique perspective.

The heroes are 8-inch pupcontinued on top right

Rachael Conti/ WRHS MEDIA

Caillat’s Album: Truly a Breakthrough

By Shannon Rafferty

When Colbie Caillat released her big hit Bubbly in February 2008, and nothing bigger coming off of her first album, it seemed this talented artist would slip out of sit and off the charts forever.

But Caillat proved to everyone she was here to stay with her sophomore album Breakthrough.

With songs in this album, Caillat is sure to have more than one radio sensation.

“Falling for You” a song on Caillat’s new album has been a radio sensation, where listeners of KC101 can here it played regularly.

In case someone lives in a hole and has never heard this song on the radio, it features a soft acoustic guitar accompanied with a percussion background. It has that summer romance appeal and could easily be played in future summer blockbusters.

Caillat’s unique and natural vocals provide a much needed break from the new and ever-present techno wave popular among big artists like Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas.

Other worthy songs on the album include the duet “Droplets.”

Caillat shares the spotlight with new comer Jason Reeves.

This is her first duet and the combination makes it an original song on an album with the same natural vibe

Key Facts:

throughout.

Reeves has a soft commanding voice similar to Jason Maraz. It is complimenting vocal that truly lifts “Droplets” from the typical breakup song and opens it up to tell both sides of the story.

“What I Never Told You” is the next song on the album and is good due to the fact it carries on the breakup theme of the last song.

The album does hit a few sour notes however.

In the song “I Won’t” Caillat’s voice gets a little pitchy and becomes uncomfortable and annoying.

This song gets hard to listen to and one will find themselves changing it to the next, better song in the queue.

“I really don’t like Caillat, her songs are annoying. I just can’t stand her,” said sophomore Riley Shaw.

One pet peeve that occurs in the album is Caillat’s song “Fearless”.

Ring a bell? It should, Taylor Swift newest album has the same title Fearless.

There are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language. Could Caillat not choose a different one, or make up a word she better thought fit the song.

Go On and Break my Heart would make a better title and would fit in more with the theme of the song.

If Caillat would like to stay in the fearless category, how about a synonym, like Unabashed or Audacious.

Aside from these few grievances in the album, Caillat’s new album, with its austere melodies, simple lyrics, and a life experience vibe makes Breakthrough an essential to any iPod, walkman, or car stereo.

Important Tracks Price “Falling For You,” “Droplets” $11.88 at Walmart

The must haves Items we can’t wait to get our hands on

By Shannon Rafferty

4th Generation iPod Nano Apple iPod scores big with the new 4th generation iPod Nano. With more space, better games, and the much appreciated video recorder, this generation is by far the biggest and best Nano Apple has yet to offer.

Price - $149 for 8 GB $179 for 16 GB

The Beatles’ Rockband New and exclusively for Rockband, The Beatles Rockband brings back the ironic 1960’s to kids from our generation. Young and old alike can enjoy the wide variety of songs on this new game. “Come together,” “Imagine,” and “I Feel Fine” are all selections anyone can rock out to.

Price - $59.96 (just software) $156 (software, guitar, and drumset) Photos courtesy of apple.com and thebeatlesrockband.com

continued from bottom left pets made of sewn together burlap sack who have been given a “soul” by their deceased creator.

Also an inventor, their creator designed the Great Machine, which soon turned evil and obliterated the human race. Now, these “stitchpunk” creations must battle mechanical monsters.

The film unfolds with the main character #9, voiced

by Elijah Wood, awakening to a bombed building acquainted with only the dead body of his creator.

As he ventures outside to the dark ruins, he meets another one of his kind and is led to a bunker where the rest of the surviving dolls live.

As the plot unravels, these nine dolls must explore unfamiliar territory, discover why they exist, and equip themselves to battle killer robots … all to reclaim the earth for more burlap sack creatures to roam.

Shane Acker, director, is a UCLA animation department grad, where he created the original 11-minute silent short which can be found on YouTube. After winning a Student Academy Award, Acker was sponsored by Tim Burton and the likes to expand his short into a feature. Before going to see the one hour edition, I would suggest checking out the equally visually impressive short version.

While “9” contained some intense battle scenes and captivating music, the characters could have been stronger. I was expecting the dolls’ personalities to reflect the unique sci-fi tale, but was disappointed with ordinary qualities. Still, there was a darker, different animation to the film that attracted me, much like “Coraline.”

The strongest appeal was Tim Burton as a producer. But “9” cannot even begin to be compared to “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

G.I. Joe: Hit Action Film of the Summer

By Drew Cullen

A lot of new movies were playing in theaters at the end of the summer r u s h , including “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra.”

In the first few weeks after the movie opened, 22.5 million dollars worth of tickets were sold.

“G.I. Joe” caught your attention right from the start when an army convoy delivering biologicalweapons is attacked. The G.I. Joe team, a.k.a. Joes, arrive at the scene of the crime sending the main character Duke, played

by Channing Tatum, into his adventure. The movie occurs in all different places, from the Egyptian desert to the Polar Ice Caps.

Andrew Jones was one of the many people to watch this movie since it came out. Jones said, “I really enjoyed it, and my favorite part was when the newly recruited Joes ran in their super suites.” Jones believed, “The acting wasn’t great but the action of the plot made up for it.”

G.I. Joe is an action/adventure movie. It lasts approximately two hours, and all two hours are filled with good action. The cast includes, Ray Park, David Murray, Byung-hun Lee, and Marlon Wayans If you are wishing it was still summer, enjoy action or suspense movies, then give G.I. Joe a try.

Opinion

B4

Country Mega Ticket

By Paige Christensen continued from B2 to put on a show no one could forget. At the conclusion of the Rascal Flatts set, Darius Rucker actually finished out the night singing Rascal Flatts number one release “Life is a Highway.”

This change disappointed some fans.

“I know every year Rascal Flatts ends with “Life is a Highway,” said Lindsay Walsh, “But then I look up and see Darius Rucker belting out his own version.

Don’t get me wrong Darius did a phenomenal job, but Rascal didn’t even finish out their own tour.”

The next act on the Country Mega Ticket arrived on Friday, July 17.th Toby Keith, country music’s resident redneck, brought his Biggest and Baddest Tour to Comcast, striding around his stage which was tricked out to resemble the grille of a massive Ford truck, his tour sponsor.

Keith, who released his first album in 1993, kept a crowd of all ages cheering, dancing and clapping for two hours to some of his greatest hits.

After kicking things off with songs everyone could sing along to like “She’s a Hottie,” “God Love Her”, and “Beer For My Horses”, Keith didn’t hesitate roaring right into his new top single “American Ride.”

“This was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to,” said Prospect’s Sean Walsh. It was my first time seeing him live and I was not left disappointed.”

Finishing out the night to the patriotic single “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue,” left the die hard country fans wanting more.

The talk of the crowd definitely showed that Toby lived up to being voted ACM Entertainer of the Year.

The Country Mega Ticket came to a close with Headliners Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and Lady Antebellum on Thursday, August 13th.

This tour wowed the crowd and was a great choice for the final act of summer.

“He was dynamic, smiling and energetic, interacting with the band and audience like we were all guests in his home,” said Chesney Lover Sam Angelosick Singing his top singles “She Thinks My Tractors Sexy,” “Summertime,” and “Keg in the Closet,” Chesney set high expectations for the next country Megaticket.

Kenney Chesney undoubtly ended the summer delighting fans with his energetic show.

With four great acts the Country Mega Ticket set itself up for part two next summer. Live Nation will be offering sales starting in February of 2010.

The Mega Ticket Mega Stars 1

2

Toby Keith and Trace Atkins

Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker

3

Kenny Chesney Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum

4

Brad Paisley Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne

Hawk Headlines

Volume IX, Issue I September 2009

Michael Jackson, King of Pop As most people are aware, Michael Jason died on June 25, 2009. Unfortunately, many remember Jackson as a man that executed several unspeakable charges, rather than the King of Pop. In my opinion, Jackson changed the face of music and deserved the title the King of Pop. He should be remembered as the King of Pop, or the man who changed the face of music and dance forever. He should not be remembered for the mistakes that he had made throughout his life.

Everyone makes mistakes. However, we do not hold everyone in contempt for the mistakes that they make. Granted, the allegations that were made against Jackson were horrible. However, he went to court, and it was never proven that he did in fact molest a child.

I would like to point out that Jackson was never convicted of this crime. Therefore, it is only speculation. There is no evidence that can support the claims that Jackson actually molested a child.

By Alyssa Klansic

Before you pass judgment on Michael Jackson, you must be aware of his childhood, and the life that he went through.

While he was a part of Jackson five at the age of 11, the press did not seem to post him in the tabloids as much. Once he went single, things were still going good. He was not in the tabloids as much, except when some of his hit songs, such as Thriller, went up another notch on the Top lists.

However around 1985, Jackson was still at an early stage in his career. That is when wild rumors started coming out in the tabloids. One of which stated that Jackson underwent a hormone surgery which allowed him to have a feminine and softspoken voice.

Another stated that Jackson built Neverland because he was an unconventional man who was obsessed with bringing back his childhood.

Jackson was thrown into the music industry at a very young age. You cannot expect someone to grow up if they never were able to experience a childhood.

A childhood is an important thing is any human beings life. It is when one can be innocent and free.

It is when one can learn from personal mistakes that have been made.

Jackson never had a normal childhood. It is not his fault that he wanted to have some child like fun when he had a given moment. Just because he preferred the company of children rather than adults does not mean that he did anything inappropriate with them. While it does seem a bit weird that he prefers their company over the company of adults, it does not give a valid reason for these rumors to start.

No one wants to be remembered for mistakes they have made, or rumors that have been made concerning them. Celebrities are no different.

Jackson won numerous awards. He revolutionized the music industry as well as changed the face of dance. Jackson truly was the King of Pop. No one can replace him or gain that title. To be remembered as anything else is insulting to his memory.

Teacher Attends Warped Tour continued from B1

seven stages is hosting your favorite band.

I was impressed with the tour’s usage of space.

The stage layout was a logistical audio plan that projected all stage sounds toward the same basic direction. So as you travel from one stage to another, there is a slight cross fade as one band fades and the other gets louder. It is kinda like a Doppler effect, except it does not affect the weather. Once you are in front of one stage, you cannot hear the other bands playing; it is quite impressive once you realize that any given time, seven stages and seven bands are rocking simultaneously.

I took a swig of water, pointed my sneakers toward the Hurley stage, just in time to catch an impromptu mosh pit in the center of the midway.

After security arrived, I realized it was not a pit, but just two guys fighting. Did I mention I had let my son walk around on his own?

The day was dizzying. I wandered back and forth between stages trying to catch the acts that I wanted to see, stopping in to see a few that I thought sounded pretty good. I was impressed with VersaEmerge who I had seen last year when they opened for We The Kings at the Webster.

Lead singer, Sierra Kusterbeck, blended her powerful, but bluesy vocals over hard driving riffs. With a sound reminiscent of Celtic band, Lacuna Coil, Kusterbeck belted out her lyrics over metal-infused, yet surprisingly soulful, rhythms.

Wandering around Warped Tour, you get a sense of the hard life of a young band, a group of young musicians. Tents stretch as far as the eye can see and as I meandered by, roadies, managers, and sometimes the band themselves, would shout over to me to “buy a bumper sticker,” or

“get an autographed photo,” or “snap up the latest demo.” It didn’t dawn on me that the megacolossal-uber marketing machine, Warped Tour, probably didn’t pay the bands--they had to hawk their own wares to make a living. Just looking into the parking lot told the story between those on the rise and those starting out. Headliners rode in luxury coaches with 18-wheel tractor trailers hauling the rest of the gear. Other bands were in beat-up Dodge Caravans pulling U-haul trailers loaded with all their worldly possessions.

I guess you have to start out somewhere.

There were other tents and vendors there pushing their products and agendas; the variety was as intriguing as it was inane. At one tent, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) decried the evils of product testing on animals and touted their new DVD that showed baby seals being clubbed and puppies being injected with untested vaccines. Nearby, Warped Tour sponsor, Vans, sold sneakers for $15. And over on the left was a major prophylactic company tent touting the necessity of safe relations. Unfortunately, that tent was handing out free samples, one of which happened to make it home where my wife found it and confronted our son who simply shrugged and said, “We were going to make a huge water balloon.” I guess I may have another year or two before I have to worry about issues intimate.

The day wore on and I saw as many acts as I could--3oh3!, A Rocket to the Moon (which is starting its headline tour this month), Flogging Molly, The Maine, There for Tomorrow, UnderOath, and others. I even saw several unsigned acts on the Edward Ball stage where some local talent and small acts sometimes got a

Youniversity Aids Sudents in College Search

With over 30,000 colleges across the country, how does anyone know which college is perfect for you?

There are only so many days and so much time in a year that you could waste at a college tour.

Just when you think you have to travel across the country to visit a college you might not be interested in, there are other ways to complete your college search.

From Youtube to Youniversity, this is a cheap trick to skate your way through college searching.

Youniversity is a college search engine that offers interactive web - casting services for education. Youniversity gives incoming freshman the opportunity to experience a virtual tour of a campus without actually being there. They provide mentorship, expertise, contacts, and access to school, just as if you were really on the campus.

Youniversity provides a commercialized video that lasts five minutes, in which it gives details about every aspect of your college experience.

From the admission process to the cost of room and board, Youniversity includes it all.

Not only does this website give you an insight on the campus, but it provides and insight on the surrounding areas and extra curricular life.

There is also a “find me” search engine in which you take a personality test to find out which college best fits you.

All the information provided throughout the tour puts an emphasis on all types of student life. Throughout the five minute video, there are engaging interviews from both students and staff that lead you into the right directon.

Senior, Ally Negaro, who both uses Youniversity and goes on college tours said,” “There is obviously a difference in being able to feel the college and see it online, yet Youniversity led me to the colleges that I wanted to visit. If I did not use Youniversity then I would have been going to 10 colleges that I would have wasted my time at.”

The Top Rated Colleges that offer the best video include Syracuse, USF, Stanford, UC Berkeley and UNC. Each state is rated from the most popular videos to the least popular, as well.

This may not be the only way to know colleges, but it defiantly is a great first step.

Youniversity is a great search engine that lets you interact with the college without even being there.

By Paige Christensen

warpedtour.com

The base player Scary Kids Scaring Kids played at Warped Tour.

chance to perform. There were a few promising acts there, like this punk act from Ohio that kept screaming at the fans that “You can’t rock like Toronto! You all suck!” They really endeared themselves to me when the lead singer shouted at an old guy “to get up off the grass and get [his] groove on.” But I did not want to get my groove on, and the grass was quite comfortable, thank you. And, wait a minute . . . did that guy just call me old?

But perhaps he was right; I am old. But there’s nothing like a good show—cranked up amps and loud rock and roll—to make you call up the old high school buddies, pull out the old spandex pants, start growing the mullet again, pile into your wife’s minivan, and tour the country. Now that’s warped.

Hit or Miss

Music Expectations for 2009 Peter Mulholland

Making and Missing the Mark Getting a full night’s sleep Woodland Football Games

Teachers who make learning worth while Glee (Single Ladies) Not doing homework in study hall Not knowing the value of a pen until you have none left The College Search/Deciding your Major Running out of gas on the 3-hour trip to Woodland from Prospect What Kanye West did to Taylor Swift at the VMAs. How could he be so heartless?

Crowded hallways because of freshman (and Seniors)

Hawk Headlines Sports Volume VIII, Issue V

From The

Sports Desk: Andrew Cullen WRHS Media Staff Writer

The Discus Wants to Go the Distance When you hear “high school sports” you will usually think of football, basketball, and baseball.

Not bocce. Or horseshoes. Or even croquet. And not Ultimate Disc, or is it?

Ultimate Disc has been a club at Woodland Regional High School for the past three years. The team started when Ben Cegelka created it for his senior project. The next year Chris Magrane, the current captain’s brother, kept it going for his senior project in 2006. Now Shannon Magrane, current captain and Woodland senior, wants to make Ultimate Disc a sport supported by the school for her senior project.

Going “Pro” The Ultimate Disc Club is going to try to become sponsored by the school, becoming an “official” school sports team. Led by their advisor, Chris Misuraca, they will try to go through all of the steps to becoming an official sport. These steps include signing wavers, permission from the Athletic Director, Fell, to use the fields, and permission from the Board of Education.

Making Ultimate Disc and official team will make it more structured and formal. This way, the practices will be mandatory and more games can be played. Also, support will be provided by the school.

Misuraca and Magrane want to make the team official because more interest is being shown in the sport. Three years ago when the team was created there were about ten to 18 athletes that signed up.

This year they are expecting many more athletes.

A lot of other schools already have Ultimate Disc as an official sport. One of these schools is Amity Regional High School, who Woodland has faced the past couple of years in games that were unaccounted for because Woodland did not have it as an official sport.

If made into an official sport, the team will be able to compete at state tournaments and matches against more teams.

Throwing the Distance Ultimate Disc is a sport that completely requires teamwork. If you have possession of the disc you cant move, therefore you have to pass it to one of your team members.

The goal of the game is to score the most touchdowns. A touchdown is scored when the Frisbee is passed and caught inside the 25 yard end zone. The field itself is 75 yards long.

Misuraca, Magrane, and the rest of the team is hoping to benefit from becoming an official sport at Woodland.

C1

Woodland Regional High School

Brittany’s Future is Albright

135 Back Rimmon Road, Beacon Falls, CT March 2009

Starting off easy she starts her warm up progressing until she runs a quick three mile or long five mile run depending on the day.

by Shannon Rafferty Her heart pounding, lungs on fire, the muscles in her legs stretching and constricting with her every step, her body in perfect harmony.

Four or five days a week this is how senior Brittany Albright trains. Not even the weather can stop her, getting in some cross training in at the gym. Her warm-ups vary from day to day. There is hill work days, speed work days, cross training days, and finally a few relaxing days.

“I don’t overwork my body; I simply just prepare myself for the upcoming season. After my cross country I run in between my track seasons as well to prepare for them,” said Albright.

Albright started running cross country in seventh grade, she joined the track team in an effort to be apart of something different. Being a previous soccer player got her inspiration from her sister and her mom, both of whom ran at the time.

“Doing cross country in middle school was a good beginning for me, it set the ground for what I was getting ready for at Woodland,” said Albright.

Once at Woodland, the practices got harder.

The cross country team runs on average runs six miles a day, five days a week. Albright herself has run close to 1,000 based on practices alone.

Run for fun? Who is crazy enough to do that?

Albright makes a good point, saying, “The hardest thing is not the miles that we run, or the hills, and the many, strides that we sprint, it’s that feeling that you didn’t do well or that feeling of disappointment.”

Albright talks a lot on how she feels when she lets down her team or her coaches, although even when she does not do that well in a race, her coaches still support her.

Last year, Albright’s junior year, a terrible mishap occurred. While training for the State Open in Mathis Park, Albright slipped and fell on some hidden rocks.

“I didn’t tell my coach right away, but I went to Mr. Donaghy the next day to have him look at it. My ankle now looked like a dark purple softball,” said Albright “I wrapped it up, told her to keep icing it down and to keep it elevated,” said Mr. Donaghy.

With the word “quit” not in her vocabulary, Albright continued training and planned to run in the State Open only a week away.

With the day of the meet upon her, Albright wrapped her ankle, and headed out to the starting line.

“My coach just told my right at the start line, ‘You don’t need to be a hero Brittany.’ He did not want me to run if it hurt and he was nervous because he didn’t want me to hurt it anymore. But I ran anyways.”

Although some question the sanity of this decition, Albright had her reasons.

“I needed to try. This was one of the biggest races I have ever ran and I needed to try, I wanted to get that all State title,” Albright tells.

Unfortunately, Albright ended up being pulled from the race and was required to take some time off for her ankle to heal.

Throughout this time Albright still had the support of the coaches and of her teammates.

Even though Albright was unable to take an All State title, she was responsible in helping her team make State Open.

She was a key player in helping the girls win NVL’s, becoming Cooper Division Champions, and remain undefeated, one of the proudest moments in her life.

“The best thing was not just going up and getting our trophy, but to see every one of my teammates have that look of accomplishment on their faces. It’s a great feeling.”

Albright, though an important figure in girls cross country, is never satisfied with the accomplishments she makes, always wanting to push her self more.

She acknowledges the fact that she, just like everyone else, has her off days when she isn’t her best in a practice or a meet but Albright tends to focus on how to bounce back from these bad days.

“I just have to move on, let it go, and look to the next day, the next practice

Anatomy of a Cross Country

Runner

Head- “The Runners Wall” a condition faced by marathon runners when the body runs low on Glycogen. Takes a lot of will power to overcome

Rachael Conti / WRHSmedia and just work that much harder, not only for myself, but for my team,” said Albright The team is an important factor in Albright’s success. They are her inspiration on the field and she strives to make them a more synchronized unit, always encouraging her team to be the best that they can be.

In the near future Albright’s goal is to win the NVL championships again, and win an All State title.

As far as college goes, she hopes to go to a third or second division school to keep the stress levels down, focusing more on academics. Even after college Albright plans to continue running.

“I’m hoping to at least be in one marathon and maybe a triathlon, but I would definitely need to work on the swimming aspect of it,” Albright says.

“Running can be a very hard thing if you make it hard. If you train, your body can pretty much do anything; it’s all in your head. Like anythng in life you have to believe that you can do it.”

Question

&Answer w/ Tyler Murphy & Brittany Albright What is a quote your team is going to live by this year?

Nose - Breath in thorough your nose Mouth- Breath out through your mouth

Arms- Some studies suggest in order to propel yourself further, runners should pump their arms

Tyler Murphy: Start of first and then improve.

Brittany Albright: Don’t get overworked and put 100 percent into everyday.

What are the biggest meets of the season and why?

Tyler Murphy- Every meet is important because the league is equal in talent.

Brittany Albright- Every meet is big, but championships are where we make our mark.

As a captain what is your responsibility to your team?

Hips- Allow runner to move their legs

Knees- bend the leg so runners can move

Foot- The average Woodland cross country runner runs approximately 1000 miles with four years of the sport.

Toes- a common misconception is that running on toes is more productive, but when running long distance it is in fact a hindrance.

Tyler Murphy: To lead the team and be a good role model, and motivate the team to win.

Brittany Albright: Encourage the team to do the best they can, and push them to work hard.

How do you get your team motivated?

Tyler Murphy: By practicing hard and leading a good example.

Brittany Albright: If the team knows they can win then they will try their hardest to win.

How do you feel about this year’s team?

Tyler Murphy: It’s going to be a good year, although we had a tough loss from losing so many seniors.

Brittany Albright: It’s very strong but small, although it’s quality that counts.

Sports

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Hawk Headlines

Volume VIII, Issue V March 2009

Tackles, Takeaways, and Touchdowns After winning two State Championships in 2004 and 2005, the 2009 football team have the same goals in mind.

by Paige Christensen . After the challenges the 2008 team faced, the Hawks have to step back into the game.

“We approach every season the same way,” said second year Head Coach Tim Shea. “Yet the team is different each year. They take different paths and a whole new direction.”

This year Shea is taking a new perspective toward the games Woodland will be participating in.

“Every week is going to be a new task for us,” Shea stated, “We need to allow ourselves the time to take on the week’s challenge.”

Shea spoke very highly of the senior players.

“I owe it to them; they are putting in a lot of hard work” Shea said, “The difficulties they faced last year made it easy for them to vow for a new change.”

Although losing Key players, such as Jon Murren, Josh Fitzpatrick, Kile Coty, Tim Beedle, and Steve Gillette, Shea seems confident in the starting lineup.

Captain Brandon Fowler, Captain Colin Grommisch, Captain Payten Gallagher, Steve Petracca, Tyler Slapikas, Mike Uszakiewicz, James Bedard, Jim Heart, and Andrew Maloney will continue to see a lot of the field since they are returning for another season.

Junior players to keep an eye out for are Jack Debiase and Ian Bures.

To prepare for the season the football players have been training all summer and went to numerous camps. “These camps help immensely. They give us coaches the chance to see how our players play and we get a chance to go against other teams.”

Shea also stated how the camps give the football players an opportunity to create chemistry throughout the team.

“It is definitely a time for team

Kyle Brennan / Citizen’s News

CLOCKWISE STARTING TOP LEFT: Junior Jack DeBiase (10) stops a Kennedy ball carrier in the backfield in the first quarter of the Hawks’ 44-0 win over Kennedy RIGHT TOP: Senior Brandon Fowler (5) looks to run to the outside. RIGHT CENTER: Senior Jim Hart (62) blocks a Kennedy linebacker. RIGHT BOTTOM: Sophomore Zach Plourde (52) helps take down a Kennedy ball carrier in first quarter BOTTOM CENTER :Senior Brandon Fowler (5) splits two Kennedy defenders BOTTOM LEFT: Senior Brandon Fowler (5) kicks an extra point after the Hawks’ first touchdown of the day. bonding, and these camps give us depth, especially with the younger players,” says the varsity coach.

Being able to play everyone in their own division and one cross over team, Shea decided on Putnam High School.

“I am allowed one non league game so I chose a school closest to our size and as far away as possible,” explains Shea.

Woodland started the 2009 season off with Brandon Fowler scoring his

first touch down within the first eight minutes of the game. Fowler also ran the ball scoring another along with Jack DeBiase who rushed for three.

The Hawks now 1- 1 also had two interceptions from Colin Grommisch

Spikers Set for New Division

by Kelly Diurno / Kristina Diurno

The Hawks volleyball team has been hard at work preparing for their season and making final adjustments before their regular season games start.

Leading the volleyball Varsity team this year is fourth year head coach, James Amato, and senior captains, Emily Hutvagner and Kaiti Lembo.

“I hope to help and encourage my team to be successful in both winning percentages and retaining positive attitudes. I also want to assure that everyone will enjoy themselves, as well as work hard to become the best that they possibly can be,” said Lembo.

The team brings back a handful of seniors who still have unfinished business after last year’s 14-4 season. Seniors Erika Barnett, Kate Frennette, Desiree Duby, Lindsey Wirsing, Robin Jazxhi, Ariel Dowski and Steph Badale look to set the record straight. And they have been working toward that goal for months. Badale attended the Wolcott Summer camp to prepare for the season, where she set a 2009 season goal to get at least five kills per game. So far, she averages 6.1 kills.

As a team goal, the Hawks hope to win the NVL title. “As a team, we like to take things one point, one game, and one match at a time,” said Lembo. “We hope that, ultimately, it will lead us to NVL and state championships, but we need to remain focused and not get ahead of ourselves.”

This early in the season the team seems to be maintainin that focus, and at the time of publishing, they were the only undefeated team in the league, and one of the six remaining undefeated Class M teams in the state.

“If we continue to play the way I know we can and remain as tightly bonded as we have been in the past, and come to each game with full energy,” noted Lembo, “we will be an incredibly strong force to be dealt with.”

LEFT: Senior captain, Kaiti Lembo (20) attacks as senior captain, Emily Hutvagner (10), junior Jess Patrizi (7), and Des Duby (14) cover her attack. RIGHT: Senior Erika Barnett (3) gets up and over to block Kennedy’s attack. FAR RIGHT: Senior Kate Frennette drops into defense position and keeps the ball off the floor in Woodland’s 3-2 victory over undefeated Kennedy.

Photos by Lindsay Boland

and James Bedard led the team with 10 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Woodland sank the Clippers with a score of 51 – 14, but fell to the visiting Wolcott Eagles 42-7. The Hawks look to rebound against Watertown next.

On the Run Once Again

by Drew Cullen

It’s Cross country season again, and both the boys’ and the girls’ teams have to live up to what they did last year.

The boys came in 3rd in the NVL championship last year, while the girls went undefeated as well as receiving the NVL title.

The head coach, Jeff Lownds, thinks they can do it. “My goal for the team is to win each meet, and then peak at the end of the season to be at our best for NVL’s and States,” said Coach Lownds.

The captain for the boys’ team is Senior Tyler Murphy. Murphy plans on leading his team by being a good role model, and helping his fellow teammates. Murphy has been running since 7th grade when he signed up for the middle school Cross Country team.

The girls cross country captain, senior Brittany Albright, plans to lead the team by encouraging everyone to do their best. “If I push the team and show them that they can do anything, then we will have a successful season,” said Albright.

Coach Lowndes expects that Junior Ryan Mariotti, Senior Tyler Murphy, and Junior Kyle Cranney, will be his top three runners for the boys’ team. For the girls’ team he believes the top three will be Senior Brittany Albright, Junior Crystal Steinfeld, and Sophomore Melissa Kiley. He also expects the rookies of the team to work hard and improve every day.

Stacked with talent, Woodland Cross Country looks determined to outrun the competition.