December 2012 | Belmont High School | 221 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. 02478 HIGHPOINT Thanksgiving Pep Rally: An Antidote to Low School Spirit? - Belmont Idol Auditions (page 4) - ALLY week (page 9) - anksgiving Football (page 6) - Snowflakes! (page 10) - And more! by omas Zembowicz Students at BHS may cheer for the Marauders side by side at football games, but many are concerned that school spirit is rather low. is quarter, the Student Leadership Team (SLT) and Captain’s Council focused its efforts on planning the anks- giving Pep Rally, held on November 21, in order to achieve a better sense of school unity. At the beginning of the year, the SLT identified the lack of school spirit as one of the biggest problems facing BHS. Some students felt that not enough was being done to unite the school community and excite students about school events. (cont. on page 3) The BHS Fall Play: By Beth Young e BHS Performing Arts Company (PAC) began their 2012 season with a fantastic production: Rick Lombardo’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ renowned A Christmas Carol. Directed by Chris Brindley, the play showed for three nights and four performances, all of which received stellar reviews. e well-known plot was followed accordingly, encom- passing both heartwarming and terrifying elements commonly attributed to the play. Starring Alex Griffin as the greedy Scrooge and Sam Korn as his kind employee Bob Cratchit, A Christmas Carol provided an entertaining and seasonal experience for all ages. e adaptation Brindley chose to follow included a full musical score. e show included actors who also performed as musicians on and off the stage. In addition to acting, Korn played the synthe- sizer and piano, and conducted off-stage. Emma McGlashen also juggled playing Fred’s wife, Elizabeth, and the piano onstage. (cont. on page 2) IN THIS ISSUE . A Christmas Carol
Transcript
December 2012 | Belmont High School | 221 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. 02478
HIGHPOINT
Thanksgiving Pep Rally: An Antidote to Low School Spirit?
- Belmont Idol Auditions (page 4)- ALLY week (page 9)- �anksgiving Football (page 6)- Snow�akes! (page 10)- And more!
by �omas Zembowicz Students at BHS may cheer for the Marauders side by side at football games, but many are concerned that school spirit is rather low. �is quarter, the Student Leadership Team (SLT) and Captain’s Council focused its e�orts on planning the �anks-giving Pep Rally, held on November 21, in order to achieve a better sense of school unity. At the beginning of the year, the SLT identi�ed the lack of school spirit as one of the biggest problems facing BHS. Some students felt that not enough was being done to unite the school community and excite students about school events. (cont. on page 3)
The BHS Fall Play:
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By Beth Young
�e BHS Performing Arts Company (PAC) began their 2012 season with a fantastic production: Rick Lombardo’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ renowned A Christmas Carol. Directed by Chris Brindley, the play showed for three nights and four performances, all of which received stellar reviews. �e well-known plot was followed accordingly, encom-passing both heartwarming and terrifying elements commonly attributed to the play.
Starring Alex Gri�n as the greedy Scrooge and Sam Korn as his kind employee Bob Cratchit, A Christmas Carol provided an entertaining and seasonal experience for all ages. �e adaptation Brindley chose to follow included a full musical score. �e show included actors who also performed as musicians on and o� the stage. In addition to acting, Korn played the synthe-sizer and piano, and conducted o�-stage. Emma McGlashen also juggled playing Fred’s wife, Elizabeth, and the piano onstage. (cont. on page 2)
IN THIS ISSUE.
A Christmas Carol
PAGE 2 BHS
PAGE 2 BHS
cont.from page 1: A Christmas Carol
“[Everyone] had to learn a lot of music,” said McGlashen. “[It] took some adjust-ment.” Despite the multiple roles and di�culties, there was an excellent balance of music and acting as many audience members were astounded at the talented and well-rounded cast. All the performances were indeed a success, much owed to the dedication and hard work of the cast and crew. “Rehearsals were a ton of fun, but very, very busy and also hectic,” said McGlashen. “�ey generally took place in the afternoon and were around two hours…but got longer and more frequent as the opening night got closer,” said Caralyn Au�ero, who played Mrs. Cratchit. “[�ere were even] separate rehearsals for di�erent aspects of the show like music and group numbers.” McGlashen also mentioned that the rehearsals had a lot of little kids running around as the play featured many children. Although this added to the slight mayhem, the age di�erences were hardly an issue. “Working with the younger kids was so much fun,” said Au�ero. “�ey really brightened up the experience… and loved being around the high schoolers and being involved in the show.”Korn agreed, and said that the Cratchits bonded as a little family of their own. “�e high schoolers were all very welcom-ing and I hope to participate in high school plays in the future,” said Elliot O’Malley, who acted as Boy Scrooge.Although the performances were all spectacular, there were doubts as well as nerves. “I was nervous…but got past it and went through,” said Solomon Mankin, who played a collecting man. McGlashen also said that “[even though] the show came together in the end…we all had our doubts at times.” But come together, it did! And in a wonderful series of performances, complete with amazing special e�ects and superb set construction. Korn summed it up best when he said, “I'd consider the BHS 2012 Fall Play an absolute, resounding success!”
Credit: Margaret Lazenby
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cont.from page 1: �anksgiving Pep Rally
“Our school is too divided and we rarely come together to celebrate being members of Belmont High School,” said one anonymous senior. “Hardly anyone does color wars or really goes ‘all out’ which is disap-pointing,” said an anonymous sopho-more. Enthusiasm for the event has never been very high, with some students complaining about it being too long, boring, and confusing. While students headed to the �eld house after school in previous years, a steady stream walked out the doors and headed straight home. �ough many like the idea of having each sports team organize an activity to do in front of the whole school, some thought it wasn’t worthwhile. “I thought the pep rallies were kind of bad, and people would just leave,” said an anonymous junior.Working closely with Mr. Davis and Captain’s Council, a few members of the SLT set out to organize the pep rally and try to change public opinion. �is year, sports teams hosted a series of events that put grade against grade--and sometimes against the faculty--causing each class to unite behind their representatives to the contests.
�e �eld house was absolutely packed, and so many people volun-teered to participate in games such as tug-of-war that the event organizers had to send several people back to their seats. �e whole school enjoyed their time together as they listened to the BHS marching band perform a series of songs, including “Hey Jude” by the Beatles. With their expectations rather low for this year’s event, many students were surprised when they found them-selves laughing with the rest of the
school as Ms. Marino and Ms. White dominated in a game of musical chairs. “I think BHS de�nitely turned it around with all the events. It was fun to participate in and watch,” said a sophomore who thought last year’s celebration was “sort of lame.” According to many in the SLT, the school still has a long way to go, but many appreciate the progress that has already been made. �e improvements to this year’s pep rally made students look forward to attending, turning it into the propagator of school spirit that it was always supposed to be.
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PAGE 4 BHSA Peek Through Belmont Idol’s Red Curtain
Aldis Elfarsdottir, junior- classical violin
ABOVE. Dory Nemitz (left), junior and Amelia Fox (right), sophomore- vocal acoustic mash-up BELOW. Danielle Ramos (left), junior, Hyunju Seo (far right), junior, and Jean Lin (front right), senior, dance routine
By Eva Gallagher
Between Wednesday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 30, over 25 musically gifted Belmont High School students auditioned for Belmont Idol, the local version of the hit television show, “American Idol.” Originally a small program to fundraise money for Diversity Week, Belmont Idol has grown into a production with “a lot of talent” said Gabrielle Garschina, Belmont High School Spanish teacher, audition judge, and director of the show. Belmont Idol was founded in 2005 but “there were many of years where it didn’t exist at all” said Garschina. According to Garschina, the show has gone on consistently since 2009. “Last year was a great success,” said Garschina, who explained it was the �rst time so many people auditioned there was a need for callbacks. �ough it has not been determined whether or not callbacks will be necessary this year, the range of talent impressed Garschina during last week’s auditions. “We put a lot of consideration on how well [students] are prepared for the audition,” said Garschina, as students tuned their guitars, stretched their muscles and calmed their nerves before the Friday auditions. Garschina said that the judges like to see a variety of acts as it makes the show more interesting for the audience, yet more di�cult for the judges since they’re seeing so many di�erent genres. “[We look for a] passion or energy that being communicated to the audience – some kind of presence,” said Garschina. “And that’s a high expectation, because none of these students are professional performers.”
PAGE 5BHS
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By Beth Young
�e BHS Performing Arts Company (PAC) began their 2012 season with a fantastic production: Rick Lombardo’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ renowned A Christmas Carol. Directed by Chris Brindley, the play showed for three nights and four performances, all of which received stellar reviews. �e well-known plot was followed accordingly, encom-passing both heartwarming and terrifying elements commonly attributed to the play.
Starring Alex Gri�n as the greedy Scrooge and Sam Korn as his kind employee Bob Cratchit, A Christmas Carol provided an entertaining and seasonal experience for all ages. �e adaptation Brindley chose to follow included a full musical score. �e show included actors who also performed as musicians on and o� the stage. In addition to acting, Korn played the synthe-sizer and piano, and conducted o�-stage. Emma McGlashen also juggled playing Fred’s wife, Elizabeth, and the piano onstage. (cont. on page 2)
Garschina said having people in the darkness with music playing would get the audience “totally pumped up” and “keep them involved,” which “really adds to the night.” �e students who auditioned for this year’s show will be noti�ed the week of Dec. 10 to �nd out whether or not they made the cut. �ere will be scheduled dress rehearsals that Garschina admits will be “a little tricky,” considering they’re expecting a certain level of production quality. However, said Garschina, all the students’ performances and the m a g i c behind the curtains – the sound, the lights and the staging – never fail to impress.F or an evening of immense talent and entertainment, be sure to attend Belmont Idol’s 2013 performance on �ursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont High School auditorium.
Garschina said she is happy with what Belmont Idol has become. �is year, approximately 12 acts out of the 25 that auditioned will be showcased, all determined to impress both their audience and the judges. �e Friday auditions took o� with an impressive classical violin perfor-mance by junior Aldis Elfarsdottir, who has been playing “a little over nine years,” she told Garschina enthusiastically. From a dance group mash-up with Danielle Ramos (junior), Hyunju Seo (junior) and Jean Lin (senior) to juniors Sydney Perkins and Joe Fitzgerald’s cover of “Jack-son” by Johnny Cash, the afternoon was �lled with an array of genres. “I’m very interested to see how [the mind reading act is] going to come o�,” said Garschina before Korn’s scheduled audition time. “It’s hard to judge that against dancing and instruments and singing.” But Garschina believes Korn’s act will allow a more interactive production in terms of the audience and challenge the judge’s �nal decision. “�e more diverse the genres [are] the harder it is for the judges,” said Garschina. During the auditions, small groups of students in three or four stood at the threshold of the little theater’s door to provide silent moral support.
ABOVE. Max Davidowitz, sophomore- drummerBELOW. Ms. Garschina- judge
After her lyrical dance routine to “Hurt” by Christina Aguilera, Elaine Miao said she was so nervous and had tried to pretend no one was there. “I just tried to focus all my energy into the dance,” said Miao. “�e song and the movements have a lot of meaning… I felt I could share that with other people.” Soon after, sophomores Max Davidowitz, Austin Ickes, Rowan Wolf and junior Andrew Barry performed an original rock song, “Over My Head” with a full drum set, electric guitars and bass. Davidowitz’s father Mitch, who came to watch his son audition, commented that Belmont Idol was great last year. As the auditions came to a close, freshman Emma Taylor played piano as she and junior Audrey Barnes performed a mash-up of “Titanium” by David Guetta, “Lights” by Ellie Gould-ing and “Diamonds” by Rihanna. At the end of the audition session, Garschina shared her plans for this year’s show. “I’m hoping that this year, between transitions, we can bring back really popular songs that people recognize and play them for thirty seconds,” said Garschina.
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by Crystal Rhee
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22 -- On �anksgiving Day, the Belmont Marauders and Watertown Raiders entered the Belmont football �eld, deter-mined to win the last game of the season. However, Belmont’s winning streak over Watertown for seven consecutive years came to an end as Raiders defeated Marauders 7-28
Belmont dominated the �rst quarter with a touchdown. It ended with the score 7-0, Belmont. �e second quarter wasn’t as successful. Watertown reinforced their defense line and blocked several plays. By half-time, the score was 7-14, Watertown in the lead. During the half-time, the Belmont Marching Band took over the �eld. �is game was also their last of the season,
especially for the seniors. �ey pedthree songs, and a tribute to the Beatles. In the second half, Watertown scored yet another touchdown, and the game came to an end, 7-28, Watertown. Belmont’s overall score in the season is 1 win (in Winchester) and 10 losses.
SPORTS
Thanksgiving Football Game: Belmont Loses to Watertown
BHS Marauders play at the �anksgiving football game. Credit: Daphne Assimakopoulos
BHS Marching Band. Credit: Amanda Chambers
ABOVE. Max Davidowitz, sophomore- drummerBELOW. Ms. Garschina- judge
PAGE 7BULLETIN
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DECEMBER EVENTSby Anya Zhang 12/6-7: Grease Auditions12/8: ACT Testing at BHS and Ha-nukkah begins!12/10-14: Students who audi-tioned for Belmont Idol will be noti-fied!12/12: Bandarama12/13: Progress Reports Avail-able on Edline12/15: MMEA All-State Auditions12/19: BHS Winter Concert12/22- 1/1:Winter Vacation
Drum major Roxie Martino (grade 12) leads the marching band at the �anksgiving game. Credit: Amanda Chambers
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MAURAUDER LIFE
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by Sol Park
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1-- Belmont High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance club (GSA) held a social after school to show their advocacy of ALLY and Anti-Bullying month. Sta� and students from all grades and group circles joined to discuss not only the impor-tance of anti-bullying, but also the success of the recent PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) assemblies. November is widely accepted as Anti-Bullying month. An Ally is someone who does not identify as LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) but still supports LGBTQ rights. To show that they back all equal rights, the members of GSA and Diversity Commit-tee took the initiative creating and distributing purple ribbons.
Additionally, they orga-nized the PFLAG assemblies during which speakers came in to share their personal stories, creating awareness of the issues of bullying. Students and faculty attended these assemblies throughout the school day dressed in purple or wore purple ribbons to show their support. Joey Tocci, president of GSA, said that the purpose of the social, speci�cally, was to give people a reason to discuss the PFLAG assemblies. He also said that it was also for people to have a good time. “My favorite part of the social was seeing all the di�er-ent groups of people who came,” said Tocci. “I expected a particular group of people to show up and that’d be it, but in actuality the turnout was very diverse and that is just what we were hoping for.”
Garschina said having people in the darkness with music playing would get the audience “totally pumped up” and “keep them involved,” which “really adds to the night.” �e students who auditioned for this year’s show will be noti�ed the week of Dec. 10 to �nd out whether or not they made the cut. �ere will be scheduled dress rehearsals that Garschina admits will be “a little tricky,” considering they’re expecting a certain level of production quality. However, said Garschina, all the students’ performances and the m a g i c behind the curtains – the sound, the lights and the staging – never fail to impress.F or an evening of immense talent and entertainment, be sure to attend Belmont Idol’s 2013 performance on �ursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont High School auditorium.
ALLY Week: BHS Celebrates Anti- Bullying Month
by Jessie Lu
As students return from December vacation, they are greeted by the cold, uneventful lull separating the New Year from February break. �e spring musical is four months away, so what other shows are there to look forward to? Well, there’s Belmont Idol, of course! A local version of the hit TV show “American Idol,” Belmont Idol gives Belmont High School students a chance to showcase their talents, both in singing and other pursuits, and ultimately vie for the number one spot, the spot for the winner. Auditions for the show’s limited spots were held on November 28th, 29th, and 30th. According to Sam Schwartz, the producer of Idol, the �nal lineup will be announced sometime “after a couple of weeks of deliberating and soaking in all the talent... in order to ensure maximum talent.”
Winter Preview: Belmont Idol
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MAURAUDER LIFE
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the club was forced to brainstorm for a more pro�table, engaging fundraising event. �e Snow�ake tradition commenced that year, after a student proposed the selling of glittery plastic snow�ake ornaments for students and teachers to exchange before the holiday season. Currently, the Snow�akes event carries on with great success, selling up to two thousand snow-�akes every year. �e Belmontian Club students divide jobs among themselves for the fundraiser, appointing di�er-ent people for the making and delivering of the snow�akes and the purchasing for their “adopted” families’ gifts. �is uplifting event provides comfort and joy for de�cient families during the holiday season while simultane-ously providing BHS students and sta� a heartening way to encour-age and cheer each other up before parting ways during winter break to celebrate the blissful holiday season with their own families and friends.
Most students generalize Snow-�akes to be an event where cards attached to snow�ake ornaments are bought to be delivered to friends and teachers within the school. Very few know about the real purpose driving the Snow�ake tradition every year at Belmont High School. What is this event really for? Where does the money go? �e Snow�akes fundraising was initiated over ten years ago by the BHS Belmontian Club after they “adopted” a few families from the Community Servings (CS) organi-zation. Primarily operating to serve free meals to families diagnosed with illnesses in eastern Massachu-setts, this non-pro�t organization enables di�erent individuals and groups to “adopt” some of these families before the holiday season by allowing them to ful�ll the holiday wish lists of their families. �e Belmontian Club originally held bake sales to fund the wish lists of their families, but when the money raised proved to be insu�-cient to pay for their families’ gifts,
Spirit Week?by Elaine Miao
�is year BHS decided to step it up a notch and make one large pep rally that everyone would love. �e Student Leadership Team thought of creating a ‘spirit week’, but unfortunately, it didn't work out so well. �ere should have been a pirate day, a jersey day, and many more dress-up days. �is might have been due to the late announce-ment. However, students still partici-pated in Class Color Wars. Fresh-men wore white, sophomores wore blue, juniors wore red, and seniors wore black. Although a proper spirit week failed to happen, the SLT hopes to try again next year.
by Crystal Rhee
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22 -- On �anksgiving Day, the Belmont Marauders and Watertown Raiders entered the Belmont football �eld, deter-mined to win the last game of the season. However, Belmont’s winning streak over Watertown for seven consecutive years came to an end as Raiders defeated Marauders 7-28
Belmont dominated the �rst quarter with a touchdown. It ended with the score 7-0, Belmont. �e second quarter wasn’t as successful. Watertown reinforced their defense line and blocked several plays. By half-time, the score was 7-14, Watertown in the lead. During the half-time, the Belmont Marching Band took over the �eld. �is game was also their last of the season,
especially for the seniors. �ey pedthree songs, and a tribute to the Beatles. In the second half, Watertown scored yet another touchdown, and the game came to an end, 7-28, Watertown. Belmont’s overall score in the season is 1 win (in Winchester) and 10 losses.
By Hayoung Hwang D oes the word “snow�akes” sound familiar at BHS during this time of the year? While most of the freshmen and new students at Belmont High stand cluelessly when they hear this word, the older students at BHS are accustomed to having the word being tossed around during these few weeks before winter break.
Heartening Snowflakes
Student crowd watches the pep rally. Credit: Jenny Kim
PAGE 11LOCAL
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In almost all of New Jersey the power was out for days. With dropping temperatures, the lack of heating became a problem for the elderly and in�rm. Sandy victims of New Jersey are continuing to recover. Because homes were washed away or severely �ooded, people were sent to Red Cross shelters. Many volunteers have been working to help families recover from the aftermath of Sandy. In addition to washed away
houses, Queens, New York, was hit by an inferno at the height of the storm. Across 15 states, more than 8 million people had lost power. �roughout the United States, Sandy has claimed at least 100 lives and caused approximately $50 billion in damage. �e American population hopes to have a strong recovery with plans striving for better protection of potential disaster areas in the event of a future storm.
by Vinutna Veeragandham
�ough initially proclaimed a hurricane, as Sandy reached our hometown of Belmont its title was changed to a “post-tropical” superstorm. However, when it �nally reached Belmont it was nothing more than rough winds and heavy rain. �e aftermath consisted majorly of toppled trees and overturned earth. In preparation for Sandy, Belmont public schools closed, supermarket shelves were cleared of non-perishables and water, and families bundled up at home, preparing for the big hit. �e destructive forecasts as well as the e�ects on the states it had already passed through made the prospects of the impending storm alarming. In Massachusetts alone, 108,000 families lost power. Belmont survived with minimal damage while other places in the U.S. were hit hard. New Jersey was one of the most severely a�ected states. Residents reportedly had never seen a hurricane this big in all the years they had lived there. Gas had to be rationed and electric poles were down.
Sandy Takes America by Storm
ABOVE. A tree topples on Harriet Street at 1:30 p.m. in Belmont. Credit: Franklin Tucker, BelmontPatchRIGHT. Sadly, two trees came down on Selwyn damaging two homes. Credit: Louise Domenitz
such as Robert Frost. It is easy to see why he would return there time and time again, seeking inspiration among the scenic horizons and endless green �elds. Conference attendees were likewise encouraged to take advantage of these resources during early morning hikes in the woods and free writing time lying out in the sunny grass. �e best part of the experience was being surrounded by such a diverse group of smart and interesting people. Students were sorted into workshop groups of about ten peers that had selected the same genre—poetry, �ction, or non�ction—and paired with a noted writer. My workshops always took place in armchairs around the �replace in the blue-walled parlor of the Inn. Our work-shop leader, Karl Lindholm, Emeritus Dean of Advising and Assistant Profes-sor of American Studies at Middlebury, resembled Ernest Hemingway in both his bearded visage and his clear, concise style of prose. Feedback was always constructive and supportive from him
NEYWC Experienceby Phoebe Mesard
For the past 28 years, 200 talented, driven students from across the country gathered on the Bread Loaf campus of Middlebury College for the New England Young Writers Conference (NEYWC) in May. �is four-day program is at the very least eye opening and potentially life changing. I was lucky enough to attend last year’s conference but had no idea what to expect going into it. I was not used to thinking of myself as a bona �de “writer.” I was nervous about sharing my work and not �tting in. It turns out I had nothing to worry about �e campus was incredible. Named after the distinctive bread loaf shaped hill it occupies, the grounds are popu-lated by equally distinctive yellow-sided, green-roofed buildings. Among these is the Bread Loaf Inn, a haunt of many of literature’s greats ,
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and he rest of the group. One person’s comment about a certain word choice often generated a discussion about all the conno-tations of each word and how it could change the meaning of the piece. Professor Lindholm always took a side in these debates but insisted his opinion was not the �nal word. I was constantly astounded by the work of my peers. Whether it was during a work-shop, dorm reading, or open mic session, the room always seemed to be gilded with pure talent. I had never had even the slightest desire to go to a poetry slam but it is incred-ible what a new meaning the words take on when their author is standing before you pumping life into them. I was inspired to step out of my non�ction comfort zone and try my hand at a poetry workshop the next day. I was even more shocked to �nd that I was proud of what I had created during that half hour session—a saga about my tormented relationship with my allergy-inducing cat. It turns out not all poets take themselves too seriously. Although the application process for this year is well underway (�ve sophomores and juniors have been selected to send a sample of their writing to NEYWC and two will be accepted to attend the conference), I encour-age any current freshmen and sophomores to consider applying next year. If you love to write and read, or just appreciate meeting cool people, you will have a fantastic time at Bread Loaf. In just four short days I made some great friends who I am still in touch with. One goes to boarding school in Connecticut; another lives above the famous Stonewall Inn in New York City. All of them had fascinating stories and big dreams. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing more inspiring than a little dose of the-world-is-a-big-place. To all future attendees, I am so excited for you! I hope you �nd this experience as rewarding as I did!
