WRHSmedia :: Hawk Headlines by J Amato

xercise

Throw away the running shoes and dumbellshere are some workouts that can burn calories in new and exciting ways. Turn to page D2.

HAWK Volume IX, Issue III

“Bon Shovie” and her band, Undercover, rocked the Woods at the Musical Talent Show. Read the review of the incredible concert on page B1.

HEADLINES

Woodland Regional High School

135 Back Rimmon Road, Beacon Falls, CT

DECEMBER 2009

Bridge Gets Badly Needed Facelift By Matt Hale

The Rail Road Avenue Bridge--the steel bridge that crosses the Naugatuck River--will be receiving a facelift that will last approximately a year and include sandblasting and a fresh coat of paint. The construction on the bridge will also include the replacement of the steel cross beams underneath the beams. The Local Bridge Program, a state funded program run by the State Department of Motor Vehicles, offers monetary aid for bridges across Connecticut that need renovations. The town of Beacon Falls has received almost three million dollars in grant money to revitalize the bridge. “We have received two million dollars from the United States government and one point two million dollars from the local bridge program,” said Susan Cable, first selectman. Work is beginning in Beacon Falls that is going to change the way people drive through the downtown area. Two new sets of stoplights have been added along with driving lanes in both the north and southbound directions. When the bridge is completed it will be one way only. This has asserted the need for traffic lights to control which lanes will move at what time. A string of traffic lights has been put up at the intersection directly in front of the bridge, and also on both sides of the bridge. “Right now everything down there is a hodgepodge, so until we have everything working full force, two police officers are stationed near the bridge during busy traffic and construction hours,” stated Cable. Before the project started there were only two traffic lanes in the downtown area. Since the project started, a driving lane has been added to each direction. These lanes are being used as turn lanes for the far right flow of traffic. This has eased some of the congestion that has been caused by the construction.

Rachael Conti / WRHS MEDIA Main Street in Beacon Falls has recently been plagued by major construction. The ensuing chaos has affected drivers and businesses alike; while some people believe that the construction will benefit everyone in the long run, others think that the work is simply a nuisance. These new turning lanes however, have eliminated parking that was utilized by both local businesses and the residents of the Beacon Mill Village condominiums. “Residents of both Beacon Mill Village and local businesses were parking on the shoulder of Main Street,” said Cable, “however, there was no parking allowed there to begin with.”

Guidance Department Hosts Financial Aid Night By Alyssa Klancic

On Thursday, December 3rd, students and parents of Woodland Regional High School attended a College Financial Aid Night. The purpose was to provide parents and students with the necessary information about how to apply for financial aid, and what forms of financial aid are available (i.e. scholarships, loans etc.) Alex Muro, assistant director of student financial services at Yale University, hosted the presentation in the Media Center. His presentation contained slides that not only described the documents that would need to

Up until recently, the no parking ordinance was never really enforced because the parked cars were not affecting the traffic flow. Local businesses have been worried about the impact the bridge project will have on them. Gloria Salazar, the manager of the Soho salon which is situated down the street from Beacon Mill Village, expressed concern to Cable

be filled out, but also the process that had to be undergone. The display consisted of different topics. Grants were discussed, but the biggest topic was loans. According to Muro, there are about three different types of loans that parents and students may be able to apply for. The Federal Stafford Loan was the first of many that were discussed. This particular loan has an interest rate of 6.8%, and does not require a credit check or a payment while the student is enrolled or within six months of graduating. See Financial Aid, A2

• Private Loans

• 6.8% interest rate

• 7.9% interest rate

• Variable interest rates

• No credit check

• Credit check required

• No payments within six months of graduation

• Certain limits to amount borrowed

• Credit check usually required

• Choose subsidized or unsubsidized • Best option for those with bad credit

Inside this Issue

• Federal Parent PLUS Loan

• Limit equal to cost of attendance • Provides more cash but with a higher interest rate

• Amounts sometimes capped • No prerequisites • Solid middle ground between federal options

You all witnessed the drama of this years’ Spirit Week now read about everything you didn’t see on pages C1 and C2.

Pick a side in the epic battle of twin versus twin, as they go point to point on the benefits of the QPA and GPA system.

Lifestyle Turn to pages B2-B3 for a breakdown of the WRHS teacher centers, as well as a feature on the winner.

By Melissa Sobireski After all that British literature and Shakespeare, Woodland students will finally have the chance to experience it up close. An educational tour to London has been planned by James Amato and Paul Geary for the summer of 2010. The success of the excursion to Greece and Italy was another factor in the push for another trip. The same company that provided for the Greece and Italy trip, EF Educational Tours, will be sponsoring this trip as well. Educational Tours provides people with the chance to travel with new friends and explore different places. They build confidence and increase cultural awareness. Benefits of this type of travel include enhanced career prospects, stronger academic futures, life skills and newfound confidence. Those who attend this year will explore London, as well

Feature

News

Sports Woodland students went all out for this years’ Spirit Week, wearing outfits from various decades like the 80s, above.

See Bridge Construction, A3

English Gets Ready for England

OVERVIEW OF STUDENT LOANS • Federal Stafford Loan

that there was no extensive parking for her customers. “The Salon owners were worried that less parking would affect their business, but until a more permanent solution can be found, they are going to have to use the parking that is available to them,” said Cable.

A schoolyard favorite becomes a way of life for Woodland counselor Janine Murdy. Read about the revolution o

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!

as Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford and Stratford. Many famous landmarks in England, such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Shakespeare’s home, will be visited. A trained EF Tour Director will guide the students and chaperones to these places. The approximate cost is $2500 for students and $2800 for adults. This price includes airfare, transportation, accommodations, meals, entrance fees to select attractions and sightseeing. “After trying to find a place to stay and booking airfare, the cost of the trip is very competitive to one that you plan on your own,” said Amato. Lunches, beverages, passport and visa fees are not included. Tips for the tour director and bus driver are also not included. Sightseeing tours will be led by local licensed guides. Extras include a theater performance and a three day Visitor Underground Travelcard. For more information and payment options, visit EFTours.com and use the tour number 660491.

News Section Commentary School News Driving

A1 A2 A3 A4

Lifestyle Section Teacher Center Teacher Center Reviews

B1 B2 B3 B4

Spirit Week Homecoming

C1 C2

Sports section School Sports

D1 D2

Commentary HAWK

Hawk Headlines

Po2int P int

HEADLINES

Journalism Staff Alyssa Klancic News Editor

Theresa Gillette Lifestyle Editor

Ali Walsh

Volume IX, Issue III

December 2009

GPA or QPA 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:

Sports Editor

Jared Mikulski

Managing Editor

Shannon Magrane Layout Director

Rachael Conti Photography Editor

James Amato

Journalism Director

GPA

QPA

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.

Financial Aid Night Continued from A1

The families can also choose whether they would like a subsidized, where the federal government pays the interest while the student is in school, or an unsubsidized loan, where the student makes the interest- only payments while in school. The Federal Parent PLUS Loan is a bit different than the Federal Stafford Loan. It has a fixed interest rate of 7.9%. This loan requires a credit check, and there are certain limits, unlike the previous loan. It is not available to those parents that have independent students enrolled, and there is an annual loan limit. This limit is the equivalent of the cost of attendance minus the use of another aid. The last loan discussed was the Private Loans. There is not set interest rate for these, but they are sometimes capped. Just like the Federal Parent PLUS Loan, a credit check is required. However, there are no prerequisites for this type of loan. Overall, College Financial Aid Night was beneficial. The juniors that attended were able to see just how much college really costs. The seniors were able to figure out which loans applied to them, and how they were going to get support while they were in college.

By Tina Diurno

At a young age we are all taught to be hard-working and responsible. Most Students’ grades at Woodland Regional High School get students apply that in school, and some do not. Well, those who take that graded and categorized into two different groups: Grade Point initiative should be rewarded, right? Average, or GPA, and Quality Point Average, or QPA. At Woodland Regional High School, the students are ranked on primarily At first glance, these averages might seem the same, but they Grade Point Averages, or GPAs. The GPAs of any level of a student (AP, have a small and meaningful difference. Honors, CP, and Core) are valued as if they are the same. The only probAt Woodland, there are three levels of classes: Core, College lem is that they are nowhere near the same because Honors and Advanced Prep, Honors and Advanced Placement classes. Core and ColPlacement students have to work much harder to maintain their grades. lege Prep classes are weighted as one. The Quality Point Average, or QPA, system indicates a student’s level of GPA weighs every class the same and this is where the conachievement. Unlike, GPA’s, the QPA recognizes the higher performance of troversy comes in. a student and they are credited for that. An Advanced Placement or Honors Honors and AP students will agree that since they are in student gets ten percent more (1.1) added into their QPA, and a CP or Core higher classes, they sdeserve to get 10% more than a student in student gets 10 percent less (1). Core or College Prep classes. The QPA grading system is more But I disagree. I believe that that fair for every student. The AP regardless of what level class and Honors students should be a student is in, they should getting an extra 10% added onto all get the same amount of their grades because of the hard credit. work those classes provide. This is why I think that GPA Woodland offers the following is a more accurate way to deAP. Calculus Statistics CP 93 Basic Geometry 93 93 AP courses: Psychology, United termine how a student is doAP. Literature 96 English CP English Core 96 96 States History, English Laning in school rather that QPA. AP. History History CP World History 80 80 80 guage, English Literature, StatisEach and every student is tics, Calculus, Biology, Environdoing their work in order GPA: 89.67 GPA: 89.67 GPA: 89.67 mental Science, French, Spanish, to maintain their grades in QPA: 98.64 QPA: 89.67 QPA: 89.67 Music Theory and Studio Art. class. If someone chooses to With all of these advanced take a higher level class, so classes there are the students be it. They should not receive who strive for perfection in their more credit for it. grades. The GPAs are not exactly It is entirely their choice to fair to the AP and Honors stutake a more advanced class dents because it is not truly accurate. and if they are unprepared and sense that it might bring their Yes, it does have the students grade averages out, but the higher level average down, then they do not have to take it. students get no credit for that. CP classes may seem easier to the AP students, but to the CP Fortunately for these over-achieving students, the QPA is what helps them students they are challenging. qualify for scholarships, financial grants and departmental majors because Although CP classes may be easier they are certainly not those all want specific grades, and that is exactly what QPAs are. (Accorddifferent. ing to Memphis.edu) All students have to show up to class, pay attention, do their When ranking a class comes into hand, the QPA in my opinion seems classwork and homework, and study in order to pass. to be more accurate. The GPAs have their take, but the QPA gives the AP When a student is getting ready to apply to colleges, the guidand Honors students the extra ten percent that was earned. With that extra ance department at Woodland sends GPA and QPA. percentage, an AP or Honors student’s grade goes up. I do not think that a student will get into a school solely beThis is exactly what should happen. The difficulty between and AP Course cause their QPA is a few points higher than their GPA. and an Honors course does not even compare, let alone and AP Course and When it comes to ranking the number one student in the a CP Course. class, the guidance department looks at both the QPA and GPA. Therefore, the higher level students should get all the praise that they deGPA’s are more accurate when comparing students because serve. The best way to incorporate that is to use the QPA system. for all of their classes they are getting the same amount of The GPA system is a good way to let all of the different levels of students credit. take in their grade, but the QPA system is by far the most accurate and fair Some may agree to disagree, but GPAs are way more reliable way to indicate a student’s level of achievement. than QPAs.

Upper Classman’s Grades

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Christmas in Heart Letter From the Editor

Alyssa Klancic, News Editor

y nerves buzz with thoughts of the holidays, especially Christmas. I savor every moment for I understand that when Christmas ends all that magical kindness seems to dissipate. The kindness that this holiday generates sparks notions of gift giving. While Christmas presents create pleasure, the family traditions make everlasting memories. Family traditions brighten the holidays. Some traditions include caroling door to door, watching Rudolph on the television, or having Christmas dinner over grandma’s house. Christmas Eve became a special night in the Klancic household. Each member opened brightly wrapped gifts which contained their pajamas. Once thank yous were exchanged, family members rushed into bedrooms and bathrooms to change into their festive outfits. Once donned in their pajamas, they snuggled into bed and drifted off into a dream world where Santa Claus lived, and the child like spirit was reincarnated. The traditions that are kept are fantastic and I would love to continue the giving of the Christmas pajamas. However, Christmas captivates me for other reasons too. The music and the decorations play a huge role in my obsession for this holiday. I gawk at all of the ornately done houses and savior the thought of decorating the journalism room. I love untangling the lights or creating white paper snowflakes while listening to Christmas music and the nit-picking of people in the background. While this time of year does revolve around decorations and family, I love who I am during this time of year. I understand that that may sound a bit odd, or even stupid, but it is the truth. I try my hardest to be nice to people. I do not behave like an angel, but I do try to act nice. I feel as though I can make amends and apologize to all who may have been hurt before the New Year begins, and it becomes too late. The guilt that would otherwise consume my thoughts is washed away with a feelings of relief and joy. There is something about this time of year that awakens the good. The holiday season captivates me and a majority of the population. The magic of this season eventually spreads through most of the Ebenezer Scrooge’s who refuse to bask in the comfort and merriment that this holiday brings. At Christmas time it seems as though anything can happen, and if those child-like spirits stay within our hearts, anything can happen.

School News Magrane’s Brain When Tech Gets Wet

By Shannon Magrane

I call it Magrane’s Law. Digital camera, TV, PC, laptop, iPod, GPS – you name it, I’ve killed it. It’s not that I despise the technology of the new millennium. As a matter of fact I love it; I would much rather open up a present on Christmas morning and find the newest 3G, high-speed wireless data and voice network technology HP Mini 110 than a $500 Coach purse. Last year, “Santa” got me exactly what I wanted. It was a brand new phone, the HTC Fuze. Within a month I chipped the corners, lost the stylus, and managed to cause it to completely freeze up on me. I hated that phone. I called it the brick, because it was so thick, heavy and useless. Still, I had to learn to deal with it until Christmas came around again. Then, Magrane’s Law struck again. No one plans on flushing their phone down a toilet; it just happens. In my case, it was entirely my phone’s fault. See, my friend and I were about to go out for the night, and following my mother’s age-old advice I went to the bathroom before we left the house. This is when the Brick jumped out of my pocket and into the porcelain throne… just as I flushed it. I didn’t even notice my missing phone at first. I thought the big “KERPLUNK” I heard was a problem with the toilet. But then I went into my pocket to check my phone and it wasn’t there. That’s when I knew the horrible, crappy truth. When I went back into the bathroom there was no cell phone to be seen, but there was a blinking blue light coming from within the plumbing. So there I was, at my best friend’s house with my phone lost in the abyss of her toilet, and I asked myself, “How do you tell someone you flushed your phone down their toilet?” I chose the confused act… “Amy, can you come upstairs? Well, here’s the thing. I’m pretty sure my cell phone is stuck in your potty.” “Well stick your hand in there and get it out!” “But your hand’s smaller…” And yes, she stuck her hand in the toilet to retrieve my phone. Unfortunately, her hand wasn’t small enough. So we tried flushing, plunging, and sucking it out with a vacuum. Nothing. RIP Brick. RIP John. They say you don’t know who your true friends are until they are tested. I say you don’t know who your true friends are until they have stuck their hands into the filthy plumbing of a toilet to try to retrieve your despised – probably ruined – phone. So what’s for Christmas this year? My waterlogged Brick in a plastic bag with the remains of what seems to be corn.

at the light, further adding three traffic lanes and eliminating the shoulder. “People were parking there for their convenience whether it be because there was no room, they had extra cars, or whatever,” said Cable. Beacon Mill Village owns numerous parking lots that are either far away from resident’s condos, or tend to be full. During the winter time the shoulder was closed to parking due to snow plowing. Now it will be closed for the remainder of the bridge project. Throughout the year long construction on the bridge, changes will have to be made to the plans. “That is why the project is going to take so long to complete,” said Cabel, “throughout the process, we will have to go back and rework some of the details of the new plan for the bridge.” Cable claims that this is what is going to make the construction fulfill the full year timeline. The revisions the town of Beacon Falls make, must be reviewed by the state of Connecticut. “By accepting the grants we have to obey all the rules that the state and Federal government put in place,” said Cable. The Railroad Avenue Bridge renovation is going to be of great benefit to Beacon Falls. “By the end of the project, everything may or may not return to the way it was before, it is something we are going to have to look into,” said Cable.

Volume IX, Issue III

December 2009

Student Council vs. Town Council By Drew Cullen

Every Monday, a student council meeting begins at 2:15. 45 well dressed senators along with 10 executive members walk into room 231. Each sits in a certain seat, designated by class, throughout the room. Vinay Dinesh will then call the meeting to order by striking down his javelin on his desk. All the while secretary, Brian Conway is taking notes about what is being said. Student Council is a way that students can get a feel for real government because it is so similar. Woodland High School allows all students to run as class officers for their grade, and for the senators of Student Council. This gives them a chance to become acquainted with how real government is run. “It is my goal to make Student Council represent a real government as close as possible,” said Student Council Advisor, Christopher Tomlin. He went on to say it allows the students to have a voice in their school. This way the students can identify and fix problems. Student government is designed in all ways to be similar to a Municipal government. Each grade elects ten senators which are designed to be the equivalent of district representatives.

The Student Council president is similar to the mayor or first-selectman of the municipal. Both positions are elected by a majority. Also, campaigns and debates are held to help the voters decide who they should elect. Before a student can run for a position, they

“

It is my goal to make Student Council represent a real government as close as possible. -Christopher Tomlin

”

must have completed the perquisites that are required. The student must be a member of Woodland with an average above a 70. This relates to the municipal government because you must be a resident of the town to run for office. To be a member of the executive branch

you must have served one year on the senate. The president and vice president need to have served one year on the executive branch before being eligible to run. Although, in the municipal government no time has to have been served before running for a position. However there are several differences between municipal government and student council. Student government is not exactly like the municipal government only because they meet once a week. The municipal government meets much more and therefore is more productive. “This is a big downfall for the work done by student council because we can not do what a municipal government does in a week in one hour,” said Tomlin. The bill process of student council is very detailed, similar to that of a town’s bill process. There is a maximum of 14 steps involved in the passing of a bill. It starts with the idea of a bill and ends with it becoming effective. Throughout the process the bill is viewed by the President, the creator of the bill, and the senate. Student government was made to be an authentic experience, and give the students a voice in their own school, just as municipal government gives a voice to the general population.

Deck the Doors

By Alyssa Klancic

Advisories decked the halls--and their doors--for the annual Door Decorating Contest sponsored by Michele Papa’s advisory. This year the theme was Hollwood Holiday and doors sparkled with the glam and glitz of tinsel town. From director’s chairs to red carpet entrances to Hollywood-afterdark to movie-inspired themes, Woodland looked ready for its close-up.

Bridge Construction Continued from A1

Hawk Headlines

Lights, Camera, Action! By Matt Hale Creativity is being brought up a notch at Woodland. Pupils that have wanted to “We hope to be able to broaden their artistic horizons will now show these films in a have that opportunity. Students and teachers alike are working Woodland Film Festival” on a new film project called Project Greenlight. The films that are created will --Paul Geary eventually be shown to the public. Students who love writing stories can to be assisting Geary with Project turn them into full fledged scripts and Greenlight. students who have an interest in filming “Mrs. Cinoman is going to be in charge can create a one of a kind masterpiece. of the acting portion of the film, while I Paul Geary, English teacher and script will be producing the movie,” said Ralph overseer for the project, will be collecting Riello. the student written scripts. Riello is the main technical producer of The scripts must be student written the project and will be utilizing the Digital and original in content. They must be Media 3 class for filming assistance. able to sustain a two minute long movie Deadlines have not been set for the as well. beginning of the project. Scripts are still being accepted and once Geary is in need of scripts and as soon a number of scripts have been attained by as he receives a sufficient amount, he is Geary, he along with the other teachers planning to move forward. involved in the project, will determine “We hope to be able to show these films what script they will be using to produce in a Woodland Film Festival,” said Geary, the film. “The ultimate goal is to produce a film Mrs. Susan Cinoman, Mrs. Meghan that can be presented at the Connecticut Hatch, and Mr. Ralph Riello are going Film Festival.”

Hope for snow, build a snowman and have an epic snowball fight (34%, 21 votes)

Driving

Hawk Headlines Volume IX, Issue III

December 2009

1896

In Springfield, Mass., America’s first automobile manufacterer (Motor Wagons) begins production.

The Development of the Automobile

1930s

Radios for cars are introduced.

1939

From steam powered to solar powered, steering tiller to steering wheel, 15 mph speed limit to 65 mph speed limit, the automobile and its company were not always as we know them today.

Auto air conditioning is created.

1948

The first roadside fast-food restaurant is established: McDonald’s, San Bernadino, California.

Driving Distracted

1970s

8-track players are introduced.

1981

The best selling vehicle is the pickup truck.

By James Amato

It’s hard to maintain the posted speed limit as I write this column, my computer balanced on my lap while driving with my knees in an attempt to keep my right hand free for reaching for my vanilla latte and my left ready to send the next text message or punch in another address on the GPS. Ahh . . .. the freedom of driving. Cars have long been the hallmark of freedom, but lately Americans have drifted away from the notion of driving for the sake of driving. Instead most cars are turned into mini home offices complete with fax machines and color printers and water coolers. On any given morning you can catch at least one career woman who, because she was running late, decided to check her mascara and apply additional makeup in the rearview mirror while making a call to her secretary on her Bluetooth headset. Or that over-achieving businessman reading a newspaper, drinking a cup of coffee, and shaving remnants of a beard with an electric razor on his commute on I-95. At 80 miles an hour. While chatting on his Bluetooth capable headset. In this day and age, mobility and multitasking have taken a turn for the worse. Just ask my dad and you will get a litany of “back when I was a kid” stories about Route 66 and the open road. Sure, there were fewer distractions, but there were still distractions in the steel behemoths they drove back in the Neolithic period. For instance, AM radio. If AM radio is not distracting to begin with, you have to envision the radios that were installed in cars circa 1930 by a company called Motorola (‘motor’ meaning motion and ‘ola’ meaning sound). Instead of Chiclet-size keys and fancy remote controls we have today, AM radios depended on accuracy in twisting a knob and sending the red needle dashing across the dial. These were days long before “auto-tune” and “seek” functions. Tuning a station was like trying to figure out where 1.423” is on a ruler; it’s almost 1.5, but not quite. It was easier just spinning the dial back and forth until you had the least amount of static possible. And it didn’t stop there. Eventually they added push buttons the size of dominoes that depressed only with sheer brute force. If you were lucky to actually push one, the red dial would scoot over to the general vicinity of your favorite station where you would still have to fiddle with dial, what radio manufacturers called “fine tuning.” Another innovation for the automobile that led to many

accidents, distractions, and lung cancer was the automobile ashtray and respectively, the automobile cigarette lighter. Today you’d be hard-pressed to find a car with a “cigarette lighter,” although most models do have “power adapters” which are always filled to capacity with cell phone, GPS and iPod chargers. As the nation rolled into the 50s, more distractions were introduced. People liked driving and they liked eating, so the only natural thing to do was to combine them. From as early as the 30s, people opened their windows to tasty snacks, sandwiches and sodas, learning the circus-like ability to unwrap a burger with one hand, while applying enough pressure to the cup of soda between your legs to hold it upright, but not so much where you squeeze it and slosh icy drink in your nether region. And the distractions just kept coming: the 70s with their 8-track players, the 80s with their cassette tapes, the 90s with their CD players, and finally, the millenium decade, the decade of distraction. Since 2000 a veritable cornucopia of high-tech, A.D.D.inciting innovations have been added--Global Positioning Satellites because maps are obsolete, DVD players and LCD screens that keep kids quiet in the car, iPods that bring every song we have ever heard any where we go, refrigerators so our drinks stay cool, bottle warmers to keep the babies food hot, and finally, Bluetooth adapters so a driver can talk on the phone, while feeding the baby, watching a movie and grooving to Miley Cyrus’ latest hit. It seems the only thing that people are doing less of while in their car is, well, simply driving.

1989

Global Positioning System (GPS) is introduced.

COMMON DISTRACTIONS

(according to the CT State Police) There are many things drivers do that may seem harmless, but could result in collisions:

• Reading maps

• Swatting flying insects

• Reading newspapers • Personal grooming: shaving, applying lipstick or mascara, combing or brushing hair

• Talking on cellphones

• Eating or drinking beverages

• Conversing with passengers

• Changing clothing

• Tending to children or infants

• Looking for lost/fallen items

• Smoking

• Checking pagers • Tuning radio or CD players

Hazards of the Road: Driving With Your Parents By Brooke Dragon

Rachael Conti / WRHS MEDIA

Sometimes learning to drive can put a lot of stress on a relationship, especially parents and children.

It is your 16th birthday. You have been taking free internet permit practice tests every waking minute for the past month. You ask your parents if you can just “drive down the driveway” until they finally give in. Let’s face it; taking the bus when you’re a junior in high school is lame. You walk into the DMV trying to keep down the nerves. Two hours later, you are smiling ear to ear with a new shiny piece of plastic in your hand. Now, who is going to let you drive home? First, let’s talk about Mom. Typically hesitant, mothers do not want their little babies to grow up and will do whatever it takes to prolong your childhood; especially my mother. When I asked her if I can drive home, she looks around, pretending she did not hear me. I asked a second time, and she looks around nervously and says, “We can ask your father when we get home. And plus, there is no way you are driving on the highway today.” Discouraged, I reluctantly slid into the passenger’s seat and pouted the whole way home. We finally arrive home, and it is time to work on Dad. Anxiously, I asked him to just go for a drive around the block. His

answer? “Sure why not?” I excitedly took the keys from the kitchen counter and hopped into the driver’s seat, and suddenly realize, “I have no idea what I’m doing. Does that letter D on the shifter stand for Drive or Die?” Our little drive around the block is filled with sudden stops and beeps from annoyed drives. Although I was obviously putting mine and my dad’s lives in danger, he sat perfectly relaxed in the passenger’s seat. As I pulled into the driveway all he said was, “Work on your left turns,” and got out of the car. All of us have experienced our parents more or less acting this way. Consider yourself lucky if you haven’t. “My mom says ‘Watch the road!’ and ‘Don’t go too fast!’” said Ryan Eustace, current Driver’s Permit holder. “I feel more comfortable driving with my dad because he doesn’t overact so much.” All teenagers have to grow up sometime, whether our parents, particularly mothers, want to accept it or not. And growing up involves learning how to drive a car. To avoid this trouble, I would recommend driving with a certified driving instructor who may offer better advice and comfort level rather than your screaming mother and/or mute father.

Hawk Headlines Lifestyle

Volume IX, Issue III

135 Back Rimmon Road, Beacon Falls, CT December 2009

Woodland Regional High School

Shove Rocks Out for a Cause

Am I more than you bargained for yet I’ve been dying to tell you anything you want to hear Cause that’s just who I am this week Lie in the grass, next to the mausoleum I’m just a notch in your bedpost But you’re just a line in a song (A notch in your bedpost, but you’re just a line in a song) Drop a heart, break a name We’re always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team We’re going down, down in an earlier round And Sugar, we’re going down swinging I’ll be your number one with a bullet A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it Is this more than you bargained for yet Oh don’t mind me I’m watching you two from the closet Wishing to be the friction in your jeans Isn’t it messed up how I’m just dying to be him I’m just a notch in your bedpost But you’re just a line in a song (Notch in your bedpost, but you’re just a line in a song) Drop a heart, break a name We’re always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team We’re going down, down in an earlier round And Sugar, we’re going down swinging I’ll be your number one with a bullet A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it Down, down in an earlier round And Sugar, we’re going down swinging I’ll be your number one with a bullet A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it We’re going down, down in an earlier round (Take aim at myself) (Down, down in an earlier round) And Sugar, we’re going down swinging (Take back what you said) (Down, down in an earlier round) I’ll be your number one with a bullet (Take aim at myself) (Down, down in an earlier round) A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it We’re going down, down (down, down) Down, down (down, down) We’re going down, down (down, down) A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it We’re going down, down in an earlier round (Take aim at myself) And Sugar, we’re going down swinging (Take back what you said) I’ll be your number one with a bullet (Take aim at myself) A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it If SHANNON RAFFERTY/ WRHS Media

Students slowly filed in and quickly filled up the Woodland auditorium- a sea of turquoise ribbons. It was time for Woodland’s Talent Show, a senior project by Heather Strandholt to benefit the Teal Ribbon Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. A very emotional and sincere introduction was given by Strandholt, saying that the reason she chose ovarian cancer as her charity is because her grandmother was diagnosed. She encouraged everyone in the audience to consult their doctor about having this disease. The opening number in the show was Strandholt’s grandmother’s favorite, “The Rose.” The performers embodied the emotions of the song. Because of this extreme dedication to the content, the song invoked an extremely emotional reaction from the crowd. Next, Elizabeth Martin and Sarah Parker sang a duet of “I Run to You.” They were nervous during the beginning of the song, but they seemed to get over their fear easily and pulled of a pretty good number. A slew of dancers took to the stage next. Samantha Savvidou was first on the roster with a lyrical performance. All her moves were smooth andher performance was emtertaining and easy to watch. Taylor Byrne also performed a dance. She had great energy on stage and her moves were noticibly more up beat than Savvidou. Most impressive was her slow ascension into a split. The last dance put focus back on the reason for the evening. Sarah Rocks performed another lyrical dance, but with a sadder song. Her moves were also smooth and seemed well-rehearsed. Casey Officer came on with the next song, which was fine but it could not compare to the song by Corinne Marshall. Marshall sang “Taylor, the Latte Boy”- an instant crowd pleaser. This funny yet challenging piece showed off Marshall’s impressive range and control. Gwen Kirkland sang another funny and entertaining song. “Philosophy” was easily relatable to students and again showed off an amazing voice. Strandholt was next to sing and this time she did a duet to her mother. It was a touching performance showed off the genetically inherited talent in the Strandholt family. By Jared Mikulski/ Shannon Rafferty

“

Marshall finished off the student section of the show with a duet with her dad. Before beginning she dedicated the song to her aunt who was battling with breast cancer. She then sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with small variations that made it her own. The obvious talent and dedication of the student performers was soon superceded by the appearance of Danielle Shove, Woodland English teacher, and her band, Undercover. The highly-anticipated show was preceded by a great migration of people from their seats to form a makeshift mosh pit in front of the stage. Students of Shove held up signs proclaiming their love for their beloved teacher and rockstar. All that was missing was the band. Not for long. The Undercover show started with a bang as Shove and her band belted out their cover of “Sugar We’re Going Down” by Fall Out Boy. The crowd went crazy, waving their arms and bobbing their heads to the beat. While initially skeptical about the show, Shove soon acclimated herself to the new venue and really rocked the house with a medley of classic rock hits by bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Journey, Linkin Park, The B-52s and, of course, Bon Jovi. Undercover really proved themselves to be a talented group – without a doubt the best band to ever play at Woodland. From the ear-shattering riffs of “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Livin’ On a Prayer” to the teen anthem “Don’t You Forget About Me” and the classic “Love Shack.” When asked about the show, Shove was incredibly enthusiastic. “It was awesome – not gonna lie,” said Shove. “I’m shaking. That may be the best crowd I’ve ever performed for.” One of Shove’s biggest fears was that the Woodland audience was going to just sit in their seats and listen to the music – a far cry from the bar scene she is used to playing. “I expected people sitting in seats in an auditorium, but that was incredible,” said Shove. Despite a few setbacks, such as a malfunctioning mic and a much-appreciated parking ticket from the Beacon Falls Police Department, the band genuinely enjoyed playing the benefit show at Woodland. When asked about the show, lead guitarist and vocalist Kevin Ouellet was pleased with the outcome. “[The night] went great and it was for a great cause,” he said. “We had an awesome time.”

I expected people sitting in seats in an auditorium, but that was incredible. -Danielle Shove

”

Art Department Hosts Successful Fine Arts Night

Family, students, faculty and friends were dazzled by the showcase of student art during the November Fine Arts Night. By Olivia Zlamany

Top: Jazz band performs selected pieces from thier repertoire. Above: Parents observing student art. Far Right: Student admiring her fellow student’s art. Right: Showcase of student art by Advanced Art student, Kristine Chicoine.

Fine Arts Night, hosted by the Woodland Fine Arts Department on November 17th was an overwhelming success. Family, friends, faculty, and students came expecting to behold the showcased students’ work, as well as band and choir performances, but they were not aware of the fabulous fine arts experience in store for them. Teachers had worked all quarter to teach students the skills necessary to create artwork and perform musical numbers. It was then in the hands of these students to follow through. They did so with astounding ease and success. Drawing and Painting teacher and self-proclaimed master graphite artist Ms. Seagren, raved that “it is a blessing to see how other art teachers all the way up through the middle school brought a very special skill to their artwork and to see those skills at the high school then manifest into the work that they do here.” It is clear that Seagren’s observation is correct. Students have cultivated their artistic skills, often unbeknownst to them, since their kindergarten years, only to be harvested now in high school in the forms of visual art or musical performance. Among those showcased at Fine Arts Night were a multitude of artists, including the AP Studio Art students, the chamber choir, band, and jazz band. Eddie Rodriguez has devoted an average of 15 to 30 minutes a day to instrumental practice to best prepare himself for his Fine Arts Night performance, in addition to his years of prior learning. However, Rodriguez feels that he must perform “in the moment” to be successful, as he and the rest of the jazz band were. However, Woodland fosters much hidden artistic talent. Seagren advises students to practice their skills throughout high school and college and become an art teacher first, so that they can have the summers to create art while sharing “such special gifts with others.”

RACHAEL CONTI/ WRHS Media

Teacher Center Point System

Technology Points were gained for each appliance made in the: • • • • •

60s 70s 80s 90s 00s

+1 +2 +3 +4 +5

224 Dominates in Teach

1st P 9 poi

Character The center earns points for: Each decoration +1 Each genre of music +2 Each welcome +3 “Passion points” every time a conversation gets heated +4 • Having a “Chill Spot” +5 • • • •

+1 Organization

+24 Cabinet

Organization

+5 “Chill Spo

The overall organiztion of a teacher center in crucial. Therefore the center was given +1 for any organization (i.e. good smell, clean cabinets, etc.) and subtracted -1 for any dirtiness (i.e. dishes, desks, carpet, crumbs, dust, smell, cabinets, etc.).

Cabinets & Refrigerators The center will receive points for any of the following items found in their cabinets: • • • • • •

teaching supplies books mugs coffee movies games

+1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

Food representation from: Sweets +4 Dairy +3 Vegetables +2

Meats +3 Fruits +2

Grains +1

2 Place 72 points nd

+5 “Chill Spot” +30 Technology +12 Decoration Attempts +3 Welcoming +5 Organization +12 Cabinets +5 Food Variety

+12 Hospitality

+4 Food Variety

By Matt Hale Six different teachers make up the diverse office of room 224, each with a family-like affection for each other. “What I enjoy most about my teacher center is being able to work with my friends,” said Joelle Kilcourse, Woodland English teacher. Kilcourse is one of the six teachers stationed in the office. “I love my teacher center; I love being able to talk about work and social life with my friends,” said Kilcourse. The other five teachers in the center are Jim Amato, Christopher Tomlin, Paul Geary, Deb Flaherty, and Gail Novaco. Gail Novaco also loves the office but wishes that at least one teacher center had a soda machine. Upon knocking on the office door, which is usually locked, you will be greeted with a warm welcome by whomever is present inside the office. The overall feeling in the office is one of warm welcome. As a prospective visitor walks inside, they will receive a hello from at least ever single teacher all who are working inside the office at the time. Room 2-2-4 receives twelve points for its hospitality. As you walk into the office, you will notice an assortment of decorations on the walls around and above the teachers’ desks.

“W here Leon craz -Pau

Above Humanities English teacher Paul Geary’s desk, you will notice posters portraying bands such as U2 and Motley Crue. The decoration work inside the room is extensive. Spanning every wall and desk are posters and pictures of family and idolized artists. Room 224 receives at least 30 points for its decoration attempts. As you venture deeper into the office, you will find all kinds of modern appliances: a microwave, a refrigerator, a television, a blender, and even, anda Playstation. Two half couches give the office a perfect lounge area for the teachers to relax and chill out, spending their free time playing videogames. Inside the office refrigerator, you will find Diet Coke, whatever the teachers brought for lunch that day, or for that matter, whatever they brought last week but did not eat or bring home. The only things you will find in the cabinets above the small kitchen area are coffee and boxes of Keurig coffee containers. Music is a hot topic inside of the office. Each genre of music is as diverse as the teachers that listen to them. “We listen to all kinds of stuff in here, I listen to U2 and Kings of Leon while Amato listens to this crazy, screamy, music,” said Paul Geary. Other notable artists and/ or types of music that can be heard in the office include, but are not limited to, Block Party, Michael

3rd Place 71 points

+5 “Chill Spot” +21 Technology +11 Decoration Attempts +6 Welcoming +4 Passion Points +15 Cabinets +9 Food variety

+5 “Chill Spo +25 Technol + 9 Decorati +4 Welcomin +4 Passion +3 Organizat

Place 99 ints

+30 Decoration

+5 Technology

ot”

We listen to all kinds of stuff in e; I listen to U2 and Kings of n while Amato listens to this zy, screamy music.” ul Geary

“I love my teacher center; I love being able to talk about work and social life with my friends.” -Kilcourse

+8 Passion Points

10 Musical Variety

Jackson, Lady Gaga, and Novaco’s infamous, Celtic music. At least three different genres are listened to by Novaco alone: Folk, classical, and Broadway. In the aspect of music, office 224 receives ten points. The technology utilized in the office is of the topmost quality. There is no appliances made before 2000. This earns the office five points right off the bat. Conversation inside the center is all over the place. They often become very argumentative due to the numerous personalities that congregate inside the office. Eight points for passionate discussion. Two half couches make up room 224’s “chill spot,” automatically giving them five points. A television with a Playstation 2 greatly complement’s this “chill spot.” Organization inside the office goes from one extreme to the other. Teachers like Kilcourse Amato live in an organized chaos which is mainly caused by the lack of usage throughout the day. Educators like Paul Geary however, keep their desks as clean as hospital operating tables. This combination of organization will earn the group in 224 one point towards organization. As far as dirty dishes, crumbs, and noxious smell are concerned, 224 will not lose any points.

Each cabinet is filled to the brim with teaching supplies, books, mugs, movies, games, and especially, coffee. The team from 224 will gain twenty-four points for hoarding entertainment materials and teaching supplies. Twenty-one points will be given in total for the 224 team, as numerous amounts of each item can be found throughout the office. Each teacher center varies in its food stock. Some teachers bring their lunches, and others order out. You can be assured, however, that each teacher is into different types of food. You can find bagged lunches consisting of the classic sandwich and chips or take out Chinese from last week. There is not a lot of variety to be found in office 224, so four points will be awarded towards the room’s culinary flavor. The teachers in room 224 can be a bit rowdy sometimes. Some of the stories that you pick up inside the office can be a bit entertaining. “Every day I wait until the janitors leave and then I go to sleep on the couch. I wake up the next morning, shower in the coach’s office, and get ready for school,” jokingly remarks Paul Geary. There is nothing like office 224, and with a total of 99 points, they will be a tough team to beat.

Teacher Center Must Haves

her Center Competition

Keurig Coffee Maker: Special Edition Brewing System

$129.95 on keurig.com This mid-luxury brewing system is decked out with chrome accents, a blue, back-lit LCD display, and 3 brew size options. Programmable features inclued a digital clock, adjustable temperature and auto on/off. This revolutionary coffee maker comes with a 48 oz. removable water reservoir that holds up to eight cups of coffee. And for those of us on the go, this machine has an easily removed drip tray to allow the use of travel mugs.

Frigidaire Compact Refrigerator and Freezer $279.00 on lowes.com Features: -Door bins with tall storage for larger items -1 full-width shelf and 1 door rack in freezer -interior lighting

GRAPHIC BY RACHAEL CONTI/ WRHS Media

4 Place 65 points

ot”

logy

ion

tion

5th Place 61 points

+5 “Chill Spot” +20 Technology +8 Decoration Attempts +5 Organization/ smell +8 Cabinets +15 Food Variety

6th Place 60 points

+5 “Chill Spot” +25 Technology +4 Decoration +2 Cleanliness +2 Music Variety +9 Cabinets +13 Food Variety

Reviews

Hawk Headlines

Volume IX, Issue III

December 2009

New View of New Moon Two passionate journalists go head to head on their view of New Moon- one a book reader and one a movie viewer.

By Brooke Dragon

By Ali Walsh

People who read books about alternate universes and surreal fantasies are crazy. Take the Harry Potter series for example. It has generated millions of crazed fans in hundreds of countries around the world. Even Universal’s Islands of Adventure Theme Park has taken part in the craze with their million-dollar, ten-year project to create Harry Potter Island, the one place on Earth where “muggles” can experience everything Harry Potter. As I said earlier, the people who like these types of books are crazy. That is why I refuse to jump on the Twilight bandwagon of Edward lovers. Let me rephrase that - I refuse to read any of the Twilight books; however, I have seen both the movies Twilight and New Moon out of complete curiosity to see what the big deal was. No, I did not go to the midnight showing on a Thursday night. No, I did not show up to school in pajamas on Friday. No, I did not complain about how I only got three hours of sleep. However, I did see the movie two weeks after the premiere. It was the perfect time to go: the theater did not rumble with the fanatical screams of tween girls when Edward made his first appearance on the screen. I have to admit, the movie had a lot of depth to it; being in love with someone dangerous, not minding the fact that the very person you are in love with can kill you at any moment. Deep story lines are something that is vital nowadays with all the shallow ones to which we are subjected. Impressed, I was interested to see if New Moon would be as successful as Twilight. I felt New Moon was intense, and did an excellent job building the tension between Edward and Jacob. I thought the movie was amazing. It had just enough love without being mushy gushy, enough action without being gory, and left me talking and guessing what was going to happen in the next movie. I thought the end cut was genius, with Edward asking Bella to marry him. I have not affiliated myself with Team Edward or Team Jacob. It seems as though these people who associate themselves with a certain “team” become obsessed with either Edward or Jacob, and even fall in love with them. Edward is a vampire and Jacob is a werewolf; falling in love with a fictional character is bad enough, but they are creatures that do not even exist. I said it before and I’ll say it again, people who read these types of books are crazy. Books are meant to be enjoyable and entertaining; not something to shape your life around. People who read these types of books are in a fantasy land, thinking their “Edward” is just going to come along someday. Chances are, you are never going to find a guy as perfect as Edward, or as dreamy as Jacob. Stop dreaming about some Twilight fantasy world and welcome back to reality.

Along with many teenage girls around the world, the Twilight saga became a huge part of my life. I read the entire series in two weeks, hung up posters in my room, took part in book discussions and became obsessed when a movie was close to premiering. Having the books in the back of my mind while watching the first two movies affected me differently than a nonreader. I walked into the theater with images of Edward’s glimmering skin in the sunlight, how beautiful the meadow was, and how terrifying it would be to see Laurent, the evil vampire craving for human blood, two inches away from Bella’s face, ready to kill. These background thoughts influenced how I felt about the movies. The first time I saw Twilight I went nuts. I loved every minute and thought it was the greatest movie ever. However, the second time I watched it, I realized that my love for the movie only came from the excitement of seeing my favorite book on screen. After that magic was gone and I saw the movie, I realized that it was simply not very good. Some vital scenes from the book were left out of the movie. For example, in the book, Bella is known for talking in her sleep. On more than one occasion, Bella tells Edward her thoughts through sleep-talking. Since Edward cannot read her thoughts, this is essential to him to be able to understand what goes through Bella’s mind. In the movie, Bella’s sleeptalking is never talked about or shown. I know it is not a huge part, but it is repeated throughout the series, and it is important to me as a reader. It would have added more of the romance aspect for the hopeless romantics in the audience and also related the movie to the books even more. The director, Catherine Hardwicke, was not my favorite. I don’t think she fully understood the characters, and, if she did, she did not show it very effectively. In the book, the love between Bella and Edward is described as “intense” and “passionate.” My understanding was that their love was so extraordinary and they were happy to have each other. Hardwicke apparently saw their love as so intense that they were in pain. When they kissed or touched or even stood next to each other, they both had this expression that they were hurting, instead of happy and in love. The camera angles spinning around the characters, showing random images and haphazardly creating slow-motion, made me dizzy and perplexed. In the woods, where Bella figures out Edward’s secret of being a vampire, the camera is not set on them the entire time. Instead, the viewer sees random pictures of trees or what is going on from a bird’s eye view. It is very bizarre and frankly unnecessary. New Moon was more entertaining to someone who read the novels because it simply told the story without adding unnecessary “movie magic.” I can go on and on about how much I loved the director much more this time. Chris Weitz, director of New Moon, created direct, straightforward scenes, camera angles and effects allowed me to sit back, relax and enjoy the movie like I wish I could have during Twilight. I did not have to look for the book events and wonder why they changed certain things. Because it was all in front of me. Chris Weitz, I applaud you.

Movie Viewer

Book Reader

Say Anything Speaks For Itself By Shannon Magrane On November 3rd, Say Anything’s new selftitled album hit the stores. In their fourth album, it finally feels like the band is comfortable in their own skin. A glance at the first two song titles - “Fed to Death” and “Hate Everyone” - may give you the impression that Say Anything is just another emo-band complaining about this and that. But don’t let them fool you. Yeah, the song titles and the lyrics can seem apathetic at times, but the band, specifically the forerunner Max Bemis, is poking fun at those excessively emotional bands if anything. That’s

their thing – they bring a biting ironic tone to their music and lyrics. The track “Crush’d” satirizes everyone from Justin Timberlake to Lil’ Wayne, while “Mara and Me” directly jabs at the Kings of Leon for writing songs about girls. So what makes this new album any different than the previous two-disc In Defense of the Genre and Is a Real Boy…? It’s still a dark album, but it has more of a positive spin on it. The songs are definitely catchy. You’ll want to sing along, even dance, and some of them like “Do Better” are bound to get stuck in your head for days. The record explodes with the gnarled, chunky chords of its fierce opener “Fed to Death,” defining the band’s crusade against skepticism. The Clash meets Queen single “Hate Everyone” captures the first stage of personal renewal – waking up on the wrong side of the bed. “Less Cute” is a sardonically upbeat anthem for anyone on the rebound. Then comes the deep, gritty “Eloise,” one of those songs that can really cut to the core of you with everything from the beat to the lyrics. The song tells the story of a relationship that one can’t simply move on from. The band’s deliberate scrutiny in reflective aspects such as this creates an album with integrity.

Top Ten CDs 1

I Dreamed a Dream

My Christmas

Susan Boyle

Andrea Bocelli 3

Fearless Taylor Swift

Untitled R. Kelly

Say Anything 5

The Fame Lady Gaga

Considering this album as Bemis’ spiritual awakening, the track “Cemetery” was inevitable. With raw guitar, tender lyrics, and an appearance from Bemis’s wife Sherri DuPree from the band Eisley, this song is one to remember. The proverbial hooks keep coming all the way to an epic resolution, the “Hey Jude” meets punk hymnal “Ahhh… Men.” This record is bound to tell your story in one way or another: it is both a strange romantic epic and a call to arms. Say Anything realizes there are vices to fight: society eating itself, the influence of a corporate controlling power, the death of true morality or even one person feeling their will to live slip away. This album is a weapon for that fight and they undoubtedly want you enlisted, laughing like a lunatic and dancing all the way.

Important Tracks “Cemetery,” “Ahhh... men”

Price $12.88 at Walmart

Play On Carrie Underwood

The Fall Norah Jones

Michael Jackson’s This Is It Michael Jackson

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack

Key Facts: RACHAEL CONTI/ WRHS Media

GRAPHIC BY RACHAEL CONTI/ WRHS Media

Crazy Love Michael Buble Courtesy of billboard.com

Hawk Headlines Spirit Week C1 Volume IX, Issue III

Woodland Regional High School

135 Back Rimmon Road, Beacon Falls, CT December 2009

This is Our House! Seniors 2K10 There is no doubt that the bar was raised last year when the Woodland Regional Student Council put together the “best spirit week yet.” However, the WRSC has proved itself to get Woodland more spirited then ever.

The new point system gave everyone incentive to continue to show extreme school spirit every day. Every event had each class receiving points giving everyone an equal chance to win. Whichever class had the highest number of points would receive the spirit shovel. However being able to win consisted of showing school spirit the entire week. The theme for Spirit Week was Time Travel. Monday got the hawks fired up when everyone had to dress in a futuristic way. From the freshman and sophomores wearing alien-type material to the juniors slowly strolling around the halls as elderly at their 50th reunion; they just didn’t have what it takes to win. The seniors won the first battle to the spirit shovel, wearing what they plan to do five years from now dressed in college and work attire. However, the dress up was not the only thing each class had to do on Monday. Each class stayed long hours to work on their hall that was being decorated for the following day and if you weren’t doing that, you were attending the first annual Volley ball game. After the upper classmen took on the under classmen in a game, the juniors and seniors ended up battling in the last match. With coed teams striving for the win, juniors ended up coming on top winning the Spirit I believe Pep Rally Championship. has a positive impact Each class made Tuesday an impressive day as each hall way was decked out in decorations on the school. It of each time period. Seniors had the crazy 80’s promotes school pride juniors had the classy 50’s sophomores had the hippie 70’s and freshman had the roaring 20’s. and I know that our The rivalry between the juniors and seniors players feel a great defiantly caused flames because this was the sense of purpose on event that was worth the most, along with spirit. However, the underdog freshman exceeded game day. to tie with the seniors. This opened some -Timothy Phipps eyes because this was the highest hallway decorating score ever for a freshman class. In the end the seniors were able to capture the hearts of the judges with their thriller dance and amount of creativity. Being nominated Favorite Hallway Overall got them for the win. Along with the hall decorating was the dressing the part. The Student Council was thrilled to see the participation in the dress up. The sophomores put in a lot of effort to match their disco-hippie themed hallway by wearing tie-dye t-shirts. Yet after a phenomenal effort on the hall decorating from the freshman, the class was just not able to pull off the gangster and flapper look to go along with it. However, the seniors and juniors put together an amazing collage making it really look like a school day back in that time. With the seniors rocking out in bright colored leggings and oversized sweatshirts, and the juniors looking tight having slicked back hair and a leather jacket, everyone put the extra effort to make the school look awesome. Juniors ended up winning this one with seniors in a close second. A new addition to the spirit week point system included collecting cans RACHAEL CONTI/ WRHS Media from each class. The Class of 2010 was able to get 1,359 cans for Canned Above: Seniors Douglas Aldrich and Ayah Luzeri showed their school spirit in the Food Drive. Seniors collected more than twice the amount of cans than the other three classes combined. screaming contest. Because of this enthusiasm, the Seniors screamed their way to victory. The juniors received second place with 359 cans and sophomores and freshmen did not even show competition, collecting only 27 and 3 cans. This was the most said Coach and History teacher Timothy Phipps. cans collected ever by the WRSC and they are all being donated to a local food bank. Well the football players certainly felt that emotion from Pep Rally considering Wednesday Another addition to the point system was the Sign Decorating. Each class received a sign to go night’s 55-32 shocker against the Seymour Wildcats. This win will hold the spotlight for years over each class during Pep Rally. The junior and senior class was untouchable as they decked out because the 2009 team was the second team in woodland history to ever defeat our biggest rival. with design while the sophomore and freshman class kept it simple. The senior class won, thanks “A big game calls for a big event, and this years Pep Rally defiantly made an impact on our to Danny Park with a sign with the image of a hawk surrounding it. playing time,” said Football Senior Captain Payten Gallagher. After a long fall sports season, there is only one thing that can pump up a crowds’ excitement Pep rally was exciting not for just the sport teams, but for the entire school. for the final game, the Pep Rally. “I believe Pep Rally has a positive impact on the school. It promotes school pride and I know See Senior Spirit Scores Victory, C2 that our players feel a great sense of purpose on game day because of the emotion of the pep rally,”

By Paige Christensen

“

”

By The Numbers Points Sophmores received in the 3 legged race.

340 Total points gained by the Seniors throughout the week of festivities.

1,359

Number of cans collected in the food drive by the Seniors.

The Hawk Headlines breaks down Woodland’s spirit week by the numbers.

170

Final Freshmen Point Tally

80 Points to the

SENIORS for their hallway from the

40 80

Points gained by the Juniors in the Volleyball Tournament.

The place that the Class of 2010 rightfully receives at the Pep Rally.

80s

Point difference between the Junior/ Senior classes.

Number of cans collected by the Freshmen in the food drive.

Homecoming

Hawk Headlines

Volume IX, Issue III

December 2009

Confessions of a Homecoming Queen Dear Diary, I was pumped that I was nominated for homecoming queen, but I never could have guessed that I would actually win! If you want to hear the truth, I thought people voted for me because I am weird or something, but to actually win? What? I took pictures at my girl Brittney Battis’s house the day of Homecoming. Unfortunately the good ol’ football players -including my date- were not able to attend this gathering because they got out of practice late, leaving the pictures with about 20 girls and 4 dudes. When we all arrived, I walked through the door, I saw the room lit with decorations and everyone standing in their pretty dresses. I was a bit disappointed that I blended in with the crowd because I was wearing black. My fabulous dress however, made me look like a genie. Rather than trying to be too showy, I went for a short dress in one way, but long in the other. It had gems going around the hip line and it was a scrunched top. Kind of weird, but I liked it. Once the music started I defiantly started getting my groove on to the beat. I know I am not the best dancer but hey, who said I can’t just have fun? In the middle of the dance the music faded, the room got quiet, and the DJ gave the mic to Emily Broe. The results for Homecoming Court started getting announced. Everyone was so loud that no one was coming up when they got announced. I saw the freshman, than the sophomores, and the juniors; and when they started announcing the seniors, the room still was extremely loud. I heard “Our Homecoming King of 2009 is BRANDON FOWLER YAY!” So I turned away, congratulated Brandon and went on talking with my date. I knew if Brandon got it, his girl friend Brittney would for sure get the crown. Suddenly, everyone was slapping me along saying “go up Paige!”, since I was announced. I was a bit confused but I was so excited! Once the entire court is announced, the whole school gets in one big circle and the Homecoming Court dances in the middle. Brandon and I knew we could not dance with eachother. How awkward is that? After the ten seconds of standing awkwardly, James and Brittney came to the rescue. I gave Brittney my tiara and Brandon gave James his crown. All four of us danced together and posed for King and Queen pictures. I must admit, not only did being announced Homecoming Queen make this year’s Homecoming the best, but the dance as a general was fantastic. This defiantly will be one of my fondest memories of Woodland.

Top: The four “winners” dance in their spotlight dance. Left: Paige Christensen and James Bedard as king and queen.

Sophomores Experience “The Slump” By Shannon Rafferty Flash back to one year ago. The class of 2012 got approximately 0 points during the pep rally. Decorations—not impressive. Dress up day—not impressive. School spirit as a whole—not impressive. Nothing that the sophomore class did seemed to be good enough. Now back in the present. The freshmen class came in second place for there hall decorating. It was a complete embarrassment for the class of 2011 and the class of 2012. Our class had a fair amount of students dressed up for “Futuristic Day” by adding tinfoil and other alien wear to their everyday attire. We also had people dress up for “70’s Day” but even with this valiant effort, not everyone participated. “I don’t think there really is spirit. We are in the middle of our high school career so no one has the drive to do anything,” said Ryan Frechette, sophomore at WRHS, “In a way, were like a non peppy Breakfast Club.” Other students also feel that there is little to no motivation for students to do any of the work involved in pulling off a sucessfull hallway. Emily Wirsing said that, “We all complain that the hall way and spirit is lacking, but no one does anything about it.” As we hurtle toward out junior year, the attitude that the class of 2012 has needs to change, or we could be the first class to lose the spirit shovel our senior year.

Love, Paige Christensen

Senior Spirit Scores Victory Continued from A1

This year the crowd’s involvement was outstanding. From the moment students entered the gymnasium until the school day ended, everyone was showing incredible school spirit. As the bleachers filled with students, they started to form a mob of crazy Hawk Fans covered in black and gold. Students even painted their entire bodies. Others wore school colored clothes, crazy make up, and bows making the bleachers a sea of black and gold. The result in the black and gold competition was close between all the classes. Yet again the seniors came out with everyone supporting their school colors. The Pep Rally was MC’d by school-spirited seniors Paige Christensen and Danielle Fowler along with junior Sarah Hughes. They did a fantastic job keeping Woodland constantly involved as well as getting into it themselves. The 2009 Pep Rally began with the National Anthem beautifully sung by the WRHS Choir and directed by Mr. Lewis. Lewis also provided all the sounds for the entire event. Soon after the anthem the MC’s would call out every fall sport team. As they came out to a song chosen by the seniors, the gym rumbled in excitement. Each captain gave speeches about their “There isn’t a better overall season. And following that was yet another roar of screaming that brought feeling than a gym full more school spirit and compassion to the of spirited students teams. “There isn’t a better feeling than a gym shouting and cheering full of spirited students shouting and for their school” cheering for their school,” said senior swim captain, Alyssa Maggorie. - Alyssa Maggiore After the fabulous performances from the Cheerleaders and the Dance team, the next two events were a competition between the classes. The three-legged race was open to freshmen and sophomores, and the tug of war contest which was open to the juniors and seniors. The three-legged race which would be considered the laughing stock of the pep rally, took a lead by the sophomores as the freshman tripped into the mat. However, the one and only rivalry was the junior-senior competition where those classes physically competed for extra points toward the spirit shovel, in the Tug of War. When Miss. Ebner blew the whistle the fight began. Seniors and juniors actually came down from the bleachers to cheer their class on. After the intense and close competition, the seniors came to victory. The final event that literally gets people on their feet was the loudest class. Each class was trying to out do the other in hopes to grab a hold of the points. After the freshman and sophomore class bored the upperclassmen, it was their time to show their school pride Since the Class of ‘10 did not want the Class of ‘11 to get a chance to win the contest, it gave them the will power to dominate. The crowd roar was remarkable from the lower to upper bleachers in the Woodland gymnasium as soon as the MC’s gave them the count down. When the decibel meter was consulted, the juniors and seniors were actually tied in the first round and the competition went into a tiebreaker. After another crazy screaming fest the senior class out-did the juniors. After the long competition between all classes to get the spirit shovel the Senior Class of 2010 with 360 points proudly accepted the reward while continuing to shout “Whose house?” “Our house!” In second place to the senior class came the juniors with 255 points,

Clockwise, starting at top: The Spirit rests comfortably in a

display case dedicated to the Spirit Week Champions, the Class of 2009. Kate Frennette (left) and Kaiti Lembo bring 80s fashion back to life in the senior hallway. Payten Gallagher incites the crowd to a frenzy for the Thanksgiving Eve football game. sophomores with 200 points and freshman with 155 points. While the Woodland Pep Rally continues to get better and better each year, the 2010 event definitely defined tradition along with a friendly competition to show school spirit. Pulling off this great school pep rally requires countless hours of preparation and creativity. This impressive week was planned out weeks in advance. We should really give it up to all the people who participated to make this event as successful as it was. Woodlands Student Council Vice President, Achmed Galal gives credit to Sophomore Emily Broe since she was the person behind the scenes making Pep Rally such a success. “Everyone in the Student Council puts through a lot of effort to make Spirit Week happen but there is one person who gets put in charge of certain events, and that was her,” said Galal,” There was a lot of debate putting a sophomore in charge of the biggest event held at Woodland, but she did a great job and made the event stronger then ever, and I think this event even made her a little bit stronger.”

Sports From the Girl’s Basketball Shoots for Success Sports Desk: C1

Hawk Headlines

By Kristina Diurno

Ali Walsh Sports editor

Self talk is the speech inside one’s head. Thoughts, insecurities, opinions, and any other words that come into your head are all examples of self talk. Self talk can be positive or negative. Either way, it affects people more than they may believe. Some of you may be thinking “Okay, cool, self talk. What does this have to do with anything?” or maybe, “This is such a random topic for a sports editor to write about.” But as these few weeks have gone by, I have noticed that self talk is a big part of my everyday life, whether I’m at cheerleading practice or in the classroom. In my AP Psychology class, Miss Olivere, my teacher, was talking about how positive self talk is effective to obtain goals. Thinking positively while studying for a test will make the long hours easier to get through while remembering the material. If you sit on your bed for an hour straight just saying, “I’M GOING TO FAIL!” there is a really good chance that you are right. This spiel did not stop at the 206 door. After school, I went to cheerleading practice. It was a rough practice. Stunts weren’t hitting, motions weren’t tight enough, and my coach’s patience quickly disappeared. On our next water break she had us sit down for a lecture. The words “self talk” were brought up again and it felt like Psych class all over again, without the huge textbook and 20 students replaced with 20 cheerleaders. “If you tell yourself that the stunts won’t hit or you can’t do your tumbling, that’s exactly what is going to happen,” my coach explained. “Your self talk has to be positive and you have to believe you can do anything.” While this inspirational speech touched my fellow teammates and convinced them to try harder at practice, it allowed me to correlate between what Miss Olivere told our class and what I was hearing from my coach. After that day, the idea of self talk followed me everywhere. I began to have an epiphany that self talk affected how people took on challenges, like a difficult cheerleading routine or an AP exam. It affected confidence levels, allowing teenagers to wear outrageous outfits to school or express themselves in art or music. Just telling yourself “I can do this” or other positive phrases will make it possible. The big thing stopping you from accomplishing what you want is simply telling yourself it won’t happen. So students, the next time the big Calculus test rolls around, do not sit in your room screaming or banging your head on your desk, thinking it is impossible to prepare for such a ridiculous assignment. Athletes, the next time your coach asks you to run two miles or shoot a basket from half court, do not let negative thoughts disrupt you. Positive self talk is the way to become amazing.

The Woodland Regional High School Girls Basketball Team is ready for a bright season ahead of them. They are coached by Gail Cheney, with Assistants Jessica Moffo and Tom Deegan. Senior Captains Katie Alfiere and Jennifer Fredericks had a major impact in making sure the team was busy during the off season playing in various leagues. Ever since the 08-09 season ended, the girls have been playing together to get ready for this upcoming season. For the Spring and the Summer seasons the team played in Waterbury at the Police Activity League (PAL) where some NVL teams and non league teams play against eachother. During this recent fall, the basketball team played with the DeSantis Basketball Academy league

in Bridgeport against opponents from The DBA league gave the girls a head start into the season and gave them a big advantage. “The DBA was full of really strong schools that we wouldn’t normally play. It really helped us,” stated Fredericks. The Woodland girl’s basketball team also worked in the weightlifting room and conditioned since the beginning of the school year on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour. They lifted weights to get their legs and arms stronger, and ran in the gym and the stairs to get in shape. It helped the girl’s team to get ready for tryouts as well as the season and to be able to run faster than the opponent when the season starts. The team is working hard to win their division and the NVLS. They also are preparing to go much farther in states than they have before. “We really want to put up a banner in the gym this year,” stated Fredericks. Two keys players left last year, but with

Volume IV, Issue III

December2009

most of the team returning, the team believes they have the experience to work together and dominate. The team has a number of key players returning though including Heather Framski who averaged 11.2 points per game last year, and Alfiere who averaged 8.5 ppg. Fredericks is a key asset to this team as well. Juniors Kate Tuckey, Lauren Heerdt, Lindsay Feducia, and Kelsey Deegan are expected to have major impacts. This year the girls have a goal to beat their rival, Holy Cross. If the team pulls through, it will be the first time Woodland has ever had a victory over Holy Cross in girl’s basketball. “We have never beaten them before and they are good this year, but so are we. We really have the potential to beat them,” said Feducia. The Woodland basketball team has been hard at work in practice to prepare for their upcoming games and to start the season on the right note.

Framski Turns Heads As Starting Forward On the offensive end, she passed the ball to her teammate who converted it into points. On the defensive end, she anticipated a pass, stole it, then ran down the court and drained a threepointer. The fans were jumping out of their seats, clapping. The feeling she gets when those types of plays happen are what makes Heather Framski, Woodland Regional High School junior, love the sport of basketball. Framski has been playing basketball since she was in the fourth grade. She played on the Long River Middle School basketball team for three years as well as playing with rec and travel teams. She also played AAU (Athletic Amateur Union) basketball since she was in seventh grade. AAU basketball allows experienced and/or interested players to play at a more competitive level. The team plays against players from various states around the country. Now, Framski is a member of the Woodland Girls Basketball team. She has been on the Varsity team since her freshman year. Framski plays the position of forward. In case you do not know basketball lingo, there are two forward positions: the small forward and the power forward. Framski usually plays the position of small forward although she can play both. Being a small forward, the player is usually very versatile meaning they can post up on the block and also shoot and dribble well. When it comes to a basketball role model, she does not have a certain one. “I do not really have a role model. If I see a college player or pro player do something good I’ll try to model myself after their good example but there is no one in particular,” explained Framski. Framski’s favorite jersey number is number thirty-four. Last year she sported the number forty-three. Last season, Framski, then a sophomore, averaged 11.2 points per game helping her team to a 9-13 overall record. The team reached both the NVL and State Tournaments but were knocked out in the first round of both. Framski has set some personal and team goals she hopes to achieve this upcoming season. “For a personal goal, I would like to score over 15 points every game. For a team goal, I want us all to work together to play to our potential. We will have a great season if we do,” said Framski. The Woodland program is something that Framski definitely enjoys. She likes the fact that the team can work hard and have fun at the same time. Framski truly enjoys playing basketball and is a crucial ingredient of any team she is a part. Framski is a crucial ingredient to the Woodland basketball program. When it comes to basketball, her future definitely looks bright. By Kelly Diurno

contributed photo

Heather Framski grabs hold of possession before a Sacred Heart player.

Upcoming Games Tue., 12/22 Tue., 12/29 Sat., 01/02 Tue., 01/05 Fri., 01/08

@ Watertown @ Derby v. Naugatuck v. Ansonia @ Sacred Heart

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Murdy Makes Big Kick For Adult Kickball League Shannon Magrane

Woodland guidance counselor, Janine Murdy, spends her weekends on an activity more exciting than student schedules and sending out college applications. That activity is kickball.

Kickball. It’s most commonly known in elementary and high school gym class. Either kids dread stepping up to the plate, because every ball they kick is caught 2 seconds later in the outfield, or they anxiously await the chance to kick a big soft ball and watch it fly above their classmates heads. After high school, those crazy kids and their beloved kickballs were separated. That is until 10 years ago when the first adult social kickball league was created. The World Adult Kickball Association, otherwise known as WAKA, is the only recognized kickball league in the world. It is a legitimate nationwide network with growing popularity. Its website, www.kickball.com, allows anybody, from virtually any state, to find a league in his or her area to join. There are over 350 players in Hartford alone. Janine Murdy, guidance counselor here at Woodland, is a proud WAKA member. She plays on a team called “Connecticut Lightning,” one of the 11 teams in Connecticut. CT Lightning consists of 17 adults, between the ages of 20 and 40. The season runs from August to late November and is made up of weekly games. Every Sunday in the fall, Murdy and 16 other kickball players meet at Colt Park in

Hartford for a fun filled game of kickball. Before each game, the team practices for an hour. When it is time to hit the field, Murdy is joined by three other women, but there are up to 11 total players on the field. The game of kickball is played a lot like baseball. There are five innings, and the rest is how one may remember it in grade school. Traditionally, it consists of two teams, bases and a big red ball. As its website states, “In short, WAKA plays with 11 fielders, five innings, two base coaches, bouncies, no head shots, one base on an overthrow, forced outs, no ghost men, and bunting is allowed so get a good catcher on your team.” But the website also displays a 12page rule book. WAKA is all fun, but no joke. Murdy describes the sport as fun and laidback. In fact, it was the fun of the game that initially attracted her to WAKA. Some of her Alumni UConn Marching Band friends brought her into it. She found that it was a “good way to reconnect with old friends.” However, Murdy also recognizes that the game of kickball requires an amount of skill. There is a lot of strategy involved, such as where the kicker hits the ball on his or her leg. She has realized that “the key to success is not kicking the ball as hard as you can, but bunting it.” For more info on the WAKA league, check out the website.

Sports

Hawk Headlines

Effect of Spirit Week On Athletes

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Brooke Dragon / WRHS MEDIA By Brooke Dragon Exercise is the most effective way people can stay in shape. However, the way you exercise plays a big role in how your body develops. There are many techniques and programs that will give you noticeable results, such as pilates, yoga, Zumba or kickboxing. Pilates was developed by Joseph H. Pilates in the 1920s. Formally called The Pilates Method, the main goal is to condition the body through your “powerhouse,” or core. The core is referred to as the abdomen, lower back and buttocks. The theory is that if you can successfully strengthen these areas, the rest of your body will be able to move freely. Pilates creates muscle strength without the bulk, so it is great for women who prefer a learner body. Since pilates is so versatile, it can be modified

to be easier or harder, depending on one’s strength and flexibility. Yoga is similar to pilates in that it strengthens your body. However, it is a spiritual experience as well as a physical one. Certain breathing techniques and meditation are always used when practicing yoga. The goal of yoga is to unite the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is an art as old as time, and does not have a specific founder. Yoga is as much of a lifestyle as it is a form of exercise. People can buy books about yoga, yoga jewelry, banners, posters, clothing and more. A newer form of exercise is called Zumba, developed by celebrity fitness trainer Beto Perez in 1990. The slogan “Ditch the workout, join the party!” has caught the attention of millions to have fun while losing weight. Zumba classes incorporate Latin-based, energy-

A new coach joins the Woodland Boy’s Swim Team. With a history of successful swim seasons as both swimmer and coach, Tom Currier is determined to make Woodland Swimming a team to remember this winter. By Melissa Sobireski/ Drew Cullen The Woodland Boys Swimming and Diving team has a new, fresh face this year that will be seen by many. The Hawks will be led by new head coach, Tom Currier. Currier started swimming when he was eight years old. His strokes are the butterfly and individual medley. He was a Class L champion for three years in a row. A high school record still stands in his name. With all of this swimming experience, it is no wonder that Currier has had other previous coaching positions. This will be Currier’s sixth year in coaching high school sports teams. He has taught a club team, triathletes, and has given swimming lessons before. People from the age of two all the way up to forty-eight have been educated by him. He currently holds a teaching position and is pursuing a masters in biology at Sacred Heart University. Before teaching, he was a strength coach and a personal trainer.

All-Area Jessica Patrizi - Volleyball

All-State Steve Vaz - Soccer Brittany Albright - Cross Country Brandon Fowler - Football

All-NVL

Drew Cullen / WRHS MEDIA Coach Currier times his swimmers with a smile, eager to get the season going with positive outcomes.

Jack DeBiase - Football Brandon Fowler - Football Steve Vaz - Soccer

Dayna Chucta - Swimming Katie-Jean Hinckley - Swimming Kyle Cranney - Cross Country Ryan Mariotti - Cross Country Tyler Murphy - Cross Country Crystal Steinfield - Cross Country Melissa Kiley - Cross Country Jessica Patrizi - Volleyball Stephaine Badale - Volleyball Kaitlyn Frenette - Volleyball

47 Waterbury Rd. - Rt. 69 Prospect, CT 06712 (203) 758-5188 (203) 758-3395 HOURS: Mon. - Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Jill Pagoni - Swimming

Brittany Albright - Cross Country

Once Currier completes his masters in the spring of 2010, he will start swimming again. Woodland needed a coach for the winter season so Currier decided to apply for the position. Last winter season he did not coach. For five years before that he coached at EO Smith High School in Storrs-Mansfield, CT. Currier has begun the season with high goals for Woodland’s Boys Swimming and Diving team. For this winter season, his goal is to have everyone on his team meet their dreams. Currier feels that his team is going to do well and surprise the NVL. He says that key meets this year will be when his team faces Naugatuck, Sacred Heart and Watertown. Currier decided to put his Hawks up for a test against Haddam-Killingworth for the first time this season. Haddam-Killingworth wanted an away meet so he decided to give them one. Currier knew that Woodland would be facing them at states so this would be the perfect opportunity to check out their competition. This season the black and gold and their new head coach will be making a different type of splash.

“For the Best Pizza Around!”

Raven Palmerie - Soccer

OWN P T E I

Tyler Carlos - Soccer Keri DeBiase - Soccer

pumping music, with shoulder-shimmying, hipswinging moves to burn an immense amount of calories. Zumba classes are usually one hour in length and can burn as many as 1000 calories. Kickboxing is a form of martial arts that was originally created in Japan. However, over the years it has changed to be compatible with life in America. American kickboxing is the type that we are familiar with today. Kickboxing combines different types of punches and kicks to a bag. The bag represents an attacker, as kickboxing is a form of self defense. In this perspective, kickboxing can double as a high impact workout and a self defense class. Exercising is a wider spectrum than the traditional treadmill and pushups. There are a variety of ways to work every muscle in your body, as well as improving strength, posture, self-defense and having fun at the same time.

Currier Takes Over Woodland Swim Program

Congratulations To All Sports Award Recipients

Crystal Steinfield - Cross Country

December 2009

Bend, Bounce and Box Your Way to a New You

By Drew Cullen Some high schools base Spirit Week around their big Thanksgiving Football game, supposedly to excite the players for the game. Though, some coaches, faculty members, and athletes believe that the football game adds more interest to Spirit Week. Also, they believe that the football game brings the school together more effectively than Spirit Week does. Brian Fell, Woodland Regional High School Athletic Director, is a person that believes in these ideals. “Actual performance of the Woodland football players is not enhanced during Spirit Week, although camaraderie is improved,” said Fell. Rivalries are not created on a short term basis. It takes a long time to create a rivalry, and then it becomes a tradition. This tradition is then very hard to break. Woodland’s rival is Seymour, which is the reason they play each other at the Thanksgiving game. This game was created before Spirit Week was in place. Therefore it is reasonable to believe that Spirit Week was created to improve the game. This year’s Thanksgiving game ended with a Woodland victory over Seymour. The final score was Woodland, 55, to Seymour, 32. Whether this outstanding win against the school’s rival had anything to do with one of the most successful Spirit Weeks in the school history is not certain. Head coach for the football team, Tim Shea, believes that Spirit Week is good to have before an important game. “The crowd for the Spirit Week game is always bigger than average. This year more Woodland fans came to Seymour than Seymour fans did,” said Shea. Shea believes it is fine to have fun in school, but after school is time to get serious. Some players were serious even during school. Ian Bures was one of those people. “I was focused on the game all week.” This relationship between the athletes’ condition and the intensity of Spirit Week is very confusing, and is not set in stone, but as long as both survive it will always be an exciting week.

Volume IV, Issue III

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