The Norwalk High School Paw Print “How the Bears make their mark” VOLUME VII, ISSUE 2 December 2012 nhspawprint.com--- [email protected] --- @nhs_pawprint IN THIS ISSUE: NEWS: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT: OPINION: SPORTS: Equal but Separate by Choice Lucas Keogh N EWS E DITOR William Angione R EPORTER BBC Flops for the Sick It’s No Longer Fun to Stay at the Y.M.C.A. Norwalk High’s students and staff are al- ways eager to jump at an opportunity to raise money for a good cause including an- nual coat drives, dodge ball tournaments, St. Baldrick’s Day and more. This year, the Bears are taking the cause underwater in their first-ever belly flop contest. Organized by seniors Michael Bone- brake and Kaitlyn Solano, and sponsored by Norwalk High’s Bears Beating Cancer (BBC) club, the contest was put together to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer re- search. “I thought it was an awesome idea, so I told [Michael] that my club would sponsor it,” said Aidan Whalen (’14), president of the BBC club. Each contestant will have their belly flop rat- ed by five judges. The top fifteen will move on to the second round and flop again to compete for a spot in the second round where only five will remain. For the third and final round; a first, second and third place title will be given to the best flop- pers. Some of the staff already lined up on the diving board includes Mr. Singleton, Mr. Fernandez, Mr. Beavers, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Seaburg, Mr. Anastasia and Mr. Von Arter. In addition, over eighty students have signed up to take the plunge as well. Each “flopper” must raise at least $20 in order to be eligible for the contest by sign- ing up sponsors. “I can’t wait to see everything come together. So far we’ve gotten a lot of posi- tive feedback from the staff and students!” said Solano. If anyone is interested in participat- ing, the organizers will be in the cafeteria during all three lunch shifts, or they can talk to Mr. Anastasia, Michael, or Kaitlyn for more information. “We’re hoping for it to be very suc- cessful fundraiser for a good cause,” stated Bonebrake. The Bear Flop is going to take place at the school’s pool on Thursday, Janu- ary 17th, right after school. Their goal is to raise at least $3,000 through sponsors, donations, and admission fees. With such determined and tenacious leadership, the event is sure to make a huge splash! Erin Kelly A&E E DITOR Photo Credit: Sam Ricci, Lucas Keogh Our own NHS Bear attempts to take a flop The times are tough, and the down econ- omy has taken a toll on everyone. After eighty-five years, the Norwalk YMCA is closing its doors for good December 31st. The YMCA has served the community of Norwalk providing childcare, fit- ness classes, sports programs, aquatics, and community ser- vice along with many other programs. It closing shows how even an organization that helps and benefits our community so much can be affected just as hard. Sarah Turbert, the se- nior director of childcare at the YMCA, had this to say, “Declining membership due to the competition we face with other gyms and the increasing cost of running the gym led to our closure. In addition we just haven’t been able gain enough in fundraising and donations to stay open. It is sad seeing this place close. It is such an important piece of Norwalk.” Despite the protest and fundraising parents have done it was just too late to save the Y. On December 31st 2012 the Y closes its doors for good and plans to sell the property to the Norwalk Hospital. The Y will still have a presence in Norwalk keeping its summer camp and daycare programs open but it closing will displace or end many other programs and youth groups all together. The Zeus swim team uses the Y’s pool to practice several days a week. Without the Y over one hundred and thirty two swimmers now have no place to practice. Zeus now looks at Norwalk High School to fill in void left behind by the Y. Many students at Nor- walk High School used the Y’s gym to work out when the weight room was closed or the gym was being used. Oscar Gomez (’13) a YMCA member had this to say “I am in huge shock, it was a place that was so close for me and my friends and I have lot of great memories of it. I believe it should stay open be- cause for families on a tight bud- get it is a great place to go and workout, socialize, and be involved. It was a huge part of Norwalk’s history and mine.” Luckily for Norwalk the Y has decided to keep its childcare programs open. That includes summer camps, and morning and afternoon daycare. Despite this the Y clos- ing leaves Norwalk with a large gap that will be hard to fill. Almost every student at Norwalk High School comes to the cafeteria every day to eat lunch and hang out with friends. However, they might not notice that even though there are no as- signed seats, segrega- tion is still apparent in their own school. Many people around the school who eat in the cafeteria have already noticed the voluntary separa- tion between students based on race, ethnic- ity, or even “social rank”. “Yeah all the black people sit over [on the wall side],” said Jamie Marino (’13). Even though integration of all students has been enforced in the United States since 1954, students in more culturally di- verse schools such as NHS have made the segregation their own choice. “I’m not saying there should be segre- gation, but it seems like it is still going on and people are okay with it,” stated Nate Cutting (’14) However, not all of the tables in the cafeteria are completely segregated. Se- curity Officer, Eric Lewis, was also asked about why some students may sit at certain parts of the cafeteria. “Maybe it’s true. A lot of tables are mixed though. Everyone walks around and talks to each other too. It’s more liberal than it was 20 or even 30 years ago.” Even though the students actively make the choice to sit in their respective groups, some think that it may affect how security treats them. “I think people will just sit wherev- er they please,” stated sophomore Jahki Paige, “I think some people might be more watched by security [than others].” “I don’t think that’s true. Security treats ev- eryone the same,” stated Principal Roberts, when asked about the segregation of stu- dents and they way it may affect security. Mr. Beavers, the head of security at NHS, also said “If [students were being treated unfairly] – which I seriously doubt – I would put a stop to it immediately,” he also went on to add, “We already have kids who have proven themselves as an issue, and try to stay one step ahead of them. We know who is a problem, and we wait for them to become a problem.” Even if students may feel more comfortable with people of the same background, some think it will not help the path towards full integration. “If people want to sit where they want it’s okay,” said Fabner Mondesir (’14), who added “But they should try to sit with other people.” In the end, students will almost always sit with the people who they share the most in common with, but to some it is alarming how much it correlates with race. Photo Credit: Lucas Keogh Students in the cafeteria unintentionally form a border amongst themselves
Transcript
The Norwalk High School
Paw Print“ H o w t h e B e a r s m a k e t h e i r m a r k ” VOLUME VII, ISSUE 2December 2012
Equal but Separate by ChoiceLucas Keoghn e w s e d i t o R
Will iam AngioneR e p o Rt e R
BBC Flops for the Sick It’s No Longer Fun to Stay at the Y.M.C.A.
Norwalk High’s students and staff are al-ways eager to jump at an opportunity to raise money for a good cause including an-nual coat drives, dodge ball tournaments, St. Baldrick’s Day and more. This year, the Bears are taking the cause underwater in their fi rst-ever belly fl op contest. Organized by seniors Michael Bone-brake and Kaitlyn Solano, and sponsored by Norwalk High’s Bears Beating Cancer (BBC) club, the contest was put together to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer re-search. “I thought it was an awesome idea, so I told [Michael] that my club would sponsor it,” said Aidan Whalen (’14), president of the BBC club. Each contestant will have their belly fl op rat-ed by fi ve judges. The top fi fteen will move on to the second round and fl op again to compete for a spot in the second round where only fi ve will remain. For the third and fi nal round; a fi rst, second and third place title will be given to the best fl op-pers. Some of the staff already lined up on the diving board includes Mr. Singleton, Mr. Fernandez, Mr. Beavers, Mr. Sullivan,
Mr. Seaburg, Mr. Anastasia and Mr. Von Arter. In addition, over eighty students have signed up to take the plunge as well. Each “fl opper” must raise at least $20 in order to be eligible for the contest by sign-ing up sponsors. “I can’t wait to see everything come together. So far we’ve gotten a lot of posi-tive feedback from the staff and students!” said Solano. If anyone is interested in participat-ing, the organizers will be in the cafeteria during all three lunch shifts, or they can talk to Mr. Anastasia, Michael, or Kaitlyn for more information.
“We’re hoping for it to be very suc-cessful fundraiser for a good cause,” stated Bonebrake. The Bear Flop is going to take place at the school’s pool on Thursday, Janu-ary 17th, right after school. Their goal is to raise at least $3,000 through sponsors, donations, and admission fees. With such determined and tenacious leadership, the event is sure to make a huge splash!
Er in Kellya&e e d i t o R
Photo Credit: Sam
Ricci, Lucas K
eogh
Our own NHS Bear attempts to take a fl op
The times are tough, and the down econ-omy has taken a toll on everyone. After eighty-fi ve years, the Norwalk YMCA is closing its doors for good December 31st. The YMCA has served the community of Norwalk providing childcare, fi t-ness classes, sports programs, aquatics, and community ser-vice along with many other programs. It closing shows how even an organization that helps and benefi ts our community so much can be affected just as hard. Sarah Turbert, the se-nior director of childcare at the YMCA, had this to say, “Declining membership due to the competition we face with other gyms and the increasing cost of running the gym led to our closure. In addition we just haven’t been able gain enough in fundraising and donations to stay open. It is sad seeing this place close. It is such an important piece of Norwalk.” Despite the protest and fundraising parents have done it was just too late to save the Y. On December 31st 2012 the Y
closes its doors for good and plans to sell the property to the Norwalk Hospital. The Y will still have a presence in Norwalk keeping its summer camp and daycare programs open but it closing will displace or end many other programs and youth groups all together. The Zeus swim team uses the Y’s pool to practice several days a week. Without the Y over one hundred and thirty two swimmers now have no place to practice. Zeus now looks at Norwalk High School to
fi ll in void left behind by the Y. Many students at Nor-
walk High School used the Y’s gym to work out when the weight room was closed or the gym was being used. Oscar Gomez (’13) a YMCA member had this to say “I am in huge shock, it was a place that was so close for me and
my friends and I have lot of great memories of it. I
believe it should stay open be-cause for families on a tight bud-
get it is a great place to go and workout, socialize, and be involved. It was a huge part of Norwalk’s history and mine.” Luckily for Norwalk the Y has decided to keep its childcare programs open. That includes summer camps, and morning and afternoon daycare. Despite this the Y clos-ing leaves Norwalk with a large gap that will be hard to fi ll.
Almost every student at Norwalk High School comes to the cafeteria every day to eat lunch and hang out with friends. However, they might not notice that even though there are no as-signed seats, segrega-tion is still apparent in their own school. Many people around the school who eat in the cafeteria have already noticed the voluntary separa-tion between students based on race, ethnic-ity, or even “social rank”. “Yeah all the black people sit over [on the wall side],” said Jamie Marino (’13). Even though integration of all students has been enforced in the United States since 1954, students in more culturally di-verse schools such as NHS have made the segregation their own choice. “I’m not saying there should be segre-gation, but it seems like it is still going on and people are okay with it,” stated Nate
Cutting (’14) However, not all of the tables in the cafeteria are completely segregated. Se-curity Offi cer, Eric Lewis, was also asked about why some students may sit at certain parts of the cafeteria. “Maybe it’s true. A lot of tables are mixed though. Everyone walks around and talks to each other too. It’s more liberal than it was 20 or even 30
years ago.” Even though the students actively make the choice to sit in their respective groups, some think that it may affect how security treats them. “I think people will just sit wherev-er they please,” stated sophomore Jahki Paige, “I think some people might be more watched by security [than others].”
“I don’t think that’s true. Security treats ev-eryone the same,” stated Principal Roberts, when asked about the segregation of stu-dents and they way it may affect security. Mr. Beavers, the head of security at NHS, also said “If [students were being treated unfairly] – which I seriously doubt – I would put a stop to it immediately,” he also went on to add, “We already have kids
who have proven themselves as an issue, and try to stay one step ahead of them. We know who is a problem, and we wait for them to become a problem.”Even if students may feel more comfortable with people of the same background, some think it will not
help the path towards full integration. “If people want to sit where they want it’s okay,” said Fabner Mondesir (’14), who added “But they should try to sit with other people.” In the end, students will almost always sit with the people who they share the most in common with, but to some it is alarming how much it correlates with race.
Photo Credit: Lucas K
eogh
Students in the cafeteria unintentionally form a border amongst themselves
A school bus full of Norwalk High School students drove through the wreckage left by Hurricane Sandy on the way to Breezy Point, a neighborhood in Queens, NY located on the end of the Rockaway peninsula. The Rockaway peninsula is surrounded by the Jamaica Bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The hurricane caused these two bodies of water to connect, utterly obliterating the land in between. The water eventually receded, but it left behind homes permanently ruined by the numerous feet of salt water that soaked into every object it touched. The salt water reacted with wires and started uncontrollable fires that burned businesses and houses to the ground. Sand from the
ocean covered every inch of land, mounds of which are still visible now along the streets. As the students drove to their destination, Mr. Sullivan, Head of the Guidance Department, pointed out what was once the seven-mile long boardwalk along the beach; it now merely existed as support beams and banks of sand. The buildings along the beach also received a direct force of the storm, with water rising as high as the second floor. The hurricane devastated countless families on the peninsula, instilling a group of NHS teachers to organize a way for the school to provide aid to those affected and hopefully alleviate a fragment of their burden. On Saturday, December 8th, students and teachers cleaned out and prepared a building for the following week’s event: a Christmas party for the children who live in Breezy Point. Therefore on Sunday, December 16th, another group of students held a party for these residents.
Dressed up as elves, the students set up arts and crafts, holiday games, and face painting for the kids. The room had festive decorations, two Christmas trees, and was filled to the brim with wrapped presents. Food was provided and a few carols were sung by students and a keyboard player. Not only were the children entertained and enjoying their evening, but the parents seemed to have a good time as well. After over a month of stress and hardship, they had the opportunity to relax and celebrate the holidays. Halle Gavrielidis (’13) admitted, “It felt so good to brighten the lives of the families still displaced by Sandy today, even if it was just for a few hours.” Kelly McGonigle (’13) added, “It was nice to see a community coming together and making the best of their situation.” Evelyn Romano, a parent affected by the storm, became emotional while describing how she lost her home and her cat. Rachelle Hoppel (’13) explained, “One woman who we made friends with told us
about her struggles in the storm. When we left, she told us she would never forget us and she started to cry. It was nice to know we could bring a little Christmas joy to her life.” Eve, along with many other parents, thanked all of the volunteers for their kindness. The children, parents, and Norwalk High students and teachers were able to end the night with a sense of fulfillment, cheer, and holiday spirit.
Starting next fall, ten school districts in five states are going to add up to 300 hours to their s c h o o l day and year in the at-tempt to decrease f a i l i n g achieve-m e n t a m o n g U.S. stu-dents.
C o l -o r a d o , Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Tennessee have agreed to participate in the three-year pilot program in an effort to help poorly achieving students catch up on standardized tests. The National Center on Time and Learning and the Ford Foun-dation are donating $3 million a year in grants to help the affected districts pay for all of the operating costs, which includes extra teaching time.
The reason for keeping students at school longer is so that they can partake in several enrichment activities. Several groups of education advocates argue that low-income children need more time to
catch up on improving their test scores. Underprivileged students lack a structured life style outside of school, so a longer school day would allow the students to benefit from extracurricular activities.
According to the New York Times, the president of the Ford Foundation, Luis Ubi-nas stated, “The initiative is not about add-ing time and doing more of the same. It’s
a b o u t creating a learn-ing day t h a t suits the needs of our chil-d r e n , the real-ities of w o r k -ing par-ents and
the commitment of our teachers.”Although the pilot program will not
affect Norwalk Public Schools, when asked how they would react to a longer school day and an overall longer school year, NHS students were not at all enthu-siastic.
Cassidy Curnyn (’13) believes, “If the school days were longer, students would have less time to study, do homework, and participate in extracurricular activities, such as sports and volunteer work.”
Julia Chiappetta (’13) stated, “I don’t think it would help at all and everyone would be upset and angered by it.”
Longer School Days?Chri st ina Deblas iR e p o Rt e R
Hope to Have a Very Merry Sandy Christmas
Students have probably heard about “Spirit Friday” from roaming around the halls to hearing about it on the announcements, but many do not know what it is about. S t u d e n t s have been trying to get more school spirit at Norwalk High with the Bear Pack going to every sports game possible. Now Principal Robert’s is stepping in and starting “Spirit Friday” where both students and staff wear Norwalk High’s school colors, green and white every Friday. The staff are being sold their own green and white shirts to wear and students will be wearing their NHS sweatshirts to their plaid pajama pants. Norwalk High is not just going to have school spirit at the sports games, but will now have it inside
of the school as well. “I think it’s a wonderful idea
and it’s a good way to bring the students together in our school,” said Ms. Elkas
Hoping that “Spirit Friday” gets very popular at school Taylor Plunkett
(’13) says, “I think it’s a cool idea and it shows that he’s trying to find a way to interact with the student
body. It shows school spirit and it’s fun!”
“I think it’s good because a lot of people feel like they aren’t part of NHS and with dressing up in green and white will help people have more pride in
Norwalk High and will feel like they are a part of something” Julia Ferguson
(’15) said.From now
on every Friday when one is in the halls they
should see students and staff in nothing but green and white, giving NHS a new way to have more school spirit.
New “Spirit Friday”Christ ine BusardoR e p o Rt e R
Nicole Dunsmoree d i t o R i n C h i e f
New Board of Ed Chair Seeks Change at NHSHaley DoranR e p o Rt e R
In late November, Michael Lyons, a native of Norwalk, was elected Chairman of the Norwalk Public School’s Board of Educa-tion. Mr. Lyons, who has had three children in the Norwalk Public Schools System felt that this district was geared towards help-ing the “elite” group of students in Norwalk and felt that there needed to be a change to make sure the “average” student received the same type of education. “My feeling was that we are not deliv-ering the same results to the bulk of kids
who are not in the top ten percent and I think that there are things we can do to get an awful lot more students performing at a high level like the top ten percent,” said Lyons. The biggest challenge he faces as Chairman is finding a way to make the school system better in a very tough econ-omy. In regards to high schools, he would like to continue building them up academi-cally. Lyons’ stated, “We have to put the Common Core standards in effect over the next two years which will fundamentally change the school curriculum and what courses can be offered. We are also go-ing to have new testing programs coming down the line that are going to be based on the Common Core.”
Since Norwalk High School is Mr. Ly-ons’ alma mater, he would like to see the school power washed, painted, purchase new lockers, as well as, purchase new tech-nology to give the school an updated and modern feel. Due to budget constraints and the massive amount of money it would cost to pay for all of this work, Mr. Lyons does not see this happening soon but hopes that they will be able to find the money in the com-ing years. “We do want to make it a prior-ity to spruce the school up; it’s something I’d really like to see before my term ends,” stated Lyons. Overall, the changes happening to the Norwalk Public School System are posi-tive and hopefully will make Norwalk Pub-lic Schools a better performing system.
Photo Credits: betanoodle.com
The Paw PrintDecember 2012NEWS2
Photo Credit: norw
alk.itsrelevant.com
Mr. Lyons, the new Chairman for the NBOE
CHECK OUT THE BACK PAGE OF THIS
ISSUE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM
THIS EVENT.Go to nhspawprint.com to see them all
Many say, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. When the Norwalk High School community looks at Sharon Cadden’s photos, many people have a lot more to say.
Sharon Cadden is a volunteer photographer for Norwalk High School and she can be seen at various events that take place in the NHS community: taking photos on Testa Field at all different sports games, in the auditorium for many different NHS Musical Productions, and at other various school events from the Talent Show, to the Dodgeball Tournament, Campus Clean-Up, and many more events within Norwalk High School.
“I love her photos and I love her, she’s a great person and even though she doesn’t have a kid in the school she still comes and supports us in every way. She’s also the best photographer in Norwalk,” explained Aidan Whalen (‘14)
Ms. Cadden has been involved with the Norwalk High community since her son was a freshman in 2005. Eight years later, she still continues to come back to wow the community with her photos.
Even NHS alumni have had great things to say about her photos. “Ms. Cadden’s photography is really an awesome thing for the whole Norwalk community. She’s a great photographer and she seems to be everywhere capturing positive and real
moments going on throughout Norwalk High and the rest of the city,” stated Mike Corasaniti (’11).
Some NHS students and alumni have also shared their appreciation for Ms. Cadden’s photos. “She’s there for a lot of Norwalk High events taking pictures whether it be for a sports game or a band competition and people should be thankful because a lot of people do not have that benefit,” explained Kevin Lawrence (’11).
Ms. Cadden has done many different things for the school in her photography, whether it is in the Yearbook or in the Paw Print. Another way a lot of people have been able to see her pictures are through Facebook. With over 248,000 photos and 1,500 albums, her pictures have given the community a lot of good things to talk about.
“Keeping in touch with the NHS students and getting to know them. I also like to give them a way to capture their moment in high school and twenty years later, they can look back at them,” stated Ms.Cadden regarding the best thing about taking pictures of NHS.
Ms. Cadden would like to thank all of her subjects for her photos. The NHS community itself would like to thank Ms. Cadden for capturing their moments and creating memories that will last a life. If you ever happen to see her with her camera, feel free to ask a photo her to take a photo.
“If anyone asks for a picture, I will take a picture,” said Ms.Cadden
The ‘Eye’ of NHS
M e d i a e d i t o R
MAt thew Brown
Veterans Seek Success Through Adversity
Homelessness among veterans is a much talked about topic in America. Homelessforthebrave.org says “In Connecticut, between 3,000 and 4,000 veterans do not have homed.” but most civilians are oblivious to why this happens. The perception most people have is that these veterans come home and instantly became homeless or psychotic. They do not look deeper into the events, which could have chronologically happened until they were led to homelessness. According to an online source not all who is a veteran not all man who return from the military life style become homeless and if they do it does not happen right away. For some it takes years to occur this also applies to mental illnesses such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance abuse. War in general is to blame for these problems. Mr. O’shaughnessy is a veteran who was in the Marine Corps towards the end of the Veteran War. Now he teaches in the social studies department and he says “When a person is out there in combat they see things the human mind is not built for taking in. People can’t fully understand
because they haven’t been out there. Civilians welcome them back to real life and assume they can go back to living like nothing has happened.” He is not the only one who agrees that war is to blame for the problems. The mental illness these veterans develop come from being at war far too long they experience too much they shouldn’t have. Some woman even experience sexual assault that goes unknown.” Says Ms. Morris, who also said “I can not imagine myself living in fear 24 hours of the day” Mr. O’shaughnessy also said “I want people in society to think deeper about veterans, not to think they’re all psychos and that is why they became homeless. They return from the military life and they are not the same person they were before going into the military.” He explained how it is not easy to adapt back to the civilian life style right away. He shared a story about a cousin who was in combat during the Vietnam war and said “One night his mom came into his room while he was asleep and if she had not turned on the lights he would have knocked her out. In his mind he was still in Vietnam, when in reality he was laying at home in bed.” Next time you see a homeless veteran think deeper into the struggles that person might have gone through to get there. All by protecting the lives of Americans .
Karen CuellarR e p o Rt e R
The Paw PrintDecember 2012
NEWS 3
Annually, one fortunate Norwalk High School senior receives a generous scholarship of $100,000 from the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund. To obtain this scholarship, according to the organization’s website kevinsfund.org, the student must be “a graduating senior, in the Kevin M. Eidt Chapter of the National Honor Society, in good standing and in the top 10% of their class with demonstrated achievements across the spectrum of academics, athletics, arts and community and religious service.”
Eligible members of the National Honor Society submit an application to the scholarship selection committee, who then selects seven fi nalists. This year, the fi nalists are Nina Robertson, Mackenzie Gross, Emma Chassagnoux, Jeremy Falcone, Kaitlyn Solano, Halle Gavrielidis, and Edwin Rosales. These fi nalists must submit a fi nal application, which are then narrowed down to four potential recipients, who move on to the personal interview process. Once the recipient is chosen, the scholarship will be presented at the annual Benefi t Dinner Dance. The 2013 winner of “the most outstanding senior at Norwalk High School” will be determined on April 6, 2013. Last year, the recipient of the $100,000 scholarship was Alexander Libre,
who now attends Dartmouth College. Since 1997, students from Norwalk
High School have been the fortunate recipients of this scholarship, such as Lauriann Kress who received the scholarship in 2001. She explained that her accomplishments were achieved because she was able to attend Bucknell University. “Believing in myself was important to my success, but more so was having the support of an entire group of donors who believed in my ability to achieve.”
Laura Sharp, the 2002 scholarship recipient, wrote that it, “is a huge honor and helped me to be able to study in France for my entire junior year of undergraduate...I was able to study French at the University of Rhode Island then become a Physician Assistant at Quinnipiac
University...Today I work in cardiac surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. This has been my dream and the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial scholarship helped make that dream a reality.”
The 1997 recipient, Gregory Calnon, admitted, “As the fi rst recipient of the scholarship, I defi nitely had mixed feelings during the application process. On the one hand, Kevin was a great friend of mine and his death was a painful experience that I wasn’t excited to revisit. On the other, I recognized how accomplished Kevin was at such a young age and being compared to him was an honor. Looking back, I’m extremely proud to be a Kevin M. Eidt Scholarship winner and even more proud of the impact that the scholarship has had on so many people over time.”
The guidance counselors at Norwalk High School advise students who plan to go to college to use Naviance.com. “Navianceis the students diagnostic tool for college planning,” explained Dr. Sullivan, Head of the Guidance Department. It may be a helpful tool, but it is not motivating enough students to explore careers.
After making an account, Naviance offers a test that gives students the idea of what careers they should be looking at based on their personality. The test consists of numerous questions about what they are interested in and how well they work in certain areas. For example, if a student ends up with an INTJ personality (introversion, intuition, thinking, judgment) they would fall under the category of “The Masterminds” and see a list of careers that are more academic than others, such as scientist, engineer, and lawyer.
There are many students who have used the Naviance program but did not continue to use it after taking the personality test. “I felt like none of the things matched up with the careers I really wanted,” said Rebecca Stewart (’14). Students feel as though the personality given to them was accurate, but the careers and fi elds of study offered were not.
With the “Super Match” option a student can distinguish which college has exactly what they look for in a school, ranging from location to the cultural environment. “It gives you a lot of options,” stated Kristina F r a t t a r o l i (’14). “It’s h e l p e d me think about what I wanna do.”
It seems that the students using Naviance react the most positively to the School To Career options it has to offer. “I like that I can
see my PSAT scores and all the colleges that are visiting,” said Nicole LaRosa (’14). Students can also get the most recent updates on jobs they can shadow, job presentations, and volunteering opportunities. “I like that you can not only go to the site to get the updates but you get e-mails from Ms. Rivieccio too,” stated Cassidy Somma (’14).
From one seniors point of view, the site was found to be more helpful dealing with School To Career too. “It taught me a more formal way to submit and write resumes” said Blair Roberts (’13) “As far as looking up SAT scores and picking out schools, I would use College Board.”
There are many students who do not use Naviance. One reason for this could be because students are not exposed enough to it. “Our goal is to create awareness about Naviance,” Said Dr. Sullivan. In the hallways, posters can be found that remind students to check their Naviance accounts. But perhaps this is not enough. “I know what it is but I don’t think about Naviance enough to go on it. They should make it more important,” said Neelam Patel (’14)
Is Naviance Worth It?
As the class of 2013 applies and waits for the responses of colleges, much is running through their minds. “Will my dream school reject me?”
“What if I get deferred?” “Will I even be able to handle being
at college?”“Am I ready? Can I do this?”The truth is, many worry they truly
are not ready. Recently there have been concerns that the education students have been getting all through out high school is not giving them the tools they need to actually succeed in college both socially and academically. “I feel like there isn’t any one specifi c way to be prepared for college, I feel like it’s up to the person to get as prepared as they can,” said Kaitlyn Solano (’13). “I think there isn’t much more I could do to be ready,” Solano continued.
For those who have experienced the transition, perception of this topic is completely different. Several high school graduates that previously went to NHS took the time to discuss their college experience so far.
James Welch (’11) was the only one who said that high school did prepare him properly for college. Brian Manby (’12) agreed as well but had some different thoughts.
“Norwalk High School did not prepare me for college, but it’s not the schools fault. People have to make the most of their college experience on their own and
learn to think and act for themselves to be successful,” Manby explained.
Other graduates note how the changes are wide ranging, “Things were completely different than high school. My psychology
lecture hall had more students in it than my graduating class!” said Rob Romano (’10) Not only academics, but also social interactions are altered in college. “The only thing that’s really different socially is that you won’t know a large majority of the people at your school. So you may
fi nd it diffi cult to be yourself in classes at fi rst,” said Welch. A group of AP English students from the class of 2014 received a survey questioning them about their experience at NHS so far and their opinion if the school is doing everything they can to prepare them for the work load of college. Out of the students, 30% felt completely prepared for college. The remaining said they were either unsure, or they knew they defi nitely are not on the right path to being ready. The junior class was also asked to comment on what should be emphasized more in the curriculum here at NHS and more than fi fteen of the students participating agreed that more of a work ethic and diversity and individualization of course selection should be practiced. Two students wrote about how NHS does prepare you for college, but only if you partake in the Honors or AP classes. “In both freshmen and sophomore years of high school I never had as much homework or note taking to do and I wasn’t ready for it,” Said Madi Manella (’14). Clearly there are mixed feelings about the methods used here at school. Maybe school is not supposed to prepare us completely and only prepare us to be able to handle the curve balls that get thrown at us as we go through college.
Ready, Set, College
Nicole Dunsmoree d i t o R i n C h i e f
Kyl i e Coppolas p o Rt s e d i t o R
Samantha NorthropR e p o Rt e R
Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship 2013
Photo Credit: norw
alkps.org
Eidt Scholarship Winners from 2008-2012 (left to right): Alyxie Harrick, Despina Sidiropolous, Eloise Libre, Lorena Sferlazza, Alex Libre
photocredit: kevinsfund.org
The Paw PrintDecember 2012NEWS4
When mentioning whether teachers favorite students or not, it caused many strong opinions either for the topic or against the topic to fi nally come out. “In my personal opinion, it depends on the teacher. Some change grades, some ignore completely, but some disregard their own feelings and show no dislike,” stated Olivia DiMarco (’15). Even when you hit the real world, people all around are playing favorites, but students express that teachers do it quite often. “ Some teachers make it obvious about who they favorite, usually by just always having jokes with that one student in class or giving them more help than the kid that is always struggling,” expressed Amanda Serpa (’15). Teachers may not even take notice to this matter, but on the count of liking one student more than another, that is all based on their perception on fairness and equality. “First, I guess, I’d say that teachers are...
people. I think that all people “favor” certain people over others - I’m not sure that any of us can really help it,” explained Dr.Neidich, one of the English teachers at Norwalk High. Favoritism may be sensed, but it may not actually be meant. When people favorite or show they favorite one another, most of the time it is not intentional. “A teacher
may enjoy having certain students in class, but it does not mean that the teacher treats those students differently. Although, I also believe that many teachers (people in general) have to stay very aware of this issue - in order not to show favoritism,” continued Dr.
Neidich on his opinion towards the topic. If a student feels favoritism is occurring throughout their classroom, odds are that the teacher may not even take notice to it or feel they are doing anything of that matter. As much as all want to believe teachers are favoring a student over another out of spite, most likely that teacher is not or will never know unless confronted. Either way teachers are people too, and sometimes they need to be reminded.
PhotoC
redit:studentloannetwork.com
Teachers & Phones:Do as I say Not as I do
As soon as Principal Roberts walked into Norwalk High School, the cell phone policy was strongly enforced to students. As soon as a teacher sees a cell phone, they have to take it.
Many students feel that it is unfair that they are not allowed to use their cell phones, but teachers can.
“One time I was in one of my classes. My teacher confi scated somebody’s cell phone, interrupting a lesson. And right after she put it in her drawer, she pulled out her own phone and started typing. It’s not fair that the cell phone rule applies to students and not teachers,” said Julie Mammoliti (’15).
Many teachers do not know this, but the cell phone policy does apply to them, like it does everybody else.
“Yes, the cell phone rule does apply to teachers,” said Principal Roberts. “I’ll have to make that more clear, if teachers are using their cell phones in class.” The policy does not only apply to students and teachers; it applies to everyone in the building including guidance counselors, housemasters, and even maintenance.
“Yes, I think teachers should be allowed to use their cell phone. If it is an emergency [with the kids] then defi nitely,” Said Mrs. Tolk, Math teacher. “You can’t directly call the classroom phones without having to go through the main offi ce and everything.”
“No, I don’t think that teachers should be allowed to use their cell phones,” said Ms. Hunter, Biology teacher. “There is no need to. If somebody needs to get in touch with you they can call your class phone if it is that important. My husband always says ‘turn your cell phone on’, and I tell him that if you really need me, call me on the school phone.” Like students, it is a known fact that some teachers will ignore the rule and continue to use their phones anyway. “Teachers shouldn’t use cell phones in front of us and then yell at us to put them away,” said Sarah Hooper (’14). “Depending on the teacher.”
Phone: 203-846-4803420 Post Road West, Westport CT
Photo Credit: Lillianna B
yington
The Paw PrintDecember 2012
NEWS 5
Remember back in June, when I wrote about how I love to go on long walks on the beach? Remember when I wrote about how I like to hang out with friends and families and watch movies? Remember when I wrote about that I do not like to take out the trash and read joke books? If you said, yes to all these questions, well it is likely remembered that I was the guy who saw Katy Perry live and saw a taping of Live with Kelly.
Well ever since I wrote that article all those months ago, a lot has happened in my life. I went to see two more TV show
tapings. This summer, I went to see auditions for The X-Factor and America’s Got Talent.
After watching these illustrious TV shows live, I was able to gain the perspective that there is talent and entertainment is everywhere in the world.
America’s Got Talent was a pretty good show this year. The talent on that show was spectacular on all levels. I saw Eric Dittlemen, “mind reader” who left the audience leaving the show with curiosity and support, which amazed me. Then seeing “Horse” who sacrificed his groins for laughs and votes. Then ending the show with the actual Americas Got Talent winners “Olate Dogs” with their spectacular act featuring their cute dogs,
and winning both the show and America’s heart.
Watching a live taping of The X-Factor was one of the highlights of my entire summer. I could not have asked for a
better time at a TV show. From seeing Simon in person and standing inches away from him and there was a strong possibility that he personally waved to me. I had a great time seeing the next music sensations singing their hearts and bringing joy to many people’s ears, and it was awesome to watch the show with some pretty great people.
It was a true gift to have seen all of this talent in the world. It is surreal to think that the next entertaining superstar of America may very well be seated next to you. You may be walking the streets and you just might be standing to the next Michael
Jackson or the next Carly Rae Jepsen. The ability to entertain someone is
everywhere; just go out and look for it.
Oh, the Places Matt Goes: Part IIMAt thew BrownM e d i a e d i t o R
This cartoon network success may be much more than just a silly show for children.
Adventure Time is a post-apocalyptic show that first aired in 2010. It is about a young boy named Finn who is the last human on earth and is best friends with a dog named Jake. In every episode, the two characters go through ridiculous and epic events.
Adventure time has not only attracted a huge amount of child audiences, but also adults as well. Why would a bunch of grown-up’s want to sit down and watch a television show where a boy and a talking
dog fight the forces of evil?One of the reasons it has such a
well-rounded audience is because of the all-mighty power of Nostalgia. Disney’s Wreck It Ralph isn’t the only animation phenomenon paying dues to classical video games. The cartoon network show features
many vintage video game consoles. Finn and Jake are also often spotted playing games on the console that are heavily pixilated and similar to classic games such as Atari, Pitfall, and Pac Man.
These retro appearances give adults that were apart of the video game and superhero subculture a “blast from the past.”
The show has also gotten many commemorations for its social comments. Each episode contains morals lessons that are relevant to modern society.
For example, the episode “Princess Monster Wife” is about how an evil king creates a wife from removing body parts from all the princesses in the land.
On the surface this plot line seems outrageous and almost repulsive. However,
the episode is actually a commentary on body image. The “Princess Frankenstein” struggles to love her appearance even when the Ice King is always reminding her how much he loves her and all her lady parts.
The characters are also deep and they all have a “side-b”. As goofy and playful Finn the human is, he can often be found sitting alone, feeling lost, and questioning his purpose. Marceline, a vampire teenager, has many episodes where she has to sort out issues with her neglectful father.
The underlying darkness injected into the episodes separate Adventure Time from the other current children programs such as Dora The Explorer. Instead of trying to teach their audience their “ABC’s and 123’s” they portray much more powerful lessons that appeals to all types of people.
Adventure Time for Kids and their ParentsSamantha NorthropR e p o Rt e R
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Photo Credit: Sharon C
adden, Lucas Keogh
The Paw PrintDecember 2012ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT6
Taylor Swift’s recent song, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is, without a doubt, catchy. However, that is the most I can say for this song. Sure, it will get stuck in listeners’ heads, and it may be a great anthem for people who have recently gone through a break-up, but that is all it is good for.
Let us be honest; we are all getting a little tired of Taylor Swift. Her popular songs are only about dating and breaking up, which she seems to do quite a lot of, according to the media. We get it: Taylor has dated more guys than anyone. Like… ever. But my sympathy for this particular pop icon is draining.
If Taylor is so sick of this guy, maybe she should not have gotten back together with him enough times to need two extra “ever”s in her song. Instead of finding new arm candy, as not to be seen in public
without a boyfriend, maybe Taylor should work on writing songs with some depth to them. It is not as though it can hurt her career. Or maybe the problem is not her song lyrics, but herself.
Taylor’s average relationship length since she entered the public eye in 2008 is about three and a half months. Evidently, that is how long it takes for Taylor to fall in love and start considering marriage and children, as evidenced in her song lyrics and music videos. That seems very childish, if not a bit psychotic.
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is just more evidence of Taylor’s immaturity. Her behavior resembles that of a 12-year-old, and it reflects in her lyrics. This song is no exception.
I will concede that Taylor has a lot of good songs as well, and she has a beautiful voice. However, this song, which demonstrates her attitude towards relationships, is simply not good. It is repetitive and shallow in meaning, and it makes her sound whiny. I give it a two out of ten; would not download.
J eanet te HamiltonR e p o Rt e R
Ladies and gentle-man, boys and girls, pre-senting Austin Mahone!
Austin Mahone is a 16 year old that started posting videos on
YouTube with his best friend, Alex Constancio, on an account called “ShootUsDown” in July 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. Michele Ma-hone, also known as “Mama Mahone”, shot the videos. Now, he is signed to Chase Universal Republic and lives in Miami.
Austin Mahone is not just the “next Justin Bieber.” Austin is the one and only Austin Mahone. Austin can play piano, guitar, and drums and obviously sing too. Austin has three singles so far. His first single, “11:11,” his second, "Say Somethin’” and most importantly his new-est, “Say You’re Just a Friend (feat. Flo Rida)”.
He played the first Q102 Springle Ball music concert, and also the B96 Summer Bash in Chicago. Austin has also been on radio stations had an interview with Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.
One of Austin’s dreams is to go on tour with Bieber. When Austin met Justin it was probably the happiest I have seen him. Austin also did Justin Bieber covers, one of Austin’s favorite songs from Justin is “One Less Lonely Girl.”
Austin has been through difficult hardships; he lost his father he also lost his grandma who was always there for Austin and also, his lovely dog Angel she also passed away.
Austin is always strong and keeps going, as he is getting bigger and bigger by the minute, but Austin will be the same Austin from when he started to now.
I believe that Austin will shine bright with the support of not only his family and friends and fans but with “Mahomies”, who will stand with Austin no matter what.
A Timeless Classic Brought to Hollywood
Austin Who?!T-Swift’s Love StoryGetting Predictable Dai sy
Garc iaG u e s t R e p o Rt e R
Haley DoranR e p o Rt e R
On Christmas Day, the movie musical, Les Miserables, will be opening in movie theaters across the United States.
Les Miserables is based off of the French novel written by Victor Hugo and tells the story of an ex-prisoner named JeanValjean (Hugh Jackman), who spends years running from the ruthless policeman, Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. Valjean agrees to take care of factory worker Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) child, Cosette (Amanda Seyfreid) and their lives change forever.
This film, directed by Tom Hooper, is different than most movie musicals. Les Miserables was filmed with live singing as opposed to pre recorded singing. “To act is to create the illusion that these songs, these speeches are produced by the character
in the heat of the moment. This gave the actors the freedom to control tempo, maybe to take a tiny fraction of a second to alter an emotion or express it,” Hooper continues to say, “It’s amazing how much more visceral and how much more real it is. I, for one, find lip syncing; it’s always made me find it fake.”
Les Miserables, which was a stage production prior to the movie ran on Broadway for sixteen years, winning Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score, and has been performed all over the world.
In particular, Les Miserables is no stranger to Norwalk High School. Most recently the show was performed in the spring of 2010. Students who performed in the performance are especially excited for this movie. “When we did Les Miserables freshman year, I fell in love with the music instantly. The story was so epic and moving that it became my favorite musical. Because a movie musical has never been made I am beyond excited for Christmas Day, which makes the anticipation even less bearable.” Emma Chassagnoux (’13).
Do not miss the opportunity to see this film over winter break.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT6The Paw PrintDecember 2012 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 7
It’s a “No” For American Idol
Liz & Dick Flops
If one would see Theresa Caputo walking around a super market they would think that she was just an everyday mother, not knowing that she is a medium who can communicate with the dead. Caputo lives in Long Island and has an American reality television series on TLC that premiered on September 25, 2011. The camera crew follows Caputo and her family around while she sits down with patients or just random people that were out shopping to speak to their close family members and friends who have passed away. Caputo is known for becoming very emotional with her patients on the show. Her patients feel a connection to their loved ones that they no longer have in their lives. Caputo is able to tell her patients what their loved ones are saying or what they want them to know. Many patients feel a sigh of
relief after they have spoken with Caputo knowing that their loved one is happy or content. The patients also feel as if their loved one was there with them in person and they felt that they were able to talk to them for one last time.
Caputo was going to be interviewed on “20/20” when she started to ask the crew some questions. She asked if someone had something
special that belonged to someone else and a
cameraman, Herb Forsberg did. He was wearing his deceased father’s ring. Caputo said that his father
was making his presence known
in the room and she heard a jingling noise
sounding like change in their pocket. Forsberg then said that was one of his father’s habits. Forsberg was excited and said, “I would like to believe that there are the souls of my loved ones that are looking out for me.” interviewed according to abc news. If one turns on TLC they definitely will not miss the “Long Island Medium” television series, considering it is always on. It is a show that will touch viewers’ hearts without a doubt.
Meet The MediumChrist ine BusardoR e p o Rt e R
Liz and Dick were not done justice in their Lifetime movie. Lindsey Lohan and Grant Bowler played the infamous Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the poorly portrayed Liz and Dick. Learning about the lives of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton can be insanely intriguing, however it is the acting and script that suffered. Having prior knowledge to the lives of Miss Taylor and Mr. Burton is unfortunate in that it raises the expectations for these actors portraying them, yet they did not meet the bar. They sacrificed quality for publicity because the script felt rushed and Lindsey Lohan, a paparazzi obsession due to her scandalous life, was the star. Unfortunately, actors do depend on their lines, which most certainly lacked as well. The lines were short and emotionless. At one point Taylor’s mother exclaims the fact that Liz has been married many times. Her mother states, “Not that I’m counting, but if I’m not mistaken you’ve just ended, what, you’re fourth marriage” and Taylor replied “Who’s counting?” Both Lindsey Lohan and Elizabeth Taylor are iconic people in completely different meanings. Even through all the scandals and marriages
of Taylor she still remained one of the most glamorous movie stars of all time, while Lohan has turned from adorable child star to a drunken jailbird. With Lohan and Taylor having similar lives growing
up you may think that she would be able to connect with her. They both grew up in the film industry being constantly attacked by paparazzi, but no connection seemed to form. Elizabeth and Richard do gain weight as the movie progresses and they even state that but they do not show it, as they remained fit. The end when Taylor is supposedly in her 60’s going to see Burton’s grave, she looks the same as in her 20’s except for the bad wig. With all of the publicity the movie received, it seems as if they should have the funds to age her for one of the most significant scenes in the movie. Not done the justice deserved, two interesting lives left in a boring movie with poor acting and scripting.
L i l l iannaBy ingtonB u s i n e s s M a naG e R
When I was younger I looked forward to “American Idol” every winter. I looked forward to Paula Abdul, trying to critique the contestants without hurting their feelings, awaited Simon Cowell, critiquing every contestant for not only their voice, but also their clothes. Lastly, Randy Jackson, for not really giving any critique at all, and counting all of the times he said “yo” or “dawg”.
When Paula Abdul left the show in 2009, I knew the show would not be the same. Abdul was replaced with
someone that seemed similar, Kara DioGuardi, who was later replaced by Ellen Degeneres, who was hired to hopefully bring up the shows ratings.
I was still enjoying the show for a couple more seasons until
Simon Cowell left the show in order to judge a new show, “The X Factor”, which is now a big hit.
From then on I knew that the show was not going to be the same until I found out that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler would assist Randy Jackson in judging. I decided to give them a chance.
Randy’s judging skills remained the same. It seemed that Jennifer felt bad about giving somebody a bad review, and after a song the only word
that came out of Steven Tyler’s mouth was “beautiful.”
For me, American Idol was never the same. The ratings for the 2008 finale were 31.7 million people tuned in. In 2011, the finale ratings dropped to 26.5 million. The two judges then left after two seasons.
Now, three new judges will take their place; Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, and Mariah Carey will all assist Randy Jackson to critique and hopefully create a new star.
The new judges will travel to various locations hoping to find the new “American Idol”.
Auditions are my favorite part of the season to watch. I like to hear all of
the amazing (or terrible) voices and get mad at the judges for their opinions.
No matter how bad American Idol might become, I will always find myself watching it because I have loved it ever since I was younger.
timesunion.com
Samantha R icc iR e p o Rt e R
images.zaptoit.com
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The Paw PrintNovember 2012 7ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Paw Print
December 2012ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT8
Many seniors around the country this year are preparing for college, whether it be filling out applications or choosing between their future schools. However, this is all pointless
because tomorrow we all need to bow down to our Mayan overlords and accept our fate during the end of the world. Some people refuse to believe that the world will really end on December 21st. I like to call this the first stage of grief – denial. The nonbelievers around the world simply cannot grasp the concept of the end of mankind and are instead trying to forget their impending doom by filling out their Common Application. Most people just need to accept their inevitable deaths and relax. Just
this past weekend instead of studying for an English test I watched every episode of the HBO drama The Wire. This was much more enjoyable than doing pointless work. Whenever people tweet or post on Facebook that they got accepted to a college I respond to their posts reminding them that they are foolish and ignorant for not remembering the end of mankind is just around the corner. Some people have not even started planning for their Apocalypse parties. Now they will not even enjoy a nice pizza or watch a blockbuster movie for the last moments of their lives. When the ground starts breaking up and the ocean floods the streets we will see who gets the last laugh. Whether you are planning on going to UConn, NCC, or UCLA, it really does not matter because we are all going to end up as piles of dust in no time. The best you can do is wait it out and hope for a painless death.
The “wall side” and the “window side” represent more than just the architecture of the cafeteria. A student can clearly see the difference between the two sides, but no one seems to be bothered by it. The segregation of the cafeteria occurs completely by choice. Students decide to sit with their friends; the people they relate to the most, so tables are likely to be filled with similar
people. However, there are students who seem to make the choice to diversify themselves. The middle of the cafeteria portrays a more apparent mixture of people. There are also the students who table-hop, sitting at different tables throughout the lunch period to talk to all of their friends. In the end, everyone is simply sitting with the teenagers they like, not deliberately attempting to separate themselves from others. A t Norwalk High School, the majority of students are accepting of their classmates and do not judge each other based on race, ethnicity, or culture.
Compared to schools in surrounding neighborhoods, Norwalk High has evident diversity, and along with it, recognition and compliance of this diversity. The way that this school comes together sets it apart, and even brings its above, other districts. As a senior at Norwalk High, I am proud to attend a school that taught me to have an open mind, and not be seen as a narrow-minded, petty girl with an inadequate understanding of the world.
End of the World as we Know it & I Feel Fine
Staff BoxThe Paw PrintNorwalk High School
23 Calvin Murphy DriveNorwalk, CT 06851
(203) 838-4481ext. 1808
The Paw Print would like to thank all Journalism students for their work in the
creation of this newspaper. The following names are the students who
The controversial topic over school uni-forms remains an issue for students, par-ents, and schools.
While many students would like to wear what they like, most schools believe that in order for good attendance, equality amongst students, and dedication to hard work, it is essential those students wear uniforms.
All of this is proven to be true, and the best way to enforce discipline and self-confidence is to make sure all schools provide school uniforms.
Many parents are concerned about the annual cost of school uniforms. However, the average school uniform costs around two hundred and fifty dol-lars.
According to Teenage Research Unlimited, an average American teen-ager spends a hundred and three dol-lars a week on clothes, when they go shopping on a weekly basis.
This adds up to a total of five thousand, three hundred and thirty six dollars per year. It is significantly cheaper for both parents and students to buy one school uniform that will last through the school year.
While many argue that school uni-forms take away a child’s way of ex-pressing themselves, children’s more creative side will come out if everyone is dressed in a school uniform.
Think about it, if everyone looked the same, wouldn’t the more creative students stand out the most?
Kids are constantly trying to out dress each other for status and popularity.
During class, student’s focus on what others are wearing, which then leads to not paying attention during class. School uni-forms would create order because if every-one looked the same in a class, there would be no competition and students would fo-cus a lot more on their work.
According to Long Beach Uniform Statistics, the overall crime rate dropped by 91% when students were required to wear school uniforms. This happened be-cause by everyone wearing the same thing, it created equality amongst the students.
Another shocking discovery
is that students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade assaults decreased by 85%. If school uniforms are creating this large of an impact on students improved behavior, then why don’t all schools en-force these rules?
A chorus of high heels clicking down the halls, smoky eye shadow, gigantic dangling earrings; many females at Norwalk High take “dressing for success” a little too seriously. High school is, unfortunately, a place where one’s peers will judge on looks before anything else. Trends are birthed at the hands of those who can afford to buy the latest cool pair of shoes or a $150 pair of jeans with a few tattered holes in them. Personally it has never made sense how someone could willingly spend so much on a simple clothing item that is a fraction of the cost at Kohl’s or Bob’s. However, this is beside the point. Whether it is a rich or more underprivileged student, too many seem to think that dressing like you’re walking down the red carpet everyday is crucial to every day campus life. Wearing high heels to school has always been a concept difficult to grasp. It has been a battle to even get them on right, let alone be able to walk ten feet in them. I can’t imagine having to put up with that for 7 hours straight while enduring crowded, twisted hallways with people constantly pushing each other around. Excessive makeup is something confusing as well.
The purpose of makeup is to bring out one’s natural features, not cover them up with layer upon layer of foundation and eye shadow. There is nothing wrong with having a passion for fashion and wanting to look presentable, but when you wake up at 4:30 in the morning just so you can spend an hour and a half straightening your hair, doing your makeup just right, and making sure your shoes match your blouse, one may want to reconsider their priorities. It is astounding how many will sacrifice precious hours of slumber to ensure they look perfect every day. It is not that looks do not matter. For many, it is an issue of confidence; the better one feels about themselves, the better their mood (and in turn, work ethic) is throughout the day. Nobody wants to go about his or her day feeling insecure and uptight, especially in the high school environment where everyone is so quick to judge based on physical appearance.
However looks are not everything, and those who make extreme sacrifices just to make sure their appearance is up to the standards of their peers should focus more on redeeming qualities about themselves that are invisible on the outside. Although coming to school looking like one woke up on the wrong side of the bed every morning is not acceptable either. One should find a happy medium between both looks that meets their own personal standards and nobody else’s.
In many private and public schools in Fairfield County and all over the country,
uniforms are made mandatory for all students to wear to
school. There are many ar-guments debating the pros and cons of regulating the dress code of students, but
the negatives are far more overpowering.
Many students at Norwalk High School enjoy coming to school dressed to impress or simply dressed to express their personal style and taste. Imagine having to trade in the varieties of cloth-
ing for a standard school uniform. “Private schools first imported the British tradition of student uniforms to mark a student’s social status. Urban public schools began to adopt uniforms in the late 1980s to reduce social pres-sure from fashion-savvy students,” Carol Motsinger of USA TODAY from David Brunsma, a writer and sociologist that wrote the composition Uniforms in Pub-lic Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate (2005). This may be the case in some schools, but having to forfeit the right to clothing is still unfair to those who enjoy standing out and dressing themselves their way.
As far as price is concerned, having to purchase a set of clothing in multiple pairs can get pretty costly. The U.S. Department of Education, National Center of Education Statis-tics, Educator’s Certification System, National Association of Elementary School Principals, and University of Florida verified that the annual cost of uniforms in schools is around $249. In the year 2000, parents, students, etc. purchased $1.1 billion worth of uni-forms. The cost of the uniforms is so expensive that financial aid is provided for the purchase in Bridgeport Public Schools. One of the most common argu-ments for uniforms is that they create order in schools. Students already do not abide by school policies, why would they change their obedience when we obtain uniforms? We all know those rebellious few who will fight the
uniforms until the end. Everyone has their own opin-ions on the current and future state of the dress code, but overall, uniforms are not the way to go to regulate what individu-als wear to class.
Chri st ina SawyerR e p o Rt e R
Er in Kellya&e e d i t o R
MikaylaBeckwitho p i n i o n e d i t o R
Dressing to Impress Taken Way Too Far
vs
On Saturday, November 24th, an article was written in The Norwalk Hour regarding the Norwalk High School’s Boys Soccer Team’s historic State Champion win. This article slowly turned very excited residents of Norwalk into very angry Norwalk Bears. The article, written by John Nash, stated, “The Bears grew up in a city where gun violence is an all too common occurrence; a place where their peer can lose their lives by making one bad decision, or by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” This statement is completely offensive and should not have been written with a subject that is so historical and positive towards Norwalk.
Norwalk is a city and as a city, there is bound to be parts that are not the nicest places to be. However, stereotyping the whole city of Norwalk as a dangerous and poor place is completely inaccurate. The article later states that all students
who attend Fairfield Prep are wealthy, have attractive girlfriends, and bright futures
ahead of them. While some of this information might be true, many students who go to Fairfield Prep do not come from “wealthy towns or cities”. There are students who attend Prep from all over C o n n e c t i c u t , i n c l u d i n g Norwalk. After many p e o p l e ’ s complaints about the article, John Nash, published
an apology. Instead of elaborating on stereotypes of the Norwalk and Fairfield Prep students, the article should have focused on straight facts. It should not matter where the teams came from, Norwalk played the best and deserved to win.
The Hour Needs to Take a Minute to Think
Photo Credit: Matt Brown
The Paw PrintDecember 2012OPINION10
Haley DoranR e p o Rt e R
journalisten2012b.wordpress.com
Reporter takes a minute to think.
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Marriage between a man and a woman should be made illegal in the United States of America. Straight marriage is unnatural, immoral, unsafe, and entirely illogical. Men and women should not be attracted to one another. Their bodies and minds are far too different. Humans innately have negative feelings for people who are different than they are, and gender should be no exception. There is no reason for a woman to want to be with a man when she could instead be with another woman, who would be able to understand her more easily. Straight marriage also violates the Elbib, the holy book of Naitsirkism, the most important and influential religion of all time. In a theocracy, like the United States, laws must be based on ideals held by good people of faith who wrote a book thousands of years ago. Those people clearly state in the Elbib that a man and a woman shall not lie together. Today’s society must, therefore, obey that rule, regardless of which religion the individuals practice. Another reason men and women should keep to their own genders is that doing so helps to control the population. When a man and a woman have relations with each other, they risk accidentally making a baby. Even if they have no desire to have children, if they do not
use sufficient protection, then, whoops! They have created a new person. That person will have to be supported, which many accidental parents cannot do on their own, leaving that responsibility to the government. Unfortunately, the government has trouble supporting the citizens it already has. The United States does not need more people sprouting up randomly just because a man and a woman got married. Clearly, straight marriage is too dangerous to allow. The United States government must stop such atrocious behavior immediately. If straight people continue to marry each other, the nation will fall into a state of chaos, as one couple’s marriage affects the entire country.
The most common stereotype for women is that all of them are jealous and “catty” human beings. This thought process causes some females to think that no girl is worth being friends with, and in that belief they only seek companionship with males. It is quite ridiculous for a girl to say, “I am only friends with guys because they do not start drama.” Drama does not depend on gender; that is a matter of choice.A person chooses what enters and what exits in their life. Therefore, the girls who say they are not involved with female friendships to stay away from drama are probably the ones who are contributing to the drama. Another common argument girls have for staying away from female friendships is that boys are easier to talk to. They feel that they can say anything to a guy without being judged.
While that may be true about their male friend, there are plenty of girls out there who are also non-judgmental. There is a wide spread myth that all girls betray each other and talk bad about each other. If deceit and betrayal has happened to a female on numerous occasions, it does not mean all girls are terrible friends. It just means they have not found the right ones. There is nothing wrong with having male friendships. There is also nothing
the wrong with a female who only has male friends because they naturally relate to guys more. However, it is quite ridiculous for a girl to purposely stay clear of all friendships with other girls. The girls who are separating themselves are missing out on
some wonderful female friendships. They are missing out on a chance to spend time with people who could understand them most, just to feel above other females. It does not make anyone better to believe that gender defines a person’s character, and it is also an insult to their own self.
The Gender of Friendship
Straight Marriage is Immoral
Samantha NorthropR e p o Rt e R
The end of the world cannot be marked on any calendar. Clearly the world is confused. Many predictions have been made in the past years and nothing has happened. After so many false predictions and prophecies, it is very hard for people to believe that the world would actually end on December 21st, 2012. Last year, many predictions were made and they brought fear to many people; the frustration and desperation was shown in many ways. The super markets ran out of water and cans of food all because people believed that in two weeks the world would end. However, two weeks passed and nothing happened. Harold Camping was one of the predictors. He predicted devastating earthquakes and that the world would end on May 21st. This event did not occur, so he restated the date to October 21st, 2011. He passed away June 3rd, 2011, and his prediction never came true. Ronald Weinland prophesized that the world would end September 29th, 2011, but the day came and nothing happened.
He restated the date to May 27th, 2011, and clearly nothing happened. Now after all this, we cannot believe all these lies. Human beings cannot predict when or how the world will end. In the book of Matthew chapter 24 verse 36, it says “However, no one knows the day and hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the son himself. Only the father.” This new prediction is an open door for many false prophets and many other people to rise up and bring fear into our lives once again. People keep believing this garbage because they have put their faith in what those crazy people say and not what the scientists prove. We see in the Bible In book of Matthew chapter 24 verse 11 that God speaks and says that,“many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.” The world is not ending any time soon. People who believe it will have a great lack of knowledge. People should not believe something that has been predicted so many times by crazy people who think they know the world and can predict how or when it would be over. There is nothing to be afraid of. Nobody knows when the world will end.
End of the WorldNathal ia RamirezR e p o Rt e R
It was a typical Tuesday and everyone was going about his or her normal day while I chose not to say one word. I notified my teachers that from 7:30 in the morning until when the bell rang at 2:15, I had to remain silent. I did not tell anyone else in advance so when my friends asked, I had to explain it to them without talking. It turned out to be very difficult. People would come up to me and ask questions like, “Why can’t you talk?” or “Do you have laryngitis?” Most people thought that I was saving my voice for a very important singing audition after school. Others wondered if I was upset because talking happens to be something I love to do. This experiment was extremely frustrating because as an energetic person, I always have something to say. Throughout the day, I found myself writing down a lot of things because I was not supposed to speak. Not only that, I used hand gestures a lot more than usual as well. Body language tells a lot about what a person is trying to say, even when talking is involved. One of my teachers got very frustrated with me because I tried to explain to them something that I needed without speaking and, eventually, he kicked me out of the class. From that point on, I had to stop the experiment because I could not take the risk of getting any other teachers upset. This one-day experience made me realize that some people not only go one day without speaking but they have to go their whole lives. It is not because
they chose to do it either. When my mom was pregnant with me, the doctor wrongly diagnosed her with cytomegalovirus and explained that I would be born blind, deaf, and severely mentally disabled. After the challenge of not speaking for one day, I can only imagine how hard that would be if I had no choice but to go through it my entire life. Speaking is a major way of communicating and anyone who would be interested in doing this experiment, I would highly recommend it. You learn the important life lesson of being lucky with what you have that others may not.
A Day of SilenceSoph ie KatzR e p o Rt e R
Photo Credit: H
aley Doran
Photo credit: familycourtchroicles.com
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Boy and Girl share a friendship
J eanet te HamiltonR e p o Rt e R
IPads should be allowed in school. Some teachers in the school allow them because students have bad handwriting and the teachers have a hard time reading what the students write. Brookfield High School is a school in Connecticut and they are now switching to iPads because it would be easier for students to carry them around and they would not have to go to their locker to get other books for different classes. They also are switching to an item this light because it will lower the rate of tardiness in the
school. Students at BHS say they are happy that they have switched and now they cannot complain about their backs hurting because of the heavy load they carry during the day. An iPad and a cell phone is similar except an iPad is bigger in size. For example, with both you can go online, call people, text, take pictures, and more. How can something so small not be allowed but something so big and noticeable can enter the school with no problem? If a cell phone is not allowed then an iPad should not either.
Starting next year the Glastonbury Board of Education approved a technology plan that would give each freshman and sophomore student an iPad. The cost to
launch this program is expected to be $419,000 and to cover the entire freshman in the school it will be $210,000. The Board says that with the iPads they will not have to worry about paying for textbooks in the future. Also having iPads is a great way to take notes and keep track of everything. IPads help students keep their notes safe, neat and are easier to read and understand what they are taking note of.IPads are accessibility to students with disabilities. For example work applications have been created on the iPad for students with cognitive disabilities, iPads have been used in many deaf schools and with students who have problems with communication skills.
Real or Rumor: Superlatives are No More?
Gill & Gill
Recently there have been rumors circulating about Norwalk High School’s traditional superlatives maybe getting retired with the class of 2012. However it has been confirmed that the rumors are not true. “It wasa possibility, but no they are not cancelled this year,” stated Mr. Smith. The main reason for the possible cancellation is because Mr. Smith, the yearbook supervisor, is concerned that they are just a popularity contest. Are they really though? It should be up to the student body to decide if this section of the yearbook
truly is an issue that needs to be addressed, otherwise there is no reason for us to rock the boat. Previously at Norwalk High the superlatives have had several mishaps. One of them being that one person would sometimes win a majority of the titles. That being unfair to the student body, they did change it to one person only being able to win up to two superlatives. It was something appropriate to change and it got done, but completely eliminating the process is a foolish and rash decision that will take away a huge part of the yearbook that students, faculty, and families at home enjoyment. These superlatives are a harmless act purely out of fun. It is no fair that they could get taken away because one person is more
likely to win than another. Actually when putting it into words like that, it can be compared to any section or extra curricular at the school. Would it be fair to take away the privilege of having captains of a sports team if one person is more likely to get it than another? Or not allow someone to be the president of a club if they are not fit to run it? It is true that they can get judged by first impression that it is a little superficial to pick people out of the senior class to call them best looking, or most likely to succeed, but truth is so many schools participate in it, and it has been going on for many years now, and it would be devastating to everyone if they got taken away.
Kyl i e Coppolas p o Rt s e d i t o R
Kyshawna McCraeR e p o Rt e R
Schools Incorporate iPads into Curriculum
Photo Credit: Sophie K
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Photo Credit: blogs.independent.co.uk
The Paw PrintDecember 2012
OPINION 13
Dashing to the Finish
While Norwalk High School’s Varsity Boys Soccer team may have had an excellent season this past fall winning FCIACs and States, there are many other NHS Fall sports teams whose wins may have gone
unnoticed.NHS’ Girls Soccer team had an
exciting two wins and one tie this season, defeating both Trinity Catholic and Bridgeport Central, and tying neck-and-neck with Danbury High School.
NHS’ famous football team also clinched two exciting wins, defeating Danbury with a score of 16-6, and Harding High School 20-0. Although the traditional Thanksgiving game against Brien
McMahon resulted in a loss, it still proved to show the talent and tenacity behind the Bears.
Norwalk High’s own Girls Volleyball team had an adventurous and exciting season, winning a total of four games, an all-time record for the team. Together the girls defeated Bridgeport Central, Bassick, Wilton, and Harding High with their teamwork and skill.
Girls Track this season also had a great
record with six wins, beating numerous teams all around the county each time, while Boys Track held an 11-6 record, making a 10th place record in States.
Now, as the fall sports season comes to an end, a new round of winter sports have already begun in Norwalk High. Be sure to root on for your school by attending games and wearing green and white!
Lucas Keoghn e w s e d i t o R
The girl’s indoor track team has always been known for doing well in their academics and on the field, but both of the captains expect this year to be one of the best yet. Both captains are determined to succeed and are confident that they will accomplish their many goals.
Sprinting captain, Crystle Hill (’13), is excited for the season to begin. She stated, “Our main goal as a team this year is to help each other achieve their maximum potential. I am honestly so happy and so proud of my team. Everyone has outstanding grades and they are willing to work hard. As a captain I couldn’t have asked for better people to finalize my high school track experience with.”
Distance captain, Alex Troetti (’13), also has a very positive outlook on this years indoor track team. “My goals for the season are for all of my girls to excel in their own events and to find the event that they feel they are most successful in. Whether they are the best runner or a beginner, I hope they can improve and surprise themselves throughout the season. I plan on improving the team by ultimately helping them find what running means to them and to work everyday towards that goal.”
The girl’s indoor track team is anticipating their upcoming season. They start off the season, with a meet at Staples High School, where the team will be competing against Staples, Stamford, Ridgefield, and Bassick. The team cannot wait to begin competing so that all of the their hard work and exhausting practices will finally pay off.
Chri st ina Deblas iR e p o Rt e R
Soph ie KatzR e p o Rt e R
The winter season is well under way and the girls’ basketball team has begun their season with high hopes and fresh new faces.
Bouncing back from their loss of five starting players, the varsity girls’ basketball team has moved many juniors up to starting positions and many underclassman have joined their seniors and juniors for the fight. With a team of two seniors, seven juniors, three sophomores, and six freshmen, the team is setting up the future of NHS basketball.
“It hurts to lose some many players and it leaves you with a lot of inexperience. We hope to improve every game and every practice though,” commented Head Coach
Rick Fuller. The team’s first game was on
Wednesday the 5th, and the score did not represent the girls’ fight. Our players worked hard and sadly the end result did not portray the attitude and ability of the team.
“We have a few tough first games coming up, but it will be a learning process,” stated captain Emma Oyomba (’13).
Goals have been set and the drive to reach them is clear. A win against cross-town rivals Brien McMahon is first on the agenda and then comes the chance to play in the post-season tournaments like the FCIAC Championships and the CIAC Championships.
NHS is backing up the team and rooting the girls on for success in their future. We all want to see the team reach their goals and accomplish what they started the season wanting.
MikaylaBeckwitho p i n i o n e d i t o R
Norwalk High Says Farewell to Fall Sports
Shooting for the StarsRun, Norwalk, Run!
With a change in dynamics, the Norwalk High School boy’s indoor track team is ready to start off the season with a bang. “This season is the season of dreams for us and I am thrilled to be with a great group of individuals. I cannot wait to have some fun this year,” stated enthusiastic runner, Matt Brown. (’13)
Mr. Moffett explains, “In years past usually we have had a lot of sprinters and not as many runners. This year it is the complete opposite.”
This year, the new coaches have been training the team to hit the times and with that training they should reach the goal of getting as many kids to qualify for FCIAC’s and states as possible. “I have full confidence that the distance relay and
returning cross country runners will qualify and place in FCIAC’s and states,” explains Captain Edwin Rosales (’13).
We are expecting big things from the indoor boys track team this year and the season is just getting started. The team is ready to go and seems confident that a lot of good will come out of the hard work they all put into the sport.
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Last year’s Matt Mason running his event.
The girl sprinters lining up to start their event.
The Norwalk high school boys basketball team have decided to get a head start up this season and let nothing stop them.
The team is ready to get out there and do some damage and get things done the way they are supposed to be done. The freshman, JV, and varsity teams are excited to show people what they can do.
Jabari Dear (‘13) varsity captain believes that this season will be a good one, not only because the team has so many good players but because the coach and fans have a contageously good influence
on them. Jabari mention that he will never stop telling his team to just “play hard, compete, and win games.”
Roy Kane Jr. (‘15) said, “the words of our captain are very important and encouraging, especially when he reminds us to always finish.” Having a good feeling about this season, he thinks it will be the best one yet.
Saeed Soulemane (‘13) shared that this season they are looking forward to winning states and going to FCIAC’s. “Everybody that made the team this season is very talented and because of that we can make it”, said Saeed. “We work together and we know everybodys strengths and weaknesses, the coaches are good, they care about us and that is very important,”
he continued. Kicking off the season on 12/12/12 at
home, the Bears brought home a win over Danbury with a score of 80-66. That was
not an intimidation for them and they now are ready to take on any team thats coming up.
Dribbling to DreamsNathal ia RamirezR e p o Rt e R
NHS’s Nick Boccanfuso (‘13) on a break away.
The Paw PrintDecember 2012SPORTS14
Over the course of this and last years fall sports seasons, a lot of huge opportunities and decisions have been made by a couple of our athletes here at Norwalk High School. Among the many talented athletes, several were picked out of the bunch due to their over-the-top performance during the season, and have committed to the college of their dreams for doing what they do best.
Norwalk’s own Stephanie Czulewicz (’13) and Andrew Melitsanopoulos (’13) have both made their final decision and have now become an official Blue Devil and Manhattan Jasper, respectively.
Colleges have been looking at Andrew since he was starting for the varsity soccer team when he was just a freshman, and
just recently over the summer coming into senior year made up his mind to go to Manhattan College. Receiving a full scholarship definitely contributed to the decision, but being offered to play D1 was what sold it. “It has been my dream to play division 1 soccer and now that I’ve been blessed with the opportunity I simply can’t wait!” said Andrew.
As for Stephanie, she has been on several recruiting trips and looked at multiple schools before deciding on swimming at Central Connecticut State University. However, it was the D1 commitment she wanted and a hefty scholarship that was the icing on the cake. “The biggest thing for me was being able to get the atmosphere of a high school swim team again,” stated Czulewicz. “All the girls were really sweet when I went on my recruiting trip, and the coach, Bill Ball really made me feel welcomed.” She continued.
Obviously enough we can expect to see these two names in headlines for the various newspapers for the next four years,
all through out their journey playing D1. We are expecting big things from the two of you, and wish you the best of luck!
Boys Swim to SuccessWill iam AngioneR e p o Rt e R
The NHS Boys swim team is back for another season and they are starting the year of right practicing hard and adding strength to an already experienced team.
In addition the swim team has been recruiting and now is up to sixteen swimmers. This may seem small compared to other swim teams Norwalk High School competes against, but numbers are not everything. Last years season is a great example of that. With just nine swimmers the boys swim team was able to win seventh place at states.
“I think we have a lot of experienced swimmers who are all really versatile when it comes to what events they can swim. That will be a great advantage come dual meet and championship season,” said Coach Marchetti. It seems the real rising stars on the team this year are the freshman, who are already very experienced swimmers and are improving
daily. “ I like the effort and determination of the freshman this year.” Coach Marchetti added.
“I am hoping to have a good year, this is my first time on a high school team. This year I want to bring my times down in the events I swim,” said Nico Roden (`16). It is not hard to notice this teams hard work, natural talent, and sportsmanship. The team portrays all this even during the hardest practices. With these great qualities it is clear the Norwalk boys swim team will have an even better season then last years.
Photo Credit: Sharon C
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Boys Swimming and cheering at a home meet last year. The Captains hope for the best.
Pinning the Opponent
Committing to a New College Lifestyle
Jordan ArenaR e p o Rt e R
Kyl i e Coppolas p o Rt s e d i t o R
David Br ightR e p o Rt e R
With 4-5 wins last year out of the various matches, the wrestling team this year has some ground to cover.
“I always expect us to improve as a team and try to learn from the mistakes from last year and progress by the end,” stated Coach Fernandez. Always being
aware of their toughest opponent Danbury, their longest streak of success will be difficult to beat, but with dedication and practice, there is no doubt that the team will be able to try their best and pull through. With the record of 4-5 wins from last year Fernandez expects this year to be around the same, but hopeful in exceeding and doing better.
Captains Evan Reisch and Nery Ceron hope to lead the way towards success for the team as a whole.
Photo Credit: Sharon C
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Jimmy McInerney (‘13) winning his match at one of last years wrestling meets.
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The Norwalk/Brien McMahon boys Ice Hockey team is set to take the ice for their first game of the season on December 15th against Fitch-East Lyme-Ledyard.
The boy’s ice hockey team lost quite a few key players this year, such as Captain Mike McRoy (’12), Rocco Bochetta (’12), and Nick Hulbert (’12). But with this year’s Captains Anthony Arena (’13) and Will Ayles (’13) leading the Bears, it will be an interesting season. Junior Defensemen Ryan Evans (’14) simply said, “We’re Nice.” The team has a new house this year, the Sono Ice House, located here in Norwalk. The team used to play at the Darien Ice Rink, were they shared the ice with the Darien Blue Wave, and the New Canaan Rams, perhaps two of the best teams in the FCIAC now have their own home and no longer need to share. So this is a good thing for the Bears Hockey team, they have the ice all to them selves. Coach Dan Fieghan said, “The boys are looking good this year, they have
a good work ethic. The new rink is nice, I can’t wait to spend the season there. I look forward to a good season with these guys. The Bears have a tough schedule this year, playing about ten of the best teams back to back for two weeks straight. But the new Home rink could possibly have a big effect on the results for the Bears. Junior Left Wing, Sean Welch (’14) said, “ Its gonna be a good time. And the teams great and we are building a program for the new rink.” We’ll have to wait and see what the new rink can do for the Bears this year.
Bears Take on the Ice
GO WATCH BOYS
HOCKEY AT THE NEW SONO ICE
HOUSE! Norwalk/BMHS hocley team;s Sean Welch (‘14) in last years Fitch/East-Lyme away game.
The Paw PrintDecember 2012
SPORTS 15Photo C
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Stephanie Czulewicz (‘13) and Andrew Melitsanopoulos (‘13) happy about their commitment
Breezy Point Relief
2012
A Special Thank You to: Mr. O’Shaughnessy, Mr. Welsh, Mr. Hari-
ton, Mr.Franco, Mr. Seaburg, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. O’Donnell and to the clubs B.R.O.W.N., BuildOn,
and National Honor Society and everyone else who helped out.
