Diman circa 1968 Photo courtesy of the Diman Archives Inside Front and Inside Cover: A photo reflection of past and present A Super Superintendent Aubin takes the steering wheel The Name Game The new title of our school newspaper Genes in Space Sports: Now streaming live The Book Corner: Illuminae Google Connecting students and teachers online Mitch Albom An invitation from UMass Dartmouth to meet the author Meet Our New Teachers New year, new name The 2016-2017 school year is a year of transition. From our new Superintendent-Director (p3) and interim Principal, to new Academic and Vocational Coordinators, to the title for our newspaper (p2), at Diman, the times certainly are a-changin’. Innovator the Diman Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School Fall 2016 A Student Publication
Transcript
Diman circa 1968Photo courtesy of the Diman Archives
Inside
Front and Inside Cover:A photo reflection of past and present
A Super SuperintendentAubin takes the steering wheel
The Name GameThe new title of our school newspaper
Genes in Space
Sports: Now streaming live
The Book Corner: Illuminae
GoogleConnecting students and teachers online
Mitch AlbomAn invitation from UMass Dartmouth to meet the author
Meet Our New Teachers
New year, new nameThe 2016-2017 school year is a year of transition.
From our new Superintendent-Director (p3) and
interim Principal, to new Academic and Vocational
Coordinators, to the title for our newspaper (p2), at
Diman, the times certainly are a-changin’.
Innovatorthe D
iman
Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School
Fall 2016 A Student Publication
Diman present dayPhoto courtesy of the Electronics drone
251 Stonehaven Road Fall River, MA 02723 508-678-2891 dimanregional.org/innovator
Take one look at the picture on our cover and the picture below, and let the past and the present of Diman collide. In celebration of all that we are and have become as a school, our student newspaper has a new name. After 37 years of being known as The Tradesman, we present to you our new title, The Diman Innovator!
The decision to change our name did not come lightly, nor did it come easily. Many people are unaware that our school newspaper started its life as The Vulcan. But don’t get too excited Star Trek fans: in Roman mythology, Vulcan was the god of metalworking and tool-making. Greek fans know him better as Hephaestus, and he was the one who made all the gods’ trusty weapons and armor. He’s also the patron god of craftsmen and artisans. So you can see how a name like The Vulcan was actually pretty appropriate for our school.
Renamed as The Tradesman in the late 1970s, the title took on a much more literal role, as we were preparing young men for trades later on in life. As we move further into the 21st century, however, and look to all the technology, the great variety of vocational shops, and newest tools that we use to teach and learn, it was decided that we needed a name that would reflect our evolving goals and values. New superintendent Thomas Aubin notes that, “The title of the newspaper is antiquated,” and “Does not reflect the technical complexity required of vocational programs and the students who attend said programs in the 21st century.”
Indeed, with the recent introduction of robotics, food science, bio-technology, computer programing, and business technology to name a few, it is once
again time to rebrand. We hope that our new student newspaper will continue to grow and evolve, just as our students and Diman community continue to shift to fit the ever-changing world around us. One only needs to look at these pictures of the building to realize how far we’ve come !
What’s in a name?
The Name GameThe Name GameThe Name Game
The Diman Innovator - Fall 2016 Page 3
A Super Superintendent
by Sierralyn Cadima
“So the role of the Superintendent is extremely multifaceted,” says Mr. Thomas F. Aubin, who was appointed the new Superintendent of Diman RVTHS in May 2016. He says the biggest things he’s responsible for are working with the school committee to develop policies, as well as developing a budget that affords both students and teachers the ability to have the best education that they can.
Mr. Aubin has a genuine passion for cultivating youth by providing them with tools and resources that will prepare them for life after high school. His loyalty to Diman is not only because it is his place of work, but also because he himself is a proud Diman alumni.
A class of 1980 graduate from the Culinary Arts program, Mr. Aubin is grateful for the opportunities he was presented with, some of which he feels were a result of the prestige of his high school career. He retells his extensive work experience: 13 year vocational coordinator at Diman, 1 year as Diman’s Dean of Students (2002-2003), Vice-Principal at Middleoboro HS (2001-2002); history teacher at Diman (1992-2000); permanent substitute at Diman (1987-1992); call-in subsitute (1984-1987); cook at Charlton Memorial, Corrigan Mental Health Facility, Captain PJ’s Seafood Galley; and a bartender at White’s of Westport. He also coached girl’s cross country in 1996, as well as winter and spring track and girl’s basketball.
Further, Aubin has incalculable respect and admiration for his students. “Our kids are so awesome,” he says with awe, “They have such humanity. I get goosebumps thinking about our kids and what we’ve done.” A prominent characteristic of Mr. Aubin is his strict nature, but he has reason for this. “I’m hard on myself and I’m hard on everyone. We have a mission. I only have you for four years.”
One drawback from the superintendent position is the detachment from the students. But even with his hectic schedule, the new superintendent made sure he shook the hand of every single student on the first day of the 2016-2017 school year.
“There is never a day I drive to work and not feel lucky,” Aubin says, smiling, “I’m just so proud to have the opportunity to be associated with a school that has kids like ours... Think about it: we spend most of our time at work. It’s about how you look at what you do.”
Lastly, Mr. Aubin was adamant about giving credit to his secretary, whom he depends on, Mrs. Lucy Thompsen. “Put that in there somewhere,” he said. “God bless Mrs. Thompsen.”
“There is never a day I drive to work and not feel lucky.”
Superintendent-Director Thomas F. Aubin looks on with pride as the newest senior class spells out their year of graduation on the school bleachers.(Photo courtesy of the Herald News, Jack Foley)
The Diman Innovator - Fall 2016Page 4
Illuminae Book Review
by Elijah J. Fullerton
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff may be the single greatest novel I have ever read, nay experienced. You don’t “read” Illuminae, you live it. This novel is comprised of testimonies, chat logs, server data, video summaries, and even the occasional Wikipedia page. I was first averse to this style of writing; I found it strange and off-putting, but now I couldn’t imagine reading this story any other way. Its style gives the very pages themselves character.
If you were to pick up this novel, you can expect within three pages the start of an inter-planetary war. The corporation BeiTech Industries has discovered an illegal mining operation run by their competitor, Wallace Ulyanov Consortium, on the frozen planet of Kerenza IV. War is imminent. Meanwhile, on the surface of Kerenza are two recently broken-up lovers, Kady and Ezra, who don’t intend to sit idly by as their planet is destroyed. They drive, carjack, and commit vehicular manslaughter, all the way to the escape pods to escape the destruction in their wake.
Did that sound horribly cliché to you? In the front flap of the novel the reader is promised a heartfelt love story, an epic stellar conflict, enrapturing cyber espionage, a devilishly devious broken AI, and a horrid virus that would turn a father against his family.
My only quip with Illuminae is that it does have its low moments. While the first fifty or so pages are action-packed and adventurous, everything between around page fifty to page one hundred fifty seems slow during your first read. However, if you manage to get through that, everything after is pure gold.
I urge you to experience Illuminae, you won’t regret it.
Google in the Classroom:A New Technological Frontierby Amber Lecuyer
It’s no secret that technology is taking over everyday life, and as the world makes technological advances, so does Diman. As of October, almost every English class, as well as several science, math, and history classes, will be using Google Classroom. Google Classroom is an online classroom that allows student and teachers to easily share anything from homework assignments and reminders, to daily assignments and lessons.
In order to use Google Classroom and Drive, every single Diman student and teacher was given a Gmail account assigned by the school. These accounts are used only for school-related projects, so they are secure and protected within Diman walls. Having a Gmail account also allows students to use things such as Google Drive, Google Slides, Google Docs, and more. Google will also make homework and group work much easier, because work saves automatically, so you never have to worry about losing your progress. Classroom and other Google programs also have apps that can be accessed on phones, tablets, and computers. It can literally be used anywhere and anytime!
Another plus with these new Gmail accounts is the addition of Chromebooks to many of the classrooms. Chromebooks are a great change to replace some of the older laptops. They are lightweight and much less expensive than other computers. Hopefully many more classes will have Chromebooks and every student will have access to the advances of technology in their classroom.
This is just a beginning step to getting Diman more tech-savvy than ever!
“Using technology in the classroom is simply another tool to engage students in their critical thinking skills.”
The Diman Innovator - Fall 2016 Page 5
Genes in Space
by Kylie Cooper
This past school year, Dylan Barcelos, Mason Frizado, and myself became one of the top 5 finalist teams in the nationwide Genes in Space competition, which challenges students to propose an experiment that involves DNA replication in space in order to solve future space travel obstacles. The finalist teams work with mentors from Harvard and MIT to expand upon their proposals, which are later presented at the International Space Station Research & Development Conference (ISS R&D) in front of judges who choose the winning proposal that will be performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
It was our freshman and sophomore biology teacher, Mrs. Liss O’Connell, who told us about Genes in Space. We entered the first annual Genes in Space contest as freshmen in 2015 and won an honorable mention, so we decided to try again in the spring of this year as sophomores. Much to our shock and delight, we learned in May that our proposal placed in the top five out of about 380 teams across the country.
Our proposal focused on horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance in bacterial biofilms - or, in simpler terms, how bacterial cells that are resistant to antibiotics could share their antibiotic traits with other bacterial cells. We thought that transfer of antibiotic resistant traits could potentially lead to very dangerous bacterial infections, especially in confined spaces such as the International Space Station. We were very fortunate to have Dr. Martin Samuels of Harvard serve as our mentor. He asked us thoughtful questions and guided
us in the right direction. We were even lucky enough to visit Marty at Harvard on the last day of school, where we met other professors who were intrigued by our proposal and helped us form more ideas. “Working with Marty was very helpful in preparation for San Diego,” Barcelos says. “He helped direct us to define our hypothesis and experiment design. Marty really helped educating us on complex bacterial functions and of gene transfer along the way.”
The countless hours we spent in and out of school and even during summer vacation was finally going to be put to the test. At 3:30 a.m. on July 10th, the three of us, accompanied by Mrs. O’Connell, headed to San Diego, California for the ISS R&D Conference. “I think the conference was an amazing experience and it was life changing to see how quickly science is moving and how we can be a part of it,” Frizado says.
“Visiting San Diego for Genes In Space was the most memorable school trip I have ever participated in,” Barcelos adds in. “The area was beautiful, and I had a great time.”
None of what we accomplished would’ve happened, however, without the help of Mrs. O’Connell. She helped us refine our ideas and encouraged us every step of the way that we could achieve the greatest. So much of her time was dedicated to helping us after school hours, and for that we’re very grateful.
Our team has plans of entering the Genes in Space competition again this year, as well as entering other science competitions such as the BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge. After our San Diego and Genes in Space experience, we hope to inspire as many people as we can that the sky is no longer the limit.
The Diman Innovator - Fall 2016Page 6
Mitch Albom Speaks at UMass Dartmouth
by Kylie Cooper
Whether you know him from his novels or as a contributor for ESPN on The Sports Reporters, you’re probably familiar with the name Mitch Albom. As the author of bestselling books such as Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom has plenty of thoughts to share about living a fulfilling life. On October 6, he shared this advice in UMass Dartmouth’s main auditorium filled with a rapt audience, including Diman students.
The chance to hear Albom’s lecture was offered to Diman students for free. Albom came to UMass Dartmouth to give the inaugural Rev. Dr. Robert Lawrence Lecture and do a book signing.
“Giving is living,” Albom repeated during his speech, talking animatedly. “Everyday, have you done all that you want to do and say?”
For much of the lecture, Albom traced his views on giving to others as opposed to taking for yourself back to his old professor, Morrie
Schwartz. He spoke of Morrie’s mindset to always help others - even while he was dying - in order to feel like he was living as honestly and kindly as he could.
“I went in there to comfort him, and he ended up comforting me,” Albom spoke passionately to the crowd.
He talked about his charity work in Detroit and the orphanage he owns in Haiti, but perhaps the best lesson that Diman students took away from the eye-opening lecture was to appreciate their teachers. The teachers in our school today have the ability to inspire and influence us in the same way that Morrie impacted Albom throughout his entire life.
“We forget the people that make us reach success,” Albom says. “We forget about the teachers.”
Sports: Streaming Live to a Living Room Near You
by Mason Frizado
In a perfect world, everyone has time to do what they love. Music lovers can go to every concert, sports fans to every game, theatergoers to every performance. But in today’s hectic world, no one has the time to get to everything. Diman has helped solve at least part of this problem with the new live-streaming of their sports games.
“Watching games live online is the present and the future,” says Nathan Byrnes, the director of the sports live-streaming program. “Parents can enjoy their son or daughter’s games even if they can’t make it there in person,” he continued.
Another benefit is that these games are not only live-streamed, but archived for anyone to view. Sports teams can use this to better their play by reflecting on past games, and parents can show family members who weren’t able to watch the game.
Along with this, athletes who are looking to go to college and play sports are able to use these archived games to compile highlight reels to send to colleges, which couldn’t be done before.
Senior Karell Taylor, who frequently operates the camera or computer at live-streaming events, agrees that live-streaming sports is really useful. “When the sports are live, parents can see their kid perform, even when they’re not there,” he explained.
To watch these games you can subscribe on the Diman website with a free membership (to see archived games, but no live-streaming) or a live-stream membership which costs $9.95. A seasonal 120-day membership costs $40, or you can subscribe to a 12-month membership which normally costs $120 but is on sale right now for $60.
The Diman Innovator - Fall 2016 Page 7
Meet the Newest Members of our Diman Team!
Jennifer DiBiasioGraphics
Judson ChapmanScience
Kelly CostaClerical Aministration
Lori GehanLPN
Paul OliveiraMetal Fabrication
Elizabeth HydeHealth Assisting
Cory LuzHouse Building
Luis RebelloAutomotive Collision
Erin SmithMathematics
Mario RodriguesMathematics
Bonnie SheltonEnglish Language Arts
Martin VieiraELL
Gabriel TeixeiraHVAC/R
Mary MingelsScience
Lisa YoungLPN
Amanda PaquinLPN
Tara LucierSchool Psychologist
Lauren RebelloHealth Assisting
John KnoxElextricity
Kathryn KenneyDrafting
Jeffrey RamadanGuidance
Stephanie HartAthletic Trainer
@dimanbengals
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Powered by a quick-strike offense and a hard-charging defense, the Diman football team has earned the Mayflower Athletic Conference’s division title for the second time ever (2013 being the other year).
The Bengals clawed their way to the top with a 4-1 record (4-0 in the division), having reeled off four straight wins after a season-opening loss in Malden to Mystic Valley. Arguably their two biggest wins were a 28-26 nail-biting upset over Joseph Case High School and the division-clinching 27-20 defeat of Bishop Connolly in the rain.
Success continued in the playoffs, with victories in both the state tournament and the vocational tournament. Diman also earned our first Thanksgiving win in 7 years, 40-14 over New Bedford Voke! Great job, Bengals!
Diman Football: Bengals Roar to MAC Championship
#BleedDimanOrange
Javier Pessoa fires a pass to Ashton Begin (Mare Studios photograph)
